ArchivedLogs:Five Hour Energy

Five Hour Energy
Dramatis Personae Kaylynn, Killian	2015-10-05 "I hope it's a bit better than those cough syrup wannabes."
Location <NYC> Au Petit Chocolatier - East Village
Au Petit Chocolatier makes the bottom floor of a rather out of place building in the bustle of New York City. Wooden frames painted a deep forest green line doors and windows that are set into the cobblestone structure. An awning stretches outward, made of a brown and white striped canvas with the shop's name scrawled in gold lettering upon it. It offers shade from whatever natural forces may threaten while also affording a view into the shop. Massive glass panes reach past human height to give customers a full glance of the interior. Shelves upon shelves are lined with pre-packaged chocolate, some in boxes others in bags and most with a small ribbon. Two refrigerated cases stand at the very front of the store, accompanied by a counter and cash register. These contain the day's freshest creations which emerge from the door just behind them. A quick peek inside the back room reveals a massive kitchen where the true 'magic' happens. It is the right corner of the shop, just past the register, that perhaps draws the eye. A wooden signboard hangs from the ceiling with the words "Homeopathic Chocolate" upon it and just beneath that is a smaller glass case. Small cards label these more special creations with tags such as 'Pain Relief' , 'Stamina Boost', and Motion Sickness Relief' among other things. The sun has long since dipped below the horizon, its disappearance bringing a chill to New York City. Store lights have begun to flick off, as have those of the many apartments that float among the black skies. Still, there are a few that have yet to turn in. Au Petit Chocolatier has yet to close it's doors, though it seems there are only a few minutes before closing. No more customers are wandering around looking at the shelves and the lights in the back kitchen have long since been turned off. Kaylynn still remains in the shop however. She's dressed rather plainly in black leggings and a light blue dress that's covered by a small apron. Powdered sugar stains the apron and there's a bit of chocolate on the woman's cheek she hasn't noticed. The chocolatier is currently settled on a stool scribbling into a notebook rather intensely. It's been a little while, at least a couple of months, since he'd received the Au Petit Chocolatier card. But it's not the young man that appears in the shop exactly. Someone enters the chocolate shop's door, though who- what- is hard to see unless one looks downwards. It's that border collie- that frisbee-stealing canine from the park from that time ago that pauses just beyond the doorway as if to make certain there's no one left within. Except her. Wet black nose sniffs at the ground then upwards for the scents of the products that laces the air so heavily. As if invited, the dog trots the rest of the way in, intense brown eyes surveying as it moves until it reaches its target point. It sits just in front of the counter, as if waiting patiently, the softest of "Ruff" muttered through mostly closed muzzle. Though surely this is no place for a canine treat. Kaylynn almost doesn't realize the door's been opened. It takes the door closing behind the border collie for her to tear her eyes away from the notebook...only to have brows wrinkle in confusion. She's not imagining things is she? The chocolatier's lips purse slightly before the ruff has her finally glancing downwards. "Oh! Hello there!" Wait...she's since this dog before. Hasn't she? It /looks/ like the same one at least. There's quite a bit of scrutinizing going on now and finally she decides to take a chance, "Fellow frisbee stealer?" Though if not she'll follow up with a, "I don't have any real dog treats though, sorry." Is that a hint of a smirk? Perhaps. Black furry ears pivot back and forth, perked primary at the chocolatier as if listening. Listening oh so carefully to each word. Its brown eyes watch her, curious, waiting. Expectant, maybe. And at her greeting, the white-tipped end of its tail switches back and forth in a brief, muted wagging of sorts. The recognition, the apology; one or both stirs the black and white furry beast to stand again from its patient sit. Well-behaved dog becomes less so as it jumps up, white paws placed on the edge of the counter to allow it easy standing on hind legs. Fur melts rapidly into skin; black only staying as hair on a man's head and the rugged scruff of his chin and brows. White paws lengthen into fingers, height stretching to human normality. Muzzle shortens, shrinking into the nose and clearly smirking grin of the same man she may- or may not- have expected. It's only moments that it takes for the change to occur, and Killian's left in the place of the ill-behaved canine, leaning on the counter on one hand, and shrugging a heavy leather jacket better into place with his other. "Plenty of human treats." He comments under that sly expression, "And not a single dog cookie?" It's true, Kaylynn stares at the transformation. She didn't get to