Ashley had finished up on her research for her assignment early, however the afternoon sun shining had ended up proving too big a lure for the blue-haired woman and so instead of heading left along the route that would eventually take her to her student dorm, she had turned right instead and headed further into the city.
At some point she had ended up at a mall, although she had no real destination in mind and thus had ended up more window shopping than anything else.
Well that is until she had spotted the small little café tucked away into a corner.
The outside had looked pretty cute and as she drifted closer, Ashley noticed that they seemed to sell cake.
It had been enough to decided her as she walked over to the shop door and pushed it open decisively because cake and a coffee was sounding really good right now - well that and the fact that Ashley had always had a weakness for dessert.
xGhouliboo
I know I asked if you could do the start but I have been working on a few starts and so I went wrote up a quick one for us too :3 Let me know if I need to tweak or change anything 3nodding
Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2016 7:00 pm
The day had been blessedly slow at The Sugar Cube, which suited Priscilla Stratford just fine. Ever since Danny, the normal barista, was admitted to the hospital, she'd been forced to add drink-maker to her resume alongside her regular duties of pastry serving and register control.
She hadn't had the faintest idea on the proper way of making lattes or cappuccinos - the normal barista had attempted to explain it several times, but she'd remained blissfully ignorant of the lesson being taught to her. So now, left alone with the front of the cafe, she was forced to jumble her way through.
It made it a lot easier, though, to just tell the customers they were out of coffee. What the boss didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?
So instead, her focus remained on the pastry display, organizing and rearranging the cakes and brownies and everything in the cutest way possible. It was her third rearrangement for the day - but hey - at least it kept her busy, right?
litian
I am SO, so sorry! I think I must have missed your notification when I was trying to sell off a handful of things in the marketplace and kept getting spam notices from it. Thank you so much for starting, she is such a cutie <3
As Ashley stepped inside, she noticed that the inside of the shop was quiet, with the only other occupant appearing to be a pink-haired shop server setting out cakes and brownies in one of the display cases.
No make that more arranging the cakes and brownies, although either way it didn't seem as if the other woman had noticed her.
She waited for a few moments as the woman continued to busy herself with the cakes and brownies as her grey eyes took in the desserts on display.
And then she finally called out pointedly after it looked like the other wasn't going to bother to look up anytime soon "Excuse me."
Ghouliboo
no problems :3
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:33 am
She was so focused on the arranging that she hadn't heard the door open. The store could have been robbed and Prissy would have been oblivious, too caught up with humming to the soft melody playing over the speakers overhead while gloved hands gingerly picked up the next brownie, lining it up into a perfect heart-shaped pattern.
"Excuse me."
Her head jerked up suddenly, caught off guard and surprised by the lithe voice that had addressed her. Cheeks flushed pink, matching her hair and eyes as she glanced towards the newest customer.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," She started, peeling off her gloves as she made her way down the counter and towards the small opening. Palms were wiped off on her apron before she leaned over and snatched up a small version of the cafe's menu, pink flats making their way towards the blue haired customer.
"Welcome to The Sugar Cube - I'm Prissy." A finger moved up to tap her small name badge, as if she wanted to emphasize it, her other hand extending out to hand the girl the menu, "Have you ever been here before? Is there anything I can get you?"
Ashley had thought that the shop server had been ignoring her on purpose, however the way that her head jerked up at the sound and the surprise on the pink-haired woman's face kind of suggested otherwise.
Perhaps she had just been caught up with her arranging Ashley decided as the other woman slipped off her gloves and picked up a small menu, before making her way to where she was standing.
"It's no problem Prissy" she said as she reached out to take the offered menu. "And no I've not been here before."
Her eyes skimmed the menu for a few moments, although she was finding hard to really choose from all the options available "Is there any cakes that you'd recommend? Because I'll take that and a brownie I think to have in," adding as she realised that she'd forgotten to mention coffee "Oh and a latte too please."
Ghouliboo
Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2016 5:43 am
A feeling of relief washed over her as she heard the girl ask for sweets. Excitement, even, began to bubble when the girl asked her for her opinion. Prissy had made sure to try all of the cakes - mostly for her own sweet tooth's pleasure than to have for reference, of course.
"We have some fresh biskies that the baker just brought out - they're sort of a mix between cookie and cake? He's been on a British kick, lately. The raspberry flavor is probably my favorite, though." Her hand leaned over, a single pink fingernail sliding itself down the menu that the girl held, pointing out the option. "Though we have petit fours if you're into actual cake and they're still small enough that you don't have to really worry about the calories."
