#I'll probably make some other posts later

[i-am-a-bad-influence-writes]

P*rn ☆  Chapter 8, A moment of bliss

Masterlist Word count: 3.5 k Sylus x Fem!Reader

Summary: You have been following a spicy content creator by the name of Red Crow for some time now. Nothing could’ve prepared you for what would happen when he moves into the apartment next door.

Author's note: Hi everyone. Enjoy Sylus being a switch/bottom for this one. He won't be for every chapter, but he's desperate and you've been waiting for this sooooo... I do want to remind everyone that this is my first time writing a smutty story. I hope it makes sense. <3

Warning! This story is meant for mature audiences. It contains sex, swear words, porn, smoking, intimate piercings, mentions of drugs, alcohol, mentions of domestic abuse, and other mature themes. Do not engage if you are under 18.

Mature content under the cut.

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘ 

'And then he slept over,' you tell Zayne over the phone and quickly add, 'we just cuddled. It was nice.' He doesn't need to say anything for you to know he disapproves. Just wait, he'll tell you that you shouldn't invite men you don't know over to your apartment. Especially not types like Sylus. 

'That's nice. He deserves something good in his life.' "What?!" 'Are you still there?' You probably stayed silent with your jaw on the floor a little too long. Maybe you shouldn't be too surprised. When you showed Zayne a picture of Sylus he looked physically pained, but not in a fearful way. It was empathetic. 

'Yes, yes, I'm still here, sorry. I expected you to lecture me on inviting strange men into my apartment,' you admit. 

'I would, but I know this man. I think he's a good one,' Zayne admits, 'I'm glad you ran into him. Seems the type for you.' Fair enough. Zayne has listened to you whine about men often enough to be glad you're finally actually like one. There's a knock at your door and a rush of nerves goes through your system. 

'Oh, that must be him,' you tell Zayne, 'I'll call you later, okay? We still need to set a date for our annual trip.' 

'Sure. I'll talk to you later.' His voice sounds amused, almost like he's smiling through the phone. You feel a little flustered. He probably picked up on your tone change when you heard the knocks on the door. 

'Bye.' You put your phone in your pocket and walk towards the door, stopping in front of the hallway mirror to check yourself one last time. Outfit, comfy but cute. Hair, eh, good enough. Makeup, minimal but nice. You pull the door open to reveal Sylus in a barely buttoned black blouse and slacks. Now you feel awfully underdressed in your jeans. Are you sure you agreed on dinner and a movie at his place? This looks like he's taking you to a 3-star dining and rented the whole cinema. 

But, you should have known he was going to be dressed like that. After all, it was the same outfit he wore in his newest video. The one he posted today, earlier than he usually does. In a way, you feel like he did it to tease you. Especially since it wasn't all that erotic. It was just him sitting back against the headboard of his bed with a book in his hand, reading the most utterly horny smutty chapter you've ever heard in your damn life. It nearly made you fall off your chair running to your room to masturbate, but you decided against it. The night's still young after all. 

The chapter stuck with you though. Because it wasn't all that horny because of the actual sex happening, but more because of the love between the characters. To be desired so carnally, to be loved so openly, is a fucking turn on. 

'You look beautiful,' he notes, taking all of your thoughts away with one look. The way his eyes rake over you, you feel like you're a marble statue in a museum. Loved, admired, valued, but most of all, beautiful. A blush spreads on your cheeks. 

'Thank you. You look nice too.' 

'Just nice?' 

'Stunning.' The nerves don't calm down and you're not sure why. You've already had him in your bed, you kissed him, cuddled him, let him... Why are you blushing at the thought of it now? Is it because this is a proper date? It's not even that serious. It's just dinner and a movie at his place. 

'Ready?' He offers you his arm. You nod and place your hand on his forearm. It's awfully proper, but it does feel very nice to be treated so respectfully. 

'I have to say, I was expecting a kiss,' you admit. He grins and leans down to press a soft kiss on your lips. Nothing special, just a gentle greeting from a lover. 

A lover? No, more than that. It feels like home. Like you've been kissing his lips for years, but the spark is still there. Like this is how it's meant to be. Like he is completely and utterly in love with you, and you feel the same. 

Shit, you're in love. 

Sylus leads you into his apartment. The one time you were in there, you didn't really take in his decor. It's very much him. The whole place is made up of black, white, some dark wood tones, yet it still feels warm. It might be because he has taken a page out of your book with all the candles he's lit around the apartment. The dining table is set beautifully. There's red wine on the table already, along with a beautiful bouquet of deep red roses that look almost velvety. There's some music playing that feels slightly suggestive but not enough to comment on. 

'Wow, you really went all you,' you note. You feel his arm slip from your grasp and around your waist to pull you closer against him. He looks down at you with the lightest flicker of a big smile. 

'For you, I'd rearrange the stars if you asked me to. Now go sit down. Food will be ready in a bit.' 

Sylus stands behind the stove while you take a seat at the table. Of course, you take the seat across from the kitchen so you can watch him work. The way he slightly is swaying and softly humming along with the music is truly a vision to behold. A domestic vision. A vision of a future you'd like to live. 

He looks over his shoulder, seeing you leaning on your palm, elbow on the table, staring at him. You feel your cheeks heat up again but no urge to look away. Instead, you smile at him and he smiles back. He picks up the pan and walks over to the table, setting it down in the middle between the two plates.  

'Pasta alla Norma. Say when,' he says as he starts dishing out the food on your plate. You nod your head to him after a bit, having a very generous portion of pasta on your plate. He does the same for himself and grabs the wine to uncork it. All of it goes so smooth, so fluent, like every motion of his is perfected. 

And so is the food. It's not that special of a pasta dish but it's made so damn well. 'Is there anything you can't do,' you joke, 'I might just have to marry you right here and now.' His lips quirk into a smile. 

'Are you sure, sweetie? We barely know each other,' he teases back, 'what if I turn out to be a serial killer?' 

'Then I'd die a happy death.' Even though you are joking, somewhere in the back of your mind you know that it's true. You've never had a connection to anyone before like you have with him. It's new and exciting, but most of all it feels right. 

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘ 

The dinner is mostly uneventful, except that Sylus got some sauce on his clothes. He claimed it was because he was admiring you, but you saw him struggle to get the bite on his fork properly. However, this one time you decided not to tease him because you do want to cuddle up to him during the movie. 

At least, that was the plan. Pure innocent cuddling.  

Seems Sylus has different plans. You're sitting leaned against him, knees pulled up onto his lap, his arm around you, but for about ten odd minutes now his free hand has been tracing figured on your thigh. Each passing moment he seems to get a little bit closer to your inner thigh. 

The teasing gets you hot and bothered, which only makes Sylus smirk. You don't have to look up at him to know. He moves his other hand from your shoulder to your waist, his thumb gently rubbing your skin so that your shirt starts riding up until you feel his touch on your skin. 

That's when he shoves his other hand between your thighs, so close to your core, pulling a gasp from your lips. As you smack your hand in front of your mouth and look up, you can already feel Sylus’ laugh rumbling through his chest. You won't stand for that shit. 

With one swift movement, you sit yourself on his lap. Hands gently draped over his shoulders; hips so close to his but not quite close enough. He hooks his hands under your thighs and pulls you right on top of his bulge. The friction makes you gasp, but you try to keep a straight face. 

'We're not watching the movie, are we,' he asks suggestively. You move your hands to the buttons of his shirt and start undoing them slowly, one by one. In response, his hands start roaming over your hips, your thighs, they grace your ass and lower back. You feel yourself start to grind against him ever so slightly. It's almost involuntarily and gets more intense when you see how much Sylus is blushing while trying to keep a straight face. 

'Don't know why you're asking me. You're the one who started it.' Your hands get to the bottom button that you can still see. Instead of undoing it, you splay your hands out over his stomach, exploring all the skin you've freed as you rake your nails over the lean muscles on his stomach. 

'Mmm, I know sweetie, but consent is sexy,' he groans, moving his head towards your shoulder, he presses a kiss under your ear, 'do I have your consent?' 

'You do,' you say breathlessly, moving your hands behind his neck, entangling your fingers in his hair as you grind on him a little harder. He gently bites the spot he just kissed as a reply and grips your hips roughly, guiding you over him while he bucks up at you. His breathing becomes labored as you two dry fuck like a bunch of horny teenagers. 

He moves his head to kiss your lips. It's all tongue and teeth, desperately chasing a high. Somewhere in your mind you had expected Sylus to be cool, calm, collected when it comes to sex, but seeing him this excited because of you gives you confidence the likes of which you have never experienced. 

Suddenly, he drops his head back to your shoulder and bites down as his movements become less rhythmic. He stops moving all together and looks up at you with big eyes, staring up at you like you're made of pure stardust. 

'Did you just-' 

'Yes.' 

'Because-' 

'Because an angel was riding me.' A grin spreads across your face. He came in his pants like a fucking teenager because of you. That's so fucking hot. If he starts praising you any more you might just become a nightmare to deal with. 

'Wanna do it again without clothes?' 

'More than you could ever imagine.' He grabs your ass and stands up with you in his arms. A yelp slips from your lips as you quickly grab his shoulders. There's that smirk again. Shit, this could be the switch Olympics at this point, that way that you keep flipping. 

Being in Sylus’ bedroom is slightly strange. You've seen it from all angels before, even though you've never been there before. He lays you down on his bed and you see yourself looking back on the ceiling. For a second, your mind is completely lost until you realize that there's mirrors on his ceiling. Strangely, that doesn't surprise you in the slightest. 

Then, you see Sylus taking off his shirt. You prop yourself up on your elbows and watch him as he undoes the button on his jeans. A devious idea pops into your head and you grab his hand to stop him.  

He watches you intensively as you switch places with him so he is seated at the edge of the bed. His eagerness to touch you has a hold on him but he's trying so hard to let you do whatever. You take his hands and guide them to the hem of your shirt. Then, you slide them up. He quickly catches on and helps you take your shirt off, revealing a beautiful black lace bra. 

'Shit,' he cusses under his breath, tossing your shirt somewhere in the corner. His hands move to your jeans and undo the button and zipper. One peek at your matching undies has him groaning. He helps you step out of your jeans and grabs your hips gently, pulling you towards him. You put your hands on either sides of his face. His eyes are on yours, but they keep flickering down to your lips while his thumbs gently rub your hips. 'All this for me?' 

'All for you.' Your voice comes out sultry, seductive. Nothing you've ever sounded like before. He wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you against him, and kisses you slowly. 

'You look beautiful,' he mumbles against your lips, drunk off your body and the lingering thought of being inside it. He finally peels himself off your body and switches sides with you again. 'Lay down. I'll be right back.' 

'Don't leave me,' you whine as you grab his hand. He stops for a second, physically restraining himself. 

'Condom,' he says and lets go of your hand, disappearing into the bathroom. You decide to sit on your knees in the middle of the bed, eagerly awaiting his return while you soak through your panties. It takes him less than a minute to come back, and when he does his jeans are already off. You eye his bulge with your mouth slightly agape. Sure, you had seen it before, but everything looks smaller on a phone screen. He catches the worry in your eyes as he puts one knee on the bed to be closer to you. 'We don't have to-' 

'Shut up,' you quip, 'I'll be fine. Just go slow.' There's that grin again. With one hand, he reaches behind you and unhooks your bra with ease, with the other he hands you the condom, then he guides you onto your back. You try to take off your bra as you lay, but he grabs your hand and guides it to his hair. For a second, you don't understand but then he dips his head down and starts kissing your chest, slowly making his way over your clothed nipple and kissing it, leaving a wet spot on the lace. With his other hand he pushes the straps off your shoulders.  

Within seconds you are reduces to a whimpering, moaning mess. Your legs spread to make room for him and he gratefully takes his place between them. Sylus finally grabs the bra and removes it, joining it with your shirt and pants on the floor. His hand returns to your breast quickly, his hand gently massaging it while his lips make their way down lower. 

Slowly but surely, he reaches your panties and places lingering kisses just above them. Your hips buck up towards him and you hear the rumble of his rich chuckle. 'Sweetie, you know what you do to me. I fear I might not survive if I spend all my time between your legs.' 

'And I fear I might not survive if you don't fuck me right now,' you groan, giving a firm thug on his hair. You hear him gasp and it goes straight to your pussy. You cuss under your breath as you look down at the smug smile he wears. His fingers hook under your panties and pull them off. They join your other clothing on the floor. 

'You're soaked,' he notes, satisfied. 

'And you're not inside me yet.' Another rumbling laugh as he reaches for his own boxers and pulls them off in a swift motion. Shit, he's big and... are those- 

'They'll feel good. Trust me,' he promises as he watches you look at the two piercings making up his frenum ladder. You reach out to touch it and he lets you. He shivers under your touch as you run your hand over the metal beats on the underside of his dick. 

'One of these days I'm going to make you fuck me raw,' you say, not really realizing what you're saying as you're completely enamored with his dick and piercings. 

'You can't say stuff like that. I'm trying to go slow,' he almost gasps for air with every word and snatches the condom from your hand to quickly roll it on. You watch him lean over you, one of his hands firmly planted next to your head, the other guiding his cock towards your entrance. 

'Fuck slow.' You wrap your legs around him, pulling him towards you. He slips inside easily but goddamn it's a fucking stretch to say the very least. All you can hear is a mixed chorus of groans and gasps. He doesn't move his hips as his eyes study your face, fearing the discomfort he sees might be too much for you. However, you could care less. You feel so incredibly full and ecstatic to be spending the night with him that you might just burst right now. You reach out for him, grabbing his shoulders to pull him down for a kiss. 

'Are you alright,' he asks, holding off the kiss until he has your ok, 'I'm all the way in.' 

'I'm fine. Just kiss me and please move. I need it so fucking bad,' you beg. He does as you say, crashing his lips on yours as he sets a painfully slow tempo to get you used to him. You feel like you're going to snap if he keeps this up. 'Please move faster.' Your words sound more like a moan. 

'Are you sure, sweetie? You seem to be enjoying it just fine.' He looks down at you with pure amusement. Seems he's in a mood. You quickly shove his arm and manage to turn him on his back, not that he puts up much of a fight. 

'I thought you wanted me on top,' you tease back, sheeting yourself on his dick in one motion before he can even respond. Sylus lets out a low groan, throwing his head back and clawing at your hips for something to hold on to. 'Are you going to be a good boy for me and let me ride you?' 

'What happens if I say no.' 

'You'll have to find out.' He nods in response and makes himself comfortable on the pillows. You take that as your go ahead and set an absolutely feral pace. He was right about those piercings. They feel amazing.  

The horniest gasp you've ever heard slips from Sylus’ lips as he turns bright red in the face. His hands move down to your thighs, nails digging into your skin. You'll certainly have bruises tomorrow. 

'Does that feel good,' you ask him as you lean down a little, planting your hands on his chest, nails raking over his pecs. 

'Yes,' he moans, looking absolutely beautifully drunk on you. You feel your high approaching, as does he from what you can tell. He's so close to unraveling and it's beautiful. You wish you could capture this moment, keep this feeling bottled up on your nightstand.  

His hands move back to your hips as he suddenly plants his heels against the mattress and starts trusting up into you, hitting new highs deep inside of you. Highs that no one has ever hit before. Highs that you want him to hit each and every day. He's addicting. Your whole body is tingling as you lean closer towards him, trying to keep up with his pace while you kiss him. He seems too focused to kiss you properly. It's a mess of spit, biting, teeth clanking, and it's so fucking hot. You lick down his neck as you feel your high approaching so fucking fast. 

And there it goes. You hear an animalistic groan next to you, feel it rumble through his chest as his motions become sloppier. Your body topples over the edge and in a moment of absolute bliss, to suppress the absolutely vile sounds you make, you bite down on his shoulder. Hard. Sylus moans at the pain, grabbing your ass to push your body down against him, holding you in place speared on his cock. 

Waves of pleasure shake through your body as Sylus presses sweet kisses on top of your head. His hips move ever so slightly, helping you ride it out. Your eyelids start feeling heavy, your body is aching, your pussy is clenching up. 

'Are you alright?' Sylus voice is different now. It sounds almost worried. You release his shoulder from your bite and prop yourself up on his chest. 

'Peachy,' you reply with a hazy smile, 'wanna take a nap and do it again in a few hours?' 

There goes that rumbling laugh of his again. His hands start rubbing your back as he leans up to peck your lips. It's such an innocent gesture if you don't think about the fact that his dick is still inside you, twitching with every single tiny movement you make. 'As much as I would like that. Let's give it a few more hours and do it again in the morning. Deal?' 

'Only if we take a shower together.' 

'I'll do you one better. I have a tub.' 

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘ 

Previous - Next

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘ 

Taglist

@carmelves

@terriblesoup

@valkyyriia

@fvcknwww

@itsizumiiii

@ludwigsb0nker

@amywright

@frenchmess23yo

@malleus-draconias-rose

@deathkat657

@sweetnanah

@trishiepo0

@iraot

@nyxie-00

@sherlockstolemyname

@poptrim

@dummiebunny

@everythingistaken00

@ikesimpleton

@tyys-stuff

@venussakura

@crimsonlittlecrow

@raiyuxa

@pxxchyjjk168

@satansdaughter123

@nekee-lilac02

@brekkers-whore

@datfangirl

@datura109

@napa-the-yappa

∘₊✧───────────────────────────────────────✧₊∘ 

[housewasp]

Spinning frames!

This is a big post that will include all of the warframes and Hex members spinning as a group and separately. If you want to use these as emotes or whatever, go ahead. You have my blessing as long as you provide credit. At the very end of this post will be a write up about this project and what I'll be working on in the future. Read more to see them frames spin!

Project write up

I started this project because I find things spinning funny. I was going to just make Excalibur spin. Then I did the starters, and then I said, "Just do all the frames and Hex." Now here we are nearly a month later with everyone spinning. Style wise I started staring at Earthbound/Mother sprites. I wanted a reference that was the right size (32x32px) and cute. That fit the bill. The biggest challenge that cropped up had to be learning what details to keep and what needed to be simplified. This came up with the Hex and cyte-09 the most. Detail is great, but at this scale little details can add too much noise. For example, I was trying to decide on two straps or three straps for Arthur. Three straps was correct to the character, but caused this banding that I didn't love. I ended up looking at the in-game Arthur floof to help me. Lo and behold, two straps was the answer. My main lesson from this had to be tracking pixel clusters. I haven't done a lot of pixel art animation. And the animations I have done never had the characters rotating to this degree. Keeping track of the pixel clusters was a big deal. Frames of "off" clusters could throw the spin off. Are all of these sprites perfect? No. Haha. Not at all. I did try my best, but perfection isn't a burden I'll carry. I did go back as I gained experience to make corrections to previous sprites. But for now, these are the final versions.

What am I doing next?

Am I going to make more of these spinning frames? Prime versions? Umbra? Future protoframes (if the DE makes more)? What about the other frames? Short answer? No. Long answer. I might make other spinning frames of my favorite warframes, but I'm not going to promise anything. If I make more I make more, but don't expect more. I guess if I do commissions in the future I might include that as an option. But don't go waltzing in asking for me to spin your bubble gum pink rhino prime. Where do I go from here? I have a few more warframe fan art stuff planned. There's this portrait of Qorvex I'd like to do. But from here you'll probably see more original work in addition to fan art. Oh and maybe some writing too! If you read this, Wow. Thanks? I hope these spinning frames brought you as much joy I had in making them. -HouseWasp

[cemetegee]

Hi!

This is a really interesting theory! I would love to hear your opinion on it! I think Corona might’ve been the one who killed Naberius. I think it makes a lot of sense 😊

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57530659/chapters/150595651#workskin

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheNinthHouse/s/9hUWcD7h6Q

Oh, that's a really fascinating theory. I'll admit that I already heard about it once, but never in that debt, so thank you very much :) I find it in fact very convincing! For those who haven't read those posts, here a list of the made points and of my own points that convinced me:

The Blood

When the others come in, Ianthe is covered in blood.

And Naberius has most likely been stabbed into his back:

Thing is, if you stab someone like that the blood would spray out of their CHEST. If IANTHE had stabbed him from behind the blood couldn't have hit her. (The blood on his front supports that) This makes only sense if Ianthe's stand right in front of him, and SOMEONE ELSE stabbed him into the back.

(That's a really strong point, I think. You could maybe argue that she needed to use his blood after, and that it comes from this occasion, but as she says a single drop of blood is enough.)

The Rapier

The rapier she used must have weighed at least one kilogram (2 pounds). It's questionable at all if Ianthe could have used it (without Naberius muscle memory), regarding what Corona says about her strenght:

But there's even another point! We can assume that the stab went straight to his heart (or another vulnerable place) and that he was more or less immediately dead. Otherwise he would have probably not held his shocked face. It's rather unlikely that a beginner like Ianthe should do such a precise stab, ESPECIALLY regarding the weight and the fact that she has no idea how to use a rapier.

