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Does Dragon Meat Even Taste Good?



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Sun Jun 03, 2018 5:34 pm
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deleted221222 says...



As the second in a long line of Merry Band spinoffs (I really need to make up a universe name), for LMS I'll be doing Does Dragon Meat Even Taste Good?

The plot revolves around three dragons, Tank, Fruity, and Big Slick, who start up a restaurant in order to escape the incoming depression due to a little, er, extinction event. With the help of famed and retired monster cook Jordan Gamey, the three dragons aim to create the biggest restaurant business. Unfortunately, the sudden appearance of The Burger Prince fast food chain threatens everything they have.

I'll probably have to learn a bit about cooking for this to work. Most likely, though, it will become a more of a pure comedy not befuddled by action or drama. The relationship between Tank, Fruity, and Big Slick will most likely be the focus as the three try anything they can in order to survive a massive depression and make sure their restaurant succeeds.
Last edited by deleted221222 on Mon Jun 11, 2018 2:30 am, edited 3 times in total.
  





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deleted221222 says...



Characters!


Tank: A green fire drake, and the main cook among the three. He originally founded the Dragon Diner. Likes everything and dislikes nothing but Goat Meat.

Fruity: A blue ice drake, in charge of ingredient delivery. As the smartest of the three, he also handles the expenses.

Big Slick: A black drake with no element, she acts as a 'big sister' to Tank and Fruity. Excessively strong and excessively competitive. Has a complex about breathing normal air.

Jordan Gamey: A famed monster cook, restaurateur, and demon who retired to continue his passion of interpretive dance, he joins the Dragon Diner when he realizes the depression means no one will come to his performances (not like they were coming beforehand). A former test subject of Alabaster Tyrone.

Marco Dublaise: Former owner of the Wild Boar Buffet turned Dragon Diner. His dream was to open up his own restaurant in the middle of the woods, but the arrival of the dragons crushes it completely. Nevertheless, he joins them as Tank's sous chef in an attempt to achieve some semblance of his dream.

The Burger Prince: A mysterious individual who has managed to maintain an iron fist on every and all fast food joints due to his monopoly, and the enemy Tank, Fruity, and Big Slick have to defeat. A former test subject of Alabaster Tyrone.

Captain Catsup and Ketchup: Two captains assigned to the Burger Prince's aid. Talk behind his back all the time. Had their names legally changed upon agreeing to the job.
Last edited by deleted221222 on Wed Jun 27, 2018 6:11 am, edited 6 times in total.
  





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deleted221222 says...



Locations!


Eimriantag Mountains: The three dragons' former home, hit with a massive depression due to a minor extinction event caused by Aria.

Duraham Woods: A forest named after how a child pronounced Dullahan before it killed him. The first location of the Dragon Diner, and where all the ingredients are collected.

Capital of Listerweinn: The capital of the country of Listerweinn, where the fast food conference is held. Mostly specializes in Italian food but replaces the tomato sauce and cheese with cranberry juice and potatoes.

Fantasy Wonderland: The 43rd most magical place on earth, but the only one with roller coasters. Secretly a fairy trafficking ring which uses them as a way to power all the machinery.

Capital of Asteria: The capital of the country of Asteria, where most of the story takes place. Home of the Burger Prince Palace and the second Dragon Diner.
Last edited by deleted221222 on Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:39 am, edited 6 times in total.
  





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Sun Jun 03, 2018 11:17 pm
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deleted221222 says...



Reusing the title from an old Mage and Immortal prototype.
  





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Mon Jun 04, 2018 6:48 pm
Carina says...



This sounds silly and I approve. Can't wait to see what sillies the first chapter has. :p
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Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:00 am
deleted221222 says...



Plot (enspoilered for care)
Spoiler! :
- Tank, Fruity, and Big Slick are three dragons chilling about during the middle of an environmental crisis. Due to the lack of available food, the ecosystem has gone into disarray. Fruity and Big Slick are generally okay, but Tank doesn't like how he has to eat goat every day. Tank has a dream of making actual food beside goat meat.

