#The casting outcome isn't really a big concern so much as I just want to make sure I've done a good job so far

[whlskr]

You know that art thing where you just turn on and off a layer to see the change? Well turns out there's an audio version where you just listen to your tapes over and over again thinking about how they could be changed. Super fun. Love this.

[yuri-is-online]

I kinda wanna hear more about Azul! Yutu if you are willing

Very. He is long overdue for a proper post. I'm going to skip over some of the stuff that happens while he is in the bad future as I am a big fan of what Archivist has been writing, and would encourage you to look at their posts (here, here, and here) They've been a huge inspiration for this ayuu and finally gave Yutu some friends! I am really really attached to them and their dynamics with the various Yutus and might have written some stuff where they hang out but didn't post it because idk if you folks would be interested...

notes: they/them used for Yuu, for context on the fyuuture kid au can be found here and here. You can find even more stuff for it on my masterlist under the series section.

Yuu started removing mirrors from the house when he was around nine. They did so slowly, and Yutu had been avoiding them for so long he barely notices when their gone. It's not like he was born hating himself, he remembers playing with Yuu in the garden hose or the bath tub and feeling... happy. But that was when he was a little kid, he's almost double digits now he shouldn't be feeling sick to his stomach about this. It feels hard to walk some days, like his balance is wrong and his body is made of the incorrect material. It isn't normal for a kid this young to hate his own bones because it is the bones isn't it? They're hard until their not hard enough and he's stuck in a cast for the summer. Yutu tries to be grateful it's on his arm and not his leg, but it doesn't keep his mind off of things. He feels unwhole every time he tries to walk, and he has no words to express what's missing other than to say he feels unsafe. And it's hard to say that when he knows there's no solution you can give him for what he's feeling. If you could cut off your own limbs to make him whole you would, but then that would leave him just as alone wouldn't it? The last cost Yutu wants to pay to fix himself is the life of parent who loves him.

But that's what the price ends up being. And as he lays there trying to scream only to be rejected by the air he'd spent so much time wasting as his body churns on the floor into the form he'd spent so much time dreaming of he has to wonder why he ever thought the outcome would be different. He should have known that he was never meant to be anything other than alone.

Yutu was a chunky baby, and for the first bit of his life no one minded that at all. He was so cute, Yuu had a bunch of pictures of their precious baby boy and even though there were questions about how he came to be those were sort of shoved to the side in favor of cooing over his cute nose and chubby cheeks. But the cooing turned to concern when he started having some problems reaching his developmental milestones; it took forever for him to learn how to walk, even when Yuu helped guide him through the motions it somehow just didn't seem to stick. Talking was difficult, he'd learned how easily enough but he just preferred not to, wanting to communicate through noises and looks instead. Yuu would try to calm their worries and focus on how he at least slept through the night, but they never did get a solid opinion on why Yutu was so slow to learn from any doctor they saw.

His slow development cause Yuu to really focus on going over his lessons with him at home, it fosters a love of learning in him that evolves as he grows. At first it's very innocent, his eyes are wide with childlike wonder at the world around him and his smile is as bright as his eyes. "Unfortunately" (because it's not truly unfortunate that his parent can still afford to feed him) he's still a chubby little boy, and one who is missing a parent so he's an easy target for his peers to isolate and tear into. He feels like a beached whale, or a dried up octopus, his self esteem is severely hurt as is his outlook on the world. Yuu feels like they are seeing a familiar sight when their child hiccups through recounting his day as they desperately try to hold back their anger and think of a way to deal with this logically.

"Your daddy went through this too." Yutu blows into the tissue you hold for him and tries to hide his surprise. He's always eager to learn about his father, you wish you could think of more to tell him but the words you're saying don't fully feel like you are thinking as you say them. It's like you are briefly being possessed by someone else, just that the "someone else" is... yourself from when you were whole. "He was really hurt by it, and he was one of the strongest people I knew. So it's ok if you need to cry about how you feel."

"I dooon't want to feel." He pushes his face up against your chest like he's a baby again trying to soothe his nightmare against yoru heartbeat and you squeeze him as tight as you can. "I want it to stop, can daddy tell me how to make it stop?" Your mind screams that however daddy handled it must have been bad, it turns to look at someone, you can just see the outline of him. He's handsome, well put together and he's... worried.

"I don't want them to be scared of everything; suspicious,̸̮͉͓͔͎̭̜̦̽̄̆̇̿̈́̍̉̽͌̍̕ͅͅ ̶̰̙͔̝͕̞͍̭͙͕̇͆͌̋̿̌͐̂̿͘̚͝y̷̨̪̳̳͉̮͚̅͗͗̽̔̂͐͌̽͠ę̶̩̣̤͚͎͔̯̖̭͐̃̏̓͐̾͐̓̎̇̅̊͐̕s̸͚̖͙̗̣̩̼͎̼͇̝͂̿̉̌͛̈͜ ̴͔̟̤̩̗̯̦̀͐̄̽̊͛͑͋͊͒̓̕͝b̵́̀̈́͌̄͋̔̿́̕��̧̧̡̰̪̫̤͔͚͕̝̠̹͈ǘ̵̢̼͖̪̱͖̼̼͎̲͈͙͆̀̎͌̍̎̂͐͗̇͌̎̊̚ț̶̛͖̹͚̾̆̂͑̌̊̕ͅ ̴̢̛͇͙̱͇̝̺͇̗̫̘̥͛̀͊̅n̸̢̥͕͗̓e̴͙̹̹̘̮̫̦͐v̶̡̡̧̡̛͓̮̝̺̮̜̳̠̜̅͊̒̄̔͂̋͋͋̊̔̈́͆͘ë̷̟̳̲̰̗͉̬̘̘̣̳̼͙́̑͜ŗ̸̳̹̺͔̦͔̮̖̔͆̊̈́͆̈̔̊͠ ̶̧̢̩̺̗̗̲̠̬̰͇̣̦̈́͑͜͜p̶̱̗͔͔͌a̴̰͓̎͂̅̓̈̎͝r̶̯̰̪̟̾̾̓̂̈́͆̈̀̒̓̕͠ ̴͇̖͉̯̖̞͍͐́͊͛̐̂̐á̵̢͎̙͎́͝ ̸̨̙̞̙̩̮̺̦̻̗̭̩͉̱̠̐̓̿͘ń̷̡̡̡̧̨̪̜͕̠͐̄̉̐͝͠ő̸̥̹̣̙͛̏̏̃̋̍͝͠ḯ̶̢̛͍͔̯̤͊̈́̉̑̂̈̐͊̚̕ḋ̸̦̘̮͍͙̜͈̙͉͖̭͚̊͌͗̊̊̈̾̄͌ͅ ̵̛̛̠̫͙͎̘̣̘͕͗̒̈͒̓̅͊̔͘͝"

Yutu's silence brings you back to reality, he's mercifully fallen asleep against you and missed the aftershocks of your migraine. It's nothing new, but somehow this little scenario makes you feel that much more tired, and that much more alone.

