#or sometimes with chihaya

[lesbian-kyoru]

arata is super interesting because at first he has shifts in disposition that feel almost inconsistent—he can be super sweet and earnest, cold and withdrawn, fiery and competitive, lots of juxtaposed traits etc etc—but all these facets of his personality simply stem from the traumas and experiences he’s been through 1) before the start of chihayafuru and 2) during the story. 

in his first appearance, arata is already established as shy and guarded around new people, which is only reinforced by being bullied by his classmates at his new school. not only has he internalized that karuta is the one thing he is good at in life, and it’s the only thing where his dream (and NEED) is to be the best—but besides the obvious connection to his grandfather’s expectations, a subset of this is that his grandfather tells him that he can make friends playing karuta. unfortunately, as soon as arata moves he’s bullied for literally everything, and excelling at karuta only further alienates him from his peers.

this pattern continues throughout his adolescence, even after he’s made a life long connection with chihaya and taichi: karuta alienating him from others when it was supposed to bring him friendship and connection. along with the trauma of watching his grandpa die (+ arguably blaming himself for his death) and the following grief, it’s honestly not surprising that arata becomes isolated, emotionally closed-off, and at times cold or insensitive. those experiences would harden anyone, especially a sixteen-year-old. he was treated like an outcast as a child, lost touch with his friends due to distance, and struggled to find community within his passion that’s often incredibly lonely. all of these factors make arata emotionally guarded. he’s quick and impulsive to lash out because he doesn’t feel safe and comfortable until he trusts people. 

even though arata is so kind at heart and really earnest with people he knows well (i.e. chihaya and taichi), just like many characters his experiences and subsequent insecurities/fears haven’t left him unaffected—and i love that we see that thread of his development come up so early on.

[belindarimbi13]

I love when mikawa-sensei placed todo and chihaya next to each other like this. It's like they're an item.

they also shared the same braincell

[mysticalflyte]

Snowy memories ❄️

Instagram | Twitter

[dreamspring]

why do ppl feel the need to diminish arata as a character just bc taichi is their fave?? like they’re both great and wonderful and worthy of love. stop pitting two bad bitches against each other

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

We've been robbed of Hagiwara and Camel as street racer buddies

[alison-raven]

Another day, another Conan

Detective Conan 30th Anniversary Exhibition in Kuala Lumpur is finally here! And going there is the best decision ever!

To avoid people, I went there during weekday, and I took my AL for these... Also, it is the best decision I've ever made.

If you know me, I am obsessed (but not in the unhealthy way, just the good amount of obsession) with Detective Conan, especially with Shinichi. He is been my favourite character ever and I even dubbed him as my first husband. He is my comfort character, ever.

The exhibition is held at Pavillion Bukit Jalil. I want to purchase ticket for early exhibition, but I cannot. I really want to go to the opening ceremony. They have the mascot over there. Still, I get early bird promotion for purchased the ticket before it is started. Too bad that I have to go alone cause nobody really love Detective Conan like I do.

So, let's me tell you what I like the most for this exhibition. Bear with me cause I'm a little bit bias because, well, you know...

Of course it is started with the illustration picture from the manga and a word from Aoyama-sensei and along the way. I like went the show Conan's statue with how he always point out number 3 .

I went alone, so I had to be a little bit creative. And my brilliant brain gave me an idea. But, I do sometime asked someone to help me to took a picture for me.

As usual, they gave a pamphlet to complete the stamp. For that, they have small floating shelf for that. Using the shelf, I used my Apple watch to get me the best picture that I made to take.

Like watching Picasso's painting...

The moments that I want to highlight like below:

From the section of Conan's Love, there are some picture that I like. For example like how they show love for Chihaya and Yokomizo being highlighted. Are they canon?

And about Higo Ryusuke, which is my favourite minor character in this show. I wish we have more screen time for this man!

But, of course, we do do have the infamous Shinichi and Ran's confession scene. They are so adorable!

They also have Kazuha and Heiji's love scene, but to be honest, Aoyama-sensei dragged this too long and made me lost interest on their love scene. I love them, but addition of Ooka Momiji, yeah, not really my cup of tea.

We also have the cute Conan's design for the Conan's Hannin, which show the case that Conan's solved. Who still remember this creepy man from the library's case? I almost got heart attack when I saw this. They put it at the very strategic place!

And the famous あれれ（A~re~re). It also mention that Conan's famous excuse which is go to the toilet~

So, as Conan's fan, of course I know all the cases!

And can you imagine how many criminals in Conan's world? (exclude the filter's cases). Let me show you....

Yeah, so many criminals and I can said some of them are justified to do the crime. Don't quote me on that. But some cases are just sad. Sometime, I cannot hate the criminals.

And do you know who being shot the most with a tranquilizer needle? Yes, you guess it right. It is Kogorou!

They also show how many needle tranquilizer that was shot by Conan, which seems less than I expected. I swear I thought it should be more!

And at the end of the exhibition, there are cutout board of all major characters of the Detective Conan, but I want to highlight these two.

Ran is just adorable as she is but Shinichi! They have no right to made him this handsome and dashing! With tuxedo as well!. This remind me on one fanfiction from Ao3 that I love but not complete yet. It is Interview Mania by @purplellamanator. I can imagine them, Tokyo Spirits player Shinichi go to the red carpet, being interview by host Sonoko, and then model Ran also being interview on TV show by, you know it, also host Sonoko... I am rambling but I said what I said!

Lastly, of course I need to buy the merchandises! For me, it is affordable compare to online website (since some of these are Vietnam's product). With the purchase above RM100, you got free paper bag (since in Malaysia, you have to pay for paper and plastic bag. Even it is not free, I still gonna purchase it). The one from Japan is more expensive. But, I managed to purchase within my original target budget. I also have to buy expensive drink for the exclusive bookmark. Since I collect bookmarks all over the world, I closed my eyes on that. As long as I get the bookmark.

Also, I purchase the wrong T-shirt. I only notice it on the next day...

With this, I can confirm that I had a great and absolutely amazing time here. If I got another time and budget, I absolutely want to go here again.

Thanks for the organiser for bring my childhood here. I cannot express how grateful I am, cause lately we only got some famous animes exhibition like Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan. Finally, Conan is in Kuala Lumpur.

Let me also share some other favourite pictures.

Do you know driving with Professor's Agasa is always a problem?

Apparently, the trivia also point out about that!

You can see how awesome Ran is, which I wish Aoyama-sensei fully explore her awesomeness.

And how about my husband number 6, which (if I said it might be trigger to KaiShin's fan) is Shinichi's cousin? I got some idea for it since forever, but when it become canon on movie, I just laugh it off. I even asked my brother in Japan to confirm the rumor about the spoiler for me, since he went watch the movie before it come to Malaysia.

He got the whole section for his crime and handsome face! And his cutout board also dashing, but I wish they dress him with tuxedo with different color...

And although it is not my favourite section, I just want to upload this picture, the one from grave. Just to think only one of them still survive, pain my heart. Talking about Amuro, I wonder who will replace his seiyuu, since he being involve with the horrible scandal.

And lastly, all the casts are here. Can I just take these after this exhibition over? I probably don't talk about others, but they still have place in my heart. I LOVE DETECTIVE CONAN!

[yatagarasuhonyaku]

The Ravens' Hundred Flowers: Chapter of the White Lilies

①かれのおとない ー His Visits

Timeline: After Ravens of Prosperity

Characters (in order of relevance): Yukiya, Shigemaru, Akeru, Ichiryuu, Nazukihiko

Synopsis: For Miyoshi, Shigemaru's little sister, Yukiya's unexpected arrival to the family house brings back memories: both of his many past visits and of the events that just unfolded.

②ふゆのことら ー Winter's Young Tiger

Timeline: At the start of The Raven Doesn't Choose its Master

Characters (in order of relevance): Ichiryuu, Yukiya, Yukima

Synopsis: Ichiryuu, the third son of the Shimaki Township Lord, wastes his days away picking fights and fooling around, unable to decide on the future, until a certain fateful encounter...

③ちはやのだんまり ー Chihaya's Silence

Timeline: After On Ever Smiling

Characters (in order of relevance): Akeru, Yui, Chihaya, Masuho no Susuki

Synopsis: Masuho no Susuki has a message for Chihaya about a very important matter. It's on Akeru to ensure it all doesn't turn into a disaster.

④あきのあやぎ�� ー Autumn's Twilled Silk

Timeline: Shortly before Clothes Don't Suit Ravens

Characters (in order of relevance): None

Synopsis: As widow Tamaki struggles with her late husband's massive debts, she receives an offer to clean them up by becoming the 18th wife of Akihiko, Masuho no Susuki's older brother and the heir to the Western House.

