casperjennings

[casperjennings]

jadenlapointe​:

that was exactly jaden’s schtick — being endlessly and unapologetically passionate about the things he adored . whether it was star wars ( not star trek , a rookie mistake ) , x-men , basketball or the aforementioned blue candies , he could speak for the state when it came to his dedication . blue raspberry slushies and popcorn from roswell’s theatre were additions to his specialist subjects , those he could speak endlessly about if plopped into the seat of a gameshow , or presented at one of the wild pony’s quiz nights . 

gratefully he took back the card , pleasantly surprised his payment hadn’t bounced back . living with his girlfriend had meant jaden’s bills had significantly lessened , but with the introduction of diapers , formula and the occasional dog treat for his service hound , the green-lapointe household were running on empty . “ she’s .. wow , she’s eight months , “ the male breathed , in disbelief at how quickly the time had flown ; ever since he had been a boy jaden had wanted to be a father and , now that much was a reality , he was attempting to grab onto every memory with both hands , “ little jacie-rose . maybe i’ll bring her in next time — what candy is good for teething ?? “ chuckling , he waved his hand to punctuate the joke , “ kidding , i don’t need her mom lecturing me on why her teeth have fallen out before they even grew in . “

The soft surprise in the other man's voice as he spoke of his daughter's age made something in Casper's chest squeeze tight. He was, for a sharp moment, painfully jealous. Not for the first time, and surely not for the last, he considered if moving here had been the best thing for him, if starting over had really been the right answer. Luckily, the teething joke broke the spell, and Casper meted out a matching laugh.

"Jacie-Rose," He repeated, "Cute name." The narrow receipt from the printer whirred out, and without a glance Casper tore it from the machine and tucked it into one of the bags. "I won't sell you anything for her," Cas said, a bit of playful warning in his tone, "But now you've got me wondering just how many different kinds of blue raspberry candy I can get ordered in before you come to refill your stash." Or make himself, but Casper wasn't ready to out himself as so easily influenced yet.

[casperjennings]

nfldunn​:

the grin that spreads across his face is probably the biggest that’s graced his features in years - the interruption coming just in time. gunner’d always had the habit of talking himself out of things - or into them, depending on what it was - when he was left to his own devices to think about something for too long, and that hadn’t changed, not even when he’d reached stardom. “okay, then i’ll come,” he said firmly, the decision solidifying in his mind enough to become set in his mind, and he knew that it wouldn’t be long before he was poking his head into the shop he’d never actually been in before, just to catch sight of the other male.  “it’s a good choice - churros are one of the few cheat foods i let myself have.” granted, gunner pushed himself in the gym to maintain the body he’d had while he was playing football, countless hours every day of the week, to the point that watching what he ate wasn’t truly important, because he worked off the calories easily, but the eating habits he’d developed in training still stuck with him. “you gotta try the ones they serve that’re filled with cream cheese icing. gotta be my favorite.”  clearing his throat, gunner lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. “not really - honestly, i don’t think i even recognize ninety percent of the people on the flyer. i just showed up because…” he gestured vaguely, suddenly hyper aware of the woven bracelet of bi pride colors wrapped around the wrist of said hand. while gunner had never been ashamed of his sexuality, for the past two decades of his life, he’d functioned on a ‘it’s no one’s business’ platform - believing that it shouldn’t matter to anyone who he was interested in. today, really, was the first pride anything he’d ever been to, which was the most open he’d been about it to anyone, really - and how ironic it was that his one and only ex was the person he runs into. “it felt like i should. which maybe is true, considering i bumped into you.”

It was lucky for Casper that he'd take that bite of churro. The motion of chewing, so mechanical and thoughtless, kept him from giving what surely would have been a goofy, idiotic grin in response to Gunner's own smile. The expression he'd seen on his ex's face seemed so genuine, and Cas couldn't explain how good it felt to know he had a hand in that. Aside from that was the gentle reassurance, that small bloom of hope, that maybe he wasn't the only one affected by the other's presence.

