Yet another afternoon where I'm left in charge of the store... Mom and dad have been going out quite a bit more often lately, I don't mind taking care of things in the meantime, but it can admittedly feel a bit monotonous.
Not that I mind that much anyways, for a small fruit store like this, on slower days like this I get to sit here and relax eating these strawberries while reading a book. They taste a little bit sour at this time of the year, which pairs very nicely with honey, perhaps I should go out to buy some when I have the time...
...Hm? My relaxed strawberry eating was quickly interrupted by the sudden sound of the bell at the door, and my attention to the sound was suddenly overtaken from noticing the strong aroma of perfume that started spreading around, with its origin being as unmistakable as a red apple in a pile of pears: the customer who just entered the store.
It's a rather dazzling one, and she walks around in an elegant way. And that strong perfume too on top of that... Is she wealthy? Well, wealthy or not, I gotta treat her like how I'd treat any other customer. It's not like she's gonna start asking for impossible things from me.
Nina: "Helloooooo! How can I help you, miss?"
???: "Ah, hi, hi! I presume that you're in charge of this adorable fruit store, yes? I have a request: I'm looking for an impossible fruit."
Nina: "W... W-Whuh!?"
???: "Ohoho, pardon my extravagant entrance. My name is Cerise, I'm an artist who's been living in this town for a bit now, though we probably haven't met before. I've been wandering around these streets in search of things that I've never seen. Something surprising, shocking, not quite like anything that has ever met my eyes!"
Nina: "Ohh, that's what you meant by impossible. You wanna see something that's new to you, right?"
Cerise: "Precisely! Not to brag, but despite my youth, I've seen quite the variety of eccentric goods throughout my life, from foods to clothes and all sorts of things, my eye for the exquisite is a hungry one. But such diverse experiences end up narrowing my sense of surprise, you see. To put it in a way that should be easier to understand... I'm somewhat bored. I want to see something that surprises me, regardless of how impossible that might seem."
Nina: "Is that so... Well, you just so happen to be talking with someone that knows quite a bit about fruits, hehehe! I'm sure that I'll find something that'll be like what you're looking for."
Cerise: "Very well. I should warn you though, my Mien has been to your store a few times before, I'm already more familiar with your usual goods than you might expect. Don't hesitate in picking your most obscure items."
Her what now...? Well, that's not really important. What she asked for shouldn't be any kind of challenge for an avid fruit scholar like me, I know about those things better than the back of my hand! She startled me a bit at first, but this lady and her big requests are no issue, not for Nina, this is the perfect opportunity to put my knowledge in action!
Now, what to show to her... Well, our artic strawberries are a relatively new addition to our lineup, though they haven't been selling a lot lately. This should get the job done, no issue.
Nina: "Very well, your eyes might appreciate seeing this!" Without hesitation, I show her a box of our freshest artic strawberries, cultivated in villages in the arctic with the help of special seeds that give them quite a peculiar feel when eaten cold. They're popular during the summer in some continents, but we don't get a lot of customers looking for them, maybe because we keep them stored near our ice stones...
Cerise: "Hm...? Oh, today's climate hasn't been specially hot, I'm not looking for a cold treat. I'm not very fond of artic strawberries without some chocolate to go with them anyways."
Nina: "...Huh. Well, okay, I can see that you're already familiar with them. Well, wait here for a moment, I know of something else that should be a bit more out there!" I suppose even if they're not selling very well, that doesn't mean that they're particularly obscure. Well, certainly not to her. In any case, I have a better idea than that.
Nina: "How about... these?" After a brief search, I found a few of our pink oranges, from Frutose Village. I don't know a lot about that location, but I've sure studied its fruits well, these pink oranges are something made in no place other than it, created by a small group of botanists just a few years ago, known for their surprisingly sweet taste and soft texture. No other stores around here import them, but we sure do, even if not very frequently!
