Persona 3 FES Part #92 - 11/17/09 - 12/01/09: Lyapunov Exponent

Part 92: 11/17/09 - 12/01/09: Lyapunov Exponent

Kyoto

Kyoto starts mostly the same, and there's not too many major divergences, really.

Although, Ryoji is looking a big different from what I remember. I think he's done something different with his hair; it looks nice!

More importantly is that Rio's joined these idiots down on the first floor.

Listen to him. He's thinking about peeping in the hot springs!

Shut up! I was just asking when the girls were going to go in.

And why would you possibly ask about that other than to spy on them?

...So I can imagine it and feel warm and fuzzy inside. Like, "I wonder if they're in there right now..."?

So you're not going to peep, you're just going go fantasize about it.

......

...Could you be a little less rational? I'm going to cry. I'm not kidding. There will be tears.

Just so you know, I would never do something like that.

Look at you, though--you changed into your pajamas!

Shut up! Don't incriminate me!

What!?

Oops, sorry, my mistake.

Kenji...! You better watch your back!

On the second and third floors there's some added "intineraries" that... are just save points. Kyoto isn't really long enough to warrant it, but I appreciate the sentiment. It's useful for more than just Dumb Minigames even.

Yuko doesn't have much interesting to say, even though its technically new. That she acknowledged the Inaba trip is a nice bonus, though. Makes it feel more relevant than it really was.

Notably, we can go into the boys' rooms on the second floor here. We'll head into the Wisteria Room (all the rooms are named after plants, you see), which is where Makoto was before...

And there's a couple of unexpected guests in there, to say the least.

I straight up missed these guys before, and I can't imagine that this version has their dialogue be really all that different.

I'm just relaxing here with Keisuke.

I hope there isn't any trouble while I'm off duty.

So, even though Hidetoshi just said his name outright, Keisuke is only referred to here as a "Kind-Looking Student" huh. That's purely because we don't have a link with him, yes.

They're so good!

Oh, no, I haven't...

...There aren't any left.

Aren't the snacks supposed to be one per person? There should be one left for me...

Oh, really? Oops... I ate them all. Sorry!

...I see.

I'll just pretend there weren't any there to begin with.

Hidetoshi acting unusually kind and generous there. I'd like to think thats our doing, but that only goes so far.

Not much new on the 3rd floor, for better or worse. We'll just head to our room and end the day.

Anime cutscenes are too much to handle, so it just skips right to the photos this time. That's fine, I guess, since they're just still images and all.

Skipping Artemisia, since that scene is the same as before.

Yuko has an... alternative new justification for why she's not wearing a yukata.

Ah, sorry...

I... thought you were someone else.

Girls in yukatas are so adorable!

Y'know, I thought "yukata" was a mass noun, but upon checking, nope I was wrong. It CAN be both singular and plural, but also "yukatas" is valid. Neat.

We should wear ours into the baths. We sure did sweat a lot today...

Yeah... Today's tour wore me out.

I was looking forward to the sightseeing, too.

Some of the older tourists even passed out...

It's a good thing you were there, Keisuke.

What a debacle.

I was impressed at the way you took control, Hidetoshi-kun!

Are you thinking about becoming a police officer?

Hm...? Well, I'd never given it any thought before.

...Anyway, come on, let's go to the baths.

Not the most subtle, or elegant, of deflections but I guess if it works then there's nothing to worry about.

I'm not sure I know how to put one on by myself.

What? You want me to help?

Alright, just for you.

Um...

No, I'm not.

......

Then what are you?

...What are my choices besides "idiot"?

Are there any?

Just go put on your yukata! Look at Kotone-san! She looks so cute.

You need to be more girly, like her.

...That's it, I'm not wearing it anymore!

That's all there is today, of course, so we'll skip to the last day of Kyoto now.

End

Since we have Ryoji at rank 4, he interrupts us after the photos bit at the start.

Oh, but it's delicious.

...You can't find this in Iwatodai. *chuckle* It makes me kind of happy.

What makes you happy?

I'm having new experiences, and I get to share them with you. That's what I enjoy so much.

Hey, here's something I didn't know.

Is it because it's flowing?

Oh, that might be it...

The water's on a journey, too. I bet that must be fun.

...That reminds me, this place is filled with couples, too.

> ...It seems that just as Ryoji mentions this, there are suddenly couples everywhere you look.

They all look like they're having fun.

...What kind of things do lovers talk about?

No clue.

Is that so?

...Does that mean you've never had a boyfriend?

I see...

.....

> Ryoji gazes intently at you...

What's the matter?

Sure, you're nice, and pretty, but... I don't think it's that.

It's just... you...

> Ryoji seems to be muttering this to himself...

> You can sense that Ryoji thinks dearly of you...

Um... The day after we get back is the 22nd. It's a Sunday.

I'd like to spend some more time with you...

Despite being a prompt in an S.Link scene, this is really Ryoji inviting you to his next event. As I'm sure you've surmised, we'll want to accept this. We COULD be a dick and say no, but as you'd no doubt expect at this point that just instantly ends the link. Thanks, Ryoji!

Okay.

Oh, I'm so glad!

I was getting anxious about what I was going to do if you'd said no.

Then, the 22nd it is! Don't forget.

It's starting to get a little chilly. ...I wonder if winter's just around the corner.

Should we get going?

> You and Ryoji browsed the souvenir shops before going back to the inn...

Kyoto

Before we finish with Kyoto forever, there's just a few short bits left to finish up with.

A deer ate the treat I had in my pocket...

I didn't know there were deer in Kyoto. But you know, with the deer treat, Hidetoshi-kun was...

Can we not talk about it?

If you hadn't said you wanted to ride a deer...

And what then?

Well, I'd... ride around?

