Qiuhua/Profile

Qiuhua

Story

Profile

Quotes

"I can't sleep yet, I still have work to do..."

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Record 1

Originally known as Type 97 Shotgun, she was one of the first Dolls to leave Griffin upon the announcement of its restructuring.

"Look, the way I am, I can make friends and get by wherever I go. Better to give the opportunity to someone else who needs it more."
She spoke those words to Helian with a sunny smile on her face. This openness and kindness earned her the care of old friends even after her departure from Griffin. She found herself in various places, whether it be a farm or a broker convoy.

Based on the impressions that others have of her, Qiuhua is a particularly lively person; straightforward yet gentle, she inspires others around her with her fervent passion, both on the farm and in the broker convoy.

After returning to the Elmo, she immediately made a place for herself in its massive family in her own special way. The kitchen was her realm divine, spreading warmth to all with cuisine so fine.

"Hey, Qiuhua, how are you always so happy?" Newcomers would often ask her this question.
"You really have to ask?" She heartily laughs in response. "Being together with everyone and getting to cook good food for the folks is more than enough, isn't it?"

It was a truly heartfelt answer. Though she did choose to leave Griffin of her own accord, she has never once regretted her decision. She believes that she will eventually find her place of belonging, so long as she keeps her passions close to her heart. On the Elmo, she's found home.

Record 2

"Everyone, come have a look!" Qiuhua rushes out of the kitchen, a delicious-looking dish in her hands. "Authentic Guo Bao Rou, with nothing but the finest ingredients I could get!"

Cooking is more than just a task to be completed to Qiuhua, but a way of conveying her feelings. Sometimes the vessel is a fine plate of northeastern cuisine, and sometimes it is her "avant-garde creations". Finding the courage to try the latter is occasionally a difficult task for those on the Elmo.

"Eh—T-There's more?" Mayling somewhat haphazardly accepts another massive plate from Qiuhua, looking worriedly in the direction of the kitchen. "Qiuhua, we've got a lot on the table already!"
"Haha, don't worry, dig in!" Qiuhua responds without as much as turning her head, still laboring away in and out of the kitchen. "The folks deserve some good food after all the hard work!"
"No, I just mean... Are you sure about the mutated veggie stew? Is it really okay...?"

Mayling carefully inspects the pot in front of her, its contents piping hot. The vegetables of odd types and sizes in the stew perturb Mayling somewhat, but the aroma drifting forth prompts her to give it a try.

Seemingly noticing Mayling's reservations, Qiuhua proceeds to her side, giving Mayling a good pat on the shoulder.
"Don't you worry, this is all fresh produce from the farm! I liked the texture of some of these, so I sourced a batch for everyone and matched it with a special sauce. Try it!"

Her personality quickly allowed her to garner a group of loyal "taste testers". Even the most commonplace home-cooking dish becomes special in her hands.
There are those who ask Qiuhua—just why does she enjoy cooking so much?
"The look on everyone's faces when they're eating good food is more than worth the trouble!"

Record 3

"No, no, no! This still doesn't taste right!"
In the dead of night, within the kitchen, Qiuhua stands before a piping hot pot of soup with furrowed brows. Laid out before her on the table was a variety of ingredients unique to the Yellow Zone, some of which still emitted a dim light.
"This is about as authentic as the process gets for this dish, but the quality of this yellow zone fish..." She breathes out a sigh, but soon perks up again. "No challenge is too great for me, though! I'll make you work, no matter what!"

Even before she boarded the Elmo, Qiuhua had been studying how to best use the ingredients available in the Yellow Zone. She did this not to blaze a new path in the culinary arts, but to discover how to give more people a good, proper meal.

"Qiuhua? It's late already. Are you still working on your new dishes?" Groza shakes her head helplessly at the sight of a room full of experimental dishes. "What is it this time?" She asks as she approaches the stove.
"Oh, Groza, good timing!" Qiuhua's eyes light up. "Come, have a taste of this. It took me a week, but I finally figured out how to get rid of that weird taste! It's still missing a little something, but it's pretty good already!"
Groza picks up a pair of chopsticks, looking at Qiuhua with surprise as she samples the dish. "There's no bitterness from the radiation. How did you manage it?"
"Oh, that's a long story!" Qiuhua gestures at the air with excitement. "So I figured out that if you soak it in brine for 24 hours, and then use some old ginger and cooking wine..."

