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Chapter 102: 8/9: Thank You For Your Patronage Anon: justice this, justice that… Daytime Music: Tokyo Emergency    The police are gathering intel about Medjed and promoting better awareness of security—however… Expectations for police are low as people focus on the Phantom Thieves’ showdown against Medjed. It’s impossible for the police to do anything in this situation. We have to handle this on our own.  I didn’t say anything.  (DJ) Here’s a message from a listener named Yuuki. He says, “Go Phantom Thieves! Take Medjed down!”Oh, Mishima… Sounds like the Phantom Thieves are getting a lot of support from young people.  We don’t know diddly-squat about those Phantom Thieves or Medjed. They should just throw ‘em all in jail.   (Gentle-Looking Mother) It’s hot outside, so don’t push him too hard. He’s an old dog, after all. (Lazy Dog) …Woof! Woof! Kotaro says he’s fine! We’re gonna help the Phantom Thieves!Music: Tokyo Daylight    The Phantom Thieves seem to be generating support from the internet generation. However, this is a good opportunity to expose those major corporations that are doing wrong… (Young Cameraman) …Are you sure you want to say that? The sponsors will complain if they hear those comments… Don’t worry. This’ll just make things more exciting. Be sure to edit them so they flow together!  So you think Medjed have a valid point? That the major corporations are making too much and therefore should suffer from this? (Young Cameraman) …Are you sure you want to say that? The sponsors will complain if they hear those comments… Don’t worry. This’ll just make things more exciting. Be sure to edit them so they flow together!  Unable… or unwilling to take a side, hm? That’s an interesting point of view… Saying that this showdown is being staged by the major corporations for publicity purposes… (Young Cameraman) …Are you sure you want to say that? The sponsors will complain if they hear those comments… Don’t worry. This’ll just make things more exciting. Be sure to edit them so they flow together!     Hurry back to your prison! We’re going to head into the Velvet Room real quick. I don’t actually remember why, I think I just needed to pull an Emperor Persona (which, wow, was I not using one for the last few Confidant ranks? Yikes) and figured I might as well fuse something to make space. Music: Aria of the Soul  We’re going to fuse Mitra from Sui-Ki and Neko Shogun.    I am the one who keeps watch over all oaths of this world, and the one who shall become your mask…Mitra also occasionally goes by Mithra in his appearances as an SMT demon, but there’s another demon that goes by Mithras, so they’ve been changing this guy’s name in more recent entries. The weird part is not just that they’re both in P5, but also that they seem to possibly be the same entity? Or at the very least, the former seems to have inspired the latter. It’s a little complicated, so I’ll explain it to the best of my ability. Basically, Mithra is a deity of contracts and covenants in Zoroastrian mythology, known as the protector of truth and the enemy of error. He is also the deity of light, oaths, justice, and the sun. The two “forms” of this deity in SMT are Mitra (this guy) and Mithras. Mithras is a little strange; he’s a shirtless dude with a sword whose bottom half is just a big rock:  I won’t go into the weeds about this depiction because it’s not the focus of this explanation, but as I have learned from a brief look at Wikipedia, it turns out that neither of these dudes, be they lion head or sword bishounen, bear much resemblance to the actual deity known as Mithra from Zoroastrianism. Some people think the lion-headed deity is supposed to be a primordial divinity of time and destiny known as Zurvan, who comes from an extinct branch of Zoroastrianism, while others identify this appearance as that of the Demiurge, Yaldabaoth. Unfortunately, we’re all full up on Yaldys at the moment, so let’s ignore that possibility. There’s also a version of Mitra from Indian Vedic mythology, but this is getting really long so I’ll also ignore that one. The reason there’s all this weird confusion is that the ancient Romans formed something called the “Cult of Mithras” attributed to Zoroastrian Persian sources, but they hosed it up somehow, because the two religions are wildly different in ways I am in no way qualified to explain. Basically, the Roman Mithras is at absolute most, based on a perception of Zoroastrianism, and not the original conception of the deity. Basically, in Megaten “lore,” Mitra seems to be the original Zoroastrian deity, and Mithras seems to be the Roman version from their perception of Zoroastrianism, though neither are actually all that similar, at least in appearance, to the original. This is all really complicated and confusing even for me, and I’ve literally only been looking at two webpages for this, the Megaten wiki page for Mitra and the Wikipedia page for Mithra, so if this is at all interesting to you (and I hope it was if you haven’t skipped these paragraphs), look it up yourself. Side note: in the process of looking this up I discovered the Romans practiced something called “mystery religions,” which sound way cooler than they probably have any right to. All right, back to the LP.   With that done, we’re going to place a Persona in Lockdown. We’ll choose… eh…  Choronzon, why not? We also burn an Ambergris EN to boost its Endurance by 2.    Next, we pick up our Growth 2 card from Yusuke and get him right back to work on a Media.  And now it’s time to hang out with Yusuke again!   …The man who offered his support to me at Madarame’s house. I would like your assistance with him. Do you have time to spare? That would really help me out. I find it quite suspicious that he would offer money to a mere high school student like myself… I am grateful for his offer… but I am unsure of what to do. You should meet up with him. If he’s sketchy, we can jump him in a back alley and steal his wallet. …Yeah. I must cling onto any semblance of hope I can find in this world… Very well. I will call him. …I would appreciate it if you could join me, Maaku. Your presence could help ease my societal discomfort, as well as diffuse the temptation of money. Furthermore, your composure will allow you to tell if he is truly attempting to scam me. Yep, ol’ “Composed Maaku,” as they like to call me. Kawanabe-san is waiting for us at the sushi bar. I already told him that you would be coming, so let us go.Emperor Rank 7: Part 117 Music: Alright (Elp Version)  Don’t mind if I do! *snarf* Sorry, but before that… Might I ask what service you provide, exactly? An excellent question. My primarily occupation involves gallery management, but I have numerous hobbies, including the foundation. We scout and nurture promising young talents, giving them scholarships and opportunities to study abroad. We also connect young artists to customers. …There was a time when even Madarame participated in our organization. Madarame… I cannot believe I once looked up to him as a mentor… He has tainted my view of art… Huh…? *mouth full of food* Hey, man. Ixnay on that subject if you wanna seal this deal. Just trust me. I used to paint solely to seek beauty. Now, I am weighed down by the thought of awards, or praise, or that precious dopamine in my traitorous prefrontal cortex. My art is tainted, and I can no longer paint the way I used to. I see… But it would be a waste to let your talent go unused. There is most certainly a place for you at our foundation. It would be trivial to sell someone with your looks and background as a “tragic artist.” He is extremely beautiful, yes. …I’m sorry, what are you saying?Music: Suspicion It’s just as it sounds. You had your ideas stolen by Madarame and lost everything. That makes you unstable and tragic. Your story will resonate even to the non-artistically inclined. My story…? You need a good story to even get your foot in the door in this modern climate. We’ll handle the details. All we ask is that you sell your work in our gallery. We’ll take a modest mediation fee, but you’ll have steady revenue and a solid customer base. Sounds good. My client accepts.  None of this has anything to do with art! I don’t want your filthy money! Wait, Yusuke! You need money! Explain how! Money can be exchanged for goods and services! Urghh… It seems you haven’t learned anything after all. You’re not looking at reality objectively. Is wealth really that horrible? Yes! Wait, poo poo, I’m trying to convince Yusuke to take the deal. What am I doing? And beyond that, how long will you continue to chase those illusions of yours? Purity… Art… Sh-Shut your mouth! I reject your offer! Hmph… It seems you don’t have the resolve to live this life after all. If you want to make a living with art, this is how that happens. I have that resolve! However, I also believe such a life should only come via proper assessment! What the gently caress does that even mean? Then I’ve got the perfect opportunity for you. My foundation is holding a competition soon for young artists around the nation. Our support will be the prize. Customers from around Japan will come to see our next great talent. …A lot of pressure will be on you, if you accept and enter. Unless you’re… chicken? Is that it? Are you chicken, art-boy? What did you say…!? I wonder if you have what it takes to withstand a skill-based assessment of that magnitude. ...I look forward to finding out. Now then, it seems there’s no use in any further discussion. You can have them send the bill to my office.  Why is it that all artists talk about is money, money, money!? Has the true meaning of art been lost!? Just, uh… be yourself? I dunno, I’m pretty flush with cash at the moment so I don’t really understand your pauper problems. Ugh… Passion might fill my heart, but it alone cannot fill my stomach… What a predicament… Anyhow, I am quite glad that you chose to accompany me here. I may have bit my tongue off in anger had it been only me. That would have been bad, heh! Wait… please tell me you’re being hyperbolic. I need to know that was an overstatement. In other words… you are a soothing force in my life. I feel like my bond with Yusuke is growing deeper… Sweet, Yusuke no longer takes a whole-rear end day to make a skill card! I… I will partake in Kawanabe’s exhibition. I am going to display my ability and prove him wrong. …Come, let us go home. …… It’s fine, dude. He left. You can eat the sushi. Well, if you insist…   It’s good that I’m sitting in front of the canvas while my emotions are hot… But the lingering taste of sushi has me utterly distracted! Not only that, I allowed Kawanabe to pay for it all…    It didn’t list the price for some reason, but I can only imagine it was quite expensive. …If I’m being honest, I still feel doubts about my work. I may end up embarrassing myself again… but even then, I must express myself. Your support in this would mean the world to me. Goodbye for now.Daytime → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask  I already made the relevant joke last time! Bad form, game!   Ah, you’re still in high school, right? Are you enjoying your vacation? Although there will be other summers, this summer will never come again. Good for you. And now, sadly, I must end this momentary respite. If I stay too long, I may get scolded for it.Despite having just said that, this customer actually stays, so we can get another response out of him.  Ah, studying for college exams? Even so, that will also be a nice memory from your youth. And now, sadly, I must end this momentary respite. If I stay too long, I may get scolded for it.He does leave this time, though, meaning we can’t get the third response.   All of a sudden, my boss comes at me for being “spoiled” and “lacking drive”? What the hell’s his problem? All these old approaches don’t work! They belong in the past! That’s how progress works…   You just have to bait them with a cheerful, excited attitude. That’s all you need to push ‘em. Ah, these days, if you bring up stuff about the Phantom Thieves, those idiots will just eat it up!    I placed my shop on the street so I can see people walking by, but I’m about to melt… Well then, what would you like to do today…?  There’s a lot I want to tell you. Please take a seat.  Great! Let’s see. For today… Fortune Rank 5: Part 83 Music: What’s Going On?   I even have a book about the secret to being a good listener! It was written by a hostess from a club in Ginza. Just picking out which books to bring took me half a day. I have tons more back home though! I’ve started using these as reference materials for the advice I give my clients. This way, I can suggest new alternatives instead of leaving them resigned to their fates. I’m impressed. I thought for sure your next grift would be fairly generic self-help pablum, but you seem intent on giving legitimate advice. Thank you! But what I really wanted to tell you was that I’ve got a new fortune-telling philosophy, based on what you’ve shown me. With enough conviction, you can overturn fate! O-Oh, and about the people I sold those Holy Stones to… I’ve been reading their fortunes free of charge. That’s… a nice first step on the road to, hopefully, a full refund! *ahem* *ahem* Yes, well, I’d like to return the money, but… You blew it all on dice, I gotcha. Guess I’m never getting that money back… Well, goodbye forever. W-Wait!  Music: Suspicion  U-Um, what are you doing here? The chairman asked that I come see how things are going. Oh, I’m just Mark #46,853. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Hm? H-He’s joking! This is my apprentice. I haven’t actually introduced him to the chairman yet… …You’re telling me you’re so busy you needed to hire an apprentice? Y-Yes! He’s been a wonderful help! Go on, tell him! She works with you, right? Or maybe for you? Whatever. Point is, who do I talk to that has the power to cut me in on this grift? Your operation seems pretty rinky-dink to me at the moment, and I think I have the potential to really streamline your organization and take the art of fleecing rubes to new heights! Such a kidder, this one! I see. I guess I should have expected such great foresight from you, Maiden. Now then, I should be going. Th-Thank you for stopping by… Music: Alright (Elp Version)  Who was that, and why was he calling you “Maiden”? Y-You don’t need to worry about that, Hamiru-san! It’s a private matter. W-Wait, are you perhaps… worried about me? No. Oh, I’m so touched! Honestly! My luck really improves when you’re around, Hamiru-san! Worried about my *money*, maybe… I know! In return for that, I’ll predict your luck whenever you want! I can sense Chihaya’s intense motivation… My initial reaction to seeing Affinity Reading pop up as the new ability here was that Luck Reading must have been in its place in the original game, seeing as Chihaya’s dialogue alludes to it. It makes sense, because I was already aware that they had rearranged Affinity Reading from Rank 7 to Rank 5, so moving Luck Reading from Rank 5 to Rank 1 would also make sense. That is not what happened. The original skill that was here before was Fate Reading, which provided a preview of upcoming Confidant abilities, and which is no longer in the game in its original form (the upgraded version, Special Fate Reading, is still in the game, though, before you type in that correction). Luck and Money Reading didn’t move at all. So… the dialogue here was always wrong, hilariously. Anyway, Affinity Reading was the reason we were blitzing Chihaya to Rank 5, because it’s unlocked two ranks earlier now and is still loving amazing. Glad to have it back.  I should close up for today. Good night, Hamiru-san.
