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paradoxGentleman posted:That looks neat, what game is it from? Judging by the interface, one of the later Ar Tonelico games, which were/are made by the same company that produced this one.
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Jun 4, 2014 19:34
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paradoxGentleman posted:That looks neat, what game is it from? Ar tonelico Qoga.
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Jun 4, 2014 20:08
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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 poo poo 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 
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Jun 5, 2014 07:13
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 ...The funny part is that I bet you can make something absolutely delicious with this.
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Jun 5, 2014 07:21
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Extreme Poison: Extreme problems call for Extreme measures.
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Jun 5, 2014 07:52
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Lita is such an awful heroine. By contrast, Veola is a weird shut-in with no common sense and she is still much nicer and easy to sympathize with.
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Jun 5, 2014 08:57
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This is one of the sweetest romance subplots I've ever seen in a videogame, especially in JRPGs. I think I seriously ship Klein/Veola, guys. I want the ending cutscene to include Klein settling down with Veola and become a shopkeeper with her, maybe selling stuff to and getting ingredients from the next generation of plucky adventurers. What am I becoming?
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Jun 5, 2014 09:42
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From the previous update, some of the ratings are just special. The Suxital somehow makes a soothing sound, which is certainly not what I think of with vacuum cleaners. The paint is super sweet... (And totally functions like the Kirby Super Star power). One person also reviewed the Eyescargo as cute. But the real winners are the bikinis, which got the "a lot hard" and "too hard" ratings. 
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Jun 5, 2014 12:53
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Uuuuuugh I like this game's writing so far but everytime Lita goes full-on Animu Tsundurururururururu Hurr Hurr I want to slap her and shove her into a closet until she calms the gently caress down. If you love Klein, Lita, maybe you should show it instead of being so passive-aggressive. And active-aggressive. It's all the aggression really. Maybe there's an anti-aggression bun? Oh! That's got to be what Veola is making for Lita! 
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Jun 5, 2014 13:30
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I remember doing that Phoenix Quill subquest and thinking "Holy poo poo Veola can use bombs too! That means she's going to join the party later, right?" Then she never did, and I was so bummed out I never actually finished this game. So thanks for doing this LP, Overrated Sage.
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Jun 5, 2014 14:13
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So... is there an Ultimate Roll?
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Jun 5, 2014 14:40
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The 'For Klein' and 'For Lita' recipes, taken as a set, are loving amazing. Veola is quite possibly the best shopkeeper in any JRPG ever. Also: "Very bitter." Lita sure was! Raitzeno fucked around with this message at 15:15 on Jun 5, 2014 |
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Jun 5, 2014 15:13
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Blaire and Veola are definitely the two best synthers. Once you get deep with Blaire, she'll start opening up with her story too. Probably why even Mofuma and Totopop feel a little bland in comparison even if they are basically stuffed animals.
Shitenshi fucked around with this message at 17:47 on Jun 5, 2014 |
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Jun 5, 2014 17:30
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Veols is so passive-aggressive it's hilarious. Especially with that last synth recipe.
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Jun 6, 2014 01:37
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Update 30: No Healing Allowed Welcome back, everyone. Today we're going to do some main plot stuff, but first let's check out some stuff Lector's unlocked for us.          Hmm, looks like I'm making a dent in this stuff. I wonder who all will get character bios and stuff?  Music: Dota!  Hey guys. Oh, is she a new friend? My name is Marietta. Nice to meet you, Marietta. I'm Pamela, a cute ghost!Just chiming in to say that I love how Pamela introduces herself to strangers this way.  A gho...gho...ghost? Are you alright, Marietta? You seem a bit pale. I'm fine, just...Don't come any closer! ...You're afraid of her? What? No, of course not. You're scared of me, aren't you, Marietta? Woo! It's been so long since I scared someone! Here...I'll scare you a little bit more, okay?  ...Aha ha ha ha! You're a funny little ghost. What? Stop laughing! I was trying to be scary! Oh well, it's nice to have a new fried. Would you like to play sometime? I'm surprised there's something you're actually afraid of. What are you talking about?I'm glad that even in a plot-centric update I could still find a way to include at least one of the better NPCs. We love you, Pamela. Okay, let's move on to the town of Duran...  Music: Eternal Ground Well, Pops...What do you know about the Tower of Marcus? What is it with you kids and places like that? So then you do know about it. It's the tower you can see deep inside the Forest of Ocean Mist. It's dangerous, though. I wouldn't recommend getting near it...Of course, when has that ever stopped you? Come back safe, y'hear? Who do you think you're talking to? Of course we'll be fine.And just like that, the path to the tower is unlocked...    This is a tower?... Doesn't look like it to me. It looks like a donut, meow! Meow...There's a cane right there! This is our easiest mission yet!Predictably, this is the moment where everything starts shaking. Meow!? Whoa! Everyone watch out!   Music: Tower of No Return  Don't worry about us...what happened to the cane?Delsus approaches the huge crystal nearby. Hmm...You must summon the Guardian of Water with the Water Gem, lest the path remain sealed. I recognize this shape...Oh, here we go.Marietta does something, and...  ...summons a boss. Yay?  This one isn't too bad. The lady is immune to physical damage, so I had Lita kill off her bird allies then swapper her for Delsus and Norn at various times. Also, I don't remember if I mentioned this earlier, but Marietta's standard attack hits twice, one hit being physical and the other being magic/thunder damage, meaning she's able to do decent damage to just about anything except maybe the odd thunder based enemy. The magic portion is even decently potent, though still generally weaker due to Marietta's stat spread.  I also fired off Marietta's Thunder God ability to see how it did. 200+ damage is pretty solid, too, though I think it's still an ability I'd only really use against enemies that don't take physical damage. This boss goes down without much difficulty. I even wound up killing her with ELE EXTRACT for a cool 50 Water elements.  I used the Raindrop Sphere. It's one of Alkavana's treasures. I brought it for luck...and it looks like it worked.Oh, well I guess it's a good thing we recruited you, then. Let's scale us a tower, shall we? Oh yeah, I remember the Gust Sphere! That's what that fairy guy gave us after we completed the Puni God quest.   Our next miniboss is also not especially dangerous, although she does come with a dragon buddy that you'll want to off pretty fast. Again, physical damage is not allowed. She likes to hit multiple characters and inflict paralysis, but overall she's not that dangerous.  Nuthin' to it.  The third one requires the Flame Sphere we found in Ka Luda's Playground...  This lady is probably the most difficult of the elemental guardians. She just seems to take much less damage than the others did, and she also has more alarming damage output.   Remember Tera Flame? That's an attack I was hoping wouldn't show up again.  