Let’s Blog: Ar Tonelico III – #6: Diving Lessons

This entry covers the game’s first mandatory Dive, into Finnel’s Cosmosphere Level 1.

Spoilers, as usual.

In advance of actually diving, I went and fought in the cave a bit to earn more Dive Points for Finnel. Along the way, I rested at a save point, and was treated to a talk topic where Aoto comments on Finnel’s ribbon fetish and Finnel gets mad at him for calling it a ‘fetish’.

After that, it’s time to visit the dive shop. Aoto exchanges a few awkward words with the technician, and comments that it’s not a very sociable shop. Rufan replies it’s not meant to be sociable, it’s a place one comes to intervene directly in a Reyvateil’s psyche. He adds that the most important thing for a diver to have is a relationship of trust with the Reyvateil in question. Finnel says, “W-what?” and Aoto remarks he feels uneasy all of a sudden.

The technician interrupts telling them not to stand around chatting all day, and man up and dive if that’s what they came here to do. Aoto and Finnel hurriedly agree.

Rufan talks a bit about how Diving is entering a Reyvateil’s heart to strengthen her song magic, but assuming you’ve played past AT games you know the drill. Eventually they finally get around to it (after being badgered by the technician again.)

Finnel’s Cosmosphere is quite an odd-looking place… and the dialogue is voiced for the first time in many minutes! Woohoo!

Aoto quickly makes the acquaintance of Finnel’s Mind Guardian, Momoko. Then you get to wander around. The first eventful location is named ‘Pain’, and the ground is covered in thumbtacks… Aoto hears Finnel’s voice up ahead, and after calling back she calls out for him to help her. He hesitates to walk over the thumbtacks, but after Momoko taunts him a bit and Finnel cries for help again, you get the choice to do it anyway.

The correct choice is to man up and do it, of course. When Aoto takes the first step, he discovers that the thumbtacks were illusionary. He tells Finnel to come to where he is, but she refuses, so he has to find her. She thanks him for coming to her, and he comments on how weird her Cosmosphere is. She says that even though it’s her Cosmosphere, she doesn’t understand why it’s like this either. She can’t free herself, and there’s that giant eye spying on her, too…

Aoto suggests that they just leave. Finnel is still afraid of the thumbtacks, so Aoto offers to carry her. However, she doesn’t think he will be able to touch her. This turns out to be correct, and he summons Momoko to demand an explanation. After accusing him of being a pervert for wanting to touch Finnel, Momoko explains that ‘no touching’ is a rule of this world. “You can’t touch anyone in a play or movie either, can you? Fufufu.”

Finnel complains that she’s hungry, and Aoto decides to go get her some food. He and Momoko argue on the way back to the cosmosphere map, Momoko claiming that ‘this is what she wishes for’ and Aoto unable to believe it. The second event location in level 1 of Finnel’s cosmosphere is called “Prison”… I’m not sure why it occurs to Aoto to go there to get food. Also, the voiceovers are gone again.

He does see food inside one of the cells, but the bars are too sturdy for him to bend. Thinking that Momoko’s small enough to slip through the bars, he calls her and explains his plan to her. She replies that she could do so, but she won’t, because it’s too easy a solution to be interesting. Telling him to do his best and that she’ll be watching, she disappears. Aoto heads elsewhere.

The title of the next area is a blurry blob on both my monitor and the Nicovideo, but my guess is it’s a shower or bath of some sort. Aoto doesn’t see anything at first, but then spots someone chained in fetters in the distance. When he approaches, he discovers it’s a fairy.

She introduces herself as Kotori, and corrects him that she is a being known as a ‘Hymma’, though she does look like a fairy. Momoko appears, and explains that Hymma are incarnations of Finnel’s thoughts. Since thoughts are power, if he becomes acquainted with a number of Hymma, good things will come of it.

Kotori asks him if he will remove her fetters, since he’s an outsider; it’s impossible for anyone from this world to remove them. You’re offered a choice between answering “Of course I’ll free you” and “If I undo your chains, you have to listen to my request.” Oddly, the correct decision is the second one. Kotori accedes to it readily, though the look in her eyes worries Aoto a bit…

After he frees her, Kotori says eagerly “Now, as promised, I’ll do anything you wish, Aoto-sama! Please give me an order!” Aoto remarks that things have gotten complicated all of a sudden, as she waits excitedly. He tells her “There’s some food inside that cell. Would you fetch it for me?”

