#alright-! so i like port fest a lot-

[twisting-in-wonderland]

Huh-? Why's my sax's mouthpiece all messed up?

...

... Ah.

(wip progress + 'lineart' under read-more--)

portfest outfits are so cool looking,,,

[insertdisc5]

Devlog #14: Big News Incoming and Illustrations

Hello everyone! Welcome to this month’s devlog!

If you just stumbled upon this, I am Adrienne, also known as insertdisc5! I’m the developer, writer, artist, main programmer, etc of the game. The game being In Stars and Time, a timeloop RPG, which is also the next and final game in the START AGAIN series, following START AGAIN: a prologue (available here!).  You can find out more about In Stars and Time here!!! 

LET’S GET TO IT. This month has some Big News about Big News Incoming! And also some illustrations!

The Big News Incoming first: In Stars and Time will be a part of Future of Play Direct on June 10, 8:00am PT | 11:00am ET | 5:00 pm CET! Future of Play is part of the Summer Games Fest and showcases a lot of incredible indie games, so I hope you’ll tune in. There might be a little something for you to see :> And...

In Stars and Time will also be a part of The Mix on June 8th! The Mix is an amazing games showcase over in LA. There will be a lot of press there, so I’m very excited to get some eyes on ISAT! Please stop by the booth and say hi to the lovely people from my publisher, Armor Games Studios, if you get the chance!

Alright! That’s it for the big news. Now for other big news.

Porting the game to Switch seems to be close to done! Currently, the porting team is taking care of optimization thingy things. The game is playable, but tends to drop frames every so often, so the team is optimizing the game to make sure it’s playing smoothly so Switch players can have the best possible experience! And…

The (hopefully) final round of Japanese localization is underway! Last April, the localization team sent back a couple of sentences that should be reworded now that they have further context. Now that those changes are implemented, they are playing it one more time to make sure everything works as intended!

I sadly don’t have a Fun Gamedev Thing to talk about this month (or… last month either…) because I moved elsewhere back in April and have been taking care of many things so my move went smoothly. Did you know that moving and getting used to a new town is hard work? So, here’s some things I posted on social media in the last couple months!

Here’s an illustration I drew a while back but only posted recently! I imagine that during their journey, everyone must’ve shared a bed at least once. This is also an occasion to show everyone’s sleepytimes clothes. Siffrin on that honk shoo honk shoo fit

Like many people, I have seen the Barbie movie trailer. So of course I had to redraw these iconic frames.

And someone over on Tumblr asked me about how I picked everyone’s names! Here it is copy-pasted for your convenience.

Siffrin: i think. i will wait until the game comes out before saying how i picked their name. ask me again later (it’s not a spoiler its just silly)

Mirabelle: her name was actually Prunille for the longest time, but I kept mixing it up and calling her Bonnie… so I went looking for another fruit sounding name (prunille>prune>plum in french) and Mirabelle fit her perfectly :> (Mirabelle is a kind of plum!)

Isabeau: it’s just a nice name. It actually is a girl name but i refuse to accept it because “beau” is the masculine form for “beautiful”, but either way it fits his character pretty well…

Odile: old sounding french name. that’s it. when i was early in preproduction her name was Isabeau actually (and she had a WAY different personality)

Bonnie: it’s a nickname and not their full name. have i said their full name yet? (checks the wiki) i did. Boniface is just a name that I had never heard before, and I could easily imagine Bonnie not liking it because it sounds “old and lame”. i think as they get older they would like it more and more

This is also a reminder that In Stars and Time has a wiki page. I am so grateful that this is a thing someone made. You know you've made it when your game has a wiki page!!!

That’s all I have to say for today! Let me know if you have any questions, or if there’s any aspect of the game development struggle you’d like me to talk about! See you next time!!!

AND DON’T FORGET TO WISHLIST THE GAME ON STEAM ALSO IT REALLY HELPS BECAUSE STEAM’S ALGORITHM IS MORE LIKELY TO SHOW OFF GAMES WITH A HIGH AMOUNT OF WISHLISTS THAT’S THE REASON WHY GAME DEVS ALWAYS ASK TO WISHLIST!!! OKAY BYE!!!!

[phantombanquet]

SR Port Wear Ruggie Personal Card Story “Pay Attention To Me!” Part 1

Crane Port - Pier

Ruggie: Alright, I've put it up on this bulletin board here too. So next is...

Cater: Ah, it's Ruggie-kun~!

Ruggie: Cater-san. Is it break time?

Cater: Yup. I was taking pictures of the venue's highlight points~! It's Port Fest, after all ♪

What are you doing, Ruggie-kun?

Ruggie: I put up flyers for Group B's food stand on the bulletin board in the warehouse.

The more I advertise, the more sales increase, and the more money I get inside my pocket.

It's Port Fest, after all, anyway! I need to make lots of money!

Cater: Amazing! As expected of Ruggie-kun~♪

Ruggie: Well, it's time to move. I want to put more flyers while I'm patrolling.

Cater: It must be hard to work at the food stand, and as a committee member too, huh... Good luck, Ruggie-kun!

Ruggie: Ye~p!

???: UWAAAH~~~

Ruggie: Huh? I hear a child crying?

Cater: A-Aren't those kids?

Ruggie: Woah, those two are real small. They don't even look like they're in elementary.

Cater: For now, let's go talk to them.

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—

Cater: What's wrong, you guys? Did you get separated from the person you came with?

Children: UWAAAHHH~~~~~!!

Cater: W-Woah?! They started crying even harder! Us big bros aren't scary people, so don't worry~

Ruggie: Hey, lost kids...

Okay, okay! Kids, pay attention to me!

Children: Urgehh... What..?

BOOM!

Cater: Ah! Ruggie-kun used magic to make small fireworks!

Children: Wow, pretty! Hey, do more!

Ruggie: But before that, lemme know one thing. Tell me why both of you were crying.

Kid A: Ah... Well, we came to visit Port Fest..

Kid B: But mama is gone...

Ruggie: I see, you got lost.

But, ya know, crying won't solve anything, right?

Both of you have to work together to find mama.

Kid A: B-But... How do we... *sniff*

Ruggie: Don't cry, just think about it. What do you guys usually do when you want your mama's attention?

Kid A: I yell “MAMA” really loudly!

Kid B: I found mama before because papa put me on his shoulders so I can see really far away!

Ruggie: Great! Then, why not we race to see who can find mama first?

Kid B: Okay! Big Brother with a Diamond Mark, carry me on your shoulders!

Cater: I unexpectedly got chosen. Of course, it's OK ☆

Kid B: Wooow, it's hi~gh! I think I can find mama with this!

Ruggie: Come on now, you can't lose to your sister. You have to call for mama in a loud voice.

Kid A: Okay!

MAMA!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!!!!

Ruggie: Yup, you're real energetic.

Well, I'll just do my job as a committee member then. Cater-san, can I ask you to come with me to the Missing Child Center?

Cater: OK~♪ I hope their mom comes to pick them up soon~

TO BE CONTINUED...

[kurayami10]

They invite you to see the sea with them

Jack/ Ruggie/Floyd/Rook x reader

A/N: Something small for the twst port fest event

Re-uploading my stories is prohibited.

After the hours of the musical parade that Jack and his friends had, everything went very beautifully in the musical!

And out of where Jack took out his jack showing his strong muscles and you found yourself very surprised from this. ‘I mean really obvious he works so hard..’ you smile for him and how he looks so happy when he’s playing the drunk sticks.

Once the musical performance, Jack gazes toward you. You wave to him and smile at him while some churros are in your hands and since you were in Team Leona and you made some for yourself.

You have watched the entire performance and how he looked great!