⑤おにびさく ー Fatuous Fire Crafts

Timeline: Sometime before Clothes Don't Suit Ravens

Characters (in order of relevance): Oomurasaki no Omae

Synopsis: Tokiji, an artisan from the Western Region struggling to find success after his father's death, is between those tasked by Oomurasaki no Omae with making a potential present for Fujinami no Miya.

⑥なつのゆうばえ ー Summer's Sunset Glow

Timeline: From Oomurasaki's childhood to the actual novels.

Characters (in order of relevance): Oomurasaki no Omae, Tooru (Southern Lord), Natsumihiko (Acting Golden Raven)

Synopsis: To be a princess of the Southern House is to give up your freedom in pursuit of the family's goals... or never wake up again. A battle for survival and power.

⑦はるのとこやみ ー Spring's Everlasting Darkness

Timeline: Before the previous Rite of Ascension

Characters (in order of relevance): Ukigumo, Haruhito (Eastern Lord)

Synopsis: Rin and Rei are twin brothers, both with characteristic light brown hair. As aspiring court musicians, both are working under the Eastern Lord when the party to select the princess that will be sent to the next Rite of Ascension takes place...

⑧きんかんをにる ー Of Making Kumquat

Timeline: Years after Ravens of Prosperity

Characters (in order of relevance): Shion, Nazukihiko, Hamayuu, Yukiya

Synopsis: As life in Yamauchi goes on, the dangers of Court remain a constant reality.

[beezonia]

Brains been thinking of confidants

——

So we’ve got the thieves but now I’m thinking of how to designate the other arcana for the rest of the cast

——-

Isshiki Wakaba - Devil - The mischievous owner of the Internet cafe 8Bit, she tells Goro a lot about her youth and how she used to be quite the misfit (she was in a rock band, played drums) also tells him really bad jokes

Wakaba will sometimes talk about her former job and how it effected her, especially when she found out she was pregnant with futaba

Her confidant allows Goro to take more risks in battle each rank he gets more guts to pull of more then one attack

Sakura Sojiro - Hanged Man - Sojiro owns a small bar in Yongen-Jaya which is home to some shady characters (it’s a back alley bar what would you expect)

His Confidant is him talking a lot about his journey and the crowds he got into when he was younger, he’s a lot more blunt and rough around the edges now those experiences shaped him into a bit of a hard boiled guy

But he talks about how Wakaba inspired him to change and open up his own spot also talks about how he fell in love with her

Sells Goro weapons (usually on a Tuesday/Thursday) in the back of the bar

I’m not entirely sure what his confidant would give Goro maybe some sort of defence buff?

Kawakami Sadayo - Fortune - Goro’s teacher, has a bit of a fortune telling gig on the side of her teaching (yeah cause I’m not doing the maid shit here)

More upbeat then her cannon counterpart Sadayo works hard to keep her students engaged and feeling good in her lessons which does bring her spirits up

however she’s still the tired teacher deep down inside since her part time job does fuck her over a bit with all the crappy costumers she gets

If Goro goes to get a telling from her depending on what she says it either effects buffs positively or negatively in the metaverse

Takemi Tae - Tower - Still a doctor just not a back alley one, has a small clinic that goro and takuto frequent (takuto to talk about therapy and goro for any phantom thief stuff)

Raging lesbian

I’m not entirely sure what I want to do with her confidant tbh

——-

That’s all I’ve got so far! Probably need to figure out what I want to do with Iwai, Chihaya, Ohya and Toranosuke now

@39tn39

[dustedbooksandreadingnooks]

Match Your Mount Day 3 of Glamtober

Sometimes, Keathan meets a being and feels a kinship with them. For a moment they remember that they, too, are powerful. And ancient.

Shader is Nightingale Dusk Glam items under the cut

Keathan, Pictomancer:

Hair- Chihaya- SN Head- Vanguard Mask of Casting (Ruby Red, Snow White) Body- Red Lady's Yukata Hands- Claws of the Beast (Ruby Red) Leg- Evenstar Tights (Pearl White) Feet- Yakaku Geta (Ruby Red, Pearl White) Earring- Red Carnation Earring Neck- Cait Sith Neck Ribbon R Ring- Ultima Band of Healing L Ring- Ishgardian Knight's ring Main Hand- Augmented Hellhound Round Brush (Pure White) Edit: I know this is not the size of the real mount but i liked the big size and there were so many bones I did not want to make her smaller xD Getting this mount was fun I use it a lot!

[aku-soul]

Another person post baebee! This time, my thoughts so far and what I think of the confidants I've unlocked!

Ren Amamiya: It's me! I'm the dude! I feel bad for him during the interrogations though...

Ryuji Sakamoto: Boyfriend #1, absolute malewife. I love this dude and his "FOR REAL?!" so much. Such a crime that he's not romanceable LET ME ROMANCE THE GUYS. Also the first confidant I maxed out after only like 3 months

Ann Takamaki: She sure exists. Definitely a character. On a more serious note, I hope her stuff works out for her.

Morgana: Catboy. I like how (english) he's voiced by sothis from Fire Emblem 3 Houses. I seriously do wonder what's up with him though, especially with the dreams he's been having recently...

Sojiro Sakura: Coffee dad and best dad. I love him so much. Currently grinding out my kindness just so I can get to level 7 and beyond for his confidant stat. (on 4 out of 5, wish me luck)

Igor: Long nose man, very mysterious. I'm like 75% sure he's dad from FE3H which is kinda weird but cool that I recognize the voice.

Yusuke Kitagawa: Boyfriend #2. God I love him so much. He's also voiced by Kuroh from K which is so freaking cool. Again, why can't we romance the guys. As an artist myself, I feel so bad for him being manipulated most of his life by someone he trusted...

Makoto Niijima: LETS GO MAKOTO GOOD JOB ON STEALING THE DATA YOU GO GIRL!! Girlboss, absolute girlboss. Screw the principal using her

Chihaya Mifune: Thanks for letting me up my kindess stat to level up easier. That's really all she's good for though. Before I got the game I had no clue she even existed. Screw her for costing 100k yen to start her confidant though.

The twins: SILENCE, INMATE! They're cool, I like the dynamic they have with them. I definitely feel like their babysitter whenever I take them places. Loved how they also got their own toy when we went to big bang burger.

Futaba Sakura: Gamer girl, also my sister. I haven't gotten far into her confidant line but I like how it ties into her mother. Once again, major sister vibes

Tae Takemi: Thanks for the medicine, but really that's about all I see her for. I do hope she gets to prove herself in the medical community though.

Sadayo Kawakami: SHUT THE FUCK UP STOP CALLING ME MASTER EW EW EW EW I REGRET STARTING YOUR CONFIDANT LINE SO MUCH TF YOU MEAN I CAN ROMANCE MY *TEACHER* BUT NOT THE GUYS??? SCREW YOU KAWAKAMI

Ichiko Ohya: You certainly exist. Uh huh, you definitely do. Honestly her confidant perks are kinda useless since I keep my palace security levels around 0% more often than not. Plus she just reads as a constantly drunk aunt.

Shinya Oda: Also never knew about him before starting this game. Gamer boy. Reads as a nephew who you sometimes hang out with. Other than that, not much thoughts

Hifumi Togo. Another one I never knew about before playing the game. I feel so bad about her mother using her... I wonder if we can change her mothers heart further into the storyline?

Yuuki Mishima: Definite little brother vibes. I like how we didn't change his heart, just let him change on his own. Also I hope his future book plans turn out well for him, he definitely deserves it.

Toranosuke Yoshida: Another one who exists. Not much opinion on him since I'm only on rank one since I don't care enough to level him up.

Sae Niijima: Mixed feelings about her, one on hand I think she's trying to help me, but on the other she threatened coffee dad, called makoto a burden... I probably hate her more than I like her honestly.

Kasumi Yoshizawa: Gymanstics girly. It's sad that her summer meets didn't go well, I hope she improves for the future. Also really sad news about her sister...

Takuto Maruki: Super good buffs, especially for the sp one. Reads as a shy uncle who really cares about his nephews and nieces. It sucks that he's a limited time only, but thankfully I'm at level 9. Hopefully I can reach level 10 on him soon.

