Skip Navigation
Do A Little Turn On The Catwalk (Asher)
|
Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 6, 2016 22:43:49 GMT
Damn. If not even Asher could imagine flirting with her, she sounded like the definition of a lost cause. Although the rest of Asher's statements made it seem like he didn't even realize what he was doing when he got flirty. Did it seriously just not register to him half of the time? Isaac couldn't imagine how anyone could lean up in someone's face and go "I could easily make you submit" without realizing how it came off! Then again, at least that one was probably intentional. Something about Isaac's stubbornness seemed to just make him a magnet for Asher's flirtation. The older teen probably got a kick out of seeing him squirm.
Damnit, now the innuendos were happening in his head. This needed to stop.
Fortunately, by now Asher's focus had shifted to his phone. The older teen was now on his phone, nonchalantly rattling away explanations about all of the different props and outfits they had in the back which could be requested. It started to dawn on Isaac that yes, there totally were a pair of cat ears in the back for him. Now that was something Maia was far more likely to take interest in, if only to laugh at how ridiculous her boyfriend was being forced to look. It seemed that also opened up the door to crossdressing, judging by Asher's comments about how he was made to do so. "Yeah, sure, it took a bet for you to make that choice," Isaac said, voice laced with sarcasm. Something told him even if it was for a bet, Asher was all too eager to please.
Did he have to call it a kitty cat? That just made it worse! "Not against it, no. Just," Isaac said, trying to find the right words. How was he supposed to admit he'd feel silly wearing it? This was a butler cafe! The whole point of this place was finding goofy, silly ways of looking hot. And yet at least he looked kinda cute in a butler outfit on its own. Cat ears? That was just embarrassing! And yet he knew sooner or later he'd need to start getting over his embarrassment and put himself out there more. He didn't seem to be succeeding as of now, but damnit, eventually he would!
"So what kind of stuff did you have to wear?" he asked, diverting the subject. It'd be a warning and schadenfreude all in one.
|
|
|
Post by Asher on Dec 6, 2016 23:06:38 GMT
Was anything Asher said actually intentionally flirty? Maybe. But, a lot of the time it was just mindless blurting that sounded appealing somehow! This was apparently what happened when one wasn't raised to be properly social. Or, there was always just a chance that Asher had a fault in his brain that made him fail to understand the different contexts. He was probably just saying things that got a rise out of people, though.
"Of course it took a bet! I mean, I'm not going to just wear a dress for no reason," Asher smiled, thinking about the outfit. "I mean, the dress was kind of short, so think about the underwear choices, here!" If not for that fact, though, it would have been much less of a deal back when he had wore it. "I still have to wonder why they have maid outfits that fit guys so well, though," he mumbled, thoughtfully. Maybe it was to encourage the idea of cross dressing? Though, the thought of putting Isaac in a dress was just ridiculous.
If Isaac was worrying about just wearing cat ears, he would find acting a very difficult endeavor down the line. But, maybe it just took some getting used to. "Usually, it's just the cat ears. Or bunny ears." Because, of course, being a rabbit was a popular thing, apparently. Not that Asher really knew, or cared. He'd rather be a cat than a rabbit! "We actually have a cat onesie, too. Like, you know, the pajamas?" They had the feet and everything! But, boy, was that outfit warm!
"Flower wreathes, tiaras, uh," there was a pause, as one more item came to mind. "A collar, a time or two." Of course, it was more to go along with a cat or puppy outfit, but the redhead wouldn't avoid the fact that such an item existed in their inventory. "Nothing too out there! Was there something you were hoping to wear?"
|
|
|
Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 6, 2016 23:18:19 GMT
"I'd rather not," Isaac said hastily. Asher's underwear choices were a topic he could definitely do without hearing. Especially if he was going to get into detail about how short his maid outfit was in the process. Nevertheless, the concept of ones specifically designed to fit guys was interesting to Isaac. There were increasingly many reasons why Elliot would have a blast at this place, it seemed. Time to ensure he never, ever finds out about it!
