[SP-F01] Remedial 'Quisine' <<EAL: Cook>>

[Quaestor 0]

"Yes.  Strangest thing.  I'd finished that quest ages ago and had the profession completely ranked up.  Even had a lovely little shop in an out of the way corner of an upper floor, but when I went down to open up this morning the whole thing was locked down."  Irked though he might be, Quaestor's good-hearted nature shone through and he sounded like was telling a neighbour about some oddity that he'd found in his yard.

"It's no big deal, really, and probably has something to do with that weird shadow-flood thing that happened a while back.  It's like the system is still sorting out a bunch of things, you know?"

Akari's face dropped at his mention of the incident, clearly traumatized by it in some fashion.

"I...oh, dear.  I'm sorry, lass.  Didn't mean to bring up any bad memories.  I'm kinda clumsy with that sort of thing.  Mind nothing of it."

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198649  | LD 6 (Failure)

Found 3/5

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

"No, no.  It's fine."  It clearly wasn't.  Quaestor didn't want to pry and stood shuffling uncomfortably from one foot to the other, when a leather ball struck the side of his horse-hair plume and set his helmet askew on his head.  Eyes wide, it took him a moment to realize that had happened.  Giggling, infectious laughter came from a dozen tiny voices in the yard, soon spreading to the adults.  Pulling the strap at his chin, he removed the wayward helm and tucked it under his arm, sweeping a thick tangled mess of hair back with his free hand.  Akira had covered her mouth in a vain attempt to conceal her laughter, but at least her tears had turned to those of joy.

"Come with me," she said, smiling again and warmed by the frivolous nature of youth.  "I might have a bit of that stuff left to help you out.  You can have it for keeping Hoji out of trouble." 

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198650  | LD 11 (Failure)

Found 3/5

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

Akira led him into her kitchen.  It was quaint and cozy, though a little on the small side for what she had to contend with.  A bowl of batter and another full of dough were sitting off to the side, likely as treats and snacks for later in the day.  The hearth was worn and well-loved, assorted pots and pans hanging from it, weening the heat to dry themselves after certain, frequent use.  Herbs hung from every rafter, giving the entire room a fragrant and welcoming atmosphere.  Quaestor removed his helm, lest the added height knock everything off their respective hangers.  Bright eyes marveled at the homeliness of the place.  It had the feel of his place, but clearly personalized to Akira's touch.

"You really don't need to do this," he offered, tripping over his own words.

"It's no bother," she replied, rummaging beneath counters, pulling up crates stuffed with spices and other goods, searching for what might help him.

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198651  | LD 19 (Success)

Found 4/5

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

"Ah hah!  Oh, no... that won't do at all."  Thinking she had found a vial of leftover vanilla, it turned out to be some licorice kept in water for too long.  Pulling the stopper off to verify was a mistake and nearly disintegrated her nose with its pungent odour.  "The kids have a habit of re-organizing whenever I'm not looking.  I just hope that Hoji didn't over-sample when he last participated.  There is usually some re-stocking required in the aftermath."  Still laughing, she placed that particular crate aside and delved half her torso under the counter.

"How deep does that place go?"  Bending low, he honestly wondered whether there might be a whole other world under there.  "Can I help in any way?  This seems like far too much trouble."

Muffled scraping of wood against wood, and the clinking of glass, was all that he could hear in response, any words being muted by the rest.  

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198652  | LD 13 (Failure)

Found 4/5

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

Two young girls suddenly came bursting into the kitchen, one cradling a small makeshift doll and desperately trying to keep it away from the other.  Whirling round the corner, they could never hope to see Akira stooped behind the island and both tripped over her legs, eliciting a yelp of surprise and heavy thud.  Acting swiftly, Quaestor managed to catch both girls before anything worse happened, but tears were fully flowing by the time Akira withdrew from her cupboard cave, rubbing the new goose egg on her forehead.

"It's alright dear," Quaestor offered, his voice quiet and calm despite his size.  Setting both girls back on their feet, upright, he picked up the doll and returned it to its owner, raising an eyebrow to the one who'd been doing the chasing.  She blushed and avoided his gaze, bringing a smile to his lips and mirthful twinkle to his eyes.  "You alright there?"

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198653  | LD 3 (Failure)

Found 4/5

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

"Yes, I think so," Akira replied, mouthing a 'thank you' in his direction before chasing both girls out of the kitchen.

"How many are there," he asked, without thinking.  

"Eight.  Too many for such a place as this, but parents will let their kids do anything these days, or are just too busy or tired to properly care."  Regret was heavy in her voice.  It had never dawned on Quaestor that families had been separated by Kayaba's trapped - not in this way, at least. He'd lost Miri early on, but that was different.  They'd never had kids, and the Madrigal had become their family.  Everyone they knew closely was already in here.  

"I'm so sorry.  Is there anything I can do to help?"

Akira paused, then answered.

"Finish your quest, then help me feed them.  It's getting to be too much for me to do on my own."

