The Spring Thanksgiving in Cute

*************************************************************************


As far as the romantic Thanksgiving Festivals in Harvest Moon are concerned, playing as a boy rather than a girl really does have some early advantages.

There are two Thanksgiving Festivals in FoMT/MFoMT and in HM DS/HM Cute DS. The Spring Thanksgiving is an opportunity for boys to give Chocolate Cookies to girls they fancy. The Winter Thanksgiving is the corresponding Festival where girls are given the chance to present boys they fancy with a piece of Chocolate Cake. If you are playing as a boy, you DO have an advantage in Friends of Mineral Town but not in Harvest Moon DS. In FoMT, a simple gift of chocolate would suffice and would be recognised as a Thanksgiving gift. In Harvest Moon DS, however, nothing less than Cookies or Chocolate Cookies will do.

In Spring of your first year in ANY of these games, you will not have a kitchen and therefore will not be able to bake Cookies or Chocolate Cookies. You will have access to the Supermarket and be able to buy chocolate. In Mineral Town, you can give chocolate to EVERY ONE, and individuals of either gender will be pleased on the occasion of the Thanksgiving Festival, even those like Karen who ordinarily detest chocolate.

As a boy in Harvest Moon DS, you will feel very frustrated in your first Spring, not being able to give Chocolate Cookies to ANY ONE. As a girl, it is even worse, though, because it can hit your sense of self-esteem very hard not to receive a single visit from a boy... Even though you are a newcomer, it is one of those seminal events in life that can leave a nasty scar. Girls who didn't receive Valentines at school when other girls did or who weren't invited to a Ball... and so on...

Even so, by the second Spring, you can have every bachelor at your door with a gift of Chocolate Cookies. It is a rather heady feeling to be loved by every one! It does make up somewhat for that lonely first Spring Thanksgiving when all doors were locked in the Valley and you did not see a single soul, let alone receive any visits from aspiring bachelors!

In FoMT/MFoMT and HM DS/HM Cute DS, there is a schedule for visitors on Festivals like this.

In Cute, the visits occur as follows:


Marlin arrives first at 6.00 a.m
Gustafa will be at your door at 8.00 a.m.
Rock is amazingly early at 10.00 a.m.
Carter is willing to leave his research to appear at 12.00 noon
Griffin arrives at 2.00 p.m.
Skye braves the dangers of the law enforcement community and vigilantes of the Valley to arrive at your door at 4.00 p.m.

As previously posted, Magical Girls, despite their Winter promise to reciprocate, DO NOT do so!

I am absurdly sentimental about my Harvest Moon gifts. I have a 'page' in my Refrigerator and Shelf menus devoted solely to special gifts. In the refrigerator, the Big Fish from Mukumuku now has been joined by a stack of Spring Thanksgiving Chocolate Cookies from all bachelors apart from my darling Skye. My plate of Chocolate Cookies from Skye rests in a slot of its own! In the Shelf, I have a piece of Golden Lumber from Thomas on 2 Winter next to the Diamond that I found in my sock on 25 Winter. As the years progress, the slots will fill... I never, ever use any of these special items, no matter what their commercial value may be.

The Star Festival with Rock

If you accept Rock's invitation to spend the Star Festival with his family, yu must go to the Inner Inn at 6.00 p.m. on 24 Winter. You automatically will be taken to the kitchen where you will find Ruby at the cooker and Rock at a table laden with apple pie and grape juice. You may be slightly uncomfortable at the underlying hostility that seems to exist between Ruby and her son. Faced with his usual enthusiasm and lust for life, she essentially will ask rather sarcastically if HE made any contribution in terms of labour... Rock will shrug off the question, saying it isn't important whether or not he did and suggest that every one simply enjoy the Festival.

It appears that Ruby is growing weary of supporting and caring for her adult son... If you marry him, she will be shocked but rather relieved that some one is willing to take over the burden of his upkeep. Frankly, I find Rock's insouciant attitude quite attractive and would be happy to choose him if, as in 'Another Wonderful Life', my choices were restricted to the three original eligible bachelors. As the Mineral Town bachelors and Skye have been added to the mix, however, Rock's standing in my list has fallen somewhat and he now is placed third below Skye and Grey...

