01 - Bake a Pretty Cake (ota)

[firsteditionbfs]

WHO: Angeal and whoever wants to bother a man throughout a week
WHAT: Roosters and bread oh my
WHERE: Town
WHEN: The vague existence of October
WARNINGS: none planned

SUMMARY: As a practical man with goals, Angeal has a lot of things he wants to do to make sure his household is doing okay. This means things like re-establishing his bakery, and carrying a rooster. The rooster is important. Don't worry about it.

A - Agriculture

While the autumn air makes things somewhat cool, that doesn't seem to be a matter that's bothering Angeal as he pushes a wheelbarrow along the more residential streets, filled with dirt. He does take a break occasionally as he goes about his business constantly, sometimes carrying little bags on top of the dirt. "You would think dragons could have better timing, rather than right at fall," he says during such a break to anyon who joins him. There's the faint glimmer of gold up along his hairline, horns that are just starting to appear. He doesn't seem happy about it.

B - Bakery Remade

For those making their way through Town today, they may come across one of the empty not-residential buildings with its doors wide open. There are a variety of encounters to be had with this simple fact...

For example, early morning may find anyone passing directly in front of the doors having a face full of dust. Angeal's voice comes from inside. "Ah, shit, sorry. You alright? I was just cleaning this place out. Need something to get the dust out of your mouth?

By noon, a pleasant smell is wafting out of the newly cleaned out bakery. Anyone is welcome to step right inside, as the doors have been left open for the time being. It's not a big fancy place or anything, but there are a couple of tables for anyone who'd like to sit, and a good amount of space behind the counter. Angeal is hard at work kneading more dough as bread bakes in an oven, fairly content with how things are going for the time being.

When evening finally rolls around, Angeal can be found relaxing right outside the bakery with a decently sized piece of wood in his hands that he is making a commendable go of carving words into. "I should have asked for a smithy," he says casually to anyone who slows down enough to linger. "I don't know anything about woodcarving."

C - Cock

Angeal has a rooster tucked underneath his arms at the market.

None of the locals are batting their eyes about this.

Other people at the market, however, may have different reactions. They may especially have different reactions when the roster (otherwise being a pissy little football hisses at them.

"Sorry about that," Angeal says casually. "He's not happy about the situation."

D - Do Whatever

[The wildcard catch all option, for interacting with Angeal however you want]

Comments

B - evening

[amaratha]

[In the late afternoon a red Tiefling steps through the doors of the bakery, initially passing by Angeal without comment- he looks like a guy on break, so she’s not gonna bother him- and making a circle around the premises within with noises of wonderment. Wow! Bread! It smells great! Etc. etc.

Eventually, Absinthe’s mind drifts towards buying some of these baked goodies for herself, which means finding someone to talk to about payment. And there's nobody in the store that she can see. She could just try to steal the bread, but it’s an unnecessary risk when she can go next door and sweet-talk other food out of an NPC storeowner for free. And she does know there’s someone right outside, even though she didn’t stop to talk with him the first time.

She will now. Absinthe pokes her head back out to look at Angeal, her expression friendly, slightly quizzical.]

Hi! You’re the baker here? [Then, taking in his struggle with the sign:] Damn. Do you want to try painting it instead?

[firsteditionbfs]

Painting would probably be the smarter idea, but I don't got paint money, and so here we are. Well, I'll get a handle on it sooner than later, I think.

[He's always been a quick learner. And he's currently the owner of a whole new establishment, so Angeal sets the hunk of wood to the side and pushes himself up onto his feet.]

But that can wait. Yeah, I'm the baker. Decided on what you want? Although I suppose I don't have too much of a fancy selection here.

[Basic goods only, instead of fancy dessert.]

Name's Angeal, by the way.

[amaratha]

You don’t have paint money? You got a whole bakery, though!

[She feels like if he can set up this whole place he should have had the money for paints at some point, and besides, if he has a business he can make paint money. Conveniently, this is where she comes in. Angeal’s selection may not be as extensive as a metropolitan bakery, but good bread is good bread and she's not complaining.]

I’m Absinthe! I was wondering what your prices are. And what you might be looking for, cus’, y’know, not a lot of coins going around here. [At least for now, Town seems to be more of a barter or goodwill-based economy, which has its pros and cons.] What if I found someone who could trade paints for some of your bread, would that work?

[firsteditionbfs]

Yeah, because Charlie decided he wants to be helpful. Found me a place and is letting me work things out.

[Which is a lot more good than some other gods, probably, although Angeal has to admit that this is mostly because his experience with gods is pretty minimal. Doesn't really matter. For now, Angeal just leans against the doorframe and lets her make her spiel.]

If you could find me some paint for a bit of bread, I'll even through in some pies along with whatever you were looking for, frankly, because that would be a pretty impressive trick. So long as you like pears and apples, anyway.

[amaratha]

[Tough bargain, asking her to deliver the paints directly instead of just finding someone who has it. But throwing in the extra pies balances it out, and though she grumbles at Angeal’s counteroffer, the way her tail switches at the mention of pies perhaps gives it away that she doesn’t mind fruit pies at all.]

I can take a crack at it!

[Her confidence is short lived; as she looks over the rooftops and to the sun hanging low in the sky. She can talk a good game, but she's also smart enough to start seriously thinking about what it's going take to accomplish this before she goes rushing out the door. If she wants the pies today, she only has a few hours before the shops close.]

Well… is this offer still valid tomorrow, or is it a today-only thing? Best time to hit the shops is in the morning, unless you're on a time crunch.

[If Angeal insists, she'll still take a shot at it, though. She's already thinking of a couple places to try, a couple offers to pitch.]

