[PP-F1] To be a chef (Hunie) <<Earning a Living>> - Complete

[Husky 0]

It's been a while since Husky had done anything productive. Wandering around town and reading the newspapers to get any information of how the economic was running in SAO. Husky wanted to get a profession for his own to make some money, but first, he need to see what jobs there are for him to take. "Well, Blacksmith is a good profession, but it's heavily monopolized by high level players. Alchemy suffer the same problem..." Husky talks to himself, surfing through the newspaper while sipping away his cup of wild daisy tea. "What else, let me see.... I could go ahead and take the Cook profession, or the Artisan. Both have few active people who do it, but are certainly useful.... I'll see where it takes me." Husky made up his mind, folded the newspaper back and placed it on the desk, finish his tea before leaving the inn and on his way to find a suitable job. 

Walking on Market street, Husky keep his eyes wide for any NPC who give the profession quest. Arrived at a small cafe, he found just the NPC for the job. A chef NPC with a large green question mark hovering over his head. Interacted with the cafe owner, the NPC spoke. "Ah! Hello traveler. Welcome to our small cafe. Would you like anything? Oh, you would like to know how to become a chef? Kitchen work isn't an easy thing you know. There's a lot of work to tend to. Tell you what, I'll teach you how to cook, but I need material to do so. How about you go and fetch me some material, then I will show you how." With those words, Husky was sent off to gather some materials for the quest. However, when he turned his back, he saw a very familiar face of a girl with blonde hair, whom he bypassed completely when he walked into the place.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Husky

[Hunie 0]

The fragrant blend of sugar, cocoa and flour wafted through the air at the small cafe. The blonde had surveyed several restaurant and cafes on the first two floors and she had a theory. She believed that the chefs who offered the EaL quest, had smaller, harder to locate eateries, but better food. Hunie didn't know if this was in her head or was it really an applicable theory. But the argument she had wrought was that it made it harder to obtain the quest, but at the same time, if the food was better quality it would attract more customers through word of mouth. She sliced through the very delicate cheesecake that sat on a sweetly decorated plate. "Mhmm" She said, smacking her lips and closing her eyes. This was good. Small treats like these made SAO worth living in. 

Behind her, she heard the familiar auto response of the quest offering chef, out of faint curiosity Hunie turned in her chair. She had assumed she would witness another low level player accepting the thread, perhaps with a newly minted desire to contribute to the game in some manner, that's the way it had been with her. Instead she noticed a familiar face interacting with the chef. Quickly she kicked back, her chair dragged as the blonde pushed herself away from the table. "Husky!" She called out, hoping their brief encounter earlier in the game had left the same impression on him as it had on her. That day Hunie had caused a bit of ruckus in the plaza, running into the player that now stood before her... She recalled with some amusement although the reason for her dash into him, haunted her then and haunted her now too... 

She tucked a strand of her blonde bang behind her ear. "You haven't done your earning a living quest yet?" She asked surprised making sure her question didn't sound offensive or demeaning. "Chef is the way to go, my friend!" She said in attempt to cheer him on, partially because it'd be nice to visit an actual player to obtain food and share some interesting conversations. "Would you like me to join you on the quest? I am a regular at this cafe, I've seen the drill a million times. I know how it works." She said. He had offered a lot of help that day, back in the plaza, the blonde did want to return the favor. She leaned in closer and whispered, "Plus I think the NPC chef likes me, he might be kinder to you with me around... I can help you look for some of his favourite ingredients." she said with a friendly wink. 

Edited March 23, 2016 by Hunie

[Husky 0]

Hearing the girl called out his name, it was without doubt the same girl he met few days ago. Seeing her live and well gave him a sense of relief, knowing the stalkers haven't had any move toward the girl ever since she ran into him. "Hello, Hunie. Long time no see." Husky greeted the girl, as she stood up from her table and approached him. 

