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Bryce Dustan ([info]_bryced) wrote in [info]finnigans_rpg,
@ 2015-07-04 23:04:00

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Entry tags:character: bryce dunstan, character: tristan travers

Who: Bryce and Tristan
What: An interesting encounter
Where: Wingbeat to start
When: Saturday, July 4th
Rating: TBD, but maybe NSFW due to possible sexual activity

Bryce had spent the majority of the day out in Muggle London at one of the parades, trailing after his sisters while making sure his daughter hadn't wandered off into the crowd to follow someone who'd caught her eye. Sophie had been exhausted after all the excited, and he'd left her with his older sister and her girlfriend, asleep in the guest room at their house still in her dress. After a cup of coffee and a promise to not even try to pick her up until lunch time tomorrow, and Bryce was making his way towards Wingbeat.

It had been a number of years since he'd been to club, but he figured not too much could have changed in that time. Getting inside didn't prove to be any trouble, and he walked sedately towards the window marked for the cloak room, shrugging off the sweatshirt he'd thrown on against the slight evening air chill. His own t-shirt seemed rather tame in comparison to some of the outfits he was seeing in the crowd. Seeing the rainbow-colored head behind the window brought a smile to his face, and re-solidified his thoughts that he'd made the right choice in coming to this club for the evening.

"Nice hair," Bryce said with a grin to the man behind the counter, hoping his tone came across as the compliment it was intended to be.


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[info]alliterative
2015-07-05 04:22 am UTC (link)
Mentally speaking, Tristan was in a strange place. Although he was currently calm, the night before he'd been anything but, thanks mostly to certain patrons. None had necessarily done anything directly to him. It was more what they represented, and it didn't help that he had time to let his thoughts fester. All these people were here to celebrate, and all he wanted to do was go home and sleep. He didn't care that he was gay, that this was a community he could feel accepted in. He doubted he'd feel accepted in any community once it found out who he was, or who he'd been. That thought had eaten at his brain all last night, had disallowed him sleep. It clung to the back of his brain even then, though the various influxes of people wanting to check cloaks, coats, jumpers, and jackets helped keep it from getting overwhelming. Just when he thought it might come creeping back round front thanks to a lull, footsteps and a compliment caught his attention, and he looked up, a little startled.

"Thank you," Tristan said with a small smile, automatically reaching up to tuck a few strands of his rainbow charmed hair. The rest of his attire consisted black jeans (who knew they came in colours other than blue?), a black t-shirt with a long sleeved red flannel shirt over it (to keep his arms discretely covered), red boots, and his Wingbeat identification lanyard (which he realised went well with his outfit after he'd headed to work that night). He'd not been in the mood to wear anything particularly "Pride-like," but the idea of charming his hair had appealed to him. It helped disguise who he was, just in case, and, honestly, it was fun, especially since his hair'd grown out a bit more the past few months.

"Do, ah, would you like to check your jumper?" he asked, wondering if he should have said something else first. But what would he say? Hi. Welcome to Wingbeat's Pride celebration. Are you here to check up on me? Honestly, Bryce could have been there simply to enjoy the club, to enjoy the community, to enjoy Pride. He thought that was especially likely given his shirt. Still, he was a little nervous, though he wasn't 100% sure it had to do with Bryce showing up unexpected at the club.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-05 05:08 am UTC (link)
It hadn't been until he'd looked up that Bryce had realized who he was talking to. Of course, he knew that Tristan worked here, but that fact seemed to have either slipped his mind or been deemed a non-important fact by his brain when he was making his plans for the evening. He had a vague moment of undefined nervousness, before ruthlessly shoving the feeling aside. After all, there really wasn't anything to be worried about, and even if there was, it was better not to concentrate on those things.

"You're welcome," he answered, the manners automatic after trying to teach them to a four-year old day in and day out. And the reaction had the welcome effect of giving him something to say, rather than floundering for words like he might, being caught off guard by who he was speaking to in the first place.

Putting on another grin, Bryce responded, "Only if it's no trouble." Figuring that conversation couldn't hurt, he continued, "Looks like there's a decent crowd, so I won't ask if you're busy when I can figure that out for myself. Things are going well though?" As bad of an idea as it might have been - he probably should have just dropped off his stuff and headed for the interior of the club - Bryce didn't quite want to leave Tristan with just he barest of acknowledgement between them.