"Good," Cas insisted, echoing Gunner's decided statement. He was signing himself up for future agony, every hour he'd spend in the shop waiting only for Gunner's arrival, but that was a problem for Future-Cas, and Present-Cas had enough on his plate. The mention of Gunner's weakness for churros had Casper's hands moving almost automatically, pulling the fried dough out of it's little paper sleeve, tearing off the bottom and holding it out to Gunner in a wordless offer. It was a far cry from years past, drinks split thoughtlessly between, snacks tossed into open mouths from each end of a couch, shared meals crammed into corner booths during late nights. Too familiar, probably, for having just met again, but for Cas the years in-between seemed inconsequential. Gunner had done more with his life, and so maybe felt more distance from a young-hearted relationship, so Cas prepared himself with another bite of churro for his offer to be rejected.

Seeing the purple, pink, and blue on Gunner's wrist had Cas grinning again, licking cinnamon sugar off his lips and giving a small nod. "Yeah, yeah. Me, too." Casper’s colors would have been different, but the idea was the same. "Plus the food," He admitted with a warm laugh, as though the churro hadn't already given away his true motives. 

[casperjennings]

astrafms·:

being the owner of a mystics shop meant that astra had a very specific set of clients that wandered into her business. of course tourists would come in too, mostly just to peruse the polished crystals and specialty tarot decks that she had in stock, but it was nothing like a candy store. if anything, cosmic candy reminded her of her childhood and everything good roswell had to offer. 

casper’s smile made her own poke through for just a moment, a quick shake of her head drawing her attention back down to the display case. “i don’t think you should worry about things being too gimmicky, y’know? you have variety here, a little something for everyone without the locals thinking you’re nuts and the tourists thinking you just want to sell, sell, sell.” her shoulders lifted in a shrug, arms coming to fold across her waist as her attention turned back to the male. “i don’t think you should think it’s not enough, though. if you let yourself be convinced that it’s not enough, you’ll end up getting a burnout from working too hard. it’s a delicate balance, my friend.”

Astra's validation meant more to Cas than he might ever be able to admit to her. Moving more than halfway across the country, starting over in a new town had done him favors and disservices. He hadn't yet come across an opportunity to lie, didn't quite trust his skills in deception enough to pretend like he really knew what he was doing when it came to running a place like this, but there was such a thing as lying by omission. Cas hadn't voiced yet how much he felt was riding on this place, the potentials of success or failure.

The woman looking down into the case at his bonbons was more established than him, already proving herself, exactly at the place Cas was aiming to be. Even off-handed, aimed mostly at his latest aesthetic choice on something as simple as a raspberry filled bonbon made the world feel a little steadier underneath his feet. The smile he gave her then was a real one, he'd been practicing the 'customer service' smile, polite and friendly, but this one was warm and appreciative. "I wish you liked candy," He said with a small, rueful shake of his head. "Then I'd know how to repay you for all the advice."

[casperjennings]

dreamrcse​:

a small laugh escaped rose’s lips at his words, her head shaking quickly. “i love a good aesthetic,” she said simply - and that, for certain, was obvious just from looking at her, or observing her on the street. she couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn an outfit that didn’t prominently feature the color pink, and her own car was an obnoxious pink color she loved to no ends. for rose, most of her life was pink - so she appreciated a good theme more than the average person, even if galaxies were a little overdone in the town of roswell. “and if it’s candy, it’s even better. everything is better with some extra sugar.”

Cas grinned back, the expression crooked but friendly. He wasn't fashion-forward enough to commit to a scheme himself, but he always admired people who had the talent and dedication.

"Everything is better with some extra sugar." He repeated, grin evening itself out as it grew wider. "God, just put that on my tombstone." It was, strangely, an apt descriptor for Casper's philosophy on life. Confectionery had become something of a cure-all, a way to solve problems of all measures. He remembered then, belatedly, that he had a purpose other than making small talk, and now that he'd finished adding to the display he asked, "What brings you in today?"

[casperjennings]

benjaminscottx​:

“I get that.” Ben made the remark as if he really did, even if it wasn’t something he could relate to in the slightest. Customer service wasn’t something he’d dabbled in for even a second, despite the lull in his career. He just wasn’t made for it, couldn’t really be considered a people person. He appreciated everything other people put into it, though. “You’ll find a way, I’m sure.” A pause and he found himself asking, “You been in the candy business for long?” He smiled. “Sure, I love raspberry!”