"Yeah, I just haven't decided on what to do for a while, until now. I guess since I never cook, might as well try in here." Husky replied, smiling, didn't mind of her question. "I suppose that you have got yourself a job too, yes?" Husky asked, keeping the smile. If she didn't have a job, he wouldn't think that she'd be sitting in this small cafe and munching away the little snacks that she was eating just now. The two sat back down in her table, chatting away for a while before they took off to do the quest. "To think that Kayaba programmed the NPCs to have feelings, hobbies, preferences, and a mindset of their own, he must have spent so much time building this, just to trap us in here.... It's amazed me just to think of it." Husky rambled about the things on his mind, before returned to the current subject. "Sorry 'bout that, I tends to rambles about things. Sure, I'd love to have someone accompanied me during the quest. I feel bored when I go alone." 

[Hunie 0]

He'd greeted her with some warmth too, which made the blonde smile. Hunie had been waiting on some armour and had plans to start questing after she received it. The armour was a free goody too, so she didn't feel like pushing the shopkeeper to hurry it up. In the time that she waited, she really had nothing to do, hence the offer to help the friend, apart from the fact that she had a favour to return. Husky talked about the effort Kayaba put into the game, Hunie sensed a bit of admiration in his voice. She couldn't blame him, often the girl herself had been victim to such feelings. "Cool! This should be fun and don't worry, I ramble too..." She responded once he finished and mentioned that he would be ok with her accompanying him.

Hunie walked back to her table and pushed in chair back in place. She placed her hands on the back rest and looked at Husky intently "And one can't help but have grudging respect for that guy. All the effort he put is perhaps the reason he wants us trapped in here, he doesn't want to give us a chance to get bored and just leave... Genuis comes with madness they say..." She offered her opinion on the matter, closing it with the quote that always sprung to her mind when she thought of that Kayaba guy. 

She closed her eyes and sighed briefly and picked up the plate of her cheesecake. "I'll be back and return it soon." she said to the chef who was eyeing his precious virtual plate with a little anxiety. "In one piece." she added and followed it with a warm smile to inspire some trust in him and assuage the NPCs anxiety. She walked to Husky again. "Sorry, its too good to leave behind... So as I said, I know what ingredients he likes and I think I know where to find them too..." She finished, motioning him to follow as she left the tiny cafe. 

[Husky 0]

Hearing what she said of Kayaba, Husky could see what Hunie is trying to say. "Still, that's one hell of a way to make sure people appreciate his work." He thought in his head. The warrior shifted his legs and exited the booth the two was sitting. "I'll waited outside for you. Just finish what you need to in here. Richard stood in front of the cafe shop and looked back at Hunie. He smiled and lightly chuckled inside as he saw the little bond that the two have made between Hunie herself and the shop owner have built. Even if they are just NPCs, their behavior are just like a normal human being, something truly remarkable. After a quick moment, Hunie and Husky, both standing on Market street, heading out of Town of Beginning. "So... What does the chef prefer to cook as his main ingredient?"

[Hunie 0]

Hunie considered his question for a moment trying to recall the flavor that was found in most of his signature baked good. "He is a dessert person although he brews some great beverages..." She said thoughtfully. As they strolled through the streets of the town. "You know, one would think its all about the sugar and the chocolate, but really... His dishes are not too sweet." She added trying to explain the intricacies of the baked goods she would often stop by to savour. "Of course, you are going to need the flour and sugar and things..." She said with a light roll of her eye, she just wanted to make sure he knew that. " But the thing that adds the rich spice to his best sweet dishes, is a dash of cinnamon, its not really a main ingredient, but you are going to want a little bit of that, to top up your perfect dish." Hunie advised.

They were almost at the south gate of the town. "You can get flour from the stray wheat plants that grow amidst the grasslands, I think you can extract sugar from fruits and berries, and of course you can use them whole too... chocolate from cocoa pods and cinnamon from cinnamon tree barks." She listed. "You're in luck because I do know where to find the cocoa pods and the cinnamon tree, I'd seen them when I went clay hunting for my trinkets. Its not too far from here. Follow me and keep an eye out for wheat patches or fruit trees." She finished as they exited town.  
 

