Part 38: It's Fall Or Something

It's Fall Or Something

Music: Monster Village




In the settlement we've definitely been kicked out of, it turns today is Ondorus' birthday! He's been (trying to be) helpful, so I guess he deserves a present.

What are you getting him?
Oh! I'm getting him my special tropical juice! It's a great pick-me-up!


Incidentally, Ondorus is going to give me the "if only we had something to move Kuruna..." bit every day I talk to him until I finish that bouquet. Peachy.


Then again, Kuruna won't even accept one of her loved gifts. This IS serious!


But not so serious I can't take a minute to make birthday juice for Ondorus.


Happy birthday, drink your juice.


There's fuckall I can do to advance the plot right now, so let's see what Pia's up to.


Might as well talk to the fam first.

A pillow.
That's a pillow?!
Well, good night.
What?!



What?!

Now that Link's in the proper mental state, let's talk to Pia.



But I didn't ask you here to talk! I asked you here to HUG!
Hug?!
Turn into a Wooly! Now! You're so much softer than a fish! You don't have any Wooly scales!
Yeah, scales don't really go well with fur...
That's too bad. Scales are CUTE!
Sorry I can't help you out there.
Oh, well! Let's get to HUGGIN'!


Rated E for Everyone.

That was good!
It's freezing! What is this?!



Oops! I forgot to heat the bath!
What's going on?!



Gah! That stung, Pia! You're usually not so careless with the bathwater!
I got distracted talking with Link!
Is that so?
Oh, and we're out of bathwater additives.
Hey, Link! Could you get something for me?
Uh, sure.
Get me a Charm Blue! I'll be waiting!
Okay. I'll be right back.



Hey, Pia.
What?
I've been wondering. Do you like Link?
Yep! And I like you, too, Sakuya!
Oh, I don't mean like that! Lemme get into details here...




Pia's going to be waiting a while for that Charm Blue, since the flower shop only carries the seeds. What awkward timing.


Fall starts tomorrow, but I plant it in the fall dungeon just to get this done a day sooner.





Let's go on a date with Daria instead. To the surprise of no one, her favorite date spot is the rainbow in Oddward Valley.

Music: Love



Ha ha...You sure like rainbows.
This is so great! I'm so happy! Thanks for bringing me!
I'm glad you're happy.
Hey, let's rest here. Okay?
Sure thing.


As if there was any other choice here.

No! You need to have more respect for rainbows!
Respect?!
Yeah! Just take a deep breath...Calm yourself...
Rainbow!
By the way, can I change the subject?
S-Sure.


As opposed to flying on the ground?

Don't you ever wish you could fly? It's so unfair.
Ha ha! Now I just need wings!
I thought so. Well, do something about it.
Oh, let's be serious here.


Yeah, sure, farming. And crafting, and cooking, and pharmacy-ing, and forging, and mining, and fighting, and

You're so wrapped up in farming. Makes me jealous. Of farming.
O-Of farming?
Why can't you be wrapped up in me?
Ummm...?

Rated M for Mature.

A-As my assistant! As my assistant!
Ah...


And that's the end of that date.


Since I need to fish more anyway, now's as good of a time as any to show off Carlos' Resort.


So there's two main reasons you'd go here. One is that fish respawn a lot quicker than in normal fishing spots & have less room to wander in. The other is that you can request specific fish to catch...



...from a short list, with an additional fee. Unfortunately, the fish I really want(a lover snapper to keep going down Carmen's quest line) isn't an option, so I don't stock anything specific.




This is all-you-can fish once you enter, so if you were really trying to minmax things, you'd want to enter as soon as it opened.


I don't catch anything too notable.


But I do get plenty of fodder for grinding Cooking skill. I'm at the point where I'm gaining skill slower than I'm getting cooking bread, but fishing helps since basically everything can be fried or made into sashimi.

Music: Fall


Onward to fall! Incidentally, Link's birthday is on the 16th. The game automatically uses whatever birthday you set in the DS & translates it to the appropriate season.


Among all the other stuff I'm planting, I dig out these gold potato seeds from the flea market. Shiny produce will be mine.


Planting happens.


Raven quests happen.


Trolling Rusk happens.



You helped me rediscover a part of myself.
You're welcome!
...Wait, I didn't hear any opposite-speak. Has she opened up to me?




On the way to Raven, I remember to pick up the plot brooch. Which is a dolphin for reasons known only to Gaius.


Or maybe just because it's cool.

Ha ha, it was my pleasure. Link, I'm praying for you.
Thank you!




It is every citizen's duty to help out Dwarf Dad.

