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itdontmatter283472374 · 7 hours ago

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What are we? Chapter 3

It was the night before her birthday, and Paige was about to pretend she was going to sleep early—mostly so she wouldn’t have to sit in the quiet of her thoughts—when her screen lit up with Azzi’s name.

She hesitated for a second—thumb hovering over Accept—before answering.

Azzi’s face appeared, dimly lit by the glow of her desk lamp. Her hair was longer now, or maybe just messier, falling in front of her face like it always did when she was distracted.

“Hey,” Paige said, adjusting her phone against a pillow.

“Hey,” Azzi replied. She sounded tired but not in a bad way—just worn in. Familiar.

There was a beat of silence.

“Happy almost birthday,” Azzi added, softer this time. “Are you gonna do anything tomorrow?”

Paige shrugged. “Nika is dragging me to Ted’s. She likes a guy who's gonna be there tomorrow, apparently.”

Azzi nodded. “Fun.”

“Hopefully.”

Another pause. Azzi shifted on her end, leaning back against a wall covered in new posters Paige didn’t recognize. Her room looked lived-in. Different.

Paige hated how that made her feel.

Azzi said, “I was thinking I could come visit. Just for the weekend.”

Paige’s heart did something annoying. “Seriously?”

Azzi nodded, eyes flicking to the side like she wasn’t sure how serious she was until just now. “Yeah. I mean… if that’s okay.”

“Yeah,” Paige said quickly. “Of course it’s okay.”

Azzi smiled. Small. Tentative. “Cool.”

Another silence, but this one felt warmer. Familiar. Dangerous.

“You still like burrito bowls?” Azzi asked.

Paige laughed. “You think I’ve changed that much?”

Azzi tilted her head. “You never know. College changes people.”

The smile on Paige’s face flickered, something unspoken passing between them again. She looked away from the camera for a moment.

“Some things don’t change,” she said.

Azzi nodded. “Yeah. I guess we’ll see.”

It was officially Paige’s birthday, and Azzi didn’t know how she was supposed to feel.

So much had happened since that night in May. They’d promised nothing would change, or at least pretended like it hadn’t—but of course, it had. Their friendship still existed, technically. But it felt quieter now, thinner around the edges. Not broken, just… edited. Cropped.

They still talked—memes, updates, half-hearted check-ins—but the real stuff slipped through the cracks. Paige hadn’t told Azzi about the night she got drunk for the first time, stumbling back to her dorm with glitter on her cheek and someone else’s jacket draped over her shoulders. And Azzi hadn’t told Paige about James—how it wasn’t supposed to mean anything, how she told herself it didn’t, even when it felt like it did.

Then there was the bigger stuff. Like how Paige had come out to her teammates. How it wasn’t just whispered anymore, or something she only acknowledged in the dark. Azzi had found out through someone’s Instagram story—a blurry shot from a party, loud music in the background, red cups and grinning faces. But what made her stomach twist was the way Paige had her arm draped casually over a girl’s shoulder, their bodies close, their smiles too comfortable to be just friends. The tag said something stupid like “sapphics only 💋💅”, but it was the image that stuck with her. Paige looked free. Unapologetic. Seen.

Azzi hadn’t double-tapped the photo. She hadn’t said anything at all.

It was real now, public in a way it hadn’t been when it was just them, tangled in sheets and silence.

They hadn’t fought. There was no dramatic falling out. Just a slow drift, like two satellites caught in different orbits.

She told herself it was just what best friends did. But even that label felt wobbly now, like it didn’t quite fit the way it used to.

And that scared her more than anything else.

Paige, meanwhile, was being bombarded.

The texts were already rolling in—group chats lighting up, a dozen notifications from people she barely knew tagging her in blurry photos and stories with 🎉 emojis. Nika had already yelled "Birthday bitch!" in their kitchen before 9 a.m. and promised tequila later, and Paige had smiled like that felt good.

But underneath it, something was missing. Or not missing, exactly—just quiet.

Azzi hadn’t texted again. Not after the FaceTime. Not since saying she was coming.

They still talked, technically. Still sent each other TikToks and inside jokes and the occasional “miss your face” when it got late enough to say things without really meaning them. But the real stuff—the stuff that used to buzz between them like a live wire—had started slipping away sometime over the summer.

It was like trying to hold water in her hands. No matter how tightly she cupped her fingers, it leaked out.

She hadn’t told Azzi about the first time she got drunk, about how the city lights had blurred into streaks and she’d kissed a girl she didn’t even know the last name of. How afterward, she’d cried in the stairwell, not from guilt or regret, but from this weird ache she couldn’t quite name.

She hadn’t told Azzi about coming out to her teammates, either. Aaliyah had asked casually at a party—“So you’re, like, gay-gay?”—and Paige had just nodded, like it wasn’t a big deal. And then it wasn’t. Word spread. No one cared. It was freeing, in a way. But also lonely. Because Azzi wasn’t part of that version of her. Not really.

And then there was the photo. The glitter, the arm around the girl’s shoulders, the tag, the smile. It was harmless. Fun. Paige hadn’t thought much of it—until she saw that Azzi had viewed the story.

But she never said anything.

And neither did Paige.

Maybe that was the worst part—not what they said, but what they didn’t. The way their friendship had morphed into something polite. Something safe. Like they were both afraid of stepping too close to the edge again, just in case the fall this time actually broke something.

Paige didn’t know about James. She didn’t ask. Didn’t press. But she could feel it—something in the tone of Azzi’s voice, the way she’d started talking around certain topics, the way her laughter felt more like a defense than a reaction.

They were still best friends. But only in the way people still call their childhood house home, even when someone else lives there now.

And yet, Azzi was coming.

She’d texted the night before, like it was just a casual visit, not something that made Paige’s heart twist itself into knots.

“Still cool if I come visit this weekend?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

Paige didn’t know what it meant—that Azzi was coming. That they were going to be in the same room again. That for the first time in months, they wouldn’t have a screen or a phone call or a hundred miles of distance between them.

But she knew how it felt.

Dangerous.

And a little bit like hope.

She had arrived.

Azzi pulled into the parking lot just outside Paige’s dorm complex, the hum of her car engine softening as she shifted into park. The campus stretched out in front of her—wide sidewalks winding between old brick buildings, students crossing the quad with coffee cups and headphones, the faint clang of someone shooting hoops nearby. It looked alive. Bigger than she remembered. And maybe, if things lined up, it could be hers next year.

She sat behind the wheel for a moment longer, taking it all in. The place Paige called home now. The place Azzi might soon belong to.

She was supposed to meet with Geno and CD later that afternoon—an unofficial but important check-in to talk about the decision she’d been circling with her parents all week. No commitment yet, not officially. But it was close. Close enough that her stomach flipped every time she thought about it too hard.

She hadn’t told Paige.

Not yet.

Part of her wanted it to be a surprise—a birthday gift that wasn’t wrapped or posted online. Just… her. Showing up. Fully present. Not as the girl who used to share a bed on weekends and text cryptic one-liners about feelings at midnight. But as someone who was maybe, finally, ready to be part of Paige’s world again. More than just a visitor.

She glanced at her phone, thumb hovering over the text that said “I’m here”, and paused. Her reflection stared back at her in the rearview mirror—slightly windblown, eyes wide with something that felt a lot like nerves.

This wasn’t just a visit.

It was a beginning.

Maybe.

She hit send.

And then she stepped out of the car.

“Wassup, big head,” Paige called out, pushing through the stairwell doors with the easy confidence of someone who knew exactly where she stood—in her space, in her body, in this moment.

She was wearing a loose UConn t-shirt, sleeves rolled up slightly, and a pair of navy athletic shorts that showed off the familiar strength in her legs. Her hair was pulled back messily, still damp from the post-lift shower, and a faint sheen of sweat clung to her skin like proof of how hard she’d just been working. Azzi felt her breath hitch—just for a second—because, damn. Paige looked good. Strong. Like herself. Like the version Azzi sometimes still dreamed about, even when she swore she was over it.

“Not much,” Azzi said, her voice almost too casual, squinting slightly in the sunlight as she looked Paige over. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie, unsure where to put the weird mix of nerves and nostalgia twisting in her gut.

Paige crossed the short distance between them in a few easy strides, her sneakers quiet on the concrete. Before Azzi could say anything else, Paige pulled her into a hug.

It wasn’t tight, or long. Just enough to register. Warm arms around shoulders, the smell of laundry detergent and whatever body spray Paige always used—vanilla and something faintly citrus. It should’ve felt familiar. And in some ways, it did.

But Azzi stiffened, just slightly.

Not enough for Paige to notice, probably. But enough for Azzi to feel it in her own bones. The way her body flinched inward—not from Paige, but from herself. From the weight of what she hadn’t said yet. From the secrets lodged somewhere between her chest and her throat.

She hadn’t told Paige about James. Or about how she’d been thinking—seriously thinking—about committing to UConn. That she’d be walking into a meeting with Geno and CD in a few hours that could change everything. It had all seemed like part of the birthday surprise, part of the gift. But now, standing in Paige’s orbit again, it just felt like too much unspoken.

And the thing was… Paige didn’t know Azzi wasn’t the only one keeping things close to the chest.

Because Paige was carrying guilt too. The kind she didn’t name out loud, but that still haunted her in quiet hours—like the night she kissed someone new just to see if it would feel like Azzi. Like the day she came out on campus without so much as a warning text. Like the moment she saw Azzi had viewed that Instagram story and never said a word.

The hug ended.

Azzi stepped back with a faint smile, trying to fold her emotions into something more manageable. “You smell like sweat,” she said, teasing just enough to cover the tension.

Paige grinned, unfazed. “That’s how you know it’s real.”

Azzi nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. She was here now. The hug had happened. The weekend had officially begun.

But the real conversation?

That was still waiting.

And it wasn’t going to stay quiet for long.

“So, how’s senior year been so far?” Paige asked casually, her voice light but genuinely curious as she carried Azzi’s duffel bag on her shoulder. They stood at the back of Azzi’s car, the trunk now closed with a soft thud, the early afternoon sun still bright overhead. Azzi had just finished unloading her stuff, but the silence between them lingered for a moment before Paige broke it again. “Decided to commit to UConn yet?” she added with a playful smirk, but there was a confidence behind her words—as if she already knew the answer.

