Private Roleplay

[zuisouroku]

→ Judith (Jude) McLean

As she strained to hear the last of Ash's faded footsteps, Sebastian's deep voice took her by slight surprise. "Um—hello, Sebastian..?"

It was bad enough for her to be talking to her brother's roommate for the first time, under the current circumstances, but it was especially nerve-wracking to know that the man on the other end of the line was considerably older than her brother, and a handful of years older than herself. I meant to ask just how they wound up rooming together in the first place, but Ash just seemed so happy at the time he was telling me about him that I didn't even bother... Mr. Ford seemed nice, at least, going by the overall softness of his tone, if not just as surprised as she was, and that got her to chuckle a little.

"I'm terribly sorry if I'm interrupting anything," she continued, almost positive that the genuine smile she wore would carry over, "but I just wanted to say thank you for letting me come visit you guys next week—with all the wonderful things my brother's told me about you, so far, I really can't wait to meet you, and I can't thank you enough for letting him stay with you. He's a bit a handful, isn't he? I'm so sorry if he's caused you any trouble, but I appreciate you taking on the challenge..." For a moment, her voice dropped off into another embarrassed little chuckle, laden with nostalgic empathy, and her long, auburn hair rustled quietly against the receiver as she shook her head. "I swear, the kid should have come with an instruction manual. Talking to him like I have been, lately, though, I feel like he hasn't aged a day since he was sixteen—but I'm sure that'll change, once I finally see him in person..." A semi-wistful sigh escaped past her lips. Talking to him was oddly comforting, the more she spoke, but she didn't want to keep him any longer than necessary and simply hoped her subtle point would get across.

"But, I digress: if everything goes as planned, I should be landing in Miami next Sunday evening, at seven o'clock, in case Ash failed to tell you. Hopefully that's not too inconvenient? Though," she added quickly, "if anything happens to come up between now and then, as far as my brother's concerned, feel free to give me a call, alright? Because I know how he can be, and at least you'll have someone to talk to who understands your frustrations, but honestly, I'm just glad that he's finally found a friend. Anyway, I'll leave you my number for any sort of future reference, too, just in case—" She paused to allow him to go off and get a piece of paper and a writing utensil, before relaying her cell phone number. After all, there was nothing wrong with having an emergency contact number, and hers was as good as any, for obvious reasons.

"It was nice talking to you," she said at last, that same smile still present in her voice. "I hope you have a good evening, and that I'll see you next Sunday."


Ash, meanwhile, had long since finished his cigarette and had slinked back into the house, straying just far enough from the door leading out onto the back porch to allow his counterpart and his sibling some privacy, not daring to say a single word until his phone was firmly back in hands, once again, silently hoping the situation hadn't been made even worse. I don't want to make him any angrier with me than he already is. It hurts enough that he can barely stand to look at me.

[top tsundere]

→ Sebastian Ford

Referring to Ash as 'a bit of a handful' was putting it rather lightly. He had no idea until recently of the other male's habit to break and take out his frustrations on the nearest soul. However, Sebastian did know, from the moment Ash walked in the door the first time, that it would be a challenge indeed to keep him around. But he had been ready and more than willing to take on that challenge. Only now was it really taking its toll on him. By the sound of it, though, Ash had always been like this. Who would know better than the older sister herself? And Sebastian knew he ought not to take anything Ash said personally, but it was hard to just brush off such harsh criticisms especially since that was what he did best to avoid getting from other people.

All the wonderful things...

Well, obviously Ash had told her about their little argument just a few minutes ago. That was the whole reason she wanted to talk, aside from giving the phone number and the flight information.

He didn't say much over the course of the conversation, merely remained politely quiet and programmed Jude's phone number into his own contacts just in case something else completely crazy happened between then and next Sunday. At this point, he didn't doubt something would happen.

"You too," he ended the conversation, offering a good evening back to the woman. "And thanks. We'll see you next Sunday." He ended the call, stood and went to give the cell phone back to its rightful owner. He froze as he stepped inside the house and looked over at Ash, who was lingering nearby.

