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Do A Little Turn On The Catwalk (Asher)
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 2, 2016 23:59:58 GMT
Isaac sighed as he looked at the building in front of him; Cat Street's premier maid and butler cafe. It was a surprisingly popular spot in the area, especially among some of the nerdier parts of the school. And here he was, hovering somewhat awkwardly in front of it with a flier clutched in his hand. Occasionally he looked down at it, as if confirming that yes, he had the right address from the right flier. Frankly, he couldn't believe what he was about to do. And yet, did he really have any other option?
Snow was falling, as was the temperature. Jackets were starting to come out of the closets. And that little calendar on the wall? If it still said November, it wouldn't be for long. While Christmas creep was far less intense than Isaac was used to in California, all the signs were pointing to the holiday season approaching fast. Right now, Isaac had only one goal in mind. To celebrate all they've been through so far, he was gonna give Maia the world.
Unfortunately, he was a high school student on a budget. But if he let that stop him from rising to the occasion and spoiling her rotten, what kind of guy would he be? And that was what brought him to the building he stood in front of right now. He looked down one last time at the flier in his hands, a Help Wanted advertisement. It wouldn't have been his first thought, but after passing by the flier the first few times the thought lingered in his head for quite a while. The more he thought about it, and the closer it came to December starting, the more he found himself considering it. After all, it might have been one of the more resume friendly jobs he could find for getting into acting, too. Wasn't this just portraying a character of sorts? If he did decide to take drama a step beyond interest, this might have been good training.
Besides, the look on Maia's face would be priceless when he showered her in gifts.
The interview had been a long and grueling process, but he knew exactly how to go about it. Head held high. Confidence to a maximum. Enthusiasm, just enough to not seem desperate. He demonstrated his Japanese, good enough in spoken form and with a foreigner's accent that would apparently be a big enough hit to justify slip-ups. He showed he had the finer points of balance and charisma in check. With all of his qualifications set and questions answered, Isaac had landed the job.
But that was just the beginning of the beginning. Now was where the adventure truly started; training day. He arrived well beyond operating hours, as had been requested of him, to ensure he'd have enough time to be brought up to speed. From there it would be simple. Head to the back, take a seat, and wait for the one in charge of training him to get things started. And that was exactly what he did, rocking a foot back and forth nervously as he remained in his seat.
If only he knew what, or who, would be in store for him.
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Post by Asher on Dec 3, 2016 4:44:23 GMT
Ah, pre-customer hours. How loathed this time was. In fact, it was a little earlier than the teen normally arrived for this shift. Ugh. In one of the bathrooms, red hair was fixed in a mirror, and vest adjusted accordingly. Clean glasses, check. Shirt collar fixed? Check. Wearing pants. Definitely check. Okay, he had this!
Having been given a warning earlier in the day that a new hire was starting, there was a sense of dread and excitement wrapped up into a ball in Asher's stomach. Who would it be? Would they be fun? Angry? Would they run out crying within the first hour? He didn't know fast enough!
So, without further ado, he slipped into a second office just long enough to grab a paper, to see the name on who he was checking in on. I. Sunderland. Huh. That didn't sound very Japanese. But, who was he to judge? He certainly wasn't, either!
Closing that door, he turned to the next, prying it open rather casually, intending to take on a professional voice for introductions. That was, until he saw the back of the head of the person in the chair. This kid looked awfully familiar. And, didn't the paperwork put him at fifteen-ish?
Instead of the regular introduction, he slipped up behind the younger teen, slowly reaching out to place a hand on both of Isaac's shoulders. Leaning over the chair, and in turn Isaac, Asher flashed an almost upside-down grin. "Mister Sunderland! Fantastic to meet you! I hear this is your first day working with us? What ever made you decide something like this?" Poor, poor Isaac. What was he in for?
