RP Sunday: Open to all, happy Spring~

[dainty_ofcourse]

Signs have been up for a while. The one at the venue has been vandalized fixed:

MAY DAY Golden Week! TEA PARTY
Cupcakes and tea provided. All else available for purchase.
Donations go to:

Comments

[asher_embry]

Ash too was silently wondering if he really should eat a cupcake with that much flowery icing on top, but... what the hell. As he unwrapped the pretty dessert, he sat in the Loft, figuring out in his head just what sorts of salads he was going to be eating tomorrow to balance out the sugary-sweetness of the cupcake he was about to eat. It almost looked too pretty to eat; obviously the icing was piped by someone who knew what they were doing.

It made him wonder too if his newly favorite lacroix_styles had any experience with making overly pretty cupcakes like this

[lacroix_styles]

He wasn't really the type that baked much, not because it was a girl thing; he couldn't really say that since cooking wasn't always viewed as the most masculine profession either by some people, it was more that he needed to concentrate harder to bake. There were formulas and measurements to be carefully tended to when it came to making sense of how cakes and the like were crafted, and Lacroix didn't mind that when he was purposely making the effort but otherwise he didn't venture too far into the idea

[asher_embry]

Ash had no idea why Hector was backing off from Lacroix, but that certainly wasn't something to complain about, no. He much preferred talking to Lacroix when the other man wasn't being shadowed quite so closely by his bodyguard.

What he did want to complain about was the fact that Lacroix was just sort of... standing there, and not coming over to sit with him. This definitely had to be remedied, yes. Ash didn't really care why or how Lacroix was here -- maybe someone showed him? After all, Vince had shown Ash just how to get to the Loft. What was important was the fact that they could actually see each other in person now instead of relying on phone and internet conversation.

But if Lacroix was just going to stand there and stare at him, Ash figured he might as well give him a show, because Lacroix was sort of adorable when he got all stumbling-and-stammering. A moment before, Lacroix had carelessly licked icing off his own fingertips, but Ash very purposely licked one of his own fingertips now, slowly sucking the pastel icing off

[lacroix_styles]

Most of his Loft ventures were following Hector, simple enough enough; at least he did know how to get back home on his own even if the door just dumped him off in the lobby and he'd had to call Hector to come let him in the elevator the last time

[asher_embry]

"Hey," Ash replied with a tiny little smirk, oh-so-pleased that his shameless icing-eating had lured the purple-haired man over. This was the first time he’d seen the new hair color in person, and it was definitely vibrant, yes, but Ash liked it. He went back to eating his own yellow cupcake normally after that, giving Lacroix a break from having to watch him suck the sugary icing off his fingertip like that.

...But not completely. Ash shifted a little to rest his foot right against Lacroix’s -- a casual motion, as if he’d been stretching out his legs and just happened to rest his foot there as a coincidence. It was forward and shameless, yes, and Lacroix was certainly free to kick him if he was invading his personal space too much. The gratuitous amount of casual flirting he’d done online and on the phone lately made this tiny amount of physical contact comfortable to him, but he had no idea what Lacroix’s comfort limits were

[lacroix_styles]

Oh yes, the purple hair; the reason he almost hadn't been allowed out of the apartment for a month as it was until Hector had finally decided it wasn't a total travesty. But he happens to like it, even if the other reviews were rather mixed.

The smirk was expected, not surprised by that; he was mildly taken off guard by the nudge but it wasn't anything Lacroix couldn't handle. Probably. Maybe on the far side of probably, but he was doing okay for the most part, in his own opinion. Though sadly that question did only gain a nod in response before the brain caught up to coherent conversation.

And then he was off, rambling as though somebody had flipped a switch. "Yeah, I've only been around a few times though, since I can't always get Hector to come out here much. And usually something odd happens." That latter part being more often than not. "But how did you get here

[asher_embry]

Wow, rambly. But it was sort of endearing; he listened with amusement, his devious smirk from earlier morphing into a little smile instead. Even though Hector only let Lacroix visit the Loft now and then, that was at least something. “Red showed me a door that leads here. Hey, text me or something before you come here the next time, okay?” He had no idea how this place worked; no one had ever explained to him if it was just some secret underground cafe or what. He had no concept of multiple dimensions, and that gargoyle that he’d seen here last time had to have been a furry in an animal suit. That was his only explanation.

But his attention shifted over to Senri when Lacroix waved to him; after swallowing his current bite of cupcake, he figured he should be nice and offer to let Senri join them so that he wasn't hogging Lacroix all for himself. “You know... that guy? Him?” It was obvious that he didn’t remember Senri’s name; their conversation had been pretty brief -- and besides, Ash met a lot of people, so sometimes it was hard

[lacroix_styles]

"Between the hair and Hector's paranoia about something weird happening that might be a while, heh. But I will." He offered an enthusiastic nod none the less; because now that he knew Ash had access to the Loft as well it made all the sorting out how to steal a few minutes to talk without there being a computer screen or cell phone involved there wasn't any reason in the world not to take advantage of it

[asher_embry]

Ash gave a little shrug; he certainly wasn’t going to force Lacroix to invite more people over, but it was fine with him if Senri or Senri’s friend wanted to wander over. He definitely wasn’t socially-controlling enough to want to keep Lacroix from talking to other people. But for the moment, Ash would continue to talk to him himself until someone else did visit their table.