"Here's your phone," he stated as he reached and offered the device back to his roommate. He thought he should have said something more than that, but words didn't form in his head nor on his tongue. He caught Asher's eyes for just a moment and then returned to the cool, relaxing air of the back porch.

[zuisouroku]

→ Asher (Ash) McLean

Truthfully, the younger male was surprised that Sebastian said anything to him at all, and so he didn't exactly know how to handle the situation as he tentatively reached out to take back the phone, looking up only to realize as he met those emerald eyes for all of a few seconds that he didn't have to, as the older man retreated to the porch again without another word. He had wanted to reach out to him and say something, ask about what his sister had to say, if only for the sake of conversation, but his limbs wouldn't budge and his mouth refused to utter anything past a heavy sigh. It was clear the other merely wanted to be left alone, but Asher wished he would have just said so, because being rather forcibly resigned to his thoughts was anything but pleasant, worried as he was that Jude had just made things worse. Regardless, his roommate's overall reluctance made his decision to leave for the weekend that much easier, and after a long moment of silent debating, he made the short trip to his room to gather a few of his things—namely, his new business attire in preparation for Monday morning—and, in grabbing a brightly colored Post-it Note from the kitchen, wrote a short message on the back of it for Sebastian to see, before sticking it to the sliding glass door and proceeding to head off.


I'm going out. See you at the office Monday. Have a good weekend.


No matter how much he wanted to take the car, he refused to pour any more salt into the already open wound. At the same time, he knew he wouldn't get very far by walking, though he highly doubted his counterpart would even notice that he left until he was already long gone. Just a little farther, and I can call a cab... Or even an old client. But, if space was what Mr. Ford ultimately wanted, he would certainly have his space.

[top tsundere]

→ Sebastian Ford

After what seemed like a long while, Mr. Ford finally decided to go back inside the house and try to get some sleep. He wouldn't be getting very much, however, as he reached for the glass door and saw the sticky note stuck to the other side. With brows narrowed in concern, he pulled the note off the door and read it with a shaky hand. He stared at it for a long while and eventually it slip out of his hand and glided to the floor where it was soon forgotten. Tentatively, he turned and looked at the front door, even went so far as to walk out and look around as if he had expected to see Ash just walking away. But the other male was long gone by now.

Why..?

Gone - but Sebastian was still alone with only his thoughts. It was apparent by the note that Ash had no intention of returning until Monday, at the soonest, and he would be by himself for that entire time. He wondered where exactly Ash was going to stay for the next few days and suddenly the worst-case scenarios flitted into Sebastian's mind. What if he really didn't have somewhere to go? What if he had to stay with one of his former clients: namely the abusive ones?

He sighed heavily. No matter how upset he was with the other male, his nervousness and worrisome instincts always overwhelmed him. He reached for the cell phone in his pocket and stared at it nervously before he clicked on Ash's number and the call connected. Whether or not Ash answered it, he was going to get the same message:

"Ash. I didn't mean to drive you away like this. I'm just... upset. I wanted time to think. You didn't have to leave..."

Please come back. And if you don't, then don't get into any trouble. And especially don't get hurt. I don't know what I'd do with myself.

[zuisouroku]

→ Camilla Ford

Though hardly the answer to Sebastian's current inner prayers: the doorbell rang not long after his call went straight to voicemail, and of all people, it was his ex-wife who stood on the other side of the front door, her shadowed, navy blue Impala lurking a ways behind her, parallel parked in the street.

"Kayley insisted that she see her daddy before we leave tomorrow," was her only explanation, in an uncharacteristically soft voice. She looked as tired as the little girl she held in her arms, and twice as disheveled. The weak, thin smile on her face was a clear indication that she hadn't come to start any trouble, and she carefully passed Kayley to Sebastian so that she could attempt to straighten out her hair and her attire, still dressed for work in a dark grey skirted suit.

"I felt bad, taking her away from you this weekend, but if it's any consolation, I've come to ask you for a favor." She went on, light blue eyes almost pleading. "Do you mind if I come in, for a bit? I know it's sudden, but I hope it's not too late, for you." Even though he looked more than ready to go to bed. "I promise I won't be long."

