Part 63: 09/26/09 - 09/29/09

Now that we're done with Tartarus stuff until after the full moon, we can just properly relax for a bit. How nice.

Changing Seasons / Sun



...At least its at the start of the update for once?

This is... math class normally, yes?
Ms. Miyahara isn't feeling well, so I'll be filling in for her.
Since you came here expecting a math lesson, I'll talk about numerology.



Essentially, its practitioners convert matter into numbers.
Numbers have power, and numerologists take advantage of that.
It's said that the first numerologist was Pythagoras.



He and his pupils researched what they called Pythagoreanism.
They realized that everything that exists in this world corresponds to a number.
They considered odd numbers masculine, and even numbers feminine.



The Pythagoreans focused on the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4, because they add up to 10, which represents completeness.
They considered these four numbers to be the holy numbers, the most important of all.



Others later developed on the foundation laid by the Pythagoreans.
More recently, there's been work done on the relationship between numbers and names.
Let's look at this a little closer.
I'll show you a method by which you can interpret your own name's meaning.
Be sure to include your middle name, too.
Now, convert each letter into a number. 1 for A, 2 for B, and so on. Add the numbers for each letter in your name.
If a letter has a two-digit number, like 14 for N, add the two digits together to make a Single digit.
By the end, you should have a number between 1 and 9.



Oh yeah, the enneagram. I think most people at least know about that.

Based on that number's properties, you can derive the person's general characteristics.
...Are you all listening? I hope this talk of numbers hasn't put you to sleep... Eeeheehee.
How about a little test to see if you were paying attention?
Get it wrong. and numbers will haunt you even in your sleep... Hi fu mi yo i mu na ya ko to mo chi ra ro ne...
Who should I pick...? All right, Makoto, I ask thee.



The wrong answers here are pretty interesting because one of them is Tetrodotoxin (which is a pretty powerful neurotoxin) and, uh... Tetrakarn. Sadly, there's no good responses to wrong answers.

The Tetractys.
That's correct. The actuarial tables predict a happy future for you...
A few more words on numerology and names before we dismiss...



Convert the vowels in your name into numbers and add them up. That reveals your inner self.
Then take the consonants and do the same to get the persona you display in public.
Using the same method with your birth date will calculate your future.



It's also possible to assess your compatibility with another person using numerology.
By adding the digits of your birth date to the other's, you can...



Oh, thank God we're free. Before we do anything else, I have something to do real quicklike just for certainty.



Taking a VERY quick trip to Port Island Station to... buy a vase from this lady. This isn't strictly necessary but it's the best option, and in some cases IS necessary.

This is for something dumb, yes.



Anyway, hi Yukari, we haven't really spent much time with you in this universe, huh?

Joy





Kid: M-M-M-Mommy!!!



Kid: M-Mommy told me to wait here... *sob* and... and... she gave me money, but...
Kid: *sob* B-But, she's not coming...

> The child is crying.

Hey, don't cry...
See, you're okay.
I'll stay here with you, alright?



C'mon, follow me.
The policeman will know what to do.

Pre-emptively, sorry Officer Kurosawa.

He'll find your mom, so don't worry.

~fade to blue~



...What were they thinking, leaving that poor kid all alone!?
It makes me so angry.
But...



What makes you say that?
You really wanna know?

> Yukari seems to be watching your reaction.

Now I remember why we haven't hung out with Yukari much yet. She'll chew you out for not asking about the thing she obviously doesn't want to talk about... but even if you show interest in her, she doesn't care. It's more realistic than most other link scenes and all, sure, but when the best answer still gives 0 SLink points...

...Remember what I told you before, how my mom and I aren't very close?



She wasn't always like that, though...
After what happened to Dad, she totally changed...
She's had more boyfriends than I can count, and she's even living with one guy.
Honestly, I'd rather not know.
I don't wanna talk about it anymore.



> Yukari has opened up to you.

> The two of you have gotten closer...





Let's go back to the dorm.

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

Iwatodai Dorm



Shadows aren't our only enemies; don't forget about Strega.
You're gonna need to build up your stamina.

Eh, I think you're worrying a bit too much. Odds are pretty good that we won't ever have to deal with both a Shadow AND Strega in the same day. That'd be pretty silly.



Newscaster: Medical workers are shocked by the number of new victims being admitted to the hospitals...



Been a decent length of time since we went on a walk with Koromaru, huh? Be pretty silly to turn it down now.

Joy



The pooch must've been worried cause you were sick so long, Makoto.



Those powers of yours are like our secret weapon.
And it's no secret that Aki and Kirijo have their hands full with their own problems...

> You spoke quietly with Shinjiro...



You hungry? I'll fix you something when we get back.
Ready to go?



I just realised that we've probably spent more Sundays with Fuuka than anyone else. Jeez, how did THAT happen?

When the Moon's Reaching Out Stars (Reincarnation) / Way of Life -Deep Inside My Mind-



For instance...

