Part 16: 05/24/09 - 05/26/09

tartarus_0d02



Well, let's see. Yukari is Tired right now, but no one else is. We can push this a little further, I'm sure.



Mitsuru's thoroughly useless right now, so we'll just see what's up from hereon in.



Red Shadows are still around, and are just Steel Gigas x2 fights still. That's not gonna change for a while. They're still the best thing to fight for EXP though.

Mass Destruction / Wiping All Out



A bunch of the Shadows have been replaced wholesale now. There's some carry-over, but like half from before the fight against those 3 Tables are gone.

Anyway! Spurious Books were on the train before, but they're slightly different to before. For starters, they are weak to Elec now and not Fire!



Dancing Hands are ALSO around now, as regular Shadows. Sometimes Tartarus bosses are going to become random fights, sometimes they aren't. As a general rule, if it appears in a group of 3 it will reoccur; if it's solo, it won't. This isn't perfect but it's a good rule of thumb.



They're much closer to their incarnation on the train than the boss fight, though. Still not quite a 1-to-1 since they have higher Magic here and can use Bufula.



Venus Eagles are also just hanging around, but their resistances are very different to before. Not weak to Pierce, don't even Drain Fire!



A-Aki, are you... okay?



Right... uh, that's...



I guess since everyone's Tired at this point, and Akihiko's showing it more than anyone else, we should definitely just up and leave now.



Sunday's come again already? Exam week really messed with that perception.

Current Net Price Tanaka



Tanaka's selling a piece of armor this week, that presumably forms a weird set with that Katana from before. This one ALSO comes with 2 Diet Food. Definitely gonna buy it, of course.



Speaking of the Katana, it's by far the strongest weapon right now. It doesn't have Juzumaru's +20HP effect, but using it anyway.





I'm not even annoyed any more. This is just... natural, really.

There's no one else in the dorm, so we'll go out and about to see if we can find 'em.



...Nope, no one's around anywhere today. Weird. At least we can see that the Cloth sells for a decent chunk, relatively, AND we got it for free without having to track down Gold Shadows.

Joy



> Maya is not signed on.



> Maya entered the area.



...ugh, its like all she cares about is marrying me to some dude >=/
Why don't we get married?



> Maya seems happy.

dun worry... > i still have sum spunk left at my age, lol *^__^*
it's sexist to think women can only be happy when they're tied down. -_-#
the other nite, i got a lil drunky, and i kinda passd out @ Paulownia...



i told him to stfu, dammit!! >=(
OTL ...sry, kinda got off topic. i guess i'm a little tired =_=
but i do feel better now! xD
here tatsuya, this is for u

> Maya used a Heal Potion on Tatsuya.

> But there was no effect...



i'm trying to say thx for listening to all my bitching :P

> Maya feels like she can open up to you.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





if you see him, don't be nice! >=/ u'll know cuz he talks like a woman
alrite, i better go pratice being a good housewife for tatsuya! <3

> Maya's player signed off.



Well, that's going to be relevant later I guess...

> You decided to log off as well.





Well, now we get to see if we hit 1st place or not...

Want To Be Close / Time



Junpei looks like the world is about to end.
What happened?
Well, exam scores will be posted today, so...
He said he's gonna beg for a higher score...
Like that's gonna work.



I hear she's kinda weak... but that's just a rumor. I wonder what she's really like.
Either way, having another Persona-user can't be a bad thing!

If she ends up being really bad, I guess she can just warm the bench or something.

During the Test...



Excellent, now we'll know how well we did on the exam.



Damn, that's the second best result. This still has a benefit at least...



Still not enough to get to rank 2 though? Really thought that's what would've pushed it over the edge...

Want To Be Close / Time



Let's go over the test now. The first part was the kanji dictation section...
How could any of you have got this part wrong? It was a gimme! I swear, you make me embarassed to be your teacher!
The next portion was the short essay, reacting to a passage about bullying in schools.



