Part 54: 09/03/09 - 09/04/09: Yabbashah The Dry Land (Part Four)

Two more days to get through before we hit the full moon.

An Unpleasant Premonition



The number of incidents have increased compared to those during the last full moon...
Really...?
Something must be done...
I don't know the reason for the increase. We'll just have to remain alert at all times...

Changing Seasons / Sun



Since Aigis is at school now, we can talk to her but...

Should I conclude that they are absent?

> She is still far from passing as human...

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

She's still Aigis. Sounds about right.



We don't normally talk to folks around school, sure, but Junpei has something important to mention.

Nope.
We're running a cafe. A CAFE, for heaven's sake!
It's so typical. Why don't we do something fun?
Like a heavy metal cafe!

Namely a very strong, competent and powerful reminder that this IS anime. We need to get more anime before we finish, and this is a good way to do that.



So, uh, let's go back to the nurse's office and see what Edogawa has for the next lesson.

This Mysterious Feeling



I have a lot to cover, so I hope you're prepared.
I'd like to hear it.
I like your spirit!
We've covered the basics, so now I'll teach you how to use all 78 Major and Minor Arcana...
As well as the basic spread.
To review, the tarot is made of 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana...
For a total of 78 cards. Is that clear?
All of these cards have their own meanings.
Many are daunted by the full deck, because there are so many cards... But take heart!
It is difficult to learn all the meanings, but having them all actually makes your reading easier.
The more fine detail one has, the easier it is to create a story...
I already explained about the Major Arcana, so let me give you an outline of the Minor Arcana.



Do you recall when I told you that this is what common playing cards were modelled after?
Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins correspond to Clubs, Hearts, Spades, and Diamonds.
Each suit has 10 numbered cards, ranging from Ace to 10...



The Page is sometimes called Prince, though he's essentially a knight in training.
The four face cards are called court cards. That term will come up again, so remember it well.
There are 14 types in total, between the pip cards or number cards, and the face or court cards.
These 14 types have four cards each, for a total of 56 cards in the Minor Arcana.
And now you know the makeup of the Minor Arcana. Now, as to how to use them in a reading...
It's actually the same way as the Major Arcana.
Keep in mind the meaning of each card and the direction it faces, and use your inspiration to create a story.



The best way to memorize these may be to imagine them in a 4 by 14 grid.
Each of the four suits' meaning, in brief...



As for the basic meaning of each of the number cards...





Court cards represent people and their strengths. It could be the client, or other people involved.
The Page represents children, and the offering of information. The Knight is youth, and overflowing energy.
The Queen represents adult females, while the King represents mature males.
It's said that to grasp the meaning of the cards, it's important to communicate with them...
Now then, let's move on to the method of using all the Arcana to tell fortunes.
The basic procedure is the same... You'll just be usmg more cards.
Even for the full deck of 78, you must first shuffle, then cut, spread, and read.
The type of spread you use affects the procedure more than the number of cards in use.
But don't get me wrong... The spread I'll be covering is done with this procedure, too.
Now for a change in subject... I'll explain the types of spreads.
Last time we used the one-card spread, so today we'll examine the other typical spreads.
First, remember that the spread is chosen according to the nature of the question.



Use the spread that best fits the request you have in mind.
For example... If you want to tell the client's past, present, and future...
Why not use a three-card spread, where you simply lay out three cards?
Adding a card produces the four-card spread, identifying the past, present, nature of the problem, and future.



You can read both the nature of the problem and a countermeasure against it.
There is also a spread called Question-And-Answer, involving two choices.
This reading is done by setting two countermeasures against the question.



It's suited to telling fortunes with only the Major Arcana, and used often by both beginners and experts.
Arrange two cards crossing each other in the center, then one more on all four sides of the cross...
Then, place a pillar of four cards, known as the "Spear of Destiny," next to it to the right.
The cross of six cards represents the overall situation, with the four to the right making it concrete.
Again, this forms the 10-card spread known as the Celtic Cross.





Edogawa is referring to a very specific thing here, but I just so love the "so-called normal spread."

