Yukata Curran/Stories

General Stories Misc

Quotes

On Sortied

Let's be off to the festival, friend!

On Entering a Room

Try not to cut loose TOO much!

When Quest Begins

It's festival time!

You ready for the festivities?

Response to Beginning of a Quest

Looks like this'll be one hustling, bustling festival!

Lemme just get this obi tightened... Rrrr... Dammit!

When Controlling Character in Quest

Looks like there's no time to rest!

When Receiving a Heal

Whew! I was a little nervous there for a second...

I feel a cool breeze.

When Entering a Boss' Room

Finish this one, and this festival is over!

Let's close this festival up with a win!

Response to Entering a Boss' Room

Right, let's wrap this one up quick!

Let's win this and then enjoy the evening.

Upon Getting to Low Health

Tch! My yukata's going to get ripped!

This heat is killing me...

Upon Opening a Chest

Any lucky finds?

Oh I'll take that! ...Wait, do yukata even have pockets?

Boss on Low Health

Looks like the festival's almost over!

Let's put a little oomph into this goodbye!

Boss Enters Break State

They're wide open!

Time to pay the fiddler!

Rare Enemy Spawns

That calls for an investigation.

It must be the Goddess's will that we've found this thing.

Upon Death

The Goddess has no mercy in the summer...

I won't get to tour the food carts...

Upon Revival

As if a little heat could keep ME down!

When Using Weapon/Shared Skills

Damage: Behave yourself!

Buff Self: The Goddess is smiling!

Buff Ally: All cooled off and ready to take on the world?

Debuff Enemy: Heat getting to you?

Heal Ally: It's too soon to be worn out!

Heal Self: This festival's only BEGUN!

Player Uses Damaging Skill

Well, don't you look cool?

The Goddess couldn't take her eyes off you!

When Shape Shifting is Ready

Looks like the dragon wants to have some festival fun!

I feel the dragon's pulse!

Shape Shifting into Dragon

Blow 'em away dragon, and send this summer heat with 'em!

Idle During Quest

I gotta fix my yukata's collar.

A cool, dry cloth is the best thing if you're sweating.

Quest Clear

Now THIS is chic!

Quest Failure

Haah... has the Goddess given up on me?

Home Screen Walking

Looking like it's gonna be a hot one today.

Maybe I'll go take in the cool evening air.

Oh! I can see the festival lights...

This outfit is really nice and breezy.

Where's Lathna?

I don't want the festival to end!

Home Screen Inside

My beliefs and my duty as an inquisitor will never change, no matter WHAT I'm wearing!

Watch yourself: Festivals tend to bring out their share of no-goodniks.

The sandals they aren't bad once you're used to 'em. Plus I bet they'd be handy in a scrap!

There's nothing better than a fartsival! Uh! Damn! I mean FESTival!

Heinwald sure knows his way around a festival— he talks so much, it's giving me a headache.

Lathna got so into the goldfish scoop, the poor thing almost got her sleeves wet!

Home Screen Portrait

No one's gonna think I'm an inquisitor in this outfit.

Ooof... my foot starts to hurt if my sandal straps are too tight.

Work is work and play is play, it's important to have a balance.

Even a vacationing inquisitor wouldn't leave everything to others!

I have my belief in the Goddess those feelings are always true.

Collection Portrait

No matter how I'm dressed I always feel the Goddess' love.

These obi things are just impossible to tie! But how in the world did Lathna manage it?

Even in the midst of a festival I don't neglect my prayers!

An inquisitor amusing himself at a heathen festival? Gaah, feels a little heresy-y, don't you think?

I've gotta crack down on some heretics so I can enjoy the festival freely!

At The Halidom

What, we got a case?

Heinwald, it's a festival! A FESTIVAL, HEINWALD!

Lathna, you wanna go to one of the food carts?

New Mana Circle Unlocked

This festival's ONLY begun!

