Lines and Colors

Declan Archer || Switch || Artist Art is the work of Veronica Fish. Sourced to her.

[declanarcherr]

Familiarity || Ryan/Declan

@ryanoneil

It had taken Declan a while to figure out where the best place to take the sub he was supposed to be mentoring. It wasn’t easy. mostly because the guy was kind of hard to pin down. In the end, he’d decided on something terribly simple, and probably kind of boring. He couldn’t think of anything better, though. 

When he finished the day he’d given himself - his job wasn’t 9-5, but he always did better if he gave himself a schedule - he headed out to the house and waited there in garden until the time Ryan told him to come. Knocking gently at the door, he folded his hands behind him and waiting patiently for the man to answer.

[tuckerwarners]

Meet Me At the Equinox | Open

[tuckerwarners]

    Tucker smiled at how effervescent Declan seemed to be. A smile was also a natural reaction that Tucker couldn’t help having to the younger male’s laugh. He admired the color to Declan’s cheeks and the slight shine to his eyes. Tucker imagined he had a shine of his own to his eyes, because that’s what happened when he was a little tipsy: his eyes got glassy and he became one of those observant drunks. The ones who noticed a million different things and probably thought way too much. A brainy drunk, one of his friends had called it. He didn’t agree. He wasn’t feeling brainy at all. Although, there was a certain cerebral attraction here that defied Tucker’s logical thought.

    As Declan’s arms slid over his shoulders and his hips got dangerously close, Tucker found it harder to fight any kind of arousal. This was what he’d come here for, wasn’t it? To connect? To get close? Of course he didn’t know if getting off was still something on the menu, especially where a colleague was concerned, but Declan made it admittedly difficult not to at least wish it was. Tucker’s hands easily framed Declan’s hips and he started moving his own body as best he could to the beat, just deliberate dips of his waist. Tucker grinned, adopting a more cocky air than normal. “I’ve been told I could charm the bark out of a pitbull,” said Tuck, “But never in a night club.” He pulled Declan in just a little bit closer, smelling the mint get stronger as their proximity increased. His voice got lower. “I don’t think we’ll get a firm answer unless we find ourselves together somewhere else, sometime.”

    Tucker’s gaze was firm and unwavering, and he had to fight to keep from watching Declan’s lips. They weren’t about to kiss. They couldn’t. They were just dancing, and being friendly, and drinks were involved so that was definitely a bad idea. Wasn’t that Tucker’s problem to begin with? He wasn’t a one-night stand kind of guy. The Dominant half-smiled, lazy in the way that it only tipped up one corner of his mouth slightly. “I don’t have to ask if you’re always this cute, though. Club or no club.”

    The songs switched as the moment passed. Upbeat and energetic became slow, heady, and sensual. Like being in a dance party somewhere foreign and exotic on a hot summer night. The lights switched over and all around the room, icicle lights seemed to glimmer into existence. A smoke machine billowed tendrils out onto the floor which floated just above the tops of their feet. It was odorless and tasteless, and didn’t cause in an increase in temperature though, so that was nice. Tuck continued dancing, looking for any cue that Declan might want to stop until a different song came on.

[declanarcherr]

“Must be how you got where you are today,” Declan agreed. He moved closer easily with the hands guiding him, He didn’t mind the closeness, reveled in it, really. When he was sober, he’d be horribly embarrassed about the whole thing. He didn’t dance when he was sober, or flirt, and he didn’t take quite so well to people flirting with him. The only reason he was any fun at a club was the booze. “We’ll have to go somewhere else sometime, then,” he purred, giving a sinful little swivel of his hips as he spoke. Nevermind that they were definitely going to. They worked together, technically. Tucker wasn’t his real boss, though, it was volunteering, and besides, they weren’t at the house.

Keeping his eyes on Tucker’s was easy for Declan, locked on that brilliant green. He liked to think he wasn’t a one night stand kind of guy, but Declan would be lying if he said it didn’t happen to him. He’d get dragged out and then get a few too many drinks in and then the night was a blur of bare skin and moans until he woke up in bed with a stranger. This was different, though. Tucker was not a stranger. The flush on his cheeks turned just a little darker at the compliment and the switch laughed, a sound that would have been awkward if he were sober. Tipsy as he was, though, it was a little more amused, almost disbelieving.

