Part 46: 08/07/09 - 08/09/09

This is, uh, the first time we've been Tired as a result of the full moon but not needed it for anything. Welp, that's potentially inconvenient. For like a day, but still.

Iwatodai Dorm



Huh, ths is different. Almost everyone is hanging out right upstairs.



Since Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai are not here, let's not go to Tartarus today.

Fuuka, it uh... it's like noon? Maybe? We're obviously not going to go to Tartarus.



That's basically what those Strega people were saying, right?



But, last night was even worse, since we ran into those Strega guys.
Man, they really piss me off.



However, the members of Strega also appear to be our enemies.
So, please be careful.



Ken's the only one in the dorm who's hanging out downstairs right now.

Isn't that odd?
How could they all get better at exactly the same time?
......

It's probably a bit odd, but it'd be odder if it wasn't the fifth time it'd happened by now. This is a monthly thing, but somehow no one's noticed the clear pattern yet...?



At the time, many people wrote wishes for them to recover... And as of today, the number of Apathy Syndrome victims has been decreasing. It looks like the wishes came true, however belatedly.

Paulownia Mall



Before I forget, we'll take a look at what Kurosawa has for sale. The equipment is mostly stuff we could find in Tartarus, and he doesn't sell any weaponry for Aigis (in Portable he does though!) but he does now sell...



Swimsuits. For 300k each. They do have the highest defense available but, uh, they are swimsuits. They change models in Tartarus as you'd expect. The Sundress is for Aigis, of course, and is the only armour available for her.

They're absurdly expensive, and they're really not worth 300,000 a piece.

The Poem for Everyone's Soul



We've got new requests for Elizabeth already, which is nice. There's not overly many of them either, which is pretty convenient.



First, we'll make an Oumitsunu since we're level 30 now. He even gets to level 34 which is more than what Elizabeth wanted, so that's one from before done already.



It's an impressive Persona... You have done well.
I have an interesting reward for you...



If you're strong enough to control this Persona, then please give it a try.
Please accept your reward.



Nata Taishi's level 37 and pretty okay. We might use one at some point in the future, since he has some nice skills. Would be more likely to use on in vanilla though, since there he learns Gigantic Fist but that's not the case here.



Next up in the quest line is a Black Frost. He's level 34 so we can't do it yet, but notably this one has no other requirements. That's because even if we WERE level 34+ right now, we couldn't make Black Frost. It's literally impossible; we need something that we don't have yet.

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



We're gonna step out for just a minute and head to this shady backalley again. Our cat friend is still hanging out here and has gotten pretty chubby!



But we're here for Que Sera Sera instead.

Young Man: I bet this'll be popular!



Bartender: ...Hey, aren't you still in high school? You're not s'posed to be here. ...Hm? You look like you've been around the block a time or two...



Bartender: ...It's my own little concoction. I'm hoping to expand our clientele.



Bartender: So, whaddya think? Good, huh?

Not bad.

Bartender: Right? I knew you'd like it. Tell ya what... I'll give ya a bottle of it, on the house. I'm gonna go home and catch some Z's. Come back when you're legal, and I'll let you try the good stuff!



Well, we just got a bottle of alcohol free booze. Purely because its name is Elizabeth. Yes, really.

The Poem for Everyone's Soul



"Queen Elizabeth"... I suppose it does share the name "Elizabeth"...
But, if they were going to make this type of drink, I wish they would have consulted me first. ...Oh, well.
It's non-alchoholic, isn't it? I'll try it later.
Please accept your reward.



The Aroundight is a one-handed sword that'll be a nice upgrade for Mitsuru, probably.



I'm just sorta guessing here, since it's a decent upgrade in power AND it gives a bonus 30SP.

Unlike last time, this doesn't open up any new requests so we'll do the inevitable and see what antics Elizabeth can get up to at the shrine.

Elizabeth's Third Date

Joy



Now that I'm actually here, I sense mysterious presences... But they are markedly different than Shadows.



Oddly, she doesn't comment on the Shiisaa statues. You'd think she would, really.



> The innumerable coins Elizabeth is pouring in are shaking the offertory box.