On Mana Circle Fully Unbound

Even when things hustle and bustle during a festival I can feel the Goddess' love shining down on me.

Adventurer Story Episodes

Episode 1

The Case of the Missing Purse

Huh. So this is how they party in Hinomoto. Seems like a real hoot. H-hey, um, Curran? Look, Lathna, I know Heinwald makes the whole "skulking around in the shadows" thing seem alluring, but— B-but this outfit... Ah, the traditional Hinomotoan summerwear—a "yukata," was it? You look fresh as a daisy, little lady. No one else is wearing one, though... True. It may be a Hinomotoan festival, but this IS still Alberia. Guess your average Joe and Jane aren't gonna be all gussied up to match, huh? But Yaten says a yukata's the way to go if you're looking for that full festival flavor. I feel like I stick out. It's embarrassing. I'll let you in on a secret, Lathna. If what you're doing is different from everybody else, that's a GOOD thing. We're all one-of-a-kind, and this is a perfect opportunity to learn what sweats your shelf apart from udders. (Classic Curran.) Anyway, it's not just the two of us. See all those girls carrying cloth purses? Oh. I guess they are. Yukatas may be scarce, but plenty of folks are walking around sporting traditional accessories. Everyone's making their own special memories with a bit of festival flair. Instead of standing around worrying about what other people might think, I suggest you put that energy into enjoying yourself. Yeah, I... I suppose you're right. So! What say we start by hitting the food stands?

---

Wow. Look at that line. No kidding. What the heck is drawing this many people? Looks like... 'Preciate your custom! Eat it while it's hot, ya hear? Is that Natalie? Leave it to a professional to roll out a killer stall, I guess. What do you think, Lathna? Should we get in line? N-no thanks. I'm not big on crowds. Guess we can always come back after we do the rounds. Okay, then... First stop, that stall there!

---

Woof, I am beyond full. I swear they put some kinda secret sauce in this stuff. Same food at home? Meh. From a stall? GOURMET. You enjoy yours, Lathna? Yes. It was very tasty. I couldn't eat another bite. Glad to hear it. If we want to catch the pyroblossom show, we should probably mosey that way now. Okay. ...Ah. Hm? You all right, Lathna? Um, Curran? You...go on ahead. I need to make a quick stop first. Huh? Where are you— I know the way. Don't worry. Go on—I'll meet you at the show!

---

Here you go, kiddo. Enjoy! Th-thank you. Ah! The pyroblossoms are starting. I need to hurry. Aah! Waugh! S-sorry... Oh, gosh, I'm the one who went barrelling into you! Are you okay? Uh-huh. I'm fine. Phew. Good to hear. Anyway, I've gotta run. Bye! Hm? Oh... This isn't my purse. That girl and I must've swapped ours on accident. I've got to find her. But I need to meet up with Curran, too. Wh-what should I do?

---

Those pyroblossoms were amazing. No kidding. What a show! I'd say it was worth calling in a specialist from Taiwu. Yeah... S-so, um... Where to next? Isn't it obvious? No...? We gotta find your purse. I'm guessing it got mixed up with someone else's? What?! H-how did you— I didn't say anything about that. Sharp eyes are a tool of the trade. Doesn't take a purse scientist to see you're packing a pristine pouch there. Pray proffer a prospectus of—holy moly, somebody get me off this alliteration train. *ahem* Fill me in on what happened and we'll take it from there.

---

—And then I met up with you for the pyroblossom show. It's going to be impossible to find the right girl in a crowd like this, though, so— Eh, "impossible" is an awfully strong word. Huh? Let's get cracking, kid. Huh? Wha—Curran?!

