(Card Story) A Puppy, a Dance, and...
Jul. 8th, 2021 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schoenheit
Card: [SSR] (Born to a City of Gleaming Neon) Owen
Event: ParadoxRoid
Characters: Akira, Cain, Chloe, Heathcliff, Owen, Shino
Chapter One ✧ Chapter Two ✧ Chapter Three ✧ Training Episode
Chapter One
Location: Vollmond City (Day)
Akira: Ah— There you are. Where are you going?
Owen: There.
Cain: Hey, now, slow down. You keep wandering off, Owen. Didn't you want me to take you two sightseeing?
Owen: I want something sugary.
Cain: Didn't you just have two CBSC cones?
Akira: And you had a whipped cream fruit sandwich before that, didn't you? You'll get an upset stomach if you overeat.[1]
Owen: I didn't ask for your opinions. I'm fine.
Cain: But it is pretty weird that you have so much of an appetite. Rustica's lab is pretty close... Maybe you should get another check up, just in case.
Owen: Excuse me? I literally just said I'm fine.
Cain: But if you do malfunction, you won't be able to eat your favorites. Are you sure you're okay with that?
Owen: ......
Location: Rustica's Laboratory
Chloe: Welcome! What brings you all here? Did something happen?
Heathcliff: Rustica is still sleeping, so, if this is urgent, I can help you instead.
Owen: A certain someone here thinks there's something wrong with me. You just have to prove that I'm fine.
Heathcliff: Does it hurt anywhere?
Owen: Not at a... (Pause) ... What is that.
I look over and see a little puppy pop its head out from just behind Heathcliff's legs.
Heathcliff: Oh, this puppy's name is Cookie. I was asked by one of our regular working class customers if I could look after her today.
Akira: Oh...! She just ran right up to us! She must really like people... So cute.
Owen: She said she wants you to pick her up. And then she wants you to pet her silly.
Akira: Huh? You understand what she's saying, Owen?
Chloe: Wow, really? That must be nice! I want that feature, too!
Owen: I wouldn't know if it's a feature. ... Hey, don’t you dare get any closer.
Cookie started running around Owen's feet like she was playing a game. As he started to push her away, he stopped, eyes widening as his hand touched her.
Owen: ... She's so warm... Soft and snuggly...
Cain: 'Course— she's a living, breathing dog, after all. It's been awhile since I've seen a real one myself.
Heathcliff: Yeah, petroids are all the rage these days, but... touching the real thing really soothes the heart.
Heathcliff speaks as he reaches out to the puppy. But just as he says that, a robotic dog bursts forth from the depths of the lab like a force of nature.
Heathcliff: Hey! Shino! Knock it off!
Akira: Shino... sure has a ferocious bark, doesn't he...
Heathcliff: He's been like this ever since I started taking care of her. Hey, Shino, come on. Can't you at least try and get along with her? Just for today?
Owen: He's saying, "I'm the only partner[2] Heathcliff needs! Me! Don't you dare get in our way!"
Chloe: No way? That's so cute??
Heathcliff: (Sighs)...
Cain: ... Y'know what, once Owen's physical is done, why don't we look after Cookie for you?
Chapter Two
Heathcliff: Are you sure you don't mind looking after Cookie...?
Cain: 'Course not. Plus, Owen and Cookie are pretty much best friends already.
Owen: It's not as if I get along with her especially well or anything. ... Actually. You should know this city pretty well, right? Do you know where I can get some sweets?
Cookie: Bark!
Owen: All right, then lead the way. I'll keep you company in return.
Location: Vollmond City (Day)
Once the examination ended, we were once again heading down the streets of the city— but this time, we had Cookie leading us.
Akira: I'm so glad they didn't find anything wrong with your health, Owen.
Owen: I've been saying I'm fine this whole time.
Cain: But it was for the best, right? Now we know you're okay for sure.
Cookie: Bark, bark!
Owen: Are there sweets here?
Cain: Huh, this is an arcade. You sure this is the right place?
Cookie had stopped in front of an arcade machine. Tail wagging, she looked back at us expectantly.
