Part 39: 07/22/09 - 07/25/09

Two days of Yakushima left. On the plus side, it's going to have to try to get worse than the first half of yesterday...

Joy



It's too bad we have to go home tomorrow... I'd totally stay longer if I could.
But, I can't complain... A lot of cool things happened while we were here.



We were all up so late last night...



Nah, it's nothing like that. We just came here to have some fun.

One could argue that this is the most important mission of all, really. It sure seems like this is something we desperately need after the past 2 days at least.

Do you understand what it means to "have fun," Aigis?



Exactly! Wow, you sure know a lot about us humans.
Alright, let's take one last dip before we leave!
Uh, hold on, Junpei-kun...



Oh, I'm sure she's water-proof.



It is best that we all engage in this activity together.



That reaaaally depends on how you define "enjoyment." Not everyone needs to swim to have fun.

Ugh, do we have to...?
We should join them.
Okay.





We've been quite busy during our time here, but it looks as if we can relax a bit today.
Hey, Akihiko-san, c'mon!
It's your turn!
My turn...? What are they doing?
*laugh* I'm glad to see everyone is having so much fun.
I've already told you what time the ship will be arriving tomorrow, yes?
I'll most likely head over to the port early, so don't be late.
Okay, I'll let everyone know.
Until then, enjoy the last day of your vacation.



Well, it makes sense that we'd get one of these at some point in Yakushima all things considered. I'm not entirely sure this scene was the most appropriate but it works at least.



It's also... the end of the day. Huh, that's basically the same as if we spent it with Maya but less awkward.

Shinjiro and Friends

Fearful Experience



You mean those three? Wow, they're freaky!
Shut up! Let's go!



Why do they always run and hide when I approach?

Perhaps it's that gun you carry. Or perhaps it's the grenade Jin is tossing up and down like a baseball. Or maybe it's something else.

They're like back alley rats.
...Beats me.





I'll pay you the same as--
Hold up.



Your acquaintances have been busy lately.
I'm referring to their activites on nights when the moon is full.
They've spent a great deal of time in the tower as well. Why did they take this burden upon themselves?
......



Is it because they are your friends?
No! I've got nothing to do with them.
Then, tell us.
Tch... I don't know the details, but...
Supposedly, if you destroy all those creatures...





You mean... they intend to eliminate the Dark Hour?
Y-Yeah... Why?



They wish to destroy the Tower of Demise as well!?
Tower of Demise...?

Yeah, uh, that's... different. Dunno what this guy's on about.

...Who wouldn't wanna take out that damn tower?



...Yes, yes.

And with that, the three of them leave. Notably, the gothic lolita friend has still only said a whole one thing amongst all their appearances. Weird.

Hmph... I can't go back...
Not after what happened.

End

Jeez, Shinji is so mopey. So, so mopey. He makes Makoto look personable and upbeat.

Iwatodai Dorm



And now we're back at the dorm, huh? I guess that makes sense; we were gonna be back today anyway, so we just skipped the boring part of the return trip.

It seemed to take forever to get back...
Yeah, it was a tiring trip.
Please rest up so you're ready for the next operation.

It's fine, we have 2 weeks. Plenty of time. Plenty.

Yeah, yeah.
I don't have any plans for summer break, so I can fight Shadows all you want.
...Wow, you must really be bored.
...Sh-Shut up, Yuka-tan.
Whatever.
We just have to defeat those last six, and it'll be all over.
The Lost will get better, and everything will be back to normal, right?
That's why we have to try our hardest.



It's super nice to be back, honestly. The vacation was sort of nice at the end, but it was mostly just really stressful for everyone.

Most noteworthy is that Yukari is sitting away from everyone again, for obvious reasons. Junpei is as well, which is somewhat less easy to tell why.



Most souvenirs are worthless... Snow globes, key chains, postcards...
However, this is one souvenir from Yakushima that is tres bien.



Where are the others?
I assume you are referring to the other anti-Shadow weapons...
Well, there were many created. You could say they were Aigis's sisters.



So, like, did literally everything happen 10 years ago? It sure seems like it...

Aigis has been quite lonely since then.
Why is she in human form?
Personas are created from human minds.



The only real issue was the form the weapon would take...
If the form of the weapon was a tank, for instance, the weapon's mind would recognize itself as a tank...
However, a tank is not a living entity.
This is crucial, you see, because the mind of a non-living entity will not process human thoughts correctly...
...So it will not function properly, and it will soon become corrupted.
However, a mind placed inside a form that closely resembles a human body will recognize itself as a human being...
Thus allowing it to easily adapt to human thoughts.
Therefore, Aigis and her sisters were built in the form of human beings.

