Was that supposed to be a puzzle?
[break][break]
Sen had to specifically space out the timing of the reply to seem unbothered. He was absolutely bothered. This was not the morning, nope. He'd woken up at a comfortable noon-o-clock, to find he'd been kicked out of his shit. Of course, that was what he got for playing games with this asshole. If he'd not wanted potential blowback, he shouldn't have started it. He just couldn't help himself. Starting unnecessary drama was kind of his thing.
[break][break]
It just kind of frustrated him to find out that Locke was better than he thought. Maybe even better than him, not that he'd accept anything more than a maybe on such a ridiculous sentiment. He just had a shitty set up. It wasn't his fault that he was free-falling into poverty and this guy had the audacity to take advantage of that (not that it was exactly public knowledge).
[break][break]
His coffee was burnt, the smell of it stink up the little room he'd been forced to rent for what he discovered was actually an obscene amount of money. It seemed like so little when he'd rented it. This was ridiculous. He gave the blackened film on the top no more than a disgusted sneer before shutting off the little mug heater.
[break][break]
You must have a lot of free time though if you're trying so hard to waste mine. That lonely? Lucky for you there are tons of single hot moms in your area.


[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] emerson whitlock [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swoobat"]

The chime that came from his computer’s speaker had Em swiveling around on fuzzy socked heels to see the alert in the chat box pop up. Sen sure took his sweet time getting back to him. But that was okay. It wasn’t like he was stewing on it or anything. In fact, Em chose to believe that it took so long because it had taken the other a minute to get his systems unlocked and running again.[break][break]

Oh I forgot your brain is too reptilian to grasp the concept of a puzzle[break][break]

Of course, he took a moment of his own to lag in response. Fingers drumming on the countertop before he reached for the too large can of redbull sitting nearby. The smugness on his face fell, though, at the follow up. Annoyance was quick to buzz under his skin, as seemed to be common when it came to Sen. He could say two stupid words and Em would stew on them—not that he was keen to admit that.[break][break]

Without considering how firing back immediately would look, he jabbed at his keyboard.[break][break]

Funny that you think it took that much time. Maybe you should take your own advice– I don’t need to find any when I’ve got your mom on speed dial. She took great care of me last night.[break][break]

He hummed, twisting away from the computer again and back toward his stove to give the pot an angry stir. He wouldn’t call the movement huffy, but well…it was huffy. There was no way he was about to admit the considerable amount of time it had taken to create a backdoor into the other’s system so that he could wreak havoc. As far as Sen needed to be concerned, the whole thing had been effortless.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Sen Hasegawa [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

I know what a puzzle is, dipshit. That was a poor one. He'd already plugged in the response before he recognized his own blatant irritation. As he had been taught from a young age in his house of snakes, nothing could be gained from losing his temper. If anything, there was only disadvantage in those kinds of remarks.
[break][break]
It used to be that his family could only provoke such irritation, but without them in his life he'd seemed to move on to this anonymous asshole. Then again, most things in the internet were designed with the intent to provoke. He should know that better than anyone, he was usually the provocateur, the troll.
[break][break]
He sat back in the sagging old computer chair he'd found on the side of the road, staring up at the growing water stain on the ceiling. How did people live like this? How was he supposed to live like this?
[break][break]
That response provoked a laugh he didn't appreciate.
[break][break]
A wonder you survived the old crone. Didn't know botox harpies were your thing, but to each their own I guess. Shit stream, btw. 

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] emerson whitlock [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swoobat"]

Doesn’t seem that way. Also sent back, quick and clipped. In so few messages, Emerson already felt that telltale spike of annoyance, drawn out easily by Sen. Normally he was so slow to frustration–more bent on apologizing for his own existence with an anxiety-fueled tenacity. At first, it had been foreign and strange to feel anything but nervous when they’d first managed to provoke one another.[break][break]

But then again, that confidence to push back came much more easily from behind the shield of a computer or phone screen. Now it was practically instantaneous, though he opted not to look too closely at it.[break][break]

Instead, Em chalked it up to Sen being that guy. The instigative jerk who managed to get under his skin no matter how polite he tended to be around everyone else. He was also not looking too closely at how much of his own fair share of instigating he was doing as well.[break][break]

Angrily, he swung open the fridge door to gather up bottles for the ingredients of a dipping sauce he’d once been shown how to make. Like a moody teenager, he kicked the door shut again and tossed the bottles down on the counter beside his laptop.[break][break]

A credit to my own talent, then. You’re a shit stream, btw.{break][break]

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Sen Hasegawa [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

Being able to annoy the other, even if it could only be perceived through sheer hope and imagination, was the only thing he could cling to. Especially knowing that the other was far more impressive with tech than he'd immediately perceived. It was annoying, but he still wouldn't admit that the other was better at it than him.
[break][break]
In truth, the flat was quiet and his life had turned inexplicably lonely after being rudely cast out of his family. He wouldn't say that he was happy to have the momentary distraction, but he wasn't overtly condemning the interaction exactly either. He didn't know what Locke was hoping to gain out of this bullshit though, but he'd probably end up sorely disappointed.
[break][break]
That makes no damn sense. For a moment, he wondered if he had anymore ramen cups in the pantry or if he was out of those too. His digestive system was steadily turning to shit. The hell do you want from me now then? Hoping for a dick pic? With a grumble, he retreated to the tiny little kitchenette.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] emerson whitlock [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swoobat"]

