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Hunt11 posted:Right now they have the wrap up with Haru to worry about and then the rest of the plot happens and they have other poo poo to worry about. It is somewhat annoying but it does at least make some sense. Which makes a separation between gameplay and story funnier because odds are you've blown through Haru's palace in one day and are just waiting for things to happen. But you're also doing other important Metaverse stuff like Mementos which can be just as important as Palaces considering some of the stuff the request targets get up to.
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Aug 11, 2023 21:45
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I mean yeah you could easily have two weeks of free time that might ostensibly be put towards exploring this new mystery Palace, but we also know from Vanilla that this is basically the last down time the Phantom Thieves are gonna have, and they might not necessarily be one-day-wonders just because a lot of players try to be.Gantolandon posted:I couldn’t stand her at this moment of the game. I know this is a common enough take, but her faults have been pretty prominently on display the whole time. The game just doesn't draw attention to it because she's only ever around Joker, who is a silent-ish protagonist, and Morgana, who is an unreliable narrator. I think the only time anything's been addressed directly is the scene with Maruki grossly violating doctor-patient confidentiality at you.
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Aug 11, 2023 21:58
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Chapter 144: 10/5: One Gross Update (Bad) Before we get into the meat of this update, I felt I should share with you something I did recently related to this LP. You see, previously on rare occasions I have used various guides on the internet that list the days Confidants are available to plan ahead a bit. Normally this is something I do only a couple days in advance if at all, to figure out how best to plan going to a Palace, or getting certain Confidant benefits before a specific in-game day. That is not the case this time. This time, I went… a bit overboard. I made a goddamn spreadsheet. This spreadsheet, which I will not be showing you, contains information on which Confidants are available on which days, going until the end of the next deadline. Using that information, I have essentially routed most of the rest of the LP. Until the November deadline, I know exactly what I’ll be doing during each and every time block. And when I say “each and every,” I mean it. There is no, I repeat, no wiggle room, no free days. I am metagaming the poo poo out of this. But why am I metagaming the poo poo out of this? Well… that’s a very good question, honestly, especially since it took me like three solid hours to plan this. The answer is that I don’t really know. Back during the original LP, I managed to get every non-Phantom Thieves Confidant maxed out before the November deadline, and I did this because there’s miniscule amounts of story content in the form of the text messages they send you after you get “murdered.” I figured I’d try to make that happen again. There was really no reason to do that, though, because, again, the content is miniscule, and crucially, I already showed it all in the last LP. But I had no idea it would be this tight. Hell, when I started it I was only planning to do the night Confidants because most of the day ones are party members that we can easily finish in December, but I eventually just widened the scope to include everything when I realized I would need to include certain prerequisite events during the daytime. There were also some complications, a notable one being that the very next day I was about to record had an impossible event because it rains that night and the event takes place outdoors, so I had to swap some stuff around. I also had to move around certain events because I forgot when some Confidants get gated by Mementos requests. I also realized at basically the last possible moment that I had forgotten about future stuff we have to do that doesn’t progress a Confidant. What do I mean by that? I’ll tell you later, it’s nothing major. What I can tell you about is Futaba’s remaining jazz club outings, which I had to carefully figure out because some of the jazz club skills in December are quite good and we’ll want to give them to someone. We won’t be getting all the relevant skills for her before the deadline, but we’ll get enough that we can get the rest afterwards. There’s also the fact that we haven’t maxed out Guts yet even though Iwai needs that for his Rank 7.5 event, so I had to figure out how to make that work, because not only are there no Guts books left to read in an interstitial period like on the way to school or in class, but there aren’t even any movies in the theaters that boost Guts and we’ve already done the last Takemi event that gives any, so we’re beholden to Big Bang Burger during the daytime. At night, we have slightly more options between curry/our rented DVD/video games/also Big Bang Burger, but our nights are jam-packed even more than our days are. Thankfully, we have a few plot nights coming up where we can’t leave Leblanc, so we can take advantage of those to get our Guts up, though we’ve only just hit the “close to ranking up” flag, so we might need more than one event to max it out. Also, one thing we won’t be able to do for this period, I’m afraid, is go on outings with Caroline and Justine. I initially thought we’d be able to spare a single evening for them, but we don’t even have that. We’ll have to save those for after. The October-November deadline is littered with little annoyances that made routing this a huge pain. For one, Haru’s Confidant unlocks, meaning we have to rush through with her while figuring out how many events we can save for December. Another aggravating detail is that the Palace requires two consecutive days. We can do something those nights thanks to Kawakami, but it makes finding a good place for the infiltration a major hassle. Another less specific hassle was planning when to go to Mementos, because we need to have every remaining Confidant request on hand at the same time so we can do them all at once, but it also needs to be early enough in the schedule that we have time to do all the events gated by those requests. We also need to make sure we’re doing something every night for the sake of efficiency, so we also need to carefully plan based on the number of events remaining before that gate and the availability of each Confidant. It was a nightmare. Another bit of weirdness is that neither Mishima nor Yoshida are available after the November deadline (well, Mishima kind of is, but only after you steal Shido’s Treasure, and I would like to do that after I’ve maxed everything, personally, and Yoshida isn’t relevant here because we always max him extremely early). The schedule being extremely tight is also going to hurt us when it comes to getting Confidant points, because any deficit has the potential to break the schedule. If we’re three notes short of a rank up after a Confidant event, that’s potentially three days of Chihaya’s Affinity Reading we need in between those events, and we can only do one Affinity Reading per day, so if we need points with multiple Confidants, we need even more time. I’ve been doing it pretty religiously already, but it’s going to be more important than ever that I bring a matching Persona to these events. The last thing I’ll mention is that I believe that I was almost certainly wrong when like a hundred updates ago I said that some Confidants had an invisible timer between event availability, because looking at the availability charting here, there’s seemingly no rhyme or reason to which days a Confidant is available whatsoever. There’s gaps of several days in availability all over the place and it all seems completely random, so I think I was just noticing something that seemed to be the case that didn’t match with the actual data. Anyway, I’ve written almost 1200 words about this complete boondoggle, so that’s enough of that for now. Time for the update.  Anon: Ooh, a calling card! kekeke Early Morning Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)    The day Haru’s going to get sent off is almost here… We took the Treasure, so all we have to do is wait. *guttural throat spasm* Uh… Are you okay? Uh… yeah, I think I’m fine, it’s just that when you said those words I momentarily forgot how to breathe or something. Like, my body was overcome by a sudden awareness of itself and lost control of its own basic functions? I… don’t know what that means. It doesn’t matter, it’s passed now, let’s just move o—ARSÈNE: Hello once more. Oh gently caress off, not this again.HECATONCHEIRES: Yes, that’s right! Welcome back to your favorite program and mine too, “Neural Divergence”! Let’s meet our lovely cast for this week!  HECATONCHEIRES: Kushinada! I cannot believe this horseshit is happening twice.KUSHINADA: Sir, I understand your frustration, but I’m here to help you. Now, please state the nature of your complaint and I’ll do my best to resolve this ticket promptly. Well, for starters, my mind is a clown car filled to the brim with schizophrenia at the moment.KUSHINADA: I see. KUSHINADA: …… KUSHINADA: Have you tried rebooting it? Rebooting…? You mean my brain? HECATONCHEIRES: All right sport, save some chemistry for everyone else! We’ve still got ten to go! Next up, Queen Mab! QUEEN MAB: The flame of youth burns bright within this child/He will perform his rage against this world Are you going to talk like that the whole time?QUEEN MAB: My words shall soothe the ache within your heart/Do not complain when mere silence will do I think she just told me to shut up. HECATONCHEIRES: Yurlungur! YURLUNGUR: Would you still love me if I were a worm? You are a worm. Also, I don’t love you.HECATONCHEIRES: Harsh! YURLUNGUR: Wooooow! I see how it is! You’re loving that *whore* Arahabaki aren’t you!?  HECATONCHEIRES: Daisoujou! DAISOUJOU: Hey, you’re not old enough to drink, right? Dammit… You think you can find someone to buy us some alchohol? I’ve got a long list of things I’d like to partake in and I’m counting on you to help me out. Wait, weren’t you a Buddhist monk who attained nirvana or something?DAISOUJOU: That’s about the long and short of it, yes, but now I’m stuck in your head and it’s made me rethink some things. Eternal transcendent bliss is okay, I guess, but now that I stop to consider my options, I’ve realized that hedonism is where it’s at. Come on, let’s get completely hosed up. Sorry, how many more are there?HECATONCHEIRES: Buddy, we’re not even close to done!  HECATONCHEIRES: Kikuri-Hime! KIKURI-HIME: Hello this is… Göojlé customer support contacting you about a recent log-in to your account from Namur, Belgium. If this was not you, please login via this link to reset your password immediately. Huh, that seems bad… but resetting my password seems like a pain, so I’ll just let them steal my identity, whatever.KIKURI-HIME: Come on man, I need this, I got a quota Wait a minute… Why do you look almost exactly like Kushinada? Like, your hair and various ornaments are different, but everything else down to your pose is almost exactly the same. Some of your clothes are different colors and that’s it.KIKURI-HIME: *Kikuri-Hime has left the room*  HECATONCHEIRES: Belphegor! BELPHEGOR: Hey man, you mind? Oh, geez… Uh, sorry, man.BELPHEGOR: Whatever, just don’t look over here, I’m gonna be on here a while. I might need some TP later though.  HECATONCHEIRES: Pazuzu! PAZUZU: As a Jehovah’s Witness, I must inform you that I consider healing spells to be a form of blood transfusion and thus cannot use them on you. You don’t even know any healing spells.PAZUZU: I can’t celebrate birthdays either. That’s fine, I’m not even sure if I have a birthday now that I think about it. HECATONCHEIRES: Byakko! BYAKKO: Why, hello there chum! Are you as excited to vote this November as I am? As an unbiased observer, Hillary Clinton’s clearly the only candidate for me! I don’t know who that is. Is that some foreign politician? I’m not even old enough to vote in *this* country. Maybe your candidate should spend more time campaigning locally instead of in the mind of a single Japanese teenager.BYAKKO: HOW DARE YOU  HECATONCHEIRES: Kumbhanda! KUMBHANDA: They’re fluoridating the water supply to keep us docile. That’s why I only drink Pibb Xtra. I don’t even think we have fluoridated water in Japan.HECATONCHEIRES: Moving on!  HECATONCHEIRES: Power! POWER: As the closest thing in this mindscape to an authority figure, I have taken the role of moderator. Therefore, I feel the need to inform you that these extended introductions constitute a derail. I’m going to warn you to wrap it up promptly or risk having all your little friends banned. Sounds good to me. HECATONCHEIRES: No need to get hasty there, because I’m your host, Hecatoncheires, and the last member of our little lineup today! We wanted a twelfth here, but Isis hit traffic! Really not looking forward to the next day or two with these idiots gabbing in my head.ARSÈNE: Well, I have good news for you then: you will not have to bear that burden. Those introductions took so long we have run out of time. POWER: I *told* you! Wait, you’re just leaving now!? What was the point of any of this, then!? After all that buildup, that’s it? No punchline?ARSÈNE: Nope. Honestly, it is for the best, anyway. Nobody here had any further plan for where to go with this one. We were kind of just doing it to do it, you know. I hate my brain.ARSÈNE: Seems like it hates you back. Farewell for now. He’s still unresponsive… I should probably call for help, but… Eh, this isn’t really my problem. Bye, Maaku!This is easily in the top three worst things I’ve ever done. I am in no way happy with this update. I’ll see you next time. Goodbye. Arist fucked around with this message at 23:01 on Nov 24, 2023 |
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Aug 23, 2023 01:56
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So, if it wasn't clear, I decided right before starting this one to do another "Mental Break" update, spent multiple days with writer's block on the Persona personalities, then spent another few days stuck on this scene trying to introduce them all, then finally realized that the entire enterprise loving sucked and I hated it and the only way to salvage it was to make that the joke! I spent way too long stuck on this one, to the point I just put it out despite its length because I needed to finish something, and I'll be happy just to have a normal one next time.
