deercountry | patisserie lysitherie: preparations

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patisserie lysitherie: preparations

[a. video, un: charon, ota]

Good evening, Trench. The grand opening of... [she frowns as she says the next part] the Patisserie Lysitherie is currently scheduled for November 15th, pending any horrible Trenchian incidents. So most likely, November 30th.

As we prepare for transition into our new space, I'm seeking a few things.

First, Architects or anyone good with woodworking and metalworking to remodel the existing building and to install a few necessary appliances. I need more ovens. Anyone interested in helping with the business is welcome, too, of course.

Second, if any recreational businesses are interested in a steady supply of pastries - for instance, a café or a bookstore - I'm open to partnerships.

Third, if you've got a cake or a sweet from home you're just dying to experience, I'd like to start collecting recipes from all of you Sleepers. I began this business to revive my beloved nostalgic sweets, but I realize... I'd like to be able to bring that experience to others, too.

[b. Willful Machine, early November, ota]

Augh!

[There comes a loud explosion from a rather derelict building in the middle of the Willful Machine district. A half-dozen thumps and clangs follow. ...Then the upper story of the building drops about three feet, releasing an enormous plume of smoke that settles over wary shoppers and merchants. A girl covered in a thick layer of dust stumbles out ten seconds later and falls backwards on the ground.]

I suppose... that takes care of the rodent issue.

[The building belches out a gout of flame behind her.]

[c. Lysithea's home (Gaze), early November, for new and old customers, employees, or other general CR]

[With the bakery operations in full swing and the storefront not yet ready, Lysithea's home is in perpetual activity. Whether she's fulfilling orders, experimenting with new pastries, or bullying her employees, Lysithea works tirelessly to make her dream a reality. For the time being, her work as an Arcane Scholar in the School of Mutter is suspended as she focuses on her craft.]

Look out - hot pan behind you!

Yes, yes, of course - I can do a dozen mini-cakes for you by tomorrow; that won't be a problem.

Here to collect? If you would sign this form here and fill out what you plan to trade...

You've procured the cinnamon? Wonderful! How much did it cost us? Did you have to give up the hematite?

[Regardless of why you're here, she'll open the door with smudges of honey and chocolate all over her face and an exhausted, though satisfied expression.]

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my brother and i have been traveling for so long that i don't remember much of my home anymore.

[ that's the nature of their journey, she supposes, and the eventual reality that faces her when they finally leave teyvat. ]

i would, if you don't mind.
that would at least give me an idea on what i can expect if i were to do the trading myself.

Ah, I see. So your place of origin is too far removed for it to really be considered a home.

[Although at this point, Trench is probably more 'home' for Fodlan for her.]

Let's resume this conversation in person tomorrow, then. My name is Lysithea, by the way - Lysithea von Ordelia.

you could say that. i don't think i could even count how many years since we've left.

[ not that it matters anymore, anyway. as long as she has her brother, then she can make do with any world. ]

my name is lumine. it's nice to meet you.
where should i find you, then? the docks?

[Judging from her words, she has a feeling that this person is much older than she thinks they are.]

Let's meet at... [and here she notes a particular landmark at the entry to the docks, a warehouse with a distinctive red and white striped door.] ...at around 1PM. Is that acceptable?

[ oh lysithea ]

yes, very acceptable.
if i can't find it, i guess i can just ask around the docks, right?

Anyone can point the way.

[And with that, Lysithea signs off. The next day at the appointed hour, having finished a nice meal of small sandwiches, Lysithea awaits her new acquaintance. Lumine will find a relatively diminutive girl with silver hair and a penchant for the color purple waiting at the landmark by the docks.

She is dressed in practical clothing and holding a large satchel.]

[ truth be told, this little trip is another distraction of sorts. for lumine who's been feeling antsy and unsettled lately, this is another way for her to keep her wits sorted out and her mind in a good place. the trench hasn't been friendly to her lately, and she's not dealing with its hostility well. and so she's hoping this will be fruitful, at least.

she recognises the other girl immediately from the video feed, her pace quickening as she approaches her. then again, lumine thinks that she would spot her anytime in a crowd, that silver hair a little too unique. ]

Lysithea? [ she greets her with a faint smile, holding her hand out. ] I'm Lumine. It's nice to meet you in person.

The pleasure is mine entirely, Lumine.

[Lysithea shifts her package to shake Lumine's hand, a piece of etiquette she does not usually practice in Fodlan that she has come to accept as normal here. In person, there is a crispness to her motions that suggests that Lysithea is ready to begin conducting business.]

Is this your first time seeing the docks?

[ that's fine. friendly greetings aside, lumine knows that they're here for a reason and it's not necessarily a casual excursion. she gestures at the other girl to lead the way while she'll follow after all, still unfamiliar with some of the areas of the trench. ]

I've only been here a couple of times but only because I was doing deliveries or running errands, so I've never really stopped to look around.

[ doing odd jobs requires speed, after all. she can't dawdle around. ]

It's not a very nice place for sightseeing, in truth.

[Lysithea smiles a bit ruefully.]

The ground rules are, mind your wallet and mind your business. The people here like their privacy. Even if you see a, ah... small child looking abandoned - it's best to just offer a bit of food and leave them be.

[Lysithea had learned that the hard way when she had been (politely) mugged on her second visit here. Thankfully, it had been more of an exploratory venture and she had been carrying very little of her trade goods on her.]

Stay close - we're going to go see a man named Acheron who deals with luxury spices. I'll ask about the soy beans, though it won't be in his purview.

[ aah, just like willful machine, then. where she's almost lost a day's wages back when she first wandered around the area.

seems like trench is the same wherever she goes, but she supposes that that makes sense, given the kind of city it is. still, she nods at lysithea; if it's pickpockets, she can handle that, at least. ]

Of course. I'll just watch how you do it, just in case he's wary of strangers.