My only question about the event was the whereabouts of Nami. I rather expected her to be included... Faced with her absence, I assumed then that she had spent the evening with Gustafa but when I later experienced the Festival with Gustafa, Nami was nowhere to be seen.

If you marry Rock...

**************************************************************************

If you marry Rock, you will have a husband who adores you but who will not give you any practical support in your daily life. Nonetheless, if one can live on love alone, Rock is the man for the job!

At the wedding, he will exclaim how lucky he is. At home together in the morning, he will tell you that he dreamed of you in the night. 'You said that you really loved me in my dream,' he will tell you. Very romantic indeed.

My Valentine's Day Treat

******************************************************************************
I promised myself I would do this on St. Valentine's Day. After all, what better way to celebrate the Day of Lovers than by experiencing a wedding in Harvest Moon? The only problem for me is that it is an experience fraught with a small degree of terror, as I always am afraid I will save the game by accident and be forced to live with the consequences! You see, I have all the ordinary Valley bachelors at deepest red heart level but do not intend to marry any of them. My heart is set upon Skye and I don't wish to marry him even until I have experienced all the Mineral Town Heart Events. I expect that my REAL wedding will have to wait until Spring...

Meanwhile, though, I need to begin to LOWER the Valley bachelors' hearts again so that I can set them up with my rivals in Spring for the Second Rival Heart Events. Before I do that, however, I would like to document their weddings. I have proposed to each of them and documented the proposal events, but a wedding is more involved. One must wait a week after the proposal in order to experience the wedding.

As I have three Bird Barns and three Animal Barns packed to the rafters, I either have to SELL all the animals before I sleep through the week or allow them to fall ill and deal with the repetitious Sprite announcements that something is wrong in the barn. Well, the course of false love runs no smoother than that of true love.

So far, I have experienced a wedding with Carter and one with Rock. I still need to experience the other three...

Weddings with any ordinary Valley bachelor basically are very similar. They occur at the beach and EVERY ONE attends. The configuration of the audience is a little different for each but the ceremony follows the same ritual, with the Harvest Goddess ringing the bells as a gift to you after you both pronounce your wedding vows to Thomas. The credits then roll.

You find yourself afterwards at your table in your farmhouse with your spouse. He will suggest that you choose a nickname for yourself but not for him. After that, you will see a little message to the effect that:

Tomorrow begins our new life together.

You will be taken directly to the next morning where you will be able to discover the way in which your spouse will speak to you every morning...

For those who are playing the original 'boy' version of Harvest Moon DS, the details of weddings are very similar. As you can see, the Harvest Goddess is one of the main participants in the ceremony. You therefore CANNOT marry until you have rescued the Harvest Goddess by rescuing 60 Harvest Sprites.

For the many players who ask which bachelor will make the best husband, I will post a little about each...

Skye's Fifth Heart Event: A Moral Dilemma

********************************************************

In Skye's Fifth and final Heart Event, you are called upon to declare and manifest your loyalty. Is it to your village and your neighbours or is it to Skye? I have to confess that, although my choice never was in doubt, I did experience a little qualm when I pretended not to know Skye's whereabouts. The village unites against him in force. If one didn't have sympathy (and love) for him at this point, one surely would feel a little sorry for him when Ruby, Rock, Nami, Marlin, Vesta and Celia march down the path in the manner of the Assyrian who 'came down like a wolf on the fold'. In a military wedge formation, they really did present an intimidating appearance.

A moment earlier, I had promised Skye that I would pretend I hadn't seen him... A moment earlier, he had gazed soulfully into my eyes before he disappeared south towards the beach. And yet... and yet, I am part of this village now. I owe my neighbours and friends some loyalty as well. In fact, the posse included two bachelors who are at red heart level now, making it doubly a betrayal to choose Skye.

Nonetheless, even if I weren't in love with Skye, I always would tend to side with the 'underdog' in any confrontation. To witness my lovely Skye being HOUNDED by the villagers of Forget-Me-Not Valley was a very distressing experience indeed.

I do believe in happy endings, though, and I have a feeling that Skye will be accepted by my neighbours and friends quite readily if I marry him. The people of Forget-Me-Not Valley are generous and forgiving. He never harmed any one really. His theft of a bottle of wine and a few vegetables and a possible artifact or two surely can be overlooked fairly easily, particularly if he 'retires' from his old career...

