Blueberry

"On floor 7, there is a man and a woman there just outside of town that could give you some pointers if you'd like." The blue-haired girl cocked her head to the side questioningly, a frown appearing on her face. "And a woman? If you are talking about Gaius, I've already talked to him. Suggesting him though..." She turned her gaze, a slight pout forming. "He's a bit... difficult? Special? Maybe the word im looking for is blunt. He didn't hold back at all when showing me the ropes." 

 "Well done." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder as he passed. 

She beamed at him with a smile before she found herself being talked to by another boy. She hadn't even notice him enter the Tavern.

"hi, girl with the lovely pink hair, I'd like to order something. I don't have a specific kind of food in mind so I'm willing to try the best this tavern can make."

"Oh!?" Indistinctively she brought up a hand, twirling a strand of her hand around her index finger. "I can't really do that right now..." She replied in a saddened tone. "I need my own shop to do something like that, I don't actually work here. I actually just guilted the Tavern's owner into letting me give out samples. He's not letting me take any payment!" A light laugh escaped her lips and she shot him a smile. "Find me if you'd ever like to satisfy your sweet your tooth though!" She teased him by sticking out her tongue and handed him a slice of the Blueberry Cake she had made. 

"Enjoy!~"

@Raidou @Plini

The first to try a bite was a dark-haired boy who seemed to enjoy it. She flashed him a bright smile. It was good to hear compliments, however it was far more beneficial to receive constructive criticism. That was one thing that Gaius hadn't lacked. He was not one to mince words.

 "Oh, wait, you're a perfect example!"

"Eh?" 

Suddenly she had become the focus of the conversation, something she hadn't intended for. A puzzled look on her face, she would listen to what the boy would have to say about her. As he finished, she offered him up an apologetic smile. "I don't remember any of that or you." It was true. She put enough effort into having fun that time almost flew by for her and little details held no place in her mind. Some might have called this trait of hers inattentive but she was certain it was poor short-term memory. "And I haven't used it once!" She closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue in a teasing gesture. Despite her actual age, she kept to her childhood roots in a way some would believe her to be younger. She simply just wanted to have fun and enjoy good food. 

A second player enjoyed her cake, and a third refused to eat it. 

The fourth asked her a question, a blue-haired female. "I take it you've had no small amount of practice?" Blue simply shook her head in response to her question. "I've only been making things for a bit now. I'm just practiced when it comes to eating them. The person who gave me tips on how to craft told me that was important." She giggled at the thought of the man. "His theory is you learn a dish by tasting it. I think he eats his ingredients individually a lot too though." 

She began to eye her own cake, it definitely looked good and there were still many slices left on the platter. She had purposely cut them into small pieces so everyone could have a slice. However, it wouldn't make do if the chef ate in front of their customers. 

Suddenly, a bag was dropped onto the table, next to the cake. Several cooking ingredients were found inside. Her eyes traced to where the owner of these materials stood. A red-coated man adorning a pair of glasses. He was one of the few who hadn't received a taste of her dish. He seemed to be of the perceptive sort. His appearance matched those that some of her high school friends had made fun of. Of course, behind their backs she would befriend them. She was unbiased in every regard. Her eyes widened as he began to make his way towards the exit.

She grabbed a slice of the cake, quickly carrying it over to him. "Thank you for the ingredients! Try this and tell me what you think of it!" She held out the plate to him with a smile. "Pretty soon I'll have a shop to sell them, but for now samples are all I can do." 

The small tavern hadn't had much in terms of service the entire time she had been there. To her delight, a medium-sized group of players found their way in and took a drink. Of course, she was in the back preparation room and wasn't aware until the owner of the tavern called back, "Blue? We got guests!" 

Filled with glee, the pink-haired player called back, "Okay!~" She took a peek out of the preparation room to see exactly how many guests she needed to support. An interesting group of players sure enough. 'Varying opinions should help my food taste even better! Maybe some of them will even want to be my friend!' Her thoughts were almost squealed through her facial expressions. 

