The day begins with Ryouta having a mild freak out about how cold it is that he can see his breath. He talks about how it feels like it’ll be Christmas soon and how cold his cheeks are. Then he comments that Tomte doesn’t seem to be here yet and that waiting for him at this time of day is hard. You also comment on Tomte not being there yet and then warn Ryouta that Santa is watching.
The wind blows, prompting more complaints about the cold from Ryouta. He mentions thinking you’d all leave right after Tomte turns up, but since he can’t hold it any longer he decides to give you something. You see it’s a choice of canned coffee or canned corn soup.
Ryouta says those are what’s best when it gets cold and presses you to pick one. He also asks you to just hold it for warmth and wait until Tomte is there to drink it. You either thank him, touch his cheeks, or put both your hands on his cheeks.
A skips a bit of extra dialogue. B has him ask what’s up and then say it’s natural his cheeks would be red in the cold. He notes with amusement that yours are too.
Anyways, Ryouta tells you he was so excited last night that he couldn’t sleep. He’s always excited when the gang comes together to work on one thing as he says this is your one chance at youth with everyone. High school life will be over before you know it, so you gotta make as many memories as you can through the year.
Tomte walks up like a normal person at this point as he apologizes for being late, comments on the weather, and thanks you guys for last night. You take note of his presence and greet him. Ryouta asks what he thought of Shirou’s curry hot pot. Tomte says it’s been a while since he had some good curry as well as eating with a bunch of other people.
Ryouta is surprised and asks about Tomte not eating with Yule and Krampus. Tomte says he feels like he should stick to the background. On that note you comment on him not suddenly revealing himself like before and ask if it’s fine for him to not sneak around. Tomte says he decided to try being less on guard and coming over today since he figures you guys wouldn’t betray him.
Ryouta of course takes note of this in surprise, and Tomte seems to have said so unconsciously since he’s surprised by it as well. He wonders if something like that happened to him before when his head hurts, prompting him to say this always happens when he tries to remember his past. Ryouta is highly concerned, and you worry for him as well and can possibly hold your arms out to hold him up.
Tomte says he’s okay and apologizes for worrying you guys. He admits that he was alert that time (though I’m not sure which time he means) wondering whether you’d really wait for him. He says it’s depressing to be betrayed, and when he starts talking about that happening in the past, his head hurts again as some image flashes in his mind.
Ryouta asks if Tomte is alright and says he looks pale. He repeats he’s fine and that it happens when he tries to remember his past. You stare at him and float the suggestion he ought to take a day off, though Tomte turns this idea down.
Anyways Tomte apologizes for causing you guys undue worry and comments he shouldn’t be doing so as a caretaker. He then remembers something and changes the subject by saying the place you’re visiting today is a place Ryouta would like. Either Chouji or some unnamed schmuck in Shinjuku’s cooking club asked him to take you guys there.
Ryouta is excited as he asks if it’s the same store Chouji mentioned as the one making the cake this year, and Tomte confirms it and says it’s called Cafe Asterism. Ryouta has heard of the place and has his mind blown at this revelation. You either try to get him to calm down or ask if the place is that famous.
Ryouta explains that the place recently reopened for business and used to always have lines that go out the door. He’s tried visiting several times but they’re always sold out of sweets before he can get any. Tomte says the proprietor also worries about all the orders the regulars keep making.
Ryouta mentions that he’s heard rumors that the place has crazy fans and wonders if it’s because of the sweets, so he’s excited to see. Tomte says the owner wants lots of people to try their food, and that they’ll be opening up a temp shop for the event. Since others are also going to be excited about it, Tomte hopes to tend to them all and make things a success. Ryouta then says it’s time to go.
Title card pops up, and this chapter is called The Space Between Destruction and Passion.
Scene then shifts to Shinya’s cafe as Krampus asks where to put some desk. Taromaiti asks him to put it in order with the other things. It doesn’t matter for the most part, and she says she’ll be adjusting things later. Krampus does so and says he’ll get the next desk then. Taromaiti thanks him for helping since his strength is coming in handy. Krampus says he worked out to better punish naughty kids so this isn’t a big deal to him.
Yule comes over and asks Taromaiti where he ought to put the ingredients for the sweets. She instructs him to take things to be refrigerated to the kitchen Shinya is in while everything else can go into storage. Yule acknowledges that and says he’ll make a list of what he’s brought in. Taromaiti thanks him and says he’s making the organizing go smoothly. Yule answers he and Krampus are used to moving lots of stuff around.
