#chapter 1 spoilers

[ablogofloveandtrash]

One of these days someone is going to call out Damon for being soft towards Diana. Technically he's already been caught in the act twice. Once with Eva during the investigation, then with Kai or Grace depending on whether you chose Pathos or Logos in chapter 1. I repeat this guy is not fooling *anyone*. Here's to hoping more students catch on in future chapters.

[foxkid-draws1323]

At least girlie got her steps in before she died 😔😔

[amberinn]

Ingrid/Grace killing game where Ingrid comes to Grace's room and Grace is like fuckshitprettyladyatmydoorstep and gets her best friend Wolfgang to come with her (she's blushing heavily, and she's so down bad for Ingrid and now her best friend is gonna also help Grace's wannabemygirlfriend with the laundry, except Wolfgang sucks at doing laundry, and she's all around his space trying to make sure he doesn't accidentally end up drinking cleaning supplies or something, she DOES NOT want to lose her roommate and best friend thank you very much, but she's going to kick his ass about it later, because INGRID IS HERE and she is humming tunes underneath her breath and Grace's stomach is doing flips, and she loves her loves her loves her, so much, and here is Wolfgang---- goddamn it stop ruining it for her!)

[another-dra-anew]

What do you think would've happened if Tsurugi died instead of Kurokawa in chapter 1?

was so hard to get my thoughts on this down coherently... but this is such a good question i had to power through and get an answer out !!

(written with like... i wanted to keep it in the same exact setting Just Changing that inori kills tsu instead of kurokawa. tried to get a bit into how this'd affect the rest of the game, but trying to avoid spoiling stuff before that!)

~*~

set up:

immediately, my brain goes to why? not that that's the question, but i wanted to think about it. you'll realize quickly that i thought about this a lot. we could say that inori accidentally killed tsurugi (too much force when hitting his head), but i feel like the route of an accidental murder doesn't really work with inoris character. she explicitly made the choice to kill, and planned out her murder well in advance, even though the mastermind did coerce her specifically.

i think she'd kill tsurugi because of how he kinda works against her fears, and her motive. inori killed because she was paranoid someone would kill her, and felt ostracized and alone. she'd have known from her motive video that tsurugi had multiple loved ones shown in his, and would be worried he was hiding how upset he was about the motive. additionally, similar to how she was upset over kurokawas blatant distress, i think tsurugi's goal of getting everyone to relax would make inori bitter.

case:

i think tsurugi would effectively keep his injuries, but more severe/multiple blows to the head? a stab in the spine to get him down, then blows to the head until he wasn't breathing anymore. or, honestly, i can see her going back to the sharp point of the drill, knowing she's very likely to get caught, and going after his brain stem. either way, inori knows this is her one shot, and she's Screwed if she messes up, so she's Getting him!! stab stab stab whack whack whack! (contrast with yamaguchi, who stabbed/cut mekaru multiple times as well, but did so out of uncertainty and struggle with committing to it.)

inori would still go for drugging tsurugi, i don't think she'd drug kurokawa? i think i'd have someone notice that inori was drinking coffee during the dining hall party, and she'd claim it was decaf. in trial, somebody (maybe kurokawa?) would casually remark on something that we can extrapolate to mean that the decaf hadn't been used that night- coffee grounds, what container was open, etc. maybe a specific coffee pot is decaf only, and didn't need to be washed? anyways, the reason i say that is because not drugging tsurugi means that kurokawa would discover his body pretty quickly, at least once she was done cleaning, if not earlier, should she get worried about his absence.

trial:

this leads us to a fun trial set-up where the kids had laid down for bed, and are getting more and more tired as the trial goes on. also, bit of a fun reveal, when maeda gets his door banged on, and opens it to kurokawa already moved on to whacking other doors, leaving him to see tsurugis body and Realize on his own. i also think it'd be really fun to have some of the kids gather together in the kitchen for a caffeine run... i feel a very distinct ambience there? like six or so kids just standing there.. one opens one of the cans of cold brew while another looks for creamer. two just look at their mugs. one idly nurses it, while the other focuses on how warm it is in their hands. someone remarks on the fact tsurugi died wearing bracelets that were made maybe an hour ago. eventually, they all go back to investigating. Yeah..