Arist fucked around with this message at 02:06 on Aug 23, 2023 |
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Aug 23, 2023 02:02
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Arist posted:
Whole thing was worth it for this joke, imho
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Aug 23, 2023 02:46
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So I know the sane answer is "you don't actually need to max out every non-PT confidant by the november deadline," but if it helps, you'll get Shinya's follow-up text even if you haven't maxed out his confidant. I imagine the same goes for Mishima, but I dunno for sure.
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Aug 23, 2023 03:09
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I appreciate the over-engineering of your routing because I don't have a very good memory and I have largely forgotten the contents of the original so I am happy that we will be seeing the largest amount of content. Also the punchline was in fact worth the build-up, don't worry.
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Aug 23, 2023 05:39
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Arist posted:PAZUZU: I can’t celebrate birthdays either. I just realize that, even with the calendar system, modern Persona games have mostly skipped over birthday celebrations. It comes up once for Persona 3 and 4, but not in a substantial way and as a small part of a social link event.
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Aug 23, 2023 08:30
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Flair posted:I just realize that, even with the calendar system, modern Persona games have mostly skipped over birthday celebrations. It comes up once for Persona 3 and 4, but not in a substantial way and as a small part of a social link event. As a side note, you can spend birthdays (Social Linking, at least) with only three party members: Ryuji, Yusuke and Haru. Ann is unavailable on her birthday (a Saturday). Makoto's takes place in April, before she's a party member, while Futaba's happens outside the P5 active gameplay calendar (late February). Akechi's in the same boat as Makoto; funnily enough, his birthday is June 2nd, and his SL officially starts on the 10th. That said, you can still take Ann to the jazz club on her birthday, so that... kinda counts as spending time with her?
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Aug 23, 2023 11:34
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Arist posted:
that's a loving mood right there
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Aug 24, 2023 18:05
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Chapter 145: 10/5-10/6: My Best Shogi Friend Early Morning → Morning Music: My Homie   *intercom chime* (Woman’s Voice) Uhhh, ahem… Mr. Ushimaru, please come to the faculty office at once.  What? I don’t know what business this is… …You better study on your own until I return!  So, what’s the plan?    I love the sound of the word “chief.” I’d like to be called that too, someday.    Phew, that was close. Kawakami helped us get a good chunk of free time though!Morning → After School Music: Tokyo Emergency   (DJ) Will we get to see the proud and confident Okumura break down in tears and apologize!? It seems like our listeners are expecting nothing less. Disgusting. People are ganging up, hoping that man gets humiliated. That’ll bring ‘em bad karma. Futaba, we already went through this rigamarole today, and it sucked for everyone. Hey, are you free today? Only one thing left on the promise list… “Being okay without you around.” But before that, there’s something I wanna show you, Maaku. Come to my room.Hermit Rank 6: Part 116  I wanted to show you one of the old promise lists I made with my mom… Everything’s completed, except… I lied about one of them. I never actually finished the promise to “get along with Kana-chan.” It was from back in elementary school.Music: Alright (Elp Version)  I used to get bullied for being weird. I’d get perfect scores on tests, so the other kids would accuse me of cheating. Once I even turned in a blank test… so the school yelled at my mom. I hated school, and I didn’t have a single friend… Yep, school is terrible and people are awful. I thought our goal was to give me the ability to go to school again, though… Really? Can’t imagine why. Education’s a sucker’s game, Futaba. Take this seriously! Fine, but cut to the chase. You still hadn’t even gotten to the person you were supposed to get along with. Anyway, I was lonely until Kana transferred to my school. She was absent a lot, and she would get bullied just like me when she attended. But one day, she came up to me and said “Good morning.” From then on, she would say it every day.Man, this scene is long, and it’s kind of hard to add humor because it’s mostly just a monologue from Futaba that’s also pretty emotionally fraught. There can’t be too much more of this, right?  Oh, jesus! Hm? You listening? Sorry, I’m paying attention, I just had the weirdest sensation of déjà vu. You were talking about accidentally reading about Kana’s abuse in her diary, right? Yeah… I ran away and didn’t talk to her after that, and she moved away not long after. So I lied and told my mom that we were best friends, even after Kana-chan left… She’d write that promise every month… and every month, I’d lie about it.Music: Sunset Bridge I… I wish I could apologize to Kana-chan somehow. I really wanna say I’m sorry… Sorry for not helping her, though she was going through even worse stuff than I was… Sorry for reading her diary… Sorry… for running away… I hate being such a coward… But I think I might be able to face my fears now that I’m a promise-settling Phantom Thief! “Get along with Kana-chan”… I’m gonna do it for real this time!  Whoa… I didn’t mean to tell you all that… I haven’t even told Sojiro, this is so embarrassing! You gotta help me now, okay!? It feels like Futaba is starting to depend on me…  Welp, I’m gonna get on that right now! Time to go look up Kana-chan’s deets! Oh, and… sorry I wasn’t too hospitable today. That’ll have to wait for next time! Now, make like a cheetah and dash outta my room!Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   When I try looking up Kana-chan’s contact info, my fingers suddenly start trembling… I know I promised myself that I’d do this… but when I remember how angry Kana-chan got, I get so scared…    I don’t want to run away anymore. I won’t give up on Kana-chan. …Thanks, Maaku. Talking to you about this helped me calm down. Oh, and please don’t tell anyone else about what we discussed today! Not even Sojiro, okay!? Bye!After School → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain-    No, not yet… >Well, good talk. *turns off phone*That was just a generic group text about the media being awful and the team’s desire to find the true culprit. Nothing actually important.   The popularity of the Phantom Thieves is stronger than ever. More people are becoming fans every day. Some, however, might be going too far with comments like, “I want them to destroy all evildoers.” That’s not even that inflammatory, come on.  I’m glad that we have fans, but not if they’re genuine fanatics.Music: Time to Repent    And so… Oh, do you have some time? …I’m feeling a bit anxious.  …After I confessed, I was scorned by the media. I bet everyone wants me to lose.     Well, it’s time. I have to go to the venue. You won’t be able to go inside the match room, but you can watch over the internet, if you’d like. Now… I should be going. Wait, the match is right now!? You never said that!Star Rank 9: Part 119 Music: Alleycat    Nope, spoke too soon, she’s about to lose. Hifumi looks troubled as she’s being pushed around the board… At least, that’s what I think is happening. I still don’t really know how to play this game… (Shogi Magazine Journalist) I’m thinking “Phony Princess, Real Defeat” as the headline for our next article.  I should go slash that journalist’s tires before I meet with Hifumi…  …I was utterly destroyed out there. It was as if an ant had challenged an elephant. A shogi player should know her limits. That was the first time I have ever forfeited a match… I was so ashamed of myself. I didn’t want to hurt the pieces any longer… Well… It was the queenly thing to do, at least. You remembered! What? Oh, right, your chuuni thing about losing with grace and having the dignity of a queen or whatever. Really, I was just saying you’d probably be a better fit for the “Queen” moniker than *someone* I know. Though you don’t actually know that person, I don’t know why I made that comment as if you would understand it. It’s odd… I’m naturally disappointed in my loss, but I feel at peace. It’s like a fell aura has been cleansed from my being… What matters is what I do from now on. Though I must say, I’m ashamed to have played so disgracefully in front of you… Maybe you should take today as a lesson in what not to do… and accept that there are times where you must forfeit with valor and grace. Oh, don’t worry about being embarrassed. Even on your worst day, you’re on a different planet than I am in terms of skill. Not that I know enough about this game to even call you out on poor play, heh… I feel Hifumi’s trust in me growing… Um, I’ve been thinking about this for a while… Let’s make today your last lesson… What? Spending time with me has only brought you pain… Completely untrue. I have no idea how you got that idea. Hifumi is thinking hard… I should be careful about what I say here… …So this is goodbye. Not a fan of the first option here, so let’s pick the second.  Huh…? What do you… You’re… just trying to comfort me because I lost, right…? *shakes head* P-Please stop… I’m the Phony Princess… I mean, I lied to everyone… And yet, you want to be by my side…? I should choose my words carefully… What do you mean by that…? Music: Alright I want to keep being your friend. Or even, perhaps, something mo— Friend? …Or maybe we could go o— Well, if you insist, I suppose I wouldn’t be opposed to us continuing as shogi friends. …poo poo, did I just friend-zone *myself*? Thank you, Maaku. I look forward to a long and productive shogi relationship. Strictly platonic, of course. *sigh* MY CAR!!! Hm? What’s that about? I believe that’s my cue to leave, actually. See you around, Hifumi.  About how things would’ve been if I’d kept playing shogi according to my mother’s strategy… I could have enjoyed a transient, empty success. But when I looked two, three moves ahead…  I probably would’ve ended up hating shogi. Perhaps even given up on life.   It is so encouraging to have someone who truly understands me. I’m so happy… All right, I should go. But I’m looking forward to seeing you again. Anon: This is getting good! Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)   Music: Everyday Days   Did you want me to call you “Chief” now? Heh, I’m just kidding. Did you learn more about chiefs and their big hearts? Even in the underworld, there’s kindness…Wait, underworld? Was that book actually about the yakuza? Maaku gains Kindness +3. Early Morning → Morning Music: So Boring   Having executed the royalty, the revolutionaries proceeded to take the courts under their control… All who opposed the revolution were executed. However, the revolutionaries, too, were then reviled as despots and executed by the public.GET IT DO YOU GET IT Many people were executed during the French Revolution. The fact that this many executions were possible was actually due to one specific invention. Hamiru-kun. Take a look at this.  Now, do you know who invented this instrument? *not really paying attention* Uh, yeah, it was… Joe Guillotine. That’s correct. This tool is named after him. Huh!? By the way, Charles-Henri Sanson, the famous executioner… It’s said that he killed 2800 people with the advent of the guillotine. But now, when the world needed him most… he vanished.  