Before 20-30 mins when the performance began —  you were filming the whole thing and this going to be a perfect memory that you have and you’re going to make the biggest memory of all time. And yes you do love Jack all your heart and this is the first time you see him in a sailor outfit and his cute ears popping out from his hat.

Once the performance is over, you went over to find Jack as he’s having a tiny of problems, and that problem is that there bunch of crowd around and him and others, you just sweat of this.

Of course, people would love this also yourself but you just recall something before when you went here to the Port Festival. And it is that Jack told you to meet somewhere near the sea where the white boats are, and that is what you did waiting for him after the musical performance.

After about a while of waiting you see Jack running at you, and you wave at him happily! “Jack, there you are!” you exclaimed while he took a break he’s been out of breath since he was running, “I am sorry I came late I was having some problems while at the restaurant with an issue that just happened,” he looks at you and hoping you won’t be mad and then he continues, “and I want to make up to you..” and you sighs not in the frustrated more like it was ‘it's okay”

“It's alright, Jack! I mean we have all day anyway so don’t worry too much!” hoping that its okay for Jack not feel bad about this, but still, he just wants to spend his day with you *cough* he just like you a lot *cough* anyway it been a long day he enjoys this day and spend time with his friends and most importantly is you! <3

“Y/N…..” the sound of Jack calling your sweet name and you turn toward him as he sudden blushes to appear on his face and his ears lower down a bit, “I love you…” soon it was your turn to blush and you didn’t know what to say, and you just close your eyes and slowly kiss Jack into his lip and step back slowly, “I love you too, Jack..” you look at him with a small smile on your face, and honestly you and Jack standing with a view on the ocean while birds and decorations around you and Jack make the scenery perfect.

When Ruggie was helping Jack at the someone when a male customer’s wallet has been stolen by a robber and run away and of course, he have to help Jack with it.

Ruggie promises to meet you somewhere near the water because he said he has something to show you, and you quickly said “Yes” that made Ruggie happy he also bought his favorite donuts for himself and you. 

But while he was in there the store he ran into trouble that he found a lost child who was looking for their mother but licky Cater was there for him.

After finding the child's mother, Ruggie went to find you, and you were sitting on the bench waiting for Ruggie. You could feel the soft cool breeze blowing toward your silk hair and soft skin, and it's perfect —  especially when is the port festival!

As Ruggie goes running where you are, while you admire the passing ships and some people were riding one, and you wish to get in one but you have the afford one and sigh sadly. When you’re lost on your little own and unaware Ruggie is behind you, he put his hands in your two eyes, this causes you to shock a little bit and you know the familiar feeling of his hands.

“Ruggie, is that you?” Ruggie soft chuckles and he turns you toward him, you look at him, “Shishishi, I love the way you make that face when every time I surprise you.” he sits next to you and he put the bag a-side of him.

He grabs the box of donuts and opens them, then he gives you one of your F/F and he knows you love that flavor very much. You grab the donuts and take a bite and you love the flavor so much, “How do you know my favorites.” Ruggie suddenly blushes at this, and the reason he knows is that he asks one of his close friends where to go it. This spot where the view of the sea is very beautiful so deep and fresh air around it and you enjoy this very much.

Anyone wonders why Floyd would ask you to meet him on the ship since your BFFs Ace and Deuce ask you what Floyd asked you and you said “ He said wanted to meet me at the ships and I wonder is it.” and Ace and Deuce look at each other as if something bad is gonna happened but is nothing bad so they just want to your okay.

Floyd was so excited to spend his time with you! Oh boy, he wants to you his instrument that he has and he does know music since he was in middle school with his twin brother and Azul.

After a few hours went he out to find you, and soon he find you — you were getting some sweets such as cotton candy and cream waffles with syrup.

“Shrimpy!!” Floyd said with a hug smile on his and open arms ready for you, when you were saying something.

 Floyd quickly hugs you very tight and spins you around making you kind of dizzy and you try to pull out yourself from Floyd but he’s very strong, after a minute he stops and laughs with an unusual himself.

“Shrimpy there you are!” he’s so excited while not letting the excitement get to him but he just could not wait to be with you.

You look at Floyd with a small smile on your face, “Hello, Floyd, are you ready to go?” Floyd nods and with that Floyd holds your hand and leads the way. After you and Floyd arrive at the destination, you see can the sea and how the sea creature swims around. Floyd laughs at your curiosity at the — he finds this amusing.

“Shrimpy!! Look at me.” you look everywhere around you but couldn't find Floyd and when you were about to give up, suddenly something popped out at the water, and it was Floyd holding a Passiflora Coral Sea, and they look very pretty. 

“This for you, Shrimpy!” he smiles while he lids up at the flower at you, and yes, you get the flower and smile at him. Honestly, he looks so cute with his sailor outfit before when turning to his eel form, but still, maybe you’ll tell him to take pictures with him.

Rook invited you somewhere on a ship and you said, “I would love to go with you, Rook.” with a smile on your face.

So Rook has his sailor uniform and gotta today that he looks like those 1900’s sailors films and with his charms would amaze you!

When you and Rook when to an expanse ship he rents it just for you. You look at Rook, “Rook, this is very beautiful….” then he smiles and gets closer to you, “Not beautiful as you.” making you blush.

You and him most romantic moment because you and he brought some waffles and coconut cream and there so good! And went to the ships again but bigger!

Once you and Rook get there, you can see the sky turning orange and how beautiful it looks.

You walk toward the edge of the ship and you look down at how deep the ocean is and you feel cool air blowing around, the shy still orange as the seagulls fly around the port festival — honestly this is the best thing this happened to you. While on your little thoughts, Rook slowly stands behind you and he whispers sweet things to you, “Mon chéri, you look very delightful right now.” he says softly into your ears.

You look at Rook and smile, “Rook, you know this best day I could ever have and with you is even better!” as hugging him and of course, he hugs back his chère is very special to him — as you and he watch the glowing orange in the sky.

[repentantsky]

9 Things I’d like to see at E3, 2021

So E3 2021 is a thing. It’s gonna be all digital, and several companies have already signed up to join, sounds like a good deal, but the question is, will it be what we normally expect out of E3, or will it be more like Summer Game Fest Last Year, where everything that looked like it was gonna be great, but just turned out to be okay? Who can say, but I have some...suggestions, that might make it better, along with some game announcements, that might make it all it should be cracked up to be. 

9. No low quality, at home interviews during the main show 

E3 has had a history of doing interviews during game shows to try and break pace a little, and keep people from being too excited, only to potentially be let down later. However, possibly the worst problem with Summer Game Fest last year, was the at home interviews, which broke pacing during game announcements in a way I can’t imagine was on purpose, and for many, was the time to take a bathroom break, or simply look away for a while. It’s important of course to hear from developers about their projects, and they can divulge some interesting information about games, that either puts something confusing into context, or is accidently leaked, but when we watch shows about game releases, we want to see the games. Interviews should be held in between shows, or better yet, the days following the conferences themselves. 

8. Nintendo finally talks about the big three 

While it’s safe to say Nintendo has done some banger numbers over the last year espeically, due to better console availability, which I never thought I’d say about Nintendo but here we are, it’s also safe to say that fans have been waiting for literal years on Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and Breath of the Wild 2. While some have been more patient than others, and of course I understand there’s a flipping pandemic going on, Nintendo told us far too long ago about these games, or the restart of their development, and Breath of the Wild 2 was promised to at least get an update this year, and E3 seems like the best place to do it, especially after their last direct, one that was more than a year in waiting, and left so many people disappointed. And this is coming from someone who had literally only hoped to be excited about one thing, and it didn’t happen The future of how they present games, almost feels like it’s in question after such a show, which did not justify itself, so hopefully, they can finally let everyone walk away happy, and talk about the projects that have been generation the most excitement, for literal years now.