Quaestor nodded his agreement without hesitation.

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198654  | LD 14 (Failure)

Found 4/5

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

"Are you truly on your own?"  It seemed an unfair burden, and he felt selfish for not having known or offered to do more sooner.

"Not truly or entirely.  Many of the other players who found these children and brought them here continue to contribute in some way.  Until they vanish, that is."  Their eyes met, confirming that more than a few had met their own ends by whatever means.  Quaestor's mustache quivered and sniffed. 

"You have my word that I will do whatever I can to help.  I set up shop on Floor thirteen, but it's just a short crystal hop away from here. I could come visit anytime and bring Miri along?"

"Your daughter?"  He just laughed.

"No.  My wife.  We've only just rediscovered each other.  It's a very long story that would best be saved for my next visit, when I can properly bring some treats of my own to share."

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198655  | LD 9 (Failure)

Found 4/5

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

Akira's silent hopes were dashed by his response, but she hid them well enough for him not to notice.  Instead, she pasted a practiced smile on her face and wandered to search other nearby cabinets.  Thankfully, it also enabled her to turn her face away.  Her loneliness wasn't Quaestor fault or responsibility, but the sudden prospect of regular companionship had kindled something within that she'd not felt in ages.  A sigh escaped her lips before she could prevent it.

"Is everything alright?"  He felt awkward just standing there, not being able to help in any way.

"Oh, it's fine.  I just can't seem to remember where I put the stuff."  A false laugh sought to cover her slip.  "Don't you just hate it when that happens?"  Moving to the right of the stepstool on which she'd climbed, her footing slipped and gravity asserted itself in a perilous manner.  Fortunately, it was a simple step for him to brace and steady her while his boot wedge the stool tight to the wall to prevent a full flip.

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198656  | LD 8 (Failure)

Found 4/5

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

"Oh.  Uh.  Nice catch!  And... thanks?"  Akira's face flushed vermillion given where his hand had managed to catch her.  Quaestor was a little slower on the uptake, having just reacted without thinking. His eyes had been on hers as she spoke, but drifted downward with every widening realization at her words.

"Oh. AH!"  Any awkward motion or force might prove painful, leaving him with the solitary options of matching her shade of blush.  

"Just, don't move for a sec," her laughter broke the tension between them as she propped her arms against his and lifted herself back up to a balanced stance.  "Huh.  Would you look at that."  From her higher vantage, looking back across the kitchen over his head, she instantly spotted both of the items she'd been looking for.  Offering Quaestor a giddy, awkward smile, she held his hand to stabilize her descent and wandered back around the island.

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198657  | LD 10 (Failure)

Found 4/5

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

"Here you go."  Everything he needed had been stacked and loaded into a small basket, along with a few of yesterday's cookies for good measure.  "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Quaestor, and I hope we'll see each other again soon."  Her mood had definitely improved and whatever mood had been plaguing her beforehand had been broken by their clumsy and ridiculous exchange.

"You too Akira," he offered, uncertain as to whether he should shake her hand or hug her or just walk away.  She decided on the middle option before he could settle on one himself.  

A gaggle of giggling kids scattered the moment he exited the house, each tittering like neighbourhood gossips as he passed.  Hoji had a giant grin on his face and gave Quaestor a thumbs up as he passed.

"You keep out of trouble," he offered gruffly.

"I'm not the one getting handsy," came the retort.

Quaestor thought it best to just dodge the bait and move on.

"See you around, kid."

Spoiler

Gathering | ID #198658  | LD 15 (Success)

Found 5/5

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor

[Quaestor 0]

"Alright, Maggie.  I got your things.  Let's hammer this out so that I can get back to Miri and my shop.  Your kitchen is already driving me nuts."

Slapping him with a wood spoon for his insolence, she walked him formally through the motions, taking each turn in step like she would with any novice.

"This is embarrassing.  I've been doing this for years.  Now I have to start all over because of some computer glitch?"  He got the spoon again for complaining and promptly pursed his lips to contain his griping.  Before long, the most basic of basics had been achieved - a simple uncommon food.  It would feed someone for a day, though do little else.  

"Thanks, Mags.  You've been a big help, as always.  I'll make sure to visit again soon without needing something like this to happen again.  Turns out that I've made a promise to help out a few locals, so we'll see each other again soon."

Spoiler

Crafting an Item | ID#198659 | CD: 8 | LD: 9 | Result: Salvage

Crafting an Item | ID#198660 | CD: 3 | LD: 6 | Result: Fail

Crafting an Item | ID#198661 | CD: 10 | LD: 11 | Result: Uncommon Item

***

Thread Summary:

Submitted for Eval here: https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/39231-quaestors-evals/?do=findComment&comment=674060

823 EXP ([5236/10 *1 *1] + 300 [Quest])

400 col (1 page)

5 materials

1 uncommon consumable [snack]

Unlock access to Cook profession and shop

Edited July 29, 2023 by Quaestor