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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I suppose the trouble is that those skills don't lend themselves so easily to a hobby. You could do puzzles.

[That seems a bit like a waste of time, though.]

But if this occupation satisfies your needs in some way, I wouldn't complain.

[Mostly because she gets to watch him stack up cinnamon instead of trying to manage it herself, a task which is liable to take ages and require more strength than she actually possesses.]

Perhaps you can be a sort of detective for satisfying conundrums. ...I don't mean menial labor - I mean like those people who take out advertisements claiming to be able to resolve all your worldly issues, whether it's a spat with your lover or a missing heirloom.

[ Mako lets out a surprised huff of laughter at the idea as he shoves the stacks onto a crate of flour in the corner. ]

What, like a therapist-slash-PI? I'll fix your marriage and your debt troubles in four weeks or less or your money back.

Well, probably not their money back, or that's a waste of time.

If Mako can't resolve your life crises, then they probably aren't solvable, anyway.

[Lysithea finishes fishing out the little satchels of powder from the tote bag.]

If it's all the same to you, though, perhaps you can stick with this line of work a little while longer.

Have you given the whole thing any more thought?

What, hobbies?

[ With all the cinnamon stacked up and ready to be stored, Mako pulls a bundle free and starts turning around, looking for—there. The mortar, a heavy thing he'd pulled from the market one day that he and Wu won't actually use. The accompanying pestle doesn't actually match, is definitely from a different set, but it doesn't matter. It's heavy and it'll get the job done, and Mako dumps a bunch of the sticks into it to start smashing them. ]

I don't know. Guess I got pretty caught up in the whole opening thing, and then this... I really wouldn't mind doing stuff like this all the time. What about you? Is actually running a bakery what you thought it'd be?

[Lysithea wordlessly hands him a pair of rubber gloves and apron in case he doesn't want cinnamon sparkles getting all over his hands and clothing.]

Yes and no.

[She pauses.]

You'll laugh, but I initially had some sort of fantasy where all the hard work just accomplished itself while I reaped the benefits of standing at a counter and handing out delicious sweets.

But I feel I've handled it adequately so far, if I might be so modest as to say so. If I can apply myself to learning magical theory day and night, I can do the same for baking technique - and basic economics - and... I suppose, engineering.

That one's not working out as well.

[Lysithea did have a sort of genius for learning new skills, even if she had rarely applied them to other pursuits in the past.]

[ Bless Lysithea for being so practical. Mako shoots her a small grateful smile and pauses his smashing to tug them on. ]

Don't think that makes you any different from Wu. He was willing to put in the work too, but I'm pretty sure he thought it'd be like... one mover-montage worth of cleaning and then just all shows all the time.

[ Smash, smash, it's kind of loud but at least it works and Mako isn't getting cinnamon all over his hands. He pauses again to tug his scarf up over his nose. ]

You don't need to engineer a cake, though. Why d'you need to know that?

No one offered to help install the oven.

[Lysithea responds flatly with the faintly injured tones of a martyr.]

It's not that difficult, of course. I mean, the principles of heat convection are the same in any world over. The issue is more...

[She makes a vague swooping hand gesture at the ceiling which is entirely uninterpretable, but which she intends to mean 'construction.']

Fortunately, somebody just responded affirmatively, so I think I'll allow them to take things from here.

...You don't have to do all of that, Mako. I technically just asked you for negotiations and accounting, you know.

Yeah, but I'm here, aren't I?

[ Translation: so I may as well, because working is the only thing I know how to do in order to show love.

Also, smashing cinnamon is kind of fun. ]

That is a weird thing about this place. Something I didn't think would carry over from Deerington. Everyone's so willing to help each other.

Does that mean you want to wash all the dirty dishes, too?

[Lysithea cheerfully gestures towards the sink overflowing with pans covered with crusty batter.]

Without making light of your contributions, though... thank you, Mako.

[A simple acknowledgment for a simple gesture.]

I believe we've all lived through what one might call a traumatic experience together. It was much the same with the war, really.