Munehisa Iwai: Voiced by Jinshi from apothecary diaries, super cool. Reads as an uncle who pretends he doesn't care about his nieces and nephews, but in reality shows his affection through secretly taking them places, giving them stuff to do, and gifts. Kinda like "Hey, give this to your mom and then I'll take you out to the range". Very good uncle

Goro Akechi: Soon to be boyfriend #3, once Ryuji and Yusuke gain favorability of him. Also god why isn't he playable, I want Akechi on my team so bad so I can complete my guy harem.

This has been all my opinions on the confidants I've unlocked, have a good day everybody.

[lurkerwithcomputer]

WIP Wednesday: Chihaya

A/N: I started this on Wednesday, so it still counts. Meet Eto's daughter, and also here's Eto having a bit of a relapse of Not Coping with being a parent.

Rain patters down outside, making the city outside the windows look like a fuzzy photo. Hopefully, Mom isn't getting soaked out there. Chihaya takes a deep breath and rubs one heel against her braided anklet, slowly, back and forth, taking in the soft-firm, smooth, patterned texture.

It's not as comforting as usual.

Mom is having drinks with Naki and Miza, they know her, she tells herself.

She buries her hands in the folds of her dress, working the fabric slowly, gently, between her fingertips. It's soft. Warm with her body heat. (She feels a bit chilly suddenly, despite it being summer.)

Mom's been out later than this before, she reminds herself. (It helps less than it should.)

Although it's summer-weight fabric, her dress has a top part like a sleeveless hoodie, and the hood has picked up the smell of her coffee-scented shampoo (a warm, sweet, swaying kind of scent). She gathers the hood up and brings it to her face.

In.

Hold.

Out.

A car groans to stop outside the apartment building.

There's a patter of footsteps, an unsteady, off rhythm under the sound of the rain. The door clacks and clunks open. Mom's scent fills the air, along with the click of an umbrella folding up... and the sharp but sickly-sweet scent of wine.

Ew. What do adults see in it?

Still, despite how her nose wrinkles at the smell, warmth fills her chest to see Mom home. Mom leans her umbrella up against the wall in the genkan, dripping onto the tile. She sits on the cubby for shoes, which they use for towel-rags instead (and sometimes for guests' shoes), and starts toweling her feet dry with one hand.

"Hey there, kiddo," Mom says, voice slow and scratchy, reaching out with the other hand.

Mom waits with her hand a centimeter-ish away. Chihaya leans into the offered hand, and Mom ruffles her hair. This close, there's little bit of the salt tang of sweat along with the irritating scent of wine and the scent of Mom (old books, very sugary coffee, apple pastries), and the not-smell of rainwater. (If nothingness had a smell, it would be rainwater.)

"Welcome home, Mom," she says.

Mom smiles at her, but it's as watery as the rain, and even though Mom carefully avoids eye contact, she can see Mom's eyes are like the thick, cloudy sky.

Oh no.

Mom walks unevenly to the kitchen. Chihaya can hear the cupboard, the sink and the clink of glass (and Mom fumbling a little, not confident like usual).

Ah. Too much wine. Time for the Comfort Blanket.

She rummages in the cramped hall closet, past the mop, the vacuum and the towels, pushing the sewing machine over a little with her foot to get further in. Her fingers land on a familiar texture - soft, a bit worn in places, with the smooth fabric Mom stitched over the edges (and broke at least three sewing machine needles against her fingers). It unfolds partway as she pulls it out, showing a little bit of the picture of fluffy white-and-black owls watching over their nestlings against the green fabric.

As she pulls her head out of the closet, she distantly hears Mom make a noise that begins as a snarl and ends as a sob. There's a thump from the living room. A sob that rises to a held-back scream.

Another thump and the tumble of a stack of books being kicked over.

Yikes. Here we go.

She's not afraid of Mom, and never has been. Mom's never even yelled (not at her, at least). Some of their knicknacks and piles of books should probably be afraid though. She's just... sad.

It hurts to watch Mom hurt.

Mom's muffled, hitching swearing, in 24th Ward dialect, carries down the hall.

"Get bent over with a rusty pipe, I'll grind yer balls into soup ya rat bastard," growls Mom, and Chihaya can see that Mom is glaring into the glass of water at her feet.

"Fucking..." whatever Mom was going to say is lost in a raspy, hiccuping breath in.

Mom clears her throat as Chihaya walks close enough to see fresh tear tracks on Mom's cheeks, glistening in the lamplight. Mom hurls a book across the room, knocking over another stack of books and a basket of knicknacks.

"Fuck you, Arima Kishou! Father of my daughter and not here to kiss or even yell at!"

Another one joins the sad pile of injured books at the other end of the living room.

Mom's shoulders shake. Chihaya rubs her heel over her anklet again, breathing in and out slowly (her fingers knead the soft fabric of that owl blanket). Mom glares into her glass of water, one of the few things in their living room that isn't knocked over right now.

"Fuck our deal, fuck our plan, Arima! You didn't even stay long enough to find out you had a daughter!"

Mom crumples in on herself like stepping on a soda can.

"I just wanted someone who'd stay," she rasps, bitter and shaky (Mom's hurting voice, bleeding voice).

[p5x-theories]

P5X Second Arc Summary

(last updated 5/17/24)

With the confirmation that this is the actual release of the game, I realized it makes way more sense to break these posts up by story arc, heh!

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 Miyazawa Arc. Several scenes in this arc have been distinctly changed since the beta tests!

Picking up where the first arc left off, Wonder, Motoha, and Ruferu take the train to Shinjuku.

Motoha looks at Kiuchi's Treasure, and mutters to herself about how this is just a regular rubber ball, like anyone has. Does that mean they could develop Palaces like Kiuchi if they made the wrong choice?

Ruferu reassures her that it's not impossible, but they've already awakened Personas, meaning they faced the embodiment of their desires, their own Shadows, already. They also changed Kiuchi's heart for the sake of others, not their own selfish gain, helping to protect others' dreams and hopes. He firmly believes their desires won't get out of control... well, probably not.

This flusters Motoha a little.

Ruferu continues that they were even able to influence Kiuchi a bit more than he expected, because they were able to convince Kiuchi to keep living even after stealing his Treasure, even when Ruferu thought there's no reason to be kind to someone like Kiuchi.

Motoha explains she thinks that everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even Kiuchi, and even herself. She believes that Kiuchi was really the one who'd given up on his desires. She then credits this realization to Wonder, who reacts with confusion, and she says he's the one who helped her and Tomoko cheer up.

On the topic of Tomoko, Ruferu asks if she's going to tell Tomoko about the news, and Motoha expresses excitement to tell her that the criminal was arrested when she visits the hospital tomorrow.

She then asks Ruferu if any of his memory came back when he touched the Treasure, which he confirms, although it was just a fragment. That's the information he wanted to share with them later (and he clarifies he didn't want to say it in the moment because he didn't want to ruin the mood right after they'd won). He says there are six more Treasures out there, making seven total. Motoha, surprised, asks if that means there are six more bad guys like Kiuchi that the police can't catch, which Ruferu also confirms.

Their train arrives in Shinjuku, cutting the conversation short.

When they reach Shinjuku, Motoha says they should continue their conversation at the restaurant, and it’ll be her treat since they helped Tomoko. Ruferu asks for the egg topping.

As they continue on to the restaurant, however, Chihaya Mifune calls them over, and warns them that a disaster awaits them if they continue with their plans.

Motoha kind of brushes her off awkwardly, saying she’s hungry and they’re in a hurry. They proceed on to the restaurant, Ashouken. Motoha explains the main store is a popular Chinese restaurant, while Ashouken is a branch of it specializing in ramen. Ashouken's reputation went down for a bit, but she's heard the taste improved after it was renovated.

Inside, they order food (both Motoha and Wonder order shoyu, with eggs and chashu pork on the side for Ruferu) then get back to the more serious conversation- Ruferu admits that he did only tell them about Kiuchi’s Palace, so it’s up to them if they want to continue working with him for the other Palaces. He doesn't want to force them and ignore their own desires. Wonder recalls Igor's advice from before about preventing ruin, honing his own desires, and connecting with others.

Motoha seems to need to think about it, and suggests they eat first as their food arrives. They start to eat, though Motoha notices something different about the ramen- the flavor's different than she remembers, and the soup base is lighter- which catches the attention of the Kokatsu student sitting at the table next to theirs. She brushes it off, saying maybe she just remembered it better than it was, and the Kokatsu student goes back to eating.

