2025-01-29 - Coffee, Hoarding, & More!

It's too late in the afternoon for a coffee and yet Percy Bridgewater is in the cafe, his laptop in front of him, and about three different drinks in front of him; only one is empty. There's also a water bottle and the current drink, which seems to be a hot chocolate. For now. There's also a half-eaten pastry that gets the occasional nibble as well as a small stack of books which may, or may not, be in the running for purchase.

There's some 'clackety-clack' going on with the keyboard of the laptop before he just shakes his head and goes in for another nibble of pastry and a drink of the cocoa...only he grabs the empty cup and it takes a moment to register that it's the wrong one.

Annabelle has strolled in because that'e what one does. They look around an area, find something neat or charming and stroll right in. Annabelle's emerald hued eyes take in all the first floor before she moves over to look up at the other floors. There is a slight bounce to her step. "Oh. look at all the lovely books."

Her voice carries a distinct Georgian style of southern talking. She is content for the moment to stare upwards at the books, yet not venture up the stairs just yet. Surely, in a few moments she will notice the people.

It is never too late for coffee! At least, according to Shirley it isn't as she makes her way into the cafe in all her gothic/emo-ness. She skips up to the line with her cat ears up and perky, her fluffy cat tail is up and gently swishing behind her. Her outfit is all satin, lace, and ruffles. Today the dress is all black and falls to her falls with her fishnets disappearing into her heel combat boots that help her look like she is 5'5" with those extra five inches the shoes provide for her. She gently rocks on her shoes as she waits to place her order, she is next in line after all.

The empty cup is set down and the fuller one lifted up in time for him to catch those just coming into the shop. It's the explanation about the books that holds his attention and he offers in a friendly voice with a very BBC British accent, "Just wait until you go upstairs! There are two more floors of them."

Annabelle spins around at the voice as her eyes widen. "OH! Greetings." She smiles warmly toward the gentleman and then towards the woman with the pink hair. Annabelle has a lot of curly hair, but her best feature by far is that smile. It's one of those types that makes it appear that everyone is her friend. She walks over to each of them in turn to extend her hand. "Annabelle Jackson. I do hair and make up in the park, what about y'all?"

Shirley steps up to the counter as she asks, "Large salted caramel marshmallow latte please. Ya'll know just how I like it." She pays for her drink and steps to the side. She looks over towards Annabelle and Percy as she says, "The place is wonderful, I do agree. I am Shirley Weathersbee by the way, though if you see me while I am working, I go by Tini." Once her drink is ready, she picks it up, placing one of those heat protective sleeves on it and moves to join where Percy and Annabelle are chatting, her tail happily and gently swishing behind her.

If it's too late for coffee, Danny's also missed the memo, for he heads straight for the counter when he enters. He looks nothing like the dapper ringmaster of the Flea Circus at the moment, clad in that worn motorcycle jacket, faded dark jeans, and a white t-shirt. The shadows under his eyes and the pinched expression don't help, either.

One of his entertainers is with him, the Malinois named Joker. Joker's wearing a mesh vest with service dog patches on it. In contrast to his master, Joker looks positively chipper, bright-eyed, tail up.

"Oh, I'm not in the parks. I work here, on the island. I teach History at the High School. I think I went shortly after it opened, but I've heard several things and staff have changed since then." Even if it's not that old, he likely didn't get to see much of the backstage things. There's a little blink before he remembers, "Percy Bridgewater. Pleasure to meet you both."

Blue eyes flick to the cat tail, "Is that real? I mean, some of my students have worn tails...nothing against it at all. They just didn't tend to move. They just sort of, well, hung there. I don't think they thought it through seeing that they had to sit in desks all day."

Whatever Annabelle was about to say or do is completely forgotten with the entrance of Danny. Well, not really Danny so much as his friend. Her hands fly up to her lips. "Oh goodness." The woman moves over and one can almost see she wants to pet the dog. The thought flits across her features as she looks it over. There is a hand extended and then pulled back as she sees the service patches. She drops down near Joker.

