The Star Festival and Griffin

Spending the Festival with Griffin and Muffy means an evening of drinking. No food whatsoever is offered but drinks are displayed in generous number. In fact, watching Muffy and Griffin together, it is obvious that they are made for one another. I did not feel guilty at all at the prospect of spending the Festival with Skye instead...

It is only Carter actually who appears to dread the prospect of spending the evening alone with your rival if you refuse his invitation!

The Star Festival with Carter

As in the original Harvest Moon DS, when you spend the Starry Night Festival with an eligible girl or bachelor from the Valley, you basically spend it with that individual's 'family'. It is not so much a romantic event as it is a family event but you will not be extended an invitation unless girl or bachelor is at Green heart level or higher.

If you are interested in Carter in Cute, therefore, you will be invited to the tent to spend the Festival with Carter and Flora in the same way as you would have spent it in the original HM DS.

Carter will welcome you jovially and suggest a discussion of ancient civilisations. Flora will demur, declaring that you will NOT be interested in the subject. If not interested in the man's life work, why on earth would you marry him???

Although I personally am VERY interested in ancient civilisations, I am not particularly eager to marry Carter and thus will leave that possible dilemma to other girls... Meanwhile, I did spend a pleasant evening in the tent before I reloaded to experience the event with some one else.

Flora actually made wonderful cakes for the occasion. Well, she SAID she made them, but they seemed far too professional compared to her ordinary cooking attempts... I think she had help from Ruby, but no one ever will admit that. Cake was served with Large Milk.

Carter's Marriage Proposal Event

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Finally, my Marriage Proposal to Carter... This, of all the Proposals to Valley bachelors probably was the most dramatic in terms of Flora's responses. There were a few sticky moments when I thought she would resort to her 'Lovely Maiden' technique to dispose of me, her successful rival. Little does she know, but I am going to let her have him ultimately. I am choosing the one Valley bachelor for whom I have no rival (or perhaps for whom EVERY woman is a potential rival), Skye.

I usually do this in Harvest Moon games in order to be able to marry off all the other couples. If I take the possible spouse of one of my Rivals, she will be left eternally out in the cold. For example, despite Muffy's hope that she could find some one else someday, if she is not given a chance to marry Griffin, she will be doomed to spinsterhood. If Skye were some one like the Gourmet, I don't know if I would be as generous, but in the circumstances, he is a rather wonderful male creature with the ability to excite and delight...

To return to Flora, however, note how unpleasant she can be when she remarks that she 'didn't know you had a thing for older men, Freya'. To imply that my proposal to Carter is based upon some bizarre GENERAL obsession with old men is truly nasty. It is odd as well, given the fact that SHE is interested in Carter. Does that mean that she has a 'thing' for older men?

When told that she no longer will be obliged to cook for Carter, she whines that she will be reduced to the depressing situation of eating alone. I mean, really! What does she expect, that Carter will forego wife and home to eat her despicable Curries???

Take a look at Carter here... he really does look quite old after she succeeds in laying a guilt trip on him...

Well, I try to be a good friend to every one in Harvest Moon, so I shall break off the engagement, allow Flora to heal his broken heart and finally marry him herself. Perhaps I will obtain a promise from her first not to force the poor man to eat the dish he hates above all others if I surrender him to her.

Flora and the 'Lovely Maiden' Fighting Style

Anyone who is familiar with the interactions between Carter and Flora will realise quickly that she is rather a daunting individual, strong-willed and quite determined to have things her own way. She is very unlike an 'assistant' in many respects, behaving more like the one in charge in any given situation.

In fact, she evidently is an accomplished martial artist and in Cute, she will offer to teach your character some of her moves if you are at a high enough friendship level with her.

Your first glimpse of Flora's expertise, however, is in the 'stalking event' with Daryl at the Goddess Spring. In this event, Flora senses some one watching her. She lays a trap for Daryl who rather inexplicably (considering he has a beautiful mermaid in his bathtub) is besotted with her.

Waxing lyrical, he calls her 'My Angel', but she is unimpressed and lays a trap for him, then proceeds to beat him mercilessly, using her martial arts techniques.

