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Or maybe it was because you were four years old at the time and could not yet decide. In any case, you didn’t consider you’d be running through fog-covered vegetation, nicking items off the corpses of gooey shadow monsters from the collective unconsciousness of all humanity.

“Agi!”

You gasp loudly, sweat dripping off your back, as the Basalt Shadow disappears in a puff of black smoke. Ippon-Datara lets off a guttural roar and vanishes. Coins are sent clattering to the stony path. 345 Macca. Not the best of drops, but it’s enough.

35 hours, 50 minutes and zero seconds remain until Celeste is cooked into human steak and dumped back into the real world. You need a break. Time to sit down behind a bush and check AETHER.

>>MAP

An endless expanse of whiteness is plastered across the screen, with only a flashing red dot and a corner of brown and green serving as respite from the pale void. The map of Hazebound Woodlands is exactly how you imagine the opening acts of a RPG to be: lands of possibilities shrouded in unfamiliarity and myth. At the moment, a strange sense of satisfaction washes over you, like the tide coming to rest on a soft sanded beach.

Celeste is close. Her blinking distress signal is growing nearer and nearer. It won’t be long before you catch up and inevitably fight the enemies guarding her. You wince and massage your shoulders. Punching and kicking so much in a short time has made your muscles sting. Back in middle school, you weren’t the type of guy to get into fights. You would hide in the background and observe.

“This really is a game, huh…”

You check your backpack. All the drops from the Shadows are contained here. So far, the objects have consisted mostly of…

>Vitality restoration items
>Macca
>Food and water
>Miscellaneous and random stuff

>>40953390
>Miscellaneous and random stuff
Fuck yeah knickknacks!

>>40953390
>Food and water

>>40953390
>Vitality restoration items

>>40953390
>>Macca

>>40953390
>Miscellaneous and random stuff

>>40953390
>Vitality restoration items

>>40953390
>Miscellaneous and random stuff

>>40953390
>>Food and water
Celeste needs em.

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>>40953414
>>40953461
>>40953462
This is you guys isn't it.

>>40953490
>not wanting a kickass snowglobe

>>40953490
We unlocked the healing spring didnt we.

>>40953490
Yup. Me on the bottom right.

>>40953508
We'd have to backtrack to get there. Not good for on the job healing.

>>40953520
It'll be fine.

>>40953528
Not really. If we have to backtrack we might be too slow to save Celeste. Monsters repopulate when we leave the forest after all.

>>40953545
This, healing items for endurance is necessary.

>Miscellaneous and random stuff

Sell this stuff off so we can get new equipment.

>>40953545
It'll be fiiine, we know dia.

>>40953572
>Using your limited mana pool to heal instead of carrying items to do so
>Being this much of a casual
stay pleb anon.

>>40953390
>Vitality restoration items

>>40953583
It'll be fiiiiiiiiiiiine.

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>>Miscellaneous and random stuff.

Yes, you acquired a bunch of objects with seemingly no discernible relationship between them whatsoever. Why did the Shadows drop them? Did they belong to the remnants of the living beings the Shadows once were? Could you find any mileage out of them? So many questions.

Now that you think about it, the quantity and the usefulness of said items are…

>Roll 2d20
>Best out of three rolls.

Rolled 6, 5 = 11 (2d20)

>>40953616

Rolled 2, 3 = 5 (2d20)

>>40953616

Rolled 7, 13 = 20 (2d20)

>>40953616

Rolled 16, 8 = 24 (2d20)

>>40953616
BUDAH

Rolled 12, 8 = 20 (2d20)

>>40953616

>>40953635
well fuck.

>>40953616
Stuff we can bring to the forge twins maybe?

>>40953654
SHOULD HAVE BELIEVED IN BUDAH NIGGER LIPS

Fucking mystery box options. They are like /tg/ bait.

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Not all that great, to be honest. The Shadows are particularly stingy with the loot falling out of the beaten, dying bodies. Either that, or the random number god isn’t feeling good today. You didn’t much stuff. Pages out of random books in indecipherable languages. A pair of oversized sunglasses. A broken, rusty sword. Plastic jars only half-filled with medicinal pills. A few chocolate bars nearing their expiration dates. Only the last two are of any use.

…why do Shadows have chocolate bars? What are they supposed to do with them? Eat? That’s ludicrous. Shadows have long since been proven to enjoy only one form of sustenance: the lives of human begins.

You shove the thought into the back of your mind where it belongs. Rest is over. It’s time to keeping moving.

The dirt trail takes you past tall, intimidating trees and the omnipresent fog. You slide your fingers into the knuckledusters and creep along the track. The tension is palpable within your nervous system. At any moment, a Shadow could leap out of the gloom and assault you in the back of the head. It nearly happened in the previous encounter, thankfully only averted by the loud, groaning sound the Basalt had made as it trudged across the ground.

But no enemies lie in wait. How very suspicious. The complete absence of danger drives another cluster of nerves and pressure into your skull.

You step into an area where the fog is slightly less thick. A pale, orange light catches your eye. It’s sheltering in the ruins of a wooden hut. Is it a trap? You carefully tiptoe over to the source.

>>40953966
I'm guessing this is one of the non-Shadow encounters, like that elf we saw get killed. Hopefully this one will have a happier resolution.

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What you see surprises you. A bronze sword is jutting out of a pile of ashes and a flickering fire is roaring at the base. A weird sense of warmth and comfort washes over you. It’s similar to coming home after a long, tiring day of school. You suddenly feel the urge to sit down and stare at the flames. Nothing can touch you here.

“This is a bonfire!” Your phone suddenly rings again. The tutorial voice is back. “You can think them as checkpoints scattered across the various sectors. We were going to use Karma Terminals, but those proved to be too time consuming to create. Bonfires have the special property of accelerating the human body’s natural growth by around three times their normal rate. Your vitality and mana will slowly restore if you stay within their zone. They are also designed to ward off Shadows and enemies, but they are not completely impervious to attack. Use them wisely! Oh, and the flames are special. You cannot manipulate them at all. Sorry!”

You sit down and let out a sigh of relief. Yeah, this feels good. You can feel your muscles loosening and the pain fading away. How long will you camp at the bonfire?

>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.
>Stay until you are fully healed, which might take a while.
>A moderate amount of time, not too much nor too little.
>You decide to call it a day and head back home.
>Custom option.

>>40954062
>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.

>>40954062
>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.

>>40954062
>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.
Enough to get the soreness out of our muscles, then continue on.

>>40954062
>A moderate amount of time, not too much nor too little.

>>40954062
>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.

>>40954062
>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.

>>40954062
>A moderate amount of time, not too much nor too little.

>>40954062

>A moderate amount of time, not too much nor too little.

are those pills labelled, never trust strange pills kids!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AuLkMBAFZg

>>40954062
>Stay until you are fully healed, which might take a while.

We have 35 hours. We can afford to fully heal up.

>>40954062
>>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.

Wonder what happens if we loot that sword.

>>40954118
Seconded, I want to try taking the sword.

>>40954118
I'd rather not fuck with it

>>40954062
>>Stay until you are fully healed, which might take a while.