Of course, if any objection lingered around the cat ears, the word 'onesie' immediately got them far out of Isaac's mind. Nope! He'd wear cat ears on every part of his body if it meant not having to wear a giant set of cat-themed footie pajamas! Why the heck would they even have one of those. Upon hearing it Isaac found himself choking out "On second thought the ears are fine," as he tried to recover from ever hearing about the idea of a cat onesie. Thankfully from there, it was really hard to find objection with anything else. He'd wear a flower crown. He'd wear a tiara. Screw it, he'd even wear the collar Asher seemed all too eager to see him put on! Just as long as he would never have to get anywhere near that thing.
"No, nothing in particular," he said to Asher's other question. "I just wanted an idea of what to be ready for." Okay. The shock wore off. Maybe he'd have to put on the silly ears. It was fine, as long as Maia wasn't looking. Or maybe if she was. Damnit, Isaac didn't even know anymore. But as with all of the challenges this job was presenting, he'd just keep on pressing onward.
"Been enjoying your break so far?" Isaac asked, figuring he'd might as well stop making the conversations all about himself. Or, at least, all about the stuff he may or may not have been putting on his body. "I mean, its a pretty nice day out, at least. Surprised it's been kinda quiet on a day like this."
|
|
|
Post by Asher on Dec 7, 2016 0:22:22 GMT
Tilting his head, Asher hummed a thought. "Maybe I should pay to have you put on the onesie!" Could employees do that?! It looked like the manager was legitimately considering paying whatever fee it was, in order to have some fun with the new hire! Surely, he wouldn't go that far. ...Right?
Either way, as long as Isaac was willing to get used to wearing ridiculous outfits at the customer's demand, he'd do just fine. A lot of people had too much pride for that kind of thing! "I'm sure you'll find a lot of different things that customers will ask for in the box. I just have predictable customers." Considering there had to be a certain type of person to go into a maid and butler cafe to begin with, it could only narrow the type of person that would want to spend more time with the eccentric redhead.
Ah, but now it was time for a topic change again. "I guess? I don't do much on breaks," he shrugged, thinking about it, "actually, I usually forget to even take one!" Unfortunately, with Isaac's previous guest, he knew that the kid probably needed a break, and it would be awkward to have him return with Asher halfway through an order already. Taking an actual break never hurt, though, right?
"It's quiet because it's a nice day. Nobody wants to spend the day inside of a building, if they can spend it outside. There's usually a few rushes later, though." That made sense to Asher, at least. He'd definitely pick going on a run, over sitting around in a little restaurant, if it was his day off! "Unless it starts raining. Then, we'll be flooded with people." After all, what better way to spend a rainy day than with people that pamper you? "Heard you screaming in the bathroom," there was a pause, as the teen heavily resisted tacking a vulgar comment onto the end of his sentence. "Is taking a break helping, any?"
|
|
|
Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 7, 2016 1:29:45 GMT
Isaac's eyes flashed with irritation as Asher threw down the gauntlet. Could this have waited until later? Like, maybe not on his first day? "I swear, if you pull that I'm gonna buy you the most embarrassing thing they have here," he said under his breath. It was a thought he tried to keep to himself, because he just knew if he said it too loudly Asher would challenge him on it. Hell, he'd probably bring them both matching bikinis and declare they were gonna be working together for another shift. Nevertheless, Asher seemed to have Isaac completely scouted out. There was no way he wouldn't hear that, despite all of Isaac's best efforts.
Predictable customers? Maybe, but that seemed kind of like the M.O. of a maid cafe anyway. If you wanted variety you called on a different person who specialized in what you were after this time. That said, Asher's personality seemed to fit with his duties like a hand in a glove. Was that why he acted so eccentric in public? Or was it more that his public eccentricity made him such a natural fit? Whatever the reason, he had a feeling he knew exactly what Asher's customers were after.
Oh, there's another reason that made him such a great hire! Apparently he forgot what breaks were. Handsome enough to attract attention and working tirelessly around the clock made him sound like the idea employee for this business, really. Then again, it wasn't like Isaac was one to talk. If it wasn't for Asher mentioning that they'd be taking a break, he would have slapped his game face back on and gotten right back into the thick of things. It seemed these two workaholics made a surprisingly good pair. But then again, Isaac didn't like to think about how similar they were.
