#AAAAAND have some interesting tidbits

[noctusfury]

What is the True Date of HTTYD? (DreamWorks Dragons)

So I know that there have been several people who’ve already discussed this topic, like, eons ago, such as @dyannehs​ , @kingofthewilderwest​ , and @avannak​ , @yv-sketches​ , @arduennas​ and others. (Here are their posts here, here, aaaaand here.) Buuut I’m gonna do my own, because this is too interesting of a topic not to dive into and blowing it way out of proportion like one of Toothless’s plasma blasts. LOL XD

Sorry to those who are wanting this old topic to just DIE already, and be water under the bridge and into the sea by now. But I need to scratch this itch. LOL XD

Please keep in mind that this article will be discussing the current timeline of HTTYD, not Hiccup’s birth.

So the general consensus is that Hiccup was born around 995 AD, though there have been those advocating for a later period in favor of the dragons leaving Berk by 1060-1100 AD (which was technically the medium range of when the Viking Age ended, supposedly). This would mean that by HTTYD 1 would be around 1010 AD, which we see in a HTTYD short here:

However, some would argue that this is based on the date that HTTYD 1 was in theaters and not a true date. By the end of HTTYD 3, it’d be 1025 AD, so meh. Of course, since most people don’t accept that film as canon, then we can skip that little tidbit. The year 1060 would be when Hiccup is 65 years old, if we accept this as a canon date. Which would fit.

Btw, for your information, here’s a fun fact for ya! 

If Hiccup lived to 1100 AD, he’d be 105 years old!!! WOW!!! He’d be ANCIENT!!! O_O 

Of course, since the Archipelago is isolated from the outside world (aside from what traders give them), there are those who’d argue that the population would continue on in their Viking ways, and the Viking Age would never truly end. Just with dragons. 

But that’s them. We’re talking about the end of the conventional, historical Viking Age — the world isn’t going to know about a population of Vikings that live on a half-frozen and isolated archipelago, so this doesn’t count! XD

So for those of you who don’t accept this time period, I’ll give you a pretty neat alternative. ^_^

In Season... 5, I guess in RTTE? In episode 1, we see this scene where Johann tells them an interesting story I never thought would be mentioned.

(This was a veeeery old pin I posted on Pinterest.) 

I checked it out, and it turns out this happened during 811 AD. This means that this date could be anywhere from then to 830 AD. Which, if you look at the due dates of the How To Train Your Dragon book in the Books, it sorta fits.

Regardless if you support the “Traitor Johann Arc” or not, the fact remains that we don’t know how recent this story is, or if this was an old story that he picked up that was decades ago. So the current HTTYD date could be anywhere from 811-850 AD, roughly. (Or it could be 1015 AD, LOL XD)

Again, though, in the film, Hiccup states that Vikings have been killing dragons for “300 years”. While this is more or less in a fantasy-like setting, the Viking characters themselves are quasi-historical, so it’s unlikely that the 800s AD would make sense if it’s been 300 years, since it’s around the time of the end of the Viking Age, in the 1000s AD. That being said, though, this could easily be whatever you wish to be since this is a fantasy setting, and since this the Archipelago, the Viking Age could’ve lasted much longer than their European kin due to their isolation. Could’ve started SOONER for them as well, such as anywhere from 500-700 AD. And it could’ve ended much LATER as of 1200 AD. 

We’ll never know. So that’ll be left up to us fans.

For those of you who want a date from the BOOKS, well, I’ll do that for ya! ^_^

The latest date on the book that Hiccup uses is 866 AD. Of course, since we don’t know when it was since this book was last rented, the current date could be anywhere from 866 AD to 1000 AD.

But for those of you who are strong advocates of the “Dragons Leave Vikings at End of Viking Age” Camp, deducting the correct numbers, the current date of the first HTTYD book that Hiccup is in right now would be... anywhere between 995 AD (if deducted from 1060 AD) and 1035 AD (if deducted from 1100 AD), since Hiccup was 10 years old in the first book, and was 75/76 years old by the series’ epilogue. That’s assuming that he died around the time period of the Viking Age’s decline, which was 1060-1100 AD.

So are you for the Film Timeline, the RTTE Timeline, or the Books Timeline? Or do you have your own timeline you follow?

Thank you for reading, my fellow Furians. I hope you enjoyed reading something old and redundant. See you in the next article!

Long Live the Night!

— Noctus Fury

[demonprosecutor]

WHEN YOU HYPERFIXATE ON HADES

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9 | part 10 | part 11

“you really don’t need to be here for it.” night had fallen and darkness shrouded the overt violence that had occurred that day, the stars trembling and looking away at the savagery of death inflicted so callously. zagreus holds a torch, the flames casting a ghoulish glow over both your features and illuminating the bodies piled on pieces of kindling - a burial pyre.

are their mothers grieving, waiting for them? are their fathers sharpening their spears for vengeance? are their wives and children left without a piece of their family?

such a carelessness in burial, in ritual makes you shudder, guilt curdling your stomach so viciously that you near expel the contents of your stomach. zagreus, of course, did not understand the rituals of man, did not understand what needed to be done in order for them to cross the river Styx by the boatsman Charon and to find home in the underworld.

yet, he does not complain when you press a golden drachma into their calloused palms, scared and roughened by combat. only to be slain by someone whom they believed would aid them.

lord zeus and lady hestia would cast curses upon you...

you scatter dirt on their forms, cinching your pouch of coins tightly and taking a step back. “ok, i’m ready.”

zagreus offers you a sidelong look, lingering in slightly concern. even he could tell that you were not made for combat, not made for war like he was. you could only watch as he tosses the torch onto their bodies, erupting into flames and sparks floating to join the stars above before being kidnapped by the telltale breeze.

the prince does not say anything much as you offer prayers towards their safe journey and for forgiveness for the both of them, desecrating the sanctity of home. you pour libations onto the ground, a blessing and offering to the Chthonic gods. 

the words come easy, come familiar. After all, you were the one to hold funerals for your town that all perished, the temple’s priestess murdered at the steps of her patron’s temple. Blood had run that day like the ocean that lapped at the shore.

you fall silent, crossing your arms tightly, jumping when zagreus places a hand gently on the curve of a shoulder - thumb rubbing exposed skin sweetly. “are you ok? this was... i’m sorry, i didn’t--- they were going to hurt us, hurt you. and i... couldn’t let that happen.”

and the tight ball of pain eased into something warm, the tightness of your shoulders loosening. because in the short time you’ve known him, there’s a steadfast loyalty in him that settles the fear in your heart.

a sigh brushes your lips, staring at the pyre until spots danced before your gaze. “i know. i appreciate that.” your words is weary, bone-tired, something that you haven’t felt in a long time. you were never exactly the most verbose of individuals, especially concerning words that betrayed your true inner self. you were always so used to hiding behind a mask crafted from necessity. 

he squeezes your shoulder lightly, heat lingering when his hand falls away.

you think your eyes are tricking you, but as the flames begin to die down, blackened ash settling as smears upon verdant ground, something ghostly rises from mound. eight shades that stand, corporeal forms shuddering, turning to consider them carefully. 

it makes you take a step back, hackles lifting in alarm at the sight of something so unnatural. after all, one does not see shades unless they were close to death themselves. 

“he should be here soon.” zagreus mutters to himself softly, features drawn in faint anguish that it makes you want to reach out - but in your infinite cowardice, you hold back.

he does not take long to arrive, the air ringing with the ominous clang of something stricking metal and before you, in a flash of blue comes a being so ethereal, so awe-striking, you cannot help, but stare. reaper cloth drapes his form, golden pauldron curling from his right shoulder and right arm encased in a clawed gauntlet. his eyes were of melted gold, hair and lashes as white as the virgin snow and skin the colour of pallid, dead flesh.

yet something about him was familiar, in the moroseness that surrounded him, in the grief that seemed to linger at his feet.

the thought strikes you at the same time zagreus breathes out, “Thanatos”

impassively, death incarnate’s gaze sweeps over you as though you were nothing more than a bug before settling on zagreus. the corner of his mouth curled downward. “zagreus, you made it.” even if the words were monotone, it was enough to make the prince wince slightly. “you do realize that you are setting things into motion that you do not understand. i hope you’re happy.”

zagreus frowns, gaze firmly pinned on the god, “you know why i had to come up here. my mother is here and there’s just... so many things i don’t understand yet, so many pieces missing. are you really going to begrudge me for wanting to know myself more?”

the words were harsh, yet you can sense a history between the two of them. something deeper than association of godhood. while you couldn’t boast much, you are someone who knows the character of individuals fairly well, and you can tell - there was a fondness between the both of them. 

lord thanatos scoffs loudly, “know yourself? don’t make me laugh, zagreus. you had everything down there and you gave it all up for this?” he sweeps his hand in a wide gesture at the empty fields, crickets chirping their melody sweetly. “there’s nothing here. nothing of worth, anyways.” 

you couldn’t help, but feel as though it was a sort of back-handed comment to you. careful to keep your gaze pinned firmly on the ground.

“stop it. stop it. what are you doing here? if father sent you to get me back, i won’t. not without a fight.” even if his words are brave, there’s a weary tone that underlaid it, and you know that if anything, he wanted to avoid fighting the other god as much as possible.

“would you believe me if i said that i was going to harvest these souls?” he swipes his scythe lightning-quick through the eight shades, their forms flickering before wisping away. zagreus tosses him an unimpressed look, brow arched and arms crossed over his chest. “fine. that and i wanted to see y--- where you were. what the place was like.” lord thanatos looks around curiously, nothing sparking in his gaze that indicated that he truly cared about lady persephone’s fields.

(although you are indignant on the goddess’s behalf, her lands were the most beautiful of them all)

you feel the prick of metal claws underneath your chin, tipping your head back to meet the golden eyes of lord thanatos, brow arched as though to say: are you a part of the reason he wants to stay? “and who’s this?”

“Than.” you hear zagreus say in warning, light threat that lingers in his voice.

Lord Thanatos laughs slightly, “relax, zag. i won’t do anything to hurt your little mortal toy. now tell me, who are you?”

there’s a defiant part of you that wanted to seal your lips and stare back, but such impunity was something that was not welcome by any deity and if you wanted to keep your head - you would answer.

“I-- I am the servant to lady persephone. i have been here for a while...” you feel your hands shake, palms start sweating, and for some reason, you cannot look away from Lord Thanatos’ eyes, so magnetic, so hypnotic, it’s as though you were falling. until the illusion was shattered with the way death incarnate pulled back, claws tickling the underside of your chin almost-playfully, satisfied with the truth in your words. 

nonetheless, you feel like a pet. your cheeks burn as you stumble forward, sure-footed legs wobbling enough that zagreus reaches forward to curl an arm around your waist to make sure you didn’t fall. “what did you do?!” even if there was fondness between the both of them, zagreus looked ready to punch lord thanatos.

he quirks a slight smile, teasing and playful. “i didn’t hurt them, i just want to see the truth in their words. and they were telling the truth.”

you manage to find your bearings, brows furrowed and with minimal struggle (zagreus had tightened his grip, thinking you were going to collapse), managed to extract yourself from the prince’s embrace. “i don’t make it a habit to lie.” you valued honesty and in the short life that you have ever known, you do not ever recall a time you ever lied to anyone.