You could have complained about the bullying at Gekkoukan, right?
...I'm kidding, of course. There's no bullying here... None whatsoever. I'm not getting into that.
Okay, on to the next section. Many of you got this part wrong.
Now, pay attention. You were asked to write the correct conjunction in each case...
The correct answer was "and," but I gave partial credit for "however."

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



Notably, I don't think we were even all that close to rank 3 to begin with for Academics. It's easy to blame failing to get there on me playing fast and loose with extending Tired/Sick status but that's only part of the issue.



Well, I'm sure we'll be able to get it high enough for things in the future so we'll worry about that later.



For now, we'll just find someone who we CAN hang out with and I think Kaz is just the guy.

Joy



Unsurprisingly, Kaz didn't turn up to practice this time either...



> You see Kazushi...



Wh-What's up...? You're probably wondering where I've been...
The hospital again?
You remember what we talked about last time? ...Of course you do; you remember everything...



I just got back from the hospital... They had the results from my last exam...
H-Hey... Makoto. I...
D-Dammit! ...I can't--



Nothing here that counts as dialogue, which is fairly annoying. We're picking the first option, of course.

Thanks, Makoto...
S-Sorry to be such a pain...



...F-Funny, huh? I was trying to tie my shoes, and I fell...
It's a good thing you were around... If it had been someone else, then the rest of the team would've found out...
Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.

> Kazushi seems appreciative.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





I have to train even though practice is over... The big meet's not that far off.
...You're leaving right? Later dude, let's train together sometime...

> You decided to go back to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



I'm glad the exams were easy...
Going to Tartarus really tires me out, so I can't focus on my studies like I used to.



Well, I guess that makes sense, since I've been spending all my time studying.

I like how Akihiko says this like there was something better he could've been doing with his time when he was spending it just recuperating anyway.

Oh, by the way. Mitsuru won't be back until later, so we won't be going to Tartarus today.

Well, that's fine. I wasn't really planning on it anyway.



Aw, just leave me alone, man...



When we spoke to her, she said her favorite thing about the game was being able to talk to the kids.

Yeah, I can believe it. Both parts of it, even.



And now we've finally hit Charm rank 2. I swear we'll be using these for stuff other than exams sometime in the future!



Want To Be Close / Time



Hey, how'd you do on the exams...?
I'm satisfied.
Seriously...?
Man, I'm a laughing stock... After the results were posted, I heard these two cute girls talking...



Well, I won't let it get to me!
We might be getting another girl on our team anyways!

...Yeah, I'm really not sure where anyone would get the impression that Junpei has a one-track mind. I don't see it.

Nothing else going on today, so we'll skip right to the important stuff.



Hello.
I was able to say hi to you!
I've been telling myself not to be afraid, but the more I think about it, the more scared I get...
I hope somehow I can get better at this...
Let's go out.



...I-I'll think about it, okay!?

I'm beginning to think that we can't actually hang out with Chihiro at this point. It's been 3 attempts that have all been systematically shot down.



Perhaps somewhat expectedly, Hidetoshi's hanging out over by the Faculty Office when there's no student council I see.

There's no meeting today... My day just doesn't feel the same.
Don't you agree?

S-Sure...? Anyway, we need to hang out with someone. I guess seeing Kenji's plan go up in flames is a good option.



Alright, first of all...
Never leave 'em hanging, that really makes 'em mad.
Oh, and NEVER break a promise. That's, like, the worst thing you could ever do.
And remember, chicks get jealous easily.
If your chick sees you walking home with another chickm you're dead, dude.
...Not that I have to worry about that. Emiri is the only chick I need.

Y'know what, I changed my mind. Kenji doesn't deserve attention right now.



We'll hang out with our other injured sports buddy instead.

Joy



It's for you, but he didn't know your address.
It says "Come to Iwatodai Station." What is he thinking? He skipped practice today, too!

