Scenario:Vikala - Spooky Night

Spooky Night

(Captain) and the crew have been invited to celebrate Halloween in a certain town. Terrified of the crowds, Vikala opts to stay behind instead. After Dormouse pushes Vikala to go out, she finds herself alone, jostled back and forth in the crowds. She winds up joining a group of children who want to play a prank on the Grandcypher.

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A large town is decked with festivities, celebrating this year's Halloween.

The streets are bustling with people, all with smiles on their faces...

All except one person.

Vikala: Rrg... Wh-why did it turn out like this... I should've stayed on the ship...

Lyria: Vikala, are you sure you want to stay on the ship? Don't you want to see what this year's Halloween is like?

Vikala: Um, I... I've got things to do, like clothes to mend... and laundry... and cleaning...

Vyrn: You're just makin' stuff up 'cause you don't wanna go out, right?

Vikala: N-not at all! I'd n-n-never do something like that!

Vikala: I r-really am busy! My clothes are so dirty they're starting to smell... a lot!

Lyria: Really? We'll help you then!

Vikala: Oh, no, I'm all right! I need to be by myself and focus on washing the clothes... otherwise the stains won't come off!

In the spur of the moment, Vikala had sent off the crew and decided to stay on the ship by herself.

Dormouse: You should've just gone with them.

Vikala: N-no way... It's dangerous out there. People get rowdy... and noisy... Halloween? More like Hallowahey...

Vikala: If I tried going out like a normal person, I'd probably puke or pass out, and that'd be even more trouble for the others...

Dormouse: But there's nothing for you to do on the ship. The town will be much more fun—you can even hear it from here.

As evening begins to settle, sounds of festivities can be heard a distance away from where the ship is docked at the port.

Vikala: Oh...

Vikala finds her heart wavering when she hears the voices and music coming from town.

Dormouse: If you're that curious, you should go and take a look by yourself.

Vikala: Whaaa... I-if I do that, I'm going to puke for sure...

Dormouse: Then just puke or whatever you have to do! Who cares?

Vikala: It'll be a disaster... And what if I can't find the others?

Dormouse: It's a celebration, so I'm sure you can find other people to talk to.

Vikala: Th-that's way too high-level for me! No way I can do that...

Dormouse: If you don't know what to say, just smile! You'll be friends in no time.

Dormouse: Come on! Off you go!

With Dormouse's encouragement, Vikala reluctantly steps off the ship to venture into the lively streets of town.

Vikala: (The sound of festivals is a cruel trap...)

Vikala: (It piques your curiosity so you join in... and then you just end up feeling lonely and blue. It's not that fun after all...)

Vikala: (I should just go back...)

Vikala: H-huh?

Vikala is about to head back when she realizes she had been so distracted by the amount of people, she has no idea which direction she had come from.

Vikala: (What sh-should I do... I don't know which way the port is!)

Jostled right and left, Vikala turns pale, unable to see any of her surroundings beyond the throng.

Vikala: (D-does this mean I have to... actually ask someone where the port is? As in... just some random person walking by? I can't, I can't, I can't!)

Vikala: (But if I don't, I won't be able to get back! They're people I don't know though... Is this... going to be the end of my life?)

Vikala: (No... I'll... I'll ask someone! It's embarrassing, but only for a moment. Not asking will be a lifetime of embarrassment as a Divine General!)

Passerby: ...

Vikala: Um, e-excuse me! D-do you think... you could...

Passerby: ...

Vikala: N-never mind... Sorry I got in the way...

Another Passerby: ...

Vikala: E-excuse me! Um, I... I want to get to the port...

Another Passerby: ...

Vikala: Th-the... port... Um...

Vikala's inherent lack of presence is apparent when nobody turns to even look at her. People continue to pass her by without sparing a second glance.

Vikala: (It's n-no use... I'm practically invisible when there're this many people...)

Vikala: Hngh... There's so much going on, I think I'm going to puke. Rrg... Bleh...

That's when she hears something.

Mysterious Voice: Hey, over here!

Vikala: Huh?

Mysterious Voice: Over here! In the bushes! Come over here.

Vikala suddenly hears a voice coming from the thicket on the side of the road. When she goes to take a peek, she discovers a small, hidden space inside the bushes.

Vikala: Oh, it looks like a small... park, or a rest area.

Curious Girl: Hi!

Vikala: Wah!

Friendly Boy: You didn't like how many people there were out there, right?

Attentive Boy: It's safe here, so take your time.

Vikala: Th-thank you...

Loud Hallowaheyer: Wahey! Havin' a good Halloween?

Vikala: Eek!

Noisy Hallowaheyer: Did you just go "eek"! That's so funny! What're you so scared for?

Vikala: Oh no... The H-Hallowaheyers are here...

Curious Girl: I saw you try to talk to a bunch of people just now, but nobody noticed you, right?

Friendly Boy: You gotta talk in a louder voice!

Vikala: R-right.. I-I know... This happens a lot to me...

Curious Girl: You mean not getting noticed happens a lot? That's weird.

Attentive Boy: We saw you in trouble, so we decided to call out to you. Are you a tourist here? How come you're by yourself?

Vikala: Um, I'm... Well...

The gears in Vikala's head turn at full speed...

Vikala: I'm f-from the next town over... I had some, um, errands to run here...

And she spills a lie.

The children had seen her by herself, and thought her a strange tourist who had no one else with her and no idea what to do on Halloween.

