Safe and Sane

Russ wasn't surprised that the lounge wasn't empty that night. It was after all the weekend, and he'd been hoping this might mean company. He was still getting a feel for the place, and while he'd met a few people and perused a few lists he hadn't actively sought anyone or anything out. He was still working on socializing. Or, he was possibly having a streak of what he wasn't willing to call shyness. This was probably why he grabbed a drink before glancing over at the rather harmless but handsome young man who was sitting alone on one of the couches. He might be a little young for Russ' normal taste, but at this point he'd fully realized there was no such thing as normal anymore. Also, there was absolutely nothing intimidating about this boy. Russ took his drink and headed over.

"Care for company?" he asked.

The club had been transformed. The main room was no longer recognizable as a lounge; it had been made over with mood lighting and subtle decorations. On one end there was a huge buffet, the bar was open and tended. There was even room for dancing on a small wooden floor that had been laid down on the opposite end of the room. Scattered about were bowls of candy of all kinds.

One of the smaller lounges hosted traditional party games -- bobbing for apples, donuts on a string, even a table set up for carving small gourds and pumpkins. A few of the private play rooms on the main level had also been opened, set up for groups or exhibitionism, but as in previous year that wasn't the focus of the night. And, in case anyone had forgotten a costume or hadn't been able to find one, the smallest public lounge was being used as sort of a large wardrobe.

A large poster in the hallway announced the categories for the costume contest: scariest, funniest, the most creative, best couple or group, and -- of course -- the sexiest.

Boulder seemed to have decided to skip fall, and go straight for winter. Snow had been falling since the previous night, and most of the day. Not serious snow, but 8 inches or so was enough to cause problems on the roads. Mostly because it was the first snow of the year, and that, combined with maximum temperatures below freezing, was enough to keep a lot of people indoors.

It all meant that the cafe was quieter than usual that Wednesday night. Hallowe'en banners were draped over the counter, and a small squash had been carved and placed on each table, candles flickering inside them, adding their tiny warmth to the heating that fought against the snow.

He'd been in town for more than a month now and the office was completely set up and organized. He'd even had a few walk-in customers, which he always counted as a win. With things humming along, he was able to take evenings off without feeling guilty.

He grabbed a drink and a newspaper and found a comfortable chair in the corner of the lounge.

Who: Russ and Joakim
When: 2 years ago
Where: Rumors
What: Backstory - Russ meets Joakim and tries new things. The event that pretty much changed his sexuality/identity. Not that he ever sent Joakim that thank you card.

( Cut for length - Finishing in comments )