Card StatsVignette
I Nearly Had a Heart Attack (Part One)
Last night...
Scarabia Dorm - Lounge
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We're inviting the headmage over and holding a banquet to acquaint him with the Land of Scalding Sands? *Sigh* What have you gotten us into this time? |
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This all started when the headmage said he wasn't sure where to go on vacation. I figured, no better place than our homeland. As representatives of Scarabia, we have to convince the headmage to go there! You can do the cooking and the decorating, and I'll put together a parade! |
Scarabia Dorm - Hallway
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Except I only have one day to prepare. If the headmage is coming, we can't put on a half-hearted banquet or it will reflect poorly on the dorm. For all our sakes, we need to ensure this is a resounding success. I'll begin with the decorations. However, I need to be careful with my selection. They must not only look stunning, but represent the Land of Scalding Sands' culture as well. |
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Everything I'm thinking of is way beyond the scope of our limited timeframe, though. Hmmm... Something both beautiful and cultural... Beautiful and cultural... Beautiful... That's it! I know just who to ask. |
Pomefiore Dorm - Lounge
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So, you've come to me for advice on interior design for this party of yours? |
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Yes. We require decorations, tableware, and treats that exceed an exacting standard of beauty. You being the expert on all things beautiful, I thought you the perfect person to consult. |
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Hm, I suppose I am. |
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I have brought some traditional fabric, as Kalim suggested. As you can see, the cloth is scarlet in hue and adorned with a large peacock design. If you would be so kind as to use your superior aesthetic sense to instruct me how to make use of this... |
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Yes, I get the idea. But surely you don't expect me to offer my services for free? |
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(I knew it! I was prepared for this.) I would never dream of asking Vil Schoenheit, the fairest of them all, to work for free. That would be the height of rudeness. And so, I offer you one of these banners in exchange. Traditional fabrics of the Land of Scalding Sands are already treasures in and of themselves. But this particular banner was made for the Asim family. |
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I understood the value of that fabric at a glance. No need to get into the details. You have impeccable timing, as it turns out. I was just looking for fabric for a new suit. I accept. |
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Is that so? Good to hear it! |
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Let me get a closer look at these textiles. I see... The weave itself is delicate, yet the overall design wallops the beholder with an unmistakable impact. It could easily be framed or hung as is, and still scream, "I am a work of art!" I'm already visualizing how I'll work with it. |
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Of course, of course. (He'll do the rest on his own. All I need to do is smile and nod.) |
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Someone bring me a pair of sewing scissors! |
Pomefiore Student |
Yes, sir! |
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Scissors? Wait, what do you need scissors for? You can't mean to— |
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Oh, but I do. I'm going to cut it. |
| *Snip* |
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Agh! Did you just cut that priceless fabric in half?! |
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Yes, and I'm going to cut it more to turn it into pennant banners. |
| *Snip* |
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Again with the snipping! You do understand that a single roll of this cloth is worth so much that a family of four could live off it for a month?! |
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How dare you waste... Hm? What in the Sorcerer's name...? By cutting it, the traditional design now appears even more striking than before! |
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Precisely. Slavish preservation of its original form only ensures that it will never live up to its potential. Not unlike a certain someone who came barging in here offering nothing but lukewarm flattery. |
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(Urk!) |
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You must never forget to retain a certain boldness in everything you do. Always aim to be sensational. I, personally, would rather die than play it safe. Now, go get some scissors and follow my lead! |
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Yes, right away! |
Main Street
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Wait, it's after three o'clock?! There are only three hours left before the banquet is scheduled to begin! I wasted more time with Vil than I realized. I'll never finish everything in time for the banquet now! I have to find some way around this. Some way to still get the food ready. Food... Cooking... Right. I've got just the guy in mind! |
I Nearly Had a Heart Attack (Part Two)
Cafeteria - Kitchen
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(Kalim suddenly sprung this banquet for the headmage on me, all to provide him with a taste of the Land of Scalding Sands.) (And in order to fulfill those wishes, I obviously need to cook up some traditional cuisine.) (But if I try to do it all myself, I'll never finish in time.) (That's why I decided to call in some help from one of the best cooks in the school...) Thank you very much for agreeing to help me, Trey. |
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Oh, don't mention it. I'll do all I can to make sure everything is ready in time. After all, you generously agreed to prune all of Heartslabyul's rose bushes in return. |
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Of course. And I'll get right to that after I manage to pull off coordinating this banquet. (I clearly got the short end of the stick in terms of workload here. He completely took advantage of me and my predicament.) |
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So, have you decided on what all you're making? |
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Yes. The focus is on traditional cuisine from the Land of Scalding Sands. The main dish will be roast lamb. Typical preparation calls for the meat to be marinaded in spices for three days, but... Thankfully, we have some pre-marinaded meat in the fridge. We'll be using that today. |
