Part 3: W-W-W-Wake's a mother-father gentleman!

~Update 3 - W-W-W-Wake's a mother-father gentleman

-Wake's Dorm-



Alright, brand new day and--

...

(Wow, now that there's some light I can get a good look at this place...I really have to liven it up at some point.)

-School Route-



Ooh, nice uniform! I had a feeling a God's Gift would get a special one! That's so cool!

It's okay. It's no battle suit.

And you get to live in such a sweet pad, too... You're so lucky!

Now that part is awesome. No complaints there.

Well, I'd better work hard so I get to live in a place like that, too.

You're still in the Elite Class dorms though aren't you? How bad can that be?

I spent all last night listening to at least four guys in other rooms working out some...frustration. Those walls are paper thin man.

Damn. What the hell is the Standard class dorm like then?

I'm grateful that I don't have to find out. I'm guessing they all just sleep in a big pile or something.

But anyway...

Man, I'm so jealous. If I lived this close to the rest of the Academy, I'd never be late to class!



AHAHAHAHA!

Okay, take it easy man. It's not--

N-No, no, I'm sorry. I'll make sure to inform the Church. They'll want time to get ready for the second coming of God's Gift.

Such an ass sometimes...

Morning, you two!

Yesterday was rough, huh?

Oh, yeah, you guys Classmated yesterday! So, how was it? You guys have to tell me how it went!

H-Hey! I-I think it's against the rules to ask about it, Chlotz!

Really? Isn't it a holy ritual? I'm just asking for educational purposes.

Oh yeah, it was definitely the holiest of rituals. Nothing's more reverent than having four priests and a researcher watch the entire process like you're the star of a nature documentary.



Hm?

Um... Good morning!

Well it's morning, still too early to tell if it's going to be good though.

I'm kidding, good morning to you too.

Oh... Um... Well, see you!

Whoa, whoa! You're pretty smooth, aren't you?

You mean having a little lighthearted fun when returning a friendly greeting? Sure Chlotz, I'm just smooth as silk.

Stop being a sarcastic ass, you know what I'm getting at.



She did seem pretty excited there for a moment. Do you know her?

Can't say I do.

Psh, liar.

What stranger would just run up to you like that and say hello? She was smiling and happy and everything!

She was cute.

...

...

Girls can call other girls cute! Don't give me that look!

Anyway, I really don't know her, okay?

Maybe you've just forgotten about her.

Chlotz, did you not see her face? Her pupils were freaking star-shaped. You really think that's a detail I could forget about?



Whatever you say, man. Let's just get inside before we're late.

-Faculty Office-

Excuse us!



Ack!?

Oh, it's you, Chlotz.

Ooh, you must be a ladies' man, too. You already have a cute girl calling you by name, also.

Matching hair too? I see you have a type.

Urk..

What's wrong? Got some butterflies in your stomach?

Nope...just threw up in my mouth a little.

It's not what it looks like.

Am I missing something? I thought you had to wear a uniform here at this school.

Oh, there's an explanation behind that...

She may not look it, but Sis is a teacher here.

"Sis"?!

I take it back, this is turning out to be a good morning.

Thank you for looking after my brother. My name is Chloe, and I'll be in charge of your class. It's nice to meet you all!

Chlotz's sister is our teacher?

How is she old enough to be a teacher?!

And she's an S Rank, too!

Ohoho, this just keeps getting better.

I swear to the Star God, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking...

And you're a fellow S Rank, Fuuko, isn't that right?



(Fuck you, Star God...)

Now that's odd. I thought I told you before that I was in charge of the second-year Elite class.

Oh... I think you may have mentioned that at some point.

Must have been while I was tuning you out...

You're the same as always.

I guess I still have to look after you. I am your older sister, after all!

Exactly how old is 'older'?

Stop treating me like a kid! You're only one year older than me!

Excuse me!?

My sister got excellent scores, skipped a few grades, and now she's a teacher. When she got her Brand last year, she transferred to the Academy to teach here.



She wrote her thesis on battle tactics, too. That paper has been used by the government as an official manual for ground combat.

That's really impressive!

(I call bullshit on ALL of that. However, I'm going to pretend like I believe it because damn it, it is fun to mess with Chlotz.)

Looks really are deceiving, aren't they?

