The Love Chef w/ Skyxon

[azuneko]

There's a fancy cafe on the corner of oak and spades that is well known for its pastries. They are also well known for their amazingly handsome staff. Yuuji's dream has been to work there and today was his lucky day. He was going to be the apprentice of the top chef in the cafe. Things were about to change in his life more than he could have imagined.

 

Name: Yuuji Motoko

Age: 22

Appearance:

[Skyxon]

Name: Toshio Shinton

Age: 25

Appearance:

[azuneko]

It was a cold winter day in early December. The snow was falling in a light shower. The sun barely shining from behind the grey clouds. As the morning outside progresses the morning inside of Yuuji's home still seems a bit dreary. Yuuji had received his acceptance letter from his favorite cafe, "Le Aimer". He stood in front of his bedroom mirror and sighs. "I really am about to live out my dreams. Today marks the start of the happiest days in my life." he said to himself before heading down to eat breakfast. He was lucky enough to old live a block away from the cafe.

 

After a hearty breakfast Yuuji leaves home. He walks down the street with a smile on his face and determination in his heart. He left fear at the door as he wanted to prove he could do this no matter what. Once arriving at the cafe,Yuuji gave himself a mental pat on the back before entering. "Oh good morning. You must be the new apprentice." a young lady says. "Yes I am. My name is Yuuji Motoko. Its a pleasure to meet you, miss." he said a voice full of confidence.

[Skyxon]

Toshio had already begun his morning ritual. The eclairs and creme puffs needed to be baked to the perfect temperature or the creme would not go in correctly. Then he had to make sure the small pastry cakes were decorated to perfection not to mention the cookie baskets that needed to be formed and put in colorful bags. Those needed to be out right away so that the students that pass by can buy them for their confessions to their secret crush. Too many things need to be done. All these things would usually be impossible for one man but not Toshio. He was punctual and precise with all his baking.

 

It was not Toshio's idea to get an assistant. Marie, his waitress and front of the store manager, was the one that said that he needed help. She stated that if Toshio kept on doing things alone the quality of his pastries will suffer greatly. That hit Toshio hard. There was one thing alone and one thing alone that he prided himself alone on and that was his pastries. They had to be flaky when they should be and crumbly when needed. Toshio was in his zone already balancing four pastries in his hands and walking out to the front of the cafe. "Marie make sure you push the cannoli today. They are the special." Toshio stated as he placed them on the counter and then turned his attention to the boy that was there."Sorry we are not open yet. We do not much have much of a variety available right now. Please help yourself to what there is as a apology." Toshio offered and bowed as he turned back to his kitchen.

[azuneko]

Marie glanced over at Toshio as he walked out with some pastries. She sighs and then frowns. "Hold it right there crabby pants. This isn't a costumer. He is your apprentice. Don't be so rude and distant like that. If he was a costumer that attitude of your would turn him away in a heartbeat." she said walking over to place the pastries in the clear counter case. Yuuji walked over and bows towards Toshio. "My name is Yuuji and I am looking forward to learning so much from you." he said

 

He had heard the master chef was skilled and handsome but this was more than he could handle. 'Who know this person would be this perfect. I feel unworthy to learn from him now. Maybe I should rethink this.... NO! I left that kind of thinking at home.' he thinks before looking over at Maria and then Toshio. He knew this was a once in a life time opportunity. He wasn't about to let it slip through his hands.

[Skyxon]

Toshio looked at the body and started to study him. "Seriously Marie this is who you chose to be my apprentice? His arms are not that toned. What if he drops my pastries and makes a mess on my floor? Did you warn him about the three strike system? I do not need some brat kid wet behind the ear looking easy money. I take no pity on anyone. You may have a sad life I don't care but there is someone out there who has had it worse understand kid? I will not slow my pace down for anyone either. You either keep up or get out. Can't handle it too bad. My name is Toshio Shinton. You may call me whatever you wish it won't make a difference you will most likely be out of here in a week." Toshio was cut short by the dinging of some alarm.

 

He once again ignored the boy presence and ran to the kitchen and took the biscuits out of the oven and quickly put his signature glaze on each one. He needed to hurry these needed to be out already the morning crowd buys these things quickly. He needed to go faster and then remembered. "Oi boy! Hurry up. Watch you dip the brush in the glaze and then spread it on the top and make sure the top of each biscuit is covered completely. If you feel like that is too much then pack up because you will only hold me back." Toshio stated as he threw a apron at the boy and went to the oven to take another tray of biscuits out.

[azuneko]

Yuuji bit his lip as he really felt like punching the guy in front of him. He didn't understand why he was being so cruel. Marie looked at him. "Please don't mind him. He's the type that doesn't play well with others. I know your background so I'm not worried. Please do your best." she said with a bow. "I'll do nothing less than utter perfection." Yuuji declares as he catches the apron thrown at him.

 

Upon putting on the apron, Yuuji enters the kitchen and begins glazing the biscuits. He had no trouble doing something that sounded easy but in actuality it wasn't. He finished each one with an even yet generous amount of glaze. He waited for Toshio to place the next batch down. 'I will show him I'm not some child with a dream.... Pastries are my life....' he thinks fully ready for what would come next.

