Post by Em^2 on Oct 21, 2015 16:36:44 GMT -8
CAST: Andrei Popov, Jasper Cross
SUMMARY: After the incident in the library, Ash and Jaz head off to talk about what happened, and spend some time being awkward teenagers.
TW: Snogging teenagers ahead!!
Jasper
What the hell was all of that? Whatever it was, Jasper didn't like it. Awkward mimics of people present, and one incredibly uncomfortable alternate version of herself. Preppy as fuck. Pregnant. And happily with Gideon. With everything that had gone on recently it left a bit of a bad taste in Jaz's mouth. Some of the group had headed off to find a source to report to but she had other plans. Ash had been about to deal some serious aggro toward those mirrors in an aggressive fashion she'd never quite seen before. It was probably good to get him in a more neutral setting. Her quad? Seemed like a good enough place! The walk itself was quick and rather quiet, the door unlocked and opened before she slipped inside and let Ash follow. She'd been half tempted to take them through the Roads except for the odd whispers about gates and lions that had her avoiding shadows and mirrors completely. Tossing her bag over toward the couch, Jaz glanced over her shoulder toward the fluffy haired boy with a half smile. "I'm getting a drink. Want anything? I got some sodas and stuff." She wasn't in the mood to try and 'broaden those horizons' unless Ash showed the notion. The fridge was approached and she bent forward into it once it was open. "..what the fuck was that shit?" She asked, though it was a mostly rhetorical question.
Ash
Of course the walk was short and quiet! Ash was Pissed Off, capital P, capital O, and he would destroy EVERY MIRROR HE COULD FIND for a day or two, goddamnit! It was a scarier side of Ash, and probably simultaneously attractive (it's scientifically proven that men who don't smile seem a lot hotter based on polled women.) Hair still a little mussed up from his rage, he walked directly and firmly toward Jaz' quad with her, staying stone-faced and silent the entire way and right up to the point where he sat down on her couch. "I dunno. Something." Well done, Ash. "... what do you have?" No, he wasn't gonna drink tonight. Might end up setting the entire quad on fire in fury. "It was bollocks, that's what it was," he answered sourly, pouring himself out along the couch in the way that cats seemed to. You know how it is. Stretched out with limbs all over the place.
Jasper
Ash was already attractive. It'd take a blind person not to see that! But the whole pissed off and aggressive thing? Jaz had an eye for it. Perhaps it was simply that she wasn't in the best of her own mindsets that kept her from commenting. Or there was some odd sort of respect growing for the pretty faced dancer. One could only guess. "It was..something.." The girl swallowed lightly, fetching herself a bottle of hard cider before pausing to look at the contents of her fridge, "...Milk...cream...soda? Some fizzy Squash?" Which she'd tried but wasn't as keen on. Paused there while she waited for an answer, those prismatics looked over the door of the fridge toward Ash to curious seen what he was doing. Sprawling? Good, good. No more swinging about chairs. This room was blissfully free of mirrors.
Ash
Oh, there were a few people who didn't notice. Some who Ash wanted to notice! But that was neither here nor there, and for now, the pretty platinum thing was busy cooling off that fiery temper of his. "It was worse than something," he muttered, allowing one long fingered hand to lift up and comb through that fluffy hair of his, which seemed to smooth down easier now that he wasn't enraged. With crystal blue eyes flicking back up to Jaz, he nodded. "Milk." It'd taste soothing to him, though at the same time, might highlight that he was still pretty young. "... we were the only ones who didn't get hurt, to boot. Makes it feel like I got off easy." Don't be upset, Ash! You use FIRE. You were in a LIBRARY. Trust me, nobody regrets you not getting into a fight.
Jasper
Milk it was! Jaz snatched a red solo cup from the counter (because who needs to do dishes?) and poured a glass. "You want chocolate syrup?" Chocolate was good for most situations, right? She'd wait, and if the answer was yes then he got a healthy serving stirred in before she was approaching the couch and flopping down too once the drinks were set aside. "It was shit. And..I think we were the only ones not wounded and shit. But...still kind of hurt." She made a face, mostly at herself. Why was she even opening up like that? Where was that awesome wall she was so damn proud of most of the time that only a select few got to scale. Jasper shrugged it away while grabbing her bottle and opening it up before taking a swig. "..glad I got to peg that bitch in the head with a book, though. " It was satisfying and yet somehow symbolically a little sad. A sideways glance the boy’s way was accompanied by a lopsided half-smile. "Never thought I'd see you all angry and stuff." She didn't say it, but the look implied it had been kinda hot.
Ash
"No thanks." Ash was picky on his sweets; he didn't like chocolate milk, but if you offered him baked goods, he'd eat it right up, no hesitation. But even so they had to be good baked goods. No dry store-bought chocolate chip cookies for him (thanks all the same;) no, he'd prefer... like... white chocolate macadamia nut. After accepting the milk, he began to sip it, attention drifting over toward Jaz while she mentioned being hurt on another level. "Not really." Of course it hurt, Ash; stop trying to manly, everybody knows that you're pulling the equivalent of, crying? I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying. I just have sand in my eye. "My other self ... well.. I doubt I could hurt him, honest. Not in my nature to attack others." Actually, it was, he just recognized it and felt appropriately bad about it. (You hear that, Ash's Mom?!) In either case, he raised his eyebrows while Jaz seemed to convey how impressed she was with him losing it. "... that was't getting angry, that was just being pissed off." Getting ANGRY could burn the whole building down. Still hot though.
Jasper
Meanwhile the little feline at his side was happy to shove subpar sweets into her mouth if offered. Junk food was good, the end. It was the fishie treats she was more particular on, though she wouldn't go turning them down. Lazing upon the couch, she took another sip while her head simply rolled to the side to watch the boy. "No?" Somehow she didn't really believe that, not with how he'd reacted in the end. "Guess you're lucky then.." She left the comment alone there, taking a longer drink as she tried to cover up what she herself might have been feeling. It wasn’t' soul crushing, but there was a nagging sensation to it that tugged at heart strings. "So y' just attack mirrors then? With poor defenseless chairs?" She chuckled, grinning a little more as she eased into the couch with yet another sigh. "If that's you just pissed off, then I'm damn curious to see you angry." Playing with fire? Shit, Jaz did that enough on a regular basis. "...do you think the school'd buy it if I said the... whatever they were..ate my homework?"
Ash
No it wasn't. It was junk food. Emphasis on the junk! Really, who wants corn starch and chocolate flavoring when you could have freshly baked white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, with the sweet smell of baking cookie dough permeating the kitchen and the heat that made your hair sway every time you opened the hot oven to take a sheet out, and you could feel, really feel, the crunch of your jaws as you bit down on the crisp on the edges, before your teeth sank into gooey, warm, white chocolate? No contest. Anyway, she could disbelieve all she wanted, but Ash was going to stick to his story, though he'd sip milk thoughtfully, before responding as to why he attacked mirrors. "Someone had to save the rest of the students." And Ash, apparently, would bear that burden, all hail the conquering hero. Lowering the milk, however, he turned and grinned at her. "You wouldn't like me angry." BAD REFERENCE: OVERUSED. POINTS DEDUCTED FROM ASH. "... and at our school? No. Everyone's weird so it doesn't have the same impact."
Jasper
If Ash wanted to try and convince her? Jaz wouldn't turn down freshly baked goods. At all. But she also lived just fine on the stuff that she could buy at the store. Her bottle ended up about half empty before her gaze shifted toward it again. I was going to be one of those nights. "Do y' think that would have done it?" She'd been the one to suggest it, but really only halfheartedly. The mention that she wouldn't like him angry won a lift of brow and she actually chuckled, "...you don't know me that well.." Did he know the kind of person her ex was? Granted that was a whole lot of different sort of angry. Shifting along the couch she eventually rested her head against his shoulder while taking another swig from her slowly emptying bottle. "Damn. You'd think something good could come out of all the weird shit at least once." Poor kitten was going to have to do that homework. Phooey.
Ash
Too bad, then; Ash couldn't cook worth a damn, but his grandmother could. SHE was the one who could set Jaz straight. In the meantime, though, Ash finished his glass of milk and sighed, licking the milk moustache off his lips before he spoke again. "... it might have. I had to try, right?" Besides, it felt good to release some of that pent up frustration. Really, the TRUE victims were the mirrors he'd gone after; they were just the targets of a hate crime, since Ash is apparently now biased (racist?) against mirrors. ... and would she like him angry? Maybe. Probably! But Ash wouldn't like her while angry -- he'd be a screaming harpy with a weenie, so really, let's all agree to keep Ash as far away from angry as possible. "If something good does come out of it, I'd like to know what the fuck it is." It's character development, Ash. But you can't hear me through the fourth wall.
Jasper
Well if Grams ever came to visit? Jaz would be sure to eat up all the goodies. For now? She had her emptying bottle and a fluff haired boy to rest against, and that was about it. In truth she couldn't bring herself to be hungry. Had Ash not been there then the girl would have just found some happy high to live off of for the night until she passed out. But thanks to Lord of the Flames over there the only thing she was giving herself in his company as a good buzz if she was lucky. "We...could always go try it...." Even if they locked the library up, she could have possibly gotten them in. Nestling a bit more against his shoulder, her nose scrunched as she tried to think of anything positive. "..I...got nothin'. Except you're here with meeeeee?" Grinning that toothy grin, Jasper tried to inject a little humor into the moment. It was her own natural defense against bad times.
Ash
Really, a lot of things could be fixed with the right fluff haired boy at the right time. Maybe not all things, but many things, especially when concerning two young university students. ... and because the Lord of Flames over there had been practicing his hug game, it took him no effort to extend one arm so that he could rest it on Jaz's shoulders (awww yeahhh, hug game still on fleek, Ash you da man dawg, you da MAN.) "Honestly, I wouldn't wanna try it on our own." Sure, he thought he could take care of it, but if he fucked it up then he'd burn down the goddamn library. Grinning a little at her mention of being there with him, he gave a quick nod of his head. "... that's somethin', yeah. You gotta keep lookin' on the bright side." Besides. Ash found himself good looking. This was especially true when his mirror image came out to greet him.
Jasper
Dat arm game, doh. It was more than welcome as the smaller girl tucked herself against him. Was this whole couch cuddling thing becoming a thing? Cause she sure wasn't complaining. At the moment it was nice, and it was comforting, and so far not really complicated. So few things in the little cait sidhe's world were uncomplicated these days. Ash came with his own complexities that hadn't really been dug into, and that was just fine too. Head rested against his chest, legs tucked beneath herself, and the very last drop of cider drank before the bottle was set aside. At the moment she didn't argue about trying on their own while she played the greedy cat far too happy to accept snuggles instead. A part of her wanted to joke about how that sounded like looking at him was the bright side buuuuuut.. that might make things weird. Instead the little minx just grinned, nodded, and winked as she nudged his side. It was far better than laughing with chagrin considering her life and luck as of late. "Here's to tryin' at least?"