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-05 08:10 pm UTC (link)
"No trouble. It's what I'm here for," Tristan reassured him, reaching to grab a ticket for the jumper for when it would be inevitably handed over to him. Instead of asking for it immediately or giving Bryce the price to check it, however, he listened politely, idly wondering if the man were here to check on him in such a situation as a large crowd or if he truly were babbling for some other reason. Maybe he was nervous about running into one of his parolee's outside of work, especially in a place that could be considered a bit intimate in terms of personal information. And while he was pretty sure Bryce had been playing the part of the probation worker Sunday by helping him out here and there at the zoo, agreeing to meet up with him to help with lunch among Muggles, he wasn't entirely sure that was the case here. Still, part of him felt nervous, though he had no reason to be. He was a good employee, and even if he'd been reassigned, he hadn't broken any rules or laws to his knowledge.

Tristan nodded at the question, saying, "They seem to be. I mean, I'm no expert -- I don't do the books and am not privy to certain information -- but I imagine this weekend is going to be a big haul in terms of sales and number of people experiencing the club." And the crowd alone was enough to make him happy to be working the cloakroom. He didn't have to deal quite so directly with as many people, and it wasn't quite so loud out in the hall as in the club proper. "And people seem to be having a lot of fun. They've come out happy. Music sounds good, too. Lots of pretty colours." He blushed slightly when he realised he'd said pretty colours, but they were.

"Ah, right. It's 12 Sickles to check your jumper. Not that I'm trying to rush you along! Just don't want you to miss out if you're anxious to go dance and be Prideful and whatever." He shut up, twisting the ring on his left middle finger to keep from saying anything else ridiculous.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-08 03:14 am UTC (link)
Admittedly, Sunday had at least partially been Bryce doing his job. In his opinion, helping to ensure that the individuals on his list were integrating back into society was even more important that just making sure they weren't breaking any more of the laws that had gotten them into prison in the first place. Of course, that sort of help didn't usually involve lunch and his daughter, but Sophie had been so excited by the prospects of both the zoo itself and seeing Tristan again that he hadn't been able to bring himself to back out. And not to mention that that had been an entirely different setting than the one they found themselves in now.

Nodding at the answer, Bryce could feel himself grinning at the mention of the colors, noting the flush along Tristan's cheeks even in the somewhat dim light. Rather than draw any attention to that, he simply agreed with a grin, "There are quite a lot of those. The sheer number of rainbows was Sophie's favorite part of the parade today. Well, one of her favorites, I suppose, since she'd be hard pressed to pick just one."

With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Bryce held out the item in question as he said, "No rush. Doesn't seem like the party is going anywhere any time soon." Still, he could see the small sign of the other man's anxiousness when he fiddled with his ring, and he figured that it was time for him to step away, at least for a minute. While he would have liked to have stayed and somehow managed to find a way to have an actual conversation, the last thing he wanted was to make Tristan uncomfortable. "Thank you," he said, this time with a smaller smile, though no less genuine. "I'll see you a little later, I guess?"

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-10 01:56 am UTC (link)
Secretly, he appreciated Bryce not making too much mention of his use of the words pretty colours or his subsequent blush. He was an adult. He didn't need to be making such comments about rainbows. They were just rainbows, after all, regardless of who claimed them for what. Instead, he said, with a smile, "I'm glad she had fun." Never mind that Tristan was barely aware of the parade himself. He'd learned his lessons about large crowds, even if this was likely mostly Muggle crowds. Unless he could have something between himself and others, he doubted he'd be venturing into any kind large crowd gathered for the purpose of celebrating something for a very long time.

Tristan took the offered jumper and affixed half of the claim ticket to it while Bryce set down money to pay for checking it. He then hung the jumper on a hanger and set it aside to be hung with the other cloaks and jumpers and coats. First, he counted out change, quickly double checking it. He didn't want to unintentionally give Bryce the wrong amount. So far, he'd managed not to mess that up, and he doubted it'd be good to start it with Bryce.

"You will if you want to see your jumper again," Tristan said with a grin, trying to make a joke as he handed over the claim ticket and change. "Until then, have fun and enjoy Pride."

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-13 01:24 am UTC (link)
Chuckling at the joke, Bryce commented, "Well, I guess that just one more reason to come back." As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized what he'd said, and what he'd meant to imply, but also how easy it would be for Tristan to misinterpret. Since discretion was the better part of valor, he just added, "I plan to, thanks. Have a good evening."

