Part 84: Bad Religion

For some reason, the game decided that Angie would accept presents but not give out events at some points you can interact with her. I'm not sure why. Also, this isn't a Love Key update, but I'm putting up a anyway.



MUSIC: Becoming Friends







Do you wanna pray to Atua, Kaede? You're more than welcome to!









The Greeks knew how to worship, back in the day. I think Atua would approve.

I see, I see... Kaede, you know how Angie is feeling today.

With all the offerings you've brought me, Angie must be having lots of fun.

I will be happy.



Our destinies? That's going a bit too far.

Huhhh? How so? I can't help feeling so fascinated by you, Kaede.

Hearing Angie say that makes me worry she'll sacrifice me in some way.



Huh? Atua's voice?

As I've said, when I sculpt sculptures or paint paintings, my body becomes Atua's vessel. He fills me with His divine inspiration. Ohhhhhhhhh! And then, through me, He immaculately conceives all the art my body creates.



No, not at all...

Oh? Really? Then how do you play the piano?

Hey, how do you do it?

How do you do it without Atua?



Of course, I'm not *just* playing the score. I also interpret the piece in my own way.

Your way? Not Atua's?

Yeah, *my* interpretation.



I don't need to be introduced. I can live without Atua.





But you still have time to act now! You just need to believe in Atua.

This sounds like an infomercial...

Atua has spoken... You will earn two points if you meet Atua right now!

It's definitely like an infomercial!





I can manage on my own.

On your own? It would be much faster to ask Atua.

But if it's not something I do on my own, I can't be proud of my own performance. I want to enjoy music and deliver that feeling to everyone by myself.

I'm good for now.

Mm-hm, mm-hm... Well, if you're satisfied then I guess that's that.

But I also think it's weird to ask Atua for help. There'd be no point in playing if it's not my own performance.

I'll find faith on my own.

Nyahahaha! You're so funny, Kaede. There's no need to look anywhere else.

Atua is the one true god. There are no other gods before Him.

Angie is...s-sorta scaring me right now...

You might think there are other gods cuz Atua can change His form to suit people's needs.

That is one convenient god...

A-Anyway, I don't need a god right now! I'll perform music my own way.



But if you change your mind, let me know! Atua and I will be waiting for you, Kaede!

...









Nyahahaha, okay! Atua says we should go to the courtyard! Let's go!









...Perhaps the same could be said of all religions?

Atua has spoken... Kaede, you should be my caretaker.

Because you've discovered what makes me happy.





Atua demands that we do a paint-and-piano jam session!

Huh...?

We must fuse your piano playing with my painting! Nyahahaha! This will be so divine!



I dunno either!

But you're the one who suggested it.

It'll be fine. Atua will fill me with divine inspiration and Show us the way.

C'mon, let's do it! Let's do it!



...I doubt Atua said that... I'm pretty sure it's all Angie talking. Maybe she's actually lonely...



Yay! We're gonna do do do it!



Angie, do you have any songs you wanna hear?

I will welcome any song you choose. Oh, but...I think I'd like a song that will make me feel...divine while I'm listening to it.

That's a...difficult request...



I got it! Yeah, I'll do *that* song!

Then, I'll begin.

Okay!

I sat down, straightened my back, and placed my fingers on the cold, smooth keys of the piano.



No matter where I am, the piano will always be there for me... I can feel my partner's passion—the same feeling I had when we first started walking together!



...

...

...

Well, how was it, Angie? This song...



Zzzzz...zzzzz...



Zzzzz...zzzzz...zzzzz...zzzzz...

Geez, she fell asleep even though she asked me to play. And it was a really lively song, too.

Ngh, grgh...zzzzz...zzzzz...

Angie...scares me sometimes, but she looks like an angel right now.



Oh, are you awake?

Wednesday morning... Need sacrifice... Hurry... Can't wait...

What?

Not enough blood... Need more blood... So I'll... I'll...



