#persona 5 royal offical design works

[may-lutlone]

One wish dictated by the other

I can't believe his wish was playing chess with Joker all along 😞😞 stinky hypocrite

[persona-game-info]

Preview images for the upcoming "Persona 5 Royal offical design works" artbook

[fun-with-colors]

Persona 5 Royal and “Poe’s Masquerade”

I recently (read: a few minutes ago) saw a post about how Beneath the Mask is a brilliant and tragic character study of Joker, and I felt compelled to talk about some of the awesome references in Persona 5 Royal (not sure if they’re all in the vanilla game, never played it.)

So, in Beneath the Mask, there’s the line “I’m a shapeshifter, at Poe’s Masquerade,” right? Which is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Seems like a pretty cut-and-dry thing, it ties into the theme of there not being anything beneath the mask, as was the case in Poe’s Masque. Well, I am here to tell you that that particular reference is anything but simple. It’s brilliant. 

Fair warning: this is gonna be a long post.

First off, some context on The Masque of the Red Death. It’s a short story where, basically, there’s this plague going on. It’s called the Red Death, it makes you sweat blood and die in less than an hour. Terribly contagious, the Red Death. So this rich guy gathers up all of his friends and allies to hole up in his abbey, and locks the gates behind them. A few months in, they decide to throw a rocking masquerade party. 

The party is structured as such: 

There are 7 rooms in order, each color-coded. Blue, then purple, then green, then orange, and then violet. The last room is black, and lit up by red lights. There’s a big imposing clock in the last room, and whenever it chimes the hour everyone stops partying until the clock is done, and then resumes. 

Everything’s going great while people are dying outside until midnight, when this new guy shows up in a gaudy red costume that looks like a corpse killed by the red death. The host chases this guy down with a dagger. They go through all the rooms, and once they reach the last room the host finally looks the mysterious stranger in the face, and instantly dies. The guests panic and remove the mask to see who it was, only to find that there was nothing there. The guests then all also die to the Red Death. 

Grim, right? Well, it also has a lot of striking similarities to Shido’s palace.

The basic premise of some rich asshole trying to save only his friends from the plague on the land, only this time the plague is one that he himself has orchestrated: the mental shutdowns. Those on his ship are safe from being permanently cancelled, while those who aren’t (like the Shujin principal) are not. 

The letters of introduction parallel the 7 rooms, since all of that preparation is in the eventual goal of unlocking the final room.

The guests on the ship are all wearing masks that look a heck of a lot like masquerade masks. 

The intruder, ie: the thieves. 

 as a last-ditch effort to kill the thieves, Shido takes a pill that will temporarily kill him, mirroring the moment when the host dies in The Masque of the Red Death. 

But wait! We’re not done!

That is just the first layer of references

This is why I said that it was gonna get super long. Strap in folks, because those references aren’t even an original choice that the game made. They’re INHERITED references. Also I have a lot to say, and am bad at being succinct. Well, they say that if you can’t be concise, you can at least be interesting, and I hope that I’ve managed that. 

Some more context:

Akechi is based off of the famous Japanese detective Akechi Kogoro. The author of the Akechi Kogoro stories is a man by the pen name of Edogawa Ranpo. If that name sounds familiar, it should. It is, as wikipedia puts it, “A rendering of [Edgar Allan] Poe’s name.” 

There is one Akechi Kogoro story, called Gold Mask (Or The Gold Mask, or The Golden Mask), that is especially relevant here. In it, Akechi goes up against the mysterious Gold Mask, who turns out to be none other than Arsene Lupin. 

It should not be surprising how many similarities there are, but I am somehow surprised nonetheless. 

These are some insane connections, y’all. I’m basically just gonna retell the events of the story because it’s mostly relevant anyways. It’s not even all about the red death thing. Also I just really like this section of the story. This is gonna get rambly, but bear with me here. 

Ok so first plot twist: this book also references The Masque of the Red Death. Big time. Like, there is a chapter titled “The Masque of the Red Death.”

The setting: a masquerade ball put on by the French Ambassador (The Count de Rouzieres). The ball takes place in seven chambers, in the same color order as in the original story. This time, however, they are set up so that one can only see one room at a time. Do note that the final room is described as making things look as though they are “somehow not of this world.”

The inevitable twist

Guess who shows up unannounced at the moment the clock strikes midnight? Ding ding ding! That’s right, it’s the Gold Mask. 

(The next chapter is called “The Gold Death”)

The investigator who had been Akechi’s sidekick (more on that later) chases after the Gold Mask, along with the Count and one other dude. 

I’m just gonna quote the book’s description of the third man. 

“It was impossible to identify the man on account of his eccentric costume. [...] He wore a form-fitting black shirt and trousers, black shoes, black socks, a black cloth on his head, the ends of which rose sharply into two long horns, and, of course a face mask.”

...Yeah. I was way more surprised to find out that that design is straight out of the source material than to find out who that mysterious third man was. (more on why akechi was disguised in a bit)

The Count is the first into the final room with the Gold Mask. No sooner does he enter than the other two men hear a gunshot. They run in, fearing the worst. 

Turns out it’s the Gold Mask who’s been shot by the Count. They pull off the mask and discover... the Count’s interpreter. One of the investigators declares that the interpreter must be the gold mask, and this all can be called off. The guy’s dying, everything’s fine. 

Suddenly, the man with the black mask starts laughing. They demand he removes his mask, he does so and reveals himself as Akechi Kogoro. Akechi insists that this man cannot be the Gold Mask, because Arsene Lupin is the gold mask.

Everyone else thinks he’s ridiculous, until he gets the dying interpreter to confess that yes, he was working for Arsene Lupin.

Now. The part that makes this all really funny is that as the interpreter is dying, he points out to Akechi who Arsene Lupin is (since Lupin has so many disguises as to not fundamentally have a true identity). The interpreter points to (dun dun duhDUH) The Count of Rouzieres, the French Ambassador to Japan. 

Obviously the police commissioner is finding that hard to believe, but when Akechi produces an envelope that he claims is evidence, he orders that the rest of the investigators and guests leave the room, so that it’s only him, the POV character, Akechi, and the Count. 

The letter is apparently from another well-known detective familiar with Arsene Lupin, full of evidence that proves that the Count of Rouzieres is actually Arsene Lupin. Incriminating stuff, blah blah blah. 

Arsene admits to being, well, arsene, and then proceeds to have a superficially amicable conversation with Akechi. He then pulls his gun out of nowhere and threatens to shoot akechi. Suddenly, the detective who supplied Akechi with the note (his name is Weber) jumps out of the clock mechanism behind Arsene and confiscates his gun. Arsene Lupin is about to be arrested, with no way out. One of the investigators pulls out his own gun on Arsene, and both Akechi and the police commissioner are very experienced in making arrests. Even beyond that, there’s an entire crowd of investigators waiting outside the only door. 

We cut to the aforementioned crowd of investigators, who have just noticed that the voices from inside the room have gotten very quiet. After knocking and hearing only silence, they decide to open the door.

The room is empty. 

We cut back to Arsene, who is acting very confident despite his precarious circumstances. He says that he has the power to create such a catastrophe as to make it impossible for them to arrest him, before calmly walking out of the only door in the room. 

The detectives call for the police officers outside to arrest Arsene, but... there doesn’t seem to be anyone there to do it. He locks the door to the room from the outside, and flees out of an open glass window and down a fire escape to his waiting allies. (very similar to the way Joker attempts to escape from the Casino, and VERY similar to how he ultimately escapes from the interrogation room.)

It turns out that the “black-velvet room” was actually a cleverly disguised elevator, with the mechanism in the clock. Arsene used the elevator to separate the detectives from the rest of the investigators, and to make his escape for real. It is SHOCKING to me that of all the things in persona 5, the interrogation room escape is ENTIRELY true to the source material. It’s wild. 

Anyways, I’ll stop there. I’ll probably make another post with all of the miscellaneous connections between the Gold Mask and Persona 5, since there are a lot. I’ve had this topic sitting in my brain for a while. 

Edit: I forgot to get to why Akechi was disguised. Well, it turns out that’s another connection: Akechi had been presumed dead. Everybody thought he had been shot. Turns out it was just a fake version of himself, a trick taken from Sherlock Holmes. (and one that shows up in Persona 5 Royal). He was taking advantage of the fact that everyone thought he was dead to get more info without being suspected. 

[philliamwrites]

i could make it holy, make it fine (pt.1)

Fandom: Persona 5

Pairing: Akira/Akechi

Tags: #domestic fluff, #kissing, #wedding, #persona 5 royal spoilers

Words: 1.7k

Summary: Goro can't believe his first marrital dispute will be about the plastic cat dolls in front of their café whereas Akira is a simple man with simple needs like laying out black napkins and wearing a dress. 

Note: Part 2 (work in progress) | Inspired by ‘Make it Holy’ by The Staves.

i could make it holy, make it fine

    “Quick, don’t think. Black or red?”

    “The napkins stay blue. Now shut up and don’t move.”

    Black curls fall to the ground with each snip snip of Goro’s scissors. He tips Akira’s head back with a knuckle to check that his hair is the same length. Not that anyone could tell if it wasn’t once his hair dries into its usual curly mess. Goro assumes Akira gave him this task just to have an excuse to stare at his face from close-up—as if he doesn’t do it at any given chance anyway regardless of day or time.

    That is the luxury of living in a place they feel comfortable enough to lower their defences. Goro is still trying to learn calling such a place home.

    Warm hands roam over his legs, demanding his attention. “What are you thinking about?” Akira asks and presses his chin into his belly, looking up. After seven years, his features have grown sharper and more elegant like the dagger he used to wield. Sometimes Goro looks at him and the sight of beautiful, beautiful Akira Kurusu steals his breath.

    “That you look like a twelve-year-old after shaving.” He pushes Akira’s wet hair out of his face and flicks his forehead, then steps out of his grasp. He crosses their bathroom to take the broom leaning against the wall in the corner, only to unceremoniously drop it in Akira’s lap. “Now clean your mess. I’m done.”

    He leaves the room before hearing a response, brushing off stray black hair from his shirt and pants. Now he has to vacuum again. Why Akira asked him to cut his hair instead of booking an appointment with a professional is beyond him, but it does remind Goro, as he tugs at the end of his ponytail tickling the nape of his neck, that he might need a cut as well. The shop stays closed anyway during their preparations, so now seems the best time to get things done they usually can’t while tending to the café. Repairing the creaking floorboard behind the counter, washing the dark, vintage curtains hanging in their back office. Even though Akira is against it, they need to sort out which maneki-neko lining the front of their entrance they want to keep and which to throw away. He can’t believe his first marital dispute will be about dusty plastic cats.

    The blow drier starts in the bathroom. Akira’s head peeks around the corner, the hot air whipping his hair left and right. “Goro, can you check the mail? Ann’s postcard might have arrived.”

    Goro shoos him away like a fly. On his way to the stairs leading down to the café—a feature Akira insisted on during their apartment hunting to pay homage to his old home—he passes their kitchen where he puts a kettle on the stove for another round of coffee. So far, he’s only had benefits to be engaged to one of Tokyo’s most popular barista.

    Leblanc is abandoned and quiet. He won’t ever admit it oud loud, but he’s glad Akira didn’t change the name after inheriting the business from Sojiro. Anything different would have been blasphemous. But while it is the same name, Leblanc’s replica lives with touches that scream Akira’s name. Bookshelves line one wall opposite the entrance, filled with every book he’s read during Highschool. Customers come and pick one and in return leave a book they have at hand, constantly switching up the collection. Then there’s people complimenting the amazing replicas of famous contemporary artist Yusuke Kitagawa on the walls, asking Akira where he bought them. But if Akira is known for his delicious coffee, he’s famous for his secrets.