"Have a couple," Cas said, nudging the tray forward another inch. "Save me from myself." The offer also gave himself another moment to mentally chew on the question that had been posed. It wasn't like the answer took extra consideration, just that Casper was slightly ashamed of the answer.

"Not really. Not on this level, anyway." He answered, one hand gesturing to the display case, the walls of brightly colored candy all around them. "I was making candy in my spare time, back in Rockport. Experimenting a bit, making a lot of custom candies for little kid's birthday parties and working full-time for my dad's company," It was clear from his tone, the dullness of his words how little warm nostalgia Cas held for those days. "But I always wanted more. I'd look up job listings and just daydream until I finally took the leap and ended up here." It was a brief explanation, but Casper knew that was all that had really been asked. There was no point dumping on a stranger the depth of it all, how achingly boring and routine Casper's life had been before he'd taken his culinary classes, how narcissistic it would make him sound to admit he'd hated how incredibly unspecial his life had been back in Massachusetts.

[casperjennings]

jadenlapointe​:

“ oh , it has to be blue , “ jaden affirmed , gesturing to the selection of confectionary in his arms — cornflower , navy , periwinkle — with a nudge of his chin . “ it’s my favorite color , favorite flavor ; always has been . i run on e-numbers and adrenaline . i know , i know — raspberries aren’t actually blue , but wouldn’t it be awesome if they were ?? “ his tongue was permanently tainted that artificial shade . crushed ice , laced with teal syrup , pinpointed the seminal moments in his life — blue slushies had been shared between him and his fiancée before they had ever crossed the line between friends and lovers and , the moment their six month old daughter could eat anything other than milk and pureed fruit , he would indoctrinate jacie into the slurpee club . 

bundling his haul onto the register , jaden thanked the other as he nudged his wares across the counter , “ i bet i’m singlehandedly keeping you afloat , at least in the quieter months . i reckon all the kids will keep you open across halloween but , otherwise , i’m happy to funnel my pay check directly into your register , “ on command , a hand delved into his back pocket for his card , a hesitation before handing over thin , worn plastic , “ i would say it’s all for my daughter , but she’s not old enough for me to use that excuse quite yet . “ 

Cas gave a short nod, as though he understood the predilection for azure-colored treats above all else. He did like raspberries, enough that the bonbons he'd just put into the case were filled with them, but he preferred their natural color. The man's chatter about his chosen flavor made Casper laugh, finding it an endearing trait in anyone to be so dedicated, to like something so much and be unafraid to show it.

He continued to work on the pile of candy, loading them into brightly colored paper bags with the store's logo splashed across the front. He carefully set the box with the bonbons on top before taking the card he'd been offered and swiping it through the machine. "She'll get there one day." He reasoned, handing the card back over before asking, "How old is she?" He knew he was in no position to consider being a parent, but he hoped it might be in his future someday.

[casperjennings]

nfldunn·:

there’s a part of him that’s surprised by the news - he shouldn’t have been, really, considering he hadn’t spoken to casper since high school, so it’s not like he should have been able to guess, and combined with the fact that he didn’t really frequent the candy shop in town at all, so he wouldn’t have even known that they were hiring. he’d never really had a sweet tooth, not even when they were teenagers, but despite that, he almost can’t stop the words from leaving his lips as soon as he’s given the news. “well, then i guess i gotta stop by one of these days, see how those classes paid off first hand,” he hummed, tongue darting out to wet his lips quickly. he didn’t know how to explain the urge - how he knew he needed an excuse to see casper again, and since he didn’t go into cosmic candy on his own… there was something in the pit of his stomach that told him that now that he’d seen the other male again, he wouldn’t be satisfied letting him disappear from his life like last time. it’s then that insecurity curls in the pit of his stomach, making him stop short before he adds a quick, “if you don’t mind, of course,” because there’s a part of him that’s worried he’s inserting himself where he’s not wanted, that casper has no interest in talking to him again after confirming that they are, in fact, once again living in the same town - and his stomach tightens as he watches him for any sort of indication.  gunner’s breath catches in his throat silently at the touch - his chin ducked just a touch as he doesn’t move a muscle, as if he’s afraid of scaring the other off. he can’t remember the last time someone touched him like that - like they cared that he’d been hurt, because while he had a few friends in roswell, he and jaden didn’t make habits out of touching each other, and he and fletcher really only came into contact when they were sparring in the ring. physical touch is something that’s rare for him to come by - and he almost melts into it, right up until casper’s pulling away, just as quickly as he’d reached out, and something in gunner’s chest feels hollow once again, like it has been for years. “thanks,” he almost whispers, his voice hoarse before he clears his throat, head shaking just a touch as if to shake himself from his own thoughts. “it was… it’s mostly healed now, thankfully. just a few… lasting damages.” he’s downplaying it - not mentioning the limited range of motion or the nerve damage that means sometimes he can barely stand without strapping the limb to himself in a sling - and he knows that once casper lives here long enough, he might see him walking through town with it, but there’s a large part of him that doesn’t want the other male to worry. wants to seem as strong and untouchable as he’d pretended to be in high school to him.  clearing his throat again, gunner’s gaze focuses on the ground for a moment as a small smile plays on his lips. once he’s taken a second to collect himself, his gaze returns to casper, his head cocking to the side just a touch. “so, have you checked out any of the bands, yet?”

"I'd like that," He said quickly, as soon as it seemed Gunner was walking back on the offer, trying to interrupt the hesitation. He'd worry later, probably, that it sounded overeager and his earnest expression too much, but in the moment he was just hungry for the promise of seeing Gunner again. "Seriously. You should come by." He didn't know what there was on the menu that might interest Gunner, if anything, but it was the rare occasion where one hoped their ex came to darken their doorstep again.

He winced at the mention of lasting damages, trying to hide the expression by dropping his gaze, scuffing the toe of his boot into the dirt. He wondered how many of those damages were emotional, psychological, he couldn't imagine how hard it was for Gunner to have been so violently taken from something that had meant so much to him. He hoped in a fleeting, unselfish way that Gunner hadn't actually been alone through it, that he had someone even now to carry him through the hard times. After taking a moment for courage to find him again he lifts his gaze as Gunner does the same, meeting a gaze that's faraway and familiar all at the same time.

"Not yet," A small shake of his head, one side of his mouth lifting higher than the other in a crooked grin. "I just wandered in, had to start with a churro though." He'd always had a bit of a sweet tooth, and while he liked to think it had matured over the years, truth was any sort of fair or festival would always find him with sugar residue on his hands. In all fairness, though, catching sight of Gunner had distracted him from the fried snack in his hand, and he lifted the cooling churro up for a bite before he asked, "Were you on your way to see someone play?"

[casperjennings]

astrafms​:

while she wasn’t a fan of candy herself, that didn’t stop astra from visiting the confectionary store every now and again. the idea was to put together gift baskets for the clients she saw relatively often, everything already gathered apart from the candy itself. she almost looked out of place amongst the bright colors and whimsical themes, her dark clothes a stark contrast to almost everything around her. but that was astra’s life, wasn’t it? managing to stick out like a sore thumb in a town that was otherwise catered to the weird kids. the thought made her chuckle to herself, hand reaching out to grab a bag of sour patch kids before she rounded the corner just in time to come face-to-face with casper. 

“no, it doesn’t look basic,” she retorted, already sauntering closer to the counter. her gaze is on the display, hands reaching out so she can lean against the glass and get a closer look. “isn’t galaxy-themed the whole point of being in roswell?” she teased, eyes flashing up to meet his own. “i mean, we’re in a place called cosmic candy, right? if things aren’t galaxy-themed, it almost feels like a moot point.”

Whether she felt like she belonged in the brightly colored shop or not, she was always a welcome sight to Casper. Aside from how nice it was to be able to talk business with someone else working to run a shop in town, Cas found Astra and her storefront fascinating.

There was an instinct in him to chastise her for leaning on the case, but she wasn't a small child with sticky hands, so Cas swallowed the words back. "You're not wrong," He gave back, catching her glance with a twist to his lips forming a wry smile. Space-themes were the norm here, what was expected. "Maybe that's my problem with it. It's not enough." He huffed out a small sigh, gaze dropping back to the case, wondering if anything else in there would catch her eye. "I've got some UFO-themed macarons coming up next, not sure that's any less expected..."