“all mortals do. eventually.” the words were dismissive and it seemed that your interaction with the god was over, considering the way he turned his floating body to face zagreus. “i came to tell you this. what you are doing, what you have done... it roused something.” something unsettled crosses death incarnate’s features. “unnatural things are happening. mortals that should be dead still walk among these lands, monsters cease to die---” he shakes his head, hair whispering against his hood. 

“what do you mean?” zagreus, at this, straightens, worry evident. “things aren’t dying?”

that makes something in you chill, half-remembered rumours of travelers that wander through these lands. but ... those were just rumours, right? 

Lord thanatos shrugs, “whatever it is, it’s no longer your concern ever since you left.” it’s cruel what he says, enough that it seems to wound zagreus. but nothing more was said. in a flash of light, radiant wings arching before lord thanatos disappears, leaving you both with the smoldering ashes of the pyre.

it seemed that zagreus was too shocked to do anything much, staring off into space thoughtfully. you sigh, pouring a bucket of dirt over the remaining embers and stifling them with a soft hiss.

you watch the prince, swathed in ember, eyes that reflected both of his parentage, stand there - looking more alone than ever. “was... were you and Lord Thanatos close?”

zagreus blinks, startled by your voice, turning his head to take in your form - clutching the bucket at your hip and knees smeared with grey. “I--- we--- we are. were. I don’t know.” he runs a hand through his hair in frustration, “it’s just... ever since i left, i think i hurt him.” there’s true regret in his tone, rocking back on his feet before flopping to the ground and staring at the night sky.

he misses them, you realize with clarity.

quietly, you set the bucket to the side, and gingerly lower yourself to lay on your back next to him. “i think you did too.” you say quietly, honestly as ever. you try to be gentle, but still, you see him wince.

“ouch.” he crosses his arms and turns his head, so that you couldn’t see his face. “i didn’t mean to hurt him.” a whisper.

you don’t respond for a few seconds before sighing slightly, “sometimes, we hurt the people we love whenever there is a desire for change. we never really mean to, but it happens. maybe you should apologize to him.” zagreus looks over at you, opening his mouth to argue. “not because you wanted to leave the underworld, but because you hurt him by leaving.”

the prince stares at you, shifting his gaze to the stars. “i guess, it’s a complicated situation.

“that’s life.” you laugh, pushing yourself up so that you were sitting. “complications.” you make the move to stand; however, the hand around your forearm stops you. zagreus  props himself up on an elbow, brows drawn together in pleading.

“stay with me for a while?”

oh. oh. how could you ever deny your prince anything?

you smile at him, barest hint of teeth before laying back down - “of course.” and you both laid there, staring up at the stars until... until the darkness fell over you, until hypnos cast his spell over you.

---

when you rouse at the rooster’s crow, you smell the scent of morning dew tickling your nose and groan internally. great, this is inviting sickness... yet the chill you had anticipated from sleeping outside never sunk into your bones. you felt warm, unnaturally so.

you open your eyes, squinting at at the sun peeking above the trees, on your back - before looking down at the source of the warmth.

suddenly, your whole body seems to go through a flash of heat, blushing so intensely that you wondered if you were going to burst into flames. 

it seemed that prince zagreus, the scourge of wretches and a personal pain in his father’s backside, was... cuddling you. he had thrown a possessive arm over your waist, basically molding his body against yours and staving off the chill of the night and the morning. oh gods, i never thought that your whole body can blush, but here i am.

you try to wiggle free, but zagreus huffs unhappily, plastering himself firmer against your side and grumbles against your shoulder. that was it - you were doomed to be a god-prince’s cuddle pillow for eternity. 

(a punishment you didn’t seem to mind)

at this point in time, you would be already waking up to feed the animals or to prepare breakfast, but being trapped so thoroughly meant that escape was nigh impossible.

resigned to your fate, you offer a few grumbles before settling back down to sleep some more. it was a hard day yesterday, you figured that you deserved some semblance of rest.

it must be some time later, you roused once more. trapped in the nebulous space between awake and asleep. you murmur sleepily, turning your head slightly and you see... zagreus above you, studying you carefully, face soft and fond and open - in the way that the land could only bring out. he brushes his hand on your forehead, sweeping hair away from your face carefully.

a dream, perhaps?

you wake up again, this time tucked carefully in your bed, blanket pulled to your chin and tucked tightly enough to feel as though you were a baby being swaddled once more. how did you... oh. 

“he carried me up here and tucked me in...” you managed to worm a hand out to smack your face in embarrassment before allowing the limb to drop back onto the bed listlessly. you were feeling lazy and content enough to want to lounge in bed.

well, that is until you smelled something burning.

“what the---” you scramble out of bed, legs tangled in the blankets, and tripping over them and rushed down the hall and into the kitchen where zagreus was frantically attempting to kill the flames from the fireplace where he was attempting to cook food.

fear ran through your mind and you grabbed the pitcher, tossing water over the cauldron AND zagreus in turn.

the flames flickered down into a sad death, the pitcher held in a death-grip, as you looked over to zagreus who... looked like a sad, wet puppy.

you couldn’t help yourself, you promptly burst into loud laughter, setting the pitcher to the side so that you could lean on the table, snorting and cackling hard enough to bring tears in your eyes. soon enough, zagreus follows suit, placing the pan to the side. “what are you doing?” you manage through wheezes.

zagreus snorts, smiling hard enough that his cheeks hurt, “i was trying to make you breakfast, but as you can probably tell, i failed miserably.” 

“ok, first of all, too much kindling. the fire got out of control.” you compose yourself, smiling all the while, walking over to the fireplace, poking at the wet kindling. “how about we get some more kindling and i could teach you how to cook.”

“but i wanted to cook you something.” you can hear the pout in his voice, as you both retreat to the back to dump the wet wood and grab new pieces to replace it. “just as a thank you, you know.”

oh. the smile turns a bit shy and you can feel yourself softening, “well, you can’t cook me anything if you don’t know how to. how about i teach you first and then you can cook me something. tomorrow’s breakfast is on you, deal?” you hold out your hand and zagreus takes it without hesitation, the joy reaching his eyes.

“deal.”

[blcodsport]

hello , hello !  first of all ,  i’m super excited to be here even if i’m like 10 hrs late  (  gmt timezone things  )  i’m marcie ,  i use they / them pronouns ,  i’m 20 ,  and this privileged lil disappointment of a jock boy isn’t a new muse to me . i love him dearly , because someone gotta  . and despite the rumours ?  yuanjun’s actually not nearly as bad as some of the people he’ll probably be meeting in LA >:)  below are some lil tidbits of info , some wc’s and a further expansion on his biography which can be found here !  if you’d like to plot just light up that heart , or add me on disc*rd which i’ll give out in im’s , where i’m infinitely faster .   no tw’s under the cut .

> so.. it’s fair to say that his family do not approve of his job. in fact neither of his parents have ever attended any of his matches to this day, and are only on semi-decent terms with him because jun begrudgingly is still tied by name to the business and shows his face at events for all of 30 minutes until he physically can no longer maintain pleasantries. la is the epicenter of all things art and fashion - so a celebrity image being maintained there is perhaps is one thing they can manipulate, and even then, jun could get into scandals galore and still be doing his job. good press, bad press, it has the xu’s family name at the forefront of peoples’ minds, which always brings forth revenue.   > pros: could be a lot worse considering his upbringing, collected, and level-headed most of the time. wicked good at sports, and keeps a cool head in a tough situation. ambitious & curious. eager to prove himself, rich? and very endeared to people/places he finds fascinating. which are many. knows where the good, authentic chinese cuisine is. hardworking and very interested in the idea of progress.  > cons: the most private person alive, will not divulge any palatable information about himself or his feelings. devil’s advocate always. will put himself and others at an arm’s length the second he feels (disgusted noises) e-emotions (love, namely). gets bored easily. paranoid, leads with the head more than the heart. friends > > > family, but friends are few and far in between. a little self-involved, never fucking sleeps despite knowing it’s not healthy (adrenaline spikes.. amirite) - will be that neighbour you can hear padding around above your apartment at 3.05 am like it’s mid-day, aaaaand loves winning above all else.   * personality & relationships. > like many others, jun has his fair share of surface-level friends. he’s quick to be interested in people, to get to know them better, but it’s difficult for him to get closer than that after a childhood of being picked up and dropped by those who looked over him - which kinda has left him with abandonment issues. > he’s a curator of neat things that aren’t too overtly complex, and that includes friendships. so if you have something unusual about you, whether it’s a talent or a way of thinking, he would be inclined to get to know you better. also, he has a lot of leverage with his job. being friends with a sports star slash million dollar trust fund baby who can get you free shit never hurts, just don’t befriend him for the perks, yanno?  > jun is very dedicated to his vision of things, and can sometimes be very obstinate in the way he a) wants them to be done b) doesn’t accept other options, think steve jobs. he’s very mercurial and can be nice one minute but isn’t afraid to switch to hardass boss to get things done and did.  > he is insanely competitive and his strive is drawn out by always wanting to be on top. truly first child material. that’s the kind of guy he is, with standards that do not reflect his passive side too well, which sometimes can get him into some “personality” scandals. he is driven, motivated, always looking for ways to be winning. > i’m sure someone is bound to hate him, he’s probably got a few accounts online dedicated to a steady stream of shit-talking, given his cutthroat status or holding many hockey cups.  > jun doesn’t think too much about his sexuality - he’d probably best be labelled as pan, but leans towards those who identify as women, due of familiarity and comfort? because of his current placement in a workspace, and with a cultural identity that both don’t often lend themselves to lgbtq+ rights, i doubt he’d ever make that public. > he works amongst some of the fittest people in the world, he knows how to appreciate beautiful bodies, but he’s not about to discriminate. he’s tragically a committaphobe and isn’t interested in anything long-term right now, although i think it’d be funny if someone tried. he’s very open for flings and one-night stands and even a friends with benefits sort of set up.  * wc’s. >  bring me his baby bro or sis that are also not so happy taking over the family business. i command u. i have many thoughts >  somebody who maybe gets in on his foster-kid situation? idk maybe they have a perception of jun being what he is in the articles they read of him, but they see him and are like <3_<3 he’s actually real nice huh. i see this being romantic but it could bloom a really nice, wholesome friendship too.  [ TAKEN ] >  enemies. not gonna lie, he doesn’t vibe with rich kids w / a stick up their ass, especially since a lot of the people he works with aren’t from exorbitant families. people who loathe him for declining to take over his families’ business? like the boy can’t even name more than 3 artists off of the top of his head? > fwb except neither of them know what “just friends” mean. > i would love if jun had a confidante. a best friend, a partner in crime, a total bromance ‘cause i can never get enough of those. whatever label you ‘wanna put on it. wiping up each other’s messes. > again, gonna be a wc, but i would love a “rival” of jun’s on a similar level (or bigger)  that’s entirely fabricated based off of trashy articles or a misunderstood interaction online. bonus points if they’re an absolute sweetheart, well loved by most people, and generally the antithesis of jun with his multiple drug/personality rumours, which in contrast, make him seem like the bad guy. double bonus if looks can be deceiving and the sweetheart is the asshole, and the bad guy is just vibin’. > party buddy. this guy hasn’t touched alcohol/cigarettes/any other stimulants since he was underage and wanted to rebel. the word “relax” does not exist in his vocabulary. help

[having-a-hyperfixate]

Secret Reports

Gonna just edit this thing and put line breaks as I get more of them.