All that speaks for someone who has advanced rapier skills (like Corona) and does some work-outs. (Yes, I know, she's likely not as good as Babs. But you don't need to be a master duellant to murder someone from behind.)

AND - I'd like to add that, because I find it very important: I see no reason why Ianthe should murder him with a rapier. She is a flesh (and limenal) magican. Isn't it much more likely that she - if she intended to kill Naberius - would use her flesh magic skills to do that? Probably, she could even work more precisely that you ever could with a rapier - and so on. It doesn't make sense that she would use A WEAPON SHE HAS NO IDEA OF, if she actually has a working arsenal of working magical weapons she could use instead. That speaks VERY MUCH for Corona and HER murder.

Suspicious (off-screen) Talks

That's now completely my own point, but I find it to interesting to not mention it: I always assumed that there must have been off-screen talks between the twins (and Naberius) somewhen. They likely followed some kind of evil plan. Naberius says to Corona after her duel with Gideon:

Why not now? What is now? Why is now an especially bad time to do that? It really sounds if they had some kind of plan...

(And btw - I'm pretty sure that Naberius doesn't know that, but the fact alone that Corona trains under this high risk could be a hint that she prepares herself to kill him.)

Then! With the key thing, Corona and Ianthe obviously had a fight... The Bad Blood lasts pretty long:

However, for some reason Corona thinks it's insanely important for Ianthe to know that there are no rules (except Jod) at Canaan House.

(Why is that important? (Does it have to do with killing Babs? Are the later Challenging Scene?))

And after the challenging scene, they seem to be on a good base again.

But I would argue it's not only because of the Challenging Scene, but a clarifying conversation. Because briefly before Corona says to Gideon (during their duel):

And that's another odd hint THEY PLAN something! I think they have one plan Naberius knows (obviously not one where he dies) and at least one of them has the plan to kill him. Maybe they planned that Corona should kill him, so she could take his place. (That would explain Corona's feeling of betrayal even more deeply - Ianthe would in fact have fooled her. Although it's hard to me to feel empathy for betrayals in plans which go over the murder of a childhood friend :D)

To conclude: Now that I think about it, I really can't see a single reason why Ianthe could have killed Babs that way. (Except of that she claims it. But Ianthe has a HISTORY of being untrustworthy and the evidence is clearly against her.) Every point here only makes sense if Corona was the murderer. I'm absolutely convinced 10/10 theory.

PS:

I also think it would explain the shock at Naberius face. Ianthe "Poison Master of his Childhood" Tridentarius killing him would maybe not have been that surprising:

(I find it interesting how he is even in his death unsympathic :D But of course that doesn't free anyone of their guilt.)

[yuriko-44]

yearning for freedom

19 ✮ yuriko ✮ she/he ✮ permashifting to my wr

Hello!! Welcome to my shifting blog!! I'm Yuriko and I decided to start this blog to not only motivate myself, but also to hopefully motivate others as well!! Sometimes I also get the urge to tell someone about my drs, so I figured that making a blog here was a good idea for mindlessly yapping about them. I'll be sharing everything about my shifting journey, so expect posts about my drs and wrs, my close attempts and minishifts, motivational posts because we love them and etc!! I'll probably share interesting dreams and lucid dreams as well, since I'm interested in shifting through lucid dreams. And sometimes I get really cute dreams about the people in my drs- my motivation skyrockets whenever that happens!! I'd also like to make some friends that are into shifting!!

here's a summary of the things you'll find in this post:

about me and dni list • how I found shifting • my view of reality shifting • my shifting goals and drs • shifting and dream journal • miscellaneous

last update: 20th january 2025

about me and dni list

You can call me Yuriko!! It's not my real name here in the cr, but it's my real name in my main wr!! I'm 19 years old and go by she/he pronouns. English isn't my first language, so sorry if I sometimes get simple things wrong. I really like animals (I spontaneously combust whenever I enter a zoo) and if I had to decide what kind of pet to have, if I could have one, I'd either get a corgi or a gecko (don't know which kind though), they're just so cute!! My favourite colours are blue and light blue, red, green, pink, purple, yellow- I love colours, ok? LMAO!! I think of myself as a little childish, but I really don't care to be honest. I always try my best to be kind and respectful with both strangers and people I know. I used to find shifting information on TikTok back in 2019/2020. I deleted that app before 2021 and never looked back, it was the best decision ever for my shifting journey!! I never shifted or minishifted, but I won't let that demotivate and/or stop me!! I'm mainly a bnha shifter, since my main drs are about it!!

dni list: anti-shifters, basic dni criteria, haters in general, closed-minded people, cringe/cancel culture

how I found shifting

I found out about shifting between 2019 and 2020, during the pandemic. I found out about lucid dreaming first, I was watching a video about it and someone mentioned reality shifting in the comments. It peaked my interest, so I looked it up and didn't really know what to think at first. It just seemed too good to be true, you know? But then I got more informed and here I am now!! Shifting really felt like a blessing, I was going through one of the worst moments of my life, so I'm really grateful for finding out about it. It really helped me go through it. My main source of information was TikTok, which is full of misinformation but I didn't know it at the time.

I remember I made a small script and actually put effort in only two shifting attempts before I needed to take a break. The reason why I needed that break was because people on TikTok were so…contradictory. At first they say "you can do whatever you want! :3" and two seconds later they say "DON'T DO THIS!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS THING!! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!! >:(" LIKE, GIRL GET IT TOGETHER AND MAKE UP YOUR MIND!! To me that was absolutely exhausting and confusing, so I took that break. The break lasted from 2020 to 2024…yeah, I'm not really proud of that- so here I am picking reality shifting back up in 2025 with a much better understanding of it, with a better mindset and with clearer ideas for what I really want (like where I want to shift and all)!!

my view of reality shifting

I believe there's an infinite amount of realities out there, the one we're in right now is just one of them. There's no 'main/more important reality' or anything like that!! All realities are on the same exact level. When we shift to another reality we become aware of that reality and shift our awareness there.

We don't create realities when we script/shift, we go to already existing ones. This is why I don't think there's anything wrong with shifting to whatever dr you want. It doesn't matter if we shift there or not, that reality exists and the events in it are going to take place regardless of what we do. I personally think people can shift wherever they want, regardless of the kind of reality they choose to shift to.

You don't need methods, a perfect doubt-free mindset, scripts or anything like that to actually shift. Although they can all help greatly, they aren't what makes you shift and therefore aren't mandatory!!

There's no limit. You can literally script anything you want!! Since there's an infinite amount of realities, there are infinite possibilities!! Go wild and let your imagination run free!!

my shifting goals and drs

I'm planning to permashift to my main waiting room, then from there I'll be able to shift wherever and whenever I want!! My main wr basically functions as some sort of hub where I go to plan and shift to my drs. But it also functions as a replacement for this reality. Whenever I feel like having a break from my drs I can just go there and relax!! One of the many reasons why I want to permanently shift to my wr is because some of my main drs have some events that can be quite intense. I scripted that in my main wr, and obviously in all of my other realities as well, it's impossible for me to get traumatised and feel the effects. But in this reality, the cr, that's not the case, so I'm worried that if I come back to this exact reality I'd feel the effects. So I plan to permashift to a reality in which I know I can't get traumatised and feel the effects, so I don't have to worry about that. If I'll ever decide to come back here I'll probably just go to a reality exactly like this one with the only difference being I can't feel traumatised.

My main dr is a bnha dr!! It's probably the one you'll hear about the most!! This dr in particular is probably the one with the most traumatising events, to be completely honest. Obviously I scripted everything for safety and whatnot. Another reason why I want to go to my main wr first is because I scripted that there I'm absolutely amazing at making scripts. So if anything is lacking in the script in my cr, I can make it a thousand times better in my wr before shifting!! In my wr I can also test my drs, if that makes sense. Basically I scripted there's a room in my house in which, by entering it, I can enter a realistic simulation of my drs so I can test them out. That's going to be extremely useful!!

I'm currently interested in using the lucid dreaming method, so basically shifting through lucid dreams. Years ago I used to lucid dream every night. But I was fed a bunch of misinformation and I became absolutely terrified of lucid dreams and actively tried to stop having them. Now I'm at level 1 again and I'm working on getting more lucid dreams so I can shift!!

my desired realities: I like to give names to all of my drs (if I can come up with one that is) and, to be honest, they're really cringe but whatever, I don't care LMAO-

home: main wr, new cr !!

(will be updated)

my shifting and dream journal

shifting journal

(empty)

dream journal

(empty)

miscellaneous

(empty)

[captainpikeachu]

There is so much wrong with this post so I'll go through it point by point.

bucky watched the interview they did with john walker and the entire time he looks completely outraged. pissed. walker was a decorated hero. had 3 medals of honor. the government studied him and his skills. and all this before he was chosen to be captain america. steve didn’t choose. he didn’t get to. and america certainly wouldn’t have chosen him, not before the serum. he wasn’t publicly recognized and no one saw how good he was. no one except bucky. he never wanted to be america’s plaything.

You act like John somehow wants to be America's plaything. As if he joined the army under different reasons than Steve wanted to? Steve wanted to help, to serve and do his part, so does John. They literally share the same genuine desire to help. Even show creatives said this in their behind the scenes.

Also John didn't get a choice either. This is something assigned to him, it's not like he could refuse an order. They literally removed him and Lemar from where they were already working and threw them into this situation in less than 2 weeks. Bucky of all people should understand that military orders isn't just something you can one day decide you don't want to listen to. John didn't choose, John didn't get to choose, the choice was made for him and he simply had to obey. John didn't ask for this, he didn't ask for 3 Medals of Honor either. Nobody asks for the trauma that goes along with the extraordinary level of sacrifice one has to do in order to even earn one medal, much less three. This isn't some fun participation trophy, the army doesn't even like giving out medals of honor, no person in over 100 years has even earned two. Not to mention plenty MOH recipients are only awarded posthumously or even decades later. John got to where he is because he earned it through blood, sweat, and tears. He did the work.

Just because Steve didn't get looked at by the military because his physical ailments wouldn't have allowed him into the army (for his own safety and others), doesn't mean John is somehow less than Steve or being unfair to Steve.

If Bucky wants to blame someone, blame the army, the government, the institutions. Not one guy who he can used as an easy scapegoat to target.

walker also states that, despite never meeting steve, the man “feels like a brother.” but bucky knows. if walker had met the steve before the serum, he probably would’ve been one of the bullies that steve was fighting.

He says Steve feels like a brother because that's how soldiers view each other, they are a brotherhood, they share a common bond and calling. Not to mention this is a nod to the fact that in the comics, John was left behind in a house fire as a kid and he imagined that Steve came to rescue him when in reality it was his older brother. So yeah, Steve felt like a brother. Yall keep making this a big deal just because Bucky made some angry faces about it without considering any other context. This isn't some evil insult to Steve or Bucky, this is just a very common way soldiers feel connected. And if John had met Steve before the serum, he would be fighting the bullies with Steve.

Even Comics Steve knew he could count on and trust John when he needed it.

later on, when bucky asks if walker ever jumped on a grenade, walker confirms he had, but then went on to explain about his “reinforced helmet,” etc. but steve never had that. steve was a bag made of skin and bones, wearing clothes and a helmet that practically drowned him. steve would’ve gotten blown to bits, and despite that, didn’t even hesitate. john walker could never fill the shoes that steve left behind. not even close.

I am so tired of the reinforced helmet BS that folks keep bringing up. It is so insulting to real life soldiers who have died using their helmets and trying to protect their fellow soldiers. Do you realize that reinforced helmets doesn't mean you are protected and you don't get hurt or die? Did you know that you still have to jump on the grenade to make sure the helmet stays? Would you like to see what happens to people and clothing when the grenade blows?

Here is what remained of a real life dead Medal of Honor recipient's vest after the blast:

Will you be telling that dead soldier's family how little his actions mean because he wasn't using only his flesh and blood body?

Yall keep bringing up this reinforced helmet stuff like it somehow means John is less than Steve because Steve jumped using his body, but did you forget Steve using his shield to stop a grenade in Civil War? Was he doing it wrong then? Did he get less brave? Less worthy because he didn't use his real body? Or could you possibly consider that different times and different equipment mean people do it differently? Next thing you'll tell me that firefighters today aren't brave as firefighters of the past because today's firefighters dare to wear protective gear before running into fires. That they're somehow less worthy of being firefighters. Fact of the matter is, if John had been in that training camp in the 40s, he would have jumped on that grenade just like Steve did.

And you know what, so what if he doesn't fill Steve's shoes? Why should anyone need to fill the shoes of a guy who walked out on his traumatized best friend to go chase a girl who's already dead and told him to move on? "I'm with you til the end of the line" my ass. The line hasn't ended yet and Steve already bailed out to have his own happy life. Fuck that shit. I rather have John Walker who will kill for his best friend than Steve Rogers who will abandon his best friend.

bucky watched the interview they did with john walker and the entire time he looks completely outraged. pissed. walker was a decorated hero. had 3 medals of honor. the government studied him and his skills. and all this before he was chosen to be captain america. steve didn’t choose. he didn’t get to. and america certainly wouldn’t have chosen him, not before the serum. he wasn’t publicly recognized and no one saw how good he was. no one except bucky. he never wanted to be america’s plaything.

walker also states that, despite never meeting steve, the man “feels like a brother.” but bucky knows. if walker had met the steve before the serum, he probably would’ve been one of the bullies that steve was fighting.

later on, when bucky asks if walker ever jumped on a grenade, walker confirms he had, but then went on to explain about his “reinforced helmet,” etc. but steve never had that. steve was a bag made of skin and bones, wearing clothes and a helmet that practically drowned him. steve would’ve gotten blown to bits, and despite that, didn’t even hesitate. john walker could never fill the shoes that steve left behind. not even close.

[priapussdick]

goodbye to my new favorite bl of all time

BE MY FAVORITE (+1)

let's go

disclaimer: i hate doing this posts because i can't really exppress my feelings when my they are too fucking strong

how do i even begin.

be my favorite became my favorite so fucking fast that i was literally baffled. honestly it was love at first sight for us. i am really picky when it comes to bls and it's almost always hit or miss for me. and bmf was THE HIT.

and i truly do not even know the reason. it was such a silly little show about silly little guy and his silly little magic crystal ball, but, oh god, how did i become so fascinated by everything about it.

it was kawi. of course i loved pisaeng soooo much. and max, pear too. but i am not gonna even lie, it was kawi that rocked my world. i can't remember the last time i became this obsessed with a character. i fell in love with him.

the connection i felt to him was just crazy. i related him so fucking much that it was actually pathetic. i saw myself in him in so many ways that it was really unbelievable.

don't want to make this about myself (also i hate to talk about myself and my miserable adult life) but so many things that kawi went through were the exact same things i went through and still going through. i could relate to him at a level that was actually scary. and guess what i don't have a magic crystal ball so fuck this shit 😤

but unlike kawi we "yolo" and we should indeed "yolo"

i loved the final message of the show was like you can't keep worrying about future and you can't change the past. that's really cliché but it was literally the main theme of the series. you can't change the past but start doing things you wanna do in the present before it becomes the past. and shit is going to happen in future, but the good and bad thing is you can't control it. but you can definitely control (at least some things) in present which is definitely gonna effect your future. so live the moment, bitches. (this is me trying to convince myself to live in the present)

so whoever created kawi, thank you so much. i believe so many people also could relate to him in one way or another. even though we don't have magic crystal balls and will probably never find our pisaengs, kawi showed that despite everything the best thing you can do in life is simply living. and it's not actually simple, it scary but it is the only answer. it is about taking risks, it is about doing some dumb shit, it is about doing stuff that your so fucking scared of. but it's also about knowing your limits, it's about accepting, it is about love, it is about friends. it is about trying and failing countless times untill you get what you deserve.

kawi, you silly gremlin. you'll always be in my heart🩵

aaaaaand

the boyfriend of the year award goes to pisaeng.

let's stop being delulu for a sec, first of all, someone like him does not exist.

god. he is just a perfect human being. honestly seeing characters like him in media, especially in a bl is always so fucking amazing.

he was the dictionary definition of loving, caring, kind. bar is on the fucking floor, but he was so understanding and thoughtful towards not just kawi but everyone that watching his character healed something in me.

in every timeline he was kawi's rock, his love for kawi was always a constant. and the way he loved kawi was just unbelievable.

and they got their happy ending 😭😭😭

can you believe?????

anygays

i think that's it for now

I'll be thinking about this show for a while i think.

how do i make everyone in the world watch this show???

[mintjeru]

hypothetically speaking, these would be cute sticker designs ^^

open for better quality | no reposts

[sayakxmi]

Saiouma Puella Magi AU, but Kokichi takes Madoka's role and Shuichi takes Homura's.

For one, Kokichi's too naturally distrustful to just hear "I can grant you any wish :)" and not think ok where's the hook. So he just does what no one ever has & essentially interrogates Kyubey, so he knows it all even before he gets to make a contract. So, some of his classmstes are MGs & he won't become one himself BUT he still ends up tagging along to just protect them in his Kokichi ways. (Though I'm entertaining Kokichi lying about being a magical girl, because, well, it's Kokichi).

(I also got a small idea of Gonta being a magical girls and Kokichi originally tagging along him into labyrinths, Gonta also makes him a magic gun from the toy one he had, and at some point witches out & Kokichi manages to kill him with that gun. So he always has that spare Grief Seed on himself, bc it's still his best friend & he can't handle the idea of just giving it away or using it himself (he does anyway in the end).)

Shuichi prolly ends up being a new kid & it isn't like MadoHomu, the ppl who reach him first are Kaede & Kaito, classic. Kokichi's there, too, but he's his usual sus self. He's actually discouraging ppl from making a contract when they find out magic and miracles are real, which absolutely includes Shuichi. He's very vocal abt it, but he won't explain stutf, bc 1) he's a liar, so who'd believe him? and 2) he doesn't want them to witch out upon finding out the truth or, idk, murder everybody Mami-style.

Anyway, fast forward, bad things happen bingo & by the end of the run most charas are dead, there's Walpurgis nachting, and he makes his wish to bring back the ppl who died notably not as magical girls. Contract signed, he fights & fails, rip. I also thought it was similar to how he thought he could end the killing game by himself - he though he could finish Walpurgisnacht by himself, too. And he failed in both times. Whatevs.

Shuichi doesn't actually make his time travel wish for Ouma specifically, he wants to save all his friends. Timelines are messy esp at first bc he either tells then or it backfires or just makes himself look very sus bc he's trying not to tell them. He also realizes why Kokichi hadn't told anybody aby witches at some point, bc, yeah, it messes them a lot, assuming they believe it.

Still, Kokichi ends up one of the few people who are nearly always giving him a chance, not necessarily out of belief, but out of pragmatism - bro can stop time & knows the truth, that's just too useful. So they often work together & Shuichi grows closer to him but still we ain't there yet. But the thing is, Shuichi's time travel still makes Kokichi more & more powerful with each timeline, bc Shuichi usually goes back after Kokichi dies, so the universe figured out this guy's life's important. Anyway, another notable thing is the iconic Homura kills Madoka scene, but it's Saiouma with guest stars of Kaito & Maki. It's Walpy, it's not defeated yet, but the training trio are spent & just kinda accept their fate of turning into witches together. And then, boom, Kokichi appears & steals their Soul Gems for a sec & he's like did u know you can cleanse your Soul Gem with a darkened one? But it's a lie & he quickly tells them so, he just had a spare Grief Seed after cleansing his Soul Gem & he needs them to do some stuff. Shuichi can travel back in time & fix things, and Maki & Kaito are needed to fight Walpy here. He actually questions what happens to the timelines Shuichi leaves behin, and ofc he doesn't know. There's a chance they remain, so Kokichi needs Maki & Kaito to fight Walpy here.

Kaimaki leave, and Shuichi finally looks at Kokichi & realizes sth is Wrong. Kokichi struggles to hide how he's trembling & grimacing, and it's Kokichi, so obviously it must be extremely bad. Shuichi dreadfully realizes something worse, and he weakly asks Kokichi why aren't his wounds healing. And Kokichi just falls, laughing weakly, and Shuichi catches him & searches for his Soul Gem and, God, he knew it. It's nearly completely black. Kokichi laughs & admits he lied abt having two Grief Seeds, he only had one he never wanted to use. But they'll have the second one soon, so no need to worry. He asks Shuichi to maybe destroy his witch form as it's hatching, so he'll have the Grief Seed without any fighting… and he admits that he hates fighting, he hates this magical world and all its violence. He says that Kaito was right in calling him a coward, even here he just can't handle the idea of fighting any longer, he's so sorry. And Shuichi tells him he ISN'T a coward. He was scared, but he always followed everybody, trying to help, and when push came to shove he would always make a contract for the benefit of others rather than himself. He's a lot of things, but a coward isn't one. Kokichi actually tears up hearing that, and Shuichi promises he won't let him fight ever again, and especially he won't let him turn into a witch and hurt anybody, because he knows it's the last thing he's ever wanted. Even now he only accepts turning into a witch to help them fight to keep others safe. So Shuichi won't let him. Kokichi probably apologizes and thanks him and then he dies.