>>40954118
The "can't manipulate the flames" thing probably extends to the whole set up.

>>40954118
I don't think grabbing a piece of metal sitting in fire is a good idea.

>>40954062
>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.

>>40954062
>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.

>>40954118
>>40954128
The sword is impaling the flame least it run away.

Going by souls logic.

>>40954254
>remove sword
>flames spread
>forest fire
>shadows flee
>...
>Just as planned?

>>40954330
It'd kill us and Celeste at that point too.

In the game of origins the flame was a living thing and wanted to GTFO of where it was.

>>40954330
>remove sword
>???
>PROFIT!!

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>>40954330
>>flames spread
Doesn't work that way.

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>>For a bit, and then you’ll get moving.

As much as you’d love to gaze at a fire with an apparently limitless supply of fuel for the rest of the day, you’ve still got stuff on your plate. The soreness is beginning to fade from your limbs and droplets of mana work their way into your soul. It’s enough. You stand up from the ground, wiping the dust off your trousers and stretch your arms.

“Ah…”

>>Try and pull out the sword.

Out of curiosity, you obey. The heat turning the metal white doesn’t send you grasping your hand, screaming about burns and blisters and whatnot. At least, not when Ippon-Datara is equipped. Your fingers tighten around the hilt and you pull.

The sword refuses to budge. You frown and try harder. It’s futile. The chunk of metal refuses to rise even an inch out of the pile of ashes. Either you’re not strong enough, or the bonfire isn’t supposed to be used in this manner. Ehh…better leave it where alone, then. Removing the bonfire out of existence could have some really awful consequences.

A small shiver did crawl up your spine when your skin brushed against the hilt. What mysteries lay behind it? You shrug your shoulders, heave on your backpack and exit the safe zone.

“One more thing! The skill Trafuri, Traesto Items or any similar methods will automatically teleport you and your party to the nearest bonfire. Use this piece of information to your advantage.”

You walk. The gap between you and Celeste is narrowing by the second. Along the way, numerous Shadows form out of the ground and drop down from the trees, ready to tear your body to shreds and feast on the remains. You summon your Personas and retaliate. Fire and electricity are exchanged against shrieking assaults and elemental powers. Ultimately, your combat performance against them could be summarized as…

>Roll 1d20
>Best out of three rolls.

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>40954470

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>40954470

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>40954470

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>40954470

>>40954470

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>40954470

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>40954470

>>40954502
Nice save, mate.

>>40954502
>Ultimately, your combat performance against them could be summarized as…
Pretty damn good it seems.

>>40954515
Thanks

>>40954520
Yup.

>>40954502
Kicking it in the clutch, Anon.

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…pretty damn sweet, actually. A great deal of the Shadows encountered were weak to fire and electricity, giving you ample opportunities to send them tumbling to the ground and stamp on their heads. Some of them had been weak enough to be taken out in a few strikes. Watching Ippon-Datara rampage around the field like a drug-high maniac, flinging Shadows into trees had been cathartic as hell. Yes, you are fully aware that these Shadows are the weakest of the weakest, the types that could be dispatched by Anti-Shadow Operatives in less than a second. You do not care.

The winding path leads upwards, over a hill and past the horizon. It then drops downwards, leading to another open space in the midst of the forest.

Voices are heard. The fires of makeshift torches and lanterns are winking in the distance. You dash behind the remains of a stony wall and peek around the corner.

The distress signal is practically metres away. You might have some trouble reaching it, though. All around the toppled-ruins of a once mighty fortress are the same hideous, diseased elves. They are shambling around the area, their sunken eyes drifting left and right. All of them are carrying sharp, bronze weapons: sword, axes and pikes. In this moment of time, you can see three of them.

Wait, make that four. One of them just emerged from the ground, located behind a wall some distance from you.

How will you proceed?

>Sneak around the elves, using the fog as cover.
>Attack them all that once and see what happens.
>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.
>Wait for a bit longer.
>Custom option.

>>40954827
>Knock them all unconscious, one by one

>>40954827
>>Attack them all that once and see what happens.

Maximum heroism! Our deeds shall become legendary!

>>40954827
>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.

>>40954827
>Sneak around the elves, using the fog as cover.

>>40954827
>Wait for a bit longer.

And when we can...

>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.

>>40954827
>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.

>>40954827
>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.

>>40954827
>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.

>>40954827
>Sneak around the elves, using the fog as cover.

>>40954827
>>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.
Let's Batman these bitches.

>>40954827
>>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.

>>40954941
Hey harpy man, how goes it?

>>40954827
>Sneak around the elves, using the fog as cover.

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>>Knock them all unconscious, one by one.

One little snag with this command. You have no idea how to knock someone unconscious. You are aware of a few methods: chloroform, tasers, sharp blows to the back of the head, asphyxiation and light and darkness skills if controlled properly. This has always been your sister’s area of expertise. You, on the other hands, have the skills of a feeble rookie at his first day at training camp.

Still…

You crush the card of the Fool and stare at Ippon-Datara’s hammer. That thing looks rather heavy, doesn’t it? If you belted someone on the head with this thing, would they be knocked out? Only one way to find out.

An elf, lips swollen and pus dribbling out of spots in his arms, is walking near you. You slowly rise out of cover, careful not to do anything stupid like step on a conveniently placed branch. Then you creep forward, Ippon-Datara’s hammer swinging upwards…

>Roll 4d20,
>Best of three rolls.

Rolled 10, 18, 17, 13 = 58 (4d20)

>>40955297

Rolled 7, 18, 15, 9 = 49 (4d20)

>>40955297

Rolled 12, 15, 8, 5 = 40 (4d20)

>>40955297
Rollin

Rolled 11, 5, 15, 6 = 37 (4d20)

>>40955297
Batman!

>>40955313
>>40955328
>>40955334
12, 18,17,13 not bad

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The first encounter doesn’t go so well. The elf guard turns around at the last moment, only to see the flat side of a mighty hammer swinging his way. It clips him on the side of the head, sending him tumbling across the field with a yell. You curse and rush forward. A second blow sends the rotten denizen into dreamland.

You tumble behind another patch of ruined brickwork. Now your clothes are soaked with dew and earth. How infuriating. Luckily, none of the other elves had appeared to noticed their fallen comrade. Perhaps the sickness that plagues these mysterious creatures has extended to their ears.

Why were the elves in these woodlands? Other than the obvious explanation of ‘because AETHER’, of course. It was apparent they were guarding Celeste for her execution, but what purpose would it serve? It didn’t help that you couldn’t understand a word they were rasping.

Numbers two and three go off without a hitch. You smack them into the blackness and leave them on the grassy ground. You miss at the forth one at first, catching his attention. In your panic, you switch to Pixie and electrocute the poor bastard. He briefly jerks in his place then collapses, a faint sizzling sound emanating off his body.

…you feel oddly guilty about this.

In any case, you see a wooden trapdoor in the ground, secured by rusting iron hinges. It takes some effort to prise it open, but you manage and descend into the murky depths.

