Scenario:Auld Lanxiety - Chapter 4: The Captain's Pop Quiz - Episode 1

Auld Lanxiety - Chapter 4: The Captain's Pop Quiz - Episode 1

Vajra and Zooey return to find most of their friends asleep and Andira surrounded by irate villagers. Rosine frees the villagers from the Kleshas possessing them by feeding them all senbei. To better understand worldly thoughts, Zooey asks Vajra to explain Kleshas.

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Anila: Zzz...

Lyria: Zzz... Mmm...

Vyrn: Zzzzz...

With the crew snoring peacefully all around her, Andira alone remains sleepless.

Andira: I thought it was strange. The aura of a Klesha pervades this entire island...

Andira: Every single resident has been possessed by Vicikitsa. They're filled with suspicion.

Villager 1: ...

Andira: There was sleeping powder in the food, wasn't there? What was your plan exactly?

Villager 3: Damn, so you figured it out! Why didn't it affect you?

Villager 3: Didn't you eat any of the food?

Andira: No. Something smelled fishy about the whole thing.

Villager 3: What did you say, gong?

Andira: Oh, I did have some water. I guess no one tampered with that.

Villager 2: What an ungrateful little brat. You should accept people's hospitality graciously, like your little friends.

Andira: The Joya's influence is so strong here that (Captain) and the crew's resistance to temptation was bound to weaken.

Andira: Anila is too softhearted to baldly refuse someone's kindness.

Andira: And I'm not that good with new people.

Villager 2: What an unpleasant child you are, gong!

Villager 3: That's why we couldn't trust you!

Villager 3: Besides, you're the ones who kidnapped our granny!

Andira: Eh? What are you talking about?

Villager 1: She's just one little kid! Grab her, tie her up, and make her cough up where she's keeping Granny!

Villager 2: Get her! Gong!

Andira: Adults ganging up on one little kid...

Andira: Out of control negativity really is a poison!

Andira: But I'll bring you back to your senses!

Andira pulls out a few strands of her hair and blows on them.

Andira: Infinite diversity in infinite combinations... Transform!

Andira: You watch over Anila and the others and keep them safe!

Villager 1: That technique... Are you really Lady Andira?

Villager 2: It's just a trick! Has to be! There's no way the real Divine Generals would visit this backwater village!

Andira: You still doubt my identity, even now?

Andira: Uuugh, you're hopeless!

Andira: Light as a feather... Come, my cloud!

Andira: Here we go!

Andira: Absolute freedom in endless skies!

Andira: Go, Nyoi Bo!

Villager 3: Waugh! What are you doing! Stop it this instant!

Andira: You said you lost a beloved grandmother... Why aren't you out looking for her?

Andira: This is no time to be chasing your own tails! Wake up!

Vajra: Hm? What's going on here?

Andira: Rara!

Andira: The food was laced with sleeping powder. Anila, (Captain), and the others are all out cold!

Vajra: What? There's just no end to the bad behavior on this island. Need a hand teaching them a lesson?

Andira: No, wait. These people lost someone important to them, and—

Zooey: Everyone, listen!

Villager 1: Gong?

Andira: Eh?

Vajra: Hm?

Zooey: Let's all eat these senbei together!

Standing beside Zooey is none other than Rosine with a huge batch of freshly-baked rice crackers.

Rosine: Tee hee hee.

Villager 3: Rosine, gong!

Villager 2: Granny!

Rosine: The senbei is ready, everyone.

The villagers are startled to see Rosine.

Villager 3: Is it really you? Are you really Rosine?

The wide-eyed villagers stare at their beloved granny.

Under the influence of Vicikitsa, however, they still seem unable to trust the evidence before their eyes.

Rosine is a crew member, Any version of Andira is a crew member

---

Andira: So their missing person was Rosine.

Rosine not in crew, No version of Andira in crew

---

Andira: So this is the granny everyone was missing.

Rosine: Dear me... What's wrong?

Villager 3: What's wrong?

Villager 3: I don't know if I can trust you!

