ArchivedLogs:Blood and Chocolate

Blood and Chocolate
Dramatis Personae Kaylynn, Ion, Isra, Gremlin
In Absentia	2015-07-18 "This shop may indeed sooth my sorely decaffeinated soul."
Location <NYC> Au Petit Chocolatier - East Village
As the sun begins to set on New York lights begin to flicker on, street lights, apartment lights, shop lights.../chocolate/ shop lights. Au Petit Chocolatier is settled in a small two story building in East Village, and it's certainly not a modern looking establishment. Large windows set in wooden frames give the shop a more rustic feel, as does the cloth overhang with the shop's name embroidered upon it. Just a small peek through the glass shows shelves upon shelves of chocolate. Prepackaged assortments line the walls while two large refrigerated displays line the front. Perhaps the oddest section of the store lies in the front right corner. Here there's one more case that's apparently dedicated to 'Homeopathic Chocolates', or so a sign says. Behind the cash register is a door that's been propped open, allowing a view of the kitchen and a woman inside. Kaylynn is dressed in a strapless coral sundress and an apron. Her hair is tied up in a ponytail to keep it clean, but despite that she's somehow managed to get flour in it and some chocolate on her cheek. "Hoooo shit. Why we not come here /before/, hermana? Whole-damn-store, it's all -- it's /all/ fucking /chocolate/, you see this? You /see/ this shit?" There's a very gravelly bass voice -- a very /exuberant/-excited gravelly bass voice with a /heavy/ Argentine accent -- booming at the door as it is /shoved/ enthusiastically open by the thump of a hip. Ion's lively dark eyes are skittering around the store with an almost manic (okay, let's face it, /very/ manic) glee, dancing from display shelf to display shelf before looking back behind him to whoever is entering in his wake. The young man is in heavy bluejeans tucked into tall shitkicker boots -- both probably overwarm for the weather -- together with a plain white sleeveless undershirt over which has been wrapped a thick leather sling. The sling is bundling -- something? Someone? Against his chest, padded with a blanket and occasionally moving; he curls one arm around the wrap protectively as he holds the door open. His eyes dance to Kaylynn, his /bright/ smile wide and cheerful. "What's the best? The /very/ best? For like, when everything just /fucked/ the fuck up and you need, like, the /pick-me-*up*-est/ pick-me-up, right? You know?" In Ion's wake, Isra might seem quiet and subtle except for the fact that she stands six-foot-four and looks like a gargoyle. Her skin is lavender, subtly ripple-patterned to anyone who looks close enough. She wears an elegant white linen wrap dress with an asymmetrical hem, and carries a Cornell University Astronomy canvas tote over one shoulder. Massive wings, /patterned/ with iridescent blue-green feathers though they clearly consist of skin, fold in around her body as she hesitates outside the door. The backswept spiral horns that rise from her head oblige her to stoop in order to even enter the store, though her digitigrade legs make doing so somewhat easier than it might for someone with human limbs. The talons that tip her digits--hands, feet, /and/ wings--gleam silvery black like hematite, as do her horns. She looks oddly apprehensive for all her natural weaponry, bright green eyes darting at once to Kaylynn. "I see it," she replies at last, in a clear alto. "It smells delightful, as well." The bundle attached to Ion's chest stirs, and a skinny, fuzzy black limb emerges from beneath the blanket. It is not an arm, but looks rather like a bat's wing, clawed and flailing awkwardly in the air until it gains purchase on the edge of the harness. The creature to which said limb belongs hauls itself up until its face can be see from beneath the edge of the blanket--a small head with huge bulging green eyes, even more oversized ears, pointy and drooping at the tips, and a wide mouth full of razor sharp teeth. It emits a series of strange clicking noises. At the sound of customers, Kaylynn emerges from the kitchen along with a new tray of chocolates. She can't help but chuckle softly at the lively entrance and soon she's nodding in their direction. "Welcome welcome! As for the best chocolate to pick you up, well....I'd have to say this one!" The voice that greets them comes with a southern lilt, from Texas to be specific, and definitely out of place in the city. As for the chocolate in question, well...it's certainly