> Fuuka seems to be enjoying herself...

Makoto-kun...

> Fuuka seems nervous...



N-No, I haven't.
*giggle* Sorry...
I was actually talking to this cake.

That... really doesn't make any sense, and seems more like a bad lie than anything else.



They say it's so sweet it makes you forget about your true lover...
It's a pretty clever name, isn't it?

This cake is not real, obviously.

For someone like me who's not very good at communicating, this cake is a nice conversation starter.



> Today, you became a lot closer to Fuuka...



Today is noteworthy that we absolutely DO need to give Fuuka a gift, no matter what. The Glass Vase is one of her two +50 items, and there are three possible scenarios here:

1. You have a Priestess Persona and chose the correct prompt here, meaning you can get away with a lesser +10 gift instead.
2. You don't have a Priestess Persona and chose the correct prompt here, meaning you need the +50 gift because a +10 isn't enough.
3. You chose wrong here and even the +50 isn't enough!



Um, this is for me? Really...?
.....
I'm just surprised. I mean, I've never received something so wonderful before...
Thank you very much. I'll cherish it forever!

Getting Fuuka from rank 9 to rank 10 requires 55 points, and the rank 9 scene gives 0. No matter what. The question here gives 30 corrrectly, upped to 45 with the Arcana Boost. This is why this Sunday date was very important, yes.



For what its worth, Fuuka's other +50 gift is a Brand Bag. Yes, really. Those are only available from Tanaka, and you can have a fair few by now but I probably just sold 'em at some point to be honest.

Iwatodai Dorm



I can't wait.





I realise that we've missed a week, but that was outta my hands. Danged typhoon. You weren't meant to actually happen, you jerk!

Newscaster: ...And now, the news. Apathy Syndrome's spread shows no sign of stopping...



Your environment can have a big effect on you...
That's true.



The final battle is not far off...
Dude, why can't they just come all at once? Then, we could get it over with.
Uh... You think you can beat 'em if you fight 'em all at once?
Uhh...
That would be impossible!
......

...Actually, hm. Keep that thought. Hold onto it...



I wonder what's wrong...
It's hard to tell. He seems like someone who always tries to figure things out on his own.
But, I'd be more than willing to help him is there's something wrong...



They can be pretty scary...
Well, do you think the same is true for a Shadow?
Is its strength amplified?
I cannot say for sure, but we should be prepared for that possibility.
No matter how strong we are, we should continue training.

Eh, we're more than strong enough to be honest. I'm sure we can handle whatever's in store for us next Sunday.



So we'll keep relaxing with Koromaru and whoever else is available. Tonight's Akihiko, which is different!

Joy



Trying to keep up with you is a great way to train...



But we couldn't have pets at the orphanage.
Ever since Shinji came back, I've been thinking about the past a lot...

> You spoke with Akihiko for a while.



Well then, let's head back.



There's a week 'til the full moon, which means only one thing...

The Voice Someone Calls





...I hope nothing serious happens.
But, who knows what the future will bring...
...so be careful.



...We'll meet again.

> Pharos disappeared...



Changing Seasons / Sun



Listening: There've been a few around my neighborhood, too. I'm scared...
Gossiping: They said on TV that it's not contagious, but I feel like it's a sign of the end of the world...
Listening: Wh-What...? Don't say that!

> The first bell has rung.



Well, I guess since Edogawa went and Edogawa'd all over the previous math lesson...

Did we? When was that...?
Well, either way, I just told you. so let's go to the next question.
...The answer will be 8.
Ooh... Don't you think 8 iS such a darling number?
Almost as precious as the curly tail on the 9.
And the number 2! Not many people appreciate it, but 2 is awesome!
Numbers are so adorable!



Put them together with numbers, and you can express anything in the world.
Heart, mind, emotions... It all boils down to synapses firing in the brain.
Which means they can be expressed by numbers! Isn't it amazing what those cute numbers can do?

There's definitely a, uh, certain subset of folks who took this concept perhaps a bit too far...



But speaking of... well, no, I can't really finish that and mean it.

What should I do in a situation like this?



She gave her seat to some old fart, man! She's so sweet...

Anyway, uh, let's see... it's Monday so I guess we should do the obvious thing today.



We've seen Fuuka's room before, as you might recall. I'm sure it won't be quite as awkward this time around, oddly.

Joy



U-Um...

> Fuuka seems really nervous.

...Sorry my room smells like food.
I like to eat in here once in a while...
I don't know how my room smells because I'm so used to it...



......
Sorry... I don't know what I'm saying... I'm acting weird, aren't I?
Are you nervous?
I-I am... Sorry...
But, um...



> Fuuka is blushing.

Um...
Do you remember how I said that I don't have the strength to believe in the future?
Well, being with you has taught me why...



If it was pretty much literally anyone else, that'd seem really weirdly ominous.

