sweet like you~ {{axel lovelle/roxanne nakamura}}

[AXEL LOVELLE]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://www.palmyramoravian.org/images/red%20background.png); border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #f1ca97, bTable][style=font-family: courier new; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]is it okay for me to[/style][style=font-family: harrington; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]love you?[/style][style=float: right; width: 270; padding: 10px; height: 310px; overflow: auto; background-color: #FFFFFF; opacity: 0.4; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #808000; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] Axel had no idea where he was. Unusual? No. But was he more lost than usual? Yes. He'd never understand how he could have set off directly for the DOSE compound and instead found himself here, just to the right of the main road, standing between a general store and a restaurant. Half-considering his plight, half-studying his surroundings, he strolled down the streets, the pristine concrete still damp from the recent rain, and cast his curious honey-colored gaze every which way, head swiveling every minute or so. All the people here looked so interesting, and if he'd had the time, he'd have attempted to strike up a conversation with a few in particular. But he didn't. He'd been expected back hours ago- no doubt he'd have quite a lecture waiting for him when he finally turned up- and anyway, he was hungry now. If he could just find his way out of the business district... He'd crossed the street a time or two, cut between two shops and an alley and across a sprawling parking lot, but found himself back on the main road- on the opposite end- rather than any closer to the labs. His ever-present grin wilted slightly as he stared bleakly out at the now-familiar buildings, cursing his inability to navigate and the dampness that muffled his most crucial sense. He couldn't find his way out of a paper bag, could he? Muttering to himself, the hybrid turned a few little circles in a futile attempt to get his bearings or catch a scent, and clasped his black-gloved hands behind his back in the hopes that they'd stop shaking. As he trotted aimlessly along, the Special lost his balance without warning, likely thanks to his half-dazed state, and staggered to the side, disaster narrowly averted when he nearly toppled into a young woman who was breezing by, nudging a blue baby stroller along before her. He only barely managed to right himself before he'd have fallen on her outright. "S-Sorry. Sorry." Still apologizing profusely, he backed away until the solid, smooth texture of a shop's glass window pressed up behind him, the coldness seeping through his scarlet coat. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that it was a candy shop- but that was all he permitted himself. Staring at the sweets wouldn't do him any good- the scent of them was bad enough. With a little sigh, he slid down so that he was sitting on the dry patch of pavement under the shop's pink-and-white awning, propped against the spotless window. His head tipped back and his amber eyes fluttered shut for a moment as he struggled to recover from the nausea that had suddenly overtaken him. Maybe they should have collared him, he mused halfheartedly. The absurd idea had been a sarcastic, mocking suggestion by one of the DOSE scientists after he'd gotten lost for the umpteenth time, and the fact that he was seriously considering it now was nothing short of embarrasing. He'd sit here for.. just a few minutes. And see if he couldn't find someone to ask for directions. Framed by the shop's colorful window display, expression uncannily near to that wide-eyed one every stray dog wore, he gazed at the passerby, searching for anyone who'd stop long enough for him to question them. [/style][style=float: left;] [/style]

[atrb=style, height: 80px; overflow: auto; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; font-family: verdana; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]TAG,~ ~ ~ LYRIC,~ ~ ~ NOTES,~ ~ ~ CREDIT,made by LUCI of OTE. steal & die. ; Edited by Maeka of Defrauding Fate.

[ROXANNE NAKAMURA]

