Part 4: 4/9/09

4/9/09

Yeah, I have a feeling that Junpei’s going to fail all his classes. I guess I should try to help him out with that.

Video- “April 9”

Watch

In times like these, it’s best to sleep during class!
You ever notice how sometimes taking a nap in class makes you feel more refreshed than sleeping at home?
Don’t sleep in class.
Whaaat? Why do you have to be all serious?
That feeling of being completely recharged is awesome… But I’m screwed later since I didn’t hear the lecture!
Oh, but we have classic literature today… That means we’re stuck with Mr. Nasty ol’ Ekoda…

Mr. Ekoda turns out to be that guy who was freaking out over cream-filled pastries.



I’ll be teaching you about good old Japan all year.
Some people say Classic Lit isn’t relevant to everyday life, but oh, how they’re wrong!
The students, the other teachers… Wrong, wrong, wrong! Nobody really understands Classic Lit…
> You feel tired…
> Close your eyes for a few minutes?

I mean I couldn’t take a nap after that lecture I gave Junpei.



Hey… Are you all listening to me?
Wake up, children! Now open your textbooks.
First on our syllabus is “Ise Monogatari,” the origin of Japanese literature.
It’s a very interesting story. You youngsters might call it, “da bomb.”
……
* sigh * I can tell you people are “zoning out”…

It is possible for a person to be more out of touch with, well, anything than that guy? Oh, I ran into Yukari on the way out of school.



We went down to the local mall, it’s not bad I guess.



Have you come here before?
A lot of Gekkoukan students come here after school.
There’s a karaoke box and a CD shop. Oh, and a really great café, too!
There’s also a nightclub, but that’s kinda not for us yet.
> The Paulownia Mall is crowded with students on their way back from school…

The moon was crazy bright, we almost didn’t notice it was night at first.



The moon is beautiful tonight.
It might be nice to read a book by moonlight once in a while.

I guess the dorm has some kind of computer network, at least they invested some money in this place.



Their main purpose is to send the school reports about daily life here in the dorm.

Unfortunately, with so few of us here I guess they don’t want to pay someone to cook.



It’d be great to have somebody like that doing stuff for us, don’t you think?
You’re right.
I mean, I’m not a good cook, and Mitsuru-senpai just doesn’t do things like that…
You know, if you’re handy around the kitchen, I bet you could really do something with this place!

I swear I’ve seen the reporter on TV somewhere before.



Trish: Today’s subject is a very dependable-looking 20-year-old woman.
Her sister is a camerawoman, and I’ve heard she got her camera from her master.
…Next is news. Pain, pain, go away!

Oh well, time to get some sleep. I’m starting to settle in around here, it’s not a bad place.

Video- “The Dark Age Begins”

Watch



…The same as last night.
Hmm… Very interesting.
Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first…
…Memory loss… disorientation…
But, this subject is rather unique. She hasn’t exhibited any of the common symptoms.
But… we’re treating her like a guinea pig.
I understand your concern, but it’s imperative that we recruit new members.
I heard she’s in your class… Wouldn’t you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade?
A female classmate, at that.
Yeah, I guess. But, still…



Command room.
…Is that you, Akihiko?
You’re not gonna believe this…! This thing is huge!
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to talk… It’s chasing me…
I wanted to let you guys know. I’m almost there.
Does that mean… he’s bringing that thing here!?
Mr. Chairman!
Let’s suspend our observation for now. We’ll prepare for battle!
…R-Right! Be careful!

I asked them to fill me in on the rest of what happened that night so I could write it down here, it just makes me feel better to see it all on paper so I know I’m not crazy.



Akihiko!
I’m alright.
Get ready to be surprised… It’ll be here any second.
This is no time to joke around!
It’s one of them, Akihiko?
Yes, but not an ordinary one—
Ahh!!
What the…!? …You’ve gotta be kidding me!
Mr. Chairman, please head for the command room!
Takeba, go upstairs and wake her up! Then, escape out the back.
But, what about you two?
We’ll stop it here.
You led it to us, Akihiko, so I’m afraid you’ll have to fight.
Like I had a choice!
What are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!
I-I’m going!