Arist fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Apr 13, 2023 |
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Jan 8, 2023 22:45
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Initially wanted to have this one cover two days like the last several (and have actual ~new content~ for the first time in forever) but it would have been extremely long and I had little faith I would dodge the character limit, so we'll cover that stuff next time.
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Jan 8, 2023 22:47
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Arist posted:
price
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Jan 8, 2023 22:53
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Arist posted:
Given the exchange of dialogue, I believe Yusuke's portrait is supposed to be the top one.
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Jan 8, 2023 23:55
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Arist posted:
That's a nice series of qualifiers, but you're not gonna stop me, here I go typing in a correction: All of Chihaya's readings are luck readings. She's a fortune teller, after all. Affinity reading is just reading your luck with relationships instead of money or personal improvement. If anything it's weird that that one is labeled luck reading specifically.
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Jan 9, 2023 00:09
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She was already doing that though
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Jan 9, 2023 00:11
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well yeah but now she's doing it more that's how grateful she is
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Jan 9, 2023 00:20
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:All of Chihaya's readings are luck readings. This is possibly what they were going for with the translation here - in Japanese she just says she's giving you access to a (unnamed) special reading. e: it's basically the same thing she says for rank 3, except they just translated it straight that time Polsy fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Jan 10, 2023 |
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Jan 10, 2023 22:16
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Chapter 103: 8/10: Faith And Fitness (New) Anon: Medjed… this’ll be epic Early Morning Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)     But I’d feel bad doing it alone. My heart is conflicted… How about it? Want to be my accomplice? Aren’t you in the mood for some sugar? Does she know what that usually means? You should come right now. Oh, okay, she’s definitely coming on to me. This is awkward. I’d better avoid her for a while…   Just concentrate on your food.  Come on, let’s finish eating and then send a reply once we go upstairs. Early Morning → Daytime Music: Tokyo Emergency  Oh hey, Kasumi sent us a message! As well as some other, less important people!  Greetings, Senpai! I was just thinking of inviting you out. Do you have time right now? Maybe we could meet up in Kichijoji…?Maybe we’ll hang out with Kasumi today.   Maaku gains Kindness +3.  Despite suffering a serious injury right before the tournament, he’s back in action!   (Middle-Aged Office Worker) Haha. Anyway, about the agenda for today… …You’re so busy, but you’re always on top of everything. Do you ever take a vacation? I don’t need a vacation. For some reason, they make me feel more tired. Guess I’m not used to them.  “Just don’t worry about it. Leave it all to me!” So… what’s that all about?  But thanks to that, her stress is also extraordinary. It’s tough…  Music: Tokyo Daylight   Let’s pick up our skill card from Yusuke and get him right to work on another one.  gently caress it, I’m basically out of good skill cards I haven’t duplicated before. Let’s just have him make another Dodge Ice, even if we’ll never use it.    Now that we have the Emperor Confidant at Rank 7, Yusuke can duplicate or create a skill card instantly. Pretty handy.   Of course, he can only make one per day. Otherwise it would just be completely loving absurd, natch.   (Homely Woman) Aw, that’s so nice! Actually, I’ve always wanted to be an actress… Not very nice calling this woman “homely,” game. Yeah! I can tell acting is in your soul. I know you’ll become famous if you take our acting courses! Hm, it seems a little expensive. I don’t have much money, so I’ll have to ask my parents… No problem at all! I can get you a job where you can make lots of money in just a little time!For some reason, this interaction is the one that really broke me. I got legit sad reading this one in a way I never do transcribing random eavesdrop opportunities in this game.   Have you reevaluated your home security lately? If not, now is the perfect time! We’re having a special promo sale of our total security systems. Join now for bonus benefits! Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! When danger strikes, will you have the protection you need?    It’s really sunny today, so be sure to stay hydrated!  What do you think? Do you have time to try it out right now?  Ooh, Senpai. You really ARE ready! We’re going to the batting cages. I hope you’re excited! Kasumi, I live right next to the batting cages. Why did you want me to meet you all the way out here? …Sorry.Music: What’s Going On?  But we didn’t meet at the batting center, we came here from a prior location! What is going on with you today, Kasumi!?   Batting helps train your reflexes and dynamic vision. It also strengthens your stance. And really, those are important elements in gymnastics, too! …It all sounds pretty plausible, right? Actually, I just wanted to come here. Honestly, I wanted you to see me hit a home run. Not that sudden, though. She’s clearly into you, man. I remembered something from when I was little. My father used to take me to the batting cages a lot. The other kids were scared of getting hit by the baseballs, but I just loved swinging the bat around. Every time I hit one, I kept thinking, “It doesn’t matter how fast they are! I’ll slam them into orbit!” I thought that if I tried to put myself back in that headspace, I could get some ideas on how to get my boldness back. What do you think? That could work, right?Uh, sure, why not?       W-Were they always this fast!?  Very funny to me that the ball phases out of existence the instant it leaves sight behind Kasumi’s body. I guess they just really didn’t want to animate it hitting the net. Fair enough. Oh no, I see where this is going…     I never see the ball coming, and I keep flinching… I didn’t think my slump was hitting me this hard…  You’re right! I’ll give it one more shot!   Your eyes are closed, though…     Music: New Beginning    “I saw!” is really earnest and sweet, but also incredibly dumb and silly, so I had to pick it.  Up until now, I’ve only been working for myself. I was so desperate to make a good impression. But since I started hanging out with you, Hamiru-senpai, I started feeling like I wanted to live up to your expectations. I’d forgotten how it felt to work that hard on someone else’s behalf…   Ever since I met you, Senpai, I’ve been discovering so many things about myself. But now, I feel like I’m closer than ever to getting my confidence back. I’m not totally back to normal yet, but even my grades have been going back up.  Yeah! I still need to show you what I can do! Next time, you won’t have to watch me fumbling with a bat—I’ll show you an all-new, full-power gymnastics routine!  Music: The Spirit  Huh… That’s a new one. “Balefire that lights thy path”? “Glimpse of the Faith’s truth”? “Tread the abyss”? What??? Also, back when we first started Faith I noted that Carrie Keranen, Lavenza’s VA, sounded a bit off reading the intro text. Well, that’s egg on my face, because upon listening to this outro text, it’s definitely Kasumi’s VA specifically reading these two, actually. Oops! (edit: I went back and checked and the Rank 1 Faith intro was definitely Keranen, but this one is definitely Kasumi's VA. Weird choice, IMO)  Welp, maxed the Confidant, even if it’s only at rank 5! Guess that’s the end of that forever! Music: New Beginning  Give it all the guts you’ve got! Smash it into outer space!   Oh, sorry, I need to get going. Thank you very much for today!   I haven’t swung a bat in a while. My arms still feel kind of weird. I was kind of hoping to knock it out with a clang… but I’m just happy I managed to hit the ball!    Men’s rhythmic gymnastics actually originated in Japan. You need a ton of power and speed to compete in those. But I’d say you have the potential to do well in it. I’d love to see you try some acrobatic moves!  May I ask you to join me for more things from now on?  Whether you want to go train again or just hang out and chat… please, reach out whenever. Okay, I’ll let you go.  Anon: When are they gonna react? Anon: todos son malos Anon: they’re both poo poo. Anon: I can’t read English ;_; Anon: I agree, it’s false justice  Did the Phantom Thieves just decide to ignore it? I heard info about another scandal got leaked… Stocks have been falling ever since. Who’s going to take responsibility for this?Daytime → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain-    God, even Makoto’s calling it “the cleanse” now? Where did she even pick that terminology up? Has she been reading this game’s UI? We’re not gonna make it if we can’t come up with a solution. Speaking of that Medjed poo poo, people’re talking about those leaks everywhere I go. The noose is starting to tighten around our necks. >Oh my god, stop whining. *closes chat*  Kawakami’s available tonight… but she’s not ready to rank up, and I forgot to go see Chihaya about an Affinity Reading now that we’ve gotten her to Rank 5, so we won’t be spending time with her yet.  An estimate of the possible damage from a cyberterrorism attack has been announced. According to experts, such damage could reach trillions of yen. Trillions!? These guys are too dangerous… They’re pulling that number straight out of their rear end, you realize. The more I think about this the more the “threat” here seems like another version of Y2K.   On days of rain or snow, an old man appears at this bathhouse and messes with the water’s temperature. He made up some challenge on his own, called it the Hot Water Challenge. Maybe give it a try to test your Guts?No thanks, but noted that we can gain Guts and Charm instead of just Charm if we go to the bathhouse on a rainy day.  Guess there’s nothing for it. We’ll just have to do one of the twins’ outings.    Trainees gather there to test and push their limits using various pieces of equipment.  I had not expected a rehabilitation facility on this side… As wardens, we must see such training for ourselves. Does such a location sound familiar to you? Well? If you know where it is, then escort us there immediately!   So, what’ll it be?   Music: What’s Going On?  This is what you use to train? It’s rather different from how I imagined it…  Indeed. I imagined the equipment here as having more spikes and chains…     By lifting the weight, you strengthen your arm and chest muscles. But that isn’t nearly enough for a real workout—you should increase the weight. We will assist you with that.   You guys are the worst spotters of all time!    The weights aren’t too heavy—you’re just too weak.  Demonstrate its use for us. What a fascinating contraption. Perhaps we should bring one to our room? We could force the imprisoned Personas to run on it. *chuckle* Not a bad idea…Yes it is! A bunch of those motherfuckers don’t even have legs!       Is that yet another tool for training?   Please, save me.  Note: the following animation is based on your invisible “kata” level, which is just based on how much you’ve used the dummy before this scene. We’ve never used the dummy in this playthrough, so our animation will be the basic, amateurish one. Unfortunately, Caroline and Justine’s cut-ins block the animation, so I can’t show it to you… is what I would be saying if I hadn’t recorded this game twice over already and therefore know I have footage of that animation from vanilla P5! And I found it! Granted, it’s not from this scene (because this scene wasn’t in vanilla P5) and thus Morgana is on the post for some reason, but I found the footage!  There we go. Isn’t that worth all the effort I put in to find that? I sure think it is.    Were we to try, it would be obliterated almost immediately.I believe you.  *coughing up blood* So you were holding back… so as not to destroy it? I see—if the purpose is to simply polish your technique, then there’s no reason to destroy it…  But it is admittedly sufficient for your rehabilitation. Here is your reward.   Apt Pupil increases our critical hit rate, and Counter gives a 10% chance to repel Physical or Gun skills that hit us. Good haul this time.     Huh…? Who could that be at this hour? I’ll give you one guess.   Furthermore, I found something interesting. It’s a DVD that talks about the life of a painter. I thought we could share in our appreciation of art. Don’t worry if you already have plans. I’ll be stopping by either way. See you tomorrow then. Yusuke’s coming tomorrow, huh? Might be nice to hang out with him.Sorry, Yusuke, but as riveting as that sounds, we’ve got other plans for tomorrow. That’s right: it’s a Mementos update. Arist fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Jan 13, 2023 |
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Jan 12, 2023 19:36
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The best part of going to the gym, and all of the other non-confidant hangouts, is that Morgana does it with you. He's mostly just spotting you because he's a cat, but he's there, and if it's something like the treadmill, he'll be right there running at your side and it's cute as hell. The worst part of playing "optimally" is that you lose out on bonding time with your li'l bag buddy.Arist posted:
Also cute as hell is this poo poo. I don't care if anyone thinks Kasumi comes off as a Mary Sue or kind of forced into the plot or whatever, she's precious and deserves happiness.  E: I also think it is Lavenza's VA doing the voice for rank 1 of Maruki/Kasumi's confidant with a slightly different intonation, but Kasumi's rank 5 is definitely Kasumi's VA for whatever reason. Zulily Zoetrope fucked around with this message at 20:19 on Jan 12, 2023 |
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Jan 12, 2023 19:59
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:The best part of going to the gym, and all of the other non-confidant hangouts, is that Morgana does it with you. He's mostly just spotting you because he's a cat, but he's there, and if it's something like the treadmill, he'll be right there running at your side and it's cute as hell. The worst part of playing "optimally" is that you lose out on bonding time with your li'l bag buddy. This is generally an unfortunate design decision, there are a ton of cute interactions that you'll never see if you're doing Confidants correctly, like every single time anyone texts you to hang out. Arguably they should have given fewer friendship points from the rank up conversations and removed affinity reading, but then you'd need more time available to actually complete confidants and this game really does not need to be longer. Like, this hangout with the twins was adorable but it's not something you would ever do if you had other options. You could also play the game non-optimally but what kind of monster would do that?
