#( thread corey 001 )

[raging-ale]

@lovecorey

today was clearly a better day for the son of ares, he was alive and breathing and -- shit, it was his birthday. even if he didn't want to tell anyone, something about it actually made him not want to spend it alone. maybe in his own way celebrate it without really celebrating it. spending time with everyone as best he could, one by one - without a big group involved. heading back from a talk with chiron about his encounter that almost ended with him having his head being ripped off, his eyes caught a cute ginger as he walked past. "corey.. right?" he asked, stopping in his tracks and giving him a once over as he crossed his arms across his bare chest. the son of ares never wore a damn shirt.

[asherbaudelaire]

Closed Starter for @magicvet Where: Greywood Veterinary Care *** It's well after business hours, but then that's a concept which never really meant too much to Asher. Besides, he knows damned well this is where Corey Patterson is most likely to be at any given hour, anyway. He knocks on the door, but doesn't wait for an answer before pushing it open and stepping inside; hauling his oversized cargo in precariously behind him. The oversized cat-tree, artfully constructed from rustic cuts of wood to very accurately portray its namesake, barely fits through the front door. "Uncle Corey?" Asher hollers across the seemingly empty veterinary lobby, insomuch as the typically soft-spoken young man ever really raises his voice. "--You in the back? I could use a hand with this damned thing..."

[theo-mccarthy]

"What kinda friend would I be if I didn't come get you? Beside... the gossip fuels me," she teased, leaning over and nudging them as she drove before just shrugging it off. Also, as bad of a situation as it might have been for Corey, it was still nice to get to see them. A long time friend of hers that she was always happy to see, even if it meant being at the police station at stupid times in the morning when she had a business to run.

Theo was sure that she wasn't with it enough to try to figure out a combo that she really so chose one of their own and didn't change any of it, pushing the menu away from her and looking over at Corey again, a sigh leaving her lips. "Go on there... are you gonna tell me?" she asked, head cocking to the side as she waited for the other to begin explaining themselves.

Corey was a pain in the ass. They knew that much. It wasn't the first time they'd got in trouble, but they usually managed to avoid actually getting arrested. Most officers didn't even bother with the little things like fights, unless someone really got hurt, but Corey had been pretty out of it. "I love your willingness to pick me up from jail first thing in the morning," Corey answered, taking Theo's phone and sending the text for her.

It was lucky The Mesa was open twenty-four hours. Corey usually wandered in there after (or during) a night of drinking and debauchery. They went for the pancake combo with an extra side of scrambled eggs for the protein, habitually checking their phone again to see if Andie had tried to contact them, which of course, she hadn't. "So you gonna ask me what I did to end up getting arrested last night or do you just accept it as a normal part of my dumbass nature?" They were starving, had a headache, and needed coffee.

[agirlwithtoomanythoughts-blog1]

baron corbin { spiders }

   NOTE: And this is my Baron Corbin version of that idea I had earlier. And Baron is kind of a grumpy fluffy asshole here. And shades of !Jealous and !Dominant Baron come through here a lil bit? Oopsie? I’m gonna do Finn next and I’m possibly going to start writing a Zack Ryder one for anyone who might be interested in those versions. -- Love, Amber.

  TAGGING: @tryingtofindaplaceinthisworld and @alexablss and @believe-that-001 because I luff you guys and because this was their vote in my little poll thread. I really hope this is good and it didn’t come off with Baron being too much of a dick? I also want to tag @littledeadrottinghood just in case she likes Baron...

   WARNINGS: Partial nudity, Amber’s potty mouth, hints of !Jealous / !Dominant Baron and a really intense makeout? That’s about it, mhmm..

I'd just stripped down and I was about to step into the shower when it happened. I felt something creeping ever so slowly up my bare legs and when I looked down and I saw that eight legged, jillion eyed fucker looking up at me with those jillion buggy eyes, I cringed and I screamed, it was a scream that rivaled the scream of top horror movie scream queens but I didn't fucking care at the time.

The panic was taking over and I was shaking and trying to flick the spider off my body, throughly grossed out and knowing that now, thanks to this, I'd feel the fucking creepy crawl all over my skin all damn day. I didn't stop to think about how my scream might actually sound like the sound of me being butchered just down the hall from where my room mates slept, or that said room mates had gotten in on a very late flight the night before, nope.. All I thought about was how this spider was crawling up my body like a giant spider stripper pole.