    Opening their post box, bills and two cards fall out. The first shows The Louvre lit at night. Ann’s curly handwriting is unmistakable, leaving a short message that she’ll arrive a day before the ceremony. The other card has a simple flower design and one word on its back.

    Congratulations. — M.

    Goro stares at it for a solid minute. It’s been long since he’s seen this handwriting, but he does remember it from torn-out diary pages inside a place that had blindingly white walls and tasted of despair and bitter endings. He takes everything upstairs where he finds Akira with dried, adorably messy hair.

    “I didn’t know you still hang out with Dr. Maruki,” he says, voice neutral as he drops the cards and bills on the table where Akira has already spread out coffee and biscuits from Haru’s shop. He considers the card, absentmindedly stirring his cup. “I don’t. Sumire might have told him.”

    “Not that I really care.” Goro drinks from his cup, eyeing Akira from the side. He’s draped over his chair like a Pre-Raphaelite painting. “He’s not invited.”

    “I doubt he’ll come. Wouldn’t be too much fun if you stabbed him with the cake knife.”

    Goro snorts, but the image does bring a faint grin out of him. It is a time though he doesn’t think too fondly of; a time when he’d felt too much at once and too little words managed to express that. He remembers when Loki and Robin merged into Hereward and the surprise that Robin never really left his side, always with him; the light, the good, the innocent and childlike fantasy to become a hero one day. The night he spent under Akira’s covers; limbs entangled, secrets and fears shared in quiet whispers, thumbs wet from drying tears both pretended were never shed.

    After they defeated Maruki and destroyed the Happy World, Goro woke up in his bed, dizzy and disoriented, still sore from the fight. While staring at his white ceiling, he counted his heartbeat. Every thud in his chest was like a bird trying to take flight out of an ebony cage no one built a door into. He’d only have to tear his chest open and it would be free. It would return to where it longed to be, a little café tucked away in Yongen-Jaya.

    Instead, Goro got out of bed, donned his winter uniform and went to meet Sae Nijima to discuss the terms of proving Shido’s guilt and his arrest. Again. He spent half a year in juvenile hall until Akira paid his bail with the remaining savings from their Mementos ventures.

    “You’re crazy,” Goro had said when he met Akira outside, everything he used and owned during those six months shoved into a single plastic back.

    “I missed you,” Akira had replied and now, seven years later, they’re doing what Goro never allowed himself to dream of; never showed interest in until meeting Akira Kurusu.

    “Will our suits be ready?” he asks now, downing the rest of this coffee. He usually hates when it gets cold, but Akira’s blend is still enjoyable.

    “I’ll check my e-mails later. They should have replied by now.” Akira watches him, tapping a slender finger against the kitchen desk. “I still think one of us should wear a dress.”

    “You also think we need a champagne pyramid which we can’t afford.”

    “Okay, perhaps not that,” says Akira. “But I would make a radiant bride.”

    Goro doesn’t doubt that. If he takes an afternoon off and searches long enough, he’ll surely find the drag cop outfit somewhere in the attic—a real attic, this one—from all those years back. Maybe he can ask Akira to wear lipstick again when it’s time to seal the deal during the ceremony. He can’t think of anyone who would object to that.

    “That’s your cue to say ‘Truly’.” Akira carries both empty mugs to the sink, a slight pout adorning his face. Goro rolls his eyes. He waits until he passes him on his way out to hook a finger through a belt buckle and pulls Akira with a sharp tug on his lap. He blinks in fake innocence. “Oh?”

    “I prefer you looking good in a dress stays between us,” Goro says, shimmying his hands under Akira’s shirt—wrong, Goro’s shirt—where they rest on warm, soft skin.

    Akira thinks about it. “What do I get in return?”

    “No divorce papers.”

    Generous as always.”

    “It’s a deal then.”

    On cue, Akira’s head bends and finds Goro’s mouth. Kissing Akira is still the same as seven years ago: hot, addicting. Like breathing air for the first time after staying underwater for hours. His hands roam over spots he knows where bruised long, long ago and Akira reacts like they never disappeared. Like they never left the Metaverse. Still sixteen and eighteen and too busy bruising their knuckles and knees fighting for their own justice instead of settling down and taking their time unravelling each other. It still manages to untie a tight knot within his chest. He could spend all day kissing Akira. He should spend all day kissing Akira.

    One, two, three tugs on his ponytail and Goro reluctantly relents to free Akira’s bottom lip from between his teeth.

    “We should give you a cut as well,” Akira says, curling the end around a finger. Goro shows his surprise by raising one eyebrow.

    “You’d be okay with that?” he asks. He’s started to believe Akira’s fixation on his hair—drying it after a shower, braiding it when he’s bored, burrowing his hands in them when he cums—is a religious thing, though the prospect of it being short, feeling the cool breeze on the back of his neck during summer and not bothering to brush it every hour to untangle any knots, is appealing.

    Akira wears a dreamy sort of look—though, no. That’s just him being horny, probably imagining Goro with shorter hair and all new discoveries it might bring as he gently scrapes his scalp. It’s as good as any answer. He pushes Akira off his lap and rises as well, turning left and right to stretch and make his joints pop.

    “Fine, but if you mess it up, I’m going to shave you bald.”

    They share a single look, thinking of the only person they know with a bald head and Goro regrets his words already, hates the face of the man he never wants to remember flashing before his eyes.

    Akira takes his hand and squeezes. “I’m going to make you the most handsome man alive, promise.”

    He allows Akira to lead him to the bathroom, the objection that his task will be hard so long as he breathes on his lips.

    Five more days. Five more days and the most handsome man alive will be his.

[bandyisdandy]

Persona 4 Golden - The Rainbow Connection (2/10/21)

Anyone who knows me within the space of gaming knows that my favorite game of all time is arguably Persona 5 Royal. The game just oozes personality and fun from the get-go. It is easy enough to pick up and check out, but also deep enough to keep you engaged for hours upon hours, hungering for more even after the credits roll on your 80 to 120 hour experience. Saying this, I also have to admit that, while it is the fifth entry in the franchise, I had never played another Persona before vanilla 5. Whenever hardcore players of the series I met over the years heard this, they insisted I play 3 and/or 4 before I go on saying that 5/Royal is my favorite in the franchise. This past January, I decided to finally pull the trigger and check out Persona 4 Golden on Steam. After playing the game for about 70 hours, I defeated the true final boss and finally put the controller down for a bit. All I can say is... what a god damn magical experience this was.

Persona 4 is a JRPG (Japanese Role-playing Game) that puts you in control of Yu, a high schooler living in the middle of Tokyo who is moving in to the country with his police officer uncle and young cousin while his parents go away for a year on business. While there, you meet a young man named Yosuke and a girl named Chie who tell you about a mysterious phenomenon known as the Midnight Channel that shows up when a heavy fog rolls into town and the clock strikes midnight. One night, while viewing this phenomenon, a girl appears in the screen who looks an awful lot like a senior to the students at their school. The next day, her corpse is found strung up on a telephone pole, baffling the police due to the fact that a similar death took place around the time of Yu’s arrival. While investigating the murder of their senior, Yu and Yosuke discover they can enter a special television at a department store, where they meet Teddie, a living teddy bear who can lead them through the fog-dense world within the TV. Upon finding a space where their senior once was, they fight beings known as Shadows and awaken Persona, living embodiments of their fighting spirit as well as their own belief and acceptance of themselves in order to do combat with the Shadows. After their victory, they figure out that someone pushed the upperclassman into the world within the television and the Midnight Channel prophesizes the deaths of those who appear on it. Using this knowledge, Yu and Yosuke continue to make friends, investigate the case, and do their best to uncover the culprit before a year is up and Yu must return home.

... That seems like a lot, right? Well, crazily enough, that is probably the first 5 hours or so at most, and there is another 65+ to go in your first playthrough. Now, this game, at first, is a tough sell especially if you are like me and played 5/Royal first as those games have spoiled our perceptions of what the franchise is and can be. Persona 4 Golden is definitely a step down visually as well as design and music-wise in comparison to 5. It just does not have the same substance that game does and the gameplay, in comparison, feels a bit dated here. The Shadows you encounter in 5′s dungeons are also the enemies you actually fight this time around and the Tarot Card system makes collecting and recruiting Persona much more annoying than the way 5 handles it in combat. However, while it sounds like I am being quite harsh on the game, in reality, this is by and far one of the best JRPGs I have ever played and cannot be recommended by me more. Since I got all the negatives out of the way, let’s look at the heaps of praise I have for this triumph of a game.

First and foremost, what really sets this game above and beyond a lot of others, maybe even doing this better in many respects than Persona 5/Royal, is the characters. Every character is just so damn interesting, and really adds so much charm to what is already a rather charming game. They bring the story as well as the countryside town you now find yourself in that much brighter and bigger. Each one has goals, values, idealizations, and realizations that flesh them out more than most games I have played, all of them having incredibly satisfying conclusions to their stories. Some stand outs for me are your young cousin Nanako, who is lonely due to her father always working as a police officer and her mother passing away in a car accident a few years prior to the start of the game, Kanji Tatsumi, a punk who uses violence and fear to mask his incredibly soft, caring side that enjoys arts and crafting more than he would care to admit, and Naoto Shirogane, a young detective hiding her femininity in order to find power and prestige in the world of private investigation which, in Japan especially, is a male dominated field - these are just some of the memorable characters you will meet. I am currently doing a second playthrough and have already met two characters I never encountered in my first playthrough that are honestly becoming some of my favorites in the series! Building relationships (yes, even romantic ones with your female classmates) is key to not only finding out more about them, but also key to getting stronger, unlocking abilities and weapons for you to use in your playthrough that will seriously make the game not only easier but I would go as far as to say more fun in regards to what possibilities open up to you in combat. Growing the bond between you and your friends within your party is also the only way to strengthen and evolve their Persona to bigger and better forms, making combat flow easier but also giving one a true sense of power, purpose and meaning in the memories you create with Yosuke and the gang.

The other thing that really made me fall in love with Persona 4 Golden is its story and location. While the bustling cityscape of Tokyo and Shibuya really makes Persona 5 and Royal feel big and grandiose in its vision of what a modern JRPG can be, Persona 4 Golden, while feeling smaller in comparison, feels much more unique and, weirdly enough, nostalgic - at least for me. The town of Inaba is small with little to do at first, but it still has some beautiful and honestly quite intriguing sights to see (I’m looking at you, Greedy Shrine Fox). As you become more accustomed to the town and what it offers, it surprises you and opens up even more based on your time within the game, the weather outside, and even the time of the day you are out and about exploring. I grew up in a small town outside of Boston and while it’s not exactly like Inaba, the parts I spent most of my days remind me of it - areas covered in trees near streams with small restaurants and bars nearby, nature trails to walk, seeing mostly the same people each and every day - it really sent me back to life growing up when I was the age of the characters and truly made the game something memorable and instantly connected me to what was happening. As for the plot, I am a sucker for a murder mystery - I love true crime and have always loved police or detective shows growing up. Being able to work towards a case and have your decisions, investigations, and choices up to certain points have merit and weight behind them in regards to what ending you get is absolutely amazing and really sets the tone for a game that shrouds you in mystery and keeps you at the edge of your seat at all times, all the while still finding the time to help you enjoy the ride with laughter, tears, and dialogue that just really gets to you from beginning to end, sticking with you even after you’ve beaten it. Throw in some seriously fantastic boss fights, great music, and top notch voice acting for the time and it all adds up to a package with so much content and so much to tell you along the way that you just can’t help but keep playing until you absolutely have to put it down, only to continue for hours and hours later on.