[Skyxon]

Yoshio kept on moving never stopping. As soon as he saw that one batch of them were glazed he quickly took the tray and quickly replaced with new ones and took the other ones to the front and quickly returned. "A good pastry chef must always know what the three rules of a perfect care are. The bread must be light. The creme must be fluffy. Finally the fruit or topping must always always be fresh and not too overpowering." Yoshio explained as he watched the boy.

 

"Once you are done take those out and come over here so I can show you exactly how we frost and decorate our cakes.This is an important half of the money we make at this bakery comes from the money we get from cakes." Yoshio ordered as he started to cut all the fruit and get the frosting ready to cover. He needed everything to be precise.

[azuneko]

Yuuji began glazing the next batch as he listened to Toshio speak. These were basic pastry knowledge but he wasn't going to say so out loud. He nods as taking a mental note. He finished the glazing and took them to the front. He had only been there less than thirty minutes and the shop was packed with costumers. He was shocked by just how popular the cafe really was. He quickly returns to the kitchen to learn the next thing.

 

Frosting a cake sounds like easy work but Yuuji knew better. There were over two thousand techniques to frosting a cake but you had to know the proper ones to use on the correct type of cake. He approached Toshio ready to learn. "Don't hesitate for me. I can pick up your quick movements without fail. I came prepared." he said letting the other know he was ready for this.

 

 

(note: i was a bit confused in your reply then noticed it was a typo. y instead of t in chara name)

[Skyxon]

He smirked and looked at the kid and got a vanilla cake and the frosting and slowly started to frost it from the top down to make sure the signature spikes were on it. "See how this one is frosted. Every one of them must come out like this no excuses no sloppy messes." Toshio then went to go get the fresh fruit and took a simple small knife and started to thinly slice the strawberries.

 

"You slowly have to but the slices or you will make the slices uneven or not complete and I will not have you serving that to our costumers either. I have high standards meet them or hang up your apron." Toshio meant it he was not about to stake the reputation of the whole cafe on some second rate baker who had no business in his kitchen to begin with.

[azuneko]

Yuuji looked at him and took mental notes of everything. He hated the fact that Toshio was so easily doubting him before he actually showed what he could do. He had many ideas he wanted to share but he could tell it wasn't the time for that. "I can match your high expectations without fail. Don't think I'm just going to give up without a fight." he said

 

Yuuji held his upper chest slightly before waiting to show what he could do. Under his shirt was a locket which he always held right before baking or creating anything in the kitchen. His gaze drifted to the fruits. "So you even cut your smaller fruits the same or is there a specific way for them?" he asked thinking that cutting a blueberry or blackberries like that would be odd.

[Skyxon]

"If it is a small fruit than no. I have miniature strawberries that are meant to be kept whole to do some designs and the blueberries I expect you to inspect. They are meant to be perfectly round no bumps not oval. A perfect sphere." He moved on to finish frosting the cakes. "Now you finish putting on these fruits and then we can take them out to the main case and then we can start working on the afternoon cakes. Today we will be working with ice cream. You have experience working with those right?"

 

He went to the freezer to see if Marie had gotten all the ice cream he had asked her too. "Ice cream based pastries are something that we are known for as I know you have heard of. We make them light and savory and the temperature is something I pride myself on. The ice cream is not melted when it is served it is perfectly shaped and the presentation is nothing less that divine." he rambled on as he took inventory.

[azuneko]

Yuuji looked over at him as he listened to the other's rambling. "I have a really easy technique that helps with keeping the roundness in check with certain berries. I am not sure if you'll appreciate the thought in the end." he said as he began adding the fruit according to what Toshio had instructed. He was ecstatic to be working in his dream cafe but he didn't care for the other's attitude one bit.

 

"I will be honest and say that ice cream cakes aren't something I succeed at. They tend to melt once served. I am prepared to learn the right way in preparing one to perfection." Yuuji says as he had finished with the fruit. His gaze drifting from the cake he just finished to the other in the freezer.

[Skyxon]

"If you have techniques like that then we can give them a shot with the next batch. I am always open to any new ideas that can help my cafe prosper. I just rarely hire staff because they can not keep up with my fast pace but you seem to be doing just fine. Making an ice cream pastry is tricky and very hard to master. So please come to the freezer and watch." Toshio had pound cake.

 

"Alright first thing is first I messed up we do not need to be in the freezer yet." Toshio took the bread and went towards the grill and turned it on. "Alright. First step to this recipe is to cut pound cake into good 1 inch slices and then grill both sides so that they can both get the grill marks it is very important. It is for the aesthetic value of the pastry. This one is called Grilled Pound Cake Sundae. It is very popular and simple right now. It has pound cake, ice cream, strawberries, and blueberries." Tishio explained as he watched the bread carefully. "If you burn it I rather you throw it away then serve it to the costumer."

[azuneko]

Yuuji was surprised to hear the other wanted to hear his idea. "My mother taught me this. If you place the berry between your thumb and index and shape it into a sphere, you'll get perfectly round berries every time. Its never failed me yet and it goes a bit quicker when your trying to prepare for a deadline or morning rush." he said backing out the freezer.

