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 Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:06 pm
Quote: Summer Storms (5) : There have been plenty of thunderstorms this summer, and everyone is blaming the weather for the strangeness of their electronics--or, bored kids out of school. It’s not uncommon to get phone calls from impossible numbers--strings of letters and numbers, and a blank caller ID. It’s hard to make out any sounds; it sounds like static, and a broken up voice in a language you can’t make out. There is no way to call the number back; it says the line is disconnected. Sometimes, text messages come through, in foreign symbols. The messages always disappear within a few seconds, and there’s no way to reply. People have even had video chats, but the image is always staticky and it’s impossible to make out any details except for a silhouette, and the same strange, foreign language. The city is hoping to have this issue fixed soon, but in the meantime they are asking for patience.
For whatever it was worth, it seemed like Nick’s assessment of the damage was correct--it wasn’t anything to worry about. Caius had been a bit jittery, and Arias got up to check out the window for a few seconds before he’d helped Nick clean up from dinner. They hadn’t chastised or questioned Caius’ eating habits, even when he’d managed to eat two large pieces of lasagna, his whole salad, a roll, and two slices of the cake Arias had made.
...And Caius could have had a third, and sang nothing but praises for the whole meal. He’d been shy about it, maybe even dragging it on for as long as possible now that he was a little extra nervous from the power outage earlier. He’d been genuine, at least--it really had been the best home cooked meal he’d had in years.
Arias had even done his best to make it comfortable, and when Caius had given them the Star Charms he'd brought, Arias had been just tickled and couldn't help but share the Star Charms he'd picked up and intended to share, too.
It had been comforting, in a way--like maybe Arias wasn't so nerve-wracking.
...But now, the table had been cleared, and Arias and Nick were sitting across from Caius while he turned his borrowed computer to face them.
“I just wanted to mention again, I know I went a little overboard. And it’s okay if it’s too much. You can tell me that and it won’t hurt my feelings.” It would, but he didn’t want them to know that; if his feelings got hurt, it was his own fault.
He swallowed, and clicked a button on the presentation’s first page. The graphic immediately shifted to a straightforward website that already utilized the bakery’s existing graphics, and some of the photographs he’d been able to take off of their Facebook page.
“So, um. Obviously these graphics are all things you already own the rights to, I just organized them some. Nick said ‘social media manager’ but um. I mean, I offered to try making something like this to. I’ve got a trial website coded, um. If you want to click around and try things. It’s not live and there’s still a lot of bugs, I just wanted to be able to show you a hypothetical.”
The sample website was clean, and he gave them a quick tour and rundown, talking almost without taking a breath so they couldn’t interrupt him to tell him how horrible it was. “So I don’t know everything you have on the menu, and I just piece some things together by what I saw, but if you guys wanted to do this we could get together and talk ingredients, nutrition facts, prices, deals, and maybe schedule a professional photographer or something to come by and take good pictures? I mean, if you rent me a camera I can get good pictures, I can set up a lighting booth and a little set, and we can just take pictures when you bake things and have a good sample. But people are really big on knowing what they’re eating. You don’t have to post recipes, but common allergens or things--I mean, you probably know all of this. And a lot of people prefer to see things all online and not have to call, so if you have it laid out like that, it’s just all right there. You can have a thumbnail, the name, basic info. Clicking on it takes them to a more custom page,” he clicked to show them, “I just made up ingredients, I don’t know anything about baking. I made up calories too. And prices. I did make a typo, that’s not supposed to say two hundred dollars for a cupcake. Um. But I was rushing last night, I’m sorry. There’s--I can do better. There’s links out to social media from the website--oh, and an order form, so people can place their order directly online and pay. And they can even schedule a time they want it to pick up, and you can confirm if you can do that without ever talking to them. And you can sign up from the mailing list here, and see upcoming events. A lot of little shops are doing affiliate things too, so you could collaborate with some other shops if you wanted--like, there’s this shop that sells gourmet homemade chocolates. You might be able to partner with them--like, make a specialty item that uses their chocolate, and you sell it with one of their business cards, and they sell a gourmet cupcake that you make using their chocolate, so it’s like free advertising, kind of? But you’re making a profit to an audience that’s already there for sweets. Um. It’s just a thought. I think it’s neat. Um.”
He chewed on the inside of his cheek and then said, “And I could help reach out to those people and see if they were interested, if you want. I mean, I’d run it all by you beforehand, but I can write emails and do the research. I’ve done collabs before, but it’s not exactly the same because--well I’m digital, and it’s not like a store front, and everyone wants sweets, but not everyone wants art. You already saw my twitter, but I also have some sample engagements. Here,” he said, and clicked to show a screen of some hypothetical Twitter posts; he’d made a whole fake account, with a touched up graphic and logo, a cute header picture of the storefront, and a cute cupcake icon.
