Ellya (New Year)/Stories
Ellya and the others enter a tournament to play Hanetsuki, a traditional Yamato version of badminton. Despite their lack of experience, they take first place and win the grand prize: a seafood feast. Ellya offers to share the feast with the runner-ups for some cross-cultural exchange.
Ellya: These fancy Yamato duds are really on a whole other level, aren't they?
Stella: The fabrics look exquisite on you.
Ellya: Hee-hee. Thanks, Stella!
Ellya: I figured that when in Yamato, do as the Yamato do, am I right?
Ellya: But even more than the clothing...
Ellya: These people really know how to ring in the new year with a bang!
Little Girl: Grab your paddle! They're gonna start the Hanetsuki tournament without us!
Little Boy: I'm gonna win the whole thing! Just watch!
Alk: Hanetsuki? What's that?
Ellya: Umm... Maybe it's a local racket sport? The kimono shop lady gave me a paddle as a freebie, and it's just like that kid's.
Ellya: Who knows? If it seems fun, maybe we could introduce it to Palpebra?
Ellya: Well, what are we waiting for? Let's follow those kids and take a look-see for ourselves!
Ellya: Whoa, check it out! Yep. I could TOTALLY see something like this catching on in Palpebra!
Light: Hmm... It looks like the game is to prevent the feathered shuttlecock from touching the ground.
Announcer: Boys and girls! Ladies and gents! Grandpas and grandmas! We're looking for contenders of all skill levels and ages, and all are welcome to enter!
Announcer: They say if a feather lands on you, an entire year of good fortune awaits! There's still time to sign up, but act fast!
Ellya: I guess it's now or never if we wanna try it out for ourselves, huh?
Ellya: What do you say? Let's do this thing!
Nimbus: Hard pass. I'm good with just watching.
Light: I would only be a hindrance in my current form, I imagine.
Stella: I will play.
Ellya: Just Stella? What about the rest of you guys?
Ellya: ...Alk?
Alk: I guess I'm still on the fence...
Announcer: The grand prize winner will be treated to a fantastic, family-style, five-star, five-course seafood feast!
Alk: What the... Look at the size of that snapper! And those jumbo shrimp are actually jumbo-sized! Not to mention the crabs and scallop... *drool*
Ellya: Heh. Sounds like somebody wants a shot at the grand prize.
Ellya: Am I right?
Alk: I mean, yes, but there's no way we'd be able to win this thing without a considerable amount of practice.
Alk: Buuut... if we can come up with some kind of plan or strategy, it could be possible!
Nimbus: Somebody's fired up.
Ellya: That's the spirit, Alk! It's all about attitude!
Ellya: If you think strategy's the key to victory, it might be a good idea to go after us.
Ellya: You're the most perceptive of our bunch, Alk, so you could do some reconnaisance first.
Ellya: Get a feel for the game, study our opponents, and relay all that juicy intel back to us. Sounds like a plan, right?
Ellya: Though you'll need to be a silent watcher. Our man on the inside, the architect of this operation.
Alk: All right. You might be overestimating my spy potential here, but I'll do whatever I can to help!
Ellya: Woohoo! Let's win this thing, gang!
Stella: I can already taste victory.
Stella: I lost in the first round.
Light: A-at least you left your heart on the field...
Alk: On the bright side, thanks to watching you play, I was able to get a pretty good idea of how to approach the shuttlecock!
Alk: It actually falls a bit slower than you'd expect, so it's easy to mess up the timing.
Alk: That being said, I don't think you should have any trouble, Ellya, especially given your track record as the Starlight Sharpshooter.
Ellya: So I should use my speed to my advantage, mixing up my pace to throw off my opponent...
Ellya: Got it! I'll avenge you, Stella. Just wait!
Alk: Our five-star, five-course feast depends on it!
Ellya: Don't you worry. I'm gonna win this thing, free.
Stella: Incredible. I can't even see the shuttlecock anymore.
Nimbus: This is pretty intense for a casual tournament...
Ellya: There it is!
Ellya: Hagoita Splash!
Ellya: I won! I won, you guys!
Light: You played a splendid match out there.
Nimbus: I'll admit it... This ended up being more entertaining than I thought.
Little Girl: Sorry... maybe we'll have a shot at it next time. Can you wait another year?
Ellya: Hi there! I'd like to offer you a trade of sorts, actually. Care to listen?
Alk: Nothing tastes better than the taste of victory, am I right? And look at these portions!
Little Girl: Thank you for inviting us. Are you sure we're not party crashing?
Ellya: Of course! But remember your end of the bargain—teach us all kinds of stuff about Yamato, okay?
Ellya: A pretty sweet deal for both of us, don't you think?
