Let's Play Gensou Suikoden!; GS2 PART 09

[surskitty]

What's a 'consistent update schedule'?

LAST TIME: WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO KEEP FLAMETHROWERS: 1. in storage, 2. in the closet, 3. in my inventory, 4. in the boiler. If you picked four, you were right!

Let's go to Muse! Which of course mandates going through Toto, though I guess I could've gone to check what happens if I try to go through Radat (I didn't think of that, though, and probably it no longer works but I'm now super curious as to if it does the first time you go towards Muse -- fuck CONVINCE ME NOT TO MAKE ANOTHER PLAYTHROUGH TO CHECK)

Pilika walks off away from the group as soon as we step in. [BGM: Requiem of Grief, as usual]
: "Pilika, where are you going? It's too dangerous by yourself!"

: "Pilika?......"
She walks inside.
: "Hey! Let's follow her, Odessa!"
[BGM: Penpe 2]

Pilika's actually farther down at this point but you know what the rune looks like.
: "So here you are Pilika. Why did you..... ...................? What is it? Is something there?" I do like true runes.
: [ walking up to the rock ] "......................."
: "Oh yeah... now I remember. Marx, Pilika's father... his job was taking care of some shrine.... This must be the place...."
Jowy walks over to the rock.
: "....... What's this? Something's inscribed here. Odessa, take a look at this."
He walks up.
: "This writing... it says...."

My friend and I seal our thoughts here. We deeply regret that we could not make them one.

-- Han, Genkaku

: "This Genkaku, could it be Master Genkaku? What does this mean?"
Our hero walks over to the rock, Pilika goes like !
: "..................!!!"
WHITE OUT

Now we are here, all alone in the trippy dream sequence bit of the shrine. Well, not necessarily dream sequence. Could just be the hallucination area.
: "What is this?" Things you shouldn't touch.
They walk around a bit.
: "Inside the shrine?....... But why are we inside....?" Jowy, your pants are too tight; let Riou help you.
There is a glowing teleporty noise as someone very familiar pops in.
[BGM: Distant Stars, which is a remix of Touching Theme]
: "You who follow the Path of Fate...... Heralds who summon the Stars of Destiny. Go forward. To weave your destiny, you must first attain them." Hi, Leknaat! You're as incomprehensible as always! I like how she's not even introducing herself; she's just spouting off fate bullshit. I love Leknaat.
And then she glows and teleports out again. Pause for a bit as that processes.
: "Huh? What was that? We're supposed to go forward?" No, no, ignore the incomprehensible fate junk; your jeans are impressively skinny.
Up we go and fade out~
[BGM: Reminiscence ~ Strings Version]
Suikoden had random-ass floating text before it was cool. (It was never cool.)

Power?
Am I looking for Power?

Sepiariffic tinyRiou and tinyNanami training with Genkaku! TinyRiou is pinged.
It's tinyJowy! Hi, tinyJowy!
Jowy gets nervous because he's been noticed.
: "Who are you?"
: [so nervous] "I... I'm Jowy."
White out.

Ever since the first day I saw you...

Three kids picking on the boys! The two hatless kids keep jumping.
kids: "Nya nya nya nya nya nya! Hey adopted kid! Hey coward's son! Your daddy's dojo is a dump!" [ jump jump ] "Don't come here Odessa, We might catch your coward's disease!"
: [ closes his eyes, trying not to cry ] "...................."
: [ looks at his friend then shifts into a pretty terrible attempt at a fighting pose ] "Stop it!!! If you're gonna make fun of Odessa, you can take me on!"
White out.
OUR HEROES are on the ground, having had the crap beaten out of them.
kids: "Now you won't talk so big! Adopted coward's son and little rich kid! Ha ha ha ha ha!"
They start walking away and --
freak out and run faster when Nanami comes up to chase them off.
: "Hey!! Wait you little creeps!!" I wish I had Nanami as a sister.
: [ sits up ] "..... Are you okay, Odessa?"
Itty Riou looks up and they both look around.
White out.