see it last time after all. Her neck cranes, large brown eyes watching intently as the fur melts away and leaves that somewhat familiar face behind. "Mhm, so you came for a visit after all!" No, she didn't forget the shape shifter. It was a rather unique meeting in the end. "Well....I could extract some chicken bones from what's supposed to be dinner if you'd like to switch back." She meets his smirk with one of her own before settling back onto the stool she hadn't even realized she'd stood up from. "Do you prefer Beggin Strips or Milkbone? I'll by some special for you the next time I go to the store." Her voice is tinged with that soft southern lilt she was practically born with and there's a mischievous glint in her eyes as she speaks. "If you ask the dog," Killian straightens off the counter, stuffing his hands into pockets, "A sirloin would suffice." His blue eyes are narrowed, amused, though after studying Kaylynn and her reaction for the duration of the time he speaks, he turns his attention down to the items within the glass casings. "Beggin Strips have a weird smell." He adds offhandedly, his smirk dissolving into a crooked grin that lines the edges of his eyes curiously. "Milkbones," He tsks with a shake of his head, taking a step towards the homeopathic-labeled items that catches his eye, "Now that's the stuff. I don't know how they make that shit, but can't turn it down." The rambling seems all to humor the situation, but his attention eventually flicks back to her, "I thought it was high time to make good on that offer of visiting you." There's a wink with that as if it hadn't been simply involving a business card, "How've you been since we last spoke, sweetheart?" "My my, the dog's got a taste for the fancy stuff doesn't he?" A quiet laugh escapes Kaylynn's lips though it grows a bit louder as he critiques the various dog treats. "So if I waved it at the dog like a Scooby Snack would there be tricks?" She doesn't seem to expect an answer tough, the question more a joke than anything. There's a twirl of her dress as she hops off the stool and follows Killian over to the homeopathic labeled items. The case is not nearly as crowded as the main displays, but there are still quite a few items there. Some are for headaches, others for nausea. A few of the labels are more vague- faster healing or increased concentration. And well...there's even one labeled blood chocolate though there's a warning stating that said product is still in experimental stages. "I've just been pining away waiting for you to show up, hun. Naturally." Cue a roll of the eyes and a smirk, "Been alright though, you?" "Depends what sort of tricks." Killian's sarcasm grants in a fluid, easy return to that, his grin lingering in the light of her laughter. He draws a hand out from a pocket to scratch through the thin scruff of his chin in thought. "Naturally," He echoes, the same hand gesturing outwards in understanding, "It must have been so hard. I'm so sorry to prolong such a wait." He doesn't keep a straight face for it, his breathy chuckle underlying the tail end of that semi-apology. "Busier than expected." Is his answer to the more polite of the exchange, but all that he'd offer to that. "Keeping good business here?" A pause, and then he adds something with what could almost be interpreted as more of a serious tone, "My demands have increased," And immediately the seriousness is swept away as he smirks a little wider, and he tips his head with a slight shrug, "And not all in the most pleasurable of ways, I gotta admit. I was wondering if you'd have.. a fix for that." Though, his implications of one or both make it not the most appropriate of questions. "I'll let you use your imagination there." Kaylynn shoots a cricked grin in Killian's direction before she's lending against the case and putting a hand to her forehead. "You have no idea how much I suffered through these long days." But that bit of drama is followed by some normalcy. "It's been pretty good around here though, especially with Halloween right around the corner. I've got all sorts of orders for chocolate shaped like this, or colored like that, etcetera etcetera." There's a slight pause at his next works, eyebrows arching upwards before her lips twitch upwards in a quiet smirk. "That...I can probably fix. Something for stamina then?" The chocolatier's gaze slides towards the homeopathic cabinet again now and she leans over to take a good look at the bottom shelf. Seems like there are two she's attempting to decide between. Killian's brief chuckle takes the place of words to her reply, scratching the back of his head before stuffing his hand back into his pocket. "Ah." The exhale, a consideration, "Forgot all about the damn holiday. I guess all the big ones keep you a bit busy in that kitchen of yours." He seems to only be speaking his thoughts outloud with that, as he follows her gaze with his own to the cabinet. He doesn't bend, though, to examine it quite as thoroughly, watching her instead. "Aye," He pauses thoughtfully, and a lapse of silence comes before he decides to share more, "Having trouble with the amount of