She grabbed one of the larger sample platters she had made earlier in the day and composed herself before moving out of the prep room. Avoiding the walking paths of the NPC waitresses she walked up to the table of the few players. 

"Hi!~ My name is Blueberry, but you can just call me 'Blue' or 'Berry' if you want instead! I'm trying to learn how to make the best sweets Aincrad has to offer and I was hoping you guys could sample some?"

She set the large platter of Blueberry Cake down onto the players' table and flashed a smile. Her eyes noticed the dark-haired player's half opaque form as she quietly stood apart from the group. 'Who is she? Is she with this group? If so, why is she hiding?' 

"You can all try a piece! Even you hiding in the shadows!~ Everyone can try if they want!" Her eyes fell on the hidden player. She wouldn't allow anyone feel left out. She would be a friend to all, even if they were shy. 

Passive detection: 10>9(Dazia's Stealth Rating). Dazia spotted!

Consuming Lemon Berry Palmiers (LD:+3) Total LD Bonus: +6

She watched as Gaius soundlessly moved into the pantry grabbing several items before stopping beside her. 'How did he find those? And that quickly? I've been looking for the last several minutes.' She watched as he prepared a dish at insane speeds, prepping his dessert at insane speeds. She stared one in awe she shoved the food into the oven, preparing the item perfectly. As he finished, he presented the dish to her and commanded for her to try it. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she gazed upon the dessert. "Okay!" Picking up one of the Palmiers from the dish, she would take a bite. For a moment, she was lost in the flavor, warmth flooding to her face as she allowed herself to become taken in the by the dessert. 

"It's delicious! Its just the perfect amount of sweet!" She wasn't entirely sure how tasting it would help, but she had managed to get a relative idea on how it should taste. 
 

Blueberry smiles, taking the lantern from the girl. "Thank you so much!~"

+True-Light Lantern

A voice came from the hole in the wall, bringing the Pink-haired girl back to focus as she was surprised by the sudden sound. Almost jumping our of her skin, she would turn to the source of the noise, biting her lip. 

"Yeah, I bet it will. You find whatever your after?"

"Eep!" 

She clutched the front of her shirt, feeling her heart pounding as she stared the main in the face. A sigh of relief escapes. "No... this kitchen is impossibly big and I can't find anything. I'm honestly not even sure how you find anything." She gave a defeated look, watching as he moved over to see her work as of yet. As he mentioned her fruit, she flashed him a bright smile. "My favorite color is blue! And I like blueberries! So I guess I have a 'thing' for them!" She presented what she had managed to accomplish thus far. 

"It's going to be a blueberry pie, but I can't seem to find any materials...." 

Oni seemed to be a dangerous person to be allowed to be angry. If Blue allowed her to get angry, she doubted she'd be able to draw the woman back. Luckily for the Pink-Haired player, as chaotic as she was she seemed a pretty easy person to keep happy. Especially when the conversation was flowers. 

"I bet there is a lot of 'beautiful' flowers here!" The girl made sure to use the terminology provided by Oni. Had she used the word pretty, it might've made the volatile woman erupt. She flashed a cute smile at Onihime, picking up a flower by its stem and adding it to her inventory. "I found another one! Almost done!" She said with joy. With the quest done, she could become a higher level and travel more to find new ingredients for dishes. "Just a little more now! Then we can be all done!" Perhaps she would eat a dessert to commemorate their success. Since she couldn't make her own yet of course. 

183593 LD:15
4/5 Materials

@Onihime

The door creaked, letting her know of the arrival of a guest. Or... if she was the guest then it was the arrival of the true owner. Her electric blue eyes fluttered up to meet his figure. Unlike earlier, he now seemed a lot less annoyed. Perhaps that was the power of a decent breakfast. From there, Gaius pointed in the direction of where she may find various items. She nodded, continuing to watch him as he made a steaming mug of coffee as he eyed her and her work. 