That's a lot of words to justify why the robot looks like a teenage girl. Not really sure if it's something you should try to justify, but it's there.



Very well, I shall be by your side at all times.



> It seems she is unable to understand ordinary feelings and conversation at the moment...



But, uh, she's a... robot... This seems really sudden, too. We just met and it took jumping through so many hoops to get to S.Link more realistic and reasonable people.



It's so much different than before.



Maybe we should skip going to Tartarus tonight and just rest.

Yeah, fair. We can Tartarus soon enough, after all.



I don't. I mean, you'd really have to be looking for a robot to figure that out.
As long as she acts normal, no one will suspect a thing.

Yukari, she's very blatantly an android. Yukari, she has hooves. You do not have to try very hard to see that she is a robot.



Super cute...
I don't think I've ever met a machine that was so cute before.



There are now 115.12 yen to the dollar, an increase from last time of 0.15 yen.

Good to get an ecnomic update after our Beach Adventures.

But, now what are we gonna do... it's a Thursday and we explicitly cannot go to Tartarus, so that leaves us with one option...



Let's see what Mutatsu is up to, why don't we.

This Mysterious Feeling



I'm always here... It's my "home away from home," heh...
...Hey, are you alright, kid? You know, money-wise?
High school kids don't have much money, do they? At least, I never gave much to my son.
I have enough.
Is that right...? Hmph, I guess you kids have ways to make money nowadays.



You're not doing anything illegal, though, are ya, kid? ...Not that I care.
...Now, gimme a straight answer...
Is there anything you want right now?
Yes.
Hmph, I should've guessed.



Materialistic desire can lead to aspiration, but still...
When you get to by my age... Hmph, never mind.
You work to make money so you can have a better life, but to make enough money you gotta work all the time...
...So you never get to enjoy that better life you're working so hard to have.
...Quite a paradox, isn't it?
...Do you know what the average lifetime income of a white-collar worker is?
...Including a retirement fund and an annual pension?



Thanks to me, you learned somethin' new today, eh, kid?
Now, don't waste your life workin' all the time tryin' to get rich; just take life as it comes.

> You saw through Mutatsu's harsh words and felt his kindness...

> You understand Mutatsu better now.





I wish I could buy back all the time I lost...

> You decided to go back to the dorm.

It's honestly kind of amazing that we've gotten Mutatsu to Rank 5 already, and we still can't even pretend to make a Tower persona. I thought I'd have one by now, at least.



...and now my studying is mocking me, I swear. Rank up the first gain after finals?!



Plus, uh, for whatever reason we have 2 days of school before the school summer break begins. I don't even know why.

Silence



Please wake up.

Troubled



Mission accomplished?
The paper on the wall says, "Do things five minutes early."
Therefore, I woke you up five minutes prior to the triggering of your alarm clock.



That girl disappeared, and we can't find her anywhere. Think you can help us out?
She might've gone out on her own, like she did in Yakushima...
I am not a girl... I am Aigis, and I am here.
Huh...?





That's unlawful entry!
Didn't we tell you to stay in the command room at night!?
I propose to be on standby in this room from now on. Is this acceptable?
What!? N-No, it's not acceptable!
If there is a problem, then I will address it promptly.



Well, don't just sit there! Tell her!
You can't stay here.
See? He agrees.
...I will do as told.
Tch...
Alright, I'll have a room prepared for you on the third floor. You can stay there.
Oh, and don't leave the dorm by yourself, okay?
I will do as commanded.
*sigh* I'm tired...
I have practice this morning, so I gotta go...



I comprehend.

If she wasn't a robot, I would take this as a Digital Devil Saga reference considering Gale seemed to never comprehend.

Want To Be Close (Reincarnation) / Time



After we defeat all the Shadows and the Dark Hour disappears, what's gonna happen then?
There will be peace.
Well, yeah, but...
Regular people don't even know about the Dark Hour, right?
That means no one will ever know about anything we've done...
That kinda sucks, don't ya think?

It's not really surprising that it's a recurring trend, but I do sorta like that Junpei is consistently focussed on being considered a hero. Much like with Yukari's reactions at Yakushima, it's a very real and human thing.



But let's see how we did on our finals, sure why not.



...Still not top, by one day most likely... but it's better than before. Not good enough mind you, but it's closer.

That's the only thing that happens in the middle of the day, so we'll just...



Go shopping, because I misremembered slightly. Gonna buy a watch that costs 16,000 despite doing absolutely nothing.

