Part 29: Rosie Ann

Update 29: Rosie Ann



Okay, this is (probably) the last synthesis-based update for now. But before that, let's do an actual sidequest related to shopkeepers instead of actually making new stuff.





Music: Klein and his Pleasant Friends


Well...I didn't have any parents growing up.

I'm sorry!...What about you, Lita?

Neither did I. I grew up all alone.

Really? I always assumed you were spoiled growing up and that's why you're selfish.

Who's selfish!?

I asked because...Norman's birthday is coming up.

Norman's your dad?

No, but he always treated me like his own daughter. He helped me out when I first arrived and had nowhere to go. If I were ever starving, Mr. Norman would always give me a warm meal. He even helped me open this shop...

I'm sure anything's fine as long as it comes from your heart.

...My heart?

You're a hermit, so it might be hard to come up with something.

Ah, as opposed to a bimbo like you?

Okay, okay, look...It doesn't really matter what you give him, as long as you came up with it yourself.

...I see. Thank you. I believe I have something in mind...

Good.





Huh?

I can't make it without materials form the Lapis Woods.

Lapis Woods? We can probably get them for you.

...No. You said I needed to come up with it myself.

Hmm...I guess I did...

She probably just needs some grass or something, Klein. Don't worry. Besides, going outside could probably do her some good.


Huh, it's not too often we see an NPC willing to complete their own fetch quest. I have a feeling she'll end up needing our help anyway, though. If we leave and come back to the store...





She was talking about the Lapis Woods earlier. I bet she went there.

I'm not so sure about this...We should go after her.





Oh no! It's a Falcon Hawk!





Hey, there's “real” gameplay in this update!



Okay, it's over.





...Klein. Don't worry. I brought some Bombs along with me.

Why're you out here, anyway?

My recipe calls for Phoenix Quills. I think five should be enough.

F-Five!?

I've gathered four already. The bombs are surprisingly effective.

How many of these did you bring?

I didn't count.

We can take you back to Kavoc. Come on, let's go.

I can get back on my own. I don't want you to see me fighting...Besides, you can't get the final quill for me if you're back in town.

Huh? Okay, I get it.

I'll meet you back at the shop. I was getting low on bombs, anyway.

I thought she said she'd never go outside...


Just to reinforce the cutscene that we just witnessed; Veola not only can go outside when she really wants, she's perfectly capable of survival by exploding the shit out of anything that threatens her. This is really making me wonder what the game would be like if she were the protagonist.





Thank you. Now I can complete the present for Mr. Norman.

What is it, anyway?





Oh my god it's a Mofuma doll! I want one.


Isn't that a little big for a doll?

It's pretty cute, though. I can't believe you made it.

Here, touch it. It's very soft.

Ohhh wow! Klein, I want one!

Hands off. This isn't for you. It's soft because of the Phoenix Quills.

...That's why you went out alone into the forest.

Yes. However, I doubt I'll be going outside again anytime soon. I'll keep the doll here just a while longer, then give it to Norman...Thank you again, Klein. For all your help.

Oh, I didn't do that much.

Hey, I helped too! Am I ever gonna get a thank you!?

Of course. Thank you, Lita.

_{You only said that because I told you to!}


Seriously, though, how cute would a Mofuma doll be? Gust should market that and sell them. I mean, yeah, I'm probably a bit old to have a (pink) stuffed toy, but it's Mofuma.





What? Heh...Yeah, I did.

Ha ha! You're really embarrassed. How cute!

What? No. Don't make fun of your elders!

You know, Veola went out all by herself to get the Phoenix Quills for your present.

What!? She got them all by herself?

Yeah...she even used bombs to defeat a bunch of falcon hawks.

We tried to help, but she insisted. She knew Phoenix Quills were the softest feathers, so she wanted to use those.

Promise us you'll always treasure it, Norman.

… … ...I already do.








She must enjoy making me worry...

...Are you crying, meow? Mr. Norman?

...I'm...I'm sorry. To be honest, I did have a daughter a long time ago. But...she passed away when she was very young. There are so many things I wish I'd had the chance to do with her...Sometimes I see her in Veola. At any rate, please be Veola's friends.


I don't give Norman as much love as I do most of the others, but I do still really like the guy. He's just such a nice, relaxed, all around pleasant person.

So now that I've said that, let's once again switch gears to a somewhat more manic individual...





Atelier Blaire: Is that bean paste?...

Music: Fun Shopping in Arcose


I've got good news for you, Blaire! Meow...

What news? Is the bakery getting more popular?

How'd you know?

I knew this day was coming! But...Why'd it happen now?

People love the leftover bread you threw out, meow!

...What!? The failure? The LEFTOVERS!?

I bet it would make a great Nekotreat, meow!

Hmm? Is this some kind of joke?


I don't know what Norn's on about, I still think the Teddybear Roll is the best thing. Anyway, this scene played automatically for me (I assume it triggers after you deliver some Leftovers to Mofuma), and then I did some recipe improvement, and...





I've been thinking of adding new bread to the menu. But I don't have any ideas. Do you have any requests?