All in all, Persona 4 Golden is a seriously fun game. While I still think Persona 5 Royal is a better game than it, I cannot stop thinking about the journey it took me on. The places I saw, the people I met and became friends with along the way - it’s a surreal, dream-like game that really gets you thinking right from the beginning and keeps you on your toes until the bitter end. I found myself engrossed in the lives of these characters, worried for them anytime something happened to them within the context of the game’s narrative and only hopes to see them come out on top, and thankfully this was usually the case in my playthrough thanks to the choices I made. I can only wonder what would have happened if I chose things differently - where would my characters have ended up at the end of all this? Would things have gotten worse for them? Who knows - all I know is that once the game was over, I had nothing but smiles and happiness going through my head as I saw my friends say goodbye and I loaded up my stuff onto the train. All those precious moments, etched into my mind forever; the hardships of the dungeons, the toughness of the Shadows, the mystery of the killer - that’s how you create a great game narrative, and finish it with an even greater, satisfying ending. Check out Persona 4 Golden on Steam TODAY if you liked this review! https://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/1113000/

[mykedrop]

Persona 5 Royal Thoughts

     Alright so there’s a lot I want to talk about here. Fair warning, this write up is actually like, really damn long. Also like HUGE spoiler warning below the cut! I played the original when it came out, bought a PS4 practically only to play Persona 5 not even knowing if I’d like it. But I did! I loved it, loved all of it. Beat the game in just over 100 hours I think. Easily became my second favorite game ever. So now here comes Persona 5 Royal, adds a bunch of new stuff, a lot of little stuff and some pretty huge additions and reworks, includes all the dlc from P5 which is nice. It’s a strictly better version of the game I already thought was amazing enough.

     I remember being a little wary of going for it and reading a non-spoiler list of all the changes, which are actually A LOT when you list them out. Then I thought about how much I loved playing the original, and figured I’m not doing much else right now, so I got it. And BOY that game just checks all the boxes for me. It’s the same game, but better now. There’s a little more depth to playing the game and more stuff!

   One of the biggest additions and probably my favorite addition is Maruki’s story and confidant. Everything involving him I thought was incredible. First of all the man is a dreamboat. Secondly great voice actor. Thirdly the story built around him was really awesome to play through. Every time some new story beats came through while playing through the first parts of the game I always thought how great it all fit in. It made sense, it kind of opened up the world of the game a little more narrative-wise and it all felt right. And the SONG (Ideal and the Real) that plays in Maruki’s office is so GOOD. That song plays in my head 24/7 and I love it. He’s got such a great personality and story and it was a great time getting to rank him up. The song ALONE made me want to hang out with him as much as possible. It’s an angle I wasn’t expecting, his story I mean, and while the “right” choice was pretty clear, it still made me think about what he was trying to accomplish. And they drove the point home real hard during the final stretch of the game before you figure out what’s going. It’s so hard to look at your friends having such a good life and go, “yeah no I don’t think so.” But that’s a whole different  discussion. It felt sort of morally ambiguous, which was really cool. And I also like that Maruki gives you a choice, not only once but twice. Which again, gives you pause, even if only a short one.

    So that brings me to another one of the biggest additions: the new palace. BOY I love this palace. From the way it’s first introduced so early on, to how you keep peeking in every once in a while making a little progress here and there. Until finally you’re able to just go wild at the end. This palace feels like the team designing this was told go all out. The aesthetic, the mechanics, the layout. Going through this I had a big ol smile on my face the entire time at how different it felt compared to those in the original game. Those are good too, don’t get me wrong. I don’t have any palaces I dislike. But I can easily imagine some ideas and how incredible some palaces would be with the level of detail and complexity of Maruki’s palace. It’d be kind of ridiculous and extremely difficult no doubt, maybe even a little too much to ask for I think. Anyway, seeing the garden section of the palace for the first time was INCREDIBLE. They went so crazy with making almost every part of that palace look amazing! And that last area was easily my favorite of the palaces in terms of looks and theme. They did a good job of conveying the scale of that giant tree where the treasure is at with those stairs. Plus it’s another great moment to show of the smaller details of the palace like some flowers, the lighting, some other really neat effects. It was great! And the whole boss fight at the end was so fantastic to watch! I’ll say that even at the hardest difficulty, my SO (who is a turn-based combat FIEND) didn’t have too much of a difficult time with the fight. But the mechanics of it were so interesting! I loved the ideas they went with. Again it felt like they really gave it their all with this palace. The story beats during the fight were incredible as well, and they gave me one of my favorite moments back that used to be in the Yaldabaoth fight: Press X to Fire! The fight with Maruki at the end was also pretty novel too, and so dramatic! The snow falling at the end, the glass platforms collapsing, it all looked so GOOD. One of my favorite things in any game like this (remake/remaster/GOTY version/etc.) is getting to listen to NEW MUSIC. And this palace KILLED IT with music, as did the rest of the game as usual. There’s no feeling that compares to being right at the edge of beating a Persona game. And this palace was a hell of an out of the park home run. After 170 hours, it was so bittersweet to beat the final boss and move on towards the rest of the story. I loved playing through that palace and it’s a shame I’ll never get to experience it for the first time again.

    On to one of the more advertised additions: Yoshizawa! My first thought when I saw her way back when when they first revealed her is I thought she’d be a female protagonist. Which I thought would be INCREDIBLE. Even if it’s not exactly my preference, I would’ve been so HYPE to romance one of the guys. I didn’t really think about it from a gameplay standpoint, as there are way more girl confidants than guys, but still I thought it’d be fun to potentially explore that! Obviously that wasn’t the case, but now on to what I think of the new confidant! I love her! Like absolutely 100% love her so much! Let me tell you just how those concept meetings went down when they were making Yoshizawa: Cute girl, in cute clothes, who has a cute personality. Done, the perfect character. Of course she’s much more than that, but on the surface level it’s easy to see where they were going with this character. Playing the game I had zero idea about her eventual involvement in the final section of the game, so seeing her only have 5 confidant levels I was a little disappointed! Maxed her out as fast as possible and waited... Seeing her story woven through the original narrative was also super fun. Like Maruki, I really liked seeing her in places where she wasn’t before, and adding new scenes and such around to flesh out her character throughout the first two semesters. Then came the new part of the game after the holy grail fight. I was absolutely not expecting that twist with Yoshizawa. I had no idea that they would go somewhere like THAT in this game! It totally caught me off guard and I LOVED IT. What an incredible story all around. And like super fucked! The whole reveal moment was FANTASTIC! Had my jaw on the floor and everything! Her entire confidant was fun, using her in combat was fun, and her romance path was extremely fun! There’s nothing I don’t like about her really. She had such a wild story and such an amazing arc that I can’t not love her! She’s not my favorite confidant, but still adding in a new character like her into such a tight-knit group like the phantom thieves that i already loved as is is such a risky move! It’s so hard to improve upon a dynamic like theirs I think, but they made it work when they needed to! Anyway I love her character a lot and her story and all that. Beautiful.

    Speaking of adding new characters to a dynamic, this might be my favorite addition/rework in the entire game: Akechi. Holy crap I can’t tell you how much I LOVED HEARING AKECHI JUST GO OFF EVERY BATTLE, or while we went riding through mementos, or just all his new dialogue and confidant level ups. Akechi very quickly and easily became one of my favorite parts about the new part of the game. His character was such a HUGE CLASH with every other character in the party, especially Yoshizawa! Which I have to imagine isn’t an accident. He is fuckin CRAZY. Unlocking his Showtime attack was BONKERS. That whole sequence with Yoshizawa and Akechi in Maruki’s palace was so GOOD. Having Akechi be part of the team was an amazing breath of fresh of air. Trust me when I say I have ZERO problem or complaint with the overly positive nature of the party. But MAN it is FUN to see Akechi just be an ABSOLUTE ASSHOLE. Every new interaction with Akechi was a TREASURE. Dropping the “detective prince” act was 100000% the right move. Even more fun was seeing Haru and Akechi’s interactions in mementos. The way every character acted towards him was pretty good, but something about Haru’s overbearing positivity towards him was really fun to watch. I can’t stress enough how much Akechi added to the experience of the final act of the game. His persona? Badass. His personality? Absolutely cutthroat and also badass. His hair? Still incredible. Also the only character in the game who will only play 701 in darts. That threw me for a fuckin LOOP the first time I invited him out for darts. Dude is a STUD in like every way. Love Akechi A LOT. He singlehandedly brought the experience up from an 11/10 to a 12/10. This game is so much better with Akechi being able to go batshit crazy. One of my favorite interactions is during battle: when you heal the whole party, with Akechi and Ryuji being two of the active members, depending on their order, you’ll have Akechi say “No time for thanks” right before you hear Ryuji say “Thanks!” Just thought that really exemplified how much of an ass he is, and how much I love him for it. He is THE badass asshole character this game didn’t know it needed but absolutely deserved. How much of a bad ass do you have to be to able to look at your inevitable death in the face and say “this is how it has to be.” One of the coolest parts of the whole game is him not only accepting his eventual fate, but actively driving you towards making that decision.

     Next up I suppose I’ll talk about Maruki as a character. Love the way he was included, and liked all his interactions with all the characters during the first part of the game. He’s just so likable and honestly very relatable for me. Helping people through counseling has always been a personal goal of mine, so it’s always interesting to see how characters doing the same are portrayed. And while his overarching plan is something I don’t agree with, wanting to help people drives you to do crazy things sometimes. I felt for the guy. I enjoyed all the hangouts with him, and felt like I really understood his goals. The way his entire story was crafted did an incredible job of divulging all the right information at the right time. Before Akechi 2.0 came around, he was my favorite part of the game! I love the confidants and the stories they tell and interacting with them and all that. I looked forward to ranking up Maruki and trying to see what he was all about. The more I learned the more I liked him. Before, during, and after the palace my feelings about him didn’t change much. The man went crazy sure, but I still couldn’t bring myself to hate him or even dislike him. I love the man! My SO had no mercy for the man during the boss fight, but I felt bad seeing her kick his ass! I thought they did a good job mixing up the motivations for Maruki as a villain. Making him a confidant made it so much more difficult to picture him as the big bad evil guy. Plus he has like one of the best songs tied to him in Ideal and the Real. I’ll mention that as much as I feel is necessary.

