Let's Play Atelier Rorona! Update 10, Part 2
Continued from Part 1...
Then I got to doing Esty's request. Since it takes two [Plant] items to make a Bunny Tail, and there's so many different items in that category, finding something that will do the job isn't likely to be too difficult.
The Lucky Drops effect is something that sounds like it ought to be pretty useful ("Higher chance of getting drop items."), but in practice it doesn't seem to be that good. Or at least, we'll be making something much better later in the update.
Moving on. All is not well at the Atelier Rorona... for some people.
Master, you keep sighing.
Oh? Really?
That was your 29th sigh this morning.
Really!? Wait, why are you counting all of my sighs anyway?
It was an order from Grand Master.
Master! Don't make Homhom do something like that!
Hom, you told her too soon. I think she would've had a hundred sighs by the end of the day.
So our pain is entertainment for you.
I'm not in the mood for your jokes today!
Does that mean you're in the mood for my jokes on other days?
(She does have her moments...)
I don't know what happened, but you can always jump into my arms when you're feeling lonely.
I said, I'm not in the mood...
Ugh, please leave me alone!
*sigh*
Rorona leaves.
Master, that was the 30th.
Now it's starting to look serious. Although, it is pretty entertaining to watch...
She admits it!
And now it's off to the usual antics with turning in Esty's request.
The mood whiplash isn't quite as severe while playing the game, since usually scenes like this are broken up by crafting or going out and fighting stuff, but still... sometimes it's a bit jarring.
Th-thanks. Uh, Rorona...
Umm... I'll just put it over here.
I should go...
What's the matter with you?
Are you trying to avoid me?
What? Oh, no, I wasn't...um...
Listen, Rorona. I don't know what
Ms. Zexis told you, but I can promise
you that they were all lies!
What? All lies...? Ohhh!
Of course! Now that I think about it, you would never... Ahahaha!
Just out of curiosity, what did she tell you?
I...
I can't even say it...
This is really turning into Noodle Implements, isn't it?
Hmph, fine. So it's something so bad that you can't even say it out loud? *sigh* Whatever.
Eh, it sounds like it might be kind of fun to me.
I'll switch up the Ticket items again, so make sure you check them out.
Received 3,000 cole.
Okay...
Um, Esty...I'm sorry!
Don't worry. You didn't do anything wrong. I'll let you know when I need something else.
Okay...
See you later, then.
Mmhm, see ya.
Rorona leaves.
Anyway... Right there! What are you doing, hiding back there?
So I'm doing this because you asked me to, right?
Yeah, so? Why are you asking that now?
Then why!? Why do I have to sacrifice my reputation to cover for you!?
Is that really what happened? It's not like it's really been spread around.
Though it was a risk that Astrid was taking for no other reason than to mess around.
Oh...I'm sorry. I know I went a little too far.
...
...
Astrid *apologized*?
Geez...I'm doing this to help you raise Rorona to be a good alchemist.
Want me to tell her everything?
I said I'm sorry. I'll make sure to remind Rorona not to believe anything I say.
Oh god, not that. I think Rorona's smarter than a lot of the cast give her credit for, but I'm not sure she's ready for "This statement is false."
...And I've been wondering, why are you trying to keep this all a secret?
If you care about her, then why don't you just do it yourself?
I can't suddenly start acting like her master after all this time.
Are you sure you don't mean "don't want to"? Because seriously, it would have been a good surprise.
Oh, that's a normal answer.
...So are you alright with all this?
She's starting to become a pretty good alchemist, even against your will.
What do you mean, "Against my will?"
I thought you liked clumsy girls who aren't good at anything.
That's not true.
Being clumsy is only half of it.
I want Rorona to become a clumsy, yet outstanding alchemist.
That doesn't even make any sense.
Now that's just being greedy...
Anyway, I'm tired of standing around.
Do you wanna go somewhere else?
You can drink, right?
I can, but...are we going alone?
This is gonna be a sad night...
It's not so bad, drinking alone with another lady. And that's speaking from experience.
You can treat me this time, out of appreciation for everything that I've done for you.
How can I say no now? Hopefully it won't be too expensive.
Okay, that was random at the end. You're not trying to get me to believe that Astrid is *straight* at this late date, are you game?
And then it immediately jumps to another conversation between Esty and Rorona, which is just weird when she's supposed to have left, where "she" refers to both of them in this case.
Well, it'd be totally in character for my Rorona to have left and then came back during the same day, and Esty's probably not leaving until later in the evening anyway. Sure, let's go with that.
Oh... Yeah...
Uhh, you look really upset. I'm sorry. It was my fault, wasn't it?
No, it wasn't... Cory got mad because I went too far...
What part was going too far? o.O
I see...
...
...
(Ugh, this is so awkward... I thought I was doing the right thing, but it looks like I made a mistake...)
Anyway, c'mon, cheer up! I'll do whatever it takes to get you guys to make up as soon as possible.
Okay... Thank you.