...I have finally finished presenting my offering.
Though I usually do not reside in this world... I wonder if I, too, may receive "divine grace."
I wonder... This system of monetary offerings is very similar to that of the wishing fountain.
There are many places in your world for supplicants to request good fortune...
You live in a wondrous place...





I've heard of this game, where people entrust their destiny to a slip of paper, and exult in the risk...
I see... There are many possible destinies written on them.
Well then... I'd like to experiment with this for myself.
Please wait here while I work on obtaining all of them.

A-All of them?! But a single one takes up the entire day and it's RNG and...

> You decided to wait until Elizabeth is satisfied...



It's probably for the best that no one else is here right now, otherwise at this point Elizabeth would look positively weird.

Er, moreso than normal I mean.



The inner self is exposed to any true god... Their magnanimity of spirit excuses all...!
And that being the case...



Intriguing...
One must first claw one's way to the top before relaxing in luxury...



Try something else.
That was a lot of fun.
I'd definitely like for you to continue the lessons, and teach me to play with the other equipment.
Our next goal, I think, should be the proper use of this jungle gym over here.

Fade to blue, and... uhh...



How did you get in...?



> You had fun with Elizabeth.



......
To be honest, I've wondered lately...
Is this world enjoyable to me simply because of the novelty of the stimuli it presents...?
It could also be that I...



In any event... I believe I'll open negotiations With my master to bring a horizontal bar into our room.
I'd like to accompany you again sometime, if you wouldn't mind.

> You headed back to the Velvet Room with Elizabeth.

End

The Poem for Everyone's Soul



I must say that the harmony between religion and recreation was indeed superb.
I am currently in negotiations with my master about introducing a set of horizontal bars here.
If I should win his favor, please stop by to make use of them.
Ah yes, and for a reward... i have something very special for you.



He comes in the form of a beast, yet possesses knowledge beyond that of any human...
Try him out and see for yourself the wisdom it may grant you.
...I'd like it if I could walk with you again in your world someday.
Please accept your reward.



Thoth is, uh, level 41 so that's a long, LONG way off so far. He has some really nice skills that we'll want, for sure, even if he's not all that great by that point.

But, hey, with that, we've now finished all the requests that don't involve Tartarus. Again. Hurray...?

Yes, really. It's that quick and easy this time around.



So, we'll just head back to the shrine and talk to Maiko.

Troubled



M-My dad, he--
...Waaaaaaaaaaah! *sob*

> You wait for Maiko to calm down.



I don't know what to do...
That's terrible.
I know it is! Why would Dad do that? ...Why?



All I did was say I wanted to know the real reason they were getting a divorce.
...They told me I was too young to even understand it.
So I kept asking, but then Dad got angry and... and he...



Wow. Wooow, that's insanely not cool and why would you even blame a 7 year old for that. What the hell, lady.

I'm not sure they love me anymore...
I bet they wouldn't care if I wasn't even here at all!
That isn't true.
Are you... sure? But then, why are they so mad?



What if I ran away from home...?
I want to find out... how they really feel about me.
If they love me, then they'd try to look for me, right?



I think maybe, just maybe, Makoto should be responsible for once and, I dunno, not do that?

I know you won't tell.

> Maiko seems to trust you a lot.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





> You went back to the dorm after parting with Maiko.

We're not gonna bother going back to the dorm, though. There's nothing new there, since we already saw everything there earlier in the day. It hasn't changed since, for once.



So we'll just skip right to hanging out with Mutatsu at the nightclub.

This Mysterious Feeling



I'm feelin' down today, kid. So listen to what this old monk has to say, will ya?
...Those folks downstairs, they're probably around your age, eh?
It looks like they're havin' fun drinkin' and dancin', don't it?
But, if you look closely, their eyes say otherwise.
I bet they come here to relieve stress. But, I wonder if anyone of 'em are actually enjoying themselves...
Stress won't go away unless you take care of its source. ...You can forget about it, but it'll always come back.
This place is more like a refuge for me than a club.
If those kids really wanna relax, we should switch the music to the Heart Sutra, and...
...Hey! There's a microphone over there. Bring it over, kid! I'll perform a live sutra reading.
I don't think you should.
...Don't underestimate me, kid. My reading of the Heart Sutra will change your life!



