Food for the soul (Maxsuz)

The elderly women standing behind the counter indeed happened to be the owner of the establishment, perhaps she was unremarkable to some, especially those more familiar with aliens and Earth's smaller Zoanthropic population, but to others she looked like a cat. Well, a anthropomorphic one, someone with very feline and slightly greying face on a more humanoid body.

She greeted the man as she would have before, the mask seemingly not deterring her in the least, except for maybe a barely noticeable narrowing of her pupils. Portobello's life had coincidentally been full of more strangers who felt the need to obscure their faces than she cared to admit- From the strange garb to energy radiating off of him it was fairly easy for her to pin the man as either a mercenary-type or someone in whatever other professions made them feel the need to hide their identity. Did it bother her? Not really, she wasn't a big fan of mercenaries, she had butted heads with more than a few who happened to be hired for the wrong people, but in her experience most were polite enough while off work. 

She nodded in agreement at first, confirming the man's assumptions about her establishment, then looked at him with feigned surprise that quickly turned to amusement at the request. 

"The best? Oh, hah, trust me when I say that's very subjective. Some of my recipes are from half-way across the galaxy and a bit of an... acquired taste, not everyone who comes in is a fan. But I could try to recommend something if you're more specific, are you a sweet or salty kind of guy?" As funny as it could have been to bring him her favourite, it didn't pay to have people walk out when you suggested fried insects as a meal, unless they were a bird, ironically one of the few types of people on this planet could appreciate a good, traditional meal. 

That wasn't the strangers only request however, though this next one would be slightly harder to fulfil. "Something private..." She frowned and clicked her tongue thoughtfully, slowly considering her options. "Well, as you can see..." She pointed her thumb at the dining area, which was essentially a large, open room. "This isn't exactly the most private of places... But if you're dead-set on it, since it's a slow day and everything, I could put up a screen or two and turn one of the tables into a more private booth?"

"Jagalo…?" Portobello looked slightly confused before shaking her head apologetically. "Oh, sorry, I don't have anything like that here. They're from Seratus are they not? I happened to visit once but it was more of a... business trip, not much of a chance to try the food back then."

"Business trip" was an interesting way to describe it, she'd been hunting that damn Boulean for months beforehand. Maybe he'd robbed her of the chance to enjoy the fine cuisine of several planets but by her estimates he should still be behind bars to this day- a worthy trade off in her opinion.

...Now she'd had a chance to look at him, the man's complexion under the mask did remind her of the people she'd seen there... Himônus they were called? She shrugged mentally, whoever he was it was none of her business. Letting her previous statement sink in, she'd continue on.

"While I may not have anything Seratian, and if your heart was set on it you'd have much better luck elsewhere... ha, look at me driving the customers away- but if you do plan on sticking around you won't be short of options... if you look over here..."

The feline stepped towards the glass case built into the counter, most of the foods on display were confections like cakes or cookies, some in slightly odd shades or with unusual root-like objects baked in, one even appeared to resemble a carrot cake topped with caramel-coloured worms? The savoury objects were more along the line of pastries, contents concealed but listed on the little placards alongside the prices.

"Most of these foods were from planets I spent a good amount of time on in the past, taken from the people nice enough to house me for a few nights while I hopped from place to place... Watrin, Octo, Konats... Just a few of the places I've visited... This isn't everything by the way, I can do sandwiches, or a few brunch type meals like omelettes or those fried breakfasts, I've got a few fillings and meats stored too, maybe not Seratian but just throw out a few suggestions or substitutions and I can tell you if I have it or not."

The last two plates to the right would probably appear a bit unusual, one held some suspiciously candle-shaped white cylinders lacking a wick and the other had a pile of bright green, noticeably shiny cookies. She winced a bit at the thought of having to explain them.