- Fruity eventually kills a few adventurers and loots a big sack of coins. He brings Tank and Big Slick to the Wild Boar Buffet, owned by professional chef Marco Dublaise. While Fruity and Big Slick hassle the management to take the food home, Tank is inspired by the gourmet food.

- Tank begins a hostile takeover of the buffet, taking Marco hostage while roping Fruity and Big Slick into the act. Once they're alone, Tank claims the restaurant as his. He also accidently destroys it in the process.

- Jordan Gamey, an interpretive dancer that doesn't get a good crowd, gets an even poorer crowd. Frustrated, he heads to the buffet, unaware of its takeover. He walks in on the three dragons arguing about how to cook the leftover steak. Fruity and Big Slick want to just torch it, while Tank actually puts some thinking into seasoning and the like, although it's just salt. Jordan sees potential in Tank and joins them in the restaurant.

- Jordan teaches Tank the basics on how to cook while also employing Fruity and Big Slick to get the ingredients. While they are initially skeptical, they get into it eventually. Fruity also handles expenses. Marco joins as a sous chef.

- The diner gets its first customers. It initally overwhelms the dragons due to the fact that Jordan is doing interprative dance in the corner. They realize they need a waiter. In comes Aria from Merry Band (now 14) who comes looking for a part time job. She's initially shooed away due to Jordan remembering who she was, but she doesn't remember him. She's eventually accepted when she offers to earn less than minimum wage as long as she got lunch and dinner.

- The Burger Prince and his henchmen, Captains Catsup and Ketchup(both of whom had been legally renamed as per their contract), hear about the Dragon Diner. They begin to hatch a plan in order to shut it down and keep their monopoly on an area they haven't expanded to yet.

- An envoy of the Burger Prince is sent to deliver a cease and desist. He arrives at the diner, unaware it's run by actual dragons. He runs away from the dragons before giving the cease and desist to Aria, who he mistakes as the owner (as she is the only one who could tame three dragons). On his way out, he spots Jordan behind the counter. Aria rips up the letter, assuming it to be another threat from a foreign nation about her status as All the World's Despair.

- The Burger Prince, angry that the Dragon Diner is still continuing operations, puts together a conference with every fast food joint on the continent, and even invites the Dragon Diner staff as a way to lure them out.

- The six staff members travel to the conference. Everyone arrives except for the Burger Prince. As such, they begin the conference without him, starting with the application of Dragon Meat in meals, an idea Tank vehemently abhors.

- While the conference is going on, the Burger Prince arrives to the Dragon Diner with several lackeys. As he begins the destruction of the diner, he steals one of Jordan's famed recipes.

- The staff head to Fantasy Wonderland after the conference because this happens in literally every book I make. Aria is disturbed, since she knows the truth of the place. Fruity secures a deal to obtain a little something something while everyone else enjoys the place.

-The staff come back to the Dragon Diner in pieces. Tank immediately goes into denial as he enters the ruins. He pretends to cook a piece of Droughnaught meat with the destroyed kitchen utensils. As he bites into it, he realizes he's been cooking goat meat and he falls into tears at the destruction of his pride and joy. Marco follows suit. Fruity and Big Slick vow vengeance against whoever it was that destroyed it.

- Jordan's PTSD triggers as he remembers his testing at one of Alabaster Tyrone's facility. With the disappearance of his famed recipe, he tells the others about the Burger Prince, who he suspects to be the possible culprit.

- Jordan outlines a plan to get revenge on the Burger Prince. Tank's resolve grows once he learns that the burger prince views cooking as a means of dominance instead of a means to eat food that tastes good.

- The staff start up a new restaurant right next to the Burger Prince Palace. When the Burger Prince orders a counter attack, Aria uses her power as All the World's Despair to destroy all their assailants. This garners some attention to the diner. Eventually it receives the same amount of patrons as the Burger Prince Palace.

- Fruity begins phase two of the plan. He begins to destabilize the current economy by buying stocks high and selling them low. This causes a sizable depression due to the appearance that stock is losing value. Big Slick enacts phase three. She attacks all ingredient carts heading towards the Palace and adds them to the Diner's stock. This combination causes a destabilization in the Burger Prince Palace and all its subsidiaries.

