asherspringx

[asherspringx]

"You mean other than both of our works, or just yours?" Asher asked, without missing a beat. He wasn't one to turn down a free drink. Smirking, he lifted the bottle he'd been left with at one of the tables, polishing it off. It may not have been a great date he'd been on, but the drink was good, and he was looking forward to another one now at the bar. "Because I'm good with either one," he added, shrugging and getting comfortable in his own bar stool.

starter for anyone (capping at 2)

location: cedar grill and lounge

"What a hell of a day," Ethan groaned, taking a seat at the bar. Seemingly, it was the only open seat left in the lounge this evening. It seemed that just about everyone had the same idea when it came to grabbing a drink after work. "You in need of another?" He questioned, not looking at the other's drink but rather on the menu, "Happy to buy the next round if we talk about anything other than work?"

[asherspringx]

"I know how to change a tire, and I know how to change the oil, and honestly what more do I really need to know?" He asked, sighing. Asher knew the basics, and he really had tried to listen to Jo anytime she'd taught him anything to do with mechanics or machinery. He didn't have a car, though, so he figured a lot of it didn't pertain to him anyway. He was happy to take the bus, or walk, or ride his bike wherever he needed to go. Sometimes he felt a little bit stuck in East Haven, but most of the time it wasn't so bad.

Being on his last refill sort of made him nervous, but he wasn't about to say so. He'd sort of become reliant on those stupid pills. They made the pain go away, but they also made him feel good in another way, too. Asher liked it. Still, he knew better than to admit that. Because that was a sign of a problem, and he wasn't dramatic enough to actually have a problem. It wasn't that deep. "I'll take it easy. I just miss it. I miss feeling useful, y'know? Being a lump on the couch has actually been the worst thing in the world." Well, for the two or three days that he'd actually tried to stay on the couch and rest.

Jo couldn't help but chuckle at Asher's playful response. "Very polite looking is all I ask. But you're letting all my mechanical genius go to waste," she replied with an amused grin, shaking her head. While she often preferred being alone in her workshop, she never minded her brother being here. Maybe because she knew he wouldn't try to touch anything. They'd always been different. At first, it had created challenges of course, but in the end, they completed each other well enough that this worked.

Being quite fiercely protective of Asher, his well-being had been paramount in her mind ever since he was born, even if the years away might have given another impression. She'd been worried sick at the hospital, although there had been some amusing parts she hadn't spared him from, and she was glad to know he was getting better even if it was slow. "Last refill, uh? Well, that's progress," she nodded. "Just take it easy. I don't want you pushing too hard to get back to work. I get it, trust me, but there's no need to rush." Which was a little hypocritical of her to say because that was definitely something they had in common.

[asherspringx]

It was sort of funny, how well she knew him. That was probably why he hadn't been jealous of her in a long time. There was no point in being jealous. He might not have gotten along with their dad, but he didn't need to. Jo had been a way better guardian than that man ever had. Hell, he probably had a much better deal growing up than she did. He had her looking out for him. Asher's smile grew slowly when she called him out for any information she gave him going in one ear and out the other. "Alright, well, I would very politely look in your direction, if it helps," he pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I'm great," he said, offering a thumbs up. "On my last refill of those painkillers, though," he added, raising his brow. "But I'm hyped to be going back to work. I hate how much free time I've had."

Jo had wondered sometimes if her interest in mechanics and all that had only been because of her dad, because she was trying her best to connect with him, and the common grounds weren't many. Now, while she couldn't deny he taught her a lot of what she knows, especially about cars, she would refuse to give him credit for her love of mechanics and manual things.

She was very aware that none of this was Asher's cup of tea, and while she'd tried to teach him some stuff over the years, at least the basics for emergencies, she wasn't sure he remembered anything. She couldn't really blame him. She chuckled when he answered. "Oh will you? Or will I talk and you'll vaguely look in my direction?" she asked. "Tell me about your day instead, are you feeling any better?" she added, undoing some bolts on the machine.

[asherspringx]

Asher shrugged a shoulder, feeling himself blush when she asked how he'd managed to get hurt. "Were you here when that windstorm hit? It was pretty bad. But, anyway, I work at the homeless shelter, and I was trying to get everyone I knew from the shelter to safety, and I managed to put myself in danger like an idiot. Got the family I was looking for out, but the building they were in was basically a deathtrap, and I got hit by some falling shelves and stuff." He tried to explain it quickly, a little embarrassed about the injury. "Honestly, you're not alone. I feel like it's easy to get lost here. But like I said, I've been here my whole life. Kinda know the streets like the back of my hand," he joked, smiling at her. "It's nice to meet you, Rory. I'm Asher."

