Sugar and spice [Melissa]

[peter marcus hill]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=style, background: #F6EFF0; padding: 4px; width: 400px; height: 300px;] notes go here. Stood in the kitchen of his bakery with what seemed to be ten different things happening at once, Peter glanced at the clock on the wall. It was seven in the morning and he'd been up since four baking, keeping himself awake with coffee and the occasional sugary treat. He was mostly used to it now, getting up at ridiculous times in the morning to start baking was how he preferred to work. It was easier this way, it meant he had a head start and then wouldn't have to do as much baking through out the day. Not that he would mind that but customers tended to get impatient when they had to wait too long and an impatient customer normally left unhappy which was something he preferred to avoid. Placing the doughnuts he'd been shaping into the oven and setting the timer, he washed his hands quickly before turning to the cupcakes which had been cooling on the side and began to decorate them, using different coloured icing to make intricate designs. He was concentrating completely on not messing up the designs and hardly paying attention to what was happening around him which is why, when the timer went off forty minutes later, he jumped, causing him to flinch and ruin the icing on one of the cupcakes. "Damn it," he sighed, placing the icing tube down on the counter and walking over to the oven, opening it and taking out the doughnuts, placing them on the side to cool a little. "Well, can't sell this," he decided, taking the now ruined cupcake aside for him to eat later. There was nothing technically wrong with it but the icing looked weird now and the patter was ruined, he couldn't sell that next to all the others which looked perfectly fine. Moving everything that had been baked into the main area of the shop, Peter placed them into their designated places before putting the trays back into the kitchen to be cleaned and reused. Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, Peter unlocked the bakery door and flipped the sign from closed to open. This could easily be classed as his favourite part of owning a bakery, meeting the customers. Occasionally he would get the rude customer but he didn't mind them so much, it gave him a chance to prove to his sister that yes, he could cope with them and not lose his temper, something she'd told him time and time again he'd never manage. Moving so he was behind the counter, Peter prepared himself for what he hoped was going to be a busy day of baking and selling.

[melissaclark]

[/style]

[atrb=valign, top, true][atrb=cellpadding, 5, true][atrb=valign, top][atrb=cellspacing, 0, true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=border, 0, true] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px;][/style] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -7px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px][/style] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -7px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px][/style]

[atrb=style, text-align: justify; background: #191919; color: #787883; padding: 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px;][style=height: 302px; overflow: auto; padding: 4PX;]Melissa, though not a huge fan of mornings, had developed a habit of waking up early. Work didn't usually need her until about mid-day, and she would work through until six in the evening, so there was very little need for her to get up so early. But she found that as soon as she was out of her bed, she wanted to be out of the door. Honey Tree Town was a quaint and at the same time beautiful little place that was asking the world to explore it. Melissa wasn't sure why she had chosen to move to Honey Tree Town. It was such a nice place that she didn't need a reason, though. Which made a walk in the morning a pleasant encounter. Finding that she didn't have anywhere to go and that her friends likely wouldn't be awake yet, she thought that a good idea would be to hit the shops. Perhaps she could get the groceries done before there were long lines at the shops. Maybe she could even find something interesting to take home. She had always had a habit of finding things she wanted in a shop and never being to get them in time before they were sold out. The light footfalls of the Water Sprite sounded as she walked along the street. It must have been around seven in the morning, and people were going to work and other people were going to school. She could tell from the uniforms. Melissa remembered her days at school, anxiously waiting for friend so she didn't look lonely. Nervously hating that she had to talk in front of people. Furiously hating the uniforms and the strict rules she had been given to follow. She shook her head, passing by some students and turning a corner. A bakery stood before her, along with some pottery shops and antique shops. She would have loved to stop in at all of those shops, but a growl of her stomach reminded her that she had forgotten to have breakfast that morning. Perhaps she'd stop in at the other shops later, but for now she was going to get something to eat. Stepping through the door to the shop, noting that the shop was actually open before making her way inside, she stepped right up to the counter. Melissa leaned against the glass, crossing her arms in front of her. Any bracelets and charms on her person tinkled against the transparent barrier. She smiled a friendly, though equally tight smile. "Hi! Do you have anything that would be nice for breakfast?" Melissa asked, aiming her question at the man with dark hair. She had spotted him not too far away and was watching him from the customer's side of the shop. [/style]

