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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:17 pm
cupcake carousels It's 3AM and Thorne has too many cupcakes and the group chat hasn't exactly promised help, but he expects it nonetheless. His restless, sugar-fueled detour from sleep has led to him pacing around his apartment to the sonos system playing trash pop from his spotify discover weekly playlist, his cat constantly two seconds from knocking a delicious confection to the ground.
He waits and waits and waits. Doesn't sleep, just waits, the door unlocked and easy enough to access (he'd thrown his address down in the group chat as well as his contact information so that everyone knew where to find him), for someone to come help him fix the cupcake problem.
And maybe a few other problems too.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:36 pm
cupcake carousels
Chris hasn't slept in close to 3 days and so when a 3AM call for help involving cupcakes goes out, instead of being like a normal person and deciding to stay home or help at a time that isn't the middle of the night, he goes over.
His driving isn't the best, he's jittery from lack of sleep and adrenaline and nerves and everything involving the past few days, but he still makes it there in one piece. Enough to be able to get out of his car and get up to Thorne's apartment, to knock on the door and call out "Thorne?" before tentatively pushing his way in.
He probably looks like s**t, with dark bags under his eyes and the faint, almost fully healed claw scars on his face. But damn it he wanted cupcakes.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:45 pm
cupcake carousels "Hey," Thorne calls back, raising his eyes to Chris when he enters. He pauses, but his mind doesn't filter his thoughts apart from what he should be saying out loud before he adds, "You look like s**t."
There should be something else there, but Thorne is too tired, too mutinously apart from a sane approach to emotional comprehension, to really attempt any sort of condolence because he also looked like s**t. He looked like a dinosaur had bulldozed through his apartment and stepped all over him. He was only wearing a tanktop that had gone through the washer machine on the wrong cycle too many times to be the right size anymore, and it showed the still healing, stitched up lines where he'd been gutted.
He throws the cat off the counter in one easy motion and steps over her to Chris. "Told you," he says, gesturing to his unholy temple of cupcakes. They had been rearranged since the picture had been taken into an uncanny representation of the pyramids of Giza. "I got carried away. How many do you think you can eat before you get sick?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:55 pm
cupcake carousels
He raises an eyebrow, but only replies, "The same could be said to you" before he shuffles off his boots and drops them off at the door. He offers no defense though, because he knows already none can be raised. He's wearing a printed t-shirt (one he'd gotten from Hyejin as a gag long ago) and jeans, something that if he was feeling normal he wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing in public.
But he's not feeling normal so he instead he's in someone's apartment at 3AM, petting their cat before staring at the mountain of cupcakes, considering. "The better question is how many can I eat at minimum? Because I think it's like 5 and can only go upwards from there," Chris replies, then adds, "How many did you eat?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:06 pm
cupcake carousels "I always look like s**t," Thorne shot back, his smile curved and lopsided, a little too sharp. "I'm usually able to pull it off is all." He runs a hand through his hair - it's gotten longer than he usually keeps it, but he hasn't bothered to get it cut. Barefoot, he pads over to Chris, leaning on the kitchen counter.
"Five is a weak number. You should really set your goals higher, you know," Thorne teases back blatantly, catching his cat mid-jump and curling her into his arms instead when she tries to attack the pyramids. "I ate an ungodly amount. There was another pyramid entirely before you got here, but you didn't get here fast enough."
He smiles at Chris.
"There's something to be said about the dangers of stress eating, I guess. And insomnia."
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:30 pm
cupcake carousels
"I wish the same could be said for me," Chris snorts, reaching over to take a cupcake from the tower. "I've never been able to pull off that look, not even in highschool. And my job requires nice dress, which I don't mind but. You know." Unceremoniously he unwraps the cupcake, shoving half into his mouth.
"I try to be realistic with my goals," He manages through half his cupcake, hand covering his mouth before he swallows. "If I promised you more than I ate, that'd just be sad wouldn't it?" The other half goes into his mouth and he chews quickly, a little slower this time. They're good and he manages a slightly weaker smile at Thorne.
"If this is stress eating, then I know for sure that other Pyramid will be gone before I go. I wish insomnia had benefits like stress eating though. At least stress eating actually give me something." Another cupcake is in his hand.