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Somehow I get the impression that you were half-expecting something like this to happen. |
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Kalim loves to invite people over without notice, so I try to remain prepared for that sort of thing on a daily basis. We'll put the meat in the oven and bake it on low heat. In the meantime, let us work on getting the other food ready. We need seafood saute, green salad, spreads from potatoes and beans and such, flatbread, and a dessert. In any case, it's much more than I could handle alone. If you would begin by peeling the potatoes, please. Good. That's everything. |
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It all smells magnificent. Especially the meat! I have to say, though... The presentation leaves something to be desired. |
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Hm? Does it? |
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It's brown, brown, brown, as far as the eye can see. Color contrast is essential for plating. I have some roses here that I picked to make some jam. If we spread the petals over the food... There. A nice splash of red to complete the ensemble. |
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You're right! It's much more appetizing this way. My younger sister used to always chide me for producing such bland-looking food. We often fought over it, in fact. Now I realize that the problem was a lack of color. |
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Ha ha! There are a lot of people in Heartslabyul who are incredibly picky about how their snacks look, so I totally understand. Naturally, flavor should be the number one consideration when it comes to food. And while I'd love to deny that appearance factors into it at all... If you're going to work yourself to the bone making good food, you may as well make sure people to enjoy every aspect of it. |
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I'll keep that in mind. Perhaps I can surprise my sister the next time I go home. |
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Okay, let's add some color to the other dishes, too. I have some other edible flowers that I use for baking cakes. |
Main Street
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Thank you very much, Trey! Good. Everything is ready to go. I wonder how Kalim is doing with that parade of his. |
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Sounds like the animals are here. We gotta go pick them up at the front gate! |
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Ah, and there he is. Perhaps I'll spy on him a bit to see how things are going. |
Scarabia Student C |
You seriously brought lions and elephants and everything here? If they make a mess inside the school... |
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Ha ha ha! It'll be fine! Do you know what's most important of all when communicating with animals? |
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(Pfft. That's far too easy. The answer is obviously a strong grasp on animal linguistics.) (You'd need to speak to them in their own languages and inform them of the route to follow for the parade.) |
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What you need most when communicating with animals is... Empathy! |
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Just as I—wait, what?! |
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We're all living beings, so if you just ask nicely, everything will work out. We'll let them rest for a while, then open their cages and get to know them all! |
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He's going to let them out of their cages without a lick of preparation beforehand? Why is he always so careless when it comes to animals?! He's been like this since he was a child, toddling up to tigers and leopards, trying to feed them... Just remembering it spikes my blood pressure. This is all entirely too stressful. I can't trust Kalim with anything. I have to talk to the animals myself! |
Scarabia Dorm - Lounge
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Headmage, may today's festivities succeed in demonstrating all that the Land of Scalding Sands has to offer. Now, let the banquet begin! |
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We managed to finish everything in time. Somehow. I think I've run around more today than in any basketball game. I'm exhausted. |
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Hey, Jamil, is it just me, or do you seem tired? |
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It's definitely just you! |
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Really? Well, that's good, then. |
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The decorations are lovely and the food is absolutely delicious. |
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| Don't talk with your mouth full! | *Munch* *Munch* |
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Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves. Thank you for all your hard work, Jamil. |
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You're very welcome. But I wouldn't write this off as a success just yet. We still have the finale ahead of us: the parade you put together. Hurry and get everything ready. |
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Yeah, will do! |
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Good grief... |
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Jamil! |
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Yes? |
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Your cooking's seriously top-tier! |
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And what say you, [MC]? Is our traditional cuisine to your liking? |
| It's great! | I wish I could eat this every day! |
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Ha ha! That's good to hear. Oh, it seems the parade has begun. Headmage, please go to the balcony and enjoy the parade we put together in your honor. |
Scarabia Student C |
U-um! Vice Housewarden Viper? |
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Yes? What's wrong? You seem frantic. |
Scarabia Student C |
Well, uh... *Whisper* *Whisper* |
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...... WHAT?! |
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Is something the matter, Viper? |
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No, sir! Nothing at all! If you'll excuse me for a moment... I have some business to attend to. Please continue to enjoy the banquet! |
I Nearly Had a Heart Attack (Part Three)
Scarabia Dorm - Hallway
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Kalim is gone?! But in traditional parades, it's customary to release a rainbow of parrots at the end, and then have the host graciously greet everyone! The parade can't proceed without him! |