---

Well? See her anywhere around that stand? Ah! There she is! That's her! How'd you know where to look? Easy. When you were running towards the pyroblossom show, she was charging headlong in the opposite direction. That show's the festival's main attraction. Ergo, she'd only ignore it if she wanted to do something ELSE at precisely that time. Something that couldn't wait until after the show was over, for instance. So, what's a girl to do while everyone else is off watching the pyroblossoms? My first thought: hit up the hottest stands. I figured if we did the rounds on all the most popular ones, we might find her. Aaand bingo. Whoa... You sound just like Heinwald. Ugh. That guy's name is like a magic spell for ruining the moment. Anyway, forget ol' skunk-hair. Go flag her down and swap your bags back. Right!

---

Um, excuse me... Huh? What's that about a purse? Whoa, you're right! This one isn't mine. So they got switched when we bumped into each other, huh? That could've ended badly. Well, thanks for bringing it back! And they lived happily ever after. That, Lathna, is what we call an "open-and-shut case." Wrong. Pardon? It's the wrong one, Curran. This isn't my purse!

Episode 2

A Shifty Observer

It's the wrong one, Curran. This isn't my purse! What? How in the world... Hey, girly. Who, me? It's Melanie, by the way. Not "girly." My apologies. Quick question for you, Miss Melanie. Is the purse she just handed you yours? Yep. All my stuff's accounted for, too. Then...where did MINE go? I really, really need it back. There's something precious inside. Aww, don't worry, kiddo. I'll track it down for you. You've seen me in action, right? Y-yeah. Thank you. Now. Simplest answer here is that after you and she swapped bags, hers got swapped a second time. Right? That's...extremely improbable. But not impossible. As long as the probability isn't zero, it's a lead worth chasing down. Step one: we gather intel. Mind if I ask you a few more questions, Melanie?

---

Come one, come all! How about it, son? Let's see how many goldfish you can catch! That the place, Melanie? Yep. The goldfish stall. I remember it well because the stall next to it was closing up. Gotcha. Not many spots are closed this early, either. Distinction noted. You said you took your eyes off your bag while you were busy catching fish, yeah? Yeah, I just set it down on the ground beside me. Other than right then, I had an iron grip on it the whole night. I see. Sounds like it's time for this inquisitor to make some inquiries. ...Hey, pops. A question, if you will. Huh? What do you need, mister? If you're here to fish, it's 50 rupies a— Sorry, but I'm after a different kind of scoop. You see—

---

Huh. Well, that's the weirdest thing I've heard tonight. Not sure what you expect ME to do about it, though. You got any idea how many people have been through this stall? I—huh. Actually, hold up. Something ring a bell? I have no idea if it's relevant, but there was a guy casing my stall until a little while ago. You don't say. Any idea who he was? Yeah, Dominic. Friend of yours? I wouldn't say that. Guy's more of a...local celebrity. Used to be a real hellraiser as a kid. He's grown now, but rumor has it he's fallen in with the wrong crowd. How wrong are we talking? I don't know the details, but... Heretics, basically. Heretics?! This is all based on a rumor, remember. And this Dominic kid was hanging around your stall? I don't like the sound of that. Hey, maybe he was just waiting for a buddy. All I know is that he was standing in the shadow of that building and peering over my way, for whatever reason. Nobody's there now, though. Hm. Yeah, he's gone. Took off around the same time the stall next door closed up shop. Awfully convenient that all this went down right around the time Melanie was here. Couldn't have been a coincidence. Something smells fishy here, and it's not the goldfish.

Episode 3

Who's the REAL Target?

