Amnesic Academia 202- Let's Play Blue Reflection: Second Light

[Odd Wilson]

Journal Entry 14: Meeting an Old Friend

VIDEO: Memory Express, Bound for That Day



*Summer cicadas*



Chapter 2
Memory Express, Bound for That Day





MUSIC: Blue Reflection - A Captive Heart


(*We return to the girls standing outside their shaved ice stand.*)




YUKI: Sh-Shiho...? That's... Whaaaat?!




AO: And look...


(*The girls pull out their phones.*)

NOTIFICATION: Shiho Kasuga joined the group.


YUKI: ????

RENA: Wh-why did that happen all of a sudden?! What's going on?!





(*The girls all fall silent for a moment, but then Kokoro steps forward.*)





KOKORO: Shiho... It's you, isn't it? I-it's me, Kokoro. Kokoro Utsubo! Do you remember me?



(*A stunned silence follows until...*)




SHIHO: Kokoro Utsubo...?


KOKORO: Huh...?



MUSIC: Blue Reflection - What We've Built



SHIHO: (looking down) I'm sorry, I... I don't remember anything. I know that I'm Shiho Kasuga, but that's it...




KOKORO: No...




AO: Her memories are gone...


RENA: (in disbelief) Just like us.


(*Rena runs a hand through her hair for a moment before Shiho speaks up.*)




SHIHO: Wh-who are you? And where am I?


(*Yuki shakes her head, face scrunched.*)




YUKI: Hold on a second. I think we're all kind of confused. Why don't we calm down and go somewhere we can talk.


AO: Good idea. Let's go somewhere else.





VIDEO: Shiho Kasuga

// The timing of "What We've Built in this section is excellent. You should give it a listen if you haven't. //






(*We rejoin the girls in the nurse's office, Ao and Rena back in their normal outfits. Ao, Shiho, and Yuki are all sitting around the table as Rena stands thinking. Kokoro is... standing a good distance away.*)




SHIHO: The Heartscape... ReSource...


SHIHO: And...demons? Which you fought, and then got your memories back... Do I have that right?


(*Shiho looks to Ao, who nods her head.*)




AO: That's right. It was just the other day.


SHIHO: I can't say for sure, but... Something about that doesn't seem right.




RENA: No, you're right. Hoshizaki and Utsubo are the only ones who have their memories.


RENA: But what we do know is that this place isn't the world we used to live in.


(*Rena looks away, a gloomy expression taking over. Shiho stands up, troubled as well.*)




SHIHO: Um... So, does that mean...







(*Shiho looks at the ceiling and to the girls around her, stopping to put a hand to her chin as she thinks.*)




SHIHO: ...We're trapped here?




AO: Huh... I guess now that you mention it, we kind of are.




YUKI: I never really thought of it that way. I mean, we've always had everything we needed to live here.


(*The girls all look away, all of them troubled by this realization.*)




SHIHO: (seriously) Is it possible for me to take a look around the school?


AO: Sure. You might as well familiarize yourself with everything if we're gonna be stuck here.


(*Ao stands up and looks to Kokoro, who hasn't said a word and is caught up with the gloomiest expression of them all.*)




AO: Kokoro, do you wanna show her around?





(*After an initial shock, she visibly struggles with her emotions and averts her eyes as she responds.*)




KOKORO: ...Sorry, Ao. Do you think you could?





(*...This doesn't go unnoticed by Ao.*)




AO: ...Gotcha. Okay. I'll show her around, then.


KOKORO: (quietly) Thank you.



(*Kokoro then leaves without another word, Shiho watching her pass.*)

*Door closing*




SHIHO: Kokoro...




AO: ...Sorry. She doesn't mean anything by it.


SHIHO: No, I'm fine... But, Kokoro...




RENA: ...It's probably best to leave her be for now. She just needs some time to adjust.


SHIHO: (sadly) Yes, I suppose so...




AO: (cheerfully) Well then, let's get going.


SHIHO: Okay. Lead the way.


(*As Ao gives a little arm pump to lighten the mood, Shiho nods her way and we fade out.*)



MUSIC: I Can Feel Your Body Heat




AO: (Where should I show her first...)


AO: (The classroom would probably be good. Then probably the work room.)


AO: (After that... I should probably show her the Heartscape.)




SHIHO: Why did I come here...?


AO: We don't know the answer to that either...


AO: But there might be some clues around the place you appeared.


AO: For now, I can just give you a basic tour around the place if that's good with you.


SHIHO: That would be quite helpful.








AO: So, the classroom's right next door...






AO: This is the classroom we all live in.




SHIHO: Oh! Are you sure it's okay to use them like this?


AO: Yeah! There's no one around to get mad at us anyway.


(*The classroom is bathed in the midday sun, shining down upon the carpet. In the shade is the rest of the mild clutter in the room, with the set of desks united as a table in the center covered in snacks and drinks.*)




SHIHO: Look at this mess... It would feel so good to clean it up!


AO: I've had this feeling for a while, but... Are you a little bit of a neat freak?


(*Ao gives her a smirk, but Shiho looks at her, a bit confused.*)




SHIHO: I-I wonder... I don't actually remember.






SHIHO: This hallway is quite dirty...


AO: Well, we all walk through here with our shoes on. We do clean it, though...


SHIHO: Let's give it a deep clean and get all the nooks and crannies.


AO: L-Let's wait until the tour is over first, okay?


AO: (Well, there's no denying it now. Definitely a neat freak.)




AO: Here's the shoe lockers. There's only five of us, so feel free to take extra if you want them.


AO: ...Well, if you can get them open. Most are still locked and we don't have the keys.


SHIHO: I don't believe I will need more than one, but thank you.




AO: And this room right here is the next on the tour...






SHIHO: Is this...the kitchen?




AO: We call it the work room.


AO: We do use it to cook food, but we use it to make things out of stuff we find outside too.


AO: We think it was probably a school store before.


SHIHO: I see...



(*Shiho then falls silent as she stares at the utensils and pans hanging on the wall.*)




AO: Is something the matter?


SHIHO: (blinking) Oh, it's nothing. Let's continue.






SHIHO: Where does that hallway lead to?


AO: Oh, that's... well, we don't have a name for it. Here, just follow me.








SHIHO: This vending machine area has a nice view of the outside. I like it here.


AO: It's the perfect place to collect your thoughts.


SHIHO: Um... what is that shrine out there?


AO: That's next up on the tour!






SHIHO: I was too shocked to notice before but...


AO: Yep, it's nothing but water as far as the eye can see.


SHIHO: It really drives home the feeling of being trapped, doesn't it...?


AO: I guess we're not completely trapped as long as we've got the Heartscape.






AO: See? The rails keep on going.


SHIHO: And this leads to the Heartscape?


AO: Yeah.



(*Shiho falls silent, her eyes drawn to the rails and Kokoro's Heartscape ahead.*)




SHIHO: I wonder why we're surrounded by water.



(*Ao looks down and away, having no answer.*)




AO: I don't know...




AO: But I know the answer is somewhere further in.



(*We catch up with the two of them back in the hallway inside, Ao thinking to herself.*)




AO: (Let's see, is there anywhere else I should show her...?)



(*Ao looks over to watch Shiho as she silently stares out the window at the sky.*)




SHIHO: ...





(*Ao looks away but then shakes away whatever thought was troubling her.*)






AO: Man, I'm exhausted after all that!


AO: Hey, let's have some fun!




SHIHO: Huh?




AO: Let's hit up the beach cafe. You know, where we first met you.


AO: I guess you could also call it the secret hideout.


SHIHO: Secret hideout...


(*Shiho turns to her as she hears those words.*)




AO: (sighing) Though there's no one working there, so anything we want we have to make ourselves...



(*Shiho stares on in silent shock for a moment before closing her eyes and smiling.*)




SHIHO: Hehe, that sounds wonderful.


SHIHO: Let's do it. I was curious to see what it was like.




SHIHO: I'll prepare something for you as thanks for giving me the tour.


AO: Oh, I can't make you do that...




SHIHO: Don't worry, I'm the one offering.


AO: Well, if you say so... That sounds great!




SHIHO: Leave it to me!


(*Shiho puts her hands together with a grin, the first real smile she's shown since arriving.*)



MUSIC: Chatting into the Night



(*Our view returns to find Ao sitting in the shade at the side of the cafe stand, with Shiho working away inside of it. The summer heat leaves brightly contrasting sunshafts glaring down from the roof.*)




AO: Did you ever work at a place like this, Shiho?


SHIHO: (shaking her head) No, I never did.




AO: You just look so at home behind the counter. You're like a pro!




SHIHO: (recoiling) Y-you think so?


AO: Yeah. You would totally bring in customers. I bet all the guys would hit on you.




SHIHO: O-oh, I don't really...


(*She looks away shyly.*)




AO: Hey there, beautiful.


AO: Do you like raisins? How would you feel about a date?




SHIHO: U-um...


SHIHO: A-Ao...


(*Shiho flushes a bright red, Ao turns away with a grin.*)



AO: Kidding!




SHIHO: Please don't tease me like that!






AO: Thanks for the food!


(*Ao puts her hands together and gives a light, polite bow.*)




SHIHO: Would you like some dessert, Ao?


AO: Dessert?



(*The view cuts away to focus on the cafe's flag, cast in shadow but brightly announcing shaved ice.*)





AO: You don't even need to ask.


SHIHO: Which flavor do you want?




AO: Strawberry.


SHIHO: Good choice. I think I'll have some too.




SHIHO: (happily) It doesn't stain your tongue as much as the other colors.


AO: Really?




SHIHO: Look! Ahhhh...




AO: (unconvinced) Nope. Totally obvious.



(*Time passes and we find the both of them sitting at the front of the cafe in the sunlight.*)




SHIHO: I was thinking... Is there a mountain equivalent to beachside shack cafes?


AO: I guess a ski lodge is kind of close? Or one of those places where you can rent barbeque supplies?


SHIHO: Isn't that a little bit different? Wouldn't a little mountainside cafe be fun?




AO: I bet something like that would do great in the winter.


SHIHO: Yes, just like how beachside cafes are all about beating the heat, this would be about beating the cold.




SHIHO: They could serve some nice, hot ramen.


(*Shiho gives a determined, serious smile while...*)




AO: That sounds amazing.


(*...Ao just loses herself imagining it. The date scene ends there.*)

AO: Shiho made me yakisoba and shaved ice at the beachside cafe. They were both delicious, of course. I also teased her a bit and the reaction was adorable! Best day ever.

AO: (Although... I do wonder how else it could have gone.)



MUSIC: Blue Reflection - Aruella

VIDEO: A Physical Emotion





(*Just as the girls are about to leave, a sparkling orb rises between them with a shimmering energy.*)



*Bright chime*

(*The air around the sparkles begins to collect, distorting in a sphere...!*)







(*With a release of energy and a bright explosion of sparkles, it leaves behind a floating, reflective crystal much like the memory fragments we've seen before. However, this one seems to be a crystalline pyramid made of smaller pyramids...*)




AO: Whoa, something came out!




SHIHO: I wonder what it could be?


*FreeSpace notification*




AO: A notification...?

RE-SOURCE: Hello hello hello! Looks like you got a Fragment!

SHIHO: Oh, so this is that ReSource you mentioned before?


AO: Yeah. If there's anything you want to know, ask ReSource and it'll give you the answer! ...Sometimes.

RE-SOURCE: Nice to meet ya, Shiho!


RE-SOURCE: It's me, ReSource! Your super-duper ultra-helpful mega-cute guide!


SHIHO: Nice to meet you...


AO: Oh yeah, who added Shiho to the group?


AO: Did you invite her, ReSource?

RE-SOURCE: Nope! Seems like everyone who comes to this world are added to the group automatically.


RE-SOURCE: More importantly! The Fragment!


RE-SOURCE: You've got something real special there!


AO: Fragments? Like the one in the Heartscape?


RE-SOURCE: Great memory, Ao!

RE-SOURCE: Fragments are crystalized emotions! They're feelings made physical!


SHIHO: Emotions?


RE-SOURCE: Yep! Happiness, sadness... You know, all kinds of emotions!


AO: Ridiculous, emotions can't become physical. It must be hiding something. ₁

// Alternate Response: I don't get it. What does feelings made physical even mean? //

RE-SOURCE: As that has nothing to do with living here, I'm afraid I can't answer that!


RE-SOURCE: All you need to know is that feelings and memories take shape in this world.


RE-SOURCE: And those feelings power you up.


SHIHO: You mean, if we have a Fragment, then it'll make us stronger?


RE-SOURCE: Exactly! Go ahead and touch it!

(*And so the scene fades on a view of Ao staring at the Fragment inquisitively.*)




AO: Fragments...? I don't really understand, but I might as well try 'em out!




AO: I think I like this... My body feels so much lighter!


SHIHO: This world has no shortage of surprises, does it?


// And so we're introduced to the game's equipment system. I'll discuss it at the end of the update, for now let's catch back up with the girls. //



VIDEO: Shared Anxiety

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - At the Speed of Calm



(*We rejoin Ao and Shiho in the infirmary once again, our view panning down from the ceiling.*)




AO: Well, that's about it I guess. What do you think?


SHIHO: Thank you very much, Ao.




SHIHO: Well, um... If there's ever anything I'm unsure about, do you think I could ask you about it?


(*Shiho shyly sways her shoulders as she looks away.*)




SHIHO: I still have no memory of anything at all...


AO: Of course. I'll do whatever I can to help.


(*Ao's cheery expression shifts away after a moment.*)




AO: It's just... It'd be nice if you could ask Kokoro.




SHIHO: Kokoro?


AO: She knows you the best out of all of us, so I think she'd be a lot of help.



(*Shiho continues to stare, mildly shocked. She eventually speaks up, her expression growing gloomy.*)


MUSIC: A Glum Face on the Water




SHIHO: ...I see.




SHIHO: I feel like there's something I need to do.


SHIHO: But I have no idea what it could be.


SHIHO: I'm here in this world with no memories... How am I to know what I should do?　




SHIHO: (anxiously) Haha... It's as though I've forgotten how to just live.



(*Ao's expression is similarly melancholy.*)




AO: Yeah...


(*She then looks around the room, trying to find the words.*)




AO: That's how I was when I first got here too.


AO: I had my memory, but I still felt really...lost. And scared.


SHIHO: Did... Did things change?




AO: To be honest, I don't know. I'm still scared. But...




AO: (grinning) Being with those three makes me feel like I can get through it.



(*Shiho looks up, her mouth slightly ajar...*)



(*...Ao holds out her hand.*)




AO: So let's find that thing you need to do together!


AO: I may not be as helpful as the others, but... I'll do anything I can.




SHIHO: ...That's not true.




SHIHO: (brightly) You've helped me realize that I am not alone.


AO: Oh. Well, I'm glad.




AO: So let's find something you can do, right now!


AO: You just saw a lot of the stuff we've got here. Does anything come to mind?


SHIHO: Let's see... Well...



MUSIC: Blue Reflection - Aruella


(*Shiho thinks to herself, pondering this before her eyes shine.*)




SHIHO: ...Cooking.


AO: Oooh!




SHIHO: I saw the kitchen. I thought maybe I could be of use as a cook.




AO: Ooh! That might be super helpful, actually!


SHIHO: Really?




AO: Yuki doesn't explore with us, so she's been doing most of the cooking. We'd help out every now and again, but...


AO: We'd love to have your help!


SHIHO: Hehe. I'll do my best then!


(*The matter seems settled until...*)




SHIHO: Ah, that's right. Could I ask you a favor?


AO: Sure, what's up?




SHIHO: I'd like to make something for Kokoro. Would it be all right if I used some of the cooking supplies...?


AO: Oh, I see! Yeah, no problem!


SHIHO: I'm not sure what to make, though... What kind of food does she like?


AO: (slowly, thinking) Hmm... Kokoro pretty much likes everything.




AO: I'm sure she'd be happy with anything as long as she knew you made it for her.


SHIHO: (quietly) Something I want to make for her...


(*Ao puts her hands on her hips with a determined smile.*)




AO: I'll help! We can think of something together!




SHIHO: That would be wonderful.



// Kokoro is evidently not taking this well. It's hard enough to finally meet your long-lost childhood best friend again and her have entirely forgotten you, but even harder to not know if you're the reason she's now trapped here and lost her memories. Rest assured that she'll be back soon, but she will be mostly absent for a little while. //

// Regardless, Shiho has officially joined. She's very polite and nice, and generally innocent. Evidently, her childhood brawl didn't have too significant of an effect. At least not that we can tell.

