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This is amazing!
Hi there.
Some of you may not know me, but Iâm the guy who translated the Persona 1 manga. And today I present to you Megami Ibunroku Persona: Shadow Maze, the official Persona 1 novelization!
God, Iâve been working on this translation for so long, itâs good to be done already. It took me almost six years, but in my defense it wasnât like the translation was the only thing Iâve done during this entire time. I swear there was a point where I mustâve gone two years without touching it. Regardless, itâs done.
So⌠English is not my first language. I like to believe that my English is very good, but chances are there are some small stuff here and there that sound stiff or not quite natural. I went through the text multiple times to fix stuff, but I donât have an editor. If you come across a composition that isnât quite right, please tell me. I may release an updated version if thereâs a non-insignificant number of changes to be made.
Q. So, what is this?
Megami Ibunroku Persona: Shadow Maze is an official Persona 1 novel, published in 1997 by Aspect Novels, written by Naoko Korekata.
Q. Cool, what is the novel about?
It tells the story from the first Persona game, but Maki is the protagonist and the novel is written in first person.
Q. Wait, what about the regular protagonist? Does he not exist in the novel?
Heâs still around, he just isnât the protagonist anymore.
Q. Whoâs this Jay guy?
The game protagonist. The Western fandom got used to calling him Naoya thanks to the manga, but just like Minato/Makoto, Souji/Yu and Akira/Ren, the P1 protagonist has multiple names in different adaptations.
Q. Can I read this without any knowledge of the game?
Sadly, no. While it technically tells the story of the entire game, it glosses over a lot of stuff.
That being said, you donât need to have played the game. Reading the manga also works! (Please read the P1 manga)
Q. So, have you got any Persona or Megami Tensei translations in the works?
Not really. Someone at the Megami Tensei Wiki was kind enough to share the Jin novels, and if no translator has picked them up yet, I can do it. If I do, Iâll try releasing the chapters as I finish them, rather than waiting until Iâve finished the entire novel.
Q. Where else can I find you?
Here on Tumblr, and on Twitter too. I havenât been very active on either of those platforms recently, though. Iâm trying to change that.
Q. *slams hands on desk* Whereâs the book?
MEGA.
Google Drive.
Enjoy!
putting aside the OGs, yvetteâs swm route is my absolute favourite thing to come out of lovestruck. pure, unbridled, self-indulgent villain redemption arc. beautiful, dangerous, morally corrupt woman with a backstory so tragic that if her writer wasnât such a goddamn beaut, it would be funny.Â
you spend her first two seasons like oh okay she is the horniest woman alive, rivalled only by the swm mc, thatâs fair. thatâs good. i know what iâm getting into. then the SECOND sheâs able to ACTUALLY touch another living being, sheâs SOâ! and you remember sheâs a 29 y/o virgin plant nerd puppy loving hopeless romantic who blushes if the mc shows too much affection andâ! i LOVE her!
things that always make me happy: serial commenters. there are three types
1) reading a longfic chapter by chapter, leaving an increasingly emotional comment on every chapter, descends into keysmashes near the end: outstanding
2) read one fic by accident, clicked the author name, now working steadily through the backlog and commenting on everything, I wake up to an AO3 inbox full of enthusiasm: precious beyond words
3) the longterm serial commenter whose comment begins with I donât even know this fandom but because they have followed me from somewhere else: stunning. humbling. magical.
Donât attack me like that
[photo taken at Huntington, West Virginia] - [5:43 AM] "Whenever it goes, tragedy follows. His red eyes lurk in shadows, ready to mark the next anchor of disaster" [At 6AM, on the city of Huntington, a buildin' caught fire, raggedly killin' every resident inside. Possessions where recovered by familiars where they found a film camera w/ a video before the events] Luna's CRYPTID ARCHIVE's ---------------------------------------- Cryptid of the day: The Moth Man
Can we get angsty fic of Yvette and Vuz-ass make a deal for curse removal? Yvette isnât aware of the catch. Vuz took MCâs humanity away at the same time as Yvetteâs curse removal. Mc joins Vuz and make deal with demons for powers.
Written by @an-awkward-ghost
âIt is always a pleasure to see you, my child.â The greeting was raspy, amusement coating it like honey. Vuzgamad never felt truly threatened by Yvette, no matter what she did or what she said. It was all a game to her, like an owner who didnât expect their dog to bite them, and only watched fondly as it growled and whimpered and barked.