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Jan 12, 2023 20:58
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It's definitely possible to max out all the social links and do the twins hangouts in Royal, I did it without a guide. And skipping the twins hangouts is criminal, they're all so good.
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Jan 12, 2023 21:25
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Yeah but can you do that and get all the good decorations from non-rank hangouts and give Morgana the time of day and let everyone get a shot at hearing No More What Ifs (vocal) and do all the date options if you happen to decide on a girlfriend for Joker? you're gonna have to neglect something at some point, and that something is gonna be cute as hell and it's gonna suck to miss it
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Jan 12, 2023 21:33
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:Yeah but can you do that and get all the good decorations from non-rank hangouts Doable but it's so loving easy to miss that Kumade and have that irritating gap in the top middle of your large shelves as a result. Zulily Zoetrope posted:and let everyone get a shot at hearing No More What Ifs (vocal) It usually comes down to either having everyone in your party here those live vocals or giving them the needed abilities on Sundays to cover their gaps and I will always pick the latter (especially in the case of Yusuke and Futaba).
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Jan 12, 2023 21:52
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:Yeah but can you do that and get all the good decorations from non-rank hangouts and give Morgana the time of day and let everyone get a shot at hearing No More What Ifs (vocal) and do all the date options if you happen to decide on a girlfriend for Joker? That's the point of the calendar system; opportunity cost is everywhere, and you have to do multiple playthroughs to see everything, EVERYTHING anyway.
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Jan 13, 2023 05:24
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Chapter 104: 8/11: An American Cryptid In Tokyo Anon: criminal catfight, eh Daytime Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)  Sounds like Yusuke’s here. Come on, let’s go downstairs. Trains and planes are packed and traffic continues to be jammed on the highways. Visiting home, huh? It must be nice to have a place to go home to. You said it. What’s your home like, anyway? We haven’t really gone into your backstory pre-arrest. I’d rather not go into it. I brought a wonderful art DVD that we can watch together. I may be able to improve my Charm if I watch a movie with Yusuke… Furthermore, this may be a good opportunity to deepen my bond with him… If you do not plan on gathering the others, why don’t we discover the truth held within? >I think I’ll pass.Unfortunately, Yusuke, that is the plan. Very well. Be sure to contact the others if you wish to hold a meeting. Ah, and you needn’t mind me. I will simply be here gazing at the Sayuri in the meantime.  We leave…   And then immediately turn around and re-enter. We would normally go see Chihaya for Money Reading before heading into the Metaverse, but it’s raining, so she’s unavailable.    You guys mind if we just rush through this? Don’t really feel like going into each one. Trust me, they’re all bad. Yeah, sure. Sounds fine. Please, go ahead. I think maybe we should exercise some more caution her— It’s unanimous, then. Go ahead, Morgana. Great. Online stalker saying she might kill her target. Sounds good. Next. Boss harassing and stealing credit from his subordinates. Despicable. I’m most certainly in favor of stealing his heart. A guy committing random, serial assaults in Shibuya. Can’t ignore that! That doctor who Maaku goes to for questionable medication and who makes him drink the unconsciousness juice is getting threatened. She’ll have to close her practice unless we do something! *sigh* I suppose we’d better do something, then… College student abusing and killing cats. Any objections? Onetwothreedone! No take backsies! Sounds like we’re all in favor! C’mon, man, we woulda done it anyway… Mm… we’re good to go if you’re okay with it. That’s a unanimous decision!We only have five targets at the moment, which seems like relatively few… but I’ll explain my thinking here. We’re likely to get at least one more target before summer ends from Mishima, just based on how many he’s been sending us recently. I don’t actually remember if there’s another, but I’m willing to guess there is one. Furthermore, he’ll definitely send us another target once Futaba joins to unlock the next layer of Mementos. Before Haru joins, we’ll also get a guaranteed request in the form of the unwinnable request that unlocks Shinya’s Confidant, which we’ll need to do ASAP. We’re also a bit behind on Kawakami’s Confidant. We’re about to hit Rank 7, but we can’t unlock the Mementos request until a school event after Rank 8, so we want to make sure we’re ready for that as soon as vacation ends. So, that’s 3-4 requests for right before the Hawaii trip, which is a decent amount, if not great. Really, the only questionable part of going to Mementos today is that we only have one Confidant request available, which is slightly unfortunate because it means we’re not being as efficient as we could be in terms of unlocking new events. That said, I don’t want to do a Mementos visit with nine or more requests if I can at all help it, so breaking things up here into two visits isn’t too bad.   At the moment, our target count in Mementos is 5. Well, let’s go.  Music: Mementos    Oh yeah, this happened before too. If I’m remembering right, the Metaverse Nav— Yup, we got something.  Music: Suspicion   How much bigger is this place gonna get? Yo, Mona, can’t you turn in to some kinda high-powered radar or somethin’? We’d know how deep it goes if you could.  That’s impossible! Hm, it would be dangerous to wander blindly. We simply do not have enough information.  Just driving around won’t likely do us any good either. Yeah, but… The path keeps going forward! We’ll reach the depths eventually! …I think.  That again?   This will definitely have some kind of effect on Mementos… What’s gonna happen? Well, even normal rain affects Mementos. I’d be thtis is the same, but to a greater extent?  Tons of enemy reinforcements, but also tons of rare items. Seems like a fair balance.  …So you’re sayin’ we gotta psych ourselves up! H-Hold on… Let’s not get reckless here, okay!?   We’re going to head into the Velvet Room before we do anything else. Music: Aria of the Soul   First thing we do is make a Psy Ring out of Kodama, which we equip on Mona.   We’re above Level 30, so we’re going to try out one of those special battles.    Let’s go. I really want that skill card and the Spiral Rasetsu Anklet, which gives the wearer the Matarukaja skill. For this battle, we’ll be bringing Fox, Mona, and Skull. We definitely need Mona because any kills he gets will multiply the points for that action by 8x. We also want to use as many Psychokinesis attacks as we can, because that multiplies the points by 3x. Finally, we have 24 actions to win to get the 20k bonus. Music: Prison Labor  Round 1 is Black Ooze, Thoth, and Decarabia. The Black Ooze is a special one and nullifies every element, which is a problem… or, it would be, if the Decarabia wasn’t a Disaster Shadow. Remember those? We just have to kill Decarabia with a big enough hit to make it explode hard enough to kill the Black Ooze in one hit with neutral Almighty damage. Worth noting that the Thoth is weak to Psy, so we should probably try to kill that one first and with Mona. I do not do this.  Round 2 is Unicorn, Belphegor, and Mithras. Belphegor is weak against Fire, Unicorn is weak against Curse (and relevant to this challenge, strong against Psy), and Mitras is weak against Psy. I also gently caress up pretty hard taking these guys down, not least because the Belphegor knows some pretty strong Ice skills.  Final round: Kushinada, Arahabaki, Ose, and Lilim. The Arahabaki this time is the one weak to Psy (annoyingly, it also repels Physical and Gun), plus Nuke. Ose is weak to Bless, Lilim is weak to Bless, Wind, and Gun, and Kushinada is weak to Nuke and Ice.  I finish with a paltry base score of 14,693.   With the bonus of 20k points, that’s only enough for the first prize.   I elect not to retry, because without Psio at least Mona just wasn’t dealing enough damage to take advantage of the bonuses. I’ll have to come back once I get an accessory that lets Mona use a better Psy skill.  Music: Desire   I’m the bestest doctor in the world! What’ve you got? IBS? Sure, I can cure that, right after you get on your knees and beg me to! Oh god, this fuckin’ guy… You’re that kid from Takemi’s, right? She quit being a doctor yet? Tell to to hurry it up, if not! I sure did love telling her that her patient was dead! Maybe I’ll call her again just to hear her cry! You know, I’m starting to get tired of these assholes spoutin’ off without even tryin’ to justify themselves. Buckle up, Skull. This is the first one of the day. Hm? I’ll cure that fuckin’ *lip* you brats have been giving me! I’ll blame your deaths on Takemi! Take three of these pills and DIE!I cannot overstate how hard it is to write silly parody dialogue for these Shadows. They’re already so over-the-top I have nowhere to go in terms of comedic exaggeration.  Music: Keeper of Lust  Spoiler alert: none of the fights today are going to give us any trouble whatsoever. We kill this dude in two actions.  Music: Sunset Bridge  I wanted to be great… but I actually suck! I only got this far because of my connections! And now he’s all sappy? Zero to eleven in no time… Yeah, I get what you mean. This doesn’t feel very earned. What the hell are you guys even talking about? Takemi rocks, though! I was jealous of her medical talent! …Takemi’s patient isn’t actually dead. …Wait, what? She transferred to another hospital after not believing she was terminal like we diagnosed. That made us look bad, so we covered it up and told everyone she died. That seems… very illegal. She doesn’t have much time, but maybe Takemi could still help her.  On to the next one.  Music: Desire  Stalking people… is bad. I get falling in love, but you’re going a bit too far. You would say that, you homewrecker! Huh!? You’re trying to steal Ikesugi-kun from me! Don’t think I didn’t notice! I’ll take down all you meddling Phantom Thieves, and your funny-looking animal! Oh, okay, she’s completely delusional. Permission to punch? “Funny-looking animal”? Is she talking about me!? This makes me mad! Get her!You can’t have characters just announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!    After that (trivial) battle, Queen learns Dekunda, which I slot in to replace Frei. Music: Sunset Bridge  I don’t know anything about love… Maybe I could teach you a thing or— Don’t. Oh, sorry! I’m not… interested in you… Just work up the courage to talk to him and don’t write weird stuff online. I’ll do it! Wait for me, Ikesugi-kun! Please just be normal!  Music: Mementos – Upper Layer    We made it to the next level. I never realized how creepy the subway system could be. Inside the train, you don’t even notice. I agree. Perhaps it is like the darkness in all men’s hearts. Always there, never perceived… It’s a new area from this point on. Let’s be careful heading in!  Music: Desire   Is that a cat with you! I’ll kill it! I love killing cats! Let’s get him! Mona’s really into this one…   Music: Sunset Bridge  I’m sorrrrrry! You killed all those cats. Die sad about it. Unfortunately, this Blood Scimitar is worse than Mona’s current weapon.  Music: Mementos – Upper Layer  This large room has three treasure chests in it, two of which require Lockpicks. The rain effect is not kidding when it says it increases the rate rare items appear. We currently have 14 Lockpicks. We’re going to use most of those by the time we’re done with Mementos today, and this level only has 10 floors.     Again, I was serious. There are a fuckton of locked chests out right now.   