[firsteditionbfs]

[Oh, good. There's a little bit of thinking in that skull of hers. Angeal chuckles, making sure the sign is propped up properly against the wall before he dusts off his pants.]

You can give it a shot tomorrow if you want. That'd give me more time to make a proper pie anyway, get it all nice and fancy looking. Even if I don't have all the supplies I'm used to, I can still do that much with a pie.

[And he'd like to still do some fun little things with baking besides just the bare essentials. Liven up their lives a little.]

But for tonight, it's just bread, right? Bringing it home to anyone else, or is it just you?

[amaratha]

That works for me! You have a deal.

[She can definitely accomplish that; if she absolutely fails at sweet-talking the paint-havers out there she can just buy it with coin, now that she has the luxury of going home and amassing all the change and barter-able items she would realistically need. The satisfaction of sealing a good deal puts a spring in her step immediately as she ducks back into the bakery to hear Angeal discuss his wares. ]

Nope, just me, though I might end up sharing some pieces with the neighbors or a dog or something, I think we're all trying to help each other for the most part. [That's the vibe she gets, and when being nice is popular it's easy to do so.] What's your favorite bread? They all smell good.

[firsteditionbfs]

Well, I'll agree with that. We don't really have the luxury of bickering about stupid things, when your neighbor could be the one to help you out when you don't have anymore firewood.

[Unless you're in the XV cast, which apparently leaps straight to murder, but Angeal doesn't know anything about that yet. If he has his way, he will know the bare minimum of the XVs, if he absolutely must.]

[But that's a problem for Future Angeal. In the present, he settles behind his counter and considers things.]

Personally... A good sourdough wouldn't be a bad thing for now. It's good and dense, so it won't be too bad accompanying anything else you eat alongside it. But if you want something that's a bit more flexible, the barley is a classic.

[amaratha]

[Well, the XV cast seem like something special, all right.]

Sourdough sounds good. I’ve got some sausages from the market to eat it with.

[She has it in a little brown bag spotted with grease, and she rustles it to show.]

Do you want some? Or do you prefer coin? I should have enough…

[She starts checking her pockets, because again, weird semi-currency-semi-barter economy. She knows she’s got coin, she’s just got to… extract them from the other bric-a-bracs that she’s received from trade or payment. With her non-bag-holding hand, she pulls out a handful of coins mixed in with springs and hinges, a candle, an old brooch. Stuff like that.]

[firsteditionbfs]

[Sausages or coin... Truly something to ponder. Probably Angeal could just find who's making it as the local butcher - or something done on their own, they're all doing that sort of thing - and make that personal deal himself. It's a pretty simple and easy enough one, he knows from experience. Food for food.]

[But on the other hand...]

Got coin already, huh? Find someone who's paying you for some work, here, or was it something you had on hand?

[He's kind of curious. Especially with all the other things she pulls out of her pockets.]

[amaratha]

I'm helping out at the town tinsmith’s to start. Fixing up jewelry, locks, that sort of stuff. Gotta start somewhere, you know?

[She might look like she fits the trade, scrappy and young. She doesn't mention she picked up the skillset fencing stolen goods.]

[Pensively,] Though, I didn't know getting a shop set up was that easy.

[firsteditionbfs]

Well, good for you. Always good to have a place you can start out at, especially when you never know if the owner has family they'd rather pass things onto.

[He can remember that sort of problem well enough, back in Banora. Ah, small town living.]

Anyway, the sausage will taste good with the bread, so you just keep that for yourself. I won't ask too much in turn. [A small grin.] Just what you think the bread is worth. We're all in this together, so it's not like I'm going to commit highway robbery.

[But it will be good to have a bit more money on hand. He has a feeling it may come in handy in the future.]

But yeah, surprised me too. I thought I'd have to do a little more work to get something like this set up... but it seems Charlie is invested in us. Not like we're lacking room, right?

[amaratha]

Maybe he’s hoping we’ll become like his “Charlie’s Heroes”~

[So close and yet so far from Charlie’s Angels being canon in Kamurkia.]

Yeah, well, that’s why it’s called “highway robbery”. Not great to do it in town where you might see the guy you robbed next week. [She picks through her handful of trinkets contemplatively as she speaks, and eventually counts out some coins to place on the counter. It is to her a fair amount, enough to buy a simple meal down at the local tavern.]

This look fair to you?

[firsteditionbfs]

I hope not, I just want to retire and bake.

[It's why he's here! He's done his time, free him from the JRPG mines, that shit never goes well.]

[Still, that's something they're all just going to have to wonder about for a while longer, and see how it all plays out. Angeal has a feeling they don't really have too much room to wander around much, although he hasn't had a chance to go exploring more indepth. For now, he just patiently watches as she works through her trinkets, leaning over when she's done. Just one coin gets slid back to her, and then he's taking the rest as he steps back.]

Yep, fair to me. Hold on, I'll get you some of the warmer loaves, should stay good with you until you get home.

[He's got ample choice there, at least, considering they just started up all today.]

Think we can wrap up after this?

[amaratha]

[She hasn't done all her time in the adventuring mines, so she's still keeping an eye out for something exciting (but not too intense, she's not really the type to sacrifice her life fighting a god) to do. In another canonpoint, she'd very much agree with him.

Absinthe claps her hands together, very much looking forward to dinner now.]

Yes please! And thank you.

[Alongside the anticipation of dinner, she sets aside tomorrow for getting that paint as Angeal wanted. The pleasant-enough exchange provides enough motivation to make it more of a priority than it previously may have been.]