It is only in the event where she acts as your Sensei, however, that you become aware of the full measure of her abilities. If you accept her offer to teach you her art, she will work with you quite exhaustively, not allowing you to stop your training until you fully have mastered the technique of the 'Lovely Maiden'.

Incidentally, an 11 year old Harvest Moon fan named Natalie wrote a diverting tale about Flora's encounter with Daryl in the 'boy' version of Harvest Moon DS. That story will be found on my webpage devoted to Harvest Moon fan fiction: 'We Love Harvest Moon'.

The First Hot Spring in HM DS and HM Cute DS

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In earlier Harvest Moon games, your village often had a Hot Spring when you first arrived at your farm. It was thus even in Mineral Town, but in Forget-Me-Not Valley in HM DS, you must discover the Hot Spring. Your first opportunity to do this is by experiencing Flora's 3rd Heart Event, otherwise known as her Blue Heart Event. Sometimes players fail to understand that experiencing Heart Events does not force you to marry the girl or bachelor involved in the event. It is best to experience as many events as possible, whatever you ultimately decide to do with your life.

In 'Cute', the discovery of the first Hot Spring remains tied to Flora's old Blue Heart Event. In fact, it is virtually identical to her Blue Heart Event in the 'boy' version of the game. The only difference is that you cannot raise her AP in 'Cute' but you must raise her FP to 255 in order to experience the event.

It is rather a curious event actually as it involves the discovery of an extraordinary lithograph. This purportedly is the entire reason Carter and Flora are working in the Valley but when Flora brings the lithograph to him, he tells her he cannot join her to search for the 'treasure' because he has 'other plans'. What plans possibly could be more important than his life's work???

It does give you the chance to take his place in the treasure hunt, joining Flora to dig for the hidden 'treasure'. That treasure is the Hot Spring. Unlike some events that transpire at night, this one takes no real time and you will find yourself outside your house at the end of it at the same time you entered the screen to trigger the scene.

Incidentally, what is odd about this is that I was able to experience it on a Tuesday night, ostensibly Flora's day off. It is rather annoying that I was able to trigger this event on a Tuesday, against all logic, but that the game continued to operate like clockwork on Sunday night when I tried to experience Part II of Skye's Event, denying me any opportunity to do so after allowing me cruelly to trigger Part I. (And Skye is disappointed with me!!! He reverted to purple heart level when I failed to appear.)

Sunday, Bloody Sunday... all Carter's FAULT!!!

Well, as every one knows, there is such a thing as being too clever. Miss Clever Clogs here always saves in both slots when she is in the mines, as if by some chance there is neither stairs nor hole on a specific floor, she then can reload in the other slot on the previous floor and descend to a new configuration. Otherwise, if not in the mines, I try to keep my other slot on the previous day to prevent irrevocable errors...

I was in the mines, so I saved in both slots after experiencing Part I of Skye's Blue Heart Event on a rainy Sunday. I thought I was terribly clever to have triggered the event on Sunday as I needed to experience Marlin's Blue Heart Event the next day and one can't experience a Skye Event and Marlin's 3rd Heart Event on the same night... I had been putting Marlin off for ages because of this and intervening Festivals. He was almost at green heart level in fact, but I still needed to experience the Event.

So... I returned in the rain at 10.00 p.m. to the Tent, only to remember that Carter visits the Blue Bar on Sundays. I waited patiently for him to return, little realising the horrible destiny I had set in motion for myself.

Bloody Carter!!! He staggered back onto the screen at 11.50 p.m. and did not even enter the tent until midnight! When I went to the door, it was locked, of course. All doors are locked at midnight.

I reloaded and tried again, attempting to slip into the tent WITH him. No luck. I could keep HIM outside the tent if I barred his path, but I couldn't trigger the event without him.

No matter how many times I tried, I was unable to trigger the event. If I entered BEFORE Carter, I would be inside the tent alone with Flora, which will not set Part II of the Event in motion...

So, it appears as though I will not be able to marry Skye in this game as I probably will not be able to trigger the 4th Heart Event, having missed the main portion of the Blue Heart Event.

I seldom contact Natsume for help with my own game, as I prefer to solve all puzzles myself, but this time I was on the telephone instantly to my contact there. He told me that I needed to experience both parts of the Heart Event and that, yes, not being able to do so would ruin my chances of marrying Skye.

