ArchivedLogs:Penny for your Thoughts?

Penny for your Thoughts?
Everything is better with cream puffs...
Dramatis Personae Penny, Corey, Hanna
In Absentia	2013-05-14 A silent newcomer enters Happy Cakes, and gets right to the point. Relatively speaking.
Location <NYC> Happy Cakes Bakery - TriBeCa
Happy Cakes Bakery is a cheery little spot of vintage charm amidst the hustle and bustle of the Manhattan neighborhood, a refurbished pair of row homes that hardly resemble their previous selves - the front walls are almost entirely gleaming glass, with the logo of the bakery painted onto the top, and rainbows of cupcakes dancing along the edges. Eclectically styled, it seems homey and welcoming - if the cross stitched sign by the door wasn't obvious enough - "All are Welcome!" it reads, with the "All" underlined in a sparkling bubble gum pink and yellow dotted line, with the logo of the bakery, a cheery smiling pink and white cupcake, beneath the lettering. Once inside, the walls of the combination bakery and coffee shop are covered in crisp clean white ceramic tile, with the occasional randomly placed tile with an color engraving of a tropical flower, or tile made of reclaimed China. Ambient music reminiscent of the Big Band era plays through the shop, loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to make conversation difficult. Tables and chairs in a variety of sizes, colors, and styles fill one side of the room, none of them quite matching each other, but all of them seeming to work together. The other side of the shop is a long series of gleaming glass and chrome bakery displays, filled with colorful sweets and treats of every description. To one end of the counter is a gleaming chrome espresso machine with far more tubes and bobbles than is really necessary, but producing excellent espresso beverages. At the other end is the old style cash register, a chrome and cherry wood relic from a bygone age that dings cheerily with each sale. The wall behind the counter is covered in photos of a tropical island, as well as a pair of shops that look like a smaller version of this one, several including a pair of dark haired women. She's a sneaky little thing. It's not easy to find the street empty in Tribeca of all places, and when it IS, it generally doesn't stay that way for long. But the fact that she seems to always be followed by her own shadow is helpful. Additionally, a few well-placed 'rogue clouds' provided a little more cover. Penance waited in an alley VERY carefully for this moment. When the last latest customer exited the shop and the street was relatively clear, she's skittered from the alley and in the slowly-closing door as the unaware man left. It was a risk at being seen alright. She was... OBVIOUS, and she was 'skittery' around most people in the first place, but the smells coming from the shop were just so amazing and she was SO hungry. Mere moments later, and she's looking around almost suspiciously for a moment before she sidles up nervously to the glass to peer at all the lovely edibles. In her right, taloned hand, she seems to grasp something ever so carefully. And her expression? Overwhelmed. Like someone who can't quite believe what they're seeing. She SAW the sign. She's allowed to be here! The sign said so! So today? She buys food. Irresponsibly. Hanna is bustling about behind the counter, swinging her rounded hips in time to the cheery music piped through the store, the cheery floral printed circle skirt swishing about in a dizzying array of colors. She is neatly stacking up a recently washed bin of mismatched china plates. The sound of the little silver bell over the door ringing to signal a customer's entrance, makes her glance over her shoulder, offering a cheery greeting, "Hello! Welcome to Happy Cakes Bakery. Please take your time, and feel free to ask any questions or know what you want. If you want a coffee or tea beverage, just ask Jayna down at the coffee bar." At the sight of the newcommer, Hanna pauses momentarily, her smile never faltering in the least, though, her eyes a sparkling brown gold color. The green haired barista near the coffee machine, Jayna, blinks momentarily, looking to Hanna, and then to Penny, but shrugs and goes back to organizing her coffee station, her long green braid of hair swishing along with the music. Making his way to the shop, Corey is in a fairly calm mood over all. There is a bit of unshaved stubble on his face, and he wears comfortable clothing as if coming from a workout, from the nylon black pants, and the dark grey tank top with a a work out jacket over top the same color as the pants. The door jingles with his entrance, a smile already on his lips to the scent and