Another thing there’s a fuckton of out right now, as you can see in the first shot here, is random item drops strewn across the tracks. We got two Blank Cards from this drop, as well as a crafting material and two sellables. Part of this is because we’ve been investing in item drops at Jose’s, but still, we are going to leave with a lot of Blank Cards, more than we can reasonably use in the short-term. How many is that? I’ll tell you at the end.  We’re only in the third area. I suppose this leisure ride will continue on for a while longer.  How is this supposed to be leisurely? Cut him some slack. Yusuke just wanted to say somethin’ cool. Codenames!   He seems to pay more attention than I do, honestly.  Cat, stop picking fights.   The alarm is ready.  Oh hey, Jose!   Hey mister, is that a crystal you’ve got there? Lemme see it!   Here you go, mister.  Learning about warped cognitions also teaches me about humans.  I was able to go to a new area, so I went around and picked up some stuff. If you traded any flowers you’ve found for this stuff, I’d be so happy! Music: Have a Short Rest  We have 186 flowers at the moment. The new items are Fear Vial S, which inflicts Fear to one foe (high chance), and Dizzy Vial L, which inflicts Dizzy to all foes (medium chance). We’re out of Amerbgris ENs, so we buy one, along with a Black Kogatana and a Model Gun. We have 46 flowers left at this point, so I finish off with three Blank Cards.  Moving over to the Mementos improvement section, I increase the money rewards from 140% to 150%. Music: Mementos – Upper Layer  The Ring of Wrath we just got has another combo of a passive skill and an active skill. The passive skill is Speed Master, which gives Sukukaja to the user at the start of battle.  The active skill is Wings of Wisdom, which is very useful. It gives the user a skill equivalent to the lategame skill Amrita Shower, which cures all normal ailments on all allies. It’s also 2 SP cheaper than Amrita Shower for some reason. Neato.   Uh, thanks, I guess?  Music: Desire  I hate this guy already… Why are you here? Can’t be anything I did. He’s seriously playin’ dumb…? C’mon, it’s fiiiiiiine. We’ve got an overpopulation problem anyway with all these old people. Roughing a few of them up is doing the world a service! Shut up! Just shut up! God, shut up! Music: Keeper of Lust    This fight is primarily notable because Mindfulness actually proc’d for once during it. That’s all.  Oh, and Ryuji and Yusuke’s Showtime did this much damage, which was pretty cool. Less cool when you remember that this is the boss where everything does several times its normal damage to compensate for the boss having several times the normal health pool, though. To be clear, though, this is by no means the upper limit for Showtime damage. I’ve surpassed this almost four times over in a normal fight. I’ll show that screenshot eventually, but not now. Music: Sunset Bridge  I haven’t gone into it before but I’ve always found Persona 5’s take on human morality a little weird. Like, the way stealing a Treasure works implies that humans are fundamentally good and any deviation from that core goodness is an aberration, an active deviation due to malformed desires that can be cured with their absence. What this elides is the issue of people with truly malformed souls or toxic upbringings, people who either don’t know or don’t care to be apologetic for their misdeeds (though maybe people who don’t care just end up like Akechi and get Persona superpowers out of it, I dunno). No, everyone doing wrong knows what the wrong thing to do is, and therefore there must be fundamental agreement on what is “right.” And furthermore, those people who choose to do wrong cannot even attempt to justify their actions, because there cannot be a justification for something you actually do know is wrong. Someone smarter than me could probably make this argument a lot better, but it’s just always been kind of fascinating to me. Anyway, I bring this up now not because this instance is especially relevant to that thought (though it kind of is even if other instances would be more fitting) and more because I’m absolutely going to forget to ever write that down if I don’t now. It’s a little late to be sorry after you attacked all those people. You’re right… I’ll turn myself in now… Charge is a good skill card to have, very excited about getting Fox to duplicate this one.  Music: Mementos – Upper Layer  Floor 6 is a rest area.     Yeah, what’s your point? Well, Madarame’s was a museum, Kaneshiro’s was a bank, and the teacher Kamoshida’s was a castle… Essentially, it seems that the appearance of a Palace is rooted in the distorted desires of its ruler. But in that case… why is this place a subway? Is that what the general public desires? He makes a good point. I wondered the same thing when I first came here… Even I don’t know the answer. The existence of Mementos is a pretty special thing to begin with. Didn’t you say it’s the source of all other Palaces? Yeah… It’s fundamentally different from just one person’s distortions. The layout changes every time too. Even its current appearance as a subway might be temporary. If that’s true, then… Hey, I don’t wanna rain on your parade or nothing, but aren’t we here to check that out ourselves? Wouldn’t it be faster to just get to the bottom and be done with it?  Perhaps, but… No, Skull is unfortunately right. This isn’t something we’ll be able to find the answer to right now. I’m sure the mystery will be solved if we can reach the depths of this place though. Didja really hafta say that me bein’ right was “unfortunate”? Mona learns Mediarama to replace Media.   Skull does not learn Elec Break, because Break skills suck rear end.  Music: Desire  Hey. Stop stealing credit from your subordinates. That’s just my management style! Besides, it’s not like they can complain to anyone about it! It’s a victimless crime! If they really wanted to do something about it, they would just get promoted. Oh wait, I’m the one who would promote them. Oops! Anyway, time to die!Music: Keeper of Lust     Mindfulness proc’d twice in one visit, it’s a miracle! Also, there was a fight here. Whatever.  Panther learns Maragion to replace Maragi. Music: Sunset Bridge  That was also bad, dipshit! You’re right… I ruined the lives of my subordinates…  What will you do to make up for it? I’ll read some business books. I’ll try to do what I can to become an ideal boss… Or you could, you know, stop being their boss. Wouldn’t he just get replaced with a different bad boss then? Queen, I’m not going to debate the politics of changing an institution from the inside with you right now. An amusement park guidebook!? Even if you abused your subordinates, I guess your kids were real important to you… Oh, boo loving hoo.   These are actually two different screenshots, I just got the same chest reward twice in a row. If you’ve been counting, that’s nine chests opened. We have five Lockpicks left now.  It’s that wall again. Let’s check to see if it opens.  Yeah, it means the public isn’t accepting enough of us yet. That’s how it’s been for all the previous ones as well. A wall that doesn’t open unless we are accepted… It’s almost akin to the entertainment industry. When you put it that way, it’s actually a little depressing that we can’t get through… Oh, so that’s what’s been goin’ on? drat… We’ve made it to the bottom of this level. Unfortunately, this is the first time we haven’t gotten all the stamps. We have 14 out of 20 on this level so far, so we’ll need to go back and forth and grind out more of the hidden ones in the future to get them all. Not today, though.  We will go see Jose again though to spend our remaining flowers.  We increase the item rewards from x5 to x7.  We also buy an Ambergris AG and a Snuff Soul. Music: Aria of the Soul  Now that we’re done in the Palace, we head back to the Velvet Room, where the alarm is still active.  We choose to make Mothman from Isis and Andras.    What… am I? Oh yeah, me a mask you have…Mothman is a bit of a fan favorite demon in the SMT franchise because he is from, of all loving places, West Virginia. Yep, an American cryptid is an SMT demon, coming from sightings in the mid-1960s of a giant winged creature with massive red eyes. In reality, they were probably just, like, owls or something. But Mothman is fun, I like him.   We want to keep Diarama, so we decide to not let these skills change.   While the alarm is still active, we choose to use an Ambergris EN on our Choronzon in Lockdown to double its gains.  Time to leave Mementos, finally.  And that’s gonna do it. As I mentioned earlier, we got a lot of money and items out of this trip. We came in with six Blank Cards, and we left with twenty-four. Not counting the three we bought from Jose, that’s a gain of fifteen. Not too shabby. Daytime → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask   (Diligent Office Worker) Remember high school? The kids on the baseball team would train in heat like this, and love it. I used to be like that, all excited about taking on the world. Now, I’m just a company slave… Music: Everyday Days  Let’s make some tools to replace the ones we spent today.    Huh, we’ve never had Kawakami do it for us before. Let’s give her a shot. Music: Beneath the Mask  Why are you answering your personal phone like that? Oh, wait, it’s you… I’m off today, but if you just want housekeeping, I don’t mind. It’s still work, so I’ll head over after I change. Hold on for a bit.    It will take a while until my work is done… Please go kill time somewhere!    Let’s read this advanced book we bought from the store in Jinbocho. Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)  Learning about the spirit of the samurai seems useful, but this book looks difficult…   Even though it’s an advanced book, we still get two segments of its three total completed tonight.   Kawakami, unfortunately, is only able to make half of the specified order but used the same number of materials. No matter, that’s a fine outcome regardless.  All right. I’ll see you later.
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Jan 24, 2023 00:06
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Given the deeds and prominence of their position, a few of these people should have palaces.
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Jan 24, 2023 01:10
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big mood tbh
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Jan 24, 2023 01:11
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Flair posted:Given the deeds and prominence of their position, a few of these people should have palaces. If they wanted palaces they should have had a more unique design.
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Jan 24, 2023 02:03
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So do you think Kawakimi figured out we're phantom thieves before or after being called up by her student to make lockpicks
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Jan 24, 2023 05:46
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rannum posted:So do you think Kawakimi figured out we're phantom thieves before or after being called up by her student to make lockpicks Given the 5000 yen you're giving her every time you call her and the little she knows about your backstory she probably just thinks you're a regular thief.
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Jan 24, 2023 06:09
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While the morality of the game is pretty simplistic, I think they at least try to justify it- the specific targets you're going after are explicitly the ones with 'distorted desires', which means they're by definition people who know what they're doing is wrong but are doing it anyways because society won't punish them for it. Also, I'm pretty sure that stealing their treasures is the same kind of brainwashing as the mental shutdowns, just a 'nicer' version of it- like, the main point of the scene late game with the former Palace-owners in the lockdown at Memento's depths is that they didn't actually repent their deeds, they just had their nail hammered back down.
