Pity Party

Brief Title:
Pity

Characters:
Showstopper and Krista

Scene Runner/Watcher:

IC Date:
12/14/2012

Location:
Soho - Manhattan

Summary:
Richenda and Krista meet for coffee

Social or Plot:

TS:
No

Log:
==[ SoHo and Tribeca - New York ]==

This area has the reputation of being a quirky home for starving artists. The reputation is somewhat outdated; first SoHo, then TriBeCa, attracted artists, then galleries, then celebrities seeking to identify themselves with the artists, then people flocking to be seen with the celebrities, in a spiral of costs and gentrification. By now, though there are 250 art galleries in the space of one-fourth of a square mile, the artists themselves are by and large gone.

The architecture in SoHo is still unmistakable - Italianate, neo-Grecian, and Victorian Gothic structures decorated with wrought- and cast-iron. And the converted warehouses and factories still boast the expansive living spaces of their lofts; it's just that it's highly-paid professionals who can afford them, not the artists and sculptors who made them famous.
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Eleven more shopping days 'til Christmas! On Chenda's schedule, that makes for some hectic times. But today she's wandering, letting her eyes see and her feet carry her, looking for impulse Christmas presents. SoHo is the best place she knows for such things.
Of course, that kind of thing is best done with a friend. So she's already sent out an invitation for one to Krista's phone: |Hey, tall girl! Meet me in SoHo to hang out and Christmas shop? Treat you to a coffee! --Chenda|


It's a day off for Krista and since her only plans for the day had been to hang out in her 250 sq. ft. apartment and watch a marathon of Farscape, she is quickly texting back. |K, shorte. B rite ther.| She is quickly out the door jacket in hand.
It isn't to much longer that she is standing in front of the coffee shop waiting for her friend to make an appearance. When she sees Chenda approaching she will lift a hand to wave "Hi Chenda." she calls out in case she didn't see the hand movement.

|Okay, spelling bee champ. See you soon!| Chenda really can't criticize too much, though spending years helping to make signs taught her a few things about spelling. But it's still fun to tease her red-haired friend.
The coffee shop is along her way, and she's quick to pick up on the wave. So Krista, if she doesn't move, is treated to 5' 3" of gypsy affection in the form of a hug! "Hi, Krista! I see you found our first stop!"


There probably was a slight frown as the smartphone of Krista's read the text out to her in it's female, robot like voice, but if she was upset about the teasing she is over it by the time they meet up.
The hug is returned "It wasn't hard, this is the best coffee shop in this neighborhood." she pulls the door open and steps aside to Chenda can go in before her "Has winter break started for you yet?"
"Tomorrow's the first day," Chenda replies, smiling at the invitation and stepping inside, taking it slow so Krista doesn't have to rush to keep up with her. She pulls aside her rainbow-colored scarf and tucks it beneath her coat. "But all the final exams are done, so I'm not missing much." She glances over the menu, but in the end opts for a caramel vanilla espresso with whipped cream, her second favorite. "Still doing okay here in the city, Kris?" she asks, a touch of concern creeping into her voice.


The menu is ignored, Krista just orders her usual white chocolate mocha as she looks at the pastries in thier glass case. "Of course. Decent job, affordable apartment. Why? Do you know something I don't?" she is perplexed by the question and the concern it conveys, though the question she asks is more in jest.

"No, just curious. Maybe a little concerned," Chenda replies. "I keep forgetting that you're a lot more employable than I was when I lived here." She slips some cash from her pocket, waiting for Krista to make her selection before covering the bill. "Need to do some Christmas shopping, or are you along to keep me out of trouble?" she teases gently.


"Someone has to make sure your pants stay up." if Chenda can tease her about her spelling, the surely Krista can tease about how Chenda's pants are afraid of heights. "Only because I can lift heavy objects, and don't tire easily." she moves down to the end of the counter so she can pick up her beverage "I have several marketable skills, but without the paperwork to prove it I'm stuck doing manual labor.


"Oh, pooh. I was hoping to give you a spelling test from my signature waistband," Chenda ripostes playfully, following and nodding in the direction of a likely-looking table by a window. "On the plus side, at least you have that, Kris. I look too small for grunt work and too scruffy for mascot work."

Grabbing her coffee Krista takes a quick sip of it to hide a slight frown "Well at least you can fix scruffy. I can't fix my broken brain." she moves over to one of the tables, eyes the flimsy looking chair, wondering if she should trust it to hold her weight. Now that she is taller, she is heavier, though as far as appearance goes she is still as slender as before.


Chenda glances puzzledly at Krista. "What's wrong?" she asks softly, reading the expression on her friend's face. But there's no obvious reason to be worried about a chair, to her mind.

Krista isn't sure which she is asking about either "With my brain or the chair?" she goes on to assume that she could mean both "I doubt the chair is capable of holding my weight. Now that I am my genetic size I am much heavier. As for my brain, I have a condition known as aphasia."


"I was thinking the chair, at first," Chenda admits. "But thanks for telling me about both. We could get a booth," she suggests, nodding to another wall. "I'll bet one of those'd hold you. I'm not sure what to do about aphasia, though. Medicine's not my strong suit, unless band-aids or splints are involved."


A chuckle emerges from the young woman "A booth will work." she walks over to the booth and slides into one side of it "It's a brain disorder. It was a variety of causes from simple stroke, tumours and such or from extensive brain damage. It usually effects the language centers of the brain in some fashion. In my case I have the reading and writing skills of a drunk six year old."


"Nix the spelling test, then," Chenda says empathetically, slipping into the other side of the booth, setting down her coffee and clasping Krista's hand. "Do you think it has something to do with why you can't remember much?"


Of course it does." she squeezes the hand then lets go to grab a sugar packet to put in her drink "Well sort of, the brain damage prevents me from accessing the part of the brain that stores personal, sense of self, memories." she gives a shrug as she stirs her mocha "I don't understand half of what the doctors told me about what is broken. The brain is not the type of machine I was taught to deal with."



"Do they think your memory'll come back?" Chenda asks softly, frowning thoughtfully at her own coffee cup. She doesn't add anything, just takes a sip from the undoctored cup, watching Krista prepare her own.


Krista has had over a year to come to terms with her memory loss and other defects that affect here so is hardly bothered by it anymore, "Not without either some brain regeneration machine to fix the damage or a psychic of some sort that can move memories around." she gestures to herself "I found someone who could fix my powers, but memories are a different ballgame.

"I've never met anyone like that," Chenda confesses. "Maybe one, but I'd have to find out before I talked to her about you. Which I'll do," she adds. "I want to help, Krista. And I know I won't be able to do that with powers or science."


"No worries. I've come to terms with it. If I get fixed I do, if not oh well." she makes a nod to the door "Enough of the pity party for me. Let's go do some shopping." a rare grin comes to her face as she scoots out of the booth and heads to the exit.

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