Ash
For being such a foul tempered little prat, Ash had all the makings of a decent human being, including a warm body and a strong arm for her to curl into. ... he didn't have RIPPLING MUSCLES or anything, he just was well-knit, like any male dancer might be. (All those arms held out and repeated jazz hands; they had an effect on him.) After peering into his empty milk cup, he shrugged, and tried to set it on the nearest table... or the floor, if that table happened to be otherwise too far away to reach... so the lady could curl against his body and otherwise enjoy his company for that evening. Giving a little shake of his head, he looked up, and smiled slightly. "... tryin'? Do, or do not. There is no try." Nice nerd quote, Ash. Bit old for you though, isn't it, kiddo?
Jasper
Despite her previous companionship, Jasper didn't typically see to go for the muscled type anyway. Strength came in so many forms. Ash was appealing for his own features. His arms were just as nice to curl up against even without all them muscles. There was a side table for him to set the glass onto easily enough, though she wouldn't have given a damn where the glass went. Her old dorm had been such a wreck and this one? She barely managed to upkeep on her own. His quote got a grin, though there was something behind it that didn't quite meet the girl's eyes. "Yeah..Sure, Yoda." She was 'doing'. Or at least to the best of her capabilities. Rather than let herself think too hard on it, one sharp nailed hand reached out to tap him on the nose. She wanted to ruffle that hair of his, but she had a feeling that might not go over so well. What was it with her and guys that loved their hair so much?
Ash
Well, at least someone saw it that way. Ash was a fine looking boy in his own right, but everyone seemed to be overly focused on his age, which seemed pretty damn judge-y to him given that the lot of them were around the age of twenty, give or take a few years! Feeling pleased with himself and the way things were, he gently patted Jaz's shoulder, and nodded slightly. Yep. This uh. This was pretty good. Pretend that Ash has something interesting to say, because really, he was kind of at a loss for the time being. Bless, the boy still hadn't figured out how to deal with girls yet. Or maybe he knew, but just didn't want to ruin the moment and the friendship.
Jasper
What was she going to judge? The girl was barely seventeen and never game a damn about age before! Jaz knew his struggle more than she knew the other side of things. Though how rarely had she been told she was 'too young'? It was an odd sort of thing. Her mind sort of just wandered over his words and the moment, and even a little bit of the earlier evening. It had been a hell of a time and now here they were. Wherever that exactly was besides on her couch nestled up side by side. Her gaze wandered over his face for a time being, appreciating the expression he wore while trailing down toward those lips which offered such witty statements. For a moment she bit lightly at her own lip, licking at it with a silent breath. There was that sort of silence then that Jasper was more familiar with than she cared to admit. A silence that offered a whole lot of ideas in their blank space, some of them good while others ruinous. Awkward teens were awkward.
Ash
Awkward. So very awkward. In fact, you could cut the awkward with a knife, and it would give you the sort of resistance of butter from the fridge, because you needed it room temperature, so you could spread it all over your unawkward toast. Clearing his throat some, Ash looked down to his chest, not quite sure where to proceed from here. Should he compliment her? The last girl he was friends with, she wanted to play with his hair, which is how he'd sorta gotten into the whole mess, but at least he'd had something to do with her. What would Will do? ... probably insult her. Yes, let's not do what Will would. What would TUCKER do? Probably start snogging her. But Jaz seemed like the sort of girl who'd gone way, WAY, beyond snogging. Ash sat there and sweated it out, until finally, he blurted out the only thing that came to mind. "... what are you going to school for?" YOU CHOSE WRONG, ASH.
Jasper
Well...it wasn't exactly what had come to mind for her but..it wasn't bad. Nor was it wrong, really. It was just entirely different from what she expected. "For? I'm Sixth form so...just..school?" Essentially she was like a late year teenager. Not quite onto focused studies. "..what about you?" Her head tlted a touch against his shoulder. Her gaze kept moving from his eyes to his lips while she tried to keep focus. Ever try to keep yourself from thinking about something and thus being unable to stop? Yeah, that was Jazsper's world at that moment. She wanted to actually know more about the boy, which was the amusing part. Maybe he'd be able to distract her from her own thoughts and they could actually have such conversations. "Got a favorite subject?" There, see? She contributed!
Ash
Ash actually used to attend a private school, with a close link to the church, so he really wasn't all that experienced with chatting up girls (given that the girls there were all pretty innocent themselves. That's how private schools are, of course; so the rich, innocent, children didn't mingle with the dirty public.) Oh, well, at least they had something to talk about now, right? "Anything dealing with art and sound, actually. Music, dance, acting... basically stuff that'd make me famous." He didn't know that Jaz wanted to know more about him; otherwise, he might actually have something to say, other than making idle chit-chat with a girl in his arm. "Singing is the easiest for me. I don't have to learn choreography, memorize music, or bring an instrument with me."
Jasper
Art. So few would believe that the mercurial little minx fancied such a thing. Her expression lit up a bit and she was actually drawn from her previous thoughts. "Yeah?" A little wiggle was made as she grinned a touch. "I like art. I do it. I mean..I draw..I paint." She nodded toward her back and the sketchpad she'd had out at the Library. "Can sing to..just for fun though.." They had that much in common which oddly seemed to please her. "What's your music?" Or rather, what kind of music.
Ash
"... what don't I play," he offered, running a hand through his lovely platinum hair, lips curling into a crooked smile as he glanced over toward Jaz. "I play piano, guitar, and sing just about most songs." Had several octaves to share, though he didn't always use them in every musical piece.
Jasper
Be still her heart! Or at least her excitement. It had been ages since she'd had someone to share a creative outlet in that fashion. There were quite a few possibilities! "Guitar? I play..a little. Daddy got me a guitar last year. She's so pretty.." Though she wasn't as good as Mars or her own father. "We should share some time.." Her glance lingered toward her room, though for absolutely pure reasons. It had been a long night, would he even be in the mood for music? She seemed to shrug to herself before looking toward Ash again. "Should let me draw you sometime, too." Shoulders wiggled while she nestled at his side a bit more. "Do you have a favorite, though? Genre? Song?" All the questions! She had all of them now. At least it was no longer awkward?
Ash
"Some time? ... bring it out now," corrected Ash, as he allowed a smile to curl over his young lips. Private guitar jam session, right? Right! "And I am absolutely fine with modeling for you, by the way." Oh Lord, Ash as a model, it would work a little too well. Hell, if he invited Tucker along for kicks, they'd BOTH make one hell of a modeling pair. "... dunno if I have a favorite genre of music, though. I like indie, and post-punk. Bit of alternative in between." He shrugged his shoulders dismissively.
Jasper
"..'kay!" Didn't have to tell her twice. He barely bot the invitation out before she was crawling out of his arms, over the back of the couch and dashing for the bedroom door. Sadly she only had one guitar, but maybe she could just sing along! It took almost no time for her to pop back out as she heard his answer. The only difference? She'd kicked off her boots to be more comfortable, " Post-punk? Like Post Apoc?" Maybe he was into that whole Abney Park thing. Her bag was snatched up on the way back to the crouch that she soon crawled back over, guitar and all, before settling back beside Ash. "Not really modeling so much as I just..kind of draw. Usually just people doing what they do." Bets were high that if he played then she was going to sketch that and maybe even go so far as to properly put it into drawing. "Back in Durham we used to do these jam sessions. Folks would take turns singing and playing and shit. Kind of miss it. Thought about doing it here but..it's kind of a different crowd." That said, she offered the guitar over toward Ash, grinning all the while. It was lovely deep polished wood, with a curious little cat design on the back, and rainbow gradient paws along the neck and fingerboards. "This is Chesh.”
Ash
Well, well. That's one way to chase the girls away, he supposed; tell them you'd play a song, and then they'd run off. Smirking a little to himself, Ash leaned back on the couch, and waited for Jaz to come running back, instrument in hand. "What do you like to draw?" He asked, as he accepted the guitar and immediately cradled it as if it were the body of a beautiful woman in his long, wrap-around-anything, dancer arms. "And moreso indie than post punk." He shrugged his shoulders a bit, and ran his thumb over the strings, trying to determine if it was properly in tune; he assumed it was, and that she took good care of it by not bringing it in or out of the heat. "Definitely a different crowd," he mumbled, thoughtfully looking over it, before nodding. "Nice to meet you, Chesh. ... any requests, or am I doing my own thing?"
Jasper
She might have ran but she came back to his side, didn't she? So much of the night was forgotten in exchange for the talk of music and the things they enjoyed. It was something Jasper could really sink into. For all that she was a strange and sometimes confusing soul, music always brought out the simple joys in a complex world she walled up against. As for Chesh? Of course it was well tuned by a keen sense of fae hearing, and lovingly taken care of. Drawing her sketchbook from her bag, Jaz turned a little toward the fluff haired boy, "People, mostly. Or possible designs for tattoos. Whatever catches my eye. I designed most of my ink.." And there was a growing number of that littering her slender frame! Watching with a smile at the way he tended and greeted her guitar she wiggled a bit. "Nope. No requests. I want to see what you decided to play.." All about learning who this boy was in front of her. Maybe she'd find the answers to what made her so comfortable around him. Almost calm, even. It was..odd.
Ash
What do you get when you toss a fae and a nymph together? Harmony. Harmony was the answer, because Ash was casual when talking about music and she was the type who liked to listen. At first, he thought of doing something ridiculous, like playing his personal rendition of Iron Maiden's 'The Number of the Beast,' like he'd done back in school when causing trouble during weekly mass, but then he reconsidered and decided to try something that highlighted his musical talent. Clearing his throat a bit, (really, Ash, you shouldn't drink milk before singing,) he glanced over to her briefly, and then smirked slightly. "Right. ... okay then." Licking his lips, he closed his eyes, and began a few slow chords, before finally starting to play...
Slowly, carefully, the guitar notes drifted into the air, as beautifully as poured wine into a fluted glass; they seemed to fill up her entire quad, and for a moment, Ash looked all the more ethereal with his platinum hair, head hanging down, fingers moving over the frets and chords...
... until he started to sing.
