Chapter 20: Chapter 20: FOMO

As the stitchfolk made their way back into town from the forests, mines and water of Lac Coinescar, thirsty and famished from a hard day’s work cutting down trees, mining iron and catching slivermoon trout, they headed towards the Lodge for a night of music and food.

Nay, Nom and Gracie waited in the kitchen for the first orders to begin trickling in.

Nay had placed Gracie in the buffer room between the tavern and kitchen, where she had her in charge of expediting the orders brought in by the trio of servers.

“So, you don’t want me in the kitchen baking the fish and potatoes?” Gracie asked, unsure.

“Not tonight, Gracie,” Nay said. “Tonight you’re in charge of expo.”

“Expo?” Gracie said.

“You’re in charge of expediting every food order that the servers bring in. It’s your job to keep the tickets in order. You’ll call them out to us so we can cook and prepare them. You’re the one who makes sure that the first orders that come in are the first orders that go out.”

“I don’t know, I feel like baking the fish is more important.”

“Let us handle the fish. The fish is easy. Your job is super important.”

“It is?”

“You’re the one who makes sure everything is running smoothly. You’re the glue between the kitchen and the tavern, the cooks and the customers. You make sure we’re not only getting everything out in the proper order, but you’re the one making sure we’re getting the food out in a reasonable time.”

Gracie nodded, suddenly understanding. Confidence appeared on her face. She flipped one of her milkmaid braids over her shoulder and set her jaw. Nay knew she was ready to take to the task now that she knew her role wasn’t a downgrade.

It wasn’t long before they could hear the voices and laughter on the other side of the double-doors in the tavern. Dinner service had begun.

Nay waited impatiently, a ball of nerves and energy ready to be released. Feeling nervous before a shift was about to begin, especially a dinner service, was a normal thing for Nay. It was just part of the process. She was anxious to get her food out onto the tables.

So she didn’t hide her disappointment when the first table’s order came in and it was for the baked fish and potatoes. Gracie called it out and Nay almost deflated.

Nom shrugged. “People like the familiar.”

Gracie peaked out into the tavern. “That’s Old Man Finchley and his crew from the lumbermill. He always gets fish, even when Ol’ Pat made other options. Won’t be changing his ways.”

Nay reluctantly threw the seasoned fish in one of the alcove ovens with the potatoes.

Another ticket came in.

Again, it was the fish.

In fact, the next ten orders were for the baked fish. As Nay and Nom put the plates of the fish dinners on Gracie’s table to be organized by her and taken out by the servers, Nay had an idea.

“Nom, fire up three baskets of garlic knots,” Nay said.

Nom didn’t question her. He got right to it. When they were ready, Nay set them on Gracie’s expo table.

“No one ordered these,” Gracie said.

“I know.”

Hilde entered and she saw the garlic knots. “Oh, our first orders of knots! Those must be for Ulla and Bryja’s tables. None of mine ordered them, yet.”

“One of those baskets is for one of your tables,” Nay said. “Choose one with the most people. Say they’re complimentary, on the house as loyal customers to the Lodge. Or however you want to say it.”

Hilde understood. She smiled and grabbed the basket. “Oh, this is a good idea.” She practically skipped back into the tavern.

Nay told Bryja and Ulla the same thing. “Choose the table with the most people and give them the basket of garlic knots.”

Nay knew the curiosity would eventually get the best of at least one person at each table. All she needed was for people to try it and she knew people would start ordering the new food.

But she couldn’t have predicted the speed and the fervor that orders for garlic knots started rolling in.

“They loved em!” Hilde said as she burst back through the door. “That basket never stood a chance, they ate them so fast. They want two more baskets, but I told them these ones they have to pay for.”

“Good girl,” Nay said. “That’s how you start any addiction. The first taste is always free.” As she was talking Bryja and Ulla came in with more orders for knots.

“They practically inhaled them,” Ulla said.

It didn’t take long for word to spread throughout the tables. Gracie was peaking outside when she said, “The other tables are noticing the garlic knots! They’re inquiring about them!”

“Nothing motivates a buyer like FOMO,” Nay said.

“FOMO?” Gracie said.

“Yep,” Nay said. “The Fear of Missing Out. People always want what their neighbor has. If they think they might not get it, it drives them wild. Makes them impulsive.”

Gracie processed this. “How do you know this stuff?”

“From a life time of trying to get people to eat my food.”

Soon the alcove ovens were filled with baking garlic knots. The kitchen was filled with the intoxicating aroma of garlic, olive oil and butter. And it wasn’t long before the whole tavern was filled with the smell.

The volume outside grew louder as more people entered the Lodge. Between the Hunger Debuff spreading amongst the eaters of the garlic knots and the people at the new tables wanting to try the new starter, Nay began to wonder if they had enough dough to get them through the rest of the night.

Between trips, Ulla said, “Are you going to give people a free taste of the goatkick tacos as well?”

“Shouldn’t be necessary,” Nay said. “People are already loving the knots. They’ll be ready to try the new entrée as well. Just give it another ten minutes.”

As the knots started turning the diners ravenous, more orders for baked fish came in.

And sure enough, orders for the goatkick tacos finally started, as the hunger began to make people more adventurous with their food choices.

