Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Valentine Festival! Episode 4 Part 2

Things pick up with you and Touji working together, leading the rampaging Behemoth around. Behemoth tries to grab Touji, but you take the opening to attack him, which draws Behemoth’s attention. And so the two of you continue switching up roles as decoy and attacker, which the rest of the cafe customers think is just a really cool show.

Even with all this attention on him, Touji stays cool. Hougen is impressed that Touji’s handling this so well and talks about yin and yang again and how both are needed. He also relates this to life and death, though I don’t understand what he’s saying on that part.

Anyways this kiting dance continues. Some maids start talking and wonder if you and Touji being on the same wavelength like this means that you guys are a couple. This surprises him out of his rhythm, which Behemoth seizes on as he tries to grab him. You either tell Touji to watch out, try to get Behemoth to focus on you again, or ask what’s wrong.

Touji apologizes for losing his concentration, and Hougen clicks his tongue in disappointment. Touji then recites the nine syllable seals and cutting to get himself back in the groove, which you can either ask about or recognize.

If you go with B, Touji is surprised you know about it. Either way he explains it’s a meditation technique and what the individual syllables mean, then says it’s almost time to finish things. A mob cop runs over with an order for table 13, saying it’s someone’s gateau chocolat and marron glacĂ©. Touji takes the tray the cakes are on and Ryouta says those are the cakes Behemoth ordered.

Touji decides to make use of them, and Behemoth roars as he attacks again. Touji manages to sidestep Behemoth like a bull fighter, sending him to a different course. A different cop comes up with the parfait Kenta ordered, which you can either comment on, be surprised the cop wants you to pick it up, or say a parfait is too difficult. Going with B, Touji says to relax and that you just need to follow him. Then he says Behemoth is coming back.

You grab the parfait, and Touji says things will end next. Tajikarao says he understands, then opens the cafe’s back gate. Touji tells you to lead Behemoth out that way, and Behemoth’s charge ends up taking him outside.

Hougen compliments Touji and prompts all the customers to applaud him for the show. Touji says you did great playing along with his improv and thanks you. You say that’s good and all but wonder about what Behemoth is doing. Touji tells you Shirou and the others are subduing him out back, then asks that you guys go to because the public attention is bothering him after all.

Outside, Hougen says Touji got a lot of attention and calls him the cafe’s star. Touji thanks him in embarrassment, and Hougen talks about how he enjoyed how it all played out. He also tells Touji to make way for public safety officers to deal with more private work and to follow the examples of living other ways of life.

Touji says he will, then says he was scared then. Scared of being seen and being rejected, scared of going out into the open. Hougen is surprised by how straightforward Touji is being, then brings up Touji’s oni ancestry and the memories of Yukimura. Touji was afraid of those mixing as well as being talked to, which he admits.

When asked if he isn’t now, Touji says yes because fearing what’s inside himself would be the same as fearing you, since you don’t know who you are and have the memories of a bunch of others stuck in you. You can either be surprised, say his name, or stay quiet.

Touji says that everything inside himself is him, and that is how it ought to be. Hougen agrees, saying light and dark are both inside him and that they depend on each other. He also asks if Touji has some deep realization or something, saying he’s grown.

Still, Hougen cautions Touji that he’s only scratched the surface of the way of yin and yang. He says that according to the Book of Changes, yin and yang is in the end about balance I think. Can’t find anything about “ryougi” or dual ceremonies in English sources.

Anyways you can ask what that is or say it has something to do with the heavens and the underworld. If you go with B Hougen laughs and offers to pat you on the head for knowing. Anyways he says that it signifies the duality of light and dark, and that in terms of war it’d be shown as a stance he takes after pointing up and down with his hands. Touji notices that there are no openings in that stance, which you agree with and say it seems like he’d counter anything thrown at him.

Hougen compares the stance to a “pillar” that pierces both heaven and earth, unshakable and unmovable. There’s more, but he says you guys should take it a step at a time. Touji is impressed, thanking Hougen for teaching him about it and saying he’ll show he can grasp the meaning of balance and duality. Or whatever ryougi means.

Hougen stays quiet, and when Touji tries to talk to him he says that it’s two different extremes and the result of opposites. For a single person to do that they’d have to reach the highest end of the heavens and the lowest point of the underworld.