[top tsundere]

→ Sebastian Ford

A bit frustrated that Ash hadn't answered, Sebastian promptly put his phone back in his pocket just in case the other male decided to call back any time soon. He turned to head to his room when the sudden, tell-tale ring of the doorbell echoed throughout the empty, quiet house and startled him. He stopped, turned around again and opened the door, expecting none other than Ash, and got the exact opposite. Of course... why would Ash ring the doorbell, anyways? He lived here.

"Camilla..?" He breathed as he glanced between his ex-wife and the little girl in her arms. It was an astounding miracle that the woman had arrived with a soft tone and no intentions of starting a fight. Eagerly, he took the sleepy little girl in his arms, embraced her tightly and placed a kiss on the top of her head. He then stepped to the side to let Camilla inside the house.

Felt bad? Before, he could have sworn Camilla chose to keep Kayley just to spite him. He was dumbfounded and confused beyond all reason by her unexpected appearance and requests. And a favor? What kind of favor could he possibly do for the well-off woman? This was so sudden and uncharacteristic of his ex-wife that he instantly met it with scrutiny, but that pleading look in her sapphire eyes was enough to delude his superstitions.

With a nod, he closed the front door behind Camilla and carried Kayley over to the couch in the nearby living room. He sat down and let the girl rest in his arms with little intention of letting her go any time soon. "What's going on?" he inquired softly, slowly, although his face expressed clear confusion and concern.

[zuisouroku]

→ Camilla Ford

"Oh, don't look at me like that," she quipped, as she moved to join her bewildered estranged spouse in the living room, sinking down heavily into the wide leather armchair not far from the couch, eyes closed and hands immediately reaching for her aching temples.

"I'm just...tired." The blonde reiterated aloud at length, her tone serving as more than an accurate reflection, with little to no venom behind it at all, even in her immediate comeback; it was less than halfhearted, as if it were simply too much effort to continue to put up the hardened front the younger man had grown so accustomed to. "I'm getting old, Seb." A bitter joke at which she no sooner forced a quiet chuckle out at, but she could feel it, especially now, after having such a long day: indeed, fighting was far from the height of her priority list, at the moment. Being a working woman herself, the stress on her face was undeniably real, and she swore it was becoming increasingly more apparent by the day, betraying her otherwise youthful, model frame.

"But, I'm going out of town for a conference the entire week after next, and you're really the only one who can take care of her while I'm gone—not that you'd mind, right? And since it would be easier for me, I'll just pick her up the following weekend." At that, Camilla flashed another small, weak smile, before fading off into a wistful, nostalgic silence, staring off at an angle at nothing in particular and absently, slowly twirling a strand of her hair around a dainty index finger.

"Whatever happened to us, Sebastian?" The older woman came back suddenly, softly, her sapphire gaze glued to the tall, handsome, broad-shouldered man whose last name she still bore, and who still held onto their drowsy young daughter with infinite care. Her hand dropped silently back into her lap, and she readjusted her focus, looking to Kayley instead with a sigh. How painfully ironic that her little girl was the spitting image of her father.

"You know, for a long time, I thought it was just me, and I grew to attribute it to that goofy awkwardness of yours that I'd grown to love so much, thinking it was just some quirk and that you'd eventually come around... But, you never did, and no matter what, it always felt forced. Unnatural. I tried so hard to tell myself that you weren't, and that you really loved me, but you never really loved me in that way, did you, Sebastian?" If but for a moment, her light eyes glistened, and her grip tightened about the hem of her skirt: she would have given anything to feel those large, gentle hands hold her again, if even for one last time. Yet, she knew better, knowing that desire in itself was never truly satisfied, as it always beget more.

"Andrew just isn't the same." She concluded, voice hovering just above a whisper, before she quickly cleared her throat and added more audibly, returning her attention once more to the emerald eyed man on the couch, "Speaking of Andrew, he didn't happen to leave anything of his here, did he? If he did, I'll take it. It'll be one less thing for him to worry about."

