tuckersxwest

[tuckersxwest]

"Woah, boss, this is really nice," Tucker replied, regarding both the thought and the actual brand of bottle in hand. "Thank you. Really. But not just for this, as nice as it is," he felt the need to say to Ezra. "Thanks for trusting me. Even in ways you may not realize mean a lot to me. I really appreciate you, boss."

🍾- our muses share a glass/bottle of champagne

"I have something for you." Ezra told the younger male as he held out a bottle for the man. "It's not just one you are going to get here before you make that comment and smart talk your boss." Ezra laughed. "I thought what better way to celebrate today and you needed something to celebrate with. Consider it a little bit of a bonus for your help over the festive period."

@tuckersxwest

[tuckersxwest]

"I'm glad it was still a pleasant night for you as you put it. You deserve to enjoy yourself," Tucker insisted warmly. "Well the night isn't over yet. If you weren't in a rush to get home, maybe we can hang out now? Do something to make the night even greater for you than it has been?"

"I think the obvious answer to that is I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to know." Everleigh responded dryly in returning, rolling her eyes in amusement at the others answer. "But a fantastic night... Well that is high praise of the evening. It's been quite pleasant. I don't think mine has been quite as successful as yours though."

[tuckersxwest]

"Isn't that what people go for? The cool guy," he chuckled, highlighting the ridiculousness of that within his tone. Tucker moved closer to now share it with her. "It is nice. I wasn't sure if you'd be busy either. Or if you'd even be in attendance. I figured maybe you and your cousin would have other plans," Tucker explained with a shrug, procuring two plastic cups and pouring out the beverage into each one before serving her. "Santé– that's how you say it, right?"

"I didn't realise you felt the need to put on a cool front with me." Clementine responded with a little smile as she leaned forward a little. "But I'm flattered even if it isn't necessary. Bring it over here." She encouraged after a moment as they settled down together to share the drink. "It's nice to be able to spend some of New Years Eve with you. I did wonder if you would be busy this evening."

[tuckersxwest]

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he smirked in reply, leaning on the bar. "Do I look like the kind of guy to kiss and tell?" Tucker said before pausing, "And don't answer that, because I'm sure you'd find a way to take a dig at me with that somehow," he added with a chuckle. "However I've had a fantastic night. How about yourself, Evster?"

🕛 - our muses run into each other after midnight

"So, you know what I'm going to ask don't you?" Everleigh stated as she found herself sat at the bar with Tucker. "Why are you here with me and not out there for starters?" Because it kind of made sense for her, but less so for him. "And did you get a New Years kiss because I'm curious."

@tuckersxwest

[tuckersxwest]

"That was me trying to find a cool way of saying that I'm a bartender and I have some ins," Tucker explained, deflating the allure he'd been trying to maintain. "Oh absolutely. Only the most English of traditions. Every other country adopted champagne from the Brits, even if champagne is originally French," he illustrated playfully, clearly making a joke off of what she'd said.

"You know a guy who knows a guy, hm? Sounds a little suspect, Tucker." Clementine spoke with a tone of accusation to her words but there was a warm smile playing over her lips that negated them completely. "And you are choosing me to be the one to share it with? Well it'd be rude not to, no. It is how you say, an English tradition?" Though she knew full well it was not.

[tuckersxwest]

🍾 - Clementine

can be found here

[tuckersxwest]

🍾 - our muses share a glass/bottle of champagne

"You know how it is–," he shrugged as he held up the bottle of bubbly for Clem to see, "–I know a guy, who knows a guy," he added nonchalantly before his signature grin cracked through. "And what's the fun if I can't share it, hmm? Will you do me the honors and drink it with me?"

@clcmcntincdclacour

[tuckersxwest]

NOAH CENTINEO as Owen Hendricks

THE RECRUIT 1.01

[tuckersxwest]

"I appreciate the trust you're putting in me, chief," Tucker gave the other a salute and a smile. It meant a lot more than he would literally ever be able to put into words. So he just planned to make sure he communicated as best as he could through his actions, wanting to ensure to Ezra that he wasn't making a mistake. "And I plan to make sure you don't regret a second of it. I just hope you and the missus enjoy your time away."

"Well I think you would be the only one you were fooling with that assumption." Ezra answered with a laugh, though he had managed to take a little more of a step back now that he had Chloe to occupy his time but that didn't mean he didn't do his fair share of work. "Perhaps you should take it as me trusting you to not need me standing over your shoulder all the time." He suggested with a grin. "I had to take those training wheels off at some point."

