He might not be of much help to this world, for he was no great marksman nor a great genius, but he was still intent on making this place, this little corner of light in this sea of darkness, a happy place. Everyone deserves a hot meal. Seoul Kitchen, open for business.
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Seoul Kitchen [Cyberpunk Edgerunners SI]
- Thread starter SirBearington
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Prologue
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
None Deserve to Starve
In a world as advanced as that of Cyberpunk, who knew that starvation was still a thing. That it even could be a thing, That was the reality that he woke up to as he curled up in his own little corner of Night City. There, under the harsh neon lights of tall futuristic skyscrapers and hidden away in one of the many alleys that criss-crossed this accursed city, he lay; shivering as he violently heaved and puked, disgorging what little his stomach had filling it.
"Fuck, I shouldn't have eaten that," He gasped out as he clutched the hollow pit that was his stomach. He would have cried, but even that was painful as he bit down on his chapped lips, licking at what little moisture he could save from his last meal.
"Help…" He croaked out, gasping as he just laid down, his breathing feeling weaker and shallower with each passing motion. He could feel his hunger gnawing at his core, eating away at him as his head spun, his eyes going unfocused as he struggled to stay awake. With bony hands and sunken eyes, he was naught but skin and bones but, even as he saw people pass by, their eyes glancing over him, none would stop as they hurried along.
He would have cursed them back then, when he first woke up to this world but now… he just let them be. He simply could not afford wasting precious calories as it shortened what little time he had left, but was he simply delaying the inevitable? What was even the point of him continuing in this new world when he was simply going to die?
Smiling ruefully, he let out a laugh. Maybe his life was nothing but a joke, to be given the chance to live another life but waste it. After all, if he had just been a little smarter about things and less naive, he wouldn't have landed himself in this situation. Turning over to his back, he looked up at the star-less sky where great streams of advertisement rose up to the heavens above.
It was a pretty sight, one that he could still remember seeing when he first woke up in this world. He was just someone living his life in one life when he was whisked away, opening his eyes in a city that he thought was merely the work of fiction. In a younger and unfamiliar body with nothing but the strange clothes he wore, he had been reborn in the world of Cyberpunk.
He thought it would be easy, that he could rise to the top if he played his cards right, but he immediately ran into a problem; he wasn't equipped with any chrome. A pure, untainted, unmodified body he'd later find out from a Scav who'd let him go since his body was simply too starved to even be worth harvesting.
Without any chrome, he had no way to get money. Without money, he had nothing in this world, there was one true mantra that everyone lived up to: nothing was ever free. Who would even take a random kid's word that they'd work for them for food when they didn't even have an identity? Without anything of value, he didn't have any way to get even a simple wallet installed. "I should have sold my kidneys," He whispered, clutching at the useless organs he kept.
There was a way, but he didn't think straight back then. After disease and starvation, his organs were not worth anything at all. He couldn't even turn to charity as there was no orphanage with beds open to take him. There was a reason why you wouldn't find any beggar children in Night City, they all simply died off. Orphans and aliens like him were nothing but a burden to society. The city wanted him gone and it was definitely getting what it wanted.
He was dying, his own body eating away at what's left. He had survived long enough on trash, but his luck had run out. One spoiled batch was all it took and he was down for the count. It was a cruel way to die, to know that there was food everywhere and you could live if you just ate, but you had no money to buy any of it.
"For all this world's advancements, they still couldn't solve hunger huh?" He chuckled as he slowly closed his eyes. Reaching up to the skies with shaky hands, he refused to give up just yet. He wanted to live, he wanted to be somebody. He wanted to actually be someone rather than just a simple footnote, a mere statistic in the grand scheme of things, yet he felt he couldn't.
"I'm going to die," He whispered as he curled, his body heaving again as it tried to purge something, but there was nothing, not even bile or acids to push out. He was going to starve to death in Night City… and there was nothing he could do about it.
He should have been afraid, he should have crawled away from that alley, but he stayed. He needed to move, he needed to get out, but his spirit had given up. At that point, all he wanted to do was just wait it out, to just wait for the end.
He wasn't sure if it was delirium or some malfunctioning Neon lights, but when he opened his eyes once more he saw colors the likes of which he had never seen before. He laid there, eyes wide open as a dancing constellation of stars passed overhead, each containing a fruit. It almost felt real, the scent of various meats and fragrant fruits filling his lungs.
He could almost taste it and he wanted to grab the nearest one but, one star stood out the brightest amongst them, the one food he wished to have in these trying times. There, in front of him, descending down from the sky was that very thing. He reached up to it, his shaky hands almost growing too heavy yet he pushed on, wanting the one last wish he had for this life, "All I want right now is one big juicy mango, just one…"
He blinked as a mango appeared in his hands out of instinct. He didn't know why but, as his stomach growled, he got his answer. Clutching the soft fruit in his hands, feeling its firm flesh just giving a bit under his hold, he slipped it under his coat as he walked down the alleyways.
"Ten years and I still can't get that habit out of me," He chuckled as headed for downtown, passing by drunkards and those high on their choice of poison. It was a pitiful sight, but they still looked healthy enough. Passing by a gaunt teen, he slowed down as he heard their stomach grumble. With downcast eyes and a sign on his hands, it was clear he just wanted some money but he had little to spare. What he had, however, was food, lots and lots of it.
Reaching for his empty pockets, he willed food to appear in his hands, something filling that would last this boy a day or two if needed. "Here, have this," He called out to the teen as he pulled out a packaged Burrito, one that you'd find typically in any machine throughout the city.
He could see the teen flinching away from the offered food, with the youths hand reaching for his pocket, but he merely smiled as he placed it on his lap before walking away, "I already ate enough and the damn vendo ate my credits. Couldn't leave without getting my money's worth so here I am with some extras. It'd be a shame to toss this away, so you can have it," He explained as he waved at the teen.
He might not have been gifted with money, but that didn't mean he couldn't help. After all, he had one thing going for him and that was the simple ability to make food. If it's food, he could make it. Be it packaged or simple ingredients, he could have it appear in his hands. With this ability, he could help in his own little way.
"T-thank you!" He heard the teen called out from behind him, which had his spirits soar. Nobody deserved to starve and, even if this was not the most efficient way to help, he could help them now. Pausing, he turned and then said, "If you're feeling hungry, just drop by down the block! There's a new store there, you might want to check it out,"
There was a look of intrigue in the teens face before he nodded, thanking him once more before scurrying away. With his one good deed, he walked away, and headed for his little dream project, a stall in the downtown area. Ten years, ten long years, before he was finally financially stable enough to dedicate some of his time to helping people in need in the poorer parts of the city.
He could have cut it down further, by devoting his time to far more unscrupulous activities, but he was not going to. It was the breakdown of common decency that caused the decay of society, but maybe it was just him trying to not add more shit to the already steaming pile that was Night City. Shaking his head, he let that thought pass as he set his eyes forward, to the stall awaiting him.
Passing by various vendors, he could already feel their eyes on him. Another competitor, another rival. He was going to be butting heads with a lot of people, maybe even some groups, but consequence be damned, he was going to this. Fishing out some old fashion keys as he finally got to his stall, he slipped them in their locks before lifting up the metal shutters.
What greeted him was an old ramen stall he had bought and repurposed, its neon fixtures removed for much simpler lights inside lanterns and bold letters on waving banners. In a sea of advertisement, his stand was drowned out, a simple hole in the wall that anyone could miss.
He didn't really need the attention, though, because he didn't need to earn money. The stores around him could have all the paying customers, because he didn't have interest in them. What he was after were those that could not afford to pay for food.
He might not be of much help to this world, for he was no great marksman nor a great genius, but he was still intent on making this place, this little corner of light in this sea of darkness, a happy place. Everyone deserves a hot meal, "Seoul Kitchen, open for business."
A/N:
You know, a slice of life story in Cyberpunk would be nice. Yeah, it's a bit shitty but with how wonderful and vibrant the culture is along with just how interesting some people are, it might just be worth taking a visit. A chat with some of the guys and gals like Jackie Wells, V, maybe David Martinez, over some hot soup would be quite the fun time. Hell, even hearing some stories from Smasher would be nice considering how long lived they were. Seoul Kitchen's just the place for that, a place to sit back and relax while the world just passes by.
It'll probably take a while before things heat up cause the story is still simmering but hey, why not enjoy the moment. Thank you for taking the time to read and hope to see you soon cause I might have 20ish chapters already lined up and ready. Hah.... long story...
Anywas I'd like to thank @vyor making this possible. Thanks to him, you guys can read through my mess. Praise be vyor for his work
I say praise thee in the comment section! Also if you see it in advance and want to help me continue writing, you can drop by my Patreon and Ko-Fi.
