#maybe like 1 or 2 players but not a full group

[wp100]

think i might get ksm tomorrow if i time this +5 uld

[tomicscomics]

12/30/2024

And so it ends... FOR NOW?!?!?

___ AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, it's finally over. Thanks for sticking through it with me. This series was really fun to draw, and it gave me a chance to do two things I found surprisingly fun: (1) draw several anachronistic saints interacting with each other and (2) make a bunch of RPG jokes in a religious context. To be honest, it was stressful. First off, I hardly have any time to draw these days, so committing to two comics a week was an insane thing to do, especially for the holidays. Second, I had the whole 10-part series planned out at the beginning, but then my mind was so flooded with new jokes as I went that I had to re-write and re-plan almost every week in order to keep the series to the original 10 parts. I have a ton of jokes I had to skip, but I'll keep note of them in case I revisit this concept in the future. Ultimately, I'm frayed and unsatisfied, but I enjoyed myself and learned as I went, and that about sums it up. Maybe I'll write a retrospective to post on Patreon, if I can get my thoughts in order. Anyway, once again, thank you all for indulging me in this incredibly unusual series. Tomics will return to relative normalcy soon. Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

JOKE-OGRAPHY: 1. Continuing from the last few cartoons, an angel has been introducing a few saints to playing a tabletop roleplaying game. This series has covered them learning how to make characters, culminating in them introducing their characters and ending with the story finally about to begin. 2. Most RPG players know the struggle of trying to find a group of like-minded players, of scheduling regular sessions, and of actually making it to the end of a full campaign. Many campaigns end prematurely because the players start having interpersonal drama, or because their busy schedules just don't match up, or because the group simply gets burnt out. The end of this cartoon makes light of this earthly reality. Hypothetically, if an angel DID run an RPG campaign for some saints in heaven, they'd all be free of the all the flaws and struggles that would normally force a campaign to end prematurely.

[timbit-robin-art]

i loooove your band au it's so cute!! do they have a band name? why did the O5 have a falling out and what did jean, bobby, and warren play? i'm imagining they get their first gig at harry's hideaway because he graciously allows them to set up in the corner and play as long as they don't bother anyone lol. rogue and gambit both go (rogue drives them and helps them set up, gambit goes to cheer on storm) and that's how they meet

I’m glad people enjoy my silly band idea. I unfortunately have no idea what they would call themselves, but I’m sure some ridiculous ideas were proposed from each member. I’d love to hear ideas.

Ah, the O5… I think they split up because of a combination of reasons. 1.) Worthington Senior urging Warren to return home as Worthington Industries’ heir. 2.) Jean going to a prep school so she can graduate early be the professor’s intern in mutant politics. 3.) Hank’s plans to intern at Stark Industries, which he ultimately doesn’t go through with after he transforms. Of course, there would be petty drama on the side that would further strain things, but those three would probably be the main reasons.

I think Hank looking into Stark Industries would be a big contributor because Bobby would feel betrayed. They promised to stay together, and after Bobby learned about Warren and Jean’s situations, he at least thought that he would have Hank. So, to catch Hank researching about a full time internship would really hurt.

I also think that Warren would initially do everything in his power not to return home until he learns about Jean’s plans. He thinks she’s only doing this because it’s what the professor wants, but then he learns Jean is actually really looking forward to this. I also think he’s bitter about Scott’s encouragement of Jean’s plans, because it’s splitting their group apart. And then when Bobby and Hank finally have their confrontation, he feels like trying to ignore his fate is childish and he should just give in to his father’s plans.

They all used to live at the institute together, but then Warren returned home and Jean is abroad at her prep school. It’s very tense between Scott, Hank, and Bobby, but Scott and Hank eventually making up again probably makes Bobby get over his hurt. He didn’t really take the band as seriously as the others; he just wanted to hang out with his friends. Bobby would later show up to the band’s gigs as support, and who knows… maybe Warren and Jean would, as well.

