Part 13: 05/10/09 - 05/13/09

After dealing with the Priestess, we're naturally tired because of the... difference in the event to, like, everything else since the Magician. At least this time we maintained consciousness!

The Poem For Everyone's Soul







I believe a path that was blocked is now open...
I thought you would like to know.
...I wish you a safe journey.

> The phone call has ended.

This is going to be useful and relevant and worthwhile... at some time in the future.

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



Today we're hanging out with Kaz and we can't even watch Tanaka's or anything.



I guess it'll make me mentally tough.

> Kazushi seems calm.

I'm not trying to bag on myself or anything, but this calm exterior is just an illusion...



> Kazushi seems a little embarrassed.

I get even more nervous when I think about winning...
Winning isn't everything.
So, you're telling me to give up? ...I don't know if I can do that, man...
But, I know where you're coming from.



> Today, your friendship has grown stronger.



So, uh, just to give you an idea of how useful this would've been if we needed it: accepting the invite gives you 5 points alone and then getting the dialogue option "right" gives 30 points. Make that 45 with a Chariot persona. Yes.

We didn't even remotely need it, though. This dialogue box just means that next time we hang out with Kaz, the S.Link will rank up. It was going to anyway, though.

Iwatodai Dorm



This could be quite damaging to the reputation of the monorail company.
Even though it was a Shadow that caused all the trouble, I still feel sorry for them.



Luckily, no one was hurt.
Oh. and by the way, I heard there was some trouble on the monorail last night.
But that's a separate matter now, isn't it? Ahahaha...



Well, if you want to go to Tartarus, then I'm not going to stop you.
But if you do go, just treat it as a light warm up.



But, if you're stronger than they are, they'll run away.
And remember, even if you don't have the first attack, you can still knock the enemy off balance.
...Did I just have a really evil look on my face? Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya.



It was so far off course after the Dark Hour ended.
I bet they had no idea what happened to them.



The last train, Anehazuru, failed to stop at the red light and went beyond its stopping point. Police and the monorail management are still trying to determine what caused the incident. Though the train overshot its mark by over 2,000 feet, no one was injured. Monorail management are suspecting the train driver, and are holding him for questioning. In the meantime, they are promising to make every effort to reduce the monorail accident rate. For now, service on the Anehazuru car will continue as normal.

I do appreciate that the game acknowledges that the monorail train in no way could have been moved back to where it was at the beginning of the Dark Hour. Would've been easy to just never mention it.

The Poem For Everyone's Soul



Came to the Velvet Room to check out new requests, but we've ended up with something... else.

I've been asked to inform you about the Persona Compendium.
You may register any of your Personas in this book, and for a fee, you can withdraw them at any time.
Please speak with me to view the compendium.



...It seems you enjoy a challenge.
Don't worry. You'll find my fees for withdrawing Personas very reasonable.

Well then, we've finally unlocked the Compendium so let's give it a look-see!



Since we're playing on Hard here, these prices are... emphatically NOT reasonable which is part of the point. Note how these are the base versions of everything and not the updated versions that we have on hand.



This is what updating it does for the prices. Thankfully, the prices are only based on the level and nothing else from the looks of things. It... is still pretty silly though. This will eat far, FAR more Yen than the social stat gains from the arcade etc. could ever dream about. Exciting!



Gonna need this guy very soon, so I made one right now (Orpheus + Nekomata).



So, what about the new requests? Well, there's no "take Elizabeth to [place]" this time so why even bother.



There ARE a few for Tartarus stuff, and this one is an easy one to deal with. These "create [Persona] with [Skill]" requests are the requirements for getting Social Link/Confidant confidant ranks for Empress in Persona 4 and Strength in Persona 5. Here, they're just things we can do for free things.



Jack Frost with Dia is easy, mercifully. We can make Jack Frost in a few ways but the way that involves the least money for us is Ara Mitama + Angel.



Jack ends up getting to level 10 which is nice but even nicer is that he has 11 Magic already. And at level 11 he learns Ice Boost which is going to make him really useful if/when he gets there.



Well done. Your reward for this is a Special type of armor.
Your appearance may change dramatically when wearing it, so why not try it on?



Why not try finding it as well?

The Chivalry Shirt is just lying around in a treasure chest in the middle part of Thebel. You can see what it looks like right now, in the Portable version of the Priestess fight, if you really want to know.



This, uh, we'll get back to this.



Since this is also a questline, we unlock a new one by getting the Jack Frost one completed.



Valkyrie is level 11 so she's gotta wait, unfortunately. We'll definitely be doing this one as soon as we can, though.



And now we're back to school like nothing happened. Because for most people, it kind of didn't.

Want To Be Close / Time



That was crazy though, the day before yesterday.
I've never had that kinda thrill in all my life...
Don't you think it's been getting more exciting lately?
Not really.
Dude, are you crazy!? We've got the power of Persona!
Plus, we won the battle and saved the city...
How sweet is that!?