I've mentioned it before but Yuu decides to enroll Yutu into martial arts classes as a way to help with his self confidence and the bullying. In my mind the end up doing it out of a worry that the bullying could get physical, and in the hopes that maybe Yutu will make friends with the kids in his class. It sort of works, Yuu enrolls them in a parent-child class and they certainly make some connections. Yutu finds some inner peace from the class, but his experiences at school make him very shy and keep him from truly opening up to the people around him. The friend groups he finds his way into never seem to fully accept him, a lot of it comes down to petty rivalries over sport and school. Yutu is smart sure, but he knows that no amount of talent makes up for hard work and he's a very hard worker. He's too proud to do something like throw a match or fail a test just for a little social acceptance, and not afraid to say as much.

That's not to say he doesn't want to be accepted, he does. He really deeply does he just doesn't think he could live if that acceptance was fake. Part of that, not that he ever tells Yuu this, is fueled by their descriptions of his father and of how much they loved him. If his dad was in the same position and found you then one day, he hopes, he'll find someone who accepts him too. And he'll make sure to stay alive and do all the little things with them they have ever wanted to do, no matter how out of his comfort zone or weird he finds them to be. Azul! Yutu is a bit of a hopeless romantic underneath his jock appearance, so he's one of the yutus that assumes his dad died in a tragic accident that left your memories in shambles. He's willing to fight people on that point, but Yuu made him promise not to and while he's fussy about listening to other people, he always listens to Yuu.

Which makes the trip between worlds that much harder on him. He might have been alone, but he wasn't exactly lonely. Not when he had a home to come back to and a parent who loved him, he could handle waiting for people who would accept him when he already had someone who did but now... It doesn't help that from his perspective he immediately does something stupid by getting put in Savanaclaw. Crewel already told him his dad was the dormleader of Octavinelle, that he was an exemplary student but not very... athletic so why would he be any different than anyone else. This isn't helped by the reception he gets from his dormmates. Yutu never starts fights, but he sure as hell finishes them and the amount of people left on the floor by the end of his first week makes everyone aware of that.

It earns him respect, and it would have immediately made him his first friend if he had been willing to take Sav at his word when he asked him to show him how he fought so well. Instead he insists on acting like Saitama and making the guy "prove" himself, something that Crewel watches from the sidelines with a weary expression. So his grandson wasn't lying, he really does take more after his dad than you.

He does not so much make other friends as they do make him theirs... two Heartslabyul students and an overly enthusiastic gamer from Ignihyde who sticks to him like a wet cloth and he hates the realization that he's worried about these guys. Sav, Thrush, Fiore, and... Mori. He loves these people. He hopes they never die, but everywhere he looks he sees omens. It hurts, he never knew he had three hearts or that he could fill them up with so much love that it wants to bleed out of him but he refuses to let it. He's learned that he's stronger than he ever thought possible, he'll squeeze a good outcome out of this, for you and for them it never had to be one or the other.

Traveling back in time and being separated from his friends terrifies him. Sav is always refusing to use his brain, what if he got lost because he decided not to read a sign somewhere? Fiore is a little shit and Thrush can't be assed to keep his brother in line what if they get thrown in jail and Yutu has to actively stop himself from thinking about Mori. The muscles in his chest go taut and he forgets to breathe until little black dots prick at his vision from all the ways things could go wrong for the self proclaimed "white mage of the FC party." The guy is just too much of a flight risk... he needs to fix this fast.

But does he? Having you alive again is like a dream, sure you're younger now and don't know him from a hole in the ground but he gets to see all of the memories he was so curious about. He's especially happy to have met Ace and Deuce, they remind him of his own Heartslabyul friends. His world feels a bit more full when he sits to eat a meal with you, guys who he guesses he'll probably end up calling Uncles at some point, and Grim. He's got mixed feelings about Grim, but the little guy really seems to like him now and it's funny to think about whether or not he's the older or younger brother. He's starting to remember what it's like to have a family again, speaking of which...

"Aww looks like you're a real dorm leader now ain't ya shrimpy?" Floyd's voice sounds fun, and it's all Yutu can do to keep from smiling. He instantly understands why Jade must have missed him so much, they looks alike but the difference in tempo is apparent from their stance and dress, and just looking at the younger version of his Uncle he can see how much more alive he feels.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Yutu was it?" Jade's smile suggests danger, he thinks the name is funny that's his guess. The glint in his eyes suggests he wants to tease, and Yutu prepares to make some comments of his own before he notices that his Uncle's attention is not on him but rather- "Floyd told us about your unexpected arrival," he has been avoiding this for so long he almost didn't see the familiar stranger next to Jade, the rest of his words are heard but not noted as he looks directly at his father for the first time. What a painful realization that is.

"Hey hey grouper, you ok?" Floyd's tone very much does not suggest worry but it brings him back to the present. Or would it be the past?

"Grouper? Might regret calling me that pool noodle. Yeah I'm fine, just surprised you came over here yourselves. I thought I was doing good keeping my nose where it belongs." Yutu swears Azul looks genuinely hurt for a second, but it disappears under his glasses and his patented grin.

"Well you certainty don't pull any punches do you?" If Yutu didn't know any better he'd assume his dad was... excited.

He is, he's very excited. Yuu is a kind hearted person and Azul loves them for it, but Yutu has some of that hater energy he knows he can work with. A second set of eyes on Yuu's world is just what Azul needs to win their ha- expand his business, so he keeps finding ways to talk to Yutu. He ends up learning a decent bit about him despite Yutu's best efforts: he's lying about his unique magic to catch people off guard when he uses it, he's not a muscle head nor does he take particular pride in his physique despite the intense amount of effort he puts into staying strong. It's interesting to watch the sort of things he likes to eat... sure a lot of it is healthy food but none of it is health food. That ends up being the first real conversation they have and it throws Yutu for a bit of a loop. It reminds him of that conversation he had with Yuu all those years ago when he was crying about being bullied. About how his dad gone through the same thing he did and suddenly his dad seems a bit more like a person and less like a shadow that's haunting him.

The way his dad looks at Yuu is breathtakingly soft. Azul is ambitious, talented, hardworking, and oh so desperate to impress that Yutu finds it hard to hear their doubts about the way he feels because he can see all of the signs clear as day about how Azul feels about Yuu. Uncle Jade's stories about how Azul was silly in his affections, the little ways he got excited when Yuu complimented him or how much of a show off he insisted on being around them are happening right in front of him and while he wonders about that little thing he always tried to avoid. The "could have been." Would his dad have agreed with Yuu's decision to enroll him in martial arts? Or would Azul have put him in a different school, would that even have been nessecary or would people be too afraid to make fun of his son? That promise Jade said Azul made to Yuu about never having to go hungry again... would he have kept it? Yutu never starved but he knows his parent did, what would Azul say if he knew? Would it break him? Would he even care?

