Day 5, April 15th, 2011.
Morning. The pitter-patter of rain. A body in a school uniform hangs lifelessly off a tall telephone post, as if a grisly component of the equipment adorning the cosmopolitan obelisk.
Souji comes downstairs to see Dojima leave in a hurry. Nanako tells Souji that her father had an urgent call.
On the way to school, Souji comes across a pair of girls, gossiping about something they had seen this morning. Despite a seemingly-exciting subject matter, the two do not have much information to share with us.
I?ve already read what you said earlier, Narrator. I?m just hoping that I?m wrong about what I thought yesterday.
We cut to the auditorium of Souji?s school, where he, Chie and Yosuke stand, waiting for some sort of announcement. Ms. Sofue, the history teacher, calls the students to settle down, and the school principal steps up to the podium.
With a heavy voice, he announces the death of third-year student Saki Konishi. I don?t know her at all, and Chie sees to be confused more than anything else, but Yosuke is hit hard, I can see it. I don?t know what to say.
The principal further announces that Saki was found deceased early that morning, but divulges no further details.
Details are soon learned, however, as Souji and Chie come across another pair of gossiping girls, who discuss the oddness of the nature of Saki Konishi?s death being very similar to that of Mayumi Yamano?s. To further compound matters, it is mentioned that others had seen Saki on the Midnight Channel as well. Talk of a serial murderer begins.
Soon, Yosuke catches up to Souji and Chie, wondering if either of the two had watched the Midnight Channel the night before. Despite Chie?s admonishment, he claims that he saw Saki Konishi on the Channel, and that she was in a lot of pain. Continuing his theorization, he connects the mention of Mayumi Yamano being called somebody?s soul mate to the case, suggesting that Yamano might have been seen on the Midnight Channel before she died. Chie put it together in simpler terms than I was going to ? people, who appear there, die.
Yosuke wonders at the claims of the strange bear that the three had seen earlier, about the strange realm that they found themselves in being dangerous, and that somebody had been throwing people inside. Yosuke was on a roll, putting the room with the posters into the theory as well. It was a conclusion that I was coming to myself ? the world behind the TV screen was absolutely connected to the deaths.
Yosuke suggests that the three investigate the place further ? perhaps they would be able to find evidence of Saki Konishi?s presence inside the realm. All this is going on, I?m thinking ?all right, good thinking, Yosuke,? and suddenly I start wondering. Isn?t Yosuke being a bit too upbeat about this?
Chie weakly protests against the suggestion, but Yosuke passionately states that the police would be unable to help in the case, even if the claims of Yosuke, Chie and Souji were believed. Yosuke runs off to prepare for the venture, and Chie expresses her concern with the idea. She is right, of course ? we have no idea we?d be lucky enough to leave again. Despite his good intentions, Yosuke is being too excited about this. I decide that Chie and I would stop him.
The two follow Yosuke to Junes, finding the young man already prepared with rope and golf club. Chie exclaims that Yosuke should not proceed with his foolhardy venture, to which Yosuke responds that they might have the fortune of meeting the bear again. Chie is convinced by Yosuke?s mention of him feeling responsible for the investigation. He asks me the million-dollar question, whether I could just walk away. I couldn?t, but I am also not going to involve more people than necessary. Yosuke might have a personal vendetta, but there is no need to drag Chie into it. I say as much. Which makes me an Understanding person, who knew?
Yosuke agrees that the venture would involve just him and Souji, and reassures Chie that he had a plan ? a safety rope attached to him that he would let dangle on the other side of the television set. The golf club he hands to Souji. Along with some unmarked bottles that he claims are ?Medicine.?
With no further ado, and ignore Chie?s protests, the two climb inside the television set.
They do not see Chie giving the rope a tug a few moments later, and the rope coming off as if sliced cleanly through by an unseen blade.
The two land back in the same area they found themselves in previously ? the vast, fog-covered television studio. Yosuke concludes that locations between the two worlds are connected directly. No more than a few moments pass when the strange bear walks out in front of the two again. It claims that we were responsible for the events in that realm. I think it must have skipped a few steps on the way to that conclusion, despite our admittedly quite suspicious presence. I point out that his conclusion is highly biased.
