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 Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 12:05 am
Well, this is, actually a finished perfume, he explains, setting it down on the desktop and offering her the stopper to sample the fragrance for herself, if she should like.
After he's made an agreeable mix of oils and essences, they are diluted with water and alcohol and then left to sit for two days for all of the scents to properly marry into their bouquet.
But...
His hand reaches out, fingertips lightly hopping and skating over the various bottles until he finds one in particular.
It is an unmarked vial and has a small amount of clear liquid in it. This is essence, he says. And is the result of spending a full morning crushing lotus anther and collecting the exuded droplets. 3nodding
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 12:16 am
Ah, so this is a blend of different flowers? Nusumu does not apply any, but instead sniffs the dropper. She knows virtually nothing about perfume, or the scents of flowers, but in her inexperienced opinion this must be a fine perfume indeed. All the ones the annoying salespeople offer smell fake to her, but this smells like a garden!
She carefully returns the dropper, listening intently to the explanation. It sounds complicated, but in a way, very similar to making a new recipe. Although Nusumu does not have to let the recipe sit for two days; if she did, the food would probably dry out.
Her eyes widen slightly as she looks at the essence. Lotus, he said? It sounds difficult to make, and she is impressed with the work that goes into making these. Perfumes are made of essences, then? Are essences only of flowers, or of other things as well? Fruits, perhaps?
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 12:28 am
Oh yes, all sorts of things, he assures Lady Nusumu. If a scent can be extracted, it can be worked with 3nodding Flowers, spice, resin, fruit, wood....
Hitsuga makes a small sweeping gesture at the bottles that sit on the table as if to indicate he has each of these examples to work with in the bottles.
The lotus is part of a special request he has been working on. It is not a scent he gets to work with very often as its blossoms were hard to come by in large numbers at home, and were therefore very expensive. Gaia, it seems, is different entirely. He had expected to be laughed at when he had asked to order several hundred blooms for expressing. Instead they had simply told him they would be delivered the following day.
....he still has some of them in the fridge yet to be dismantled and pressed.
....but he does not wish to dominate the conversation. Lady Nusumu is a cook, she says? She must deal with her own array of challenges and customers. He is not terribly adventurous with his own cooking, he admits... sweatdrop
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 12:45 am
Amazing! Nusumu is definitely impressed, but also excited. This might be what she was looking for. Does Hitsuga know if these essences are used in cooking? Maybe not the flowers so much, but the fruits and spices she is particularly interested in.
There are recipes, she explains, that she has been wanting to try. But they call for ingredients that Nusumu is unfamiliar with. All she knows is that the recipes only call for a few drops of each one, and that they're based on fruit. But they're not the juice or the zest or peel, since Nusumu recognizes those words. This is a new one that she does not understand. She was stumped, but this might be the answer! whee
It's quite obvious by this point, but Nusumu acknowledges that she does cook. She prefers to bake, as opposed to working with savory foods, but it helps to be well-rounded. Of course, she is far from a professional, being mostly self-taught with only a bit of tutelage under Shinkou and Shoyo.
At the mention of customers she sighs. As much as she would like to work in a bakery or a restaurant, not many are willing to hire someone like her. Nusumu's last job was painfully boring, requiring her to make the same tasteless dishes day in and day out, and she was not at all upset to find they had replaced her while she was in the Silver World.
But she shouldn't be complaining to her host. If Hitsuga is not fond of cooking, she would be pleased to cook for him sometime. 3nodding
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 1:02 am
His brow knits a bit as she explains her plight with her skills going unappreciated. And he finds that to be very much a pity. 'Someone like her'...? he inquires. He sees nothing wrong with Lady Nusumu....certainly nothing that would keep her from being hired if her skills are as sharp as they sound.
As for the essences... for cooking...? Well.....he admits that he's not sure on that count. He's never exactly eaten any of his components before.
....but as what he works with is largely natural, he doesn't suppose they would hurt to be swallowed. In very small doses, anyway, as they're really very potent. One or two drops goes quite a way.
