#pyp hawthorne ; threads

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closed starter for @murdcrofcrows (dixie) location: hell's gate

Dixie made Pyp very nervous. Her entire demeanor let him know that she could eat him alive in one bite, and yet he was still deeply intrigued by her. He had watched her dance a little bit, though more than her body, he was just curious about her. He had a very hard time approaching her though.

"Hey - so, um." He'd talked to her a little in passing, but not too much. He was sure he was coming off as a a creep, maybe someone who was trying to hit on her. He was not. "I saw an ad the other day - and I was pretty sure that was you in it. Why uh. Still dance if you're getting jobs like that?"

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closed starter for @eatabug (rowan) location: red line diner

While Pyp didn't exactly enjoy hanging around work once he was finished with it, he did like taking advantage of making himself something to eat before clocking out - and with Wana swinging by, he just doubled it and set the plate in front of them as he plunked down across from them in the booth.

"You find any cool bugs today while I was sweating my ass off behind the grill?"

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closed starter for @insainted (maisie) location: hell's gate

"Should I be concerned? Should I stage an intervention?" Pyp playfully mocked as he spotted Maisie. It's not like he didn't see them other places - such as Remedy Roots - but it seemed like more often than not, they could be found here. "You're not even 21 yet, maybe you can't legally be considered an alcoholic yet." It was all in good fun; Pyp was a brat even on his best days, and of all the things he could accuse Maisie of being at Hell's Gate.... an alcoholic seemed tame.

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closed starter for @exmcrtis (wendy) location: remedy roots

He had gotten finished with his shift, and Pyp wasn't exactly ready to head home yet. So instead, he decided to see what Wendy was up to. It wasn't unusual to see him hanging around, bugging her like he would an older sibling (he assumed, anyway; he didn't have any to speak of.)

"Hey, Wendybird," he chirped as he entered the store. "Good news for you is that I have nothing else to do today. Which means I'm your problem now."

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closed starter for @exmcrtis (iris) location: the fishery

There were three places you could always count on finding Pyp outside of his own home, and The Fishery was at the top of that list. Sometimes it was just rapping on the windows to get Iris' attention, and sometimes it was because he actually needed work done on the little sedan that his dad refused to replace and was too busy to sit around all day waiting for repairs; but there was no doubt that Pyp wasn't a stranger in the place, and honestly he just hoped most people would acknowledge him and then pretend he wasn't there - with one exception.

"Came to check on you," Pyp waved idly as he slipped into the building, face betraying the calm tone he was using. He hated wasps, and it didn't seem like those fuckers were going anywhere anytime soon. "Cuz it feels like a fucking nightmare world out there." He quicky ran his palms over his arms, convinced he could feel the little feet on him as the insects buzzed outside. "You haven't gotten smacked into or stung or anything - have you?"

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"Maybe you think it's funny to watch me squirm," Pyp pointed, a bemused look on his face. "It's true through. I'm a bug killing machine only when they're in my bed. If they're minding their business in the corner? Well, then I'll leave 'em be. I just get too freaked out when I wake up and feel one crawlin' all over me." He shuddered just at the thought. "Terrible. Awful. But I like lookin at 'em from the safe distance of you holding them."

They had a point. There were a lot of bugs that were all hit with radiation. "So.... maybe it's an omen of some kind?" Pyp muttered into his own food. "Like.... do you think there's going to be even more bugs crawling up from the depths now that the moths have started?"

❝ now why would i go doin' somethin' like that? ❞ rowan asks, the question interspersed by bright peals of laughter as they pluck another fry from the plate and point it at pyp accusatorily. ❝ second i go puttin' any of 'em in your bed, you'd end up rollin' over and crushin' 'em, and then what good are they doin'? ❞ they grin as they take a bite, kicking their feet up into the free space next to pyp beneath the table. ❝ second i find somethin' cool, y'already know you're first in line to see. ❞

his question is enough to have the gears in wana's head turning and they hum thoughtfully. ❝ i could be wrong, but i don't figure afterglow's got much to do with it. i mean, all sorts of bugs 'round here been hit with radiation ― ain't a one of 'em not twice the size they were a hundred years ago. what business would they have with moths? ❞ as far as they knew ― and it wasn't a whole lot, but they heard talk ― the folks at afterglow had bigger fish to fry than appalachian moths.

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He noticed her jump, and winced. Good going, dipshit.