"I know you've suffered --" Ash. Oh, Ash. His voice was like heroin that stemmed from her ears, soft, musical, alluring all at once, in the manner of his mother's people. "-- but I don' want you to hide. It's cold and loveless, I won't let you be denied." The lyrics? Simple. A little too simple. But oh, when paired with the sort of musical crooning ability of the original singer... he was Matthew Bellamy levels of talented. Manny Garcia levels of talented. He could easily snap into West Side Story levels of talented, and then slide right into Chet Baker levels of talented, and then wrap it all up by freestyle rapping, because that's what his family DID. Well, his mama, anyway. There was a reason why he was in music; his maternally nymph side could sing, play music, and dance, to the point of driving humans mad. "Soothing... I'll make you feel pure; trust me... you can be sure...
I want to reconcile, the violence in your heart; I want to recognize, your beauty is not just a mask... I want to exorcise the demons from your past... I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart..."
Jasper
Calm, indeed. Music did soothe a savage beast, and good music did wonders for a girl like Jasper. When nothing else made sense in the world, or she couldn't put words to something? Music. She was the kind of soul that read lyrics and then read right through them and between the lines. Few would believe that the usually high and flighty feline could have such insight. Even fewer ever got to actually see it. A small handful she ever let in, they saw it. Sadly some forsook it, which was sad. But right now? She was on the line, keeping herself guarded while opening up a little bit about herself and things she cherished. While Ash situated to play, she put pencil to paper and began to scratch out the first lines to her design, letting that gaze flicker from boy to paper and back again. The opening chords gave her no pause, though she did smile to the pleasant way in which he played. It put her into a soothed state, shoulders relaxing slightly without her realizing. But when that voice rang on? The pencil paused and prismatic hues lifted ever so slowly. It was likely good that Jasper wasn't human on either side of her bloodline, but a nymph's song was nothing to be ignored. There was no questioning that she stared now, the words catching her off guard, too. She knew that song, but she hadn't thought of it at the time. Those lyrics struck her in a way she just could not have expected. And after the night she'd had with the doppelganger and recent break up? Jasper found herself giving a shudder exhale and swallowing lightly. Ash knew, at least a little bit, about her past. Not about Gideon or all of that past, but he knew she'd been hurt over Nero. Did he...realize how suited the lyrics were? Did he mean to? Normally she might have joined in, but this time she was utterly silent and even still. She didn't want to disturb what she was hearing, or the boy that was singing so beautifully. Lips fell partially opened as she simply listened, feeling some tiny clench within her breast. Oh, Ash.
Ash
The more Ash sang, the more his song seemed to spread out the way spilt water does -- expanding, and absorbing into everything it could, soaking into the walls, into her ears, into her mind. Little things about him seemed all the more prominent as he sang -- such as the masculine curve of his jaw, the way his hair fell over his eyes, and just how shockingly, crystal-sky blue his eyes seemed to be.
"You trick your lovers, that you're wicked and divine... you may be a sinner, but your innocence is mine..." His fingers were so long and thin as they moved over the frets, sliding over the wire strings softly -- and were those dark eyebrows furrowing? They seemed to be, as those pouty lips continued to form mournful, heartfelt words.
"Please me... show, me how it's done... tease me... you, are the one..."
Back to the main chorus. Ash continued with the bridge, slowing down to strum the guitar, head down while drawing her attention -- as if he were the only object in the room deserving of attention -- a black hole of attention, so to speak.
Again, he went to the former lyrics, repeating them (as it was in the song, so it was when Ash played it for her,) before going to the chorus one final time.
"I want to reconcile, the violence in your heart; I want to recognize, your beauty is not just a mask... I want to exorcise the demons from your past... I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your... heart..."
That last note rang out like the peals of a bell, before Ash finally allowed the strumming of the guitar to slow, and then stop, while the music faded into nothingness.
A beat.
And then Ash was back, grinning. "So? What do you think?" Welcome back, Awkward Teenager Ash! What'd you do with Sexy Crooner Ash?! Bring him back, we want THAT guy!
Jasper
There was no description for the way she felt in those moments. Saying she was utterly drawn in was a pale comparison to what was really going on. Even a fae as herself couldn't resist the desire to focus her attentions fully upon the boy as he demonstrated such art in her very living room. Nothing else in the world needed her attention right then, and thus Jasper allowed herself to sink into what may as well have been some siren song. Even the sketching stilled while she drank every sound provided, studying the finer details she'd somehow missed about him before. Blue. Those eyes were so blue, a color she once learned to avoid as it warned of troubled times. But these weren't eyes she had to be wary of. It took so much effort not to reach up then for some inexplicable reason and brush a few strands of his hair from his eyes and even tempt a brush of fingertips over that finely formed jawline.
The very movement of his lips with every word was mesmerizing, and she didn't even quite realize it yet. The little cait sidhe certainly hadn't an inkling of why. Not but moments ago he was just a boy who she felt curiously calm around and enjoyed the company of. A fellow student that shared a similar age and didn't really seem to hold any expectations but of similarly comfortable company. Now he had her full attention and there was no real sign that was going to end while he performed as he did.
At some point she'd managed to scoot a little closer, even leaning in a bit as she listened with some sweet vaguely aching expression. It was the music, the lyrics, his voice. Did he even fucking realize? Something ached straight from her heart to the lower pout of her lip and she didn't quite know why. It just did. All through the sung, right until the very last note, which brought her into a shallow breath and soft swallow as she practically stared at him. What did she think? Jasper didn't even think about what she was going to say, she just said it. Straight from brain to words, no filter. "...I think.. I want to kiss you right now.." Waitwhat? A light lick of her own lips followed those words, coupled with a little smile that was almost coy, "..that was fuckin' fantastic, Ash.." It was really almost a pity the song had to end. She could have listened to him sing all night. And that..damn..song!
Ash
"What, wait?" Sure, that 'fuckin' fantastic' comment had gotten his attention, but his brain had rattled by the one just before that. ... of course, he wasn't an eager, rotten, teenage boy, the sort who'd be like HELL YEAH and then drag her onto the couch to start snogging the living daylights out of her, but he wasn't the sort to respond with OH, SILLY YOU, WANTING TO KISS ME, either. Did she want to kiss him? He kind of wanted to know. And if she didn't respond right away, he'd give a more nervous response of, "Hah... thank you!" Which was good, because otherwise, he was going to say, I KNOW, I'M GREAT, right?!
Jasper
Oh, precious. Absolutely precious a way that she didn't quite know how to handle. She wasn't really keen on the shy ones, usually. Was she keen on him? She didn't know and wasn't going to really think about it. What she knew was what she felt right then and there after that song. His voice and the lyrics to the song had just moved her in such an unexpected way. Jaz crept a little bit closer, head tilting in a fashion that shifted a bit of her hair against her cheek as she just watched him. Did she really want to kiss him? Her body sure said it did, and she wasn't usually once to hesitate except for a rare moment in her life. "You asked me what I thought. I'm saying I kind of want to kiss you right now.." Confirmation came as she reiterated what she'd said, having managed to draw close enough that her knee brushed against his leg. A part of her held back, but another part wondered why she wasn't just doing it. What was she waiting for? Through the faint curtain of a half-head of hair she peered at him, the sound of his voice still ringing inside her mind. "..well.. that and that what you did was damn good." More than. 'Fuckin' fantastic' was really more accurate.
Ash
It was hard to go after Ash, because he was so damn juvenile in everything he did. If he acted mature, if he presented himself as a strong male figure, then she might have been more willing to after him -- but he was confusing, and she was confusing, and it was ALL so confusing when you added teenagers into the mix. Complicating matters was the fact that Ash was still a virgin, and Jaz... well, we're guessing that she's had more experience, since she's had a better social life than Ash. (Really, the last "action" he got was being invited into a girl's dorm... ... so she could style his hair. Then the fire happened, and you get the idea.)
"Thanks," he offered again, offering a little bit of a shy smile...
And then the most adorkable thing happened ever.
You remember how it was, being inexperienced? How every little thing seemed dramatic? Ash had experienced that once or twice before at his old school (caught in the bathroom snogging, really, Ash,) and he was experiencing it again, as he didn't outright GO FOR IT but instead slooooooooooooooooooooowly leaned forward. You know. Giving her a full five seconds or so to RUN AWAY as he came toward her at the speed of molasses. Pausing JUST before kissing her, Ash looked down to Jaz' lips, and then up to those eyes again...
... before gently placing his lips against her own in a very light, very chaste, kiss. (For fuck's sake, Ash, she is not a dead Snow White or dozing Sleeping Beauty.)
Jasper
If Jasper had ever had an awkward stage there were only two souls that might have been able to confirm. Unfortunately one was dead and the other had been MIA for over a year. So needless to say, Jaz had plenty of experience and hadn't much even batted an eyelash at her first time. By the time she'd been sexually active she'd turned making out with her best friend while drunk on Soju into a damn sport. It was just a Jaz and Tae thing, they got drunk, made out, and tried on each other's clothes. Sadly those days were long gone. Amusingly though? She was actually cautious this time around. There was no crawling into his lap or lunging for his lips, in fact beyond leaning closer and stating her thoughts she hadn't much taken action. What in the hell was it about Ash that made her so calm and actually behaved? It was all in the blood.
"Welcome..." That smile was something a little softer than normal to match the shyness in his. Disgustingly cute in a weird sort of way as it sat on the lips of a girl that knew nothing of being well behaved.
Those five seconds would be wasted because Jasper wasn't going anywhere. The closer he got the more vibrant her entire body felt, like a bundle of energy and nerves coiling together before the instant their lips met. Long lashed lids closed over prismatics as she felt him just that breath away, and the faintest shudder fell over her shoulders when lips finally met. Had she ever felt anything quite that...tender? Innocent? However one might describe it, it was a rare treat in her book. She kissed back, and though it wasn't forceful she did urge it to be a smidgen less chaste. Just a smidgen, where lips pressed into his to reciprocate the very affection of the moment. She wanted more, her body even craving to nudge it just a step further, but something in the little fae found restraint and instead her hand lifted to brush over that jaw she'd longed to touch just moments ago.
Ash
It was so... well... tender. They were two teenagers, acting like teenagers, as if this were a young adult novel being written for young girls who'd never seen a boy naked, let alone thought of actually wanting them naked. Ash allowed his crystal blue eyes to be eclipsed by his eyelids, while he leaned closer into the kiss. Rather than sucking on her entire mouth like a squid or jamming his tongue into her face like a bad porn actor, Ash, singing Ash, the Lord of Fire and brat that usually made a fool of himself, gently blotted his mouth against Jaz's -- repeatedly -- romantic in his actions, while one hand moved up to gently brush her hair away. The other hand moved over to carefully plant its palm on her hip, holding her, his fingers caressing the sides of her tummy. Still chaste as Hell, but now more like... gluten-free chaste, instead of vegan organic all-natural no dyes, sugars, or chemicals added chaste.
