Fandom Island and Town

Hernando went into the store to make sure everything was set up for the day and promptly blinked at the weather outside. The slushy sort of splattering sound coming down was reminiscent of sleet only.. thicker. Also more colorful. Also not disappearing when it hit the ground. "Is it raining gelatin?" he wondered, walking over to the window.

It appeared so.

"That's new," he murmured. He absently affixed the lock to the quokka door so they wouldn't go out and muck about in it, not that they seemed to be inclined to do anything other than hop around the store excitedly. Except for Dave, who was perched on the thick window ledge, glaring at outside as if it had personally offended him. Which it might have done. There was no knowing with Dave.

Hernando stopped to deliver some scritches to the grumpy churbling quokka. "I don't think we will have any customers today, my friend. You may have to help me eat those blueberry tarts." What a shame. Woe. Hernando sent a text to Sparkle to warn him about the weather on the off chance today was a manic distraction day; if he'd plans to go out, he might want to take a rain-check.

He didn't even see the unfortunate pun until after he sent it. Hernando sighed, it was just going to be that sort of day. Well, at least there was fine tea and delicious pastries.

[T42 is Open!]

Hernando was yawning when he headed into the store. Sparkle had apparently enjoyed an evening of fireball whiskey and glittery drinks and god only knew what else, which meant Hernando got to enjoy show tunes until the wee small hours.

That wasn't sarcasm. Nor was it a euphemism. He was just a bit tired this morning.

The store was doing a display of Titian's works, pride of place going to 'Man with a Glove'. He frowned at the wall for a moment, tracing a finger along the frame of that portrait. "What are you trying to tell me?" he murmured. The wall, of course, did not answer.

Chalkboard Babies had arranged themselves by the pastries and were hopping for attention. Hernando smiled at them and congratulated them on their spelling. Today's offerings were a fruit and custard pavlova, cream scones, blackberry Earl Grey pocket pies, lemon chamomile shortbead cut into little bunny shapes, strawberry matcha roll cake, chocolate and pistachio whoopie pies, peach panna cotta, and of course a selection of cupcakes.

The Specials board rattled. Hernando went to put it outside.

SPECIALSWhite chocolate chestnut roasted mate
Clementine clove ceylon
Violet-infused gyokuro

"Aren't we being fancy today," Hernando murmured, amused, as he turned the 'OPEN' sign on.

[T42 is Open!]

Sparkle had been having a very bad time lately and today .. well today wasn't going to be a good day. He'd mentioned that he was going to call the lawyers and leave a message, then stay at the apartment and wait for Atton to come home. That was good, he needed some Atton time right now.

Which left Hernando time to plot some mischief. He'd borrowed the keys to Demon Marcus on the small subterfuge of wanting to look for a particular shirt. Which he would do - after.

First there was some cute to deploy. He'd found and printed and laminated dozens of cute kitten pictures. Some of them were memes with positive affirmations on them. Some of them were nothing but pictures of things like kittens sleeping in coffee cups. He placed them all around the area behind the counter, hiding them in things like the register's change drawer and the space under it where people traditionally put extra cash or checks. Under Sparkle's mug, in the pages of magazines he kept behind the counter, in the pages of his order catalogs. Hidden in the carousel of nail polish.

Went upstairs to the storage area and put some in between the boxes of Kraft Dinner that were kept up there as comfort food. Also on the mirror in the bathroom. He even taped one to the underside of the toilet lid. Hernando supersaturated the entire Demon Marcus environment with them.

It was the one place Sparkle habitually spent time alone when there weren't customers, where he wouldn't want his friends or Hernando hovering over him. Kaidan wasn't here to do his habitual Sunday check-in and Hernando didn't know of anyone else who did. Atton was home, Atton would be at Caritas but close enough to come slouch against a wall and give Sparkle hell here if he had to. That was a bit of a relief.

But for now.. cutebombing the place. It was a small, silly, completely impractical thing to do. Which made it a very Sparkle thing to do. Hernando, after all, knew this particular audience very well. When the last of the pictures was deployed, he found the mesh shirt he'd talked about and left, locking the store back up.

With a small smile, he headed back home.

[NFB/NFI, establishamento, store modded with permission]

[oops. It's Thursday.]

The store was in a mood. The pastry counter was covered with variations of butterscotch brownies. How many variations could there be? With nuts, with no nuts, with different nuts, with chocolate, without chocolate, with white chocolate, with fruit chips, without fruit chips, frosted or non.. You get the picture.