The other cool thing about Marietta is that, while she's not quite as effective a healer as Klein, she can still keep on top of healing enough that he can spend more turns buffing or even attacking. Since he's the only character who ever seemed to do any meaningful damage to this boss, I found myself relying mostly on Marietta for survival. I also threw Veola's ??? Bread at this boss for fun. It technically counts as physical damage so it didn't work.   And now we're, uh, screwed. Hmm. Let's leave and see what happens.  There's no rush. Why don't we just go back to town and see what's going on? Maybe someone in town has a job for us to do.Eh...I guess that is more or less how we found these other ones. Okay, let's check out Duran again.  Well, there's one more, and we need to find it. I think we were lucky we had those three in the first place. None of your business, Faith. Don't be so mean! Come on, you can tell me... Well...fade out/in Delsus, you big dummy, why didn't you say so!? I'm an oracle now! I started training just before you left. Leave this to me! … … … Aha!  … … That's amazing, meow!This game is so delightfully self-aware. ...Is that it? Oh wait, there's one more: What you seek is in the fortress. The fortress, huh? Did she mean Fort Galga? I guess that's as good a clue as any.Hmm. We haven't been there in quite a while. I suppose we could have missed something what with all the bandit killing. Let's check it out!  Music: Popcorn Strategy  Excellent! As soon as that's finished, this will be our new headquarters: Fort Alkavana. Let's keep working, people! We need to get this done. Leave it to us, sir! Yeah, we're working fairly hard. Let's finish before dinner, sir! I can't wait to see the captain's face when he sees the curtains I put up... Failure is not an option! What the...What're THEY doing here!? Brother...The kngihts mill around for a few moments, and then... We found something, Captain! Hmm...What's this, then? Interesting...It looks like the treasure Marietta stole from us. It's a sign! Fate has ordained that Fort Alkavana be raised on this spot! Keep up the good work, Ein. Yes, sir! Hey, that looked like the last sphere. This is gonna get ugly... We have to snag it before Beggur realizes what it's for.We do? I don't think it really matters if Beggur knows anything about it or not. Well, anyway, our team rushes into the fort.  We're not staying long. We just need to grab something. I won't go easy on you! Nobody asked you to.I can't decide if I'm pleased or sort of sad that not even Klein takes Beggur seriously anymore.  Music: Bullfight Once again, the fight is pretty trivial. Marietta is pretty good at wrecking her brother.  Beggur has a charge attack, but I was able to interrupt it every time. I like all the stuff that managed to happen just from this one attack. ...honestly, I only included these last couple screenshots to make the battle seem long and important enough to be worth linking Bullfight.  Why you...This can't keep happening!Less predictably, this is the moment where everything starts shaking. Captain Beggur! Your fight opened a crack in the fortress wall! What the HELL!? It could collapse at any time! We have to evacuate! But...but...Fort Alkavana... Let's grab the sphere and get outta here. Well that was all very weird. Also, the fortress doesn't actually collapse. I don't really know what any of that was all about. Back to the tower!   This fight is...a moderate challenge, but not as bad as the fire one. Norn and Marietta do huge damage to her Phantom buddies (she also had a Supreme Wolf Ally but Lita kicked it to death) so it's easy to kill off her support pretty quick.  By herself, she's just another jerk who likes to do damage to multiple characters but isn't really a major threat.  What happened to good old optimistic Delsus? Oh, don't worry about me, baby. Ugh, not again. How can you be like this? Meow!! Stop it stop it stop it! That's enough, meow...I donnu, Delsus, this honestly hasn't been that bad. I mean, the minibosses could be less annoying I guess, but I've done worse.  The next floor has a mystery level, complete with a Groovecube, making this journey worth it.   This thing is sort of a jerk to make. It takes Light and Holy, and I can't have Eital transformed and untransformed at the same time so I used Uru for Light instead. Oh well, I made nine anyway. Here's hoping it's crazy strong at least.  Can we go meow, Klein? I'm scared of heights...The screen darkens... Meow!? What's wrong? Great, wouldn't you know it? Are we going to fight way up here? I'M AFRAID OF HEIGHTS, MEOW!! Stay on guard!   Music: Duke of Stratosphere ...Is that it? It's funny looking. So that's the boss, huh? This should be fun. We aren't here to have fun! This is the boss of the Tower of Marcus, Quetzalcoatl. Speaking as someone who grew up seeing Quetzalcoatl as an electric bird, this is sort of a strange interpretation of him. He doesn't have much defense, and unlike Prism he can't heal himself, so our damage output against him isn't much of an issue.   Unfortunately for us, his many hands aren't just there for show. His standard attack launches all of them at one character. It's...actually not THAT powerful, really. It can do a good 120-150 damage to Klein, but Marietta can just about keep up with that, as can Klein himself. It does more in the ballpark of 100 to Delsus, Lita, and Marietta, which is perfectly manageable.  But Quetzalcoatl does have one very dangerous ability...  Towznetkarz (what the gently caress) inflict poison and curse. Poison you're all familiar with, but curse...curse is pretty bad. It prevents the afflicted character from recovering HP. Fortunately, it seems to wear off after a few turns, and as I said, Quezzie's own attack power is middling, but it's still a dickish status effect, especially in conjunction with the status that damages HP every turn.  I had Klein try a Heaven Geode. Turns out those don't work on enemies that aren't explicitly evil or something.  Then Klein died because he's made of paper and can't heal. So I thought, you know what? Let's have another damage race.  And, well...it worked out just fine. Quezzie also has an ability that he charges up called Null Sphere, but it's relatively easy to interrupt so he never got to use it. He also can use a variant of his standard attack that randomly distributes hits but isn't really any stronger. Meanwhile, Delsus was popping Flare Shots for like 300+damage a turn, Norn could Shrink it for 200 or so, and Marietta could do about 200 with standard attacks, while Lita did less damage but got more attacks overall.  I was kind of worried about this fight, but he didn't give me much grief this time. Good night, Quetzalcoatl.  Indeed. See you all next time!
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Jun 10, 2014 21:41
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In Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl is actually a plumed serpent, so him being a futuristic geometric multi-handed... thing makes even less sense.
paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 23:33 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 23:29
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Look on the bright(?) side, at least this Quetzalcoatl didn't start you off on an hellishly OCD, entire-game-spanning cardgame hunt.
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Jun 11, 2014 03:51
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Oh hey! They reuse this boss in AI2 as well! There the dude loves multi-hit attacks and for some reason has the Einzecksclaw. His recolour also has the upgraded Einzeckslash Why is this weird? Because only one of your party members is supposed to be able to use the Einzecksclaw due to ~bloodlines~. She eventually learns Einzecksdance so that kinda makes up for it. And he also has Townetzkarz in that game, but it's much less of an issue.
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Jun 11, 2014 05:53
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SSNeoman posted:Oh hey! They reuse this boss in AI2 as well! There the dude loves multi-hit attacks and for some reason has the Einzecksclaw. His recolour also has the upgraded Einzeckslash Why is this weird? Because only one of your party members is supposed to be able to use the Einzecksclaw due to ~bloodlines~. She eventually learns Einzecksdance so that kinda makes up for it. I seem to remember the iaijutsu girl in Mana Khemia also getting the Einzeck--line of sword techniques, am I just crazy? 
