Run, Tooki! — Lost Ark

Description
I heard that you’ve been getting along with the Tookies from the Tooki Corporation. The island has a reputation for being their treasure trove, so that means you must be pretty good at your job. If you went all the way in, you must’ve seen the pirate birds–those parrots and crows that steal what the Tookies collect. You should try searching their nest. I bet you can find some things that the Tookies want. If you collect those shiny trinkets, you might be able to stand on equal footing with the Tookies.

– The Zenlord, master of Carpus the Shadow of the Sun

Story
Tooki (Points: 10)
Tooki Corporation Introduction
When I first entered Tooki Corporation, I remember seeing a notice. It said,
“Tooki Corporation makes a sparkling world for everyone. Tooki Corporation, with the bond between Tookies, is built on the spirit of sharing knowledge on gathering shiny things and mutual respect. We hope to become a continuously growing company that can help Tookies throughout Arkesia spread their brilliance and become happy.”
It’s pretty cheesy, but isn’t it admirable? It was really impressive for a new Tooki like me. Ah, I don’t have to be all alone anymore when I collect shiny things. I can work together with other Tookies and collect even more stuff. Thinking that way really gave me hope.
But one day, I realized that it was nothing but a fool’s errand, all just empty words.

– Tooki 77’s Remembrance: During My Early Days

Diligent Tooki (Points: 30)
Tooki Corporation and Happiness
I collected shiny things as best I could and took advancement tests diligently. Even after I did well on the tests, I was always worried that I didn’t have enough twinkles. I really worked hard to get more treasures back then. I ran away from adventurers that were after my stuff and went through all sorts of trouble to do well.
But, as it turns out, I wouldn’t get that promotion just because I worked hard. I had to collect more than the others, last longer than others. Isn’t that funny? I thought they wanted to collect shiny things together. That we could be happy together. If I were to get my promotion, other Tookies next to me had to fail. If I were to become happy, other Tookies had to become unhappy. How can we all achieve happiness like that? How can we become happy when all that matters is competition? The happiness that the Tooki Corporation talks about–is it really about happiness of the Tookies? Is it the kind of happiness that the average Tooki, working hard every day to gather more stuff, can achieve? Is it?

– Tooki 77’s Question: Can We Really Be Happy Together?

Devoted Tooki (Points: 50)
Tooki Corporation’s Truth
Once I began to doubt the message, I began asking questions about the corporation. Why is this place called the Tooki Corporation? What is a corporation? It’s a place created from the small bits of twinkles that many Tookies put together. Of the twinkles, by the twinkles, for the twinkles. The more twinkles you put into Tooki Tooki’s pocket, the more twinkles you get.
But something was off. Expenses, shares–everyone’s talking about it all the time, but no one really knows what they are! They keep putting twinkles into the pocket, but no one knows where and how the twinkles are collected, and who’s using the twinkles!
So I started investigating. Since when was this island called Tooki Corporation? Why wasn’t it Tooki Treasure Island, or Home of the Tookies? Why “corporation?” I found out the following from my investigation.
1. Shares are never used together with twinkles.
2. On the island where the merchants gather, shares are mentioned very rarely.
3. The word corporation is never connected with twinkles. Apparently a Tooki heard a similar word on an island called Lopang.
4. A certain Tooki started using the word “corporation” after hearing and liking it. That Tooki apparently didn’t know much about merchants or Lopang. He just liked it.
Number 4–this one was the most baffling. We just started using the word “corporation” because someone liked how it sounded, without knowing what shares or companies are. I know that we are a bit too obsessed with twinkles and don’t pay much attention to other things, but isn’t this a bit much?

– Tooki 77’s Realization: The Origin of the Word “Corporation”

Serious Tooki (Points: 70)
Tooki Corporation and Shininess
After realizing that were named after some random word without any sort of connection to those fancy terms like shares or expenses, I actually felt more relieved. I didn’t obsess over my number. I began to take the whole collecting business easy. Just enough to get by.
After all, Tooki Corporation’s shininess has nothing to do with things like shares or expenses, right? Then things like passion or sense of duty or hard work that Tooki Corporation likes so much–they have nothing to do with the real thing.
After I accepted that, I found my two-digit position wasn’t so bad. There’s no reason to work so hard, no need to take on so much responsibility. A number perfect for taking things easy. I don’t know how my twinkles get used, whether they just get added to a big pile on the island or go into the hands of the single-digit Tookies. But that’s not really important, is it?
All I need to do is just collect the twinkles like all proper Tookies do, and bring them back here. I decided to not think too hard about it or put too much effort into it. So, don’t pay too much attention to things like passion or sense of duty. Maybe those things just tarnish the real shininess in our minds and our hope to live an honest life.

– Tooki 77’s Resolve: Let’s Just Collect Shiny Things