Keeping Kokichi from fighting starts off as a side quest that gains importance with time, bc it's something Shuichi won't compromise on (ah, trauma), which leads him to occassionally neglect others a bit, which makes them more likely to get hurt & ironically Kokichi more likely to make a contract, especially since he gets more powerful & Kyubey is more interested in him with each timeline. And that also makes him witch out super quick. Shuichi's paying more attention to him & over time grows resentful of others for how they're treating him. To Shuichi it's no question that Kokichi cares & is just doing his best to help, but nobody realizes that.

But the biggest obstacle in keeping Kokichi from fighting is actually Kokichi himself, bc he's too smart and nosy, lmao. Even if he knows nothing, he will find out quickly. Doesn't help that Kyubey wants him to make a contract.

Also, obviously Kaito is Sayaka-coded and Maki could be Kyouko-coded, so that's a thing, BUT it's usually Maki that witches out. Kaito is usually pretty close, but Kokichi intervenes & he survives, but Maki later cracks on her own (and since in the new timeline Kokichi isn't there, Kaito's the one to die, so he's still the secretary). So it's Kaito who gets the dramatic sacrifice. I imagine he genuinely hoped you could bring somebody back if you tried Very Hard & Kokichi called him a moron bc obviously it's not possible. If it was there'd be far less witches that there are. But it's Kaito, he doesn't listen to reason. So, Kokichi follows him to the labyrinth. At first Kaito's mad cuz what if Kokichi being there ruins the plan? Maki hates his guts! But eventually he gets hit pretty hard, and Kokichi is near immediately by his side, trying to help him get up, which kinda makes Kaito short circuit a little bc wait Kokichi's trying to help? But witch!Maki attacks them & Kokichi pushes Kaito away & gets caught himself (and choked until unconsciousness, naturally). Anyway, Kaito gets him away, Shuichi catches Kokichi & Kaito makes up his mind about going down with Maki & asks Shuichi to tell Kokichi that he's sorry. He doesn't get him, but he got hurt trying to protect him, so he'll believe in that if nothing else. F.

As for The WishTM, in the last timeline Shuichi lashes out at Kokichi for his willingness to just become part of the system. In no timeline has his wish actually helped, it did NOTHINHG, which OUCH but it also makes Kokichi think out of the box more & he becomes the Law of Cycles. And Shuichi realizes what is happening & freaks out bc Kokichi's doing it bc of what he told him & like Homura they end up having a momentTM in space & Shuichi remembers. He feels a lot of guilt even tho he also questions whether anything was real, but if it was, he pushed somebody he far too realized he loved into erasing himself from existence.

[p5x-theories]

(updated 1/19/25!)

Part 5! This covers what was added in Version 3.2.1, and concludes Chapter 3.

The Phantom Thieves gather on the roof once again, and Ruferu asks Riko to tell them her plan for the calling card. Riko nods, but says she wants to catch them up on something else, first. She then pulls out her phone, and explains that after getting posted to Magatsushin, she looked into the actual site a bit. Apparently, although you need an account to post a phantom, it's extremely easy to make one- you really just need a username, no personal information whatsoever. This way, posters can maintain anonymity.

Motoha realizes that means people could easily make posts for their own selfish reasons as well. Shun brings up the "dislike" button, meant for people to express their dislike of the phantoms, and points out that the amount of interaction a post gets is how more and more people see it. Motoha acknowledges that probably leads to the more selfish posts fading into the background, since they'll get less interaction.

From his spot on the table, Ruferu mutters that this conversation is getting confusing for him, since he's never used a smartphone. Wonder can respond "I'll explain later" or "You should buy a smartphone"; if the latter if picked, Ruferu annoyedly asks him how he'd do that, and adds that he doesn't even have hands to use it with. With a sigh, he asks Wonder to just explain it to him later, and prompts Riko to continue.

Riko does so- like Shun said, engagement is what brings posts to the home page, even if the phantom the post is about isn't actually certified by Magatsukami. So, that gave her an idea... She then leans in to whisper it to everyone, and the screen fades out for a moment. Wonder's thought bubble says she quietly described an "amazing plan of attack". The screen comes back, and everyone leans back again. Riko hesitantly asks if they think it's too much, but admits that when she thinks of how Katayama suffered, she wants to make sure Akashi suffers a bit, too. Everyone else loves the plan, and Ruferu says it'll be their biggest calling card so far. He adds that if the Phantom Thieves become more well-known, it might dissuade phantoms and other selfish humans from stealing desires.

Motoha worries that it might be too difficult to prepare for Riko's plan, but Riko assures her this is the only way they can stay one step of Akashi and ensure he sees the calling card. She asks if she can have some of their time after school, and meet her in the student guidance room. Motoha agrees with no hesitation, and the others nod.

Jumping ahead to after school, we see Riko lock the door to the student guidance room, then turn back to the others, stating that this way they won't be bothered.

Motoha remembers that Akashi was using this room before, and asks if they're really okay here. Riko says that won't be an issue; after the rumors about her and Yamanashi were posted to Magatsushin, the other teachers started looking out for her, and wanted her to have a space away from him. Akashi was moved to an external staff room, and the teachers lent her the key to this room so that she has a place away from everyone if the rumors get to be too much, as well as a place to study for college entrance exams.

Shun thinks it's awesome that this is like her own private room in the school, and Riko replies with a smile that for once it's useful to be a top student that's expected to be admitted to a first-class university. Motoha makes a noise, and says she wishes she could say that about herself. Considering all this, Ruferu suggests that this could be like a second hideout for the Phantom Thieves; the rooftop's convenient, but Riko was able to eavesdrop on them in the past. Wonder and Riko agree. Motoha mutters that she'll miss the rooftop, but Ruferu assures her they'll still use it, too- having multiple hideouts is very much the style of a phantom thief. This cheers her up. Riko announces they'll begin their counterattack on Akashi here, and everyone nods.

Time skips ahead here, and we cut to Ruferu flying in through the window, as Wonder, Shun, and Riko all type on the laptops in front of them. He lands next to them, and announces Akashi's in the smoking area, so now's their chance. Shun stands up, and says he'll head there now, but as he opens the door, he accidentally surprises Motoha, who was about to knock. Shun welcomes her back, and explains he's about to go take pictures of Akashi. He walks past her, and Motoha enters the room, calling out that she bought drinks and snacks, then handing Wonder the bag and locking the door behind her. Riko thanks Motoha, then addresses Wonder, and tells him sternly that the video he just sent her has typos. Wonder reacts sheepishly, and sits back down.

Time skips ahead again, and everyone watches as Riko works on the laptop, then announces the last video is done, and their battle preparations are ready. The others each do their own little celebratory fist pump (except Ruferu, lacking hands), and Motoha cheers that they're finally done. Shun sighs that he's tired- this is the first time he's ever edited photos and videos like this. Riko apologizes for keeping everyone so late, and thanks them for their hard work.

Ruferu suggests they check over the videos to make sure they're ready, and then... Riko finishes, they'll use "that method" to deliver them as a calling card, which will throw them right into Akashi's face. Ruferu reminds everyone that they'll head to the Palace as soon as they send the calling card, so everyone should prepare beforehand. Motoha says she's looking forward to this calling card, and Shun adds he can already imagine the panic on Akashi's face. Akashi stole Ms. Katayama's desires, and the desires of others as well... it's time to pay him back with interest!

Riko says she'll leave the timing of the calling card to Wonder, and reminds him they'll need to steal Katayama's Treasure as well. Ruferu tells everyone to disband for today, and get ready to change Akashi's heart. Raising her fist into the air, Motoha excitedly calls out, "Super mega hyper extreme ultimate level... FIGHT OH!" The others react with sweat drops.

The next day, Riko texts their group chat to ask if it's time to send the calling card, and there's unanimous agreement. Riko then asks everyone to meet her at Shibuya station before school tomorrow.

The day after that, Wonder walks through the Underground Mall in Shibuya on his way to meet the others, and the magenta-haired girl from the train spots him. She ducks around a corner, recognizing him and watching where he's going, then follows after him.

Outside Shibuya station, the Phantom Thieves exchange good-mornings. Riko says they'll get started now that everyone's here, and takes a phone out of her pocket, handing it to Wonder. Motoha, confused, notices that the phone isn't Riko's usual one. Riko explains that she wanted to prevent anyone from finding her through her the posts, so she got a new phone for this.

She then tells Wonder that everything's ready, so all he has to do is press "post". Wonder, however, expresses that Riko should be the one to do it, to her surprise. Motoha agrees, after everything that happened with Katayama, and Shun adds that she was also the one in charge of putting everything together for this calling card, too. Riko smiles, and thanks them.

At the bottom of the stairs, we see the girl from the train peek out from around the corner, and the camera shifts to show her spying on them once again. She recognizes them as the same people from before, and mutters that she can't hear them clearly from here, but heard something about "calling". She decides she'll have to get closer, and picks up her bag, walking up the stairs.

Back at the top of the stairs, Riko, now holding the phone, says "Take this, you heinous glutton... Kei Akashi!" She then taps the phone screen, and says their counterattack begins now.

The girl, who's now halfway up the stairs, repeats "Counter... attack...?", but is then distracted by her phone making noise, and checks it, discovering that Magatsushin has updated.

Notification after notification pops up at the top of her screen, and a picture of Akashi is visible just below them (he has the "certified phantom" label in the corner, but I believe that's an error?). The screen is then abruptly taken over by the Phantom Thieves logo, and she wonders if this is a calling card from the Phantom Thieves. She then glances back up the stairs, at Wonder and the others, with surprise.

The camera pans out, showing an aerial view of Shibuya station, as tons of phone notifications go off all around Wonder and the others. We see a businessman react to the Magatsushin update, and then focus in on the disheveled man who we saw walking by Ashouken earlier react with surprise to it as well.

Another man comments on how many "strange pictures" there are, and wonders if this is a prank, while two Kokatsu girls nearby think the logo looks familiar, and speculate this might be a calling card.

The Phantom Thieves, still standing in the same spot, all do celebratory fist pumps again (this time, Riko included, though still not Ruferu), then walk away. The girl from the train sees them leaving, and runs up the stairs, watching as they go. She then mutters to herself "Could it be... no, I'm certain... those people are...!"

Meanwhile, Akashi and Yamanashi are back in the smoking area, where Yamanashi desperately asks Akashi when the post on Magatsushin will be deleted. He said it was deleted before, but it seems to have been posted again. Akashi cheerfully replies that it looks like this post is actually about secretly admitting students (I assume who didn't properly pass the entrance exam?). Yamanashi says now's not the time to discuss the contents of it, and asks if Akashi was the one who posted it. Akashi, still unfazed, says he would never; he's the one who helped Yamanashi cover up his gambling addiction, wasn't he? Yamanashi's options are to simply trust him, or to face the consequences of betraying him, Akashi adds, smiling. Yamanashi makes another nervous noise.

Akashi's phone rings, interrupting them. Excusing himself and stepping out of the smoking area, Akashi answers the phone with a greeting, then asks why they're calling so early in the morning. In the background, Yamanashi takes out his own phone, and seems to be doing something on it. The same distorted voice from before asks Akashi what's going on. Akashi is confused, so it continues, saying it saw the new posts on Magatsushin, and it looks like someone shot himself in the foot.

Akashi still doesn't understand, but Yamanashi is alarmed by something on his phone, and calls out to Akashi, saying he needs to see something on Magatsushin. Akashi lowers his phone from his ear, and returns to the smoking area, urgently asking to see. Yamanashi hands him his phone, and Akashi reads aloud the title "A Report on the Unscrupulous Consultant A", shocked. He then presses play on the video.

[The heading above the picture says "The first thing the unscrupulous consultant Kei Akashi did".

The text next to the picture says: "■■ Joint Stock Company" "The Chief of Sales Section 2, Sales Department, was unfairly accused of abusing his power, and was forced to resign."]

Akashi, shocked, says that was where he worked as a consultant three years ago. Why is this getting posted now...?! Yamanashi hesitantly asks if this information might've been taken from the complaint letter that Riko brought up recently, but Akashi shouts back that it's all just rumors being spread about him, nothing more. Awkwardly, Yamanashi replies that of course he's right, but there are a lot of posts like this. They must all just be copy-pasted, right? He reaches over to tap on his phone, which Akashi's still holding, but Akashi stops him, and taps the next video himself.

[The heading above the picture says "The second thing the unscrupulous consultant Kei Akashi did".

The text next to the picture says: "The accounting department of large IT company ■■" "An employee admitted to embezzlement and was forced to resign. It was later discovered that the accusation was completely false, despite leading to divorce and the dispersal of their family."]

Yamanashi, alarmed, repeats "Family dispersal...?", then brings up that there are a bunch of these posts again. Akashi, sounding at a loss, mutters, "How... are there so many...?", but, becoming angry, realizes it must be because they posted all the videos at the same time, flooding the site. Yamanashi points out that they all look different from each other, and Akashi furiously insists again that it's all lies. He demands to know who posted these baseless accusations, but of course, all Yamanashi can do is nervously agree they're baseless.

They then notice there's something else at the end of the video: the actual calling card. He reads aloud: "To the great sinner of Gluttony, Kei Akashi. You are an unscrupulous consultant who wears a mask of justice, but frames others for profit. You, a glib clown, not only deprive people of love and truth, but even play tricks with their will to survive. We, the Phantom Thieves, will take these distorted desires."

Akashi becomes increasingly angry as he reads, and afterward growls that they have to be joking, then extends his arm to offer Yamanashi's phone back (so forcefully that it almost seems like he was going to hit Yamanashi or break the phone, for a second). Yamanashi nervously takes the phone back.

There's a moment of tense silence, and then the distorted voice comes from Akashi's phone, trying to get his attention. Akashi seems to recall that his phone exists, and brings it back up to his ear, at which point the voice mocks him, asking if this was "all part of his plan" like he said before. Akashi makes a distraught noise, with his head in his free hand. The voice warns him that it'll know if they change his heart, and Akashi angrily replies that he'll never let them.

We see his Shadow react as well- Shadow Akashi stomps his foot and demands to know how dare they embarrass him in front of "that person". They want to steal his desires? He laughs. He'd like to see them try; they're the ones who will be eaten!

In class, the students gossip; a girl asks if that stuff about Akashi on Magatsushin is true, a boy replies that the whole post was weird since it had a calling card from the Phantom Thieves, and the girl vaguely recalls hearing that name before... with the Collision Man, right? The boy adds that that gourmet, Miyazawa, was targeted by them, too.

At the front of the class, Ms. Taniyama closes her book, and claps her hands, reminding everyone they're in class, so they should put away their phones and stop chatting. Sheepishly, the students do so, and Ms. Taniyama reopens her book and mutters that none of her classes today have been able to focus.

Later, on the rooftop, Motoha excitedly talks about how awesome it is that they have the whole school talking about the Phantom Thieves and Akashi. Akashi himself has to have seen the calling card, if everyone else is like this, so their work with the videos paid off! Riko credits it to all of their efforts, and thanks them again. Shun wonders just how many awful things Akashi's done, if they were able to make all that just from information on the internet. Motoha agrees; phantoms with that much bad stuff to expose are rare.

Riko pulls out her phone, and notes that both the views and the dislikes on their videos have been increasing. At this point, there's no need to ask for help with influencing the data. Motoha is surprised she prepared something to do that, and Riko explains that just in case, prior to sharing her plan for the calling card with them, she'd talked to the school's computer club. In a heartbroken voice, she says "I don't know who fabricated this story about me and the Dean of Academic Affairs and posted it on the internet. What should I do? How can I delete it?", and Shun is shocked by how well her acting made him feel bad for her. Motoha, also sounding moved, says that if Riko had come to talk to her with that sad look, she would've been willing to help her with anything.

Continuing, Riko says that the computer club told her she could trying making multiple accounts to influence the amount of engagement, but they also knew about some more questionable methods, like tools to automate views, or even using money to buy clicks. Wonder is a bit amazed, but Motoha says she feels like one wrong move with those could lead to a crime. Riko assures her they won't need to use anything risky like that this time, since the videos have gotten plenty popular on their own.

They gather a bit closer to see Riko's screen, and Motoha is amazed that that means all the views and dislikes were contributed by real people. Ruferu says that the public's begun to believe in the existence of the Phantom Thieves, and that's probably part of why they're getting such a big response. But regardless, all this attention should guarantee that Akashi saw the calling card. After school, they'll head to the Metaverse.

Before entering the Palace, they talk in Mementos. Cattle initially says they'll head right to the Treasure's location, but Wind suggests they visit Shadow Yamanashi first (who Soy admits he forgot about, since they were so busy with the calling card). Wind points out that Shadow Akashi is likely to want more power once the fight begins, and Cattle follows where she's going with this- he might forcibly use Shadow Yamanashi, the way he was using Shadow Katayama before. Wonder can react positively or negatively to the idea of saving Shadow Yamanashi first, but Cattle agrees it's a good idea to visit him on their way to the Treasure. It's possible Shadow Akashi will try to put the Palace in lockdown again once they rescue Shadow Yamanashi, but they should be able to forcibly break through if so.

Closer then remembers they're going to need to steal two Treasures, and worries they won't have enough time to pull it off. However, Cattle isn't worried; based on the current atmosphere of the Palace, plus the public's current opinion of Akashi and awareness of the Phantom Thieves, he thinks the large-scale dislike of Akashi might have an effect, and potentially force Akashi to remain vigilant, thus keeping the Treasure manifested for longer. In that case, Soy comments, they might be able to return to the real world if they're in bad shape... but as Wind points out, they don't know exactly how long this might extend their window of opportunity, so they should still act quickly. Closer says they'll leave the decisions to Wonder.

In the Palace, Shadow Yamanashi is now sitting rather than running, despite the shadows' threats. He makes an uninterested noise when they say he needs to do it for Akashi, and when they threaten that Akashi could expose his secrets if he doesn't, Shadow Yamanashi replies that that's true, but it also seems like Akashi himself is at the end of his rope. It's really just a lose-lose situation, so he's better off finding someone else. He considers who he could turn to... perhaps Tanemura-kun? Maybe if he begs her, she'll introduce him to her father!

Listening in on this from the same ledge as before, Soy mutters that he doesn't really want to save him anymore, again. Closer can't believe a guy like that became a teacher. Wind insists they can't ignore him, though, and suggests they take out the guard shadows first.

After they do so, the running wheel lowers itself to the ground, and the side opens up, allowing Shadow Yamanashi to leave. He exclaims that they saved him! Soy's attention is completely elsewhere, as he notices the alarm didn't go off, and there was no lockdown triggered this time. Wind guesses that because this power source didn't provide any energy to begin with, Akashi didn't even notice it's gone. Cattle alternatively suggests that the real-world Akashi is already rattled by the calling card, so he may not have the energy to care about such a small loss.

Shadow Yamanashi says they're all quite capable, and he'll make sure their grades reflect this. Closer mutters about him grading them, then more loudly replies he doesn't even know who they are. Shadow Yamanashi brushes this off- he can tell they're high schoolers just by looking at them, so which school are they from? If it's in Tokyo, he can create some opportunities. What's their parents' financial status like? Soy disbelievingly asks if he's trying to get them to be his new sponsors, and Shadow Yamanashi smugly says not them, their parents! He'll certainly need some money, but he can arrange grades, letters of recommendation, and other things for them. Closer shouts back that he's a scumbag.

Wonder declares enough is enough, and Wind addresses Yamanashi directly. She says you can't rely on a relationship built by money. They came to help him simply because they're students. Shadow Yamanashi is thrown-off, and she continues that this is what Katayama taught her; Katayama believes in her love for her students. He has a family he loves, doesn't he? Could he dare to tell them what he's been doing? Shadow Yamanashi's response is stuttered, and not really a response at all.

Wind says her suspicion is confirmed: although he's addicted to gambling and involved in shady transactions, he's still held onto his love of his family. In that case, she hopes he can recall the passion that led to his desire to become a teacher in the first place, as well. Shadow Yamanashi repeats "My desire to... become a teacher...?", and she continues, saying that even he should have had some kind of pure belief, such as the desire to connect with his students. Without that, he's unlikely to have chosen the difficult job of being a teacher. Shadow Yamanashi reacts to this.