a sight. It looks to be dark chocolate, medium sized and round in shape. Caramel, milk chocolate, and white chocolate are drizzled atop of it and to top it off there's a sprinkle of nuts. "It's what's in the middle that's really special." When Isra enters moments after Ion, Kaylynn's first reaction is to completely freeze and go wide-eyed. For a moment it's not clear what she's about to do, and then her features are clearly morphing into something akin to amazement. "Your wings...they're incredible!" And there's no pretense behind the words, she honestly thinks so. Only, now she's realizing that might have been rude. "Oh sorry! I couldn't help myself the colors are just..." Pretty! Not long after her eyes are drifting curiously to the little one emerging from the harness and there's another pause. This one more for the teeth. "Hello to you as well!" "It smell like we stepped in the fucking {/heaven/ that's what it smell like.}" The slip into Spanish comes casually, kind of oblivious. Ion is bouncing, eager, on the toes of his boots. His hand slides up to let the clawed tip of a wing grasp at his finger, too, seeming unconcerned about its sharpness (the /myriad/ nicks and scars peppering his hands and arms are testament to his callousness there.) "{Ohshit} and she even like your wings you know," he's rocking forward a half-step to confide to Kaylynn seriously, "she got them wings on account from being a angel? So it all fits -- hey how much for some special-chocolates? The speciallest?" Isra goes quite still at Kaylynn's initial reaction--still and unblinking like a statue, though her neutral expression registers nothing like surprise. The compliment, however, earns a fractional raise of one hairless eyebrow ridge. Her long, tapered tail sways slowly beneath the hem of her skirt. "Thank you," this with a slight incline of her head, after a pause not quite long enough to feel awkward. "I can give you my body artist's card, if you like." She keeps her wings wrapped tight around her body so as to take up less space, but her entire posture has relaxed. "I do not know about heaven, but this shop may indeed sooth my sorely decaffeinated soul." Her eyes linger on the sign advertising 'Homeopathic Chocolates'. The index phalanx of the small creature's wing curls around Ion's finger, tiny sharp claw scratching and catching but not drawing blood. Yet. Its small, flat nose twitches fast, and the clicking it emits mellows into something that sounds almost like a purr. "Depends! You want the ones that are made of the most expensive ingredients, or do you mean the type of special that does stuff." With this last bit, Kaylynn hitches a thumb towards the homeopathic chocolate corner. As for the wings, there's a grin for the pair. "Nah, angel wings are boring. No color or anything. Those shine." Those being Isra's wings. There's a small shake of her head at the offer though, "You're welcome, and thanks but I'll pass. I've got an issue with needles...it's rather embarrassing to be honest." While she speaks, Kaylynn is bending down to retrieve a very square chocolate sprinkled with...pop rocks of all things. "I've eaten twice as much chocolate as I usually do to make up for the lack of caffeine. I'm glad y'all like it in here so far...why don't you try a sample?" A moment later she's cutting the piece of chocolate in half and sliding them over the counter on tiny napkins. It's a surprisingly tasty chocolate if they choose to taste it, but not the /best/. It's like looking at apartments, you end with the most impressive! "Nah, no needles, querida, her artist he just do art the /freak/ way. Throw color with some fucking /magic/, yeah?" Ion's fingers fling out in Kaylynn's direction as though flinging a /spell/ at her. "Does stuff? Do stuff like what stuff like you got some /robo-chocolate/ or like your chocolate it full'a /crack/?" His smile is bright again; without waiting for answer he's stepping forward to pluck one half from the counter and pop it in his mouth. "Either way to I'll take it. Stuff-chocolate, yeah? No wait the expensive ones. Do you got chocolate with /bling/? Like, like, like --" His fingers snap together; there's an abrupt hopeful look on his face. "Like you know, you go in those Indian shops huh? They put their candy in the fucking /gold/ leaf? You got /gold/ chocolates? Hermana I'mm'a get you the /tricked-out/ chocolate." His finger is slowly wriggling out of the grip of the claws, moving up to scratch his charge between the fuzzy horn-nubs on their head. "Shit yo this stuff /tasty/." Isra reaches into her tote and comes out with a large zippered wallet. Opening it, she produces a black business card emblazoned with metallic rainbow text. It reads 'Neon & Chrome' across the top in large letters, and beneath that, 'Color services from skin to skyscrapers.' Down the right side, the contact information has 'Tag' for a header. "No needles required," she confirms, smiling broad enough to reveal long, sharp canines. "I get new colors ever few weeks, so I don't know how long he can make it last at a go." Her ears--pointed like the little one's, though not so disproportionate--swivel forward when the samples come out. "I certainly shall." She plucks up the chocolate between her thumb and index talons and somehow manages to look dainty popping it into her fangy mouth. Her eyes shut and her tail sway. "Quite good," she says finally, "though have you anything darker? Bold. Like coffee." Then, with a grin, "Tricked-out is fine, so long as it still tastes good." The infant tries to hold onto Ion's finger but ultimately has not the strength in its scrawny limbs. The clicking takes on a harsh and censorious tone as the other wing emerges--along with equally skinny and ungainly arms. For a moment it looks as though it might lift itself out of the harness to go toppling to the floor, but that it lacks the strength to do so. "In that case I'll definitely take a card, thank you!" Kaylynn accepts it from Isra with both hands, nodding her head as she does so. "I'll definitely have to go over and check it out. Being able to change colors every so often just makes it better." As for the 'special' chocolate, "Nothing as great as that I'm afraid. Medical type stuff...there's pain reliever chocolate, concentration boosting chocolate, chocolate for when you've got an upset stomach...basically if you've got something wrong with you it can help. Can't cure, but it can help." Now, at the mention of bling and darker chocolate, there's a glint in Kaylynn's eyes. "I'm glad you asked." Leaning over again she pulls out two chocolates now one rectangular and the other a perfect circle. They're completely plain on the outside, not a hint of specialness about them. When she deftly cuts the circular one in half, it's littered with gold flecks. It's almost like a starry sky really. The second one is also split and this one is patterned with layer upon layer of different dark chocolates. The shades fluctuate, some darker and others lighter. "This last one's a tad bitter, but it gives a good kick. Each layer has a different percentage of cocoa." And as for the first one. "Bling enough, hm?" Kaylynn glances to the little one again then, "No chocolate allowed yet I'm guessing?" "Shit, chocolate come with fuckin' morphine? Why nobody tell me /this/, huh, hook me /up/? They don't never give me /that/ when I go in the clinic? Next time I get shot," not 'if I get shot, Ion is saying cheerfully to Isra, "you tell doctor Saavedro, you give the /good/ shit. Pain chocolate." But instead of painkiller chocolate he's picking up one half of the gold flecked piece, holding it up on a palm to Isra. Wide-eyed. Amazed. Proferring it to the gargoyle woman on an outstretched palm like some sort of precious offering. "Ay, linda, look this, I think I found /your/ chocolate -- how many these star-bling-chocolate you got? I want a whole galaxy of them, yeah?" He spreads his other hand wide apart from the first one to indicate to Kaylynn just how many chocolates he needs. His tongue clicks against his teeth as he looks down at the winged creature in his sling. His arm curls back in, gently nudging the infant back down into their sling securely. "Tch, naaaah, the little-monster, they won't like anyway. 'less you got some chocolate full of bloods, maybe-maybe?" "Not sure I need anything with medicinal properties, unless you've got caffeinated ones that work despite the caffeine crisis." The corner of Isra's mouth quirks in faint bemusement. "If you did, all of Manhattan would be in here." As blase as she had seemed about the prospect of bling chocolate before, her eyes, too, widen at the lovely gold-flecked one. "Lovely, indeed!" She accepts it, just as delicately, and samples it. "And delicious." The other chocolate, though plain, makes her tail sway faster. "And /this/ is splendid. As for Eridani, I imagine chocolate would make them ill." She glances at the infant, her bare brows wrinkling. "/More/ ill." Eridani, for their part, seems quite interested in the chocolate. Or possibly in Kaylynn herself. It is hard to say