Scenario:A Walk on the Wild Side - Chapter 3: Together We Slack - Episode 4

A Walk on the Wild Side - Chapter 3: Together We Slack - Episode 4

Just as the bros' delusion about the Forbidden Girls' Room comes to a close, Lunalu calls out to them for storyboarding advice. They enter a new fantasy where Lowain becomes Prince Popol, and the bros fight off a gorilla, macho, and their combined form—Machorilla.

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It is still early afternoon as the Lowain bros mellow out in a fragrant haze of caffeine-induced bliss.

Lowain: Dude... Cag is seriously awesome possum.

???: ...

Elsam: Anyone who's mastered the power of cute like her is obviously on a whole nother level...

???: ...

Tomoi: The girls' room is so out of this world that I wasn't sure our minds could handle it.

???: ...

Tyre: My fellow bros... A shadow looms over us...

Lowain: Hm?

The three turn their gaze to the side to find a pallid figure standing before them.

???: ...

All Three: Eep!

Tyre: M-my bros, please calm yourselves! It is only Lunalu!

Lunalu: ...

Lowain: Ah...

Elsam: (Uh-oh peperoncini-o's... You think she heard us?)

Tomoi: (Shoot! I think our rep just went way down the drain!)

Lunalu: I'm drained...

Tomoi: Drained? Of what?

Lunalu: Of ideas!

A terrible sadness shows on Lunalu's face as she screams in desperation.

Lowain: Luna-rad, somethin' happen to ya? We'll hear you out.

Lunalu: Sniff... Thank you... There's another book fair coming up soon, so I was working on my storyboards...

Elsam: What's a storyboard?

Tomoi: It's that thing you plan out rough sketches on. Wait, there's gonna be another book fair?

Lunalu: Yes... It'll be on a smaller scale than the previous one...

Lunalu: I figured it would be the perfect place to announce my latest interpretation of the Popol Saga...

The Popol Saga is a sweeping epic that spans nine volumes. Its author remains unknown and the work unfinished.

Because the conclusion, which would have been the tenth volume, does not exist, fans speculate endlessly. A culture of rabid fans promoting their own conclusion was soon born.

Lunalu happens to be an avid reader of the Popol Saga, in addition to being a storybook artist herself.

Lunalu: Perhaps I'm blinded by my preconceptions... No matter how hard I try, I can't get the very last part just right.

Lunalu: As usual the deadline's really close...

Lunalu: If I don't finish the storyboards today, I... Sob...

Lunalu: So I figured the best thing I could do was swallow my pride and ask for advice...

Lunalu: And when I looked up, I saw you four sitting there...

Lowain: Whoa! Grandmaster Lunalu wants advice from us?

Lunalu: But if it's too much trouble, that's okay... Sorry for bothering you. You can just pretend I never asked...

All Three: We're in!

Lunalu: Huh?

Tyre: I admit I am no match for my fellow bros, but I shall also do what I can to assist.

Lunalu: Really? Thank you so much...

Lunalu: W-well, can you try reading this for starters?

Lunalu: Um, feel free to stop halfway through if you find that it's too much... There are... suggestive drawings after all...

Lunalu's main interest lies in the romantic relationships between the male characters in these storybooks.

Lowain: Nah, it's cool. We're always lookin' to expand our horizons—ain't nothing we can't handle.

Lunalu is somewhat hesitant as she hands the stack of storyboards over to Lowain.

The bros pass them around as they read through each one.

Lunalu: ...

Elsam: Dude, Lowain. Hand over the next page already.

Lowain: Gimme a sec. I'm still on this one.

Tomoi: We're all waitin' on you, slowpoke! What happens to Mikhail next?

Lowain: Oh, you're still there? So you see, after Mikhail enters the forest...

All Three: Whoa!

Elsam: Spoiler alert, man! It's your fault we haven't gotten that far yet.

Elsam: Wait, Ty, did you just scream with us?

Tyre: Ahem...

Tyre: My apologies. I was merely expressing my wish to enjoy the story through Lunalu's storyboards...

Tomoi: You can say that again. Grandmaster Lunalu's work is the bomb!

Lunalu: R-really?

The quartet leaf through Lunalu's storyboard draft with joy on their faces.

Lunalu: Well, what do you think? I'd love to hear your honest thoughts...