When the music changed, Declan didn’t stop. He moved closer, his dancing changing tempo to match the new tone and rhythm. If that was a little slinkier, so be it. The fog of the machine was cool on his skin, or it seemed that way, and he turned. With his back pressed against Tucker’s chest, he reached up, keeping one arm hooked around the man’s neck to hold him close as he moved against him. He’d dance like this with a stranger, why would Tucker be any different? His free hand slid out, down Tucker’s arm and urging it to his hips again.

[beckettbrothersrps-deactivated2]

Hey hey hey we're gonna go out and do some stuff. Let me know when you're free to head out for that, yeah?

After five.

[declanarcherr]

This is going to be such a trying adventure with how loquacious you are. I’ll be there soon, yeah?

[tuckerwarners]

Meet Me At the Equinox | Open

[tuckerwarners]

  Tucker gave an unexpected little grin at the way Declan thought. Was it true? Yeah, probably. He was already feeling the drinks in his system and being around the energy that Declan exuded was far more enticing than he’d anticipated. It would definitely get him onto the dance floor when someone else might not be able to achieve the same effect. How was it that he had only met Declan a handful of times and he still somehow felt at least inclined to let loose and be comfortable with him in this manner?

  “Ice 101?” Tucker wasn’t familiar, but he saw the bottle that the bartender grabbed. He lifted a brow, feeling more confident now. “No wonder you smell so good,” said Tucker. “I thought maybe you’d just had really strong toothpaste.” Okay…that didn’t even qualify as a line, and it still felt dumb to Tucker. God, what was wrong with him? Tucker was no stranger to speaking in public, or speaking with Mentors, and no stranger to being a gentleman to those who were hitting on him. So what was different about now? — Not that Declan was hitting on him. No way. Declan was just one of those people, Tucker assumed. The ones that could make best friends out of strangers in minutes or hours. Even if that was only true with a few shots in him, it felt true to Tucker right now.

  The stream of consciousness argument from Declan made only the best of sense. What did he really have to lose? His eyes found Declan’s gaze, and flickered up to the strand of hair hanging so adorably just above his eyebrow. Tucker swallowed, and next watched Declan’s lips. “Yeah, okay,” he said. “Yeah. Lead the way.” Tucker extended his hand, letting the Switch take it if he wanted. “But only because it’s you offering,” said the Dominant. “I like knowing everybody else will envy that I’m dancing with the cutest guy at Equinox tonight.” It was an offhand comment, and it was a combination of alcohol and long-denied arousal that made him say it out loud. Normally he’d just be thinking it in his head while they danced. A cloud of doubt tried to hover over his line of thought, but Tucker pushed it away.

  They were both here to have fun. What was the harm in a little flirting?

[declanarcherr]

“Peppermint schnapps,” Declan laughed, because everything was very funny. Everything is always very funny when you’re a little bit drunk. It was honestly the main reason Declan liked to get any kind of drunk at all. Mostly, he just tended to ride on the hope he didn’t wake up with an absolute stranger when the morning came, “It’s nice, though, right. And if I find somebody to make out with, there’s not awful booze breath.” Was he hitting on Tucker? Probably. That was fine. He was drunk. He’d either respond or blame it in the booze and they’d both have to deal with it in their personal lives in the morning. Right now, this was way more fun. 

He was, however, absolutely the kind of guy who made friends in minutes, although they didn’t tend to stick around. Either, way, he beamed at him and knocked back most of the drink in one. Then his hand found the other’s and he was leading him out to the floor. Any other time, he would have turned red at that compliment, but his cheeks were already flushed from dancing and liquor. 

Once they were well in the thick of the crowd, he turned, moving in close, because that’s how you danced when the music pumped the blood faster in your veins and the crowd bumped into you from every side. You moved in close together, and you rested your forearms on a beautiful man’s shoulders and you pretended you didn’t have to think about a professional relationship. “You always this charming?” he asked easily, a grin playing on his lips. “Or are you just charming when you’re in a club?”

[tuckerwarners]

Meet Me At the Equinox | Open

[tuckerwarners]

  Of course. Of course someone like Declan would be here. He was young, attractive. Probably a lot more fun than Tucker was. Even if his recent brush with Sebastian had given him a little boost in confidence that had been waning over the years, Tucker didn’t know if he was in Declan’s league. Thankfully, Tucker already had three drinks in him. He’d need at least two more to really feel it. It was the curse of being a beer drinking Texan, he was afraid. That, and just generally not a lightweight.