Knock knock. Ain't seen you before. We're more of a regulars-only kind of establishment. You're gonna want to find another spot. Stick to the main drag. Believe me, I'd love to. But a little bird told me you might be able to point me toward our mutual friend Dominic. Oh? And you two know each other...how, exactly? Let's just say that he's hanging on to something of mine, and I'm due to collect. You lend the guy money or something? Something like that. Then you're an idiot. Whatever it was, kiss it goodbye. Kid's hard up for cash twenty-four seven. Not lately, Chief. And who are you? An old mate o' the lad you're askin' after. He made 'imself scarce as an Ifrit egg for a while, then aaall of a sudden 'e waltzes back into town with 'is pockets bulgin'. Any idea why? Nope. Only thing 'e spilled was that 'e found a right juicy gig. How juicy are we talking? "Workin' for a real bigwig" juicy. Huh. That who was in here before, then? Didn't look all that fancy to me. Aha. So you WERE holding out on me. Ain't nothin' worth makin' a fuss over. Guy came in a bit ago; said he was Dominic's boss. I guess Dominic told him to come here if he wanted to hire some muscle. Didn't realize I was runnin' a damn temp agency. Close enough. This place is always fulla thugs short on cash an' shorter on scruples. You're one to talk. Anyway, he took a few guys with him and left. You'd have to be a total moron to buy the pitch he gave, but my clientele ain't exactly the brightest. He told the boys it was "easy work," but if you're dumb enough to ever take that kinda thing at face value, then, well, I got a vacation house in Hinomoto to sell ya. He say anything specific about the job? Something about snatching purses from unassuming little brats. What?! I'm going to need you to tell me everything you heard. Verbatim. Now. Easy, pal. I just did. Well, he was also talkin' about somethin' of his getting mixed up with some kid's bag...? He wanted the guys to get it back. Crap. This is NOT good!

---

Come on, Lathna. Let's hit that stall next! Um...okay. But let's not go too far, or else Curran won't be able to find us when he comes back. Oh, right. Y'know, your dad sure is taking his sweet time. What is he, part turtle? He's not my dad. He treats me like family, but Curran has his own family. I'm...not a part of it. Huh. Sounds complicated. You, in the yukata. You're Lathna, right? Huh? Wh-who are you? How do you know my name? Heh heh. No need to arch yer spine, kitten. We ain't gonna skin ya or nothin'. Just hand over the purse and this'll all go down sweeter than a saucer of milk. What? Why? That's for us to know and you to...not know. Um...Lathna? Shouldn't you just give it to them? It's not even yours, right? Smart little friend ya got there. I suggest ya take her advice. N-no! This could be a heretic's. If I lose it...Curran will be sad! Rrgh, the brat's runnin' for it! Grab her! What do I do now? I have to tell someone!

---

*huff* *pant* Lathna! Where'd she go? Oh! Turtle-dad! Melanie! Where's Lathna? It was horrible! Listen— WHAT? The purse-snatchers are after her?! Yeah! They went that way! Got it. Thanks for the assist, kiddo. I-I'm so sorry I couldn't help her... Hey, don't look so down, little lady. I take out smellier trash than those thugs every morning before breakfast. Go get yourself some rock candy from the stall over there. I'll have Lathna back safe and sound before you're even finished. O-okay... Here. Buy some for Lathna, too. I'm sure she'll have worked up an appetite. I'll wait right here. But I'm not about to eat mine if Lathna can't enjoy some with me. Sounds like the three of us'll be earning those cavities together, then. Hang tight.

Episode 4

The Cornered Kitten

Hm. They should've come this way. WAAAAAUGH! There! In Ilia's name, HELP! Somebody HELP ME! Hey! Pull yourself together, man! What's— M-m-...MONSTER! EEEEEAAAAUGH! Uh-oh. I think I know where this is going.

