The Mayors of Cake Town

[leekspins]

WHO: Orihime Inoue, Shinjiro Aragaki, OPEN
WHAT: Cake Town opens its doors to the public! It is a magical place full of cake, as expected. It also has crepes, bread, donuts, and other things to eat, as well as some games and prizes. Those who received a VIP pass get to show up an hour early for an exclusive tour, a free pass to eat anything they want for the whole day, and can even bring a guest.
WHEN: November 5th, 2017
WHERE: Genessia City - CAKE TOWN (click the link for a full description)
NOTES: This bakery is made for hijinks and stupidity. Please bring some with you.

[VIP TOUR]
[From 8 to 9 a.m., Orihime extended a special invitation to those who had helped her protect the bags of flour and sugar she purchased preemptively. But honestly, she's not picky about what time anyone decides to show up, since the tour is just an added bonus. People can even come earlier if they're really excited, since Orihime's been up and working since 4 a.m. How else is she going to ensure that all of the bread and donuts are fresh? Cakes, at least, have a much better shelf life, she worked on those a few days in advance. She can see them coming through the bakery's big glass windows, and hastens to meet them at the door with a sunny greeting. Come inside, have a crepe, see everything behind the scenes! Do not jam your fingers into the kitchen machinery and sue the bakery for billions, please!]

[FOOD]
[Let's be real. Most people are here for the goods, especially the free samples. Those samples are plentiful, with cubes of cake lightly frosted and served on toothpicks. One can do the same to sample the different loaves of bread as well, so customers can familiarize themselves with what Cake Town has to offer and better choose their favorites. Kids even get free donuts! But Orihime's a total pushover, it wouldn't be hard to wheedle for a free donut even if you're not a kid. Shinjiro is manning the crepe station, serving hot fresh crepes to be filled with whatever the customer wants from the topping bar. It's entirely possible to fill up from free samples alone, and there seems to be plenty.]

[GAMES]
[A. Every bakery item purchase gives you not only one of their punchcards, but a spin on the lottery wheel filled with 100 colored marbles. Fifty of them are white and will win you a free donut. Twenty-five are blue and win you a free piece of cake. Fifteen are green and worth a free box of one dozen donuts, nine are red and net you a free cake. But the GOLD marble will win you the giant stuffed animal that Orihime got from the newspaper puzzle. And there it is, hung up on the wall, cute as a button: A GIANT HAPPY BANANA! Don't you want to take it home and cuddle up with it? Give it a shot, and a d100 will be rolled to see what marble color you get. The more spins taken on the wheel, the better the odds of claiming the grand prize!]

[B. From noon until 1 p.m. there's a cupcake decorating contest, the end of which will have the best cupcake voted on by whoever's in the bakery at the time. Whoever wins will take home a free cake of their choice from the bakery case!]

[C. Every half hour, there's a cake walk where people can stand on colored footprint-shaped pieces of paper. The owners bring out the radio from the back and play a tune, stopping it abruptly. FREEZE! Then they call out a number and if it's your number, you win a free cake! If it's not your number, have a free donut, and try again next time!]

[ORDERS]
[Order forms for upcoming birthdays, special events, or even just to try something new are set out for anyone who wants something they don't currently have in stock. There's also a blackboard where people can write up events they want to host inside the bakery, like Gwen's weekly Dungeons and Dragons game.]

Comments

[VIP TOUR]

[mortal_son]

[ Shinjiro was there right at 4am, helping bake in the back until it was pretty close to opening. Then, he was out front at the crepe station, prepping it to serve whoever would show up early and care for some.

So, when the first VIP guests lined up - he was ready. And, since they were here to see the place - if you asked super nice, he might show you a thing or two, also.

Order up for crepes, folks! ]

[initia_nova]

[VIP TOUR - OTA]

[Scott doesn't come too early or too later, he comes right in time because that's the kind of person he is. Orihime and Shinjiro did a great job and he's amazed at how inviting and warm the bakery feels like. The smell also reminds him of better times, lazy Sunday morning with his parents.

He's staring at the strange murals, he can't help it. They're oddly fascinating, specially the ones with the robots.]

[FOOD - By the creeps station ]

[Is the smell what first draws Scott towards the station and the view what makes him stay. He had no idea that Shinjiro was going to be the one making the creeps and Scott waits for his turn patiently.]

