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

[ROXANNE NAKAMURA]

-- AND THIS IS WHY I SMILE --

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[rs=2]	"Mmm." Was her way of accepting his thanks, a lingering smile still on her face as her gaze slipped briefly to the patio again. Only to return to him just in time to catch a sharp, unpleasant noise as his chair unwillingly rotated towards her. Unable to help herself, Roxanne laughed, eyes sparkling. She bit her lip abruptly to cut off the sound, however, not wanting him to take offense - she didn't think he would, but wanted to play it safe anyway - though a broad smile still dominated her features. "I know what you mean." She grinned when she'd finally swallowed the last of the giggles, breaking off a piece of the waffle cone in her hand and eating it to distract herself. Still smiling, yet deciding she was safe from laughing again, she glanced up at him, methodically breaking off more of her cone to eat. "So..." She began after a moment of quiet, finding herself reaching for words that simply weren't there, as if they'd fallen away. That was odd, especially for her, who could successfully start a conversation with a wall if she thought it was going well. It was something about him, she decided, about his personality. He was so easy to get along with that she felt like she'd known him forever, but she didn't really, and that made things weird for her - like if she and her best friend got into a big fight and weren't able to talk it out and remained awkward around each other forever, each knowing too much about the other to ever not be friends, yet still holding a grudge that kept them a certain distance apart. It was all so complicated. So complicated because it was so simple. And yet, it wasn't nearly as awkward as it should have been. The silence stretched on, in what could have been seconds or minutes, before Roxanne came up with something to ask. "Oh! I just remembered." She laughed lightly at herself and her poor memory. "I wanted to ask you what that place was you were looking for. DOSE, was it?" She blinked, looking up at him curiously as she finished off the last of the cone, the quiet snap of breaking wafer the only real sound in the store.
400 ;;

[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: #FFFFFF, 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: #FFFFFF; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] "Mhm." Was his answer, and he leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on the iron latticework of the table as he gazed at her, pausing for consideration. It wasn't something he did often, but he was doing it now, not entirely certain why. He was afraid of alienating her, perhaps- he did have a tendency to do that to people- purely by accident, with his unfortunate lack of tact. Though somehow, he doubted that she was the type to take offense easily. She was so warm, so cheery, more than happy to strike up a conversation with a lost stranger, pay for his ice cream, and sit here, putting up with his babbling. "It's.. ah... it's a government division. Under the Mayor. Mostly science and such." Came the clarification. He really didn't know what he should and shouldn't say- no one had ever taken the time to explain just how much Utopians could and couldn't know- so he left it at that for safety's sake. Her safety's sake. "It's right around here.. somewhere. I'm sure you've seen how much luck I had in finding it." A short, sharp laugh punctuated the sentence, as did a tiny shrug, a sheepish grin quickly spreading across his face. "Not that it's hard to find, though. It's just me- I've got no sense of direction." Finishing the last of his cone, his black-gloved hands restlessly began tearing one of the white napkins into tiny bits and arranging them into a mosaic-esque picture on the tabletop. It might have been a bunny. Or a duck. Artistic skill had never been his forte. Still poking restlessly at the miniscule bits of paper, he flicked his eyes back towards her, studying her from beneath thick, dark lashes. [/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]	Scientific division? Under the government? "Wow." Roxy remarked, her eyebrows lifting slightly as if to accentuate her surprise. "So that makes you a scientist? And under the Mayor too." She smiled, slightly thoughtfully this time, settling her cheek in her hand. "That's awesome. I've never met anyone who works that close to the government." Her answer was cheery enough - she knew that, considering she'd been trying to keep the mood light - but a part of her cringed inwardly. She wasn't super observant, but she'd been paying extra attention to him, trying to keep him happy, and somehow the notion that he was someone so high up... Well to be frank, it made her feel very small and inadequate next to a man she'd started to think of as a friend. And there was a certain hint to his tone, like he was wording his answer very carefully. That seemed odd for him too, considering the way he'd been talking earlier, so carelessly, so stumbling, so cute... Listen to yourself, she chastised mentally, forcing herself into a more positive mindset. Like it matters if he's a scientist or not. He can still be your friend. And besides, he's not that different from you anyways. Her gaze flickered down to the napkin he was tearing up and rearranging, and her smile immediately returned tenfold. Slowly she became aware of his eyes on her, the caramel color of them surprisingly light against his dark lashes. She met his eyes and gave him a little smile, as if to reassure him that everything was okay. Both of them had finished their ice cream, and despite the little voice that reminded her of her duty - taking him to DOSE, if they could find it - she couldn't seem to bring herself to bring up the topic of his workplace again. It was still weird for her to think of him as a scientist. He just didn't have that look, that serious studious demeanor that she'd always imagined scientists having. She could still taste the sweet coolness of the ice cream, but she reached into her bag for a lollipop anyway. Her head still propped in her hand, she twirled it in her fingers, watching it spin. She'd given up trying to come up with something to say; she was out of things to ask, and since it wasn't too awkward without a conversation and he seemed content enough, she let it sit. Though admittedly she did wish she was smart and witty enough to come up with something interesting to say.
429 ;;