healing and changing lately. Can't get enough calories.. energy in me. Without clearing out a couple fridges and a few fastfood dumpsters before bed, that is." "You have to resort to dumpsters?" In lieu of the other points of conversation, it's this that catcher her attention. Brows furrow together and she straightens up. "So something to keep your energy up and...." She trails off before pursing her lips, "I've got something that could do the trick for now. It'll boost your stamina, but I don't have anything for the calories ready right this second. I could whip something up pretty easily though. Just depends on how soon you want it ready and how strong you need it to be." There's a thoughtful look now and her fingers tap absently at the glass case, "You said you like darker chocolate right? Or have I got my memories all mixed up again?" Oh yes, wheels are spinning in Kaylynn's heading. There's a curiously amused edge to his grin at her pointing out that part of his statement. "Do you know what people throw out? There's some good shit in there. You get the right nose, it's got more to eat than a neighborhood block worth'a pantries." That sounds like it's from experience. "Cell reconfiguration, regeneration-" Killian shrugs awkwardly more with one shoulder than the other, his heavy jacket rustling in the effort. His face scrunches as if the actual scientific words he has to dig for are annoying in some manner. "Is not difficult. But." He leans, tipping his head to the side as he reads through the little cards that denote each of the types she offers, "Wipes me out in certain.. ah...situations." Which apparently he's come across lately that have led him here tonight. Her question leads to a shake of his head, "Nah, none of that. Too much cocoa and you ain't gonna see that dog again." Is said more jokingly than it likely should be. "Yeah but you've got to dig through a lot of junk to get to the good stuff, don't you?" Kaylynn makes a bit of the face, though it's soon followed by a shrug. "But hey, you gotta do what you gotta do." And speaking of things to do, "Ah...let's go with milk chocolate then, or white chocolate." But still there's a purse of her lips. "So let's think about it like this...would you want one chocolate to give you the same amount as a week's worth of food would? Or two? No wonder you're burning through so much, hard enough to regenerate skin cells for a cut much less whatever you've got going on." One of the cards does have a label for increased energy and it's this one she tips her head to. "That one's pretty weak, it'll give you a bit more than the equivalent of a 5 hour energy thing." "Dog doesn't think so." Killian notes, apparently enjoying the face she makes on the concept of the trash. He rests his hip on one of the counters as she deliberates the options available, the possibilities that could be. Quiet while listening, eventually he finally looks away from her to the chocolate she points out, "A week is about right, I guess." It's not a very convincing statement, as it's fairly evident despite his arrogance this isn't a set fact that he knows how much he needs. "How much it cost to make that kinda thing?" The one available earns a tip of his head, "Those lil drink things? Taste terrible." Which is perhaps strange to say after all that talk of garbage being so tasty. "I hope it's a bit better than those cough syrup wannabes." "Oy oy oy, now hold up a second here! They'll give you the same amount of energy as those things, but the taste is /good/ you hear. I don't sell crappy chocolate!" There's a huffy little pout, but Kaylynn doesn't seem upset. No, now she just seems more determined than ever to get this right. As for how much it costs, "Maybe 5 dollars a piece, maybe less. I have to see how much they take out of me to make first, but it won't be more than that." Leaning over again now, she pulls out one of the energy chocolates and tosses it to him no warning. "Sample, try it." The chocolate in question is a small milk chocolate square with caramel drizzled on top and a sprinkle of gold dusting. Pretty...and theoretically tasty! Killian's grin widens crookedly at her reaction, blue gaze staring at her from under a few longer strands of his dark hair at an angle given how he's leaning against the counter. "Ah-" He starts, but the quick motion catches him slightly off-guard. His reflex to catch might be a tad slow given his hands are caught up in his pockets, but one hand is freed fast enough to snatch the incoming morsal from its aerial projection. He studies it in his palm, maybe admiring her handy work or lost in some other thought, "Not bad." Is the response first to the price, though he didn't seem really concerned by it to start with, but he adds, "How's it work?" Her power into the chocolate, he implies. He lifts the piece before expecting a reply, biting off half to test it. A swallow and lick of his lips later, he adds a dip of his head in a nod that seems approving, "Shit's not bad. Not as pretty as you, though." "I think about what I want the chocolate to do while I make it and it happens...then I get sick afterwards." Not