Terence Sparrowman

| Terence Sparrowman | | Manager at The Blue Oven |

[bakingxsparrowman]

https://twitter.com/itskindred/status/1403355930318737414?s=20

[melody-the-unwritten]

A Pixie at Pixie’s Again || Melody & Terence

bakingxsparrowman​:

Terence was quick to give the girl an amused smirk. “Oh—sorry if I touched a nerve,” he mumbled. “You don’t sound like you particularly like them, heh. Uh… it doesn’t matter. I was mostly wondering out loud.” That, and the man wanted to talk to someone other than his own thoughts.

“I used to keep the bar here years ago,” he was quick to explain. “Sometimes I wonder if I’d still like it if I returned. I’m not saying I would, but… you know, I imagine how different life could be sometimes if you’d taken a different choice here and there.”

The sparrow man was quick to break that train of though, and let out a hearty laugh. “Ah, sorry! Sorry! I’m Terence. Nice to meet you. Sorry to bore you with this sort of conversation when all you probably want to do is dance anyway.”

“no no- uh it’s nothing” Melody floundered grimacing at herself. Two deep breaths and act like a normal human being.- a normal mermaid being?

EITHER WAY.

He was moving along the conversation and those two breaths was enough to let Melody follow along and hopefully make herself less of an idiot. - Hopefully.

“No worries, I’m Melody. I’m actually more than happy to get off the dance floor. I just switched departments and they are trying to get all the hot gossip and i’m really not the one best suited for hot gossip.” Melody managed out an awkward laugh. “What did you get into when you left Pixies?”

[bakingxsparrowman]

"Ah! A pleasure, Melody!" the blond gleefully exclaimed, shining a bright toothy smile at her as he did. "I'm glad I'm not interrupting your dancing and gossiping then!"

The man straightened himself upon that wall, then tilted his head at his new acquaintance. "Well, I started working part-time at the Blue Oven, down Main Street. Eventually, I wanted to go full-time. I manage the place by now, so I'd say I made it big...ish. You mentioned a new department? That sounds important."

[bakingxsparrowman]

thorns-ofthe-thistle​:

A Pixie at Pixie’s Again || Open

Thistle gave Wendy her space at Pixie’s. 

Not because he felt an obligation to protect her feelings but because he did not want to spook her. She was as delicate as a fawn in the undergrowth. One wrong move and she would disappear. He would never find her. And he would be stuck in this engagement forever. Unable to marry someone he chose. Cobbled in the court, unable to produce heirs. Forever under the queen’s thumb.

This outcome was unacceptable. It meant–backing off. 

So, where else did he get his fill of debauchery? Well, Pixie’s was good enough for it. It didn’t have the atmosphere of the Court. That smoky, smooth atmosphere that reminded him much more of the High Court. Pixie’s was loud and boisterous and the music thumped like a heartbeat. Thistle didn’t dislike it. He just found it rather abrasive. 

Not to mention the place was crawling with the Seelie. Which Thistle simply disliked on principle.

Speaking of–

“It sounds like you may think they’re bad,” Thistle said, turning from the bar where he was going to get another drink to this golden fellow. “Don’t be shy. I can keep your secret.” 

Can keep your secret. Didn’t mean he would.

Terence lost his train of thought as soon as the man responded to him, and such gave him time to look at him!

Oh. Oh. He was kind of cute, wasn't he? The sparrow man smiled as fast as his brain could manage to drift away from the man's appeareance, and he raised his cocktail before responding.

"Ah! No, not bad, no," the blond was quick to clear up. "It just makes me nostalgic to be here. I used to man the bar myself," he explained, moving over to lean on the counter, next to the fellow—the handsome fellow. "It was... fun. You can always pull out some simple magic tricks to get extra tips, too. Patrons love floating bottles and such."

[bakingxsparrowman]

thedipster​:

Conspiracies and Jelly Donuts || Tipper

Dipper had been thinking a lot about how people you were once so close with could become virtual strangers in just the blink of an eye. 

It wasn’t just Terence. It was Merida. It was Maui. Hell, it was Mabel too. Mabel had followed him to Swynlake, had come back to him, had attempted to be a sister for him, and he hadn’t even realized that there’d been a demon possessing her. That his demon had gotten into her brain. Everyone he’d ever considered a close friend since coming to Swynlake had drifted away from him, like a glacier in the dead of night. 