I somehow knew that we would be friends.....

Pan over Jillia's summer home.
The boys want to spy on her! They bolt over to the gate when the guard's not looking.
Jumping up near this bit of wall... Riou tries backing up and running at it to get more height, but it doesn't work, so they talk for a bit and Riou has an idea:
Jowy'll hold him up.
: "Hurry up! My hands are getting tired!"
: [ nervous ] "Just... just a little more...." That's what he said.
: "Can you see her? Isn't she cute?"
: [ still nervous ] "Huh? Huh?"
There is bouncing.
: "Hurry up!"
: [ nervous ] "Just another..."
Jillia is offhandedly petting a dog.
And then the dog is thoroughly in her lap.
Highland soldier: [ runs over to the kids ] "Hey! What are you doing up there?!"
They panic and are nervous!
: "Uh oh! Let's scram!"
And they run off, white out.

I was never lonely because you were there

They are burying something underneath Mukumuku's tree. Jowy wipes his eyes.
: "Okay good.. Remember, it's a secret."
: "Okay."
Nanami barges in and starts shaking her brother!
: "Hey hey what were you doing? C'mon tell me!" [stops shaking him, though doesn't let go]
: "Well you see..."
: [jumps] "Hey!! You're not allowed to tell!" Riou closes his eyes.
: "What what? C'mon.... it's okay..."
: [jump] "No. It's a secret between boys." ... Penis.
: [throws her brother angrily, then kicks at the ground and sulks] "Bleh!"
White out.

It felt like those days would last forever....

The boys are older and in uniform and in front of our bff Rowd-taichou. (SEE, I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T CONSERVATION OF SPRITE ART THAT HAD THEM CHANGE BEFOREHAND)
: "From today you'll all members of the Royal Highland Army's Unicorn Brigade. Hold up your heads with pride!"
Nanami is watching through from behind a bush. How voyeuristic.

We walked along the same paths because....

Hi, cliff with the rock on it!
: "If we make it...... but... somehow get separated.... Let's return to this spot. That way we'll be reunited." This will never be relevant, I'm sure.
: "Promise me.... Odessa....."
: "Forget it... we'll make it together." Yeah, it actually remembers your dialogue choice from then.
: "Fine. Then this mark is my prayer that we make it together."
Off the waterfall and fade out.

We chose Life and Death together....

Somewhere, Tir is pinged and doesn't know why.
Hi, fort!
: "Odessa! If you're here, answer me! Odessa!!!"
: "I'm here Jowy!!!" And here!
Jowy walks over and white out.

I believed in you.... always....

Past tense?
Outside of Kyaro.
: "Odessa, Jowy..... I wonder if we'll..... ever come back here again..."
: "........................."
: "I don't want to come back."
Fade out.

because we shared so much.....

I'M SAD NOW.

No music.
Back in the shrine.
: "Huh? What was that... a hallucination? Odessa, did you see it too? What was it?" Training montage.
Leknaat teleports in, as one does.
: "Young followers of Destiny... We have looked into your hearts and witnessed your 'character'." 'By which we mean UST. Luc keeps requesting us to speak plainly, though we know not what he means.'
: "You're the one from before! Who are you!"
: "I am the inheritor of the 'Gate Rune'. The keeper of the gates between worlds. She who watches the great scales of Fate. Here begins the gathering of the Stars of Destiny. Fate quivers, the future cannot be seen. One of the '27 true runes' has recognised you. Oh followers of Destiny, the path is now open for you." LEKNAAT I LOVE YOU DEARLY BUT YOU ARE VERY WEIRD WHAT THE HELL
: "Recognised us... is that what that vision was?" Jowy thinks this shit makes no sense. He is right.
: "Yes. The rune recognized you. The 'Rune of Beginning', which lies sleeping beyond here, is needed to complete your Destiny. Stand before the runes and hold up your right hands. You will be granted power to alter fate. Think, and then decide. 'Power' will not grant you peace. The storms of Fate cause misery for many and few will be able to calm them once they start. If you do not desire 'Power', return now to the world outside." Leknaat. What the hell.
: "Power......... .... rune.......... The power of the 27 true runes...." ... Jowy ...
: ".................. What will you do, Odessa?" I like how you're asking me if I want the true rune of 'Kill Your Best Friend'.
Not if it's bitter.
→ : "I don't need 'power'."