Is she having a nightmare!? Angie, wake up! I said, wake up!



Oh, hi Kaede. Was I sleeping? Sorry 'bout that. But thanks to your piano, I got to have a wonderful dream.

Are you sure about that...? You sounded pretty distressed...

Hehe, Atua says He was so enchanted by you, He accidentally poured His divine wrath somewhere.



AUDIO: Angie's Free Time #1

I'm starting to like your music, Kaede! Let's have a paint-and-piano jam session very soon!

O-Okay...

Well, I guess it wouldn't be so bad to get along with Angie... We might even be able to exchange artistic ideas with each other.













A light that restores memory is simply divine! I bet Atua had a hand in its creation!



Then let us pray to Atua and thank Him for restoring our memories!









This has to have its uses in a tropical climate.

Oh, I see... This offering will earn Atua's favor somewhat, Shuichi.

I will pray to Atua for you, Shuichi, so that you may become a gold member someday.



Huh? Really? Is my name so strange?

No, not "strange" really... Are you not from here?

Angie lives with Atua on a divine island paradise.

Ah, right, but... Where is the island? What's it like?



But Atua used a natural disaster to make it smaller cuz He thought it would look cuter.

*That* was the reason?

My island has lots of plants and flowers too, y'know?

Ah, is that so?



They attack people!?

Come to think of it...I'm honestly not sure if they're actual plants or flowers.

What...? What kind of island *is* this?



She answered my question with a question.

If you get it right, Atua will bless you. I wish you divine luck!



A tropical island paradise?

I see, I see... A tropical island paradise, huh? I sorta remember a place like that... Jabba-something Island, I think?

Jabba.. .what?

Atua has spoken... He's not satisfied with that answer. No blessing for you.

Ah...I see...

God's bathhouse?

Look out! You'll be spirited away! Nyahahaha! How divine!

Ah, yes. In my hometown, we wash ourselves in co-ed bathhouses. Co-ed baths are more relaxing to me. Let's go in together, Shuichi.

N-No thank you! I haven't done anything like that before!

A castle in the sky?

Yeah, but it got destroyed. Atua prefers the ground anyway.

Does Atua live on Earth?

Huh? Don'tcha know, Shuichi? Atua lives on the ground, y'know? How's He supposed to stand if He's not on the ground?

True...



In the middle of the ocean! Surrounded by water and nothing else.

A solitary island somewhere far out to sea...

But I get DeepSea deliveries all the time.

Deep sea? As in...submarines...?





I dunno whatcha thought I meant, but I use DeepSea all the time. I bet DeepSea is an instrument of Atua, cuz it made life on my island a divine experience.

Atua works in mysterious ways, I suppose...



And food, clothing, organ meat...

Plus medicine, blood, and even children!



Hm? How so? If it can be shipped, then DeepSea definitely stocks it.

Now if they just stocked offerings and OOPArts, that would be so divine.

...What exactly goes on on Angie's island?









Cuz Atua tells me what's necessary for this school.



Are you in trouble, Shuichi? Then let's pray to Atua together!









Now Angie can be a blade runner.

Atua has spoken... Shuichi, you should be my caretaker.

Because you've discovered what makes me happy. Shuichi, let's do more fun stuff today.



I'd be happy to help.

Yayyyy! Thank you! Now then, I want you to help me look for something.

That shouldn't be a problem. What are you looking for?

A sickle!



Yeah, a sickle! Y'know, crescent-shaped blade, wooden handle, cuts stuff easily...

What are you going to do with that, mow the lawn?



The window?

On my island, if you feel sad and lonely at night, you stab a sickle into your window!

That's...an odd custom.

Anyone who sees it can't just ignore it. They gotta go console that person.



That's...frightening.

So whenever I'm feeling sad, I gotta have a sickle ready.

I see... Well, if you ever need anything else...

Anything else...? Hmmm... Nothing else comes to mind.