Light: She pulled that off quite expertly. By framing it as an exchange, they'd be more inclined to take the offer to join us. Everyone wins.
Nimbus: You think? I'm pretty sure she's just on the hunt for ideas to bring back to Palpebra.
Ellya: Cheers to the new year, everybody! Bottoms up!
Everyone: Happy New Year!
Ellya introduces Alk and the others to the magic of freshly-pounded mochi. Enamored by its versatility, Ellya employs Alk to help her introduce mochi to Palpebra in the form of a portable snack.
Ellya: Get your butts in gear, you guys! We're not gonna make it!
Alk: Wait... wait up! What's the big hurry, anyway?
Ellya: I've wanted to try this Yamato delicacy for so long, and the day's finally come. You're gonna love this, I promise!
Ellya: And not only that, I hear we'll even get to MAKE some!
Alk: You had me at Yamato delicacy! But... what kind, exactly?
Ellya: You'll find out when we get there!
Ellya: Ta-da! Presenting... pounded rice cakes!
Alk: Oh. You mean mochi? We've had this before.
Ellya: Whaaat? You guys already knew about mochi?
Alk: I mean, we've had dumplings and stuff made out of it before.
Stella: It's very delicious. And very chewy.
Ellya: Aw. And here I was thinking I'd get to really impress you this time.
Ellya: But hear me out. Mochi... might have the power to change Palpebra forever!
Nimbus: Here we go again.
Ellya: Hmph! I see that you're not gonna take my word for it. But you'll understand once you put a little blood, sweat, and tears into it!
Nimbus: So... why am I holding this?
Ellya: We'll need some muscle to take care of the pounding, so obviously that's you.
Ellya: But we'll also need someone else to flip the mochi real fast.
Stella: I can do it.
Alk: For real?
Ellya: Sounds like a plan! Okay, you two... Let's win this thing!
Stella: Heigh!
Nimbus: Ho!
Stella: Heigh!
Nimbus: Ho!
Alk: They're going so fast... I'm getting nervous.
Ellya: Maybe a cheer of our own will help them with their timing! Like, um...
Ellya: Let's go, Stella! Let's go, Nimbus! One and two and three and four, pound that rice into the floor!
Light: Hey, there we go!
Stella: The mochi's... so shiny.
Ellya: It took some time, but it looks like the grains have finally all become one. Way to pound, you two!
Ellya: Let's dig in!
Stella: Freshly pounded mochi... it hits different.
Alk: You're right. This is totally different than any mochi I've had before! It's incredible!
Light: Indeed. But how is this supposed to have the power to change Palpebra?
Ellya: About that... Tada!
Ellya: I present to you, the next step in mochi technology: Kagamimochi.
Stella: This is also mochi? It's so hard... How are you supposed to eat it?
Alk: Yeah, it looks like it's long gone stale. Oh, but maybe if you roasted it over a fire or let it sit in some water...
Ellya: Precisely, Alk! You can always restore this mochi by boiling it or roasting it!
Ellya: And not only that, they can be preserved for long periods of time.
Light: ...Making them an ideal food for adventuring. I see where you're going with this.
Ellya: Exactamundo! Beats munching on dry bread and jerky all the time, don't you think?
Nimbus: I guess our normal rations HAVE lost their spice over the years.
Ellya: And more importantly, mochi is deeelish! This glutenous wonder will revolutionize the adventurer snack game for sure!
Alk: I don't know about a revolution...
Ellya: It's all about quality over quantity these days, right?
Alk: Uh, I guess?
Ellya: Thanks to the power of the elements, mass production of food has become more commonplace.
Ellya: But nothing can recreate the feeling of a home-cooked meal!
Alk: You're right!
Ellya: The market's hungry... hungry for a new portable snack! And merchants are looking to satisfy this ever-growing beast!
Ellya: Think of the marketing capability! Chewy, gooey, goodness on the go! It markets itself!
Alk: Whoa, yeah... You could totally make this happen!
Ellya: What do you mean by "you"? We're in business together now, Alk!
Ellya: I'll need someone with culinary prowess on my team... and I can't think of anyone more qualified!
Ellya: So buckle up, because this ride's just about to get started!
Alk: Uh, don't I get a say in this?
Stella: Chewy, gooey, goodness...
Stella: How exciting.
Alk: Well, I'll do my best, I guess.
Ellya: That's the spirit!
Ellya holds Palpebra's inaugural Fortunebringer race. However, someone attempts to rig the race, inadvertantly causing Ellya to become the winner.
Ellya: We're doing it, you guys. We're doing a Fortunebringer race for Palpebra this year!
Nimbus: Alk, Ellya's making up words again.
Ellya: Rude! But it's fine. I can use this opportunity to educate you on some Yamato culture.