Closing out her speech, Wind adds that she believes that schools do need reform, but it's done by bringing passionate teachers and students together, not by sacrificing or framing people. Shadow Yamanashi starts to protest that things have gone too far, and it's too late, but Wind insists that he can do it. He's given up his initial enthusiasm, but for the sake of his beloved family, and his students, he could find it again. Shadow Yamanashi mutters "The people I love..."

Wonder adds "You don't have to keep giving up"/"Katayama-sensei did it", and at least if the latter is chosen, Shadow Yamanashi gasps, and mutters, "Katayama-sensei, huh." He admits that he thinks she's too fervent, with the way she doesn't care about herself or her own future at all, only ever worrying about her students. Wind seems surprised to hear this. He then starts to shimmer/fade, and Cattle notes that it seems like while they aren't truly changing his heart, he was definitely moved by Wind and Wonder's words.

Soy agrees that it seems like they persuaded him, then asks if they should give him a ride to somewhere safe in the Cattle car. However, Shadow Yamanashi says he can walk back himself, and thanks them for freeing him and reminding him what's important. They're wearing masks, but... it's probably "you guys", right? He'll see them at school. He then walks off towards the door, disappearing as he moves, the same way a Shadow returning to their real self does.

Closer asks if he returned to his real self, and Cattle confirms this, saying the difference might not be as drastic, but he'll probably have changed. Wind says she understands it won't have the same impact as stealing a Treasure, but she hopes he can admit his mistakes. Soy says now that that's taken care of... Closer finishes, LET'S GO to the Treasure!

The rest of this chapter can be watched here, with rough, machine-translated English subtitles, although one scene was cut out of the video, and I make note of where that is. I still have some images left before the limit, so I'll add more in here.

The Phantom Thieves take the Cattle car to the middle of the dam, where they know the Treasure is supposed to be. Even though it's now visible floating in the air, they all still comment on how this location is pretty inconspicuous, and they never would've guessed the Treasure would appear here. Wind attributes this to Akashi's knowledge of human psychology, and skill at hiding in plain sight. They all hype each other up for the fight, then step through the gate. Standing next to where his Treasure floats in the air, Shadow Akashi furiously mutters that he'll never forgive them for publicly exposing him like that. Closer exclaims that Shadow Akashi's here, catching his attention, while Cattle and Wind are more focused on the Treasure. Shadow Akashi turns around, and says he's been waiting for them. He reveals that "that person" asked him to find them, and Cattle repeats "That person...", while Wind replies that, as she expected, he came to Kokatsu to look for the Phantom Thieves. The others react to this, turning to her. Soy realizes that that must mean... Wonder finishes, "that person" could be the mastermind. Shadow Akashi laughs that he won't tell them who it is, but describes him as terrible, ruthless, and cunning, and admits that's why he follows him. Closer asks if that means Katayama really was a trap for the Phantom Thieves, and Shadow Akashi says he's impressed they figured out that much, "rewarding" them by confirming that both the Rush Rider and the Tyrannical Teacher *were* meant as bait for them. Soy angrily tells him not to call Katayama "bait", but Wind warns him not to let Shadow Akashi get to him. With this, Shadow Akashi seems to recognize Wind as Riko Tanemura, stomping his foot and complaining about how annoying they are for not taking his bait. He shouts that he won't be eaten, he's the one who eats others. Wonder tries to shut this line of thinking down, but Shadow Akashi insists that there are weak people in this world, because in this world, power is determined by your willingness to "eat" others. Closer doesn't understand, but Shadow Akashi continues that the public is the same way; they easily take the bait whenever he paints someone as "evil", and enjoy the feeling of justice they get from condemning them. People like a plot where an evildoer gets their comeuppance, because they feel like they're on the side of justice. He believes the Phantom Thieves are the same way, calling themselves "just" because they decided he's a bad person. Soy doesn't seem to get it either, but Shadow Akashi laughs and says that's why they call themselves "phantom thieves". Closer and Soy now both call him out as incorrect, and Soy explains they do this because they can't stand to see an asshole like Akashi stealing people's desires. Shadow Akashi seems surprised for a moment, then brushes this off as a childish, false sense of justice. He insists he must be right, because he's not the one who gets eaten. And in this world, it doesn't matter whether you're truly "correct" or powerful, just whether you eat, or are eaten. Even Cattle seems a bit lost now, but Wind warns them not to listen; he's using a common manipulation tactic of substituting words/concepts, in order to confuse them and make his arguments sound right. Wonder comments that he's cunning, and Cattle mutters that he'd originally wanted to try to get more information about the person behind the scenes.

Shadow Akashi interrupts, asking if they understand now. The person he "sacrifices" becomes the public's "food", and they feel satisfied after seeing that person get what they supposedly deserve. The public then praises and rewards Akashi, which means he's at the top of the food chain. That means that, in this world, *that* is justice. Closer insists that sacrificing someone can never be just, but Shadow Akashi laughs, and says that's just what *you* think, Phantom Thieves. Closer starts to get mad, but Wind puts her hand out, asking her to leave it to her. Wind steps forward, and fires back that Shadow Akashi presents all this as true, but these are just his own selfish theories. He uses psychology to manipulate others, in order to gain recognition and "prove" his theories are true, but in reality, he already knows he's wrong, and just can't stand to face it. Shadow Akashi reacts to this. Wind continues: He's sacrificed so many people's lives to get here. No matter how he tries to twist the truth, he can't change that fact. Shadow Akashi insists that it's only a small sacrifice to satisfy the needs of the many; it's the best form of entertainment. Wind, surprised, ask what he thinks of human lives and emotions, if that's only a "small" sacrifice to him, then points dramatically, and accuses him of just inflicting the pain he experienced onto others. He knows how it feels to be "eaten", but he childishly chose to "eat" others and blame them. This seems to get a rise out of Shadow Akashi. Finally, Wind says it's nonsense to think that it doesn't matter how strong a person is, and that all they need is the willingness to "eat" others. Because in the face of someone stronger than himself, he doesn't even dare to bite. Shadow Akashi tries to protest, but Wind points out that all his mechanical armor is just a sign of his own weakness; people like Akashi only ever bait and lure others so that they can pick them off easily. Wind swears she'll never let him devour someone or steal their desires again. (Behind her, Soy comments on how cool she is, and Closer says she's mesmerized.) Shadow Akashi stomps his foot again, and says brats like them don't know anything. He'll show them the power of a devourer, even without that useless female teacher, because he has a new power source! However, when he plugs his cords into the ground, it doesn't work, to his surprise. He asks aloud what's wrong with the power supply, and where the dean went. Soy calmly says that he left, and Closer somewhat teasingly adds that he returned to his real self. Shadow Akashi furiously calls him a useless traitor, and Cattle notes that, as expected, Shadow Akashi didn't even notice; the calling card really did shake him. Wind suggests that if he wants to devour their desires, he should do it himself instead of relying on others, and Wonder eggs him on as well. Brushing this off, Shadow Akashi says there should still be some of the power Katayama generated left in the dam, and he'll use all of it to destroy them! With this, the fight begins, and Shadow Akashi immediately complains about how little power is left- though it'll still be enough to beat *them*. I think this fight has some kind of mechanic where he focuses on one teammate at a time, based on the dialogue, but both I and the video got through it so quickly that I'm not actually sure, haha.

After the fight, Shadow Akashi lands clumsily, gasping for breath. He asks how he could lose... *he's* the devourer... but Wind insists it's that entire way of thinking that is incorrect. She understands what happened to him in the past, but that means he should know better than anyone the pain of being a victim. She asks why he didn't choose to help and stand by other victims, instead. Shadow Akashi takes a deep breath, but then, looking defeated, claims that's just their fantasy. Real humans are dirty, cunning, and cruel, and enjoy seeing others' misfortunes. Wonder disagrees, but Shadow Akashi refuses to listen, claiming "that person" told him that. Cattle takes this moment to demand to know who "that person" is, and Wind seconds the question (a bit calmer). Shadow Akashi starts to answer, but is interrupted by a distant whale noise. Closer, alarmed, asks what that was, and from the water behind Shadow Akashi, a giant whale leaps into the air, doing a spin that reveals the striped pattern and horns on it (similar to Loki). Soy wonders what that was, and Closer, in disbelief, asks if it was a whale.

There's a piercing, shadow-like noise, and even Shadow Akashi is surprised as something appears around him: two of those magenta and black shadows that the Phantom Thieves have fought in Mementos before. He backs up, falling onto his back and waving his arms around as if trying to protect himself, as he nervously exclaims in disbelief. He seems to know what they are, and what they mean, as he refers to them as "these guys", and exclaims something about "wanting to do this to me". We briefly cut to reality, where Akashi has a hand over his face, standing alone in the smoking area. His phone chimes, and he checks it, grumbling that he'll never give in to the Phantom Thieves' change of heart. He wonders aloud if he should threaten them directly, or try something else, but his phone chimes again, and he sees that it's Magatsushin. To his shock and disbelief, he finds he's been officially certified as a phantom. He gets a haunted look, then his phone slips out of his hand, and he falls to his knees. Elsewhere, outside Shibuya station, we see everyone's phones ping, and one man comments in pleased surprise that the phantom's been certified even though the videos were just uploaded this morning! A woman says something similar, and then we see the disheveled man again, who mutters "Kei Akashi...". We then cut to Central Street, where the girl from the train is also checking her phone, and seems distraught (perhaps even crying?) to see yet another person has become a certified phantom. Back in the Palace, we see the magenta and black shadows' chained, fanged mouths latch onto Shadow Akashi's limbs, and he cries out in pain. Purple smoke emits from this whole scene, as the Phantom Thieves watch in shock. Closer, alarmed, says this is just like when Katayama's Shadow went berserk, and Cattle theorizes that the shadows are forcing Shadow Akashi's desires to spiral out of control. The process with Shadow Akashi seems to reach some kind of peak, and then the two magenta and black shadows disappear, leaving Shadow Akashi to fall off the edge of the dam. There's some kind of purple, electrical explosion, and then a giant, clawed, snakescaled hand reaches up and grabs onto the edge of the dam, and Shadow Akashi- now in monstrous form, Demogorgon- pulls himself back up, laughing. He says a great power, "hatred, anger, and resentment", is overflowing from him.

Soy exclaims at how huge he is now, while Cattle notes that negative human desires did this, giving him so much power that even his form changed. Demogorgon once again calls himself the devourer, claiming he'll devour *everything*, specifically listing out "justice, hope, dreams, and love". The next stage of the fight begins, with Demogorgon continuing to go on about devouring everything. Wind wonders what his plan is now, as even if he's huge, he's still going to run out of power. After a round of fighting, he reaches over and grabs one of the purple emotional energy tanks, and sets it down in front of them, saying he has an energy source right here. The tank makes one teammate unusable, and Demogorgon uses it to heal himself if it's still standing at the end of the round (otherwise, he takes a bit of damage when it's destroyed). After Demogorgon is defeated, he looks weakened, but insists it's not over yet, as he needs to devour everything in order to punish those who devoured him. He calls up to the sky, asking for more power, saying he's "here because of you". There's a boom of thunder, and Demogorgon leans down, desperately wondering if "you" are going to devour him, too... but then two more of those fanged mouths on chains come down from the sky and latch onto his arms, emitting more smoke and causing him to cry out in pain again, until it devolves into a sort of deranged laughter. Soy asks what's going on- he was at death's door a second ago! Cattle warns Akashi to stop this; if his Shadow becomes too far out of control, he'll die! Demogorgon giggles, lightly asking if they're concerned about him, then insisting he doesn't believe them, and repeating that this world is eat or be eaten. He claims that if he trusts others, and shows weakness, he'll be devoured, just like he did, and she did. Wonder says he's wrong, and Wind agrees, acknowledging that Akashi *was* betrayed by his senpai ("he") and his lover ("she"), but not everyone in this world is like that! Some people, solely because someone is their student, fight to protect them. And there has to be someone like that out there for Akashi! Demogorgon calls this disgustingly childish, and shouts that he doesn't care about anything anymore, because he's abandoned everything! He claws at his chest a bit, then clutches his head, shrieking about eating and stealing desires until he dies. There's kind of an electronic noise, then he slams his fist onto the ground, and everything goes dark for a moment. When the scene comes back, the edge of the dam has been destroyed, and parts of Demogorgon are scattered around on the ground. The parts spark, and then snake heads made of wires zip in and grab them, reattaching them to a very different-looking Demogorgon.

Closer frantically wonders what's going on, while Cattle realizes with horror that it seems like Akashi has even abandoned himself. The new Demogorgon's voice, sounding even less like himself, declares he'll eat them all, not letting a single one escape! Cattle warns everyone to be careful- he's not going to listen to them at all anymore, and is liable to take lives indiscriminately. Wind repeats with shock "Abandon yourself... and take the lives... of others...?" Two shadow workers, watching from the sidelines, wonder if that's really Akashi-sama, and Demogorgon laughs, saying his bait arrived just in time. Two of his snakes lunge at them, swallowing them whole, to the Phantom Thieves' horror. Wind informs everyone that Demogorgon's power is growing, and Demogorgon laughs about how the misfortune of others is sweet as honey. He tells them it's their turn to die, then raises into the air, charging something. Cattle warns the others that a hit from him could be fatal, and Wonder orders them to spread out. They barely dodge as a massive, glitchy-looking beam attack is repeatedly fired at them. Their surroundings are now even more wrecked, and burning, making it so there's nowhere else to run. Demogorgon's response is a deranged laugh, and Cattle says that their only option now is to give up on changing Akashi's heart. Closer is alarmed, but Cattle explains that at this point, Akashi's completely lost control, and they may never be able to restore his mind; it could even be life-threatening. If they don't stop him, he might kill someone in the real world. This causes Wonder to clutch his head and recall his vision, and then his response options are "He must be stopped...!", "Destroy... Akashi's heart...?", or "Is there really no other way?". Demogorgon makes fun of their desperation, and says he's pleased to have broken their spirit. He then calls "that teacher" useless again, and Wind makes a pained noise. Soy asks if there's really no other way, and Closer recalls that if they kill Akashi's Shadow in the Metaverse, it'll kill the real Akashi. Wind clenches her fist, and declares that she won't allow it. She steps forward, and says that when Demogorgon said that seeing others suffer makes him happy, and everything about how people have to eat each other to get anywhere in life- it's all a joke! The people he's devoured are doing the best to live their lives, and she reminds him that he's not the only one suffering. Being human means losing, getting hurt, and facing the cruelty of having everything taken from you, but even still, you won't give up. He can't underestimate people's determination to keep living! Wonder agrees (either "Wind is right" or "I won't let you die, Akashi!"), and Wind thanks him for his words, which always give her courage. A blue light swirls around Wind, and Cattle says he feels a strong desire from her, and a powerful will. Wind declares that she won't allow Akashi to give up on himself, his life, or his desires, and as the blue light grows stronger, she says he has no right to escape, and needs to live to atone for his actions. And on top of that, she'd never let her precious friends, the Phantom Thieves, have to bear the crime of taking his life. She demands he wake up- they're going to steal his desire to abandon himself and give up his life. The blue light/fire then swirls around her as she goes through essentially a magical girl transformation, leaving her with golden eyes and a new outfit.

Closer asks what that was, amazed, and Cattle replies that the strength of Wind's desires and heart are growing, theorizing it must have been to such a significant extent that it even changed her Persona and Metaverse appearance. Soy is still confused, so Cattle clarifies that the Persona is the strength of one's heart; therefore, what happened to Wind is essentially the opposite of Akashi's loss of control. Her desires are *also* overflowing out of control, but in her case, it's out of a determination to save others, a desire for life. Wonder asks if she's okay, and Wind looks over her outfit, saying her body is burning hot, but now she can stand with everyone else and help. Closer, still worried, questions whether Wind's out-of-control state means she's pushing herself too far, and Cattle admits that she probably won't last, so they need to act now. Demogorgon once again says he'll destroy all life and desire, but Wind calmly replies that while she can't say this is something as kind as "saving" him, she refuses to give up on him, just like Katayama refused to give up on her. Don't even think about giving up on your desires- we'll change your heart! The third and final stage of the fight begins. Demogorgon, becoming less coherent, insists again that he'll never be the one who's eaten. He refuses to be eaten or trampled upon! Wind warns the others not to be impulsive; Akashi is in an unstable state, so they have to be careful. Cattle agrees- they should protect themselves, and wait for the right moment. Closer again checks that Wind's really okay to fight with them, but Wind says she can actually "see" more clearly, and continue to support them in combat. They end up utilizing a nearby crane to help take Demogorgon down, acting in-between his massive, self-destructive attacks. When they finally beat him, the stormy weather clears for the first time, and Demogorgon mutters in disbelief that the people he devoured want him to live...? He says he can't do it, but Wind, whose outfit has returned to normal, insists he can, saying she'll never forgive his actions, but she wanted to save him because she knows people can change, the same way that he and Ms. Katayama inspired change in her, even when she was unwilling. Demogorgon reacts to this. Wind continues that this is why they won't let him die: to atone for his sins, he has to live. Demogorgon, sounding much calmer and more coherent, says her desire is terrifying. Wind clenches her fist, and replies that's because she hates him. But she still wants him to live, and not abandon himself; that's how she upholds her desires. Demogorgon repeats "uphold your desires...", then crumbles.

Shadow Akashi, now looking identical to the real Akashi aside from some injuries and the golden eyes, lands on the ground in front of them, on his knees. He wonders where he went wrong, and Soy notes that he's back to normal, Cattle adding that this probably means his life is no longer in danger. Closer is relieved- they may be thieves, but she doesn't want to rob someone of their life. Shadow Akashi asks why she said she wouldn't forgive him, but saved him anyway, like in a disgustingly childish youth drama. Wind replies that he may call it that, but he actually likes those, doesn't he? Like the TV show pitch he made. Closer pipes up that she loves that show, but Shadow Akashi flatly replies that that idea was stolen from him long ago, and he had absolutely no involvement in its actual creation... but then does admit that is what he wants to make. As a child his health was poor, and he didn't get to attend school, so he always longed for that kind of childhood. He wanted to bring a bit of that experience to the kids stuck in hospital beds, like he was. Beginning to cry, he says he really wanted to make a show like that. His Treasure floats down closer to them, and he explains that it's the trophy for the program that wins the company president's award. Someone may have stolen the idea from him, but his idea *did* win an award. Wonder somewhat hesitantly says they'll take it now, and Shadow Akashi welcomes them. He thinks that incident is what distorted him, admitting he's wanted to die since losing everything back then. Thanks to "that person", he thought he wanted to live, but it seems like now *they're* the ones who have given him the desire to do so. Shadow Akashi then vanishes, returning to his real self. Soy grumbles that they still didn't find out who "that person" is, but at least Akashi didn't die. Cattle says this should be the case, but they should probably check the situation in reality to be sure. He adds that it's thanks to Wonder and Wind that Akashi regained the desire for life, and disappeared afterward. Wind starts to say she hopes so, and then falls over, Closer catching her. Wonder asks if she's okay, and she replies she's fine, just a bit weak, probably because she burned so much energy in the fight just now. Cattle notes that it seems it's not easy to handle the power that comes from an out-of-control desire for life. Wind assures them she can hold out, as they still need to steal Katayama's Treasure as well. Soy points out that once they grab a Treasure, the Palace will begin to collapse. Does that mean they're going to have to grab Akashi's Treasure, then rush over to Katayama's as fast as they can? Closer worries it's too far away for that, but maybe if Cattle can go even faster...? Cattle says he can try, but he's exhausted. Closer admits she's the same, and wonders if there's some other way to do this. Wonder seems to have an idea, and can say either "Steal both Treasures at the same time" or "Wind, can you still fly?". Closer asks what he means, and Wind requests he explain what he has in mind.

The scene cuts ahead, to Wonder, Soy (who's driving this time), and Closer in the Cattle car, with an owl-shaped walkie-talkie, through which Wind's voice asks if they made it to their destination. Cattle confirms, and suggests they go over the plan again: when the Treasures are taken, the Palace will collapse, so they've divided into two groups to grab both Treasures at the same time, then escape the Palace as quickly as possible. Wind calls out for them to begin, and for Cattle to start his engine. Cattle tells them to go, and the three nod to each other before starting the car. They zoom out of the clearing where they'd fought Akashi, then Wonder uses his grappling hook to pull Akashi's Treasure into the car. Closer, now holding the walkie-talkie, signals Wind, who swoops in on Chiyome's swing and grabs Katayama's Treasure. Closer cheers that they got one Treasure, then checks with Wind, who confirms she grabbed the other. Everyone seems relieved, and they zip down the road and out of the Palace, Wind following right behind them on Chiyome's swing.