-- AND THIS IS WHY I SMILE --

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[rs=2]	It had been a very long day. Or at least, it seemed that way for a certain pink-haired teen. Roxanne had woken up at six thirty in the morning, prepped and opened the coffee shop, stayed there till ten, then gone to the community theater to visit her mom - just to say hello, their relationship didn't really call for anything more - and dance in an empty warm up room until, two hours later, the theater dancers had come and kicked her out. She'd headed home reluctantly, left wishing she could have danced all day long despite her groaning muscles, and showed and changed at her apartment. Now she found herself faced with absolutely nothing to do. Her chin propped in her hand, elbow on the table, slouched until she was half-lying on the wooden surface, Roxy stared at the clock, watching the numbers slowly change. She had nothing planned for the afternoon. A two hour evening shift at the Centre was all she had to look forward to. And that didn't start till six. Her bored gaze wandered around her kitchen until at last it came to rest on the little glass jar of sugar sitting underneath the standard white wood cabinets, right beside its flour-filled companion. The sight of it immediately reminded her of sweets, and since she never kept a bag at home - now she couldn't remember why - Roxanne practically flew out of her seat and out the door, barely remembering to slip on a pair of silver gladiator sandals as she went. She hardly took notice of anything as she strolled out of her apartment and down the familiar route to the Main Road, walking quickly and with uncanny determination, her slightly damp hair flying behind her. Only when the familiar striped awning came into sight did she slow down, walking the rest of the block with her usual carefree stride, immediately becoming distracted by all the passing people and window displays. But nonetheless, she didn't stop - well, except to wave hello to the few employees still in the cafe. When she finally reached the candy store, about to breeze inside and request the usual Roxanne Nakamura order - which consisted largely of cherry and bubblegum flavored things, chiefly lollipops, paired with a random assortment of whatever chocolates or caramels appeased her - when she became aware of a man, seated in a dry patch of cement by the door. He had been glancing up at every passerby and was now looking at her, his surprisingly light brown eyes nearly identical to that of a poor lost puppy. Roxanne liked puppies. So she hesitated, one hand on the cool metal handle to the shop, resisting the urge to rush inside at the sights and smells she was already much too aware of. "Hi." She chirped, smiling at him and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "What are you doing down there?"
509 ;; pink table is pink ~

[AXEL LOVELLE]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://www.palmyramoravian.org/images/red%20background.png); border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #f1ca97, bTable][style=font-family: courier new; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]is it okay for me to[/style][style=font-family: harrington; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]love you?[/style][style=float: right; width: 270; padding: 10px; height: 310px; overflow: auto; background-color: #FFFFFF; opacity: 0.4; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #808000; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] Most of the Utopians hurrying by offered him a brisk nod, a small smile, or a quick wave, nothing more. They either misunderstood his intentions or simply didn't have the time to stop and talk to the odd man sitting on the sidewalk outside the candy shop. The most acknowledgement he'd gotten was a bright "Hi there!" from a little dark-haired girl, who'd trotted right on without waiting for a response, dutifully trailing after her mother, who hadn’t even spared him a glance. He was on the verge of giving up and forcing himself to stand, making another attempt, futile or not, at seeking the headquarters out. And then a young woman had emerged from the crowd, moving toward the shop, the only customer he'd seen in the entire time he'd been sitting there- apparantly the store was having a slow day. Her hair was what had first captured his attention- pink as the airy cotton candy displayed in the window he was leaning against, pink as the alternating stripes in the awning overhead. Her blue-green gaze had been on the door, though, and he'd nearly convinced himself that she, like so many of the others, would simply breeze by, not noticing- or barely noticing. But no. She'd turned away, then back, and quickly halted, one hand on the handle, and blinked down at him with a mildly curious expresion that he himself had worn countless times. "Oh, hello." He began in a tone that nearly matched hers for cheery exuberance, that faded ghost of a smile he wore slowly returning to his signature grin. "I.. I'm.. I got lost." He mumbled in answer, looking vaguely amused at his own plight, unfunny as it all might have been. "You wouldn't happen to know where DOSE is, would you?" The hybrid asked rather hopefully, searching her eyes for any flicker of recognition, any sign that she recognized the name. Not everyone would, he knew that, secretive as the division was. Shifting, he pulled himself to his feet rather slowly, trying not to jar the dull ache that thumped in his head back into full-fledged pain, and hoped that he’d recovered at least a bit of his usual agility. Apparently he hadn’t, because he wobbled instantly, losing his balance before he’d even straightened up entirely, and ended up bumping their heads together. “Ow. Sorry.” He started to pull back, then paused, locking his honey-colored eyes with her sea blue ones, an apologetic little smirk lingering on his lips. “But y’know.. You’re really very pretty.” And she was. High, delicate cheekbones, those two-tone eyes, framed by long, dark lashes- even those were bright pink. The statement had been typical Axel, irrelevant, blunt, and blurted out in a state of blissful ignorance as to the fact that people really just didn't say things like that to strangers, especially not so abruptly and pointlessly, his amber eyes shimmering with an odd sincerity. [/style][style=float: left;] [/style]

[atrb=style, height: 80px; overflow: auto; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; font-family: verdana; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]TAG,~ ~ ~ LYRIC,~ ~ ~ NOTES,~ ~ ~ CREDIT,made by LUCI of OTE. steal & die. ; Edited by Maeka of Defrauding Fate.