> After practice, you go to Iwatodai Station.





In a rare moment for him, Makoto actually genuinely runs here. Odd, that.



Y-Yuko was pissed off, huh? ...Since I missed practice.
I should've told you before, but... um... the results...



The doctor said if I keep this up... I won't be able to walk anymore...
He said I put too much strain on it during practice. How pathetic...
Well, I just want to win...
Suck it up.
...Y-Yeah! That's what I was thinking!



Every minute, every second is critical! I don't have time to waste!
I promised to be the number one athlete in Japan.
Is it that important?
Well, it isn't just about me...



Living with Determination



He can't walk right now...
...but if he goes through rehab. he might be able to recover!
He says it hurts too much. though, so he doesn't want to do it...



I made a deal with my nephew that--don't laugh, alright--



So, I have to win this meet to make it to nationals.
What about your knee?
I-I appreciate your concern... but... I can't worry about that now...



Sorry for all the trouble I've caused you... especually the depressnng conversations...
It's tough to keep it all inside. You were the only one I could talk to.

> Kazushi has opened up to you.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





...tell her to talk to me directly. I don't wanna put you in the middle of this, Makoto.

> You decided to go back to the dorm.

Okay, bye!

Iwatodai Dorm



I need to get back into the swing of things. I can't leave all the fun to you guys.

Eh, we've already been to Tartarus this week. Maybe later?



The tower reaches to the skies...
*sigh* It's going to be a long and arduous journey.



I can get in close to attack, so I hardly ever miss.
But, my attack power isn't that high. I mean, I'm strong...
But there's no way I can do more damage than a sword.



It would be nice if a girl who's in the same grade as me joined...

Hey wait, where's Junpei? Don't tell me... He isn't, is he?



> You hear Junpei yelling and shouting.

Oh wow, he really is. He's actually hiding in his room! He's too scared/ashamed to face Mitsuru after bombing the test. I wonder if he'll also learn from this...



The economy seems to be on the rise again... Though a touch of inflation has led some consumers to complain.

Oh right and it's the 26th of May, so that means we can do something for Liz today.



What are you talking about? Is this some sort of riddle?
Triangular sword... A triangle...



It's not exactly a triangular sword. but the blade's cross-section does resemble a triangle.
I have a few in my room. I'll fetch one for you.

One swift fade to blue later...



Do you plan on taking up fencing?
If so, I can give you lessons once I have some spare time.



Can't use this as a regular ol' weapon in Tartarus before/after taking it to show Elizabeth, sadly. Even though it's a sword. Don't question it, okay?

The Poem For Everyone's Soul



A triangular sword... Yes, this meets the requirements for my request.
This epee was once used for the final rounds in fencing matches.
Fencers wore white uniforms so that blood from struck blows would be more visible.
Along similar lines... do you know why my clothes are blue?



...I will ask my master for the true answer.
Please accept your reward.



Now then, since we're going to be at Paulownia Mall when we leave anyway...

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



This guy wasn't around before. I wonder if he's who Maya told us about. I also swear I've seen him somewhere before. Hmm.... nah, I'm overthinking this.

There must be some handsome young man who will drive the housewives wild...
Right here.
Where? I don't see anyone. For heaven's sake, quit wasting my precious time!



> But, he does not seem to be interested in you.



Well, this is what it looks like when we run face first into a stat lock I see! Gonna need to keep an eye open for a Charm level of Smooth. Which I will definitely remember, and not promptly forget.



Before we worry about that, though, we might as well finish working on Courage since it's already so close to being done.



I gotta admit, I feel kind of relieved that I haven't hit Academics 3 yet anyway. It'd suck if we were very close to it when the exams dropped, but it's seeming pretty likely that we were still quite a ways off. Oddly relieved by that one.

Anyway, uh, let's see. We should probably spend some time soon hanging out with someone new. We've got a few that we just kinda instantly backburnered after all...