"Those Are Fighting Words Where I'm From, Ronnie. Are You Trying To Start A Fight?" Briggs Retorted Easily,

"Listen, do you think I am made of money? Be serious, look at our equipment." Briggs joked lightly, although it wasn't a lie. He wasn't a rockstar by any means, he just had a band and loved music. He smirked though, shrugging. "I don't care about you being a hater, that's kind of my thing though. I try to be nice and this is how I get treated, you see my dilemma?"

“You don’t know the half of it.” Taylor downed another mouthful of drink, full of regret for even asking. “Believe it or not, there are rideshares for that too.” She knew that too well, the amount of money she’d given to Ubers after her first tour was probably enough to put a down payment on a car of her own. “Just so you know, covering my drink doesn’t mean I will judge you any less for even considering ordering coffee.”

"Four. Or so everyone says. I also don't eat my green veggies, if you're curious." Briggs retorted with a wide, shit-eating grin. It was a lie, he was capable of eating all vegetables, but for the purposes of entertaining her and this conversation, he was going to act like he didn't. One thing about him, he loved to annoy people. "Just how old do you really think I am? I was joking, I am not four. I'm closer to mid-age than I am to twenty. I just have really great genes." His grin only grew at her answer. "Got other plans after the set, obviously. Something more private, but still very loud." He turned his head to gesture to the bartender to come over and then looked back at the stranger. "I'll see what I can do. What should I order for you?"

     "Jesus," Cherry muttered then tipped back a sip of her negroni. "How old are you?" Cerulean eyes cut over to the musician clocking that he looked young and virile enough to her. Even though she'd enjoyed his music and sat through most of his set (the bartender had mentioned he'd been a song deep when she'd sat down) the raven haired woman sat impassive. To the untrained eye she'd appear bored. "What're you going to do when you're actually a middle aged man? Or worse, over the hill?" A slight smile turned up a corner of her mouth. "Only perform for the early bird crowd?" Slight acknowledgment came in her giving him partial attention, a barely measured turn of her head in his direction. "Be bold. Order the coffee. The rebel of the hour."

In order to survive a very long night of performing, Briggs had done what any great musician and front man of a band does; drugs. He was on cloud nine as the band performed their rendition of I Want You to Want Me at the end of their second set and thanked the crowd by blowing kisses and high fiving the DJ as she took over the stage for her set. He had already caught a glimpse of Dean from the stage, a few times. Maybe too many times. But that was almost normal when the other man was around. His smirk grew as Dean immediately approached him though, Briggs stepped closer to him an eyebrow raised. "Why so curious? You trying to figure out your next move or what?" He teased, his eyes moving up and down his figure as he let all the substances in his body take over like they normally did. "You know, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're enjoying the show."

where: fire & ice gala who: @briggster & dean hart

Shots. Apparently some liquid courage was the only thing that ever got Dean out of his own head and into the fire, so to speak. What did it say about him that he needed to be under the influence to loosen up a bit, to untense his shoulders and, generally, not devolve into a literal panic attack from the sheer amount of tackiness alone? Probably a lot, but he wasn't one to think too far into things. The crowd started cheering as the band finished up their set, and Dean would be lying if he said he hadn't been eyeing the group -- and their front man -- from his place at the bar. Some liquid courage apparently went a decently long way, so the moment he saw Briggs descend the stage and head in his general direction, he found himself offering a smug grin. "Tell me, does getting pelted in the face with underwear make you want to give it your all? Does it help loosen those pipes?"

Briggs downed two shots of vodka, one after another effortlessly and then gestured the bartender over to ask him to take several of those to the band wherever they were sitting. A small smirk played on his lips at AP's words and he turned his head to look back at him. "It's reserved for dive bars and your mom's bedroom, actually. I'm pretty exclusive." He retorted, though there was no bite to his words. Really, this was something that he would even tell his friends from the MC anyway. "I'm going up there shortly, hence all the shots and the reason why I have been in this seat, sorry to disappoint and not say I just liked the company. I do agree with the first band being better. Their song choices did that."