She's also the girl who blushes the most from Ao's antics, so look forward to that. //



// Since we're here, I might as well explain Fragments while the girls continue with the rest of their day. Fragments are this game's only form of equipment, slotted into 1 of 3 slots (upgradeable to a max of 9, if I recall correctly.) These range from all sorts of basic stat buffs to unique trigger effects and they can let you more actively customize what your fighting girls can do. //



// True dates, like we just went on, can reward two different Fragments based on what choices you make. It's based on which response, Top or Bottom, is picked more. Linked after every date will be the alternate responses and the corresponding Fragment. As well as noting which one I take. (Some dates always give the same one no matter what, but it's rare.) //

// Fragments also have a size and a Gear requirement. The former just notes how many slots it takes, and the latter halts its activation until the wearer is at that Gear. In this case, both are just Size 1 Gear 1 stat buffs. They're +5 to Attack or Defense respectively.//

// In practice, you usually want to take attack, damage, and ether speed buffs over everything else and that's what I'll -mostly- be doing. There's a lot of interesting things you can do with Fragments, even as going as far as making Ao a tanky healer and Rena a speedy, offensive beast. Hard is going to make me have to do more than make full aggression builds, so expect to see some real strategy involved. Not the least because what the thread votes for will change what Fragments I'll have available. //

// In terms of other mechanics discussion pushed aside for the story, the buildings we make, (called Facilities,) also have stat buffs on them that affect the whole team. In the case of the beachside cafe, it's a 10% Attack buff. There will be more to talk about with facilities towards the end of this chapter. //



-------------------------

Another visitor arrived in this world. And guess what? It was Shiho, the girl from Kokoro's memories!

wonder what brought her to this place... The mysteries never end around here. But first things first, we have to give her the grand tour. Maybe we'll find a clue in the place we first met her...

Turns out Shiho is pretty good at cooking. We can finally look forward to some yummy food!

That said, it's so sad that she can't even remember her best friend when they were just reunited for the first time in ages... I think Shiho feels kinda bad about it too, so she wants to give Kokoro a present. I wonder what she's gonna make?

Birthday: ???

Height/Weight: ???

Likes: ???

Dislikes: ???

Detailed Profile:
A girl that appeared in the newly created beachside cafe. Having lost her memories, she has no recollection of Kokoro, her childhood friend. A very polite and well-mannered girl. She remembers liking coffee, although she doesn't recall the reason why.

//Name Info:

春 (kasu) = springtime, spring (as a season)
日 (ga) = day, sun, Japan
詩 (shi) = poem, poetry
帆 (ho) = sail

Sailing poetry and springtime days? Nothing about her would immediately pop out to note any direct symbolism.

There is a pretty distinct reference in her name however, referring to Blue Reflection: Sun, the still JP only mobile game. There's a reason for this, but I don't want to say why just yet. (The answer is very easily found though.)

As for her honorific use, she's on a strictly "family name + san" basis just like Rena so all of what I said before applies, but you'll note that the translation opts to have her talk by first name basis instead. I imagine this is because Shiho's use is only out of pure politeness while Rena's conveys her more serious nature and reserved approach to relationships.

There's room for your own interpretations there by all means, of course. //

[Mercerino]

cute shiho drawing.jpg (2.28 KiB) Viewed 26894 times

Didn't notice this before, but that's a cute Shiho drawing, Ao.

Also, is there still a poll for selecting which character you'll go on dates with? That's unless you plan to go and do every single date.

[Odd Wilson]

cute shiho drawing.jpg

Didn't notice this before, but that's a cute Shiho drawing, Ao.

Also, is there still a poll for selecting which character you'll go on dates with? That's unless you plan to go and do every single date.

Yeah, Ao has doodles for every character in their logbook's respective chapter. I've been using them as part of the TOC headers.

I'll be going on every date I'm able to, both for gameplay benefit and the intent to make this as 100% as possible. We'll have time for everything on the way to get the true/secret ending. The votes themselves are specifically for the "pick a girl" events, where a number of the girls present an option and you have to pick one. As it's the only non-fixed means of gaining TP, it's going to heavily influence which dates we can actually see, as they all have a location/facility requirement and those in turn are gated by Talent Level requirements. Our first one will be either next update or the one after, depending how much I can fit in. (I'm also using the poll results as a way to choose which characters end up getting used more in combat/get talent benefits from passive characters, but I'll diversify them nonetheless.) This information will generally get mentioned again in the update our first pick event pops up in.

I forgot to mention it here, but the result was Shiho in the lead with Rena just behind in second place. The results of that will be immediately apparent as we get into Chapter 2 for real.

I'll always do the votes at the start of a new chapter, although Chapter 3 might be the exception as I've got more than a few date related things to take care of then. Usually, the game won't throw a pick event for a girl who just joined, but I think there's an exception for that way later on for a character who joins super late.

I also never realized just how many BR1 tracks BR2 uses. Ch.2's got a lot of them, and some particularly unique choices at that.

[Odd Wilson]

Journal Entry 15: Sweetening A Bitter Situation

MUSIC: TIE







// The title screen has updated to reflect Shiho's addition to the team. She's now calmly following along between Yuki walking on the tie and Ao jogging to catch up.

Speaking of catching up, let's catch back up to Ao after parting ways with Shiho for the time being. //






AO: (I should probably check on Kokoro.)



(*Heading out the school's leftmost exit and down the path to the docks, we find Kokoro standing alone and staring out to her heartscape.*)




KOKORO: Shiho... I'm sorry, I need to be alone for a while.


AO: Okay... well, I won't bother you unless it's important.


KOKORO: Thanks.




AO: (Well, I suppose there's not much I can do except give her and Shiho some time.)


AO: (I'll... I'll see if Rena needs any help for now.)

AO: Hey, what are you doing right now?


RENA: Nothing in particular. Do you need something?


AO: I just felt like chatting.


RENA: Fair enough. Let's take a walk around the school. We can take a walk while we walk.

// We soon find ourselves back in the nurse's office, where Rena's in the back corner. //




RENA: I hope Utsubo is okay...


AO: Same here. I'm hoping whatever Shiho comes up with will help.


AO: ... But I can't really think of anything to do while I wait.




RENA: I've been thinking of cleaning the rooftop storage room.


AO: Oh, mind if I join you?


RENA: Fine, but... try not to make an even bigger mess.



MUSIC: I Can Feel Your Body Heat




AO: Walking side-by-side like this, we look like students leaving school together.


RENA: It would be nice if we could actually leave the school.


AO: You don't have to a be a realist all the time...


(*Up the stairs we go...*)




RENA: This floor is nice and quiet.


AO: It feels strange at night, though. Going to the bathroom can be a bit scary.


RENA: Stop it... don't say things like that.


(*...and up the stairs again...*)




AO: Do you come here often, Rena?


RENA: Well, sometimes. When I want to look up at the sky.


AO: Ooh, that sounds so romantic.


RENA: ...T-There's nothing special about it.



(*...and in time, we've made it to the rooftop storage room.*)



MUSIC: Blue Reflection - At the Speed of Calm


(*Our view returns to find Rena peering over into a pair of boxes on the center table of the little storage room. Ao is standing to the side, off-screen.*)




RENA: Wow, there's all kinds of tools in here.


RENA: Oh, this looks handy. I'll use it next time.




AO: You're so cool.


RENA: What are you talking about?


AO: I've always been more of an arts person, so I envy people who are good with this kind of stuff.




RENA: What? Really? I'm just doing what comes naturally to me.


RENA: So, is there anything you want to try to use, Hoshizaki?




AO: I saw some paint that looked perfect.


RENA: For what?


AO: For the model kit.


AO: You know, those plastic figures that you put together yourself?


(*Rena crosses her arms with her usual sour expression.*)




RENA: ...


AO: I found one when we were cleaning out the storage space earlier.


AO: I haven't started on it because I was afraid of messing it up, but maybe I'll take this opportunity to paint it.


(*Rena looks away, mumbling.*)




RENA: Make sure you file those edges down carefully.


AO: Huh?


(*Rena's gaze snaps back forwards.*)




RENA: Nothing!


AO: Is there anything you want to make, Rena?


RENA: There is one thing I've always wanted to try and make.


AO: What's that?




RENA: A robot.


AO: Ooh! What kind of robot?


RENA: I don't know yet. I've just always wanted to make a robot.


RENA: What kind of robot would you want, Hoshizaki?




AO: A robot boyfriend, maybe?


AO: When I leave the house, it'll say, "Have a good day! Don't worry, I'll hang up the laundry."


AO: And when I come home, it'll say, "Welcome back! Dinner's ready!"




RENA: (exasperated) How is that any different from a helper robot?


AO: It'll kiss me when I leave in the morning!


RENA: You want that?




AO: (brightly) Wouldn't you want someone you like to do that for you, Rena?



(*Rena silently looks down, thinking to herself...*)



(*Her eyes suddenly light up.*)




RENA: Wh-what's this got to do with me?!


AO: Hehe, why're you being so defensive? Got someone on your mind?


RENA: (annoyed) Of course not!

Current - Desires: Size 2, Gear 1
Alt. - Heart: Size 1, Gear 3
Effect: Heal On Recovery (+5 extra HP on recieving heal)


AO: I've never seen Rena look more alive than when she was rummaging through the rooftop storage room. I'm not interested in tools, but I am curious about the robots she makes.

AO: (It was fun seeing her react like that. I wonder what else might've happened...?)


// Combined with her earlier requests, this gets her to Talent Level 2, triggering the second line and getting Ao +3 TP as well. We'll talk more about that by the end. //




RENA: ...I'm tired.


RENA: Well, I'll be counting on you some in the future.


AO: (She says that like we're coworkers...)



MUSIC: Let's Girl Talk!



AO: (I should see if Shiho's come up with anything.)


(*We soon find ourselves down in the work room, Shiho waiting at the kitchen counter.*)




AO: Shiho! Settling in yet?


SHIHO: Oh, Ao! Yes, I am.




SHIHO: Thank you for your help. I'll do my best to be of use here!


AO: Did you think of something to make for Kokoro yet?


SHIHO: I thought I might just start with something simple.




SHIHO: I saw we had a lot of these... large eggs, so tamagoyaki seems like a good starting point.




AO: Here, let's put a little bit of this herb in it for a little spice. I'm not very good at cooking, but I think she'll like it.



// This part is mostly a tutorial for the actual unique aspects to crafting. The girls can learn abilities to improve certain effects on items they work on, and different, specific combinations of girls will also provide a bonus to two effect types. I'll talk about it more when we do real food prep later. As a reminder though, this now heals as much as our Sandwiches and gets an attack boost. //




AO: Shiho! You've got some skills!


AO: This is some of the most delicious looking tamagoyaki I've ever seen!


SHIHO: Haha... thank you. But you helped too.






SHIHO: Oh...


AO: What is it?




SHIHO: I just remembered something as I was moving my hands.


SHIHO: Do you mind if I make one more thing?




AO: What is it?


SHIHO: I was looking at these strange... fruits, and I had an idea. Can you give me a minute?





VIDEO: A Gift From the Heart

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - At the Speed of Calm


// Our view returns to see Shiho holding a red mug with a dark drink inside. //




AO: Coffee, huh? Not what I was expecting.




SHIHO: I thought I would make her something to eat at first, but for some reason this came to mind...


AO: Came to mind, huh...?


(*Ao ponders this for a moment as Shiho continues to look down at her drink.*)




AO: ...Well then, let's have Kokoro try it!


SHIHO: (nodding) Okay!

AO: Miss Kokro Utsubo. Miss Kokoro Utsubo.


KOKORO: What's up, Ao?


AO: Ms. Ao is calling you. Please come to the work room at your earliest convenience.


KOKORO: Okay.

(*Ao puts away her phone and looks to Shiho with a bright smile and a nod.*)



(*Shiho smiles as well, although there's an edge of nervousness to it.*)






KOKORO: Ao, I'm he—



(*Both Kokoro and the music cut silent as she gasps.*)




KOKORO: Shiho...? What are you two up to...?



(*Shiho looks to Ao, worried, but she continues to smile and not her head in return.*)



(*Shiho gathers her courage... before stepping forward, determined.*)




SHIHO: ...Um.


MUSIC: Blue Reflection - To No One But You




SHIHO: I'm sorry...for not remembering you.



(*Kokoro remains stunned for a moment before quickly looking away, her expression melancholy.*)





KOKORO: ...No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I was avoiding you.


KOKORO: The thought that someone I cared for so much didn't remember who I was...




KOKORO: It was unbearable.




KOKORO: But I myself just remembered you recently. It wasn't fair of me to act that way.


SHIHO: Kokoro...


(*Shiho looks up at her with a similarly gloomy expression, but the next words are a surprise.*)




KOKORO: Not to mention that I might have been the one who called you here.




SHIHO: You called me here...?


KOKORO: I can't say for sure. But I was thinking that I missed you when you appeared.




KOKORO: If I'm the one responsible for you being torn from your life and losing your memories...




KOKORO: I don't know if I could take it...


(*As Kokoro's voice starts to waver on the edge of tears, a brief silence follows, until...*)




SHIHO: I was so relieved to hear someone call my name.


(*She looks down, placing a hand to her chest.*)




SHIHO: I thought that maybe I was the only one in this world.


SHIHO: I thought that maybe no one would remember me...


SHIHO: I was so scared...and lonely...


(*Shiho finally looks back up again, her expression turning serious...*)




SHIHO: But...


(*Then to a bright smile as she comes close to Kokoro.*)




SHIHO: You were there. And you remembered me.


SHIHO: So... Thank you, Kokoro. Thank you for not forgetting me. For calling me by my name.




KOKORO: Shiho...


(*Shiho then steps away to pick up her present...*)




SHIHO: That's why I wanted to make this for you. To show you my gratitude.




KOKORO: Coffee?




SHIHO: Would you try it?


KOKORO: ...Yes. Of course.




SHIHO: I wasn't sure if you like it black or with cream and sugar... Which would you prefer?


KOKORO: Well, then...





KOKORO: Make it as sweet as you can!


(*As Kokoro grins brightly, Shiho does the same.*)




SHIHO: Of course.





(*We then cut to Ao, standing away and near the entrance. A smile breaks across her face as she silently watches the exchange.*)



MUSIC: Chatting into the Night


(*Time passes and we return the find the three of them near the counter window.*)




KOKORO: (sighing) Ahh, that was delicious... You're amazing, Shiho.


SHIHO: Hehe, thank you very much.




SHIHO: I don't really understand it myself, but it was like my body moved all on its own.




SHIHO: I knew exactly what to do to make a delicious cup...


(*This gets Ao thinking about something, her expression growing serious as Shiho's grows distant.*)




SHIHO: Like... I had done it before...


*Loud explosion*

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - Triangle, Square, and Circle




SHIHO: Whoa?!




AO: This sound... Kokoro!


KOKORO: Yeah! It must be—


*Loud, echoing energy warping*

(*The three of them reach for their phones.*)

NOTIFICATION: Shiho Kasuga's Heartscape is now connected.

SHIHO: What is this notification...?


KOKORO: Heartscape... That's—




AO: Last time we got something like this when Kokoro talked about her secret hideout...




AO: Your trigger must be coffee!




KOKORO: So if we go there...


AO: Yeah. Come on, let's check it out!

(*Our view fades on the school's doorway to the Faraway, the horizon now empty.*)




VIDEO: The New Faraway Frontier


(*We catch up with the three at the Faraway's entrance, Rena and Yuki already standing there and peering out at a brightly sparkling light above the tracks.*)




AO: Rena, Yuki!



(*The two look behind with troubled expressions, though Yuki's quickly fades to a grin as she waves.*)




YUKI: Guys, over here!


RENA: Look at this.



(*Our view is drawn to the white spark floating in the air, almost blending into the horizon beyond it.*)




AO: It's different from last time... It's shining?


*Phone notification*




AO: Oh, my phone is ringing again.

RE-SOURCE: Hello hello hello! It's everyone's favorite, ReSource!


RE-SOURCE: You've opened a new Heartscape, huh? Not bad, not bad!


YUKI: Hey! We came up with that name, you know!


RE-SOURCE: It's easier for you to understand this way, right? Besides, it's a sweet name and I wanna use it.

RENA: (grumbling) Annoying as always...

RE-SOURCE: You just need to change your destination and you'll be off to Miss Shiho's Heartscape.


AO: Change the destination? What do you mean?


RE-SOURCE: See the ship's wheel over there? You can spin it to choose the world you want to visit!


RE-SOURCE: Have a good trip!

(*As the girls put down their phones, our attention is brought to the strange, blue and glowing object that's been hanging just out of notice all this time. Settled right next to the staircase is some sort of futuristic, metal disc on a post, set with 8 blue crystal handles all around it... much like a ship's wheel indeed.*)




KOKORO: I guess this must be the wheel.


AO: What's a wheel doing here anyway?


YUKI: It's always been here, hasn't it? No idea who put it here, though.


(*Everyone's in various states of thought, as Kokoro stands up front leaning in to inspect the wheel.*)




RENA: You mean it's been part of this world from the beginning? But who created it...? And for what?


AO: No idea. All we can do is turn this and go to Shiho's Heartscape.




SHIHO: (darkly) My Heartscape...


AO: ...What's wrong?


MUSIC: A Glum Face on the Water




SHIHO: Were you afraid, Kokoro?


KOKORO: Huh?


SHIHO: I'm afraid. A Heartscape is a world constructed from my heart, isn't that right?


