Part 101: 9/4-9/6: Im A Baller (Because I Think The Earth Is Round)
Part 98: 9/4-9/6: Im A Baller (Because I Think The Earth Is Round)Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
I wanna do that stuff. Can you come with me?
Im eating now. Maybe I should respond later
You got an invitation from someone? Want to go upstairs and reply once you finish eating? ...And I have to say, that curry the chief is so proud of smells absolutely delicious.
Isnt this kind of interesting?
Akechis a detective, right? He seems kind of incompetent.
He talks big, but he doesnt even do anything.
Ugh! I hate people like that. Theyre all talk!
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
Youre really raring to go! From the sounds of it, this guy is a frequent cheater. Lately hes been focusing on a popular shooting game called Gun About and ruining peoples fun. According to the post, he mostly spends his time down at the arcade called Gigola on Central Street. It might just be a game, but cheating is inexcusable.
Oh, yeah, totally. This sounds completely reasonable and not like a fucking small-time waste of everyones breath. Jeez, seems like next were gonna move down to targeting manspreaders and loiterers.
A nasty gamer Its definitely possible hell exist in Mementos. Mishima said hes at the arcade on Central Street, right? Lets go see what this is all about.
Maybe we should take care of what we can before then.
Hmm, Hifumi sent us a new message.
Im going to Los Angeles for my school trip.
Oh, thats right. Hifumi goes to the same school as Yusuke, doesnt she?
This is my first time overseas, so Im a little nervous We will continue with your lessons if I return safely
Foreign media outlets around the world have been reporting the fall of Medjed. Around the world, the Phantom Thieves are being praised for saving the world from this threat.
This is making the news in other countries too, huh? I never thought wed come this far.
Music: Tokyo Daylight
This time, well try Iwai.
Do you have some time? I wanna get cracking on that promise list I made.
Then lets form our battle plan. Step into my office, Maaku.
Music: Whats Going On?
The first one is go somewhere with lots of people. Ooh, Ive got the perfect place!
Youre going to Akihabara? ...Be careful out there.
Music: Home Electronics Store
I just figured out what this song reminds me of and its the fucking BRODYQUEST music.
Not as good as Inari though. Hes got a particularly pervy view on art.
There is a ruckus behind the pair.
Music: Tension
Wh-Whoa, whats going on!?
Theres a super-limited sale at the PC section!
Three terabytes for only five hundred yen!? What a steal!
This seems like a trick, considering the last three terabyte drive I bought cost roughly 22 times that.
Thats gonna sell out in seconds!
Theyre all defective, you rubes!
The crowd swarms!
Aaaand weve been separated.
There are just so many people Hrgh I dont know if I can last much longer
Maybe I should go look for Futaba
...Ah!
There you are! I I, I, I
Music: My Homie
I didnt think I was gonna see you until the end of time But then I thought about you while I was wandering around the store, and bam, a wild Maaku appeared!
...Hm? Wait a tick, I just finished a promise! Go somewhere with lots of people! Well, am I awesome or what!? Its all cause of the Three Terabyte War though! Oh, and cause you brought me here! I, Futaba Sakura, hereby thank thee!
I can sense Futabas innocent joy...
I think not being with you is kinda scary, Maaku. All right then, Im gonna add another goal to my list: Being OK without you around. It might be a long questline, but Ill finish it someday! ...Phew, Im tired.
Weve been here for maybe ten minutes.
Cmon, lets go home!
Music: Beneath the Mask
Whatre you talking about!? Analyse that data!
My PCs doing all the work. That leaves me with nothing!
We are preparing for our school trips. None of us have the time to entertain you right now.
Oh, shoot! I need to go shopping!
All we need is a toothbrush, right? Whatre you panicking for?
Theres a lot I need! Shampoos, lotions, conditioners !
Ann is confusing to me, because in conversations like this its implied she puts a lot of work into her appearance, and then in her Confidant we find out she doesnt give a fuck about modeling, eats whatever the hell she wants, and generally just wings it.