Congrats on the new job. The place looks awesome.

[mortal_son]

[ Making crepes wasn't so difficult, Shinjiro thought. And he certainly made it look pretty easy. Pour the batter out on an empty surface, watch the group of crepes cooking at different times with a sharp eye. Flip them when they're the right color around the edges. More careful watching. Then - flip onto a plate, and a happy customer has a crepe!

His hands move steadily, confidently. He's not too fast, but he's certainly never hesitates.

That is, until he sees Scott in his line. Then, he pauses, just for a moment. ]

... Yeah. Orihime did a great job.

And it sure beats the grocery store.

[initia_nova]

That for sure. Less annoying customers demanding you to fill up grocery bags and more happy ones.

[There aren't a lot of people waiting in line because Scott got an invitation for the VIP tour, so he imagines he can chat with Shinjiro for a bit without causing trouble.]

That smells amazing, I didn't know you were a cook. [Scott gives him a sheepish look.] I can't cook to save my life. Mostly, I live out of salads, fruit, simple dishes and take out.

[mortal_son]

Yeah, and anybody who gives me or Orihime a hard time? I get to kick 'em out.

[ Mostly people who gave Orihime grief, really. Because anyone who was mean to her had to be some kind of asshole, he figured.

... Shinjiro looked down at the crepes, rather than at Scott. Any color on his cheeks was because of the hot griddle, really. He shrugged. ]

It's nothin, really. This kinda thing's pretty easy, if you're payin attention.

[ He might be paying a lot of attention to Scott's crepes, actually. He's a good friend, he should make sure they turn out excellently. ]

... Least you got the salads and fruit in there.

Long as you got th' right nutrition? You ain't gotta be some kinda chef to be healthy.

[ .... And Scott is eating well enough, right? He gets a stern look, now. ]

[VIP Tour]

[leekspins]

Aren't they amazing?!

[Orihime darts right up to greet him, being especially delighted when she sees where his gaze landed. She's so proud of the wall paintings you don't even know.]

I thought it would make our cafe more memorable. I know if I were a kid, I would have been very excited to go to the bakery with the robots on the wall, or the cake warriors!

[Clearly she prefers fun over class, there's no way any other respectable bakery would try to be even half this weird.]

Do you want to see the kitchen, or would you rather eat something first?

[VIP Tour]

[initia_nova]

[He turns to her immediately, a smile growing on his face.]

They're really cool. Not something I expected to see here, It's going to catch people's interest for sure.

[As a kid, Scott would have liked that too so he could see her point.] Did you paint them yourself? The kitchen's turns sounds good. I'm more interested on seeing the bakery than abusing your hospitality by eating all the sweets, promise.

[VIP Tour]

[leekspins]

Me?! Oh no, no, not me!

[She laughs, waving her hands.]

I just asked for them when I filled out the application. My best friend Tatsuki-chan is much more accomplished as an artist, so if she ever shows up here, I'll ask her to do some art for me!

[Orihime won't hold her breath, though. It actually seemed kind of miraculous that Uryuu had shown up here, she wasn't expecting to have any others appear from her world.]

Anyway, you're not abusing my hospitality at all, I want to see if you like what we made. Pick anything you want from the case, grab a napkin, and I'll show you around the kitchens!

[chocobosnap]

[Games - A]

[He's curious because of the whole crowd at the bakery, and he'll be good and purchase a loaf of bread for his room. That means, he wants to spin the wheel, round and round to see what he gets!]

[Food]

[Okay, everyone has weak moments and he can't help but sample two different cake squares with a pleased hum. It is definitely delicious.]

[Games]

[leekspins]

[The marbles rattle noisily in the wire mesh chamber until one of them rolls down the chute and clatters into the box.]

[Prompto's marble is green!]

AH! Lucky!

[Orihime holds it up high so everyone can see.]

You won a free box of one dozen donuts! Do you want to pick them out right now, or would you rather have a coupon to choose them later?

[chocobosnap]

Whoa, that's a lot of donuts.

[He laughs a little.]

Th-thanks. I'll take the voucher. For um, later.

[leekspins]

Okay! Just a second...