Groza can't help but be surprised as she watches Qiuhua explains each and every step with enthusiastic gesticulation.

Record 4

"Reporting in! Suspicious individual detected!" Qiuhua was in the middle of sorting some supplies as the alert came through comms. She put aside her work immediately, silently approaching the designated area with her vast years of working in security.

"Hold on, Qiuhua!" Suomi hurriedly advises her over the comms. "The situation there isn't clear yet, don't approach..."
But Qiuhua had already gotten to the bottom of it—it was a child who was but nearly skin and bone, rummaging through the supply stash of their temporary camp. She puts away her weapon, walking forward with wide steps.

"What are you looking for?" Her voice scares the child witless.
"S-Sorry!" The child turns to flee.
"Hold on!" Qiuhua grabs him in one swift motion. "Are you hungry?"

She brought the child before their tent. Watching as he demolished a plate of food, Qiuhua thought back to the sights she saw wandering through the Yellow Zone.
"We'll be here a few more days, come find me if you're hungry." She pats the child's head, "No need to steal, okay?"
"But... I have no money..."
"No one's asking you to pay up!" She laughs as she responds. "You'll have to help me with something, though."
"With what?"
"Take care of those little buddies of yours for me, and bring 'em with you here. No wasting the food here."

Qiuhua would welcome a group of little guests every day for a period, even leaving enough supplies for them to survive for a good while before she left.
Some expressed concerns about this, but Qiuhua would respond: "Hey, even the Dolls have food to eat on the Elmo! What would be the point of letting those little guys go hungry? Besides—"
She smiles, gesturing at herself.
"Just doesn't sit right with a chef, y'know, watching people go hungry. That's all it is!"

Record 5

Truth be told, back at Griffin, Qiuhua was nothing like the overlord of the kitchen that she is today. Her obsession with Guo Bao Rou remained, but she had quite the share of incidents under her belt, including not greasing the pan for scrambled eggs, putting a teammate in the hospital, and failing to tell tomatoes from persimmons...
To be fair, this was most likely because Qiuhua's core contained no culinary module or specialized core, just like how a Doll without a fire control core would struggle to operate a firearm.
But ten years had passed and Qiuhua was a Doll transformed, becoming a master of cooking comparable to Groza and Sabrina. Not only has she become proficient at a cuisine with signature dishes appropriate for every customer, but she even has effort to spare for innovating new dishes.

Being responsible for her maintenance, Mayling knows well that Qiuhua has installed no new hardware or even software.
It was her very sweat and tears that yielded her this mastery.
...Well, if Dolls could sweat, that is.

Record 6

Qiuhua invited me out so that she could cook for me, but she was nowhere to be seen as the time approached.

"Sabrina, have you seen Qiuhua?" I questioned Sabrina, who was sorting ingredients on the other side of the kitchen.
"Hmm..." She puts a hand on her head, puzzled. "She was here just a moment ago, but she ran out all of a sudden, saying that she left something important in her room."
"Something important?" I join in on the confusion, "What was it?"
Sabrina scratches her head. "I think it was... a recipe or diagram? I didn't hear her too clearly. Did something happen, Commander?"
Leaving Sabrina, I make for Qiuhua's room.

Before I even enter the room, I hear a loud clattering from inside, accentuated by Qiuhua's complaints: "Where the heck is it? I swear I put it here..."
The sight before me as I enter stops me in my tracks. Qiuhua's room could very well be described as the aftermath of a typhoon: various kitchen utensils, ingredients, documents, and parts were stacked up like little hills, leaving almost nowhere to even stand. Qiuhua is busy delving through this miscellaneous mix of objects, making herself look like a mess in the process.