I’m also working on the rest of the completion, and will probably wander off in the middle of this to do Another Day, which will probably have its own post. I fully expect that to be sheer madness. 

#1 So is it just me or is Mr H writing these reports to channel how extremely stressed he is. Cuz like. Mood. *gestures vaguely at blog* *gestures at this post specifically*

I. Hold up. Skeezy McFuckwad and Joshua did what resulting in which now. Excuse me. EXPLAIN!??! Joshua had a sneaky Game running with Skeezy that directly lead to Hazuki ordering Skeezy to destroy Shinjuku??? Is that what I am reading. Or possibly the order was already in the works, and then there was the Game, which ultimately just pushed that forward?? You can’t just say shit like that and not give details ffffffff.

 #2 Mr H having about as much contempt for Shinjuku rules as I do I feel seen haha. Bogus indeed. I can’t remember if I said it in one of my other posts, of if it was in a group chat, but I made a comment somewhere how this ruleset doesn’t seem to work with the stated purpose of the whole Reaper’s Game system. Sweet validation.

 #3 Not much to say except that if I had read this entire report when I actually got it, I would have been much more alarmed by all of the Replays Rindo has to do after that. I got it partway through week 3 but decided not to read it until I beat the game and then BAM it has this lovely tidbit about potentially being able to destroy the UG and RG.

 #4 So, the business that the fandom refers to as the Long Game is known in universe by the higher-ups and Shibuya’s impurification, because it didn’t get ‘purified’ like Shinjuku (I object to that term but ok).

“The hierarchical freeze presumably stems from opposition to the impurification”

Skeezy wasn’t reprimanded when he arrived in Shibuya “possibly because most Higher Plane denizens still oppose Shibuya’s impurification”

ExcUSE ME. I. WHAT. In one of the secret reports for the first game, Mr H says something about the way things turned out be an ‘ideal parallel world’ according to the Angels. I guess he only meant the ones who didn’t want the city destroyed holy shit. That most of them didn’t want Joshua to change his mind and STILL DON’T is so massively fucked up I can’t. Dear Higher Plane, what the actual, ever loving fuck.

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#5 One hundred and four Games under Shiba. That’s… so. many. teams. Holy shit. And the teams we knew had seen at LEAST 30 teams go. And the three teams we saw weren’t small. So many people…

Also, “Minamimoto seems to be plotting something” is the funnies thing I’ve read in ages OF COURSE HE IS that’s what he DOES. XD That was some mood whiplash.

#6 I was so hung up on the lack of entry fee for so long you don’t even know. Like. Those were so important in the first one it was baffling to me that Shinjuku rules didn’t have anything similar. And then eventually I just decided that the whole Game wasn’t being run correctly and Shiba was clearly after something other than driving the improvement that’s supposed to be the point.

I would like more explanation on this ‘Rindo’s stagnation makes him perfect for time travel thing’. I kind of understand how his reactions being consistent would be helpful in being able to control where the timeline goes (also I just realized this further confirms that Angels remember the other timelines glad I wasn’t imagining that the Prime days are a blur), but what does he mean about being able to maintain abnormally high levels of imagination? (It might tell me later so don’t say anything lol)

“I can only hope I’m not overthinking things.” Oh, you aren’t. If I’m understanding everything correctly, Skeezy actually had two proxies. And poor Rindo managed to end up being proxy for both sides at the same time which is. A mess.

 #7 Well, finally we know how Coco managed to get her hands on a taboo sigil. Plagiarism. Lmao. That at least makes sense and I can worry less about her being Something Else. I would like a word with whoever didn’t clean that up from Udagawa long enough for her to copy it though. That’s hilarious. Interesting that Mr H thinks it wasn’t a perfect recreation though, that something in him got changed. Once again, please elaborate. Please. *headdesk* What prompted Coco to just. Copy a taboo sigil though. Cuz that seems. Unusual.

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#8 Ok there’s a lot to unpack in this one. Namely, more Shinjuku rules. I would love to know if these are long standing rules or relatively recent. Cuz like. Did Shinjuku’s Game ever run in a way that would drive the kind of improvement that’s supposed to be the overall goal? Or has it always, or at least for a while now, been basically a meat grinder? The players that don’t clear that minimum bar probably just get erased outright, I would think. Actually, I’m confused. If normally, one team would get to leave and one team would be erased, wouldn’t that normally keep the average pretty level, so the Game would basically go on forever? Otherwise what do you do with all the other teams that are between first and last? I’m confused. It can’t be normal for teams to keep asking for more rounds. And what if the winning team says ‘everyone gets to go home’?

“The Conductor has yet to contact the Composer” and “it is possible he is unaware of the Higher Plane’s purification protocol.” I don’t know why, but I get the feeling these are important.

 #9 These secret reports are really driving at the whole ‘Rindo just goes with it’ thing, aren’t they. Like, that was his thing, right? He has trouble making definitive decisions? So his arc culminates in that moment in Udagawa where he tells Hazuki that he’s going to take the risk and go back one more time, where he’s making that decision purely for his own sake. And here Mr H seems to be saying that prodding Rindo down the road to character growth is going to be a lot harder than it was with Neku back in the day. Which makes sense, I think. Confronting someone with the concept that other people have value is a lot less complicated than trying to get them to not only make a firm decision, but to choose something that is purely because it’s what they want and need, not because someone else thinks they should.

It’s a little alarming that this report implies that if the pin wasn’t absorbing the Dissonance caused by the Replays, the UG and RG would already be having a bad time. Yikes. This is the report for day 2 of the second week. We haven’t even gotten into the crazy time travel yet.

Aaaaand #10 is for completing the social network, so I have to actually go do Another Day. I want to read these in order; it is much less confusing that way.

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#10 I really shouldn’t read these late at night with a possible migraine coming on, they’re already confusing enough. The bits that made sense: Uzuki was acting Conductor damn girl. (Did she have to deal with Joshua and was he in Dignified Mode or Being a Shit Mode because that’s possibly an oof.) I had assumed Shiba was Shinjuku’s Conductor and then just kinda took over after they moved in but apparently not? And RIP the actual Conductor, apparently. Weird that so many Reapers made it but the Conductor, who by all rights should have, didn’t.

I am slightly concerned by the fact that there’s standard procedure for obliterating a district. That’s. Alarming.

I don’t think page 4 is continuing the thought on page 3. Fucking. Stop that. Don’t just say a thing and then start talking about something else I would like EXPLANATIONS. UGH. “Almost” he says. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that almost is a big deal, so why don’t you tell me about it.

Four cases where a district got into trouble before a final decision on whether to reset or not was made. And one was the last game. I wonder if that means whatever was wrong that made Joshua want to destroy it, or if the ‘imbalance’ was all the madness that happened after he agreed to one final Game with Kitaniji and the left the UG. Cuz in one of the first set of secret reports, it says that with the Composer absent, the UG is starting to fall apart as the rules are no longer valid, or something like that. I would definitely call that an imbalance.

 #11 All I care about in this report is that Mr H wants to have a digital art bonding party with Kaie and that is so random why are you writing this down you absolute goober. The first page of this report is like ‘everyone is getting depressed’ and then just a wild left turn into dork-town. Lmao what.

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#12 I don’t think Mr H knows at this point (you get this report for W2D5’s Boss Noise) that the Ruinbringers are all Reapers. He’s gonna be mad. He does know what Shoka is up to though. He’s worried. Aw.

 #13 It didn’t occur to me until this report hit me in the face with it, but they’ve set up a fantastic contrast between the two people Rindo knows from online. One is. not great, let’s say, because I did not take the reveal of Motoi’s true self well. The other is Shoka, and she’s a real friend. I now see what you did there. One relationship that’s a farce and one that really, really isn’t.

 #14 Me, out loud, at 1:30 in the damn a.m.: WAIT. HOLD THE FUCK UP.

If getting Tsugumi out of Mr Mew required an Angel, how in the hell did Shiki manage to…? What. I’m very confused.

Also damn, saving Tsugumi was so important that Shinjuku’s Conductor died for it. Did he know what she could do, the whole visions thing? Or maybe that something was wrong with Shiba and it would take someone like her to potentially stop him in the future?

I still would like to now how the hell Tsugumi got her hands on Mr Mew. Especially since its apparently the ORIGINAL Mr Mew and she seems to have had him during the inversion? What.

 #15 So… Inversions don’t always happen when a region is purified. I’m trying to wrap my brain around what a ‘complete loss of character’ in and area that’s had an Inversion could mean. Like… I think I get it, but my brain won’t make words, let alone sentences. Like when you go into a hotel room, and it doesn’t feel like a home, as opposed to when you go to a friend or family’s house, and it does? Kinda like that but it’s the whole district that’s just… blank? That’s kinda creepy.

If there are so many who think a ‘regular purification’ isn’t enough, the a) what does that even look like, b) is that what Joshua was going to do to Shibuya and c) is there an intermediate step between ‘normal’ and Inversion? I have been staring at this report for literally 15 minutes now.

 #16 “I wonder how [Shiba] will feel about all this after he is allowed to return to his former self.” Yuuuuuup. I still Do Not Like him, but dude was borderline mind controlled so like. Yeah. And I did get to kill him once, so. As long as he minds his business and isn’t a total dick from here on, whatever. It all just sucks.

*facepalm* Well at least we got to being suspicious of Replay eventually. Why did it take you this long Mr H. Though I do wonder what Rindo would have been able to do without the interference. He had to have some kind of latent skill for the pin to react to him, right? I’m now going in circles mentally trying to puzzle out if Replay is like, a leveled up version of whatever Rindo would have naturally had, and regardless, where exactly it came from. Because the only time I can think of when anyone had a chance to mess with the pin was when he didn’t catch it in the prologue. And I’m pretty sure it was Joshua who picked it up. Aaagh I’m giving myself a headache.

I find it hard to believe skeezy would just yeet a random time travel pin out into the world. That seems both dumb as fuck and inefficient.