You walk in at this point and can talk to either Yule, Taromaiti, or Krampus. Going C, Krampus greets you back and asks if you came to help. Then he says he’ll carry something you seem to reach for since he says it’s heavy and doesn’t want you to get hurt.
In any case Ryouta says he’s here to help as one of the organizers, announcing his arrival as well as yours. Yule comments on how cheerful he is and how much more excited than usual he seems. Ryouta laughs and says he started drooling when he heard the event’s sweets would be coming from here. Taromaiti says Shinya would be happy to hear that as she greets you guys. She also mentions having heard about Tomte from Shinya.
Tomte greets her before asking if there’s anything he can do to help prep things. Taromaiti says things are fine now and that the crafters had built the store faster than expected. Yule and Krampus have been helping out a lot too. If there’s any sort of issue at all, Taromaiti says it would be that they may have an issue with their sales clerk. You comment on that not being her and ask who it is.
Shinya walks over and suggests everyone sit down for a bit and offers to put on some tea. You either react to him with some surprise or ask if the place is his. He then introduces himself as well as Cupid to everyone, then welcomes everyone to the establishment.
Some time later, Ryouta is loudly yelling about how great the food is, specifically a Yule log, a German fruit cake, some gingerbread, and some panettone. He then tells you he’s glad he joined the organizing committee.
Yule is taken aback as he tries to get Ryouta to slow down, feeling he’ll eat up everything before the event starts. Shinya says it’s fine since these are test runs, so it’d help if everyone ate a lot of it. Krampus relaxes at hearing that and says he’ll go ahead and eat then. Yule gives in and joins them as well.
Tomte tries to ask about the salesperson thing, and Taromaiti remembers after having been distracted by the Earl Grey tea Shinya put on for her. She then directs your attention to further into the shop for the salesperson to be. That turns out to be Kalki as he stares out the window and sighs.
You wonder whether Kalki was always like that, comment that he seems off, or say he seems moody. Taromaiti confirms that Kalki is acting strange, and Shinya tells you Kalki has been like that ever since he came in. When Shinya tried asking if he was okay, Kalki avoided him. Taromaiti adds that she feels let down after having clashed with him every day.
Ryouta focuses on the bit where Kalki changed all of a sudden before turning to Tomte. He wonders if it’s another possessor demon like Kengo and Shirou told him about. Krampus has no idea what he’s talking about, which Ryouta is surprised about since he was sure Tomte would have told him and Yule about things.
Ryouta attempts to dodge the subject, but Yule tickles him to get him to explain. Tomte asks Yule to stop since it was his own idea to keep it a secret. Krampus decides to leave the secret keeping for later and asks him to explain the demon and possessing thing. You give a summarized version or make Tomte do it.
Either way you all let Krampus and the others know what’s been happening. It goes from the investigation you’ve been doing to finding what looks like the culprit to the Evil having some sort of grudge against Santa. The explanation also includes the bit where saunas can make the Evil leave whoever it possesses. When it’s done, Krampus asks why they weren’t told earlier since he thought they were friends.
Tomte says he never originally planned to tell your gang either and that he prefers to have everyone have fun with helping set the event up. Krampus does say it’s been enjoyable but says that’s not the point. Since he thought they were all friends he wanted Tomte to rely on him too. Tomte apologizes for upsetting him but says he just wants to take care of others.
Krampus yells and asks Tomte is just acting like a good kid. He doesn’t understand what Krampus is getting at, and Krampus apologizes for yelling. Krampus then says he’ll go cool off his head and thanks Shinya for the sweets. You try to call after Krampus, and Yule says he’ll go after him.
After Yule takes off, Ryouta apologizes for opening his big mouth. Tomte says it’s not his fault and that he thought they’d find out at some point. Shinya says it looks like Krampus was mad at Tomte and expresses some envy about this. You can either ask Shinya about that or stay quiet, but either way Tomte mentions wanting to go after Krampus but decides the investigation takes priority.
So back on the subject of Kalki, Shinya says he thought it was very interesting how he had suddenly changed in personality. If it turns out that Kalki is possessed, then they’ll have to take him to a sauna like Tomte mentioned earlier.
Ryouta decides he’ll try to talk him into it, which turns out to involve introducing himself to Kalki and flat out inviting him to a sauna trip. Kalki doesn’t even take notice of him, so he gives up and says it might be too hard to talk him into joining someone he’s never met before. You try to cheer Ryouta up, comment on Kalki not noticing Ryouta at all, then ask who’s next.