But, I guess you're right. This place is too small to recite it properly.
I have a son... He's about the same age as those kids down there.
He'll be 21 this year... if he's still alive, that is.

> Perhaps because he was thinking about his son...



> You understand Mutatsu better now.





Well, it's not like I've got high hopes for the future anyways...
All things are unique, yet not singular.
...Oh, sorry, kid. I'm done talkin'.
Go home before it gets too late, alright? ...I'll see you later.

> You decided to go back to the dorm.

Since we're Tired thanks to the Chariot and Justice stuff last night, and the bathroom didn't clear it unfortunately, we'll just be going to sleep early tonight.

The Voice Someone Calls



Well, we TRIED to sleep anyway...



The end won't be brought about by anyone in particular...
It's coming because there are many people who wish for it... as if it was destined from the start.
But, doesn't that seem like a strange thing to wish for?
No one wants that.
Are you certain?



Well, enough about that for now.
There's something else I wanted to tell you today...
Soon, the poisonous flowers will bloom...



I don't know whether or not this has anything to do with the end, but you should be careful.
I'll come again if I find out anything useful.
That's what friends are for, right?



Y'know, I think I'm seeing a bit of a pattern with Pharos. He went from Rank 1 to Rank 3 and now to Rank 5, skipping over 2 and 4...



At least even with Pharos' interruption, we're no longer Tired. This'll be useful, I'm sure.



Oh and we can go higher in Tartarus as of today. It's something we'll do later, since we have plenty of time for that.

Silence



But we have something else that happens, first thing in the morning.



I'm sorry to bother you while you're resting, but can I have a word With you?
Just a minute.
That's okay. Just listen through the door.



That's it. Well, see you later.

> It seems Mitsuru has left.

Iwatodai Dorm



Now we can just do our usual rounds and talk to everyone before we do... something or other.

It seems that their goal and our goal have intersected.
But, next time they get in our way, I'm going to beat them down.
That's all there is to it.



I just don't think we should have to study during summer vacation.

I'm sorry, Yukari. That's unfortunate that you've gotta deal with that. We kinda did pretty alright so we're safe.



They must be very powerful to be able to slip through her "net."
Who are they...?



...Why would you think that we're the only ones? The entire time from the very beginning, we've been gaining new members because we found new people who can use Personae. This is a recurring trend. We even learned there is A DOG who can use one a few days ago!

We don't know much about them, but...
...we do know that they are definitely our enemies.
And they're filled with malice and hostility.



Southbound traffic will be packed until the 15th, while northbound traffic will be congested from the 20th to the 21st.

Since we've already cleared out everything for Elizabeth that we could, we'll just head on over to, uh...



Maiko, of course. We don't really have much in the way of options, right now, for obvious reasons.

Troubled



I can't handle it anymore!
Mom and Dad just keep fighting...
I yelled at them to please stop fighting so much.
...But they just told me to leave them alone.
......
So I made up my mind! I have to run away from home!
Calm down.
...You're right. This is no time to be selfish.



...But I made up my mind, and I'm going to run away!
I'd better start packing soon...
So... What do you think I need to pack if I'm running away from home?



You don't need that stuff.
Really? Wow! Running away is easier than I thought!



Now... I just have to decide when I can sneak out.

> Maiko is deep in thought.

Either way, I'm going to try!
Don't worry, I'm going to be just fine, okay?



> Maiko seems to enjoy your company.

> Your relationship is stronger now!





This is gonna be great!
It takes a lot of hard work to get ready to run away...

> You walked Maiko home and returned to the dorm.

Hey, uh, maybe Makoto could like do that more? It'd be a good idea...

The Good, The Bad and the Doggy



I dunno. But, the alarm's not ringin'...



Koro-chan!?



Are you okay!?
...Where'd you get this collar?



Wait... Does that mean he'll be going into battle?
It was a surprise for me as well. But according to the tests, it's quite possible.
In fact, it was the Chairman's suggestion. ...We'll be looking after him here in the dorm.
Is that okay with you, Koro-chan?
Woof!



Man, you're one loyal dog.
Woof!!
Hey, make yourself at home...
The more the merrier, right? Who cares if you're a dog?
Alright, I'll take him for a walk. It's summer break after all!
Yes, it is.