      So now I’ll go through all of the smaller details that I really liked in no particular order. Kichijoji was a great destination, gave me a lot to do over the course of the game. The phone calls after you hang out with a confidant are a very welcome addition! It’s a way to fit in more dialogue which I always love, and gives you a chance to rank up the confidant a lot quicker. There’s the fact that Morgana no longer forces you to sleep nearly as often, letting you at least mess around in LeBlanc, which helps rank up your social stats. I LOVE THE DARTS MINI GAME. And I’m so glad it also gave you an upgrade for your baton passes. I did not play enough darts. The jazz club was also MY JAM. Again more dialogue, great music, and a fun way to give your confidants new skills or stat boosts. One thing that I find really funny is the way they handled Valentine’s Day. They CHANGED IT. I know they added a lot of new stuff to them for new story reasons. but they CHANGED THE CONTEXT OF THE DATES. For example, in the original P5, Kawakami makes it VERY CLEAR what’s going down later. Ann too! But in P5R, that context is GONE LMAO they really went and changed the dialogue to be less sexual. It’s strange, but mostly I found it funny considering Takemi’s max rank conversation is untouched, among plenty of other ones. Anyway White Day was a GREAT addition! The final part of the date overlooking the city is AMAZING. That reveal made my jaw drop. Speaking of things that changed, the Christmas date also changed, and I like the change a lot! Watching the snow fall from the window on the bed was a great touch. The changes to boss battles and some parts of palaces because of the grappling hook were very welcome. The grappling hook itself was also extremely handy. The thieves den is an incredible addition that adds SO MUCH NEW DIALOGUE AND CONTEXT THAT IT’S A CRIME THAT IT’S HIDDEN IN THE DEN! Anyway. I’ll never say no to new personas. The showtime attacks are a GEM. The new music in this game is AWESOME. I can’t stop listening to the soundtrack. I really enjoyed getting to see a little bit of the dynamic between Sojiro, Futaba and Wakaba. I never knew just how much I wanted to see that until I saw the bit of it in the late part of the game. I don’t remember if it was in the original game, but I LOVE that one of Yusuke’s battle lines is “How do you want to do this?” LOVE IT. Oh Chihaya’s confidant boosting fortune reading was SUPER CLUTCH. Extremely good quality of life right there. I love the extra little bit they added to the warden’s confidant, getting to take them out of the velvet room and show them around. Super cute. Iwai’s gun customization was pretty sweet. Adding Jose to mementos was strange, but very welcome! It made going around much more interesting. Oh speaking of, buffing Ryuji’s instant kill was a GREAT idea. Haha Morgana go vroom vroom. The alarm in the velvet room was also awesome and made making the perfect persona a million times easier.

     It’s been a few weeks now since I’ve finished the game, and it’s unfortunate that I can’t remember more of the little things. This whole write up has been an on and off thing since I finished P5R. Still I love the game and don’t really have any complaints. Well maybe one: LET ME FEED YUSUKE. Someone please feed that man. I forgot how much I loved playing the original game, and going through it again with all the new stuff was a total pleasure! And obviously the 3rd semester was an incredible experience. If you like the original a lot, and it’s been a while since you played it, get P5R. If you never played the original but were interested in it, get P5R. Anyway that’s all I got to say about it.

[thecorpulentbeagle]

Okujima Week 2020: Coffee

Today’s topic is “Coffee”. Those of you who read my Okujima Week 2019 Challenge fanfiction might remember that I promised to do a continuation of the date proposed in the “First Date” prompt if there was a 2020 version of this challenge. Well, it’s time to put my money where my mouth is!

And if you haven’t read that previous prompt, no worries! You will be able to read this without that context and understand what’s going on, as I will explain any references/give a brief background of what happened. But definitely feel free to read it and come back to this if you’d like.

Here is the fanfiction.net link.

Please enjoy this fifth part of the Okujima Week 2020 Challenge!

As always: THIS STORY WILL NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5 ROYAL, BUT WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5.

Okujima Week 2020 Challenge:

Only the Beginning:

Coffee

-Makoto-

“A date… with Haru… I can handle this! Right?”

Thoughts (and doubts) like these raced through Makoto’s mind as the two seniors stepped off of the subway that had just pulled into the station.

Makoto had asked Haru on said date just yesterday. After making a bet with Ann and Ryuji, Makoto had been forced to, as they had called it “make a move” on her crush. She had been extremely nervous, and had actually asked Haru on more of a friendly outing. She’d been content to leave it at that, but Haru, ever perceptive, had deduced that Makoto was really attempting to ask the gardener out on a date.

Once the two had confessed attraction to each other, Makoto had been floating on a cloud. All of her nerves had drifted away, and a bubbly feeling of giddiness had taken its place. They had held hands in the Student Council Office for a few minutes before parting and promising to meet again the next day.

When Makoto had arrived home, the feeling of happiness began to change into one of apprehension. She had thought that confessing would be the hardest part, but now she had to actually go through with the date!

Seeing as the girl had never been on one, she thought furiously about what she should consider.

“My appearance should be planned first, I suppose,” she had mused aloud to herself, seeing as Sae was out working late.

She had entered her room and turned to her closet, trying on multiple outfits before ultimately settling on what she usually wore as casual wear when the weather turned cold. A blue jacket with a black turtleneck underneath, black pants, and brown boots that came up to just below her knees. It was a simple outfit, but one that was comfortable and elegant enough to be considered “first-date” attire. She hoped.

Makoto wanted to look nice, but not like a completely different person. Haru always tried to make Makoto feel comfortable in her own skin, which was one reason Makoto cared for the girl so much. She wanted her choice in outfit to reflect this trust.

By the time Makoto had decided on her outfit, she realized that she had a mountain of homework that she would need to complete, seeing as she wouldn’t have time to do it tomorrow. She had taken one last look at the outfit she laid out for herself before striding over to her desk, hoping formulas and equations would distract her from thinking about tomorrow.

After thinking back to everything that had brought her to this moment, Makoto took a few steps away from the subway before turning to look at her companion. Upon seeing what Haru had decided to wear, Makoto was instantly glad about her own decision of apparel.

Haru was wearing what she normally wore for cold-weather outings as well. A light blue coat with a fluffy white collar, followed by a pink skirt, white leggings, and brown shoes. It was a look that really suited her, and Makoto had to make sure that she didn’t stare too long.

It seemed that Haru had noticed her looking, however, as the girl smiled at her and said, “Ready to go, Mako-chan?”

Makoto nodded back and smiled shyly. “Of course.”

The two turned and walked side-by-side towards the exit. Even though it would be nice to hold hands, Makoto was far too nervous for public displays of affection just yet. The two weren’t really even “together” yet, as this was their first date. Of course, Makoto hoped that it would be the first of many.

Haru seemed to sense this, as she did not make any attempt to hold onto Makoto, for which the other girl was grateful.

Once the two made it out into the streets of Yongen-Jaya, they continued to walk down the road without pausing to get their bearings, seeing as they made their way here quite often to meet up at the Phantom Thieves’ headquarters at LeBlanc.

As they made their way past the familiar café, Makoto saw that Futaba was crouched outside of the building, tapping something out on her phone. Makoto gulped. She had hoped the two would be able to sneak past the café without running into any of their friends. Not that she didn’t enjoy seeing or spending time with the rest of the Phantom Thieves, but the student council president wasn’t quite ready for the group to know what was potentially blossoming between the two seniors. Other than the two blondes who already knew of course.

As the two passed by the café, Makoto saw the younger girl look up from her phone and make eye contact with Makoto, instantly giving her a toothy smile. Makoto couldn’t help but smile in return, though internally, she was panicking.

“Makoto! Haru! What’s up you guys?” Futaba pocketed her phone and stood up, giving the two of them a quick salute.

“Futaba. It’s lovely to see you!” Haru walked over to the girl, giving her a small wave.

“Hello, Futaba,” Makoto replied, hoping her voice remained steady as she too walked over.

“Whatcha two doin’? Going to the batting cages?” Futaba winked at them, knowing that the only person who really seemed into that was Akira.

“We’re actually about to see a movie at the theater,” Haru answered.

“Oooh!” Futaba smiled, and for a moment, Makoto wondered if the hacker had figured them out.

“I’m pretty bored. And there was a really cool sci-fi flick that just opened up here. We could all see it together!” It turned out that Futaba was on the completely wrong track.

“Well, uh…” Makoto fumbled for a response. The last thing she wanted to do was discourage Futaba from doing things in public with friends, but she couldn’t exactly join them. How awkward would a date be if the third person had no idea that she was being a third-wheel?

Luckily, Makoto was saved from answering as the door to LeBlanc swung open to reveal Akira, who looked at them all curiously. “I didn’t tell you guys that we were having a meeting, did I?” He scratched the back of his head, looking worried.

“Nah. I was just hanging out here until you decided to show up, and I saw Haru and Makoto passing by.” Futaba gestured towards the two, both of whom smiled at Akira.

“Good.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s hard to keep track sometimes. It feels like all these days are blurring together.” He straightened his glasses, which had been slightly askew. “Probably not enough sleep.”

“Sleep is for the weak!” Futaba proclaimed, smacking him on the back. He coughed.

“Anyway, what’s the occasion?” Akira asked once he recovered.

“We’re going to see a movie,” Makoto answered quickly. She hoped he wouldn’t ask which one. The two girls had decided on a rom-com, seeing as that was generally a light-hearted affair and matched the tone for a date. Haru didn’t mind action movies, but Makoto knew she wasn’t particularly keen on them, and she wanted them both to have a good time. Makoto had vetoed the newest horror film instantly, not wanting Haru to see her crying and whimpering. That would not be a good look for a first date.

However, announcing that would probably lead to a lot of questions, so Makoto offered no details.

“Wanna go with ‘em, Akira?” Futaba asked.

Akira looked at Makoto. She saw that he was thinking deeply about something, and she wondered if he had picked up on what was going on. After a few moments, she saw him smile. “That sounds like a good time. I’m gonna have to pass though.” He turned to Futaba. “I was actually thinking of going to Akihabara. They’ve got some new controllers that come in a rainbow design.” He wrapped an arm around Futaba’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Want to come with me? My treat.”

“Really?” Futaba looked up at the boy, starry-eyed. Makoto couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“Yeah.” Akira looked back to Makoto and winked at her. She blushed slightly. How was it that Akira always knew everything?

“Well I can’t say no to free tech. We’ll have to meet up some other time, you two!” Futaba practically dragged Akira to the subway station, the two disappearing down the street in no time.

“So you’d rather not have anyone know about us at the moment?” Makoto looked at Haru to see that she was giving her an easy smile.

Makoto laughed nervously. “You make it sound like a bad thing.”

“That’s not how I meant it! Really, Mako-chan.” She blushed. “I’m fine with not letting any of our friends know for now either. We’ll become a hot topic of discussion once it comes out, and I’d like to spend some quiet moments with you before that happens.”

Makoto signaled her agreement. She had to admit, seeing Haru blush was rather adorable. And the fact that she wanted to spend some plural “moments” with Makoto made her heart beat faster.

“I’m not sure how long we’ll have. It seems like Akira already has an idea.”

“So you saw that too?” Haru giggled. “I think you’re right, but he’s pretty good with keeping secrets. I’m sure he won’t tell anyone until we’re comfortable with it.”

Makoto thought back to how this date had even become a possibility. She wasn’t so much worried about Akira spilling the beans. It was that knew that Ann and Ryuji had trouble keeping secrets sometimes – she’d found out about the Phantom Thieves in the first place from Ryuji’s excited phone call to Akira after all.

But she didn’t want to share that this was part of a “bet” with Haru. Makoto figured that the gardener would definitely take it the wrong way if she told her. Besides, Makoto couldn’t care less at the moment what brought up this opportunity. She was excited to be spending quality time with Haru, and delighted to see that she felt similarly.

“I hope you’re right.” Makoto gestured down the street. “Let’s go. After that little detour, we might be late.”

“I highly doubt that! You’re always so punctual. And we left with plenty of time.” Haru turned back in the direction of the theater and started walking, with Makoto next to her side.

“Well then, that’s more time that I can spend with you,” Makoto blurted out. Though it was true, Makoto could feel herself cringe internally at how cliché that had sounded.

That feeling increased exponentially as she watched Haru’s face turn slightly red. What made it worse was that Haru said nothing in return.

“I… uh sorry. Was that… too much?” It took all of Makoto’s willpower to not slap her hand to her forehead in embarrassment.

“N-No. That’s not…” Haru took a breath to compose herself. “I’m just… not used to someone being so… forthright about wanting to spend time with me.”

“Really? But who wouldn’t want to?”