Ruferu asks if he can have some of his food, since he can't get to it himself. Motoha's briefly concerned whether owls can eat eggs, but Ruferu stresses that his form is just for stealth, and he doesn't have any dietary restrictions from it. He says the eggs will be his appetizer, and the meat is the main course. Motoha tries to give him an egg, but it slips, hits Ruferu’s face, and falls into Wonder’s ramen, splashing him with the hot broth. (Link to a frame by frame post)

Wonder recovers pretty easily, and Motoha apologizes and asks if they’re okay. Ruferu realizes this may have been the disaster they were warned about.

The Kokatsu student at the table next to theirs, who Wonder previously has seen on the school roof, tries his ramen, before muttering "… wrong". He gets up, and addresses the chef behind the counter as "Masa-san", asking if it's really okay to do this.

Masa only replies "Shun...", catching Motoha's attention. Shun insists that he can't taste the soup base flavor that the boss was so particular about at all, and at this rate...

Masa says it hurts him, too, in a defeated tone. Shun apologizes, bows, and leaves.

Motoha recognizes the student as Shun Kanou-kun from Tomoko’s class, Class D. As she and Wonder start to eat again, someone walks into the restaurant accompanied by a cameraman, and greets Masa. Masa apologizes to him, saying the store's still open, which irks the man, asking if he's going to make him wait, in a threatening tone.

Masa apologizes profusely to the customers, saying Ashouken is now closed. He and the other employees bow. When people start to complain, he says they’ll refund them for the food.

Wonder, Motoha, and Ruferu exit the restaurant, and overhear some of the other customers as they also leave. One comments that while he didn't get to finish his food, the flavor's definitely a restaurant worthy of Miyazawa's perfect rating. When the other seems less sure whether the food was all that good, the first one insists it is, because Hiromu Miyazawa said so.

This makes Motoha realize that the man that walked in was Hiromu Miyazawa, a famous food reviewer that she's seen on TV who has the nickname "the Flavor Swordsman". Still, she thinks the original Ashouken was better...

Shun says he agrees, and approaches them. They exchange introductions, and Shun correctly identifies that if they're in Class C, they're in Katayama's class. Motoha asks if he knows the owner of Ashouken, and Shun brushes off the question, and asks what they thought of Ashouken's ramen instead.

Motoha thinks for a moment and says it was “average, I guess.” Shun, seeming troubled, says that's indeed the case, then apologizes for asking a weird question, and leaves.

Motoha's confused, but then realizes she's still hungry, thinks back on everything that just happened, and apologizes for picking this restaurant, realizing the fortune teller was right about the disaster. She suggests they just go home, since at least they'll be able to eat there. Ruferu agrees, but insists that Wonder stop by the supermarket to get some meat first.

Before she leaves, Motoha asks if it’s only terrible people that have Palaces. Ruferu confirms this. She then asks if they’ll all have changes of heart if their Treasures are stolen, which Ruferu also confirms. Motoha apologizes that she said she'd leave but then asked more questions, and says she’ll see them tomorrow.

Ruferu asks if it's okay if he stays with Wonder at least one more night, whether he chooses to continue being a phantom thief or not, to which Wonder agrees. As they leave, the Cyler Eats person from the train bikes past them, but doesn't visibly react to Wonder in any way.

Once Wonder and Ruferu make it back home, Motoha calls them, and says Kiuchi’s on TV. Wonder and Ruferu rush inside to turn on the TV, where sure enough, the news is talking about how Kiuchi turned himself in.

Still on the phone, Motoha murmurs that it’s just like Ruferu said would happen- he had a change of heart. An interview with another woman that was a victim of his plays, and Motoha comments that she doesn’t know her, but she’s happy. As phantom thieves, they can help people. Wonder nods.

The news also reports that letters addressed to Kiuchi signed by the "Phantom Thieves" were found around Shibuya station- Motoha realizes he's talking about the calling cards- and witnesses reported a wild bird was the one distributing these letters. However, the police believe there's no connection between the two, and it was a coincidence.

Ruferu mutters he wasn't cautious enough if he was seen, and they'll have to be more careful next time- or, no, he's not sure if they'll be with him next time. Motoha asks Ruferu if they'll be able to help more people as phantom thieves, and Wonder holds his phone up for Ruferu. He replies that if they continue, they'll be able to steal back more people's desires, and make the phantoms more nervous to act.

Motoha then asks what Wonder thinks- can they be phantom thieves? Wonder agrees, and Motoha says she thinks it'd be pretty cool to be normal students by day, then phantom thieves by night.

She loudly, enthusiastically asks Ruferu to let them continue working with him as phantom thieves, then apologizes for saying that so loudly into the phone, bids them goodnight, and hangs up. Ruferu complains that if they were in the Metaverse, an enemy would have found them, but then a bit more fondly adds that sometimes humans choose the difficult path. He says he looks forward to working with Wonder in the future, and his Confidant ranks up.

Back at Ashouken, we see Miyazawa giving a glowing review of Ashouken's ramen to the camera, describing it as the true taste of Ashouken.

He reminds the audience that this taste was almost lost forever, as the shop's previous owner fell ill, and the quality of the food dropped, leading to Miyazawa having to give it a bad review, as he didn't want to see the flavor lost. Because of this, some people called him a phantom! But he didn't care if it meant he could help protect the true taste. He worked with the other employees to bring the true flavor back, and improve it, even!

Miyazawa seems to get emotional, and thanks the audience for watching this episode of his show. Signing off, he swipes his pen through the air like a sword, and says "Cut off the banal evil of taste with a pen that is stronger than a sword... The flavor swordsman Hiromu Miyazawa reports for you. Good night, everyone!"

As soon as the camera cuts, Miyazawa gets up and stretches, losing the more emotive demeanor he had during the recording, saying it's tiring acting that stupid, and more flatly asking his agent about their plan for tomorrow. The agent confirms it'll be a restaurant in Zoshigaya called Toraiken, which Miyazawa recognizes as the restaurant that Ashouken branched off from. He says it doesn't matter how the food there tastes, he's already planning to "kill" it.

Masa, standing nearby, reacts to this with alarm.

Miyazawa turns toward Masa and grins, saying he'll probably get called a phantom again, and it's so hard for someone like him with a vicious tongue. Miyazawa then asks for him to show his thanks for the review.

Masa sighs, and presents an envelope for Miyazawa, who gleefully takes it, saying they'll protect Ashouken together.

Masa pleads Miyazawa to stop doing this, it's deceiving the customers. Miyazawa replies that he's the one who helped give them dried bonito for the ramen, bringing Ashouken publicity, customers, and praise. Masa protests the method for the bonito, saying you can only get the boss' flavor by using another method, but Miyazawa dismisses him, calling it outdated, and says the cheap bonito he bought is fine.

Miyazawa threatens to "kill" Ashouken again, and Masa reluctantly backs down. Miyazawa then asks if Masa fired the brat that threw water at him, because Miyazawa just saw the kid walking out of the store when he came in earlier. Masa says he's still allowed to come as a customer, and Miyazawa is displeased, reminding Masa that he still has final say in what happens with Ashouken.

The next morning, Wonder receives some more texts from his mother, asking if it's morning there, then if everything's okay, then if phantoms are still causing a commotion, then reminding him to eat well. Once again, Wonder encounters Kayo on his way to school. She asks about his health, and mentions her Darling hates being sick.

Wonder thinks about how he has to get to school and bows, evidently trying to get out of the conversation politely, but Kayo mentions a clinic in Yongen-Jaya run by a Dr. Takemi. From the bag, Ruferu whispers that medicine might be useful for fighting shadows.

Kayo says he should have medicine, with those phantoms around, but then wonders if medicine even works on phantoms, and laughs, admitting she doesn’t know much about them. As she walks away, she passes a restaurant, and complains that it's closed today, saying she wanted to take Darling there for dinner tonight.

On the train, people gossip about how Kiuchi turned himself in, the fact that he's a phantom, and the calling cards that were scattered around the Shibuya train station.

As Wonder walks to school from the Shimokitazawa station, Motoha calls out good morning to him and Ruferu, and the three walk together. She reiterates that she wants to keep working with them, and when Ruferu calls her another business partner, she says that's too formal, especially given Wonder and Ruferu live together, and they're all just partners. She adds that her parents would never let her have a pet owl.

Ruferu agrees that his "solemn posture" is too bright and eye-catching for an ordinary family, which reminds Motoha that she wanted to ask him to stop using such difficult words while he talks. It seems like he's trying to be cool, but it's not working. Ruferu is immediately flustered, saying he's not trying to be cool, and when he touched the Treasure before, he remembered he's known humans for a long time, and was influenced by them in the past.

