Dancer Claudine Saijo/Bond Story

*Having lost her country as well as her position as princess, she becomes a dancer to survive. Her elegant and nostalgic dance brings tears to the patrons of a cheap tavern. From "Epic of Bravery - Stage of Legends."*

* Chapter 1
* Chapter 2
* Bond Level 15 Talk
* Bond Level 30 Talk

Maya and Claudine's Game Commentary

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"I was down on my knees once. My pride crumbled when faced with power—even my hopes became clouded over."

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"You'll still take my hand?"

 **Claudine:**(Hm, so that's how my character joins the hero.)

 **Claudine:**(Former princess of a nation ruined by the Demon King... It's probably faster for me to play the game if I want get to know the game's world.)

 **Claudine:**(I know this is to deepen my understanding of the play, but I wonder if there isn't anything else I can do while playing the game that will help me improve...)

 **Claudine:**(Especially when I think about how SHE is practicing by herself right now...)

 **????:**I see, thank you, Isurugi-san.

 **Claudine:**That voice...

 **Maya:**Yes, I managed to turn it on... It's fine—I read the manual from cover to cover, so I know the controller settings.

 **Maya:**Yes. Thank you.

***\*beep\****

 **Maya:**Okay, let's give this a shot.

 **Claudine:**You're kidding me... Maya Tendo playing videogames!?

 **Maya:**Saijo-san...is there a problem? This is all for the stage.

 **Claudine:**N-Not a problem, it's just...a surprise to see, that's all!

 **Claudine:**Why are you holding the controller like that. Aren't you gripping it too hard?

 **Maya:**Really? Then I'll relax my grip a little...

 **Maya:**Hm? What's this?

 **Claudine:**...Why are you going in and out of the house repeatedly?

 **Maya:**No, I'm trying to lock the door...

 **Claudine:**You don't need to worry about that in a game! They told you what you were supposed to do, right!?

 **Claudine:**Hurry up and head toward the castle and talk to the people in town... Stop, the other way! That leads to the mountains!

 **Claudine:**You've gotten pretty good at navigating this.

 **Maya:**Yes, I've gotten used to it. Oh, there's a treasure box over there...

 **Claudine:**Wait, it's placed in a weird position—

 **Maya:**I'm surrounded by zombies!

 **Claudine:**I knew it! It's a trap! Calm down, first you need to heal—

 **Claudine:**Hey, why did you use that on the enemy!?

**Zombie:**\*groan\*

 **Claudine:**No way, you inflicted major damage... How come!?

 **Maya:**They're zombies—undead... I figured they'd be the opposite of the living.

 **Maya:**And I was right.

 **Claudine:**Ngh... Can't you stop looking so smug!?

 **Claudine:**Be careful, this boss can be a handful!

 **Maya:**Hm...but they started healing—I feel like I've almost got them.

 **Claudine:**You can't just keep attacking. You should heal...

 **Maya:**No, based on their attack pattern, their next turn should be—

 **Claudine:**Support magic...!

 **Maya:**I knew it. Okay...that should do it.

 **Claudine:**That look on your face is so annoying!

 **Maya:**Next, it looks like I can go to the town square and have the dancer join my party.

 **Claudine:**Yes...but it's better for you to remove her from your party right away.

 **Maya:**Why?

 **Claudine:**Because her stats are low. She's mostly a support character, so she's more suited for advanced players—

 **Maya:**I see...interesting. Then let's have the dancer stand on the frontlines.

 **Claudine:**\*Sigh\* I'm giving you advice. Take it!

 **Maya:**I'm not against it. I just think it's a waste to only focus on efficiency and speed through everything.

 **Maya:**Stories are created through trial and error and emotional investment...

 **Maya:**We're able to do things in the game that you wouldn't in real life. Enjoying it is the most important.

 **Claudine:**......

 **Maya:**Also, this dancer is the character you're playing, right?

 **Maya:**In which case, she must stand beside me.

 **Claudine:**...Huh?

 **Claudine:**What!?

 **Claudine:**Stop saying such stupid things! It's my turn to play now!

 **Claudine:**I'm almost at that part too... Then I'll take the warrior and defeat the Demon King!

 **Maya:**...Okay. As soon as the dancer joins my party.

My Princess

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"Warrior Maya, you haven't changed at all."

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"You lost your nation and your home...yet you still remain aloof."

 **Maya:****(Warrior)**
"Answer me, Princess Claudine! Why are you working as a dancer at a place like this...?"

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"I was thinking about this as I was dancing—just what does that strait-laced person think about me dancing like this?"

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"I kept thinking about how to answer you...and my answer is 'to survive'."

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"And then...'to fight the Demon King once more'."

 **Maya:****(Warrior)**
"...!!"

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"I'm not the princess anymore—I'm just a dancer."

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"But...I still want to fight together with you."

 **Maya:****(Warrior)**
"With...me?"

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"Yes, as someone who once lived in the same country as you."

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"I was down on my knees once. My pride crumbled when faced with power—even my hopes became clouded over."

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"Will you...still take my hand?"

 **Maya:****(Warrior)**
"Do you even need to ask? My princess."

 **Maya:**Phew...that's it for act 3. Next is Hanayagi-san's merchant's appearance—

 **Claudine:**......

 **Maya:**Saijo-san?

 **Claudine:**I-I'm listening!

 **Claudine:**It just feels like déjà vu—it's kinda strange.

 **Maya:**Right, I see...

 **Claudine:**Hearing you call me "my princess" makes my skin crawl. I can't stand it.

 **Maya:**What else did you want to say aside from picking at the script?

 **Claudine:**Yes, I have lots to say! First...

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"'My princess'? You certainly sound full of yourself!"

 **Claudine:****(Dancer)**
"You don't own me... Because I own you!"

 **Maya:**......

 **Claudine:**What?

 **Maya:**Heh. Hee hee hee...!

 **Claudine:**You're laughing...!? How rude!

 **Maya:**Ahem...I didn't expect to hear that.

 **Claudine:**And what do YOU have to say in response?

 **Maya:**Hm, in that case...

 **Maya:****(Warrior)**
"Pas besoin de mots, ma princesse."

 **Claudine:**Non! Stop that!

 **Claudine:**I can't believe I ended up playing videogames with Maya Tendo... I just couldn't stand watching her weird gameplay.

 **Claudine:**I guess I enjoyed playing RPG with her enough. It was a nice change of pace and I gained more than I'd expected from it.

 **Claudine:**I always thought playing videogames, especially RPGs, is something you do by yourself, but you can also have fun this way.

 **Claudine:**Fun...I mean, it wasn't fun at all! It was a lot of working to look after her!!