“Well, it’s not so much people not wanting to be around me, and more why they want to.” Haru sighed. “I’m used to people pretending to be close to me to gain access to my father. It’s… been that way for a while now.”

“Oh…” Makoto didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t even been thinking when she had made that comment, and now her thoughtlessness was causing Haru undue worry and stress.

“But when you say it…” Haru turned to look at Makoto. “You sound so… sincere. So honest. It makes me really happy.”

“Oh?” Great. Now she was just saying the same word over and over again. This first date was not going well at all, was it?

Haru seemed to find the situation funny at least. She giggled at Makoto’s response. “I suppose I shouldn’t have brought it up. What I mean is… I appreciate what you said. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Though Haru had bumbled her way through her explanation, Makoto understood what she was trying to say. Haru had to analyze every interaction in her life to see if there was a hidden agenda. That sounded like it was exhausting.

Not sure what else to say, the couple walked the rest of the way to the movie theater in silence. The silence itself wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, so Makoto decided to let it be for now.

The two entered the building and made their way over to the box office to get their tickets. The cashier asked which film, and Makoto pointed to the rom-com that the two wanted to see. She hoped the boy wouldn’t put two and two together.

She reached into her purse to retrieve the money for the tickets. The two exchanged.

Makoto handed one to Haru. “Here you are.”

She smiled as she took it. “Thank you.”

They walked over to have their tickets checked before walking by concessions.

“Ah. Would you like to get some popcorn? Maybe a drink to… share? If that’s okay?” Makoto wasn’t sure how this should work. The two had spent time together before today, of course, and had seen movies in this very theater.

When they did though, it had almost always been in the context of a Phantom Thieves friendly gathering, where everyone would share popcorn, drinks, snacks, and candy. Makoto usually shared with either Haru or Ann, but now that she could potentially be going steady with the former… she wasn’t sure if this sharing had more of a suggestive or inappropriate context now.

“It’s definitely okay, Mako-chan!” Haru giggled. “In fact, why don’t I pay for it, since you paid for the tickets? It’s only fair, after all.”

Makoto nodded. “That works for me.”

Haru smiled. “Great! I know the perfect snack to purchase!”

“Oh?” Makoto walked over to the counter, Haru next to her.

“Yes. I had some chocolate-covered coffee beans the last time I came here.” Haru ordered the snack, in addition to some popcorn and soda. “It’s sweet and bitter at the same time. It’s a real treat!”

“I see.” Makoto had to admit, she was curious. If Haru’s glowing reviews were anything to go by, she was sure that the treat would be delicious.

As Haru paid for the food and drink, Makoto took hold of the popcorn, not wanting Haru to have to carry it all. Haru took the rest, and the two made their way to their theater.

When they arrived, they decided to sit a little bit further in the back so that they could remain relatively undisturbed. As they took their seats and made themselves comfortable, Makoto began to worry.

Now that they were sitting, what exactly was she supposed to do? Should she just watch the movie? Should she make some kind of move? Was it too early to do so? If not, what sort of move should she consider?

She was interrupted in her thoughts by Haru shaking the candy box in front of her face. “Would you like some?” she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the other patrons.

Makoto relaxed. This was just like other outings she’d had with Haru. She should just act like her usual self. “Yes please.” She reached her hand into the box, pulling out some of the beans. She tossed them into her mouth.

The initial texture was creamy, but as she bit down, she felt the crunch of the bean. The chocolate and the coffee mixed together well, though she noticed that the bean left a gritty residue as she swallowed it. She took a sip of the soda.

“How is it?” Haru was looking at her expectantly.

“Pretty good.” Makoto smiled. “Thank you for suggesting it.”

Haru nodded, popping a few into her mouth. “I’ll try my best not to eat it all.”

The two laughed.

A few minutes later, the movie began. Makoto was curious to see how it would be. With most rom-coms, she either enjoyed them or thought them to be completely cheesy and unrealistic. Either way, she usually got a good laugh or two out of them.

Makoto took a glance around at the other movie patrons, and saw that the theater was mostly populated by couples. One such couple in front of her seemed to be cuddling together, with the boy kissing the girl on the cheek.

Should… Was Haru expecting that from Makoto? She shook her head to rid herself of that thought. Those two could have been girlfriend and boyfriend, maybe even having dated for years. Right?

She looked to see what Haru was doing. Watching the film. Which was normal. Why wasn’t she watching it herself, again?

She went back to the film, hoping the few lines of dialogue she had missed weren’t crucial to the plot.

A few minutes passed, and Makoto started getting into the film. It wasn’t too cheesy, and the leads appeared to have great chemistry.

“Mako-chan?”

“Hm?” Makoto looked over to see Haru offering her some more chocolate. “I wasn’t kidding about eating all of these myself. Please, have some more before it’s gone.”

“Sure.” Makoto reached out her hand and Haru leaned over to pour some into her palm.

She tossed them into her mouth, relishing in the distinct flavor again.

“Hm…” Instead of moving back into her original position, Haru continued to lean further until she was resting her head on Makoto’s shoulder.

Her action surprised Makoto so much that she choked a bit on the food she was eating. Luckily, she was able to ingest it without incident, but once she recovered, she focused on the warmth that she was feeling from Haru.

She wondered if the other girl was comfortable, laying her head on Makoto’s shoulder. She should… reciprocate in some way, right?

Makoto slowly lifted up her arm, carefully draping it around Haru’s shoulders. This seemed to be the right move, as Haru snuggled closer without Makoto’s arm blocking her. She nuzzled into the space between her shoulder and her neck.

Makoto was glad for the relative darkness of the theater, as she could feel the heat radiating off of her face. She wondered if Haru was feeling something similar.

The two spent the rest of the film in this position. Makoto wondered if this might mean that this would lead to a second date, and maybe a third, and then, many more after that?

But it seemed that she was getting ahead of herself. For now, she resolved to enjoy the most out of this date as she could. And if it led to something more, she would deal with it then.

She couldn’t wait.

--

Woohoo! First date fanfic complete!

When I wrote the prequel to this last year, I wasn’t sure what their first date would entail. I spent some time wondering what I would do, and then the prompt of Coffee turned me in this direction. I’ve had these chocolate-covered coffee beans myself, and they are delicious!

Anyway, hope that you enjoyed. See you tomorrow!

[stephcialties]

did i do this in a three am manic fit ?? maybe. but i ask you indulge me for the sake of my sanity. 

:･ﾟ✧ * ˏˋ / hi, sorry to disturb you, but can you tell me where the office for ANDREA IBARRA AGUILAR is? y’know, SHE’S the 22-YEAR-OLD CISFEMALE PUBLISHING INTERN here at Masters? kinda’ looks like BECKY GOMEZ if you squint? one of the guys over at I.T. said SHE is CONFIDENT and CREATIVE but IMPETUOUS and FLIPPANT, does that ring a bell? i have HER coffee order right her.

𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 !!

first of all, drea wants to butt in and inform you that it’s ahn-drea not an-drea––and if that’s too difficult for you to remember, just call her drea.

clearly, this attitude stems from somewhere, and it’s from being the baby of her family of six. she’s her daddy’s little princess, her momma’s only daughter, and her three brothers’ pain in the ass to be overbearingly overprotective of. 

simple put, she’s spoiled rotten and was doted upon from the moment she was born.

her dad, alejandro ibarra, is a well-known photographer, and he met her mother, teresa aguilar, through his work. she wasn’t a model (( though drea thinks she’s the most beautiful women to grace the face of the earth )); she was a painter with dreams bigger than her tiny frame could contain. 

however, teresa gave them up when she conceived her first child (( drea’s oldest brother )). she settled down with alejandro in los angeles and raised four kids while her husband traveled to world to take his pictures, but he always brought back fun, little trinkets for both his girls. drea has quite the collection of silks, and gems, and postcards from all over the world––and she won’t get rid of any of them. 

her mom insists that she was happy to give up painting to take care of her family, but, as drea got older and developed a passion for the arts herself, she couldn’t imagine giving it up for anything. 

she worked really hard in school so that she could get into the rhode island school of design (( her father’s donation of some of his first works didn’t hurt either )). 

college was the furthest she’d been from home, and at first drea was totally freaking out about it...and then she realized it was the first time she was away from her parents’ prying eyes, and she went a little wild. well, wilder.  

despite getting an internship at masters, she stayed wild with no plans on changing. 

𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪 !!

drea can definitely be a huge brat because she was coddled her whole life, but. well, that’s it. she’s a brat lmao. 

but she’s lots of fun, too !! she’s a total adrenaline junkie, and she’s always coming up with different stunts to pull for the rush of it all.

she didn’t start dating until college bc her brothers scared all the boys and girls away, but she more than made up for it once she got started. a late bloomer, so to speak. 

she doesn’t really do ‘boyfriends’ or ‘girlfriends’ tho because she’s not about the hard work and trust of commitment. 

she’s simultaneously a people person and not at the same time. like she loves having a good time with u, but she doesn’t want to deal with ur emotional baggage lmao. i told you; she’s a brat. 

this means she has a lot of “friends” but only one or two actual friends. 

she’s really into art like i mentioned before, partially because it’s in her blood and partially because she can’t ever imagine doing something boring for the rest of her life. 

aka she’s always got paint or ink somewhere on her.

she’s kind of (and i hate this word w/ a passion, but it’s universal at this point) a tomboy, but like to her it’s just hobbies. like why assign a gender to skateboarding, punk music, and ripped jeans ??

needless to say, she has no time for your gendered bullshit. 

she’s also a giant nerd. she got into comics and video games for the graphics and stayed for characters. her fav heroes are jason todd and steph brown bc i’m fake and i need to talk about them ic bc i have problem. 

her fav video game is def persona 5 royal bc the graphics and the music are the Shit tm.  

swears like a fucking sailor and doesn’t apologize for it. unless her parents are around. then, she’s an angel. in fact, her parents have no idea about her par-tay lyfe, and drea is frantic to keep it that way bc she wants to still be her parents’ lil princess. 

𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 !!

best friend: ( m, f, nb ), squad ( m, f, nb), childhood friends: ( m, f, nb ), roommates: ( m, f, nb ), fwb: (m, f, nb), casual hookups ( m, f, nb), ex: ( m, f, nb )

all the connections tbh. hmu or like this and i’ll hit you up !!

[bountyofbeads]

It’s not just the Russians anymore as Iranians and others turn up disinformation efforts ahead of 2020 vote

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/07/25/its-not-just-russians-anymore-iranians-others-turn-up-disinformation-efforts-ahead-vote/

It’s not just the Russians anymore as Iranians and others turn up disinformation efforts ahead of 2020 vote

(Of course it's not just the Russians!! Other countries see how successful the Russian government was in their disinformation campaign so why wouldn't other countries try it.)

By Craig Timberg and Tony Romm | Published July 25 at 5:29 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted July 26, 2019

A recent tweet from Alicia Hernan — whose Twitter account described her as a wife, mother and lover of peace — did not mince words about her feelings for President Trump: “That stupid moron doesn’t get that that by creating bad guys, spewing hate filled words and creating fear of ‘others’, his message is spreading to fanatics around the world. Or maybe he does.”

That March 16 tweet, directed to a Hawaii congressman, was not the work of an American voter venting her frustration. The account, “@AliciaHernan3,” was what disinformation researchers call a “sock puppet” — a type of fictitious online persona used by Russians when they were seeking to influence the 2016 presidential election.

But it was Iranians, not Russians, who created @AliciaHernan3, complete with a picture of a blonde woman with large, round-framed glasses and a turtleneck sweater. It was one of more than 7,000 phony accounts from Iran that Twitter has shut down this year alone.