He was pleased to see the sign had returned, followed by tiny little chalkboard signs that hopped around until they could get up onto the counter, clacking their way over to the trays of brownies, words appearing on the chalkboards. Their spelling wasn't the greatest but they were just babies after all.

Hernando was baffled. The baby chalkboard signs were delighted, hopping up and down in front of their pastry trays in little 'pick me pick me I've got the best!' gestures. He didn't even like butterscotch but felt obligated to take one anyway.

He was also obligated to send Sparkle a picture of the tiny baby signs being adorable.

[Open]

Hernando opened the shop after going for a very long run. It had been very tempting to just crawl right back in bed with Sparkle, where he'd already spent the majority of the last three days. Too tempting. He had a store, he had quokka to take care of. He might even have customers. With an air of resigned responsibility, he set out the pastries and did another cursory hunt for the Specials sign, still missing.

Standing took effort. He borrowed one of the high-top chairs from a table and pulled it behind the counter to sit on.

A moment later he found out just how high a quokka could bounce from a standstill when Dave hopped up into his lap and began imperiously nudging his hand for scritches. Hernando laughed quietly and obliged. "You miss them too, don't you my old friend?"

Abney had spent quite a lot of time curled up on the hearth telling Dave stories and petting him..

And Hernando was very much not thinking about that right now. He was going to make it through the day without bursting into tears. That was the goal.

Even he wasn't sure he'd make it.

[T42 is Open!]

The puddle of children had woken in the morning and asked to go to the park. After feeding them - and shooing the teenager out of his kitchen so he could have the privilege of making breakfast - Hernando walked them all to the park.

The children knew the way and it wasn't that Hernando was any sort of helicopter parent except yes, perhaps today a little bit, he was. Sparkle was making a quick dash into town to put a 'closed today on account of children' sign on the door of his store but planned to join them later.

Hernando had packed an entire antique picnic basket full of food and snacks and put Quinn to work hauling a rolling cooler behind them. The children had acted as if this were a usual thing and that made Hernando smile a bit. Abney was wearing the folded picnic blanket as a superhero cape and was running ahead with her arms out, making zooming plane noises.

There was way more food than the children would need, even if one was a growing teenager. To his rueful chagrin, Hernando found that the store had decided to help when he spread the blanket out and began to unpack. The basket never seemed to empty. He set out only enough plates of sandwiches and baskets of fruit for the moment and let the children go run. There were thermoses of tea and sodas and waters in the cooler as well.

Once free of her superhero cape, Abney lead the way to the playground and commenced burning off the energy. Quinn was more interested in reading a book but he, too, occasionally joined his sister in playing.

[Open park with picnic food! Come let the kids play together!]

Hernando tried not to facepalm when he saw the display of baked goods. He didn't want to make the store feel bad because it tried so hard and it was such a good store but.. it was Pi Day. This did not necessarily warrant an entire selection of pies.

There were fruit pies, there were some form of creme-or-pudding based pies, there were meringues, there were pies made with walnuts or pecans, there was a shoo-fly pie, there were tiny individual butter tarts with currants in, there were itty bitty two-bite pavlovas with fruit and glaze. There was cheesecake, which was technically a pie, there was custard pie which was technically a custard but it was pie-shaped.

Even the cupcakes were topped with tiny thumb-sized pies on top of their frosting.

It was a bit much of a muchness. Still, he patted the counter and told the shop it had done well.

The Specials sign was either missing or hiding again. Hernando was starting to be worried.

Come to the tea store, we have pie.

[Open!]

The day after the night before, Hernando decided Sparkle needed a spa day. Relaxing and soaking in hot water seemed the perfect kind of therapeutic balm. He remembered that there was an onsen and it was not even so very far away. Sparkle didn't exactly carry a set of swim trunks in his bag but he and Hernando were enough of a size that a pair of Hernando's would fit him. He managed to be a little sneaky and get those and some towels packed without Sparkle noticing. Though the bag itself earned him a raised eyebrow and a little grin. Sparkle was not so much a fan of surprises, no, but this one was not very hard to guess once they'd turned down the small sidewalk leading to the onsen.

Inside, they quickly changed to trunks and went to slide into the warm water. It was early yet and there were few people here. It was quiet and relaxing and that? Had been much of the point.

Hernando immediately sank in the water up to his neck when he sat down, leaning his head back against the wall with a groan as the heat flooded through him. He smiled up at Sparkle and waited for him to join.

