Botan/Stories
A Pyrotechnician from Yamato, Botan helps the party out of a tough spot. Alk gives her a stone, which she then uses to make fireworks. Delighted by the colorful result, she asks to join the party on their journey.
Nimbus: Goddamn, how many of these guys are there? They won't stop comin'.
Alk: Kinda starting to wish our instructions weren't to clear out everything on the mountain...
Light: Focus, both of you! Aim your attacks at the same target and―
Nimbus: The hell was that? An explosion?
Alk: What on earth?
Light: Alk, Nimbus! Get down!
Alk: Ahhhhhhhh!
???: Hahahahahaha!
Botan: Well, consider yourselves lucky―Botan is here to save the day!
Botan: I'll blow all these stupid yokai sky-high! Hyaaaaaaaa!
Alk: Wow.
Botan: Hah-hah! Quite something, ain't it?
Botan: Everyone all right? No one hurt? If so, let's head on down to―
Botan: Whoa, whoa, whoa! And here I thought you were humans―you some kind of shape-shifting yokai?
Botan: Cause if you are, I swear I'll shoot!
Alk: No no no! We're not yokai!
Botan: Oh. My bad! I guess I jumped to the wrong conclusion there!
Botan: Iunno if it's much of an apology, but feel free to catch a breather here and maybe have some tea!
Botan: But uh, don't touch any of the stuff over there. Lots of gunpowder, you never know when it might go BOOM!
Light: Is it really wise to store such dangerous materials here? What exactly do you do, Botan?
Botan: I'm what you'd call a pyrotechnician, duh! This is my humble workshop.
Botan: I happened to be out gatherin' compounds for my fireworks when I came across those yokai you were fightin'.
Alk: Fireworks! No wonder they were super pretty!
Botan: Hah! Keep the compliments coming, please!
Botan: But to tell you the truth, the ones back there were all defective! I was just gettin' rid of them. The coloring was all wrong!
Botan: Oof, it's honestly a cryin' shame, but I'll be real here: I'm in a bit of a jam at the moment.
Botan: You guys are... adventurers, I gather? It ain't easy but I guess I'll swallow my pride and just ask...
Botan: If you find any good compounds I could make use of, would you be willin' to help a gal out and pass 'em on to me?
Light: It is certainly a most sudden request. What kind of compounds did you have in mind?
Botan: It don't matter! Anything that could add a splash of color would work. I'm not ruling anything out.
Alk: I see.
Alk: How about something like this?
Botan: Wh-what on earth is this?
Botan: This rock... could I have it? Or, wait, I'll buy it from you! Please!
Alk: S-sure, of course you can.
Botan: Really? Okay, okay, then park yourselves here for a moment! I'll be back.
Botan: All right, sorry to make you wait! Let's test this baby out!
Alk: You already made fireworks from that stone we gave you? That was fast!
Botan: Oh, it's no biggie. Just gotta check the coloration before throwing it together!
Botan: Okay, here goes!
Light: Wow!
Nimbus: All that just 'cause of a tiny rock?
Alk: So... Was that the kinda thing you were looking for?
Alk: Botan?
Botan: Th-this...
Botan: This color! I've never seen anything like it before!
Botan: You absolutely HAVE to tell me—where on earth did you get that rock?!
Botan: Huh, so you used this ... Word Flapper thing?
Alk: World Flipper, yes. It'll be hard to get you more of those rocks locally.
Botan: Well that don't bother me! I'll just join up with you and visit these other worlds!
Light: Is that really something you can decide so flippantly? What of your job, or your family?
Botan: Family? I do have a father, but he works in a different workshop. Ain't seen him in years!
Light: Is there discord between you?
Botan: Let's just say we don't see eye to eye! And that I occasionally wanna sock him right in the face.
Botan: Meaning, I have no issues with leaving! Please take me with you!
Alk: Eh... Why not?
Alk: This might be a curiosity killed the cat situation, but I do wanna see what kinda fireworks you whip up next!
Botan: Really? Awesome!
Botan: I can't believe I'm headin' to a totally new world! What kinda fireworks can I make over there, I wonder?
Botan: Thanks for takin' me along!
Every year, Botan holds a long-distance firework competition with her father, in an attempt to prove herself. This year she obtains a high-quality compound to improve her fireworks, but still fails to best her father. Venting to the party, she vows to win next year.
Nimbus: You'll have to do better than that!
Merchant: Ah! My stall! Get that monster away from my stall!
Alk: Easier said than done...
Botan: Sorry to make everyone wait! I'm all ready to go!
Alk: Okay, go for it!
Botan: Blowin' target to smithereens!
Botan: Easy-peasy!
Townsfolk: Wow!
Botan: What a stroke of luck—apparently helpin' people DOES pay off!
Alk: You mean the present that shopkeeper gave you? Is it really that valuable?
Botan: You bet it is! It's called a Hakke Lotus. They only bloom once every few years!
Botan: If you knead this into gunpowder, it causes the colors to linger a bit after you fire them. You can paint all sorts of beautiful sights in the sky that way!
Alk: I'd very much like to see that someday!
Botan: Oh don't give me this SOMEDAY business—I'll have it ready to go in a flash!
Botan: I've finally gotten my hands on a top-quality ingredient...
Botan: Maybe this will finally be my year!
Botan: Right, I oughta explain. You see, I actually have a very important competition tonight.
Alk: Like a fireworks show?
Botan: Somethin' like that, yeah.
Botan: Time for the final battle. All right, feast your eyes on this!
Alk: Is it supposed to be doing something?
Light: What exactly is this device for?
Botan: Oh come on, it's obviously a launcher! Okay, enough chatter. Time for the main event!