He then told me that, as I would not be able to keep this game in any case, it may 'be for the best' if my heart is fixed upon Skye as I would find it more difficult to send back the cartridge if I were living in wedded bliss with the thief who stole my heart. Perhaps...

Nonetheless, stubborn and determined, I immediately began a NEW game in Slot 2 so that I could consummate my romance with Skye in one game at least...

As you can imagine, this has slowed down my progress enormously. I have had to go through the long, arduous process of setting up a new farm and making enough money by the second day of gameplay to order a Bird Barn and so on...

After I slept fitfully last night (in real life), I awakened with a better prospective. I am glad at least that I did not overwrite the old game, but left it in Slot 1. There is hope of Life after Skye.

This morning, returning to Slot 1, my Kitchen and Can Maker were delivered, making it possible for me to COOK. I will soldier on, forgetting about Skye for the moment.

After all, 5 other Valley bachelors, 5 Mineral Town bachelors and the four Magical Girls still are available...

As for the new game in Slot 2, I will continue to play it when time permits, but will not ignore my primary game in Slot 1.

Finally, it is only through innocent errors such as these that guides can be written properly. If I had not experienced Part I of Skye's 3rd Heart Event on Sunday, I would not be able to warn other players of the consequences. Who would have known?
When programmers create these games, they do not pause to consider all ramifications. It would require an extraordinary memory of all permutations to realise that a two-part event may have two different sets of requirements. Perhaps in a later version of 'Cute', they will re-programme the game to prevent Part I from being triggered on a day when Part II cannot be completed. On the other hand, life is cruel and circumstances often prevent us from obtaining our heart's desire.

As many characters in Forget-Me-Not Valley remark, the life of a rancher is hard...

Final Note on this: I am not admitting defeat, even in my original Slot 1 game. Although Natsume categorically states that you must experience all four heart events, and I would agree, as this is a requirement in all Harvest Moon games with traditional 'heart events', is it even remotely possible that experiencing Part I of an Event with Skye will qualify? It could be akin to a situation where a player does experience the Heart Event but gives the wrong response, thereby lowering the bachelor's or girl's heart level. I probably have lost my chance with Skye, but I am going to pray there is a glimmer of hope... If he continues to appear in the Valley at night, I will raise his heart level, however slowly and see if I can trigger the Fourth Event with him... I doubt it will be possible, but time will tell. In any case, it is vital to find out for the sake of the guide and all the other players out there who will be fascinated by Skye.

Carter's 3rd Heart Event: Trouble Ahead for THAT Couple!

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In terms of matchmaking for other couples, it is not difficult to see the attraction between Marlin and Celia, Rock and Lumina, Griffin and Muffy or Gustafa and Nami. If you do not intervene to court the bachelor or girl yourself, the romance between your rival and his/her intended spouse follows a fairly smooth path on the whole.

Where Carter and Flora are concerned, however, it is a very different matter. Even in the original HM DS, it was apparent that domestic contentment was far from assured. Carter's 3rd Heart Event demonstrates the problems they will face if they ultimately marry. Flora definitely is the strongest. most aggressive girl in the Valley...

In this event, Flora announces her plan to make 'Curry Rice' for lunch. Carter never has been silent with respect to his responses to Flora's cooking and he detests Curry Rice. Flora, of course, loves it. She is determined to force it down his throat at any cost, to train him to like it, if need be, it seems. She states quite categorically that Curry Rice is the what she intends to prepare and repeats her declaration with obvious relish.

Carter, in desperation, creates an imaginary 'date' with you for lunch and asks you to confirm his fabrication. If you do, he will be extremely grateful and you will lunch with him at the Inner Inn. Afterwards, Carter will confess that Flora makes food that he 'simply cannot stomach' although he will add that he is thankful she is willing to cook for him. He ruins his brief display of gratitude, however, by offering YOU Flora's job! Fortunately, you are not required to respond here. Your character automatically will shake her head regretfully...

One imagines now that any future marriage between Flora and Carter will be fraught with domestic conflict as she continues to try to assert herself and he attempts to avoid her iron will.

If, however, you fail to back up his story, Flora will not hesitate to castigate her Professor in no uncertain terms. Beyond that, she will tell you that you too are his victim and command you to display equal rage!