Scenario:Mahira - Clucket Science
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Clucket Science
Mahira dreams of flying to the cosmos with (Captain) and the others. She begins to think that by working together, they really could reach her goal, but feels bad to drag them into her personal endeavor. The crew proposes accompanying her into town to get the supplies she forgot to purchase yesterday, and Mahira, still conflicted, agrees.
A pall of smoke hangs over one corner of the forest. It rises from a mountain of broken machines. Buried in that pile is Mahira.
Mahira: ...
From between bits of scrap metal, she gazes up at the interlaced tree branches which reach toward the sky.
Lyria: Mahiraaa!
Vyrn: Yooo! Mahiraaa!
Mahira: Oh, you're all here...
(Captain) pulls away bits of wreckage and offers Mahira a smile and a hand up.
Mahira: Going? I'm sorry... Did we make plans? It seems to have slipped my mind.
Confused, Mahira takes (Captain)'s hand.
But before (Captain) can pull, Mahira bobs into the air like a bubble rising to the surface of a glass of champagne.
Mahira: Whoa! Is this... floatification?
Mahira rapidly rises above the treetops, and before she can say cock-a-doodle-dum, she finds herself afloat amid a sea of clouds.
Mahira: I don't believe it... Am I... flying?
Lyria: Yes, you're flying! But your goal is a lot higher up than this.
Mahira: Whoa! This is... the cosmos!
Mahira: Amazing! But... how?
Mahira: Because it was a dream, of course.
Mahira awakes in her room aboard the Grandcypher just after dawn.
Mahira: Ah... I remember. I was nodding off in the common area. (Captain) and the others must have brought me back here and tucked me in.
Mahira: What a nice dream, though. I wish we could all visit the cosmos together.
Mahira: Hm? Together?
Mahira: That's a strange thought... I'm the only one obsessed with reaching the cosmos, after all...
Mahira: Getting your friends mixed up in your personal problems is an amateur move.
Nadia: No way! It's because we rehearsed together, goddess! That's why my drumming sounded so much better than it usually does when I practice!
Mahira: ...
Mahira: Together...
Maybe if (Captain) and the others lent me their strength, or...
Maybe if (Captain) and the others lent me their strength, or...
Mahira: But how can I ask a favor like that...
Vyrn: Yaaawn...
What's up with all the rat-a-tat-tatting this early in the morning?
What's up with all the rat-a-tat-tatting this early in the morning?
Mahira: Vyrn, (Captain), Lyria. What brings you here?
Lyria: We heard drumming from in here and got a little worried.
Mahira: Hmm?
Mahira: Oh. I didn't even realize I was doing it. I'm sorry.
Vyrn: You didn't? Well, if nothing's up, I'm gonna go back to bed.
Mahira: Well... Actually, there is something.
Mahira: Ah, that is... I haven't reached a conclusion yet, but...
Choose: Wanna do some drumming together?
Lyria: Yeah! I've been wanting to try beating a drum! Pa-rum-pum-pum!
Mahira: That might be fun. But that's not what I had in mind...
Vyrn: Wanna make a supply run? You never got to buy what you needed yesterday, did you?
Vyrn: Oh, yeah. You completely forgot to buy what you needed yesterday, didn't you?
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Mahira: ...?
Mahira: Oh, that's right.
Vyrn: You seriously forgot?
Lyria: Ahaha... Well then, let's go together! We can help out!
Lyria: We needed to go into town for food and supplies anyhow, didn't we, (Captain)?
(Captain) nods and proposes that they all go together.
Mahira: ...
Mahira: Yes, that does sound logical. Please allow me to accompany you. I can bring along Clucky-Doodle.
Vyrn: Oh, nice! Having a ride'll make things easier. But, uh... why so formal all of a sudden?
Mahira, (Captain), and the others climb aboard the Clucky-Doodle, Mahira's midsize airship, and head into town.