Elsam: Was real good, but I don't get why this old-timer's gotta get in the way of Popol's quest for true love.

Lunalu: Oh, the chancellor? He can be really hard-headed, you see. The moment he learns of Popol's and Mikhail's feelings for each other, he tries to pull them apart.

Lunalu: He prioritizes the kingdom's prosperity above all else, even the prince's happiness.

Tomoi: And what's up with this lieutenant? The stuff he does is downright dirty, and he just doesn't know when to give up!

Lunalu: That lieutenant is trying to take over the kingdom. He's a ruthless go-getter who'll do whatever it takes to climb the ranks. And he sees Popol as an obstacle.

Lowain: Popol seriously needs to get his priorities straight. Forget about the kingdom, forget about the throne, 'cuz love is totally where it's at.

Lunalu: Huh?

Lunalu: You think pinning him between his feelings and his standing as a prince might not be the best way to take this?

Lowain: Nah... This is one story where you just wanna keep pushing in one direction, if you ask me.

The trumpet of war has sounded.

Prince Popol watches from inside the castle while his nation's forces battle the invading army far in the distance.

Prince Popol: Aw shoot... I can't believe it's come to this... But somewhere on that battlefield—

Elsam: Prince! Reporting in! The enemy forces are goin' full aggro on us! We're gonna get rekt!

Tomoi: Our army's bummed out like whoa. We could be total goners soon. Like, Ultimate Oh-Crap-Crap-Crap-ahamut.

Prince Popol: Yo, Tommy, Sammy... I know this is a lot to ask at a time like this, but...

Elsam: It's about Mik, right? Yeah, we sorta connected the dots!

Prince Popol: ...!

Mik, otherwise known as Mikhail, is someone Popol cares deeply about. As the son of the enemy general, Mikhail is certain to be somewhere on the chaotic battlefield.

The union-to-be of Popol and Mikhail is rendered impossible by the war between their nations.

Tomoi: Go for it, Prince. War's for total losers, man. But you? You deserve to be happy with Mik!

Prince Popol: Sammy... Tommy!

With his close aides behind him, the prince marches out onto the battlefield in search of Mikhail.

Prince Popol: Huff... Huff... Mik... Wait for me!

Elsam: Prince! Look ahead! We've got a random encounter... with the chancellor!

Elsam: Chancellor Gorilla might be shredded, but he's not exactly the brightest banana in the jungle, so people just call him Chancorilla!

Chancorilla: You're not getting past me!

Fully aware of the relationship between Popol and Mikhail, the chancellor is trying to split them apart for the prosperity of the kingdom.

Tomoi: Seriously? Chancorilla wants us to rumble with him! Are we game or what? Not sure we can handle that much beefcake though...

Tomoi: Either way... Showing up butt-naked in public—on a battlefield no less—that kind of confidence is bad news!

Prince Popol: None of that matters! Love comes first, one's kingdom second!

Prince Popol: Raaah!

Chancorilla: Oof!

Tomoi: Nice one, Prince! Sock it to him!

Having awakened to the power of love, Prince Popol tears Chancellor Gorilla a new one and is ready to advance.

Chancorilla: Prince Popol... You will remain on this battlefield!

Tomoi: He got back up... I know he's a few bananas short of a split, but he's still got enough of 'em to blow us to kingdom come...

Elsam: Rgh! You keep going, Prince! You too, Tommy!

Prince Popol: Sammy!

Elsam: I'll take things from here! Go find your Mik and live the good life, Prince!

Tomoi: What he said! C'mon, we gotta go!

Prince Popol: You dweeb... Sammy! You'd better come outta this alive!

With painful reluctance Prince Popol moves forward with Tomoi. However, there is another standing in their path.

Tomoi: It's Lieutenant Macho!

Lt.'s Subordinate: Hehehe... So you finally show your face, Prince. The lieutenant knew you'd come.

Lt. Macho: Prince Popol! Royalty who would abandon their soldiers to save themselves deserve a thousand deaths!

Lt. Macho: But this makes it all the more easier... Burying you will allow the army to take command of the nation!

Prince Popol: Zip it, muscles-for-brains! I've always hated you and your stinky muscles!

Prince Popol: Hrghh! Hyaaah!

Lt.'s Subordinate: Gwaah!

Lt. Macho: Rgh... Wait...

