Private ✪ Stokbon Hunger for Adventure

[Brutus Dahlgren]

"I'll have uh...." Brutus squinted down at the menu. He didn't really know what sort of cuisine he was looking at honestly, something about curry? He didn't know much about Curry as Olivier, let along Brutus the mountain man. He was looking like an ass now, he needed to hurry up and pick something.

"The uh...Tikka Masala, yeah, chicken sounds great right about now." He paused, looking up to the waitress. "And uh...is that like a small portion? How big is the bowl?" He would watch the woman try to clumsily estimate the width and depth of the bowl with her hands with an intent expression. "Go ahead and bring me a triple serving then." The woman's eyes widened, but Brutus laid down the coin, with a little on top as a tip and she found herself scurrying off.

The trip to Stokbon had been one hell of journey. He and Corsair had been interested in looking at guilds in the capital city, spending a great deal of it sightseeing and adjusting. It was a lot different than Honeyhome, but the walking still built up a ravenous hunger. Soon, three bowl became six, and six became twelve as the mountain of a man buried a mountain of curry in his gut, seemingly having acquired a taste for it.

 

[Darko Ljubicic]

Darko was found at another table, trying to rationalize his choice of restaurant he had chosen to eat one day. He then took another bite of that damn tikka masala, and he was revolted at what he had tasted, and he had to endure finishing it. Not out of respect for the chefs, who had fucked this up greatly; they can all die in a ditch for all he cared. It was out of respect for the animal that they had butchered in order to give him this abomination of a curry.

The waitress who was attending that damn person who easily wolfed these things which were abominable to India and Britain combined started to notice his current predicament and moved towards him. When he was asked if there was something wrong with the curry, he then replied in an angry tone, "I came here because of the assurance that the food was good, because that damn hulking muscle of a man seemed to like the food because he was eating a lot of it. But this dish right here is such a bad one that I wonder if your chefs here had bad palates. The sauce is a bland, chalky slush which is trying to mask its lack of aromatics with a generous helping of chili. The meat? Such dry and tough pieces that I am trying to chew but there is no flavor whatsoever in them, as if I am chewing my mother's flip-flops. And all of that plus a slimy disgusting aftertaste that I can't wash off with this beer, which also has no flavor as if I was drinking my own piss. These are all of subpar quality, and you charge a lot? Are the owners out of their damn minds?" But the waitress paid no heed to his complaints and just walked away laughing, as if his opinions do not matter while that damn oaf was still voraciously eating their dishes.

Deeply incensed, Darko then moved to the table of the large man, his unfinished curry in tow. As he was then seated, he then angrily said to him, "Are you just fucking damn hungry or have you got no fucking palate in that mouth of yours that you're thinking this abomination of a curry is delicious?"

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Brutus looked up from his seventeenth bowl of Curry and looked up to the semi familiar man. He'd seen him before, where? He squinted and then realized it was the one man he'd met with in that one gate place. He would swallow his mouthful and blink a few times.

"I mean, I was hungry, but I don't see what's wrong with it." He turned his eyes down to the bowl, squinting at it as if it was suddenly a snake. "Is there something wrong with it?" He turned back to the food critic and then set his bowl down.

"Anyways, it's good to see you again Mr uh...?" he paused. "Shit, sorry, I forgot your name there man. Names Brutus though." He would offer him a handshake. "Also, are you some sort of critic or something? Cause this seems fine enough, I'm a big fan of this ale too, has a nice pairing with the creamy sauce."

@Darko Ljubicic

 

[Darko Ljubicic]

Darko was still really pissed off with what he seemingly thought of as a scam, but he shook hands with @Brutus Dahlgren regardless. "Yes, we met in the dungeon right? The name is Darko. Darko Ljubicic. But you can call me Darko." Although he was still livid about the curry that he was eating and why this person had not tasted such travesties in the cooking arts that he thought even a mere diner should have tasted. Was his own taste buds really even that exotic and pristine that he could not stand to eat normal fare? Even that typical black bread that he had tasted in this world had a quite good flavor, even better than the store-bought ones he had in America. Or maybe even better than the store-bought ones in Serbia for that matter. Hard as a rock, but still. But this? It was nigh intolerable for him. The only driving force he had left to eat this was to respect the animal that had been murdered in vain for this dish to happen.

"First off, try to eat slowly, would you? Then you will know what I am talking about." Darko then took a small piece of meat from his tikka masala and started to chew on it. It was tough and full of gristle that he felt that he should be chewing this for hours before he could even swallow it, and it was not as if that meat had a lot of flavor either, it was the opposite, and that was a dreadful experience. However, before he could swallow it, that slimy aftertaste kicked in, which made him gag as it always had been while he was eating this, and was forced to down that beer that he had also ordered. It was also a bad beer, but better a liquid than not at all. After recovering from that helping from that nasty curry, he then said, "See what I mean? The meat is too tough that I should chew at it for very long. Tasteless too. Nice to have a large gullet huh? Shame that I do not have that."

