Part 11: 05/05/09 - 05/08/09

Nothing left in Tartarus right now, so we'll be hanging out with a bunch of folks this time, I guess.



Tuesday being a holiday drastically limits our options, though...

Iwatodai Dorm



The Minister of Public Management has reported the number of children under 15 years of age. According to the report, 9.8% of the population is aged 15 years or younger. The report marks the first time Japan's child population has been under 10%. The aging population is slowly becoming a problem in some areas... The government has called for more data regarding the situation, and ordered a study into the matter.

Mitsuru's dialogue hasn't updated since yesterday and Akihiko is still dead on the couch. Still not gonna deal with Maya because of sensible time-management reasons.

When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars / Way of Life



But dude, no one's showed up yet. Maybe I'm just early, but...



Hmm, so there's not much to do today really so.... back to the bookstore it is!

Joy



But, I can't seem to find it.
Looking for something?



How'd you know I was looking for something? Are you psychic?



I'm looking for my glasses... No, not my glasses--my wallet... I can't seem to find it.
I'll help you look.
Wow! Makoto-chan, you really can read minds!
I was just thinking it'd be nice if someone gave us a hand.



> You search for the wallet with Bunkichi and Mitsuko.



...Wait, what were we looking for?





> The mysterious foreigner handed a wallet to Bunkichi.

Wow! This is it! I've been looking for this wallet everywhere!
Well, it's not a golden wallet, but I'm still happy to have it back!
Sumimasen, excuse me...
Aren't you ze transfer student everyone eez talking about?
I go to ze same school--Gekkoukan!
...Who are you?





Wait, how do you get from that to... but that's.... I don't...

......
Hajime mashite, it eez nice to meet you too!



Remember a while back there was an NPC who mentioned that room? Yeah, now that makes sense. Though this scene is only one requirement for getting in there. We still need more Academics...

I 'ope to see you zere. Sayonara, goodbye!

> Bebe has left the store.



Hmm... I thought I put it in my wallet so I wouldn't lose it...
Ah, here it is! I knew it was in here!
...Dear? Is that key for...?

Troubled



Seeing Makoto-chan reminded me of how things used to be...
I haven't heard the roar of the engine in a long time. How do I look, dear?



Why must you get into a car!? Do you want me to end up all alone!?
What's so bad about a car?
Um, Makoto-chan...
I'm sorry for raising my voice. Did I scare you?
Our son... Remember what I told you? How he passed away...



I'm sorry to hear that.
Makoto-chan, please punch me... Punch me for being so insensitive...
With all my excitement, I forgot to consider how my wife might feel... I'm such a... I'm such a...

> It seems like Bunkichi feels guilty.

> Bunkichi and Mitsuko told you the truth about their son's death.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





Since I found my wallet, why don't we eat out, dear?
Thanks for searching with us. Makoto-chan. Consider this your allowance.

> Bunkichi stuffed a Medicine into your pocket.



> After saying goodbye to Bunkichi and Mitsuko, you decided to go back to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



Yuka-tan said she's gonna study... But not me, man. I'm gonna find something fun to do.

Yeah, Mitsuru and Akihiko aren't anywhere in the dorm today. So this is the first time we explicitly can't go to Tartarus isn't of just opting to not do so.



I didn't study at all over the weekend, so I'm getting it done now.
Maybe next time?

Yukari IS around, but uh she's shut herself up in her room to study. Well, we DO have exams in 2 weeks...



We can't do much about that for the moment, so we'll just do whatever we can I guess.



> It's the thing you bought from the TV show!



The Slash Ward will be useful later, but the Sappy Jelly is basically useless really. It's fine, we weren't after that anyway.



Now this? This is gonna be useful if it sticks around 'til the 7th. Extra Courage from Edogawa isn't a bad thing.

Want To Be Close / Time



Listening: You know, rabbits can die from sadness.
Gossiping: Okay... First, you're not a rabbit. And second, that's just a rumor.
Listening: What? No way! I thought it was scientific fact...



Listening: She looked so sad playing all by herself. I felt sorry for her...

> The first bell has rung.