Scott played the drums, Jean was the pianist, Hank was guitar, Warren was vocals (and maybe another guitar player), and Bobby was bass.

Back to the current band set up, Gambit 100% comes to their performances, which eventually leads him to meet Rogue;

Gambit is already the band’s uncle, so it makes sense that he hits it off with the band’s new aunt. Mr. Logan found Gambit suspicious at first (and to be fair, Mr. Logan is at least 80% sure he saw Gambit pickpocket someone from across the room), but when he sees how much Gambit cares for Storm, he begrudgingly lets go of his suspicions. He still keeps a watchful eye over Gambit and Rogue’s interactions, though. Rogue’s still his child.

Bahhh, so many fun ideas with this. I think it would be really cute if other X-Men are thrown into the mix. They may not be a part of the band, but they still contribute to the chaos of the private school (I think it would be funny if Piotr was an art club member who does art for the band, and Sean was one of their sound crew guys. Any ideas for other X-Men?).

[devildomwriter]

Their First and Last Words in the OG Game

*not including text* in this list is the vert first dialogue they are given, even if it’s not in-person (such as over a call) or not fully formed words like a distant call for help*

Lucifer

First (1-1): “I will explain everything to you.”

Last (80-22): “I knew it wouldn’t stay quiet around here for long…”

Mammon

First (1-1): “Huh? Who the hell are ya? You ain’t Lucifer” or “Are ya foolin’ around? Who the hell are ya?”

*first words via call are dependent on player choice*

Last (80-22): “Nuh-uh!!”

Leviathan

First (1-7): “How about this? I vote for YOU to die, Mammon.”

Last (80-16 Hard): “AAAAAAAAH!”

Satan

First (1-2): “Hmph. At least he didn’t ignore you altogether. How do you think I feel?”

Last (80-22): “No, MC’s mine.”

Asmodeus

First (1-2): “Oh, come now. Really? You should be honored that you get to introduce such a sweet and charming little brother like me!”

Last (80-22): “Oh MC! I’ve missed you sooo sooo SOOO much!”

Beelzebub

First (1-2) “Nope, I haven’t eaten any souls…yet.”

*this dialogue is only available by choosing a specific option in the game but it is the earliest available speech he gives*

Last (80-22): “In that case, we’ll be able to see each other whenever we want from now on, huh?”

Belphegor

First (2-15) “…el…”

Last (80-22): “Right, exactly. Because MC’s mine.”

Solomon

First (2-2): “Hey, you there.”

Last (80-16 Hard): “All right, all right…fine. We’ll go to the book signing with you. Okay?”

Simeon

First (2-13): “Ah, but I notice that you didn’t deny the part about him being cute, did you?”

Last (80-16 Hard): “Anyway, I feel like maybe I’ve made a bit of progress on my personal journey now?”

Raphael

First (60-22): “I can see that, yes…”

Last (80-19): “…Have you forgotten that I’m standing right here? If you’re about to have a “moment”…don’t.”

Luke

First (2-13): “Pff, of course not! Duh! That was a put-down! An insult! He’s taunting you!”

Last (80-22): “Aww… I want to see MC too, but they aren’t leaving me enough space to get through…”

Michael

First (38-17): “Hello there, MC.”

Last (44-18): “Goodbye. Until we meet again, MC…”

Thirteen

First (65-3): “Ahahahaha!” or “Ugh, what was THAT?! Honestly, I don’t believe it!”

*her first dialogue is dependent on player choice*

Last (80-17): “No. This is my first time studying at RAD, remember? My program runs for a full year.”

Little D. No. 2

First (7-10): “Now, now, I think it’s nice to have at least one foolish character in the group you can tease. It lightens things up a little, don’t you think?”

Last (68-16 Hard): “Y-Yes sirrr…”

Mephistopheles

First (63-1): “Don’t touch that!”

Last (80-17): “It’s the same with Solomon. Your terms should be ending soon, right?”