His eyes widened a little as he realized that Asher had overheard him. He went through the trouble of shutting the bathroom door, shutting the stall door, and muffling his mouth with his hands. What kind of ears did this guy have on him? Nevertheless, he sighed, telling Asher "Guilty as charged. I just needed to blow off a bit of steam, you know?" That probably didn't help at all with the innuendos Asher was trying to stifle right now! "That's the most I've been yelled at since-"
No. Isaac wasn't thinking about that. Even if never in his life had he been so outright disrespected before since the move to Japan. He forced the thought down like a kindergartner forcing down broccoli. "It'd fine now. I just needed to shake that. And hey, now I've got a benchmark for 'it could be worse' no matter what customer comes in, right?"
|
|
|
Post by Asher on Dec 7, 2016 1:49:43 GMT
Of course Asher was listening for anything Isaac might have to say about the fun outfits. With a click of his tongue, he leaned forward again. "I'm pretty sure the maid outfits are the most embarrassing thing in the inventory. And, c'mon! I'm an actor. Do you think ridiculous outfits are beyond me?" Like an episode where he had to wear a crab costume. Luckily, maid cafes heavily lacked the desire to make their workers crustaceans, so it was highly doubted that Isaac could make him sweat.
"Everyone handles things differently!" The manager tried to reassure, hearing the conversation cut off mid-explanation. Man, it felt kind of like he had done something like this earlier! "Since?" But, it looked like he was a little less likely to let the topic go as quickly as Isaac had been willing to before.
Then, there was a pause, as the redhead tried to keep his laughter contained. "You have no idea. She's not our worst customer!" Oh no. Would Isaac have to deal with anything else? What could be worse than breaking cups and blaming the waitstaff? "But! Hey! Hopefully, she's the worst you'll ever have to see!" After all, from what Asher was gathering, he suspected Isaac wouldn't stay at this place beyond Christmas, anyway.
"With any luck, you'll get a bunch of regulars that ask for you, so you'll be too busy with them to even wait on the bad ones!" That seemed like some serious wishful thinking! There was no way that Isaac could get that lucky, right?
|
|
|
Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 7, 2016 2:03:25 GMT
Those are the most embarrassing, huh? Then that must've taken a lot of trust for Asher to freely show off his picture like that. He must have really wanted to reach out to Elliot. While at first Isaac figured it was just something silly, now he realized Asher must have really wanted to make things right for embarrassing Elliot so awfully earlier. He smiled a little as Asher said that, his heart warmed that someone would keep an eye out for his brother like that.
That said, Asher had a great point that actors needed to be used to this kind of thing. Especially if they went into comedy, they couldn't always be cool or handsome. Isaac was fine with, say, getting dirty for a role, or doing something spontaneous and crazy. He just needed to shake his own worries about the subject more. "That's a goal for me to work on. Just . . . one step at a time, please," he admitted, hoping Asher would at least acknowledge this one request of his.
He aggressively ignored the since. He was not talking about this. Instead he launched right into their next topic as if Asher hadn't said anything. "She's not the worst?" he asked, amazed at the mere prospect. "Okay, I gotta hear some stories. I figured this place would have some crazy ones, but if that's just the tip of the iceberg I can't wait to hear what else is in store." It would've also been productive, honestly! He'd have more idea about what to expect. He wasn't solely doing this just to get his daily laughs in.
Regulars? Maybe. Honestly, Isaac wasn't even sure if that was on the cards for him. He'd work the Christmas season in a I-scratch-your-back fashion. He gets to help with the Christmas rush, and in return he gives Maia an unforgettable Christmas. They both win, and then everyone goes their separate ways. After all, there was no way he was gonna end up doing this for the rest of his life, right? Still, the idea of having people not what excited but expectant of seeing him . . .