7. Space things out better

You might now know this, I only made one list about it after all, and literally no one reacted to it, but I’m a huge wrestling fan, and one of the promotions I watch, is WWE. Now, WWE is about to launch WrestleMania, their equal to E3 in a lot of ways, and are splitting it up over two days, and that goes for their third brand NXT as well, because they have a history of making the show sometimes 8 hours long. For fans of video games, watching The Game Awards, which can be two to three hours long, is arduous, and tiring, and E3, can also have that same effect. I remember in 2019, I literally fell asleep watching Bethesda’s conference, because I was so tired trying to write about the previous shows in between them, never mind actually watching them, that I was burnt out. Since E3 is going fully digital this year, and everyone is going to be in that same boat, it would be nice if we didn’t have too many shows, spanning over a near 12 hour period, which was happened before, making people stay up late to enjoy what they want to, or you know, work, which is free promotion for whatever gets announced. Spacing the shows out to no more than three a day, and giving people enough time to get their thoughts together, would just be really nice. 

6. Devolver Digital, tries a different style

Look, I don’t hate Devolver Digital’s approach to talking about games at E3, but what I do hate, is them telling the same jokes over and over again, and expecting everyone to laugh, because you know, it’s so funny when something that’s already been said, or shown, is modified ever so slightly for years on end. I’m not saying they can’t still tell jokes, please do, E3 is as much a good time as it is stressful depending on who you are, so the change of pace can at times be a lot of fun, but the last time they had a “conference”, it was a slog, and generally left me feeling annoyed, and I can’t help but feel I’m not the only one. They want to be different, I say that’s great, but they need to do it in a way that for one, is actually different, because their style has become a cliché in and of itself, and where they don’t spend time talking about fake games, because it’s hard to know at times what’s real and what isn’t. I honestly thought the last time they did one, the final game they talked about was just a play on the “one more thing” trope conferences have, and when I later realized it wasn’t, I never got that first sense of hype, and so lost interest, and that’s not a good business model. We don’t even know at this point if they’re going to declare for E3, and since it was announced late, it might be too hard to get a show at all, but if they do show up, or even when they next do a conference, it would be nice if they considered this line of thinking.

5. Drop the “Exclusive Online Portal” idea

Yeah I don’t know what the ESA was thinking with this one, but they mentioned that E3 will be streaming from an exclusive online portal, and not only do we not know what that means, but no one flipping cares! We’re all going to watching it on YouTube, Twitch, or dare I say it but it’s possible, Facebook Gaming, and any other platform is completely useless. We are all tired of hearing, download a new program to do a thing you can already do on other platforms, PC gamers especially, stop releasing new flipping launchers and...sorry, that’s for another list in the future perhaps, but the point stands. You might get streamers to download, or go to whatever site they need to, to watch the shows, but everyone else, is either going to watch those streams, or as it often happens, watch the highlights at a later time, so to add a potentially extra step to that process, is just not going to go anywhere, and since E3 will be free to watch, it’s not like this is going to be a good way to make money, unless you do plan to do the following...

4. Throwing flipping ads at everyone between shows or otherwise

Look, I get it, even an online show that’s going to be talking about games costs money to make, and so money must be made by other means, many of which are not available to the ESA without people actually being present, but the thing about E3 is, as much as we all love it, it is one massive ad, and even though it’s an add we like, it’s not one that needs too many ads thrown at it beyond what it already has. There are other, less annoying ways to make money, like having products from the games announced be available at a store online that people can access, that sees them getting part of the profit, or something of that nature, but this portal that was mentioned, seems like a place where the ESA can just throw ads at people all day, and that just seems like a horrible idea. A lot of people don’t see E3 as an ad, even though it absolutely is, and blowing away the smoke and mirrors that it’s not, by throwing countless ads at people for the sake of trying to make money, might be the end of E3 as we know it. 

3. Don’t spend too much time talking about games that are coming out close to the event, or just came out

Like I said, E3 is one big, massive ad, and for the most part, that’s totally alright, but E3 also has a habit of sneaking in little bits talking about games, that are coming out during the week of, or very close to the shows, to the point of being annoying. Most of the time these ads are short, show nothing new, and generally kill the pace of the conferences on display. While it’d be one thing to try and shadow drop a game this way, because we all love a good shadow drop, we really don’t need ads for games like FF7 Intergrade, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, or flipping Mario Golf: Super Rush. We know those games are coming, we are paying attention, give us a little credit, and save that for games that could use the push like Neptunia: ReVerse, Legend of Mana, or maybe even Scarlett Nexus who actually in way, has to compete with Mario Golf. This might be more a developer problem, and E3 itself might actually have little to no control over this, but whoever does it, needs to do it right.

2. Xbox needs to stop lying, and go big

I love Xbox, I really do, for whatever reason it’s become my go to place for physical indie games, and whenever I want to play a shooter, I start thinking green, but in their conferences, Phil Spencer has a tendency to oversell what Xbox is going to show, by talking about how many games are going to be at the show, or by constantly mentioning how Xbox is more powerful than it’s competitor consoles, like it does any good for the bottom line of the company. I don’t want to hear Phil say they are going to show off 80 games during their show, and have half of them be ports, or shown off in a montage. Doing that means everyone has to go look up a large portion of what they actually announce to learn anything, and that’s no fun. I don’t want montages during E3 at all, and while I’m at it, Xbox espeically needs to bring in the big guns. I’m talking Halo Infinite, Gears 6, the next Forza game, and maybe, finally, a Japanese exclusive title that will get people really hyped. Xbox might just have free reign over the show on the day they present, but another show that has extremely mixed opinions like in 2019, might not be the best thing ever. 

1. GET. SONY. 

Obviously we know that Sony and the PlayStation brand haven’t been associated with E3 for a while now, and I get it, it’s kind of hard to justify going down to L.A. every year, when an online digital show, saves a whole bunch of money, and can get people just as hyped as if they had been there, but this year, everything is online, and Sony’s State of Play’s have been a mixed reaction as a whole. Taking them to E3 not only sets up more hype for them, but it also gives people something they really need right now, something close to the norm, with all of console developers, showing off their best. E3 2019, just felt weaker, and too safe without Sony there, and last year was a total, long winded disaster because of Summer Game Fest. If the ESA is really going to go for this, and give it an earnest shot, and give us the best that they can, they need Sony to show up and blow our minds with, I don’t know, God of War 2, Spyro 4 (hopefully) and a new IP or two to really get the show to being considered one of the best. E3 will probably be alright regardless of if they are there or not, but if they are, the chances of it being truly great, go up in spades. 

And that’s my list, did I miss anything else you can think of? Let me know in the comments below, like this list if it interested you, reblog it if you love it, and have a wonderful day. 

[psychcomposer]

Alright, I have too many feelings about a video game that’s going to come out in a month that I really just need to get out. It’s been over a decade and one of my favorite games, The World Ends With You, is finally getting a sequel. I’ve been brooding on the trailers for months, and I just finished the demo, so it is time to put down my capital T Thoughts on Neo: The World Ends With You.

As a warning, this will be entirely too long. But I’m not about to keep this bound up any longer.