FOR › @briggster LOCATION › fire & ice

The last band on stage had finished their set, followed by the soft applause from the crowd. However, Andrés had found his hand instinctively reaching for his drink that was slid towards him from the bartender. "I think I liked the first band better," he said casually, leaning a forearm onto the marble counter. Despite his gaze trailing forward on the stage to watch as the artists replaced positions, he was acutely aware of who was standing beside him. "You performing tonight? Or is that talent reserved for dive bars?" The tone of his words seemed warm, but there would be no missing the edge that clipped them at the end.

"Wow. Hater. And that's a lot coming from me." Briggs joked lightly. He was always in a better mood after a performance, doing what he loved to do was what kept him going. "Uber's are for people that don't have to move all their instruments and equipment around, obviously. We have a van to drive." He gestured to the stage where his bandmates had began to pack everything up and then turned around to the bartender. "Can I get a water and I'll cover her drink, too please."

How she’d gotten wrapped up in this, she would never know. What Taylor did know, was that with each passing moment she was regretting it. Signaling for another round, she side eyed the man. “Dude. I will hate on you if you order a coffee instead of a beer at a bar at this damn hour.” She rolled her eyes. “You…have you ever heard of an Uber?”

closed starter for @dallashcrt

location: fire & ice gala

"Excuse me, princess. I was here before." Briggs said loudly as the blonde that had just stood next to him in line at the bar managed to get the bartender's attention before him. This, in Briggs' mind, was like declaring war. Unacceptable, really. His attention turned back to the bartender. "Can we focus and not get lost in her blue eyes? I gotta be on stage in like ten minutes, my guy. A scotch and three double shots of rum, please." Briggs then turned to look back at the stranger, a smirk on his face. "You know, it's rude to cut the line."

#me too bestie

OPEN for anyone (4/4)

LOCATION: a bar

Briggs set his guitar down on its stand as the crowd around him began to dissipate, a wide smile on his lips as he shook some of the people's hands and thanked them for recording him before he jumped off the stage easily, clearly with years of experience. "Do you think the bartender is gonna hate on us if I order a coffee instead of a beer at this hour? I have another set at another bar before midnight and I don't know how to even get there without falling asleep?" He told the person sitting by the bar.

"Alright, well, shut up, dude. This isn't fun if you take it this well." Briggs admitted, clearly weirded out, but a small smirk still on his face. Truthfully, it unnerved him that very few things got to AP, but it kind of made it better. He could be a bit more brutal than he was to other people whenever the other man was around. "I always get free drinks, happens when you're in a band." Briggs chuckled, shaking his head. "We have originals, but for this type of event we do a lot of covers. Romantic movie classics, you know, like I Want You to Want Me and shit, very fun but silly stuff."

Wouldn’t a comment like that make a man cringe? Normally, usually, most times–absolutely. But for a man like Andres who couldn’t stand the sight of his father—anyone else would be better suited for his mother’s bedroom. “Yeah? Well, congratulations. I had no idea you made it to mama Torres’ tax bracket.” Finishing off his drink in one rapid gulp, Andres let a hint of a smile crack onto his lips as he canted his head to finally meet Briggs’ eye. “No need to appease me, I simply thought you were here for the free drinks. Glad to know you’ve got more standards than such. Now, you gotta answer this, all your songs are originals?”

Briggs was nearing the end of all sets by now, but tonight was hands down one of the best nights of his life and that much was evident as he almost jumped down the stage clapping for his bandmates as he did so. His grin only widened at the sight of Peyton, a nice surprise that had turned into a friend fairly quickly. "We both better walk out of here with a date, actually!" He exclaimed as he hugged her tightly. "That dress probably has everyone doing double takes every time that they see you." Briggs said excitedly and then began leading her to the bar at her request. "I'll have whatever you're having, I can't even remember what I've been drinking all night."

closed starter: @briggster location: main stage, underground fire party, scorpion.

The crowd roared into an eruption, cheering on Briggs and his band after they'd finished their latest set. Peyton raised her glass toward the stage, catching her friend's eye and letting out a triumphant, "Woohoo!" The formalities of the Ice Gala had long since passed and Scorpion's underground was welcoming guests into its fiery abode. The entertainment for the evening was of course, the best band in all of Reno, something that Peyton made sure to let Briggs know when she approached him shortly after he left the stage. "If you didn't already have a Valentine before tonight, you do now. I guarantee you just made the majority of this crowd fall in love with you tonight! That was incredible!" She beamed, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him into her excited embrace. "C'mon, let's go to the bar. I'm buying. What're you drinking?"