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 3, 2016 5:03:46 GMT
Isaac had no idea what to explain from his trainer for the day. For a place so associated with nerdiness, the owner of the place was nothing short of professional. The employees were all really friendly, too. A few of them even offered to play some games with him before the interview to help ease his nerves! Maybe his trainer would be on the dignified and professional side, or maybe he'd instead be given a nice, chill introduction. Whichever it turned out to be, he was feeling surprisingly optimistic about all of this. He breathed gently, in and out, as he focused on the positives to help de-stress.
And then he suddenly felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin. Only the sudden appearance of a face above his forehead stopped him from accidentally jumping out of his seat, and that was because Isaac really didn't want to bust someone's nose open on the first day of his job. Besides, what if it was just one of the senior employees pulling a little prank on him? He'd feel awful flipping out over something that minor.
Well, at least Isaac was half right. It certainly was an older employee with mischief on his mind. Exactly who that employee was, however, managed to be both a huge shock and completely unsurprising. Eyes widened in shock slowly turned into eyes narrowed in irritation as Isaac realized that Asher was grinning at him like a Cheshire cat. As the surprise wore off, he thought about what he remembered of Asher. Yeah, if that guy worked anywhere, it'd probably be here. Acting as dramatic as you wanted while being surrounded by sexy people sounded like it would be Asher's paradise. And who else would've been so bold as to just grab onto him like that?
"Oh, hello Asher," Isaac said, finding it a little hard to hide the preemptive irritation in his voice. After all, this was the guy who joked about hitting on his brother just to get everyone's goat. Even with the moment less raw, Isaac still wasn't gonna be too thrilled to see him, whether upside down or right side up. Still, why be grumpy when you could have good humor about it instead? He figured joking around a little might help make this all easier to swallow. "Had a feeling I'd be seeing you here one way or another.
Yeah, today's my first. Although I already brushed up on the rules, like no touching the maids and butler." Isaac paired his statement up with a very pointed glance at the hands on his shoulders right now. But hey, he knew the rulebook, so that was more stuff Asher wouldn't have to do! "As for why I picked it up? Well, I figure it'll help a little getting my name out there when it comes to performing in roles. And . . . well . . . "
He seriously couldn't admit it. Not to Asher. Yet his cheeks started to turn distinctly red as he considered who he was doing this for. "There's some important stuff I need to get money for, too." Between the blushing, the approaching holidays, and the way he was beating around the bush, it was incredibly clear what Isaac's intent was.
"And what made you want to work here?"
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Post by Asher on Dec 3, 2016 6:37:27 GMT
Why didn't anyone ever seem happy to see Asher? Regardless, the grin remained, "good start! I've got them memorized. Did you know, that rule is about our safety from the customers?" Poor Isaac. It looked like that wasn't going to work out so well with his coworker. "We also have a rule about customers taking photos without our consent!" That one was important, right? "It's weird to Americans, but we actually have a fee for people to take pictures with us. Makes you feel special, that people would want to pay to take a picture with you, huh?" Those were 'little details' that Asher didn't really care too much about, but it seemed important to reiterate, even if Isaac knew the rules perfectly.
Hands slid up the younger boy's shoulders, almost if they were trying to escape the physical contact, as Asher made the extra effort of lightly brushing the tips of Isaac's hair with gloved fingers. Gliding around the chair, and then a desk, the redhead tilted his head. "I'm hoping someone took down your clothing sizes when you had your interviews?" One hand reached down to a drawer on the desk, though hovered, waiting for a response.
In the meantime, he supposed he could answer the question posed to him. "Mmmmm-Mom told me that I needed to either have a hobby or a job." Who would have thought that it wasn't deemed healthy to sleep all day? "So I was walking around, and saw a pretty girl in a maid outfit. And thought, 'huh, that looks really cute.' Except, I thought it aloud. To the girl. And she told her parents. I guess they own this place!" How in the world does that get someone a job?! Either Asher covered his stupidity well, or it had somehow come off as charming. "I'm surprised you wanted this job, though. Most guys try to make their girlfriends apply here instead!"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 3, 2016 12:20:36 GMT
Isaac nodded at Asher's statements. "Seems like the point stays the same for both of those rules," Isaac pointed out. "Wouldn't want any shady characters getting our pictures and harassing us, after all." The rules of the establishment were practically a list of things you couldn't do to the employees because it'd be uncomfortable at best and downright dangerous at worst. Learning that was half if why Isaac even felt comfortable enough to apply. After all, it meant he'd likely be spared having to endure a million butt-grabs. Then again, with Asher as his trainer, he couldn't count himself as completely out of the woods. The man had interesting definitions of personal space.
