[Open] Creating works of art one dish at a time

[forbothofus]

Who: Emil and open!
When: Week before the festival | Evening of the 7th
Where: Town Plaza - First Bloom Festival
What: Cooking, shopping, and watching the Oubliette
Rating: None


a. Festival Preparations – Backdated to last week

A slender, blond-haired young man shows up at the plaza daily, warmly greeting fellow Heroes, locals, and foreigners alike. He’s eager to help – but not with the heavy lifting! The booth he assists at boasts delightful scents from warm ovens and stovetops. And soon the counters are adorned with vegetables cut into flower patterns and little cakes in animal shapes. Emil wields a knife with an expert hand, trimming dough and neatly peeling oranges into creative shapes. The fun is contagious, and he’ll happily join other cooks in the preparation.

b. First Evening of the Festival

A selection of scarves, silky and light as air or woven in soft materials, lay in neat rows on display in a shop stall. While Emil browses, the shopkeeper shows off his wares. Wouldn’t a red scarf be the perfect accompaniment to his uniform? Or how about a cream muffler made in the finest wool!

“Ah, no... how much for this one?” The shopkeeper looks at Emil’s choice, a dark blue scarf, with immediate approval and quotes an inflated number.

Do I look that much like a tourist? “Would you take 250 for it? 280?”

It would appear he’s new to haggling...

c. Later that night

There’s the gleam of a white uniform high in the branches of an old oak tree on the outskirts of the festival. Seems someone found a good seat for fireworks! Or, perhaps not? Should anyone climb after him, they’ll find Emil ignoring the festivities and staring towards the giant tree in the heart of Caissa. With the abundance of mana in the air, the Oubliette seems lit from within. The glow is mesmerizing even amid the fireworks.

It’s ten thirty and curfew fast approaches. Emil may spend the night here if someone doesn’t call him back.

-
((Will match prose or brackets! Fellow chefs are welcome to tag in with cooking prompts!))

Comments

B!

[kirkhammer]

Vivienne recognises the exchange currently taking place as an attempt at swindling. It's something that she recalls seeing often enough back where she comes from, though it was also something she never cared to step in to sort out, simply because those people were foreigners to her own town - such a hting was quite common practice. Here though, that young man is a potential ally, and so with a quite inhale, Vivienne approaches the stall.

"180."

Her tone is quiet, but firm. Unfortunately the shopkeeper isn't phased. Seems haggling is multi-dimensional.

[forbothofus]

"Huh?" Emil looks over his shoulder. At first he assumes she is purchasing one of the other wares, but catching her gaze and tone, he changes his mind.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to buy this one?" He takes a step back, giving room for her to step forward. "I don't mind. I can get one someplace else." His smile and manner are deferring; seems someone raised him to honor 'ladies first'.

But now the shopkeeper's potential sale is about to walk away, and the offered price is dropping. He insists this is a fine article of weaving and worth 300 colle at least! (But that number is lower than the previously quoted 430, isn’t it?)

[kirkhammer]

"No." Ah... short and to the point, this one. But as the young man steps back, she shakes her head and amends. "Simply, the price has been overinflated, and you're being fooled."

Ah... no ability to sugar coat things, either. I'm sorry Emil. Regarding the shopkeeper once more, Vivienne continues. Still firm, as before, but not harsh.

"For 300, we would be able to purchase two of identical make elsewhere."

[forbothofus]

Emil stays when he realizes she’s assisting him. But he looks genuinely puzzled. "Why would he inflate the price? The Caissa authorities would notice if he was cheating people."

His voice is soft and the delivery so matter-of-fact and innocent it couldn't possibly be a threat… could it? "Do you know of another shop selling scarves?" Emil inquires, looking up to her.

But the shopkeeper has a comeback for that! What quality would those other scarves be? This is expertly dyed and guaranteed to hold its color! Anyone selling one for less than 200 is a fraud! Clearly, both of you are Heroes sent by the gods to save the country, so he’ll take the loss here. 250!

Emil will probably accept that offer unless his fellow Hero wants to bargain a bit more or show him to another shop.

