Ah yes, the wondrous sauna.
MC: hmm, camera on or off...?
Ganran: What's up with you, MC?
Ryusei and Rexer look over.
Ganran: MC keeps saying on or off to themselves. Did they bake their brains in here?
Ryusei: Oh, maybe they're wondering whether to film this for the stream!
Rexer: Oh yeah, the drone can handle being in here, but then again we've done enough for the day.
Ryusei: Right, it'd be better if Hitomi were here too if we're filming. Also this sauna is nice!
Ganran: Right!?
Sweaty space dwarf.
Ryusei: Ooh yeah, feeling the burn.
Rexer: I'm surprised at how Earthlike the sauna is.
Ryusei: Same actually. Ganran, you said lots of customs here are different.
Ganran: Haha, the owner redecorated recently for fun! Especially after hearing you guys would come!
Ryusei: Cool!
MC: Wow, how welcoming.
Ganran: Wanna go to a hotter sauna like we do it in Garundera?
Ryusei: I'm in!
Ganran: Feel the volcano heat! Bet I can stick it out longer than you, but we shouldn't push too hard.
Ryusei: Okay! What about you, Rexer? MC? (wipes self)
Rexer: Nah, but thanks. This is hot enough for me. What about you, MC?
MC: I'm good / I'm curious, but can't handle too much heat...
Ryusei: Oh okay. Remember to stay hydrated!
Ganran: To each their own! Okay, let's do this Ryusei! But first, cold bath. We can do an endurance contest there too!
Ryusei: You like that, huh? You're on!
Ganran and Ryusei leave.
Rexer: Heh, they're having fun. You sure you're good, MC?
MC: I'm actually more concerned with you. Wanna talk? You can say no...
Rexer: (freezes for a second) ...wow, you saw through me? It's not a big deal, just...been thinking about something lately.
Rexer looks up and sighs.
Rexer: ...what's it mean to be an adult?
MC: Hmm...
Rexer: ...I feel kinda dumb. I'm doing this work but I still don't feel like an actual adult yet. I want to be like Dad. Always have, since I was little.
Rexer looks at his palm.
Rexer: When I met you, I became a real hero fighting against Monsters and villains like Giansar. Got my hero license, and felt like I was taking a step forward to being like Dad... I didn't want people to forget who "Rexer" was. So I dreamed of being an even bigger hero while keeping his name out there.
Rexer stares off. His tail taps against the floor.
Rexer: ...of course I joined the show biz agency. Made more real world appearances. I've had the other stuff stopped, but I still have to do good as the next Rexer.
Rexer looks seriously at MC while clenching his fists.
Rexer: Same for this stream cast. But... it's tough being a celeb. I keep messing up.
Flashback to three different times Rexer made mistakes on camera!
Present
MC: Oh... / I thought you did well tho? / Those were your good points too, I think.
Rexer: (shakes head) Hitomi's younger than me, but she's doing great at her idol job. Ryusei's doing his model thing. Maybe it's not comparable, but I feel show biz and esports as jobs with audiences were like that... I tried doing what I thought Dad would do, but...
Drip drop.
Rexer: I'm still not good enough as a gamer, streamer, or showman. I can't become better than Dad, let alone catch up like this... but I know I can't rush it.
Rexer smiles wryly. MC smiles back.
MC: You didn't mess up the whole time. You figured out the clue earlier. You get work because you're good!
Rexer: ...oh, thanks. I'm sure Dad would've done better. I must sound like such a jerk after all you said...
MC: You're you, Rexer. Not your Dad.
Rexer: MC...
MC: Go it your way! / Maybe relax a little? / Being natural will be fine!
Rexer: Like me, huh...? Right, I've made mistakes in games before, but I've never failed to clear a stage. Thanks MC, I'll think about it. How would I do things? But there might not be a right answer... I'll still keep at it to be a better adult, and one Dad would be proud of!
Rexer jumps up.
MC: You sure love your Dad / You can do it
Rexer: I feel clearer now, for one reason or another!
Rexer's brightened up a bit. MC's phone glows and makes digivice noises!
MC: Oh!
Rexer: What?
MC: You were making a nice face and I wondered about taking a pic!
Rexer: Heh, you're really into the cameraman thing! Alright, maybe we should go now. Ganran and Ryusei might--oh god, earthquake!
Sudden shaking!
MC: Wait...
Eeeevil...
Rexer: You okay?
Rexer holds his hand out. The sauna door opens.
Ganran: You guys okay!?
Ryusei: Yeah, huh. That was a big one.
Rexer: O-oh, yeah. You guys seem fine too.
Ganran: Yeah. That's weirdly a lot, but it's probably nothing!
Ryusei: Guess we should go back to the hotel now.
Ganran: Sucks our contest didn't finish...
Ryusei: Haha, we'll just do it again next time! With everyone!
Rexer: Sure...what's wrong, MC?
MC: I felt something...