Like gently rubbing his fingers across Isaac's hair. For a split second a look of relaxation spread across his face, only for Isaac to remember who he was dealing with and supress it with a look of irritation. Damnit, if Asher of all people found out he had a weakness for having his hair stroked, he'd never hear the end of it. Nevertheless, there were professional questions that were far more important to focus on here. "Yes. I should be a small in just about anything here," he answered, citing his own rather diminutive height. Sure, it didn't stick out as much among other boys his age as it would in California, but it was still rather clear that he was a short guy.
That last growth spurt had better come eventually, damnit.
As Asher rooted through the drawer in response to Isaac, he recounted his own story of how he came to work here. If it was anyone else, Isaac would have probably rolled his eyes at how odd that was. But this was Asher. Could Isaac really rule anything out in that case? It was a way easier mental image to process than Asher standing in line on job interviews. Still, it wasn't like Isaac had room to talk. If he was going to disbelieve people's weird shenanigans, his own unbelievable adventures would be near the top of that list. Hell, who would have ever believed the story about how he met Maia?
Speak of the devil, Asher promptly brought her up. Isaac had to admit, Asher's question did leave him considering that she'd look super cute in a maid outfit. Hell, she could probably rock a suit, too. The more realistic part of his brain promptly butted in to remind Isaac that Maia really didn't seem the maid cafe type. Maybe she'd check it out on a whim, but pressure and awkwardness were prime nope factors for her. Besides, that wasn't the point here. "And then what would I do? Ask her to buy her own Christmas presents?" he found himself asking, not realizing he was thinking out loud until the words came out of his mouth.
Sighing, Isaac braced himself for the teasing sure to follow.
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Post by Asher on Dec 3, 2016 19:37:59 GMT
Well, of course that was the point! Some real creeps loved to hang around maid cafes! Heck, sometimes they even waited after-hours to try to harass the workers that were leaving. It seemed that even once the employees were in street clothes, they still weren't viewed as regular humans for at least ten minutes after leaving the building. "Well, if you think someone's going to creep on you, I can always walk you home those nights." Of course, Isaac seemed to find Asher a bit of a creep, so it probably wouldn't do much good. "I've done it for the girls. Most of the guys have too much pride, I think," the redhead added, with a smile.
The strange reaction from Isaac's hair being touched hadn't necessarily gone unnoticed. But, it seemed really out of place. So, instead of prying on why the younger teen had so suddenly made such an agitated face, Asher focused on what he was supposed to be doing. Shocker! He actually knew how to control himself every so often? "Right, right," the young man mumbled, pulling out a folder from the drawer, and dropping it on the table, open. "Gotta make you sign some sort of forms. Feel free to read them, or don't. They basically just say that you understand you're a minor, and that you won't sue us if we fire you for throwing potato chips at the clients." Well, that seemed awfully specific. But, with that, he dropped a pen and a couple of papers in front of Isaac. "The owner probably forgot about getting you to sign them."
It was actually a little surprising that Isaac hadn't made a single comment about the fact that Asher was asking all of these 'important' questions. Oh well! The older teen didn't care so much for the serious aspect of the very beginning of the job.
Flitting over a cabinet, Asher pulled it open, humming, "too big, too big, way too big. That'll look like you're wearing a swimming pool, hummm... Oh!" Spinning around, the cabinet slammed shut, as the redhead delicately placed a pile of clothes on the table beside the paperwork. "And, you'll need to change. Bathroom's just outside the door, to the left. Or I can turn around, if you're daring like that."