This was stupid. Emerson was being stupid. This was like…digital playground antics. He should be above this, right? His life wasn’t even lacking socially anymore! He had a few new friends! He’d been offered some cool tech and engineering opportunities! So why did he feel the need to mess with Sen over petty things and in petty ways?[break][break]

Doesn’t need to. Emerson’s lousy revision of the tried and true because I said so. Taking the moment to regroup, he turned to the boiling pot and slipped on mitts to lift it and pour the dumplings out into the strainer. All the while, he huffed and grumbled to himself. Honestly, why did he even invite this? It had been because he was bored, right? Yeah. He just wanted to stick it to Sen for the sake of being a pain. Remind him that they were not on the same level.[break][break]

Yep. That was definitely it.[break][break]

Another ping prompted him to look back over his shoulder, and he left the dumplings to cool. Meanwhile he poured the sauce ingredients into the mixing bowl. An audible eugh slipped free as his nose wrinkled. Despite his distaste, he could feel his face flare with furious color. Hell no what would I want that for? Because answering a question with a question wasn’t means of dodging or anything.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Sen Hasegawa [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

He did like to pull on Locke's pigtails a bit, it was a genuine hobby of his. Clearly, he wasn't rushing to click off the screen, return to bigger and better things. Truthfully, it was in part because he had no bigger better things. His life for the past couple months had been figuring out what the fuck he was doing with his life. It was funny how his identity had been built with his prior wealth (and not haha funny, but sad funny).
[break][break]
Yet really it was just a waste of time, it was distraction from the sad fact that life was not going so great. He could go crawling back to mom and dad, begging forgiveness, but he knew he'd hate himself if he did that (more than he usually did). He found a cup of ramen, filled it with water and stuck it in the microwave. It could give him cancer, that was alright.
[break][break]
Dunno you spend enough time sucking on it during your streams :)
[break][break]
Not that he had room to talk, it wasn't like he didn't shit-talk Locke enough in his own streams, but that wasn't the same thing. Obviously. The microwave beeped and he retreated to find the sad cup of fake noodles that would sit in his stomach likely for the next seven years. He imagined something far better as he slurped it down.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] emerson whitlock [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swoobat"]

Clearly, Sen had nothing important to do, because he continued to shoot back weak insults at Em. Which he wasn’t about to evaluate the scenario from the opposite perspective that he was more or less doing the same thing. But he could stop at any point. Really! He’d get this out and then he’d be going about his merry way with Sen out of sight and out of mind. Maybe he’d even go outside today![break][break]

This was just his lunch break activity. Clearly.[break][break]

As he looked over at the screen again, though, Emerson balked. Within seconds his face burned a darker shade than his hair. No he didn’t?? Sen actually had a lot of nerve to say so. Just really! The audacity of this jerk. Maybe he should just challenge him to two out of three on a game that Em knew he was clearly better at. That’d take him down a peg.[break][break]

What??? No I don’t, Blossom. Clearly you’re applying some wishful thinking there.[break][break]

Sure, yeah, okay. So he liked to dish out his fair share of insults about Sen when he was streaming, but it wasn’t like he didn’t get those back in kind. He’d seen the other’s gaming. He’d heard the petty remarks. So, really, Sen was just as culpable.[break][break]

Em’s face continued to burn as he concentrated his rage on whisking the sauce in his bowl.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Sen Hasegawa [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]

Admittedly, as much as he nagged about it, he did rather enjoy these routine shit talks. Even if it usually resulted in some burns and ego checks. Maybe it was a little sad that he didn't have enough of a life outside of his apartment to go without these little spats. He just couldn't afford a social life right now and was still feeling the sting of getting dropped out of the family nest.
[break][break]
He couldn't be sure if his response managed to gain a reaction out of the other, but he was hopeful that it either embarrassed or annoyed the other. He was being a hypocrite but that was the story of his life. It wasn't like he didn't spend a large portion of his streams on a tangent about how much of a loser Locke was.
[break][break]
Nah, bet you'd be shit at it. Bit surprising, considering all that practice you've had.
[break][break]
Having procured himself a cup of fake over-cooked noodles and powdered spice, he figured it was probably probably about time to end their date. Bye loser. He promptly dropped off before Locke could manage a reply.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] emerson whitlock [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-swoobat"]

There was no way he’d ever admit to enjoying their little back and forth. After all, it was…just because he had nothing better to do that day. He’d been bored, so he’d screwed around and messed with the jerk for the fun of it. That was all. It definitely wasn’t because he’d wanted to see how the other would react. Or provide him attention as a result. Em didn’t need someone else’s attention.[break][break]

He was basically a recluse! The whole point was that he thrived on being on his own without the need for– his eyes glued themselves to his computer screen when it chimed.[break][break]

What the hell??[break][break]

Practice? Ooooh, Emerson was so ready to give him a piece of his mind. Really go off as one does. Face an embarrassing shade of red, he worked himself steadily into a tizzy. Perhaps for a bit too long.[break][break]

Hands poised over the keyboard, his jaw dropped as the online icon over the other’s avatar abruptly switched offline. He scoffed, staring at the farewell that unexpectedly popped up under the insult. “Coward,” he huffed before snapping his laptop shut. Whatever. It wasn’t like he actually wanted to talk to Sen for an extended period of time anyway.[break][break]

Emerson continued to grumble to himself, though, as he turned to juggle his bowl of dumplings with the second one of sauce, along with his redbull can before shuffling over to collapse in a heap on his couch with his food and his netflix.[break][break]

Again– Whatever. He’d get him next time.


[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] Sen Hasegawa [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-dedenne"]