SHIHO: Could going inside have some kind of negative effect on my heart?


SHIHO: And what if there's a part of me in there I'd rather keep hidden?


(*Her eyes start to glaze over in fear at the possibilities before looking down, eyes closed as if to try and shut it out..*)




SHIHO: What if you see something terrible?


KOKORO: Shiho...


(*Kokoro then looks away and up to the sky with a light smile.*)




KOKORO: ...To be honest, I was a little scared.


KOKORO: But I wanted to know what happened before I lost my memory, and find out more about this world. For Ao.


KOKORO: And... I didn't mention this to anyone, but...


KOKORO: I was jealous of Ao.


(*She turns around to face Ao, who recoils a bit at the unexpected admission.*)




AO: What? Of me?


KOKORO: I figured that the fact that you wanted to go home so badly means that you must have something important waiting for you there.


KOKORO: That you must have very special memories and people there waiting for you.


KOKORO: That's what I was jealous of.




KOKORO: So I wanted to get my memory back and show everyone.


KOKORO: (brightly) Like, "I am the real Kokoro Utsubo! I have lots of special memories of my own!"




AO: Kokoro...


RENA: I had no idea you felt that way...


(*Rena looks away and runs a hand through her hair.*)




KOKORO: Hey, Shiho. Let's go find the real you together.


SHIHO: Do you think I have memories like those too?


KOKORO: I'm sure you do. And if you don't...




KOKORO: We can make some new ones together.


SHIHO: Kokoro...




SHIHO: (bravely) ...Okay. I'd like to go.


KOKORO: All right!


YUKI: Well, if everyone's ready, let's do this thing!


(*As Yuki psychs herself up, Rena crosses her arms as she recalls something that hasn't been answered yet.*)




RENA: By the way, what happened to you three, anyways? We got a notification on our phones all of a sudden.


AO: We had a cup of coffee together.


RENA: (surprised) That's it?


AO: There must be some reason for it.




SHIHO: Yes. I think so too.


SHIHO: I have a feeling we may find that reason somewhere in the Heartscape.






AO: (Of course, as much as we'd like to go right now, it's getting late and we haven't done any prep work at all.)


AO: (Given how tough those last demons we fought were, I could use a good sleep first.)


AO: (But how to spend the rest of the evening...?)



// Kokoro's back in action already! I thought this section would take me a little longer, but I suppose not. You're unlikely to not have the materials to go ahead and progress here, and delaying mostly prevents you from going on dates with Kokoro. Speaking of dates, in both sides of Rena's 1st date here we're already starting to see Ao's... less than ordinary side. This will continue.

There's actually a small bug in the script when Shiho and Kokoro finally talk, I never actually noticed it until proofreading this update. Well, it wouldn't be a Gust game without a little jank somewhere (and it's not the last text error, but they're pretty few and far between). I've patched in the text, notable by the sudden italics, but it's on full display in the video. //

// Regardless, we'll finish up preparations for tackling a new Heartscape next time, so expect more mechanical commentary from me then, but there will be no shortage of more dates and character moments. Not to mention... the first tangible effects of the end-of-chapter polls. //



-------------------------

Shiho brewed a cup of coffee for Kokoro. It seems that Shiho has a special connection to coffee, buried somewhere deep in her memories. Just as we were talking about it, the entrance to her Heartscape popped up out of nowhere!

I guess coffee really was the key... Well, better go check it out!

AO: The strangest part of this mysterious world would have to be the water surrounding everything. Floating atop that water is a railroad leading all the way to the horizon. According to Kokoro, it was here even before the Faraway appeared, but where could it lead to?


AO: Now it's the path we use to get to the Faraway. Sometimes things will drift ashore, so we make sure to check it regularly.

// This entry is evidently one of the earliest that Ao wrote, so it's a little overdue. //

AO: Not much to say about this place. Above all else, it is free, safe, and must not be desecrated.

[Odd Wilson]

Journal Entry 16: Preparations and Pastimes




AO: Oh, hey... is that Kokoro over there?



(*We find Kokoro standing out near the hedges that act as walls for the courtyard, staring out at the sunset lit image of her Heartscape.*)




AO: What's up, Kokoro?


KOKORO: Oh, Ao! I'm just looking at the sunset.


AO: It's gonna be strange not seeing your Heartscape there. I still want to call it the Faraway sometimes.


AO: But that's for tomorrow, not today. We've hardly had any time since our last big adventure.


MUSIC: I Can Feel Your Body Heat




KOKORO: Oh, that reminds me. I have to return some library books.


AO: Not like anyone will get mad if you don't. But maybe I'll check some books out while we're there.


KOKORO: Okay, let's go then.



(*Up to the second floor...*)




KOKORO: Oh, the end of the hallway is getting pretty dirty...


AO: It's hard to stay on top of the cleaning with so many people here. Not to mention just how big this place is.


KOKORO: Let's get everyone together and do a big cleanup.


AO: (With Shiho wanting to do the first floor... sounds like we're in for some summer cleaning.)



(*Before long, we're at the library.*)




AO: I wonder if there's anything interesting here...


KOKORO: Oh, this book... I read it when I was little.


AO: Ohh, I remember that book! I read it too!


KOKORO: ...Mm? I've never read it, but there's quite a few copies of 'The Little Mermaid' too. More than any of the others.


AO: This library is so strange.



MUSIC: Our Days


(*Time passes and we find the two scanning the titles on the bookshelf against the full wall bookshelf to the left of the entrance.*)




KOKORO: Ao, what kind of books do you read?




AO: Mm, YA novels and stuff. The kind that have pictures in them, like this!


KOKORO: Ooh, pretty.


AO: This one was made into an anime. The animation in the action scenes was majorly cool, and—




KOKORO: Hehe, look at you, all excited. How cute.


AO: (gasping) Ah... Sorry, got a little carried away.




AO: What about you, Kokoro? What do you like to read?


KOKORO: Hmm... I don't really read novels or anything. Mostly just fashion magazines.


AO: That makes sense. You are pretty fashionable.




KOKORO: Hehe, why thank you. Are you not interested in fashion?


AO: It's not that I'm not interested, I just haven't paid much attention to it before.




AO: Well, we're already here... Why don't you try reading a YA novel or manga?


KOKORO: Mm, maybe... But I don't know where to start.


AO: I'll give you some recommendations! Do you have a favorite genre? What kind of movies do you like?


KOKORO: Hmm... Maybe romance, then?




AO: Okay! In that case, maybe something around here... Or maybe over here...


KOKORO: Hehe.


AO: Hmm? Did I say something weird?


KOKORO: No, no. It's just that you look like you're having so much fun! I couldn't help but laugh.

Both: Size 1, Gear 2
* Setter Effect: Damage Dealt Up (Damage dealt +3%)
Follower Effect: Damage Reduction (Damage taken -3%)


AO: The ever-fashionable Kokoro seems to read a lot of fashion magazines. I should follow her example and start studying fashion!

KOKORO: See you!


KOKORO: I'd like to do this again sometime!


AO: See ya!


AO: (I wonder what would've happened if I didn't get so carried away thinking about light novels?)


AO: (Still... it's nice to see that she's back to her usual cheery self.)




AO: (It's getting pretty late... but I think I'm gonna grab a snack. Nobody'll know.)


(*The night outside is dark, but the rows of thin rectangular lights keep the school lit brightly. They're not usually on during the day, unless it's raining.*)




AO: Yuki? What are you doing in here?


YUKI: I've got too much energy to sleep! Just imagine all the delicious food...


AO: Huh?




YUKI: A new area to explore means new ingredients! I can't wait!


YUKI: And of course, we had to take a day to prepare when I was all hyped up too... I've got too much energy leftover.


AO: Wanna go to the gym, then?


YUKI: Now you're talking! Let's go!



MUSIC: I Can Feel Your Body Heat



YUKI: Oh, I guess Kokoro is still up too.




YUKI: Hey Kokoro, I've noticed you have a funny way of speaking sometimes.


KOKORO: Oh, do I? I suppose I do.


YUKI: Yeah, like that! You kind of draw out your sentences. Have you always spoken like that?




KOKORO: Yeah. I was really shy when I was young, so I always got nervous when I talked to people.


KOKORO: I'd always panic because I never knew how to choose my words.


YUKI: I see. So it was a kind of coping mechanism.


KOKORO: Pretty much. To this day, I still have moments where I jumble my words.




YUKI: Aww, that's so cute. I want to speak cute like you too!


KOKORO: S-sure, go ahead... But I think that might make me feel a tad bit embarrassed...



(*Outside to the front gate the two go after that...*)




AO: There's this big tree here, but I've never seen a single leaf on the ground.


YUKI: Hehe. That's because I clean this area up regularly.


AO: Really?! I never would have guessed it was you...


YUKI: What's that supposed to mean?!


AO: N-Nothing!




YUKI: Besides sports, did they do ceremonies and stuff in the gym too at your school?


AO: Yeah, I hated going to those. Such a waste of time...


YUKI: I know, right? Why couldn't they just do them over the PA system?!


(And so off to the gym for some late-night exercise they go...)



MUSIC: Blue Reflection - At the Speed of Calm


(*We catch up to them as they enter, Yuki running ahead excitedly. She turns around with a grin, hyped up.*)




YUKI: Wow, this place is huge! What do you wanna do?




AO: Someone's excited.


YUKI: Hmm... I guess there are only a few things we can do with just the two of us.




AO: What about...tag?


YUKI: We can't play tag with only two people!




AO: Why not, couples do it! "Come and get me," that kind of thing!


(*Ao poses cutely, but Yuki just puts her hands on her hips. Her expression is... very much what Rena's would be.*)




YUKI: That's...not the kind of game I was thinking of. Besides, there has to be more you can do in a gym.


AO: True...


YUKI: (perking up)We could just play a ball game, I guess.



(*Time passes and we find Yuki leaning onto her knees, exhausted.*)




YUKI: *Huff huff* Timeout! I need to catch my breath...


(*Ao looks down at her, visibly concerned...*)




AO: Are you okay, Yuki? Let's take a break.


YUKI: Yeah... Sorry...


AO: No problem. Do you want to lay your head in my lap?




YUKI: Thanks... But I'm super sweaty, maybe I shouldn't.


(*Yuki tries to look up at her, but doesn't get close.*)



MUSIC: Blue Reflection - A Small Distance


(*Time passes and we find the two of them sitting together against the walls, hands resting on their knees. Yuki's still so worn out her eyes are shut.*)




YUKI: Phew... I'm done. I don't think I can stand.


AO: Ahaha. Jeez... You really can never hold back, can you?


(*Yuki almost immediately perks back up.*)




YUKI: But I was having so much fun!




AO: Hehe, me too. You always look like you're having so much fun, I couldn't help but get carried away too.




YUKI: (smirking) No point in doing something if you can't have fun with it!


YUKI: But it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun without you. Thanks for playing with me!




AO: You're welcome.



(*Yuki gives her a wide grin before looking back forward and continuing to smile as they sit together.*)




YUKI: All right, let's take a quick break and get back to it!

*Heart: Size 1, Gear 1
Heart: Size 1, Gear 3
Effect: Bleed Immunity


AO: Yuki always enjoys everything to the max. She's super fun to hang out with, but I actually get a little worried sometimes... I'll have to stop her if it ever gets out of hand.

AO: (Now that I think about it, didn't we have ping-pong tables? We could've done that...)


AO: ...Well, I'm going to go get a shower and go to sleep now.


YUKI: See ya! We get along pretty well, you know?



MUSIC: Blue Reflection Theme - Sleep Jingle


(*With the day more than over, we catch up with the girls heading about their usual sleep routines.*)




AO: (What a day...)


AO: (I suppose I'll be thinking the same thing this time tomorrow as well...)



(*As Ao turns over in her bed with a light smile, we fade to black.*)





MUSIC: Blue Reflection - Triangle, Square, and Circle




YUKI: Ao!


AO: It's just a nap... I'll be up in a minute...


RENA: Hoshizaki, you're oversleeping again.


AO: Huh...? Oh! I'm awake! Sorry, sorry!


*Sheet rustling*


VIDEO: A Welcoming Party



(* We return to find Ao talking with Rena and Yuki. Kokoro stands by, reading something on her phone until she puts it away and looks to the others..*)




KOKORO: Hey, I just realized that we never had a welcome party.



(*A brief moment of silence follows as they look towards her.*)




YUKI: Ahh crap! I totally forgot! What have I done!


RENA: A welcome party? For whom?




KOKORO: Everyone. The three of us have been here a while, but Ao and the rest only came recently, right?


YUKI: (despairing) So I thought the three of us should throw a big party for the newcomers.


(* Yuki slumps over, disappointed in herself as Rena looks away with on with mild annoyance. She gives a silent sigh.*)




RENA: Why am I getting roped into planning this?


YUKI: We're the first generation! We've always been a trio!




RENA: I don't think that's how I'd describe it. I'd say we're more like...




KOKORO: A family?


YUKI: Ooh, I like that! Kokoro's the mom, Rena's the dad, and I'm the daughter!




RENA: (sharply) Why am I the father? Besides, I think you're more like a pet dog than a daughter.


YUKI: Hmph, fine. I'll just throw the welcome party by myself.


(*Yuki puts her hands on her hips and looks away, indignant.*)



YUKI: What kind of party would you like, Ao?




AO: It's not gonna be a surprise?


YUKI: Just to get some ideas.


AO: What do you have in mind, Yuki?




YUKI: Well, first we'd fill a bunch of water balloons up with paint—


RENA: Stop right there.




YUKI: (grumbling) I'm not talking to you, Rena.


RENA: As long as this party takes place on school grounds, I have the right to speak.




RENA: (smiling) If it were up to me, I'd show a movie or make a home-made planetarium.


YUKI: You can just look at the sky if you wanna see the stars.




RENA: It's not the same.




KOKORO: I wanna have a buffet, with a chocolate fondue fountain and everything.


YUKI: (muttering) Dang it, that's a great idea.




RENA: Whose idea do you like best, Hoshizaki?



// Shiho's not part of this, so the runner up is... //




AO: I like Rena's idea. I'm curious about what a homemade planetarium would be like.


RENA: We'd need the materials, of course. But... I'm sure we'll think of something.




AO: Will you do the narration too, Rena? "Here we have Vega, Deneb, and Altair, the three stars of the Summer Triangle..." or something like that?




RENA: No.


AO: Aww...


(* Ao pouts and hangs her head, but it's only for effect as she quickly gets over it. *)




AO: (I bet she'd do it if I bugged her about it.)




AO: Now that I think about it, there's nothing holding us back from doing all three.


KOKORO: Hmm, yeah. That could be fun!




YUKI: First we need as much paint as we can carry!




RENA: Stop right there.


(*And so the scene ends, Rena and Yuki on the verge of continuing their usual antics.*)



// That's the first of what I call 'pick events', and far from the last. They're the primary reason the character polls exist, and they're the only source of TP that isn't static. As each date requires a certain building and a certain Talent Level to activate in the first place, the characters you favor in these will end up with much more TP than the others over time.

For now, let's catch back up with Ao. //




AO: Oh! Kokoro, I just remembered something!


AO: I completely forgot about it after everything that happened. Here...




AO: I brought that plant you wanted.


KOKORO: Thanks, Ao.


AO: Sorry, but this thing barely looks edible. Are you really going to eat it? And without even cooking it?


KOKORO: (smirking) Aren't you curious what it tastes like?




AO: Maybe just a little, but... I'm not convinced it's safe for human consumption.


AO: At least cook it first...




KOKORO: Nom.


AO: Did you just take a bite?!


KOKORO: ...


AO: So, uh... How's it taste?




KOKORO: Hnnnnn!!! Sour...?!


AO: Kokoro, Are you okay?!


KOKORO: Eugh... It's really, really sour... And I can't stop drooling...


AO: Yikes... My condolences.




KOKORO: But I think it could work if used as a spice. I bet I could use it to make something delicious.


AO: (Kokoro really is a tough gal...)





// This completes "Seek the Rainbow Flavor!, that request we got all the way back at the start of Chapter 1. I... could have turned it in much earlier. //




AO: (Okay, with that done, let's grab the prepared food and get ready to go!)


AO: (I hope Shiho didn't have to wait too long...)



// Now that we have some cooking to do and Kokoro back on the squad, we can really start to take advantage of the work room teams.

For reference, our current possible combinations are:

Starting Lineup- Ao, Kokoro, Rena, Yuki
Boosts: Repair and Processing
Use: Facility materials

The Cooks and the Critics- Ao, Kokoro, Rena, Shiho
Boosts: Revival and Vitality
Use: Status cures and buffs

Can-Do Attitude- Ao, Kokoro, Shiho, Yuki
Boosts: Attack and Injure
Use: Offensive items/throwables

Operation Help Shiho- Ao, Rena, Yuki, Shiho
Boosts: Recovery and Revival
Use: Healing items


After spending some of Rena's TP on getting Cure Boost, we can use Operation Help Shiho from last update to create some super Coffee.

