Scenario:Mirin - A Toasty Warm Spell
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
A Toasty Warm Spell
One chilly morning, Mirin appears wearing traditional winter attire from her homeland called a "donbuku." She offers to help (Captain) and company make their own, reminiscing about her winters growing up as they sew. Their coats completed, they climb under the kotatsu and are quickly lulled to sleep by the gentle warmth.
Vyrn: Achoo!
Vyrn: Urgh. Who left the freezer door open?
Lyria: Brr... If it's this cold on the ship, it must be even worse outside.
One day, an intense cold wave hits the island where (Captain) and company are staying, bringing with it bitterly low temperatures.
Though usually a bastion of warmth, the Grandcypher is infiltrated by the cold, driving the crew to huddle around the hearth.
Mirin: Oh! Morning, everyone!
Lyria: Good morning, Mirin! Sure is cold today, isn't it?
Mirin: You said it. It's been a while since I had so much trouble prying myself out from under the covers.
As Mirin enters the room, (Captain) notices there's something different about her.
Choose: What's that you're wearing?
Mirin: Oho, good eye! This is traditional winter attire from my homeland!
Mirin: Back home we have freezing temperatures for days on end every year, so I couldn't bring myself to leave it behind...
Mirin: But the weather on this trip hasn't been cold enough to need it, so it's been sitting in storage this whole time.
Choose: You seem chipper today.
Mirin: Ehehe. Well, you see, I'm wearing traditional winter attire from my homeland!
Mirin: I used to snuggle up in this every year back home, but this is the first time I've really needed it on this trip.
Mirin: I was so happy to finally put it to good use, I guess I let my excitement get the better of me. Whoopsie...
Continue 1
Lyria: Oh, so it's an outfit from your homeland! That explains why it looks so unique—
Lyria: Achoo!
Mirin: Oh no, are you okay? Here, you can wear my coat if you want, Lyria.
Lyria: Huh? But then you'll be cold instead...
Mirin: Nah, I'm used to this kind of weather! Go on, no need to be shy!
Saying this, Mirin takes off her coat and drapes it over Lyria's shivering shoulders.
Lyria: Wow! It's so fluffy and warm!
Lyria smiles lazily, her cheeks beginning to regain a bit of the rosy color they had lost from the cold.
Mirin: I know, right? That coat's called a "donbuku". It has a layer of cotton running right through the middle!
Mirin: Cotton protects you from icy winds, while also helping you retain body heat. That's why it's way warmer than it looks!
Intrigued by Mirin's explanation, (Captain) asks Lyria to share the donbuku for a moment.
Putting it on, the captain is immediately enveloped in a soothing warmth, drawing forth a deep sigh of contentment.
Vyrn: H-hey, is it really that warm? I wanna try it.
Taking his turn to be wrapped in the warmth of the donbuku, Vyrn murmurs in a sleepy voice.
Vyrn: Ahh... It's so warm...
Vyrn: With a coat this cozy, even the coldest islands would be no big deal.
Lyria: I bet so. Wish I had one...
Mirin: Yeah... Wait!
Mirin: In that case, why don't we try making some ourselves?
Lyria: Really? B-but I've never made clothes before...
Mirin: Not to worry! I have plenty of materials, and the method's simple enough!
Mirin: Plus, you'll have me around to help, obviously. So what do you say?
Choose: Anything to survive this cold.
Lyria: Yeah. I'm not sure how much help I'll be making them...
Lyria: But let's do our best together, (Captain)!
Choose: I happen to be a sewing pro.
Mirin: Well, I'll be! You really can do anything, can't you, (Captain)?
Mirin: Who knows? You might even end up teaching me a thing or two!
Continue 2
Mirin: Okay! With that settled, let's head to my room!
Mirin: After all, hauling the materials here would be a pain, and we'd probably be in the way of the other crew members anyway.
Mirin: Okay, time to get this sewing party started!
Mirin retrieves the materials from her storage case and places them on the bed.
Lyria: Wow, I've never seen fabric with colors like these! It's like a sunset... How pretty!