TWEWY is my favorite title for the Nintendo DS. It is a JRPG starring Neku Sakuraba, an aggressively antisocial teen living in the Tokyo district of Shibuya. He is suddenly pulled into a test of survival called The Reaper’s Game, where he is forced to join forces with a partner in order to survive a week of lethal objectives in a sub-planar version of Shibuya. I love the story, its such an honest and interesting take on learning to get outside of your comfort zone. But more than that, it is a game that does so much to put a modern twist on every piece of your typical JRPG. You control two characters at once, Neku with the touch screen and his partner with the control pad, forcing you to split your attention and giving mechanic weight to the idea that Neku can’t survive alone. Armor and weapons are replaced with clothes and outfits, with a character’s ability to wear them restricted not by class but by a character’s bravery. The music list is filled with punk, alt-rock and hip-hop that are a stark contrast to the symphonic tracks of other titles. Battles aren’t random impediments, but fun diversions that sport a robust reward system that encourages players to push their limits.

But even more than that, the most modern thing I appreciate about TWEWY has to be the characters. Neku, Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme all feel like believable teens that grew up in the 2000′s. They bicker, clash, and banter like teens struggling to survive and make sense of their situation. One of my favorite little gimicks of the story is just how many nicknames there are for every character. Almost everyone has earned a few nicknames. One of my favorite examples is Sho Minamimoto. He’s a reaper with an obsession with math, often infusing his speech with mathematical jargon or expressions, and seems to enjoy erecting “art installations”, which most people can only decipher as towers of trash. Over the course of the story, he gets called Pi-face, the Grim Heaper, and another nickname I can’t even mention because of spoilers. It’s just... such a nice little human touch, these kids throwing crafted insults at a human enforcer of their doom that could almost certainly tear them apart.

I’m getting into this to try to give a sense of why I enjoy TWEWY so much, why it has such a unique place in my heart. Its a game I’ve 100% completed several times over, a task that’s no easy feat with the sheer amount of collectibles and post-game objectives. Unfortunately, for the last year or two, I’ve been kind of dreading this sequel.

Neo:TWEWY has been... a long time coming. Way back in 2007 they had a whole website counting down to some sort of announcement, with the music slowly building in intensity. I remember following it with bated breath, until it finally hit zero! And we got... An ios port of the game. Talk about a let-down. To be fair, apparently it is a solid port, even managing to re-work the old battle system, one that required a second screen to work properly, into one that only needed one. But what that really offered to someone like me was the hint of a sequel, a single image of a new character being shown. They kept flirting with the idea of bringing the series back. The main cast even featured in a Kingdom Hearts game, of all things, even if they didn’t really do a whole lot. But these acknowledgments grew sparser and sparser.

A few years ago, they released a switch port of the game. Not only that, it included an epilogue! They were finally getting a sequel rolling! Of course I bought that game, beat it yet again, and fought my way to the new content and the hint of the new story ahead.

It was... Well. I found it disappointing.

The gameplay was competent, even if it was clear that the epilogue itself really hadn’t had too much put into it. One new character,  new enemies just being reskins of old ones. It wasn’t meant to be dlc itself or anything, it was just there to herald a return to the series. That wasn’t what bugged me. What bugged me was the writing. It was heart-wrenching. It just didn’t feel right. It just felt flat compared to the story I’d enjoyed so many times. But what really killed my excitement was the new character, Coco.

Now, odd personality quirks are not too unusual among the ensemble of TWEWY. Pi-face is just one of the characters that is so infused with a particular theme that it shows in how they express themselves. It’s part of the charm of them, discovering the personalities that live in this dark underworld of Shibuya. But Coco... she talks like the most stereotypical young teenager possible. unironic lols, totez (yes, spelt exactly like that, in a speech format), OMG’s, and just, like, likes everywhere! It felt like someone who knew they needed to make a quirky character but had no idea how to write one well, and just made the most stereotypical caricature possible. I hated seeing that. It embodied every fear I had about the sequel being just a cynical project, pushed forward after so many years  by people who just didn’t understand what made the original great. That mild dread was so persistent that even the release of the first few trailers couldn’t really get me excited for the game. Neo:TWEWY was shifting into 3d from the original 2.5d, with all the problems that could cause. What I could see of the story felt so much more like a generic fantasy tale with some modern buildings than the story I had grown through my teenage years with. And, well... Just look the original Neku and the new one they showed off.

Look at this. Look at one of the most vibrant, eye-catching character designs on the market for any JRPG in history, one that manages to mix purple and orange with striking lights and darks. And then look at the teenager edgelord bullshit they did with him. It’s atrocious. I hate it. He’s just another guy in a black outfit and just too much fucking cool guy protagonist power to not have the story be about him at this point. And look, I know that there’s Story LoreTM, I know that there could be some twist that explains this, I know that him being such a denial of his old self could be the entire fucking point. But let me tell you, when I saw this, I felt years of shifting, misplaced unease coalesce into a hard lump of dread.

And... Even... So... I did the stupidest thing I could have possibly done and preordered the game anyway. Don’t look at me like that, nostalgia is a hell of a drug.

But you know what? The damnedest thing happened. They released a demo for the new game a month before its release. And I played it, and... I enjoyed it.

Did you see that coming? I certainly didn’t. Welcome to the roller coaster.

Right off the bat, the writing soothed a lot of the fears I had. It felt right at home, like being plopped between to teens exchanging banter. One of the first exchanges is Rindo and Fret, his best friend, trying to meet up. Fret wants Rindo to meet him at  someplace called Wunafo, an area Rindo is clueless about. After some annoyed texting, it turns out Fret is actually referring to 104, a local landmark of a building. Fret insists that its a stylish improvement on the name. Rindo only gives him some grief about it..

I’m not doing the scene justice, or I could just be really desperate for half-decent writing, but I can’t deny that it quickly put a smile on my face. I am almost sure I’ve had this conversation before in years past myself. And beyond that, this game boasts voice acting that brings out a ton of personality in the large cast they are introducing (besides Rindo, which is a shame because he’s the protagonist... hopefully he gets over his apathetic teenager shtick eventually). Not everything is voiced, but it conveys so much appeal and personality, and even when the character’s aren’t voiced there is a conversation screen that occasionally breaks out some stylish layouts to convey mood and temperment and clearly draw from the style that made the original game pop so much.

The battles, of course, have been completely revamped. TWEWY had you control two characters, one of which you could customize by equipping up to 6 different pins that all used different motions and unleashed different attacks. Now you control up to four characters, but each one can only use one pin. But even so, it feels very genuine to its roots. An effective build in TWEWY was usually one that let you stagger an opponent so you can unload a bunch of attacks on them, and in Neo:TWEWY the game actively pushes you to folllow up attacks with characters in succession. It would be easy for this to devolve into a mash-fest, but even with the little time I had with the game it introduced a wrinkle in that- an attack that unleashed a single powerful blow, but couldn’t just be unleashed at the end of the previous combo. It needed to be charged for a while, long enough for the combo timer to deplete. So now an effective combo requires thinking ahead, and even after that you’re paying attention to enemies to dodge out of the way when they strike back. It’s entirely possible this system will flop in the late game, but so far it is robust enough for me to think that it will be one that could make me look forward to battles.

The music hasn’t impressed me so far, besides the tracks that have made the transition from the original. But I remember those strange tracks needing some time before I appreciated them too.

Finally, the story has hooked me. I don’t think that needs much more explanation. I want to see more of these characters and see the changes that have been made to the world in what I assume is years after Neku’s game. And to address the elephant in the room, Neku has not made his appearance in what is available in the demo. Odds are I will probably hate whatever they do with him. But there is enough happening in the space around it that I’m interested in exploring, and a bruised apple can still taste sweet.

Almost all of this, of course, is mostly just saying that Neo:TWEWY is not doomed to fail. There is still plenty of room for things to go wrong later on. There are entire systems I haven’t really seen in game, like shops, pin evolution, clothing and food (Though it looks like they have changed the food system significantly, which I approve of). The things that unnerved me so much in the trickle of information after this game’s announcement could still be enough to turn this sour. But I’m smiling as I’m strapping myself in for this ride now, one I’ve waited quite a long time for. Whatever’s coming, I’m excited.