I've heard rumors of so-called vanilla flavoured ice-cream.

There are far too many for me to teach you, so look into it yourself if you're interested.
Whew... I believe it's time for my afternoon tea.
We'll end here for today, and we'll continue... whenever I feel like it. Eeeheehee...

So, yeah, Edogawa ia a very wordy man. A very wordy man. I think that was even longer than last time, even. Still didn't get anything out of it, but it still didn't eat any real time so whatever.



There's a lot of options for who to hang out with today, but I think Yukari's a good choice since we'd only just started it before summer happened.

Joy



Maybe gerberas...?

> Yukari is trying to decide which flowers to buy.

Oh, sorry.
I'm looking at flowers for my room.



Pink's cute.
You think so too? I love pink.
I guess we have the same taste, huh...



Then, it's decided: I'll get 'em.
Hmm... But, just gerberas might be a little plain...
What other flowers do you think would look nice?
...Oh, you've never seen my room, have you? Well, what good are you?
That's messed up.
*giggle* But it's the truth.



Actually, any flowers would be fine if they were from you, Makoto-kun.
...Psych! *giggle*

> Yukari seems to be full of laughter today.

> The bond between you is growing...





I'm gonna check out a few more flowers before I go, but you don't have to wait.

> You decide to go back to the dorm...

This is virtually identical in Portable, just without the weird flirting. Well, y'know, aside from being available much, much earlier.

Iwatodai Dorm



...I haven't introduced myself, have I?
I'm Shinjiro Aragaki.
Don't worry... I got your back.
Um... There will be a full moon the day after tomorrow.
I'm sure another Shadow will appear, so...
please be ready.

Shinji's formally joined for real now, it seems. Matches with what he said yesterday at least.



A lot of things have happened since then, but...
...there's no need to doubt Shinjiro. I assure you that he's reliable.



If you're looking for a change, you should add Shinji to the lineup.
You'll be surprised by his strength.
Tch, it's no big deal.



...so you can count on me.



Hama can take down any opponent in a second!
W-Well... maybe not ANY Opponent, but...
...Oh, and it's also pretty good with electricity skills...
...but not as good as Sanada-senpai's Persona.

See, Ken says that but he has Zionga and Akihiko doesn't. On the other hand, Akihiko has Mazio and Ken doesn't.



And Lisa's on TV again today! That's gotten somewhat more common lately, it seems like.

"Houshonah" means "tough"! It's tough when someone you like tells you, "Houshonah!"
That's all for this week! Back to the news!
Don't let Apathy Syndrome or the hot weather get you down! See you next time!

Well, so, uh, today we have a clear thing to do this evening:

The Voice Someone Calls



So, Shinji's barely the highest leveled person we have right now. He uses Axes, of course, and he starts with a Heavy Axe but the one we have is better than his default since it has an extra +2 Strength.



His Persona plays into his Strength a bit, but it's also really boring about it. That he has Regenerate 1 and Counter means the two accessories we'd consider giving Shinji aren't usable since they do nothing (thanks, Shinji). That aside, Castor is pretty interesting and simple because it has no weakness... or resistances.



So, we're gonna be using Shinji because DM Fiat I'm deciding that one.

The other two make things a mite awkward but we can deal with it.

The Snow Queen



So, real quick: Fuuka's outright actively wrong here. On Floor 99, nothing has changed from before. Thanks, Fuuka.



But that does mean we can see this team's Very Large damage potential in action immediately. This is probably the most Feast-Or-Famine style team composition possible, which is a mite inconvenient but it's very managable at least.



Oh and naturally there's nothing special or fancy about floor 100. The previous boss fight being on the 98th might have been a bit of a clue really.



On Floor 102, Fuuka finally realises that there's another boss fight sometime ahead. Thanks Fuuka, helpful that.



Anyway, Floor 102 is also when the Shadows DO actually change!

Mass Destruction / Wiping All Out



Almighty Hands sure are Hands, I guess? They're more Icey than Almighty, and even more Icey than the fucking Ice Ravens. They're weak to instant death though so whoops.



