Of Cupcakes and Busking

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He could see Rina's train of thought, plans ticking over in her head, expressed through her body language and the way she took in a deep breath but didn't necessarily reach a sigh. He was going to regret coming into the bakery. He could feel it in the tips of his fingers. Fortunately, the redhead entered in that moment and Rina was distracted, then gone. His thoughts of regret disappeared too, replaced by his love for sugary desserts. He'd not realized he was staring so mournfully at the free samples display until it was blocked from his view. His head snapped back down, so that he could focus on the strings of his guitar once again.

"Let us know how they taste, I'm going to go help Rina."

And just like that, the redhead had won him over. Two cupcakes were set in front of him, one iced in pink and one iced in white. His fingers faltered on the nylon and steel, before letting go completely. He reached forward and began eating the white-iced cake, quickly finding that it was vanilla-flavored. Vanilla-flavored and delicious, really.

He was half-way through the second cupcake - vanilla again, with strawberry icing - when the two girls returned to his table. He looked up innocently, hoping he'd not done something wrong. Almost immediately, his nose picked up the stench of burnt fabric and skin. His innocent expression fell into one of disgust and concern. His nostrils twitched. That couldn't possibly be a smell that frequently graced the dining areas of bakeries, surely. He looked around at the other customers, then back to Rina and the redhead - or Raya, as she was now being introduced. He hesitantly held out his hand for her to shake, nostrils still flaring as he tried to find the source of the smell.

"Pleasure," he mumbled quickly, flashing the briefest of smiles, then turning to Rina, looking the brunette over curiously. A peculiar way to hold herself, he noted. The vaguest strain to her voice. The burnt smell grew stronger. "Something's... Are you alright?"

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As Raya pulled out a tray of freshly baked cupcakes, she asked, "That's what I'm here for right?" She turned to put the cupcakes on the counter beside Rina, "To help out my friend, and boss."

Before she could even set the hot cupcakes down, Rina giggled and hugged her. Raya felt a searing hot pain make it's way through her shirt, and it was obvious that Rina felt it too. Going by the way she suddenly gasped. Only a moment later, Rina backed up, looking almost as if she was going to fall over. 

"Rina," Raya started, as she quickly set down the cupcake tray. Her arms stung, along with most of her chest. "Are you alright?" 

"That was silly of me," her friend replied with a giggle, before going back to the cupcakes. "I must have forgotten that ovens are hot." Raya gave Rina a sympathetic smile, and was about to get some ice for the both of them. When Rina took hold of the morph's arm, and lead her over to where the musician was. 

"How rude of me," She started, "Sebastian Wilkes, this is Raya Unagi. Raya Unagi, this is Sebastian Wilkes." 

"Pleasure," Sebastian held his hand out to her. 

"Same." Raya smiled back at him, shaking the hand he offered. "Figure out which one you liked best?"

"Something's..." He started, "Are you alright?"

Raya sighed, realizing he meant with how Rina was holding herself. "We.. had a bit of an accident in the kitchen when pulling out a tray of cupcakes.." She gave a sheepish sort of smile, as she finished. "Managed to burn ourselves.. which reminds me. I'm getting the both of us some ice." Then she quickly headed into the kitchen to grab a couple of ziploc bags, and hand towels to hold/wrap the ice in. 

She returned not a moment later, and handed Rina one of the make shift ice packs. "Here Rina.."

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Rina looked at the half-eaten cupcake, then the disgusted expression on his face. Not quite realizing he was grimacing from the smell of burning flesh, she took her bottom lip between her teeth. “It’s the strawberry frosting, isn’t it? I used too much salt, didn’t I?” she asked mournfully. “I couldn’t get the texture the way I wanted, so I just kept adding salt,” she rambled, distressed. “Raya, do you hear that? I need to work on the strawberry cupcakes. I’ll need to get rid of all the salt or most of it, at least,” she declared, sighing and looking back to the free samples. “Oh dear, oh dear… I’ll have to make a fresh batch…”

Katharina chuckled nervously as he asked if she were all right. She had certainly been through worse – and, anyway, she was more worried about Raya. Raya’s husband would snap her in half if something happened to his dear Raya, and Rina undoubtedly would have deserved it. She squirmed and kept her arm stubbornly over her stomach to avoid his concern. Her plan was clearly not working – he could smell the burn at least as well as she could. “Oh, please don’t worry about me,” she said blithely with a light shrug. “I’ll be fine. Nothing’s wrong at all,” she insisted.

She blanched when Raya recalled the ‘accident’ in the kitchen. Katharina exhaled, pouting. “It was my accident,” Katharina admitted, heart-broken over her carelessness. “I burned Raya trying to hug her. I forgot she was holding the cupcakes,” Rina mumbled guiltily. She moved her arm and looked down at her stomach. It had burned through her dress, showing a bright pink patch of skin. Goodness, Raya's burn was probably worse than hers. “Oh, no, really! Raya, you should be sitting! I’m much more expendable!” she fretted, wringing her hands nervously.

Raya came back and handed her an ice pack. Rina pouted and pressed it against her stomach, tying her apron tightly around it so she wouldn’t have to continue holding it. “I should be getting back to baking. The Rodriguez family should be here soon to pick up their orders,” she said, and smiled at Sebastian. “They’re a huge family, and they’re Spanish. They love guitars in Spain!” she giggled, bouncing cheerfully back to the kitchen. “Raya, you should rest or the burn won’t heal!”