This coffee heals two status ailments, heals a tiny amount of HP, and also jumps a girl forward in the timeline a little bit. You're usually not going to have more than two debuffs, so this is usually a full clear.
//

AO: Coffee made by adding hot water to beans of a certain plant. The process is complicated, and I'm not sure I could have made it without Shiho.

// The Recovery and Revival boost on Operation Help Shiho also lets us make stronger Sandwiches with the strongest heal yet alongside some HP regen. //



// Pancakes, which we learned from Yuki getting to T.Lvl 2 gets the same Shiho treatment to end up with Ether Speed Up L and a tiny HP gain. These are basically a Haste spell and will be very useful for boss fights, and we'll be using them quite a bit until we eventually get better Ether Speed item in a few chapters.

We actually can't make these yet as Heart Fruit come from Shiho's Heartscape, but this saves me from mentioning an off-screen return trip to make this later. //

RENA: Soft, fluffy pancakes. The fluffiness of the pancakes comes from the combination of ingredients, the mixing method, and even the cooking temperature. Cooking really is a science.

// Lastly, we've got some Yogurt to make, the recipe obtained in Kokoro's Heartscape. Ao's Vitality boost and Operation Shiho come in handy to make a DEF Up M and HP Regen S set of Yogurt. I could have made this maybe better if I used "The Cooks and the Critics." //





MUSIC: Working Together Jingle



(*The Yogurt has a new crafting animation, where we find the girls staring down in anticipation at a beaker sparkling green...*)



(*A small storm of sparkles then form around it as a magical echo builds up...!*)



(*And then it explodes in green light, the girls looking on with joy, triumph, and in Yuki's case, shock.*)

RENA: I added some sour flavors to milk to make something that tastes like yogurt. Usually it'd need to ferment, but that's hard to do. It probably won't have the usual digestive benefits.

// Now, let's talk Talent upgrades since we've build up a lot of TP. While a good number of talents merely unlock on chapter progress, there's also a lot that unlock based on kill X demons and the like, but I won't go too far into detailing that. Let's talk Ao's first.

Ao, with her 9 TP gained from getting the original 3 to T.Lvl 2, first gets Vindr from her Gentle tree for 5 points. Alongside that, I spend 3 of the remaining 4 on Defense +5 to get her to a solid 30 defense. Of course, this actually only gets her to 28 because it boosts her base value and she's got some percentages modifying it.

In terms of other abilities unlocked, the only things of interest is the Fragment Slot Unlocked for 7 TP and Defense Up Effect +10% for 5 TP. The former is something Rena and Kokoro have access to as well, but Ao has 2 different options for it. The latter boosts any defense boosts from facilities, which isn't useful now but can be a substantial amount later.

(There's also a Dodge +3%, but we're far away from having a dodge build on any of characters.)

With 44 HP, 43 Attack, and 28 Defense, Ao is middle of the pack on stats except for drastically leading in attack power. //



//
Vindr ("Wind") - 1000EP - Gear 1
Accel +2 - Element: Pierce
Vindr not only gives Ao a pierce move to capitalize on weaknesses, it's also a guaranteed crit if the enemy is currently debuffed. It's quite good and synergizes with Kokoro's Sparkle Ball and her whole debuffing kit, but remains useful regardless. It's even available from Gear 1!

The only downside is the lower than average acceleration.

Ravindr ("Rare Wind") - 1000EP - Gear 2
Accel +1 - Element: Pierce
Just a bit stronger, nothing new here.

Valvindr ("Alternative Wind") - 1000EP - Gear 3
Accel +1 - Element: Pierce
Only thing of note is that it doesn't go down to 0 acceleration. Valvindr can be better than Nál provided the enemy either has a weakness to pierce or a debuff, but it'll depend on the situation.
//



// For Kokoro, we pick up Spear Shot for 5 TP and Attack +5 for 5 TP. This keeps her to her role as glass cannon and leaves her with 1 TP. And as mentioned before, we pick up Spear Shot now since we got her the higher base Ether speed last time.

Of note for Kokoro is Injure Boost now being available, which will improve attacking consumables she works on. We don't have of those to make though, so on the backburner it goes.

Kokoro has 51 HP, 36 Attack, and 15 Defense. The HP buffer really doesn't make her any more surviveable.

(Kokoro has 11 TP here because I've actually done her second date already, but ) //



//
Spear Shot - 1000EP - Gear 3
Accel -1 - Element: None
Spear Shot has pretty high damage and I think a 60% chance of inflicting slow, but it's also our first move with negative acceleration. It's apparently worth -10 e/s, which makes it 1.5 down arrows. It's a costly move, but we'll find uses for it.
//



// Rena's got 9 TP to use before favoring her in the event and we get +7 TP for choosing her in the pick event, (this image was before it happened). Using that we grab Hippocampe and Cure Boost. Cure Boost has a good number of applications in boosting our healing items, and we've already seen the results of that with the food we made earlier. //



Hippocampe ("Seahorse") - 2000EP - Gear 3
Accel +2 - Element: Shock
An expensive move at twice the regular cost, it has some use nonetheless in healing for damage dealt. I believe it's 30% damage dealt which isn't the worst, especially later in a fight with a high combo meter.



// Last on the list for talents is Yuki, with 11 TP built up and saved. Under "Act First, Think Later" we've now unlocked some of the strongest of her early talents, Initial Ether Speed +30 for 10 TP. Whoever gets this enters combat at Gear 2 automatically, which is a real help on this difficulty and for attempting more Deathwish fights. I'm going to wait to spend this though, as there's *one* more thing that's about to unlock that I'll need to spend a full 10 points on //




AO: Everything's ready, Heartscape, here we come!




AO: (Hold on, what's that on the tracks?)



(*Down on the Faraway/Heartscape rails is what looks like two memory fragments. We touch one, but there's no flash or chime like usual.*)




SWEET GIRL: You're not going to swim?


KIND GIRL: I don't know how to... I'm fine sitting here watching.


SWEET GIRL: Maybe I'll do the same, then.




AO: What was that...? Is this someone's memory too?


AO: ...But whose?




WOMAN A: Excuse me! Can I get to the top from here?


COLD GIRL: Oh, yes. I can show you.


WOMAN B: Hey, so like, are you a model or something? Or like the poster girl for this tourist spot?


COLD GIRL: Uh, no, just a regular person...


WOMAN A: Whaaat, really? I totally thought you were, 'cause you are stunning!




AO: (W-Wow... I wonder what she looks like? )


// If the silhouette choices didn't give it away, these are Kokoro, Shiho, and Rena respectively. //



(*Absolutely everything taken care of, Ao heads back up the stairs and approaches the Heartscape wheel.*)



(*And with a turn...*)





(*What was once known as the Faraway evaporates in static and reforms into our destination. Through the beaming summer sun, the tracks lead onwards to a large, red roofed building. In the water around it are smaller trees, big traffic signs, a leaning power pole, an industrial bridge and... in the very back, towering structures fading into the horizon.*)





// More mechanics talk than usual, but it had to be done. Next time, the Heartscape for real. //

// One little note is that in Yuki's conversation about Kokoro's manner of speech, (for those who haven't watched any of the videos it's distinctly soft and drawn out,) that the Japanese text elucidates a little more. Her problem was specifically knowing when to use polite or regular speech, so she developed the slow lilt when trying to pick her words. One has to wonder if it's also partly why she just calls everyone "-chan", outside of just being cute/fashionable.

Also, on that same note, Yuki does say "thank you" in English during the date as one of her smaller voice barks. She seems to know a few phrases, it seems. //

//All 3 of the starting girls have hit Talent Level 2 now, each giving Ao +3 TP of her own to spend. Her TP gain might seem slow now, but it'll pick up in time.

Something worth mentioning is that at certain talent levels, (2 being one of them,) a special event is triggered around the front area of the school. These Bond Events will all be arriving at the end of this chapter for pacing's sake. There's also some dates and such I'll probably be doing off-screen ahead of time and showing later as I need the mechanical benefits to keep up on Hard. I can't always fit them in as they arrive and keep a decent narrative flow, but rest assured that we will see them. Yuki's bond event is what gave us the Pancakes recipe.

In fact, I've already done Kokoro's second date for one of the fragments. This isn't something I'll bring much attention to in the future, I'll only mention it in passing when there's a relevant recipe or fragment that I'm using on the gameplay side of things. //

// As for our date Fragments themselves, I opted for last update's Desires over Heart as the +5 HP will only be relevant in the early game right now so the size 2 is bearable, and I'm usually more desperate to heal earlier in battle.

Trend Setter versus Trend Follower is just leaning into the attack again as it's a pretty minor effect anyways. In practice, you'll hit enemies for bigger numbers than they hit you for simply because of the HP differences.

With Heart and Soul is identical to it's counterpart aside from only being size 1. This makes it simply better, which perhaps makes sense as Yuki evidently likes the Heart side responses more. Although I tend to do 2-1 and 1-2 mixes in the dates, this one was 3-0 and 0-3. //



-------------------------

AO: The strangest part of this mysterious world would have to be the water surrounding everything. Floating atop that water is a railroad leading all the way to the horizon. According to Kokoro, it was here even before the Faraway appeared, but where could it lead to?


AO: Now it's the path we use to get to the Faraway. Sometimes things will drift ashore, so we make sure to check it regularly.

// This entry is evidently one of the earliest that Ao wrote, so it's a little overdue. Still, we've seen that more than expected can drift up on shore... //

[Odd Wilson]

A combination of my hands bothering me all week and ending up a bit sick with something has kept me from getting around to LP work pretty much this whole week. So unfortunately this week's update will just have to be delayed.

Hopefully next week is better for me.

Edit: Let's just call this week a wash as well. Life managed to hit me with another curveball. First weekend in September, everything starts back up, I promise.

[Odd Wilson]

Journal Entry 17: Linear Departure





VIDEO: A New Heartscape

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - A Destiny All My Own



(*We return to find Ao looking up to a deep blue sky, interrupted only by the fluffy white clouds and the gray, faintly tarnished steel of a large railway terminal rising up high. There are no ambient sounds but the faint lapping of water at a shoreline.*)



(*We fade down to see it's base, concrete brick leading up from a short grass hill and down into a sparkling water. Separated from it is a pathway of old pavement lined with unfinished rail track and traffic signs. A large billboard that indicates some name is faded and left incomplete.*)



(*Up inside the terminal, the tracks are overrun by shallow water and grass, the railcars left in place and some even sinking down into deeper pools...*)




KOKORO: Are those...train tracks? And water...?


AO: This feels so different from Kokoro's Heartscape. I guess they really do change from person to person.


(*And from this final vantage point, we can see that in the opposite direction of the station is crumbling structures and deep water, houses and small islands stranded amidst the sparkling sea. There lies a landmass far into the distance, fading away into the blue of the horizon. And most peculiarly of all, those glittering flakes slowly drift down from above here too...*)




KOKORO: Memories will start to flood in as we walk around. I'm sure we'll be able to find yours!




SHIHO: Memories flooding in...




RENA: But you should know, there are—


(*Rena then turns her head as the music cuts.*)





MUSIC: Blue Reflection - KOSUICHINOKAKUSURANAKIKU.EXE



(*A strange demon floats before them, gliding on pink, laminated wings. It's structure is a sharp silver metal, a vaguely humanoid shape made of sharp, disconnected pieces that float around. There is only a cloudy pink glow for a head and it's lower body terminates in a spike.*)




SHIHO: Oh my?! What is—


(*Ao, Rena, and Kokoro draw their Reflector weapons as it spins to flourish it's wings aggressively. *)




RENA: These are the demons! Kasuga, get back!


*Phone notification*





(*Yuki reels back, straightening in surprise. She quickly pulls out her phone...*)




YUKI: Huh?! Everyone, check your phone!


AO: (looking back ) Wh-what is it, Yuki? Is this really the time for—




YUKI: Shiho, you can transform now!


KOKORO: What?!


RENA: Really?!


(*Shiho then wakes up out of her stunned silence.*)



(*She clasps her hands over her heart, eyes shut...*)



(*...Before looking up, determined. She starts to march forward.*)




SHIHO: ...I know what I need to do.




SHIHO: My body remembers this too. I must have done this before...


(*She looks out to her ring, that same mysterious, blue, and triangular gemstone...*)





(*Shiho focuses her emotions...!*)



(*And in a glittering flash, she draws forth a blade of radiant blue light!*)




SHIHO: I will fight!


KOKORO: (quietly) Shiho...




AO: Shiho, are you sure you can handle this?


SHIHO: Yes! I can do it!


RENA: We'll back you up!



(*The demon spins around once again, making an agitated whirr.*)




AO: Here it comes, guys!





VIDEO: Unchained (Supporter Tutorial)

MUSIC: W.P. NEURONS




SHIHO: I will do my best.




RENA: I'll maintain support from back here. Too many of us and we'll trip each other up.


AO: Understood!







(*Wielding a large ōdachi of radiant blue light, Shiho does a full frontflip and brings it down vertically in her initial attack, cutting through the air with distorting, reflective waves..*)



KOKORO: I had no idea that you were so acrobatic, Shiho!


SHIHO: Neither did I... but I won't fail to make use of it!




AO: Ngh... they're definitely not any weaker than what we've fought before...




RENA: This will heal you.


RENA: I'm watching our backs, focus on the fight.




SHIHO: Hyaaaaaaa!


(*Shiho's second frontflipping swing makes an explosive sound as it shatters the earth beneath it and sends it flying outwards!*)



(*Suddenly, a dark cloud and a crescent moon arise...*)






SHIHO: With this power...


(*Shiho lowers her blade as crescent moons scatter from it's crystalline blade.*)




SHIHO: ... I am untouchable!



(*She then thrusts it directly into the ground beneath her as swirling chains circle her body in a blue glow...!*)







(*A bright blue flash radiates forth as...*)







(*...She throws her hand to the side and disperses the chains to show her new outfit.*)

(*Her irises have turned violet, matching the violet to cerulean ribbons in her hair and its new highlights. Belt straps run down from her neck and down to her single shouldered, deep blue frilled white top. From her left hand and her belt hang chains, the two in the back the largest. The buckle of that belt is a lock, and on both sides of it sit two crescent moons, just above her flared, deep blue skirt.*)







(*As Shiho rushes forth to attack again, her slash encases the foe in a crystal of ice, finishing off and obliterating the demon.*)





MUSIC: DAYDREAM


SHIHO: (relieved) It's done.



(*Shiho stretches her free arm behind her head...*)







(*...Then brings it down and flourishes her sword forward with a smile.*)



// This fight also had a tutorial for the Supporter system, which just gives a 4th girl the chance to provide a few buffs over the course of battle, swap in for someone, or use items on someone. You can see it in the video, but I'll explain it myself soon. //



VIDEO: A New Reflector

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - A Captive Heart



(*We return to a now cleared path ahead.*)




SHIHO: ...Whew.




AO: Shiho! That was amazing!




SHIHO: I-I'm surprised myself. I didn't know I could move like that!


AO: Ahh, what a relief! You'll be a big help when we go exploring!




YUKI: (grumbling) Well sooorry for not being any help!


AO: Nooo, that's not what I meant! Don't take it like that!




KOKORO: Looks like we'll be fighting along side each other.


SHIHO: Yes. I hope you'll teach me everything you know.




KOKORO: ...


SHIHO: Kokoro...?


KOKORO: (quietly) Oh, um... Sorry.


(Kokoro shuts her eyes and lowers her head as she listens to her heart.)




KOKORO: (If there was ever someone in trouble...)


KOKORO: (looking up, determined) I'll help them as best I can.




SHIHO: Huh...?




KOKORO: I'll do my best, Shiho.


(*Our view finally focuses on Ao who stands with her hands on her hips, grinning. Rena stands just behind her, quietly smiling as she has been this whole time.*)




AO: All right, now that we've added another trustworthy member to our group, let's keep moving!


SHIHO: Everyone... I just want to say that I really appreciate you helping me get my memory back.




RENA: (exasperated) How formal.


SHIHO: Huh?




YUKI: Yeah, loosen up a little! Here—




YUKI: Let's go get the rest of Shiho's memories back!!


(*The four of the original crew all pump a fist into the air, Ao even jumping off the ground.*)




ALL: Yeah!





(*The scene ends as the camera too moves upwards, staring into the blue sky and focusing on those glittering dots that slowly fall.*)





//Shiho joins at level 11, 2 levels higher than our other girls, and put briefly, has wide toolkit with strong offense but she's frail. More on her and other combat things in an extra update.

Shiho's talents now reveal themselves as her reflector status is now known. There are only two though, a move for debuff clearing and a Fragment Slot upgrade.

