milliways_bar | (no subject)

Echo blinks, then bounces over.

"I remember you!"

Youji blinks, then grins at Echo.

"Hey! You speak!"

There goes the neighbourhood.

She giggles and tugs on a strand of blue hair.

"A lot has happened since I last saw you."

Youji gives Echo a searching look. Hey, maybe he's even checking her out a little, it's hard to tell with him.

"So it would seem. And I wasn't even gone that long."

She blinks at him and tilts her head.

"How long was it for you?"

"Hmmm... since the last time I was here?" Youji ponders for a moment... probably that night with the strange man in the robes.

"I think it was probably about two weeks ago. Maybe."

She blinks. "Wow. I've been here now for 3 months now."

"That has been awhile, then."

He watches Echo. She seems... excited.

"So, how's life been treating you, while you've been here? Other than the talking thing, of course."

She grins and holds out her left hand with the green ring on it.

"I meet someone and we're getting married!"

Youji smiles.

"That's great Echo. You're really lucky."

Bitter? Youji? Why would you say that? It's not like he had to watch his girlfriend die, find out she was actually alive, and then kill her again with his bare hands or anything.

Oh wait... yeah it is.

But he's still a good sport.

"So, who's the happy man? Sorry it wasn't me."

She giggles.

"Well, I haven't seen you. So it couldn't be you. His name is Yamino."

Yamino....

The name is vaguely familiar.

Youji tries to think... there's something about cake boxes... and a lot of alcohol.

"Oh! The man with the strange voice?"

***
[ooc: if ya didn't know, Yamino and Youji have the same seiyuu in the japanese.... Yamino-mun and myself were endlessly amused by this fact.]

[ooc: *giggles* I remember that now!]

She pouts. "He doesn't have a strange voice."

"Well, he sounded strange to me."

He grins though, to remove any possible idea it could be an argument.

"But I'm sure he has other more notable features."

Echo nods and smiles.

"He's cute and kind and sweet and he loves me and I love him and it's wonderful!"

Youji can't help but be happy for Echo. She's just so cute!

It makes him a little sad, though. Asuka probably never said those things about him.

He pulls a cigarette from the ever present pack, and lights it.

Then, because many women don't like cigarettes these days, he pulls a cattlya (http://www.votawphotography.com/photo/Flowers/409-Lavender%20Cattleya%20Orchid.jpg) from another pocket, and hands it to Echo.

"Although perhaps not as beautiful as you, I offer you this as congratulations."

Echo wrinkles her nose at the cigarette smoke, then gasps when he hands her the flower.

"It's beautiful! Thank you!"

Youji grins.

"As I said, the gift is nowhere near as beautiful as the receiver."

With a pseudo-bitter laugh, Youji blows a soft puff of smoke away from Echo.

"If you need someone to do your flowers, let me know."

She giggles.

"Okay! I'm not sure who I'm going to ask. I haven't thought about it."

So she does now.

"Anthy does roses, Iris does irises, Ophelia does everything... it's a hard decision."

Youji grins.

"It sounds like you've already got quite a nice selection. My friends and I own a florists shop. But the Koneko I'm sure is nowhere near as nice as the flowers those three ladies can make."

Poor Youji. He forgets sometimes how many godlike people there are in Milliways. No boring old flowershop can compete with them.

She smiles at him.

"Oh, I'm sure I could use some of your flowers."

Pity flowers. Echo is so sweet.

"Ah, well, in that case..."

Youji stands, and with a flourish offers Echo a simple business card.

"the boys of the Koneko Sumu-Ie are at your service."

Echo takes the card and looks at it. She tries to read it.

[ooc: is the card in Japanese or English? I'm guessing Japanese?]

[ooc:hai... japanese. Kritiker has a broad reach, but Weiss only works in Japan]

Youji sits down, and motions towards the card.

"It probably won't do much good. I doubt the Koneko even exists on your world. But! I am here, and you know where I am, so just let me know in advance, and I promise to put together the most intricate Ikebana display any Milliways wedding has ever seen."

Not difficult, as most Milliways weddings probably don't include any Ikebana... but that makes Youji's offer just that much more special, doesn't it?

She blinks at him. "Ikebana?"

"Ah... not Japanese then?"

Youji pauses, as though trying to organise his thoughts.

"Ikebana (http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/pix/ikebana.jpg) is the Japanese art of flower arranging. It's... like Zen, but with flowers."

He grins.

