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So yeah, the Okumura fight. One of the fights that got revamped from the Vanilla version, and the only one that got tweaked to be harder (the original still had the element/wave-juggling gimmick, but you didn't have to deal with Robo-Haru at the end). If you haven't been hanging out with Kasumi you also don't have the ability to switch party members either, which makes choosing the right party even more important going in. I personally like Makoto, Yusuke and then either Ryuji or Haru for this fight. The first wave is the easiest so you don't necessarily need Morgana and Ann to hit their weaknesses, so you can bring Makoto as a sturdier healer. Then the other two slots can be variable; Haru can hit two waves for weaknesses but her physical skills are the weakest and random-targeting is annoying for when you need to down multiple targets with precision. Yusuke gets a special note here because the boss here is one of the few that can be crit, and since you can't do an AoA here you can instead Baton Pass to him to make use of his skills that deal bonus damage when Baton Passed. Ryuji hits the hardest otherwise. Ann isn't completely useless here though since Matarunda can still be helpful to stave off the onslaught and cut down on Big Bang damage.
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Jul 13, 2023 23:37
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I've heard how terrifying this boss fight got revamped into, but I didn't think the real kicker would be the timer still counting down during "cutscenes" (for a lack of better words) being the big issue the player has to contend with. Had that not been there, you'd probably would have had enough time to win. On the other hand, Haru casually surfing on Car Morgana while strafing with a grenade launcher is absolutely perfect for her. 
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Jul 14, 2023 00:30
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ApplesandOranges posted:So yeah, the Okumura fight. One of the fights that got revamped from the Vanilla version, and the only one that got tweaked to be harder (the original still had the element/wave-juggling gimmick, but you didn't have to deal with Robo-Haru at the end). If you haven't been hanging out with Kasumi you also don't have the ability to switch party members either, which makes choosing the right party even more important going in. Two notes: first, it's Hifumi's Confidant ability that lets Joker swap out party members, but it's only her Rank 1 skill so it's not a huge investment. On that note, I kind of wanted to get Togo System from Hifumi's capstone, which would let anyone swap on their turn, but it wasn't in the cards. Second, Triple Down doesn't target randomly, it hits everyone, and unlike other multi-hit Physical skills it hits a set number of times. The problem with Triple Down is that it misses quite often, but that's not a problem in boss fights because, again, most of them seem to have flags set that prevent the party from missing attacks. The only reason not to bring Noir, IMO, is that the Executive Director's Executive Punch targets her most of the time, which can force you to heal more frequently.
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Jul 14, 2023 01:17
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Huh I must have forgotten quite a bit then, it's definitely been a while since I played. For some reason I thought the ability to swap party members was a later rank skill of Hifumi's. Also good to know about Triple Down, I hadn't realized that you couldn't miss against bosses (I'm assuming that doesn't apply to Lucky/Miracle Punch...?).
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Jul 14, 2023 02:22
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ApplesandOranges posted:Also good to know about Triple Down, I hadn't realized that you couldn't miss against bosses (I'm assuming that doesn't apply to Lucky/Miracle Punch...?). I haven't found anything to confirm it, it's based purely on observation. That said, I used Triple Down multiple times in this fight, and that skill has a 70% base hit rate. It never missed. I assume Lucky/Miracle Punch, which have a 75% hit rate, work the same way.
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Jul 14, 2023 02:28
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Isn't one of the gimmicks that the party gets hit with Hunger and the Big Bang Challenge attack feeds them? Did that get changed or am I misremembering?
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Jul 14, 2023 03:07
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kw0134 posted:Isn't one of the gimmicks that the party gets hit with Hunger and the Big Bang Challenge attack feeds them? Did that get changed or am I misremembering? Oh, no, that's still there, I just completely neglected to mention it. I'll add in a note about it later because it interacts weirdly with Noir's ailment-blocking Trait.
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Jul 14, 2023 03:14
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I'm not ashamed to admit I summoned one of the DLC personas to just steamroll via sheer brute force after dying via timeout on the last wave before the big guy twice, then getting a Big Bang Challenge being just barely fatal to Joker. gently caress this boss, by far the worst part of Royal. Thankfully its all uphill from here.
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Jul 14, 2023 03:31
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The real kicker to this fight, IMO, is the single target rakukaja, because it basically always just barely cucks you out of some damage bridges that you cross when killing the other targets, and Matarunda doesn't... fix that, because it still means one of them is stronger than the rest.
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Jul 14, 2023 07:47
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Am I only one who likes this boss? This boss fight is a great test of how much you can utilize the combat system. By attacking at the weakness, using technicals, building up baton passes, I barely give any turns for the bosses to attack. Normally I use Yusuke, but since the majority of the fight is multi-target, I use Panther, Noir, and Queen instead for a coverage of multi-target attacks and buff/debuffs. Joker is the linchpin who has the elemental coverage otherwise, and if the turn opens up with someone else, I can use the elemental fix damage items to baton to Joker if need be.Arist posted:
Everytime I hear this line, I always keep thinking back to this scene in Contradiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O91zjn0EMAA&t=3306s
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Jul 14, 2023 08:10
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Flair posted:Am I only one who likes this boss? This boss fight is a great test of how much you can utilize the combat system. By attacking at the weakness, using technicals, building up baton passes, I barely give any turns for the bosses to attack. Normally I use Yusuke, but since the majority of the fight is multi-target, I use Panther, Noir, and Queen instead for a coverage of multi-target attacks and buff/debuffs. Joker is the linchpin who has the elemental coverage otherwise, and if the turn opens up with someone else, I can use the elemental fix damage items to baton to Joker if need be. I think the fight is great in theory, it makes use of a lot of systems that you would otherwise ignore in boss fights like weaknesses, baton passing, buffs, debuffs, etc. You never really get a fight like this again, and it's unusual for this to happen in any Persona game this late into a game where you can still hit a weakness on a story boss outside of gimmick superbosses (Persona 3 stops having weaknesses on Full Moon bosses after Fuuka's initial fight, and Persona 4 stops having weaknesses after Shadow Kanji). The issue is more the time limit and how a single Rakukaja can really mess things up. If Ryuji had learned Matarukaja by now it might be more palatable.
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Jul 14, 2023 08:28
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ApplesandOranges posted:The issue is more the time limit and how a single Rakukaja can really mess things up. If Ryuji had learned Matarukaja by now it might be more palatable. Maybe it is just that I am too knowledgable now, but I never really have an issue with the Rakukaja or the time limit.
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Jul 14, 2023 09:17
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Flair posted:Maybe it is just that I am too knowledgable now, but I never really have an issue with the Rakukaja or the time limit. A player with a planned out Joker (with Tarukaja buffs and a good spread of Personas) will do okay, and the time limit in practice shouldn't be an issue. It's not about those limits making the game unbeatable (because obviously, they don't). The question is: is it good design? It's fine for a game to impose limits or force you to use specific resources to make a good puzzle fight. Like in this case, you pretty much have to use Baton Pass to beat the robots in time, because unless you're massively overleveled, even Joker can't do it by himself and no other party member can hit more than two waves for weaknesses naturally. Like, the actual puzzle part of the boss is fine. Good, even. The problem is that the time limit - a real, active time limit in a series based around a turn-based battle system that lets you take as much time as you can to think over your decisions - while in flavour, is a poor implementation in an already mechanically-tight fight. It makes failure to clear waves more punishing because you're that much closer to an auto-lose condition, and then Rakukaja can add to that. Like if it was at least Marakukaja, at least the waves will still be taking damage evenly. If the time limit didn't exist, then any attempt that starts to go south is still at least, in theory, recoverable. Oh you've failed the wave for the third time or they've just KO'd Yusuke again? It's fine, just rez, heal up, and spend some thinking and figure it out. But nah, you've just used up 15 real-time minutes, which is a penalty that is not present in any other boss fight in this game. Again, it's not that the fight isn't beatable, and there are plenty of other 'unfair' fights in the series (looking at you, Shadow Yukiko). But it's about whether the mechanics are good design, and... they're not, not really. Chop out like two or three parts of the fight and it would be a lot more bearable.
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Jul 14, 2023 10:41
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Instead of the robot running away + the time limit, would the remaining robot rezzing the others to full health be a better implementation of the 'punishment for not full clearing in 2 turns' mechanic?
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Jul 14, 2023 11:01
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Flair posted:Everytime I hear this line, I always keep thinking back to this scene in Contradiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O91zjn0EMAA&t=3306s I feel like you could give this speech to Shido and it'd probably work as his marketing pitch to his evil organization.
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Jul 14, 2023 11:49
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AradoBalanga posted:I've heard how terrifying this boss fight got revamped into, but I didn't think the real kicker would be the timer still counting down during "cutscenes" (for a lack of better words) being the big issue the player has to contend with. Had that not been there, you'd probably would have had enough time to win. Also, Okumura is even more talkative here than any other boss. He talks with Cognitive Haru in his every single round, he talks when ordering his minions to change targets, he talks before and after every wave, while the timer is still going down. Then when it comes to the Chief Executive, the game shows you a movie marathon while you’re running out of time. It really seems like the timer not stopping during cutscenes wasn’t an oversight, but a way to prevent the players from breezing through the fight. I understand the vehement hatred that plenty of players have for Okumura’s Palace, because everything that happens around it feels like someone took a huge dump on the delicious dinner you were about to eat. The drama with Morgana, the long-rear end castle, the airlock puzzle, the timed run towards the boss, then this fight. Combined with the reward for winning the arguably hardest battle, the game not only kicks you in the sack, it also whips out its dick and pisses on you as you writhe on the floor.