Barbatos

First (2-13): “Huh. Whenever you make an important announcement, the demons here couldn’t care less. But rumors… they really do spread like wildfire.”

Last (80-22): “Shall I go make some tea?”

Diavolo

First (1-1): “Welcome to the devildom MC.”

Last (80-22): “Ahaha! Come on, take it easy…all of you. You’re going to suffocate MC.”

MC

First (1-1): “Where am I?”

*technically these are just thoughts but I’m counting it*

Last (80-16 Hard): “I think you’re taking it a bit too far…” or “Just don’t summon Lotan by accident, okay?” or “Now you’ve got ME bawling, too!”

*dependent on player choice*

[milaisreading]

Hello! Can you please make some scenario rhat CD!yn was trapped with world 5 for 1 week? 🥺🥺

By the way, i really love your writing. That's make my day full of brightness🥰🥰

Have a great day! And happy new year😘

🌱🩷: Happy New Year, anon! Wish u all the best in 2024 and thank u for the request! Hope u enjoy it🫶🏻

Warnings: Reader uses she/her, but since she is crossdressing people use he/him when speaking to/abt her. Requests are open

⚽️Blue lock belongs to Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura ⚽️

Spirited away (mentioned)- belongs to Ghibli Studio

Hello Kitty, My Sweet Piano (mentioned)- being to Sanrio company

"Why me?! I already have to take care of the Blue Lock team! How do you expect me to take care of 4 grown men and a prodigy?!" (Y/n) yelled in exasperation at Ego, who shrugged his shoulders.

"They wanted you to be their guide around Tokyo."

"Can't Rin or someone else do it? I really want to relax a little."

"Nope."

'I hate my life...' (Y/n) sighed to herself, already regretting waking up this morning.

It took (Y/n) an hour to pack her things for the week, and an additional 2 hours till the team let her actually leave. It took 30 minutes alone to stop Bachira, Chigiri, Kurona from crawling into her luggage. But, alas, it was over and (Y/n) was finally at the hotel where the pros were staying. She mentally prepared herself from all the ruckus they might cause, and for the experience of sharing a room with Loki.

'It can't be that bad... At least they are somewhat more mature than my team... And, I can finally use this time to convince Cavasoz-san to get me Messi's autograph. I still can't believe a teammate of his is so close by.' (Y/n) nodded to herself in determination as she walked to her and Loki's room. Not thinking much about knocking at the moment, (Y/n) opened the door to find the French player fast asleep on the bed.

'Must be exhausted from the practices.' (Y/n) silently chuckled and, as quietly as possible walked to the free bed and put her stuff away.

'Hmm. I will just let him sleep and go get some food. There is a convenience store nearby.' She nodded to herself and quickly walked out of the room.

"Ah, (Y/n). You are finally here! Where are we going first?"

Her soul nearly left her body as she heard Luna's voice from behind her.

"Luna-san, I thought you were asleep as well." (Y/n) said as she quickly turned around to look at the Spaniard, who raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"As well?"

"Loki-san is asleep." She answered the question while pointing at the closed room. Luna's confusion morphed into an amused one.

"Well, he did look exhausted during our ride here, not surprised he fell asleep. Where are you going, anyway."

"I am hungry and wanted to go to a convenience store. Uhm, want to come with me?" (Y/n) asked awkwardly. Luns thought for a moment and nodded his head.

"Sure, I always wanted to see one here. You better give me some recommendations what to buy." Luna said as he put his arm around her shoulder and pulling her towards the main floor.

"Will do, Luna-san." (Y/n) agreed, startled by his actions.

"I would recommend that onigiri, and... maybe the chocolate milk over there." (Y/n) said as she pointed at the items in the stores fridge. As Luna went for them, the girl sighed and went to get some snacks and drinks.

'This feels like I am babysitting someone...' She thoughts while looking through the snacks. There were so many options.

