ArchivedLogs:Strange Mushroom Powder

Strange Mushroom Powder
Dramatis Personae Kaylynn, Rictor	2015-07-18 None of that here, folks. Really.
Location <NYC> Au Petit Chocolatier - East Village
Early evening has fallen on New York City and lights around the city have begun flickering to life. Among the stores staying open past sunset is Au Petit Chocolatier. The store is settled in a small two story building that looks a bit out of place. There's an almost rustic look to the store front with its large windows and cloth covered overhang that provides a bit of shelter. A quick glance inside shows shelves upon shelves of chocolate. Some are pre-packaged and tied up with ribbons while others are settled in two refrigerated cases that are situated near the register. One section of the store seems to be dedicated to special chocolate, or rather...homeopathic chocolate as a sign claims. A swinging door behind the counter leads to a kitchen, from which Kaylynn is just emerging. The woman is wrapped in a pale yellow sundress which is partly covered by an apron and her hair is tied up in a high ponytail to keep the bangs from her face. There's also a smudge of chocolate on her nose that the chocolatier /clearly/ hasn't noticed yet. Whoops! A crowd flows past the chocolate shop. It's clearly composed of strangers, some checking their cell phones, other chatting away freely on them, likely making or confirming some Friday night plans. One guy is in such a rush that, on shouldering past a slim young woman fresh from the office, he knocks whatever iced beverage she was holding out of her hand to an unceremonious demise in a neighboring gutter. Cutting words are exchanged, and the incident is largely ignored. It's the nature of such a beast. And so the crowd moves on, save for one man in a baby blue button down, a brown jacket, and faded blue jeans. Rictor, who initially breezes past the shop, backpedals to get a glimpse of himself in the front window reflection. He quickly fixes his hair and looks ready to move on when something inside the shop catches his eye. So he enters, pushing the door open slowly and smoothing out his clothes upon entering. "Hello," he offers the woman in the yellow dress, revealing a thick Latin accent. Kaylynn leans over, placing her elbow on the counter as she watches the crowd stream past. The expression is less for no one coming inside and more for the poor lady whose drink was spilled. That's all cut short when she sees Rictor checking out his reflection. An eyebrow raises and is followed by the slightly amused twitch of her lips. Oh wait. He's coming in! The chocolatier straightens up, attempting to act normal. No she totally didn't just see that. "Hello! Welcome to Au Petit Chocolatier!" Her own words are accented with a gentle southern lilt, one specific to Texas to be specific. "Anything you're looking for in particular?" Kaylynn's features soften as she smiles and gestures to the case full of candy. Rictor begins the slow and deliberate walk of a man who is clearly /just browsing/, though his eyes do light up at the display of well-formed treats sitting in front of him. He sidles up to the case and scans the contents more closely before turning his attention on the chocolatier. "Well, I'm usually simple when it comes to sweets, but I'd like to get something special for a - friend." The pause before the final word suggests Rictor isn't sure if this is the word that applies to the person in question. His boyish grin suggests what he really means, though, and when he lifts a finger to brush it against his nose, it may be as much to avoid clarifying as to alert Kaylynn to the bit of chocolate on hers. "Hmmmm, a /friend/ you say?" Kaylynn grins, her tone changing to something a bit sly now. "I might be able to help with that." She glides along the length of the counter, turning just as she reaches the end of the first glass case. It's then she notices the nose brushing and it causes her to pause. A finger raises to her own thoughtfully and..."Oh!" The chocolatier turns around, using a corner of her apron to brush away the chocolate from her skin. "Ahem, e-excuse me! Happens when you're in the kitchen and such." Kaylynn's voice has gone up an octave or so, but soon she's getting hold of herself again. "Would you...like any samples? If your tastes are similar to your friend's it might help." There's a wide variety of chocolate, everything from dark to white even. Nuts are incorporated into some, fruit into others. All the standard combinations are there as well as a few wackier ones of her own creation. Bacon and chocolate, pop rocks and chocolate, rose