Motoha laughs this off, saying he can say whatever he wants since they're friends. She declares the three of them are a phantom thieves group (this is the same term that’s just translated as The Phantom Thieves in P5’s English translation) from this point on. She then remembers with alarm that today is her duty day, and first period is PE, and says goodbye, running ahead. Ruferu comments, exasperated, that she’s a noisy phantom thief.

Shun sees them walking ahead of him, and mutters something about the two of them walking together.

Meanwhile, at what appears to be the back area of the TV station, Miyazawa's agent congratulates Miyazawa on his latest review, saying he was so intense the part-time workers ran away. As expected someone worthy of being an officially recognized phantom! Miyazawa complains that that makes him sound like a villain, but he just needs to figure out how to use that influence.

He says the restaurant he "killed" today was Toraiken, and all he needed to do was give a few fake bad reviews for people to stop patronizing the store, revealing his bigger plan is to force the boss to give him ownership of Ashouken so he can turn it into a chain.

The agent questions whether lying so much is really okay, and Miyazawa turns cold, asking him what's really true. Nowadays, people don't care about the truth, they just care about the trends. And Miyazawa told them it's genuine. He then threatens to have the agent replaced, and the agent apologizes, then leaves as Miyazawa receives a call and waves him off.

Miyazawa's speaking tone switches to something soft and placating, almost ingratiating, as he answers the phone. He confirms he saw the news, and that the person on the news was an "alternative "officially recognized" candidate, right?" It's such a shame. He talks about filling the vacancy, and promises to think about candidates.

After hanging up, his tone returns to normal, and he mutters it's not easy to deal with a topical candidate like the "Collision Man".

In their PE class at school, girls fight over who gets to have Motoha on their volleyball team, while the boys are told to pair up for stretches. Shun catches Wonder's attention, and tells him to sit, suggesting they pair up without really giving Wonder a say.

As Shun helps Wonder stretch, he asks him about Motoha. He asks what their relationship is, and Wonder can reply "friends" or "partners". Wonder can then ask if he cares or if he likes Motoha, which either way causes Shun to insist that's not the case, and push Wonder way too far forward.

He says she noticed that Ashouken's flavor changed, then clarifies he used to work there, and it's amazing that she was able to notice where most people just say it's delicious. He says he can't speak very well, but when he sees her, he feels that she's completely different from him.

After a moment, he finally realizes what he did to Wonder, and apologizes, leaning back again. He stands up, and mutters that whenever someone has something to do with him it ends badly, and walks off.

While Wonder’s gone, Ruferu and Motoha seem to have been talking back in the classroom. Two students nearby gossip about Magatsushin updating to mention Miyazawa giving bad reviews again, and saying he's closed down a lot of restaurants. Wonder slides the classroom door open, visibly exhausted.

He returns slowly to his seat, sitting a bit hunched over like he’s sore and/or tired. Motoha asks what Wonder and Shun talked about in PE, where the player has the option of responding "He said Motoha knows the flavor well" or "He said he used to work at Ashouken". When the former is picked, she realizes he's talking about Ashouken's flavor, and says Shun must like ramen. Wonder then explains the rest, and she reacts, "He worked at Ashouken? He really likes ramen..."

Ruferu switches the conversation to a more important topic- he and Motoha were talking about their next job. They’ll have to look for the next Palace, and also visit the doctor that Kayo mentioned. The bell rings, and Motoha awkwardly asks Wonder if he's going to go change out of his PE clothes before class, which he sheepishly does.

After class, Wonder and Ruferu plan to visit Takemi's clinic, while Motoha says she wants to visit Tomoko and tell her about Kiuchi. Just then, she gets a text from Tomoko, apparently saying she's being discharged from the hospital today. Ruferu encourages her to go visit Tomoko, following her own desire, while they check out the clinic. Motoha thanks him, immensely relived Tomoko cared enough again to message her, and sends Wonder the directions to Takemi’s clinic that she apparently looked up. She leaves, and Wonder and Ruferu head back to Yongen-Jaya.

At the clinic, Takemi notes Wonder is new here, and asks what problem brought him here. Presumably whichever is picked from the dialogue options, she invites him back to the exam room.

She says it's probably an issue of too much pressure, and suggests prescribing sleeping pills. Wonder asks for something stronger. Takemi is unsurprised that's what he's really here for, mentioning the rumors about her. She agrees to prescribe him more medicine, but only things that will restore physical condition. Takemi's shop is unlocked.

After leaving Takemi’s clinic, Motoha texts Wonder, checking in after taking Tomoko home. Wonder tells her they finished at the clinic, and she says she's ready to start looking for the next Palace any time.

Ruferu asks to talk to Wonder for a moment. He mentions that that fortune teller’s prediction of a disaster at the restaurant was true, and suggests she might be another valuable service to look into when they get a chance (unlocking the side quest to go back to her, which unlocks her fortune-telling ability).

Later, in Mementos, Closer asks how they find the next Palace, and Cattle says he was able to listen to the inner voices of humans to find it. He says it's difficult to hear the voices of the next path from here, and clarifies that Mementos is made up of several areas. Closer guesses that means the other Palaces are on other paths of Mementos, which Cattle confirms. He leads them to the door at the end of the first path.

He touches it, and it opens, the MetaNav informing them a new area has opened up. Closer and Wonder check their phones, and sure enough, a new area has appeared on the MetaNav. Cattle explains that people with "excessive desires" are considered troublesome and excluded from the group, and they now have excessive desires because they have Kiuchi's Treasure. Closer wonders if this means the door is opening less to welcome them, and more because it's sort of passively kicking them out of the current area.

Once they’re in the new area, Cattle says he's sure the next Palace is here, but he can't locate it yet. He explains that it's because he understood Kiuchi's actions in the real world, and they were very straightforward, but they don't know much about the next Palace ruler yet, and Closer guesses their actions are less publicly obvious, which Cattle thinks is likely. Cattle suggests they leave for now, and try to get some more information in the real world.

When they return to the real world, Motoha exclaims that being in the Metaverse always makes her hungry, and they should have another celebratory meal at Ashouken. When Wonder asks her why, since she didn't really like it last time, Motoha says maybe one of their other kinds of ramen will be better. Shun, walking by at the moment, warns her not to bother, it's all the same.

Motoha asks him about working at Ashouken, and the flavor change. Shun explains that the current Ashouken has given up its dedication to flavor, though it's not the fault of the employees. Motoha laments that means she'll never get to have the delicious ramen from the past again, and Shun reacts, walking over to them. With a smile, he asks if she really wants to have Ashouken's original ramen again.

Confused, she says yes, and Shun invites both of them to come to Toraiken in Zoshigaya tonight. He then walks off, and Motoha excitedly says she's looking forward to having that ramen again. Ruferu wonders something about Shun, but brushes it off, and says that while he can't eat with them tonight, they better not forget his chashu pork.

That evening, Wonder and Ruferu meet up with Motoha in front of Toraiken, but Motoha starts to wonder aloud if maybe they have the wrong place, as Shun still isn’t here, the restaurant has a sign saying it's temporarily closed, and it has bad reviews. She thinks she's heard the name "Toraiken" before, but can't remember where...

To her surprise, though, Shun then opens the door and invites them in, saying he knows the owner.

Once they start eating, Motoha exclaims in amazement that the food is delicious.

This pleases Shun, who says that their smiles make all the effort he put into making the soup base worth it. Motoha, shocked, asked if he's the one who made this, rather than an employee. Shun says he's still just an apprentice. Motoha replies that's amazing, and it tastes just like Ashouken used to! But... why does Toraiken have Ashouken's ramen?

Shun explains that Ashouken branched off from Toraiken, and even thought it's a Chinese restaurant, the ramen's very popular, and some people actually come here to study. Toraiken's owner liked the idea of helping young people learn, so he opened Ashouken. Shun's also very fond of the ramen here.

As he talks, a man comes down the stairs in the back, and over to their table. He asks Shun to stop saying such "embarrassing things", and Shun reacts with surprise, referring to him as "Yamagoshi-oyassan".

Yamagoshi apologizes for the poor reception he gave Wonder and Motoha, and welcomes them to the store. Shun stands up and helps stabilize Yamagoshi, asking if he's alright, and suggesting he rest more. He says he's feeling better, and it's so rare for Shun to bring friends over for him to say hello.

He then clumsily asks something about mobile phone friends, to Motoha's bewilderment, and Shun asks him what he's saying. He laughs, and says this is how young people exchange contact information now, isn't it? Shun tells him no one would ask that now.

Yamagoshi turns back to Motoha and Wonder, and says Shun's a good kid, but he's bad at communication, so they should contact him if they ever have any questions. He pulls his own cellphone out, and shakes it, to Shun's embarrassment, but Motoha laughs, and says she will. Wonder does as well.