Prince Popol: You machos have no place in my kingdom! That's why I'm deportin' every last one of you—

Prince Popol: Oh crap, can't be wastin' time here! C'mon, Tommy!

Tomoi: My bad, Prince... Might have to ask you to go on alone though... Check that out.

Lt. Macho: Ma... cho!

Prince Popol: Dang! Should've expected that coming from a macho...

Tomoi: I'll hold him here and catch up with you, like, ASAP.

Prince Popol: Darn it, Tommy... That's a promise! I'll be waitin'!

It is with the assistance of his most loyal followers that Prince Popol is able to continue searching for Mikhail.

Lowain: So how 'bout we say I ran to Mik at the speed of, like, Mach 99, and then we both lived happily ever after?

After hearing the Lowain bros' idea of a fitting conclusion, Lunalu stands with mouth agape.

Lunalu: But the Popol Saga is supposed to be about all these different elements—from the kingdom, to the war, to the people, to social status, and...

Lunalu: You erased all traces of context!

Elsam: Makes you feel wicked cool when you can muscle through everything.

Tomoi: Word. Don't sweat the small stuff. Sometimes you gotta know when to pump it up and go with the flow.

Lunalu: Absolutely not—there are too many problems with your version! For starters, what even is a Chancorilla? And what's your deal with machos!

Lowain: You see, there's this macho the three of us can never forgive. And Chancorilla? We threw him in there for good storytelling.

Lowain: But you've got a point, Luna-rad. A good story's, like, a megaton times infinity better if you can end with a catharsis.

Elsam: So it's back to the drawing board? Dude, how do we even move the story forward from there?

Tomoi: This calls for some morphin' action...

Tyre: Morphing? Tomoi, what sort of newfangled concept is that?

Elsam: Whoa now, Tommy. You might be on to something...

Lowain: Dude, that just might work!

Prince Popol: Oh dang... This is one battlefield gone wild... How am I ever gonna find Mik in here?

Prince Popol scans his eyes across the war zone for any sign of Mikhail.

Elsam & Tomoi: Prince!

Prince Popol: Sammy! Tommy! Haha! You're actually alive!

Elsam: Heck yeah we are! Don't go killin' us off in your head! Like we'd lose to that pushover of a gorilla!

Tomoi: Even the macho was easy-peasy lemon-squeazy. So, like, what are you up to anyway, Prince?

Prince Popol: I've gotta find Mik and look for my chance to make a clean getaway...

However, Lowain's heart skips a beat when he turns around.

Chancorilla: You shall not pass!

Lt. Macho: Prince Popol! It's time to meet your maker!

Chancellor Gorilla and Lieutenant Macho, who should have been felled by Elsam and Tomoi, stand before the trio.

Prince Popol: Ugh, you just don't know when to quit, do you? Ain't got time to be messin' around with you butt monkeys!

Lt.'s Subordinate: Fools! We still have our ace in the hole! If you will, Lieutenant!

Lt. Macho: Ma... choooo!

Chancorilla: Hraaaargh!

Elsam: Whoa, whoa, whoa... Why'd the lighting on them go all wack?

Tomoi: Beats me. Looks like they're gettin' vibed up though...

Lt.'s Subordinate: Bwahahaha! The chancellor was on our side all along!

Lt.'s Subordinate: Just so you know, Prince Popol! The two have tapped into the forbidden arts in order to slay you!

Prince Popol: Wha?

???: Gwaaaargh!

Prince Popol: Oh snap! Did they just fuse together?

Lt.'s Subordinate: Mwahahaha! The ultimate life-form Machorilla has descended upon us!

Lt.'s Subordinate: By unleashing the forbidden art known as Steaming-Hot Bowl of Malarkey, literally anything goes now!

Lt.'s Subordinate: Please, Machorilla! Put Prince Popol in his place and lead us to salvation!

Machorilla: Machorillaaaa!

Tomoi: Dang... We're kinda, like, mega-doomed, but least we can go out with a bang.

Prince Popol: Look, I know they just went full-on super monkey, but now's our chance! This makes it a smoother twofer!

Elsam: Word. It'll be like creaming two muscleheads with one slap. Let's spank that Machorilla.

Prince Popol: It's on... We do this, and I get to live happily ever after!

All Three: Jeah!