But the sound of footsteps just as I'd ran out of the bathroom, after flicking the spider into a nether used corner of the bathroom clued me into the fact that no, I was not alone in the apartment and yes, I'd just been the annoying kind of room mate that awakened my sleeping room mates Baron and Corey, a color commentator and a pro wrestler from some wrestling company.

I turned to find myself body to mostly nude body against Baron's muscular frame and all I could manage to get out was that there was a spider. In fact, I must have repeated the word eight damn times and I was shaking so bad, I had to look like a spazz to the guy. He was chuckling, giving me this slightly irritated but amused look.

Wordlessly, he side stepped me and stepped into the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later with a magazine, the corpse of the spider sitting neatly on top. He flashed me this look and bit his lip, muttering something under his breath as he stalked down the hallway and into the kitchen, turning on the garbage disposal. I could hear him laughing his ass off in the kitchen and I scowled, flipping the kitchen the middle finger while grumbling.

I am utterly confused by the guy. In the four months he and Corey have been my room mates, he's said maybe four words to me in passing yet he's always just kind of… Watching me? Would that be the way to describe it?

I'll go with that.. He hardly speaks to me, he acts like I am more of an annoyance than anything and yet, he's always watching me when he thinks I'm not aware of it.. Of the two who woke up, I'd personally figured, -- or I'd hoped, it would be Corey, who I've actually gotten to be pretty good friends with. I never once considered that Baron would be the one waking up to my screams. I definitely never thought he'd actually come in and see if I was okay or if I were being murdered, or what.. I mean I’m at least pretty sure that Baron only tolerates me.

We were standing in the hallway and Baron was edging closer to me, his eyes flickered down to my arms, folded over my bare chest. "Get some clothes on."

I bit my lip and stared up at him, my mouth opening and closing, torn between a smart remark and being apologetic, feeling like a teenage girl who'd just got caught going past first base with her boyfriend by her father. I'm not sure why I felt that way, but I did.. And I felt this heat, this almost static tension in the air between Baron and I, it always seems to linger whenever we have to be in a room together for more than ten seconds. But it really hit me now just how common that tension was.

"Clothes. Now.. Before Corey wakes up and sees you standin around in panties." Baron's voice was filled with tension but it was deeper and almost a throaty growl as he snapped the words at me. I eyed him, a brow raised but not moving an inch. { It's kinda hot, the way he's getting all territorial. Confusing, but hot.}

"And it's any different than you seeing me like this to kill the  spider?" I asked finally, confused. The squeaking of Corey's bedroom door as it opened prompted Baron to take matters into his own hands, lifting me up and stepping into the bathroom with me, banging the door shut. And then his eyes were on me, his tongue slowly gliding over his lips as he struggled with whatever it was that he was having trouble expressing.

"It just is."

"Excuse? No, Baron, it is not." I argued and I found myself pressed right against him when I stepped up again. His arms slid around my waist and he let this low growl escape his throat as he fixed his eyes down on my lips, licking and biting his own.  "I wouldn't play with fire if I were you." he warned, gripping my hips and pressing me even closer to him before adding, " I see the way he's always flirting with you."

"And? That has anything to do with this?" "Oh it has everything to do with this." Baron was leaning down slightly now, only to grip my ass and pull me up his body. "Because every fucking time he does it, I get pissed. He knows I want you. He knows I like you." Baron's words poured into my mouth as his lips found mine and he kissed me, gripping my ass and squeezing, still holding me in his arms.

I moaned and nipped at his lip, molding against him. "What the hell?" I gasped the words as the kiss broke, more than a little shocked and definitely surprised, in a good way. He held my gaze steadily and chuckled.

"I.Want.You. And every single time Corey flirts with you, it drives me crazy. Especially when you flirt back with him." Baron's eyes were trailing ever so slowly over my body as he swallowed hard.  "You scared the livin hell out of me when you screamed." he muttered darkly, his hands moving over my curves, gripping my hips as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

" I'm not flirting back with him." I assured Baron as I leaned against him, looking up and giving a smug smirk. "You were worried about little ol me? Awww.. There is a sweetheart in there, somewhere. I knew it. I freaking knew it." and Baron scoffed, smoothing his hands over my hair as his lips brushed my forehead. "If you're not flirtin with him, why do you always stop talkin when I walk into the room?"