"Aren't ya'll just the cutest thing to ever walk? Why yes you are. You are just the most adorable." Very slowly her eyes slide back up to Danny. A slow blink as if realizing he's there or thinking he just appeared. "Howdy, I'm Annabelle Jackson." Her cheeks flush pink as she tries to quickly gather to her feet. "I'm sorry I juset..." She stops for a moment and then it happens. The amount of words that just spew out of her mouth.

"Really, I'm just so sorry I never really think when I see animals. And I just run off at the mouth. My mama use to say that I'd get myself in a pickle just talking, but I find that it just flows on and on. It's worse than a hound treeing a coon they can't get to and..."

She looks back towards Shirley and Percy. Her lips falling closed, almost violently and painfully. She obviously wants to keep talking and is trying very hard to restrain herself.

Shirley awws as she sees Joker and was about to go and introduce herself but when she notices the mesh vest with the wording, she stops herself and whines mildly as she utters, mostly to herself, "I wanna pet the good pupper." She then looks up to Danny, offering a friendly wave hello as her black fluffy tail remains at its relaxed, gentle swish, even with the dog there.

She looks to Percy as she says, "Yeah, ears too. I can switch what they look like though with some pretty cool powers but default is cat girl. Its fun." She laughs before she says, "Yeah, sitting was difficult at first but I quickly learned to just wrap my tail around my waist and it doesn't get hurt as easily thankfully. I have had it since just after New Years. Convenient since I have always worked at the Tales and Tails bar but before I would just wear fake animal ears. Not I don't have to so, that is kinda cool at least."

She offers a kind smile to Annabelle as she says, "Oh no, I totally get it, the dog it absolutely adorable but he is working so we can't give them pets right now. As badly as we may wish to." She metathesizes completely, she loves all animals, even the creepy crawlie ones.

Joker looks up at Danny in search of his cue, tail waving tentatively, before looking over at Annabelle. But he doesn't go over to her, staying obediently at his master's side, the leash slack between the pair of them.

"It's okay," Danny's voice is lower, rougher than one might expect from his build. He's got a drawl of his own, one that brings a faintly sighing note to his speech. "I'm Dan Kimball, I go by Danny." He tilts his head at her, brow furrowing a little. "Where you from?"

That tail distracts him for a moment, the corner of his mouth quirking up. He looks for a moment as if he wants to ask a question, but reorients on Annabelle again.

"I noticed that...after New Year's. The students, too..." Percy starts, rolling up one of his own sleeves to look at the iridescent scales there. He then looks back to Shirley as if to say something else about the cat ears and tail...or the magic...or even to ask what the bar is, but attention seemed to have moved on.

"Handsome dog," is offered to Danny before he falls quiet again, turning back to the computer. The pastry is considered before he takes another couple of bites.

The 'it's okay' has Annabelle lowering back down to attempt to hug the dog and pet it. "You are so beautiful. You are the best." Then right people. She straightens again, but attempts to pet Joker's ears. "Savannah, Georgia." Annabelle announces proudly. Her head tips. "What about y'all?" Then she turns to include the others.

"Does anyone attempt to pet your tail?" Annabelle offers towards Shirley, "What do you do at this tails place?" She lifts a hand to push her curls from her face. Her green eyes move back towards Percy. She may note the scales before she turns her hands over to look at her own very plain, normal skin and being. "Well, ya over here getting tails and scales. I didn't get anything. I don't know how I should be feeling about that."

Shirley gasps in delight as Percy reveals his iridescent scales on his arms, "Those are lovely Percy."

She looks to Joker once more and moves with her palm upwards towards the dog so she can be smelled first before trying to give pets.