Spoiler

ID# 52279 results: Battle: 8 Craft: 1 Loot: 7 MOB: 5

Edited March 20, 2016 by Hunie

[Husky 0]

Walking on the grass field with his new companion, Husky enjoy listening to her ranting of how to make a good dish of desert. "Well, she sure know a lot about food, makes me wonder why didn't she decided to become a cook." Husky asked himself, following Hunie close behind, keep a watchful eyes out for any potential threat coming close. With his new gears, Husky wouldn't afraid to thrown himself down with some boars or wolves. 

"Well, speaking of the devils." Husky exclaimed, looking toward his left. He saw a small patch of berries bushes, with purple and black dots glimmering under the sunlight. "That must have been the black crystal berries. I have read about these in one of the cook book. I'm sure that we could do extract these to sugars." Using the knowledge he had learned through the <<AinCrad Cooking 101>>, he identified the berries by them reflecting the sunlight, much like a crystal. Approaching the berries, Husky proceeded to harvest them from the bush and put the berries into his inventory. After he finished collecting the material, the warrior quickly returned to Hunie, as the two continued down the trodden dirt trail. 

____________________

ID: 52284

LD: 17

Found: 1 Mat

Total Material collected: 1

[Hunie 0]

"Lucky you! To have found what you needed so quickly!" She exclaimed. She also mentally noted the area in which he found the berries, quickly swiping open her user interface to cross reference the area on the map. I can probably take a few berries for that chef She thought, maybe he'd make her something special for her. The taste of the blueberry cheesecake she had consumed today still lingered on her taste buds. Not to mention, I could probably eat a few raw berries myself... She mused, following it up with picking a handful and gently cradling them in her small palm, folding her fingers into a very gently fist so as to not squash the tender fruits..  "So now we some berries and sugar, just have to keep a look out for some wheat while we make our way to the cinnamon trees and get to the cocoa pods." She reminded him.

A recipe was already creeping into her mind, but she didn't want to boss him around anymore, she already felt like her instructions were rather limiting. "We could look for other things too though... Throw in a little creativity and you'll create something mouthwatering, maybe you could even surprise the NPC with something savoury. Don't forget this is your quest, not mine." she added brightly. "I'm just here to help." she finished, popping a few berries into her mouth, trying to curb her excitement and take on a more passive role. 

Spoiler

ID# 52299 results: Battle: 5 Craft: 3 Loot: 10 MOB: 2

 

Edited March 20, 2016 by Hunie

[Husky 0]

Husky chuckled at his luck, shook his head lightly as he followed Hunie, continued on the dirt trail. His eyes darting around, trying to locate any monster nearby, as well as searching for material. "Some interactivity, huh? I'll try my best." Husky replied, continue on the search for materials for the quest. While walking they stumbled across a small farm with a huge wheat field. Scanning the field, Husky could see there were some patches that's harvest-able. Approaching the farm, Husky quickly harvested the wheat, and placed them in his inventory as well. "Two down, just a few more to go." Husky cheered for his good fortune, returning to his companion, as the two went on to find the cinnamon bark and cocoa beans. While on the way, Husky asked Hunie about her days, and how have things been ever since they met in the plaza. 

_________________________

ID: 52339

LD: 19

Found: 1 Mat

Total materials found: 2

Edited March 20, 2016 by Husky

[Hunie 0]

Hunie whistled softly, something a young son of one her maids had taught her and something  her mother had repeatedly taught her not to do. Hunie smiled sadly, feeling a little homesick. Following that, she quickly giggled with Husky, not wanting to bog him down with anything sad while he performed his quest. "Looks like luck is totally in your favour today!" She said, once again repeating the motions she had performed for the berries for the wheat farm. "I can't believe I've walked past here on several occasions and never found this before... I think the plants have just matured, I could swear this area was the same green as everything else..." She said, thoughtfully, trying to paint a picture of this area in her mind, as she remembered what it looked like in the past. 

They walked for a few more minutes in relative silence and then Husky inquired about her days since the time they had run into each other. "Same old, same old... Just trying to stay alive and do my little part in the game." she said unwilling to tell him the man from the shadows, the one that had caused her to run into him in the plaza, literally, was still at large and still on his mission to stalk her. She kept this information mostly because Hunie had realised this was a personal fight, dragging others into it would be unfair. "What about you? How has this game been treating you?" she asked. 
 