[casperjennings]

pandoravelasco​:

It was kitchy, how themed everything was, but Pandora ate it up every time.  There was something just so precious about it all, and not in a bad way.  “Aw; i think it’s cute,” she insisted, leaning in a little more to observe the confections.  “What’s basic about it?  I guess I just don’t know enough about candy or anything like that to say - what really matters, I think, is how they taste.  What are they?  Chocolate?”

Cas shot her a barely stifled grin at the compliment. It probably seemed like he was fishing for the kind words, but if she thought so she was kind enough not to say, and Casper's concerns had come from a honest spot of self-consciousness. He really enjoyed the theme that Roswell had attached itself to, and didn't want to be seen as making fun of it when he was really just trying to take part.

"Space theme in Roswell." Cas said back, tone flat as though to convey how little a stretch of the imagination it had taken to chose how to decorate the candies. Enthusiasm found it's way back into his tone as he described the bonbons. "Dark chocolate, raspberry center." He took up the nearby tray that still held a few leftovers, ones that hadn't been perfect enough to put in the case, either due to a weird blobby star, or a slightly misshapen dome. "Save me from myself," He offered, "These ones didn't make the cut and I'll just end up eating them myself."

[casperjennings]

sybilblanchettfm​:

Sybil stared at the little bonbon box until the moment the man closed it. Although she’d never admit it, she really loved the science fiction of it all. That town was a dreamland, if your thing was aliens, which for her, it happened to be. Upon his remark about the stencil, Sybil smiled and took a pen out of her pocket, one she always kept there for impromptu drawing sessions, and took a napkin that was sitting on the counter. She doodled a little alien on spaceship, and then turned the napkin to the man. “You could something like this. I’m sure it would be a success with tourists.” She shrugged. “I’d like it, at least. Though I don’t know if you’d consider me a tourist.” Sybil smiled, staring at her doodle. “Maybe an astronaut would be better.” 

Upon hearing him ask her name, Sybil felt a little weird. Sometimes, when she met new people (specially in broad daylight, and not in the comfort of a bar) she wondered if she should have stayed quiet, been less friendly. Even if talking to this man was fairly inconsequential, still, she felt like she should have been less. Her pattern of disappearing into the wall was maybe a little too comfortable sometimes. 

Still, she smiled. “The name’s Sybil. Though I don’t know if you should credit me, wouldn’t be nice to tell everyone you thought of this while staring at the night sky? Maybe even say you saw an alien.” She chuckled. “And what should I call the person making the bonbons I’m tempted to buy?”

Casper's expression shifted through a range of emotions as he watched her pull the napkin close. Confusion, interest, and finally delight as he watched the little flying alien take shape until the skillfully directed tip of her pen. "That's amazing," He said, impressed by how easily she'd turned out the little doodle. He set a fingertip to the corner of the napkin, dragging it closer to look it over more, already planning on how to make it all come together. "It's perfect." Even if he couldn't get the stencil to work, he was too happy to pin the little drawing up by the register and name the space pilot as the shop's unofficial mascot.

"Nice to meet you, Sybil." Cas matched her smile with one of his own, no hesitation at all as he introduced himself and carried on the conversation. Roswell might not have been a major city, but it felt large compared to his hometown, and there was something exciting about being in a new place. Maybe he should have been more reserved, but it seemed like a wasted opportunity to not talk with the people who lived in town and patronized Cosmic Candy. "I'm Casper, Cas mostly."

[casperjennings]

nfldunn·:

he slides his hands into the pockets of his jeans - he’d never admit it in a million years, really, but it was more to stop himself from reaching out. embracing someone you haven’t seen in over a decade was weird, especially when they were your ex, and gunner knew it, no matter how at ease he found himself feeling. maybe it was because casper had always been the one capable of making gunner feel at ease, back when he’d been an angsty teen who’d disappeared from his bedroom in the middle of the night and disliked most people - one of the few who had worked their way under all those rough outer layers. and when it came to gunner, once someone got underneath all of that, the path they used to get there never really closed up for them, try as he might. there were few things people would ever call soft about him, but that was certainly one of them.