A!

[carptricks]

The delectable smell is what draws Kaito to Emil's work station in the first place

The magician certainly hadn't signed up to help the Bloom Festival as a cook, obviously, but hauling boxes and hanging banners meant that he was on the scene anyway. And the longer he watches Emil and his fellow cooks work from his position a few feet away from the "kitchen," the more his stomach gurgles and growls in protest.

Just one bite wouldn't hurt, right? You haven't eaten anything other than weird cafeteria food in days!

The argument to himself is way too convincing. So when Emil glances away, Kaito swiftly and quietly tiptoes towards the already prepared food in an attempt to swipe one of those animal shaped cakes. If he gets caught, well. . . he can always blame his sweet tooth, right?

[forbothofus]

The whole cake business was going marvelously until an oven decided to let the cold weather get to it. Another cook calls something about the timer not working and the cakes burning. Emil starts in dismay - they worked hard to make those!

"Wait! We can still save... no, turn off the heat!" Emil snatches up a towel and scrambles to the ovens for the epic rescue. Meanwhile, fluffy and half-frosted cakes are left unguarded.

There are few enough that the absence of one might be missed. They look pretty messy too – the powdery sort bordered with icing. But everyone appears distracted by the oven.

[carptricks]

Perfect. The debacle with the oven couldn't be any better timed. And while Kaito, like any good thief, makes note of all of the variables of this heist that could get him caught-- the powdery substance on the cakes which could leave behind evidence, along with the relatively small number present on the counter-- none of that deters him.

With Emil's back turned, he snags an elephant-shaped pastry and immediately ducks behind a nearby box to devour his prize as swiftly as he can. Success!

The cake he took was one positioned on the very edge of the counter. Its absence is certainly noticeable. But hey! If Kaito stays out of sight long enough, certainly no one will suspect him, right?

[forbothofus]

The perfect distraction continues in a puff of smoke from the worn-out oven. There's an increase in the commotion and the not-so-delightful smell of burnt flour. Emil’s calm voice can be heard in the hasty exchange of ideas.

"No, it's not just the timer. We can't cook in this... we'll have to get another oven! Does the airship have an extra portable unit? Can we borrow one from another stall? ... Yes, I'll go look!"

Emil leaves, passing his workstation without pause to look out towards the Plaza. Most of the workers are still busy... he shouldn't interrupt someone who already has their hands full. He weaves through the stacks of supplies, looking for someone - anyone - not currently occupied. Maybe someone is taking a break here? He’ll just look around these boxes…

B!

[deceptions]

[ Ah. Haggling. Here's something that's entirely Koon's element, without a doubt.

To Emil, it probably appears as though the light-blue haired man came out of no where, a small hint of a smile on his lips and a hand resting on Emil's opposite shoulder. ] 250?

There's a guy selling the same colored scarf for 150 colle just a few blocks away. [ Blue eyes are trained right on the shopkeeper, watching his expression carefully. ] Might be made of a better material, too.

[ It's a subtle lie - he did catch a similarly colored scarf a few blocks away, yeah, but he didn't bother asking for the price. But as much as he wants to help the poor guy out, he hasn't really had the chance to do this in a while. So this is mutually beneficial, the smile still on his lips. ]

[forbothofus]

[Emil starts at the touch, glancing over his shoulder to see if he recognizes the other. He expects one of his friends or roommates and is surprised to meet the gaze of a stranger. But he remembers seeing the fellow Hero around the Hall.

Fortunately, Emil couldn't look more innocent as he asks,] Really? Where was that? [He turns to look at the other stalls.] Oh, was that the shop setting up near the fountain? I meant to go back there. [The clothing being set out looked really nice! Maybe he can get a coat with the red envelopes people keep handing him...

Distracted customers are not customers at all! The shopkeeper quickly insists his materials are much finer and 200 colle is entirely fair. Look how thick this material is! This shade of blue matches his uniform perfectly!]

[deceptions]

[ Sorry Emil. Koon glances over at the blonde eyed boy, the amused look never leaving as he gives a small nod. Sup.