I wanna be consoled by you! Nyahahahaha!

Ah, I see...

I'll teach you all of my island's customs, Shuichi!



...I've heard of a creature like that somewhere before.

Cuz it's unhealthy! They won't grow up to be stable adults!

Ah, alright. That sounds reasonable.



A ritual? Like a coming-of—age ceremony?

During the ritual, we perform intense physical workouts. They all become adults at the same time, and feel all happy and relaxed afterward.



I haven't undergone my ritual yet, but I hear it's a divine experience.

I...see... "Happy and relaxed," huh?

That's right. On my island, everyone shares in our fun, happy times.



The guests make their own vows, and then they consummate those, too.



After a successful consummation, the bride is blessed with a baby. Of course, we all share the baby, too...using a sickle......



Nyahahahaha! Just kidding! We can't share a baby!

We just share the bride!

...What does that mean!?

This island has a ton of strange traditions...









I'm just havin' a chit-chat with Himiko.



Do you want to be near me?

Hmmm...okay then, Atua says I can spend time with you.









Ohhhh! How divine of you, Shuichi!

Nyahaha! My cup runneth over with gratitude!





Angie was making brushstrokes against a canvas, accentuating each with a sexy moan. She looked like a woman possessed, as if being puppeted.

Mmmmm...

Angie...?



Are you okay? You looked like you were hypnotized or something, I was worried.

Nyahaha, I'm okay. Atua came down from the heavens and filled me with His holy presence. All of my work is created in this manner.



Maybe Atua revealed Himself because you're a chosen one, hm?

I was chosen?

Hey, hey Shuichi. Look at this picture.

Ah, okay...



...



.........

......

...



...Yes, sorry. I felt like...I lost consciousness for a minute.

It's okay, I don't mind. This sorta thing happens every now and then.



Art sure is difficult to understand...

Nyahahahaha! That's what everyone else says, too! Even so, you felt it with such intensity that you fainted. But you're okay now, right? Yayyyyy! I'm so happy!

Is this just a normal painting?

I dunno. I just do what Atua compels me to do. Atua works in mysterious ways.

What...?

Nyahahahaha! It's okay. Atua's not a scary god.

...Just don't make Him mad, okay?

Is this the power of an Ultimate?

Hmm? The power of an Ultimate? What do you mean?

Well, your art is...not normal.

...I don't like you right now, Shuichi. Atua is mad at you, too. Understand?

Ah!?

Never forget that Atua is always watching you.



What exactly does "chosen" mean?

It means you were chosen!

...Well, yeah.



Not divine enough?

Very well... By Atua's divine decree, your training begins today.

Grinning ear-to-ear, Angie skipped over to me and...



Huhhh? Why are you running, Shuichi?

Y-You grabbed me all of a sudden... And you tried to take my clothes off!

Of course. How else would I provide what you're lacking?



Pretty sure they've got the wrong speaker here.

Why are you afraid?

Atua and I will gently embrace you.





I-I just wanted to talk, Angie! Just be friends!

...



...

I'm just worried about you.

...



It's too much of a pain for Himiko to react to all of this.





This is bad... I bet she's really mad at me...



MUSIC: Spirit, Praise and Beauty





Cuz I have Atua. So I'm in no danger of dying, y'know?



Okay! Then what should we do?









When I tried to take up drawing, I could never find a good one of these in my price range. The joints were never that flexible; I couldn't fold the elbows all the way in without popping them out of the sockets. One of these days.

Ohhhh! How divine of you, Shuichi!

Nyahaha! My cup runneth over with gratitude!



But I wasn't mad at *her*.

I need to apologize. She'll probably turn me down, but...

Yahoo! I wonder what we'll get up to today, Shuichi.

I thought she would be too mad to even speak to me, but she's not acting any different.



Angie. I'm sorry that I yelled at you before.



Yeah, she's the one who tried to assault you.