These thoughts take a toll on Yutu. He can't keep pretending he isn't worried about his friends when he is trying to avoid thinking about his parent's relationship, and vise versa so he puts more effort into finding them. Thrush and Fiore are the easiest, they made their way to Craneport and established a base pretty quickly and are surprisingly not complete shits about him taking his sweet ass time to find them. Sav is though, the Scalding Sands is a long way away and getting him to Sage's Island proves to be tedious and expensive, of course he's going to complain and pick a fight when Yutu shows up again. He hates to admit it but it feels good to have his sparring partner back, it perks up his mood a tiny bit. But time beings to drag on with no signs of Mori, Yutu is getting more restless in his worries and clumsier in hiding where he's going. Sure he knows how to shake off a tailing eel, but an octopus? The only one he's ever known is himself.

Azul learns from his various contacts that Yutu has friends. He keeps his appearance under the hood, but his friend group is close and clearly working towards some sort of goal. None of the names he gets show up in any systems he has access to, Jade does his best to find a shred of evidence that these are people who exist and can't. It worries all three of the octotrio, this is a problem they need to get to the bottom of and fast. But before that can happen another one of those portals opens, this time outside Ramshackle Dorm while Azul is trying to spend some precious alone time with you. And the thing that comes out of it is terrifying.

The blot phantom is unlike anything Azul has ever seen, not in a textbook or in person. It's a misshapen mass of a person, clothing real but foul smelling and stained with ink.

"Use my phone to call the twins and get out of here as fast as you can." Azul doesn't like his chances alone, but he likes yours even less. You don't run, it brings just a bit of a smile to his face, but you still call Jade as Azul weaves ice around it's legs to try and keep it down. The monster howls squirming against the ice and screaming at him like he should understand what it's talking about. Azul tries to stare it down, tries to appear like he's a mage that belongs on the front lines and not a support. The best support but still, he's slow. Too slow to dodge the vine that whips out of the creature's back and speeds towards his heart but fast enough to catch the scream that tears from Yutu's throat.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY DAD YOU FUCKING PIECE OF TRASH!" Eight cosmic tentacles rip out of the ground and tear into the monster, Yutu's chest is heaving with the strain of bringing his full strength to bear as Azul pauses to collect himself. As Yutu finishes off the monster he goes over what he knows, looks at the boy in front of him and traces parts of himself in him and forgets his previous plans to expose him to Yuu as a fraud. When his child looks back at him, disguise knocked off and fear clear on his face the reason for the previous distance Yutu has been trying to maintain suddenly makes sense. Before Azul overblotted he was quiet. There's a similar quiet over him now, a similar look of tense surprise, but Yutu- no- his child doesn't know that. His child is looking at him in fear, in worry for his reaction or his safety he doesn't know but he knows the way those tears start to form. Azul knows the quiver of the lip and the shriek, of all the things he could have passed on to such a treasure.

"You deserved better from me." Because it's true. He might think of himself as a work in progress but he still thinks he has quality; he would have done research, read every book he could get his hands on, taken classes, anything he would need to do to be a good father, a worthy partner. Anything. "You deserved to have the world within your grasp, not whatever shadow of a future and a father I left you with. I am so sorry." He does not expect Yutu to grab him and hold him like he's still somehow worthy of his love, but Azul can't fight the urge to grab back, to stroke his son's hair and let the tears fall on his suit without any care at all. I'm here. It's ok, daddy's here, daddy's got you, he won't let anything happen to you.

Azul likes to make plans. He planned how he would confess to Yuu (it did not go as planned but he still planned it) and he has clear ideas about the future he wants to have with them. Yutu was already a part of it, he's dreamed of having somewhere safe and full of love to come home to since he realized what his feelings for Yuu were. So to see that dream come to life, to have it crying in his arms about how someone else corrupted it into a nightmare and stole what he'd worked so hard to earn- Oh Azul is a petty and vindictive little bitch once he has gotten his own tears out of his system. He's extremely proud of all the work Yutu has already done towards ending the bad future, and while he is disappointed that he didn't think to ask for his help he is understanding. If he was in Yutu's position he doesn't know how he'd react, but he could see himself making similar choices.

He insists on having a family dinner so he can get to know all of the real things about Yutu from him instead of just observing them. He wants the three (and a half since Grim's there too) of you to cook together and just talk before getting down to the sad business that's brought Yutu here. Some of it's instinct to feed his child, but mostly he wants to prove to his son that he's worthy of being his father. That you chose him out of everyone for a reason, something Yutu sort of knows already but he's wanted to have his father in his life for so long that he plays up his nerves just a little bit so he can be spoiled by him.

Azul's reach is long, and combined with the twins finding where Mori is should be much easier. What worries Azul is the bad future and the little information Yutu tells him about how it started. He's never had any real reason to doubt what he knows about overblots, or to distrust the Headmage, or to think Grim could kill him. But if the world ends the economy does too, and he is not about to die before he's achieved everything he's been dreaming of. His ambition is almost scary, but Yutu can't bring himself to be afraid. This version of his father is the nicest one he's seen yet, and if it means anything to anyone, he'd like to keep him just as much as Azul wants him too.

[bobabearstuff]

PasswordVN: more stuff I liked

Recently I published a written review for the visual novel Password, and despite some issues I had with the game's writing and design I gave it an overall strong recommendation for anybody with a keen interest in niche furry games. It was charming, had a memorable cast and was loaded with mystery and character drama, with its story primarily exploring themes of grief and trauma, set against a pseudo-science horror backdrop. Today I'm going to be talking about things that I wasn't able to fit in to my original review, either because I simply forgot or there was no way to talk about them without heavy spoilers. This isn't going to be nearly as formal or organized: just a rough stream of consciousness list of things I liked. To re-iterate there will be heavy spoilers concerning things like late-game reveals, CGs and the ultimate outcome of the story. If you've yet to complete Password or intend on playing it for yourself then you might want to stop reading now. Now without further ado, here's some more stuff I liked about Password, along with a few things that I didn't.

Dave: Dave is probably my favorite character in the game with Benson coming in at a close second (please marry me). His arc is the strongest and it's pretty clear that Grizz knew what his audience would connect with the most. Initially he's mostly shut-off and disinterested, and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to his character, but this is purposeful. As the story progresses we get glimpses of Dave's internal struggles with loss and depression and come to understand why he's the way he is. Dave spends most of the second act folding under the pressure of having to save his companions while managing his own grief, and at a few points it becomes almost too much for him to bear. Things come to a head after a brush with death sends him in to a panic attack; following this he's forced in to a corner by his friends and with Tyson's aid is able to revisit the day his father died. During the flashback we get a great sense of Dave's personality prior to the incident and how withdrawn he's become by comparison. David bids his son a knowing final farewell and we're then treated to a sequence of CGs that are so effective at communicating the story that the dialog and narration become mostly obsolete. Cut back to the present and the dam breaks-Dave finally allows himself the room to grieve and comes to realize that with his friends to support him, the future could be a whole lot brighter. As the story progresses in to its later parts more and more of Dave's old self starts to bleed through, and by the end it's apparent that he's back to his former self: a nervous crybaby that's a bit daft and leans on his friends for support, but one that's compassionate, selfless to a fault and infectiously excitable. …….he is also very cute.

