#npc week

Glorious Gilmore Tikka Masala / NPC 1 for @criticalbakes​

(recipe here)

I meant to post this last night but uhhh I forgot. Marquet seems like a curry place, so this dish is what I think a little Shaun Gilmore probably grew up eating. Spicy, savory, tomato-ey--completely delicious. I couldn’t let Matt Mercer week go by without celebrating Gilmore in some way.

Day 2: Returning the Favor (helping the Chocobros)

Bonus Characters: Monica Elshett and Weskham Armaugh

Okay, so Vyv wasn’t exactly the most giving of people. He had opinions and things he needed to say, and he was going to say them, dammit. He adored his company, and he was going to use his publications to get his messages out to the world. It helped that Prince Noctis and his entourage were kind enough to bring him some material so that he didn’t have to go out and get it himself. And he paid them pretty well for it, so he was a least a little giving.

Prompto was a nice enough kid, and he had quite a bit of talent from what Vyv could see. It started out as him just asking them for extra photos so that he could get his articles out ASAP, but then he started really admiring the kid’s talent. Vyv started asking for pictures that he didn’t really need, just to see how good the blond was. What really caught his eye were the landscapes Prompto took. Vyv’s favorites so far were the photos he’s had taken of the Disc of Cauthess, and Vyv left copies of them pinned up next to his desk.

One day, instead of letting the Prince and company to come to him, Vyv made an effort to search them out. And luckily enough, he found Prompto all by himself taking pictures of the view from Lestallum, which was perfect for Vyv’s intentions.

Paying them enough gil for a night’s stay at Galdin certainly made their time worthwhile, but Vyv wanted to pay them back in a more personal way. More specifically, he wanted to pay back the photographer who had gotten him all of those gorgeous pictures for his publications. Especially since climbing Ravatogh and going to an Imperial base just to take pictures were no small favors.

A quick conversation with Prompto settled it. A week later, Vyv had enough photos to fill an entire page. Another week later, and there was an entire spread in The Meteor with Prompto Argentum’s name on top, all of his best photos filling the pages, captions with pretty words and embellished stories written beneath or next to every one of them.

Prompto had some extra work every time he passed through Lestallum now, whether it was for Vyv or a local that had seen his work, and Vyv was confident that this would be a good start for the blond once he was done with his journey.

Vyv made sure Prompto knew that if he really wanted to be a professional photographer, there would always be a job for him at Meteor Publishing.

—-

This was fun to write! I think it definitely needs to be more polished, but I adore the idea

Day 3: Chocobos

Bonus Characters: Aranea Highwind and Crowe Altius

Let it be known that Crowe Altius does not like chocobos. They smell, they have to be fed, and they make awful noises. (Libertus says the same thing about her bike, but at least her bike isn’t using the bathroom wherever it likes). So this mission was not at all one she wanted to be a part of, because it would require riding chocobos through most of Duscae and Leide.

Crowe preferred the missions that didn’t require her to leave Insomnia, or at least the ones that let her choose her mode of transportation. This was almost insulting. But it was her job, and if there’s one thing Crowe did well, it was her job.

Of course, all the complaining she did on the way to the outpost didn’t help her case, but she stopped complaining when she got there and met someone she hadn’t expected to.

Aranea Highwind was a name Crowe only really knew from stories. The commodore was fierce (as fierce as she was beautiful, if you asked any of the men) and lethal. She started as a mercenary and eventually worked her way through Niflheim’s ranks (supposedly) killing anyone who stood in her way and making it look like an accident. Crowe had always wanted to see such a woman in person.

She just hadn’t expected to see her for the first time while she was petting a chocobo blacker than the night sky.

First of all, that would definitely be the chocobo Crowe was using, because she was not going to be seen on one of those fluffy yellow chickens.

Second of all, Aranea really was as beautiful as the men had said.

It took Crowe a full minute to come out of the small daze she’d been in, and even then it took her awhile to approach the woman. The men were hanging back, either because they didn’t care or because they were afraid of Aranea, as they should be. But Crowe had always been in the habit of finding trouble.

Aranea grinned at Crowe wickedly as she approached, still lazily petting the chocobo. “This the one you want? She’s a sweetheart. I think you two will get along famously,” Aranea spoke, and maybe Crowe’s knees went a little weak.

“You think so? I’m not the biggest fan of oversized birds,” Crowe said, avoiding Aranea’s eyes as she approached, reaching a hand of her own up to the chocobo. “I feel like I’m gonna fall off every time I ride one.”

“Maybe I’ll just have to teach you how to do it properly.” If Crowe had been looking, she would’ve seen Aranea’s wink.

When the Glaives came back to drop the chocobos off a week later, Aranea was there again. Crowe smirked when she saw her, and told the others to go on ahead.

She’d catch up.

—-