No, I should bring three. Inspiration may strike at any moment in time Now regarding canvas size, bigger is better, yes?
Yusuke reminds me of all the notebooks Ive bought over the years to collect my thoughts or write off-the-cuff that Ive never once actually used.
Whatre you asking us for!? What I mean is, you shouldnt take shit like that with you!
Being able the talk to each other openly like that must be nice
We spend most of our conversations dunking on each other, cat. Its not that nice.
What!?
No Just cram school. No anime or video games. All my friends played soccer without me
During summer break, Ive been looking up the Phantom Thieves on my dads computer.
Oh, the Phantom Thieves fan site!? I wanna see it too!
Now, weve actually maxed our Knowledge, so you may be wondering why Im bothering to consume the dreaded vegetable drink. Well, if we dont buy this weeks aojiru, the drinks wont cycle, meaning that next weeks aojiru will still be Knowledge. Still annoying that Im spending 5,000 yen on nothing, but theres naught I can do about it.
Pretty much, thanks to the ruckus kicked up by those phantom thieves. I hope they keep this up. It makes things easier for me when the police are so focused on them. Just messin with ya. *chuckle* Works been goin well for me. You wanna try hiring me for somethin too? Just leave your info and the cash in the trash bin. Disappearances. Accidents, you name it, I do it. I wont leave a single shred of evidence behind, just like how the Phantom Thieves do it! Haha!
Depression and suicide are on the rise, and the young workforce is being crushed on a daily basis. The evil that permeates the corporate world has filtered down into society Hello, Hamiru-kun. Stamina is important for public speaking as well. Youre still young, but take care of yourself. Its almost time Id appreciate it if you could be around afterwards today. Im sure I dont have to remind you about what this concerns
...Right. Yeah, I remember. shitshitshit
Hows your availability?
Thank you. A speech about the Phantom Thieves
Oh, right. Duh.
There are some things I want you to hear, so please come and listen to it.
Music: Alleycat
Thank you. I appreciate it, but
I know. Youre not going to be my right-hand man, right? Dont worry, I wont pull any tricks. Feel free to talk about being falsely accused. Ill handle whatever comes from it. I saw Kuramotos grandson around here somewhere. I bet hes curious about todays speech.
I havent spoken to him since we last met.
This speech should serve as your response to him.
Hes going to talk about the Phantom Thieves, right?
I couldnt care less about him. Im just interested in hearing about the Phantom Thieves.
Will do.
What are you doing, Toranosuke ?
Setting aside whether their actions are right or wrong There is one thing I can safely say about the Phantom Thieves. A belief with conviction has the ability to move a persons heart.
Music: Sunset Bridge
I was a fool 20 years ago. Its no wonder that I was considered a failure as a politician. However, because I was accused like that, I was able to understand the suffering of the weak.
Why am I in politics? In the past, it was merely for personal gain. But why do the Phantom Thieves continue to change hearts? I believe they do it for the world and its people. And in choosing to do justice for others, they had no choice but to disguise themselves. No matter what the world says, I fully support them. Im just an average citizen. However, I will continue to voice my beliefs. I may not be able to become a Diet member this election And I may not be able to affect change during my lifetime
I will be happy, as long as I can be a meaningful stepping stone for the future of our youth!
Fuckin Tora, goddamn.
So you have no intention of accusing old man Kuramoto?
Thats right.
Sheesh such a heartfelt speech for someone your age. People are probably laughing at you as we speak. I doubt any of them were moved by your words. ...I might be the only one in this entire city who was.
Matsushita
Proceed as you wish with your candidacy. Ill take measures to ensure the party backs you. Within the limits of my abilities, of course. ...Goodbye.
The Phantom Thieves
Perhaps, its the effect of you moving my heart.
