That's effective, right?
Being all straightforward now, aren't we?! Darn it...
Here.
"Hunt for treasures in the record store to surprise your partner."
I'm pretty curious, too.
Besides, I don't even know why we need to go together... Come on, let's get moving!
Karenina grabs your hand and strides forward.
Half-jogging through the crowd, the two of you stop in front of a record store at the end of an alley. The shop isn't particularly big, with posters of bands from the Golden Age displayed on its windows.
Unlike the other shops in the shopping district, this place looks rather deserted, likely due to the dimly lit interior.
Is electricity that expensive in Constellia...?
You push open the door with Karenina and a crisp bell chimes to announce your arrival. No one comes to greet you, while the incandescent lights flicker overhead.
Karenina taps on a shelf filled with records, but there's no response whatsoever.
You casually pick up a record from the most prominent spot on the shelf with a striking "BESTSELLER" tag. There is a girl in the glittering neon lights on the cover, and you immediately recognize her.
Just as Karenina is about to snatch the record from your hands, a noise comes from behind the counter.
Wa, ha, ha, ha.
？！
Can't believe you guys actually found the treasure...!
A mechanoid pops out from behind the counter as intense drum beats suddenly fill the air.
And who the heck are you?!
Me? The Funeral Conductor of Piercing Flames, the Thunderbolt that Unveils Darkness... Wait, Karenina, is that you?!
The mechanoid that came popping out seems to have been looking in the wrong direction. It turns its head toward you and Karenina, apparently having just snapped back to its senses.
Hey, didn't see you there, [player name]! A real pleasure to meet you!
So you're one of Kiske's friends...
Indeed! I am Kelly, and I'm Thunder Sparks'...
The mechanoid nods.
Former Drummer, that is.
Is this the drunk mechanoid from before...
I've been sober for quite some time now, which is why I chose to start a shop here. Alas! I'm trying to get my life back on track.
This lighting, plus your practically zero customer service, doesn't exactly seem like something someone would do when they want to "get their life back on track."
Because—
Smoke usually only seen on a stage shoots out from somewhere behind Kelly.
Rock stars never wake up early!
Rock never dies.
You can get the treasure by buying our records! It's a perfect gift to show your love!
So it's just a sales promotion!
This is a commercially logical promotional strategy, and there's nothing "rocky" about it, which fits my new persona perfectly... Yup.
...Commandant, let's go.
These are all old records that people have left behind in Constellia. My fellow artists and I restored them, along with some newly unearthed ones. You can give them a listen on my head.
Kelly shows Karenina and you the phonograph needle attached to its head.
You pull a record from the shelf. The album cover has an orange-red background with a stroke of ocean blue across the upper half that resembles a horizon.
I'm only doing this for you, Commandant...
Karenina gently crouches down.
Ah, it's "Underground Velvet", "Bullets in the Book"...
Huh? The commemorative edition of "The White Album"—are you seriously keeping this on the bottom shelf?!
I'm burning through my moola here! Damn it, damn it, damn it...
Karenina puts up a little pout as she continues rummaging through the shelves.
We're okay with me taking some time here, right? I mean, it never hurts to take your time with a treasure hunt...
You end up checking out with two towering piles of albums.
Can we have treasure now? I mean, this is the only reason I...
Kelly pulls out a pair of cogs from under the counter.
The inner circles of the cogs are completely smooth with no trace of threading. Comparing them to your hand, you notice something peculiar about it.
Wait, is this a joke or what?! What in the world is... I can't believe this is happening!
On behalf of the Cosmos Technicians Union, I'd like to kindly remind you that the cogs might be unremovable...
I read people as accurately as a drummer reads sheet music!
A melody you recognize is now playing from above Kelly, though no one knows exactly when it started.
But...
What are you doing?! This is exactly the kind of thing only children would do...
Damn it... Fine. I'm only doing this today, alright?