"Because.. He kinda knows about my huge fucking crush on you.. And I didn't want you to overhear because you'd laugh your ass off.. Or I thought you would?" I bit my lip, looking up at him.  " I kinda thought you hated me until tonight." I admitted quietly.

He eyed me, obviously puzzled and then it sank in for him. "I didn't know what to do with the way you make me feel? I definitely don't hate ya." he mumbled as his lips found mine again and he pulled me closer, making me suck in a harsh breath as we rubbed against each other and the friction added to the ache in my thighs and I could literally feel the wetness as it slicked the inside of them. I  gripped his hips with my legs and the kiss deepened.

"One little spider though? I fucking thought someone broke in the house and they were hurting you." he chuckled against my lip and I nipped at his in a playful and kind of rough way, grumbling against his lips, "Asshole.. You were being so sweet too."

"Aw, c'mon. It was cute.. Loud as hell but cute. And over a spider, no bigger than my fingertip, really?"

From behind us, we both heard Corey speak up. "Fucking finally. I was gonna lock you two in the bedroom together, but hey, kudos to the spider." he muttered, smirking as he looked from me to Baron and then turned, walking into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and going back to his bedroom, door banging shut behind him.

[asherbaudelaire]

Asher has spent enough time here at his uncle's veterinary office throughout the years that he knows the routine, carefully passing through doorways in such a manner as to keep the cattery's residents safely tucked on their side. It's easier these days than it used to be; most of the animals here tend to give him plenty of space now. They know damned well what he is even if Corey doesn't.

He follows the older man through the familiar halls and into the staff's kitchen area, sinking down into his preferred seat at the table. None of the Boudelaire kids are strangers to this particular kitchen table; it's a safe space in a world that hasn't always felt that way. "Nah, I don't need none of that fancy swill, Uncle Corey." Asher's coffee preferences could not be further from his big brother Matt's. He likes the cheap stuff; brewed by the pot-full, black, piping hot, poured hastily into a thermos on his way out the door to keep him warm when he's working outside on a chilly morning. "Okay, this's gonna' sound stupid as shit. I wanted to ask you what kinda' medical resources and protocols are out there for supernatural creatures...y'know, like, do vampires have to go to special dentists? Do werewolves see a veterinarian for rabies shots? How's all that work?"

A wide grin stretched Corey’s lips when Asher said that he had time for a cup of coffee. “Perfect!” He exclaimed, moving to exit the cat playroom after Asher. He let Asher through with a practiced technique that left no room for any of the cats to slip away. Most were either indifferent or too busy inspecting the new item in the room anyway. “Oh yeah? What are they about?” Naturally Corey didn’t mind at all, just hoping he would be able to help.

He guided Ash back to the front of the clinic and to the staff kitchen, where he busied himself with brewing tea for himself and coffee for the younger man. “Oh we got a new espresso machine, want to try?” He offered, pointing at what Corey considered a very futuristic-looking machine sitting on the kitchen counter. There was a kitchen table in there as well, currently unoccupied as it was yet too early for lunch break, so most of the clinic and shelter’s staff was out there, working.

[raging-ale]

"a nude beach huh? -- at this point you are trying to get me naked aren't you?" he teased, walking a bit in front of the other as he smirked. "i'm sure we can go ask around some of the locals and go somewhere more private for the both of us." taking his hand alejandro began to lead him out over towards the locals. asking any of them quickly where there might be a little private beach. "thanks." he said the to the local, once more grabbing the demigods hand, rushing over to where they were pointed towards.

didn't take long to make it to the stunning beach that they were able to snag. looking around, he pulled corey in closer and smirked. "so what then -- should i get down to my birthday suit now or -- should we keep this pg?" he winked, teasing him. the view around them stunning, romantic even - this was just for a couple hours and he didn't want leave. this was somewhere he never been - never given the chance to ever afford anything like this.

Well, at least Corey wasn't the only demigod who lacked the privilidge of seeing the great big world before coming home. And Ale was humble enough to admit it. Holding on, he felt quite breathless on the surprisingly short journey. Certain he had once googled how long a flight from Colorado to Hawaii would be. A good twelve hours, and that didn't include lay overs. Now the the pair were suddenly here, landing within a thick tropical, beautifully green forest. Without a hole burned into their pockets.

