15382/Get In Loser, We're Going Shopping

Get In Loser, We're Going Shopping
Date of Scene:	14 July 2023
Location:	Candle, Booke and Belle
Synopsis:	Tommy visits Nettie at her shop for some birthday gifts. Instead he leaves with ideas.
Cast of Characters:	Tommy Shepherd, Nettie Crowe

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Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    Tommy doesn't do days off because his sense of time is skewed by his mutant metabolism, so it's more like he's taking an off... undetermined period of time. Who knows how long it'll last. Maybe just until his funds dry up and he decides he needs to hit the grind again.

    The point being, he's here. Not working. Instead he's shopping, casually browsing through the jewelry with his hands in the pockets of an oversized color-block hoodie, a pair of biker shorts showing underneath. He briefly lifts up a necklace with a moon phase symbol dangling from it, before he returns it to its place.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    The tea bar was briefly unguarded while Tommy made his entrance, but coming out from the back, Nettie pauses a moment at the figure in the hoodie, her lips curling into a moue and then she stretches one arm, rolling her shoulder.

    "Shoppin' for yourself, or for one of your girls, Tommy?" she questions in an amused tone as she goes to assume her perch on the tall stool behind the tea counter, pulling out an aged wooden box from underneath, and layingout a linen cloth covered with arcane symbols.

Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    Tommy had noticed the lack of Nettie, and he knew she probably would be along shortly. Well, shortly in normal people time, unless she's got some super-speed capabilities he doesn't know about. Could be possible. He knows just enough about magic to have no expectations, his brother's taught him that much.

    "Birthdays coming up," he explains, more or less, before he straightens up from his low-down peering at the jewelry stand. His hands come out from his pocket to lift up the cap on his head (Buffalo Bisons, a more local team than his usual) so that he can run fingers through his hair. The hat gets replaced, backwards this time, and then he saunters over to the tea counter, casual-as-you-please, his eyes scanning the setup Nettie is working on. "I've always wondered, is there some sort of... ritual component to this? The tea-making, and all of it?" he asks.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    She had come out in a normal moment, and she gives a small smile.

    "If you want actual magical jewelry, I keep a small stock of minor enchantments on chains and the like, just not out for the normal people to have at. Most people don't handle any sort of power very well." she states. There is a distinct lack of birds around her today, no pirate jollies about Fast Tom.

    She does, however, produce a brown paper bag with TOMMY S on it.

    "To the tea making? Depends on the tea. There are different rituals around the world. Mostly?" she motions to her apothecary shelves full of tea and brewable herbs. "I hope for a good pot, clean water, and happiness with the cup."

Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    "Not sure if I need magical jewelry... just nice jewelry," Tommy answers, shrugging one shoulder. "Or nice things, in general. I don't know. I'm terrible at this because it's all just... stuff, you know? Most of what I own, I could just leave it. Plants, knicknacks, things people have given me, it's all just stuff."

    A pause, which at Tommy's speed of talking just seems like he's taking a second or two to breathe. "Not that I'm ungrateful, but I don't know. I didn't grow up with much so I don't care about any of it."

    He shoves both hands back into his pockets. "I don't know why I'm sharing all of this." He looks vaguely embarrassed, pale eyebrows drawn together and corners of his mouth turned downwards. Especially when the bag with his name on it is spotted, and he doesn't comment on it, only looking even more ashamed. Maybe vaguely ill, by the way he's gone a little pale. "Anyway, that's... good, those are good things to hope for. Yeah."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "As someone who has had to walk away from many lives, I can appreciate that." Nettie smiles slightly, "Though in my case it's somewhat of a necessity; once friends noticed I never got older and began to ask questions, it was usually time to move on. I've made a great many friends over the years, and had to leave so many behind without any explaination." she explains, and then she slides the bag forward.

    "I also hate birthday presents. Saw this, and I know you collect minor-league hats. Thought you might get use of it." she states.

    "And I'm easy to share information with. It's the Grandmother Effect." she gives a kindly smile, though she clearly doesn't look older than her mid twenties -- minus the silver-white hair and the age in her eyes.

Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    Well that's a nugget of information about Nettie that Tommy didn't expect to receive. But it's one that precedes a whole lot of things suddenly making sense, that's for sure. He blinks once and then nods, going along with it with a, "Yeah, I can see how that would be hard to do."

    He accepts the bag looking still guilty as all get out, shoulders hunched inward as he pulls the hat from the bag. "Oh hey, I don't have this one," he says, immediately brightening. And then he swaps out the Bisons hat for the Red Snappers.

    "I have the old hat--for the Sea Dogs. Did a food delivery run up there from this little hole-in-the-wall Thai place down in Brooklyn. The guy didn't believe I'd make it while the food was still warm, but the tip." He holds up his hands to indicate its size. "Rich folk are a whole different breed."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "That they are." Nettie says with a grin. The Red Snappers, of course, is a theme night for the Sea Dogs, but it's hilarious to have a particularly mean looking hotdog on a baseball hat. "Took a bit of a day to myself. Had Miss Gutierrez and Miss Kinney mind the shop for me while I went to drown my sorrows in a lobster roll. Ended up helping to fight back an invasion from another dimension, but saw the hat." she gives a nod. "An' figured you might get a bit of amusement outta it."

    She stretches her arms up, shoulders and back popping.

