Sweets for the SweetIndex | Time Under Chaos | Game Logs | Sweets for the Sweet
Next on Chadwick's list was candy, and a few doors down a sign proclaimed that "Sweet Surrender" was a chocolatier's, which seemed quite promising. Somewhat burdened by his enormous bouquet, he still managed to push the door open, and was greet by a jingling bell and a wave of delicious, chocolately aroma from within the shop. Behind a glassed-in counter filled with confections off all descriptions, a matronly woman (whose skin looked chocolately itself) paused in her work to smile at him. "Hello, dear," she said. "What can I do for you today?" She brushed a stray bit of hair back from her face, revealing on a cheek and the back of her hand a pair of swirling designs that someone more worldly than Chadwick might have recognized as Mallihki ceremonial tattoos. "Going courting, are we?" As innocent as Chadwick was, he was not without some experience in the land of sweets. Indeed, his mother had spent a full month trying to teach him chocolates. He still preferred vanilla, but he knew something of the grades and what a good flavor was supposed to be. He stood, even after her question, enjoying the smell of the shop. Here, he could tell, was quality chocolate. "Oh, yes," he responded with a mischievous smile on his face. Whatever the flowers did, the chocolates would do it twice over. The woman beamed. "I always prefer that to the people who are trying to apologize for something. Well, we have a variety of pre-made assortments." She gestured to a shelf with stacks of gilt boxes. "Or I can help you put together something based specifically on your darling's tastes. Our rose-petal truffles are very popular, but it looks like you've seen to the flowers already." "A few more couldn't hurt," he said, "but I think the rest of the chocolates should be arranged special. I'm just not... I've never done this before, and we've only just met..." He let it hang in the air, hoping that she would assist him. Even with the experience his mother had given him regarding chocolates, this was his first time picking them out for another and he didn't want to make a bad impression. "I'll walk you through our selection. I think you should build an assortment around a dozen or so of the higher-end pieces, and round it out with simpler tastes. So tell me if anything piques your fancy." Starting at one side of the counter and working across, she explained the different candies to Chadwick. "On this side are the luxury chocolates--rolled in pearl dust, coated with gold leaf, using lotus extract from the Isles of the Moon, that sort of thing. "We have the usual suspects here--truffles, cremes, cordials, just about anything you can dip in chocolate. "Our artisanals are here--we've been able to mimic the look of stained glass, oils, and watercolors, and bas-relief is of course simple. "We have our varietals, which are each derived only from beans from a certain area of Mallihk, and some limited imports from other Shadows, giving each a distinct character. "And then there are the traditionals, incorporating flavors like pepper and curry. "Tell me if you want a sample, dear," she said with an encouraging smile. The possibilities made him heady. No doubt he could put together something asthetically pleasing. The problems involved flavors. He'd not seen her eat. "How does the opal effect the flavor," he asked. "It doesn't affect the flavor, dear. It affects the price," she said, matter-of-factly. "People buy chocolates with gemstones in them to prove they can afford it." Chadwick was confused. What would be the point of buying something simply because you can? He did understand the desire for a given visual effect, though. She ducked behind the counter, and sounds of rummaging soon drifted up. "A two dozen-piece assortment, do you think?" came her slightly muffled question. "Do you think two dozen would be enough? It's only 24 pieces, after all." He looked about the store for a box that might illustrate better his sentiment. A velvet tower of heart-shaped boxes caught his eye. "What about that?" he said with a gesture. Her head popped up. She looked where he indicated, then back at him. Her eyes flicked to his enormous bouquet, then back to the gift box stack. "Just...how long have you two known each other, love?" "A day," he said self-conciously. "She's very special, though, and I might not have the chance to visit her often. I want to make the most of it." "'A day,'" she repeated, a little faintly. "Well," she rallied, "let's go all-out, then." She ducked back behind the counter, and came up with a red velvet box in the shape of a heart, twin to the one at the bottom of the stack that had caught Chadwick's interest. When she took the lid off, it revealed smaller boxes nested within, which she lined up one by one along the countertop. "Let's do one theme per box, yes? How about assorted truffles, then florals, then artisanals, then traditionals, and top it off with a few of the luxury pieces?" "We could do the artisanals on bottom," he offered. "I think I could make an impressionistic 'her in a forest glen'." He gestured toward some of the pieces, some of which were almost perfect for the tone of Lily's flesh. "Then the florals, I think. From there on we should probably follow your instructions," he nodded encouragingly to her. "All right." She pulled a tray full of variously-colored pieces out and laid it on the counter. "Why don't you see about starting to lay out the picture, since you know what she looks like. You can tell her you did it yourself, too. I'll be happy to give advice, but I'm not exactly a painter." She handed him a pair of gloves made out of a thin, stretchy material. He'd never considered the possibility of making a trump out of candy, but Chadwick was no faced with the opportunity to do so. He donned the gloves with inexpert skill, frantically wiggling his fingers as he stretched the gloves onto his hands. "I'm pretty good," he said as he started selecting chocolates. "Mother says so." The greens where the easiest, so he kept from them until he had a fair Lily. "I'm sure she does, dear," the woman said indulgently. "I'll start putting together the other boxes, and then you can make any changes you like." She hummed as she went about selecting chocolates. Chadwick continued happily. He paused at the nipples of Venus, which seemed more of a confection than a chocolate. He put them back and selected something he didn't feel awkward handling. When he was done it was as not unlike Monet had painted a nude in chocolate. He nodded with a smile. The chocolatier set down a stack of filled boxes on the counter next to him. "How is it comi--oh. Oh my. That's lovely, young man." Chadwick nodded with a smile. "It is rather good. I could probably do better if I... would you mind if I came in and decorated a few? Just for practice." He thought about it. "I could pay you for it." "You could...pay me." The woman sounded faint again. Perhaps she was overworked. "My dear boy, you are welcome to come back anytime you like, and I'm sure we could work something out." She patted his hand. "Let's find a ribbon for this, yes? Silver, to match the bouquet, I think." She stacked the boxes into a slightly frightening stack of red velvet and tied the lot off with a silver ribbon knotted into an elaborate bow at the top. He was smiling as she finished tying the boxes. "I'll be back," he said, "it's a medium I don't think has been explored enough." He picked up the boxes and tried to balance with the flowers. It was just possible. "Not by me, I mean," he said, blushing. He hadn't meant to be insulting, and he did hope she took it well. She chuckled. "You're welcome anytime we're open, dear. But..." she waved a sheet of paper with a neat column of figures on it expectantly. "Oh," he said as he fumbled away from the door, trying not to drop the items in hand inside the shop. "Right. Sorry. I'm just... excited." He set down the flowers first, and then the chocolates. "Umm... I have 50 on me for this purchase, but, if I could supply a statement of debt, I'd be happy to pay on credit of some sort?" He was really hoping that it would work, as it had at the last location. "Your total, with the boxes, is 45 crowns," she said. "I knocked a little off what the wrapping usually costs because you seem like such a sweet boy, and it gave me a nice round figure." She beamed. His mother had taught him to be generous when possible. "50 it is," he said putting the money on the counter and making for his purchases. |