The Poem For Everyone's Soul



Such craftsmanship...
I absolutely adore things made of platinum...
It's quite extraordinary... You are fortunate to have such things in your world.
Please accept your reward.



That's a lot of souls to munch on if we run low on SP. I'm definitely not gonna complain at all about this.



And, of course, clearing that quest unlocked another one. Homunculi can be found in Tartarus, albeit in rare chests, or we can just... go buy one.



Well, once we get a Sapphire we can anyway.

There's also something fun we might be able to do once we get at least one Homunculus that, if it works, will essentially give us infinite money. Kinda. Sorta.

...Well, not really but it'll mean we can save Diamonds for stuff that actually matters.



But that's in the future. I think it's time to swallow our pride a little and give Kenji false hope that we give a shit about him, since we might never see him again (God willing).

Joy



Sorry, man. I'll have to pass.
Why?
I forgot I have to go check out that cram school today. Sorry, man.

> Kenji seems apologetic.

So, I don't have time to eat ramen.



Surprising to see Kenji actually being serious about things that matter for once. An unironic good job there, my dude.

I have 30-year goals.
Whoa, dude! I didn't know you were so serious about your future!



I never really thought about my future until Emiri told me I should. She said I'd end up a loser if I didn't.

...Oh there's the catch, okay. As nice as it would be to just be relieved that Kenji is listening to a teacher, it'd be less weird if this clearly wasn't added to his weird "plan."

But, the future's a long way off, dude. I mean, first I have to go to college, right?
All of Emiri's students go to good colleges.
She must be thinking about our future together...

> Kenji is delusional.

> Kenji is talking to himself.

You should think about your future too. You don't want to end up a loser, do you?
That's why we gotta work our asses off, man! For our futures!

> Kenji seems to be sincerely worried about your future...

> Your relationship is stronger now!





> Kenji ran off.

> You decided to return to the dorm.

Like, okay, to be fair: for Kenji that wasn't really bad. It could've been worse. It could've been a lot worse...

Iwatodai Dorm



I dunno, I came like 8th I guess maybe?

Not bad.
That's great! I'm happy for you.
Did you see Mitsuru-senpai's score? Wow, she's amazing.



Dude, those freaks with Apathy Syndrome will be everywhere... Wait, I mean "The Lost."
I prolly shouldn't complain about 'em, since it's not their fault. It's those damn Shadows...
It is possible to end this...
Six Shadows remain.
If we can eliminate them, the Dark Hour will vanish.
Yeah, that's true...
So, what you're trying to say, Aigis, is that fighting is more important that studying, right?
...I agree 100%!

At least Junpei's not hiding in his room ashamed and scared this time!



If you did poorly, you may have to attend summer school...
I did fine.
That's very good.
Well, let's see how the others did.



How would you classify the facility known as "school"?
Boring.
I must disagree with that assessment.
Analyzing your facial expression, categorizing "school" as boring is inaccurate.

Thanks, Aigis. Helpful as... I can't really say "always" here though, huh?



Defeating Shadows is more important than getting good grades!
Any time spent studying could be used to go to Tartarus and--
Don't get carried away... You should still study.
You can learn from a defeat... But sometimes that is the hardest lesson.

I am kinda curious how Junpei actually did. It's clearly better than last time since he's sat downstairs, but still not exactly good otherwise he wouldn't be insisting on it not mattering...



With all that happened, she still managed to do great on her exams.
She can filter out distractions and focus on the task at hand. *sigh* I wish I could do that.

Personally speaking, I find it mostly easy to filter distractions. There's some that are really difficult to manage, though, and the most difficult of all is myself.



Well, don't worry if your grades weren't that good.
With everything that's been going on, I'm sure you did the best you could.



Just don't forget to train.

Akihiko manages to still be Akihiko even when it's not really relevant.



Ah, we've just received this bulletin. More Apathy Syndrome patients have been sighted. They seem to be relapses of the same patients from the previous months...

So, tonight is a really good night to go to Tartarus but nah we're not gonna do that. No big reason why, I just don't feel like it!



Fridays in general are light on options so Mutatsu, how's it goin'!



We really need a Tower persona here, on paper, but it's not a big deal in practice since we can just hang out with Mutatsu 4 nights a week in theory.



Gonna hit the books for good measure, though since we just ranked up this is gonna feel like a slow grind again.



Last day of school before the summer that is summer!