Beaming once more, Corey also ditched his shirt and eagerly joined Alejandro on their journey toward sapphire blue beaches. "No use overthinking these things." He was far too happy to have made it, though his mind somewhat doubted this could truly be real. "Maybe we'll find a nude beach or... it'll be so remote, just for us." He secretly hoped for the latter.

[raging-ale]

"i don't know about a mini vacation - but an hour or two out somewhere to soak in some sun. -- never been to hawaii or bali -- shit, really never been much of anywhere if i am honest." laughing, he turned to look at the handsome ginger next to him with s smirk on his face. "i could go for a quick little trip to dig my feet in some sand, be back just in time for lunch. what about it?"

without much of a warning, he began to kick off on the pegasi. riding off in a quick ride to hawaii, no idea where in hawaii, but alejandro didn't care. finding a nice secluded place to leave the pegasi behind from eyes that might be able to find them. he got off and quickly helped corey, taking his hand as he pulled him in almost too close to his chest. "we should have maybe dressed the part... actually." pulling his own shirt off his back, he tossed it to the side and laughed. "better right? fit right in or should the pants go too." he teased, taking corey's hand once more and starting to walk towards where he can hope the beach was at.

Corey could already feel his understanding of Ale grow fonder as he invited him along on the journey. The stables were an awesome choice. Perhaps the staff would allow Corey to lend a hand around them sometime. Being around horses and now pegasi left the red heads heart feeling full and spirit relieved. Both sun kissed arms folded across the fence while they talked, dark eyes sharing gazes between the steeds and handsome tank.

Ale's words spoke to his soul that remained still with wonder and even optimism. It was a wonderful change... to the life he'd known before. Turning, he smiles and is quick to join Alejandro before the winged horse. In awe of both. "Oh shit..." He gasped, overwhelmed with options he'd spent his life in a small town dreaming of. "I've always wanted to go somewhere tropical... like Hawaii or Bali. Sneak in a mini vaca?"

[raging-ale]

"listen, that was just a test and we did good -- for the most part, but that is not why i am here right now." looking at the others eyes the whole time, he smirked. "i don't know you - much or at all and you really did well out there and ... i have been trying my best to get to know everyone, try -- being keyword here." ale laughed, slowly then standing up to his feet and extending out his hand. "how about we go explore? get into some trouble? -- go somewhere new?" ale smiled, still having his hand out for the other to take if he wanted.

It seemed that Corinth would have to really practice not taking things, or godlings for face value. Ale was quick to reassure his doubt and then joined him at the table. As if they were already friends. At least, brothers in arms it seemed which should be an even greater bond.

"We did do it." He sighed, relieved, and that usual smile returned. "Battles of that magnitude... I just have no reference for something like that. I... guess I did manage to keep you up longer than you'd have lasted on your own. And Kieran.

Ah... is this what you wanted to talk about?" Perhaps he'd thrown off Alejandro's intention with the doubt and apology.

[raging-ale]

hearing the boy apologize made him confused, unsure where it was coming from or why he was even saying sorry for. they all did their best and ended up taking out the hydra, which thankfully wasn't real - or pretty much a few heads would have been rolling that night. "hey, you did amazing out there." ale came around and sat right in front of him.

taking in the boys features, he smiled to himself. he was cute, and wondered what was going on in that pretty gingers head. "that was made for us to work together and we did... bodies were going to go down. we all did our part for as long as we were able to. we all fucking worked well -- we might need a little more work when it comes to team work, but shit - we fucking did it, right?"

Damn. The supportive bard hadn't been so close to their team/camp's tank yet. Funny that he should feel nervous at all. It wasn't like extroverted Corey to back down from a chat and he had spent that fast passed battle staring at Alejandro through it's entirety. Trying his best to support and keep him standing, a human shaped wall between the son of Eros and that gigantic roaring hydra.

The experience was militant, in a way, and a reminder that Corinth had to wake up fast to their new reality. Play as smart as possible. For his allies sakes. Had he let Ale down? That torso was inviting, but with both arms crossed it just seemed the tank was unimpressed.

"Yeah." The ginger confirmed, arching his chin up toward Ale from his seat in the mess hall. He was in the middle of breakfast and needed a carb load to recover and start fresh today. "So uh..." Fuck. Still nervous. His brown eyes flick down. "sorry about yesterday..."