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Jul 14, 2023 13:45
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I also like this fight, but I came in with both experience from vanilla as well as having heard that they'd made it harder. Between the ailment guns and elemental consumables it was challenging, but manageable, and I can see what it is going for mechanically. But I can also see how losing half an hour of your life would sour one on it, and how that could have happened to me.Gantolandon posted:Also, Okumura is even more talkative here than any other boss. He talks with Cognitive Haru in his every single round, he talks when ordering his minions to change targets, he talks before and after every wave, while the timer is still going down. Then when it comes to the Chief Executive, the game shows you a movie marathon while you’re running out of time. It really seems like the timer not stopping during cutscenes wasn’t an oversight, but a way to prevent the players from breezing through the fight. Yeah. What I do hate with a passion otherwise only reserved for the goddamned cat's temper tantrum is this loving dungeon. Most dungeons in this game push the limit of being too long, but somehow walk the line. This dungeon not only crosses that line, but has the gall to have an actual puzzle at the very end, well past the point of mental exhaustion. The rest of this game's dungeon puzzles generally don't take more than a single brain cell, but the last airlock room is the only puzzle from vanilla that still has an actual section dedicated to it in GameFAQs. So while I do like the boss fight itself, I can get on board with the sentiment that this chunk of the game sucks.
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Jul 14, 2023 14:05
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Makoto had a point: you can run past every enemy pack during the timed run, and you are better off doing that. Not because you need to conserve resources, but because you are likely to be doing it several times.
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Jul 14, 2023 14:06
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Rogue AI Goddess posted:Makoto had a point: you can run past every enemy pack during the timed run, and you are better off doing that. Not because you need to conserve resources, but because you are likely to be doing it several times. Not only that, but (spoiled because I don't know if it's going to come up in the Take 2 update) once you hit the hallway with the tons of enemies, you can turn around, leave, go up one floor, and just take a grappling hook to the boss arena.
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Jul 14, 2023 17:14
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An issue with having a half hour time limit is that if you fail it, you have by definition lost half an hour of time. In general as a player facing failure it's a lot more interesting to have many failures quickly (assuming you can make some kind of gradual progress). And having skippable stuff count towards your time limit is just a bad design decision. Don't write dialogue and then mechanically encourage people to ignore it. Especially don't write a single conversation and then play it every single turn.
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Jul 14, 2023 18:42
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I think the time limit is dumb because I can't possibly see how you can walk into this fight unprepared, i.e. the first time (without spoiling yourself), and come out winning. It's not enough time to learn the mechanic and then pull out a win. Arist here doesn't make it because of one mistake. If your time limit is such that random variance can make it so you can't make one single mistake, that's not a good time limit. That means I'm going to replay the fight and get 20 minutes in and then stop playing when I make a single mistake. That's not fun.
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Jul 14, 2023 19:13
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Chapter 137: 9/28: Executive Execution (New) This update covers more of the same poo poo you saw last time. Music: Life Will Change (Instrumental Version)   Good idea, Oracle.  Let’s jet.  In fact, we’re going to run from all these enemies, which ends up being slightly more annoying than actually fighting them. I will later realize not fighting them means I won’t get Noir’s Psy Boost until after the boss fight, which is… sub-optimal. Video: Kunikazu Mammon Okumura (Real) I’m gonna be honest, only the last thirty seconds of the fight have anything we didn’t see last time. Music: Blooming Villain  Okay, let’s go. I’m still going to let the dialogue play, just because I don’t want the game to think it’s won.         We’re just going to skip through the preamble here. The waves before the Chief Directors go pretty smoothly.  And of course, we start off the hardest wave with full-party Hunger, which will prevent us from Baton Passing or doing much damage at all until Mona heals it. This bodes well, since it’s going to rob us of half our actions this round.  Once we’ve taken care of healing that, I make a rather clumsy mistake here with Noir, targeting the Corporobo that’s had its Defense boosted first. I should have targeted it last so that the Baton Pass damage boost would mitigate the Defense boost.  Decent damage, but can we make it?  Mona gets knocked down, which is going to prevent us from Baton Passing to him, reducing our damage again. Argh.  Here, I make another critical mistake, in that I use single-target Psio on the last Corporobo instead of Mapsio, which would deal damage to all of them.   It ends up possibly costing me the wave, though that damage gap looks a bit too large for one Mapsio to make up, so I was probably screwed anyway.  So we have to do another wave.  And I make the same mistake of Psio-ing when I should Mapsio again.  Hopefully I can make up the difference with a Defense debuff.  They take down Panther though, so it seems like we might be screwed here.  Only half our time left…   gently caress.  At this point, I’m pretty sure I’m screwed, but I decide to keep going for some reason.  Adding to my lack of confidence is that my stores of Psychokinesis items are running empty. I had made Joker craft a few Psycho Bombs at the worktable over the previous months to prepare for this day, but it seems I didn’t make enough.  And Noir’s down now. Seems like we’re toast.   At least Maruki’s Mindfulness procs to prevent us from wasting turns on restoring SP.  Somehow, we manage to clear this wave.   We’ve only got ten minutes left, which is like three minutes less than we have last time, so we’re going to have to rush the Execurobo’s HP down quickly.   A solid strategy here is to use Mona’s Miracle Punch to get critical knockdowns and then Baton Pass over to Joker, who has Giant Slice on Kaiwan, a skill that increases in power after a Baton Pass. An even better strategy would be to switch out Noir or Panther for Fox, who has Rising Slash, which is a superior version of the same skill. Either way, we’re doing numbers here.    And we’re already halfway through its life before Mammon tells it to take it up a notch, starting the Big Bang Challenges.  The Big Bang Challenges can inflict Hunger on people who aren’t Hungry, but Noir’s Fast Heal gets rid of that in a single turn.  And another Mindfulness proc. Nice.  Doing more damage before the next Big Bang Challenge…  All right, we made it.       We only have two turns to take down Cognitive Haru, so naturally I start with buffs and debuffs. I’m not actually sure whether or not I’m mocking my decision to do that right now.   We’re simply not doing enough damage even with those buffs. Cognitive Haru has a lot of health, and despite Noir’s defiant decision to destroy the cognition before it can self-destruct, it’s incredibly unlikely you’ll actually be able to do so.   And the Sacrifice Order comes down.   Thanks, Oracle.  I, naturally, choose the last possible moment to switch out Panther for Fox, hoping to get a Miracle Punch crit that will let him Rising Slash. I have already forgotten what I learned last attempt, which is that Cognitive Haru cannot be knocked down, so this would not have worked.   And it misses anyway, so gently caress me.   Man, bad luck all around, I guess.  Didn’t even get halfway.    Ouch.   I’ve had enough! Someone, get in here! …Anyone!? We’ve found our chance! Joker, let’s put an end to this! Mammon can’t actually do anything on his own, so the fight’s basically already over.  That said, I still heal up and guard for most of a round, because it’s the right thing to do. I’m nothing if not theatrical, and this seems the most fitting.  Noir, care to do the honors?  Mammon literally has 1 HP, so any hit will kill him.    Music: Triumph  Mona slots in Wind Boost for Pulinpa.  Queen does not learn Nuke Break.  And Noir chooses to replace Psy Break with Psy Boost. And that’s the end of our boss fight… or is it? Because there’s something I’ve never done before that I’m sure all of you are screaming at me about right now. It’s something that, I’m told, makes that fight a lot easier. So, we’re going to run that boss fight one more time and try it out. Music: Life Will Change (Instrumental Version)  First up, replace Noir’s Spiral Curse Ring with the Psy Necklace, which has Psy Amp to make her Psychokinesis skills even stronger.  Second, replace Fox’s Spiral Wind Ring with the Spiral Curse Ring we just took off Noir, so someone else has Curse coverage in case we need more power for the Chief Directors. We’ll be subbing Fox in for Panther this time.  Finally, crank the difficulty knob as high as it’ll go, up to Merciless. For those of you who don’t remember, Merciless changes a lot of the numerical values in the game, and also tweaks some gameplay functions:
  Let’s make our way back to the hallway full of enemies.  This time, however, we’re going to immediately turn around.   Nothing’s blocking our path now—all we need is a way to get over there. Hey, Joker! See any spots you can use your grappling hook on?  There’s one!  Just as we latch on, the giant doors behind it start to close…     And we make it just in time. It’s a convenient shortcut directly to the boss. The only downside is that it skips the Bead Chain chest, which is a pretty good item. Music: Blooming Villain All right, boss time.   Welp, Mona’s probably dead if the enemy ever gets a chance to act. Let’s make sure they don’t.  And this is already paying dividends.        We make it to the Execurobo with over 22 minutes left (though this time I’m also skipping through the dialogue). This is a joke. The only real risk here is probably the Big Bang Challenges, which we can hopefully buff and guard through.     This time, we’ll be properly taking advantage of Fox’s Rising Slash. 396 damage is okay for Merciless, I suppose…   …But we can do better. Charge!   We’re like 1/3 through its health and it’s going to start using Big Bang Challenges on us.  Let’s guard up.  Not great, not terrible. We can survive this.  The enemies in this fight are actually vulnerable to most status ailments (everything except Brainwash, Fear, Despair, and Rage). Here, we manage to Freeze the Execurobo.    This lets us set up an incredible Technical knockdown with Noir.  We can then follow up with a Baton Pass to Fox. Hey, wasn’t he charged?  Now that’s what I’m talking about.   One more Big Bang Challenge, but we can take it out before it fires.  All right.  Just Harubot left.   Thanks for the help, Oracle, but I don’t think it’s going to make a difference. We’re not going to be able to take her down in time.  Not even close, in fact.   Ow.  And Mammon’s down for the count. That’s gonna do it for this one, but one weird thing I noticed recording both of these is that while in my original failed take the robots would take their turn instantly if the last party member to act was the one to kill the last Corporobo, in these takes the turn order would shift so that it would be anyone who hadn’t gone yet, then Mammon, then the remaining Phantom Thieves, then the Corporobos. Very odd, that. This game is kind of weird sometimes. Also, the Merciless run of that boss is the non-canon one, in case you were wondering. Obviously. Arist fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Jul 23, 2023 |
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Jul 14, 2023 20:30
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Aw, you missed the perfect opportunity to end the update with Joker defeating Okumura with the gun attack.
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Jul 14, 2023 21:21
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The new version of the fight comes off as something you would see in Nocturne. Cognitive Haru is a good addition, I like that design.
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Jul 15, 2023 02:22
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Funky Valentine posted:The new version of the fight comes off as something you would see in Nocturne. I liked it better without cognitive Haru, where it just boiled down to, "You're not in your father's mind palace? You really don't want to know why." Had more impact, IMO. I fought this boss a few days ago, and even knowing the gimmicks I still ate it. (So to speak - I forgot to have Joker guard during the Big Bang Challenge. Just an unforced error.)