It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it embodied the French spirit of equality.Maaku gains Knowledge +1. Revolution is sometimes a bloody thing… The revolutionaries that rose up for freedom became despots themselves… It’s a common tale. Our social reform doesn’t hurt anybody in the real world… It’s a bloodless revolution!Morning → After School Music: Tokyo Daylight    We didn’t get enough points with Hifumi last night, so we need to head over to Chihaya. The really dangerous thing about having a rigid schedule like the one I mentioned last update is that any deviation at all will basically kill the entire thing. We cannot afford to miss an event because of not having enough points. The problem with that, though, is that if two events from the same Confidant are too close together, we might be forced into a situation we cannot resolve, especially because we can only use Chihaya’s Affinity Reading once per day, despite being able to complete two Confidant events in the same period. Thankfully, we do still have a (very limited) ability to get slightly more points with a chosen Confidant without consulting Chihaya or spending time. I’ll get to that in just a second.  It doesn’t end up mattering too much for now, though, because Hifumi didn’t require much more.  Let’s head into Rocinante.  We’ll buy another Calling Postcard, giving us 4. I assume we must have gotten three from the TV shopping program or something, gently caress if I can remember. I guess we probably also bought one previously for Sakai’s trade, but the stock has refreshed by now. This is the backup plan I just mentioned. Once a week at the height of Phantom Thieves mania, Rocinante will stock a Calling Postcard. I believe this is, if not the last week, then one of the last two weeks to get one. It shouldn’t matter, because we probably won’t need all four anyway. See, we can actually mail these Calling Postcards to our Confidants to get an additional point once per day. The process to do this is actually a tiny bit obscure because to my knowledge the only mailbox in the game is in a corner of Yongen’s backstreets you have no real reason to investigate. Also, if you live in the US like I do we paint our public mailboxes blue instead of red for some stupid reason so you might not even be conditioned to think “that’s a mailbox” if you did happen to notice it. Whatever, this additional safeguard should help shore up the plan.  We’ll hang out with Shinya in just a second. First, though, the crane game prizes have changed!       WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!? I AM!  All right, let’s go talk to Shinya.    After our training, I want to talk about the rumors surrounding Takekuma.Tower Rank 5: Part 120 Music: Alright (Elp Version)   I can’t stop thinking about my battle with Takekuma… Oh, are you still thinking about that? I figured you’d have forgotten about it by now, considering how having undiagnosed ADHD is hot with the kids these days. You say some weird stuff, Hamiru-san… But no, I’m still upset. I’ve been practicing so much, he had to have been using cheat armor or something! I’ve even heard rumors about him doing stuff like that! That has to be it! Wait… didn’t we meet in the first place because you can outfight cheaters? These are better cheats. Uh, sure, whatever you say. By the way… I told my mom about what happened with Takekuma… but she didn’t really seem to care. All she said was “Okay.” Yeah, that’s moms and video games. Unless… you think it’s something else? It’s probably because I lost… She doesn’t like kids who lose. My mom once said to me that we need to be strong, because it’s just the two of us. She said that the weak just get preyed on. So I need to get stronger, so people won’t prey on us… So we’ll be the predators… Spoken like a true capitalist. Sounds like we might need to break out good ol’ Joseph-Ignace’s greatest invention one more time… It’s why I wanna be like the Phantom Thieves… They’re the strongest, and they can prey on anyone. And once I’m the strongest, my mom will be able to count on me. But all I’m good at is games… so I can’t lose here. I need to find a way past Takekuma’s armor… But thanks for listening to me. You’re kinda like the older sibling I never had. I can talk to you about anything… I feel Shinya’s brotherly affection… Previously, the Tower Rank 5 reward was Ammo Pouch, which added additional clips of ammunition to everyone’s stock. However, because in Royal each gun has only one clip, and the amount of ammunition is determined from customization, Ammo Pouch has been changed to Laced Bullets, which increases the odds that your firearm will inflict an ailment if it can. Takekuma better watch out… Oh, I gotta go! See you later! Interacting with Shinya has made my heart grow… I feel like my Kindness has increased…Maaku gains Kindness +2.    Heh heh… I sound like a grownup, huh? Yeah, my mom says that a lot in her conference calls. But since he might be cheating, normal training isn’t gonna cut it. I gotta think of a new strategy by the next time I challenge him!   I feel like I’m right on the edge of a good idea. Once I figure everything out, you should come train with me!  …Well, I’ll definitely win next time. See ya.After School → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask  Today, we take an in-depth look into Kunikazu Okumura, the man who made the chain what it is today. Mr. Okumura is well-connected in various industries, and it’s even rumored he may enter politics. The news is talking about Haru’s dad. It seems he’s got influence in all sorts of different areas…  There is literally no reason to keep doing crosswords at this point. Not only are we maxed on Knowledge, we got the Thieves Den Award for doing them. We’re still going to keep doing them, though, because crossword facts! Music: Everyday Days       This one was extremely easy.   Maaku gains Knowledge +1. Music: Beneath the Mask   Hurry back to your prison! Music: Aria of the Soul   We need to grab a Fortune Persona to spend time with Chihaya, but I’m also trying to make room in my deck, so we’re going to Electric Chair Hecatoncheires for the skill card Swift Strike.   We do the same with Belphegor for Mabufula.    Ummm… do you remember what happened last time? That man, Chairman Fukurai, visited me… If you have some time, can you stick around and chat for a bit?  Okay… let’s go somewhere else.Fortune Rank 7: Part 95  But I’ve decided: I’m going to tell you everything about Fukurai-san. As well as the real reason I decided to leave my village… Music: Alleycat You remember how I told you that I grew up in a small, traditional village tucked away in the mountains? Well, ever since I was young I would predict disasters. The villagers revered me as a messenger from the gods… for a time. Eventually, though, they started to blame me for those disasters. They said I was a monster, so I locked myself away. People would just throw stones through the window… until one day, a mob came and burned the entire house to the ground. Jeez, it’s like a cargo cult, and not even the funny kind… That’s why I came to Tokyo after high school, looking to change my fate. I needed money, so I took a job at a night club, surrounded by ne’er-do-wells. That’s when Chairman Fukurai found me. He’s psychic too, you know. Suuuuuuure he is. That’s why he’s got you shilling rock salt to domestic abuse victims.I have completely forgotten if my distrust of Fukurai’s “psychic abilities” is ever borne out. I could legitimately see it going either way, but I’m going to leave this bit in even if I’m wrong so you all can laugh at me. He took one look at me and he knew I was a runaway. When I told him the truth, he invited me to join the ADP on the spot. That’s how I got the title of Maiden of Relief. He told me that my power could help people… That I didn’t have to be a monster… I broke down crying when he told me that… But it wasn’t even true. I am a monster. I knew all along that the Holy Stones were fake, I just kept going along with it out of ego and vanity, that I might be able to save those people. I’m a terrible person… Listen, Chihaya, I’m not going to lie to you… Yes. But you can still make this right. This level of introspection is something most people don’t ever manage to reach. It’s something that takes a lot of strength. Or failing that, talking to me enough usually does it for some reason. My point is, you can be better. You really think so!? Well, then… I’ll do it! I won’t turn a blind eye! I’ll expose the chairman and wake up the other members! Thank you so much for listening to me today… If there’s ever anything you need to talk about, I’d be glad to return the favor, Hamiru-san. I can sense a strong resolve from Chihaya…  Special Fate Reading is the former capstone ability for the Fortune Confidant, here moved down to Rank 7. It’s still garbage. I don’t think just telling people the Holy Stones are fake will change their minds. The ADP holds special “seminars” to brainwash their followers into buying more Holy Stones. Even the Maiden of Relief has no power there… That’s enough for today, though. Thank you again.Music: Break it Down   Now that I think bout it, I barely knew anything about the chairman, nor the ADP in general… So I’m thinking of doing some research on the ADP first.   I am a little nervous, but I have to do this for the other members. I hope I’ll find convincing information. Something to bring the others to their senses… …From now on, I will see with my own two eyes, rather than through cryptic fortunes. Now, I should be going…
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Sep 7, 2023 22:51
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Arist posted:I have completely forgotten if my distrust of Fukurai’s “psychic abilities” is ever borne out. I could legitimately see it going either way, but I’m going to leave this bit in even if I’m wrong so you all can laugh at me. At the end, it is implied that Fukuari was not only lying but also knew Chihaya before meeting her at the nightclub. Anyway, you are likely correct.
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Sep 8, 2023 04:44
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I've beaten this game twice and read your first playthrough and didn't know about the mailbox thing. 
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Sep 8, 2023 15:56
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I found the mailbox in my first playthrough, but I dunno if I ever used it to optimize my confidant grind. I mostly just send them to Akechi because I think it's funny.Flair posted:At the end, it is implied that Fukuari was not only lying but also knew Chihaya before meeting her at the nightclub. Anyway, you are likely correct. I forget if it's ever made explicit, but I always figure he saw a country girl way out of her depth, lugging a whole bunch of authentic-looking fortune telling gear, and read her like a book. Y'know, how a con man operates.
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Sep 8, 2023 17:22
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Arist posted:
Yeah, it's not terribly obvious from the English book title but "chief" here is oyabun.
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Sep 8, 2023 20:25
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Polsy posted:Yeah, it's not terribly obvious from the English book title but "chief" here is oyabun. "I mean, sure, I had the boys drown that guy who wouldn't pay protection, but I felt really bad about it! Really, the whole thing was an accident, I didn't want them to hold him under that long!"
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Sep 8, 2023 20:40
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For me, it's easier to believe that Chihaya is a genuine cognitive psience savant than to trust a single word coming from No-Good Tora.
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Sep 8, 2023 23:32
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:I forget if it's ever made explicit, but I always figure he saw a country girl way out of her depth, lugging a whole bunch of authentic-looking fortune telling gear, and read her like a book. Y'know, how a con man operates. He admits to being a country boy and calls her "Chi-chan" at the end; it is implied he knew her back in the country, and the chance encounter at the night club was the opportunity he sought to start his own scam after being scammed.