In a world as advanced as that of Cyberpunk, who knew that starvation was still a thing. That it even could be a thing, That was the reality that he woke up to as he curled up in his own little corner of Night City. There, under the harsh neon lights of tall futuristic skyscrapers and hidden away in one of the many alleys that criss-crossed this accursed city, he lay; shivering as he violently heaved and puked, disgorging what little his stomach had filling it.
"Fuck, I shouldn't have eaten that," He gasped out as he clutched the hollow pit that was his stomach. He would have cried, but even that was painful as he bit down on his chapped lips, licking at what little moisture he could save from his last meal.
"Help…" He croaked out, gasping as he just laid down, his breathing feeling weaker and shallower with each passing motion. He could feel his hunger gnawing at his core, eating away at him as his head spun, his eyes going unfocused as he struggled to stay awake. With bony hands and sunken eyes, he was naught but skin and bones but, even as he saw people pass by, their eyes glancing over him, none would stop as they hurried along.
He would have cursed them back then, when he first woke up to this world but now… he just let them be. He simply could not afford wasting precious calories as it shortened what little time he had left, but was he simply delaying the inevitable? What was even the point of him continuing in this new world when he was simply going to die?
Smiling ruefully, he let out a laugh. Maybe his life was nothing but a joke, to be given the chance to live another life but waste it. After all, if he had just been a little smarter about things and less naive, he wouldn't have landed himself in this situation. Turning over to his back, he looked up at the star-less sky where great streams of advertisement rose up to the heavens above.
It was a pretty sight, one that he could still remember seeing when he first woke up in this world. He was just someone living his life in one life when he was whisked away, opening his eyes in a city that he thought was merely the work of fiction. In a younger and unfamiliar body with nothing but the strange clothes he wore, he had been reborn in the world of Cyberpunk.
He thought it would be easy, that he could rise to the top if he played his cards right, but he immediately ran into a problem; he wasn't equipped with any chrome. A pure, untainted, unmodified body he'd later find out from a Scav who'd let him go since his body was simply too starved to even be worth harvesting.
Without any chrome, he had no way to get money. Without money, he had nothing in this world, there was one true mantra that everyone lived up to: nothing was ever free. Who would even take a random kid's word that they'd work for them for food when they didn't even have an identity? Without anything of value, he didn't have any way to get even a simple wallet installed. "I should have sold my kidneys," He whispered, clutching at the useless organs he kept.
There was a way, but he didn't think straight back then. After disease and starvation, his organs were not worth anything at all. He couldn't even turn to charity as there was no orphanage with beds open to take him. There was a reason why you wouldn't find any beggar children in Night City, they all simply died off. Orphans and aliens like him were nothing but a burden to society. The city wanted him gone and it was definitely getting what it wanted.
He was dying, his own body eating away at what's left. He had survived long enough on trash, but his luck had run out. One spoiled batch was all it took and he was down for the count. It was a cruel way to die, to know that there was food everywhere and you could live if you just ate, but you had no money to buy any of it.
"For all this world's advancements, they still couldn't solve hunger huh?" He chuckled as he slowly closed his eyes. Reaching up to the skies with shaky hands, he refused to give up just yet. He wanted to live, he wanted to be somebody. He wanted to actually be someone rather than just a simple footnote, a mere statistic in the grand scheme of things, yet he felt he couldn't.
"I'm going to die," He whispered as he curled, his body heaving again as it tried to purge something, but there was nothing, not even bile or acids to push out. He was going to starve to death in Night City… and there was nothing he could do about it.
He should have been afraid, he should have crawled away from that alley, but he stayed. He needed to move, he needed to get out, but his spirit had given up. At that point, all he wanted to do was just wait it out, to just wait for the end.
He wasn't sure if it was delirium or some malfunctioning Neon lights, but when he opened his eyes once more he saw colors the likes of which he had never seen before. He laid there, eyes wide open as a dancing constellation of stars passed overhead, each containing a fruit. It almost felt real, the scent of various meats and fragrant fruits filling his lungs.
He could almost taste it and he wanted to grab the nearest one but, one star stood out the brightest amongst them, the one food he wished to have in these trying times. There, in front of him, descending down from the sky was that very thing. He reached up to it, his shaky hands almost growing too heavy yet he pushed on, wanting the one last wish he had for this life, "All I want right now is one big juicy mango, just one…"
He blinked as a mango appeared in his hands out of instinct. He didn't know why but, as his stomach growled, he got his answer. Clutching the soft fruit in his hands, feeling its firm flesh just giving a bit under his hold, he slipped it under his coat as he walked down the alleyways.
"Ten years and I still can't get that habit out of me," He chuckled as headed for downtown, passing by drunkards and those high on their choice of poison. It was a pitiful sight, but they still looked healthy enough. Passing by a gaunt teen, he slowed down as he heard their stomach grumble. With downcast eyes and a sign on his hands, it was clear he just wanted some money but he had little to spare. What he had, however, was food, lots and lots of it.
Reaching for his empty pockets, he willed food to appear in his hands, something filling that would last this boy a day or two if needed. "Here, have this," He called out to the teen as he pulled out a packaged Burrito, one that you'd find typically in any machine throughout the city.
He could see the teen flinching away from the offered food, with the youths hand reaching for his pocket, but he merely smiled as he placed it on his lap before walking away, "I already ate enough and the damn vendo ate my credits. Couldn't leave without getting my money's worth so here I am with some extras. It'd be a shame to toss this away, so you can have it," He explained as he waved at the teen.
He might not have been gifted with money, but that didn't mean he couldn't help. After all, he had one thing going for him and that was the simple ability to make food. If it's food, he could make it. Be it packaged or simple ingredients, he could have it appear in his hands. With this ability, he could help in his own little way.
"T-thank you!" He heard the teen called out from behind him, which had his spirits soar. Nobody deserved to starve and, even if this was not the most efficient way to help, he could help them now. Pausing, he turned and then said, "If you're feeling hungry, just drop by down the block! There's a new store there, you might want to check it out,"
There was a look of intrigue in the teens face before he nodded, thanking him once more before scurrying away. With his one good deed, he walked away, and headed for his little dream project, a stall in the downtown area. Ten years, ten long years, before he was finally financially stable enough to dedicate some of his time to helping people in need in the poorer parts of the city.
He could have cut it down further, by devoting his time to far more unscrupulous activities, but he was not going to. It was the breakdown of common decency that caused the decay of society, but maybe it was just him trying to not add more shit to the already steaming pile that was Night City. Shaking his head, he let that thought pass as he set his eyes forward, to the stall awaiting him.
Passing by various vendors, he could already feel their eyes on him. Another competitor, another rival. He was going to be butting heads with a lot of people, maybe even some groups, but consequence be damned, he was going to this. Fishing out some old fashion keys as he finally got to his stall, he slipped them in their locks before lifting up the metal shutters.
What greeted him was an old ramen stall he had bought and repurposed, its neon fixtures removed for much simpler lights inside lanterns and bold letters on waving banners. In a sea of advertisement, his stand was drowned out, a simple hole in the wall that anyone could miss.
He didn't really need the attention, though, because he didn't need to earn money. The stores around him could have all the paying customers, because he didn't have interest in them. What he was after were those that could not afford to pay for food.
He might not be of much help to this world, for he was no great marksman nor a great genius, but he was still intent on making this place, this little corner of light in this sea of darkness, a happy place. Everyone deserves a hot meal, "Seoul Kitchen, open for business."
A/N:
You know, a slice of life story in Cyberpunk would be nice. Yeah, it's a bit shitty but with how wonderful and vibrant the culture is along with just how interesting some people are, it might just be worth taking a visit. A chat with some of the guys and gals like Jackie Wells, V, maybe David Martinez, over some hot soup would be quite the fun time. Hell, even hearing some stories from Smasher would be nice considering how long lived they were. Seoul Kitchen's just the place for that, a place to sit back and relax while the world just passes by.
It'll probably take a while before things heat up cause the story is still simmering but hey, why not enjoy the moment. Thank you for taking the time to read and hope to see you soon cause I might have 20ish chapters already lined up and ready. Hah.... long story...
Anywas I'd like to thank @vyor making this possible. Thanks to him, you guys can read through my mess. Praise be vyor for his work
I say praise thee in the comment section! Also if you see it in advance and want to help me continue writing, you can drop by my Patreon and Ko-Fi.
- Location
- france
Who knows. Even Adam Smasher could appreciate an hearthy (read non-corpo) hot meal here and then. Might reduce his cyberpsychosis.
I'm waiting for all the protagonists' (and antagonists) reactions to a nice restaurant without the harshness of Night City... At least for a moment.
I'm waiting for all the protagonists' (and antagonists) reactions to a nice restaurant without the harshness of Night City... At least for a moment.