  “Me? Dance?” Tucker looked out at the lower level dance floor and was about to shake his head. He saw the flush to Declan’s cheeks and the shine to his eyes. He was torn. Split between his comfort and the desire for…something. More. “I’m not much of a dancer,” Tucker said in a meager offering of an excuse.

  “Uh, buy you a drink?” he asked. He turned back to the bartender. “Another Jack & Coke, and put something of his on my tab.” Tucker didn’t think anything of it. He was generous with his money, and he liked taking care of people. The jack & coke he already had in his hand was gone in the blink of an eye. He realized that probably looked bad. People around him probably saw all that he was drinking. Probably thought he was an alcoholic.

  He was on the verge of telling Declan he couldn’t do this. Couldn’t pull of being relaxed and impulsive, and he definitely couldn’t pull off being fun and with the times. “You…having fun?” Yeah. He sucked.

[declanarcherr]

“You, dance,” Declan assured him, laughing a little. He thanked the bartender and took the drink from him, downing the shot in one. He liked peppermint schnapps for the primary reason that they made everything smell awesome. Mainly him. Instead of smelling like booze, he smelled like mint, and it woke him up while getting him drunk. “Everybody’s a dancer if they’ve had the right drinks and got the right partner,” he argued.

He blinked at the offer, and then looked at the bartender, who was already giving him that ‘Do you want something else?’ look. “Uh, Sprite and Ice 101,” he confirmed. Probably should stop hitting the shots. He’d done more than enough already. Far more than enough. Really, he should get started on some water, but there was a handsome man at his side and he was out having fun. 

“Me? Hell yes, I’m having fun. I came here to have fun and I’m damn well gonna do it. You don’t look like you’re having much fun. What did you come for if you’re not gonna have a good time?” He moved closer again, swaying now as their drinks came. “Dance with me. It’ll be fun. And if you don’t like it, I’ll buy you a drink. If you do, then you’re welcome.”

[declanarcherr]

[tuckerwarners]

private ||

Not a fan of that dirty animated stuff? Uh…I didn’t mean like the…graphic nudity kind of animated, I just meant – yeah.

And thanks. I’ll like your name, so that helps.

How are you this evening?

[declanarcherr]

I’m alright with it, I just don’t have a lot in common with him, so it’s awkward for me. Besides, Archer’s not really a family name for me, so I like Declan better.

Well thanks. I like it too. That’s why I kept it. 

I’m... I’m alright. Bit disappointed, because of a shipping error, but it’s nothing that can’t right itself in a day or two. And yourself?

[tuckerwarners]

Meet Me At the Equinox | Open

  It had been a long week, and it wasn’t over yet. The busy meetings. The house assignments starting. It was a lot. Especially after the Dominance that had occurred with Sebastian. It made Tucker think about his Dominance and everything that went with it. Earlier this week had been a wake-up call in the form of an aha! moment. He had realized that if he didn’t get regular Dominance, the residents of the house could suffer. Badly.

  He didn’t want that to happen. Yet, it had been years since he’d gone to Equinox for anything other than a quick drink with a younger client or volunteer. It wasn’t his scene and he did have his image to protect. Tucker tried not to scrub at his tired face – he’d been doing that all too often lately – and looked around at the dancing mass of bodies.

  His eyes scoped the floor under the flashing strobe lights and intermittent club lights. They swiveled and rotated, swinging across both levels of the popular nightclub, and shone on all patrons.

  Dominants, submissives, Switches…they were all here, gathering without the divide between each politically. It was a testament to the human spirit. Or else to the fact that everyone needed to drink, have fun, and get laid. Apparently Tucker was testament all in himself to that very fact.

  Tucker moved up to the second floor. It was the one that housed the illustrious Back Room. It was illicit, and sordid. There was a silent agreement among all patrons not to discuss the things that went on in that back room and not to reveal it to any law enforcement. But sex, promiscuity…possibly even drugs, but definitely drinking. They all had a home there in the dark. Tucker went to the bar and ordered an Old Fashioned. It wasn’t his usual drink, but God he felt old fashioned tonight.

  His eye kept swiveling over to the door of the Back Room, and he cleared his throat, looking around. He downed his drink and ordered another. Downed that one too.

  Tucker turned, trying to get ready to go back there. He hovered on his feet…turned back around, and ordered another drink. This time a Jack & Coke.