[ROXANNE NAKAMURA]

-- AND THIS IS WHY I SMILE --

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[rs=2]

"DOSE...?" Repeating the strange word over and over to herself in her head, Roxanne struggled to recall if she'd heard of it before. DOSE. An acronym, it sounded like. For what, exactly, she couldn't remember. Attempting to piece together the individual words, she came up with multiple answers - Dogs of Secret Enterprises? Doing Official Serious Enthusiasm? - none of which made any sense at all. "Sorry, I haven't." Unable to help herself, she pouted at her inability to assist, rosy gloss-covered lips pursing slightly. "Maybe -" She began, about to voice a different way she could help, only to be abruptly cut off as he started to stand. "Oh good you're - " And then, before she could process much else, there was a sharp pain in her forehead, and she automatically jerked backwards to keep her balance, hand slipping from the cool metal of the door handle. "Ow." After a brief moment of processing what had just happened, she grinned widely. Her fingertips rested lightly against the glass of the door as she regained her balance, her smile still bright as ever - partially because she found what had just happened funny, and partly because laughing at herself was just part of who she was. "That's okay." She blinked with surprise as he complimented her, her cheery expression fading, taken completely off guard. Nobody have ever really outright called her pretty. Especially not strange men who sat on sidewalks in front of candy stores, staring at everyone who came by. Not that Roxy interpreted it like that. She figured he was either a flirt - she'd come across tons of those in her lifetime and was a bit of one herself, she knew how to deal - or random - something else she was familiar with. So she just recovered her smile and replied, "Aww, you're too sweet. You're pretty cute yourself." And he was. He still reminded her of a puppy, for whatever reason, with those big warm brown eyes that reminded her of the color of honey. Dimly she realized that they were still standing relatively lose together, him bending slightly over her in a way that gave her the impression that he was much taller, and not wanting to seem weird she straightened up a little and attempted to give him space, which was difficult considering there wasn't much more room under the awning.

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415 ;; pink table is pink ~

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[AXEL LOVELLE]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://www.palmyramoravian.org/images/red%20background.png); border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #f1ca97, bTable][style=font-family: courier new; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]is it okay for me to[/style][style=font-family: harrington; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]love you?[/style][style=float: right; width: 270; padding: 10px; height: 310px; overflow: auto; background-color: #FFFFFF; opacity: 0.4; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #808000; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] "Am I?" He laughed lightly, smile only widening. "Thank you." She seemed entirely unruffled by his random comment, a fact that did impress him. Most of the time when he blurted something out without thinking- which was often - whoever it had been directed at was left taken aback, flustered, or something along those lines. Not this girl. He realized that they were still quite close together, eyes locked, at nearly the same moment she had. He'd been lectured countless times about invading space, and so wincing slightly, he quickly stepped a pace or two backwards and straightened up, black-gloved hands falling to his hips. Amber eyes scanned the skyline almost imploringly as he turned toward the silhouettes of the countless buildings in the distance, clearly searching. But he found nothing, as he'd much expected, and returned his gaze to the girl, trying to keep from swaying-- standing so soon hadn't been a good idea, he supposed, but he couldn't sit back down now that he had. "Hm." The hybrid mumbled to himself for a moment, gazing again toward the horizon. The DOSE compound, from here, would be due south, he was certain. Perhaps that didn't count for much, given his sense of direction, but it was a starting point if nothing else. The sun, directly overhead rather than to either side, offered no sign, and he couldn't remember what the proper way to read it was anyway. Didn't it rise in the west and set in the east? That still left North and South uncertain and it was impossible to tell which was which. Ugh. This was all headache-worthy and his smile wilted slightly as he blinked helplessly out into the distance, raking his fingers through his dark hair. "South." He murmured abruptly. "Do you know which direction south is, maybe?" [/style][style=float: left;] [/style]

[atrb=style, height: 80px; overflow: auto; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; font-family: verdana; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]TAG,~ ~ ~ LYRIC,~ ~ ~ NOTES,~ ~ ~ CREDIT,made by LUCI of OTE. steal & die. ; Edited by Maeka of Defrauding Fate.