Dean: He is also very cute.

Thanatos: Thanatos is an absolute little bastard goblin man and I love him for no reason other than his snide personality and I can't fully articulate why, even taking in to account his absolutely integral role in the story. To be frank his sprites really help sell him for me (yes, even that one) and it just goes to show how much more of an impact a character can have from visuals alone.

Orlando smooch: This CG…is really cute. I especially like its associated scene in-game because it has one of my favorite exchanges ("But you're my gay problem"). He's best girl, don't @ me.

The mobsters: These two are great and manage to strike a nice balance between affable and utterly deplorable. Jack is the most compelling of the three and his single-minded psychosis makes him a great foil to Dave and the cast. I also enjoy the narrative's approach to Memphis as the big bad: he doesn't appear until very late in the game and even then, only on specific paths so the game compensates for that lack of presence by playing up his strength and influence. He's blunt and inelegant, and is generally thought of as not terribly smart either. On the other hand he's ridiculously physically strong to the point that a direct assault no matter how well organized is bound to have a few casualties. In addition he also has the position and power to make the law look the other way on a whim. It's a great example of how even a fool can be a force to be reckoned with. He's an almost insurmountable obstacle and the perfect test of Dave's "nobody gets left behind" motto, and it also helps reinforce just how tethered Orlando is to the family business-you can't help but feel bad for him.

My only real complaint lies with Dom, who seems to have gotten the short end of the stick in terms of development. He's primarily there to be the muscle and stop Jack from going bonkers, and while I want him to fold me like a pretzel he's just not nearly as interesting as the other two -he doesn't really contribute a ton to the overall plot and feels mostly extraneous. The game could function well enough without him but he's hot so he can stay.

This CG: is the coolest fucking thing I've ever seen in my entire life and I want Benson to have my babies.

Trapped: The narrative is very careful about making sure all of the bases are covered here. As the story escalates the manor is suddenly cut-off from the outside world; electronics are jammed and the only road down the mountain becomes inaccessible, effectively leaving the cast stranded. Finding an old map to help navigate the woods or taking their chances at scaling the debris are kind of moot options with a trio of violent mobsters patrolling and watching the manor like hawks. The game even punishes you if you try to escape down the mountain too early: Jack shows up and runs poor Dave through before sort of just nonchalantly discarding him over the cliff. Though the manor group has the advantage of numbers this is undercut by none of them being able to fight their way out of a paper bag excluding Benson who's well past his prime. All of this paints a dire picture for the circle of friends and really helps set the tone for the rest of the story, and also once again reinforces how much of a brick wall Memphis is.

This CG: is up there as one of my favorites and it marks a notable jump in quality for the art, with the scene rather creatively lit by the phone on the desk. While Hoss is my least favorite of the bunch this is admittedly a very sweet moment.

Tyson: While I could be snarky here and make some derisive comment about tossing Ty on to the pile of overdone "my wolf" OCs the fact of the matter is his character mostly steers clear of that trope, in spite of ticking off many of its boxes. His character route is a very cathartic one that manages to tickle the "I can fix him" part of my brain-he's the most troubled and flawed of the cast, and his route explores some pretty heavy topics like consent and child abuse that's both physical and sexual in nature. That last part is pretty heavily alluded to early on and having it more definitvely confirmed frames that one moment on day 8 in a new light. Tyson's decision to coerce Dave in to the bedroom is indefensible and the story makes that apparent, but it is one of the best examples of the game's approach to making sure every plot thread has a reason or purpose. Ty is violent and mean-spirited because that's all he's ever known, with the Halloways being the only ones to ever show him any love. In turn that makes his relationship with Dave all the more interesting; the two share a mutual, almost familial understanding of one another to such a degree that even words become dispensible. Tyson is also attracted to Dave, an idea that's mostly new and frightening to him given the history he has with his father, but the thought of losing Dave is even more horrifying-a fact that's made apparent during one of the game's bad paths where he breaks down and tearfully pleads to Dave to lead him away from the manor. It's such a brief moment and yet it's easily one of my favorites in the game, and I'd love to see how it'd look illustrated, but I'm getting off track. Tyson's feelings of attraction for Dave often manifest in the worst ways with him becoming extremely hostile or outright violent towards him for his continued probing and concern-even playful banter about his sexuality by other members of the cast is enough to make him rather aggravated, and his breed as a wolfdog is another sore spot for him, with it serving as an inescapable reminder of a mother who abandoned him.

He eventually manages to muster the courage to confess his love to Dave in a fashion that's both amusing and awkward, fittingly so. This scene had the potential to be plain uncomfortable but writing is smart enough to play up the humour to help it feel more balanced. It's refreshing then to see Tyson acting reflective by the time the A ending rolls around, with him resolving to become a better person thanks to Dave's unwavering and compassionate support. While Dave might have my overall favorite character vote, his chemistry with Ty is unabashedly some of the most engaging in the game.

This CG: is the cutest of all the cute shit and is pretty much contender for favorite in the game. I especially like how brain dead Tyson looks juxtaposed against Dave and his disgustingly adorable smile. He's absolutely beaming here and honestly, good, he's earned it. I'd also like to mention the absurd number of illustrations in Password-even if you're willing to count the Balcony and other such similar CGs with small variations as only one there's still close to 90 of these damn things. Grizz is a trooper.

The interrogation: I'm honestly stunned I didn't at least mention this one in passing in the review proper. The interrogation with Oswin is the most interactive segment of the game and it's all down to your own curiousity and creativity to milk whatever you can out of the pig. He'll answer numerous questions ranging from the manor's layout, its security system, his thoughts on certain characters-the list goes on. On my playthrough of the beta I only managed to squeeze out about a dozen or so answers before pressing on but I know full well there are plenty more hidden away. If you're like me and don't have the patience to really wrack your brain Oz is even kind enough to throw you a few suggestions to help you get the ball rolling. There's even a set of fun joke questions you can sling his way, though many of these are pretty secretive or specific so you likely won't stumble in to too many on your own. While I'm not really a huge fan of this part on a more personal level that simply has to do with the fact that I suck at these things-I'm still impressed by the amount of forethought and detail here and it's for a section that can very easily be skipped over if you simply don't feel like partaking.

This CG: is also very cute. While the balcony illustration and all of its variations are pretty memorable this one in particular stands out as a favorite for the expressions alone. Dave ain't having it this morning.