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Jul 15, 2023 03:58
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Chapter 138: 9/28: Shadow Puppets That update title is probably completely irrelevant to the actual subject matter we cover in this one, I just liked it when I came up with it.  This update covers content from Part 114 of the original LP.  Music: Regret   Yes, accurate. Noir’s *right here*… Haru… I’ll contact your fiancé and rescind the engagement… This is the end for my company, isn’t it? I’m so sorry… *sobs* Father…  Yeah, yeah, enough with the crying. You were behind all the mental shutdowns, weren’t you? I admit, I did spend large sums to crush my competition… Cool! Not what I asked! You got one more chance before I crack open that dome of yours, and I’m not talking about the helmet. N-Not personally! I had a contract! I made requests, yes, but it was all second-hand! So there really is a criminal behind all this… Yeah, we knew that. What kind of contract did you form… and with whom? *more sobbing* This is taking too long. Can I punch him? We already punched him. That’s why he’s like this. Anyway, this place is gonna go up any second now, so we should probably jet. We’ve got the Treasure!  Huh… That’s weird… There’s one more thing you need to tell us. Have you seen this criminal’s face before?  Yeah, it was— Warning: self-destruct imminent. There’s no time! Not while he’s still crying! Actually, I’m fine now. I remember clearly, it was Go— We’ll just have to inquire about it back in the real world. Hey, Panther, you good? Uh, yep, let’s go! Shouldn’t we bring Father with us!? He’ll be fine! He’s immune to the whole Palace collapse thing… for some reason. We’re not, though, so we need to move! Only you can follow through on your own responsibilities… That is what you’ve taught me, Father.   Haru… I hope I’ll get a chance to make this up to you… Nope!  Music: Desire   Warning: if you’re not already out of here, you’re hosed. So… How are you gonna get out of this one, Akechi?Music: Run, Run, Run!   We’re not going to make it! All right, Mona! This is your chance! Don’t make it sappy this time!   Four… three… two… one… Liftoff.  Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   My heart is pounding… How exhilarating… This sensation… I crave it… *sigh* We did a great job in there. You know, Morgana, you seemed almost normal when you took the Treasure. Oh…? Huh. What do you think that means? Oh… Uh… I dunno. Cool. Let’s never mention this again. So Okumura wasn’t the one responsible for the mental shutdowns… but he did mention requesting targets. He must know who the real culprit is.  His Treasure… was a plastic model kit?  Is something the matter, Haru? Back before my father changed, he told me that when he was a child, he had always wanted a plastic model kit. He begged my grandfather for it, but he never got it. Back then, Okumura Foods was a small company hounded by debt collectors. My grandfather was kind, but not a great businessman… It seems this model kit was the root of my father’s greed… It’s less about the model kit itself and more his desperate need for financial stability… You know, this is the first thing that’s made me see your father as an actual person with hopes and fears. Normally the Treasure just makes the ruler seem even more like a cartoon, but this time… it kinda got me. Huh. …Anyway, where we selling this thing? Looks expensive. *looking at phone* Oh, you have no idea. Look at these prices online! It’s a bona-fide collector’s item!  You know, I’d really prefer we didn’t sell i— Holy crap, that’s a lotta money! Hell yes! I spent more than I made from that Palace so I could really use the cash flow. We made over one hundred thousand yen in that Palace, how did you manage to spend it all already? Well, I suppose I did “spend” the money, in that it no longer exists in this plane of reality. But it was less a transaction and more a fee. What are you talking about? When I went to the blue room the man with the long nose and the small children who hit me with sticks made me give them a lot of money if I wanted to make some really beefy Personas. Does this have anything to do with you regularly heading back to the entrance of the Palace for no reason and spending 20 minutes at a time staring into the middle distance? Yes. Uh-huh… And what do these children do with 100,000 yen? How the hell should I know?Elsewhere…  Justine! This game is rigged! That’s six ten-pulls in a row with no five-stars! Relax, Caroline… It can sense your desperation. That’s easy for you to say! You’ve already got the character you want! Argh! Give me more of the inmate’s money, I’m going again!Back with the Phantom Thieves… By the way… when exactly is the change of heart supposed to happen? Soon. That’s all we know. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens until then. Once he has his change of heart, we’ll surely be able to find out who’s behind the mental shutdowns.Music: Desire   The Phantom Thieves played right into our hands and changed Okumura’s heart, just as you planned, sir… The loss of his financial support will sting, but we can’t risk his connection coming to light. He should have just kept his head down and never thought about entering politics. And our operative will handle everything from here. The mental shutdown will occur at just the right time, and we’ll be rid of both Okumura and the Phantom Thieves in one fell swoop. Uh, yeah, sure, whatever. Hey, can I ask you a question? Hm? Go ahead. Every time I call you, you go off at great length about our various plans and machinations, in a way that’s very cryptic and trying to maximize a sense of dramatic irony. At first it made me suspicious but now I think you’re just really dumb. …What’s the question, sir? Oh, right. Why do you do that? Uh… Huh… Well, if I had to give a reason, it’s because it’s fun, sir. Fun? Why involve yourself in a massive political murder conspiracy if you don’t get to let your hair down and have an evil monologue or two every now and again? You know what? Fair. Though I take umbrage with the “evil” part. Is that how you see this? We’re getting a high schooler to commit mass murder for us, sir. Yeah, but, like… Come on. We’re the good guys. We’re killing these innocent people for the greater good, which is making me the most powerful man in the country. Wait, that sounds… Uhh… You get what I mean! Er… Y-Yes, sir. I get it. Good.After School → Evening Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)  Good, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. We can only afford to have *one* dangerous lunatic undermining our actions on this team, and I’m not about to shape up any time soon, so you need to keep your poo poo together. …I’m going to ignore that. Anyway, the reason I was so upset back then… and the reason I wanted to be human so badly… was because I lacked a goal of my own. Or… a reason to live. But now, I’m confident that I want to stay with the Phantom Thieves. So I’m going to do whatever I can so we can succeed. Sounds like a fairly roundabout way of saying you’re going to keep doing what you’ve been doing and help me with my own poo poo. …Yeah, basically. From now on, I’m not going to hold anything back. You’d better put some effort in too! Don’t make me regret my choice! I feel like my bond with Morgana is growing deeper… I gotta work hard for Lady Ann’s sake too! Gross.Music: Beneath the Mask     Likewise. You must surely be exhasuted. I suggest you go to sleep early. Hey, we should talk about Haru’s welcome party! Didn’t we just say we would let her rest, you dimwit!? I’ll be fine. As for welcoming, I’d be happy just walking around the school festival with everyone. Oh, yes, the school festival. We still haven’t found a guest speaker for that yet, I recall. How about we get the Phantom Thieves to show up? That’s a bit over the top… You’re getting way too carried away. Don’t say such strange things. What a shallow idea. Oooh, a four-hit combo! Sorry…   People come to enjoy the beauty of nature, and a few come to pray for help in finding love.   Nothing goes your way in life. Let it go to your head, and you’ll get the rug pulled from under you.  Music: Everyday Days        Maaku gains Knowledge +1. Music: Beneath the Mask  Well, let’s get a massage from Kawakami so we can do something else tonight.    Okay, Sojiro knows our horrible maid secret. There’s no salvaging that, we might just have to kill him. But as long as this doesn’t spread any further I think we can still get outta thi—  GUH *glare* *glare*Maaku, it’s over. Pack your bags, you need to run. Never look back.        After a bunch of aimless wandering, we happen across the retro game shop in Akihabara, where we purchase Power Intuition. I doubt we’ll ever play it, there’s no video game trophy in Royal and we’re probably about to cap on Guts, but it’ll be nice to have just in case.   By this point, Maaku has realized that he’d rather live on his feet than die on his knees… or something. Basically, he’s going to slink back home to Leblanc with his tail between his legs. But not yet. He’s still pretty embarrassed, you see.   How about a date with me? For 6,000 yen an hour, you can rent me as your girlfriend. What a steal! I promise, it’s a wholesome pseudo-romance service… Of course, the relationship only exists in that moment. No matter how serious it feels, it won’t go any further than that. Oh, sorry… I was just talking to myself. Please forget that I said anything. I guess 6,000 yen is a bit much for a kid. But I need the money, dang it…  I mean… it pays a little better than a normal part-time job… In the end, it’s about the money. Developing real feelings will only lead to disappointment… Oh, sorry… I was just talking to myself. Please forget that I said anything. I guess 6,000 yen is a bit much for a kid. But I need the money, dang it…  You’ve never heard of it? We provide pseudo-romantic moments… Of course, the relationship only exists in that moment. No matter how serious it feels, it won’t go any further than that. Oh, sorry… I was just talking to myself. Please forget that I said anything. I guess 6,000 yen is a bit much for a kid. But I need the money, dang it…   Oh hey, it’s Mishima. You can help me kill an hour or two before I have to head home and face the music. O…kay?   Are you free to hear what I found? Oh no! A forced event in-between rank ups! Oh well, let’s do it.  Thanks. Let’s head to the diner then. Moon Rank 6.5: Part 116 Music: Suspicion   You remember that actor I suggested for your next target? He’s apparently going to marry that idol from the rumors. He probably couldn’t live with himself after what he did to her… but his reputation has completely turned around ever since. People are all talking about how great he is. But we can’t oppose the will of the public, so it’s good we decided not to change his heart. Huh? …Uh, yeah, sure. Support for the Phantom Thieves would’ve really dropped if we had. …I need to make sure our next target is one we can win against. Hearing a lot of “we” here… Oh! I came up with a new plan of attack, too! We can’t just be answering requests if we want to get *really* famous. We need to go on the offensive, and purge doubters. We need to do *what?* Even now, there’s people who criticize the Phantom Thieves and trying to convince others to do the same. So, I’ve been sending them messages. “Change your wicked ways or the Phantom Thieves will come after you next.” *blank stare* They totally stopped after that! They must really be afraid of the Phantom Thieves! And with them gone, people have felt way more free to post info on the site. Just constant posts of “please” and “help me”… It’s so much fun! Okay, I’ve heard enough. Mishima, I think— This is so great! I’m not just a producer now! I have the power to change the world myself! *looking past Maaku* Oh…  (Akiyama) Eh? Mishima? Haven’t seen you since graduation.  