Scenario:Ippatsu - Ramen for the Soul
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Ramen for the Soul
A ramen master that once saved Ippatsu now lives in Nalhegrande, and Ippatsu wishes to visit him before the crew leaves the skydom. Ippatsu dons his finest suit for the reunion. However, the ramen master can no longer focus on ramen due to concerns about reaching his peak and the Violet Knight's safety. Ippatsu vows to cheer him up with ramen.
The familiar outline of the Grandcypher glides through the clouds of the Nalhegrande Skydom.
As the crew deliberate over their next course of action, a shaggy-haired crew member steps in to offer his input.
Ippatsu: Hey, (Captain). Might I trouble you for a few words?
Vyrn: What's up, Ippatsu? Haven't had enough ramen?
Lyria: I'm not surprised. We've been too busy lately to look for any ramen shops.
Lyria: Why don't we put you in charge of dinner tonight, and then you can pick ramen!
Ippatsu: Ah! It would be my honor!
Ippatsu: But I actually had a different topic in mind.
Ippatsu: I heard the news that we'll be leaving Nalhegrande soon.
Ippatsu: Before we go, there's one thing I'd like to do.
Choose: And what would that be?
Ippatsu: As you know, I joined the crew with the intention of crossing the Grim Basin.
Vyrn: Oh, yeah, now I remember! The guy who got you back on your feet is supposed to be in this skydom, right?
Ippatsu: Well done, Vyrn! It would be a travesty to leave without paying the master a visit!
Choose: To see the ramen master, right?
Ippatsu: Oho! You have a mind like a steel trap, (Captain)!
Continue 1
No version of Ippatsu in crew
This man is a fiend for the simmering delicacy, which is a regional fare that originated on a certain island.
To repay the ramen master that lifted him from a world of hunger as a youth, Ippatsu scoured Phantagrande for top-notch ramen ingredients.
However, when the ramen master moved his shop to another skydom, Ippatsu didn't have the means to follow him.
As he struggled to find a way to cross the Grim Basin, he had a fortuitous encounter with the crew.
Ippatsu: I mean, I've collected some ingredients, but I have no airship capable of getting me to the ramen master's skydom.
Ippatsu: And the Seven Luminary Knights are too busy for me to get in touch with.
Ippatsu: But if I go with you, I might be able to go and see the master personally!
Ippatsu's story resonated with (Captain), and the captain happily welcomed the ramen-crazed man aboard.
Vyrn: Nalhegrande's been such a storm of crazy that we've barely had a chance to catch our breath.
Lyria: You must have been waiting so long to ask us, Ippatsu. We're so sorry.
Vyrn: Then it's obvious what we gotta do next: go see the ramen master!
Ippatsu: You have my eternal thanks!
Ippatsu: I can't believe this is finally happening...
Ippatsu: (Captain)! You're the one who made it all possible!
Lyria: I'm sure the ramen master will be amazed when he sees all the ingredients you've gathered for him!
Ippatsu: As am I!
Ippatsu: (To say this wait has been killing me is an understatement...)
Ippatsu closes his eyes, memories of his ingredient-hunting endeavors flooding into his head.
Ippatsu: A style of noodle invented in Auguste...
Ippatsu: The bones of the gara-gara caught by the crew...
Ippatsu: Each one of those ramen components is packed with memories of our journey.
Ippatsu: Argh, I'm losing my mind here! I have to get that stuff in the master's hands!
Vyrn: Hehe, I'm glad we were able to help. Otherwise we'd never get to see him as happy as a kid in a candy store.
Lyria: What's the ramen master like? Now I can't wait to meet him either!
Ippatsu: I've already figured out how I'm going to introduce you guys!
Ippatsu: Oh, yes! Pulling into town to see the master has been a long time coming!
Lyria: The ramen master's shop should be somewhere in this town, you said?
Ippatsu: Indeed! Onward to deliciousness!
Vyrn: Whoa, slick threads, by the way! I can practically feel your hype!
Ippatsu: Actually, this is the only proper suit I own. Master tailored it for me back in the day.
Ippatsu: "Won't kill ya to look respectable once in a blue moon," he'd say.
Ippatsu: He's right. I can't show up to a reunion looking like a slob!
Lyria: You look great, Ippatsu! Can you imagine what he'll say when he sees you wearing it?
Vyrn: Well, first we gotta find him. Do you know how to get to his shop?
Ippatsu: Not in the slightest! I lost all contact with him after he left Phantagrande.
Vyrn: You gotta be kiddin' me... We'd better start askin' around then.
Ippatsu: Hehehe... I've got a better idea!
Ippatsu: I'll literally sniff out his location. When it comes to ramen, this nose knows!
Ippatsu: Sniff, sniff... Ah, the trail leads this way.
Lyria: Wow! That's our Ippatsu!
Ippatsu: Master's shop can't hide from me! Come on!
Thanks to Ippatsu's impeccable sniffer, the crew eventually arrive in front of a quaint building.
Ippatsu: We're here!
Ippatsu: This has to be it! That emblem on the door is identical to the one on the shop curtains of his old place!
Vyrn: Geez, he actually smelled his way here... Only Ippatsu could pull off a trick like that.
Vyrn: Hm... Is it just me, or is it too quiet around here?
Lyria: I think you're right... I don't see or hear any customers... Is it not open today?
Ippatsu: Or he could be working on a new menu.
Ippatsu: Knowing him, he'd still be tinkering away in the shop even on a day off.
Ippatsu: Let's throw caution to the wind and take a peek inside. Please be here, Master!
Stepping through the sliding door, the crew is confronted by a sad, dimly lit dining area that could benefit from opening any of the tightly shut windows.
Ramen Master: ...
An elderly gent occupies a stool at the counter, his hunched shoulders lurching forward with every sigh he takes.
Ippatsu: Master!
Ramen Master: Sorry, I'm closed for the day—huh?
Ramen Master: Ippatsu! Is that you?
Ramen Master: Ya always knew how to make an entrance. And now here you are, wearin' that suit like a ghost from the past.
Ippatsu: Hehe...
Ramen Master: How'd ya make it over to Nalhegrande?
Ippatsu: Yes, well, it's quite a tale.
Ippatsu: And so, with (Captain)'s help, I was able to conquer the Grim Basin.
Ramen Master: Is that right? That deserves a pat on the back.
Ramen Master: And (Captain). Nice goin', kid. I'm sure ya had your hands full watchin' over this goober.
Ippatsu: True enough, I couldn't have made it here without (Captain).
Ippatsu: Please, Master! I was hoping you'd treat the captain to your ramen...
Ramen Master: Don't force others to pick up your tab.
Ippatsu: An excellent point!
Ippatsu: By the way, how's business?
Ippatsu: You always said losing one day to replenish soup stock is the same as losing one hundred days of productivity...
Ippatsu: By the gods! Don't tell me you're gravely ill!
Ramen Master: I'm not.
Ippatsu: Then what's the problem?
Ramen Master: Fine. Ain't got any reason to hide this from you anyway.
Ramen Master: Ippatsu, you still remember the Violet Knight?
The ramen lover responds with a firm nod.
Ippatsu: How could I forget? He's the one who lured you to this skydom.
Ippatsu: In a way, it's his fault I had to find myself a set of wings to cross the Grim Basin.
Ramen Master: I guess you could call him my boss of sorts. Thing is, he's gone missing as of late.
Lyria: Missing?
Ramen Master: That's right. Ain't a big deal usually. Always knew the man couldn't sit still for two seconds.
Ramen Master: But this time... There's a knot in my gut that I can't untie. My brain's scattered.
Ramen Master: No news tends to mean good news, but right now I can't even focus on ramen.
Ippatsu has never seen the ramen master look so despondent.
Ippatsu: (There's no proof anything happened to the Violet Knight, but the master's intuition can be scary good...)
Ippatsu: (It's no wonder he's in a slump. Still...)
Ippatsu: You're telling me you can't concentrate on ramen? You?
Ramen Master: Heh, I'm as shocked as you are. I gave up everything else for a life of ramen.
Ramen Master: Which is why if I'm bein' honest, it ain't just the Violet Knight I'm worried about.
Ippatsu: What do you mean?
Ramen Master: It's always been there—that nagging voice in the back of my head tellin' me my ramen can't get any better.
Ramen Master: Or it could just be I'm lookin' for an excuse to give up on chasin' that perfect bowl and retire...
Ippatsu: Master!
Ramen Master: Quit yellin'. You're hurtin' my ears.
Ippatsu: Don't you dare try and change the subject!
Ramen Master: And don't you start with me, dammit! Give an old man a break.
Ippatsu: All right, I understand. You're having a rough day.
Ippatsu: Come on, (Captain). Let's pack it in for now.
Vyrn: Sure...
Lyria: Please don't feel too discouraged, mister. We'll be getting out of your hair now.
Ramen Master: I hear ya. Sorry for bein' closed. It ain't right to walk out of a ramen shop with an empty stomach.
Vyrn: Boy... He was really in the dumps.
Lyria: Mm-hm... It'd be nice if the Violet Knight came back right now...
Vyrn: When even the True King says he doesn't know where the guy is, what hope do we have of trackin' him down?
Ippatsu: A problem of this magnitude can't be solved overnight...
Ippatsu: But knowing that the master's pots sit cold and dry is like living in a nightmare!
Ippatsu: I can't bear to see him like this.
(Captain)'s feelings on the matter are mutual.
Choose: Is there any way we can help?
Ippatsu: (Captain)!
Ippatsu: I believe there is! And I could use all the help I can get.
Choose: Let's get him back on his feet.
Ippatsu: You read my mind, (Captain)!
Continue 2
Ippatsu: There is, in fact, one sure cure for the blues.
Whatever plan Ippatsu is cooking up, he can't wipe the smirk off his face.
The crew's mission to reinvigorate the ramen master has officially begun.