But, to continue participating in his actual conversation, lips turned to a smirk. "You would be surprised. Some people actually think that works!" There was a pause, while Asher fixed his glasses on his face, "I mean, usually breaking up is soon to follow, but it wouldn't be the first time!" After all, if the boyfriend 'got' the girl a job, she should buy her own presents, right? ...Not quite. But, that seemed to be the logic behind some people!
With the mention of Christmas, though, Asher seemed more interested, leaning on the desk lightly. For a moment, eyes glazed over while he rambled out, "what I'm about to say has no impact on your job, and is not a question from the company at all, but my own." It seemed that this was some sort of dialogue that the teen was forced to say to avoid other people from assuming that he was trying to discriminate on jobs or something. Almost immediately after it had been finished, the regular smile returned, and he shifted to better sit on the table. "So! Christmas presents, huh? Didn't take you for the religious type!" Well, now it should have been understandable as to why he had to ramble off something beforehand. It seemed the teen had no idea that a lot of families of different views, or sometimes none at all, still traded presents!
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 3, 2016 20:27:53 GMT
Isaac could tell Asher was just being careful, but he still found himself wrinkling his nose almost unintentionally as the offer was posted. Maybe its because Shoulderrubs McBrotherflirter wasn't exactly Isaac's first choice for an escort. Still, if he was responsible for the management of dozens of guys and girls, he probably meant it in a legit way and not a teasing way. Otherwise, he'd be a walking liability to the workplace. Slowly, Isaac's harsher look faded a bit. "I think I'm good keeping an eye out for myself. But thanks. I'll make sure to come to you if I feel uncomfortable," he said. Okay, so that included coming to Asher with an irritated glare if Asher was the one making him uncomfortable. But still.
Thankfully, he seemed to pass over a few obvious chances at that. Like the fact that he totally stroked Isaac's hair on the sly. Instead of teasing him for his obvious weak point, instead Asher started calmly taking out liability forms. Isaac started to sign them, his signature just like his personality; small yet bold. It seemed odd that someone so brash had such careful penmanship, but soon Isaac had finished out all of the forms just to his liking.
Changing in front of Asher was an absolute no, so instead he decided he'd take the clothes to the bathroom with him. However, first, he had a few more things to hear out from Asher. Like the comment about making girlfriends buy their own Christmas presents, which got Isaac cracking up. How can anyone be so dumb? At that point, they deserved being tossed out on their butts. "Bet one of the gifts they buy is a cab ride hom for the ex," Isaac joked.
Of course, with Christmas the topic, Asher seemed to take an odd amount of interest. The workplace questions were one thing. After all, training day was for thorough review of the job, and if it was for the sake of employment he'd go as far as to freely tell Asher something as embarrassing as his hip measurements. On the other hand, Asher suddenly asking about his religion was way stranger. He seemed caught somewhat off guard, trying to think of a response to something he had honestly never thought about much. "I mean, maybe?" Isaac asked, as if unsure of the answer himself. "I kinda think something might exist, but I really don't think about it much. Anyway, its not really about religion for me. Or getting gifts. I just really want to make the people I care about happy, you know? Why, are you religious?"
He'd listen to the question's response, but then he'd indicate he was making his way to the bathroom. After all, he had a job to do here! Upon entering, the first thing he'd learn is that his outfit was tight. Not in a sense that it was too small, but in the sense that it was probably meant to make butts look really good. Immediately regret washed over Isaac, but he grit his teeth and shook the thought. No time for second thougjts. This was for Maia, and no amount of butt pants would change that! By comparison the top felt far better, even if the bow tie around his neck still felt a little itchy and the jacket top made him feel a bit too warm. He got any necessary scratching out of the way, and then started fussing with himself just a bit more. Comb the hair until it looked at its fluffiest. Pop some breath mints to be as fresh as possible. Give his eyes a quick rub to smooth away any tiredness from waking up so early. If he was going to make a first impression, he was going to make it a good one.
He continued this goal as he stepped out of the bathroom, finding the outfit hindered movement just enough to be irritating but not enough to be noticeable. Nevertheless, he held a steady and measured walk, not too slouched and not too straight. Upon reaching the back room again he turned to face Asher and bowed, the nerves and fact he was showing off for Asher making his smile a bit uneasy. As he spoke he made sure to keep his voice a little low, making it sound more suave and accentuating his accent.
"Ah, good morning, master. How do I look?"
It was incredible he managed not to vomit.
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Post by Asher on Dec 4, 2016 5:59:36 GMT
"Closest to a gift anyone like that has gotten was Escorted Out." The redhead grinned. It was a wonder that Asher hadn't gotten that as his first treatment to the cafe! It seemed that he had gotten quite lucky! Then again, with charm like his, the young man was perfect for this place.
Still sitting on the desk, the teen listened to the answer about Christmas and religion. There was an interested hum to the reasons. "Me? I'm not. I don't know enough about churches for that." At least he was honest! "I think Piper's technically Catholic, though. Confirmation name and all of that." There was a shrug, as he considered what else had been said. "I didn't really do Christmas until a few years ago," and then a pause, before adding, "crap. I don't know what to get her this year." What did the older brother get for someone who had pretty much anything she needed already? More books? He didn't even know what genre she read! While Isaac went to the bathroom to change, the teen debated this heavily. Even once the trainee returned, Asher hadn't a clue what to do as far as presents went. What was he to get his step-mom, at that?! Ugh! Holidays sucked!
Spacing out on the ceiling, it took a second before it processed that Isaac had returned! Yellow eyes lowered to the youth, completely silent. Slowly, one hand lifted to cover his nose and mouth, trying to conceal the pink color brushing across his cheeks, along with the confused smile. Eyes were wide, looking over the teen. Finally composing himself enough, the redhead rose off of the desk, and closed the space between the two of them. Lowering himself to be eye level with Isaac, it would be clear that the blush hadn't entirely faded off of the teen's face. "Very cute," he started, but added a more hushed, "but, please, never call me Master again." Leaning away, rapidly, grin returned in time for him to chime, "unless you want me to make you wear a collar." What kind of shows did Asher act in, again?!
"How's the outfit feel? Do you feel the urge to plea--" No. Bad Asher. Be work appropriate, darn it! "--Play the part of butler, to the masses?"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 4, 2016 6:28:39 GMT
Isaac had to admit, he wasn't expecting to throw Asher off of his game. He was just doing a quick warm-up to get into character, and apparently it was enough to turn Asher into a blushing mess. Part of him was honestly kind of confused. Was he really that attractive? On the other hand, he couldn't help but feel a little bit proud of himself for it. After Asher had practically ruined Elliot's day with some hardcore teasing, it was empowering letting the shoe get put on the other foot. It was why when Asher closed their gap and leaned down into Isaac's face, he was able to answer not with embarrassment but with a straight face. "Heh. Sorry about that. I was just getting into my role, you know? Wouldn't be a good first impression if I didn't get into character properly," he said. However, slowly a smirk spread across his face. "But hey. I've been coming down with a cold, so I've been meaning to ask. Mind telling me how your own medicine tastes, again?"
Then again, beating Asher at his own game wasn't exactly easy. With one comment, Asher managed to get a frustrated blush spreading across Isaac's face again. Did he seriously just imply what Isaac thought he was implying? He was the first to break eye contact this time, but he grumbled under his breath "I'll call this one a stalemate." No way he was letting that great one line get wasted on a loss. And he sure as heck didn't want Asher to keep this little "game" continuing.
At mention of how the outfit field, Isaac did a few basic movements to demonstrate he was fully competent within it. "Kinda on the tight side, but I get the feeling that's how it's supposed to feel," he responded. "And its certainly an outfit that makes you feel ready to get into character. I mean, if I wasn't acting like a butler in this, I'd just feel ridiculous." Was he "ready to please?" Probably not just yet. He had a feeling the nerves would be running high once his actual shift started. Yet at the same time, he felt way less uncomfortable than he had expected to feel, present company strongly and notably excluded.