[Onsen is Open! OOC warning: These two are going to be cute unto the point of sickening. You have been warned. Sparkle modded with permission.]

Hernando was humming along with classical music. He thought it was only sounding in his head until he noticed the quokka hopping about in time and looked up. Sure enough, there were now small discreet speakers tucked away in the corners. With no visible signs of a sound system. He chuckled and patted the counter and simply went back to humming along.

He had put in an order with the school's fundraiser and part of him felt a little sorry for Peter if he was the one handling all of these. There had been quite a line and his order had taken no little time in itself.

The specials board was hiding again. Hernando gave a cursory look for it and then shrugged. It deserved a day off now and again. He made a cup of tea for himself and set the pastries out. Comfortable foods for a day that held the promise of being overcast and grey.

As far as Hernando was concerned, it was a beautiful, bright and sunshiny day whether or not the actual sky agreed with him.

Still humming along with the music, he rested back against the counter and sipped his tea.

[Open!]

The sign was rattling impatiently when Hernando entered the store. He walked to it with a curious glance at the nautical themed decor and pictures. The sign read:

SPECIALS
Hot Buttered Rum Tea (no actual rum involved) 50%
Baked Goods - BOGO


"Hot buttered rum..tea?" Hernando asked the sign. The sign didn't answer. It simply shook itself a little impatiently. With a shake of his head he went to put it in the window.

Then he went to try the tea. It was a mild black tea that did indeed taste like buttered rum. Or perhaps like Buttered Rum Lifesavers. Hernando had not had any of those in ages but he remembered the taste from childhood when the children he sometimes played with would pretend it was indeed possible to become tipsy or even drunk from the candies. It was not possible to do that in fact; it was simply a silly children's game. An attempt to feel as though they were putting one over on the adults while being very grown up and enjoying adult privileges for themselves.

The pictures on the wall were all themes of the sea. The wall behind them was decorated with a net and some sisal or hemp rope wound around the pictures to draw attention to them. Blown glass floats of different colors decorated the tables.

From speakers.. Speakers? Yes, speakers that weren't there the day before.. came the softened strains of sea chanties. Music only, no words. This.. was probably a good thing, Hernando reflected once he remembered most of the words to those songs.

[Open!]

Hernando was still in a very good mood. He had Valentine's Day plotting to accomplish. He hummed to himself while he puttered around the store. Feeding the quokka and checking the weekend weather report. It was supposed to dip below freezing over the weekend. He checked some of the usual canisters on the wall of doom to make sure there was nothing he would run out of. It was a somewhat futile gesture; the store would never let him run out of tea he was sure but he wanted it to know that he noticed what a good job it was doing.

When he began to place the pastries out, he noticed they all had some form of dark chocolate included. Small pastry cups of dark mousse, brownies, cookies, small dark chocolate cups filled with fruit compote, and the now ever-present cupcakes. A small box of cream-filled chocolates was in the drawer and while the store did not usually carry candies, he plated those up in a decorative heap as well.

Hernando raised his eyebrows and checked his phone. Oh. That was why. He smiled and patted the counter.

One of the smaller quokka made a leap for the counter only to be tackled by a flying Dave who boxed its ears and churbled angrily at it. Hernando waited until Dave was done with herd discipline and had returned to his bed in front of the fire before scooping up the smaller mammal and carrying it over to see - but keeping it in hand so it could not leap - what was on the counter.

"You must not eat these. I am certain they smell strange and possibly delicious to you but they are made with chocolate and that is usually a bad thing for small animals to eat. Come; we will find you a piece of carrot instead." He went and found a small carrot for the quokka and sent it off with its treat.

The pussywillows were also purring and making small meows so he made sure to spend time admiring and petting them also. He was glad he'd brought them home. It still amused him a little that the one Peter had claimed was still kitten shape and had been named. Hernando spent a little time sitting in a chair near the plants. Telling the former kittenwillows who were now just smaller willows all about their sibling. In case they missed it.

[Open! Posted early to keep from posting too late. So tiredzzzzzzzzz..]
[Shop description here.]

The store had decorated itself in green, black, and red. Hernando eyed the streamers of plants until he realized they were holly and not mistletoe boughs. Candles flickered in glass-covered sconces, themed in the same colors.

The pastry selection was different. Mango-glazed poundcake, coconut cake with a creamy frosting, individual ambrosia cups topped with slices of exotic fruit, sweet potato pecan bars were laid out amidst festive strands of gold tinsel cord.

