Master Chef~
@Restalaan (YNG)~
"Your neighbor likes you."
"
Really? Well, monsters like everyone. It's the reason they haven't taken over the world yet." Nero replied. Your warning appeared to have missed him entirely. Or perhaps he thought having an Ushi-Oni after him was no big deal.
The competition began in no time. You and the other contestants all started at the same time. At least, technically. You started cooking and preparing at a steady pace. While you were waiting for some ingredients to boil, you spared a look at the other competitors.
Nero has not even started yet. It seemed he was still deciding what to cook. The Ushi-Oni was doing great though. Despite her species being known for being blunt and unrefined, she was cooking delicious-looking steamed rice mixed with minced vegetables and meat. Its brown texture was probably from some sauce. Meanwhile, the Kikimora was still preparing her ingredients. She was cooking at her own pace which was not fast at all.
Soon your ramen was ready. Cooked just the way you liked it. It did not seem like it but the small competition kitchen provided all you need to make your ramen exactly as you wanted it. Looking to the others, they were all still cooking.
Nero has already prepared his main course: a plate of well-done steak with an appealing and savory appearance. Beside the steak was a small salad of various fruits and vegetables. However, he was cooking another meal. Some scrambled egg seasoned with greens. Presumably, that was the appetizer or the side dish. The ohers were doing the same. The Ushi-Oni was making a bunch of sushi and the Kikimora was adding a side of mashed potato to her cooked vegetables.
You look at your meal which was the ramen. There was still time left, you could cook something more like the others or you could enhance your ramen some more.
------
~
@13org (ADA),
@Rezod92~
On the way to the cooking contest, Ada was gotten a new balloon. Three, in fact, when the vendor with the weird skull mask kindly added two more to the order for free. One yellow, one pink and one light blue.
It was not long when the three monsters reached the competition. There were four contestants, guild member Yang being one of them. The other contestants were a man with blonde hair, a spider monster known as an Ushi-Oni and a bird maid monster known as a Kikimora.
Despite the difference of races, their meals were all equally appetizing. Yang had prepared a bowl of noodles known as ramen to those aware of the eastern dish. The man made a slab of well-done steak with a side of salad. They saw that he was still making more food, some scrambled egg. The Ushi-Oni had steamed rice mixed with vegetables and meat and was in the middle of making sushi. Lastly, the Kikimora cooked some vegetables with some mashed potatoes coming up.
"
All their dishes look amazing, and delicious!" Talia's single eye sparkled at the food being prepared. "
I hope they would let everyone have a taste. Which would you try first, you two?" She asked
Ada and
Kira.
A Test Of Strength~
@Restalaan (DIT)~
"Hello, I'm Ditzy! Let's have lots of fun!"
"
Hooh? Some Goblin thinks she's stronger than me? Hah! I like your audacity, little runt, but I'm afraid you're way over your head in this." The Minotaur proudly boasted without shaking your hand.
Instead, it was the Jinko who shook it. "
Your courage is admirable, little one. May you also find joy in this competition." The tiger monster was more humble than the Minotaur but you could feel her immense strength in her grip.
The contest soon began and the Minotaur went first. She raised the hammer high up over her head and summoned all the strength she could muster. With a loud yell, she slammed down the mallet upon the lever. It was a miracle that it did not break. Yet, the puck did not rise all that much. In fact, it did not even reach the halfway point of the tower.
A collective, disappointed 'Oooh' was made by the crowd. "
What the hell?! No way! You've gotta be kidding!" The Minotaur was flabbergasted at her apparent lack of strength. "
Gods damn it!" She hurled the hammer to the ground in anger only for it to bounce back and hit her in the face. "
Argh! Stupid hammer." She then disappeared into the crowd.
Now it was the Jinko's turn. She picked up the hammer and did the same as the Minotaur, raising it above her head and collected strength. But unlike the previous contestant, she uttered no sound. Her fury was tranquil yet powerful. She hit the lever with the same strength as the Minotaur's, perhaps even more. Yet, the puck only made it slightly higher than the Minotaur's and nowhere near the bell.
"
Impossible..." The Jinko was not as loud as the Minotaur but even she was astonished at her apparent lack of strength. "
Perhaps I am not as mighty as I believed. Have I shirked from my training that much? But I have..." The depressed tiger monster shambled back to the crowd with the hammer slipping from her paw hand.
It was your turn now. Perhaps the failures of the other two monsters had shaken your resolve, or perhaps your confidence was enhanced. Regardless, you did your best to hit the lever with the hammer. Unfortunately, your strength failed much like the others. The puck only reaching somewhere between the Minotaur's and the Jinko's.
"
Oooh! Not a pretty sight for our contestants!" The knight host remarked at the rather poor results from you and the other monsters. "
Now then, if anyone else wants to go then--"
"Stop right there, criminal scum!" A voice came from the crowd. The onlookers parted to make way for the accuser. He was a knight like the host. In fact, he looked exactly like the host. Down to the last piece of armor "Impostor! How dare you trick these fine innocent people of Boreal Port with... trickery?!" The crowd as well as the Minotaur and Jinko were now confused by this ordeal.
"
Impostor? Me? How dare you!" The host retorted. "
Aren't you the impostor? Walking right up here dressed like me and tricking these fine innocent people of Boreal Port with... with... trickery!"
"
Hold on a second! If there's impostor business to be had, we'd have to know who you two claim to be first. So then, who are you?" The Minotaur stepped up to challenge the knights' claims.
"I'm Ian North. The--"
"
Hold on, I'M Ian North!"