Last edited:
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
Funny you said that cause I have an omake of a certain CEO already made... though that's already too much of a spoiler~
- Location
- Quebec
I'd read it. Not because of food but because of the human warmth. Man, I can already imagine all sort of things happening. Like a long time client disappearing one day, got 0ed for no reason at all. Or someone managed to save enough money at his stand to save the money to buy the chrome to get the job. Thing like that.
Getting his cyberpsychosis reduced might ironically destroy him more than cyberpsychosis would.
The big thing about Adam Smasher is that he is fundamentally focused on himself, even when he didn't have cyberpsychosis. Becoming more empathetic may actually drive him crazy and go on a suicidal rampage as this humanity reminds himself of how much of a monster he is.
Chapter 1
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
First Impressions Always Last
As he set up shop and waited for his first customer he sighed; he knew that it'd take a while but he didn't expect it to be this long. It was already past dawn and the waves of workers getting off their twelve hour shift had come and gone, yet his shop was still devoid of customers. Yes, he had specifically made his shop nondescript, but his stall was in the Cherry Blossom Market, one of the busier streets in Night City.
Business was so poor and unpopular that even the vendo shop beside his stall was far more popular despite how they just served cold, microwaved, food that was restocked everyday. Just to see what all the fuss was about, he decided to buy himself the most expensive option for that day, a BLT Sandwich that had "Vegetable Paste made from 100% real vegetable". He regretted that decision with every damn bite.
Biting through the stale sandwich, he grimaced as he forced down the last bit. The slimy texture of the synth meat, the off taste of the "lettuce paste" and "tomato paste", along with the sad soggy bread was almost too much. He could taste some hints of lettuce alright, but it appeared that, while it was made with real vegetables, the paste was not made entirely of vegetables. "Crafty fuckers," He grimaced, wiping his mouth from the abomination of a sandwich he just ate.
"How the hell does someone eat like this," He asked himself as he felt his stomach gurgle not too appreciatively. "I need something to wash that down," He told himself as he grabbed himself a glass and poured himself a glass of plain seltzer; one he'd crafted himself as no one made them anymore.
Shaking his head, he looked around and wondered if it's his shop. It was an eclectic bastard love child of a 50's Diner and a Ramen Shop, a rather peculiar sight if he said so himself. With a griddle and deep fryer on one side to fry burgers and other all american staples while a proper jet stove sat on the other end for all the other stuff. He even had an oven for his baking needs. Still, there were empty spots he had yet to fill; like the ice cream machine he was still trying to score as well as some old appliances he could have refurbished but, for the most part, his shop was complete and ready to serve.
Still, why did he put all this effort into getting all these devices? Why didn't he just make food directly? It wasn't like he needed any of it, yet he wanted it. Food was more than just the end product, after all. It's about how it's cooked that gives it character.
It'd also stop people from asking where the hell he was getting all his food if he had to cook everything. It was a natural limiter, keeping him from being too suspicious with the amount of food he was practically giving out. That and the fact that cooking was quite the rewarding experience, one he relished everyday.
Washing his hands, he decided it'd be the best time for him to practice. Firing up the griddle and getting it piping hot, he prepared himself a proper meal this time; a smash burger. First came the ingredients, a tray from the freezer filled with prepared balls of beef and some oil to grease the pan.
Pulling out his spatula, he let the flat steel edge dance across the piping hot surface, making sure that it was properly coated. Once done, he tossed in the meat balls and squeezed them against the surface. He paused momentarily to hear the satisfying sizzle and let the amazing aroma of beef caramelizing as it cooked fill his lungs.
As the patties cooked, he pulled out buns he'd stocked up on the shelves and sliced them in half before they went to the pan as well to let them get toasty. The vegetables were already pre chopped and the sauce was ready, all that was left now was to assemble it.
Flip went the buns and the patties. As it was extremely thin, it wouldn't take long for it to brown. First came the buns then the patties, then the cheese, vegetables, pickles, sauce and finally another bun, served just for him.
He took a moment to appreciate the sight before digging in, taking huge bites of the burger. The crispy bun and juicy meat along with the sourness of the tomatoes and the mild creamy and salty taste of american cheese was just perfect enough to get the taste of the previous meal off his tongue. So absorbed was he in enjoying his meal that he didn't notice that he already had an audience
"Mmm.~ Now that's some good grub if I ever smelled one," A young woman's voice called out, making him jump in surprise. Whirling around, he found himself face to face with the grinning face of a girl he thought he'd never meet. "Yo chef, what's on the menu?" Rebecca asked as she gave him a wave.
With her red eyes, pale skin and green jacket, she made quite the striking sight. Seeing her grin widen, he quickly scolded himself as he averted his gaze and replied, "A little bit of everything." Setting his own food aside for now, he washed his hands clean once more, and turned around to give her his winning smile, "Just tell me what you want and I'll cook it for you. If you're not happy with my food, I'll pay you instead," He then said as he finally gathered his wits.
He had to remind himself that Rebecca wasn't just a pretty face, she was also a true native of the city. If he couldn't impress her with his food, it was probably best that he go back to the drawing board.
"Oh, really~?" Rebecca purred out as she leaned closer, leaning on her elbows as she cupped her cheeks. "Might want to take that back cause I'm pretty hard to impress," She warned him as a teasing smile stretched across her face.
He was too far into his idea to back out, the reputation of Seoul Kitchen rested on his performance there and then. "Wanna bet?" He fired back confidently.
Rebecca chuckled as she then said, "Your funeral.~" Shifting in her seat and tapping on her cheeks, she hummed, "Imma make this easy for you, give me a burger, an ice cream soda, and fries with some cricket tempura and we're good. Impress me and I'll spread the word about your place because from the looks of it…" pausing briefly to gesture at his empty shop before she continued, "you're not exactly popular."
"Hey, it's my first day. Give me a break here," He replied, feeling a bit of heat on his cheeks.
Snorting, the smaller girl continued teasing him, "You're making quite the first impression on your first day then, cause people aren't lining up. First impressions matter, you know and a place avoided by people? Sheesh, not a place I'd eat."
Squaring shoulders and rolling up his sleeves, he fired back, rising to the challenge, "Well, better make this the best goddamn first impression I'll ever give."
"Hah! That's the spirit!" Rebecca cheered him on as he got to work.
A/N:
The first customer of the shop has finally arrived and isn't she an adorable little scamp. Will our enterprising protagonist impress the refined palate of a certain Edgerunner or will his food be branded as mediocre? One things clear though, he's all pumped up to impress her or die trying.
And that's it for now for our little show. Tune in Tuesday next week for the next chapter of Seoul Kitchen~ There's 22 Chapters lined up and with my plan of trying to post at least once or twice a week, you guys will be eating good for a while~
With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @vyor making this possible. Thanks to him, you guys can read through my mess. Praise be vyor for his work
I say praise thee in the comment section! Also if you see it in advance or want to help me continue writing, you can drop by my Patreon and Ko-Fi. You can check out the prologues of some of my work there! First chapter is always free.
As he set up shop and waited for his first customer he sighed; he knew that it'd take a while but he didn't expect it to be this long. It was already past dawn and the waves of workers getting off their twelve hour shift had come and gone, yet his shop was still devoid of customers. Yes, he had specifically made his shop nondescript, but his stall was in the Cherry Blossom Market, one of the busier streets in Night City.
Business was so poor and unpopular that even the vendo shop beside his stall was far more popular despite how they just served cold, microwaved, food that was restocked everyday. Just to see what all the fuss was about, he decided to buy himself the most expensive option for that day, a BLT Sandwich that had "Vegetable Paste made from 100% real vegetable". He regretted that decision with every damn bite.
Biting through the stale sandwich, he grimaced as he forced down the last bit. The slimy texture of the synth meat, the off taste of the "lettuce paste" and "tomato paste", along with the sad soggy bread was almost too much. He could taste some hints of lettuce alright, but it appeared that, while it was made with real vegetables, the paste was not made entirely of vegetables. "Crafty fuckers," He grimaced, wiping his mouth from the abomination of a sandwich he just ate.
"How the hell does someone eat like this," He asked himself as he felt his stomach gurgle not too appreciatively. "I need something to wash that down," He told himself as he grabbed himself a glass and poured himself a glass of plain seltzer; one he'd crafted himself as no one made them anymore.
Shaking his head, he looked around and wondered if it's his shop. It was an eclectic bastard love child of a 50's Diner and a Ramen Shop, a rather peculiar sight if he said so himself. With a griddle and deep fryer on one side to fry burgers and other all american staples while a proper jet stove sat on the other end for all the other stuff. He even had an oven for his baking needs. Still, there were empty spots he had yet to fill; like the ice cream machine he was still trying to score as well as some old appliances he could have refurbished but, for the most part, his shop was complete and ready to serve.