Benson: I've already briefly mentioned how much I like Benson but in truth, it's not that deep. He's cool, handsome and has this gentlemanly old-world charm. In addition his unyielding loyalty and care of the Hammonds, especially Oz is outright inspiring, and his continued protection of Dave and co. is equally admirable, often being at the expense of his own well-being and health. It's implied that this sort of labour is just a trifle to Benson in spite of his age, owing to his murky history as an assassin, which the game smartly leaves the details of up to your own imagination. We don't really see too much interaction between Oswin and old Benny but we still get a great sense for the bond the two have, with Benson having been less of a servant or guardian and more of a father figure. His death near the end of Path A is pretty heart-breaking and going over it again in preparation for this definitely made me a little misty-eyed. I'd also like to interject something here and say that while I've been critical of Password's prose in the past, there is one area where it excels, and that'd be characters with a prim or proper speech pattern. Any characters like Benson or the Hammonds that exhibit a certain degree of poise or gravitas sound pretty natural and the writing managed to nail them pretty much every time. This next CG is very-Oh god, please don't do this to me.

Dave's death: Without a doubt, this is the story's dramatic peak. We all knew this was coming since the game's content warning screen and it still managed to hit hard. Initially I was worried that the game would lean more in to its horror elements and end poor Dave in a much more violent and gory manner-thankfully Grizz had the sense and taste to not do that. It also has my favorite set of lines in the whole game; up until this point Dave's convinced he's been left for dead and nobody's coming to help. He's let off by Memphis and gang but not before Jack gives him a parting gift in the form of a lethal stab wound-after meandering around the woods in the dark Dave is led out by what appears to be the spirit of his father, and for a brief moment it even seems like he just might get away alive-then reality punches you in the nuts and says "nope"! Dave's final words are to simply express that he's happy that he didn't get left behind, to which a tearful Tyson swears that he never would. This scene is devastating and works so well because the game took its time to develop and flesh out Dave's character-it's evident that a lot of care was put in to this sequence to make sure it would impact so hard. Then there's also the reveal of Roswell as the true master of the vault near the end (called it), making it a real 1-2-Fuck you gut punch. If I was in the business of crying over video games like a sap, then I'd say I did like a small child, but that'd never be the case...

Roswell's smugface: Do I really need to elaborate on this one?

Now here's some stuff that I liked not so much!

The True ending: In my review I said that the game's ultimate conclusion was one of its weaker points, but that's not an entirely accurate statement. This is a perfectly functional and satisfying ending for how it ties up the more general story: everybody lives and Dave finally gets to be happy, and things end on a hopeful note, the implication being that with his other lived experiences having crossed over, Dave is able to help his companions work through their problems. Consequently this means Dave is able to break through Tyson's shell right away and get him to admit his feelings. I could make the argument that this sort of cheapens Tyson's character development, but not enough for it to seriously bother me. Realistically if the game absolutely had to settle on one single romance by the end, Tyson makes the most sense given his history with Dave, and while he isn't my favorite, he's far and away Password's most popular character so I imagine this'll sit well with most people. That bad boy bogan charm is pretty hard to resist. Initially I assumed the game went with this because it was simply trying to cater to fans but that's actually not the case-a little bird told me that it was part of the plan from the start. My problem here is that forcing the player to settle in to a fixed romance at the end undercuts a big part of the appeal for me and I imagine a fair few other people as well-what was the point of having all those romantic options if they were just going to get handwaved away at the end? If Password was a more linear or kinetic affair from the start that only had one set romance, or if the true ending was left vague enough that the reader could reasonably imagine Dave hooking up with any one of his potential suitors at the end then this might have worked. It's definitely a thing that sticks out to me, especially in a game like this that's otherwise pretty well constructed.

Oz ends it all: (Yes, I know that's not what the above illustration is about, bear with me) This is something that only happens on one of the game's offshoot bad paths. Having experienced an overwhelming amount of loss in a short span spurs Oswin to take the only way out he can see. This should be an absolute ball-kick and it almost gets there; the problem here is that the scene is very rushed and happens too quickly. This moment really needed time to breathe; a line or two of dialog where Dave stands shellshocked reflecting on what just happened. It also sort of just gets disregarded after it happens, with it seemingly having very little lasting impact; if you saw somebody end themselves, no matter how detached you are, you would not be this okay-least of all Dave who's already an emotional wreck.

Dave's blackouts: This is an odd one-for the first half of the story many scenes are ended by Dave blacking-out or mysteriously appearing elsewhere with no apparent explanation. At first this happened often enough that I assumed it was deliberate build-up to some sort of shocking revelation about Dave having weird out of body experiences or somesuch, but that doesn't seem to have been the case. This mostly gets dropped in the second-half of the story and seems to have had no real pay-off that I can discern, which in hindsight just makes it seem like an awkward way to end or tie scenes together.

Action: In my review I said that the narrative's weakpoint lied in it prose and no scenes make that more apparent than the showdowns with Memphis that bookend paths A and B. This could have just been a result of me becoming fatigued with the game's writing style by this point but these sequences in particular are very messy and disjointed feeling: they feel less like fluid fights and more like somebody picking their commands and waiting their turn like in an RPG, and they're probably my least favorite aspect of Password overall. Conveying engaging action in a game that primarily relies on text and static assets to tell its story is admittedly a pretty difficult thing to do so I'm willing to give the game the benefit of the doubt here and provide a comparison to illustrate how this sort of thing can be better done.

In Case of Emergency, (which is another great visual novel that I highly recommend) pulled off its climatic fight scene in a much more convincing way. For one there's a brevity and snappiness to the narration and dialog here, which is something that characterises the game at large and happens to tie in well with the pace an action sequence demands. Secondly character sprites also change and get progressively bruised and bloody and by the end of it you really start to get the feeling that everybody's tired and just wants to go home. Finally you're given several prompts in the form of dialog choices over the course of the fight and while they're ultimately just there for flavour and don't impact the battle in any meaningful way that small amount of faux-player interaction helps put you in the thick of it. Honestly I could probably gush all day about ICOE but that'll have to wait for another day. Lastly here are some more personal nitpicks-these things aren't serious faults and are mostly specific to me so take them with a grain of salt or twenty.

Whammy: For the uninformed author Grizz has an OC or fursona by the name of Rami who also happens to be a character that exists in Password's universe. He's mostly only mentioned in passing a few brief times as a part of certain character backstories, and while this is miles away from a self-insert story, having known Grizz in the past definitely made this a bit distracting. Not enough to spoil the story, but enough to briefly draw me out of it before I was able to set it aside.

The medals: These always felt a bit understated-they're more or less shoved in to the background and their importance isn't really emphasized until much later on. Initially when I picked the game up a few years ago I kind of forgot they were a part of the story every time until Dave and co. happened to stumble in to one-there's very little fanfare and they don't get much in the way of visual representation, and the game doesn't keep track of them for you enough, at least not in an easily accessible way. You won't know which ones you have unless you jot down notes or until after the very end of path A at which point the rat'll tell you. A number or set of icons as part of the user interface would have helped-having to rush through the Thanatos scene to check feels a bit clunky. You'll also need to explore most of the game's dead-end paths and run through at least a good chunk of each character's route to collect them all; this is fine for completionists like me who plan on doing everything anyway but a bit of a helping hand for those of us who are less inclined would have been appreciated. A synopsis or timeline that keeps track of which paths you've taken and which you've yet to explore would have been handy, both for refreshing people on where they are in the story and for knocking out missing medals.