Villager 2: What if you're an imposter too?

Rosine: What's that?

Rosine: Oh yes, oh yes. Listen, everyone. May I say something?

Rosine: Tee hee hee. I've gone and baked a whole mountain of senbei.

With a bright smile, Rosine walks around and presses a freshly-baked cracker into each villager's hand.

Rosine: Eat up, everyone.

Rosine: We'll have ourselves a nice little tea party.

Rosine doesn't give them a chance to refuse. Her smile and her kindness begin to loosen the bonds of doubt binding her fellow villagers.

As they obediently eat the rice crackers Rosine baked for them, the forbidding atmosphere begins to lighten, and the villagers' expressions relax.

Villager 4: This is... Rosine's cooking!

Villager 2: Oh my... What have we been doing?

The sunshine of Rosine's smile and the familiar, homemade taste of her baking cleanses the suspicion from the villagers' hearts.

Zooey: I knew it...

Rosine: I'm dreadfully sorry I caused you all to worry so much by going off into the woods alone.

Rosine: Can you ever forgive me?

Rosine: I promise not to travel by myself anymore. I couldn't stand to think of you all worrying on my account.

Through the good offices of the Divine Generals and the power of senbei, everyone on the island is freed from the influence of the Klesha.

And so the island returns to normal, filled with kind, peaceful residents.

Andira: Say, Rara. We did actually purify the island of its poison, didn't we?

Vajra: Yes. It was clinging to the villagers who were wandering around in the forest.

Andira: Glad to hear it.
I never realized just how dangerous Vicikitsa could be.

Vajra: Me neither. But that doubt took hold because of how worried everyone was about their granny.

Vajra: Which is proof of just how strong the bonds are between the villagers. This is a pretty nice place!

Zooey: It truly is.

Vajra: What should we do now though?

With Vicikitsa banished from the villagers' hearts, Vajra and the others are back on the Grandcypher enjoying a moment of calm.

Beside them, (Captain) and the others are still sawing logs.

Vajra: We can't really lift off until (Captain) wakes up.

Andira: True. I don't think any of them will be up for a while either...

Andira: Yawn...
I ate too many senbei. I'm stuffed...

Andira: I'm starting to think (Captain) and the others have the right idea. Good night...

Zooey: Andira's asleep too. She must be tired. She had to handle things here while we were gone.

Vajra: Yeah, and by herself too.

Zooey and Vajra stand guard over the Grandcypher while they wait for everyone else to wake up.

Zooey: Vajra, may I ask you something?

Vajra: Of course you can! What's up?

Zooey: Just what are Kleshas?

Vajra: Kleshas?

Zooey: I've given it a lot of thought, but I can't puzzle it out on my own.

Zooey: I don't have worldly thoughts or desires. That's why I need your powers.

Zooey: If I am to serve as a priestess for a time, I feel like I should better understand the concept.

Vajra: Hmm. It's kinda tough to put into words.

Vajra: "Worldly desire" is an easy way of putting it, but you can't just lump all Kleshas together under "greed."

Zooey: Hm... All right.

Zooey: ...

Vajra: ...

Vajra: Zooey, why are you in such a rush?

Vajra: We're working together now!

Zooey: ...?

Vajra: Where you fall short, we'll pick up the slack. If there's something we can't do, you'll step in.

Vajra: Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Gar's always helping me out too.

Vajra: Agonizing over what you don't know won't help you learn it. You have to pick things up as you go along, bit by bit. That's what I do anyway.

Zooey: ...

Zooey: You have a point... Maybe I was worrying too much about my shortcomings.

Zooey: Working together...

Zooey: Yes. You're absolutely right. Thank you.

Vajra: Oh! But that desire you have to learn is kind of worldly, isn't it?

Zooey: Eh?

Vajra: Too much selfishness can lead to disaster...

Vajra: But everyone needs to think of themselves at least a little. How else would they have hopes or aspirations?

Vajra: For example, you want to learn about Kleshas.

Vajra: You need to know in order to better accomplish your mission, right?