[Orihime opens a drawer under the register to take out a pad of paper, and writes: ONE FREE BOX OF DONUTS! Approved by Inoue Orihime.]

What's your name? Just to make sure no one tries to steal your voucher and use it without your permission.

Tour & Cupcake decorations & Mingling [Open]

[clevermind]

[Belle arrives in the morning for the VIP tour. She's excited to see what Shinjiro and Orihime have created together. She remembers Shinjiro's worries about the bakery but after meeting Orihimie Belle really doesn't think that he has anything to worry about.

She gets herself a crepe and takes a look around.]

It really is amazing.

[She finds herself interested with the process and the machines. She's never seen anything like this before.

Mid morning Belle disappears to help out with the Bake Sale that's going on the library. She had already promised her help there and she is true to her word. She remains for a few hours before returning to the bakery to see how Shinjiro and Orihime are doing. She manages to arrive just in time for the middle to end of the cupcake decorating contest. She ends up pulling together something quick, the cupcake looks like a cute cartoon wolf and Belle decides to name it after Shinjiro after he'd worn wolf ears to Halloween.]

Tour (but she totally wins the cupcake contest)

[leekspins]

[It doesn't take Orihime all that long to realize Belle's fascination with machinery. Once this perception kicks in, she alters the tour to get a closer look at all of the various machines they use in the back, careful to issue the appropriate warnings so her guest doesn't get hurt.]

The dishwasher is really amazing. I didn't know dishes could get clean so fast! Here, look, I'll demonstrate.

[She hoses some of the pink icing off of one of the big mixer beaters in the sink, then hefts the beater onto a hardy square tray fashioned out of green plastic. She pushes this into the square dishwasher, pulls the lever to lower the shields, and pushes the button. The dishwasher whirs to life with the sound of pressurized water pelting the inside. Thirty seconds later, the light changes from red to green, and Orihime raises the shield to release big puffs of steam. The tray rolls out, and the beater is completely clean.]

All I have to do is let it dry for a few minutes. It saves so much time!

Tour (Awww)

[clevermind]

[Belle's smile widens when Orihime begins to explain more about the tools around the kitchen. She's rather skilled with cooking, perhaps not all of the types of recipes that she's learned about here, but she's grown up making dinner for her father.]

Can it really clean everything?

[Her eyes widen when Orihime shows off the dishwasher.]

That's amazing!

[Belle claps her hands together.]

It looks like something you'd need here if you're to cook everyday.]

[leekspins]

Anything that fits! The water pressure is super-high-pressured, so it just blasts off food and frosting in no time flat! Sanitizes everything too, and that's important.

[She hastens to the next machine.]

This one slices a whole loaf of bread! Just put the loaf on this end, and because it's slanted, gravity pretty much does the work for you. All these blades move at the same time, and the sliced loaf comes right out on this end! I have to cut French bread and baguettes beforehand, though, since they wouldn't fit otherwise. And this one shrink-wraps items in plastic, come see!

Ayame - Food Samples

[zenoh]

[ With her new shop in Nova City coming soon, Ayame is a little pressed for time to really stay at one place for too long. But she has a soft spot for Orihime that she made time to at least show up, sample the baked goods and to congratulate her friend in this new venture. She didn't even have a lot of time to change into something more approachable, showing up in a business suit of her own creation, and sticking out from the crowd of casual clothes-wearing customers.

Still, Ayame took a few samples of cake and found them all to be quite exquisite. Whatever worries and stresses of the day she's had so far is gone, especially with a cup of black coffee she washes all those sweets down with. She has yet to meet Shinjiro, so she figures to try out the crepes a bit. In the meantime, she sits alone by a table next to the window, observing the store and the customers that come and go ]

[leekspins]

How is it?

[Orihime has a wet cloth in her hands, having just wiped down one of the tables after a customer departed. She's glad so many people turned up for this, especially the ones she already knows.]

I admit the coffee probably isn't that fancy. But I hope it complements the cake well!

[zenoh]

You and your friend are gifted in the baking arts. I quite enjoyed the cakes.

[ Ayame smiles. Their last conversation had Ayame in a despondent state, but now that it's all over and she had the opportunity to rise from her fall, her demeanor has changed overall. She certainly looks and sounds happier, and more at peace with herself despite sitting alone ]

The coffee fits the cakes just fine, but I have contacts in coffee distribution business. I can put you in line with them should you be interested in getting fresh beans from a different company.