That part wasn't really necessary, Chlotz.

And you wonder why girls turn you dow--

Don't say another word! It feeds him!

Well, then, I'll be introducing you three to the rest of the class. Oh, and... No sleeping during lectures, okay?

No promises there.

-2nd-Year Class-



I thought only an S Rank would become a God's Gift...

.....

(Wonderful, I can see where this is going.)

Everybody's looking at Wake.

It can't be helped. I mean, Wake is a God's Gift, after all.

It's sort of a big deal for the world, Chlotz.

All right, everyone settle down!

Patrick! I see you sticking that gum under the desk! Get it in the trash before I scrape it off with your teeth!

You three can take your seats, too.

*Class is in session*

Well, vice president Narika! Since the class president is out today, please start the day off for us!



Next up on the new heroine showcase, we have Narika. We just heard that she is the VP of the class. How she got to be VP of the class is kind of a mystery considering she is clearly not comfortable with public speaking or being at the center of attention.

Also, where is the actual Class President? My theory is he or she died on a mission and the teachers don't have the heart to break it to the class. So he/she is just constantly 'out for the day'. Just handling a mission on a nice farm in the mainland.

G-Good morning, Ms. Chloe. ...Everyone, take your seats.



You doing okay over there? Your face is red. Not feeling faint are you?

Oh... I'm all right. It's just that I don't normally do the morning greeting, so I was kind of nervous.

Stage fright, huh?

That's right...

Well you did fine. Look around, everyone is just carrying on like normal. Just remember that next time you have to do it.

Hell, these are teenagers. Most of them are going to be half asleep until noon.

Well... when you put it like that...

Anyway, nice to meet you seat neighbour.

I-It's nice to meet you, too.

(It's like he flips a switch or something. You can't hide them from me. I will learn your secrets, God's Gift.)

As you may all know--

[Student D]*distant* Don't use 'As you know'! It's a stupid, patronizing literary device!

Sebastian! I swear to Star God I will have you spit shining the classroom floor if you interrupt me again! This is an Academic environment, 'As you know' is perfectly appropriate!

*clears throat*



Fire, Aqua, Wind, Earth... What are the remaining two? Narika?

They're Ether and Dusk.

That's correct.

It's also said that Ether is light and Dusk is darkness.

However, the Dusk Circles that threaten the world now are overflowing with Dusk Energy. Dusk is the element that is said to preside over mankind's desires.

So we have the basic implication that the reason monsters spawn is because Dusk energy rises and pools together in an area. The Dusk Energy gets stronger when humanity's desires grow. This could just be the Church's influence, but there isn't really a way to tell for sure. There isn't any indication of any recent drastic changes in humanity that could have caused all this. We aren't told a lot about the world itself in general actually, which is one of the missed opportunities of this game.

The Dusk Circles are unique and frightening spaces where Ether does not exist. Obviously, our Star Energy cannot be used in spaces without Ether Particles. That's why Disciples cannot normally fight monsters within the Dusk Circles.

She doesn't differentiate between genders here, which implies that male Disciples do have Star Energy? But if they do, then they should be capable of fighting in Dusk Circles to some degree. Even if the Ether Density is low, their bodies naturally produce at least some of it. I dunno, man.

Two of the Dusk Circles are already active close to here... Our comrades are fighting there day and night.

Alec, you've been participating in battles against the monsters recently, correct?



... There have been many casualties, as well.

My own experience is that if we continue to fight outside the Circles, it'll never end. The same can be said about the Circle here at the Fort City.

So yeah, this is one reason why Alec has a bit of a stick up his ass at the moment. He's been to the front lines. He's seen some shit. It isn't an optimistic situation.

Even then, we've finally seen the light.

This is because... a God's Gift has been granted to us!


[Disciples]: Ooooh!


Now, because he can create his own Ether Field... The God's Gift allows us to fight monsters even within the Dusk Circles!


[Disciples]: Ooooh!


Could we maybe tone this down a bit?

On top of that, he's perfectly compatible with female Disciples! His Star Conception Rate with an S Rank Disciple is 100%!


[Disciples]: Ooooh!


Could everyone just take a short break from piling the weight of the world on my damn shoulders?

Chlotz! That was uncalled for!

You're making him really uncomfortable!

He's not the only one Teach.

