One day, right after lunch with no plans to do anything, MC is playing with their phone when a call comes in.
MC: Oh, it's Akiha Gongen. Did something happen with his event invite? / Hello, thanks for calling!
---
(C) Akiha: Whoa what? But thank you! I like that part about you!
---
Akiha: So anyway I wanted to ask you something since you're an otaku and--
MC: I'm not an otaku! / I'm not THAT much of a nerd! / STOP CALLING ME THAT
Akiha: O-oh. Well you're good at games so I think that's enough to say you're a good otaku... you're saying I just suck? HEY!
Akiha: Well anyways, there's something I want your help with over here. Can you come to that one community workspace shop? One of my friends is feeling stuck so could you give an opinion?
MC: No way! / No mercy / What about yours?
(A) Akiha: Oh don't be like that. You have great insights sometimes! Please?
(B) Akiha: Umm, you aren't fighting right? He just wants constructive criticism.
(C) Akiha: Uhh...
Akiha: Okay this is a lot to suddenly talk about, but my friend is really worried about his creation work. I wanna help, but I can't...
MC: Did something happen?
Akiha: Uh...it sounded like code to me. But he's been worrying for a long time. I wanna help him but I'm not an otaku, so I don't think I get what he's worried about. So then I thought you might be able to do something!
MC: You're so nice / Can I get anything I want as payback? / Will you go on a date with me for this?
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(A) Akiha: I dunno. I just want to get along with people close to home.
(B) Akiha: Sure, anything I can do I'll do it!
(C) Akiha: Okay! We can plan it out another time.
---
MC: Catoblepas just called me so that's great. Did he call you too?
Akiha: Oh right, did you get a message from him about measurements? Eh whatever we can talk about it later. Thanks again, see you at that one shop!
Akihabara Workshop Cafe
Vapula: Hmm. You that novaplice they told me about? (stares appraisingly)
Kuniyoshi: Sorry about this. He said he wanted to observe you first before asking what you thought. This is Vapula by the way, the figure creator who wanted your opinion.
MC: So what's up? / Could you not stare like that? / (stare at his belly)
(A) Vapula: Hmm...it feels weird. A cursory vapiew of you doesn't scream that you're that different. If you get down to it, you have this floaty, blurry feeling vabout you. HMM. Fascinating!
(B) Vapula: Shh! Be vapery quiet for a second. All art starts with observapation. Hmm...interesting frame!
(C) Vapula: You like art too? Sure, we can engage in observapation together! ...hey wait I feel an evapul presence staring at my stomach. Are you after my frame!? Copyright!
Vapula: Vapleased to meet you! I also do vaplastic models and sculpting along with figures. Since Tokyo has more demand for figures than statues, I focus on that. I'm a vaprofessional, so every job has to be perfect!
MC: Awesome! / You're a vaplastic vaprofressional? / The gestalt is collapsing
Akiha Gongen: Anyways, we're asking you to help him.
Vapula: Akihaaa, don't rain on my vaparade like that.
Catoblepas: Well, let's have some drinks first before we get to discussions.
Catoblepas hands out drinks. Vapula explains about his models going crazy and presents one to MC. It's that mermaid one with all the details that would look just as good as a shop model piece.
MC: OMG that's so good! / What's wrong with it? / Uh, it's missing something.
(AB) Vapula: I know, right!? But everyone else at Akihabara thinks something is missing.
Akiha: I agree with MC. This takes amazing talent to make!
(C) Vapula: NOOOO
Kuniyoshi: Yeah it still feels like it needs something.
Catoblepas: I-I think so too, but...never mind.
Vapula: W-what!? Don't stop there, or I'll just keep thinking up vapossibilities on where you were going with that!
Catoblepas: Sorry, I really can't put it into words.
Vapula: Aww man. But that's why I'm looking for opinions from outside school!
MC: Huh. What would the gang think?
MC: (ask Imaginary Shirou) / (ask Imaginary Kengo) / (ask Imaginary Ryouta)
(A) Shirou: You should stop thinking if you hit a roadblock and take a walk to clear your head.
(B) Kengo: Stop being a nerd stuck in your room and move your ass!
(C) Ryouta: Thinking makes me hungry, so checking out all the new restaurants in Akihabara sounds good!
MC: Let's take a break and walk outside / Wanna play some sports? / I'm hungry. Wanna eat somewhere?
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(A) Kuniyoshi: Yeah thinking too much just gums things up, so how about a change of pace?
Vapula: But it's hot out. Walking? In that baplazing heat?
Catoblepas: Oh, how about that event corner we saw then? You can experience a beach walk and have air conditioning there.
(B) Akiha Gongen: Good idea! Wanna use the firefighter training room?
Vapula: In this baplazing heat? Some other time.
Catoblepas: Oh, how about that event corner we saw then? You can experience a beach walk and have air conditioning there.
(C) Vapula: Oh yeah I'm feeling hungry too. Sometimes I forget to eat because I'm too focused on my vaplastic models. But it's hot out, and eating here won't really change my mood up much.
Akiha: Oh yeah, the school event corner is selling food.
Catoblepas: Right, they're styling the cafeteria like a beach house, so eating there could be nice.
---
Kuniyoshi: Let's go then. I've been wanting an early look at the place.
Akiha: I'll go too. I'm worried about Vapula.
Catoblepas: I'm almost done with my term project, so I'll come by later.
Vapula: Okay, let's head on over then!
MC is led to a giant building visible from a train from the nearest train station.