Hahaha… We actually saw each other here not that long ago… …Oh yeah, I guess you’re right. …… Akiyama-kun? Are you okay? You seem quiet. …Shut your mouth, zero. I don’t got time to be listening to you. *leaves*  Zero… He acts like I’m a total nothing, but he still takes time to try and mess with me… ……  What does a loser like him know? I’ve changed since then. I’ve heard he’s been hanging out with a shady crowd, anyway… I wish we could change the hearts of all the scum like them… Wait, that’s it…! We can change his heart instead of that actor’s! All right, it’s decided! Your next target is gonna be Akiyama-kun! Let’s see, where’s his info… Actually, on that subject… …… Are you guys gonna target me one day too…? Dunno. Think it would work on someone like you? Huh? Are you seriously…? G-Good joke. I’m heading home, though. I’ll send you Akiyama-kun’s info later… Mishima’s trying to push a target on us to advance his own agenda… I should discuss this with the others… Akechi might still be at Leblanc, though… I should tell everyone to climb in through the second-story window… That sure is a racket up there… Maybe it’s just rats. *panting* Okay, I’m not doing that again. Next time, call us in the afternoon like normal. But that would count as my “day” activity! What does that me— If we drag this on any longer the trains will stop running before we even leave for Mementos. You’re right, you’re right! Just tell us what the situation is! Mishima’s acting erratically. He’s pushing weird targets onto us, threatening naysayers on the site, and tried to get us to target a middle school bully of his.  It definitely seems like he’s trying to take advantage of us… Perhaps we should change his heart instead. It’s Mishima, though. Mishima! If we head into Mementos, we might be able to ask his Shadow some questions about this. We wouldn’t even necessarily have to change his heart… But it sounds like that might be our best course of action. It feels wrong to even consider changing Mishima-kun’s heart… Haru, do you even know who we’re talking about? No, I do not. We can’t let him escalate this any further, either way. Let’s go meet his Shadow. All right, you all know the drill, everyone out the window. I’m gonna punch you. Music: Desire   How’d you get in here!? This is a private server! Wait… Are you… the Phantom Thieves!? Hahaha! So you wanna change my heart, even after everything I’ve done for you guys!? Wow, you guys are such ingrates… If you just shut up and did what I said, the Phantom Thieves would be unstoppable. And I’d get some of that spotlight, too. No one’d be able to call me a zero anymore… This is the only ray of hope in my life… So why are you trying to stop me!? Was not ready for it to get this pathetic.  You’re telling me… Yo, losers. Get out of here. I wanna talk to your leader… alone. This seems like a poor— It’s fine, you guys. He *probably* doesn’t have the stones to shank me. And besides, this is between me and him, in a way. Then why did you even bring us!? I may not be able to afford the fare home… I’ll spot you, Fox. Just hang back for now. It’s all your fault… I had accepted my place as a zero, as everyone else’s punching bag, until you came along and gave me hope. Once I figured out you were a Phantom Thief, it all turned around for me… Why did you have to get close to me…? This is some serious revisionism. For one, you didn’t “figure out” much of anything, we’re not very subtle. Second, I seem to recall our relationship has mostly been *you* badgering *me* for my valuable time. That’s…! Argh… Seeing a real-life hero like you do so much amazing stuff just made me seem so much more inadequate in comparison. I guess that’s one reason to never meet your heroes, right? I would never have had any dreams of more if you hadn’t shown up! But now… I want to change society too! I want to be noticed! If I can make the Phantom Thieves famous, maybe some of that fame will come to me too! Is that really all you strive for? To be some hanger-on riding our coattails? I don’t know… But this is the only chance I have! The only choice, even! Nobody pays attention to a loser like me with no special powers! I need you guys to make a name for myself! …… Yeah, it’s wrong, and selfish, and pathetic. I know all that! But I have to get famous somehow! I’m sick of living like this! Anyway, enough of this! You’re here to fight me, right!? Do it! Hm? When did I say that? Wh-What…? You aren’t going to change my heart…? Do it yourself. (from the other end of the room) C’mon, Joker. I’m sure he’s learned *something* from watching us all this time. Skull, you’re kind of overselling the line. It was cool before you said anything. Dammit… N-No…! I need the Phantom Thieves! I need to be famous…! I need to… I… Time to head back and hit the hay. I need a break from extended consciousness…Music: Aria of the Soul    Oh goddammit. How so? Well, Caroline overspent on gacha and used up all the money you’ve been providing, for one. Justine! Don’t tell the inmate that! However, I believe she was referring to another miscalculation. Contrary to our assumptions, it seems you have turned out to be quite promising. Your powers continue to grow, as do the relationships you hold with your contractors. It seems the rehabilitation is proceeding at a fine rate. Cool! I still don’t really understand the way you’re using that word, but cool! By the by, I feel I should warn you about one thing… You’re at the top of the world right now. You should be extra cautious in this stage, for you have quite the ways to fall. Why do you say that? Oh, no reason. You should just, as the kids like to say, “prepare to get your poo poo rocked.”Music: Desire      That dream again…? No… I must be human… I couldn’t have been born like that… H-Hmph. I won’t let myself get worked up over some dream… I’m sure everything will be clear if we can get to the depths of Mementos…Not really, no.
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Jul 19, 2023 16:19
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I think that guy might have let too much of his hair down.
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Jul 19, 2023 16:46
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Not gonna lie, I love the interpretation of the SIU Director (not gonna bother looking up his name, if he even has one) being totally self aware about how messed up this whole conspiracy is, and being like "You know what, might as well have some fun this."
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Jul 20, 2023 20:36
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comicfan92 posted:Not gonna lie, I love the interpretation of the SIU Director (not gonna bother looking up his name, if he even has one) being totally self aware about how messed up this whole conspiracy is, and being like "You know what, might as well have some fun this."
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Jul 20, 2023 20:44
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Arist posted:
I see that Justine and Caroline are enjoying their time with Persona 5: The Phantom X
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Jul 21, 2023 08:12
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Arist posted:
Oh that was great, well done with the timing there!
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Jul 21, 2023 19:33
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Chapter 139: 9/29: Child Support Anon: SO MANY COMMENTS OMG Early Morning   The sooner they get it done, the better it is for society. We’re counting on you, Phantom Thieves… Don’t let us down. Those politicians and Okumura both deserve divine punishment! Aw, this place is sold out of Phantom Thieves merch too? Anon: This is getting good! Anon: They finally made a move Anon: Took you long enough! Anon: Our saviors made a move! Anon: Evil needs to die! Anon: Better run, Mr. CEO B) Early Morning → Morning Music: So Boring   It’d spell the end of this country if kids started wanting to become more like the Phantom Thieves.Okay, first off, good. Second, it’s a little late to be saying that. You’re already in your second year of high school. You should have a clear vision of your future. If you’re looking for safety and stability, a civil servant is a good option. Hey, Hamiru. I bet you all think that civil service is all office work… But the fisherman of Nagaragawa are actually civil servants as well. So, tell me which sector they belong to.  Oho… I’m impressed you knew that. Only the cormorant fisherman of Nagaragawa are officially used by the imperial household. Those fishermen are granted spots on the Imperial Household Agency’s Board of Ceremonies. That said, you can’t break into that industry even if you wanted to since it’s a hereditary occupation. If you want a government job, try for a spot in the Diet—though some may say that’s hereditary too. Guys… I think something’s wrong… Ushimaru almost got a chuckle out of me with that one! The sky is falling!Maaku gains Knowledge +1. I’m honestly fed up with politicians these days. Isn’t there anyone who seriously wants to improve this country? Oh yeah, they said on the news that the cabinet’s approval rating went down again. They’re the complete opposite of us. Our popularity and approval have been going through the roof.And it’ll never stop! Morning → After School Music: Tokyo Daylight  That’s not an excuse to slack off! We should still use our time wisely!   (Calm Student) Y-Yeah… I knew, but… Don’t say stuff like that so loud…  It’s so shocking though. I mean, it’s all connected to our school again. Now that President Okumura got that calling card, what do you think will happen?   I’m sure the Phantom Thieves are watching the news too, but I wonder what they’re thinking.  They’ve been acting as symbols of hope, after all. I even hear people refer to them as saviors. If everything on that calling card is true, this might just be a turning point in history. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but there’s no doubt of the attention this is getting. I don’t blame them. So9me people expect a bit much for the requests they send to the Phantom Thieves. If everything on that calling card is true, this might just be a turning point in history. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but there’s no doubt of the attention this is getting. I hope that’s the case. I’m a bit worried because some people can react irresponsibly to all this. If everything on that calling card is true, this might just be a turning point in history. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but there’s no doubt of the attention this is getting.      (Motivated First-Year) Her dad was on TV saying they called the police about it. Speaking of, you wouldn’t believe how huge their house is… I dunno though. I mean, if he made all his money doing bad stuff, he deserves to be punished.    (Intense Soccer Player) You know, I overheard that the president of that corporation is Okumura-senpai’s father. Whaat? I didn’t know you were into girls like that. Huh. This whole time, you were a gold digger… Stop messing around! We need to devote as much time as we can to our teams. We can’t let ourselves be distracted by women!    I’ve heard his daughter goes to this school, but I can’t stay my hand. Evil must be defeated. It’s all for the sake of peace in this world. Being able to see people’s smiles is reward enough. Heh, it must be nice to be so carefree. I wish I could live out a normal, quiet civilian life too.   (Kind Faculty Member) Hmm, it’s tough to say. I mean, I’m not really the hero type. Ahaha! Maybe you’re right! Being a phantom thief must be hard. Just listening to everyone’s requests must take a lot of work.  (Gentle Male Student) Hey, not so loud! Okumura-san’s probably going through a rough time right now… (Refined Male Student) Still, a man who exploited his employees is irredeemable. Perhaps the Phantom Thieves should finish him off. The world doesn’t need more people like him.Good news!      But with the flak they’re getting, it’s tough bringing girls there. Where’re you taking your ladies?  (Veteran Pick-Up Artist) All sorts of different places, naturally! There’s tons of places where you can take women… I met a really nice girl, lately. I hope I can take her someplace fancy one day.    (Protesting Man) ……  What’s wrong, Sun God? You look sullen… The people only believe in the Phantom Thieves… What good is my power?  What do you think about the Phantom Thieves sending President Okumura a calling card? So then, punishment is a matter of fact for companies that exploit their employees. And you’re saying that this issue won’t be resolved until the president begs for forgiveness. And that’s all for our on-the-spot coverage. So you’re not happy about the Phantom Thieves meddling in this issue. I see… So it’s the politicians’ fault for allowing companies to exploit their employees. And that’s all for our on-the-spot coverage. So then, this is just the tip of the iceberg… and you’re giving up. He’s in despair because both the police and the government have failed to address the issue. And that’s all for our on-the-spot coverage.  (Young Rocker) Don’t know what you’re talking about, old man. I’m all about rock n’ roll—nothing else! I saw some pretty hilarious videos of you online, but maybe I got the wrong guy? I express myself best through music. My next song is a ballad praising the Phantom Thieves… I give you… “Phantom Thieves Jongara Bushi”! Haaa, appeeearing iiin Tooohhh-kyooohhh… Didn’t even try to localize this bit, I see.   (Middle-Aged Lady) Well, you also lied to him about your age. Are you sure you have the right to complain?  That’s different. Anyway, I asked the Phantom Thieves to give him a change of heart. Geez… I think maybe it’s you who might need a change of heart.   Er, I mean, the train. And its door! Thanks, Chief! I’ve been working on projecting my— …Hey, you’re not the chief! Sorry, got a little excited.The dialogue for selecting the other option is near-identical, Rookie Station Attendant just says “Thank you” instead of “Thanks” and “my mistake” instead of “got a little excited.”     That’s a question… I’d like to ask myself… Maybe I’d get to find this person… if I wait around at Okumura Foods?  Haha, I appreciate you trying to help. It’s like you really are some kind of phantom thief hero. However… I don’t even know who I’m trying to target… Sorry, I’m just talking to myself.    (Modest Housewife) Well, the Phantom Thieves sent out their calling card. Can’t be good news for the corporate bigwigs.  The police need to get off their fat asses and arrest those delinquents! I thought you were a fan of the Phantom Thieves? Ohoho, I know times are tough right now, but… Modest Housewife is doing the ojou laugh, it’s over.   Let’s see Yusuke about some skill cards.     That’ll do.    (Stylish Male Student) You just now found that out? It’s all over the internet. He’s getting bashed left and right. Corrupt companies are the worst! The Phantom Thieves will do something about it!  Music: Tokyo Emergency    (Sad Old Man) They should leave reforming society or whatever to the people we elect and put in charge. Maybe… Hey, shouldn’t we do something too? What are you talking about? We’ve worked so hard up until now, so I say our work is done.   (DJ) I used to go to Big Bang Burger a lot myself. They’re a big company with a good image, so I feel like I’ve been betrayed. That’s just the way the world works. Not worth making a big fuss over it at this point.    Gentle-Looking Mother) Not really. There are other places that sell them. We can go with Kotaro again! Let’s go and cheer on the Phantom Thieves! Yeah… I hope he feels better soon.  Music: Tokyo Daylight        (Shabby Middle-Aged Man) B-But the price of the Okumura Foods stock I bought from my friend has plummeted... All you have to do its make up for it! Actually, I’ve got this secret information… R-Really!? Please, tell me what it is!   Danger could strike your company at any time. And just like that, your life as you know it crumbles. You never know what might happen, but at least you can give your home the very best protection. Wanna-B-Alert can help you! For a limited time, sign up with a zero-down contract!   Thanks to them, I’m getting tons of labor-related inquiries. (Sharp Lawyer) Unpaid and illegal overtime, abuse of position… I can’t believe they dealt with it for so long. People are standing up for their rights after the Okumura thing. I’ll be busy for quite a while.   (Fast-Talking Man) Don’t worry, we’ll keep visiting you at “Alice’s Apron”! It’s the promised land for guys like us!  Ew, gross. Who are you again, creep? Waah! Harsh on the outside… and harsh on the inside. But why’s my heart beating so fast?   (Plump Man) Well, it’s over for them if they piss off their sponsors. No network’s gonna bash Okumura Foods. I wish the Phantom Thieves would take care of this already. Okumura’s 100% guilty. Yep, our Phantom Thieves will take care of him!    I never thought they’d get one of those calling cards. This can’t be happening… I still have some capital left over. Yeah, the Phantom Thieves are where it’s at… I’ve got it. I’ll buy a crap ton of stocks for places making money off the Phantom Thieves!   You can get all kinds of Phantom Thieves stuff. I got a Phantom Thieves badge. I wonder what I’ll get next…  We’ll hang with Shinya today, since he’s only at Rank 3.  “Even then” makes no sense to start that sentence, Shinya. What are they even teaching you in school? Not grammar, clearly! You’re going to train today too, right? Okaaay… Let’s just play a game then.Tower Rank 4: Part 119 Music: Alright (Elp Version)   Sounds like they had another success, huh? That’s cool. That war I told you about is still raging… It’s because they think I’m weak… If only I was as strong as the Phantom Thieves…   What, so being big is better? Uh… yeah, basically. Anyway, let’s be buddies, you and me. We’re both gamers, after all. Stranger danger! Not like that, whoever you’re supposed to be. I’m Takekuma. I make a living off my gaming skills, you’ve probably heard of me. Nope. Takekuma!? I’ve seen videos of you online! And they call you the King, right? I’ve always wanted to play you… I dunno if it’s a good idea, though… I don’t wanna get accused of bullying when your rank drops. Uh, we’re kind of in the middle of somethi— You just called me weak! No one calls me weak! Let’s do this! I won’t lose! As I expected of the King… Okay, let’s get this started…  Oh hey, it’s the return of the poorly placed NPCs in this scene!  There’s the lady reading her phone over the other guy’s shoulder, and the guy about grab another dude’s rear end! Hey, why are you doing that thing with your hand? It’s my unstoppable technique… Uh, sure, whatever you say…Music: Suspicion How…? (Arcade Spectator) The King is getting destroyed… (Loud Spectator) That’s Takekuma, isn’t it? He’s awesome! I missed!? The King lost! …That doesn’t count! Let’s play again! You got it. Wow. That’s ten losses in a row. The King got slaughtered! Ha! That’s hilarious! One more… One more game! No matter how many times we play, the end result will be the same. We should probably stop, for your sake. Shut up! You cheated, didn’t you!? Wow, I guess the King really is just a little kid… Looks like I overestimated you. I’d feel bad beating you again, so I’ll leave. Practice more for the next time we play, okay? Come on, man. You baited an elementary school kid into accepting your challenge with insults and then when he reacts badly to losing you pull the above-it-all routine? The cool thing about Shinya only being eleven or whatever is that he’ll actually grow up. You already did that and you’re still like this. …Gottagobye! Dammit…! You’ve gotta be kidding me… Oops, didn’t mean to cuss… That guy was an rear end in a top hat. I’ll cheer you on if you want revenge. Right, thanks! I’ll totally beat him next time! If I lose, it’s over for me! This isn’t over. The strongest always win in the end. Just like the Phantom Thieves… Watch, I’ll win for sure next time! I’m not a loser, you’ll see! Shinya is more motivated than ever before… …Crap, it’s late. I gotta go… Man, that Takekuma though! Telling me to practice for next time… A grown-up shouldn’t spend so much time playing video games! Interacting with Shinya has made my heart grow… I feel like my Kindnesshas increased…Maaku gains Kindness +2. …Today tired me out. I’ll see ya later… After School → Evening    I mean, kind of, yeah. You better not keep us waiting long! We’re waiting in front of our door!Looks like there’s a new outing available. Unfortunately, we already have quite the backlog built up.   He has been cooped up in his study, and his voice lacks energy. That actually sounds quite similar to what Madarame went through. And Madarame still had a change of heart in the end. Don’t worry, Haru. Is that so…? Oh, my apologies! I don’t mean to doubt you or anything! Getting your Treasure stolen just messes with your vibes a bit. >Futaba slept for three weeks. That’s… rather troubling. But I feel better now. Thank you. Looks like this Okumura case is finally going to have a happy ending. All that we have to do now is wait for his change of heart. Oh boy, goodies!           A lot of goodies!  We sure did!   Which of these counts as slander? You be the judge! (Game Show Host) The correct answer is… A! Spreading around someone’s criminal history… is a crime!Japanese law is weird. But good to know we can probably sue Mishima. (Lawyer) If you publicly say something that hurts someone’s reputation, even if it’s true, it’s slander! Insults are usually not considered defamation, and even if it was, it’d be libel if it were published online. Oh, you got it right. So everyone who spreads rumors about you is guilty of slander, eh? It feels like I’ve improved my Knowledge.Maaku gains Knowledge +1.   They ‘ere rotten fr’m the start. *hic* Yah, they should be executed. Executiiiive theeem! They’re worse’n bad apples… They’re bad picklesh! You agree wi’ me, right? Executive theeeem! Right!? Lemme buy ya some drinksh! Jus’ who do they think they are? Those bad picklesh have no place in any sanwidge I’m gonna eat! You shee! It’sh a conspiracy! The bad picklesh, they made it sho Okumura’d get targetd…  What!? No, no! We hafta kill ‘em! We hafta kill those baaaad picklesh The only good pickle share th’ pickles Mom masesh… You shee! It’sh a conspiracy! The bad picklesh, they made it sho Okumura’d get targetd…  Lemme tell you… I’m a good pickle, yer a good pickle, but the bad picklesh’re ev’rywhere… An’ they’re not—*burp*—they’re not jus’ hidin’ in sandwidges now. They workin’ out inna open. You shee! It’sh a conspiracy! The bad picklesh, they made it sho Okumura’d get targetd…    (Innocent Grade Schooler) Me too! I did just good enough, so my parents said they’ll get me one too. Phones aren’t for calling. They’re for calling cards! Hehe, now we can follow the Phantom Thieves!  Let’s ask the Phantom Thieves to get our parents to buy us anything we want!   