But Yvette did know how to bite, and she would draw blood when she did. It was only a matter of time.
âYou said you wanted to make a deal.â
Years of experiences had taught Yvette everything she needed to know about deals. It was similar to a battlefield, where each party needed to plan their movements and proposals to the full extent. They couldnât allow their opponent to have an unfair advantage. Quite ironically, however, they were willing to go to any lengths to cheat the other party to gain said unfair advantage â so long as they werenât caught, anyway. Yvette wasnât planning on letting anything slip past her, because there was no doubt Vuzgamad wanted to cheat her.
The day the demon did one thing even the slightest bit truthfully, would be the day hell froze over.
âStraight to the point,â She hummed, making a small tsk sound right afterwards. âThat impatience will do you no good, girl. Donât you want to chat a little?â
Yvette gave her a fulminating glare, blue eyes glinting dangerously. âIf it doesnât regard whatever deal it is that you want to make, I have nothing to say to you.â
âSo ferocious. So brash. Well, it is to be expected, I supposeâŚâ Vuzgamad finally, finally turned to look at her, a small smirk playing at the edge of her lips. She got the gesture and movement right; if Yvette hadnât known she was a demon, if she hadnât been able to see marks and the hollow eyes, she would have thought it was just another human, if a little awkward.
Vuzgamad had learnt too much about human behavior recently. It set Yvette on edge.
âSimply put, your curse has reached its peak. Itâs about time to remove it.â
ââŚExcuse me?â
She must have heard the demon wrong. She fought to keep her breathing steady, to avoid giving Vuzgamad the reaction she wanted, but she could feel excitement bubbling inside her all the same. She schooled her expression â no, no, she couldnât dare to hope. She couldnât dare to believe her, not when she had been the one to curse her in the first place.
She couldnât let her emotions override her logic. She needed to keep her yearning in check. She needed to. She needed to. The disappointment would crush her otherwise.
For a second, Vuzgamadâs eyes flickered from her expression to her hands, scanning for the slightest twitch. Her smirk stretched.
Then the demon feigned disinterest, turning to whatever she was writing. Yvette felt eerily like a child that had stumbled into their parentâs office and interrupted their work. The sensation made her shudder with disgust.
This demon was not her mother. She would never be, because Yvette had left her real mother â and any chance she had at a normal life â behind when she had decided to run away from home.
âThe power your curse provides can be harvested, so thatâs what I will do. Take it away.â
Her heart leaped. Yvette worried for a second that Vuzgamad could hear it. She cleared her throat, trying to crush her rising hope. Focus. She had to focus. âThere must be a catch of some sort.â
âIsnât there always, dear?â Then, silence. She was enjoying this â perhaps she wanted to see Yvette fidget? She wouldnât give her the satisfaction. She wouldnât â couldnât â play right into her hands.
âI do not trust you, Vuzgamad. I will not accept your deal.â She intended to say this with conviction, but her voice wavered. Vuzgamad huffed, rolling her eyes.
âI have not finished speaking, child.â
âCould have fooled meâŚâ
âOh please, it was a dramatic pause. You know all about those, donât you?â
âYou were doing an excellent job at getting straight to the point.â
âAh, so you are the only one who can have a dramatic flair?â
Yvetteâs scowl deepened. âStop. Wasting. My. Time.â
âSo brash! Where did your manners go, child?â Another tsk sound. Vuzgamad turned the paper over so she could continue writing. âYes, yes, there is a catch. The energy I harvest from you â your curse with it â will be used to bring about the end of the world. You must have known that already.â
âI hardly doubt you could destroy the world with-â
âDo you honestly think Iâd have wasted years for a plan I wasnât quite sure would work?â
Yvette bristled. With a quick movement of her hand, her cane snapped into existence. She twirled it artfully, a warning. âI do not accept.â
âReally.â The demonâs voice drips with sarcasm. âDo keep in mind there is no other way for you to get rid of that curse, save for that girlâs ability to love. We both know you wonât choose that option,â another brief, amused look, âor you could kill me, but I hardly doubt youâll have much luck this time.â
There it was, that overwhelming desire. To be free. To be normal. To have the one thing sheâd wanted almost all of her life. And it was locked behind a word and a sense of duty to her Assassin Title. If Yvette accepted, thenâŚ
Then⌠what?