"Yeah. That might be nice someday," Isaac said, a little bit wistful.
|
|
|
Post by Asher on Dec 7, 2016 2:25:54 GMT
Aw, Isaac was hardly fun! With a slight pout, Asher uttered, "I wouldn't have gone for the onesie, anyway." After all, there had been a pretty decent theme going today, that could be carried on through props! Darn it! There had been such an opportunity there! Well. He supposed he shouldn't push too hard on the subject.
Including the one that his trainee was clearly ignoring. He wanted some good information on this guy! What made Isaac tick? And, maybe, what made him such a grump? Jeez, this kid was kind of a buzzkill!
"Nah," Asher was quick to deny the request of any more stories about the customers. "What fun is it, if I spoil all of the surprises?" After all, that took away all of the mystery of things! And, mysteries could be great! Or awful. In this case, probably awful, but he wasn't going to budge!
Still, he had to muse on the first table that they had waited on, if only a little. "I was surprised you didn't try to win over the first table a little more, actually!" And, what, steal Asher's regulars? Given, they were some of the really easy customers to work with. Who wouldn't want that? All Isaac would have had to do was try to outshine his mentor. That was kind of a rude move, though, at the same time. Surely, the manager wasn't just hoping to lose his regulars to another butler, right?
"Sometimes, 'someday' can be as soon as tomorrow."
|
|
|
Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 7, 2016 2:40:58 GMT
"I had a feeling you'd say that" Isaac responded with a shrug. Sensing the manager was disappointed, he finally relented with a sigh. "Maybe in a few days or something, okay?" he offered, not even sure why he was going to go along with it. Maybe he just didn't want to leave the guy moping again. He had a way of making things horribly awkward when he got mopey, and it made it so much harder to get through shift. Sometimes, it just came down to playing ball for a bit.
Then again, Asher wasn't leaving all his cards out on the table either. Seemed Isaac would be deprived of fun just like Asher was, not allowed to hear about any of the best stories they had cooked up. Then again, he'd probably see a few of them in short enough order. There were quite a few jobs that were incident free, and maid cafes were near the bottom of that list. He'd just have to keep hanging in there, and good stories would be sure to follow.
At mention of not winning over the first table more, Isaac shrugged. "I mean, they requested you," Isaac said. "You knew them like the back of your hand, and they paid money just to see you. I probably would've just gotten in your way on that one." Maybe there was also the little fear nagging Isaac in the back of his head that, flat out, Asher was more charming than him. Even if he put his best foot forward, would he be capable of stepping up to the plate? Asher set the bar really high, after all. However, he didn't let his fear show too strongly. Instead, he just wore his grin confidently. "But the next ones that come up? I'm gonna knock 'em dead. You can count on that." Maybe he would. Maybe they'd sigh in disinterest and keep fawning over Asher. But he'd be busting his ass off to prove her earned his role here!
|
|
|
Post by Asher on Dec 7, 2016 3:02:55 GMT
" Deal. I won't forget," the teen warned, with Isaac throwing him a bone like that. He had a feeling that the trainee was going to regret that offer! Or, maybe he was just banking on Asher's awful memory. Time would tell.
With a shrug, the manager hummed, "you would be surprised how many trainees will try to snatch the first customer they see, for a regular." Maybe, that had partially been the plan? To see what Isaac would do if presented the option. "Some customers think the 'fresh meat' are the cutest things on Earth. Until, you know, someone more new shows up. Or, they just get tired and come back to me." That last line was a little cocky, he had to admit. But, it was tried and true! Most regulars would return to their original preference, after all!
Asher had to appreciate the enthusiasm toward the thought of the next guests, though. "Try to leave them with a pulse. You can't take their breath away if they're dead!" Good advice! Sort of. Okay, that really wasn't advice to begin with. "Only lay it on thick if you think it's an appropriate time for it." Now, this advice was a little better. Except for the part that involved it coming from someone who didn't know how to be appropriate to begin with. "Or, y'know, if you think your guest will love it. Girls usually like the dramatics more than our male customers." Usually!