"I am from Jacksonville Beach, Florida but my grandma is from Atlanta." She laughs at the question and says, "Yes, all the time but it is part of why I keep it so well brushed. I don't really mind it. At least when I am not on the clock. On the clock... I rather my patrons not touch me behind the bar, ya know?"

She laughs a bit before she answers, "Oh! I am a bartender. The drinks are all animal themed, it is pretty cool." She shrugs softly before she says, "I don't think it was all animal related? I have been working a lot and not getting out much lately so I am not the best one to ask about that. Apologies. I don't mind it though, it is cool to be a living anime girl, in my opinion."

Dan's expression is a little rueful. Maybe not what he'd meant, but who is he to deny that enthusiasm. The mention of her hometown has him peering at her. "No shit?" he says. "Me, too." Eyeing her a moment as if to judge her age, "But I bet you were a child when I left."

Joker's unashamedly leaning into the petting, tail wagging in earnest now. "I'd say be glad," Dan advises Annabelle. "I mean, they fade when we leave the islands anyhow, but plenty of folks are not pleased with what they got."

"Thank you," he says to Percy, quietly. "He's a real good boy."

Then Shirley's answering, too, and Danny's got a faintly bemused look. Glancing between them, he asks, "How long've y'all been here? I got here in December. Glad the magic seems to mitigate the weather some - I wasn't looking forward to a real Michigan winter."

"Maybe it'll show up another time? And I don't know that I'd necessarily extol the changes. These can be itchy." Percy offers to Anabelle before looking to Shirley, "Animal-themed drinks? That has my curiosity piqued." Maybe he'll have to use one of his passes and bum around the park sometime. "But thank you," he remembers as she compliments the scales. "I suppose this is a perfect excuse to decide to start hoarding things, like books." He smiles as if it's a bit of a joke before looking back to his cocoa.

"I've been here since they opened the schools," so whenever that was. Likely at least a year or so. "I'm from England," as if that isn't obvious. "What -are- Michigan Winters? These aren't too much worse than what I've known...less rainy and overcast at least."

"Well butter my backside and call me a biscuit." Annabelle offers as Danny says that he's from Savannah as well. "I lived off of Gaston Drive. Well, I reckon I still kinda do as my parents still live there. You live around those parts too?" When he mentions her being a child there is a distinct pause as she looks him up and down. Perhaps sizing him for good marbling and dry aging. "Well, I'm just sure I wasn't all that young. Ya couldn't be that much older than me, Danny Kimball." Then she looks around that the others and back to him. "They only work on the island? Well ain't that surprising? i guess you can get away from it than."

"Oh. I do love me some books." She offers towards Percy. "I don't know if they'd show up. I mean I can't imagine waking up one day and having all that. I'd probably take things out with a tail. I'm only kinda okay on the feet the Good Lord blessed me with. I ain't been here all that long. Since the early part of this month. I can't say that I'm enjoying the cold, but the snow is pretty."

"Are you into watching that anime?" Annabelle offers. "I tried but I just couldn't get into it. I think it had some kind of machine suits in it. It was beyond my ideas to keep up. I don't think there were any cat girls in there though." She smiles vibrantly at all three of them. "We should all see where Miss Shirley works. We could try various animal drinks and food?"

Shirley starts giving Joker all the pets and scritches, cooing to the dog, "Who is a good boy, yes you are." She continues to fondly pet the dog as she responds, "Oh me? Maybe a year? Time bleeds together for me. I know I celebrated at least one birthday here so far, and that was back in July. I only recently put the bright pink into my hair but I think it came out nicely enough." She pauses before she asks, "How long have you two been here?" She gestures between to Danny and Joker as she asks her question.

Shirley lights up as she says, "Oh? Then please do come on buy. I would love to serve them up any time. I usually work 8 in the evening to closing time. The bar I work at is over on Fable Island in the Storybook Resort."