“yeah?” he hummed, voice something of a husky rumble as his head cocked to the side, a few stray pieces of his hair falling into his face as he did. back when he’d been in the public eye, his stylist had always yelled at him about his hair ( don’t touch it, or mess it up, and for fuck’s sake, gunner, keep it out of your face, if you’re going to be a private recluse you need to look respectable and not like the bad boy no one wants their daughter to bring home for dinner ), so he’d gone a bit overboard with letting it be as rumpled as he liked these days, though most would probably think he looked good with it, despite the less than polished appearance. “where are you working?”

he cleared his throat, and though he was rarely ever the type of person to offer information about himself, with casper it was different. “i’m doin’ my final few weeks at the radio station, myself. then, uh-” he gestures off into the distance with his hand, into the desert that holds new mexico’s nfl team’s practice stadium, an hour outside of roswell. “i got a job for the new mexico team. not playing, obviously, but…” he stops short when he realizes that casper might not necessarily know - he doesn’t want to assume his ex has been keeping tabs on him, and while his career-ending injury had been big news in the sports world, it’d only generated moderate buzz outside of that sphere.

Hearing Gunner's voice again in person was a strange thing. He'd listened to more interviews than he'd ever admit, seen more post-game footage than anyone who had no real interest in football ever should have seen, and all of it was for Gunner, to catch glimpses of someone who wasn't in his life anymore. It had been his way of hanging on, but eventually it had worn on him, and Cas had cut himself off from the shots of Gunner on screen for his own good. This, though, this was real, two-sided, and Casper could let his gaze sweep up and down the other man and drink his fill.

Gunner's voice had deepened just a little more over the years, rough around the edges but soothing to someone who had once hung onto that voice for support and affection. "Cosmic Candy," He answered, probably an unexpected response to someone who hadn't known him past high school. "I uh, I took classes up in Cambridge, culinary arts."

The specific mention of how Gunner wasn't playing dragged the corners of Casper's mouth downwards, an immediate frown and though he knew better he found his feet carrying him forward anyway, just a shuffling step closer, one hand outstretched, fingers brushing down the length of Gunner's arm. "I uh, yeah I'm sorry about that." The injury had occurred after Casper had cut himself off from the media coverage of Gunner, but that had been hard to miss, maybe because he’d still been in Rockport then, and the fall of their golden boy was a town tragedy. Every time Cas heard mention of it his stomach had turned, filled suddenly with writhing feelings, and his chest aching in empathetic pangs. He'd drawn himself back immediately from the brief touch, unconsciously mimicking Gunner's posture, hands in his pockets, and unknowingly much for the same reason.

[casperjennings]

dikaur·:

                    her frame leans on the glass counter,   a hand propped beneath her chin to hold herself up.  her lips push downward ,   an expression used to show just how impressed she is.        “  no,   no,  dude,   not basic.     this is like horrifyingly interesting.  i’m getting OCD   (   serial killer vibes  )   from you but in a cool way.  ”     she meant that.    by all means the preciseness that cas is putting into displaying the candy  SHOULD  be something adiya makes fun of        but,   what the hell,    at least   someone   is doing their job around here.  a damn good job,  at that.     “  tell me more about yourself,  casper,   did you move to roswell to specifically make bon-bons or are you hiding a body out here ?  ‘ cause i can get behind the body idea but,  you know,    LET A BITCH KNOW.    ”

It was hardly the sort of compliment Cas was used to, but coming from Adiya he felt lucky that it wasn't just outright criticism. Starting over in a new place was hard, and being the new guy at work was part of that struggle. "Oh," He said, surprise at her words of affirmation showing in his tone. "Cool. I think."

Her question about the body made him laugh, and he pushed towards her the tray he'd brought out from the back, a few stray bonbons that wouldn't fit into the precise lineup he'd executed inside the case leftover on it's Silpat lined surface. "Sorry to disappoint, I'm here for the candy." That was, of course, really only half the story. It was a good job, in his chosen career path, but there had been confectioner spots closer to his hometown, even within commuting range, but still Cas has sold off most of his belongings and come to Roswell without much looking back. "But it's good to know that if I ever need to bury someone in the desert I might be able to coerce you into lending a hand."

