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 Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:51 am
He'd waited seventeen hours and fifty-six minutes to send his next text. It would take an additional six hours and thirty-seven minutes before he sent his second. With the lack of response that he'd received from either of his initial texts, Daniel McKay was left wondering if it was a mix of him doing something wrong, if Tris was perhaps just that shy or if he was being too proactive in his texts. It had only been two, after all... When he'd received a response not thirty-two hours (and fourteen minutes) later, he'd been hesitant to respond. Was there some sort of guy code when it came to text messaging and the delay between responses? Eh - whatever. Two days later (and several text message exchanges during that time), he found himself using one of his days off to pick up the brunette from his companion's house and cart them both over towards the local animal shelter. He'd been mindful to even wear two shirts, that day... y'know, just in case. As the car was switched off and his seat belt unfastened, he glanced over towards his companion, both eager and excited to see his friend in action. He'd spoken down about his talents, but Danny had a sneaky suspicion that Tris had a tendency to discredit himself in most situations. The car door was popped open and as he slid his way out of his seat, he glanced back to ask, "Do you need me to help with anything?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 7:09 am
Tristan hadn't realized how long he had been away until he had returned home and to a dead phone that, after spending ten minutes on a charger to have enough battery to turn on, showed several missed calls and various text messages with varying levels of concerned as he continued to not respond. The brunette was not the best texter, in general, because he overthought too much whenever it came to text based communication, but he always responded and understood that the concern had been warranted.
After he had gotten at least two hours of sleep, he had set about making sure to inform the few that messaged him that, yes, he was alive, he had forgotten his phone and it had been dead by the time he had gotten back. Then, he assured the worried parties that he would make it up to them.
It had been easiest to arrange things with Danny, who had been following up about his request for assistance when it came to the work he sought to do for the humane society. The car ride was pleasant, as his company was always.
They had arrived and Tris was busy getting his long legs out of the vehicle when his companion offered to help. "No, I think I've got it." The bag he'd brought fit across his body easily and he hadn't brought anything terribly difficult to carry on his own.
He was used to doing it all on his own anyway. "We'll need to get signed in and then- " He drifted off, too busy fiddling with the settings on his camera to finish his thought. Stepping around the front of the car he glanced over at the blonde, brow furrowed slightly as he looked at him.
Without thinking, he lifted the camera and adjusted the lens as he peered at his friend. "Hey Danny...smile." That was the only warning the man would get before Tris was snapping a picture or two.
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 8:25 am
"Wait, wha--" He'd turned around, smile still spread wide but as he stared back at a lens instead of green eyes, his expression faltered for a brief second in confusion. When he realized what Tris had done, he blushed for a moment, laughter bubbling up as one hand moved to ruffle through blonde hair. "Hey, save some of that film for the cute ones." The grin had returned in all of its genuine glory, the car door shutting behind him as he flicked the alarm on. The parking lot of the shelter was fairly vacant - then again, it was a weekday morning. Danny had a feeling that most adoptions happened on the weekend anyways - so this gave them ample opportunity to take advantage of playing with all the friendly critters, right? As he opened the door to the facility, meeting the powerful smell of animals as he did so, green eyes turned to stare down the other young man. "Remember the deal - you can't let me leave with one of these guys." Not yet, at least. Danny had a feeling that his bleeding heart would be put to the test today, for sure.
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:56 am
Shutters clicked at just the right moment, in Tristan's opinion as they'd caught Danny right as he turned, expression lit up with a wide, happy grin that he felt most accurately depicted his friend. Bright and warm, like sunshine after being cooped inside a cold room for too long. The brunette didn't bother attempting to hide his smile when he lowered the camera, though his thumb ran along the rim of the lens out of nervous habit.
"I'm sure people would argue that you qualify as a 'cute one'" Tris didn't think about what his comment could imply, because he was already setting off towards the front desk. . As far as he was concerned, it was merely an innocent compliment.
