2025-01-31 - Almost Death By Bean Bag

It is just after the traditional lunch time, the sun is up in the sky with light clouds occasionally casting shadows as they move across the sky.

For Shirley, she was just waking up and decided to go thrifting just after she had breakfast. She is in her usually satin, lace, and ruffles. Today's outfit is a long sleeves dress that exposes her pale shoulders with bell sleeves with the dress hem falling to her knees, a peek of fish net can be seen on her knees as she walks with her heeled combat boots that help her appear to be 5'5", those heels added a whole five inches! She smiles as she begins to wander along the furniture, currently pausing at a somewhat tacky couch that has a print the screams 'I am from the 80's!'

In Sammy's case, he has a blessed day off from work and is on another shopping kick. He tends to frequent this place given that all the new employees to the park keep the stock ever-circulating. He's wearing a patch-and-pin studded leather jacket over a Mars Volta band tee, dark green corduroy skinnies and black suede oxford boots. His hair has fallen into his eyes as he wrestles with a bright purple bean bag that's currently eating his entire form like The Blob as he tries to lift it up and out of a corner.

"I've made a huge mistake," he says muffled from within its depths.

Shirley just so happens to hear Sammy's muffled words, well not exactly the words but she heard something. The couch forgotten for now as she wander about until she spies Sammy she exclaims, "Oh my goodness!" She isn't the strongest individual for this but she is at least going to try and help get him out of the bean bag trap! Her hands grabbing one of his and tries to tugging him out.

What doesn't help is how oversized this bean bag is. It would have been fine if it'd been a regular one seater. But no, this thing is the type people can sleep in if they so desire. And Sammy had to go and tempt fate by trying to pull it out. He yelps slightly when his hand is grabbed, not having expected it, but he's quick to accept Shirley's help. His boots slide along the floor like something out of Scooby Doo as he struggles to find purchase, but then he's out! Like a champagne cork. Falling back and snatching a nearby hideous loveseat to stop his descent. "Oh hell," he mumbles, yanking himself upright to adjust his shirt and jacket. "That was a thing. Learned my lesson real fast though. Hi. Sorry. Thank you for saving me."

Shirley almost tumbles back herself but his falling back into the love seat saves her from falling right on her bottom. She laughs softly as she teases, "At lease it was you and not me, I would have been lost forever." She giggles at her joke at her own expense due to her height before she says, "And no problem, I would want someone to so the same for me. I'm Shirley by the way."

"Sammy. Nice to meet you." It's only now that Sammy realizes their height difference, even though it's not even that bad considering Shirley's tall boots. "Yeah it would have straight up sucked you into another dimension. What's this made out of? Black holes?" He turns to face the bean bag monster, nudging it with the side of his shoe. "Definitely don't need that in my apartment." The tacky 80's print couch grabs his attention. "This though. Doesn't it scream 'adopt me'?" He grins, teasing.

"Nice to meet you as well Sammy," Shirley responds. She laughs softly as he agrees with her and then agrees with him, "It probably is. I would call it a reasonable conclusion." She looks back towards the couch as she says, "Yeah I was thinking about it but I need to reach out to my roomie and see if they would like it as well. I don't wanna just buy it without their input. We just started moving in over at Silver Brook, can't wait to get my kitchen stuff unpacked so I can bake again." She begins to walk back towards the couch as she asks, "You think you are going to buy it?"

"Oh right, yeah good call to check with your roomie. Guess you can throw a blanket over it or something if you /really need a place to sit? Not many options this week." Sammy squints at the loud floral pattern on the piece of furniture, then looks back over at Shirley. "Oh I'm at Silver Brook too. So you're new? When did you get here?" He strolls along, now peeking at some kitchen counter stools. "Probably not. I ordered some stuff online when I got here three months ago but it takes forever for stuff to show up. Just tired of sitting on the floor. What kind of stuff do you bake?"