You point out how contradictory that would be, say it isn’t possible to achieve, or say you don’t understand at all. Going A, Hougen says that’s true, but balance is something you find after surpassing contradictions. He then talks about points like “not being dependent, but not being alone either” and “letting go of something because it’s more important than life.” It’s because things are contradictory and can cause terrible suffering that balance exists.

Touji says he doesn’t really understand what Hougen is talking about at this point. He tries to say more on that, but Hougen says he can take his time on it. You can say you’ll do your best with Touji, say Hougen was cool, or say it’s almost time for something.

Going A, he agrees, and Hougen tells him to take a break. He also talks about trying out being a dandy waiter in the meantime, pulling out a silver tray and disappearing. After he goes, Touji seems to think of something after thinking about being unshakeable. You ask him what’s up, suggest meeting up with everyone, or comment on how Hougen left with the wind.

Going with A if it matters, Touji talks to himself about thinking of it as training. Then he asks you for a bit of your time. You either ask him what’s going on, say okay, or say you’ve been waiting for him to say that. Anyways Touji gives you some candy he was making earlier. Shirou and Chouji have checked the taste, but he has stomach medicine just in case.

Touji backtracks a little, apologizing and saying he’s being out of character and confused. You either tell him to calm down, tell him to do his best, or just watch him. He says he’s heard that this is a way to convey strong feelings, so he wants to give it to you.

He grips the box so hard as he’s giving it to you that it’s already a bit warped. You can thank him, say you’re happy to get friendship chocolate, or ask if they’re more special chocolates. Going with A, he’s so shocked by this that he does the nine syllable seals twice over and takes some deep breaths.

Touji comments that he shouldn’t let Hougen see him like that, then says it’s something he’s giving to everyone in the guild. Then he asks you about how they taste since he wants to know what you think of them. You’re about to put one in your mouth, and Touji is sweating in his shoes when this rumbling starts. You ask if he can feel or hear it.

Touji thinks it’s ‘just’ a tremor or earthquake and complains that the ground can’t read the mood as he steps closer. But off in the distance something draws nearer at high speeds. And then Behemoth charges in and loudly asks for the chocolate you have.

Touji is taken by surprise while you say you won’t fall for the charge and side step him. Behemoth trips and faceplants, then gets up and begs you for the chocolate saying he might starve. This makes you feel bad, but they’re from Touji and all. You eventually try to ask Touji if you can give them away, and Touji remembers Hougen talking about letting important things go. He then says you can give them away.

You ask if it’s okay and thank him. He says he’s painfully aware that you can’t ignore anyone, and that he can’t think of Behemoth’s suffering as someone else’s problem. You can either ask what he means or say it must be about the oni memories. Going with B, Touji says going against the way you were born is painfully like tearing yourself apart. If his chocolate will help then he’ll give it, and he tells Behemoth to eat them.

Behemoth starts eating, and Ziz walks over having found him. She asks what he’s eating and says his food is ready. Shirou comes over saying everyone was worried when you two didn’t come back. Behemoth then yells about the chocolate tasting good.

Shirou asks about him tasting it, and you either are surprised by this or have a guess as to why he can taste it. Going B Shirou seems to understand too. He says it’s still a pending hypothesis, but you guys should probably test it out. Ziz stays quiet. Shirou suggests testing it somewhere appropriate when things are ready, then hopes this will solve Behemoth’s problem.

Some time later, Touji asks you to wait. When you ask him what’s up, he says there’s one other thing he wants to give you. But first he asks if you like Japanese sweets, particularly youkan. He talks about how when he was taken in by/left the Sakimoris (I can’t tell which), there was this Japanese sweets place he went to with a Japanese chestnut youkan he really liked.

What he’s got is store bought, but it comes with tea. And this particular thing is something he is only giving to you. You either tell him you like it, be surprised he kept this hidden, or start tripping over your words. Going A, he says he’s glad. Then he laughs a little and says he won’t be responsible if you’re surprised by the taste.

Touji then says that someday he wants to tell you about all the things he likes. And whatever you ask of him, he wants to pay that back extra. He says he’s glad he’s met you and thanks you, and the episode ends as things fade out.

No comments:

Post a Comment