He sets aside the lotus essence in exchange for another smaller bottle which, just the act of unlidding it, fills the air with the sharp, unmistakeable scent of fresh oranges to illustrate his point.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 1:19 am
For starters, it is difficult to find work when many people cannot hear. Some of Nusumu's potential employers were not receptive to projections, which can happen sometimes. Many who could hear her worried about her being able to converse with customers. The ones who did not consider that a problem would say that they do not hire minors without some sort of papers, and it is at that point that Nusumu gives up. She hates being treated like a child. stressed
... but she is complaining again, and so she quickly switches topics. That they are natural is important; the possibilities she saw at the store had all sorts of other ingredients that she couldn't possibly remember the spellings of. But she believes this might be what she needs. Some recipes for smooth desserts, such as custard or mousse, she only knows how to make with vanilla or chocolate. If she were to flavor them with fruit juices, the flavor would not be strong enough without the structure being watered down. Zest, on the other hand, would affect the texture. She learned about this new ingredient in one of her magazines, and thinks that she may have finally found it.
She pauses then, overwhelmed by the smell of oranges. "Mmmm," she hums softly. That smells wonderful!
If Hitsuga does not think they would be dangerous, Nusumu would like to order some essences from him. Even if the experiments she has in mind don't work, they would be fun to try~
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 1:39 am
Hitsuga admits that he has not yet encountered any flat-out intolerance in Gaia toward their way of speaking...and he rather hopes not to. While he admits that maintaining good relations with one's customers is important, it is not nearly as important as one's craft itself. And if they would truly overlook that in favor of how well she could get herself across to the patrons...
...well, forgive him for saying so, but he does not believe they are worth Madame's time. She will surely find a place where her talents are appreciated better. 3nodding
As for the essences, he did not make the fruit-based ones, he's afraid. Lady Rika had amassed a list of tele-phone numbers which had put her in contact with suppliers of such things and she had seen that they were delivered to him.
....but! Perhaps that is even better for Lady Nusumu? If she likes, he could perhaps attempt contacting them on her behalf? The housing committee has installed that wretched ringing box in the front room, he supposes he will need to learn to make use of it sooner or later...
The accompanying projections attempt to be amused, though its clear he's really not terribly fond of the phone that has been inflicted on him. It is a thing of very, very loud.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 1:54 am
It does not happen often, Nusumu notes, that people completely ignore her. Most often they are fine after some initial confusion. But there are those who cannot hear at all, and she supposes that it falls to the owners of the shops to make sure their customers are cared for. Though really, she cannot see the difference between that, and hiring someone who does not know sign language because the deaf won't be able to understand. There is always someone who will slip through the cracks.
As much as these incidents bother her, they are not nearly as infuriating as the ones who dismiss her due to her apparent age. That, she admits, is the more common reason they give for their unwillingness to hire her. But Nusumu is not a minor, and just because she does not have some sort of papers, they send her away? scream
She takes a moment to calm herself, not wanting to scare her host, who has been nothing but kind. Though disappointed that he does not make the fruit essences himself, she would like to find the people who do. But she couldn't put him through the trouble of getting them for her. If Hitsuga has addresses for his suppliers, Nusumu would be fine tracking them down on her own. It's not as though her days are filled with other pressing matters, like work...
Nusumu doesn't even notice the telephone at home, since no one ever calls them. Come to think of it, they not even have one anymore. But she will take Hitsuga's word that it is loud. sweatdrop
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 2:18 am
Gaia has strange customs, he admits. It seems to him very odd that they are incredibly lax on some things as opposed to the Golden World, and yet on others they are needlessly strict. If one is skilled in their craft and able to perform the responsibilities that go with it, he does not see why papers would be of great significance.
He offers soothing projections, trying not to let her agitation spark his own anxieties. Though, inwardly, it is upsetting him that he cannot seem to restore the good mood she came in with...
He does not have their addresses, just their tele-phone numbers, he laments. But he would be happy to supply them.
...and, perhaps, in addition...