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Brutus listened to the man winge about the food for a while, nodding along as if anything he was saying really made any sense to him. The meat was a little bit chewy sure, but he'd had much worse running around in this world to complain. The flavor was in the sauce, and mixing the sauce with the rice. As for eating slowly, how the fuck could he manage that when he was fucking starving.

"Nice to meet you again Mr. Darko." Brutus managed between bites. "As for the food, it's not too terribly expensive for my budget, the sauce tastes good on the rice, and it's incredibly filling. When you're my size you tend to need to put lots of fuel in the tank because the mere act of dragging this mountain of muscle probably burns more calories than you eat in a day."

He took another sip of his ale, finishing it and then turned to the waitress. "Another round of ale, and...just one more bowl of curry please."

He would return his attention to his tiny companion and pause for a moment. "Is there something I could do for you sir? Or did you just care for company?"

@Darko Ljubicic

 

[Darko Ljubicic]

Darko just sighed as he heard @Brutus Dahlgren's responses. Looks like he won't get through to this person about this curry that was a disappointment to the Indians and British alike. That person was too hungry as heck, that can't be helped. He just wished that he could eat better than he was eating right now, since he can't even stand this curry. Well maybe talking to this person more would take him away from the taste of this one.

"I guess a little talk should really be nice. Hoping I can finish this bastardization of a tikka masala while we are busy talking with each other."

As he then thought of a topic, he then took another bite of that accursed thing. But the first thing that his mouth came up was "The sauce was also bad if you are talking about it. The only thing I can taste from this are cream, flour, and chili. And also that slimy aftertaste. Ill-prepared meat on the verge of spoiling before it was cooked, cut spices, and blatant masking of those two so that no one would notice. A hallmark of a chef that only seeks monetary gain instead of ensuring that their customers would come again next eating session. As if I will not notice those things." He then placed the spoon back into the bowl for one more bite, without gagging as he might have expected. Looks like the placebo is going too well. As he then sensed that the waitress was quite far away, he then sighed and then said, "If ever I will suggest a restaurant, it will be The Fancy Pepper not far from here. But I can not eat there. Not without that cheeky bastard of a server and chef (@Bradwynne) grinning into laughter whenever he sees me eating there."

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

He raised an eyebrow as the man spoke. His drink and food returned, and he munched as quietly as he could. The man spoke ill of the food, but appeared to be missing a certain point, he would wait whilst he finished his incredibly long winded rant before swallowing his current mouthful, taking a sip of ale and then retorting.

"The chicken probably was close to spoiling. As far as I know this world doesn't have refrigeration. Once the meat is butchered, the race against time is on. The ingredients are scarce because the things that would be needed to make it more advanced are rare and probably incredibly expensive and come from parts unknown to us. We're not sitting in a fancy five star restaurant, we're sitting in a curry house in the middle ages, this is most likely the chef or owner has this as their sole source of income, so they profit margin does need to be tight. They don't get to just make a run down to wallyworld or central market and scrounge up more flavor than a medieval peasant will ever taste. All in all, for where we are and what the world is like I think it's about right."

Wiping his mouth, he would resume eating, watching as the man processed his words.

@Darko Ljubicic

 

[Darko Ljubicic]

Darko then took some bites of his tikka masala, calmly listening to @Brutus Dahlgren's arguments. From that point about butchering chickens and them having prepared immediately after that, he surmised that he was a newcomer in this game... or land if those arguments about transhumanism were true. This person just assumed that they were still living in a medieval society with magic, which, if this is indeed that kind of society, this would hold water. However...

"If what you have said is actually true, then I might just imply that the society within these lands had degenerated during those four years, and the Landers were actually more incompetent than what I had assumed."

He then put the spoon into the bowl again. If this person thought there was an excuse for this restaurant's blunders, then maybe he was just terribly misinformed.

"The concept of a magical battery was invented six years ago, and there were magic-powered cooking equipment that resembled hot plates and refrigerators that were available five years ago. I also caught that bastard in The Fancy Pepper bragging about better refrigeration than the ones currently in our world which was installed a year ago, and The Fancy Pepper was by no means a five-star restaurant."

He then ate another spoonful of the curry.

"How about a wager then? I once worked for a restaurant known as Ivàn's Curry Shop just by the quarters of the people of the lower income class. As I still have the keys to that restaurant, I am going to reopen it, just so that I can prove my point."

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Brutus raised an eyebrow. Not only was all of this news to him, but this man was straight up about to open a restaurant just to make a point. He was curious if the man could do it, and intrigued by the proposition. Seeing a chance to potentially goad the man into making better food at potentially a lower pricepoint.