Her current Talent Skill is "A Dedicated Girl" giving a small recovery up effect, and her two categories are Honor Student and People Pleaser. //



// We take this opportunity to now pick up the revealed Initial Ether Speed +30 for Shiho on Yuki, using those points I was saving. This will make Shiho start combat in Gear 2, which will help us a lot as her healing move is Gear 2. //



// In terms of fragments, Ao gets Attack Up and Heal On Recovery, the latter helping us to keep her standing. Rena gets Bleed Immunity, and Shiho gets Attack Up and Damage Dealt up. Kokoro will mostly be playing support for us during this chapter, occasionally swapping with Ao. The difficulty is ramping up, so we'll need Shiho's healing and Rena's healing to stay afloat.

That all said, let's get to it. //



MUSIC: Radial Terminal


// Listen to this one, you won't regret it. It's slowly become one of my favorites. //



// And at last, we're set free to explore this new land. Worth noting that the first "choose a side" conversation only normally enables after reaching this point. //









RENA: It looks like following the tracks is our only way forward. Everything else is too far off in the water.


YUKI: No shortage of demons here, huh?


AO: Yeah...




AO: - And no less aggressive either!

Vitality * - Attack * - Defense * - Weaknesses: Pierce, Warp - Resist: None

Location: Shiho's Heartscape: Deserted Station (First Layer)


SHIHO: This demon is sharp all over. We need to be extra careful with that blade sticking out of the front!

// Circlets are notable in that they're the first of many enemies in this Heartscape to use status effects, namely bleed. Bleed is more effective on us than on the demons given the difference in HP ratio, so it's not something we can ignore. Otherwise, it stands out for being something both Shiho and Kokoro are good at fighting. //

// Visually, they're like red metal spiders but with only four legs and a bright blue core rising out from their center. Their front also makes kind of like a tall beak, or a perhaps spearpoint as it doesn't open. //

Type: Water, Mineral Chunks

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Circlet


AO: This water smells like a hot spring. I haven't been to a hot spring in a while, so I'd like to go. They say the water in some hot springs is drinkable, but this water is a little too salty.

Type: Sweet, Sour

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Circlet


SHIHO: This fruit is shaped like a heart. The seeds and leaves are also heart-shaped, so it must be very popular with girls!

// Heart Fruit is notably needed for Pancakes, and the water maybe suggests as to why the water here is somewhat foggy from some angles. High mineral content does that. //



(*The direct path ahead is lined with rail tracks, although they're notably corroded. Those rails peeking up are the only parts of the path higher than ankle-deep in water. There is something interesting ahead too... a dead tree on a lone island with only a red girder to bridge the gap.*)




KOKORO: Are you going across, Ao? That demon over there...


SHIHO: ... We should stay away from it for now if we can, yes.



(*And as Ao makes it a few steps forward, we're accosted by a familiar static. White letters drift forward once again.*)



"I'm sorry. I have to help out tomorrow too."



// As always, any demon with a dark aura is worth staying away from on this difficulty. We'll do that as we nab a few materials. One might also note that the view cone is much bigger than what we've seen before- the demons here are quite restless indeed. //




AO: These would be perfect as a secret ingredient in something. Can't use too much though.


AO: A secret ingredient obtained secretly... Ehehe.






SHIHO: It's scary when you think about losing your balance.


KOKORO: At least the water isn't that deep here.



(*Ao and the others continue on ahead to take another branching path across a girder before we meet with the interruption of yet another echo. *)





"No, no. I actually like it, so it's fine."






YUKI: Speaking of shallow, we could probably just walk through a lot of this if we had to.


AO: Oh, we could! We just bring some swimsuits and it would be easy exploring!


RENA: ...Do you really want to be fighting demons in a swimsuit?


AO: N-No...



(*This small island is mostly a circle, it's center split by a huge piece of driftwood sticking out of a watery pit.*)



// We're not alone on it either. //

Vitality * - Attack * - Defense * - Weaknesses: Pierce, Warp - Resist: Shock

Location: Shiho's Heartscape: Deserted Station (First Layer)


SHIHO: This demon is such a strange shape. It vaguely looks like a sewing needle...

// We meet again so soon. Violetwings aren't the most intimidating enemies around even if they do currently show up with dark auras due to our low level. Even if these are harder than the ones we had for Shiho's introduction, they often arrive alone and are thus easily chumped by an opening sneak attack into a Knockdown. It's when they don't show up alone and have a chance to use Soar, an attack + self haste effect that they become a problem. //



// In fact, the other girls hit level 10 from this, removing the dark aura from them. //

Type: Spicy

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Violetwing Tineresy


RENA: The tip of this radish has grown two ends, so it looks like it's about to get up and run away. Ao said that when she woke up in the morning, it had moved. But that's impossible...right?

// Ao's messing with Rena again This is also probably in reference to the mythical mandrake root. //

Type: Herbs, Spicy

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Violetwing Tineresy


AO: It looks just like regular grass...but it has an incredible aroma. Rena keeps some by her pillow. She's such a grown-up!

Type: Crystals

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Violetwing Tineresy


SHIHO: Slightly cooler sand. If you tuck some into your uniform, you can stay quite comfortable even in a hot Heartscape.

// We got our first Cool Sand from Atlases, and it speaks to the connection that a material very prominent in Shiho's Heartscape was present in Kokoro's. This is also why I can post the comment on it now. //



(* Demons dispatched, we round the loop to find the shining, sharp floating figure of a Memory Fragment. *)



VIDEO: Shiho's First Memory


*Distant chime, static*





(*As the disruption clears, we see a girl shyly talking to another two. All silhouettes, standing on the edge of the watery coast. *)




MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRL A: Hey, Shiho. We were talking about hanging out tomorrow. Wanna come?


YOUNG SHIHO: Oh, um...


YOUNG SHIHO: I'm sorry. I have to help out tomorrow too.


MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRL B: Oh, okay. Must be tough.


YOUNG SHIHO: No, no. I actually like it, so it's fine.





(*And they are gone. Shiho is definitely much older than we've seen before, but still obviously younger than present Shiho with a slightly higher voice. *)




AO: Are you okay, Shiho?


SHIHO: ...Oh? I'm fine, just... a little surprised. It's a strange feeling.



(*The group continues on up the main rail, both sides of the path around it sunk into the cloudy, sea green water. Beyond the watchful Circlets, there lies what seems to be a path up onto the station platform.*)




AO: Great, it looks like this one is waiting for us... ready everyone?



(*Waiting just at the bottom of a ladder leading up is a strange, faintly floating robotic figure of thin, matte white and black limbs. It's torso and shoulders flare out like bladed wings, almost vaguely angelic. It's horned helmet has no eyes, but glowing violet lights on the two longer black horns glare on menacingly. *)





(*With a hollow, raspy breath it raises an arm, traces a circle, then points directly at the team! *)




KOKORO: I feel like I've fought these before, hold on!


KOKORO: Stopping it's movements!




AO: You go, Kokoro! We've got it from here!



// This fight is a late tutorial on status effects, which is why it has us open with Kokoro at Gear 2 and a Sleet Cannon. Blind already proved its use with Atlases, so on a enemy not recieving Hard bonuses, this fight is pretty much already won. //





// This demon's Slide Kick usually does pretty decent damage and very frequently triggers bleed, but it missed. This was the only attack it got off. This won't be the last of these, so we'll talk about them when they're not a tutorial foe. //





(* With the sentry defeated, the girls ascend the ladder, to...*)



(* ...Arrive on the station platform. Its rails are submerged too, pockmarked with flooded sinkholes, but the aged, square tiled platform itself is dry.

In the distance behind the girls, we can see a building stranded on an island that's cleaner, but not all too different in style from the ones in Kokoro's memories. *)






KOKORO: I'd been wondering what this building was, but now I recognize it... It's a train station, isn't it?


SHIHO: Yes, though I don't see any trains running on the tracks.


YUKI: Ahaha! It'd be scary if there were!



(*Our view briefly settles on two of the blue and white passenger train cars, partially in the midst of being overgrown by foliage thriving in the waterlogged environment.*)




AO: A train inside your heart...huh. If there was a train, I wonder where it'd take you.


(* Ao gets lost in thought, quietly closing her eyes as we're left to only wonder what's she's imagining. *)

SHIHO: A train station in the depths of my heart. I don't know if it is actually connected to anywhere or why it is even here... But I know that it must be important to me. The Heartscape is such a strange place...

(* Before we head down, we take a closer look at the nearby station sign, this one much more legible. A distinct "BR" designates the station company, with the current location being Hoshinomiya. The path ahead is in the direction of Hinomori and the other direction, to Kizuki, is flooded and blocked off.*)




YUKI: Nothing to walk across, but can't we just jump it?


KOKORO: We probably could but...


AO: I get the idea we shouldn't mess with that demon right now.


(*Just off the platform and down to where rails should be, we can see a small island in the direction of Kizuki. We can't cross, but one of those particularly dangerous demons flies around on it nearby some contrasting warning signs.*)

// An item memory in plain sight, but with no way to reach it. //



(*In the other direction, we find the rails and a long, shaded pathway along the tracks. It is far from a straight path and is littered with demons. Grass and aquatic foliage seems to erupt from the rocky ground wherever it wants to. *)




RENA: ... Ugh. I suppose we should be happy those lines aren't powered ones...


(*Our path is shortly blocked off by a wired pole lying collapsed under a piece of driftwood from behind somehow. They had the decency to put up more of those little caution barriers at least. We re-route onto and off of a small island in the center by way of bridging girders.*)



*Static*



"My, young lady, look how mature you are!"


// Another echo arrives before long. They like to be on these girders, don't they? //






AO: Stone materials. That reminds me, why don't we skip some rocks from the school pier sometime?


RENA: Just use regular stones if you're going to skip them...


AO: I didn't say I was going to use this one, just that it reminded me of it!


AO: (It wouldn't be that good for skipping anyways...)



*Static, distortions*



"Weren't you taking ballet lessons before? Did you quit those too?"


// Another echo hits as we cross the girder back to the main path. //



(*By this point, we're not even that far away from where we entered. The spartan billboard and the ruined building at the entrance can be seen from here. *)









(*We meet a fork in the paths and opt to head down further left and down an L bend to where two lone railcars lie mostly submerged. One is almost fully sunk down and the other would be if it somehow didn't end up on top of the other's front end. *)



// Along the way, Shiho picks up level 12 and her first new skill. The other girls pick up level 11 shortly after. There's a lot of combat I'm cutting out- there's not a lot of room to sneak past enemies and I need to catch up on levels anyways. //



(*The pathway quickly ends, but there's a small row of scarlet grass here, and... another one of those strong demons.*)




AO: We've got a clear path to flee, so we can try to sneak up on this one. Yuki, stay WAY back, okay?


YUKI: I'll be rooting for you! Kick its butt!







// Opening with a back attack... //



// ... Only helps so much, even with Shiho already on using her Gear 2 basic attack with effectiveness. It's just barely not enough to get Knockdown and it's already ready to act. //



// It approaches and activates Chaos Spell, drawing in a dark violet energy... //



// ...and then stabs, instantly downing Rena for more damage than 3/4ths of her HP bar. Meet the Armored Specter. //

Vitality * - Attack * - Defense ** - Weaknesses: Warp - Resist: None

Location: Shiho's Heartscape: Deserted Station (First Layer)


SHIHO: This demon is as hard as its armor-like body looks. Hitting it with my sword made my whole arm hurt.

// These strange things with their white crests and blood red carapaces have wings and legs that give them the look of some kind of twisted, upright wasp. Might as well be a killer wasp as despite the defense, these things actually hit like a freight train. //





// Nightmare is its other attack, where it rears back then casts a void of swirling, dark violet energy crackling with lightning. This also hits for huge portions of HP, but on the whole team. Part of this is just us being underleveled, the other part is genuinely their damage output on this difficulty. Kokoro just swapped in for Rena as supporter and nearly got downed from just this.

On this difficulty, it just alternates Chaos Spell and Nightmare however it feels like it. //





// It's by virtue of Shiho being our second healer that we can even pretend to stay in this fight. That, and an unfortunate amount of our reserve food. //



// Ao used her turn to heal Kokoro as I didn't know who the demon was aiming for. A chance for Raregn would have been nice, but alas. This fight relies on Shiho and Kokoro now with Ao down and still not having revival on hand. //





// Kokoro does pull through with a blind though, and that's all I needed to stay in on this. //



// She quickly goes down following that, and now Shiho is locked in a damage race against it, with the advantage now that it's blinded and poisoned. //







// One more attack from Shiho isn't enough to take it down, but the blind makes it miss the next Chaos Spell and Shiho lives to tell the tale. We also survived by the pure luck that it never targeted Shiho until it was blinded. //

Type: Mineral Chunks

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Armored Specter


AO: A pebble that hurts if you hold it tight. It's not the best shape for skipping.

Type: Minerals

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Armored Specter


YUKI: A stone that stores electricity and zaps you when you touch it! It's perfect for a dare!

// The latter is basically an Atelier item //






AO: That was... super close.


KOKORO: You were amazing, Shiho!


SHIHO: I think we all did great. I'm just happy we're all safe.



(* Back on the main path instead, (taking a right from the short turn after the two girder island,) we at last arrive at the other side of the station platform. Ahead is some stairs up... and more crimson grass. *)



// Before we head up, we continue onwards, clearing a few demons out of the way until we spot something rather important ahead. It's nestled between a fallen vehicle and the only one that seems to be on the track properly. //





VIDEO: Shiho's Second Memory

*Distant chime, static*





(* We see the silhouettes of Shiho and the other two girls just in front of us, each standing in a patch of grass rising from the shallows. *)




MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRL A: You're always helping your family... I can't imagine not having my weekends to relax.


MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRL B: Weren't you taking ballet lessons before? Did you quit those too?


YOUNG SHIHO: Ahaha...




YOUNG SHIHO: (quietly) I wasn't that good. And we moved far away from my ballet school when I transferred schools.


YOUNG SHIHO: I felt bad asking my parents to drive me there and back every week.


MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRL A: (mockingly) My, young lady, look how mature you are!


MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRL B: Ew, you sound like an old man!





(*...And it's gone.*)




AO: (...Let's just grab this and avoid any more fights with... those, for now.)

// The Armored Specters are always only patrolling dead end areas off the beaten path... or the beaten rails, so to speak. //



(*Now we continue onwards up to the other platform.*)



(*We find the girls all standing around, Ao lifting up a leg and fiddling at her shoe.*)




AO: Aaagh, my feet are soaking wet!


KOKORO: We're finally back on land...


(*Ao and Kokoro continue to stare at the ground dejectedly as Shiho looks out to the path ahead.*)




SHIHO: It seems like we may get wet again up ahead.




YUKI: Rena, carry me!


RENA: (amused) Only if you carry me on the way back.


YUKI: If I put you on my back, I'd break both my legs!




RENA: I'm not THAT heavy!

SHIHO: It seems that Kokoro's Heartscape was different... Why is mine flooded with all this water? It might be a good idea to wear rain boots the next time we come.

(*A ladder down takes us back into the rocky, submerged shores and another makeshift girder bridge takes us to a long pathway almost entirely rails.*)




RENA: It's been drawn all over...


KOKORO: I think it's rather cute.


(* A nearby traffic sign on the way displays a combination of three turns ahead, each seemingly scribbled out by red marks. A closer inspection reveals childish graffiti, one depicting a sunflower with a butterfly, another some scribbles and a smiley face, and the last overtaken in a wild smear of red, blue, and green.*)





(*As soon as one rail ends as a dead end, another is right next to it, turning off along another lone path.*)



(*It's open sea outside of this rail line, one lone island house in the distance. It's blue roof and clean white exterior are isolated and unreachable, much like the edges of landmass on the edge of the horizon...*)



(*...And our destination ahead seems to be a town of some kind, houses cramped together on each side of the tracks. All sorts of signs line the entryway ahead, all promising turns in different directions. *)




KOKORO: Oh, what's that?


(*...But there are some peculiar objects awaiting at the entrance.*)




AO: It's one of those signs to warn about kids going into traffic.


SHIHO: But... nothing's holding it up? Isn't she going to sink?


YUKI: We could always take it with us!


RENA: You have enough clutter as is...


(*The sign is a cutout of an old, cartoon girl with black pigtails and a long purple dress in the middle of running. There isn't anything holding it from falling, yet it stays.*)




YUKI: Heeey, Henohenomoheji! Wow, somebody here liked to grafitti, huh?


SHIHO: D-Don't look at me! I didn't do it... at least I don't remember doing it...


(*At the foot of a nearby sign pole sits a corroded bike, and on the sign is more childish graffiti. A flower and some hearts on top sign, and a silly face on the one below it. Both signs are prohibiting something, the upper saying "No" to something in general and the lower barring entry. *)



VIDEO: Remembrance Dancing Forth

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - A Captive Heart



(*The girls then move to walk onwards... but then Shiho stops suddenly, eyes wide.*)




SHIHO: Trains... Stations...



(*As her eyes start to close, our view fades white.*)



(*The sounds around us rush out of focus, leaving us only with the voices of two girls and the surrounding but distant sound of a train station.*)




UNKNOWN: (calmly) You do ballet too?


YOUNG SHIHO: Yes, though I quit some time ago.


UNKNOWN: Can I ask why?


YOUNG SHIHO: Well...