"I remember," he replied, glancing over his shoulder to look expectantly at his companion. "You will not be adopting an animal today, Daniel." Saying his full name instead of the nickname felt weird but appropriate for the moment. "Don't fall in love easily, okay? That's the trick especially since you'll be playing with them."
He turned his attention away to sign in and get their visitor's passes before heading down the hallway as directed.
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 1:09 pm
He stopped dead in his tracks at the compliment, green eyes looking rather bewildered as the brunette moved on without so much as a second glance in his direction. Had he just.... Did he just.... Danny shook his head and decided to press on. He'd clearly misheard the other boy, simple as that. As Tris moved on to address the agreement they'd made with one another, the blonde didn't appear phased by the use of his full name. Maybe he was simply used to being called by either Danny or Daniel. Maybe he was just a little too distracted by all of the sweet looking puppies staring back at him from the nearby Plexiglas window. He did catch Tris's latter comment, however, forcing his eyes away from the floppy-eared dogs to quietly mutter under his breath, "Easier said than done." Tristan had already taken off down the hall, Danny putting speed to his sneakers as he caught up with the bag toting brunette, the sound of whining and barking dogs echoing through the building. "Have you ever fallen for one? You know, a dog?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 1:18 pm
While the puppies were distracting, Tristan continued onward, seeming to ignore them in all their cute puppy glory. His goal was the dogs at the back, the older and less loved animals who had been at the no-kill shelter for longer than any good dog should.
Having been in more than once, he knew that most of them were, in fact, good dogs but most people were interested in a cute little puppy and not an older dog who might have learned bad habits from bad owners.
Those were the dogs he sought to help and photograph.
As if sensing that his companion might stop and admire the puppies for too long, he paused, walked back to the man and took him by the hand. "So you can't stop to look at them for long," he justified, securing a hold on his companion just like they had at the museum.
The question had him somber and a little distant before he shrugged. "I don't have one, do I?" It wasn't quite an answer because somewhere Tris was sure he had a furry companion whom he hoped was faring okay, but the best he could give him.
"There's a dog here, Gatsby. I guess he used to be a regular sheltered dog and the guy who helped them out last time adopted him after they bonded during a shoot. Something happened to him and..." he shrugged, because he didn't know the details, "the guy's family brought Gatsby back to the shelter. My goal is to get some pictures that get him adopted. Poor guy."
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 5:38 am
He must have been lingering longer than he realized as a firm hand slid its way into his, tugging him forward and away from the display of small, whining canines. Danny glanced over in surprise, his cheeks coloring as he was playfully called out for clearly eyeing the squirming pups instead of staying focused on their task at hand. He laughed, giving a small embarrassed wince as he moved to follow along with Tris, who seemed to know exactly where he was going. "See, I'm telling you - it's a danger for me to be here." As they made their way through the next set of doors, he couldn't help but find himself already sympathizing with the older dog's story. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't as cute and energetic as the younger animals, yet he was one of the ones that would end up paying the highest cost for simply having grown old. Was this even a no-kill shelter? Did he really want to find out the answer to that? "Gatsby?" Danny found himself reiterating the name, already having an appreciation for whoever took the time to name the poor old man. "How long has he been around, y'think?" He swallowed hard - surely if the last guy's shoot had worked in his favor, another one would provide the furry fella another one... right?
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:42 am
Squeezing Danny's hand reassuringly, Tris offered him a soft smile. "I can tell," he teased, trying to be playful as they reached the outdoor play area the shelter kept clear so they could get the best pictures. "I appreciate you coming with me, it's - " he paused, trying to make him say what he wanted. "It makes it easier, having a friend."
Danny's presence was soothing like Fiona's was. It wasn't as warm and fulfilling as the time he got to spend with Charlie, but it kept him from feeling like something insignificant would set him off.
Once they were in a secure and puppy free place, he released the blonde's hand and began working on swapping out his lenses and adjusting the settings for what the thought worked best for exposure and shutter speed. He looked up only when the question was prose. "Sometime since January." He wrinkled his nose as he tried to remember more of the details of the dogs they asked him to photograph. "Maybe as late as March. They're no kill here but...it's getting really full and they're starting to talk about relocating some of the dogs that have been around too long."