Sorry, and thanks. No need to apologize. I *do* have many other things I could be doing, but I’m *choosing* to help you out. Whatever you say. Oh… The regulars’ll be here any minute.Hierophant Rank 6: Part 105 Music: Break it Down  (Gaudy Customer) Don’t you ever get lonely, So-chan? You’ve been a bachelor for so long… Have you given up on marriage? All I want in a relationship is spicy stimulation followed by some smooth, relaxing comfort. And I can get both of those things from my curry and my coffee. That’s enough for me. Words to live by. I even almost believe them. He always dodges my questions like that. He’s so clever. By the way, what are your thoughts on So-chan’s life of solitude? Well, I think it takes a strong man to live that kind of tragic life. I certainly couldn’t bear it. What the hell kind of compliment is that…? Anyway, the only thing I care about in life is making sure my customers are satisfied. Also, you know, the other thing. Remember? Fifteen years old? Ring any bells? Ixnay in front of the customers. Nothing makes me happier than seeing people relax in here. Come back anytime, okay? She seemed especially aggressive today, huh? It would’ve been bad if she pushed any further… But I guess food service relies on keeping the right distance from people… Not too far, not too close. Music: Suspicion You just don’t know when to give up, do you…!? (Cheerful Elderly Man) Well… I just learned something VERY interesting! Futaba’s been shut off from both school and society this whole time, huh? That’s not good parenting. Yeah? And what have YOU done to care for her? If you don’t pay up, I think we’ll all get a fine lesson in how hospitable I can really be to Futaba. Resorting to threats? You really must be desperate. I’m going to tell you again: I already gave you most of the inheritance just for custody. Leave us alone. No, I don’t think that will work. If you really won’t pay me, then I suppose we’ll have to find out in court… But I don’t think you’d like that. After all, I have the major advantage of being her blood relative…  You…. And I’m sure they’d love to hear about how you’ve taken in this stray over here! A criminal record, ha! I’m sure the custody board will love hearing that Futaba’s growing up with someone on probation for an assault charge for a housemate while her guardian won’t even let her go to school. What a terrible environment for her… Okay, first off, I’m not actually Futaba’s housemate, I live in the attic here. Second, if you keep threatening my family you’re gonna find out real quick why I’m on probation. Stay out of this. It’s between me and him. Also, what the hell are you even talking about? The guy you “assaulted” was drunk and fell. This guy didn’t know that! *shock* Oh… Futaba-chan! Long time no see!  Futaba! See what I’m saying? She’s a total wreck. This is clearly not a healthy situation. She’s only like this because she saw you here! Hmph, don’t make me repeat myself… You can’t beat me in court, so you may as well just give me the money. Grrr… Well, I hope you reach the right decision! Bye now!  Futaba… You should just head home for today. I’ll take you.  Sojiro…   Futaba’s okay. All that drama must’ve tired her out… She fell asleep right after we got home. I won’t even ask. After this long, if you’re keeping it from me, I trust that you have a good reason. No… That’s not fair to you. That man is Futaba’s uncle.Music: Confession/Secret After Wakaba died, Futaba was passed around all her relatives… His place was the last. He treated her like garbage. He never fed her, and forced her to sleep on the floor like an animal. He didn’t even let her bathe… Once I learned that, I knew I had to step in. I couldn’t stand for that kind of horrible treatment, so I decided to take Futaba under my care.This feels like as good a time as any to mention why Futaba took Sojiro’s last name when he adopted her, for those of you who know nothing about Japan (that’s not a slight, I didn’t actually know this until a couple months ago anyway). Basically, any given family register can only have one family name, so for Sojiro to adopt Futaba, they’d have to have the same last name. That’s pretty much it. Even back then, he was whining about all the drat expenses. That’s rich considering he seemed to be cheaping out on the important ones like, say, “food.” I threw some cash his way, thinking that would put the issue to bed… but now he’s back for more. I don’t even know how he managed to find me here… Maybe paying him was a mistake. Hey, you can’t start thinking like that, trust me. Thinking about all the things you “should have done” is only going to breed resentment, and besides: You did the right thing. You saved Futaba. Heh… Thanks. I never thought you’d be the one comforting me. Either way though, it’s my fault Futaba didn’t leave her room. I just didn’t know how to help her through it… I’d make curry, leave it by her door, and go. If not for you, I’d probably still be waiting for her to come out. Hey… So if you asked me whether I deserve to be Futaba’s guardian… my answer would be no. *wince* They say blood’s thicker than water, right? I wonder what’d be the best for Futaba… Well, not that guy’s blood, certainly. Listen, just… don’t make any rash decisions, okay? Can’t believe I’m spilling my heart out to a kid like you… And even worse, you’re actually trying to help. I’m so pathetic… Though… it’s kinda weird. For some reason, I just feel like telling you this stuff. It’s like you’re peering into my heart… Heh, I guess there really is something special about you. I feel like my bond with Sojiro is growing deeper… It’s already pretty late… I should be heading home. I’m still worried about Futaba. Don’t stay up too late, you hear? Oh, and… thanks. I can sense the compassion hidden behind Sojiro’s actions… I feel my Kindness growing…Maaku gains Kindness +3. Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   Futaba’s fast asleep… Didn’t mean to get you tangled up in all this mess.   Man, though. I never know what I’m doing when I talk to you. I just keep yammering on about stuff I never planned on talking about. Must be going senile, huh?  You just keep looking out for Futaba. Seems like you two are really hitting it off, so. That’s all I had to say. Don’t forget to lock up before bed. Later.
Arist fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Jul 24, 2023 |
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Jul 23, 2023 19:20
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we're so fuckin hyped for another one of those press conferences, that have happened all of exactly one time before now
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Jul 24, 2023 01:36
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Arist posted:
Typo
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Jul 24, 2023 05:54
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Arist posted:
Oof, that's a gross law. Truth should be a complete defense against libel and slander accusations. It could have been reasonable if there were other laws that applied, but "they told people about something crappy I definitely did" is nonsense. Certainly helps justify why no one is willing to accuse the powerful people in this story of their misdeeds.
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Jul 24, 2023 05:56
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Conceptually, it seems entirely reasonable? Hypothetically, criminal justice is a matter of rehabilitation, which should mean that if you have served your time and paid your dues, your criminal history should be no one's business. The game even gives a perfect example; Maaku is a juvenile offender, and Kamoshida disseminating his record to ruin his school life and give various side villains ammo is obviously criminal. The conviction being bogus is not the core issue here. I'm sure the law is applied very unevenly, by influential people who never actually faced justice to shut down valid criticism, such as, again, Kamoshida, but that's a fault of the system as a whole, not the specific law.
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Jul 24, 2023 14:42
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No point in getting into the weeds in between US and Japanese law (where in the US, truth is an absolute defense against defamation) but you can have separate torts for invasion of privacy and of course in the case of Maaku as a minor he'd get special protection. In the EU there's the right to be forgotten as well, but those run up to issues where the conviction was for like fraud which has, uh, certain trust issues you should be able to get info on. There's a lot of intersections between freedom of speech, the right to be left alone, and the right to also inform where it would be relevant and if I still had an Elsevier sub I'd probably be able to pull up reams of articles in various law journals.okliiiiiiiiiu
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Jul 24, 2023 15:58
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Chapter 140: 9/30-10/1: Summer’s End (New) Anon: Ooh, a calling card! kekeke Early Morning Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)    Hey, are you keepin’ up with comments online? There’s a lot of hate for Okumura, and a lot of expectations for us. I hope Haru’s dad has a change of heart soon.  I know! Ain’t it awesome!? This’ll be a huge uproar again. As usual, it’ll be a while before we see some results, but maaan, I am SO lookin’ forward to this. Early Morning → Morning Music: My Homie  *intercom tone* (Woman’s Voice) Ummm… Mr. Hiruta, please come to the faculty office at once.  What…? …Everyone make sure you study on your own until I return.  So, what’s the plan?  Our long-term goal for reading is just to finish these Jinbocho books.  Stories about great people from the past, huh? I’m just a little suspicious of how true they are…  You looked a bit crazy studying so hard. In any case, I’m sure you’ve gained a lot of wisdom from reading about historical figures!Maaku gains Knowledge +3. Ah! The teacher’s back! Phew, that was close. Kawakami helped us get a good chunk of free time though! Morning → After School Music: Tokyo Daylight       Now we have an extra Samarecarm in case we end up using one for the Bugs request.    Well, I was thinking of getting in shape first. And who better to help with that than Ryuji, right? Why don’t you join in too, Maaku? We can train together? All right, let’s go work up a sweat! It’s pretty close by. Oh, and I’ll let Ryuji know.Lovers Rank 8: Part 119 Music: What’s Going On?  Last time I was here it was with those children I mentioned the other day. They almost killed me with the equipment here many times! Maaku, you are a genuine weirdo. I need you to know that. Fair enough. Anyway, this place is pretty sweet, huh? Not too many people gettin’ in your way. What a fun way of saying this place is totally dead. Anyways, uh… what’re you tryin’ to do here? I want to slim down! Huh. You tried joggin’? Aerobics alone aren’t enough! I want to tone up too, so I need to start lifting weights. Plus my shoulders are drooping, I wanna make my biceps leaner, and I need to straighten my back out! Sounds like you’ve got a lot of— Obviously I want to cut down on my waist size too… and firm up my butt and calves! You’re absolutely gonna bite off more than you can chew here, and I’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Because it’ll be funny, mostly. Anyways, motivation’s good n’ all, but you’re not gonna be able to move tomorrow if you do all that poo poo.  Then you come up with a training regimen for me. Ugh, you’re such a pain. If you do that for me, I’ll go on a date with you as a reward! ♥ Eff that.  