Walking away was harder than he would have liked to admit - originally he'd come for Pride and the club itself, but that brief conversation had made him want to stay where he'd been and continue speaking rather than heading inside. Normally, he would be perfectly happy to be sociable, striking up a conversation with anyone around, he was now in the mood to brood in a corner with his drink, which is exactly what he found himself doing. The end of the bar was out of the way enough that he could see the other patrons without being in anyone's way, and without making it look like he was actively avoiding company.

The truth of the matter was that since Anna had died, Bryce hadn't spent much time trying to 'get back out there'. At first it had been from grief, and then focusing on raising Sophie, and the very few dates he'd been on had all ended, if not terribly, then at least without a desire to repeat the experience. It seemed to be a strange twist of fate that the only person he'd felt a desire to make a connection with in that way would wind up being one of the few individuals who were strictly off-limits. The day Tristan had walked up to his desk at the DMLE, he'd actually been trying to think of a way to ask to see the man again. Of course, that plan had gone out the window when he realized the responsibility he had to the man and his future, and he'd tried to put his own feelings aside to focus on that instead. The trip to the zoo hadn't exactly been helpful in that regard - while he would claim to nearly anyone who asked that he had just been doing his job, he was self-aware enough to know that that hadn't been his only motivation.

Knowing his own thoughts and feelings were all well and good, but he had no idea if his interest even had the possibility of being reciprocated, which wasn't exactly something he could outright ask. Perhaps thinking of some kind of plan of action might be a good idea here - that had never been one of his strong suits, but he could at least try. Bryce managed to lose himself in his thoughts rather quickly, his gaze focused on the liquid in his glass rather than any of the other patrons.

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-14 09:48 pm UTC (link)
Just one more reason to come back? Was he really spying on him, then? Tristan wasn't sure, and he bit his lower lip when Bryce walked away. Had he done something wrong, he wondered. Had his therapist said something to Bryce that had him concerned? He'd thought he was doing better than he had in the last two months, but maybe there was something he didn't pick up on that his therapist had. And maybe she mentioned it to Bryce. Or maybe someone had complained about him directly to the Ministry of Magic. He wasn't sure, but it definitely set him on edge, at least at the moment.

Soon, however, he was distracted by patrons coming and going, checking various items of clothing and returning them. And in his down time, he sat in the chair in the cloakroom and read a book. Outside of the club proper, without having to constantly be on the lookout for an empty drink glass or an approaching customer, he found he could actually tune out the music well enough that it was just an odd background noise like the bustle of the city, though he found himself always on guard for any out of place noise such as that of someone approaching the cloakroom.

He couldn't fully tune out some of this thoughts, though he tried with the reading. He tried getting lost in a mystery instead of lost in his thoughts about how the only community he had was the community of the damned -- some of whom didn't regret their actions while others he had no contact with -- about how someone probably reported him for something he didn't do, about that overwhelming sense of loneliness and depression that sometime overtook him, and, most importantly, about what Bryce had meant by having one more reason to come back.

You're thinking too much, he told himself with a sigh and made a conscious effort to ignore all his thoughts unrelated to solving the mystery of who murdered Great Uncle Reginald Fairfax III alongside Mae Merryweather, professional broom racer by day, genius crime solver by night.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-18 12:13 am UTC (link)
Bryce was perfectly capable of working himself up in knots by overthinking things if he let himself, so halfway through his second drink, he gave himself a mental shake and tried to change the topic within his own mind. He wasn't entirely successful, but trying to figure out some sort of plan was better than worrying about things he couldn't change. Thinking before doing was not typically one of his strong suits - he tended to leap before looking, but that sort of way of going about things had the potential to end in disaster in the situation at hand.

By the time he was almost done with his drink, he was rather sick of thinking about said plan of action, and decided now was as good a time as any to start putting it into action. Placing his empty glass on the bar, he took a deep breath to fortify himself before beginning to make his way through the crowd. He paused for a moment in the doorway to the cloakroom, feeling something like butterflies in his stomach at the sight of Tristan entranced in his book.

Taking a step closer, he leaned against the counter as he asked, "What are you reading?"

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-18 01:30 am UTC (link)
Although Tristan heard Bryce approaching, he didn't know who he was until he spoke. He looked up from his chair, a little startled to see him. He looked at him briefly, wondering if he were on his way out. If so, he wondered if he should ask if he'd had an alright time or if there'd been something that had caused him to leave early, something he could inform Charlie about just in case it was fixable. But a quick glance at his watch while he closed his book to show off the cover told him it wasn't as early as he thought. Even so, he wondered about if something happened.