Still, why did he put all this effort into getting all these devices? Why didn't he just make food directly? It wasn't like he needed any of it, yet he wanted it. Food was more than just the end product, after all. It's about how it's cooked that gives it character.
It'd also stop people from asking where the hell he was getting all his food if he had to cook everything. It was a natural limiter, keeping him from being too suspicious with the amount of food he was practically giving out. That and the fact that cooking was quite the rewarding experience, one he relished everyday.
Washing his hands, he decided it'd be the best time for him to practice. Firing up the griddle and getting it piping hot, he prepared himself a proper meal this time; a smash burger. First came the ingredients, a tray from the freezer filled with prepared balls of beef and some oil to grease the pan.
Pulling out his spatula, he let the flat steel edge dance across the piping hot surface, making sure that it was properly coated. Once done, he tossed in the meat balls and squeezed them against the surface. He paused momentarily to hear the satisfying sizzle and let the amazing aroma of beef caramelizing as it cooked fill his lungs.
As the patties cooked, he pulled out buns he'd stocked up on the shelves and sliced them in half before they went to the pan as well to let them get toasty. The vegetables were already pre chopped and the sauce was ready, all that was left now was to assemble it.
Flip went the buns and the patties. As it was extremely thin, it wouldn't take long for it to brown. First came the buns then the patties, then the cheese, vegetables, pickles, sauce and finally another bun, served just for him.
He took a moment to appreciate the sight before digging in, taking huge bites of the burger. The crispy bun and juicy meat along with the sourness of the tomatoes and the mild creamy and salty taste of american cheese was just perfect enough to get the taste of the previous meal off his tongue. So absorbed was he in enjoying his meal that he didn't notice that he already had an audience
"Mmm.~ Now that's some good grub if I ever smelled one," A young woman's voice called out, making him jump in surprise. Whirling around, he found himself face to face with the grinning face of a girl he thought he'd never meet. "Yo chef, what's on the menu?" Rebecca asked as she gave him a wave.
With her red eyes, pale skin and green jacket, she made quite the striking sight. Seeing her grin widen, he quickly scolded himself as he averted his gaze and replied, "A little bit of everything." Setting his own food aside for now, he washed his hands clean once more, and turned around to give her his winning smile, "Just tell me what you want and I'll cook it for you. If you're not happy with my food, I'll pay you instead," He then said as he finally gathered his wits.
He had to remind himself that Rebecca wasn't just a pretty face, she was also a true native of the city. If he couldn't impress her with his food, it was probably best that he go back to the drawing board.
"Oh, really~?" Rebecca purred out as she leaned closer, leaning on her elbows as she cupped her cheeks. "Might want to take that back cause I'm pretty hard to impress," She warned him as a teasing smile stretched across her face.
He was too far into his idea to back out, the reputation of Seoul Kitchen rested on his performance there and then. "Wanna bet?" He fired back confidently.
Rebecca chuckled as she then said, "Your funeral.~" Shifting in her seat and tapping on her cheeks, she hummed, "Imma make this easy for you, give me a burger, an ice cream soda, and fries with some cricket tempura and we're good. Impress me and I'll spread the word about your place because from the looks of it…" pausing briefly to gesture at his empty shop before she continued, "you're not exactly popular."
"Hey, it's my first day. Give me a break here," He replied, feeling a bit of heat on his cheeks.
Snorting, the smaller girl continued teasing him, "You're making quite the first impression on your first day then, cause people aren't lining up. First impressions matter, you know and a place avoided by people? Sheesh, not a place I'd eat."
Squaring shoulders and rolling up his sleeves, he fired back, rising to the challenge, "Well, better make this the best goddamn first impression I'll ever give."
"Hah! That's the spirit!" Rebecca cheered him on as he got to work.
A/N:
The first customer of the shop has finally arrived and isn't she an adorable little scamp. Will our enterprising protagonist impress the refined palate of a certain Edgerunner or will his food be branded as mediocre? One things clear though, he's all pumped up to impress her or die trying.
And that's it for now for our little show. Tune in Tuesday next week for the next chapter of Seoul Kitchen~ There's 22 Chapters lined up and with my plan of trying to post at least once or twice a week, you guys will be eating good for a while~
With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @vyor making this possible. Thanks to him, you guys can read through my mess. Praise be vyor for his work
I say praise thee in the comment section! Also if you see it in advance or want to help me continue writing, you can drop by my Patreon and Ko-Fi. You can check out the prologues of some of my work there! First chapter is always free.
This will be some sogeki no soma lv of food.
She will want to pe petty and not pay at all but her mind will not be able to do so.
And the same will happen to some bribbed food testers.
It wont evan be sad to see the entire cast turnning overwight. Including Adam Smasher
She will want to pe petty and not pay at all but her mind will not be able to do so.
And the same will happen to some bribbed food testers.
It wont evan be sad to see the entire cast turnning overwight. Including Adam Smasher
Chapter 2
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
A Meal to Remember
Firing up the fryer, he'd decided to go all out this time as he pulled out bigger and heavier patties for the occasion. A quarter pound of beef sizzled in the griddle while he fired up the deep fryer. While it cooked, he turned his attention to the fries.
Out came the sliced up and pre-prepared fries. Taking a page out of a certain defunct brand with their patented potatoes, his fries came in just as a restaurant would have them, blanched and lightly fried before frozen. Tossing a generous serving in a basket, he let them swim in hot beef tallow, letting them cook in the delicious fat.
After flipping the burger patties and tossing in some cheese atop them, as well as a buns to toast, came the task of preparing the cricket tempura. They came bagged in groceries, shelled and prepared with a batter, but he'd opted to make his own. With only the shelled insects, he whipped up a batter for them.
Cracking an egg in secret was a tedious task as eggs were no longer sold in markets. It was utterly dystopic, but that was the point of it. There were no more eggs, or even milk for that matter, as agriculture had come to a stand still for the lower latitudes. Too hot and dry; and the toxic clouds overhead did not do the few remaining farms any good.
Whipping himself up a simple mixture of floor, panko, eggs and water, he then coated his crickets under the counter. Two coatings made sure that they were properly breaded. With his crickets prepared, he could have tossed them into the beef tallow as well, but they did not mix well with animal fat. He prepared them in a different pan of oil, one that would require his jet stove. Letting the synthetic fueled fire burn bright, he chose to fry it in sesame oil instead.
It was a symphony of sizzling meats and spuds, his spatula flipping the burger over to the buns as he prepared the finishing touches. Lettuce and vegetables were placed over the melted and runny sliced cheese while a generous serving of mayo and ketchup topped them. Fishing out the fries, he salted them generously, tossing them before serving in a basket with the fresh golden brown tempura.
Finally, came the soda. While he could serve them NiCola, that would be a disservice to the food he prepared. Fishing out a tub of vanilla ice cream from the fridge, he let that one sit for a bit as he pumped a generous helping of sweet cola syrup into a tall glass. The thick viscous syrup quickly mixed with the fizzing seltzer before a large scoop was allowed to swim on the dark caramel drink.
And thus, he was finished, serving it to his gob-smoked audience as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "One Quarter Pounder with cheese, a basket of chirp and chips, and one chocolate float for the lovely lady," He told Rebecca as he flashed her a smile.
The Mox girl whistled as she stared at the steaming plate of fries and the large juicy burger atop her plate. "Color me impressed," She told him, praising his food, "It looks good smells good, but how does it taste? Will it be just a pretty face or is the meat its packing actually worth anything?"
Feeling a bit of pride bubble up his chest, he then replied, "Well, what are you waiting for? Dig in!"
Clutching his apron, he watched in bated breath as Rebecca lifted up the burger and took a bite before it was followed by another. There would be silence between them as the smaller girl kept eating, chewing quietly before she set the large burger down and just staring at her meal. Swallowing thickly, he then asked, "So… How is it?"
"Bullshit!" The girl exclaimed, making his heart sink before she suddenly asked, "How the fuck does this taste so good?"
Taken by surprise, he couldn't help but babble as she picked up her burger once more and ate it with gusto. "Oh god, it's melting in my mouth," She moaned out before glaring at him, "What the hell did you put on this cause whatever it is, I want it! Is it crack?"
That was when he started laughing, unable to hold himself together at her question. "It's Just simple spices, really," He replied jovially, wiping at the tears in his eyes as he told her, "That and whole sprinkling of love for cooking and the freshest ingredients this side of Night City."
Hearing his words, the girl cringed as he swallowed thickly. Frowning, he asked, "Is something wrong?"
Grimacing, she then sighed as asked him, "... How much?" She then shook her head as she exclaimed, "Cause I swear this looks like it'll cost me an arm and a leg, literally! That synth-lettuce tasted and felt so real, it's freaky."