 

"Oh you use pound cake for you ice cream cakes. There's something I wish I had known before." Yuuji said softly to himself as he was taught to use sponge cake. He watched carefully as Toshio was grilling the cake slices. "So how do you know its fully toasted before removing it from the grill? Does it just have to have grill lines?" he asked wanting to learn this correctly.

[Skyxon]

"The grill lines is the only reason I grill them. It is not a cake its is two grilled pound cake slices in a bowl diagonally and in-between is the vanilla ice cream and the beautifully placed cascade of fruit that must be well balanced or one fruit will take dominance over the other and i will not have that." Toshio explained as he removed the slices and put them in the bowl and went back into the freezer. "See how it was not really toasted it just has the look that it was its just for the look of it its like sweets for your eyes." Toshio explained.

 

"Now once you check the slices are not too hot you grab the scooper for the ice cream and make a perfect sphere of ice cream. Again must be a sphere nothing else. No blobs or ovals. No a sphere and we place it in the middle." Toshio looked at the boy and handed the scooper and ice cream to him. "Here your first test. See if you can do it."

[azuneko]

Yuuji listened to Toshio as he talked about the pound cake. He watched intensely as he didn't want to miss a single step. Once the pieces were in the bowl; his attention was drawn to the ice cream. He understood how much presentation meant to a business. It was the main goal of any working shop. He knew a circle was a circle no matter how you said it.

 

With the scoop in hand, Yuuji slowly went for the ice cream. He tilted the scoop backwards before twirling it in a semi circle. He then placed the perfect sphere in the bowl. Most would think his technique was odd but it was how he had been taught. "Is that perfect or should I try again?" he asked Toshio

[Skyxon]

"Oh so the newbie does have some skill alright. Now slowly cascade the fruit on the ice cream." Toshio complimented impressed he would mostly have to teach the new workers how to do everything in the shop. He was surprised to see for once that Marie did not bring him someone that was useless. He remembered how the last intern cost him a big contract cake for a wedding and Toshio had to stay up afterwards that whole night just to redo the cake. It is easy to predict that he fired that intern.

 

"Okay so you understand basic concepts. Now be honest with me so I do not find this out later on a project. Is there any type of pastry that you can not make or do not feel comfortable with?" Toshio asked bluntly staring at the boy.

[azuneko]

Yuuji glanced over at Toshio as he began cascading the fruits. He wonders if the other was okay with him working here. He was hoping that he wouldn't get fired any time soon. This was his only chance to be in a kitchen type setting doing what he loved. "So after the fruits are applied what comes next?" he asked

 

"I am highly uncomfortable making anything with meringue. I always fail when it comes to whipping it to perfection. So if you like lemon meringue pie then know I shall not be confident enough to meet your standards of perfection." Yuuji said as he glanced down. He crossed his fingers in his mind hoping this wasn't going to be a deal breaker.

[Skyxon]

Toshio looked over to the boy and tilted his chin up with and opened the boy's mouth and with a fork got a bit of the bread, ice cream, and fed it to the boy. "Part of working here is that you must know how everything tastes. Because you are a intern when it is too busy outside you will be helping Marie or taking orders for big parties and the costumers always ask how something taste and you must give them the most elegant answer possible. Now pretend I am costumer and explain how it tastes." Toshio ordered as he thought on how to teach the boy to make a proper lemon meringue pie. It was very important.

[azuneko]

Yuuji was a bit surprised when Toshio suddenly touched his chin. He didn't make any sudden movements as to not misunderstand what was going on. He blinked as he was suddenly fed. He listened to the other and nods. "If I had to describe the taste I'd say the mix of creamy sweet and flaky softness is a rather elegant combination. Its not too sweet and yet gentle on the palate." he said wondering what the other thought

[Skyxon]

He was pleased with the other boys answer. He was satisfied and sorta surprised most of the other interns had fallen apart by now and had just used words like good and nice. 'I do not need someone who can not use words when it comes to describing a pastry. "I find that answer satisfactory. If you preform that well when you are outside in the front with Marie you will do just fine I am certain. Now we need to put out the rest of the morning pastries before Marie starts barking orders at me." Toshio stated and rolled his sleeves up and started to decorate the cakes again .

[azuneko]

Yuuji was surprised the other accepted his response. Most of the time he had gotten his explaintion was too complex for such a simple dish. He was glad Toshio liked it. "Yes sir!" he said as he was prepared for the next steps and orders. He was having such a great day, that everything seemed perfect. He was finally working his dream job.

[azuneko]

~.....~

[Skyxon]

(Damn sorry i forgot about this one!)

 

Toshio smiled and went back to his poker face and started the tiny complexities of fruit arranging on the cakes. "So Yuuji right? What are you previous employers or are you green out of the cooking school?" Toshio asked as he started to hand him frosted cakes to design with fruit. "Remember the simple designs when executed perfectly can be the best rather than a complex design done sloppy and lazy." He stated before going back to his own work.