Vuzgamad was sure her plan would work. Yvette knew it would fail.
Whatever it was that Vuzgamad believed, her curse didnât feel powerful enough for the feat she was suggesting. Yvette was quite used to keeping the energy in check, after all. She would know better than anyone if her curse was truly at its peak.
Now this was the perfect opportunity to cheat her opponent. Yvette put on an act, refusing at first, to keep Vuzgamad from realizing what she was trying to do, before she finally agreed.
She could shoot two birds with one stone.
âŚ
âSounds like quite the big catch, though. Are you sure about this, Yvette?â
âIâm aware of the danger. Vuzgamad doesnât know what sheâs talking about.â
Vinca gives her a sidelong glance, wary. âIs it tonight?â
âIt is.â
âAnd I probably wonât be able to talk you out of this.â
âMm-hm.â
âDoes the pipsqueak have a better chance?â
The corners of Yvetteâs lips quirk upwards at the mention. âNot any better that yours.â
Vinca moves to touch her gloved hand again, giving the interaction with Vuzgamad a few days ago another look. âI guess itâs worth a try. If she does anything, we can just gut her.â
âAssuming weâll manage this time,â Lazareth mumbles, looking just as uneasy as Vinca is. Yvette ignores them both, fiddling with her phone to get in contact with MC. She canât wait to share the news.
âŚ
âYou brought company,â Vuzgamad notes, drily.
âWhat is it that you always tell meâŚ? The more the merrier, was it?â
Vuzgamad laughs. Itâs an awful sound, like a claw scrapping metal, inhumane and atrocious. Yvette winces. Vinca glares daggers at the demon, hands twitching towards the tiny knives on her dress, though she grits her teeth and makes no other movement. Lazareth casts the room a quizzical look, obviously on the hunt for a hint regarding whatever ritual Vuzgamad was going to use.
MC stood beside them, the very definition of calm. Yvette smiled to herself, knowing MC had taken her lessons about how to school her expression to heart. Having everyone by her side meant the world to her, emboldening her, giving her the strength she needs to face Vuzgamad and emerge victorious.
The thing is⌠nothing went as planned.
The curse removal was less painful than she expected it to be. Energy swirled out of her and into a device Vuzgamad had prepared, a small gray stone which quickly turned into a bright, pulsing orange. It was an odd sensation, not having to subconsciously keep the curse in check. Yvette felt almost hollow, but she quickly shrugged the feeling away.
She felt cold. For the first time in ages, she felt cold.
The chill of the wind bit into her skin like tiny knives laced with a numbing substance. Vinca moved to her side, watching her worriedly, her hand hovering over Yvetteâs elbow and sending a shock of warmth through her system.
The curse had been blindingly hot, never warm. Yvette half-expected it to be scalding, but this warmth was soothing. Yvette found herself unconsciously leaning into it.
Smiling, Yvette looked up to meet MCâs eyes. And her whole world shattered when she saw none of the loving support MC had always given her, just stony indifference.
MC then walked towards Vuzgamad, who gave her the stone without a word.
Lazareth bristled at the sight. âWhat are you doing?â
âWhat does it look like?â
They glare at each other, the tension skyrocketing by the second. Yvette blinks. Blinks again. Blinks once more, trying to comprehend whatâs happening, trying to understand why MC is standing beside Vuzgamad and not her. It doesnât make sense. It is unexpected, and for a second Yvette feels a different kind of cold â it descends on her with a rush of panic
Vinca steps in front of her like some sort of human shield. Yvette canât see the blondeâs expression but she can easily imagine it, all furrowed eyebrows and stormy blue eyes.
"You have one minute to explain before I gut you out. Both of you."
Vuzgamad chuckles. She turns in MC's direction with a maniac grin. "Yes MC, do explain to my child and her friends your decision." The glint in her eye reminds Yvette of the day she has first meet the demon, when she had ruined her life with the curse. She looks at it now and immediately understands her life will be ruined yet again.
MC shrugs. "Helping you was kind of pathetic. I decided to join the winning side."
