( open )

[hoasen]

Who: YOU, MY FRIEND & The friendly staff of Thistle Do Nicely, a humble flower shop.
When: IC: 29th January to February 14th (OOC: Starts 3rd July, full month log.)
Where: Thistle Do Nicely, Shopping District.
What: It's nearly Valentine's Day, so there's sales and events! Want to learn how to make chocolate? Look here! Cashing in your coupon for the upcoming Blind Date player event? That's here too! This is a mingle log, so everyone come mingle to your hearts content, and come in anytime, there's no such thing as late.
Rating/Warning: Nothing so far. There might be some future nightmares.

---

NOTE: There are some forward-dated prompts/part of prompts in this log. This is to coincide with the Blind Date Player Plot this month! More links and updates will be posted here once they come up.

Also if you wanna know how this works, it's just a mingle! An example here, our previous open mingle log. Treat it however you like, open and closed options welcome.

--------

Welcome to Thistle Do Nicely! Make yourself comfortable and browse the grand selection. In spirit of upcoming Valentine's Day, the store is decorated in pink and red, hearts scattered here and there. Sweet soft toys are on display, and there are bargains to be found. The tea shop is also decked out, but there seems to be something extra special happening on that side too.


A: ROSES ARE RED, VIOLETS ARE DISCOUNTED

[Are you here for the flowers? Sure you are, it's a grand tradition that all Valentines must share: the giving of flowers to loved ones. Roses are a definite favourite, but maybe you're after something more unique? Then look no further! Ask one of your friendly staff about it. Or maybe they're coming to you! But if they do, some may have the misfortunate of being told by the mysterious NPC boss to repeat the following: "What can Cupid's assistant do for you today?" Yeah, it's pretty embarrassing.

Or maybe you've bumped into a friend! In that case, buying flowers for Valentine's Day? Are you proud of this, or are you so embarrassed you must hide all evidence.

Alternatively, time has passed and you're now here because you have coupons for an additional price cut on your flowers if you are taking part in the Blind Date event. Blind dates can be particularly nerve-wracking, so let this store make things a little easier for you. You'll thank them for it.]


B: ANYONE WHO HATES CHOCOLATE IS A MONSTER (no we're kidding we still love you)

B.1: KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

[In all walks of life, chocolate is a very popular gift for Valentine's Day. And in some places, even more importance is placed on whether it's homemade or not. A section of the tea shop has been cleared just for this: earthy tables now have small stoves on them and ingredients set out. It's time to learn how to make chocolate. These classes are lead by head chef Shokudaikiri Mitsutada and his (reluctant) chef's assistant Ookurikara, but you can be sure that all the other reliable staff of Thistle Do Nicely are getting in on the action to help out (or learn themselves) too! Maybe Mitsutada and a handful of staff will make this great. The other half...

Everyone interested in these classes will gather round each of these tables, and together you will learn how to make chocolate. It's a team effort, so discuss with each other and work together to perfect it! In the end, you will be given cute little boxes or bags to put your chocolate in so you can give it to those intended. Or yourself, you can eat them too. Alternatively, you were forced into this mess, or have no idea why you're here but you're going to roll with it because it's chocolate.

The classes are free, happening a couple hours a day, but the ingredients require a small donation to keep the classes going. These classes are ongoing, so by the time you've gotten your Blind Date, you don't have to donate if you show them your coupon.]


B.2 CHOCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

[Or maybe you're not here for the classes, you're spending time on the other half of the tea shop where it's still set for customers. The tea shop half of the entire store is not actually that big, so you might be finding it a bit cramped.

That being said, a treats bar has been set out as a complimentary offer. There's a chocolate fountain in the middle of this bar, and you know you wanna dip some heart shaped marshmallows or fruits in that sucker. There's also these flower shaped gummies. No one actually knows how they got there, but maybe for the sake of science, you want to coat it with chocolate and eat it.

Do it.]


C: WILDCARD.

[Because there's so much more to explore! Or maybe you're just here to visit and laugh at them. Or maybe you wanna use the tea space as a PLACE FOR A DATE, AYYYYYY in which the scene from Lady and the Tramp could happen and there will be a cute musical number (look, I'll have it arranged, I'm not even kidding. Too bad I can't get an Okiayu character to do it though, you might have to make do with a loser girl). Or maybe you've MESSED UP THIS ENTIRE PLACE Vietnam will kill you with her bare hands (unless she likes you, then you will live).]

Comments

[aslyfox]

a:

[ Kogitsunemaru always liked flowers. No, seriously! Although most of the time he saw them during more important times, like say a sortie, an expedition, or when tending to the soybean crop and just couldn't find time to really enjoy them. However... this time will be different! He'll finally get the opportunity to look at all the different shapes and colors and they all have very nice scents.

