Not every story can be one of epic qualities, nor does every NPC have a worthy quest for the hero. Piper is one such NPC who doesn’t have anything to give, and for the most part stands in the background occupied with her one task. Like most Skyloftians, Piper is named after a bird. In this case she is named after the sandpiper, though some have said that her name could be a play on the term “piping hot” as Piper is always slaving over a hot stove. Hair pulled back and apron tight around the waist, this Skyloftian mother is always ready to cook up a perfect storm.
Like most of the business owners in Skyloft, Piper conducts her business in the Bazaar. In the southwest portion, Piper has set up a little restaurant where she spends all day (and I mean all day) cooking, stirring, and tasting her soup. The busy chef is quite the perfectionist when it comes to her creations and will not let a single drop of food pass into another’s mouth unless she is absolutely sure it is the best flavor it can be. Dovos, one of Piper’s regular patrons, expresses that Piper’s food is “Sooooo good”. However, the sentiment comes with the disclaimer that it feels like a lifetime before you get served. The wait must be worth it as he keeps coming back day after day.
As night falls, the cooking doesn’t stop. Piper takes herself home and starts the process all over again to cook dinner for herself and her mischievous son, Gully. The insect loving boy waits patiently for food, wishing his mother would hurry up, but even at home, Piper insists that flavors must be perfect and even cooks into the late hours of the night to ensure her cooking is up to standard. Her obsession with cooking makes her look a little neglectful towards her son, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. She is trying to ensure he has a perfect meal after all.
At home, Piper has a collection of spices and cooking supplies as any chef would. But she has also allowed Gully to fill their home with all his bug-like items. From bug nets to pinned butterflies to all his child drawings of his favorite bugs. Three of these drawings are pinned above Piper’s bed, so in those few hours that Piper finds sleep, the last thing she sees is her son’s passion.
On a mechanical level, Piper doesn’t serve much purpose in Skyward Sword. Link can’t purchase her soup (or more likely never has the time to stick around and wait for her to figure out the perfect flavor combination). No side quests are connected to the bustling chef and no gratitude crystals can be earned from her. Perhaps Piper is already as happy as can be and needs no assistance from the legendary hero. Or is she too obsessed with perfection to notice the going ons around her in the first place?