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Jan 24, 2023 07:00
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kvx687 posted:Also, I'm pretty sure that stealing their treasures is the same kind of brainwashing as the mental shutdowns, just a 'nicer' version of it- like, the main point of the scene late game with the former Palace-owners in the lockdown at Memento's depths is that they didn't actually repent their deeds, they just had their nail hammered back down. IIRC, the idea is that by stealing the treasure, you get rid of the distorted desire and they're forced to examine themselves without said distorted lens, which then causes the change in behavior as they're overcome with guilt for the poo poo they pulled. The Palace owners getting sent to lockdown along with the general population is because Yaldy's actively loving with the masses which they are now a part of again cognition-wise. Using Mementos as the metaphor, after they got ejected from their palaces that are separate from the general cognition, they rejoined the general populace that's riding the subway with the Mementos depths as the destination.
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Jan 24, 2023 08:01
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I always thought that scene was weird, because your mementos targets do explicitly become better people. Most notable ones are the confidant requests, but there's also the very first guy who is part of the main storyline and ends up convincing the Phantom Thieves to go after Madarame because he's concerned for Yusuke's well-being. I greatly prefer the simplistic "people are fundamentally good, and when they do bad it causes them metaphysical harm, whose removal will restore their inherent conscience" morality to whatever hell that scene was trying to imply.
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Jan 24, 2023 08:08
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Kawakami is quite possibly the most important Confidant to level up as soon as possible because all the services she provides boil down to the same thing: You essentially get a free extra time slot, and time is the one resource you're never going to have enough of.
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Jan 24, 2023 14:13
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What the game seems to imply is that the “change of heart” works by removing the desire that caused its owner to get evil. Kamoshida was a has-been who wanted the fame and adulation he once received; pretty much everything he did was about validation. Stealing his crown meant he didn’t want it anymore; this meant the entire web of delusions he built collapsed in cognitive dissonance. In perfect conditions, it means the target realizes that they were evil all along and makes amends. This is what seem to be happening to most of the targets in Mementos, most likely because they’re small fries. The owners of the Palaces, however, are explicitly dragged down to the Depths (it’s not clear if it happens at once, or if they need some time to get there). Because of that, they don’t give a poo poo about actually fixing anything; they just want society to give them their punishment.
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Jan 25, 2023 14:25
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Chapter 105: 8/12: Bedside Manner Anon: internet showdown!? :O Early Morning  Anon: criminal catfight, eh Anon: yeah yeah, it’s all a setup Anon: justice this, justice that… Anon: bet ya 10k the thieves win Anon: No biggie! What are the Phantom Thieves doing? Are they just going to let Medjed have their way? What is Medjed trying to do? Is this going to affect us? We have nothing to do with this… Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)      Oh, and make sure you eat your curry before it gets cold. We got an invitation to go out. Let’s reply once we finish eating.Early Morning → Daytime Music: Tokyo Emergency   This clearly indicates how these international hakctivists have grown in influence and notoriety. Choosing the Phantom Thieves as their opponent is also thought to have increased their publicity… There are even people in other countries talking about us. I guess we should be happy?  (Elderly Male Customer) The team with the better hitters, I guess. I mean, you can’t win if you don’t score runs, and— I’m not talking about baseball… I meant the Phantom Thieves against the hackers or whatever.   (Kind Old Woman) I’m sure it’ll be fine. The Phantom Thieves will do something about it. You really think we can rely on them? They have no obligation to save Japan. That may be true… But would they really abandon someone in need?  (Radio Announcer) And now, the traffic report. Roads are congested all over, and the jam near Yamato Tunnel goes on and on for 34 miles. Why are the fools even going that way? They already know it’s going to be jammed…  I don’t normally bother to note this, but I’m going to buy out the stock of Silk Yarns and Tin Clasps from the secondhand shop today. Not the Thick Parchments, though, because we have literally 70 of them. Also, I get a Black Kogatana. Music: Tokyo Daylight   (Sharp Lawyer) Yeah, it’s all over if they can destroy the infrastructure. Those hackers in Medjed know this. If the economy takes a hit too, the current government won’t last either. The Phantom Thieves might be our last hope. Maybe we really did take peace for granted, you know? I placed my shop on the street so I can see people walking by, but I’m about to melt… Well then, shall I read your fortune in detail…?  We’ll be consulting the talented Ms. Mifune for a fortune reading today.   We’ll be going for an Affinity Reading this time.  Kawakami is the target.   And we can deepen our relationship now, perfect.   However, I, the Sun God, will surely save them along with my apostles, the Phantom Thieves!  (Man with Clear Eyes) Sun God! Please order the Phantom Thieves to punish Medjed immediately! N-No need to be hasty! I am waiting for the right opportunity, you fledgling!   (Veteran Pick-Up Artist) I’ve already gotten… 100 numbers this summer.  Are you serious!? How many people is that per day? That’s insane! Perhaps you could say I’m a Phantom Thief of Hearts…  (Shinsuke Kishi) No, no—you handle things. Young folk need to get all the experience they can get. A-All right. Thank you! Knock it out of the park and the drinks are on me! Just be ready for an all-night rager! No, no, nooo—I can’t. My wife would kill me. Looks like he had a change of heart, without any issues. While we’re in the area, we pick up a Melon Pan from Yon-Germain. We’ll need it several updates from now.   In order to prevent another catastrophe from happening… …Hey! Are you listening?  Sorry, this heat is just… turning my brain to sludge.   (Bespectacled Taxi Driver) Companies seem to be on high alert. A lot of my customers have complained about how much more work they have. Listening to people’s complaints is part of the job. And lemme tell you, everyone’s real stressed out. Still, I dunno if anyone should blindly trust a group that calls themselves the “Phantom Thieves.”  Another day, another skill card to make.   We’ll have him duplicate Charge. That’s always a good one to have.    I really wanna eat something sweet right now… You’re in the same boat as me, right? Right…?  All right! In that case… Let’s go get crêpes! With tons of extra toppings! Lovers Rank 7: Part 54 Music: What’s Going On?   I have the worst luck… So, we’re not getting crêpes? This isn’t what you told me we would be doing today! I’ve been bamboozled! Sorry about that, I guess we’ll have to do it some other time. Eh, it’s fine. We have shaken off the yoke of obligation. The future is now unwritten. It can be whatever we decide. Come, Ann, let us destroy capitali—  Oh. Well, I guess this is the story now. Looks like it’s from the agency. I wonder what they could want… Huh…? Mika!? At Skytree…? Where’s that!? A men’s magazine is trying to capitalize on Mika’s popularity with a special on her… but she asked for me to star with her for some reason… Why do you think she did that? She’s trying to gently caress with you. Obviously. I bet she’s going to dump pig’s blood over your head so you go crazy and set everyone in the building on fire. Don’t be so negative! I’m sure she wouldn’t… oh… maybe you’re right. Well, a gig’s a gig. We’d better head over! Wait, what? Why am I comi—  Music: Wicked Plan  …Yeah, you asked me to be here. Anyway, I barely recognize you. Did you lose weight? Makeup, maybe? The theme for today’s shoot is “the elegance of woman.” So, I conditioned my body to be more elegant. Wh-What do you mean? Controlling what you eat, how you move… That’s all. It may sound easy, but it’s pretty tough. You have to write down everything you eat, making sure to check the nutritional and caloric content. I even hired a personal trainer to take special note of my diet and oversee my exercise regimen. Whoa… That’s amazing! Does that mean you don’t get to eat double chocolate crêpes? …… I hate you. Huh!? I put in so much work into modeling and natural beauties like you just stroll in here without a care in the world! You know, it’s kinda embarrassing getting complimented like that… Sorry, did I say natural beauty? What I meant was natural airhead. Who are you calling an airhead!? No, no, she’s got a point. Eeek! Ann-senpai, stop iiit! You’re scaring meee!  (Magazine Staff) Man, cat fights are scary… Grrr…   Wonderful, wonderful!  I see now… This is a test… Well, I’m not gonna lose…!  Um, Ann-chan… could you try being a little… sexier? I’m sixteen, dude. Oooh, that’s beautiful! M-Mika!? Why are you doing this? I thought you looked up to me! (yelling from offscreen) I HAVE NO IDEA WHY YOU THOUGHT THAT! Please don’t yell at the models during the shoot! You should have known that was a lie… but I guess you’re just as naïve as you look.   You know the staff can hear you, right? I don’t give a poo poo. See? They love me. Grrr…!   Introduce me, pleeease? ♥ …… Mm-hm, mm-hm! The owner even invited me to dinner! Y’know, working with all of you just makes me so… happy! ♥ …… Um… I’m heading home…  Music: My Homie Why did Mika ask for me…? Jeez, you really are an airhead. She wanted to show you up, idiot. …… A natural beauty, huh…? I probably deserved everything she did… Please don’t cry. I’m not gonna cry! I’m pissed off! But mostly at myself! I had natural talent, beauty, and connections! Mika didn’t have any of that! And she saw right through me! I’ve just been modeling for the heck of it, but she developed the skills to compete on her own. She’s on another level, really… She’s so strong, and I’m… I’m nothing! And it makes me so angry I could explode! I’ve just been pretending to model this whole time, like the clothes were wearing me. Sounds fine to me. I know nothing about this. …But I was totally wrong. A true model draws out the beauty of the clothes they wear… casts a stunning magic on them… A real model is flexible, beautiful… and strong. Why are you rolling your eyes? Oh, sorry, just a reflex. Please, continue. Well, I’ve had enough pretending! I want to be a real model…! Sure, okay, whatever. Knock ‘em dead, I guess? Right! I’ll give it my all! I’m gonna take the world by storm… Just you watch, Maaku! I sense a heightened motivation from Ann… Urghhh, I’m so mad! This is the perfect time for sweets! But no, I won’t eat them! I mean, I will… but not today! You eat some for me, Maaku! Later! Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   Well, I’ll say it again! I’m taking the modeling world by storm, and I don’t care what I have to do to get there! Obviously that means dieting, cutting back on food, and no matter how tough it is, I’ll do any workout!   …This is a first for me, actually. Feeling this pissed off, I mean. Usually, even if I have a crappy day, I just get over it by having snacks, watching TV, and sleeping it off. But this time, it’s different… I want to change. Tomorrow, I want to be better than I am today. Okay, gotta start my stretching session! I’ll talk to you later. Bye-bye! Daytime → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask   Hm?  I like how we’re instructed to call Kawakami from Leblanc’s phone so we don’t arouse (urgh) any suspicion, but she just straight-up texts maid poo poo directly to our cell phone.  My grammar is perfect… but my health is not. …That is my situation. Would you like to support Becky by paying 5000 yen?Wait, what’s the next Kawakami event again? …Oh. Oh dear.    That voice on the phone wasn’t Kawakami. Maybe you should ask for more details?   (Nurse) This is the head nurse at Aoyama Hospital, speaking on behalf of Kawakami-san. Kawakami-san actually collapsed, and she’s been admitted to our hospital. Do you know our hospital’s address? Her room number is… This isn’t good. Let’s head over there right away! Temperance Rank 7: Part 68   But thanks for coming all this way to visit me. No sweat. Just… relax, okay? I’ll be fine… No you won’t. You know how I know that? You’re still talking about working right now. That, plus the fact that you seemed to have contracted TB the last time we talked for more than five minutes, is very distressing to me! You’re my student… You shouldn’t have to look out for me. Yeah, newsflash: our situation is incredibly, irrevocably loving *weird*, and it’s only getting weirder. Please just stay in bed for tonight. I appreciate it, but… how am I going to make today’s payment…? Music: Suspicion   Takase-san!I just want you all to know that I had to go back and re-record this event on a different in-game day because I didn’t want the portrait for Mr. Takase to be half-blocked by the HOT NIGHT text. You contacted the school…!?  