[ROXANNE NAKAMURA]

-- AND THIS IS WHY I SMILE --

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[rs=2]	Roxanne couldn't help but laugh a little with him as he accepted the compliment, finding that he had the sort of laugh that made others want to join in. Or maybe she just found all laughter contagious. Both were possible, really. Roxanne watched him for a moment as he backed away and turned to look around, curious about this 'DOSE' he was searching for and his apparent lack of ability to find his way to it. Did he work there? Or was he just delivering a message of some sort? She wasn't sure what it was, and didn't feel it was her place to ask. Although there was a pretty strong chance that she'd inquire anyway, somewhere down the line. Content with the silence and half positive he would simply wander off as if he'd forgotten her presence, the teen spared a quick glance into the candy shop. She desperately wanted to go inside, to be surrounded by the warm sweet aromas and immersed in the pure comfort of the place. She began mentally picking out the items she wanted most, eying things through the glass: a dozen lollipops, half cherry and half bubblegum, a few of those melt-in-your-mouth sugar confections, maybe even a bag of cotton candy or select few chocolates... It was, Roxanne thought with mild amusement, a wonder she wasn't fat. It took her a moment to realize he'd spoken, and she blinked as she turned back to him and tried to process his question. "Ummm..." She stalled, looking from side to side in an attempt to discern one direction from the other. She'd never been one for such things, relying purely on memory or the help of an innocent passerby when she needed to get somewhere. "Sorry." Her lips tugged into a little frown when she finally decided she didn't know. "I'm not sure which way is which." Her frown deepened as she thought, hoping she'd be able to help at least a little. Roxy liked being able to assist others, even complete strangers, and found herself at a loss when she was helpless. So she racked her brains until she came up with a new offer, one she could only hope he would accept. It was the only compromise she could think of that satisfied both their needs - hers to get sugar and help, his to find his way. "I was planning to grab some stuff from inside." Roxanne jerked a thumb over her shoulder, indicating the store, her expression a hesitant, hopeful smile of invitation. "I'd like to help you, so why don't you come with? I can try and show you to this DOSE place after. If you want." She finished awkwardly, fidgeting with a lock of hair as she tried to ignore the combination of the randomness of her question and the dull ache throbbing in her forehead where it had collided with his.
500 ;; pink table is pink ~

[/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[AXEL LOVELLE]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://www.palmyramoravian.org/images/red%20background.png); border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #f1ca97, bTable][style=font-family: courier new; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]is it okay for me to[/style][style=font-family: harrington; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]love you?[/style][style=float: right; width: 270; padding: 10px; height: 310px; overflow: auto; background-color: #FFFFFF; opacity: 0.4; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #808000; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] She seemed to be deep in thought, a tiny frown crossing her lightly glossed lips as she scanned the streets blankly in much the same way he had, searching for nothing in particular, her expressive eyes betraying her even before she'd voiced her answer. She didn't know. The cheeriness written across his face was fading slightly, a tint of bleak hopelessness slowly creeping into his own warm eyes. Her offer, however, halted that and it faded away as abruptly as it had appeared, all his exuberance back in an instant. "Love to. Er, thank you." He was glad she'd been the one to stop. Never mind how long he'd been sitting there. He took a few steps forward, managing not to lose his balance, and tugged the neatly-painted, ornately trimmed door open, standing aside so that she could pass into the shop ahead of him. Once she'd crossed the threshold, he followed, trotting at her heels, and surveyed the little store curiously. It was.. ah, what was the word? Could it be called quaint? He thought it could- well, if quaint meant what he thought it did. He did, after all, confuse words with alarming regularity. The shop's color scheme was pink and white, mainly, with the ocassional hint of silver or gold, two delicate little white wrought-iron tables sitting in a far corner, near a spotless window that looked out onto a terraced square where the grass was green as ever despite the fast-approaching autumn. The tile underfoot was in alternating chessboard squares, pink as the girl's hair and white as sugar, respectively. An old-fashioned fan, the blades carved with curlicues and scrolls, whirred softly overhead. And of course, there was the candy. Lining every shelf, stacked high on tables and in bins, glittering tantalizingly from within the lit glass display cases. It had been crafted with the utmost care, a level of fastidiousness that awed the hybrid- mostly because he had neither the attention span nor the patience to do such things himself- not a single sprinkle or drop of chocolate was out of place. The scent was overwhelming, one of sticky, cloying sweetness, and he leaned heavily against one of the shelves to keep from wobbling again, tucking his trembling hands into his pockets. [/style][style=float: left;] [/style]

[atrb=style, height: 80px; overflow: auto; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; font-family: verdana; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]TAG,~ ~ ~ LYRIC,~ ~ ~ NOTES,~ ~ ~ CREDIT,made by LUCI of OTE. steal & die. ; Edited by Maeka of Defrauding Fate.