N.B. There is no error here. Skye's Yellow Heart Event is his FIFTH Heart event. He alone of the eligible bachelors has five rather than the four traditional Heart Events. The fourth is a Green Heart Event and the Fifth is his Yellow Heart Event. Other bachelors do not have a Green Heart Event, although there is a Green Rival Heart Event for each that will advance your Rival's courtship of the bachelor.

Griffin's Marriage Proposal Event

**************************************************************

Here are some photographs from my Marriage Proposal to Griffin. His declaration that 'getting marriage at this age is a little embarrassing' was a little off-putting, frankly! My real reason for not going through with the engagement, however, is to allow Muffy to marry him.

Rock's Methods of Courtship: Talk about Lumina!

**********************************************************************
Rock is the eternal adolescent, totally clueless but ultimately with a naive charm that allows him to breeze through life and win hearts as he does. His Yellow Heart Event is so quintessentially Rock that one cannot help but be won over, despite the fact that he makes an utter mess out of everything!

Basically, the event begins with Rock alone in his room, creating a master plan of seduction. He believes it is imperative NOT to let you know that he likes you. When you enter, he proceeds to wax eloquent about Lumina. Both screens darken again and again to portray the passage of time as he relates experience after experience in which Lumina shines brilliantly.

Finally, you are given a choice between two responses:
Are you dating Lumina?
Stop talking! Please!

If you beg him to stop talking, he will be injured beyond belief, asking: 'Is it that bad to have a conversation with me?'

He will order you to leave but, once the door has slammed behind you, be utterly distressed by the turn of events.

'Oh no! Now I've really done it! She'll never talk to me again...'

Then, however, with that sunny and optimistic disposition that characterises him, he will console himself: 'No! I can get her back! Next time I see her, I gotta be more cheerful!'

Freya, however, did not ask him to stop talking, as she had some interest in discovering the true state of affairs. She asked him instead if he were dating Lumina.

Rock was completely taken aback by THAT question, although he even had stated quite clearly: 'I bet Lumina would make a great wife.'

He protested, 'No way!!!' He then added: 'Ac... actually! I like you way more than her, Freya! I just ... didn't want you to know, so I talked about Lumina and stuff!'

The truly touching declaration is given only if you speak to him AFTER the event ends, before you leave the room. He then will tell you: 'Sure, I like Lumina, but I like Freya the most of all!'

I admit that he is immature and irresponsible, but he IS awfully cute... and my heart melted when he told me he liked me 'the most of all'. I still hope to marry Skye, but if that is impossible, I may offer Rock my Blue Feather...

Next, I am off to the yurt to experience Gustafa's 4th Heart Event... Griffin and Marlin were the first to reach Yellow Heart as I gave them gifts on their birthdays, receiving the x5 bonus for those gifts. As Griffin is thrilled with the simple gift of a small fish, it is easy to court him. Marlin loves wine, making him a little more expensive to court, but still easy. If you have treated all bachelors fairly equally, Carter still may be the last to reach Yellow Heart, unless you gave him Lithographs every day... I didn't have the energy for that, so boosted him +300 AP daily with a riceball instead. Now that I have a kitchen, I can give him Sashimi and that speeded the process greatly.

Sad to say, there is NOTHING to give Skye that will raise his AP more than +300 daily until you have a Pot... At the start of Autumn, the Pot has not been offered yet, so I am forced to court him at a snail's pace with toiletries or jewelry.

The World According to Rock

*************************************************************************

According to Rock, 'work is overrated'. At 150 FP, you can experience an event with him if you enter his bedroom after 7.00 a.m. If you visit between 6.00 a.m. and 7.00a.m., the event will not occur.

In this event, Ruby chastises Rock for his laziness and Rock in timeless adolescent fashion, tells his mother: 'Jeez, Mom, quit bugging me!' He adds: 'I do lots of important stuff with my time. So what if I don't work? Working is totally overrated, anyway.' If you speak to him at the end of the event, he will declare that: 'Parents don't know anything about their own children.'

In the event, Ruby will refer to you as a model of hard work and determination. At least Rock does not appear to hold THAT against YOU.

