We are within the local shopping district, the Black Market. First, is a trip to the local casino for some blackjack action! Of which, we hear of a Queen and ladies copying her style of adding moles to her face. Um...I have enough trouble with pimples as is. I don't need any more spots. Anyway, Velvet Room. But it doesn't look like there is anything around our levels expect for Pyro Jack and Maki already has another Persona. But Nanjo is at a good level to take on Lilim. We'll see what cards I can get in the next dungeon. No need for the Clinic but the nurse is praising the Harem Queen. Hmm...should I spend some money on armor or guns or...health items. All the way. Skipping over the armor and item shop, only gathering info about this Queen, we enter the Peace Diner...only for it to look more like a bar instead of a fast food restaurant! Seriously, there is alcohol sold here! We have some card players and two sad drunks. And a bartender named Master, who tells us to loyally serve the Queen. Um...talking time! Sad drunk is sad and wants to go outside. (!!!) Lady wishes she could have the men the Harem Queen took, the Bartender tells us that the Queen keeps everyone kept inside the market, with Mark and Maki saying that we should go visit this Queen and get out of here. We also get warning not to anger the Queen and to praise her artwork. Okay. Quick drop by Tadashi's for medicines and beads and Revival Beads and...wait...Balm of Life! GET IT! Quick save and we head off to the dungeon!
This dungeon...let's just say that I shall be grateful that I let my alternate save file go first here. Kama Palace, while having a nice theme
, is one big maze of pitfalls and elevators and stairs. Mark manages to stare some Sirens into giving us money before falling down the first pithole we see. They are almost always after a door on the map. Our next battle goes well, with Reiji's persona gaining a rank, Jack Frost maxing out for Maki, and Nanjo leveling up. Don't worry, Maki's got Sati to work on. (Though the boss is weak to ice so we'll keep Frosty around) We are faced with a crossroads and we head to the right side, successfully landing down, we head to the door and hole behind us when AMBUSH! Maki's out alone up front! But this is a contacting round! Reiji, using his aloof ignorance, got a Hanako of the toilet to heal him up. Maki cringes away a...demon, gaining a life stone in the process! And a snooty Tokebi enjoys hearing Nanjo's pontifications, which means "talk in a dogmatic and pompous manner", (fitting) giving us some money. Our next battle goes for the interesting as we run into an enemy that uses MARIN KARIN all. the. time. Ah well, Sati learns some levels, gaining Dia in the process, meaning we can ditch Maki's initial now! And Maki gained a level up! Goodie! Our next contacting...eh, Hanako of the toilet (Life Stone) and that other demon (moolah) were impressed but Tokebi, not so much this time. Next, a contact with with a Pairka this time, which Maki's pleading earns some more money. We find our one door, and it drops us next to a save tree and Trish's fountain. But unlike my other save file, I'm actually doing very well so well just save and take the elevator.
Thanks to former experience with the other save file, I know we have to go to the fourth floor to find the door and the hole beyond it. Our next battle is with those pompous Tokebi's who we now know are weak to an axe and death spells. Sounds like it's time for Mark and Reiji to go to work on these guys! -laughs- The irony. Anyway, the full moon brings us our next contact, Sarashina-hime who is please with us exlaiming our health. A combo of Mark's passionate stares and Nanjo's lofty words allow a happy and eager demon willing to give Nanjo exp. Works. The lagger can use what he can get. Now at the 6th floor, I was a little uncertain but I went to the furthest door/hole, hoping it was the right way. A battle with the Pairika's reveals that they block magic. With this in mind we Attack! Attack! Attack!, (Nanjo's persona gaining a rank and learning Hell Drop, an earth skill) Considering we dropped right next to a room, I'd say we took the right path! We find a painting of Chisato, the missing girl, Maki suggests that she is being held captive by the Queen but...anyway, talking to the non-harem member says that the painting is okay but not emotionally inspiring. Suit yourself. I can't really make a judgement call here with this small screen. Oh and the guy of the harmen says that the painting is the Queens so...