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Jun 11, 2014 16:18
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SSNeoman posted:Oh hey! They reuse this boss in AI2 as well! There the dude loves multi-hit attacks and for some reason has the Einzecksclaw. His recolour also has the upgraded Einzeckslash Why is this weird? Because only one of your party members is supposed to be able to use the Einzecksclaw due to ~bloodlines~. She eventually learns Einzecksdance so that kinda makes up for it. I remember when I first played this I was really confused by Quezalcoatl's attacks. I didn't realize that Ein and Zwei were German numbers - I thought they were just what those two Alkavana guys were named - and so I didn't understand why some boss had attacks named after them.
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Jun 12, 2014 00:29
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bathroomrage posted:I seem to remember the iaijutsu girl in Mana Khemia also getting the Einzeck--line of sword techniques, am I just crazy? Nope! It's a recurring multi-hit technique in GUST games. EDIT: Although you're sorta-wrong. Anna had the -Chaos tree line (Helm Breaker Chaos, Dancing Blade Chaos and so on. They were basically Einzel- techniques in all but the name). Einzelakampf was the name of Vayne's Finishing Burst. They romanize the name differently in AI. Seraphic Neoman fucked around with this message at 07:36 on Jun 12, 2014 |
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Jun 12, 2014 07:28
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Update 31: Corrida de Toros We have a lot of important things to do right now, not the least of which is finding out more about that egg we need to help Lita out, and there's a ton of sidequests and synthing stuff still waiting to get triggered. But before we continue with any of that, it's time for the showdown that's needed to happen since the moment Klein set foot in Kavoc...  A letter...? Who's it from? Some guy with a big suit of armor. … … I think we all know what that means. What does it say? I hereby challenge you to a duel, to settle things once and for all. I'm waiting at the Outdoor Theater. - Your nemesis, Beggur. Since when is he your nemesis? Are you going to accept, Klein? He'd probably leave Marietta alone if you beat him. I don't want to cause any trouble. You didn't. It would have come to this sooner or later... Beggur may know something about Mull. This is one of the more difficult bits of the game, although all told it's probably not quite on the same level as surprise dragon. We definitely want to be as prepared as we can be. I should have tried out more smithing on top of this (I'm pretty much hemorrhaging common Mana Stones at this point), but I skipped it this time.   You'd better leave us alone after this...No more begging for another chance! How dare you insult my honor! My word is my bond! Then let's get this over with... ATTAAAACK! Music: BULLFIGHT Video: Ein, Zwei, and Neun I'll give it my all. I-I'm sorry...I must defeat you!All right, our first battle is against the main healer, two more or less generic attackers, and  TONTA   As usual, I try to get some buffs up while my HP is high (which is to say while Klein has time he can spend on things besides healing). Meanwhile, Lita Jump Kicks Tonta until she can't anymore and Marietta bounces between healing and attacking.  Tonta poses a few dangers, but one of the more annoying things is that, as Neun's pet, it will tank attacks for her. Since she's spamming heals, that means you can't get rid of her first unless you employ some clever area of effect damage on her by targeting other enemies (if even then).  I tried using a couple attack Mana Items on Tonta to see what happened. The Lightning Rod hit for around 360 damage (with Power Item), not bad at all!  Besides acting as a tank, Tonta also has tons of speed. His attack power isn't quite as overwhelming as I remembered (though he can nail Klein for a good 80 damage, which is somewhat threatening). He can also burrow into the ground and pop up a couple turns later to attack, though that's kind of good in a backwards sort of way since he can't defend Neun during this time.   Tonta's super death anger charge isn't too strong either, but it can knock people over. Thankfully, both times he did that it failed, so I didn't have to put up with anyone losing turns that way.   With all that out of the way, Ein may actually be the greater threat. Neun and Ein both have attack boosting buffs, and as you may remember from the Norn fight all that time ago, buffs have a nasty habit of stacking and making fights unmanageable if they drag on too long.  Getting Tonta out of the fight took a load off my mind...  ...And it looks like Ein's damage output is manageable for now. Okay, we've got a chance!  I don't think I've shown off Flare Shot yet besides a passing mention in the Quezzie battle. Flare Shot distributes a few hits over a large area, or it can just nail a single target upwards of five times. It gives Delsus some pretty solid damage output, and his MP is high enough that he can spam it. It's not so effective against groups, though, especially when one of our foes can group heal.  Ein and Swei both have attacks they have to charge. Neither is actually that dangerous (Zwei's does 40ish damage to multiple targets and Ein's is even less impressive) but I decided to try and Skill Break them anyway. I've found that Norn's Telekenesis and Delsus' Power Shot are some of the better abilities for doing this, so I brought Norn out to bust out some gravity-based violence...  Maybe I should have just let them use their stupid charge attacks, because Ein's normal attack has gotten so beefy that I can't really handle it anymore. A couple turns later he one-shotted Klein as well, so there go my casters.  Fortunately, I had Ein damaged enough by then that I was able to knock him out of the fight shortly afterward. He actually survived Delsus' attack on Guts (I forgot that was even a thing in this game) but died from the crossbow's poison effect immediately afterward anyway. With him down, Zwei didn't last much longer, and then it was just a matter of outdamaging Neun's heals. (No, I don't know why I didn't get rid of Neun sooner)   I'm not the same weakling you defeated before! I have totally different tactics this time. I've maximized the power of my perfectly trained body...Fear my power! … … Are you ready to run home to mommy? It ends here, with my victory! Video: Beggur, Drei, and Vier One great thing about this being divided into two battles is that any characters who fell in the last one are revived with 1 HP. As such, Lita was able to use Veola brand products to get Klein back on his game.  Drei is probably the least effective of all the knights. His standard attacks are weak, and while he can heal with Drei's Lunch, it's only single target and he doesn't spam it constantly like Neun did with her healing. I went for him first to get him out of the way.  Meanwhile, Beggur has upgraded to genuine threat for this fight. He can emulate Tonta with an attack that knocks one character over in addition to doing 40-80 damage (depending on whether the character has defense or doesn't).  He also has a charge up attack...   ...and it's pretty dangerous, I guess. These last few fights have really started to accentuate how loving terrible Klein and Norn are at surviving anymore. They just get murdered. I really need to get some new stuff to emphasize Klein's defense so he doesn't go down so quickly. Fortunately, Marietta the Supertankadin can pick up some of the slack on the “not dying” front.  Veola comes to the rescue once again...  ...And Klein drops a rock on Drei to get him out of the battle.  Vier, like Zwei, focuses on multi-target damage, with the downside being that her attacks are not very strong. She also has Marietta's Thunder God ability, but thankfully hers hurts a lot less. It can paralyze, which is annoying, but that's about the extent of the threat she poses.  Klein turned her life force into his own, and now it's down to Beggur himself.  I brought Norn out to help Skill Break his superattack. It worked, but then he used a normal attack instead to kill her.  I thought about just swapping her out, but then I figured I'd show off Newlife. It healed her for 80, which isn't really enough for her to survive, but at least it's a resurrection ability.  Once again, Delsus starts carrying most of the damage output with Flare Shot..  ...and once again, Beggur barely survives an attack only to get offed by poison damage immediately after. ...Hey, that means we won! Excellent.  Snap out of it, ya moron! Don't you get it? Alkavana doesn't need power, and neither do I! We need my older brother...a man who cared about others! ...Is that true? Why didn't anybody tell me? We believe in you, Captain! We'd follow you into hell! How could I be so stupid? I let greed blind me from what's truly important. I must atone for my misdeeds!And so the newly reformed Beggur and his knights march off, but one straggles behind for a moment.  Sorry for the trouble. I hope you can forgive us....Huh. That was kind of abrupt, but I look forward to Beggur having wacky antics as an ally! Maybe they're not such bad people after all. What are you going to do now, Marietta? I'm going to stay with you guys. My brother won't truly be free until Mull is defeated.All right, looks like we've got things pretty well wrapped up here. Let's head back to town.   After fifteen years, they've started mining again in Arcose! If you've ever wanted to visit Arcose, now's the time to go! What kind of mining? Strip mining. They dig a cone-shaped hole and extract ores. That actually sounds kind of fun.What? No it doesn't. Oh well, at least we have a thing to do now. It looks like that's an update, but let's have a couple of postscript moments before we leave for the day...  The Suxital? Yeah. Cleaning's a snap with the brand new Suxital! I still use the feather duster for fine details, but... Wow, Veola actually made something useful, then. Please accept this as thanks. You guys saved my life!And so we get two Hollow Pumpkins, which is...actually a pretty decent reward. Those things are pricey.  … … … … … … … … ...What? Do you want some food, too? Oh, no thanks. You may not have a chance to eat later. You should eat whenever you have time. You never know when a fight's going to break out. … ... Oh well. I'm just going to have a little more... (She calls that a little?)Klein, don't be so judgmental. If I were a knight I'm sure I'd eat all the time, too, mostly because I already eat all the time. See you all next update for mining, synthing, or both!