anyways. i can see kurokawa as being trial mvp, tbh? like canon, she's accused of murdering tsu, but rather than being cleared by her injuries (since she'd have none), she'd be cleared by the timeline- why kill him so Immediately? but she'd be suspected because of the pills, and the fact she was making food and drinks.

losing tsu:

we're losing our guy who argues for the blackeneds sympathy! i don't think inori is met with much kindness when she gets executed. only a few of the kids think killing her is an okay choice, but no one voices their dissent. its hard to say without knowing how the cases would go past this, eg, who would kill, and why- but i can't really see anyone arguing for the blackeneds too strongly, or too soon. maeda could start to make the case around chapters 4 or 5, or some of the others might, but it's not going to be as early or as prevalent.

similarly, the kids struggle to bounce back. a lot of people find a friend or two, and will spend time with them, but people spend a lot more time on solo hobbies in their rooms, and i don't know how many whole group events there'd be. tsu processes the events of the game in a different way because of his background with crisis response, so he's handling things differently than our remaining cast would- kurokawa is who's changing with tsu, and she wouldn't have that effect on the groups dynamic that he does. i think maeda feels a bit more Envolved in whats going on, because there isn't tsu to be significantly more of a driver and overshadow him- but i also don't think maeda likes hanging out with the others very much. its something he does to pass time and stay sane.

gaining kurokawa:

not saying this definitively, but i wonder if maeda would've wound up dead if kurokawa had done that exorcism. anyways, kurokawa has shitty luck, so there'd be at least an attempt on her life, if not a successful murder, in chapter 2. if maeda does die, i can see it being in ch2? and kurokawa taking over as protagonist. but im just spitballing. if that happened, hm... i think kurokawa would be able to get maeda back to functioning in the ch1 investigation- but we'd be investigating from her pov, and would keep it that way through the entire investigation, even though maeda would be back. i think he'd be her support, tbh. she'd investigate with him- why would she investigate with uehara and tomori? this got really tangential, so tldr, maeda or kurokawa are dying in ch2, and whoever lives gets to be protag!

something i wanna show in rewrites is that kurokawas a bit unsubtle. she's fairly overt in showing her hand, and what she intends to do with it. in a friendly environment, she has nothing to worry about, so she's friendly!! but in more stressful environments, moments where the weight of the game is felt strongly, i think she's quick to identify potential issues, call them out then just go "...okay." after whatever student she poked at comes up w their defense. it's clear to see when she's having Thoughts, but can be harder to tell what she's thinking. after a murder, and with the group not being too connected, i think she runs the risk of getting avoided by some of the kids. in fact, i can see her getting targeted Because she's so clearly dissecting the going ons of the game/what the others are thinking.

mtoxna=:

similar to how completing this event would've gotten us a good amount of kisaragi lore, kurokawas theories on why he wasnt there/what was up with the game in general, and some thoughts on maeda, i think we'd learn a lot about tsurugis thoughts on the cast, and theories on the outside world. kurokawa, maeda, uehara, and tomori would pop up a lot, and he'd remark that even getting to see one more floor would've helped him so much. still, he'd have a lot to say for the workings of the game- why they weren't getting rescued, and how the mastermind was keeping the school functional. i think tsu would be Very upset about the way he died, and the people he left behind, but we'd end on him deciding to make the afterlife welcoming for when inori shows up.

characters:

just to recap, kurokawa is fairly likely to die in ch2, but if she survives, she'd probably take protag rights from maeda, who'd die in ch3 at the latest- if kurokawa is still alive. if she dies, maeda lives, and if maeda dies, kurokawa survives to the end. kurokawa wonders a lot how different things would've been if tsurugi were still alive, but i don't think her survivors guilt is esp bad. maeda, meanwhile, gets upset over tsurugis death in particular even in like. ch5, assuming he survives until then.