Well, uh, hmm. I'm sure we'll do fine...

If you paid attention during class and studied diligently at home, you should have no problems.



Hmph... If you choose to neglect your duty as a student and waste your life in idleness, then be my guest...
In my day, society was nowhere near as rich and abundant as it is today...!
That's why we worked so long and hard; to better our lives. Can you young people say the same? Hmm?
Our society's material wealth has come at the cost of its spiritual wealth...
In "Ise Monogatari," on the contrary...

> You stayed up and listened to the lecture...



And so it begins. This is something we're going to be getting a lot of, in the hopes it'll get where we need it...



Oh and, uh, Kenji sure has changed a bit huh? Yeah, so, this is the last week before exams so all of our school S.Links are not available at this time.



This limits our options quite a lot, at the moment but later on it'll be less noticable.



To compensate for this disparity, we're going to, uh, I dunno deal with the one that we can do easily I guess!

Troubled



My wife just left for Gekkoukan.
I'll wait here for a while.
Well, she won't be gone long. Why don't you keep me company, Makoto-chan?



Are you thirsty? Here, let's share this.
...Wait, where are the cups? I'm afraid I'm completely useless without my wife.



> Mitsuko looks pale.

What happened?
Seem you have Makoto-chan worried too. You oughta know better than to walk that far at your age...

> Bunkichi seems worried.

Here, drink this, dear.
And here's one for you, Makoto-chan.



The persimmon tree by the walkway, at your school...
My wife heard a rumor that it was going to be cut down, and she almost fainted.
Do you know anything about it, Makoto-chan?
Now, you have me worried.
You're so kind, Makoto-chan...
I'm worried too. I tried to look into the rumor, but...
I think I was "barking up the wrong tree..."



Makoto-chan, if it's not too much trouble, can you tell us if you hear anything about the persimmon tree?

> It seems Mitsuko is counting on you.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





Please let us know if you hear anything about the persimmon tree.

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

Iwatodai Dorm



Could you look into it? It shouldn't take long.
I asked Akihiko and Iori, but judging by their responses, I doubt they were taking me seriously.
This isn't an order, just a favor. If you have nothing else to do, I'd appreciate this. Thanks.

This is a new addition for FES/Portable. It's something we'll definitely be checking out everytime it pops up.



So be careful. If you get distressed, you won't be able to dodge, and your defenses will go down.
You'll also suffer a lot of damage.
When this happens, don't mistake it for an ailment.



Computers ain't my field, dude.
All I know how to fix is a TV. You just smack the top and voila!



She wanted one of us to check on it.
Huh? Me?
No way! I don't know anything about that stuff.
I'll leave that stuff to the tech-heads. Why don't you do it?



Family and friends are overjoyed that they are returning to normal. That's all the news today. Tune in next time, for Action News.



So, upstairs in the command room if we examine these computers we can watch something that was caught on camera...

Over Shadowed

Silence





I should investigate whether this means it's finally begun...
Monorail...



*giggle* Heehee...
Oooh, I must make a note of that one...
Luck played an uncomfortably large part in the victory...



For Shadows to work in a group to overrun large machines is unprecedented...
The engine...



Hee hee hee...! What's with me today!? I'm on a roll!
Oh yeah, better write that one down too...
One should always wear bright clothing at night...



Whoa, I'm getting a little off subject... but who cares!?
Hey... I should write all these down and show them off the next time everyone gets together!
......



Hee heeee! This has nothing to do with the status report anymore, but I'm having a blast!
Let's see, what else...

> The recording ends here...

End

Iwatodai Dorm



Th-Thanks, Ikutsuki. That sure was, uh, something alright.



Honestly, Ikutsuki's terrible, terrible puns are so bad that it becomes amazing. Just for the sheer dedication to them being terrible if nothing else.



Anyway, we want to get as much Academics as possible so we really cannot drag out this Tiredness very long at long. There IS a chance for it to get cured by like bathrooms and stuff but I'm not taking any risks.

Want To Be Close / Time



There've been fewer new cases of Apathy Syndrome the last few days.
Senpai said it's probably because we beat that Shadow.
Wouldn't that be great if it was true?
Our efforts paid off.
I think so, too. It was dangerous, but I'm glad we did it.
We shouldn't get carried away, though, cuz we have midterms next week.
Let's just hope nothing like that happens again until midterms are over.

Provided the UI isn't lying to us, that's probably a reasonable presumption. At least this early on, anyway.



En route to the exit, we can find Kenji by the shoe lockers. I don't know why it's always this guy who's just hanging around on-screen but sure.

The exams aren't too far away, so I'm goin' straight home today.
Studying at the library is just too boring...
At home I can watch TV while I study.

For better or worse, Kenji certainly seems to have the kind of work ethic I had in high school.



But that just means that we really can't hang out with anyone at school, so back to the bookstore we go!

