Part 12: 4/18-4/20: Gimme The Good Drugs, Doc

Part 12: 4/18-4/20: Gimme The Good Drugs, Doc



First on today’s agenda is finding out what was up with that weird medicine over at the clinic.



What are you here for today?



Huh? ….. You’re the kid who was at Leblanc. ...Regular medicine won’t do the trick?



….. Fine… Just head into the examination room for now.

Music: Suspicion




Takemi locks the door.





It was obvious, actually. You call that hiding? ...Not that I care, of course. I was going to dispose of that medicine anyway. I got a little too carried away with it. ...But tell me; why would a high schooler like yourself be so interested in that medicine?



It’s very strange, indeed. You don’t seem to be very athletic, so… ...What exactly are you up to?



Exams…? Oh, your entrance exams for college? So you’re looking to improve your concentration and reduce fatigue? Hm, that’s not the best idea. But if that’s what you want to do...



Takemi unlocks the door.



I have no obligation to help you with that. Why don’t you have an energy drink or something?



….. You’re really annoying, you know that? The medicine is really expensive. And it’s not something a high schooler can get his hands on. It costs almost as much as a car. Got it? So how about you just go home?



*sigh* ...Do you consider yourself someone with a good amount of stamina?



I admit I have been looking for a young person around your age to help me out. But I haven’t been able to find one, even after putting an ad in the paper. ...Are you up for it?



Let’s just say that it’ll be worth it.



OK then. You’ll be participating in clinical trials for my medicine.



Hang on. I’ll be right back.




...Worried about the side effects, huh? Well, you can relax. Rest assured, my autopsy is guaranteed to find out exactly what part of it killed you.



What, aren’t you going to take it? The exit’s right there if you want to leave.



If I don’t drink this, Takemi probably won’t sell me her medicine… …..
Well? Go on.




Maaku gulps down the entire concoction in one massive swig.




I can’t believe you actually drank it...
Bitter, yet sour. It’s beyond description… ...However, it’s nothing I can’t handle...
Wow… Still doing OK, huh? Hm. Not bad, for a high schooler. Uh...





...Welp. Game over, I guess.

Some time passes...

Music: Butterfly Kiss





Do you remember anything from the moment you took the medicine until now?



Hm, by the look in your eyes, I’d say you don’t. You briefly woke from your coma, but you were completely dazed during the entire examination. ...You eventually lost consciousness, and fell back asleep.




Fine. By the way, the reason you lost consciousness was because of the taste. It produces a foul smell when it mixes with gastric juices, similar to surstromming. Oh, well. All that matters is that thanks to you I was able to get some good data. OK, it’s my turn to make good on my part of the deal. That’s why I waited until you woke up. I don’t want the general public to know about my original medicines. So you’re strictly prohibited from disclosing what happens here to anyone… Understood?



Then it’s a deal. As long as you come here for it, I’ll give you the medicine at a good price whenever you want. I may even add additional selections, in time. ...I look forward to your continued patronage.
I’ve made a deal with Takemi...




Who? And how did you treat your wounds? It’ll be easy to find out who if we look into this, you know!

Do it, motherfucker, I ain’t squealin’. It’s kind of ridiculous that Sae doesn’t realize that we might have been getting help from the doctor who works down the street.



Death represents endings and new beginnings, change and transition, but also resistance to the same and inability to move on. It’s a commonly misunderstood arcana, not at all what its name would suggest. It’s about transformation, letting parts of your life come to an end for the sake of new things, and starting over.



Raising Takemi’s Confidant increases the selection at her clinic. She eventually gets some incredibly useful items, including things that are vital for just about any run, so we’ll make sure to visit her often.

So… when can you come back for the next clinical trial?



Oh, you don’t remember that part, either? Well, I was saying that teenage test subjects are quite valuable in the medical research industry. So I’ll provide you the medicine for your entrance exams, and in return you’ll be my guinea pig.



If you’re able to move now, you can go home. All right, take care. Bye.



Maaku gets Guts +1.

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)



You make just one mistake and your life’s over.

Thanks for the concern, Sojiro, but I’ll be all right.



The owner delivered it. Had him put it in your room.



Let’s check the news.

The Minister of Transport has made his first public appearance since the tragic train accident. He refused to respond to claims that he had ignored safety risks that may have led to the accident.
He ignored it, even though he knew about it? That sounds pretty serious.

Seems like they’re really pushing forward with the malfeasance angle instead of the “conductor went psycho” angle.



An uncluttered room is an uncluttered mind!




It has a tuner so you can watch basic channels, plus it even comes with a DVD player. Don’t you think this was a good purchase?