Chuckling, he waved off her concerns as he told her, "Don't worry about it." Leaning over the counter, he then said, "Since you're my first customer, consider it on the house. Plus, seeing someone smile from eating what I cooked is more than enough." It was one of the reasons why this place was around.
"You're serious?" Rebecca asked incredulously as she looked up to him in disbelief.
"Can I lie to a pretty girl like you?" He then fired back.
Rebecca blushed as she looked down on her meal before she told him "How about a different form of payment then…" frowning, his heart skipped a bit as she looked backed up with those doe eyes staring directly into her soul. He felt his mouth go dry as she placed her hands over her chest as he admitted, "No one has ever been this generous to me. It's making me all warm and fuzzy inside."
Swallowing, he wondered, is this really happening. "I assure you, this is entirely free. I-!" He babbled out before she cut him off.
"Please?" She pleaded with her pouty lips and he folded like a house of cards. Feeling his face burn, he nodded, unable to speak back as his heart hammered away inside his chest. Looking up to him, she asked him, "C-can you come a bit closer?"
He leaned closer, her lips just inches away now.
"A bit closer?" Rebecca asked once more but as he closed his eyes and leaned past the counter, the girl would then grab him by the hair. Wincing and crying in pain, he was forced nearly over the counter as she shouted, "Ok big guy, where did they hit you? Let Momma Becca fix you!"
"Ow ow ow!" He struggled hard, trying to pull himself back but the girl was deceptively strong, able to keep him still as she ran his hands all over his head and neck.
"No chips, no stabs, no nothing!" She shouted as she finally let him go. With a glare of anger and confusion, the girl would then ask him. "What kind of defect do you have, choom? Do you know how expensive this is?"
Wilting under the glare, he lied, "Maybe?" Oh he knew that it was extremely expensive but he didn't care or he couldn't bring himself to care. "It's just beef, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes… I don't see the big deal," He said. It wasn't like he'd run out of food anytime soon and everyone deserved a taste of the real stuff. It was just synthetic food over and over again, he couldn't stand how starved and devoid the world was of rich and complex flavors.
Shaking her head in disbelief, she turned back to her half eaten burger before lifting it up and grabbing the fresh lettuce. Waving it around her face, she then asked accusingly, "Are these real vegetables?"
"Why the hell would it not... be?" he replied before he caught himself. Slowly, he reached up to cover his face out of shame while Rebecca pinched her nose as she hissed in annoyance.
"... This fucker, I swear," Rebecca gritted out, "The next thing you'll say was that's fresh farm raised beef I just ate…" She then trailed off as she noticed his eyes no longer on her. Sweating, he refused to make eye contact as felt the girl's heated gaze on him, refusing to answer that, but she was rather persuasive with her iron suddenly placed atop the counter.
Swallowing at the sight of the green and pink pistol, he admitted, "Yes…?" Raising his hands, he quickly added, reassuring her, "But seriously, don't worry about it. I really didn't open Seoul Kitchen to make eddies, so it's no big deal if you don't pay!" Those words, however, might have been poorly thought out as he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a gun.
"You motherfucker," Rebecca growled out as her face burnt in indignation and fury, "Do I look poor to you? Do you think I can't pay for my meal? Do you think just cause I'm a pretty face, I should get that for free? Fuck no! Everyone deserves to be paid so tell me how much I owe or I'll blow your fucking head up! Now!" She shouted as she gave him the strangest of demands. He felt his mind stutter as he tried to process what she just said.
"Wait, what?" He asked, wondering if he'd heard it right. He couldn't quite concentrate as he felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed up against his temple.
"How much! Now!" Rebecca shouted at him, clearly running out of patience.
"Ok! Ok!" He cried out, his heart hammering away as he shouted the first big number that came to his mind, "Ten Thousand Eddies."
The girl gave her one good glare as they stood there, his feet barely holding himself up before she pulled his hands away and the lipstick she was holding. Staring at the "gun" she held and the actaul gun on the table, he felt rather silly as Rebecca forced her money on him. Seeing forty thousand casually dropped on his lap, he was a few more eddies richer.
"See? Was it that hard, choom?" Rebecca grinned as he twisted off the metal cap of her purple lipstick and retouched her makeup.
Gathering his wits, he tried to tell her about her payment, "You overpay-!" but she was not having any of it as he found her fingers against his lips, shushing him.
"You cooked me something delicious and I'm not going to hear a word out of you mister," She told him before giving him a glare. "You accept my money or we'll have trouble, you hear me?" She then warned him, gesturing at the gun as he had.
Sighing, he felt his shoulder sag as he relented, "Crystal…" There was really now way he could argue himself out of this.
With a growl, the girl sat back to her seat as she continued chomping at her burger and slurping at her ice cream soda, "Stupid fucking gonk's going to get himself robbed blind…" She growled out as things finally settled down. He couldn't have known it then, but he'd earned himself a loyal customer that day and she'd be a common fixture in his restaurant. For now though, he just had to avoid angering her.
A/N:
So I had a thought when writing this chapter back then. People value favors more than money in Cyberpunk. Favors is what makes the world go round for Fixers so I assume that it'll extend down to people as well. If you receive something for free, there's kinda that unspoken rule that you owe someone and that'll definitely hurt their sensibilities lol.
Anyways I'd like to thank @vyor making this possible. Thanks to him, you guys can read through my mess despite the headaches that plagues us both. Praise be @vyor for his work and send some coffee our direction. Good tasty coffee is always nice to have. Also, Tea is really good. Really want to get into loose leaf tea one of these days but eh, maybe later.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, go check out either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I have a backlog of stuff that needs to get sorted out I swear.
Firing up the fryer, he'd decided to go all out this time as he pulled out bigger and heavier patties for the occasion. A quarter pound of beef sizzled in the griddle while he fired up the deep fryer. While it cooked, he turned his attention to the fries.
Out came the sliced up and pre-prepared fries. Taking a page out of a certain defunct brand with their patented potatoes, his fries came in just as a restaurant would have them, blanched and lightly fried before frozen. Tossing a generous serving in a basket, he let them swim in hot beef tallow, letting them cook in the delicious fat.
After flipping the burger patties and tossing in some cheese atop them, as well as a buns to toast, came the task of preparing the cricket tempura. They came bagged in groceries, shelled and prepared with a batter, but he'd opted to make his own. With only the shelled insects, he whipped up a batter for them.
Cracking an egg in secret was a tedious task as eggs were no longer sold in markets. It was utterly dystopic, but that was the point of it. There were no more eggs, or even milk for that matter, as agriculture had come to a stand still for the lower latitudes. Too hot and dry; and the toxic clouds overhead did not do the few remaining farms any good.
Whipping himself up a simple mixture of floor, panko, eggs and water, he then coated his crickets under the counter. Two coatings made sure that they were properly breaded. With his crickets prepared, he could have tossed them into the beef tallow as well, but they did not mix well with animal fat. He prepared them in a different pan of oil, one that would require his jet stove. Letting the synthetic fueled fire burn bright, he chose to fry it in sesame oil instead.
It was a symphony of sizzling meats and spuds, his spatula flipping the burger over to the buns as he prepared the finishing touches. Lettuce and vegetables were placed over the melted and runny sliced cheese while a generous serving of mayo and ketchup topped them. Fishing out the fries, he salted them generously, tossing them before serving in a basket with the fresh golden brown tempura.
Finally, came the soda. While he could serve them NiCola, that would be a disservice to the food he prepared. Fishing out a tub of vanilla ice cream from the fridge, he let that one sit for a bit as he pumped a generous helping of sweet cola syrup into a tall glass. The thick viscous syrup quickly mixed with the fizzing seltzer before a large scoop was allowed to swim on the dark caramel drink.
And thus, he was finished, serving it to his gob-smoked audience as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "One Quarter Pounder with cheese, a basket of chirp and chips, and one chocolate float for the lovely lady," He told Rebecca as he flashed her a smile.
The Mox girl whistled as she stared at the steaming plate of fries and the large juicy burger atop her plate. "Color me impressed," She told him, praising his food, "It looks good smells good, but how does it taste? Will it be just a pretty face or is the meat its packing actually worth anything?"
Feeling a bit of pride bubble up his chest, he then replied, "Well, what are you waiting for? Dig in!"
Clutching his apron, he watched in bated breath as Rebecca lifted up the burger and took a bite before it was followed by another. There would be silence between them as the smaller girl kept eating, chewing quietly before she set the large burger down and just staring at her meal. Swallowing thickly, he then asked, "So… How is it?"
"Bullshit!" The girl exclaimed, making his heart sink before she suddenly asked, "How the fuck does this taste so good?"
Taken by surprise, he couldn't help but babble as she picked up her burger once more and ate it with gusto. "Oh god, it's melting in my mouth," She moaned out before glaring at him, "What the hell did you put on this cause whatever it is, I want it! Is it crack?"