'Maybe the shrimp chips? Hmm, I could get those for Loki-san, he did tell me once that he wanted to try them. What to get myself then?-'

"Excuse me, can we take a picture with you?" The girl jumped in surprise and turned to look at a small group of high schoolers, looking back at her in surprise and delight.

"We watched you on Blue Lock TV. We are huge fans."

"Can I get an autograph as well?"

"Are those your favorite chips?"

(Y/n) felt cold sweat wash over her for as she remembered a fatal mistake she made.

'I forgot my mask!!!'

"Uh... ehm... sure. One after the other-"

"Sorry, kids, but we need to get to practice." Luna's voice was suddenly heard and the blonde pulled (Y/n) behind him.

'A hero I didn't know I needed.' She sighed in relief as Luna politely told the group off and dragged her away from the spot.

"Thank you, Luna-san." (Y/n) let our a breath she didn't know she was holding in as the blonde chuckled at the reaction.

"Nothing worth mentioning, I am aware how overwhelming it can be. You don't like this attention?" The blonde raised an eyebrow as (Y/n) nodded her head, looking through the drinks to distract herself a little.

"Yeah... it's not really something I like."

"Well, we will work on that side of you once we get you to Spain."

"Spain?" She asked, looking away from the drinks and back to Luna.

"Of course. You know that Re Al has put the highest biding deal for you compared to other clubs." Luna said matter of factly, which was true, too.

"Ahh... yeah! Now I remember!" She laughed nervously as the Spaniard ruffled her hair.

"For someone with the skills you showed me, you are quite an airhead when it comes to things outside of football."

The next day was quite hectic, but not as much as (Y/n) was used to it. Aside from a rushed breakfast thanks to Pablo, she couldn't complain much. Now the group was in the part of Shibuya Pablo mostly insisted on visiting, Harajuku. And the girl could understand why, since it was a busy and entertaining place. To a lot of Japanese people this was an interesting spot, so she can only imagine how it was for outside people. The only issue right now was that Pablo and Adam weren't seeing eye to eye om where to visit.

"I said we are going to Kiddy land." Pablo glared at the Brit.

"And I said we are going to the Yoyogi park." Adam said back as Luna and Silva tried to stop them from arguing, thankfully nobody from the passerby cared enough to pay them any attention.

'Hmmm... Kiddy land isn't far away from where we are. We can go there, visit Yoyogi after and get something to eat. There are many restaurants around here.' (Y/n) thought as she scrolled through her phone while Loki glanced at her.

"Did you find something?" The French boy raised an eyebrow as he looked through the phone a little.

"Yeah. I think I may have figured out a way so they both can be happy." She said back, fixing up her mask a little.

"And that would be?"

"We can go to both places." She answered simply, looking back at the four.

"We can go to Kiddy land first."

"Hmm?" The 4 looked back at her.

"Kiddy land isn't crowded right now, based on the reviews at least. We can look through the store a little and then go to Yoyogi park. I don't see why we have to limit ourselves on one activity."

Pablo smirked at Adam for a moment and then walked back to (Y/n).

"Alright then, tour guide. Show us the way." Pablo said as he pulled him along.

"It's the other way."

"I knew that. Just wanted to test you." Luna and Adam sweatdropped at the Argentinian player as Loki laughed and followed after them.

"I some times find it hard to believe that Pablo isn't a kid." Silva laughed as the other two nodded in agreement.

'Hmmm there are some cute Sweet piano plushies... but they are all so big. I need a small one.' She looked through the shelves as Pablo walked up to her.

"What does this mean?" The girl turned to look at the multi-colored player and then at the item he was holding. Taking the item, she read through the words written on it.

"It's a color changing mug. You put in warm or hot water and the scenery on it changes." (Y/n) explained as she handed the guy the box back.

"Thanks." Pablo nodded back as he inspected the box. (Y/n) ended up finding Hello Kitty and Sweet Piano keychains, and ended up picking them to buy.