The posts he made were friendly, informative, and linked to fake blog posts, which he explained, “I thought you could send out your newsletter but also keep a log on your website? So people who aren’t signed up can still see your specialty events and seasonal cupcakes. Um. And people love contests and things, little giveaways. So we could host some of those because--a free cupcake doesn’t cost much in the long run, I think? Not two hundred dollars, at least. But a lot of people don’t like to go out and eat alone--so one free cupcake means everyone who entered is thinking about how much they want a cupcake, and whoever wins maybe brings a friend? And tells their friends who cool it was that they won, and then their friends come support you because that was really nice of you, and.”
His mouth was so dry and he was almost lightheaded, either from the stress or from talking so much.
“I mean--there’s more, but um. But if you don’t like this, we don’t have to go on to the rest. Because, um. Because yeah, that’s where I sort of strayed from the assignment a lot.”
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2021 6:28 pm
Honestly, Nick hadn’t expected more than perhaps a few doodles and a view of how to best utilize twitter. He really hadn’t expected Caius to go completely out of his way to create a whole mock website and have ideas for sales and marketing and...damn.
The boy was taking this very seriously, and Nick wanted to just tell him he was hired and go down to the courthouse and sign whatever adoption papers needed to be signed and just...bring this kid home where he belonged. Because again, he had that overwhelming feeling that Caius did belong there. With the both of them. Like he was family that Nick was missing...which…
Honestly, could be possible in theory? If it was someone he didn’t know about or...but.
He looked to Arias, eyebrows raising in surprise and a smile of utter incredulity on his face.
“Caius, talk about going above and beyond...I wasn’t expecting this at all...you. You’re outstanding, and I hope that you know that, kid.”
He was still looking to Arias, his eyes pleading for the male to be just as supportive. Because even if he hadn’t adored the boy...this was an impressive project. And Caius should be praised. And hired. And adopted.
...Right now.
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Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2021 7:41 pm
Arias still seemed to be taking in everything that he’d seen. He was obviously impressed, but there was a questioning look on his face--like he couldn’t figure out how he’d done all of this overnight. He didn’t even need Nick’s encouragement to be supportive and impressed, he was astounded.
“I can’t believe you did all of this in one night,” he said, finally drawing his eyes from the computer to Caius. “I feel like I should be paying you for this already, this is amazing. And you think you can set up and manage a website like this for us?”
Caius swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, um. I mean, the one I made is just a mockup. I just used a template I already had but plugged in your information. There’s a lot of--they have classes at the library, I like to spend time at the library, so I sat in, and. Well--I mean, it’s a quiet hobby. I thought it would be good for my art.”
“How much would it cost to maintain a website like this, do you think?”
“A few hundred dollars for the domain name and server space, and the certifications you need to collect payment online. Um. But not bad? I can help you shop around if you’re interested.”
Arias considered this for a moment longer and then nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that, I think. I love what you’ve done.”
“Oh, yeah? Um. If you have any other requests, I can change things up. I mean, I can change everything still.”
“No, I like this. A lot. I’d like to work with you on getting the menu updated. Every suggestion you’ve made so far, I’ve loved. I’d love to have you on our team. I want to pay you for the work you’ve done already, and then we can figure out something a bit more standard when we get into a better schedule, if that’s all right? I can start planning a budget so we can pay you fairly. I don’t know a fair rate right now.”
“Um. Yeah, we can figure it out later. I’ve never had a real job, everything’s sort of under the table. If that’s okay. But, um. I mean, while you’re in a good mood I sort of had this other idea. And it might be too much. You can tell me if it’s too much. I spent some time sort of people-watching before, and I...this is going to sound so creepy, please just give me a chance. But I did research on things that sell, about what people respond well too, quirky little gimmicks. And I don’t want--if this sounds childish, just totally throw away the idea, it’s okay. But. I saw these really cute pastry things,” he clicked to a picture of six round, puffy looking pastries, decorated like cute animals.
“I was thinking about this for inspiration, and you have a really nice bakery, but I didn’t see anything that distinguished it from any of the other bakeries in the area. And it’s got good reviews on pretty much everything, but like. Kids don’t know the difference between an eclair and long john, right? I didn’t know either, by the way. I had to look it up specifically for this analogy. People base things they want to eat off of what they look like or how they smell, and everything looks and smells good. So I was wondering how hard these little puffy animals would be to make? Because--they’re small, so like. Semi bite sized--which is healthier for kids, and I watched some youtube videos and read the recipes and. I’m not a baker but you could know. Um. But like.”
