Wakeless Dream
I have to say goodbye to my new best friend, Shiki. Man. After running around doing the various optional reaper quests, I was finally left with no choice but to face this week's Game Master and finish the day.
By the way, the shopkeeper at Natural Puppy has also started hitting on Neku after reaching 100% FSG. She's at least more lowkey about it than the last guy, but, like, help. I don't have time for that right now, I'm busy trying to come back to life...
Since it's the end of the week, it also feels like a good time to take another look at my stats. I'm now at a much improved ESP'er Rank C (up from E), 17.1% Pin Mastery (from 7.8%) and 50.0% Item Collection (from 17.7%)! I think with my newfound shopping addiction, I'll most likely be able to hit 100% collection by the end of this playthrough, unless I tap out once I start having to purchase those crazy expensive designer items. We'll see. 100% Pin Mastery seems a lot harder to hit, especially with having to keep track of different types of PP to get all the evolutions...
Again, I'm not really committed to 100%ing TWEWY, but I at least like seeing my progress. I do actually want to 100% the Noise Report, which is currently sitting at only 75%; I think all the extra grinding I'm doing should probably end up filling out most of the missing spots.
At the end of the day, I pretty easily beat the shit out of the GM. Twice in a row, actually, since for some reason this day's boss symbol noise is just the same battle, sitting right in front of the actual story boss battle. I loved that he gets a little intro cutscene before the real fight, though! It feels very appropriately dramatic, even with how simple it is. I always super appreciate seeing how games manage to create so much tension or emotion despite significant development or hardware limitations. I could go off on a tangent here, but basically I thought it was cool! Yay for the Nintendo DS!!!
Neku and Shiki went on to give very touching farewells, and once again showed how far they have come in just one week. Shiki is determined to live, and to be herself! Neku called her by her name for the first time and agreed to meet up with her on the other side! I love them! Even though Neku ends up getting sent back to the game, he's made a lot of progress in regards to working with others, so in Week 2 he should have a much easier time getting along with his partner...right? I mean, surely my memory has exaggerated just how obnoxious Joshua is. It'll be fine. Maybe.
Today's Secret Report:
As the Composer predicted, the proxy has won the Game.
So, what happens to those who survive the week? Those whose Imagination is less than outstanding are broken down into Soul, while those with excellent Imagination become Reapers. The most talented of these may travel to the next plane, inhabited by Us Angels.
Diligent Reapers, too, may pass through the office of Composer to ascend to the plane of Angels.
Now, what if...
This may sound odd, but one may also choose to be reincarnated. Well, the word "reincarnation" is not quite accurate, for the humans of the UG are not truly dead. They merely possess different Soul code, and have been turned in to a different plane.
We Angels do not consider it a loss if a talented Player elects to return to the Realground, as their superior Imagination will inspire other humans.
Upon returning to life, the exceptional Players' creative activities soon make their mark upon society. His art, music, and other output become a part of culture, spreading and persisting through time, refining peoples' Imagination even without personal contact with the Player.
Certainly this requires time, but no one has ever accused Angels of being in a hurry. The Composer's absence during this particular Game, however, means that reincarnation is not an option.
Only the Composer possesses the level of Imagination necessary to reincarnate. It is beyond the Conductor's means.
The conductor continues to act as if the Composer were present, but this farce can only continue for so long. I will be watching with great curiosity to see how the Conductor responds once his ruse unravels.
As I was busy writing reports, the boy in my custody, Beat, went missing.
Beat had expressed a curiosity in how Noise was created. Perhaps he plans to ask a Reaper. But even without specific instruction from them, he has the ability now.
I gave him a pin filled with the special Imagination required to create Noise, and imprinted him with instructions for its use.
This does not qualify as interference in the Game.
The information I gave him will have no impact on the Game's Results.
It was merely a token of my esteem for his unflinching passion towards what he holds dear. Whether he uses this power, and how, is completely up to him.