Shouting Tiaras are... VERY Fire heavy. Very Fire heavy. They also like multi-target skills apparently. Naturally, they're weak to Ice but they're also weak to Darkness so they die pretty easily no matter what.



They also drop a thing for Elizabeth. We want 5 of their Hairs which takes a bit longer than it seems like it should.



Furious Gigas is weaker than his previous incarnation, but has slightly higher Endurance and has a massively reduced move pool. He's still weak to Wind but also now weak to Expel, so...



Phantom Lords are a bit more difficult on paper than older Lords have been. Only Agilao for direct damage, but he reflects Dark which is a clever mean trick especially since they often come with Almighty Hands.



Minotaur IV is the first Hanged Man shadow we've encountered and its... really annoying but not difficult. He has a bunch of HP but with a Fire weakness he shouldn't get turns really. His resistances are boring and his skills are more designed to be tedious and get in the way. Weird.



And we have another, different Hanged Man shadow now as well. Jotuns are hyper tedious to fight and it being a six-armed fat boy on a rocking horse is weird but not good enough to salvage it. Sure he has Bufudyne and the lack of weakness means its likely to get turns, Last Resort is probably the most dangerous thing it actually has because explosions are powerful.

The Snow Queen



Not much left, but we find some new armor on floor 105. It's better than the Poncho that Makoto has, so we'll give it some use.

For Shinji, I mean. He needs real armour after all.



Then on 106F, Fuuka finally finds the boss. Thanks Fuuka, you're helping out so much.



And, uh, that's it until we hit 110F so we'll turn on the Terminal and take a quick jaunt downstairs for the full heal (mainly for the SP as per usual though).

The Poem For Everyone's Soul



You have claimed part of your enemy's head, just as the samurai did long ago.
Consider it a sign of your victory.
Please accept your reward.



...Just the one? Really? If I wanted that, I could take a quick trip through almost any block and grab one. Or trade some gems for one.



I don't have an easy (read: cheap) enough way to make the thing I would rather have right now. Mothman's more than sufficient for our purposes, though. Having Hermit maxed really doesn't help much here, but it sure doesn't hurt either.

Anyway, uh, let's head on back to the 110th floor to deal with a boss.

Lovers Natural Dancer (Portable)
for the first time in a while, these are very different ways of handling this fight. the fes one can be done in either, but the portable one is an example of why they really should've rebalanced for manual control

Master of Tartarus / Danger Zone



I know a girl who's a natural dancer, with a cape and a hat she's a natural dancer...



So, Natural Dancer CAN be a bit of a tricky fight. It's not the hardest Tartarus boss we've dealt with, mind.



They ARE the most obnoxious though, since they really like casting Sexy Dance at every opportunity.



And they have 30 Luck which is kinda a lot, so this is pretty common. Annoyingly.



The Dancer doesn't have Mind Charge, since they don't really need it. Doesn't help with Sexy Dance after all. Instead, they Tetrakarn to get around how they're only really hurt by Slash, Strike, Pierce and, uh, Ice.

The Dancer very heavily resists Fire and Elec, and is immune to Wind, Expel and Dark.



So, uh, let's get rid of that Wind resistance. It's kind of in our way.



Presuming Makoto DOESN'T get Charmed, we can follow up with a Magic Mirror.



This is a useful idea in general, since it does repel Sexy Dances. That's some good life advice in general there.



It also means that Natural Dancer can pelt itself with its own Garudynes for about 200 damage. That's not too bad, but...



Their multi-attack skill is Magarudyne instead of Magarula. A very important distinction indeed:



Because it means that this happens. Natural Dancer's repelled Magarudynes do ~850-900 damage. Since they have 1700HP, they're kind enough to halve their own HP in one fell swoop. Now, Magarudyne isn't used all that often but it's an option so it'll happen eventually. Still gotta do about half the work yourself, really, though.



So, uh, the alternative is to just have Wind immunity and go to town because hey the Natural Dancer can't cast Wind Break. Not even as a "it technically has it but never uses it" sense; it doesn't have anything that's utility other than Sexy Dance.