The expo table was now mostly orders of garlic knots and the goatkick tacos.

The trio came in and then walked out with the first order of the tacos. Nay couldn’t help herself. She peaked through the crack of the double-doors to watch the first diners try them out.

Bryja pulled plates of the tacos off a tray and placed them in front of a group of stitchfolk miners, who looked at the arrival of food with greed. Although she was putting on charm, thank you sineater brownies, they were mostly ignoring her for the food.

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Dinner service was in full swing and the doors to the kitchen might as well have been a set of rotating doors, as empty plates were coming in as fresh orders of knots and tacos were going out. No one seemed to be interested in the fish anymore. In fact, people were ordering seconds and thirds of the tacos and compared to the past couple of months, sales were going through the roof for Quincy and his Lodge.

Quincy was behind the bar, having trouble keeping up with all the drink orders as the Thirst Debuff worked its way through the raucous crowd.

Their thirst couldn’t be easily quenched and entire barrels of Icemarrow Ale were being emptied with that goal in mind.

Nay accessed her Chef’s Delight HUD overlay and could see the food buffs and debuffs on everyone.

Every single diner at each table had the Hunger Debuff, as visualized as a red square with the image of an empty plate in the center, crossed with fork and knife, as well as the Strength Buff and Thirst Debuffs. These appeared as more squares, but the Strength one had the image of an arm flexing a muscular bicep and the Thirst was of an empty flagon.

All these squares hung over the heads of each diner.

“I’m almost beginning to wonder if we have enough food,” Nom said. “We’re less than halfway out of the goat meat consommé for the tacos and we have even less of the garlic knot dough.”

“We’re lucky the tavern is only half full,” Nay said. “We would run out for sure if all the seats were full. Each table is ordering seconds and even thirds.”

Bryja scampered in, sweat beading on her forehead. She was harried, but excited. “It’s a madhouse out there! But everyone is raving about the food. They want to know who the cook is!”

Nay was taken aback.

She was supposed to be keeping a low profile. Now she was attracting unwanted attention. Was it unwanted though? she thought. She wanted people to like her food. And she wanted people to recognize her skill as a cook, and back in Los Angeles, she would have craved the attention and the recognition.

But now, attention was dangerous. Would it be worth it? It wasn’t a question she could answer now but the thought was rattling around in her brain.

She glimpsed a large figure moving through the half-packed tavern.

As it got closer to the double doors, Nay saw that it was Quincy, pushing his way through the crowd and turning sideways to scoot past tables.

Some of the more rowdy customers were demanding where their ale refills were.

“You all can wait on your ale for a few more minutes!" Quincy said. "Keep in mind I’ll be back and if I catch one of you trying to sneak behind the bar then me and Samuel are going to have a few words with you!”

Diners, rambunctious and in good spirits, cowered as the massive Lodge owner passed them.

He shoved his way through the double doors and strode into the threshold between the expo area and the kitchen. He pointed a thick finger at Nay.

“You…”

His eyes seemed to shimmer. He looked her up and down and grunted. There was a realization appearing on his face. His eyes widened. Surprise flickered in his pupils before he composed himself, becoming stoic.

---

[Aura Detected]

[Scryer’s Eye Aura Detected]

[Rank: Bronze]

---

He knew she was a Marrow Eater.

He had used his own Marrow Eater ability to see that she was radiating with her Chef’s Delight ability, which must have appeared as some type of signature to him.

That quick knowledge that passed over his face meant he knew why the costumers were reacting to her food so passionately.

“Fix me a plate,” Quincy said. “I want to try your food now. Before you run out and these people riot.”

Nay swallowed and nodded.

She broke eye contact with him and silently prepared the food under his watchful eye.

She handed him the plate. He stared at it and then looked up at her. Then he looked back down to the food.

He shoved a whole garlic knot in his mouth and chewed. His stoic face softened with joy. Amazement and shock broke his composure. He ate another knot and closed his eyes, enjoying the experience. After he swallowed, he half-frowned.

He opened his eyes and studied Nay.

She watched the Hunger Debuff icon appear over his head.

But then he grabbed a goatkick taco, dipped it in the consommé, and took a large bite.

“My celestia,” he said, a soft exclamation of reverence. As he chewed his eyelids fluttered and he slammed a fist into the table as if the action was an expletive. The gesture seemed to say, this is ridiculously good.

After he swallowed, he tilted his head, as if he was feeling out the effect.

Nay saw the Strength Buff and Thirst Debuff icons appear over him.

He looked at her and smiled slyly.

Then he sighed.

“When dinner is over,” Quincy said, “me and you are going to have a long talk. For now though, you are not to leave this kitchen.”

He exited and disappeared back into the tavern.

The servers followed him, carrying new trays out with them.

“So, I think he likes your cooking better than mine,” Gracie said. “I’ve never seen him act like that before.”

Nay smiled grimly. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.”

Nom tossed a sineater brownie down his beaked gullet and turned pink. The Dexterity Icon, an image of two feet sprinting, and the Stamina Icon, a red heart, appeared over his head.

Then he burped.

“We’re in so much trouble, aren’t we?”

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