Except Wendy. But that was different. She’d come here of her own regard. 

Dipper, who had started spraying the counter with some Lysol, glanced up at Terence now.

“Yeah. I know,” he said, quietly. “I’m just… not good at the asking for help thing. Not just with you, when we were… you know.” He blushed, reaching to scratch the back of his neck. “But, like, all my friends, I guess. I know I need to get better at it. I just… lost a lot of friends this past year.”

Saying it out loud felt heavy. The words fumbled on his lips and he glanced back into the sink. 

“I’ve never been good at keeping them,” he admitted. 

Terence couldn't help but draw a small instinctive smile at that blush upon Dipper's face. Perhaps it was out of place, though, so he allowed it to vanish quickly by focusing, instead, on the complexities of mopping the bathroom floor. He listened on, of course, and hummed under his breath as he thought what he could do to help.

"It's not usually a skill-based thing," the sparrow man finally spoke. "Sometimes, people go away, or drift apart. It's not even a bad thing, objectively. Friendships and relationships require the effort from both parts—sometimes, you simply don't have it in you to put in that effort, and sometimes it's the other person who feels that way."

He frowned, then put the mop aside. The floor was relatively dry by then, so that was good. He leaned on that sink for a moment, to look at Dipper closely. "Maaaaybe that sounded wrong, but what I mean is, it's not your fault. You're not a bad friend, and people aren't, you know, leaving you. Sometimes moving forth includes leaving people you love behind, for better or worse."

The man looked down at the floor. His lips parted, and out came his voice, light and hopefully comforting. "Heh. I don't mean to sound so negative. What I'm trying to tell you is that you're wonderful the way you are. More people love you and care for you than you think, you know? I can tell you from experience that losing Dipper is anything but easy. I very much doubt that your other friends don't miss you. I know I do."

After clearing his throat, the man resumed his mopping. You know, gotta keep busy. "In any case, Dip, I... There's no easy way out of feeling like that. I know I can't just say some magic words and bring you back to smiling all day, but do know I'm here if you need the support, or any help. If I can do anything, I want to do it."

[bakingxsparrowman]

aquata-the-champ​:

A Pixie at Pixie’s Again || Open

Pixies was probably not the ideal coping mechanism given Aquata’s current situation. Her petition was failing, she was sure everyone was on Greg’s side of the stupid DM debacle, and Aquata felt like she was watching her political career fall apart before her eyes. Getting sloppy drunk in public would only make her look like more of a mess, and give her critics more ammunition.

So Aquata was not going to get sloppy drunk in public. Just a little buzzed. She just liked how Pixies let her blend in, lost in a crowd of dancers, so that she didn’t feel like the spotlight was on her so intensely.

Maybe that was just self-deception and an excuse to be at a club, given that everyone at Pixies basically knew each other. But it made Aquata feel better, and she thought she deserved it after the day she had had. 

She recognized the fairy standing by the wall– he used to live with Alana, Aquata was pretty sure. And he owned Blue Oven. Hopefully she wasn’t about to get an earful about the cost of switching to ethically-produced flour or something.

“Huh?” Aquata said, surprised by the comment. She didn’t know who the new bartender was. Aquata came here often, but not often enough to keep up to date on all the staff changes. “He’s fine, I guess– you alright? You seem tense.”

"Hm? Do I?" the blond was quick to ask, turning to focus his gaze upon the woman. Was she one of Alana's sisters...? Probably. It wasn't like he'd met them all during their time as roommates. And that, immediately, took him back to when he had roommates. That'd been kind of fun... Anyway! Focus!

"Sorry, I... I don't think I'm tense. It's just weird coming back to this whole," he gestures vaguely with his hands, "scene, you know?"

He better arranged his lean on the wall and let out a chuckle. "When I first came to this town to live? I started working the bar here. It was fun. It was also great to meet new people. Patrons love to flirt with the bartender, you know? I hardly do that sort of thing any more."

[bakingxsparrowman]

alwcys-with-you​:

A Pixie at Pixie’s Again || Open

Roxas didn’t have much to do recently, so he had found himself at Pixie’s a bit more than usual. He worked a few nights, but the others he spent time in the club or practicing with his keyblade. Tonight was a Pixie’s night, and he honestly hadn’t paid much attention once the bartender had given him his beer.