But... Going into Circles that no one has ever gone into... Isn't that nerve-wracking?

Of course it is.

But if it means I can exterminate monsters, I'll gladly go in.



For some reason it's kind of scaring me though...

I have that effect on people.

.....

-Later in class-

Wha--!? You're an S Rank too, Narika?

Ooh, we're the same Rank! Let's be friends, Narika!

*whisper* Please. I desperately need a girl friend. I can't hang around Chlotz all the time and Wake is getting a little more concerning as time goes on...

Transform. Kill monsters. Transform while killing monsters?

I'd be glad to.



[PA System]: Will these three please come to the headmaster's office?

That was sis.

I wonder what they need us for? Let's go together, Narika.

I hope it's not more Classmating.

All right.

*Fuuko and Narika leave*

Wake, did you know this?

Hm? I started brainstorming. What am I supposed to know?

At the end of winter the Academy holds a special party. It's called the Star Conception Festival. Supposedly it's a party where the male Disciples ask out the female Disciples. It's supposed to enhance the friendships between Classmating partners. But, nowadays, most Disciples attend it as couples.

And?

And the important part is that couples with great Classmating compatibility... It's said they get blessed by the Star God and live happily ever after!

I think I've received plenty of blessings from the Star God already.

You can't miss an opportunity like this! Right? C'mon, don't you think so?

Sounds fun, I guess.

...That's it? No excitement whatsoever?

It doesn't involve monster killing. What do you want from me?

S-Seriously...? Maybe I'm getting too excited about the girls, when this is a serious situation...

I didn't say there was anything wrong with it. The world needs events like this precisely because this is a serious situation.

R-Right?

That doesn't mean I'm going to squeal with delight and rush out with you to start hitting up prom dates though.

Damn...

(Almost had you. I'll figure out your methods, just wait and see.)

But, man, I was shocked to find out that Narika's an S Rank, too. She seemed like such a gentle girl.

I mean, don't judge people by appearances. On the other hand, I'll be honest, that kind of took me by surprise as well.

Alec looks and acts exactly like an honor student from any school, though.

Oh right, I should probably thank him for telling me about the missions thing.

Hey Alec. Can I bother you for a quick minute?

...Hm?

I got a little distracted yesterday with that monster business. Thanks for filling us in on the Academy. Glad to know I won't be stuck in classrooms every day.

You don't have to thank me. It's part of our mission.

Alright, well... you do you I suppose.

I see... That reminds me, I didn't finish our tour. Tell me if you'd like to do it.

Sure. You were talking up something called a Dusk Screener, I'd still like to know what that does. It better not be some boring old scanner or something.



He seems like an indifferent guy.

Alec's a second-year Elite. He has the highest grades out of anybody. In other words, he's the King of Nemesis Hunters.

That's got a cool ring to it.

Oh yeah, I'm sure monsters around the world tremble in fear at Alec's knowledge of Algebra.

He also manages the defensive lines of the Fort City.



Huh... Sounds like we share some things in common.

More than you think if you're asking me.

That reminds me, there are only a few S Rank Disciples here at the Academy, yeah?

There are four S Rank girls here now, including Fuuko. There are only two male Disciples, including Alec. Actually, there are a couple more, but they're off fighting on the continent.

We actually don't wind up meeting every S Rank Disciple by the end of the game. It's a cliche that the game avoids, although it does hamper the world building a bit. I just like that not every person of importance/strength congregates in the one location the hero happens to be staying in.

[PA System]: Will the God's Gift of the 2nd-year Elite class come to the headmaster's office? I repeat, God's Gift, please report to the headmaster's office.

Why exactly did they have to specify my class? Did a God's Gift enter the 3rd-year Elite class this morning while I was asleep?

Looks like it's your turn now. Make sure you tell me later what happened!

Whatever it is I'm sure it's going to be a pain in my ass.

-Headmaster's Office-



Oh...

So I guess you're Ellie then, huh? You didn't introduce yourself earlier.

...

Right...

Well, looks like this is everyone. The headmaster has something important to tell us! Listen carefully to everything he has to say!

Wait, he's the headmaster too? Oh, that's just awesome.

That's right.

"You best respect", as you kids would say.

There's a reason I called you all here today. I believe Chloe has already told the girls about this. Because you are all S Rank Disciples...