Want To Be Close (Reincarnation) / Time



Ya know, if you think about it, we're pretty lucky to be living in the dorm...
Mitsuru-senpai, Yuka-tan, and Fuuka... They're all hotties, don't ya think?
I guess.
Hey, c'mon, dude! Be honest! This is guy talk!
But ya know, it'd be tough to be more than friends with any of 'em...



I bet she only dates uber-nerds.
Yuka-tan is pretty damn popular, so she could prolly get any guy she wants...
And that just leaves Fuuka... But, she's super shy... You'd have to be really careful...
Hey, don't tell any of them I was talking about this, alright!?

Despite that conversation seeming to just be Junpei being Junpei, in reality he was giving us very unsubtle hints on how to - spoilers - start a S.Link with them. Y'know, just in case Fuuka already being doable by now didn't make it clear enough. Granted, Yukari and Mitsuru do have 2 requirements to Fuuka's one...



...but first, Edogawa.

Your regular teacher has fallen ill, so I'll be substituting today.
Summer vacation begins tomorrow... That's what happens when you let yourself get careless. Eeeheeehee.
Today, I'll give an introductory lesson on alchemy, a branch of magic focused on attaining wealth.
Do you like money? Of course you do... Who among us doesn't?
It's human nature to want what one doesn't have. There's no escaping it.



Uh, Edogawa... King Midas.... He, um, he wasn't... He wasn't real.

Sure, there were maybe 3 different kings at different times called Midas but they're not what he means and you know it.

It wasn't their dream to gain gold like King Midas, by touching things...
Rather, they conceived of converting cheap metals, such as iron or copper, into precious gold.
That is alchemy.
Whatever their incentive for creating the science, it's certain that alchemy has significantly influenced history.



Around 500 A.D., it was further developed in Arabia, which became the center of alchemical studies...
The science later gained popularity in Europe as well.



This form of alchemy seeks to make an elixir of immortality, instead of a magic recipe for gold.

I tried to look up and verify this claim, but all I could find was information on Ranma 1/2 and Full Metal Alchemist. So, uh, it miiiight be true but it's probably not and most likely just a reference to the latter because alchemy. And also anime.

Either way... the most important substance in the practice of alchemy is mercury, or quicksilver.
It was thought that mercury could be used to create the Philosopher's Stone, which would in turn generate gold.
Alchemists performed endless research, using various kinds of equipment and experimental methods.
Today, people believe that if not for the alchemists' trial and error, there would be no chemistry as we know it.



In a way, it's one of the greatest tragedies of world history...
Now, alchemy has also influenced human psychology.



Welcome to Persona, we're gonna talk about Jung at some point. It was inevitable. This time it's just a bit brief, at least.



...In conclusion, I think it's a shame to give up on alchemy when we've come so far.
It's better for young adults to strive for unusual goals. that they might lead more exciting lives.
After all, from the perspective of ancient peoples. modern scuence may as well be magic or alchemy.
If you work very hard, you might be able to discover your own form of magic.
But I think that will do for today. Enjoy your summer.



See, Edogawa is bad at being a proper teacher but he touches on interesting ideas and while I dislike him, I can't bring myself to dislike him.

Joy



Well, this is... different.

Since you're a transfer student, you probably don't know about the upcoming competition, right?
Well, on August 2nd, there's a big tournament.
I want you to compete, so start training!
You'll be going up against a monster named Hayase, but you can handle it. This year, we won't lose so easily!
Make sure you come to school from July 27th to August 1st, alright?
I'm gonna make you work like you've never worked before, so be ready!



...I really didn't get to decide anything. We got shanghai'd into this! Stupid railroad-y DMs...

Want To Be Close (Reincarnation) / Time



But we'll worry about that later, for now, uh, let's talk to Yukari. She's been here for months and we haven't even said "hi" once.

We are really bad at being friends with our alleged friends, huh.

I want to tell you something...
...in private.



As you no doubt expected, having Max Charm is one requirement for getting Yukari's S.Link which is why we got that done a while back.

...Um, can we go to the rooftop?
Sure.
Thanks, I wanted to talk to you.

> Yukari seems embarrassed.

> You decide to go to the rooftop with Yukari.

Joy



Oh, never mind.
What is it?
Sorry. Well, um...
Y-You might have forgotten about it already, but...



It's only been a few days, so we definitely remember. More important is that - as this makes very clear - the second requirement to getting to start Yukari's S.Link is to be past the events at Yakushima.

I just wanted to say I'm sorry.
It's been bothering me for a while.
It's hard not having a regular family, ya know?
Everyone else has a mom and a dad...
Why do we have to be different...?
Why us...?
Sorry, I didn't mean to lump the two of us together...