He blinked, glancing over at the blond who’d spoken to him, a shrug and a small smile spreading across his face. “Honestly I wasn’t paying much attention. Who was the old one?”

Roxas snorted. “I guess I’m usually too focused on just getting my drink and leaving.”

Terence let out a laugh. "I suppose that's sensible," he nodded, grinning wide at the other man. "See, I'm the chatty sort. More often than not, I'll talk up a bartender for a bit before leaving. More so if they're on their own, and perhaps even more if they're cute," he explains. "But just grabbing your drink and leaving is probably... better."

The sparrow man brought himself upright, and offered the man his hand to introduce himself. You know, the one with no drink in it. "I'm Terence. I used to tend to the bar a few years ago, actually, but I'm sure more people came after me and before the current ones. I was just wondering out loud, though. Trying my best to find something to talk to you about, I suppose? To seem interesting, or some such!"

[bakingxsparrowman]

melody-the-unwritten​:

A Pixie at Pixie’s Again || Open

Melody was out with a few girls from her old department, they wanted to know the details of her cousins wedding, if she met any cute people in bournemouth, who the new pretty boy in Accounting was and if Melody had chatted him up.

Mind you she got to work with him only for a few days before she jetted off to her cousins wedding and even after it was training training and more training. She didn’t know much about him except for the fact he was a mermaid.

Either way Melody was eager to escape their grasps and all but ran to the bar leaning on the counter.

“uh which one.” Because when Melody looked up she only saw Tod and she needed to not. The dream had faded a long time ago but she had made it awkward all on her own. “I know of Marlin and Tod and that’s probably about it surprisingly.”

Terence was quick to give the girl an amused smirk. "Oh—sorry if I touched a nerve," he mumbled. "You don't sound like you particularly like them, heh. Uh... it doesn't matter. I was mostly wondering out loud." That, and the man wanted to talk to someone other than his own thoughts.

"I used to keep the bar here years ago," he was quick to explain. "Sometimes I wonder if I'd still like it if I returned. I'm not saying I would, but... you know, I imagine how different life could be sometimes if you'd taken a different choice here and there."

The sparrow man was quick to break that train of though, and let out a hearty laugh. "Ah, sorry! Sorry! I'm Terence. Nice to meet you. Sorry to bore you with this sort of conversation when all you probably want to do is dance anyway."

[bakingxsparrowman]

A Pixie at Pixie’s Again || Open

Pixie's was... peculiarly familiar. It was nothing if not filled with memories for Terence, but the man hadn't been there for quite a while now. Many months, to be exact! Why he had decided to go there? Well, there was no clear answer. Truth be told, the sparrow man was a taaaad bored in his apartment. He most certainly missed having roommates, actually. But! That was beside the point! He'd gone out to have fun. That was about it.

And so, he was in the club! He'd picked himself up a cocktail, too, and found himself content to stand by and watch the other patrons for the time being. The patrons, and the bar: it'd been a long time since he'd been on the other side of it, and it was nostalgic in a way. His head tilted at the sight of the current barkeep. He didn't know them.

"Hm. What do you think of the new bartender?" he asked out loud, mostly because he noticed someone had come up to stand nearby. Whether it was to talk to him or not, he had no idea, but there was really no harm in talking, right? "Not that they're bad," the blond cleared up quickly, with an awkward chuckle. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. Forget that question."

[bakingxsparrowman]

thedipster​:

Conspiracies and Jelly Donuts || Tipper

This was awkward.

This was awkward, because Dipper wanted to just hug Terence and rest his head on Terence’s shoulder and maybe even cry. Dipper also did not want to do any of that, because even though he was, like, way more in touch with his emotions than the average dude (so he liked to think) there was still that internalized oh no crying is bad thing going on in the back of his head. Also, Terence wasn’t his boyfriend anymore.

He still cared about Terence. He still wanted to impress Terence. And now Terence was talking like maybe he still cared about Dipper too and that was a lot of information to process all at once.