Well, you weren’t answering your phone! And when I thought you finally answered, it was a nurse who told us you were here. It’s really an inconvenience for us when you miss a payment, you know. (Unpleasant Woman) Now, now, it’s not like she wanted to collapse… But our credit card payment is coming up soon, so we’ll need you to transfer the money. I-I’m sorry… Oh, these absolute motherfuckers. Hamiru-kun, these are the guardians of Takase-kun. I told you about them, remember? They took care of him… Yeah. I figured as much. (Takase’s Male Relative) Who’s this…? He’s one of my students. He came to visit me… Messing around with another student, huh? Hahaha, you never learn, do you? Tsk, tsk… And after all you did to him… I’m sorry… You there, boy. She said she told you about us? I certainly hope she didn’t embellish any of the details… Oh, don’t worry about that. Ms. Kawakami didn’t say a bad word about you two. Any potential antipathy would have to be purely my own. Hamiru-kun…! Tch… (Takase’s Female Relative) So? When are you going to transfer the money? I should be able to send it out tomorrow… She’s done paying you. Leave now. Hamiru-kun… Stay out of this! You’ve got a pair of leeches on you, Ms. Kawakami. They’re using you the same way they clearly used Takase-kun. Ridiculous! Taiki died because of this woman! She should have been fired! It’s absurd that she continues to teach at all! She’s spitting on Taiki’s grave! Really, we’re not trying to extort anyone. But this woman convinced Taiki to spend his time studying when he needed to be working. All that stress overwhelmed him until it finally killed him. It’s almost like he was murdered! Surely you can understand that we’re owed something for our pain and suffering, can’t you? I say again: leeches. And leeches need to be cut off. Not burned off, like in Metal Gear Solid. No, that just causes them to vomit into the wound. What? That metaphor kind of got away from me, sorry. Either way, stop paying them or they’ll never quit draining you away. If you no longer feel remorse, as this boy seems to be implying, maybe we should sue the Board of Education? Or at least have a chat with your school? Either way, you’d never teach again. I understand… I’ll pay. We look forward to receiving your payment. I guess transferring to our sister company is the only way… Nonono, I don’t like the sound of that, come on now… Why…? Why are you so interested in helping me? I’m not worth it… Hey, come on, don’t say that… I feel like we’ve built a real connection here. It’s weird and hosed up, but it’s there! You know what? I’m gonna stop worrying about it!   Oh god, that sad, resigned “Meow” is really bumming me out. Please, we can fix this.Music: Alleycat …I’m so tired. All I really want is… a way to apologize to Takase-kun. So if his guardians demand money, then I just have to pay them… You didn’t do anything worth apologizing for. At least, not to Takase. You should definitely apologize to me for making that kissy face all the time, though. Anyway, please, just rest. Sorry, I’m not quite back to a hundred percent yet, so my thoughts are all over the place… …I’m going to get some rest. That’s good. You can think over what I said later. I appreciate you coming to visit me today. …It made me really happy. I feel that Kawakami is starting to depend on me… It is an extremely confusing and uncomfortable situation to be in, but I’m used to that with Kawakami…  I’ll be released first thing tomorrow morning, so don’t worry. The IVs here work really well. That sounds like complete horseshit, but I don’t want to push this any further right now… …Visiting hours are over. Get home safe, okay…? Huh…? Who could that be at this hour?Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)  I’m really in the mood to blow off some steam. How about we meet up and play some games together!? Oh, don’t worry about me if you got stuff to do. I can keep myself busy. Mkay, seeya tomorrow! Ryuji’s coming over tomorrow, huh? It’s going to be noisy all day…
Arist fucked around with this message at 23:43 on Apr 13, 2023 |
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Feb 3, 2023 01:28
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Wait, did Kawakami live-text you as Becky while lying in her hospital bed, hoping to hustle up a sweet fiddy despite the fact that she is clearly unable to make house calls? Nothing about that event is good, but all of it is impressive.Arist posted:
Somehow I never noticed that the HOT NIGHT tag sticks around for confidant events and now I want to see it in more places. Not so much Kawakami events, but I think it'd be a nice bit of spice to add to, say, hanging out with Akechi.
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Feb 3, 2023 03:19
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:Wait, did Kawakami live-text you as Becky while lying in her hospital bed, hoping to hustle up a sweet fiddy despite the fact that she is clearly unable to make house calls? Nothing about that event is good, but all of it is impressive. Perhaps she collapsed after sending the text, or she adheres to Japan's work culture.
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Feb 3, 2023 05:53
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Chapter 106: 8/13-8/14: Lounge Cat (New) Anon: Medjed must be bored Early Morning Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)    Was declining his offer truly the correct decision? …I would like to hear opinions on the matter. Not just yours, but those of our teammates as well… I’m eating now. Maybe I should respond later… Not to rain on your parade, but I need you to finish eating before I can open up shop. Is it an invitation? I guess we should check on it when we’re done with our meal. Early Morning → Daytime Music: Tokyo Emergency  Sounds like Ryuji’s here. Come on, let’s go downstairs. There is a sadness to it, like tears shed from dreary clouds in the European sky. Haha, a little joke, eh? I’m far too perceptive. I would know if that were really the case. No. It couldn’t be… A-At any rate… One’s hidden hesitations and worries subtly, subconsciously, rise to the surface. The ability to perceive those sensations in art and life is very important. Do you understand? But they haven’t given up! They’re heading back into the minor league playoffs to give it their all!  “Just don’t worry about it. Leave it all to me!” So… what’s that all about?  You wanna play some video games today? We’re on break n’ all, so we can afford a day off, yeah? I may be able to improve my Guts if I play Star Forneus with Ryuji… Furthermore, this may be a good chance to deepen my bond with him… If we’re not gonna meet up with the others, we should totally chill in here. It’s too drat hot outside.  Mkay, I’ll just chill here and drink some soda then. Don’t forget to tell the others if you wanna meet up.  Music: Tokyo Daylight       We stop over at the incense shop for the first time in a while to check out their wares. As it happens, they’ve got new inventory. Their new items each boost two stats by 1, instead of only 1 stat. We buy two each of ST-MA and EN-AG, which boost Strength/Magic and Endurance/Agility respectively.   We also go to the ridiculous crystal healing shop and buy three Black Rocks for accessory transmutation.   Please pardon the musings of an old man. What brings you here today? Do you want to meditate at the temple?  Okay, let’s talk to the monk. Very well, then. Take your time and relax.     Maybe I’ll just drag my claws over them… Nah. Heh, you’re getting off lucky today.           If we meditate at the temple, we can increase our max SP. I believe it functions similarly to exercising at home or at the gym, where we’ll get better at it the more we do it. Well, I think it’s about time we call it a day. Let’s head back.Daytime → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask   In response to Medjed announcing its plan to attack, he called for the people to “remain calm.” However, what measures the government is taking to prevent this attack remain unclear. It’s likely that criticisms of their weak stance against internet crime will only intensify. Nobody can touch them… Futaba’s our last hope, really.  Whoa, whoa, my head’sh startin’ to spin. Why’m I always so dizzy thish time of the yearrr?  Wha? Nooo… No way! I’m not drrrunk! Not drunk… at all! Hey! Heeeey. You shouldn’ta be talkin’ to drrrunk guysh…  I am…? Wow. I shee now. We the Shee… Cicacas, of th’ bug race, live short livesh… Chirp chirp chirp! Chirp chirp chirp chirp! Beep beep boop boop… Kssshhh… I’m shcared of the internets! Ya jus’ click mebbe one wrong thing… n’ you getta huge bill…     (Innocent Grade Schooler) That’s cheating! You’re only supposed to do your own homework.  I told ‘em they should just hack the school and steal all the answers. Well, if they buy me some candy, I guess I might do their homework for them.   Mom got worried but I was stubborn Asked her why I’d wanna eat this She just gave me a sad smile Still can’t say I’m sorry  Maybe I shoulda gone home for the Bon holiday…  No… I’m gettin’ soft. I came out here to make it big. I formed a partnership with Yoshida as comrades. I should avoid interrupting his campaign.  (Elderly Office Worker) The company ordered me to return. I’m sure you’re aware of the actions Medjed is taking. The hacking incident, yes? Are we being targeted now? We must prepare for the worst. The initial response is crucial in these types of situations. I spent all this time, apologizing and explaining to people. Now my time off for Obon is all gone. (Sullen Office Worker) This is those hackers’ fault. Even if they don’t target the little guy, we suffer anyway. Medjed’s been causing a lot of trouble for me. If the Phantom Thieves exist, I’ll cheer them on.   Shiki, wabi, sabi… Japan’s just so interesting. I couldn’t help but fall in love with this country. (Cat) *meow* That’s why I can’t forgive Medjed for what they’ve done. Let’s go Phantom Thieves—take ‘em down! *meow!*   You were listening, huh? Hey, you might get hurt if you poke your nose where you shouldn’t. Hey, written letters and notes are real useful. Once you burn ‘em, there’s no more evidence. Usin’ the internet leaves a trail. For my job, you gotta use paper for your paperwork. Heh, even Medjed’ll never know what’s written on this note. Haha!  You were listening, huh? Scram if you don’t wanna get hurt. The more you struggle and resist, the worse your pain and suffering, you know? Though, it’s always more fun for me when the other guy struggles… Heh heh.   Once you get ‘em to strip, it’ll be smooth sailing from there. Looks are important. Clients want a gorgeous girl. Maybe we’ll have some cosmetic work done, too.   The long break came and went without any nasty surprises… Maybe we can finally relax a little. I guess it’s possible our first semester was just unusually chaotic… All I can hope for is that we survive our second one.    Hey, do you ever go to arcades? I’ve never been to places like that, so I’m pretty interested… If you’re so inclined, shall we visit one together?   Excellent. If we’re going, I’d like to try that batting thing. I think there’s a game center around here. Let’s get going. Music: What’s Going On?  I was out here gathering intel, and I noticed some patrons playing this…Gathering intel? What the gently caress? Were you gonna narc out some poor potheads smoking behind the Terminator: Salvation cabinet? I did a bit of research. Apparently it’s a pretty hardcore shooter game.Granted, maybe things are different in Japan, but when I hear the words “hardcore shooter game” I’m not thinking of anything that involves a loving light gun. Do you normally play games like these? Well, that should even the playing field. I’m not much for video games myself, so I guess I’m in the same boat.     I love option two here. What a sore loser.   Laying it on a little thick there, buddy.  I’m new to this, I’m afraid. Perhaps we’ll chalk it up to beginner’s luck.  I had a toy gun like this when I was young, you know. All this reminded me of running around the house with it, playing hero…   But there are different kinds of heroes, of course. Different stances they define themselves by. For example, one may stick to the vision of justice they believe in, even if others deny it… While another may simply do as others desire of them, seeking to be recognized and gratified as a hero. So? Which of those two fits more with your conception of a hero? Where’s the option for “sharing your meat with other people”? Don’t wanna pick that one. Well, I had a feeling you’d say that. But if nobody else wants the justice they fight for, isn’t that just blind self-righteousness?  Whenever I talk with you, I just can’t help delving into these abstract topics…    I could use a shower. Why don’t we call it a day? Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   Thank you for hanging out with me. I had quite a lot of fun. I don’t play these games too often, so I honestly wasn’t sure how well I’d do. Hopefully I didn’t come off as too much of a novice. I wish I’d played better.   