The Phantom Thieves The power to change a persons heart I dont possess a special power like they do, but I wont lose to them when it comes to conviction. Speech is my only weapon. Just my voice and my words. Thats how I win people over. Thank you for sticking by my side, Hamiru-kun.
I feel like my bond with Yoshida is growing deeper...
Contrary to what I thought, getting your heart stolen isnt such a bad thing. If hes a member of the Phantom Thieves, then Ah, Im talking to myself again. Another bad habit of mine. Time to finish up for today.
*nods*
...Good job.
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
What is the Phan-Site?
Ooh, they have new merch!
This isnt part of our licensing agreement!
I mean, even the harshest TV commentators are praising them. A lot of celebrities are talking openly about the Phantom Thieves.
The Phantom Thieves fight for the people! Anyone opposed to them is just behind the times. Just look at that Akechi kid. Hes catching a ton of shit for what happened with Medjed.
Justice cant exist so long as the Phantom Thieves do--big talk from someone who cant even catch them. Even politicians are claiming the Phantom Thieves are dangerous Theyre all full of hot air, though. The Phantom Thieves are totally trustworthy.
Looks like people are coming around to us
You know what is a big deal? My Gun About rank going up.
Gun About : The Super Real? Thats the one with the gun-shaped controller, right? Everyones talking about it.
The multiplayers sooo good. The arcade on Central Street has it. So does the one in Akihabara. You should give it a try sometime. I played against someone really good the other day I couldnt land a single shot on them.
Music: Tokyo Daylight
I kinda miss when no one knew who we were
Why? This is awesome!
Lets head into the library to get a new book with Futabas addition to the team.
Now, to the arcade to investigate reports of this cheater.
Im playing Gun About right now, so dont bother me. (to Flustered Gamer) Hey! Did you get change yet!?
It, um, it wont take my 1,000 yen bill!
Oh, nows my chance! The cheaters logged in! Hey, hurry up and bring me back some change!
Some people online found his real name on a social network site, and now theyre all raging. I think his real name is Yoshikuni Nejima. That dirtbag is 40 years old without a job. Well, Im gonna crush Nejima and be a hero.
But you dont seem to be winning at all.
Shut up! Just go and bring me back some change already!
So thats the malevolent player that Mishima was talking about Hes the infamous cheater. Its one thing to cheat if youre playing alone, but its wrong to mess with other people like that. We got his name, too. It looks like Yoshikuni Nejima is going to be our next target.
Hey, I know the Phan-Site is basically all doxxing, but its pretty messed up were relying on doxxed information to resolve the terrible, horrible issue of a fucking video game cheater, right? This is so far below our pay grade at this point its absurd. The powerful and just Phantom Thieves intervening on behalf of a gigantic entertainment corporation so they dont actually have to moderate their service! Also, this is an arcade game, right? How is he downloading cheats?
You got some time? Lets keep going on that promise list.
OK, then lets hold a strategy meeting in Leblanc. Dont worry, there arent any customers around right now.
Poor Sojiro, then.
Music: Whats Going On?
Pretty hard stuff for the second boss
Oh, um Never mind. Just go have some fun.
I think my hearts gonna pop out of my chest
Music: Alright (Elp Version)
Wh-What are you doing here!?
Ummm, well
Well, do you want to come in?
Ummm Can I use a Goho-M instead ?
Im sure youll be fine. Most of the students have already left, and all the teachers are in a meeting. Oh, and Ill join you. I can use my position as student council president to avoid any problems that may arise.
Youre incredible! If Ive got you two with me, this place is gonna be as easy as fighting a trash mob!
This gamer talk thing Futaba does is conspicuously absent in story scenes and seems to have been invented wholly for her Confidant. Its pretty weird.
...Im not sure I understand. Thats a good thing, right? Anyway, come on. Ill show you around the school.
Lunch That reminds me of this time I was the only kid who didnt get a pudding with my meal Oh, and this other time I ate a strawberry with ketchup on it I didnt notice cause theyre both red. It was really gross
Futaba strikes me as someone whod be really into Soylent.