“I appreciate that,” said Dipper, softly as Terence shuffled around the closet, gathering the cleaning supplies. “I think I’m good on the crying, though. Been there, done that. Now’s just time to, uh, deep clean I guess. I’ve kinda been letting the place go.” He wrinkled his nose. “Maybe I’ll do a bigger clean after we eat and you leave. Gives me something to do.”

He reached for some of the cleaning supplies, brushing past Terence in the process, their shoulders bumping together. Immediately, he felt his cheeks flush and looked at the closet instead.

“Ah, there we go!” He grabbed a roll of paper towels. “The mop’s over there.” 

"Honestly, I can help with that as well, if you want. You know, the deep clean," the man offered. "Though, I understand if you want to do it on your own. Sometimes cleaning can be therapeutic."

Terence smiled briefly after their shoulders bumped—whether it was simply a kind gesture meant to comfort Dipper some more or a natural reaction to the slight touch was up in the air.

"Okay! I'll take care of mopping first," he suggested. The sparrow man stretched and grabbed that mop. He let it lean upon the wall next to the closet door for a moment while he removed his jacket. He didn't want to get it wet, and cleaning always upped his body temperature a bit anyway. The short-sleeved orange shirt underneath would be more than enough. Terence hastily folded the jacket and set it on the couch, then got on his knees to fold up the hem of his pants a bit—you know, the dryer he remains, the better!

Having done that, and with mop in hand, he all but walked to the bathroom to start working. And as he mopped up the water that had not long before been a threat to Dipper, he smiled at the other.

"I'm sorry you're going through that, Dip. I... honestly had no idea," Terence shrugged. "Since I came back, Mabel was exactly no longer a regular at the Oven, so I didn't notice. I... I want to help you, if I can. I don't know how, but if there's something I can do, you know you can ask me, right?"

[bakingxsparrowman]

thedipster​:

Conspiracies and Jelly Donuts || Tipper

“Oh, uh.” Dipper technically was about to take a bath, but he didn’t actually, like, need to take a bath. After all, it was… morning, and Dipper was usually a night showerer and bather, so he really didn’t know why he had filled the tub in the first place, except for the fact he was just kinda out of it since the whole Texas thing. 

“I don’t need to take a bath,” said Dipper, waving his hand. He rolled up the sleeve of his hoodie and unplugged the stopper. The bath made a gurgling noise as the water began to drain. “I’m normally a night bather, which I’m sure you remember.”

His face flushed. He didn’t know why he’d added that. He didn’t think Terence was obligated to remember his bathing habits. Was it warm in here? Maybe he shouldn’t be wearing a black hoodie.

“But, uh! I won’t say no to mopping help, actually. More hands make light work or something! And then we can eat after.” He said it a little too jauntily, then breezed past Terence on the way to the supply closet where he and Wendy kept most of their cleaning supplies. About halfway there, he paused, figuring he might as well tell Terence that something was weird. 

“By the way,” he said, turning around. “If I seem off… it’s because Mabel left town all of a sudden and I feel like it’s my fault, but, uh, just processing all of that, but please don’t worry. I promise I’m not as out of it as I may appear.”

Terence was quick to chuckle at the reminder about Dipper's bathing habits. "I do remember, yes," he admitted, without really hiding the small smile that followed right after.

He stood back up and, just as he did, Dipper had already breezed past him to get the supplies and stopped in the midst of it—the sparrow man simply turned to face him and gave a curious head tilt as his ex-boyfriend started talking.

"Oh," did he mumble, then pouted. It made sense that Dipper was out of it, then. Even though Dipper seemed to imply he didn't want to talk more about it, Terence did what Terence would do, and instead walked over to him and renewed that smile on his face. "So—even if we're not, you know, as we were," he gestured awkwardly, "I'm always here to talk and listen if you need me to be. It's probably not something you should take on by yourself, after all."

And as for Terence? The man wanted to be there for Dipper. He still regretted the radio silence, and still wished he was still Dipper's first option for talking about this sort of thing. He still wanted to be the shoulder he cried on. So said his heart, at least, as it beat in his chest every moment that Terence worried about the other's well-being.

"I do still want to be here for you to lean on. A shoulder to cry on, perhaps even literally, eh?"

Having said that? He walked on toward the door he assumed Dipper was going to open earlier and began picking out the cleaning supplies. Better not hang too much on that, right...?