[theo-mccarthy]

Took a deep breath and exhaled as the other got into her car, gripping the steering wheel and nodding. "I don't count any debt, you idiot," she try to tease, waiting for them to be in properly and ready before she began pulling away from the police station. Wanted out of there as quick as possible and she was sure that Corey felt the same, after spending all night in there. Well, assuming they had spent their whole night in there anyway.

Theo shrugged her shoulders before laughing to herself. "You love my colloquialisms or whatever they're called," she waved off as she began to drive to the new destination rather than Corey's place. A big word for her to use before a morning coffee, so she was pretty proud of herself for that one. "Yeah, food is definitely on you this morning. Gonna have to text one of the others that they gotta open up for me," she said, signalling to her phone. "Do it for me while I drive?"

Corey was stubborn enough to walk home if they couldn't get a ride, but Theo was a real one. "Thanks," Corey said. "I'd say I owe ya, but that stack of debts is probably piling up." Corey was the type who would be there for a friend, too, if the situation was reversed, but it seemed like they'd been needing people more often than not recently. They smoked the cigarettes Douglas had returned to them, cigaratte smoke mixing on their clothes with the smell of jail cell and the lingering booze of the night before.

"Dirty stopout is crazy," Corey snickered when Theo pulled up, climbing in and buckling up. "You say the most Irish shit sometimes, I swear to God." Corey desperately wanted a shower. Theo's air freshener was gonna be working overtime. "Let's get breakfast," they suggested. "Go to The Mesa or something. Eggs, bacon. I'll pay." Maybe if they offered to feed Theo, she wouldn't ask too many questions about what had landed them in the drunk tank for the night.

[raging-ale]

"wings? -- i don't know if wings are my thing, but hey -- i'll have a crack at it sometime." he laughed, lacing their hands together as he tugged the demi-god along the camp grounds. walking him over to the stables, the son of ares took his time to just admire the beauties before him. "it's still so unreal that this is our life - it can end for us at any time, but we're surrounded by such beautiful magic, a world that we had no idea even existed until just recently." letting their hands slip for a moment, he took up one of the pegasus and smirked. "where have you not been before and wish to visit - first thing that pops into your mind right now, don't think - just say it and we're off."

By the time Ale had finished, Corey was practically glowing. It was so cool to be invited out for some fun with the camp tank. The child of Eros grinned and stood right up, accepting the hand. "Yeah, I'd love to see something new with you." He chuckles before admitting, "There's no room for error on the field, but I'm no perfectionist off the clock."

"Depending on the trouble, I could lend you a pair of wings. If you'd like. They... take some training, but are worth all the hype."

[theo-mccarthy]

Theo was just getting to The Outlook, opening up everything and getting ready for the day. Setting her bag down, opening blinds, that kind of thing. She had a mental to do list every time she opened up herself, ticking them off one by one that she almost tuned her phone out when it began ringing. "Hello?" she answered, noting it was Corey. Now, what did Corey need from her so early in the morning?

Rolling her eyes at their words, she sighed deeply down the phone. "You know what time it is right?" she asked, not being able to help the laugh that left her mouth as she grabbed her keys, already walking towards the front door and on her way to her car, locking up on her way. "Give me fifteen and then I will be there," she simply said, cutting off the call and jumping back into her car.

The journey to the police station was safely one of the journeys she would always know like the back of her hand. Had a visit a couple of times when she was a teenager, before she figure out how to be more sneaky with her jobs. It was an easy journey and she was there in no time.

Pulling up, she rolled down her window and beeped her horn to get Corey's attention. "Hop in you dirty stopout," she joked before gesturing for them to hurry and get in the car, letting out a sigh and relaxing in the driver seat.

Starter For: @theo-mccarthy Location: Local Jail

"You sober now?" Came the call as Officer Douglas wandered into the holding area, keys jangling from his belt. The sun was barely peeking through the bars of the holding cell, slithers of light slipping through the small window in the space on the other side of the bars where the officer was walking. Corey knew Dougas. Benefits (or downfalls) of a small town. Corey let out a small grunt in response.

"Sober enough. What time is it?" Sleep had only came because Corey had been too drunk to resist it anymore, in spite of the cot in the cell being uncomfortable as shit. "I gotta go home and feed my cat."