All this noise had already woken me up. The world was tinted with the same sickly green light as it was the night I came to the dorm.



> You are awoken by a loud noise…
> Should you go check outside…?

I was about to take a look myself when Yukari came to the door. She was carrying a bunch of weird stuff too.



Wake up!
Sorry, I’m coming in!
I don’t have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!
Okay!
Hurry! Downstairs! We’ll leave through the back door!
Wait!
…Take this, just in case.
> Yukari handed you a long, thin implement.
> …It seems to be a naginata.
Okay, let’s go! Follow me!

As strange as all of this was given how freaked out she was I figured it was best to just wait until madness didn’t reign to find out why the hell she charged in and handed me a polearm.



Alright, we should be safe now—
Takeba, do you read me!?
Y-Yes! I hear you!
Be careful! There’s more than one enemy!
The one we’re fighting isn’t the one Akihiko saw!
What!?
* gasp * L-Let’s pull back!

We pulled back, but it seemed we’d already attracted the attention of whatever it was we were supposed to be running from.



What was that!?
It’s getting closer!
K-Keep moving! Hurry!

I will never make fun of any character in a horror movie for running to the roof now.

Video- “The Magician”

Watch

* sigh *
The door’s locked. I think we’re safe for now…
……!?

Well we would have been safe.



Except that a horrible black mask thing was crawling up the building.



A horrible black mask thing made of arms and knives.



Which at least made the naginata make sense, though it also seemed pretty inufficient.



It climbed up the wall…!?



That gigantic Shadow… Just what is it we’re dealing with!?
…Let’s go, Mitsuru!
Wait!

Yukari tried to explain what was going on.



O-Oh yeah… I have to fight…
I… I can summon mine… No problem…

She pulled out that weird gun I’d seen her carrying the first night.



But she hesitated, and the ‘Shadow’ attacked her.



Which left the thing at my feet.



I’m not really sure why I did what I did next. It just felt… right.









I felt the strangest thing, like my head was exploding…



And I heard a voice. I think she said, “I am thou, and thou art I”?



And that’s when everything began to feel… wrong. I felt like I was being torn apart.



And the female figure above me was replaced by some kind of horrible… thing.



I don’t know what it was, but it made short work of the huge Shadow.







What on earth was that…!?
……

The terrible dark thing began to fade…



And the original figure returned.



> Orpheus regained its original form.
> You have obtained a new Persona!

I could still feel, I don’t know, an echo of that monster’s power in my body.



……!?
It’s still moving…!
> A piece of the “Shadow” is heading for Yukari…
No… G-Get away from me!
> You have to save her…!

I just knew I had nothing to fear from these monsters.



Suddenly that weapon just seemed to come naturally to me.



And I wiped them out. That’s pretty much the last thing I remember from that night.



> It seems Yukari is safe, too…
> ……
> You feel exhausted…
> You are losing consciousness…
> ……
* gasp *
Are you okay!?
Come on…!
Please…! Can you hear me!?
Answer me!

I do sort of remember going back to that weird blue place, though.

Video- “In Velvet”

Watch

It’s so nice to see you again.
You became unconscious after awakening to your “power.”
I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling.
That power is called Persona… It is a manifestation of your psyche.
Persona?
A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli…
You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships.

I’m still not totally sure what Igor was talking about.



When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength.
The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links—your emotional ties with others.
The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability.
Please remember that.
Now, then…
Time marches on in your world.
I shouldn’t keep you here any longer.
Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord.
Until then…
Farewell.

He wasn’t kidding that time was marching on, but I’m starting to get sick of all this writing so I’ll save that for later. Oh, I looked up Orpheus online.



He’s some kind of mythical poet and musician who tried but failed to save his love from the Underworld. Not sure what that’s supposed to say about me, I’ll have to think about it when I’m not half-asleep.