01x03 - The Events of Winter

[bunniefuu]

F: "I want to read books."

F: For the girl who began a new life as Main in another world—

F: a world where books and paper are prohibitively expensive—

F: that was her biggest wish.

F: If she couldn't get any, she'd have to make them herself.

F: Having come to that resolution,

F: she took the first step toward making her own paper...

Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Title ,Title Card: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Ep Ep Title: Chapter Three The Events of Winter

M: Two months after I became Main,

M: Winter with a capital W took over the town I live in.

M: Why is it so dark in the middle of the day?

T: What do you expect? There's a blizzard outside.

M: As getting snowed in is very common, people work at home over the winter.

M: Mainly handiwork.

M: Tuuli makes baskets,

M: while Mom stitches clothes.

E: Main, you should stop goofing off and make some baskets, too.

E: Show her how to do it, Tuuli.

T: Sure.

M: Sorry, I already know what I'm making.

M: I'm gonna make pseudo-papyrus with this.

M: Before it started snowing,

M: I had Tuuli and the other kids gather a thick-stemmed plant for me.

M: Ancient Egypt is dead! Long live Ancient Egypt!

M: How do I extract the fiber, though?

M: Wow. Tuuli, how do you make this?

T: You skin it, wash it in running water, and then let it dry.

M: I see.

M: Thanks!

M: Okay!

M: Tuuli...

T: Try peeling along the fiber now.

M: Tuuli...

M: All done!

M: What's wrong, Tuuli?

M: And so, the table was set.

M: Now if I just weave these together, I should have my pseudo-papyrus!

day,Sign: Day

day,Sign: Day

day,Sign: Day

T: You've been at it for three days.

T: What are you trying to make?

T: Main?

M: Forget it!

M: I give up! You win this w*r, Ancient Egypt!

E: Keep it down.

E: And make some baskets instead of playing with that grass.

M: 'Kay...

T: I'll teach you how to do it.

M: It's okay. I know how.

M: Back when I was Urano,

M: my mom made me help make baskets out of newspaper leaflets.

E: That's impressive, Main!

T: Why are you so much better at it?

T: I'm supposed to be the big sis...

M: N-No, this is, uh...

T: You want to be an apprentice seamstress, right?

T: Then you'll need to learn how to weave before your baptism.

T: Come, I'll teach you.

T: Yay!

M: Nice save, Mom!

M: Tuuli turns seven in the summer.

M: In this world, once a kid turns seven and is baptized,

M: they begin life as an apprentice.

M: To become an apprentice, you need an adult's referral.

M: As such, most people end up in the same line of work as their parents.

E: You should learn how to weave too, Main.

M: I'll pass.

E: No, you won't.

E: You need to know how to make attractive yet practical clothes for your family.

E: Or else, you won't be a refined lady.

M: "Refined"?

E: Right. A refined lady must know how to cook and sew.

M: It's not like I want to be a seamstress.

T: Do you wanna be an apprentice craftsman?

T: You do make a mean basket, after all.

M: No, no!

T: What will you do, then?

M: Of course...

M: I'll make books!

M: Ancient Egypt didn't help.

M: Then, naturally,

M: I'll turn to Mesopotamia next!

M: Okay, I'm making clay tablets in the spring.

M: Morning.

E: Good morning, Main.

M: Huh? Where are Dad and Tuuli?

E: They went to pick parues.

M: Parues?

G: Tuuli, you okay?

T: Yeah. I think I'm almost done.

T: We're back!

M: So this is the parue fruit?

T: Main, hold the bowl for me.

M: 'Kay.

M: Wow, that's a sweet scent!

T: Wanna drink some?

M: Yeah!

M: It's like rich coconut milk!

M: Such a blissful taste!

M: That was amazing.

M: Tuuli, why are your hands all red?

T: It always happens when you pick parues.

T: You can't do it unless you warm up the branches with your hands.

M: With your bare hands? In this cold?

T: You'd catch a cold right away.

M: Can't you do it in the afternoon?

M: Wouldn't that make them easier to thaw?

T: Absolutely not.

T: Parue fruits can only be picked in the morning.

T: When exposed to sunlight, the tree grows rapidly,

T: sends its fruit flying far away, and disappears.

M: It disappears?

M: Sounds like one bizarre tree.

M: Once Dad finished separating the parues' flesh, oil, and pulp,

M: he left for his night shift at work.

M: Looks like soy pulp.

T: No, Main! That's bird feed!

M: This is actually pretty edible!

R: Good evening!

R: Could you spare us some parue pulp in exchange for eggs?

R: We're running low on bird feed.

T: Sure. Hang on.

L: There are a bunch of boys in my family, so food is starting to be a problem.

M: If you're hungry, do you wanna try this?

L: Huh? Who'd eat bird feed?!

L: It's good.

M: There's a way to make it taste even better.

M: You flip it once bubbles form on the surface.

L: Man, I can't watch. Let me do it.

L: One, two...

M: Ta-dah!

M: Your simple paruecake is ready to eat!

L: This is great.

R: Good! So good!

E: This is fantastic, Main.

T: Where did you learn to make this?

M: Well, you got your hands all red to get these for us.

M: And this way, we can eat all of it.

T: Yeah! Thanks, Main!

L: Damn, you're cool.

M: These are easy to make, and filling.

L: I'll be there for you next time you need anything.

L: You're weak and frail, so let me help you,

L: as thanks for the paruecake.

Gu: Ascendance of a Bookworm

Gu: Ascendance of a Bookworm

G: Wow, Main made these?