And Iran is far from the only nation that has, within its borders, substantial capacity to wage Russian-style influence operations in the United States ahead of next year’s election. That means American voters are likely to be targeted in the coming campaign season by more foreign disinformation than ever before, say those studying such operations.

Former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III echoed the consensus of independent researchers in his congressional testimony Wednesday, saying of Russian online political interference: “It wasn’t a single attempt. They’re doing it as we sit here, and they expect to do it the next campaign.” He added that “many more countries” had developed similar capabilities, based in part on the Russian playbook. A new Senate Intelligence Committee report released Thursday found that Russia began targeting the U.S. election system in 2014 and concluded that the attacks had continued into 2017.

A short list of countries that host online influence operations with a history of interfering across borders includes Saudi Arabia, Israel, China, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela, researchers say.

They say it’s often not clear exactly who runs these operations — whether it’s the governments themselves or other actors — but that they typically echo the talking points of the ruling powers and back their geopolitical goals through tweets, posts and online videos. Operations in all of these countries, meanwhile, have the means and potentially the motives to seek to influence a U.S. election shaping up as among the most hotly contested in decades.

The influence operations in these countries, however, do not all share Russia’s demonstrated preference for Trump and other Republicans. The Iranians, for example, typically oppose Trump in their disinformation messaging, criticizing his decision to pull the United States out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and administration policy on other issues, including Israel and the civil wars in Yemen and Syria, research shows.

“Multiple foreign actors have demonstrated an ability and willingness to leverage these kinds of influence operations in pursuit of their geopolitical goals,” said Lee Foster, head of the intelligence team investigating information operations for FireEye, a cybersecurity firm based in California. “We risk the U.S. information space becoming a free-for-all for foreign interference if, as a society, we fail to get an effective grasp on this problem.”

Researchers for FireEye and other firms have reported suspected Iranian disinformation on most major social media platform — Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google+ and others — and on stand-alone websites, as well. In May, FireEye also alleged that U.S. news sites may have been tricked into publishing letters to the editor penned by Iranian operatives.

The firm’s analysis spotted a number of instances where letters in newspapers in Virginia and Texas appeared to share similar characteristics to accounts on Twitter believed to be part of an Iran-based disinformation network. FireEye also catalogued fictitious Twitter personas used by Iranians that included a Harvard University student, a Michigan bodybuilder and an Iranian American woman from Seattle.

Some Iranian Twitter accounts, FireEye found, even sought to impersonate U.S. political candidates, including a California Republican who ultimately lost the general election for Congress. That account tweeted about the confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh and a British royal wedding before beginning to promote Iranian interests, including tweets condemning the Saudis’ killing of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

Some Iranian disinformation accounts, some of which were affiliated with state-controlled news operations, date back several years, but they have grown steadily more sophisticated. Twitter, Facebook and Google all have identified and taken offline accounts from Iran over the past year for engaging in coordinated, deceptive behavior.

“As part of our public archive of information operations, we have disclosed thousands of accounts and millions of Tweets originating in Iran that we have proactively removed,” said Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of site integrity. “Every year is an election year on Twitter, and we will be applying all of our global learnings to protect and enhance conversations around the 2020 election.”

The Iranian tactics differ somewhat from those of the Russians, who through the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg infiltrated the online conversations of a wide range of U.S. political groupings — immigration hard-liners, African Americans, veterans, evangelical Christians, environmentalists — with messages attuned to the way those communities already were speaking among themselves on major online platforms.

The Iranian operations detected so far tend to lack that complexity, with messaging typically on a single side of an issue in line with government policy goals — countering Israel, for example — as opposed to multiple ones.

But there are clear signs of shifting tactics in the accounts identified by Twitter, Facebook and other companies so far. What’s known, researchers say, may be only small parts of much larger operations that remain undetected.

“The Iranian operations were a wake-up call to remind us that the Russians were not the only ones doing information operations,” said Camille François, chief innovation officer for Graphika, a network analysis firm based in New York that studies online disinformation.

Graphika found that among one set of 1,666 Iranian accounts taken down by Twitter in June, about 1 in 4 tweets were in English. Trump was mentioned more than 1,400 times — almost always in critical ways — with this anti-Trump tweeting peaking in early 2017, in the months around when he took office.

Researchers say that both the U.S. government and social media companies have grown more aggressive in battling online disinformation since the 2016 presidential election.

Cooperation between the FBI and Silicon Valley has improved markedly. U.S. Cyber Command blocked Internet access to Russian disinformation teams during the congressional midterm vote in November 2018, scrambling operations. Some researchers express hope that this rising aggressiveness may thwart — or at least deter — some foreign-based influence operations from interfering in future U.S. elections.

All of the major social media companies also have established teams devoted to combating disinformation, typically by identifying and shutting down networks of fictitious foreign-based accounts on an increasingly large scale.

This shift has been dramatic since 2016, when the companies saw foreign threats mainly in terms of traditional cybersecurity — hacks and bugs — as opposed to influence operations conducted by foreign adversaries with substantial resources. The Russian disinformation campaign in 2016 spent more than $1 million a month, Mueller reported in an indictment last year against the Internet Research Agency.

As social media companies crack down, the tactics of disinformation teams rapidly shift to improve operational security and more effectively evade detection. FireEye, for example, was able to identify some apparently fake Iranian accounts last year because contact numbers for supposed American Twitter users had the +98 country code from Iran, a tactical mistake operatives are unlikely to make again.

But among independent researchers and some lawmakers, significant skepticism remains on whether enough has been done to prepare for the threat in 2020.

“In 2016, Russia used bots and fake accounts to launch an unprecedented social media campaign designed to influence the results of our presidential election,” said Sen. Mark R. Warner (Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. “That playbook is out in the open now, and you can bet that unless the platform companies get their acts together, we’re going to see more and more foreign-based actors using it to wreak havoc in our democratic process.”

The nations hosting significant disinformation capabilities typically first saw them active in seeking to manipulate domestic audiences, shaping public perceptions in line with regime propaganda. The next step often was working regionally, by infiltrating online conversations in neighboring countries, as Russia did in Ukraine in 2014 as it annexed Crimea and fomented unrest elsewhere in the country.

Disinformation teams in Iran initially developed their tactics while manipulating domestic political conversation before gradually expanding operations to include more languages, more themes and foreign targets.

Human rights lawyer Simin Kargar, of Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, said Iran for years has harassed journalists, political dissidents and artists in its internal disinformation campaigns. She has watched as Iran increasingly deployed such tactics against foreign targets.

“I would be surprised if the Iranians weren’t trying to expand their operations for the coming election, especially with the rising tensions between Iran and the United States,” Kargar said. “They would be far more savvy by 2020.”

Disinformation teams in Saudi Arabia have worked both internally and to manipulate other Gulf states, including in the nation’s struggle with rival Qatar, said researcher Marc Owen Jones, an assistant professor of Middle East studies at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Doha, the capital of Qatar. He said tactics in Saudi Arabia typically involve both sock puppets and automated accounts, called “bots,” echoing official government propaganda, including things said or tweeted by Trump.

Jones recently detailed in a series of tweets an apparent information operation emanating from Saudi Arabia following a visit to the White House this month by Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar. Jones found a single tweet, “The Prince of Qatar a supporter of terrorism, should not be in the White House but be at Guantanamo,” had been posted up to 800 times an hour over several days, from 2,582 unique accounts. The tweets mostly were directed at U.S.-based targets, including Trump, the CIA and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and at several news organizations, including Fox News, Reuters and The Washington Post.

“There’s still this pro-Trump message coming from Saudi Twitter, and I don’t think that’s likely to change,” Jones said. “They view Trump’s reelection as key to their own survival.”

A spokesman for the Saudi Embassy in Washington, Fahad Nazer, said, “Saudi Arabia does not interfere in anyway in the domestic affairs of other countries. It considers this noninterference principle to be a pillar of the rules-based international order. Just as importantly, Saudi Arabia does not engage in the dissemination of “disinformation” of any sort. Any allegations to the contrary are baseless.”

This trajectory from nationally focused to internationally focused disinformation campaigns raises longer-term worries about what other nations might have disinformation teams sharpening their chops on domestic audiences with an eye toward eventual use against foreign targets, including in the United States. In addition to those with known foreign disinformation capabilities, there are numerous nations — Turkey, Egypt, the Philippines, Qatar, Mexico and others — that now use such tactics mainly to influence domestic politics but could turn their attention to foreign targets.

In a related trend, online mercenaries have begun offering information operations as a commercial service. Facebook shut down 265 accounts from an Israeli company, Archimedes Group, in May for seeking to manipulate elections through social media targeting voters in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia. The company said on its website that it would “use every tool and take every advantage available in order to change reality according to our client’s wishes.”

[furnitureoxide-blog]

Sofa Set Designs

Carson Kressley says, " Friends think your life is so glamorous, and it is. But there are times when instead of going to a glamorous party I would rather just come home from work, pop in a DVD and eat some microwave popcorn while lying on my sofa set".  Well yes, that's what sofas are for. After the whole long busy day when life gets you all packed and you return home tired and exhausted all you will need is a place to let all your senses cool down, a place where you can relax laying without any tension of coming days or hours. Sofas are that place for you.  When on most evening you can light up a few candles, get snugged on the sofa and read your favorite novel carelessly lost in the world of fairies and adventure, other times sit around in a group with all your friends gossiping around on different topics and sharing life events, and connecting dots around your stories.  Having a home, family sitting around you discussing about life events, maybe about the things you spend you day doing or little Nik Naks they wish to share all you can do sitting on the one cozy corner of your room on your sofa. It is important that you buy this one important thing considering all the factors about its quality and your needs. With being the most comforting spot of the living room, sofa sets are also the play stop for children. Where they jump out all their energy, when tired sit down or sleep on them, sometimes make a car out from them , acting as if they are genuinely driving on a rash road, crashing the cars into the trees.  Children have their own imaginations and while they play on sofa it is important that they also get all the comfort needed. Sofas are also the bed for some and an eating spot for others. But in the end, your sofa adds glamour and royalty to your living room. It's the one thing among many attractions for your guests and friends.