Alk: You're really into Yamato culture lately, huh?
Light: So, what's this "Fortunebringer race" supposed to be?
Ellya: It's basically a footrace held throughout a city. Whoever wins earns the title of that year's Fortunebringer!
Nimbus: Hmph. A real man makes his own fortune.
Ellya: Oh? Sounds to me like you're too chicken to enter. Hehe.
Ellya: But anyway, the important thing is that ANYONE can enter! And that means an even bigger event, which means more fortune for your town or city! Supposedly.
Ellya: This is just the thing Palpebra needs to spice things up for the new year, don't you think?
Nimbus: I can't even imagine the headache you'd have trying to put something like this...
Nimbus: ...Together. Well, I'll be damned.
Alk: Ellya really pulls out all the stops when it comes to Palpebra, huh?
Ellya: I'll be counting on your help at the checkpoints today, everybody!
Light: You got it. Let's mosey, people.
Ellya: Okay, lookin' good. We've really gotta nail this if we want it to become an annual tradition.
Ellya: Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen! Let us commence... the inaugural Palpebra Fortunebringer Race!
Ellya: The rules are easy enough. Run your way throughout town into the forest. The first person to touch the giant boulder wins!
Pur Lilie: On top of the coveted Fortunebringer title, the winner will also receive a magical gemstone generously provided by the guild!
Ellya: That oughtta get them fired up! Okay, folks. I want a nice, clean, race. Got it?
Ellya: On your mark, get set...
Ellya: GO!
Ellya: ... I'm gettin' kinda antsy... I think I'm gonna go check it out!
Ellya: What happened here, Nimbus?!
Nimbus: This scumbag here was tripping the other racers on purpose.
Nimbus: I disqualified him, but he started gettin' a bit rowdy, so I... I shut him down, so to speak.
Ellya: Huh... I guess that would be the right call in this situation.
Nimbus: What I don't get is why someone would do this. There's nothing of ACTUAL value on the line here.
Ellya: On the other hand, there might be someone with something to gain in another sense...
Ellya: Keep an eye out for any more troublemakers, Nimbus, I'm gonna go check the other checkpoints!
Alk: H-hey! Calm down, everyone! What's the big idea?!
Ellya: What's going on here?!
Alk: Ellya! Someone started charging into the crowd, and a whole brawl broke out!
Alk: I've barely been able to keep them under control, but everyone's too heated to listen to me!
Light: Ellya, listen! A few racers have found themselves unable to go any farther—someone's been setting down traps apparently!
Ellya: Hmm... How many people reached your checkpoint so far?
Light: Just one, actually. I found it to be strange that someone would be so far ahead of everyone else, so I went back to check.
Ellya: Just one, huh? Thanks. I think I see what's happening here.
Ellya: Someone is trying to rig the race so that a certain racer takes first prize! And it's not only a single person, but a coordinated effort!
Ellya: Once I find out who they are... Oooh, they'd better HOPE I don't find them!
Ellya: Stop right there, cheater scum! I'm afraid I can't let you win this race.
Adventurer: What's the big idea? It's not my fault the other racers are just slow! Go kick rocks!
Ellya: I said I wanted to see a nice, clean race... Didn't I?
Adventurer: Yeah, well... where's your proof? I won this race fair and square, and you've got nothin'!
Ellya: Nothin', huh? How about this then?!
Ellya: Taaaake this! Hagoita Splash!
Ellya: The Fortunebringer was supposed to be a symbol of hope and prosperity for Palpebra! How dare you besmirch its name!
Alk: Er... Did you just touch the race-winning boulder?
Ellya: Oh, oops! Uh, that one doesn't count!
Pur Lilie: But there's nobody else left in this race—literally!
Pur Lilie: And so I guess that makes you Palpebra's Fortunebringer! What a get for the Starlight Sharpshooter!
Pur Lilie: Let's hear it for our champion!
Ellya: Wait, that's gotta be against the rules or something, right? And I didn't even mean to touch the stupid boulder!
Pur Lilie: But listen to that crowd! I've never heard them so fired up before!
Crowd: ELLYA won the race?! You've gotta be kidding me!
Crowd: I'm gonna enter and take the title for myself next year!
Crowd: Just you wait, Ellya!
Ellya: *Sigh*
Ellya: Fine. I guess since there isn't anyone else available to take the title, I'll take it tentatively.
Ellya: Don't like it? Try to take it back from me next year!
Nimbus: Heh-heh. Way to play the heel, Ellya.
Alk: Phew... All's well that ends well, I think.
Light: Once Ellya gets involved with something, people get talking. Perhaps this was the outcome she was hoping for all along.
Stella: Well done, Ellya.