'I can give the Hello kitty one to Isagi.' She thought, then looked back at Pablo.

"Is everything ok? Want me to help you find a new mug?" (Y/n) wondered.

'Maybe he doesn't like Spirited away merch?'

"No, I like this mug, but is it too childish?" The Argentinian's question caught the girl of guard, not taking him as a insecure person.

"I don't think so? You like what you like, nor are you hurting anyone by buying it. Besides, a lot of adults like Spirited away." (Y/n) argued as Pablo pouted a little.

"But, don't you think Silva and Adam will make fun of me?" The girl blinked a few times at the Argentinian's question.

"Even if they do, it's on them. I don't see why you shouldn't buy it. And besides, I think they aren't really the ones who will tell you anything on that matter."

Pablo was quite surprised by her answer, as most people would discourage him from buying anything like this. Saying he was either too childish or too old for stuff like this.

"What makes you think they won't make fun of me?" Pablo wondered as (Y/n) pointed behind him.

"They are quite busy looking through the toys." She chuckled as the Argentinian turned to look at the duo, who really were invested in picking and looking through the Sanrio merch. Pablo unconsciously nodded his head, feeling a weight being pulled off of him and looked back at (Y/n).

"Can you help me pick some small trinkets? A translator would help."

"Sure!" She said back as Pablo excitedly pulled her to a different isle.

Next day was a little easier to navigate, thanks to Adam being the one to pick the spot they were supposed to visit, and he was a lot more patient with them. The destination the Brit had picked surprised (Y/n) a lot, since she expected him to pick some Japanese bar or restaurant to visit.

'A shrine would have been my last guess.' The girl yawned as they finally finished climbing up the stairs.

"I didn't take you for the guy to want to see religious spots." Silva finally spoke up.

'At least someone said it.' She thought.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adam raised an eyebrow at the Brazilian player causing Luna to intervene.

"It's just that you don't seem like the type of guy to be attracted to these places. Especially with some of the comments you make at times." Luna and Pablo laughed silently as (Y/n) kept her mouth shut for the most part.

'He is still my senior. I need to be mindful of that.' She thought.

"Shocker that I can be civilized then." Adam rolled his eyes and then pointed at (Y/n).

"Can't you guys be a little bit more mindful like (Y/n)? He is so much younger and yet more mature." Adam said as Loki quickly chimed in.

"I am younger than him, soo..."

"Can we not argue here? It is a holy spot, after all." (Y/n) quickly spoke as she saw people walk up the stairs.

"You picked a great spot, Blake-san. This Inari shrine is really spacious and accommodating to non-Japanese speakers." (Y/n) informed them. Adam looked back at the group and walked over to where (Y/n) was, ruffling her hair.

'What is it with people touching my hair?' She wondered as Adam spoke up again.

"You heard him. Let's go now." The Brit said as he followed after (Y/n), the rest of the group continued to silently tease Adam.

As the rest of the group was either busy looking around the shrine or looking for the lucky charms they saw on TV, Adam stayed behind to look at the prayer spot.

'How do you do this?' The Brit hummed.

"Do you have some troubles, Blake-san?" (Y/n) asked, noticing the Brit's distressed state.

"Nothing much, kid. I just can't remember how you properly pray here. I swear I watched it once."

"Oh! I can show you." (Y/n) offered as Adam blinked at her a few times.

"Really?"

"Mhm!"

"Alright then, kid. Show it to me." He said as the girl went through her wallet.

"You will need a 5 yen coin for this one." She said as she fished the said item out.

"So, first you take this rope and ring the bell." (Y/n) said as she rung it.

"Then you take the 5 yen coin and throw it into the box. Then bow twice, after which you clap twice." She continued to demonstrate it as Adam silently watched her.

"Then you pray. Keep your hands in the prayer position"

After about a minute of silence (Y/n) bowed one more times and moved away.

"And that's it. After you finish the prayer, you just need to bow once and you are done. Do I need to repeat it?" (Y/n) asked in concern, worried that she was too fast with the explanation.