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You are now in a small dungeon of sorts. It’s cramped and dark. You relight your torch and step forward. The faint sounds of breathing can be seen in the distance.

The distress signal has been reached. Kneeling in front of you, her arms chained behind her back, is Celeste Tachibana. The girl is in a complete mess. Her hair is ragged, her clothes are streaked with mud and swamp muck and her headphones have cracks running along each side. Her face is dirty and her eyelids are drooped shut.

Upon hearing your footsteps, she opens her eyes.

“Who’s there?” She says, weakly. Then she catches a look at you, through the darkness. “Takashi?”

“Yeah. It’s me, Celeste.” You say, walking over and crouching down. “Shit, you look awful.”

“I know. Those elves really beat me up.” She chuckles, and then she coughs, spittle flying across the distance. “That was quick, though. I didn’t think you’d get here so quickly…”

“Well, I couldn’t just leave you here.” You mutter, reaching forward and inspecting the restrains binding Celeste. They’re iron chains with glowing runes carved along them.

“Those chains…they’re doing something to my magic.” Celeste says. “I can’t hear Sati. Not that it matters, I used up all my mana fighting Shadows in the tutorial stage…”

“What do you mean?”

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She then looks down, a forlorn smile gracing her lips. “Still, I wasn’t scared. I knew you would come help me, Takashi-san.”

That sounds suspect. “What do you mean?”

“I saw your face on the AETHER screen. At that moment, I realized there was still hope for me. You just seemed like a reliable guy; I got that impression when we hung out together.”

“From that, you believed I would come to your rescue.” You question. “Me, a guy you’ve only met for a few days.”

“Like I said, you seemed reliable. And all of that weird stuff I’ve seen you doing, your disappearance and the blank looks, it must’ve been AETHER. We're players in this game together, Takashi-san.” Celeste gives you a small smirk. “Say, do you have any chocolate? My stomach is kinda rumbling at the moment…”

“You know what, let’s just get you out these chains first.” You reply.

How will you proceed?
>Smash the chains with Ippon-Datara’s hammer.
>Melt the chains with fire.
>Attempt to pick the lock with Celeste’s hairpin.
>Search for the key.
>Feed Celeste first.
>Custom option.

>>40955921
>Smash the chains with Ippon-Datara’s hammer.
>Melt the chains with fire.
Both. Heat them up, then strike them. Ippon-Datara's a blacksmith, I'm sure he knows what to do.

>>40955921
>Feed Celeste first.

>>40955942
Seconding.

>>40955921
>Smash the chains with Ippon-Datara’s hammer.
heat them as necessary.
feed her after.

>>40955921
>>Feed Celeste first.as we try to pick the locks.

>>40955921
>Feed Celeste first.

What are the ingredients of Thermite again? Rust and....?

>>40955921
>Attempt to pick the lock with Celeste’s hairpin.

>>40955921
Going with >>40955942

>>40955921
>Smash the chains with Ippon-Datara’s hammer.
>Melt the chains with fire.
after
>Search for the key

>>40955970
Aluminum. Rust and aluminum.

>>40955921
>Smash the chains with Ippon-Datara’s hammer.
Give her some food while he's at work

>>40955942
backing

>>40955921
>Attempt to pick the lock with Celeste’s hairpin.
I'm worried trying to brute force these will hurt her. Either from some sort of feedback or just from hitting her by accident.

>>40955921
>Smash the chains with Ippon-Datara’s hammer.

>>40955921
>Smash the chains with Ippon-Datara’s hammer.
Ippon is cool, I hope it will be a long while before we're forced to replace him.

>>40955997
It says that rubies/sapphires are crystalline aluminum oxide.

I don't suppose Celeste's hairpin has any gems?

>>40956064
The small problem here is volume, filing off enough rust would take as much or more time as filing through the chain.

>>40955921
>Smash the chains with Ippon-Datara’s hammer
We can feed her when we free her.

>>40956095
Also, aluminum oxide is nonreactive, so it wouldn't work anyway.

>>40956064
>>40956095

I also just remembered that an aluminium oxide and iron oxide mix would not cause a thermite reaction, you have two oxidizers. also aluminium oxide is relatively non reactive.

>>40956095
Rust is easier to file off than chain metal, and it's not like you need a lot of thermite. Nor would it be wise to USE a lot of thermite, or be anywhere near it.

>>40956112
riiiiiight.

>>40956149
Relatively non-reactive as >>40956140 stated maybe though relatively is a terrible term, though aluminium oxide is usually the product in the redox reaction for thermite.

>>40956149
>riiiiiight.
No, it is. Aluminum oxide is a catalyst, it does not itself react with much. Especially not in crystalline form. You need aluminum metal to make thermite. Aluminum is the fuel, iron oxide (rust) is the oxidizer. If the aluminum is already oxidized you're not going to get a reaction.

>>40956229
>>40956221
no, sorry, I wasn't being sarcastic. I really forgot that you need PURE aluminum.

So we just need to wait until we pick up some softdrink cans.

ITT /tg/ tries to remember high school chemistry

Why are we so intent on creating a fucking thermite reaction when 'Melt the chains with fire' is already an option right there. It's not like we even have a way to contain the reaction anyway, so just using a strong flame would burn her hands off just as well.

>>40956301
ITT: Solving problems with mundane methods, while ignoring the fact that we have supernatural solutions available.

Right?

>>40956269
Cans won't work either - they're coated in a layer of aluminium oxide. And aluminium readily oxidizes in air, so your pure aluminium won't be quite so pure for long. For that matter, most fuels that we can use in a thermite reaction would oxidize quite quickly, rendering them useless unless we can keep them in an oxygen-free environment.

>>40956343
Well we did grind our intelligence. Need some way of making it useful.

>>40956301
Because we don't have to use it on the chains?

Because this doesn't use MP?

Because a thermite reaction is still much higher temperature than Agi, possibly Agilao?

>>40956362
dang, so we'd need something more like an aluminum pipe or something, than grind it down right before using it. A lot less practical using extremely misc. drops.

>>40956390
How about using that intelligence to think of supernatural methods in getting out then?

Like, say, triple cast Agi on a chain then a single cast of Bufu. Rapid solid expansion and contraction.

We don't have a Bufu equipped Persona though.

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>>Heat up the chains with fire and then smash them with Ippon-Datara’s hammer.

“Hey Celeste?”

“Yeah?” the girl groans from her spot on the floor.

“You wield a Fire-based Persona, right? So that means you’re not affected by high temperatures?”

“Takashi-san, what are you trying to pull?”

You gesture to the chains and summon your Persona. “I’m planning to heat up the chains and smash them to pieces with Ippon-Datara’s hammer. He’s a blacksmithing demon, so it should be fine.”

Celeste frowns a little. “Takashi-san, my Persona is Sati but it doesn’t mean I want to set myself on fire and pray that I’ll be reborn as a better person. The mythologies of behind the Personas don’t usually transfer onto the skills of their wielders.”

“Seriously?”

“Not without specific training, no. Besides, wouldn’t finding the key be quicker?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” You admit. “But I knocked out all those elves and I’m afraid of what they’ll do to me when they wake up.”

