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[battlebound]

Character Information
Name: Steak
Canon: Food Fantasy
Canon Point: Post-Wonderland Dream Trip
Age: Not given in canon, assumed 200~ years
History:

Fan translations of relevant backstories: Steak | Red Wine | Gingerbread
Transcripts of Relevant Events: Joyous Celebration Chapter 5 | Joyous Celebration Arm Wrestling Side Story | Phantom Fright (transcript unavailable) | Wish of Dreams | Creation Chronicle Snack Stall Side Story | Creation Chronicle Bungee Jump Side Story | Wonderland Dream Trip Main Story | Wonderland Dream Trip Little Evening Ball Side Story

— Steak was summoned by the knight of a kingdom, an engaged man who argues constantly with his fiancée (hereafter referred to as Madam)
— Sometime later, Madam summons her own Food Soul, Red Wine. Upon meeting, the two immediately loathe each other, finding any excuse to get into a fight.
— Slowly, Steak comes to understand Red Wine more and more, including his fears about giving into his bloodlust and becoming a Fallen.
— He promises Red Wine that if such a thing happens, he'll kill him.
— In the kingdom, there's the case of aristocrats and nobles going missing, and Steak's Attendant is in charge of the investigation.
— Madam's friend goes missing after a banquet and Madam volunteers to act as bait to try and catch the criminal responsible for all these disappearances, but is rebuffed by Steak's Attendant.
— She goes anyway, and is caught by the Food Soul who had manipulated the woman behind the disappearances, Bloody Mary
— Steak, Red Wine and the knights fight Bloody Mary but he retreats. Steak ends up with a bloodied shoulder.
— Steak's Attendant confesses his love for Madam when he thinks Bloody Mary has killed her. This draws a happy conclusion to their Attendants' stories, who get married and bicker joyfully into old age.
— When Steak's Attendant is on his deathbed, he makes Steak promise to take care of Madam and Red Wine. Steak agrees, but a couple of days layer, Madam also passes away (and asks Red Wine to take care of Steak).
— The two Food Souls fight out their grief about losing their Attendants, and Steak invites Red Wine to join a group called the Knights of the Holy Sword, which he does.
— The rule of the kingdom changes for the worse, and Steak and Red Wine decide to leave.
— Beef Wellington assists the two by sorting out all their affairs and silencing any protests against their leaving, and in return, the two ask him to join them, but he refuses.
— They spend countless years together, bickering over the name of the organisation and helping out all sorts of people with tasks ranging from construction to monster hunting.
— Eventually, Steak and Red Wine receive a letter delivered by another Food Soul, Gingerbread, whose contents ask them to take Gingerbread with them. She eventually joins the Knights as well.
— A mysterious attacker continually attempts to attack Red Wine at whatever chance they can get, also sending mysterious letters to Red Wine.
— Steak decides to take it upon himself to find the attacker, and returns to the location of the banquet where he fought Bloody Mary.
— To nobody's surprise, it's Bloody Mary again, who tries to spin a tale about Red Wine lying for all these years and being the one responsible for the murders of the young noblewomen.
— Steak doesn't buy this and says as much, angering Bloody Mary in the process.
— Bloody Mary escapes again and Steak returns to the Knights and his work, certain that there'll be consequences for what he did.

— The Knights appear in various event quests:
— Steak is found winning at arm wrestling during the first Creation Day event, ignoring a Fallen Angel attack to arm wrestle Red Wine and defeating Vodka in a close contest.
— He is tricked by Bloody Mary when Bloody Mary plays the role of a damsel kidnapped by a Fallen Angel and defeats the Fallen Angels Bloody Mary sets as a trap with the help of Red Wine and Pretzel, and he and Red Wine have a heart to heart afterwards. Well, by their standards.
— The Knights assist an old woman who wants her (deceased) son's girlfriend to believe he has returned to her before the young woman also passes away from an illness
— He ends up telling her the truth about their deception and she passes away with a smile on her face
— The old woman donates a costume to Steak and tells him to be the prince to all women on Valentine's Day, so from then on the Knights have him delivering roses on Valentine's Day.

— During Wonderland Dream Trip, Steak is among the food souls helping to facilitate the visits of the Holy See and Champagne to Turkey's kingdom. He plays with orphans and is drawn into Madeleine's dreamland spell with the rest of the Food Souls there, where he dreams about being a king trying to marry off his younger sister, Gingerbread, with a grand ball.
— It is Red Wine who manages to find Steak and Gingerbread and help them fulfil the necessary conditions to escape.