Azzi hesitated, a little caught off guard by the question. She felt her pulse quicken, the weight of what she was about to say hanging in the air. “Yeah, actually,” she said, but paused. The words felt heavier than she’d expected. “I was gonna tell you at dinner, but since you brought it up… I texted Geno last week that I’m gonna be up here and want to talk.”

The second the words left her mouth, Paige stopped dead in her tracks. Her jaw dropped, and she stared at Azzi like she had just announced she was moving to Mars.

“No way, bro, stop playing with me.” Paige’s tone was incredulous, her eyes wide, not fully processing what Azzi had said. She shifted her weight, clearly still trying to make sense of the statement.

Azzi squinted against the sun, lifting her hand to shield her eyes as she shrugged, the weight of the moment suddenly feeling very real. “No, I’m serious.”

Paige stood frozen for a second longer, then repeated herself with more disbelief. “Seriously?”

Azzi gave a small nod. “Seriously.” She could feel the weight of the decision pressing in on her chest, but there was also something in the air between them that made her heart race—something deeper than just the surface-level exchange.

Without warning, Paige dropped the duffel bag to the ground with a thud, her hands shooting out to grab Azzi, pulling her into a tight, unexpected bear hug. Azzi felt the sudden force of it, a mix of warmth and surprise, as Paige’s arms wrapped around her like she was holding on for dear life.

“Paige,” Azzi gasped, feeling slightly smothered in the embrace. She tried to laugh, but it came out strangled as she struggled to breathe, a mix of emotions swirling inside her.

The hug lasted a beat too long, and when Paige finally pulled back, Azzi could feel something damp on her neck. Her heart skipped a beat. “P, are you crying?” she asked, her voice softer now, a little more tentative. She could tell something was off, but didn’t know how to address it.

Paige wiped at her eyes quickly, as if to cover it up, but when she spoke, there was a smile fighting through the tears. “No, bro, I’m just happy.”

Azzi stood there for a moment, unsure of how to respond. She felt the pull of something deeper between them, but she couldn’t figure out if it was just the joy of the moment or something more complicated. “P,” she said, a soft smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Are you really that excited to spend three years here with me?” Her laugh was light, teasing, trying to defuse the sudden rush of emotions that had taken over.

Paige rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the grin that stretched across her face. “Bro, stop trying to make fun of me.”She reached down to grab Azzi’s duffel bag, hoisting it back over her shoulder as if nothing had happened. She started walking toward the dorm stairs, her pace casual, though the smile on her face was wide and genuine.

Azzi stood there for a moment longer, watching Paige walk away, a bemused smile still playing on her lips. “You’re impossible,” she muttered under her breath, shaking her head at the ground. Despite the way her heart was still beating fast, she followed Paige up the stairs, the weight of what was coming next settling between them like an unspoken promise.

P.S. Sorry for posting this so late been out of town, but I also will posting chapter four and maybe five tonight depending on how much time I have.

#azzi fudd #paige bueckers #pazzi #pazzi fics #uconn huskies #uconn wbb

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yvesssssssss · 2 days ago

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OMG HIIIIII 🎀🎀🎀🎀

I hope you got better!!! I don't want to bother you with my request about Sakamoto Days but I had an idea that seemed sooo good in my mind 🤸‍♀️

OKAY, so how would the Sakamoto days men react seeing their s/o watching the Totally Spies (or another cartoon)?

THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A GOOD WRITER 🎀🎀🎀🎀🎀🫶🫶🫶🫶

Sakamoto days men react to their s/o watching totally spies

(Nagumo, shin, tenkyuu, natsuki)

Thanks so much for your kind words!! 🥹 I don’t know much about Totally Spies, so sorry if it’s not super accurate! 😭

Nagumo yoichi

Nagumo walks into the living room, expecting to find you doing something more... tactical, like cleaning weapons or reading an old mission report. But instead, his eyes lock on the screen, where Totally Spies is playing. The vibrant colors and absurdly dramatic spy antics are a sharp contrast to his usual calm and serious nature.

“What the hell is this?” he asks, his voice low but filled with disbelief. His eyes narrow as he watches the screen. “Is this... for kids?”

You explain that it’s just a lighthearted show and that you like the spy action. Nagumo stares at you for a moment as if trying to understand this new part of you. Then, a smirk slowly creeps across his face.

“You really think these girls can handle a mission with that much pink and glitter?” he snorts. “Not exactly my idea of covert operations. They’d get caught in five minutes.”

But the moment the show ramps up with an intense chase scene or a cool gadget reveal, his tone softens, just slightly. He crosses his arms, still trying to appear unaffected, but his eyes are glued to the screen. “Fine, okay,” he mutters, “I’ll admit, that laser pen is kind of cool... and their teamwork isn’t bad either.”

You glance over at him and find him watching intently, his eyes narrowing as if he's mentally cataloging the spy tricks for later. "This is all very tactical," he says, deadpan. "I could use some of these gadgets in the field." A brief, rare smile flickers on his face. "Okay, just one more episode... for research purposes."

Shin asakura

The moment Shin sees the colorful graphics and the high-pitched voices of the Totally Spies girls, he immediately bursts out laughing.

“Seriously? This is what you’re into?” he exclaims, not even trying to hide his amusement. He leans against the doorway, watching the action unfold, shaking his head. “I knew you had weird taste, but this... this is a whole new level.”

You try to defend your choice, but he’s already way ahead in the mocking game. “I mean, sure, it’s got some spy stuff in it, but these girls can’t even fight a villain without turning into a fashion show!” He gestures toward the screen, where one of the spies is adjusting her outfit mid-fight.

Then, Shin gets an idea. He walks over to the couch, plops down beside you, and dramatically places a hand on his chin. “Alright, but let me show you how a real spy works.”

For the next few minutes, Shin imitates the ridiculous action moves from the show—awkwardly doing flips off the couch, making fake karate noises, and pulling a couple of way too over-the-top poses. You try to hide your laughter, but it’s impossible. “I bet the bad guys are terrified of you, Shin,” you tease.

He grins, clearly pleased with himself. “They’re lucky they haven’t faced me yet. You see, that’s what a real spy looks like.”

At least until the next ridiculous gadget appears on the screen, causing him to groan. “Okay, maybe it’s not all bad,” he admits. “But only if they stop using so much pink.”

Tenkyuu

Tenkyuu bursts into the room, his usual chaotic energy making the atmosphere instantly more... entertaining. “Wait, is that Totally Spies?!” he exclaims, eyes widening in excitement. “No way! I love this show!”

You look at him in shock. “Wait, really?”

Without missing a beat, Tenkyuu is already seated next to you, his legs bouncing with excitement. “Of course! I mean, who wouldn’t want to be a spy with all those cool gadgets? And those outfits? Pfft, I could totally pull that off!”

As the episode plays on, Tenkyuu starts trying to imitate the spy girls’ ridiculous moves. He kicks his legs out in the air, mimicking one of their high-flying kicks, but ends up knocking over a nearby lamp. “Oops! Okay, maybe not that move. But I can totally handle the mission stuff!”

He gets up and starts mimicking their catchphrases and spy moves with such exaggerated flair that you can’t help but laugh. “Look! I’m like a ninja!” Tenkyuu says, rolling on the floor and dramatically diving behind the couch. “I’m undetectable!”

Of course, the entire time, he’s shouting out random spy gibberish and demanding that you “join his team of super agents” to take down the evil organization that’s threatening the world. When the show gets to an especially cheesy villain monologue, Tenkyuu dramatically does his best villain voice, making you snort in laughter.

“Okay, fine, you win,” you say, wiping a tear from your eye. “You’re the best spy ever.”

“I know,” he replies with a wink, striking another ridiculous pose. “I could teach these girls a thing or two about real spy skills.”

Natsuki seba

When Natsuki walks into the living room, he immediately notices the Totally Spies theme song and freezes for a moment, blinking rapidly. “Uh, what... what are you watching?” His tone is neutral, though there’s a slight wrinkle in his brow as he tries to comprehend the brightly-colored chaos on screen.

You explain, trying to downplay it, but Natsuki just quietly sits down beside you, arms crossed. “Is this... is this the show with all the spies and... the weirdly fashionable gadgets?” he asks, still a little confused.

The first few moments are awkward, with Natsuki making only a few small comments like, “Okay, I admit, that was a decent move,” when one of the spies pulls off a particularly slick kick. But then, his interest starts to peek. The spy trio gets into a hilarious, action-packed sequence, and Natsuki finds himself quietly invested in their antics.

“Wait, they’re using what now?” he mutters to himself, watching the spy girls effortlessly save the day using an absolutely absurd gadget (probably a high-tech hairdryer or a purse-sized laser). He can’t help but scoff, “I’d never rely on something so ridiculous... but okay, I admit it—this is kinda fun.”

By the end of the episode, Natsuki is watching the screen with a small, amused smile, though he’s still trying to pretend he’s unaffected. “Alright, I’ll admit it,” he says, glancing at you. “This show... it’s kind of charming. But next time, we’re watching something serious.”

You can’t help but laugh. “Sure, next time.”

#sakadays #sakamoto days #sakamoto days x reader #nagumo yoichi #nagumo x reader #nagumo yoichi x reader #sakamoto days nagumo #shin asakura #natsuki seba #sakamoto days shin #sakamoto days tenkyu #tenkyuu #sakamoto days natsuki seba #natsuki seba x reader

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cruelsummerwhump · 3 days ago

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oh, hi! introducing to you-

Cruel Summer: A Taylor Swift Themed Whump Event

FAQ

Q: hey mari what the heck A: So a little while ago I put an interest check on my blog (@todaywasamaritale) to see who would be interested in a Taylor Swift whump event based on lyric prompts. By a slim margin the answer was yes, so I decided to go through with it!

Q: So what is this, exactly? A: Cruel Summer is a whump event just like any other whump event, the only difference being the theme. Each day, there’s a lyric prompt to write from (with some trope examples to help), as well as a couple alternatives you can choose from if a day’s prompt doesn’t suit you.

Q: I’m a writer, but what’s whump? A: Whump (like the sound) refers to writing where Bad Stuff Happens. Captivity, torture, experimentation, emotional distress, all of that falls under the big ol’ whump umbrella.

Q: When is Cruel Summer? A: The event takes place during the month of June. There are 30 main prompts in total for each day, and 7 alternative prompts. So, for example, June 1 is Day 1, June 2 is Day 2, and so on and so forth.