Rorona leaves.
Hmmm.
I feel so guilty...
What should I do?
I don't wanna say anything to make this more complicated...
Spoiler: Esty doesn't do anything to help them make up.
On the other hand, I don't feel like she really owes us anything either. She didn't really cause the problem, just brought it out into the open. (Or set off the chain of events that did that, anyway.) If anything, things probably would have gotten worse if she hadn't spoken up when she did.
Plus I feel kind of bad for Esty for all the people who keep jerking her around like this.
Moving on. Here's the new lineup for trade items.
It's pretty much the same as usual - materials that aren't really what we'd want and equipment that's not as good as what we've got. This accessory is a bit eye-catching though. It's one of the one's Hagel had the recipe for... but this one doesn't have the effect that makes it really interesting. (I'll talk about that when I make some of my own.)
This weapon might be good if you were using a lot of [Magic Tool] items, since the Magic Knowledge effect is supposed to make them stronger. But I'm pretty sure I could make my own if I wanted.
Is there ever going to be something good for me to spend these tickets on again?
This is I think the first time I called Hom back early. I had her gathering at Lost City for some reason, but now I want her to go back to the Dark Woods to get more Night Lady. I probably should have just kept gathering from there in the first place.
I don't want to go out without Cory...
So I spent some time making random items I hadn't made before. Dark Water can inflict a whole bunch of different status effects at once. It seems a bit questionable to have an item that inflicts both poison *and* sleep though...
It strikes me as kind of funny that the recipe doesn't have anyplace you can use Dark Dew. You'd think it'd be perfect.
Esty's got another boss request I haven't seen.
Honestly, they're not worth doing for experience or money, I'm just doing it for the sake of having done it.
Remember these? I made one for a request. Had to make a piece of cloth special to get the bonus trait, but with Happy Basket to grab materials from it wasn't too hard. ... Though why I bother when I don't seem to have anything I want to spend tickets *on* is a mystery.
The one time I tried using a Meteor in combat, the damage was incredibly pathetic. I've heard they can actually be good though, I just didn't have the right effects.
One Powder is described as "A sprinkle of this ultimate spice will bring out the flavor of any ingredient."
Between that and the ingredients used to make it, I've come to the conclusion that it's MSG.
Be careful now.
And come back before dinner, okay?
...
Rorona leaves... though she's still visible in the background for a while yet. o.O
No response... I was expecting her to say, "I'm the one who always makes dinner!"
She doesn't seem to have the energy to talk back to you anymore. That does not mean that your jokes are not funny.
Mind you, your jokes are not funny, it's just that's not the cause of Rorona's reaction.
That's an accurate assessment, but it's not very flattering... Anyway...
You can come in now.
*gasp*
Since last night, when you were stuck on the window trying to take a peek at Rorona's face while she was asleep.
o.O;;;;;
I would never do that! I'm not you! I've only been here for two or three hours!
I'm... not sure that's really better, Cory.
...Well, it might just be that she's waiting for Rorona to leave so she can talk to Astrid in private, and not being a creepy stalker.
Oh, so you have been here for a while.
Ugh...!
You've become rather patient...
What happened to you, Cory?
It was a trap! ... Shouldn't you already know the story here Astrid?
Leave me alone!
And don't call me Cory!
...I came here to ask you for a favor.
You're here for me and not Rorona? What kind of favor are you talking about?
...Will you fix this for me?
You can do it, right?
...The stone that Rorona made?
It's split in half. It's like a symbol of the friendship between two girls that I know.
That's a bit...
Why, you...! Some things just shouldn't be said!
Sorry, I shouldn't have joked about that. At least you're energized enough to get mad. That's better than someone.
Astrid apologized *again*?
...Really?
Rorona...
To be honest, I can't fix this.
...Huh? Why not!?
I'll pay you!
That's not the problem here. There's no way to completely put these pieces back together.
Even with my best effort, the cracks will be blatantly obvious.
Some people might actually consider that a good symbolism...
Then how can you call yourself a genius!?
You can't do a single thing you're asked for! What should I...?
Hey now, don't cry. You know Cory, you're starting to look very cute to me.
Astrid, now's really not the time for your flirting.
I'm not crying! And I told you not to call me Cory! *sob*
...I knew I shouldn't have come to you for this.
Hey, wait. I can't fix that for you, but I do have an idea...
...Well, what is it?
I'll at least hear you out.
There you go. That's my Lady Cordelia. Well, it's kind of embarrassing for me to propose this idea, but...
Being helpful again? Who are you, and what have you done with the real Astrid?!
Making a Meteor gets us a big star hanging on the wall. It's really a little too flashy for my tastes.
Speaking of things that appear in the workshop after making them, I really hope that's a plush dessert rather than a real one, because a real one would be pretty nasty by now.
Filling in some more blanks in our recipe book. Globes are yet another elemental attack item. Don't ask me how or why this should work though.
Angel Charms are so cute! And look at the quality description!