Even a dreary room can be brightened up with a little green foliage… Let’s take good care of this plant so it won’t dry up and wither away. This is a good opportunity. The bookshelves over there are looking a bit messy. Let’s clean everything up while we’re at it!



Oh! Maybe you’d be able to read this one!

Maaku gains the book Yoncha Wanderer.

I wonder why this one is mixed in with all these difficult books… Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.



Now you can change up this room however you like! All right, let’s go to sleep for the day.



Is there something wrong with me?
Maybe. Maybe you need to do some self-improvement. Try reading some books. Broaden your horizons so you’ll have more things to talk about. You’ll be more desirable if you’re more intelligent. It’ll take hard work, though—won’t happen overnight.
Yeah, but books make me sleepy… Guess I can give it a go, though, if it’ll help make me more popular with the ladies! Uh, is the library where you go to borrow books?
Reading books is an important way to expand your mind.



Pff, reading’s for suckers.

That’s too bad… But you should at least put some effort into it. There’s a lot that reading can teach you. You can apparently read for free at the school library, so you should try and take advantage of that. I think there’s also a bookstore over on Central Street...

We’ve already been to the bookstore Morgana, keep up.

Music: So Boring



You must all be shocked by what happened with Suzui-san. It was a shock to me too… Although, I can relate to how she felt.

Oh, really? This should be good.

Her eyes were devoid of life as they looked upon this sad, hopeless world. Well, I suppose everyone views the world differently. Let’s have a test.





Hm, we could try to guess...



...Or just use the internet to cheat and see what other players picked, in case the answer wasn’t obvious just from the way the question was asked.



Correct. It seems your eyes see the truth.



Isn’t it strange that they view the same image differently? Humans don’t see the world as it is. We simply process visual information with our brain.
Wow, really?
Hamiru seems kind of smart, doesn’t he?
Wow, you must be really smart to be able to answer a question like that!

Maaku gets Knowledge +1

How you see the world is nothing more than a trick of the mind… It is all mere cognition. There is no proof that the world each of us sees is the same.
How you see the world depends on your brain’s cognition, huh… Optical illusions and the Metaverse might be more similar than you’d think.

Music: Tokyo Emergency




Hey, I thought of somethin’ the other day when we were running around the Palace. Maybe it’s cause I haven’t been moving around as much lately, but I feel like I’m getting weak. We’re prolly gonna run into some pretty tough Shadows sometime. We should try to get stronger too. It’s sunny outside. Perfect for training! So, you wanna get your blood pumpin’?
Seems like even Ryuji has a lot on his mind… It’s true that training your body will let you be able to move when it counts.






The messages won’t actually expire if you “wait too long,” it really just means you have to answer within that “block” of time. The messages are useful because they let you teleport directly to the Confidant if you accept, but even if you don’t get a message it’s possible the Confidant is still available, which is why you want to check from the map screen.

He went to the trouble of inviting you, so why not listen to what he has to say?



Please don’t.



‘Sup, Maaku? You got any big plans for today?



I realized when we were runnin’ through that Palace that I can’t really move like I used to… So, how ‘bout we do some trainin’? I can’t just sit on my ass here.





This message tells us Ryuji is ready to rank up. It’s a handy feature that was added to the series in P4 Golden, but we can also check it from the map screen in P5.

It’s good to take a break every so often. Do you want to hang out with Ryuji?



“Check bond” just tells us our rank with him and lists his Confidant abilities.

Sweet. Let’s go work up a sweat behind the gym then. Go get changed.
Well, I’m gonna go take a walk while you’re busy with him. Let me know when you’re ready to leave.

Music: What’s Going On?



This is my secret trainin’ spot. Er… was. Back when I was on the track team. Actually, I’ve been thinkin’ about tryin’ to run again.



Fightin’ in that other world was a total shock. I couldn’t move like I used to. It just felt… lame. So I started thinkin’, maybe I need to build up my muscles again. Anything’s gotta be better than this flimsy body, right? Plus, maybe then I’ll be able to help out a little more.




The number of notes above their head corresponds (loosely, I believe) to the number of points you get from selecting that answer.

...U-Uh, I mean that in a good way! Anyways, you act like it’s only me who’s gonna be doin’ this, but you’re gettin’ in on it too.




It’d be pointless if I was the only one gettin’ super fast, right? All right, I’m gonna do some knee lift sprints. You’re stuck with the normal ones!\
*nods*




Music: Alright (Elp Version)



Damn, my legs’re all tight… …..



But it all changed after he got our coach fired and took over as the sub.