[top tsundere]

→ Sebastian Ford

So it seemed that Mr. Ford would be having Kayley the same week that Jude was scheduled to stay. That had worked out perfectly. Unfortunately, the grin he wore from the fact that he'd have his daughter for over a whole week faded rather quickly.

The silence that followed the older woman's announcement was too soon broken by her inner musings coming out. Emeralds and sapphires glued onto each other for a few moments and he found himself clenching his jaw tightly shut. It was ironic that he did have the intention to call her soon and sort these things out so that they could have a better relationship with each other, but instead she just happened along in person. Whether or not that fact made it easier or harder was completely debatable. In person, he could see the age, the pain, and the tears on her face.

"Camilla, you know I -" he started finally, and promptly stopped at the mention of another name. "Wait wait," he uttered, his voice changing from the soft murmur to a louder, more urgent sound very suddenly. "Andrew? You mean Andrew is living with you?" he was flustered, appalled, panicked, and downright terrified. By this time, he shouldn't have been offended that his ex-wife and his ex-best friend were together, but he was. That, however, was only a small portion of his anxiety. He knew Andrew had anger problems and eagerly took things out on other people if he couldn't satiate his violent desires, namely on whoever was closest or most convenient. That put both Kayley and her mother right in the hands of imminent danger, especially because of what had happened recently with Ash.

Sebastian shook his head quickly as his heart started racing and the sweat beaded on his forehead. That news alone had thrown him into a panic. "He - he can't stay with you, Camilla," he stuttered in a second. "H-he isn't who you think he is. You don't know him like I know him. He's dangerous, Camilla. I swear if he puts one finger on Kayley, I'll -"

The man was cut off again by his daughter's sweet, soft voice. "Daddy, what's wrong with Uncle Andrew?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes and yawned, looking up at him from her place in her father's arms. His raised and panicked voice had roused her from her light slumber and he then forced himself to take in a slow breath and calm himself as best as he could so as not to worry her any more.

"Hush, darling," he cooed quietly, laying her down on the couch completely so that he could get up and go to the kitchen. It was a temporary escape from Camilla and his heated panic. He decided to pour a glass of water but with his shaky hands only managed to fill the glass and then accidentally drop it on the tiled floor, where it hit and shattered with a loud crack, spilling glass and water everywhere.

He cursed inwardly and went to retrieve the broom and dustpan from a nearby closet and a towel or two to soak up the water. "I'm sorry," he called from the kitchen. "I'll... I'll be able to take Kayley for that week and..." he stopped. There was no way he could say what he needed to say about Andrew in front of the young girl. "You can expect a call from me later."

[zuisouroku]

→ Camilla Ford

"Daddy's awfully clumsy, isn't he?" Camilla murmured reassuringly, gently tousling her daughter's chestnut curls as she made her way over into the kitchen behind Sebastian, fighting to wince at the sight of the broken glass.

"Please stay right there, Kayley—" she cautioned, glancing between the two before finally settling on her ex-husband and kneeling down with him on the floor, not at all caring about her attire as she proceeded to soak up the water with one of the towels. However, she also had no intention of leaving the conversation as it was, and pointedly rolled up her long sleeves to reveal the dark, hand-shaped bruises on her arms.

"What I've been doing with Andrew is none of your business, but, do you really think that I don't know?" She whispered challengingly, voice straining, layers of pain etched across her face. "You obviously have no idea what it's like to have the one you love be in love with someone else. What was I supposed to do, Sebastian? He told me about you and your roommate. I wanted to die." Briefly, she tore her indignant gaze away with a vigorous shake of her head, brows furrowed, eyes shut, and jaw tightly clenched; it was as much a reprieve for herself as it was for the younger man at her side, though it was only seconds until her molten sapphires returned, more distressed than before.