He clicked on another tab to show a photoshopped screen of cookies with icing done in similar cute animal faces, only these were completely his own design, and next to them were photoshop concepts of round puffballs of these little mascot animals.
“It looked like making these didn’t take a lot of time? Less than the lattice work, and with an airbrush, it looked like they were popping them out really fast. But I don’t know. But. I was thinking, like--people have loyalty to characters? So I made some that I thought were cute. Um.”
He clicked a few more times, and each page had a concept for one of the six animals he’d sketched--a name, a little personality and background sentence, and a cute design. “...Kids like cute things. And I like cute things. And I’ve thought about making some charms, so I--this is a bad idea, I’m sorry,” he said, and almost closed his computer, but hesitated, had a second burst of confidence, and shook his head to continue. “I wanted to know if you’d be willing to try it. To have a section of your website maybe dedicated to some hypothetical characters that you could put on a few things. Like. These pastry balls and some cookies maybe. And you could sell the charms too, at the counter. Because cute characters are really marketable, and it would really make you stand out from the other bakeries. And when you do little events, you could give out gift bags. Stickers are really easy to make, and really cheap, and I can do the art for nothing. And I can do little comics or something to get people invested in the characters. And you could have seasonal characters. Like--I know people seemed to really like your gingerbread cream puffs from Christmas--so imagine those, but instead,” he clicked once more to a cute little reindeer character he’d sketched out and some inspiration boards.
“I don’t know anything about baking. I don’t know anything about food except you guys make really good food. I don’t know if any of this is possible and it might just be stupid. I’m really sorry.”
He looked frustrated at himself and then worried, and then sat up straighter and seemed to try and emulate more confidence. “It’s just an option. I don’t know what your finances look like and I’m sure you’re doing great. You could have contests for people to design seasonal or event characters. And you could donate a portion to a charity of their choice if they win. A lot of people seemed to be really favorable to the businesses that made them feel like they could be involved in things. And I can do all the art, that’s not a problem. I mean, if you think I’m good enough. You could hire someone else, too.”
He swallowed and tried to make eye contact, but it seemed like now that he’d shared this idea that he’d put so much of himself into, he lost a bit more nerve and chewed on the inside of his cheek as he looked down at the table to wait.
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 12:50 pm
Oh no. The little animal pastries were so cute. Nick stared at them for a long moment and then began to nod, eagerly. Arias had already pretty much said that the kid had the job...but this...this was beyond cute…
“Good lord, Carlee will be all over those. What a unique idea. Caius! I love it. I’d be afraid of eating them though...they’re all so cute!” He laughed softly and paused as his phone began to vibrate. Really? He had to get a call now? He was obviously busy with his future husband and their future son…
“Ah. Give me just a second. I guess...I’m popular tonight or something.”
The number wasn’t anything he recognized...in fact...it didn’t look like a number at all, and the blonde frowned slightly. “...Damn spam calls..” He didn’t answer, but shut the vibration off on the phone, giving his full attention back to the boy. “I agree with Arias, obviously. I think...your ideas are utterly amazing and I can’t wait to learn more. And I can’t wait to work with you and see what we can come up with together...not that you seem like you need us at all, you are so creative. And very talented.”
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2021 4:06 pm
Arias opened his mouth to say something--and then his phone rang. He frowned now, concerned that maybe something had happened and someone they knew was in trouble. He looked apologetic and said, “I’m sorry, I--just a moment, it’s my turn.”
He didn’t recognize the number--it didn’t look like much of a number at all, but if they’d called Nick…
He turned away and answered, worried something might have happened to his parents, or--
The phone line was staticky. “Hello?” he asked. He waited. He almost heard voices, almost, but…
They sounded so far away, and like they were in some make believe language. His frown deepened and he asked again, more serious, “Hello?”
The call disconnected before he could get any more frustrated and he blinked, looking down at his phone, and then back up apologetically.
A video chat appeared on Caius’ computer despite the fact that he wasn’t connected to the internet, and though it flickered for only a second, it ended so abruptly that Arias wasn’t even sure if he’d seen anything at all.
“Oh,” he said, a bit startled, but then shook his head.
“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have answered it. I wanted to say that I love it, Caius. Absolutely all of it. Nick’s been talking you up since he met you, and I was wrong to doubt you. I think it would be an amazing opportunity to have you work with us. Will you be able to come visit a few times a week? I don’t want to take you away from your studies.”
“Can I come do my homework at one of the tables after school?” he blurted, swallowing.