 #17 “Some of them who know what I am occasionally try to contact me.” Lol so Kariya DOES know who Mr H is, I take it. Alright.

I’m having some kind of emotion that Wildkat still exists in a way for the Reapers, and that some of them still go there.

I just imagined Uzuki texting him like ‘plz make the Composer fucking do something kthx’ and I’ve got the giggles now oh dear

 #18 HA! I was right! Minamimoto WASN’T in control when he attacked us! ‘Distortions within himself’ though, that’s concerning. Does that have to do with how he’s come back from the dead twice now? And how Coco’s copy of the sigil was apparently imperfect?

 #19 I was about to say ‘who would target him for his abilities?’ and then my brain turned back on because duh. Shiba and them were looking hard for Neku, to the point that they flooded the RG with Player Pins in the hopes that he would pick one up and get sucked into the Game. A thing that occurred to me last night at 3:30 in the morning because I am a disaster: Mr H says that Minamimoto ‘seems different’. Neku says much the same thing after he comes back. So… Neku’s ability to Scan all the way down to someone’s Soul is potentially close to as sensitive as Mr H’s long distance ability. Which is a little insane. On top of the fact that he can use basically every psych imaginable no problem, survived a pact with a Composer for a full week, while said Composer was using crazy light beams which probably should have melted Neku from the feedback, and then almost singlehandedly defeated the Conductor while somehow inventing four-way fusion attacks. Kid is mad powerful. And he’s just a human. Like, the OG secret reports say that people always become dramatically stronger when they become Reapers. Reaper!Neku would be unstoppable.

“This would be much simpler if I could sit down and talk with him.” Okay, I laughed out loud. Like, loudly.

So… Shinjuku’s Composer… basically had his Conductor assassinated by skeezy. And because skeezy was messing with Shiba’s head, he could prompt Shiba to take the Reapers to Shibuya afterwards, to start doing it there too? Hazuki ordered Shinjuku’s purification so… Oh dear. I might have a few bones to pick with him.

 OH NO. OOOOOH. OH NOOOO. SHINJUKU’S CONDUCTOR. HE WAS TSUGUMI’S BROTHER OH MY GOD. That is fucking tragic what the fuck. What the FUCK. Okay several things make sense now but OH MY GOD FUCKING HELL I WAS NOT READY FOR THAT. Shiki fixing Mr Mew allowed Tsugumi to free herself because her brother had already done part of the work, I take it? Along with us getting the Noise out of there? No wonder the Conductor stayed, he had to go get his sister… Shit, man.

 …… Did Coco steal Mr Mew and take him to Shinjuku?????

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#21 isn’t very interesting, just a rehash of stuff we already knew.

#22 Okay Haz IS Shinjuku’s Composer. What. Why? I’m. So confused. Why would he intercede on our behalf, and why NOW? He was happy to throw his own city away, but stepped in to stop skeezy in Shibuya? And then tried to put it back together, and when Rindo was miserable he came to try to understand why. And then cajoled Rindo into having a breakthrough in his Character Development to boot.

Mr H says he has an idea why Haz did all this. And then doesn’t fucking say it because OF COURSE. *headdesk* That gets really old really fast, game.

I’m now running through The Last Day’’ to get the final two reports and this entire section with Haz is somehow even more confusing with context. God damn it Nomura.

 #23 Even after he said we were on our on this time, he forced the Soul Pulvis to reform as Pheonix Cantus to make it easier for us to fight? Bro. What. Are all Composers just… walking contradictions? Aiya.

Shoutout to emotional support Joshua at the end there lol. I remember half-hysterically thinking ‘what are you just here for moral support?’ but ok. And I mean, it did work, Neku did manage to do the thing, so. *sigh* Speaking of, it is ABSOLUTELY INSANE that Neku manage to sync with the entire city without his brain melting. Remember at the beginning of the first game when he scans for the first time and has a massive sensory overload? Look at my boy, all grown up.

 #24 Holy shit world building on how exactly people come back to life without everyone freaking out. I never thought I would see the day.

I still have so many questions but that was always going to be the case. The first game had so many things it left open as well. Agh. Time to start wearing new holes in my brain overthinking things.

[smallheathgangsters]

congrats again leah! may i get 🔮? im an intp, a cancer sun, pisces moon, virgo rising (idk why i always default to zodiac and mbti lmao), chaotic evil moral alignment according to the test. im bisexual so anyone goes. uhh some random tidbit abt me is that i honestly have no control over my impulses and spending money can be an issue if i have any access to spending it! i also like window shopping online bc its nice to look at pretty things. ILY and hope this celebration is fun :D

smallheathgangster’s 1.6k celebration

murssss!! okay so i really hope you’ll like this, even though i’d totally understand if you’re like ??? at this. but listennnn: you and tatiana. if you’re chaotic evil, what in the world is she?? perfect match much? also, you are clever. and she seems crazy but she is literally the female version of tommy. you’d have so much interesting topics to talk about and would probably agree on most things. i feel like tatiana is a woman who does not judge at all and accepts her partner the way they are. it’s not about looks for her, but to be able to be a little wild and carefree around them. i believe you’d be amazing for her! aaaaand i am convinced that she’d go window shopping with you because first of all, she has money lol and secondly, i know for a fact that she likes pretty things too!

i hope this makes sense and that you like it! love u!!!!

[angstmongertina]

standing guard

Aaaaand now I’m three days late. Oh well. :P At least I got to listen to SaL’s Eight on repeat while writing this lol.

Day Ten: Surrender

AO3 Link

When Lady Morgaine, Baroness Namaire, first arrived at the Summit, her goals were simple: to investigate the Revairan rebellion, with special attention to one Lord Clarmont, and to establish herself as indispensable towards the Revairan court. In a distant and optional third was to win an advantageous match for herself, perhaps with one of the higher ranked lords or even one of the princes, if she could manage it.

However, it seemed as though, not for the first time, fate had other plans for her.

She found herself hurrying through the halls towards her destination, barely avoiding colliding with other delegates and utterly heedless to the impropriety of her haste. It was only when she drew near the private parlor Jasper had reserved for her that she slowed, stopping outside the doorway to catch her breath before entering.

He was already waiting for her within, and she found her breath catching in her throat, though whether it was from exertion or the brilliance of the smile he directed at her, warming her through, she couldn’t be sure.

“Lady Morgaine, you made it.”

For a second, she paused, glancing past him into the room as she gathered her thoughts, as she forced her brain into some semblance of order. When she had regained control, she smiled, raising a playful eyebrow. “I had no idea the trip to the parlor was so dangerous. Thank goodness I survived!”

“Oh, I don’t think we should ever take safety in these halls for granted. And I…” For a moment, he hesitated, as if recognizing the solemnity of his tone, and his expression lightened with an almost natural smile. “I am grateful you survived your perilous journey. Who knows behind which shadowy corner Lord Blain lurks, prepared with a pie to ruin your dress.”

At his invitation, she sat, but even as he presented her with food and coaxed out details and interesting tidbits of her day, her mind raced. His words, though softened with a masterful attempt at deflection, had been truthful enough, serious enough, especially considering the multiple threats she had received in just the past three weeks, and she wondered briefly whether he knew anything.

Except no. He surely had enough on his plate, between his requirements as a delegate and everything he was no doubt doing for the rebellion, and one attempt on her life, at least, had practically been confirmed to be orchestrated by Gisette. The crown princess of the family she had been working to assist.

It should have been galling, absolutely infuriating, considering all that she had done on behalf of Revaire and her family in particular, and yet…

And yet, somehow, watching as the man before her grinned as she recounted the conversation she overheard between Prince Lisle and Prince Hamin, she could instead feel the stress melting away, at least for a moment.

It was a strange feeling. She should have been cautious, should have spent more time soliciting information about the rebellion, maneuvering things to her own advantage, putting to use those skills she had honed through the past years, first with her husband and then at court. But instead, he asked her questions, and with a sincerity, with an openness, that drew the unfiltered truth from her, for better or for worse. He listened, heard her stories and respected her opinions. Respected her.

Trusted her.

“You are dangerous,” he said, and he didn’t know how right he was. About her. About them both.

And yet, she still couldn’t find it in herself to care.

[misanthropecopy]

Thoughts on/during MSBE

So this isn’t a review, per say, but rather me just pointing out some interesting tidbits, discoveries and comments I had from watching the movie.

Let’s start with the overall feel of the film. It definitely seems much more akin to Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, than the English dub of the original movie ever was. Whereas in this one it is more apparent that Mewtwo is only lashing out his hate towards his circumstances at the world, rather than setting out to really conquer it. This of course made our angsty kangaroo much more sympathetic, in my eyes. That being said though, I think including his original prologue with Ambertwo, would have added MUCH more depth to his character. CAUSE THIS GENERATION NEEDS TO SUFFER LIKE I DID WHEN I SAW IT. //SHOT

Speaking of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein it was this take on the movie that made me realize Ash seems to parallel Robert Walton, a “protagonist” in the book who recklessly goes out to be an explorer, seeking glory or adventure without seriously thinking things over first. Sound familiar? 

Dragonite’s Muppet noises give me life. You can’t change my mind.

The fact that officer Jenny threatened to arrest those trainers going to New Island means they’re actions were screaming “F**K COPS”.

The rocket trio was cheesy as usual, and tried making the movie into a musical number. They failed. //SHOT

Brock was actually smart enough to recognize Nurse Joy BEFORE her hat came off, who knew he had some brain cells when infatuated? *SARCASM*

The animation was actually better than I anticipated. Mewtwo’s movements felt more alive and dare I say “natural”, the scenery was pretty breathtaking at some points and while the humans could be pretty jarring sometimes the Pokémon were often very visually pleasing to me at least. 

Brock has been drinking his “respect woman” juice, because he called the girl trainer QUEEN. Also he referenced his infamous “jelly doughnuts” sakjhfjkshg.

Also the soundtrack? They really went hardcore on the organ, there. Probably to add to the spoopy Frankenstein vibe.

Speaking of Frankenstein’s monster again, I noticed that BOTH of my psychic kangaroos canon stories somewhat reflect different points of the monster’s life. Not just because they’re artificial, whereas OG Mewtwo’s story focuses more on its creation/lashing out against world Newtwo’s story [mainly the prologue and before she found Pokémon who took care of her] is reflective of the time at the very end of Shelly’s book where the monster got watched his creator die and went off into the isolated arctic never to be seen again. Presumably to rid the world of his “abominable” existence. 

Meowth commented that the clones sleeping in their tubes was ‘cute’ and... well he’s not wrong.

The way Mewtwo responded to Nurse Joy after getting her out of his influence, seemed to suggest that he tried using her to figure out his own body as well and no I don’t mean that in a weird way, get your mind out of the gutter you THOTS.

“No matter who the Pokémon, there isn’t a Pokémon that can’t be caught!” Bro, if you only BEEN to the dynamaxed Mewtwo raid battles. 

Also the clone’s popping out of the machines don’t look like a Rhyhorn giving birth now, so that’s nice. 