Q: Do we have to pick one of the trope examples for each lyric? A: No! Those are just in case you get stuck. The only thing guiding you is the lyric of the day. Interpret that however you like!

Q: How do I join? A: You don’t have to sign up, per se, just mark your calendar and get ready to write.

Q: Then how do I participate? A: Every day of the event, this account will post the prompt of the day (WITH A TAGLIST THAT YOU CAN BE ADDED TO! JUST ASK IN THE COMMENTS OF ANY POST ON THIS ACCOUNT!), and all you have to do to submit your entry is tag @cruelsummerwhump in your post! You’ll be reblogged from there!

Q: I don’t get it- who are we writing whump about?? Taylor??? A: Nope. You can write about anyone you like (EXCEPT irl people or celebrities). This includes characters from fandom or original characters. Someone else’s original characters, even! Crossovers? You bet!

Q: Help! I saw this mid-event and want to join! Is it too late? A: Not at all! Do as many prompts as you can! No catch-up necessary either, and if you want to go back and do a prompt you missed, feel free!

Q: But what if I wasn’t late and I just don’t want to do all of the prompts? A: No obligation whatsoever. If you miss a day or skip on purpose, that’s alright! The only rule is that you just can’t skip ahead!

i’ll update this section as asks start rolling in

PROMPT LIST

Day 1: Renegade

“I tapped on your window on your darkest night; the shape of you was jagged and weak. There was nowhere for me to stay, but I stayed anyway.” Trope example: fever care

Day 2: Dear Reader

“Dear reader, if it feels like a trap, you’re already in one. Dear reader, get out your map, pick somewhere and just run.” Trope examples: escape, running away

Day 3: Haunted

“Come on, come on, don’t leave me like this! I thought I had you figured out!” Trope examples: betrayal, death

Day 4: Out of the Woods

“Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Twenty stitches in a hospital room. When you started crying, baby, I did too, but when the sun came up, I was looking at you.” Trope examples: hospitals, surgery, tandem injuries

Day 5: Nothing New

“I’ve had too much to drink tonight, and I know it’s sad, but this is what I think about, and I wake up in the middle of the night, it’s like I can feel time moving.” Trope examples: drugging, alcohol poisoning

Day 6: Castles Crumbling

“Power went to my head, and I couldn’t stop. Ones I loved tried to help, so I ran them off, and here I sit alone, behind walls of regret.” Trope examples: losing control, magical manipulation, cursed artifacts, corruption

Day 7: I Did Something Bad

“They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one. They’ve got their pitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasons.” Trope examples: magic misuse, false capture, torture

Day 8: Last Kiss

“I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe.” Trope examples: amnesia, brainwashing

Day 9: this is me trying

“Pulled the car off the road to the lookout, could’ve followed my fears all the way down, and maybe I don’t quite know what to say, but I’m here in your doorway.” Trope example: showing up to the door injured

Day 10: Anti-Hero

“I’m a monster on a hill, too big to hang out, slowly lurching towards your favorite city, pierced through the heart but never killed.” Trope examples: monster whump, experimentation

Day 11: The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

“Were you sent by someone who wanted me dead? Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed?” Trope examples: betrayal, carewhumper

Day 12: Guilty as Sin?

“If long suffering propriety is what they want from me, they don’t know how you’ve haunted me so stunningly.” Trope examples: stockholm syndrome, loss of a loved one

Day 13: ‘tis the damn season

“There’s an ache in you put there by the ache in me, but if it’s all the same to you, it’s the same to me.” Trope examples: aftermath of betrayal, whumper turned into caretaker, carewhumper

Day 14: Getaway Car

“Well, he was running after us, I was screaming ‘go, go, go!’” Trope examples: escape, jailbreak

Day 15: Sparks Fly

“Drop everything now, meet me in the pouring rain, kiss me on the sidewalk, take away the pain.” Trope examples: brainwashing, drugging, fever

Day 16: I Hate It Here

“Now I seem to be scared to go outside, if comfort is a construct, I don’t believe in good luck now that I know what’s what.” Trope examples: scared animal whumpee, aftermath of experimentation or torture, shaky recovery

Day 17: Down Bad

“Did you really beam me up in a cloud of sparkling dust just to do experiments on, tell me I was the chosen one, show me that this world is bigger than us - then sent me back where I came from?” Trope examples: sci-fi, alien abduction, experimentation, stockholm syndrome

Day 18: So Long, London

“My spine split from carrying us up the hill, wet through my clothes, weary bones caught the chill.” Trope examples: fever, escape

Day 19: All Too Well

“Check the pulse and come back swearing it’s the same after three months in the grave, and then you wondered where it went to as I reached for you, but all I felt was shame, and you held my lifeless frame.” Trope examples: near-death, death

Day 20: ivy

“Crescent moon, coast is clear, spring breaks loose, but so does fear. He’s gonna burn this house to the ground.” Trope examples: stockholm syndrome, escape, carewhumper, arson

Day 21: Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?

“I wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made me. You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me.” Trope examples: psych ward, asylum, experimentation, labs

Day 22: Midnight Rain

“He wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain.” Trope examples: whumper x whumpee

Day 23: You’re Losing Me

“We thought a cure would come through in time, now, I fear it won’t.” Trope examples: sickness, lethal illness

Day 24: Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

“You needed me, but you needed drugs more, and I couldn’t watch it happen.” Trope examples: drugging

Day 25: So It Goes…

“Cut me into pieces. Gold cage, hostage to my feelings, back against the wall.” Trope examples: gilded cage, dolled up whumpee, pet whump

Day 26: exile

“I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending. You’re not my homeland anymore, so what am I defending?” Trope examples: recovery, conditioned whumpee

Day 27: cardigan

“You drew stars around my scars, but now I’m bleeding.” Trope examples: carewhumper, caretaker turned into whumper, betrayal by fellow whumpee

Day 28: The Prophecy

“A greater woman stays cool, but I howl like a wolf at the moon, and I sound unstable, gathered with a coven around a sorceress’ table.” Trope examples: witchcraft, monster whump, corruption

Day 29: Bad Blood

“Bandaids don’t fix bullet holes.” Trope examples: gunshot wounds, unsafe medical care

Day 30: Cruel Summer

“Said I’m fine, but it wasn’t true.” Trope examples: hiding injury

ALT PROMPTS

You’re On Your Own, Kid

“I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this.” Trope examples: overtraining, willing experimentation

Sweet Nothing

“They say the end is coming, everyone’s up to something. I find myself running to your sweet nothing.” Trope examples: hypnosis, brainwashing, mind-numbing, drugging

Call It What You Want

“My castle crumbled overnight, I brought a knife to a gunfight.” Trope examples: royalty whump, fight sequence, gunshot wounds

The Great War

“Somewhere in the haze, got a sense I’d been betrayed: your finger on my hairpin trigger.” Trope examples: battles, betrayal

tolerate it

“You assume I’m fine, but what would you do if I break free and leave us in ruins? Took this dagger in me and removed it?” Trope examples: escape, betrayal

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)

“His hand, so calloused from his pistol, softly traces hearts on my face.” Trope examples: carewhumper, gentle whumper

us.

“The curse or a miracle, hearse or an oracle; you’re incomparable, fuck, it was chemical.” Trope examples: conditioning, drugging, experimentation, stockholm syndrome

FILE: SECRET SESSIONS ACHIEVEMENTS If you’ve scrolled down this far, the Department would like you to know about a few classified achievements during the event. - From the Vault: ??? a?? ?? ??? a?? ???????. - Taylor’s Version: ???????? a?? ?? ??? ?a?? ???????. - Sing-Along: ??? a ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???????. - Sad Girl Autumn: ??? a ????????? ????? ???? a ?????? ???? ??a? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??????. - Surprise Songs: ??? ???? ??a? ??? ?????? ?? a ?????? ?????. Hm. There seems to be a visibility issue. Maybe complete them first? Otherwise it would be prudent to check back later . . .

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danganronpasurvivoraskblog · 3 days ago

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THE HUNDRED LINE: LAST DEFENSE ACADEMY - Journal #2: Route 0 Days 19-29. [MASSIVE SPOILERS]

//HOOOOO MAN THINGS PICKED UP QUIIIIIIIICK in this game!

//So, if you read the previous journal entry that I made on my experience with this brand new, brand spanking gamey thing the Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, you'll know that the story already had me pretty gripped even in the early stages.

//But HOLY HELL did the very next arc of the first route grab me by the throat and NOT let go. I already thought the game was good, but the sequence that I'm about to detail to you, particularly days 28-29, got HYPE!

//With that said, as per usual, I have to remind you all-

DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED/SEEN THE HUNDRED LINE: LAST DEFENSE ACADEMY. I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT VERY SPECIFIC PLOT POINTS AND MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE GAME.

//So let's get started:

DAY 19:

//So right out of the gate, we wake up and Sirei is doing some new shit. This time he's on an exercise bike and doesn't really make a big deal of it? I guess he kinda does just random shit sometimes, and it's never clear when he's gonna do it.

//Either way, as of today, we have access to two more rooms in the academy building. The library and the garage.

//The garage is pretty simple, you can go there if you want to upgrade your class weapons and make your characters stronger. But what I found weird is that apparently you can do the same thing in the VR Training room. Maybe there's something I'm missing, but I don't really see much of a point in it besides introducing the new mechanic.

//It was nice to see Tsubasa bring out her inner Miu though. Well, I guess Mei Hatsume would be more accurate considering who we're talking about. Pop off girl.

//The library...confused me a little bit more. Because they didn't outright say immediately what the library was for on this day. This is something that I discovered the day after today, but since it's a small thing, I might as well bring up here that you can go there and read books and stuff, and doing so increases your social stats by quite a bit; more than you usually would do with hanging out with people.

//It does take up time though, obviously.

DAY 20:

//Apparently Sirei wears his suit every 10 days that we're here. The day starts off with Takumi and Eito having a conversation about how Hiruko's gone missing, and because of that, the team is severely without a...well...I was going to say moral compass, but Hiruko most definitely is not moral.

//Because of that, everyone is kind of being lackluster about their time. They're all off doing their own thing and no one's really reinforcing the morning cafeteria meetings anymore. Eito and Takumi suggest that each other be the new leader in Hiruko's place, but neither seem up to it.

//The more I look at these two, the more I'm starting to see that the yaoi fangirls had a point, lol. There is some kind of underlying hot tension with these two characters. Which makes me even more sure that Eito might turn out to be an insane dick. But more on that in a bit.