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Sep 9, 2023 05:30
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Chapter 146: 10/7-10/8: Snail Mail Anon: Exterminate his family too! Early Morning   Really though, who are they? If I met them, it would be love at first sight! What are they waiting for? Hurry up and do it already! Heroes have an obligation to rescue the weak.Anon: Better run, Mr. CEO B) Anon: Exterminate his family too! Anon: welp, time for a burg Anon: SO MANY COMMENTS OMG Anon: Here comes the apology rofl Early Morning → After School Music: Tokyo Daylight   “Be sure to have a goal in mind for career counseling.” “Second semester midterms begin on October 17th.” Music: Butterfly Kiss   It’s easy to get sick in that in-between period as the seasons change, so be careful. You came because you saw my messages, right? Actually, I was meaning to stock up on some restoratives first.  I’m going to buy 2 Kundaclear-Rs (clears all allies’ debuffs) to bring my stock to 3, a Kajaclear-R (clears all enemies’ buffs) to bring my stock to 3, 3 Life Ointments (revives an ally with full HP) to bring my stock to 5, 2 Relax Gels (cures Rage/Despair/Brainwash/Fear for one ally) to bring my stock to 5, and 4 Takemedic-All-Zs (restores 200 HP to all allies) to bring my stock to 5.   I’ve made progress with the medicine. Could you tag along for a bit? I’m going to meet someone at Inokashira Park. It’s close, right? Let’s go. Death Rank 9: Part 120 Music: Sunset Bridge   Let me know if you need anything else. (Middle-Aged Man) Based on what I read in the findings summary your sent me, the results are truly amazing. We’ll perform one final exam with our equipment and we’ll be ready to treat Miwa-chan with it. That seems too easy. Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy the little girl will be cured, but that can’t possibly be the proper due diligence on your end. Yes, well, I’m sure all the testing Takemi-san did was thorough, safe, and above-board. We’ve got nothing to worry about. She fed me poison for months! Hey, man, I don’t wanna know. You’re making this harder than it needs to be. So, this is the kid from your study, hm? Yes, he’s my little guinea pig. *shudder* Please put some thought into the offer we discussed, will you? All right, I’ll call you later. He’s the doctor treating Miwa-chan. He just so happened to be a year ahead of me in college. I told him everything since I was so close to perfecting the medicine. Thanks again for all your help. Eh, don’t mention it. It was for my exams. From what I’ve seen of their staff and facilities, I’m confident they’ll succeed on time. But it’s out of my hands now… unless I accept their offer. Offer? They recruited me, actually. That man we just talked to offered me the position of head of research and development at his hospital. …Meaning I’ll have to close my practice. Huh!? The job starts first thing next month. My practice will close, and I’ll urge my patients to transfer to that hospital, where I’ll give them priority. But… My illegal drugs… Oh? You seem upset… Well, it’s fine, because I was kidding.Music: Alright (Elp Version) They did recruit me, but I’m not going to close the practice. Hahaha… Epic prank, bro… Whew… Oh, and I’ll think of a good reward for my little guinea pig for staying strong all this time and holding up his end of the deal. Okay, first off, you don’t need to call me that anymore. Second, you actually never needed to call me that and I’ve always preferred you didn’t. Third, can the reward not just be the super medicine you promised me originally? Uh… maybe, I suppose. If I can’t think of anything better. It feels like my bond with Takemi is growing even deeper… You were really concerned when you thought I was going to close this office. I know you said it was for your entrance exams, but come on, really? I think it’s time you started being honest with me. It’s okay. You can tell me. Why did you keep coming to me? I should choose my words carefully… Why don’t you tell me the truth about why you kept coming to me? So, Takemi’s romance actually requires three successive responses to trigger. Option one here is the first, and all three of the “romance” flags in this conversation give points, while the platonic choices do not. We will actually be short a couple points for the next rank with Takemi at the end of this, so the optimal thing to do would be to choose one or both of the romance flag options that we can without the romance locking in, then back out on the third choice. We’re not going to do that, both because I don’t really care to entertain this romance and also because I find sticking with the “it’s for my exams” excuse despite all surrounding context to be really funny. I know I made a big deal in the last update about how worried I am about Confidant point deficits, but also… whatever, who gives a poo poo? Is that so? Well, I can take a hint. It’s getting late… You should get going. Come visit anytime. I’ll see you later.   I’ve got my drug in the hands of someone I trust. Everything’s on track for the cure to go through. And something tells me… I’d never have gotten this far without you. Thanks for doing this. You stuck by me, even when one of those side-effects could have killed you. You really are the best guinea pig I could’ve hoped for.  But I have faith that someday soon, it’ll help Miwa-chan smile again. …And I haven’t forgotten all you did to help. I ‘ll make sure to bump up your compensation a little. We’re done with the clinical trials, but you can drop by anytime you need some more medical supplies. Might as well keep getting checkups, too. Better safe than sorry, right? I’ll look at whatever you need me to.After School → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask  (Host) It’s all about looking fabulous and mysterious at the same time! Girls really like this look, huh? (Panelist) Oh, sure. If I were twenty years younger, I wouldn’t mind a phantom thief stealing my heart… Hahaha.    As I mentioned earlier, we need points with Takemi.  One visit to Chihaya won’t be enough, sadly. Music: Crossroads  I dunno, Ohya, it seems pretty obvious what’s next to me.  But how the heck would you know, right? Riiiiiight?All right, calm down.  *sigh* …God, my head is splitting. Work’s been tough… I need a break… You have any good stories? I’m takin’ a little break, so I’m all ears.  Lala-chan, two drinks please… You *know* she’s not going to— They’re both for me. Here, take a seat.Devil Rank 7: Part 117  Thanks to my quota… and that shithead chief. I did make some progress on my personal investigation though. I also did some research on the Phantom Thieves. I hate to admit it, but they might actually be the real deal. They seem… pure, I guess. No signs of money changing hands or any internal power struggles… Internal power struggles? That’s craaaaaaazy. The Phantom Thieves would never have… more than one of those a month… I feel like I understand how you became a fan of them now. And also, I kind of understand them too… Their sincerity reminds me of how I used to be. Fighting the evils of society is a thankless and never-ending task, but still I persevere. The Phantom Thieves must have that same passion… Seems like the kid’s rubbing off on you, Ichiko-chan… He might be…  Music: Suspicion  …What? You found Kayo…!? Where is she…? What!? Why the hell can’t you tell me!? What’s going on!? Don’t you dare hang u— Did mine ears deceive me? He followed up on some long-shot rumors for me, but now he’s saying he can’t get involved. …Dammit! Why the hell won’t he tell me what’s going on!? I can’t just give up now! A-At least that’s progress! I mean, we didn’t even know Kayo-chan was still alive before now, so— Music: Desire  Chief!? (Chief) I knew it. You’ve been looking into Kayo’s case behind my back. Well, not anymore. I’ve cut off all your resources. I suggest you drop this investigation if you don’t want to face the consequences! Wait… You’re the one who pressured my contact to keep quiet? I told you… This is where your wild goose chase ends. Oh, and I’ll be doubling your quota again. No more of your personal investigation. Got it? What!? Are you trying to kill me? A little, yes. Hey now, Mr. Chief… Can you really do that? I don’t think anyone asked for your opinion, bitch.That’s extremely uncalled for, but I’ll give this guy some credit for only doing regular misogyny to Lala. Progress! Listen to me, Ohya. Give it up, unless you wanna end up just like that stupid friend of yours! Don’t ever talk about Kayo like that! I’ll kick your rear end! Whoa, calm down… Take back everything you just said… or I’m gonna do even worse. Hey, hey, come on, I’m just a little guy, it’s my birthday… *ahem* …Is what I *would* say if I wasn’t holding all the cards here. The higher-ups want to put this incident to rest, and that’s what’s happening! Goodbye, Ohya. Have fun with your boyfriend or whatever. poo poo…! This had to happen just as I got a new lead on Kayo… I dunno about you guys, but I think we should kill the chief. A fun idea, but probably not the best one, no. You’re right… I can’t give him any reason to fire me. Given that your workload is quickly becoming untenable, I think getting fired is probably the least of your problems. I can’t give up! Even with this quota, I gotta keep going! I’ll prove I’ll keep fighting with another great article for you! “Exclusive: The Phantom Thieves, Stealing Hearts and Changing Lives!” I like it. I’ll even give you a new hot scoop for that one: their leader is super cool and won the UFO catcher two times in a row recently. I can sense Ohya’s passionate devotion…  All that bullshit he said is really getting to me. I wish I was better at controlling my emotions. Like you are. Yeah, well, not everyone can be as well-adjusted as myself. More importantly, Ichiko-chan… how are you gonna manage having your quota doubled? I’ll just work twice as hard! I should be fine as long as I keep getting good info from my favorite source here. I thought you needed to work four times as hard to do twice as much work, though… Oh, that reminds me! Lemme hear all about today’s scoop. I spoke about the Phantom Thieves in a way that somehow piqued Ohya’s interest… I feel like my Charm has increased…Maaku gains Charm +3. I should be going… See you next time you have info for me.Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   You’re really the only reason I’m still surviving through my crazy quota. And… it honestly helped that you were there with me earlier. But I finally got a lead on Kayo. I’ll do whatever it takes to find her…!  Watch me, Chief Shithead! You’re gonna be crying at my feet! Well, I’ll come up with something. You just focus on getting me new info, okay? Okay, see you soon. Niiight… Anon: let’s hear from the workers! After School Music: Tokyo Daylight  Huh, a day with no preamble scenes before our free time. How unusual.   Hurry back to your prison! Music: Aria of the Soul  We’re only in the Velvet Room right now to free up some space. As such, the only thing we’ll be fusing right now is Ananta from Kaiwan and Hell Biker.   The power of creation that has awakened inside of you shall henceforth be within your mask.Ananta is the 1,000-headed serpent from Hindu mythology. It is the king of all naga and one of the primal beings of creation. It is sometimes called Ananta Shesha or “Endless Shesha,” holding all the planets in the universe on his hoods. He is also used by Vishnu as a bed, because why the gently caress not? Big snake as a bed sounds rad, not judging. At the end of each Kalpa, the time period alloted to the Earth, the serpent is responsible for destroying all creation.  Music: Tokyo Daylight  Let’s grab a Persona now that we’ve got a lot full and head over to Shinya. I will soon realize that in my haste I have actually grabbed Kodama, which is a Star Persona, instead of Belphegor or Red Rider, Tower Personas. This means we’re not going to get all the points we could have from this event, whoops! It doesn’t really matter though, because extra points don’t carry over and we’ll still get enough from the event anyway.  So let’s train hard today.  Tower Rank 6: Part 125 Music: What’s Going On?  The games are on me today… Just be sure to keep up. Nah man, I can pay. I am, frankly, flush with cash at the moment, and I’d feel bad taking your money. Oh, don’t worry, it’s not my money. Huh? Stance up, private! Incoming!    (Defiant Boy) Give him his money back. What’re you talking about? Just ignore them, Hamiru-san. Oda! You took his lunch money, didn’t you!? (to the boy standing behind him) He forced you into a battle, right? (Quiet Boy) …Yeah. And when I lost… He told me I owed him money. Who do you think you are!? …The King. …Huh? I didn’t take it… I earned it. That money is for my war fund, to help me get stronger. Anyway, I don’t see what the problem is. I looked at him, so we were honor-bound to fight. And I won, so I got his money. Haven’t you ever played Pokémon before? Ugh, you’re nuts, just like your mom. I heard she went to a restaurant the other day and tried to leave without paying and told the waiter she forgot. And then she flipped out on the manager and told him to watch his employees! That… might not have happened! My mom says that your mom is a bully! And you’re just like her! If you want your money back, you’ll have to beat me! This is stupid… Just pay us back or we’ll find a way to make you!  …Huh? You’re just like the bad guy in a movie! I hope the Phantom Thieves get you! Music: Alleycat A bad guy…? Me…? R-Really? Even though I’m strong? I’m not a bad guy… am I…? I’m gonna level with you Shinya: you’re not acting like a good guy right now. Maybe back off the Objectivism a tad. It’s not all about might makes right. But… I won… I got stronger, just like the Phantom Thieves… That’s what the good guys do, that’s what strength is… This doesn’t make any sense… …… But I guess I already knew it was wrong… Even when I won, I felt bad. I won’t do it again… I don’t wanna be a bad guy. Good. I know you can do it.So, Shinya’s Confidant is probably one of the ones I think least about. I’ve mostly seen it as just very basic moralizing and parental drama. I’ve never thought it sucked, but it didn’t do much for me. Reading this scene back right now, though, I’m actually coming to appreciate it a bit more. Yes, the whole “strength is power is righteousness” theme is very basic and childish logic, but also, Shinya is a child, it makes sense. That theme is also somewhat relevant to the ongoing plot with the Phantom Thieves forced to question their own righteousness at about this point in the story. I struggle a bit to relate it to its relevant tarot card, the Tower, but I think the metaphorical destruction, change, and upheaval of that arcana represent Shinya being forced out of his comfortable role as the champion; his dominance is threatened by Takekuma, and even his worldview and familial security are thrown into chaos as he’s forced to accept he’s inherited some pretty harmful behaviors and beliefs from his mother. Just something to chew on, I guess. Um… do you… hate me now? Of course I don’t. Just learn from this and don’t do it again, okay? …Really? Like, really really you don’t? Oh, that’s great! I don’t want you to hate me too… The Phantom Thieves are strong because they fight strong enemies, right? But beating up on weak people is just bullying… That’s how bad guys act. I was wrong. Thanks, Hamiru-san, I wouldn’t have realized that on my own. I feel Shinya’s brotherly affection… I’m gonna head home now. I need to think about what I did… Interacting with Shinya has made my heart grow… I feel like my Kindness has increased…Maaku gains Kindness +2. I’ll see you later… Bye.Music: Alright   Hey, Hamiru-san, where did I go wrong…? I just wanted to be strong like the Phantom Thieves, but somehow I turned into a bad guy without even noticing… The more I thought about everything, the more scared I got… Hamiru-san… Are you sure you aren’t gonna hate me?  Thank you… I won’t make the same mistake ever again. Phew… I feel a little better after talking to you. Thanks, Hamiru. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Okay, I’m gonna hang up now. See you at the arcade!After School → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask  What could be in the food tray he had delivered to them!? Revive and fight, Phoenix Rangers! Next episode… “Grilled Gizzard Is My Favorite—But It’s A Trap!”Now, here’s where I notice something I missed earlier and absolutely pale.  When I made my big Confidant maxing plan, I didn’t realize we currently had a point deficit with Iwai. This is a major problem, because we need to spend time with Iwai tonight. The good news is that we didn’t use up our Affinity Reading for today on Takemi yet. The bad news is that if Iwai still isn’t ready after using Affinity Reading and a Calling Postcard, we’re completely boned.   Well, let’s go try to salvage this.     Oh thank christ.      We’re also going to still send the Calling Postcard, just to Takemi this time.  We still aren’t ready to rank her up, though.  Time to head over to Untouchable. Music: Layer Cake    …There’s somethin’ I need to talk to you about. All right, come to the back.Hanged Man Rank 7: Part 120 Music: Suspicion  Is it Kryptonite!? Or is it… Ooh! Ooh! Is it bullets? Yeah, final answer, it’s bullets. No. Dammit. While you and Kaoru were at that diner, I was gettin’ some intel from a source of mine. Apparently, Tsuda was part of that Hong Kong deal. He paid them off for a massive amount of firepower. But then, why did he come to me for all those modified guns if he already had an arsenal? See, I think… the Hong Kong guys stiffed Tsuda. They never delivered the guns! But Masa said the clan’s been treatin’ the deal like a huge success. So Tsuda must be lyin’ to the clan and usin’ me to cover up his mistake. You followin’ me, kid? Not really, but continue. What aren’t you gettin'? Uh, lotsa stuff, names, places, basic logistics… Like, you don’t sell real weapons, why would this guy come to you? Also even if you did, how would you make that many guns on short notice? Okay, that’s— Also, Hong… Kong? You sure that’s a real place? You know what, I’ll just keep goin’. I think that would be best. I’m gonna tell the clan and get out from under Tsuda’s thumb. And with Tsuda gone, Kaoru’ll be safe from gettin’ labeled. But… I gotta follow the yakuza code and inform Tsuda about this first. That seems like a bad idea. Yeah, probably. If anything happens to me, take care of Kaoru, okay? What!? I’m seventeen! He’s like, three years younger than me *at most*! Well, the only way to guarantee my safety at this meeting would be to bring a witness. Hey, wait a sec… Welp, I’m dead. Relax. Even Tsuda won’t mess with a civilian, especially a brat like you. It’d be a nightmare for him to deal with. This’ll make things safer, I guarantee. But— Then it’s settled. You’re coming with me. Don’t look so glum. I’ll work on the secret menu some more for you. *sigh* It feels like my bond with Iwai is growing even deeper… More parts for customization! Woo! Well, I’ll hit you up when it’s time. Let’s do this, kid. Thanks for today.  But I’m obviously gonna look out for you. If it comes down to it, I’ll personally take responsibility for protecting you. But considering who we’re dealin’ with… we can’t afford to take any chances.  But guts alone isn’t enough to get by in this world. Remember, nothin’s that simple. …Look, I know I shouldn’t be getting a minor dragged into this poo poo. But you’re the only one I can rely on… When everything’s prepped and ready, I’ll give you a call. Later.  Huh…? Who could that be at this hour?Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   You are cordially invited to go look at limited-edition Featherman figures with me and nerd out. Let us ride to Nakano! We shall sally forth into a realm of true figurine geekdom! Ooh, Futaba’s inviting you out. So, what’ll it be? You gonna go to Nakano? We’ll respond tomorrow. Putting it off for now, huh? Don’t forget to respond.
Arist fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Dec 31, 2023 |
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Sep 10, 2023 20:43
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Now that I'm older I can kinda see how Ohya getting a doubled workload would be really rough and put her in some real trouble. Doesn't make the Link or the character more fun, but I'm a little more sympathetic to her woes.
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Sep 10, 2023 23:51
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ApplesandOranges posted:Now that I'm older I can kinda see how Ohya getting a doubled workload would be really rough and put her in some real trouble. If you literally double someone's workload for no reason there's decent odds you'd get some kind of legal trouble - constructive dismissal or something like that. But a) I have no idea if Japan has laws about that and b) this story is really not about successfully pursuing legal remedies to bad behavior. Arist posted:Ananta is the 1,000-headed serpent from Hindu mythology. It is the king of all naga and one of the primal beings of creation. It is sometimes called Ananta Shesha or “Endless Shesha,” holding all the planets in the universe on his hoods. He is also used as Vishnu as a bed, because why the gently caress not? Big snake as a bed sounds rad, not judging. At the end of each Kalpa, the time period alloted to the Earth, the serpent is responsible for destroying all creation. Nitpick: "by Vishnu as a bed". Qrr fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Sep 11, 2023 |
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Sep 11, 2023 06:56
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Chapter 147: 10/9: Queen’s Gambit Anon: They better not screw it up Daytime Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)     This would make me sick if I saw this after doing a food challenge… You’re telling me! Music: Dark Net   We’re going to buy a Black Kogatana and a Black Robe.  Nice. Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)   I’d like to ask them to target some people I know, too. I deal with far too many ignorant fools. It seems a film critic ventures alone, shining the light of truth into the darkness of ignorance. Like the Phantom Thieves, I have a policy as well. The masses will never dictate my convictions. Of course, I know I am alone, thinking this way. But such is my destiny, and I humbly accept it. Many are upset, saying that this long silence is showing his dishonesty. Some even believe that Okumura has fled the country. Without knowing Mr. Okumura’s whereabouts, it is difficult to put an end to this commotion. Just a few more days. Then everything will be over.  We’re obviously not going to waste a day on this optional scene… which is why we’re going to save here and reload after, because I still want to see it.   Then we’re a go for Nakano today. I’ll send you directions, so read ‘em! Let’s get going. We don’t want to keep Futaba waiting. Music: What’s Going On?  They’re so high quality. Way better than the cheapos. The subtle facial expressions—even the little wrinkles on the clothes… Urgh, I want it so bad… But you could get sushi ten times with that kinda money…     Wait a sec! You’re… technically wrong, I guess.    Hey. Didn’t think I’d bump into you here. He’s talking to us…! We’re dead…Yeah, that’s my reaction when a stranger tries to talk to me too. …Who’s the little lady?  I know there’s people that say that the semi-popular reading of Futaba as the protagonist’s foster sister isn’t really supported by the game, but scenes like this completely negate that. I’m not saying it’s the only reasonable interpretation of their relationship (especially because of the romance, which I still find weird for many reasons), but it’s also clearly something the writers wanted to support if the player did have that reading.  Still, not like I’m in a place to judge.    Wait, like… that military store? Oh, you know it? Y-Yeah… uh, I mean, yes sir… …Relax, kid. I don’t bite.  Oh, me and these guys go way back. They distribute some of my wares here. Wares…? What about that model gun in the second floor display case? Oh, huh… yeah, that’s probably one of ours. The level of detailing on that one was crazy. Like, the barrel shape and even the metal texturing was perfect. That kind of authenticity is hard to find. Whoa. You know your stuff, little lady. You oughta drop by the shop sometime. I got plenty more models for someone who can appreciate ‘em. R-Really!? Yeah, really. See ya around.     Now, let’s reload. Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)   Yes, actually. Music: Tokyo Daylight    We kind of need the money given all the Personas we have to keep pulling from the Inmate Registry, so I sell my dirty clothes.    Using the points I get from this, I buy an Awakening Incense and the Clothing Grab Bag.   Not too bad. Let’s get this again some time.The Old Ghillie Vest has a low chance to repel Physical, so I equip it onto Maaku and Ryuji. Yusuke wouldn’t benefit from it because it doesn’t stack with Counterstrike. The Armada Collar lowers Morgana’s Electric damage taken, so that’s an easy upgrade for him. Finally, I give Ann the Old Undershirt, which gives Resist Brainwash. I also equip a Space Suit I had from the Palace onto Yusuke, because it’s an upgrade as well.    (Doting Father) A gear… gear… What was it again?  A Gear Girimehkala! It’s a Girimehkala equipped with gear! Not only do I not know what that is, but I also can’t even pronounce it… Looks like Sakai’s next request will be for a Gear Girimehkala, one of the capsule toys from Akihabara. Unfortunately, I traded all mine away already, so we’re going to have to go grab another.  Let’s just go take care of that right now. We get, in order:
 We’ll be spending today with Makoto.   Um, I need some help with a matter involving Eiko. Are you free?  Thank you. It’ll be nice to have you with me. I was thinking of asking around the red-light district for info. Shall we head over there?Priestess Rank 9: Part 139  However, we’ll need solid proof of what he’s doing if we’re going to convince Eiko. I believe some of the promoters around here may know something. As my father always said, finding evidence takes serious legwork.These lines from Makoto are inexplicably voiced. I say “inexplicably” because none of the rest of this event is. I’ve got a more efficient strategy. What is it? *shouting through cupped hands* ANYONE HERE KNOW A HOST NAMED TSUKASA? (Irritated Promoter) YO, gently caress THAT GUY! Toldja. Let’s go talk with that guy. I suppose the necessity of legwork isn’t quite as universal as my father made it seem… Lemme make it clear for you: Get that girl outta there. Tsukasa’s known for wreckin’ lives. He “breaks a sake bottle,” then ends up sellin’ the girls to pay it back. Same thing happened to one of my friends… Dammit! We have proof now. You seem weirdly happy about this situation. …Come on, it’s almost time for Eiko’s shift to end. Let’s wait for her in front of the shop.Music: Suspicion   Eiko, we have proof Tsukasa’s been lying to you. That “broken bottle” trick is a favorite of his, in fact. The interest will add up and eventually you’ll be forced to sell your body to keep up with the payments. S-Shut up! Nuh-uh! Tsukasa loves me and we’re gonna get married! He’s coming to meet me right now, in fact! Tsukasa! These two keep telling awful, detailed, and strangely plausible lies about you! They said you trick girls into debt so you can traffick them! It’s all bullshit, princess. Of course it is. “Princess,” huh? Do you even remember her name? Or are there too many princess in your life to keep track of? That’s ridiculous! Of course he knows my name! That’s right, Makoto. You tell ‘em. *gasp* I knew it. I’m the one who sent you that message, Tsukasa. I even added tons of weird chatspeak and emojis to make it seem like it was from Eiko. Wait, *that* was your plan!? And it *worked*!? It would have immediately collapsed if Tsukasa so much as looked at his message history with you! Also, how many irons must this dude have in the fire at once that he legitimately can’t keep this basic information straight anymore? The hustle demonstrated here is legitimately kind of impressive. *glare* Well, maybe not the hustle itself. More the *scale* of the hustle. Anyway, this is the truth about your “boyfriend”, Eiko! B-But! You tricked him! That doesn’t count! J-Just stay out of this! Music: Alleycat Oh my god, just wake up and accept the truth! Tsukasa is all I have, though… No one else asks about my day or treats me like I’m special… You’re a perfect honor student, how could you possibly understand how I feel!? This isn’t about being an honor student. I just refuse to sit back and let my friend get exploited like this! And as for you, Tsukasa, stay away from Eiko! I’m gettin’ real sick of this prattle, bitch. Don’t think I won’t hit a girl… Oh? You want to try me!? I am beyond fed up with your poo poo right now, do *not* give me a reason to feed you that dumb flower you’ve got on your lapel! U-Uhh… Hey, you there, with the glasses! I need to kick someone’s rear end right now to maintain my pride, and suddenly you’re looking like a more suitable opponen— I’m currently on probation for assault, actually, so I’d really prefer you didn’t. Urgh… drat you all! I’ll remember this! *runs away* And case closed. I mean, I doubt he’s stopped any of his exploitation. I bet he’s currently doing the same poo poo with several other girls right now, we should probably— CASE. CLOSED. Fine, geez, whatever. This sucks! What am I gonna do now…?  (Female Passerby) Whoa, did you see that? (Male Passerby) Yeah, I was hoping it would get bloody, though… What a tease… People noticed what happened… I know a place we can go to lay low for a bit. Follow me. Well, that certainly escalated… I hit Eiko… I just got caught up in the emotion of the moment… My father would get emotional like that too… But still, I need to keep myself composed. That almost got scary. Yeah, but mostly for him. By the way, what is this place? It’s very… um… interesting. You certainly know a lot of interesting places… It would take too long to explain. Really? Well, it’s still impressive. Anyway, spending time with you and Eiko has given me a lot to think about. I’ve been so naïve about the world… And there’s things I can only learn about other people… Eiko said I didn’t know anything about love… but who can teach me those things…? …… …… …… …… *leans in* What the hell are you doing? N-Nothing! Okay, good. Well, you’re on your own with… whatever we were just talking about. Right… Well, maybe it’s for the best. I need to focus on my schoolwork right now anyway. I can sense a strong bond of friendship from Makoto… …And nothing else…  Jesus christ, Lala, when did you get here!? I could ask you the same question. It’s like 4 o’clock, we’re not even open yet. How did you get in here? I think that’s our cue to leave, Makoto. Right. Thanks again for today.Music: Alright (Elp Version)  I think between us… we managed to help Eiko see the truth. I’d probably never have pulled this of alone. Thank you so much.  Settle down with that third option, jeez.  I’m thinking of calling Eiko once she calms down a bit. But I wanted to get a courage boost from you before I did… …Yup, that helped. I think I can talk to Eiko properly now. I really am glad I’ve got you in my corner. I’m lucky to have such a reliable leader. Well, I’ll talk to you later… Bye.Daytime → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask   We’ll be spending tonight with Chihaya.  But first, we still have a deficit with Takemi.    Okay, good, that’s resolved.    *sigh* What am I going to do…? Fortune Rank 7.5: Part 119 Music: Suspicion  I’ve been trying to investigate the ADP’s seminars to expose him, but the more I look, the bigger and scarier it all seems… How so? The ADP apparently doesn’t profit very much from sales of the Holy Stones. It’s nothing more than a front. They’re selling hunks of rock salt for 100,000 yen. How bad must their overhead be if that’s not making them much money? It doesn’t matter, because their real moneymaker is the seminars. They give their patrons mind-altering drugs there… Oh no! How terrible! And where can I find these drugs, I mean seminars? After they’re drugged, the patrons are coerced into giving their life’s savings to the ADP… some people even go missing afterward! …And I was helping them this whole time by selling those stones. But you just said they didn’t really profit from them. I need to take down the ADP… it won’t erase my sins, but I need to help everyone… But no one at the ADP will hear me out… I fear these people are heading towards great ruin. No… The only way might be to admit everything, even if I’m caught in the middle of it… It looks like Chihaya’s not sure how to approach this issue… She might do something rash at this rate… I should take care of the chairman before that happens… I’m the only one who can stop him… right? No, Chihaya. I believe that one day, a man will come to save us all from the madness of this cult. A man with some manner of bizarre doohickey will draw such a clamor that the powers that be will have no choice but to intervene. Until that day, be patient. I’m sure it’s coming soon. All right… By the way, what’s the chairman’s name? Huh…? Oh, it’s Yuichi Fukurai. Why do you ask? For non-suspicious reasons, mostly. O-Oh… Hm, how strange… It seems the cards have changed somehow… My future is in line with that of the Trickster… What does that mean…? Even so, my fate remains unchanged. I am destined to stay a monster… Hm… I need to take care of the chairman for Chihaya… If the doohickey man will not appear yet, then I guess I can change the chairman’s heart or whatever. Next best thing. I’ll have to think on this for a while. Let’s finish for today… Well then, goodbye…    Futaba again? I’ll bring it to the hideout. You have tomorrow off for Health and Sports Day, right? It’ll definitely get your adrenaline pumping… I really wanna read it, but I’ll wait till tomorrow! Oh, but if you’re busy, then do that first and I’ll wait! See ya! I guess Futaba’s coming here to show us a magazine tomorrow. It sounds like fun, but… I’m going to bed.Line Changes!!!!!! As was pointed out in response to the original version of this update, I originally cited the vanilla release's version of one of Chihaya's lines. "The ADP apparently doesn’t profit at all from sales of the Holy Stones. It’s nothing more than a front." became "The ADP apparently doesn’t profit very much from sales of the Holy Stones. It’s nothing more than a front." The second version makes much more sense while still making very little sense. Arist fucked around with this message at 22:13 on Sep 13, 2023 |
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Sep 13, 2023 01:09
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You mentioned before that it's weird how there are a handful of scumbags that the Phantom Thieves leave alone because they're in party confidants, but I think it almost holds up. It's only mentioned a few times, but they actually have a second rule; they will only go after a target if requested by a victim. It's a pretty loose rule that encompasses all of Mishima's requests and some real creative interpretations like with Hifumi's mom, but Ryuji wants the track team to handle what's-his-face instead of the Phantom Thieves, and turns out they did have the power to overthrow a selfish adult without magic. Of course it still doesn't work for Tsukasa, since you just learned he very much has other victims, and you've only saved the one. If "my mom is a pageant mom" is an implicit request, it is absolutely insane for Joker and Makoto to just gloss over "this guy sex trafficked my friend and is still at it."
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Sep 13, 2023 03:17
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Arist posted:I know there’s people that say that the semi-popular reading of Futaba as the protagonist’s foster sister isn’t really supported by the game, but scenes like this completely negate that. I’m not saying it’s the only reasonable interpretation of their relationship (especially because of the romance, which I still find weird for many reasons), but it’s also clearly something the writers wanted to support if the player did have that reading. Persona 5 Strikers also has a scene that supports the interpretation of Futaba being the protagonist's foster sister. Arist posted:
The writers also support the interpretation that Joker is a masochist. He had a similar option with Tae.
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Sep 13, 2023 08:16
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Arist posted:
Should be "doesn't profit that much", "doesn't profit at all" is definitely the wrong phrase here. Though, even with that corrected...
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Sep 13, 2023 20:44
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Polsy posted:Should be "doesn't profit that much", "doesn't profit at all" is definitely the wrong phrase here. Though, even with that corrected... Lol, you know how I made that mistake? They changed the line in Royal. Here's the line from vanilla:  Thanks for pointing that out, though.