"Call me whatever you want—shallow and hopeless, stupid and selfish, crazy and desperate—but it kills me that there's absolutely no way that I can compare, Seb..." It kills me that I can count all the times we slept together on just one hand, even after all those years. "Though, I don't exactly have the luxury of time. I should get going, before he starts to wonder what's taking me so long... I'd hate for him to be mad, again." With that, the blonde wiped at her eyes and rolled down her sleeves, carefully rose and dusted herself off, walking back over to her little girl on the couch to give her a tight, endearing hug.

"I'll be back for you first thing in the morning, okay? And then we can go see Mickey Mouse, finally. Goodnight, Kayley. Be a good girl. And, Sebastian?" She added quietly, throwing another pleading glance at him over her shoulder. "Please remember to call me. I don't care what time it is. Just call."

Without another word, she left, the clicking sound of her high heels and the hum of her Impala's engine steadily echoing off into the night.

[top tsundere]

→ Sebastian Ford

Every single word that poured out of the woman's mouth just fueled the fire of his panic-induced rage. Even the sound of her voice was starting to grate on his nerves. He absolutely could not believe the amount of arrogance and stubborn stupidity; how could she say that it wasn't his business? And the fact that she just had to bring Ash up into this, too. Honestly, she was barking up all the wrong trees.

If you're trying to make me feel bad, it's not working, he thought, though restrained himself from saying anything to her because he knew the bitter sarcasm he felt would instantly translate over and everything would just get worse and worse from that point.

"Though, I don't exactly have the luxury of time. I should get going, before he starts to wonder what's taking me so long... I'd hate for him to be mad, again." He heard her say this and merely shook his head after she had gotten up and he was sure she couldn't see.

How ******** noble of you.

Once he heard the front door shut, he promptly finished cleaning up the kitchen floor, making sure any and all of the pieces of glass were swept up. There was no way Camilla was getting a call tonight. Instead, he returned to the living room and relished in Kayley's presence until eventually both father and daughter had fallen asleep together on the couch.

Around 3:00 AM, Sebastian's internal clock woke him up for no apparent reason. He carried Kayley to one of the rooms and put her to sleep in a proper bed. He, however, went to the kitchen, made a pot of coffee and sat at the kitchen table having a staring contest with his quiet, inanimate cell phone. He wasn't debating whether or not to call Camilla; he would be facing her again in just a few hours. He was really waiting for Ash to call him back although somehow he doubted he would hear from the younger male as much as he wished otherwise.

[zuisouroku]

→ Asher (Ash) McLean

The hours passed, however painfully slow, and still Mr. Ford received no call from his roommate. His ex-wife came and went, taking Kayley without so much as a word or even a blink of an eye, having been blatantly offended by his decision not to call that night.

Much like Asher himself was sure that Sebastian was feeling with him, as he finally listened to the message the older man had left him, on that following, dreaded Monday morning. Vaguely, he wondered just how the weekend had gone for the other male as he slowly entered into the building. Only one way to find out, he thought, as the only way to get to Ms. Hoffman's office was to pass by Sebastian's cubicle. At least the coffee machine's the same way. And, maybe a nice, hot cup of coffee would serve as a small peace offering, though he doubted it. Knowing my luck, he probably already had one... Regardless, he briefly stopped to make one, and boldly trudged on with a shallow, thin lipped smile, though that smile quickly turned into his trademark wry grin the closer his counterpart came into view, his initial inner guilt all but forgotten. I can't wait until he sees me! He's gonna be so surprised~

"Coffee, Mr. Ford?" He purred suggestively, sliding up onto the desk with ease and gently placing the heated cup in front of him. 'Surprised' was sure to be an understatement, for the young man was hardly the same one from just a few nights ago, looking exceptionally sharp in a crisp black suit, his long, free-flowing locks having been traded in for a set of razored bangs and short, clear-cut layers that hugged and accentuated his pale, angular face, albeit each being slightly longer than the last, the final two mere faded remnants of what once had been. As for the bruises on his left cheek, they somehow managed to disappear: a trick courtesy of high-quality stage makeup, or what little leftovers he had managed to miraculously find buried within the depths of his suitcase.

