Video - UN: lolococo416

[threatenwithcuteness]

*Lola's sitting at a desk? Or maybe a table? It's hard to see details because there's a very definite layer of books covering the surface. They all have covers and titles that hardly seem fun or inviting about business, investing, and... okay one of those books is about nail care but it feels out of place with the rest.*

Do any of you know anything about, like, running a business. How to operate one, contacting vendors? Figuring out how many pounds of tortilla chips you need to buy for a week of regular nachos? I'm trying to get Lola's Cantina open but I really, like.

Dad did all of this stuff, I just had to look cute, wait tables, and occasionally yell at someone in the kitchen to hurry up.

*Of course just because Lola's studying really hard to try to understand something well outside of her ability at the moment, doesn't mean she didn't take the proper time to put her hair and make-up on point before making this video. She's tired, not dead.*

Comments

video; @cphantom

[sweetlies]

[Did someone say business?

When Ciel starts his video, he already has a pen and a small tablet.]

I've been operating a successful business for several years now. Although, Undertaker manages the cafe here. This would take a bit more than we could cover in a simple conversation, we would need to meet potential suppliers, see the costs they would ask, determine the number of customers you'd be expecting per day and the sizes of servings.

[threatenwithcuteness]

*What are you, twelve? Still, she's desperate enough and he looks like he doesn't know what fun is so she will ignore the fact he is clearly a child.*

Um, customer numbers per day and serving sizes I know. I have all the recipe books and I worked every shift at least once. I've already started rewriting the recipes based on what's available here. I don't really know any vendors yet, but I'm really cute and everyone likes?

*Which in the service industry is a very helpful tool for getting deals.*

[sweetlies]

[Wow, rude. He's a nobleman, age doesn't matter here.]

Good. So long as you have all that, vendors will be the next step. And a loan, most likely, if you don't have the funds currently to afford those first few deliveries of supplies.

[He won't comment on how being 'cute' shouldn't have any bearing on the situation.]

[threatenwithcuteness]

I'll definitely need more money than I have to start up with. So a loan or an investor. I guess I need to know how much I need before I can figure that out?

*Cuteness is the most dangerous of all tools available. Do not doubt its power.*

[sweetlies]

I could check my finances and see where I stand with my own businesses, if you don't manage to find an investor by the time you open.

Why don't we meet and we'll note down prices to start? And then you can figure out advertising. An investment to cover the cost for a few months would probably be enough to help you start and ensure and steady income.

[He's been told many times that he's cute but he doesn't buy it or use to to his advantage.]

[threatenwithcuteness]

That'd be great. *Which loses some of her trademark energy as her mind drifts back to 'what are you, twelve' at his offer to check his finances and business state.*

That could work, once I find out the numbers it isn't, like, complicated math. Just simple multiplication and stuff?

*Maybe acting more cute would help, then you could weaponize it.*

[sweetlies]

Do let me know if you can't find an investor. I assure you, I'll be fair. [He objects that his age should have any bearing on his abilities to run a business.]

Ah, yes. It would all be basic maths at that point.

[That would be proving Lizzie right though! He has years of denial built up.]

[threatenwithcuteness]

Can do! *Her energy is back, even if you should be way more mature to be doing business stuff. Thinks the nearly eighteen year old with the color changing dayglow hair.*

Basic math I can totally do! You need that all the time to cook.

*But she's like, your fiance or whatever, isn't she naturally always right?*

[sweetlies]

Good. I genuinely hope your business will be a success. [He agrees about the maturity... then again, he opened a toy and candy store before anything else back in England and here.]

Ah- I wouldn't know much about cooking. My servants did all that before I came here. [Undertaker has taught him a bit.

Yes, but he can't give her that so easily!]

[threatenwithcuteness]

Is this a thing where you're from a time girls didn't wear pants and having servants do everything was okay?

*She just wants to be clear. There wasn't any accusation in her voice, although she did sound a little dismissive of the idea.*

[sweetlies]

[He blinks, a little surprised, but slowly nods.]

For the nobility, it's quite normal. And I think I've only ever seen Nina, my tailor, wear trousers. Her opinions of ladies fashion is a bit... extreme though.

[threatenwithcuteness]

I wonder if that's a thing that should be covered, cause it kinda comes up and this place gets super liberal with stuff...

*Not that her experiences with Letha were telling about how much of a culture shock that was.*

At least that explains the whole age thing.

[sweetlies]

What?

[He frowns. That just sounds off to him.]

The nobility doesn't arrange marriages where your from?

[threatenwithcuteness]

We don't have a nobility where I'm from.

[sweetlies]

[Excuse him..?]

What? How could you not have the nobility?