[chilling-seavey]

Amoureux (c.s./d.s.) - Chapter Twenty-Five

A/N A decision has been made...

Christian woke early the next morning to make sure everything was going according to plan with the last-minute date change of the wedding. He slipped back into his red and gold suit and was polished up by his own personal butler to be ceremony ready before heading down to the ballroom. As expected, it was almost finished, the workers looking half exhausted, but it didn’t phase him in the slightest, offering a half-honest thanks for their accommodation to the room before leaving again.

Corbyn had stayed up all night to prepare the wedding fest and he was over his feet and frustrated to no end with the sudden change, but he pulled his best smile to the future King when he came into the kitchen, assuring him everything was progressing smoothly.

Mary came into the kitchen while Christian was in there in order to bring Louisa her breakfast; it being bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other the day of their wedding, so breakfast wasn’t held in the dining room. Mary shared her excitement with a smiling Christian before being handed the tray from Corbyn and made her way upstairs. She knocked on the door of Louisa’s room before letting herself in.

Mary stopped in her tracks when she found the room empty; the window open to the cold autumn air, wedding dress gone from the hanger, and the bride-to-be no where to be found.

~~

Louisa’s hands hurt from holding up the front of her dress and her ankles were aching from walking in her heels for hours as she rushed into the city of London, the hem caked in mud and her hair drenched in sweat, breathlessly navigating the streets as the sun rose behind her. They would be looking for her soon.

Once Anna left her bedroom the night before, she left Louisa questioning a lot, especially weighing the Royal requirements of marriage with what she truly wanted. For her whole life, she had been blinded by the crazy expectations and the tight leash she was on, forced to focus on what she was told was right rather than what she knew to be true.

She dressed herself up in her wedding dress, staring at herself in the mirror in the light of the moon and a single candle, and all she could think about was Daniel. If she loved Christian then why was she wishing it was Daniel she was going to be walking down the aisle to the next morning? It was wrong of her, so wrong, and Louisa knew it.

If she was caught disregarding the Royal rules again, there was no doubt she would be punished either by Christian himself or the Crown…her own parents even. The existence of France and the reign of her family depended on this marriage and if Louisa broke that promise, her family would be taken down and her country would be turned to the British.

But all that seemed so mundane compared to how important it was to find Daniel before he was gone for good.

Maybe it was her naivety speaking, at only sixteen you couldn’t expect much, but Louisa was sick of feeling like she was walking on eggshells, sick of crying over her feelings, and sick of not doing anything to change it.

The police station was set on the corner of one of London’s main streets and Louisa’s legs were nearly ready to give out by the time she got there, heaving her heavy dress up as she took a step inside the building. The three policemen stationed inside looked at her with shock as the future Queen on England stood in their doorway in her wedding dress, drenched in sweat and stained in mud.

“Where would you take someone who is to be removed from the country?” Louisa asked breathlessly, her body trembling with exhaustion after running nearly all night.

“Princess, are you alright?” the captain asked, walking over to her and set his hand on her arm. “Are you in danger?”

“No. I am fine. I just need to know where you take banished p-prisoners.” Louisa said, looking between the group.

“We will send word to the palace right away. They must be worried sick.” the captain waved to one of his men to set off for the palace. Louisa rushed outside after him and grabbed his arm to stop him from getting on his horse that was tied up on the street.

“No!” she said sternly, looking between the two men. “I need to know. This is of utmost importance.”

“Princess, with all due respect, you really need to return to the palace. You are getting married today and should not be walking these streets alone.” the captain said with the fakest kind smile Louisa had ever seen.

She yanked her wrist from his grasp, stumbling over her dress a little, “I have been walking all night to get here and I will not let you stop me! Now tell me at once!”

“There is no need to go to the port. There is nothing there for you.” the captain said.

Louisa could have screamed, shoving him back before turning to the second in command who had untied the horse but was kept still by her hand on his uniform collar.

“Tell me! Tell me at once or I will have you beheaded.” She didn’t want to use that card but her power within the country was higher than most, even the police constables.

“Are you threatening us, Princess?” the captain questioned, grabbing her arm to try and restrain her. 

The other man looked between them with wide eyes, hesitating on Louisa’s demanding expression, the usually so clean cut princess looking half a mess in front of him. Desperate.

“Are you sure we can’t take her to Southampton?” he spoke slowly, lifting his eyes to his captain casually.

Louisa whipped around to look at the man too, now given the name of her destination, nearly begging him with her eyes.

“Not without permission from the Crown. Now let’s go. I will have to keep you in the cell while we wait for the Royal Guards to retrieve you.” the captain turned to pull her back into the building but Louisa ripped her arm from his grip and hoisted herself onto the horse’s back. The two men shouted at her and tried to grab her but she kicked her heel against the horse’s side and clicked her tongue and the horse took off down the street, ripping the reins from the constable’s hand.

She had always been hesitant around horses during her dates to the stables with Christian, keeping her comfort zone to a light trot, but the adrenaline was coursing through her from her sneaking out of the castle on only a meal of truffles and pastries and she was taking the police horse down the dirt road out of London at its top speed, dirt kicking up behind them in their wake. The stained wedding dress was rippling in the wind, her hair pushed back from her face as she leaned forward and snapped the reins again.

By carriage from Kensington, it would take about a day and a half to get to the southern coast with time for the horses to rest overnight. Louisa didn’t know how long she had left – if she had any time at all even – but she wasn’t willing to sacrifice one spare minute. It was a straight shot to Southampton from London and at the speed she was travelling; Louisa made it in an hour, her body trembling with adrenaline and she struggled to hold the reins as she slowed the horse down to a trot as they entered the town. She kept her head down the best she could as she navigated the streets towards the ocean in the distance although it was hard not to notice the future Queen riding at breakneck speed into a small town on a police horse in her wedding dress.

Louisa could hear her heartbeat in her ears as she scanned the bustling harbour for any sign of the Royal Guards and carriage. The horse carried her gently down the stone steps and through the crowd, avoiding people and their belongings and carts that lined the shore, all ready to board one of the four massive sailing ships that were docked in the water. She scanned every single face she passed, a few giving her concerned glances in return or a whisper to their neighbour, but she pushed on, clicking her tongue to get the horse to walk a bit faster.

She finally spotted a glimpse of red and then the tall hat of the Royal Guards and she snapped the reins to push the horse through the crowd. It was hard to navigate through the crowd at a faster pace but Louisa kept her eyes on the smudge of red as she tried to make it in time. She could see them unpacking the trunks from the carriage and loading them onto the last ship in the lineup.

A few people gathered to watch the Prince of England being taken from the carriage in chains, his head bowed tiredly, shamefully, with a guard on each side of him holding his cuffed arms tightly.

“Daniel!” Louisa called out at the sight of him, making a few people look up and move out of her way as she got closer.

He didn’t hear her and neither did the guards as they took the first step onto the gangplank.

“Daniel!” Louisa screamed, her voice wavering with emotion.

He looked up from the ground, blue eyes wide as he scanned the crowd as if her voice was a figment of his imagination, but he spotted her on horseback, towering over the rest of the crowd in her ruined wedding dress and mangled hair. His eyes shone with excitement as they locked on hers.

[elstine-harboson]

Misconceptions: Power and Politics (PT.1)

Sub-Title: Nobility 

Hello, hello folks! Elstine here again to provide you all with another bit of information; granted this topic is a little more left-field than what we’re typically going over - such as armor and weaponry. However, with our recent recruitment for the business roleplay scene I thought this would be a good time to bring up some of my favorite subjects.