[casperjennings]

jadenlapointe·:

it was a wonder that , at this point , jaden was still allowed in the store . there should have been a passport-sized photo of his face behind the counter complete with a warning — do not serve this man — to both protect the stock of cosmic candy , and his sugar-dust rotted back teeth . with the sweet tooth of a ten year old boy , it was a disaster that the male was allowed his own income complete with a healthy dose of free will . there he was yet again , trawling the shelves for new arrivals and filling the surface of his bicep with anything blue — blue popping candy , blue raspberry jolly ranchers , blue ring pops , blue laffy taffy . his mouth would be nuclear by the end of the night , caught red-handed ( or azure-tongued ) in his crimes . 

“ basic ?? no , don’t be ridiculous , “ his nose scrunched , turning attention to the swirls and flecks of white in the bonbons . they weren’t his chosen color , but he was a fan of anything bad for his health — whether it was blue or otherwise . dumping his teal selection on the counter , his arm outstretched to point at the bespoke space-themed candies , “ i’ll take a handful of them , if it means business will boom a little better . i probably owe you guys a favour anyway . “ 

Despite the misgivings he'd voiced, Cas was actually a little bit proud of the confections he'd put into the case, the little swirls of color and the perfect flecks of stars. Looking at the haul the man in the store was currently gathering though, he couldn't help but wished he'd put just a little more blue on the bonbons.

"Owe us a favor?" Cas laughed, actions belying his tone as he moved immediately to open the case back up and scoop a half-dozen of the handmade treats into a small box, their shiny, speckled faces turned up. "By the looks of this you're the one keeping us in business. Is the blue like, a regular thing or will it be green next week?" Honesty curiosity pulled the question out of him, but also Casper knew he wasn't above a little plotting, and if he just so happened to have something new in the right color scheme the next time the man came by to replenish his sweets stash, well, that was just good fortune wasn't it? The girl who normally ran the register had been due for a break, so Cas had sent her off before he'd began his stocking, so he placed himself squarely behind the till, squinting a little at the unfamiliar layout as he began to ring up the blue mountain on the counter.

[casperjennings]

sybilblanchettfm·:

Sybil watched as the man moved through the store, her eyes focused on the small box of bonbons. It had become a little bit of a tradition to pass by Cosmic Candy whenever she was coming back from a trip to the library, or to any popular attraction. She had a sweet tooth, and the sugars tended to cheer her up a bit. She had gotten used to the man behind the counter, though she didn’t know his name. “It’s pretty.” She chuckled. “You should draw little aliens on them.” As she said it, she made a mental note to sketch bonbons with little aliens on them when she got home. That sounded cute. Maybe they could end up in her graphic novel someday.

"Yeah?" Cas responded, making sure the latch on the case was secure. Even without looking up, the crooked twist of his lips and the lilt in his tone went a long way towards showing how pleased he was by the easy compliment. Pretty was, though, only half the battle. They had to look enticing enough to get you to want to eat them, but they had to taste good, too. Good enough, hopefully, to keep you coming back for more.

Her suggestion had him furrowing his brows, gaze finding hers as he contemplated the idea. "I like that," He said, tone bright, "Honestly. A stencil would help..." He trailed off a little, considering just how to make it all work for him. Coming from his own mind he'd have been worried that the idea was too cheesy, but from a familiar face, someone who had the energy of a local, Cas thought it could work.

"So," He said, offering her a friendly grin, "Who can I credit for my inspiration if these alien bonbons take off?"

[casperjennings]

benjaminscottx·:

“Basic?” Ben found himself echoing the question, brows lifting in amusement. It definitely wasn’t the first thing that came to mind upon glancing over the display, but then, he rarely had too many thoughts when it came to candy. He was just there to pick up a stash of it for the week, keep his focus on other things… as usual. It was a miracle his teeth weren’t all falling out honestly considering how much of it he put away. 