She grins as she responds, "Oh yeah. I love anime and any movie that Studio Ghibli puts their amazing hands on. And there are all types of different anime. I don't like them all. I usually like the silly ones or reverse harems or fanservice ones or adventure ones. Honestly I will give almost any anime a chance but I learn I can't really get into the mech ones. I dunno, just not my thing. I love the cooking ones though, no matter how silly."

She bounces once with excitement at the idea of familiar faces coming to visit her at work. "Sure! I am off tonight but I do work tomorrow."

"Does anyone ever need an excuse to hoard books?" Danny retorts, unable to help himself. "Though I suppose that's more than enough if it's turned out you've got some dragon nature to you." He shakes his head. "Much colder and snowier than this. Especially if you're right by one of the Great Lakes."

Annabelle gets eyed askance. "Parents have place in the Historic District," he says, mildly. "But we mostly lived at the horse farm they own. I'm thirtythree. Yeah. All the magic, all the oddities, they vanish when you hit the mainland."

Joker's still leaning in to the attention. He gets a tolerant look from Danny. "Few months now, since early December. Don't think I've been to that bar yet. I work on the Midway and mostly just go from Crescent to Spellbound and back."

Percy tilts his head, "That's sort of how it happened with me. Woke one morning...and this. Spent the rest of the week in my classes talking about it since they were also a bit freaked out by it." He doesn't enter the conversation about Anime, but he will offer, "Perhaps I'll try to come by on a weekend. I'm usually in bed before 10pm..." because classes are stupidly early.

"What exactly -is- dragon nature, do you suppose? An affinity for fire? Gold? Flight? I mean, I've been collecting books since I could read, so unless the dragon nature was somehow latent prior to coming here, I'm not sure that's an explanation."

Annabelle tips her head to that and looks at Danny just a bit longer. "Daddy probably knows your family then. Oh! Next holiday, we should just travel back together. It's so much easier when that happens." Probably because she needs someone to carry her luggage. Her eyes move to Shirley's hair when it's mentioned. She can't help it.

"I do hair and make up all the time. It's what I do here at the park. My favorite thing is doing the princess and princes make overs. They are just the most darling things to see. If ya need help with your hair or anything, feel free to just let me know." Annabelle pauses and gives a slight laugh at herself as her cheeks pinken again. "Guess I should be giving y'all my number if I'm going to say that."

Her eyes move back towars Percy at 'dragon nature'. "Ya got really back breath in the morning and you don't like share? That seems very dragon like, right?" She loks to the others and then she looks back. "But ya shoulg be minding your manners and not acting like that."

Shirley laughs softly, "I hope the day where we have to have an excuse to hoard anything we enjoy never comes. Especially books." She grins as she says, "I never go to the mainland. I have no need to, thankfully. But it is fair, I haven't visited too many of the shows yet but I am trying to change that all now. When do you perform Danny?"

"Weekend works just fine, I rarely have those off. Or if I am not at Tales and Tails, I am filling in at a different bar. But I can get the whole sleeping at a decent hour on school night hours," is offered to Percy, "I can imagine everyone being a bit shaken up, I.. I dunno I just was so happy about it, I forgot others may not have had the same as I did."

She perks up as Annabelle mentions what she does, "Oh? Seriously? I would love help when I have to redo it. I did this by myself but it took a few tries. I think the only thing that saved my hair was the moisturizing mask I did once the color was set. It was a frizzy mess before I did that, I think my hair was screaming for moisture or something. It was soooo angry."

"I'd say you got it in one," Dan says, as the barista hands him his drink. "Affinity for fire, tendency to hoard things and defend that hoard to the death. My current theory on this place is that the magic works from who we already are when we get here. So many, it's like it's just an extension of who they are."

He heads to a table of his own. "Probably does. And that assumes I'll be heading back on a given holiday," he says, amiably enough. "I drive myself - not gonna leave all the dogs here and it costs way too much to fly them anywhere on my own dime."