Not that I want to correct you or anything, but are you making me an S Rank? Because technically I'm an A.

You are God's Gift, you are technically without rank in the eyes of the Church. Unless, you wish to go to the regular Elite dormitory?

Shutting up.

I thought so.

You will all be going into the Dusk Circles that have activated.

Yeee--Wait, all of us?

Of course, you will be accompanying them, God's Gift.

Hold on a second, I thought that was a 'Me and the Star Children' kind of responsibility.

I believe I mentioned this before. The Star Children display their full power when receiving Star Energy from females. In others words, the Star Children and female Disciples are of one flesh.

Yeah, but can't you just bottle it and stick it in their lunchbox or something?

Star Energy does not work that way.

That, and your Star Conception Rate with God's Gift, are why you have been chosen. If we fight together and strengthen our bonds, we'll make better Star Children.

Note that we are going to places that are very dangerous.



...



...

You're pranking me, right? Chlotz put you up to this to get back at me for messing with him.

Do I look like a 'joking' kind of man to you?

(Mental filter, Wake. Don't you dare answer that question.)

Well, if that's how it is.

Don't worry, I'll keep you all safe. I promise.

Wake...



Wake...

(Oh my god... There's no way it's that easy... Am--Am I really that good? Or is Chlotz just really that bad?)

We are currently requesting approval to infiltrate the Dusk Circles. Once this request is approved, you will immediately be sent to the active Circle. That is all.

I know that things are going to be tough from this point on. But, for the sake of world peace, let's all do our best in battles and in Classmating!

I don't normally say this, but I really think we should be training a bit before diving in headfirst like this.

Ah... How I so envy that young lad... Classmating with so many charming ladies...

Did you say something, sir?

Something that could possibly get you struck by lightning perhaps?

Make sure you train yourselves before going into actual battle with the monsters. Well then, please excuse me.

*Mattero fucking books it*

Um, about the training that he mentioned... We can use the battle simulator at AngelMarker R&D to do that. You were all there for the Qualifying Exam, so you know where it is, correct?

(Well, at least there's a place where I can get some idea of what I'm working with here. This is going to be a disaster...)

Well then, you're dismissed for today! Take care, everyone!

-School Route-



Hard to tell. For some reason it feels like that's something I won't have a lot of control over.

Why, does that bother you?

Hrrrrght... If I said I did, I already know what Chloe would say:

"What a stupid thing to worry about when the whole world's in danger!"

Yup, she'd totally get angry over that...

All right... It's only because of the world threat, but I give you my approval!

...

Why are you looking at me like that?...

...

Ooohhh crap....



(Damn it! Why did I have to go and say that!? I just gave him a free button to push whenever he wants! Son of a bitch!)

Now that Chlotz shoved his foot in his mouth and has given Wake something to lord over him for the rest of their school lives, we are finally allowed a little freedom.



Ahh, feel those chains of exposition start to loosen. Unfortunately, those chains will be tightening up again a little bit fairly soon. So let's seize this brief respite.



We now get to have a look at some of the city's features. Here is a list of the basic facilities we can find at the start.



We'll get to Star Children Independence in due time. For now, let's look at the Hearts explanation. We get three hearts to work with for increasing bond levels with the heroines. Doing one of the heroines events will use up a Heart, even if that event is just a generic 'filler' type. This is why I want the thread to eventually focus in on 3 of the heroines. It seems like an appropriate number.



That being said, there technically isn't any limit to those bond Hearts. At first glance, when you see stuff like 'Spring', 'Advancing Time', and '3 Hearts per day', you probably expect this to be similar to Persona. We actually aren't under any type of time constraint here. You can go in and out of Labyrinths and Rest to advance as many days as you want. Time moves forward in step with the story. Persona's '1-year time limit' seems like it was intended for this game, but was scrapped at the last minute.



This part goes without saying in an RPG. I just wanted to include this card because it made me realize that we are running into a fair amount of spelling errors in this game. There was at least one more on a previous tutorial card.

I haven't been playing along on my Vita version, but this card got me curious about something. So I went and fired up my Vita copy of this game to check the tutorials section, and lo and behold, it turns out Spike Chunsoft really did do some work on the Steam version!