Despite being the youngest, Rory still always felt as if she had to take care of people. So when she saw someone, even if she barely knew them, look like they were in pain she was quick to offer a helping hand. But at the other insisting they were okay, she shrugged, though she would still hope he'd take it easy. "Oh geez, how the heck did that happen?" She asked, a bit curious but understood if he didn't want to explain since they had just met each other. Looking to where he was pointing, she turned around, shielding her eyes from the bright winter sun. "Oh, leave it to me to get lost so easily," she chuckled, playfully smacking her forehead. "Sure, an escort would be great," she replied noticing how he already started walking, and started to jog to catch up with him. "Thanks, I'm Rory by the way." @asherspringx

[asherspringx]

Asher nodded, his cheeks still red. "Yeah, kinda. I mean, I'm supposed to be resting up and stuff, but I'm not really good at the whole 'resting' thing," he admitted, lifting his hands to use air quotes for the word 'resting'. "Only another week or two, anyway. Honestly, I feel fine. It was a stupid injury, from that windstorm a while back. I'm great, though. Ready to work again, obviously," he laughed, a little bit nervously, glancing down at his feet and then back up at Brendon. "That would be amazing! I'd also love to help out where I can, so if you guys need volunteers, I can totally get a group together and lead that up, y'know? For set design or just handing out the little booklets before shows, and, um..." he trailed off, trying to think of what else they might need extra hands for. "Um, ushering, I guess? I know a few people who would be so hyped to be able to do that, here!"

Brendon nodded and listened along as Asher continued to explain. This sounded like a perfect opportunity for him, he wanted to get involved and start volunteering more in East Haven so this was a good way to get his foot in the door at the shelter. "You're on leave right now? For how long?" he asked, trying to take the small details as a way to learn more about the other man. He thought for a second about what they could do, before saying, "Yeah I would definitely be able to come by and talk to people about the opportunities that we have for them to possibly get more involved if they wanted to. I can talk to some of the other people too- more dancers, and singers and stuff, and see if they would want to do that too, maybe I can get a couple others who would want to do that too!" He was hopeful that they would, but even if they didn't, he had no problem going by himself for it.

[asherspringx]

Lately, Asher had been feeling a little down. He'd even thought about skipping the brunch, figuring he could keep using his 'recovering from breaking ribs' excuse a little bit longer. But then he'd thought maybe it was just what he needed, to get out and socialize a bit.

He wasn't feeling all that social, though. He pretended well enough, smiling and making small talk with everyone, but he knew he wasn't very bubbly. When Riley joined his table, he shrugged a shoulder, feeling almost guilty for not being more chipper. "I'm okay, I guess. I've been a little bit bored, lately. Kinda off. I'm finally able to go back to work, which is good. I think I had too much time off, is all. How about you?"

Closed for @asherspringx

Where: Patty's café

The cozy ambiance of the cafe embraced Riley as they entered, greeted by the inviting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the soft murmur of conversations. The club's LGBTQIA+ brunch was in full swing, but they were just arriving.

Near the reserved area, Riley noticed Asher, nursing a cup of tea. They sat down at his table.

"Hey, Asher! How are you holding up?" Riley asked with genuine concern, having heard what happened during the storm.

[asherspringx]

Again he brushed off the concerns, feeling rested enough. He wasn't good at taking things easy, and he didn't really mind a little bit of discomfort. Asher figured if a little bit of pain meant he was recovering, then he could deal with it. "Honestly, they're healing well. I kinda punctured a lung, so I get out of breath easy still, but I'm really okay." He reassured her with a smile. "Oh, you're not far at all!" He pointed in the direction behind her, gathering his bearings quickly. "If you follow that road a bit, and then take a left at the stop light..." he trailed off, and looked at her. "It's actually in the same direction I'm going, if you'd like an escort?" He offered. He didn't really wait before starting to walk in the direction he'd been pointing in, though.