People who are not truly happy cannot look forward to the future...
And that's how I was. I always used to quit before I finished anything...



......
...But...



Everything seemed to change...
I didn't think you would feel the same, but...
...I still felt like I needed to tell you.
No... I felt like I wanted to tell you.
And, I didn't care how things turned out...
I think I can change, little by little.



That's good.
Thank you...

> Fuuka seems happy.



I want to give you something...
Umm...



Here...
Since you're always listening to music, I thought you might like these.

> You received something from Fuuka.



This is from my heart...
Remember how I told you that I was pretty good with mechanical devices?
Well, I finally gave up on cooking...
I want to be true to myself when I'm with you, Makoto-kun, so...



......

> You replaced your old headphones with the ones Fuuka gave you...



> The technology she used must be revolutionary.

...Sorry, I'm not very feminine, am I...?
I love the headphones!
...Really? Oh, I'm so happy!



> Fuuka is staring into your eyes.

> The distance between you two has decreased...

The Path is Open









Joy



So, Cu Chulainn's teacher here is generally pretty decent. She's level 64 (boosted from 60 in Vanilla) and isn't super great for the level or anything, but she's definitely hard to make bad at least.



...Oh, sorry.
I was having so much fun talking to you...
I didn't realize it was so late.
......
Um...



Just a little while longer...
......



The implication is still whatever you think it is.

Iwatodai Dorm



Well, less now, but yeah.



Do you want to hear about it?
Yeah, tell me!
You know how I'm always at the hospital, right? Well, there's this old bag who works at the reception desk there.
Dude, she's soooo annoying! She's always asking me these embarrassing questions!
And when she's not doing that, she's telling me I have to leave cuz it's past visiting hours!
She totally ruined all my precious time with Chidori! Man, I wish she would just leave me alone!



Even though our battles with Shadows are coming to an end, they don't seem to be nervous at all.
But then again, they were the first members of SEES, so they have a lot of experience.



I get more and more nervous as the day gets closer...



We must be prepared for it.



Heh, never...
All you can do is fight with all you've got.



Let's do our best.



Newscaster: If you see victims, do not approach them. Call the police or the hospital instead...

There's really nothing left of value to do tonight, unfortunately. Koromaru's all walked out after two days in a row.



Today is, uh, very short so let's take advantage of that right now.

Changing Seasons / Sun



We haven't been in like months, so sure. We really should go back more often and all.

Joy



Club Advisor: I'm pleased to announce that Keisuke's photo was selected for consideration in the final round!

Aw man, I was hoping they'd pick mine... But, your photograph WAS really good, Keisuke-senpai, so I think you'll win.



I was probably just the only contestant who used an SLR, that's all.

> Keisuke seems embarrassed.

Great job!
Th-Thanks, Makoto-kun!



But, I've only been taking photos for about two years now, so I must've just gotten lucky...
You should have confidence in yourself, Keisuke-senpai. You've been working hard on your photos.
That's right. You're always the first one here and the last one to leave.



Ah, sorry, Makoto-kun... I'm not making much of an impression, as the club leader, am I...
I'm not much of a photographer, but I'd be happy to collaborate with you on a project, sometime...

> Keisuke seems to be feeling a sense of solidarity with you...

> Your relationship is stronger now!





> It's getting dark outside...

> After saying goodbye to the club members, you decided to go back to the dorm.



> Keisuke is talking to himself.



Crisis



Sickly-Looking Kid: Ugh... I... I can't stand...



Now, tell me... Have you been feeling weak and tired lately? When's the last time you ate something?

Sickly-Looking Kid: Um... Well, I didn't eat breakfast this morning, so...

> Keisuke is inquiring about the Sickly-Looking Kid's health.

Joy



I recommend you add iron-rich foods such as liver, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables to your diet.
Good work, Doc Junior.
D-Don't call me that...



I'm pretty sure someone skipping breakfast once getting a prognosis of iron-deficiency anemia is either some WebMD level shit or super-genius doctor magic. Neither is common sense.

> Keisuke seems a little grumpy.

Why don't you guys head home? I'll take him to the Nurse's Office.

> After saying goodbye to Keisuke, you decided to go back to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take a look, but... I have no idea what's wrong with it...
It seems to break down once a month around...
Oh. but don't worry, it doesn't affect our missions or anything.

Can't say I know why for sure, especially since we never find any issues just recordings. Those are once a month, but not really at any specific point.



Please, show your kindness by calling the number on your screen...

> The TV shows the total donations that have been sent to the Apathy Syndrome celebrity telethon so far.

Newscaster: ...Next, the news.

Actually, speaking of money, that reminds me. I need to grab some real quick, so I'm gonna take a nice jog up Tartarus to do that. Probably more than one, depending on how nice the RNG is with giving me raw yen and/or things I can sell. Might take a while, so I'll see ya when I'm done with that.