Jasper
So strange to be so gentle. When was the last time she'd really felt anything like that? Had she ever, to this degree? She could feel the pace which Ash slowly began to move forward and she seemed content to surrender enough control that he could go at whatever rate he wished. Even if it ended seconds from now it was still a really enjoyable kiss in the most untainted of ways. It wasn't burning lust, or hurried kisses that she knew would end with something else. The kiss was just a kiss as far as she knew, and that was perfectly fine for the girl who usually moved at a cheetah's pace. Soft lips moved and conformed to his as she kissed back, a soft and pleasant sound murmuring in her throat when she felt hands on her. The touch was encouraging enough that she leaned into it, her own hand tracing a thumb over his jaw while the other slid up along his arm and the curve of a shoulder. His skin felt soft and warm beneath her touch, and she was all to infatuated with the feel of his lips. Around her lingered the scent of rose musk and amber, faint but ever present.
Ash
It didn't end seconds from now. It ended about nine minutes later, and Ash didn't just sit there and kiss her; he ended up pulling her into his arms and wrapping them around her, pulling her body close against his, as if she were a long-lost dance partner that he'd forgotten about until now. His hands stayed on her back, and his body stayed still instead of purposefully moving to initiate a rhythm far more primal than the fluttering of two teenage hearts -- but by the time he had finally pulled away to come up for air, his face was flushed, those crystal blue eyes uncertain, but excited. Ash actually ended up laughing nervously, as he licked his lips and reached up to brush his light colored hair back. She had smelled of rose musk and amber, he had smelled of... well... expensive hair products and dryer sheets. "... so, basically, I'm going to play guitar around you a lot more often." It was a funny joke at the time. Or so he thought. He WANTED her to find it funny, at least, which was something new to him. "... what time is it, by the way?"
Jasper
Time? What was time? It was irrelevant as she simply let herself get lost in the warm and soft feel of lips that were far less demanding than she was used to. They weren't submissive but they lacked the aggression that so often came after the first few seconds. It was different, and regardless of the fact that it was different? Jasper came to the conclusion that she liked it. Or at least as much as she allowed herself to actually think in those moments. She enjoyed the sensation and she liked kissing Ash. Fingertips slowly found the start of his hairline and coaxed themselves through his hair as she welcomed the embrace of his arms, even shuddering just the tiniest bit as a light croon filtered into the kiss. Nine minutes felt like so much longer but she could have kept going all night, or at least until one of them needed a bit of air. Apparently Ash did long before Jasper even considered it and she met that crystal blue gaze with all those uncertainties and excitement with a softer smile than she'd given anyone in a long while. Strange. So very strange. It almost felt like there was a flutter in her belly that went all the way to her heart. What on earth was that all about? A lilt of a giggle left her lips at his words, smile broadening as fingertips brushed over the curve of his cheek, "A whole lot more? I'm down for that.." Oh, yes please. That voice, those eyes, and the purely evocative way he worked his magic with the music? She welcomed every second he was willing to spare. "..and I'll maybe remember to actually sketch you next time." The sketchbook had been abandoned long ago, filled with little more than the beginning outlines of his face and the shape of his lips. The inquiry of time had her nose scrunching as she gave a little shrug. She didn't bother with clocks! The only way she really knew what time it was usually came from her phone which...was in her bag and would require her to move to reach it. Such a pout overcame the small fae as she tried to reach the strap with her foot, harmlessly wiggling in his lap for a second. Hooking the strap on the edge of her toe, she pulled it over and finally fished out the device before hitting the home button. "It's not that late.." At least in her world. Turning the screen toward him, she simply nestled into his arms and rested her head against his shoulder while that prismatic gaze full of warm rainbow colors settled on the lips she'd just spent all that time getting familiar with.
Ash
Ash had too much fire in him to be made submissive, but he kept that fire tightly reigned in -- which is why he wasn't that aggressive, either. It was something taught to him by his father, a way for him to keep that scorching potential from burning those around him, both metaphorically and literally. And though he could've kissed her for most of the night, he was prone to boredom, the sort that made it hard to sit still, or in this case, sit there and make out for more than a couple of minutes. He still sat there, breathing quickly, a faint smile on his face as she talked about time, and how it didn't matter to her -- his lips wet, but eyes on Jaz for now and not likely to leave her face soon. Holding her in the warmth of his arms, he looked down to the time on the phone...
Only for his inner glow to be crushed flat, like a spider you drop a book on.
"... fffffffffff--it's late." Stopping short of the 'uck' part of the word, Ash scowled as he stared at the numbers on her phone. "I have a lot I have to get done." Like he had to pick a piece to play on piano, he had to meet up with Hannah and see if she could continue to work with him on that dance, there was a piece he had to compose for another class, and to top it all off he still kept on picking up spare shifts at the Clockwork Cat. He sure as Hell wasn't gonna go to sleep that easily after tonight though.
Well, he might. But he also might start a small fire. Soooo...
Jasper
Time was about as relative to the languishing cat as personal space currently was. She was all up in Ash's personal bubble, but he didn't seem to mind all that much since he was the one that put her there. He didn't even curse. That was kind of precious. "...not...really.." So said the little night owl who often cat napped right through the day, her grades be damned. "...now?" She glanced at her phone and then back toward Ash. It was clear she was completely reluctant to move just yet, or to see him go. Mostly because she was a lazy little cat that was incredibly comfortable rather than being possessive of his time. Although she was growing rather fond of his company. A tiny stretch had her nestling against him with a little him, eyes cast upward toward his face while her head remained against his shoulder. "I mean.. if you gotta go, I get it. Oooor... you could chill here some more. It's already late, right?" What harm could it do to make it later? The logic of the cait sidhe sometimes wen beyond measure into her own personal philosophies. At least she was small and fairly easy to move given her lithe frame. She was also behaving herself incredibly well. Something told her she could have convinced him in a lot of ways to stay, but she didn't feel the urge to manipulate the situation just for her favor. Peculiar, given the girl she typically was. "Does that I mean I gotta move?" Pout.
Ash
Ash couldn't linger; his father was helping to pay for school, HE was paying for school HIMSELF by working, and really, with his talent, finishing it was his ticket out of that sleepy little town that he'd been raised in. No sir, he LIKED London, and wanted to stay there! ... which is why he was so very, very concerned about his grades. "Yeah, now," he admitted, annoyed at time itself, but unable to stop its march. "Putting stuff off means I'll have to do it later, when I'll be freaking out because I have even LESS time." Ash? When are you responsible? WHY are you responsible? Aren't you just some punk kid who gets on everybody's nerves? Or are you secretly a decent student and all around good guy? No WONDER your doppelganger was all up in your face about you being a failure. "... yeah, you gotta move," answered Ash, who seemed to at least smile at her response. "... but you can sit there later." Some other time, which isn't now.
Jasper
Maybe little Miss Cross could check her privilege sometime. She didn't have to worry about how to afford school. And aside from another horrible visit or kidnapping by her mother, she didn't even really worry about her grades. She was passing, that's what matter. Hell, she managed to get a B in that stupid foreign languages class she'd decided to keep studying. Mostly so she could learn how to swear in that language. "Aw.." But she didn't want to move! Yet despite her own desires, Jaz offered a kindness with a small nod. "I don't get why you'd freak out. It's just school..." Again with the privilege. Really, all this education was mostly a formality in her mind, teaching her mostly how to be sociable so she could later use those skills in Cross affairs. She didn't have to take it nearly as serious as she had Brigid's. As for Ash being a punk kid? She didn't really know him as that. He was the little firestarter that had been in her body in that strange way, and that made her feel funny ways she couldn't quite explain. And that could sing and play her guitar in an ungodly way. Slowly she moved from his lap, just far enough so that he could get up when he needed. "I'm gunna hold you to that.." Later. That sounded so damn promising that she was incapable of stopping the smile that came of the near promise. "I uh...I liked tonight.. I mean..not the library but..y'know..all the other stuff." There was a searching in those eyes for his reaction, calm prismatic hazels peering toward crystal blues curiously. She never really needed affirmation, but she seemed keen on finding what his response might be. Dumb, silly teenagers.
Ash
Well. Being able to start fires usually means that you're allowed to go to Shepherd University, no matter what. But what about the cost of food, of clothes? What if he had to move to get work after graduating? What if he couldn't FIND work after school? What if he needed to take a cab home? There were little spare costs here and there, and if Ash failed school, then he was going back to that sleepy little town to work in a grocery store with his Dad and Grand-dad. It wasn't a huge grocery store chain, either, it was a little Mom and Pop corner store where you'd go to get milk and eggs and maybe a newspaper. Rather than end up marrying some local girl and starting a family, Ash wanted to at least do SOMETHING amazing, even if it meant that he'd have to work behind the scenes. "School's important, 'cause I don't wanna flunk out," he replied, before finally sliding away from her and standing up -- streeeetching his long limbs after doing so, before heading toward the door. He didn't step out, though. Had to look over at Jaz, blush a bit, offer he a sheepish smile. "... yeah. Yeah, I liked it, too. I'll try to catch up with you later." Because, being a dumb, silly teenager, he wanted to react positively toward her, because, he didn't want her to think he wasn't interested. Not that he was! But he wasn't NOT interested. ... dumb, silly, teenagers.
Jasper
Again, the concept just did not meet with understanding. Maybe one day she'd give a damn about the academics, but that day was not today. Or tonight, rather. "Well..okay then.." Don't flunk out, Ash! Do your things and be something amazing! Jasper was going to sit on the couch while she watched him rise, licking at her lips where she could still taste him, gaze trailing his movements. There was a certain sort of way dancers moved, she had learned. It was a similar interest to when she watched Hannah move about the quad. Except there were some very different factors to her interest in Ash, and the way his figure moved. A part of her wanted to jump up off the couch and steam one final hug but she knew if she did then it was possible Ash would be trapped in the quad with her for the rest of the evening. Instead she just crawled to the arm of the couch, bracing palms along the edge as she kneeled up and gave a little wave. For a brief moment she seemed all of the 17 years of her youth, rather than a girl that had experienced far more than someone her age ever should have. "..Kay." That smile never faded even as her head tilted to brush red strands against her face, "Have a good night, Muse.." A new nickname to fit the evening and one that came with a wink of one long lashed lid. Lord of the Flames was still in existence, but this one..well..it seemed just as appropriate. It was going to be so much more in the coming hours when she filled the page of her sketchbook with his visage straight from memory that was for sure.