"I have a feeling it'll be a lot easier when I have my own kitchen." She tried for a playful smile, but she was unsure of how the grump would react to it. Her eyes turned to where he had said where the dry items were. 'I do need sugar still... I suppose I can find it over there.' One foot in front of the other, she would begin to head in that direction. 

179756 LD:7+3=10
4/5 Materials Gathered

ugh.

"Wait up!" She called to the ground she had followed behind. After saving the one boy by severing his bounds she found herself caught in her own. Fighting against them made no difference. Her feet were stuck and the inky waters climbed up her legs. "Help me!" she cried out, but her voice was unheard over the sounds of the storm. After a life of having her hand held throughout everything she did.... It was difficult to be alone. 

The shadows climbed up to her waist, the cold creeping up with it. Her body shook from fear and her body temperature took a drop just as the floor had. For the first time in what seemed like forever, tears found themselves shed onto her face. She struggled more but to no avail. The shadow only continued to cover her body. 

Taking a final breath, her head would plunge into the shadows. Within, she struggled but it meant nothing anymore. The cold surrounded the girl, her body shaking uncontrollably as it tried to warm itself up. It wasn't long before her gasp of air had run out. Several seconds passed and her body demanded air. It was almost as if her real body had decided to stop breathing as well. Giving up, she would try to take another breath. It only made matters worse.

Her body became colder as it breathed in the cold heavy liquid. While she didn't pass out she was trapped in a state where she felt as if she was struggling for air. Suffocating in the cold loneliness of the shadows. The shadows seemed almost endless as she sank deeper and deeper. Asphyxiated, she would curl herself into a ball and cease her own struggling. 

'I'm alone in this world. It doesn't matter how many friends I've made. In the end we all die alone with not a single word from a loved one for us to hear.' Within the storm, she could see nothing. Hear nothing. Smell nothing. 

Her eyes closed as she fully accepted her fate. Was this where people went after they died? Into the dark alone? She didn't feel as if she was in the game anymore. Even her health bar had vanished from view. Her mouthed formed two words, but they were heard by none. Not even herself. 

"I'm alone..."

Darkness had entirely settled in on the land and the sun was no longer to be seen. The only source providing light for her was now the few stones that lined the sides of buildings casting their hue down on the ground. Her eyes flickered for a moment towards an NPC who snatched one of these stones off the walls. 'You can do that?'  she questioned internally. She reached up, snatching one of the crystals for herself. Huddling to the warm light she now carried she moved with slightly more confidence. The dark had much to be fearful of and she was glad to have something to keep it at bay. 

Her eyes caught sight of a group of three players that trudged through the waters that now covered the girl's feet. 'Finally. Someone that can be my friend.' She stepped forward through the waters and notice the player that was in the back was slowly beings dragged down into the water. 'Its too high. Even those that are moving are starting to have troubles.' she noticed. Unsheathing her blue short sword she would put it to its first use. Slashing the shadows that stuck to the boy like glue she would free him from it and send it flying back into the pools of water. Returning the weapon to her sheath she would happily say, "I got you!"

ID: 178164
LD: 7
Giving Or Receiving: giving 3 to @Grimm Reaper
Final: 4

The pink-haired player moved down the streets alone, eyes on a couple of other players that were passing by. It didn't seem like they knew where they were going either. She stopped for a moment, searching for a familiar face. Anyone. She hadn't ventured to this high of a floor before and neither had most of the players she had met. 

A cold feeling began to make its way up her legs and horror filled her eyes as she looked down. The inky water slowly climbed up her leggings and threatened to consume her. She struggled violently against the waters that held her leg. Flinging them off, she resumed running through the streets. Apparently, she needed to stay moving or else she wouldn't make it for much longer. She took a quick glance down at her legs, finding that there were several holes in her once perfect leggings. 'Something is off with this water. I am pretty sure just being submerged in it would kill me.' 
 

ID# 178101

Initial roll value: 10

Giving/Receiving: -

Final roll value: 10

Blue brushed the black residue from her body, feeling the weight relieved from her body. This rain was thick and heavy. So heavy that anywhere it seemed to build up was broken. It was confusing a little. Why was this inky rain able to destroy buildings so easily? Surely they were built strong enough to handle that much weight. Was something about it weakening the integrity of the buildings?