Vajra: That's a bona fide worldly desire right there.

Zooey: Really? So even I can harbor Kleshas?

Vajra: Hehe. It's fun talking to you, Zooey. You're so serious.

Zooey: I see. I'm fun to talk to.

Vajra: All right! I'm gonna take Gar for a walk and do a little patrol while we're at it.

Vajra: Can you, Dyrn, and Lyrn guard the ship while I'm gone?

Zooey: You can count on us.

Dyrn: ...

Lyrn: ...

Zooey waves goodbye to Vajra and Garjana from the Grandcypher deck.

Zooey: ...

Zooey: Can I really learn to banish Kleshas?

Vyrn: Yaaawn...
What a great nap...

Lyria: Mmmm...

Lyria: Oh, good morning, Vyrn, Zooey...

Zooey: Good morning. Is (Captain) awake yet?

Vyrn: (Captain)? Nope. Still in dreamland.

Vyrn: Hey, when did we go to sleep anyhow? Last thing I remember, we were having a feast in the village...

Zooey fills the two sleepyheads in on what happened.

Lyria: Oh my goodness!

Vyrn: Wow, you guys had it rough while we were taking a snooze.

Lyria: I'm so sorry... We were fast asleep when you could've used our help...

Zooey: It isn't your fault. Kleshas were to blame.

Vyrn: Say, why are you the only one here, Miss Flippy-Hair?

Zooey: Andira and Anila are asleep. Vajra and Garjana went out on patrol.

Lyria: So that's why the three of you are on watch!

Meanwhile...

(Captain) wakes up belowdecks and blinks around at the room.

Somehow the familiar quarters feel a little off...

1. Where... am I, gong?

Choose: Where... am I, gong?

A glance to the side reveals that Vyrn is nowhere to be found.

Lyria: Oh, (Captain). Good morning...

Lyria: Well, more like afternoon. Ehehe.

Zooey: Ah, you're awake. Everyone else is already—

1. Where's Vyrn, gong?

Choose: Where's Vyrn, gong?

Lyria: Huh? He's right—

Vyrn: Hey, sleeping beauty! Nice of you to join us!

The sight of Vyrn makes (Captain)'s brow furrow.

Vyrn: Hey, what's wrong?

1. You're not Vyrn, gong!

Choose: You're not Vyrn, gong!

Vyrn: Huh? What's up with you?

Vyrn: Are you sleepwalkin' or something? You know who I am!

Lyria: Wait, Vyrn! Something's not right. What's with those "gongs"?

Zooey: (Captain) looks just like those villagers did when they couldn't even believe their own eyes.

Vyrn: You're right!
(Captain), don't tell me you—

Lyria: (Captain)'s been infected by Vicikitsa?

Vyrn: You gotta be kidding me!

Vyrn: (Captain), get a grip!

Lyria: The Kleshas got (Captain)! What do we do, what do we do?

With Anila and Andira asleep, it would seem there is nothing to do but wait for Vajra to return. However...

Zooey: Don't worry.

Lyria: Huh?

Zooey stares keenly at (Captain) for a long moment... then whips a senbei out of her pocket.

A delicious aroma wafts from the little rice cracker.

Zooey: Eat this, (Captain).

Zooey: It was enough to banish the suspicions of those villagers, so it should work on you.

(Captain) eyes the senbei dubiously, suspicious of what might be in it.

(Captain) turns away.

Zooey: You don't want it?

Vyrn: Of course not... If even my handsome mug doesn't look familiar...

Vyrn: No way are snacks from a stranger gonna sound like a good idea!

Lyria: Yeah...

Lyria: Total stranger danger...

Zooey: Humph. There's always force-feeding.

Lyria: Don't do that! (Captain) could choke!

Zooey: That's true...

Lyria: Um, let's take a rain check on the senbei, okay? I'm sure (Captain) will enjoy it once the whole possession thing is sorted.

Zooey: Very well.

Zooey's shoulders sag in defeat, the proffered cracker still in her hand.