Pen' was just going to go practice singing. (She likes singing. The words are all lined up for her already and she doesn't get them wrong.) But this doesn't look like the practice room. So it's probably the magic restaurant.

Pen knows about the magic restaurant! You can go in it, and get food or things to drink (she has bracelets!) and then you just go back out the door and it's been no time at all and you're right where you went in.

She goes in. She is going to have cake.

Author: campanas	Pen' was just going to go practice singing. (She likes singing. The words are all lined up for her already and she doesn't get them wrong.) But this doesn't look like the practice room. So it's probably the magic restaurant. Pen knows about the magic restaurant! You can go in it, and get food or things to drink (she has bracelets!) and then you just go back out the door and it's been no time at all and you're right where you went in. She goes in. She is going to have cake.
Author: pythbox	Someone else is already having cake, it turns out! He is sitting at the bar wearing some kind of uniform, and he has a very tasty-looking slice of chocolate cake.
Author: campanas	Pen goes up to the bar, and peers at the cake, then waves her bracelet at the bar. "That cake!" she says, hoping she will be understood.
Author: pythbox	The bar provides her with a slice of that cake. The original cake-eater looks from his plate to hers and smiles slightly.
Author: campanas	"Hi," Pen says, hoisting herself onto the barstool, and then she takes a great big forkful of her cake, fluttering her wings happily.
Author: pythbox	"Hi," says the stranger. "Nice cake."
Author: campanas	"Eeeheehee." Pen nods rather than trying to construct a joke.
Author: pythbox	He laughs anyway. "It's my birthday," he says, "what's your excuse?"
Author: campanas	"Uuuum?" Pen was unaware that cake required an excuse. "...Happy Birthday!"
Author: pythbox	"Thanks." He grins. "I was kidding about the excuse, don't worry."
Author: campanas	"Okay." Cake nom nom nom.
Author: pythbox	Cake nom nom!
Author: campanas	Pen swings her feet and wafts her wings back and forth.
Author: pythbox	"Are you okay in here by yourself?" he asks, after some more cake.
Author: campanas	"Mmhm! Safe bar," says Pen.
Author: pythbox	"True," he concedes. "All right."
Author: campanas	Pen pats the bar. And then goes back to her cake.
Author: pythbox	Well, that's adorable. The stranger finishes his cake, but he doesn't go anywhere.
Author: campanas	Pen finishes her cake too, and then contemplates whether she wants seconds or anything.
Author: pythbox	The stranger is having similar contemplations! Finally, out of a feeling that ordering a beer in front of a small child would just be vaguely off somehow, he gets a Coke.
Author: campanas	"What are Coke?" Pen asks.
Author: pythbox	"It's, uh... this," he says, gesturing to his glass. "Do you want to try some?" Should small children not have caffeine? He has no idea. It probably won't be a total disaster, anyway.
Author: campanas	"'Kay." Pen takes his cup and sips. "Sweet," she comments.
Author: pythbox	"Yep," he says. "And fizzy."
Author: campanas	"Yeah!"
Author: pythbox	He grins. "You now know pretty much all there is to know about Coke. Can I have mine back, or do you want it?"
Author: campanas	Pen offers it back.
Author: pythbox	"Thanks," he says, accepting it. "What's your name? I'm John."
Author: campanas	"Am Peninnah. Pen."
Author: pythbox	"Nice to meet you," says John.
Author: campanas	"Yes!" agrees Peninnah. "I meet so many of the people, yesterday. Now you!"
Author: pythbox	"Milliways is nice like that."
Author: campanas	"Yes. Nice bar."
Author: pythbox	"Definitely the nicest I've been to," he says.
Author: campanas	"Mommy like nice bar. Daddy also."
Author: pythbox	"And where are your mommy and daddy right now?"
Author: campanas	"Home."
Author: pythbox	"Seems reasonable." He finishes his Coke; he takes a look around the bar, savouring the moment; he gets up. "I should get back to work," he says with a sigh. "Nice talking to you, Pen." And he heads for the door.
Author: campanas	Pen gets some milk, and drinks it, and then goes to the door too. Huh, it's still a little open. She opens it up, peering over her shoulder as she does for a last look at the nice bar, and then she's through and it closes properly this time.
Author: pythbox	This is definitely not the same place she left. It's a deserted street in an unfamiliar city, under a cloudy predawn sky, and the door that just closed belongs to a small office tower.