I made too much. Please Help me.

The crunching of leaves underfoot, the pleasant breeze weaving through the maze of tree's. The wilderness was Fin's element, a place of peace and familiarity. Wearing a warm winters cloak, his crimson red scarf fluttered behind him as he marched through the forrest. Eventually he found his way into an open clearing. "Well this looks good. Alrighty then lets get er crackin" Fin said as he rubbed his hands together. He snapped his fingers tearing a small rift through the fabrics of reality, he reached into the portal and pulled out various sorts of cooking utensils and ingredients. The last item he retrieved from his dimensional vault was a large salmon. "okaaaay.... what am I gonna cook up..." Fin paused and though for moment when suddenly his face lit up. A smile curled upon his lips as he snapped his fingers as an idea came to him.

He quickly got to work, cutting away herbs, onions, and garlic. He then proceeded to swiftly and accurately fillet the salmon. He then coated the fish with the herbs and went about to sauté the garlic and onions into some unsalted butter in a pan. He then tossed in a few aromatics in the butter. Once that was done he took a cooking brush and began coating the salmon with the butter, using it as a binding agent for the seasoning he put on the fish. Once he was satisfied with the results he wrapped up the fish in tinfoil and placed on a mobile lacrima power grill. Tossing apple wood into the fire to build up some smoke, he closed the grill to allow the salmon to smoke and cook. He then began making some dough for a garlic bread of sorts. He also got to work on a french onion soup. In a hour or so Fin had put together a delicious albeit large meal, he stepped back and admired his work.

"Oh this looks grand!.... Think I made a bit too much eh?....." Fin hated wasting food, as he sat there wondering what to do with all this food he had just made.

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WC: 353

"Ah, the lord!" Fin yelped after getting startled by the sudden appearance of the blonde stranger. He watched as the girl crawled out ofd the bush like some sort of animal, he got a good look once she stood up and dusted herself off. The girl was beautiful, almost princess like in her appearance. His azure colored eyes made eye contact with hers. It was quite obvious she was hungry as well. Fin cleared his throat regaining his composure. "Right... uh how ya... me names Finnegan, call me Fin.... and uh go on and help yourself." Fin was quite the polar opposite of the blondie, his demeanor was welcoming and warm, while the girls was far more reserved and shut off. He handed the blonde mage a hand carved wooden plate and bowl, along with a spoon and fork also hand carved. He then proceeded to load up the girls plate with food. First he filled her bowl with the soup, then he placed a huge slice of bread on her plate with a heaping pile of smoked salmon.

"OH! Before ya go eatin' lemme just add one more thing" Fin said excited as he snapped his fingers and held out his hand. The space around his hand warped as a rift appeared before the ginger-haired mage. The portal was pitch black. The darkness from within the rift almost seemed to consume the light as the area around his immediate vicinity, causing the day light around him dimming ever so slightly. Fin pulled out a jar of sorts as he closed the rift. He opened the jar and took a serving spoon, and plopped a spoon full of a white creamy cheese of sorts. "It's a cream cheese, seasoned with onion and chives... it goes great with the salmon... if you want some heat, I've also got some cream cheese seasoned with some chili flakes." Fin said cheerfully as he began to load his plate with food as well. As he did so, he kept glancing at the pretty face of the mysterious stranger.

"I don't want to be rude and all, but if you don't mind me askin'.... what might your name be?" Fin inquired as he took as seat, and gestured to and vacant old tree stump next to him."And what might a pretty girlie like you is doin' all alone in the woods?" Fin asked a follow up question in hopes to get a conversation going. He was worried that he'd have to eat in awkward silence with a complete stranger. So, Fin decided to take a gander and start some small talk. After all, Fin was always excited to make new friends.