[peter marcus hill]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=style, background: #F6EFF0; padding: 4px; width: 400px; height: 300px;] notes go here. Unable to sit and do nothing, Peter kept himself busy by rolling out cookie dough that he'd prepared earlier and cutting it into shapes to bake later. Currently the shapes were musical notes, something he had no cookie cutters for and instead was having to carefully cut around a template he'd made a little while ago. The cookie dough had orange zest in and were pretty simple to make which is why he often had so many of them for sale at a time. Baking cookies was incredibly easy compared to some of the other things he did. The only hard part was cutting around the template, trying to make the shapes as identical as possible. Sometimes he wished he did use a cookie cutter, knowing that all the cookies would look the same and he'd feel less annoyed with them but at the same time he preferred to cut them out this way. Cookie cutters made him feel like he was taking the easy way out and Peter enjoyed putting hard work into what he did. When he heard the door open, he placed the knife down and looked over his shoulder to who had entered the shop. "Hello," he said in greeting, turning around and smiling in the customers direction. She was asking him about something for breakfast and he moved away from where he'd been cutting the cookies, a worktop attached to the wall behind the counter, to show her what there was. "Right, urm, breakfast. I'm sure I can find you something." Peter had gotten somewhat used to talking to strangers now, he'd not always been good at it but since owning the bakery it had certainly gotten easier for him. Occasionally he'd find himself stuttering slightly or rambling on but not half as much as he used to. "I have some raspberry or lemon croissants?" Peter said, gesturing to where the pastries were. "Or maybe a cinnamon bun?" Personally Peter had always loved the croissants for breakfast and was always quick to recommend them to others. Looking over the contents of the counter he paused for a moment before offering the girl a smile. "I suppose it all depends on what you like. I'd eat pretty much anything for breakfast so I may not be the best person to ask," Peter said with a laugh, tapping his fingers against the side of the counter as he though. Having eaten everything from cupcakes to apple strudels to éclairs for breakfast, as far as he was concerned they'd all be fine but he was also aware that a lot of people would never dream of eating something so sweet this early. It was all a matter of personal taste.

[melissaclark]

[/style]

[atrb=valign, top, true][atrb=cellpadding, 5, true][atrb=valign, top][atrb=cellspacing, 0, true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=border, 0, true] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px;][/style] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -7px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px][/style] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -7px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px][/style]

[atrb=style, text-align: justify; background: #191919; color: #787883; padding: 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px;][style=height: 302px; overflow: auto; padding: 4PX;]Melissa's smile grew at the quick reaction from the man behind the shop. She was, perhaps meanly, surprised that someone had turned to aid her so quickly. Still, she supposed there really wasn't anyone around, so there wasn't anyone else for the dark haired man to be occupied with. Not that she could see, anyway. She didn't say anything until he was done talking, but her smile remained on her face all the time. She continued to lean on the glass, lightly though. The last thing she needed was to be tumbling forward and covering herself, and his delicious looking confectionary in herself and glass. Still, it must have been fairly sturdy regardless. Deciding to stop thinking about what it was about the glass that made it so sturdy, she smiled at the man behind the counter and considering what it was that he had said. Melissa's lips puckered in a few moments of thought as she contemplated what it was that she thought she would enjoy most. "You know, I've always been a stickler for stuff I had as a kid, like yum yums..." Melissa started, always one to slowly make her way towards the point she was making. "But I couldn't say no to a lemon croissant." She finished, stepping back away from the glass to reach into her pocket for her purse. She held it between her fingers, waiting to be told how much it was going to come to. The employee of the shop continued to talk and Melissa looked up from the treats on display and back to him as his voice sounded in her ears. She tilted her head and smiled a little. He had quite a nice voice, she found. Perhaps that was something he had learned for the sake of his job. She knew that the people in her shop tended to talk a little more quietly, to ensure a quiet atmosphere for the bookshop. "I feel the same way. I usually don't mind what I eat for breakfast, but there's nothing wrong with treating yourself. Do you often get busy in the mornings?" Asked Melissa. She wasn't on her way anywhere, so she supposed she wasn't in a hurry to get somewhere on time, like a lot of commuters.[/style]

[peter marcus hill]

