Samantha/Stories
While wandering the Kaleidoscope, Alk and friends rescue a young girl dressed in traditional garb. Her name is Samantha, and she hails from a remote village of shamans, but desperately wants to make it in the big city. The group befriends her and guides her around the city, eventually inviting her to join their party.
Girl in Folk Attire: What's wrong with you monsters, laying a hand on an innocent young girl like me! You should be ashamed of yourselves!
Girl in Folk Attire: Eek, sorry! Like, don't eat me please, I probably taste awful! Somebody help me!
Alk: Hold on, we're coming!
Girl in Folk Attire: You saved me! You really are something—oh gosh and you're kind of a CUTIE. You're one of those big-city adventurers, aren't you?
Samantha: You like, totally saved my life, thank you! I'm Samantha. It's nice to meet you!
Alk: Nice to meet you too... I'm Alk, and these are Light and Stella.
Light: Were you out alone today, Samantha? It's highly unadvisable to wander through the Kaleidoscope unaccompanied, especially if you're not confident in your skills.
Samantha: Tell me something I don't know already! I have like, a really good reason for being here though!
Samantha: The pay was REALLY good.
Alk: Huh.
Samantha: And I'm super broke right now. I already used up the whole advance they gave me.
Stella: For the time being I think it would be best if we left the Kaleidoscope.
Samantha: But... but my paycheck!
Samantha: Oh. My. GOSH. This tastes amazing!
Samantha: The drinks here in Palpebra are like, super popular, but they literally cost you an arm and a leg...
Samantha: But a girl's gotta treat herself sometimes, you know? Like with whatever this milk tea thing is... mm that's good!
Stella: Samantha, you're not from Palpebra, are you?
Samantha: Nope, I'm from a village in the boonies nobody's ever heard of. It's called Shaman's Rest.
Light: I see. I take it that what you're wearing is traditional shaman attire?
Samantha: Yeah, but these are just out-of-fashion hand-me-downs.
Light: There's no need to put yourself down like that.
Samantha: It's okay, I know it's the truth! It's what my parents' generation wore too—there's no future in it, you know? That's why I decided to come to the big city!
Samantha: I just like, don't really care about all these ancient traditions and stuff...
Light: I see. But that traditional attire is the very essence of what it means to be a shaman, is it not?
Samantha: I guess... Honestly, I want to throw this out and wear something modern. But...
Light: You cannot, because it reminds you of your home?
Samantha: What? Uh, no.
Samantha: That's not it at all—it's cause it's convenient! It's all about like, self-branding, you know? If I market myself as a shaman, I get way more work.
Samantha: But to tell you the truth, I really want to wear something more fashionable and stylish...
Stella: I think your current attire looks wonderful.
Samantha: Really?! You're being serious? Huh... Maybe big-city people are more into this folksy stuff than I thought.
Stella: I share Light's opinion.
Samantha: Seriously?! But Stella, your outfit is like, totally amazing too! It's so stylish!
Stella: Oh. Thank you very much.
Samantha: Ooh, this is great! This is the most fun I've had since coming to Palpebra!
Samantha: Nothing beats hanging out with your nahms like this!
Stella: Nahms?
Samantha: Oh my bad. That's my dialect coming through... that just means friends!
Samantha: We're like, totally friends now, right?
Stella: Y-yes?
Samantha: Awesome. Well, anyway, the three of you know all about Palpebra, right? Do you think you could hook me up with some work? Preferably high-paying.
Samantha: Oh, and a place to stay. Somewhere cheap. But like, not too cheap, you know? I don't want any more weirdos stalking me...
Alk: What kind of places have you been staying at?! We'll try to find somewhere decent.
Stella: Yes. Welcome to the team, Samantha.
Samantha: Yay! Wait, oh my gosh. What is THAT? So cool.
Samantha: The big city is just so amazing—I can't even.
Alk: You know we call this Starview VILLAGE, right?