Ganran: Maybe it's heat exhaustion. Let's get you outta here.
Ryusei: I'll bring water!
MC thanks them. But still...
MC: Hmm...
Title Card: I've Got a Lot of Things on My Mind
The next day, meeting at Ganran's workshop!
Ryusei: Morning guys, I feel great after yesterday's sauna!
Rexer: Same! Let's go find that rock cacao!
Hitomi: Sure! Tell me about the sauna! But first... (bows to Ganran) I'm sorry for breaking your pickaxes yesterday!
Ganran: It's cool! I got more, and then I started custom fitting one for you! Mind waiting until the stronger one's done?
Hitomi: Okay, and thank you!
Ganran: Thanks! Can you move these tools inside for me?
And so the party goes inside.
Lots of tools and stuff on the shelves.
MC: Whoa!
Ryusei: Wow you make a lot of stuff!
Rexer: You made all these swords and axes?
Ganran: Yep! Oh yeah, your Parallel Weapon's a sword/ax mode changer.
Rexer: Yeah, it was Dad's. Can I see your other stuff?
Ganran: Sure! We'll be here for a while anyways.
Hitomi: Ganran, I'm putting your things here. Oh hey, that ax is still a WIP?
Bunch of dusty wips, actually.
Ganran: ...yeah, my apprentice's work. She still got a way to go, but still pretty good huh?
Ryusei: Wow, so you ARE a master!
MC: What's she like?
Hitomi: Ooh, yeah. How does a blacksmith pick up an apprentice?
Rexer: And where is she anyways?
Ganran: (freezes for a second) She's...special. And she ain't here right now. It's a dumb story...but do you wanna hear it anyways?
Ganran starts working on fixing the pickax while he talks.
Ganran: So this one time, on some other planet and country, I got asked to make some special axe based on their cultural traditions they said could bring peace. It was supposed to be a peace symbol. It was hard work, and then a giant Monster popped up while I was working and burned the nation to the ground.
Ganran: I met my apprentice Barte there, and her parents asked me to take her with me. We came here and I became her foster dad...and she turned out to be a wild girl. Lively, but she barged in and out all the time. Good girl now, but she always whined about wanting to forge stuff.
Flashback!
Ganran: Mkay, work done for today. Barte, what the hell are ya doin' in here again?
Barte looks at Ganran's sharpened axe work.
Barte: Ohh, pretty. Hey Ganran, how'd you do that?
Ganran: What, you like my sharpening skills? Girl, I bet you just like the edge. Don't you go putting your mitts on everything and chopping your fingers off!
Barte: Yeah yeah, I know! I'll be careful!
Ganran: Ugggh. Well don't touch the edge.
Ganran hands the axe over. Barte carefully takes and scrutinizes it.
Barte: Damn, pretty.
Ganran: (blush)
Barte: Hey Ganran, let ME make an axe! Be my smithy master!
Ganran: For the tenth time, no. Too dangerous! What the hell do I say to your parents if something happened!? ...plus I still haven't made what I wanted to.
Barte: Oh come on, you big jackass! You're super good and I'll be careful!
Ganran: No! Why do you wanna make axes anyway? I can just make stuff if you need anything.
Barte looks at Ganran head on.
Barte: 'cuz you make them so pretty that I wanna do that too! Because they're as pretty as your heart!
Ganran: !?
Recursive flashback!
???: You made such a beautiful axe that no one can make one like it. And I know how beautiful your heart is.
Flashback present
Ganran: You...
Barte: Teach me, Ganran Master! I'm not moving or eating otherwise!
Ganran: Uggghhh... okay fine, tomorrow we buy the tools you'll need.
Barte: YEEESSSS!
Ganran: Hang on girl, we got some ground rules! 1. Safety First! Your ass is out if you can't hold to that!
Barte: Yeah yeah, I know already. I promise. See you tomorrow!
Present
Ganran: So that's how Barte became my apprentice. Then Monsters attacked the planet...she disappeared when she fell into the Path they came out of.
Shocked party!
MC: WHAT
Hammering time!
Ganran: Smithy ground rule! Never lose hope! Girl must be alive somewhere, and she's tough. She'll just waltz in like nothing one day. It's been forever, but I get a long lifetime as a space dwarf!
Ganran examines the pickax.
Ganran: When she comes back, I still gotta do stuff as her master. Can't be fallin' behind. And whenever she gets back, I hope you guys make friends with her. Anyways, story time over. We'll put this in the cooling machine and pick it up when we come back!
Ganran sticks the pickax in.
Ganran: What? I'm okay!
Hitomi: Well, thank you for telling us about her.
Rexer: Yeah, you're a good master. Reminds me of when I started learning how to game.
Ganran: (nods and opens the workshop door) Yeah, these things happen in hero work. Welp, time to climb the Chocolate Volcano!
Ryusei: Yeah, we gotta find the rock cacao!
Rexer: For the show!
Later
Rexer: I've sorta gotten used to the heat a little now.