Clucket Science: Scene 2
Mahira uses her floatification to carry the ever-growing number of packages she has acquired on their shopping trip. She tries to refuse when her friends offer to share her burden, but when they explain how much they want to help her, Mahira is touched and accepts their assistance.
Mahira, Lyria, Vyrn, and (Captain) arrive in town aboard the Clucky-Doodle.
Mahira's expression turns serious when they cross the threshold of the first store. Her brow furrows as she scans the merchandise.
Mahira: Oh... Up on top of that shelf...
Vyrn: You wanna see those bananas? Put 'em up pretty high, didn't they?
Vyrn: Lemme grab 'em for—
Mahira: Cock-a-doodle-dum. Wing-a-doodle-fly.
Lyria: Wow, you got them down with your floatification! That was so cool!
Vyrn: That's a pretty handy trick!
Mahira: Hmm. Dried and flash-frozen, these should retain their sweet flavor, and remain edible for an extended period of time.
Lyria: Ahaha... She's in material-gathering mode.
Vyrn: They're bananas, not rare ores. What are we doing at a greengrocer, anyhow?
Mahira: I have my reasons. Naturally, I also want to stop at the hardware store, and the little factory in town.
Mahira: Would vegetables be better, though? Mm... A difficult decision, but I think this is the right choice...
Lyria: Hm? You put carrots in the basket a minute ago.
Mahira: Oh, right. I forgot.
Vyrn: Man, your memory's as full of holes as ever. Just when I thought it was improving.
Lyria: Between the greengrocer and the butcher, you really shopped up a storm, Mahira!
Mahira: Yes. Next up is the factory.
Floatifying her packages to hover around her, Mahira proceeds to the next destination on her list.
Choose: Let me carry those for you.
Mahira: You mean these packages?
Vyrn: Yeah. That stuff looks like it could drop at any moment. It's makin' me nervous.
Mahira: I still have a lot to learn, but I can manage this much. None of these packages are very heavy, even though there are quite a few.
Choose: You'll be able to focus better that way.
Mahira: I will?
Vyrn: Yeah, you still gotta buy parts, right? How're you gonna focus on choosing the right ones if you've gotta split your attention between that and floatification?
Mahira: You do have a point. But...
Choose: It might have a bad effect on the food.
Mahira: You mean floatification might cause it to spoil?
Mahira: Don't worry, floatification has no effect whatsoever on the composition of food.
Vyrn: What a weird thing to say, (Captain). That's not the issue here anyway, is it?
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Lyria: We just want to help you, Mahira. Right, (Captain)?
(Captain) nods, embarrassed.
Mahira: You guys...
Mahira: ...
Mahira: In that case... I accept! Thank you!
With a smile, Mahira floats her packages right into her friends' arms.
Clucket Science: Scene 3
Back on the ship, Mahira enlists the crew's help to develop rations to take into the cosmos. Following her instructions, they try to create lightweight, nutritious meals with long shelf lives. Mahira debuts a new kitchen invention, and the group enjoys a pleasant afternoon of cooking.
The crew returns to the Grandcypher laden down with groceries, machine parts, and all manner of other things.
As they catch their breath and Mahira puts her purchases in order, the Divine General hesitantly begins to speak.
Mahira: Um... (Captain). Vyrn. Lyria.
Mahira: Forgive my presumption, but I have a request...
Vyrn: Yooo, this meat over here is dry as a bone! Will this work?
Mahira: Yes, thank you. Now about the bananas...
Vyrn: Yeah, I asked Io and she froze 'em up for ya!
Lyria: Hehe... I never would've guessed you were developing food to eat in the cosmos.
Mahira: I'm sorry to be so demanding.
Mahira: It's only a theory at this point, but I hypothesize that the cosmos is quite a peculiar environment.
Mahira: I think it's best to prepare for an extended stay, just in case, but it may not be possible to grow vegetables and things like that there...
Mahira: So I decided to develop rations I could take with me. Lightweight, nutritious, easy-to-preserve foodstuff.