that it seems to phase her much anymore. But then there's a sly little look, just a brief flash that says there's a bit more to her power than she's saying just yet. What soon replaces that expression are eyebrows raised expectantly as he tries the chocolate. The only hint of nervousness is a slight straightening of her back as she waits for the verdict, and when it comes she meets it with a laugh. Her head is thrown back, the brown locks tied back in a ponytail shaking slightly with the motion. "You /do/ have a silver tongue, don't you? Careful lest my poor little heart explode." And for this last bit her southern lilt morphs into an over exaggerated drawl. "Sounds too unpleasant for such a sweet sweetsmaker." Killian notes with an all-too-serious face before eating the rest of the sample. He rubs his hands together when finished and stands up from the leaning, "If you got more a'that, I'll take a few for the mean time. If ya can't make denser stuff, you let me know. I'll just stock up on whatcha got." Anything would help, it seems, though he's too bold to sound actually desperate. He tilts his head at what he takes as a full-fledged compliment, "As silver as you'd like it, love." And he fishes a slim wallet from his jeans, though pauses with it in his palm. There's no evidence of cards within, to astute observation, just layers of crips bills in the folds. "I'll pick up whatever piece of that heart you drop, don't ya worry." "All in a day's work hun, we all have to make a living somehow. My prince isn't so bad compared to others." Kaylynn pulls out the tray of energy chocolate before twirling around to retrieve a small box and ribbon. She's neatly packaging 3 of them but not silently, "If, and I mean /if/ you run into an energy emergency for lack of better words, drop by though. I can help." And there, a glance upwards and expression of complete seriousness. A moment later the look disappears and she's laughing softly. "Be gentle with those pieces hun, they might look worn out but they're still sharp." And oh she does notice the layers of bills, but it doesn't seem to phase her. "That comes to a grand total of 3 dollars by the way." Killian glances over his shoulder at the doorway as she works on packaging as if expecting someone, or just checking. "Yea, suppose so." Offhanded reply to her first shared thought. Eventually, he looks back after she's finished with the ribbon and all. "You probably won't want to see me if that situation comes up." Killian's grin faulters with that, a returned edge of seriousness to her offer, though it doesn't entirely vanish given some degree of effort. He thumbs through the somewhat meager collection he has, pulling out the requested bills. "Worth more than gold if this works, promise ya that." It's not hard to count to three, really, and he hands over the payment in turn. "When should I check in on ya again?" For the other offer, that is, though of course he wouldn't phrase it that way. "Unless ending up like that gives you the urge to rip my throat out I'm sure it's fine. Course even if my neck's on the line I can handle myself." It's just a brief flash of those brown eyes that tells of something darker. "Just glad this stuff can help. Though I guess you've yet to test it out." She takes the payment and pops it into the cash register before grinning faintly, "Gimme 3 days or so, I should have all the kinks worked out by then." "I bet you can, love." Though it's not without a curious look that he says that, and it's certainly not condescending but rather somewhat challenging as he makes no promises that her neck wouldn't be. "Kinks." He parrots, hesitantly amused, with a raise of his brow, "You turn my fur purple and I may have to take back some of my compliments." Killian takes the box, tipping with his hand as if in a playful sort of salute to the chocolatier. "Appreciate." Takes the place of a more legit farewell. It may be odd for the typical person, but the man puts the ribbon in his mouth as he grins, and in the same moment he begins to shrink all over again. The same black and white fur sprouting in the same patterns, blue eyes darkening to bright browns, nose elongating. Bones shift and change, his form falling to all fours, though make no crackling or crepitation-type noises. It's pleasantly quiet. And once it's a dog in the middle of Kaylynn's shop again, it shakes from shoulders to tail, not to upset the box, though the tied ribbon is conveniently hooked around a canine. "I'd never turn your fur purple. I did have a rather nice chartreuse in mind though." Kaylynn smirks a bit, replying to the salute with a small tip of an invisible hat. She'll watch as he transforms back into a dog, still somewhat fascinated by it all, and then she's waving. "See you around then, try not to eat anything that makes you sick!" The border collie glances back, the box swinging from its mouth that's open in a doggish smile with tongue lolling. It's too-human like that it manages to get the door open without hands, but as soon as it's open just enough, black and white canine vanishes through the opening and into the dark streets beyond.