[ROXANNE NAKAMURA]

-- AND THIS IS WHY I SMILE --

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[rs=2]	He had a nice smile. It was the first thought that came to mind, if she was honest, which she almost always was. She wasn't quite sure why it hadn't occurred to her before, but it was true. Maybe she'd just been too caught up in the identity of the strange man on the sidewalk? Either way, she was smiling back, even brighter than her normal - which, to some, had a tendency to be that close to blinding. As he held the door open, she automatically stepped inside, thanking him with a quick word as she went. The inside of the sweets store was exactly as Roxanne remembered it, so she didn't spend much time looking around. Instead, she made a beeline for the section of the store that specialized in lollipops - there was a whole display full of them, from large rainbow-colored circles to miniature spheres of darker colors which, and this she knew from experience, were full of some sort of delicious filling - without a second glance to see if the man was following. Only after she'd picked out a few of her personal favorites did it occur to her that she'd come in with someone and now had no idea where he'd gone. Brows knitting together, Roxy set off to find him, poking her head around displays until she found him by a shelf. "Oh, there you are!" She grinned as she trotted over, a half-full bag of candy swinging precariously by her side. "Did you see something you liked? I don't mind paying, if you did. I'm happy to share too." She indicated the bag with a flick of her wrist, making it sway. Of course, only then did she realize he was leaning against the display like he couldn't hold himself up, his hands jammed into one of many pockets on his scarlet coat, looking somewhat unstable. Even she, who was more oblivious to that sort of thing than most, was capable of realizing of that. Her head tipped a little to one side in curiosity without her noticing it as she stopped before him. "Are you feeling alright?" She asked, a little frown gracing her lips again as she watched him, head still tilted as if that would somehow improve her observation skills. Her blue-green eyes clouded with concern, expression intensifying as it finally clicked in her mind that there was probably a reason for his sitting on the sidewalk when an ordinary person would have just stood.
434 ;; pink table is pink ~

[AXEL LOVELLE]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://www.palmyramoravian.org/images/red%20background.png); border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #f1ca97, bTable][style=font-family: courier new; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]is it okay for me to[/style][style=font-family: harrington; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]love you?[/style][style=float: right; width: 270; padding: 10px; height: 310px; overflow: auto; background-color: #FFFFFF; opacity: 0.4; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #808000; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] She'd vanished quickly enough, pink hair and white dress blending flawlessly into the shop's decor in an almost chamelon-esque manner, her full focus on the impressive array of sweets spread out before her. Now and again, he would glimpse a reassuring flicker of that vibrant hair from behind a rack or to the side of a shelf, enough to let him know that she was still there, nothing more. But that was enough. His liquid amber gaze went distant, slightly glazed, even, in the hopes that the dull headache that continued to gnaw at his senses would fade if he remained unfocused. It subsided, if just slightly. But that meant that he didn't see her standing in front of him, bag in hand and a quizzically worried expression creasing her pretty face, for a solid few seconds. Blinking blearily, he suddenly snapped to attention. Upon his first attempt to answer her question, "A-wha?" was the most eloquent sentence he managed to form. Shaking his head side to side rapidly, he tried again. "Oh. Sorry. Mm. I'm fine. Fine. Just hungry." That smile never faded, on the contrary, only widened, the statement made with a dismissive little shrug and said in a lilting, offhand tone, as if it really didn't matter very much. Somewhere in the back of his mind, it registered that he couldn't seem to stop apologizing today-- and as an effect, just how idiotic he must sound. With visible effort, he clamped his mouth shut before he blurted out anything else stupid, instead occupying himself with undoing the double row of buttons that formed a long, neat line down the front of his coat. [/style][style=float: left;] [/style]

[atrb=style, height: 80px; overflow: auto; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; font-family: verdana; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]TAG,~ ~ ~ LYRIC,~ ~ ~ NOTES,~ ~ ~ CREDIT,made by LUCI of OTE. steal & die. ; Edited by Maeka of Defrauding Fate.

