"Is this legit? They don't look that special…"
"Yeah. What's with the setup? So half-assed."
"I dunno, the amateur vibe is kinda funny. Plus even with the prices I heard it's not bad."
"Hey check it out. That girl's cooking!"
Under the noon sun that blazed high over the bustling streets of New Eridu, a small scene took place in the ocean of city life. Among the veins of traffic that filled the air with horns, life came from all shapes and forms in the post Hollows-ravaged world. In such a world, there was never a shortage of adventures for those who would be bold enough to flourish from such opportunities, be it fetch quests from the Hollows, treasure hunting, crime-busting, or simple errands.
Or in the case of this day in particular, a rather… baffling commission taken upon by the odd-job agency group Gentle House, A.K.A. "The Cunning Hares".
As a group of freelance agents, the Cunning Hares were no strangers to taking on an unusual assortment of jobs, so long as it ensured a paycheck. But while their leader Nicole Demara held a quality that gave her team its nickname, she also gave them a particular curse in finances that they could never escape from. One day, their woes at last reached their zenith. Yet in their desperate crisis, it was their swordsman Anby who found them their most improbable salvation. And as the one who found it, she took it upon herself to be the key player in the Cunning Hare's most hair-brained Denny-making scheme yet.
Selling hamburgers from their ramshackle food stand.
And on that day - the day Anby happened to be tuned into the fast-food special TV program - the agency launched "Gentle Burgers".
Standing by her post behind the wheeled food cart, the white-haired soldier held her position, just as she assumed the frontline in many of her group's perilous ventures down in the Hollows. Whenever a promising or curious customer was reeled in, it fell upon Anby to capitalize on this chance. Once the order was placed from an informal menu, it was time to shine.
A sword appeared in Anby's hand to slice through the air in a flash. But rather than Ethereals, thugs, or raiders, the blade cut only a portion of beef, measured with expert precision as it fell upon the sizzling grill. Anby then went to work flattening it into a disk, the hardened electrified steel steadily transforming it into a savory patty. Her focus never wavered as the meat cooked, the texture changing before her unblinking gaze. She mentally counted the seconds and milliseconds before flipping the patty, every factor and element accounted for. Temperature, quality, thickness, distribution of any spices or alternate meats. Never a second too soon or too late. All of her training and expertise with the blade were honed and repurposed to a new cause.
Then with a swing of her sword, Anby dealt the finishing strike. The patty was flung upward, the cooked disk in majestic light. Specks of grease hung like sparkles in the smoky mirage before coming back down on the patient bun with a gentle flop. Then the rest of the ingredients cascaded upon it briskly but neatly: lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, and everything else that was asked for in perfect alignment. A sesame-seeded bun to cap it off concluded the assembly, but only when the finished product satisfied Anby's inspections would it be deemed worthy of consumption. Her authority on all things hamburgers was without question.
Fortunately, it didn't take long before Anby declared that it had passed the final test.
"Here you go. Your order with the request for extra cheese and char-grilled peppered beef patty is ready."
Having borne witness to the entire performance, the customer needed a moment to pick his jaw up from the ground. The setup was questionable and the methods odd (with obvious lack of sanitary uniform beyond a kitchen apron and origami dixie cap) but there was no denying the end result. Despite a simple convenience store napkin used to wrap the food, the hamburger's savory appearance outweighed any suspicions and doubts the young man had over the Cunning Hares' gig. Skepticisms were nearly banished when, after taking a bite, he was pleased by the taste.
"Mhm, not bad~. Pretty great actually. Just wished it wasn't a bit pricey."
A hand sprung down on his shoulder as Nicole suddenly materialized by his side. "Well, it's the fruit of a quality service. These burgers are artisan made and to our customer's exact tastes. Every one is tailor-made so you know exactly what you're getting."
With a shrug, the buyer acquiesced. "Alright, that's fair. Thanks a lot!"
"Anytime! Thanks for stopping by for a bite at 'Gentle Burgers'!"
With a fistful of Dennies jingling in the box, Nicole hummed a happy tune to herself. While she barely smiled, Anby felt touched by every compliment. It wasn't often she got one beyond her job as an agent - only getting some from a job well done - but lately she had encountered more kind words from clients, their customers. And hearing them in person, catching the reactions on their faces as they savored her products, gave Anby a warm feeling in her heart that she did not always get.
Not bad for someone using a sword to cook hamburgers with a junkyard scrap of a food stand. With its hasty paint job hardly hiding the dents and warped paneling of the exterior and insides caked with rust and corrosion after years of neglect, the veil was all too flimsy. And with Anby's own W-Engine stitched into place by a jungle of wires and jumper cables, it was a miracle the thing even worked at all. The mechanic certainly earned his keep even if he rarely did them any favors.
And speaking of which…
At the car modeling shop on Sixth Street, Enzo sneezed. He groaned, muttering privately at his business's unofficial expansion into fixing home appliances. Of all the commissions regarding that side job, a certain one stuck to his mind like an awful rash.
Shuddering at the memory, Enzo vowed that the next time anyone arrives asking him to fix up an appliance it wouldn't be a junkyard scrap dragged out of a Hollow.
And he still couldn't believe that the person planned on using it to make hamburgers to sell on the streets.
As their latest customer left, the Cunning Hares' android gunslinger Billy was already busy trying to reel in the next. With an advertising billboard in his hands and with an exaggerated larger-than-life persona he put on, the show he put on could never go unheard.
