[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

[forbothofus]

[Emil counts out the coins, which takes a moment since he’s still accustoming himself to the new markings and textures. He hands over the correct amount with his best smile and such an earnest ‘thank you!’ one might wonder if the shopkeeper gave it to him for free. With no pack to tuck the scarf into, he drapes it over his shoulders. Much better! Then he turns to find the fellow who helped him…]

Thank you for your help! I appreciate it. [Have a brilliant smile; not because you saved him a hundred colle, but because you stopped to help a stranger, and that earns major friendship points.] I don't think we've met yet. I'm Emil.

[deceptions]

-- [ Ah, Koon's impression of this doe-eyed kid only grows, because he sees the overlap between this blond stranger and a particularly long haired friend. Just as naive, easily trusting, and --

He'll realize his mistake on the judge of character soon or later. ] Hm? [ Ah. Despite the fact that the entire act was done for himself rather than the stranger's, he still returns a small smile of his own. ] Koon. It's not a problem. I like doing it.

[forbothofus]

[Ignorance is bliss, right? Here, have more smiling!] It's very nice to meet you, Koon!

Really? You enjoy haggling? [He blinks in surprise. It's not really 'fun' to him - seems rather pointless when quoting a steady price is faster and easier for all involved.] Is it something you did often on your world?

[deceptions]

[ For now. He'll beat himself up when he finds out otherwise. ]

That's one way to say it.

[ But then he leaves it at that, easily diverting it to - ] Yeah - everyone starts learning it at a young age, where I'm from. Tourists have a hard time. [ Blatant lies from the jerk (he grew up in riches), but he executes it flawlessly. ]

It's helpful for times like these.

[forbothofus]

[Aye, this is off to a good start with all the lies! Fortunately, Emil isn’t the most perceptive either.]

Yeah. It’s not normal where I’m from… shops tend to get upset if you question their prices. [It must get annoying having to haggle every single time you just want to buy something… even groceries. He’s watched others barter for rare items, but trading is different. One of many things he’ll have to observe here.]

Are you enjoying the festival so far? [May as well scout out other reactions while he’s at it.]

[deceptions]

[ Don't take it personally, Emil - he's like that to everyone. ]

Ah- well, that's a shame. [ There's even a sigh here to emphasize Koon's sympathies towards the blond. ] It's not a bad skill to have handy.

[ The change in topic has him pause a moment, expression thoughtful. ] I guess it hasn't been too bad.

A little to soon, though, considering the last one was just a few days ago. [ But well, what can he do. ] It makes this "war" we're supposed to fight seem non-existent.

[forbothofus]

[The sympathy is noted, if still not understood. Emil will learn the technique if he must, but surely there are more direct ways to go about shopping?]

Is it bad for people to celebrate during wartime? It’s important to keep everyone’s spirits up. Besides, this is between Blanc and Noir, right? Ma Jiang isn’t involved, so why wouldn’t they come celebrate with us?

[He wants to stay out of the fighting, away from the war, as long as possible. While he’s here among the lights and merriment, his nightmares are far, far away.]