"It's a mystery novel. Part of the Adventures of Mae Merryweather series." He showed off the cover of the book as he spoke, depicting a young witch outside an old country estate. He had no clue if Bryce had ever read any of the Mae Merryweather books or even had interest in such things. "This one's The Dandy's Death. It's pretty good, if you like that kind of thing. Or just want to pass the time. Or both," he said with a smile, brushing his rainbow hair off his forehead.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-18 01:59 am UTC (link)
When Tristan looked up, Bryce felt a little guilty about interrupting - it seemed a little rude, which was the last thing he wanted to be. But the other man didn't seem to be put out by having to close the tome, which he decided to take as a good sign, all things considered. Anna had once thrown a teacup at his head for interrupting her with a book when she didn't want to be disturbed, so this was at the very last better than that.

Grinning at the smile that talking about the book brought to Tristan's face, he responded, "I'm partial to science fiction myself, though most of my reading is admittedly whatever Sophie decides she's in the mood for at any given point." The name of the series sounded vaguely familiar, though not enough so for him to have an opinion one way or another. "I would guess that means you're enjoying it then?"

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-18 03:05 am UTC (link)
"I saw one of those types of books once at the bookcase at Finnigan's," Tristan said, brows slightly furrowed in thought. "But I think because it's based on Muggle science, I didn't really understand it." He wondered how many Muggles really understood those books. Then again, maybe he'd picked up one that was exceptionally heavy on the science. He wasn't sure. He didn't have any other frame of reference with those books to really know just how varied they could be. He assumed they were varied, however. It made sense for them to be. But were they? Maybe one day he'd find out.

Nodding, he glanced down and said, "Yeah. It's a fun read. Nothing too serious." He looked back up at Bryce. "I'm also pretty sure the butler did not kill the dandy, Great Uncle Reginald Fairfax III," he added with a bit of a smirk.

A few seconds later, Tristan put his bookmark between the pages and set down the book. "Are you leaving? Should I get your jumper," he asked. "I don't want to keep you if you've got to go or want to get home." Though part of him did want to talk to him more. About what, who knew, but Bryce was nice, and it was nice seeing him outside of the Ministry, even if part of him still suspected the other wizard might be there to secretly check up on him.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-19 02:15 am UTC (link)
Nodding his understanding, Bryce commented, "Some of them don't make much sense even with a basic knowledge of science. But they can be interesting, to see what some people imagine the future will be like, or what the world could have been if things had gone differently." A thought occurred to him, and after a brief moment of deliberation, he added, "If you'd like, I can show you some of my favorites. That way someone can explain anything that you don't understand."

Smiling even wider at the smirk he could see playing at the edge of Tristan's mouth, Bryce asked, "Wouldn't that be a little too easy?" The fun and nothing too serious comments made him wonder about all the other things going on in the other man's life that he wasn't aware of, which just fueled the desire to continue talking and learning everything he could.

"Only if you don't want me to stand here and talk to you, since that was my reason for coming back in the first place," he said in answer to the question, his smile becoming a little shyer at the admission. Hopefully the slight flush he could feel on his cheekbones could be blamed on the alcohol or something.

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-19 02:37 am UTC (link)
"Oh. That'd--That'd be nice," Tristan said sincerely of Bryce's offer to show him some of his favourites. Maybe it was the Ravenclaw in him, but there were times when he thought that sharing books that had any kind of meaning was a to share a part of oneself, a way to further develop and relationship (be it friendship, romantic, or something else) and understanding between two people. Maybe they weren't as grand as sharing a piece of someone's soul, but he still thought of it as something important. "Thank you," he added with a smile."

Nodding, he said, "I think so. And a little cliche. He has motive, sure, but he's also got an alibi that, so far, seems to check out. So I don't think it's him." He shook his head a little with a small laugh, not sure why he was amused, but he supposed it was better than the alternative.