The Snow Queen



Pretty simple item rewards here, all things considered. It's fine though; don't need anything super fancy after all.



Fuuka is still confused by their being less Shadows as we approach the barrier. You'd think it'd be more obvious by now...



Floor 114 brings us to the barrier, and of course...



The next Old Document. Might as well give it a quick read.



And then take it back to Elizabeth, since she wanted it and all.

The Poem For Everyone's Soul



Well done. You fulfilled my request before the deadline.
However, we still do not know how high up the tower extends...
How many floors could it possibly have...?
Please accept your reward.



More money is never a bad thing, and it helps more than some of the random crap Liz thinks we could use.

Now if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to spend a bit more time in Yabbashah before leaving...



But that's my problem, not yours. It's a good time to get it outta the way at least.

An Unpleasant Premonition



...You remember?
But, this time will be tougher than the last...
I heard.
There's only 4 Shadows left... Maybe they're gettin' nervous.
...Or, maybe the next one is just insanely strong!
Oops. Haha, I shouldn't jinx it.
Well, we can handle it!

Troubled



How's your hand?



Did it heal that quickly?
Hey, Junpei... What do you do to make yourself feel alive?
Uh, I dunno... Breathing, I guess? *chuckle*
Y'know, I never really thought about it before.
How 'bout you, Chidori? Is that why you draw?
Maybe... But, most of these are just scribbles...



I see.
Mind if I sit here?



When I get to play hero.



Our hero, Junpei, fights to protect the world from these terrifying monsters!

That she doesn't IMMEDIATELY think something is silly about this should be a bit of a clue to Junpei.

Heheh... Well, you get the idea. That's when I feel most alive!
......
Umm... You're s'posed to laugh.
So... Do you fight all alone...?
H-Hey, I was just kiddin' around...



So then, no one knows what you've been doing, either.
That means you'll never receive any recognition...
...I'm impressed. I didn't know you're that kind of guy.
...For real?
You actually believe me?
Tell me more...
You really wanna know?
Okay, but don't tell anyone, alright?



This is clearly meant to be a dramatic irony thing, since we know that Chidori is in Strega and all. It just makes Junpei seem like a complete dumbass though; spilling all of this stuff to the first person who shows even a modicum of interest in him as a person is a ridiculously terrible sign.

That's what I meant by "the chosen ones."
My friends are fighting too... And ever since I joined 'em, we've been kicking some serious ass!
Sounds like fun.



Y-Yeah...
I-I guess you could say that.
I mean, without me, things would just fall apart.
Someone's gotta be in charge, after all. It's pretty tough being a leader.
......

Chidori so cannot believe just how dumb Junpei is. When she called him "pretty strong" she couldn't have been more sarcastic. It is actively impossible.

Thank you, Junpei... I had fun today.
Y-You did?



Heheh... Tomorrow, huh?
...All right!!

So, while Junpei is off being a gigantic idiot...



We're a little preoccupied going to see Edogawa again.

This Mysterious Feeling



This has to payoff with something at some point. Why else would it be here?

How about it? Up for another mammoth lecture? Eeeheehee...
I'd like to hear it.
Then you're an uncommonly bored schoolboy! It's a wise use of your time, though... Eeeheehee.

If this was actually a use of my time I almost certainly wouldn't be here. At least canonically.

Today, we'll talk about a slightly advanced way of reading the tarot.
I want to explain how to lower many factors' probability, while being able to foresee a more solid future.



The result is kind of a compound method of telling fortunes.
The most well-known fusion with tarot is astrology.
For example, there's the almost self-explanatory Horoscope Spread.
After shuffling and cutting the full deck of 78...
Spread them in a circle consisting of 12 cards, then place one more in the center.



Each House shows an answer to a different problem, such as family and work, marriage, friendship, and money.
The card in the center represents your overall fortune.
This spread has a variety of uses, since you can gain an overall understanding of life.
Ah, yes... I forgot to mention the "significator."
It's used by those more accustomed to reading the tarot, but...