...E-Excuse me...???

I'll see to it that you graduate.
H-Hey... Good one, Senpai. You almost had me there.
Oh, it's no joke.



Notably, she says "all of us" which includes herself. So this is thoroughly unrelated to the threat from before about poor grades. So, this ISN'T Junpei's fault!

I know how difficult its's been balancing school and our late night excursions.
You haven't had much time to study. I apologize for that.
That's why the Chairman agrees that this is a good idea. ...I thought I told Takeba and Yamagishi.

So, yeah, this is what Yukari was on about earlier.

Are you serious!? This is the first I've heard of it!
Um, sorry... I forgot to mention it.



Hey, with your grades, you should be thanking her!
Yeah, right.
*Sigh* This sucks.
Don't you think?
Totally.
W-Well, it's only for a few weeks, so let's make the most of it...

W... Weeks?!

End

Okay, so, we don't have the best Academics, sure... but we still study basically every night.

Iwatodai Dorm



Use this time to increase your Academics.

As we do. Virtually every night.



Are we going to buy dog food, or cook homemade meals for him?

The Pharmacy sells cat food, so it probably sells dog food too. I haven't seen any in there, sure, but I haven't really gone there to buy anything either.



No matter how strong you are, if you don't study your opponent, you can't win.
It's the same with school... If you don't study, you can't pass your test.

We've passed twice. Notably, we've gotten increasingly better results!



Why, there are rescue dogs, seeing eye dogs, narcotic detection dogs...
Let's put our trust in Koromaru.

I cat believe he didn't make a dog pun.

...Wait shit hang on--



> Koromaru seems satisfied.

> Maybe you should take him for a walk tomorrow...

Now there's an idea! Junpei presumably has done that today, like he said he would, after all.



He is close to his enemy when he attacks, so he is very accurate.
On the other hand, he does not inflict a great deal of damage.
That completes the analysis of Koromaru-san's battle style.

Since Koromaru uses daggers/knives that he holds in his mouth, the Bone that we can get from Liz (remember that?) is clearly his joke weapon.



Don't you agree?
Yeah.
*sigh* I feel like I'm gonna become one of The Lost...



It'll be a lot of fun having him around.

Oddly, Ken doesn't think its weird that Koromaru has a shock collar, little wings, is wearing a t-shirt or has a red armband on it that says SEES. Aren't we supposed to be keeping this kinda stuff a secret? Remember when that was a thing?



Anyway, hey look, it's a Saturday so its a double Academics night.



We're still not rank 5 but we are very, very close now. At this rate, we should be able to get it in a couple of days or so.



Well, we've got a day to do a whole bunch of stuff before we have to do bonus extra more studying. Thanks, Mitsuru.



Hey, Tanaka's selling a spear! Buying that for sure. Much like the Bus Stop axe, this is something only Makoto can use. Unlike the Bus Stop Sign, this is a spear.

Spears are my personal preferred weapon type to use. I'm sure anyone who's played the game before saw that one coming, honestly.



Its name is Cerberus.
It is proficient in fire and darkness skills... Very fitting for the guardian of Hades.

I'm also sure that no one at all is surprised that Koromaru's persona is Cerberus. It's a very obvious choice, honestly, and it couldn't be Orthrus (the other obvious choice) since we have him in our stock already.

Also, note that according to Aigis he has Fire skills. Hmm... I'm sure there's totally definitely not going to be an overlap problem here.





...And now, the news.

This is 100% a coincidence, but it'd be funny if the tokusatsu show was dealing with a Shadow in the sense we've grown used to by now. It's obviously just an actual shadow but hey.

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



Yukari's hanging out at the mall, where Junpei usually is huh? She's got the right idea for sure, though.



My brain, on the other hand, is all junky and dirty, and it feels bad.
Stupid summer school... I can't believe this...

Junpei's just sitting around outside the... flower shop? We've seen him here like once before, so it's not completely unexpected but it's still unusual.

This is where we'd skip to whoever we'd be spending time with (usually Maya because Sunday), but first we have something else to do.