Rock will declare that his morning has been ruined by the scene, and that he no longer will be able to relax properly.

I confess that I have a weakness for Rock. He is so unashamed of his indolence and his lifestyle and so easy-going towards life and other people. There are no hidden shadows in Rock's psyche. In his own words, he is as 'big and beautiful as the sea'. (He lost first place in my list of favourites to Skye and to Grey, however!)

Rock is one of the eligible bachelors in Another Wonderful Life but even in that game, you need not fear that marriage to him will produce a child in its father's image. There are some rather dramatic scenes involving Rock as a husband in AnWL. Rather than following his father's example, your son would become increasingly disgusted with Rock's laziness and ultimately would castigate him for his irresponsible attitudes. Unlike AnWL, your child in Harvest Moon Cute never will help you on the farm, no matter who the father may be.

The pleasures and dangers of Courtship in HM Cute

The main difference between the original Harvest Moon DS game and the new Harvest Moon Cute is the addition of the bachelors' Heart Events as one might have expected. To my delight, as I had mentioned in a previous post, some of the original Japanese non-romantic events eliminated from the original English edition of the 'boy version' of Harvest Moon DS have been restored to Cute as well. In the first fortnight of Spring, I was able to experience three events between Hugh and Kate that had been eliminated from the English 'boy' version of the game but had existed in the Japanese original. Unfortunately, I have discovered so far that one event included in the 'boy' game has been omitted from Cute: the event between Cody and Grey, wherein they discuss creativity and art. I am fairly certain now that the event cannot be triggered in Cute. I raised both Cody's and Grey's friendship to 100FP, although the original 'boy' game had no FP requirements for the event, and I still could not experience it. Pity, but it is a minor event, and one can experience it in the 'boy' game...

Grey's event with Cody is not the subject of this post, however. I wanted to share a rather amusing example of Rock's personality in his new 2nd Heart Event. It occurs in the Lobby of the Inner Inn on a rainy morning. Rock's ceiling has sprung a leak and Ruby has gone off to find assistance in the form of Gotz. (In my game, Gotz actually could be found on my farm working on a new storage barn for my Stone material, but Ruby did not ask me about that... One assumes that the event presupposes a trip to Mineral Town by Ruby.)

In any case, Nami is left to take charge of the desk, as Rock is nowhere to be found. In this event, Rock breezily enters to ask cheekily if any one has cooked him a meal, completely unrepentant when he discovers that Nami has been obliged to assume command in Ruby's absence.

You are forced to choose sides here between Nami and Rock. If you support Nami's complaint, you will gain 10 FP with her but Rock's heart level instantly will be reduced to black again. If you side with Rock, you will lose 10 FP with Nami, but Rock's heart level will remain purple and indeed, increase by 3000 AP as is always the case when you respond correctly in the course of any one's Heart Event.

The ordinary Valley Bachelors of Harvest Moon Cute

I feel rather ashamed of myself today after I may have appeared to slag off the bachelors of Forget-Me-Not Valley by referring to them as 'older men'. They definitely ARE older men, but each has his own charm. I personally may prefer the young boys of Harvest Moon but I ultimately do try to marry each and every one of the potential spouses in my games. I certainly experience ALL the Heart Events of each in EVERY game I play...

I often receive emails from players asking me who the best wife or husband would be in any Harvest Moon game. The fact of the matter is that all are equal in most of the games, apart from 'A Wonderful Life' and 'Another Wonderful Life' where the identity of your spouse DOES influence your child. In Harvest Moon DS, it only influences the physical appearance and clothing of your child... and the appearance of the child is randomly chosen if you marry Skye or become the 'Best Friend' of a magical girl.

In any event, I thought I should give players a little idea of the personalities of the various bachelors.

Griffin is the barkeep at the Blue Bar. He is an older man who is both sensitive and shy, extremely polite and considerate. He actually has a creative side and is a 'closet' musician, as players of AWL and AnWL will recall.