Hot chip and lie: This is going to come across as harsh but I need to get it off my chest. I don't care about Hoss. His personal struggles never once resonated with me and I couldn't have been less interested in his weeb antics or his lying superficial pretty-boy arse. If there's one character where "I just don't get it", it's definitely him. Don't take this too seriously-it's based entirely on my own overly-opinionated personal preferences. And with that, I think I'm done. Sorry if I came across as overly critical or petty but keep in mind I'm not here to demean anyone-game development is an incredibly difficult job and I don't mean to downplay the amount of planning and effort that went towards Password. Truth be told I want to see the game succeed and be the best it can be-as silly or dramatic as it might sound Password does hold a special place in my heart and I happened to be exposed to it at just the right point in life. I'll be hoping for its success and wishing Grizz all the best for the future. And of course, thank you for reading.

[cranesofibycus]

You mentioned a while ago that you were struggling with the "all bets are off" aspect of this campaign. That is something I have been struggling with a lot as well. Do you have any tips for combating that? I very much am enjoying this Campaign but am having trouble quieting my anxiety brain.

I don't have a lot of practical advice for you, but I can at least offer commiseration. The thing is: It's fine. Like, I understand what they are doing and why they are doing it (subtle changes to any format are good and necessary, especially to one that is so new and relatively unexplored), and let's be real here: there haven't actually been many changes at all so far. Granted, Travis switching characters 4 episodes in, and Robbie staying for possibly upwards of 15 episodes is unusual, but it's not, like, a complete overhaul of the format. But here's the thing: In the context of these small-ish, almost negligable changes, my brain has decided that the big, all-bets-are-off changes that have repeatedly been referenced by the cast are still to come. And just like in a horror film, where the monster that you don't see is always worse than the monster that you do see, my brain has decided that these unknown changes will be big and horrible and will tear apart the things I enjoy most about the show.

I want to be very clear that I acknowledge and accept that this is a me-problem and not a CR-problem (though since you aren't the first person so message me about sharing in this particular uneasiness, I'm sure a good amount of people would appreciate some more transparency about the future of the show). I'm also trying not to make this a bigger deal than it is. What has helped me so far has been to examine my own mind in all this. It might help you to question what you're really afraid of? What's the worst that could happen? And then what? Try to follow that fear to its actual outcome, pushing through the moment of greatest concern.

A good friend and I have been talking about this a lot (he shares my anxiety), and we've come to the conclusion that the thing we fear most is a change/loss of chemistry at the table, when CR's very particular and unique chemistry is a big reason for our continued interest in this weekly 4+ hour DnD show. Like, the stories and the characters are great, of course, but if all I wanted was some good fantasy content, there are a lot more convenient options out there to get that particular fix. No, it's the added layer of watching the story being created/told in situ that I tune in for. But as interesting as that layer is, it is the first hurdle for anyone to engage with the story. Most of the time when I abandon a TTRPG podcast or stream it's not the story that turns me off, but rather the people or their particular style of storytelling. Conversely, I'm a lot more forgiving about mediocre or trope-heavy narratives in this format as long as the chemistry between the storytellers feels right.

CR has - for me - struck gold on all accounts. I enjoy the story and I particularly enjoy their "storyteller layer", i.e. the banter, the trust, the friendships, the love they all have for each other. I'm not saying that any change to the cast is necessarily bad (the addition of Robbie felt organic to the point that I now dread the thought of losing him again), but for me the chemistry at the table is what keeps me watching, so I worry about it changing. And that worry, paired with the expectation of Big Giant Changes that are coming soon leads to a not insignificant loss of immersion while watching the show. Any development in the narrative gets scanned for what it could mean for the future of the show, so for example the introduction of Cyrus made me worry about losing Robbie, which made me worry about Liam and Ashley maybe leaving for a bit as well. And Travis' trolling worried me too. Or maybe "worried" isn't the right word. It's more that since the show so heavily depends on improv and the unexpected, I really like to know that at least the surrounding structures are reliable and somewhat static. I'm aware of how neurotic this makes me sound.

I just wrote all of this out as a way to understand it myself, so I'm not sure how useful it is for you, anon. You're not alone. Maybe knowing that much helps a little? A part of me kind of wishes they had never even mentioned any of that "All bets are off" and "There will be changes" crap. I doubt that those warnings will dissuade the usual crowd who would have complained anyway from doing just that once the changes are introduced.

[kali-writes-meta]

Oscar and Ironwood Part 2: The Toxic Bromance

I apologise for taking so long to post this essay. Recent events haven't been conducive to a contemplative state of mind. In Part 1 I covered the pile of rather ominous foreshadowing of Oscar and Ironwood's relationship, now let's see how it actually played out.

Oscar and Ironwood's relationship has the rhythm of a toxic bromance story. Ironwood is pining for someone else to come sweep him off his feet, and he gets Oscar instead. Ironwood makes no bones about the fact that he would prefer Ozpin, and spends their every moment together trying to turn Oscar into Ozpin. Then, at a dramatic moment, Oscar saves Ironwood by doing something that Ozpin would never do, proving that Oscar is the better man for this moment. And does Ironwood thank him? No, he's still too busy pining for Ozpin, unable to appreciate the man standing in front of him. Finally, Oscar makes one last attempt to reach Ironwood, who cruelly dumps him. It's a perfect example of a toxic bromance.

But, maybe I'm wrong. There are people who say that the final scene with Oscar and Ironwood in Volume 7 had Ironwood acting completely different from how he had previously acted towards Oscar. I didn't see that big of a difference, but maybe I missed something. Let's look at every single interaction between the two characters and see what we find.

When they first meet Ironwood warmly greets a bunch of people he hasn't seen in over a year, but doesn't ask about the one stranger in the group. It's a small incivility that could be put down to the stress of discussing highly classified information, if he didn't then proceed to discuss highly classified information in front of a COMPLETE STRANGER. Whether you see it as an etiquette failure or a security failure or both, it's clearly a failure.

Ironwood announces a new plan that will undo and replace Ozpin's plan, since Ozpin is gone and he has to use his "best judgement". Then he is introduced to the strange kid as "the next Ozpin" (Really, Qrow? You could have worded it better than that.)

Ironwood is overjoyed. He smiles broadly and quickly races to Oscar's side, even going down on one knee in front of him, at the thought that Oscar might not really be Oscar.

Let's pause on the kneeling bit. Who is Ironwood kneeling for? One kneels before a child, one's lover, or one's monarch. Ironwood might be kneeling before the child Oscar, but he NEVER kneels before Oscar again, so he's not kneeling for the child. He's kneeling before a lover or a monarch. I highly doubt it's for a lover, and "monarch" seems closer to how he was treating Ozpin earlier. But it is definitely someone for whom Ironwood feels a passionate bond. There's no doubt that this is the most emotional we have seen Ironwood to this date.

