Part 29: This Day Sucks

Update 29: This Day Sucks



Welcome back, all! Summer the 13th seems to be a sunny holiday!

Rune Factory 3 - Summer

Even though it's not raining, I'm still linking RF3's Summer theme as I've been jamming out to it a lot recently.



I also need to mention I have a full stack of Rock and Tree Runeys each. It's getting out of hand.



We start the day out expanding our fodder fields. It's free Runeys at least.



No Anette today


I can't be too sad, she deserves her day off. Not many folk have the endurance to sprint between towns delivering mail.



While checking the friendship on our monsters, I accidentally tab over to the profits tab. Seems we just recently passed 30,000g on raw tomatoes, which is quite a way off form our 48,430g in juiced tomatoes.

Our strawberry earnings hover around 36,000g right now, so the math really shows we're going to blow last season's earnings out of the water even more than we already are now.

Heck, our corn exports alone are close to the strawberry earnings.



Doing Runey management by the beach has me catch Mist and Rosetta as they're going to the changing room.



ROSETTA: Mist and I went to the mountains on a picnic when we were small.


ROSETTA: We raced to see who could reach the top first, but we ended up tiring ourselves out and neither of us made it.


I was expecting a "Tortoise and the Hare" kind of story as I've never seen Mist run for anything, but I have been surprised.

It takes folks forever to change, so I'll catch them later. Off to the rest of town!




MELODY: There's a hot spring where the water comes down like a waterfall. It felt so good to just let the water hit you.


MELODY: But I guess it'd be dangerous if I did it here since it'll fall from an island in the sky.


A hot spring waterfall. Huh. A hotterfall?

Regardless, I imagine that a waterfall with water traveling at terminal velocity may hurt.




MELODY: There's a bath where you don't go in the water and just warm up with the steam. It wasn't bath-like at all!


Melody, a noted not-fan of saunas, the fake baths.

(Oh, and also, Melody is 1/4th of the way through LP 6 already. That Relax Tea works fast. I could technically make it faster, but I'm not going to.)




LUTE: Morning!


Lute, my dude, how's it goin'?



LUTE: The paint has softened up too much from the heat...


Oh.

Well, I'm here for that Oven-



why isn't there an oven for sale

lute


please... i need to make cakes...



As it turns out, Lute's utensil list is plain random instead of following some pattern like the previous traveling merchants. You can reset what Lute sells by reverting to the previous day and trying again, but I didn't know this at the time. Even though I know now, all my savestates are too far back.

I was really hoping to have the oven at this point so that I could start working on the other favorite bachelorette gifts, but no.

I drop 10,000g on a Forge Storage, which should alleviate my storage concerns for the time being.



I also buy the max upgrades for all the utensils he does have on sale in misguided frustration. I don't believe this improves my chances of him offering an oven next time, but I did it anyways.

Seriously, there's barely anything you'd need the Legendary Frying Pan, Super Pot, or Mystical Blender for, as most of the good recipes for those utensils don't use more than 1-3 ingredients. Regardless, we now own them as a flex of our rising agricultural income.



You know what? Let's make even more inadvisable purchases.

Beach Style! - "A book of swimsuit patterns that boys are too embarassed to buy at stores."

10,000g down the hole for a swimsuit magazine. Don't judge, Selphy, we saw that book in your room.

(She doesn't actually react to buying this or any of the other books- a missed opportunity if you ask me.)



This recipe book only teaches two recipes, and neither of them are for Bush. They are the Cute Bathing Suit and the Amazing Bathing Suit.

The former is a swimsuit that "follows the latest trends," with a level of 20 skill, and requires 2 cheap cloths and a teardrop. It's honestly not a bad thing to grind skill on if you don't have the wool to make scarves. Cheap cloth and teardrops can be farmed in mass in the second room of Whale Island Cave, with the spawner that puts out an orc and two slimes.

When gifted to a girl, her bathing suit sprite will then be more of a bikini kind of deal rather than the one-pieces we have now. I'm fine with what they've already got, but as I might as well make one for the skill gain given I've already got the materials.



The Amazing Bathing Suit needs 99 crafts skill, 1 quality cloth, 1 aquamarine, and 1 teardrop. Given the description, (and the fact it uses half as much cloth as a bikini) the result likely won't match this game's ESRB rating, and consequently why the girls won't even wear it if you give it to them.

