InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "That wasn't love."

Bryce Dustan (_bryced) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2015-04-04 17:22:00

Entry tags:

character: bryce dunstan, character: tristan travers

rp: a whole new world
Who: Tristan and Bryce (and Sophie)
What: Eating and exploring
Where: The Corner, Finnigan's
When: Saturday, April 4, early afternoon
Rating: Probably SFW

As part of his attempt to introduce his daughter - and reacquaint himself - with the magical world and all that that entailed, Bryce had brought Sophie out to Finnigan's for lunch. There was nothing overly obvious to him that would indicate the pub was any different from others he'd eaten in over the last few years, but Sophie was well aware that the people filling it were wizards and witches, and it showed. The little girl's curious stares at nearly every person had Bryce constantly reminding her that it wasn't polite, but it seemed that the only thing truly capable of distracting her was the bookshelf standing the room they'd chosen a table in. No matter what happened around her, her eyes kept returning it, blonde curls bouncing every time she turned her head.

He'd hoped that food would provide something entertaining enough to keep Sophie's attention, but in between bites, he could still see her glancing over, and Bryce couldn't help but smile softly to himself every time he caught his daughter doing it. About halfway through lunch, Sophie looked up at him and said, "Hey, Daddy?"

With a chuckle, Bryce answered, "Yes, princess, you can go look at the bookshelf - after you finish lunch." Sophie's wide eyes at his apparent mind-reading skills made him laugh again, and he reached out to tug lightly on one of the curls next to her face as he instructed, "Eat your fish." The second half of Sophie's fish and chips disappeared quite a bit faster than the first, and just a few minutes later she was hopping own from her chair, as he reminded her to stay in sight. Bryce could see her hair flapping around a little wildly as she nodded absentmindedly, already entranced by the books she was making her way towards, and he made sure to keep an eye on her as he finished his own food at a more leisurely pace.

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_bryced
2015-04-06 12:22 pm UTC (link)

The man's reaction was intriguing, and Bryce found himself a little curious at what exactly he'd done to elicit it. There wasn't really any way to ask though, not without making everything awkward, which was about the last thing he wanted. So he did the only thing he could, and nodded in agreement with the comment, because he could definitely see how that sort of trick could come in handy. He did have a feeling that there was going to be a temper tantrum in his future when he couldn't recreate it, but that was hardly this stranger's fault.

Sophie's eyes widened at the offer to keep the paper animal, and she turned her head to look at Bryce, who couldn't help chuckling slightly at the expression on his daughter's face. "What do you say, princess," he prompted, and the girl grinned widely as she looked back at the man.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, as though the butterfly had been the best thing to happen all day - which, knowing Sophie, it probably was, in her mind.

For some reason, Bryce was not quite ready to walk away - perhaps because this was the easiest conversation he'd had with anyone, especially magical, in quite some time. Still, it would be rude to hang around and intrude on the man's time, knowing that they had no real reason to stay. "We won't take up any more of your time," Bryce started. "But thanks. I'm glad she didn't scare you off with her exuberance."

"I'm not scary, Daddy," Sophie interjected with a roll of her eyes, making Bryce chuckle once more.

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alliterative
2015-04-06 03:59 pm UTC (link)

He couldn't help but smile at the little girl's reaction at being allowed to keep the paper butterfly. It was definitely cute, and he couldn't help but marvel at the pure joy. Had he ever been like that? When did people lose things like pure joy and sheer curiosity at the world? He knew roughly when he had lost those things, but he also knew that, sometimes, it flickered back to life in him. Watching the little girl's excitement caused that tiny spark inside him. Deep down, he hoped it lasted.

"You're welcome," Tristan said, extending his hand and nudging the butterfly back over to the little girl. Then, as the butterfly flapped its way to her, he added, "No, I have to agree, you're not scary."

Shifting a little, he wasn't entirely sure what else to say. He did, however, say, "You didn't take up my time." He brought his hands together, idly twisting the ring on his finger. "Or, well, it wasn't poorly spent time. That might be a bit more accurate." He swallowed. "Point is, you're welcome, and she didn't scare me." And, still not really knowing what to say or do, he gave the man and his daughter a friendly smile, ignoring the sudden rise of anxiety about his lack of direction about what to do next.

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_bryced
2015-04-07 02:50 am UTC (link)

Sophie was once again entranced by the fluttering object, and she offered the man another wide grin at his words as the butterfly landed on her shoulder.

Bryce returned the smile with one of his own, unsure of what exactly he was going to say in response when his daughter took care of that for him. "Do you like ice cream? Because Daddy said that after lunch we can go get ice cream," she rambled, and the only thing that kept him from hiding his face in his hands was the fact that he was preoccupied with holding her.

"Sophie," he began, making sure to keep his tone even as he turned to look at her, their faces a little too close for him to focus properly. "Not everyone has the same plans that we do." He glanced back at the other man, and then added, "You are welcome to join us if you'd like though. I think I can remember where Fortescue's is."

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alliterative
2015-04-07 07:41 pm UTC (link)

Opening his mouth, Tristan had absolutely not idea what to say or how to respond. He closed his mouth quickly, still fussing with the ring on his finger. What was he supposed to say? He didn't want to be rude, but he also didn't want to unintentionally intrude all because he couldn't keep his mouth shut about books. He licked his lips a little, hating that he felt entirely flustered for no good reason. Except that he really hadn't been invited out by many people, even if people was a little girl he suspected wanted to see more magic. And the last time he'd been to the ice cream parlour had been on Halloween with his brother and cousin. He swallowed and decided to try again.

"I do like ice cream," he said, directing his reply to the little girl. That, at least, was easy enough to respond to. "I don't want to intrude, though," he added, shifting his gaze from the little girl to her father. "I'm not especially busy at the moment, but, well, I mean, we've only just met, and we don't even know each other's names!"

Shut up, he scolded himself, pausing to take a breath.

"I'm Tristan, by the way." He stopped fidgeting a moment and extended a hand, taking a step closer to the man and his daughter.

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_bryced
2015-04-14 12:53 am UTC (link)

Bryce couldn't quite hold in his small grin at the man's reaction, inexplicably pleased at the response. He couldn't quite get a word in edgewise, though that didn't stop Sophie from saying, "Ice cream is the best!"

Shifting his daughter's weight, Bryce offered a hand, saying, "And I'm Bryce. This is..."

"Sophie!" the little girl proclaimed, throwing both hands up in the air before immediately clapping her hands together to re-catch her newly acquired butterfly.

Chuckling, he said, "It's a pleasure, Tristan. And like I said, you're welcome to join us."

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