After Ironwood goes down on one knee, he learns that this is not the Wizard he has been looking for. Ozpin.exe has gone offline, and only Oscar is at home.

Ironwood is crushed. Instead of responding to Oscar's introduction and without saying a single word to the young man he's just been introduced to he looks away from him,

turns his back on Oscar,

and walks away!

If one of the main cast had been that rude to Oscar we still wouldn't have heard the end of it, but for some reason Ironwood gets a free pass.

Ironwood: Ozpin told us that too, once upon a time. (turning to face them) At least we have you, Oscar. You're safe here in Atlas. Maybe together we can figure out how to bring Ozpin back.

That's an interesting statement. Notice he still hasn't exchanged pleasantries with Oscar. He's saying that Oscar is safe, but he's not saying that he will take care of Oscar or do anything at all for him, except "figure out how to bring Ozpin back". He's setting the terms of their relationship at the start. He doesn't see Oscar as his own person, but only as an obstacle he has to get through to reach Ozpin.

Note the discrepancy between Ironwood's tone and his wording. Research has shown that some people pay more attention to tone than they do to word choice, so when there's a discrepancy between tone and wording they'll give more weight to the tone and dismiss the actual words. (It's a valuable tool for unscrupulous salesmen and con artists.) Ironwood's tone is warm and friendly towards Oscar and apparently it fooled some viewers, but his words are much cooler and less friendly.

Oscar notices the discrepancy, and it confuses him. He responds first to the warm tone and then to the cool wording.

Oscar: (grinning) Thank you, sir. (stands at attention) I mean, uh, general. Uh, Ironwood? (smiling awkwardly)

At this point their relationship is spelled out. Ironwood is deeply disappointed and dissatisfied that Oscar isn't Ozpin, and is going to try his best to turn Oscar into Ozpin. Oscar, responding to Ironwood's warm tone, is going to do his best to cooperate for Ironwood's sake. Ironwood's stance reminds me of what was said to another Atlesian back in Volume 1:

Port: "So the outcome did not fall in your favor. ...(I)nstead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be... the best person you can be."

Ironwood is fretting about what he doesn't have. He isn't interested in helping Oscar be the best Oscar he can be. Ironwood just wants to turn Oscar into Ozpin as fast as possible.

We see the difference in the two mens' attitudes play out in the mine clearing story. Oscar expresses concern about how they are treating Ironwood.

Oscar: Ruby, hiding things from Ironwood, doesn't that feel like what Ozpin did to us?

But Ironwood shows a lack of concern for Oscar by not inviting Oscar to a surprise party Ironwood throws for Oscar's friends. If he was concerned for Oscar, why not invite him? But if Ironwood's only concern is turning Oscar into Ozpin, it makes sense that he would not even think to invite the young man. Such an action would not serve Ironwood's purpose, so why do it?

Later, Ironwood begins training Oscar.

Ironwood: You might not hear Oz anymore, Oscar, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to jog him loose.

Once again, Ironwood's tone of voice is warm and friendly, but his words are not. Notice that Ironwood doesn't say that he is training Oscar for Oscar's benefit. His sole stated reason for training Oscar is to "jog (Ozpin) loose". Ironwood has a good reason for believing this sparring technique will work to bring out Ozpin, but that topic deserves an essay of its own, so I'll cover it separately later. However, it doesn't work to jog Ozpin loose. Instead it helps Oscar improve and make more friends, to become more "the best Oscar he can be."

When sparring doesn't work to turn Oscar into Ozpin Ironwood falls back on the classic trope of the lovesick swain, he shows the substitute the special place where he and his idol made special memories.

Ironwood: I hoped bringing you down here might jog some memories.

This interaction is the third time that we've seen Ironwood speak to Oscar, and it's the third time he's said he wants to turn Oscar into someone else. There's no canon evidence that they have any other relationship at this point.

But, I can hear some people saying, how is this different from what the main cast did to Oscar? Didn't they treat him like a walking meat suit as well? It's true that in a fit of rage Jaune accused Oscar of being Ozpin in disguise, but he quickly dropped the delusion and apologized to Oscar at the next opportunity, and that was the end of it. There's never been another time when they have treated Oscar as if he was Ozpin when Oscar was in control of his own body. Ironwood is a different story. He persists in trying to turn Oscar into Ozpin.

For the third time, his tone of voice is warm and friendly, but his words are all about how he doesn't want to be here with Oscar. He wants to be with someone else. He seems to look forward to a day when he believes Oscar will be gone and Ozpin will stand in his place (in spite of all the evidence to the contrary) to Oscar's noticable discomfort.

Oscar: It feels strange, knowing that part of me helped come up with all this.

Ironwood: You’ll get used to it, I’m sure. Eventually, you won’t even know who’s who anymore.

Then, in that special spot, Ironwood tells Oscar his dream for the two of them.

Ironwood: We... didn’t always see eye to eye, but... I wish I could ask Ozpin what he thought of all of this.

As is common with lovesick swains, Ironwood is looking at the past through rose-tinted glasses. They didn't merely not "always see eye to eye". Ironwood was constantly arguing with Ozpin, keeping secrets from Ozpin (Penny), and going behind Ozpin's back to undercut Ozpin's authority (taking over the Vytal Festival). It's doubtful how much he would listen to Ozpin if Ozpin was there, but Ironwood is still making himself heartsick imagining the encouragement that Ozpin would give him. (You can tell he's viewing the past tinted with nostalgia, because if Ozpin were really there Ironwood would be getting a tongue-lashing.)

Imagine how dehumanizing this must feel to Oscar. It's entirely to the young man's credit that he does what he does next.

Oscar: Well, I can tell you what I think. The path you’re heading down where you’re the only one with the answers, where you do the thing you think is right no matter the cost, it’s not going to take you anywhere good.

Oscar has been giving Ironwood what he thinks Ironwood wants, to no avail. Now he gives Ironwood what Oscar thinks Ironwood needs.

And it seems to help Ironwood open up a little bit.

Ironwood: We have to stop Salem. Nothing matters more.

Oscar: Some things matter more, I think. Keeping our humanity. It’s what makes us different from her.

Ironwood: Sometimes I worry that’s her greatest advantage. Without humanity, does she still feel fear? Does she ever hesitate? When Salem hit Beacon, even with all my ships, all of my soldiers... I was no match for her. I’ve never felt so helpless. The way she told me she was there.

Oscar: It’s okay to be afraid. You just can’t let that fear control you.

Ironwood: I am not going to end up with Lionheart. Do you believe in me?

Oscar: I do believe in you, but not only you. I think the best thing you could do is sit down and talk with the people you’re most afraid to.

And how does Ironwood express his gratitude for Oscar's help?

Ironwood: (chuckles) Now you are starting to sound like him.

By denying Oscar's humanity once again.