//I also found out today through the upgrading thing that I now have the option to teach new abilities and attacks to my squad, which is brilliant. To sort of set your expectations here, within the span of these 10 days, the combat mechanics go NUTTY. SO many new tactics get introduced, not just from the new characters, but from other stuff, as well as what the old characters can do now.

//For example, Tsubasa gets an AOE speed buff now, and Takumi now doesn't need to slash horizontally; he can thrust his sword two spaces in front of him. I gave basically everyone their secondary attack if I could, but I needed more resources. Turns out you burn through them pretty fast when you're trying to upgrade 6 characters and climbing.

//Anyway, I did some VR training for the day, because we unlocked two more challenges, and I decided to just get them out of the way from the get go. But when I did, something pretty interesting happened.

//The next two VR challenges only unlocked after the final fight that I talked about in the last part, when both Tsubasa and Gaku joined the team. And they're in this fight...but so is Hiruko.

//This does make sense, since it was established before that the teammates in the simulation are digital copies of people Takumi has fought before, so her still being there even though she's not with the group in the real world wasn't totally random. I just wasn't expecting to get to use Hiruko again, if only briefly.

//It really does kind of suck not having her in the team anymore because her ability to get easy kills and regenerate AP really helped for a lot of the battles. But I guess we kinda just need to get around that by making everyone else tougher.

DAY 21:

//I planned on hanging out with Gaku and Tsubasa today, but Tsubasa wasn't available to hang out in the afternoon. So I hung with Gaku in the morning, and did the library thing in the afternoon, which boosted the stat that Tsubasa normally boosts.

//The library system kind of reminds me of Persona 5's reading system. In that game, you could also spend time reading a book, and usually, it took some of your time. Once you were done reading the book, you gain boosted social stats.

//Hundred Line's is a lot more detailed though. Like P5, you read books to gain social stats, but in P5, you only got the stats if you finish the book. Hundred Line gives you the boosted stats by just reading through the book, but it takes you two timeslots to finish reading it (at least the one I did) and apparently, once you finish reading a book, if you use that book to increase your stats again, the boost is not as effective.

//What I'm starting to see is the books should kind of be a one-and-done deal, unless you're trying to boost a certain social stat, and the person who boosts that stat is currently unavailable to hang with. That's sort of how I see it.

DAY 22:

//This is the point where things started to get insane.

//First off, Sirei jumpscared me in the morning with having red paint on his face, and I still don't know why, but he kind of looked like he was trying to make himself a Daruma Doll?

//That aside, I only had free time in the morning on this day, and since I needed to increase some social stats in order to help me unlock higher tier attacks for my weapons, I planned to hang out with Darumi to increase the one I needed.

//However, I decided that now would be a good chance to give the Gift-O'-Matic a shot, and turns out, it wasn't what I thought it was. It's actually a LOT better than I gave it credit for.

//My dumb ass thought that the way the system worked was like how Danganronpa's system worked. In Danganronpa, typically what you do during Free Time is you spend time with a person, and the more you deepen your bonds, you get to see their Free Time Events. And typically, these gifts are pulled out of the MonoMono Gacha Machine and completely random. Then you need to guess what gift would work best for what character...Or google it.

//But what set me off was that the gift system in Hundred Line takes up one slot of time, and I initially thought that it took one slot of time to make the gift, and then another slot to hang out with that character, and give it to them.

//Turns out that's not the case.

//When you make an item with the Gift-O'-Matic, you put in the materials and it generates the thing. You then get the option to pick which character you give it to, and then it immediately triggers a scene where Takumi gives that character the gift. Then the boosted stats come through, and turns out, they're VERY good. I gave Darumi a present I knew she'd like, and that boosted the stat I needed pretty much instantly to where I needed it to be.

//So yeah, now that I know how this works, I can get behind this.

//The afternoon event was taken up by a pretty funny and heartwarming event where we had a celebration feast outside, and Gaku made us a barbecue.

//Gaku himself plays the straight man to the Tsukumo siblings, who eat raw fish, and Darumi who says that the chicken tastes like human flesh, and both interactions were pretty funny.

//Other than that, we also had a moment during the party where Shoma mentions he unlocked a repressed memory. Something that Takumi has kind of been having throughout the game every time we flash back to his scenes with Karua.

//Speaking of which, we do get quite a few of these throughout the days as they go by, but I'm realizing that all of the scenes subtly hint and what events are going to come next.

//For example, Takumi has a flashback of when they were kids where Karua ran off and he was always able to find her. And then the next day, Takumi, after remembering that same ability, uses it to help track down Eito.

//But yeah, I remember this scene from the character trailer that introduced Shouma, where he started to talk about some time he spent in a hospital.

//By the way, that hospital is apparently named the "Kamukura General Hospital." Which I'm almost certain is a reference, but FAIRLY certain is a RED FLAG.

//What Shouma says here kind of reinforces my primary theory before this game came out in that we all come from different time periods in the TRC, but were cryogenically frozen and preserved until the day that we are currently in. He does say that he remembers being put into one of the pods, and that similar pods are here on campus.

//But that's neither here nor there for the moment, because despite the lightheartedness, the day ends on a very tense note. By the time Takumi gets back to his room, his body seizes up to the point of paralysis, and he collapses. Which leads us into...

DAY 24:

//No. I did not make an error here.

//After Day 22 ends, the game SKIPS Day 23, and this was no mistake. This is the point where things started to go VERY VERY WRONG...

//Turns out that the food we ate at the barbecue might have been spiked with some kind of muscle drug, which means everyone who ate it (which is everyone except Shouma), passed out for two days straight. And by the time we wake back up...

//...all our food is GONE!

//This gave me vietnam-level flashbacks of Danganronpa 2 Case 4, and I'm pretty sure they even make a reference to it. But essentially, whatever we had left in the pantry, which was supposed to be enough to help us survive 100 days, is now all gone, which means if we don't find something to eat, we're all going to starve to death.

//Gaku is very quick to accuse Shouma of the crime, since he's the only one who didn't eat the food, and was the only one who could have been up and about to destroy the rest of it, but while I don't think it was Shouma, I DO think by now that SOMEBODY in this group is actively working against everyone else.

//Everyone is pretty sure that the Invaders are behind it, since they are our enemy here, but I think it's more likely that one of the students who was brought to the academy, for one reason or other, really doesn't want us to succeed.

//As for who I think is behind it, Eito is the obvious candidate. For a few reasons:

//Firstly, right from the get go, Eito was suspicious to me because he shares far too many similarities with Nagito from DR2. They have the same, or at least similar, likes and dislikes, both are pale, white haired characters with some kind of medical disorder, Eito's Specialist Skill is luck-based, just like Nagito's Ultimate Talent, and Eito himself appears very similar to Nagito's beta design. There are too many similarities to not make me think there's nothing wrong here.

//But the other big reason is that for everything that's gone wrong in this academy, Eito is the one character who was present for basically EVERY situation.

When Sirei was about to explain the truth about Last Defense Academy to everyone, he suddenly vanished. A few days later, Eito tried to incite everyone into leaving the academy to little avail, and then the next day, he goes out himself, and we're forced to bring him back. The next day, we find Sirei's dismantled body COINCIDENTALLY near where we found Eito.

When Hiruko planned to tell everyone about her past experiences, in an eerily similar manner as above, she went missing too before she could give any answers. And the only two people at the time who knew she was going to open up were Takumi, and of course, Eito. I'm not sure how he did it, especially since we haven't found Hiruko's body yet, but it's quite likely that unless Takumi did it, Eito intentionally silenced her to prevent her from revealing the truth, just as he might have done with Sirei.

Eito notably helped prepare the barbecue with Gaku, and in fact, unless I'm misremembering, the whole thing was his plan in the first place. He would absolutely have had the opportunity to drug everyone, and eat the good food all on his own. And Shouma admitted that he stayed in his room all day, so he wouldn't have seen Eito leave.

//I have no idea what Eito's agenda is. If we're keeping the Nagito thing in mind, then maybe he's setting everyone challenges for their hope to overcome or some bullshit. But I think even HE'S going a bit too far. As insane as Nagito was, he wasn't THIS aggressive when it came to forcing the issue.

//These acts are FAR more spiteful, and if Eito is responsible, it makes me wonder what kind of person we're really dealing with. And it's especially worrying since it seems more and more likely that Eito himself will end up being the new group leader in Hiruko's place.

//Anyway, with little other option, we're forced to go out scavenging for whatever scraps we can find in the wild, even if it's not exactly fresh.

//What surprised me most is that Takumi takes the opportunity to tell everyone about the fiery ghost boy he keeps seeing. In any other game, I would expect him to withhold that information until it becomes relevant, but I guess now he figured that things are desperate, they should consider every possibility they have.

//Not much really comes of the scene though, weirdly enough. Much less any indication of what the fire boy actually is. My current working theory is that he might be a student who already served his 100 day quota at the academy, and something happened which meant he became tied to the school.

//There isn't any indication that suggests there were people here before us, but then again, anyone who can give us those answers is dead.

//Anway, Takumi heads out with Gaku and Tsubasa, but for the first time since we arrived, a storm is hitting them. And it's especially rough because these kids have NEVER seen a storm before; since they spent their lives under a giant dome that, according to, again, the Karua cutscene that happens before this, only has one weather condition all year round.

//Which...must suck! Like, that feels WRONG to me!

//But this part of the story ends on a very tense cliffhanger. As he seeks shelter from the storm, Takumi gets assaulted from behind by an unknown assailant with a pipe...and is knocked unconscious.

DAY 25:

//Nothing really happens after that. We get another cutscene with Karua which ends rather weirdly. She asks Takumi what might happen if he woke up one day, and she didn't remember who he was.

//Jeez, I wonder what THAT'S hinting at!!??

//But briefly, after being knocked prone, Takumi comes to for but a moment, realizing how helpless his situation is...and as he slowly slips back into his sleep, he sees something...familiar...

//Oh yeah motherfuckers. It's TIME!

DAY 28:

/Again, we skip two whole days while Takumi recovers. But honestly, I don't mind so much, because THIS, my friends...THIS is where this story gets A+++!

//There's a few cutscenes here and there where we're finally introduced to Nigou, but the location that we're in is not Last Defense Academy. Apparently it's "Second-to-last Defense Academy." Which I guess is kind of like a sister school of sorts?