"Like 7:30am. You know I could hold you up to 48 hours before I have to file charges."

"You want the pleasure of my company for that long? I'm touched." Corey had sobered up since the arrest, enough to not be quite as combative as they had been the previous night (or the early hours of that morning).

"Lucky for you, I'm in a good mood. And you must be sober now. Last night when I read you your rights and asked if you wanted to call a lawyer, you said 'get bent, you think I have lawyer money?'"

Corey snickered. "Yeah, sounds like me."

Officer Douglas unlocked the cell, gesturing for Corey to follow. "No charges this time, but the next time you might not be so lucky. Not everyone is as understanding as I am." Douglas gave Corey a sad smile. "I was sorry to hear about your mom."

Corey nodded. It was just a little bar fight. Nothing serious. But the owner had called the cops, and since Corey had started it and been the more drunk of the patrons, they were the one shoved in the back of the cop car. "Thanks." They weren't going to go into any more detail than that, and kept quiet while Douglas processed the paperwork for their release and handed them back their belongings.

"Sign here to confirm I've given you back your stuff."

"I had another fifty dollars in here," Corey lied, checking their wallet, and their deadpan joke prompted a simple eye roll. "Corey..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." They were already signing the papers. "Tell your sister I said hi."

Corey waited 'til they were outside before turning their phone back on, scrolling their contacts. Shawn was an option, but Shawn was sure to give them an earful, so they called Theo. "Hey, can you pick me up? I'm at the police station."

[asherbaudelaire]

"Yeah, sure. Gimme' the weight, you just guide that end, alright?" The short journey is made harrowing mostly by the obtuse nature of the enormous cat tree, and not for the first time since he began the process of relocating it from his garage to the veterinary office, Asher wonders if he should have downsized it a bit. Oh, well; it's too late for second thoughts now. Awkwardly, he and Corey manage to maneuver it into the back and down the hallway, past scores of kennels and temporary enclosures. Asher used to love hanging around back here as a kid, but he seldom does anymore. Especially now. The animals, he's fairly certain, can smell what he's become.

The cat haven is bustling with furry residents, curious about the intrusion as their feline reputation implies, and Asher minds where he steps as his uncle Corey lets him through the doorway. It's a wonder their cargo fits. He glances to the window indicated, and nods in agreement, "Looks like a good spot." He doesn't miss the thinly veiled discomfort on Corey's face, and suddenly he feels sheepish for having asked the man to overwork himself. "I'll get it the rest of the way, if you wanna' stand back and make sure it's centered," Asher offers, though it's clearly not a suggestion. As usual, he doesn't wait for a reply. "Should I call an ambulance first?" Asher jokes dryly, pushing the tree into position, "How's here?"

“Oh!” Corey glances behind himself quickly at the warning, adjusting his trajectory so he would avoid the table he’d almost bumped into. What Asher said made sense, it was such a lovely gesture and it made Corey smile, the expression reaching his droopy, always sleepy-looking eyes. “They will love it.” Of course, he meant the cats at the shelter. “Come on over here to the back, we can set it up right away.” Corey suggested, carefully guiding them to the back of the clinic, where the pens and the shelter were. Down the hallway they went hauling the cat tree, between the lined up little doggie pavilions encased in glass and fencing which separated the temporary canine residents in the shelter until they’ve reached the sliding glass door of a spacious room that housed socialized and calm cats used to living in at least medium-sized cat colonies. The space was already converted into a kitty heaven, with plenty of jungle gyms, comfy pet beds, climbing shelves and scratching posts to keep the kitties entertained and active. What Asher had made would fit right in.

After opening the door ahead of them, Corey let Asher through, keeping a watchful eye so none of the kitties actually slipped out in the attempt to make a quick escape while the humans were occupied. “I think that corner over there by the windows would do. As an extra sunbathing spot.” He suggested, already feeling a pressure in his lower back after this workout. It made him wince and stretch his spine, the flat of his palm pressing against the usual sore spot.

