The First Step

I smiled and looked down at Kusatta, listening to what she said. She seemed like she was into searching on her own, someone who I could trust with some research tasks. "Hey, how about you follow me for a little while, I actually have something a want to show you. That cool with you?" I thought deeply about what I was about to do, not many people knew about my private research, even fewer knew about where I kept it. I was about to show another person that area. It was always a scary thing, wondering if I could trust them or if they would run off with my research. I hoped she wouldn't, and maybe she would even help contribute. I need to gather a team of people to help me crack the code. I will open that tower soon enough.

Kusatta smiled deviously, thinking about the wonders of it. She wanted to learn everything from him. Soon, hos treasure would be hers. She would nod happily. She would follow him to wherever it lay. She would uncover the secrets for herself, and herself alone. "Yes." she said, "That... is wonderful." She would know soon enough...

She would find his most potent coffee.

"Alright, well come one! Just don't get lost." I placed the money for the coffee on the counter and quickly rushed out the door. Night had fallen on the Ark now, and the streets were dimly lit. I could take the main streets again since the street vendors had all gone home for the night. I rushed down the main drag, toward port town. I was about to show this girl I met a few hours ago one of my deepest secrets. Something I didn't tell a lot of people. After about ten minutes of walking, I had reached a building that was slightly run down, I wasn't good with upkeep, nor did I want it to look like someone was operating out of it. I waited by the door, hoping Kusatta had kept up, but if she hadn't it was alright to, I'd just go inside and do a bit of work for myself.

She rolled out of her seat to chase after the man. She would not lose the chance to learn all of the secrets of coffee. It was night, and the blanket of the dark sky was lit by the sprinkle of stars and the drop of a full moon. He had gone out to sprint down the roads of the docks and streets of the Ark. It was odd to be reminded that there was so many boats in that land.

After some time, they had arrived to his household. As he reached the door, she reached the steps. Having a late night run felt good, and was enough to kill the caffeine in her system. However soon she would crash. But she didn't know that.

"Is this it?" she asked.

I lightly pushed the door open, nodding to Kusatta, then vanishing into the darkness. I was used to the environment of my lab. Dim, dark, falling apart. The idea was to make it seem like I wasn't using it. People couldn't tell I was here and it wouldn't interrupt my research. I made it to the center, and turned on the dim lights, just enough that Kusatta could see my marvelous work.

"This is it. My secret research lab. When I'm not researching how to open the doors of the endless tower, I am here, in peace and quiet, researching the perfect cup of coffee. I've become so dependent on caffeine that I decided to make one that can last me longer than any other coffee can. But I haven't yet finished it." I looked at the dozens of tests tubes, beakers, and various mixing chambers. Hundreds of failed trials, but I knew I was close. I had a few ideas in mind, but I didn't have the time to get them myself.

"Kusatta, can I trust you with something for me?"

"... I've become so dependent on caffeine that I decided to make one that can last me longer than any other coffee can...."

She began to shake with excitement. This was all she cared about at this point. She knew what had to be in the tower. It had to be the glorious coffee. The liquid running... "..Wait... how do they make coffee?" she wondered. There was so many questions. She had so few answers... for now.

She barely listened to him, only to catch few of his final words. That was it. He was going to give her a recipe for coffee... or a coffee ninjutsu!

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "Of course!"

I smirked as she agreed. It was going to be a lot of work, but I had a feeling she might be able to pull it off. I walked to my desk and grabbed a pen, scribbling little circles in the corner to check if the pen worked, before writing down my list of things she needed to collect for me. I turned around and extended the paper for her to take.

"So here's the deal, this is what I need, but I'm too busy to actually go get it. The first thing on the list is a rare form of ginseng that grows in a meadow to the east. I need the plant brought back intact, though, because I can't risk another trip to the meadow. It's growing season is very limited. The next item is some coffee beans, but theres only one vendor at Port Town who carries it. This bean is the one that brews a batch with the best ability to hold the cold. And lastly, I need you to go and get some dry ice, only thing is, no one in the Ark sells it this time of year, so I have to make it myself. I need some canisters of carbon dioxide, or if you want to be simple about it, a fire extinguisher. That's about it! Think you can handle that?"

"Meadow, Ginseng.... Beans... Carbon Dioxide..." She began to note everything, and every location on where to get the said items. With her luck, it was her own home that was the nearest to the meadow, so that would be the easiest task. Next was some coffee beans, which a little bit of controlled chaos could get her. And last was the cousin of oxygen. Even if she wasn't a scientist, her destructive childhood was enough to let her know how to get it and what things contained it. She would succeed.

"ADVENTURE!" she exclaimed, making a full 180 as she spun around and race toward the door. She would waste no time. She.... Would..... complete...... the....... mission....... "Sleepy..." was the last thought in her mind before she passed out on the ground. She would complete her mission... just not that night.