History Of Furniture Designs

Infographic Credit :- Guardsman

How To Choose The Right Sofa/Couches For Your Space? Step-By-Step Guide

https://youtu.be/GoLk42MXO_I

Best 3-Seater Sofa

1. Durian Samuel White Leather 3 Seater Sofa Set

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT :  This sofa here is a three-seater sofa set that will provide you with immediate comfort and immense support. What you look for when you reach the market to buy a new sofa set?  This elegant and luxurious looking sofa set here comes from the Durian privately-held furniture company that was founded back in 1985 and has its headquarters in Mumbai. Durian offers some of the best sofa set designs at your door.  Naturally, you look for the framework it has, the joinery that holds the frame, the foam that's stuffed inside the sofa, it's fabric the comfort it offers and last but not the least its price range. Here this Durian Samuel sofa set comes with semi-aniline leather which is the type of leather that is only slightly pigmented. This type of leather is in between the pigmented and aniline leather. It is four times more durable than any other leather. Aniline leather is said to be the most luxurious leather covers for sofa sets.  It comes with fine leather upholstery. The filling in this sofa is of foam which in return can provide more body support while sitting. Foam retains its shape better than other filling like fiber. It comes in steel legs. It also comes with the adjustable headrest and armrest. These two things being added to this sofa makes it better and comfortable. This sofa provides comfort at your best. The bright cream color adds warmth to your house as well and will surely enlighten your day. Samuel can be proved to be the smart choice for modern living room decoration.  OTHER DETAILS : This sofa set design comes in a very beautiful cream color with a weight of around 56kgs. The model number that this set has is Samuel/3 and the item art number is Samuel/3. This sofa comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably.  This sofa set design comes with the leather as the primary material that adds enhancement to the set design. The upholstery material in the sofa set design is Leatherette. Also, the set has a freestanding installation type.  The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. They offer no storage capacity. KEY SPECS: The Dimensions of this sofa is as follows: Length (212 cm), Width (90 cm), Height (95 cm) Primary Material used here is Semi-Aniline Leather Primary Material used here is Semi-Aniline Leather Seating Capacity: Three-seat Assembly Required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller itself. Warranty: 5 Year Durian Industries Ltd. Domestic Warranty It has an adjustable headrest to provide you with comfort and support. It also has an adjustable armrest to provide proper support to your arm. This sofa set comes with steel legs. Maximum load capacity: 350kgs. PROS Adjustable Headrest. Steel Legs. CONS Colour might not be exactly as displayed in the picture. Check Price On Amazon 2. Durian Wooden Frame Three Seater Sofa (Matte Finish, Caramel Brown)

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT : This Joseph royal golden age looking sofa set has a classic vintage style touch to it. This is a real grand sofa designed for a step back into the pages of the past. When you want an ancient touch in your house, a look that reminds you of the classical past designs get this sofa right now.  The brown color that this sofa has gives the effective texture of wooden. And will beautifully suit your western house theme having wooden floor set up. This sofa comfy us all you need after a long tiring work hour.  Sofa is not only a place to sit when guests come, it's always staying with you and your comfort means more. Do you think that if children come then it's gonna be a job for you to always stand beside your sofa so they don't damage it? Well, here the solution this sofa set has the primary material of semi-aniline leather which is in between the pigmented and aniline leather.  It's four times more durable than any other time of leather. So not to worry about the leather getting harmed. Also at the same time, aniline leather is said to be a most luxurious leather cover for sofa sets. What else do you need when all you got. This sofa is all in one. Adoring your living room where you can sit and have some gossip around with your friends and family.  The special vintage-styled arms coupled with the molding and the pinhead details all these add charm and persona to this sofa set. This sofa set design comes with broad armrest and soft cushioning which provides you with extreme comfort and calmness.  This sofa set comes with a pair of complementary fabric cushions and pillows that make it a complete perfect set. OTHER DETAILS : This sofa set design comes in a very beautiful caramel brown color with a weight of around 71kgs. The model number that this set has is Joseph/3 and the item art number is Joseph/3. This sofa set comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably.  This has the freestanding installation type. The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. KEY SPECS: The Dimensions in which this sofa set comes are: Length (224 cm), Width (93 cm), Height (108 cm). Primary Material which makes this set is Solid Wood. Color: Caramel Brown, Finish: Matte, Style: Contemporary. Seating Capacity: Three-seat. Assembly Required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller. Warranty: 5 Year Durian Industries Ltd. Domestic Warranty. Grand design. Material used in here is Semi-aniline leather. Lounge chair. PROS It offers you with a grand design. Vintage looking sofa. Three seater with immense comfort. Solid wood as primary material. Easy to clean. CONS Color may not match exactly as in the picture. No adjustable head or armrest. Check Price On Amazon 3. Durian Three Seater Sectional Sofa Set (Matte Finish, Butter Scotch)

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT : This set offers you the most charming comfort. It looks fluffy and is the perfect kind of soft comfortable sofa set.  Softness is all you smell of while looking at this sofa set design. The light brown mellow color and the cozy comfy cushion this sofa we made from will make you fall asleep as soon as you will lay on this sofa.  While looking around for sofa one looks for the softest sets, well here is one for you and your children to sit, jump, sleep whatever suits you. This sofa set has a premium polyfill on the back and in the arms to prevent sagging and added cushioning. All-day sitting on the chair in your offices and workplaces might stress up your back.  Coming home you need a place to set up your body and take a nice long sleep. Well here is the sofa for you. This sofa has a premium feel to it. Looking for astonishing your guest? I'm telling you this sofa set gives a wow feeling when you first sit down on it. Amenity in your living room. This sofa has a foam filling making it softest of all.  Polyfill material is synthetic material that is very soft, durable and extremely fluffy. So yes when talking about the extreme cozy sofa sets, here you come. This Leslie sofa set is upholstered using genuine leather that is said to be sourced from Italy exclusively. This three-seater sofa is best for your comfort for indoor. OTHER DETAILS :  This sofa design comes in a very beautiful butterscotch color with a weight of around 63kgs. The dimensions of this sofa set are in terms of accommodating your living room and they are 208*95*96.   The model number that this set has is Leslie/3 and the item art number is Leslie/3. This sofa set comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably.  This has the freestanding installation type. The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. KEY SPECS: This sofa set has Dimensions as follows: Length (208 cm), Width (95 cm), Height (96 cm). Primary Material type used here is Semi-Aniline Leather, Top Material: Leather, Back Material: Leatherette. Color: Butter Scotch, Finish: Matte, Style: Contemporary. Seating Capacity: Three-seat. Assembly Required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller. Warranty: 5 years on product. Standard design. Half leather sofa. PROS The top material it offers is leather. Standard design. The capacity it offers is 350kgs. Extremely fluffy. CONS The color may not be the exact same as shown in the picture. It could be a little difficult to clean. No adjustable head or armrest. Check Price On Amazon 4. Durian Marcus Three Seater Sectional Sofa (Beige)

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT : This premium looking sofa set has an elegant touch to it. It grabs attention with its stylish looks.  This Marcus sofa set is a two-seater features an elegant modernized look. Goes best with the modern living looks. If you're looking for a supreme design sofa set this is the right choice for you. The shining steel strips this sofa set has on the sides make it look more gorgeous and stunning at the same time. This steely glimpse that durian has added to this sofa set design makes it stand out from other sofa set designs.  I'm not sure if you understand the headrest this sofa set offers. Have you ever had a problem with having a straight headrest which in return would strain your head? Well yes of course.  But unlike other sofas, this sofa has an adjustable headrest providing you with the facility to adjust the headset as you want it to be. Absolutely perfect and thus in return preventing a kind of strain. When guests come it's important they have a good first impression. This sofa gives you that. This sofa can also be placed in offices for it gives a luxury feeling which will definitely fit your office reception.  This set has a rich finish. The supreme leather gives the sofa a luxury hint. It also comes with adjustable headrest and makes it stand out. The headrest adds to increasing the comfort level of this sofa set.  The legs of this sofa are made from stainless steel which makes them perfect in each aspect.  OTHER DETAILS :  This sofa set design comes in a very beautiful beige color with a weight of around 54kgs. The dimensions of this sofa set are in terms of accommodating your living room and they are 208*108*93. The model number that this set has is Marcus/3 and the item art number is Marcus/3.  This sofa comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably. The material is leather that enhancement to this sofa set design. This has the freestanding installation type. The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. KEY SPECS: This sofa comes in the Dimensions as follows: Length (208 cm), Width (104 cm), Height (93 cm). Primary Material used here is Semi-Aniline Leather, Top Material material used is: Leather, Base Material: Wood. Color: Beige, Finish: Matte, Style: Contemporary. Seating Capacity: Three-seat. Assembly Required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller. Warranty: 5 years on product. Adjustable headrest. Rich finish. Steel legs. Compact size. PROS It comes with a perfect compact size. This offers a rich finish. Sofa has adjustable headrest. Steel legs. CONS Color may not be the exact same as shown in the picture. The leather is not very washable. Check Price On Amazon 5. Durian Skyler Three Seater Sectional Sofa Set (Mushroom Brown).

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT :  Luxury us all you see when you look at this sofa set. The premium and standard looks this sofa set provides is out of mind. This Skyler sofa set is anything but the most magnificent pieces of all, that will add perfectionist your living room. Skyler sofa set has a soft touch and fluffy feels. It has a modern, contemporary and straight style. The thick cushions this sofa set design provides can be a place to rest all day long.  When you look for the comfort of your kids or anyone from your family this definitely won't disappoint you. This sofa set comes with leather a type that four times more durable and strong than any other set. It is covered with a combination of leather and leatherette with all the areas you can experience are finished with leather and rest nonfunctional ones are finished with leatherette. Leatherette is cheaper than the two here.  Leather, on the one hand, is not washable and can be difficult to clean, also it's porous and so absorbs spills and odor easily. Whereas leatherette is not washable but is less porous and so waterproof and easy to wash. This sofa set design is set in a sleek stilt legs  OTHER DETAILS :  This sofa set design comes in a very beautiful mushroom brown color with a weight of around 50kgs. The dimensions of this sofa set are in terms of accommodating your living room and they are 198*88*76.   The model number that this set has is Skyler/A/3 and the item art number is Skyler/A/3. This sofa comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably. This sofa comes with leatherwork that adds enhancement to this set design.  This has the freestanding installation type. The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. KEY SPECS: This sofa comes with the Dimensions as follows:: Length (196 cm), Width (88 cm), Height (76 cm). Primary Material used her is Semi-Aniline Leather, Top Material used is Leather, Base Material: Wood. Color: Mushroom Brown, Finish: Matte, Style: Contemporary. Seating Capacity: Three-seat. Assembly Required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller. Warranty: 5 years on product. Sleek design. Rich upholstery. Stylish legs. Sleek arms. PROS The sofa set has sleek arms. It comes with a stylish leg design. This set has rich upholstery. It could hold a maximum of 350kg weight. CONS Color may not be the same as shown in the picture. This sofa doesn't have an adjustable headrest. Check Price On Amazon Also Read:- Best L Shape Sofa/Couches In India | Reviews and Comparison Best King Size Bed In India (2019) Reviews, Comparison & Buying Guide 6. Durian Roger Three Seater Sofa (Dark Walnut)

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT : This glossy finish sofa set adds to the royal vintage look of your living room. It looks lavish and strong persona.  This three-seater sofa is made from a primary material that is semi-aniline leather. The semi-aniline leather is the type of leather that is only slightly pigmented. This type of leather is in between the pigmented and aniline leather.  It is four times more durable than any other leather. Aniline leather is said to be the most luxurious leather covers for sofa sets. The vintage design draws you in with its panel arms and an inviting seat upholstered in the finest leather and leatherette.  It has a brown color that makes it look royal and adds warm persona to the surrounding. It a tufted back and seat cushions are all made out if the finest foam that makes it fluffy and soft. The legs here are of wooden and firmly stabilize's the sofa set.  OTHER DETAILS : This sofa design comes in a very beautiful dark walnut color with a weight of around 77.2kgs. The dimensions of this sofa set are in terms of accommodating your living room and they are 239*106*94.   The model number that this set has is Roger/A/3 and the item art number is Roger/A/3. This sofa set comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably.  This sofa set design comes with the leather as the primary material that adds enhancement to the set design. Also, the set has a freestanding installation type. The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. KEY SPECS: Sofa set here some with the Dimensions as follows: Width (106 cm), Length (230 cm), Height (94 cm). Primary Material used here is Semi-Aniline Leather. Color: Dark Walnut, Finish: Matte, Style: Contemporary. Seating Capacity: Three-seat. Assembly required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller. Warranty: 5 years on product. Grand design. Tufted back. Rolled arms. Wooden legs. PROS This sofa set design comes with tufted back. It has rolled arms design. The overall design is grand. It could hold a maximum of 350 kgs loads. CONS The color may not be the same as shown in the picture. Check Price On Amazon 7. Durian Three Seater Sofa Set (Matte Finish, Burgundy)