[ROXANNE NAKAMURA]

-- AND THIS IS WHY I SMILE --

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[rs=2]	"Oh, you were hungry? Why didn't you say so?" Glad that the problem was one so easily solved, she grabbed one of his hands - ignoring the fact that they were occupied with the buttons of his coat - and with a grin to prove she knew what she was doing, pulled him towards the counter. There was only one employee there, a man who looked to be a few years older than Roxy herself, dressed in a crisp white uniform with a little sailor's hat threatening to fall off the side of his head. Also ignoring the fact that the cashier was not a very agreeable looking man - she couldn't begin to reason why, considering he worked where he did - Roxanne approached the counter and smiled at him. She pulled a few dollars from her pocket as he weighed and priced the little bag of candy, leafing through and mentally counting to make sure she had enough. Once she'd confirmed this, she looked back up at him and gave him another sunny smile that he didn't return. "Oh, and I'd like..." She paused and rose to the balls of her feet in an attempt to better see the much-neglected ice cream selection behind him, craning her neck to see over the man's shoulder, considering he was too inconsiderate - or unobservant - to move. "A scoop of that white stuff - vanilla, I guess? Yeah. And for him..." She trailed off again, abruptly spinning to face the stranger she'd picked up off the sidewalk. "What flavor do you want?" She didn't even know if he liked ice cream, but there she was asking which flavor he would prefer. Roxanne realized this a few seconds after the question had been posed and sighed inwardly at her scattered brains, hoping he wouldn't be stuck in an awkward situation because of it. Hopefully, she thought, he would like ice cream and would see something he liked. If not... well, she'd find something else he wanted, and get him that. She might as well, considering she dragged him into the store in the first place.
372 ;; pink table is pink ~

[AXEL LOVELLE]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://www.palmyramoravian.org/images/red%20background.png); border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #f1ca97, bTable][style=font-family: courier new; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]is it okay for me to[/style][style=font-family: harrington; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]love you?[/style][style=float: right; width: 270; padding: 10px; height: 310px; overflow: auto; background-color: #FFFFFF; opacity: 0.4; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #808000; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] One moment he'd been absently tugging at his coat, the red fabric holding all his focus, and the next he was walking- not of his own accord- toward the counter, the girl leading him by the hand, that dazzling smile still on her lips. The cashier's bearing, almost surly, set a tiny frown flickering around his own lips for half an instant, however, as she strained to see the menu around the man's thin shoulders. By the time he'd convinced himself that chastising the man for the way he was treating her wouldn't help the situation, despite his inclination to do so, she'd already made her decision, and now... she was looking at him. ...Oh. The hybrid blinked up at the neatly-lettered menu for a good several seconds, a vacant expression reflected in his honey-colored eyes, clearly not taking anything in. He'd have protested as to her paying for him, hungry as he was, but the irritated-looking man behind the counter- and more importantly, the sweet expression she wore as she blinked up at him, still awaiting his choice- convinced him not to. A sharp, meaningful cough from the impatient-looking cashier spurred him into action, and he leaned forward, only sparing the ice cream behind the frost-dotted glass a quick glance before choosing a flavor. Strawberry, it might have been, he really wasn't sure- it'd only caught his attention- and only been chosen- because it was pink. The association didn't quite click for a few long minutes, and then when it did, he bit his lip hard to keep from laughing. After all, he didn't even know her name. The man turned his back on them and set about preparing their ice cream, which he immediately, wordlessly handed over the counter to her with absolutely no other acknowledgement, prompting another little flicker of annoyance to cross Axel's tawny eyes. When the reality of the fact finally connected, though, a bit jarringly- the idea that they'd part ways without him ever learning it seized hold, and the rude clerk was momentarially forgotten. The concept that he'd never know her name, for some reason, was disporportionately terrifying, and he abruptly spun to face her, a short little half-laugh escaping him. "Your name. I'm sorry. I forgot to ask you your name." [/style][style=float: left;] [/style]

[atrb=style, height: 80px; overflow: auto; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; font-family: verdana; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]TAG,~ ~ ~ LYRIC,~ ~ ~ NOTES,~ ~ ~ CREDIT,made by LUCI of OTE. steal & die. ; Edited by Maeka of Defrauding Fate.