"What are you looking for, Qiuhua?" I carefully navigate a path through the room to her side.
"Ah, Commander!" Qiuhua raises her head to look at me as if she had found her saving grace. "Amazing timing! I... I lost some really important notes. They have the results of my most recent research on them!"
"Notes? Why not leave them stored in your neural cloud?" I survey my surroundings, and despair overtakes me as I realize the magnitude of this task. "When do you last remember seeing it? Where could it be?"
"I was coming up with a new dish and my neural cloud was on high gear already, so I took some notes to help out in the moment..." Qiuhua does her best to think back to that day. "It was... yesterday night? I stuffed the notes in a mechanical maintenance manual..."
Maintenance manual? I grow somewhat more hopeful as I study the mountains of trinkets.
"Alright, let's give it a good look. If we sort by categories and get everything tidy, it'll eventually show up." I comfort her, beginning the search with her.
After the better half of an hour, we finally discovered the manual under a pile of pots, pans, and dishes. Qiuhua carefully pulls it open, finding an oil-stained slip of paper inside.

"Found it!" Qiuhua leaps with excitement, pulling me into a hug with a single motion. "Thank you so much, Commander! I never would've found this without you!"
Her sudden embrace catches me off guard, but I soon steady my nerves, lightly patting her on the back: "Think nothing of it."
"Oops," she lets go, somewhat embarrassed. "I'm no good at organizing things... it always ends up a mess."
"Be a bit more careful next time." I mention with a smile on my face, "Take good care of important documents."
She sticks out her tongue. "Got it! Next time, I swear! I'll make two extra dishes tonight as thanks, make sure you eat your fill!"
A smile breaks out on my face at the sight of her still-energetic self.
She is indeed rather inept in these frivolous ways, but this straightforwardness only adds to her cutesy charm.

Record 7

"Qiuhua, 11 o'clock, behind the ruins." I lower my voice, speaking almost straight into her ear.
The wind kicks up tufts of dust, blurring our vision. We were traversing through a desolate patch of rubble, tracking a fleeing pack of Varjagers we were contracted to hunt down.
Everything had been going smoothly before we heard the faint sound of crying around a corner.
I see Qiuhua's brows furrow slightly in the corner of my eye. She quickly scans the surroundings, turning back to me. We exchange a look, immediately understanding the other's intentions.
A group of refugees huddle behind a collapsed wall, clad in little more than rags with trepidation painted on their faces.
Assisting refugees was by no means part of our assignment, but neither Qiuhua nor I could simply stand and watch.

"Commander, I gotta go help." Qiuhua's voice remains soft, but resolve is written all over her face.
I had no intention to simply stand and watch, but rescuing them now would likely grant an opportunity to the hostiles hiding in the darkness.
I cannot tell if Qiuhua intuited my reservations, but she responded to my hesitation with her signature sunny smile: "Leave it to me, Commander!"
I do not stop her, giving her only a nod.
She says no more, lightly patting my arm before silently circumnavigating the ruins.
No words were necessary. We understood each other's intentions.

I take a deep breath, adjusting my breathing before charging ahead and attracting the attention of several Varjagers lurking in the darkness. I exchange fire with the enemy, keeping an eye on Qiuhua all the while. The sound of gunfire echoes through the ruins.
While these enemies' attention remain on me, Qiuhua launches an assault from the flank. Her shotgun roars with fury, instantly suppressing the enemies in front of us. I take the opportunity to eliminate them, quickly moving towards the refugees' hiding place afterwards.

"Go, it's not safe here!" I say as I clear a route for them. Qiuhua takes the rear guard, fending off enemies in pursuit.
Soon, the refugees had successfully evacuated. Qiuhua runs over, excitement on her face: "That was some incredible teamwork, Commander!"
"Yeah, that misdirection was pretty good." I commend her with a smile, but immediately get serious afterwards. "But if you had considered the possibility of there being more enemies, or an ambush..."
Qiuhua falters for a second, putting her smile away: "Sorry, Commander, I got a bit ahead of myself. I just... They looked so scared..."
Her regretful countenance makes me soften a little: "I know. Your heart was in the right place, but we should discuss and create a more complete plan next time. That is both a more sensible option, and a more responsible one."
"Yeah!" Qiuhua nods forcefully, returning to her lively self. "Right, Commander, that new dish I was talking about..."
"Okay, okay, let's head back and get started." I smile helplessly.
The sight of her back, walking her path caused a certain warmth to rise from deep within my heart.
...With someone like her by my side, a reminder of just how pure kindness can be shall never be too far from me.