MC: This ISN'T a shopping mall!? / Well that wasn't what I was expecting / I thought it was a department store or something
Vapula: Yeah, you'd never vapicture this to be our school! Isn't it awesome!?
Kuniyoshi: Okay, let's go inside. Don't get lost!
The inside of the school totally looks different from other schools. Also there's random civilians around too.
Kuniyoshi: The ground floor is more an art gallery and shop than a school.
Akiha Gongen: You can see student exhibitions and buy products they got permission to sell.
Vapula: I've sold vaplenty of things myself and made tons of money!
Kuniyoshi: They also sell art materials too, so lots of people outside the school come to buy supplies too. Paint supplies, computers, cosplay mats, figures, and more.
Akiha: They even have black iron sand, fabric hemp, and wall materials. My first time here was a huge surprise.
MC: Literally what
Akiha Gongen: Huh? What'd I say?
Vapula: Everything Akiha mentioned are materials for the vapurposes of our traditional craftworks department. Akihabara Academy is the vaplace that personifies the idea of becoming the bridge between artist and audience! By the way, are they done with construction already? There were tons of construction mats out here just yesterday... they DO have all the lights vaplaced and ready, right?
Akiha: Did you do something?
Vapula: Well I vaplayed around with a bunch of stuff since it seemed like fun! Like, everything! I-I made sure it won't blow up when you turn the power on!
Akiha: Okay, nothing looks damaged. Were you hurt?
Vapula: I'm okay...my vapologies, I'll be more careful next time.
MC: On another note, the entrance looked weird.
Vapula: Yeah, they opened it up so you can get into the vaplace.
Vapula points at what looks like an auditorium entrance that looks like it has a curtained off cubicle extension.
Kuniyoshi: Apparently they'll cast charms on you if you go there.
MC: Huh. Kinda scary, but let's try it out.
Vapula: Aren't you vaplucky, MC! Trial and error is an important vaprocess for any creator!
MC and Kuniyoshi go inside, and a PA system goes off.
PA: Welcome to the Akihabara Special Stage, the Ocean Beach Metaverse! Experience the Sea of Akihabara with your vision! Please observe this image.
An image of a pretty beach pops up. It's just an image.
PA: Please relax and listen to the sounds as you stare at the whole image.
Wave sounds that don't feel like they're played through a speaker play.
PA: Please close your eyes and slowly approach.
The ground feels different. Less floor, more sand. A breeze blows.
PA: When you open your eyes, you'll reach the Akihabara Sea. Enjoy the summer miracle!
MC: Oh my god we're at the beach and it feels real!
Vapula: Wow, you're here too MC? This vaplace is awesome!
Kuniyoshi: They're doing a pre-opening, so there'll be reporters coming while adjustments are done.
Akiha Gongen: Wow, otaku are awesome! But as a firefighter I'm concerned that the sand and water here might have been brought illegally.
???: Oh no worries, that's all been taken care of.
Turing walks up.
Turing: Good day, everyone. Come to check things out, Kuniyoshi?
Kuniyoshi: Hello! To answer, yes and also to get a change of pace.
Turing: And I've never met you before, so may I ask your name?
MC: MC / (speechless) / (smile and handshake)
(A) Turing: Oh, you're Akiha Gongen's friend? I hear you get to know about a hundred people in the course of your life. His statistical friend spread is impressive and I welcome it as a microcosm of the world to sample with.
(B) Turing: Is something on my face? Oh, you're admiring my looks? I'll take that as a compliment.
(C) Turing: Thank you MC. Handshakes is the preferred greeting in my home. Hmm...soft but with a strong core. So you've learned to fight? I see. What an interesting first meeting.
Turing: Thank you for coming to our school. I hope you enjoy today!
Turing totally acts like the perfect gentleman.
Kuniyoshi: People call him the biggest genius creator since Akihabara Academy started up.
Turing: My specialty isn't strictly speaking art, but math and most recently cryptography. Just think of it as related to one of the four main subjects of liberal arts.
Akiha Gongen: I don't understand Japanglish what? Is this otaku slang?
Vapula: Liberal arts refer to the required subjects that make up the basis of studying. There's seven of them, the quadrivium of music, math, geometry, and astronomy and the trivium of rhetoric, grammar, and logic. My home world has vapery similar ideas.
MC: Wow I thought you were a dimwit / (stare respectfully) / No painting or sculpting?
(A) Vapula: HEY! You'd understand if you vapicked up a book!
(B) Vapula: H-hey, you're making me feel vapery embarrassed here. This is just general knowledge. But I do better with compulaments, so keep it coming!
Kuniyoshi: (It's great for an artist to have such high self-esteem.)
(C) Vapula: Think of those as vapplied geometry. Have you heard of perspective drawings or the golden ratio? Drawing and sculpting theory and techniques came from geometry! Vapplication of it then got us 3D modeling and digital drawing. Math and geometry really IS the basis of art!
Vapula: Reading is the foundation of everything. Anything in a book is something that can be taught to me! Oh right. Turing, do you have a term project plan in vaplace?
Turing: Oh yes I do. It's done already, and now it just needs to be graded.
Kuniyoshi: Wow that was fast. But is it not going on display?
Turing bows dramatically.
Turing: I suppose I'll show you! Welcome to Turing's Metaverse space! (slowly presents the area)
Kuniyoshi: OH MY GOD
Vapula: IT'S THE ENTIRE VAPLAZA!?
End of Episode Half
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