-- There's two ways that question could have gone. Either Emil's so good at this that he's playing along with what's being said, swindling the price down, or he's... just that naive. But Koon's seen eyes as big as Emil's before (his best friend), and he's pretty sure it's the latter. ]

That's the one. [ The next nod is bigger, grin a tad wider (predatory, some would call it), but he's turned over to the shop keeper. ] Does it? [ Exaggerated motions has him glance between the uniform and the scarf. ] I don't know...

That's still 50 colle more than what the other guy was telling me. [ He insists, raising an eyebrow. ]

[forbothofus]

[It would appear to be the latter, though there may be a predatory smile of his own hiding behind that sweet expression. Right now though, his priority is getting a scarf, and surely that’s not complicated?

Honestly the color doesn’t mean much. He wants to cover up this uniform; not accessorize it. But the scarf’s size, softness, and deep color remind him of the one Tenebrae gave him, and even if it’s not the same, he’d be grateful to feel that familiar warmth under his chin.]

Um… I’ll pay 180 for it. [Emil shrugs and smiles like it’s no big deal, because it isn’t really. Here or there, he’ll find one eventually. And it’s a lot lower than 250, right?] Is that okay?

[Whether that’s the actual going price or not, it’s a merciful rescue from the haggling! The shopkeeper nods, eyeing the other hero warily. Assuming Koon has no further objections, Emil will count out the appropriate coinage and add one scarf to inventory!]

C

[25thbaam]

Viole was walking when he caught a glimpse of the white uniform up the tree. His meandering walk along the festival was fun, but it was getting to be time to make his way back or else he'd miss curfew himself. Seeing the figure in the tree not minding the time made him stop and stare up at him. Opening his mouth to call out to him, he paused, wondering if he would be too high up for him to hear. Viole could climb up after him...

"Excuse me, Sir? It's getting close to curfew," He tilted his head back and called up to him politely.

Perhaps he could let him be, but his loudly squeaking companion had a different idea. His squirrely carrier jumped off of Viole's shoulder, chittering as he scampered up the trunk and leapt from branch to branch upwards into he was staring at Emil. Not wasting time, the tiny thing started chiding him in loud squeaks.

Viole, left staring up from the ground, covered his face with a hand. This was not how he wanted this to go...

[forbothofus]

Emil has been at the festival all day, and if he had a colle for every time someone said, 'Excuse me, Sir?' in his vicinity, he would be renting his own shop stall by now. He tunes out the words, and his tosker carrier doesn’t even stir from where he’s wrapped around Emil’s shoulders.

But a moment later, the tosker raises his head and his tail bristles out like a bottle brush. Feeling the fur tickle his neck, Emil reaches up to soothe him, only to find empty air as the carrier springs from his shoulders. "Pomelii?" He sits up and pauses when he hears squeaking nearby. Not Pomelii's voice.

Loud, frustrated chattering responds from behind him. That would be Pomelii. Emil looks around – when did it get so dark? – to locate both his carrier and the other animal before trouble can develop. Peering into the tangle of branches, he can see what appears to be a squirrel? Another tosker? It's hard to tell. He leans forward to get a better look.

[25thbaam]

The new tosker was more verbal than it's owner, coming right up and attempted to reprimand Emil for staring off into space. It would be so much more useful if it didn't just come out as squeaks and angry chitters. The loud sounds coming from higher up the tree told him that something was responding to Wangnan. If this continued like this, he wasn't sure what the loud duo of critters were going to do.

"Excuse me, Sir?" Viole tried again, cupping his hands around his mouth and directing it up into the mess of branches. He was usually very quiet, so having to raise his voice to be heard was new and embarrassing for him, hints of pink on his cheeks, even if his hair covers a great deal of it.

"Curfew will be soon."

[forbothofus]

This time, Emil catches the voice directed at him and looks down. Fortunately it’s winter and lack of foliage allows him to spot the man right away. Curfew? Oh, curfew! Is it that late already?