He’d give us crazy workouts, then when we couldn’t do ‘em, he’d add even more on top of that… Day after day was nothing but that bullshit… He was goin’ after me especially. He knew… He knew I was the kinda guy who’d fight back. If my time dropped even a little, he’d cuss me out. Then on top of that, he brought up my parents...



….. Truth is, my mom’s the only one I got. All my dad did when he was still around was drink. Sometimes he’d even beat me, or my mom. I dunno how that bastard Kamoshida found out, but he told the whole goddamn team… ….. And as you can guess, I lost it and hit him. It was like he wanted me to do it though. He called it an “act of violence” and shut the team down… Thanks to that, the other guys on the team treat me like some kinda traitor… and they ain’t wrong. ‘Cause of me, that all lost their shot at the championship. …..




….. C’mon, don’t ask me tough questions like that. I’m not very smart, y’know!



I’m only thinkin’ about the future now! That’s what we’re gonna do—build the future! We gotta think positive thoughts, brother!





Ryuji gives Maaku a really weird high-five. He steps forward to shove his palm into Maaku’s, who then receives it by windmilling his arm around 180 degrees. It looks really goofy and it’s pretty endearing.

I feel like my bond with Ryuji is growing deeper...



Ryuji learns Baton Pass from this little diversion, which will be a great help when we infiltrate the Palace.



By the way, you’re actually pretty good at runnin’. Not as good as me though!



Later.

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)



I’ll know what’s what as soon as I see your grades. Wanna prove you’re turnin’ over a new leaf? Make studying a habit as second nature as breathing.



Criticism of the government is on the rise, and the minister may be forced to resign. The incident drastically affected his approval rating, as evidenced by a poll conducted by this show.
Huh. So he’s lost popularity because of the accident.



We have some stuff we need to do here, but first we need this dude to leave. We can accomplish this by chatting his ear off.

Ah, I apologize if I have overstayed my welcome. I finished a critique for work, so I am partaking in a moment’s rest. The ambience of my favorite cafe at closing time… This perfect silence soothes my very soul.
The TV’s on, though.

The man leaves. First, we need to head upstairs.



...I have a good idea. Bring me that chair, the one in the corner.




You’re just on a chair, it’s not that high up… Anyway, let’s train your body using that ceiling beam! I’ll be leaving you in charge, but you’ll need to train your body too. I’m going to whip you into shape, so you better be prepared.

Training increases your maximum HP in exchange for spending the evening. You can also increase the amount of HP gained by using a protein shake (like that Protein we bought last time), and the game seems to suggest the more you do it the better the gains will be. That’s pretty decent, but we’re still never going to bother doing it. The test I just ran gave me +5 with an additional +1 because of the Protein and that’s okay, I suppose.



Let’s move over to the houseplant.



Come to think of it, you bought some plant nutrients, right? Why don’t you try using them?



These are some reasonably priced nutrients. This outghta to bring a bit of life back to the plant!

Maaku gets Kindness +2. The cheaper nutrients give only one, though. Two is the best we can get at this point. Feeding the plant is great because it’s a free action (read: spends no time) repeatable every 16 days.

That should do it for a while!






Let’s read our library book.



Well… Don’t leave a mess. I’m headin’ home.

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)



The pirate captain Kidd, huh… Ryuji should read this book.



*shakes head*
Seems like you still have some pages left. You should continue some other time.

What better time than right now? Because…

Music: Everyday Days



And you have a book you haven’t finished yet…! Now, this is nice. Why don’t you read that book until we get there?



We can even read books during moments where we have free time on the subway.



So, you’ve finished reading Pirate Legend. I love how Captain Kidd was the leader of a ragtag group of outlaws. You must have learned more about courage after reading Captain Kidd’s exciting adventures.

Maaku gets Guts +3!

Oh, we’re almost at the station. I’d say that was an effective use of your time.

Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)



Guess you’re getting yourself a job. Those job magazines they have at the train station are useful.
Maybe I’ll swing by the Shibuya underground and pick one up after school. Then again, work’s for losers. I hope I find something easy.

Music: So Boring



Why are you bringing that up now?



Don’t make it sound so easy...
Why don’t we get part-time jobs?
I dunno, I don’t feel like it… Oh, shit. I’m in class! Sorry, I gotta leave the chat for now. Seeya!

Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)



Like Lady Ann said—a part-time job might be the better bet. There are job magazines at Shibuya Station, aren’t there? Maybe you should pick one up.

Are you feeling all right, Morgana? I’m already ignoring one job, you want me to get another?



While we’re here, let’s return Pirate Legend and get this new book, Zorro, the Outlaw.



That’s all the prep work we needed, done. Are we ready to head into the Palace? I sure hope so, because I’m the one who suffers if we’re not!