The Perk, Monday Morning

[smilestopscars]

If anyone had spotted black fox running about yesterday, chasing gremlins and generally looking like it was having the time of his life, yep, that had been Ezra.

He was back to being a guy today. And he felt he had more than earned the hot chocolate monstrosity in front of him on this fine morning. As well as his pre-class lounging at a table at the Perk just in general. Also he thought of it as making himself available. So really, it was like a public service.

... Mostly he was distracting the barista with idle flirty glances.

[ooc: Open post, for your Ezra-bothering and other Perk needs!]

Comments

[rebelseekspizza]

"Thanks," Dante said, smirking a little. "Thought I'd go with something a little more interesting."

He lifted a spoon full of whipped cream off his drink and shoved it in his mouth. "And hey, if you've got a better worm, I'm all ears."

[smilestopscars]

Ezra made a noise that couldn't really decide whether it wanted to be a groan or a laugh, so it ended up being a little from column A and a little from B.

"I don't know if I want to share," he said. "These are prime earworms, I don't know if you could handle them."

[rebelseekspizza]

"Oh, I can handle anything," Dante promised.

Even if he had to wipe left-over cream off his upper lip like five seconds later.

[smilestopscars]

The only way Ezra could respond to that, apparently, was to idly whistle the intro to Light My Fire.

Then drink some of his chocolate monstrosity.

[rebelseekspizza]

"Oh, now that's old school," said the guy who'd named his pistols after an 80s pop hit. "Nice."

[smilestopscars]

"Thank you," Ezra replied, inclining his head. "I have a friend back home who has a tragic love-hate relationship with it, so it tends to come up a lot."

Or, he brought it up a lot to torment his firebug bestie.

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante snickered. "I can guess how it keeps coming up," he said, "Or who."

He took another drink. "Some people just need to calm the hell down about music," he said, but there was slight curiosity in his eyes. "Where's home for you?"

[smilestopscars]

"Around," Ezra replied cheerfully (and vaguely), licking whipped cream off his lip. "Boston, lately, for the most part. Although I came to Fandom from barely settling down in a rinky-dink town in Maine, so I guess that counts."

[rebelseekspizza]

If Ezra caught Dante glancing briefly at his mouth, well, that was probably because Dante wasn't actually trying to hide it.

"Boston's probably more fun than Maine," he said. "Screw the country."

[smilestopscars]

"Well, I've been trying to, but there are fewer people there."

Heh.

"Anyway, a few friends live out in Currant so now I have a living situation by them."

[rebelseekspizza]

"And you repay the favor by tormenting them with the Doors?" Dante said, amused. "You're a hell of a friend to have, Ezra."

[smilestopscars]

Ezra smiled widely. "And that's why they love me."

It probably had more to do with the way they'd been thrust together into a team meant for hunting people down, but that made for a much less snappier quip.

[rebelseekspizza]

"The modesty doesn't hurt," Dante said.

Not that he had any right to talk, though his lack of modesty was a little more jagged than Ezra's.

[smilestopscars]

"Of course," Ezra replied sunnily, while scooping up some whipped cream as well as actual hot chocolate with his long spoon. (Please look at his mouth some more, Dante.) "Really, I should say it's the complete package they love. I mean, I'm a work of art all around, darling."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante wondered if maybe they'd have better luck with the barista if they teamed up to proposition her.

"Got a little scribbly at the hair," he mused. "Water color and magic marker?"

[smilestopscars]

Ezra was sure they'd have better luck that way.

"Something to that effect," he said, ruffling his own hair just because it went with what he was saying. Also, his hair looked great no matter what. "Art is art."

[rebelseekspizza]

"I don't know. I've seen some ugly art," Dante said, grinning at him.

You could separate the 'I fucking hate you' insults from the 'I kinda like you' ribbing by the grin. This was definitely the latter..

[smilestopscars]

"Maybe so, but I'm gorgeous."

The modesty just wasn't going to happen.

"You've seen all of this closeup, you should be well aware of that by now."

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante took a big sip of his hot chocolate. "Not sure," he said. "Maybe I should check again."

[smilestopscars]

"Someone definitely should."

He glanced towards the barista. Sighed wistfully (and theatrically).

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante looked in that direction. "You know what," he said, "Maybe we should go ask her if she wants to help us settle this."

[smilestopscars]

Were they sure they weren't actually the same person in two bodies? Because that was exactly Ezra's thinking.

His pleased smirk suggested as much. "I absolutely think we should."

[rebelseekspizza]

Nah; it was just that Dante's brand of fatalistic aggression happened to overlap with Ezra's healthy sense of self-interest on this one.

Dante drained the last of his drink. "After you," he said, smirking.

[smilestopscars]

Eh, close enough.

Still enough for Ezra to also finish his drink before sliding onto his feet and strolling over to the counter with his best smirk.

"So my friend and I were wondering ––"

[rebelseekspizza]

Dante leaned ever so lightly on the counter, smirking. "Ezra here thinks he qualifies as a 'work of art'," he said. "And he doesn't really trust my judgment."