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 11:19 am
cupcake carousels "Sounds like a pain," Thorne says sympathetically, because he'd spent long enough in the military to come to a complete disdain of any strict uniform guideline. "I think the tattoos help. Everyone's too busy staring at them to stare at the fact that my eyes say help I haven't slept in four days."
He pulls another cupcake closer to him, sprinkled in violently bright edible stars (he wasn't sure when he'd bought them, but he was damn well putting them to good use now) and tore off the wrapper. Instead of stuffing it into his face as gracelessly as Chris has, Thorne breaks the cupcake in two and inverts the frosted side down onto the other half before biting into it like a sandwich.
"You're right, I would be terribly disappointed and our friendship would be ruined," Thorne deadpans in return. "I wouldn't be able to live with a liar, particularly one that lies about the sacred bond formed over eating cupcakes at 3AM. I'd ask how and why you're even alive right now, but that would mean I'd have to answer the question too."
He snorts at the next sentence, a laugh rolling belly-deep on his tongue and run raw with the sort of gravelly tone that comes from way too little sleep. "Good. Destroy the pyramids. I was going to make a model Ashdown, but I didn't know that would inadvertently summon something nasty." He taps his chest. "I've had enough of nasty things lately."
He watches, and yes, he is definitely tallying how many cupcakes Chris is eating. "Insomnia is the chaotic evil of life. There are no benefits. It just wants to see the world burn."
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 12:45 pm
cupcake carousels
Chris shrugs, swallows the other half of his second cupcake. "I love the kids enough to change my wardrobe and it isn't too bad usually." He eyes Thorne's tattoo's thoughtfully, then says "They are nice. Only four days though? That's amateur level." He wishes he was kidding, but finals week left no survivors.
Chris grins, pulling another cupcake wrapper off. "See, that's why. Can't go questioning how we're alive and functioning, might have to actually consider everything that's happened." It sounds bitter, even to Chris' ears and he gracelessly finishes his cupcake. He'll get neater past the five mark.
"Haven't we all," He says slightly cryptically, but he knows Thorne will understand and he's still grinning besides. "Anyways, aren't pyramids special too? Who says we won't unleash something by destroying cupcake ones?"
Thorne's tally would have Chris at four now, although he's pausing to consider alignments. "If insomnia is chaotic evil, is stress eating chaotic good or lawful evil? What in life is lawful good then?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 8:26 pm
cupcake carousels Thorne tilts his head at Chris, unabashed to be examined for his tattoos. The sleeves were full and filled to the knuckles, and sloped dangerously over his shoulder blades to his back. "I'm out of shape. Getting back in it though," Thorne retorts, a smile curling across his face. "Why, what are you running?" He reaches for a second cupcake but sidetracks instead, grabbing at an empty cup and went to fish out another carton of milk. "Want some?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder at the other.
"That's not a lie. I guess it's better to just eat cupcakes and forgo sleep." Thorne gave a shrug, the darkness in the corner of his eyes burning the same message of bitterness as Chris's expression. He pours a cup of milk and takes a long sip. It doesn't take like alcohol, and that's supposed to be good but <********>, life would be so much better with it right now.
"Maybe we'll bring down the ******** aliens next," Thorne retorts as one of the pyramids starts to unbalance and slide sideways, a stray cupcake rolling across the counter. "Maybe they'll give us the secret of life. Or vodka. Alien vodka."
Without much care, Thorne swings himself up onto the counter to perch on the edge of the island, far enough from the cupcake pyramid and carousel that he doesn't disturb it. "I don't think lawful good even exists anymore." Thorne shrugs, cupcake in hand. "Maybe the cupcakes themselves. Whatever it is, it's not me though."
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 9:50 pm
cupcake carousels
"Oh yeah? What's your regiment?" Chris can't help but smile himself though, grin turning into something a little softer and more genuine. "Oh, what my total or current? Because I'm at three right now but I've gone for eight before. It wasn't enjoyable but I did it." He's picking at his cupcake wrapper now but reaches for his fifth regardless and this time licks the frosting off first before going for the cake part. "Yeah, milk would be great."
He hums in reply for a second, then says "I actually kind of wish I could sleep. But the cupcakes are worth it and I'm not seeing anything yet." He's not looking forward to that part, but he knows he won't be able to sleep until the fourth day. Maybe the fifth. He's kind of ******** up at this point but he can't bring himself to want to admit it to anyone.
"Alien vodka would be great, holy s**t," He says, catching the cupcake as it rolls and setting it upright, "If that's what we ******** get in return for aliens then bring it on man."