"Step right up, everyone! If you're craving for a good taste on the go, look no further than 'Gentle Burgers'! Even the Starlight Knights can't say no to what we have to offer!"
Anby felt the presence of a figure jogging up behind them but she was not alarmed. Her combat instincts recognized that it was Nekomata returning with Nicole's personal Bangboo Amillion from their errand run. Rushing by to set handful of bags down, stacks of supermarket beef and vegetables could be glimpsed.
"Back, nya! Got all the stuff from the list. Whew, they sure are getting heavy."
"Eh-neh-na!" ("Coupons and vouchers well spent!")
As their accountant (predictably), Nicole tallied their budget. Despite the cumulating expenses eating away at their profit, Nicole found reason to be jubilated. "So - many - Dennies~! Slowly but surely our coffers are filling back up. We'll be able to pay off all our utilities by the end of this week!"
"At this rate, I'll be able to finally buy those Starlight Knight figurines I've had on my wishlist!" squealed Billy as he put on an excited girly pose.
"Maybe I can finally splurge on some mackerel, nya!" Nekomata fantasized with a dreamy look on her face.
"Ehn-na-nu-na!" ("We'll finally earn a million! A million!") sang the bangboo as she hopped with joy.
Nicole turned to Anby with a resolute mind. "Keep it up, Anby! Gentle Burgers' key to success is in your hands."
"Copy that."
Her boss giggled. "Never took you to be such a good cook, let alone think that this is what saves us. You're such a genius, Anby!"
"Yeah, if it weren't for that cooking show I don't think we'd ever get this far," Billy agreed with nodding approval.
"Thank goodness for hamburgers!" cheered Nekomata, betraying the sheepish tone in which she proclaimed the most unlikely praise.
"Eh-nu-nah-nah!" ("Hamburgers! Anby the Hamburger Maestro!")
"Anby, Anby~!"
Anby allowed her own lips the slyest of curls. She felt heat in her cheeks that rivaled the hot stove. The beef patty that trampolined in slow motion before her scarlet eyes reflected an intriguing possibility that awaited the Cunning Hares. Ever since its founding, the ragtag Hollow investigators took up whatever they could to make a living in New Eridu so long as it meant getting paid. Life wasn't easy (especially with a slew of payments that Nicole was all too-often to be behind on), but their skillsets ensured that it was never a dull one.
But for the first time, Anby began to wonder if there was a new path in their lives. A new possibility that the flipping disk of fast-food goodness was the key to; a fate that she could choose. Anby Demara: founding member of the Cunning Hares, Nicole's adopted sister, the "Electric Geek", cinema enthusiast…
Rising star of a burger cook.
'Just like in that romantic movie, the story of a drifting soldier who struggled to find a new calling in a world that he could not belong in. It was only when he stumbled upon the most unlikely of duties did he discover he had talent that he never knew.'
'I… Maybe I could be-'
"Anby~!"
"Anby!"
"Wake up!"
"Huh?!"
Anby blinked and in an instant, the streets of New Eridu vanished. Instead she found herself back in their dingy living room, the bright noon sun filtered through dusty blinds. The only other source of light within the room was the used TV.
She glanced around to find the others beside her on the scratchy sofa, their odd stares locked onto her. Billy ceased waving his hand seeing that their teammate had returned to them. "Back to being awake now. You really dozed off there."
"You've never done that before," remarked Nekomata from the other side as she quietly munched on a mackerel. "It's so unlike you to fall asleep so suddenly."
Anby felt confused. "I… fell asleep?"
"Yeah. We were in the middle of watching TV until we noticed that you nodded off. Took us a while to realize you were awfully quiet."
The swordsman frowned, faint memories slowly creeping back in. "The TV… what were we watching?"
"Some behind-the-scenes stuff on hamburger recipes. We knew you'd like it but apparently you must've missed most of it when you dozed off. Knowing you, it couldn't have been that boring, right?"
"No way. I think yesterday really did a number on you. Oh and the hamburger that Nicole bought… It's all cold now."
Peering down, Anby was startled to see a half-munched meal in her clutches. The mass-produced amalgamation of meat and herbs stacked between two loaves that she so adored had indeed gone cold. Its appearance remained the same yet she could feel that it had lost its aura. Even taking a bite to salvage her snack Anby felt the staleness as she chewed.
The flavor she had lost, like her dream just now.
Was it real?
The television continued to fill the living room with lights and life until Nicole barged in. Her march brought about a serious mood that swept like a chill.
"Okay everyone, break time's over. It's back to working our butts off all night long."
Billy groaned. "Crunch time again? I barely had time to oil up my servos."
"And I'm still sore from all those commissions," Nekomata whined, wincing as she stretched herself like an old rag being wrung.
"We all are," Nicole admonished with glowering disapproval. "The Cunning Hares are in the most desperate financial situation and we need to break our backs scraping what Dennies we can! There's being a drought in good work so we have to make do accepting whatever job we can, as much as we can. We can rest when we're in the green again - or we die trying. Now come on!"
Suddenly Anby shot up from her seat. All heads snapped to her and her focused gaze that aimed at something only she could see. Her hand still clutched the half-eaten hamburger.
"Anby? What's wrong?"
"Nicole, I have an idea." Like her expression, Anby's tone was of steel. Hearing it gave Nicole a tingling sense of confidence.
Then the burger was held out for her.
"We need to start cooking."
Nicole blinked as all certainty became flipped on its head like a comedy gag. "... H-huh?!"
What Anby had planned from her dream was a job unlike anything the Cunning Hares had never done.