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT : This leather sofa set design gives your living room the vintage royal look. The color makes it stand out among the other sets. This sofa set is three-seater present here to give your living room a premium look. Are you the one looking for a sitting place for your wooden floors living room and want something that'll match with your expectation of being strong and fluffy at the same time. Then this is the sofa design you need to check out right now.  Whether it's a family function or just a small gathering at your room you obviously need comfort and convenience for your guests and for yourself. This sofa has that all.  This sofa set design has a rich textured Burgundy leather which gives it a supple feel. The back is of the sofa set has tufted panel back cushion which gives you immense comfort and sublime rest.  The secondary material used here is semi-aniline leather. Semi-aniline leather is the type of leather that is only slightly pigmented. This type of leather is in between the pigmented and aniline leather.  It is four times more durable than any other leather. The sofa stands on a sturdy base. This luxurious seating makes the Patrick leather sofa standout for your living room.  OTHER DETAILS :  This sofa set design comes in a very beautiful burgundy color with a weight of around 58.2kgs. The dimensions of this sofa set are in terms of accommodating your living room and they are 220*87*94.   The model number that this set has is Patrick/3 and the item art number is Patrick/3. This sofa set comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably. This sofa set design comes with the leather as the primary material that adds enhancement to the set design.  The upholstery material in the sofa set design is Leatherette. Also, the set has a freestanding installation type. The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. They offer no storage capacity. KEY SPECS: The sofa comes with the Dimensions: Length (220 cm), Width (87 cm), Height (94cm). Primary Material used here is Leather, Upholstery Material: Leatherette. Color: Burgundy. Seating Capacity: Three-seat. Assembly Required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller. Warranty: 5 years on product. Leather sofa, 3 seater. Modern design. Sturdy base. PROS This sofa set cushion and leather upholstery type. It comes with the 350kgs capacity holder. Gives royal look to your living room. CONS The color may not be the same as shown in the picture. No adjustable headrest. No adjustable armrest. Check Price On Amazon 8. Durian Philly Three Seater Sofa Set Leather (Beige)

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT: The premium look that this two-seater sofa set gives will make your living room flawless and standout.  This sofa here has a splendid and stunning design. This Philly sofa set has a marvelous leather cover. The secondary material used here is semi-aniline leather. Semi-aniline leather is the type of leather that is only slightly pigmented.  This type of leather is in between the pigmented and aniline leather. It is four times more durable than any other leather. This sofa set comes with the cushion upholstery type and leather upholstery material.  Leather is not washable and can be difficult to clean, also it's porous and so absorbs spills and odor easily. Comfortable and relaxed after a long workday or party theme styled at your house. This sofa set brings everything to your steps. Want a mentally feel for your newly designed, well-constructed living room?  This sofa set design goes extraordinarily with your elegant living room. Sofa set comes with a cushion panel and offers lots of support and comfort. It has an adjustable headrest for a position that best suits you and provides you with calmness.  It has sleek chrome legs that give this sofa set a very stylish look upon which the sofa rests firmly.  OTHER DETAILS :  This sofa set design comes in a very beautiful beige color with a weight of around 53.9kgs. The dimensions of this sofa set are in terms of accommodating your living room and they are 213*100*70.   The model number that this set has is Philly/3 and the item art number is Philly/3. This sofa set comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably. This sofa set design comes with the leather as the primary material that adds enhancement to the set design.  The upholstery material in the sofa set design is Leatherette. Also, the set has a freestanding installation type. The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. They offer no storage capacity. KEY SPECS: The sofa comes with the Dimensions: Length (213 cm), Width (100 cm), Height (70 cm). Primary Material used here is Semi-Aniline Leather, Upholstery Material: Leatherette. Color: Beige, Style: Contemporary. Seating Capacity: Three-seat. Assembly Required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller. Warranty: 5 years on product. Leather sofa, 3 seater. Adjustable headrest. Modern design. Sleek base. PROS This sofa design comes with a premium-looking style. It has a sleek base. This set comes with an adjustable headrest. Also, it could hold a maximum of 350kgs. CONS Vulnerable to water. The color of the sofa set may not be the same as shown in the picture. Check Price On Amazon 9. Durian Three Seat Sofa for Living Room (Matt Finish, Grey)

Pic Credit:- amazon.in ABOUT PRODUCT : The premium and luxurious look that this sofa holds will definitely make your living room stand out.  Greyish glimpses this set gives adds an enormous blend of richness to your house. And the level of comfort isn't less to say less. This set is perfect for a place where you want a modern look. Omega sofa set design had a premium look here by comes with primary material of leather. A brilliant addition, the Omega is the pride of the luxe Leather collection. Leather is not washable and can be difficult to clean, also it's porous and so absorbs spills and odor easily.  This sofa set is encased with a premium luxurious cushion that provides you with immense comfort and support.  Comfort always comes first. And then comes the style. This sofa is all in one. This sofa set design will add standard to your luxurious living room. Family time or having guests over at your house I'm sure this sofa set will leave people in wonder and awe of your house. Omega hereby draws its inspiration from a very beautiful Vintage design with an imperial stance with a winged platform base supported on slender steel legs making for an impressive look. It offers you an adjustable headrest for your extreme comfort so you can change it according to your desire.  An eloquent blend of inspiring aesthetics and comfort, this is a nice way to add a little panache to your home.  OTHER DETAILS :  This sofa set design comes in a very beautiful battleship grey color with a weight of around 69kgs. The dimensions of this sofa set are in terms of accommodating your living room and they are 218*103*94.5.   The model number that this set has is Omega/3 and the item art number is Omega/3. This sofa set comes with the capacity to accommodate three people comfortably.  This sofa set design comes with the semi-aniline leather as the primary material that adds enhancement to the set design. The upholstery material in the sofa set design is Leatherette.  Also, the set has a freestanding installation type. The body material of this sofa is wood. It has a rectangular shape and requires assembly. They offer no storage capacity. KEY SPECS: The Dimensions of this sofa set is as follows: Length (218cm), Width (103cm), Height (94.5cm) Seating Capacity: Three-seat Assembly Required: The product requires carpenter assembly and will be provided by the seller itself. Warranty: 5 Year Durian Industries Ltd. Domestic Warranty It has an adjustable headrest to provide you with comfort and support. This sofa set comes with steel legs. Maximum load capacity: 350kgs. PROS This sofa set comes with a beautiful looking design. It offers a premium look. CONS Vulnerable to water. Color may not be the same as shown in the picture. Check Price On Amazon

Hindi Buying Guide - How To Choose The Right Sofa/Couches For Your Space? Step-By-Step Guide

https://youtu.be/69hN8slUjik

Conclusion

Your sofa will be the communal platform, comforting safe space for family debates and talk over intimate as well as casual topics or a place to sit o lay while most probably having a television in front. Before buying a sofa see and consider all the points including dimensions, range, quality, and other things. Even if the sofa comes second to all the pricey antique and jewelry but still it's one expensive investment you're going to make, but at the end of the day it is something that'll add to the thousands of memories you'll make.  A Sofa is the center of attraction for your living room and a perfect spot to spend time with friends and family. When looking for sofa set designs it's important you look for all the necessary things you feel are needed according to your convenience. The sofa set is something that'll hold many memories and will stay with you are a long long time. Read the full article

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Persona 5 Scramble Is Everything a Phantom Thief Would Want From a Persona 5 Sequel

  Diving into a realm not yet covered for the Persona series, the new “action-RPG” sequel to 2016’s Persona 5 is releasing in Japan on February 20 as Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers on the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch – another first for the franchise, if you don’t count Joker in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Before the release of the game, a demo was unmasked on the Japanese Nintendo eShop, letting fans (like myself) see what we were getting ourselves into.

    I’m a huge fan of Persona 5. Having never played any of the other games in the series, and being apprehensive on the JRPG genre in general after trying Disgaea as a kid and not enjoying it, I fell in love with everything the game stood for, though preferring the social aspect of the game rather than the combat. I adored the story, setting, and characters of Persona 5. When Persona 5 Scramble was announced, I was ecstatic over the news of more Persona, but again, apprehensive over the new combat style and what changes the social gameplay may have had.

  Scrambling for a new combat system

  The demo for Persona 5 Scramble isn’t very long, just the first tutorial and a little of the first palace to entice you with the story and teach you how the new combat system works. At the start of the game, Joker (which you again get to name, I personally use Taki Tachibana because of Your Name.) lands in the infamous Shibuya Scramble crossing, having to weave and dodge through hordes of shadows. This is where combat is taught.

    I adore the combat in Persona 5 Scramble, unlike Persona 5’s turn-based system, Scramble is a free-for-all based loosely on the Warriors series – unsurprising considering the game started out as Warriors spin-off akin to Hyrule Warriors and being developed by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force, with a lot of input from Atlus. What surprised me was the depth of the combat, though, and how well the original gameplay from Persona 5 was adapted into Scramble. For example, in Persona 5, if you shoot a fairy with a gun (to which it’s weak), you’re able to exploit that to couple with a higher damage takedown, affecting more surrounding enemies.

    In battle, you’re also able to take advantage of environmental objects to gain the high ground or destroy to deal extra damage to shadows with the lower ground. Transitioning between battles and the overworld is seamless, with some spots that could be considered cutscenes before battles, though these were near the start of the demo, and became more seamless nearer the end. This is a much welcome change from Persona 5, where every battle had a loading screen and then a final score, making it a chore at some points to get through palaces, or Mementos.

  Going beneath the graphics and overworld

  While more of the demo was inside the new palace, modeled after Shibuya 109 and the sewers underneath, locations from Persona 5 returned – and looked exactly like I’d left it after my 120-hour playthrough. It felt like coming home walking the streets of the fictional Yongen-Jaya. I tried going into Takami’s office but sadly wasn’t allowed. Shibuya, on the other hand, has been slightly updated, with some interesting NPCs that are a little too realistic for my liking.

      Graphically, the game ran nicely on the Nintendo Switch, even with hordes of enemies on the screen, and action animation and UI flying about. Seeing screenshots of the game side-by-side with the PlayStation 4 version clearly shows a lack of graphical fidelity on the Switch, and this was most noticeable during the introduction with all the phantom thieves at the headquarters with some pretty jaggy looking models – though the character art still looks pretty good.

    My Last Surprise!

  The new elements in Persona 5 Scramble are like the stacks of meat on a burger from Big Bang Burger, each patty giving us more and more juicier gameplay to enjoy. While the demo wasn’t the longest, I still noticed some story hints dripped into the opening scenes, like the abundance of an AI helper – which are all the craze in Tokyo right now – and how Sophie fits into the cognitive world.

  Shoutouts to character designer Shigenori Soejima, the first boss design is outstanding!

  Personally, I don’t mind some jaggy models if I’m able to play a game like Persona 5 Scramble on the go smoothly. Yes, it’s not the original game (or Persona 5 Royal) on the Nintendo Switch, but being able to hang out with my phantom thief buddies and go on a vacation around Japan is more than enough to keep me hooked – especially when metal remixes of some of my favorite songs suddenly appear as I’m beating up hordes of shadows in Shibuya!

  Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers releases on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan on February 20, and there has been no announcement on a western release at this time. Persona 5 Scramble is a sequel to the original 2016 Persona 5 game, missing elements from Persona 5 Royal. Persona 5 was adapted into a TV anime titled PERSONA5 the Animation, which was streamed on Crunchyroll as it aired!

    All screenshots are from the Nintendo Switch version of the game.

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Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs the YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza and posts photos of his travels on Instagram.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com