U-Um, anyway the cafeterias pretty boring, huh? Lets move on.
We have all the regular academic fare here: textbooks, encyclopedias, study guides But we also have a few manga and light novels at the request of some especially vocal students.
So many books
Do you like to read, Futaba?
Mm-hm. Back in elementary school, I memorized the titles of all the books on a shelf in just one glance. The other kids thought I was making it up when I told them though. But then when I recited all the titles to prove it they just laughed and called me a freak ...Am I weird, Maaku?
...I dont wanna be talented if its gonna creep people out. Ugh School is the worst
W-Well, should we move along ? Only the classrooms remain though on second thought, maybe we should pass on those today. Shall we head back to the entrance?
Dont be. Its my fault I remembered all that sad stuff on my own
It was really more weird than sad, to be honest. Does thinking about the traumatic concepts of lunch or books really cause that much pain? How do you live like that?
I guess dwelling on the past is just a bad habit of mine, huh ?
So you do it too, Maaku? That means were the same!
Honestly, Futaba Its clear how much youve improved recently. You would never have gotten so worried about this before.
Huh ?
What I mean is, worrying about something is the first step toward changing it. Coming to school like this is a huge breakthrough, Futaba. Youre doing great Right, Maaku-kun?
*nods*
Wait, so youre happy with me even though I got totally depressed ? Hmmm Is this like that saying about when life gives you lemons?
No, not at all.
Maybe I could make lemonade for the Phantom Thieves! Er, figuratively speaking.
That would be wonderful.
Aw yeah!
Futaba seems enthusiastic...
Position Hack is a great skill when it procs, which probably wont happen all that often due to a weird quirk with the skill. Whenever you start a battle, theres a chance it can go straight into a Hold Up including if you get ambushed. In fact, based on what I remember, it may even activate more often on enemy ambushes.
Now, I mentioned there was a quirk with Position Hack. Well, it may seem like it doesnt proc frequently, which is not due to the actual percentage chance but the simple fact that, for some odd reason, unlike pretty much every other similar skill in the game, it doesnt work when you ambush the enemy. I dont know why; maybe the devs thought it would just be too broken if that was the case. Its just kind of a bummer because the vast majority of encounters in this game will be initiated via ambush.
It also has great synergy with Chihayas Money Reading because it lets you start the battle with an All-out Attack, potentially activating the money boost instantly. Unfortunately, it has no such synergy with Hifumis Narikin because theyre mutually exclusive: Narikin requires an ambush to activate while Position Hack requires that you dont.
Im sure you would make a lot of friends if you decided to come to school now, Futaba.
Friends...
Oh, uh Nothing!
Makoto nods, says a few more words to Maaku, and leaves.
Anyways, lets retreat for now. Whatre you feeling for dinner? How about curry?
80% of my meals at this point are curry. Please help me, Im literally dying of malnutrition.
Time to make like a rabbit and hop on out of here!
Music: Beneath the Mask
Im not giving you any money, OK? And dont worry about getting me a souvenir or anything like that.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is concerned it will make landfall and is monitoring its path.
A typhoon, huh? I hope the plane will be OK.
School trip canceled, its the Persona 3 cultural festival all over again!
Ohya this time.
And no rank up is in the cards for us tonight (heh).
Oh, its nothing. I was just daydreaming a bit
Lets get a-fixin.
Getting this thing to work wont be easy. Fixing this will take quite a bit of time.
Music: Everyday Days
I see So all computers are essentially made up of different components that are assembled.
Repairing such a complex machine is sure to have improved your Proficiency.
Maaku gains Proficiency +2.
Music: Dark Net (Also known in English as Tanakas Shady Commodities)
HOLY SHIT
Here we sell wonderful and rare items that are not circulated among the general public! Curious about something? Youve got access! Want something? Youve got access!