SUMMARY: After the incident in the library, Ash and Jaz head off to talk about what happened, and spend some time being awkward teenagers.
TW: Snogging teenagers ahead!!
Jasper
What the hell was all of that? Whatever it was, Jasper didn't like it. Awkward mimics of people present, and one incredibly uncomfortable alternate version of herself. Preppy as fuck. Pregnant. And happily with Gideon. With everything that had gone on recently it left a bit of a bad taste in Jaz's mouth. Some of the group had headed off to find a source to report to but she had other plans. Ash had been about to deal some serious aggro toward those mirrors in an aggressive fashion she'd never quite seen before. It was probably good to get him in a more neutral setting. Her quad? Seemed like a good enough place! The walk itself was quick and rather quiet, the door unlocked and opened before she slipped inside and let Ash follow. She'd been half tempted to take them through the Roads except for the odd whispers about gates and lions that had her avoiding shadows and mirrors completely. Tossing her bag over toward the couch, Jaz glanced over her shoulder toward the fluffy haired boy with a half smile. "I'm getting a drink. Want anything? I got some sodas and stuff." She wasn't in the mood to try and 'broaden those horizons' unless Ash showed the notion. The fridge was approached and she bent forward into it once it was open. "..what the fuck was that shit?" She asked, though it was a mostly rhetorical question.
Ash
Of course the walk was short and quiet! Ash was Pissed Off, capital P, capital O, and he would destroy EVERY MIRROR HE COULD FIND for a day or two, goddamnit! It was a scarier side of Ash, and probably simultaneously attractive (it's scientifically proven that men who don't smile seem a lot hotter based on polled women.) Hair still a little mussed up from his rage, he walked directly and firmly toward Jaz' quad with her, staying stone-faced and silent the entire way and right up to the point where he sat down on her couch. "I dunno. Something." Well done, Ash. "... what do you have?" No, he wasn't gonna drink tonight. Might end up setting the entire quad on fire in fury. "It was bollocks, that's what it was," he answered sourly, pouring himself out along the couch in the way that cats seemed to. You know how it is. Stretched out with limbs all over the place.
Jasper
Ash was already attractive. It'd take a blind person not to see that! But the whole pissed off and aggressive thing? Jaz had an eye for it. Perhaps it was simply that she wasn't in the best of her own mindsets that kept her from commenting. Or there was some odd sort of respect growing for the pretty faced dancer. One could only guess. "It was..something.." The girl swallowed lightly, fetching herself a bottle of hard cider before pausing to look at the contents of her fridge, "...Milk...cream...soda? Some fizzy Squash?" Which she'd tried but wasn't as keen on. Paused there while she waited for an answer, those prismatics looked over the door of the fridge toward Ash to curious seen what he was doing. Sprawling? Good, good. No more swinging about chairs. This room was blissfully free of mirrors.
Ash
Oh, there were a few people who didn't notice. Some who Ash wanted to notice! But that was neither here nor there, and for now, the pretty platinum thing was busy cooling off that fiery temper of his. "It was worse than something," he muttered, allowing one long fingered hand to lift up and comb through that fluffy hair of his, which seemed to smooth down easier now that he wasn't enraged. With crystal blue eyes flicking back up to Jaz, he nodded. "Milk." It'd taste soothing to him, though at the same time, might highlight that he was still pretty young. "... we were the only ones who didn't get hurt, to boot. Makes it feel like I got off easy." Don't be upset, Ash! You use FIRE. You were in a LIBRARY. Trust me, nobody regrets you not getting into a fight.
Jasper
Milk it was! Jaz snatched a red solo cup from the counter (because who needs to do dishes?) and poured a glass. "You want chocolate syrup?" Chocolate was good for most situations, right? She'd wait, and if the answer was yes then he got a healthy serving stirred in before she was approaching the couch and flopping down too once the drinks were set aside. "It was shit. And..I think we were the only ones not wounded and shit. But...still kind of hurt." She made a face, mostly at herself. Why was she even opening up like that? Where was that awesome wall she was so damn proud of most of the time that only a select few got to scale. Jasper shrugged it away while grabbing her bottle and opening it up before taking a swig. "..glad I got to peg that bitch in the head with a book, though. " It was satisfying and yet somehow symbolically a little sad. A sideways glance the boy’s way was accompanied by a lopsided half-smile. "Never thought I'd see you all angry and stuff." She didn't say it, but the look implied it had been kinda hot.
Ash
"No thanks." Ash was picky on his sweets; he didn't like chocolate milk, but if you offered him baked goods, he'd eat it right up, no hesitation. But even so they had to be good baked goods. No dry store-bought chocolate chip cookies for him (thanks all the same;) no, he'd prefer... like... white chocolate macadamia nut. After accepting the milk, he began to sip it, attention drifting over toward Jaz while she mentioned being hurt on another level. "Not really." Of course it hurt, Ash; stop trying to manly, everybody knows that you're pulling the equivalent of, crying? I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying. I just have sand in my eye. "My other self ... well.. I doubt I could hurt him, honest. Not in my nature to attack others." Actually, it was, he just recognized it and felt appropriately bad about it. (You hear that, Ash's Mom?!) In either case, he raised his eyebrows while Jaz seemed to convey how impressed she was with him losing it. "... that was't getting angry, that was just being pissed off." Getting ANGRY could burn the whole building down. Still hot though.
Jasper
Meanwhile the little feline at his side was happy to shove subpar sweets into her mouth if offered. Junk food was good, the end. It was the fishie treats she was more particular on, though she wouldn't go turning them down. Lazing upon the couch, she took another sip while her head simply rolled to the side to watch the boy. "No?" Somehow she didn't really believe that, not with how he'd reacted in the end. "Guess you're lucky then.." She left the comment alone there, taking a longer drink as she tried to cover up what she herself might have been feeling. It wasn’t' soul crushing, but there was a nagging sensation to it that tugged at heart strings. "So y' just attack mirrors then? With poor defenseless chairs?" She chuckled, grinning a little more as she eased into the couch with yet another sigh. "If that's you just pissed off, then I'm damn curious to see you angry." Playing with fire? Shit, Jaz did that enough on a regular basis. "...do you think the school'd buy it if I said the... whatever they were..ate my homework?"
Ash
No it wasn't. It was junk food. Emphasis on the junk! Really, who wants corn starch and chocolate flavoring when you could have freshly baked white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, with the sweet smell of baking cookie dough permeating the kitchen and the heat that made your hair sway every time you opened the hot oven to take a sheet out, and you could feel, really feel, the crunch of your jaws as you bit down on the crisp on the edges, before your teeth sank into gooey, warm, white chocolate? No contest. Anyway, she could disbelieve all she wanted, but Ash was going to stick to his story, though he'd sip milk thoughtfully, before responding as to why he attacked mirrors. "Someone had to save the rest of the students." And Ash, apparently, would bear that burden, all hail the conquering hero. Lowering the milk, however, he turned and grinned at her. "You wouldn't like me angry." BAD REFERENCE: OVERUSED. POINTS DEDUCTED FROM ASH. "... and at our school? No. Everyone's weird so it doesn't have the same impact."
Jasper
If Ash wanted to try and convince her? Jaz wouldn't turn down freshly baked goods. At all. But she also lived just fine on the stuff that she could buy at the store. Her bottle ended up about half empty before her gaze shifted toward it again. I was going to be one of those nights. "Do y' think that would have done it?" She'd been the one to suggest it, but really only halfheartedly. The mention that she wouldn't like him angry won a lift of brow and she actually chuckled, "...you don't know me that well.." Did he know the kind of person her ex was? Granted that was a whole lot of different sort of angry. Shifting along the couch she eventually rested her head against his shoulder while taking another swig from her slowly emptying bottle. "Damn. You'd think something good could come out of all the weird shit at least once." Poor kitten was going to have to do that homework. Phooey.
Ash
Too bad, then; Ash couldn't cook worth a damn, but his grandmother could. SHE was the one who could set Jaz straight. In the meantime, though, Ash finished his glass of milk and sighed, licking the milk moustache off his lips before he spoke again. "... it might have. I had to try, right?" Besides, it felt good to release some of that pent up frustration. Really, the TRUE victims were the mirrors he'd gone after; they were just the targets of a hate crime, since Ash is apparently now biased (racist?) against mirrors. ... and would she like him angry? Maybe. Probably! But Ash wouldn't like her while angry -- he'd be a screaming harpy with a weenie, so really, let's all agree to keep Ash as far away from angry as possible. "If something good does come out of it, I'd like to know what the fuck it is." It's character development, Ash. But you can't hear me through the fourth wall.
Jasper
Well if Grams ever came to visit? Jaz would be sure to eat up all the goodies. For now? She had her emptying bottle and a fluff haired boy to rest against, and that was about it. In truth she couldn't bring herself to be hungry. Had Ash not been there then the girl would have just found some happy high to live off of for the night until she passed out. But thanks to Lord of the Flames over there the only thing she was giving herself in his company as a good buzz if she was lucky. "We...could always go try it...." Even if they locked the library up, she could have possibly gotten them in. Nestling a bit more against his shoulder, her nose scrunched as she tried to think of anything positive. "..I...got nothin'. Except you're here with meeeeee?" Grinning that toothy grin, Jasper tried to inject a little humor into the moment. It was her own natural defense against bad times.
Ash
Really, a lot of things could be fixed with the right fluff haired boy at the right time. Maybe not all things, but many things, especially when concerning two young university students. ... and because the Lord of Flames over there had been practicing his hug game, it took him no effort to extend one arm so that he could rest it on Jaz's shoulders (awww yeahhh, hug game still on fleek, Ash you da man dawg, you da MAN.) "Honestly, I wouldn't wanna try it on our own." Sure, he thought he could take care of it, but if he fucked it up then he'd burn down the goddamn library. Grinning a little at her mention of being there with him, he gave a quick nod of his head. "... that's somethin', yeah. You gotta keep lookin' on the bright side." Besides. Ash found himself good looking. This was especially true when his mirror image came out to greet him.
Jasper
Dat arm game, doh. It was more than welcome as the smaller girl tucked herself against him. Was this whole couch cuddling thing becoming a thing? Cause she sure wasn't complaining. At the moment it was nice, and it was comforting, and so far not really complicated. So few things in the little cait sidhe's world were uncomplicated these days. Ash came with his own complexities that hadn't really been dug into, and that was just fine too. Head rested against his chest, legs tucked beneath herself, and the very last drop of cider drank before the bottle was set aside. At the moment she didn't argue about trying on their own while she played the greedy cat far too happy to accept snuggles instead. A part of her wanted to joke about how that sounded like looking at him was the bright side buuuuuut.. that might make things weird. Instead the little minx just grinned, nodded, and winked as she nudged his side. It was far better than laughing with chagrin considering her life and luck as of late. "Here's to tryin' at least?"