Yosuke backs Souji up, claiming that an act of throwing a person inside this realm would certainly endanger that person?s life. With a start, he realizes that the people thrown in that the bear refers to were no doubt Saki Konishi and Mayumi Yamano, and that the individual throwing them inside the television realm could well be doing so with the intent to kill. I agree on all fronts.
The strange bear exclaims that, despite Yosuke?s deductions, he has no way of leaving the realm. Yosuke?s assurance that he had thought of a lifeline fall flat as he realizes that he holds a severed length of rope in his hand. After a tense back-and-forth with the bear, during which Souji takes time to explain the concept of the burden of proof to the bear, Yosuke explains that the matter is serious indeed, mentioning the deaths that had occurred during foggy days. The bear tells that the fog lifts inside the strange realm when the real world is foggy, and that during this time the world gets dangerous, and the Shadows get violent.
Angry at the bear?s roundabout or outright nonexistent explanations about the nature of the strange realm, Yosuke attempts to pull the head off what he assumes is clearly a costume. Not a costume. The bear seems to run on cartoon physics, however, fortunately for everyone involved ? the suit had nothing inside. I don?t think Yosuke would want ?murder by decapitation? on his list of things done today.
The bear soon appears to change its mind, agreeing that he would let Souji and Yosuke investigate provided that the two find the culprit, threatening not to let the two out otherwise. An agreement. A decision by two equally-minded parties.
A contract. That dream I had on the train almost perfectly flashed before my eyes again. I have no choice in the matter, so it?s not a legally binding contract, but the bear needs some cheering up, he looks pretty miserable. I agree to go along.
Yosuke and Souji introduce themselves to the bear, who says his name is Teddie. Teddie offers to show the two the location of the last person who had come inside the realm, who Yosuke realizes must be Saki Konishi. He proceeds to give Yosuke and Souji a pair of glasses each, who, upon putting them on, are shocked to find that their vision had been significantly cleared up, as if the fog had been wiped clean away. Mentioning that his best combat capability is limited to moral support from a distance, Teddie offers his knowledge of the realm to lead the two around. I tested this lack of combat capability for myself. The guy?s knocked over by a stiff breeze.
We find the unlikely trio in a strange and twisted version of the Inaba shopping district. Teddie claims that this had appeared only recently. According to Teddie, what we see is ?reality? for the person here. I?m beginning to see what?s up.
The trio quickly find the liquor store that is run by Saki Konishi?s parents. Before Yosuke is able to walk inside, he is warned off by Teddie, who exclaims that Shadows are nearby, ready to attack. I?ve got this one, Narrator. So these things
seep out of the entrance to the shop. We look at each other, wondering what the heck we?re supposed to do, and the PA voice starts up inside my head, all ?I am thou? this and ?inner self? that. A card appears in my hand and I just
know what I have to do ? I crush the sucker with my bare hand, and all this
character rushes into my head, a knowledge not my own, a manifestation of a self controlled by the ego, used as a shield to guard against the influence of the world outside the mind.
A
Persona.
I had a weapon. And I was sure as heck going to use it. Teddie knew how to best ? seems the things that seeped out of the store, the Shadows, have weaknesses.
It is shocking how much
knowledge having a Persona gives me in a fight. The guy at my back is Izanagi, strong to Lightning, weak to Wind. Nullifies Darkness, which sounds like it could be useful. I get
magic as well ? Zio, a cheap lightning attack, Cleave, a physical move, and Rakukaja, a defensive boost.
Next thing Izanagi learns is Rakunda, which reduces enemies? defense.
I use Zio against the Slipping Hableries, pinpointing their weakness to the lightning attack. The move knocked them over, allowing me to follow up with another attack, and Teddie shouted that he?ll keep track of enemies? weaknesses.
For a fight against creeping monstrosities, it was a piece of cake,
and I leveled up. It appears my personal level limits the level of the Persona I can? create? I can create these things?