E: They're paruecakes, apparently.

G: Let's have a bite.

G: Yummy!

T: Hard to believe they're made from the pulp, right?

T: But first the Simple All-In-One Shampoo, and now this...

T: Where did she learn to make all this?

E: She did make a really elaborate basket all by herself, too.

T: Hasn't she been really strange lately?

G: Who cares if she's acting strange?

G: She kept having fevers and could've died anytime, you know?

G: I'm happy just seeing how active she is now.

E: You're right.

T: Yeah.

M: My slate pencil is gone!

T: Oh, big deal.

M: It is a big deal!

M: Dad, take me to the gate!

G: Why the gate?

M: I need to get more slate pencils from Mister Otto.

M: And I'll have him teach me some more letters while I'm at it.

G: Do you like Otto that much?

M: Yeah! I love him!

G: Not until the spring.

G: Not until the spring!

G: You'll catch a fever if you go outside!

G: You're not taking one step out of the house until the spring! Got that?!

T: Dad...

E: What am I going to do with him?

M: Stupid overbearing dad!

M: However, the very next day had perfect parue-picking weather,

M: so Mom and Tuuli headed out to the forest,

M: and Dad had to take me to the gate anyway.

M: We're in Snow Country.

G: Main.

M: What is it, Dad?

G: Otto's a married man, okay?

M: Urk.

M: Uh... What about it?

G: That guy's mind is filled with nothing but his wife.

M: So you're saying he's a devoted, loving husband,

M: and an all-round great guy?

G: No.

M: He's such a pain!

O: Main!

O: It's been a while.

M: Long time no see, Mister Otto.

G: Eva will come pick her up once she's done picking parues.

G: Take care of Main until then.

O: But, uh, I...

G: You get it, don't you?

G: Don't you dare let her catch a cold like last time.

O: Welp.

O: I was about to do the accounts and draw up next term's budget.

M: He started sulking when I spoke highly of you.

O: Yikes.

O: But still, I'm happy to see you again.

M: After that, Otto gave me a fresh slate pencil

M: and taught me some more letters.

M: I think I've learned a fair few now.

M: Mister Otto.

M: This part is incorrect.

M: So is this.

O: You can do calculations?

O: But you can't read, right?

M: I don't know the alphabet,

M: but Mom taught me the numbers before.

Flashback,M: Mom! What's that on that plank?

Flashback,E: Oh, it shows the price, so you know how much you can buy something for.

O: Main, I'm going to swallow my pride and ask.

O: Could you help me out here?

M: Sure thing!

M: I'll do it if you supply slate pencils for me and teach me the alphabet.

M: I'm not the kind of girl who works for no compensation.

O: You're so amusing.

O: Do you really only want slate pencils, though?

M: It runs out in no time.

O: I see. In that case,

O: we have a deal.

O: Can I ask you to get right to working on these calculations?

O: Here's your calculator.

M: I don't need it. I don't know how to use it, anyway.

O: How will you do it, then?

M: All I need is the slate.

O: Wow.

O: I can't believe you did such complicated calculations without using a calculator.

M: Crap. Did I do too much?

M: I'm glad to be of help.

O: You really were. Thank you.

T: Main!

E: Time to go home!

M: Oh, Tuuli! Mom!

M: And then came one snowy day after another.

E: Okay, all done!

E: That's what you'll wear to your baptism. Isn't it pretty?

T: Yeah!

T: Thank you, Mom!

M: Oh, so we use the free time over the winter to prepare for summer.

M: Tuuli, what about your hair?

T: I'll pick some flowers and use them as a hair ornament.

M: That's not enough!

M: I'll make you look way prettier than that!

M: If we don't have hair accessories, I can just make some!

M: I'll show off the lacework skills I got from all those hours at mommy crafting classes!

M: Wait, this world doesn't have the crochet hook yet!

M: That means...

M: Dad.

G: What do you want?

M: Yikes. He's still sulking.

M: You see, I need a favor from you.

G: A favor?

M: Yeah.

M: Can you make me a needle with a hook to stitch thread?

M: Pretty please?

M: Pretty please?

G: I'll give it a shot!

M: You're the best, Dad!

G: Will this do?

M: Can you make it thinner?

G: Of course. You got it.

T: Dad's in a better mood now.

E: Yeah. That's great.

G: How's this?

M: I love you, Dad!

G: Victory is mine, Otto.

M: Mom, can I have some waste thread?

E: Sure, but what will you do with it?

M: There!

T: Isn't it too small?

M: I'll make a bunch of these and put them together.

E: Let me try.

M: Wow. A refined seamstress in action.

M: Then I had Dad make the hairpin part too,

M: and the hair ornament was complete!

M: It's done.

E: That looks great.

M: You're so pretty, Tuuli.

T: I do?

T: This really is great!

M: I wanted to repay you for helping me extract the fiber from the grass.

T: Thanks, Main.

T: This makes me really happy.

G: Dad's really happy, too!

G: Main's a kind girl who cares for her sister.

G: And Tuuli's grown into a lovely big sis, too!

G: You girls are my pride and joy!

Next_Chapter,Title: Next Chapter Forests and Clay Tablets

F: You have a very nice and caring father.

M: Yeah, but he's way too clingy.

F: By the way, when are you going to start making paper?

F: You haven't done anything you said you'd do.

M: Hey, I did make pseudo-papyrus.

M: Though it was a dead end.

M: I'm gonna make clay tablets for sure next!

F: Clay is hardly paper.