[tuckersxwest]

"That's precisely why it seems to tickle me– because you are nothing like what I imagine a snobby Frederick would be," Tucker replied with a warm smile. He enjoyed the irony of it but he also could respect the wishes of his friend. That was more important after all. "But of course I won't make a habit of calling you that if you don't like it."

"It seems like a few people are insistent on trying to get me to go by that recently." Fred stated. "And honestly, Frederick just makes me sound like a stuck up asshole." At least in his mind. He associated it with the hoighty toity side of his family that valued all their shoulder rubbing and fake smiles. That wasn't him.

[tuckersxwest]

"Making connections and all is nice for one," he shrugged when Clementine asked him if he was happy. "Getting to know people and hearing their stories is the highlight of my evenings. A lot of the customers that come in here just need someone to hear them out and it's been really cool to see just how much that can actually do for a person. When I can help someone, even if it's just by lending an ear, that makes me happy, yeah," Tucker nodded.

"Are you happy?" Clementine asked after a moment. "Because if you are, surely that is all that matters, no? I know plenty of people who hate their jobs and they've worked all their lives to do it."

[tuckersxwest]

"I hardly said anything and it feels like you're really taking that to heart. I didn't mean to hit a nerve but I feel like it's also fair for me to point out that you love to take your digs at me. I can have feelings too, Ev," he arched a brow lightly at her. "But yeah I mean I'm a pretty patient person in nature but I'm also typically a little more on the impulse side of things. I guess I'm still playing things by ear... just being a little more aware of everything in this case if that even makes sense."

"Will you stop making me sound like some sort of cold fish here. I am capable of being nice and giving sound advice but you are making me want to drop back into insulting you right now. And I'd be well within my rights to given you're actually the one doing all the insulting right now with your insinuations." Everleigh pointed out. "Interesting that you would put that much time into it. That's not like you."

[tuckersxwest]

"That sure makes one hell of a story," he admitted. "Also makes me wonder how many criminals out there use Fantastic Beasts as accomplices to their crimes. Like Nifflers make great thieves and so on. Just makes you think, you know?"

"Yeah, hence my threat to put my hand in his trousers to retrieve him. Poor thing was traumatised," Ciara replied, "I'm fairly certain he was trying to steal something to sell it on a black market so the guy is also under investigation now."

[tuckersxwest]

"Maybe I like to fool myself that you just sit up in your office tucked away from all of us, kicking back and counting our galleons while we sling pint glasses all night," he joked playfully. Ezra was undoubtedly involved with the work that went on in his pub and inn, arguably pouring the most of himself into it and everyone who worked there knew that.

"That is true." Though he could imagine if he put his mind to it, Tucker could save up over time. It took a lot of willpower to do something like that though. "You know you can still work as part of the team even if you owe the place, you make it sound like I sit around and do nothing."

[tuckersxwest]

"You're being suspiciously nice and while that's very sweet, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop," he admitted to her with a chuckle. There was a pretty reliable track record to back up this concern. "But thank you. I'm going to play it by ear. Not going to jump the gun just yet, especially since I want to make sure I really like her and it's not just me seeing a pretty face and filling in some blanks. She deserves better than that."

As much as Everleigh teased the man, she seemed to settle after that, a soft smile on her features. "I'd ask why you haven't already. It seems to me that you have everything that a woman could want too. She won't turn you down if she has any sense." But she could also imagine it taking a little time for someone to understand Tucker. He could be a lot but that was simply because he seemed to give all of himself all the time to people. "I think you'll be fine, Tucker." She assured him, giving his hand a little pat.

[tuckersxwest]

"All the power to you for always knowing what you wanted," Tucker commended when she explained how much wandmaking had been engrained in her aspirations for her life. He couldn't say the same about himself. He'd never had any true passions or goals for himself. "And I suppose I'll stick to what I know."

"I suppose that is where we differ. I was always brought up on books." Her family certainly seemed to favour them and living with Dominique, that obsession was only fuelled further. "As much as I would like to learn enough to consider this a new talent of mine, I can't imagine not working with wands. I've wanted that for as long as I can remember."

[tuckersxwest]

"Maybe so," he considered with a shrug. "But at the same time maybe I'm exactly like every last one of them. At the risk of sounding pretentious, I don't think it'd be fair to rope all men into such a category. There's ones out there who are far better than I could ever be," Tucker insisted. "I'm just sorry that meeting them hasn't seemed to be your experience given your opinions."

"What can I say, you're very forward and full of energy. It's a lot on first meeting. I can't fault your confidence though." Iris stated, not the type to mince her words. She would tell him exactly what she was thinking for better or worse. "You must be different from the majority of men then. But perhaps that is more the alcohol speaking for them."