Back in the real world, Motoha is relieved they made it out safely, and Shun says that stealing two Treasures at once was almost *too* exciting. Ruferu says he and Riko were the ones doing the hard work; they were just sitting in a car! Motoha insists she helped by cheering on Wonder, then notices in his hand he's holding... Riko finishes, Akashi's TV station employee ID. Motoha realizes this must be the true form of Akashi's Treasure, and Shun explains to Riko that Treasures look different in reality. Riko quickly understands that this is another type of cognitive distortion. Riko then looks over the card, and recalls the number is the same as the password for that door in the Palace, realizing Akashi's days at the TV station really were important to him, and calling it ironic that this was the period that distorted his desires.

Motoha agrees, and Wonder asks about Katayama's Treasure. Riko pulls it out of her bag, and is surprised to find it's still the same manga they saw in the Palace. Motoha notes that even its cover and size are identical. Shun asks Ruferu what's going on, and Ruferu explains that, given a Palace ruler exists in a world shaped by their own cognition, the appearance of the Treasure itself becomes distorted as the distortion that it inspired grows into a Palace. However, Katayama's heart was already nearly changed just from Riko's words to her, even before she spoke to the real Katayama and made the Treasure manifest. So, the Treasure was no longer distorted when it manifested, and thus appeared true to reality. Riko agrees, and puts the manga back into her bag, saying she hasn't read much manga, but thinks she'll take this opportunity to read this one. Shun offers to lend her the complete set of that manga, which he apparently already bought. Motoha is surprised to hear this, and Shun explains that Katayama believes in it, so he had to give it a shot himself, right? Motoha takes this chance to tease Shun, asking just how much he likes Ms. Katayama, but Shun just earnestly replies that Katayama's been kind to him, and he really respects and admires her. Wonder seems to doubt that that's *all* it is, and Shun is shocked, insisting it's not romantic at all. Riko laughs, and says she'll have to borrow the full set from him, which Shun says is no problem. Motoha perks up, and wants to recommend some manga to Riko as well, including one she's been obsessed with lately, "Phantom Thief Family". After she says this, the girl from the train's head pops up (unnoticed by the others) from behind the stair railing, briefly, looking surprised. Ruferu repeats the name, and asks if the main characters are phantom thieves. Motoha eagerly confirms, saying she loves the setting and the characters, and adding that she heard the author of it is actually a high school student like them. Ruferu thinks he should take a look at this manga, too; maybe they can get inspiration for their own work. Motoha admits it's a little different from how they work, but she's happy to lend it to everyone, all the same. Riko says she looks forward to it, then yawns accidentally. Ruferu says she's worked especially hard this time, from the calling card to the change of heart, and Wonder agrees. They decide to disband here, and get some rest. Everyone bids each other farewell, and the girl from the train panics as Wonder walks by (and tries to look like she wasn't just eavesdropping, though he doesn't seem to notice either way). She mutters to herself that they mentioned Phantom Thief Family, sounds a bit shocked, then recalls that their uniforms seem to be from Kokatsu Academy, and looks up what day their cultural festival is.

In a scene that was cut out from the video linked above, Wonder and Ruferu sit in Wonder's room, when Wonder's phone chimes with a message. Riko, Motoha, and Shun all thank each other for their hard work today, and then Riko admits that she's a little worried about whether Katayama and Akashi really will have a change of heart. Shun points out that the Dean of Academic Affairs should've had one too, so hopefully Katayama's suspension is lifted.

Motoha wonders how a change of heart would cause Katayama to change, and Shun suggests they ask Masa about her if the suspension isn't revoked. Motoha agrees to go, and Shun says she just wants the ramen, but Riko laughs and agrees to go as well.

She then mentions that all the videos they submitted to Magatsushin are gone, which has Motoha worried at first, but Shun suggests there's probably a website that archives Magatsushin posts. Riko asks if there's really a site like that, and Shun says that there are sites out there investigating the first calling card, and the sightings of Ruferu during it. Motoha says she'll go look, but then reveals that her stomach is growling despite already having dinner, so she's going to have a midnight snack. They bid each other goodnight, and Wonder puts his phone away.

Ruferu then moves to the table to face Wonder, and says that, although a site investigating the Phantom Thieves goes against their goal of keeping their identities secret, the public being more aware of the Phantom Thieves should help stimulate their desires. They'll have to be careful to hide their identities during the next calling card's delivery. However, the topic of stimulating desires reminds him of those shadows that forced Akashi's desires to spiral out of control.

Rethinking his earlier theory, he says he believes those shadows aren't stealing others' desires, but stimulating and further distorting them. And, with the fact that there's multiple of that shadow... he asks if Wonder recalls what he said before, wondering why someone like Katayama, who doesn't want to attack her students, would end up with distorted desires. Wonder asks if he thinks those shadows are the reason, and Ruferu confirms that's his theory.

He brings up how they realized with Miyazawa that there might be another human interfering with the Metaverse. Wonder thinks to himself that the word "interference" sounds familiar (likely referring to what Igor said, about how one can help people regain desires by directly interfering with their lives, earlier in Chapter 3), as Ruferu continues, saying that if they only call those desire-distorting shadows "shadows", it gets hard to distinguish them specifically, so he's going to call them "shedim" instead. He suspects that the person behind the scenes is creating them, and they might be the reason that Miyazawa, Katayama, and Kiuchi's desires distorted in the first place.

With this, he worries that their enemy may be more dangerous than they originally thought. If that person is creating the shedim, that means they're able to force specific people's Shadows to lose control, connecting them to their malicious deeds in reality in order to steal the desires of others, and leading them down the worst path. Wonder declares they have to stop that person, and Ruferu agrees, but admits this is just his own speculation right now. If the person behind the scenes really does have a power like that, there must be some kind of restriction to it, otherwise the world would already be full of Palaces.

Wonder says they'll figure this out, and Ruferu smiles, saying Wonder's desire is very reliable. Ruferu's Confidant ranks up, and in a thought bubble, Wonder notes that their relationship "seems to be affecting" each other. They then call it a night.

Back to what's shown in the video:

In the Velvet Room, Igor first congratulates Wonder on defeating the desires of the sinners of Wrath and Gluttony. Merope claps, saying she's doing so on Igor's behalf. Igor lists out Lust, Vanity, Wrath, and Gluttony- these are the desires shown by the people he's overcome so far, and are something believed to be avoided in society. However, as long as humans are human, they can't avoid the most fundamental desires: the sins. He then asks if Wonder is aware of another sin: Greed. The player can answer either way; if they say they do know it, Igor says of course he does. Igor points out that greed is completely opposite to a world where people lack desires, and asks what Wonder thinks- can a sinner of greed exist in this world? Again the player can answer either way; if they say yes, Igor says Wonder's experiences with sinners up to this point are why he believes so. Igor then rephrases the question: if there is a sinner of greed, what form does Wonder think they'd take, in a world lacking in desires? The options here are "The desire to steal someone else's desire?", "Create... desire?", or "Almost disappeared?"; if the first option is chosen, Igor laughs, and says that's an interesting idea. Wonder then asks either "Is there really a sinner of greed?" or "Are they the mastermind behind this?"; regardless of which is chosen, Igor says that he's told him before that he can't show him the way. It's important for Wonder to understand and make choices himself. With that, their time for the night comes to an end.

At school the next morning, Wonder hears students gossiping about "Akashi's video" and the Phantom Thieves. As soon as he sits down, Motoha asks if he saw Magatsushin, and when Wonder says no, she pulls something up on her phone and sets it down on his desk for him and Ruferu to watch. The video opens with the text "Official Magatsushin Broadcast", then "Unscrupulous Consultant Kei Akashi Admits All His Crimes!". The video text is then narrated by the same distorted voice as we've heard Akashi speak to on the phone, as it explains that certified phantom Kei Akashi sent a video in to Magatsushin. "Surprisingly", Akashi confessed to all his crimes in that video. The voice claims that Akashi knew he couldn't escape once his crimes were brought to the voice's attention, but it's up to the audience to decide whether Akashi can be forgiven. The voice also clarifies that it redacted specific names and companies that appear in the video.

Footage of Akashi then fades in, with Akashi introducing himself, and saying everything posted to Magatsushin is true. His voice is a bit quieter than usual, and he speaks in a somewhat halting manner, sort of like he's tired, or perhaps a bit short on breath. He admits to forcing some employees to resign, and starts to continue to list others, but the video briefly fades out and back in (probably intended as the plot "skipping ahead" to the important parts?). He continues that he later came to ■■ Academy to work as an educational consultant for the same purpose, and even made use of Magatsushin to make his work seem successful, posting Ms. ■■ as the Tyrannical Teacher in a deliberate attempt to make her look bad, including editing the footage of her used in his posts. To prove this, he presents the original, unaltered video. The unaltered video shows the scene as we saw it earlier this chapter, but with the faces blurred. The two girls are about to use the lighter, when Katayama sees them, and rushes over, slapping it out of her hand. Returning to Akashi, he bows to the camera from his seat, saying Ms. ■■ was just stopping the students, and apologizing. He then explains that the post about the female student and the Dean of Academic Affairs was another post he fabricated; there was no exchanging of money between them. Rather, the problem was Akashi, who threatened and took advantage of the dean for his own selfish desires. (Motoha is surprised Akashi even brought up the dean here.) Closing out the video, Akashi says all of his crimes were unforgivable, and that "people like him" are born to be bad people. He admits that he considered suicide to escape from his guilt, or a murder to "solve" the problem, but he feels as though someone is clinging to his hand and asking him to continue living, telling him that no matter what, he has to live to atone, and he can't give up his desires. It's as if someone told him that even people like him can change. Akashi's video ends there, with the voice's narration returning and telling us so. It then says it's up to the viewers to decide what they think of Akashi's confession. The voice says it also plans to summarize all of Akashi's crimes in videos, in the future.

The video itself then ends, and Motoha takes her phone back, asking if that means Akashi's had a change of heart. Wonder believes so. Motoha admits she's a bit worried about what state Akashi's in right now, but it does seem like a success! She wishes they could talk to Riko right now, and as if on cue, they both receive a text from her in the group chat. Riko asks if they've all seen Magatsushin, and Shun replies that he has, and it's all his classmates are talking about. Motoha says she really wants to chat more, but class is about to start, and Wonder suggests they meet up at lunch. Riko says she'll see them then. Putting their phones away, Motoha cheers that they just have to make it to lunch, then!

Later, as planned, they gather on the roof. Shun mentions that watching the video, he kind of felt like all the credit was going to Magatsushin, instead of the Phantom Thieves? Ruferu agrees; the video *did* say he confessed because of Magatsushin. Shun recalls that the site was originally intended to change society, but given Katayama and Riko were both posted there, he's a bit iffy on that. Motoha points out that the video did at least explain the rumors about Katayama and Riko were false. Shun then brings up that Akashi didn't expose what Yamanashi was doing, but apparently Yamanashi turned himself in. Motoha adds that he got on his knees and apologized during the staff meeting, and said he'd confess everything to the police; he also admitted to all the work he was pushing off onto Riko. Riko says the Metaverse helped her understand Yamanashi better, so she feels a bit of sympathy for him, and hopes that he can atone for his crimes and return to teaching. Wonder thinks it'll be fine. Ruferu agrees that he hasn't completely lost his desire, so he should be able to find his passion again and start over. Shun also brings up the two girls who tried to film a fire-breathing video with the lighter. Motoha says the footage of them quickly got copied out of the full video posted by Magatsukami, and they were posted as phantoms, themselves. Shun says that if they're recognized by the authorities and become well-known, they'll have achieved their goal. Riko adds that the two of them were sent home early today. Motoha says she thinks they got what they deserved. That reminds Shun that Akashi seemed a bit off, in his video. Wonder can reply "He was listless", "He was mumbling" or "Was he...?"; Presumably if either of the first two are chosen, Shun agrees, and adds that it seemed like it was taking all his energy just to get the words out. Riko says that it seems like the change of heart was successful, but Akashi became listless, theorizing this is because of how out-of-control his desires became in the Metaverse. Ruferu thinks so, too; a situation like that is likely to result in disability or death in the real world. The fact that he reluctantly chose to live is... Wonder finishes, either "Thanks to Riko-senpai", or "Because he didn't give up on his desires". Motoha points out that Akashi said it felt like someone was helping him, so he must've been able to hold on because Riko didn't give up on him. Riko says that if that's the case, she's glad. In a thought bubble, Wonder recalls that if they had had to fully defeat Akashi's Shadow, he would've died. Even if they tried to force a change of heart, it likely would've led to the worst outcome, that vision that he had earlier. Bringing him out of his thoughts, Ruferu says that their goal as Phantom Thieves isn't to judge others' crimes, but to help people regain their desires. Even if they're bad people, there's no need to steal their desire for life. Motoha agrees, uncharacteristically serious. Riko says she's glad that everyone in the Phantom Thieves have such big hearts, and then she and Motoha nod to each other. Shun wonders when Katayama's suspension will be lifted, and Ruferu reacts with surprise to something off-screen, flying to the side of the roof and looking over. He says that looks like Katayama over there, to Motoha's surprise.

The scene cuts to the courtyard of Kokatsu Academy, where Katayama is walking towards the front gate. The Phantom Thieves run to catch up with her, Shun calling out to her. Katayama is surprised to see them, and Motoha excitedly asks if the fact that she came to school today means her suspension is lifted (everyone else needs a moment to catch their breath). Shun asks when her classes will start back up, but Katayama shakes her head, and says she's here to submit her letter of resignation, to their alarm (Riko even repeats "Letter of resignation..."). Wonder reminds her that she said she wouldn't give up/that she'd come back, and Katayama says that was her original plan, but she's still the Rush Rider; she lost herself while biking, and caused trouble for many people. Motoha tries to protest, but Katayama says she turned herself in yesterday. She wanted to atone for her crimes, but the police said they'd never received a complaint about her, and just told her to go to a bicycle safety lecture. Motoha is relieved, but Katayama shakes her head again, and insists the punishment was too light for what she did. So, even if it was just for herself, she wrote a letter of resignation, and submitted it to the principal, saying that she wanted to confess in front of the students, and if they could forgive her, she'd return to teaching. Motoha, still in disbelief, asks what happened next; apparently the principal tore up her letter, and forbid her from telling the students, as the incidents with Akashi and Yamanashi had already shocked everyone, so if they found out that one of Akashi's targets actually *was* a phantom... Motoha somewhat hesitantly asks if that means Katayama isn't really quitting, but Katayama says she has complicated feelings about it. However, the other teachers said it'd cause trouble for them if she resigned, and pointed out that while confessing to the students might help *her* conscience, did she consider how the students might feel if they learned the truth? Riko gasps. The teachers told her not to impose her pain on the students, and suggested she keep it to herself, as her own form of atonement. Wonder agrees there's more than one way to atone. Katayama admits she doesn't know what's right yet, but she does want to confess to help herself feel better. So in the end, she'll return to teaching, but she'll also keep an eye out for anyone who was injured by the Rush Rider, and apologize to them if she finds them. It might not work, but she wants to do her best to atone. Riko says she's happy as long as Katayama comes back, and Shun says he still has a lot to learn from her, while Wonder can either agree with those sentiments or say he's already preparing for her next quiz (if the latter is chosen, she laughs and says she's worked hard to prepare it). Katayama asks if this is really okay. Motoha assures her it is, and besides, her grade is doomed otherwise! Riko asks her to come back soon; they made a promise, didn't they? Katayama seems particularly moved by this, and thanks her, tearing up. Wiping her tears and regaining her composure, Katayama says she's going home for today, but she'll begin reinstatement procedures tomorrow, and return soon. She says she looks forward to working with them again, and they all agree. She begins to walk away, but Riko calls out, and says "Welcome back" (also translatable as "Welcome home"). The others wave, and Katayama blushes, sounding emotional again. She turns back to them, and with a wave, says she's back (home).

Back on the rooftop, Shun lightly complains that what Riko said was unfair; he almost cried! Riko laughs, and says she's always wanted to say that. Motoha is glad they got to see Katayama so happy, and to hear that she'll be back at Kokatsu soon. Shun says it's all good news, and everything's finally resolved. The group all turns to look at Ruferu, who then grumbles. Wonder asks him what's wrong, and Motoha recalls that Ruferu's always regained some memories after they've stolen a Treasure. She asks what it was this time, but Ruferu is reluctant, which makes her realize it was something bad this time. Ruferu confirms this, then amends that it's really more of an unbelievable memory, and he didn't want to bring the good mood down by sharing it. Riko asks him to share anyway, because she's concerned. Ruferu says he understands, and explains that he somehow knows that, if things continue like this, the world will fall into ruin. Shun repeats, "Ruin?", and Ruferu clarifies that he reexamined his reason for leaving the Metaverse, where he was born, and the fact that, if human desires continue to be stolen, eventually the desires will run out completely. They've been changing the hearts of Palace rulers in order to stop this from happening, and their motive for acting as Phantom Thieves is to take back the desires that were stolen. Shun sits down, and Motoha remembers Ruferu saying something similar to her when she joined the team. Shun says they should stick with it, then; aren't things going well so far? Ruferu insists that's wrong, and he "knows" this because he's experienced this world falling into ruin dozens- hundreds- no, even more times than that. Motoha asks what he means, and Ruferu continues that Motoha, Shun, and Riko all disappear, and the world around them falls into ruin. Shun doesn't get it at all; if he's experienced the end of the world, how are they all sitting here fine right now? Ruferu isn't sure, saying his thoughts are still a mess. Riko mutters, "remembering an impossible experience..." and points out that that sounds the same as the daydreams Wonder told them about. Wonder and Ruferu both react to this, though Wonder then doesn't seem certain that's correct. Ruferu's also unsure- he's never seen what Wonder's seen, so it's hard to say. In response to Ruferu's somewhat grim tone, Shun asks why he's being so negative; after all, even if he's experienced it countless times before, that doesn't mean this time will be the same, right? Motoha agrees, they just need to change all the bad guys' hearts, and take back everyone's desires, and they'll definitely avoid the worst future. Ruferu isn't convinced, but Wonder says they'll definitely avoid it. Riko reminds him that they were able to avoid the bad future that Wonder saw before, so Ruferu's vision must be avoidable as well. This does seem to reassure him a bit.

Motoha declares they'll do their best to avoid ruin- they can do it for sure if they work together! To help everyone feel more united, it's time to form a circle! The others are confused, but do so, putting their hands in the middle. Shun says this is embarrassing, while Riko says this is her first time forming a circle. Motoha calls out that they can't be embarrassed; this kind of thing requires you to be motivated! She then turns to Wonder, and asks him to shout out a slogan, which they'll respond to with "FIGHT OH!". Wonder's options are "Avoid ruin!", "May the Phantom Thieves win!", or "Super mega ultimate level...", and everyone throws their hands in the air, cheering "FIGHT OH!" With this, we see the "Mission End!" popup that signals the end of the chapter, but there's one more scene, as the time of day switches to evening. We see what looks like an apartment high above the ground in Tokyo, and then a desk with Akashi's smart glasses sitting atop it, and a laptop next to them. A gloved hand plugs a flash drive into the laptop, and turns it on, showing a whale wallpaper, with images taken at Kokatsu Academy open. One of the images has the Phantom Thieves gathered on the roof. An unfamiliar voice asks who within the school is part of the Phantom Thieves. A green smartphone sitting next to the smart glasses then vibrates, and the hand taps the screen, as the unfamiliar voice asks, "What is it, Akashi?". Akashi's voice comes through the speaker, saying that "you" tried to stop him, but he really needs to go to the police and turn himself in. The voice makes a questioning noise, and Akashi continues: to atone for his sins, he must continue to live. The voice asks, "Is that so?", and Akashi tries to convince them to turn themself in, too. Rather than answer, however, they hang up, muttering "Keep living, huh?". They then say it's a shame, Akashi; they wanted to work with him, but this is goodbye. We get a glimpse of the phone screen, which also has a whale wallpaper, as well as the Metaverse Navigator on it. Elsewhere, Akashi walks, looking at his phone, and sighs before pocketing it. He heads toward a building that has a police car sign on it, passing by the disheveled man, who takes notice of him. His gaze hardens. In Mementos, a watery pattern dances on the floor, and the whale's shadow passes by. In its wake, several shedim form. We fade back to the disheveled man's gaze, as he seems to grow furious. He grits out Akashi's name, standing behind him as Akashi obliviously walks away, and pulls out a pair of handheld garden shears. He rushes towards Akashi with the shears pointed at him, then shouts that he "found you, Akashi!" and stabs him in the lower back. Akashi's reaction of shock is slightly delayed as the man forces the shears further, shouting "You... you!!" (the Chinese subtitle is translating as "All because of you!!" even though that doesn't seem to be the line in Japanese?). Finally, the people around them start to notice, but the man doesn't let go until the blade of the shears is fully embedded into Akashi's back, at which point Akashi collapses, reaching towards the (presumably police) building. He mutters "No way..." then makes a pained noise, as we see a woman call for the police's attention. Akashi's last words before seeming to completely lose consciousness are "Keep living...", while the disheveled man stands behind him grinning. The police arrive, pointing guns at the man and ordering him not to move.