[asherbaudelaire]

Asher only huffs a quiet laugh at his uncle's question; the older man's seemingly boundless ability to not get a joke never gets old. His own sense of humor is often so bone dry that it's not unusual for his jests to slip under the radar, even when traded with people far less oblivious than Uncle Corey. The unflappable attitude has always been one of the things he likes best about the man who has been a steady rudder in the shitstorm of this life for as long as he can recall...no matter what they've thrown at him Corey's always been there unconditionally for the Baudelaire kids--optimistic, kind, wise--the role model his father could never find it in himself to be.

They spend a few brief moments finagling the placement of the massive cat-tree, Corey's direction and Asher's manpower at last yielding an acceptable resting place for the new piece of furniture. "Yeah," he agrees with a little nod, "Yeah, it'll do." The cattery's residents waste no time claiming the thing as their own, and Ash is satisfied that the beautiful old tree will find new purpose here. "I guess I got time for a cup of coffee," he relents, knowing full well what Corey is angling for when he asks. "Kinda' was hopin' to pick your brain about a couple things anyway," Asher admits, shoving his hands into his pockets as he scoots toward the door and waits for his uncle to open it so that they can escape back out into the hallway.

Corey did not pass on the offer to let Asher handle the last leg of the cat tree's journey into the kitty playroom, making sure instead that the doors behind them were properly closed so no cat could take them by surprise and saunter out to roam the clinic freely until caught again. “Ambulance? Why?” Truly confused, Corey needed a moment to check himself before he made his arm drop and he schooled his expression to show none of the discomfort he felt anymore. It would pass by quickly enough, as long as he’s not asked to lift anything else heavy again today.

“Oh, a little to the left, Ash. Just a smidge. There, that’s good right there, no, a little more to the right, yup, good enough. That's it.” He instructed as the other likely struggled at least a little to do as advised. Corey had no qualms about leaving stuff the young could do up to them. Asher was certainly a young man at the peak of his strength, a single cat tree would obviously do nothing at all to his back, unlike to Corey's. “Well, don’t it look very nice, huh?” He approached, hands on hips, admiring the spot now occupied by the cat tree. It really did fit right in and was already being inspected by one or two boldest, most curious felines in. “Thank you, Asher. This was very kind of you.” He reached out to squeeze the young werewolf’s shoulder, giving it a hearty pat before Corey’s hand dropped. “Do you need to be somewhere or you got time?” He inquired for predictable reasons - unless Corey had patients scheduled in and was occupied with awaiting for their arrival, he would always invite everyone who dropped by for any reason not involving pets for a cup of office tea or coffee.

[asherbaudelaire]

"Oh, there you are," Asher mutters. It's as much of a proper greeting as Corey is likely to get, but then it shouldn't really come as a surprise. He shifts his weight to maneuver the unwieldy piece of furniture so that the other man can get a good grip on it, grateful for the second set of hands. "Yeah, sorry I didn't give you a heads up," He replies, turning to guide the thing around the obstacles in the veterinary lobby. "Put an addition on some guy's house a while back and he had to cut this giant tree down; big beautiful live oak, it was a real shame. So I salvaged a bit of the good stuff. Waste not, want not, right?" It's what his mother used to say. "Anyway, I was tryin' to figure out what to do with it..." He trails off and doesn't finish the thought. "Watch the table there on your left," Asher peers around the side of the thing to catch a glimpse of Corey's face. "You think they'll like it?"

Corey did work in shifts, mostly taking the morning ones while for the rest of the day and over the weekends he was on-call, go-to-work-if-needed sort of basis. This unwritten scheduling rule was very often broken because at the end of the day, Corey was a workaholic in love with his profession and basically married to it. Perhaps that was also one of the reason why he’d remained single most of his life. Therefore, as per usual, today had caught him in the clinic doing his regular overtime. He’d just stepped out of his office to get a refill on his lukewarm rooibos tea when his best friend’s younger son entered the clinic, hauling in what was for all intents and purposes a large piece of furniture.

“Over here, Ash!” Corey called back out, a little startled by the ruckus but not enough to get confused over it. He strolled over, always the type to take his time even when it seemed like the situation required urgency. “Goodness gracious, what is all this for?” He found the first flat surface nearby to put his tea mug down before he stepped in to grab the other end of the cat tree, taking over some of its weight from Asher. “Did you bring this in for the shelter? You could’ve called in ahead of time, I could’ve organized a pickup.” He said apologetically, feeling bad that Asher had to go through all this trouble, also sincerely hoping that his poor bad back would not protest this bit of surprise manual labor.