come to toubo dept.
and get a pic with
me! #livingthedream
[quote]
hey, Itsuki, there was something I just wanted to go over with you about Ellie.
like we covered before, she’s a mirage master too.
we plan on having her fight under your command as well. when we have time, I’ll formally introduce you to her mirage.[/quote]
And what an introduction it will be. But first, we’ve got a few niggling sidequests to clean up before we close out the intermission.
Like this one! Aya’s got another case of stolen Performa for us.
Itsuki accepted the request “Writer’s Block”.
Thank you, Itsuki. Have you heard of the drama “Love-Hate Cliche”? It’s an intense romance about a love-hate triangle that takes place at the Toyosu branch of the hardware store “Edomae”.
This time it’s Raita Torama, the writer of the show, who’s having problems. He’s famous for writing quickly, but he hasn’t been able to make any progress with his script. I hope it’s just writer’s block…
I hear that he always writes at a cafe in Shibuya. Can you go check on him?
Oh no! Not Love-Hate Cliche! That’s my favorite show, and it’s right before the season finale! We’d better head for Shibuya, now!
Wasn’t SIV-LIVE simply marvelous? Especially Kiria’s production! Ah, meteors falling in Shibuya, and Kiria skybound! I wanted rain, you see, so I projection-mapped raindrops onto a screen, and into the sky. It hid the wires for the stage, too!
Now then… How should I produce the next event?
Say what you will, but the SIV-LIVE event was pretty slickly produced. Seems like the rumors about Hatanaka have at least some basis in reality.
And there’s this guy. He’s tucked back in the far corner of Shibuya, way past Carabia and the exchange that heads to the 106. I dunno why they put him so far back there, but I guess we might as well see what he wants.
Hey, you! Give my luck back at once! I can’t win on these new machines without it…!
Oh, he’s a pachinko player. He probably deserves whatever happened, but I guess we should see what the hell he’s talking about.
Hey, don’t you pretend you don’t know what I’m talkin’ about! That item is super rare! When’d you steal it from me!? Was it when I stopped at the convience store? Or when I was eatin’ ramen? Maybe when I was smokin’ by the station!?
That’s my good luck charm! Give it back, damn you!
(Fine, I guess I’ll search the area…)
Man, it sure was nice of him to detail exactly where he’s been.
Sure enough, a handful of shinies have appeared around the area. They’re all cheap, consumable items like an umbrella (minor lance damage) or a flashlight (item version of Lightoma), and none of them seem like they’re quite what he’s looking for, so maybe we’ll come back to him in a bit.
A production team is hanging out in front of the cafe, lamenting about how they’ll have to cancel the series. Sounds like we found our man.
Polygamy suddenly becomes legalized…and Koichiro, Nanami, and Makiko get married…and live happily ever after…
You expect me to believe this man is the head writer for a show called Love-Hate Cliche? This is some weak shit, game.
Anyway, Aya tells us to hit up the 106 building to find our wayward demon friend. Sounds like a plan!
Just before the Hee-Ho Mart, there’s an inconspicuous rack that has the magazine we need for the kid at the department store. But which one could it possibly be???
Mama Toujours… A parenting magazine with toy reviews, family recipes, articles on kids’ fashion and activities… Hey, it even comes with a section of coloring pages!
After all, there’s no need to get a copy of Food Informer. Itsuki already subscribes to that one, and what else could he possibly need?
(Eh? There’s something at the man’s feet… You think that might be…?)
Huh? …Wh-Whoa! It must’ve fallen out! How dumb! It’s always where you least expect, right? Sorry 'bout that, man. Hahaha!
Say, what’s with the look? Let’s jus’ let bygones be bygones, right? Look, I’m sorry for accusin’ ya. Tell ya what, I’ll win big and make it up to you! Here I come, all you new machines!
Request complete! Obtained Glass Cateye as thanks!
The Glass Cateye is actually a really solid accessory for the moment, granting both Strength and Magic +2, along with a slight armor boost. It works best on someone like Itsuki who frequently mixes magic and physicals, but Tsubasa could also get some decent mileage out of it.