Also the whole palace -whistles- that is some top-tier gothic architecture man.

Charizard is a hot-head like usual, but his cgi form gives me Toothless, making me want to squish his face.

“Humans, I have no desire to cause you harm. Simply go home.” Wow that is surprisingly non-jerky of you Mewt- *Opens gate up to reveal HIS typhoon* “That is, if you can make it through the storm. >:3″ Aaaaand never mind, you’re an a-hole. 

If you listen closely you can hear og Mewtwo’s anger slowly increasing, each time his shots fail to hit Mew. 

“A Pokémon’s REAL strength comes from the heart you say! Well mine’s full of rage and emotional trauma!” 

You can climb down that wall Ash! Just believe that you’re Spider-Man! Or whatever version of him you have, in your universe.

Aaaand you failed.

Pikachu and Pikatwo fight, aka Jordon Peele’s Us. 

“Living things won’t give up their territory, to other members of their own species. That means-” “They’ll battle until the other is defeated, until only one remains.” OW, okay just thinking of that possibility ever occurring between him and Psyche, the implications PAINS ME TO NO END.

CHARIZARDTWO GAVE ASH’S CHARIZARD A LIZARD KISS, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! THE VULPIX ALSO GAVE EACH OTHER APOLOGY LICKS!

Okay seriously some parts of the movie’s soundtrack are GOOD, y’all. Also the art in the credits are gorgeous.

OG Mewtwo -glancing back at his clones- “...Oh crap, I’m a father now, aren’t I?”

Finally, GF if y’all are hinting that you might be making a cgi special in returns, may I humbly ask that you hint at Newtwo’s existence more. Plz and thank. 

[firebirdsdaughter]

Heh heh, whoops…

… Realised I forgot to do a Ryusoulger Raw post.

So… Y’all get to hear my initial reactions to the subbed version! Yay! XD

Let’s a-go!

In no particular order and w/ many typos:

Naohisa peeling the banana for Ui bc she’s so busy staring. XD Ui, I know Asuna is beautiful, and the boys, too, but please remember to eat?

Well, that’s either really convenient, or Naohisa knows more than he’s letting on. This is Sentai. It could be either.

Aw, poor Melto. Come here, I’ll give you a hug. ^^ Sometimes I’m a good mother.

I think I already waxed about why I love the way Banba immediately, like, flies to this guy’s side in the tags of Ryuu’s gifset, but it still holds. Believes he can’t trust people and that kindness is weakness, but still can’t stop himself. I am really hoping for an episode/something way down the line where he has a ‘I would have turned into a monster w/out Touwa and the rest of you’ moment. Might just write one myself, eventually. ^^

And the coincidence, one of the true heroes of Toku, saving the day is also still hilarious. Like, if Banba had been one block over.

Why was he even on this street to begin w/?

Why is Touwa here? I find it hard to believe Banba would at all be interested.

No, actually, I know why. Bc plot.

Aw, he came bc he loves you two and is constantly anxious. Melto is absolutely the type of person who is afraid to let the people he loves out of his sight bc what if they didn’t look both ways before crossing the street and got hit by a truck???? And I doubt Biker Dad’s death helped that at all. Kou and Asuna are all he’s got left of his ‘family’ and he’s secretly terrified of losing them, too. Hey, Melto, I think I just got an idea for an angst tidbit for you, and I’m really sorry.

Aaaaand the youngest brothers are at it again. XD Dorks.

My ‘age’ order for this family is Naohisa, Banba, Melto, Asuna, Kou, Touwa and Ui. Age in quotes bc obviously the canon ages are completely wild. But I think I’ve done the fam break down before, so I won’t go into it again. ^^

I mean, gotta hand it to Wyzul. It’s a situation where acting blatantly weird and out of place works. Like, it’s a legit acting job. People in special events/games. Ren fairs. Yes, he’s acting really evil and suspicious, but that’s easily explainable as that being the character. Another pretty good plan. Very Sentai, but actually a good plan.

OH GOD NO! IT’S A MIMIC! DX

I don’t actually play Dark Souls, but…

Okay, but I wouldn’t be getting too comfy, yet. You’re missing one, and he happens to be the most stab-happy out of all of them. Like, I’m sorry, but as a villain, I would be celebrating while Banba was unaccounted for. I’d be checking the back stairwell.

This confirms that the chibis are merely going in colour order and have no bearing on the focus character.

Mother¡Melto makes another appearance, in a small way. ^^

I don’t know, Asuna. Given that none of you remember how you got here, I think it’s very valid of Melto to fear this was a Druidon trap.

Kou takes a moment to look majestic. XD HAve you been taking lessons from Banba? ^^

This is so obviously suspicious. Like. It’s obviously magic. Touwa and Asuna win the doofus award this ep. At least Kou figured it out eventually.

Touwa is the super winner of the award, though. Asuna had the sense to snap to it when told there were Druidon. XD

Honestly, she probably needs the protein and calories. Her super strength might mean she burns through energy faster than other people.

Actually, I dunno if that makes sense.

Mother¡Melto again. XD ‘Don’t eat mystery meat!’ is kind of like he’s telling her not to take food from strangers…

Yup, Touwa’s a dumb. ^^ I love how in the character blog, Yuito was like ‘he would have gotten scolded if his brother was there.’ XD Probably one of the reasons they didn’t want Banba in Wonderland w/ them. A) he would have snapped Touwa out of it too soon, and B) given how the chests open in their own, they didn’t want to reveal too much about his past, I guess? Though I wish they would tell us at least a little more. Keep it slow, absolutely, but I’m hoping for some more concrete hints soon.

A for effort, Melto. You tried.

Also, oh, Kou. ^^ Cutie. So it is limited—bc they had to stay trapped in the ‘box,’ it couldn’t actually grant Kou’s wish. But it sure tried. Kinda like w/ that Yummy that was destroying people’s dreams when it tried to attack Eiji, and the world came out of his mind.

Aw, he’s fine. The boy is durable. ^^

Kou, now is the time when you assume this is not the real world, you dork. XD

Aw, did Banba help clean up? Actually, there’s no indication if he did or not, but it’s sweet to think he did. ^^

I mean, he’s got a point. It could have a backlash. My recommendation would be to poke it first. Though since Kou crashed into it before, it’d probably just be impervious…

Oh, don’t remind him of that, that was (obviously unintentionally) kinda insensitive of her… Well, it did say that she sometimes has a habit of saying the wrong thing/speaking so bluntly she has trouble communicating… We haven’t really seen that yet, but I think it’s kind of coming into play here, since Melto’s bio, and this ep, establish that Melto is self conscious and doubts himself in comparison to the others… So that probably hurt him a lot  more than she intended it too.

But bc he’s Melto, he didn’t communicate that, so she had no way of knowing and no chance to reassure him she didn’t mean it that way.

God, Banba’s got a compulsive apologising streak, Melto has an inferiority complex, neither likes admitting hurt/weakness, esp to people they care about… And then there’s Asuna being too blunt and saying thing w/out thinking, Kou and Touwa are probably in the ‘bottle things up’ boat, too, just of the Stepford Smiler/Snarker variety… Any more of my quirks you’d like to spread out amongst the team, Toei? Like, maybe Gold is constantly terrified he’s bothering everyone?

Sorry (exhibit A XD) that got a little nonsensical. Right now it’s mainly Banba, Melto, and Asuna who are exhibiting some of my habits (apologising [for ex. rather than thanking someone], a slight inferiority complex compared to more “successful” friends, an in ability to read social cues and saying things w/out thinking).

And I love them for it. DX Really gotta write more Melto now!

Aaaaaaaaand… Now I’m crying all over again. DX I mean, hi Biker Dad and all, but poor Melto… TT^TT

This poor baby… DX Like, you can tell that for a fraction of a second, he’s almost like ‘oh my god, you’re alive?!?!?’ And… Then the memory hits him. DX

And then he promptly logics himself out to ‘I’m hallucinating.’ Oh, baby… DX

I know it would’ve broken the illusion, but… I wish Melto could’ve hugged him. Let the boy hug his Biker Dad. DX

Or, if not, can someone please hug someone??? Please?!?!?

Aw, he’s scared, though. I mean, I totally think he was the anxious, ‘oh my god what if I turn around for a moment and they fall of a cliff?!?’ sort of person before, but losing their Masters magnified that. He loves them so much he was afraid of something happening to them before, but now that something terrible has happened to someone else he loves, it’s even worse.

Basically, he was already terrified of something bad happening to the people he loved, and then something did, validating that terror.

Inferiority complex probably didn’t help. It’s not exactly resentment toward people perceived as ‘better’ (though there is some in it), but feels like a failure on the part of the one w/ the complex for not being ‘good enough’ or able to ‘catch up.’ He knew they were good at fighting, but was terrified by their recklessness and feared he might not be strong enough to help them one day, or something. Not sure any of that made sense.

I do like the idea of Biker Dad inside the Blue RyuSoul just being like, ‘oh no, Melto is worrying himself into a corner, maybe it will help if I astral project and give him a pep talk.’ Might be cute if the Masters’ souls are still semi ‘present’ or ‘aware’ in the RyuSouls.

…

… Ooooooo. I just got an idea. Kinda like in that Magiranger episode. Like, the trio get trapped in some ‘magical dimension’ or something again, and, like, the Masters are somehow there, or their souls come out of the RyuSouls somehow… Anyway, could have something like when… Houka, I think it was, didn’t want to leave that place bc it seemed like their mother was there. Could also include friendship bc maybe the final straw for them finding the will to go isn’t just ‘we need to protect the world’ but also, on a more personal level, the Tatsuis and the brothers? Like, if they realise that the boys are getting overwhelmed in the real world, esp if the brothers are partially fighting to try and rescue them, and are about to get defeated, and meanwhile Ui’s in the line of fire bc she’s trying to help civilians and doing everything she can, too… Could be cute. And heartbreaking.

That was a bad explanation, I’ll try to be more concise later.

Why… Is he explaining this?

Again. I wouldn’t be celebrating while mister handsome murder boy the Majestic Knight is still at large.

I like how it’s still saying ‘here, here.’

Wow, Melto can jump!

Oooo. They came out of the fire! Cool effect.

I’d question how Biker Dad knows this, but he’s dead, so maybe he’s omniscient now. I dunno. I’m inclined to give more leeway to people knowing weird things if they’re dead. Bc they’re no longer tied to this plane, ya know?

Anyway.

…

……

……… Butt. DX

AAAAH! DX Poor baby. He’s all like ‘I did it, dad!’ and briefly forgets that it was an vision, and then of course Biker Dad is gone, and it… TT^TT

Ah, yes. The perfect way to get me to stop crying. Cut directly from sad, introspective Melto to Banba tenderly caressing the lid of some random box. XD

Now, I will not grow out of that joke. XP Ryusoulger here, making me jealous of inanimate objects like pros.

