Sweet tooth -Corey and Esteban-

Corey got hungry a lot. It wasn't his fault- usually. His general carelessness probably meant he needed more energy to heal that was really necessary... but it was just his nature. A weird contrast to how he was at the same time always avoiding trouble, only to let himself get injured in some careless manner anyway.
But that was just him.

And being himself and all he was now in the kitchens, trying to fulfill his hunger with the things his body needed to grow.
For anyone else of course that would mean "healthy" foods, but being a plant meant his body preferred breaking down other things. Like sugar, sugary foods, and more sugar. He'd already wolfed down some chocolate and finding himself still craving and conveniently alone he looked for something a bit more... well..
He was now standing next to a bag full of pure raw sugar.
At least he had found the curtsey in himself to grab a spoon.

It was time to try again.

For whatever reason, Esteban often found it hard to keep food down, and it seemed that the more processed it was, the more sick it made him. Eating was just such a bother, he tried to do it as little as possible, and somehow, he got along fine. His body weight didn't seem to change, despite him eating much less than other boys his age. Well, other boys. He supposed normal rules didn't really apply to him.

But now his stomach was rumbling to a degree he found annoying, and so, he found himself rolling casually through the castle corridors on his skateboard. Well, the place was huge, so why should he have to walk?

Esteban stopped in front of the door to the kitchens and leaned down to pick up his skateboard as he turned the doorknob and pushed the door. Bumping it open with his knee, he walked in, then kicked it to close it behind him with a slam. It seemed that there was somebody else in the room already, and Esteban tilted his head as he gave him a sharp look. Ah. That guy. So, he was here. He walked towards the cupboard to browse for something relatively edible, not sparing 'Passionfruit' another glance. "'Sup?" he said casually as he shifted around some canned food. Peaches would be nice...

As anyone would do when caught doing something they might get trouble for- and heightened by his already jumpy nature- Corey did just that.
He jumped around, spinning on one foot to try and see who had come in, clumsily knocking into the bag his spoon had still been stuck in and tripping over so that he landed gracelessly on his butt, sugar spilled over him.
And it was hard to think of any way he could possibly have looked more guilty.

He also recognized the person who had walked in, once he'd recovered enough to actually look.
It was.. well.. someone he had met before coming to the castle. He remembered vaguely that he didn't quite know where he stood with him either. Or what he thought of the still pretty much stranger. He was pretty sure he had been pretty strange.
"Uh.. uhm.." he was wordless. Stumped.
He had no idea what to say in his current situation.
Not one clue.

He blinked in surprise at the boy falling over, then broke out in chuckles. What a clumsy dork. The reason for the look the bunny was giving him was a mystery, but it seemed that he might have caught him doing something... inappropriate. Something he could get in trouble for. Esteban considered his options; he could play it cool and say he wasn't going to tell on Passionfruit, whatever he was up to, or... he could be a sadistic prick.

"Wha'ave we 'ere...?" He hummed, taking out a jar of plum jam and opening it as he strolled in the other student's direction. He stuck two fingers inside the jar and licked the jam off them, staring down at the ground-bound boy, then smacked his lips. Then his eyes narrowed accusatorily. "Stealin', are ya?"

It was a bit hypocritical, really, considering he'd just come to rob the pantry as well. He hoped that the boy was nervous enough already to not notice it.

Now he could understand someone being surprised to see him eating straight sugar... but, stealing?
Was he really? Other people evidently came to eat from here.. he just had a different.. well. Diet.
His first instinct was of course to splutter some excuse- but he stopped himself.
He couldn't just let himself be walked all over by everyone he met.
That WASN'T why he had come here- to be a push over.

"That- that's a bit.. extreme, now isn't it? No one said I couldn't grab.. food from in here." Or.. food ingredients for that matter he supposed.
He stood up, hastily putting the bag back on the shelf and dusting the sweet granules from his person as quickly as he could.
"Besides.. you're in here too- right?" he raised a defiant almost daring brow, but his tone remained conversational.
He was still the lesser force here.

As much as he tried to keep his accusatory look, it had turned rather expectant as he waited for the boy's reaction. And how disappointing it was! He hadn't fallen for it. Esteban turned up his chin and pouted in displeasure. "Yea, sure." he muttered dismissively, digging another bit of jam out of the jar and consuming it. And then it struck him. He swallowed quickly and blinked in shock, then bellowed with short, barking laughter.