Chris eyes the countertop, thinking about joining Thorne before deciding against it. "Cupcakes being lawful good, I can see it. 'Bout the only lawful good thing around, I remember something being about how most people are chaotic good or neutral or whatever. So I'm not surprised you or me aren't lawful good."
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 11:41 pm
cupcake carousels "I sacrifice a goat every full moon," Thorne responds completely deadpan, "and then I drink a rootbeer float full of energy drink shots. It usually works for at least eight days." His smile curves across his face, slow and amused, showing the joke where it lays between them. "Just kidding. It's easy to stay up when you really, really don't like what happens when you go to sleep." He gives a shrug and finds Chris a glass, pouring it full and pushing it across the counter to him.
"A rival," he retorts with a laugh, "at last. Well, you're welcome to spend the less exciting hours here if you want. Or, well - wherever I end up. I'm thinking about moving to a different place in Ashdown." His ability to keep his thoughts to himself splinters around this time of night with this little sleep, so he just lets Chris know his wildest thoughts, not giving a second thought to any of it. "I've also got shot glasses if the cupcakes get boring enough."
Thorne closes his eyes and exhales. Chris is a teacher, right? Or something. He adds, "On weekends for proper guys like you, at least." He tilts his head and adds, "Well if the aliens come down, that's the first thing I'll demand. After all, they owe me for such a beautiful recreation of the pyramids. From cupcakes."
Noticing the gaze, Thorne pats the space next to him imperiously and takes another sip from his glass of milk before reaching to n** at the edge of another cupcake. By all sane accounts, he should be sick to his stomach by now, and he's probably getting there. But not quite yet. He'd had a small respite before Chris had gotten there, an unfair head start.
Thorne laughs outright at the concept of people being chaotic good and chaotic neutral. When did they get to this D&D level banter? But his eyes light up and he looks at Chris. "Oh? And what are you?" He bites into the frosting of one of the cupcakes, breaking apart the edible stars. "Cupcakes might be lawful good, and most people might be chaotic good or neutral. But I doubt that's where I fall."
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 9:37 pm
cupcake carousels
Chris wrinkles his nose, frowning. "A rootbeer float full of energy drink shots? You might as well just drink coffee brewed with monster, it'd probably taste better if you're just looking for quick energy." He returns the smile a few seconds later though, taking the glass of milk offered and taking a long drink from it.
He hums a bit of a nonreply, then says "That'd be nice, it's a better alternative to the weird folder of photoshop creations I have on my computer. Sometimes it's kind of terrifying waking up after a four day bender and just seeing what I decided was a great idea to make at 4 am." Unthinkingly, he adds, "Also it's always better on those streaks to be with someone who knows what it's like to be up for days on end. It makes the seeing things a lot.. a lot better." It's an overshare himself, but it feels better to admit. Jeremiah wouldn't get it, he didn't want to convince Shiloh or Jamie to start in on his lack of sleep, and Hyejin was an entire continent away and she actually slept better thanks to her job.
Chris groans, giving Thorne a pout. "Come on, even now? I'm on summer break, I'm free to get as smashed as I want, whenever I want. Don't have to be a respectable person until like August, at the earliest." Most of his coworkers though the same - he had heard many a talk about the drinks they wanted to order over summer break when copying papers. "They do owe you, it is a pretty glorious recreation. Even if we are tearing it apart."
Chris hesitates once, then jumps up to join Thorne, finally noticing his own lack of cupcake and taking another. He sandwiches it in a mimic of Thorne earlier, then takes a bite. It's surprisingly good, sandwiched like that, with less frosting all over his face like what normally happens.
"Hmm..Lawful evil? Or maybe Neutral evil. I sure as hell don't feel good though," He manages, licking his lips free of frosting and the edible stars. A corner of frosting is at the edge of his mouth still. "You're probably more in the 'normal people choices' square though, I mean you're good in Shiloh's eyes. Which is pretty hard to manage, I think."
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 10:23 pm
cupcake carousels Thorne scoffs. "What do you think I drank during the day?" His smile is light and wild, the sort that comes from lack of sleep and a certain loss of basic manners. His entire body aches from the lack of sleep, but it's long since become a very commonplace thing in his life. If advil doesn't kill it, eventually it just becomes routine.