uehara gets really close to kurokawa. tomori tries to get him to spend time with her. she's largely unsuccessful. uehara cannot be fted with in ch2, he refuses to spend time with anyone other than kuromori. might bounce back a little later, but like.. while he isnt cold or hostile, it's clear he's not really.. trying to become Close with anyone. he doesn't feel like joking around. the great gig in the sky just started playing. .... anyways. if you go to get a last look at the body more than once after the trial is called, kurokawa sees uehara sitting by tsu, and says she doesn't think she should go interrupt. he takes tsurugi's class band, and places something of his own on tsurugi (makes sure its in a pocket or smthn, so it'll hopefully be kept on him). dies in the later half of the game, low to mid chance of survival

tomori steps into tsus role in the group a bit, but does things very differently. asks maeda to sit by her and uehara (kicking higa out of his seat), and you get a small group event where she invites a few people over for tea. also, i think tomori misses him more than she can make sense of. she knew him so temporarily, but he really feels like he was someone Supposed to be present who she can feel isn't. she thinks she sees him standing around the school (at the end of hallways, corner of the dining hall, the closed off stairs at a new floor, etc) a Lot. he's never facing her. high chance of survival, if not, dies towards the middle of the game

speaking of higa, he uses tsurugis death as a chance to argue... i don't even know, to argue something or other thats evil and bigoted. this is what u get for being naive + wouldnt have happened if tsurugi wasnt a wuss! this is why tomori has maeda sit in higas seat specifically. people get mad at him for being the way he is, but there's no note of hope that he'll change, just people wishing he'd piss off. dies between middle and end of game, maybe ch4? middle of the road survival odds.

whenever i think of higa being a dick, i think of maki. i can see her maybe getting a bit closer to tomori? tomoris time is less taken up by kurokawa than it is by tsu... she doesn't strike me for a particular fate, but i can see her dying in ch3, specifically as a victim. she could die at any point after that, or could survive- i think it depends on how many survivor spots there ends up being.

yamaguchi might keep his spot in death line up. i can see him killing kurokawa, but it'd be different reasoning than killing mekaru- midori would have told him to target kurokawa. he's a good reserve, but i could easily throw a different student in if i have a more interesting concept. yamaguchis kinda hard to give friends because of how he processes the.. world around him. so it's a bit hard to work out what'd happen to him. low odds of survival just because i can't see myself working out what to do with him.

on the other hand, if i ever actually used this, it could be a fun time to mess more with mekaru. i can see her as a victim who's implied to be Up to some stuff, so her death hits the group a bit harder because theres info that dies with her. i think seeing kurokawa/potentially tomori being such strong figures in the trial would help her a lot with her personal struggles, and she'd at least feel confident trying her hand at poking some stuff. dies ch3 or 4 because if she makes it further, she'd do too much to help, and im Making this be a full killing game

hatano might end up as victim to me wanting to explore new ideas. while she falls a bit short at it, she tries to help uplift the group- so if ch2 isnt maekawas death roulette, it could see hatano getting offed to keep the group down. i also dont think she or iranami would be too impacted by the death changes, because i don't see either getting especially close to kurokawa. maybe iranami would if hatano died. mid-low odds of survival.

if iranami dies before hatano, hatano will die at least one chapter later (so if iranami dies. coughs. chapter 3, hatano can die in chapter 4 or 5, or can survive). regarding iranamis odds herself, i see her dying later in the game, if she doesn't outright survive. iranami is kinda hard to play odds for? mid to high survival odds.

not much to say here, but ōtori dies anywhere between chapters 2 and 4, has a fairly low odds of survival. similar to hatanami, he wouldn't be strongly impacted by tsurugi dying and kurokawa living.

kobashikawa can die in any chapter, has mid to low odds of survival. maybe if he pulls off surviving, he'll get to avoid seeing/being involved in the deaths! fingers crossed for you, kobashikawa. he does interact with tsurugi a bit off camera, but i think he'd be more strongly impacted by how tsurugis death affects maeda, than by tsurugis direct effect on him.

and finally, who really knows what taira is up to. hard to say...- ? ?? what do you mean there's a sixteenth character to be thinking about? i don't know what you mean...