Huh!? Quit thinkin’ you’re some sexy character in an anime. It’s sad watchin’ you like this.Ryuji, that’s at least 60% of her character though. Next time you try to “seduce” me or whatever, don’t be wearing your PE uniform. I guess some guys might be into that, but not me. I’ve never come to the gym before! How should I know that!? I see I’ve got a lot to learn…   Huh…? It fell through? Yeah… Uh, I guess that’s okay… Mm-hm…  It was a black-and-white shoot, so they said I wouldn’t stand out. It sounded fun though. It was about the everyday life of models… Guess you just gotta find somewhere you do stand out then. Huh… There has to be somewhere my vibrant charm will shine, right!? Uh, sure, whatever you say. Yeah, I can do this! Uh, I think he was sayin’ that sarcastically… Hey, I saw this other model in a magazine you appeared in recently. She was innocent, but sexy at the same time. You should be more like her. I know where this is going… What does “innocent, but sexy” mean…? Wait a minute, did she have long, brown hair? Yup, that’s her! Can you introduce me!? I’m going to kill you. Huh!? Let’s go! I’m gonna channel this fury into my exercise until I break all these machines! Please don’t. I’m pretty sure I’m the only one of us who has any money at all and I still doubt I can afford to replace this equipment. The three of us trained until we had reached our limits… *pant* My body… hurts… Still… I’m satisfied… That’s what workin’ hard feels like. Not bad, huh? Yeah, that was actually… pretty fun. Good, because that was rep 1 of 8. Time to sweat! Please, no… Fiiiiiine. Anyway, the reason I was able to work so hard was because you two were here with me. I had to prove I was putting in the effort. It’s simple stuff like that that’ll help you keep pushin’. That’s actually good advice. I wish I’d thought of it… Uh, this ain’t a competition. Crap, for real? Sorry guys, my mom forgot to buy stuff for dinner, so I gotta head out. Seeya. Ryuji just can’t say no when his mom needs help, huh? …I’m actually a little jealous of the relationship they have. Yeah… Wait, are you jealous of Ryuji for his mother’s presence in his life? Or is it the weird one, where you’re jealous of his mom for being around Ryuji so much? Why would it be the second one!? I don’t know! You tried to seduce him earlier, and I never thought you two had that kind of relationship! Well, it didn’t work, so clearly we don’t! No! It’s obviously because my parents weren’t around! I mean even growing up, my parents were super busy. They always told me I was strong, that I’d be fine on my own. I was free… but I was lonely. I’d make friends, but we moved a lot… and every time, I had to start all over again. I actually got used to the loneliness… But all that changed once I met Shiho… The world seemed so hopeful… How is she, by the way? It’s been a while. I heard her rehab is going well… That’s good. The extent of her injuries was always a bit vague to me for some reason, but it must’ve been pretty bad if she’s still in physical therapy five months later. She’s going to be officially transferring schools soon too… I need to show her that I’m working hard… and that she doesn’t need to worry so much about me. I’m sure she sees that already. Right! I’ve learned so much from her! I can sense a strong resolve from Ann… Let’s go home. …I might have trouble moving though. My legs are killing me. I’m not carrying you. Well, see you later.Music: Alright (Elp Version)   Gah! Oogh… My muscles are so sore right now… Going home took me more than twice as long as usual… I’m so glad I had you guys with me. You two are the best! …I wonder if this is how Shiho felt with her rehab? Being able to push herself because someone was there with her…   But, well… no matter what, I’m gonna stay by Shiho’s side. I want to stick with her until the very end. Not much time left until Shiho switches schools… I need to up my coolness so she can take off without worrying about me.  …Sorry, but I better get some rest for now. Bye-bye!After School → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask   His reaction was quite vague when I spoke to him too… Is this what normally happens? Madarame was in a similar state after we changed his heart. It’ll be OK, don’t worry. All we have to do is wait. >Sure do love having to repeat this song-and-dance with every new member of the team… …You’re right. I’ll just believe it’s going to work. Thank you, and sorry for asking so many times. I’ll message you again if there is more progress. Don’t worry, it’ll be just like it always is.areyousureaboutthat.gif  Our reporters succeeded in getting an interview with a man who used to work for the company. What he described was a harsh environment where employees are not allowed any freedom. Whoa. Having a job sounds like a lot of hard work. What are you gonna do when you’re an adult? Hm, dunno. Think Futaba can give me any pointers for the NEET life?    (Reserved College Student) I hear he’s just throwing money at the problem—as if the company’s image could get any worse. I guess they deserve this. I think we should tear down businesses that abuse their employees.   (Earnest Office Worker) Our company isn’t like that. We’re very much on the level. I am not so sure about that… The internet and media are both skilled at starting fires. In that respect, I sort of envy him. To think that could happen to us when we’re all working so hard.    (Tired Office Worker) What’s she talking about? Is she worried that maybe you’re overworking yourself?  No. You know how Okumura Food’s stock price fell after their president got that calling card? She’s worried that if a big company like that can fail, ours might fail too. She’s more worried about the company than you? Well, it’s kind of the same with my wife…   (Foreign Barker) Big Bang Burger’s in a rough spot, right? Let’s show ‘em some Japanese spirit and lend ‘em a hand! Look, the Japanese only like to show solidarity when obligated to do so. No one wants to be seen working with a company known to exploit their employees!       Yeah, I’ve got a lot more time on my hands now. I’ve been able to stay out longer, little by little. Looks like I’ll be free soon. The guy that’s got a hold on me, his heart’s startin’ to weaken. …Who am I talkin’ about? Someone real close to me! Haha!  Aw, don’t be like that. Look, there’s a buncha fun, interestin’ stuff goin’ on. For instance… You hear that hoity-toity bastard got a calling card? He finally got the Phantom Thieves’ attention. They’re punishing evil people that the law can’t reach. Those phantom thieves are just like me, hahaha!    If the CEO has a change of heart, do you think the burgers will get cheaper?  (Rural Young Man) They opened one up back home not long ago. Huge lines—you’d think it was a festival or somethin’. I didn’t know Bangarang Burgers was so amazing.   (Tired Housewife) Oh, yeah… They own Big Bang Burger, right? I hear they’re talking about opening a new store in Kichijoji. Wow. Expanding and building new locations in this economy? They must be making serious money. But just between you and me, I’ve heard some pretty nasty things about their business practices. They apparently don’t get any days off. And any bonuses there are tiny…   My office is full of crusty old men who think my most important job is serving tea to the guests. That kind of male chauvinism belongs in the past. They’ve got to give more meaningful work to women!     (Charismatic Manager) Well, that’s reality. Big stores can keep prices low and are more convenient to shop at. We haven’t sold much lately, and we just get the odd customer every now and then. If I weren’t making money from my other businesses, I wouldn’t be able to keep this shop open.  Oops, I accidentally selected the fishing pond instead of Shinjuku!     Here, look at this tutorial!    Look, shut up.    (Taxi Driver) The worst. Even if I drive all day, I still barely meet quota. Yeah, well—don’t get me started on my bosses. These days they’re little more than slave-drivers… Maybe we need to ask the Phantom Thieves for help. I hope they take down my boss when they’re done with Okumura.   Things are a bit awkward with Mishima now. And you know what? Good.     You wanna make your big debut, right?  (Dream-Chasing Girl) Of course! I’ll work as hard as it takes! Good to hear… Never lose that drive, all right?   Music: Crossroads   But how the heck would you know, right? Riiiiiight?  Need s’more info on the Phantom Thievesssss. So sit your pretty lil butt down…  I’m expecting a lot from you… Okay, take a seat!Devil Rank 6: Part 107  I’ll shack you if it’s not good enough…  …Hey, you sure you’re okay? I don’t think I’ve ever seen her quite *this* hammered… It’s been a while since she’s gotten this drunk, yes… Something happen, Ohya? Oooh, you’re sharp, kid! Truth is, um… my quota got doubled.Music: Suspicion  It’s gonna take like four times as much work to get it done though… They’re shacklin’ me down so I don’t have time to look into Kaya’s case! I know it! Might even have to cut out my daydrinking to keep up with all this work… This chief of yours sounds like a real piece of work. He clearly seems to hate you. Well, in his defense, he does seem to be under the impression you’re in a relationship with a high school student, so maybe that’s not unreasonable. Just talking about his general disdain though, the increase in your workload sounds hosed. Before this, I was starting to feel like a real journalist again… The rush of investigating Kayo’s case… uncovering the dark secrets hidden away by our corrupt society… But now? It’s gonna be impossible to run my investigation with this quota… That doesn’t sound good. Course it’s not good! But what am I s’posed to do…? They’ll fire me if I can’t reach my quota! Hey, Lala-chan… if they fire me, can I live here? You already basically live here. And no, you can’t. Fine… it wouldn’t help my investigation anyway… I’m so frustrated right now… The incident’s more than a year old, and the police aren’t doing poo poo. Did Kayo really do it…? Have more faith. It’s a little late to be doubting her. I know that! If I don’t have faith in her, no one else will! Watch your temper. This is all my fault in the first place. Kayo was a genius photographer, but she mostly took nature shots for books before I came along. I dragged her into politics… I thought she’d be the perfect partner… You can’t blame yourself. Kayo wanted the same things you did. That’s why she agreed in the first place. Still… it’s my fault! So I’ve gotta get to the bottom of it! …So, were you and Kayo, like, a thing, or…? We were partners. That doesn’t answer my question. Yes it does. Y’know, it’s weird how calm I get when I’m talkin’ to you. It’s almost like you actually understand me. Oh, and… I’m sorry for snapping at you earlier. The stress must have gotten to me. It’s just, all this quota business is driving me crazy. I’m gonna have to put all my focus on that for now. I’ll still be counting on you for Phantom Thieves stories though… as long as you’re up for it. It feels like Ohya is really starting to rely on me…  I think I’m gonna have to ease off my investigation for a while too. I don’t need any more eyes on me… I might be able to get my coworkers to help with my quota though in exchange for some information. Now then, I’ll take any tidbits you have for me today. Hope you don’t mind if I get back to drinking though. This whole conversation has really sobered me up… I swear to god, this woman has Vimes genes. Mm, it’s getting late… I’ll see ya later.Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   If I’m being serious—I mean, genuinely, actually serious—I really appreciate you. I’m only able to meet my insane quota because of the info you give me on the Phantom Thieves.  But yeah, for now, guess I’ll leave the intel gathering to my partner in crime. I gotta focus on meeting my quota… I’ll never give up on my own investigation…!   