The sign read:
SPECIALS
Spiced Hibiscus Tea
Honey-infused Sahara
Mango Green Tea
Free baked good with purchase!

Hernando was a little confused with the decorations but after he hung the sign, he googled the day to see if it was a holiday. "Oh!" he exclaimed, patting the counter. "Kwanzaa! That is very nice of you!"

He was in a very good mood anyway but felt a rush of affection that the store was taking other winter holidays into consideration.

[Open]

Hernando and Kaidan had taken turns through the night to wake up and shovel the snow clear of the entrance and window of the shop. Kaidan had begun building something he called 'berms' by tightly packing the snow into mounds around the door. He'd built a sort of icy..archway?.. around the door that kept the snow from drifting in and blocking it.

Dave was sitting on the windowsill and glaring out at the snowfall. The other quokka were cheerfully hopping about as though the weather didn't concern them in the least.

The interior of the store had changed. A roaring fireplace took up one entire end. A giant copper kettle, siphon tubes running up from the lid and across the wall to the hot water dispensers, hung from an iron hook over it. The walls had become stone-clad, reflecting the heat. Thick woven wool rugs were layered on the floor. Tables and chairs had rearranged themselves closer to the fire to be joined by large plush armchairs closer to the counter.

The counter and hot water dispensers remained the same. Hernando began setting out pastries.

The sign rattled. Hernando let out a relieved sigh he had not been aware he had been withholding and went to see to it.

T42 is Open!
Come in!
The fire is warm, the tea is hot.
There is also cocoa.
We still don't recommend the coffee.

He patted it and placed it in the window. Small candle lanterns hung from delicate chains. The colored glass added a festive glow. Hopefully the light would guide people in from the cold.

[Open and snow-monster free!]

[OOC: oops. In my defense, I was writing an app and I didn't know what day it was or that I missed Thursday so here is your weekly tea and cupcakes post. Also SP warning.]

There were chickens in capes running around the store. There were quokka in capes running around the store with the chickens.

Hernando blinked at the pod of animals running around in some sort of choreographed display. He looked around for Dave.

Dave was sitting on one of the chairs with an exceptionally grumpy look on his face. He was wearing a green cape with a blue lightsaber on the back.

Hernando facepalmed.

When he was done muttering into his palm, he pulled his phone out and began snapping pictures for Sparkle and, perhaps, one for Kanan.

The sign was empty today as well. Hernando was beginning to worry quite more than usual. He set out the pastries and immediately had to shoo an adventurous Silkie off the counter. "No," he said gently, "I will break up a muffin for all of you to share but you must stay off the counters, please."

Hernando had little experience with animals. He did as promised and set out a plate of crumbed muffin. The chickens descended on the plate like a small pod of dinosaurs. Happy churbles and disgruntled peeps came from the mass while they ate and vied with each other over particularly choice crumbs.

[Open]

The store was still decorated and festive for Hanukkah. It appeared they would be going the full holiday. Hernando was a little pleased by this.

He wasn't so pleased to find they now had a sound system. It was playing soft classical music of a non-holiday bent and that wasn't so bad. It was simply more noise than he was used to having in his quiet shop.

The reason why sang at him when he stepped outside to wipe down the outside seating. The sun was warm but the air had more of a damp chill than he was used to. The first few moments of 'Carol of the Bells' were quite nice but then the sheer number of birds chirping the song in a round became a little sinister. Hernando quickly went back inside.

The sign was curiously blank. That took him aback. "Are you well?" he asked, touching it gently on the handle. It made no noise. Not even a soft rattle. Hernando picked it up and took it behind the counter with him.

A mug of tea made him feel better while he set out pastries, waiting for customers and listening to Mozart.

[Open]

Hernando headed to the Perk after he closed the shop on Saturday. He truly enjoyed spending time in his shop but there were also times he wished to be a customer somewhere he could sit and watch the greater community walk around outside.

He obtained a cinnamon coffee and sat at one of the tables. A newspaper taken from his pocket was unfolded and he began to read. It was a paper from Mexico City because he liked to keep up with the news back home and just across the causeway in the nearby town was a small bodega that carried them.

An advert inside for one of Lito's movies. He quickly folded past that page.

The weather outside was warmish but also very damp. Sporadic rain would come and go, hitting the windows with a soft patter. It made being indoors with a hot coffee a simple but comfortable thing.

[Open.]