He then asks if they liked the food, and Motoha answers very positively, to Yamagoshi's delight. He congratulations Shun, although Shun doesn't really accept the praise. Yamagoshi can identify just from the smell of the food that Shun still hasn't quite perfected his skills, and Shun agrees.

Yamagoshi starts to say something else, but is overcome with a coughing fit. Shun insists he should go back and rest, but Yamagoshi explains Miyazawa came by earlier and scared off all the part-time workers, to Shun's anger. Toraiken will have to stay closed, because there's no one to run it.

Yamagoshi leaves the room (presumably with Shun's help, though it cuts to black for a moment). Shun thanks Wonder and Motoha for coming by, saying he'll close up shop here and then help Yamagoshi get home, and Motoha thanks him as well for the food.

Outside of Toraiken, Motoha worries about Yamagoshi, then wonders what their history with Miyazawa was. Ruferu pipes up, finally popping out of Wonder's bag (Motoha congratulates him on staying so quiet in there the whole time), and says there's the residual smell of stolen desires here. Motoha asks what the connection between the next Palace and Toraiken is, and then Masa walks up to them.

Motoha recognizes him as the person running things at Ashouken, which prompts Masa to recognize them as customers from the other day, which he apologizes for again. He expresses frustration at Miyazawa.

Ruferu, hidden in Wonder's bag, suggests that they try asking Masa about Miyazawa, since he seems to know him and shows signs of his desire being stolen.

Masa recognizes their uniforms, and says they used to have students from Kokatsu working at Ashouken. Motoha takes this chance to ask him about Shun, saying they're his friends.

Masa explains that Toraiken is his master's shop, and Masa got worried after hearing about Miyazawa's terrible review earlier today, so he came to check on it. Miyazawa puts on a show with his excessive reviews, and will review even good restaurants negatively for the sake of trying to take ownership from them after tanking their popularity. No one can do anything about it because they won't believe it, and even if they do, he's an officially recognized phantom. He also has extensive connections in the catering and entertainment industries to back him up. The only way to stop the bad reviews is to give him what he wants.

He also says Shun apparently thinks it's his own fault that Miyazawa's going after Ashouken, after an incident while he was still working there. When Miyazawa came in and started making fun of their soup stock, Shun got mad and threw water from a glass at him. After that, the bad reviews started. But none of the staff blame him, as he just did what they couldn't.

Motoha suggests he talk to Shun himself, as Shun's still in Toraiken behind them, but Masa says he doesn't want to remind Shun of everything, and heads home instead.

Ruferu says everyone they've talked to related to these stores has had their desires stolen- Yamagoshi, Masa, and Shun- so it's extremely likely the Palace ruler they're looking for is related to all this, too. He suggests they investigate more tomorrow.

The next morning at the train station, Wonder sees Tomoko, who greets him.

She says she was cleared to return to school today, although she suspects everyone there is gossiping about her being targeted by the Collision Man.

She also says that baseball was the only thing she's good at, so she's not sure what to do now, and even briefly lost the strength to live, but Motoha's been encouraging her this whole time, and she heard a lot about Wonder from her, too. When she heard Kiuchi was arrested, she felt "a "power" welling up from the bottom of [her] heart, as if saying "I want to live"", and then laughs, thinking she's a simple person for Kiuchi's arrest to be enough to lift her spirits again.

Ruferu comments the change of heart helped, but it was particularly opening up the new area of Mementos that had this effect on her.

Tomoko admits she was still a little scared coming to the station, and says she's glad Wonder's here. Their train arrives.

After school, Motoha says they should go to Mementos and look for the Palace, but Ruferu thinks they should visit Toraiken again first, since they know it's related to the Palace. When they get there, Ruferu smells desires being stolen inside, and suggests they learn from their mistakes with Kiuchi, and act now.

Inside, Miyazawa is trying to convince Yamagoshi to give up Ashouken to him, though Yamagoshi keeps turning him down. When Wonder and Motoha walk in, Yamagoshi recognizes them, while Miyazawa dismisses them with "The adults are talking".

He tries to get his agent to escort them out, but Yamagoshi denies him this as well, saying the kids are his important guests.

Miyazawa warns that Yamagoshi that he's sick, and his restaurant is going to shut down. He's already discussed this with Masa, so Yamagoshi should just stamp the papers to transfer ownership to him with his seal.

Yamagoshi gets increasingly worked up in his refusal, and his illness gets the better of him for a moment. Miyazawa grins, and says he shouldn't force himself like this. This store holds memories of him and his late wife- wouldn't it be better to give it to Miyazawa than see it close down? Miyazawa believes in the authentic flavor of the restaurants, and he doesn't want to see it lost.

This time, as Yamagoshi tries to verbally fight back, his illness causes him to collapse (dropping his seal in the process), and Wonder and Motoha immediately move to help him. Miyazawa lightly suggests the "little girl" call an ambulance.

Motoha, angry, tells him he doesn't need to tell her that, and exits Toraiken to make the call. While she's gone and Wonder is occupied with Yamagoshi, Miyazawa picks up the dropped seal, and uses it to stamp the papers.

Miyazawa declares the contract settled, much to Wonder's shock. Miyazawa says his eyesight isn't very good- didn't he see that Yamagoshi stamped it himself?

At that moment, Shun comes in, and sees the scene in the restaurant. Furious, he grabs Miyazawa by the collar and demands to know what he did.

Miyazawa asks if he's going to use violence again, and his agent takes out a phone to record.

Yamagoshi weakly tells Shun to stop, and Shun immediately lets go of Miyazawa and helps Yamagoshi up with Wonder.

Miyazawa asks his agent if he got that, and after he nods, immediately threatens to ruin Shun's future with the video. He advises Yamagoshi to stay calm, for both his and Shun's sakes.

This only makes Shun angrier, but Yamagoshi urges him not to let himself get provoked and play right into Miyazawa's hands. Shun apologizes, and says he's always dragging others down with his actions.

Yamagoshi reassures Shun that he likes seeing his energy, and how he's honest, straightforward, and informal, but cares deeply about cooking. He reminds him that making guests smile is the "pride" of cooks. As he's talking, he starts coughing again, to Shun's dismay.

Miyazawa comments that this is like an episode of a soap opera, but he hates it, because it makes him look like a villain. This prompts even Wonder to get mad at him (both response options seem to be angry), but he mockingly asks if all young people act like this these days. They look more like the phantom than him.

He then says he'll give Shun a chance, and challenge him to a Flavor Fight. When Shun doesn't know what this is, Miyazawa seems mildly offended, asking, "Haven't you seen it on my channel?". All Shun has to do is make a dish that can satisfy Miyazawa, and he'll win, and Miyazawa won't cause trouble for Ashouken or Toraiken anymore. But, if he's not confident, then forget it.

Wonder tries to warn Shun this is a trap, but Miyazawa says he's being too suspicious, and Miyazawa's lost a Flavor Fight several times, so there's a chance Shun could win. Shun accepts, and Miyazawa gleefully tells him that the time and place will be announced later on his website.

Motoha runs back in, and announces the ambulance is here. Miyazawa casually takes his leave. Down the street, his agent asks why he's bothering with a Flavor Fight when he already has the restaurant.

Miyazawa explains that Shun is always frustrating him and getting in his way, talking about "genuine flavor", so he wants to return the favor. And, if he can control how the story is told on the internet afterward, he might be able to solve the problem of "filling the vacancy". His agent asks what that means, and Miyazawa says it's not his problem, he should just focus on preparing for the video.

Back in Toraiken, Shun tells Wonder and Motoha that the ambulance took Yamagoshi, and his neighbor went along with it. Motoha says his breathing stabilized, so he should be fine, and then asks Shun about the Flavor Fight.

She says she's seen an episode of it, with another chef that had a problem with Miyazawa. When he lost, his reviews got even worse, and everyone was on Miyazawa's side. And it's not broadcast on TV, just Miyazawa's personal channel, so he's in full control of the editing, too. It has to be a trap!

Shun says that might be the case, but he has no other choice, he has to take the gamble.

Motoha says Shun should just tell people the truth about Miyazawa and the cheap ingredients he's forcing Ashouken to use, but Shun says that won't work, because Miyazawa will explain it away. The only way it'd work is if Miyazawa admitted it himself.