At least, that's what I thought.
Haha. Is that just wishful thinking?
That's how I really feel, though.

> Yukari has opened up to you.

> The distance between you has narrowed...

The Power of the Hearts



> A mysterious voice rings in your head...





Joy



> You decide to go back to the dorm.

A Decision

Fearful Experience



Didn't expect to see these guys again so soon...



Incidentally, I see that they've again added a new ally to their ranks.



Makes no difference to me.
It seems that what you told us before about their intentions was true.
How lamentable...



It is up to each individual how he will use the strength granted him...
But, to erase the Dark Hour would be denying the very power they possess.
We cannot tolerate that.
Do whatever you want...



...What're you gonna do?
I know they asked you to come back.
You're startin' to piss me off.



And if you're on their side, then you're going down too.
Like I said before... it doesn't concern me.

End

I can't wait to actually get to meet these people for real, rather than see them doing things when we're not around. That they're explicitly plotting against us makes them the closest thing we have right now to real antagonists.

Iwatodai Dorm



Meanwhile, back at the dorm we have inherited a small child for the next couple of months.

I'll try to stay out of everyone's way, so don't mind me.



Don't talk with him about anything regarding Shadows.

I... think that can be arranged, yes.



I am able to communicate with him at any time.
Please permit me to do so.

This is definitely a bad idea. We're not talking to Ken about real Persona stuff, so letting him talk to the robot that is an Anti-Shadow Weapon seems... like it would cause issues.



Just try to get along with him, okay, Makoto?



I think he's precocious.
He is, but that's what makes him cute.



I just moved into the dorm. I'll be staying here for the summer.

Yeah, we met before. Kinda. How canon some of them were is debatable, mind.



I don't know what it is, but there's something about him...
Maybe it's that he's more mature than I am...
What do you think?



He won't.
Oh, I'm so relieved... Thank you.

He has the potential to obtain a Persona in the future, sure, but he doesn't have one right now. He'd be actively unable to help. Why would we ever involve him in anything?



A recent fashion Show in Milan had an unusual theme: "Life in Space." Those attending watched supermodels wear space suits down the runway, and ate delicious Space food.

So, tonight we won't be going to Tartarus. Mostly because tonight is a Saturday and so we have two better options.

We could go increase our link with Tanaka, or...



We can become more nerdy than ever before. Scince we still don't have max Academics, for obvious reasons, we'll focus on that.



At least for a little while, in places. We should be able to get this done completely before it comes up again... I say now, tempting the fuck outta that fate.







Anyway, sometime over the next week we will be going to Tartarus. The deadline for Elizabeth's request is rapidly approaching after all!



Yukari snagged Diarama last time, so we can see what this does for her. She no longer has Dia, which is a wonderful decision for pure AI controlled party members. Outdated skills are replaced on the spot.

Plus she'll get Recarm next which is nice and all but it's better for Makoto to have, in theory, since if he dies it's game over anyway. Of course we also have items to do the job fine.

...Plus 29 Magic thanks to the Pleiades is quite a lot. Granted that does mean she'd have 25 without it, which is still fairly impressive in its own way!



Junpei's not quite as straight up powerful numerically, but his attacks are more powerful since he's not relying solely on one first tier Wind spell. He's not gonna get Agilao anytime soon, which is fine since he's Junpei and all.

Kill Rush is a marginal damage increase over the newly replaced Assault Dive (110 vs 90) but it hits 1d2 times. That more than makes up for it.



Akihiko's still lagging behind, as he is want to do. At least he'll definitely get Rakunda before we reach the next boss fight (if he even gets fielded I mean). That'll possibly help, since if the pattern of post-Thebel areas holds true it means we have a single Shadow to deal with next...



Mitsuru is completely identical to before, since she got benched. She's decent enough to make up for it without issue though, of course.



Aigis is a bit, uh, special. As a robot all of her equippable gear is wholly unique to her (except Accessories). Even her weapons are Aigis only, for obvious reasons. Plus she has a unique mechanic for good measure!



Mechanically, she's a bit of a tank and focuses on buffs and... her resistance is Pierce, which is kinda clever. Plus she's weak to Elec which is also clever. Her skills are Strike elemental though, which is odd, but she has Kill Rush and Swift Strike so she is terrifyingly good on paper. And, yes, that's including her Strength being equal to Akihiko's despite being several levels higher. Which is obviously objectively bad.

So, we have 5 folks now and only 3 slots to fill. Aigis is new, so she'll be coming along for the ride to see how effective she is in practice. There are 2 slots left to fill, though...

Which 2 people are gonna fill 'em?