Must everything he does be so very attractive? And by that I mean sexy? But for some reason I am very self-conscious about that word???

Touwa still wins the super doof award.

And now, Melto does math. I think.

XD Kou’s crash into the dome was useful! Though I’m impressed Melto could have any estimation of what the height of that was. ^^

I really like the little collars of the suits. I really do.

AH. I FIGURED IT OUT. THE LITTLE ‘LIFE BLOBS’ ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE MINUSAUR!

(pictures at the bottom)

CUTE.

XD Using the Minusaur’s power against it. ^^ Nice going Melto.

I guess it’s not technically him piloting alone—though he does seem to be the one in control…

XD Wyzul and Crayon’s reactions are so funny. ^^

Touwa just lying on the grou w/ his arms folded is still funny.

Banba just… Freaking teleports behind Kou. How did he even find them? Did he walk down the street carrying the box while fully transformed? XD

Banba interrogating the mooks is hilarious bc, esp in most recent years, they can’t actually talk. The most recent exception I can think of is Kyuranger’s mooks.

XD The absolutely unnecessarily fancy sword twirling he does just to point it in the other direction. <3

I mean, I guess it might seem a little silly, but… Isn’t there a belief in Shinto that all things have souls, even inanimate objects? So… Not so far afield, really. Though that does kinda make it sadder that Banba just smashed it. DX Requiescat in pace, antique miniature garden box. Thank you for your sacrifice.

Most easily defeated Mimic. Ever.

Asuna and Kou are either staring into my soul, or thinking about how cool Banba is, and I find both to be valid.

Touwa, don’t be mean. DX Ah, dorks.

This scene is really cute. Y’all here turning into a family w/out noticing, between the younger sibs teasing Melto and then goofing off among themselves, Banba just walking behind them like a tired babysitter and even shooting a look at Melto like he’s trying to make sure Blue’s still w/ them… Cuties.

Also, Touwa bouncing. ^^ <3

The soft piano version of the theme song definitely helps, too. ^^

That hug is still available if you want it, Melto.

And yes, I’d like to think it was. ^^

Still wondering what was up w/ that hooded person. They’re in the opening. They can’t just forget they exist! What happened in the rest of that secene w/ the brothers? Not even Touwa has mentioned it. Did they get their memories of the encounter wiped? Or is there something more?

Preview:

I like the opening shot of Asuna playing a carnival game while the boys watch. Like, it’s so cute and family-y. Melto’s so excited for her like a proud mom and Kou seems to trying to perfect his strategy. XD

Asuna once again finds herself talking people out of… That.

At this point, I don’t care how short that Banba sulking scene is or how little it relates to the plot. I just want to see it. ^^

That’s all, folks! Virtual mochi for anyone who read all that! I really liked this episode, and I’m glad for Melto getting a chance to be very heartbreaking, too. Next episode is an Asuna ep, and while I’m a little cagey about it bc of the short summary we saw at first, I’m willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt and not jump to conclusions about how they’re going to handle it. Hoping we’ll see Anky Mom, too, though there haven’t been any shots of her in the previews… Well, it wouldn’t make much sense if they didn’t eventually bring her back in some way. Still hoping for more concrete info about the brothers’, and specifically Banba’s past. Not all at once, but you could slowly start giving us more. Though it’s not that pressing, and is mainly bc I’m an impatient baby—they’ve got time to do it. And then there’s mysterious hooded person who is in the opening. Gaisoulg? Master Gold? Probably too old to be Gold, but who knows. It does seems strange that not even Touwa, the more friendly of the two, has brought it up to the trio. You’d assume he’d mention ‘oh, yeah, mysterious cloaked man came and sought us out and [something something]’ Makes me very suspicious of cloaked man. Did he wipe their memories? Threaten them? Just plan ask them to keep him a secret? Is he friend of foe? Is he Naohisa? Who knows. But I’d like some clues. At some point.

Lastly, the screenshots I promised, of the life blobs, and the thing everyone else probably already noticed:

[littlemisssquiggles]

I wasn’t able to follow all of your RWBY musings, but I did catch a bit of your theory about a fake Relic of Destruction. A small tidbit you may not know, in some legends Arthur actually had two swords. Caliber was the sword in the stone that Merlin created, while Excalibur was his main sword gifted by the Lady of the Lake. Both powerful, but different.

Oh cool. Thanks for the titbit m’dude.

I didn’t know about that. The concept of the decoyRelic was originally @bloomfireprincess’s idea so it’s cool that this helpsfurther support that. The interesting thing is that on the Flag of the Kingdom of Vacuo, its symbol isthree swords.

Another RWBY theorist once theorized that thesymbols for each of the four Kingdoms represent the Relics. Makes me wonder ifthere are actually three decoys for the Relic of Destruction or perhaps it’s athing where the blade is actually comprised of three parts and one would needto collect all three versions of the Blade in order to reveal the Relics true’sform and thus wield its full true power.

Revisiting the symbol forVacuo, I’m now curious about something. As I mentioned, the symbol is threeblades---one giant sword and two smaller ones on either side of it. I can’ttell whether it’s actually three swords or...perhaps it’s actually two swords and the blade in themiddle are the two smaller swords combined. Upon further inspection, the two smallerblades do look like two halves of the bigger blade. Just my observation

Either way, this could be an Easter egg from theCRWBY that helps support my hunch that conceivably the Relic of Destruction is comprised of parts. For the sake of simplicity,let’s say that the Relic of Destruction is one mighty blade made of two smallerweaker ones.

Alone, these twin swords are frankly powerless and appearno more than mere ordinary swords. But when in the presence of its other half,the true form of these twin swords is revealed and when they combine, the twobrother blades transform into the most powerful weapon known to Remnant: The Legendary Sword of Destruction. One of the FourRelics gifted to mankind by the Brother Gods.

Since people were always saying that Jaune’s Swordmight be a Relic, wouldn’t it be fascinating if that actually turned out to befact but instead of Crocea Morsbeing the whole relic, it’s actually one of its missing parts.

What if...duethe dangerous implications surrounding the Relic, the Relic ofDestruction was dividedinto its two smaller halves and separated from each other so that they maynever merge to form the Relic again.

One half was buried along with its lastwielder---the King of Vale in a tomb hidden somewhere outside of the Kingdom ofVale. For a long time, the other half was believed to have been kept safely insidethe Vault of the Summer Maiden in Shade Academy. However that was all a ruse.Turns out, that sword was a decoy.

The truth is that the other missing half wasentrusted centuries ago to an old dear friend of the King of Vale---one of hismost trusted confidants who used to be an apprentice of his. As his formerpupil and ward, this man was a close ally who served his king loyally duringthe Great War and who also kept the truth about the true identity of the swordto his grave. Nothing was known more about this man beyond his last name. Arc.The man was Jaune’s great-great-grandfather.

I’m not a fan of the Jaune’s weapon secretly beinga Relic theory and I have my reasons. However, if it’s done in the way that myhunch suggests, I can hop onboard with it.

I’m more of a fan of Great-Great Grandpapi Arcbeing a former pupil and friend to the King of Vale and I still stand veryfirmly by my hunch that Crocea Morswas a gift from the King to the young man turned valiant huntsman under histutelage who served him well and pledged his allegiance to him and theirkingdom.

Aaaaand...if Crocea Mors turns out to be themissing half of the weapon that once belonged to the King of Vale that wasgifted to his friend who was Jaune’s ancestor, that’d just sweeten the pot foryours truly .

To me, I prefer Jaune’s connection to the King ofVale in that way because I love the idea of, despite being named the Relic ofDestruction, its two parts also comprised of two weapons shared between twofriends and I like the idea of the Relic of Destruction additionally being asymbol for the friendship and undying trust between the King and Great-GreatGrandpapi Arc...y’know if that actually turned out to be canon.

But again, these are just my theories. Noimplications of them ever becoming canon but still cool to consider.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2018)

[daesungindistress]

1.Hi, I came across this post (daesungindistress(.)tumblr(.)com/post/161838867627/i-used-to-love-todae-too-but-then-realized-theyre) but unfortunately I deleted my tumblr some time ago and can't reply on it so here is something that came to mind while reading through it. This might get a little long. Bare with me :) .. I actually started liking BB not long ago through Dae and his amazing voice and started looking at some videos and concerts and such and one thing that struck me was SH and Dae

Besides the fact that he is literally the other half of Dae in every Dae related show out there. Their relationship is something that sticks out from the group although it is the one they Seung Hyung and mostly Dae goes out to put little focus on. If they did the whole GD+Ri and GD+Top that Ri and GD does then they will blow them all out in terms of “fanservice”. Something they barely do.

I enjoyed reading through both your thoughts and like I said, I haven’t been listening or paying attention to them for long, a couple of months at most. I do agree with both your posts. From what I’ve seen of Seung Hyun, he is more impulsive as far as his emotions goes and he says and does things that some times makes you go what the hell is you doing baby. I remember seeing one interview where I think it was PSY who diverted from the whole mess he was digging himself into.

He is not someone who hides things or goes out of his way to really hide it. You give him the opportunity to talk about something that he doesn’t mind talking about without any backlash and he will tell it all. And then you have Dae who is more “calculating” on how much he lets out. Something I’ve noticed is that during interviews he mostly says the same thing where he either takes something out and add something new or shift it a little. And he makes it so funny that most are like awww and

and then goes so funny like you said the smiling angel until the times comes where things like Seung Hyun talking about calling him whenever he is feeling down and then people goes oh, that was serious. I’ve been watching k-dramas and such for almost a decade so I know the K-Entertainment is brutal and sometimes how you conduct yourself can come back and bite you in the ass. I do have artists that I like but in general I stay far far away from the K-Pop/music world.

In Daes case by being “closed”up, there isn’t much people can use against him in any case that isn’t made up situations. Also as an introverted person he charges his energy by being with himself and I get that, after having too much conferences within a week I tend to not want to see anyone during the weekend to recharge. I think they balance each other out, his “need” to always be there for Seung Hyun forces him out of his comfort zone.

They are so silly whenever they are on screen together I question how they are considered adults lol. And that’s like one part of their relationship the part that they can show without showing too much. If their situation was a drowning person and one saving I believe both would have drowned by now. Seeing how even more serious Seung Hyun situation seems to be, there is only so much holding above water you can do before you drown yourself or let go.

Normally when people are in a low place, they go to their therapist and try to work through things or do things you normally do that helps you. And so for him to call Dae in such a situation means he knows he is someone who can help him tip the balance back into his life. I think what Dae does, is to be constantly be there for him in order to make sure he doesn’t get to that low point but that can’t be always the case since they also have a life out there.