Akira: This seems to be a dancing game.
A dazzling number of projected, floating letters bounce around the machine. At the center of it all, a CGI woman dances to the rhythm of some catchy music.
As she strikes her final pose, she bursts into light, replaced by an image of a piece of bread covered in sparkling sugar.
Cain: That's a cāken meteor.
Akira & Owen: cāken meteor?
Cain: It's a really popular dessert in Vollmond these days. And apparently, if you clear the game at the highest difficulty, you get a complimentary cāken meteor as your prize.
Owen: Huh? That's so weird. Now I want some. Akira, clear it now.
Akira: Me!? I-I have pretty much 0 dance experience...!
Owen: And I've never danced before. Show me how it's done.
Arcade Machine: Let's Dance! Go!
Cain: You've got this, Akira!
Akira: T-Thank you! I'll do my best....!
It went as well as you'd expect. Owen bust his gut laughing at my off-sync attempts at dancing, and Cain grew increasingly desperate in his cheers, trying to hype me up despite my poor performance. I felt bad for him.
Cain: I mean... If you think about it, that really wasn't as bad as it could be considering your lack of experience.
Akira: Uuuu... Thank you for the faith... ... Hm? Owen, what are you doing?
Owen: Dancing's a lot easier than I thought it'd be. All this cāken meteor is going to be mine.
✧✧✧
Male Arcade-goer: Whoa! Check out that dude! He's FullComping this machine with those sick dance moves!
Female Arcade-goer: Wow, that's some slick footwork! Did you see that!? He's soooo cool!
Arcade Machine: Are you ready for the final challenge!? Next dance: the Thomas Flare!
Owen: You mean this?
Arcade Machine: And we have a winner!!
As the machine played a cheer, loud victory music poured from the speakers. Confetti rains from the machine, along with a nicely-packaged cāken meteor.
Chapter Three
Owen: Yay! Cāken meteor!
Cain: Jeez, your reflexes are crazy...! I didn't think you'd actually beat it.
Akira: That was amazing, Owen! Wow, so this is a cāken meteor... It looks so light and fluffy... I bet it tastes wonderful, too... Ahh...
Cookie: Barkbark!
Owen: This game was so easy for me, I didn't even have to try. Akira. Since you want some so badly, I'll consider sharing it... but only if you bow your pathetic little head to me.
Akira: Wait, really?
Owen: Huh? Wait, you want some that badly?
Cain: All right, I'm on it! I'll go win some for Akira. I'm actually pretty good at dancing, myself.
Owen: Are you saying you can do better than me? I beat the whole thing, in case you forgot.
Cain: Then I'll just have to beat the game with a higher score. Just keep your eyes on me, Owen.
✧✧✧
Location: Vollmond City (Evening)
Soon enough, their mutual provocations led to a dance-off between the two of them, and exhilarated onlookers crowded the arcade.
Near them sits a veritable mountain of cāken meteors, piled higher and higher with each of them beating the final level in rapid succession, one after the other.
Owen: Look, see? In the end, you couldn't beat me.
Cain: Haha! And I gave it my best shot, too.
Akira: Both of you were so cool!
Cookie: Bark!
Cookie climbs all over Owen, whose cheeks are stuffed with cāken meteor. He picks her up with one hand, bringing his nose close to hers.
Owen: What? Do you want some? ... You don't? Why?
Akira: I think she'd probably get sick if she ate food meant for humans.
Owen: ... Hmph.
Cain: ... Well, it's not like this happens every day, so why don't we get Cookie some treats? She's the one who led us here, after all.
Cookie: Barkbark!
Owen: She said she'd like that. Let's ask for the highest quality treats possible and drain Cain's wallet dry, okay?
Cain: Please have mercy. ... Huh? Heath's contacting me. He's saying Cookie's owner is back to pick her up.
Owen: Huh.
✧✧✧
Heathcliff: Thank you so much! You're all lifesavers. I'll go ahead and take her back now.
Cain: Pass a hello over to her owner for us, yeah?
Akira: Bye-bye, Cookie.
Cookie: Bark!
Owen: (Looking down and away) ......