Instead, this is actually Turner's favorite gift.

...Draw your own conclusions for that, I'm moving on.




Cute Bathing Suit Lv:7 was synthesized with expertise!

These things are barely worth the materials when it comes to sale price. Even at level 6, it's hardly worth a tomato juice. It's even less worth it when it's noted that I spent 10,000g for this book and I also could have made this without it.

Also, how is this one of our highest level crafted items?



The Forge Storage is just another box like the one next to our bed, but instead placed in the little hallway to the forge.

I immediately fill up more than half it's capacity dumping stuff from our inventory.

At least if anything, I've finally got plenty of carrying room!




MIST: I wonder if I will get married one day...


MIST: I just can't see it.


Mist is making the most of that bachelorette lifestyle, funded by her underground organization.




MIST: If you throw stuff into a well, the Spirit of the well will double what you dropped and give it back to you.


MIST: I wonder what I should throw in... Oh, but there isn't a well in Trampoli. Would the lake work?


Uh... maybe?

I only know of the giant chicken in the Green Ruins that doubles whatever you were eating while you were beating it up.




ROSETTA: I have to tend to the store during the day, so this is the only time I get to relax.


I suppose having Danny around also gives you a bit more time.




ROSETTA: I was talking Eunice and Melody the other day...


ROSETTA: ...about maybe doing some kind of collaboration with the bathhouse.


ROSETTA: Hm... It's rather difficult to come up with a good idea...


How about some stand-up comedy?

wait no, that's in the future




CINNAMON: ...


BUSH: You're not going to swim, Cinnamon?


CINNAMON: ...Can't swim.


BUSH: It'll be fun if you're just in the water. How about it?


CINNAMON: ...No.


Well, that conversation went excellently.



Not a lot is going on today without the planned oven. I even stop to take a break to fish at the beach for a bit, notably nabbing a flounder in the process.

Flounder are really weird fish, but they're one of the more valuable catches.




BIANCA: Yesterday, I had roast meat steamed in wine. The meat was so soft in melted in my mouth.


BUSH: Oh...


Bianca is not impressed at our catch.

I guess it explains why the manor's got all that wine. When I think fish, I don't usually think "roasted", but that is a way you can serve it. There is no other source of meat in the Rune Factory world after all- it's strictly pescatarian.

Well, unless there's some cult somewhere that eats actual monsters.




BIANCA: I like how quiet this village is, but it has nothing else going for it.


I mean, seriously, where are all the festivals?




BIANCA: This beach is very pretty but it's much too cramped.


BIANCA: Maybe I should get Father to buy me a private beach next time...


Now that you mention it, there's a lot of people out here today.




BUSH: Tabatha, isn't it hot in that outfit?


TABATHA: I'm fine. This outfit isn't as hot as it looks.




TABATHA: And this is like a uniform to me. Wearing this makes me feel prepared for my job.


This was clearly meant for dialogue while not on the beach, but it makes for an entertaining bit of silliness.

One could also interpret it as Bush trying to give away that swimsuit I had him make earlier today. He wouldn't be trying to sell it, that's for sure, he just throws stuff in the shipping bin and lets Rosetta handle it.




TABATHA: Rosehip tea is good for maintaining one's beauty. It can make your skin very smooth.


TABATHA: Or does this not interest you very much, Bush?


Rosehips are the fruit that are borne from most types of rose plants- they do more than just make fancy flowers after all. Apparently they're rather high in vitamin C and have a long history of use in the Middle East-Asia region.

There's also apparently itchy hairs on the inside of them? Crazy stuff.

This has been your impromptu trivia for the update. Despite being able to grow roses at a later date in-game, this will be relatively pointless knowledge.




TABATHA: I like how quiet this place is. The atmosphere is somewhat similar to the nation of elves. It's very nostalgic.


BUSH: Huh? You used to live in the nation of elves?


TABATHA: Yes. I'm an elf. My place of birth is the nation of elves.


BUSH: I see. I didn't know that at all.


bush

did you not notice the ears

seriously


I think the nation of elves Tabatha's from is maybe a bit reclusive? I don't really know all the elven lore.




TABATHA: I'm just not used to wearing swimsuits...


TABATHA: It's embarassing.


Kardia had a beach day, but it mostly took the form of a few people standing around the beach fully clothed while everyone else stood about town. Kardia festivals weren't that exciting.