In Harvest Moon Cute, you become aware of this facet of his character when you experience his first Rival Heart Event on a rainy morning, when he confides in Muffy:

Muffy: Hey, Griffin.
Griffin: What?
Muffy: Griffin, didn't you used to be a musician?
Griffin: Yeah.
Muffy: How did you get into music?
Griffin hesitates, then turns to face her.
Griffin: Hmm... I just happened to find an old guitar in the back of this store. It was like it was calling to me to come and play it. And when I asked my dad about that guitar, he said it was one of our ancestor's. Maybe it was that ancestor telling me to play?
Muffy (with music): Yeah. That's a wonderful story. Hey, play for me next time.
Griffin: Got it. I will, sometime.

Speak to him after the event and he will say:
Griffin: I know we promised... I'm a little shy, though.

(This event is Muffy's First Rival Heart Event in the original HM DS)

Gustafa is another one of the 'older men' whom you can marry in the game. He is the resident poet of Forget-Me-Not Valley and is a musician as well, from a long line of musicians. In fact, he will tell you about his heritage when you reach 100 FP with him either in the original HM DS or Cute:

Gustafa: Hey, Freya. How have you been? Is work still busy?
I nod.
Gustafa: Hahaha. You're very straightforward. But I really admire life at the ranch. You always get to pet animals and pick crops, right? I can think of lots of songs. Oops, did I say music? I guess it's in my blood to be a musician after all.
Me:?
Gustafa: My ancestors had been minstrels for the king in the country that they lived. It seems that every one in my family has had jobs involving music. That's why I've been making music since I was born. Since birth, I have followed this chosen path of becoming a musician. That's why you and I are similar. The life at the ranch was chosen for you before you were born, too.
I nod.
Gustafa: There is no 'if' in this world but if I wasn't born into a musician's family, I wonder what I would be doing now. Knowing me, I would've chosen the musician's path. After all, I love music. You probably would've chosen life at the ranch, too.
I nod.
Gustafa: Hahaha. I guess this means that things are good the way they are. Sorry to make you listen to something this boring.
I shake my head.
Gustafa: Now then, I guess I'll go sing.

If you speak to him after the event:
Gustafa: Let's both do our best.

The event that truly epitomises Rock's character is one that occurs in Another Wonderful Life when he faces your dog and later crafts an improbable tale of heroic battle against the pet he has renamed 'Crusher'.

In Harvest Moon Cute, you will discover his nature when you experience his first Heart Event at the beach:

Rock: (!) Hey, Freya. Did you come to look at the sea, too?
I nod.
Rock (with music): The sea's so nice. It's so expansive... Just so beautiful and blue! I love to look at it. Plus, it matches my personality perfectly! It's so big and beautiful. Just like me.
Me: (...)
Rock (?) What's wrong, Freya? You got quiet all of a sudden.
Rosk (with music) Oh, I know! You've been taken aback by how cool I am, huh?

My choices:

Yes, I'm mesmerised.
You disgust me.

With some amused affection for the boastful boy, I chose: Yes, I'm mesmerised.

Rock (with music): Yes, I thought so! You can look at me all you want! I'm not shy! But you have to let me look at you too, then.

Rock: ................

......................
.......................
Rock: (with music)
Me: (?)
Rock: Hahaha, you're pretty funny, Freya. You won't even look at me. Haha!
Me: (!) (displaying large red heart)
Embarrassed, I race from the beach.
Rock: Aww, you're so shy that you're leaving! How cute!

There is no malice in Rock and he is unabashedly lazy and irresponsible. In the original Harvest Moon DS game, it was only Kai who possibly challenged his position as the ultimate charming but rather irresponsible bachelor, although Kai does work hard at his stall at the beach in the summer. In Harvest Moon Cute, however, both Kai and Rock are relegated to the shade by the smooth-talking cat burglar Skye.

It is the 'older men' I intended to showcase in this post, however, and it is Carter and Marlin who need to be discussed now.

Carter is a devoted archaeologist who is driven by the belief that he will discover facts about his ancestors and heritage through his work. He is an avowed
sun-worshipper, as players of AWL and AnWL may recall. He actually shares a tent with his assistant Flora, but although she cooks for him (very badly!), their relationship is properly platonic. You will not be courting a married man if you court Carter!

Many of Carter's statements deal with Flora's cuisine. In fact, it is the focus of his first Rival Heart Event:

Carter was facing the northern wall and Flora was behind him.
Flora; Professor?
Carter: What's the matter, Flora?
Flora: How about Curry Rice for dinner tonight?
Carter (with cross): What?!
Flora: Don't be so picky!
Carter: I'm begging you! Anything but that!
Flora: Grrrr! Are you trying to make me mad?!
Carter: (...) Umm, n... no... Oh no...