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Jun 12, 2014 23:24
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The Alkavana free-for-all is one hell of a scary fight and I started to feel embarrassed by how many times I repeated it. I'd like to think that having Arlin instead of Marietta, or both of them entirely, would have completely turned the tables to be easy, but I'm really not sure.
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Jun 13, 2014 00:42
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Shitenshi posted:The Alkavana free-for-all is one hell of a scary fight and I started to feel embarrassed by how many times I repeated it. I'd like to think that having Arlin instead of Marietta, or both of them entirely, would have completely turned the tables to be easy, but I'm really not sure. It's tough to say...I found myself relying agreat deal on Marietta's healing support, but if I had Arlin instead I could have killed off the individual enemies faster and thus take less damage via the whole "best defense is a good offense" mentality. Of course, having both would be excellent; hell, with the two of them I might not even need Klein to begin with, at least to survive these fights.
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Jun 13, 2014 03:45
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Update 32: Extreme Poison Let's have another synth update and see if we can't conclude the pseudo cliffhanger from earlier. To do this, we'll need to spend some time at the bar, so let's head on over.  Atelier Norman: Health Food? Music: Fun Shopping in Kavoc Yeah, I guess. Oh yeah, Veola and Klein like each other a whole lot. Isn't that right, Klein? Hey! Why do you have to be like that, Lita? Uh oh, looks like another lover's quarrel... L-Lovers!? Please, calm down. I was only trying to thank you for being Veola's friends. She's been smiling a lot more since you guys started visiting her. It's been so long since she's had something to live for...She doesn't really have anybody she trusts or relies on. She came to Kavoc alone, having lost her entire family, and all of her friends...And I know I won't be around forever; I'm not so young anymore...But I can relax now, because she has you guys. Please be loyal friends. I'm counting on you both. Of course. I'll be as good a friend as I am now!You know, I think I have misspoken earlier about Norman and Veola's father-daughter relationship being superfluous. I've been surprised at how often Norman mentions Veola or even thanks the party for spending time with her, and she even had that sidequest where she made him a doll. It's maybe not at the forefront of their respective arcs, but it's still important to them and I think it's cool that there are some NPCs who have a bond beyond what our party sees. I still think it would be kind of cool to see Veola eating at the bar and chatting with Norman or something, but I guess that doesn't work with her hermit persona.  Anyway, I fiddled around with some old recipes to see if there was anything I missed or could improved. While I was doing that...  I guess it depends on the errand... I'd like to get an Angel Quill Pen. Is there any chance you could grab one? I think Veola makes them, but I can't really leave the bar to check. Sure, that's easy. You want an Angel Quill Pen, right? That's right, thank you.Sometimes I wonder how these sidequests trigger. It just seems like there are so many layers upon layers of things that happen between shopkeepers like this – I mean, to even have Angel Quill Pens I need to have given Veola some book or another, which requires her to ask for them in the first place, and who knows what's needed to trigger THAT, and... Sometimes I suspect this game is secretly super complicated.  This is perfect, thanks! What did you need it for? Well, one of my instruments broke and I needed this to fix it. I didn't know you were a musician. I just dabble, really. I play Sitar and Eidaltone. Sitar...? Eidaltone...? They have beautiful melodies...and it really gets the ladies going. I appreciate this. Here, I'll prepare anything you have the ingredients for. What? You can synthesize those, too? I thought they could only play music. Ha ha, it's just a hobby of mine! Don't expect too much...Each instrument has a different sound, depending on who made it.Is it just me, or does Delsus seem like he would make a great bard? He's already a loremaster who ran away from home in search of a lifestyle that trades responsibility for booze and wenches.  Anyway, the Sitar is pretty easy. The Angel Quill Pen is the only remotely rare ingredient (I made a couple extras when I got the sidequest one for Norman).  Nice to see the Sitar inherited Magic Paper's “medicinal” quality. Check this out, guys. It's a Moon Sitar. Wow, that's amazing, Norman. I didn't know you made instruments. Ha ha ha! I've always loved making things, ever since I was a kid. Oh, the things I built...They say instruments reflect the personality of the one who created them. For example, no two sitars will sound exactly the same. Hmm...There's a lot more to instruments than I thought. The Eidaltone requires a Star Prism or Prismoon, neither of which I had at the moment. Fortunately, I had enough Pendelook that I just needed to make a quick trip to the Land of Mana to buy one (I went with Star Prism).  Look at this, the ultimate instrument: The Eidaltone! Ultimate instrument? What's so great about it? It's been said that this is the one truly complete instrument. Of course, an instrument is a blessing or a curse, depending on the musician's skill. ...What's that mean? Well, it means this is also a difficult instrument to master.The Eidaltone also bestows the elusive “Complete DEF” state, though given the scarcity/cost of Star items, I suspect I'll just stick with Rosie Ann Buns for that. Assuming I ever remember to actually try it out, of course. The Sitar is a standard charm ability. Sudden tangent!  ATELIER OSCAR: THE GREATEST OF FEASTS   How'd you turn all those ingredients into such a great dish? The secret to cooking...is having guts and determination. If you have those, you could even turn paper mache into a satisfying meal! Hmm...I think I'll pass.The Chubby Bunny increases Mana – as in, a permanent boost to Max MP. I tried to give it to Lita to see if I could trick the game into increasing her bottomed out max MP by a lot, but it didn't work. If anyone has any preferences on who should get this, I'm willing to give it over to anyone, otherwise I'll probably pass it Marietta's way for extra healing. (by the way, I suspect it's percentage based; it boosted Lita's “true” max MP by seven, but only boosted Marietta's by 6. I didn't think to try it on Norn or Klein to see if they get more out of it, but it's possible they would). Back to Norman.  I bought some Palm Fish from Mofuma (plus an extra for Oscar) and made a double Palm Fish Sashimi out of it to see if it gave me a boost in quality. It...probably wasn't worth it, but at least now I know.  Then, while I was playing around with the basic drink recipe...  Here you go, try a Stardust. Ooh, it's sparkly inside. Sounds pretty good... I'm going to stick with goat milk. Here y'go. That's too bad...Goat milk is pretty good – wanna try some? I'd sooner die. There's not even alcohol in it! This would be great if I had any dessert. You really like sweets, huh? Lita doesn't just have a sweet tooth, she has a whole set of sweet teeth. I did a bit of running around collecting basic ingredients, just to get restocked while I wasn't busy with anything else. Sometimes I'd leave town just in hopes that leaving and coming back would get Norman or Veola or someone to trigger a new event. It's kind of funny how stubborn players (that is, I) can get about refusing to progress the main story until I'm just SURE that the game won't let me synth any more. It's surprisingly addictive.   