“Good point. Okay, go for it.” Celeste says. “Um, be careful though.”

“I’ll try.” You mutter and command Ippon-Datara to move. He summons fire out of his hand and it consumes the beginnings of the chains, turning them orange-white. The sheer heat radiating off them doesn’t cause Celeste to flinch in the slightest. What happens next does cause her to wince, a lot. Ippon-Datara’s hammer strikes the metal once, twice, three times. You growl as you concentrate. Can’t let the hammer swing out of whack and crush Celeste’s head like a watermelon. Don’t think about it…

“Yes!”

The chains are broken, their sealing magic dying. Celeste smiles as the mana resurges into her system. She climbs to her feet, keeping one hand steady along the cool, barren brick wall.

“I’m back.” She grins.

You shake your head. “I can’t believe that worked…”

>Give her food.
>Lead her out of the dungeon immediately.
>Ask about her experiences in the Hazebound Woodlands.
>Custom option.

>>40956469
>Give her food.
She'll need the energy for our escape.

>>40956469
>Give her food.

>>40956469
>Give her food.
Enjoy chocolate

>>40956469
>Give her food.

>>40956469
>Give her food.
>call out pixie and heal her

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Searched google, got this

I can't be the only one thinking that this isn't the real Celeste, can I?

>>40956469
>Give her food

>>40956469
>Give her food.
and while she eats
>Lead her out of the dungeon immediately.

>>40956542
Best waifu, indeed. 10/10, bro. 10/10...

>>40956469
>Give her food.

>>40956542
I'd hit it.

>>40956607
Strike while the iron is hot

>>40956469
>Give her food.
>Ask about her experiences in the Hazebound Woodlands.

>>40956628
Top kek

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>>Give her food.

You reach into your backpack and retrieve the chocolate bars. They’re nearly about to go off and a bit crushed into pancake shapes. Nevertheless, Celeste’s eyes light up like bright stars in the night sky when she sees them.

“Are those for me?”

“Yeah.” You reply. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

“Don’t mind if I do, then!” She snatches the chocolate bars out of your hands and tears the plastic wrappings off. Cadbury Dairy Milk, Mars Bars and honeycomb Crunchie disappear down her gullet. Brown spots of sugary goodness, taken directly from the supermarkets of the world, coat the sides of her mouth.

“Normally, I eat way better stuff than this, but this tastes sooo good!” Celeste exclaims as she bites the tip off the last bar.

“I heard that consuming sugar restores mana.” You mutter. Celeste’s face is like one of those super-happy television stars seen on the big screen. You have to admit, seeing her so joyful makes you feel a bit better, too. “That’s way you eat so much candy, right? Christ, the way you gave me that bag of Jack Frost sweets implied you had several others back home…”

“Partly that, yep!” Celeste finishes off her little snack and tosses the wrapper on the ground. “Of course, it also helps that I find sweets delicious! I don’t think I’ll ever stop eating them.”

“A real sweets gourmet through and through, huh? You’re going to get diabetes one day…”

“Not when Amrita exists!”

“Anyway…” You glance towards the shaft of light streaming from the surface. “We should get out of here. There’s a safe zone nearby. Let’s head over there now.”

“Okay. Hold on though, I need to grab my phone.” Celeste says. Then she reaches for the straps on the front of her dirty vest and begins to loosen them.

“…what are you doing?” You ask, stepping back a little.

“Reaching for my phone.” Celeste replies, looking at you. “Hey, don’t stare. Turn around.”

“Why?”

File: celeste_sky.png (642 KB, 1220x663)

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“I have to take my clothes off.”

“Why the hell do you need to do that?”

“The tutorial voice told me to keep hold of my phone. But I was afraid the elves would pat me down and steal it from me. So I put in…you know…a secret place.”

“Ah. Okay then.” Damn, how could you be so stupid? “Um, sorry.”

"It's fine."

You proceed to avert your eyes. Behind you, you hear the sounds of clothes rustling against each other.

“Ahh, that feels much better. I’m never keeping a smartphone in there ever again…” Looks like Celeste is finished. You face her and see that she’s putting her vest back on, the electronic device clutched in one hand.

“Okay, I’m ready. Let’s get out of here, Takashi-san!” She smiles, chipper as usual.

“…yeah.”

The two of you do that. Celeste’s legs are still a bit wobbly from having being forced on the ground for an interminable amount of time. Her energy is back and some of the color has returned to her face. You end up supporting her part of the way through.

You reenter the surface of the Hazebound Woodlands. The elves are still unconscious. But for how long?

>Leave immediately.
>Loot the bodies for stuff.
>Eliminate the elves while they’re down.
>Custom option.

>>40957247
>Loot the bodies for stuff.

>>40957247
>Leave immediately.
Don't take any risks, just get out of here.

>>40957247
>Eliminate the elves while they’re down.

>>40957247
Get the fuck out of Dodge

>>40957247
>Leave immediately.

>>40957247
>>Loot the bodies for stuff.

>>40957247
>>Leave immediately.
gtfo

>>40957247
>Leave immediately.
For Celeste's sake, if nothing else. She probably wants out asap.

>>40957247
>Custom option.
Don't rifle through their pockets for stuff, but grab one of their swords for Celeste to use before we leave.

>>40957247
>>Eliminate the elves while they’re down.

>>40957247
>>Leave immediately.

>>40957247
>Loot the bodies for stuff.

File: mc_eye.jpg (414 KB, 1280x720)

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>>Leave immediately.

You decide to get the fuck out of these Woodlands before the elves awaken and begin vomiting liquid garbage on you and Celeste (or something). The thing is, can the two of you exit the area in silence?

>Roll 2d20
>Best out of three rolls.

Rolled 18, 18 = 36 (2d20)

>>40957506

Rolled 14, 9 = 23 (2d20)

>>40957506

Rolled 10, 13 = 23 (2d20)

>>40957506

Rolled 18, 14 = 32 (2d20)

>>40957506

Rolled 1, 4 = 5 (2d20)

>>40957506

>>40957518
NICE!

>>40957518
Awwwwwwwwwww yea.

>>40957518
This qualifies for a checking as far as I'm concerned. Checked.

>>40957518
>2 18s
>The post # ends in 18

Wow anon. Just wow...

>>40957667
Shiiiit I didn't even notice that.

File: bonfire2.jpg (175 KB, 751x1063)

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You and Celeste silently slink out of the clearing. The elves are none the wiser. Nothing tremendous or disastrous occurs. The bodies of the elves don’t horrendously split open, revealing Shadows forming from within. Said Shadows do not congeal into a big mass, ultimately creating a mask-wearing knight on a trusty steed. A big battle does not commence, which would involve you and Celeste working together to take down the boss as it throws light and wind spells around. Of course, the results of that battle would give you a large amount of Macca and possibly an iron key to open doors with.

But frankly, fuck that noise. You have encountered enough bullshit for one day. All you want to do is get you and your neighbour home, collapse onto your bed and sleep the rest of the time away.