There is this translation of I think it was the final concert they did and Dae mentioned always wanting to be there for him and give him strength but not doing enough because he easily gets embarrassed. I found that quote interesting. I think they are so low key with their friendship in the public eye that even meeting in private is something the rest of the world with never know, until they decide it is time to do so. But I get why some times people will be like oh maybe they aren’t that

close because they don’t get “caught” or didn’t post about it. Regarding SeungRi’s mess, from what I’ve read, he has been dropping enough hints about those two relationship. It was interesting how Dae got pissed at him for even dropping the fact that Seung Hyun called him. Like really Dae, it’s not that deep. Which also shows, if it was up to him there will be less shown to the rest of the world about how deep their relationship is.

The fact that they haven’t beaten SeungRi with his mouth yet is funny. Dropping the fact that Seung Hyun loves Dae the most o teasing them as lovers from their recent FM. I’m actually expecting his ass to be whooped at this point lol. Did this whole mess even make sense? I didn’t type it out before and just went with what’s on my mind. Hopefully it made some sense.

So when I said this reply would take “a day or two” evidently what I really meant was over a week. So sorry! 😰

I think it’s really cool that you’ve been able to see all these things despite not being into BB for all that long (since you said you started liking them “not long ago”). The short version of this is: yes, I agree! “Literally the other half of Dae” …I love that! Aaaaand now I’m putting the rest behind a cut because… length. Yep.

About fanservice and how they’d blow the others out of the water if only they did it… I don’t think Daesung is all that into couple-y fanservice. Or shippy fanservice, I should probably say. Sad but (probably) true. In fact, he seems to make attempts to discourage it at times, and I try not to think too hard about why that is. This is in stark contrast to Seungri, who keeps up with the trends and knows what the fans want and enjoys giving it to them (us)… even if that means, yes, fanservice. And not always of the spontaneous variety; sometimes it’s pre-planned and carefully thought out.

What comes to mind first is a pretty renowned onstage GRi moment during the MADE tour that was later revealed in the MADE movie to have been a product of Seungri’s planning. He suggested it to GD well ahead of the concert and it seemed GD balked a bit at the idea. But they did it anyway, because they knew the fans would love it. I think that disappointed a lot of fans, when the truth came out, and I completely understand why. We like our shippy moments between the members to be ~real~ and ~natural~ and ~organic~ and ~heartfelt~

…or something. You know?

WHICH is why I get the sense that what we see between TOP and Daesung is rarely just fanservice, if it’s fanservice at all. I don’t think Daesung is into it, and as for TOP… I really feel like TOP just does what he wants, when he wants, cameras be damned. What we end up seeing from them… I dunno. It feels sincere. Probably part of why I’m so drawn to it, to them. Even if it sometimes leaves me feeling like a creeper, lol. 😅

Another thing: I could be wrong, but I don’t think Daesung is much for PDA (public displays of affection). Taking it further, I’m not sure he’s very handsy at all, with his friends or otherwise. You always see the other members touching and caressing and hanging all over him (except for Seungri?), but Daesung rarely reaches out and reciprocates. The only times I can recall seeing him touch the other guys of his own volition (i.e., when he’s not being instructed to for photos or whatever) is when he’s collapsing against them in laughter. You know, dropping his hands on their arms or shoulders. Safe places. No hands on knees or thighs like YB, no arm slung low around the back like TOP, no soft hugs from behind or chin hooked over a shoulder like GD.

The other times Daesung initiates touching are when he and Seungri are sharing the stage, such as in their recent dual rendition of Joyful. He gets a little rough sometimes with Ri, grabbing and pulling him in or pushing him away. But the way I see it, he’s deep into performance mode then and can be expected to play it up a bit for the crowd. (But wait, didn’t I just say he doesn’t do that kind of fanservice? God, y'all, I hate when I end up contradicting myself. I’m just gonna call it the Maknae Effect.)

Sometimes I wonder if his reticence to touch has anything to do with GD, YB, and TOP being his hyungs. Possibly he doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to touch them as freely as they do him. But then… nah. Dismiss that thought. I might be projecting a bit, not being a physically affectionate person myself– the thought to make contact never really occurs to me, and when it does? I’d rather not– but yeah, I just think Daesung tends to be more of a hands to himself kinda guy. (Of course, if we were talking about a love interest he’d surely be warmer toward them, but what I’m discussing here is in a more general sense.)

OKAY. Yikes, sorry, went off on a tangent there. Finally moving on from that. I like that you pointed out how Daesung has this tendency to repeat himself in interviews, often telling the same story over and over again but adding or taking away tidbits, just enough variation to keep it interesting and fresh. And yes, often putting a funny spin on it. Humor is not only great entertainment, it’s a good diversionary tactic. Give people that quick laugh they’re looking for and they’re satisfied, ready to move on. I mean, hey, more power to him, but this is largely why I say that Daesung’s air of openness feels a bit shallow to me at times. I’m always left feeling like we’re just scratching at the surface and getting, well… nowhere.

…Which is perfectly understandable, of course! He’s not exactly going to bare all to the public. I keep having to remind myself that because, perhaps like TOP, once I get to talking I tend to tell all (perhaps a better word is “overshare”). Now there’s one good reason to never become famous. hah!

Alright alright. As for everything else you’ve said, really, agreed 100%! I don’t know that I have anything left to add at this point– or that anything I could add would make it any better tbh. I think your observations about ToDae are on point. Thank you for taking the time to type up and send so many messages to get this to me. And now I’m finally freeing it from my inbox so others can see too.😃

*Oh! I do also like that you brought up Seungri casually throwing out a “because TOP loves Daesung the most” in that one fanmeeting. And his teasing when Daesung was asked about his relationship with TOP in another fanmeeting: “Lovers?”😂 Can’t remember if I ever shared those moments here at this blog, but I have seen them (and loooved them, of course).

[ciathyzareposts]

Nippon Safes Inc. – Back with a wrench-ance

By Torch

Doug Nuts here again. Being a genius, I usually like to get by in the world using my brains. This time, however, my legs have done most of the job

Last time I left off trying to figure out how to win the grand opening competition at the restaurant Kaizen-Sushi (or Kaiten-Zushi. I’ve stopped caring). The prize is an all-you-can-eat meal at the restaurant. I’m 99% certain I need this to give to Dino, in exchange for a ticket to tonight’s Sumo match, which I need to give to the taxi driver to have him take me to the monastery.

Also, I had a voucher for a free bean tasting at the very same restaurant. I couldn’t figure out if Doug already received the beans when I presented the voucher, or if I was supposed to pick them up somehow, but according to commenter Vetinari, Doug ate them on the spot. So I hope I’m good.

Back to the job at hand. Now, maybe my adventure gaming skills are getting rusty in an age of easily accessible, hand-holding AAA-games, but I feel that a lot of this play session was all about brute force. It’s a good thing my metro ticket is an all-day pass, or I would be in big trouble. Also, I’m all but ready to declare Doug’s wrench this chapter’s MVP ( Most Valuable Pocket-filler ).

I’ll spare you most of the back-and-forth, train trips, park strolls and such, and jump right to my first new discovery. Let’s head back to Doug’s apartment and take a new look at his “larder”. You may remember me mentioning a radio in the previous post, that I could do anything with. Well, turns out that I can.

Strange choice of words. And I think using a screwdriver would be more realistic, but I’ll take it. 

Using the wrench I’m able to “dismount” Doug’s radio, and I’m rewarded with…. a… thing! Ok, it looks like a speaker. Why oh why, game, couldn’t you include at least a mouse-over description of inventory items?

Lower left item. It’s either a speaker or a propeller. Or a really weird hat. 

With my newfound appreciation for the wrench, I decide to use it wherever I can, and lo and behold:

Chan to the rescue

Finally some progress. Honest Chan accepts the wrench and will let me trade it in for either a large or a small pot. (He also lets me trade back afterwards). At this point, some cogs in my brain that I believed to be rusted shut, start moving again. My theory is: If one of the pots is the same size as the one in the restaurant, perhaps I can somehow fill it with balls and count them, so I can “guess” the correct number of balls and thus win the competition. Great stuff, but there’s one problem… What kind of balls are they, and where can I get some? Anyway, for now I’ll take the big pot.

  Yay! The pot is my

I go check the department store again. I still have some flyers (dispensed bills), and one of them says something about “Sento baths” and something about soap. Maybe the balls are tiny soaps? But the department store still won’t open. I wonder how they manage to stay in business without customers. Maybe it’s invitation only.

Sigh, and here I had my hopes up. I roam around some more, and after a while, on my 56th (or so) ride on the metro, I notice a poster that I can interact with after the train leaves the station.

More like come and lose, amirite?

Ok, there was a section on Pachinko in the manual. I’m pasting in the whole thing for reference:

Pachinko is a typically Japanese form of fun, and also the most widespread. In Tyoko, for example, where the number of inhabitants is 1.732.461, at least 70% of Japanese men and 30% of the women play regularly. It consists of a machine half-way between a slot machine and a flipper. The game takes place on a vertical surface with holes in it and the nails hammered into it. The players ability consists of making a metal ball bounce on the nails so that it falls into the holes. In this way he can win more balls, until he has won enough or all the balls are finished. The balls won can be exchanged for prizes in proportion to their number. They usually consist of things one uses daily such as chocolate, perfume, cigarettes, and so on. Strictly speaking, exchanging the balls for money is prohibited, although it is a common practice throughout Japan. Scattered all over the country there are over 15.000 Pachinko halls. Each of these contains an average of over 200 machines, and when in use they make a deafening sound.

These tidbits of information about Japanese daily life are fun and interesting, but the thing that struck me about this was the word “balls”. They use little metal balls. Maybe the same ones that can fill my pot? Ok, I’m game. But where’s Subu? Is it a station like Kinza? I still have 100 yen, so I go back to dishonest Chan’s, and, as luck would have it, he sells me a ticket to Subu. One short metro ride later, and I have arrived at a brand new location! Now we’re getting somewhere.

Expectation: Look at all the exits! I can go anywhere! – Reality: Only one works

The Pachinko house is on the right, and boy are they all over this thing called “capacity management”.

This guy is a placeholder for 70% of the city’s male population

I don’t have any money or anything to play with, but I find a single ball in the deposit slot on the machine on the right. This is apparently where you buy ball, or exchange them for other stuff. I can insert the ball in the machine on the very left to play.

Ignore the fact I’m supposed to be playing on the leftmost machine…

Ok, so if I put the ball in and play, I will randomly(?) win or lose a ball. I can’t say I’ve done exhaustive research, but in my attempts, I never went below one or above four. Hardly enough to fill a large jar. To speed up the regular walking animation, I’ve cranked up the performance of Dosbox, and this probably caused me to not discover sooner that you can use items while the ball is in play. The game pauses when the action menu is up. Now, I didn’t have my wrench at the moment, having traded it in for the jar, but looking at the options, I remembered that loudspeakers are built using magnets, so perhaps that could be used to affect the ball? Yes!

Ballsy

Ok, great. But how do I get them into the jar and count them? As I noted during the intro post, it doesn’t seem like it’s possible to combine items…. Only, suddenly it is…

Usually after I select an item, and then bring up the inventory/action menu again, the pointer changes back to the default one, but this time the balls remain attached to the pointer… I’m not 100% sure of the order of left-right clicks, but after some persistent mousework they combine successfully. With the balls in the jar, I can click the whole thing on Doug to count the balls.