Motoha then points out that winning the Flavor Fight might not even do anything, and Shun agrees that he doubts Miyazawa will keep his promise, but if Shun, a fool, loses the fight, he only embarrasses himself, and it won't affect Ashouken or Yamagoshi. If he's the only one who has to bear the burden, it's fine. He then says Wonder and Motoha should leave, before they get too involved with him and Miyazawa targets them, too. He'll figure it out himself.

After leaving Toraiken, Ruferu says he's almost certain Miyazawa is the next Palace ruler, as he's the only one benefiting here; even the customers themselves are having their desires stolen. Motoha agrees that after she lost her desires, she felt like there was just nothing she could do, and she just had to put up with it. The only way to stop Miyazawa is to make him have a change of heart. They decide to head to Mementos next, to finally locate his Palace.

To be continued in the next reblog!

[tricksterlatte]

Random femAkeshu Pokemon AU lore I couldn’t include in Dark Void for various reasons:

- Akechi becomes the ghost type Elite Four member. She keeps Ceruledge, Mimikyu, Decidueye, and Marowak on the team, but also rotates other ghost types she obtains later during various adventures with Akira.

Among these are a Dhelmise (a callback to Shido’s ship in canon), Gengar, Spiritomb, Banette (throwbacks to her childhood due to their lore as abandoned or resentful creatures), and a Sableye named Kurusu she captured as payback for Corviknight’s supposedly stupid pun nickname. Also she does not mention Kurusu’s name until it gets into trouble and she can call Kurusu an idiot, to Akira’s confusion. Akira thinks it’s petty. Akechi thinks it’s justice.

- She catches a Torracat as well, evolves it into Incineroar, and once again another one of her Pokemon pursues one of Akira’s (Meowscarada this time) romantically. Even the cats are gay.

- Akira keeps Zebstrika, newly nicknamed Loki. For once, Akechi approves of a nickname. Nerd. You don’t even have Norse mythology in your universe.

- The other Elite Four are Sae (Ice), Iwai (Steel), and Chihaya (Psychic). Shido was previously Dragon.

- Gym Leaders as of the fic: Ann (Fire), Yoshida (Rock), Hifumi (Water), Kawakami (Normal), Ryuji (Electric), Makoto (Fighting), Ichinose (Dark), Lavenza (Fairy). Kamoshida and Kaneshiro were previously gym leaders before Ann and Ryuji. Since Makoto was already a gym leader, I let Ryuji take Kaneshiro’s spot.

- Team Ark’s goal was simplistic control over as many regions as possible, and were led by Shido. Shido previously destroyed Akira’s life similarly to canon, so she ran away from home and helped Sojiro at Leblanc. I didn’t pick a singular region for this because I decided it was its own, despite basing the fic mostly in Sinnoh. They globe trot much like the Journeys and Horizons anime.

- Akira doesn’t travel with everyone everywhere like in canon once she befriends them, but some usually accompany her for awhile. Ann and Ryuji journeyed with her after she helped stop Kamoshida because he kidnapped Shiho, a Pokemon breeder and Ann’s girlfriend.

- Madarame was a patron of the Lilycove museum who supposedly painted everything he submitted. Truthfully, Yusuke was painting every contest star submission himself, and lived in poverty at Madarame’s house. Akira, Ryuji, and Ann saved him, he helped Akira with Team Ark in return too.

- Kaneshiro owned the game corner and was a gym leader. He had a bigger hand in Shido’s Team Ark, like a mini boss such as Saturn or Courtney, for example. Makoto nearly outed Akira to the police despite Shido having them under his thumb, because he threatened her city (his gym neighbored his?. However, she decided she couldn’t let injustice slide, and helped her reveal the game corner and Team Ark’s corruption.

- Futaba and Akira were already friends in this AU. She is the PC storage system creator known as Medjed, but she ran into some trouble thanks to a Cofagrius haunting her house. Akira and Akechi were the ones who saved her, solidifying Akira’s trust in Akechi.

- Akira and Akechi traveled together a decent bit, to solidify their bond. They battled regularly, with a pretty even win-loss ratio once Akira got the hang of things. Akechi lied about her Pokemon on hand sometimes “just in case.”

- Okumura was killed by Akechi still in this AU, the same way she attempted to kill Akira. 🫡 HOWEVER, an Okumura power plant was the casualty instead of a spaceship palace, and in the process several Pokemon nearby were injured or killed—including Cubone’s mother. The weight of orphaning something so defenseless the same way she had been after losing her mother chipped at her walls, so Akechi took in Cubone as an apology. It wasn’t enough to change her fate, but Cubone loves her, and she loves Cubone.

- Haru retired from Okumura Corp to open a Pokemon cafe after Team Ark collapses. Shes tired and deserves it

- Kasumi is in a coma after an accident—I still haven’t decided if she’s dead or not. Sumire loses her mind a little bit thanks to Maruki’s totally ethical experiments (lie), and takes on Kasumi’s goal to become the greatest coordinator. She only goes into recovery after the Darkrai and Cresselia incident. Thanks for nothing, Maruki

- Lavenza gave Akira her Zorua, who was the one to fool Akechi at Dragonspire Tower via illusions while Akira rushed to claim Zekrom.

- Zenkichi is in the Officer Jenny role. He has dozens of lookalike relatives, and Akira claims she can’t tell them apart. Takemi is in the Nurse Joy role with dozens of lookalike relatives, and Akira can tell all of them apart with ease. Zenkichi doesn’t know if he’s being pranked or not and he’ll never find out.

- Akira’s Polteageist is on loan from Sojiro, except Sojiro loans it forever. He hopes that kid is safe now

- Shinya is a bug catcher who taught Akira some of those stupid strategies you’d see Ash use in the anime. Akechi is MALDING that they work, by the way.

- Ohya is a reporter much like Gabby and Ty. She exchanges tips about Team Ark with Akira, despite Akira never directly telling her she’s the one committing crimes constantly to bust worst crimes.

- I can’t stop thinking of Akechi just vibing but visibly only there for Akira. It’s like when Piccolo starts hanging out with Goku’s crew because of Gohan, except like with a mean lesbian human. Why did I choose this analogy? Idk!

- Mishima owns a Gimmighoul. I don’t know what else to add here

I have full teams for everyone, but I fear this post has gotten too long! If you’re still reading, thank you for doing so, and I hope you enjoyed!

[clownakai]

Bleh. Pinned post time 💥

Hi! I'm Atlas and this is where I'm very neurotypical about DetCo :)

Here's a helpful guide to the things I will probably talk about the most:

☆ My favorite clown in the whole wide world (Akai Shuuichi/Okiya Subaru)

☆ The Akai siblings in general

☆ Movie 24 <- guy who is extremely neurotypical about this thing

☆ The "Shuuichi and Conan as absolutely unhinged unofficial father and son" agenda

☆ The "Shuuichi and Jodie as the best friends they deserved to be" agenda

☆ Whiskey Trio Era 💥💥💥

☆ Whiskey Trio (OT3 edition), Scotchrye, Akam

☆ my WIPs

More info under the cut :)

Character tags!

☆ #! [character name] -> I can and will assign random posts to characters. This is how I keep track of them

☆ #subaruposting, #shuuichiposting -> I get gender envy sometimes okay. Leave me alone (explodes)

Miscellaneous tags!

☆ #yapping time -> welcome to Atlas Reading Too Much Into Irrelevant And/Or Largely Inconsequential Things (may or may not be backed by actual manga/anime screenshots) ^_^^

☆ #brainworms time -> writing tag!

☆ #my sandbox now -> general headcanons tag!

☆ #m24 my beloved -> I'm normal about this movie I promise

☆ #atlas.exe -> memes/shitposts/you name it

☆ #detco rewatch, #detco reread -> what it says on the tin

☆ #detco text posts -> meme format specific tag (I like scrolling through these :3)

☆ #detco spoilers -> recent manga chapters tag!! Beware!!

List of WIP/AU tags!

☆ #genderfuckery AU: none of the Akai siblings are cis 💚 unfortunately for everyone they have to figure that out first. Specifics are as follows:

#genderfuckery: the slut shirt fic -> Akai Shuuichi

TBD -> Haneda Shuukichi

TBD -> Sera Masumi

☆ #almost people AU: general vaguely eldritch fuckery re: various characters. Specifics are as follows:

#almost people: soliloquist -> Akai Shuuichi

TBD -> Miyano Shiho

TBD -> Vermouth

TBD -> Edogawa Conan

#almost people: golden -> Hagiwara Chihaya

☆ #amnesiac akai AU: what it says on the tin 💚 things go wrong at Raiha Pass, and Shuuichi ends up actually scarred and amnesiac, disappearing from everyone's radar— including the good guys'. He's fine though, just living his best life out there. Camel suffers as a direct consequence of this. Also, Shuuichi and Subaru are separate people here, and this may or may not be a slight crossover with something else (purely for comedic potential). No real plot tbh, but I do find it funny to build upon it from time to time

☆ #pokemon AU: also what it says on the tin 💚 originally started as me assigning teams to detco characters and immediately devolved into whiskey trio angst + general clownery. Mostly a silly little AU I occasionally write snippets for

Dynamic-specific tags!