Record 8

"Commander, you reckon this is a-okay?"
Qiuhua fiddles with a brand-new oven, a recent addition to the Elmo.
"What's ok? Do you mean the first thing you did with the oven, about that time where you roasted sweet potatoes?"
"Oh, that's not it! I mean..." She shows me a rare hesitant look. "To be honest... I think I've been going out on assignments too little recently."
I am a little surprised by her words. "What's this about all of a sudden?"
"That emergency mission a few days ago," she answers without raising her head, continuing to tinker with the oven. "I wanted to go as well, but I didn't manage to go with everyone else since I was busy in the kitchen."
"Don't get me wrong," she continues as she places a sweet potato into the oven, "I don't want to give up this cooking job at all! I just thought that since I can handle both pretty well, why shouldn't I take on more? The more I'm in combat, the better I can protect this kitchen."
She sneaks a peek at me. "So, what do you think?"
"I have no objections so long as you can manage your time well." I answer with a smile.
"Of course!" She says, standing up straight. "My combat systems are always in tip-top shape, you know that. And—"
A crafty smile makes itself known on her countenance: "My gun's never gotten rusty!"
"Yeah, I know." I reply with a smile still on my face. "You'll have to think it through, though. With more combat assignments, you'll have less time to create new dishes."
"I've already taken care of that!" She flips open a notebook in her hands, "Look, I've redone the timetable. I can handle both combat and cooking perfectly well, there won't be anything getting in my way!"
Looking at the crammed schedule she had planned, my heart that had settled down a little falls into the clutches of trepidation once again. "You're sure you won't be too busy?"
"Not at all!" She nods with confidence. "I'm someone who came up with the dinner menu while we were fighting Sangvis Ferri, remember? Besides..."
Her voice suddenly quietens: "Besides, when I'm with you, I'm not afraid of anything."
But when we were fighting Sangvis Ferri, you were the type to blow up the kitchen—is what I wanted to say, but that expression of hers forces it back down.
The oven cuts through the delicate atmosphere between us with a "ting".
"Ah! The sweet potato's done!" She hurriedly opens the oven door. "Have a taste, Commander, I've worked on this recipe for quite some time now! Sweet potato with honey, hehe, there's enough sugar to sweeten your entire day!"
The rich aroma of the sweet potato proliferates through the kitchen. She carefully peels away the skin, revealing the piping hot flesh.

"How is it?" She looks at me with expectation in her eyes.
"It's delicious." I tell her from the bottom of my heart.
"Of course!" She raises her chin with glee, but her countenance soon becomes serious. "Truth be told, Commander, I've had something on my mind recently."
"What is it?"
"From Griffin to the Elmo, it seems like I've always been changing myself. I used to purely be a combat Doll, but now I'm mostly cooking, less combat." She smiles, continuing. "But y'know what? My favorite thing is perfecting my grasp of something."
"So you want to see more combat to keep your old skills sharp?"
"Yep!" Her eyes glitter with light.
"I want to be more effective on the battlefield while still doing my work in the kitchen. Since..." She blinks several times, "My goal is to become the best at cooking out of all the combat Dolls on the Elmo!"
The breadth of her energy brings a smile to my face: "Don't let Sabrina hear that."

Private Meeting Logs

Qiuhua

Commander! I wanted to discuss something with you. Are you free?

One of my friends runs a restaurant, but it closed down, and she's got a stash of great booze she needs to unload...

I checked the prices and they're a steal. More importantly, she's letting go of a wide selection of stuff; saves us the trouble of collecting it ourselves.

If you're interested, then let me expense the cost to the Elmo! Once it comes, I promise you'll be the first to get a taste!

Woohoo! I'll go get it now!