  “Crap,” he muttered to himself, nursing his drink and wondering what the hell he was doing here.

[declanarcherr]

Mostly, Declan didn’t frequent places like this, but every once in a while, he could be talked into it. Mostly by one of the guys he chatted with, who convinced him it would be good for him to get out and dance once in a while. It took several drinks for him to get to a point where dancing even sounded like a possibility, but he usually got there eventually. Sometimes pretty quickly, depending on what he drank. 

Inevitably, though, he ended up alone. Whoever he came with would abandon him for someone they actually wanted to take home, or take to the Back Room, or take to the bathroom or the alley or wherever and Declan ended up dancing alone in a room full of strangers and catching a cab home. This time was likely no different, since he’d already lost his whole group. He could see a friend pressing against someone a short ways away and instead of focusing on that, he headed for the bar. 

“Barkeep!” he shouted, a little too loud, even for the dull thmp thmp thmp of the club’s beat. He couldn’t be blamed. He was a little drunk already, a little sweaty, leaning a little too heavy on the bar. “Ice 101, please!” 

Looking to his left, he did a short double take and then beamed at the man there, grinning up at him with blue eyes that were a little too bright now. “Hey, there, fancy meeting you here. Did you come to dance? You should dance with me.”

[declanarcherr]

Not seeing the finished product the day it hits the shelves always stresses me out. Anyone have a distraction they might be able to offer so I can stop thinking about the things I can’t look at?

[declanarcherr]

PM: Hey, uh. Good evening, Mr. Archer.

Evening to you too. Please call me Declan. My own last name just makes me think of that weird show. 

[todd-jensen-blog]

Todd gave another little shrug at Declan’s little ‘ooh’. He was used to all kinds of reactions at the news that he’d been a professional soccer player. “I try to run just for recreation,” Todd admitted. “But I remember running for different reasons, which is why I try to run with music, or a fun app.”

[declanarcherr]

Declan paused, unsure if he should offer his own profession, but decided against it. It didn’t matter and saying it always made him feel a little like he was asking for praise of some kind, although he never was. He didn’t need to. “I mean, I run for recreation now, but I can never stop thinking that I need to stay in shape. What do you listen to when you run? I tend toward things with a heavy beat.”

[todd-jensen-blog]

“Pro soccer,” Todd said with a small shrug, walking alongside Declan to the table, but not leaning against it. “I guess so. I can relate to that, I think, I’ve just never put in words like that.”

[declanarcherr]

“Oooh.” Was it rude to not know who he was? Too late now, of course, but Declan figured it wasn’t any worse than people not knowing a senator or the like. He certainly couldn’t pick an athlete out of a crowd. “I’m guessing you’ve always run for recreation, then? I always assumed that once you started running to or from something, you never stopped thinking about it that way.”

[beckettbrothersrps-deactivated2]

[todd-jensen-blog]

“Woods would be awesome,” Todd nodded, with a little chuckle. “Yeah, I get that. But after I was on my team for so long, I like the extra little treat now. I can afford to add an extra donut here and there now,” he smiled. “You find yourself needing to run fast or far often?”

[declanarcherr]

“What kind of team was it?” Declan asked, moving to a table nearby to lean on it. “I used to, but not anymore. Just never know when you need that kind of thing, do you? You get used to having it and I figure it’s not something I should let go at all.”

[comicsalliance]

VERONICA FISH TAKES OVER ‘ARCHIE’ AS NEW REGULAR ARTIST

[declanarcherr]

PM

[beckettbrothersrps-deactivated2]

Right, blame it on the resident. Didn’t they tell you I was broken and on the verge of a breakdown? I don’t know…what do you do for fun?

[declanarcherr]

Well, I’d blame it on myself, but then I have to own up to my own shortcomings and that doesn’t sound like much fun either. Actually no, because I didn’t want someone else to tell me stuff about you, I wanted you to tell me stuff about you. Me? I draw, mostly, or read. Listen to music. I used to go to concerts, but my friend’s band moved to Philly, so I do that less now.

[declanarcherr]

PM

[beckettbrothersrps-deactivated2]

So much truth in so few words. 

[declanarcherr]

So. Um. What do... you... like to do?  For fun and stuff. I’m sorry I’ve never tried to make a friend on purpose. Mostly, I just stumble through encounters until things work or don’t, but I think that’s maybe a bad tactic with how talkative you are.