"What do you think?" He asked, in reference to both the coffee and his appearance, adding with a slight chuckle, "Do I pass?" If possible, the smirk on his lips grew wider, rendering him the picture of smug confidence at first glance, though upon closer inspection, his dark eyes held a warm, soft expression that was all their own. It's weird just how much I missed you... Makes me wish I had listened to your message, sooner.


(( Sorry if this post seems rushed. D: ))

[top tsundere]

→ Sebastian Ford

The bland weekend came and went without a word from anyone and Mr. Ford had busied himself with menial tasks such as washing his car, cleaning the house, doing yard work, buying groceries, and surfing the web for cheap apartments and roommate ads (and, very wishfully, cars). It was what he needed though. A quiet, drama-less weekend to collect his thoughts. Amazingly, not even Ms. Hoffman had bothered him.

When Monday came around, he arrived at the office in his usual business attire, secretly glancing around for his missing roommate who he found no sight of. It wasn't until about thirty minutes later, when he was going through some reports on his desk that the scent of coffee suddenly wafted to his face and the corresponding cup was placed in front of him.

He knew exactly who it was, though initially, he was taken aback by the contrasted appearance of the male as compared to the image he had in his head. "You," he started, glanced around and lowered his voice with an accusing finger pointed at the young man. "I hope you know that I think you're a brat for running away and ignoring me." His hardened gaze no sooner softened and he moved to shuffle his stack of papers into their proper order.

It was impossible to stay angry, even though there wasn't much anger left in him anyways, so he accepted the caffeinated peace offering by taking a sip of the hot liquid.

Sebastian sat back in his chair and glanced Ash up and down again. "You look good, though," he mentioned a moment later. It also almost impossible to tear his gaze away from the sharp, chiseled, attractive young man. He could just stare all day, but eventually his gaze met the warmth of those dark eyes. "You're, uh... you're really..." he stopped and found himself flustered and unable to find the right word, so he finished the sentence with a simple, "Wow." That spoke enough on its own.

((P: Nawh. It's fine!))

[zuisouroku]

→ Asher (Ash) McLean

Almost immediately, Ash erupted into peals of rippling laughter. It had been the exact sort of reaction he had wanted to hear, and he could have cared less if he was disturbing the overall peace of the office. In fact, it hadn't even crossed his mind that it could have been an issue, particularly in the early morning hours.

"If I really wanted to be a brat," he quipped between breaths, an impish grin playing about his lips, "you would've found yourself without a car!" His whole body shook, and he bent over slightly under the weight of his own laughter, desperately clutching at his sides as tears began to well up in his eyes, albeit it wasn't long before his fit took a sudden turn, and he was racked instead with a bout of sputtering coughs. Still, his crooked smile never once left his face, and he righted himself admirably with a raspy clear of his throat, almond eyes glistening.

"Ah, you're funny, Sebastian..." He sighed, slipping a sideways glance as he carefully slid from the desk and onto the carpeted floor with a soft thunk, briskly dusting himself off. "But, I wasn't ignoring you, I swear—I was, uh..." He paused and looked around, as if he would somehow find the answer, before giving the back of his head an awkward little scratch when he found none, and finally refocused his attention on the older male in the form of an embarrassed, defeated smile. There was no use in hiding the truth, was there?

"Honestly, my phone was off the entire time, and I only realized it when I was getting ready, this morning." Unbeknownst to the younger male, his pale cheeks flashed crimson as he spoke; to him, the heated feeling merely signified that the pill he had taken earlier was doing its job. The difference, sadly, was virtually impossible for him to tell: having already taken so many, over the past few days, he'd grown quite accustomed to it.

"In any event, I'm sorry: I didn't mean to worry you," because I'm sure I did, going by that message you left, "much less take up your time, when you're probably busy. I need to go see Ms. Hoffman, anyway, and figure out just what it is she wants me to do. You can grill me all you want, later," he added, and with a quick wink and a wave from over his shoulder, he continued on his way to the woman's office, steeling himself as he knocked on the door.