"It's ok. Thank you, kid. You are a good one." Adam chuckled as he patted her on the back.

'Another pro-player praised me?!' (Y/n) thought in disbelief as she thanked him.

Om their final day of touring, Silva picked the most visited spot in Tokyo to visit, which was none other than Ginza. The place of the most luxurious malls, restaurants, bars, and many more things. Now, this was a spot (Y/n) was all too familiar with because her parents would drag her here because of business dinners. She shuddered a little at those memories, remembering all the times her parents would berate her to not act like a girl before the dinner.

'Assholes.' She thought as Silva suddenly patted her on the back.

"Now, kiddo. Since you are the translator and guide here, where should we go first?" The Brazilian questioned as (Y/n) thought for a moment.

"There is a mall nearby, I heard it has some good quality clothes and other things. Maybe that?" She suggested.

"To the mall it is, then. Afterwards we will eat something. I heard there is a nice place that has traditional food." Luna added in.

"I wonder if they have mangas in English around." Pablo off-handedly commented as (Y/n) lead them through the crowd.

And sure enough, they ended up in a clothing store at one of Ginza's most expensive malls. And while the rest were looking at the different clothes without bothering with the prize tags too much, (Y/n) couldn't help but be shocked at how expensive the stuff actually was. Prior to Blue Lock she didn't bat an eye much on the things, having grown up rich and around rich people for the most part. But, after getting to know a lot of her new friends, and hearing about their lives, she did take a much better look at her own life and the standards she grew up on.

'30K yen on a jacket is quite insane.' She hummed, leaving the item to look at something else.

"Hmm? You think this one would look good?"

"Yeah sure. Just hurry up." The girl froze in her spot as she heard two familiar voices nearby.

'Aren't those my brothers?' She gulped and peeked to look at the spot the voices came from, and sure enough, they were there.

'I will not be tormented today. No way.' She paled a little and slowly started backing away, which caused her to accidentally bump into someone and fall to the ground.

"I-I am so sorry, sir." (Y/n) looked up as she apologized to the man, who was anything but pleased.

"Can you kids not look properly? Do they let anyone inside now?" He spoke harshly, trying to grab her, but was stopped by someone.

"The kid said he was sorry, now move along." Silva said in a cold tone, grabbing the older man's hand before he could move any further. The man was a little intimidated by Silva's height and quickly walked away.

"You alright there, kiddo?" The Brazilian asked as (Y/n) nodded her head, quickly getting up from the ground.

"I-I am fine. Just a little startled." She chuckled nervously as Silva nodded his head.

"Just watch where you are going. There are a lot of weird people around." The man said, pushing (Y/n) in front of him.

"Let's go to where the rest is. They mostly finished buying things."

"Sure!" She agreed, relieved her brother's didn't see her.

"Thanks again for the help."

"Nothing worthy of mentioning." Silva shook his head.

The last day the group spent inside the hotel, either resting or some going to the convenience stores nearby. Loki didn't have many wishes, saying he only wanted to relax for a bit before going back to the facility. (Y/n) chuckled a little as she returned from the store, remember Loki's horrified expression when he mentioned going back.

"What's so funny?" Loki asked in his usual calm voice as he laid down on his bed.

"Ahhh nothing, just remembered something funny." She said nonchalantly, putting a bag on Loki's bed. This caused the boy to look at it in confusion for a moment, and then back at her.

"What's this?"

"Some snacks I found. Thought you might want to try them." (Y/n) explained, rummaging through her own bag in the process.

"Oh! Thanks, how much was it?"

"Nothing much, don't worry about it." She said, finally picking the pocky sticks she bought.

"Are you ready to return to our teams tomorrow?" She questioned as Loki shuddered a little.

"I guess? I just hope Charles kept everything under control while I was gone." (Y/n) felt sympathy for the coach and offered him a smile.