"Pathetic?" Vinca repeats, her voice like acid. "I don't know if you hit your head or something, pipsqueak, but the only pathetic thing around here is your existence. Are you trying to shy await from that fact? Or are you just too delusional to-"
"MC." Her voice wavers, but it still rings sharply through the room. Vinca stops talking, choosing to seethe in anger while Lazareth gives them both one long, worried look. Yvette ignores everything - Vuzgamad's amused stare, MC's own disgusted one - and focuses on the woman she remembers MC to be. The woman she fell in love. The bike mechanic in front of her is a stranger, an illusion. "It's a lie. S-some sort of joke in very poor sense. It must be."
MC smiles. "The only joke around here is you."
Everything she is feeling is replaced by anger. Anger at Vuzgamad, anger at herself, anger at the world. The thing she desires the most slips through her fingers once more, as it seems destined to do.
The person she trusted above everything else. The person she can't believe is turning her back on her like this. The person she had given everything for, standing before her, letting all those precious, precious memories rot at the edge of her consciousness, not showing any remorse at all.
Yvette's first thought is that she is possessed. One look into her eyes confirms she is not.
The cold is but a distant memory, her pure being enveloped by the heat of her frustration.
Vinca gasps, taking a few steps back. "Yvette, your eyes!" Her eyes open wide, "your curse!"
Lazareth brandishes his weapon, bewildered. "The ritual was a hoax."
Vuzgamad bats his words away with a hand, still chuckling. "Hardly. I merely gathered enough energy for the curse to weaken, not to break. Yvette's conflicting feelings have strengthened it beyond comprehension." She pauses to bark a small laugh when Yvette's eyes snap towards her, blazing. "Child! What did you take me for? Did you think I didn't know your curse wasn't ready for harvest yet? It would have taken another decade, probably, but this little event speed the process up. Isn't it glorious?"
Yvette took a deep, calming breath. She could feel the curse's energy replenishing, fueled by her anger. It wasn't close to its usual amount, but Yvette could feel it nonetheless. The curse was stronger. One slip and everything would burn.
 "Where are the tears, Yvette?" MC asked. "I was expecting some serious waterworks from you! Too bad."
âOh, that is it!â
Vincaâs knives flash. The realization MC has turned into an enemy â an enemy she will have to fight â locks Yvette in place. She can only watch as the knives soar through the air, directly towards MCâs shoulder. Ah, Vinca wants to paralyze her. Maybe so they can focus on Vuzgamad first. Yvette can get behind that plan, she wants to interrogate MC further.
But her thoughts quickly dissipate when the knives stop in mid-air. MC smirks, tapping the side of her head with a lazy, confident motion.
Lazareth grunts. âTelekinesis?â
âIsnât it cool?â She asks. A flicker of her wrist, and the knives turn.
Yvette summons her sword with a trembling hand. Its weight offers some semblance of comfort, of control, but a quick look around reveals they are at a disadvantage. Eyeless demons are pouring out of the shadows in one big, crazed mass of bodies. They could probably take them on with little to no problem, but Yvette doesnât think sheâs in a good emotional place to endure the fight.
Her concentration spills into reality, turning it into a distraction that wonât last more than a couple of seconds.
Itâs enough time to escape.
And so, she meets Vinca and Lazarethâs questioning gaze and orders a retreat, gritting her teeth, wondering how and why everything turned out the way it did.
She should have never assumed she could cheat Vuzgamad.
(honestly any artist who makes fanart)
An online shopping website known as Society6 has taken not only my art, but a gigantic collection of artworks from other people and are selling them as prints, clothing, clocks, etc.
I barely scrapped the surface of what was on there, but I know the artworks I did see being sold were originally from tumblr. (I unfortunately can't remember the names of the artists.)
I highly recommend if you've made Resident Evil 8 art at any point to go on this website and see if your work, or someone's work you recognise is on there.
PLEASE BOOST THIS SO PEOPLE CAN BE NOTIFIED
As someone who has never faced something like this before please let me know what I AND OTHERS can do to get their art taken down.
BTW this doesn't just apply to Lady Dimitrescu - there is stolen art for almost every character in the game.
Thanks for the tag, @shootingstarwithagrudgeâ!
I guess Iâm... an elf librarian? đđ
Tagging anyone who sees this and wants to do it :)
Picrew Chain!
But this time, you have to design yourself as a fantasy character!
( Here's me as an awesome fairy :D )
And here's the link
@finleycannotdraw @mysockmonkey @spicygrass @heyheyheybutlikeromantically