You mean, you'll make the bread we ask you to?

Of course! There is no type of bread that I cannot make!

Then...I want a Rosie Ann Bun!

… …









A what, now? I've never heard of...whatever that is.

How can you not know about it? It's my favorite! Sweet jam paste baked inside bread...

Meow...What kind of bakery are you running, here?

Fine! I'll make your stupid Rosie Bun...thing. It's on the recipe list. Go find the ingredients I need, okay?


Blaire gets offended so easily. Anyway, this opens up one of the more problematic sets of synthesis items for 100% completion, Blaire's series of Rosie Ann Buns.

You see, while you can sort of start to figure out when some recipes have a variant or two, such as Totopop's maps, the game doesn't really say “Hey, there are two offshoots of this recipe” or something. As such, you just kind of have to know going in how many variants of Rosie Ann Bun there are. A further complication is that the Rosie Ann Bun takes four ingredients, and each of the four is variable; we need a powder, a fruit/veggie, a “meal” (most/all of these are Norman's dishes such as the Jaja Bowl or Grilled Fungo), and an “other” (mostly Wild Meat, but this can also be stuff like Puniballs or Cat Eyes).

There are eight total variations, so...let's get started! The default recipe calls for Flour, Carrot, Grilled Fungo, and Wild Meat...





Excellent, the Grilled Fungo's “Slippery” review made it onto this.





Yay! I just love these...But...this filling's different.

Really? I'm sure it's normal.

No...It doesn't even smell like a Rosie Ann Bun.

It smells like...meat and vegetables, hss!

This isn't a Rosie Ann Bun.

Sure it is! You brought me the ingredients yourself!


I can't really decide if the joke here is that Blaire isn't very competent or if the joke is that there just isn't a jelly or jam item we can bring her to make the filling right.

Rosie Ann Bun A is a simple HP restoration item.





Let's try a Tingleberry, then. That's about as close as we can get to Lando (curiously unavailable for the recipe), which is about as close as we can get to strawberries, which is about as close as we can get to a tasty fruit jelly.







Yay! I just love these...Mmmm...this one smells delicious!

...Meow!? I have a bad feeling about this bun, meow...My instincts say not to eat this Rosie Ann Bun.

Really!?

I'd just like to remind you that I can't be held responsible for the ingredients you gave me.


This Rosie Ann Bun C deals physical damage.









Yay! I just love these...Hey, this one actually smells sweet!

What a wonderful smell, meeeooowww!

It smells just heavenly! Such a rich blend of sweet and sour...

Oh my gosh, I can't believe my nose!

You really think it smells that good, huh?

Are you kidding? Can't you smell it? This has to be the greatest Rosie Ann Bun ever made!

Hm hm hm...It took awhile, but I've finally done it.



Aww...It's entirely wrong, inside...




Rosie Ann Bun H gives “complete DEF”, which sounds suspiciously like god mode, although when I tried it out it didn't seem as perfect as it could have been. Klein didn't get attacked immediately after eating it, though, so maybe it just doesn't last very long (which would make sense because that could be crazy overpowered considering how easy these are to make).










Yay! I just love these...I can't wait to try it! Hm...aren't Rosie Ann Buns supposed to be sweet? This one smells...really spicy.

Meow! It's burning my little nosey nose, meow!

What did you expect would happen if you brought spicy ingredients?


Rosie Ann Bun D deals MP damage. I don't know if that's ever really worth doing, but it's an option now at least.









Yay! I just love these...Hold on...this one smells like -

Hey, that smells like meat! Can I have some?

It's barbeque, meow! I can smell it!

That's good, right? Rosie Ann Buns are supposed to be good.


It's not every day you try to make a donuts and make a sloppy joe instead. Anyway, Rosie Ann Bun F restores both life and mana. Not bad!









Yay! I just love these...Hm...It smells a little, um...

MEEEEOOOOWWW! This one's hazardous, meow! Don't eat it, meow! Listen to my nose!

Are you sure? It smells alright to me.

It smells yummy, but it's a trap, meow!

A trap!? If you want safe Rosie Ann Buns, then don't bring me dangerous ingredients!


Rosie Ann Bun E kills you. No, really.









Yay! I just love these...But...it's kind of rubbery.

Really? That can't be right...

Meow...it smells familiar to me, somehow.

Well, it will smell like whatever ingredients you use, obviously.


Rosie Ann Bun B restores Mana...









Yay! I just love these...Hey, this one actually smells sweet!

Meow! Yummy yum! I'm drooling, meow.

Hm hm hm...I finally made a real Rosie Ann Bun.

No...it doesn't smell exactly like a Rosie Ann Bun.

It doesn't!? But you said it was sweet, right?


...and finally, Rosie Ann Bun G restores negative status effects.

This is all a fun little experiment, and some of these even seem useful! I'll have to remember to try them out someday. I still think it's interesting that out of all eight variations there isn't a single one that's actually correct.







And now, let's move on to a new old recipe that ALSO has many variations...





Atelier Veola: Lots of Love

Music: Flask Boy


I do. Why, are you going to give me some?