Shirley laughs softly, "Not exactly, I just happened to get a new roomie cause my old one was having his family come to live with him on the island. I've been working over at Tales and Tails are a bartender since December twenty-three. The ear and tail are new, as of New Years Eve though." Her big fluffy tail lightly swishes behind her. She wanders along with him as she responds, "Yeah, it does take forever, I just rather get stuff from here honestly. And I bake all sorts of things cookies, cupcakes, pies, casseroles. I love making food in general honestly. But I am going to be making some Kitchen Sink cookies very soon. It's my Atlanta grandma's recipe." She pauses before she asks, "Wait, your stuff /still/ hasn't arrived? You are more patient than I am. What do you do in the park by the way?" she asks at the end.

"Juuuuuuust kidding," Sammy sing-songs with a rueful laugh. He scrubs a hand through his hair idly, feeling a little silly for jumping to that conclusion. "You've been here forever longer than me, whoops. I haven't made it into Tales and Tails yet, it sounds really cool?" Oh snap, is he just realizing she has cat ears and a tail? (Yes.) "Those are fun," he says somewhat distractedly as his eyes bounce between the ears on the top of her head. His eyes then dart away when he remembers to be polite. "What are in Kitchen Sink cookies? Just like...everything? And I got most of my stuff, the bigger pieces...nope. Like bed frame and couch. Been sleeping on a mattress on the floor just like back in college." Sammy looks off towards the chairs again for a second. "I'm an apprentice apothecary at the occult store on the Boo'edwalk. So reading tea leaves and selling crystals and stuff."

Shirley smiles as she mentions, "Its pretty cool, all the drinks have punny animal names. I am working on perfecting a new one to showcase during pride month. Since its rainbow. I almost have it perfect." She does a little spin as she walks, "I like them a lot, I change them up sometime too, but cat is the default." She laughs softly as she catches him staring at her answers before she answers, "Think a chocolate chip cookie with pretzel pieces, chopped up caramels and sea salt added in. Super delicious. But I am biased." She mentions, "My bed is mostly on the floor but I move in my sleep is why and less lightly to bruise if the fall isn't as high." Her ears perk up as she repeats, "Apothecary? That's pretty cool. Does that go with your magic or just happens to be your job? I can actually heal people and can somewhat shapeshift like Mystique from X Men. One once a day and if I rest super well." She pauses before she asks him, "Do you ever hang out on the roof? Of the apartments I mean."

"What kinda stuff do you have to put in it to make it a rainbow?" Sammy asks, genuinely curious. Shirley's little spin has him grinning to himself as he looks away again, pretending to check out a seriously hideous throw pillow. "Okay I've never had one of those types of cookies but they sound SO good! Let me know when you're making them? I'm really good at taste testing." His brows lift when she mentions falling out of bed. "They make like bed railings for kids right? Would that help? Not that you don't have it covered, sounds like." Sammy makes an ehhhh sort of noise and shrugs. "I've always been into the occult. Worked in similar stores back in San Diego and Detroit. But, kinda, since I'm clairvoyant? I just...don't actually use magic unless someone asks first. Seems pretty nosy." He looks over at her then shakes his head. "Never been there. Is it where all cool kids hang?"

"So you need grenadine, pineapple juice, blue curaçao, sweet and sour mix, and vodka," Shirley answers easily enough about the shot pour in question. She easily offers, "What apartment are you in? I'll bring some by once they are done cooling." She blushes as she says, "I mean, they probably done but I would probably get bruises from the bars," she laughs softly. She then listens to him talk about the occult and responds, "Clairvoyant huh? Just how much are you able to learn with yours? And as for the roof, I just go up there to smoke. My roomie doesn't and I don't like my stuff smelling like it either anyway. I also make edibles too from time to time. Do you partake?" she asks at the end.