[bakingxsparrowman]

thedipster​:

Conspiracies and Jelly Donuts || Tipper

Dipper probably should not be spiraling.

Honestly, things were fine! Good even! His research was going well. Sure, his sister had abruptly left town after being secretly manipulated by a demon for who knows how long and he had been powerless to figure out and stop it, but he was fine! He was healthy and he wasn’t possessed and he was totally doing well despite the fact his ex-boyfriend just saw him accidentally overfill his bathtub.

“I’m not hurt,” Dipper said, quickly. He felt very embarrassed now, because there was no good reason he should be sitting on the floor like he was now. “I forgot I was filling the tub… sorry you had to see that.”

He felt his face turn red.

“Uh. How are you? Despite all appearances, I’m actually fine.” He tried to laugh. 

Terence looked at Dipper. His eyes really brushed over him as he tried, all the while, to remove any signs of worry from his own face. He didn't want to make the other feel worse than he likely already did. It was clear that things weren't just okay.

"That's good," the blond nodded, smiling that smile he so often flashed at Dipper in the past. "I'm glad you're not hurt. We all forget that from time to time," he continued. "There was this time I left for the store and the tub was still running! Do you... want to stand up?"

With that, the sparrow man stopped squatting and offered Dipper his hand, so that he could use it for support to stand back up. "I'm doing fine," Terence finally responded. "And I'm glad you're fine. I... brought you something to eat, though I can leave if you're going to take your bath. I don't want to overstay if you want to stay alone."

Then, he took a deep breath. "That said, uh... if you need to talk or something, or if you just need someone to be with you, I can also... you know, stay. In case you need it."

Was that Terence overstepping a boundary? He hoped not. It was just an offering, after all, right? Dipper could just say no. Besides, if he knew Dipper, it was likely that he could actually use talking. Or a hug, or something.

“Either way, I can help you mop the bathroom before leaving.”

[bakingxsparrowman]

thedipster​:

Dipper was —

Well, okay, Dipper wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, except he was currently in his bathroom, sitting on the floor and scrolling through old Tumblr posts on his phone. Oh, also the lights were off and also the sink might be running? He wasn’t sure — he’d just had a spur of a moment idea and started diving deep into a tag.

Also, he was hungry? Maybe? He couldn’t actually remember if he was hungry, but then he heard a voice and immediately jerked his head up.

“Uh… Terence?” he called out. Was he hallucinating? Had he actually broken through a different dimension where Terence had never left Swynlake and they were still together and the timelines had correct themselves?

It wasn’t the sink running, but the bathtub, because before Dipper had decided to look up old defunct Tumblr blogs, he’d had the idea to take a bath and he hadn’t remembered that and the drain was stopped and all of a sudden, water spilled over the edge of the tub onto Dipper’s shoulder.

“Ah!” he screamed, not remembering it was water. “Help!” 

Terence wondered if it would be wise to wander in without being let in, as it looked as if there was nobody home. Such a train of thought was interrupted, though, as soon as he heard his name called out. Dipper's tone of voice? It was odd. He sounded somewhat distant — in the bathroom?

He should probably wait by the door, all things considered. "Yes, it's me," he called back, and simply stood there to wait. But then? There was a cry for help! The sparrow man felt a shiver go up his spine and with little hesitation did he bolt into the apartment. The jelly donuts went flying somewhere near the table as Terence went directly for the bathroom.

Did he find it open or just... break his way in? In any case, Terence was there now, looking down at Dipper. He sighed a breath of relief as he saw there didn't seem to be any immediate danger.

"I got you," the sparrow man mumbled as he waded over to the bathtub and leaned over the edge to stop the running water. Then, he moved over and squatted down to reach Dipper's eye level, all the while looking him over to see if he had somehow been hurt. "Dipper? Are you okay? I'm here. It's fine. Are you hurt?"

[bakingxsparrowman]

Conspiracies and Jelly Donuts || Tipper

Swynlake was... relatively back to normal. Terence was relatively back to normal, too. He most certainly missed the whole part of it where you dreamed of a completely unrelated world, only to wake up the next morning with slightly traumatic memories and experiences you never lived. It almost felt nostalgic.

And so did most other things, except they were slightly different. When he was out in the streets, he saw familiar faces. But some others that were completely unknown, and some that even had changed so much that they felt unfamiliar. It was an odd thing to come back to when you'd been in the same town all your life prior to leaving it for the first time ever.

