Part 41: 5/27-5/29: I Made A Sensible Career Change, Oh Yeah

Part 40: 5/27-5/29: I Made A Sensible Career Change, Oh Yeah



Music: Regret

No one cares for true art… All they want are easily recognizable brands…!

Take it up with Andy Warhol.

I’m a victim in this too…! Wouldn’t you agree!?
Excuses now…?
The art world revolves around money after all… You can’t rise up without any money… Yusuke, you understand, don’t you!? Being a poor artist is truly miserable…!




You’re done for, along with this abominous world!
*shriek* No, please! Just… don’t kill me…!
Return to yourself in reality and confess your crimes—all of them!
Y-You’re not going to kill me…?



*shriek* All right… All right! Wh-What about the other one though? The one with the black mask?
Hm…?



A black mask? Wait, who’s he talking about…?
It can’t be… There was another intruder besides us within this Palace…!?



There’s no time! Hurry!




...Put an end to all this and use your own artwork for once.
Yusuke!





It would be bad if people started getting suspicious of us. We should leave at once.
Yusuke, c’mon.
Right...



Music: Sunset Bridge



Ugh, so bitter… Why’d you get it black?



You’re not gonna get all teary-eyed and say stuff like “Mom…!” are you?

Ryuji is kind of a dick.

To think that this painting was the source of Madarame’s distorted desires. The only saving grace is that my mother won’t know of what transpired…
The genuine painting at his atelier has been altered, after all… Ironic as it may be, this one here is her true self-portrait now.
...It’s a wonderful painting. And… although it took some time, it’s in your hands now, Yusuke.
...I’m thankful for it. However, it’s impossible for this painting to be acknowledged by society anymore...



You may be right… Seeing my mother’s expression here, it’s doubtful that she would’ve wished for fame. So this is my mother… There’s no way that I would remember her face clearly… But I was right about the rush of emotion I felt when I saw this painting.



Ryuji gets up and returns chugging a drink.



Gross.

Stop that!
You’re so vulgar, Ryuji.

I have no idea what the point of that was.

So, what’re you gonna do now? We’re gonna keep targetin’ big shots.
...Why do you do such things?
It’s to get back at scumbags and like… society in general?

Sure, let’s go with that.

We also wanna give courage to the people that’re sufferin’ ‘cause of selfish adults.
Courage, hm… What good does that do? You mean the courage to stand up for themselves, correct? Will acquiring that make them happy?



Jeez, we just kind of assumed it would, I dunno.

...Yeah. There’s no knowin’ whether it’ll turn out good for everyone or not. Still, we won’t know unless we give it a try.
...In other words, it all depends on the person, hm? Then the same can be said about myself right now. I also suffered because of an adult’s selfish act. Moreover, if we investigate these Palaces, it may expand my artistic repertoire.
You really only think about art, huh? You’re impressive.
Well I won’t take part in any inelegant plans, all right?




Plus, we have a rule that says we always have to decide on a target unanimously.
How about it, Joker? We can give our calling cards a lot more oomph if we have Yusuke on our team.



I will try and live up to those expectations.
At any rate, I’m curious… Another intruder besides us, huh?
Our only clue’s a black mask, so that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s just one person, right?
But there’s no way to check anymore. The Palace is gone.
I’ll try probing Madarame. I may be able to learn something from him.
Are you sure? I mean--
I’ll contact you all if anything turns up.
We should probably exchange our contact info with you then.

We haven’t done that yet? How were we contacting him in the first place?



An artist and a phantom thief… It seems I’ll be engaging in two trades from here on… Very well. You only live once, after all. Still, the incident about this other intruder does concern me a little...

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)



Goodness, things are going so well!



Hehe… Could the day our name becomes common knowledge be nigh? But I have to say, you sure are something special. This is our fifth Persona-user. It’ll help broaden our battle strategies as well. Besides, having an eye for beauty is a must for phantom thieves. We’re lucky to have Yusuke. An artist is a talent you rarely come across. I mean, he IS a bit strange, but still… An artist, huh… What kind of person do you think I was? There’s no way I’d turn out to be some bad guy in the end, right? I get so engrossed with the embodiment of human desires… And that’s not all. When it comes to the Metaverse, I’m the only one who can transform into a car… I’m special… but it’s still odd. Who could I actually be…?