The two of you arrive at the bonfire and rest there…

“You alright?”

“More or less.” Celeste says, taking a seat on the ground near you. “Wow, this flame is really pretty. It almost looks like it’s alive.”

“It’s a bonfire.” You clarify. “Apparently it’s a safe zone in the middle of this chaotic nightmare.”

“It’s…really comforting.” Celeste mutters, enraptured by the fire. "Hey, can we cook food with it?"

“I don't think so…”

You sit around the bonfire with Celeste, gazing at the flickering flames. Your shoulders and arms are still stinging with pain. Slowly but surely, the aura of the fire is helping you recover.

You should think of something to converse with Celeste…

>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Ask her about weapons and the like.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.
>Custom option.

File: 1432628006689.png (763 KB, 1264x1584)

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>>40957577
>>40957608
>>40957641
>>40957667
You are welcome.

>>40958002
>>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
No point in hiding it anymore

>>40958002
>>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
>>Ask her how she got AETHER.

>>40958002
>>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
>>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.

>>40958002
>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
By the way, I'm the protagonist

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.
They seem like a natural segue between them.

>>40958002
>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Ask her about weapons and the like.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages

In that order, if more than one is okay.
If not, just the first one.

Also, could we not pop the "sup I'mma FOOL yo" tidbit on her? Judging from Takashi's own reactions, she might not take it well right now. Probably.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.

>>40958002
>>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.

This seems like something to bond over.

>>40958066
Yeah, it seems like a bad time. We need to tell her eventually, though, if she's going to be exploring the Void with us.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages

Yeah, no reason to reveal it yet.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages

>>40958104
I'm all for telling her, but not now. Even if we saved her life, I don't think we're close enough to warrant revealing this yet.

>>40958104
There is never going to be a good time and you guys are always going to be putting it off.

Unless by good time you mean not immediately after she was held captive, such as tomorrow.

>>40958002
>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
Come clean and get it over with. Better cooperation down the line.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Ask her about weapons and the like.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Ask her about weapons and the like.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.
>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
I say tell her now. We're going to get into a situation where we may need to switch to Pixie, hell it may even be on our way out. She's not stupid, she'll figure it out.

>>40958179
That is what I mean. Like I said, we have to tell her if we're going to fight alongside her. Wild Card is too useful to leave behind for the sake of keeping the charade. I just mean that we should wait until she's home and feeling safe before we drop a huge bomb like that on her.

>>40958203
>A weird sense of warmth and comfort washes over you. It’s similar to coming home after a long, tiring day of school. You suddenly feel the urge to sit down and stare at the flames. Nothing can touch you here.
Feeling safe, you say? That's happening right now.

Supernaturally, but still.

>>40958179
tg being tg, I doubt we'll never reveal it to the girl people are inevitably going to try to waifu.

>>40958234
It's Persona. We need to waifu all the girls for the Social Links until we're forced to pick one anyway.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Ask her about weapons and the like.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.

We're not close enough yet to warrant this trust. Later for sure, but we've only known her for a few days. If we didn't tell our sister and mother, why should we tell her?

>>40958234
Try? At this rate, she'll be husbandoing him if he doesn't do anything and doesn't look like he's going after anyone else.

>>40958271
She's stuck in the game with us? Not telling her means hamstringing ourselves.

>>40958002
>>Tell her about your status as a Fool.

>>40958002
>Tell her about your status as a Fool.

>>40958271
Because sister and mother haven't been forced into the protagonist's game under threat of death yet.

>>40958002
>Tell her about your status as a Fool.
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.

>>40958002
>Ask her about weapons and the like.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages.

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Ask her about weapons and the like.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial

So glad to finally catch a quest while it's still running.

>>40958271
If we don't tell er we can't switch personas while she's around, only fools can pretend to be other types and have multiple summons. If we don't tell her we can never use our new pixi

File: 1418923291011.jpg (84 KB, 500x500)

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>>Ask her how she got AETHER.

For a moment, you contemplate telling Celeste your nature as the Wild Card of the 22nd Century. The words are at the tip of your tongue when you clamp your jaws shut. The girl beside you is exhausted from all the crap AETHER put her through. You’d not entire sure how she’ll react if you drop such a massive bombshell on her.

Or if she can be trusted, too.

So you ask something else.

“How’d you get AETHER in the first place?”

Celeste shakes her head. “It appeared on my phone one night. I couldn’t remove it no matter how hard I tried. I tried searching on the Internet, but nobody had ever heard of the program.”

“And now I have déjà vu.” You respond.

“Same as you, huh?”

“Yeah.” You pick up a stick on the ground and toss it into the flames. It burns to a crisp immediately, but the fire does not grow in the slightest. “When I disappeared, I was actually tossed into the game world. I woke up in an abandoned city and was forced to fight a bunch of Shadows. That’s how I got my Persona.”

“Abandoned city?” Celeste repeats.

“Ah, you haven’t seen it yet. The Forgotten City.” You say. “It’s the sector I arrived in. There’s nothing there except a crapload of ruined skyscrapers and broken traffic lights. The place looks ready to collapse at any moment.” You toss another stick into the bonfire. “The exit to the real world is there, though. We’ve been given a safehouse, too.”

“I assume that’s part of the game?”

>>40958002
>Ask her how she got AETHER.
>Discuss your experiences with the respective tutorial stages

File: mc_rush.jpg (355 KB, 1280x720)

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“Yep.”

Celeste sighs wistfully. “I never really was into games as a kid.” She says. “Music was more of my passion.”

“So…what exactly happened to you? How did you get sucked into the Blackened Void?”

“Car accident in District 5.” Celeste replies. “Well, time froze around me just before the car hit. Then shadows grabbed and pulled me under. I woke up in the Hazebound Woodlands, burned some Shadows and got myself kidnapped by the elves.”

“Ouch.” You mutter. “Sounds painful.”

“Mana exhaustion is the worst, you know?” Celeste remarks. “Your motivation is totally shot and you don’t feel like doing anything…”

You and Celeste rest for a bit longer, then decide it’s high time to move. You reach into your backpack and give Celeste the broken bronze sword, apologizing as you do so. She takes it in good stride, though. Between the bonfire and the train station are more Shadows and road to walk down on. The bonfire has restored some of your strength, but Celeste’s lack of a weapon puts her at a disadvantage.

Nevertheless, you both fight the Shadows and enter the depths of the dilapidated subway. So…how did the journey go?

>Roll 2d20
>Best out of three.

>>40958516
>a quest

More like one of my preferred ones, but still. Do we know if there's a way to increase the numbe of Persona we can handle from just three?

Rolled 18, 17 = 35 (2d20)

>>40958578
Rollin

Rolled 3, 13 = 16 (2d20)

>>40958578

Rolled 11, 20 = 31 (2d20)

>>40958578

>>40958588
>>40958607
18, 20 Pretty fucking well.

>>40958579
not yet.

Looks like we did bretty gud.

>>40958579
The Velvet Room squatters are being tight lipped about pretty much everything.