Nina: "These sure are something else, huh? They're from-"
Cerise: "Frutose Village, right? I remember it decently enough, it's a fine place. Their adorable pink oranges have been getting sweeter and sweeter since I first tried them, tasting those would be lovely, but they're not what I'm looking for."
...Eh!? What the... I... I see. I see. I can she that she travels a lot, so things that just happen to not be common around here won't work. I really should be showing here something more... perhaps unique.
Nina: " Well, that's very unfortunate, I see that I should be going with something rarer for your request. I have something that should surprise you!"
Cerise: "Let's hope it lives up to the expectations you're setting up."
I didn't think I'd have to pick this, but if it's necessary to surprise that girl, then so be it. After a quick trip to our storage, I come back with a somewhat odd-looking box, waiting no time to open it.
Nina: "This fruit... is a color combo. A friend of my dad delivered it to us recently, saying that he didn't know much about it and that we could make some better use of it. My dad hasn't been paying too much attention to it, but I've been studying it here and there, I really wanna figure out the best way to make more of it. Everyone here that I've shown this to had no idea that it even existed, pretty impressive, huh?"
Cerise: "Oh... I'm sorry to say, but this isn't good enough to be eaten, at least not yet."
Nina: "HUH!?"
Cerise: "Those take a long time to become ripe, you see. Roughly six months, if I remember correctly, it's been a while since my travel to the the archipelago that they're from, so my memory on the exact numbers might be slightly off. They're tasty if you're patient. But not what I'm looking for. I suppose someone such as you might still be highly inexperienced when it comes to the world of fruits, which is perfectly understandable. Perhaps I could wait until your parents are available to ask them about that instead of you, but at this point, I sincerely doubt that that'd be worth the wait."
WHAT THE HECK!? That is not possible, she knew everything I had to show, to their taste, even! I simply can't believe it, but... as far as I know, the information all checks out, she knows what she's talking about! What is this lady, showing up out of nowhere and making a fool of me quicker than I could even notice? So effortlessly too, like a powerful dragon defeating a simple swordsman in the blink of an eye, like a lightning bolt destroying something in an instant!
I... I can't give up! I WON'T give up! I have to defend my name here, not just that, but also the name of our store! How am I supposed to keep customers coming if they get disappointed like that? I didn't wanna have to resort to this, this is something that I usually like keeping to myself, but...
Cerise, in an indifferent tone: "I won't waste our time any longer, I have other places to check for my requests, and I imagine that you have your own things to take care of. Farewell."
Nina: "Hold on! I have something that will for sure be like nothing that you've ever seen before. I promise it this time."
Cerise: "Hm. Well, at this point your words are weightless."
Nina: "P-please listen! I was telling you the truth about the fruits that we have in our storage, those are the the ones that would line up the best with your request. But I wasn't exactly taking that as seriously as I should've, but now I know what I should've tried doing. You see, I have one last trick to show. I imagine that my Daydream could surprise you!" After hearing that, she started to pay more attention to what I'm trying to say.
Nina: "Please allow me to introduce myself more properly. Thank you. My name is Nina, I'm an aspiring botanist, I love fruits with all of my heart, and I'd like to share with you the results of that." I raise my arms confidently.
Nina, fiercely: "These hands are capable of analyzing fruits to their very core, but that's not all that they can do. With the power of my Daydream, the essences of different fruits meet together and fuse into one! Though this ability is still a work in progress, what I can make with it couldn't be newer in the world of fruits."
Cerise, in a more animated tone: "Ohohohoho, this is quite a bit more intriguing, you should have mentioned that earlier! Daydreams can be a truly fierce showcase of one's self, I can see a flame of determination burning bright in those red eyes of yours, I look forward to what you have to show!"
Nina: "I won't disappoint you, I promise! Please sit on this chair while I go work on that, I won't take very long!"