Ash
For being such a foul tempered little prat, Ash had all the makings of a decent human being, including a warm body and a strong arm for her to curl into. ... he didn't have RIPPLING MUSCLES or anything, he just was well-knit, like any male dancer might be. (All those arms held out and repeated jazz hands; they had an effect on him.) After peering into his empty milk cup, he shrugged, and tried to set it on the nearest table... or the floor, if that table happened to be otherwise too far away to reach... so the lady could curl against his body and otherwise enjoy his company for that evening. Giving a little shake of his head, he looked up, and smiled slightly. "... tryin'? Do, or do not. There is no try." Nice nerd quote, Ash. Bit old for you though, isn't it, kiddo?
Jasper
Despite her previous companionship, Jasper didn't typically see to go for the muscled type anyway. Strength came in so many forms. Ash was appealing for his own features. His arms were just as nice to curl up against even without all them muscles. There was a side table for him to set the glass onto easily enough, though she wouldn't have given a damn where the glass went. Her old dorm had been such a wreck and this one? She barely managed to upkeep on her own. His quote got a grin, though there was something behind it that didn't quite meet the girl's eyes. "Yeah..Sure, Yoda." She was 'doing'. Or at least to the best of her capabilities. Rather than let herself think too hard on it, one sharp nailed hand reached out to tap him on the nose. She wanted to ruffle that hair of his, but she had a feeling that might not go over so well. What was it with her and guys that loved their hair so much?
Ash
Well, at least someone saw it that way. Ash was a fine looking boy in his own right, but everyone seemed to be overly focused on his age, which seemed pretty damn judge-y to him given that the lot of them were around the age of twenty, give or take a few years! Feeling pleased with himself and the way things were, he gently patted Jaz's shoulder, and nodded slightly. Yep. This uh. This was pretty good. Pretend that Ash has something interesting to say, because really, he was kind of at a loss for the time being. Bless, the boy still hadn't figured out how to deal with girls yet. Or maybe he knew, but just didn't want to ruin the moment and the friendship.
Jasper
What was she going to judge? The girl was barely seventeen and never game a damn about age before! Jaz knew his struggle more than she knew the other side of things. Though how rarely had she been told she was 'too young'? It was an odd sort of thing. Her mind sort of just wandered over his words and the moment, and even a little bit of the earlier evening. It had been a hell of a time and now here they were. Wherever that exactly was besides on her couch nestled up side by side. Her gaze wandered over his face for a time being, appreciating the expression he wore while trailing down toward those lips which offered such witty statements. For a moment she bit lightly at her own lip, licking at it with a silent breath. There was that sort of silence then that Jasper was more familiar with than she cared to admit. A silence that offered a whole lot of ideas in their blank space, some of them good while others ruinous. Awkward teens were awkward.
Ash
Awkward. So very awkward. In fact, you could cut the awkward with a knife, and it would give you the sort of resistance of butter from the fridge, because you needed it room temperature, so you could spread it all over your unawkward toast. Clearing his throat some, Ash looked down to his chest, not quite sure where to proceed from here. Should he compliment her? The last girl he was friends with, she wanted to play with his hair, which is how he'd sorta gotten into the whole mess, but at least he'd had something to do with her. What would Will do? ... probably insult her. Yes, let's not do what Will would. What would TUCKER do? Probably start snogging her. But Jaz seemed like the sort of girl who'd gone way, WAY, beyond snogging. Ash sat there and sweated it out, until finally, he blurted out the only thing that came to mind. "... what are you going to school for?" YOU CHOSE WRONG, ASH.
Jasper
Well...it wasn't exactly what had come to mind for her but..it wasn't bad. Nor was it wrong, really. It was just entirely different from what she expected. "For? I'm Sixth form so...just..school?" Essentially she was like a late year teenager. Not quite onto focused studies. "..what about you?" Her head tlted a touch against his shoulder. Her gaze kept moving from his eyes to his lips while she tried to keep focus. Ever try to keep yourself from thinking about something and thus being unable to stop? Yeah, that was Jazsper's world at that moment. She wanted to actually know more about the boy, which was the amusing part. Maybe he'd be able to distract her from her own thoughts and they could actually have such conversations. "Got a favorite subject?" There, see? She contributed!
Ash
Ash actually used to attend a private school, with a close link to the church, so he really wasn't all that experienced with chatting up girls (given that the girls there were all pretty innocent themselves. That's how private schools are, of course; so the rich, innocent, children didn't mingle with the dirty public.) Oh, well, at least they had something to talk about now, right? "Anything dealing with art and sound, actually. Music, dance, acting... basically stuff that'd make me famous." He didn't know that Jaz wanted to know more about him; otherwise, he might actually have something to say, other than making idle chit-chat with a girl in his arm. "Singing is the easiest for me. I don't have to learn choreography, memorize music, or bring an instrument with me."
Jasper
Art. So few would believe that the mercurial little minx fancied such a thing. Her expression lit up a bit and she was actually drawn from her previous thoughts. "Yeah?" A little wiggle was made as she grinned a touch. "I like art. I do it. I mean..I draw..I paint." She nodded toward her back and the sketchpad she'd had out at the Library. "Can sing to..just for fun though.." They had that much in common which oddly seemed to please her. "What's your music?" Or rather, what kind of music.
Ash
"... what don't I play," he offered, running a hand through his lovely platinum hair, lips curling into a crooked smile as he glanced over toward Jaz. "I play piano, guitar, and sing just about most songs." Had several octaves to share, though he didn't always use them in every musical piece.
Jasper
Be still her heart! Or at least her excitement. It had been ages since she'd had someone to share a creative outlet in that fashion. There were quite a few possibilities! "Guitar? I play..a little. Daddy got me a guitar last year. She's so pretty.." Though she wasn't as good as Mars or her own father. "We should share some time.." Her glance lingered toward her room, though for absolutely pure reasons. It had been a long night, would he even be in the mood for music? She seemed to shrug to herself before looking toward Ash again. "Should let me draw you sometime, too." Shoulders wiggled while she nestled at his side a bit more. "Do you have a favorite, though? Genre? Song?" All the questions! She had all of them now. At least it was no longer awkward?
Ash
"Some time? ... bring it out now," corrected Ash, as he allowed a smile to curl over his young lips. Private guitar jam session, right? Right! "And I am absolutely fine with modeling for you, by the way." Oh Lord, Ash as a model, it would work a little too well. Hell, if he invited Tucker along for kicks, they'd BOTH make one hell of a modeling pair. "... dunno if I have a favorite genre of music, though. I like indie, and post-punk. Bit of alternative in between." He shrugged his shoulders dismissively.
Jasper
"..'kay!" Didn't have to tell her twice. He barely bot the invitation out before she was crawling out of his arms, over the back of the couch and dashing for the bedroom door. Sadly she only had one guitar, but maybe she could just sing along! It took almost no time for her to pop back out as she heard his answer. The only difference? She'd kicked off her boots to be more comfortable, " Post-punk? Like Post Apoc?" Maybe he was into that whole Abney Park thing. Her bag was snatched up on the way back to the crouch that she soon crawled back over, guitar and all, before settling back beside Ash. "Not really modeling so much as I just..kind of draw. Usually just people doing what they do." Bets were high that if he played then she was going to sketch that and maybe even go so far as to properly put it into drawing. "Back in Durham we used to do these jam sessions. Folks would take turns singing and playing and shit. Kind of miss it. Thought about doing it here but..it's kind of a different crowd." That said, she offered the guitar over toward Ash, grinning all the while. It was lovely deep polished wood, with a curious little cat design on the back, and rainbow gradient paws along the neck and fingerboards. "This is Chesh.”
Ash
Well, well. That's one way to chase the girls away, he supposed; tell them you'd play a song, and then they'd run off. Smirking a little to himself, Ash leaned back on the couch, and waited for Jaz to come running back, instrument in hand. "What do you like to draw?" He asked, as he accepted the guitar and immediately cradled it as if it were the body of a beautiful woman in his long, wrap-around-anything, dancer arms. "And moreso indie than post punk." He shrugged his shoulders a bit, and ran his thumb over the strings, trying to determine if it was properly in tune; he assumed it was, and that she took good care of it by not bringing it in or out of the heat. "Definitely a different crowd," he mumbled, thoughtfully looking over it, before nodding. "Nice to meet you, Chesh. ... any requests, or am I doing my own thing?"
Jasper
She might have ran but she came back to his side, didn't she? So much of the night was forgotten in exchange for the talk of music and the things they enjoyed. It was something Jasper could really sink into. For all that she was a strange and sometimes confusing soul, music always brought out the simple joys in a complex world she walled up against. As for Chesh? Of course it was well tuned by a keen sense of fae hearing, and lovingly taken care of. Drawing her sketchbook from her bag, Jaz turned a little toward the fluff haired boy, "People, mostly. Or possible designs for tattoos. Whatever catches my eye. I designed most of my ink.." And there was a growing number of that littering her slender frame! Watching with a smile at the way he tended and greeted her guitar she wiggled a bit. "Nope. No requests. I want to see what you decided to play.." All about learning who this boy was in front of her. Maybe she'd find the answers to what made her so comfortable around him. Almost calm, even. It was..odd.
Ash
What do you get when you toss a fae and a nymph together? Harmony. Harmony was the answer, because Ash was casual when talking about music and she was the type who liked to listen. At first, he thought of doing something ridiculous, like playing his personal rendition of Iron Maiden's 'The Number of the Beast,' like he'd done back in school when causing trouble during weekly mass, but then he reconsidered and decided to try something that highlighted his musical talent. Clearing his throat a bit, (really, Ash, you shouldn't drink milk before singing,) he glanced over to her briefly, and then smirked slightly. "Right. ... okay then." Licking his lips, he closed his eyes, and began a few slow chords, before finally starting to play...
Slowly, carefully, the guitar notes drifted into the air, as beautifully as poured wine into a fluted glass; they seemed to fill up her entire quad, and for a moment, Ash looked all the more ethereal with his platinum hair, head hanging down, fingers moving over the frets and chords...
... until he started to sing.