Nope.

… …

I just thought you might like to know about this great place! It's an awesome bakery in Arcose.

Is that so?

Yup. It's the only reason I ever go there. They have an awesome Rosie Ann Bun, don't they, Klein?


Huh? But I thought the whole point of that adventure was to show that we can't make an awesome Rosie Ann Bun.


Uh...yeah...

…What's the matter, Klein? You didn't mind chatting with the bakery girl...Don't you like us?

!!!

What? It wasn't like that!





No, not at all! Er...I didn't mean that, I -

Which do you prefer, then. A woman who can cook bread? Or one who can't?

Well, obviously a woman who can bake bread. But -

...I see.

What a jerk!





That's right, it's time to synthesize the Love Bun, and it's, um, interesting...variations...





The Love Bun is a bit unique – like I said, there are actually a lot of things you can make from this recipe, but the catch is that the default recipe does not make the intended result – indeed, you'll note that the ingredients she wants are kinda on the right track but not really ideal for making bread. Let's give it a try anyway, just to see what happens.







You're...talking about this?

Of course.

Heh...You have the worst taste. You should name this Lumpy Bread because it's all bumpy on top.

We didn't ask you, Lita. I made it with love for you, Klein. You'll eat it, won't you?

Right, yeah...Actually, I just ate a big lunch.

(Klein got out of it.)


Well, at least it looks more or less like bread. I mean, it's just sort of burnt...it's probably edible. Not too tasty, though.





If we sub in a particularly nasty but still food-based kind of powder...







Ah...um...What are you talking about?

The bun right in front of you.

Oh, I thought that was a rock.

How could it be a rock? It's a Love Bun. I made it with a lot of love for you, Klein. You'll eat it, right?

Ah...Well, I would...But I have a stomach ache.

(Klein got out of it.) I call it ??? Bread.





And if we try a more not-so-food oriented “powder”...







You're...talking about this?

Of course.

Ha ha ha! And I thought you didn't have any imagination. It's cute. No, really, it's fun pretending this...thing is food.

Nobody was talking to you, Lita. I made it with love for you, Klein. You'll eat it, won't you?

Er...well, I would...But I've got something in my eye.

(Klein got out of it.) I call it Tragic Bun.





Perhaps Blaire's secret ingredient can salvage Veola's cooking? I guess that's kind of cheating, but let's see how it goes.







Oh, well thanks.

It's not the greatest bun, but you did a pretty good job, Veola. Why don't we call it Average Bun? It's nothing like Blaire's but it's a start.

Guess I need more practice...


You might think that this is another exercise in mediocrity, but let's try actually synthing bread with Veola like we would synth bread with Blaire, or possibly like how we would synth bread in real life.









Did you really bake this, Veola? It looks great!

Yeah, it looks tasty! Let me try some...Wow! This might be even better than Blaire's!

I made it with love for you, Klein. Are you going to have some?

! Here, give me some more!

You already tried it, Lita! If you want another one, you need to bring me more ingredients.


Dammit Lita, stop ruining this for everyone.

But there's one more variation of this recipe...





That's right, it's...





Ingredient X





Ah...um...What are you talking about?

The bun right in front of you.

Did you really make this? You probably hired someone to make it for you.

That wasn't very nice. I don't remember talking to you, Lita. I made it with a lot of love for Klein. You'll eat it, won't you Klein?

Er, I would...But I've got a fever today.

(Klein got out of it). That had to come from somewhere else.

Stop talking like that! There's nothing wrong with it!

It just seems like something's amiss.


And that's it for Veola's attempt at baking. I love her more both for her successes and her failures.

But let's step away from the humor for a moment and have a more serious synth...





I've been thinking about something. There is something I would like to create for you.

For me?

Yes. However, I do not have enough material for it. I compiled a list of the things I still need. If you have the time, will you find them for me?

Of course.

Thank you.


A new synthesis formu-





Why are you so angry all of a sudden?

She's being selfish! Let her find her own materials, Klein!...I'm on to you!

Me?

Klein shouldn't have to find materials to make his own present!

I didn't ask you for help, Lita.

That's where you're wrong. I'm always with Klein – asking him is the same as asking me!

Perhaps you should try not to be so clingy.

*gasp*!

Er...Well...

Do you think you can do me that favor, Klein?

Uh, sure!

You two are still talking? Ugh, I'm leaving!

Hey, wait up!


Hmm, I wonder what this new item could be? Another crazy invention, or...







...Ohhhhhh.





...A...A ring...!?

Yes. Don't be fooled by its simple appearance. I can't be with Mr. Klein...So I poured my heart into making this ring for you. It will protect you from danger.

Th...Thank you. What's it called?

What else? The Ring of Love.

… ...

Tch...I knew it.

L-Lita!? No...It's not what you think.

I wish you both the best of luck.

Why are you mad at me, Lita? You're fond of Klein, aren't you?

No way! I don't go for guys like him.

Oh, then you're jealous. You want a present of your own. I'll have one for you next time. Look forward to it.


...Huh? Well, that's nice of her. Let's check it out-





wait