music being played, though his eyes passed over those present in the shop. Of course as he enters, his power comes with him, flowing into the room with his steps. Penny manages to dump some sort of paper bag on the woman's counter. The bag is a little cut up and worse for wear, but otherwise mostly intact. Having dropped that on the counter, she makes a 'clack'ing sound with her talons and points at the glass counter and then her bag. Then she puffs out her chest. Pinned to one of the straps is a stake of assorted dollar bills. A clothespin, in fact, like someone had stuck it there for her. She starts 'clacking' her claws once, before pointing carefully at a baked good under the glass. Every time, just before she points, she clacks her claw once. She makes a soft 'hsss'ing noise, then shifts on her feet and whirls on Corey as she hears the bell jingle over the entrance. Then a surprised look eclipses her face a moment later. She crouches and skitters over to Corey to circle all around him as if there were something oddly curious about him. Hanna watches the movements of the young woman carefully, not because she is suspicious, but because she wants to make sure she gets her request correct. She follows the line of pointing, and pulls out the indicated baked good, setting it on a holding tray for a moment, while waiting for her to indicate the next one, and then the next one, carefully pulling out each baked good and setting it beside the others on the tray. "You new to the city, hon? I can't say I've seen you around, but I'm pretty new here myself," Hanna says, continuing to pull all the baked goods indicated, keeping pace with Penny's clicking requests. When all the sugary sweets are selected, Hanna offers a genuinely good natured smile to the young woman, "Did you want these all boxed up to go? Or did you want to sit and enjoy one here? And would you like a new bag?" Hanna asks, pausing for a response between each question, to allow for a verbal or click response to each, being almost placidly patient towards the girl. A cheery smile and a wave is offered to Corey as he enters, and she has a moment of pause when the clacking girl goes over and starts to circle him. "Umm..." she starts, unsure of how to handle this, exactly. Being circled by the girl of spikes and oddity is a different experience over all, and Corey's brow raises in response. "Um, hello?" He watches the girl and stares fairly still, not wanting to provoke a confrontation in case of some misunderstanding. Looking to Hanna, there is a mix of emotions playing across is face from concern to confusion and a slight bemusement, before saying "Um, Is this a friend of yours?" Penny continues circling the man for a long moment, then makes a snorting noise after, apparently, deciding that he is acceptable. Just to make sure though, she points emphatically at Hanna's "All Are Welcome" sign. Is she telling him he is welcome? Or making certain he understands SHE is welcome. At any rate, her stomach rumbles noisily and food instantly becomes her main concern all over again. She skitters back to the counter, and contemplates. With a frustrated expression, she carefully keeps her talons back away from the counter, and uses the leather-covered portions of her palm to pick up her bag. To demonstrate for Hanna, she then places the bag against her cheek and pulls it down. The bag is promptly shredded to ribbons. She then points at the the tables first, and then behind the counter at one of the baking boxes. Then she taps her chest near the money pinned there. Not a whole lot of answers coming from this girl. Hanna takes a moment, trying to make sure that she understands what the girl is asking for. "Ok sweetie. You've got about $20 worth of goodies here - normally it would be more, but we run a two for one deal at the end of the day." The baker woman is already working on plating one of the sweets onto a larger, more durable looking plate than the china she was stacking earlier, "If you wanted to go have a seat, I'll bring this over to you, and I'll finish boxing up the rest of the pastries while you eat. That ok? You can pay when you're ready to leave. And I'll make sure to double bag it, just to be safe. Would you like something to drink, too?" Hanna glances over to Corey, and offers a smile, "New customer. I'll be with you in just a moment, Corey. Did you enjoy the cupcake you took home yesterday?" She offers, being conversational, and trying to make sure everything stayed pleasant. "Jayna can help you with a drink while I'm helping this young woman out, okay?" Jayna, the barista, looks at Corey and blushes slightly, before offering a polite smile, in spite of the the tiny pink and