"Hi," he gave her a nervous grin. "Sorry; I kind of have a bad habit of blending into the wallpaper here. I guess I really am dressing like an old man with just me and my dad." He blinked a couple of times as she touched his arm, but didn't shy away from her. She was just doing her job; being friendly. "I don't - but I'll definitely keep an ear out." He flushed out of embarrassment - thought it was hard to tell with the lighting. "I - no! I mean, you're a great dancer. Really. I just um. Well, I'm sure you don't need me saying it, but you just have a really.... pretty and unique face. I think it would do everyone a lotta good to see that plastered over tv screens or all on a billboard or something... Not that this isn't.... I should stop talking."

she'd always been aware of the eyes on her, so much so that she didn't notice who they all belonged to anymore. unless she was performing, then she is acutely aware of those eyes because they may as well be dollar signs. all that to say, she hadn't noticed how long pyp had been there until he started talking and truth be told, she jumped when she heard his voice because he'd caught her completely off guard.

"why hello to you to there, baby face. where the hell did you come from?" she giggled and touched his arm gingerly in greeting. force of habit, trying to lure people in for private dances or more tips by being flirtatious. didn't mean anything by it. "mmm, well sugar, that would be because i'm not gettin' many jobs like that. they're few and far between but if you know anyone lookin' to pay me to be the star in their next—" she paused to think just what would be her main aspiration and realized they all would make her happy at that point. "well, anything, i suppose. you give them my info. why do you ask sweetheart? don't think my dancin' is any good, or what?"

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"Did I scare you?" He let out a soft laugh. "Isn't the bell specifically for the purpose of making sure you're not scared? Or are you just so wrapped up in your own head you forgot people actually come in here?" He wandered down the aisle until he found her, tilting his head back slightly to look up at her. "Feels weird to look up at you for once."

At her request, Pyp let out a heavy, exaggerated sigh. "I suppose you could utilize me for a little bit. As long as you give me lots of praise and love for it, I'll flex the fact that I'm five seven."

during her downtime at remedy roots, wendy always took to rearranging the shelves. she never made things difficult to find, but she did aim to make them easier to reach, knowing that grabbing a step stool every time a customer asked for something was annoying for all parties involved. and yet there she was, up on a step stool and reaching for multiple things at once, which was never a good idea.

when the bell above the door rung and pyp's voice filled her ears, wendy all but jumped out of her skin, nearly dropping everything in her hands before she quickly recovered them. "hey pyp!" she squeaked in welcome, sucking in a deep breath before setting the fragile bottles in her hands down. "i never mind when you're my problem, and you know that. but since you're here...that means i can utilize you. right?"

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Under his incredibly bratty attitude, Pyp took after his father and was something of a caretaker deep down. Maybe Rowan didn't need the food as incentive to hang out with him - but he had a feeling it didn't hurt, either. He liked to give what he could to people, especially those he considered his friends. Rowan fit very snugly into that category.

"Well, extra cool that I haven't seen, then," Pyp amended. "As long as you're not putting them in my bed, they're always cool." He wasn't a fan of how many legs they usually had, but what could you do? "Um - I think so, yeah. Like during the dust thing?" He wasn't sure how else to refer to it without being forced to pick a side. "You think the state of things has something to do with it? Maybe Afterglow getting involved? Or just radiation?"

they're not coming for the food, they swear ; no, rowan is here for socialization, to pull their friend away from the blistering heat of a grill for a few moments, to enjoy a bit of conversation and catch up! time is a construct rowan oft chooses to dismiss, but it's been at least a week or two now since they've seen pip. not since before the vision dust fiasco ― which, to be fair, rowan thinks is an unfair assessment as well, calling it a fiasco. they had a perfectly pleasant trip, after all. ( it's all about mindset! ) you'd never guess they weren't here for the food, though, the way their hands immediately dive toward the pile of fries on the plate the second pyp drops it on the table.

❝ they're all cool, but no, 'least nothin' i didn't show ya already, ❞ rowan confesses as they pop a fry in their mouth and lean forward, elbows propped up against the table. ❝ you saw the moths, right? i never seen 'em so big, 'specially 'round town like that. d'you know, even cecropias only get to somethin' like six or seven inches. they're way bigger. way bigger. ❞

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He let himself be pulled along, chuckling a little to himself as they did. He had gotten the reaction he wanted - maybe Maisie did it on purpose. Who's to say. It's not even that Pyp ever saw them drinking, either - it just seemed like the funniest option. Gambling would be a close second, but anything else felt more mean spirited than he actually was.

"Because I'm older than you and I know it," he pointed, grinning widely. "Unless your whole life has been like.... an Orphan situation. In which case, I have even more questions now."

"Fuck off, Pyp," Maisie snorts, grabbing their friend by the arm to pull him along with them and down to the basement. Maisie doesn't think they spend that much time at Hell's Gate, but people do seem to be able to find them there more often than not. Could that be considered a problem? Maybe. Maisie would just counter that they're trying to invest their money in a business they believe in.

Stepping down the bottom step into the basement, Maisie glances at him with a grin. "What makes you think I'm not twenty-six or something anyway?"