"For Angels"! <3
...As far as practical uses go, though, they're not great. Blessed Action gives a regen effect similar to Auto Alarm. It'd be enough that you wouldn't have to worry much about healing against common enemies, but it wouldn't be enough against strong ones.
But it's so cute! I'd definitely buy one of these.
Have I mentioned how ridiculous the amount of money you'll get for one Dunkelheit is? It's incredible!
Going by Hagel's to register something, we see someone who hasn't been around for a while...
What do you mean, 'oh'?
Oh...
And Cory runs away. Way to make this more awkward and drawn out!
Wait, Cory!
...She's gone.
What's going on here? Did you girls have a fight or something?
Cory... Ughh... *sob*
Whoa! Okay, why the hell are you crying!?
Ugh...I'm sorry...but...
Wh-what should I do...?
Oh, I know!
Hey, kiddo! Look over here!
o.O
Huh?
O.O
Look at this shiny head! Doesn't it just cheer you up?
Whaddaya say, kiddo!?
I'm not making new icons just for this scene, but Hagel's hat stays off for the rest of it.
While I can accept it as a sign of his dedication, I just don't see what's so funny about it either.
...
...
I'm sorry...
I have to go... *sob*
...I did the best I can.
Dammit!
Rorona doesn't seem too impressed either. (Also, grammar pedant says "could"?)
And in retrospect, you probably helped enough. And not in the sarcastic way, but in terms of actually helping.
Moving on. Time for another episode of "silly request theater".
Pamela wants a couple Nectar with quality of 50 or more.
Couldn't she just take a few of the ones she's selling, and set them out until they refilled to where she likes them? I'm pretty sure no one would care.
Looks kind of like noodles to me... but then, if the images on wikipedia are to be believed, that's what real Mont Blanc looks like too.
In the biblical sense?
Gibate Ankhs can protect against any of the four elements, though I don't know if you can get more than two at a time.
I'm not sure how helpful that is, since the stuff that's really threatened us has looked physical. Do they internally have an element anyway? Don't know, don't care enough to try, I prefer things that will work on any enemy.
Later, there's a knock at the door...
Hello?
Uh...come on in!
It's open.
Cory...?
Um, why...?
You don't have to act so surprised.
Yeah, right...
...
...
(What should I...?
I should say something, but...)
I-I'm...-rry.
You're Larry?
Huh? What did you say?
...!
Why didn't you listen to me the first time!?
I tried, but I couldn't hear you...
I said, um... So...rry...
You're proposing?
What? Can you please speak up...?
...!
How many times are you gonna make me repeat myself!?
But...!
I really couldn't hear you.
I said, I'm sorry!
I'm sorry!!
Did you hear that!?
Oh.
Oh, yeah. Sorry...
Don't apologize!
Oh, okay!
It was all my fault this time.
Alright!?
But that's not...
Alright!?
...Okay.
Being apologized to by a tsundere is hard work.
Good. Anyway, I tried to fix the stone you gave me, but I couldn't...
Don't worry about it.
It's not like you did that on purpose.
But I care about it!
So, it's not like an apology or anything, but...
Huh...?
The pieces were perfect for a necklace, and since there are now two of them, this one is for you...
...You made this?
Mmhm. I could do pretty much anything I wanted to with them...
...I mean, it was my first time, so it took a while. That's why I didn't stop by any sooner...
It might have been better not to wait until you were done.
(Also, what a line to take out of context...)
...
Say something... Or do you not wanna match with me?
Don't be ridiculous!
I'm so happy... Ugh... *sob*
Why are you crying!?
Because...I thought you didn't like me anymore...
But, you made this for me, and...
Wahhh...
Enough already! You're starting to embarrass me.
*hic* I'm sorry...
Stop apologizing.
What am I gonna do with you...?
There's a very definite note of affection in Cory's voice in that last line.
Meanwhile, in the peanut gallery...
Looks like they made up.
My plan worked.
Grand Master, why are we outside?
We're retreating from that heart-warming scene. It's so emotionally charged that it might melt our brains...
I did not know that such dangers exist. I will make note of that.
Dammit Astrid!
And now I have something to pick on Cory with. But I'll leave them alone for now.
Let's go, Hom.
Yes, Grand Master.
Received Friends Necklace.
The Friends Necklace is an accessory that appears in your inventory.
...You can't actually equip it to either Cory or Rorona though, which is kind of weird. It's still going to stay in our inventory from now on.
Also, look at that quality descriptor. <3
Cory also gets a new auto skill after this event, Friend Power, which is described as "Increase Assist Function". Well, that's kind of vague. The actual effect seems to be that it increases the damage done by Cory's assist attacks, and decreases the damage she takes when blocking attacks against Rorona.
I'm not really sure how big of a difference it is on attacks, but the defense difference is big - where I've been able to test, Cory is taking about a tenth of the damage that Lionela does, if not less.
Now that the band's back together, on to Part 3!