Lyria picks up one of the pieces of fabric, admiring the beautiful pale ombre pattern.
Mirin: Hehe, thank you! That's one of my best works.
Vyrn: Your best works...
Wait, are you tellin' me you made that cloth?
Wait, are you tellin' me you made that cloth?
Mirin: I sure did! Using different things to dye fabric has always been a hobby of mine, even when I lived back home!
Lyria: Does that mean all this cloth was dyed by you?
Mirin: That's right. But I dyed more than I could actually use, so I ended up with a bunch left over.
Mirin: Even if you use the same color dye each time, a single step can produce irregularities or even change the shade altogether.
Mirin: Those little transformations are so much fun, it's easy to get carried away.
Mirin: The color changes based on temperature and humidity too. There's a lot to consider when it comes to dyeing fabric.
Lyria: I imagine so. Hehe... It sounds like fun!
Mirin: Then why don't we try it together once the weather gets a little warmer?
Mirin: We can create your own special fabric by using colorful things like flowers and vegetables for the dye.
Lyria: My own special fabric? Wow, I can't wait!
Nodding in response to Lyria's delighted smile, Mirin then claps her hands together, ready to switch gears.
Mirin: Now then! What do you say we get started before the sun sets and it gets even colder?
Lyria: Okay! We're ready for our lesson!
Mirin: First things first—cutting the fabric! Let's start by tracing the pattern onto the cloth!
(Captain) and company set to work, following Mirin's expert instructions.
Lyria: Whoops!
Lyria: Oh no, I ended up cutting too far...
Mirin: That little bit won't hurt anything. We can hide it with some clever stitching!
Vyrn: Ack, the thread got all bunched up! Guess I gotta start over...
Mirin: When that happens, you can just use the tangled part to tie off the thread, like so...
Mirin: There we go! Now you can pick up where you left off!
(Captain) runs into some snags along the way as well, but with Mirin's help, the garment gradually begins to take shape.
Lyria: I'm finished, Mirin!
Mirin: Ooh, looking good! Now all that's left is to insert the cotton into the body and sew it up!
Vyrn: Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel... All right, let's keep it up and get this thing done!
Lyria: Yeah!
Lyria: You know, you sure know a lot about sewing, Mirin.
Lyria: I mean, you can even fix cloth that's been cut too much.
Mirin: Ahaha. It's all because my mother was such a good teacher.
Mirin: Everything I know about sewing and dyeing, I learned from her.
Vyrn: Your folks were so into the culture of that eastern island, they ended up movin' there, right?
Mirin: Right! Apparently my mom taught herself how to sew and dye fabric afterward.
Mirin: There are lots of handy tools out there these days, so not many people make things from scratch by hand anymore...
Mirin: But my parents refuse to use them, since they're so fond of the ancient culture and technology of my homeland.
"This era is a lot more convenient, and that's precisely why we'll live here and protect the old culture we love so much."
Mirin tells the crew what her parents had said to her since she was a child, a nostalgic look in her eyes.
Mirin: Because of that, our family was basically self-sufficient.
Mirin: On top of growing our own food, we made everything we could by hand, from clothes to furniture.
Vyrn: Whoa... Talk about dedication.
Mirin: Yeah. That's why the winters were pretty rough.
Mirin: We lived far up in the mountains, so sometimes it snowed enough to block the roads, and we couldn't even get to the bottom.
Mirin: So we typically followed the wisdom of those before us and holed up in our house until the snow melted.
Lyria: Does that mean you were inside all winter? But wouldn't you run out of food?
Mirin: That was never a problem! We made sure we were well-prepared before the first snowfall.
From summer to autumn, Mirin's family preserved foods made with hand-picked ingredients and stocked up on things like fuel and materials in town.
By preparing well in advance, they had no issue staying inside throughout the winter.
Mirin: Snacking on oranges under the kotatsu and sipping on hot tea fresh from the kettle, all while watching the snow fall outside...
Mirin: That's how we spent our winters—enjoying the rustic simplicity of the season while lazily waiting for spring.