Though the other waved her off, she still was concerned. As he explained what happened, she couldn't help but grimace a bit. "OH shit, are you sure you're okay? I mean I've never had a broken rib, but from what I've heard, they're excruciating." Still a concerned look upon her face, she gave him a small smile. "But if you insist, I'm looking for the Silver Moon Hotel," she nodded, looking around, wondering if she missed a sign that would point her in the right direction. "You'd think after living here for 2 months that i wouldn't still get lost, but whatever, right?" She shrugged and laughed. @asherspringx

[asherspringx]

This type of work, the mechanics and the engines and what-all, had never been Asher's thing. He was pretty sure it was why he and his father had never had the opportunity to bond; they didn't have anything in common. And a long time ago, he'd been a little bit jealous that his older sister had managed to find common ground with their father. It hadn't bothered him in a long time, though. Hell, he didn't even think about their father much anymore. It wasn't worth it.

Still, he did his best to try and show an interest in things Jo liked. And maybe the painkillers were helping him to be a bit zen about it all, smiling and nodding at her, watching her work with glassy eyes. Would he actually absorb anything she taught him? Unlikely. But he was doing his best to seem like he was paying attention. "Sure. You talk, I'll listen."

Closed for @asherspringx

Where: Jo's garage workshop in their home.

Jo's garage had been transformed as a workshop of sorts. It happened that she'd work on her car in there, but she'd rather avoid doing her work all over at home. Instead, she spent her time under the amber light of the overhead lightbulbs repairing stuff, creating stuff, and when she was feeling a little creative, sculpting stuff out of steel, even wood sometimes. It was such a comforting space for her that it was no surprise that if someone wanted to find her, there was a good chance she'd be there.

While she heard the door to the house open, Jo was engrossed in her endeavour of the day. Staring at the organized chaos that was her workshop, clad in her trusty but oil-covered overalls, she was working on their battered but cherished lawnmower.

Jo looked up as Asher approached. "Hey there, Ash," she greeted, wiping her hands on a cloth. "Got a stubborn lawnmower here that needs a little TLC. You interested in a crash course on small engine repair?"

[asherspringx]

It was a little bit mortifying to get so tongue-tied for literally no reason. Well, there was probably a reason, but nothing obvious, and nothing Asher wanted to admit to. Because that would also be pretty damn embarrassing, and he was hoping to get over his mortification sooner rather than later. Besides, it seemed like he was getting only good news. Brendon seemed interested, which is all Asher needed. Smiling, he nodded. "I haven't worked out all the details yet, honestly. I'm kinda on leave right now," he admitted, shrugging a shoulder. "I guess I'm just putting out feelers, right now? Seeing if anyone here would even be interested, and then going from there. What would work best for you guys, do you think? I mean, just talking about what you do would probably make a difference to a lot of the people at the shelter. Specifically giving them ideas on how they can get involved, that would be good, too."

Brendon was at work, just talking to some of the other dancers during a break they had in between rehearsals. He was finally starting to get more comfortable in the area, he liked his coworkers, he was making friends- it was nice. He was taking a sip of his water when he felt someone tap on his shoulder, turning around to look at the shorter man. Brendon made a confused expression at the first statement, but just waited quietly as the other continue to explain what he was trying to say. When he finally finished explaining, Brendon smiled at him before speaking, "Hi, I'm Brendon, it's nice to meet you" he started with an introduction, holding out his hand to shake Asher's. "That definitely makes sense! What were you thinking of doing for it, like.. are you looking for people to come by and talk about the Clark Center? What is it exactly that you'd need? Cause that's a great idea, I love that, I'd love to help" he agreed. Brendon had always been someone who was interested in helping his community, he had already signed up for a few volunteering opportunities since moving to East Haven, so this was definitely something he was interested in helping with.

[asherspringx]

Asher smiled gratefully, glancing over Lance's shoulder for a split second. Then he moved his gaze to Lance again, very obviously avoiding making accidental eye contact with someone else at the venue. "I've been good!" He said, his volume raised a bit. Not enough to be obnoxious, but enough that it didn't seem like he was trying to keep their conversation hushed anymore. "How have you been? It's been a while. How are the dogs doing?" Asher had absolutely no idea if Lance had dogs. But he needed it to seem like they knew each other well. Behind Lance, a twenty-something year old man who had been approaching the two of them with a sort of smirk on his face stopped abruptly. Asher pretended not to see him, or the snotty look on his face, but felt massive relief when that guy decided to turn around, and not interact with Asher. Asher leaned forward, placing a hand on Lance's arm and grinning. "Holy shit, I think that may have worked," he said, voice quiet again.