[top tsundere]

→ Ms. Katerina Hoffman

The boss herself was just about to walk out of her office door with papers in hand. As soon as her free hand touched the knob, a knock from the other side sounded and the door swung open as she started to say, "Ah, Sebastian, I was j-" Her sentence was cut off abruptly as she realized the person who had knocked on her door was, in fact, not who she expected. She glanced the young man up and down with a little huff, apparently disappointed.

"Oh," she took a moment to compose herself and flipped a piece of hair behind her shoulder. "Mr... McLean, was it?" She stepped around him and continued walking in her tall black heels, not caring to be corrected if she had the name wrong. With a little gesture, she said, "Come with me."

The neat stack of papers she was carrying was promptly handed off to the first person who walked past her. "Thirty copies on my desk ASAP," she blatantly told the female employee who proceeded to nod and jog down the hallway towards the room with the copy machine in it.

She stopped abruptly in the lobby of the office building and patted the front desk where a young girl in her early twenties sat, apparently very busy clicking away on one of the computers and answering calls by herself. "This is where I'll be needing you in the mornings," she announced. "That's when most of the appointments and etc. come in. Elizabeth, my niece, will get you started."

She gestured to the girl, who in turn blushed red when she saw Ash, smiled and nodded towards them with a faint, "Hello."

"You are allowed a one hour - and one hour only - lunch break," the older woman continued with a stern tone. "Appointments close at 3 PM. After then, you are free to go only if I have no other work for you. Is that clear? Good." She paused and straightened her skirt. "Mr. Ford recommended you. He is one of my best employees and likewise, I expect great work from you, too. Do not disappoint me."

With that, she turned to leave, as she was a busy woman and had many more things to attend to. "I'll be back to check up on your progress later."

The hazel-eyed, blond girl at the desk shook her head with a knowing smile. "She grows on you..." she said as she stood to greet the new helper - the Godsend - an angel. She held out her hand for a handshake greeting. "Sorry... what was your name again?"

[zuisouroku]

→ Asher (Ash) McLean

Katernina wasn't the only one who was surprised, much less disappointed. With a few, fumbling backward steps, Ash proceeded to get out of her way, only to be motioned into following obediently behind her as she just as soon skirted around him and made her way directly down to the lobby; his widened, dark eyes quickly found themselves narrowed under the arch of a finely sculpted brow. They're on a first-name basis? Really? I guess I should've seen that one coming...

Yet, a sigh could barely escape his lips at the thought as the older woman abruptly came to a halt. As she spoke, he stood at attention, stock-still with his arms pinned stiffly at his sides, mouth pressed into a thin line, gaze deviating only slightly to acknowledge the young, blonde haired girl seated behind the desk; if but for a moment, his lips curled into a faint, charming smile. The brief, flashflood of color he had noted in her cheeks would hardly go amiss.

When Ms. Hoffman finally finished her lecture and stalked off, Ash hurriedly released the breath he hadn't even been aware that he'd been holding and stepped forward, taking and shaking the slender hand offered to him gently with a slight nod and a full, bright smile.

"Elizabeth?" He repeated, moving behind the desk to stand beside her. "It's nice to meet you. My name's Asher, but please: call me Ash." A near-silent laugh shook his narrow shoulders. "You're nothing like aunt, I hope?" He teased lightly, with another smile, before adding rather pointedly, half beneath his breath, "Red's an awfully nice color, on you."

"But, she grows on you, eh?" The vocalist went on without missing a beat, giving his head a tiny disbelieving shake as he looked off back down the hall. "If you say so... So, what else do I need to know, that my boss hasn't oh-so-kindly told me, already? Are you only here to show me the ropes, or will I have the pleasure of working with you, as well? Wouldn't surprise me if it got pretty lonely here at the front desk, especially on a slow day." He chuckled quietly. Of course, he only meant to be friendly, though he knew quite well that his version of "friendly" often came across as flirtatious, despite even his best efforts to restrain himself. It was simply a part of his nature, for one, and on top of having been a front-man for so long, it was something that came as easy to him as breathing; not that the synthetic high he was currently experiencing was helping him any, either, though.