MC: Yeah, after the sauna / still hot...
Hiking time!
Ryusei: New path today! I hope we find something!
Rexer: Yeah, reminds me of that game world.
Ryusei: Volcano stages are so hard.
Hitomi: Yeah, with all the falling magma in them.
Rexer: But they also have better drops! Dad was a game dev and was excited making hard lava stages. Figured I'd clear them one day.
MC: Ohh! / What game was that?
Subject change for the show!
Ganran: So like your TV staff brought a lot of chocolates from Earth and they were great! You guys eat chocolate a lot? I heard celebs gotta keep to a diet.
Ryusei: I sometimes have high purity cacao chocolate. Good for sugar and for beefing up! Also lots of protein drinks are chocolate flavored! What about you, Hitomi?
Hitomi: I love chocolate! I've started checking out what chocolates are on other planets, but only as a treat.
Ganran: That just makes it better!
Rexer: I eat them a lot when I game. Good for energy, and I like sweets! Kinda weird people give me chocolate mint so much though.
Hitomi: I love chocolate mint!
Ryusei: I'm getting hungry!
Ganran: How about we take a break soon? ...wait, what's that smell? (sniffs around)
MC: W-wait!
Something smells sweet and spicy...
Rexer: W-who's there!?
Blue: Haha, you hungry? We at Neo Talents's production crew made a special curry with chocolate in it, recipe from Gourmet Fighters!
Yellow and Purple walk up heating some curry.
MC: PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE / Ryekie would love that curry!
Hitomi: Okay yeah I'm getting hungry!
Rexer: Is that a delivery for the program?
Ryusei: No, it can't be! There's gotta be a twist!
Rexer: W-what!? Is this a trap!?
Blue: Well we can't call you the Choco Hunters and not have you hunt. If you lose, you gotta eat the Super Garundera Spice Special Curry!
Yellow and Purple stop heating up their curry.
Ganran: Fight time!
Rexer: Okay I'm kinda curious about the spice special, but no holding back!
Hitomi: MC, transform us!
MC: Let's go!
Beep! Party's suited up!
Ganran: Smithy ground rule: no food if you don't work! So I am in on this!
Rexer: We're gonna get that food before we pass out from the heat!
Ryusei: I'm gonna flex so hard!
Hitomi: Ooh it smells so good. Let's get the show on!
Blue: Get ready to rumble!
BATTLE START (more happens after)
Curry time for the party!
Party: Thanks for the food!
Hitomi: Simple yet fragrant!
Ganran: Wow the chocolate really brings out the flavor!
Ryusei: Eating outside makes food so much better!
Rexer: Plus we just did some hiking and fighting...hey can I try some of that super spicy curry?
MC: it is magma red / I have concerns! / I should get this on camera!
Rexer: Well I like spicy. Never seen this kinda spicy, but why not?
Ryusei: Cool! Don't push it too much, okay?
Ganran: Me too then! Bet I can take it better than you!
Rexer: You're on!
...
Rexer: OH GOD IT BURNS
Ganran: Oof! ...senses...going...numb!
Hitomi holds out some water.
Hitomi: Are you okay, Rexer!?
Ryusei: Damn, I'm really glad we won then. Ganran, are these Garundera spices actually edible?
Ganran: Oof...if you're...used to it!
Hitomi: Oh my god, Ganran you are sweating like crazy! Here's water for you!
Ganran: Thanks! But yeah...we don't make it this spicy usually!
Rexer: My tongue hurts...
MC: Oh yeah Ryusei, the production crew gave me this!
Ryusei: A cue card? It says "the curry the team just ate is a Neo Talents Production and Gourmet Fighters collab special! Regular spicy and volcano spice versions available for a limited time!" Hey, two thumbs up from me!
Hitomi: The secret chocolate flavor is amazing!
Rexer: Bring tons of water if you want to try the spicy version! Oof...
MC: And there's our contractually obligated advertising piece!
Ryusei: Wow, we even have commercial breaks!
Ryusei starts putting the cue card aside.
Rexer: Wait, something's on the other side.
Ryusei: Oh huh, what?
Ganran: A picture? ...wait, isn't this a map of Choco Volcano?
Hitomi: Oh yeah huh. There's a red X on it.
Ryusei: Is this a treasure map!?
Ganran: Haha, welp! I guess your agency did some prelim investigations! Dunno if they actually found a vein, but we'll know when we get there!
MC: We can get the rock cacao!? Let's go then!
Rexer: The production crew might've stuck another trap there, but not like we have any other ideas! Ganran, can you take us there?
Ganran: Sure!
Ryusei: After meal workout!
Hitomi: I hope we find it while we burn our calories!
Ganran: Watch your feet when we get closer. Come on!
The party heads out, when...
MC: (GASP!) I SENSE...
...
MC: ...nothing maybe?
Rexer: MC, come on!
MC rechecks. Still nothing. Better catch up for now.
End of Episode
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