"So, what kind of stuff would you like me to run through?"
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Post by Asher on Dec 4, 2016 7:27:23 GMT
Asher had no shame when it came to being turned into a mess. After all, it was considered charming in it's own regard! And, the teen would own however he acted. He let Isaac feel proud of himself for a moment, but the second that a blush took over and eye contact was broken, it seemed that the older teen needed to reinstate that there most certainly was no stalemate to be had.
Reaching one hand up, Asher decided to delicately, but forcefully, place the side of his index finger under Isaac's chin, using it to guide the boy's face back to regain eye contact. A smirk was still across the ex-actor's face, as he once again lowered his face to be closer. Lips parted for the redhead to smoothly state, "I've been told my medicine is quite delicious. Do you want a taste?" White gloved hand dropped immediately, while yellow eyes peered at the boy through lenses. He almost seemed to hesitate leaving the space, as if to give any opening for Isaac to retaliate however deemed feet.
Finally, he straightened his posture. There wouldn't be a testosterone war between them, would there?
Either way, Asher's smirk faded to smile, as he nodded. "Owner likes to show off the assets, I think." For a moment, the teen opened his mouth, before snapping it shut. "Well, assuming you read the handbook, you know that our guests are treated as royalty. We want them to come back as much as possible, and we want them comfortable. When you greet a person, tell them," and with this, Asher took a step away from the younger boy.
With a small bow, he raised his head to gaze at Isaac. "Welcome home, Master~." While straightening his posture slightly, he tilted his head softly to the side. Red hair threatened to fall over a portion of the teen's face, only kept in place because of his glasses frames, as hands folded in front of him. "How may I serve you today? Would you like a glass of water?" Then, there was a pause. It seemed a lot more perfected than Isaac's, but Asher had to give the boy credit. It was still pretty darn cute, the way had had returned to the office!
Again, he adjusted how he stood, now placing a hand on his hip, "once you get the hang of that, you can work on more complicated things, like offering to call them names of their choice. We call most of our ladies 'Princess,' and our male clients are 'Master,' as you've already figured out." Not that this was a hard one to remember. "I was planning on having you work with me for the day, shadowing at first, to learn some of the basics. No problems, I hope?" After all, Isaac didn't seem to have much fun being near Asher. But, there really wasn't anyone else qualified to teach him!
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 4, 2016 7:57:16 GMT
Isaac had thought that conversation was over. He certainly didn't expect to have his face guided up to Asher's by the index finger. The blush on his face reddened indignantly as he wondered "Wait, what are you-!" Soon Asher was back in Isaac's face, turning his own line right against him. Except in a much, much lewder version. There was a strained noise from his throat as he tried to figure out what the heck he could say in response, only to slowly die down into awkward silence and a furious blush. Maybe to an outsider it would have looked cute, except for the pure murder radiating from Isaac's eyes. If it wasn't for the fact that this was the guy training him for his job, it was likely Isaac would have just smashed him full force with a headbutt. Instead, he simply glowered until contact was broken.
Besides, now it was time for more on the job training. Judging by the pattern Asher was setting, he'd grope Isaac's ass and then start calmly explaining cake decorating to him not even five seconds later. Nevertheless, he had to admit that Asher was good at what he did, so despite his increasing distaste for the situation he sat back and watched his technique. And he had to admit, it was damn good. The head tilt and the folded hands were integral to selling the image. How could he have forgotten about those when he worked so hard on getting all the details right? The smile couldn't really be helped, either, because that was just comfort with the situation. It'd take time to develop, unless his nervousness was too charming to get rid of. Nevertheless, he found himself matching Asher's pose, folding his hands and letting his hair bounce a bit after a soft tilt.
He nodded as he listened to the rest of Asher's explanations. It really seemed like this wouldn't be too tough, especially if it came down to keeping people's preferences in mind and picking up on what they liked. Being rather good at reading people, Isaac figured he'd be a natural at that after some time and practice. Nevertheless, some practical time and experience would be really helpful. He just had to make sure a certain someone didn't throw any last minute curveballs into the mix. "No problems. Unless you pull something like that again," Isaac said. "Are we going to start with the real thing right away, or is it going to be some sort of practice run?"