Lance was sitting and reading his book, despite this he was not totally lost in thought but still was aware of everything that was going around him. He was surprise when the other sat down across from the table. He studied their face and smiled, smiling as he listened to them speak. "Hello Asher, how is it going?" he replied after their words nodding his head when the other spoke. The mix tape did peak his interest. "Of course. Don't worry and I will totally love to help you out." @asherspringx

[asherspringx]

Asher waved a hand, trying to brush off her concerns, and stood a little straighter. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I broke a couple ribs a little bit ago, still kinda recovering," he said quickly, shaking his head. The last thing he needed was some stranger thinking he was incapable of even walking himself home or whatever. "Alright, well I've lived here my whole life, so I should hopefully be able to help. Where are you trying to get to?"

Seeing as the person to answered her questions seemed to be a bit tired, the expression upon Rory's face turned from frustration to concern. "Yeah, seems as if I got myself a bit turned around here." She said waving her arms around, signaling the immediate area they were both standing in. "Any and all help would be greatly appreciated," she said, dipping her head slightly before she continued, "that is if you're up to it." She replied, giving the other a once over, "are you alright?" She didn't want anyone to overexert themselves just because she got lost in this new town. @asherspringx

[asherspringx]

It was a long shot, but Asher really hoped the first person he saw sitting alone would help him out. Trying not to look too frantic, he stepped around a few tables and chairs at The Garden, and sat down across a table from Lance, offering a smile that was friendly, though also a little bit pleading. "Hey, here's a mixtape," he leaned forward, spoke quietly, and slid the dated item across the table to the other, his cheeks a little pink. "My name is Asher. I need you to pretend, very briefly, that we know each other well and you totally want and are going to enjoy this mixtape. You are free to throw it away as soon as you leave here, in fact that's probably preferable, but, like, please? If you don't help me out here, there's a good chance I'm going to be mortified to the extent that I will have to flee the country tonight," he said. And yeah, maybe he was exaggerating, but he could use the help anyway. @lancexbrowne

[asherspringx]

Asher had always been a supporter of the arts. Maybe not an overly-enthusiastic one, but a supporter nonetheless. He liked going to see plays and such, and he remembered one year when he was little his mother had taken him to see The Nutcracker a couple of nights before Christmas. It had meant a lot to him. And with his job, he'd been working with a lot of individuals who showed interest in the arts, but at some point in their lives they'd lost their direction. Asher had been wanting to do some community outreach for a while now, but he never seemed to have the time. And while he should've been using his medical leave to rest and heal, as he was expected to, he figured now was a great time to utilize the extra time he had to do some of that outreach.

"Excuse me," he reached out and tapped someone on the shoulder, smiling when the guy turned to look at him. "Um, I just..." he trailed off, sort of losing his train of thought for a moment. "I guess I'm looking for entertainers?" His cheeks turned red and he inhaled sharply, shaking his head. "No, I mean, not for anything weird, just to sort of talk to people. Or, like, to give them opportunities to just, like, see what the Clark Center has to offer, I guess?" Asher knew he wasn't doing a good job explaining, but he was feeling a little bit tongue-tied looking at the other. "Okay, so, hi, I'm Asher, I'm a social worker at the homeless shelter. And a lot of the individuals that I talk to were interested in the arts at some point in their lives, but the world hasn't been kind to them. And I just want to show them there are opportunities in this field, if that makes sense?" His cheeks were burning bright, now. @brendonxrulli

[asherspringx]

Asher was almost completely recovered from the injury he'd obtained during the storm. He felt better usually, anyway. Now was a little different, but that was because he'd been overexerting himself all day. It was two weeks before he was supposed to be returning to work, but he'd gone into the shelter anyway. It wasn't even the first time; he'd gone in several times since he'd gotten out of the hospital. He justified it by saying he wasn't technically 'working', just socializing with his charges. But really, he was working. He couldn't stay away, he needed to make sure everyone was doing okay. And then he'd gotten on a bus to get home, and managed to get off at the wrong stop, so he was walking. It was a long walk though, and he was easily winded. While stopped, taking a break to catch his breath, someone looked at him asking for help, and he smiled at her, nodding. "I can definitely do my best," he reassured her. "Are you lost?"

Who: Open and Rory (5/8) @easthavenstarters Where: Founder's Square When: Sometime early 2024

Rory had only been in town for a few weeks, and she still couldn't figure out how to get around without getting lost. Back home she was a pro at getting around LA, practically able to travel the entire city with her eyes closed. But East Haven? Nope, she got lost going around the corner, trying to find her hotel from each store. It seemed as if the gps on her phone only helped a little. She tried not to rely on it, since she was planning on staying here for a long time and figured it'd be best to get to know her way around. "Damn, didn't I just pass this store?" She asked, probably louder than she anticipated. She was trying to get back to the Silver Moon Hotel, after doing some shopping at Book Haven for some books to read at night. "Excuse me, can you help me by any chance?" She asked to the person beside her.