They went back and half-assed the Atlus translation! The Vita/3DS version doesn't contain this spelling error! I haven't checked the previous one I spotted, but I would imagine it's the same deal there.


Music: The Map Which Leads to the Future (It's the city map theme. Don't jazz up the title.)

Funny, funny, stuff. I'm not going to claim to be a perfect transcriptionist, but if I was getting paid for this shit I'd probably be making liberal use of the spell checker. Anyway, let's swing by Wake's bachelor real quick (it's the little blue house icon at the top of the city menu).







The dorm is where you can do all your micromanaging. You can also get access to the database (which can be done from the title menu as well).



Pretty much everything here is self-explanatory. You can view your items, check your quests, advance to the next day, and customize all your little bundles of monster-slaying joy. Characters can be equipped individually, or you can just pick the equipment and see who would get the best out of it. Equipment can also be locked so that you don't accidentally mess it up when using 'Equip All' or 'Remove All from Party' functions (which pfft, why the hell would I ever use those?)



One of the reasons I'm stopping in here is to point out that the Steam version has DLC included in the game. So right out of the gate, Wake will be able to use Dusk Slayer. It gives him a small bump in attack and a better Critical chance. It's a small upgrade, so there's no reason not to bother using it right away.



The heroines also have DLC weapons, but they are decidedly less useful. They offer a bigger increase in attack than Wake's, but they also cripple Speed. We'll get to the Stats when we get to the first dungeon, but suffice it to say, Speed is kind of important in this game. This trade off is absolutely not worth it.







Other than that, we can't do much here. We haven't grabbed any new equipment, so the Star Children are stuck with their default Weapon/Armor/Accessory. That will change soon enough.







Before we wrap up this update, let's wander around the Academy for a bit. We've got some people to check in with before we hit up the heroines. Let's see what Chlotz is up to first.

-2nd-year Classroom-



I'm on top of this! Already made loads of friends.

Then why do you keep hanging around me so much?

Can you just be nice for once?

Frankly, I think it's dangerous if we don't all get along here.

So be nice.

I mean, when we're on the battlefield, we gotta risk out lives for each other. Teamwork, y'know?

And we might as well make the most of it. Besides, man... The girls. You know what I mean? Yeah, you do!

I kind of have a lot on my plate, man. Girls are currently a little low on the priorities list in comparison to carrying the fate of humanity on my back.

You're such a downer.

Alright, I'm off to meet up with some people. Catch you later!

Have fun with your imaginary friends! Don't get carried away!

They're not imaginary!

Chlotz is apparently making all kinds of friends, which we will never meet. He'll also still be spending a lot of time with us. His schedule is truly blocked solid.

-2nd-year Classroom-



Hey. I just wanted to get a chance to talk with you one on one. Might be good to get to know each other a little better.

I'm an S Rank. I already know you're a God's Gift. What else is there?

Monster killing strategies, transformation phrases, poses... I could actually use someone to bounce some ideas off of for those last two.



I didn't think you'd tell jokes.

I never joke about transformations.

...

I have to go...

*Alec leaves*

So Alec is still a wet blanket, although we did manage to get a smile out of him. Hopefully his face didn't shatter on his way out the door. Who else can we nag?



Horny Schmuck Jobber: Chief Ruby's figure is too much. That's why I'll make any excuse to go to Renda. Just to see her! *sigh* When will she give me my reward...? I mean, I've been doing so much!

Keep at it man. She'll awaken to your intense devotion for her one day.

Poor, dumb bastard. He's too far gone for me to help.

Chlotz seems to have turned back up in the classroom again. No doubt tired out from all that awesome fun he had with his totally real friends.

-2nd-year Classroom-



Possibly. I'll be honest, your voice tends to drift in and out for me sometimes.

We're both from back East on the continent. Our towns were so close we could see the Rootstone from the same angle.

I bet you noticed we've got some pretty awesome names, too. You're a little jealous, it's okay. Lots of names like ours where we're from.

Whoooaaaa! Slam those brakes. Those are some loaded ass statements he just made. Let's break this down. The first time you saw the name 'Chlotz' appear in this game, I would guess that 99.9% of you had the entirely reasonable response of "What the fuck is that stupid-ass name?". The 0.1% that thinks the name is awesome is no doubt the localizer who proposed it during the translation.