File: forgotten_city2.jpg (125 KB, 1200x675)

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The journey went pretty well, thank you very much. You and Celeste defeated the Shadows without much trouble. Macca was dropped, items were collected. On that subject…

“Hey Takashi-san.” Celeste picks up an iron key from the ground. “What is this supposed to be used for?”

A train is boarded. The destination is set.

“WELCOME TO THE HOLLOW EXPRESS. NOW HEADING TO SECTOR 0: THE FORGOTTEN CITY…”

The machine trundles along the rusted track. An hour passes. Celeste marvels at how this metal box on wheels is actually in operation. You ignore her.

The train stops. The two of you hop off and climb the immobile elevators to the surface. The sky is still dark. The giants of the derelict buildings loom in the distance like massive shadows, ready to crush all who enter between their midst. Dust floats through the air. You sneeze a little.

“Is it just me, or have we suddenly entered every generic Hollywood disaster movie scene in existence?” Celeste says, craning her neck to look up at the sheer volume of shitty edifices and blocks surrounding her.

“If only it were that simple.” Is what you grunt. You lead Celeste to the safehouse, where the door to the outside world stands, invitingly.

What will you do?

>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.
>Unlock one of the locked doors.
>Take her to the healing springs.
>Take her to Phoenix Soul Metalworks.
>Return to the real world immediately.
>Custom option.

>>40959004
>>Take her to the healing springs.
then
>Take her to Phoenix Soul Metalworks.

>>40959004
>Take her to the healing springs.

>>40959004
>>Take her to Phoenix Soul Metalworks.

Gotta unload our junk.

>>40959004
>Take her to the healing springs.
followed by
>Unlock one of the locked doors.

>>40959004
>Take her to the healing springs.
Although do we have enough money to afford it?

>>40959004
>>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.
then
>>Unlock one of the locked doors.
then maybe
>>Take her to the healing springs.

>>40959004
>>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.
THEN
>Take her to the healing springs.

....do we need an iron key every time we enter one of these things?

>Take her to Phoenix Soul Metalworks.

Guys we're going to be leaving soon. There's no point in going to the hot springs.

>>40959004
>>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.

>>40959004
>Take her to the healing springs.
>Take her to Phoenix Soul Metalworks.

>>40959004
>>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.
>>Unlock one of the locked doors.

>>40959086
Sure there is. It's healing and comfort. We'll both feel a lot better afterwards.

>>40959004
>>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.

>>40959194
We don't know how much it costs and going to a hot spring, even a healing one, alone with a girl we've known for a few days seems like it's asking for some kind of hijinks.

>>40959412
>Not wanting hijinks
Where am I? What year is it?

File: healing_vendor.jpg (123 KB, 1280x720)

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>>Take her to the healing springs.

“Hold up.” You state. “I’ve got a good idea.”

You take her over to the door with the intertwined snakes displayed on it. The doorknob is grasped and the gateway connecting time and space is opened. Celeste gasps and shields her face as the bright light envelops her.

Warmth, a sharp contrast to the bitterness of the forgotten city, floods through your system. It feels fantastic. Celeste, on the other hand, is disoriented to the point where’s she twisting and turning and attempting to understand what exactly happened. Which is kinda how you reacted before.

“Takashi-san, where are…”

“W-welcome to the Hebi-Ko Medical Facility!” The girl named Shizue something stuttered from beyond the counter. “H-how can I help you?”

“We’d like to use some of your healing springs.” You say, walking up.

“O-okay.” Shizue opens up a window on her computer and rapidly slams her fingers against the key, as if she’s afraid they might pop off and run away. “That’ll be 4000 Macca for the two of you.”

Wait, money? That’s actually needed here?

“Oh, so that’s what’s going on.” Celeste utters, raising a finger to her lips. “Sorry, Takashi-san. I don’t have any cash with me. Can you pay for two?”

File: shizue.gif (41 KB, 500x281)

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You sweat. “About that…”

“S-so, you don’t have any money? Is that it?” Shizue asks. “S-sorry then, but we can’t let you use our services…”

Then she scans at your beaten expression, the dirt covering the front of Celeste’s clothes and general tiredness reeking off the two of you like stink lines in a manga. The look on the attendant’s face softens. She chews her lip.

“But maybe...Hebi-Ko c-can offer both of you a complimentary service. Just this once!” She practically shouts out the last time. This attracts the attention of everyone else in the lobby. Shizue’s cheeks color crimson and she shrinks. “O-only once…you can’t do this again, you hear?”

“I understand.” You reply. “Thanks. We’ll definitely bring Macca with us next time.”

Shizue nods. “Baths are on the left. There are no mixed baths right now. P-please, enjoy yourselves at Hebi-Ko…”

You undress yourself in the men’s changing room and sink gratefully into the hot springs. It’s outdoors, with bamboo walls separating the men from the girls. Hardly anyone seems to be here.

“Oh, yessss!”

Fuck, this is amazing. A dozen times better than the aura around the bonfire. The tiredness in your bones is being erased and scrubbed off with ease. You have never entered a bath this relaxing and soothing. For once, AETHER has done something great. You don’t know what sorts of arcane magic is fuelling these baths, but it is goddamn incredible.

Judging by Celeste’s cries on the other side, the feeling is mutual.

Your wounds are healed. Your vitality and mana have restored to maximum. This is fantastic!

You dry yourself off and get dressed. Celeste meets you in the front lobby. She’s taken her vest off and her skin is noticeably cleaner. Shoes still need a wash and polish though…

“Let’s go.”

You return to the Forgotten City safehouse. What now?

>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.
>Unlock one of the locked doors.
>Take her to Phoenix Soul Metalworks.
>Leave immediately.
>Custom option.

>>40959574
>Unlock one of the locked doors.

>>40959574
>Take her to Phoenix Soul Metalworks.
>Maybe I can sell the junk I collected off.

>>40959574
>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.

>>40959574
>>Unlock one of the locked doors.

>>40959574
>Tell Celeste about what's in the rest of the doors and that keys unlock doors. Do what she wants.

She's probably curious but I don't want to waste time here when she wants to leave.

>>40959574
>>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.
>>Unlock one of the locked doors.

>>40959574
>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.

>>40959574
>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.

>>40959574
>>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.

Let's go with something that doesn't involve money.

>>40959574
>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.

File: Takashi_shocked.jpg (327 KB, 1280x720)

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“So…each of these doors leads to somewhere around the city?” Celeste asks.

“It looks that way.” You point over to the door with the hammer painted on the front. “That one leads to a metalworks shop. They sell weapons and armor. As for that Velvet one…”

“What Velvet one?”

You blink. “Excuse me?”

Celeste is staring at you, hands on her hips. “What are you talking about?”

“The Velvet door. The one with ten symbols on it. Can’t you see it?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Takashi-san.”

“…”

>>Show Celeste around the safehouse and maybe stash your gear there.

“Never mind.” You mutter. “I’ll show you around the safehouse. It’s kinda cool I suppose.”

You tap the electronic scanner with her finger. Celeste follows. It seems that the safehouse now recognizes her as a resident. The door slides open and you show her the barren interiors. A circle consisting of the bathroom, living room, kitchen and hallway is taken. Celeste is narrowing her eyes and placing her hand under her chin the entire time.