white flowers that seem to be appearing from her hair the longer he is near her - although she doesn't run away this time. As the girl scampers off to the counter, Corey shakes his head somewhat bemusedly at the situation. "Wonders never cease." Heading up to the counter himself, replying to to Hanna. "Yeah the cupcake was very nice thank you. A good breakfast to tide me over." Passing near to the drink counter, he waves to Jayna giving her a smile, making sure to give the girl and her shredded back enough comfort room. "Hey there, Jayna is it? Can I get a coffee please? About as much cream and sugar as will fit and still call it coffee." He gives a little shrug at that, as he looked around the counters to see what was available today while Hanna helped the girl out. The girl's eyes widen. Two for one deal? Will wonders never cease? Brave new world that has such people in it! Penny looks pleased with the bounty she has received. It is clearly difficult for her to manage precision with her talons, but she clacks them together once more, and then wanders over to Jayna, leaning over to view the menu with a rapt gaze. Eventually, she points to something that looks vaguely chilled and minty, even bouncing in an excited manner... like a small child asking a parent for a treat. Then she notices Jayna's hair. Curiously, she points at it, clacks her talons three times, then drags her talons through the bladed tendrils that make her own hair up. The excitement that the bladed girl exhibits at the news of the discount brings a genuine smile to Hanna's face - not that any of her smiles aren't genuine, just this one is particularly glowing. She sets aside the plated pastry, waiting for Penny to take a seat before she will take over the sugary treat. While Jayna, Corey, and Penny converge at the coffee station, Hanna sets about putting together the box of baked goods the girl had picked out. Occasionally, she slips an extra sweet into the box when no one is looking - a cookie here, a little jam tart there. Jayna blushes slightly, and once she sets about getting Corey's coffee and Penny's minty beverage to brewing and mixing, she runs a hand through her own hair in respons, dislodging a few of the little flowers as she does. "It is part of my mutation, miss. My body sort of follows the seasons of the area I'm in. Right now, since it is spring, I'm, ah, flowering. In summer, my hair gets nearly uncontrollable in length if I don't cut it back each day. In fall, it will turn auburn and brown, like the leaves. And in winter, I wear hats, Lots of hats." Jayna explains with a curt nod and a smile, "Although - I have to say, I usually only get the flowers once in the spring, and then they're done for the year. This is the second time this week it's done this," she glances sideways at Corey, raising an eyebrow at the supposedly normal young man. "I'll bring your drinks over to you in just a moment - they're almost ready," she explains, turning back to tend the beverages in progress. Tilting his head at the sideways glance, Corey gives a shrug at that, having no explanation himself. Still he would like something to eat with it, and makes his way to the baked goods counter, being careful to scoot around the sharp girl. "Hey Hanna, when you're done with that, I think just a simple chocolate donut would be nice if you have any left. Nothing too fancy today." With his order in, he watches the happy girl and her nearly silent ways. "I wonder if she knows sign language. Not that I know it mind you, but there are many who do." Penny shakes the hair in her hand, causing it to make a clacking sound, then points at Jayna's hair and clacks her talons together once. Then? She claps. Apparently she approves of the girl's hair and the explanation... Which is listened to patiently. Once all of this is settled, she clambers back over to the tables, finds a sturdy, mismatched looking chair, and perches on it sort of like a frog. Where she sits crouches, her bottom bounces up and down excitedly like a small child waiting for a birthday present. For a wonder, though, when Corey mentions sign language, she holds her talons up and looks at them sadly. They don't look particularly flexible. Hanna has a chocolate donut on a little China plate in moments, although she very, very carefully makes sure she grabs one from the mostly empty tray. There is a second tray of chocolate donuts, but there are only a few missing from that one. She offers no explanation for this action, however. She hands over the plate, with a napkin folded neatly under the baked good, "Here you go, Corey. I think Jayna's got you drink ready for you. You're welcome to grab a seat. Did you want anything to go, or