Anyway, I take the nearest path to me and fall down to another room. Another painting and another guy. And the team is amped to take on the Queen. We get ambushed by...Carrie? Hmm...looks like someone is trying to get the drop on Alice's popularity! You are now envisioning a war between Alice and Carrie. She is still not one to be talked to and gets mad at us. Oh and she reflects Dark making the ambushed Reiji useless. Maki's Persona gained a rank and learns Diarama (YAY!) and Mark gaining a level. Anyway, I take the path to the right and find me a Save Tree! We must be close to the boss! One room before the boss room! And...yello Carrie. Nice to see you again. We fail to gain her happiness but maybe a Ocypete will be nicer to us. And she is...we made her happy with the happy status. GIVE US ITEMS DARN IT! Nanjo, inflicted with fear runs away. -sigh- Ah well. Mark did a good job cleaning up and Reiji leveled up in the process. Into the boss chamber!
We find Chisato as the Harem Queen. Mark says what I was thinking. "...knew it." We should mention that Chisato is mole ridden. She reveals that she got a mirror that grants her wishes from Aki. When Maki pleads with Chisato to go home and help the hurt Yosuke our Queen rebuffs that, saying she didn't like him anyway revealing that she started to date him just because Maki liked him saying she was the one he should have gone too. She was always jealous of Maki since she got all the attention from the other students. One Green-Eyed Monster coming up. She gets annoyed with Nanjo and Mark's interjections and taunts Maki. Mark states that he knows why her art is horrible now, because she is a horrible person and so she can't make real art. Umm...I bet there are some artists who were sucessful despite a bad personality. Anyway, Nanjo chimes in as well saying that her power is worthless and the praise she now has is meaningless as they are forcibly enslaved to her. And Mark gets the last word...
"Your...paintings...SUCK!"
Crowning Moment Of Awesome Nanjo and Mark. However, for our efforts, we get kicked out of the dungeon and back to the Peace Diner. -sigh- Another round into the dungeon we go. At least I can go to the Velvet Room to delete Maso from us, gaining an SP Incense. Ooooooo. I'll hold onto Jack Frost for now. Save tree and back into the dungeon with us!
Woot! A spell card from a Cath Palug get! Thank you Reiji! Drop down a level...Our next battle goes well with Nat gaining a level. And once again, Mark's passionate stares gain us a Spell Card! The Marin Karin birds pop up again, but they go down easily this time, Mark's Persona even gaining a rank and learning Thunder Kick. Drop down. Ah, the snooty Tokebi's. They...are angered by Nanjo's words and attack us! Ah well, Reiji can clean the floor pretty quick. Maki's Persona gains a rank within the fight and Nanjo gains a level. The new moon makes our contacting with Hanako of the toilet (life stone), Tokebi (life stone used on Nanjo) and the demon, (exp for Maki, gaining a level in the process) go very well. We are at the seventh floor meaning save tree!
Just as we step out we are besieged by demons! Marin Karin birds included! But the battle doesn't go too bad, Reiji's persona even gaining his Max Rank, learning Eastern Impact in the process. Elevator up and same group, different objective. Maki cringes her way to better health and Nat persuading the Marin Karin birds to gain a Life Stone. Drop down two floors and another battle starts. Nothing much happens but it reminded me to switch Personas for Reiji. The next contact gives Mark exp, a turquoise, and a life stone. Items! How I love thee! Drop down and into the room. Mostly the group is wondering about Chisato but Reiji has some interesting words.
"Putting your faith in something like friendship makes no sense. That's stuff only superficial...it isn't real."
I see your bluff and raise you Fool and Judgement Arcana social links!
Anyway, out of the door, we enter a fight from which Mark levels up in! Drop down and before we can enter the room, we get into a scap. Contact time! From which, Maki gains EXP from. Into the room, where we find Reiji being more cynical.
"Better she found out now instead of going on thinking they were friends."