“What’s this computer for?”

“It’s a terminal where we can build the safehouse with.”

“How does that work?”

“Honestly Celeste? I have no idea.”

>>40959987
I'm surprised that the Velvet Room isn't also mentioned in middle school history class. Guess they don't know much beyond Fool = Wild Card = Bad Shit also capture for research purposes.

>>40960099
which is why we should NEVER tell anybody about it. NEVER.

Even if it means the safety of our loved ones.

>>40960153
go back to reddit.

>>40960153
We kinda have to tell our party members at some point, else how are we going to explain swaping personas?

>>40960163
First of all, What makes you think I go to that fucking shitpile you stupid motherfucker.

>>40960164
We don't do it infront of them then? What's not to say one of our party members blabbing that we're a fool arcana then.

>>40959574
>Snake giving a free dip in the healing springs

Based Snake is based.
Still waiting for Cat and Crab to appear though.

>>40960211
They aren't stupid us switching arcana would be noticed even done surreptiously. It is one of our biggest strengths in this game as well. We're hamstringing ourselves doing that. Also putting them at risk.

File: 46902939_p0.png (291 KB, 800x677)

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You drop off the backpack in the room, along with all the gear stored inside. Celeste does the same with the broken bronze sword.

“Ready to get out of this bloody city?”

“When I get home, I am going to take the biggest shower in my life.” Celeste grins at you, standing in front of the door to Akumachi City.

“Tell me about it.” You grip the handle and fling the entrance open. The blackened and disgusting otherworld is left behind and speedily replaced with the natural shouts, honks and rustles of the big city. It’s now early in the afternoon. A few clouds dot the sky. The sun is beginning to drift towards the depths of the horizon. Celeste expresses the same amount of wonderment as you did days ago. That is to say, the urge to shout with joy and plant her lips on the pavement.

“I’m back…” she whispers. “Finally, it’s over…”

You focus on attention elsewhere: AETHER.

>Tutorial Mission 2 cleared. 7 Build EXP acquired. Transmitting 6500 Macca to all players’ bank accounts…

The crowd is still thick, as expected of an overcrowded city district. You tap Celeste on the shoulder and motion for her to keep moving. The two of you end up merging through the crowd, stopping at a nearby store to order several meat buns and cans of drinks. Consumption is imminent and rapid.

“Thanks, Takashi-kun.” Celeste says, gulping down a chunk of bread.

“What for?” You ask.

“For saving me. I remembered I didn’t properly thank you back then.” She gives you a bright and cheerful smile. “So, thank you!”

“It was no big deal.” You reply. Other than the panic, the Shadows attacking, the strain,… “I’m just glad we got out alive.”

“True that.” Celeste nods. “You know, you’ve adjusted pretty well to all of this.”

“What do you mean?”

“All of these crazy shenanigans to do with AETHER. It’s like they don’t even faze you.”

>I’m still terrified, Celeste.
>No point in panicking, I guess.
>Sometimes I wonder if this is all a dream.
>The same could be said for you.
>Custom option.

>>40960211
Seems kind of disadvantageous to me. I'm not saying we can't do it, but it would be difficult to only ever have access to our other Personas when we're away from the rest of the party. Full power but no backup doesn't really appeal to me.

>>40960260
>>I’m still terrified, Celeste.

>>40960260
>>The same could be said for you.

>>40960260
>No point in panicking, I guess.

>>40960260
>Custom option.
"Huh. I honestly hadn't noticed. Guess I've just been too busy to worry."

>>40960263
It does for me. Fuck it, we can solo this shit.

>>40960211
>We don't do it infront of them then?
We'd be handicapping ourselves so fucking horribly that we're more likely to get ourselves killed than anything else.

>>40960260
>I’m still terrified, Celeste.

>>40960260
>>No point in panicking, I guess.

>>40960260
The odds are so stacked against me I can't even comprehend how screwed I am.

>>40960260
>No point in panicking, I guess.

>>40960260
>No point in panicking, I guess.

>>40960260
>>No point in panicking, I guess.
But to be honest I nearly shit myself the first time in, so I guess you get sued to it?

>>40960260
>No point in panicking, I guess.

>>40960260
>No point in panicking, I guess.

>>40960294
Well, you know what they say...

Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey.
One is always aware that it lies in wait.
Though life merely a journey to the grave,
it must not be undertaken without hope.
Only then will a traveler's story live on,
treasured by who bid him farewell.
But alas, my guest's life has ended,
his tale left unwritten.

We must take responsibility for our actions...

>>40960260
>>I’m still terrified, Celeste.

>>40960287
You do realize this game is about building relationships which empower our not!Stands right? And what are relationships based off of? That's right - TRUST.

Not to mention, as everyone else has pointed out, we would not only be hamstringing ourselves but also put our party at risk because we were such a paranoid fuck that we couldn't trust them.

>>40960260
>I’m still terrified, Celeste.

>>40960260
>I’m still terrified, Celeste.
>I'm just good at hiding it.

Among other things.

>>40960591
Adding:
>Check the time. Did we leltimejump again or AETHER screw the date?

>>40960260
>No point in panicking, I guess.

>>40960633
I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with time an AETHER. We were just gone that long.

>>40960260
>No point in panicking, I guess.

File: 1420658616378.jpg (105 KB, 500x625)

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>No point in panicking, I guess.

“Although, I nearly shat myself when I first entered the Blackened Void.” You shudder at the memory of the construct and the blue liquid in the syringe. Yeah, that isn’t going to disappear anytime soon.

“Eww, gross Takashi-kun!” Celeste giggles. “But yeah, I agree. If we lose our minds, we could die. Besides, I’ve been so busy keeping track of what’s going on I haven’t really had time to be scared.”

“That’s morbid.” You point out.

“It’s true, though.” Celeste thinks. “I gotta admit, sneaking out the ruins and fighting those Shadows…it was actually adventurous.”

“Seriously?” You look up from your canned coffee. “You actually enjoyed it?”

“Sorta? What came before wasn’t nice at all.” Celeste replies. “But burning all those Shadows to a crisp with Sati was actually a bit fun. Don’t you feel the same?”

You recall to the awakening. Smashing the first batch of Shadows with Ippon-Datara and crushing one under your foot. The adrenaline you felt as you dodged, punched and kicked in the Hazebound Woodlands. The sense of triumph received from successfully stealthing around the elf guards and freeing Celeste. Relief, gained from exiting the Blackened Void alive and gaining money for a job well done.

“Maybe. I guess there’s some merit in it.” You admit.

“See? And we got some treasure as well.” Celeste grins.

“If you count a handful of random junk treasure.”

“There’s always a price for anything.”

She’s right. Your mother could attest to that principle. “Still not going back there anytime soon. The Blackened Void is a dangerous place, Celeste.”

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“Definitely. I’m not denying that. But I think there’s still a positive side to all of this.” Celeste looks up at the sky. “School’s about to start, too.”