"'Ave yo bin eatin' suger?" he asked with disbelief, hand holding the jar dropping to his side. "Yous nuts." He looked him over carefully, as if seeing him for the first time. Blue hair. Those dog ears, also partly blue, making it seem like it was his natural color. Well, so was Esteban's. Kind of. He wasn't sure anymore. Shaking his head, he ate another bit of jam, all the while staring at Passionfruit insistently with his pink eyes.

His bolder expression turned sheepish and he shifted uncomfortably, an indignant pout forming- it wasn't THAT weird was it? Was it?
He tried to retain his composed argument though, as if it certainly wasn't weird at all.
"I was- it's.. totally normal for a plant to need sugar!!" he rebuffed, forgetting the part where he didn't mention he was part plant or fruit or whatever. "So it's not weird for me either.. I couldn't find any sweets so..." he wondered just how odd he sounded right about now.
Damnit why had he eaten plain sugar?! Why hadn't he found something less... embarrassing?
Was that what it was- embarrassing.. or just awkward?
Either way uncomfortable.

"I haven't done anything unusual for someone of my... for me." he finished in a matter of fact tone. There wasn't really anyone else OF his species, was there. Maybe similar people existed, but he was cursed- not a part of any particular race of fruit-bunny-people.

His brow creased. So, he was... a plant. For a longer while, Esteban was torn between mocking him for the idiotic idea, and genuine curiosity; maybe it didn't really make much sense in the world he used to be living in - the normal, predictable, logical world of humans - but... he wasn't part of that world anymore. He never really had been.

He liked this place, he realized.

He ate another bunch of jam, then looked at Passionfruit again as he approached him, putting the jar aside on a nearby counter on the way. His eyes showed honest interest, though the grin on his face wasn't entirely good-natured. Esteban stopped in front of the other boy, looking him over yet again. One weird plant, he was.

"So, dis be leaves?" And with that, he reached with his sticky hand to grab at one of the floppy ears and yank, not terribly strongly but enough to hurt.

As he was approached he was wary- but it didn't seem like the other boy meant him any ill intent.
At least it didn't seem like it until he reached out and grabbed one of Corey's ears, which in itself was enough to make him jump.
When the ear was pulled a small yelp- more of surprise than pain- escaped and he shook, twisting away from Este in an automatic attempt to free himself.
"NO! Not leaves, those a-aaaooww.. those are EARS idiot, stop pulling them!!" he huffed in an indignant tone.
What was the guy daft or something?!

Esteban flinched slightly at the reaction he got, letting go of the ear out of sheer surprise. "Jeez, chill, puppy." he said, grimacing and wiping his hand against his shirt, as if touching the ear had made it filthy. Or filthier than it had been. Letting out a huff as well, he rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Ain't ne'er heard of a plant wit' ears..." His gaze locked on the other again and he smirked. "Yo sure...?"

And with that, he took a quick step in his direction, attempting to snatch his ear again and pull it towards him, this time prepared to hold on despite all wriggling and squeaking that could occur. He wanted to examine them up close to make sure they were really ears and not leaves. For science. Or something.

"H-hey!" he stepped back, hands up protectively. "Yes I'm sure!"
Really what was this guys problem?!

He huffed again, his tone becoming a little more haughty as he protested- but didn't lose its indignation.
"I never said I was a plant, either- I said it was a normal plant diet, which makes it normal for me- That don't mean I'm a goddam plant!!"
He glared about as condescendingly as one could when they were also watching nervously for an oncoming attack.
Not very, but the intention was there.

He wanted to throw in an added insult to the end of his sentence and call the guy stupid for it, but he didn't quite have the nerve.

Esteban grimaced slightly in disappointment when his second attempt failed. He should have held on when he had the ears... Oh well. He rolled his eyes. Really, the guy's attitude would have started to get on his nerves, if only it wasn't so pathetic.

Still. He couldn't very well have some squirt talking to him like that, could he?

He took a step forward to close the distance between them, narrowing his eyes threateningly as he wrapped one hand around his fist and squeezed, his knuckles giving a loud crack.
"Migh' wanna be more precise when talkin' ta people, 'fore yo start whinin'bout 'em not gettin' ya, y'know, puppy?"
He leaned in closer, rising on his toes slightly to try and loom over Passionfruit despite their height being roughly the same.
"Less 'ear what are yo then, Mr. Plant-Diet-Don'-Make-Me-A-Plant."