---

Piteous brigand, coveter of false treasure. The feeble e'er yearn. The maw gapes. Lathna? Hey. LATHNA. Ngh?! Oh... Curran. You okay, kiddo? What happened here? Huh? W-well, they tried to steal the purse, so I ran. But once I hit a dead end, fear took over, and I... I... Hey. Deep breaths. You're safe now, okay? You did good, kid. I'm proud of you. I was worried that if I lost this purse, I might never get mine back. Yeah? I suppose I can't fault your logic. Can't say I'm an expert in purse- distinguishing, but I can appreciate you wanting your original one back. Mhm. I just don't understand why those men wanted to steal THIS one. I'm hoping a quick peek inside might shed some light on that. Not that I'd normally condone rifling through someone else's stuff, but we're a little past the need for social niceties here. Now, open sesame... Hm. A bundle of paper, huh? Something's written on it. "Tsthyuku! Tsthyuk! Teb'zah Ay'rah Teb'zah!" ...The hell does THAT mean? No! Th-that's... The Hethiwood invocation. Hethiwood? As in, your hometown? Hang on—that's where those heretics were worshipping the "Ancient One" or whatever! How'd their cultist prayer wind up here? Curran, this... It's the Liber Grimortis. The heretical grimoire?! I'd heard a handful of incomplete copies were in circulation. Guess this is one of them. And if we follow that particularly unsavory thread, we can infer that this town's got a heretic problem. But something doesn't add up. Someone swapped this purse with mine while Melanie was carrying it, right? What I can't understand is why someone would be carrying the grimoire around in a pouch like this to begin with. You're plotting some solid dots, kiddo, but I'm not seeing how they connect. If YOU were a fanatical cultist, wouldn't you want to keep your sacred text safe? It's almost like they knew how easily it could get lost in an accidental switcheroo. I think you're more unlucky than most on that front, but it's a fair point. Why use the same kind of bag that nearly everyone at the festival's carrying arou—wait. Lathna. Run that by me again. Huh? Um... Is that not how you use the word "switcheroo"? No, you're right on the money! You're a genius, Lathna. C'mon, let's beat feet and head back! Huh? Where to? The goldfish stand. If my hunch is right, a certain neighbor of theirs will be back in business—and I've got a hankering for some deep-fried justice!

Episode 5

A Complicated Truth

...... You open? 'Cause I could go for some fried buns. Yeah, we's open. 'Ow many you want? Let's say three, for starters. Comin' right up. Why the long face, brother? Business not quite booming? 'S my regular face, thanks. And I get by just fine. Funny you should say that. 'Cause from where I'm standing, you look like a guy who just lost a heretical grimoire and a big payday along with it. Wha—?! Who the hell are you? Me? Just a happy festival-goer. One who's absolutely rocking this yukata, I might add. Funny how guys like you are much more open to chatting with someone in this outfit over, say, a set of inquisitor's robes. Y-you're one of Ilia's dogs! Woof woof. Funny thing about dogs— their teeth really have a way of sinking into flesh. And unfortunately for you, I seem to have forgotten my muzzle. D-damn it all! Maybe my thinly veiled metaphor didn't make it clear enough: you're not going ANYWHERE, pal. Gragh! Listening comprehension isn't your strong suit, I see. Tell you what. You give me the lowdown on what's in this bag, and I give you the VIP treatment from here on out. That's—! How'd one of Ilia's mutts get his paws on it? Lady Luck's spat in our eye... Sounds like a rough date. The gal I serve is a real class act. She's all smiles for me.