P5X Third Arc Summary

(last updated 7/30/24!)

Only the first half of this arc has been added to the game as of the making of this post. Once the second half is added, that will be covered here as well!

Usual disclaimer: Please keep in mind this game still has no official English translation, so this summary uses a mix of what happens visually, what I understand of the Japanese dialogue, and Google translate for the Chinese text, in order to get the broader picture here. This will be focused on summing up everything that happens overall, without getting into a line-by-line translation.

Contrary to this blog’s name, this post is going to have as little speculation as possible, and stick to confirmed facts.

This post (and its reblogs) will cover the Katayama Arc.

The Phantom Thieves have gathered on the rooftop of Kokatsu Academy during lunch, after Ruferu apparently asked them to. He brings up the "person behind the scenes" that he suggested might exist after they stole Miyazawa's Treasure, and suggests that they should avoid talking about their Metaverse activities in areas with other people around, in order to protect their identities.

Motoha agrees that that's a good idea, but thinks the rooftop should be pretty safe, since it's big and no one else comes up here. Ruferu decides they should make this their hideout for now. Wonder can respond "Hideout...?" or "Very stylish". If the latter is picked, Ruferu is pleased he understands, and suggests it's "chic" as well. Motoha still doesn't understand the term, saying Ruferu's using difficult words again, to Shun's slight bafflement.

Putting that aside, Shun confirms that people rarely come to the roof during lunch, reminding Motoha he always eats alone up here. She hasn't been up here much, but really likes the idea of eating under the blue sky.

As they start to eat, she notices that Shun only brought ramen, and all Wonder has is bread, so she offers to share some of her food. Shun wants to focus on his ramen, but if Wonder accepts, Motoha mentions she made it herself. This catches Ruferu's attention, who now wants to try some as well.

Once they're done eating, Ruferu gets back to business, saying he wanted to discuss their next target. They don't have any clues, but since they stole Miyazawa's Treasure a few days ago, they can use that to open the next area of Mementos. Shun agrees they should look for the next Palace there, and it's decided they'll go there after school.

Before the bell rings, Motoha remembers Tomoko told her about a new teacher coming to Kokatsu, though he won't teach any classes.

Elsewhere in the school, the Dean of Academic Affairs, Yamanashi, is introducing the teachers to a man named Kei Akashi. He's an educational consultant sent by the school board. Akashi explains that, as he's sure they're all aware, teachers in the country are overworked, and the job of an educational consultant is to help ease their burden. While he's here, he'll be conducting an investigation to identify problems at Kokatsu, and assist in creating an environment that allows teachers to focus on educating students.

The teachers all like what Akashi proposes, and Yamanashi lets them know there will be a mandatory school assembly to introduce Akashi to the students. At first, Katayama is in favor as well, but when she says she'll be able to spend more time with her students, Yamanashi berates her for a recent unauthorized home visit she made, which a parent complained about.

Katayama explains that the student whose parent complained has been missing a lot of school lately, and leaving early. She tried calling their parents, but was unable to get in touch, and took this as a further sign that something was wrong. If her student is having family troubles, she wants to be able to support them.

Akashi tells her to stop, and switches his glasses over to another pair, suddenly knowing her full name is Kumi Katayama, to her surprise.

He explains that they're smart glasses, and he checked the information he has on her using them. He then agrees with Yamanashi that she shouldn't be making house visits, citing the fact that students complain about them, and calling her mindset outdated. Katayama continues to try to argue her perspective, that some students need more support, especially if they're clearly not getting any, but Yamanashi shuts her down, saying Akashi is correct. He then forbids her from seeing any students outside of school- saying that goes for the other teachers as well- and ends the meeting.

Katayama and Akashi stare at each other for another moment as everyone else leaves, and Akashi tells her he looks forward to working with her before leaving as well. Outside of the office, however, he mutters to himself that, as he suspected, she'll be the perfect bait, and he needs to let "that person" know everything is going well. He pulls out a cellphone, and the scene ends.

Back in her classroom, Katayama struggles to get the attention of her class, eventually yelling at them all to be quiet.

She immediately seems to regret it, but awkwardly informs them of the mandatory assembly tomorrow morning. She then ends the class for the day. Some murmurs go through the class about her reaction.

Motoha turns around in her seat, and comments that Katayama seems to be in a bad mood. While she understands Katayama couldn't get them to settle down, the yelling was alarming.

The other students start gossiping again, saying Katayama must be a phantom. At this moment, Shun walks into the classroom.

He warns them not to say things like that behind Katayama's back, then heads over to Wonder's desk and asks about going to Mementos today.

In Mementos, they head right to the door, and sure enough, it opens. The MetaNav informs them a new area has opened up, to Soy's surprise. He wonders where the app came from, and Closer admits she never really thought about it since it's so strange already; it works with no signal, and can't be deleted.

Soy asks Cattle if he has any idea, but Cattle doesn't, though it's possible he might remember something as he regains more of his memories. All he knows is that people with strong desires can use it. Closer starts to think it's a little scary, if even Cattle doesn't know anything about it, and the snake icon doesn't help.

Cattle explains that the ouroboros is rather famous, as a snake that eats its own tail... but Closer points out this icon isn't actually eating its own tail, to Cattle's shock. Eventually, they brush it off as overthinking; the important thing is that the MetaNav lets them steal the hearts of people like Kiuchi and Miyazawa.

With that, Cattle attempts to locate the next Palace by listening for the voices of the collective unconscious. He's startled out of his focus by the feeling of a powerful presence approaching, which forms into a shadow. Cattle and Wonder immediately recognize it.

They're forced to fight it again, and find it significantly more powerful this time. When they beat it, Cattle explains to Closer and Soy that he and Wonder fought this shadow before, when Wonder first came to Mementos. Closer asks if that means it came back, and Cattle mutters to himself wondering if it can somehow reform and steal desires infinitely, but then brushes that off, deciding the world would have fallen into chaos long ago if that were the case. Still, they'll have to keep an eye out for more like it in the future.

Cattle then tries to listen to the voices again, but has no luck. Closer guesses maybe that means the next Palace ruler hides their evil actions like Miyazawa did, and Cattle agrees-- they'll need to find more information first. Soy asks how they'll get it here, and the others clarify they'll need to get information in the real world, which reminds him of when they were asking about Miyazawa.

As they leave Mementos, the scene cuts elsewhere, to the Cyler Eats deliveryperson speeding down Shibuya Central Street, rushing right past people and nearly knocking them over.

As people complain, one of them recalls that was a phantom, the "Rush Rider".

That night, Wonder visits the Velvet Room. Igor congratulates him on his desire winning out over another Palace ruler, and Merope applauds. Igor says his desire is strong enough to guide the current world, and he's using the power he was given very skillfully. When Wonder asks, Merope clarifies Igor was referring to the power to enter the Metaverse, and Igor mentions the MetaNav by name, saying that, depending on the user's will, it can be a key to avoid the coming ruin, or the culprit that brings it about.

Wonder can ask "Key?" or "Culprit?", and at least if he chooses the latter, Igor says outright "A person with this power... You're not the only ones." Wonder tries to ask about this, but Igor can't give him the answers; the ending has to be decided by Wonder. With that, Wonder wakes up.

The next day, Wonder sees Yamagoshi taking down the closure notice on Toraiken's front door.

Yamagoshi recognizes him as Shun's friend, and explains that Toraiken is resuming business now that he's feeling better, even if he hasn't completely recovered. He wants to see his customers' happy expressions again. Ruferu comments that his desires have returned to him now that they changed Miyazawa's heart and opened another area of Mementos.

Yamagoshi does lament that Miyazawa drove away all his part-time workers, but then realizes Wonder must live near here, and invites him to come work at Toraiken part time if he ever wants to. He then warns Wonder that it looks like it's going to rain, so he should hurry to school.

Ruferu asks Wonder if he brought an umbrella; he did not, but there's no time to run back home and grab it. Sure enough, they get caught in the rain at Shibuya station, and they run into Motoha, who's in the same situation. Luckily, as they're running through the rain, a car pulls up: it's Riko, who offers a ride. Motoha eagerly accepts, and Wonder follows after Riko clarifies they're both welcome.

In the car, Riko types away at a keyboard as Motoha thanks her. Riko explains she happened to be passing by. Wonder can comment either "Going to school by car?" or "Rich people..."; if he chooses the former, Riko clarifies that she usually takes the train, but she had work to get done, and Motoha sympathizes that it's impossible to get anything done on a packed morning train.

Riko and Wonder then formally introduce themselves to each other.

Once they reach the school, Riko parts ways with them, and Motoha exclaims again about how lucky they were to run into her. Ruferu comments that Riko's car was very comfortable, nearly on par with his own car form. Motoha teases him, saying Riko's car is more advanced, but it makes sense, given Riko is the eldest daughter of the president of UMETANE.

When neither Wonder nor Ruferu know what she's talking about, Motoha explains that UMETANE is a company that sells a wide variety of plum products, and even has ads on TV. She's surprised they haven't heard of it. She used to drink plum juice from Riko after training, back when she was in a little league and Riko would cheer her on. They don't talk much anymore, though.

Students start to pass by Motoha, Wonder, and Cattle, and after a moment of confusion, Motoha realizes they're headed to the assembly Katayama told them about yesterday. They have to hurry to make it in time.

At the assembly, Riko introduces Akashi, then steps aside to let him speak. Akashi introduces himself, and says he's here for an investigation to help make Kokatsu better, which includes any student suggestions. He lets them know they'll be seeing him around school and in classrooms, but he's not a suspicious person... although saying that probably makes him sound suspicious.

The other students seem to have mixed opinions on him, but Motoha thinks he's interesting, and Ruferu comments that he may be able to help strengthen the students' desires. Riko dismisses the assembly.

After the assembly, Yamanashi formally introduces Akashi to Riko, as the head of the disciplinary committee. Putting on his smart glasses, Akashi identifies her as the UMETANE heiress. Riko asks about the smart glasses, so he explains that he has information about the students that serve as the backbone of the school uploaded onto them. He further identifies her as someone who is popular and has excellent grades.

Yamanashi is impressed by how much background research Akashi did, and tells him he's free to order Riko around for whatever information or busywork purposes he may have. Akashi points out that using the phrase "order around" sounds like a violation, and Yamanashi backtracks. Stepping around that, he invites Akashi to make use of the student guidance room and his office as much as he needs. Akashi thanks him, mentioning that though he was already given a desk in the teachers' office, much of his work is a bit more confidential than that affords.

Yamanashi then has Riko hand a file of information that he'd requested over to Akashi. Riko says she'll also send him electronic copies. Yamanashi again brags about how much work Riko did for him, and this time, Akashi wonders if it's appropriate to hand over so much work to a student, not to mention the potential confidentiality issues. Yamanashi, sheepish again, clarifies Riko's very good in this regard, and much better than the other students at getting things done. Akashi pushes a bit more, but Yamanashi insists this is preparation for the family business she plans to inherit. Riko agrees, saying her father encourages her to help out the teachers.

With this, Akashi accepts her help during school hours.

Back in class, Katayama wraps up a lesson, then, somewhat downcast, reminds the class to be polite if they do ask Akashi for any help or have suggestions. Motoha, turning around to talk to Wonder, wonders if something's bothering Katayama, and Ruferu speculates it has something to do with Akashi based on how she talked about him. Motoha starts to sidetrack, and thinks about what suggestions she'd have for Akashi, like less exams, a better cafeteria menu, and more sweet bread types in the school store.

The next day, Wonder runs into Shun during lunch, who apparently bought several "rare flavors" of instant ramen this morning to try for lunch. He asks Wonder if he wants to join in at the hideout. Wonder's thought bubble declares him to be a bit uneasy about the weird flavors, but curious enough to say yes anyway. They take a detour to buy drinks.

However, the vending machine is blocked by two girls filming a video, claiming they're going to buy and try every drink in the machine. Shun complains, and the students nearby say the girls have been doing this for a bit without caring about anyone else, so someone should probably call a teacher.

One of the girls expresses doubt that their video will really get much attention, and the other asks her what they could do instead. The first girl suggests they do the thing that phantom did, and pulls out a lighter and hairspray, saying she's going to make fire spray~! in a cutesy tone.

Shun, alarmed, says they have to stop them, but before they have a chance, Katayama runs over and slaps the lighter out of the first girl's hand. The second girl holds up her phone.

Katayama demands to know what they thought they were doing, and the first girl innocently says they were just filming a video. The second girl then declares she took a picture of Katayama's violent action, and she's going to post it on Magatsushin, hoping it'll go viral.

Shun comes over and grabs the second girls' wrist, saying that's enough, and Katayama was just stopping them from doing something stupid. The first girl immediately takes out her own phone, and takes a picture of him, mockingly calling him a violent boy. Katayama asks Shun to let her go, and he reluctantly does.

Katayama then tells them to stop taking pictures, and confiscates the first girl's phone, to her anger. The second girl refuses to hand hers over when asked, saying Katayama's just trying to cover up the evidence they got, since she's a phantom. She starts to chant "Tyrannical teacher, tyrannical teacher!"

Riko appears, and tells them to quiet down.

Riko asks what happened, and the girls declare that Katayama used violence against them and confiscated one of their phones. Shun immediately says it was because they took out a lighter first, and the girls call him cruel. Riko shakes her head, and continues to try to get the actual story.

As this happens, Akashi approaches, and, seeing this is an argument between a teacher and some students, says he'd like to know what's going on as well.

He decides that he'll hear our Katayama's side of the story, while Riko will talk to the students involved. Katayama protests, saying the girls were going to do something dangerous, so a teacher should be supervising them. He should at least call another teacher over to oversee things, if he wants to talk to her. Akashi brushes this off, saying students should deal with student problems, and dismissing Katayama's further arguments with a line about "outdated thinking" again.

Riko assures Katayama that she can handle them, though this seems to trouble Katayama. Akashi then takes the confiscated phone from Katayama, telling her she can't confiscate personal belongings from students, and if she deleted things from them, it could be seen as destroying evidence. He says he'll look over the videos himself, as an outside party, and then delete them afterward if they're not evidence of anything.

The girls protest this, and he advises them that controversial videos aren't the best way to earn views, but offers to show them some other techniques for video editing that are more popular later. The girls immediately fawn over how cool and mature he is, causing Riko to shake her head again before taking them with her.

Shun mutters that he was there, too, and Katayama says she'll talk to Riko later. With that, she and Akashi leave as well. Shun tries to tell her she did nothing wrong, but she just holds up a hand as she walks away.

The next day at school, some of the students in Wonder's class are gossiping about something that is "definitely Katayama" and a "girl getting beaten". Motoha watches something on her phone, then turns around and shows it to Wonder: it's an edited video of the incident yesterday with Katayama and the girls, posted to Magatsushin and calling Katayama a phantom. Motoha mentions the face is blurred, and the name is changed to "Teacher K", but anyone at Kokatsu can immediately tell the teacher in the video is Ms. Katayama.

Elsewhere, Yamanashi is outraged at this scandal, having one of their school's teachers posted as a phantom. He confirms whether Akashi deleted the video like he was supposed to, and Akashi says he did, but, well, the situation was chaotic. It's possible another student filmed everything. Yamanashi, distraught, now forbids Katayama from interacting with students outside of teaching her classes, and she's also not allowed to confiscate any student's belongings.

Katayama asks if he's forbidding her from stopping students from doing something dangerous, and Yamanashi insists she just call another teacher, or Akashi, or even Riko to deal with it instead. Katayama, alarmed, asks if he's trying to make teachers depend on students, and he declares that Riko's more reliable than her. Akashi adds that after Riko talked to them, the two girls wrote letters of apology, unlike the boy that Katayama dismissed.

Yamanashi then sends a defeated Katayama home for the day, saying they'll have other teachers cover her. He warns the other teachers not to get involved in students' business. Akashi and Riko should be relied on as the go-betweens.

Later, instead of Katayama, Mr. Hakozaki enters the classroom, and clumsily tries to explain that Katayama went home because she was "sick" when students ask about her. The students gossip, speculating she got fired because she appeared on Magatsushin, and Mr. Hakozaki frantically admits she just got sent home early today.

After class, Motoha expresses concern about Katayama, and Ruferu points out that, no matter the truth of the situation, their homeroom teacher is now technically a phantom. Motoha clarifies she was only posted once, and not officially recognized by Magatsukami, but Ruferu points out that that doesn't really matter in the eyes of everyone else.

He then mentions that Kiuchi and Miyazawa were also phantoms, so that could mean Katayama could become a Palace ruler, even as Motoha says it's impossible. He's not set on the idea, but he wanted to address the possibility.

After Wonder goes to sleep that night, we see a whale swimming through a body of water, and then several of those shadows (that Wonder and Cattle fought before) spawn in Mementos.

The scene then cuts to Katayama entering a public restroom, and the Cyler Eats deliveryperson, also known as the Rush Rider phantom, stepping out of the same restroom and getting onto a bike.

With her speech bubble now identifying her as Katayama, the Rush Rider complains that her head hurts, and, sounding like she's in significant pain, wonders why she became a phantom, and why she's like this. She rides off on her bike, and the camera pans over to show Akashi walk up to where she was just standing. He laughs to himself, and does something with his smart glasses.

The next day, Wonder runs into Motoha and Tomoko on his way to the school store during lunch. They invite him to come eat with them up on the roof after buying some food. However, the school store is being monopolized by the same two girls from the other day, filming another video.

This time, they're planning to buy and review all the bread in the school store. Tomoko and some of the other students recognize them as the girls from the video with Katayama, and several of them complain that they're not letting anyone else buy anything. However, the girls just threaten to take videos of anyone who gets in their way and post them online.

Motoha moves to talk to them, but Tomoko stops her, warning her that those are the girls that got Katayama identified as a phantom. This just makes Motoha angrier with them. Someone else suggests they call Riko, but another says they already called her. Wonder wonders why they don't get a teacher, but Tomoko tells him that everyone is supposed to go to Riko now. The teachers are unreliable these days, since all anyone needs to do is take out a phone and say they're filming, and the teachers will back off immediately. Motoha can't believe this.

Riko finally arrives, led by another student, and is disappointed to see these two causing trouble again. She asks if their apology letters were a lie, but they claim they weren't doing anything, just buying stuff at the school store. Riko tells them they're causing problems for the other students, but they whine about wanting to finish filming their video first.

At this, Akashi arrives, and their demeanor immediately shifts, happy to see him and pleasantly asking about what he's doing here as if he's a friend they ran into by chance. Akashi offers to teach them more secrets to making popular videos, and they happily agree to come with him to the student guidance room.

Akashi then turns to Riko, and somewhat dismissively (though smiling) tells her he can handle this, and she should enjoy her lunch. After all, fixing problems here is his job. Riko looks slightly downtrodden at this.

As Riko leaves, she runs into Motoha, Tomoko, and Wonder, and they step aside to talk.

Motoha marvels at how quickly and easily Akashi resolved the situation, but seeing that Riko seems a bit off, asks if she's okay, considering she has to deal with all the students' problems now. Riko admits there have been a lot of people coming to her, but Yamanashi comes over before she can answer further.

He asks about the incident, noting it was the same two girls, but then tells Riko she shouldn't be needing Akashi to solve problems, as their evaluation will look better if he's less involved. This strikes a nerve with Motoha, who steps forward and says the teachers should be taking care of things, not Riko. Yamanashi nervously explains that Akashi's new policy is that students solve students' problems, to help with student autonomy and let teachers focus on teaching. Motoha fires back that that sounds like an excuse, but Riko tells her to stop.

Once Motoha backs off, Riko asks what Yamanashi wanted from her. Yamanashi informs her he forwarded her an email from Akashi, and wants her to take care of organizing the data he requested. Once Yamanashi leaves, Motoha and Wonder are shocked that he'd blatantly push his work onto Riko.

Riko, however, says it doesn't matter, because as long as she takes care of it, she'll also get the evaluation she deserves, from the dean. But then she makes a pained face, and calls him a "shallow" and "easily manipulated" person. Her focus is on protecting herself and her own interests, and as long as people see her as a pawn to be used, they won't betray her. She can trust Akashi to an extent, since he's not the type to sever a useful relationship with someone as long as they don't get in his way, but she finds him a bit suspicious, since she's unsure what he really thinks.