I suppose if you’re that worked up, it means you truly don’t want to lose to me. I didn’t know you had a side like that… I’ll accept a rematch anytime. …Still, games are rather fun. It was quite a novel experience… Usually, I just read in my leisure time. It offered more realism than I expected, and I was impressed by how immersive it felt. Usually I really struggle with enjoying the same pastimes as my peers, but thanks to you, I had fun today. I hope you can join me again if you get the chance. Now, I’ll talk to you later.  Anon: Tell ‘em who’s boss! Daytime Music: Tokyo Emergency   There is a sadness to it, like tears shed from dreary clouds in the European sky. Oh? Is this a test? I’ll have you know my powers of perception are quite keen. One’s hidden hesitations and worries subtly, subconsciously, rise to the surface. The ability to perceive those sensations in art and life is very important. Do you understand? Here’s what we’ve got for you today! Here, we have the Drink Set! Beat the summer heat with these cool drinks! 20 Second Maid and 20 Water of Rebirth! Both items in one set! What a steal! But that’s not all! We’ve got even more to show you! Next up, the Floral Gift Set! A great gift for anyone in your life who loves flowers! 1 Glass Vase and 1 Flower Basket! Both items in one set! What a steal!  We go with the Drink Set.  Music: Tokyo Daylight    Ann wasn’t ready to rank up, so we’ll be enacting our voodoo on her.  And it worked!   Aojiru!!!!!!! Maaku gains Proficiency +1.   Let’s head into the Velvet Room real quick. We’ve got an errand to tend to and we should take care of it now while we remember. Music: Aria of the Soul  We’ll finally remove that Choronzon from Lockdown.  We’ll trade Life Drain for this new Evade Bless skill. Music: Butterfly Kiss    There’s nothing to talk about… Why don’t you tell Takemi about Oyamada?  Oh fine… I’ll go to you, so wait there. Death Rank 8: Part 116 Music: Alleycat  IT IS DONE. What…? What did you do…?  Yes? You don’t need to look so hostile, jeez. I wanted to speak with you right away! The hospital that was on the news is the same one you used to work at, right!? The hospital on the news? But I knew you weren’t capable of doing those terrible things. …Wh-What’s going on? Oh, my. You really don’t know, do you? That Chief of Staff, Oyamada, turned himself in. He had been manipulating everything. He made that medical error, and blamed his subordinate. That’s you, right? Wait, really!? It’s been on the news for like, three days! I didn’t see it… We all knew it couldn’t have been you who did something like that. Oyamada turned himself in… and now, of all times? That’s… convenient. But it doesn’t matter. I couldn’t save her. Speaking of convenient, guess what? Miwa-chan’s actually still alive! There’s… no way… You! Hoi polloi! What about the patient!? I heard she got moved to another hospital… how difficult for her…Music: Sunset Bridge  (crying) So she’s… she’s alive… On that note, don’t you still have some work to do? Everyone except four-eyes here, get the gently caress out of my office! Uh, were you talking to me? I wear glasses too— OUT! Our deal still stands, right? You’ll keep helping? Good, because I’m gonna work you like a horse today. It feels like my bond with Takemi is growing even deeper… We’re going to move quickly today, so you may experience some pain during the examination. …Sorry. Just hang in there, okay? Eh, no sweat. It’s for… my exams, was it? Yeah, them. All right, into the examination room you go. I feel like cooperating in that shady clinical trial has increased my Guts…Maaku gains Guts +1.  Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)   I pushed you way too hard today. Really, I’m sorry…  God, what was wrong with me…? I can’t believe I spent all that time moping. Feeling sorry for myself. Miwa-chan was fighting all that time. I have to fight for her, too.   We’re so close to making this drug work… I just have to perfect it.  Okay, goodnight… Music: Beneath the Mask     “Alibaba won’t lose” or something. What kind of dream was that…?    I heard they’re crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  (Doting Father) Yeah, I’ve had it before. Someone at work gave me one. You’re right. It was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. I’ve never had one before… O-Oh, then I’ll ask one of my clients to bring one back for you!  Ooh, Marakunda. That’s actually a decent skill to get for one of our party members.  We’ll take them up on that offer.   Morgana, why not? He’s mainly just a healbot and not one of our more useful party members, so maybe this will increase his utility.   Wonder if I’d enjoy the cocktails. Guess I’ll just have to give it a shot! Music: No More What Ifs This song is very quiet and seems like it’s being played over a speaker in-game. It sounds different when there’s a live singer, obviously.   That’s worrying!  (Muhen) But just as the sign said outside, I can’t serve alcohol to high schoolers. Sorry, but you’ll have to make do with non-alcoholic drinks. But hey, the non-alcoholic drinks taste just as good. Don’t patronize me, old man. I know that’s a lie. The cover charge is 3,000 yen. Okay… I’ll take that. You can sit down anywhere that’s open. That said, try not to be disruptive, all right?I’ll just chill in the corner with my cat, no prob.  Nyahaha, perfect for a gentleman like me!   Lmao, the cat’s drinking out of the little straw.   Especially right after we eat, it can get pretty nauseating… Don’t worry, I’ve never actually thrown up before. Like, ever? Lucky you. I gotta say though, it feels pretty comfy in your bag. And I get to enjoy the sights too…  …I feel like I got to take a good look at myself. This isn’t a bad way to spend time.   We swap out Recarm for Marakunda.  Hmm, we should probably head home. We wouldn’t want to get caught.   Huh…? Who could that be at this hour? Music: Break it Down (Elp Version)  I’m going to Book Town in Jinbocho. Can you make some time since it’s summer vacation? I’d like you to help me look for it. Makoto’s inviting you out, huh? So, what’s it going to be? Do you want to go to Book Town? I really don’t, so we probably won’t, but I’ll keep our options open for now. Arist fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Apr 13, 2023 |
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Feb 6, 2023 19:11
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Knowing how the storyline went down in OG P5, I find it neat how the Justice confidant events and dialogue from like the previous rank onward have both parties knowing the other is a Metaverse user and trying to figure out what the other's deal is.
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Feb 6, 2023 20:03
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In the gameplay, we control the car, but in story, isn't Makoto the one driving Morgana now? Then, Morgana should address his concerns to Makoto.
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Feb 6, 2023 20:08
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Flair posted:In the gameplay, we control the car, but in story, isn't Makoto the one driving Morgana now? Then, Morgana should address his concerns to Makoto. He's talking about when we're running around Tokyo. He's saying that being jostled around in the bag makes him nauseated.
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Feb 6, 2023 20:10
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Arist posted:
Isn't he the final (vanilla) mementos target? I feel like it's at least some sleazy showbiz manager whose shadow is Mara, and it'd make sense for it to be this guy because he's the worst minor NPC in Tokyo. I mean dude deserves worse than a change of heart, but beating up the ghost of his penis is more than "never anything." E: Also Morgana is my favorite jazz club invite. You're told about the pets allowed policy, but he still pokes out of his bag to drink his fancy beverage from a straw. I've started playing Persona 4 and it has only strengthened my fondness for the bag cat.
Zulily Zoetrope fucked around with this message at 22:43 on Feb 6, 2023 |
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Feb 6, 2023 22:37
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Zulily Zoetrope posted:Isn't he the final (vanilla) mementos target? I feel like it's at least some sleazy showbiz manager whose shadow is Mara, and it'd make sense for it to be this guy because he's the worst minor NPC in Tokyo. huh totally forgot
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Feb 6, 2023 22:41
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Drunken Souse is the best NPC. 
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Feb 6, 2023 22:59
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NO SHUT THE gently caress UP CAT IM FINDING INNER PEACE I kind of wish they gave you more options to be a dick to Akechi in his confidant. Just really boil the tension by making it harder and harder to force himself to try and befriend you.
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Feb 7, 2023 01:43
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Kith posted:Drunken Souse is the best NPC. Wholly agreed. I think he's actually the one NPC that most makes me glad about when you can re-enter the same convos to pick different options, rather than just getting a new singular line that gets repeated forever.
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Feb 7, 2023 05:18
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I have just finished binging on both LP threads and it was an amazing journey. Thank you so much, Arist.
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Feb 8, 2023 04:34
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Chapter 107: 8/15-8/16: Goddammit, Mishima Anon: What side is Akechi-kun on? Early Morning Music: Beneath the Mask (Instrumental Version)    Ryuji actually just told me about a gym he knows. He even said he’d train with me. Why don’t you join in too, Maaku? We can train together! I’m eating now. Maybe I should respond later…  If you’re done eating, go wash the plate. Who was that invitation from? Let’s go upstairs and reply once you finish with the dishes. Early Morning → Daytime Music: Tokyo Emergency  He’s only five foot five, but that was a great play.Short kings rise up!  We’re going to finally formally decline Makoto’s invite after making her stew for several hours.  You’re turning her down, huh? Did you have other plans? We’re going to buy another three each of Silk Yarns and Tin Clasps from the secondhand shop, just in case we need them later. I doubt we will.      Or would you rather sell it at the store in Kichijojhi? It’s your call. In other news, this is the day I finally examine the laundromat for the first time. I will not be using it today, but it’s weird that it took me this long to even just go check it out.  (DJ) Be careful so you don’t get heat stroke! Today’s topic is “Ways to Beat the Heat.” I swear this heat’s taken years off my life. And it doesn’t help that the seasons are all screwy. Music: Tokyo Daylight  Over at the sports store at the Shibuya Underground Mall, we buy the exorbitantly expensive Dart Set. This is an optional purchase, but it’s pretty useful. We’ll appreciate having it next time we need to play darts. I also buy an Imported Protein for some reason. gently caress if I know why I did that. Music: Layer Cake   It’s ‘cause we sell merchandise that can’t take the heat. If it’s too cold for ya, layer up. So, you need somethin’ today?  Yo.  We sell our ill-gotten riches to Iwai. I probably wouldn’t bother showing this normally, but it’s worth noting that the Gold Lump we got from the recent trial battle is worth 42k, sweet. Weird that a Large Gold Lump is only worth 10k, though. Music: Tokyo Daylight  Our plans for today: Burger. Music: Big Bang Burger March     Certainly. Now then, go take a seat! And good luck!  This is the final task before you can ascend to the rank of captain. Our store’s behemoth burger stands in your way! A meal of leviathan proportions…  This burger is a space elevator.  This burger is the ultimate embodiment of the limitless nature of space! The volume… the flavor… the calories… Every aspect of this burger is astronomical! If you can succeed at eating the entire thing, you’ll be presented with an extraordinary gift. I wonder if anyone’s ever actually finished it… Well then, it’s time to get the thirty-minute Big Bang Challenge started! Ready… Go!Music: High Pressure  Don’t get too hasty… Just work at your own pace and you’ll do it!  Y-You… You’ve done it again! Music: Everyday Days  Since you managed to topple the Cosmic Tower Burger… I present to you… …The highest-ranked certification available here: the Captain Badge!  This accessory gives us a skill that increases our maximum HP by 30%, sweet. And to the burger baron who defeated this challenge, we present to you… Our world-famous Big Bang Burger, on the house! We hope you enjoy the taste of victory.  *barf* You are hereby promoted to the rank of Captain. No more challenges await you… but please do the challenge again and show us how gallant you are! All of us here at Big Bang Burger sincerely await your return!  You were so admirable, taking on such a daunting task with that intense level of courage! Maaku gains Guts +3. I’m just now realizing I should have gone to Chihaya before I did this. gently caress. Your pace, your strategy of using well-timed drinks, and just the spectacular way you devoured it… Everything was perfect! Maaku gains Knowledge +3, Charm +3, and Proficiency +3. Come on, we should head home. I’m full just from watching you.  