The real adventure was getting this done throughout the weeks.

Transcript:

SB: (roar)

Louise: "Aaaaah-"

(alarm clock beeps)

Narrator: "That’s the kind of hero Louise used to be. But it’s been, what, five years? There hasn’t been anything like the Shadow Beastlord since. And Louise just can’t stop thinking about it."

Narrator: "All she’s got going on these days is a coffee shop job. Which isn’t exactly capturing her interest."

Manager: "Are things going alright for you? I never see you talk to your coworkers, you barely talk to customers, you just sit around on breaks… I know it’s hard to live up to being a hero, but-"

Peppop: "A hero?!"

Peppop: "You! You’re that one who stopped the great Shadow Beastlord… so clearly you’ll be perfect for my quest!"

Louise: "…wha?"

Peppop: "I am Peppop, and I come to you with a mission. There’s a great evil hidden out there, and only by gathering the other Startifact fragments can we depower that being, and destroy it! Will you accept this-"

Louise: "Sold. Man, I’ve been waiting for this."

Narrator: "And so, a new quest begins! One that will take Louise across the land…"

Peppop: "I’ve determined the burial locations of the five Startifact fragments. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so stay on task and don’t get distracted. First stop, the Forestside Grove."

Louise: "…hey, isn’t that… Vicent! Oh my gosh!"

Vicent: "Louise! How are you? I’ve been busy! I’ve been keeping up archery and writing myself… what about you?"

Louise: "Well, ah, I don’t really have anything going on…"

Peppop: "So there’s nothing better to do than this! Come on!"

Peppop: "Now focus - surely there’s something guarding this fragment…"

Narrator: "Nope. No such excitement. Really, it’s not the Startifact fragments Louise has to look forward to during this."

Louise "Hey, is that…"

Peppop: "No distractions! Let’s go aroun-"

Louise: "Hi Eifrid!"

Eifrid: "Louise! Hiiii! How’s it been, what’re you doing, how’s everything?"

Peppop: "Here we go…"

Eifrid: "I’ve been doing starcharts, I’ve been collecting these sparkly gems in-"

Peppop: "Yoink!"

Louise: "Rude."

Eifrid: "…Well, try to say hi to everyone else, alright?"

Narrator: "It’s more about meeting her old adventuring buddies."

Peppop: "What?! Who dug this up before us?!"

Louise: "This guy says it ended up in the local… arcade? Huh."

Louise: "Oh! Farida!"

Farida: "Hey! Looking for this thingy? Tell you what, I’ll give it up if you can last a few rounds of gaming!

Narrator: "A whole lot of confused but determined button mashing later…!"

Farida: "Well, that was fun, right? Glad to see you cut loose and enjoy something fun like that!"

Louise: "Fun, hm…"

Louise: "…alright, I got it! How to pass the time from place to place! Ta-da!"

Peppop: "…ugh, don’t get distracted into something like that…"

Narrator: "Getting to see and engage with all the stuff they do to occupy themselves… it’s a different kind of motivation."

Louise: "You seen this one guy? Quilon?"

Bystander: "Oh yeah, the farm guy! Right that way!"

Quilon: "Louise! I’m in the middle of tilling, you got a hand to lend?"

Louise: "Sure! I’ve got time to spend!"

Peppop: (groan)

Narrator: "So, yes, the real adventure is the friends she’s made along the way. Maybe I’m biased in favor, being one of those friends, but I think it’s a good plot structure. And if you’ll excuse me…"

Oliver (Narrator): "There you are!"

Louise: "Hey Oliver!"

Oliver (Narrator): "Let’s have some real fun!"

(dance dance dance, dance dance dance, pretend this is dance music)

Peppop: "No! Stop that! You’re supposed to be helping me get these! Not distracting yourself!"

Peppop: "Finally, we’ll be able to weaken that evil being and achieve something important."

Louise: "Hey, maybe a bit of entertainment on our way to the last-"

Peppop: "NO! Don’t you go picking up random hobbies too! This thing is important! Nothing else matters!"

Peppop: "…now then. Are you ready?"

Louise: "…ready. Let’s do this."

SB: (roar)

Louise: "What?!"

Peppop: "Ha-HA! All I had to do was abuse your own desire for heroic glory, and now! You’ll pay for destroying the great Shadow Beastlord by its own- haaaaaands!"

SB: (growl)

Louise: "Nononono no!"

Narrator: "Is this the end? Louise trapped by the shadow of her past adventure? Well, I say… NOT!"

Louise: "Everyone! You followed me here!"

Louise: "Okay, I don’t know if we can beat the Beastlord individually... But I know if we put our skills together, we can win again!"

Everyone: "Yeah!"

Narrator: "And so, we all come together to defeat the Shadow Beastlord... putting this to rest!"

Peppop: "That was terrible! There’s no fame or glory in that, it’s just a bunch of cheap gimmicks! Boo! Boooo!"

Louise: "It doesn’t matter, man. I think I’ll take having fun with my friends over a glorious showdown any day."

Narrator: "And so, the day was saved. Peppop was captured easily, and after exchanging contact info, everyone went home… but now? Everything’s just a bit brighter for Louise."

"Now she greets every day with a smile, since she knows there’s more in life to look forward to. She’s got friends to talk to, hobbies to tend to… and now that that’s opened up, who knows how many more of both she can find?"

"There’s a lot to find out there if you can appreciate the smaller things, and especially if you’ve got friends to support you along the way."