Motoha asks what she's saying, and Tomoko tells her no one would treat her like that. Riko turns back to them, and asks them if they think the idea of relationships maintained on those principles are scary. She can't trust anyone without considering their personal interests first. Motoha and Tomoko insist they care about Riko, and even offer to help her with the dean's work for nothing in return, but Riko says they haven't changed, and politely turns them down. After she leaves, Tomoko says Riko must have changed, because she wouldn't have said something like that in the past.

The next day, the Phantom Thieves gather at their hideout again, and Motoha asks if they're heading to Mementos to keep looking for the Palace. Ruferu mentions that having a full name makes it much easier for him to focus in on the Palace while listening to the voices of the collective unconscious, and the topic of Kiuchi and Miyazawa both being phantoms comes up again. Motoha adds that they were both confirmed phantoms, and Shun comments that it makes sense that bad people like them would have Palaces.

Motoha tries checking Magatsushin for phantoms, and the first two she finds are the Rush Rider (who she says she knows nothing about), and then "Teacher K", the "tyrannical teacher", otherwise known as Ms. Katayama. Motoha tries to brush past her, but Ruferu advises they take the possibility more seriously. Shun immediately goes on the defensive for Katayama, saying she was just filmed by some troublemakers, but Ruferu is unfazed, as the public considers her a phantom, no matter what the truth of the situation is. Shun is still skeptical, because Katayama's not a bad person.

At that moment, Katayama herself comes up to them, Ruferu barely noticing her in time to fly away. She says she wants to talk to them, and brings up the video of the Flavor Fight on her phone. Shun is surprised, as Miyazawa's channel was deleted, but Katayama says his channel was popular enough that people probably reposted the videos. She asks if it's Shun in the video, and Shun awkwardly avoids answering, so she pushes, saying the three of them must have gone to the Flavor Fight the day they skipped part of their afternoon classes.

Wonder can tell her the truth or lie; if he tells the truth, Shun frantically tries to shush him, while Katayama thanks him for being honest. She says she doesn't blame them, and won't tell the other teachers, but she hopes they'll come to her if they have any problems in the future, because as their teacher, she wants to help them. She also expresses concern about how much they've suddenly been spending time together; it's fine if they're just becoming better friends, but she worries they've gotten into more trouble.

Shun starts to ask her how she knows- then cuts himself off, makes a guilty, nervous face, and says there's no trouble at all. Katayama laughs, calling him a kid who can't lie, and asks them to come to her before doing anything dangerous. Shun apologizes, and admits there is a problem, but he can't tell her, no matter what. Katayama seems distraught to hear this, so he tries to assure her that they'll figure it out and be fine for sure, but it doesn't help much, as she mutters to herself that she must be unworthy of trust.

Akashi then interrupts, reminding her the dean forbid her from talking to students outside of class, to Motoha's surprise. He calls her an "internet celebrity" who can't be allowed to influence students, which immediately angers Shun, though Katayama tells him it's fine. Katayama then dismisses herself, but quietly pleads with them to talk to an adult, even if it's not her, before she leaves.

Walking over to them with a smile, Akashi calls that a disaster, though Motoha insists Katayama was just worried about them. Akashi says he can help them instead, and uses his smart glasses to immediately identify them. At their surprise, he explains they can compare faces with the student registry. With that, he invites them to come to him with any concerns, and exits the roof.

Ruferu returns, as Motoha decides Akashi is actually a little scary, though she thought he was a good teacher originally. Shun declares that he doesn't like him. Ruferu complains about their meeting being interrupted, and says he wants to try using Katayama's name to find the next Palace. At Shun's reluctance, Ruferu points out that this could also prove she's not a Palace ruler, while narrowing down their search options, and Shun relents.

After school, they head to Mementos. Though Soy and Closer are convinced it won't work...

Cattle is shocked to be able to locate the Palace after saying "Kumi Katayama" and listening for a moment.

Closer and Soy are also in disbelief, but Cattle insists there's no mistaking it. However, while he's positive her name led him to the Palace, he does describe the atmosphere as "a bit strange", with "something like noise mixed in, interfering with the signal". Miyazawa's Palace didn't have anything like that.

Wonder, Closer, and Soy decide they'll have to see the Palace with their own eyes, so they set off towards where Cattle heard it coming from.

To be continued in the next reblog!

[fellamarsh]

another thing i've been trying to do recently is read more self-published stuff. "but fell," you say, "you're a self-published author. surely you've been reading self-published stuff all along" and then i laugh for so long in response we both become uncomfortable.

see, the fear (which has for a long time been killing my mind) that i'll read other self-published stuff and find out that it's so much better than mine that i might as well stop writing forever kept me from doing that basically ever. i have a hard time not unfavorably comparing my work to others and had convinced myself i was being smart by withholding an avenue of de-motivation (reader: i was not being smart). it also doesn't help that i'm pretty low income and have a hard time spending money on books i haven't already read, and that self-published stuff isn't always available at the library---but really a lot of it was just me being a coward. which i'm working on. i could talk about how this particular cowardice is Very Silly, but i think enough has been said about it on writeblr and in the Writing Space in general that i don't feel the need to (though i will if anyone wants me to).

instead, i wanna talk about the self-published things i have read in the past few months and ask about the self-published things you love!

so: what happened was i got real sick, and while i was real sick i (naturally) read over 200,000 words of ace attorney fan fiction in the span of a few days. eventually i got bored of it (and also maybe annoyed at how people were characterizing some of my guys), but i still wanted to read something gay and romantic and nice, something i knew was gonna end happily, which isn't my typical fare.

now you may be saying (having gotten over all the uncomfortable laughter from earlier) "fell, you write gay romance. what do you mean that's not your typical fare?" listen. until a couple months ago i hadn't read a cut and dry romance novel since before i finished college. for context: i graduated in 2015. i know it doesn't make sense. i'm a guy who doesn't make sense.

but in this case it worked to my advantage. not the not making sense thing, but the not having read Published Romance in 1000 years thing. I didn't know where to start. I was very skeptical of everything the library had Available Now in the Gay Fantasy Romance category. what if it was all bad and also not good?

and then i scrolled past the familiar cover of our very own @ashen-crest's A Rival Most Vial.

now this was comfortable territory! this was a novel by a very nice writeblr person whose posts i enjoy! i already loosely knew the plot, i was familiar with the characters, i knew the names of things like rosemond street and the griffin's claw and that ambrose had blue hair and that at the end of it all there would definitely be Boyfriends. i didn't have to worry that this would be bad! i only had to worry that it would be really good!

but i wasn't worried about that, because i was officially Not Writing at the time, and because why the hell hadn't i read this book yet Ash literally emailed me some very kind words last year when my cat died??

Y'all, I devoured ARMV. If you haven't read it yet---especially if cozy fantasy is more your thing than it is mine---you should check it out Immediately. It was fun! It was heartwarming! It was sweet and earnest and confident! I was delighted to find it was occasionally hot! Ambrose and Eli snuggled up into my sick exhausted heart and found a permanent little place there. (Especially Ambrose. I have such a thing for Stiff Guys who Kind of Suck for Tragic Backstory Reasons and are So So Lonely They Don't Even Realize It. gawd)

(And a very small part of my brain spent the whole time wondering why I had been so afraid to really engage with the work my community is doing. The community that I'm in. The one I'm a part of. Why?! Maybe more on that later.)

But from there the curse was broken! I immediately devoured @stjohnstarling's What Manner of Man in a similar sort of frenzy (and hooooly shit guys am I excited for the expanded, finalized version to come out at the end of next month!) and started digging into @lurinatftbn's The Flower that Bloomed Nowhere (which I can already tell is going to be an All Time Favorite).

And now I want to ask you what your favorite self-published books are so that I can read them, too, but I think I will in another post that doesn't dedicate so much space to talking about my various and sundry Issues and isn't Terminally Long

[dootznbootz]

Which Greek mythology character would you like to see talked about more?

OHoho. you all already know this.

It's Penelope.

And I am being so fucking serious about it. I'm also sleepy and angry and mother nature is stabbing my gut so I'm putting a lot of my emotions into this ask.

BUT her fangirling, angry, bitchy rant of mine, I will save for the end. (and I'll explain it more down there) Not gonna lie, I will probably be mean. Don't take it too personally. (Some folks I know genuinely love her and have stuff for her. Y'all are fine :D )

I have many other characters I wish would be seen more, but hers rant is ooooh. it's been boiling angrily for a long time and this is the perfect ask to let loose.

Take note: This is more about characters who I feel are either underrated and/or not really given love. It's a whole other can of worms about characters who ARE given a lot of attention but are either fandomized to the point of being unrecognizable or people just...really see them wrong.

Ariadne:

A young princess who helped out Theseus to end the cycle of violence against the youth of Athens. Despite the fact that she was going against her family by helping Theseus she did. When he left her, for whatever reason, she was rescued by Dionysus. In which these two have a loving and healthy marriage. There is so much potential here and it makes me sad that she gets butchered and/or just ignored.

Danae:

She was locked up by her father because of a prophecy that happened anyway. She is now pregnant with Zeus' child. She is then locked into a chest in which she is sent floating in the sea. She washes up on Seriphos. Her son is sent on an impossible quest in order to keep her from a forced marriage. Her story is inspiring and ugh sdkf j badass mama! ;~;

Telemachus:

Got that right here :)

Sthenelus:

Fucking love this lil hotheaded cheerleader man. Go boy, go! He got yeeted by Athena from the chariot. Diomedes and him tell each other that they love each other. Tells off Agamemnon for mocking Diomedes' and his dad. He was a child soldier alongside Diomedes. I love this weird lil guy.

Hephaestus:

It makes me sad how people only see him as the "cuck" of Aphrodite and Ares. (no hate to them. do not hate either of them) He's badass in his own right! He does that bigass fire in the Iliad! And one of my favorite scenes in that epic, is him welcoming Thetis! I think he's neat :D

Hebe:

Ganymede isn't the only cupbearer on Olympus you know.

Menelaus:

I love me a goofy wifeman...But if that's all you see him as, I'm sad. What about the sealy man? (aka him wrestling a god for a while and making him tell him answers) The exiled prince? The younger brother? The angry charioteer who yelled at Antilochus? The man who interfered with his brother's letter to his wife to warn to not bring their daughter? Being the sweet uncle figure for Telemachus? (he and Penelope get a lot of the same treatment in a way. with the whole "just the spouse" ;~; )

Psyche:

I think she's pretty popular, but shout out to her anyway :D Because I love her story a lot.

And last but absolutely not least,

Penelope

Heads up once more, but I'm going to be so fucking mean right now. I'm very tired and runnin on 4 hours of sleep and my tummy hurts. This is all over the place and I'm sad.

I think some of you treat the fact that Odysseus is (rightfully) obsessed with her and adores her as if that's HER personality trait... as while it's adorable to see him simping over her as he does, she's not just there for him (and me) to simp for. In the same vein, I think some of y'all only see her for her love of Odysseus and nothing more. Some folks don't see her as anything more than what she is for Odysseus.

AS IF HER HUSBAND ISN'T JUST AS INTERTWINED WITH HER AS SHE IS WITH HIM!

And yet, there is so much stuff with him about the other people in his life. The other Achaeans, Polites and Eurylochus, Athena, etc. You know Penelope has people in her life other than her husband and her son, right?

Even stuff that's just her, it's usually her weaving the shroud...That still ties back to Odysseus. If you wanna have her weave, maybe have her weave something happily. Maybe her chatting with Anticlea or Athena while she does! Or Helen! or her sister!

There's the saying of "the characters respect women but the author does not" and I'm noticing that a LOT in this fandom. I don't think it's intentional, but it's very telling with what people prioritize in their creations how they feel. (and no, I'm not talking about Homer. He wrote incredible women.)

I'm not saying you're not allowed to have favorites. But even if Odysseus IS your favorite, if you have Penelope so one note or with such weak characterization while having so much for Odysseus, FOR THE MEN WHO HE IS NEAR... It's just really telling.

I've even seen some shit with "Well, there's not much to do with her." as if y'all don't make OCs with less. I've seen people give Astyanax, an AU baby, more characterization than her. (Have him alive in your AUs but if you give him more character than Peenlope, I am side-eying you so hard.)

It genuinely pisses me off how overlooked she is. I hate how her tags are basically empty (honestly? I might start tagging my silliness for her correctly because it has so lil.)

Hey, why do followers of the other tags show up but not for #penelope of ithaca? It's clearly because she has SO many followers/fans that she broke tumblr! Especially with the fact that you can scroll all the way to the bottom pretty quickly! /sarcasm

(btw, before you say something, I know there's no consistent tag for Penelope. I follow many of them. #penelope odyssey is kind of the best bet I believe. #penelope of sparta is mostly about that new show that's coming out and hyping about it. still not about HER. #penelope mostly has some bridgerton character. so yeah. Not much on tumblr)

(shoutout to the artists who got their art on front of the tag! That's exciting! I'm being a mean bitch right now but that's fun and exciting!)

I hate how people see her as so one-note. I hate how she's often just "Odysseus' wife". MOST CONTENT OF HER IS HIM SIMPING OVER HER. (that's something I'm guilty of too! I plan to fix that soon. I have so many wips and so lil time and too high of personal standards because since she has so little content of her, I WILL make it good. I'll TRY to make it good.)

EVEN HEADCANONS! SO MUCH OF FANDOM STILL ONLY HAS HEADCANONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ODYSSEUS OR TELEMACHUS. GIVE ME SOMETHING ABOUT HER CHILDHOOD. GIVE ME LIL QUIRKS SHE HAS. What does she struggle with? What's her favorite color? Does she like dancing? ANYTHING.

Feelings about how fandom sees her are also summed up by this and this. (Edit: This one too. She's not even dead in the Odyssey but people act like she doesn't exist until Odysseus is there.)

...Do you see my problem? Just one of my problems?

So many people genuinely read the Odyssey and just see her as the "crying wife". People diminish her character and her intelligence all the fucking time. You wanna know something I've noticed? PEOPLE ONLY TALK ABOUT HER INTELLIGENCE WHEN ODYSSEUS IS THERE. Like with how she tricks him and how she tricks the suitors. Nobody talks about the moment when Athena appears as her sister in her dream and she is immediately like "hey, if you're some god, is my husband still alive?" she clocks her as Athena RIGHT AWAY.

People constantly forget her violent thoughts against the suitors! Or when she sasses Telemachus and Euryclea. When she scolds and threatens the maids. (she's not always nice y'all!) Do you really think Odysseus would be obsessed with someone who isn't on his level?

We all know that he loves her. BUT WHY?! "Because she's smart like him." Yeah, we know. WHAT ELSE?

They are Likeminded! Thinking and acting alike! You know how fun that is?!

Homer, you absolute mad lad genius. You made her a mystery to the narrator, Odysseus, and for some reason, people see that as her just being a straight up mystery. You wrote her so wonderfully and so complex with how she is so sneaky in her own way that people are literally tricked by her as readers as well!

Or sadly, more likely, people fucking blackout when she's in the scene and there's no Odysseus. 🙄

Look, even if you have Penelope be the "braincell" who keeps her husband in line, MAKE SURE SHE'S NOT ACTING LIKE ODYSSEUS' FUCKING MOM. They're both grown ass adults for fuck's sake!

Also...please...PLEASE have her be more than a prop for the men around her. I've read some things that could literally have her be replaced by Euryclea, as Penelope is sometimes just used as a sounding board.

I'll be even more bitchier. Even in the OT3 she's commonly in. It wasn't a NOTP until I noticed most creations of that ship was just "Odysseus and this person for 6000+ words... Oh, and Penelope making an appearance in the footnotes." If it's an OT3, they all love each other right? Where's the PenDio fics/art, cowards?

I have a weird theory about how people treat her that way. (other than fandom prioritizing men)

So there's "girlbossing" and "uwu sad victim" that fandom can never seem to leave. I think People do this with Helen and Clytemnestra and that's why THEY are "blorbo-able". (not saying they shouldn't be but they definitely get more love than Penelope)

Helen, despite not always being a victim in her story, has been through so much. Kidnapped and some people blame her for it (irl and some people in canon do blame the war on her). Very easy to cling to. I cling to her too! (she's on the "UwU always victim. tragic blorbo" end)

Clytemnestra, is a victim in the sense that she's a grieving and angry mother and wife. And so she killed Agamemnon. Her violence and anger is seen as "girlboss" despite all the horrible stuff she also did to her children. (she's more on the "girlboss" end)

Penelope, is not a victim to the same degree as Helen nor does she murder anyone (how could she? it was 108 people against her and the Odyssey shows that the suitors' parents were enraged. Even Odysseus was skeptical he could beat them.)

She's not on either end of the "scales" for people to find her "blorbo-able". She doesn't murder her husband or the suitors by herself or is a victim to them in the same way Helen is.

And that's just for people who know her husband didn't cheat. I think with people who think Odysseus did cheat, they hate her because "she let it slide". That she's "weakwilled" for knowing her husband went through literal hell and wanting him to be happy and safe.

Idk, It's a little lonely being one of the few "Penelope crazy" blogs.

I sometimes wonder if people kind of come to my blog in a "Hey, can you love her for me? Can you think about her for us?" as I have seen very little on her childhood for example. It's STILL mostly in relation to others.

It's not even the "sharing ideas" that bugs me. it's the feeling of people not wanting to come up with headcanons/ideas for her OUTSIDE of canon.

"She was in Helen's shadow." Okay, well, how did she feel about it? What did she do about it? Did she hide away? Did she internalize that? Did she find that freeing? To not be the center of attention?

Stuff like that. Dive DEEPER. PLEASE

It makes me happy that people love my Penelope as I love her too, clearly. But I really fucking hope you love the CANON Penelope too. If you think I made Penelope "better" or anything like that, then leave. She's already fantastic on her own.

I want to talk about her more. I want her to be seen more.

[cescalr]

Oooh, definitely glee for the fandom asks! <3

Always with the hornets' nests with these ones, I see! Though i don't think there's a fandom out there that isn't in some way a hornets' nest once it gets large enough... hm. Alright. I'm just gonna be as honest as i can be about this, and tag accordingly.