"I know they look like candles but they're actually a type of candy from a planet called Chanticleer... to be fair they're basically a sweeter, milkier version of actual candle wax." She'd then gesture towards the cookies. "And these... came from a friend, had some rather odd tastes shall we say. One of the ingredients is diluted Saiba-acid- edible, but very sour. Novelties to most but I happened to be quite close to the people who introduced me to them and if honouring them means I have to keep selling their oddities then so be it."

There was a slight tinge of sadness to her voice, along with slight drooping of her ears, thinking about the people she'd lost might have gotten easier but that didn't mean it no longer hurt. But she'd attempt to swiftly move past it as she was reminded of her next point. 

"Oh, right... forgot to mention, I'm not selling alcohol, I used to but trust me when I say it isn't worth dealing with a drunk Heran. I do have sodas or a few types of tea or coffee you might be interested in. Again, just say what's on your mind and I can tell you if I have it."

If the renegade made his choice (and payment was also made), Portobello would nod and let him move to his chosen table while she herself would retreat into a room behind the counter to drag out two folding wall dividers with the red-haired man who'd been working on some paperwork in the back (one of the less fun sides of a business). Both would take hold of a divider and push the both of them out past the counter and towards Maxsuz's chosen table where both would be extended to form a reasonably-sized booth where the man could eat in privacy. 

The red-haired man, was pretty quiet through everything, giving Maxsuz a slightly odd look for the mask he was wearing but if he had anything to say he was content to keep it to himself for now. Portobello on the other hand was more happy to bark out orders to get both screens moved into the correct positions, also addressing Max as she did. 

"So these work out for you? I was thinking of throwing these old things out but it turns out everything has a use, I'll get to your- Okay, you can go." The other man who'd been standing outside the booth awkwardly would hurry back off towards the room and work he'd been taken from.

Portobello didn't think she'd seen the spark leave someone's eye so fast as she had just now, it was sad really, had he wanted Seratian food that much? To be honest she sympathised with him there, she hadn't had real Shruumian food in a good 10 years or so- sure, she could have ingredients shipped over but it wasn't the same as having it made fresh...

To her surprise he then insisted on trying the Saiba-cookies, her yellow eyes widened as she tilted her head to the side, slightly amused at the choice.

"Really? I'm not joking about it being sour... but if you insist..." She'd then shrug, it was his choice but when she only knew a few people who genuinely enjoyed them on a regular basis so she didn't have high hopes for him. Should he want a replacement dish she wouldn't complain.

After seeing he was fine with the seating arrangements, Portobello would nod and head back to retrieve his order. The cookies were already prepared and thus all that needed to be done was sweep some onto a plate, after putting gloves on of course, she wasn’t about to put fur in a customer's food. And after searching through the selection of teas for the right type all it boiled  down too was waiting for the leaves to steep until everything was ready.

All in all it would take somewhere between five to seven minutes before the feline had everything prepared on one tray. She'd carefully make her way over, pushing aside the screen before setting a tray containing a teapot and mug alongside milk, sugar and the plate containing the brightly-coloured confections.

"Well I hope that's everything, do tell me if you have a problem okay?"

She'd smile and offer as small bow and give the man his privacy once more before heading back to the counter.

Now the tea wouldn't be anything special, it was exactly what the man ordered, the cookies however were a completely different story. If the bright green sheen hadn't been enough to discourage him, and provided his taste buds weren't so different from a human's, should he take a bite he'd be able to feel it had a hard yet crumbly texture and a taste comparable to an extremely sour candy but if you increased the sensation threefold, should he find such a taste agreeable or power through regardless there was a much more palatable aftertaste resembling something between lime and apple.

To her surprise she wasn't hearing any complaints from the man, in fact swivelling her ears in the direction of the booth Portobello almost thought she could hear him scarfing those cookies down! Well maybe not, her hearing wasn't quite up to par with what it used to be, but the fact he hadn't come storming back like an angry patron she specifically warned against going for the ridiculously sour concoction her friend cooked up had to count for something.