That was threatening if anything was- and he instantly wanted to cower.
He wanted to stand his ground as well, fight back, show that he wasn't just a push over but well.. he was still afraid of this guy.
So he went with a sort of middle ground, stepping back, shrinking down- but not quite cowering.

"uh it's.. it's kinda hard to explain that's why I- um.." he had to pull himself together- stuttering wouldn't help him achieve anything.
He cleared his throat trying to maintain some composure.
"Usually I'd just.. show you. Simpler to let it er.. explain itself."

Tilting his head slightly, he dropped back to his heels. It was starting to sound kind of like the blue-haired kid was making it up as he went... Esteban didn't understand it. If he wanted to eat raw sugar, then why not? It wasn't like Fruit wasn't weird enough already for it to not make much of a difference. He didn't need to come up with some lame and incomplete excuses. Sheesh.

Esteban was determined to pull the truth out of him, one way or another. By his ears, if he had to.

He gave him a curious look, raising his eyebrows. "Show me then." While he had let go of the obvious threat, his fist was still clenched as a hint to what would happen if the 'showing' didn't happen or wasn't up to his standards.

He wondered if this guy would even let him escape the pantry where he was cornered.
He needed to get out to in order to show him- but what if he refused.

"... I need a knife, the kitchen ones would be best.." he was still speaking in a cautious slightly nervous tone.
He attempted to shuffle around out of the cupboard, a bit of sugar falling of his cloths here and there where it had been spilled.
He swallowed slightly as he moved past Este.

Looking around he saw where the utensils seemed to be kept, and walked over, searching for and eventually finding a reasonably sized kitchen knife.
Then he walked back over to his impatient acquaintance. If he was even that.
He faced him and took a breath of reluctant anticipation to brace himself. Well here went nothing. He sarcastically thanked luck he was wearing a short sleeve top. Less mess that way. "Look."

Even as he shifted aside to let him out, his gaze remained trained intently on the floppy-eared kid, as if he were hoping to read him through. A knife, huh...? If this was going to be a trick just to get himself armed against the changeling, he was going to pay dearly for hoping it would help him. Still staring at him as he followed, Esteban stepped carefully, his arms held at his sides in preparation for an attack to come at any moment, just in case.

When he turned to face him again, Esteban tilted his head to the side slightly, glancing at the knife and then back to Passionfruit's face.
"I am lookin'."

He sucked in his breath, lifted up his forearm- most possibly the most frequently abused part of his body simply for this purpose- and slid the sharp edge of the blade across his pale skin. Usually he would barely scratch himself to show people- but he sort of felt like he had something to prove here.
He wanted to shock this guy, REALLY shock him. Properly.
So it was a little bit more than just a scratch.

He winced as it stung and hurt, although he had developed quite a tolerance for pain.
As the blade finished its course, runny almost clear yellow juice began to flow first, quickly down his arm. It was after by thicker, yellower blood, that was pock marked with black seeds here and there, it didn't run as far or as fast as the clearer liquid and separated into individual seeds and bits as it bled.

Corey looked up at Este with a weird mixture of a slight grimace and a 'there I told you so' triumphant look.

He watched quite nonchalantly as the knife was lifted and dragged across skin. It was something he would be able to do without gasping or wincing, so he would not be impressed by Fruity's show in that regard. The kid was kinda tough, being able to do it anyway despite obviously feeling pain, but it wasn't all that special.

What began to pour out of the wound, though, did take him off guard, his eyes widening. It looked disgusting, like lymph or pus, and what were those chunks supposed to be...? Esteban stuck out his tongue in repulsion, torn between wanting to reel away and lean in closer to get a better look. The latter won out.

"The heck is dis?" he said, aiming a poke at the liquid-and-stuff covered skin below the cut.

He wasn't actually used to people NOT knowing what passionfruit was. Or at least not knowing what was going on at all.
He supposed it could look quite unappealing to somehow who didn't know what it was. Good, he thought. Although he was about to explain anyway.
"It's fruit. Passionfruit." he replied, a rather nonchalant tone to contrast the weirdness of it all. "All my insides are made out of fruit, all of them."
Just explaining it so simple amused him- because it wasn't simple.
It was complicated- really complicated.
But he was so used to it, by now he could say it entirely straight faced as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"It's a curse. I'm cursed- and yes, yes it's edible." he was liking the feeling of being a matter of fact know it all just a little too much, and the moment he added the last part of the sentence he regretted it. Not that most people would start eating you suddenly but.. you never knew and he had experienced some weird people in the past. He cursed silently in his head, but did his best not to let it show.