[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;] Her tone had shifted just a fraction, a bit of what seemed almost like disappointment shimmering in her vibrant eyes. It made him cringe for half a second, wondering what he'd managed to say wrong this time-- before her words fully sank in. “W-What? Oh, no, no.” A light chuckle, and he raised both hands, shaking his head. “I’m not a scientist-- just a lackey. I run errands. I.. I track things down for them. And nothing too important, either-- because I always get lost.” He settled back into his chair, propping both hands behind his head as he regarded her. The silence they were now in was a comfortable one, a companionable one, as if they were old friends despite the fact that really, they’d known each other around an hour. Less than that, probably. She was fiddling with a cherry lollipop, spinning it like a baton between her fingers, a restless tendency almost like what he was doing with the napkin bits. His smile spread just a bit. He’d never met a girl like this- a girl who was almost like him in all those endearing little quirks and that neverending cheeriness, and he couldn’t help but feel at ease around her. Even if he was still stuttering like an idiot. [/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 picked up on her reluctance, she knew it. It was as plain as day on his face, and she felt a twinge of guilt because of it. It was an unfamiliar emotion for her, guilt, and it made her uneasy. The lollipop spun faster, until she lost control of it and had to grab for it inelegantly to keep it from rolling off the table. But then she heard a low chuckle, and looking up, she found Axel putting his hands in the air, his head moving rapidly from side to side as he denied her statement with a few quick, stumbling words. Immediately she felt herself smiling, a warm feeling bubbling up inside of her until she had to fight to hold back a laugh that wanted to pop out, for no apparent reason at all. It wasn't like he'd said anything funny. "Oh." She said once the giggles had been fully suppressed. "Well that's..." Realizing what she'd been about to say, Roxy cut herself short and smiled more brightly. "I mean, I'm sure that's not true. You're probably very important. If they keep sending you out, even if you do get lost, you mean something, right?" Whether or not her reasoning made sense, her smile didn't fade. She resumed her spinning of the lollipop, not completely paying attention to the habit, and rested her elbow on the table - a bad habit her mother would've chastised and probably punished her for, not that she really minded. He was still watching her, but she didn't really mind that either; he seemed to share the same comfortable ease as her, so it didn't feel odd. He was smiling, anyway. As far as she knew, smiles meant good things. After a few moments of pleasant silence, the clerk - who was still standing there, halfway between cleaning the counter and glowering at them in disgruntled silence - cleared his throat. Her eyes flickered to him, and he gave them both a look, as if he expected them to steal something, before turning and pushing past the doors that led to the back of the shop. The interruption hadn't been much, but it had been enough to remind her that she did have a job to do, no matter how long she tried to put it off. Unable to help herself, Roxanne sighed, a twinge of annoyance in the soft exhale. "Well... I guess we should probably get going soon." Her tone was still reluctant, and again her eyes flickered up to him. "Unless there was something else you wanted to do before you have to go?" There was a sort of vain hope in her voice that she was only vaguely aware of; it wasn't like they were saying goodbye, but she liked sitting here, where the peaceful atmosphere and sweet smells of the candy shop seemed to make time slow down. Leaving it would somehow make it speed up again, and she didn't want to put an end to something as pleasant and easy as a conversation with Axel.
505 ;;