"Just imagine what happens when it's not digital," Thorne responds, jerking his chin in the direction of the elongated space beyond the couch where a number of easels are set up hap-hazardously. From here, it looks like a strange and twisting concentration of pieces centered on plant-life and birds. A single piece is a fox entangled with a rabbit, both of them impaled. It is not what Thorne would use to introduce his art to anyone, but Chris is just. Here. Now. "Then," he adds, and there's a tired note of wickedness, of solidarity and fondness, "it's a pleasure to meet you, Chris. As one insomniac to another. If you ever need someone to come by on streaks like those. Or vice versa."
He sighs out between another sip of milk, throwing up a hand and running it through his hair. "Alright, alright, cupcakes tonight. Vodka tomorrow?" His grin adds the fact that it's a joke, but the offer still stands there beneath it all. If Chris ever needs someone for something harder than a sugar rush, Thorne is hardly a stranger. He taps a rhythm on the hard stone counter. "That's what's meant to happen to things. You build and build and then - tear it apart. Life's a cycle." And there's a sudden bitterness there, the kind that is a stain, not recent necessarily, not haunting or vicious. Just. There.
Thorne laughs when Chris joins him, swaying his shoulders and bumping the other man with one amicably as he eats a cupcake the way Thorne did the first time. He's pleased with his company and the fact that now someone else is destroying the pyramids rather than him, and hell, maybe he'll send a gift basket to the detective tomorrow for extra kicks.
"That's kind," Thorne responds, eyes finding Chris's, his mouth curved at the edge. A strange smile. "I think if I had to guess, I'd say I'm a chaotic neutral. Evil?" His eyes flicker away and back. He raises his hands and clasps them at his neck. "Birds of a feather flock together," he says, his words a breathy hum of sound. The parallel scars on his arms, wrist to elbow, shine beneath the tattoos.
"I think Shiloh is alright with me because I know what the ******** he's going through. You - I think he likes you because you seem like a genuinely good guy." He shrugs. "But the fact still stands. Cupcakes can't change alignment because they are forever lawfully good. Humans? We're different by the day."
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 3:18 pm
a pair of boxcutters & a blond Thorne calls Chris on a blustery day when the humidity in the air is trying to strangle him. He wonders if he should - honestly, the longest bonding moment they'd ever had was over cupcakes at 3AM, but he's gunning for it because he's not sure he wants to enter the realm of the grandpas just yet and get his a** owned by whatever ten-pack is hiding under Jeremiah's beard.
"Hey," he says, when Chris picks up, "You free today if I promise you something sweet for some help? Or vodka. It's not alien though."
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 6:00 pm
cupcake carousels
He shakes his head, but his smile is still fond and lighthearted as he takes another sip of milk before rolling his head and cracking his neck. "You know I actually did brew coffee with monster once. It tasted awful but I got a lot done, once my hands stopped shaking." It had also ruined the coffee maker, but it had been on its last leg anyway and the department interns had been looking for a way to get rid of it so Chris had been doing them a favor.
Chris follows his chin to the artwork, eyebrows raising as he takes in chaos of the art. It's pretty yet oddly haunting, sort of reminiscent of OAD if it didn't want to kill him and everyone he liked. He likes it, even if the fox and rabbit being impaled is almost kind of scary. "It looks nice," He says honestly, still gazing over before he tears his eyes away. "A pleasure," Chris repeats, as much fondness in his voice as Thorne's. "Here, I'll give you my address before the end of the night so you can come by too."
If Chris was't as tired as he was, he would probably have acted in a more mature manner. As it was though, he gives a small fist pump, stuffing the rest of the cupcake left in his mouth. It's a quick chew and swallow before he says "I'm keeping you on the vodka tomorrow promise, if I'm not dead or asleep at least." He's quiet at the talk but it's a thoughtful quiet - not intended to be judgmental or awkward. Just there, considering.
"Chaotic neutral is good. I don't think you're as evil as insomnia, though," He says conversationally, returning the bump with a good natured grin. He only hums next, taking another cupcake. His eyes catch sight of the lines, drifting over after he starts admiring the tattoos. He says nothing and knows better than to try, but something in him hurts, just a little.
"He wouldn't like you if you weren't good either though. I think he's a really good judge of character, although we started out a bit rough," He laughs, a bit self deprecating but mostly amused. "Cupcakes forever lawful good, humans changing. You know what, works for me."
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