Closed Busy Bees

[Saiyin]

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36th Spring 518 AV
Just before sunrise
"Speech"

"Look, Saiyin, could you wait just a gods damned chime please?"

Saiyin flinched out of the way as a frustrated woman with gingery hair brushed past towards the oven. She had introduced herself as 'Ajah' the day before when Saiyin had visited with an enquiry in mind. Ajah was the proud owner of the eatery Saiyin was now standing in. It was called the 'Sunrise Nook', and she had never visited it before. Ordinarily, she wouldn't be there this morning either, but now she had a business of her own to think of and as such her mind had to broaden to think of the other businesses in the city too.

The Sunrise Nook was quiet. At least, the restaurant itself was quiet. The sky was still dark outside, and most people knew that it only opened once Syna's rays had touched the horizon. Saiyin had learnt that only recently too. She was learning new things each and every day when it came to running a business. Should she advertise with scraps of paper, or patrolling the streets shouting about the wondrous services she could offer? Should she wait and let business come to her, or go out and find it? The latter was what she'd chosen, in this particular instance. Most of her days were slow and steady, which was a trifle disheartening. Saiyin worked hard to create heaps of glassware that could easily be sold, in bulk if necessary, but she only had a few takers here and there.

But Ajah had let her in to the kitchen that morning to talk about what Saiyin could offer her. She had anticipated an easy, ten chime chat, where she could talk about the kinds of glass she could sell her and Ajah could nod with appreciation and accept her offer. Instead, she had been met with a woman, hectically rushing around, demanding she help one minute and shooing her away the next. Yesterday, the ginger woman had seemed so much more relaxed...

Saiyin moved where she'd been pointed to, and decided it would not be wise to disturb the restaurant owner any further until she was ready. That left her at a loose end. What was she supposed to do in a restaurant's kitchen? Ajah obviously didn't want her help, which was good because Saiyin didn't know her style or her recipes and would undoubtedly get things wrong. Instead, she plonked herself against a corner and thought about her business.

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[Saiyin]

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"Speech"

Saiyin only had so many bells in the day to work, a fact that infuriated her. Owning a business was proving to be more demanding than she could ever have imagined. For a start, her glassblowing was taking longer than she would have hoped. Ostensibly, she knew that she would improve her technique and her speed over time, but in the here and now the speed (or lack of it) was a huge drag. Then there was the furnace itself, and the workshop, and keeping everything presentable and ready to use. On top of that she had to man the shop, and somehow find time to advertise as it was clear customers wouldn't be some steady stream through her door. So far she had gotten a little control of the stock of glassware that she needed, but at the expense of shutting the shop until she was able to man it.

An extra worker would help her immensely, she thought, but how could she afford to pay such a person at this point in time? What with the loan and subsequent debt she needed to pay off, there wasn't much chance of paying an extra assistant, no matter how much she wanted to be able to do it. Instead, she mused, she would simply have to patrol her time management strictly. After a few years of relaxation, the sudden catapult into the land of work was more of a challenge than she could have realised.

She was so lost in thought that the sudden presence of Ajah startled her and she blinked rapidly a couple of times before summoning a smile and standing up straighter. Ajah smoothed her floury hands on her apron, and pushed back her hair before speaking. "Now then. How can you help me? You've got a new business blowing glass?"

Saiyin regarded Ajah and smiled as with as much warmth and welcome as she could. Suddenly feeling nervous, she clasped her fingers togehter tightly and answered brightly, "Yes! The name is Sesr Glassworks, and I am Saiyin Sesr, the owner. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me speak. As for how I can help you... I have a few ideas. Glass is a beautiful material, especially as it allows you to see through it to what's inside. During the hotter days, though of course it's a little drab weather-wise at the moment, there are more flies and pests buzzing around."

Ajah looked thoughtful, and tucked her gingery hair behind her ear. Saiyin continued, "I see you mainly make cakes and tarts and things like that." Ajah replied, "Yes, though we also sell tea and meals for those who are feeling the need to fill themselves up with something more substantial that baked goods."

Saiyin was losing her nervousness as she spoke, and now she was getting more absorbed in the description of what she was thinking, gesturing with her hands and speaking animatedly. "Right! I could make you a set of glass covers to protect your produce from flies and other such pests." She trailed off at the look on Ajah's face. "No, I don't think that would work. My food usually gets sold before flies get a chance!" She smiled, but Saiyin umm'ed and tried to remember her next idea.

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[Saiyin]

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"Speech"

"In that case, Ms Ajah, perhaps I could make a set of glass bowls for you? Hmm, if I can get my hands on some cobalt then I could make blue glass too. Bowls, or tea cups maybe?" Saiyin waited to hear what she would say. Ajah seemed pleased with the suggestion, to her delight. Her eyes were lit up, perhaps with the promise of something new, or perhaps pondering the aesthetic pleasure of blue glass cups. Saiyin suddenly regretted telling her about blue glass, but the deed was done now. "Yes, some tea cups would be lovely, especially in blue. I would want about twenty or so, at least to start with. Although, I have to ask, are you any good at what you do? I'd like to see a sample first, if that's okay with you?"

Saiyin nodded overly enthusiastically, internally panicking over where she was supposed to source cobalt from. "Lovely! There will be a little delay in getting your order through, as I'm newly setting up and I will have to source cobalt. Can you wait a season? Of course I won't expect payment yet. In the meantime I can make you a set of glass bowls, which will be ready in much sooner time than that. I hope you can understand the delay, with the cobalt..." She tried not to look guilty, after all, she could only work with what she had.

Ajah seemed to understand, which eased Saiyin's heart greatly. After a few further pleasantries, Saiyin left the shop and strode out into the sunshine. She had an order: 20 blue glass cups once she could find cobalt, and in the meantime 10 plain glass bowls. The latter wouldn't be too much of a challenge, but cobalt was another matter entirely. She racked her brain, trying to think of somewhere that might have such a material. She could almost sense the impending necessity that was the dusty books of the library calling, and she pouted to herself at the concept of all those words. Book-learning wasn't her forte, but Hessel had seemed relatively clueless about cobalt too, so she would have to consult a book instead.

Still, the day had been a success. Once she had fulfilled Ajah's order, she would have another form of advertising too, if she did her job well enough. Saiyin cracked her knuckles, and began the long walk across Lhavit's glittering skyglass bridges to Tenten Peak, and ultimately Sesr Glassworks. It would be best to begin work straight away, whilst she was still fired up.

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[Saiyin]

Grades Awarded

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Saiyin

Skills
Observation: 2xp
Organization: 2xp
Planning: 2xp
Rhetoric: 2xp
Persuasion: 1xp
Negotiation: 1xp
Logic: 1xp

Lores
Ajah: Red-headed owner and cook of The Sunrise Nook
The Sunrise Nook: Opens when the sun rises
Sesr Glassworks: Thoughts on different methods of advertising
Sesr Glassworks: Difficulty of owning a business
Sesr Glassworks: Could benefit from an extra worker
Persuasion: Accentuating the benefits rather than the negatives
Geology: Sourcing cobalt?
Organization: Time management
Planning: Anticipating a goal
Lore of a professional demeanour
Negotiation: Suggesting an alternative
Logic: Making educated guessed about what a customer want

Notes
This was a self-grade. Please PM me if you think I've made a mistake anywhere!

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