Joker pads along with his master. "Usually afternoons and evenings, these days," Danny adds, as the dog tucks himself under the little table.

Percy blinks with surprise at Annabelle, "I...what?" He breathes into his hand and sniffs at it, "I...don't have bad breath and I'm usually quite happy to share? I suppose some things shouldn't be shared...I..." He sputters a little more. "Did someone say I'm acting a certain way? I'm sorry, I'm just very confused now." He looks to Danny, "I have no real affinity to Fire and I don't actually hoard things. I do like having books around, that may be it. And drinks." As evidenced by the one empty mug, the water bottle, and the cocoa mug he's currently working on. "But...I'm not certain I'd lay down my life for them."

Is he dragon-like? At least he can change the subject by asking, "Dogs? You have more than this one?"

To Shirley, at least, he can answer, "Well, these kids were already dealing with being teenagers and then there were even more, sudden changes. It was a lot. Even for the adults."

Annabelle walks with Danny. She wasn't invited, but she seems to think she can join his table. However, she moves so she can face the room to keep everyone in the conversation as well as herself. Her eyes slide from one person to the other. As Percy checks his breath, Annabelle's eyes widen. "Oh gracious. I am so sorry. I was just thinking what would be dragon like, I didn't mean that about you in particular. Oh. You must think me so rude." Now she's trying to figure out the right pie to send for sorry I said your breath smells.

She glances to Danny. "Don't ya go back and visit your family? My Daddy and Mama would have my hide if I didn't come back. They would probably drag me by my hair and I have a lot of it, so they would get a good grip." Annabelle apparently doesn't realize this may not be a topic he doesn't want to have.

HEr eyes then move back towards Shirley. "Of course, I'd help. I absolutely love doing what I do. It's a graet pleasure for me and I like to help one look good. I feel like it's a bit of self-therapy. If you look good than it helps you feel good." A slight glance back to the guys there and then back towards the pink haired cat girl. "But I also think you have to decide your own type of pretty too."

Shirley easily lets Joker slip away and picks back up her coffee, happily sipping on it. "I will be sure to come by next night I have off then. I would love to see you all perform."

"That's a fair point, if this had happened while also dealing with puberty, I would have lost my teen mind. I take it everyone has mostly adjusted now, at least?" A bit of hopefulness echoing the tone of her question. She then stage whispers, "You seem fine to me."

She smiles as she says, "Exactly, it has to be how you would see yourself as beautiful instead of worrying about what the rest of the world thinks. That... took me a long while though to be honest. But it is how I try to take on my appearance now, doing it how I feel I am prettiest."

"Oh, yeah," Danny says, grinning at Percy. "I've got five. That's why I'm here. Got a dog training act under the circus tent on the Midway. Joker's just one of the stars of the show. He's also the one I'm working on training as a service dog."

He's got that faintly bemused look on as Annabelle walks along with him. "I do, but as a perfomer, the park wants me here when it's busiest. I go home to visit before or after a holiday, when I can get the time off."

The idea of having these changes appear on a vulnerable teenager makes him wince in sympathy. "That's got to be rough," he says to Shirley and Percy. "Hard enough when you're an adult, you know who you are. Dealing with the awkward parts of adolescence.....hell no."

"Ah, well, that's good then," Percy seems to breathe a sigh of relief when Annabelle says she wasn't speaking about him, specifically. "The next question would have been, 'How did you sneak into my apartment to know that my breath smelled in the morning?'?"

"They're adjusting. We're back to the usual classes at least." He then leans over some to stage-whisper right back to Shirley, "I'm a good actor."

His eyes flick to Danny, "Exactly." He gets it with the teens. But then, "Five dogs...and a dog show? That sounds fantastic! I've thought about offering my bird to guest star at one of the bird shows, but she definitely has a mind of her own and doesn't generally like following directions."