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Post by Asher on Dec 4, 2016 8:29:59 GMT
It certainly felt like proper dominance in the subject had been re-established. "I'll admire your effort, though," he murmured, brushing gloves on his pants. Asher wasn't the type to completely ignore the fact that someone had tried to outdo him in anything. But, everyone deserved the credit that was due. Little did Isaac realize that his attempt to give Asher a taste of his own medicine may have created consent to open that box even further. He'd have to stay on his toes from now on!
Still, after his little performance, he tilted his head again. "Pull what again?" Asher had no idea what Isaac could have been referencing! And, from his tone, it was a serious question. Huh. This guy had no idea what he could have done that discomforted his trainee! But, hey, the kid was willing to still be taught by him. It couldn't have been anything too bad, right?
"Normally, we don't do dry runs. But, if you're really uncomfortable, we might have time to do one?" The redhead thought about it with a shrug. "I've always felt it's easier to learn completely hands-on. But, I like to keep my hands on everything." That was a given! Surely, Isaac had realized that Asher was an incredibly physical person by now! "I'd prefer to start you up front, and work our way from there. Questions? Concerns? Arguments?"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 4, 2016 8:54:56 GMT
Isaac looked flabbergasted at Asher's response. Could he seriously not put together Isaac being upset about what went down less than a minute ago and what Isaac asked him to never do again? A minute hadn't even passed yet! How was he already forgetting it? However, as Isaac steamed over it, Piper's words echoed in his head. "He's too dense to know that he's said anything wrong." Apparently that also extended to doing anything wrong, too. Suddenly, a novel concept crossed Isaac's mind. If he got to the root of the problem, and actually told Asher why he was upset, maybe it'd actually lead to things being less awkward! Stricken by inspiration, he tried to find the words to describe his thoughts, even if he was not entirely the best at putting the strange, sexually-charged behavior of ex celebrities into words. "You know, that thing where you lifted up my chin, got in my face, and started making comments like that at me," he finally responded. "That kind of thing."
From there, it was time to wait patiently and see if it registered. As he waited for a response, he considered the lack of dry runs. Overall, it made sense. This was a cafe all about reading people's desires and preferences. If they just had new employees practice on a few of the maids, it'd be awful training. How would they be able to feign interest in anything resembling a convincing fashion? Instead it'd just be artificial, with far too many manufactured tells. Really, the only way to start a job like this would be to just dive right in.
"No arguments here," Isaac commented, nodding slightly at Asher. "I think I'm- one second." He took the time to fuss over his outfit, making sure everything was nicely straightened, dusted, and perfectly hung on his body. He thought it had been beforehand, but it was better to be safe than sorry when making a first impression like that! "Okay, now I'm ready."
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Post by Asher on Dec 4, 2016 9:33:24 GMT
Isaac's response left Asher silent again. Now, the redhead simply stared at him vacantly. Yellow eyes remained unblinking and wide behind the clear lenses. Multiple thoughts crossed the ex-actor's mind, while it seemed that he was completely zoning out. The only indicator that something had clicked was the sudden rapid rising and falling of his chest, and the teen resisted audible hyperventilating.
Safe space, safe space, safe space. Space is safe? Space is infinite. Space, space, space.
...And, exhale. Realizing that he had completely lost what he felt was his composure, Asher turned his head, forcing himself into a coughing fit to try to cover up whatever had just come over him. "S-Sorry!" He managed between coughs, trying to cover his face with his arm. Crap, crap, crap. That was almost bad. "Tried holding in the coughs! Didn't work!"
After a moment, he finally took a few deep breaths, as if testing his lungs. Believable, right? Hopefully. Shoot, he already felt like he needed his break. But, aside from this, he made no comment to imply that he had understood a word of what Isaac had stated.