This is the significator.
It's very effective in heightening the client's inspiration.
Do you remember the court, or face cards? The significator is selected from the Minor Arcana face cards.
For a high schooler, the Page card would be best. An adult would select Knight or King, or Queen for a woman.



Now, back to ways of fusing the tarot with other fortune-telling methods...
An even more advanced application would be to use it in conjunction with dowsing.
That means to use a pendulum to find what you're looking for.
Make a number of piles, with the cards face-down of course, and perform the dowsing ritual on them.



The chance of success at this step goes way up if you remember to use Morphine.

If not, try again until you do. This is to confirm that your inspiration has been heightened.



Now see I don't understand Qabbalah stuff super-well. I know, it's surprising that I'm secretly an idiot. Fortunately for me, neither does Edogawa. As was helpfully pointed out last time this came up, Edogawa really doesn't know what he's talking about here. I wonder if this is gonna be a consistent trend!

The spread based on the shape of the Qabbalistic tree of life is another well-known method.
It's a spread where you distribute the cards according to the 10 trees of life, or the Sephirot.
However, to actually put this method into practice, one needs a deep understanding of the Qabbalah.
Not only do the positions of the cards have meaning, but the lines or paths connecting them as well.







Proximity to Keter at the top reveals the spiritual side, with Malkuth on the bottom showing the bodily side.
Hmm... yes, I'm afraid it's much too esoteric to fully explain. It has depths you cannot guess at.
I, too, have learned something by telling you all this... Bringing out hidden knowledge is not easy.
Thus, that concludes the lecture. Thanks for paying attention.



Well, this implies that this "lesson" is the last one available and future trips will just repeat it. We'll see if that's true or not in a few days.



Now that we're done with Edogawa for the day, we'll hang out with uh... Fuuka. If only to see if this will finally go somewhere.

Joy



I don't mean to bother you, but...
Would you mind helping me for just a little while longer, Makoto-kun?
I started cooking because I wanted to thank everyone for what they've done for me...
But, I need to know how to make more than just rice balls...
I need to learn new recipes...
I know it's a lot to ask...



So...

> Fuuka appears to be pondering what she just said...

So, will you continue helping me...?
Just for a little while...?
Okay.
...Really?
Oh, I'm so happy to hear that. Thank you!



I just want to thank everyone for helping me find my place in the world.
I just want to be as helpful outside of battle as I am during it.
If I can do that, then maybe I can help you too, Makoto-kun.
That's all I'm trying to do.

> Fuuka isn't fully expressing how she feels to you...

> However, her feelings toward you do seem genuine.

> Your relationship with her has grown...





...Sorry, I guess I'm the only one who can answer that.
......
...I-I'll see you later.

> Fuuka left.

> ......

> You have decided to go back to the dorm...

Well, that's still just "Fuuka is bad at cooking." Figures, really. There was one scene that didn't really come down to that but that sure is an exception right now...

Iwatodai Dorm



Well, we'll see about that..



What, with Shinjiro-kun rejoining us...
I have no doubt we will be victorious.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, but such confidence can only lead to certain failure.
While it's true that Shinjiro is quite powerful, he hasn't fought in a very long time.

Oh yeah, it's terrible. He hasn't fought since yesterday. He's super rusty.

We must all concentrate on the task at hand and perform with flawless execution to win.
*sigh* Must you always be such a killjoy?



There's going to be a full moon tomorrow...
I don't think that's anything to look forward to.

Junpei's not thinking straight? I couldn't begin to guess why.



My aim's not that great, but if I hit an enemy, it's history.
I don't play around...
I destroy whatever's in my way.
I'm here if you need me.



Hey, do you think we could just replace him...?
I mean, Shinjiro-senpai just joined us, so...
That's a great idea!
Uh... I was just kidding. I don't really want to replace him.
I just wish he wasn't so annoying.



I can't wait until tomorrow, dude!



I have learned how people describe that state in modern language...
"He has gone to La La Land."



Which is good...
...because that covers for my lack of power.

It... really doesn't, though? Agility is the least useful stat and you don't even main it properly anyway. Koromaru does and he combines it with absurd Evasion boosts to be able to attempt to dodgetank properly.