After quickly going back to our storage room, I have some time to gather my thoughts. That was... scarier than I was expecting, but surprisingly exhilarating in a way. It's a strange feeling. And it's not exactly over, I still have to go back there, with some of the fused fruits that I promised her. I might've forgotten a detail or two about my ability when describing it, it IS able to create what are essentially "new" fruits, as a combination of multiple others, but... those fruits tasting good is an entirely different matter, I've never had someone try out those. Though she didn't mention if she was actually gonna eat the impossible fruit that she's looking for, so... I don't know.
I'd be lying if I said that this doesn't feel a bit tense, I don't usually show my ability to others very often, and I don't even really know what I'd gain from this whole situation. She seems wealthy and influential, so maybe some good reception towards our store could be good... but besides that, the idea of just having someone compliment my Daydream sounds neat. Well, I don't wanna waste time any longer here, it's time to start working! Perhaps 3 fusions would be a good number...?
After a few minutes I come back to her with three plates, each one with a different fusion of fruits.
Nina: "Here you go! Are any of these what you might be looking for?"
Cerise: "Oh, how fantastic! I've never seen anything like any of these before. I will give you my compliments, your Daydream is truly capable of creating surprises, mission accomplished in that regard! This is only the first step however, we must remember that these are food at the end of the day, and how they taste is truly the most important. Interesting appearances mean nothing if the essence doesn't live up to the expectations given by them."
Nina: "I take that you'll be trying them out then?"
Cerise: "Oh, me? Ohohohoho, of course not!"
Nina: "W-what?"
She casually takes a small bell from one of her sleeves, and in no time after ringing it...
???: "Have you summoned me, Lady Cerise? I was in the middle of our grocery shopping when that noise hit my ears."
Cerise: "Yes! Your hearing is as excellent as always, Mien."
Wait... This is the Mien that she was talking about earlier?
Cerise: "Allow me to introduce you to my personal maid, Mien. Adorable, isn't she? She'll be very important for this. I could simply taste those fruits myself, but the truth is that that wouldn't be the most entertaining outcome for me. I'll have Mien here do it instead! She holds no punches. Mien, you'll be tasting all of those funny-looking fruits and telling us what you think of them!"
Mien: "As you wish, Lady Cerise."
Nina: "V... very well! I suppose this girl here can be the judge." This was very random, but maybe it's for the better. Cerise can be quite harsh with her words, but her maid doesn't seem to be quite as rough.
Nina: "Hi there, I'm Nina!" I say to Mien while extending my arm for a handshake. No reason to not try to be friendly!
Mien: "What?"
The maid simply stares at my hand. And she stares at it. And she keeps staring at it. For a good, what, six seconds? Did I offend her or anything!?
Nina: "...Hi?"
Cerise: "Ohohoho, you're supposed to shake her hand!"
Mien: "That makes sense. For an moment I thought she was suddenly showcasing us an elusive fourth fruit with some kind of invisibility trait, I was awaiting for instructions on how to deal with it."
After still not shaking my hand, I finally showcase the first of the three fruits that I made with my Daydream.
Nina: "This first one is a combination of a strawberry and a pineapple, you see. Though the exterior mostly looks like a strawberry, it's size is closer to that of a pineapple, and I'd like to bring attention to its leaves, notice how they're big and spiky, like those of the latter! If you bite into it, you'll notice that in the inside it has a somewhat sour juice, that part comes from its pineapple side, and also... and... also... um..."
I wanted to finish my explanation, but concentrating on that is a bit difficult after seeing the maid try to... eat the leaves? What!?
Mien, in a chillingly casual tone: "Hm... Tastes bad. The spiky part is an interesting choice, but it does nothing for the flavor. I'll take some points away for that."
Nina: "UH. YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT THAT PART."
Mien: "I assumed that I had to eat the entirety of these fruits, and besides, you brought attention to the leaves."
Cerise: "I'm afraid Mien here has a good point, you did highlight your strawberry pineapple's leaves, including them when judging the fruit is understandable."