"Red...yellow...blue...green?" Sammy works out the colors in real time, eyes squinting up at the ceiling. "That sounds great. And delicious. And I'm in 601. You are the best stranger I've ever met I think? Save me from bean bag carnage and bringing me cookies." He smiles and laughs just a bit, then plops down on a tufted chair to test out its durability. "Oh whoops. Okay so none of those either." There's a little tilt of his head. "Um. Quite a bit but I need like...something that belongs to someone to see where they are. Or something from a location to see a location. I think they call it remote viewing too? It's not like...seeing the future or knowing about people's pasts or anything." A grin appears on his face at the last question. "I do partake! Mostly in the edible form or like, an easy pen with oil pre-loaded. I'm lazy with all that bowl packing stuff."

Shirley blushes as he calls her the best stranger, bashfully looking away as she utters, "Well, more red to orange to yellow to green to blue and then purple but that is only with me putting some grenadine into the very last shot glass. It is a shot pout color trick, it is why I have to perfect it. And as I said, I just did for you what I would want done for me and I like sharing yummy treats." She still has a bit of color in her cheeks as she looks back to him as he tests out another chair as he explains his powers. "Oh? Interesting. What kind of um, thing? Just curious." As he better explains she softly mentions, "So do they know when you are peeking at them when you do it? Or is it like super secret mystery squirrel?" She looks intrigued as she mentions, "I do make edibles sometimes. I already warned my roomie that they will be in the green ziplocs so they don't eat them by accident since they don't partake but, if you did ever wanna join me on the balcony, I don't mind packing my bowl or rolling something up. I actually prefer a burn buddy to be honest. It usually helps me sleep. Pretty sure if I smoke enough I can actually sleep peaceful and not try to yeet myself off my bed." She laughs softly as she makes a joke at her own expense.

"Oh yeah okay that...makes more sense," Sammy laughs as he looks away once he notices Shirley looking away bashfully as well. "I can't bake at all. But if there's anything I can help with ever just let me know." He spends a moment sitting, getting up, sitting, getting up, just overall making sure the stool can take wear and tear. "Like...any item that's important to someone? That would tether my vision to them? And no way would I spy in on anyone without asking first. I don't need those bad vibes in my life." He lets out a laugh, then shift over to test another stool. "I've only ever used it to find lost things like sunglasses or hats or whatever. When people ask." There's a shrug for that since it's not particularly cool or wild for a magical ability. "I'm down to be a burn buddy. Especially if it helps you sleep. I'll give you my number, feel free to text whenever you're on your way up?"

Shirley ahs softly, "Oh I better understand now. That is rather cool that you can help people find lost items and such. I can do minor healing stuff. I want to get better at it. I am hoping in time I will be able to improve it." She then remembers something, "Actually, you might be able to help me find one of my bags I misplaced last time I went out and did a little too much drinking. I have no idea where I set it down at all. We don't have to do it right now or anything but just, it came to me and I have to figure out what of mine to.. is it give or loan?" Her bright smile returns as she says, "Awesome, and it usually does. Most nights. I just have to make sure I smoke enough is all but my tolerance keeps getting worse. I swear." She opens up her little coffin backpack to get her smartphone out, unlocking it with her fingerprint and offering it over to Sammy to input his information in there as she says, "Here go ahead and save your stuff."

"That's wild, healing. Like you touch something and it gets better or how?" Sammy seems genuinely interested in it. His brows lift when it turns out that there's actually something she's looking for. "Oh shoot, for real? Yeah I can help you! Let me know when you're free and we'll take a peek. Loan. For sure. I just need to touch it. Maybe something that was in that bag once? Something connected to it?" He takes the phone and types his number into it, then hands it back over with a smile. "Here ya go. I only really partake casually. Like to hang out or whatever. Plus y'know like living where we work and all that. Can get complicated."

