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+--- Thread: [G] [C] [EVENT] 742.03.30 | Muffinquisition (/showthread.php?tid=4990)
742.03.30 | Muffinquisition - S'far - 30.Mar.21
He'd lost another gold. That would have been headache enough were it not for the other casualties and the splitting pain already racking S'far's skull. He'd been unconscious for over a day since he stole that muffin from Mulrissa's weyr when he stopped in to look for her. After that he'd been drifting in and out, though it looked like he'd tried scribbling something in his journal during one of his lucid moments. He frowned at the words and couldn't help but agree with himself, even if he was feeling well enough to know better than to say it aloud. Something had to be done about all of this.
During one of his clearer headed moments he'd checked in on his bronze apprentices, or more accurately had them brought to him in the infirmary so that he could question them, check to make sure that things were handled, and to order them to scour the Weyr for clues as well as check in with the other Weyrs.
None of this looked good and he had half a mind to climb out of his bed and get back to work.
Except just like every time before, when he tried to stand his hands trembled, the headache got worse and his eye wouldn't stop twitching. At least it all settled down more quickly than last time once he gave up and leaned back against his pile of pillows.
RE: 742.03.30 | Muffinquisition - C'dhin - 31.Mar.21
C'dhin had taken to staying in his weyr. Enough people were talking about him as a suspect that he decided he didn't need to go anywhere. He could feed himself and while he would have liked to ask for a bit more flour, he also suspected that no one would give him anything right now. No one was going to eat anything he made anyway. So he was rifling through his supplies, planning out meals for the next several days.
"Uh-huh," C'dhin gave a non-committal agreement as he poked around his shelves for the right spice to go with his dinner idea. He had never spoken with the Weyrleader's dragon but he supposed one had to be nice in some form or another if they were going to help oversee everyone. Why Coroth was currently bothering the bronze was odd, though. Wasn't S'far one of the victims currently recovering?
The small jar slipped from his fingers and shattered on the stone floor. "Shit!" It seemed the most eloquent response for the lost spice and for the request. It was the one thing he feared--the request, not the spice loss though that sucked a lot as well since it wasn't in season in the north.
"Do you think you could tell him I'm busy and can't make it?"
C'dhin nodded. He was pretty certain he was innocent but still dragged his feet as he headed out to the ledge where Coroth brought him down to the Lower Bowl and the entry to the infirmary. He stood beside his dragon staring at the entrance for too long if the nudging by a green head was anything to go by. Fine, you pushy beast. C'dhin gave Coroth a pat to her nose and a quick scritch to an eyeridge before he headed inside and glanced around for where S'far was being kept.
"You wanted to see me, Weyrleader?" C'dhin tried to seem confident and innocent but he felt like shit and he suspected looked like it as well.
RE: 742.03.30 | Muffinquisition - S'far - 31.Mar.21
S'far nodded as the greenrider came into view, beckoning him closer. "Yes, I did. Come on now, you don't have to be s'far away. Besides I'm sure you'd prefer to have this be a quieter conversation." He tilted his head a moment as he studied C'dhin. He didn't think that the greenrider had done the poisonings, didn't really think the man was capable of that sort of malice, but it was possible he was involved somehow, even if unintentionally.
"I just have a few questions, C'dhin. Have you baked any large muffin orders for anyone recently? Taught the recipe to anyone? It was..." S'far frowned as he tried to remember the muffin itself. "It reminded me of your hangover muffins, but maybe not quite? Is there anyone you've pissed off lately? A rival baker trying to throw additional heat in your kitchen?"
It was something that S'far hadn't considered until that moment, that maybe the muffins were part of an effort to frame the greenrider. It didn't seem likely, he was having a difficult time imagining C'dhin with enemies, but if there was something maybe it could help point to whoever the killer was.
RE: 742.03.30 | Muffinquisition - C'dhin - 02.Apr.21
C'dhin stared at the Weyrleader. Did he just use his own name as a pun? Did Urudith share in the same odd sense of humour and that was how the man ended up with that honorific to begin with? He really wanted to ask but there was a lot more pressing issues at hand, though he still couldn't help himself when he replied with, "S'close enough if I'm being honest." He winced as soon as he said it but took a few steps closer. It didn't really matter if they were overheard and it was probably better that they were so maybe his name would be cleared quicker.
"No muffin orders. Usually people want cookies or if it's a special occasion they ask for a cake. I normally have the hangover muffins on hand since they're so popular." It was honestly his quickest and easiest way to make marks. People paid for the cakes but the muffins were magical to many that liked to drink and came back regularly to help them get through the day when they forgot they had plans. It was extremely worrying that S'far agreed that they tasted like one of his specialties.