Yosuke is shocked at Souji?s newfound power, and showers Souji with questions. Teddie berates Yosuke at troubling Souji, whom the bear now calls Sensei, out of respect for Souji?s power. Not wishing to waste any more time, however, the three decide to continue on inside the twisted version of the liquor store. As the three go inside, they hear voices surrounding them of people wishing ill on Junes due to its bad influence on the small stores in the area. It started getting more personal then ? talk of Konishi?s working at the store, and the outright disgust at her doing so despite her parents. It seems that the store was in poor shape because of Junes. I was about to start on a whole thing about economic theory, and then I realized they were disembodied voices. Who?d argue with people they can?t see?
Yosuke catches on to Teddie?s earlier comment about the twisted realm being reality for those inside, and wonders if the disembodied voices being Saki Konishi?s reality when she appeared inside.
The voices do not go away despite Yosuke, Teddie and Souji taking refuge inside the liquor store. In fact, it appears to get worse as the three hear Saki Konishi?s father berating her for her choice of work locale. Yosuke is dismayed at the realization that the girl had been hiding her true feelings from him. Then we hear Saki herself. It hits Yosuke harder than it does me, but it was still unnerving.
Saki Konishi exclaims that she greatly dislikes Yosuke, only appearing to be nice to him due to his father?s position. She disparages his enthusiasm, and blames Junes for all her personal and family troubles. Aaaaand it gets weirder. Another Yosuke shows up. This one?s a bit of a? well, you know.
The Yosuke-doppelganger mocks Yosuke?s emotional distress, claiming that he has little care for most things around him. He proceeds to claim that Yosuke is deluding himself, that he is obviously frustrated at living a life far away from the excitement of the city. Ignoring Yosuke?s protests, the doppelganger states that Yosuke?s friendly and sociable nature is a fa?ade put on to ward off the fear of isolation. The final nail in the coffin is the doppelganger proclamation that Yosuke?s only desire to investigate the strange realm behind the television screen is for the sheer thrill of excitement, for the opportunity to become a hero and achieve a fame of his own, and that Saki Konishi?s death was a prime excuse for such a venture. Yosuke is shouting ?you?re not me!? at the thing? but I was afraid of something quite like that. Not that I think Yosuke is a psychopath, he?s not all like that, I imagine, but there is certainly truth to the doppel-Yosuke?s words.
Proclaiming itself a Shadow, the true self of Yosuke, the doppelganger laughs at Yosuke?s protestations, and revels in the feeling of freedom as Yosuke rejects the Shadow?s words. With a rush of light, the Shadow transforms into a terrible monstrosity. First fight went well. Time for a two-for-two!
Despite Souji?s strong stance, the Shadow begins its turn with a mighty attack that knocks Souji down. Using this opportunity, it gathers itself for a potent attack. The thing exploited my own weakness. I?ll have to see about covering that up as soon as I can. It then went all Power Charge, and a look at its status bar gave me something to worry about ? those two up arrows are nothing good. I guarded against the inevitable beatdown.
The attack stung, but wasn?t as bad as I was afraid. Crossing my fingers, I went for the good old Zio again. Turns out luck?s on my side ? the thing and I were basically elemental antipodes ? it had my weakness covered, but I had its. I hit it in the face for good measure whilst it flailed around on the ground.
I had to see what else it could pull, so I kept guarding whilst it was doing the same. Good thing, too ? that?s when it used the wind attack. Guarding protects my weakness, which is helpful.
It turns out that that was the limit of the thing?s bag of tricks. It kept on repeating the same pattern, like a mindless automaton, and I beat it down handily, using its weakness to get myself all the extra actions I needed.
The fight gave me the experience needed to level up, likewise Izanagi, who learned Rakunda.
The fight gives Yosuke time to come to terms with his feelings, and to understand the truth behind the Shadow?s words. With gentle encouragement from Teddie, Yosuke accepts this darker side of himself. He?s still himself, all the good and the bad. It?s what makes us human beings.
With this acceptance, Yosuke finds a new power blooming within himself, similar to that of Souji, the protective fa?ade of a Persona with which he could stand against the horrors of the twisted world on the other side of the television screen.
Yosuke thanks Souji for his help in accepting this Shadow, and wonders if perhaps Saki Konishi was attacked by hers, but did not have the courage to accept it or allies to keep it in check. Teddie explains that Shadows, born from humans, go berserk when the fog clears, and, no doubt, it is then that the host is killed.