Hey, I say just be glad it's not the Amazing Bathing Suit you're wearing.



All that talking done, I go about other stuff for the day. The fridge is starting to get rather full as well. I've only got 5 spots left open in it.



More fishing to stock up on sashimi and fish fry...



Bathhouse conversations we've already seen!

I have to run a search on all my previous updates sometimes, I forget what dialogue we have and haven't seen, especially if it's something I've seen but the thread hasn't yet.

Doing updates ahead of time has its flaws.




RITA: Oh. Bush. This is the women's bath. You're a bad boy.


RITA: Has the steam scrambled your brain, Bush? Ladies only.


TURNER: Bush, I'm gonna start to get angry...


Hey, chill, you two, I'm just doing my usual talking thing. It's not like you people change right here.

The folks whose conversations you overhear will be in the sort of hallway waiting room thing beforehand.

Melody won't get angry at you unless you actually try to walk into the bath.



Heck, even Eunice doesn't care.



Small penalty to RP restored, as usual.






ERIK: I hear you went to the Lava Ruins.


ERIK: Going to the fields inside the ruins may be good, but you have to care for your own field, too.


ERIK: I care only about my own field so I'm not interested in the fields in the ruins.


ERIK: It's not because I'm scared of the monsters I tell you!


I'm fishing so hard for conversation to fill this nothing day that I went and found Erik. We've probably even seen this dialogue already!



Music: Lava Ruins


Speaking of the Lava Ruins, let's burn some time there since nothing else is going on today and I should do something else with this day if Bush's Baked Beans are having to wait until next weekend.

To open our exploration, we move past the Ignis-filled southern area near the shortcut stairs.



Oh, there's rocks we can't smash with a Silver Hammer in our way on this path.

Well, we're going somewhere else then.

It's been years since I've been to the third floor, and that's the last of this dungeon I've ever seen.



Alright, left from the shortcut entrance we've got a big room with Golems and an Ignis. We head north through the sliding door...



Heeeey, there's the staircase down.



LAVA RUINS
B3F

Some of the worst enemies in the game that I know of are on this floor!



To the north is just a large bunch of minable rocks. I nab some silver from here.

(The area south of the entrance staircase is blocked off by rubble.)




Taking the staircase to near left of where we entered, we reach a branching path that is blocked off on the north side. South and around we go, then.



Another doorway off to the left leads us to...




oh god oh god oh fuck

These are Summers, the reskin variant of the plant monsters from Green Ruins, but are far, far more dangerous. They fire large bursts of moderate to high damage paralyzing projectiles with pretty low cooldown.

These things are pretty much plant-based gatling guns and will absolutely melt you.



The way forward is a bit southwards from there, through a wall that has to be blown open with the bomb nearby.




The southern path behind that wall is also blocked off by a bomb I might be able to snipe with a fireball, but I opt for the intended route up the staircase to the right.



There's a veritable blockade of Ignis and Golems here as well, none of that easily running past them sort of thing.



I find my way through though, and finally end up on the other side of a debris pile blocking the path back to the entrance staircase. I opt to just find the shortcut staircase instead for the moment.



Hidden behind the mass of special effects here is a Little Emperor, the upgraded reskins of Little Wizards. These now pack an earthquake spell (equivalent to our Gaea Rod) and earth spikes (equivalent to our Earth Wand).

Unfortunately, I'm also hitting a bomb here to open this door, and earthquake can stun.

And the Emperor hits me with one just as I set the bomb's timer off.



bushsbushbush
movemovemove

aaaagagggh

not like thiiiiiiiis



I got control back! RUN FOR-

-NO, IT'S TOO LATE!





how



bush, you goddamn hero with your 3 hp



Pony! We're out of here!



run run run run run run



Phew... shortcut open.

After that near catastrophe, survived by a literal pixel of HP, you'd think I'd just leave.



But no, I'm not backing down- Bush dives back in and bolts down the staircase through the open door. The scorpions here are the same as the ones on the Whale Island Flank.




A door leads out from there and around into a U-shaped hallway, cut off from the north by a pit of lava opened by the general dilapidation of this place..



Past a golem and into a door, we find a small farming area. The bomb to the north blows open another weak wall to make the path forward.



I light it with a fire rod blast. I've had enough of being close to those bombs for now.



Bush eats some snack food to gain a paltry amount of HP, gets on Pony, and we continue onwards.