Carter evidently is too pedantic for most people as when you visit him at his tent, morning or night:

Carter: Ah. Thank you for coming. Make yourself comfortable. Would you like to talk of ancient ruins? What? You'll 'pass' on that? Very well then...

Apparently, he never has been able to persuade any one to settle down for a long session of archaeological dialogue. One feels rather sorry for him sometimes...

Marlin, if anything, is even more shy about himself than Griffin. He is thoroughly tongue-tied, a little abrupt and unapproachable. I happen to know that many female players are attracted to these qualities, although I would not include myself in Marlin's fan group. In Another Wonderful Life, where there were but three choices in terms of potential spouses, he was my second choice after Rock. (The wedding event with Gustafa, with Gustafa hopping along on his buttocks, just was too awful for words. I cannot look at him even in Cute without recalling it! Gustafa is the ultimate laid-back hippy from the 1960s. Ironically, I really like his character, but find his personal appearance off-putting. I never have liked beards for a start.) This paragraph was supposed to be about MARLIN, not Gustafa...

Marlin demonstrates his almost pathological reticence in his First Heart Event in Cute:

Marlin: (!) ... Hey.... sorry, but Celia is upstairs sleeping. Vesta is looking after Celia right now... If you want to meet with Vesta or Celia, please come another time... Or did you come for me?

My choices:
Want to talk?
OK. I'm leaving, then.

(N.B. In any heart event, your character has two choices of response. One will raise the affection level of the bachelor and the other will lower it. I am including both here. The first response was the correct one obviously.)

I chose: Want to talk?
Marlin (startled): I don't really have anything to talk to you about...
Me (with tear):
My choices now:
Wh... what food do you like?
What do you think of Celia?

Wh... what food do you like?
Marline: ... Why do you ask that?
Me (with tear)
Marlin: ... Well, whatever... Yeah...
... What's my favourite food?
I nod encouragingly.
Marlin: (...) ... I never do have a good answer for that...
I nod again encouragingly, desperately hoping to get SOMETHING out of him.
Marlin: (...) ........................
... My favourite food is...
I nod once again with infinite patience.
Vesta now comes down the stairs:
Vesta: (!) Oh, Freya! You're here. You and Marlin together? Well, that's unexpected! What were you talking about?
Marlin: (Freya... This conversation is over.) Nothing, really... It was no big deal... More importantly... How is Celia feeling?
Vesta: Well, it's no big deal. She's just worn out. I think she'll wake up soon.
Marlin: ... Oh, I see. ... I hope so.

After:

Marlin: ... Let's talk again later.
Vesta: Don't worry! I'll be better soon!

If I had said: OK. I'm leaving, then.
Marlin: ... Oh, OK. ... Fine. Sorry that every one worth talking to is busy. .... See you.
Vesta comes down the stairs after I leave.
Vesta: ? Oh, is somebody here?
Marlin: It's not important. How is Celia feeling?
Vesta: Well, it's no big deal. She's just worn out. I think sh'll wake up soon.
Marlin: ... Oh, I see. ... I hope so.

As you can see, you will not even discover Marlin's favourite food in this event. Oddly enough, it was an important question, as each individual in any Harvest Moon game has a 'Most Favourite Item' that, when given, will raise his/her affection and/or friendship level. For any one who may be interested in Marlin, I happen to know that his 'Most Favourite' is Elli Leaves, a concoction that is more potent than any other Medicine available in the game. This makes sense when you realise that Marlin's health is as precarious as his ability to socialise. If you meet him outside the farm, he will tell you:

Marlin: Our farm was near town at first, but my ancestors came here looking for more land. It looks like my ancestors were sickly too. It must be hereditary...

I dealt with Skye exhaustively in an earlier post. I will discuss the bachelors of Mineral Town later. Any one who has played Friends of Mineral Town or More Friends of Mineral Town will be very familiar with their characters. Moreover, unless you insert a cartridge of FoMT or MFoMT into your DS, you never will meet any of them in HM Cute...