Eventually I figured out that Mountain Fish have particularly high quality so I redid some of Norman's Sashimi to emphasize those. As you can see, it bumped quality up a fair amount, but I still couldn't get him to trigger the sidequest I really wanted. Meanwhile...  What's a happy bag? These bags are a thank you to all my regular customers. It's a huge promotion. Well we aren't gonna buy one just because you told us to...you'd better not be pushing cheesy merchandise. Are you kidding? My happy bags are the new rage among celebrities! Trust me. I'll let you buy one per person, okay? They're 4,800 Cole...whaddya say? Happy Bags offer a few random items. Sometimes you get cool or rare things, but it's rarely worth the steep cost. Also, I'm pretty sure Pattotte sells Lovely Lando, which means Pattet is selling Bad Goods in his Happy Bags. I'm on to you, you little schemer.  Ooh, a new scene! Still not the one I want, but I'll take it. We have to...? Why? I'm afraid I have to force you this time. It's a new vegetable entree. Wha – vegetables!? Most people today just eat meat. I want to make sure you have a balanced diet. Fruit and vegetables are a crucial part of your healthy eating. That's why I made this. I'm pretty sure the Secret Ingredient has meat in it. And also probably isn't healthy. Well, whatever.  You can't forget about vegetables, so I made this Veggie Patty. It looks pretty good. Is it really made of vegetables? Veggies are icky, meow... Oh yeah, I guess cats don't eat vegetables. Cat GIRL!!! You're so mean, Klein!I have managed to go this far in life without eating a veggie patty. I should probably try one sometime just in case they're actually tasty.  Meanwhile, as I experimented with the grilled fungo recipe (which is to say I tried to make the nastiest one I could)...  ...And we're done! It smells great, but it doesn't look so good. ...But...it smells good! I can only work with the ingredients you bring me, you know. How about something like...Charred Fungo?And once again Norman stopped giving me anything new to work with. Hey, while we're in the bar, let's see what the town crier has to say.  The festival in Duran should be starting up soon. Huh? Wow, is it that time of year already? Delsus! That's your home town. How could you forget about it? Whoa, cut me some slack. I haven't been around there for ages. Festival, meow? Sounds fun! It's no big deal...just a small party in a small town. Sounds fun to me. I don't think we really have time to spare. You have to enjoy the fun things in life, Delsus. Whatever, Lita. Why don't we let Klein decide? I think it sounds fun, actually... ...I don't know why I ask you anything.I guess we're off to Duran, then. I wonder what we're about to get dragged into?  Music: Village of Snow and Glass We were just in the area, so we figured we'd stop by. You're staying for the festival, right? I'm the oracle this year! I get to dance the prayer! Yeah, maybe...it's not really our thing.Marietta does something that doesn't really come across in the game's animation but which was probably physical violence. Ow! What's your problem, Marietta? What's MY problem!? That's your little sister! You didn't have to hit me. It's the only way you'll listen. Okay, okay...geez. … … Huh? What's wrong, Faith? …It's nothing. See you at the festival. Oh, I almost forgot. Dad really misses you, so go talk to him, okay?But I don't want to talk to Delsus' father.   Everyone begged me to bring them to the festival. Everyone? It was just Lita and Norn. Um...I believe you had final say. Yeah, pony up, meow! … … Why don't you tell us about the festival, sir? Ohh...It's nothing fancy. The festival is our way of praying to Mother Nature. We give thanks to the Mana for another safe year. Praying to Mana? See? I told you so...Nothing fancy at all. I dunno, it sounds interesting. I'd like to see it. Don't you know when to quit? Praying is very important, Delsus. You shouldn't dismiss it. Well, the festival starts tomorrow...You guys can stay here for tonight.The next morning...  It sounds like something is going on outside. We should check it out. Yeah...Those aren't festival sounds. Music: Looming Crisis What's going on, Pops?Villager: We got separated from Faith on our way back from the ceremony at Nelvia Spring. She knows the way home, but...With this snow, I'm a little worried. Delsus immediately rushes out of the village...  ...And charges on to the scene just in time to save little sis. Stay there! Oh, brother!The rest of the cast shows up right behind him. Took you guys long enough. Was I supposed to fight them myself? Don't you know when to quit?  The festival's going to start soon, right? Let's go – I want to see Faith's dance. Meeeooow! I just want to get out of the cold, meow! Yup. Delsus came to my rescue...but right now we have to get ready for the festival! You're right, we need to get started! Music: Eternal Ground Ooh, it's starting. Is that a...Mana?Note that a Mana does not appear onscreen at any point during this cutscene. I assume we're supposed to infer it's presence from the small balls of light that appear around Faith. Yes. This festival celebrates the relationship between this village and the Mana we depend on. Meooow...it's beautiful. Look, it's snowing! It always snows more than usual during the festival. … … What? What'd I do now? Nothing. ...Then what's the deal?You know, considering he's supposed to be this lecherous playboy, you'd think Delsus would be better at recognizing a woman who's ready to jump his bones. Anyway, that's a sidequest. Let's check on Norman again.  Music: Sleeping Reality What's wrong? You look a little distracted. Oh, don't worry about me. Hm, maybe I should ask you... Huh? I have a new job, actually. It pays well, but it's pretty shifty...Nobody wants to take it. But you guys are here, so maybe...Ohhh yeah, this is definitely the one I've been waiting for. I didn't know you hired for illegal jobs, too. I usually don't, but sometimes I have to, you know? So it's really that bad, huh? I need you to collect ingredients for poison...but I don't know what the client needs it for. I can't tell you who the client is, but it's a 1,000 Cole reward. Not bad for simple collection, right? I just need you to find ingredients for the poison. It doesn't sound so bad...What're you looking for? Don't worry about it. This should be easy. Are you serious? He said the job was illegal. What, are you chicken? What!? I'm no chicken! Don't worry...I have a feeling Delsus excels at this sort of thing. See? I know what I'm doing. So...you'll do it? Thanks a million, guys. Thanks, guys. Here's your reward, 1,000 Cole. One last favor...Please don't tell anyone about this job. Don't worry, we can keep a secret. It's really sad that this type of thing is more and more common these days. Don't lose sleep over it. You don't know the client is going to use it for anything bad. Klein...I know you and Veola are friends. I especially don't want you telling her, okay? I'm the closest thing she has to family, and she'd be pretty horrified if she knew I was taking this kind of job. I have to deal with a lot of shady people in this line of work. But they say beggars can't be choosers, right? Veola's a nice girl...She wouldn't understand.Heh...heh heh heh...HA HA HA HA  The game doesn't officially tell you, but after the sidequest you can synth the poisonous substance for yourself.  