Spoiler

ID# 52354 results: Battle: 7 Craft: 11 Loot: 9 MOB: 5

 

Edited March 20, 2016 by Hunie

[Husky 0]

"Heh, guess I was just lucky today." Husky chuckled, continued following Hunie as the two made their way to where they needed to get the material. The chatting has been pleasant, and it has been a long time, since he had accompanied by someone else. Most of the time, Husky has been staying along by himself, just burning the times away. Now that he had been more active, it feels different.

"Well, it has been uneventful so far. Nothing much has been happening around lately." The warrior sighed, shaking his head lightly. Not much has been happening ever since the day she had bumped into him. Distracted by the conversation, Husky had failed to notice a pair of boars has gotten near until its too late. Entered aggro range, the boars turned to the two, and squealed loud. "Ah, crap. Shouldn't have slack off." Husky cursed silently, readied his fist for a fight. 

______________________

ID: 52362

LD: 4

Found: Nothing

Total Materials found: 2

______________________

Husky: 16/16 HP | 4/4 EN | 4 DMG

Hunie: 20/20 HP | 5/5 EN | 2 DMG

VS

Boar 1: 10/10 HP | 4 DMG | 2 MIT

Boar 2: 10/10 HP | 4 DMG | 2 MIT

Edited March 20, 2016 by Husky

[Hunie 0]

The blonde had been so busy scanning the area for her own trinkets she didn't notice the boars until they literally cried for attention. She looked at Husky nervously and then decided to brandish her very own, rather violent look sword, which was a gift from... a friend. The blonde was a little worried because these boars looked stronger than the ones she usually fought, and she hadn't had a chance to get her armour yet.  Unsure of what to do, she waited for the quest owner to make his move. "Er... What do we do now?" she said, in attempts to inch away from the boar. "I hope we can survive this... I don't have any armour... If I'm not lucky with my damage that might have been the last cheesecake I'll ever eat..." She said with a nervous giggle.

The place was very still all of a sudden, no body made any moves. She wondered if the player duo could just ran for it, how far the mobs would follow... The blonde didn't know if she could suggest to the boars that she meant no harm... But probably sheathing her sword to not aggravate them further was a good idea. In any case this was a new sword, one which was heavy and was rather difficult for Hunie to wield, so it found its way back across the small back of the girl. When she looked down at her feet, she noticed she was standing atop a mound of clay, the kind she needed for her trinket. Despite the danger she was in, she crouched and touched it quickly so it was auto added to her inventory. Following which she waited for Husky to make his move. 

 

Spoiler

ID# 52379 results: Battle: 1 | Craft: 11 | Loot: 18 | MOB: 9

+ 1 Mat 

 

Edited March 21, 2016 by Hunie

[Husky 0]

Seeing Hunie worried about the two incoming threats, Husky wasting no time jumped in between her and the two boar. "Don't worry about it. I'm not going to let my friend die, not on my watch." Husky gave Hunie a smile, before turn around and faced the two boar. They squealed a fearsome battlecry, before both charging in, one after another. Those two boars were fast, and before Husky get a chance to strike, both of them has already up onto him. One after another, the boars struck their sharp tusk toward the warrior. However, the moment the boars made contact with Husky, his armor pieces shone brightly, and the shiny light struck back at the boar, obliterated the beast in seconds. Million of pixelated fragments floats in the air, slowly fading to nothingness. Husky left unharmed, standing in the defensive position he pose before the fight. "Hmm... interesting..." 