This time will also be different because he's not buying them for himself! You see, he has a few folks he wants to buy flowers for, but he can't really decide what colors and kind to buy. This is why you'll find him bent over some of them, seemingly frozen in place because he's paralyzed with too many decisions and oh god what if he picks something someone doesn't like and aaaaahhhHHHHHHHHH

He just wants special people to feel special, that's all. ]

b-2:

[ You see, he works at the udon noodle store Kitsune Udon ("Served By a Fox" --- unless he's in timeout from eating all the stocked tofu again so sometimes, when he's not being punished for testing the goods, he takes some with him to the apartment. Of course, his plans completely change when he hears about the chocolate fountain from someone talking in the restaurant and he must investigate.

Kogitsunemaru is happy to stroll up to the unattended chocolate fondue with a bag in hand. He looks around, puts the bag down, and grabs a spare wooden skewer so he can stab whatever he has with him.

And what does he pull out? A skewered, golden brown, crispy fried piece of pocket-shaped tofu. He's gonna dip it into the chocolate! Is that... a good idea??? ]

c:

[ Live the dream! Do the things! ]

b-2

[adornmental]

[Ah...... He's witnessing a food-centric horror film, isn't he. This combination is something straight out of a chef's nightmares.

But hey, maybe foxes like tofu dipped in chocolate?!]

That stuff's for desserts. You know that, right?

[Just checking. Just gotta check, gotta make sure Kogitsunemaru isn't about to make a mistake he'll regret.]

[aslyfox]

Last time I checked, you could have made a pretty good dessert.

[ Throwback. Holler at you, Kashuu. ]

Hey, if a doughnut can be fried and be delicious, then so can tofu. They're the same color, so they must be the same when dipped in chocolate.

[ It's some kind of logic. It'll be delicious! He'll plunge the tofu into the fountain and wait for a second before pulling it out, then letting it chill quickly in the ice water nearby.

Besides, FOOD-BASED REGRETS ARE FOR WIMPS. ]

[adornmental]

[LOOK. LOOK... WE DON'T TALK ABOUT CANDYLAND. He makes a vaguely indignant sound for being forced to suffer through a sudden remembrance of spending an hour washing frosting off of his boots.

EITHER WAY that also summarily wipes out his desire to save Kogi from himself, so he just crosses his arms and watches as he dips his tofu pocket into the chocolate.]

Tell me if it's any good, yeah?

[He's so sure it won't be. He's SO SURE.]

[aslyfox]

[ GOOD POINT, especially because it took an equally long amount of time trying to chisel off the coconut-chocolate mixture off of his feet, not to mention it ruined some nice sandals and most of his clothing (wow he didn't know how expensive it was to buy those things). ]

It's going to be delicious, don't you worry. [ IT'S FRIED, IT'S CHOCOLATE, how does Kogitsunemaru even lose in this situation?! It's similar to simple math. You know, one plus one equals eat the food.

He'll raise the pocket up to his face, eye it carefully, and then with some hesitation takes a slow and thoughtful bite.

Chew, chew. ]

Hm...

[adornmental]

[Well, he's not spitting it out... That's a good sign, right?? Good for him and his dang chocolate tofu pocket, anyway. All it does for Kashuu is confirm that he's surrounded by people with terrible taste.]

...So? How's the taste?

[WAITING so very patiently because Kashuu is such a patient sword and all.]

b-2

[zenryokuzenkai]

[ Nanoha could only stare in horror at the affront to fondue and tofu that was about to happen. It was truly frightening. She didn't even know who this fox-haired giant of a man was, but there was no she could ignore this. ]

I don't care if you are a fox, inari fondue is definitely a bad idea. Definitely. It would be like... deep frying... actually, everything works deep fried. Unhealthy, though. How about silken tofu, that's less of an affront to good taste.

[aslyfox]

[ He's just about to thrust the delicious treat into the flow of chocolate before hesitating, turning to look at Nanoha with narrow eyes. ]

Have you ever had it before? [ Food science must be done, so if she had any idea of the result, he'd listen. Otherwise, the fox sword is going to MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN and nothing will stop him because science. ]

[zenryokuzenkai]

No, because I can tell it's a bad idea! [ She nods. Sometimes you don't need to eat something to know it's awful. ]

But you look like you're going to do it anyway, so... I'm just going to be here to say "I told you so" when you're done.

[aslyfox]

[ Psh, bad idea. What do you even know?! Kogitsunemaru is extremely confident that the mixture of fried firm tofu and chocolate will be a tremendous experience. ]

If you'd like, I'll share some. [ HE'S THAT CONFIDENT, so he'll go ahead and dip the tofu in, coating it in the delicious milk chocolate and quickly evacuating it into the ice bath. ]

Are you sure you don't want to try some with me?