Fun fact. When guessing wildly at the restaurant before all this, Doug guesses 7153, and the chef tells him it’s way off….

Back to the restaurant then. When I get there and talk to the chef, though, there’s no dialogue option to guess the number of balls again! Drat… oh, but after I look at the contest jar one more time, I get the option back. Whew! Nice scare there, game. Doug guesses the correct number, and receives a voucher for an all-you-can-eat meal. Fast forward to the Kinza district, I meet Dino again and give him the voucher in exchange for a ticket to the sumo match.

Err… Sure whatever, just give me the dang ticket.

Another quick trip on the metro to meet the taxi driver, who thankfully is back in his spot. Giving him the Sumo ticket totally changes his tune.

Fascinating how his forehead vein remains even when he’s smiling

I could probably order a hit on someone after this, but I settle for asking for a ride to the monastery. Note that after this, the left exit on this screen leads right to the monastery, which is a nice touch.

One does not simply *walk* into the Monastery

As you can see from the screenshot, getting in to the monastery is going to take some effort. So far I haven’t found a jetpack, but if somebody could make one, it would have to be Doug “Einstein” Nuts, right? Anyway, there’s an intercom in an alcove in the wall that lets me call the gatekeeper or whatever. As I approach it, they greet me by my name. How did they know? Well, their zen discipline gives them some supernatural powers.

The “intercom” looks like it’s just a duct that goes up

 Doug presents himself as a wannabe initiate, but the only way to join the order is if one of the other members “reaches a state of universal harmony with all” (read: dies) or I get a letter of introduction from someone very high up. Though they all look pretty high up from where I’m standing…

So it’s back to Tioko (sorry TBD) again to try to find out what I might have missed. At some point I try to trade the jar back to honest Chan. I get my wrench back, and I keep the balls. Hmm… ok? What did the manual say again… The balls are traded in for various items at the Pachinko halls. Ok, back to Subu district. When there I have only one option to trade for.

There’s a Clinton joke in here somewhere

So ok, cigars… New theory coming up…. What if… I go find one of those monk dudes who walk around the city aaaaand…. Offer him a cigar. He smokes himself to death, and…. No, it’s too silly. I still try, of course. But it doesn’t work. The only other thing I can think of using cigars for is to bypass laser based intrusion prevention systems (Yes, Space Quest 4, that’s on you)

I walk around town trying to offer the cigars to everyone I meet, and some point I enter Doug’s home, only to come face to face with a familiar…eh..face.

  Well, for you, I COULD be… Oh wait yeah, that IS me

So I’m guessing each chapter will have some intersection with the others, which is a neat idea, in my opinion. As with Dino, Donna needs Doug to get her something, and she will in return provide something that Doug needs. More specifically she needs a sword, the “Katana Shinjuku”, but the person who has it is in prison. So she wants Doug to break her out. She sought out Doug because he’s an expert in “Money surgery”, which is a good example of the game’s at times strange English.

Er… I think the word you’re looking for is “transplantation”, Doug

In return for freeing the prisoner, Doug requests a letter of introduction from someone high up, and Donna claims to know the emperor (of… Ti/yoko? Of Japan? Why does he live here?), so she agrees to provide this. She leaves Doug with a parting gift before exiting stage right.

Donna certainly lives up to her last name (Fatale)

I haven’t the slightest idea how to get back to prison, or if it’s even the same prison, but I figure it’s time to talk to Max & Kos again, the fourth wall breaking game developers sitting in the Hot Sushi bar to see if they have any more information. They do in fact know how to get to the prison, but they will only part with this knowledge in exchange for some cigars. For once, I’m ahead of the game, even though this puts a damper on my plans to get a monk to smoke himself to death. They tell me you can get below the prison by entering the metro tunnel at the Subu station, so I head there. At the station, I can leave the screen on the right side.

Doug sees hatch. Hatch has bolts. Wrench sees bolts. Bolts go bye. 

Going through the hatch, I arrive once again at a place similar to the one in Doug’s intro: The sewers.

Hope it’s not a maze

It IS a maze, but it’s not too bad this time, as I can find my way around it without having to map. On one screen I find a pick (maybe Doug’s from before?), and on another I end up below the prison.

What’s behind window number 3?

This screen is another example of my issues with the interface. Nowhere on the screen is there any indication of a hotspot if I just mouseover with the default pointer, but if select the pick, I get the option to make a hole on the third wall section from the left. Ok, fine. I make a hole, but it’s kind of small. Not large enough for a person to fit through. More like the one in the intro where I placed the plastic explosives…. Only I don’t have plastic explosives, just the detonator that came in the mail. Ok, I head home to check the mailbox again, and hooray! The explosives have arrived. I don’t quite understand why I couldn’t have gotten these together with the detonator, but there’s probably a reason. Back to the sewer.

I plant the explosives, move away and activate the detonator. Ka-BLAM! A woman emerges from the hole. Good thing she wasn’t sitting near the wall or anything in her probably gigantic cell with multiple walls that would surely protect her from unannounced explosions. Doug’s not too big on EHS, I presume.

Well, first the dinosaurs came….

As a reward for freeing her, she hands me a key to the sword, which is in a secret crypt in the “Residence”, which I presume is the house near the park, where I couldn’t interact with anything. Oh and, don’t they like, take away your belongings when you get sent to prison? Where exactly did you keep this key? Or maybe I don’t want to know…

I head back up and go to the Residence, where I still can’t do anything. But perhaps Doug isn’t supposed to get the sword by himself? I try going home instead, and meet Donna again. We exchange quest items, and I think I’m finally ready to go monastery…ing.

Back at the monastery, the guy in the intercom seems to accept my letter of introduction, so they lower a makeshift elevator.

Eh… where’s the rope?

According to Google Translate, it means “I don’t like bride position”.. Reiko..?

Ahem, if I may direct your attention to this letter by the EMPEROR…!

Despite coming highly recommended by the emperor himself, they want me to perform chores to prove that I’m worthy. More specifically I’m to pick up the leaves scattered around on the ground. Leaf on, leaf off? Oh well. I’m given a stick and a sack to help me. After I’m done, I’m taken to see the Elder, which is a guy that floats upside down in the air.

Yes, I too want to learn that floaty stuff. 

To be accepted I have to pass another test (of course), which is to answer 2 riddles correctly in a row. If I fail one of them, I have to go out and pick leaves again, then come back and try again.

It’s a big plus for the game, that so far it doesn’t seem to be possible to get dead-ended. I guess I’ll reserve final judgment for when I finish it, but so far, so good.

The elder’s riddles are mostly logic or sometimes math based. I’ll give you an example:

“The forbidden city is half as old as time. One thousand million years ago, the forbidden city was two fifths as old as the age of time in a thousand million years.”

This required a little bit of math to solve, but you get a choice of three possible answers, so you could also just guess. In case you want to try to solve this yourself, here’s the answer in ROT13: Gur sbeovqqra pvgl vf frira gubhfnaq zvyyvba lrnef byq.

I fail a couple of times, and one of the times, the guy with the glasses is gone when I enter the main building, which looks to be the monks’ dormitory.

There are several small chambers in here, and scattered throughout are many new additions to my inventory. To save some time, I’ll sum them up. I find: A Buddha figure(not jade), a sheet, some poison(!), 2 floor mats, a sexy magazine, a knife and a bowl of rice. That’s pretty random, but ok. One of the rooms also contains a large, golden Buddha statue.

Thankfully it’s not the jade one

I get back to leaf picking and riddle guessing, and after a couple of tries I’m admitted into the order, whatever that entails. The only difference I can spot, is that I have a new inventory item, that looks like Doug chanting or meditating.

Or he’s been hit over the head with a large cartoon hammer

A lot of new toys to play with, and I’m not sure what to do with them all, but the area to move around with is rather small, so brute forcing is a viable strategy. In the room with the Golden Buddha, I can use the meditation action/item to make the statue float. Guess Doug’s a pretty fast learner.

If I were a buddhist, I’d take offence to somebody trying to speak “whale” to my idol.

The statue rises a bit, but then goes back down. I’m not sure what the point was, but I’m here looking for a safe, and I’ve not seen one so far. Maybe the statue hides one, or a passage to it? I try to humm again and use the stick to hold the statue up, but it doesn’t work. It would probably be way too flimsy to support the weight of the statue anyway.

Out of options here, I go outside to try to find something to use my other newly acquired items for. One strange option presents itself.

No! Bad Doug!

Now this whole next sequence bit I didn’t understand until way after I was done, but it’s sort of starting to make sense now. I poison the fish in the pond, then throw them in the pot in the kitchen to make “fish glue”. Is that a thing that people know..? You can cook fish to make glue?? I had no idea, so I had to Google it, and apparently you can make some sort of glue from fish bladders. All the wiser now, I guess.

On the other side of the courtyard, there are a couple of birds nesting in the trees. During one conversation with the guy who introduced me to the elder, one of them echoed him as he was speaking. Just trying to combine stuff in my inventory I manage to apply the fish glue to one of the floor mats. I discover that I can leave the floor mat on the ground near the trees and put the bowl of rice next to it. Then the birds will fly down to eat rice and get stuck on the mat, after which I can capture them and stuff them in my sack. Poisoning fish and stuffing birds in sacks…. Don’t tell PETA about this game.

With the birds in my posession, the next time I humm the Golden Buddha, one of birds take over afterwards. And the statue floats all the way up, revealing a jade Buddha underneath it. Score! So I guess the statue WAS the safe.

Guess the bird outranks Doug in the monk order hierarchy. Must be why he has that rad mohawk

I’ll just levi-take this

Ok, goal achieved. Time to split. But how? I can’t seem to work the elevator. I thought about tying sheets and mats together to make a rope, but they can’t be combined.

Out by the fish pond, though, there are a couple of ropes tied around some poles, and with the knife, I can cut them down. Note that they do not show as a hotspot unless I have the knife as the active pointer. I’m still not too happy about that, but at least they’re fairly visible on the screen.

Again I struggle with combining things in the inventory. If I pick the ropes and try to use them on the sheet, it doesn’t work. If I pick up the sheet though, I can click it on the ropes to make a parachute. I can’t use the parachute explicitly, but if I run to the edge of the wall above the fish pond, Doug jumps off the side of the building.

Why can’t I see my house from here?

After I land though…. Dun dun DUH! Plot twist!

Chapter completed

With that, the chapter completes, and I’m back to the character selection questionnaire.

What, can I play Doug again..?

Who will I play next? Only time (and reading my next post) will tell!

Tyoko/Tioko (only 2 mentions this time): Tioko: 8 Tyoko: 6

Times wrench used: 4 Inventory items:

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/nippon-safes-inc-back-with-a-wrench-ance/