DiscoDude: ---BEGIN SESSION---
DiscoDude: Session logging commenced
Ryusui|GM: And our Chefs stand before the podium at the center of the arena.
Ryusui|GM: "Chefs. Esteemed competitors. I hope you're all prepared, for today, we have a competition unlike any you've experienced thus far. First, however, let me introduce you all to your rival for the day: the Aurum Chef!"
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Is that anouther one of the 110+ elements?))
Ryusui|GM: (Aurum is just gold)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Ah.))
Ryusui|GM: Down an impromptu staircase at the back of the arena walks a figure in a glimmering gold dress, long enough to trail on the floor. She's tall, vaguely canid in appearance, with dark blue fur; her neck takes up about a third of her height, and she lazily spins a solid gold chef's knife in one of her four hands.
Ryusui|GM: Her appearance is a bit of a shock, because this is none other than Zuzanah Marquet, CEO of Xegolite Corporation, the manufacturer of...pretty much all of Kitchen Arena's high-end cooking equipment.
Vera: While everyone is focused on... all of that, Vera taps Margen’s shoulder-equivalent. When he looks over, she makes a slicing motion across her neck and makes a finger-gun pointing at Dovelia.
Ryusui|GM: She gives the Chairwoman a friendly smile and nod, which the Chairwoman unexpectedly returns. Clearly the two are good friends, or putting on a show of such for the audience.
Margen: (Margen raises an eyebrow and nods slightly then goes back to closely eyeing the knifework of the House Chef)
Ryusui|GM: "I look forward to seeing what you all can do," the Aurum Chef says, politely. She's still twirling the knife and has yet to show any sign of fumbling it.
Ryusui|GM: "And now for another surprise," the Chairwoman declares. "You're all going to be meeting the judges for this competition right...now!"
Vera: “Gold knife? No way. Then again, if anybody can make that actually work, it’d be the tech queen herself...”
Ryusui|GM: !r 1d6
DiscoDude: Ryusui|GM rolled 1d6 for 4 [1d6 = 4]
Ryusui|GM: "Araza Mangosteen!" Down the same staircase she walks, waving to the cheering audience.
Ryusui|GM: !r 1d6
DiscoDude: Ryusui|GM rolled 1d6 for 3 [1d6 = 3]
Margen: (Margen doesn't recognize her cooking school, but he definitely recognizes her skill.)
Ryusui|GM: "Hapax Legomenon!" He lumbers down the staircase, eyes not meeting the crowd; the delicate-looking structure audibly creaks as he walks.
Ryusui|GM: !r 1d6
DiscoDude: Ryusui|GM rolled 1d6 for 3 [1d6 = 3]
Ryusui|GM: !r 1d6
DiscoDude: Ryusui|GM rolled 1d6 for 5 [1d6 = 5]
Ryusui|GM: "And finally, Morinda Jackfruit!" She takes the stairs like an athlete ready to participate in a race.
Vera: “Okay, so there’s a reason for this, right?”
Ryusui|GM: "Oh, absolutely, Vera. But there is one more matter to be settled. Chefs...each of you, take your stations now."
Ryusui|GM: Dovelia looks around, as if she's been waiting for this moment, then approaches Station 3.
Ryusui|GM: The Aurum Chef takes Station 5.
Margen: Margen heads to 4, as usual
Vera: Vera does a little fist-pump; she didn’t even need to signal Margen to take that spot. For now, she’s just going to see where Tako goes.
Vera: “After you, man.”
Vera: ( ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾?)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: Tako-San takes station 1, as usual.
Vera: Vera ponders for a moment.
“Crazy cat lady, or House Chef...? Ah, what the hey. ‘Sup, madam CEO?”
She’s chosen Station 6, it seems.
Ryusui|GM: "Why hello there, Ms. Steinbeck." She's picked up a whisk and is twirling that too, now. "Excited to see how this battle turns out."
Vera: “Haha, prepare to be disappointed,” Vera says with a carefree smile.
Ryusui|GM: The Chairwoman clears her throat. "Now, then."
Ryusui|GM: There's a loud clunk, and once again, a trench opens up between the center of the arena and the stations. This time, what comes out is...a polished wooden table, a circle surrounding the arena, like a bar countertop, but fancier.
Ryusui|GM: "Today will be an unusual competition. Instead of a theme ingredient, you will be working with flavors, and...FLAIR."
Ryusui|GM: A holodisplay lights up behind the Chairwoman:
Ryusui|GM: BATTLE CULINARY FLAIR
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Oh, no. Today is not the day for me to do that.))
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((This sounds like something that'll require my best (however lacking that is), and I'm not up for that right now.))
Vera: Vera glances in Tako’s direction.
“Of course it is...”
Ryusui|GM: "You will be preparing three courses for our judges, as if you were in an actual restaurant situation. Each course must be completed in five standard exchanges, after which your dishes will be presented to the judges. Think of it as three miniature Cook-Offs stacked back-to-back...to-back." She chuckles.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((i.e. I need to stop this until I can give it the quality play it deserves.))
Vera: (Let’s at least get to the Cook-Off start.)
Ryusui|GM: "There are two further stipulations. First, the main course of your dish must consist of a specific, predetermined flavor. At the start of each course, you will each select one of the six flavors at random." She holds up a set of gilded-backed cards. "All except for you, that is, Margen. This is your prize for the Quick-Fire Cook-Off: you will be able to choose which flavor you must work with. The order will continue with Vera, Tako, Dovelia, and finally the Aurum Chef choosing their flavors."