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WC for this post: 446 words
Personal TWC: 799 words
TWC for this thread: 1,232 words

Fin shoveled some food into his mouth, silently chewing as he intently listened to the girl speak. After swallowing the delicious burst of flavors in his mouth, Fin spoke up once again. “Althea, wonderful name. Very pretty name for a pretty gal haha…. Well a pleasure to meet ya.” Fin chuckled, he meant his words as a genuine compliment and not in a way of flirting.

He nodded at the statement in regards to her preference for the woods rather than the bustling town. Growing up in the lush wilderness of seven, Fin had learned to respect nature and its gifts. Seeing towns full of life and cities that were massive in scale, were all fascinating to the Sevenite. However, there was nothing like being in the arms of mother nature, though she could be a cruel mistress her beauty was always uncontested.

“Aye… I’ll have to agree with you on that lass. So how do you like the food?” Fin inquired as he wondered what kind of feedback the mistress of the bush could give him. Cooking was one of Fin’s passions, growing up in an orphanage and having younger siblings, he had learned how to be proficient in his culinary skills at a young age.

Once again two portals opened like the maws of some sort of creatures from the deep. From the said portals appeared at an empty stump between Fin and Althea. A thermostat and two plastic cups. Fin nodded over to the cup and as he chewed through some smoked salmon and bread. He cleared his throat and spoke. “If ya feelin’ thirsty, that over there is iced tea, made out of ground tea leaves from Ca-Elum, a special type of lemon-lime fruit from a specific region of the northern parts of Dongxia, and fresh mint to add extra freshness to the beverage. Sweetened with special honey from a village in Seven. Quite refreshing. ” Fin said in a nonchalant tone as if his culinary brilliance was a common skill most people had. “Very refreshing, goes well with this savory meal we’re havin” Fin smiled and nodded at approval of his own statement.

Fin enjoyed cooking for people, and he enjoyed eating with people as well. It was integral for his family and the people of his village. He recalled all the wonder times they would sit down during the season feasts, everyone gathered at the village center. Each family brung their own signature dishes during those festivities. His mind momentarily fuzzing after downing cocktail of nostalgia and melancholy.

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WC: 424 words
TWC: 2,104 words

Fin laughed at the girls compliment, she was an odd young woman. He couldn't put his finger on it but she almost gave an otherworldy aura to her. It piqued the warding sevenite's interest. Seeing that his new acquaintance was enjoying the meal that he had prepared warmed his heart. It reminded him of the many times he would sit at a table with his siblings enjoying meal they had all worked together to prepare. The ginger headed mage noticed how Althea would stare whenever he used his magic, perhaps she was curious. Even if the girl asked about the origin of his magic and it functions, Finnegan wasn't sure if he could give her a satisfying explanation. After all despite being his own unique magic, he had little information how it worked and how he even came to be able to use it. It was almost as if someone or something had erased a portion of his memory, however, try as he may Fin could not find any anomalies in his past or his memories. Perhaps He was simply over thinking things, rather than getting caught up in the mystery of his arcane abilities, Fin decided it best to take it one day at the time. Sure enough, in the short few months he had discovered his new abilities, he had slowly gained a some proficiency over it. Though he was far from mastering these mysterious powers, the mage had steeled himself to figure things out at his own pace. There was no use in fretting over details and questions he couldn't answer at the moment.

This moment of arcane reflection made Fin curious at the girls abilities. Granted, being a Pilgrim, he had traveled all over Earthland. He's been to nations where the arcane populace was almost nonexistent, and others teeming with magic potential in every citizen. Considering they were in Fiore, chances of this woman before him having magical abilities was quite high. Allowing his curiosity to get the best of him Fin narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, allowing his mana to course through his eyes. His sky blue Iris' would darken to a purple hue, giving it some sort of phantasmal glow. The Pilgrim was right, Althea was powerful, her mana abundant and vast like the sea. A tinge of excitement jolted through his spine, it was always treat to see powerful warriors and mages. For Fin, it was a great humbling experience that reminded him he had long way to go should he wish to prove himself as a true warrior. Not wishing to pry any further, Finnegan blinked and his eyes returned to their natural sky blue hue.