It was a blessed wonder how Prissy herself hadn't gained a tremendous amount of weight, judging by her own caloric consumption.
But when the other girl requested the latte, the older girl winced. Her eyebrows rose and she took a few steps back towards the countertop, ready to begin at least getting the pastries ready.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am, I hate to say it but our coffee shipment is...overdue, it's not supposed to arrive until later this afternoon."
Was it a plausible excuse? Prissy had no idea. The bottles of syrups and creams still lined the countertops, but at least the fragrant smell of coffee no longer wafted in the air - mostly because Prissy had yet to actually make a cup, that day. "I can offer you some milk, maybe? Or tea, soft drink...we have many other options."
Behind the counter, she pulled out a small dish, happy little square sugar cube patterns dotted around the rim. This was soon followed by a brownie, but the tongs lingered in the display case as she gave a thoughtful pause. "I would be happy to offer you a free cookie or two, for the inconvenience?"
Surely that would be a tempting consolation, right?
For a moment Ashley gave the shop server a startled look, not sure that she had heard the other woman quite right.
Biskies? As in real biskies?!
Because so far she hadn't found anywhere else that did the treat that she had first stumbled on during a trip to a food market over by Sloane Square. Ironically she had actually been there to try out some cupcakes, however after coming across the biscuit-cookie-cake creations she had very quickly become a fan.
That there was no coffee was kind of a disappointment, however it was hardly the shop server's fault and Ashley was feeling too excited about the fact that potentially being the chance of getting biskies without having to wait for a trip home to feel that unhappy "I'll go for tea then" she said. "An Earl Grey please if you have any with some semi-skimmed milk on the side and I also definitely want to try out a biskie to go with the brownie I mentioned before."
Ghouliboo
Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2016 9:19 am
Pleased with the response, Prissy maneuvered the tongs and scooped up not one but two of the interesting little biskie creations and settled them alongside the chewy chocolate brownie already nestled on the ceramic.
Tea...tea, she could manage. "Yes ma'am, of course."
She delivered the sweets to the girl's table posthaste, adding a napkin and silver utensils to accompany the cute decorated plate. Next: beverage.
Slipping back behind the counter, she took in a deep breath and focused. Tea. Earl Grey. Skim milk. Or was it semi-skimmed milk? No, it was semi...she was sure. Sort of sure.
Closing her eyes, she shook her head. She could do this.
It took several minutes for her to figure out the basics, but soon the specific tea was located, as was the accessories she needed to make it. Thankfully, the large coffee machines were in the way, obscuring the sight of the waitress struggling to make a simple cup of tea.
Soon enough, though, she was whisking her way around the counter, a small tea cup and saucer in one hand, a small cup of semi-skim milk in the other. The two cups were placed gently above the sweets' plate, the pinkette holding her breath as she settled them, the tea gently swaying with the movement.
Stepping back, she nodded her head. She was feeling quite proud of her tea accomplishment - it was definitely more difficult than simple soda pouring.
Ashley had only asked for one biskie and so the addition of a second biskie had been a bit of a surprise.
However it was by no means an unpleasant one - particularly as it certainly looked like the real deal and more importantly it also tasted like the real deal.
Oh there were differences to the ones that she had fallen in love with back home in London - for a start these ones were bigger and lacked the hint of vanilla - however it didn't mean that it was any less delicious.
In fact it was so much so that she had already polished off one of the biskies by the time that the shop server finally came over with the tea.
It was a delay that was mentally noted and something that Ashley would normally have been a little annoyed at, however she was, she decided in a decisively good mood.
"Your biskie is lovely" she commented with a small smile as she reached for the tea and added in some of the milk. "This place is the first place that I've found them in since coming over here and so I'm glad that I dropped by."
Although Ashley was a little less glad after she took a sip of tea and realised that it was somewhat on the cold side, because cold tea was well - not great.
Ghouliboo
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 3:16 pm
"That's wonderful to hear," She replied coolly, watching for the girl's reaction to her attempt at making tea. "Our main barista, Daniel, is out on sick leave, at the moment, but perhaps the next time you visit us he'll be around to make you a proper latte?"