The process is so amazing that people have started to call it "Nuclear." In today's special report, we'll investigate: what is this "NewClear"?

Lessee, Friday huh? Last night before the full moon...



It's definitely gotta be Mutatsu. Not like we have much in the way of options any more, but still.

This Mysterious Feeling



> Mutatsu's breath smells of alcohol...

> He must have been drinking a lot.

Don't you think ish... *hic* rude to maaake shum'one wait?
Didn't Dad tell you not to do that, ehhh?
"Dad?"
Eh...? Dad? *hic* Did you jush call me Dad?



You alwaysh call me an ol' bashtard... But, *hic* you're all nishe whenever ya need shum money...
I thoguht you go in an acshident or shumthin'...
*hic* Don't make me worry like that.
What the hell were ya doin' thish late!?
None of your business.
W-Well, thash true... *hic* It's none of my businessh...



*hic* But, watch your mouth! *hic* Who the hell do you think raished you!?



> It seems Mutatsu is sobering up.

Damn... All this time, I thought you were... I guess my eyesight is getting bad, after all...

> Mutatsu seems worried about you.

> You understand Mutatsu better now.





I wonder if they felt the same way I did, as I waited for you earlier...
What're you talking about?



But, they both left me... four years ago...
I used to stay out past midnight: and when I got home, my wife and I would get into a big argument...
...Now when I go home, I don't know what to do with myself, so I just come here and drink every night.
Are you running away?
...Yeah, you're absolutely right. I shaved my head, but it's only for show...



I get drunk to avoid facing my problems... So, yeah, I guess you could say I'm runnin' away.
...She hasn't called me or sent me a letter since then. She must've gotten over me.
Who knows where they are... or if they even wanna see me...
...Aw, forget it. It's too much of a hassle, anyway.
Alright, kid, let's get outta here.

> You left the club with Mutatsu.

Well, shit, with max Academics we don't get to close out with working hard in our room any more. That feels.. weird to me, I dunno.






But tomorrow IS a full moon and all, so let's think for a minute.



Yukari currently does not have the Pleiades equipped. If she did, that'd push her Magic up to 35, which combined with her newly obtained Garula would make her actually competent and dangerous if she ever got to attack. Her healing utility is her best feature still, though. Except Recarm. That's pretty much just for show barring weird niche situations, really.



Akihiko's, well, Akihiko. He's close to having all 3 debuffs but he's only missing Sukunda and that's the least useful one in general because it just has less of a tangible effect. His utility is entirely in debuffing but that's always nice to have so it's not a big deal.



Now that Yukari finally got Garula, Mitsuru's slipped down in usefulness a bit in theory. She makes up for it thanks to those snazzy Varuna Bracers we have though. I haven't bought the rest of the set because it requires going to Be Blue V during the day and that's something I consistently forget to be bothered to do.

Oh yeah, and Spirit Drain helps her be able to consistently do things as well.



Aigis is the same as she has been for a while. She can do underwhelming Phys damage and buff. Nothing too fancy or antyhing here.



Still more than can be said about Koromaru, mind. He's really lacking in options, since chances are Mudo isn't going to be useful against a boss, Sukukaja is his only utility and his magic doesn't lead to good Agilaos. Still better at that than Junpei could be, but that's damning with faint praise.

On the other hand, he's Koromaru so



Ken's not faring much better, either, really. He can at least heal if necessary (and in Portable he has Mediarama at this level!), is also better at using that Zionga than Akihiko and Cruel Attack does outdamage Akihiko's phys stuff but that's not because Ken's strong or anything.



And, well, Shinji is the same as he was before. Closer to Evil Smile for whatever that helps with, has 1 less Strength than Yukari has potential Magic but Fatal End is straight up more powerful than Garula so he should be outdamaging her.

But that doesn't change that overall Yukari has the highest stat (but only thanks to her disgustingly good +4 Magic bow).

You know the deal by now, but just to clarify:

3 slots to fill as usual, but Junpei isn't available. Tragedy, ain't it?