video, un:charon

[notimeforfailure]

Good evening, all. I think this is what is termed a 'bandwagon.' However, as I imagine we will all be busy dead, dying, or in the process of resurrecting soon, I thought I had better commit before October.

I'm opening a bakery and sweets shop.

[Lysithea pans the camera to a table that is covered with pans filled with dozens of buns, cakes, and confections of different colors. It really looks extremely well done. One would imagine that Lysithea applies herself with the same intensity to any task she undertakes.]

Everything will be sourced from traditional Fódlan desserts, passed down through family histories and collected by hand in this book. I've realized that if I'm not the one who makes these treats, I'm... never going to taste them again. So I thought I should share.

[The view changes to an enormous tome currently open to a page titled Saghert and Cream in script prominently displaying a luscious picture of some kind of fruit and cream concoction. It really looks like this was drawn by hand.]

I'm baking from my room for now. If you want anything here, you can drop by or I'll bring it over. If you want delivery, you've got to get at least a dozen, because frankly, I'm not running all over town to give you one sweet bun. I'll open a proper location when it's not Death Month.

...Thanks.

[She signs off after a moment's awkward hesitation, as if she's not sure what to do next.]

[video pt 2, ten minutes later]

It's -- me again. Upon further reflection, I have no idea how to run a business, at all, apart from the portion where you confidently declare it in public.

I would... appreciate advice.

And help. If you are willing to be paid in cake.

Comments

[vibing]

[ Yuri watches her with a hand hooked on his hip, and snorts a laugh at that comment ]

Yeah, sure hope not.

[ Not that being Flynn is bad, but he could never be like Flynn, never be so uptight, so polite, so deferential. He wasn't always like that. They used to be a lot more alike.

He has some more rocks in his pocket if that one's not up to snuff ]

So what's the verdict, chef? You accept my humble rock?

[notimeforfailure]

You already ate my cake.

[Lysithea sighs and puts the Very Nice Rock on the counter. His fulsome praises went a long way towards her acceptance of... an actual rock.]

Let's call it a grand opening special. I think they have those. The question will be if I can get a vendor to take this rock in exchange for clothes, let's say.

[doubt]

But perhaps I don't fully appreciate this world's barter system. Would painting it purple be fraud?

[vibing]

I've bought a lot of nice stuff with rocks.

[ He plucks at the leather jacket he's wearing with a little grin ]

It's basically gald here. Rocks, feathers, other pretty stuff. Don't knock it til you try it.

But, hey, I'm not trying to get cakes out of you if you think it's an unfair price. What can I do to make it up to you?

[ And maybe earn another cake, please ]

[notimeforfailure]

I mean, I don't think you're wrong. I just don't see how anybody stays in business.

[Lysithea shrugs.]

All the merchants must just have sacks and sacks of rocks in their homes. If I collect enough, I can build the foundation of a new house with them.

You can consider it sufficient payment for the cake. If you want a regular supply, though, I'll probably want more than a steady stream of nice rocks. What skills do you have?

[vibing]

Hey, maybe that's what they're angling for.

Me?

[ Yuri thinks about it for a moment. He doesn't really have that many skills. He has two, and as much as he's cultivated those, well ]

Good with a sword, decent cook. You need any help making them, I can try to learn. Don't know Fodlan stuff, but I make a mean cake. I can carry heavy stuff, I guess, if you need someone to haul all the flour you need for this.

[ Okay, three skills. ]

[notimeforfailure]

Decent cook?

[Lysithea considers.]

...Cooking's different from baking, but... you could work for me for cake, if you'd like. I mean, if you're good. There are always tedious tasks that would be more quickly accomplished when divided.

And if you can actually make cake, you'd have a head start over the other people who've offered to help so far.

[vibing]

I can bake.

[ You know, cookies and cakes and stuff like that. Nothing fancy. But, working for cake? Sounds pretty great, even if there's a little Flynn voice in the back of his head saying that he should ask for an actual salary. No, thanks, Flynn. Money is for chumps. ]

Dunno your Fodlan stuff, but I could learn. I can make stuff from my world pretty well, though.

[notimeforfailure]

Hm...... I was planning to just make the recipes I know, but.

[Lysithea ponders and paces in the kitchen.]

Yes - that would be clever. Different articles representing different people's cuisines. We could start a project about this. Collect recipes or beloved desserts from all over. Release one a month. By building a connection with the community, we can build a better bakery.

Perfect.