[ROXANNE NAKAMURA]

-- AND THIS IS WHY I SMILE --

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 375px; background-color: #e8e8e8; border: 1px dotted #A5435C, bTable][tr][cs=2]
[rs=2]	When he didn't reply immediately, she started to worry, fearing that he did not in fact like ice cream and was struggling to come up with a polite way to decline. Looking up at him hopefully, she started to open her mouth to say it was alright if he didn't want it, she could buy him something else - when he spoke, apparently spurred on by the cashier's cough. Her smile returned as he made his selection, and she placed the bills on the counter before the man even had time to tell her how much it cost. The two cones were handed to her in that abrupt, irritable manner that she'd come to have accepted as his general manner, and she took them carefully so as not to spill like she so often did. With a little nod to show that whatever change there was could stay with the store, Roxanne turned to the lost man she was helping just in time to catch his question. Surprise briefly registered across her features as he said it - in an almost fretful way that was somewhat endearing, as if the possibility of not knowing hers would be a terrible loss to him - and it clicked in her mind that they had, in fact, forgotten to exchange names. "Oh! I'm sorry!" She laughed lightly, holding out his ice cream and indicating for him to pick a table. "I'm Roxanne. Roxy, if you like. I always thought Roxanne was a bit too long and fancy for someone like me, what do you think?" She laughed again in a way that meant the question had been rhetorical, then fixed him with a curious look, her eyebrows slightly raised and a smile still on her lips. "And your name is probably something other than 'Lost Man on Sidewalk,' huh?"
325;; pink table is pink ~

[AXEL LOVELLE]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://www.palmyramoravian.org/images/red%20background.png); border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #f1ca97, bTable][style=font-family: courier new; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]is it okay for me to[/style][style=font-family: harrington; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]love you?[/style][style=float: right; width: 270; padding: 10px; height: 310px; overflow: auto; background-color: #FFFFFF; opacity: 0.4; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #808000; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] He took the ice cream, holding the cone tightly and doing his best to keep it despite the fact that his hands- against his best attempts, were still shaking slightly. It'd be just like him to drop it now and he was determined not to. Roxanne. It cut through the dreamy haze he was trapped in quite thoroughly with its lilting, elegant quality. It was almost princesslike, but not.. er.. pretentious. Like her. It suited her, he decided, and his amber eyes brightened. Knowing her name was a bit of a comfort, somehow- it'd make her easier to remember. Not that he'd be able to forget her anyway. Ever. "Oh, it's pretty." He chirped, eyes crinkling shut for the barest moment as he smiled. "Both ways." A slight laugh and then he nodded, flicking his head to the side to shake his hair out of his face, another distinctly canine gesture that he was apparantly quite unaware of. "Oh yes. Axel. My name's Axel. Bit odd, but I don't mind. I'm a bit odd." Still smiling brightly, he crossed over to the table nearest the window as he spoke- er, babbled, really- everything he'd said had been pointless and didn't make a terrible lot of sense. The chosen seats looked out onto a grassy, flower-bordered terrace where a lone apple tree stood, branches interspersed with crystal chimes. Even in the slightly overcast day, it was nonethless cheery-looking- it certainly made for a better view than any of the other tables had, most of which faced the shop and the clerk, who was still glancing at them- for lack of anything else to look at- with something that was half disinterest yet somehow bordering on a glare. He turned his back and pulled the nearest seat out for her, then crossed over to the other one, spinning it around and sitting on it backwards so that his arms rested on the chair back. It was a pattern made of iron neatly woven to resemble twining rose vines, dotted now and again with a metal likeness of the tiny flower itself. He studied it for a moment, tracing the endless overlaps and criscrosses with a distracted sort of interest before his ice cream reclaimed his attention. It was strawberry, and irritable cashier aside, he'd decided that the shop would be worth returning to, if only for this ice cream. [/style][style=float: left;] [/style]

[atrb=style, height: 80px; overflow: auto; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; font-family: verdana; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]TAG,~ ~ ~ LYRIC,~ ~ ~ NOTES,~ ~ ~ CREDIT,made by LUCI of OTE. steal & die. ; Edited by Maeka of Defrauding Fate.