- Jordan comes out of his retirement and cooks something magnificent. This brings out the Burger Prince, who's still mad he can't get the recipe right. He calls out Jordan for being a hypocrite and returning to his roots. Jordan laughs it off.

- The Burger Prince challenges Jordan to a cook off, saying that he'll bet the entirety of his franchise on it. Jordan says that he's still true to his convictions, and has Tank cook in his place. A match between the two is set.

- Later that night, Jordan apologizes to Tank, saying that the cook off was a spur of the moment and could actually ruin the plan. Tank says that he's fine with it, and that he won't fail with Jordan's technique. Jordan is doubtful. He reveals that he's actually a clone of the original Jordan Gamey, and thus doesn't posses the same skills as the original.

- On the day of the cook off, Tank and the Prince face off. Tank initially has the upper hand, winning the first round. The Prince reveals that he's also a clone of Jordan Gamey, one whose isolated genes focus on competition and overall cooking ability. This has a detrimental effect on Tank, who believes he has no chance in beating a better Jordan than his Jordan, and he loses the second round.

- Clone Jordan gives Tank a pep talk. It was never about being a good cook or beating out the rest. It was about cooking food that'll please the judges. With his words, Tank uses one of Jordan's earlier lessons as a basis for his final dish, which manages to wow the judges and give him the win.

- The Burger Prince is visibly upset, and accuses Tank of cheating. Unfortunately, he's correct, as Tank used a powerful addictive substance from a mushroom monster. As a final ditch effort, he displays his proudest achievement: Dragon Meat Ribs. The Prince tries the dish and is wowed as well. Tank had put in the addictive substance in it as well, though Jordan already knows that dragon fat neutralizes the poison. Tank had put the same passion the original Gamey put into his dish.

- As the Burger Prince loses, he forfeits his business. As a final blow, Jordan says he doesn't want his crummy establishment. The Burger Prince angrily retreats, only to realize the combination of the economic depression and the lack of ingredients has totaled his business. He files for bankruptcy.

- With it all over, Tank returns to their still standing Diner. Fruity eventually expands the business while Big Slick becomes a mob boss. Marco gets restaurant back, in the same destroyed condition it was before. He weeps.

- Tank, Aria, and Jordan continue to work at the second location. When Aria's three dads, the kings of the nation, come in, they offer Tank a position as royal cook. Tank declines, as he's perfectly fine with just cooking for minimum wage as long as his food tastes good. Happy for his apprentice, Jordan leaves the diner and goes on a quest to achieve interpretive dancedom, only to be killed by Alabaster Tyrone. What, did you think this was all going to be rainbows and sunshine?
Last edited by deleted221222 on Wed Jun 27, 2018 6:12 am, edited 4 times in total.
  





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Thu Jun 07, 2018 12:35 pm
deleted221222 says...



(At time of writing) I haven't thought of the rest of the story, but I will make the ending a cooking match between Tank and The Burger Prince, where Tank uses drugs to win. Just straight up cocaine in the food.
Last edited by deleted221222 on Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
  





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Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:41 pm
deleted221222 says...



I've decided to make my whole Merry Band-verse follow several loosely conjoined arcs based on one main focal point. The original Merry Band follows the All the World's Despair arc, which is actually much less depressing than it sounds.

Does Dragon Meat Even Taste Good? will follow a separate story arc, the Alabaster Tyrone arc. Most of this arc follows the effects of a mad scientist named Alabaster Tyrone. As such, this story will have hints towards him, even if they are mostly in the background.
  





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Sun Jun 10, 2018 12:00 am
deleted221222 says...



(At time of writing) I'm going to add Fantasy Wonderland. I don't know why I always add it, but I'm going to. It's like a fairy enslavement camp.

I originally made it as a way to mock suspension of disbelief, but then I got inspired by dark Disneyland stories.
Last edited by deleted221222 on Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:42 am, edited 2 times in total.
  





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Mon Jun 11, 2018 2:38 am
deleted221222 says...



