âIsn'tmy outfit fantabulous?â Porcoline gave a little twirl, coat fanningout around him. âI get most of my wardrobe custom tailored, so itfits just perfectly on my frame. I simply love shirts with ruffles onthem, and I absolutely adore food-shaped accoutrements, even as...er, tempting it is to eat them at first glance. And what sort of chefwould I be if I left the house without my toque? You know what theysay, dress for the job you want! I did, and look where I am today.âOf course, the decades of practice cooking didn't hurt either.
âMyeating habits? Oh, theyâre nothing out of the ordinary. I haveabout⌠six healthy, hearty meals a day. Plus snacks. The food Iâmthe most fond of is veggies, but I make sure not to neglect any otherfood group.â
âIusually eat food Iâve cooked myself, but Iâd love to meet other chefsin town and sample their cuisine!â
Ah, thatâs too bad. It was worth a shot, though. Perhaps heâll get another chance at a feather ring some other day. (And perhaps heâll have someone to give it to.)
Porcoline thanked the peddler for his time and moved on to check out the other sights of the Lantern Festival, the thought of marriage still drifting through his mind. At least, until a food booth caught his attention.
â to learn about my characterâs reading habits
âIâve read countless numbers of cookbooks. I just love learning new recipes. The only downside is that a lot of the time I get so hungry reading them, I have to try them out right away. And sometimes I just wind up eating the ingredients halfway through. At least cookie dough is delicious on its own.ââBut I donât just limit myself to cookbooks. For instance, I enjoy a good romance novel now and again.â
With a bit of a sashay in his step, Gerard found his way to the restrooms after Porcolineâs kind gesture. âOh, thank you so much. And to wash your hands as well, ah, youâre going above and beyond!â
Gerard was especially pleased at the otherâs commitment to showing he was dedicated to keeping cleanliness a high priority. As they entered the room, he went to the sink and washed his hands. He seemed to do a thorough job, which took upwards of a minute as he scrubbed them clean. Then he took the towel and delicately padded his hands dry.
âItâs become a tendency for me to be overly cautious, Iâm afraid itâs flu and cold season at the orphanage and I always want to make sure I donât encourage such things to spread with bad hygiene. It seems my practices have quelled the spread however, Iâm very grateful.â
He put the towel back on the hanger, straightening it in an aesthetically pleasing way even though Porcoline would be the next to use it - it was another dreadful habit to keep appearances of the area up.
âSay, I have a wonderful idea. If you didnât get a chance to finish your lunch- why donât you eat with me? I always eat by myself and itâs just dreadfully lonely, I would love to have company. That is, if youâre not too busy- I donât want to throw off your workday.â
âOh, psh, itâs nothing! Keeping your hands sparkling, glimmering clean is a must when youâre working in a restaurant. It would be absolutely awful if a customer were to get a nasty tummy bug because someone skimped on washing.â
Porcoline hummed to himself while he gave his hands a good scrubbing. He noted how thorough Gerard was and followed his example, making sure to take his time.
âEven if you are a little overly cautious, itâs definitely much better than no caution at all. The children of the orphanage are fortunate to have someone as thoughtful as you looking after them.â He hadnât even known this man for an hour, and he was already starting to find him endearing.
Porcoline moved over to dry his hands, a little guilty to disturb the tidily arranged towel. âOh, that sounds splendid! How kind of you to invite moi for lunch. Iâd love to join you. Itâs not too busy at this hour, so I think I can squeeze in a bit of time to socialize. Iâll whip up a little something for myself while I take care of your order.â
âVisits to the doctor always make me so, so very nervous. Especially if thereâs a possibility of them involving -- gulp -- needles.â Porcoline looked to be horrified just thinking about it, his body starting to shake. âOne time, I took a single, solitary look at one of those dreadful things as it was coming for me, and I fainted on the spot. ...Though, I guess that might have just made things easier for both moi and the GP.âÂ
âPositively wonderful! I love turkey. I prefer vegetarian if Iâm being good but oh, Iâm definitely interested in cheating when no one is looking,â Gerard gave Porcoline a wink, chuckling as he reached down to unfold his silverware and put the napkin across his lap. He patted it down delicately, then noticed Porcolineâs hand.
Sometimes, Gerard was a bit hesitant when it came to shaking hands - germs were rampant and he never knew if others had his level of hygiene with hand-washing. Then he realized he hadnât washed his hands after hauling the dirty wheelbarrow up the street. With a flushed look on his face, he reached up and gingerly took Porcolineâs hand, giving it an abnormally strong shake. Clearly the priest was a lot stronger than he looked. âThe pleasure is all mine, truly. I would love to have a visit from you, I could show you around the town if you wished! Iâve become well acquainted over the years with the city and its surroundings.â
He slowly pushed his chair out after letting go of Porcolineâs hand. âYou donât by chance have a restroom here, do you? I would like to wash my hands, I just realized that wheelbarrow I was pushing around isnât the cleanliest. Iâm terribly sorry if my hands are dusty.â
Porcoline blinked in surprise at how strong Gerardâs handshake was, but made no comment on it. Maybe he did a lot of heavy lifting around the church, or possibly kept up some sort of exercise regimen. âThat would be fantastic! Iâd love to get to know this wonderful town better, and I would be very thankful if youâd show me around.â
Once his hand was released, he added the sandwich to the order slip. That sounded really good, come to think of it. ...Even if he did just eat moments before. Maybe heâd whip up an extra one while he was in the kitchen. It shouldnât add too much of a delay.