 In particular the struggle of power between religious leaders(the Cloth), nobility, the military, and what I would say is often the most overlooked faction: the merchants.

((Disclaimer; I already know this won’t stop at least one angry message, but understand I am acknowledging this as largely an opinionated piece (Other than the large factual parts!). This is merely suggestions, things that perhaps folks have not considered. There is no right way to RP; do not take it as such. Suggestions are suggestions, not demands.))

You mention four factions, what exactly do they consist of and how are they important?

Well, I am glad you asked mythical stranger! Let's break it down together!

The Nobles

The Nobility generally consist of powerful, land-owning families or simply individuals related in some degree to the Head of State; whomever that might be, no matter the region - from east and west Europe through the Middle East, all the way to Asia... This is generally a consistent. Now, Nobility has this nice little thing where generally speaking those of Noble-Heritage own land. Land means they can plant crops - more than what they can consume, which means they can sell said crops... But that’s a lot of land to work, so why don’t we get a bunch of peasants to do the field work for us, give them some food to barely scrape by and -still- sell the rest of the food supplies! - That’s generally how Nobility/Feudalism got its roots. (Get it, farming, hah.) But, of course as time went on the Nobles got more and more wealthy and of course more and more land, so that’d create specialized goods such as wine, blacksmiths, stables, etc!

So now you have a small group of -very- wealthy individuals that make a living in owning land and having ‘lesser’ folk work for them. If all the Nobles banded together, or even a third or so - they could heavily damage the tax supply to the king, as well as hamper the supply of soldiers and various other supplies! Not to mention Nobles has trained men on retainer, or had enough coinage to pay off hefty mercenary armies - together, they could, and have opposed kings! Not to mention Nobles are typically in the Court of the Ruler; meaning they’re well informed and have influence. 

The Military

A fantastic, if not basic example of the Military’s political power would simply be that of Julius Caesar. Essentially the idea is that if a General of the Military fights well and wins many battles with his men, essentially... Doing his job well! - The fear is that the men will gain more and more respect and more loyalty to the individual rather than the State itself; whom are at home doing their cushy day jobs. It’s not uncommon for Generals to rouse the men during King/Emperor deaths and try to storm the Capital and install themselves as the new Ruler; for Julius Caesar... This worked.

Throughout history you’ll see the best of Kings consistently swapping in and out generals to prevent the men from gaining too much loyalty to one individual; hopefully preventing any potential rebellion. But, I shouldn’t have to spell this out much further for you; very well trained men + power vacuum = not a good time!

The Cloth

Many, many, many times throughout history have Religious Heads and Heretics alike caused rebellions and outright wars with their influence. When the vast majority have the belief that one particular man is the -literal- voice of their omnipotent god, well... That person is going to have a huge influence. For example with the Tudors; the King of England wanted a divorce, couldn’t get one because the Pope denied it - so the King was like, well, we’ll just make our own religion! People -flipped- out, there was open rebellion, assassination plots were rampant, many people thought it was the -end- of England one of the world’s super-powers at the time. Another example comes from books involving Jesus Christ; the Romans knew the power of religion and they absolutely feared what would could potentially happen with yet another Religion springing up. More religions = more internal fightings = more military crackdowns = resentment to the government = rebellion; such as the Jewish Rebellion against the Romans (1st Jewish-Roman War.)

Not only did the Religious Heads have great power from their religious influence on the general public; but they were -loaded- tithes were common place for most major religions - Europe for example had entire -armies- built around their religion that were sworn to the Pope, the Teutonic Order became so powerful that they threatened to nearly conquer all of Poland - which, was a -major- feat for the time; something not even Russia (Russia didn’t exist technically.) or the Holy Roman Empire could handle.

The Merchants

Finally, the piece that you’ve all been waiting for! How in the world were the Merchants and Entrepreneurs of the world a Political Power? Very, very simple... They’re the ones making all the gold. The Merchants are going out there trading supplies, bringing back rare resources such as silk and spices that make not only the general public happy but also the Cloth, the Military -and- the Nobility who all purchased their supplies frooooom... The Merchants. Not only that but Trade Leagues, which were essentially large-scale, multi-national monopolies, could host entire fleets of ships to block trade ports, fight off invading armies, or perhaps provide much needed transport ships such as the case with the Crusaders and Venice! (First Crusade, and technically all the others!) The end all be all of wealth were the Merchants; in fact places like Florence, Venice, Ragusa, Genoa, and other major-trade ports often had their Nobility practically the same -as- the Merchants; there were very thin lines if they existed at all. If there was no trade, there was no taxes, if there were no taxes there was no gold, with no gold the State could not afford its soldiers, it could not afford to feed itself, etc! -- Some of the few times Nobility ever actually struggled was when Trade was cut off from them; because everyone suffers without trade - such is the power of Merchants! Not to mention, for example with Venice... Merchants in some cases could afford entire armies that rivaled -much- larger forces such as Venice VS Austria.

 (We will break these factions down in more details in later parts!)

 Oh, alright. So what does this have to do with anything?

Ah, another good question my invisible and quite possibly non-existent friend!

I think it’s important that we realize, notice, acknowledge that there is more in the political slogging fest then Knights and Nobles, and more over you don't need a popular T.V. show to make your particular field important or fun.

It’s important for those interested in the make-believe power dynamics to acknowledge and consider the abilities of the other factions around them; not just the Noble families worrying about Noble families. Thinking about it, if you are in House Bob and you are roleplaying a power-grab with House Ron; why would you not extend your resources and look outside for alternative solutions?

EX: Maybe House Bob should contact the local monopoly and have the vast majority of medical supplies delivered to their own House and starve out House Ron.

EX: Or maybe House Ron goes to the Cloth and convinces a High Priest that House Bob is working with the Legion and now their reputation is ruined and no one wants to work with them.

EX: Maybe House Bob gets the support of a Military Captain who is able to supply them with weapons, armors, trained soldiers, or superior military strategy.

The options are endless, and I for one think all our horizons can be expanded if we think outside our circle and try to think like all those famous characters we see on our T.V. It doesn’t always just have to be black and white, upfront conflict situation. That’s arguably not intrigue, it’s just... idle conflict.

 Alright Elstine, but a lot of people don't want to be involved in intrigue or politics! Or some folks might meta-game or god-mod!

Well, meta-gaming and god-modding are the two primary issues I have personally faced throughout my various IC political careers and such things can definitely make stuff difficult as I am sure we have all experienced... When you claim to only have 20 soldiers, and 100 gold - while your opposition claims to have endless mounds of gold and armies that could solo Argus... Well, it makes things hard. But I suppose that is why I recommend thinking logically and realistically with such things; which we will hopefully get into.

In terms of folks not wanting to be involved in politics, I’d argue 90% of RPers do want to be involved in politics - even if they aren't fully aware of such. For example: what is the typical trope in the ageless D&D?

EX: Count Bob has Overthrown the King!

EX: Duke Ron swore allegiance to the Devil and had a Demon Army to take over the Kingdom!

EX: A Military General assassinated the King and has staged a coup!

To name a few, even WoW and the lore we all love is primarily political. Gul’dan sold out his people for self-gain. Arthus was out in the field to train and prepare himself to take his Father’s place. Illidan trade his reputation and respect to save his people, tired of being in the shadow of his respected brother. Don't even get me started on the Quel and Sin dorei.

Usually the moment you say the word politics- people begin to squirm; but people also squirm from the word ‘moist’ I mean really, what is so bad about moist, I say moist all the time. Moist.