Although Tristan didn't know what caused the slight flushing of Bryce's cheeks, he knew what caused his owns to flush slightly. He looked down at his book, swallowing. He didn't know what to say, but he opened his mouth despite that. "You're welcome to stand and talk, if you want," he said, looking up, fidgeting with the ring on his finger again. He still wondered if maybe Bryce were checking up on him, and, if so, his own flush was ridiculous. Of course most people who came to Wingbeat didn't want to chat with the cloakroom attendant, so when someone did, there were likely hidden motives. And in Bryce's, it was probably that he was keeping an eye on him. But that was alright. He wasn't being an arse about it, and he didn't seem like an arse normally, either, which was why he added, "You're nice to talk to so I don't mind if you want to stay and talk."

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-19 03:54 am UTC (link)
"You're welcome," Bryce answered, nearly automatically, for which he was glad, since he was paying a little to much attention to Tristan's smile to be fully thinking through what he was saying.

Chuckling along, he asked curiously, "Do you tend to figure it out before you finish the book?" He had never been good at those sorts of things - puzzles in general weren't something he excelled at, but he wouldn't be surprised to hear that Tristan did.

Bryce didn't bother even trying to hide his grin at that answer, saying, "I do want." And wow, he hadn't intended for there to be any innuendo or double-meaning there, as evidenced by the lack of a leer in his tone or his face, but nonetheless, it was open for interpretation. If it went badly, he figured he could blame it on the alcohol, and if it went over favorably... well, it was best if he didn't get ahead of himself. "I could say the same of you," he replied honestly.

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-19 04:12 am UTC (link)
Tristan nodded a bit as he said, "Yeah, sometimes. I don't usually try to, but there are times when I have my suspicions, and they end up confirmed." He grinned a bit sheepishly at that. It wasn't like he set out hoping to solve the mystery before it was revealed. Not normally, at least. Sometimes, though, he could figure it out. And it wasn't always because of poor writing that made the culprit obvious.

Again, he nodded, feeling his cheeks warm again just a little bit at the implication that he was nice to talk to as well. He didn't know what to say to that, so instead, he decided to change the subject a little. He said, "Are you having a nice night? And a nice Pride? Did you do anything special for it?" It was the first thing that came to mind that didn't involve telling Bryce he had a nice smile or saying he didn't know what to talk about. Plus, he was curious about what Bryce might have done earlier in the day, if he was big on celebrating Pride, and, if so, what that might consist of. Prior to the last few days, Tristan didn't know much about Pride himself, and he certainly hadn't ever celebrated it. So it made him curious. And it might have had the added bonus of taking the pressure of him to speak.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-19 05:02 am UTC (link)
Bryce was grateful for the change in subject, especially to one he could actually contribute to, since it gave him something to talk about that wasn't how adorable Tristan was when he blushed like that. "I am, on both counts, thank you," he answered with a small nod before saying, "I went to one of the Muggle parades this morning - my older sister and her girlfriend showed up early this morning to drag Sophie and I along with them, so we spent most of the day in the city. They spoiled her like they always do - I'm sure by the time I go to get her back from their house tomorrow afternoon she'll have a week's worth of new clothes or another doll or something else." There was a little bit of exasperation in his tone as he spoke, but with an overlying fondness.

Curious as to Tristan's exposure - the file Bryce had basically memorized (unintentionally, of course) had included a few notes on background and family history, and he had no idea how Pride or anything connected to it was handled in Pureblood families - he asked, "And yourself? Enjoying the excessive amount of glitter I've been seeing everywhere since I got here?" There was a certain teasing tone to the second part, because being a little silly helped to cover any awkwardness his question might have possibly sparked.

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-19 06:42 am UTC (link)
As Bryce spoke, Tristan gave the other wizard his full attention. It wasn't just good manners or curiosity or the fact that if Bryce spoke it meant he didn't have to. He genuinely liked listening to him. The other things helped, of course, but weren't all there was to his attention to Bryce and his words. He smiled softly without realising at the mention of Sophie and how she was likely to come home with lots of new toys. That's what aunts and uncles did, from what he understood. They spoiled their nieces and nephews, then handed them back to their parents. He might not have had that exact experience being an uncle, but maybe one day. Though, for all he knew, his brother had a child or two out there that even he didn't know about.

"There is definitely a lot of glitter," he said with a little laugh. Being the cloakroom attendant, however, did have some perks. One of those included not having to be in the epicenter of the glitter explosion. "I'm out here, and yet, I've still found some stray bits of glitter on my arms and neck and face the last couple of mornings," he added with a shake of his head, mostly trying to buy himself a little time to figure out how to respond to the first question.