Kotori complains, “Aww, it’s so boring if you say ‘Would you fetch it for me?’… Try again! Tell me ‘Where’s my food, bitch?!” Aoto hesitates a bit, but as Kotori only continues to quiver in anticipation, finally breaks down and says “Bring the food in that cell over here! That’s an order!” Replying “Ye, yes! I’ll give it everything I’ve got!”, Kotori seems satisfied.

Upon their return to the world map, Momoko appears and explains that since Hymma embody only a single thought, they tend to have rather extreme personalities and exaggerate a facet of the Soulspace creator’s character. Kotori has now progressed to calling Aoto “Master.” Aoto remarks that he would never have guessed Finnel had a side like that.

Heading back to the prison, Kotori fetches the food in an instant. Aoto is impressed by her speed, and Kotori gushes “Ah, to be praised by Master…” evidently no longer requiring forceful words. Finally, they can return to where Finnel is (and where the dialogue is voiced again. Kotori gives Finnel the food, and she’s about to dig in, but suddenly Momoko appears and smashes it!

Aoto demands of her why she did that, and she replies “Cause it’s boring otherwise, isn’t it? I wonder what you’ll do now…?” Aoto accuses her of not caring about Finnel’s well-being, and she replies that’s rude of him; as the Mind Guardian, she is of course the closest existence to Finnel’s heart. “It’s a terrible shame that you dropped the food like that, isn’t it, Finnel?” she continues, her voice oozing insincerity. “After Aoto went to all that trouble to bring it for you, it’s gone to waste.”

Aoto retorts that Momoko was the reason she dropped it, but Finnel says she’ll take responsibility and eat it regardless. He tells her not to eat the food that’s fallen on the floor, he’ll go find more, but she replies that since this was the food that Aoto brought for her, it’s still delicious… Momoko hits her. “What’s with that overfamiliarity? Since he brought you food, shouldn’t you call him Aoto-sama?” she chides.

Finnel apologizes. “Aoto-sama, the food’s very delicious. I’ll eat it all, so please forgive my carelessness…”  But Aoto’s had enough. He tells her that isn’t what he wants and she doesn’t have to eat it. “If you’re hungry, wait for me and I’ll find more food. If Momoko is scaring you, I’ll take care of her. Just don’t force yourself… I’ll protect you!”

Finnel begins crying with gratitude, as she talks about how she was always alone. Aoto tells her that he’ll help her whenever she needs it, and Momoko is curiously silent. Suddenly, outside, a Paradigm Shift is triggered. Momoko explains it, but I’m sure you know the drill (and if you don’t, you probably ought to play the other AT games before reading this.)

Momoko gets excited at the thought of being able to show Aoto even more embarrassing parts of Finnel’s heart… Finnel and Aoto then head to Stonehenge, though the sod doing the Nicovideo playthrough didn’t have the DP to enter and do the Paradigm Shift. Ha ha.

After finishing the Dive (it happens automatically when you complete the Cosmosphere level), Finnel says she has a strange but pleasant feeling, as if a new melody has been born in her heart. Rufan congratulates her on crafting her first Hymma. Aoto awkwardly mentions that it’s a thing like a fairy he saw inside her while Diving, while Rufan more usefully explains that it’s a ‘fragment of her thoughts’ manifested as Song Magic, which allows her to achieve greater power. You’re then shown a tutorial on equipping Hymma.

In another cutscene afterwards, Tatsumi looks at Finnel silently, then when she asks what’s wrong replies “I’m glad you two were compatible.” Finnel takes offense at this, but Tatsumi points out it’s obvious since she allowed him to enter her Soulspace. Finnel protests “It’s only because all of you were telling me I had to make my Song Magic stronger…” They continue going back and forth for a bit, Finnel attempting to deny she has any interest in Aoto, and eventually unlock a Party Talk Topic.

After this, you’re free to wander the town again. I went to the inn, where I rested and viewed some talk topics about Finnel’s continuing resentment over losing her first dive to Aoto, her being curious about her Paradigm Shift, and something or other related to battle.

Meanwhile, the Nicovideo player conveniently spent the last five minutes browsing the encyclopedia, which I do not intend to translate. So that’s all for this entry.

Tags: ar tonelico, ar tonelico 3, gust, jrpg