Working now as a Professor of the Theorem Magistrum, Volpes has been afforded far more free time than his days as the leader of Oplentis's most successful crime syndicate. Even between his own research, brewing medicine for apothecaries and alcohol for breweries across the city, there are still plenty of idle hours in the day, especially on the weekends.

In this spirit, he enjoys a more domesticated existence, honing his craft as a cook. He always had an affinity for the kitchen. Many of the same skills and qualities that make a good alchemist apply to the culinary arts. And as an both impoverished youth and later as a titan living on his own, Volpes needed to learn how to make decent meals out of whatever ingredients he could get his hands on.

Yet there is a difference between cooking out of necessity and cooking for pleasure, as the titan has begun to understand. It's the kind of difference that one can taste, especially given how well this catoblepas cheese and shredded griffon lasagna turned out.

As he cuts it into perfect square, the fox thinks about the potluck being thrown with the other families in his housing complex, excited for his neighbors to give it a try.

Everyone knows the story of Volpes, former leader of the Titan Syndicate. But looking at him now, with the pink apron gifted to him by his husband, most of his neighbors can hardly believe there's any truth to the tale.

---

I am far too late in submitted this wonderful piece my friend fengblue.bsky.social on Bsky commissioned for me from  Bullstorm as a lovely Christmas gift.

It's really easy to invest in the drama and violence of a world like Crossroads, but I can't help but adore the more everyday and "normal" aspects of world-building too. Not every waking moment can be a monumental event, and I like to think of what kind of people my characters would be just existing.

Art by  Bullstorm, courtesy of Feng the Blue (https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:u7vp53awjgnuum7cpuhg5jqc)
Volpes and lore belong to me.