Troubled





I'm sorry for troubling you about the persimmon tree...
I'll 'root' out the truth!
Good one, Makoto-chan!
It's really nice having you around... I can make stupid puns whenever I feel like it!



...That persimmon tree is a reminder of our son...
Before his death, he was a teacher at Gekkoukan High School...
He planted that tree on graduation day with the students in his first class.
That tree is about to bear fruit...
Why now...? Why do they want to cut it down now?
Don't worry.
...Thank you, Makoto-chan.



> Mitsuko seems very appreciative of your support.

Wow, Makoto-chan, you've really captured her heart!
You must be popular with the ladies! My wife's no sucker, after all!
I feel I'm looking at myself when I was in my prime!

> It seems Bunkichi and Mitsuko have grown to trust you.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





Oh, and take this. It's left over, but it's still good...



Take care.

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

Iwatodai Dorm



Midterms are coming up, you know...
So, I'll have to pass today. ...Sorry.

> Yukari has left.

This doesn't exactly stop us from going to Tartarus or anything, but it does mean it'll be just us and Junpei and, uh, that sounds like a terrible idea! Gonna pass on that for a while, then.



So, if an enemy distresses you in battle, you won't be able to use your Persona.
Most intelligent enemies will try to use this tactic, so please be aware of it.



I guess I should study too...
...starting tomorrow.

Do your homework, Junpei.



This is kind of amazing, really. Considering the very different array of things we've seen on here, in order for there to be absolutely nothing that Makoto counts as intereting is pretty remarkable...



I guess that just means we get to the mall marginally quicker this time around.



Which in turns brings us back to studying in our room. We can, theoretically, get a decent amount of Knowledge out of this week and almost double that if we were to spend every day in the Library...



But that's actually a terrible idea and will, on its own, make our overall goal here actively impossible.

Want To Be Close / Time



Gossiping: I heard the road suddenly collapsed, and the guy's car fell 30 feet straight down!
Listening: Wow, I've never heard of anything like that before... Is this school haunted?
Gossiping: I know, right!? I think I just felt a chill go down my spine... I should go to the nurse's office.
Listening: Th-The nurse's office!? The same place that staffer is resting? Are you kidding me? He'll give you that weird medicine. You might end up feeling even worse!

> The first bell has rung.

Just in case you didn't know that Edogawa is really bad at his job and that this is usable, the game finally decides to tell you that very obliquely. Would've been nicer earlier, really.



The Earth rotates once every 24 hours...
All right, don't fall asleep or anything. It's basic, but it's an important premise for the rest.
Let's see... Hmm... Makoto?
How fast would you say the Earth rotates near the equator?
About 1,700 km/hour.



Flip to the next page... Oh, this is an application. Let's skip that and... Hm, that's an experiment. Okay, um...

> You gave the correct answer!



Charm's probably be hanging around at rank 1 for a bit longer, since we're not exactly focussing on it just yet. It's not super important for the time being, is the thing.



I don't know what to do with her... So I'll just leave her hanging.



I think I would be satisfied just to stare at him from afar...
*sigh* What should I do...?

I don't think I mentioned it before, but this particular sidestory is one that has been in every Persona game from 3 onwards. It's... certainly something, and it IS going to go somewhere eventually.

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





Anyway, today we can't actually get a rank up out of Bunkichi and Mitsuko. We needed 20 points to get to rank 6 from 5, but the previous scene with Omoikane gives a maximum potential of 14. This is something that'll be more of an issue later when we need to spend days just gaining points instead of gaining ranks. It's inconvenient but there's nothing more we can do about that.

Iwatodai Dorm



Hit the books.
Are you serious, bro!?
Isn't saving the world more important?
C'mon... Yuka-tan wants to go...
We DO have exams next week...
But, what the hell... I'll go.
Yeaaah! Now, we're talkin'!

This is the last chance we have before exams to go to Tartarus with Yukari around. So, going to Tartarus today is something that we... aren't going to do. Got more important things to do right now.



Well, there's a skill that can make someone become enraged.
It's a status ailment; anyone can go berserk.
Both your attack power and your attack speed will increase, but you won't be able to defend yourself, so you can get really messed up.
So if you become enraged, be careful...



There are weapons that will increase your attack power, and armor that will strengthen your defense.
You can cover all kinds of weaknesses this way.
Just be sure you don't equip any weak weapons or pieces or armor.
It's all about the balance, man. Balance.



When you're charmed you will attack your team members and heal your enemies.
I wonder if I've ever been charmed before. A person who's been charmed doesn't remember it happening...



The hospital settled with the patient for over 1 million yen. Next up, the summer weather forecast...

Eh, we have no reason to care about the weather forecast here, so we just kind of leave at this point.



So our pattern mostly doesn't change. Just gonna grind that Courage and also Academics for very different reasons.



Today is a good Academics day netting us 6 points (4 from the Arcade and 2 from studying), though that's something we can only realistically do twice a week...