Scenario:Vira - Collapsing Comrades

Collapsing Comrades

One Valentine's Day, Vira thinks back on a past year when she had asked (Captain) to taste test chocolates for Katalina. After blacking out from eating one, the captain vows to maintain consciousness the next year to spare Katalina's feelings, making quite an impression on Vira.

---

Valentine's Day has arrived once again.

Vira: Looking back, this day has always come with its share of fainting spells.

Vira sits in her room flipping through her diary, reminiscing about past Valentine's Days with the crew.

Vira: Hehe...

Vira: I'd forgotten all about this. (Captain) truly is a delightful individual...

As her fingers trace the writing on the page, memories come flooding back.

Vira: Hello, (Captain). I have a very important request to ask of you.

Vira: As I'm sure you realize, today is Valentine's Day.

Vira: I wanted to spend the day making chocolates with Katalina...

Vira: But I need someone to poison tes—I mean taste test the chocolates...

Vira: I'll compensate you with the chocolates we make. Hee hee... No reason to decline, is there?

Vira: I'm here, Katalina.

Katalina: Glad you could make it, Vira.

Katalina: Oh, you too, (Captain)? Hehe, I take it you're here for the chocolates?

Vira: Yes. (Captain) has graciously agreed to be our taste tester.

Having agreed to no such thing, the captain's expression is that of a deer caught in headlights. Katalina, however, smiles happily.

Katalina: Hehe. I can't guarantee they'll be any good, so I hope you'll go easy on the criticism.

Vira: Flavor aside, (Captain) seemed to be hoping she could at least guarantee the taste tester's survival.

Vira: In hindsight, that was probably our last chance to turn back...

Katalina: All right, they're ready! Now's your time to shine, (Captain). Taste away.

The captain is left with no choice but to eat one of the chocolates.

Vira: Go ahead, (Captain). You can trust me to look after your remains.

Katalina: Remains?

Vira: Er, what I mean to say is... don't worry about leaving any leftovers.

Katalina: Yes, there are plenty to go around. Have as many as you like.

Appearance-wise, the small piece of chocolate that Katalina holds out barely passes as something from this world.

The main concern, however, is the taste. Fingers trembling, (Captain) accepts the chocolate and tentatively takes a bite.

Suddenly everything goes black.

Vira: Have you come to?

The captain awakens in Vira's room and looks around in confusion. Outside the window, night has already fallen.

Vira: Do you not remember what happened? The moment Katalina's chocolate touched your lips, you fell to your knees.

Vira: I ended up telling Katalina you were suffering from sleep deprivation.

(Captain)'s sudden collapse had sent Katalina into a panic and caused Vira to go pale.

Katalina: (Captain)! What's wrong?

Vira: ...!

Vira: Please calm down, Katalina. You see, (Captain) is, er... feeling rather sleep deprived...

Katalina: Sleep deprived?

Vira: Yes, apparently (Captain) had trouble falling asleep last night and wasn't able to catch a wink.

Vira: I imagine the lack of rest just happened to catch up with (Captain) at a very inopportune time.

Katalina: So that's what happened...

Vira: I was aware of this, yet I still asked (Captain) to help us taste test. The fault lies with me.

Vira: Perhaps it would be best to let (Captain) rest in my room for the time being.

Katalina: A-all right. In that case, I'll tidy up things here in the kitchen.

Vira: I was able to convince Katalina, so she isn't aware of the real reason why you collapsed.

Vira: I suppose this means we somehow managed to make it through the day...

Vira: But please ensure you don't repeat the same mistake next Valentine's Day.

Faced with an overwhelming amount of pressure, (Captain) nods without hesitation.

Vira: Well, well. You agreed to that quite readily. May I ask why?

Vira: You don't want to hurt Katalina's feelings?

Vira: ...

Vira: I feel the same way.

Saying this, Vira takes a grotesquely shaped object out of her pocket—one of the chocolates that Katalina had made.

Vira: Thanks to your fainting spell, I fortunately—er, unfortunately missed the opportunity to try one of her chocolates.

Vira: But after hearing the lengths you're willing to go to for Katalina's sake, I've decided I can't very well not eat one myself.

Before (Captain) can stop her, Vira pops the chocolate into her mouth.

Vira: Munch...

Vira: Ngh... Guh...

As she falls to the floor, her consciousness fading, one final thought comes to mind.

Vira: ((Captain)... Seeing how much you care about Katalina... makes me think perhaps you're... someone worth trusting...)

The entry ends there.

Vira: That was the first of my Valentine's Days with (Captain) and Katalina, where everything began.

Vira murmurs quietly at her diary before turning her gaze outside the window.

Pure white snowflakes fall through the air, covering the ground like powdered sugar on a Valentine's Day chocolate.