Scarabia Student C |
We've looked everywhere for him, but found neither hide nor hair... We won't be able to do the finale at this rate. |
Scarabia Student D |
I've got an idea! Why don't you go out there instead, Vice Housewarden? |
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No. That would destroy Kalim's reputation. He's supposed to be the host. |
Scarabia Student C |
But he isn't here! |
Scarabia Student D |
And the parade is going as we speak! What do we do?! |
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Just calm down. Panicking won't help anything. Aren't you proud members of Scarabia? You're supposed to be prepared for anything, retaining your composure no matter the circumstance. |
Scarabia Student D |
Yeah, you're right. |
Scarabia Student C |
Sorry for freaking out. |
Scarabia Student A |
Vice Housewarden! I've been looking for you! |
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Yes? |
Scarabia Student B |
Um, I have something to report regarding housewarden Kalim! |
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I see. So, the parrots flew away because of your misjudgment. And Kalim went off in search of replacements. |
Scarabia Student A |
Yeah. He told us to go ahead and start the parade, but... I'm so sorry. It's all our fault. |
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We can talk about who's at fault later. For now, we need to focus on the problem at hand. If what you said is true, Kalim has gone to Diasomnia. Even if he rode a flying carpet, it would take him ten minutes to get there. We have five minutes until the finale. There's no way he'll make it back in time. We'll have to stall somehow until he manages to return. |
Scarabia Dorm - Lounge
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Tigers, elephants, lions, monkeys, peacocks, and a variety of other animals all in procession. I would never have expected to see such a splendid parade from the dorm balcony! |
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Hey, the parade's made it to the fountain now. And the music's building... |
| This has to be the finale! | It's the most exciting part! |
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What kind of surprise could they have in store for us?! ...... |
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...... |
| Uh, the animals are all circling the same area. |
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How very odd. I wonder what's going to happen. Or perhaps... They might have run into some trouble behind the scenes. |
Scarabia Student C |
The headmage and other guests are starting to catch on. Is housewarden Kalim still not here?! |
Scarabia Student D |
Ugh, the parade's gonna be a big flop! |
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No. The Asim family never presents anything less than excellence. |
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Not while I'm around, at least! Above the roof... Yes, right around that tower will be perfect. Wind magic, howl! |
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Hm? Something seems to be falling from the sky. A scarlet blizzard! My, what an exquisite sight against the white backdrop of Scarabia dorm. |
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Blegh. The flakes are makin' my nose tickle. |
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Silence, you philistine. You know nothing of art. I could gaze at it forever and never grow tired. |
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I never expected the scraps of cloth that Vil cut and Trey's flower petals to come in handy like this. It's a good thing I kept them on me. In any case, that should keep them occupied for a while. Now all that's left is— |
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Heeey! |
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That's a magic carpet flying this way! He's here! |
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Thank you all very much for visiting Scarabia today. It's an honor and a privilege to serve such esteemed guests! |
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Whew... And that concludes the parade. I should go back to the lounge while I can. I need to find a broom to sweep this all up. Hm. How long does Kalim plan on staying on that carpet? I'm getting nervous watching it fly around while he's standing on it. |
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I-I'm losing my balance! Aaah! I'm faaaaaalling! |
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What?! Look out! |
| *KerSPLOOSH* |
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Wow, that was scary! I fell right into the fountain. Huh? Wait, but I'm not hurt at all. Oh, you must have broken my fall with your wind magic, Jamil! Thank you. That would have hurt a lot otherwise. |
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I-I thought...I was going to have a heart attack. |
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But now I'm soaking wet! That's no good. Ha ha ha! |
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This is no laughing matter. You scared me half to death! I am begging you to STOP! BEING! SO! RECKLESS! |
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Urk... Sorry for worrying you. But hey, did you see the finale? I did great, didn't I? |
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Yes, I saw. Well done. ...More like "well done, me." |
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My, that was a fantastic banquet! The decor, the food, the parade... Everything! I imagine it must have been quite difficult to put all this together. |
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It was no big deal. Right, Jamil? |
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It was nothing, sir. |
| Great work! | Grats on surviving. |
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(Today was utterly exhausting. I never want to hold a banquet like that again.) |
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Headmage! Please feel free to visit us anytime, even when you're not planning a vaca— |
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KALIM. |
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Mrph! |
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The next time the headmage asks you for anything, you will reply that you'll go and discuss it with the rest of the dorm. You will run anything and everything by me first before making any decisions. Do I make myself clear? |
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Pfah! Dunno what you thought I was about to say, but you didn't have to cover my mouth. Sheesh. Aaanyway, I'm not sure I really understand why, but you got it, whatever you say! |
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The "best housewarden" indeed... |
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