I raise you the social link system in general Reiji! This that kind of series! ("Bonds of People is the True Power" sounds like it belongs on the quote page)
Exit out to get AMBUSHED! And this is a fight! Poor Maki. Out in front all alone. And thanks to being muted, I suddenly see the use in upgrading guns and bullets. Ah well. Save tree! Almost there! And an easy contact gives us more money! And now, more from the wisdom of Reiji.
"You'll never survive in this world if you let little things like this get you. There's plenty of people out there going through worse shit than this."
...True words.
We almost make it to the boss room unmolested but then...CARRIE! (And two other demons) And hey, Nat's Persona maxed out! Still keeping him for the fight. After some tinkering with the formation and Maki taking on Frosty, we head into the room!
We find a more-moled Chisato. Who doesn't even listen to a submissive Maki. We see...Maki's painting of...something and Chisato asks which one we prefer. Mark yells that he prefers Maki's and Chisato, having none of that, hits him, Nanjo and teh silent Reiji with a petrifying spell. Taken for Granite and all that. But that gives Chisato more and more moles. We then finally get to answer the question. Personally, from what I can tell, I actually prefer the Queen's but...right answers within the context of the story are to go and so I say I prefer Maki's. And thus the spell takes ahold of Mark, Nanjo and Reiji. Before she can turn Maki and Nat to stone, with Nat stepping in the way of Maki might I add, Aki comes in to tell the Queen that she'll gain her beauty back if she beats us. And so enfused with the mirror's power she attacks!
The spell causes her torso to twist around and have her face hidden within her hair. So...we are in a hairy situation! -giggles- Anyway, fight. I basically set Maki with Ice Breath up and Nat with the Slash move. Lather, rinse, (set to) repeat. With only breaks for healing up, we manage to take the Queen down easily. Nat gets up the level 25 and Maki 26.
Ah...but Aki states that was never going to take back Chisato's moles, not even with victory and that she was just a pawn. Chisato is distraught but Maki promises to heal her up with Chisato rejecting her. Maki states that she still likes Chisato though. Wow. Such a nice girl. Chisato then tells her of her deep jealousy, how she feared that Yosuke liked Maki more and how the exterior is an act. I am suddenly reminded of Chie and Yukiko. She is sorrowful as she is certian that Yosuke will go to Maki now. Maki states that she wouldn't care for Yosuke but before she could say who she likes now (-cough-) the mirror acts up, sending Yosuke here! Chisato turns away, ashamed of her new appearence. Maki tells Yosuke that Aki cursed her, but Chisato decides to come clean, telling Yosuke of the real reasons. She tells Yosuke that he can go to Maki now, if not to get laughed at for being around her. Yosuke says that while that was true, he loves Chisato now! Chisato expresses doubt as the moles won't come off but Yosuke doesn't mind and that it doesn't matter, as long as Chisato is Chisato and tells her he loves her. Awww...
This causes the mirror to break! Which gives Chisato her face back, frees our teammates from that curse and frees us from this market! Chisato is pretty attractive, I'll admit. She is happy to find out that Yosuke really does like her. Maki gives her the Easily Forgiven routine. Nanjo asks for anything on Aki but only gets that she lives in a castle. And so we are...still in this dungeon! ACCCK!
Results from battles:
Spoils from contacts: Money, EXP
Levels up: Reiji level 24
Ranks up: Nat persona rank 5 learning Tarunda and Mediarama (!!) , Maki persona rank 7 leanring Recarm, Reiji persona rank 4 learning Slumpa and Frei and Traesto
Spell Card: Kokkuri
We also find a room with healing medicine.
I can hear your logic now. "But you have Traesto? Can't you get out?" Yeah, I decided some extra level grinding never hurt anyone.
And thus we make it out. One step and we are at the save tree. Good because I don't know how much more I could have taken of that. And now we are done. Tips and advice appreciated and I shall see you all later. -falls asleep-
Comments