I probably have to learn how to cook, but it's going to be weird cause most of the dishes are based off of monsters. I think I'll read Dungeon Meshi, cause that seems like a simple way to learn basic monster cooking without watching cooking competitions.
Last edited by deleted221222 on Wed Jun 27, 2018 2:43 am, edited 2 times in total.
  





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Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:20 pm
deleted221222 says...



Character Arcs


Tank:
Spoiler! :
His arc is tied in closely with the story. It most revolves around his love of cooking and how the Burger Prince is a direct opposition to that.


Fruity:
Spoiler! :
His arc is based around making sure the diner succeeds. Less involved, used more as comic relief.


Big Slick:
Spoiler! :
Her arc revolves around making sure her brothers' dreams succeed. More focused on the others, as well as comic relief.


Marco:
Spoiler! :
Purely comic relief. Very sad. Learns to forgive, then gets back stabbed regardless.


Jordan:
Spoiler! :
His arc is tied around his ability to cook. As the clone with genes isolated for flamboyance, he no longer has a passion for cooking, yet can make the meal closest to the original Jordan's. He also suffers from his PTSD from Alabaster Tyrone's testing.


The Burger Prince:
Spoiler! :
His arc is also tied around his ability to cook. His isolated genes focus on cooking ability and competition, yet he can't match Clone Jordan's cooking. He develops an inferiority complex about this.
Last edited by deleted221222 on Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:38 pm, edited 4 times in total.
  





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Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:48 am
soundofmind says...



I can't decide if Big Slick or Jordan Gamey are my favorite. I mean, a dragon with a complex about breathing normal air, or a dragon who loves to dance? I can't decide!!!!!!! HHhh

AND DUDE I think it's so fun that your characters are dragons. Which makes me curious - so this whole world, it's all dragons? Are there any other fantasy races? Also!! What causes/caused a depression in a dragon world? (To be fair.... I haven't read every single post so uh,.... if u answered that I'm really sorry). BUT YEAH I'M JUST WONDERING like, if they're dragons, is their uh, world significantly different in how things function socially or economically or whatever or is it much like our human world but just with dragons?
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Tue Jun 19, 2018 11:37 pm
shaniac says...



I approve of this title and everything that is enlisted afterward. Even the main premise is humorous!
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Wed Jun 27, 2018 3:03 am
deleted221222 says...



I've updated most of the messages here, and included a character arc section to detail their progression. Anyone not in there is probably just comic relief or Aria.
  





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Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:54 am
deleted221222 says...



Chapter 3 (Half Done)