She found herself at a jog instead of a brisk walk, her boots sloshing in the puddles that began to cover the ground. Soon the ground would become covered in a thin film of the rain. Panic had taken over the city of Nimbus, several players wandering about with the same question on their mind. What do they do next? What move would preserve their life?

"Where do I go next?" She asked herself. The streets were flooded with panic and inky water. The air was cold as a winter night. Someone needed to figure out some way to get through this. Perhaps underground would be safe? No. The inky water would flood it. Perhaps up was the way to go. 

ID# 177591
Initial Roll Value: 16
Giving or Receiving: N/A
 Final Roll Value: 16

She sat in her front of her bowl for a moment, examining the work she had managed to accomplish. She took a quick glance around the room to ensure there were no peeking eyes before she dipped her finger into the mixture she had just created. She brought her finger up to her lips, licking it for a taste test. 

"Yeck!"

Was the sound she blurted out upon tasting it. It was far too sour. After several moment of cringing from the sourness of the mixture, she pondered changing it. However, she decided against it in hopes that the pie itself would counter it and make it taste better. She knew what tasted good, not how to cook exactly. She supposed learning would all come down to trial and error for finding the right ingredients that came together. She wiped her finger onto her pants before taking a look up once again from her work. It was time for her to find the next ingredients. 

177314 LD:3+3
Newp.

4/5 Materials Gathered

The pink-haired girl hid underneath the canopy, waiting out the storm. However, her electric blue eyes lay filled with worried as her gaze cast out into the oncoming storm. She clamped them shut for a moment, to hide from the problem. However, another brisk cold wind met her body, cutting through her clothes and went straight to her heart. She looked out, finding puddles of the black water had begun to form on the ground. It didn't seem to be draining away as it should but instead slowly flooding the city bit by bit. Only minutes had past and it already had gotten this bad.

The creaking noise of the canopy above her caught her attention. She just barely managed to escape from underneath it before it busted, pouring the inky shadow to where she had just been standing. Pushing her way through the storm, she would wander in search for someone else. 

"Is anyone there? Hello?" Her voice would call out, the worry easily heard in her voice. 

ID: 177311
Initial Roll Value: 2
Giving or Receiving: -
 Final Roll Value: 2

Standing on the second floor, she would examine one of the crystals that the town of Rig used for its lighting. It was a peculiar thing, a green glowing stone that cast a faint light over wherever it sat. Suddenly, a gust of wind threatened to push the small woman over, forcing her to lean her weight into the sudden wind. "What was that?" She would ask, casting her gaze to the sky. The sky had begun to darken, the affected areas becoming black as night. The wind that came from the storm was bitter cold, slicing through her clothes seeming to want to freeze her directly. Suddenly, it began to rain. 

'Oh, it is just rain.' She thought to herself. The rain began to pelt her and she reached out her hand to touch it. The water caught into her hand and began to form together, instantly creating a small puddle. However, something was off about this puddle. The water was dark and inky. She poured it out of her hand and found that her hand was not even wet from touching the water. "Something is off." She said to herself before stepping underneath a nearby canopy. It was a storm, all she had to do was wait it out.

She noticed the anger growing on the girl's face. If there was anything she was good at, it was recognizing people's emotions. 

"What's wrong with a girl likin' flowers, hunh?! Just because I don't look like someone who would like flowers means I can't--?!

She waved her hands in the air in an apologetic motion. "Eep! I didn't mean it like that its just-" 

It took a moment, but the woman clamed down. Thankfully, Blue didn't have to make a tactical retreat. She wasn't much for fighting and doubted that she would have been able to fend the woman off. "Flowers are pretty. Anybody is allowed to like them." She attempted to leave the topic, but Oni did that for her. 

"There has to be something that he's going to teach us. Stay positive" She would reply with a smile. "I am sure there is a reason!" 