(*...The world around us comes back into view, leaving us with the shocked faces of Ao and Yuki.*)




AO: Huh? Was that one of Shiho's memories?


(*Shiho nods her head slowly, eyes closed.*)




SHIHO: Yes, it seems so.




RENA: You were a ballerina?


SHIHO: ...


(*Rena crosses her arms, Shiho just looking down, still quite solemn.*)




SHIHO: Yes, I remember now... I did ballet when I was younger...


SHIHO: But unfortunately, I quit.




YUKI: Hmm, we weren't able to hear why...




KOKORO: Who was that you were talking to? A friend of yours?




SHIHO: Yes... A very important friend, I think.


SHIHO: But that is all I can remember...


AO: Huh...


(*The others all look on with melancholy expressions.*)




SHIHO: It feels odd. Like I'm gathering the pieces to a puzzle and putting them in place.




KOKORO: It seems like there are still quite a few pieces left. Let's go find them, Shiho.


(*Kokoro gives an energized bounce, grinning. *)




SHIHO: Okay!





(*And with that, knee deep in water now, the girls press onwards into the town... *)





-------------------------

AO: Shiho's Heartscape couldn't be more different from Kokoro's. The sights, the sounds, all of it. I'm sure the surroundings must be reflective of Shiho's memories.

Also, it looks like Shiho is able to transform and fight too, just like Kokoro, Rena, and me! Now that we have another strong ally on our team, we can explore all we want!

Deserted Station - Shiho's Heartscape First Layer

MAP NOTES:
* The two location entries here can only be found during this Chapter as usual, but are guaranteed to be on the main path.
* Three areas, 2 islands and the rightmost path on the opposite side of the station are blocked off. The islands simply don't have pathways to them while the other is physically blocked.
* A gather point near the map exit can drop materials from the next area, it would seem. (That, or I had some very strange gather RNG.)



// Our first foray into a new heart is a content filled one. Shiho's Heartscape itself is one I've come to appreciate more over time, alongside its theme of Radial Terminal. The symbolism is strong here already, arguably a more up front than Kokoro's, but neither are less for it if you ask me. I'm not the most confident in my translation of Shiho's transformation line, but I believe it's somewhat close. //

// The railway sign has some rather pertinent info in its names, at least for placing Shiho's whereabouts in her and Kokoro's world before she came here.
Hoshinomiya is the only one we get Kanji for, so I can only guess for the other two. Hoshinomiya ( 星丿宮 ) itself is roughly "Shrine of Stars", that "hoshi" being the same as Ao's Hoshizaki and "miya" the same as Rena's Miyauchi. It may seem odd that it uses the katakana for "no" instead of the Hiragana, but this is apparently a readability thing that station lines just do in respect to Katakana once being preferred over Hiragana in pre-War Japan.

Hinomori doesn't have a Kanji reading here, but assuming two known readings for the name it's either "Sun/ of /Protect" (日ノ守) or "Sun/ Wild/ Forest" (日野森). I'm inclined to believe its the first one from what I know, but really both can fit in their own way. The "hi" itself is an alternate reading of the same Kanji for "sun" in Shiho's family name. In practice, There is a means of me finding exactly what the reading is, but I'll leave it at this for now.

As for Kizuki? Well, there is a reading for it I can find that might be right, but I'll save that meaning for later. //

// With the mostly blank, partially erased billboards, I can get "advertisement" out of the first two Kanji ("広告"), but not much more across the rest of it. That said, it is extremely barebones and generic feeling regardless, so maybe nothing else it says is important... Edit: Polsy clarifies that these are in fact, very generic "advertisement here!" ("広告募集") type message, with the text below referring to the company that manages it (whose name isn't particularly expressive and is similar to a real company's, perhaps by accident.)

Now, Henohenomoheji is pretty easy to explain. That silly face is just something schoolkids draw, named after the Hiragana physically used to draw it. It apparently dates back to the Edo period, and mostly serves as a nondescript human face. It's comparable to the French Tête à Toto and other typographical faces. I still don't remember where I learned about ol' へへののもへじ but it's never left my head somehow. //

[Odd Wilson]

Extras Entry 02: Combat Overview - Shiho & Support Orders

Now that our fighter of childhood bullies is here and has a big glowy sword, let's talk about how she performs in combat.



Shiho's statline, before talent modifications, is mostly this:
HP: Low
Attack : Good
DEF: Good
General Speed: Slow/Good

Resist: None
Weak: Quake

Shiho is in an interesting spot as our second highest defense character with an attack stat in the divide between Ao and Rena's, but low HP and no inherent resistances. As her generally average stats suggest, she's our team jill-of-all-trades, master of none but with a supporting edge.

Strong hits, debuffs, debuff clearing, healing, even pushing other girls up the ATB chain... she can do a lot. However, her healing is a bit weak at the moment, her debuff access is not the strongest types it could be (blind and ATK/DEF downs), many moves have low acceleration and not to mention the issue that will prove itself often: her durability.

Don't let that downplay how good she is though, because she's extremely adaptable and somewhat a lifesaver on getting through Hard. Another healing option is great, her damage is surprisingly good, and she has a unique role in making the other girls faster if desired. The latter reason is why she has such a strange speed rating, and Yuki's Initial e/s talent has already patched out some of her speed problems. There will be ways in the distant future to really cancel out any speed problems for good as well.

(It's also generally worth mentioning that all of the girls who participate in combat are all good in their own ways. Everyone is pretty strong and on a normal playthrough your team can be whatever you want it to, and even on Hard nobody is obsoleted by another.)

Anyways, let's just run through her skills. I've already written fifty quadrillion words for this this one Heartscape layer, might as well write more.



Yaguruma ("Arrow Wheel") - 1000EP - Gear 1
Accel +2 - Element: Warp
Yaguruma is our first Warp attack and our lowest Acceleration one yet. It's rated at 2, but is at 20 internally, so it's just barely not 3 arrows.
More importantly, it has a peculiar auxillary effect in increased damage per T.Lvl. I'll be honest and say I can't say how much it adds for that as the value is vague, but even without that Yaguruma is a beast. The other girl's Gear 1 basic attacks are in the 45- 65 range on average, Yaguruma is 75-85 and it doesn't stop there.

Yaguruma (Two) ("Arrow Wheel II") - 1000EP - Gear 2
Accel +2 - Element: Warp
Still 2 arrows of acceleration, but it's on the lower end. Base damage is up to 85-95.
If you're wondering what an 'arrow wheel' is, it's specifically decorative pinwheel put on the top of carp streamers. Given this attack is a full frontflip, that explains it.

Yaguruma (Three) ("Arrow Wheel III") - 1000EP - Gear 3
Accel +0 - Element: Warp
Up to 95-110 attack power, Yaguruma Three is also our first move to just... not have Ether Acceleration. It does however get a boost to crit based on T.Lvl, though again, I can't say by how much.
It does get progressively more explosive though, as with this rank sends chunks of the ground flying. Heck, the metal clang it makes is pretty satisfying.


Akatsuki ("Dawn / Daybreak") - 1000EP - Gear 1
Accel +3 - Support
Akatsuki is a peculiar move in that it gives 300 Ether to it's target, jumping them forward on the timeline. As Shiho is very much looking to see a higher gear, this is a great way for her to push her teammates ahead and build up acceleration in the process. Using this at Gear 1 on herself doesn't do anything, however.

Akatsuki (Two) ("Dawn II") - 1000EP - Gear 2
Accel +3 - Support
Same as before, but woth 500 Ether now. The most interesting thing is that this has 21 acceleration internally, just down 4 from the Gear 1's 25 and making it our first Gear 2 move to be rated at 3 acceleration arrows (if just barely). Shiho is sufficiently active at Gear 2, but this allows her to push herself and the rest of the team to 3 faster.

Akatsuki (Three) ("Dawn III") - 1000EP - Gear 3
Accel +2 - Support
Worth 700 Ether this time, and has the added effect of instantly curing knockdown on the target, which is quite nice. Is rated at 2 accel, but is only barely that internally at 11.




Shinonome ("Dawn") - 1000EP - Gear 2
Accel +2 - Support
Shinonome is a healing move that at base heals a little less than Rena's Rétablissement, and instead of healing more based on lost HP, it just heals a bit extra based on T.Lvl.
The Accel is on the low end of 2 as well, and this being only accessible at Gear 2 means Shiho needs to get there quickly. Normally, it's fine, but on this difficulty giving her Yuki's boost to instantly put her in Gear 2 helps a lot as I try to preserve healing items by healing up front in battles.
And yes, this also means 'dawn' or 'daybreak', although it's an archaic word.

Shinonome (Two) ("Dawn II") - 1000EP - Gear 3
Accel +2 - Support
This has exactly 2 points less of Acceleration, making it barely rate at 2. Outside of that, it heals a bit more and has an added HP Regen effect. It's small, but very appreciated as sometimes we scrape by on HP counts small enough for one hand.




Shiranami ("Whitecaps/ Thief") - 1000EP - Gear 2 (Learned at level 12)
Accel +1 - Element: None
Shiranami is the fastest an Accel +1 can be, and is more notable for it's poison chance of roughly 50% before modifiers. The damage is lower than a Yaguruma Two, but the debuff provides an opportunity to pair with Ao's recently acquired Vindr to guarantee crits.
On a particularly good opening, we can land a poison on a target up front, leaving Ao to rack up free crits for basically the rest of that demon's existence.
The whitecaps in this case are cresting waves, with 'shira' being white and 'nami' being waves, and the attack is very much a bright blue (close to white) wave of energy. The 'thief' aspect may be why it ended up with a poison debuff.

Shiranami (Two) ("Whitecaps II") - 1000EP - Gear 3 (Learned at level 12)
Accel +1 - Element: None
Sporting barely any ether acceleration, this is the same but with a little more damage on it. Yaguruma always does more damage than this, even Gear 1 Yaguruma.
I do like this attack just because it makes a cool "shing" noise.


The T.Lvl bonuses I think are probably percents multiplied by T.Lvl, but I really don't know for sure. We'll find out if they seem to have any particularly notable bonus in the future.


And a move we haven't learned just yet, but will grab from her Talents when it's available:

Akebono ("Dawn") - 1000EP - Gear 3
Accel +2 - Support
This clears ALL stat debuffs on an ally which is fantastic for certain fights. Coffee isn't immediately irrelevant however as Shiho won't always be in our party and with her already wide array of uses, there's often plenty of other things to do than clear stat buffs. Not to mention this is only Gear 3.
And yes, it also means 'dawn', I'm not pulling your leg. Starting to sense a theme here, huh? This also has an aspect of specifically referring to the color of dawn too, at least.

----------------------------------

- SUPPORT ORDERS & THE SUPPORTER MECHANIC -



So, the big new mechanic here is the Supporter mechanic. It's honestly not much more than I briefly described in the update. Over time, a wheel fills up around their portrait and at full the 4th slot character does the queued action. When doing so, (or if nothing was queued,) it is reset back to empty. This makes it a matter of timing what you need out of it when you can get it.

This can be:
1. Using an item (good for healing without eating a turn)
2. Swapping them in over somebody (although they'll enter at their base e/s, usually meaning Gear 1 or 2)
3. No, that's it. The middle option just lets you see their Support Orders.

But what IS a support order, you might ask? The answer is that it's just a skill, usually a team-wide buff, activated after so many "cycles" (every time the ring fills up).

So for reference, we'll talk about Shiho's first.



Hotarubi ("Firefly Light") - 2 Cycle
Activation Chance - 100%
Increases all allies' Knockdown recovery speed for 30 seconds (by 50%)
Not bad, but ideally you don't get knocked down to begin with.

Shigure ("Rain Shower") - 3 Cycle
Activation Chance - 100%
Heals all allies for a small amount, (5 base power, 5 - 10 extra based on missing HP)
This support skill is never not useful, although usually quite minor.

Seimei ("Pure and Clear") - 4 Cycle
Activation Chance - 100%
Increases the the effects of healing on all alies for 30 seconds (by 30%).
This helps Rena keep at it if Shiho is sidelined.


All three of these are uniquely guaranteed and make Shiho someone you can throw a lot of Support Cooldown reductions on to become a very helpful 4th slot in combat. She's also plenty great as a frontliner, so she really is the team's jill-of-all-trades at base.

Now for the other Support Orders we've gained access to. A lot of these I didn't find to be particularly exceptional on my Normal playthrough, but on Hard I may end up needing to build around them more.

Now for the others' orders.


- AO -



Eldr Birta - ("Firelight") 2 Cycle
Activation Chance - 80%
Increases allies' damage dealt to weaknesses for 20 seconds (by 25%)

Máni Skjǫldr - ("Moon Shield") 4 Cycle
Activation Chance - 30%
Recovers a portion of damage (20%) taken by all allies for 20 seconds.
Notably, the "ǫ" is missing in-game, and given it's in the data, it's probably a font issue. Impressively low activation chance.

Hviða - ("Gust") 4 Cycle
Activation Chance - 100% Activation when a charter is below 80% HP
Increases all allies critical hit damage for 30 seconds (by 50%)


Ao's second support skill is unlikely to activate without later Fragments to augment it's activation rate, but Eldr Birta is pretty good.
Hviða isn't notably that good right now for anyone who's not Ao herself, being the resident critmaster, but a later support skill of hers will maybe assist this.

Right now, Eldr Birta is the only notable one.


- KOKORO -



Twinkly Cheer - 2 Cycle
Activation Chance - 90%
Increases all allies chance to inflict status ailments for 25 seconds, seems to be a 30% increase although no idea if it's additive or multplied to it.

Fluffy Pollen - 3 Cycle
Activation Chance - 85%
Increases duration of stat debuffs caused by allies for 20 seconds. Increase is also 30%.
As we have nobody who inflicts a stat down right now, this isn't that useful.

Wavering Pop - 3 Cycle
Activation Chance - 85%
Increases duration of status ailments (poison, bleed, etc.) caused by allies for 30 seconds.
This and Twinkly Cheer combine well to support Shiho from the sideline, but you may be hard pressed to bring Kokoro herself in fast enough to benefit.


Kokoro's use on the sideline right now is either improving Shiho's performance or just being an item user.


- RENA -



Plage ("Beach") - 3 Cycle
Activation Chance - 100%
Increases the duration of all buffs and support effects on allies (by 20%). Useful for extending the duration of food items.
(Although coincidental, 'plage' is also French for mathematical range and an English astronomy term.)

Embruns ("Spindrifts/ Seaspray") - 3 Cycle
Activation Chance - 80%
Increase duration of all ally boosted stats for 30 seconds (by 30%)
Note that this specifically doesn't target other support effects. Still useful for extending stat up items though.

Écume (Seafoam) - 4 Cycle
Activation Chance - 80%
Cures all lowered stats on allies. Quite useful to not have to do ourself, though it may miss the right moment to be useful.


Rena's sideline skills are quite good and synergize well with tossing items on your in-battle girls, so it's not a bad place for her to be. On our Hard playthrough, we're going to need her healing and especially Brise de Mer for quite some time so don't expect to see her in the 4th slot very often.



...And that's that. I'll probably do more details on Fragment layouts and stuff much later when I have enough to where I need to actually make a build. Right now it's throw the damage stuff on the damagers, give Rena survivability.

There's one last big combat mechanic to come soon, and the game will start having less to tutorialize about.

[Odd Wilson]

Apologies for the radio silence without an update on anything but I have still felt bad and my hands are in a similar situation. I think it was somewhere around this time last year that I was going through something similar, but if anything it seems to be that hot weather makes it worse at least.

I'll get back on updates when I can until I can get a sort of scheduled release out once again.

[Odd Wilson]

The next update should be coming out tomorrow. I really need to think about splitting updates instead of committing to an entire layer per update. I got away with it in Kokoro's Heartscape because a good deal had already been covered with the prologue, but both updates of Shiho's Heartscape thus far have been almost 250 screenshots each. I just kinda don't want to break the pacing up by breaking them up though.

Ah well. We'll get there eventually, I'm in this for the long haul.

[Odd Wilson]

Journal Entry 18: Transit Delays

// We return as the girls head further into the town built along a single rail track... //



VIDEO: An Unexpected Welcome

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - Aruella



(*As they continue forward on the railway, the path far ahead opens up to a conspicuously different building. A red-roofed building with an almost Western flair to it's design, it is two stories tall and has large patches of broad leafed ivy crawling up it. Outside is a large standing leafless tree and nearby are what look like some patio tables given the umbrellas.

The building sits alone, surrounded only by the sparkling water.*)




AO: Hey... That building over there kind of stands out.


KOKORO: Oh, yeah. Looks like it might be some kind of shop?




YUKI: It sure seems weird that it's out here in the middle of nowhere.


RENA: That has to mean something.




AO: Stop!


(*Everyone's gaze quickly jumps to Ao and then at what she's suddenly yelling at.*)



MUSIC: Blue Reflection - Selectivity Filter


(*Approaching at a slow pace towards them is the silvery form of a Tineresy and the magmatic body of a Tapir!*)




RENA: Wha—! Again?!