"My night's alright. And Pride's interesting. I don't think I'd be good in a parade crowd, so I haven't gone to any Muggle parades." He gave Bryce a wry smile. "But there's lots of colours! And that's cool. I've never done anything for Pride. I don't know that we have that in the Wizarding world. I was either in school or... or too young to know." Or too busy being a Death Eater or locked in prison, he thought to himself, looking briefly away. He shook himself before adding, a bit more brightly, "It's definitely an educational experience. And lots of people have come out of the club arm in arm and then some." He laughed again, deciding not to mention his thoughts on how he doubted this was a community that would accept him, about how he was pretty sure he'd never really find a community. That would just bring the whole mood down. So he laughed at his stupid joke, pretending it was just an amusing observation.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-19 05:12 pm UTC (link)
He took a small mental note of the soft smile that appeared on Tristan's face when Bryce mentioned Sophie - that could only be a good thing, he thought, and a part of him hoped that the obvious fondness his daughter had for the man went both ways. But that was a conversation for another time, so he filed the observation away in the back of his mind with all the other little things he'd noticed about Tristan over the course of their acquaintance.

Hearing Tristan laugh made Bryce smile again - his face was going to hurt in the morning if this kept up, but that was a small price to pay - and he chuckled as he agreed, "It does tend to get everywhere and stay there until the end of time. I'm still finding some in my kitchen from one Sophie's art experiments a few months ago." Even with magic, he hadn't been able to get all of that mess cleaned in a timely fashion, though he couldn't be sure if that was due to his own admittedly not-so-grasp on spells or the inherent nature of glitter itself. And that line of thinking kept him from wondering where else Tristan might have gotten glitter unexpectedly and how he'd be able to help get rid of it, because mentally undressing someone who was sitting right in front of him was bad form.

Bryce listened intently as Tristan spoke, all his attention focused on the other man. This, just the simple pleasure of being in his company and hearing him talk, had been the entire reason for his venture back from the bar, and he didn't plan on wasting a moment of it. Rather than touch on any of the points that might lead to a less than pleasant discussion, he commented, "There certainly are a lot of colors, and pretty much anyone is willing to explain all the differences in the flags strewn around or what they mean. And especially in a place like this, some people are more comfortable with expressing themselves, so there's a bit more open approaches. At least, in my experience." He shrugged once he finished speaking, and wondered if he was rambling too much, or if anything he'd said just made sense.

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-19 11:03 pm UTC (link)
For the most part, Tristan could just imagine Bryce finding glitter in his kitchen from something his daughter had done that involved glitter, and the thought brought a little smile to his face. Glitter was a force to be reckoned with, and, from what he understood, so were four year olds. That combination had to be deadly, at least when it came to things like messes and cleaning them up. They got everywhere, and they were impossible to control to keep from getting into everything. But they were still fun.

He was glad that Bryce didn't want to touch on anything that could lead down a negative path, though Tristan doubted he would have wanted to anyway. That's not why people came to clubs, after all. And this was supposed to be a celebration. He did, however, quirk a brow at something Bryce said. "Does that mean you attend clubs that are open to the LGBTQ crowds a lot in order to feel more comfortable expressing yourself, or do you know a lot of people who do," he asked, honestly curious. It had occurred to him that Bryce could consider himself part of this community just as easily as he could have considered himself an ally (after all, a shirt could mean just about anything, including that he supported gay pride). Hell, he could have been there to meet up with a friend or even someone who was more than a friend, though the fact that he came back to the cloakroom to talk to him told Tristan either he was here on his own or any potential meet ups were blown off.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-20 02:25 am UTC (link)
Bryce wasn't exactly caught off guard by the question, but it did take him a moment to figure out the best way to answer. In his defense, he was a little distracted by memorizing the exact arch of Tristan's eyebrow, which took up some of his mental capacity. He shrugged as he said, "A little bit of both. I'd like to think I'm pretty comfortable with myself most of them time, but it is nice to be around people who understand the terms without having to explain them every time. Not that I mind explaining." Absentmindedly, he ran a hand through his hair and then added, "But I've also been dragged along to more places than I can count by any number of friends, and my sister has her regular spots that she sometimes wants company at." Looking over at Tristan, smiling slightly at seeing the colors shift in his hair, he said, "I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable."