“Oh shit, I completely forgot about that.” You realize. “Crap, I haven’t even bought my new uniform yet.”

“Haha, neither have I. So we’re in the same boat.” Celeste smirks. “In any case, I’ll be relying on you, Takashi-kun.”

“What for?” You ask.

“Well, AETHER is going to throw more trials at us, right? And it did sell itself as a co-operative game, so it means we’re going to have to work as a team. Us AETHER players should stick together, hahaha…” Celeste replies. “I think it'll work out in the end. I saw you fight, Takashi-kun. You weren’t half-bad.”

“Thanks?”

“And like I said earlier, you came to my rescue.” Celeste says. “So I think I can trust you. You definitely count on me, too!”

You stare at her, contemplating her words. “If you say so, Celeste.”

“Great!”

“One more thing.” You ask. “Why do you keep calling me Takashi-kun?”

Celeste sticks her tongue out and smiles. “Because we’re friends, aren’t we?”

…

Friends?

…

The word rings through your hollow mind. Friendship. Companionship. What is this emotion? A grin surfaces on your face. You chuckle.

“What’s wrong?” Celeste asks, a little concerned.

“Nah, it’s nothing.” You stifle your laughs with one hand. This time, you smile back at Celeste. It is one of genuineness and gratitude. “It’s…cool. I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be, after everything we’ve gone through?”

You laugh again. “Heh, yeah. Silly me.” You turn to gaze down the street, towards home. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Okay!”

With that, you and Celeste depart for the apartment block, leaving the remnants of your impromptu meal and the darkness of the Blackened Void behind…

A voice rings in your head.

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“I am thou…thou art I…”

“Thou hast established a new bond…”

“It brings thee closer towards the ultimate reward…”

“Thou shalt be blessed when wielding Personas of the Fool Arcana…”

>The Void’s Chosen Social Link has been created. It is now at Level 1!

>>40960962
THOU ART THOU ART I THOU YOU FRIENDS

>>40960962
How to make players feel like dicks, tell them they have a friend, and theyre keeping an incredible secret from them.

Hopefully, Takashi will find some way to kit out Ippon-Datara with other skills it won't normally learn.

I imagine that since it's a Fool Custom, it works like Door-kun's Orpheus Telos, that despite being derived from a previously Fire-specced Persona, its evolved form can learn ANYTHING and can have good resistances anywhere.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI4dOUQ1xaU

[END OF EPISODE 2]

>>40961051
Or we could just use other Personas. Trust our party members, strengthen our Social Links, that sort of thing.

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>>40961099
Woah, slow down there, anon. You're blowing my mind.

>>40961051
Didn't Twilight say that we can't fuse?

>>40961179
Was referring to other methods, like Skill Cards.

If they even exist in Takashi's world, that is. They'd be sought after commodities.

>>40961179
Yep. No fusions. We must get more social Links and further them to get Personas.

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You’re back. The Velvet Room is waiting for you. The place hasn’t changed much since your last visit. It’s still as gloomy and dusty as ever. The candles are slightly brighter and the floor has been tidied up a little bit. The scent of fancy, chocolate-tipped coffee wafts through the cold air and into your nostrils.

“Welcome back, kid.” The boy sneers, taking a sip of the drink. “You’ve been busy lately.”

“The first trial has been overcome!” The girl exclaims. “With flying colors, too. You cleared it with over twenty-fours still left in the clock. Looks like this Fool wasn’t so pathetic after all. He’s now on the level of a small bug, as opposed to a tiny flea.”

“Impressive, kid. Our opinion of you has raised by a fraction.” The boy states. “Let us give you a brief round of applause.”

The two attendants of the Velvet Room clap once. The sound is unbelievably quiet. A fly sneezing would be louder.

“Now that brief moment of frivolity is over, let’s get down to business. Feel like a hero, kid? You shouldn’t get too cocky. This trial was just one out of many. In fact, it could be said to the easiest of them all.”

“Nii-san and I have seen the future, and it is oh so very entertaining. Let your guard down Weakest One, and you might find yourself buried six feet under!” The girl giggles. “Hehehehee! Now that would be a sight to see.”

“The journey is only merely beginning. The first step has been taken. Show us a good time, kid.” The boy laughs. “We will provide you with great services in this Velvet Room, so don’t disappoint us…”

“I’m bored, nii-san!” The girl playfully cries. “Can we see his bonds?”

“Of course, my dear little sister.” The Persona Compendium is lifted out of the ground and slammed on the table. The pages flip open. “Let’s take a look. Magician with Celeste Tachibana, Level 1. That hasn’t changed at all.”

“But lookie here! Fool with the Void’s Chosen, also at Level 1!” The girl exclaims. “How curious!”

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“What’s even more interesting is that the bond of the Fool has not powered up the kid’s Ippon-Datara in the slightest.”

“It's because of the Persona’s dual nature as both a Hermit and a Fool?” The girl asks. “It’s supposed to grow naturally, isn’t it nii-san?”

“Perhaps. What do you think, kid?” The boy smirks. “In any case, it looks like you’re due for a new Persona. Come and visit us when you have the time.”

“Fool Personas are really useful, Weakest One.” The girl says. “When fusion was available, they could inherit skills from all their ingredients without preference for type.”

“Unfortunately, as we know, that is locked out to the kid here.” The boy marvels. “It’s a shame. He might actually be of some worth otherwise.”

He then turns at you. “Oh, I see the look on your face. Are you aggravated? Do you wish to hurt me? Heh…why don’t you prove your power to us instead of gormlessly making faces at my dear little sister and I?”

“You shouldn’t pester the Weakest One too much, nii-san. He might start crying!”

“Okay kid, we’re done here!” The boy snarls. “Go back to sleep in your human world.”

“Farewell, Weakest One. Don’t get yourself killed so soon…hyahahaha!”

The Velvet Room fades away, and you slip back into unconsciousness…

>>40961411
I really like these two even though I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to. They're fun.

>>40961411
Note to self: Kill Igor's kids

>>40961411
I hope we get to punt them out of the room by the end of the game.

>>40961446
>>40961450
Hopefully we'll someday get to interact with them outside of the Cutscene Zone.

>>40961411
Lets kill them at first opportunity

How does "They're making fun of us." turn into "Let's kill them."?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V9-vEspL-k

[EPISODE 3: COOLDOWN]

>>40961483
We do worse, get Igor or one of the assistants to take back the room and make the kids servant-slaves for eternity.

>>40961519
I was mostly joking, I do however think they're dicks. You don't give someone a job and them belittle them, you just make it harder for them.

Thread will end here today. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Archived thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/40953358/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwilightThorn
Ask.fm: http://ask.fm/TwilightThorn441

Next thread will be on next Monday, 9:30 pm UTC! Hope to see you all there!

>>40961520
TWEWY heck yeah. Good taste

>>40961569
Cool. Thanks for running, Thorn.

>>40961569
Thanks for running!

>>40961569
Thanks for running again, Twilight.

I feel such a nerd for seeing all the various SMT references you've crammed into this glorious thing.
Yet I'm not even ashamed of it.