You're hired. Come back in two days and bring me your... whatever-world-you-come-from techniques, a spirit of diligence and perseverance, and your ability to lift heavy things.

[...]

That second piece is important. I don't actually know you well, but I feel like I need to emphasize that.

[vibing]

Not a bad idea.

[ He thinks it's a great idea, really. He knows he'd be excited to see sweets from home, so he can't be the only one. And learning new recipes sounds fun. ]

I'm dying for a parfait. Is there even fruit here?

[ Yuri's never been hired before. It's kind of weird. He feels kind of weird about it but working with cake? Should she have asked more questions? Should he? Well, maybe neither of them know how this works ]

Yeah, yeah. I'll lift heavy stuff for you. Just point me where you need me to go.

[ If worse comes to worst? He's very fireable. ]

We'll be like the Wonder Chef.

[notimeforfailure]

I meant the diligence.

[hint hint]

But rumor has it that one of the major merchant ships should be arriving in two days, ahead of schedule. If we can get there early, we can grab some of the rarer luxuries - chocolate and spices and sugar.

Bring your best rocks.

...And what's a Wonder Chef?

[vibing]

Diligence? Sure. I can be diligent.

[ At least, he thinks so.

He should probably protest her assuming he's going to fund this venture, but... he's bad with money, and kind of hates money, so, whatever. Yeah, he'll bring his best rocks. ]

I'll grab some sugar for myself too...

[ He wants Blue to try cake, anyway. Lysithea's cake, sure, but he wants to teach Blue how to bake, too. ]

Wonder Chef? Weird guy. He would always disguise himself as something weird and if I found him, he'd teach me a recipe. [ JRPG logic ] Learned some good stuff.

[notimeforfailure]

[If they're working together, it's a joint venture!! Your success is my success. Your rocks are my rocks. It's not as if she isn't volunteering any of her own hard-earned... granular aggregates.]

I...

Don't understand.

Are you saying a man followed you around the world - you, and only you - hoping that you would find him on your path? While disguising himself?

What if you missed him somewhere? And -- can't you ask normal people for recipes, or was he the premier cook across the land? But how could he be if he spent his time following you in disguise?

[lysithea is from a jrpg and she is not amused]

[vibing]

Huh. Maybe he taught other people, too, I dunno.

[ Honestly, he never really thought about it. He considers her for a second, then shrugs. If he didn't put thought into it while it was happening, he isn't going to put thought into it now, either. ]

Wouldn't be the first stalker who followed me around. He had some good stuff, though. You know how to make sorbet? He taught me that one.

[ She certainly has a point ]

[notimeforfailure]

How truly bizarre.

[...Lysithea just looks at Yuri for a few moments with her lips slightly pursed.]

But no, I don't know how to make sorbet. I remember a luscious peach sorbet served in the school cafeteria when I was in the academy - but that requires ice magic.

I don't actually use those kinds of spells.

[vibing]

...I have ice magic. But I didn't, before. I know how to make sorbet the old fashioned way, no magic involved.

Hey, maybe I can try your magic sorbet.

[ Using his new powers to make sweets? Yes please. ]

[notimeforfailure]

Oh -- Coldblood?

[Lysithea is getting fairly familiar with the terminology by now. After a moment's pause, she reaches out past Yuri to grab the encyclopedia sitting on the table and eventually flips to an entry about Peach Sorbet.]

I think the ice will be less of a problem than the fresh peaches.

[But she slides it over to him. Like everything else in the Encyclopedia of Sweets, it looks delectable.]

[vibing]

True to its name.

[ He sure is tired of being cold all the time.

But that book looks great. Even though he doesn't like books. Books about sweets? That has to be good. ​]

Dunno, think you can use any fruit. Uh... are there fruits here? Been getting real into mushroom stuff, but I dunno if a mushroom sorbet sounds good, at all.

[ It's some shit Flynn would probably make ]

[notimeforfailure]

That would be what they say 'hard pass' in this world.

[Lysithea responds, not so diplomatically.]

We'll experiment. In the meantime... oh, just take some cakes. I'm looking forward to a profitable partnership.

[And Lysithea will slide over another little honeyed bun - and perhaps they can end on this positive note. Look forward to a lot of bossiness in the future, Yuri!]

[vibing]

[ Yuri takes it with a quirk of a smile on his lips. ]

You got it, boss. I'll be here.

[ And, you know, at the ship yard to haul all that sugar. He gives her a little wave as he bites into the honey bun (wow it's a really good bun), and makes his way back out the door ]