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Sep 13, 2023 22:11
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Arist posted:As was pointed out in response to the original version of this update, I originally cited the vanilla release's version of one of Chihaya's lines. "The ADP apparently doesn’t profit at all from sales of the Holy Stones. It’s nothing more than a front." became "The ADP apparently doesn’t profit very much from sales of the Holy Stones. It’s nothing more than a front." The second version makes much more sense while still making very little sense. I'm going to guess that the feel of the line was supposed to be something like, "The profit that the ADP makes from the Holy Stones is actually a tiny fraction," or something like that. That'd make so much more sense, since peoples' mental stability and lives are getting drawn up in there. Could be interesting if someone could get a glance at the JP version of that line. Zulily Zoetrope posted:Of course it still doesn't work for Tsukasa, since you just learned he very much has other victims, and you've only saved the one. If "my mom is a pageant mom" is an implicit request, it is absolutely insane for Joker and Makoto to just gloss over "this guy sex trafficked my friend and is still at it." While I would have loved for Tsukasa to have been a target, I think it was brought up earlier that for the Phantom Thieves to go after someone in the metaverse, they need to have a name - and they had to admit that as a host, Tsukasa might not actually be his real name anyway. There's no way to tell that even if they managed to find any of their other victims, they'd be able to tell us his real name, or point us in the direction of where to go. ...That said, there is the possibility that could've been circumvented if Morgana stole his wallet and if his wallet had an ID in it, but who knows where that cat goes when we're hanging out with other people. Our characters are horribly limited otherwise due to just being teenagers, and any brush with the law that could conceivably be considered assault would be very bad for Joker.
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Sep 15, 2023 22:26
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Magic Fanatic posted:I'm going to guess that the feel of the line was supposed to be something like, "The profit that the ADP makes from the Holy Stones is actually a tiny fraction," or something like that. That'd make so much more sense, since peoples' mental stability and lives are getting drawn up in there. Could be interesting if someone could get a glance at the JP version of that line. The fixed English in Royal is basically accurate, she says 私が売ってた石は、実はそれほど儲かってない, the [holy] stones that I was selling, the truth is they don't make that much profit (though it does make her sound more sure about this than starting the sentence with "apparently")
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Sep 15, 2023 23:17
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That's an obstacle, not a rationale. If they somehow couldn't target Tsukasa it would have been a whole different story than that they simply never thought to do so. plus that's a pretty minor obstacle, you've got Mishima and potentially Futaba in your corner and they manage to doxx people way more obscure than a prolific sleaze elemental
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Sep 15, 2023 23:21
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My take is it's just a minor plot hole (they really should've changed his heart) in the service of telling a compelling story. It's important for the narrative arc of Makoto's link (esp as a Priestess arcana confidant) for her to personally protect her friend by calling out the sleaze guy/tricking him into saying the wrong name, and if the group just changes his heart this isn't necessary. They could've changed his heart after she did what she does but that's also unsatisfying as the tension of the immediate threat to characters we know personally is entirely deflated at that point. Might be some of the reason why there aren't heart changes for the phantom thieves' links in general; the other confidants are typically backed into a corner with a situation they really can't resolve on their own which convinces the protagonist to intervene, for members of the phantom thieves they would just ask the group for help, and they've all already been backed into a corner once before (when they were first introduced, in which they eventually awaken to their personas and join as members, except for Kasumi). Rawkking fucked around with this message at 19:14 on Sep 16, 2023 |
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Sep 16, 2023 19:07
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Chapter 148: 10/10: Hack And Field Anon: SO MANY COMMENTS OMG Early Morning Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)     Just kidding. We’re done with those. But this is important. Could you stop by?   Just concentrate on your food. Come on, let’s finish eating and then send a reply once we go upstairs.Early Morning → Daytime    (Elderly Male Customer) Traveling is too much trouble. Isn’t is good enough to just relax here? You’re right, it is pretty nice here. We usually relax here for hours at a time.The two then… leave, inexplicably.  Oh, I have enough for you, by the waay. There’s some seriously ingenious stuff in these things. I may be able to improve my Proficiency if I read the computer magazines with Futaba… Furthermore, this may be a good chance to deepen my bond with her… So, you wanna just relax and read if we’re not meeting up with the others? Sorry, but no thanks. We’re booked full for the next month. Awww, okay… I guess just let us know if you’re gonna infiltrate…  The exhibitions reflected the students’ personal desires, and many memories were surely made. A culture festival sounds fun. Does your school do anything like that?  That makes us friends, right? You think you can lend me some money!? (Flustered Gamer) Hey, you can’t just ask random people for money! Give it up already. You already spent all your money trying to beat Nejima. Tch. Fine. So, what do you want? King? Of course I know about him. You’re talking about the King of Akihabara, right? He’s just in elementary school, but he’s a real pro at playing Gun About. That drat grade schooler, He has to be a cheater too. I hear that he usually plays at the Gigolo Arcade in Akiba. He’s actually really good at Gun About. People can tell from the way he moves. You might be able to find him during the day. Elementary kids can’t get into arcades at night. So he might be at the Gigolo Arcade in Akihabara, eh? Let’s head there and see this King.We still haven’t finished the cheater request, so these guys are still here to point us to Shinya, hilariously.   Yo, I’ve got something I wanna talk to you about. It’s got to do with the track team… You mind hearin’ me out?    I’m feelin’ real hungry, so let’s get some monja while we talk. It’s on me.Chariot Rank 9: Part 135 Music: What’s Going On?  Hell yeah! drat good monja here, right? Don’t get too used to me payin’ though! Wait… Where’s my wallet…? …Eh, whatever. Looks like we’re banned from another restaurant… By the way, Takeishi texted me recently… Seems like the track team’s tryin’ to ditch Yamauchi and get their old coach back, the one from before Kamoshida. Okay, good. Hopefully we’re done with those assholes. That’s a little harsh. Ryuji, they sold you out repeatedly, disowned you, and beat you up. That’s true… which is why it’s so surprisin’ that they asked me to come back to the team. Don’t do it. You don’t need those dicks. We’re the only dicks you need! I wasn’t gonna. I felt bad turnin’ them down, but I don’t belong there anymore. I belong with all of you guys. When you first got here, people wouldn’t stop badmouthin’ you. And they never did stop! They still are! But you didn’t let it get to you. You just did whatever you felt like. That’s why people get pulled towards you. You just… belong, wherever you wanna be. I don’t think that’s entirely true, but thanks all the same. Before I met you, I kept makin’ excuses for why I couldn’t fit in, and it was always someone else’s fault. Kamoshida, the track team… my dad… I was such a loser… I mean, you were kind of right… But now I’ve realized that there’ll always be somewhere people will accept me for me. It’s different than before, but it’s still drat good. Thanks for showin’ me that. You’ll always have a place next to me, wherever I find myself. Man, everyone’s hitting on me lately… I feel like my bond with Ryuji is growing deeper… All right! I feel pumped now! I still got a long way to go with my trainin’ though. I’m gonna get so fast you won’t even be able to see me! All right, I think the staff is distracted, let’s bail. Goddammit…  I just got a call from Nakaoka and them earlier, tellin’ me that the track team’s officially gonna be restored. They’re apparently keepin’ Yamauchi as their advisor for now, but it’s cool. Sounds like they got him under control.   Besides, I’m gonna be trainin’ my own rear end off. Gotta beat my old time from the old days!  Heh… I’m not gonna let my guard down now! I ain’t about to lose to them! ‘Kay, I’m gonna go for another run! Keep on bonkin’!I so wish I hadn’t already settled on a title for this update. “Keep On Bonkin’” is just too good. Daytime → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask   >Makoto, I don’t have a fiancé. >Oh, you were talking to Haru. I’ll be OK though. The state my father is in has put that on hold for the time being. Woo! We accomplished one of our goals! That doesn’t mean my marriage has been called off though. My father agreed to do so in that other world… but I’m not so sure now, given his current condition.  Hm, so that too will be on hold until the change of heart. Well, sounds to me like we’re totally in the clear! Yes, and it’s all thanks to you guys. Everything should work out well if Okumura has a change of heart. Assuming it happens like it always does, we should be seeing some results soon…   Music: Everyday Days      This one was an absolute joke. Could not have been easier.   Maaku gains Knowledge +1. Music: Beneath the Mask  Ugh, my head hurts…  Is it okay for me to stick my nose into Sojiro and Futaba’s problem…? What am I thinking, of course it is!   Well, I guess there’s no point in worrying. Help me clean up.Hierophant Rank 7: Part 120   …Hm? What’re you doing here so late, Futaba? Look, Sojiro! I hacked into Uncle’s accounts and found out he’s in a ton of debt! He’ll never win a suit against us with this juicy info!Music: Alleycat  What were you thinking, pulling a stunt like that!? You realize this is against the law, right? Law…? I guess I didn’t think about—But Maaku told me that following the law is for— —cool people. Urgh… I knew the whole time about his debt. He’s not gonna try to get custody back, so don’t do stupid poo poo like this. But Sojiro…! I-I only did it ‘cause of all that stuff he said to you! Right, about that… I couldn’t help you when you needed it… So maybe you’d be better off somewhere more able to take care of you… Dude. You want to send me somewhere else…? Do you not want me here…? Am I just in the way…? Wait, that’s not—(to Maaku) Hey, help me out here… Sorry, man, you made this bed and now you gotta lie in it. She’s not gonna listen to me right now either. You don’t want me either, Sojiro…!? That’s not what I meant! I just think it might be better, for your own sake… Fine! I still have Maaku, and Mona, and everyone else! Why are you citing the cat as a separate person…? You can just stay here and play with your stupid coffee beans! Gross. …She likes you guys way more than she likes me. Makes sense though… You’re the ones who saved her, after all. …Where did I go wrong? What are you talking about? I tried to take care of Futaba… But in the end, I was useless. I even told myself I kept making Wakaba’s curry for her… But that was just an excuse to stay distant from her. At the end of the day, the coffee and the curry people love so much are both just… excuses. That’s not… okay, it’s kind of true, but still… …I’m gonna go out for a smoke, try to cool off a bit. Sorry to lay this on you… but can you go after Futaba for me? I think it should probably be you who—oh, you’re already leaving, okay. Maaku… You all right up here? I’m okay… …When I was little, my mom would talk about Sojiro all the time. How good he was at making curry, how interesting he was to talk to… She smiled whenever she brought him up… She really liked him. …… I should apologize. I said some mean stuff to Sojiro. Nothing that happened with Mom or me is his fault. I shut myself away from the world, and made him lose all that money to get custody… I just wanted to stay with him… That’s why I hacked into Uncle’s accounts… Then tell him that. You two aren’t gonna get anywhere if you keep dancing around your feelings like this. Jeez, you really are father and daughter. Ha… Yeah, you’re right. (from downstairs) Futaba, um… can I come in? Mm-hm… Sojiro… I… Look, I’m sorry about what I said just now. And well… if it’s okay with you… I want you to stay here, forever. Forever… …… I know you might have more fun living with people your age like Maaku… But I’ll keep trying to see things from your perspective. So… will you stay with me? Snrk… Huh…? Hey, quit laughing!Music: Sunset Bridge Well, if you insist, I guess I could stay forever… And remember, you said forever! No take-backs! I know I’ve caused you a lot of trouble… but I really do wanna be here. Sorry for not saying that sooner. Oh, and… thanks for taking in someone as horrible as me. …Are you sure I’m good enough? I wouldn’t want anyone else. Heh, no hesitation… Don’t come complaining to me if you regret it. …… Actually, I’m not gonna let you regret it. If you ever need help, just tell me. I might not be graceful… but I’ll be there to protect you. And you can stay with me for as long as you’d like. Forever, if you want. Mm-hm, I will. …Forever. I can’t wait to keep sorta living with you too, Maaku! There’s no “sorta” about it, we *don’t* live together. But… same, sure.  I’m outta here! Byeee!  I was such a fool… My whole life, I’ve taken the easy way out to avoid these kinds of conflicts. I knew something was off with Wakaba, but I did nothing for her… And I didn’t stand up for you either. What…? I went on and on about how you can’t fight back against the laws of society… But it was more for myself than for you. It was comforting, thinking that I needed to just accept my lovely hand in life and stay in line. It was the easy way out… …Maybe instead of all that coffee crap, I should’ve been teaching you not to make the same mistakes I did. …It’s good coffee, though. That it is, kid. There I go, ranting again. But… I feel like I managed to put a lot behind me today. …Thanks, for making me realize what’s really important in life. I feel like my bond with Sojiro is growing deeper… All right, I better head home too. Don’t stay up too late, okay? I don’t want you oversleeping. I can see the compassion hidden beneath Sojiro’s actions… I feel my Kindness growing…Maaku gains Kindness +3. Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   I talked to Futaba again after that. Don’t know how it took me so long when we’ve been so close, but… I finally had an honest conversation with her. How do I say this… It feels like we’re a real family now. Not just pretending to be one. And that’s only because you helped us connect, so… thanks for that.   Heh… What am I doing? Calling some guy up and rambling about my feelings… …Eh, but I guess you’re not exactly an ordinary guy yourself. All right, I’m hanging up while I’ve still got some dignity. See you tomorrow.