synopsis: could die early: maeda, kurokawa, yamaguchi, hatano could die in the middle: tomori, higa could die late: uehara, mekaru, higa could die any point: ōtori, kobashikawa, maki likely to survive: tomori, iranami, kobashikawa, kurokawa, maeda

conclusion:

kurokawa would definitely be a student with a big presence on the games going ons! but tsurugis absence would be sorely felt, and it'd change the vibe of the overall group a lot. maeda isn't going to be doing so hot without tsu there to live in maedas brain (and sneak into his room while he sleeps. tbt to that happening in ch1). without tsurugi there to keep the group a Group, the kids will find friends to hang out with, but there'll be less connection, and more isolation.

kurokawa will be keeping a target on her back, so it's uncertain if she'll survive the game just because she makes it out of chapter 1. hard to get into things for chapter 6/etc late game things, but i don't think the cast is doomed, i'll point out. there'd definitely be changes to death order, and who survives- but i think the roster of students we'd end up with would be capable of escaping. if i were to make this an alternate killing game, i could absolutely keep the deaths going through to chapter 6- or, if i had this be unbound by killing game structure, maybe they'd be able to escape sooner! who's to say...

hoping i remember this ask when we finish ch6 so i can revisit and talk about how some plot points might change! btbbs death order is pretty set- meaning that who dies when is very important. even making it one chapter further would have a lot of impact on things, because a lot of consideration is put into who's been spending time with who. really fun to think about how the game would change if some fates changed!

~*~

BONUS: an excerpt from a ch1 investigation rewrite. just a random narration segment, im planning to put it in the kitchen investigations. just a special treat <3

Tsurugi, narrating - I’m really happy that Uehara is here…I like it when we spend time together-

Tsurugi - I really enjoy getting closer with everyone, but, I think I could put up with absolutely anything that happens-

Tsurugi - Like, if everyone else was evil and mean, or if the mastermind decides they just wanna hunt us for sport, or if we’re stuck here for forever, and everyone goes stir-crazy.

Tsurugi - No matter what, I think it'd be okay as long as I got to keep Uehara by my side.

Tsurugi - Whenever I see him, I get all happy, and I think it’ll always be like that.

Tsurugi - …Sometimes though, it does make me feel a little bit sick? Like, y’know when you’re nauseous, and your stomach feels all weird, and you’re all clammy, and your face feels warm,

Tsurugi - And you’re super-hot and super-cold, all at the same time?

Tsurugi - Sometimes things feel a little bit like that, but not because of any negative vibe I have with Uehara…

Tsurugi - I think everything is just super intense for me, though. A lot of things are, at least!

Tsurugi - So, I think it’s just because I like him a lot… I like most people here a lot, and I care about everyone, but Uehara is extra-super-special to me. 

[theevilfishywizard]

Eva did nothing wrong! EVER! My princess.

[fatummortem]

Is it just me or is it super weird in Chapter 1 where Cloud is literally Zack. I played CC & CCR & I'm just. alsjfalsd it takes me off guard every single time. I just end up eye balling Cloud the whole time waiting for him to grow black hair and get an X scar.

I knew it was coming, I was prepared for it happening. It just is so weird & bizarre to me.

I mean both versions of Cloud are in that chapter but the trooper Cloud is mixed with Zack? He looks like Cloud in a trooper uniform, has Cloud's same height & everything. At some moments he says what Zack said to Cloud (If you walk up & click on him at random.). He'll even swap between sounding exactly like Zack to sounding like Cloud it's trippy. Or inception if you will. (Specifically around moments when interacting with Tifa.)

By the time I get to the point where you're running through the burning town, I'm not really sure if the trooper Cloud on the ground is entirely an Easter Egg. But I'm kinda shocked Cloud only has headaches when encountering his mother in some way.

But I got sidetracked. I'm mulling over Clouds mental or memory state. The fact Zack's appearance doesn't stay stable makes me wonder just how much of the true him is fighting to the surface. Yet at the same time Jenova had to get creative with the memories just to keep the SOLDIER persona stabilized within the madness of that memory.

It feels as if I'm also missing a lot of context. there's a lot different with how the different games play out (at least I know there are a lot more codex's in the original with lore i want so bad.)

[tamanegi-san]

the first thing I thought about after reading 118

[drearyymoth]

oh fuggggg a gougar

[egophiliac]

A guy who just wake up from a coma -> what did i miss?