---

Well, Lathna? That your bag? Yeah! Thank you, Curran. I'm so relieved. But...how did you know it would be here? The bag you were carrying had a copy of the Liber Grimortis in it, right? You said it yourself: even if it's just a copy, it's important enough that you wouldn't go showing it off willy-nilly. With me so far? I think so. What I'm saying is. I doubt the owner was carrying it around just for fun. A festival is probably the last place you'd want to bring something so illicit, right? That is, unless you had a reason. So you think they did it on purpose? Bingo. Every part of this was planned. Odds are good the whole switcheroo with your purse while Melanie had it was intentional, too. But...why? That's the kicker. They never meant to trade bags with HER. Mr. Fried Buns was planning to make the swap for the Liber Grimortis with someone. Not as an accident, but a deal. Oh... A guy sets his bag down real casual-like, and it gets swapped for an identical one. That's Illicit Trading 101. So because Melanie set my bag down while she was catching goldfish— Yup. It got mistaken for their client's. The perp took it and ran. No reason to stick around frying bread once the deal's done and dusted. So he closed up shop early and took off. And then he came back because... Because he took one look inside the bag and realized he'd botched the exchange. Bet he was sweating bullets. No doubt he was expecting a tidy sum for a book that rare... ...but upon opening the bag, blammo. No gold. No jewels. No nothin'. Wait, "jewels"... Oh! Curran! Hm? What's up, kiddo? Look what's inside my purse. Why, what have you got in there? Ah, rock candy? It's so sparkly—like jewels. I thought it was really pretty, so, um... I bought you some, Curran. You sure you don't want to enjoy your pretty candy yourself? Positive. I thought it would be a small way of repaying you for always being so nice to me. I was so upset when I thought it was lost. Aha. So that's why you were so hung up on getting your specific bag back. Boy, whoever said that thing about beauty only being skin deep must've been blind. Your heart shines bright like a diamond, kiddo. You're a one-of-a-kind soul. Hee hee. You got the line out without tripping over the words. Pfft. Let me tell you something, little lady. When a guy's gotta rise to the occlusion, he cakes it mount! Wh-whatever you say, Curran. A Few Days Later
Hello, Curran. Heinwald. Haven't seen your ugly mug in a minute. How's tricks? Blissfully quiet without your interjections. Would that I could always pursue my work so single-mindedly! Now, what is this I hear about your most recent caper, hm? Something about you busting a ring of heretics at a summer festival? They say you single-handedly foiled a most dastardly scheme. Yeah, well, "they" exaggerated. And? Surely you didn't come all this way just to give me a friendly pat on the back. This same little bird told me you chanced upon a copy of the Liber Grimortis along the way. I don't suppose I could sweet-talk you into letting me have it...? You're talking about key evidence, pal. I can't just hand it out like a door prize. Besides, I thought you already read the original Liber-whatsit. What do you want with some copy? Ah, but it is precisely BECAUSE it is a copy that I find myself so intrigued. Some copies of the Liber Grimortis contain new theories not found in the original manuscript. Some accounts say that reading the tome will awaken some untold horror. Others, that the text brings truth into relief with a certain mad clarity... A delicious thought. Yum. I can almost taste the blasphemy. Well, you might be able to twist my arm. ...In exchange for intel on other heretics. What a peculiar proposition. Just what sort of information do you presume I possess? Hah. I'm not blind, Heinwald. I know you were the original buyer for the grimoire that day. I also know you were the one who hired Dominic and the thugs who tried to nab Lathna's bag. My, my... Quite the fanciful theory. I would be curious to know what sort of foundation you're basing these allegations upon. This mysterious employer sent two— count 'em, two—grown men to snatch a purse from Lathna. Most folks wouldn't waste good coin hiring muscle to shake down a defenseless girl. You'd just do it yourself. There are plenty of people in this world with reputations to uphold. Perhaps they preferred to keep their hands clean? Then they'd hire a single thug. This employer opted for two. Because he knew that if they made one wrong move, that "little girl" would become a real big problem. What's more, these thugs knew her. Name, face, the whole shebang. So we have someone with an interest in grimoires, no misgivings about dealing with heretics, and familiarity with Lathna. Narrows the list down to about...one, no? A truly breathtaking display of conjecture. You would suspect me on such flimsy grounds? You want proof, try this one on for size: the fact that you're here says everything. ...What? I haven't told a soul that I found a copy of the Liber Grimortis in that bag. So, tell me about this "little bird" of yours. And don't try to say it was Lathna. Hm. I am mortified to have overlooked such a glaring detail. But very well. You win this round. —Is what I would say if I were a witless dove caught in the birdlime of your puerile reasoning. I was obviously aware, Curran. Wait, what? Now I'M confused. I wanted to ask your assistance with those very heretics, which is why I've given up on the tome and approached you directly. That's...odd. Must be quite the case if you're willingly coming to me. Yes, I suppose it is. Well? What say you, partner? If you're enticed, then let's be off. Heh. Wouldn't miss it for the world, partner.