"It's very pretty. Each piece is unique (http://www.ikebana.dk/images/20014.JPG), each piece is a small work of art (http://phototravels.net/japan/pcd1663/ikebana-50.3.jpg). And the Koneko specialises in it."

"Ooo... that sounds lovely! No, I'm not Japanese, but Yamino is."

She suddenly yawns and blushes. "I think I'm going to head home. It was nice to see you again. I'll get back with you about the flowers."

She gives him a hug, then runs through the door home.

[ooc: and the mun collapses. thanks for playing! it was nice to play with you again, since you were the first person to tag Echo when she first showed up. *grins*]

Youji watches her go.

Admittedly, this conversation had been much easier to follow than his last with her.

He almost wished he could be involved with the wedding.

[ooc: goodnight! Sankyu for remember me!]

A rather beautiful blonde creature walks by in a pink silk kimono.

Loki is feeling playful.

~~Bad Loki.~~

Youji's ears prick up.

Beautiful?

Blonde?

Kimono?

He's all over that!

With a grin, he walks up behind Loki, Cattelya in hand.

Loki grins, moving with a slight sway of his hips to one of the booths before sitting down in a smooth, delicate motion. A sip of tea and blue-green eyes look up at Youji with a smile.

"Is the lovely flower for me?"

The voice is somewhere between a tenor and and alto. Either way, it's very pretty and the slight bat of the eyelashes shouldn't go unnoticed either.

"No flower could be as lovely as you."

Yes, Youji, keep trying that line. Maybe someday someone will fall for it.

Youji stands not quite awkwardly across from Loki.

"Mind if I join you?"

He gestures with an elegant, smooth-skinned hand toward the other side of the booth and smiles at Youji with just the tiniest tilt of the head, somewhere between shy and coquettish.

"Would you care for tea as well, sir?"

My, this one is very pretty. And a charmer. I wonder how David would feel if I brought him home wrapped in a bow with a conveniently placed sprig of baby's breath?

Youji slides gracefully into the seat across from Loki. Yes, it's hard to imagine someone that gangly can be graceful, but he's had practice.

Usually, he's into something a bit harder than tea. But if that's what Loki wants, well...

"I would love tea, my dear, but I insist I get it myself. And please, let me offer to cover yours as well."

Youji looks around for a wait rat. Or wait staff.

Wouldn't it be convenient if he could just make stuff show up out of nowhere?

Loki pushes another cup over to Youji with a mysterious smile. Where it came from is anyone's guess, but it's green tea sweetened with honey and it smells rather good.

"Please. I don't mind in the least. And it's already here, isn't it? Why waste the time of those poor rats just for chivalry's sake?"

Youji looks as though he's going to say something, but then stops.

Hey, he's not going to press the issue too terribly much. After all... he's not that chivalrous.

He takes the tea from Loki with a quick grin, and sips at it. A bit sweeter than he likes it, but all in all remarkably good!

"Thank you. But, I insist. The next time, I'm buying."

He sips at his tea for a moment, studying Loki. There's something... strange about his companion. Something undefinable. He shakes it off, however, continuing his study.

"And to whom do I owe the pleasure of this wonderful tea?"

He smiles.

"I am called Loki. And you, sir? May I ask your name?"

Beautiful green eyes swirl to blue and then to a deep purple. Beautiful and hypnotic and surrounded by long lashes, there is mirth in those eyes. And interest.

Youji returns Loki's smile.

"Kudou Youji desu." His eyes don't swirl, for he lacks that level of coolness. But there is also mirth in his hazel eyes.

And interest.

"Loki, you say? That's an unusual name. Beautiful, but unusual."

He smiles.

"Not so unusual. It's the name of a god. I quite like it. Lo...ki. Just two syllables. Small enough to fit in a gasp. Large enough for a scream. Simple and versatile."

Another smile, this one with half-lidded eyes.

"Youji has two syllabels as well...doesn't it?"

Oh... he's good!

Youji returns Loki's half-lidded gaze with one of his own. He doesn't have the inherent beauty of the God, but they don't call him the playboy for nothing.

"It does, yes." Perhaps he sounds a bit breathless. He quite liked the way Loki said his name.

He wonders what it would sound like as a gasp.

"Perhaps not as meaningful as the name of a God, but equally versatile."

He smirks at Loki.

"I enjoy versatility."

"I enjoy flexibility."

