nysalogs | ( mostly closed )

[ thomas takes the offer for what it is, genuine, but his eyebrows still rise fractionally. ]

I am not sure making use of the free tab during work hours would be the most appropriate. [ he says, after a moment. it is none of his business, is it, to inquiry why john has a free tab at a brothel. ]

[ John's brow raises, a slight playful challenge. ]

If you're going to wander into a brothel during work hours, I think you can say goodbye to propriety when you cross the threshold.

[ then the playful expression falls back into a more genuine smile. it's all fine. he's not actually of a sort to lure a police officer into poor conduct on the job. ]

Coffee. I used to drink half a gallon a night getting used to night shifts again. Helps if your doctor's awake when he's fixing up his patients so they don't charge.

Edited (formattiiiiing) 2018-01-27 11:24 (UTC)

[ for a moment, thomas does not respond to the teasing, his expression somewhere between constipated and stiffly proper — and then he grins and all tension falls away. ]

Quite right.

[ and he won't admit to it, but there is a sense of relief at having an answer to the question he hadn't asked, a reason why john is so familiar at shades darker. of course. ]

What made you choose the brothel as a base of operations?

[ Thomas' sudden grin startles a laughing breath out of him— he's very rarely seen the man so easy, and it's a nice surprise to find him like it now. so with held tension gone, John's own smile a helpless echo of Thomas', he carries on. ]

—Timing, really. The Sanctuary or the Guard were the most obvious fits. I don't agree with half the Sanctuary's methods and I'd only been here a couple of weeks, didn't want to sign up to law enforcement before I knew what it stood for. I— Well, I saw a gap in the market and I pitched myself to Koralle.

Independence, then.

[ it's something thomas can understand. he doesn't hold the same reservations regarding law enforcement that john has — ultimately, it is no better or worse than the people in it, he thinks, and he knows peggy at least is someone he trusts. if it doesn't suit him, he will leave, but for now, he thinks that it is close enough to what he used to do at home to suit him.

and to keep a roof over his head. ] And do you enjoy it?

Depends on the day.

[ sometimes, yeah. and he definitely enjoy the freedom of it: he chooses his own weekly schedule, he gets his days to himself. there's a lot of downtime even during work hours, and his own office, both of which are good when he's trying to research other things. ]

It's dull when it's quieter, and when I do have something to do it's usually minor injuries. Suits my skillset but it's not the biggest challenge. But the pay's good, the people are good and the place operates with a good deal more sincerity than most businesses I've come across. I'd say I made a good choice.

[ a little mischief falls into his expression. ] The district's an adventure, though. I hope you've braced yourself.

[ thomas' grin has faded again, back into something much closer to his usual expression, though there's still warmth in his gaze while he listens to john. ]

As much as I can, I suppose.

[ a beat. ] Any suggestions?

[ a laugh - one short burst, but it says about everything there is to say on the matter. still, he'll try to elaborate. ]

Develop 360 degree vision and don't be surprised what appears in it.

[ Unhelpful, but what can he say. John's seen most things by now and he's still occasionally caught off guard. at this point, when another of the district's delights seeks to surprise him, he tends to laugh rather than succumb to the red-faced fluster of more infrequent tourists to the area.

actually, he does have a couple of practical tips now he's at it. ]

Try not to linger too long by the vendors - they start to do demonstrations on fruit for things whose usage isn't immediately clear and getting away once they've started is near on impossible. And don't catch anyone's eye for longer than three seconds if you want to avoid an awkward conversation. Though you might be alright since you're Guard.

I see.

[ he does, in fact. the practical tips are just that: practical. he thinks he'll heed them, though developing 360 degree vision is not within the realm of the possible even for him. but the other tips, most certainly.

he hopes that the fact that he may be prim and proper but is not quickly shocked and does not put nearly as much stock into the norms of propriety than he may appear to will serve him well, but it remains to be seen. ]

I suppose at least I'll have a refuge to flee to, should it become overwhelming.

You will, yeah.

[ that much is a promise. it'll be as much of a relief to John as it might be to Thomas to host him in his office for a bit - God knows some of his shifts drag without company.

at which point a waiter arrives to tell them the evening's food options and take their drink order— John orders a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses, glances to Thomas for confirmation that he's alright with wine with their meal. ]

[ thomas inclines his head. ] Thank you.

[ for a moment, he thinks to reach across the table, to touch his hand to john's for a moment — or for longer, perhaps. but for a moment at least.

he doesn't, because the waiter arrives. thomas nods at john's glance instead, smiling slightly as john orders. it's pleasant, this. not only the conversation, but having a companion. having someone to spend the evening with, at the very least. the pleasantness neither adds to nor detracts from the anticipation and emotion that sits tangled in his chest, but it makes it easy to ignore it, to continue on. ]

What are you thinking of having? [ he asks once the waiter's left again. ]

Mmn... the pie?

[ which... sounds incredibly basic. John darts an almost sheepish look Thomas' way, feeling on the border of foolish. struck in equal parts his sudden desire to impress, not look an idiot in front of someone impressive and worth impressing, and by the boyishness of that urge.

another breath, one of the ones that might be a laugh if he bothered to make an actual sound. ]

Sounds stupid, months in, but I still tend to go for whatever's closest to things we could get at home.

[ there's nothing wrong at all with choosing things that remind one of home, or simple food. thomas misses molly's cooking, the traditional nature of it, despite the fact that before, he'd often found himself eating out to avoid another night of staples of the english cuisine. ]

I can relate.

[ he lifts his shoulders in a shrug for a moment. ] I was thinking of the steak, myself.

