"Chef has died." (BECAUSEFUCKIT)
“…..has died.” finish it in my ask.
Even after warning him several time about how dangerous it was walking around outside with him, Chef always insisted on coming with him to buy groceries or going for a long walk together. Perhaps he should have expected such stubbornness though— it seemed to run in the Kresnik family, and Chef seemed particularly fond of him despite knowing him for a short amount of time.
There were times Chef would text him while working just to say hi or try to give him a little pep talk to keep him going, and Star always took a bit of his break time to respond with his usual pep and his semi-unpopular emoticons he had no idea Chef liked or disliked. He hadn’t complained yet, so he’d take it that they were given a free pass.
But there was also a time when Chef tried really hard to speak to him without using his GHS. He had to speak very slowly and it’d only be simple phrases like, “Thank you” or “Hi Star”, but it warmed his heart to know Chef found him a close enough friend to speak with; it must have been scary to debate whether or not Star would shun him for his awkward speech or not. Of course he wouldn’t— though he never had a condition like Chef’s, Star had a persistent stuttering problem around new people that people sometimes noted and embarrassed him for. It sucked.
Today was one of those days where Chef found him on the street as Star meant to restock their food (or better said tomato) supply. “H-hhiiii… Sssstaaarrrrrrr.” Chef greeted him like he typically did, adjusting his pace to match Star’s so he could tag along for whatever Star was doing.
“Hi Chef, you seem to be in a good mood today.” Star pointed to the grin on Chef’s face; in response, Chef nodded and his cheeks tinted a rosy pink. He didn’t comment on it in the event it might upset his friend, and it could always just be the cold getting to him. This time of the year, everyone’s faces were bright red from the wind and snow whipping in their faces. “I was going to get some groceries and maybe a few toys to keep Lulu amused. I’m assuming you want to come with me?” Another nod confirmed this choice, so the two of them took the earliest train to Drellin. They could go to Duval for a shorter trip, but Star’s bad reputation seemed to prompt ‘accidents’; a place like Duval was just too full of hiding places to be safe. Drellin should be safer.
The train ride was uneventful; they texted each other to amuse themselves, but they just talked about whatever popped into their heads. Once they stepped off the platform, Chef kept a loose grip on Star’s arm to keep himself from getting lost in the bundle of people. Star didn’t mind so long as his grip didn’t become vice-like.
“Do you see any stands with tomatoes?” Star asked his friend, who shook his head, but then pointed to a stand near Catamar Heights that had cat toys. That was a start.
The clerk at the stand definitely kept a fair amount of cat toys on display: he had everything from a scratching post taller than both Star and Chef to a wind up mouse Lulu could maybe chase if he could be bothered to run around. Since Lulu already had a tower and he doubted Lulu’s drive to chase something, he found a toy that had a mouse dangling on a string attached to a long stick. It was simple, but it had a better likelihood to attract Lulu’s attention… in theory.
“That’ll be 1000 gald sir. Will that be all?” The clerk spoke up as Star reached for his wallet and handed the man the correct amount. As he finished, he was met with Chef’s smiling face, although it vanished far too quickly to not be concerning. Did he miss something…?
Chef swiftly pulled him away from the stand, running towards the Catamar Heights with a look of fear and a bit determination as to run away from…Star wasn’t sure what. He dared to look back and found the clerk from the shop alongside a few other people. The clerk had a dagger (which he probably meant to stab him with when he had his back turned earlier) while the man’s friends had either guns or daggers of their own. This was one of those rare times Star wished he brought more than his pistols, as he’d have a hard time trying to fight off seven people without taking a few hits.
Apparently Chef already had a plan in mind as he found a convenient hole while they were a far enough distance not to be seen and pulled them both in. Star was about to ask what he was planning, but Chef covered his mouth as he listened for whether or not their pursuers caught onto their hiding place. Their footsteps passed, though Chef still kept his mouth covered.
“Ssssttttaaayyyy…. Heeeerrrreeeeee…..” Chef commanded him as he crawled out of the hole, checking every few seconds to make sure Star wasn’t following him. Star had every intention to follow him, but if he did that, then they’d just get caught all over again… What was the right thing to do here…?
Reluctantly, Star did do as Chef asked and waited about a half hour before his worries got the best of him and he had to check whether or not Chef was okay. He hadn’t heard anyone pass the hole, but that could mean anything really. Even if it was a bad idea, the older male just couldn’t keep his worries at bay any longer and the hole itself felt a bit too claustrophobic for his tastes.
Outside, there were signs of a struggle to the right of his hole. He could see his pursuers’ bodies on the ground, they were either out cold or dead and he wasn’t checking, though zero signs of Chef. Perhaps he was near Epsilla? That was the only conclusion he had since he doubted Chef would ditch him to catch a train out of Drellin.
Star kept searching further and further away from down, and still no Chef. Where could he be…? A clue came to him when he saw a pack of monsters surrounding something, as if unsure what to make of whatever they were seeing. A few Heatwaves and Migrating Sparrows shooed them away, and in the center of them was Chef, who could barely keep his eyes open.
“Sssstttt…aaaaaarrrrr…” Chef whispered as he saw his friend draw close, holding out his hand for Star to hold. Naturally Star obeyed and tried to scoop Chef in his arms gently so he didn’t cause him any unnecessary pain.
“C-Chef, I… I-I’m so sorry…. I should’ve helped you, a-and I just sat there while you were—!” Chef reached his other hand to cover Star’s mouth with a faint smile as to say, ‘It’s alright’ or ‘This is how I wanted it.’ It didn’t stop Star’s tears from pouring down his cheeks and onto Chef’s tattered clothes.
There was no way he could make it to town in time… As much as Star wanted to try, he couldn’t stop himself from crying or being unable to put strength into standing up. So, in a futile effort to make Chef’s last moments less painful, Star held Chef close and forced himself to stop sobbing enough that he could sing the Hymn of Proof. Julius claimed that just a few bars was enough to keep him calm, so it should help Chef.
The broken form laying on top of Star slowly leaned against him more and more until he was practically sagging against him. It didn’t take long to feel its breathing become slower and slower until it stopped entirely, and Chef passed away. Even so, Star continued to sing, hoping it might calm Chef’s spirit and Star himself for letting this happen in the first place.