1127 Words
Spoiler! :

The Wild Boar Buffet, located in the Duraham Woods (named after how a child pronounced the name of one of the dullahans that roamed around in it promptly before he was killed by it), was a famous hotspot for adventurers and those that could afford them. It’s owner, Marco Dublais, was a professional monster chef, someone versed in the art of preparing monster dishes. The buffet was his pride and joy, something he had saved up for since he had left magic college.
His location of choice was something he relied on, as there was a large variety of edible flora and fauna just ripe for the picking and killing.
Now, Marco, a scrawny man with auburn hair, wasn’t the best monster chef in the world. He could easily dice a walking mushroom or roast a silver-crested duck, but he lacked both the combat skills and knowledge of most species to be considered a true practitioner of the monstrous culinary arts. His fame simply came due to the fact that he was one of the only human chefs in a style commonly practised by demons. Due to this, he had no clue how to react when three large dragons violently barged into the lobby.
“Hey! We’re here to eat!” Fruity growled. Tank and Big Slick pumped their claws into the air, letting out two roars in unison. Marco, who had stepped out of the kitchen to work at the reception, ducked underneath the desk. One of the waiters, a young elven lad, crawled up to him, sweat dripping from every pore.
“Mr. Dublais, what are we going to do?” the waiter asked, flinching as the dragons roared once more.
“Don’t worry. I’ve hired some of the best adventurers as guards. They should be able to handle this,” Marco said, doing his best not to stop his teeth from clattering. As soon as he said that, a body flew over their heads, before colliding into the wall opposite of the two. Its metal armour popped off before the rest of his body fell with it. “And that would be one of them.”
“Hello? Is there someone here?” Tank asked.
Marco’s blood ran cold as soon as he looked up. The snout of a green dragon peered out from the desk. It sniffed the air twice before retreating back. Marco sighed in relief before jumping to the side as the waiter leaned against him. On closer inspection, it turned out that he had gone into shock.
“Hello, can you provide us with some assistance?” Fruity asked. Marco slowly looked behind him, turning face-to-face with a large, blue, angry-looking dragon. Frost puffed from its nostrils as it squinted.
“H-h-how m-m-may I b-be of s-s-s-service?” Marco asked. He tried to move his legs, his arms, any part of his body, only to find them completely frozen. He silently whispered one final prayer to himself before closing his eyes.
“Yes, we’d like a table for three...well, make it nine,” Fruity said.
“I-I’m sorry, w-what?” Marco asked, his confusion briefly trumping his fear.
“We’d like a table. We even have the coin for it.” The blue dragon pulled a sack off of his back, dropping it in front of the frightened chef. He then pulled out a slip of paper, one Marco was very familiar with. “We also have a coupon.”
“Ah,” Marco sighed. He had deduced that he was going crazy. After all, what kind of dragon would come barging into a buffet and ask for a table? The denial of reality had wiped away all the fear in his body, and he managed to jump to his feet without a fuss. With a smile on his face, he took the coupon out of the blue dragon’s hand. “I'm sorry, this expired a few days ago.”
Fruity clicked his tongue.
Marco took the bag of gold, retrieved a few coins, and gestured towards his new patrons. “Follow me, please.”
With the courage of a blind idiot, Marco lead the three dragons through the shabby restaurant. Dirt and grime lined every crack and corner. Marco couldn’t reasonably hire any janitors willing to travel out so far, so he was usually forced to clean whenever he could, and he usually just focused on the kitchen. The decor wasn’t spectacular either: the buffet tables were draped in stained cloth, the seats were just basic wooden tables and chairs, the walls were slightly rotting, and a musky scent wafted through the building.
Marcos remained oblivious of the attention he was getting from everyone else in the dining room. Some looked at him in confusion, some in fear, but most in admiration of the chef that lead three dragons without fear.
“Here is your seat,” Marco gestured towards a long table. He bowed before leaving them to their own devices.
“He didn't even take our order,” Tank whined, shoving the chairs out of the way.
“This is a buffet, Tank,” Fruity muttered, slamming his tail into the chairs on his side. He pointed his claw towards the row of tables in the corner, where several patrons were either staring at the three or trying to ignore them. “We pick the food from there and bring it back here to eat.”
“We’re not going to eat it here, though, are we?” Big Slick asked. A small grin grew on Fruity’s face before he coughed into his fist.
“Of course we’re not going to eat here. Huddle up,” Fruity ordered. Tank and Big Slick pushed their table out of the way as they grabbed each other’s shoulders and formed a circle around them with their wings. “Here’s the plan. We’re going to carry back as much food as we can back to the cave. Use the tablecloths if we have to."
"But then you'll mix the foods together," Tank argued. "You don't want the sweet stuff in the spicy stuff, and the spicy stuff in the sweet stuff. And don't get me started on mixing the duck and fruit."
"No one cares," Big Slick muttered. "It's still food."
"Yeah, but it can also be good tasting food."
"I can't argue against that," Fruity sighed. "Okay, we'll split this up. I'll take the fruits and veggies. Big Slick, you handle the meats. Tank, you can-"
"No, I'm not letting Big Slick near the meat," Tank muttered. "I'll take that."
"Fine," Big Slick muttered. "I'll take everything else."
"Bread and dairy," Fruity corrected. "We'll meet up back at the entrance and then ditch this place."
"Did we have to get into this circle just for this?" Tank asked. "You could've explained this while we walked there."
"Yes, but this is more fun," Fruity chuckled. "On three, we leave. Three!"
The three dragons broke the circle before they approached the buffet tables.
  








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