[asherspringx]

Asher groaned, rolling his eyes. "Of course you do. 'Cause you're also a hot doctor, though," he said, attempting to sigh dramatically. With only 50% of his usual lung capacity though, it was difficult, and he ended up just wheezing. It wasn't quite the dramatic flair he'd been going for. "Appreciated," he added hoarsely, smiling sleepily at Viktor. "It definitely felt necessary. They didn't really belong to me," he said, not sure how else he could explain it. The minute puberty had hit him, he'd felt like a lot of his body wasn't actually his. It was a wild feeling, difficult to explain, but immediately following his surgery, Asher had felt for the first time like he was supposed to exist in the body he was in. "Recovery wasn't bad. This feels worse," he said, lifting his arm to try and point at his own ribs, where he knew there was a tube still draining air and fluid from his chest cavity.

"As someone married to a hot older doctor, I can say I highly recommend it" Viktor said, only half joking. He was, in fact, married to a hot older doctor, so it wasn't an untrue statement. "I'll tell you what, when I'm leaving here if I see any good looking doctors without wedding rings on I'll send them your way" he said with a small laugh. One thing that Viktor always loved about his job was being able to talk with his patients and make sure they weren't leaving upset or nervous. It was a big reason why he opened his own practice instead of going into surgery, he liked the conversations. "I can imagine that had to feel pretty good. Maybe not physically feel good, because you know, it's surgery- but you know what I mean."

[asherspringx]

"Ah, then I guess I'll just have to go and try heroin when I get outta here," he joked, sighing and shaking his head as if it were inevitable. Asher did lots of crazy things; heroin wasn't one of them. Other drugs, though, he didn't always avoid when he was out and looking for a good time. "I broke some rips and crushed a lung trying to save other people. I feel like the real story isn't actually that bad?" He said, his brow furrowing as he looked at River. "I'm alright. I mean, I'm sure I could feel better, but it'll take time. It's fine." He'd always been one to downplay his own miseries.

He looked up at the IV bag and read what was on it right now and smirked "Well it's physiological.......saline" he said with a pause "and they are adding something good too it" he said as he smiled at Asher. "Sadly it's not really out there on the streets" not really it could happen but it be a lot of work. "You can be just first make up something funny and wild, to take the string off of what happened to people" he did that and it helped. "Saying I was drunk and dumb and fell into a creek isn't as great of a story at first" he knew people just felt sad for him hearing that. "But you got lucky... this is all looking good" he smiled as he looked the other over for a moment. "But really how are you feeling?" he asked hoping the other would be honest with him. @asherspringx

[asherspringx]

Making Viktor laugh got Asher to smile proudly, watching the doctor closely. It was something he usually prided himself on, being able to make others smile. It was what made him a good social worker, he figured. "See? You can't even judge. If I want to find a hot, older doctor to husband me up or whatever, you just get to cheer me on," he said, smirking. Seeing Viktor understand what Asher was saying without Asher saying it, he tried not to focus on the negative. Instead, he snorted. "Sorry to hear about my surgery? Don't be. Got my tits cut off, it was the best day of my life," he said with a smile. He knew that's not what Viktor had been referring to, but he also knew his dead mother wasn't an upbeat conversation to have at any time, but especially not while sitting in the hospital she died in.

"Normally that's a good thing, but right now that's got to suck for you a little bit" Viktor told him, sure that the type of person who always needed to be moving would be miserable stuck in a hospital bed for days on end. He wasn't like that, when he got sick he relished in the opportunity to spend his days resting in his bed with his husband taking care of him. Asher's next comment got a louder laugh out of Viktor, who replied with, "You know, that's a fair point. My husbands older than me, maybe I have daddy issues too" he joked back, glad the young man was in high enough spirits to be joking around and wanting him to feel comfortable. Of course, Santi wasn't nearly old enough to be the result of Viktor's daddy issues, but he definitely had them. He listened as Asher explained why he'd spent so much time in the hospital, and the pieces kind of put themselves together. "I'm sorry to hear about that" he said, which he meant. He knew how awful it was to visit your sick mom, he did it now all the time- but to do it when you were so young sounded much worse.