Don't let her notice. So sneak up behind her?
Are you a ninja?

Maybe Ninja Dwarf Dad needs different advice.

>Give her a present

Like a longsword and a pile of iron?
Why would you come up with that...?
Probably because I'm clueless.
But why iron?
Who doesn't like iron?

Sadly there's no option to suggest Ironleaf to him instead. (He's into Evelyn, in case you forgot)



Yes. But what was so important?
...Come to Vale:Entrance with me. I'll tell you everything there.
What?
...Please.
...Yeah, okay.

Music: Vale River



Should be done soon. See, now you can walk--



Ah...! (And when Raven's here...And what is this feeling...?)
No!


Horray, we finally got the world's least surprising revelation over with!

Raven?


Phoenix Raven gets a new portrait, but only the one expression. Because bird and all.

...I'm fine.


Link is slightly slow on the uptake.

Huh...?
What's the matter? Link...
You're...


Raven is somehow even slower on the uptake. How do you not notice you shifted from human to giant bird?!

What...?! Why...?!
So it really is you, Raven?
...!


This scene would probably make more sense if I hadn't just done the "Link reveals he's half-monster, nobody in the village cares" thing.

That figure...Is Raven...?

Get with the program already!

And that light. That feeling...
Anyway, I need to go after Raven!



...This is scary, isn't it?
What?
It's fine. I wonder why I couldn't tell you...
Tell me what?
That light...I knew it was my fault, but I couldn't say it...
...
Because I didn't want you to see me like this. I didn't want you to hate me...



...


Incidentally, this is where Link would have started the "I'm half monster" reveal if I hadn't done the reveal in the main plot yet.



You're leaving me, too?
No, Raven.
Huh...?
Because coming from beyond it was some smell that I seem to remember. I sensed it from you, too. And a memory of that same smell...
What do you mean...?
I'm sure, not everyone disappeared. They just returned. Returned to where they wanted to go home to. Isn't that right...?



...! But...!
...Okay...



How convenient that we couldn't understand that Wooly until after we resolved all this baggage.

Huh...?




...Yes...
Hey, Raven. Could you show me again? Your other form?
Huh...?
I want to get a good look at what you look like transformed.

Getting a little weird, Link.

...



I knew it.
Huh...?
By the way, I hadn't thanked you for saving me when I fell off the cliff. Thanks...
Oh, umm...
Actually, I thought you looked really beautiful. And I'm thinking that now, too.
...!


Link, please, the technical term is tsundere and

...





Okay, bye then.
Oh...This is for you...
What?
Thanks to you, I'm not alone anymore...
...



...


Our prize is a thing that increases skill xp gain. I think I have one already, but it's the thought that counts.


I'm right here, so might as well get a Raven date out of the way.

Music: Love



Maybe to the end of the world.
Then we'd be looking at the same scene as the end of the world.
Oh...Yes..Maybe you're right.
Hey, how about we take a little rest here?
OK.
Hey, Link.
What?


Engaging troll engines.

...
Or I thought I'd ask, but there's no way...
Raven...?
...Stop breathing...
W-Wait, that far?


OK, let's magically make that not happen and go with Yes instead.

I...see...
What's the matter?
With who?
What?
Never mind...
Really...? But why do you ask?
...I was just curious...


I'll be showing all of these because the 'wrong' answers are both pretty great.

Sofia? Or Karina?
It was just a joke...
Pia? The forest elf? Wait...Marian?
Now that I think about it, this town is full of strange people.



Yaaay...
Huh...?
...
...Forget it.





...
Um, Raven...?
But...that's your type.
Well...maybe.
...Hey, Link. Answer me honestly.
What?


Alright, enough messing around.

...! I see...
What about you?
...
I like you...
Huh?
Well, let's go soon.

Date end.


In more alarming news, Marian is falling for us.

W-What...?
Yeah, you might be right.

...is she calling Link ugly?

>All you need?

All you need is love...?
I'm sorry.

>A tennis score?

Fifteen serving love!

OK, let's get out of here before she gets any funny ideas.


She'll never find us on this island in the middle of the lake!


...that has nothing on it except this mysterious gate we can't open. Curious.


There was also a mysterious inaccessable island back in the forest. Thanks to the power of lilypad, Link can go there now!


This is a Very Bad Idea. We are 500% not meant to be here yet.


Presenting Crystal Mammoth.


It can one shot us. We're really, really not supposed to be here yet.


Luckily, the penalty for dying is basically a rounding error in Link's wallet. And our lilypad automagically warps into the clinic with us.


I think Link's earned his rest.