: ".............. Back when Pilika lost her voice... that's when I realized that I couldn't fully protect her. Even though I had promised myself and her dead parents that I would protect her... There are people in my life, Odessa, Nanami, Pilika, Mother... people I need to protect. Odessa........ that's why I need power."
: "I don't need 'power'."
: "I've heard that he who holds one of the 27 true runes gains incredible power and eternal life. If that's true....... I'm so powerless right now..... if I could just have the power to protect the people I love..... Please...... Odessa...." ... So, to protect your best friend, you're grabbing the true rune of Kill Your Best Friend.
: "I don't need 'power'."
: "I don't care how I get the power, as long as it gives me what I want. Please....... Odessa, Please understand....." I JUST DON'T THINK OUR RELATIONSHIP CAN HANDLE THIS NOW OKAY
: "I don't need 'power'." Checking if for once there's more than three responses.
: "Sometimes 'power' hurts people. And 'fate' plays with people's lives. Even so, it's what I need right now." WHOA, SHIT, LEKNAAT.
: [bounce] "You're strong..... Odessa. But I... I'm.... Please...... Odessa...." And then it repeats the most recent three.
: "Since we need 'power'....."
: "Thanks..... Odessa. I'm sorry......" You'd better be.

→ : "Since we need 'power'....."

: "Let's take a look. I just want to see what kind of 'power' it is....." The unfortunate kind."

: "Odessa. I'm taking the cave to the right. You go to the left."

Going to make friends with Leknaat first.
: "Seekers of 'Power'..... Go each to your appointed place... Raise your right hands above it." But what if I want a true rune on my LEFT hand? Joshua and Lazlo get left-hand runes! ... Tir, Riou, Jowy, Hugo, Chris, Geddoe, and Sasarai all have right-hand runes, though, and Leknaat and Arshtat and Zerase and presumably Windy have forehead runes. And then there's Sierra and Luc who don't actually keep their true runes in their rune slots. Well, Luc has it in his right hand in III. Maybe they keep their runes up their asses; it'd explain their attitudes.
Hi Jowy! Can I have Black Sword instead?
: "What is it, Odessa? Are you ready....?"

Bright Shield is bright.
: "This is it. Odessa! Can you hear me? Are you ready?"

[ Raise your right hand ]
: "I...... There are people I want to protect, and so I need power."
They raise their hands, and:
The colour of his glow keeps changing.
Sparkle sparkle rainbow rainbow.
: "Now... I have.... power...... The power of the rune..... ................. Now I have a chance...."
He lowers his hand.
: "Okay. Let's go back."

: "You have been granted the power. Odessa, you have the Bright Shield Rune. Jowy, you have the Black Sword Rune. They are the two aspects of the Rune of Beginning. Go now. Go and write your own fates." I like how you're telling us to do this like the BS runes don't have a bullshit play for us to act up.
White out.
They're all by where the rock was! [BGM: Penpe 2]
: "Awoooooooo......"
: "A dream.....? I don't think it was a dream. Odessa, show me your right hand."
: "So it wasn't a dream after all."
: "W... w... w... what? What happened in there?"
: "Yeah..... I'm okay."
: "...................."
: "We're okay, Pilika. Right, Odessa?"
: "Let's go. We don't know when the Highland Army will come here. And we have to go on...."

STATS:

- PEOPLE WITH FACES MET: Leknaat
- Jowy Points: 9 - 1 (BUT I DON'T WANT A TRUE RUNE) = 8
- Game Overs: 2 total
- Bathrooms: 0

NEXT TIME: ... MUSE. PROBABLY. (No.)