[ROXANNE NAKAMURA]

-- AND THIS IS WHY I SMILE --

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 375px; background-color: #e8e8e8; border: 1px dotted #A5435C, bTable][tr][cs=2]
[rs=2]	He gripped the cone with a severity that seemed as if it ought to shatter the delicate wafer, as if he too would drop it if he wasn't careful. She knew exactly how that felt. And that little habit, paired with the broad, bright smile and cheerful creasing of his eyes as he did so led her to a single, simple conclusion. He was so... cute. Not just appearance-wise, either. His manner was one that she immediately found herself agreeing with - an optimistic, slightly random, and generally contagious character - paired with a few unique habits that he seemed completely unaware of. The way he shook the hair from his eyes, for one; it had a certain quality to it that reminded her of something she couldn't quite recall. "You think so?" A small, bubbly laugh that bordered on a girly giggle escaped her as he complimented her - or more precisely, her name. "Thanks." She smiled up at him, following him to the seats he'd chosen as he continued to talk. His name was... Axel? Another brief expression of surprise flitted across her features as she compared the name to the face, and the personality to the both, weighing the two to see if they went together. They did, in an odd way. Axel wouldn't be the name she'd have chosen for him, but it worked. "I don't think it's odd." She remarked, seating herself delicately on the edge of the chair he'd just pulled out for her, shooting a smile his way in lieu of a simple, boring thank you. "I think it's individual. And it fits you." Roxanne paused briefly to take a taste of her ice cream, deciding the flavor and texture were all together pleasing before continuing. "I like it." Still taking bites - or were they licks? She wasn't sure what to call them - off the top of the scoop, her eyes wandered, flickering between the surprisingly green patio outside that reminded her dimly of springtime, and his - Axel's, she reminded herself, his name was Axel - face. At last she spoke, after observing him for a good few seconds. "So, Axel," Her lips curved upward as she said the name, deciding she liked it more every time she said it, "What do you think?"
395

[AXEL LOVELLE]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 450px; background: url(http://www.palmyramoravian.org/images/red%20background.png); border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #f1ca97, bTable][style=font-family: courier new; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]is it okay for me to[/style][style=font-family: harrington; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]love you?[/style][style=float: right; width: 270; padding: 10px; height: 310px; overflow: auto; background-color: #FFFFFF; opacity: 0.4; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #808000; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] Dark amber eyes gazed absently out the paned window at the little square of bright green, tracing the terrace pattern and trying to collect his thoughts as the headache finally subsided. It'd be gone soon enough- the grass, that was- buried under autumn leaves and then snow, and the thought was a bit saddening. Not that leaves and snow weren't pretty too. Vaguely, he was aware of the fact that her eyes were on him, but the hybrid said nothing- a remarkable feat, for him. She was, after all, smiling. That was good, right? He hoped so. "Does it? Thank you." He turned his chair to face her rather than the window in a movement he'd meant to be subtle. But the chair's legs, four delicate twists of wrought iron as ornate as the rest of the piece of furniture, really weren't meant to be shifted over tile. It took a great deal of tugging before the thing relunctantly, jerkily moved- with a horrible grating sound that made him cringe. The clerk, behind his counter, flinched and immediately shot them a glare. Leaving the chair at an odd angle, he folded his hands around the half-eaten ice cream, cheeks flushed slightly. "Er- of the ice cream?" His gaze drifted up to Roxanne, then back to the cone- it was only that now, a mostly-eaten cone with a dribble or two of bright pink caught in the little grid of the wafer. "I-I love it. They- Er, I really don't know how they make ice cream, but.. er... it's different. In a good way." He finished haltingly, beaming at her more brightly than ever in an attempt to compensate for his babbling. He'd written it off as a side effect of the state he was in, but he was fine now. That couldn't be the reason. So what was? It was strawberry, and irritable cashier aside, he'd decided that the shop would be worth returning to, if only for this ice cream. [/style][style=float: left;] [/style]

[atrb=style, height: 80px; overflow: auto; border-style: dotted; border-width: 1px; border-color: #000000; font-family: verdana; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px;]TAG,~ ~ ~ LYRIC,~ ~ ~ NOTES,~ ~ ~ CREDIT,made by LUCI of OTE. steal & die. ; Edited by Maeka of Defrauding Fate.