//But apparently, this is where the other 5 students we've yet to meet have been hanging. But we'll get to them.

//One thing that I found funny is that despite the feminine voice and appearance, Takumi recognizes Nigou as male, and...yeah, Nigou IS a boy, but like...I didn't know that upon seeing him for the first time!

//Apparently he's just got really big lips, unlike Sirei, but also, Nigou is voiced by a woman in both dubs of the game, so I don't blame people for getting confused by it. It just baffles me that Kodaka and Uchikoshi thought that this character was in any way masculine enough.

//But anyway, the next rousing round of introductions happen, and it's time to meet the B-Team.

//Although, to be honest, these guys are way more like the A-Team even though they turn out to be the backup squad. This does kind of get shown in combat later, but if you think about it, this squad consists of an assassin, a swordswoman, a military weapon specialist, a wrestler, and Nozomi who is essentially a combat medic.

//Looking back, it does make sense why they keep the better fighters on the backup campus, but it was still weird to me on first experience.

//So...how about these guys then?

//First of all, Kurara, the girl with the Jack-O'-Lantern head, gave me emotional whiplash that only these types of games by Kodaka can do. I am fairly certain that she is under the umbrella of characters he wrote, along with Kako and Ima.

//This is kind of how I think it's divvied up so far:

//There's a fair bit to say about her as we progress, but one of the things I want to begin with is that Kurara herself is voiced by Elsie Lovelock in the English Dub, making her effectively the only English VA that I'm actually familiar with. She's previously voiced Uzi Doorman (Murder Drones), Mommy Long Legs (Poppy Playtime), and did the vocals for Charlie in the pilot of Hazbin Hotel. Among a few others.

//So it's funny hearing her as Kurara, especially given the type of character she is. Because if you somehow want to play this game and are willingly spoiling yourself for the future of it, here's some word of warning...she shouts a lot and insults you a lot, oftentimes with slurs.

//Like, it's not like this is the first time we've had a character from Kodaka who, at least in the beginning, is a completely toxic piece of shit, but CHRIST this one goes HARD into that factor! I can only imagine how some of my favourite YouTubers are going to react to her when they see her for the first time, like NicoB and Crystaaahl.

//Kyoshika also had a pretty comedic introduction where we got to see how gullible she is. Namely she doesn't know what a migraine is, and Kurara tricked her into believing it was some kind of incurable breakfast-based disease. Other than that...there's not much to her yet.

//And then there's Yugamu...Oh man did this guy have a GREAT start!

//If there's one thing that Zero Escape and Danganronpa both have in common (particularly Zero Escape and Uchikoshi's other games) there's always going to be one character in the cast who's some kind of weird pervert, but when I saw the initial lineup of characters, I didn't know who it would be, or if there even was one.

//Turns out Yugamu of all people is that character.

//I just want to say that his dialogue, and most of what comes out of his mouth, even over the course of the two days I've gotten to know him, is GOLDEN. He speaks surprisingly casual, but has a very...intimate...connection with death. The kind where he willingly misconstrues pain and pleasure.

//I honestly thought he'd be more like Kiyo based on his appearance and mannerisms, and there are SOME similarities, but not enough where I can directly compare them. Honestly, Yugamu kind of feels like new blood, and even though he was the character I was least interested in when it came to the initial lineup of students, I am happy to say that he as quickly become my favourite of this new batch.

//Of course, in terms of the story, the real highlight of this new group is Nozomi.

//I don't really have an awful lot to say about her as a character, but I feel like she's going to be one of the one's who gets a lot of screentime going forward. Comparing this to Danganronpa and Zero Escape again, she's definitely our Kyoko/Chiaki/Akane/Phi.

//This is by far the mystery that puzzles me the most out of the MANY that this game has to offer. Without going into too much detail, there are too many similarities between her and Karua, not just appearance wise. For example, Nozomi herself speaks and acts just like Karua does, barring her willingness to jump into danger, and she admits that she has a fear of sirens, just like Karua did.

//Speaking of which, I remember there was a scene earlier in the story where it's shown Karua had a huge scar across her body from the accident that killed her father, and I feel there might be a point where we see Nozomi has that same scar or not, proving or disproving that they are the same person.

//Assuming Nozomi ISN'T Karua, I'm really interested to see how they might be connected. As I said before, my current working theory is that this takes place in the far future after all these students with Hemoanima powers have been preserved until this point. Nozomi herself could be in the same boat, but given the sheer differences between her and the rest of the cast, which again, we'll get into, my guess is that she might be a descendent of Karua; specifically one from the modern time that we're in, and who didn't have to be preserved because she already lives in the present day. The only thing rejecting that theory is the name Karua clearly isn't familiar to Nozomi. She's not like "hey, that was my grandmothers name" or anything, so maybe she just is this game's resident amnesiac.

//Now, one thing I noticed about this sequence that interested me is that there's supposed to be 5 other students that we didn't get to meet immediately, and Nozomi, Yugamu, Kurara, and Kyoshika are only 4 of those 5. The 5th character, Moko, is currently not present, as she's apparently been kidnapped by the Invaders, so I guess we'll have to wait a little bit more before the burly girl joins the squad.

//We have a bit more dialogue getting to know these characters, but right when Takumi plans to risk his life to push Nozomi into answering his questions, Second-to-last defense Academy gets raided by the invaders, and Takumi goes to help out his new friends.

//I feel really bad for Takumi in this part of the story, because Karua was the whole reason he was fighting in the first place, and every interaction he has with Nozomi just sends him spiralling through the 5 stages of grief. And christ almighty, kudos to Jay Rincon for selling that perfectly in his line reads.

//There is a LOT OF FIGHTING in this last part of the story, but good, because we get to try out the new characters, and learn their own individual gimmicks. Although I honestly have...mixed feelings on some of these.

//First of all, Kyoshika's unique ability is that she attacks in a V-shape, and she does extra damage to enemies that don't have any other enemies adjacent to them. And this ability is great because it allows her to take most heavy hitters out in one-shot, kind of like how Hiruko did it.

//The downside is that said attacks are for VERY specific situations that don't often happen. And what's worse, her Ultimate SUCKS!

//It hits in a fairly small area, and kind of has a honeycomb area of effect to it. So even if she's surrounded by a bunch of foes, she's going to take out about half of them, because through all her slashing, there'll be some annoying ones who just straight up don't get hit by her attacks. She's strong, but she's also really awkward.

//And yes, I know that Gaku's Ultimate has the same sort of hit range, but the difference is that not only does Gaku's ult cover a more concrete area, but he fires from a distance and doesn't have to be surrounded by foes for his ability to take full effect.

//Considering her ability, being surrounded is a situation that Kyoshika typically wants to AVOID. To having an Ultimate that hits everyone in a honeycomb grid around her makes NO SENSE.

//Yugamu is similarly weird because I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out what he actually DOES. HIS gimmick is that he is the debuffer character. His normal attack has a the side effect of reducing the attack of the enemies he hits, and it hits in a small area, which is good...but also does barely any damage.

//I thought I red somewhere that Yugamu does more damage on enemies the more debuffs they have, but I'm not certain of that, and it definitely didn't show. However, his Ultimate is really strong, and hits in a good area too.

//But while those two I have my qualms with, Kurara is FUN AS HELL!

//I somehow didn't imagine there being a character like this in a top-down turn-based game like this, but Kurara's gimmick is that she is the sentry character. Her primary weapon is a shovel of all things which she floats on like a witch, which is adorable honestly.

//But while she can do pretty good damage with that shovel, her main trait is creating sentry turrets that fire on enemies within it's radius at the end of every round. Something that is REALLY effective at taking out the smaller foes.

//The downside is that the turrets themselves are pretty weak, and only have 4 HP, so if they get surrounded, they're pretty much done for, because they can't hit enemies that are right next to them. But Kurara herself can replenish their HP by using her main attack.

//But while all of these characters have their own individual charms and interesting playstyles and gimmicks, they all pale in comparison to the absolute MVP that is Nozomi Kirifuji.

//Nozomi has always been interesting, because even before the game came out, people were quick to point out that her Hemoanima transformation is different from everyone elses. Mainly that her uniform is white and takes the form of armor, while everyone else's is black and takes the form of a school uniform. And she and Nigou actually explain it outright when we get into battle.

//Most students in the Hundred Line manifest their battle gear as a physical expression of their willpower through Hemoanima. However, Nozomi's powers don't function the same way for what are currently unknown reasons, and using Hemoanima is actually harmful to her. As a result, she relies on artificial replacements instead. Because of this, the Revive-O'-Matic doesn’t work on her, meaning if she dies, she can’t be resurrected.

//I don't imagine she can permanently die in the battles though. She probably just retreats until the next wave.

//However, even that lore dump aside, and the explanations given...Nozomi's combat ability is COMPLETELY FUCKING BUSTED!

//Nozomi is the HEALER. Her abilities mainly consist less of damage dealing, and more providing allies with health and shields; something that I think actually is useful, because at this point, we're encountering enemies that kind of need to be ganged up on to be effectively killed. So while previously, just sacrificing your low-health allies was the way to go, now there are instances where you sort of need certain people alive in order to win certain fights, and there's a whole OTHER layer of strategy on top of that.

//But what makes Nozomi so good is that her healing power is CRAZY for a level 1 ability! Not only does her healing restore your health, not only does it cure any stat abnormalities, not only does it get rid of fatigue so allies can move further across the board to attack...but it also REMOVES! STUN!

//Stun is the status effect that the characters get when they unleash their Ultimate's, and it's by far the most crippling status effect in the game. If you use an Ultimate, not only can you not move for the rest of that turn, but you're stuck on the NEXT turn too, leaving you wide open for attacks.

//Provided you've got enough AP, Nozomi can just...GET RID OF THAT! AND Fatigue!

//Which basically means that if you take out the right enemies and manage your AP and/or get enough meter, Nozomi can just help you chain attacks and ultimate's, and put the smackdown on enemies.

//And yes, she can also do this heal to herself. Although, I haven't actually tested her ultimate yet, so I don't know if she gets stunned after using it.

//Granted, there are several caveats to this that kind of reduce her in terms of capability. And a lot of them largely have to do with how her powers manifest differently. Not enough to make her low value, because the skill alone carries her, but I think because it's so powerful:

//Firstly, Nozomi herself has the least amount of HP in the whole party. While most of the students generally have around 10 HP, possibly more depending on their class weapons, she only has 8. Meaning if she gets gangbanged by a bunch of enemies, or by a boss, it's pretty likely she's going to die.