Though, so far, it seemed that most people that visited the cafe were younger women and teenage girls. Someday, Isaac would have to deal with being a butler for a super-business-type man. It might just take a few days!
|
|
|
Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 7, 2016 3:35:01 GMT
Asher's awful memory was something Isaac knew he could count on. At the same time, Asher seemed to delight in finding new and interesting ways of dashing his hopes, so he had a feeling this would be where Asher's memory would become ironclad. Nevertheless, he'd have to get over his discomforts somehow, right? What better way than wearing an embarrassing outfit as his manager undressed him with his eyes? Nevertheless, as with most things, that'd be for another day. Today, business as usual. And oh how weird usual could be.
Fresh meat, huh? Isaac had a feeling that kind of customer would show up. Then again, he'd rather cultivate a good working relationship than be passed around like a toy by whoever wanted their hands on him next. "Nah, it doesn't sound too surprising," he admitted. "They're gonna want to make a big impression first thing on the job, right? Only makes sense they'd try really hard on their first big day." If anything, Isaac was surprised he managed to temper his expectations this well so far. One shift of being mostly ignored and one shift of being horrified would've killed most people's drive to continue.
He tried his hardest not to roll his eyes at saving the theatrics for when they were appropriate. Asher could've learned that lesson a long, long, long time ago. It would've spared him a ton of awkward looks and elbows to the side. Nevertheless, even if it was a do as I say not what I do moment, Isaac understood what Asher meant. No need to come off as super flaky and fake, especially on a first impression. That said, for girls like the ones Asher was looking after? They seemed to relish in it. He nodded. "Right. Always focus on what the customer wants," he repeated.
"Any fave customers?"
|
|
|
Post by Asher on Dec 7, 2016 3:52:23 GMT
"Big impressions aren't always good things!" Asher would know! But, that was just his personality. The workers that tried to one-up him, thinking he was just being pretentious, usually didn't last very long in the business. It was like the customers could smell how insincere those people were! "That really only works if the person applying it knows what they're in for. Because, when you're requested a second time, that's exactly what your customer wants. Who you were when they last saw you. I think it tires out some of the workers!" And, that was exactly why acting parts that didn't suit a person just didn't always pan out.
With the inquiry on favorites, though, there was no hesitation. "Piper," he pointed out. Surely, that wasn't the answer that Isaac wanted, but it wouldn't come as a surprise. "She usually requests me! Unless she's checking on someone's table manners," the teen smiled. "Normally, I wouldn't tell the new-hires that! But, you already know she's my sister, so I can only assume that you would expect her to tell me if someone doesn't treat her right." That was a scary thought. What if one of the workers treated his little sister poorly?
"Aside from that, I like them all! Even the crabby ones! As long as they don't request my contact information, stalk me, or get mad when I don't take them on a date after my shift," the redhead grinned. "I just really like spending time with people, I guess!" Then again, in any form of customer service, if the person didn't like customers... well, it really wasn't the right job for them. "I don't even know most of my customer's names, so I probably couldn't tell you who my favorites are, even if I had one!" With a click of his tongue, and a soft hum, Asher wanted to press the question back to Isaac, but there really wasn't any way to! He was too new! "So, what's your girlfriend think of your new job?"
|
|
|
Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 7, 2016 4:13:02 GMT
"Makes sense. You look like the cute rookie, but then you get too experienced to pull it off convincingly? Well, then you won't be the cute rookie anymore," Isaac summarized, looking to Asher to see if he understood it properly. Maybe some customers would want a "character arc" where the cute little rookie grew up, learned the ropes, and swept them off their feet, but that was way too much investment for a maid cafe. At that point, there were way more effective hobbies someone could look into. "Worst case scenario, if I'm looking for who I want to be, I'll practice in front of the mirror for a bit. Or Elliot. Isaac shuddered a little at that idea. Elliot would probably go super demanding, just to make sure his big brother was the best he could be. "God, no, he'd be merciless."
While indeed Isaac had been interested more in customer types, Piper was quite the interesting answer. It seemed Asher was just as much of a big bro of the year as he was. Except Elliot was way more of a troll than Piper ever could've been. That said, the idea of Piper being the warden of the maid cafe was kind of hilarious to him. He could just imagine her shooting disapproving glares at customers and employees alike, then tattling the full package Asher's way after her visit was done. Maybe that was part of why customer satisfaction was so high here; after all, Piper was a perfectionist! He made a mental note to be on his best behavior if she showed up, even more so than he already planned on doing it.