Since that Striped Shirt fella is just sat around the shrine. He's only here on Sunday, like he told us before.

Your soul must be burning brightly.



He's been here a bit of a while, but we've never had the chance to come here since we got Academics 4 which is what we need.

The me that I see reflected in your eyes and the real me--if there is such a thing... How far apart are they?
Almost zero.
Hmm... That works.

> The thin young man seems happy for some reason.



I have a fountain pen... It uses red ink--blood red.
My pen is my supporter, my spokesman, and my friend. However, it seems to have disappeared...
Without it, my screams are silenced.



> Apparently, the young man's fountain pen is missing.

So, yeah, despite requiring an Academics that's at least rank 4 that just lets us run into a wall. Thanks, Striped Shirt.

But, white fur and red eyes sounds kinda... familiar...



We'll worry about that later. First we have this guy to finally talk to, I guess.

Let's go eat.
Sure.
Let's see who can eat faster... The loser has to run a hundred laps around the city! Ready?

> Mamoru is full of confidence...



> You accept his challenge!

Much like the guy at the shrine, we need rank 4 to deal with Mamoru. Unlike that one, we've had Courge 4 for like what feels like basically forever.

Joy



> Mamoru is eating takoyaki at an extremely fast pace.

> This seems like a good opportunity for an eating competition.

> What is your eating strategy?



It literally doesn't matter, but sure whatever. Let's just get this over and done with.

Th-That's the lightning swallow technique! Daunting, but quick!
*gulp* *gulp* Yum! *gulp*

> Mamoru began to forego chewing as well!



Whew... Looks like a tie.
I'm impressed, Makoto! Not many people can match my speed.
I thought I could win.



Uh-huh. Sure, you weren't Mamoru.

> Mamoru seems impressed.

You had a lot of guts challenging me at takoyaki, though... I'm impressed.
You have a lot of potential.

> Mamoru recognized your potential.

> Star Athlete Mamoru Hayase has become an acquaintance.

The Power of the Heart



> A mysterious voice rings in your head...





Joy



As promised, I'm going to start my laps around the city. You can do whatever you think is best.

Fortunately, the dumb deal was "the loser" specifically and not "the person who doesn't win."

You put up a good fight today! See you around.

> You decided to go back to the dorm.

Iwatodai Dorm



It's about his exercise...
Could you take him out for a walk at night, if he seems to need one?

I think we can definitely manage that, yes.



There will be nothing I can do to help you.
So, study hard and do your best in summer school.

It sure is a good thing the only person (here) who's grades are higher than ours is Mitsuru, huh...



After we defeat the rest of the Shadows, we'll become ordinary high school students again...
And it we fall behind in our studies now, we'll be in big trouble later.

Considering the pattern has been "all of them except Magician and Priestess come in pairs," it seems pretty likely that we've just got two months left...



Damn right...
I'm jealous of Koromaru, since he doesn't have to do any studying.



All I have to do is become a dog! Then, I won't have to go to summer school either!
Woof! Woof!
*pant* *pant*
Koro-chan is trying to say something...
I bet he's complimenting me for being so smart.
I bet he's laughing at you, saying how stupid you are... Stupei!

Oh. That's right!

Not Junpei's terrible idea, but Koromaru's right here and he's an albino shiba inu and he has red eyes!



> You spot something under Koromaru's paw...

Arf! Arf!



Well, we know exactly what we're gonna do with that. Probably gonna be next Sunday, though.



For the rest of tonight, we'll just go spend time with Mutatsu while being all too aware that the first Tower persona is level 31.



Every. Night. Mitsuru.

Goddammit.







Fortunately, there IS something else we can do after being forced to waste time on something less effective than our current method of studying.



Namely, there's a requisite Festival event that we can participate in. Technically this is optional, but we will be attending it anyway.



Some people are gonna give us a call to ask if we wanna attend with them, naturally.



Quite notably, it's just all the girls from school that we have S.Links with.



We can go with any one of them, or...



We could just turn down everyone and go on our own, like a weirdo loner.

They're all valid options. Even Chihiro. It doesn't affect anything too majorly at this point, so there's no downside to picking whichever of the five options you want.

Remember, we are going to go no matter what. It's just a question of...

Who with?