"Well I am new to this land, so this is all news to me. You have yet to retaliate on the idea of the the ingredient's being scarce." He took another sip of his ale. "Still, if you think you could do better, I would be glad to sample your work and see if it holds up. Surely you could make vastly superior work to this eh? At a cheaper price no less eh?" His raised eyebrow waggled a bit, tauntingly as he spoke. He would take a jab at the mans pride, incentivize him to act, and reap being able to taste test his work solely on the merit of "taste testing"

@Darko Ljubicic

 

[Darko Ljubicic]

As @Brutus Dahlgren continued to try to goad him into making good on his wager to open up the restaurant of his old benefactor just to prove a point, Darko just listened on calmly, still making eye contact while eating. But as soon as Brutus stopped speaking, Darko broke into his usual smile. It definitely looked like a mocking smile, which, in the backdrop of his boyish face and stature, looked charming regardless. This was a plan that he had formulated all along, as soon as he was disgusted with the dish he was eating. This kind of travesty in the culinary arts must stop, and he would force them to innovate, by making a competitor, or in this case, resurrect a once great but dead competitor.

"As for the scarcity of ingredients, it is easily remedied by a working patronage that relies on the premise of goodwill and honest trades, that is carefully monitored and assessed on a day-to-day basis, to make sure that nothing goes to waste or amiss. As you might notice, this is not my first rodeo in this business in this world."

The spoon that Darko was holding was then laid on the table, as his bowl of curry was finished. He then clasped his fingers in front of him in a neat cross.

"Of course I can make dishes that are superior to this one, and cheaper. Or, at the very least, any person in Stokbon who knows about Ivàn's Curry Shop can say that I used to do that, before I was spirited away from this world four years ago."

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Brutus would carefully count out a stack of coins and set them on the table, leaving ample extra to tip the poor waitress who had to suffer carrying so many bowls to the table for him. He would scooch his chair back and rise to his full stature, towering over the small man before him and shooting him a grin.

"Alright then, lets see you put your money where your mouth is kid."

He would motion to the door, waiting for the man to join him on his feet before heading out.

"Anything you need help getting in order to prepare, I'll help you carry it to this restaurant and watch you while you work. Hell, if you need help fixing the place up I'm fairly handy."

He could only imagine the man would need to take care of quite a bit in order to get his fledgling business off the ground, but it would all be worth it if it meant cheaper and better food. Maybe Brutus could even earn a discount for helping start the place.

Maybe

@Darko Ljubicic

 

[Darko Ljubicic]

As @Brutus Dahlgren then made good on his wager, Darko then thought about everything he needed to set his plans into work. But everything depended on where he currently stood after these four years. Of course, even within this world of medieval economics, dynamics change really fast, and so was the status of every business in this world. Those which were at the top of their world could be found at the bottom after just four years, and vice versa. And so he had to navigate again that cruel world of business, and all its ramifications. Four years of lost time could never be regained really easily.

"All right. I will first re-establish my and my former boss' connections with various farmers and merchants, but whatever the result of these talks, I will push through on opening, or rather, re-opening, the restaurant. When I post my need for assistance for the renovation of the restaurant, I should expect you signing up right? Of course if ever, the pay will be good and there will be free food for those that will work."

As he had finished his meal, he would then fork out the needed payment, and also the waitress' tip, and place them on the table as well. He then stood up, and offered his hand to Brutus for a shake.

"All right, shall we have a deal now?"

 

[Brutus Dahlgren]

Brutus would grin, grasping the mans hand in his and giving it a firm squeeze. It seemed this would be their parting for now, but he looked forward to seeing how things went. "Deal." He grunted with a little more zeal than necessary. The idea of a project this size excited him, he wanted Darko to succeed, just so he could have his foot in at the ground floor. Maybe one day it would be a famous restaurant, and he would be a famous hero, and his portrait would hang over some mantle as people would proudly declare that Brutus Dahlgren once helped found and patron this humble establishment into something great.

Maybe.

For now, his belly was full and his curiosity sated. He would leave Darko to his work, and he would go back to his. He had a name to build, a partner to find, and a strange rabbit to go visit. Certainly nothing bad to could happen after this, right?

@Darko Ljubicic

 

[Darko Ljubicic]

As @Brutus Dahlgren shook his hands, Darko felt a little discomfort on his hands. But it should be typical since he had quite dainty hands for a chef, any handshake would render the joints his hands locking in with discomfort. But he managed to keep his face straight as they shook hands for quite a bit of time. As Brutus then left the restaurant, Darko then thought about everything he needed to do, in detail of course. He knew that that building should be in near shambles due to the former owner and boss dying from trying to assist the King of Astorea. The only thing unknown was that how that building had passed the test of time, and if it did not, how much gold should be invested in order to rebuild it from scratch. But that was the job of the Darko Ljubicic of the immediate future, and so he should act fast and secure everything first. But before all that...

Darko then manipulated his menu, and then his outfit then changed, into an ensemble of white and black. For adventurers who had not really known about Darko from the past, it was just a summer variation of the tropical variation of the British naval uniform from the turn of the century, but for the Landers in Stokbon, this was the harbinger of the immediate things to come. It was the return of...

"Well then, let the culinary revolution begin."

...the legendary Sous-Chef of the Stinky Ivàn's Curry Shop.

/thread