There are lots of things you can sub in for the Garigari Nuts, although I don't think it really matters since the Spoiled Meat will bottom out the item quality no matter what.  This is Powder... What's so special about it? It's actually very toxic. Hmm...It doesn't smell poisonous. Stay back! Even a tiny whiff could make you sick! It's a quick-acting poison...You can use it in battle.You guys know what this means, right?  Atelier Veola: For Lita Music: The Laughable Pair  First, the Love Bun. Then, the Ring of Love...  Unoriginal One posted:That Veola, making an item just for that one annoying girl that's always following Klein around. So kind, so thoughtful~   You're giving us strange white pills? Yes. If you take about 100 of these, you'll feel a lot better. What!? Is this what I think it is? By taking these, you'll forget about all of your sad heart breaking experiences. As an added bonus, you'll never wake up ever again! So...no more heartache! ...So it's poison. You could say that. I figured they might come in handy, so I made some ahead of time. Why would we ever need these? Well, I mean...Maybe you... Nevermind, forget it...Say something, Klein! Huh? What do you want me to say? Geez! Why are you so indecisive, you big jerk! Fine. I don't need the pills, but maybe we can feed them to a monster. That's the spirit. I hope you realize everything I said was a lie. You're smart enough to have figured that out. ...I don't know WHAT to believe any more. ... … … ...wow.
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Jun 15, 2014 06:48
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Ahahahahaha. Veola is looking more and more like a Yandere.
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Jun 15, 2014 07:35
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Y'know, I think I missed that little sidequest with Delsus there. Neat to see he has a bit more content though, he's sort of the forgotten PC a lot of times.
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Jun 15, 2014 09:23
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Klein is an rear end in a top hat.
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Jun 15, 2014 10:47
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Elric posted:Ahahahahaha. Veola is looking more and more like a Yandere. She is just loving with Lita because Lita falls for it every time. But then, it isn't like Lita is ever nice to Veola either. I guess it is a weird kind of friendship?
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Jun 15, 2014 10:59
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On Delsus being a lecherous pervert not being able to tell when a woman wants to jump his bones, I think it's the fact this is the first time any woman has even come close to wanting to jump them. Usually lecherous perverts like him NEVER get any, which is why he can't tell
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Jun 15, 2014 13:10
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Tired Moritz posted:Klein is an rear end in a top hat. Yeah, we shouldn't gloss over this. Klein is the one enabling all of these shenanigans and awful awful bickering. 
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Jun 15, 2014 13:49
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bathroomrage posted:Yeah, we shouldn't gloss over this. Klein is the one enabling all of these shenanigans and awful awful bickering. Well he is one of those 'Clueless to how girls feel' guys. Hell, he's like one of those guys in animes that can't tell how the girl feels until she practically tackles and kisses him. In fact... I bet he STILL wouldn't get it if that were to happen.
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Jun 15, 2014 14:59
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OminousEdge posted:Well he is one of those 'Clueless to how girls feel' guys. Hell, he's like one of those guys in animes that can't tell how the girl feels until she practically tackles and kisses him. In fact... I bet he STILL wouldn't get it if that were to happen. I more meant that he went out of his way to synthetize some super deadly poison and then turn it over to Veola 'For Lita'.
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Jun 15, 2014 15:04
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bathroomrage posted:I more meant that he went out of his way to synthetize some super deadly poison and then turn it over to Veola 'For Lita'. Hey, sometimes alchemists just have to make deadly poisons, bombs capable of destroying the world and sentient artificial life. They don't mean anything by it. While we're on the subject Iris was kind of a failure in the life creation respect, as all of the homunculi in the Meruru trilogy were horrifyingly adorable and Lita is, well... Lita.
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Jun 15, 2014 15:43
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Veola with her blonde hair and big hat as a counterpart to Lita's brunette and big hat is clearly billing herself as a secret character, the magic counterpart to Lita's physical. This opens up the DLC sequel where eventually Lita joins with Mull, the physical alchemist counterpart to the magic oriented alchemist Klein, to not only get her man back, but also, of course, to kill that homewrecking bitch. Naturally Lita is Lita so even Mull wants to get away from her, eventually culminating in her as the true one-winged angel final boss, with Arlin and Mull killing her with the power of love, and the whole ending being an interactive yaoi minigame. Shitenshi fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Jun 16, 2014 |
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Jun 16, 2014 18:00
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Tired Moritz posted:Klein is an rear end in a top hat. Serious Frolicking posted:While we're on the subject Iris was kind of a failure in the life creation respect, as all of the homunculi in the Meruru trilogy were horrifyingly adorable and Lita is, well... Lita. And thus we've stumbled upon what I have always felt is this game's greatest failing; the hero and the heroine are just so incredibly hard to like, largely because of how their standard relationship antics bring out their worst aspects. Granted, Lita has it worse because she has to get compared to Veola and everyone looks like a chump compared to Veola, but neither really draws the player in and makes us invested in their story. Fortunately, the supporting cast is strong enough to make up for it, and it's a rare world that I actually want to save because the NPCs are generally pretty cool people. I just wish they'd put that level of care into the actual protagonists.
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Jun 16, 2014 19:26
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Serious Frolicking posted:Hey, sometimes alchemists just have to make deadly poisons, bombs capable of destroying the world and sentient artificial life. They don't mean anything by it. While we're on the subject Iris was kind of a failure in the life creation respect, as all of the homunculi in the Meruru trilogy were horrifyingly adorable and Lita is, well... Lita. Iris may have been a genius, but she was no Astrid... And now I'm trying to imagine the confrontation over how Astrid would have forced Lita to dress.