I'm over what happened. Even Atua forgives you.



Yep.

But what about *you*, Angie? Are you mad at me?

My feelings don't matter. Atua has forgiven you, so it's fine.

...



Atua is god, and god is Atua. He is always with Angie.



R-Right, but...

Hmmm? Do you wanna know more about Atua, Shuichi? It's okay, I'll teach you. But only you, okay?



and spoke in a low whisper...

The truth is, my works are divine messages from Atua.

Divine messages...?

As an oracle, only I can receive Atua's divine messages.

An oracle?



That's why it's my duty to tell everyone on my island about Atua's teachings. Atua's words are absolute, so everyone listens to anything I say.

Anything?



Everyone on the island attended, and we partied all week long.

It was so much fun, but since no one worked for a week... It kinda messed up our lives.

But Atua told me to do it, so that's that.



I...don't think so. I think Angie is the lonely one. Angie...believes that Atua's will is her will.



That means that Atua will take care of everything...

But that's not right.

Hey, hey Shuichi? What's up? Whatcha thinkin'?



Cuz I want you to focus on me. Wow! I can see myself in your eyes!



What? Why?

Why why why?

What do you mean, why? You're really close to me, and...



Nyahaha. There, now you're closer to me.

I don't mind being *emotionally* closer to you, but can you scoot back a bit!?











Nyahahaha! The student council welcomes any and all!



But the future refused to change.



It's no Lord Marquaad E, but it'll do.

This is it! This is what I've been after! How did you know, Shuichi? Did Atua speak to you?

Nyahahaha! Good job, Shuichi!



Y-Yeah, happy...

Angie's been pretty happy lately, I wonder why.

Hey, hey Shuichi. Guess what? I got a present for you today.



Here, Shuichi. Unwrap the cloth, okay? Slowly, gently...

I unwrapped the cloth carefully, just as she said...and saw a canvas about the size of my palm. And on that canvas...

You made this, right, Angie? What's it of?





Not only does it not look like me, it doesn't even look human...

Yep, yep! I want you to have it.

Ah, th-thank you...

Hmm, hmm... You don't faint when you see my pictures anymore.





No, Shuichi. You were chosen by Atua. And now, you're ready to be Angie's husband. Isn't it wonderful?



Atua has spoken... Shuichi can be with Angie forever.

...Hey, Angie... Does Atua decide everything for you? Even your own husband?



Maybe I want you to be my husband...



Cuz I really do wanna be with you forever.



Are you confessing your love?

Confession?

Ah, yeah, because you clearly like me and all...

Ohhhh, I see, I see! Is that all? You just wanna know if I like you, too? Okay, I do! There, it's decided!

But choosing a husband is an important decision, you need to think about it more!

Th-This is getting kind of heavy...

Huh? But everyone who's ever carried me says I'm really light.

No, I don't mean your weight... I mean, this is a life-changing decision.

Nyahahaha! It'll be fine! We've got Atua on our side.

That doesn't make me feel any better!

But you can't pick a groom so casually like that. You're going to be with them for the rest of your life...

W-Wait, what am I saying!? We shouldn't even be talking about this at our age!

Huh? Huhhh? Are you defying the word of Atua? If you do that...

You will be cursed for generations to come.

O-Okay, but...this is still not a decision to be taken lightly...



But you're not ordinary. My first time was with you.



You're the first one to ever get angry at me. Since that moment...I haven't been able to stop thinking about you... I just think about you all the time.



After all, on her home island, her words were the words of Atua. Of course, if Angie admits that she got mad at me...



That's good... It's a little strange, but there is definitely a bond between us now. Ah, of course, there's still the matter of...

AUDIO: Angie Free Time #2

Hey, Shuichi? Will you be my husband and stay with me forever?

We aren't *that* close yet! I can't be her husband!



You've learned a new skill, Atua's Intuition.



That flash spot does take its sweet time growing otherwise. I might have use for this.