Another thing that was familiar but not quite? Dipper. Terence's relationship with Dipper was, as he liked to think, friendly and genuine. They were far from the boyfriends that were — particularly because they no longer were boyfriends — but he liked to think that, at some point, that possibility might come to pass once again, considering his own feelings toward the other.

And yet? There'd been radio silence once more. They didn't quite text every day, and most of the time, Terence felt like he had to use Shark as an excuse to do so. This time around, he'd actually managed to arrange a visit a few days before, and prepared accordingly.

By the time he arrived to the building, the sparrow man brought with himself a box with freshly baked goods and some new decor for Shark's tank. Proud of that, he had no problem knocking the door to Dipper's apartment. And after it not being answered, he reached for the handle and... it was unlocked?

"Hello? Dipper! Are you home?" he called out, sticking only his head into the gap between the wall and the door as he pushed it open. "...Dipper?"

@thedipster

[simba-bonfamille-lyons]

Bon Bon Anniversaire /./ [Simter]

bakingxsparrowman​:

Terence shrugged. “Oh, I mean, I can really do anything if you request it,” he admitted. “Most cheesecakes tend to *not* have words on them. At least the ones I make. But that doesn’t mean I cannot add them. I usually use a white cream to decorate the edge at the top,” the man explained, gesturing a full circle with his two index fingers, “so I can use that to add the words. I’m good at writing on cakes, anyway!”

The sparrow man promptly reached for the notebook he kept under the counter, and started making some note — nothing major, just so he could remember the details (and the really good pun he came up with!) for preparation.

“Just tell me when you need it ready, and I’ll have it freshly made for pick-up.”

Should Simba have words on the cake if words weren’t usually on them?

Yes. Fuck it. It wasn’t like he or Ber cared about propriety. And Simba felt like shit just getting a…cake for their anniversary. Like…they were already supposed to eat cake, because they were supposed to have part of their cake that they had saved from the wedding. (Well, that Nala had saved for them from the reception they did not attend.) The top tier of their wedding cake was sitting in the fridge, just waiting.

But, he had to do something right?

“Yeah, let’s just–let’s just do ‘happy anniversary’, I think. And, uh–if I can pick it up mornin’ of the 1st of March, I think that’ll be perfect. Thanks, Ter.” Simba smiled at him, warm and genuine.

[bakingxsparrowman]

This was Terence's second interaction with Simba where he didn't feel like punching something or someone and, for someone who usually didn't ever get those feelings at all, it was great news. The one before then was when, after the wedding a year earlier, he dropped by to personally give them his wedding present. It had felt good, and it felt good this time as well.

"But of course," he nodded quickly. "We're right on time to get you something perfect, so you won't regret it. Come pick it up that morning. I'll have it ready and wrapped for you to take it home and enjoy!"

[bakingxsparrowman]

thedipster​:

All the Fish in the Sea || Tipper

Dipper liked his new apartment a lot. It was much more spacious than the dorm had been, for one. Also, he didn’t have to follow dumb rules about candles and nailing things into the walls. He’d put up some posters both in his bedroom and in the living room. He was pretty proud of this one map of North American cryptids that he’d ordered online and framed.

There were also some stickers that Mabel had plastered on the walls that one day she’d stormed in and started crying. Dipper didn’t have the heart to take them down. To a newcomer, the glittery unicorns looked a little weird among the vintage horror movie posters and retro nature prints, but Dipper and Wendy both knew that even though Mabel didn’t live here, she was just as much a part of this apartment as they were.

And now Terence was here, sitting on his new (still used) couch for the first time.

“Just the usual,” said Dipper, sitting at the other end. “Busy with school stuff.” Training with King Arthur, he thought in the back of his head, but didn’t add. “Ran into this rich girl who used to bully Mabel back when we were kids who is studying here for some reason. Small world, huh?” He cleared his throat a little. “How about you? How’s the bakery?”

"Oh, that's... well, it's such a small world, indeed," Terence asked, genuinely surprised. Did this girl dislike Mabel so much that she followed them to Swynlake for whatever reason? That sounded too outlandish, though. It was more than likely a coincidence. "I do hope she's at least grown out of that. Mabel's such a sweetheart, after all."