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-20 02:46 am UTC (link)
Tristan nodded as he listened, thinking Bryce both explained a few things and didn't explain anything at all. He did receive some answers, though he wasn't sure what the other questions were that they answered. And it didn't answer the question about why Bryce was here, but he started to think that maybe it wasn't to subtly check up on him. Or, at least, maybe not entirely. He still couldn't completely shake that suspicion, though he let it fall from the forefront of his mind as he said, "No, you didn't. Sorry if that was a rude or inappropriate or uncomfortable question." That definitely wasn't his intent.

"I was just curious," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "I've know other gay people and people who identify as bisexual and so forth, but I don't really talk to a lot of them." Or anyone, but he thought admitting that was a bit too honest. He fidgeted a little with the cuff of his red flannel shirt. "So I am sorry if it crossed a line or anything."

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-21 12:19 pm UTC (link)
"Not at all. A little curiosity never hurt anyone, right?" Bryce replied. Smiling softly at Tristan's grin, he opened his mouth to say something in response when he was jostled from behind. Looking over his shoulder, he could see two giggling witches leaning on one another, though for actual support or some other reason, he couldn't quite tell. But he did notice the claim tickets in their hands, and moved out of their way, offering them both a polite smile when they looked his way.

The time it took for Tristan to take care of the witches in question - to do his job, jeez, and didn't that make Bryce feel like a bit of an idiot - was a welcome if short respite from the conversation. Not because he didn't want to continue, but because he was grateful for the moment to get a hold of himself. He knew himself well enough to know that sometimes he come across a little too strong, and now that he had a moment to think about it, he was worried that might be happening here.

Once the women left, Bryce returned his attention to Tristan, smiling softly again as he said, "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything. I'd hate to be a bother."

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-22 05:24 pm UTC (link)
Tristan would have probably argued, in a good natured kind of way, that curiosity could actually hurt quite a lot when he caught sight of the witches approaching the cloakroom. He stood and took their tickets with a friendly smile, deciding not to think too much about the fact that he remembered them coming in separately earlier that night. There was no point to it as he picked up their garments from among all the others, glad for his own systems. It didn't take him long at all to match the claim tickets, handing each girl the appropriate cloak.

"Have a great night," he said to them with another smile, watching them leave. When they were gone, he looked back at Bryce.

You're not, though," he paused to look at his watch, "it's nearly closing time, so there's likely to be a rush of sorts soon." As he finished, another few club goers came out into the hall, though these few continued toward the exit, clearly having not checked anything. "I'm not going to kick you out or anything, but you might get bumped about. However, I imagine you can handle it," he said, his voice joking, even if he did suspect Bryce was physically fit enough to handle himself in a crowd. Not that he'd been looking, of course.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-24 12:06 pm UTC (link)
Bryce couldn't help himself from laughing briefly at the comment about being able to handle himself in a crowd. "I think I'd be fine," he agreed, still smiling slightly. "But I wouldn't want to be in the way or cause any distractions." As much as he didn't want to, it was probably time to take his leave. And the thought of heading back home already, which was empty and missing the sounds of Sophie muttering to herself in her sleep, was somewhat bleak. He doubted he'd be able to fall asleep anytime soon anyway, and to be honest, he had been looking forward to spending a little more time with Tristan.

Offering Tristan another smile, and hoping it didn't show any of his reluctance to leave, Bryce said, "I suppose I'll be heading out then." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the sounds of another group leaving came towards them, and a few moments later there were half a dozen witches and wizards jostling for space in front of the counter Tristan was standing behind. Raising one hand in a farewell, Bryce slipped out behind the small crowd and made his way into the cool night air. After a moment of consideration, his feet started moving in the direction of The Leaky Cauldron, since he'd have to go through there anyway once he was ready to go home, even if he wasn't ready yet.

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-24 07:47 pm UTC (link)
Tristan wasn't entirely sure what to make of Bryce leaving -- he knew, logically, the man could go home, get some sleep, or go off and do what he wanted. He knew, logically, it made sense to not hang around and risk getting bumped around even if Bryce could handle himself in a crowd -- but he gave a small smile and raised his hand to say good-bye before he turned his attention to the group stopping in front of the cloakroom to claim their garments. He gave them a smile, took their claim tickets, and fetched their cloaks and coats. He repeated this process multiple times as various groups of people filed out, letting the repetition fill his mind. Step-by-step, focusing on each step to keep from letting his mind wander. It helped that after the last patrons filed out he had several other things to do before he could home. Including, it seemed, taking care of a jumper someone forgot.