Arist fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Sep 16, 2023 |
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Sep 16, 2023 19:47
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Arist posted:
Typo
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Sep 16, 2023 20:32
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I can only read "Keep on bonkin'" in the same cadence as "Keep on moving, keep on groovin'" in the hit song "Don't Stop Moving" by S Club 7.
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Sep 17, 2023 04:44
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Chapter 149: 10/11: Our Final Day Of Popularity (New) This update covers content from Part 121 of the original LP.  Anon: Evil needs to die! Ah, look at that. We’d better savor this support. It’s completely deranged and sociopathic support, but we’re not gonna get any more of it for a long time, so it’s important to savor it nevertheless. Early Morning Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)   It seems my father will be holding an urgent press conference. That has to at least lift some of the burden on Haru’s shoulders.And it will soon add a much greater burden! For real!?  Congrats!  When is that going to be? 8 pm tonight. I wonder if he’ll talk about the mental shutdowns. Where should we watch it? Why don’t we get together beforehand? >Sure. Let’s meet up on Shujin’s roof, then. I have some business up there anyway. >Can’t. Madame President banned us from there. I’ll make an exception, just quit whining… Wait…. The school? Futaba, make sure you come in though the front entrance. See you all there after school. …If he’s still asleep at this point, he’s definitely going to be late for school.And so begins The Case of the Missing Weirdo… Early Morning → Morning Music: So Boring   That aside, Okumura Foods has been a hot topic lately. This much media coverage must be worth at least ten million yen. At first, I even thought that all this outcry was just some kind of elaborate marketing campaign. I guess it’s giving them too much of a bad image to be that, though. Advertising and public image are more important than anything else for a corporation. Are you familiar with a psychological test using these images? The idea is to give the two shapes names appropriate to their appearance. Hamiru-san. Which name was most commonly ascribed to shape B? That’s correct. Most people named B “Bouba” and A “Kiki.” According to one theory, sounds and shapes are processed in the same area of the brain. Furthermore, this sense is the same worldwide. No matter the language, the result is the same. Maaku gains Knowledge +1. A product’s name impresses an image on people before they even use or buy it. Big Bang Burger exemplifies this. The voiced consonants and short syllables leave a strong imprint. Although with the news these days, it may also evoke the image of the strong oppressing the weak. Even the teachers have their eyes on Okumura… Well, he should be having a change of heart, so there should be nothing to worry about. Morning → Lunchtime Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)     So about Dr. Maruki’s counseling… You’ve already gone to see him, right?  Oh, absolutely! He gave me snacks! And also gum! I see. That’s good, then. I’m sure you’re aware, but Dr. Maruki’s term here will be ending pretty soon. The higher-ups told me to make sure you’ve received adequate counseling… Be sure to visit him so you don’t bring any unwanted attention to yourself, okay? But anyway, let’s go get lunch! Bring on the bread!     I’ve been doing quite well. Are you also about to eat lunch, Hamiru-senpai? If it’s all right with you, would you mind eating together?  Oh, would you like to join us for lunch, Dr. Maruki? We were just discussing eating together. Are you sure? Well, maybe I will tag along, then.  *stares at Kasumi’s lunch*   That doesn’t really…  I have to eat this much to stay active! I always burn through everything I eat!  If you’re going to strengthen your body, you have to eat right. You should really work on your diets.  Hahaha, touché. And you’re right, yours does look nutritious. You know… You seem to be giving off a different vibe lately. Yes! I was able to put my problems in the past and move on. Ah, so that’s what it is. You don’t seem to be overexerting yourself, either. I’m sorry I’d worried you. Oh, not at all. It’s wonderful to hear how you’ve been. I must admit, I’m a bit surprised. If you don’t mind my asking, was there some kind of reason for this breakthrough? Well… *lightly elbowing Kasumi* Yo, ixnay on the metaphysical poo poo… It’s all thanks to Hamiru-senpai and his acquaintances. You really don’t need give my friends any credit. You haven’t even met most of them. Well, I can’t give you too much credit yourself, or you’ll get a big head, Hamiru-senpai! Praise me! Praise me more! I suppose you could say they gave me a reason to rethink things—or, more like a reason to stand up to my problems. Isn’t that right, Hamiru-senpai?  You’ve grown to be very strong, Yoshizawa-san. Mhmm, I’m totally over it now!  Thanks for the food! The group proceeds to eat their lunches offscreen, because animating that poo poo would be expensive.  I should get going. Please excuse me! She seemed absolutely tormented about her situation just the other day… I have to say, this drastic change has really knocked me for a loop. Perhaps the Phantom Thieves changed her heart? *sweating* poo poo, he knows! Wait, we didn’t actually do that. Never mind, whew! Haha, I was just joking. *nod*   Lunchtime → Afternoon Music: So Boring   What are you talking about? Oh yeah, you never responded to that conversation. >You never even read it? Yusuke, what have you been doing all this time? Contemplating beauty. >Yeah, that checks out.And so ends The Case of the Missing Weirdo. It was completely pointless and I have no idea why it was in the game. It doesn’t matter. Just come to Shujin’s rooftop after school today. I’m heading over to school now. It was a little hectic at home today, but I’ll be there before classes end for the day. Your flowerbed is on the rooftop, right? Yes. I’m thinking of transplanting them soon. Ah! I will assist you, then. Taking care of flowers is a most excellent hobby.Afternoon → After School   Oh, so these were your flowerbeds, Senpai! You can just call me Haru. The seasons are changing soon, so I thought it’d be nice for the plants to change as well. It was really Yusuke’s project this time, though. You speak too highly of me. I simply balanced the color placement. You’re the one who chose the flowers. It would have been lovely no matter the arrangement. Well then, let’s get started! That’s not gonna make a difference! Hey, I know we said we were gonna have the school festival be our celebration for this one, but shouldn’t we have a real celebration too? I guess. The school festival is a fine idea, but it does lack a certain… panache for us, if you get me. Panache…? Oh, you mean like how serial killers draw more attention when they have really lurid gimmicks, right? Like that guy who made a totem pole out of human corpses! Not quite, but I appreciate the enthusiasm. Also, what the gently caress, is that real? Yeah, I saw it on this American documentary program called… Hannibal, I think? Anyway, we don’t have to have a big welcoming party for me… but if you insist, I do have an idea. We could have a party tonight, in fact. It could be at Destinyland! By Destinyland, do you mean that kingdom of dreams? What on earth are you *talking* about, Makoto? “Kingdom of dreams”? Holy poo poo! Ugh, he’s never gonna let me live that one down… You’re goddamn right I’m not! It would be a bit late, but there are some plans that would allow us to rent out the park for the night. The entire park!? You’re talking about THE Destinyland, right? This is perhaps a bit too much panache. It’s not a problem. I’ll go check. She really thinks like a celebrity…  The heck’s she gonna check? I got the all clear! We’re really gonna have it at Destinyland? Not like, one of the restaurants, but… the entire park? Even just for one night… the price is insane… The price isn’t an issue. It’s already been paid for, technically. We had it booked for a company party, but we had to call it off due to the recent scandal… Canceling the reservation this late wouldn’t be worth it, so why not make use of it? Won’t it be extremely suspicious if seven teenagers rent out an entire amusement park though? It’s all under the company’s name. It shouldn’t be an issue. See? It’ll be fiiiiiiiine. Let’s do this! You seem awfully eager. I wanna ride the rides! Then let’s do this! Tonight’s gonna rock! It seems like we’ll be having our celebration at Destinyland tonight…
Arist fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Sep 30, 2023 |
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Sep 21, 2023 22:35
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Didn't mean for this one to be quite so short, but this is probably the best place to split this one, honestly.
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Sep 21, 2023 22:36
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Man, I sure hope that Okumura's head doesn't explode on live TV and ruin this fun Disneyland vacation.
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Sep 22, 2023 00:56
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Nothing bad ever happens at Destinyland.
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Sep 22, 2023 01:24
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Arist posted:
Makoto, winking at the camera as she tries to audition to get into Kingdom Hearts
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Sep 22, 2023 02:11
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It is kind of weird that Kasumi refers to Hamiru "and his acquaintances." Either it's a translation thing, or there was an earlier draft of her awakening that involved the rest of the gang somehow. There was at most one acquaintance involved!
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Sep 22, 2023 03:30
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Do Joker's Personas count as acquaintances?
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Sep 22, 2023 04:11
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