Annabelle is just thinking that Danny has five dogs that she can pet. Really that's the focus of all these conversations. She nods her head. "Well let me know and I'll tell Daddy. I'm sure he'd like to meet you too." Because Southern Dads are known to LOVE men around their daughters. She beams just a bit at Danny. He's apparently her brother from another mother or something now.

"Well I am not good at getting in houses without you knowing. I think that you are safe from that. I mean, that'd be a full break of manners." She gives a toss of her hair a bit over her shoulders. Swish Swish.

Shirley lightly taps her nods as if to say 'hit the nail on the head' at Danny's statement about the teens dealing with the changes she did at their ages.

She to Percy as she stage whispers back, "I am very glad to hear that they are adjusting. And you have a bird? What kind is she? I love all animals, not just the furry ones."

"Wait, what is this about breaking and entering?" she teasing asks and laughs softly out after Annabelle mentions she isn't good at getting in houses without knowing someone?"

Dan's smirking at the idea of the bird, eyes bright. "Maybe if there's a talent show in your school?" he suggests. "And birds generally do. Definitely more independent than most mammal pets."

"I'll let you know next time I head home." He's easy-going about this, apparently. With his luck, they have family members that are already acquainted.

To Shirley, he explains, "Percy was wondering how she was getting in his house in the morning, to be able to say he had bad morning breath."

"There -is- a talent show," Percy grins at Danny, "But mostly for the kids, not the teachers. Although I bet she would -love- that attention. I've brought her to rehearsals before, but never to my classes."

To answer Shirley, "She's a blue and gold Macaw. Quite vocal, but part of that is my doing." And he is not at all concerned about it.

Annabelle glances towards Danny's drink and then towards the counter. Then she looks back to the drink. It's almost like she forgot to remember to get a drink. Her eyes follow the conversation. "I don't have pets. I should get one, but I doubt I'm going to do that." Then suddenly she bounces in her seat. "Oh! Oh! Do y'all have roommates? How do you like them? How are you finding them?"

Shirley laughs softly before she mentions, "Oh. I see. I just assume we all have bad breath in the morning. Part of the whole reason we brush our teeth, right?"

"Awww I love Macaws, they remind me of that movie Rio. Maybe I could meet her sometime?" is asked of Percy by her with a mild bounce of excitement. She may have consumed too much sugar for today so far.

"I don't have any roommates yet nor a pet, maybe eventually but I have to deal enough with my own fur already," she jests as she answers Annebelle's question.

Percy gets an impish look from Danny at that. "I think," he says, grandly, "That means y'all need to have one where the teachers perform for the kids. You could teach your bird to do tricks. You'd be ahead of the game."

He shakes his head, after a sip from his drink. "I've just got the five furry ones. That's more than enough. I know I've seen posts on the employee boards about looking for people to share a place with, though."

Unable to help himself, he has to ask, eyeing Shirley sidelong. "Do you have problems with your own shedding?"

"Indeed, I've seen postings as well. My bird is the only roommate I have and I'm hoping to keep it that way. I feel I'm a bit old to have a roommate, honestly," Percy answers in regards to the roommate question.

Danny gets an impish grin right back, "She already knows tricks, but I'll bring that up. See if I can get others interested. I've actually been teaching her a bit of Shakespeare...might be fun do to a scene from one of the plays with her." Romeo and Junie-Bean, maybe?

The question about shedding gets a blink as he looks from Danny to Shirley, apparently also interested in the answer.

"What is the age, you are too old for a roommate?" Annabelle offers as she looks between the three. Although, she also looks towards Shirley to see her answer on that. There is a noise that sounds like a short alarm on her phone that she pulls out to look at.

"Mild, but I mean, look how big and fluffy my tail is, I do brush it frequently to make sure it stays all soft and fluffy," Shirley answers to everyone with a mild giggle at the end accompanied by a soft shrug.

"I don't know if there is an age limit? I don't care how old my roommate is. I just don't have one yet but I have been looking around for one, if I am honest."