I was watching TV last night, and there was a special on weight loss. "The more you drink, the thinner you get!" Yeah, right!
What about the osmotic pressure, huh? It's misinformation, but people believe what they see on TV...
A lot of companies say stuff like "Our product contains minerals!" But that's a load of hooey. There's hardly more than trace elements of whatever they're talking about. It's meaningless.
Did you know that there are different names for water depending on its calcium or magnesium content? You look like you know the answer. Makoto... Surprise me.



Soft water.
That's right. You're better-informed than I thought! Most of the water in Japan is soft water.
That's why many Japanese find it strange to drink hard water, because they're used to the other kind.
Remember. cooking rice with hard water ruins the flavor. Now. let's look at the various ions in water...

> You gave the correct answer!



Alright, so now what are we going to actually do with our day? Hmm.



Well, first we'll gladly take our Courage boost and then, uh, since we're in the area...



Should probably go talk to Ms. Toriumi about student council before I forget entirely.



About Student Council...
Oh, yes. I heard from Mitsuru. All you need to do is read this and sign here.

> You signed the papers that Ms. Toriumi handed you.

Makoto Yuki... Alright, then.
Leave the rest to me. Good luck in Student Council.

> You now have access to the Student Council Room.

Now we can do something with that, I guess? But for now, we've got something more important to do. Gonna head on over to that shrine to see what's going on over there. Something weird about that and all...

When The Moon's Reaching Out Stars / Way of Life



Who are you?
Mom and Dad said not to talk to bad people... Are you bad?
Yeah, real bad.



> Maiko looks as if she wants something.

I can't play right now because I'm hungry.
There's something I really want...

We already have the right thing for this, so we don't get told quite what she wants but it's fine.

This is my favorite! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!



This is the easy bit at least, since if you don't have it you can just go to the strip mall and buy it.

That was so yummy I ate them all!
But, now I'm thirsty...

> Maiko looks as if she wants something.

This is my favorite! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!



This one is a legitimate timekiller though. If you don't have this, too bad. Only place to get it is the vending machines in the dorm so you can't just go and get it as easily.

Wow! I'm having so much fun!
You're nice. Will you be my friend?
Come play with me again, okay?
Of course.

There ARE options to be a dick to the actual child who seems to have no friends but, uh, lines. Try not to cross them.



You better not be lying!

Social Link..... no...? Huh. Weird. Sure feels like one would trigger here, but no dice. This didn't even take up time!

But we WILL get one here now that we've done this, but that's a way down the line right now. We need to come back at a later date, which is why the timekill from missing the Mad Bull can matter so much. You only have like 3 days of leeway when it comes to maxing every link so there's one gone right there. So far so good, though...

But anyway, let's see. What are we going to spend actual time on? Kenji (haha) isn't around, Kaz isn't around, Yuko isn't worth our time without a Strength Persona now and that's a long way off...



I suppose we'll get this done then, yeah?

Joy



He's the one I've been talking about the past few days. He'll be joining us in Student Council.
Makoto-kun, huh...





I'm a sophomore, and um... I'm still learning the ropes, so... please be patient with me, Makoto-san.
Nice to meet you.

Again. We saw Chihiro very, VERY briefly on our first day of school.



> Hidetoshi is sizing you up.

...You must be talented if the President hand-picked you.

> It seems Hidetoshi wants to learn more about you.

> You're getting to know the members of Student Council.

The Power of The Heart



> A mysterious voice rings in your head...





So, uh, fun fact about this link. In the original vanilla version, it's glitched. The boost you get from having a Persona of the relevant Arcana didn't work here, which made charting an already tight route even harsher by accident. Fortunately it was fixed in FES and Portable so we don't have that issue to deal with.

Joy



It'll be your job to help us, Yuki.
From now on, you have my permission to enter the Student Council Room whenever you need to.
That includes after school, too. Thank you, Yuki, for joining us today.

> You decided to go back to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



I'm getting worried since nothing's happened since that one day...
Is it just me, or are more people getting Apathy Syndrome lately?
I have a feeling something bad is going to happen. ...Or, am I just being paranoid?