Esteban's brow creased, and throughout the explaining he just kept staring at the wound. Then, he slowly shifted his gaze to his finger, on which some of the juice remained. Passionfruit... really, he'd heard the name, he knew that something like that existed, but growing up in a lower-middle-class family, then living in the streets did not present him with many opportunities for trying exotic things. And looking at it now, he didn't feel like he had missed out on much.
Still, he wouldn't waste an opportunity like that, would he?

"Everybody's edible." he said, glancing up to Fruit's face with a devious smirk blossoming. Meat or fruit, it was all food, no?

Still keeping eye contact, he licked his finger slowly. Then, he smacked his lips. Well... that was better than raw human meat for sure. He'd probably be able to digest that better, too... and in the middle of winter, most fruit was unavailable, jam being the best he could have instead...

He raised an eyebrow, taking a small step closer to breach the other's personal space.
"Yo ain't against sharin' s'more, are yo...?" he asked, with an obviously fake sweet smile, something threatening behind it.

He stepped back a bit, but not too much trying not to make it obvious. Crap.
Of course he should have expected this, why not? If humans were willing to eat him why would he ever assume that weird unknown inhuman creatures wouldn't?
He tried not to let his nervousness show though.

"And you're not against EATING someone else?" he shot back with a mixture of incredulity and defiance. He wasn't actually surprised but if he acted it maybe he could gain some ground on the topic. "Well at least you're polite enough to ASK first at least.. sicko." He added the last word for added effect but it came off a bit weaker than he intended.

The grin couldn't be held back anymore, and it blossomed on his face, devilish and toothy.

"No."

Being called a 'sicko' was something he couldn't care less about, but he did feel a pang of worry about getting in trouble for, well, cannibalism... he didn't want to get expelled. But, well, the school didn't seem all that strict in imposing good conduct... and Fruity was soft, surely he could be bullied into keeping quiet. And Esteban was just so hungry... Yes, he would work something out. Somehow.

Having appeased his concerns in this way, Esteban took another step forward, calculating how to best go about this. The boy still had the knife... He hummed, and put on a small pout, looking up to the other's face questioningly.
"We kin do this the easy way, or the hard way."

The grin did not help his nerves, but he knew he had to stand his ground here.
As much as he could anyway.

Of course not- why would he be against it, no one ever was for some reason. Maybe that was part of his curse.
If that was the case it seemed a fair lot of cursing to do on someone who never actually did anything.
It probably wasn't though, the world was just like that.

"And what might the easy way of you eating my guts be, huh?" he asked the question with a mixture of further incredulity but also caution.
He wasn't sure he should even stick around to find out- he had a knife after all... but this guy didn't seem swayed by that.
That fact in itself seemed threatening.

His shoulders rose and fell with an airy 'heh'.
"Ain't it obvious?" He cracked his knuckles. "Yo can cooperate... or not."

As awkward as it would be to just let someone snack on you, Esteban figured he might just be threatening enough for the dog-eared kid to understand it was the less painful option. But regardless, eyeing the armed hand discreetly, he moved one foot back ever-so-sightly, shifting his weight to it in preparation to seize the other if he had to. While he wasn't so keen on getting stabbed, well, it wouldn't matter in the long run... he would cope.
And there was a part of him that wished that Fruity did not go down without a fight.
A sadistic part.

A part that was, perhaps, hungrier than his stomach.

It was obvious, yes- but it didn't make it any less... well... it didn't make it a more cheery thought.
Sure he could just let this guy have him for lunch, but he was going to be in pain either way.
He was going to probably lose either way too- but he still had the knife.

A large part of him wanted to cower, drop the knife and hide or give in-
but he was trying to be smarter than that, at least he thought.
It was debatable if fighting this was smarter.
But, he still had the knife.

He lifted the blade a bit, trying to ready himself for attack but not too obviously. He was no warrior.
For ages he had had Blair there to fight these battles for him, but now Blair wasn't there. He had to protect himself.
"I am NOT a lunchtime snack." he stated with an air of slightly nervous defiance.