[ AFTER ]

[mortal_son]

[ It was a really long day.

After making crepes in the morning - and going to drop off stuff for the bake sale, and the mess at the charity auction - and then helping out the Guardian office in the afternoon - and then returning to help close down the bakery and clean up in the evening -

Shinjiro was really wiped out.

But he was so, so very satisfied with how everything went. Pleased with the success - Orihime's store really did very well, with both natives of Genessia City and outsiders like them. She certainly had a bright future here, with this place.

He was going to be sad when she replaced him.

Sighing, propping the mop up against the wall - thank god the floors were easy to clean - he gifted Orihime with a small, pleased grin. ]

I'd say Cake Town's a hit, don'tcha think?

[leekspins]

Yes!

[She's resisting the urge to rub at her sore shoulders, but her smile couldn't possibly be brighter. Running a bakery was fun! She loved seeing what kind of different tastes people had, and figuring out which items and flavors proved to be the most popular. The games were interesting, the new people were interesting...]

[She could really get used to this.]

[Which is a good thing, because after they finish cleaning up, she has to go into the back and mix up the dough for tomorrow's bread, and start up some new cake layers since she was probably a little too generous with the free samples.]

Everyone loved your crepes, too! Hopefully tomorrow isn't as busy, I want to try your cooking.

[She finishes wiping down the display case and stands back with a little sigh of contentment. Honestly she'd really wanted to go get some fresh air up on the roof, but the rain and lightning means that's proooooobably not the best idea in the world. Maybe some other time.]

I'm really proud of our bakery. Thank you so much for doing this with me, it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun if I did this alone!

[mortal_son]

[ Shinjiro tried not to flush a little. Everyone did seem to like his crepes a lot, and it was really sort of embarrassing cooking for them all, with them watching him like that. But it was for a job, which helped. And people didn't usually linger and heap on tons of praise, which also helped. And, he also ... found he really liked doing it, which he expected, and also helped the most.

He nodded at Orihime. ]

I can come a little early, make a few before everyone gets in. Y'need to keep up your energy, anyway, runnin 'round and doin all this work here.

[ He nods. Still thinks the "our" is a friendly, inclusive sort of thing. ]

I'm just glad I can help, long as I can. I know you'll eventually find a real chef, but.

[ He shrugs, trying to keep it casual, trying not to show that he'd be very disappointed when - surely - she'd let him go. ]

Tour + General

[xlvii]

Unfortunately, 47 wasn't able to find a guest to bring with him in time; on the plus side, he seems to be one of the few people able to pull off a sweater vest without looking like a giant dork. He shows up right on time for the tour, mostly staying quiet except to offer some encouragement and congratulations when appropriate.

He stays for a few hours after, not really taking advantage of the free VIP food he's been offered, only partaking of the free samples. He does order a coffee and a chocolate milk, though, as well as an empty mug. He mixes the two in the third mug, taking a few tweaks to get the ratio just right, to make a sort of poor man's mocha. He sips on it for a while after, offering a small, shy wave and the least icy look he can manage (which... probably still looks pretty grumpy; he's not annoyed at you, that's just his face) whenever someone looks his way.

Around noon, he takes his leave (man does not live by carbs alone!), congratulating Orihime one last time before he goes.

[leekspins]

Orihime, naturally, was there to greet him at the door with her same, sunny enthusiasm despite being way too early in the morning for most people. She was convinced that 'David' was just a very shy person, who had a difficult time reaching out and making friends. He had always been nice to her, though, so if there was anyone in the bakery who absolutely wasn't intimidated, challenged, or threatened by his grumpface, it was probably her.

"I'm so glad you made it!" she beamed, still tying her apron strings around her waist. "What would you like from the bakery case? You can enjoy breakfast while I show you around!"

[xlvii]

That belief honestly isn't far from the truth. He nods in greeting, taking a moment to look around the room.

"It must have been a very early morning for you. Get enough sleep?" That's how that whole 'showing concern' thing goes, right? At her offer, he holds up his hands in a gentle 'thanks, but no thanks' gesture.

"I'm fine, it can wait. I'm never hungry first thing in the morning anyway."