[ an untangling of some freshly-made knot, and John settles. smiles at the sensation, at how schoolboy he feels alongside it all. a strange coupling of the empowered ease that comes over him on a date and the odd, bubbling fizz of years ago when all of it was new. makes sense, he supposes. the territory is both familiar and fresh.

it's nice, too, to remember that he's not the only one adrift out here. nor is he the only one without an anchor from home. there's companionship in that, too.

John nods his assent, the tucked angle of his smile perhaps incongruent with a simple sharing of meal choices. ] Can't go wrong with steak.

[ and the waiter's back with the wine, setting a glass in front of the both of them and setting the bottle on the table. he checks they're ready, takes down their meal choices, and absents himself again.

John takes the initiative to pour. ]

Unless they overcook it.

[ the response is dry and immediate, though not made in earshot of the waiter, who comes by a moment later and takes their orders.

while john pours, thomas takes the opportunity to let his gaze linger. he tries not to be too obvious about it, but neither is he hiding the fact that he's looking. he enjoys looking at john, and it isn't only the reminder of what it feels like to sleep with him, though that has warmth pooling in his stomach, too. ]

Thank you. [ he takes his glass, lifting it in a silent toast. ]

[ John can feel it. thinks he can, anyway. he's always been good at noticing attention once he realises it's on him, and he notices now.

it's far from unwelcome. he doesn't interrupt it, pours without glancing up, but when he does return his gaze up to Thomas to lift his own glass in return toast before bringing it to his lips for a sip, he holds eye contact. maintains. ]

Welcome.

[ only then does he break it, stretched to its limits in a public setting, and allows himself a little stretch of the neck and a quick massage of his shoulder to dispel the newly-arrived sparkling feeling from his muscles and set the world back onto its normal axis. ]

[ john holds his gaze and thomas' throat turns dry, his stomach tight. it's tension, but the best kind. he finds himself swallowing, but not looking away until they've both lowered their glasses again.

he wants to kiss john. chase the taste of wine from john's lips.

instead, he sets his glass down and clears his throat, his smile a little rueful. acknowledging the tension between them. acknowledging, too, that this is not the place for it. ]

What do you make of the tensions between Olympia and Wyver? [ he asks instead. ]

[ another small skittering of breath, equal acknowledgement of what's passed between them and the humour in having to move on to other things. it's a boundary he likes to walk along, really: dates are for getting to know each other, but also for enjoying themselves. there's no harm in getting little het up. compatibility is a multi-faceted beast, after all.

onwards, though. politics. ]

Likely to go south sooner or later. [ the upswing in anti-Wyver sentiment he's seen just in the past couple of says is a precursor of that. ] I haven't read up a lot on the history of it, but it seems fairly deep-rooted in some of the people here. Moreso for the recent events - the two of them working together over the past month looks like it's backfired. What're your thoughts?

Edited 2018-01-27 15:35 (UTC)

[ it heightens the attraction, knowing that it's mutual. knowing that john is affected, too. but they are moving on and thomas is the one who took the first step toward it, so he sets his own want aside and focuses instead on this.

a serious matter, though he is inclined to stay out of it as much as he can. ]

I agree. I wonder whether getting involved in the matter would change anything, but I'm inclined to think the answer is no.

[ in that much they're agreed: if a war is brewing, it won't be slowed or affected by outsiders. his tone drops, just slightly, suddenly aware that this possibly isn't something they should be discussing so openly in public either. ]

No. I'd say the best we can do is stay out until it's not an option anymore.

[ their table is secluded enough that thomas is willing to risk it, but the low pitch of john's voice is not unwarranted, he figures. ]

That was my thought as well.

[ for a moment, his gaze slides away from john, leaving him lost in his own mind. returning to the war he'd fought in, that cost england nearly all of her wizards. ]

I do hope it won't come to that.

[ John can see it: a trace of something he can relate to all too well. the difference between a civilian and a veteran at times like these is clear to those who have experienced the other side. ]

Yeah. [ spoken gently. me too goes unsaid - as does his lack of optimism that their hopes will be granted. ] Just as long as we're careful.

[ the situation is different, again, for refugees. for now they're safe in their sidelessness, but that won't be forever if these frictions keep brewing. they're going to need to watch how they play it. but that's something to worry about as time goes forward - not right now.

John's watching Thomas steadily, focus calm and centred, ready to meet his eye when he comes back. provide some silent assurance. ]

[ thomas doesn't let himself linger in the past, but the quiet understanding that comes from john when he meets his eyes again is welcome. it's steadying, and that is not something he'd have expected.

of course. the second world war was far from the only war england's been involved in. ]

Agreed.

[ before he can think of anything else to add, their food arrives, and he finds himself glad for the interruption, for the break in conversation. ]

[ it's good timing. these things aren't the easiest to talk about, especially not when you're not expecting them. another time maybe, but they've come here to enjoy themselves - the whiplash of drifting off into memory for any amount of time is always jarring and far from pleasant.

so when their food arrives, John lets the previous moment go, moves on.

there's the usual fussing and thanking as plates land, vegetables are brought over. sauces. John keeps up a casual friendly dialogue with the waiter: he's a semi-regular of this bar by now, and it's always nice to keep the staff in good spirits. plus it serves as a reset button, gives them both a bit of time to separate from the precious topic.

eventually they're alone again, tucking into food. John, forkful prepped and hovering, waits on the verdict of Thomas' first bite. ]

Make the right decision?

[ did they overcook it? ]

[ it's a good choice, letting the topic go, though thomas cannot quite bring himself to regret bringing it up in the first place. for all that it is an unpleasant topic, it is necessary as well. they are part of this world now, and its politics affect them. for better or for worse.

and he likes knowing where john stands.

despite that, he has no particular interest in returning to it and so just smiles, something a little softer than before. ]

I did.

[ the steak is perfect. a beat, and he offers: ] Would you like to try it?

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