Will you give it a rest!? That’s definitely not the case! *sigh* What a half-assed answer. Well, there’s no way someone like me, who has honorable aspirations, can be evil. A man who saves those in trouble in the west, while punishing evildoers who may lurk in the east! A man who chastises people that smoke inside in the south, while saving bullied cats in the north. A man who has a sturdy body and vows to always do one good deed a day, be it rain or shine.

This is embarrassing.

I’m that kind of ideal person. ...Or so I hope. So if I turn back to being human… surely she’ll take notice of me, won’t she?



Time to tease the cat.

Me!? Don’t be ridiculous! People chase after me when it comes to love! Where should I go when I become human…? I wonder where she’d like to go… An amusement park, a movie theater, a fancy cafe, shopping… What do you think?



Yeah, same Maaku.



Morgana’s follow-up is crazy, for the record. I’ll see if I can’t show it off sometime soon.

Music: Beneath the Mask



We all did our best.
Allow me to express my thanks once again. Because of you, I was able to retrieve the painting that had been filled with my mother’s love.
Hearing you say that makes the whole thing worth it, Yusuke!
Seriously. I wasn’t sure you’d really want to change Madarame’s heart.



Yeah. We did it just like with Kamoshida.
By the way, I’m curious about what he said at the end.
You mean about the other intruder besides us? IT was something about a black mask, yeah?
That may have been nothing more than a lie. Madarame was quite deranged at that point, after all. For now, we should wait for his change of heart in peace.
OK.



Turnout is much greater than expected, and those involved are pleased by its popularity.
Is it really that popular? What are they going to do once his wrongdoings are exposed?




Music: Aria of the Soul




You are now one step closer to your rehabilitation. It’s a delightful thing indeed.
Our master is please. You should be honored, Inmate.
However, that man’s remarks are concerning. It seems another has made their way into the Metaverse.



That is beyond my knowledge… But your rehabilitation is progressing smoothly. ...That is for certain. May the devotion to your rehabilitation grow even deeper. ...I have high hopes of you.
I feel like my bond with Igor is growing deeper...




Music: Alright (Elp Version)




I’m calling about Madarame’s state. For the time being, he hasn’t suffered a mental shutdown. Other than that, his demeanor seems to have softened a bit. Is that… the change of heart?



I see… I was curious and looked into Kamoshida as well. It’s as if he was an entirely different person. Will the same be true for Sensei…? ...I’m sorry to have taken your time. That’s all I wanted to tell you. Good-- Oh. I’ll try asking him about the black-masked intruder from the Palace when the time is right. Goodbye then. This time for sure.

Music: Tokyo Daylight



Why don’t you try drawing the Phantom Thieves logo? I bet it would look really cool!



That’s the spirit!



Prolly some kinda prank by those “phantom thieves” or whatever… Did he draw this? Who’s he trying to impress…? Wait, does he seriously think they exist? That’s kinda embarrassing...
They’re just treating us like some kinda joke… Nobody believes in our existence… This is a good way to tell how popular we are. You should try drawing it again some other time.

If the literal meter wasn’t enough for you, another barometer for your prowess as the Phantom Thieves is drawing on the class blackboard, which leads to your classmates viciously mocking you. We can check back after different events in the story and the reaction will change, so we’ll make them eat crow later. Hopefully.




That’s true, but… I’m going to write about it so that the same thing won’t happen again!

Good on you, newspaper girl.

But maybe I should’ve covered that artist, Madarame, instead. Everyone’s talking about him...

Music: Tokyo Emergency




It’s all part of the process. Success will come, but only after you fail again and again. It’s like they said on Madarame’s show. The big shots at the top all started as beginners.
I think I get it… I’m starting to feel like I can do this!

At least they nailed the core defining feature of pickup artists being terrible at actually getting laid. I keep checking up on these guys because it’s fascinating to me that they chose to put PUAs in their game and have them seem mostly normal. I’m not even like, complaining. It’s just weird.

Music: Butterfly Kiss



Could you head to the back?
>Hang out with her
It’s thanks to you that I was able to progress this far. Now you can drink this stuff with no problem, right?



Oh, are you going home already? If you have some time, why don’t you stay and enjoy an apple?

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, being offered one by your doctor means they probably can’t stand you, right?

It’s a gift from one of my elderly patients. She gave me a lot.



Music: Suspicion



There was a medical conference nearby, so I thought I’d check up on you. Who’s this? He doesn’t look like a patient.
He’s a part-time staffer. I’m having him handle some miscellaneous tasks for me. So, do you have some business with me?
...I hear you stole one of my patients. A girl with bronchitis. She came here with her father...
...Bronchitis, you say? Well, I had no intention of taking her from you. I certainly didn’t encourage her to visit my clinic.
Now there’s talk that the care at a university hospital is inferior to that of a general practitioner! “Original medicine.” Ha! What you’re doing here is simply absurd!
...You’re right.
I would’ve turned a blind eye if you had just rotted away out here in this little town… But this is your final warning… Shut this place down and resign your medical license.
…...



...What did you say?



Hmph, you seem to be quite fond of her. Perhaps I should reveal this woman’s true identity. She’s a monster who tortured a patient with her unregulated medicine! Terrible, isn’t it? She was such a brave girl, always smiling...




Music: Desire

She passed away.



What…!?
Perhaps you’ll suffer the same fate, hm? Hahaha… She is the Plague, after all.



She was slowly recovering… Her condition couldn’t have deteriorated that quickly!
But it did. You must’ve misjudged. Now, back to the reason I’m here. Don’t ever take another patient away from me again. ...You don’t want to make me angry.



No, no no… But she’s all I’ve been working toward, all this time… Curing her was my only… There’s no way...



…… What have I been doing all this time…? What was even the point…? I can’t...




Yeah, you’re right… I feel better now… Thanks for your help, my little guinea pig…
It feels like my bond with Takemi is growing even deeper...



Discount is great. Not only does it work on everything in the clinic, but it reduces prices by a whopping fifty percent. It’s what we’ve been blitzing through Takemi’s Confidant for, because it makes getting four SP Adhesive 3s much, much easier.

Ugh. I wish I hadn’t shown you that side of me...




Go on home for today. ...We will continue this another time.
I feel like cooperating in that shady clinical trial has increased my Guts...

Maaku gains Guts +1.

Take care...

Music: Beneath the Mask



It’s hero against hero in an epic shiritori battle—of wits! Revive and fight, Phoenix Rangers! Next episode… “Having the Last Word Actually Means You Lose!”

I hope Persona 6 is about sentai shit, that’d be great.



We’re going to help out Sojiro today, because unfortunately, we can only make coffee so many times before he decides to fuck off home and not try our coffee anymore. We can still do it, but he won’t be there and we won’t get points with him, which was half the reason we were doing it in the first place. Note that also, we’re still not even near close enough to rank up with him, because Rank 3 to Rank 4 takes an absurd amount of points.

Put your stuff down, and grab an apron. Don’t forget to wash your hands.




I don’t think my bond with Sojiro will deepen just yet...

Goddammit.

Hey, thanks for helping out.



Huh…? Who could that be at this hour…?

Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)



If you’re free tomorrow, you wanna go to Shibuya to catch it? “The Cake Knight Rises.” It’s an action flick! Whaddya say?

Eh, I liked the previous entry but I heard this new one was pretty overtly fascist.




So, do you wanna make plans for tomorrow?



Fine, whatever. We could use the points with Ryuji and we haven’t seen this new movie yet anyway.



An action movie, huh? Sounds fun! *yawn* We should get to bed.



Music: Break it Down



Music: “Pandemonium” from Catherine



Grizzled psychopath voice: Do you wanna know why I use pies? Cakes are too quick. You can’t savor all the little… taste sensations. You see, when forced to choose… cake or pie… people show you their true taste!
It’s just Batman voice: I am nothing like you. You’re a psychopath who bakes for money!

Everything about this movie… It’s completely ridiculous. But the protagonist’s passion to fight for his friend, that really touched me...
I feel like I was able to learn how to be more compassionate to others...

Maaku gains Kindness +3. What the fuck.

Music: Break it Down



How ‘bout you? Don’t these revenge movies make you feel somethin’?




Aight, let’s get goin’. It was fun kickin’ it with you today!

Music: Beneath the Mask



Nothing at the moment. He is still bedridden.
Wait… You think this was too much for that old bastard’s heart?
There’s no need to worry. His life does not appear to be in any danger.
I hope we didn’t eff up on our first official mission… Can he talk at all?
So far all he has said to me is, “I’m sorry.” I haven’t been able to speak to him since though. He is in no state to hold a conversation.
For real…?
If he ends up taking legal action against us, our leader will be in big trouble…!



Jeez, guys, stop fucking panicking. It’s legitimately kind of annoying that you guys freak out every time we do this.

If Maaku says so, I’m sure it’s true!
I will contact all of you if any progress is made.
Let’s just wait for the change of heart for now.
Yeah… Well, we’ll be waiting for your updates, Yusuke.
That reminds me, the home shopping program is airing today… You wanna check the TV?



Here’s what we’ve got for you today! Two pairs of Wild Clogs! Walk down the street with confidence and without any worry!
Everyone will be impressed by your traditional style as you click-clack down the street!
And it can be yours… For the incredibly low price of 4980 yen!

Sure, let’s buy some uncomfortable shoes.



We’ve been getting a lot of reports of extortion. You should go home before you get targeted.
S’fine. I gets shtronger the more I drrrink. Let ‘em try n’ fight me. I’ll deshtroy ‘em. *retch*
Hey, don’t even think about it! These young punks don’t hold back!



Time to waste more money on the vegetable potion. This one raises claims to raise my knowledge, which is false because a smart person wouldn’t buy this shit.



Maaku gains Knowledge +1.



I feel more confident when you’re around.
>Help him out
Well then, let’s get started.

Music: Alright (Elp Version)



To make your decisions based simply on loss and gain is to act like a heartless machine. The reason so few people care about their fellow man is because so few have the energy to do so. We politicians have fallen short of our goal to change society. We need your support more than ever!



You’re going to completely lose the hearts and minds of the people.
Again, what I’d like to say is--




Music: Alleycat



Do you know about the Kuramoto Children?



That was nearly 20 years ago. I’m impressed that you’re so interested in politics. I was a member of the Kuramoto Children as well. Yoshida and I joined the same year. I made an amazing career change, going from a pro wrestler to a Diet member.

You know, I might’ve guessed that, just because you’re still goddamn huge.

I was elected easily, but I had no idea what I was doing. I realized I wasn’t elected on my own merit when I failed to be re-elected for a second term. That was true for the both of us.
You made a great comeback, though. You’re truly an inspiration.
As are you, old friend. You’re working harder than anyone on the campaign trail.
Oh, there’s no need for false praise to impress the boy here.
Yoshida’s well-informed about the inner workings of politics, so I’m sure he’ll be a great teacher. However, I suggest you only do as he says and not as he does, if you want to become a Diet member.



I assume he means YOU STOLE ALL THAT MONEY AND ACTED LIKE A DUMBASS

I’m guessing he doesn’t know…?



You really think you can win the election by being completely honest and making good arguments? You’ve got to secure votes! Or else you’ll be forever known as No-Good Tora!



Heh… It’s been a while since I’ve heard one of your grandiose speeches.



The two share a laugh.

Hamiru-kun, was it? Tell me, what about Yoshida here drew you in?




Don’t mention it, buddy.

You address matters quite directly for a young person. It seems you have been taught well.
I intend to teach him everything I know. That’s what we agreed on.
I feel like my bond with Yoshida is growing deeper...



This is the skill that, ironically, has a chance to ruin longer fundraising efforts. You’ll get more money than normal if it procs, but that proc instantly ends the battle, meaning you can’t ask again.

By the way, how are things between you and old man Kuramoto?
We’re still not on speaking terms.
There’s something I’d like to get your opinion on, so I’ll be in touch.
Very well.



You may still distrust me because of what happened with the missing party funds… But I’m not the one who pointed the finger at you. That’s all I’m going to say.



Ah, my apologies. That’s all for today. Good job...