"Well its a long list, but considerin' that I ain't be goin any time soon, I'll be more than happy to tell ya." Fin nodded, he paused as if a thought had apparated in his mind. "But why don't I write the recipe for you, along with where I got all the ingredients." Fin smiled as he reached into his coat pocket and produced a small worn out leather journal. Began scribbling and speaking at the same time. "The salmon was caught by yours truly, up in the northern coast of Fiore. Rivers are teeming with them since many are swimming upstream for mating season. Now the herbs I bought from spice trader at Dongxia. The bread, bread was made from ground grains from a type of wheat indigenous to Desierto. Annnd the soup made out of special root, and onion of sorts, that grows in the land of Minstrel. The butter from a special wooly cow from Iceberg made specifically in small nomadic tribe. The rest ya find in your local grocery store. In fact you can most certainly find suitable substations for these ingredients at said local grocery story. I just like meshing different cultures and ingredients together to make a melting pot of deliciousness. Really shows how grand things could be if everyone got along together just like all the different ingredients do hahaha" Fin chuckled as he gently tore out the page from his journal and handed it to Althea.

"I included detailed instructions on how make everything, including the tea. Quite simple really haha" Fin nodded as he poured himself a cup of iced tea.

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WC: 715 words
TWC: 3,348 words

Finnegan watched the excitement of Althea fade after reading through his ingredients. Perhaps he wasn't clear enough, his eyebrows then raised up partially from curiosity and shock as he watched the blondie crumple the piece of paper and eat it. He sat there spoon in hand as the bit of salmon slowly began to slide off the eating utensil to plop back onto the his bowl. He blinked a couple of times trying to process what just happened. It wasn't the first time he saw something so odd happen, but the sheer randomness of her action coming from left field nonetheless stunned the Seventite man. Eventually he regained his bearing and replayed the girls words and expression once again in his mind. He came to the conclusion she wasn't adept in cooking, nor did she realize there were plenty of substitutes that can be bought in the local grocery store and market which could produce equally delicious results. He scratched his head and thought of what to say, but his words were still tangled in the web of shock and confusion. Fin then took a deep breath, shook his head, and gave himself a hard smack on the cheek to wake himself up.

"Alriiighty then!" Fin said suddenly as if trying to push back whatever thoughts he had away, he reeled himself back to the present through sheer will. "Sorry, I get it's a bit complicated.... I just got me self carried away is all lass... alright how about I make a proposition for you then girlie? If you don't mind, when ever you and I are free, why don't I whip somethin' out for you? Teach you bit by bit how to make some of the dishes I know myself. That way eventually you'll be able to do it yourself? I'm sure you're more than capable in doin it. 'sides it ways more fun to have company when you're sharin' a delicious meal yeah?" Fin smiled sweetly as he began packing up some of the dirty dishes away. He then turned to meet her gaze with his ocean blue eyes. "If you want we can go huntin' for some ingredients too whenever you're free. A little adventure with you and I?" Fin inquired as he continued to clean up the area around his makeshift campsite.

He would then go over to bag and produce a container and began filling it with the left overs, packing it neatly before handing it to Althea. "Here you can take the left overs since you seemed to enjoy it haha." Fin smiled as he gestured her to go ahead and take the free food. "You're an interestin' individual, wanna be friends?" Fin asked eagerly as he sat himself back down on a log adjacent to where Althea sat.