Nina: "That doesn't seem very fair, but... whatever. More importantly, are you okay!?"
Mien: "I'm always okay."
Nina: "Um. Alright. What do you think of the rest of the fruit?"
Mien, while eating: "Not bad, but the leaves are gonna be dragging down the score. I give it a seven."
Nina: "Out of ten? Ah, that's not bad!"
Mien: "No. Out of... How many pineapples exist out there, about a hundred? Out of that."
Nina: "...Oh. Well. W-why don't we get to the second fruit then? Hopefully that's more up to your tastes!" I say before presenting the second plate.
Nina: "This one is a fusion between a banana and several grapes- AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, you're not supposed to eat the peel! Neither of this nor of the next fruit."
Trying to hold back my explanation more to not potentially give her wrong instructions, I then watch her eat. It's somewhat difficult to tell her feelings, ever since she got here she mostly kept a straight face, not showing much expression. That said, she's eating multiple of the banana grapes, so maybe she's enjoying them? Hopefully she's enjoying them. After eating the entire bunch, she puts the plate back at the table.
Mien, in a terrifyingly monotone way: "Terrible. Lady Cerise, this one might be harming me emotionally."
Nina: "T-that's a bit harsh... What do you not like about it?"
Mien: "I don't know. It's difficult to describe. It tastes alright, but the texture fills me with profound sadness. Can I throw up?"
Nina: "HOW RUDE!"
Cerise: "You may do that later. Let's not bother Ms. Nina here with such problems."
Mien: "Understood."
Nina: "Surely it's not THAT bad, right? It has the immediate appearance of a grape, but the inside has a banana-like texture, and the taste combines the sweetness of both."
Mien: "The taste was the best part, but I can't give this a high score. There were a lot of grapes in that bunch, about thirty or so, I'll give it a seven out of thirty."
Nina: "I suppose it's better than the other score...? The third fruit is significantly more straightforward compared to the first two, hopefully you like it more."
I bring the third plate and cut it into four slices.
Cerise: "The first two fruits have an out there aesthetic, but the final fruit really is quite simple in comparison, isn't it? In line with what you described. It roughly looks like some kind of large lemon."
Nina: "That's right! I wanted to focus on something different with it. The others center around strange combinations, while this one combines similar traits of similar fruits, essentially strengthening already strong traits."
Unlike with the banana grapes, with the lemon-like fruit the maid already gave an opinion after eating just one of the slices instead of wanting until she was done with the entire thing.
Mien: "She's correct Lady Cerise, this isn't like the other ones."
Nina: "Yeah! Pretty good, huh?"
Mien, with the same unreadable expression that she's been having since her arrival: "It tastes like the sourness of seventy lemons concentrated into one."
Nina: "I only used fourteen! I wish that I had seventy lemons. Aside from those, I also used three oranges, to give it a bit of a sweeter flavor, but it seems like the lemons ended up being significantly more noticeable..."
Mien: "It's a overwhelmingly strong taste. I enjoy it. I give it a sixty out of seventy... Wait, no. Ten out of fourteen? I don't know. Something like that." Said the maid before grabbing another slice.
Nina: "...Oh! Hold on, that's a good score, isn't it?"
Cerise: "It is indeed. Good job, you seem to have made quite an intriguing fusion of fruits!"
YES! You did it, Nina! And for a moment I thought that it would've been the worst of the three!
Cerise: "Perhaps I should give it a try myself... Hm?" Said the lady as she notices one of the displayed fruits in our store, before grabbing one of them.
Cerise: "What is this lovely fruit here? Very strange, in a fascinating manner... It's small and round like how you'd expect many other fruits to be, yet its exterior is peculiarly furry... Could this be one of your fusions? Was this fusion made with some kind of wild animal, perhaps?"
Nina: "Lady, that's a kiwifruit."
Cerise: "Ah, so it was made with a bird."