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Jun 16, 2014 19:43
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Overrated Sage posted:And thus we've stumbled upon what I have always felt is this game's greatest failing; the hero and the heroine are just so incredibly hard to like, largely because of how their standard relationship antics bring out their worst aspects. Granted, Lita has it worse because she has to get compared to Veola and everyone looks like a chump compared to Veola, but neither really draws the player in and makes us invested in their story. I call this the Sleeping Beauty Syndrome; if it was up to the prince and the princess to entertain you in that movie, you would be the one sleeping for a thousand years.
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Jun 16, 2014 21:30
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Update 33: Unnecessary Precaution It's time to head to Arcose and check out this mining operation! But first...   I'm totally hooked by its smell! Delicious! I'd go back for seconds.  Music: Small Workshop Geezer: What a wonderful day! I can't believe it's been fifteen years. Guy: I thought they'd never start up the old mining machine again. Geezer: What made them decide to start mining again? Guy: Well the curse must have ended after all this time. Geezer: Looks like Arcose the mining town is back in business! Person: The festival is about to start! Guy: Woo, it's about time! Geezer: I need a good view of the machine! Curse? What'd they mean? Let's check out the festival. It'll be fun! Guy: Ready...START! The chain starts to move. It's very exciting. Boy: Wow, look at it go! Geezer: I'm glad I could see this again before I pass on...  Music: And Fate Was Changed Something lets out a...not particularly intimidating but really annoying screech... Guy: Oh no... Geezer: It's the curse of the flaming salamander! What's going on?Guy: I thought it was gone! The salamander will turn everything it sees into stone! It's quiet until we turn on the machine...then it goes freaking nuts! I guess we just have to turn off the machine for good again...What a shame. Did they just say salamander? It turns people to stone...This won't be easy.So they started the machine up knowing that there was a curse because “eh, the curse is probably over now, right?” These miners are idiots. When we try to leave...  We were just finishing up! And we have some big news!Fade out/in  Hmm...petrifying vision, huh? I was afraid I'd turn into a statue, meow! Ha ha! Don't worry, I have the medicine to clear that right up. Just pop one of these Movagains. I synthesized them myself! Movagain? Never heard of it. It's a medicine made from alchemy. Seriously, it cures stiffness right away. ...How'd you come up with that? Well, at first I was trying to create a nice massage cream, but it came out too strong...It removes stiffness from your body in no time flat. ...Hmph. So are you going to give us some or what? Oh, I don't have enough ingredients to make more right now. Hmm, I guess this is sort of like item shop synthing. I wonder what sort of strange ingredients she needs? I guess helping you would also benefit us, huh? Well, let's see...First you need to find some nice Soot. Soot...as in the black residue inside a stove? Yeah, that. It's a crucial ingredient. Come on, guys! Let's go!Oh, so we have to collect specific unique items. Well, that's okay, I don't mind the occasional scavenger hunt type scenario in games. We have a large stove at home, but the one Rurona wants is somewhere else...   Music: Cute Witch Excuse me! Coming through! Who are you? What are you doing here!? Oh yeah, this is nice...good consistency...It's perfect. On to the next ingredient! Let's see...A Bald Man's Hair. That's kind of an oxymoron...Are you sure you wrote it down correctly? Yes, of course I did. I guess we have to look for it. What in the world are you babbling about? We're making medicine for the salamander that cures shoulder stiffness...I think, meow. ...Can anybody else explain? It's better if you forget any of this ever happened. See you later! Come on, Zeldalia, you're an alchemist. You should know about this sort of incident.  By the way, you know how I use those teleporters to the fairy blacksmith's house to get around? Well, recently they've become a bit inconsistent, so every now and then I can't use them for no apparent reason. It's kinda dumb, but travel is easy enough in general in this game that I'm not too bothered.  As such, I decided to go through Iris' Resting Place and stop by the Mana Furnace. Fortunately, I sold a couple Dark Mana earlier so this wasn't a total waste. I keep putting off properly smithing, don't I? Perhaps I should have a genuine Weapon Upgrading update.  Music: The Laughable Pair There's only one person it could be... Yeah, I think he's our only shot. Hey, guys! How's it going? Um...We kind of, sort of, need one of your hairs. Are you making fun of me!? No, of course not! See, we just need a bald man's hair. ...Oh? And why is that?fade out/in (again) Ahh, I understand now. Sadly, I don't have any hair for you. Oh! There's an idea! Why don't we use this instead? Hey, what are you -Rurona tackles Hagel and we hear a “yoink” sort of a noise. You took it...from his beard? Meow! Beards are stupid... That should work out alright...Let's work on the next ingredient! The next ingredient is the feather from a red chicken. It must be red, understand?...What's wrong, guys? … … ...That woman scares me, sometimes. Our next destination is Duran, but I took a brief detour to the Flawless Marvel. Curiously, Rurona doesn't have anything to say if we venture here with her. You see, I forgot something very, very, immensely important...  The Heal Bulb. See, I've been using Heal Jars since...well, the beginning of the game. Wide Item makes them viable full-party heals, but that still eats through Klein's MP and they're running out of potency. Heal Bulbs are more powerful and have a naturally large area of effect so Klein can almost always hit the whole party with one without needing a skill. They cost 2 Light and 2 Life elements, so they're still easy enough to synth. Needless to say, these would have been useful back when I could have first gotten them. Oh well.  One more ingredient and we're home free! All that's left is a bat's wing. But I've never seen a bat around here before... Whoa, whoa! After all this time, you're telling us you can't make the medicine!? Don't worry. I'm sure we can just use something similar. What in the world is similar to a bat's wing? Hmm...I know! Let's go to the Tower of Airfen! I should be able to call it from there.Oh, well that doesn't sound sketchy at all. Come to think of it, Rurona has made this stuff before, so shouldn't she know where to find these things? Hmm.  You'll see, you'll see... I'm bored already! Shhh! Be quiet. I'm calling it. This transport machine connects to a number of different places. I'll just make a little adjustment here, and... All you did was kick it! ...That should do it! Is everybody ready? Ready for what? Something's coming! Look out, guys! Music: Ferocious Drive And now we get to fight Baal. Despite being a warm-up miniboss, he's still legitimately dangerous.  One of his specials is Thunder Boom Blade, one of those awkward delayed attacks. It can nail multiple characters for 100+ damage.  That's theoretically damage output that Klein can keep up with, but...   ...sometimes he uses the delay to his advantage and essentially uses Thunder Boom Blade to sacrifice one turn to double attack you the next. Howling is also a brutal attack (decent damage AND MP damage). Klein did not survive the combo. Baal also likes to counter about half of our attacks, so damage can really start to stack up. One of his counters even drains HP.  I brought out Norn to see if she could give my remaining characters some extra durability, and it seems to have worked out fairly well.  He's not to hard to damage, at least, although Marietta's attacks seemed to work best, which is kind of a shame since she was on healing duty most of the time.  