The Great Mall Adventure (V.2)

"Right then, let's take a look." Calmly motioning for the others to follow, Robin strolled into the bakery.

The bakery was rather small, but large enough to include a few small tables inside where people could sit and eat if they wished.

"Wow, look at this place!" Isabelle commented enthusiastically as she strolled inside, her fluffy tail wiggling back and forth.

Lucina walked into the bakery alongside the others, impressed by the variety of sweets for sale. "Mm... What to try...?" she wondered aloud.

Robin approached a display case filled with pies of various flavors. "The variety here is really something!" he remarked. "There's got to be at least a dozen kinds of pie alone!"

On the other side of the bakery, across from the display cases, a young woman was seated at one of the tables. She had dark red hair tied up in a ponytail, and for whatever reason, she was clad in a bulky suit of silver-and-yellow armor. Having just popped the last portion of a donut into her mouth, she glanced curiously at the three who had just entered the bakery, her cheek stuffed like a hamster's.

THAT'S RIGHT:

Lucina leaned over to see the display case Robin was currently looking at. "I can't say I've ever seen such a variety of sweets before...!" she remarked in awe.

"It's really something!" Isabelle chimed in. "And just look at--... Oh!" She was just about to point out the similar variety of cupcakes when something--or rather, someone, caught her attention. Noticing the young woman sitting a small distance away and glancing at them, Isabelle waved at her and gave a sunny smile in greeting.

Noticing that Isabelle sounded as if something had caught her attention, Robin looked in her direction. "What is it, Isabelle?" he asked. Seeing her wave, he turned to see who she was waving at, and immediately noticed the armored woman at the table nearby.

The woman just had to chuckle. "Hej!" she greeted after swallowing, wearing a very friendly smile and returning a wave of her own as she gave a very gentle and subtle dip of her head. "Trying to figure out what to get?" she questioned, reaching for one of the five remaining donuts on the plate in front of her.

Isabelle nodded bouncily, the bell on her head giving a loud jingle. "Yep! It's hard to choose, but I think I'd like a cupcake," she answered. "... Those donuts look delicious too, though!" she noted, glancing at the plate of donuts in front of the woman.

"Oh, they're amazing," the woman merrily responded, taking a big bite of the donut she had just grabbed. It would seem that she had a formidable sweet tooth, considering the half a dozen donuts that she was so happily eating by herself.

As she happened to glance down at the rest of the donuts, however, the woman had a thought. She picked up one of the untouched donuts in her free hand. "Do... you want one?" she questioned kindly with a grin, one of her eyebrows moving slightly more upward than the other, as she gestured to offer the donut to Isabelle.

Isabelle perked up when the woman offered her a donut. "Are you sure?" she asked with slightly widened eyes, the enthusiasm in her voice apparent as she took a step closer to the table. "... I'd love one, thanks!"

"Yeah, I've got a bunch here," the woman responded in a mellow fashion, motioning to the rest of the donuts with her head. "Here, it's yours!" she reassured, hunching forward a bit to get closer to Isabelle's eye level and gently holding the donut out again.

"That's so nice of you! Thanks again!" Isabelle beamed, graciously accepting the donut from the woman. Once she had thanked her, she hopped into one of the empty seats at the same table. "Would it be alright if I joined you here?"

"No problem," the young woman responded to Isabelle's thanks with a chuckle. "I don't see why not," she then replied to her question. "By the way, my name's Brigitte," she stated in introduction, the friendly tone of her voice further highlighting the distinct way she pronounced her own name. "And you are?"

"I'm Isabelle," Isabelle cheerily introduced herself in response, extending her free paw to offer Brigitte a handshake. "Pleased to meet you, Brigitte! That's a very nice name!"

"Aw, thanks!" Brigitte responded to Isabelle's compliment with a big, round-cheeked smile, carefully shaking the latter's little paw. Though her grip was deliberately gentle, however, the firmness of the shake itself was a clear indicator of her strength. "Anyway, right back at you," she continued. "Your name's very nice, too, by the way. Suits ya," she added with a little laugh.

"Awwww, well thank you, too!" Isabelle gratefully returned with a giggle, bobbing her head once which caused her bell to jingle lightly. Then, holding up the donut in her other paw, she sunk her teeth into it and took her first bite. "... Yummm. You were absolutely right, these donuts ARE amazing...!" she commented, gazing at the donut with bright eyes.

"Of course! I wouldn't lie about that," Brigitte remarked lightheartedly before taking another big bite of her own donut.

"Maybe I ought to get one of those as well," commented Robin, who had been quietly standing by and listening the whole time, as he stepped closer to the table to formally join in.

Isabelle let out another amused little giggle, which sounded muffled as she took another bite of her donut.

Lucina walked with Robin as he moved closer to the table. "I couldn't help thinking the same thing," she chimed in, noting how much praise was surroundings these donuts.

After hearing what Robin and Lucina had said, Brigitte quickly finished off her current donut and took another. "Sorry, I'm not giving away any more," she remarked jokingly, shielding the plate with her arm and pulling it closer to herself. "These are mine," she continued in a moment between mouthfuls, now eating in a considerably greedier fashion.

"Oh, no," Lucina started to reassure Brigitte, holding her hands up in front of herself in a dismissive manner. "I intend on purchasing my own, and I'm quite sure that Robin plans to do the same," she continued, subtly motioning to Robin as she spoke his name.

"Lucina's right," Robin chimed in with a subtly awkward chuckle. "We didn't come with the intention of asking you to share with us, don't worry."

Brigitte just had to laugh. "Calm down! I was only teasing," she assured with a lopsided grin. "I knew you weren't coming to beg for donuts,"--she happily tossed the last bite of the third donut into her mouth--"Mm! ... That would be ridiculous."

"Ahh... Yes, it would be, wouldn't it?" Lucina responded with a hint of awkwardness, regaining a calmer posture.

While Brigitte was quickly making her way through her plate of donuts, Isabelle, meanwhile, was still working on the donut in her own paws. As she took smallish bites, she lightly bobbed back and forth, looking perfectly contented. "By the way... I couldn't recommend them enough!" she stated cheerfully in reference to the donuts.

Robin was convinced. "Hm... I think that's what I'll be getting, then. Thanks; that makes things considerably easier," he commented with a little laughter in his tone before turning and heading back to the counter.

"Yes... In that case, I'll give one a try as well," Lucina decided, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smile. "Thank you," she added, then turned and made her way back to the counter with Robin.

"No problem!" Isabelle called brightly to the two of them, waving as they left to make their purchase.

"Happy to help!" Brigitte perkily called after Robin and Lucina. Returning to her snack, she also turned her attention back to Isabelle. "So, how are you doing over there?" she questioned in a bit of a gentler tone. There was now an underlying sense of genuine caring behind her expression.

"Hm?" Tilting her head, Isabelle turned back to Brigitte. Holding up her almost-finished donut, she smiled at her new friend. "Almost done of this!" she responded, pausing to take another bite before she continued. "I was pretty hungry, so I'm not having any trouble getting through it."

"Glad you're enjoying it!" Brigitte remarked, closing her eyes in a smile. "It must be a nice break from wandering around this crazy place, huh?"