Nina: "N-no! That's not a fusion, that's a regular fruit!"
Cerise: "In any case, those details aren't very important right now, I'm more curious about what kind of flavor such thing would contain..." She then bit into the kiwifruit she's holding with no hesitation, biting even the peel.
Cerise: "Oh...! How fantastic! I have never seen something like this before, perhaps it's a new type of fruit? I'm not very updated in that topic."
Nina: "It's not new! Not at all! We've always sold those here! What do you mean you don't know what a kiwifruit is?"
Cerise: "There are many things in life that people aren't aware of, my friend. Mien, did you know about this kiwifruit thing?"
Mien: "I've never seen this fruit before in my life, Lady Cerise."
After the maid said that, she for the first time since getting here has finally changed her expression, showing one of slight disgust while looking at the fruit. Hey, wait a minute... Cerise said earlier that Mien has been here before, right? I think I now remember about her, she's the customer that has gone on brief vents about how much she dislikes kiwifruits before. I think I can see what's going on here...
Cerise: "Regardless, I believe I've found the impossible fruit I was searching for!"
Nina: "Wait, WHAT!? What was this all for then? What about my fusions? Are they really being defeated by a kiwifruit?"
Cerise: "Oh, those are excellent, don't worry. But this kiwifruit here is quite interesting in its own way. Just look at it! This isn't a competition at the end of the day, I'm still interested in giving the big lemon fruit a try after all, having two impossible fruits is better than simply one. Could you bring me those slices?"
Nina: "Oh... Uh... Sure."
As I was grabbing the plate, I accidentally bumped it into the plate next to it, making it fall towards my direction.
Nina: "AH! Oh no!"
I try to catch it, but fail. However, in the blink of an eye, before the plate could hit the floor, the maid dashes into my direction and effortlessly grabs it while doing a cool pose, preventing any kind of damage.
Nina: "OH WOW, that was amazing! Thank you so much Mien, that would've been terrible if it wasn't for you!"
Cerise: "Ohohohoho, don't let Mien's ability trick you, look closer!"
Nina: "Huh? What do you mean by that?" Taking a second look at her, things seem quite different now... The plate isn't in her hand, it's actually on the floor. In pieces. Completely shattered."
Nina: "What happened!? Why is the plate broken, I didn't hear any noise of it breaking..."
Mien: "Apologies Ms. Nina, I could not catch it in time."
Cerise: "Your Daydream might be impressive, but if impressiveness is the matter, then it pales in comparison to Mien's! Thanks to her ability, she's capable of veiling the visuals and sound of a situation with ones that seem more spectacular. She didn't catch the plate, she simply made it look as if that's what happened."
Nina: "Oh... Why did you do that?"
Mien: "I thought I could add some positivity to the situation. There's no need to bring you more distress, even if that was ultimately an illusion."
Nina: "Ah, that's... actually quite nice of you. I mean, it was my fault that the plate fell after all... I appreciate you at least making... a nice performance? I'll call it that."
Cerise: "In any case, it is my duty to pay for all of the expenses from this entire situation. Including the broken plate, of course." Said the lady before handing some money that she had stored in one of her sleeves.
Cerise: "I believe we're done here. You have my gratitude, not only were my wishes fulfilled, but getting to that point was quite entertaining, ohohohoho! I'd love to visit this charming store again in the future! Mien dear, please bring those lemon slices with us, I'd like to give them a try on our way back. And don't forget to purchase some of those adorable kiwifruits while you're at it, those are lovely."
Mien: "Of course, Lady Cerise."
Nina: "T-thank you so much! I'm looking forward to seeing you both again at some point!"
Shortly after they left, things went back to being quieter around here. Just me sitting on a chair and relaxing eating strawberries while reading a book. It's very enjoyable, I appreciate going back this, those two girls can make things feel a bit troublesome, but... I'd be lying if I said that getting to do something like that while I take care of our store wasn't fun in its own way.