She made herself look busy, after that, cleaning the counter and doing other small tasks to give the appearance of productivity. In truth, she just wanted to be active in the customers' presence - as soon as the girl left, she would return back to her lingering and loitering.
"So are you from around here, miss?" Her cleaning rag took another swipe, one hand moving out to lift one of the display pieces so she could wipe beneath.
Might as well make some conversation while she worked, right?
Whilst Ashley had noticed the shift in tone - truth be told it would have been hard to miss - she had no idea what had caused the coolness.
Nor did she know what had brought about the other's comment about the barista.
"I'm sorry to hear that" Ashley wasn't particularly because she didn't even know the aforementioned barista, however she could do polite. "I hope he recovers soon"
Reaching for the tea cup she took another sip of the tea before gently setting the tea cup down as she decided that she wasn't going to be drinking any more of it.
It really was a lovely tea cup though.
Best to stick to the desserts she decided as she popped a piece of the brownie in her mouth and chewed and tasted the richness of the chocolate on her tongue, grey eyes flicking up and towards Prissy at the sound of the shop server's voice.
"Oh no I'm from the UK" she admitted with a shake of her head before eating another piece of the brownie because it really was delicious. "I'm out here to study."
Ghouliboo
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:05 pm
"The UK?"
What on Earth could have brought this lovely girl to study in this city?
Her rag paused in its cleaning, rose eyes blinking in genuine surprise. She herself hadn't had a choice in the matter of moving to Destiny City. Had she been given an opportunity to choose, practically anything sounded better than a city overrun with crime and utter dullness on the shopping front.
"Oh I would love to visit London - to see Mayfair and Oxford Street - all those shops and hotels!"
It was a daydream for now - the only way she'd be able to hitch a ride across the "pond" would be if her father had business in Europe and from the sounds of things of late, his focus was more towards the West Coast. "Do you have any favorite spots over there? What sort of thing would bring you here to Destiny City?"
Cleaning had been forgotten, her focus now on the curious customer.
"Oxford Street is lovely" Ashley agreed, "Although not so great for dessert. Although Carnaby is fairly nearby and they have some interesting little cake shops tucked away around there."
She looked thoughtful "And over by the Kings Road is delightful. There's a lovely little Saturday food market there" It was one of her favourites - it's place there cemented due to the fact that it was where she had first discovered the delight that was called Biskie.
"They have some nice boutique shops there too." Because whilst Ashley tended to head over that way primarily for the food market, it hadn't prevented her from noticing the other shops around.
She reached out to take some more of the brownie and realised that there was pretty much one final piece left, popping it into her mouth and chewing before answering Prissy's question about why Destiny City.
"I didn't want to study in the UK. I wanted to go somewhere new - the States seems fun and Sovereign Heights has a really good reputation overseas."
There was more to it than that of course such as the fact that Ashley had wanted to go somewhere where she was not the middle Williams daughter, but that wasn't something that she had any intention of sharing.
Ghouliboo
Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2016 8:34 am
"Sovereign Heights?" She'd heard of the name, but being out of school herself, Prissy had little interest or knowledge in the current schools available to the Destiny City population. "That makes sense then, I guess."
The rag was put away, Prissy eyeing the empty plate on the girl's table. She stopped to rinse her hands in the sink, moving to dry them as she chuckled, a realization suddenly hitting her.
"You know, it's funny - people like me, from the States, we look to go to schools out where you live." Tossing the paper towel in the trash, she turned towards the young lady, slowly making her way to the table. "I never gave much thought until now that people where you live would look to America for a foreign school option. Switzerland and the like just seems more... majestic, different. I guess some of the States can have that affect on Europeans?"
The empty dish was picked up, Prissy taking mental note of the still-pretty-full-looking tea cup. "Can I...offer you a glass of water instead? Or skim milk?"
Ashley smiled at Prissy's comment "I guess it's the whole grass being greener thing" she admitted as she moved to take a piece from the remaining biskie. "Although I haven't regretted picking the States."
Because for a start Ashley doubted that she would have found biskies in Switzerland.
Biskies aside however, there was also the fact that Europe was a little too close to the UK for her tastes - and besides her in the States had been enjoyable so far.
Ashley finished off her biskie as she considered Prissy's question, before reluctantly shaking her head. "Tempting as it is, I should probably be making a move" she admitted "But I would love another couple of your biskies to take away with me - at least that is if there are any left?" She made it a question, her voice hopeful.