"Screw off, I'm the real Ian North."
The two knights continued accusing each other and the crowd could only watch the two go at it back and forth. Suddenly, you were approached by the Jinko. "
Excuse me. I know I'm going by my instincts here but do happen to know 'Ian North'. If so, can you tell them apart?"
Bullesye~
@13org (FYR)~
"Good luck in the contest, may the better marksman win."
Sir Reed took your hand and shook it with no reply but a nod.
"Haley, surprised to see you here. I thought that you would be more interested in the other contests. Archery isn't exactly that exciting to watch."
"
No, it isn't. You, on the other hand, are pretty exciting to watch." Haley smiled a cheeky grin at you, a blush on her face. The teasing remark was noticed by Sir Reed and the other contestants.
And then Sir Reed laughed. "
You say you are unlucky in love yet a fair maiden awaits to gaze upon your grace and your skill." His remark elicited giggles from the crowd and from the Elf and Cupid. The Kikimora smiled even harder at that.
"
H-Hey, come on guys. It was just a light tease. All monsters do it. Right?" Haley was getting embarrassed, not expecting this amount of attention. "
I mean, sure Freyr's real easy on the eyes but-- Uh, that wasn't what I meant! I just..."
But Haley's words only served to make Sir Reed and the others to laugh even more. The embarrassed Haley was infuriated and fuming."
Oooh! Freyr, can you win this thing so we can rub your victory all over these idiots?"
"
Hahaha! Indeed, save your damsel from the predicament she found herself in, Sir Freyr!" Sir Reed was the last to speak before the competition began.
All four of you were hitting the targets well enough. The first one were close and got farther and farther. You and the other monsters were doing well but Sir Reed was beginning to struggle. He was taking more time placing his shots. Indeed, once the targets were far enough, Reed finally missed. His arrow missing the center of the target.
With a sigh, he walked off his position and towards you. "
I should've known than to try and compete against monsters like you all."
"
Ha! Serves you right for making fun of us!" Haley popped in. "
Alright, Freyr. Just beat these three and we're all done. Shouldn't be hard for someone like you."
But despite the Siren's words, the contest went on for quite a while with none of you missing your shots. Even when the distance was great, your arrows were still finding the targets' centers. Soon, it became apparent that this was going nowhere. A break was called to give the contestants some respite while how to break the stalemate was discussed.
"
Should've seen this coming. When monsters are good at a thing, they're REALLY good at that thing. You should see a Minotaur and an Ogre go at it. Forests were leveled, I jest you not." Sir Reed approached you. "
So Sir Freyr, you wanna grab a drink while they sort this out or do you want me to call Haley? Haha! Or perhaps you got an idea on how this competition could run?"
Quiz Bee~
@ShwiggityShwah~
"Nope. No magic. My name is Ozmodius Skyway, but you can call me Ozzy, if you like. And you are looking at, a one in a genetic million, a male monster. A male Owl Harpy to be specific. Traveling Sociologist and Member of the Guild. And how lucky I am to meet an Owl Mage and a Lich. I never had the pleasure. Could I ask the same?"
"
It is not one in a genetic million. More like one in never." The Owl Mage replied. "
You must understand that male monsters cannot be born under the current physical laws of this world. What you are is either a special exception to the law, or the law has been changed. Either way, you are an incredible point of interest for all of monsterkind."
"
Indeed. I do not think you grasp the magnitude of your existence. If you let me take a look at you real quick, who knows what metaphysical knowledge we can discover through you. Perhaps even insight into the inner workings of reality." The Lich was cut off when the doors to the hall was suddenly opened and inside came Riñas the Dark Priest.
"
Hey now, you cannot talk to him like that." The Owl Mage interjected. "
Look, Mister Harpy. I think it might be better if you just come with me. I shall not run dreadful experiments on you like Miss Undead over here. We will only talk and--"
"
Hello! Hi! I'm REALLY sorry I'm late!" Riñas burst through the hall's entrance doors and hurried over to the podiums. "
As you know, I'm also one of the organizers of this festival so I'm really busy. Please understand my tardiness~!"
"
You! Dark Priest!" The Lich called out, surprising Riñas. "
I demand we change our prize to this male monster right here!" She demanded. "
Not for anything bad. Just some time with him."
Umm, I don't think that would be fair to Mister Harpy. Nor do I think he'll like that." Riñas replied. "
What would happen if he would win?"
"
He can have all the money we have." The Lich answered. "
And we won't bother him for the immediate future."
Riñas looked to you. "
Well? What do you say about that, Mister Harpy?"
~
@Stern Algorithm~
"Oh, umm, I just figured that the responsible thing to do was to help, since Sister Riñas seemed so understaffed. If anything, I was more curious what your question was."
"Fine! Let's be nosy and find out what Neil wants to ask!"
"It's fine, Vivian. It's fine." Neil began. "...Well, as you guys know I don't come from this world. I'm looking for a way home."
"I've heard that Dark Priests are servants of the Fallen God. Now I don't care much about who the Fallen God is and what she wants do, only that she's someone who is in another dimension. Pandemonium, I believe." He leaned closer to the sisters. "Maybe she or her followers know something about other dimensions. Other worlds. Maybe ways to cross them. That would definitely get me home."
He then leaned back and looked up. "But it's a longshot, I admit. Could be a dead end." Neil then looked back to the Liliraune. "Do you think... do you think it's possible? Do you think I could actually... go home?" He looked at the
Altissima sisters with hopeful but unsure eyes.
2x Laugh