Vyrn: That's our Mahira. Practical and logical.
Mahira: Not really. I've done all sorts of preparation, but there's not much point if I can never actually reach the cosmos.
Mahira: To be honest, part of my reason for developing these rations was for a change of pace.
Lyria: I don't really understand the details, but it's fun getting the chance to cook with you, Mahira!
Vyrn: Yeah, it is! Especially since you rarely give us the chance to help you out.
Mahira: Thank you. Cooking isn't really my strong suit...
Mahira: Oh, (Captain), there are five different curry recipes there. I want to compare curries with different ingredients.
Lyria: Hehe, this is more of a science experiment than cooking, isn't it? It's fun to do something new!
Mahira: That's true. Which is why I was thinking of trying out an invention still in development.
Vyrn: A new invention, huh?
Mahira pulls out a device that looks like a transparent box and sets it over a carrot.
Mahira: First we put the carrot in place. Make sure there's enough space between them, and...
Mahira presses a button and a blade descends from the top of the box.
Mahira: Ker-chop!
Lyria: Wow! It sliced the carrot right in half!
Mahira: I call it the Cherp-and-Chop. With this, you can slice vegetables without a knife.
Vyrn: Uh, it's impressive an' all, but it's not very efficient. It just cuts the thing in half once.
Mahira: Mrgh...
Mahira: There may be room for improvement, but this is what I'll be using today.
Mahira: Ker-chop!
The crew spends a pleasant day immersed in making "cosmic food."
Clucket Science: Scene 4
As thanks for their help, Mahira invites the crew to her Eggetarium—a tent on whose ceiling she has reproduced the night sky using artificial light. As they discuss their hopes for the journey ahead, Mahira has a flash of inspiration for the Clucket—a multistage cosmoship—and begins to scrawl designs on the tent floor.
Before the cosmo-cooks know it, the sun is setting, and their stomachs are beginning to rumble.
The dinner table aboard the Grandcypher is laden with experimental "cosmic cuisine."
Mahira: Thanks to you, we finished everything!
Lyria: Drool... Aaagh, I can't wait any longer! Let's eat, Mahira!
Mahira: Yes. I've already saved portions for later to observe how well it keeps.
Mahira: And so, it's time to perform the first taste test!
Vyrn: All right! We should start with the king of all our cosmic rations—curry!
Brimming with enthusiasm to try the curry they've worked so hard to make, the experimental chefs lift their spoons.
Lyria: Nnh... The lukewarm roux and the dried out rice just... don't... combine very well...
Vyrn: Huh? I mean, it's curry all right, but somehow, it's just... sorta...
With a bemused expression, (Captain) doggedly continues to eat the curry, but one person seems significantly more pleased with their creation.
Mahira: This is an incredible accomplishment! The flavor is even better than I expected!
Mahira: Food may need to be warmed with heat from the engines, so I served it at a temperature approximating those conditions. And this method of drying cooked rice and restoring it with water is revolutionary!
Mahira: Lightweight, nutritious meals with a long shelf life... I never imagined something as complex as curry would lend itself to those restrictions!
Vyrn: Oh... I guess if you put it that way.
Vyrn: Well, let's try the banana chips next!
Lyria: Munch, munch...
Oh, these are good! Just a little bit sweet!
Oh, these are good! Just a little bit sweet!
Mahira: Sweetness that can survive extended storage... I'm sure they'd taste especially sweet when eaten in the cosmos!
Vyrn: Yeah, maybe. We're just on an airship right now though.
Lyria: Ahaha. The important thing is that it's useful to you, Mahira!
Mahira: It is! Thanks to these innovations, it should be possible to carry plenty of food onboard. Of course, there are still a lot more problems to be sorted out...
Mahira: Munch, munch...
Ahhh, I never thought they'd be so delicious!
Ahhh, I never thought they'd be so delicious!
With gusto Mahira tucks into the Cosmos Curry they all made together.