YUKI: These things... It's almost like—


KOKORO: Seems like they don't want us getting close to that shop.




AO: Let's fight 'em off!


(*We fade to black as the girls handle what should be a minor roadblock...*)



*SLASH, SLASH, RIFLE SHOT*




YUKI: I think that takes care of—


(*Yuki barely gets to even register relief before another pair approach from behind, grabbing her attention.*)




YUKI: Hey, there's more!


AO: Yuki, over here!


(*Yuki runs towards the rest of the group, but...*)



*CRASH*

(*A new strange demon jumps in with an explosive landing from the path ahead they just cleared!*)



(*Standing tall is a hunchbacked humanoid figure with a hulking upper body and an eyeless, gaping maw for a head. Its body alternates being made of dark crystal and pale skin, with a large red gem standing out prominently upon its torso.*)




RENA: This is bad. They're going to surround us!




AO: Heh, if that's what they're planning, I have an idea!


(*With a magical crackle, she draws her scythe again in a burst of violet light.*)




AO: Rena, Kokoro, Shiho— we're forcing our way through!


SHIHO: Okay! Here we go!


(*Everyone gives a cheer before drawn into a battle with the new foe!*)





VIDEO: Breaking Through (One-on-One Tutorial)

MUSIC: My REAL







(*The large demon jumps in and begins to pound the ground before sending out a large burst of ice, emerging from it with a roar!*)






KOKORO: This one looks strong! Let's break it's guard!




KOKORO: I'll aim for that red spot!




AO: They've got shields now too?!




AO: That... that won't stop me!




AO: Got you! Now for the beatdown!





(*As the small shield breaks, the demon retaliates with a wave of dark violet energy, sending out spheres of violet crimson in a counterattack!*)









(*Ao cuts them out of her way as she dashes forward, cleaving through the demon's last defense!*)




RENA: Leave the support to me!


RENA: Shiho and Kokoro are covering the rear, focus on the fight!



(*Now that Ao is locked into a one on one duel with our new foe, each of her attacks are larger and more extreme- Sverð is now multiple spins of her scythe, effortlessly twirled from right to left instead of a single overhead cut.*)




AO: Slow!


(*Ao twirls to the side to avoid the demon bringing down its large fist with force that sends dirt flying and violently shakes our view.*)





(*Her foe tries for it again, a shockwave of energy surrounding its arm and a dark crimson aura rises underneath Ao's feet...!*)




AO: Trying that again, huh?



(*Ao jumps back into a low crouch and then rushes forward into a rising uppercut, her scythe cutting a wide arc through the air.*)







(*Her onslaught continues until...*)







(*She slices through and behind the hulking demon before leaping off to the side...*)






AO: More, faster, even more, and take this!


(*A series of violet slashes strike from thin air...!*)





(*Our view looks around for the source...*)



(*Just before Ao cuts straight through with another vertical slice!*)





(*She catches herself mid-air on a wall of darkness before leaping off...*)







(*She then flies forward, spinning rapidly with her scythe outstretched, a whirlwind of blades as a white aura emits from where her reflector form's wing is...*)




AO: I'll end this now! Eat this!





(*...Skidding to a halt as she cuts through the demon a last time as large spears of violet energy impale it, one striking at its very heart.*)









(*The demon collapses suddenly, slamming against the ground before fading away into a blue mist.*)



// So yeah, we've just unlocked the turbo anime supermoves alongside the One-On-One combat state. When fighting bosses from now on, if they're put in Knockdown and we continue to pile on attacks (or the boss just decides it wants to), we enter this mode. Here you get to load in a lot of boosted attacks alongside dodges and parries on command. Enough hits or just having already killed the boss will trigger the finisher attack.

As long as you're good at not getting hit, these are universally great for damage. Also they're cool as hell. //


VIDEO: The Nature of Demons



*SLASH, SLASH, STRIKE*

*Demon cry*


MUSIC: Blue Reflection - What We've Built



(*After what sounded like a last but of cleanup, it seems like the area is now finally clear again.*)




AO: Whew...


KOKORO: They just keep coming.




YUKI: I wonder why they're so focused on us?




RENA: Yeah. They don't seem organized... They're clearly targeting us.


AO: Why don't we ask, then?

AO: Hey, ReSource!


RE-SOURCE: Hello hello hello! Your buddy ReSource here!


AO: What are demons?

RE-SOURCE: That's a great question!


RE-SOURCE: Demons are physical embodiments of the emotional distress of a Heartscape's proprietor!


RE-SOURCE: They can come from strong feelings like anxiety or regret, or little secrets that are eating away at them!


RE-SOURCE: There are lots of reasons a demon might exist, but they all originate from the proprietor's emotions!

AO: Huh, I see...




KOKORO: Emotional distress...


RENA: So in order to restore their memories, we need to stabilize their emotions? That sounds simple enough, but...




SHIHO: It's a bit embarrassing, isn't it... Having all your inner thoughts put on display.


(*Shiho looks away, crossing her hands over her heart.*)




KOKORO: Hehe, I get that.


SHIHO: Though I don't know if it's appropriate of me to say that when I was the one who asked all of you to help me.




YUKI: No worries. Everyone's got a couple things in their past they'd prefer not sharing.




RENA: (smirking) Even you, Kinjou?




YUKI: (looking away) Huh? I mean, sure. Probably.


AO: Not that you'd remember, anyway.


KOKORO: Hehe.




RENA: How ridiculous...




AO: Well, now that we've taken care of our demon problem, let's go check out that shop!



MUSIC: Radial Terminal



(*As we fade back in, we stand at the edge of the rows of houses, the two rail bridges visible in the distance and the large shop directly ahead... though the path isn't so direct.*)



Second Layer: Crossroads - Shiho's Heartscape









(*There's not a lot of note in the small town section, but another one of those cut-out girls is staring at us as it appears to run behind a building. Only a few small patches of grass rise up on our path ahead, each with a few sprigs of scarlet grass.*)



(*We find ourselves almost immediately meeting a familiar static sound as the view distorts when we start to move on.*)



"Actually, I used to do ballet too."





(*Red girders lead off to almost submerged pathways on both sides. The track we're on is aimed right at the shop but suddenly ends. We take the left path first as it doesn't lead to the shop.*)



*Static crackle*



"Every day is the same thing over and over again. I do wonder sometimes if this is what I truly want."





(*This area is flanked by the back side of the buildings from the area where we entered, and another small set in the distance, both raised high out of the water on stone platforms. The path here takes a series of hard turns, doubling back on itself..*)




SHIHO: The path here makes so many unnecessary turns...


RENA: It wouldn't be so bad if the path was at least above the water.


(*Ignoring the hairpin turn, there's a short path to a dead end with an Armored Specter guarding a few gatherables.*)





(*Taking the hairpin turn opens the path up to a full circle of rail track. Another specter guards the shortest path, and the sign tells us we can go either way... or at least it seems like it. It claims there's a lot of different ways to go. *)




AO: Oh, this one wants a fight, huh?

Vitality * - Attack ** - Defense ** - Weaknesses: Warp - Resist: Slash, Pierce

Location: Shiho's Heartscape: Deserted Station (First Layer)


SHIHO: This demon looks like a humanoid robot. It almost looks like it has a will of its own... Scary.

// We finally meet the the first miniboss here as a proper enemy. Leuks are pretty dangerous enemies when they've not been nerfed by tutorial mode. For instance, Hand Cutter here grants an ATK boost and does half of Ao's HP through her Slash resistance. Slide Kick is capable of bleeding.

Much like the Violetwing Tineresy these often arrive alone, which keeps them from being too deadly most of the time. Still, they heavily resist much of Ao's moveset so you'll be more reliant on the others to fight these. //

Type: Textile Scraps

Location: Shiho's Heartscape


KOKORO: A small basket that can be carried by hand. You can use it to carry all kinds of things.

// This is mostly used in the first group healing item, if I recall correctly. We haven't unlocked it yet, but we'll get it soon. //

Type: Fuel, Lumber Pieces

Location: Shiho's Heartscape


SHIHO: This charcoal will never burn out. It's not the hottest, but the biggest upside is it doesn't get soot on your food. The low temperature is perfect for slow cooking.

// Useful, but sounds like a real fire risk to have around... //




AO: (I feel like there's something up ahead... But there's no way for me to get through right now.)


AO: (I always see these blocked off paths. Maybe I need to think of a way to clear them...)


(*As we pass this row of lone houses, what would be a path behind them is blocked by a ruined mass of concrete and rebar.*)



*Static crackle*



"Did you not like ballet?"


(*This whole branching path ends with a ladder to the top of the nearby, tarnished railroad bridge. The bridge doesn't go anywhere, it really is just a short section of track raised high above the water and failing to cross any meaningful gap. Maybe the signage is telling us to turn back because it's a dead end?*)







(*At the very least, it gives a good point of vantage for the rest of the layer.*)





(*We find all the girls standing atop the bridge, Ao near the edge and looking around with an excited Yuki next to her.*)




RENA: (worried) Every time we do this, I wonder...


RENA: Why do you always want to go up high?




AO: Huh? What do you mean, why? Having a higher vantage point makes it easier to find things.


YUKI: And if you can climb it, it'd be a waste not to!


RENA: Ah... I can't believe this just made me regain a useless memory.




RENA: (What was that Japanese proverb...? "Only fools and smoke love heights." This is just that.)




YUKI: Huh? Why do I feel like you're having very rude thoughts about us right now?!

SHIHO: "Humans are creatures that'll always want to climb to the top!" Ao shared these wise words with us after scaling the railway bridge. I suppose that would have been important during the hunter-gatherer era. Locating predators or prey would be easier from a high place. ...No, I'm probably overthinking it.

(*There is something more important than just a vantage point up here, glittering in the sunlight...*)



VIDEO: Shiho's Third Memory


*Distant chime, static*





(*Our view is brought high to the forms of two dark silhouettes standing upon the bridge's supports, their lack of color like a hole in the blue sky around them..*)




SHIHO'S FRIEND: Did you not like ballet?


YOUNG SHIHO: No, it was nothing like that. I like ballet, and I like helping out at the shop.


YOUNG SHIHO: But...


SHIHO'S FRIEND: But what?




YOUNG SHIHO: Every day is the same thing over and over again. I do wonder sometimes if this is truly what I want.





(*And we're merely left with a view of that large shop below.*)



(*Retracing our steps back to where our path first diverged we take a right onto the main path. We move in the direction of the sun, its light causing the water to be swathed in ripples of light.*)



*Static crackle*



"Thank you very much. Please come again!"


(*Another echo strikes us just as we start to cross the girder over to this section of the area.*)



(*The rails fall off and the path forks again at a pedestrian crossing light. There's more signs designating against going in the direction of the shop, with the other path running far away and along another disconnected railroad bridge.*)




AO: Ugh... so many more demons down this way. Shiho, are you holding up okay?


SHIHO: I'm fine, thank you for asking. I'm only wondering about that ambush...


KOKORO: It was strange. Those doggy ones were in my Heartscape, but that was the first time we saw them here.


RENA: It's true, up until that point I was theorizing each person's demons were unique.


YUKI: We can still beat 'em easily right? So why worry? We'll probably get an answer at the end of this.



(*But just a few steps down this path, we find another memory fragment.*)



VIDEO: Shiho's Fourth Memory

*Distant chime, static*





(*Our attention is drawn to a lone cluster of houses standing alone across the wide pool to our right. The figures of younger Shiho and her friend stand in front of one of the houses. Nearby is another cut-out girl, and yet another stands on top of the building, at the end of it's roof. *)




SHIHO'S FRIEND: Actually, I used to do ballet too.


YOUNG SHIHO: Oh, is that so? That's quite a coincidence.


SHIHO'S FRIEND: I saw this cozy little cafe on my way back from practice yesterday, so I stopped in.


YOUNG SHIHO: Thank you very much. Please come again!




SHIHO'S FRIEND: Yeah, I'd love to! I'd love to, but I can't...


SHIHO'S FRIEND: I was taking lessons from a famous ballet teacher around here. But it was only a short-term class.


YOUNG SHIHO: ...So you will only be here this once. That is a shame.





(*And so we're left staring at nothing yet again, the silhouettes and the unknown girl's strangely calm and slow voice lost again.*)



AO: (So they only met one another for a brief time? And something seems contradictory about what she was saying...)


AO: (I never thought about it before, but what if we remember something wrong?)









(*The pathway leads under and around the bridge, terminating in a ladder up to this second bridge to nowhere. It does point somewhere interesting though..*)






SHIHO: These train tracks... If they kept going, they'd run into the building.


AO: Maybe they stopped construction when they realized that.


KOKORO: (shaking her head) We're seeing these things in a world made of our emotions, so I don't think that's the reason. It must be more like symbolism.


(*Our view then moves to the end of the track, slowly panning to look at the store ahead...*)




RENA: The symbolism of train tracks, hmm...


AO: Then maybe there was something that was supposed to connect to the building, but couldn't.




YUKI: Or something that was connected to the building got cut off.


AO: Hmm, I have no idea...




SHIHO: ...


(*We end on Shiho's silent, troubled face.*)

SHIHO: A Heartscape is a landscape created from our hearts. Looking at the bridge and the houses made some kind of emotion spring up in my heart, but I couldn't put it into words... Truly understanding your own emotions is a very difficult thing.

YUKI: Mm... you think that shop sells food?


SHIHO: Maybe? I... can't remember.


RENA: What, are you hungry? After what you've already ate?


YUKI: Yeah, but I've got craving for something spicy. Something that'll really light your mouth on fire!


AO: (I suppose we'll find out when we get down there... but it does give me an idea.)



// We unlock the Spicy Snacks M recipe from the memory up on this bridge. They're an ATK buffing item, which means we'll be making good use of them for fighting bosses. //





// On the way down, I do attempt to fight a Leuk on Deathwish, and they are incredibly beefy. One all out combo of a opening back attack -> Knockdown attacks -> Courant Marin, Shiranami II for poison, 2x full crit Ravindrs get it only down to half of it's HP. You can also note how little damage the poison status actually does here. //



// But for all of that, we can still take it out before it gets one attack of its own off. Fights against solo enemies aren't that difficult when you can stun and rush them down like this. //





(*For now, there's nowhere else to go but back to where our path split off.*)





(*And down this path, the rail cuts off and turns right, directly towards the store. But here stands a few more signs indicating warning and to stop... and the dark aura of a strange looking demon in the way.*)




SHIHO: More demons blocking the path forward?


RENA: Seems like it. We should take this opportunity to rest while we can.


AO: Let's make sure we're absolutely ready. I don't like the look of that thing...



// So, ReSource has finally revealed to us what the demons are, or at least given us an answer. Being manifestations of inner conflicts, it really does make them someone's metaphorical demons made physical. Although... regardless of whatever they are, they definitely seem like they're intentionally trying to stop the group from recovering their memories. Was that ambush a swell of sudden doubt, or was it something more? //

// I believe there's a translation error in the fourth memory: her friend is still doing ballet, not used to do it. I decided to just write around it anyways. Rena's statement about the ambush not seeming organized is also possibly a translation error as well. Never noticed these bits before, but they're not huge. //

// Mechanics-wise, the last real major mechanic has been unlocked now, so we'll see much, much less tutorials as the game goes on. Shiho is level 14 and the others are around 13 and a half, no new moves learned yet, but we should start seeing a new move or two in time. //



-------------------------





Crossroads - Shiho's Heartscape Second Layer

MAP NOTES:
* The two location entries here require you to go out of the way to find them, though I don't know if they disappear after fighting the next miniboss. As always, you should get them as soon as they're available.
* One small area on the side branch is blocked off.

Vitality **** - Attack ***** - Defense **** - Weaknesses: Slash, Shock - Resist: Pierce

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Crossroads Second Layer


SHIHO: This demon was blocking our path through the Heartscape. Seeing Ao take it down with her scythe so elegantly was impressive!

//

Grendel didn't seem that tough, but... huh. It's rated eerily strong for some reason. Being a tutorial boss, it didn't accomplish much worth talking about outside of its troll-like design (no doubt related to its namesake, "Beowulf"'s Grendel)... but something's up here.

It is a good design though, properly weird and creepy.//

[Odd Wilson]

Journal Entry 19: Transferring Lines




SHIHO: Is it time?


KOKORO: We're not going to let them stop us, Shiho. We'll get your memories back!


AO: That's right! Get ready, demon!





(*The demon lets out a distorted grunt as it spins around and lashes out!*)



VIDEO: Nebula (Deathwish)

MUSIC: My REAL









(*Made of a jagged, white shell, the thin demon burrows forth through the ground in a twister with it's large, spiraling skull before letting out a roar! The ground erupts from where it rises, and a large orange light gazes forth from a a crack in the formation on it's head.*)





// Our first real fight since unlocking One-on-one, I decided to turn this up to Deathwish as well. Meet Nebula. //




RENA: I have a bad feeling about this... Focus, everyone.