That was a troubling though, but Tris wasn't in a position to adopt any animals while he was still mostly living off of someone else's kindness. He made a somewhat steady income with his various jobs and his willingness to help Fiona out around her design firm or wherever he was needed, but it wasn't enough to afford to move out and sustain himself.
Ah, well. One day.
"They're gonna send him out in a minute, you ready? He's high energy from what they told me so...be ready?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 8:05 am
It was a fact of life - not every animal born in the world would find their happily ever after. Having that knowledge didn't make things easier, though, especially after seeing the forlorn looking faces of the homeless critters gazing back from behind caged pens. Maybe it had been a mistake, coming to a place like this. He nodded his head, keeping his smile plastered on as Tris explained Gatsby's predicament and the apparent fate of the dogs that tended to stay too long at the shelter. The smile didn't fade but it was quickly losing its sincerity, concern creasing the lines around his eyes as he thought more about the unpredictable outcome for so many loyal creatures. The mention of the dog's arrival was a welcomed distraction from saddening thoughts, Danny moving to physically turn towards the door from where he could only assume the other animals were being kept. Tristan wasn't wrong - it only took a minute or two for the doorknob to twist and a dog was unleashed upon the two men. Judging by the way the happy boy ran directly for them, Danny wouldn't have pinned the Shepard mix as being energetic, from Tris's description. Old was not synonymous for jumping all over him, but the blonde took delight in the sudden assault, hands moving up to happily greet and rub on the canine... well, before the dog decided to abandon him entirely. Once Gatsby noticed Tris, his ears perked high and he let out a sudden whine before large paws pushed off from Danny and the beast made a beeline for the brunette, barking excitedly as he bounded towards the cameraman. Wiping the saliva from his cheek with the back of his hand, Danny shook his head and grinned. "Looks like he's got good taste in humans, at least."
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 8:30 am
Unprepared for a dog to assault him when there was a closer, more readily available human to play with, Tristan was bowled over when Gatsby launched his furry self atop him.
"Woah!" He gasped, barely managing to move his camera out of the way when he got 70lbs of excited dog on him. "Calm down buddy," Tris laughed, unable to keep from smiling as the dog licked happily at his face and planted himself in the man's lap like he had done it a thousand times. Something tugged at his heartstrings that he attributed to lingering fondness for a good dog.
For one brief and glorious moment, Gatsby looked away and over at Danny allowing Tris to snap one picture before he was forced to abandon his camera entirely because the Shepard-Lab mix was busy whining at him and nuzzling his face like he knew this human who had never seen the dog before in his life. "Danny! I need a little help here, I can't get him off!"
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:53 am
One hand rose to cover his mouth as he watched his friend get practically trampled by the large dog. It was humorous in an adorable way, the dog scrambling to crawl its way into Tris's arms and lap, unable to stop licking and whining the entire time. "I dunno, man, he looks pretty excited to see you." Hands flew up in a what do you want me to do gesture as Danny playfully pretended like he intended to do nothing but surrender his friend to the dog's mercy. He eventually made his way over to the duo and reached over to grab the canine by the worn, donated collar looped around his neck. Gatsby didn't seem to mind having even more attention given to him, pausing to turn and lick at Danny's hands as he was being pried from off of the taller boy. The Shepard-mix's head kept turning back towards Tris as if to eagerly say look, look!! to the man that was currently the only buffer keeping the large dog from pouncing for a second time. But Gatsby didn't have to tell Danny - he was certainly already looking, grinning at the sight. "Maybe I should be the one taking the pictures, if he's not going to behave and leave you alone?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:10 am
Gatsby only seemed temporarily satisfied with the blonde's attention as Tris picked himself up off the ground and retrieved his camera. Dusting himself off he frowned at both the canine and human. "You look like you're enjoying this." His expression sad accusatory, but his tone was playful. If their roles were reversed, he would have made similar comments he was sure.