Vyrn: Huh... But didn't you get bored bein' stuck inside all winter long?
Mirin: Well, sometimes. But there are a lot of ways to pass the time indoors.
Mirin: Things like reading, training... oh, and sewing too, of course.
Mirin: And besides, the time between spring and autumn was always so hectic, we didn't feel like doing much of anything anyway.
Mirin: Ah, but there was one problem.
Mirin's previously cheerful expression turns grim, and the others catch their breath, waiting for her to continue.
Mirin: Winter dishes are so delicious, it was easy to, well... put on weight before spring rolled around.
Vyrn: Wait, that's it? Doesn't sound like a big deal to me.
Mirin: Of course it's a big deal! Your body gets heavy and sluggish, your stamina goes down, and you can't wear your favorite clothes anymore!
Mirin: But you tend to eat food that's sitting in front of you without thinking, right? That's the most dangerous part of hibernating the winter away.
Mirin: Stew and red bean soup, not to mention mochi and fish grilled over the fire...
Mirin: Nice, warm foods like those are impossible to resist on a cold day!
Lyria: Urgh... Just listening to you is making me hungry.
Mirin: But at the same time, spending every day pigging out and sleeping is part of the appeal of staying inside all winter.
Mirin: Everyone's always busy with New Year's and whatnot around this season, right?
Mirin: That's why I think it's important to make time during the winter to take it easy.
Choose: Couldn't hurt now and then.
Vyrn: We have requests comin' in all year, and either way, we're always on the move.
Vyrn: Might be nice to try takin' a breather when the end of the year rolls around.
(Captain) nods and agrees that relaxing during the end-of-year holidays sounds like a good idea.
Mirin: If you decide to go through with it, I'll treat you to some local specialties from my homeland!
Mirin: A feast fit for winter... You won't be able to get enough!
Lyria: Gulp... A feast fit for winter...
Lyria: I'll do my best to help out, (Captain)! So everyone can relax and enjoy some good food!
(Captain) can't help but smile at Lyria's sudden burst of motivation upon hearing about the feast.
Realizing it's up to the captain to make it happen, (Captain) begins to plan for their upcoming year-end request.
Lyria: I'm all done!
At long last, (Captain) and company finally complete their new coats.
Wasting no time in donning them, their chilled bodies are immediately enveloped in a gentle warmth.
Mirin: Nice work, everyone! So how does it feel wearing your brand-new, handmade donbuku?
Lyria: I can't even see the part where I cut too far. And it's so wonderfully warm!
Mirin: Hehehe. I'm glad you like it!
Mirin: But the truth is, just wearing them around doesn't give you the full effect!
After tidying up the materials that had been scattered around, Mirin drags a kotatsu over from the corner of the room.
Mirin: Okay! Try climbing under the kotatsu while wearing your donbuku!
(Captain) and company obey, and a moment later their bodies are overcome by an irresistible warmth.
Overwhelmed with a sense of comfort like being submerged in a hot bath, (Captain) collapses onto the tabletop.
Lyria: Oh my... Uh-oh, this isn't good. Suddenly I don't want to move...
Vyrn: Yawn... I'm feelin' all sleepy outta nowhere...
Mirin: Hehehe. That's the fearsome power of the donbuku and kotatsu combo.
Mirin: Hard to resist, isn't it? Makes you want to just lounge around all day...
Mirin says this with her cheek smooshed into the tabletop, and (Captain) wholeheartedly agrees.
The captain looks around to see the drowsy faces of not only Mirin, but Lyria and Vyrn as well, as one by one they fall victim to the kotatsu's spell.
All thoughts of the following day's request are pushed out of (Captain)'s mind as the gentle warmth begins to take over.
Mirin: Ahh... I'm never moving again...
Lyria: Me neither... It's another cold day, so what do you say we laze it away?
Vyrn: Yeah... One day won't hurt anythin'... Probably...
Though only vaguely listening to the conversation, (Captain) agrees and finally gives in to the warm embrace of sleep.
It's only a matter of time before the other crew members come looking for the captain, who fails to show up for the request.