"Woah!! Hello there, little man! Where did you come from in such a hurry?"

Avery gasps, lifting her arms abruptly over her head to keep the tray of fresh-baked cookies out of harms way. The Tyrogue reaches up to grab at it but Avery, thankfully, is attentive and used to this sort of behavior.

"No, no, no... these aren't for you! You be mindful of your manners, please."

She side steps, glancing to the front door as it closes behind a young man. Regardless of the situation and his apology, Avery smiles up at him, amused.

"Oh! That's quite alright, sir! He must have a taste for chocolate."

CIAN MAHER

"Mhmm! Chocolate chip!"

She lifts the tray to draw attention to it, but quickly tilts it away to keep it out of the Pokemons reach.

But his unexpected compliment leaves her immediately flustered, and she gasps and shakes her head.

"oh my, thank you! Thats very sweet of you to say. It's not a very difficult recipe, but its a favourite."

Cian waves and introduces herself, and Avery blushes and dips her head.

"Avery! I run the daycare here. I take it this little one is here for a visit today?"

CIAN MAHER

One last time, and Avery is still attentive and quick on her feet. She lifts the tray, nearly spilling this time in her surprise.

Surprise because the boy across the storefront is too sweet and its making her nervous.

In a good way, of course. It wasn't like he was being disingenuous with his polite smile.

"Yes, of course, that's right. That's alright!"

It did still somehow make her a little bit sad, though. Pokemon battling and the like had never been something she enjoyed or encouraged.

Fortunately, Cian glances to her tray of cookies now jostled across the tray and misaligned. She stutters back to life, stepping forward suddenly like a snapped elastic sent flying.

"Of course, yes! By all means, take as many as you'd like."

CIAN MAHER

Avery smiles, tilting her cheek to watch the Tyrogue enjoy the cookie. It seems to calm him, encouraging the little man to slow down a moment and savor the moment.

"Mhmm! The secret ingredient is love."

She giggles, though for a brief moment her giggle is hiccuped by a shadow of self-conscious reflection. Was that weird to have said? The secret ingredient wasn't really love, it was just an extra dash of vanilla extract.

And leaving them to chill overnight before forming them into cookie dough balls.

"I'm glad you two are enjoying them! I've been considering running a bakery of sorts alongside the daycare. When I have the time, of course!"

CIAN MAHER

He leans closer and she is oblivious to it. With her attention focused on carrying the tray of cookies, there is not a whole lot of room for her to worry about the closeness of a stranger. That, and her kind spirit and trusting disposition meant she wasn't the least bit uncomfortable.

"I have been a bit busier now in the summer months, people are looking to spend time outside or on vacations. But this year has been a bit slow, I think."

She wonders if it is in part due to the still-existing fear of the aliens. Trainers were more inclined to stay close to their Pokemon than to risk leaving them behind. The summer in general wasn't overly busy, she realized now. It was in the winter that business picked up and she was run off her feet.

"It's been relaxed today, though! More than enough free time to bake."

There is a shadow in the background, likely another employee.

CIAN MAHER

The idle chit-chat isn't unusual, customers, especially new ones, often stuck around to talk and be merry. She assumed it was nerves, an attempt to make a connection and be friendly to establish a connection and put to rest their fears around leaving their Pokemon with complete strangers.

But this was different, she quickly realized.

He informs her of his plans and availability later in the evening, and she blinks. Surely that wasn't any of her business, right? So long as he came back later in the day or even the week to pick up his little bundle, that was all she needed to know, right?

"Me?"

The woman's cheeks warm in surprise, and she instinctively glances up to the clock. Unsurprisingly, it was already nearing the end of her shift. In fact, it had ended an hour or so ago, she had just been hovering because she had the free time and the interest in doing so. Ever the hard worker with little else on her mind to do.

"Technically.. an hour and fifteen minutes ago."

At the mention, the employee in the back peeks his head out to stare at her. There is a playful smile on his face and he taps his watch. It only furthers her blush and her embarrassment as she lets out a breathy laugh.

"But I guess I lost track of time."
CIAN MAHER

His smile is contagious, as are most, and she finds herself positively beaming beneath his. It makes her a little self-conscious, admittedly, especially given how attentive and responsive he has been.

For one, he hasn't even asked for any paperwork yet and she is positive now that she's never met this man.

"... Something to eat? With me?"

She blinks in surprise, staring back at him. Subconsciously, she holds the tray out closer to him when he reaches for another. He reiterates the request by asking her what sort of food she likes, and the young woman stammers in response, bashful and overwhelmed.

"Umm.. salads, I suppose!"

The young man in the back jogs to the front in response to the young man's wave, taking it as an invitation to join them. He brings a clipboard with forms to fill out for consent and the like before ultimately nudging Avery to get out of here with the promise that 'he can hold the fort'.

CIAN MAHER