[ she'd like to trade with these people too, but that will only happen if she's managed to get on their good side. ]

Have you been in this city for a long time?

As long as anybody else.

[Lysithea gives a small shrug.]

Although - that's not entirely true. I appeared on the shores a few days after the first of the refugees from Deerington arrived, from what I pieced together. I went home first - for four years, from my perspective.

Only a few days here.

Have you only just arrived?

[Lysithea begins to lead the way through the murky and somewhat unhygienic district, walking with confidence and surety while holding her bag close to her body. It was the best way to avoid becoming a mark.]

[ as long as anybody else ... that doesn't really give her a concrete answer. but then, knowing a few people who have also established themselves here already, she supposes that lysithea's the same. but she says nothing about it, simply walking after the other girl and keeping her focus all around her. ]

Very recently, yes. A few of my friends seem to have arrived here before I did, however.

[ which helped, in a way. though even they themselves seem to be as confused as she was and could really only give her answers that she could find out herself. ]

It's a very ... strange world, I'd say.

[ none of the other worlds she's been to was ever like this. ]

It is not... [Lysithea pauses delicately, searching for the right phrase.] a friendly world. No one is going to shield you from its dangers. But it is a world of possibilities - if you can find your footing. I hope that we Sleepers can look after each other well enough that those possibilities will bear fruit.

[She skirts down a narrow alleyway and pauses to carefully step over a sleeping cat.]

If you're new, have you gotten your bearings yet, then? Do you know about blood - and corruption and monsters? Or the Pthumerians - or the history of the previous town that led to this place?

[ how optimistic, while lumine here still dreams of being able to find a home for her and her twin. they may have reunited in the trench, but she can't imagine settling down here with him. ]

In a way, I think.

[ enough information to tide her over, to know what she's dealing with. there's only so much information she can gather from everyone around her, and even then, there are still some reluctance with others to talk about what's happening.

she gives it a beat, looking thoughtful even as they navigate their way through the docks. ]

... How does a person's corruption start? How does one know they're going down that path?

Regrettably, I think it might be difficult for the afflicted to be aware of the process. [She considers.] In fact, that might very well be a hallmark of the whole ordeal. Only the very self-aware would recognize that they were going mad.

I believe I knew, after the fact, that I was experiencing some of the effects, but in the moment, I was simply overwhelmed by my emotions.

[Lysithea speaks in a matter-of-fact tone, though there is something about her body language that becomes a bit stiffer - she is facing away from Lumine now.]

Be wary during the first few days and the middle of the month. That's usually when Trench invents some ordeal to put us through. Ghosts or evil girls in wells and what not.

[ if she notices that anything's off about lysithea, lumine says nothing about. it seems like a touchy subject for a lot of people in the trench, and she understands why that would be. which is also why she's hoping to be as objective as she can with her questions. ]

So there is a pattern to the incidents and occurrences in the city. It seems that we'll have to prepare for what's to come soon.

[ if one can ever be prepared. after all, even now, she can't imagine what she could've or would've done to prepare herself against cloverfield's curse. there doesn't seem to be a way to circumvent what these deities can do. ]

Evil girls in wells?

Time.

[She gives a nod.]

The beginning of the month is when arrivals wash up on the shores. Generally, there's... something alarming to greet them. Parasites possessing fish as you probably saw recently. Or the previous month, it was ... an evil spirit in a well.

[This was inexplicable. So she does not attempt to explain.]

About ten days into the month is when something happens to affect the entire city. This is a pattern repeated from Deerington - I think it suits the Pthumerians to test us in some way.

Deerington ... the dream world, right?

[ created by the girl who was sleeping and dreaming, pulling everyone into a reality she designed. it's a concept that lumine still doesn't understand, even with all her experiences of traveling through different worlds and planets.

but she supposes it's not so different from teyvat, considering the kind of world it is. ]

Do we know what they're testing us for, though? Giving us these powers, making us face and deal with weird occurrences and incidents. [ coaxing them into settling into this city as their new home. ] Were there any clues from the previous town everyone was in?

[Lysithea turns around now to make a face.]

No.

There seems no rhyme or reason whatsoever. I would say... that facing our fears and regrets and those we left behind was beneficial in some way back in Deerington. Our presumed goal was to save that girl, after all, and honing us into... stronger, more capable versions of ourselves would suit the goal.

I haven't the slightest idea what good it does here.

[Lysithea begins to slow in her brisk stride as the wooden slats of the docks appear before them.]

The powers make sense, though. If we are to assimilate into this world, we need to follow its rules.

[ she can't exactly argue with that. it's the same when she woke up in teyvat, powerless and forced to assimilate into its laws and powers. though all it did was highlight how much of an outsider she was, perhaps its one difference from the previous world she was in. ]

But wouldn't it make more sense if they also took away powers that didn't belong in this world?

[ even now, she still possesses the elements she assimilated in teyvat, which is rather puzzling. after all, it doesn't seem like a world that's governed by any element other than blood. ]

... I suppose having it is useful, anyway.

Ah. I've had the same thought. And, actually... mine are significantly weaker.

[Lysithea shakes her head slightly.]

Which was initially a grave disappointment to me, as somebody who's spent her life seeking the most powerful magic known to my world. I think there are ways that inherent abilities can be adapted, though. Elemental control is in line with coldblood, for instance. I've spoken to somebody who has claimed that the blood magic has only served to heighten their elemental power.

[She finds this very unfair.]

As for myself, I've yet to discover a manifestation of my blood magic, so perhaps my abilities are incompatible.

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patisserie lysitherie: preparations

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