Quesada's Swan

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I have Velvet talk to a few villagers now on their way home...

I have Velvet speak to Niko, who's still fascinated about Velvet's quiches. She considers selling them to people in Taliesin and they could be rich off of the quiches...she even brings up the idea of wearing matching uniforms.

Velvet's a modest one...she wants a peaceful life.

Velvet: "Orthie and Russ [Niko's two dogs] seem pretty down today." I'm betting that's not a good sign...

Niko mentions Rollo, a kitty. Hmmm...

Velvet calls Orthie and Russ hopeless at guarding things, but Niko calls them very cute.

I dread that there's going to be something horrible happening soon. A blood red moon is coming in this game, which sort of confirms my dread...

Aside: Speaking of blood moons, there's going to be an actual blood moon a week from now on the 31st.

After picking up more stray items and saving, I head back to the cabin to see Laphi.

Velvet looks at the two graves: one of which is her sister Celica, and Celica's baby.

Wait, Celica had a child!?

But, Velvet forgot to bring her annual princessia flowers to Celica's grave...

She apologizes and promises to bring some from the cape in the morning.

Maybe I should've gotten to the ruins to get those while we were hunting Prickleboars...

---

Inside the cabin, Laphi's at the table, drawing something.

It's a compass. Laphi's excited about this "invention" that can make it easy to "voyage across the ocean."

Velvet escorts him off to bed.

Velvet does a passable impression of her master: "Gosh, Velvet, I think it's time you learned all my secret artes."

Laphicet knows that he's not coming home because Seres told him. Who is Seres?

A malak? I remember reading in the synopsis about malakhim...are they like those spirits in Zestiria?

Laphicet has "exorcist potential," according to Arthur.

Laphi wants to be an exorcist. He wishes he could be one. Velvet says he has "20 years, tops" before he can reach Arthur's level. Oh, Velvet...

She starts her meatball stew for Laphicet.

Out of curiosity, I have Velvet read Laphi's journal. Note to self: don't ever do this in real life!

Laphi mentions Velvet's future again in his journal. Let her do what she wants, I say.

Laphicet knew that she would be looking through his journal, that's why he wrote that.

Now where is that stove?

I light the fire. Laphicet asks for no spinach in his stew. Velvet, as a bonus, decides to also put in Laphi's favorite curry spices...

I like their interactions, these two.

---

We get the spices in the attic. Velvet mentions to Laphi that Niko's coming over in a few days.

Jeez, Velvet peering over Laphi's love life (even though Laphicet did peer over Velvet's love life in his journal), and saying an adultist thing in one breath...

Velvet's not ready to have a boyfriend, or "a strange man," as she says.

Laphicet starts coughing...

Velvet, worried, jumps down and checks up on him. Laphicet just choked while trying to laugh.

Laphicet's concerned about Velvet now.

Velvet: "For you, I'd kill every last Prickleboar in the forest if it came down to it."

Velvet starts getting dinner ready.

More talk between the two during dinner.

Now for bedtime...and Laphicet took his medicine.

Tomorrow, not tonight, is when Scarlet Night happens.

The fire dies down...

---

The next morning now...Velvet has a lot on her mind. She's planning to make a quiche.

But she senses something wrong.

Laphicet's gone. Where did he go?

We search for him in the village.

Velvet asks where Laphicet's gone to. The shopkeeper hasn't seen him. But, a book's on the ground.

It's a copy of one of Arthur's tomes...copied by hand. Laphicet didn't buy the compass at the shopkeeper, he looked at it, though. The merchant's not telling Velvet what they traded in.

Laphicet's headed for those ruins in the cape, I bet.

Velvet's thinking he's picking up princessias to put on Celica's grave.

We talk to an elderly person, who mentions that Laphicet gave him info on navigation and farming...hmmmm...

The man tells Velvet that this is the first Scarlet Night since the Opening seven years ago.

I go to the gate behind him, and we get our first glimpse of Morgana Woods.

I save and I see a local villager motivating an animal named Tongue Stew to make more milk for the village...

There were supposed to be rabbits and birds around Morgana Woods, but they've vanished, according to a few villagers patrolling the area...

There was also an investigation into that, but the group did not make it...oh god...

We turn back to the village. Some villagers don't believe in exorcists...

A young guy (with a nice hairstyle, imo) is excited for Scarlet Night, mentioning that the lunar eclipse is a "gate connecting the [in-game] world to another" as "proof of humanity's sins." Laphi told him about that info.

Niko's dogs are too terrified to search for Laphi...

The shopkeeper has new wares in stock!

But, I don't have enough money to buy them...

More items to pick up, and more rappigs to talk to.

There's a villager with two cats named Othello and Othellina.

---

We go into the Tranquil Woods now.

There's Laphicet!

Velvet's now giving Laphi a talking-to for up and leaving the house...

Laphi apologizes.

Velvet calls herself a "crummy" sister and knows she can't give Laphi the things he wanted...

But that's not why he left.

So Laphicet decided to go out and pick up the princessias on his own, and to see the ocean too.

They share another memory back when they were trying to pick up princessias. Laphi remembers that Velvet had a "scary look on her face."

Laphi found a lone princessia down the hill there.

Velvet asks Laphi what the meaning of princessias are. This is reminding a bit of this manga I read called Spiral, naq gur zrnavat bs gur vevf va gurer...

The princessia signifies "good health" and an "irreplacable treasure."

Velvet mentions "appleboos," or grated apples on the way. This is pretty heartwarming...Velvet would say "boo boo" if she wanted an apple, hence "appleboos." Laphi also did that too...

Laphicet: "Boo..."

Next time, if I make an apple pie, I'm grating the apple, and calling it an "appleboo pie."

No money from Prickleboars, though...

I make it to the save point before the cape's incline, and stop here.