You'd get hurt.

But we did all sorts of things like that when we were in elementary school!

Yes... and now we're in high school. You're a senior.

But... the deer treat...

...Can we please change the subject?

You're a scary guy, Hidetoshi-kun...

I get the feeling there's something here that I'm missing because that went on for a while. I dunno.

You could always come again.

...With you!?

Why me?

You can get a boyfriend and have a sleepover date. Or is it too early for that kind of stuff for you?

......

Is that all you can say?

...You blockhead!

I'm not a blockhead!

......

Huh? What?

Nothing!

What? Why are you saying that?

Good to see folks dunking on Kenji in-universe as well every now and then.

...So, the hot springs. We're not covering it in detail because who cares.

Fearful Experience

Since we're on the other side of the, uh, event this time we get a bunch of dialogue prompts that determines whether or not we can catch the guys.

Some of them are not immediately obvious, mind. This one's probably the vaguest, since "monkey" and "ghost" both just end the scene basically. Shame too, because "ghost" is a good joke answer that I'd take otherwise!

The rest are pretty simple, so we'll just skip to catching these guys so they can get nebulously executed...

Iwatodai Dorm

But the thing about this is that when we're back in the dorm, we can get a couple clues as to what exactly "execution" involved.

It's perhaps a little TOO spelled out for my liking, though. I did like the nonspecific vagueness of it before.

But since it's now VERY clear that Mitsuru used Artemisia, it kinda accidentally creates an issue with regards to Ryoji. Oops!

Warm Feeling

So, we'll just skip ahead to the Sunday we're gonna spend with Ryoji.

Going out with everyone, seeing and eating so many different things...

Then we'd go to bed and wake up and do it all over again the next day. It was amazing.

It was a lot of fun...

I had fun too.

Yeah, you were laughing a lot, Kotone-chan.

Did you see this? I bought it at one of the souvenir shops.

> Ryoji is wearing a thin ring on his finger...

I didn't notice at all.

And then I saw this in the store...

Rings are mysterious...

When you get used to wearing one, it's as natural as if you were born with it.

At the same time, it feels constricting...

But when I look at it, it reminds me of the good times I had...

I think that rings are things that bind memories to the people who wears them.

I think I get it.

*chuckle*

> Ryoji laughs peacefully...

This is my treasure.

I'm sure that that will be the case...

...if I'm with you...

> Ryoji smiles happily...

> You feel like your relationship with Ryoji has gotten a little closer...

Silence

Are you the one I've been waiting for all this time...?

I know you...

> Ryoji seems to be muttering to himself...

> He seems distressed by this...

> You spent time quietly talking with him...

Living With Determination

Brief interlude while we demolish Chidori in all of like 3 moves...

Mostly because it takes something that was somewhat implied before, with Hermes' evolution...

...And makes it very explicit. It makes sense, given that he just spontaneously picks up Spring of Life which was Medea's unique skill and all. The color-scheme matches as well, for good measure. There's certainly some small hints that this was the case, but Portable spells it out immediately.

And then noooooooothing happens until we get the career experience thing. It gives Kotone an Academics boost if you really need it, which is different and arguably gives it a reason to exist.

Almost.

Ryoji opts to intervene when we're on our way home afterwards, just to give us a real scene.

Warm Feeling

I'm all right.

I see...

I was in the same group as Junpei-kun, but he never showed up at the beginning.

He only came on one of the days because the teacher said that he had to...

Huh, that's a weird alteration. Not sure it was even necessary for this event to work. After all, Junpei not turning up like before makes just as much sense.

Something seemed really strange about him, though...

I'd talk to him, but he didn't seem like he was listening at all.

He looked like he was about to cry...

...Did something happen?

He lost someone precious...

...I see.

.....

I think that's something you just have to accept.

...Do you think I'm being too cold?

> Ryoji looks down sadly...

Junpei-kun is someone I care about.

Ryoji, the sentiment is nice and all but you've known the guy for... 18 days. Not even been 3 weeks yet!

I wonder... if there's anything I can do.

> You can sense Ryoji's deep concern for Junpei...

> You feel that you've come to understand Ryoji a little better now.

...I have a feeling like I've heard that somewhere. Wait... Was it something I said before?

I think it was to someone very precious to me too...

.....

> You spent time with Ryoji, but little was said...

Now that Ryoji has reminded us that people die when they are killed, we'll just skip ahead a few more days...

To Sunday, and our final thing for the month. Naturally, we'll be spending it with Ryoji one more time...

Warm Feeling

We'll just have to not be seen.

.....

Haha, I see.

You're an interesting person.

When I'm alone... I don't feel right.

I think... I'm scared.

Thinking about you... it scares me.

But I can't figure out why...

Hey...

I-I...

I'm...

You're Ryoji.

.....

Hearing my name from your lips makes it sound so wonderful...

...Thank you.

I... don't want to lose you.

Because you're important to me... that's probably why I'm scared.

The only one I want...

So please, stay with me.

> Is Ryoji confessing his love for you...?

> You feel that you need to respond carefully to this...

As a friend, then.

Like, sorry, Ryoji but you're kind of a boring milquetoast guy it turns out! A different take on your general archetype, but it's still not... good.

You're the most precious thing in the world to me... More precious than my own life.

> Ryoji laughs happily.

> You sense that you have a bond with Ryoji...

.....

Why does it hurt when I see things that are so beautiful...?

It's so strange...

> You spent some time with Ryoji, then returned to the dorm before the two of you were caught up there...

...Okay, fine, before we finish, there's one last scene we'll do. It's immediate on the 1st of December, so we can squeeze it in here as well.

For the final time, we'll accept this offer (that we instigated for... the second time, total) and spend the day with him.

Living With Determination