what they are snuffling and reaching for in comically uncoordinated fashion. "Those ones are more tylenol level, but I can make ones that're more on par with morphine. It hasn't got any drugs in them though, just so we're clear." Kaylynn chuckles softly how many chocolates Ion needs before leaning over and checking. "I've only got a tray of them right now." Which basically means about 30 or so. And as for the blood chocolate, "I haven't but it wouldn't be hard to make. Don't want to risk the little one getting ill though!" Somehow the woman isn't at all phased about the thought of blood in candy. "If only! I wouldn't be eating so much sugar to replace the caffeine if I did have any that worked. But thank you, I'm glad y'all like the chocolate!" There's a slight pause as she turns to Eridani and waggles a few fingers while smiling. "Hey, sweetie. My name's Kaylynn by the way, and here's my card. If y'all have a craving for a specific flavor in the future just call up in the morning and I can have a batch ready that day. No extra charge for custom orders." Yes, she's shamelessly handing over a business card as she speaks! "I'mm'a take the /tray/." Ion declares this without hesitation, as well as, "-- and those, too." He's pointing to the rectangular ones that Isra just complimented. He plucks the business card from Kaylynn's hand -- the brief touch of calloused fingers as he takes it comes with a very faint zap of static shock, bzz! -- and pockets it. "Hoshit! I'm /do/ that. You make things, no-milk chocolates? I'm gonna order one. Full of blood and /zero/ milk. Yeah? Give Dusk a /birthday/ present. I got /all/ the craving." He's trading card for wallet, pulling a very old and beaten-up leather wallet out of his pocket (it has been studded with cheap plastic rhinestones on one cover, beadazzled into the shape of two silvery lightning bolts crossed beneath a cotton-candy pink skull), presumably to pay for his requested order of All The Chocolates. Isra hums quietly, the sound coming out unexpectedly low and resonant. "Pain relief in chocolate form /might/ come in handy, actually." For some reason, this makes her smile wider. "If you are open on Saturdays, I will probably come back then." So saying, she accepts a card and examines it. "Isra," she replies, inclining her head to one side, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance. This is Ion, and the little one Eridani." Eridani's huge eyes wobble as they attempt to follow the movement of Kaylynn's fingers. They make yet another attempt to climb out of the harness, to no avail. Sinking back down, their eyes glow in the shadow of the blanket and clicking low and fast as though grumbling in their own inscrutable language. "It'll be a bit trickier than usual, but I can manage it." The blood chocolates that is. There's a grin when Ion says just how much chocolate they'll by and a moment later Kaylynn is packing them up. Two large boxes in an antique bronze color are loaded with the orders and tied up with black ribbon before being slid over the counter. "It's nice to meet y'all as well! I open at 9am on Saturdays and Sundays, feel free to swing by any time." She's rings up the order of ALL the chocolate on the cash register and then she's moving to the homeopathic chocolate case. Two small pieces with nut toppings are selected and placed into a little box before she returns and slides them over as well. "Samples, since you guys put in such a big order. If you need to take tylenol or whatnot, give one of these a try instead." Ion flips the wallet open -- for all its beaten look and his scrubby clothing there's a fairly sizable wad of cash inside -- to pay for the chocolates. "{Fantastic. Excellent. Wonderful. Thank you.} This the best, we come here all the time now, yeah, hermana? Every day. Breakfast chocolates. Lunch chocolates. Dinner chocolates." He's curling one arm around Egg's sling, rubbing gently at the infant's back through the leather wrap; he tucks the boxes of chocolate haphazardly under the other arm. "I swing. All the /time/ you gonna see me. You have a good one, huh?" And with a bright grin, a jerked-up tip of his chin in farewell, he's bounding for the door with just as much energy as he arrived. Isra gives one confident nod. "Indeed. It might surprise you how often I need pain medicine." Maybe this is facetious, maybe not. "Thank you very much, and please do have a pleasant evening." Then she is following Ion out the door, wings unfurling to gleam in the twilight before the door has even closed behind her.