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

[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.

Now eating junk food with sugary icing; that he was perfectly fine with, to an excess at times. But he did have a sweet tooth that was just flat out overdeveloped.

And yes, true to form, he was roaming around with Hector, because even in the closed confines of that space he was so rarely without his looming shadow. But it wasn't Hector's fault, he was just paranoid and overprotective and he couldn't get annoyed at him for that; it was sweet...in about as close of a way that Hector ever got to the idea.

But, back to the food; because that was the thing that caught his eye, oh yes. And no, Lacroix really didn't learn from the last food ordeal; or even if he did he was just too curious by nature to take that lesson to heart.
Hector was clearly less than pleased by the idea, and wasn't shy about pointing the fact out; but, again, that didn't always sink in.
Right then it certainly hadn't; Lacroix managed to get icing on his fingers from picking up a cupcake to study it more carefully and licked the sugary substance off his fingers.

Given the past events that was apparently enough to send Hector retreating a safe distance to sit down. Wise perhaps; as odd things were the norm in that wonderful place, but certainly nothing that concerned Lacroix.

However, free for a moment of that scrutiny, Lacroix wandered with an air of clueless, happily indulging that sweet tooth while he took in the locals and had a look at the decor with all the pale and pretty flair.

Well, he was wandering clueless until he spotted someone distinctly not pastel and flowery, and unfortunately right about that second he was chewing so he couldn't talk, just blink, very clearly perplexed as to why Ash would be there.

[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 of that digit as he kept his eyes locked on Lacroix's.

Was that motivation enough to get Lacroix to come closer? Ash certainly hoped so.

[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.
Ah well, it wasn't that much of an issue; certainly not enough to convince him to keep from begging Hector to return to the place.

Really there is shameless, and then there's Ash who is in a league all his own; just how the man can do or say some of the things he does has baffled Lacroix in the past and very likely will continue to for a long while.
That blink repeated itself, accented that time with a bit of a brow lift and a moment of trying to recall just how it was his feet worked.

Oh, yes, one in front of the other, of course.

With a quick glance to make certain Hector is elsewhere and off tending his own affairs at that moment, Lacroix retreats over to where Ash is making quite a display of himself; the purple-iced cupcake still residing in his hand almost forgotten for a moment.

"Hi," it was such an oh-so-cheerful tone, his voice, he hadn't resorted to stumbling like an idiot yet, but alas, it might not have been long to wait.
But he did in fact sit down without getting a sneaker stuck in a chair or some other moment of random calamity, that had to count for something.

[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.

"Didn’t know you knew about this place," Ash commented, assuming that Lacroix had been here before because he looked familiar with the place. "If I’d have known sooner, I’d have come more often." He’d only been here once before with Vince to watch some horror movie -- that was more Vince’s scene than his own. But cupcakes and talking with Lacroix was definitely something Ash could handle.

[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?"
So very curious, oh, he is.

Easy to spot Senri too, or rather hear the chattering nearby and because it isn't polite to ignore friends he glanced towards the sound and lifted a hand in a wave accented by a smile before his attention shifts back to Ash and the mostly forgotten cupcake; taking another bite while he waited for an answer to the inquiry.

[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 for him to remember so many names. “I talked to him the last time I was here. We watched some horror movie. You can invite him over if you want.”

[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.
Besides...err...Hector; yes, there was that. But thankfully Hector usually allowed him some room to entertain himself around there since it was safer territory than most other places.

Having just taken a bite of cupcake, and in the process needing to finish chewing before he spoke, Lacroix just tilted his gaze in the direction of Senri. Once he had swallowed the sticky-sweet sugar he nodded again, "Uh-huh, that's Senri; he's a friend of mine." He certainly considered Senri a friend given all the conversations they had had, online and around the Loft, and he did enjoy Senri's company and often quirky moods. "I think he's talking to his friend right now, but believe me, he'll definitely come over here if he wants to." And he wouldn't have minded to company, not at all; but he also hadn't wanted to interrupt Senri's conversation with Taiki.

[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.

Shameless, yes, but they’d already established that.

[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; it was his way to continue being deviant in a more subtle manner. “Want me to make it up to you?”

...okay, maybe not-so-subtle.

[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.

Not wanting Ash to feel as though he had only been chiding him, Lacroix did offer a smile from behind the edge of that cupcake while he went back to finishing the sugary substance. It didn't last long, he had the metabolism and eating habits of a hyperactive teenage boy still; nothing with a sugar content strong enough to make a diabetic cringe ever lasted out more than a few moments in his presence.

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.

But being that he hadn't screwed up things with Ash yet, quite a feat given the fact that his social awkwardness at times was a disaster waiting to happen when it came to anything past cheerful and friendly conversation, he wasn't taking any chances on circumstances ruining everything.
Whatever everything currently was, as he wasn't totally certain about even that.

"Yeah, I'll just have to find something either personally traumatic or really impressive to conveniently do right before then if he's not good with the idea before that point." Because that was how it went in Castle Styles; Hector was usually so very agreeable if he did something right enough to deserve some sort of reward.
Something odd about that, yes, he was certain; but that was just the way things were.

Cupcake thus devoured, elbows resting on the table and head shook to let some of that mopish, brilliantly violet hair hang over his eyes, the conversation continued. "What's going to be weird is having to go to that with him."

[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.

Besides, it was hard for Ash to open up about his occupation as well. It didn’t quite carry as bad of a stigma as prostitution did, but it was right up there. He didn’t want Lacroix to think less of him for it so he’d kept quiet about it until now. By this point he enjoyed Lacroix’s company so much that he was even more reluctant to open up because he was scared to lose what friendship -- or whatever they were -- that they’d already built. But he knew he’d have to be open about it eventually; he’d have to explain his background at the start of the lecture, after all.

“And anyway,” Ash continued, trying to subdue his smirk just a little. “I’m going to use you as my assistant if I do any demonstrations. I’ll ask if I can get an assistant from the audience, but no matter who raises their hands, I’m going to pick you.” That’ll help Lacroix relax, right? ...or maybe that would make him even more nervous, on second thought.

[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.

[asher_embry]

Ash of course felt so very smug that he was able to make Lacroix at a loss for words. It was a guilty pleasure of late; he was rarely in the presence of anyone so innocent and it gave him a bit of a rush to be playful with Lacroix. “Nothing too kinky, promise. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of Hector. But you could at least pretend to like what I’m talking about. I mean... wouldn’t you liking it make Hector want to let me be around you more?” In theory, anyway; Ash was determined to do something to make Hector not mind him being around, even if it was giving lectures on death fetish.

“Assuming you want me around. Don’t let me force myself on you.” Yeah, he was a bit forward about flirting, but if it at any point made Lacroix really uncomfortable, then he hoped Lacroix would say something about it.