☆ #unofficial father and son -> anything Shuuichi & Conan adjacent

☆ #the fucking akai family -> exactly what it says on the tin

☆ #we could have had it all -> Shuuichi & Jodie agenda save me

☆ #nagano gang -> exactly what it says on the tin

☆ #OTP: they keep me sane -> Yumi/Shuukichi tag

☆ #OTP: divorce of the century -> Rei/Shuuichi tag

☆ #OTP: they make me sick -> Scotch/Rye tag

☆ #OTP: literally married -> Hiro/Rei tag

☆ #OTP: insane soulmateism -> Heishin tag

‼️ Disclaimer: I use OTP very loosely here— more for tag format convenience than anything. Shipping is less important to me than you'd think.

💥 This post may be subject to future changes! 💥

[taldigi]

Between P3, P4, and P5, whose social links/confidants do you like best? Both from a mechanical standpoint (which one works the best mechanically) and from a character perspective (game with with most social links/confidants that you like).

5 absolutely knocks them all out of the park. I really liked a lot of them, and I liked how they all gave perks AND a lot of them had momentos missions attached to them too.

4 is next, I think I enjoyed them because.. a lot of them felt really casual and comfortable. They were all small moments rather than big ones that added up. A few in p5 do that, but they feel less meaningful in a weird way: like you're there to fix problems in p5 but 4 you're just there to be a friend and if something gets fixed it's just cause you were at the right place and willing to listen.. like... Chihaya vs Naoki for example.

5 had a lot of grand moments in the links, big events that you just felt "there" for- and it was fitting for the game, but sometimes Joker just felt "there" rather than as a starring aspect of it. Again, it's the framework of p5 that does this, and I still liked them all.

SO FAR the 3 links feel very... ah, pandery? I'm not far enough in to get a full, meaningful grasp on it. I feel like i can't really say anything that isn't "right" without getting punished (I can't talk to someone in P3 to check with them without being locked out of doing the link for the day) vs how you can call Rise stupid to her face and it shocks her enough to realize she IS being stupid. It lends to Joker and Yu feeling more like characters and I appreciate that.

just to show how far i am into p3 as reference

[frogiwi]

i think i know the answer to this one but i would like to hear about him anyway so :3c

17 please! and 28 and 29 as well!

WAH THANK U CRAB this got suuuuper long so under the cut

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

you do absolutely know the answer and it's CHIHAYA SHUNPEI WITH THE STEEL CHAIR. ok i never could have anticipated getting such intense blorbo brainrot again this way and i'm still getting more obsessed with him every day so like. he needs to be studied and so do i probably.

i mean anyone could have seen this coming from a mile away, he's every bit my type in anime boys. he's snarky and mean, really good at what he does, hates himself to some extent, he's pretentious, he wears megane (even better, THEY'RE FAKE... i love a fake ass bitch.... the akane aoi tbhk-isms are strong with this one), and he's cute and hot and small and easily manhandle-able. i can't get enough of him. he is irresistible to me.

inevitably he's a guy i can project on a lot and i tend to find it much easier to write pretentious, overthinky characters than ones who are simpler in both their thoughts and manner of speech, bc well, i am pretentious and overthinky LOL. i've actually written a good amount in todo's perspective this year as well, but i don't think i capture his inner voice as well as i do chihaya's especially in longer works where there's a lot more for them to think about. sometimes i think i get too convoluted, but that's kind of the fun with chihaya. i think he's a really convoluted guy who has a lot of wants and desires and a degree of self-interest that causes Problems when other people get too close to him. i want bad things to happen to him and i want him to miserable bc i think it's good enrichment for him. and i think affection scares him. this question is not about my headcanons but i just UGH i love characters like this bc they're so easy to fuck up a little (a lot) and i feel like i HAVE to fuck them up a little (a lot). so cheers to chihaya, here's to fucking you up some more in the future bc god i have so many wips

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

i think it's gotta be something blooming, it's consuming (will be referred to as vamp fic). it was really close between this and pretend it's the same (will be referred to as cheating fic), but there's a few reasons why the vamp fic comes out on top.

first of all, both of these ended up unexpectedly long, but i think vamp fic is more cohesive, even though it's longer. i say 'even though' because i feel i have a harder time keeping track of the threads i want to follow though on and making sure everything is wrapped up properly the longer a fic gets. part of the reason for this is how i handle getting stuck on a scene. i'm always a supporter of the tactic of if you get stuck, jump to some other part you have ideas for, and connect them later. doing this helps me a LOT, and usually makes it easier to write the part i'm stuck on once i know what i need to do to get to the next scene i wrote. but i think with the cheating fic, i ended up with some inconsistency/tonal differences due to writing most of the start after writing almost the entire rest of the fic. i started writing that fic in the middle of the scene that the whole fic idea was born from, and i went and did the lead up to it afterwards. but that scene involves the pov character getting drunk, and i think his... level of coherency? and eloquence of thought? varies between the late-written intro and the first-written middle of scene. i don't think it's super glaring but it's enough to bother me a little (not enough to fix it LOL).

by contrast, i wrote the vamp fic pretty much entirely in order. i think doing it this was was important in this fic because it has like 3 main scenes which are increasing in intensity/intimacy, and i do think if i had written them out of order, the ramping up would've become more muddled. i think the way it ended up is really satisfying (and hidey told me the same while betaing hehe :3 that the progression was really clear) and so i'm especially glad for that because this is also one of the most intimate fics i've written so far, even though this doesn't have actual smut and i have written actual porn. but in each of those three scenes, the dynamic between todochi shifts into something new each time, so it being a clear demarcation is yummm

another point of comparison is that both fics are about chihaya's insecurities, even though vamp fic is from todo's perspective. but that was one of the unexpected things for vamp fic that makes me love it even more - it was supposed to be a simple, horny idea about chihaya drinking todo's blood, but while writing it, i realized how great of an analogy vampirism is for chihaya's body issues, and that realization (which happened early on, as i was writing like the first scene itself) is what fueled the rest of it, really. so the fic ended up being about like, instinct and desires vs shame and repression, which was rly fun. it was really interesting to end up writing about chihaya through todo, even though the fic was about todo's desires too, because in a way it was simpler than actually being in chihaya's head LOL like i was in cheating fic. only having his words and actions to go off of and having to make todo figure him out and break down his walls i think helped me understand their relationship better than if it had been from chihaya's perspective and his resistance to todo and his instincts. another thing that came up as a really strong focus of this fic was that todo's interest wasn't just in the vampirism, it was in chihaya's experience with vampirism. for todo, it's about chihaya. but for chihaya, this fic would've been about his vampirism, and not about todo.

also, this fic was just straight up sexy LOL i have trouble writing porn bc it feels not as hot when i actually have to write it but i really like writing this stuff that's like on the edge, suggestive and intimate without going all the way, and i am super into how i executed it here. also i got really sexy fanart for it from a friend so like. yeah blessed. how could this NOT be my favorite thing i did this year

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

hands down, it's the following from pretend it's the same

Makita goes where he’s led, more obedient than he’s ever been in his life as Chihaya guides him, learning how to kiss him in between each breath.

i like. exploded when i wrote this. for context chihaya is cheating on todo by kissing makita in this scene because he's lonely, and makita has had feelings for him for a long time and has never been with anyone else. i'm just hnghhhh [horny grip]. makita can be so dense and bullheaded and he pushes chihaya too much but it's all such a simple, without ulterior motives, interest in chihaya as a person. he'll argue and push chihaya's buttons, but for this, he lets chihaya take the lead. and he learns. ugh i think the concept of obedience is super interesting with makita aaauuggh like he is so devoted to improving and getting better (in baseball) and i see that diligence extending to chihaya as well. he wants to understand him better. he wants to be closer to him. but he always approached it all wrong. so the idea of chihaya letting him be close, giving makita the opportunity to learn him in this way, when there's someone else who loves chihaya and has already learned him, who knows him intimately i just went nuts AAAAAAA

ok this was super long BUT THANK U FOR SENDING AN ASK YAYYYY

ao3 wrapped asks