[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: #FFFFFF, 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: #FFFFFF; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] The little art project scattered on the table before him was immediately forgotten as soon as she spoke. Her words were bright enough, cheerful as ever, and she was still beaming, but her clear blue eyes, in contrast were almost longing as she looked up at him, obviously not ready to abandon the quiet little shop in spite of her suggestion. "Ah... Er… Well.." He haltingly sputtered in an attempt to stall, frantically gazing around for some excuse, any excuse, to stay just a bit longer. To stay with her just a bit longer. Her reluctance was contagious. Or perhaps it was purely his own. He didn’t know. But Axel felt as if leaving now, continuing on their way, would bring them that much closer to parting, silly as it might have been. “Not really.” He finally, hesitantly explained, “But, y-y’know, I don’t really want to leave yet.” The hybrid hesitantly admitted, rubbing the back of his head with a cheerful, sheepish grin. [/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]	"You don't?" She repeated, unable to help herself as a broad, relieved smile broke across her features. "Well that's a relief."She leaned back and laughed softly to herself, running her hands through her hair and pulling it to one side so her busy fingers could work through it, twisting and untwisting, braiding and unbraiding. Though this time the movements were a bit more frantic than usual, and realizing this, she pushed it back again and forced her hands to lie still in her lap. "I don't really want to go either..." She continued, as if he didn't already know, with another little laugh. "So, what should we do?" Her eyes lit up again at the prospect, and unable to help herself, she leaned forward again, her clasped hands breaking apart to fiddle with the napkin he'd made a mosaic. Her gaze never leaving the little scraps as she rearranged them, Roxy continued to speak in her usual cheery tone, shuffling napkin bits from one side to another like if she got the pattern just right something magical would appear. "We could do anything. If you're still hungry there's a really yummy bakery just down the road... I think the coffee shop is closing soon though, which is too bad. There are some shows at the Theater I think, my mom said something about it when she asked me to join, but those don't start till late." She spoke easily, as if offering to take an almost complete stranger where he wanted to go was no big deal. "Or we could just stay here ." With a satisfied little smile, she sat back from the newly rearranged collage before her. It was now a butterfly, complete with full patterned wings and little antennae. Not exactly a masterpiece, but when paired with the details her mind through on it, it was good enough. She let it rest there for a few moments before she began to reconstruct it, glancing up at him through long lashes as she worked. "I'm sure there's plenty we could do here..." She paused, fingers hovering over the next piece as she thought. "A game, maybe. Or just talking. And there's a bunch of cool stuff to look at." Having emptied her mind of ideas, she fully stopped her work project - leaving it in a jumbled incomplete state - to look at him, waiting to hear what he thought. Hopefully something would appeal to him - he seemed to want to stay too, seemed to genuinely like her company as she liked his. That she was glad for. She knew she had a tendency to come across a little bit too overtly friendly, but he seemed to take to it well and respond with the same degree of excitement. It was nice, for a change, to be around someone who didn't make her feel like she'd been born with too much energy and not enough self-control to do anything about it.
494 ;;

[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: #FFFFFF, bTable][style=font-family: smarty pants btn; text-align: right; color: #FFFFFF; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: -10px; padding: 5px 30px 1px 5px;]i'll go around a time or two[/style][style=font-family: smarty pants btn; text-align: right; color: #00000; letting-spacing: 1px; line-height: 5px; padding: 0px 15px 5px 0px;]just to waste my time with 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: #FFFFFF; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] "Ah, I..." He paused to consider the variety of ideas she’d offered, amber eyes drifting down to the little paper mosaic she was skillfully rearranging even as she spoke. Clearly, she was more artistically inclined than he. But anyway-- back on topic-- he’d never been to the theater-- and he doubted he could manage what was expected there-- sitting still and staying quiet. The bakery was a likely option-- he’d passed that earlier, and it’d been intriguing-- but not quite enough to dissuade him on his quest. Maybe now, he could stop for a look. And there had been plenty of other little stores lining the long road. "We could always.." He finally offered. "Just take a walk-- stop wherever we want to? There are a lot of stores out there. I’d say we should stay here, but.." He hesitated before flicking his head in the cashier's general direction in a rather weak attempt at subtlety. The man was still at the register, eyeing them, though now under the pretense of wiping down the front counter. “I doubt he’d appreciate that.” Axel rolled his eyes before standing, his long red coat billowing with the sudden movement, and offered her his hand as he nudged the chair aside. “How about it? Shall we?” [/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]	His idea was so simple, it was unbelievable that it hadn't even occurred to her. So she laughed, the same lighthearted sound as usual even though what was funny was her own mistake. "That sounds perfect." She smiled, her amused gaze flickering to the cashier for the briefest moment, a sort of pleasant surprise filling her expression as she turned back to him and found herself facing a gentlemanly proffered hand. It made her feel like a princess. A sudden, vibrant grin replaced the hints of confusion, and she placed her hand in his without another moment's hesitation. "We shall." She answered his question even though it wasn't really necessary, twining her fingers through his gloved ones and lowering them so they swung by her hips. It didn't really seem odd to her, this holding hands with a man she'd known for less than an hour. He already seemed like such a good friend - and besides, it was in her nature. Besides, it was hard to not feel comfortable around him. Even if she tried, he was just too easy to be with. Glancing up at him - she hadn't realized how tall he was, or had she? She couldn't recall - with another smile, she started to lead him towards the door, remaining slightly turned towards him to keep him in her peripherals, though she was unaware of the fact. She paused once they'd made it outside, just beneath the awning, and sighed contentedly as the sunlight and fresh air hit her simultaneously. With no real direction on where to go, she glanced at him again, to see if he had a preference to heading left or right. A woman walked by quite briskly, sparing them a glance and a polite nod as she went, though her eyes lingered for a moment on their clasped hands - most likely wondering about the two of them, a tad mismatched as they were what with his height, her pink hair, and their conflicting outfits; really they were the same only in the enlightened, smiling expressions on their face. Once she'd passed, it occurred to Roxy that this hand holding might make some nervous. Briefly, she worried, unsure of whether she'd come across to strongly in her friendly overbearing - she knew she had a tendency to. But he had offered his hand first... Uncertain, she cast another look over her shoulder at him, fingers slackening the briefest amount to see if he wanted to let go.
409 ;;