Emil swings his legs over the branch and slides down to the next limb. Once balanced, he makes his way closer to the trunk. While seeking the next step down, he's distracted by Pomelii's squeals of indignation, which may or may not translate as: Why are you abandoning this tree? Retreat is not acceptable! Stand your ground and defend your territory!

… Which is all excellent advice, but not when the Hall doors are closing and he still has to walk back. “Pomelii, come down.” His words are lost in the chatter, and he sighs.

Emil does not like raising his voice either, so he waits until he’s several feet from the ground. Then he leans over and calls down, "Is he yours?" He points at the other tosker. "Can you call him down?"

Because if he doesn't leave, Pomelii may not either, and Emil's not sure it's okay to return to the Hall without his phone pet.

a

[liberal_arts]

Such skill... -Kasen is definitely one to admire the preparation and presentation of the various offerings, leaning in to examine them as closely as he was allowed. Which was probably a lot closer than anyone was comfortable with, anyways, but how else could he truly gain an appreciation for the artist' technique?-

[forbothofus]

[Of course you have to get close! Art should be admired in detail. And this chef doesn’t mind.]

Really? Thank you! [Emil grins and gestures with a flour-covered hand to the other workstations.] You should see the others' work, too. Oh, this one, [he pushes forward a delicate, spongy cake with flower petals trimmed and arranged into a design around the edges.] This is a specialty from Ma Jiang. The texture is amazing! Have you seen anything like it?

[It’s hard to tell if that's a rhetorical question or not.]

[liberal_arts]

Flower arrangement is nothing new to me, but doing so through food like this is definitely new artistic territory. I wonder if I should try it...

[forbothofus]

If you want to, we’d love to have help. There are more cakes to finish decorating; do you want to give it a try?

[He doesn’t mention getting paid for the work because hey this is art! Who cares if we get paid or not?]

A!

[dualized]

The smell was what drew Marie to this particular booth, but what kept her rooted there was the skillful works of the help. Before the military had put her in it's ranks she'd been completely isolated from the world so this-- this was practically magic in her mind. Beautiful magic.

"I-I didn't know such things were possible." She can't help it- heer voice is filled with awe and wonder.

"But it would almost be sad to eat them."

[forbothofus]

Emil looks up from his work with a smile, surprised and delighted by the response. He hasn’t met many people in Caissa unacquainted with the craft. It’s always a lovely moment when someone is introduced to an art for the first time.

“Don’t worry. The design is meant to be part of the experience. People enjoy the sight and then the taste.” He looks over everyone’s work fondly. The dishes are made with the same recipes, yet each one has its’ own distinct details from an individual chef’s care. “I have fun making them so… I guess it doesn’t bother me if they get eaten and I have to make more.”

A ♪

[stagewhirl]

Emil's seemed in a good mood whenever he's left to start the day lately, but it takes one or two before Arashi gets to see what he's been up to in person. Attracted first by the creations on display, Arashi’s awed by how adorably everything's made, eyes sweeping over the cakes and veggies with an approving hum. But it’s looking up again to see whose handiwork it could be that earns a delighted gasp –

"So this is where Emil's been! ♪ You made these?"

[forbothofus]

“Arashi!” He greets his roommate with an enthusiastic smile. Since Emil has roamed the city every day and only returned to the Hall at night to sleep, he has not seen his roommates as often as he’d like.

“Ah, yes.” He reaches up to rub the back of his head modestly, but fortunately remembers he has flour on his hands. “I like to cook, so when they asked me to help out I was happy to.” He could easily be lifting crates like the others, but where’s the fun in that?

[stagewhirl]

"These could be contest winners, looking so wonderful~ ♥" But short of buying, Arashi's struck by Emil's confirmation instead, ambitious side rising awake.

"My goodness, I've been so swept up in seeing all the festivities here that I haven't taken part in nearly enough myself."

It's the first time in a bit that Arashi's been free to do so for events like this - and in a new world this time, no less! But while maybe the distractions and attractions are earned, keeping skills sharp is its own kind of rewarding....

"Could you use an extra set of hands making more today? "