Sure.

[ Mako glances at them too, pauses, and then adds on: ]

With help. I didn't make all that mess.

But that's the thing, all these new people have the same impulse, you know? I get it when you say it like that, everyone who was in the dream knows what's at stake, but the new ones?

That was a joke. Don't wash the dirty dishes, Mako.

[Though Lysithea does file away the fact that Mako is willing to do absolutely anything she asks when in her employment.]

The new people?

[This she echoes with some surprise.]

...I haven't given that much thought. Apart from wondering why there are new people at all if we're divorced from Julia's dream and the need to seek her salvation. But surely -- well, Deerington always liked to bring in what I referred to as the 'hero-types.'

[This term definitely encompasses Mako. Lysithea seems to believe herself above it.]

Perhaps Trench, in an effort to promote its own welfare, prefers to bring in the helpful types.

You really think the city's some sentient thing?

[ It's actually kind of nice to have something to do with his hands while he thinks through this. Mako's been trying to pin down the patterns for weeks now and gotten nowhere fast. ]

I've been wondering about that, too. Why we're here. Why people are being yanked here. You'd figure there'd be some kind of pattern beyond "helpful people, probably." And if that was the rule, you wouldn't have a couple people who just... keep murdering everyone.

Something must be making a choice, right? Before it was Julia - and we know that her subconscious tried to draw in people to help her. Now... I suspect some Pthumerian or other must be involved.

[If Mako's going to actually try to do the dishes, Lysithea supposes she had better pre-empt that. Or at least assist. She turns on the water and begins to look under the sink for some more gloves.]

Let's, er, call Darth Maul an oversight. Not every choice is guaranteed to be perfect.

...Why do you think Trench is still drawing in people, then?

I don't have an answer that isn't more than half conjecture.

[ He leaves the but unspoken, because he does in fact have a theory. ]

I think this world needs us somehow.

Can't say how, and don't know why, but... you've heard how the locals talk about us. Like we're a step below the Pthumerians, even though we're just people. Nobody does anything as big and complicated as stealing people from other worlds without getting something out of it, so obviously us being here has to be doing something.

That, or I'm completely wrong and this is just some cosmic side-effect leftover from the dream. Like a faucet nobody can turn off.

Needs us?

[Lysithea pauses in the fitting of the gloves.]

Do you mean in a sort of cosmic... energy type of way or a more practical 'we can do something good here' way? I dimly remember there was some occasion where we realized we were powering the dream in some way, back in Deerington.

[The water comes on.]

If that's the case, it would probably work to our benefit to obfuscate that goal. I don't mind the helping bit, though.

My thinking was more the powering the dream part, but it'd be nice if we were helping.

[ Mako pushes the last of the cinnamon to dust, frowning at the fine particles everywhere like they have the answers. ]

I just... don't know if I trust the answer to be the nice one.

That would be an unpleasant scenario.

[She acknowledges, with a frown.]

All this about new beginnings and fresh starts in a new home and being who we want to be... It would be undercut by the revelation that we're some sort of generator for the survival of the city, wouldn't it?

[As she scrubs absentmindedly, she jerks her head in the direction of a cupboard.]

I've been storing the spices in there if you want to collect that in little pouches.

But really... we don't know enough to jump to the worst conclusions, either. [She gives a little smile.] The trouble is that we were right last time...

But last time, we had a lot more information. People had been looking into the way the dream worked before either of us showed up. Which... probably means we just have to give it time.

[ Mako could not possibly sound more bitter about that as he goes hunting for little sachets. ]

Hm.

[The sound of scrubbing fills the room for some spare moments.]

...Well, if we're just stalling for time, I suppose I might as well open this bakery.

[This lighthearted note is simply meant to convey that she hasn't the slightest idea of what they ought to investigate now.]

I'm amazed this is coming out of my mouth, but... in all seriousness, perhaps we should just allow things to develop and try to enjoy what's present. For now, I mean.

I think that's a lesson we're supposed to be learning.

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