Botan: Get ready for my very own custom-made Hakke Lotus fireworks display! Burn this awesome sight into your eyes!
Nimbus: Whoa!
Light: What a sight! It's spectacular!
Alk: Yeah, it's really something special.
Alk: Getting that flower really meant a lot to her, huh?
Light: Thank you for showing us this magnificent display, Botan.
Botan: It's not over yet!
Nimbus: There's more?
Alk: Is there some sort of festival going on?
Light: Those fireworks are quite incredible as well!
Alk: Yours were a bit more vivid, Botan, but I think these are quite elegant as well.
Light: Whoever designed them is certainly talented. Your skills appear to be evenly matched.
Botan: ...Nah, he's the clear winner.
Botan: Gosh darn it! He's gone and won this year too...
Alk: This is the important competition you were talking about?
Botan: Yep... The fireworks you just saw were my dad's. We do this once a year, to test our skills.
Nimbus: You and your old man have some issues, huh?
Botan: I never want to see him again!
Botan: I told you before, didn't I? He and I don't get along... when I decided to become a pyrotechnician, he absolutely wouldn't have it.
Botan: But I wasn't about to give up on my dream! So I ran away from home, just to show him.
Botan: This is just my way of getting back at him—I wanna prove that I can make better fireworks than he ever could!
Botan: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! This is going to drive me mad, how the heck did he make that color?
Botan: *sigh*
Botan: ...What? If you've got somethin' to say, just say it!
Alk: I don't have anything to say!
Botan: You LIAR! I saw you smirking! Out with it!
Nimbus: Simmer down, you've got things mixed up.
Light: Yes. We were just relieved to find out that your relationship with your father isn't nearly as bad as we thought.
Botan: What?! It IS that bad, we've been fightin' ever since I can remember!
Nimbus: You know, that pleased look on your face says otherwise.
Botan: Wh-what are you talkin' about? I'm devastated here! Even with my Hakke Lotus, I couldn't beat him...
Botan: That's that! The competition's over—I'm leavin'.
Alk: Where are you going? To see your father?
Botan: Are you crazy? I'm going to grab a bite to eat. I'm starvin'...
Botan: I need to get even BETTER at making fireworks, so startin' tomorrow I'm going all-out. But I can't do that on an empty stomach!
Botan: Just you watch me, pops. Next year, I'll come out on top!
Botan hears about an ingredient she could use for her fireworks in the Kingdom of Sand. She notes that the locals look somewhat gloomy. Inspired by the evening sun, she gets the urge to fire off some fireworks. The people of the nearby town take a liking to her fireworks, leaving Botan in excellent spirits.
Nimbus: Embersand?
Bartender: Yes, they say if you light it on fire, it burns in a most peculiar hue.
Botan: Interesting... I just might be able to make use of that! Thank you, sir!
Bartender: Hmph. If you're done prattling, please move along. You're getting in the way of my business!
Light: Pardon the inconvenience.
Light: What's wrong, Botan?
Botan: Say, did somethin' happen in this town or what?
Botan: I just have a weird feelin' about this place...
Botan: It's like everyone looks dead on the inside, you know?
Botan: They all have this look of total boredom on their face!
Nimbus: Now that you mention it, I can kind of see it.
Nimbus: Hardly worth thinkin' about, though. Let's get movin'.
Alk: These ruins look about right. It must be here.
Botan: Is that the Embersand that merchant was talkin' about?!
Botan: Hehe! This should do the trick—I'm one step closer to beatin' you, dad!
Nimbus: What's that sound?
Botan: Ahhh!
Botan: Ohmygosh... I thought we were done for!
Alk: Botan?
Botan: ...Wow, it's incredible!
Botan: Thank you so much, everyone.
Nimbus: Gettin' all sentimental on us, are you?
Botan: No it's just...
Botan: If I hadn't met you all, I'd have missed out on this amazing view.
Alk: That goes for us too. Without you, we'd never have gotten to see all those incredible fireworks!
Botan: Well, when you put it that way... hehe.
Botan: Okay! That's it, I've made up my mind!
Desert Dweller: What was that sound?
Light: This must be the Embersand...
Botan: To the SKY! One more round comin' up!
Nimbus: So uh, why are you putting on an impromptu fireworks show exactly?
Botan: To tell you the truth, I don't really know!
Botan: I was watchin' the setting sun and this... feeling came over me, you know? Like a fire in my chest!
Botan: I wanted to light up some fireworks and decorate the desert sky... I just couldn't help myself!
Light: A tad impulsive, wouldn't you say?
Botan: Hehe. I get that a lot.
Nimbus: Townsfolk? What're they doin' here?
Botan: Oh gosh... I'm about to get a heck of a scolding, aren't I?
Alk: Fireworks do make a lot of noise. And the town isn't exactly far from here.
Nimbus: I wouldn't blame 'em for thinkin' a war had started.
Botan: Should I just make a run for it?!
Desert Dweller: Excuse me!
Desert Dweller: Could you tell us what that was? Why were flames dancing in the sky?
Botan: Those... those were fireworks!
Desert Dweller: Fireworks?
Desert Dweller: They were beautiful.
Desert Dweller: I've never seen anything quite like that before!
Botan: Hehe, really? You're all pretty easy to impress, huh!
Children: Um, are the fireworks finished for the day, Miss?
Botan: No way! I've got plenty left over!
Botan: Up, up, and away!
Children: Wow!
Nimbus: You know what? They're not half bad.
Nimbus: But, Botan. If you're gonna square off against your old man later, don't you think you should save up some of that Embersand?
Botan: Heh, you know I totally forgot about that! I got caught up in other stuff.
Botan: Today being such a great day an' all.