Akira, Cain: (Cain smiling) ......
The air about us had been so full of life not so long ago, but it's already slipped into a solemn quiet. And then, Cain sweeps all that gloom away with a bright, booming voice.
Cain: Ahhhh... Man, I sure am thirsty after dancing so hard!
Akira: You should probably try having something nice and cool.
Cain: Yeah, sounds good. Why don't we grab some CBSC? Let's go, Owen.
Owen: What got into you all of a sudden?
Akira: That puppy sure was cute, huh?
Owen: (Smiling) ... Well, cuter than you, that's for sure.
Owen smiles as he gazes at all the cāken meteors in his arms. Small smiles of our own curled my lips and Cain's as we watched him, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Training Episode: If You Want to Dance with Me
Location: Manor Courtyard (Day)
Akira: I remember wizards adore music and dance. Owen, that means you'd also want to break out into dance when you hear a song with a strong rhythm, right?
Owen: What? Master, are you asking me to dance?
Sure. Let's dance now. Why don't we take to the sky and dance across it?
Take care to make a misstep as we dance. Even a small mistake will do. When you slip and hurdle headfirst into the ground, a beautiful, red flower will bloom from where you splatter.
Akira: I'd prefer to reach the end of the dance without getting injured...
Owen: Then why don't you dance here, all alone? And I'll be here to watch you every time you trip and fall, Master.
Akira: (He's already assumed I'm not good at dancing...)
... Oh— someone's playing a harpsichord. I guess it's Rustica...? What a beautiful melody...
Owen: (Eyes closed, listening) ......
Akira: (Oh, he went quiet to listen. I guess he's really drawn to it.)
Owen, do you prefer listening to music more than you enjoy dancing to it?
Owen: No... There's just something about this melody. Even though it has this melancholy... dark, damp feeling about it, there's something about it that's searing and bright, too.[3] I don't know why, but it makes me want to stay put.
(Opens eyes, smiling) If you want to dance with me, then you better bring me a song that drives you mad just from hearing it played.
And then I'll pull your hands from your ears, and drag along your trembling, terrified form... and escort you with all the care in the world.
Translation Notes
1. What Owen had is just called a Japanese fruit sandwich, which is well known as a type of saccharine treat in Japan, but it doesn't have an English name that makes it obvious it's a type of sweet, so I had Akira elaborate a little. ↑
2. Shino says aibou (相棒), literally "partner." ↑
3. Owen uses the words 湿っぽい, (shimeppoi; melancholy, dark, damp) and 眩しい (mabushii; [blindingly] bright, radiant) to describe Rustica's melody. Like the repetition of tojikomeru and how that culminated in the 1st Anniversary story, we see Owen repeat these descriptors (most notably "damp") in certain situations:
- In Main Story chapter 19.9, (kizu) Owen uses the same base word 湿った (shimeppoi, depressing, dark, damp) to describe the room he was trapped in. He also describes it as 暗い (kurai, dark).
- Owen's June voice line has him note that 雨は、暗くて、じめじめしてて… ("It's so dark and damp when it rains..."), repeating both the words 暗い (kurai, dark) and じめじめ (jimejime, a slightly more childish way to say "damp").
- In Chapter 5 of Ballad of the Brave Trailblazer, Owen complains about the cramped, underground tunnels: ジメジメしてるし暗い、最悪… ("It's damp and dark and awful down here..."), repeating both ジメジメ (jimejime, a slightly more childish way to say "damp") and 暗い (kurai, "dark").
- Owen's July voice line has him state 眩しいから外には出たくない ("It's so [painfully/dazzlingly] bright... I don't want to go out."), repeating the word 眩しい (mabushii, "bright").
- In Owen's Northern Ballad SSR, both he and his wounded self use 眩しい (mabushii, "bright") to describe the wheat fields— his wounded self used it in a positive way, and the normal Owen used it in a negative way.
There's probably a few other examples I'm missing, but after tojikomeru was repeated until it became a plot point, I figured I might as well note the repetition here, in case they do something with it.↑
Thank you haranami_ @ Twitter for proofreading!