//Second, as good as the heal is, it's range is very limited. It only hits in a 3-3 space, so you kind of have to huddle your characters together if you want to heal them en masse, which isn't something that's typically warranted for this game's combat system.

//And third, as good as the strategy that I've said is, Nozomi burns through AP like a motherfucker. Of course, if you want to use the heal a lot, coupled with having your allies do damage, that's two down already, but also Nozomi herself cannot move very far, and her range is VERY small. So you need to make sure you have a sufficient amount if you're going to spam her ability. She does have a Specialist Skill meaning that her healing ability also heals allies adjacent to her, but again, movement speed is low, and with everyone moving around so much to attack enemies, that's not always possible.

//However, even with these weaknesses, some of them are actually countered by the NEW GAMEPLAY FEATURE WE UNLOCKED!

//It seems to me that every time we have a defense battle, we unlock some sort of new mechanic to use in the fights, and every time, it makes the combat system way more interesting. Most of the time, this is just new strategies with new characters, which again, we have this time, but this time we also have PROVISIONS!

//In this fight, you gain access to items that you can use in battle. You get three of each item per battle (which I'm hoping we'll be able to increase as we go along) and most of them are just potions that give whoever drinks them a stat buff (Attack+, Movement+, or Shield), but we also have barricades that can block enemy paths, meaning they either have to break through (which even for stronger enemies can delay them for up to a whole turn, because the enemy side moves first and THEN attacks. So even if they break down the barrier, it does get them stuck before they have a chance to break it,) or go around it. And what makes this mechanic great is that you can use it OUTSIDE the turn order, and it doesn't cost AP. Thank FUCK!

//But yeah, we have another sick nasty fight here where we get to test out the characters, and seeing as she did most of the heavy lifting in the fight, I gave Kurara the finishing blow. Her animation of it is really creepy btw. Turns out that stupid Jack-O'-Lantern can be pretty scary.

youtube

//Anyway, despite all we did, fighting an enemy commander that, to it's credit, had a pretty awesome design, just as things seem to be looking up, ANOTHER commander shows up, transforms, and THIS one is so much scarier looking.

//I'm guessing that this one is like...maybe not THE leader of the enemy team, but A leader of them, because this fight was 100% scripted, and in a way that was...honestly a little stupid.

//After the first turn, this commander, fighting on the field by themselves mind you, gained 100+ armor, making them invincible, and then unleashed an attack that not only covered the ENTIRE PLAYING FIELD, but dealt maximum damage to us all.

//The fight is obviously scripted, but this still freaked the hell out of me, because this is the first time that we actually lost a fight, even if we had no choice but to lose. And the weight of that loss made me feel sick to my stomach, especially because the commander just casually strode up and took down the school's defenses in one strike.

//The day ends with Nigou dropping the twist that Second-to-last Defense Academy was actually just a decoy building the whole time, and is protecting nothing. Which makes more sense why the actual strong fighters are here, because it was to trick the Invaders into thinking that whatever was here was higher priority, compared to the actual Last Defense Academy, where, to be honest, most of the students besides Hiruko were just regular scrubs before this point, with no real training.

//But apparently it was always the plan to have the B-Team join the A-Team, so after grabbing as much grub for the gang as we can and getting on the school bus, Takumi and the others ride off to Last Defense Academy, while Nigou sacrifices himself, blowing up the school, and taking the powerful commander with him.

//I don't think that commander's dead though. I'm betting they'll come back a lot later when we actually have the strength to take it down.

DAY 29:

//This leads into the next day at Last Defense Academy proper where we see Eito and the others struggling to get by, since all they were able to find as provisions were canned bread. And unfortunately, the very day after Takumi and his squad fight at the sister school, the main campus gets attacked, meaning we have two defense battles, two days, back-to-back.

//What was cool is that we actually kind of protag switch for a moment here, because we still get the transformation cutscene like we normally do, but this time, it's from Eito's perspective, since Takumi isn't here yet.

//Before that though, there was a scene we got that interested me. Even when shit is on the line now more than ever, Ima still refuses to fight. However, because she begins to realize how desperate things are, KAKO actually seems to want to go in and help.

//She knows that Takumi will be back soon...somehow...because she's apparently a fortune teller?

//These two are just a whole mess of tropes, aren't they?

//But even though Kako wants to help, Ima just straight up refuses to let her. And the way he talks to her is strangely...domineering.

//Again, Ima is the one with all the power in this relationship. As much as he gasses up Kako, he never ever lets her DO ANYTHING, even when Kako is more willing to actually stand her ground against the enemy invaders. You could say he does this to protect her, but it's scarily domineering the way he does it.

//To be honest, what unsettles me most about Ima so far as that even with his sister complex, he kind of comes off as a goofball who's very flippant. He kind of carries himself with an air of someone who believes everything is under control, even when people's lives are on the line.

//And while that's certainly positive, there's this underlying sadism to it, because COME ON! ^^THIS is GASLIGHTING, and very obviously so!

//It's honestly unnerving not knowing enough about this guy, because he's not a BAD person, but he's definitely not a GOOD person either. And it makes me really curious as to why he even gasses Kako up so much if he's ultimately going to disregard her feelings like this. And as Tsubasa even points out here, Ima has a new excuse to not join the fight every time it happens.

//Unfortunately, it feels like it's going to be a while before either of these two jump into the fray, so it'll be a while before we get answers on that. But the relationship between these two is getting progressively more concerning, and not even in the way people were initially worried about.

//Anyway, that aside, this fight was BALLER!

//Our adversary this time is a blimp-like enemy that drops eggs that hatch into smaller enemies, and if there's one thing I can count on this game for, it's to get my adrenaline pumping in the tense boss fights.

//This battle is four whole rounds of combat, which is the longest battle we've had so far. It starts of with the A-Team fighting off the invaders, only for more to pop up thanks to the blimp, and then Takumi and the B-Team burst in on the bus in a really climactic, awesome, and kind of funny moment when we see the initial clash of personalities.

//Then the stakes change up a bit in a unique way. Kurara is briefly taken out of the fight while she builds a turret to take down the blimp, and we have to defend her for three turns.

//One thing that I do have to put against the game is that there is an enemy on this field that is really really REALLY annoying. And it kind of made my experience not as fun.

//One of the foe types you face in this fight has an ability where every time it gets hit, it regenerates armor, and that stacks until regular attacks basically can't hurt it; they just make it stronger. I was hitting one of them with Eito, and honestly, I might as well have been healing the damn thing.

//Frustratingly, the only one who can actually KILL it, is KYOSHIKA, because her attacks bypass enemy shields. And at the start of the fight, they put Kyoshika on the literal opposite side of the field.

//Speaking of which, I kind of started to realize it here, and I take absolutely no pleasure in saying this, but Kyoshika's English Voice Acting honestly isn't that great...

//Unlike the others, Vanessa Milchrahm doesn't have any power behind her voice. Even in moments where Kyoshika is supposed to scream out an attack, her voice just comes out so soft in the delivery that it just sounds overdramatic and fake. Which is not great for a character who is supposed to be anime incarnate, and a real shame, because every other VA in this game is doing an absolutely banger job.

//But yeah, there's not much to talk about. After the turret shoots the blimp down, we now bring it to our level and fight it proper, and this time, I gave Yugamu the finishing blow, because I feel like he needed the stat buff the most.

//Like I said, the debut fight for Tsubasa and Gaku ended up being genuinely awesome, but this one managed to actually outdo that for me. Especially when you couple it with the fight at S.T.L.D.A the day before.

//We have a brief bit of banter between the two parties as the B-Squad finally get admitted into the school, and almost immediately, Kurara goes in hard.

//The way that she talks to people kind of reminds me of Hiyoko when she's at her worse, though...perpetually.

//Though considering how some of these character arcs are working so far, I am expecting a quick turnaround for her. I feel like we'll be able to humble her fairly soon, otherwise team morality is gonna be shot.

CONCLUSION:

//But yeah, that's where I'm at now, GOD the introduction to this group was AMAZING. But my main takeaways:

Eito is just progressively getting more and more sus, and I'm really worried that we're gonna have a Spider-Man: Far From Home type of deal where he's gonna be put in a powerful position in the group, and only then is he going to reveal his true colours.

I'm sitting strong with my theory that we all got transported into the future, but it does leave me wondering where the motive to save the TRC actually lies then, because Sirei claims that it's still standing at the beginning of the game, and I'm inclined to believe him.

The students from Second-to-last Defense Academy have debuted, and I already have a lot of good things to say about them, even though one is rude and spiteful, one is deranged and perverted, and one is gullible and silly. Of the new squad, Yugamu is my favourite as a CHARACTER, but in terms of combat prowess, Kurara and Nozomi are the highlights for me. Kurara especially is the most fun character to play so far.

I have no idea how Nozomi fits into the story, or how she might be connected to Karua. I can't even begin to guess either.

//Anyway, this has been my discussion for this arc of the story. We have the whole squad now besides Moko, so now it's just a matter of getting her back, and getting Shouma, Ima, and Kako to fight. I'm guessing the Tsukumo Twins will be next to join the fray considering Kako's apparent willingness now. And everything is awesome.

//If you couldn't already tell, I am loving the fuck out of this game.

//If you haven't played the game, and you ignored my spoiler warning at the beginning, and just wanted to hear me give a plot summery of the events, I still implore you to pick up this game and play it.

//Because I'm telling you right now. Nothing I have said is doing this game ANY justice.

-Mod

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r0semultiverse · 21 days ago

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Happy 4/13, here's the Deltritan or Satyr Equivalent to Dragon Ball for their species and civilization.