Now, back to the department store to give that girl her magazine.
Oh, that’s the magazine I was talking about! Thank you, mister! Now I have something to color!
Request complete! Obtained Colored Pencil as thanks.
The colored pencil is a lot less useful, granting Skill +10 and not a whole lot else. I suppose Touma might find it mildly useful if you feel that he’s not accurate enough for you, but this is almost certainly going to be a downgrade on everyone else.
This guy is a little harder to find, but that’s more due to the fact that Illusory 106 has a lot of nooks and crannies to search, on top of having 7 floors.
This time around, we have a pair of Skellingtons and a Bacillus, all L30. It’s a significantly easier fight than the last one for several reasons, but really, most of it comes down to “We’ve got a better selection of skills and there’s a lot less of them”.
It does let me show a combo breaker, though. The Skellingtons null ice, so there’s a red frowny face next to Kiria’s attack in the session lineup, as well as her portrait going all red and glitchy in the background.
Really, the only serious threat here is the Bacillus getting too lucky with Marin Karin and charming the team. Even using a Tier 2 spell, these guys do less than half of Tsubasa’s health per hit.
Dancer’s Gift just gives Tsubasa Endless Song, which functions identically to Kiria’s version.
And Kiria herself picks up Bufula. It’s not a massive power increase, but it’s nice to have all the same.
Shortly thereafter, Itsuki picks up this, which unlocks Great Director Itsuki. It does exactly what you think it does.
I thought she might falter, but when she thought only of meeting with her fans, she moved past it… Hah. How very Tsubasa.
Perhaps the ends justified the means, but talking to all of those women… Bah, I’m still uneasy. What if this happens again?
Well, that worked out. Maiko’s safe and sound, and no casualties involved… So, how was it? Nice to have some hexes on your side?
Since we’re hanging around in the Bloom Garden anyway, I figured it was a good opportunity to catch up with the mirages.
With the demon in I-106 taken care of, our writer friend is back to normal. Let’s see what he’s come up with for the season finale.
Nanami wavers amidst Sojiro’s love! The cash register clerk is hurt and betrayed! Koichiro wrestles with his dilemma! This’ll really spice up the final episode! Heheheh! More love! More hate!
Tch, it would be a waste to let it end here! A sequel! Yeah, I’ll write Love-Hate Cliche 2!
(It looks like everything will be okay now. Let’s head back to the office.)
Good work, Itsuki. I’m really looking forward to the finale of Cliche, so this is a huge relief.
Itsuki, make sure you don’t date more than one girl at a time, okay? Because that only leads to drama.
giggle Just kidding. If I hear any other suspicious rumors, I’ll let you know.
Aya, please. You’re assuming that Itsuki could date one girl, let alone multiple. He doesn’t even realize your sister’s feelings, I don’t think we have to worry about him on that front.
Anyway, that’s it for Intermission 2. Time to head for Chapter 3!
U-Understood!
Okay, why don’t we take a little break before we go on. Next is showing off your wardrobe and accessories!
Tsubasa managed to take a big step forward with all her modeling work… So now it’s your turn, Itsuki. Didn’t this whole experience get you thinking at all?
I had no idea so much detail went into this… You and Mr. Horinozawa are so passionate about these photo shoots.
Hm… If you can feel our passion, then you might be on the right track to becoming a true professional. Amateurs usually don’t recognize the emotion that goes into making those photos… Looks as though you’re improving as a member of the industry, too.
Hey, hey! Break time’s over! Back to training! Move, move, move!
Itsuki Aoi has grown as an entertainer and has become “New Talent”! Itsuki has acquired the special peformance Strike a Pose!
Strike a Pose is another incredibly situational, but extremely powerful skill. For 2 SP, it just literally gives the rest of your party a free turn. Its effectiveness really depends on what kind of situation you’re in and what your current status is, because 2 SP is pretty pricey to use for healing up from a rough spot when that would give you two Debut Smiles.
Next time, we’re headed to Chapter 3 and the return of Barry. See you then!