That was when he started laughing, unable to hold himself together at her question. "It's Just simple spices, really," He replied jovially, wiping at the tears in his eyes as he told her, "That and whole sprinkling of love for cooking and the freshest ingredients this side of Night City."
Hearing his words, the girl cringed as he swallowed thickly. Frowning, he asked, "Is something wrong?"
Grimacing, she then sighed as asked him, "... How much?" She then shook her head as she exclaimed, "Cause I swear this looks like it'll cost me an arm and a leg, literally! That synth-lettuce tasted and felt so real, it's freaky."
Chuckling, he waved off her concerns as he told her, "Don't worry about it." Leaning over the counter, he then said, "Since you're my first customer, consider it on the house. Plus, seeing someone smile from eating what I cooked is more than enough." It was one of the reasons why this place was around.
"You're serious?" Rebecca asked incredulously as she looked up to him in disbelief.
"Can I lie to a pretty girl like you?" He then fired back.
Rebecca blushed as she looked down on her meal before she told him "How about a different form of payment then…" frowning, his heart skipped a bit as she looked backed up with those doe eyes staring directly into her soul. He felt his mouth go dry as she placed her hands over her chest as he admitted, "No one has ever been this generous to me. It's making me all warm and fuzzy inside."
Swallowing, he wondered, is this really happening. "I assure you, this is entirely free. I-!" He babbled out before she cut him off.
"Please?" She pleaded with her pouty lips and he folded like a house of cards. Feeling his face burn, he nodded, unable to speak back as his heart hammered away inside his chest. Looking up to him, she asked him, "C-can you come a bit closer?"
He leaned closer, her lips just inches away now.
"A bit closer?" Rebecca asked once more but as he closed his eyes and leaned past the counter, the girl would then grab him by the hair. Wincing and crying in pain, he was forced nearly over the counter as she shouted, "Ok big guy, where did they hit you? Let Momma Becca fix you!"
"Ow ow ow!" He struggled hard, trying to pull himself back but the girl was deceptively strong, able to keep him still as she ran his hands all over his head and neck.
"No chips, no stabs, no nothing!" She shouted as she finally let him go. With a glare of anger and confusion, the girl would then ask him. "What kind of defect do you have, choom? Do you know how expensive this is?"
Wilting under the glare, he lied, "Maybe?" Oh he knew that it was extremely expensive but he didn't care or he couldn't bring himself to care. "It's just beef, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes… I don't see the big deal," He said. It wasn't like he'd run out of food anytime soon and everyone deserved a taste of the real stuff. It was just synthetic food over and over again, he couldn't stand how starved and devoid the world was of rich and complex flavors.
Shaking her head in disbelief, she turned back to her half eaten burger before lifting it up and grabbing the fresh lettuce. Waving it around her face, she then asked accusingly, "Are these real vegetables?"
"Why the hell would it not... be?" he replied before he caught himself. Slowly, he reached up to cover his face out of shame while Rebecca pinched her nose as she hissed in annoyance.
"... This fucker, I swear," Rebecca gritted out, "The next thing you'll say was that's fresh farm raised beef I just ate…" She then trailed off as she noticed his eyes no longer on her. Sweating, he refused to make eye contact as felt the girl's heated gaze on him, refusing to answer that, but she was rather persuasive with her iron suddenly placed atop the counter.
Swallowing at the sight of the green and pink pistol, he admitted, "Yes…?" Raising his hands, he quickly added, reassuring her, "But seriously, don't worry about it. I really didn't open Seoul Kitchen to make eddies, so it's no big deal if you don't pay!" Those words, however, might have been poorly thought out as he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a gun.
"You motherfucker," Rebecca growled out as her face burnt in indignation and fury, "Do I look poor to you? Do you think I can't pay for my meal? Do you think just cause I'm a pretty face, I should get that for free? Fuck no! Everyone deserves to be paid so tell me how much I owe or I'll blow your fucking head up! Now!" She shouted as she gave him the strangest of demands. He felt his mind stutter as he tried to process what she just said.
"Wait, what?" He asked, wondering if he'd heard it right. He couldn't quite concentrate as he felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed up against his temple.
"How much! Now!" Rebecca shouted at him, clearly running out of patience.
"Ok! Ok!" He cried out, his heart hammering away as he shouted the first big number that came to his mind, "Ten Thousand Eddies."
The girl gave her one good glare as they stood there, his feet barely holding himself up before she pulled his hands away and the lipstick she was holding. Staring at the "gun" she held and the actaul gun on the table, he felt rather silly as Rebecca forced her money on him. Seeing forty thousand casually dropped on his lap, he was a few more eddies richer.
"See? Was it that hard, choom?" Rebecca grinned as he twisted off the metal cap of her purple lipstick and retouched her makeup.
Gathering his wits, he tried to tell her about her payment, "You overpay-!" but she was not having any of it as he found her fingers against his lips, shushing him.
"You cooked me something delicious and I'm not going to hear a word out of you mister," She told him before giving him a glare. "You accept my money or we'll have trouble, you hear me?" She then warned him, gesturing at the gun as he had.
Sighing, he felt his shoulder sag as he relented, "Crystal…" There was really now way he could argue himself out of this.
With a growl, the girl sat back to her seat as she continued chomping at her burger and slurping at her ice cream soda, "Stupid fucking gonk's going to get himself robbed blind…" She growled out as things finally settled down. He couldn't have known it then, but he'd earned himself a loyal customer that day and she'd be a common fixture in his restaurant. For now though, he just had to avoid angering her.
A/N:
So I had a thought when writing this chapter back then. People value favors more than money in Cyberpunk. Favors is what makes the world go round for Fixers so I assume that it'll extend down to people as well. If you receive something for free, there's kinda that unspoken rule that you owe someone and that'll definitely hurt their sensibilities lol.
Anyways I'd like to thank @vyor making this possible. Thanks to him, you guys can read through my mess despite the headaches that plagues us both. Praise be @vyor for his work and send some coffee our direction. Good tasty coffee is always nice to have. Also, Tea is really good. Really want to get into loose leaf tea one of these days but eh, maybe later.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, go check out either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I have a backlog of stuff that needs to get sorted out I swear.
Thank you for writing !
Can't wait to see more of Rebecca !
Can't wait to see more of Rebecca !
Usually in Night City, when someone points a gun at you they want take your money, not give you money lmfao.
- Location
- The Golden State
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Who knew that you can piss off people in NC for refusing money as payment, lol
Grosstoad
Birdbrain - Dick - Rules-Lawyer - Creeper
He will have to keep it on hydroponics after, because, really, where would you get good, nutritious dirt around NC?
- Location
- sweden
The corpses or poo it's all made of or from people containing everything people needs.
possibly involving recreating soil from the first principle abuse the fact people eat moss and mushrooms and even lichen.
He can compost a spawned mix of vegetable matter as meat composting is really hard to do in a controlled way and people have eaten live worms and beetles same way all salad is fresh and alive or its rotten and dead.
He can also just use Haitian dirt cookies if he want mud it got some sugar in it sometimes so some bacteria food if he mixes in water
Chapter 3
New
- Location
- A Tropical Island in the Pacific
The Problem With Charity
Despite his best efforts, he would have no other customer aside from Rebecca that day. He had to close up shop without serving anyone else. It was disheartening, going back to his apartment that day, but at least he had someone instead of no one at all. Still, he needed to change that. How could he get people to eat at his shop?
Well, what was a better way to catch people's attention than a sign? Grabbing himself a half broken display in the dump and, with just a bit of elbow grease, he got himself a display for his menu. It wasn't perfect, flickering from time to time (probably whatever damage it had that had its previous owner toss it out), but it did its job. He even had an accompanying sign to show that day's special: pizza.
Yes, in hindsight, maybe he should have made a menu rather than tailoring the food he made to the request of his customers, but he never claimed to be a genius when it came to business. He was just a man trying to feed people, people who were afraid to come to his shop.
He could see their looks in the corner of his eyes as he kneaded the dough. They were watching him as they passed by, their eyes on the thick dough he flipped and tossed in the air, yet they did not come to a stop. Not even the heavenly scent of fresh oregano in tomato sauce filling the air nor the mouth watering sight of melted cheese on the pizza laid over the counter display could beckon them over.
He sighed as he set the flattened dough down before scooping himself a generous helping of his pizza sauce. Spreading it thickly and topping it with as much cheese as he could have, he wondered what the hell was scaring them. Was it his looks?
He was on the broader and taller end, a consequence of having unlimited access to good nutrition and all the manual labor from the odds and ends he worked in, but he was by no means threatening. Compared to the hardened Night City natives he was soft, his mannerisms and actions coming from a far more peaceful time.