It only took a second for Tristan to realise that the forgotten jumper belonged to Bryce. He reached out for it and paused, wondering if he should take it with him or set it aside. Bryce could come back for it tomorrow. Or he could forget about it, and Tristan could return it to him Wednesday when he saw him at the Ministry of Magic. He wasn't entirely sure which would be better, but he ultimately decided to take it with him. He took it off the hanger and draped it over one arm, deciding he could owl it to him tomorrow morning (or in a few hours, really) or just have Titus drop it off for him (sure that Titus could figure out where he lived).

Stepping out into Monument Alley, he debated a moment on if he should walk home or Apparate home. He wasn't sure which would be better, but he did find himself a bit restless. That decided that. He'd walk, at least until a point where he decided otherwise (or he found himself at home). He headed in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron and the rest of London, subconsciously reaching to make sure his wand was still in his pocket. He didn't expect trouble, exactly, but he also didn't trust anyone he might meet on the streets at such a late hour (and, admittedly, his hair only provided so much by way of a disguise).

A familiar figure in the Leaky Cauldron caught his eye, and he stopped, halfway to the door that lead out onto Charing Cross Road. Although he didn't want to disturb Bryce drinking his tea, he did want to make sure the other man got his jumper back. He twisted on the balls of his feet, changing direction to weave around a few tables until he got to Bryce's.

"You forgot something," he said, taking a few seconds to fold the jumper neatly on the table. "I was going to owl it to you in the morning, but I thought this might be better. And it saves you time from going back to the club to find it not there and thinking it was stolen or something." He scooted it a little closer with a small smile, hoping he wasn't interrupting and figuring he'd excuse himself shortly.

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[info]_bryced
2015-07-29 01:45 am UTC (link)
Lost in his own head as he was - though what he had been thinking about, exactly, he would be hard pressed to say - Bryce was momentarily startled by the sound of someone speaking to him. Looking up, he grinned when he recognized Tristan, though he was a little confused to see the man standing there. It took him a few seconds to process what had been said to him, and when it did, he could feel something small and warm curl in his gut at the thought that Tristan had taken the time to consider that. He had to think that it wasn't something the other man would do for just anyone, and the hope of being in some way special kicked-started a small group of butterflies in his stomach.

"Thank you," Bryce answered with a soft smile, reaching out to take the fabric and accidentally brushing his fingers over Tristan's as he did so. The contact made him freeze for a moment, and he blushed when he realized that he'd frozen. Withdrawing a little quicker than necessary, a thought occurred to him, and before he could think the better of it, he asked, "Can I get you a cup of tea as a token of my appreciation?"

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[info]alliterative
2015-07-30 02:53 am UTC (link)
It was strange, but Tristan liked that Bryce had blushed after brushing against his fingers. He wasn't sure why he'd blushed, but it made him feel a bit better about his own blushing. And it was also interesting that he'd had such an ability, even if he'd not really done anything at all to illicit the reaction to Bryce. Maybe he was still a little inebriated, or maybe he was just embarrassed that he'd forgotten his jumper, he reasoned to himself as he shook his head a little to clear his thoughts.

"Oh, uhm, alright," Tristan said as he took his hand back. Then he pulled out his chair and sat down, motioning to a very sleepy looking employee near the bar. When the man came over, he smiled and quickly ordered a simple honey and lemon tea, making a mental note to set out a few sickles for him. Given the hour, he didn't have to wander off to fetch another cup of tea. He could have just as easily kicked Tristan (and even Bryce) out.

"Thank you," he said to Bryce and gave him a smile. "For the cup of tea that he's bringing." He laughed a little, clasping his hands in his lap.

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[info]_bryced
2015-08-07 02:55 am UTC (link)
Bryce grinned widely at the seemingly easy agreement his offer had resulted in, chuckling lightly along with the younger man. "Thank you for having tea with me," he said, inordinately pleased at the fact that Tristan had sat down without hesitation.

Not wanting there to be a silence - awkward or not though it may have been - Bryce asked, "Is it strange, leaving so late to go home to bed?" He was genuinely curious, since his own schedule was set by the small human being he was responsible for, and didn't leave much room for changes to their usual timetables. Tonight, obviously, was an exception, one that was throwing him off more than just a little. Tomorrow would probably not be pleasant - aside from the possibility of a hangover, he was so accustomed to rising when Sophie did that his body would most likely expect to be awake again in a few short hours. "It feels like a ridiculous time to be awake," he commented. "Or I'm just getting old."

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