"So, I have used it before on paper cuts and minor scraps and they heal. I suppose it could also work on others things but I haven't had the chance to test it out, like alcohol poisoning. Thankfully. But I am sure one day I will find out. I can also switch out the ears to other animals or look like an entirely different person if I wanted to as well but I only switch up the ears and tail mostly when I am bored."

"And I just have to finish unpacking everything so maybe a few days? On the bag hunting. And I would image maybe my phone or well, perhaps my weed box. Only two things I know for a fact have been in the missing bag," she mentions. She takes the phone back and shoots him a text saying it is her before slipping her phone back into her coffin bag and zipping it shut. "So you are a social smoker, not habitual like me. And I don't mind about hanging out with coworkers. I just was a bit more shy until New Year's Eve was all and I dunno, I feel like me doing my hair like this helped me be a bit braver to talk to people. As silly as that is." She reaches up to rub on the back of her neck as she shares that little detail about her. She then look at him as she coyly asks him, "What um, what are you worrying could potentially get complicated Sammy?"

"Ohhhhhh. Wow yeah if you could heal something like alcohol poisoning you'd be like a medical marvel. Honestly? Kinda jealous. I think I'd swap my clairvoyance out for that." Sammy's eyes dart up to the cat ears again when she mentions them. "Illusions, right? That's awesome."

"Yeah that'll do it. I've found things off of like...a rubber band before so that should be enough." His phone buzzes in his pocket, which gets him standing again to fish it out and shoot a smiley face back at her. "Social, yeah. Social drinker too. And that's not silly, not to me, I guess. Whatever helps, helps? I sort of have this moody persona at work that goes with the whole mysterious occult shop thing, and sometimes other employees think that's just how I am and don't really approach me. So. I get it." The coy look gets a smirk in return, then he gestures around with a hand. "Oh, you know. Smoking or drinking and then getting called in on an emergency and not having enough time to sober up. Or running into my boss. The only separation here is a ferry ride, right? And I like my job."

"Right?!? And super handy as a bartender. And I um.. I can actually shapeshift but the ears and tail are permanent since New Year's Eve honestly. You can touch em if you don't believe me." She will see the smiley face later when she goes to text him, leaving it in her bag for now. "I am very much a social drinker." She pauses before she says, "I get that. I have resting bitch face so a lot of people don't always approach me. Part of why i did the make over, hoping it would help me not be so well, self conscious, even though it draws more attention. So backwards when you think about it really." She ahs softly and says, "Ah right, right. Totally get that but we know the rules. But that is why if I do party in the park, I mentioned I go as a different person. I mean quite literally. And I get that you like your job. I like my too. Why I have a different name on the clock. I am Tini when I am working. Ya know, like martini. Or a play on my shortness. I don't mind it though. I can always shapeshift to be taller for the day if I really wanted but I like being fun sized."

"Oh no, I believe you," Sammy laughs softly. "I've seen all sorts of things on people since New Year's. Tails. Ears. Wings. The only thing I got is my eyes go all black when I'm trying to see with my magic." There's a knowing look when she has a certain face. "That. Yeah, same. Except mine is like--" he lets the amiable expression slip away from his face to put on the Resting-Bored-To-Tears face. Almost like he's looking right through her. It holds for a few seconds, then he shrugs and smiles crookedly. "It works for the Boo'edwalk. But...it's positive attention, though. That's something, right? Plus the hair looks rad so I'm sure you get lots of compliments." He side steps the whole slew of stools to kick a booted foot at an ottoman leg. "Smart. I'd do that too if I could." Tini like martini gets a chuckle. "I like it. It's cute."

Shirley looks intrigued, "Oh? Really? That is kinda cool too honestly." As he shows off her resting-bored-to-tears face she giggles as shesays, "I mean, I would still approach you but I am a weirdo." She begins to twirls some of her colorful strands as he compliments it, making her lightly blush again. "I, I do yes. But it is still nice." She moves out of the way when he goes to the ottoman, giggling at his way of testing things. She looks curious as she asks, "You don't think they would let you do that Sammy? That sucks. I think mine is just because I work at a punny bar. All the drinks have punny animal names so a punny bartender name is I suppose something they let me get away with." She pauses before she asks, "So um, what do you do for fun besides almost getting devoured by beanbag in thrift stores?"