His hair and shirt were disheveled, the hem of his clothing rucked up and exposing skin before he adjusted both layers. His fingers moved to smooth out the already unruly curly brown locks before he shook his head.
"I don't want to be in any pictures Danny." He said gently, though he could see the dog straining to get back to him like one who's owner had been gone for days and only just come home. "I - " He wanted to help Gatsby get adopted though.
"Okay. A few wont hurt if he won't sit still." It wasn't ideal and he felt like he was pawning work off on someone who hadn't signed up for it. "Just, we'll get some decent ones and we'll move on. I'm sorry."
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 12:05 pm
He did his best to look innocent at Tris's comment, but it failed horribly as he laughed, one arm still straining to hold back the dog that continued to paw and whine its way towards the brunette. The other boy seemed hesitant to relinquish his camera, which Danny could understand. He did good just to point and click, much less know how to tinker with the lense and worry about things like lighting and focusing. It made sense that he was wary to let someone else do it. He was about ready to apologize for even suggesting it when Tris seemed to cave and finally agree to the idea. Inching forward, his hand slid to the side to allow his companion to take the grip while his hand outstretched itself for the camera - the last thing they needed was for an energetic pup to take out an expensive camera and ruin not only the day's plans for the shelter, but Tris's livelihood. "I know they won't turn out as good as when you take them, but I bet when people see how friendly he is, they'll be more apt to take him home." Danny smiled, "Just give me instructions and I'll do my best to make it work, okay?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 2:51 pm
The hand off felt strange and for the first time since meeting Danny, Tristan felt naked without his camera in the man's presence. It made him nervous and for a brief moment he felt like his throat was closing up and that he couldn't breathe. It wasn't like the cafe, he didn't forget how to breathe and he didn't move to run away.
Instead, his fingers slid under the fur by Gatsby's neck and he scratched the dog until he felt like he could breathe normally once again.
You're okay, he reminded himself, offering a tentative smile to his friend while he sucked in a large gasp of air. "I think you'll do great Danny." he looked to Gatsby who had seemed to sense his anxiety and calmed down almost immediately as his fingers worked to pet his head. The shepard mix was sitting, tongue out and panting as he looked happily from man to man.
"It should be set, I just - I don't know how to explain it. You can just fiddle as you need." He chewed on his bottom lip as he knelt beside his furry companion, hand sliding down the dog's back in slow repetitive motions.
He muttered something in French to himself before he whispered something to the dog and pointed at Danny. Gatsby responded by barking happily.
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 6:55 pm
As he took the camera, he noted the stressed looking smile on his companion’s face. Another possible panic attack on the horizon? Even Gatsby seemed to sense something was wrong, his energetic demeanor calming down to the point where he sat alongside his favorite human, tail wagging but all four paws remained on the cold linoleum. Taking a few steps backwards, he knelt to the ground and raised up the camera. “Hey, it's okay.” His voice remained calm as he began clicking away, the shutter whirring with every snap. “Remember who we’re doing this for; gotta find old Gatsby a proper home.” The first several pictures contained both individuals, the next few focusing on Gatsby alone. He was a handsome dog in his own right and now even more photogenic now that he was sitting still and not trying to lick his companion to death. “Gaaaaatsby,” Danny called out, his voice sing-songing in the dog’s direction, “Hey fella - over here!” Happy at hearing his name, the dog turned, his dark muzzle staring straight at the camera as his tongue continued to hang out. “What good boys you are,” he bragged softly, keeping his voice high and happy for the dog’s benefit. Danny knew the longer he stared at the dog the more dangerous things were getting. After all, he did live alone and could use a buddy who didn't have to go home when the evening was drawing to a close… Standing up, he sucked in a deep breath as he made his way back to his friend. The camera was surrendered as he moved to retrieve the dog’s collar, stooping down to pet the shaggy, happy creature. “Been here since January, huh.” Words were soft and thoughtful, green eyes studying the dog’s face.
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