175333 LD:8
Materials: 3/5

With as focused as she was on making items in the unfamiliar kitchen, she did not notice the man enter the kitchen. As she brought over the last item, she looked up noticing the door tot he kitchen slowly closing. A confused frown found its home on her face as she looked around for what had changed. That's when her electric blue eyes caught sight of it. A jar next to her preparation materials. She dashed over to it, taking a look at the unfamiliar contents. 'Lemon zest? The recipe didn't call for that, but I suppose I could make a lemon crust.' 

She slowly began adding the ingredients to the bowl, ensuring to put just the right amount of water. She added just enough for it to be able to clump. With the crust dough made up, she quickly began to get to work on rolling it out. She was getting closer to completing her creation. 

4/5 Materials Gathered.

She took a good look into the cabinet to see if there was anything else she could have possibly needed in it. Spotting sugar, she made sure to grab that out as well before hopping down from the counter. Following down the list to the next ingredient. Butter. Supposedly it helped make the pie crust flaky which would enhance the flavor. Moving over to where the refrigerated goods were located, she would peer inside. Finding the butter, she would pull it out and set it next to the rest of her ingredients. "Nice!" She exclaimed quietly with a smile. She now had everything for the crust, save for water, rolling pin, and mixing bowl. However, in a few swift dashes to each side of the kitchen, she would procure them. She didn't want to make Gaius not able to use his kitchen for an extended period of time. Knowing him even for a little bit told her that his patience would eventually wear thin. 

4/5 Materials Gathered.

One step after another, she moved towards a new area. The area they were currently in seemed to be picked clean from them and previous players. She knew if either of them had a higher searching skill they would have found materials that were hidden away from view. 

"I won't keep you from taking everything on. As long as neither of us steps out of bounds, it won't matter a bit." She stated to the woman. Her old friends fell to a fate that was common in this game. Well, at least most of them. The last had vanished without a trace. She hoped the girl had found new friends instead of just shutting herself in an inn and never moving again. 

The wind picked up for a moment, her pink hair catching the wind. Her electric blue eyes fell on Oni. "What is the reason you like flowers so much? There must be some reason. A delicate thing like flowers seems to be an unlikely object to like for a person like you." 

Materials: 2/5

"Then why are you still talking about it."

"Eh?"

"There's a book right here, and behind those doors is a kitchen. You ain't making shit until you start."

"Oh I just ummm..."

"I didn't need Maggie to wipe my ass, you don't need me wiping yours. So you wanna cook, stop staring at me and get to it."

"Oh, okay." 

The girl darted into the double doors, her eyes meeting a lavish assortment of ingredients and a space for her to do her work. Looking around at first glance, it seemed it would have been easy for her to have made something with meat. He wouldn't be too angry about her using just a small bit of his ingredients would he? Of course, if he did she would gladly return any item she used to him. 'I should make something simple like a Blueberry Pie. Of course, I doubt finding the ingredients in a place like this is going to work too well.' 

She flipped into the dessert section of the book, scanning out the typical recipe for on such treat. She reached into the nearest cabinet, finding the first and easiest item to find. Flour. Reaching up, she would find she was a tad too short to reach into the cabinet and she doubted Gaius kept one sitting around. Climbing onto the counter with her knees she would reach up and grab the item. One of the ingredients had been found.

173539 LD:17+3=20. Material Found.

3/5 Materials Gathered.

She watched as he referenced to the people sitting in his lobby area as lazy good for nothings. That didn't sit too well with her. She was the same way, someone who liked to sit down and enjoy a meal as if it were a work of art. His words of course made perfect sense to him, but to her it was just a further testament to his stubbornness. However, she was just as stubborn.

