video:

[charring]

[Charlie's working the later shift at the Jasmine Dragon. It's busy and Charlie's stuck at work until closing. Despite how busy it is, Charlie's relaxed, even smiling just a tiny bit. There are those mooncake things on a tray behind her. IT's clear the stack was bigger at one point but people have been grabbing some.]

Didn't the sun fail to come up once before? I feel like we did this already.

[And to a customer who'd just picked up one of the mooncakes;] I wouldn't eat that. I don't know where it came from. That's not something we made h-- okay go right on ahead.

[A pause and then, still to the customer;] You're okay? No ill side effects? No one elses memories running through your head?

[The customer speaks, it's partially muffled by the food they have in their mouth.] Okay. Good.

[The customer wanders off and Charlie addresses the camera again.]

Seriously. We did this full day of darkness thing before right? Or am I imagining things?

Comments

Action

[rianofski]

[Today seemed like as good a day as any to check out the Jasmine Dragon. He notices Charlie talking into the camera right away, and approaches her.]

Perhaps the cakes and not the darkness are the significant part of the curse.

Action

[charring]

[Hi, Mister Ryan! Have a grin from Charlie. She's in a damn good mood today for reasons she will not divulge just yet.]

I tend to take everything unusual that happens here as significant. How are you, Mr. Ryan? What can I do for you?

Re: Action

[rianofski]

[He smiles slightly back -- which is his equivalent of a heartfelt grin from anyone else.]

I thought I'd sample some of the teas and treats here. I was interested in something significantly caffeinated, of course. Do you have any recommendations?

Re: Action

[charring]

I think I can help you with that. [Charlie grabs one of the take-out menu's from the counter, holding it out to him.] Here. Keep that one. The soups and sandwiches change once a month, but everything else stays the same. I recommend the Chicken and Dumplings soup. Which is really too thick to actually be called a soup but it's how my grandmom made it. And as for something significantly caffeinated, I recommend the Red Eye. It's coffee with a shot of espresso in it. And it's new.

Re: Action

[rianofski]

[A nod of thanks as he takes the menu.]

I'd like to try the chicken and dumplings soup. And the Red Eye, which sounds fascinating.

Re: Action

[charring]

Alright! For here or to go?

[While he answers that, she'll get started on his Red Eye, using her ability to keep the coffee warm while she works on the other stuff.]

Re: Action

[rianofski]

For here, I think. I might as well make myself sociable.

Re: Action

[charring]

Okay. [Charlie has his food to him in a minute, telling him the total.] How are you settling into the City?

Re: Action

[rianofski]

[He pays her, and nods as he takes his first sip of his drink.]

As well as can be expected, I suppose. I'm still attempting to cobble together some semblance of employment.

[oceantrauma]

So far there seem to be no ill side-effects of the cakes, so perhaps they're safe to eat?

I think you might be right about the sun. Wasn't it the light festival?

[charring]

Good. Because...I may have eaten a few already once I got here. I thought they were Dragon-fare and then someone told me they weren't.

[And God, does she feel stupid for it.]

It was. Wasn't there a fire?

[They're less memorable when they're not hers.]

[oceantrauma]

You already ate some? [Some concern here.] Do you feel normal? I...I've been too wary to touch them.

I don't recall, but that has been a very long time for me. [First the months he spent in the City, then the four months he spent back home.]

[charring]

I feel fine. A bit sugar buzzed and I probably won't be eating dinner at home because they're kind of filling. But still. I'm good.

[oceantrauma]

They do look good....

[He frowns at them, though, still uncertain, and not too ready to have any.] But I think I'll play it safe. I hope nothing happens to you, Charlie-san.

[infernoandhearth]

I ate a couple. There's something in them, I'm not sure what. It's not affecting me right now, whatever it is. They make me think of apples, a bit, honestly. I doubt they're all too harmful. It could be a trick, though.

As for the darkness: not while I've been here, but I've not been here long.

[charring]

Yeah? [Of course there is. It's the City. Still...they look delicious and she's found one painted the colors of fire. She's tempted to eat that.]

How do they make you think of apples?

[infernoandhearth]

I'm not sure, exactly, I'm just getting a sort of apple feeling from them. Some of them. The nice rainbow-y ones.

[charring]

Interesting.

[infernoandhearth]

I thought so! I'm not sure I'd suggest you try them, though. They might just be alright for me. I can take quite a lot.

[charring]

I may have already had a few.

[Oops?]

[infernoandhearth]

Are they having any effects so far?

[charring]

None so far, but that doesn't mean much here.

[infernoandhearth]

No, of course not. You will keep me updated, won't you?

[charring]

Absolutely. I promise.

[infernoandhearth]

Good. So, how's the day treating you? Or night, maybe. I rather like the dark myself.

[charring]

It's going well, actually. Busy at the shop.

[And she's just happy in general.] How about yourself?

[infernoandhearth]

Very well, it's really quite pleasant with the lanterns everywhere. And the dark is what I'm made for, after all.

[charring]

Yeah, the lanterns are pretty. I'm sure my friend, Rapunzel, is having a blast with them.

Hopefully, I get out of work long enough to enjoy it.

[infernoandhearth]

You don't work for 24 hours, do you? You have plenty of time.

[charring]

This is very true. Are you out enjoying things?

[infernoandhearth]

Always. But I'm fond of any festival that provides its own feast.

[othersdie]

It happens sometimes. ...The darkness, not the cake.

[charring]

This is the second time it's happened for me.

[othersdie]

It's... I don't know. It seems to happen a lot, but I'm sure I'm misremembering.

I wouldn't trust the food provided by the deities.

[charring]

It's almost October. Does this seem like a warning to you?

[She's avoiding the bit where she already ate some of the cakes.]

[othersdie]

[He wouldn't judge her for eating the cakes. There's probably nothing wrong with him, but four years is more than enough time to grow deeply paranoid.]

Not really. October's always terrible.

[charring]

[Charlie's paranoid in general. Occasionally, it slips. This was one (five) of those times where it slipped.]

And December is always ridiculous.

At least there's some kind of pattern to things around here, even if it is a vague one.

[othersdie]

December is ridiculous everywhere. That's not entirely the City's fault.

Vague enough that we don't know exactly what to expect on any given day.

video;

[majorcrotchgrab]

I think we've had it before.

[Raikov, too, is munching on cakes]

Re: video;

[charring]

[GDI, Raikov. That doesn't make Charlie's attempt at avoiding the cakes any easier.]

A while back. There was a fire then, I think. I might be wrong and mixing up curses.

video;

[majorcrotchgrab]

That sounds vaguely familiar.

Re: video;

[charring]

A bit. [If it's not her fire, she usually doesn't remember.] I don't think this one will end that way, though. It's just weird.

video;

[majorcrotchgrab]

I like the festivals going on.

[Nom another cake.]

[orangetoughguy]

It happens. I don't think it's some sun and moon NASA shit either, they're just fucking with us.

[They being the Deities. But it tastes so good...]

[charring]

It's the City being stupid again.

[Yeah, she knows. She's tempted to take a few of them home, even if they do make her wary. But nothing bad has happened so far? Maybe it's more benevolent than malevolent?

...she doubts it, to be honest.]