[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: #FFFFFF, 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: #FFFFFF; font: 10px verdana; color: #000000; text-align: justify;] His fingers had wrapped around hers without a second thought, (Though he had been relived that she'd taken his hand-- he really hadn‘t stopped to think before he‘d offered it.) His big amber eyes were intent upon taking in the bright sky, the neatly-painted shops, and everything in between, Roxanne included. Every now and then he shot her a slightly worried glance, as If afraid he was doing something wrong. Her smile never faltered, though, and after a few minutes, he relaxed. It wasn’t difficult to do, not with her around. The streets were quiet-- it was too early for dinner, just a bit too late for lunch, and most people were shut away in their offices or behind a cash register. Really, it was a pity-- the day was beautiful. A dark-suited woman with close-cropped hair greeted them politely but briefly and promptly continued on her way, heels clicking on the pavement. Before she went, though, she got Axel's typical smile and a bright, "Hello!" in return. Her dark eyes lingered on their intertwined hands and for a moment, his cheeks flushed. Clueless or not, even he could see how strange they must look. Roxy must have noticed too, because she was glancing at him hesitantly now, slender fingers loosening their grip slightly. He didn't let go, but he unfolded his fingers so that she could slip free if she wanted to, hoping even as he did that she wouldn’t. Somehow, it felt right. A wall of white stone and a great brick arch to their left marked a park entrance and he paused, peering through the entryway into the expanse of grass ahead. Late flowers bloomed, the gravel path was deserted, and in the far distance, a pond shimmered, white birds that were either swans or ducks skimming the surface. He shot her a quick little glance, smile widening. ”…I’ve never seen this before. What do you think? Worth a try?”[/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 seemed to have picked up on her nervousness, and in response she felt his fingers loosen. Not much, but enough for her to remove her hand, if she'd wanted to. Which she most certainly did not. Looking up at him, she saw a bit of reluctance in his big expressive eyes, and simply couldn't bring herself to let go. So her hand simply stayed there, loose in his, halfway between holding it and letting go, her mind unable to decide. A few quick statements and an adorable, contagious smile made her look up and automatically turn her head in the direction of the park he'd pointed out before she'd even registered his words. Once it clicked, however, the realization brought a smile back to her lips. It was a park. And not just any park - one she'd visited often enough as a kid, to watch the swans and chase the ducks and generally annoy her mother to death, her younger brother mimicking her every move. She'd loved the park for other reasons, too, of course, but that wasn't important. Besides, she hadn't been there in so long. Years. And somehow, it felt right to be returning with Axel, of all people. "Okay. Let's go!" She exclaimed brightly, turning back to his expecting eyes and offering another smile. And then, because it felt perfectly right, she cinched her fingers tightly around his, as if she would never let go.
400ish ;; sorry, a bit rough.