âOh, donât worry about it! But in that case, I should wash my hands, too. It wouldnât do to handle your food with anything short of impeccably immaculate hands. The restrooms are down that-a-way.â He pointed out a pair of doors at the other end of the room, before heading toward them himself. Sure, he could just use the kitchen sink or the employee washroom instead. But this way he can definitely reassure the customer that the staff of Into Your Abyss can be trusted to keep their hands clean. Not that he knew whether or not the priest was even concerned about that.
Earned: +39,437G
Cost of Tools: -17,500G @wellspringskies
Net Total: +21,937G
New Total: +28,937G
New Inventory: Original Hammer, Original Axe, Original Fishing Pole, Crab Pot, Morel, Squid, Lobster [x10]
âOh, thank you. Youâre the sweetest.â Gerard said with a sly grin. He couldnât suppress his amusement at the other approaching him before he had finished his own meal- this man was so dedicated to his job!
The priest moved gracefully to where the other gestured, smiling wide as he sat and stared at the other. With a small shake of his head, he replied, âIâll just have the simplest thing on the menu. Is there a sandwich of the day? Oh, I would love juice if thereâs any available. Perhaps apple?â
He put his elbows on the table, leaning in to look at Porcoline with a curious expression, âIâm so sorry if I rushed your own lunch. I feel awful about that. I know itâs fairly early for lunchtime, you probably assume it would be the perfect time to get your own lunch inâŚAdmittedly, I thought twice before coming in because I feel guilty eating at restaurants when Iâm managing the bills for the orphanage, but I suppose I must be kind to myself once in awhile. Otherwise I might work myself into an early grave and I wonât help anyone then, will I?â
There was a pause. âOh, Iâm Father Gerard, by the way. If the robes didnât give me away, Iâm a priest at Cherish Church.â
Fetching a notepad from his pocket, Porcoline nodded while he wrote down Gerardâs order. âI can certainly get you apple juice! And our sandwich of the day is turkey club. Will that be alright?â
âOh, no need to be sorry. My official lunch break wonât be for a couple more hours. And I canât just let my snacking get in the way of serving the customers. Otherwise, Iâd get hardly anything done.â Well, at least he didnât let it get in the way of seating them and taking their orders. Getting the food to the table unscathed was still something he needed to work on.
âYouâre absolutely right about taking some time off for yourself, though! Stress isnât good for either the mind or the body. So please relax while I bring you some of our delicious food for you to enjoy.â
He capped his pen, tucked it between his thumb and his writing pad, and held out his now free hand to offer a shake. âItâs a pleasure to meet you, Père Gerard! I am Porcoline de Sainte-Coquille. I believe Iâve passed by the church along the way to work here. What a lovely looking place. I'm still settling in and havenât had much time to see the sights around town yet, but I may drop in for a visit sometime.â
There were very specific times that Gerard decided he would allow himself to treat himself to eating at a restaurant.
One of those times was when he spent an extra long afternoon shopping for the weekâs perishables for the orphanage; it just seemed more convenient to have an early dinner to give him the energy to make something for the children later. And the weather was so dreadfully warm that he was feeling extra parched.
The priest spotted the familiar structure of the eatery as he balanced the cart he used for transporting the vegetables, fruits and dairy. With a shove, he parked it and tethered the handle to one of the lampposts, then threw an old tarp from underneath the cart on top of it- simply to keep it from baking in the sun. He wasnât too worried about anyone stealing- after all, he could see through the restaurantâs windows and watch the cart the entire time he was inside.
âHello?â He announced himself as he entered, taking an embroidered handkerchief from his robe pocket and dabbing his forehead. Clearly he looked exhausted, but amazingly he wasnât winded. âI would like a table for one overlooking the front street, if at all possible.â
While Porcoline certainly wasnât a newcomer in the restaurant industry, he was still in the midst of familiarizing himself with this particular establishmentâs menu. Mostly by sampling from it on the clock. He could already tell, though, that he would enjoy working (and eating) here.
He juggled a few roles, alternatingly acting as both cook and waiter. Even if it meant less time in the kitchen, it would be a shame to let his warm, inviting attitude go to waste.
Porcoline was halfway through a sandwich, when someone walked through the entrance. Oh! A customer! Hastily, he packed the rest of his snack into his mouth, his cheeks stuffed much like that of an overgrown hamster.
âMmm mm mmph--â Whoops. Chew. Swallow. Once again from the top. âMarvelous hello and a wonderful welcome to Into Your Abyss!â Porcoline greeted the man in the robe with a bright smile as he fetched a menu. Glancing aside, he scanned over the tables near the front windows. âYes, I think that would be possible. Let moi show you to your seat.â Beckoning, he led him over to an open table and placed the menu before a chair looking out onto the street. âEnjoy the beautiful view! Now, is there anything I can start you off with? Or do you need more time to take a look at the menu?â