At least there were no arguments to be had. With Isaac trying to adjust everything, the older teen shifted forward. White gloves reached out to fix something on his trainee, as he hummed an, "oh." But, as soon as the sound escaped his lips, eyes widened again, and body froze. Quickly regaining himself this time, he shifted to fix one of his own sleeves, despite it not needing adjusted to begin with. Deep breath.
Reaching up, Asher pressed his glasses up his nose with his index finger. This little action helped conceal the view of tightly shutting eyes without seeming too obvious, before he opened them and blinked rapidly a couple of times. Okay. Back to the act.
Skirting around the younger boy, Asher made his way to the door, motioning for his trainee to follow him. "Okay! So. You've probably figured out, I'm today's shift manager. Anything that goes on around here comes back to me. So, don't try to sneak around behind my back! Again, throwing chips at customers gets you fired," he started, as he led them down a small hall. With a few motions, he pointed out, "break room's over there. Kitchen, there. A lot of the things are made by our cook, but there are a couple things I'll show you once it comes up. Mostly details and whatever," he explained, trying to maintain some professional sound. It was just easier to show, rather than tell! Nobody remembered words alone, right?
"We try to keep sections, so nobody gets overwhelmed. Guests can request to be seated in certain worker's areas, though. You're sure to collect at least one regular that will ask for you," he paused, reaching the front of the cafe. Immediately, he walked to a booth that was found at the front of the shop, and picked up a piece of chalk. On a board hanging from the booth, there were several names, including his own. Leaning down, he added an '&' symbol beside his name, before pausing, "how do you spell your name, again?"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 4, 2016 17:00:58 GMT
There were a ton of reactions Isaac could have imagined. Like being patronizingly chastized. Or being ignored. Maybe even a sorry that was semi-genuine at nest. Instead of any of those reactions, however, Asher just seemed to stop entirely. He wasn't just giving Isaac the silent treatment. After all, his eyes were steadfastly refusing to blink, and his chest was heaving at a surprising pace. Slowly Isaac's look of irritation started to melt away as he wondered why his little comment had set Asher off so badly. Isaac had no idea if this reaction to such a simple critique made him feel more irritated or worried. However, one he started coughing, stuttering, and apologizing, worry started to win out. "Hey, come on, its okay," he said, voice noticeably softer. Sure, he was somewhat peeved the apology was for the coughing and not for making him uncomfortable, but he could tell this wasn't the time for that. "Everyone's gotta cough sometimes, right?"
Of course, maybe more of what he asked stuck than what Asher seemed to imply. As Isaac touched himself up he noticed Asher starting to reach for him. Immediately after, however, the older teen adjusted course the fix himself up instead. It was totally needless, considering Asher looked absolutely flawless right now, but Isaac couldn't help but smile at understanding the intent of the gesture. But he just kept on taking those deep breaths, as if remembering to do this was a physical struggle. Wait, was it a physical struggle? It almost made Isaac feel a little bad, as if he was a huge source of discomfort for Asher right now.
No. He quickly hushed that thought process up. Boundaries were key, and he had every right to establish them.
For now things remained professional, even if the awkward specter of Asher's little meltdown continued hanging over Isaac's head. Nevertheless, he needed to focus first and foremost. Break room. Kitchen. No real need for Isaac to learn much cooking besides decorative work. All sounded good so far. The break room in particular seemed rather entertaining. Were those Smash setups in the back? Jeez, Elliot would've loved this place. A shame Isaac would never let him work here in a million years. Then there was the section setup, which made sense. Maids frantically running from side to side would hilariously dispel the easygoing illusion of the place. Isaac didn't recognize many of the names from his section, Asher's excepted of course, but he hoped he'd get to know them over time.
As Asher asked to spell his name, he dutifully spelled it out. "I-S-A-A-C. But," His voice trailed off slightly. Was he seriously going to ask this. "Are you doing okay? Like, are you still feeling up to this?" There may have still been some lingering worry over Asher's panic earlier. Guilt? Not really, but he still felt somewhat responsible.
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