He smiles, leaning his chin on one palm, fingers curled elegantly as a nail draws the attention to his mouth. If one follows that line, they could, perhaps, see the long, pale column of his throat from the side, though the hand blocks the small lump of his adam's apple.

"One should always be able to adjust for the circumstances. Another part of my name I enjoy. It is a name of the Norse, of Northern Europe, but it's simple enough to slip sweet and smooth from any tongue."

Youji is nothing if not willing. His eyes track the motion of the hand, watching the nail trace slowly across soft lips. His own lips feel dry, and he runs the tip of his tongue slowly across them, matching the movement of Loki's nail.

Loki's lips, as enticing as the rest of him, still do not hold Youji's full attention, and so he follows the slender arm, traces the pale throat... and really he probably wouldn't care one way or the other concerning the Adam's apple.

When he speaks, his voice is low, perhaps huskier than it normally is.

"I've always prided myself on my flexibility."

He smiles hungrily at Youji's lips, eyes swirling to a deep, clear blue as they follow the trail of Youji's tongue as it glides across them. His own voice remains the same, but there is something in those eyes, a lick of flame that flickers through them that heats, warms with just a look.

A finger slip between those lips and perfect teeth worry at the nail coquettishly as he looks at Youji.

"As do I. You'd probably be rather amazed to see what I could do."

He reaches out with an elegant hand and brushes the back of it with a light brush of nail against his cheek ever so gently before swiveling around on the one nail and sliding it along the jaw till it rests just below his chin.

"Tell me, Youji, with that lovely flower just for me... What do you want? Right now?"

Any number of sweet responses come to Youji, and just as quickly slip away. Somehow, he knows Loki doesn't want meaningless poetry or false promises. This is not some sort of 'I promised forever but I lost your number' situation. Loki wants the truth. And Youji isn't willing to risk that he would fall for a lie.

"Right now?" Oh, smooth, killer. There's a definate crack in his voice now.

He reaches up, and catches Loki's hand, holding it to his own flushed cheek.

"Right now, Loki, all I want is you. I want to test just how flexible you can be... and prove to you how flexible I am."

Loki laughs, the flickering of a candle flame and just as soft, before turing his hand in Youji's and sliding it gently down, nail gliding against the skin of his palm before twisting back again to run down the line of his jaw once more, across to his shoulder, and down his arm. He glances up at Youji through half-lidded eyes and long lashes with green eyes almost yellow and hungry, naked in their hunger and desire.

"Do you really, now? Do you have any idea what fire you're playing with, dear, sweet boy?"

Heat, raw and perfect ignites on his skin where that finger had trailed and heat in that gaze locked directly onto Youji's own.

"Tell me again, Youji." And his name is that gasp, light and controlled but a gasp nonetheless.

Youji can feel where Loki touched him. He feels the fire trailing along the path Loki's hand had taken, but it isn't at all unpleasant.

Quite the contrary.

It's the tingle from a soft silk rope rubbed against his skin, the sharp burn through the gloves when the wire wraps too tightly, the warm sting of a well placed whip.

Youji licks his lips once more. He isn't Ken. He has no fear of fire.

He trembles when he hears his name on Loki's soft lips.

His voice doesn't break this time. It's soft and harsh, raw with need. His eyes reflect the hunger in Loki's but his voice expresses a hunger all its own.

"I want you, Loki. Your hands, your lips, your breath, your voice. I want to touch you and be touched. I want to know why it is I want you so much."

He has no idea what he's getting into... but he's ready and willing to find out.

Loki smiles, and it is a smile designed to head straight between the legs, no stopovers.

"Oh, I like you, Youji. I believe I like you a great deal. So pretty and so broken and so willing to jump right into the flames, damn the consequences."

He stands then, a movement so smooth as to almost appear to have never happened at all, as if he was at once standing when before he was sitting, and he walks around to offer Youji a single hand, the one he had slipped away only moments before.

He turns, but the hand remains held out as he speaks, voice clear even as he faces the other direction.

"Come with me, Kudou Youji with so many secrets and so many hungers and pretty flowers to make others feel beautiful. Take my hand and come with me."

A normal person would hesitate. Would question. Would wonder just what the hell am I getting involved with here? A sane person would pause before reaching out to take this obviously dangerous character's hand.

Youji, however, is neither normal, nor entirely sane.

He takes Loki's hand with a reckless grin.

And they slip upstairs (http://www.livejournal.com/users/kudou_youji/873.html).