"I know you've suffered --" Ash. Oh, Ash. His voice was like heroin that stemmed from her ears, soft, musical, alluring all at once, in the manner of his mother's people. "-- but I don' want you to hide. It's cold and loveless, I won't let you be denied." The lyrics? Simple. A little too simple. But oh, when paired with the sort of musical crooning ability of the original singer... he was Matthew Bellamy levels of talented. Manny Garcia levels of talented. He could easily snap into West Side Story levels of talented, and then slide right into Chet Baker levels of talented, and then wrap it all up by freestyle rapping, because that's what his family DID. Well, his mama, anyway. There was a reason why he was in music; his maternally nymph side could sing, play music, and dance, to the point of driving humans mad. "Soothing... I'll make you feel pure; trust me... you can be sure...
I want to reconcile, the violence in your heart; I want to recognize, your beauty is not just a mask... I want to exorcise the demons from your past... I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart..."
Jasper
Calm, indeed. Music did soothe a savage beast, and good music did wonders for a girl like Jasper. When nothing else made sense in the world, or she couldn't put words to something? Music. She was the kind of soul that read lyrics and then read right through them and between the lines. Few would believe that the usually high and flighty feline could have such insight. Even fewer ever got to actually see it. A small handful she ever let in, they saw it. Sadly some forsook it, which was sad. But right now? She was on the line, keeping herself guarded while opening up a little bit about herself and things she cherished. While Ash situated to play, she put pencil to paper and began to scratch out the first lines to her design, letting that gaze flicker from boy to paper and back again. The opening chords gave her no pause, though she did smile to the pleasant way in which he played. It put her into a soothed state, shoulders relaxing slightly without her realizing. But when that voice rang on? The pencil paused and prismatic hues lifted ever so slowly. It was likely good that Jasper wasn't human on either side of her bloodline, but a nymph's song was nothing to be ignored. There was no questioning that she stared now, the words catching her off guard, too. She knew that song, but she hadn't thought of it at the time. Those lyrics struck her in a way she just could not have expected. And after the night she'd had with the doppelganger and recent break up? Jasper found herself giving a shudder exhale and swallowing lightly. Ash knew, at least a little bit, about her past. Not about Gideon or all of that past, but he knew she'd been hurt over Nero. Did he...realize how suited the lyrics were? Did he mean to? Normally she might have joined in, but this time she was utterly silent and even still. She didn't want to disturb what she was hearing, or the boy that was singing so beautifully. Lips fell partially opened as she simply listened, feeling some tiny clench within her breast. Oh, Ash.
Ash
The more Ash sang, the more his song seemed to spread out the way spilt water does -- expanding, and absorbing into everything it could, soaking into the walls, into her ears, into her mind. Little things about him seemed all the more prominent as he sang -- such as the masculine curve of his jaw, the way his hair fell over his eyes, and just how shockingly, crystal-sky blue his eyes seemed to be.
"You trick your lovers, that you're wicked and divine... you may be a sinner, but your innocence is mine..." His fingers were so long and thin as they moved over the frets, sliding over the wire strings softly -- and were those dark eyebrows furrowing? They seemed to be, as those pouty lips continued to form mournful, heartfelt words.
"Please me... show, me how it's done... tease me... you, are the one..."
Back to the main chorus. Ash continued with the bridge, slowing down to strum the guitar, head down while drawing her attention -- as if he were the only object in the room deserving of attention -- a black hole of attention, so to speak.
Again, he went to the former lyrics, repeating them (as it was in the song, so it was when Ash played it for her,) before going to the chorus one final time.
"I want to reconcile, the violence in your heart; I want to recognize, your beauty is not just a mask... I want to exorcise the demons from your past... I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your... heart..."
That last note rang out like the peals of a bell, before Ash finally allowed the strumming of the guitar to slow, and then stop, while the music faded into nothingness.
A beat.
And then Ash was back, grinning. "So? What do you think?" Welcome back, Awkward Teenager Ash! What'd you do with Sexy Crooner Ash?! Bring him back, we want THAT guy!
Jasper
There was no description for the way she felt in those moments. Saying she was utterly drawn in was a pale comparison to what was really going on. Even a fae as herself couldn't resist the desire to focus her attentions fully upon the boy as he demonstrated such art in her very living room. Nothing else in the world needed her attention right then, and thus Jasper allowed herself to sink into what may as well have been some siren song. Even the sketching stilled while she drank every sound provided, studying the finer details she'd somehow missed about him before. Blue. Those eyes were so blue, a color she once learned to avoid as it warned of troubled times. But these weren't eyes she had to be wary of. It took so much effort not to reach up then for some inexplicable reason and brush a few strands of his hair from his eyes and even tempt a brush of fingertips over that finely formed jawline.
The very movement of his lips with every word was mesmerizing, and she didn't even quite realize it yet. The little cait sidhe certainly hadn't an inkling of why. Not but moments ago he was just a boy who she felt curiously calm around and enjoyed the company of. A fellow student that shared a similar age and didn't really seem to hold any expectations but of similarly comfortable company. Now he had her full attention and there was no real sign that was going to end while he performed as he did.
At some point she'd managed to scoot a little closer, even leaning in a bit as she listened with some sweet vaguely aching expression. It was the music, the lyrics, his voice. Did he even fucking realize? Something ached straight from her heart to the lower pout of her lip and she didn't quite know why. It just did. All through the sung, right until the very last note, which brought her into a shallow breath and soft swallow as she practically stared at him. What did she think? Jasper didn't even think about what she was going to say, she just said it. Straight from brain to words, no filter. "...I think.. I want to kiss you right now.." Waitwhat? A light lick of her own lips followed those words, coupled with a little smile that was almost coy, "..that was fuckin' fantastic, Ash.." It was really almost a pity the song had to end. She could have listened to him sing all night. And that..damn..song!
Ash
"What, wait?" Sure, that 'fuckin' fantastic' comment had gotten his attention, but his brain had rattled by the one just before that. ... of course, he wasn't an eager, rotten, teenage boy, the sort who'd be like HELL YEAH and then drag her onto the couch to start snogging the living daylights out of her, but he wasn't the sort to respond with OH, SILLY YOU, WANTING TO KISS ME, either. Did she want to kiss him? He kind of wanted to know. And if she didn't respond right away, he'd give a more nervous response of, "Hah... thank you!" Which was good, because otherwise, he was going to say, I KNOW, I'M GREAT, right?!
Jasper
Oh, precious. Absolutely precious a way that she didn't quite know how to handle. She wasn't really keen on the shy ones, usually. Was she keen on him? She didn't know and wasn't going to really think about it. What she knew was what she felt right then and there after that song. His voice and the lyrics to the song had just moved her in such an unexpected way. Jaz crept a little bit closer, head tilting in a fashion that shifted a bit of her hair against her cheek as she just watched him. Did she really want to kiss him? Her body sure said it did, and she wasn't usually once to hesitate except for a rare moment in her life. "You asked me what I thought. I'm saying I kind of want to kiss you right now.." Confirmation came as she reiterated what she'd said, having managed to draw close enough that her knee brushed against his leg. A part of her held back, but another part wondered why she wasn't just doing it. What was she waiting for? Through the faint curtain of a half-head of hair she peered at him, the sound of his voice still ringing inside her mind. "..well.. that and that what you did was damn good." More than. 'Fuckin' fantastic' was really more accurate.
Ash
It was hard to go after Ash, because he was so damn juvenile in everything he did. If he acted mature, if he presented himself as a strong male figure, then she might have been more willing to after him -- but he was confusing, and she was confusing, and it was ALL so confusing when you added teenagers into the mix. Complicating matters was the fact that Ash was still a virgin, and Jaz... well, we're guessing that she's had more experience, since she's had a better social life than Ash. (Really, the last "action" he got was being invited into a girl's dorm... ... so she could style his hair. Then the fire happened, and you get the idea.)
"Thanks," he offered again, offering a little bit of a shy smile...
And then the most adorkable thing happened ever.
You remember how it was, being inexperienced? How every little thing seemed dramatic? Ash had experienced that once or twice before at his old school (caught in the bathroom snogging, really, Ash,) and he was experiencing it again, as he didn't outright GO FOR IT but instead slooooooooooooooooooooowly leaned forward. You know. Giving her a full five seconds or so to RUN AWAY as he came toward her at the speed of molasses. Pausing JUST before kissing her, Ash looked down to Jaz' lips, and then up to those eyes again...
... before gently placing his lips against her own in a very light, very chaste, kiss. (For fuck's sake, Ash, she is not a dead Snow White or dozing Sleeping Beauty.)
Jasper
If Jasper had ever had an awkward stage there were only two souls that might have been able to confirm. Unfortunately one was dead and the other had been MIA for over a year. So needless to say, Jaz had plenty of experience and hadn't much even batted an eyelash at her first time. By the time she'd been sexually active she'd turned making out with her best friend while drunk on Soju into a damn sport. It was just a Jaz and Tae thing, they got drunk, made out, and tried on each other's clothes. Sadly those days were long gone. Amusingly though? She was actually cautious this time around. There was no crawling into his lap or lunging for his lips, in fact beyond leaning closer and stating her thoughts she hadn't much taken action. What in the hell was it about Ash that made her so calm and actually behaved? It was all in the blood.
"Welcome..." That smile was something a little softer than normal to match the shyness in his. Disgustingly cute in a weird sort of way as it sat on the lips of a girl that knew nothing of being well behaved.
Those five seconds would be wasted because Jasper wasn't going anywhere. The closer he got the more vibrant her entire body felt, like a bundle of energy and nerves coiling together before the instant their lips met. Long lashed lids closed over prismatics as she felt him just that breath away, and the faintest shudder fell over her shoulders when lips finally met. Had she ever felt anything quite that...tender? Innocent? However one might describe it, it was a rare treat in her book. She kissed back, and though it wasn't forceful she did urge it to be a smidgen less chaste. Just a smidgen, where lips pressed into his to reciprocate the very affection of the moment. She wanted more, her body even craving to nudge it just a step further, but something in the little fae found restraint and instead her hand lifted to brush over that jaw she'd longed to touch just moments ago.
Ash
It was so... well... tender. They were two teenagers, acting like teenagers, as if this were a young adult novel being written for young girls who'd never seen a boy naked, let alone thought of actually wanting them naked. Ash allowed his crystal blue eyes to be eclipsed by his eyelids, while he leaned closer into the kiss. Rather than sucking on her entire mouth like a squid or jamming his tongue into her face like a bad porn actor, Ash, singing Ash, the Lord of Fire and brat that usually made a fool of himself, gently blotted his mouth against Jaz's -- repeatedly -- romantic in his actions, while one hand moved up to gently brush her hair away. The other hand moved over to carefully plant its palm on her hip, holding her, his fingers caressing the sides of her tummy. Still chaste as Hell, but now more like... gluten-free chaste, instead of vegan organic all-natural no dyes, sugars, or chemicals added chaste.