#this was originally just satyr goku but uhhhh then i started thinking of more ideas with tien shinhan and krillin and bulma so uh yeahh #bulma's was rushed near the end; did all this on mouse and keyboard not a tablet and pen or phone & over 50 layers lmao #yes I spent way too long on this and yes i am mostly proud of it xD wanted to do something for 4/13 so here you go hs fandom #also partner wanted to see this idea realized since i had joked about it so i said screw it i'll make it real #instead of Shenron it's a Draconequus like Discord thus Draconequus ball instead of dragon ball collect his chaos orbs idk #once enough chaos magic is gathered in his orbs he will be summoned and grant one wish you get the idea; Dirk likes MLP #so i figure a narrative made by him would have influences of his subconscious yknow? just made sense in my mind #but yeah so here's some satyr headcanons for the satyrs species in hsbc in the form of a poster you would find in a omega kids room #i suppose if they're also called that but i guess we don't know yet; we don't know much of anything but wanted to get this out b4 413 #juuust in case one gets revealed on 4/13 and I get something correct it would be really neat and funny :)#no its not perfect it was meant to be a rushed silly edit then went further and just kept going; i know there's issues all over lol #anyway here's my deltritus prediction that at least one kid will have some kind of anime poster and it'll be a legally distinct parody thin #we got some horse themes and some aquatic elements in there and the non-humans i didnt have time to edit ideas in for lol #ran out of time with Roshi and Yamcha so they're gonna be rthe classic greyscale humans just because i gotta rest soon and april 13 #homestuck beyond canon #homestuck #homestuck satyr #homestuck fanart #413 #4/13 #this was an old dvd or vhs poster that somehow has adult piccolo with the rest of the original gang lol this is a joke edit but also #i drew stuff so going in fanart tag c: <3 no reference just drew some stuff on; the nose for son goku was from zoidberg futurama thou #lets see how much of this gets proven false or true or if we just don't see any hints of the new species at all tomorrow xD

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o-i-w-u · 8 months ago

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oh.mygod

#i got to like room 80 something- with my dead friend spectating throughout almost the entire thing- golly #i'm so anxious right now #/pos though #thats like the highest ive ever goteen and i was trying so hard to play it cool LMAOSOSO #i got to see so much new stuff (new rooms) and and #i died to lag i think- i never got a death card </3 #ill never know how many floors i went through cries /exag #anyway #jester if ur reading this hiiii i had a lot of funn thanks for playing :)#or- watching i guess #pfft #char speaks

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kyunsies · 10 months ago

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hi loves i have neglected mx info since i've been on vacation i will hopefully be back on a normal schedule soon <3

#mädch rambles #god i haven't posted on there in forever im SORRY when my schedule gets busy it just is hard to keep up!#ALSO i recently got off orientation at my new(ish) nurse job #i started working in the operating room earlier in january and its been a long orientation since its something totally new but #i love it and i'm workin by myself so it's been a learning curve but having a good time!!#for vaca i visted my aunt and uncle's small lake cabin w my bf and the rest of my family i really just unplugged it was so peaceful!#and just this past weeked my bf's parents visited so i was hosting them too so just a lot going on but !!!!#hopefully will be able to post on mxinfo soon and make some gifs on here in the upcoming week/weekend! been wanting to gif aespa's new stuf #also maybe gif some other mx stuff just to get back in the swing of things lol every time i want to come back on here thers always so much #to catch up on but ANYWAYS!!!!!!!!!! see you guys soon xx

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goldentigerfestival · 11 months ago

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Since I'd been talking a lot about JP Vesperia (primarily Yuri and Flynn and the heavy changes that surround them, and because I'm highly passionate about them in their original context), I wanted to compile some more jarring if not outright glaring mistakes in the localization (or what were likely intentional changes, because I can't look at some of these and just call them "mistakes"). I'm not going to mention every little change throughout the game, so smaller things I'll mostly be leaving out (namely things that don't really affect characters or context). I primarily just wanted to give some insight on some of the bigger parts.

Some of the changes seem to have been mistakes in translation itself (not just localization, but misunderstanding what was being said in general; such as, there's an instance I mention of that between Patty and Don), so I've got some mentions hanging around for clarity purposes as some scenes didn't make much sense, likely because of this.

Vocal tone with Yuri was the most prominent issue that got me making this, and the context that was changed being right after if not equally next to that (most often also with Yuri but also Flynn).

This is something that has been bothering me for a while and I've been wanting to share this stuff with people interested in seeing the game with its original context. Generally speaking, the plot and story themselves are on point. The majority of the differences surround Yuri and Flynn respectively, so there's going to be a lot of mention of them throughout.

I've also posted video clips of my favorite scenes and the heavy changes, so consider those a supplement to this and vice versa.

Part 2.

Part 3.

Part 4.

(Other) GTF Favorites.

Note because people have vagueposted about me since making these: Do not start "dub versus sub hurr hurr" arguments with me or imply that's what I'm doing with these. Firstly, Japanese is a language, not your English subtitles. Secondly, these posts are not in main tags and I am not bothering anyone by making posts of my feelings on my own blog related to these facts. If you have time to vaguepost and whine about my untagged opinions after hatereading (or not even reading it at all and making stupid assumptions), you have time to be nice to people and find something fun to do. Lastly, I've said many times that the entire loc/dub in this game is not bad. There are specific things I take issue with. It does not mean I'm anti dub and hate all dubs. It does not mean I go out of my way to find dub fans and start shit with them.

Update: Went back through to correct the way I used "dub" and "localization" interchangeably. I don't do that anymore bc "dub" obviously refers to the dubbing of foreign media, and dubbing is a part of the localization process. Lines themselves are not the dubbing, and the dubbing is the vocals. Thus, I edited cases where I really didn't think about that while writing these and changed mistaken "dub" mentions as needed.

---

I'd like to preface this by mentioning the chief director and producer of the game itself has also spoken about localization inaccuracy issues, so that's something to keep in mind (it's in Japanese, but you should be able to use the offered post translator).

I'd also like to preface this by mentioning that in the original, Yuri is more playful and relaxed/casual (generally but including with Flynn, which the dub pretty much entirely changed until arc 3), but also gentler and softer. He has a very large variety of tonal behaviors/tonal "moods" that were pretty much nuked from the dub.

Basically, to get a better experience for this Yuri, I can only really recommend playing the game in JP audio. Obviously you won't get the actual context because all you'll have is the loc context, but that's also partly why I'm making these posts - to cover the contextual changes while the video clips cover some of the tonal changes (because lbh I don't expect anyone to actually go watch the entire game in JP with subtitles unless you're as insanely dedicated as I am, and I'm largely doing it out of my love for the original Yuri and Flynn and my disdain for how the localization treated them).

As a heads up, there won't be many skits in here because I'm going through a specific YT playthrough for these screenshots. Specific skits won't always come up in the playthrough in question, and I can't find a whole list of skits in JP anywhere online. I don't have all skits unlocked in my own save either yet (you can unlock all skits with Grade which I have yet to do in the DE), so I can't use that to compare all skits right now.

There are plenty of small changes here and there that I won't be including in these posts because there are some sentence changes that aren't impactful but do exist. I just don't want to be here for a year covering the random changes that don't matter much. I'm also not going to include details of a lot of honorifics because I'd be here all day, but there is one one major instance that I mention later on.

For reference if anything wants to actually watch the game in JP with the subs (it goes until just after Hypionia), most of the references come from here. Since in some cases the subber just reused localized text even when the context wasn't the same, I did bring some of those up in these posts too. These were subbed before the DE version came out. I used screenshots with subs where possible to make it easier to follow along.

I have a lot of passion for JP Yuri and I hope I can pass on some of that passion to others. 🙏

Apologies in advance if some of these sound cranky. If I sound cranky about some specific changes, it's probably because I am.

---

Since I talked about the whole, Raven being shady and Yuri therefore not being grateful to him incident that the localization for some reason butchered and made Yuri sound like a generally ungrateful or just outright dumb person who doesn't understand gratitude, I'll summarize that one again here:

Yuri has a skit with Estelle originally talking about how he can't find himself being grateful to someone like Raven for showing him how to sneak out of the castle. Basically, Raven is shady and he's not sure he should be grateful to someone like that, and is confused as to why Estelle would be so grateful when she doesn't even know him (because in his mind, he isn't sure he wants to trust a guy with those vibes). The loc just kinda... makes him sound like an ungrateful jerk and not so much because he's not sure he wants to trust Raven. It doesn't really sound like it's an issue of his with Raven specifically but more that he just generally doesn't feel grateful for the aid (and that in general one shouldn't feel grateful for aid like this), which gives off a really wrong impression of him that doesn't hold up throughout the game. Yuri wasn't wholly ungrateful for the gesture itself, but because of who it came from (and I imagine a weird peppy guy in jail is good cause to be skeptical).

We start off we a classic "Yuri, you idiot!" that was changed to "come on already!".

Yuri's response to Estelle mentioning he'd been in the knights doesn't actually give a time frame for how long he'd been there (the loc made up three months, but there was never originally even a time frame given).

Here when Yuri asks Estelle why she can't just leave, her response indicates she actually does know why. The loc made it more ambiguous, which could be easily misinterpreted as she really doesn't know, so I'm dropping this one here.

For some reason the localization seemed to have Estelle responding to Karol directly about the ace always performing their attack last ("I don't think so"). What she was referring to was the tiny monster that walked by, asking for confirmation that that monster was not the eggbear they were looking for (I wasn't gonna fight with the video to get a better screenshot without the annoying YT red bar in the way so the monster is in the corner mid-movement lol). Not sure if that was a genuine mistake, but it was an odd one.

(Also, side note and not putting an image here because it's more general, but Yuri refers to Karol as "Karol-sensei" which was translated in the localization to "Captain Karol". Basically, Yuri calls him "sensei" because that's a teacher/professor, and he's making a play on Karol's knowledge and being their "teacher" about monsters/maps/etc.)

I'd say this is more along the lines of overexaggerating and not overreacting, but this line was literally changed to "haha" in the loc. The whole point wasn't that Yuri just brushed her comment off or found it funny. At this point he still literally thinks she's exaggerating about her lack of knowledge out in the world, her excitement, etc.

Not the only instance you'll find of the loc just changing entire sentences to something meaningless as if they ??? didn't know what it meant (they actually changed Patty saying an entire sentence to "aye"). In some cases they added entire sentences that weren't even there...

Even though I can kind of see where they went with the loc here, the point was supposed to be that Flynn actively thought he would be happy for Yuri to go outside the barrier and see the world.

The loc changed this to Flynn saying that he, in the now, is happy that Yuri is outside the barrier, but then says he got a little less happy when he saw the wanted poster, indicating he was previously happy but got less happy, yet says in that moment that he is happy.

It's a weird case of (past/present) tense usage for the most part, but they also removed the fact that Flynn is literally saying "I thought I would be happy" (thus expressing he'd been wanting Yuri to see the world outside the barrier and would've been happy to find out he did). The reason he's not finding himself happy is because of the wanted poster and the crimes listed on it, following up that his honest happiness for Yuri (ultimately because of the poster) was a lie.