Seeing Mahira enjoy it so much, the others start to find the concoction inexplicably tasty.
After dinner, Mahira takes the others off the ship, saying she wants to thank them for their help.
Mahira: I'm going to show you the cosmos.
Vyrn: The cosmos? You mean that place above the skies?
Mahira's friends direct their gazes upward.
Lyria: Whoa! Look, (Captain)! The stars are so beautiful!
The dark dome of the heavens is filled with stars, their radiance gently illuminating the field where the crew stands.
Vyrn: Wow! What a view! So this's what you meant by showing us the cosmos?
Mahira: No, but you're close. Come this way.
Mahira leads them to what looks like a large, hemispherical tent set up close by.
She urges them all inside.
Lyria: Huh? Even though we're inside, I can still see the stars!
Stars are projected onto the tent's domed ceiling so the night sky appears close enough to touch.
Mahira: This is another facet of my inquiries into the cosmos. I used artificial light to accurately recreate the starry sky outside.
Mahira: I call it the Eggetarium, because we still know as little about the cosmos as a chick knows about the world before it hatches from its egg.
Lyria: It's wonderful! It looks just like the night sky...
Vyrn: I mean... yeah, it's amazing an' all, but... why can't we just look up at the actual sky?
Mahira: It's like a cosmos in a bottle, Vyrn. That's the appeal.
Mahira: We should lie down to get the best view. Come on—I brought banana chips for the full experience.
The bottom of the tent is made of soft cloth, and the crew members stretch out to gaze up at the ceiling.
Mahira: Hehe, I'm glad you like it, (Captain).
Mahira: Hehe. I'm glad you find it relaxing, (Captain).
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Mahira: (Captain), Lyria, Vyrn, I really appreciate what you did for me today.
Lyria: Hehe, we had fun helping out with your experiments too!
Mahira: ...
Mahira: This might be the first time I've asked someone else for help.
Mahira: As a Divine General, I'm familiar with people depending on me, and when I built Clucky, I did receive assistance from the people around me.
Mahira: But depending on someone else in a purely personal pursuit felt to me like admitting how green I was.
Mahira: But now, I think I was mistaken.
Mahira: It's all right to depend on others because I still have so much to learn.
Almost unwittingly, Mahira stretches out a hand toward the star-scattered ceiling.
Mahira: With all of you beside me, I might be able to get to the cosmos. Not in a dream. Not in a bottle. The actual cosmos.
Mahira: That's how I see it now.
Choose: I'm sure we can get there.
Choose: Let's go together.
Lyria: Yes! With you, Mahira, I think we could go even farther than the cosmos!
Mahira: Hehe, that's the dream.
Mahira: But first we have a rendezvous on Estalucia, don't we?
Mahira: I'm eager to get there too. I hope you'll let me help you.
Vyrn: Haha! You slip it in so casual-like, it sounds like it'll be a piece of cake to get there!
Lyria: Any time you want our help, just say the word! With cooking, or experiments—anything!
Vyrn: Yeah, no need to hold back!
Vyrn: Although... The next time you get the urge to beat your drums at dawn, you could hold back a little.
Mahira: Hm? Beat my drums, you say... Multiple drum beats...
Lyria: Oh, that's right. Could I have some banana chips? I'm feeling a little peckish.
Mahira: I could make use of the reaction force...
Mahira flips onto her stomach and whips out a marker. She begins writing furiously on the floor.
Vyrn: Whoops. She's gone into inventor mode.
Mahira: I see, I see. If I split the propulsion up into multiple bursts...
Mahira: I'll call it... the multistage cosmoship—Clucket!
Mahira: I can reuse some of my original calculations... Ah, but I'll need to review the preconditions for this part...
Once she enters inventor mode, Mahira takes a while to wind down.
She disappears into her own world beneath the stars she herself created.
Bathed in their light, (Captain) and the others watch fondly as their resident genius's calculations sprawl across the tent floor.