just the donut for tonight?" Hanna smiles kindly at the young man, before she gets ready to take Penny's food over to her. The first pastry that Penny had pointed at is sitting on a nice sturdy looking China patterned plate, a multilayered to-go bag looped over Hanna's arm - she swings past the coffee station to grab the minty iced beverage - it has been poured into a perfectly sized stainless steel cup - the type usually used for spinning milkshakes - a long straw pokes out from the top of the cup. "Here you go, sweetie. One tasty pastry, one bag of treats to go, and one mint-chocolate beverage. Enjoy," Hanna chirps happily, setting the haul down on Penny's table with a cheery smile. Accepting the china plate, Corey gives her a smile. "Just the donut for tonight. I do try and eat healthy...for the most part." Shrugging at that he swings by the beverage station to acquire his coffee cup from Jayna with a nod of thanks. "I think the flowers are quite nice anyway. I know people who put fake ones in, so you've got the advantage there." Sipping the coffee, he goes and grabs a seat nearby the young pointy mutant so that she does not feel like she's being avoided or anything, but enough room not to crowd. Breaking a piece of donut off, he dunks it into the coffee before popping it into his mouth with a smile. Penny makes some sort of pleased sound that seems somewhere between a hiss and a whistle and clacks her talons again once, when the food and drink are delivered. With little actual dexterity in her talons possible, she instead opts to spear the 'poofy' pastry with one of those talons and begin tearing into it it with her, surprisingly, pretty normal teeth. She finishes it quickly, like someone who hasn't eaten in ages, then leans over to CAREFULLY take the stainless steel cup. She noisily begins sipping minty beverage with an absolutely pleased expression. Her eyes even close with a near beatiffic expression. She doesn't slow down until it's nearly half empty, then pulls her mouth off the straw and bares her teeth at the other tree in a room-sweeping smile. Milkshake still in hand, she rises up and begins to wander the shop, looking at all the odds and ends very closely. She eventually completes her circuit back near Corey and carefully leans towards his coffee. She sniffs once, then wrinkles her nose distastefully. A moment after that, she wanders over back towards one of the pictures containing the proprietress, points at it, then back at Hanna, one eyebrow raised inquisitively. Hanna leans against the counter, watching Penny with a curious smile, her eyes lightening to an almost entirely golden color with happiness. She nods to Corey, "Fair enough. I'll just give you that one half price, instead of the two for one thing." She shrugs slightly, idly pulling a jam tart out of the case for herself to nibble on - this could potentially explain the woman's curvaceous figure, as she does it in such a practiced motion it almost seems an unconscious action. When Penny returns to the counter, and points at the photos behind the counter, Hanna smiles, a bit sadly, "They're pictures of home, well, my previous home. That's me and my mom in most of those photos. I grew up in Hawaii, and worked with my mom in her restaurant, before opening my own." The bubbly woman looks over her shoulder at the photos, her eyes tearing up slightly, "My mom died two years ago, and I just couldn't stay there. So I traveled for a bit. And then settled down here. But I wanted to have a piece of home with me - so I put up all those photos." She smiles back to Penny, "I'm glad you enjoyed the cream puff. If you like the food, you're welcome to come back. We are open to everyone. You can come back, even if you didn't like the pastries - if you just need a place to hang out, you're welcome here, sweetie." Corey watches the woman speaking with the young bouncing skittering mutant and smiles contentedly. If nothing else there are a few islands of happy people in the city. "Maybe you can make more of your sign and we can put it up other places. At least it makes it obvious who the jerks are when something happens to the sign." He shakes his head at that as he gnaws on his donut, people watching contentedly. Penny puts her milkshake down when the woman mentions her mother, and holds her arms in the same manner someone mide cradle and rock a baby, then points at Hanna. Then she makes an exaggerated sad-face. She then points at Hanna, and wraps her arms around herself as if she were hugging someone invisible. Finally, she gestures to Hanna. Conveying the idea of a hug, perhaps? Whatever the case, when asked if she enjoyed the cupcake, she clacks her talons once, smiles