Pomefiore was the last plot i follow before real life made me forget about our silly boys. How bad has the plot become now for our gang? Also who is that Gojo looking guy?

anon, I am so sorry and I mean this in the best way, but I do think episode 5 is the absolute funniest place to have stopped following Twst because shit starts escalating SO fast after that. episode 6 literally starts with a secret government shadow agency breaking down our doors and kidnapping students. zero to a million instantly.

and like...that's not even the zaniest thing so far? Ortho's hacked into the collective human unconscious. there's time travel (sort of). "Crowley might be Malleus' long-lost father" is a serious theory. if you'd told me any of this back pre-episode 6, I would have asked for the link to this unbelievable but highly intriguing fanfic.

also, episode 7 gave us (and then immediately took away 😔) the best character in the whole story:

[dirt-and-scrivles]

Celebratory kaimon bc Damon got through round one

No text ⬇️

[xulips]

maybe in another life

[wazzygoo]

finishing chapter 1 on stream today so i drew rena (she had a disorder... that normal people didn't.) she will be keeping me company on higurashi streams from now on

[crv-uzumaki]

...i mean. i kinda got one!

Last-second predictions

ALRIGHT, happy day before chapter 1 everyone! Just so something is out there, I'm just gonna get my thoughts out on the general roles everyone has before some of them are wrong. This isn't gonna be a death order prediction, just their general roles and what vibes they give off. Feel free to add your own so you can dunk on me when I'm wrong (or so I can dunk YOU when YOURE wrong)

Damon Maitsu and Eva Tsunaka: Both of them give me the vibes of people who die in chapter one (Damon more as a killer and Eva more as a victim), mostly because they're estranged from the group. If one of them does die this chapter, I'm leaning towards Damon but could go either way

Wolfgang Akire: I see Wolfgang living for a while at least, it'd be pretty sad to see the killing game wear his optimism down when combined with how passionate he usually gets during the trials could lead to a huge breakdown of his ideals

Toshiko Kayura: honestly no idea lmao. Her not getting any lines during the trailer is a HUGE red flag, but we've never had a literal child in the games before, so she really is just a wildcard to me

Jett Dawson and Mike Berskii: they're really cute together but I just KNOW one of them is gonna die and motivate the other at some point. Praying it's Mark (nothing against him, I just like Jett too much to let him go)

Wenona: I will be VERY surprised if she gets through the whole game, given how cynical she is. She comes off as too influenced by Celeste to not be part of a murder trial right?

Grace Madison: She gives me survivor vibes, weirdly enough. Her just refusing to play along in the opening is a big part of that, and I can see her not giving in easily if a motive gets dropped

Cassidy Amber and Kai Monteago: Both give off the random side character who lives through the whe game just because they don't really do anything. If one of them does die I'm gonna say it's Kai (sorry but he's too much of a boyfailure)

Desmond Hall, Diana Venicia, and Eloise Taulner: all are really nice and unfortunately that's kind of a death knell in this series. They'll probably live for a little while at least though, maybe even get through the whole thing if they're not too confrontational!

Ulysses Wilhelm: eeeehhhhhhh hes boring. chapter 2 victim

Jean DeLamer and Ingrid Grimwall: they probably won't die in chapter four if I had to guess, but they probably won't get through the whole thing still. Though Ingrid has more of a role in the group, so she might have more of a presence

And that's all of them! As I said you can add your own predictions to the tags if you want to be wrong with me, together, but just have fun P:EGGING out there!!

[mrs-gauche]

The Dread Wolf Take You (Part 1)

~~Link to the complete 31 page comic here~~

"Imagine that, overlooking the god in your mids!"

May I present, my attempt at illustrating the last four pages of Tevinter Nights. 😁 (Also, the first time I'm posting art on here!)

As the whole thing was quite literally too long to post on tumblr, I uploaded the full version on a customized site made for reading webcomics (via ComicFury). Feel free to check out the link above if you like to read the rest! Also, if you're on mobile, there's a "Scroll View" option for easier navigation. :)

And, obviously, HUGE spoilers for those who haven't read Tevinter Nights!!