However, you can't wield it very fast, so there is a high risk of the enemy launching a preemptive attack.
Therefore, when using a two-handed sword, you must stand a good distance away from your enemy, and pay close attention to the timing of your strike.



Should I just start going to club when I feel like it. Makoto?
Definitely.
Hey, I was just kidding. Even if I wanted to, Mitsuru would never let me.



...This is a perfect setup for me.
"Now, who wants to reach the top, hmmm?"
"Oh, me! Me! I wanna go to the top! I wanna go to the top!"
Well? Whaddya think?
*sigh* Ignore him. He's just trying to do his impressions again.

Yeah, uh, I really don't get this weird running gag all that much. Junpei trying to be a one-man manzai skit really is losing something in translation here, I swear.



It has great range, but its attack speed is slow.
If a Shadow gets in too close... I'm done for.
I need to fight from a distance...



The employee involved in creating the malicious code has already been terminated, but company officials have yet vto determine the true extent of the information leak.



Well, that's rank 2 in about 16 days or so. Can we get to 3 in the next 12? P-Probably not... but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try!

Silence



Hm? Well, this is different.



Sure.
You wanna do something next Sunday?
Sure.
Sweet. I'll see ya next Sunday, then. Don't forget!

> Kazushi seems excited...

Okay so, this would've happened on Monday right? Accepting this offer gives us like 5 points or so towards the next Chariot rank (enough to push over the threshold for rank 4!) but the offer would've been for Tuesday instead. We could reject that one but then we wouldn't get this one because it's kinda a dumb system.

Going to Tartarus locks that day's call out and delays it until the next opportunity for it to come up. This is something we're going to be using a couple times because otherwise scheduling is gonna be a pain in the ass to deal with.



More important right now, is that this DID happen and I didn't have to savescum for it either (though I was totally planning on it).

Want To Be Close / Time



En route to Edogawa, we can find Chihiro hanging out just outside our classroom now.

Um...
...C-Can I help you!?
I wanted to talk...
I-I-I don't have anything to talk about!
...Oh, um... I'm sorry...

> There is an awkward moment between you and Chihiro.

As is the case with a lot of things we're doing today apparently, this is something that'll pay off more in the future than now. Necessary evils...



Also we drink Edogawa's weird bullshit again. I was completely expecting this to push us up to the fourth rank but no such luck. Go figure.



Well, uh, we have a fair few options now but we'll stick with an old classic for now.

Joy



> The Kendo Team is giving it everything they've got.

> The workout is tough, but fun.

> You don't see Kazushi...

> After finishing the training, you decide to go back to the dorm.





Wh-What's up...? I was just gonna sneak into practice...
Did you ditch?
No way! I had a legitimate reason!

> Kazushi seems pissed off.



She made the appointment without telling me, so... there was nothing I could do!
That sucks.
Doesn't it? My mom, the rest of the team... Why does everyone have to be like that...



It gets annoying when everyone around you is so nosy, huh...?
Today, they took x-rays... I'll know the results tomorrow. I don't know why they couldn't have told me today.
...Oh, hey! Don't tell anyone about me going to the hospital, alright? I'm counting on you, Makoto!
...I-I'm always asking you to keep quiet... Sorry 'bout that.

> Kazushi seems to be appreciative.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





Wait a minute! Since you're leaving, that means practice is over...
...Oh well. I guess I have to go home today... Later, Makoto.

> Kazushi has left...

> You decide to go back to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



Other than that, nothin's been going on...
Man, talk about boring...
Let's go to Tartarus for a little action.
Maybe I should come along... I'm dying of boredom, too.
...Akihiko, are you trying to make me angry?

Yeah, uh, definitely recommend NOT doing that!



How do you like living here?
It's really... exciting.
That's very true. I don't think you'll find a dormitory like this anywhere else in the world.



Officer Kurosawa must be selling them to us without realizing it.

Yeah, that's a thing you can tell from the interface even! When your perusing in the store it tells you that there's some added effect, but not what it is. If you parse it from Kurosawa's perspective that makes sense but it does have a weird implication that it's random even though it isn't.