toothily, and retreats back to her bag after reclaiming her milkshake. She begins to examine it carefully. Perhaps trying to decide how to carry it, or what she wants to eat next. Like that, though, she sticks a talon in the bag carefully, spears another cream puff, and holds the cream puff out in Corey's direction meaningfully. Hanna chuckles at the idea of making more of the signs, "If you know of any other shops in the city who would like one, and actually live up to it, I'd be more than happy to stitch another one or two for them. I'll even change the colors, since I'm pretty sure bubblegum and lemon aren't exactly the most popular logo colors." She offers a cheery smile to the young man, happy to see him enjoying his donut. She turns her attention back to Penny, offering a sad smile, "Thank you. I miss her sometimes, but I know she'd like this place. She'd complain that it's always too cold - she never left the Islands - anything less than tropical was chilly." Her smile becomes a bit more cheery at that memory, and her eyes have the happy glow once more. She raises an eyebrow at the interaction with Corey, leaning on the counter to watch his reaction. At some point, she grabbed herself another jam tart to nibble on. Watching the goings on, Corey feels like he's watching a Disney movie in progress and shakes his head at the idea. With the girl coming over to offer the cream puff, he accepts it gently and inclines his head. "Many thanks to you." Glancing to his plate and seeing a bite of the donut left, he looks up to her. "I would offer you the donut, but I've been biting from it. I don't know if you want my germs or I'd offer the last bite," he says with a chuckle. However, he does put the cream puff in all its holey glory into his mouth to swallow it down. Penny is feeling pretty generous and all that... But she's still Penance, after all, so when Corey sort of offers his last bit of donut, she doesn't hesitate to reach forward and spear the last donut-bite. She then pops it into her mouth, munching happily. Apparently she either doesn't know or doesn't care enough about germs to worry. Crouched there on her chair, she licks her lips, then reaches forward to scratch her talons oh-so-gently on the side of bag. It scratches the paper without cutting through, and leaves a single word: Penance. Then she points at herself and dances over to the woman. Then she just stares at her while sipping from her milkshake, a rapt expression on her face. As if she expects... more story? Hanna smiles at the girl, "Your name, is Penance? Well, it is very nice to meet you Penance. I'm Hanna. It's short for Kohanna, but, well, that has always a bit of a mouthful, so even my mom just shortened it to Hanna. She was a hippie, before being a hippie was cool - which offers absolutely no explanation as to how she hooked up with my dad - who was in the military. That's about all I know about him." She leans forward on the counter, "My mom owned a cafe back at home, and when I was little, I got to start working with her. Which started my love affair with food," she offers a wry grin at this, somehow getting another little mini turnover into her mouth, pushing one of the mini pastries towards Penance across the counter with a smile. "I'm a mutant, but, well, the XGene sort of fizzled in me - it just expressed in my eyes, so they reflect my mood, and shift around the color wheel to match my emotions," she shrugs, "Either way - my mom was always open to anyone who needed a safe place to rest and eat, and I wanted to do the same thing, and always did her best to put a smile on everyone's face. So, well, I ended up in New York, since this city seems to need a smile more than anywhere else I've visited." Hanna offers a kind smile to both Penny and Corey, who she figures is listening. Watching the girl take the donut without concern, Corey shrugs figuring that the girl may not worry too much about germs. He does however sip his coffee as storytime comes to the coffee shop, pulling up a leg to cross over his other knee as he leans back in the chair. Hrrming to himself as he listened to the tale, he raises his mug back to Hanna at the smile, and inclines his head. "You are right there, the city does need as much help as it can get on that topic." Penny makes the hugging motion towards Hanna, then pops a mini-pastry in her mouth with a sharp, sudden motion. A warm smile greets the woman, thanks to all the happy feelings the pastries provide. Then she points from her eyes to Hanna's eyes meaningfully. That they're... alike? Only vaguely, though. She even sits right on the floor with a plop to listen as she drinks her milkshake. Thoughts percolate in her head for a moment... Then