____________________________

ID: 52392; 52393

BD: 4 

MOB: 7; 7

Husky: 14/16 HP | 4/4 EN | 4 DMG (( - ( 4 - 36) = -1 HP) *2)

Hunie: 20/20 HP | 5/5 EN | 2 DMG

VS

Boar 1: 0/10 HP | 4 DMG | 2 MIT ( -14 HP (THR))

Boar 2: 0/10 HP | 4 DMG | 2 MIT ( -14 HP (THR))

____________________________

LD: 6; 12

Looted: 2 Mat; 50 Cols

[Hunie 0]

Hunie brought her hands together and applauded Husky. "I don't know how you did that, but that was really cool!" She said looking at the spots where the boars had been and now there was nothing.  "They went for you and then they were blue pixel shards... It was epic!" She exclaimed, excited about his combat. She swept her blonde bangs away from her forehead and tried to tuck them behind her ears in vain. "I wish I could have helped, but honestly, I am bad at anything combat right now, but you didn't really need my help. You did great!" She added a little apologetically, making a point to offer some more praise and holding up her palm for a high five. 

"So onward we go my friend?" She asked. Once again mentally ticking of the ingredients they had already collected. "Just cocoa beans and the cinnamon bark now..." She said smiling. "Follow me, we're almost there... But I must warn you, cinnamon barks look very similar to normal tree barks, so you'll have to pick a few to extract quality cinnamon, similar story with the pods, sometimes they aren't great quality and you only want the best of the best, I can help you differentiate between they okay quality and the excellent kind!" She said with a hint of pride. So she couldn't hack and slash as well yet, but she had her own traits and skills to offer. She swished her hair back and was already walking towards the destination she had in mind for the pair. 

Spoiler

ID# 52499 results: Battle: 6 :: Craft: 6 :: Loot: 10 :: MOB: 2

 

Edited March 21, 2016 by Hunie

[Husky 0]

"I don't think I did anything during the fight." Husky shook his head, looking back at Hunie applauding for him. He didn't want to take the credit for something that he didn't do. "But anyhow, I'm glad that none of us is hurt or wounded, and don't worry about that, you're just under equipped, that's all. Let's get a move one now. The sun is going to set soon, and I don't really fancy the idea of walking around in the dark." Husky exclaimed, continued following Hunie on the quest to find cinnamon and cocoa beans. 

While following Hunie to where the place is located, he enjoy her rants about the food and ingredients. She certainly seemed to knows a lot of the topic she was talking about, unlike him who spent mostly all his time in the city. "I guess she traveled to a lot of places, or read a lot of books." Husky made an assumption inside his mind, before spoke aloud.  "I'd love it if you could help me with these thing. I doubt that the gave would have had different quality of material, especially on floors this low, but nonetheless, perfect always triumph mediocracy." 

[Hunie 0]

"Dark is not a good idea... Especially with an under equipped partner like me..." She agreed. When he doubted her statement she considered what he had said. Maybe he was right, the NPC chef often went on about quality, from what Hunie had witnessed with other players choosing him for their quest, but maybe you needed to go higher up to get better quality. "Well I hope the spots I've found are good enough..." She said, unsure if she should suggest going to a higher floor. An earning a living thread was probably not worth the dangers. They walked towards the destination as the sun began dropping out of the sky. The red hue painted the landscape, it was a rather endearing sight. Hunie loved sunsets, but this also meant they had to rush. Luckily the duo had arrived. "Right there you should find some cocoa and somewhere there you should find the cinnamon" she offered. "Then we can quickly head back and on your way back you can tell me why you want to be a chef." She finished. In the fading light it was difficult to find what she was looking for, but she picked up a stone and tried to extract something decorative for her trinkets.  She picked up the stone and accessed the menu... Success, she found a rare looking semi precious gem which she was sure would give her trinkets a pleasant shimmer. 
 

Spoiler

ID# 52620 results: Battle: 6 :: Craft: 7 :: Loot: 17 :: MOB: 2

 

Edited March 22, 2016 by Hunie

[Husky 0]

 "Don't worry about it. Even if we're stuck out here in the dark, just stay close to me. I'll keep you safe and bring you back. Beside, you still have a dessert dish to finish, haven't you?" Husky chuckled, face grew a friendly and confident smile. He would make a promise on his life to protect her until she reached town safely. Soon afterm they arrived the place where Hunie had told him about. Knowing that he won't have much time to are, Husky quickly picked up his pace and start searching around for the cinnamon tree, or a cocoa pods. Wandering around the area, all he sees are identical trees. They all looked the same, and without the label or names it's only harder to look for the right material. "I'm lost." Husky told himself, continued to search for the right kind or cinnamon bark or even cocoa beans. 