My point being, if you engage people just as you would in any other scenario and just... Roleplay rather than mentioning politics, nine times out of ten no issue.

 Alright, so why is logical and realistic thinking so important?

If you are fighting a foe that has no weakness, how can you hope to win? How can you celebrate a victory if there never are any? Even the most intense and brutal roleplayers don't want to lose -all- the time; it’s just... silly. Moreover, it’s even more so to try to -win- all the time.

If you are that type of person who has to win all the time; first ask yourself why. Then inquire, is it really winning if there was never a chance of losing? No, no it is not. It’s a security blanket, and quite frankly it is holding you back - and limiting others as well. I believe truly, the only folks that don't want to do political roleplay are those that refuse to lose.

What would House of Cards be if Frank just won over all the votes he needed all the time? Sure, he wins a lot and can pull some miracles - but he does lose, or consistently remain closer to the side of losing rather than winning. His loss doesn’t show weakness or a lack of skill, or experience rather it shows how good he is in his victories; as it shows that he is engaging people with their own minds and agendas.

Steamrolling through everything and everyone, giving yourself unlimited resources, and unbreakable defenses only shows disrespect to those you are Roleplaying an engagement with, and shows some serious self doubt.

 If the banks can fail, if nations can fail, so can one Noble family.

 Alright cool, this is all stuff I have not considered how can I get started?

(Tldr: Establish finite resources, establish goals, wants, and needs to fix resources. There is rarely a group that has -everything- in abundance.)

Well, what we have done for organizations in the past is look over what they claim to have as a family and add some realistic elements to it. If your House is claiming to be masters of Calvary, then it’d only make sense that said house has a stable of well-trained war-horses, which are insanely valuable. Horses were often traded to folks, and horses were highly valued; thus the armor.

Maybe your family is stinking rich, okay... but, why and how? You can't really be rich without reasoning, even Rockefeller had a business empire to amass his wealth; and as mentioned Nobility usually were Nobles to begin with because they owned land, when you own land you can make wine, grow wheat, make goods, etc - so figure out how and why you have wealth. I think you’ll find it'll at a flair and a depth to your roleplay; IE being well known for your supplies of wheat or lumber.

When making deals with Noble families there were many things on the table for grabs. Land, resources, soldiers, training, soldier gear, marriage, horses, land, maybe some land, boats, trade routes, etc. There are many examples and many things that can be done when negotiating, but the only way two sides can negotiate in an entertaining and thoughtful way is by having both sides having finite resources.

It is -vital- I would say for any group to have needs due to their finite resources. 

EX: Maybe you have a lot of gold, but your lands had the plague so you need troops.

EX: Maybe you have a lot of restless soldiers and you need gold; hire them out to another force.

EX: Maybe you're in need of transporting goods, but you have no ships.

EX: Maybe you have too many ships and not enough trade; so lease your ships out.

 The key is establishing finite resources, and trying to fill said resources. Fix your wants and needs as any character would; most simply default to gold. Gold does not fix all the problems.

 Many businesses want to hire people but can't find anyone to work.

 Okay, okay - you mention winning; that seems like a bad thing to encourage!

In most cases, yes. The goal of RP is not to ‘win’ - becoming the most popular kid in WrA isn’t the end goal, or at least it shouldn’t be for anyone. Winning in roleplay is a dangerous mindset; but there are other ways of winning.

The way we win, the way I win, and the way I encourage you all to win is rather simple. All parties involved in the roleplay, enjoy and enjoyed the roleplay experience, with no regrets or feeling forced moments. When everyone is having fun with the roleplay -that- is winning. At least on an OOC level.

On an IC level, it is important to realize that losing is normal, and only fair. Most guilds, groups, or individuals will simply start to avoid you if you decide your character, group, or guild is always the top dog - unless there is some odd agreement going on.

It is only fair and right for everyone, every group, and every guild to have the spotlight or victory; unless all agreed upon with all the parties for story elements. But, perhaps next time offer a storyline allowing the losing side a victory.

 Alrighy folks, thank you very much for the read, reblog, and likes - if you have any feedback, comments, questions, suggestions, please leave me a message!

There will be additional parts in the future hopefully delving into the Factions on an individual basis.

 Thanks again!

Elstine

@huntress-verlai @the-news-nerd @theodorebennas @percy-dewdancer @scassira @justtideguard @sincerelysonni @addressroleplays

[theliterateape]

Hope Idiotic | Part 19

By David Himmel

Hope Idiotic is a serialized novel. Catch each new part every week on Monday and Thursday.

THE DAY AFTER LOU MOVED TO CHICAGO, MICHELLE POINTED TO A TIFFANY’S MAGAZINE AD. It was for a princess-cut diamond ring.

“This is the ring I want,” she told him. “This would be perfect.”

He held onto that magazine ad. And when he brought it to Goldman Jewelers, the longtime Bergman family jeweler in Skokie, Lou told the man, “If you can design this, it would be perfect.”

The jeweler, who was only a few years older than Lou, took a look at it. His name was Art Goldman. He was the fourth generation working in the business of making girls squeal with delight when they received their blood diamonds. Getting the Goldman Jewelers business card was a rite of passage. Pop gave it to him. It was yellowed and dog-eared.

“You’ll probably work with Art,” Pop said. “You’ll like him. He’ll take care of you. His grandfather and I were friends from before the war. His great-grandfather sold me your grandmother’s ring. Sold your dad your mom’s ring, too. Mazel tov.”

But there was nothing to celebrate just yet. Lou needed the money for the ring. The standard rule used to be that an engagement ring should cost a man the equivalent of one month’s salary. For Lou, that would have been barely fifty bucks. He called his father and asked if they could meet for lunch to talk about finances.

“How much do you need?” Benjamin asked.

“I was wondering how much I had still in my savings accounts.”

Benjamin shifted in his seat. “That depends. Which accounts?”

“What do you mean which accounts? My savings accounts. The one you opened for me when I was born. And then the one we opened together when I turned eighteen.”

“Well, how much do you need?”

“I only need what I have, Dad. How much is in there?”

Lou never saw his statements. As a kid he couldn’t care less, and as an adult they never crossed his mind since they were mailed to his dad’s house because he was on the accounts as well. This allowed for Benjamin to use Peter to pay Paul. Deposits would be made into various accounts whenever bonds matured or when stock dividends were paid. But money was also taken from accounts to help pay for things like college tuition, cars, home repairs. Abe and Benjamin Bergman never borrowed from the bank, only family. And in a way, they were like a bank. And sometimes a bank doesn’t have all of your money waiting for you in the vault. So when Lou asked for his money, it wasn’t as simple as just withdrawing and closing the account.

“You have about eight thousand dollars of savings,” Benjamin said. “But you don’t need that money for a ring.”

“That’s exactly what I need it for, Dad. Where else am I going to get the money?”

“Tell me how much you need, and we’ll find it.”

“No. I don’t want you loaning me the money. I have it, so let me have it.”

“I’m not going to just give you your savings account so you can blow it on a ring. If you clean out your savings, what will you do if you need it in the future?”

“First of all, I wouldn’t consider buying an engagement ring a blown purchase. Secondly, the point of savings is to use it when you need it. And I need it. Just give me the bank book, and I’ll close it out.”

“I can’t. Well, you can’t.”

“Why? Do you have to be there, too?”

“The full amount isn’t in the account right now.”

“Where is it?”

“I had to use some to help pay off your mother from the divorce.”

“Jesus, Dad!”

“Let me just write you a check. This way you’ll still have your savings for later.”

“But I don’t. You just said it’s not there. And I don’t want to just borrow and steal from one person or another. I already owe Pop and Grams a couple hundred grand for the house. That’s enough for me. Please just find the money and put it back.”