Tossing in the pizza in the oven, he sat and watched as he thought of his new universe. Compared to the dystopian corporate hell that was Night City, the worst of the 2010's of his universe couldn't compare. Things here were just worse.
The uncontrolled corporate greed, the environment having gone to shit, and the violence. People here were harsher, more jaded and cynical. It was a miracle that he hadn't quite changed but, unlike most people, he didn't have to worry about what he was going to eat that day.
There must have been something else at play, something that made them shy away with caution, but what? Before he could think further on that, his attention would be called upon by the familiar shouting of a certain Mox.
"Oh hey, it's the Mox girl from yesterday," I greeted, waving at Rebecca as she came in with her friends before standing up to get the griddle ready, "Want me to whip some burgers up like last time?" I asked.
"See! I told you I wasn't lying!" Rebecca shouted as she gestured at him. They were quite the motley crew. From the tall and imposing Maine who made him look tiny in comparison to the mysterious and alluring aura that Lucy had, they stood out amongst the crowd. They stood tall, proud, and without fear, they were Edgerunners. "And it's Rebecca you gonk, didn't I tell you that yesterday?" The girl then said as she turned around and gave him glare
"Nope, you were too busy eating so I let you be," He replied as he reached back and scratched his head, "I forgot to ask you as well, so it's partly my fault too."
"Well, whoever's fault it was can wait because I am hungry!" Pilar then piped up as he butted in, pushing past an annoyed Rebecca as he sat down, "What's ever in that oven, we're having cause that smells deeeliscious!"
"You better get that wallet of yours ready Rebecca, because it was your idea getting us all here," Kiwi, the tall and willowy netrunner of the group, then said as she gave him a nod before sitting on one of the empty stools,
Smiling at the woman, he replied, "Oh no, the food is fre…" before trailing off as Rebecca gave him a mean look, one that promised endless pain if he was to continue down that path. Back peddling, I clarified, "I mean massively discounted."
Rebecca nodded satisfied, but that earned her a flat stare from the trench coat wearing netrunner, "Really Rebecca? Cock blocking my wallet?" Kiwi asked in annoyance.
"He might be a gonk, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you rob him blind," Rebecca fired back as she crossed her arms across her chest, glaring back at the older woman, "and I'm not some cheap bitch looking to pinch every penny she gets."
The group hooted and laughed as two traded barbs. Glaring, Kiwi's feature then softened as it was replaced with a playful one, "Hah, I smell someone defending her prey," the older woman then teased, making him and Rebecca blush.
"H-hey! He's not my Input!" Rebecca sputtered as she was unable to hold her gaze, looking at him to back her up. He however couldn't speak up as he found himself tongue tied while his ears burned.
"I didn't say he was," Kiwi continued, prodding and teasing the smaller girl who fumed and looked just about ready to jump at the taller woman, "That's all on you, Bee."
Thankfully for Rebecca, and himself for that matter, Dorio would step in as she got in between the two. "Now Kiwi, let Becca be. She's the one that told us about this place," She told them, trying to appease the two. As she talked to them, Maine leaned in over the counter and gestured to him to come closer.
Leaning closer, the giant of a man then said, "Sorry if our little Bee caused you any trouble. She can be a little aggressive, but she means well," He nodded before the man then grinned as he asked, "Now I heard from our mutual friend that you tried giving her a free lunch. Is there any truth to that?"
Looking over to Rebecca who was about to butt in, he immediately replied, "Yes, the food for today is free." This had Maine cheering while Rebecca could only groan out in frustration. As much as he liked Rebecca, he really did want to give them all food. He liked their company and it was not every day he could chat with people like them. It was a bit fanboyish of him, but it is what it is.
"Hah! I like you," Maine laughed as he gave him a slap on the back, nearly bowling him over. Slinging his arms around his shoulder, he told him, "If anyone messes with you, just give me and my crew a call and we'll deal with it. You have my word."
"You stupid gonk," Rebecca hissed out as she looked up to him in a pained and exasperated grimace, "Why are you allergic to money?" She then asked.
He laughed as he raised his hands up appeasingly before he replied, "I'm not."
Lucy would snort, chuckling as she pointed out, "But you are giving out food for free so you're giving us mixed signals here," Reaching over to the counter and grabbing herself a slice from one of the pizzas he already made, much to Rebecca's protest, she would then bite down and blink in surprise. Letting out a rather lurid moan, she then said in surprise, "This is really good."
Rubbing the back of his head, he assured them, "No really, I'm not, but I really didn't set this stall up to make money." Sitting down on his chair, he then added, "I'm here to give food away to anyone with an empty stomach."
Clutching his stomach, he could still feel the hunger from that alley. No one should ever have to go through that, having their stomachs empty and being unable to fill it; to die of starvation was simply a cruel way to go. Shaking his head, he told them, "It might sound dumb, but I just don't want anyone starving."
He could already feel their stares on him, but he didn't care at this point as he let his heart out, "Things are already bad as it is. The planet is dying, the corporations want to milk us of every last cent, and there's no end to this shitty ride; so I'm trying to help a bit by serving free food, but so far, it's just you guys. No offense"
"None taken," Pillar answered for the group.
"Which is currently my problem," He told them as his shoulder slump. Gesturing to the shop behind his kitchen, he complained, "I get that the Korean Burger shop beside me is way more popular, but what I don't get is why the hell the Vendo shop next door is more popular than mine! They sell cheap crap while I give away good food for free, so why the hell aren't people stopping by here?"
It baffled him at every turn and he had yet to find a solution to his current problem. Did he need to shout that he was giving away free food? It seemed however that his current customers knew exactly the answer to his question.
Snorting, Kiwi told him, "Well, there's your problem, you're giving food out for free," Shaking her head, she then pulled out a stylus of all things and started drawing in the air as she lectured him, "Here I thought you're just hitting on Rebecca or trying to get all friendly with us to get some protection, but you're seriously just a fool who wears his heart on his sleeve. That isn't really going to get you any customers, in fact, it's doing the opposite."
Frowning, he replied, "But-" only to be cut off as the older woman pressed her fingers against his lips, shushing him.
Pocketing her stylus, the woman then asked, "So you want to get people to eat here right?"
He hesitated before nodding, "Yes."
"Here, let me show you," She then told him as her eyes glowed as his display fizzled and glitched out. For a second, he thought it died on him before it changed. Gone was the simple, crudely made menu he got. Instead, he had a professional one with a doodle of a chibified Kiwi holding a pizza as well as a list of the pizza he was making today… along with the prices.
Before he could protest, Kiwi hushed him along with the crew as she gazed out of the busy rush of workers getting off their shift. The moment one of them gazed at his display, they stopped and made a beeline towards him. It wasn't a borged-up security personnel that braved his shop, despite the presence of the Edgerunner crew, but a normal white collar worker that looked like he was going to keel over any time soon.
"I want four eddie slices on the go," The man told him and all he could do was dumbly nod and give him one. Just like that, he got himself a customer and the flood broke through. Before he knew it, his shop was mobbed and all it took was one eurodollar.
A/N:
Night City took the old adage of "There's no such thing as a free lunch" a bit too seriously. Poor Chef, he still hasn't gotten that part down even after a decade in the city. In his defense, he's just wanted to help though he could have been a bit smarter. He's getting there though and with the help of the Edgerunner Crew, makes you wonder how far he'll go lol.
Anyways I'd like to thank @vyor making this possible. Thanks to him, you guys can read through my mess despite the headaches that plagues us both. Praise be @vyor for his work. A good cup of tea can help us go a long way. Damn it, I still can't stop thinking about that Jasmine tea. Good Jasmine tea is a treat, I swear.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, go check out either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I have a backlog of stuff that needs to get sorted out I swear.
Despite his best efforts, he would have no other customer aside from Rebecca that day. He had to close up shop without serving anyone else. It was disheartening, going back to his apartment that day, but at least he had someone instead of no one at all. Still, he needed to change that. How could he get people to eat at his shop?
Well, what was a better way to catch people's attention than a sign? Grabbing himself a half broken display in the dump and, with just a bit of elbow grease, he got himself a display for his menu. It wasn't perfect, flickering from time to time (probably whatever damage it had that had its previous owner toss it out), but it did its job. He even had an accompanying sign to show that day's special: pizza.
Yes, in hindsight, maybe he should have made a menu rather than tailoring the food he made to the request of his customers, but he never claimed to be a genius when it came to business. He was just a man trying to feed people, people who were afraid to come to his shop.
He could see their looks in the corner of his eyes as he kneaded the dough. They were watching him as they passed by, their eyes on the thick dough he flipped and tossed in the air, yet they did not come to a stop. Not even the heavenly scent of fresh oregano in tomato sauce filling the air nor the mouth watering sight of melted cheese on the pizza laid over the counter display could beckon them over.