Ryusui|GM: Dovelia looks surprised; she wasn't expecting to be so late in the selection. The Aurum Chef is not advantaged by this arrangement, either, but betrays no sign of discomfort - in fact, she seems to appreciate the incoming challenge.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I just realised the foreshadowing you've set up earlier in the episode with the gold motif.))
Ryusui|GM: "The second, and most important, stipulation is this: you must prepare your dishes with flair. You are not merely presenting food to our judges today; you are presenting entertainment. You will select one aspect of your dish and, before plating is complete, perform some feat of culinary legerdemain to make the judges roar with excitement. But it must also be a feat worthy of the dish itself."
Ryusui|GM: `15 exchanges, divided into three five-exchange sub-rounds, each with a course theme (Appetizer, Main Course, Dessert). Chefs will be preparing dishes in theatrical fashion for an audience of judges (selected and revealed at the start of the cook-off).
At the start of each round, chefs will randomly select a flavor (other than the Quick-Fire winner, who will be able to choose). The dish they prepare for the course must have that flavor for its Main Aspect.
Flair: As part of the theme of the challenge, chefs must attempt to prepare their dishes with added flair. They may select a Dish Aspect (Main or Side, not Plating) and attempt a stunt with it (rolling the appropriate Reality Aspect against the Dish Aspect's value in order to do so) to create a Flair Aspect with the same value as the selected Dish Aspect. Failure to add at least one Flair Aspect to a dish will give them the aspect [Plain Presentation][!]`
Ryusui|GM: "Any further questions, Chefs?"
Vera: “No; I know exactly what I need to do.”
Ryusui|GM: ( Margen, ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾? )
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I'll pass for now.))
Margen: Margen's eyes glow and he grins
Vera: (I like to imagine that “his eyes glow” mean literal beams of light. XD)
“Uh... Careful where you point that gaze.”
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I was thinking more like glowsticks.))
Ryusui|GM: "All right, then. Let tonight's dinner service...begin."
Ryusui|GM: The Chairwoman gives a single thunderous clap.
Ryusui|GM: BATTLE CULINARY FLAIR START
Ryusui|GM: FIRST COURSE: APPETIZER
Ryusui|GM: "Margen." The Chairwoman presents you with six cards: Bitter, Cool, Savory, Spicy, Sour, Sweet.
Margen: (wait is it random or do I pick one)
Ryusui|GM: (you pick, because you won the Quick-Fire)
Ryusui|GM: (everyone else gets it random)
Ryusui|GM: (your main aspect must match the chosen flavor)
Margen: (oh! Ok, Margen will go Spicy)
Vera: (Picking a Fair (+2) approach for the Appetizer course? That’s Fair (+2). :3)
Ryusui|GM: (do it in character 😉 )
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Heh.))
Margen: After mulling his choices, Margen picks the Spicy card
Ryusui|GM: The card glows in your hand, locking in your choice. "Vera!" Five cards remain, this time with their backs presented to you. (Roll 1d5 to choose your destiny!)
Vera: “Eeny, meany, miney... and there’s Moe.”
Vera: !roll 1d5
DiscoDude: Vera rolled 1d5 for 5 [1d5 = 5]
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((You could have used DiscoDude's deck-shuffling feature, but this still works.))
Ryusui|GM: The card in your hand says "Sweet," Vera.
Vera: “... Woulda liked for this to stay down until dessert, but whatever.”
Ryusui|GM: The Chairwoman turns her attention to the next chef in the declared order. "Tako!" You have four cards to choose from! (Roll 1d4!)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: The Chairwoman barely gets her arm fully extended when one of Tako-San's tentacls swipes the left-most card (from his perspective).
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: !r 1d4
DiscoDude: ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾ rolled 1d4 for 1 [1d4 = 1]
Vera: (A fitting number. XD)
Ryusui|GM: Your card says "Bitter," Tako. Next is Dovelia.
Ryusui|GM: !r 1d3
DiscoDude: Ryusui|GM rolled 1d3 for 2 [1d3 = 2]
Ryusui|GM: Her card says "Savory." Finally, the Aurum Chef takes her turn.
Ryusui|GM: !r 1d2
DiscoDude: Ryusui|GM rolled 1d2 for 1 [1d2 = 1]
Ryusui|GM: She smiles and presents the "Cool" card to the others.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I do have a small amount of background paranoia about the greater reliance on the honor system this method requires over the deck shuffling code.))
Ryusui|GM: "And now everyone's flavors are locked in." Another clap, and the final card disappears without a trace.
Ryusui|GM: (i'm realizing sitting here that if we take a break now, folks will have an opportunity to think up just what they want to do for the first course)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Yeah; sounds Good (+3) to me.))
Vera: (Yeah, I think several of us would appreciate it, considering I have to figure out how to make a primarily SWEET appetizer work.)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Sounds sound.))
Ryusui|GM: ( Margen, you cool with us choosing now to take a break?)
Margen: (Yeah that might be a good idea)
Ryusui|GM: "Battle Culinary Flair is just about to get started, folks!" Holly pipes up. "Don't go away - there's more delicious mayhem to come!"
Ryusui|GM: !end