“I think this is foolish.”

“Me spending my own money is foolish? Look, the sooner I get married, the sooner I can stop asking you for my half of the rent each month. Not that I’m marrying her for her money. How long do you need to get it?”

“A week or so.”

✶

THREE WEEKS AFTER FIRST MEETING WITH ART, Lou returned to Goldman Jewelers to put a deposit on the ring and place the order. But when he turned the car off, his hands shook. His chest tightened and felt like his ribs were going to crush his lungs and heart into gut dust. He was sweating and had trouble breathing. He hadn’t felt this way in a while. Not since the Remerol and the therapy sessions began. He looked around the parking lot. No one was watching. He pulled his phone out and called Chuck. But there was no answer. So he called me.

“Hey, man! What’s going on?” I asked.

“I’m about to lose my shit.”

“Why. What’s happening?”

“I just pulled into the parking lot to order Michelle’s ring, and I’m having a panic attack. I can’t breathe. My chest feels like…”

“Okay. Relax. You haven’t bought anything yet, right?”

“Mmm hmm.”

“Alright. Here’s what you do. Turn the car back on and drive away. Don’t look back. Just pull out of the parking lot and go home. Or better yet, come back here. Leave all of your shit, don’t say goodbye to anyone, just start the car and drive away. Come back to where you can work and don’t have to get married.”

“I can’t. I have to…”

“You don’t have to do anything but drive away. This is your chance to be free. Be free, Louis!”

As quickly as the panic kicked in, it subsided. Lou took a deep breath. “Alright. Alright. I’m fine. I’ll be okay.”

“Did you leave?”

“No. Not yet. I’m just nervous, that’s all. I’m about to spend a lot of money. That’s all.”

“Exactly. That’s why you shouldn’t.”

“I’ll be fine. I gotta go.”

He adjusted himself in the rearview mirror, took a deep breath and walked into the store. Art, of course, was thrilled to see him. The deposit was a standard $125. The total cost of the ring would be $8,064. It was more than Lou had, but it would be ready in one month.

✶

ALTHOUGH BOTH LOU AND MICHELLE HATED CRUISES AND HAD JUST TAKEN A MEXICAN VACATION, they were preparing to embark on a ten-day cruise to the southern Caribbean in celebration of both Lynn and Barry Kaminski’s 60th birthdays as well as their 35th wedding anniversary. They were married on Valentine’s Day, just two days after their shared birthday. The four of them, Lou, Michelle and her parents, would be traveling aboard the Royal Duchess.

Lou and Michelle loved boats. They loved seeing the world. But cruises had the ability to make a great vacation into just a good vacation. Lou and Michelle liked to spend time in new towns and immerse themselves in the culture. When cruising, the few hours in each port did not allow for that. It was just enough time to buy a shot and a T-shirt at the local Hard Rock Café. But her parents were cruise enthusiasts, Duchess Cruises frequent sailors, and this trip was all about them. Which is exactly why Michelle didn’t give Lou a hard time about having to pay for him. Almost, anyway.

“I love my parents, but I don’t want to go on this cruise anymore than you do,” she said to him. “Money is tight for me right now, too. I’m trying to save for a down payment on a condo. But I’ll pay your way because we can’t not go.”

“Thank you, sweetheart,” he said. “It’ll be fun. Just kind of a bummer that we have to celebrate Valentine’s Day on a cruise ship with thousands of other people potentially running around with the norovirus on their shit-stained hands. But I know how much this means to your parents.”

“Exactly. And so I need you to promise me something. I need you to promise me that you won’t flip out on this trip like you did in Cabo. Ruining my birthday and our anniversary is one thing; ruining them for my parents is something else entirely.”

“I know. I won’t.”

“Go see your grandfather before we leave if you have to. Do whatever it is you need to do so that you don’t lose your shit. I’m warning you, Lou. Do not.”

This trip was the perfect time for Lou to have the marriage talk with Lynn and Barry. He wasn’t worried about them not giving him their blessing. He just knew that it would mean more to them that he chose their celebration of love as the time to officially proclaim to them his love for their daughter. It would be one big floating fucking love fest.

“What are you guys talking about?” she asked.

“Your poop,” said Lou.

The first night on the ship was Lynn and Barry’s birthdays. Instead of eating in the dining room, Michelle planned and paid for a private in-suite meal with a special chef-selected menu. Lynn and Barry’s suite was one deck below and down a tad farther aft from Lou and Michelle’s. Both had balconies, but the birthday boy and girl’s suite was laid out more conducive to hosting a birthday dinner. Lou pitched in on the planning by decorating their door with photo collages of them he’d assembled before leaving Chicago.

After the private and delicious meal, the foursome made their way to the Crooners Lounge & Bar, where Michelle entered her vocal styling into the ship’s karaoke competition called Duchess Idol. Michelle had a great voice. She’d have told anyone if they had asked her. Not surprisingly, she advanced through the first two stages those first two nights. The third round — and the semifinal — was on Valentine’s Day, Lynn and Barry’s anniversary. It was also formal night aboard the ship, and Lou was in his tuxedo. This was the night he wanted to talk to Lynn and Barry. He just needed to get them away from Michelle long enough to ask. Michelle sang her song, Mary Wells’ “My Guy,” dedicating it to Lou, then headed off to the bathroom.

“I think I accidentally ate a piece of lettuce at dinner,” she said to Lou and her parents as she passed their table on her way out.

Lettuce was a trigger for her IBS. He knew she would be there a while. Lou watched her leave and waited a few moments before beginning, just to make sure she wasn’t coming back for anything.

“Barry, Lynn. Can I talk to you a moment?” He tried to whisper loud enough for them to hear, but not so loud that it disrupted the other performers. He took a deep breath and began. “I’d like to talk to you about Michelle.” The parents looked at each other knowingly. “You know, I love your daughter very much. And though we’ve had some bumpy moments since my moving to Chicago, we have stayed together through all of it. And I think that says something about us. I know that it’s important to Michelle, and to you, that she marry a man who can provide for her and the children they have together. I’m still having a hard time finding work while this recession is going on, but I have plans on becoming a teacher, which will allow me a steady paycheck in a secure environment with plenty of benefits and perks our family can take advantage of. In the meantime, if I have to, I’ll go to work at my dad’s sheet-metal company. What I’m saying is that I’ll do whatever I need to do to make sure that your daughter is always taken care of and happy. I want Michelle, and I to be a family. And while I’ve always felt like a part of your family, I want to make it official — if you’ll have me. I’ve gone ahead and commissioned a ring to be designed especially for Michelle, and I am asking for your blessing to use that ring to propose to her and ask her to be my wife.”

It was a mouthful. A well-rehearsed sales pitch. If only he could have rattled off pitches like that at ProCore.

“I knew this was going to happen on this trip,” Lynn said as she wiped away tears. “You know how much we love you, Lou.”

“Seeing you and Michelle get married… nothing would make us happier,” said Barry who also wiped away tears. “But if you break her heart, I’ll kill you.”

“Of course. Thank you both.” Lou stood and hugged each of them.

“It means a lot that you would talk to us about this tonight. On Valentine’s Day. On our anniversary. It really does mean a lot,” Barry said.

“I’m glad her IBS has such good timing. And just so we’re clear, I did not spike her dinner with lettuce.”

Michelle arrived just then. “What are you guys talking about?” she asked.

“Your poop,” said Lou.

“Come on,” said Barry. “Drinks on me.”

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII Part VIII Part IX Part X Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

[scrumptiouslyprofoundlover-blog]

Opportunity Spirals And also Other Insights Into The Jewish Calendar.

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