Arias blinked, thinking this was an incredibly reasonable request, all things considered. “Of course. And if the tables are crowded, you can come upstairs. It’ll be quieter up here.”
Caius was not an expert at negotiation, but this sounded agreeable instantly.
“Can I get a discount on food while I’m here?”
“Of course, I’m sure Nick has every intention of feeding you without charging you anything. And we can make you a little extra to send you home with--something a little more nutritious than just sweets.”
Caius looked like he was a little dizzy over the prospect and nodded quickly. “Then--yeah, I can do that. And we can start getting pictures up, and you can give me a menu and I can get everything updated.”
“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Arias said, nodding eagerly. “We’ll have to get creative about payment if you’re not wanting your--” not parents, he reminded, “--them to be involved. A prepaid gift card works?”
Now, Caius looked a bit embarrassed. “Yes, please. I have a wishlist on Amazon, too. I don’t like sending things to the house all the time, people like to take things. If you ordered something, I could always pick it up here.”
Arias watched him, nodded, and seemed to be making up his mind on a lot of things that he wasn’t saying out loud. “Of course we can do that. If there’s anything you need, you can let us know and order it here. I’ll get you our address too. You can have it delivered with your name, then we’ll know not to open it.”
Though Caius squirmed a bit in his seat, he chewed on his lip and nodded--and, despite trying to hide it, he was visibly excited about all of this. “Okay, yeah. That would be great. The animals were really okay? Like, I could go work on finalizing some designs?”
“They’re perfect. You should come by one of the days you’re free, I’d like see what we can do for designing the sweets, too. I’ll look up some recipes and see what we can handle. Can you come over Saturday morning? We can take some pictures, we always have things fully stocked. Although, we do bake very early. But I can save some good looking ones?”
“Yeah. I mean, I can come over early, too. If you rent a good camera by then.”
“You can help us figure out what we need?”
“I usually just use the library’s camera, but--yeah.”
Arias nodded. “...All right. Then, I want you to keep doing what you’re doing. Come over as early as you want on Saturday. I’ll be up at four, but you can come over whenever you want. We have to get you a phone.”
“Oh, no, I--”
“Please,” Arias insisted. “I’m on a family plan, and it covers four people. Nick, my sister, and I all upgraded last month. I still get a free phone if I open up a fourth line, and the bill only goes up fifteen dollars a month. It costs me next to nothing, and I’d really appreciate it if we had a way to keep in contact with you a little easier. Just to text when you were heading over, or if something’s come up. Nick and I aren’t the best online.”
Caius considered this. Debated. And then, looked to Nick as if he expected him to have final say.
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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 10:45 am
Nick was looking at Arias with absolutely sparkling eyes. The strange spam calls and whatever had happened with the computer were completely out of his mind by now and just the fact that Arias seemed to care for Caius as much as Nick did…
It made him feel so utterly blissful. “Yeah! Yeah, you need a phone, Caius. It’ll make things so much easier for everything. I love all of your ideas, and I’m so excited for all of this, please, please come while you’re doing your homework, I’ll make you something special every day...I…” He stopped talking and bit his lip, clearly wanting to just blurt out everything, including the bit about wanting to adopt the boy but.
It wasn’t the right time...though…
He thought that Arias would be inclined to want it now, at least. Really want it, not just humoring him.
“Thank you for putting so much work into this, Cai. I had great expectations for you, obviously but...you left those behind in the dust...You’re such an amazing, talented boy...and I’m so happy to have you working with us. Plus...a phone will make going on patrols easier!”
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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2021 11:17 am
Caius looked embarrassed at the praise but he didn’t try to reject it. He just looked down and clicked a few things on the computer, huffing and mumbling a bit of thanks under his breath.
“I guess,” he finally agreed, and Arias relaxed in his seat and smiled.
“Good, I’m glad. We’ll get this all sorted out soon. I’ll see what phones I can get and grab you the best one. I’ll have it ready for your some time this week.”
“Are you sure?” Caius asked, looking up and between them even as he finally moved to close the laptop and begin packing it up.
“Of course. It’ll be good for all of us. You’re not powering up on your own, are you?”
He squirmed again, like he’d been asked something intrusive, but he answered with a heavy sigh. “No. I wasn’t planning on it, either.”
“Good,” Arias said, relieved. “You don’t have to be on your own with any of this.”
“I know,” Caius said, with just the slightest tone of ‘rebellious teenager’.
Arias just smiled, and reached under the table to give Nick’s knee a reassuring squeeze.
This could work out.
This could be good, for all of them.
They just needed a little more time to make sure.
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