[threatenwithcuteness]

We just... don't? I don't really know what nobility is for anyway.

[sweetlies]

The nobility serves the crown, we oversee lands and estates, and the people living there. I directly serve the queen.

[threatenwithcuteness]

We don't really have anyone serving a crown cause we don't have a queen?

[sweetlies]

Nowhere at all?

[It's hard for him to imagine anywhere without a royal family.]

[threatenwithcuteness]

I mean, in other countries? But even those don't have nobles deciding anything for ordinary people. Arranged marriages are just family things, not something someone who just happens to have the right last name decides.

*Sorry, obsolete now.*

[sweetlies]

[So dryly:] I don't decide the marriages of those living on my estate. I am the Earl of Phantomhive. And Lizzie is the daughter of the leader of the British Knights. Our marriage was decided for us for the sake of the family line and keeping the estate and fortune from being split.

[threatenwithcuteness]

So... you're engaged to be married because of money and a title?

*Guess who doesn't get it!*

[sweetlies]

In part. It also grants me ties to the Order of the British Knights. More so than what I had. So power has a hand it in as well.

[threatenwithcuteness]

So... money, power, and a title.

Are you sure you're not, like, evil?

[sweetlies]

That sounds rather simplistic but, yes, money, power, and a title.

[Wow, Lola...]

That depends on how you define 'evil,' I suppose. My organization is called the Aristocrats of Evil, or Villainous Nobles, but what we do isn't evil, per se. We police England's underground and eliminate threats to the crown or anything else that might distress Her Majesty.

[threatenwithcuteness]

So... you're a bunch of spies.

*That's what he said isn't it?*

[sweetlies]

No, we're not spies. How... ridiculous an idea. No, I'm openly recognized as the Queens Watchdog.

[threatenwithcuteness]

Who finances eateries?

*See now she's just confused, cause if Ciel was a spy it'd just kinda click. Especially with that spy eyepatch.*

[sweetlies]

I have a life and interests beyond my duty. I've managed my own company for years already, I'd hate to see other miss the opportunity.

@ridethelightning | text

[theshockvalue]

Hey, don't know if you found anyone to help, and I don't exactly know anything about running a business, but...I don't know, I guess you'd need to start by estimating how many orders of nachos you're going to serve, and how much is a good serving for an order?

Voice

[threatenwithcuteness]

I can totally figure that out, I have a pretty good memory. I think. I'm pretty sure I need someone smarter than me to make sure that the order sizes are competitive and priced for here. Cause I don't think I'm placed as well as at home.

*At home the cantina was right near a school, which was super convenient.*

Voice

[theshockvalue]

Smarter or just willing to go try other places and report back?

[ He chuckles. ]

I'm very good at eating and talking about food.

[threatenwithcuteness]

I'm not sure... I thought it'd be like a lot of math.

...I'm pretty sure I'm good on people to eat food. Like, everyone I know.

[theshockvalue]

Yeah. I meant someone to go eat at other places and let you know what's competitive.

[threatenwithcuteness]

What do you think I did when I first got here?

We have alien fruits and meats and stuff! With worlds that are a billion different kinds of earths, they don't have the same foods! I've eaten at like every place I can for a year. Just to see what it all tastes like.

*She might be tiny, but the girl eats. And loves food, different foods!*

[theshockvalue]

You know, I get this is completely off-topic, but I'm still making the rounds.

[This guy can eat, too.]

Any suggestions? At least until your place gets off the ground. Then, it sounds like the most I've got in the advertising board at the shop.

[threatenwithcuteness]

Um, for Italian there's a little called Sully's, the sign is all beat up and worn. I think it came through the portal with him. Now he doesn't call it Italian because his world doesn't have an Italy. But he gets it when people call it pasta and stuff.

I can send you a list? I know a lot of great little places. Although language gets weird cause the food is like something but it might not be it. If that makes sense.

[theshockvalue]

Should I be scared that it makes sense, or does that mean we're going native?

Sure, I'll take a list. And if I find anybody who can help you out, I'll let you know. Maybe...the library's got one of those start a new business books or something?

[threatenwithcuteness]

I've kinda been here a year. I just accept most things probably make sense.

Like, you spend enough days looking up at a planet you just get used to it.

[theshockvalue]

That is a very good point.

...I'm not used to it yet. It's still pretty creepy.

[threatenwithcuteness]

The planet is pretty, weird, but pretty.

Plus, impossible things are super common here. And most of the time they aren't dangerous or annoying.

Except the ones that are.

[theshockvalue]

Yeah, that...clears stuff up.

Has anyone ever found out what might be down there....or up there? On the planet I mean?