That hurt the smallest shred of pride Vikala had left in her, prompting her to insist that she was not a tourist at all.

Vikala: I mean, it's just Halloween. What's the big deal?

That's how she had wanted to present herself when she thought up the lie.

And depending on how the others respond...

Vikala: Hallo-ween? Ah, is that what this is called? It's my first time seeing a festival of this sort.

That's how she had been planning to show that she wasn't just a lonely girl without a single friend on Halloween night.

Friendly Boy: Oh, so you're from the next town. They're celebrating Halloween there too, right? It's not like you have to come all the way here for it.

Vikala: (Oh... The next town has it too...)

Vikala: O-ohh... Come to think of it, it's Halloween. Is that why it was so crowded back home?

Vikala: Well... That's got nothing to do with me. I've got... errands to run and all. I'm supposed to do these things alone anyway...

Children: (She looks so lonely... Poor her.)

Curious Girl: How come you were trying to talk to the people on the street? If you're just from the next town over, you should pretty much know the way, right?

Vikala: (Oh no... I should have just told the truth and asked them for the way back to the port... I'm so stupid.)

Vikala: Well, um... I talked to them because... I... um... I...

Vikala: (Ahhh! I can't think of any excuses! I can't say that I was asking for directions now...)

Vikala: S-sorry... I... can't tell you.

Curious Girl: Wh-what?

Friendly Boy: Something's not right about this! I mean, it's a festival! You should be having fun!

Vikala: Oh, but Halloween didn't used to be something this rowdy, you know.

Vikala: Originally, it was an occasion to celebrate the changing of seasons—more like a harvest festival. Nothing to do with costumes or anything of the sort.

Vikala: That's wh-why I don't really care to celebrate anymore... or rather, I don't think I like how this whole festival is nowadays.

Children: (She doesn't know how to have fun... Poor her.)

Vikala's pretense is seen through by the children all too soon.

Curious Girl: So your name's Vikala?

Curious Girl: Hey, everyone! How about we let Vikala join us as our friend?

Friendly Boy: Sure.

Attentive Boy: These two are part of our group too.

Loud Hallowaheyer: Whoooo!

Vikala: U-um... Friends?

Curious Girl: Yeah. We don't need treats, you see—so we're gonna go and play pranks somewhere.

Friendly Boy: Yup, we're choosing tricks! What would we do with so much candy anyway? No thanks.

Attentive Boy: Playing pranks is way more fun.

Vikala: O-oh, I see...
So... what kind of pranks do you play?

Curious Girl: We target a house somewhere, and smear soap all over their windows or wrap a rope around them!

Friendly Boy: I kinda wanna try putting glue on their windows and doors... and maybe doodle on the walls too!

Attentive Boy: Hmm... I'd like to try filling their garden with frogs. Oh, or what if we ripped off all the leaves from their trees? That'd be funny!

Vikala: (Th-this isn't good...)

Dumbfounded, Vikala timidly looks over at the older pair who are with the children.

Vikala: Um... Are you sure this is okay?

Noisy Hallowaheyer: What do you mean? What's not okay?

Curious Girl: These two said it sounded fun! That's why we let them be our friends!

Loud Hallowaheyer: Yeah! I mean, what's Halloween without a bit of fun, right? Besides, they're kids! I don't see the big deal.

Noisy Hallowaheyer: Sounds like it could be interesting!
Look at us watching over these kids... We're like, being so adult!

Vikala: (Yeah, but the bad kind of adult...)

Friendly Boy: You'll be our underling, Vikala! Got it?

Vikala: Oh, okay...

Vikala: (Wait, no! Wh-what should I do? They shouldn't be playing pranks like this...)

Vikala: (But the children are so into this, and those adults don't seem to care. Who's going to stop them?)

Vikala: (H-huh? Does this mean... I have to be the one to say no?)

Curious Girl: Which house should we target?

Friendly Boy: Let's go for a really rich place!

Vikala: (I-if I just f-f-follow along, I won't be able to face (Captain) ever again!)

Vikala: I th-th-think you should stop... It'd be really bad if you got found out. I mean, you're definitely going to get found out!

Attentive Boy: So? Who cares? It's Halloween.

Loud Hallowaheyer: Yeah! It's Halloween!

Vikala: T-Think... Think...

Vikala: Think about the people who don't celebrate Halloween!

Curious Girl: ...!

Vikala: Pleeease...

Noisy Hallowaheyer: What the... What's with the blubbering? Come on, it's nothing to cry about!

Vikala: Th-there are people... wh-who don't think... Halloween is f-fun... Sniff...

Vikala: Y-you should... sniff... be nice to... th-those people...

Curious Girl: ...

Vikala: I-I'm not saying... I'm one of those people, of course...

Children: (She's definitely not having fun...)

Friendly Boy: So... what do we do?

Attentive Boy: Is what we're doing really that bad?

Curious Girl: How about we switch targets?

Friendly Boy: What do you mean?

Curious Girl: If we can't play pranks on people's houses, then we can do it on something else!

Vikala: Wh-what?

Curious Girl: Follow me, everyone!

With the little girl in the lead, the rest follow along as they traverse across the town while avoiding the crowd.

Curious Girl: We're here!

Vikala: The port...

Vikala: (Whew... I'm glad I was able to get back to the ship before the end of my life...)

The girl grins at the others and raises her hand to point at something.

Curious Girl: Let's play a prank on this thing!

Vikala: Huh?

Everyone's gaze falls on the Grandcypher that's quietly docked at the port.