Normally he'd roll his eyes about not having customer names, but this was a maid cafe. It wasn't like you were supposed to address them by their name, and for the sake of employees and customers alike personal information was forbidden. Honestly, Isaac was surprised that Asher outright called him Isaac in front of his girls like that! Nevertheless, it was a pretty good social outlet, especially if you were on the hunt for a more noncommittal one. Maybe this job would have more high points than Isaac had originally envisioned.
And then Asher dropped the bombshell of a question. "Oh! Well, uh, I don't know yet," he admitted. "Because she doesn't know. I didn't tell her I was getting a job because then she'd think I'm up to something. I'm trying to take her by surprise and really knock her socks off with these gifts. It's a total secret, and I'm hoping she won't suspect a thing until its time for the holidays."
|
|
|
Post by Asher on Dec 7, 2016 5:05:12 GMT
"Eh, more or less," the teen smiled, not wanting to interrupt whatever thoughts Isaac was having about being the right character. "Just don't be something that will burn you out in a week!" Such as an incredibly excitable butler! It was hard to play that up when negative customers were around, especially! But, with the two options that Isaac provided for practice, the ex-actor felt the need to add in, "or you can practice in front of me." The trainee didn't seem particularly comfortable around him, but he really couldn't beat the fact that Asher knew what he was doing.
It wasn't like he could blame Isaac if he didn't want to take him up on the offer. From what he could tell, the guy was probably only putting up with him because his job pretty much said that he had to. Which, Asher had to admit was fair cause for disliking someone even further. Not that the manager was working here to make friends, anyway.
But, the fact that Isaac wasn't telling his girlfriend about his job just threw Asher for a loop. Did they seriously lack enough contact throughout the day to not find it odd that he was busy with who-knows-what? "So," Asher started, slowly, "you're saying don't tell her about your job. Got it." This seemed like something very important to the high schooler. In fact, he felt like it was a matter that should have been discussed near the beginning of the shift! Luckily, there was no way he had contact to Maia! "I just hope she doesn't think you're spending time with other women, you know?"
After all, nobody wanted to be mistaken for a cheater.
|
|
|
Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Dec 7, 2016 5:37:50 GMT
Asher really seemed eager about helping, didn't he? Isaac knew he meant well, but the over-eagerness was a little bit much to take in. Especially when most of this eagerness came in vaguely sexually charged scenarios. Sometimes more overtly than vaguely, too. If he didn't seem to insist on making it as awkward as possible, maybe Isaac would have been more comfortable letting him make comments about him or letting him in on his practicing. As is, he was just a little bit worried about the kinds of advice Asher would give.
But wait, why the hell was he letting himself worry about this? Asher had been nothing but professional about the job, and he was also a trained, successful actor! Why was he letting a little bit of discomfort get in the way of a big, smart idea like this? He shook his head and swallowed his pride, returning Asher's offer with a smile. "You know what? Sure thing," he said. The least he could do here was try, damnit! Even if he was a little apprehensive.
Of course, Asher seemed a little curious about him not confiding in Maia about this. It made sense, and was a worry Isaac had too. After all, what if she just walked into the cafe on a whim and saw him working there? There would be a lot of explanation needed, especially because a maid cafe wasn't exactly the most respectable job. Then again, it was also some sort of performance gig, and represented Isaac taking a sledgehammer to his comfort zone, so once the shock wore off she'd probably be proud of him, too. But either way, that'd ruin the Christmas surprise, so no can do. He'd open up the truth on Christmas, most likely.
That said, alibis wouldn't be too hard. With the Digital World, would they ever really be seeing each other 24/7? Besides, Maia had been a bit more scarce the past two or three months, and Isaac was sure it didn't mean she was seeing any other guys. Just a busier lately. "Nah, we trust each other," he assured Asher. "How about you? Living the bachelor life?"
|
|
|