she points at Corey, followed by Hanna, indicating... some sort of connection between them. She even lifts an eyebrow in an inquisitive manner. Leaning her cheek on her hand, Hanna smiles as Penny makes herself comfortable, "Most mutants barely count my eyes as a mutation," Hanna says with a chuckle, "And most humans consider it enough of a mutation to avoid me, if they notice it. The "windows to the soul" thing my eyes do tends to catch people off guard - no one really expects it I guess." She looks confusedly at Penny when she gestures at her and then Corey, pondering for a moment to figure out what she was trying to get across. "Um, we aren't dating, if that is what you are asking. He's a valued customer, and a nice young man, but, no," Hanna actually blushes slightly at this, not explaining further, and quietly hoping that she had answered the correct question, not just randomly blurting out something that made no sense. Smiling at first before starting to chuckle at Hanna's response, Corey rose up shaking his head. "As she said, just a customer, and perhaps considered a friend one day. But nothing more than that." Not wanting to be a burden, he takes his mug and plate over to the return to save the trip for Hanna or Jayna. "Its a nice place to come and visit. I work in another coffee shop, and we had met in yet another. Stimulants lead to stimulating conversations I find. And if I'm feeling obligated to purchase something for hanging out in an establishment, it may as well be something I enjoy." He shrugs at that, hoping it was explanation enough for the speechless girl. Penny finishes her iced drink and looks sadly and longingly in the bottom of it. She rises, trudging to bring it back to Jayna. Then she nods emphatically when Hanna explains their relationship. Pointing at each one of them, she smacks her palms together which creates a sharp cracking/slapping sound as the apparent leather there slaps together. Then she makes 'grabby' motions at Jayna, followed by a rocking hugging motion of herself, and quirks her eyebrow. She points at Jayna and then at Heather in the same manner she'd pointed at Hanna and Corey mere moments earlier. Inquisitive girl. For all that, it is only a second later that she goes back to the table, huddling near her bag of treats in an oddly protective manner. Jayna smiles, and carefully accepts the metal cup back from Penny. She looks a little bit startled at the gestures, tilting her flowering head slightly as she looks at Penny, "I, I'm sorry," she apologizes, her voice a little bit soft, and tinged with confusion, "I appreciate the offer of the hug. I had sort of zoned out while cleaning the espresso machine, so no worries." The dryadic woman offers a smile, looking back at the gleaming behemoth of a machine with pride. "I, uh, you sort of lost me ont he rest of it, though. I am very sorry." She glances nervously toward Hanna, who can only respond with a bit of a shrug and a bemused smile, directed to the other woman. Hanna leans over the counter, looking at Corey and Penny, "Unfortunately, it's a bit past closing time, and we still need to get this set up for baking tomorrow morning. We sort of need to close up shop and get things ready to go before we can go home. So, even though it has been lovely to meet you, and this has been wonderful, we need to have the both of you head out. You are absolutely welcome to come back whenever you would like, but," she offers an apologetic smile and a shrug, "Sorry. Would you like another cream puff for the road?" Nodding at that, Corey gives a wave to the women. "Have a pleasant evening, I was just planning on heading out myself. Late to bed, early to rise, etcetera, etcetera." He gives them all a warm smile none the less. "And it was nice to meet you as well Penance. Enjoy your baked goods, and be well." Heading for the door himself, he stretches as he walks, and as he pulls out of range, the excess life comes with him. Penny makes an 'o' shape with her mouth when the espresso machine is pointed out to her. Clearly, she is impressed by it. But when her 'question' goes unanswered, she taps the side of her nose... whatever that means. Then she snatches a cream puff as offered and pops it in her mouth with a smile. It takes a little bit of careful juggling to get her bag held, and then wanders back to Hanna. She swipes a talon over the safety pin holding the money pinned to her leather straps, dropping a pile of bills on the counter as the safety pin is cleanly sliced open. Then she waves and backs out the door, butt-first. That done, she'll even wave at Corey as she heads back to her alley for an evening of gorging on sweets. It's going to be a good night!