He set a cook book down on the table, but she made no attempt to pick it up. "I do want to cook. I want to learn to make the tasty treats that only top-tier chefs can make. I can eat them when they are made from any other chef, but the dessert's flavor is limited to the chef's creativity. You're right, I don't take a hint too well. Neither are you though. I'm not looking to make mediocre dishes, I want to make the best desserts in Aincrad!" She came to a stand, pointing her finger in his direction. "And I might eat those dishes, but they will serve their purpose." She lowered her hand, eyes casting to the group of people waiting on Gaius to make food. She wanted to make food that was good enough to be waited on. 

Even if some asshole cook wouldn't help her she would manage it somehow. Then she would prove herself to that asshole and win his friendship over with her tenacity. 

ID:194701 LD:1

She watched as the large man burst through the double doors, carrying enough food to feed six of her. He sat on one of the bar stools beside her and began to pour what she assumed to be coffee into his glass. He certainly was more stubborn than she originally anticipated him to be, but the more someone refused her, the more she wanted it. He might not have also been aware, but she released information which might have been his weakness. Her cute face for once had failed her in getting what she wanted, so she would have to take a different approach to getting him to be her helpful friend. 

First however, she would have to address the issue with her username. "You are welcome to call me Blue or Berry if that suits you more." She sat at the barstool beside him, facing herself towards him. Flattery hadn't failed... entirely at least. 

"Maggie has no real talent though. Even if you aren't a teacher, I would be so much better off learning from you. And besides, wouldn't it be nice to take a load off for a moment and tell someone else what to make?" If he didn't take this bait, she wasn't sure if it would be possible. It was so far, the best thing she could come up with his personality. It was unique from anything she had met before. A gruff, lazy, self-absorbed man with a knack for eating large amounts of food. "So how about it?"

194700 LD:15

Mats: 2/5

Following the sound of the barked order, she would find Gaius to be speaking through a slot above the bar counter. Unsure of whether he wanted her to enter or not, it was here that she stopped. 

 "You kinda are way too high up for that shit, Maggie is way lower and is a bit of a doosh."

His voice was rough and stern and certainly his tongue had no restraint. It was almost surprising to her. However, she had met people like this before. Beaming with a smile the girl would reply, "Yeah, but I heard you were the best chef in Aincrad! Anyone would be dumb to not want to learn from you!" She tilted her head slightly to the left, sticking the tip of her tongue out of her mouth. "My name is Blueberry. I want to learn how to make good desserts!" She restated her intentions, wondering if unwavering confidence would win him over. She was using several different methods to try to befriend the man. 

'It is a bit weird though, why would a chef be so gruff? Aren't they supposed to be happy to make happy food?' Electric light blue eyes looked up at the large man, pleading slightly. 

194699 LD:7

Having received word that the weapon she ordered was complete, she returned to the blacksmithing shop. "Hi hi!" She said in her normal enthusiastic tone. Startled, she watched as the boy awoke from his slumber. "Sorry for waking you! I didn't know you were sleeping!" She said apologetically. He pointed to the weapon at the counter tiredly and she skipped over to examine it. It was nearly exactly what she had imagined. Now, if she needed to fight she could melt down opponents without having to invest into the sword skill. "Thank you very much! See you around!" She would exclaim, making her way out of the door with her new possession.

<<Earning a Living>>

The seventh floor wasn't a place she had visited before. However, one of the people who worked a restaurant on the first floor had suggested a man by the name of Gaius. She was told that while he was a weird one he was nicknamed the "Best Chef in Aincrad". No matter what he was like, Blueberry was eager to learn to make good food from such a person. Wearing her cobalt blue attire, she ventured across the rolling hills of the seventh floor to reach the homely little shop. She had gone and received the quest from Maggie so she could come here and learn to make the food.

The door to the small building, her eyes swarmed by the sudden random assortment of goods that met her eyes. Her nostrils were filled with the smell of baked goods. This was the place. This was where she would learn to make the best tasting desserts. Her mouth watered just at the thought. "Hi hi!" She announced, her second hi drawing on for much longer than the first. She wondered what the "Best Chef in Aincrad" would be like. She didn't doubt her sources. "I'm looking to be taught how to make good food?" She asked in a questioning voice. 

ID:194698 
LD:14
Materials 1/5