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. From weekly appearances on Japanese QVC hocking bullshit like fish and real, actual swords to some super-sketchy dark net site only accessible via a Tor browser that only accepts sixth-tier cryptocurrencies even your libertarian cousins never heard of. Vertcoin? Get that mass appeal shit out of here!
Music: Everyday Days
What the heck? It just went to that site automatically. Was it configured to do that beforehand? Shady Commodities ? So its an online shopping site?
As cool as Tanaka is, I cant help but be a bit disappointed, I guess? I mean, when I bought this piece of shit for the purpose of fixing it I kind of assumed itd be full of weird porn. Buying a broken laptop from a second-hand shop is like the modern version of finding a dirty magazine in the middle of the woods, right?
Well, we should check it out tomorrow, though. Its late.
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
You know the rankings that are popular nowadays? Are you interested in them too?
Youre not interested ? Are you the type to go against the trend? Did you know my name is listed too? Its apparently due to my recent disapproval of the group. Before I knew it, I turned into a bona fide villain. Still, I thought that if I became a target, I could figure out their methods. The idea was appealing when I thought about it. Of course, theres no guarantee Id be safe. You should check out the list sometime. ...Well, talking any more will make us late. See you later!
It comes with a sticker, right? Theres so much Phantom Thieves merchandise all of a sudden. Although, if you ask me, Phantom Thieves isnt a very cool name.
I dunno, I like it. Its so mysterious. Do you think its a bad idea to post my name to the Phan-Site to get a change of heart? I just want to meet the Phantom Thieves
Jesus Christ!
Music: So Boring
Tomorrow night, you will depart from Japan. Eight or nine hours later, you will arrive in Hawaii. However, you cant forget about the time difference. Hawaii is nineteen hours behind Japan.
Therefore, it will be the morning of the 7th when you arrive. You leave the night of the 7th and arrive the morning of the 7th Your mind and body will panic. When humans become jet-lagged, they lose their sense of time. Have you ever looked at your watch and felt like the second hand stopped for more than a second? Heres a question for you, Hamiru-kun. What is the name of the phenomenon where the second hand looks like it stops moving?
I could totally just pick The World. Theres nothing stopping me. I dont need the Knowledge. ...Fuck, fine.
(for the record, the percentage of people who picked that answer is zero. Philistines)
Correct. A brief moment of disconnect exists as your eyes move and your brain perceives what youre seeing. The true nature of this phenomenon is your brain tries to fill that space with an imagined perception.
Maaku gains Knowledge +1.
You leave on the 7th and spend four nights there, which means youll leave on the 11th. But when you come back to Japan, an entire day will have passed. Meaning, you return on the 12th. Farewell for now. The tropical sun is too bright for my eyes, after all
Hes staying behind, huh?
Yeah, well still be in Japan at that point
Ryuji! You know youre not leaving until tomorrow night, right?
Wait, for real!?
Enough of the chitchat. You should be concentrating on class.
I dont care about that after what I just heard. Im totally outta motivation to work...
Sounds like business as usual.
Welp, time to research sightseeing spots in Hawaii!
You got over that pretty damn fast!
Oh yeah, are there any famous places in Los Angeles?
Hollywood!
It has a vibrant art scene as well. I expect the trip will prove quite stimulating.
That dont hold a candle to Hawaiis beaches though.
There are a multitude of fabulous beaches near Los Angeles as well, you know.
Huh? Its close to the ocean ?
Do you know where LA is?
Well its the capital of America, so in the middle somewhere?
That line consistently fucks me up.
What about Hawaii?
Dunno. Some ocean, I guess?
Youre hopeless!
How long are you all going to keep this up!?
Music: Tokyo Daylight
How so?
And Ohya again.
This time, we get results.
Then we follow with a Money Reading. Yes, we can get multiple readings in the same say, we just cant do the same one twice.
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
And next time, were finally going to go to Mementos to deal with our huge pile of requests!