...But that doesn't mean anyone will want to buy anything from you.
But, I guess there's nothing you can do about that.



For even better luck, try skipping and frolicking around!

While I'm sure your curious, sorry, I don't know if Makoto is a Taurus or not. His actual date of birth is not a known quantity, but that the year is 1992 is. He has to be 16 at the beginning of the second (of three) year of high school which limits it somewhat but that's all.

For reference of everyone else of importance:

Yukari: October 19, 1992 (Libra)
Junpei: January 13, 1993 (Capricorn)
Akihiko: September 22, 1991 (Virgo)
Mitsuru: May 8, 1991 (Taurus)



So, uh, yeah, the horoscope happens a day before Mitsuru's birthday at least. Fancy!

Silence



Actually, I'm kinda busy.
Oh, you are? Alright, I guess I'll talk to you later, then.

> Kenji hung up. He sounded disappointed...

Unlike with Kaz before, we can just tell Kenji to piss off and that's the correct option. I know it seems weird since we don't need to actually hang out with Kaz for anything this Sunday, but replacing it with Kenji instead is the worse option.



...And not just because he's Kenji but that sure doesn't help.

Want To Be Close / Time



Regardless, we want to talk to Kenji now because at rank 3 he tells us about the Best Character*.

Well, I heard he knows more about food than anyone...
People are always asking him for recommendations on where to eat.
...Well, I major in noodles, so there's nothing he can tell me about ramen that I don't already know.
I mean, I heard he goes to Hagakure and orders rice-based dishes... What a loser!

Yeah, I'm sure that's his worst trait all right.

Also wow Kenji you have no high ground to stand on, you creepoid weirdo.



I wonder who he is...



We could theoretically try and meet the Gourmet King right now and I was very tempted but there's a time and a place for everything. The Gourmet King will get his time in the spotlight soon enough...

For now, let's see how bad Kenji's terrible plan will go. This should be funny.

Joy



Why?
Hey, don't freak out, man!
I'm gonna go ask Ms. Kanou out right now!
Good luck.
Thanks, man! I'm gonna go get myself a girlfriend!



If I give him false hope, it's going to make his crash that much sweeter...

Alright, dude, here I go!

> Kenji ran off.



Hey, man, listen to this!
She said yes! Can you believe it!? She said YES!

No, in fact, I don't believe it at all.



...O-oh. Uhh, so, you see, the thing about that is...

> Kenji is in his own world.

Dude, I owe you! I owe you big time!

> It seems that Kenji successfully asked out Ms. Kanou... (???)

> Your relationship is stronger now!







Maybe, uh, here's a thought: don't consider assaulting your teacher, Kenji. Definitely don't do it either!

> Kenji is talking to himself and doesn't seem like he's ever going to stop.



> Kenji ran off.

> It's getting dark. You decide to return to the dorm.

So, uh, real quick: the first time I played this game I got to this scene. I then proceeded to ignore Kenji for the rest of time, because jesus christ.

I can be fairly confident in presuming I'm not the only one.

Iwatodai Dorm



Anyway, happy birthday Mitsuru! No one will comment on this in-game though!

You're referring to the Shadows, I take it?
It's been a month since the last attack, yet I'm certain that won't be the last time they appear outside of Tartarus.
True... Lately, it seems like The Lost are everywhere. So, something must be going on...



During Rush, everyone on the team will attack the same enemy. It's an easy way to finish a battle quickly.
But, be careful if you use it on a strong enemy, because you can't heal during Rush. So don't get us all killed, man.

It's also the button that gets remapped in Persona 5 for the skills menu, so while I auto things a lot anyway I end up doing it more by accident as a result. Awkward, annoying but it hasn't killed me yet so that's a wash.



Anxiety is spreading near Port Island, where many of the victims are from. This is Kaede Kuroki, reporting from Tatsumi Memorial Hospital.



So there's not much around at the dorm, and there's a full moon tomorrow...



If that kid was right, then we have something happening tomorrow. Hopefully, it'll be something we can manage if it even happens...