Here's the short version of 'Chlotz' came to be. According to an Atlus staffer, when Atlus went to localize this game for the English speaking audience, Spike Chunsoft apparently approached them with their vision of Chlotz name. In Japanese, his name is technically something like 'Kurotsugu'. Spike Chunsoft tried to romanize some of the characters names a little or whatever the hell they were thinking, so his name appears as Chlotsugh in the title sequence. If you try saying Kurotsugu while pronouncing the 'R' sound as an 'L' sound, you can see where they got it from.

Atlus looked at Spike Chunsoft like they had just run up with their grade-school art project and went "Yeah. That sounds great!", then promptly turned to each other and said "No way are we calling him that. That's dumb."

Atlus THEN decided that the best way to change his name was to shorten it to Chlots (and change the S to a Z for some reason?) This is how 'Chlotz' came to be. You can probably see a perfectly acceptable alternative already.

NAME HIM FUCKING 'KURO'! Kuro would have been a fine alternative. It's close to his original name, doesn't sound stupid, and it doesn't stand out at all. Chlotz outright tells us that he and Fuuko come from the same area, it's in the 'Far East', and he says that there are lots of names like theirs around.

I'll remind you that this was 2014 Atlus USA. Most of the SMT library had been localized by that point. The only possible reason I can think of for 'Chlotz' is that his sister is named 'Chloe'. Even then, localize the damn thing as 'Chris'. It may not be truthful to the original Japanese, but it sounds natural.

*sigh* Anyway. It's stupid. There's blame to be placed at the feet of both Atlus and Spike Chunsoft. I just wanted to answer that burning question I'm sure you've all had. And no, they were not going for 'klutz' with this name. As much of a tactless weirdo as Chlotz is, he is actually kinda technically proficient. We'll see that later on.

Let's just move on. Chlotz has some...wisdom, he is about to start imparting.



I thought it was fate. "Hey, you're going to the Academy too?" but, y'know...

Anyways... Everything was real quiet back home for me and Fuuko. You and I are from such different places, it's amazing we even get along.

That's a bit of a stretch...

But we're buddies now. You can talk to me about anything, and don't skip the details!

Details?

You know...



C'mon, you didn't sweep her off her feet to save her from that monster for nothing.

No, I saved her from the monster because it was going to kill her. I should remind you that your life was also part of that saving.

Hm... Your face is telling me you haven't made much progress.

Are you insane? She's into you, man! And she's cute!

And despite how buddy-buddy she is with everyone, I don't think she's dated much.

What the hell are you on about Chlotz?

Listen, if you're going to woo Fuuko all the way to the Star Conception Festival... You gotta bond with her, like right now.



So then I guess that means you're a tool? Chlotz, what makes you think I'm even trying to 'woo' her?

Oooh, I see your game...



'Homeroom honey'? Whatever, not going to get into that. It's going alright. She seems easy to talk to once you make the effort.

What do you mean alright?

You've got this buxom beauty right there in the desk next to you.

Narika comes off as bashful, but she's got this great big heart. And you're going to break that great big heart if you keep ignoring her.

What do you mean 'ignoring her'? I had a conversation with her immediately after class started.

She's so pleasant and graceful.



That's what people do when they're trying to politely brush off someone they don't want to talk to, Chlotz.

Look, if you want to take Narika to the Star Conception Festival. You gotta start showing her a little affection, and soon. Girls like her always keep their troubles deep inside.



(I cannot believe what I am hearing right now... This is painful. He's trying to get me to do something stupid that turns everyone against me, right? This has to be some sort of revenge plot.)

We're going to stop here, because that was just...wow. Let's end this with something slightly less skeevy. The game has the option of alternate dungeon costumes for the playable characters. At the moment, we only have access to Battle Suit (Alt.) versions, which are basically just recolours of the current costume. I believe these were DLC as well.





This is what Wake is rocking.





And here's Fuuko's.

It won't be particularly noticeable to you guys unless we are seeing in-game cutscenes while in the dungeon, but I'll take a vote on each heroine's alternate colour just before I take them into a dungeon for the first time. The colour costume chosen will be their game costume for the LP. I'm only showing Fuuko's now since we've already seen her transformation.

Coming up next in sort of a 3.5 update, we'll get an introduction to the current four heroines and you guys can vote on who we should take in to the first dungeon.