"I created the recipe back in Katila. Drinking was what many did to pass the time and it wasn't always good booze so some help was needed." He thought for a moment, trying to remember who he gave the recipe to. It had been so long since he created it but a few people had managed to swindle the secret out of him. "A couple of fellow Stolen were trusted with the secret back in Katila after I Impressed since it was hard to bake in weyrlinghood but I can't remember who." That wasn't going to help his case. Would it have been better if he just picked a name and shifted blame?
He scrunched his nose and mouth as he thought about the more recent time. "When Fort and Ista opened, I gave it to a few Healers that said they were interested in relocating and would love the extra help my spice combination provided. But I didn't pay that much attention to names. I may have written it down in a journal, though." He really should at least recall names of people he shared secrets with. But that was what cooking journals were for. Noting recipes, changes, ideas, and who he shared one with. He'd just have to dig through the pile and find notes from years ago. Sure. No problem.
RE: 742.03.30 | Muffinquisition - S'far - 02.Apr.21
S'far rubbed his temples, hoping it would ease his headache a bit more and finding those hopes quickly dashed. "Mostly cookies... well that doesn't help us... I think. you can't turn a cookie into a muffin. Maybe a cake though." He looked up at C'dhin's face and frowned. "Well, just let me know if any of my rambling sounds half baked to you. You're the expert. Can you even think of anyone who you would consider capable of doing anything like this?"
That was the biggest problem Sfar was having so far. Trying to think of anyone with a motive enough to target so many. Maybe it was a Holder, unsatisfied with the tithing to the Weyrs and scoffing at the idea of Thread. A healer certainly didn't make any sense, and neither did the idea that it was one of the stolen. That was a long time to hold a grudge, and even then, by now they would have either Impressed or returned to their old homes and old lives.
"If you can think of anything at all, anyone who stands out or any odd thing, maybe someone broke into your weyr and stole your recipes? Either way, if anything comes to mind let me know." S'far sighed as he added, "And I would recommend staying within Telgar Weyr for now. Do you think, if I managed to get a piece of muffin to you, that you'd be able to tell us anything about it? Some sort of... bakery science?"
RE: 742.03.30 | Muffinquisition - C'dhin - 02.Apr.21
C’dhin shook his head. He certainly didn’t hang out with anyone capable of mass-murder—or regular murder. V’ler had a glare that held potential but so far the bluerider had refrained and shown mercy. He couldn’t think of anyone that held a grudge against him either. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m… well, I’m kind of useless when it comes to this sort of thing. I’m really only known for my baking with the occasional losing at card games. I don’t leave my weyr much and I don’t have many friends so I hope I don’t have enemies but I guess I wouldn’t know if I did. I get caught up in my experiments and tune a lot out.” He gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.
His shoulders slumped and he nodded as he was essentially grounded. Although, like he said, he didn’t really go anywhere. Sometimes a trip to a Hold to find a missing ingredient but his closest friends were all in Telgar Weyr now so he had less reason to travel now. But at the idea of doing some baking science C’dhin laughed and shook his head. “If you want a roommate, sure. I taste test someone else’s creation and try to discern what ingredients were used and then I start messing around with measurements as I recreate it. And even if I can taste poison, I don’t know what each one tastes like to know what was used.” He stood now with a finger tapping his chin in thought. He’d have to taste the muffin, dissect each flavour, pinpoint anything off about it, and then sample poisons to compare. That didn’t sound fun but maybe in small and controlled doses it was possible?
“I suppose I could at least determine their skill if I saw how it looked and the consistency. Not that it would really help us find who baked them. Hm.” C’dhin had no idea how to help or prove it wasn’t actually him. He also didn’t like the idea that someone broke in and stole a recipe he was known for. Was he really so hated? His frown deepened and he was now itching to get home and go through his journals. “May I be excused, Weyrleader? I should start looking through my old logs for names and if anything was taken or seems wrong.”
RE: 742.03.30 | Muffinquisition - S'far - 03.Apr.21
"Really, there's no need to taste the muffins yourself, C'dhin... hm. That's an idea. Taste testers..." he reached over to grab his notebook, scribbling down the idea for him to pursue later on. If he could find some drudges who wanted extra pay in exchange for a bit of risk, then that could at least provide some sort of a buffer to keep people a bit safer.
He glanced back up at C'dhin, tilting his head at the other idea. "I'm not sure enough pieces of muffin survived for that sort of check. Mostly crumbs, I left part of the base of mine alone... only the tops are good, you know." S'far tried to think if there was anything else he could ask the baker but nothing was coming to mind really. "You may go, C'dhin. Let me know if you find anything."
S'far drummed his fingers on his lap as he tried to think, but the headache was picking back up. At least he had some notes, he had some sort of idea to try. For now he could go back to sleep and maybe when he woke there would be better news or more ideas.