and chocolate. It's questionable whether anyone actually buys some of these flavors. Rictor eyes some of these more creative chocolate styles and immediately thinks that the person in question would love some of them. Particularly those with pop rocks. But no, he won't allow it, and a visible shake of his head settles that. "Doesn't bother me at all," Rictor tells Kaylynn. "I remember being covered in flour helping my mother make tortillas. When I was young, of course." As he says this, the section of homeopathic chocolate draws his eye and he motions to them with an open palm. "What about those?" "That must have been fun. Cooking with your family always makes for the best memories." And for a moment, just a brief second in time, there's a look of nostalgia in Kaylynn's features. She shakes her head and it disappears, partly because of the other chocolates he's pointed to now. "Ah...these!" There's a swirl of her yellow sundress as she makes her way to the display in question. "Now these are for remedies, not for gift giving to...friends. This one," she points to a row of rather plain milk chocolates drizzled with caramel, "will relieve pain. And that one is for stomach troubles while the one next to it is for dry eyes." Is she kidding? Not at all, she seems just as sincere as before. "Yes," Rictor says, also getting that look on his face. "They're the memories I try and hold on to, at least." He says this while eyeing the batch of remedies closely, clearly interested whether or not they make a proper date gift. "How do you make them?" he asks. "My grandmother used to remedy things with teas and herbs, those sorts of things. I grow some of my own as well. Is there anything like that in the chocolate?" "Ah..." Kaylynn is not a very good liar in all honesty, and the woman is clearly avoiding the question. "Secret recipe?" There's a tiny cough and hint of pink to her cheeks as she avoids all eye contact. "If you're worried about what's in them because of food allergies or such, don't be. There's no strange mushroom powder or like hidden in the chocolate!" They're just mutant-enhanced, hah! That wasn't exactly the response Rictor was expecting and it causes his brow to twitch and for him to give Kaylynn a slightly overlong look. But the moment passes and he simply smiles to her and says, "Right. Well I'll have to try some at some point. Home remedies have always interested me." He crosses back over to the first display he encountered. "For now, let's go with an assortment of these. Something classic. I'll leave it up to you." Kaylynn breathes a tiny sigh of relief when Rictor lets that matter of the special chocolates slide. "Perfect!" The chocolatier moves back to the larger case and crouches down to select a box to put them in. "Hey hun, you and your /friend/ at the point where you want these in a heart box yet?" The southern lilt floats upwards, followed not long after by her head and a grin. She's slowly picking out a small assortment, and yes...a pop rock chocolate /does/ manage to make it out of the case, as do some much more normal flavors. She sets them atop of the counter as she selects them, moving on to pick the ribbon...and then a box depending on his answer! "One step down it is!" Kaylynn shoots Rictor another smile before placing the chocolates in a long box that's been brushed with an antique bronze color. A black ribbon is tied around it elegantly, but it seems that the chocolatier isn't done yet. "Nope, I'm from Texas...sounds like you aren't from here either?" As she speaks, she picks out a smaller box of the same style and moves over to the 'special' chocolate corner once more. Two are selected and packaged before she's placing it with the order. "Here, a sample of the pain relievers to take home. Spread the word if they work!" There's another glimmer in Rictor's eyes, albeit a brief one. "I'm from Mexico. I suppose that makes us neighbors, sort of." Another smile and an approving nod to the packaging. The free samples are also considered thoughtfully and he inclines his head when he says, "Thanks so much. I'm a teacher, so I get a lot of headaches. If this works, you'll be seeing a lot of me." He reaches into his back pocket and retrieves a slim leather wallet. "So, how much do I owe you?" "Ah, well then neighbor...I best introduce myself, hm? The name's Kaylynn." The chocolatier tips an invisible hat towards Rictor before grinning. "Just take one instead of Tylenol or what not, it should last the entire day." And as for the price, she rattles off the number that isn't too expensive while sliding over the boxes. "I hope y'all enjoy them!"