Jasper
So strange to be so gentle. When was the last time she'd really felt anything like that? Had she ever, to this degree? She could feel the pace which Ash slowly began to move forward and she seemed content to surrender enough control that he could go at whatever rate he wished. Even if it ended seconds from now it was still a really enjoyable kiss in the most untainted of ways. It wasn't burning lust, or hurried kisses that she knew would end with something else. The kiss was just a kiss as far as she knew, and that was perfectly fine for the girl who usually moved at a cheetah's pace. Soft lips moved and conformed to his as she kissed back, a soft and pleasant sound murmuring in her throat when she felt hands on her. The touch was encouraging enough that she leaned into it, her own hand tracing a thumb over his jaw while the other slid up along his arm and the curve of a shoulder. His skin felt soft and warm beneath her touch, and she was all to infatuated with the feel of his lips. Around her lingered the scent of rose musk and amber, faint but ever present.
Ash
It didn't end seconds from now. It ended about nine minutes later, and Ash didn't just sit there and kiss her; he ended up pulling her into his arms and wrapping them around her, pulling her body close against his, as if she were a long-lost dance partner that he'd forgotten about until now. His hands stayed on her back, and his body stayed still instead of purposefully moving to initiate a rhythm far more primal than the fluttering of two teenage hearts -- but by the time he had finally pulled away to come up for air, his face was flushed, those crystal blue eyes uncertain, but excited. Ash actually ended up laughing nervously, as he licked his lips and reached up to brush his light colored hair back. She had smelled of rose musk and amber, he had smelled of... well... expensive hair products and dryer sheets. "... so, basically, I'm going to play guitar around you a lot more often." It was a funny joke at the time. Or so he thought. He WANTED her to find it funny, at least, which was something new to him. "... what time is it, by the way?"
Jasper
Time? What was time? It was irrelevant as she simply let herself get lost in the warm and soft feel of lips that were far less demanding than she was used to. They weren't submissive but they lacked the aggression that so often came after the first few seconds. It was different, and regardless of the fact that it was different? Jasper came to the conclusion that she liked it. Or at least as much as she allowed herself to actually think in those moments. She enjoyed the sensation and she liked kissing Ash. Fingertips slowly found the start of his hairline and coaxed themselves through his hair as she welcomed the embrace of his arms, even shuddering just the tiniest bit as a light croon filtered into the kiss. Nine minutes felt like so much longer but she could have kept going all night, or at least until one of them needed a bit of air. Apparently Ash did long before Jasper even considered it and she met that crystal blue gaze with all those uncertainties and excitement with a softer smile than she'd given anyone in a long while. Strange. So very strange. It almost felt like there was a flutter in her belly that went all the way to her heart. What on earth was that all about? A lilt of a giggle left her lips at his words, smile broadening as fingertips brushed over the curve of his cheek, "A whole lot more? I'm down for that.." Oh, yes please. That voice, those eyes, and the purely evocative way he worked his magic with the music? She welcomed every second he was willing to spare. "..and I'll maybe remember to actually sketch you next time." The sketchbook had been abandoned long ago, filled with little more than the beginning outlines of his face and the shape of his lips. The inquiry of time had her nose scrunching as she gave a little shrug. She didn't bother with clocks! The only way she really knew what time it was usually came from her phone which...was in her bag and would require her to move to reach it. Such a pout overcame the small fae as she tried to reach the strap with her foot, harmlessly wiggling in his lap for a second. Hooking the strap on the edge of her toe, she pulled it over and finally fished out the device before hitting the home button. "It's not that late.." At least in her world. Turning the screen toward him, she simply nestled into his arms and rested her head against his shoulder while that prismatic gaze full of warm rainbow colors settled on the lips she'd just spent all that time getting familiar with.
Ash
Ash had too much fire in him to be made submissive, but he kept that fire tightly reigned in -- which is why he wasn't that aggressive, either. It was something taught to him by his father, a way for him to keep that scorching potential from burning those around him, both metaphorically and literally. And though he could've kissed her for most of the night, he was prone to boredom, the sort that made it hard to sit still, or in this case, sit there and make out for more than a couple of minutes. He still sat there, breathing quickly, a faint smile on his face as she talked about time, and how it didn't matter to her -- his lips wet, but eyes on Jaz for now and not likely to leave her face soon. Holding her in the warmth of his arms, he looked down to the time on the phone...
Only for his inner glow to be crushed flat, like a spider you drop a book on.
"... fffffffffff--it's late." Stopping short of the 'uck' part of the word, Ash scowled as he stared at the numbers on her phone. "I have a lot I have to get done." Like he had to pick a piece to play on piano, he had to meet up with Hannah and see if she could continue to work with him on that dance, there was a piece he had to compose for another class, and to top it all off he still kept on picking up spare shifts at the Clockwork Cat. He sure as Hell wasn't gonna go to sleep that easily after tonight though.
Well, he might. But he also might start a small fire. Soooo...
Jasper
Time was about as relative to the languishing cat as personal space currently was. She was all up in Ash's personal bubble, but he didn't seem to mind all that much since he was the one that put her there. He didn't even curse. That was kind of precious. "...not...really.." So said the little night owl who often cat napped right through the day, her grades be damned. "...now?" She glanced at her phone and then back toward Ash. It was clear she was completely reluctant to move just yet, or to see him go. Mostly because she was a lazy little cat that was incredibly comfortable rather than being possessive of his time. Although she was growing rather fond of his company. A tiny stretch had her nestling against him with a little him, eyes cast upward toward his face while her head remained against his shoulder. "I mean.. if you gotta go, I get it. Oooor... you could chill here some more. It's already late, right?" What harm could it do to make it later? The logic of the cait sidhe sometimes wen beyond measure into her own personal philosophies. At least she was small and fairly easy to move given her lithe frame. She was also behaving herself incredibly well. Something told her she could have convinced him in a lot of ways to stay, but she didn't feel the urge to manipulate the situation just for her favor. Peculiar, given the girl she typically was. "Does that I mean I gotta move?" Pout.
Ash
Ash couldn't linger; his father was helping to pay for school, HE was paying for school HIMSELF by working, and really, with his talent, finishing it was his ticket out of that sleepy little town that he'd been raised in. No sir, he LIKED London, and wanted to stay there! ... which is why he was so very, very concerned about his grades. "Yeah, now," he admitted, annoyed at time itself, but unable to stop its march. "Putting stuff off means I'll have to do it later, when I'll be freaking out because I have even LESS time." Ash? When are you responsible? WHY are you responsible? Aren't you just some punk kid who gets on everybody's nerves? Or are you secretly a decent student and all around good guy? No WONDER your doppelganger was all up in your face about you being a failure. "... yeah, you gotta move," answered Ash, who seemed to at least smile at her response. "... but you can sit there later." Some other time, which isn't now.
Jasper
Maybe little Miss Cross could check her privilege sometime. She didn't have to worry about how to afford school. And aside from another horrible visit or kidnapping by her mother, she didn't even really worry about her grades. She was passing, that's what matter. Hell, she managed to get a B in that stupid foreign languages class she'd decided to keep studying. Mostly so she could learn how to swear in that language. "Aw.." But she didn't want to move! Yet despite her own desires, Jaz offered a kindness with a small nod. "I don't get why you'd freak out. It's just school..." Again with the privilege. Really, all this education was mostly a formality in her mind, teaching her mostly how to be sociable so she could later use those skills in Cross affairs. She didn't have to take it nearly as serious as she had Brigid's. As for Ash being a punk kid? She didn't really know him as that. He was the little firestarter that had been in her body in that strange way, and that made her feel funny ways she couldn't quite explain. And that could sing and play her guitar in an ungodly way. Slowly she moved from his lap, just far enough so that he could get up when he needed. "I'm gunna hold you to that.." Later. That sounded so damn promising that she was incapable of stopping the smile that came of the near promise. "I uh...I liked tonight.. I mean..not the library but..y'know..all the other stuff." There was a searching in those eyes for his reaction, calm prismatic hazels peering toward crystal blues curiously. She never really needed affirmation, but she seemed keen on finding what his response might be. Dumb, silly teenagers.
Ash
Well. Being able to start fires usually means that you're allowed to go to Shepherd University, no matter what. But what about the cost of food, of clothes? What if he had to move to get work after graduating? What if he couldn't FIND work after school? What if he needed to take a cab home? There were little spare costs here and there, and if Ash failed school, then he was going back to that sleepy little town to work in a grocery store with his Dad and Grand-dad. It wasn't a huge grocery store chain, either, it was a little Mom and Pop corner store where you'd go to get milk and eggs and maybe a newspaper. Rather than end up marrying some local girl and starting a family, Ash wanted to at least do SOMETHING amazing, even if it meant that he'd have to work behind the scenes. "School's important, 'cause I don't wanna flunk out," he replied, before finally sliding away from her and standing up -- streeeetching his long limbs after doing so, before heading toward the door. He didn't step out, though. Had to look over at Jaz, blush a bit, offer he a sheepish smile. "... yeah. Yeah, I liked it, too. I'll try to catch up with you later." Because, being a dumb, silly teenager, he wanted to react positively toward her, because, he didn't want her to think he wasn't interested. Not that he was! But he wasn't NOT interested. ... dumb, silly, teenagers.
Jasper
Again, the concept just did not meet with understanding. Maybe one day she'd give a damn about the academics, but that day was not today. Or tonight, rather. "Well..okay then.." Don't flunk out, Ash! Do your things and be something amazing! Jasper was going to sit on the couch while she watched him rise, licking at her lips where she could still taste him, gaze trailing his movements. There was a certain sort of way dancers moved, she had learned. It was a similar interest to when she watched Hannah move about the quad. Except there were some very different factors to her interest in Ash, and the way his figure moved. A part of her wanted to jump up off the couch and steam one final hug but she knew if she did then it was possible Ash would be trapped in the quad with her for the rest of the evening. Instead she just crawled to the arm of the couch, bracing palms along the edge as she kneeled up and gave a little wave. For a brief moment she seemed all of the 17 years of her youth, rather than a girl that had experienced far more than someone her age ever should have. "..Kay." That smile never faded even as her head tilted to brush red strands against her face, "Have a good night, Muse.." A new nickname to fit the evening and one that came with a wink of one long lashed lid. Lord of the Flames was still in existence, but this one..well..it seemed just as appropriate. It was going to be so much more in the coming hours when she filled the page of her sketchbook with his visage straight from memory that was for sure.