He thought about Mabel for a second. She would probably be even angrier at Terence than Dipper, considering he did his brother dirty. "I haven't seen Mabel again yet," he admitted. "I'm sort of expecting her to beat me over my head for... you know, not texting you."

The man fiddled with his fingers as he looked up ahead instead of at Dipper. He still couldn't quite manage to do that; much more with what he had just said.

"The bakery's fine. I've been working on introducing new things. You know, new beginnings, new sweet breads, as absolutely no one says," Terence scoffed, venturing a look at Dipper. "Next time you come by I can get you one of the new treats I'm working on with ice cream from Snow Queen. I think you'd like it."

[bakingxsparrowman]

simba-bonfamille-lyons​:

Bon Bon Anniversaire /./ [Simter]

Simba raised his eyebrows at the cheesecake out of anything comment. That was rather impressive. It also brought Simba full circle back to wondering why Terence was here and not at his program in Italy or wherever he had been. Simba was almost sure that it had not been long enough for him to have graduated from it. Ter was still living in Swynlake during the wedding, wasn’t he? Not that Simba kept specific tabs on the sparrowman, but he could’ve sworn that he remembered that, at least.

He watched Terence for a moment, trying to determine if he asked a more pointed question if Ter would rebuff him or not. Probably would. Simba was good with people, which meant he knew what their limits were when it came to how much they liked Simba. And, for the record, he hated that Ter probably didn’t like Simba as much as he could, but–well, Simba didn’t regret it. He’d rather be with Berlioz and have Terence hate his guts, than not be married.

“Yup! But, you can still make it pretty big. I’ve got an appetite.” He smiled wide and pat at his belly.  

“Do you put like…words on a cheesecake or no? Does that kind of ruin the whole…aesthetic of them? I’ve honestly never ordered a cheesecake before. Definitely not my first choice.” 

Terence shrugged. "Oh, I mean, I can really do anything if you request it," he admitted. "Most cheesecakes tend to *not* have words on them. At least the ones I make. But that doesn't mean I cannot add them. I usually use a white cream to decorate the edge at the top," the man explained, gesturing a full circle with his two index fingers, "so I can use that to add the words. I'm good at writing on cakes, anyway!"

The sparrow man promptly reached for the notebook he kept under the counter, and started making some note — nothing major, just so he could remember the details (and the really good pun he came up with!) for preparation.

"Just tell me when you need it ready, and I'll have it freshly made for pick-up."

[bakingxsparrowman]

simba-bonfamille-lyons​:

Bon Bon Anniversaire /./ [Simter]

Simba actually laughed at the pun.

“That’s pretty good,” he complimented, rubbing his hand over his face again before letting out a big breath and dropping his shoulders. Yes, Simba wanted to do something nice for Berlioz, but he also had to remember that trying to come up with good gifts only ever made the both of them nervous. It ramped up anxiety for no good reason, because neither of them really cared so much about gifts or material things.

Just spending time with Ber would be good enough for their anniversary. They could build a blanket fort and watch movies all night and it would be just like any other night, but it would also be special, because they decided it was so. 

“Yeah, uh–let’s do a proper order. Commission. Thing. How long does it take? Our anniversary isn’t for another week or so…is that enough time? For a cheesecake maybe? Is blueberry cheesecake a thing?” Simba asked, rubbing at the back of his head. Bake goods weren’t exactly his forte. 

Terence puffed out his chest with pride as he was complimented on his pun. Of course, it was genius! He simply looked at Simba as he seemed to think about it all, and leaned on the counter as he waited. It was probably going to be the commission. Nothing beat a cake made just for you, after all. Store-bought's got nothing on the feelings one would pour on a personalized cake, even if one takes into account the possible awkwardness behind Terence making a cake for his ex-boyfriend's wedding anniversary.

"Oh! I thought you wanted it for tomorrow, or something," he quickly chuckled. "I can have it for you that morning, or the day before if you prefer. And, Simba, I can make a cheesecake out of anything."

Well, not really, but cheesecakes were flexible. Chocolate, berries, fruits... Anything could go on it, as long as you know what you're doing. And Terence? He knows what he's doing.

"Blueberry Cheesecake it is," he nods. "I assume it's going to be just for the two of you, hm?"