Anon: This is getting good! Early Morning Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)  Back to winter uniforms. Summer’s barely over, that turtleneck’s gotta be hell in early October. (Glasses-Wearing Worker) Well, even if the CEO has a change of heart, the company’s image is still in ruins… I imagine their stocks plummeted. (Tired Office Worker) Do you think Okumura really exploited his employees? Every little rumor goes viral these days. What if it was all just a lie? If so, the real victims here are the employees themselves. (Glasses-Wearing Worker) Nah, the rumors about Okumura Foods were all well-known in the industry. You’re overthinking it.  The way they overcame all the odds and made it to the victory stand… It was like something out of a movie! (Composed Boy) Yeah, they put on a stellar performance this time. They must’ve been training really hard… It’s nice to see more people with smiles on their faces now. Wait… You actually went to watch? Seriously…? I get what you mean though. Maybe I’ll go and cheer for them too.Early Morning → After School   If that happens, will that be the end of Big Bang Burger’s seasonal items? (Foodie Girl) You know, Big Bang Burger isn’t the only place that serves seasonal items. Our school store has a limited fall item called Autumn Bread, too! It’s so popular that they always sell out. Wow, it’s that popular? I’ve never visited our school store before. I’ll check it out. Hurry back to your prison! Time for some fusion because we need to make space for a Hermit Persona. Music: Aria of the Soul  First, we’ll be making Kushinada from Kaiwan and Hariti.   It is time I become a new mask and free the pristine power hidden within your mortal flesh… Kushinada in Japanese mythology was the daughter of two lesser gods who became the wife of the god of storms, Susano-o. She was the final in a line of eight daughters who had to be sacrificed to the Orochi to prevent his violent rampage. Susano-o transformed her into a comb to hide her from the Orochi, defeated it, and married Kushinada.   Our next fusion will be Pazuzu from White Rider and Hell Biker. We have to pay 37620 yen to fuse above our level.   I shall become your mask. Now, let us walk together and take the reins of this desert world.Uh, Earth isn’t a desert. You’re a bit early for that, man. Anyway, Pazuzu is the Babylonian lord of wind and scorching sands, with the body of a man, the head of a lion, and the claws and wings of an eagle. He has a deadly poison, and the diseases he spreads can only be cured magically. Despite his demonic nature, he was regarded as benevolent towards humans by ancient Mesopotamian texts.  We’ll finish up with Byakko from Lilim and Legion. We need 29700 yen to fuse above our level.   Mine roar causeth all beasts to bow down! I shall be thy mask! Byakko, also known as Bai Hu (literally “White Tiger”) is one of the four symbols of the Chinese constellation. It represents the cardinal direction of west, the season of autumn, and the element of metal. It is believed to be the king of all beasts. The other three symbols are Suzaku, Genbu, and Seiryu, for the curious among you. All three are also in this game.  Music: Tokyo Emergency  Futaba, I’ve already snapped at least once from hearing that phrase. Please don’t make it happen again.   All right, time to formulate our plan of attack. Get in there! Go, go!Hermit Rank 5: Part 106 Music: What’s Going On?   “Learn about my generation.” And I think I can get the next one at the same time! “Have a normal conversation with a stranger my age”! Two for one! Hmmm, where can I find lots of young people? Let us away, Maaku! Wow, you guys have actually started getting pretty close. Not like that’s a bad thing though. Anyway, be careful out there.  So we’ve arrived at the diner… I’ve heard all about the unlimited fountain drinks at these places… Yeah, the Coke Freestyle machine in the back is pretty sick. …Oh. Hey. Who’s this girl you’re with? Mishima, back off. Things are already pretty awkward between us right now, and if you think I’m gonna let you try to put the moves on this socially-maladjusted girl who is basically my sister I’m gonna bite you. Is this a friend of yours? No. Well, why don’t we ask him for help with my promise? I do need to talk to someone my age, after all! I really don’t think that’s a good— What promise? W-Wellll… *sigh* So, wait. You’re saying that you, a girl… want to talk to… me? I see. In that case, I guess I don’t have a choice. Nope, none whatsoever. I’ll just have to help you out. Down, boy. Ooh, you’re so nice! My name’s Futaba Sakura, and don’t you forget it! Futaba, please be less excited about this. U-Uh, okay? I’m Yuuki Mishima, but everyone just calls me Mishima… Hrmhrmhrm. It seems like help always comes my way when I need it most. Maybe my luck stat’s really high. Let’s just get this over with. Mishima, sit down.Music: My Homie   …So you want to learn more about our generation? I doubt it’ll be easy to explain… Youth… The unknown frontier… Hm, maybe I should try talking about my hobbies… What hobbies? All you seem to be into is your comp— Do you like computers? Mm, I’m always online. What sites do you use? I usually keep to forums myself… Who still uses forums? Or are you more into streaming? I’d gladly subscribe to your channel. Yeah, I bet you would… W-W-Wait, do you by chance run one of those… racy channels? You’d need to be super courageous to do that, though it certainly wouldn’t be unwlecome… Kek. She’s fifteen, dude! Gross! And did you seriously just say “kek” out loud!? Stop that! Whoa, that’s the first time I’ve heard anyone actually say that out loud… Kek! Great, now I’m gonna be hearing her say that for the next three hours. I hope you’re happy. Anyway, you’re extremely lucky she didn’t notice you creeping on her. Unfortunately for you, I did, so we’re still gonna have to cut off your pinky. I get it now! He’s so… generic and forgettable, with no sex appeal at all! Nishima must be an NPC! Futaba, normally I’d scold you for embracing solipsism, but because it’s Mishima I’ll just laugh. *laughs* Anyway, I’m glad you spawned here! I killed two promises with one Nishima today! “Learn about my generation” and “have a normal conversation with a stranger my age”! Aw yeah! I think I gained a ton of EXP on this adventure. And it’s all ‘cause you brought me here, Maaku. Thanks! I can sense Futaba’s innocent joy… S-Sooo, um… Futaba-chan. It’s okay if I call you that, right? I’m a little embarrassed, hahaha… No. Are you even listening to me?Anyway, uh.., what are you doing after this? Going home. O-Oh… Right… C’mon, Maaku! We’re off!Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   I mean, I cleared two goals in one day! That’s not all! On my way home, I found a lost thing in the street, so I dropped it off at the police station. I’m a completely different person now! No more getting scared of the police! C’mon, tell me I’m cool!You should probably still be scared of the police.   …Though I… basically just left the thing on their doorstep. No way I’m actually talking to anyone in there. Compared to the police, Nishima was nothing. He’s like the first gym leader. At my current level, I can easily befriend an NPC like Nishima, and… …Eh, never mind.  After School → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask  I think the secondhand clothes store in Kichijoji will take them too, but we’d better do something with them. (Reporter) On these irregularly broadcast specials, we share limited-edition items that are all the rage! Today we’re going to be talking about the relaxing and therapeutic scent of Refresh Aroma! With its special mix of autumn ingredients, this item has been flying off the shelves. (Pundit) This is from Body Chop, right? I hope the one in the underground mall in Shibuya still has some.  …Ugh, fine, we’ll hang out with Mishima again. But not today. We’ll let him stew for a bit.   I expect we’ve both had a long day. I was out until now with work, but I think I finally can take a break… You’re not planning on anything too strenuous tonight, are you? Then perhaps we can talk over some of Boss’s coffee… Not that I’m complaining, but if you two are so tired, maybe you could use a bath more than a coffee. I mean, there’s a bathhouse right there. A bathhouse? That doesn’t sound too bad. Want to come with me, Hamiru-kun? I’d appreciate it if you could show me the way.It’s right across the street, dude.  *patting self down frantically* Wait, poo poo, I don’t have a Justice Persona on me…! Hold on, I’ll be right back. Huh? But… Stay right there! Music: Aria of the Soul   The only Persona we’ll be making tonight is Power from Hecatoncheires and Neko Shogun.   I shall become one with this mask and protect you with my life as though I were an iron shield.Power is a type of angel, the sixth of the nine orders and the first to be created. One of their roles is to protect human souls from demons. Given how many demons Maaku has inside of him, they’re not doing a very good job. They also oversee the distribution of power among humans, and are concerned with history, ideology, philosophy, and theology.  Okay, now back to Akechi! Music: Beneath the Mask   Oh… really? If that’s the case, I suppose I’ll take you and Boss up on that suggestion. Two bros, chilling in a bathhouse, three feet apart ‘cause I already made this joke!    Of course, these days I’m the Detective Prince, but my family situation was… well, complicated. By the time I was old enough to realize it, my father was already gone. My mother was all I had.     The only one who deserves blame is my father. The worthless, degenerate excuse for a man who abandoned my mother.   Sorry. I didn’t mean for our conversation to get so depressing. Actually, are you all right? I know the hot water can make people dizzy…   Music: What’s Going On?   Oof… I think I feel a little lightheaded.  This is the first time I’ve ever taken a bath like this. I’ve never told anyone else about my family situation, either. I wonder why I wold you? Curious indeed.Yeah, it is curious. We didn’t even, like, ask. You just offered it up unprompted.   We’re both victims of the adults who unfairly impacted our lives.  Then again… this probably isn’t a conversation we should be having naked. Let’s get dressed, shall we? I feel like my bond with Akechi is growing deeper…  Next time, let’s keep the competition out of the bath. Best to save it for the baize, right?I have literally never seen this word before. He’s referring to the green material that covers a billiards table.  Are you ready?  Well, see you later.Music: Break it Down   It’s nice to spend the day as Goro Akechi for once, rather than the Detective Prince. You know? I don’t know if it’s because of the whole Prince image, but everyone seems to think I’m some brilliant prodigy… It’s really nothing like that. But people always seem to misunderstand.    If anything, I envy you. You fit right in with the retro vibe back there.  You and I have common ground in some aspects, but in others, we’re total opposites. It’s intriguing. The more I get to know you, the more it makes me think. I wonder why that is. …Ah, now I’m veering into strange territory… I should let you go for now. See you.
Arist fucked around with this message at 16:45 on Jul 30, 2023 |
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Jul 29, 2023 18:31
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Just two bros hanging out in the bath. Trauma dumping. Plotting each other's downfall.Arist posted:
Wasn't he checking out her chest earlier in the game? At least be consistent, man. Blueberry Pancakes fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Jul 29, 2023 |
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Jul 29, 2023 20:16
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Arist posted:
Arist posted:
Arist posted:
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Jul 29, 2023 20:39
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