But when Ash turned his head back to look at Lacroix again, he noticed the tiiiiniest bit of purple icing on the corner of the younger man’s lips. Oh-so-distracting. “Oh, hey, you’ve got... here...” He had been going to just let Lacroix deal with it himself, buuut... what fun was that? Instead, he reached across the table so that he could gently swipe the pad of his thumb against the edge of Lacroix’s mouth, ridding his skin of the troublesome little bit of icing. And afterward, to try to make the other man twitch, he repeated his little trick from earlier, idly sucking that purple icing off of his own thumb

[lacroix_styles]

That was a bit beyond shameless really, Ash was amazingly good at being borderline bad and exercising his potential in the matter.
It's like he was trying to leave Lacroix perplexed and trying to keep up.
Oh wait, he was.

"Huh?" The question sounded just barely before he ended up with Ash up close and person for those sparse few seconds before he retreated once more with that expression that seemed just so pleased with himself. It left Lacroix blinking, yeah...he'd been doing that often in the past few seconds, and while he didn't twitch exactly. It was more like he forgot how to shut his mouth for a moment.
Wait for it, yeah, okay, he finally figured it out and managed the idea.

"Heh," until he opened his mouth again and said only faintly something scrambled before the weak recovery, "Oh come on, how was that fair?"
It really wasn't, but he was attempted to cover awkward with a laugh.

[asher_embry]

Ash looked about just as smug as a cat who had just managed to catch a mouse, yes. He felt proud for each time he made Lacroix forget how to talk; he so rarely had the attention of someone this young and cute, so he had to take advantage of the opportunity now that it was here. Still smirking, he lowered his hand so that he could idly fold up his empty cupcake wrapper. So pleased with himself, yes. “Hm? Did I do something wrong? I was just helping out, Lacroix.”

It felt a little awkward to use that name, now; in their phone conversations, he’d called Lacroix ‘Ross,’ the name he’d had before having to change his name. But he managed anyway because Hector was right over there and Ash had promised that Hector would never find out that he knew Lacroix’s real name.

As soon as he managed to calm that smirk, he forced a little sigh and feigned penitent; no, of course he wasn’t sorry, but he was good at playing the part. “No, you’re right; that was terrible of me.” He continued with a question that he’d asked Lacroix multiple times online

[lacroix_styles]

Subtle? Did Ash even know the meaning of the word? Likely not.

On the subject of names though, so used to both but more familiar with the older version; unfortunately he would has answered to either and gotten himself into big trouble if Ash had slipped up. The sort of not allowed to leave the apartment for months, phone revoked and internet monitored sort of trouble because that had been a large rule break.
Like most of the rules Lacroix had already broken carefully outside the realm of being caught, yet, but he didn't really understand the necessity of living like a social outcast and if a rule wasn't fair he was bound to question and test it.
He was not, however, bold enough to test said rules right in front of Hector.

"Be good, before you get me into trouble," exasperated but with a comical and teasing tone, he sank down some in his chair and groaned. Oh yes, Ash was trouble all himself; plain and simple.
Not that the fact wasn't a bit intriguing though, and even more so because Ash really did want to talk to him

I totally posted this in the wrong thread. That's what I get for having a ton of tabs open. LOL

[asher_embry]

Okay, fine, he’d behave; he didn’t want to freak Hector out or make him not want to let Lacroix come here anymore. Ash decided to keep his hands to himself from now on so as not to arouse suspicion from Lacroix’s ‘bodyguard,’ but he left his foot right where it was; it wasn’t like Hector could see under their table, after all.

“Don’t worry so much, Hector’s going to approve of me. Just wait,” Ash gave a little shrug and kept his voice down for a moment just in cast Hector was listening in. “Wednesday, June 22 at 7PM. That’s the time I reserved for that lecture.” He was planning a lecture on death fetish as a way to hopefully endear himself to Hector; that way, maybe, juuuuust maybe, he’d be allowed to visit Lacroix at home. Or at least talk to Lacroix without having to worry about Hector disapproving of it. “So you have that long to convince him what a good idea it is to go. Deal?”

I am paranoid about doing that myself. XD

[lacroix_styles]

Yes, it was best to keep the attention-drawing actions to a minimum; which Lacroix both lamented in a way but in a different way thought was, in true Lacroix style, so very fascinating and sneaky. And of course that made it very appealing; he had that terrible little indulgent streak that got a faint thrill from knowing he was doing something he shouldn't have been

[asher_embry]

“He teaches you about embalming. This can’t be that much weirder,” Ash replied, trying to brush aside Lacroix’s concern. The fact that Hector would be interested in death fetish to begin with spoke volumes about just what sort of dark secret society Lacroix was part of. No, Ash certainly didn’t know the details, knew nothing of Hector and Lacroix’s magic, only knew that both men studied some heavy topics, many of which involved death. Some kind of death cult? Maybe. But he couldn’t bring himself to trouble over it because Lacroix was charming and sneaky and adorable and his death cult definitely did not completely define who he was

[lacroix_styles]

"Embalming isn't that strange, just...sort of messy." Obviously he was getting used to some of the oddity of Hector's habits and interests if he could say that with a straight face and not cringe. Death was a part of life, and for some people it was life; they were just wired in a way that was wrapped up in darkness.
That didn't mean that circumstance and surroundings were the full measure of a person though.

It did mean there were issues he couldn't be honest with, not with anyone outside the small and exclusive little group he had ended up a part of. No more than he might have been comfortable out and about in the world without the security blanket of those arm warmers he wore constantly, short of sleeping in them in most cases.

"Uh, what?" Not so certain Ash wasn't just trying to force him into another fit of stumbling his way through the conversation, he was guarded against believing the words too easily.