Hitsuga shifts a few things on the table aside, finding an unused vial that, possibly, was awaiting an experimental amount of one of his fragrances-in-progress.
Before Lady Nusumu goes to the trouble of trying to find them, maybe first she could ensure that this is truly what she is seeking for her own means, he suggests.
Tilting the bottle of extract against the lip of the vial, he carefully taps off several large drops of the fluid before setting the bottle aside and corking the vial, offering it to Nusumu with a smile.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 2:32 am
Nusumu shrugs indifferently. While odd, the Silver World was not much different. She could not have a proper apprenticeship there because she was not past this Naming Ceremony there was so much fuss about. And she couldn't study for that without being able to read-
Her projections break off abruptly. Why did she say that? While she is not particularly ashamed of her lack of ability anymore, she knows better than to confess weaknesses to people she barely knows! gonk
Still mentally kicking herself over her slip, it takes her a moment to notice the vial. When she does, she blinks in confusion. For her? Hitsuga is too kind, she could not accept...
But as her mind worries, her hands do as they have been trained, and swiftly take the vial. When Nusumu realizes her reaction, she cannot help but laugh at herself. If Hitsuga is certain it is alright, Nusumu will bring over the very first thing she makes with it. After she makes certain it's edible, of course.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 2:45 am
More assurances flutter Nusumu's way with renewed fervor. If it makes Lady Nusumu feel any better, he has not yet learned to read this world's language either... sweatdrop
He and Lady Rika had practiced writing pieces of the Gaian alphabet, but as far as actually absorbing any of it, and being able to employ it? He isn't quite sure where to even begin...
He seems pleased when she accepts the vial from him, however, despite her initial beginnings of refusal. It is quite all right, he says with a chuckle. There is nothing in the coming days that he foresees a few drops of missing essence preventing him from getting done. And he is, after all, rather curious now to see if it -can- be employed in cooking.
A sharp hissing whistle makes him jolt, momentarily bewildered, before realizing what it is. He politely excuses himself for a moment to go finish preparing the tea...
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 2:54 am
To her credit, Nusumu can read snippets of Gaian, after much study and many failed desserts. But she can only read basic ingredients and cooking directions. It is useful for her purposes, but there are few ways to apply what she knows outside of the kitchen. And she cannot read the writing of the Silver World at all.
Nusumu would offer to help, but unless Hitsuga wants to know how to read 'stir wet ingredients until smooth' and the like, there isn't much she can do. sweatdrop
She slips the bottle into her pocket, already fantasizing about how it can be used. But the whistling kettle startles her out of these thoughts, and she follows Hitsuga into the kitchen If he is to prepare the tea, she should finish preparing the dessert~
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 2:31 pm
Dessert...? he inquires, even as he rounds the corner to blink at the package that has been left on the countertop that he had, somehow, missed prior to going into the workroom.
Slight confusion and surprise emanates from him. Oh, was that--did Lady Nusumu-- he falters, not really seeming sure what he wants to ask as several questions inquiring the same thing all try and fail to get out of the starting gate at once.
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Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 11:00 pm
Yes, dessert! While tea on its own is not a bad thing, she finds that a snack to go along with it transforms what was once simply a beverage into a treat. Of course, Nusumu samples so many of her creations that they might not qualify as being treats anymore, but she does try to rotate recipes and try new ones to keep things interesting.
This one, however, is an old favorite. Though considering what cuisine was like in the Silver World, it would likely be new to Hitsuga. That is, if he would be willing to try some.
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 11:36 pm
He....well, he would be most happy to try it! 4laugh If it is of Lady Nusumu's making, it would be his pleasure, in fact.
The kettle continues to whistle, following it up with an impatient hissing splash of hot water on the stovetop as it demands his attention. Hitsuga quickly turns to grab up a dishrag and use it to lift the water away from the burner so it will stop complaining and next rummages his tea tin down from the cupboard.
Does Lady Nusumu like this Earl Gray type? He's afraid its all he has at the moment...
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