Either he was one of the few people in the universe who liked them or he'd passed on while she was distracted... Kidding, she was kidding, but with no other customers to serve the mind did tend to wander to odd places... 

Her tail flicked around in frustration, she was bored. It isn't that she wanted to bother her patrons but sometimes Portobello wished they were a little more talkative, especially on slow days like these, some of them came from rather surprising walks of life, like the man in the booth, he was from a planet she'd almost forgot existed, and if she couldn't relive her own memories then learning something new from a pleasant conversation with a stranger was always a welcome experience. 

She knew perfectly well this line of thinking would get her nowhere, but when you had to deal with the added stress of a- the door opened, Portobello perked up and the look of boredom she had was replaced by surprise. In came two people with some admittedly higher than human average energy levels should they be sensed, but nothing compared to her. She wouldn't have paid this any mind if they didn't look so... nervous? Tense? Something was shifty about them and she couldn't place why. But she'd put that aside if they were a paying customer. She'd put on a smile, preparing to do the same spiel she gave Maxsuz when he came in- then one of them pulled out a gun. 

"Ah." She looked faintly amused.

It had to be one of the most underwhelming reactions to being robbed possible, they did seem to be doing that, masked faces, a suspiciously large bag, quiet demands to open the till... but she was less than intimidated, it wasn't like anyone in here was weak enough to be hurt after all and if someone thought it was wise to rob her in the middle of the day it wasn't her fault she found the situation amusing. Everyone else? Probably not so much if they found out, but she could knock these two out with ease if she just waited a moment longer.

Startled by the sudden noise Portobello’s eyes quickly flicked to the booth, concern bleeding through the calm demeanour she’d been trying to uphold. Not because she was necessarily concerned for the customer's safety, if anything the criminals were in far more danger considering the sort of people they were unknowingly surrounded with, but because this was a  delicate situation that would only become even more complicated with the introduction of another party. At least the commotion hadn’t yet reached Mel’s ears, she could be glad of that much. Having him walk back in during such a tense moment might not end well considering how he'd lashed out the last time he was put under pressure…

The men were similarly alerted, both simultaneously turning their heads to look in that direction.  Since they had the foresight to hide their faces behind bandannas their expressions weren't entirely readable, however by the way they exchanged glances before their brief look of surprise turned to a scowl as their eyes laid on the Himônus strolling out of the booth it could be assumed they weren't too pleased to find their attempt at daylight robbery interrupted.

The gun-wielding man was the one to step forward, not before shooting the feline with what he thought was a glare that would surely leave her paralysed with fear. Facing his new opposition he puffed out his chest in a way that communicated he was confident in his ability to intimidate the stranger into submission. Having a gun to wave around probably helped.

“We were just asking the nice old lady if she had some spare change. No problems here, so unless you plan on making it one maybe you should sit right back down and be quiet.”

With his presence, Maxsuz had unintentionally ruined Portobello's first plan of action, simply waiting for the pair to get close enough so she could smack their heads together and knock them out cold. It hadn't been a refined plan but her goal was mainly to deal with the problem before it got too out of hand, if they had a chance to use that gun of theirs it could sent the whole street into a panic- and she'd rather not bring that sort of attention to her business... again. 

It wasn't the end of the world but she did need to find a Plan B quickly... maybe she didn't have to do that alone however, she looked between the three men thoughtfully. Her customer, the Himônus, was some sort of mercenary from what she could tell, the sword supported that theory... she probably should have noticed that earlier, oops. She'd have remind him later that brandishing something like that might get him unwanted attention from the local authorities. However that wasn't important right now, what was was that he might be able to lend her a hand in dispatching these two thugs, preferably in a non-lethal way.

She couldn't exactly communicate this verbally considering the circumstances but she'd attempt to grab Max's attention with an intense stare before indicating towards the gun-toting thief standing in front of him, then looking back to herself and the second thief still at the counter. She'd finish this by giving him a second quizzical glance as if to ask if he understood. If he hadn't been paying attention to her at all then she'd give a bit of an annoyed huff before looking around the room for another option.