By the way, some of the joke types of items like the bad Rosie Ann Buns can be surprisingly effective (this did about 160 damage, not bad for an easy to synth item). Sadly, the fatal Rosie Ann Bun can only be used on self. I thought about forcefeeding him some Farewell, Love, but the description said that it's a “Curse atk” which I assumed at the time meant it wouldn't do actual damage but in retrospect I was probably wrong.  How was that similar to a bat? We're never messing with the transport machine again. Promise me. I'll go make the medicine. Just give me a few seconds...Here you go! The Movagain! Now turning to stone won't be a problem at all. That was a lot of fun, you guys! See you around! Can we all agree she's a total whackjob? I'm serious. At least now turning to stone won't pose a threat, right? Let's go find us a fire salamander! It's interesting to see how alchemists can come up with new items. All we've really done with Klein so far is replicate ones he found lying around. These are super easy to synth, too, so I maxed out on them.  I also triggered this unrelated scene with Rurona on my way to the teleporter in Veola's shop. Normal...you know. Guess what! I know the final materials we need for the Dragon Gem! Really? We need a Dragon Horn...but I'm not sure where we could find one.Man, that's like...four or five things I need dragon horns for, and I still haven't even found ONE. I hope I can find a good spot to dig some up soon. We can't really help you, there. We'd have to defeat a dragon, right? I guess so...If you happen to do that, can you bring me the Dragon Horn? It's the last thing I need. There should be dragons around here, somewhere...That seems like a pretty significant favor to ask of someone, but I suppose I'll keep it in the back of my head for now.  Music: Inferno Music: Ferocious Drive (again) Now that we have a cure for petrification, we have to head on to the Valiant Path. ???: Guugh! Guugh! Ahhhh! Did you hear that? Oh hey, that tower of stones that was impeding my path before is gone. We can go just a bit further...  Don't underestimate it! It could turn you to stone. Lita would make a pretty statue. Don't even joke about that! I won't let it anywhere near me. The Salamander and its Basilisk buddies are rather fond of nailing the party with poison attacks. There are eight total Basilisks, so we want to off them quickly before they get to rack up too much damage.    I don't recall if I mentioned this, but Marietta has two skills that are standard attacks with extra reach (sideways for one, longways for the other). Sadly, one of the Basilisks was able to use it's “Petrify” skill, which increased all enemies' defenses, but I still offed them all before they got to do anything else significant.  Then Klein died, because Klein apparently can't survive two rounds of combat anymore.    But once again, the fight was manageable enough without him. The Basilisk's attacks aren't that bad when it attacks non-Klein, non-Norn characters, and it doesn't have much in the way of defense, either. Having said that, I went through this entire fight without getting petrified once. I'm pretty sure I never got petrified in either of my previous playthroughs, too. The Basilisks have an ability called Stone Breath, but they have to charge it and I killed them before any could use it, so maybe that's the thing that inflicts Stone? But Basilisk itself never did that, either. I kind of feel like we just went on a completely pointless fetch quest, but it was with Rurona so I guess that's okay.  It looks more like a rock than an egg. We should inform the townspeople that the monster's gone. Maybe they'll have another festival. Hey, we got the Reptile Egg, so does that mean...? Yes. I can create a Ruby Prism. I need to visit the Mana Chiefs. But before that, we should return to the mining site and tell everyone we defeated the monster!Sounds like a plan. Maybe they'll have a nice reward for us.  By the way, there's yet more of this area that we can't explore. How could we possibly get there, though?   Oh...We were talking about the fire salamander incident. Was there something else...? We already defeated the salamander. What? Already? Well that's certainly good news. Thank you so much! You're amazing, Mr. Klein! You're my hero...Please accept these. Oh hey, those things are pretty ra- We should get going. We're in a hurry, right? Huh? You're the one who wanted to stop by...Why are you rushing me? I forgot! Tch...how selfish.Whoa, look at Klein, throwing sass around like it's nothing all of the sudden. I don't know if that's good or bad, really. That's it for our main update, but while we're in Arcose, I think it's time for...  Atelier Blaire: She's Prone to Violence Music: Fun Shopping in Arcose Even with all the quality experimentation I've done, Blaire continues to give me new scenes and sidequests at a glacial pace. I got a little content this time, though! What is it? I want to bake some of the bread I used to make back home...But I don't have all the ingredients. If I write them down for you, would you mind getting them? Sure...Sounds easy enough. Really? Thank you so much. Actually most of these ingredients are things we can only get from Blaire in the first place, she just needs some sort of candy. I'm well stocked on that thanks to Norn, so...  Yum...Cream Bun ala Fran...It's been a long time! You haven't eaten one in a while, huh? No...it reminds me too much of the old days. My nanny used to give me one every day at snack time. We'd have a different tea every day...from all around the world. Talk about high society... Why are you working in a bakery? I told you, for me this isn't work! I'm training here to become a famous baker! Sometimes it's hard being in such a small place...but then I eat a Bun ala Fran and I feel 32.7% better. That's a decent percentage...Hmm...but didn't we just bring her the ingredients to make the first one she's had in ages? I'm starting to suspect that Blaire is very good at lying to herself. Later...  Music: Popcorn Strategy  Still haven't learned your lesson? Okay...let's go. ...Not this again. Good, you haven't lost your edge. Stop! In the name of...Klein! Ah, Klein! Maybe you can help us settle this...Villa had a sale on bread this morning and didn't even tell me. I had a sale on bread...I sold a lot. What's wrong with that? I felt like this line deserved a screenshot. You could always eat it, right? You could use a little meat on your bones. Besides, my bargain bread was day-old. Your bread must suck if you lost sales. Learn to bake decent bread before you accuse me of hurting sales. Later.Villa leaves, and Blaire turns her back to the entrance. Uh...Blaire? Grrrrrrr!!! She doesn't realize the can of hurt she's openeD! ...What was that? Huh? Meow, good memory! Wait, you knew we were here. You even talked to us. Remember? Maybe you should switch to decaf. *cough * Anyway...It's not like I want to fight with her. But she's always treated me like that, ever since I moved here 5 years ago. Five years!? You must be really good friends. Yeah, meow. Five years is a long time. Friends? Are you kidding!? We're like oil and water! Peanut butter and chocolate! Buffalo wings and juice!But...peanut butter and chocolate is delicious? She's always badmouthing my products. Sometimes she buys all the flour form the store! We're totally different! We have different tastes in food, fashion, and definitely men! And don't tell her I said this...but she's prone to violence. What does that have to do with anything? Nevermind! I'm done talking about this. I wonder if all of our synthing shopkeeper friends end up committing or indirectly aiding murder. I wonder what it would be like to play as an alchemist spy/assassin? I guess it wouldn't really work out, since spies are more about poison and alchemists CAN poison but, at heart, are really just about making five thousand different varieties of bomb.
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Jun 18, 2014 03:06
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Oh, keen! We can make a Ruby Prism and, uh, maybe do something to Lita's stat line with it?
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Jun 18, 2014 03:37
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