On a personal note though, I can't believe I actually finished it... As it had been a *very* long time since I drew (and finished) anything, let alone a 31 page comic and reading Tevinter Nights again finally sparked my motivation (and the courage to post it lol). So I want to thank Patrick Weekes for helping me overcome this massive art block and over two decades of Case Closed mangas for inspiring me how to draw an overly dramatic "exposing the imposter" moment. 😂 I tried my best to be as faithful to the book as possible and it took me forever, so... hope you like it! :D

[another-dra-anew]

Ok, then what about:

What if Maeda was actually watching Tsurugi's drink in chap. 1?

...Oh, this one sucks. In a really good way. Great question, I hate the answer.

100%, the kids would've escaped.

If Inori couldn't pull off drugging Tsurugi, then she has two options. One, she can choose to try and get Kurokawa a different time, or two, she can try to sneak up on Tsurugi. Either way, she isn't pulling that murder off. We're running the risk too that she'd just... decide against committing the murder! If she had time to chill off and relax post-failing to drug Tsurugi, she might've had a nice time, and been unable to steel herself to kill. That event was designed to get the group to relax and connect- if Inori wasn't zeroed in on committing homicide, it could have worked for her.

If she tries to kill Kurokawa later, that just... won't happen. Kurokawa's smart. She would go meet with people individually, she isn't a loner, and doesn't think that isolation is best, plus she'd be worried that the person really Needs to just have a private conversation... but she'd tell someone what was happening! And the person she's closest with at this point is Tsurugi, after their conversation post-motive, so he's going to hang around! If Inori asks to meet in a room, then Tsurugi's tailing Kurokawa, and he'll be right outside the door. Inori needed to get Kurokawa down before she could do any real damage, and we know from the mess in the kitchen that Kurokawa at least tried to grab something to use to defend herself. If she knows she's going to have one on one time with someone, especially (sorry, Inori) someone who's been explicit about self-prioritization, and a disregard for the group... she's got something on her for back-up. Kurokawa had to get caught off guard- she wouldn't go somewhere alone and unarmed.

If Inori tries to sneak up on Tsurugi... lol, also just not happening. This is actually how it was in initial drafts, where she just snuck up on him- but I couldn't get that to work, because he would've noticed! There isn't anywhere good to hide, she couldn't be both close and hidden enough to get him. If she did hide somewhere, she'd choose somewhere further away, where he wouldn't see her, and then he'd have heard her coming before she could stab him. The meds used are.. most comparable to quick-release tricyclic antidepressants, with a specific emphasis on being anticholinergic, which means blurred vision, disorientation, muscular issues, and slowed heart rate. That kid was out of it! If he wasn't, Inori wouldn't have been able to get him- and she'd be caught clearly trying to sneak up on him, and obviously holding a weapon. Something tells me she can't convince him she was going to go use the drill to put up decorations in the dining hall. So, now Tsurugi knows she's... struggling with homicidal inclinations! However that goes down, I can't imagine she's getting the opportunity for homicide again.

"Okay, so... Inori wouldn't have been able to kill Kurokawa. She would've gotten caught, and probably wouldn't be able to pull off any murder, let alone get her intended target. Why does that mean the cast would escape?"

...

Man, I really should go work on the next Chapter 3 update! Lucky that I've got the other asks mostly answered (on a different piece of tech, which is why they aren't up), so I don't have an excuse to go work on those instead. :D.

No, I kid. I'll give you something at least. If Inori hadn't killed Kurokawa, within the first couple days of the game, the game would not progress. Inori would not have gotten a dream encouraging her to go kill Kurokawa, and if Inori hasn't killed Kurokawa, then Yamaguchi isn't killing Mekaru. And if those four aren't gone, then...

[evilphrog]

This book should be required reading for the primary caregivers of people with developmental disabilities. They give her the space to make as many choices as they can, but are very clear when she can’t. They let her do things independently first, even if they know they might have to help later, or fix the mess. They don’t let her play helpless, and keep empowering her to direct her own life in the ways she can reasonably handle. They don’t censor themselves when talking about adult topics, because she IS an adult regardless of her mental status. They explain things in ways she can understand, without talking down to her. This is special, and all too rare.