_____________________

ID: 52632

LD: 9 

Found: nothing.

Edited March 22, 2016 by Husky

[Hunie 0]

She noticed Husky was having trouble. Maybe it was the reduction in the brightness around them. Hunie felt a little guilty that he had managed to find everything himself so far, except the two things she had promised to help him with. "Hey... I'm sorry this got more difficult to do." Instead of searching for her own crafting materials she too decided to help him get his stuff. She went up close to the trees and tried to sniff them hoping that the characteristic scent of cinnamon would give the tree up. The blonde knew how odd this would look, but in her head it was the easiest way to sort out the real from the fake. Kudos Kayaba, you've done well at keeping the things we need, from us. She thought, just a tad bit frustrated with the turn of events.

She noticed a slight shimmer to the dirt around the tree, which was a characteristic trait of the clay, sure enough, when she bent down and gingerly touched it with her fingers, the material was added to her inventory. Just then she recalled she already had the ingredients he needed. She slapped her hand to her head and called out to him. "Hey! Husky, I completely forgot, I have some spare Cinnamon and Chocolate lying with me! You won't need much anyways, and I think I have enough. I had collected some last time I was here... So if you want we can head back let me know and you can try your hand at the dessert, which I'm dying to taste!" She said encouragingly. 
 

Spoiler

ID# 52683 results: Battle: 4 :: Craft: 3 :: Loot: 17 :: MOB: 5
+ 1 Mat

 

Edited March 22, 2016 by Hunie

[Husky 0]

Searching around for the material he needed, still Husky found nothing. Sighed in disappointed, he returned to meet up with his partner. "You have any luck finding the thing? I'm all out of luck on my end." He asked her. "It's all right. Nothing to be worried about. It's not like you could control when will it get dark. If anything, it'd be my fault for starting the quest a little late." He smiled, confronted her after hearing Hunie apologized for making things more difficult. "Well, It's great to know that you have something that we could use for the cooking. Let's quickly get home before it get really dark. Also, don't get your hopes up that much, it's the first time I ever cooked." Husky suggested, as the two turned and followed the dirt trail back to town. 

On their way, he noticed that her face looked somewhat a little worried, as if there's something in her mind. Sneakily inched just a little closer, still keeping the personal safety space, he asked her. "You seemed troubled, is there something wrong?" 

_____________________

ID: 53307

LD: 4

Found: nothing

Edited March 26, 2016 by Husky

[Hunie 0]

She was glad he accepted her offer to help him out. They had started towards the town, and hoping the darkness will hide her expressions, she bit her lip in worried. He always spoke from the shadows, her stalker, night was his favourite time and so Hunie had grown wary of the darkness. Unfortunately the night had betrayed her and it was still well lit enough for Husky to make out she didn't look too happy. Immediately she pulled on a fake smile, unwilling to bother him with her stalker problems again. "Oh no no, I'm all right, just don't like the dark much." She said, with a nervous laugh. "And don't get yourself down, first time is the charm, you're going to do great, I'm sure of it." She said in response to his doubt, and resuming her cheery and encouraging disposition.

As they neared town, she strove to hide her anxiety, they were almost there... So far so good. Almost habitually, she found her eyes searching for her materials. She didn't notice any, and didn't want to slow down further and stop to try and extract. Soon, they were within the boundaries of the town and her tensed shoulders slumped into a more visibly relaxed state. "Great, we're already here. The walk back is always faster they say... I think its true." She said measuring the time she thought they'd taken. Soon the duo had made it to the shop. "Go on in and try your hand, I'll go get the extra ingredients for the topping and the chocolate stuff, I won't be gone long." She said holding his shoulder firmly as a final sign of encouragement, at least till she got back and then she turned on her heel to make her way back to the inn she was staying, where she had left some of her belongings in order to clear up her inventory for more things. 

Spoiler

ID# 53359 results: Battle: 5 :: Craft: 12 :: Loot: 14 :: MOB: 4

 

Edited March 27, 2016 by Hunie