November open log

[seemagicshit]

Who: Zhao and you

Status: Open

Where: Bopping around everywhere

What: Zhao settling into the corsair life and how one exactly begins a restaurant empire...

Warnings: Zhao's cursing for now





People watching and planning

[On the isle of Eltrut, Zhao is chilling with a beer during a fine afternoon. He seems to be daydreaming, staring off into space, but is also periodically jotting something down in a notebook that he probably stole.

He waves if you approach.]

Hey, what's up?


Cat training

[Zhao hadn't had any pets growing up, but as part of running the Liumang, he did run a restaurant with a tiger. It'd been his job to train it when he'd been small. Training a much more manageable feline didn't seem so bad. Plus, who the fuck wouldn't want a cat named Cobrastrike?]

Okay, Cobra. We gotta train your ass if you're going to hang with me. I'm gonna move this barrel and something's going to crawl out, so get ready!

[The brown tomcat looks like he'd been in a few fights, but he lashes his tail. Zhao takes that as an encouraging sign.]


Gallows Humor

[In the quest for getting funds and clout together for a business venture, Zhao knows he's gotta hustle. Even if it means breaking into prison with whoever's been unfortunate enough to be stuck with him.]

So, can't say I've broken into a prison before. You got a plan or are we winging this shit?


Or whatever else you want to plan, Zhao's your man Just hit me up at draculabackwards on plurk if you want to plot!

Comments

[seemagicshit]

So, I'm thinking about opening my own restaurant, but I'm going to obviously need a lot of cash and ideas and probably a permit or some shit to make it happen.

What kind of food do you enjoy when you don't cook it yourself?

[everblooms]

A very good question! Let's see...

[ She is taking this deathly seriously, it seems. ]

Honestly? Anything my mom cooks. The first time I tried her food, it was like... real magic. And that was just the stuff she reheated from a can! [ With a laugh, she continues, lightly: ] So, my suggestion is pretty simple. Stuff you might see in a home cook's kitchen. Pastas, soups, stews, y'know. The works.

[seemagicshit]

Okay, so like a lot of comfort food.

[He jots those ideas down.]

I don't specialize in pasta, but I've cooked it before. I can do a few soups and stews. I mostly cook with a lot of rice.

You know, I'm gonna need a taste tester while I figure out a menu and get a place. Do you want to be a volunteer?

[everblooms]

That's what it's called? Comfort food? [ She's making her own notes here. However, far importantly... ]

You'd ask me to do that? Really? I'd really be honored to, Zhao. You know, there's probably someone I should introduce you to at some point. You guys would probably be fast friends...

[ Plus, she's sure Tifa would appreciate some connections in the biz, right? Might as well make sure everyone's happy. ]

[seemagicshit]

Yeah, comfort food is like...uh...shit, it's like I know what it is but to describe it...

You know how you just described all the food your mom makes? All of that is your comfort food because it reminds you of a safe place and when you eat it, you're all relaxed and comfortable. Now what comfort food is varies from person to person, but generally it is the kind of food you just described for some cultures.

[You got him going now, so have fun as his chef brain is truly activated.]

There's food that's synonymous with parties, fine dining, rewards, all that shit. Comfort's just one of them.

But what's this about a friend of yours?

[everblooms]

[ Oh, but she's listening, raptly. This is the man who saved her life— if he's going to ramble about something that interests him, she's going to listen. Wouldn't you want to get to know someone like that? Smiling, she nods, not once interrupting. It's only when Zhao prompts Aerith to speak that she does. ]

Yeah, my friend. Her name's Tifa. She had her own bar and restaurant, back where we're from— under the plate. [ Hm. Does she let that linger? Explaining the plate is a whole other conversation. ] I don't know if she's planning to get back into food, but I bet you guys could have a lot to talk about together.

[seemagicshit]

Tifa? Oh yeah, I think I met her at that ball. Blind dancing. She said she wasn't good at dancing, but that's not true. She's very nimble on her feet. I think we were gonna go sample some restaurants later on but never did that...

Maybe all three of us could do that together? We gotta check the food around here for quality assurance purposes, after all.

[everblooms]

[ They already met! Perfect. Beaming, Aerith pumps her fist, eager and relieved. ]

Tifa's great [ — she punctuates this with a very poor imitation of a high kick, as if this somehow makes any sense. ] —on her feet! And she's a really hard worker. I bet she'd tell you everything she found. Me? I'm just glad to eat!

[ With both of her feet back on the ground, she quips, almost idly: ] You probably recognized that about her though.

[seemagicshit]

I mean, to be fair, blind dancing, but yeah, she seems like she could kick my ass.

[Which is hot. If a guy can kick his ass, also hot, he's equal opportunity.]

And it's okay if all you want to do is eat. I'm not pitching a restaurant idea and researching for other people who own restaurants, it's for everybody. So just trying food and being hell yeah or hell no is valuable.

[everblooms]

I got to see Fenris eventually. Maybe these things just have a way of working you, y'know? [ It's funny, isn't it?

A pair of equal opportunists are discussing one of them opening a place to eat it. One of them speaks, and other, her green eyes glimmering with the promise of fun, is looping her hands around her back, as if it might help her look a little more innocent. ]

I'll be there for you, then. Plus, I've got some good experience working odd jobs at restaurants. So, you ever need someone to pick up a shift or two, I like to be paid in plates of food.