He sighed as he set the flattened dough down before scooping himself a generous helping of his pizza sauce. Spreading it thickly and topping it with as much cheese as he could have, he wondered what the hell was scaring them. Was it his looks?
He was on the broader and taller end, a consequence of having unlimited access to good nutrition and all the manual labor from the odds and ends he worked in, but he was by no means threatening. Compared to the hardened Night City natives he was soft, his mannerisms and actions coming from a far more peaceful time.
Tossing in the pizza in the oven, he sat and watched as he thought of his new universe. Compared to the dystopian corporate hell that was Night City, the worst of the 2010's of his universe couldn't compare. Things here were just worse.
The uncontrolled corporate greed, the environment having gone to shit, and the violence. People here were harsher, more jaded and cynical. It was a miracle that he hadn't quite changed but, unlike most people, he didn't have to worry about what he was going to eat that day.
There must have been something else at play, something that made them shy away with caution, but what? Before he could think further on that, his attention would be called upon by the familiar shouting of a certain Mox.
"Oh hey, it's the Mox girl from yesterday," I greeted, waving at Rebecca as she came in with her friends before standing up to get the griddle ready, "Want me to whip some burgers up like last time?" I asked.
"See! I told you I wasn't lying!" Rebecca shouted as she gestured at him. They were quite the motley crew. From the tall and imposing Maine who made him look tiny in comparison to the mysterious and alluring aura that Lucy had, they stood out amongst the crowd. They stood tall, proud, and without fear, they were Edgerunners. "And it's Rebecca you gonk, didn't I tell you that yesterday?" The girl then said as she turned around and gave him glare
"Nope, you were too busy eating so I let you be," He replied as he reached back and scratched his head, "I forgot to ask you as well, so it's partly my fault too."
"Well, whoever's fault it was can wait because I am hungry!" Pilar then piped up as he butted in, pushing past an annoyed Rebecca as he sat down, "What's ever in that oven, we're having cause that smells deeeliscious!"
"You better get that wallet of yours ready Rebecca, because it was your idea getting us all here," Kiwi, the tall and willowy netrunner of the group, then said as she gave him a nod before sitting on one of the empty stools,
Smiling at the woman, he replied, "Oh no, the food is fre…" before trailing off as Rebecca gave him a mean look, one that promised endless pain if he was to continue down that path. Back peddling, I clarified, "I mean massively discounted."
Rebecca nodded satisfied, but that earned her a flat stare from the trench coat wearing netrunner, "Really Rebecca? Cock blocking my wallet?" Kiwi asked in annoyance.
"He might be a gonk, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you rob him blind," Rebecca fired back as she crossed her arms across her chest, glaring back at the older woman, "and I'm not some cheap bitch looking to pinch every penny she gets."
The group hooted and laughed as two traded barbs. Glaring, Kiwi's feature then softened as it was replaced with a playful one, "Hah, I smell someone defending her prey," the older woman then teased, making him and Rebecca blush.
"H-hey! He's not my Input!" Rebecca sputtered as she was unable to hold her gaze, looking at him to back her up. He however couldn't speak up as he found himself tongue tied while his ears burned.
"I didn't say he was," Kiwi continued, prodding and teasing the smaller girl who fumed and looked just about ready to jump at the taller woman, "That's all on you, Bee."
Thankfully for Rebecca, and himself for that matter, Dorio would step in as she got in between the two. "Now Kiwi, let Becca be. She's the one that told us about this place," She told them, trying to appease the two. As she talked to them, Maine leaned in over the counter and gestured to him to come closer.
Leaning closer, the giant of a man then said, "Sorry if our little Bee caused you any trouble. She can be a little aggressive, but she means well," He nodded before the man then grinned as he asked, "Now I heard from our mutual friend that you tried giving her a free lunch. Is there any truth to that?"
Looking over to Rebecca who was about to butt in, he immediately replied, "Yes, the food for today is free." This had Maine cheering while Rebecca could only groan out in frustration. As much as he liked Rebecca, he really did want to give them all food. He liked their company and it was not every day he could chat with people like them. It was a bit fanboyish of him, but it is what it is.
"Hah! I like you," Maine laughed as he gave him a slap on the back, nearly bowling him over. Slinging his arms around his shoulder, he told him, "If anyone messes with you, just give me and my crew a call and we'll deal with it. You have my word."
"You stupid gonk," Rebecca hissed out as she looked up to him in a pained and exasperated grimace, "Why are you allergic to money?" She then asked.
He laughed as he raised his hands up appeasingly before he replied, "I'm not."
Lucy would snort, chuckling as she pointed out, "But you are giving out food for free so you're giving us mixed signals here," Reaching over to the counter and grabbing herself a slice from one of the pizzas he already made, much to Rebecca's protest, she would then bite down and blink in surprise. Letting out a rather lurid moan, she then said in surprise, "This is really good."
Rubbing the back of his head, he assured them, "No really, I'm not, but I really didn't set this stall up to make money." Sitting down on his chair, he then added, "I'm here to give food away to anyone with an empty stomach."
Clutching his stomach, he could still feel the hunger from that alley. No one should ever have to go through that, having their stomachs empty and being unable to fill it; to die of starvation was simply a cruel way to go. Shaking his head, he told them, "It might sound dumb, but I just don't want anyone starving."
He could already feel their stares on him, but he didn't care at this point as he let his heart out, "Things are already bad as it is. The planet is dying, the corporations want to milk us of every last cent, and there's no end to this shitty ride; so I'm trying to help a bit by serving free food, but so far, it's just you guys. No offense"
"None taken," Pillar answered for the group.
"Which is currently my problem," He told them as his shoulder slump. Gesturing to the shop behind his kitchen, he complained, "I get that the Korean Burger shop beside me is way more popular, but what I don't get is why the hell the Vendo shop next door is more popular than mine! They sell cheap crap while I give away good food for free, so why the hell aren't people stopping by here?"
It baffled him at every turn and he had yet to find a solution to his current problem. Did he need to shout that he was giving away free food? It seemed however that his current customers knew exactly the answer to his question.
Snorting, Kiwi told him, "Well, there's your problem, you're giving food out for free," Shaking her head, she then pulled out a stylus of all things and started drawing in the air as she lectured him, "Here I thought you're just hitting on Rebecca or trying to get all friendly with us to get some protection, but you're seriously just a fool who wears his heart on his sleeve. That isn't really going to get you any customers, in fact, it's doing the opposite."
Frowning, he replied, "But-" only to be cut off as the older woman pressed her fingers against his lips, shushing him.
Pocketing her stylus, the woman then asked, "So you want to get people to eat here right?"
He hesitated before nodding, "Yes."
"Here, let me show you," She then told him as her eyes glowed as his display fizzled and glitched out. For a second, he thought it died on him before it changed. Gone was the simple, crudely made menu he got. Instead, he had a professional one with a doodle of a chibified Kiwi holding a pizza as well as a list of the pizza he was making today… along with the prices.
Before he could protest, Kiwi hushed him along with the crew as she gazed out of the busy rush of workers getting off their shift. The moment one of them gazed at his display, they stopped and made a beeline towards him. It wasn't a borged-up security personnel that braved his shop, despite the presence of the Edgerunner crew, but a normal white collar worker that looked like he was going to keel over any time soon.
"I want four eddie slices on the go," The man told him and all he could do was dumbly nod and give him one. Just like that, he got himself a customer and the flood broke through. Before he knew it, his shop was mobbed and all it took was one eurodollar.
A/N:
Night City took the old adage of "There's no such thing as a free lunch" a bit too seriously. Poor Chef, he still hasn't gotten that part down even after a decade in the city. In his defense, he's just wanted to help though he could have been a bit smarter. He's getting there though and with the help of the Edgerunner Crew, makes you wonder how far he'll go lol.
Anyways I'd like to thank @vyor making this possible. Thanks to him, you guys can read through my mess despite the headaches that plagues us both. Praise be @vyor for his work. A good cup of tea can help us go a long way. Damn it, I still can't stop thinking about that Jasmine tea. Good Jasmine tea is a treat, I swear.
If you want to support me or want to read some fic chapters in advance, go check out either Patreon or Ko-Fi. I have a backlog of stuff that needs to get sorted out I swear.
There is a way to make it even worse from the "free food" thing.
He tries to be an unnamed good Samaritan and leaves bags of free food in front of doors.
Now that is a way to make paranoia about the food being there even worse.
- Location
- newcastle australia
Is this a purposeful change you've made to the setting or are you unaware that Rebecca wasn't ever part of the mox?
- Location
- sweden
Imagine him giving out whole hams and pork.
Also free food screams made of human it the cheapest meat on the planet for the price of free street meat to meet
The food seems to be magical bullshit. So far, he's just been pulling it out of his pockets. Money is likely something he was able to just accumulate since required food expenses basically disappeared for him.