The plan is to hopefully go all the way to the bottom if possible, because Lava Ruins isn't going to make me back down that easily.

We go around this little loop and up the staircase. There's more than a few shortcuts I've just plainly neglected to open around, mostly because they seem to refresh on leaving the dungeon.

This one here is the one I pondered opening with a fireball from across the gap.

To think what I could have avoided had my past self been a bit more forward thinking. Sometimes it's frustrating watching through gameplay recorded in advance as there's a number of things you miss in the moment.



A blockade of Not So Little Emperors stand float at the top of the stairs.



Getting a taste of my own medicine here is fine...



...but this hitbox is rigged. The special effect isn't even visible anymore!



We reach another large rectangular pathway, and the golem spawns to the south immediately make me run back to the north.



Just running for it at this point. Both Pony and Bush aren't doing so hot here.



NOPE Nope nope _nope ....



Coming in for the grand slam in an attempt to intercept our retreat is a Hammer Troll. These mean, lima bean green, fighting machines are the series staple of slow, tanky, hard hitters. Like I needed another of those around when the Golems are already present. They don't seem to actually be wielding their usual hammers though.



At this point I end up having to make a reflex reaction to Return. The next floor must have been very close, but I can say I've officially passed my original playthrough in everything but days played, and somehow, LP progress with Uzuki. I don't know how I got her to LP 4 so fast.



I got to the observatory just in time for the Elephant Constellation, but Bianca's LP is just one conversation away from 1. It's visible right now, but it won't trigger.

I guess I'll get it tomorrow.



Up to Whale Island to close out the day, I guess. We're so beat up, I don't have much in the way of healing back up aside from riskily using lifesteal on low-level monsters.



Music: Whale Island Entrance - Ambient


We get out our usual tomato juice gift. I was sure to save one for tonight- I don't want to do the runback again.




IRIS: Good evening, Bush.





...A fade to black?




IRIS: Oh, yeah. The other day, when I was cleaning my room...




IRIS: !! Oh, no! Bush, you're bleeding!


BUSH: Oh... Maybe a monster got me.


Lest you forget, Bush is absolutely wrecked right now. He took a barrel of explosive powder at point blank, and I'm honestly unsurprised he doesn't remember that's what it was.




IRIS: W-we need to stop the bleeding! I need something to stop the bleeding...


IRIS: I know!




wait what

did you just lick it

why



She jumps back after doing that.




IRIS: S-s-s-sorry!! I didn't mean any... I don't know why I...


IRIS: When I saw you bleeding, I just couldn't think of anything but stopping it... so...


IRIS: I'm really sorry!!


why was this your first thought




BUSH: Don't be. Everyone has something that frightens them.


BUSH: I didn't mind at all.


IRIS: *sigh* Why did I do that...


Bush is as oblivious/extremely polite and accepting as always.

We've got a girl who gets very sleepy in the day, loves the moon, instinctively hates garlic, and her first reaction is to lick our blood.

Seems like something's a bit strange about all of that, but Rune Factory is full of oddball characters so it's probably nothing.

(On a side note, Iris is also at 5 LP now. Yeah. She's surpassed Mist and Rosetta for 3rd place.)





...Man, this is some awkward silence.




IRIS: You can see all the way to the horizon on a clear day. But on a cloudy day, it feels like I am adrift in a sea of clouds.


IRIS: Both of those are wonderful sceneries so I often sketch them.


Ah, a change of topic. Just what we needed!




IRIS: I drew another picture. Would you like to see it?


BUSH: Gladly!


BUSH: ...


BUSH: (Is this a... ghost? Wait, this happened last time so I should...)


BUSH: That's a very cute Wooly. You're very good.




IRIS: That's... a moon...


BUSH: What?! I-It's a beautiful moon. You're very good! ...Sorry.


welp



Having finely smashed this forming conversation with that smooth talking, I cut our losses and send Bush out before the air gets any more awkward.



That's all for today, I'm afraid. I was getting worried that today would end up incredibly short, but it turned out to be rather long!

We'll start the first round of bachelorette voting after the next update where I make less inadvisable purchases, so get ready for that!

In the meantime, I do have a small vote to do, I guess. What do we do with that swimwear that needlessly cost us 10,000g? Leave it sitting in the box? Give it to someone? Just sell it and cut our losses for completion?