Shinya volunteers to try next, partly as he feels it’s his job as manager to do so. When he tries to talk to Kalki, Kalki says he has a lot on his mind and asks to be left alone. Shinya actually attempts to persist and invites Kalki to a sauna trip, which shocks him into thinking this is some sort of thank you bonus thing. Kalki still turns down the offer though and says now’s not a good time no matter how many times he’ll ask.
Shinya comes back and apologizes for not managing to convince Kalki to go, commenting that his worries seem pretty ingrained. Taromaiti suggests she take a crack at it and make Kalki go by force. Shinya is a bit alarmed by that and says it’s probably a hard sell to try. Taromaiti agrees upon further reflection and says it’d cause lots of collateral if it goes badly.
Taromaiti also says trying to figure out what’s on Kalki’s mind would be key and wonders what he could be thinking about while dressed up. And since she brings it up, Shinya rememberers that Kalki started acting like so when he put the costume on. Taromaiti says Kalki’s always brooding about what Role he should fulfill, and you decide to latch onto the bit with Kalki worrying because of the costume.
Ryouta asks what you’re thinking of, so you wonder whether Kalki is worrying about stuff in regards to being like Santa. Tomte seems to understand something at that and starts coming up with an idea. You try to ask him to explain, though Tomte instead walks over to talk to Kalki.
Kalki notices Tomte approaching him and asks who he is. Tomte introduces himself as Santa’s helper, which Kalki seems curious about. Tomte then says that if Kalki is going to worry about stuff while in a Santa suit then he’s going to have to help out somehow. Kalki just brushes it off as a salesperson’s costume, but Tomte brings up that he’s heard Kalki takes things seriously in regards to roles.
Tomte then starts asking Kalki if he knows what the true nature of Santa Claus is before answering that Santa is a giver of happiness. He also adds that to do that effectively, Santa needs skills in observation and analysis. Those are needed to know what children want after all.
Kalki seems a bit annoyed as he asks what Tomte’s point is, so Tomte starts deducing and yelling out loud that between the prep being done and Kalki’s constant sighing, he must be brooding about what sort of present to give. Kalki stops him from saying it all though and asks him to keep it down.
Tomte seems amused as he figures Kalki doesn’t want someone there to hear about him worrying about presents. Kalki in turn is shocked that Tomte hasn’t lowered his voice much if at all, asking if Tomte came to mock the avatara of destruction and king of Deva Loka. Tomte denies that and says it’s his Role to look after Santa. And since Kalki is dressed up as Santa in a shop that’s helping with the Christmas event, Tomte wants to look after him and help. Kalki gives in at that.
Tomte then asks if Kalki’s worries can be put to rest somehow since he’s apparently the only salesperson for the store. Kalki says he wouldn’t be so bothered if it were so easy, then says he’s lost for present ideas. He doesn’t know anything about presents or love after all.
Kalki notes that Tomte seems knowledgeable about Santa and wonders if this is some kind of fate to be meeting him like this. He then decides to royally command Tomte to help him. Tomte says he unfortunately knows nothing about love or even making friends, so he might not be that helpful.
Kalki starts worrying even more about what to do, so Tomte asks if he can call in some help. He’s pretty sure you and Ryouta can figure something out. Upon hearing your name brought up, Kalki mentions that Aizen told him something about you once. Specifically he heard that you are a something singularity that has connections to many people. Aizen started screaming incoherently after that, so Kalki doesn’t know anything else.
Tomte interprets that to mean you’ve got good socialization skills and notes that you do have lots of friends. Kalki agrees to let Tomte call you guys over but says he doesn’t want Shinya knowing the main point. Tomte suggests you all go to the sauna village to talk more.
As Kalki and Tomte come over, you take note of this and wonder if their conversation is done. They did lower their voices at some point so you couldn’t hear much, though you did feel like you caught Aizen’s name. But anyways Kalki proceeds to royally command you to join him in the sauna. Taromaiti is surprised by how condescending he’s acting right off the bat, scolding him for behaving like that and telling you that you can say no.
Shinya says it looks like Tomte made some efforts in this, then asks you to help Kalki. You either put on a stuffy king’s speech patterns as you tell Shinya to leave it to you, speak casually and tell Taromaiti it’s okay and thank her, or think to yourself that this is your chance to get closer to Kalki. Either way, the episode ends as Kalki orders you guys to lead the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment