Part 48: 6/11: Sojiro's Attic Full Of Teenagers
Part 47: 6/11: Sojiro's Attic Full Of Teenagers
Anon: better be arrested soon
Anon: don’t even bother with this
Anon: this is so immature.
Anon: this has to be fake, lol
Mishima changed the question, leading to new replies.
Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)
Ah, on that talk show? It was simply dreadful.When this line hits, there’s a generic voice line of a woman saying “THE PHANTOM THIEVES ARE SUPER LAME,” and it’s one of the goofiest things in the entire game. It’s great.
How can anyone seriously suggest supernatural beings are stealing people’s hearts? That… child is a phony. There’s simply no way that the Phantom Thieves exist.
Unfortunately, my precious children all think they’re real—and worse, that this detective is amazing… Children are far too impressionable to see such vulgar content on TV.
Looks like people still don’t think we’re real...
I can’t believe a high schooler moonlights as a detective. He’s just like the Detective Prince.That makes two references to Naoto.
He’s smart AND handsome. He’s almost TOO perfect!
We had front row seats. I could practically reach out and touch Akechi-kun! I was so nervous! He was really working that uniform, and without seeming like a snob. He’s a natural at public speaking. I hear he’s an orphan who grew up poor. It’s part of what makes him so amazing! He wants his last high school memory to be capturing the Phantom Thieves. This isn’t a game to him! See, I hear his dad’s the head of some big financial conglomerate. I will say, I love that he hates the media. Makes me believe that he doesn’t do this for the fame. That’s… uncomfortable!
People say he’s so good that he’s made enemies in the police force… Oh, yeah—apparently yesterday’s interview was so popular they’re going to air it again tonight.Music: So Boring
Why someone would steal something like a heart, which can’t be turned into money, is beyond be.BEEP BOOP WHAT ARE EMOTIONS
If I were a phantom thief, I wouldn’t go after “hearts” or works of art—I’d go after gold.
Now then, Hamiru-san. Can you imagine how much gold has been excavated by humanity over the course of history?
Correct. Surprisingly little, don’t you think? That rarity is what drives its value.Maaku gains Knowledge +1.
Incidentally, they say that 16% of the world’s gold is in Japan. Was your first thought the Tokugawa Clan’s buried gold? It’s actually in discarded home electronics. In other words, a junkyard is much more valuable than someone else’s heart. Hmph! You can’t measure the value of a Treasure with money!Music: Wicked Plan
Let’s see him do it, then!
Ann chops Ryuji in the back of the head.
(while eating) You’re being way too loud. Who cares? Everybody’s talkin’ about this stuff anyways. It’d just be more suspicious if we were whisperin’.
Gimme some! Sorry, just ate the last one. You guys are too laid back. The police are getting involved now, you know. So you think it’s true…? We’ll be OK if we keep doing this… right? We can’t let the cops scare us outta bein’ phantom thieves. But… what about that weird guy from Madarame’s Palace…? Isn’t there a lot we don’t know?
Music: Disquiet
Uhhh, hope she didn’t hear any of that conversation
You three seem to be having so much fun. I’m a little jealous. Are you snoopin’ on us again? We said before, we don’t know nothin’. Why do you think I’m here to question you? Could it be that you’re hiding something? My ears are always open to the troubles of my peers, you know. You’re really that hungry for a good letter of recommendation? ...Of course you are. Nobody would take on your annoying job if they weren’t.
...You’re student council president, right? Wouldn’t you have known about Kamoshida? Of course not! He honestly was a good teacher until that day… Oh, but you always take the teacher’s side. That’s what a good council president does, right? Then… how about you? What did you do for your friend?
There wasn’t any way to help! By myself… I couldn’t do anything for her! There’s no need to shout. If those Phantom Thieves are out there helpin’ people… I’d root for ‘em, no questions asked. They’ve gotta be more dependable than some people I know. ...Just make sure you show up to your classes, all right?
I’d be ashamed to let it end now... Hell yeah. It’s about time we find our next target too.
Music: Wicked Plan
“A criminal group with unknown goals that does whatever it wants in the name of justice.” Huh… It’s prolly ‘cause of Akechi… TV’s got some crazy sway. He’s free to deny our actions, but being cursed by his influence is another thing entirely. Just when we were starting to get people to believe in us too… All we gotta do is take down another hot shot, yeah? Well, do you have any ideas who this next “hot shot” could be? I ain’t got a thing yet… Dammit, this is real irritatin’… By the way, what’s up with that luggage?Music: My Homie
They were not only filthy, but too noisy as well… No true art could come from such a place. What’re you gonna so then? You can’t go back to that shack, right? I was planning on staying at Takamaki-san’s— I mean, Ann’s house.
WHAT!? There’s no way that’s gonna happen! Impossible... You’re the impossible one! But I spent everything I had on these delectable Japanese sweets... That’s not the issue here! Seriously though… what’re we gonna do about him?
It’s way too small. Plus, my folks’d never agree to it.Oops, looks like the writers forgot Ryuji’s mom is single!
Well, seeing as Yusuke is an important member of our team… I’ll lend a hand! Come stay at our place! It’s dirty, but at least you’ll have somewhere to sleep!
WHAT
Why’re you the one calling the shots? Don’t you two live in a cafe? I’ve been wondering about that for a while. Yongen’s not too far, is it? Nope! And the cafe’s only a minute walk from the station. How about we go there now? We can have a party to celebrate Madarame’s change of heart! Ooh, good idea! We can make it a welcome party for Yusuke too! All right, it’s decided! Sorry to cause you trouble. By the way… I prefer sleeping on a futon.
It’ll be up to you to convince the chief.
Maaku shakes the bag. Morgana yelps.
Music: Break it Down
This place looks so outdated… I can’t say I hate it though. People refer to that as “retro.”
Hello!
A girl too…? Maaku has really helped us a lot lately. Heh, I bet you’re the ones doing all the helping. No, really, he’s been great. Huh… Sit down. This round’ll be on the house. (to Maaku) You’re helping though.
Indeed, there’s great depth to its acidity. Oh yeah, I remember now! I think I’ve seen Leblanc mentioned in a magazine before... That was a long time ago. For real? Gimme a taste.
Blech!
Ryuji chugs his soda.
It’s so bitter! This has gotta be cruel and unusual punishment! Eh, I didn’t drink coffee when I was a kid either. (To Maaku) These’re your friends, yeah? Go on and take them up to your room. No need to stay down here. Ooh! I wanna see! It’s only an attic. Man, that bitter taste just won’t leave my mouth… Thank you very much for the drink. Up these stairs? ...Oh, and thanks for the soda!
So, you’re uhh... Ann. Ann Takamaki. Ann-chan, huh… That’s a nice name. You got a boyfriend?Oh god.
Nope. Never have, either. Hey, you gotta get up here! This place’s freakin’ insane! Go on. Oh, right. Thank you for the coffee!
Sheesh. They had to leave the Mona bag down here?Ann grabs the bags and walks upstairs.
Huh, sweet girl.
Yeah, I agree, that Rise poster is pretty incredible.
It seems quite ordinary to me. For real…?
See? Ain’t this crazy? It’s cleaner than I thought it would be. What!? Well, sit wherever you’d like.Music: Wicked Plan
Even those who previously believed in us have been influenced by the comments made on TV. This is all that effin’ Akechi’s fault! Keep it down. We don’t want anyone hearing us. At this rate we’re just going to worry everyone instead of give them courage… We need to find a way to make our rightfulness known to society. It’s time we think about our next move. You were planning on discussing that today, right? Yes. First, we need to search for a candidate. It’s not like we’re just gonna stumble upon some important target though. You guys don’t know anyone, do you? I don’t... Me neither... Whaddya think, leader?
Well… there probably are a lot of famous targets on TV… However, the suspects on the news are already being pursued by the police. Even if we make them confess their crimes, the police will take the credit. That won’t do. Dammit… We’re never gonna prove Akechi wrong at this rate…!
What the... Sorry… I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday… And you spent all your money on that box of sweets!? Dude, how much did you have…? Anyway, we’ll just have to sit tight until we can find another target. So…Music: New Beginning
How about that welcome party? Someone’s excited.
Can’t we make hot pot on it? That sounds great! I’ve heard that eating hot pot together brings people closer!No, that’s paopu fruit.
Anything with meat’s fine by me! I only ask that we finish it off with porridge. Extra parsley, of course. So, what do you say?
Whattt!? Whattt, my ass! You don’t have any cash! C’mon, let’s go buy ingredients. I’ll need gingko nuts, wonton wrappers, and... (to Maaku) We’ll take care of the shopping. Could you borrow a pot from downstairs while we’re out? We can split the cost later.
We should go grab that pot and set up the portable stove too.
But let’s forget about him for now and just focus on having fun. Come on, we need to prepare. Oh and by the way… who’s going to be seasoning the hot pot?
As you should be. Food always tastes better with friends. Her name was Ann, right? She’s a nice girl.
Oh, I just had a chat with her. She said your friend doesn’t have anywhere to go. Asked if I could take him in for a bit. I guess she thought it’d be too pitiful for you to ask, since you’re already freeloading. Anyway, I should have a big pot somewhere around here.
It’s almost time for the others to get back from their shopping trip, so I’ll leave you be. I’ll be down here for a while though… Just be careful with the fire, OK?Music: Days of Sisters
(TV) After his last appearance was so well-received, we decided to bring back this fine gentleman today. It’s the high school detective, Goro Akechi!
This tastes a bit bland… But I’m relieved. A lot’s happened, but it seems your grades haven’t dropped. School’s been going fine. I’m more worried about you, Sis. Are you tired? You’re probably lacking sodium. Do I seem so?
(TV) But hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real… I believe they should be tried in a court of law.
(TV) That’s quite the statement. Are they committing crimes? Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways. (TV) What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime. However, they are taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice. More importantly, you should never forcefully change a person’s heart. ...Is it a crime to manipulate someone’s heart? ...Depending on the means, yes. He’s absolutely right. Even if it makes someone admit their evil deeds and helps make them pay for their crimes? Why the sudden interest? It’s nothing... Do you believe that these “allies of justice” exist? ...Of course not. You don’t need to think about such unnecessary things. ...You understand what I’m trying to say, right? Study hard and go to a prestigious college... Moving up in the world is difficult as a woman. Yet, you can’t do much if you don’t have the authority. I’ll use every method necessary to make it happen. All you need to do is remain focused on what must be done now for your future’s sake. ...Sorry.
...Oh, that case. What must be done… Justice...
What do I want to do…?Music: Break it Down
That was delicious, Lady Ann. I’m sure you’ll make a wonderful bride some--Well, at least there’s no more Persona 4 jokes about the ladies hilaaaaaaaariously sucking at cooking.
*yawn* Sorry, I’m gonna have to borrow the sofa.
Ryuji and Morgana try to… ugh.
Ann notices and waves them off.
What’s wrong, Yusuke? We haven’t finished our meal. What about the porridge, or even udon…? Just leave it for next time, man... *snoring* She’s asleep already…!? It’d be weird if she wasn’t tired. We should let her sleep. By the way, Ryuji… how do you know Ann? Huh? Oh, we went to middle school together. What was Lady Ann like back then? Not so different from now. Once we got to high school, we ended up in different classes and stopped talkin’… I don’t think she had many friends. I mean, she grew up overseas, plus there’s her looks. The popular kids hate her; the quiet ones stay away. I see… So, what about you two? Us…? This is a great opportunity to get to know each other better. You know every detail of my past at this point. It’s only fair you tell me every detail of yours. So you got nothin’ to lose, huh? All right, I’ll tell you. It’s just a normal story about a rotten kid though.Music: Alleycat
I was actually tryin’ to get a track scholarship so I could make things easier for her. In the end, I just screwed it all up. Turns out I’m a pretty bad son, huh? *sad chuckling* Back when I was a first-year, my mom got called out to school for me raisin’ my hand at Kamoshida. All the teachers kept houndin’ her for what I did, but she just stayed quiet through it all… I’ll never forget the look she had on her face though… On the way home, she… she apologized to me. For bein’ a single mom and all… So that’s what happened… They say at school that everyone is equal, but in reality that’s a gross oversimplification… ...I understand how you feel. Well when it comes to gettin’ labeled, nobody’s got it worse than Maaku. Is this about his past? Now that I think about it, we never have heard the details.
They’re not even trying to hide who it is any more.
If you keep this up… Then I’ll report about the money! Is that fine with you!?
All I have to say is that you did it on your own, and it’s over. But… I just did as I was told... Who do you think I am? No… Hey. Make this statement to the cops. “This kid suddenly attacked me.” Got it?
Music: Desire
If you even try to say anything else, you know what’ll happen to you, right? Huh? But--
Totally.
Shut up. You’re done for. You’re gonna learn what happens when you cross me...
So, what happened? Explain it to the good officer. …… That young man suddenly attacked him… He shoved this gentleman to the ground. And this man… got injured…“I’m very conspicuously not mentioning his name… for dramatic purposes...”
...It’s as she says. Also… make sure you deal with this so my name isn’t mentioned at all.The cops even have power over the flashbacks! Those fiends!
You understand what that means, correct?
Y-Yes, sir! Hey, cuff him!
U-Understood.
Music: Confession/Secret
Goddammit…! You got an assault on your record just for that? The woman sounds quite horrible as well. She’s stayed quiet this whole time… That man is just the kind of person whose heart we should steal! Who is he, and where can we find him!?
You can’t remember, huh…? Well it was at night, and I’m sure you were in shock after getting arrested. I understand all too well the pain of not being able to remember important details of your life. The victim’s personal information is always kept secret. Identifying that man will prove difficult… Besides, the courts already made their ruling, didn’t they? Even if we manage to get revenge, Maaku’s past record won’t go away. I can’t stand it… This world is so messed up! The weak’re left to fight for themselves, while rotten adults get away with whatever they want! And those in power don’t do anything to help the situation. Can’t we fix this though… Nobody would even know… We just need to show the world what true justice is. We’ll make them come to their senses. You’re right, Yusuke! That’s gotta be what our powers’re for! Sounds good to me. The flashier our missions are, the cooler we end up looking! You’ve all taught me so much.
It’s really messed up that Ann apparently missed all of that.
Oh, sorry… Did we wake you up? Nah, not really. I’ve been up for a while now. Still, this weird feeling came over me while I was listening to you guys… It almost feels like I’ve known you all forever…Can’t wait to find out we were all raised at the same orphanage and our Personas made us forget.
Do you think it’s because our backgrounds are so similar? Well… it sure ain’t ‘cause of anything good. Similar, huh… I’m the only one who doesn’t fit in... Hm? I don’t have any past to look back on… No memories... Whaddya mean? We could search the whole world and we wouldn’t find a bigger misfit than you. And the reason we’re goin’ to Mementos is to get your memories back, right? I’m sure your past will be just as troubled as ours. No doubt. Hmph, we’ll see about that! I actually feel like I’ve known Morgana for a really long time too. It’s so strange… I can’t really put it into words. Look, I’m helping you guys out for my own sake. Don’t get me wrong! If you don’t get stronger, investigating Mementos won’t be anything but a pipe dream! That sure was a quick turnaround. One second you’re depressed, the next you’re actin’ all tough... All joking aside… let’s take this seriously. We should go as far with it as we can… I want to punish those corrupt adults and give courage to people in trouble… Only we can do that! Ha! You can say that again! Being a member of the Phantom Thieves will surely help me grow, both as an artist and as a person. Of course. You’re under my tutelage, after all. There’s nothing we can’t accomplish! Well… I hope we can keep this up. We should be all right with you as our leader.
Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)
...Whoa, it’s this late? I guess now’s a good time to call it for the night! Oh, that reminds me! The owner said you’re free to crash here, Yusuke. That’s… very kind of him. You convinced him, didn’t you? You go, Miss Older-dude-charmer! What kind of nickname is that!? Hm, I won’t be able to sleep unless I take a bath… There’s a bathhouse nearby, so you can go there. I won’t be able to join you though. Ooh, that sounds great! I wanna come too! How ‘bout you, Ann? You guys go on ahead. I should get going. Well, good night, Morgana!
I can’t let her get taken by someone else…!Music: Alright (Elp Version)
An old man is continually turning the faucet behind the three.
It’s a bit hot though...
You know, I’ve been wonderin’ for a while now… But what do you think about Ann? As a “girl,” I mean.
No, that’s not what I meant… C’mon, can’t you act a little more like a guy our age? Doesn’t she at least look better than a celebrity? I’ll be sure to share what you’ve said with Ann. Please don’t. Seriously... That aside, we need to hurry and find our next target. About that though… Is targetin’ famous people enough? Seein’ people’s reactions these days has been makin’ me think twice about what we do…I love that we’re having this conversation in front of this old man who isn’t even paying attention.
...True. Pursuing only what’s best in the short term may end up becoming fruitless for us. We need a strategy to appeal to the public... Oh? Whaddya got in mind? Do I look like someone who could come up with such a thing? I was an idiot for askin’. I’m more like the charge commander… and Morgana’s a specialist of that world… Hmmm… Hrmm… Still… ...Ughhhh! It’s frickin’ hot!Ryuji gets out of the water.
...I can’t stand it anymore! Anyways, let’s meet up again early next week. I’ll contact everyone!Music: Beneath the Mask
This game is amazing.
I’m not talking about you! Wait… Don’t eavesdrop on me!
Tell me more about those diabolical millennials!
They have high appeal among young people and are said to be involved in Mr. Madarame’s confession. Their methods are unknown, and many are voicing concern that this group may be dangerous, but…
It seems a lot of people have started talking about the Phantom Thieves.
I will be fine here. I sleep in my studio on occasion, so this is luxurious in comparison.Yusuke, if you’re gonna stay here, we have to establish some boundaries. I may order a maid from time to time, and I’m gonna need you to be cool about this.
Music: Aria of the Soul
You’re in the presence of our master. Stand up straight!
The bonds that you have reeled in are quite intriguing… In other words, they all have been unfairly labeled by society and are standing up against such fates. Have you noticed? Your heart seems to inspire theirs. *chuckle* Outcasts of society… In other words, you’re picaresque. Deepen your bonds with them. Those will become the strength behind your rehabilitation. …I look forward to it. I shall grant you an ability befitting of your newfound growth. Consider it a gift. May you continue devoting yourself to further rehabilitation. I feel like my bond with Igor is growing deeper...
And we finally get to 10 Persona slots.
It’s almost time...