Then comes Jacques' ball --, er, dinner party. Oscar is worried about what will happen to Ironwood there.

Oscar: Ironwood's going to be locked in a room at his rival's own dinner party. I know Jacques says he's happy to moderate, but all that really means is he'll be the one controlling the conversation.

Ironwood doesn't appear to show the same concern for Oscar, but drags the young man along into a potentially dangerous situation. Why? It's not for anyone's entertainment. It's not so Oscar can testify before the Council, which is the excuse for bringing the others. Oscar's secrets are not ones that Ironwood wants out. The only plausible reason left is so that a 14 year old kid can provide a world leader with advice and emotional support.

To everyone's surprise, that's what happens.

Jacques' treason and Watts' shenanigans come to the surface, culminating in a simultaneous cyber attack with a major DOS, riot, and Grimm invasion. Ironwood freezes in the clinch, unable to decide what to do.

Clover: Sir, we need ground support now.

Robyn: What we need is to start evacuating Mantle. If it's completely overrun, it's not going to be safe anywhere. Use the fleet to get--

Ironwood: If I move the fleet, then Atlas is vulnerable. I… I tried to keep the kingdom safe. And now we're losing everything.

It's Oscar that comes to Ironwood's rescue.

Oscar: General? Earlier, you asked for my advice.

Ironwood: I wanted Ozpin's advice.

Ouch. For the fourth time, Ironwood shows that he sees Oscar as nothing but a poor substitute for Ozpin. But then Oscar shines.

Oscar: And his advice probably would've been to keep your secrets. When we first got here, you already knew that wasn't the right course. You had a new plan.

Ironwood: It's time to give up on that plan. It's all falling apart.

Oscar: The panic you were worried about? It's already happening. The secrets you're keeping? They're about to be in the open anyway. It's time. Tell the truth.

Here is where Oscar does what Ozpin couldn't do, proving that he's not just a second-rate substitute for the real thing. This time he was better than Ozpin.

At this point Oscar has just pulled Ironwood's fat out of the fire, and what does he get? The only thanks Ironwood gives him since they first met, right before Oscar is literally told to go to his room.

Ironwood: Thank you. Oscar, I think it's time you get back to the Academy.

Afterwards Oscar tells Ruby, "He's finally choosing the truth over fear. We should do the same" and with her permission tells Ironwood the rest of the story.

Ironwood -- some folks think he took the news well. I don't. That looks to me like monumental "just this side of throwing up" shock, to be followed by monumental rage. As upsetting as he finds the news of Salem's immortality, he's even more upset that his adored hero kept secrets from him.

Ironwood: (distraught) Why? Why would Oz keep this from us? From the people who trusted him?

(You mean the person who went behind his back and undermined his authority?)

Oscar: He was worried you would lose hope. We're sorry we kept it from you, too. We didn't know who to trust. I figured you should know before you make any… sacrifices.

It's Oscar who prods Ironwood away from his pain and back to the present.

Oscar: Sir? What are you gonna do?

Ironwood: I… (collects himself) All we can do for the moment is what we can to save Mantle. That's what's in front of us.

Oscar: (smiling) He'd be proud of you. You're bringing the hope that Atlas was meant to inspire. A city in the sky is held to a higher standard.

Ironwood: You say that... like you were ther--

One again, the only compliment Ironwood can give Oscar, even after Oscar has done what Ozpin couldn't do, is to tell him he sounds like Ozpin. The man needs to work on some new lines.

Oscar goes back to JNPR's room with an escort of robot guards. Ironwood goes to deal with the crisis, and makes a good show until Cinder and Salem rattle him. The good news is that his monumental shock subsides. The bad news is that it's followed by monumental rage.

In the middle of a battle Ironwood decides to arrest the allies whom he now considers questionable, instead of using the age-old tactic of dealing with such a problem by sending them to the front line. (You can tell these boys haven't fought a war in a while.) He sends an Army unit to capture a same-sized Marines unit, and things go as well as could be expected. Meanwhile Neo goes to retrieve the Lamp of Knowledge, currently in Oscar's possession, from Oscar and JNR, and things go as well as could be expected.

Then in the middle of the Great Escape, Oscar turns back to try one last time to do what Ozpin couldn't do and would no longer have tried to do -- talk sense into Ironwood. Talking sense into Ironwood is something Ozpin had been failing at since Volume 2, and going by what he said to Oscar about Hazel during the Battle of Haven, "He's wounded in a way that cannot be healed", we can safely say that by now Ozpin would have given up on Ironwood as a lost cause. But, just like with Hazel, Oscar is going to try.

Their sixth and final interaction starts with Ironwood repeating basically what he said in the other five interactions, another variation on, " Are you Ozpin yet?" Even after Oscar has done for him what Ozpin wouldn't do, he still wants Ozpin over Oscar.

Ironwood: And... whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?

Oscar: Still just me.

Then the conversation takes a different turn. Ironwood knows he's crossed a line, and he knows Oscar knows. The warm and friendly tone is gone. But Oscar tries to de-escalate the situation.

Ironwood: It was smart of you not to bring the Lamp down here. I wouldn’t trust me either right now.

Oscar: Trust is what I’m hoping to fix. I know we can still figure this out, all of it, together. Please.

Ironwood: Do you intend to fight me?

Oscar: No. That’s exactly what she wants.

Note that Ironwood anticpates a beating for what he's done. As the adult in a room with a teenage boy, HE should be the one pointing out the importance of not being bullied, manipulated, or coerced into doing anything stupid. Instead it's the teenage boy's job to point it out to him.

I've posted about this conversation in detail before, so I just want to make three points this time. The first point is that Ironwood's refusal to admit he's afraid is what triggers his violence.

Ironwood: You still think I’m afraid?

Oscar: We all are. It’s what we do in our fear that reveals--

Ironwood: That’s easy for you to say!

The second point is that Oscar finally understands what Ozpin meant about some people being "wounded in a way that can't be healed." Whether he agrees with Ozpin is something we'll find out in Volume 8, but he understands Ozpin better now.

Finally we have the end of Ironwood's toxic bromance with Oscar. And just as he did at the beginning, he insists on being the one to set the terms.

Ironwood: I am done letting others’ inability to see the big picture get in the way of doing what’s right. Robyn, the council, this kingdom... even you.

Oscar: Then you’re as dangerous as she is, James.

Ironwood: James is what my friends call me. To you… it’s General.

That's pretty much the way I saw it play out while watching the episodes in real time. I missed the discrepancy in tone and word choice the first time around; in my defense I'm a Southerner and used to hearing violent death threats dripping from honeyed lips. But I saw no discrepancy in Ironwood's behavior from beginning to end. He always wanted Oscar to be someone he wasn't, and when it became clear that Oscar was never going be what he wanted Oscar to be, Ironwood threw him away like a petulant child throwing away a broken toy. This wasn't the man I wanted Ironwood to be, but it's the same man we've seen since the beginning -- brave, charming, intelligent, and fatally short-sighted.