These revelations weighing heavily on their hearts, the three head back ? Souji and Yosuke required rest from their ordeal. Yosuke muses that the room with the noose and the liquor store must have formed due to the entry of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi into the world behind the television screen.
Teddie reassures Yosuke and Souji that it is only when the fog lifts that the people inside this world are truly in danger, perhaps additionally reacting violently to investigators in their midst. Thus he believes that any additional people entering this world might be rescued before they meet the grisly fate of Saki Konishi and Mayumi Yamano. Much like what we did with Yosuke. I still don?t want to bring in anyone else into this business, but it?s good to have a plan.
Out of nowhere, Teddie wonders if Souji and Yosuke know where Teddie himself came from, receiving incredulous looks. It seems that Teddie has very selective knowledge of the realm that they are in. Promising that they would visit him in the future, Souji and Yosuke leave the world behind the television screen. We? forgot one very important thing in the excitement.
With a shaking voice, Chie exclaims her frustration at the pair?s extended absence. I?m feeling bad as it is, Narrator, she looked
this close to a panic attack.
Chie runs off, and Yosuke and Souji decide to apologize to her tomorrow. Wishing each other farewell, the two head to their respective homes. I went back via the floodplain and saw Yukiko on the way. I am not ashamed to say that she looked like a giant piece of toffee in her pink kimono. I? do like toffee.
Yukiko explains that she is dressed in such a manner due to an errand that her parents had sent her out on. She questions, in a slightly awkward manner, whether Souji had gotten used to his life at school and in Inaba in general. I was still thinking about various sorts of confectionery when she asked, so I said yes. That said, I do like it here.
Yukiko mentions that she?s never left Inaba, and so is not in a position to truly understand Souji?s situation. She then asks if Souji gets along with Chie, to which Souji answers in the affirmative. Certain stupid things aside, that is.
Yukiko tells about how supportive Chie is, and that she is frequently there to give Yukiko the push she needs. She reminisces about the good times the two have had the preceding year. Remember her chores, she excuses herself and leaves. Souji continues on home.
Later that evening, the television news confirms what Souji already knows, and the likely connection between the cases of Mayumi Yamano and Saki Konishi. Nanako says that means that Dojima wouldn?t be home that night. I tell her I?ll be there with her, although I?m not too sure about the quality of my company. She says she?ll be okay.
The television program starts on a segment about the Amagi inn, revealing that the inn?s manager had stepped aside due to the Yamano incident, leaving Yukiko to stand in for her. The program?s interview with Yukiko tells us that she is expecting to only fill in temporarily before the reporter rambles further and further off-subject.
The program finishes, and Souji and Nanako wash the dishes together, after which Souji returns to his room, wondering if the Midnight Channel would have anything new in store that night. Right on-schedule, an image appeared, a kimono-clad woman. I wasn?t about to jump to conclusions, despite a myriad of them already presenting themselves. It was just too vague to judge anything. I tried prodding the TV then, but no dice, the image was just an image, I couldn?t touch the person or anything.
Deciding to talk about the matter with Yosuke and Chie the next day, Souji goes to bed. The day doesn?t end there, though. For the first time since my trip here, I found myself in the blue room.
The hook-nosed man, Igor, who seemed to be a permanent fixture in this room, along with his assistant, Margaret, assured Souji that he was perfectly safe, fast asleep in the real world, and confirmed Souji?s awakening to an immense power by answering a subconscious call. Igor eagerly presents Souji with a large blue key, the Velvet Key, that would enable him to enter the Velvet Room as he wishes. Igor continues to offer the young man his help, asking in exchange that Souji accept all responsibility for any decisions Souji might make. I?m under the impression that Igor does not particularly care about the legal validity of a contract made under duress. I?m not about to argue the point, the power I have is going to be a highly useful tool.
Igor tells Souji that, whilst similar to certain other individuals?, his Persona power is special indeed by not being bound to any restrictions, barring the strength of Souji?s Social Links with others around him. Margaret notes that, sometimes, these Social Links would be the ones to lead him to the truth that he searches for. With an enigmatic farewell from Igor, Souji?s vision of the Velvet Room ends.