Personality:

❝ I've become stronger again? Good, this way you'll be safer. ❞
In many ways, Steak is the perfect picture of a knight: a formidable fighter who cares deeply about protecting others. He is a hard worker who does not consider anything beneath him, gladly helping with everything from finding a lost child's parents to killing the monsters which threaten towns and villages, and can be depended on at any time. To his Attendant and his people — Food Soul or human — he's a loyal protector, perfectly fitting of his role as a Defence Soul.

He also has approximately zero ability to speak delicately. His combative, battle-ready nature doesn't lend itself well to diplomacy, and Steak's general philosophy on everything is that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line: in other words, he would rather force his way through anything that arises — whether that's something he needs to fight or his friends' troubles. He is not someone who responds well to subtle, either, often quite ignorant and oblivious to others' feelings and hints. All of this means that he often angers people simply by the way he speaks to them, and when combined with his no nonsense, dutiful attitude, can often come off as arrogant.

❝ People say creations take after their masters. The same goes for us. ❞
Constant parallels are drawn between Steak and his Master Attendant, including their inability to process romance or approach things delicately, and Steak notes this himself when speaking to his Attendant on his deathbed. He is aware of and takes pride in his fighting skills and often looks for a good fight, whether it's an argument or something physical (though he's far better at the latter than the former). This awareness of his designated role as a Food Soul — fighter, protector — provides his motivation to continue through a near-eternal existence. Steak is extremely focused and believes the time he's been given as an unaging, near-immortal being, is a blessing: he can continue to protect others and eliminate threats from the world without worrying about "becoming too old or too frail to wield his dual swords to cut down the opponent in front of him". In fact, he almost seems to pity humans for their aging and mortality.

This disciplined approach to his existence extends to his principles and oaths: despite his constant arguing and fighting with Red Wine, Steak doesn't once consider leaving the other Soul alone, as he has a promise to fulfil to his Master Attendant and Madam. His loyalty to his oaths and people — Red Wine being his "brother-in-arms" as a fellow member of the Knights of the Holy Sword — drives him to seek out Red Wine's mysterious attacker and confront him despite being told to drop it, refusing Bloody Mary's story despite his experience shouting that angering the other Food Soul is not a good idea. This is irrelevant to him, as Steak places far more importance on his principles than his safety, quite happy to make a dangerous enemy if it means that he maintains the principles he adheres to. It is also mentioned that the knights for which Steak's Attendant worked took an oath not to harm women or the weak, and it is likely Steak also followed this same principle.

❝ Do you know how much you have to understand someone in order to hate him? ❞
His dutiful, purposeful nature means that Steak is very business-first, and forgoes elegance in favour of practicality. He considers Red Wine's preference for elegance above all other things a waste of time and nonsensical, and nor does he fully understand why romance would come before a monster in the vicinity ("And how is a date more important than a Fallen Angel!?"). This preference for blunt, simple things is also seen in his attitude towards communication — that, between men, "fists [speak] better and much more happily than words." It can also be seen in the fact that he finds fierce and independent women easier to get on with than "demure and waifish" noblewomen.

True to form, his relationship with Red Wine is characterised by frequent physical conflicts and an understanding which makes them an excellent combat duo despite their wildly opposing personalities. Despite all of their differences, Steak has never held Red Wine's troubles with his bloodlust against him — in fact, he considers it irrelevant and doesn't understand why Red Wine worries about it so much when he's got such a terrible personality that needs fixing. Their centuries long, conflict-ridden relationship perfectly demonstrates Steak's bull-headed, stubborn nature and his ability to be petty if someone pushes his buttons just enough (case in point: their constant arguments over the name of the Knights of the Holy Sword).

Though perhaps this hot blooded Food Soul just enjoys any excuse to fight, verbally or physically.

❝ Those who are unable to savour the taste of blood will never understand.
I had never seen anybody - neither a human, nor indeed, a food soul - with blood as warm as Steak's. ❞
— Red Wine

Abilities & Skills:

COMBAT; as a Defence Soul, Steak has the ability to conjure a personal protective bubble and absorb damage when attacked. He is one of the more offensive-minded Defence Souls, using his two swords to attack from the front and distract enemies, and considered a skilled swordsman. His fighting style relies of endurance and heavy hitting, rather than quick movements.
— LINK SKILL when fighting with Red Wine, Steak can activate a powerful attack against all enemies which does damage over time on top of the initial damage.
PHYSIOLOGY; Due to being a magical construct (essentially), Steak has no need to eat or drink (though he enjoys both and can get drunk) and does not age. However, Food Souls can die, fading away if their spiritual power runs out or by dying in battle.

Inventory: His two swords and a Chappybara.

Companion: Uke Mochi (Enhanced)

Season: Summer