"Well then we're both weirdos because I can't see being scared of approaching you, even without the pink hair. Most of your height is in your boots." Yeah Sammy noticed. He smirks, then holds up his forefinger and thumb to delineate an itty bit. "I could fit you in my pocket." His way of testing things isn't anything close to scientific. It's more will this make it up the stairs. "I mean that mostly because I doubt I'd realize someone was talking to me if they called me anything other than my name. My brain might be wired wrong, I dunno." He gives the ottoman another kick before looking over at her again. "Séances." Sammy grins. It's hard to tell if he's being serious. "Long walks on the frigid beach. Brooding over a fire pit. Watching lots and lots of horror movies. What about you?"

Shirley giggles as she knows he is right, it is all in her boots and as he comment he could fit her in his pocket. "Oh, maybe? I dunno, maybe it is wired right? Though, as long as you enjoy being you, does the wiring really matter?" She looks curious at the mention of séances and shifts to intrigue as he lists off the rest, "Well, I do like spooky things, fire pits are cool as long as I have a stick and some mallows, I have always liked the beach, I am actually from Jacksonville beach, don't think I mentioned that? Either way, the lake shore is a little of a different feel but not in a bad way and then I like watching anime, horror and comedies. But not the rom com stuff, its too unrealistic and lame in my opinion. But I also love to cook and bake things, try and make new mixed drinks, smoke probably too much weed, ummm what else...."

"Probably not," Sammy agrees with a shrug. "I do enjoy it. I do like it. And if other people don't then there's nothing much I can do about that, right?" The jacket, the outfit, it's easy to infer that it can be a lot for people who don't subscribe to the Alt aesthetic. "You didn't mention that, no. I'd imagine so. It's cold as hell up here. Real different from Florida, for sure." He grins at her list, nodding along with each point though there's a squint at too much weed. "If you're functioning and stable, doubt it's too much. You're fine." As for what else, he's quick to add, "And you like shopping for couches, obviously."

Shirley nods as she says, "Exactly, and their loss in my opinion Sammy. A soft shrug accompanied by her smile comes after he mentions the temperature difference and she responds, "I like the seasons though. It is nice to not but stuck in constant heat wave." She smiles a bit fondly at him as he sticks up for her use and says, "I do function yeah, I actually function better with how often I smoke than if I skip a day honestly. And I do sometimes like shopping for couches, yes. I plan to bring my roomie here tomorrow since we have the day off together. Hopefully they will like it like I do."

"I appreciate that," Sammy says honestly. "And true, seasons rock. They help the year go by faster and honestly they're just nice." He's given up on testing out any more ottomans, instead peeking at the time on his phone and frowning slightly because of it. "You're using it medicinally it sounds like so yeah, don't go skipping doses. If anyone gets any hang-ups about it, they can go touch grass." He nods at the mention of her roomie. "I hope it works out. Or that you find a fabric to compromise on. I gotta head out. I have like ten more errands to run this afternoon and none of these chairs are speaking to me. You've got my number though," he grins. "So let me know when you've unpacked?"

Shirley smiles as he support her medicinal use of the weed but does notice the frown and looks mildly worried for a moment. She looks relieved as it isn't an emergency and just more errands. She smiles as she mentions, "I might hit you up before then, have to smoke after work tonight. Assuming you are up when I get off shift that is but I'll shoot you a text Sammy."

"That works too. Alright, then maybe later it is. We'll see if I'm up." Sammy offers her a smile and makes sure to give the bean bag monster a wide berth as he heads towards the door. "Have a good shift, Tini!" he calls out over his shoulder, then heads out onto the main street to see about grocery shopping.