This also means they removed Flynn expressing the honesty of his happiness for a positive concept for Yuri, which, given all the changes toward Flynn in the loc/dub, already now takes away from the fact that he'd been actively hoping for good things for someone and we're left with this more sarcastic take on him being "happy" (his line is more like, "but I lost my sense of genuine happiness when I saw this!").

Obviously his happiness wasn't really a lie because most of the crimes were falsified (primarily the ones that would make him actually mad, because Flynn has had to have been aware this whole time that Yuri has committed small time crimes for the past few years now), but at the time, the focus on this conversation is that Flynn thought he'd be happy at a time that Yuri left the barrier; meaning he'd been hoping for it prior to it happening.

I'm also mentioning it because it's the very first in a whole line of changes the loc/dub made to their relationship (and it's their first in game interaction ffs) and to Flynn himself as he's perceived as a character. The original is much more expressive of how important they are to each other in a lot of various ways.

Inserting the JP audio version of the following scene with Flynn here.

And... the following one from there.

This was changed to "damn, we if lose our balance...". I know they did it because Yuri had just fallen over, but I'm including this one because the context isn't... really the same thing to me?

This loc change is a bit odd to me. They had him saying something along the lines of "she is a princess after all" in the loc, regarding the council backing her.

The original context is more like, the council is backing her and he's hearing it directly from Ioder and he probably doubts Ioder would lie like that or about that, cementing that yes, she truly is, like he suspected, a princess, but it's almost still a bit odd to know. It's sort of like, he knew/had suspicions but hearing it directly from Ioder just confirms it for certain.

The loc just made it sound like well yeah, it's obvious they'd want to back her, she's a princess... but Ioder is a prince, so that doesn't explain why they're not backing him. She is a princess after all, so of course they'd back her... but what's stopping them from backing the prince?

Another weird one for me. In the loc Yuri says that "even the Commandant was a little in over his head", when he actually... really wasn't? All he did was step in. Things got bad enough that he had to, but he wasn't in over his head. Not sure how or why the loc ended up with that.

An example of the loc having a habit of just adding in random lines that didn't actually exist (and in this case the one added didn't even contextually make sense. This was no thank you from him, this was literally him making Yuri do something for him because he was going to ask Flynn for a favor and ended up with Yuri in the cell instead).

Another super weird one in the loc. They had Yuri saying Flynn was "too" late, implying he hadn't made it in time, but he did. He made it just before the battle started, but the original context only says he's late, not too late (which makes sense given that they were ready to fight but hadn't started yet).

This was changed to Yuri just mentioning there was one way they could get out of there without actually saying what it was, and Judith saying if he thinks it might work what's the harm in trying it out. Not sure why they changed Yuri literally telling her his plan, so... again, a super weird change that I don't get why they didn't just keep the context the way it was.

Third image was changed to "someone get me away from this psycho", which... I also don't get why they put that there unless they just wanted so much flavor text that they wanted to change the whole "they're in a fight and he's telling her not to come over here because he's pissed at her because they're fighting" part of the fake fight they had going on.

Not one I have a huge problem with, but definitely good examples of them going out of their way to change just... perfectly normal stuff that literally has no reason to be changed? Some of it is flavor text and some of it feels over the top for me. Stuff that makes me like... why would you change that when there was no reason to? Could be more of a personal pet peeve of mine, but I just don't like unnecessary changes when there was nothing wrong or odd about the original text and doesn't at all come off odd in English. Unfortunately Vesperia got littered with those.

I didn't feel like getting a whole video for this, but basically Judith gives a little laugh instead of just the more upset/distressed(?) sound she made in the dub. Feels more fitting imo to keep up the "lie" Yuri started for her. The dub makes it seem more like she feels guilty, versus here she's giving a little forced giggle to go along with it. Again, a change I'm not sure why they put in.

Ngl I get completely different vibes from these. The JP comes across more as concern, rather than... treating them like they're some mob on the loose...?

Once again, this gives off negative vibes toward Flynn as a character imo.

Here Judith gives more of a reason for coming with them, which they changed in the loc to "with the circumstances being what they are, this is just how things turned out". Reasonably, she didn't have to stick around after they ran from Dahngrest, but here she gives a quick "reason".

The loc changed this to "I'll bet he is". They were just told he's the current magistrate in Heliord, and all Yuri says here expresses he's letting it sink in and realizing exactly why all this is happening here. It's not a huge story beat or anything that gets changed, but it's an example of changing things that don't need to be changed as if trying to play things up in a way that... doesn't feel necessary to me? In this case the situation is kind of dawning on Yuri as he realizes how bad this situation could be/why it's like it is, but in the loc it comes across as more just unimpressed and "of course he'd do that".

An unfortunate, classic moment of them changing how much Yuri believes in and trusts Flynn. They changed this to "gotta run, Flynn!" and he just... leaves. I'm sorry but in what universe does "leave the rest to you" equal "gotta run"???

This one is one of those cases where the localization text was super awkward and wonky, and worse, they actually voiced it that way (like "we have guild's job to deal with". Yes, they actually voiced it that way too on top of everything else grammatically wonky with the entire conversation that they didn't bother fixing when the DE came out).

Also here, they changed what Yuri says about Cumore and Flynn. "I don't know how I could explain this to Flynn" doesn't, at least to me, carry the same weight as Yuri actually feeling ashamed (in the loc he says "what a shame", but does not express shame, versus him saying "how pathetic" and expressing shame in feeling pathetic) and saying he can't even face Flynn because Cumore got away. The thing is, Yuri does tend to posture, so when he fails at something, it hits him pretty hard.

And let's be honest, this just hits way harder than "he will get what he deserves".

Interestingly, Yuri could also fall into the category of viewing himself as sinful later on, which I talk about in my favorites post and the usage of "crime" and "sin" within the JP context.

Not particularly important, but just another (more mild) case and example of how the loc just randomly changed tone/mood/wording for no reason.

Another case of Yuri being more aggressive in the dub than he actually was. Here, all he says is just a plain statement. In the dub, he has an attitude about it and says it in a tone that's more insulting that Ioder didn't know about Heracles.

This isn't the only case of dub Yuri acting aggressively toward Ioder when he wasn't supposed to be and we'll get to that, but Ioder is another similar case of the dub making Yuri unnecessarily vocally rude (despite that Ioder is very polite toward Yuri).

(I left out the subtitles because all they did was copy the Eng localization, which kinda defeats the point of this post LOL. This will be the case going forward for any same circumstances.)

This one's a more interesting tidbit to me and less of a harmful change (i.e. I find that a lot of if not most changes relative to Flynn do more harm than good when compared with the original context). Basically it's saying "sweet mask and sharp eyes", implying Flynn's sweet face is a mask and saying it contrasts with his sharp eyes. I could get into a whole rant about why I love that in relation to some side material, but even in the game itself, there's the knight Flynn with his sweet, polite side and his real side that only shows when he's around Yuri (basically, who Flynn has to be for his job and who he actually is as a person, which he only gets to be around someone who knows the real him).

I'd guess this got changed in the loc because they weren't sure how to word it, though there's no mention of "heartthrob" here at all and instead actually says "sweet mask" as if, again, to say his sweetness is just a mask. It's actually a very interestingly accurate representation of his character - how he tends to not be himself when he's being "knight Flynn", and how that sweet face is contrasted by the look in his eyes (which they say, you know, eyes are the windows to the soul, so this would imply the sweet face is the mask and the eyes are the real Flynn. And of course, this Flynn is implied to show himself in his sparring with Yuri in Aurnion, where sword fighting is the best way to express himself. This isn't to say Flynn being a nice person in and of itself is a lie, but that his overly polite, respectful, kind knight side is a sweet mask contrasted to the man who loves to fight and has a sharp look in his eyes)

For now, we'll be back at Mantaic in the next post (due to image per post limit).

#Tales of Vesperia #GTF JP Vesperia Things #GTF Vesperia Localization Woes #really like... a lot of the time? the other characters weren't changed all that much #it's primarily Yuri who got this weird shift where they just... flattened his personality?#but some of the biggest offenders ended up being some of the most important scenes in the game which is what bothers me #and sometimes the localization is pretty much just... on point with the plot dialogue and other characters #yet for some reason they just... changed a lot of tone for Yuri?#it's just like... Yuri will have personality in his tone and they instead make dub Yuri speak it in a flat way in those moments #this did happen with the original dubbing quite a bit but it's also just SUPER noticeable with the new lines #my suggestion would be to at least play the game w/ JP dialogue and see how you feel coming out of it if you're a fan of Yuri and/or Flynn #and if you like it enough then I'd suggest watching the playthrough in JP that these screenshots came from if you're RLY dedicated lol #it's not JUST Yuri it's just /dominantly/ Yuri. other odd lines just didn't... go as hard?#like Raven and Karol especially go pretty hard on their lines in JP and the Schwann stuff with Karol was OOF #or if you'd rather just skip to watching it in JP I mean be my guest lol I just know some ppl might rather PLAY it #I just feel like... like... even tho not everything in the dub is horrendous... if you're a YURI fan?#it's hard to go back to the dub (impossible for me ngl) when you have this actual silly little guy #who is a lot more emotional and wholesome and Yuri isn't acting like he has a stick up his dubbed ass in some scenes #I still prefer the 360 version plot-wise for the most part and it's a mixed bag there a bit but #I can't get JP audio on the 360 so. it's the struggle ig.#in my case though it's this feeling of like... them wanting to create an image onto Yuri that wasn't supposed to be there?#obviously I don't know what went on in the loc room but I do know I walked out looking at dub Yuri like #him and the original Yuri aren't even the same. I get so frustrated with dub Yuri's unnecessary ATTITUDE sometimes #which wasn't ever a problem for me period in JP. he's emotional and sincere WAY more often #also lbh I cannot reasonably picture dub Yuri all dressed up and pretty the way he is in official artwork LOL #and that's the thing. I see them so differently it's like they're different people #I also just feel like the dub was like. he doesn't fit OUR vision for him. what WE want him to be like #and again I don't know what went on in that loc room but I DO know that's how I came out feeling from this game #anyway this is in hope more ppl will come to love JP Yuri's personality and stuff #but yeah more next time on ''why did you do this to my sweet baby boy''

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