// It opens with Swordflash, generating a dark aura and then lashing out with a few invisible strikes. This takes out most of Rena's HP in one go. In the meantime, I've buffed Shiho's DEF with a yogurt as she likely won't survive a Swordflash herself without it. //





// Nebula is has no resistances, only weaknesses, so I also prep Shiho with Brise de Mer for knockdown boost. In the meantime it's already gotten itself to Gear 3 and activated Blazing Kick. It gathers energy, then kicks, dealing high damage and lowering DEF. Ao barely survives it. //



// Some healing goes out and I misplay by refreshing Shiho's knockdown boost rather than giving it to Ao as well. Kokoro gives Pancakes to Ao to give her a speed boost. //



// The last attack of note that it has is Onslaught, hitting everyone multiple times for about 12 damage each on average. This really tanks our HP, but the setup spent getting here is worth it. //




AO: Everyone, go now!






AO: This is our chance! Press the advantage!


// Extremely narrowly, a combined assault from everyone puts Nebula in Knockdown before it gets to throw out a Blazing kick and KO someone. //




AO: Just... keep going...!


// Or so I'd hoped, at least. Blazing kick still came out and took out Ao anyways. Kokoro will have to swap in when she gets a chance, I still don't have access to revival. //





// Shiho transforms, gets a Spicy Snack for ATK boost (I left to make some before the boss fight,) and they alternate attacks to open the boss up to a One-on-one before the Knockdown runs out. //





// Its guard broken, Nebula relases a wave of dark energy to try and halt Shiho's advance. //





// Shiho dashes forward and does a backflip kick and a cartwheel kick to clear the way of the demon's desperate retaliation. //









// Shiho's basic Yaguruma is upgraded to two large diagonal slices, her counter being the backflip kick, and her ending combo being a blazing fast chain of backflip, cartwheel, and ending with a hammering strike from her heel in a frontflip. //



// Another thing worth mentionining about One-on-one is that the combo multiplier rises faster during this mode, but it's a separate combo count entirely. What combo you do build up during this mode is added to the combo outside of it. //

// I would give more screenshots, but unfortunately Shiho ends up with a lot of very unflattering... angles due to her kicks. //






SHIHO: To return home safely...


(*Shiho reels back and throws her blade forward through the enemy, a trail of sparkling, teal light following behind it...*)



(*She steps back leaning down as she begins to glow...*)




SHIHO: So that we can eat together in peace...







(*She begins to unleash an onslaught of rapid kicks, each one causing her flying blade to cut large trails through the enemy!*)



(* ...She then ends with a roundhouse kick, letting causing a massive flaming explosion!*)




SHIHO: I can't lose!


(*She ends, having caught her blade as it flies back to her and facing away from the explosion in a dramatic pose.*)



// Moreover than just being a bunch of damage or extremely anime, that did around 3000 damage (in part thanks to the ATK boost) and nearly killed the boss on Deathwish. Shiho's finisher has the extra property of Seal, which I believe stops the boss from gaining Gear (denoted by the giant ice chunk formed on Nebula). And since the Knockdown dropped it back to 2, it stops it from lashing out at us as hard. //





// It only gets one last attack in before we put an end to this fight. //





(*With a roar, it explodes into flame...*)



(*Lets out a low groan as it stands dazed for a moment...*)



(*And falls to the ground weakly as a blue and violet mist begins to overtake it. *)



VIDEO: Cafe Rattan

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - A Captive Heart





(*The way clear, we find the girls standing outside the large building they have been seeking to find answers in.*)




YUKI: I didn't realize it till I saw it up close, but this is—




KOKORO: A cafe.


AO: A cafe... Oh! This must have something to do with your memories of coffee!


RENA: Maybe it's a cafe you liked?


(*From this distance, above a small door to the side we can see in yellow lowercase letters the name "Rattan".*)




SHIHO: A cafe... Coffee...


SHIHO: (I could swear that I've seen this house before...)


(*Shiho lets her head hang low as she brings a hand to her heart, trying to recall the importance of this place. After a brief moment, her eyes open and she looks up towards the cafe's entrance.*)




SHIHO: (No, It's not just that I've seen it before. This must be—)




SHIHO: ...Let's head inside.


(*The others nod, and the scene fades...*)





MUSIC: Blue Reflection - Truthbearer's Observance



(*Our view returns to find the girls standing in a warmly lit room. Potted plants sit about, the green breaking up the brown wooden pillars and the white plaster walls. Most peculiarly, a painting just barely visible behind Kokoro seems to show part of the same town we passed through, submerged rails and all.*)



(*Shiho is left wide-eyed in shocked silence for a few moments before she manages to speak.*)




SHIHO: This is...


SHIHO: (I knew it. This is—)


(*The cafe is dimly lit with warm, yellow wall lamps, casting light upon the reflectively clean white-topped tables. Red cushioned stools stand out against the counter, but not as much as the painting in the distance.

On the far wall it hangs, depicting a single rural house and a single tree on a grassy beach, beyond it a wide open sea of sparkling water and distant hills... not unlike the environment surrounding the Heartscape.*)



(*Shiho's eyes begin to slowly close as she takes in the memory...*)






YOUNG SHIHO: Of course. Coming right up!


(*We find Shiho's younger shadow in the middle of the cafe...*)



*Short static*




SHIHO'S MOTHER: Shiho, you know you don't have to help out every day.


YOUNG SHIHO: No, it's okay! I want to.


(*We are suddenly pulled to her talking across the counter to an older woman, her mother.*)




SHIHO'S MOTHER: Really? Well, if you say so...





(*We soon fade back to the present as Shiho opens her eyes yet again.*)




AO: That was Shiho's memory...




RENA: That woman's voice... It must have been—


SHIHO: (nodding) Yes... I think it was my mother.




YUKI: So then, that means this is...


SHIHO: Yes, I remember now...




SHIHO: This is my home― Cafe Rattan.


RENA: I-I see.




AO: Aah, I didn't take my shoes off!


(*Her face scrunched as she apologizes profusely, Rena gives a tired expression...*)




SHIHO: Hehe, this is just a memory, you know?


AO: Oh, right! Sorry, force of habit...


(*Shiho merely laughs at this, Yuki giving her own odd expression towards Ao from behind... but whatever it is, it fades as Shiho continues. *)




SHIHO: I think I'm starting to remember... My friend from the train—


(*She places both hands over her heart...*)








SHIHO'S FRIEND: You do ballet too?


(*We are treated to a very short flash of our mystery girl's silhouette standing not far from the group before it fades away just as fast.*)






SHIHO: She was one of our customers.


AO: So you met at the cafe?


(*She gives a strong, certain nod.*)


SHIHO: Yes. After that, we would chat whenever we ran into each other.




SHIHO: That time on the train was the same...


SHIHO: I think something happened after that, but...


(*Her expression goes dark as she tries to find what she can't remember. *)




AO: Maybe we should go back to the trains?


(*The painting behind Ao shows a view from atop one of the railway bridges... they all seem to be scenes from the Heartscape.*)




KOKORO: Yeah. You might be able to remember other things, now that you remember the cafe.


(*With a new short term goal and Kokoro's eager assistance, we fade out...*)



MUSIC: Radial Terminal




AO: Let's go back to the station for now.


SHIHO: As much as part of me wants to stay here a little longer, let's get going.



// While we are prevented from entering Cafe Rattan and exploring further, unlike Kokoro's treehouse, we can at least look around the outside area. //







(*On the outside of Cafe Rattan, lie containers of produce and milk crates are set up to the side of the entrance, Outside drinking spaces are provided nearby via metal chairs and tables shaded by umbrellas, spare umbrellas lie against a wall in a nook off to the side, and there's even a well just outside the main building.*)



// For now there is nothing to do but go back to the first layer, but on our way back... //



(*Just back inside the linear town and near the pathway back, we find a glittering memory fragment near the few patches of red grass, but no echoes this time.*)



VIDEO: Shiho's Fifth Memory


*Distant chime, static*





(*Our view focuses on two pitch-black figures disrupting the blue sky, sitting upon the roof of a building to our left...*)




SHIHO'S FRIEND: I'll be going to a different ballet school from now on.


SHIHO'S FRIEND: I've been going all over the place to learn from different teachers... It's pretty exhausting.


YOUNG SHIHO: Yes, it sounds like it.


SHIHO'S FRIEND: As long as it's for ballet, though, I don't mind at all.




YOUNG SHIHO: That's how I feel too. Or at least, I thought it was...


YOUNG SHIHO: I'm supposedly working at the shop because I like it, and yet... I can't smile like you do.


YOUNG SHIHO: Why is that...?


SHIHO'S FRIEND: I'm happy to listen if you want to talk. Not sure how helpful I'll be, but...




YOUNG SHIHO: ...Thank you very much.





(*And we are left staring at the sky beyond the empty roof. There does seem to be a green on white sign designating some sort of restaurant, barely visible past the roof.*)




AO: (Transferring schools, leaving ballet behind... and it sounds like her new life wasn't going well either.)


AO: (Shiho seemed really happy to recall her friend, but... what happened?)


RENA: Hoshizaki, you're falling behind.


AO: Oh! Sorry!







(*We soon find ourselves back in the first layer, standing at the collection of scrawled upon signs with the nearby, abandoned bicycle.*)



*Short static*



"That is why I help out at the cafe every day."



(*This echo isn't alone- as we continue down the path back to the station platform and evading demons, more static arrives...*)



*Static crackle*



"You transferred?"



*Static crackle*



"It's like I am a prisoner, atoning for my sins."



(*Past the fading letters and intermittently glimmering in the shadow of the station terminal, lies another new memory fragment just beyond the girder we'll have to cross.*)



VIDEO: Shiho's Sixth Memory


*Distant chime, faint static*





(*Our gaze is drawn to that lone rural house, sitting out alone in the sea of sparkling water with only a single tree for company. Two dark figures stand on the shore of its small island.*)




YOUNG SHIHO: My father used to be a businessman. He started this cafe because...because I transferred schools.


CALM GIRL: You transferred?


YOUNG SHIHO: Yes. When I was in elementary school, I caused some trouble...


CALM GIRL: So you had to transfer.




YOUNG SHIHO: I have no issues with what I did. It was the result of me following my feelings, after all.


YOUNG SHIHO: But... Because of me, my father had to quit the job he had been doing for years and open a cafe...


YOUNG SHIHO: And I still don't know how he really feels about it...


YOUNG SHIHO: That is why I help out at the cafe every day.




YOUNG SHIHO: It's like I am a prisoner, atoning for my sins.





(*...And in an instant, it's gone.*)



SHIHO: ...We're getting close. At least, it feels like it.


RENA: Let's be careful then. The demons have been in our way every step of the way so far. I imagine more are waiting somewhere.



(*Across the girder we go...*)



(*Up the ladder again...*)




YUKI: Huh. You totally called it!


RENA: You say that like it's a surprise...


AO: It hasn't noticed us yet. When we're prepared, let's charge it.


(*Awaiting the girls, floating ominously in a dark aura is a large Violetwing Tineresy... though parts of its body are no longer silvered but pitch black.*)






AO: Everyone ready? Let's take it down!





VIDEO: Brightwing Setcasy (Hard)

MUSIC: Blue Reflection - hallucination And hope


// I didn't really need to include this fight, but I reasoned I might as well for the new music and for how it turned out. //






SHIHO: Are you okay?! You need healing!


RENA: I'll retreat for now... Utsubo, it's up to you.


// Our enemies, Brightwing Setcasies, are notably different from Tineresies in a way they opt to show immediately. Wind Ray causes these geysers of energy to strike everyone for about a third of their health. Rena was unfortunately still wounded from some scuffles in getting here. //




KOKORO: I'll do my best!



// Things get worse as they start using Soar, previously alluded to with the Tineresy demon. A big whirling ball of energy surrounds them, then they launch out a small, translucent electic sphere. It hurts a decent bit and worst of all, grants them a haste effect. //




KOKORO: Are you all right? Why don't you rest a bit?


AO: Sorry, but I can't leave you two to handle this alone...!



// Raregn goes up and cuts about half the damage off the Wind Rays, but these two have the upper hand and we're struggling to claw it back. //





// We manage to rush one down before it gets any worse by getting off another attack, and with a high multiplier we can start to push the envelope on the last one. //





// A second Raregn to refresh it as it runs out just barely keeps Ao standing. This is the point where I note that in a second attempt to do this better, Ao actually got put in Knockdown. I had Akatsuki on tap so it wasn't that much of a problem though. //





// Still, despite the disastrous opening, we pull through in just two more attacks as we're capable of taking large chunks off it's HP. This was only on Hard and not Deathwish after all. Sure felt like Deathwish. //






SHIHO: (sighing) ...Somehow I managed to win.



VIDEO: Derailing the Train



*Distant train bell ringing*

(*Their enemies gone, the girls approach the train, then stop as they hear the noise.*)




YUKI: This sound...


KOKORO: The sound of trains running.


(*Kokoro holds her arms behind her as she looks up and around.*)




AO: Which means...




SHIHO: My memory... I feel it flowing back into me—


(*Her eyes close, and all goes white with a rush.*)



MUSIC: Blue Reflection - What We've Built




CALM GIRL: Hey, Shiho.


CALM GIRL: What if we stayed on this train and just kept on going...


YOUNG SHIHO: Huh...?


YOUNG SHIHO: Where would we go?




CALM GIRL: I dunno. The end of the line?


CALM GIRL: I just feel like doing something bad.


CALM GIRL: I want to leave everything behind and go see or do something I've never done before.




CALM GIRL: Don't you want to escape this boring day-to-day?



(*We're brought back to the present with a rush, but the train bell continues uninterrupted.*)




SHIHO: She always listened when I needed to talk...


SHIHO: And then she asked me that. If I wanted to go somewhere far away.






SHIHO: To keep riding that train, no purpose, no destination...


SHIHO: She said we could go wherever we want.


(*Shiho begins to smile again.*)




AO: She sounds kinda cool.


SHIHO: Yes. I thought she looked so free, so unbound by anything... I was jealous of her.




KOKORO: How far did you two end up going?


YUKI: Let's go there! That's where your most important memory would be, right?


(*Yuki pumps both fists energetically as Shiho turns to look back int he direction the train goes.*)




SHIHO: ...Yes. She brought me there, and told me something very important.


SHIHO: That is my most special memory.



(*Ao's hands drop from her hips as she looks on quietly. The scene ends as she mumbles to herself...*)




AO: Your most special memory...





// Shiho's life evidently took a hard turn ever since she helped fight back for Kokoro, and this important person in her past evidently did something to turn around her growing depression and ennui. Did they run away? Where does the train lead? //

// Maybe now is about the time I mention that the other name on the railway sign, the place we're headed in the direction of is Kizuki ("傷気"), two translations of which are "scar, emotional pain" and "heart, mind".

I'll leave you on that. //




-------------------------

AO: We saw fragments of Shiho's memory while exploring her Heartscape. We learned that she used to do ballet, that her family owned a cafe, and that she met a girl there...

Maybe the station and train we saw are connected to Shiho and that girl. Let's head back to the station for now.

Vitality *** - Attack ** - Defense ** - Weaknesses: Slash, Shock, Warp

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Crossroads (Second Layer)


SHIHO: A demon with a rather large head, found in my Heartscape. Since it was inside my heart...does that mean I have a big head too?!

//

I mostly only ever remembered Nebula for it's design, not for what it can do in combat. This time around, it took me 4 tries to get what I thought was a clean enough run and it definitely left an impression. Nebula's not much more than a damage race fight, with its weaknesses making the best team be Ao, Shiho, Rena. An alternate strategy would be to have Shiho open with a poison status and let Ao load in damage via Vindr crits, focusing any buffs on her. You'd still need Gear 2 Shiho for this, but that's not too hard to accomplish via application of Akatsuki. //

Vitality * - Attack * - Defense * - Weaknesses: Pierce, Warp - Resist: Shock

Location: Shiho's Heartscape, Deserted Station (First Layer)

Its pointy foot reminds me of those balancing toys I made when I was a kid. But I don't think anyone else here played with them...

// I think Shiho is referring to a yajirobe which... does actually kind of look like them. Still, the boss bonuses these got gave me more of a run for my money than expected. AOEs are hard to deal with since our defense is always subpar this early on and we only have two healers not reliant on items. When we do get revival access, we'll start having a little less trouble.

Most notably, these used the proper miniboss theme we'll hear for these sorts of encounters. Said theme is a carryover from BR1, and is one I'm happy to hear weirdly enough. I'll explain why when we get there...

I did mislabel Crysanthemum/KOSUI as the miniboss theme before, it's actually just the alternate battle theme. //

[Odd Wilson]

Next update will just be back on the Sunday/Monday schedule. Combined lack of sleep and being in a slump is just destroying any productivity I have this week.

[Mercerino]

Hello, don't know if posting on a dormant thread is good etiquette, but I want to know what happened with Blue Reflection Sun. I know that Shiho and the others play a part, but otherwise, not much else beyond second-hand info about the game.