Glee:

my favourite female character: augh. argh. ouph. so difficult. so hard. Since I'm working off of half-remembered show and half recently-rewatched show... its a tossup. Mercedes, Santana, Quinn. Probably Mercedes. She did nothing wrong ever in her entire life <3 well okay maybe except that one time she smashed kurt's car windows (but it was a banger song, though). Can't say Santana because of the Biphobia TM and other things like excessive use of bigotry-based insults, and Quinn. Oh god girl. Cheating is not cool! Funnily enough! So I find them really interesting but 'favourite' is hard to say. Mercedes. Mercedes for sure <3

my favourite male character: Blaine sam blaine sam blaine sam yes. I am imitating ripping petals off of flowers and coming to a conclusion based on which is the last name i said. So I guess that means Sam! But really this is a tie.

my favourite book/season/etc: Mannnnn idk. I don't like shows for seasons as-a-whole. Also i could not tell you what happened in any given season if you held a gun to my head. I'm not good at that. The only shows i know 'seasons' of are Buffy and Teen Wolf because i've watched them like 100000000000 times (exaggeration) for various reasons (mostly fanfiction research).

my favourite episode (if its a tv show): I can tell you my LEAST favourite episode (blame it on the alcohol, thank you Kurt king of biphobia! this is a persona foible it's not the worst episode in the show. by far. by far. it's kind of an average one. I'm just angry at it.) BUT er. Favourite? Idk. Genuinely some of the earlier Kurt-centric stuff was really well done (his convo with Burt... <3) and the Quinn giving birth accompanied by bohemian rhapsody was obviously iconic, but if I'll be honest I couldn't name any episodes of this show (other than That One previously stated, anyway). And yeah most of the time they were named after song titles and No i don't remember those song titles either. I'm just so bad at this. My memory is that of a goldfish's being haphazardly bounced around on a sieve.

my favourite cast member: it would be really funny if I said Demi Lovato [she counts!] but the truth is N/A: i don't know these people !!! They are strangers!! (i don't. follow celebrities. at all. I couldn't even name most of them. They're just people doing a job and their lives are irrelevant to me beyond their ability to perform that job well. I do not need to know where they live and what coffee they drink. Stalker shit tbh. I'm kind of a very private person myself, so rpf-adjacent stuff just... creeps me out. I've never watched a single cast interview in my lifetime and I'm not about to start!)

my favourite ship: Difficult to say! Grave and obvious lie. Blam. It's blam. Quintana is a close runner up though Santana really needs to stop dating people who cheat on the regular (I'll accept Quinn has grown enough not to do this by the time a Quintana coupling would be viable - and satisfying in terms of character arcs - narratively speaking).

a character I’d die defending: Blaine Anderson did something wrong for sure but like Kurt did it first so shrugs. Cancels out. Bad for each other! Case closed!

a character I just can’t sympathize with: genuinely don't remember if I had one of those the first time around because I was like 10 and just didn't pay attention if I didn't care, but Terri and her racist self take that 'prize' this time, alongside the obvious predator in the room [original choir teacher. Sandy? I forget his name immediately after hearing it. He doesn't deserve to be remembered]. Also JBI is just.... a yikes character all around. I mean, he's a blatant stereotype for one, in a the people who wrote this person don't like jews kind of way. Unfortunately common stereotype too, for the era, so not only is he that, he's also lazy. Just a one-note pervert who's the butt of various antisemitic 'jokes' you've heard from era-peer shows a million times over, tired and awful and a sour reminder of bigotry that continues to this day. Really regrettable character who's lack of redeeming qualities was probably purposeful. (I know Rachel and tina are also jewish, but this comes up very rarely and mostly only when santana needs to say something kind of fucked up, as is her modus operandi, for 'comic relief'. Tina's jewish-ness wasn't even canon for several seasons, because she didn't have a surname or a family or anything resembling complex character depth for several seasons. The one time I really remember Rachel's religion being important was when she was pressuring Kurt into believing in some kind of god, which??? don't do that. Bad example. Trying to guilt trip a friend into faith sucks. I take back what i said earlier Mercedes did that too. Boo. Girls try again that was a bad showing all around. Though i have no idea why Kurt went the acupuncture route as his 'secular' option but i think that has to do a lot with the writers doing literally no research ever once in their lives (you can tell they don't by the way they write the football segments of the show, which make no sense according to football fans who watch Glee, of which there are numerous because real life isn't like fiction where you can only like music or sports. Most of the kids in my school year were doing the most of everything ever if they were the 'popular' ones - we do that differently; popularity isn't really based on who know know; for some bizzare reason literally everyone knew who I was? Even people I'd never spoken to?? - but more about like... how much you can do, I guess. Overachievers, but I'm not saying that negatively; these people were generally - generally - very nice, and surprisingly chill for people who had no spare time whatsoever. I'm not entirely sure when they slept; A* across the board, at least one sport, at least one instrument, several extracurriculars, parties every weekend, dozens of friends and an s.o. . Eh? Way too much going on. Scary lifestyle! Impressive burnout rate, probably. Er. Tangent! Back to the scheduled programming).) There's uhhhh there's a lot of bad characters on the show, but i'd say Sandy and Terri and her equally but more loudly racist sister are truly completely irredeemable ones. Like they're not interesting or anything, they're just there to be narrative annoyances (which, in the case of Sandy specifically, is insane. Arrest that man!!! He has actively sexually assaulted minors!!!).

a character I grew to love: difficult to say because I tend to just make an opinion and stick to it. Also i don't remember who i liked at first and who i didn't, this show came out when i was eight. I didn't watch it until I was a little older than that, of course, but I frankly have spotty memory until my late teens, so! I'm not sure!! Quinn, probably. Pink-hair-era Quinn helped me understand her more, and seeing the moments of kindness hidden behind practical cruelty, when you understand her family and situation, makes things make a lot more sense. It takes a lot to get me to sympathise with a cheater, but I can see where Quinn was getting all turned around in her head about life because of her upbringing and socialisation, not to mention the profoundly negative impact cheerios had on her mentally and that the school's culture in general was not exactly a breeding ground for empathy and optimism.

my anti otp: can you tell (klaine). I don't dislike Kurt!!! Please let him have a fun chillaxed boyfriend in new york with his vogue friends. But also please stop attempting to control other people's diets thank you!! Thank you!! I'm of mixed feelings. Blaine and Kurt both did at least one bad, relationship-ending thing, and proved over and over again that they just weren't on the same wavelength in regards to life goals and ways of living it. They can't even share the same living space, which is kind of required for a functional marriage. I don't know, it just seems like they settled for their first proper, serious boyfriend even if that's not really the best match, and I... wish they'd just got to see more of life first, you know? They got married at like 20! Or something! I'm 23, I cannot imagine getting married at 20. That's a baby. Let them live first!

(same for Santana and Brittney, imo. I also don't really like them together because Santana and Brittney have very different ideas regarding monogamy, which is just never going to go down well in the long run. If your girl cheats on you like twenty times and tells you to your face its not cheating in her view of things, but you think it is, break up with her because you'll just make each other miserable. Brittney sort of seems incapable of feeling guilt but if she were, this kind of moral pressure would be Not Good, and obviously Santana isn't comfortable with the idea and doesn't have to be!! Just move on!!! Find other people!!!! Don't marry your first girlfriend if you've broken up like ten times this is simple!!!! Please!!!! But Klaine wins out over Brittana because - in my opinion, glee fandom please do not persecute me, I am known for this specific thing - I see... interactions that verge on abusive between Klaine that I don't see in Brittana. So. Oof? Ex; use of public perception to disguise attack; deliberately hurting Blaine in a stage-combat fencing match (you are not meant to make actual contact in these) and thus using Blaine's own dislike of making his difficulties common knowledge against him in order to 'punish' him. This is no good! Don't do this!!.[Also just to err vaguepost about a comment.... that is. not. what i would call passive aggressive. Physically attacking someone with a sword - no matter the type of sword, fencing foils hurt just as much, they're just not stab-you sharp... er, these days - is just straight-up aggressive.]).

Note that negative things stick in the mind better than positive ones; on a rewatch I may well alter my opinion!

But also I'm really, really stubborn. So it's not likely. Klaine.

[silusvesuius]

g*lmar rly has to be the best skajrim character on the real like even if you don't like him he just is . literally The best one i think......... on dat note i also imagine that he and ulfr*c despite being fairydust BFFs for lyfe genuinely have the worst communication skills ever seen

[icewindandboringhorror]

Recent misc pictures

[pillowenvelopchair]

Hey guys!! this is just my insane ramble on Still Waters Run Deep that's made by the lovely @un-local. I've had so so sooooo many thoughts about this fic and I decided to try and put it all coherently in a post :)

Probably not a lot of new insights, just many, many rambles

Magdalene analysis and her view on Rogier + some other stuff

Magdalene, at the start of the story, is aimless and refuses to follow any line of Grace, putting off whatever it leads to and going in the opposite direction. Yet Grace is fickle, and it all eventually converges, so she gives in. (aaaand a life-changing partnership ensues)

She wants out of the competition of becoming Elden Lord, and she wants nothing to do with it. Someone else to take lordship is what she wants. Magdalene, in her eyes, is not worthy to take the throne. But Rogier on the other hand…

Rogier is, quite literally, built different. He thinks differently compared to Magdalene (a STR vs INT user difference lol). He’s able to pick out all the details that she would miss. Be able to extrapolate and examine it all and be able to learn from it. Magdalene can't do that.

It's basically:

Rogier: says some fun facts about the most random thing in the room, saying all the history behind it, and what the tiny details could mean Magdalene: yeah, that's a rock.

So instead, she becomes a tool for Rogier to be able to use, because that's the least she can do for him.

“She can already feel the faint grin forming on her lips at the thought. She never wanted to be Elden Lord. She’d finally picked up and followed grace to... to get away, with no idea what it called her to do. When Melina told her where it led her, she felt only dread. But Rogier... To save Those Who Live in Death... Two birds, one stone. She meets his eyes, and doesn’t look away. In them, she doesn’t see pride, or avarice. She doesn't see a man who wants to rule the world. Not at all. The path forward is clear now.” -Chapter 22

For once, she really sees a light from the dark future she sees. She's hopeful that she won't have to take the throne, that Rogier can burden it instead of her. He's worthy in her eyes and because of that, she devotes herself to him with all she can do. (Ah but… I believe Rogier wants her to be Elden Lord? Not sure but her not wanting to be Elden Lord doesn’t quite fit with what he has planned)

Magdalene really holds onto Rogier, and his guidance (a comfort wizard, if you will). And so the idea that he won’t make it… that she’ll be left alone with Grace again, forced to join back into the competition for lordship... It's sickening to her. So she really clings to him, desperate to not be left alone with a destiny that she despises.

Magdalene is always pulled into different directions. Grace pulls her to one but she pulls herself to the opposite one. Fia and D are both on extreme sides of the spectrum on Rogier's survival, and Magdalene is caught right in the middle of it.

But for her, Rogier will survive, he has to survive otherwise... that light, that small hope she has will all fade into obscurity.

Ghosts from the past (Lorens and Ida)

I absolutely love how something, or rather, someone haunts both of them.

Lorens had been the catalyst of all of what Rogier does now. Why he’s so desperate to save those who live in death. He's literally devoted his body and mind to Lorens just to see him alive (maybe Rogier's devoting all of himself to finding a solution to death because he wants it to come back to the old times when it was just him and Lorens in the Rise, or maybe not!! I'm just rambling lol).

Every thought of Lorens is painted with a sort of bittersweetness to it. From Rogier's perspective, at the very least (I'm super curious as to how Lorens would view Rogier but we'll probably never get it because... you know...). He's almost obsessed with him, and it's all pretty unhealthy lol.

Magdalene, who’s haunted by Ida who's probably a sort of lover that hadn't been fully brought to fruition. Different opinions on what they have had made Magdalene leave with (from what I have seen at least, we have scrapes of her, people! I can't wait to see more of Ida though)

Now with Ida... Magdalene absolutely shakes herself out of every thought she has about Ida. Spurning every single thought or imagination she has of that woman.

"Nausea comes in waves. Fever. She can feel delirium taking her—she’s convinced she’s submerged in the very waters of creation, for a while. She vividly feels herself sinking deeper and deeper into a current; cold and dark and inescapable. As it pulls her down, she’s overcome with the instinct to breathe it in— Against her temple she feels a hand, with gentle fingers dragging softly through her hair. Suddenly, every layer of the dream collapses in on itself, and she jolts awake with a gasp.  Here, in Liurnia, she hauls herself up, rubbing at her face. Even the memory is a shock of cold water to her. She’s a woman haunted." -Chapter 23

(I just really love this part- I can't help it)

I think it's also really interesting how Magdalene leaves Ida due to their differences in what they have (?) while Rogier just absolutely hangs onto Lorens no matter what, despite him being... er... him. Not so sure about his personality with the small flashbacks we get of him but he’s probably not good for Rogier.

In short, Rogier venerates Lorens, while Magdalene absolutely rejects Ida. (Opposites!)

Rogier’s overthinking

Also found it interesting that when Rogier thinks he really thinks. He's a professional overthinker, even in the past

"He thinks of the labyrinthian etiquette, the way he’d triple-check every sentence for a double meaning. The secrets, the ruthless political schemes. It all felt like a spider’s web to him. He’d learned the game, and he played it well, but it had been nothing but paranoia and misery for him. Just like it was for everyone else." -Chapter 17

It's what's kept him alive (Ch. 17), and what's been able to pave the way for his findings Yet, it’s also his curse. He tries to pick out every detail that he can and think of every possible reason or motivation. Every single outcome he just needs to know so that he won't get caught by surprise again. He needs to be in control of the situation, he needs to be the master of the chessboard.

Oh and once this guy spirals, he really spirals. He starts thinking and looking at details, rewinding every single thing, every interaction, and trying to label a reason for every little thing. Yet... something emotional seems to break the surface of the water.

I personally think that he was raised to overthink. He was a noble after all, and he dealt with politics. He truly needed to check, double check, triple check, every single sentence and word in case it would have a double meaning. "He’d learned the game, and he played it well" (Ch. 17) . Getting worse after Lorens' death, being fooled by "Only a cut." (Ch. 25) and seeing the aftermath of it.

He can't not do it because if he doesn't, and he gets surprised it would break him (or at the very least, freak him out).

ALSO!! Rogier hating on "saccharine conversations" (Ch. 17) good lord. This guy cannot be real with anyone. Rogier refuses to show vulnerability because:

1. He was raised like that (the whole attachment theory thing) 2. He will absolutely break if he does

Do you guys remember when Fia tells Magdalene that "dear Rogier began to weep as he spoke" (Ch.14)? Fia saw through Rogier's walls through the cracks and he just absolutely breaks down. (Get yourself a man who, after "embracing" tells you all about this thing he's obsessed about and then cries because of it)

It's a mortifying ordeal, that someone's able to see through the walls you've meticulously put up. It hits something deep within that he’s tried to bury.

Despite the walls he puts up people other than Fia see through them. Magdalene (Ch.7) was able to see through the small cracks that have broken, and Roderika... hoo she really hit a nerve didn’t she? (But it also hit one of her nerves too, Rogier vs Roderika am I right?)

Chapter 17 analysis

Also, while we’re on the topic of Roderika, let's talk about chapter 17! Seems I have a lot to talk about.

I absolutely love this chapter so much, it gives us so much insight into Rogier's backstory and the way he thinks. His noble background really shines through here, with how he acts with Roderika who is a fellow ex-noble too.

"His grin is wide and carefree, but it rather feels like he's baring his teeth.  There’s no room for your pity here." -Chapter 17

This guy cannot accept any sign of sympathy/compassion with anyone. It's all pity to him, and he absolutely hates pity. Once Roderika starts to console him too it sickens him and it makes him bare his teeth like an animal, his baser instinct showing just a little bit.

He’s probably bore his teeth to other nobles in the court, or whatever meetings they have with one another. Small threats that get the message across by a vicious smile, is something he is all too familiar with.

I also think that it's a little bit funny how he gives advice to Roderika but then is also a little bit of a hypocrite about it

“It’s hard, to leave it behind. But the old world will keep its claws in you, if you let it.” -Chapter 17

Rogier while it's not his past life that he's stuck but rather, he is stuck on Lorens. Even though Rogier is no longer Lorens' student, even though Lorens is dead, he still has his claws on Rogier. It's his entire motivation, why he's in a "pathetic" state now. He isn't letting those claws go, he lets them dig deeper within him, and they dig in deep.

“You already have it within you," he says. "They were only trying to bury it.” -Chapter 17

Rogier immediately buries his own emotions in this interaction when Roderika tries to console him lol. Just based off of him being an ex-noble and his whole family thing, it's well established that he is very much used to burying it all down his gullet. I mean, is it really Rogier without emotional suppression?

Also Rogier tends to close off all the matters that relate to what he feels in his dialogue both in game and in SWRD. This guy cannot let out just a slight moment of vulnerability

A Color Theory Thing on my read on Rogier's garb:

Rogier, with his background being grounded in nobility has suppressed his baser desires in exchange for meaningless political schemes that have only brought him misery. Yet after coming to these lands, he finds himself with Lorens.

He wears a Raya Lucarian Robe and it has red on it. It's a sign of baser instincts being shown for once. He has grown an infatuation with Lorens despite being his student.

Yet, Rogier is still mostly blue, and he still suppresses that baser desire that he’s developed, that infatuation for Lorens. He never once builds up the courage to be able to tell Lorens what he feels. He would always bury those feelings down, and as a result he can't let go of it. It's far too deep to be buried back up.

But once Lorens has died, Rogier changes too.

He exchanges those garbs for yellow and turquoise (I think?). He's a mix of colors and beliefs.

He still has the blue in the turquoise, which symbolizes calm, intelligence, and emotional control (you can’t spell Rogier without emotional control) But turquoise isn't just blue, it also has green.

Green represents growth, life, and new beginnings. This is a new beginning for Rogier, who's set out for a new goal, to be able to save those who live in death (and perhaps give them life? Not so sure on that but in SWRD that seems to be the case with Lorens).

It's balanced by yellow. Creativity and originality, he's almost the only person we meet who wants to save TWLID. Not only that but yellow also symbolizes illness, which could be a foreshadowing of what happens to him later in his life.

It's not just sickness though, yellow also symbolizes deception. Rogier lies, but I necessarily think he's someone who is always deceptive. He's more like the type of guy who would lie so that an encounter would go well or not hurt someone else's feelings. I think he's like that from that whole ex-nobility thing he's got going on. Political schemes and lying through a smile is something that he's familiar with. (It also doesn't help that he keeps being emotionally suppressed too lol)

Cowardice is another. Rogier is scared to tell anyone about his emotions, to take that risk of being honest with someone. His background in nobility and his family definitely doesn't help either.

Rogier had been too scared to be true to Lorens and tell him his feelings, and because of that, he would never be able to. I feel like he's avoided it even more afterward. He refuses to take that jump of being honest with someone, whether it's about his emotions or his ideals, he doesn't let them go.

But when he does? With D, it completely breaks off everything they've had. Everything that they could have been.

"Beguiled fool. A rotten, sick bastard. Fouled by them. A wicked, two-faced user. Heartless. Loathsome parasite. How could he? Were they not supposed to set this crooked world straight? Profane. A perversion of honor. A madman." -Chapter 5

“Get out of my sight.” “I’m sorry.” He’d said, and he was. But Darian’s lips curled back, and he jerked his head away and locked his eyes on the horizon. His jaw twitched, in the moment he took to reply.  “Don’t talk to me.” There was nothing he could do to fix this. To undo his mistakes, to spare Darian his intentions." -Chapter 5

It's all gone because he had been honest about his goals (presumably). This experience probably strengthened that emotional suppression so as to not be hurt/caught by surprise.

So when Magdalene, someone who wholeheartedly accepts his ideals and sees his side for once, he's cautious. He can't believe that someone can genuinely agree with him because all the times that he has been honest, he's been punished for it. (though, he reminds himself that she's not like that)

In short, this guy's a mixed bag. A mixed bag with problems

(basing this off of the Elden Ring color theory video, it was an absolute joy to watch)

[EDIT]: idk what to call this section but he seems to seek out some form of approval. Lets see how that ties in with his grief!

"He still doesn’t understand why. What did he do, specifically? Or was he just past his usefulness? Deemed unfit to rule? He never truly wanted to rule as Lord, but to be cast aside so indifferently—it had shaken him.  Every now and then he fumbles with this, again and again, but he knows. He does. He knows that grace has forsaken him for good reason. He’s a heretic. An apostate. He who does not obediently bow before a faltering, decrepit Order, so ill-equipped to handle the world as it is. " -Chapter 5

"All these years. Couldn’t change a thing. Rather pathetic, I’d say—what a fool, thinking that this crooked world could be made right by mortal hands. Sure, deathblight. Truly, a fitting end for a worthless, rotten bastard." -Chapter 12

Now, speaking from some personal experience, being raised in a family that's of nobility and expects so much out of you from a young age definitely breeds some kind of self-worth issues that really stick with you. Especially if you haven't had anyone to truly support you.

Because of that, I believe that Rogier, in a way, is trying to prove his worth. But not to the Order, I think that he's in some way trying to please Lorens. Even in death.

He puts everything into his studies of Death, searching and scouring for scraps of information just to give him a single lead on anything, and for what?

"Its fulfillment will be a selfish act of altruism. These crooked lands will set right, by his hands, for a reward of nothing at all. But make no mistake: he needs another day. And another after that, and another after that. He needs his questions answered with questions, he needs his notes corrected in an unreadable hand, he needs to hear one more “Well—” followed by the most opaque, convoluted tangle of sentences ever constructed. There’s no reward he seeks, but the warm smile of cold gray eyes and a scoff about just what he’s wearing nowadays. " -Chapter 19

Rogier devotes himself to saving TWLID (saving Lorens, in reality), but it's not because it's all for selfless reasons, he seems to want things to go back to the way things used to be. Back at the Rise, with just him and Lorens once more.

I don't think Rogier ever accepted Lorens' death. He's determined to bring back Lorens, desperately trying to find a solution to bring him back no matter what.

And it’s quite hypocritical isnt it? That Rogier wants to change the Order to be able to sort of… revive Lorens from Death. To go back to the old times that they both had had.

This guy refuses to grieve and is searching (desperately) for a solution for a dead man who's probably not even good for him. Get this man some therapy

This entire post's summary is just me going:

Anyway, that's all for my crazy rambles! I can't wait to see how SWRD will progress, and how everyone will intermingle and grow with one another (Rogier and Mags)!!!! :0)

Have some doodles + a WIP that I'll probably never finish as a treat for reading this! (Mag's torso was wayyy too long on the second one oops)

(bonus boggart because I love him)

[multi-lefaiye]

sorryyyy gonna vent under the cut

torn between "this customer knows nothing about me and i know nothing about him and i'm not going to assume that there is malice in his actions because i have no reason to" and "i need to sit this man down and explain to him in detail the consequences his actions are having for me specifically and also i hate him"

(elaborating in tags)