[zenryokuzenkai]

No, I'll definitely just let you go first. [ No hesitation.

Nanoha's fairly sure that it would be an experience, though almost certainly not in the same way Kogi thinks it will be. A real once in a lifetime experience, because if you try it once you'll never do it again. ]

b-2

[birthmarkless]

[ You know, Kogi? Ookurikara loves to be different than everyone else, so when he's doing the anti-mainstream way, he's totally supportive of this idea. ]

Tell me how it tastes.

[aslyfox]

[ He'll give Ookurikara a nod and a pretty smart look to accompany it. ]

Will do. [ And he plunges the tofu into the chocolate fountain, letting it cover every bit of the golden brown tofu before plunging it into the chilly water next to it to cool and harden the coating. ]

Getting away from other customers, huh? [ Kogi did find the best time to play with his food, which was when no one else was around--- not that it was slow, it was just conveniently empty on this end of the store. ]

[birthmarkless]

[ Ookurikara just watches as the other tachi dips the tofu inside. That... kinda looks weird, even he has to admit. They don't come in set, it seems.

But hey, he's not going to judge a book by its cover. ]

From everyone. [ More like that, yeah. ]

[aslyfox]

It does seem awfully busy. Everyone's really busy getting into this Valentine's thing, hm?... [ He'll hold the chocolate-covered tofu up to his face, eyeing it as if it might leap off and attack him. Hm. He'll re-think eating it for a moment. ]

Guess this place isn't really your thing, huh? [ Of course it's not--- but it's nice to be a catalyst to something once in a while. ]

a

[snakebait]

[ So Hirari isn't getting involved with the blind dating stuff since he's already spoken for, but he wants to get Botan something nice. And flowers are nice. He's having a really hard picking something too though, and is just kind of... staring at them, poking at a rose here and a dandelion (or something) there while he considers what she would like the most.

Ugghhh, this is hard. ]

[aslyfox]

[ Kogitsunemaru will look up from the flowers, turning his head to see Hirari also doing the same thing. Ah, a potential ally to commiserate with! He'll break the silence of staring at the flowers (not like they're doing any talking) and it's kind of sad no one at the flower ship is helping either of their sorry asses...

Looks like they'll have to help themselves. Weh. ]

There's a lot of flowers... who knew there'd be this many?

[snakebait]

[ Too many customers or are they just beyond help? Hopefully not the latter, because this is life and death. ]

Yeah... How do I know which one she'll like the best?

[aslyfox]

[ What's worse than a life and death situation? Disappointment. That stings way harder. Whew. ]

Ah. Well... one would hope that no matter what you pick, it should make whoever you are buying for happy.

My problem is buying for more than one.

[ He'll sigh, stare back at the flowers, and frown. ]

[snakebait]

[ Better make sure they get the right flowers then. ]

She'll probably still be happy, but I want to give her what makes her the happiest.

You're not cheating, are you?

[ He doesn't like cheaters. ]

B-2

[fallingsakura]

[Watching from the side with her own plate she can't help but to stare. Was he really using fried tofu...could that even taste good? She is kind of curious now...

Approaching him she hopes she doesn't spook him in anyway.]

Um...does that actually taste good?

[aslyfox]

[ He can feel her spiritual energy before she speaks, turning his head to focus on her before dipping the tofu into the flow of chocolate. And with the widest of smiles and a shrug, he'll thoughtfully hum before responding. ]

We'll find out! This is my first time doing something like this, so here's hoping it'll be tasty.

[ The color of her eyes almost remind him of cherry blossoms... ]

[fallingsakura]

[There was something about this man as well for her, she gets a kind of feeling be might be one of the swords or something?]

You've never tried it before? [She is watching is surprise and amazement...he is certainly daring.

It wouldn't be the first time she's heard it.]

I am not sure how it might taste?

[aslyfox]

[ If his sheathed weapon didn't give it away, surely it's his lack of knowledge on what foods taste good with others? Or maybe he's just silly. Either way, it's both. ]

No. However, it's a great time to experiment. What's the worst that could happen?

[ Foresight is for nerds. Kogi will dunk the chocolate-coated tofu into the ice water bath, quickly removing it to let the newly minted dessert set. ]

Would you like to try some with me? [ Maybe Botan will be courageous and face a culinary peril with the little fox? ]

[fallingsakura]

[She wasn't one to assume but with the feeling of him as the sword...she could probably be safe in her assumption.]

I see...you are a brave one.

[Watching she watches in a mixture of wonder and worry...this could only go two ways. At the offer she lets out a sigh, she could give it a shot.]

If you have a small piece, perhaps?