[atrb=border, 0, true][atrb=style, background: #F6EFF0; padding: 4px; width: 400px; height: 300px;] sorry for the late reply!<3 Peter noticed the girl seemed to smile a lot, something he wasn't used to seeing this early in the morning. Usually people were half asleep and incredibly grumpy, talking in short sentences and barely managing to not fall asleep on the counter. Not to say that he minded that, he knew not everyone was a morning person and it would be mean of him to be rude about his customers. Still, the general cheeriness of the girl was a relief and something Peter definitely appreciated. He waited patiently for the girl to choose what it was she wanted, shifting slightly from foot to foot. Peter was just no good at standing still, even for a few seconds, sometimes it was a surprise that he managed to fall asleep at all any more. "I used to love yum yums when I was little," Peter said conversationally, grinning at the memory as he bent down to pick up a small brown bag from under the counter. "My mum used to get them fresh from the bakers for my birthday." It had been a sort of tradition for his family that the person, on their birthday, would be bought a food that was their most favourite to eat for breakfast. His had been yum yums and then eventually changed into cherry bake-wells. His sister, Charlotte, had usually chosen doughnuts and both his parents went for cinnamon pretzels. Now, of course, he was always the one who they ordered these off of. Not that he minded but it felt different, not buying them from someone else, and Peter couldn't help but feel it sort of ruined the tradition they had. He felt like his thoughts had strayed from the task at hand and shook his head, opening up the bag with a smile and using some mental tongs to retrieve a lemon croissant from it's place beneath the glass. "A lemon croissant it is then. That'll be £2.20 please," he smiled, handing the bag with the croissant over to her. Peter liked to think his prices were reasonable although some days he wasn't too sure. It took a lot of work to bake the foods though and he hadn't yet had a complaint so he supposed he was doing okay. "Sometimes it can be. Fridays are usually the busiest mornings. I suppose it's because it's nearly the weekend and everyone feels they deserve a treat for surviving the week." That's the way Peter saw it, anyway. Most other days the mornings were pretty quiet except around holidays like Christmas or Easter. He enjoyed it when the store was busy though even if it meant he had to bake more so as not to run out too quickly. "It's quite early, are you on your way to work or just a morning person?" He asked with a smile, wondering if it was possibly a bit too personal. She didn't seem in a rush to get anywhere and had stared the conversation causing him to feel like he should do his best to carry it on. That was okay with him though, as long as he didn't get to distracted and ignore the fact he was probably in the middle of baking something. It had happened a lot before but he was slowly getting better at remembering. He wasn't brilliant but even a small improvement was better than nothing.

[melissaclark]

[/style]

[atrb=valign, top, true][atrb=cellpadding, 5, true][atrb=valign, top][atrb=cellspacing, 0, true][atrb=width, 400, true][atrb=border, 0, true] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px;][/style] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -7px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px][/style] [style=border: 7px solid #191919; width: 80px; height: 80px; margin-top: -7px; -moz-border-radius: 5px 5px 5px 5px][/style]

[atrb=style, text-align: justify; background: #191919; color: #787883; padding: 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 0px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 10px 10px 10px;][style=height: 302px; overflow: auto; padding: 4PX;]Melissa's smile remained bright, even when the man across the counter chatted with her. She was beginning to grow accustomed to, and fond of, the customer service in this town. She had been to one bar lately, that had a particularly friendly barmaid. She was chatty and Melissa thought she had made a friend that night. It was one of her first times in a bar. She wasn't the type to frequent that scene, but she was glad that she had given it a go after a long week of working. Melissa ran her fingers across the glass, careful to wipe away any smears afterwards as the friendly shop employee talked with her about yum yums. "Really? That's so nice. My dad used to get them for me every Friday afternoon. I got two if I was a hard working girl at school." Laughed Melissa. She found it a little bit unusual for her to be opening p and talkign about her family life so quicly to a complete stranger, but to be fair he had done so first. Surely it wasn't that much of a big deal. So, with that thought it mind she brushed it off and watched the man quietly. He seemed like quite a fidget, and that made her smile. She could sympathise, she found it hard to stop fidgeting and wiggling around in her seat, or at work. Anywhere, now that she was thinking about it. Smiling at the man in a quiet and perhaps reserved tone, Melissa slid her hands from her the counter, and into her pocket. She took the coins that he had asked for, a two pound coin and a single twenty pence piece and placed them on the counter top. She made sure they were both balanced on their sides before moving her fingers away from them. She was the type of girl that liked to see things organised or in a certain place before she was done with them. Once she realised what it was that she had been doing, she smiled sheepishly, and took the brown paper bag. "I suppose that's very true. I can't really say the same for me, or where I work, but I know what you mean." Melissa's head bobbed as if she had suddenly just come to an understanding. Soon she was smiling again though, and the smell of lemon coming from the croissant was incredibly tempting. Once she was sure she had left the money on the counter, she opened the bag and took out the croissant, deciding to nibble at it while she was still in the shop. "Do you mind if I eat in here?" She asked, suddenly wary about his policies. She didn't take another bite until she had his answer, but soon he was asking a question of his own. "Neither. I find myself wandering around a lot, and I like to go for walks." Melissa admitted. Another roll of her shoulders followed, and soon the smile was back on her face. She cocked her head a little and cleared her throat.[/style]