Cupcake Wars (Yes, Again), Friday 1/31, 3rd period

[stykera]

“Welcome back,” Stark said to anyone who might be in the classroom today.

“Stewart, once again, had the best cupcake last week. Congratulations, Stewart.”

Stark couldn't vote for himself, that would be weird. So Stewart had a streak going here.

“Today, something a little less abstract than last week's winter cupcakes. Today we'll make…spicy cupcakes.”

He had absolutely not picked a theme randomly. Really.

“Spicy could be peppers, or cinnamon…anything you might consider spicy. Curry?”

Yes, Stark would be appalled by certain flavors but he was used to that sort of thing by now.

“I'm doing spicy chocolate.”

Comments

Re: Make Cupcakes [1/31]

[x_wondrous_x]

Stewart had squinted at Stark rhe whole time he was explaining the theme this week, as if he was trying to suss out some sort of catch or ruse. Spicy cupcakes? The opportunity to create something truly offensive ans terrible and exactly in the wheelhouse of someone who would be uniquely impressed by such an endeavor?

He wasn't sure he trusted it, but he was going to follow through all the same. He liked a filled cupcake, felt there was something innately visceral about them that really spoke to him.

So he was lacing his cake batter with chili powder, he was filling it with a ghost pepper jam. His icing was a gochujang buttercream with a liberal dusting of Taijin, and he'd garnished it with just an artful placed piece of kimchi cabbage.

"Voila," he said, as he presented his masterpiece of masochistic mouthfeel, after snapping a picture or two to be shared oh-so-strategically.

Although now he was wondering g about incorporating these elements into a Caeser...

And you couldn't think about a Caeser without wanting a Caeser....

"Damn," he murmured, now wishing he's made a Caesee with a cupcake...

Re: Make Cupcakes [1/31]

[stykera]

Summer, Stark thought, would be proud.
Horrified, perhaps, but still proud.

"That's...creative. Are you going to eat one?"

Re: Make Cupcakes [1/31]

[x_wondrous_x]

Stewart considered his cupcake thoughtfully. "I might," he decided, hands folded in front of him and chin lifted defiantly as his shrewd eyes settled back on Stark.

He would be an absolute baby about the spice level, but you know it wasn't even close to the worst thing he'd ever put into his mouth.

"What about you?" he challenged. "After all," one hand drifted out in a gesture toward the diabolical dessert, "aren't you the one who's supposed to be judge, jury, and cupcake-cutioner here?"

Re: Make Cupcakes [1/31]

[stykera]

"I can judge without tasting it," Stark said.

It was his class, Stewart, he could do what he wanted! And look, he respected the kimchi garnish but nope. He ate terrible things for one woman!

"I'll eat my cupcakes. You can have some of mine, if you like."

Re: Make Cupcakes [1/31]

[x_wondrous_x]

Stewart scoffed at the offer.

"I'll tell you what," he proposed, with a tilted grin surfacing onto his face. "I'll try some of yours if you try some of mine. Otherwise?" Both brow and head tilted. "I'll pass. I possess no proclivities to partake in your peddling of a pedestrian pastry in its pathetic persual to pique my palate."

Re: Make Cupcakes [1/31]

[stykera]

"I just thought you might enjoy the chocolate," Stark said mildly. The alliteration mostly just made him furrow his brow.

"I'll try yours if you eat one of them first. Or even half of one of yours."

Re: Make Cupcakes [1/31]

[x_wondrous_x]

Stewart's steady gaze on Stark held steady, eyes squinting as if trying to take the measure of this challenge, weighing whether it would be worth it. Apparently, after a long awkward moment, he groped around for a fork without looking away from Stark, and then, realizing he wasn't having any luck, finally broke the gaze to located one and then he dug it carefully into the cupcake to get a bite full.

Sucked in a breath to bolster himself, and, already regretting this particular life choice, lifted the fork to his mouth.

There was a whimper as he took that first bite; his eyelids started fluttering from the effort to hold back tears at the immediate hit of spice, but he powered through it and chewed a second time. A third. The urge to spit it out was strong, but it seemed to lessen marginally the more her forged forward. He seemed to look incredibly sweaty and almost a little green by the time he swallowed it down with another miserable wound, and then he cleared his throat and lifted his chin again, pushing another cupcake forward.

"^{Bite for bite}," he squeaked. Challengingly.

Re: Make Cupcakes [1/31]

[stykera]

This was a bad idea and he knew it was a bad idea and yet Stark was still reaching for a fork. He hadn't thought Stewart would actually take a bite. But Stewart had and now Stark had to.

"Fine," he said. It was almost impressive how much of a doomed outlook was conveyed in that one simple syllable.

He was going to gain nothing from this but somehow he might lose something if he backed down. So he carefully dug his fork into the cupcake and lifted it to his mouth.

"That's...awful," he managed to say a moment later.