    "I used to have a teleportation-service from a Columbian restaraunt in Boston. Alas, they changed owners. Haven't had the wherewithall to go up and convince them to let the crazy gringa scribble witchcraft." she remarks and tilts her head back.

    "So. If you're looking for good jewelry, might I suggest a simple necklace that you can string beads onto?" she asks, and then reaches beneath her T-shirt and pulls one out. The beads are clay, and are fired in many different rainbow colors.

    "This one, the beads represent important people to me. Some of them are people who've even been blood-bonded."

Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    It's a great hat, and Tommy says so. "Great hat. Makes me hungry, though." Cue stomach gurgle. Which isn't new, he's always hungry, even to the point that he's eyeing the tea set up with anticipation. Not that he's a big tea buff, but it's consumable calories. Maybe.

    Does tea have calories? Tommy isn't sure, now that he thinks about it.

    His stomach makes a louder rumble at mention of Columbian food. "There's an arepa bar near Bryant Park that slaps. We should go some time," he says, and he's not drooling, but it's easy to see the anticipation of food in his eyes, that sort of hazy faraway look as he imagines chowing down.

    So it's really a credit to his resolve that he manages to bring his attention back to the present, and the current conversation. "Sort of like a charm bracelet, huh?"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Tea does not have a lot of calories, but at the stomach grumbling, the old witch gives a small smile, and then produces a couple of scones from beneath the counter (where she keeps her supplies), and slides them over to Tommy.

    "Arepas do sound pretty fantastic." Nettie confirms, "We should make a party of it. I'll submit it to the League Proper for funds, considering the considerable calorie consumption of the group." she gives a smile, and gives a nod at her necklace.

    "Aye, like a charm bracelet. Easy enough to make a three-bead one. Needs a little concentration, and a hair or a drop of blood from the person it represents if you want a magical variant, but this one's just for show." she smiles.

    "One of those things about leaving lives behind. You may not carry the 'stuff' with you, but you carry your loved ones."

    And she points to her heart. %

Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    Do Tommy's eyes go a little wide at the appearance of the scones? Why yes, yes they do. He grips his hands together in what is clearly a serious effort not to immediately snatch one up, and he even does a mental count in his head. To a thousand.

    Of course to regular perception he waits maybe 2 seconds before he takes one from the offered plate and delicately nibbles at it.

    Yes, not scarfing is also taking great mental effort.

    "That's a cool idea. Maybe I could have something made for all three of us, something symbolic... Hm. I'll have to think about it." He makes a face when Nettie points at her heart, like any young kid would, but then his age and experience kicks in and he tips his head to the side in mute acceptance. All in all, Tommy can't say Nettie's wrong. "Thanks, Nettie. Maybe I'll try to actually make it myself... I could devote some time to learning how to, I don't know, craft... something." Another bite of scone is consumed, and Tommy pulls out his phone, thumbs flying at super-speed as he looks up various arts and crafts.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "One of the museums is offering a clay bead firing session, I believe. Put some thought into it." Nettie takes hers off, and she holds it out for Tommy to inspect. "I learned how to make these in the early 1900's. My brother an' I had escaped some witch hunters, and were livin' in Northern India. I made friends with a priest there, who I learned a great many things from, and his wife and daughter made beads. These are Sanskirt, see, that's the approximation of Annette. An' that one is my brother's name. And this one was my first real friend outside of England." she smiles. "I've got a couple of these necklaces."

Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    And so Tommy googles "NYC museum clay bead firing" and signs up for said class. No thought needed, only action, that's Tommy to a tee.

    He peers over top of his phone when Nettie shows off her necklace, eyes narrowing slightly as he focuses on the delicate writing. Which mean nothing to him, of course, as he can't read Sanskrit, but he can appreciate the beauty of it nonetheless. "That's really nice. I don't know if I can make anything that nice, but I'll give it a try."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Took me a couple of years. So I figure it'll take you...what, a month? On account of having to wait for the beads to fire?" she jokes slightly, and Nettie slips her necklace back on, and buries it back unto her shirt.

    "I have faith in you, young Thomas, that you will make something satisfactory to yourself. Whether it is the life you make, the beads, or a sandwich." she gives a nod.

Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    The scone is suddenly gone, and Tommy stands there chewing for a little while, unaware of the crumbs on the front of his hoodie. He shrugs one shoulder at the advanced timeframe that Nettie puts forth, and considers the tea pot on the counter between them for some time.

    "Sure. Maybe. And then I'll get out of practice and forget it all in a couple of weeks, but... it'd be a nice thing to do." He eyes up the second scone but doesn't go for it, as he's now trying to decide if he's going for arepas or sandwiches for dinner. "Thanks for the advice, Nettie. They'll appreciate something I made more than something I buy."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Of course, Tommy. I'm always here to offer advice to friends. Take the other scone, goodness knows I get enough of them." Nettie gives a smile, pushing the plate over to the speedster. "And Gabby's made it known that your calorie needs are freakishly high."

Tommy Shepherd has posed:
    And so Tommy takes the second scone, for the road. He offers a quick salute to Nettie as he backpedals his way to the door, grinning with a gleam in his eye as he plans out... well, his plans. For gifts. "Thanks again, Nettie! See you around!"

    And then he, and the scone, are gone. Except the scone was gone beforehand, because he ate it already.