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WC: 465 words
TWC: 4,315 words

Fin watched the blondie make her cold response. Althea shot the ginger a cold glare, and Fin retaliated with a warm smile that could melt ice. He raised in hands in surrender as he let out a light hearted chuckle, clearly undeterred at the girls response. "Aye Lass. I rescind my offer for friendship." Private Fontaine, after Althea took the left overs he picked her empty bowl. He then walked back to his seat however he did so by walking the long way around giving the blonde girl plenty of space. "I meant no offense lass." Fin said sincerely as he smirked to himself as he listened to her spout about returning the favor. He would set the empty bowl down along with the others before turning to her. "Lass, just sittin' down and sharin' a meal with me is more than enough payment." Finnegan said as he began packing away a few things. He would pause before speaking to Althea again. "Alrighty then.... since we are NOT friends, how about we settle with a couple of occasional traveling compatriots in the pursuit of expanding our culinary knowledge?" Fin mused as he offered an alternative title to their new found relationship as acquaintances. He snapped his fingers and the dirty dishes and cooking utensils vanished into the dark warp of his his mysterious pocket dimension.

"So where you off to after this Althea?" Fin asked as he washed his hands with some soap from a small portable container and the the water from a container. He dried his hands with a towel and tossed it in his bag, before slipping on his signature gloves once more. "If you're not busy with anythin', you're free to tag along with me. I plan to hunt a giant wild boar that lives in these woods. Some local hunters have turned in a report, says the beast is causin' some havoc not only to the hunters but to forrest itself. Two birds, one stone yeah? Get rid of the dangerous giant boar, get some good meat for future meals." Fin chuckled as he slung his rucksack over his shoulder. The sun came down through the canopy of the tree, causing his sea blue eyes to glisten. The breeze that passed through the forrest would cause his crimson red scarf to flutter. "I can teach ya how to whip up a good dish, we get to help some good folks, protect the forrest, AND get a free meal to top it off. Not bad idea huh business partner?" Finnegan chuckled as he turned to look deeper into the forrest. His eyes eager for the adventure that awaits, clearly ready to explore with an companion or alone.

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WC: 451 words
TWC: 5,306 words

"Aye I am even stranger once ya get to know me.... hmmmm you could say that the conversations we be havin' is part of me culture, the place where I grew up in me youth was very community driven.... as funny as it sounds...Yeah... ya could say that conversations could act like some form of currency... in the end of the day you're trading and exchanging ideas.... you buy someones time and attention with words, if your words are meaningless then like some outdated currency, its ultimately useless yeah? Back in my village sometimes you can get ya self a warm meal just having a good conversation with someone." Fin expounded, letting his thoughts materialize via the words he spoke. Fin chuckled as he watch his blonde companion make a haughty remark, it reminded him of the angsty teenagers he watched over back in his small village, he found it quite adorable. Fin's unwavering smile visibly shined even brighter upon hearing Althea's response and willingness to go. He could already tell that the girl was after the meal not the company, he took a mental note regarding how easy it was to sway the blondie with a good meal.

He then watched his traveling companion channel her magical abilities, his sky blue eyes stared when Althea's own eyes ignited to a brilliant gold before fading back to its natural hue. "Impressive." Fin said with smile that indicated respect. He followed suit and narrowed his eyes allowing it to shift into a deep galaxy purple, as he beckoned the void to seep through the cracks of reality. His usual cool bluish color of his mana adopted the same mysterious color that glowed from his eyes. His senses sharpened as if his body was injected with adrenaline. The birds that chirped above ceased their singing, and smaller mammals scurried in hiding clearly avoiding Fin. The rune knight then began making his way towards the direction Althea had gestured too, he adorned his sensory enchantment for a few minutes until he found visible tracks of the animal they were hunting. He then blinked and his mana returned to its normal state. "So.... Althea wanna play game?.... Something called two truths and a lie. Rules are simple. We each take turns saying two true things about ourselves and one lie, the other.... has to guess which is the lie." Fin asked as he navigated through the foliage. Fin was half expecting her to say no, if she declined he would find some other way to get to to talk, Fin had always had a knack of getting people to speak their mind, wether it be out of happy conversation or irritated complaints. Either or, Fin was curious about his cute little golden girl her was wandering the forrest with. He couldn't put his finger on it but she seemed.... she seemed like she was not of this world....

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WC: 484 words
TWC: 6,163 words