The man thought he was more than capable of intimidating this customer into looking the other way- right up until he felt a massive pressure bearing down on him, causing his previous threats towards them to get stuck in his throat, a brief look of surprise crossed his face before he he sputtered out the rest of his sentence in an attempt to act like nothing happened and he was exactly the person who he assumed these two were fearing. Not that he instantly assumed the sudden heavy atmosphere was due to one of the two aliens in the room… but something about the look the customer gave him was starting to make him uneasy. His posture became more tense, him keeping an iron grip on the pistol being pointed vaguely in the direction of the Himônus’ feet- a particularly tense few moments passed before Maxsuz “confirmed” he wouldn’t be getting involved- an eagle-eyed individual might have been able to spot the relief crossing the criminal’s face at that moment.

He may have missed or willingly chose to not think about sword comment, but regardless he wasn’t done with his little stunt yet, backing out of a robbery after blatantly pointing a gun at two people seemed like an impossibility and something that would make him look like a fool (not that he knew these people likely thought that already). So instead he’d choose to double down. Hiding the uneasiness he was feeling behind another layer of vaguely aggressive attitude, he’d straighten up, shoot the Himônus a dirty look and fire off a quick retort before turning away maybe a bit too quickly to show he wasn't eager to get away from the customer as quickly as possible so he could just deal with the cat instead.

"Yeah- well you stay there, we've got some unfinished business with the lady."

Portobello had of course seen all of this unfold, an intense look occasionally switching for something more concerned when she spied the second, more silent (but also uneasy due to the strange aura in the room) of the pair looking her way. Unfortunately the mercenary hadn't exactly got what she was putting across... but at least he didn't seem intent on posing a problem, she could still work with that. At least she could see the leader here was easier to shake up than she expected if the Himônus' aura was enough to make them falter... maybe she could afford to be a little less cautious?

The armed robber would join his associate at the counter provided he wasn't interrupted, Portobello would attempt to shift her stance into something that communicated she was fearful of the pair- maybe not entirely convincing to some but these two might have been too impatient to notice- anyway the man approached again, it felt like a loose repeat of when they first came in, except with a bit more impatience thrown in. Again the duffle-bag was presented, the gunman in particular was again gesturing with his sidearm to the bag, though he was glancing maybe a bit nervously around room, mainly towards the Renegade himself and the exit like he was hoping for a swift exit. 

"'kay, no more distractions, money in the bag- quickly."

Portobello, for her part, would attempt to put on a worried face to make what she was about to do more convincing. She wasn't the greatest actor however so her performance might have appeared more than a little phoned in, she made a big gesture of looking shocked this time round, fumbling to open the till and trying to add a little shakiness to her voice.
"Of course, please don't hurt me, I'll do anything- I'm just a poor old woman trying to make a living."

Maybe they were idiots, but they seemed to fall for the act, though they didn't seem sympathetic in the slightest. 

"We don't care about your sob stories, just hand over the-"

One swift swipe of Portobello's hand ripped the gun from the robber's grasp and sent it clattering  to the floor on her side of the counter. There was a stunned science from both before the pain of having something ripped from your grip at unfathomably fast speeds caught up to the leader and he let out a grunt, doubling over and gripping the previously armed hand in pain, the second man would step back in shock over his boss' reaction. He was practically spitting venom with his next words.

"Boss? You-"
"Gah-! You bitch! I'll kill you for that!"
"Sorry, I have a no guns policy."

There was a slight smirk and a glint in her eye that hinted she was quite proud of herself at that moment. Of course the main point was the man was rendered weaponless, a fact that dawned on him as he attempted to sputter out another response. The pair glanced at each other as they realised they might have been played and their only means of intimidation was now in the hands of the prospective victim. Then they began to slowly back away...