And we get an award for completing the challenge. Daytime → Evening  Anon: internet showdown!? :O Anon: yo, where the police? Anon: What cheapass justice, lol Anon: this’ll blow up Anon: poo poo + poo poo = poo poo sandwich I wonder what’s going to happen… Didn’t they say they would confiscate our possessions? We have nothing to do with this! Why is this happening to us!? How will the Phantom Thieves take responsibility for this?Music: Beneath the Mask    Ugh, more of this whining. *silences phone*     Hm? What’s this? Yusuke isn’t usually available at night…  All we can do is wait for Futaba. But simply sitting around has me on edge. Is there anything we can do? Hm. He’s looking for inspiration, huh? Why don’t you take Yusuke to that jazz club Akechi told you about?  Nah, we wouldn’t get much benefit out of it tonight.  People on the internet have high hopes in these Phantom Thieves—what are your thoughts on this? I can’t really condone it—though, I may be somewhat responsible for that myself. Perhaps my remarks about the Phantom Thieves may have magnified their notoriety. Hmph. Look at him, trying to act cool… Just you watch. He *is* cool, though! Hurry back to your prison! We’ll be making a quick stop at the Velvet Room tonight, as we need a Devil Persona before we go see Ohya. As useless as her Confidant benefits are, I’d feel bad just ignoring her, you know? Music: Aria of the Soul  To make room, we’ll fuse Anubis from Archangel and Leanan Sidhe. We technically don’t have any ranks in Judgement at the moment (Igor says, and I quote, “You do not currently have access to the full potential of this Confidant relationship,” despite the fact that we’ve never said as much as two words to Sae, so that really confuses this whole framing device), meaning I can’t show off the post-fusion level up screen. That said, we go with Deathly Illness as a Trait (which increases the chance of successful insta-kills) and give it the skills Psio, Rakukaja, and Rakunda.   I shall become a mask and bring help to your marvelous soul.Anubis is the Egyptian deity of mummification and the judge of the dead, the one who oversees the ritual of weighing the heart of each person upon their death. If the heart is heavier than a feather due to being weighed down by sins, the scale sinks, and their heart is eaten by Ammut. If it rises, lifted by good works, the deceased is allowed to continue their journey towards Osiris and immortality. Music: Crossroads   I don’t really mind it, but keep yourself in check, okay?What, exactly, do you think I’m getting up to in here?   Although I’d be pretty happy to let those records stay unbroken. Still, this time of year is the best for a nice, refreshing cold one.    Seriously, where do you get this stuff from? True believers are scary… Hey, you want a drink? Devil Rank 3: Part 65  I guess it’s pretty popular with high schoolers. I dunno, I haven’t really been paying attention to any of that crap. Isn’t it your job to pay attention to that crap? Yeah, probably. But jeez, the Phantom Thieves must be really bored if they’re taking target requests for small-time crooks off the internet. Bet you their leader’s some dipshit high school kid bored out of his skull. N-Nuh-uh! Oh, and what makes you say that? Uh… The Phantom Thieves wouldn’t be that lame… probably! Their leader must be incredibly sexy. Like, loving ripped. What…? Kid, relax. My theory’s probably bogus anyway. If the Phantom Thieves can really change a person’s heart so easily, why would they ever get bored? I’m just ripping into them because I’m sick of having to write dumb entertainment articles about the latest fad. But they do really well, right? Some journalists who were in here seemed frustrated about that. Huh…? You mean Nakao and his ilk? Don’t call them journalists… or if you must, don’t call me one. Just don’t associate me with those drat hyenas. Everyone at work calls them paparazzi behind their backs, but I’m a real journalist! There, there… Shut up, kid! I’m just saying… Entertainment reporting’s all about selling copies. No consideration of the truth. Doesn’t matter. Real news? That poo poo’s dead. No one wants to read it…  *sigh* Why keep doing this job if you’re so cynical about it? I could never quit… But at this rate, you… If I quit now, it’d be the same as declaring my partner guilty. “Jointly responsible”… What a joke! She didn’t do anything! I can’t quit, and I’ll never give up. For her sake. Ooh, a false accusation? Sounds juicy. Gimme the details. N-Never mind! That’s none of your business, kid! Dammit. I thought we had built some lasting trust over this small handful of five-minute conversations spread across a two-month period. Not today, kid. I will say, though, I appreciate you giving me this information. The more I can get out of you, the less work I’ll need to do on my own time, and the more I can focus on my own investigation. Isn’t *this* your own time? You’re drinking. Wait, are you on the clock right now? Don’t worry, kid! I’ll be sure to write you a great article on the Phantom Thieves! I can see it now! “Exclusive: Behind the Incredible Phantom Thieves! Dial 911 for Justice!” …How’s that sound? That isn’t the number we use to call the relevant authorities in this country. Relaaaaaaaaax. I’ll take this seriously! I promised, right? My deal with Ohya seems to be progressing smoothly… I assume this is supposed to say “lowers more upon defeating an ambushed enemy,” because it already lowers when we do that. It’s not like the security level matters at all in this version of the game, though. You sure are weird though, coming all this way to Shinjuku at night… How would you know where I live? I know you go to Shujin, which is pretty far away. Oh, right.  Hello? Mm-hm… Wait, what!? I can talk with him? Really? Okay, I’ll be right there. Work? Nah, I’m already off the clock.  See ya!  Anyway, shouldn’t you be getting home too? I was able to pique Ohya’s interest with stories of the Phantom Thieves… I feel like my Charm has increased…Maaku gains Charm +2.  Anon: hey thieves, can u see this? Daytime Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)   Airports and bus stations are teeming with people carrying souvenirs… Wow, look at how packed it is. Everyone’s so busy.   Time to see Yusuke about some skill cards.   Mediarama’s always good to have. Let’s dupe that one.     No, it’s nothing. I still seem to be… myself. Hey, do you think… a heart can actually be changed…? I guess I’ll try to persuade him by writing another letter. It’s better than doing nothing…  No, I’m okay. I still seem to be… myself. The Phantom Thieves steal hearts, huh? To be honest, I wish they’d take the heart of… you know. I guess I’ll try to persuade him by writing another letter. It’s better than doing nothing… It will take us another four months before anyone gets the bright idea to actually steal Homeless Man’s heart.   Hurry back to your prison! Back into the Velvet Room. Music: Aria of the Soul  This time we’ll be making Principality from Choronzon and Clotho. The main reason I want this Persona is because it naturally knows Tetraja, which means I can probably fuse it to make that Lachesis with Tetraja we need for the next Strength event. We won’t be fusing that Lachesis today (because I couldn’t be bothered to look up what to fuse Principality with to make Lachesis) but we’ll do so eventually.    Order and discipline come before anythijng else. Take my mask, and let us defend our honor together.Principalities (or “Rulers”) are angels of the Third Sphere in Christian “angelology,” which sounds like an incredibly fake term you all just made up to prank me. Principalities have the duty of carrying out the orders of Dominions and bequeathing blessings to the material world. They preside over groups of angels and assign them tasks to fulfill the divine ministry, and they also oversee groups of people. Some principalities administer tasks, while others assist, and they are known to inspire living things to the fields of art or science. Basically, they’re the pencil-pushers of the angels.  Music: Beneath the Mask -Rain (Instrumental Version)  Back to Yusuke, now. I could have consolidated these two visits into one group of screenshots so it’d flow more naturally, but I didn’t want to because I’m lazy.  That reminds me, I would like to speak with you and the others. Do you have some free time today? I would like other opinions as well. I shall send out an invite and see who has time to meet. I wish to do so at Leblanc, if that is all right with you.Emperor Rank 8: Part 118 Music: Break it Down  I see Makoto wasn’t invited. That’s fine, Yusuke. She’d probably bog this meeting down with her nerd poo poo. I have a request, everyone. I am planning to display my work in an art competition. Maaku, you remember Kawanabe-san from the Japanese Art Support Foundation, yes? Nope, but please continue. I must prove both my ability and passion for art, but I have no earthly idea what to choose as a subject. How about you make Ann strip aga— Death. No trial, straight to the chair. Jail is too good for you. I was just jokin’… Anyway… maybe something people find pretty? Urgh… we return to the concept of “beauty.” *sigh* I fear I will never be able to paint a beauty as captivating as the “Sayuri”.Music: Sunset Bridge Weird, considering it’s your mom… but I dunno that the appeal of that painting is its pure “beauty.” I don’t know anything about art, but it makes me feel… the gentleness of a mother’s love, you know? Gentleness… Yet another aspect of the painting I cannot hope to capture… My heart is tainted by all these externalities… Fame, money, proving myself… I looked down on Madarame, but I also wanted things! We are clearly exactly the same! In truth, I even regret declining Kawanabe’s offer… That’s stupid. Relax. Huh…? You’re allowed to want things, my guy. That’s not a character flaw. Hell, doin’ poo poo for other people’s the best way to succeed. You won’t get anywhere just chasing self-satisfaction. Huh!? What’d you realize!? Beauty comes from within, friends! It is a gift from subject to viewer, something that wells up in the heart until it breaks free! Thank you all! Man, I really don’t get art. We somehow managed to help Yusuke out… I feel like my bond with Yusuke is growing deeper… Music: What’s Going On? I must paint immediately! Goodbye, chums! Yusuke, away! Wait, you’re going to run home? It’s raining! You didn’t even take your umbrella, dude! He’ll be fine… probably. He seemed pretty inspired. Anyway you guys hungry? I might ask Boss to make me some curry once he gets back. Oh boy… more curry…Daytime → Evening Music: Beneath the Mask   Ah, you’re still in high school, right? Are you enjoying your vacation? Haha, I suppose you’re right. Live out and enjoy your youth as much as you can before it’s gone. And now, sadly I must end this momentary respite. If I stay too long, I may get scolded for it  Even the Phandom is hoping you guys can fix this heat somehow. They should know you’re the Phantom Thieves, not the Phantom Weathermen. Change the heart of the CEO of Exxon… got it. Hey, um… There’s something I want to talk to you about. It’s super important. Do you think you can make some time right now? You’re the only one I can talk to about this. We should go somewhere quiet if possible… How about Inokashira Park? Moon Rank 6: Part 106 Music: My Homie   *looks around* …It’s about the next target for the Phantom Thieves!  This one will change EVERYTHING. Oh god, not liking the sound of this. Well, lay it on me. It’s this guy. He’s a handsome young actor who’s been gaining popularity rapidly. If you change his heart, tons of people will have to notice you! He’s gotta be doing shady stuff! Probably! Woof. All right, listen man, I think— You probably think I’m just jealous or something, right? Well, you’re wrong! I’ve heard that a famous idol fell into his clutches! You need to act, for the sake of her fans! Mishima, are you one of her fans? N-No… This doesn’t seem like any of our— Come oooon, when have I ever let you down before? You want, like, a list, or…? Not counting those times! I’m just trying to push you guys into the stratosphere! Just wait! I’ll get you tons of requests! Like a producer should! Weren’t you supposed to have a much longer and more convoluted job title? Mishima’s motivation seems to be growing stronger… Music: Suspicion  That’s right… I’m the producer for the famous Phantom Thieves… I’m not boring… I’m not a zero… …… Can’t relate, Mishima. I’m really not boring or a zero, because I do LPs! That’s still cool, right? Hey, take out your phone.  I just sent you that actor’s data. Buddy, come on. Don’t worry! This is guaranteed to boost your rep. After all, I’m the only reason you guys have gotten this far, right? Legitimately had to include this dialogue option. I really love the backtalk here, especially the sarcasm. Yeah. It’s all because of me. The Phantom Thieves’ success is thanks to me… and the Phantom Thieves are changing the world… That means I’m the one who’s responsible for those changes… That means I’m not a zero…! You know I can hear you, right? I’ll send you more info on that target once I’ve found some more details. Make sure you check it, all right? Goddammit, Mishima. Arist fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Feb 10, 2023 |
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Feb 10, 2023 19:39
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