“You sure about that? The galaxy themed stuff’s gotta be a hit with the tourists, right?” He wasn’t really into any of it, although he could understand the appeal to those passing through, just enjoying the towns history. 

Casper felt some sort of relief at the parroted remark. Despite what he'd said about them, getting the coloring just right on the bonbons had been work, and it was reassuring to hear some doubt in his companion's response. Maybe all that time he'd spent flecking tiny stars across the surface of the sweets hadn't been a waste.

"Yeahhh," Cas sighed, dragging the word out with his exhale. "Don't get me wrong, I want the tourists to come in." He waved a hand around the interior of the store, the various displays and shelves that the other employees helped him keep stocked. "But I want the locals, too." There was still a couple of the bonbons on the small, parchment lined tray he'd carried them from the back room on, and he set it on top of the counter, pushing it forward in a quiet offering. "Do you like raspberry?"

[casperjennings]

who: @roswellstarters​ where & when: Cosmic Candy, early afternoon

Wincing as his elbow knocked into the side of the case, Cas leaned further into the glass-fronted display from the back, carefully prodding each of the cosmos-colored bonbons he’d just finished towards the front of the shelf. Cosmic Candy carried, like most places nowadays, a blend of the handmade and the manufactured. Casper didn’t mind it, really, and was known to demolish a bag of Sour Patch kids when his mood was poor enough to match the flavor, but he was hoping to start increasing the side of the business that focused on the smaller batches of handcrafted sweets he made himself.

 “It’s a bit basic, isn’t it?” He asked at the person on the other side of the counter as he extricated himself from the case and stretched back upright on his long legs. He pressed the case shut, leaning over a little to gaze down at the fruit-filled bonbons with their mirror-like finish. “I swear, not everything will be galaxy-themed.”

[casperjennings]

nfldunn·:

there’s an instinct you develop when you’ve been in the public eye long enough - or at least, that’s what he’d always believed. and he’s spent three years away from the public eye, hidden away in the small town of roswell, but all he hears is his name, and that face he’d perfected over the years falls into place. it happens even when his few friends around town call out his name unexpectedly - where that perfect magazine smile spreads over his face, expression pleasant but distant, because heaven forbid a fan gets a bad experience with you, and you get labelled a diva. he hasn’t been recognized in three years, but it’s still the talk-show-friendly look settling on his face, as if he’s about to meet a fan before he’s even turning.

and that’s when he sees him. he hasn’t seen casper since high school, but he recognizes him instantly. as much as he hates to admit it, his smile turns far more natural as soon as he notices the other male, relaxing into something that he hasn’t felt in… well, he didn’t know how long. maybe it was because casper was one of the few people in the world that truly new him - but it was almost like a knot in his chest unfurled, that constant urge to be someone worthy of his fame disappearing, because out of everyone in the world, he can be himself around casper. 

“i-” he sucks in a small breath, as if he’s catching it after the shock of seeing the other male after… what was it, fifteen years now? “yeah, it’s… it’s really me. wh- how are you? what brings you to, uh, roswell?”

He'd posed it as a question, but really Casper hadn't needed the confirmation. He'd know Gunner Dunn anywhere, any day, even with the time-gifted changes to his features. Cas knew he'd changed as well, but he hadn't been living in the public eye for years. There were no Men's Health magazine covers of him with an even-toothed smile on magazine racks, glossy and perfect, no trashy tabloids with grainy photos of him holding hands with someone in a restaurant parking lot. Cas had the advantage, but still, when Gunner looked it was clear that he'd been recognized in return.

There was surprise there, sure, I mean what were the fucking odds, but recognition showed itself in the shift of the smile aimed at him, and it melted something in Casper's chest that had frozen solid in the instant he'd spotted Gunner's face in the crowd.

"Good," He said, after a beat that he knew was too long, having been distracted by seeing his ex in person for the first time in over a decade. The other man looked good, of course, and Cas only hoped there wasn't cinnamon sugar clinging to his lips, that the shirt he'd pulled out of a cardboard box that morning was relatively unwrinkled. "I'm... good. I just moved here, for a job." His brows furrowed together, and though his lips had parted as though to ask the same in return, wondering how it was someone like Gunner had ended up here, he just stared for a moment more.