Samantha and the group are out on the town shopping. They discuss the many differences between the big city and her hometown. Samantha shares her worries for the future, but finds solace in how even the big city's starry night sky looks the same as the one she grew up under.
Samantha: Holy... I don't think I've ever held this much money in my life!
Samantha: Hehe... Now to think about how to spend it all!
Light: Frittering away all your money might lead to problems, you know. Why not try putting some money away to grow your savings?
Samantha: Savings? Hehe, you sound just like my grandpa.
Light: G-grandpa? Young people care about budgeting as well!
Samantha: Whaaatever! Today I wanna go... here!
Samantha: Tada! A special issue of the Oculus—with a full-color front page too!
Stella: A special report on cafés in Palpebra?
Samantha: Exactly! And I'm like, totally going to try out this limited time only Tapioca Meteor Tea!
Alk: What kind of a name is that?
Samantha: A super delish-sounding one! You can even add these special Heavenly Toppings on, oh my gosh!
Light: Sickly Sweet Syrup? I'll be passing on that, if you don't mind.
Samantha: Gotta watch your blood sugar levels, right Grandpa? Hehe. Alk, Stella, let's ditch Light and go ourselves!
Alk: Huh, why me?!
Stella: This Tapioca Meteor Tea was delicious.
Samantha: Told you so! Getting the extra toppings was also totally the right call.
Alk: I... I think I'm getting heartburn. Can we go back now?
Samantha: Huh? What are you talking about? We've still got SHOPPING to do!
Samantha: Let's get a move on, you two!
Samantha: Oh my gosh, Palpebra is like, even better than I imagined!
Samantha: That last store we went to was amazing! So many cute outfits. Oh, and they all looked SUPER cute on you, Stella!
Alk: I guess... Say, didn't they have cafés and clothing stores back in your hometown, Samantha?
Samantha: Uh, NO! Nowhere to buy food either—you only ate what you were able to get yourself!
Samantha: I was eating nothing but ILMS! Boiled ilms, mashed ilms, ilm stew! And the occasional bit of crag meat, when we could catch some.
Samantha: Oh, sorry, did it again. Potatoes, I mean. And crag is like... a wild pig we have near our village.
Alk: You know, I can actually kind of empathize with that.
Samantha: But like, I guess it wasn't ALL bad. Life in Shaman's Rest was probably better than what most people have to go through...
Samantha: But in Palpebra, you can get MONEY! And money can be exchanged for MANY potatoes!
Samantha: Plus, Palpebra has TAPIOCA bubble tea! Praying to my ancestors never got me any bubble tea!
Alk: Somehow I don't think that's your ancestors' fault...
Samantha: But like, nights were pretty, I guess. Back home.
Samantha: I liked gazing at the stars at night. But, that's like literally it.
Stella: Perhaps we should go look at the stars here in Palpebra too.
Alk: Yeah, let's do that. I know a good spot over there!
Samantha: Ohmygooooosh! The stars look so different from over here!
Samantha: Palpebra's night sky is like... totally beautiful too...
Samantha: When I look at the sky like this I always feel like I'm so... small, you know? That all my worries are just a drop in the ocean.
Alk: Whoa. You worry about stuff?
Samantha: Well, duh! Everyone's got worries! I guess I'm like, worried about the future.
Alk: You don't plan on being an adventurer forever, I take it?
Samantha: I mean, I'm like, totally not cut out for it. I really want to be a fashion designer, but I don't know if that's realistic either...
Samantha: Oh well. I like to think that one way or another things will work out in the end!
Samantha: For now, I'm happy to just sit here and watch the stars with my friends. It's nice.
Stella: I think so too.
Alk: You're really quite something, Samantha.
Samantha: Are you like, making fun of me?
Alk: No, absolutely not! I just thought that... we could all learn something from you.
Samantha: Huh? Well, whatever, if you say so!
Samantha: Gosh... I'll never get over how pretty the stars are!