"If anyone from the Blue Lock players caused trouble, just tell me. I have a way to deal with them." She said as Loki nodded his head.

"I will take you up on that offer. Thank you."

The next day (Y/n) was back at the German stratum, already done with Kaiser and Ness' constant questioning on what he did with the World five.

"None of your business, you two." She rolled her eyes as she unpacked her things, putting the keychain for Isagi to the side.

"What's that?" Ness raised an eyebrow as he pointed at the item.

"It's a Hello kitty keychain. I got it for Isagi at a store." She said absent-mindedly, not noticing the way it grew quiet for a moment.

"What the hell?! Why did you get him that?!"

"And where is my present?!"

"Why would I get you two anything?!" She yelled back at Ness and Kaiser, baffled by their questions.

'I wish I stayed away for longer...'

[alpaca-clouds]

Solarpunk Game Ideas: CRPGs

Here I go on with my ideas for Indie Solarpunk games, that are not some sort of building sim or farming sim - and of course I cannot do this without mentioning CRPGs.

Mind you, despite what you might think given that over the course of the last year I have barely played anything but a certain CRPG (BG3), CRPGs are actually not really a genre of game I am super into, even though some of my favorite games are CRPGs. But as a genre in general I usually like faster paced games a lot more. It is just that when I hyperfocus on something that usually is a result of me getting obsessed with a character from it - and that is more likely to happen with a CRPG than with a metroidvania.

But how to do a Solarpunk CRPG?

The Issue:

Look, there really are not any CRPGs right now that are in any way Solarpunk. And I would argue this goes again back to the issue that people struggle with telling stories within a Solarpunk setting, as they are too set in the idea that a) Solarpunk needs to be an utopian setting (or a setting that pretends to be utopian) and b) that utopian settings will not allow for any conflict whatsoever. Additionally there is of course also the issue that most CRPGs do involve violence in form of fighting, which is what a lot of people struggle with - even though some amazing indie games like Disco Elysium have shown very well, that you can do a CRPG without a combat system.

So, let's go over some ideas for Solarpunk CRPGs.

Idea #1: Off-Brand Princess Mononoke

If you follow me for any time, you might know that to me there is no movie or piece of media that is more Solarpunk than Princess Mononoke. And thankfully we can easily build a sort of CRPG around it, either with a similar historical setting or just a fullon fantasy setting. Because remember: Solarpunk does not need to be Science Fiction!

No matter whether you go with a historical setting or just a full-on fantasy setting, the idea is fairly easy: The player character has a magical problem and they need the help of some sort of spirits. As they travel to the place of the spirit, they find out that the spirits are in a war with some group of humans, that are encroaching of the home of the spirits, because they try to access some sort of ressources, driving the spirits nearly to extinction. The player would have the choice in the end which side to join - or whether they will try to broker peace between spirits and humans.

Bonus: You'd have several choices how to play the game - but it is not a clear cut "good" and "evil", especially when the humans might have good reasons to need the ressource.

Idea #2: A SciFi Conspiracy

This idea is very much for a somewhat shorter game. Think a bit more like "Shadowrun Returns". Something that has more like 15 to 20 minutes of a runtime.

We go with the idea I brought up in one of the other ideas before: We have a Solarpunk world, that runs on mainly anarchist principles, and there are some arguments going about over some of the security mechanisms. (Anarchy can after all not properly work, if some people have weapons and others don't have - but you cannot undo the existence of weapons.) Our main character is part of some security force, that mostly are just trained to deescalate situations, but are in some cases allowed to use force.

And when a group of pro-capitalists or maybe even actual fascists start a conspiracy to take over the government, and they already have some co-conspirators in all positions. And the main characters need to navigate this with a mixture of diplomacy and violence, with the player getting a fairly good influence on how this plays out.

Idea #3: A Natural Disaster

Let me take one approach, that is inspired by one of the most Solarpunk movies, that is not by Ghibli: Misaki no Mayogai. That movie takes place after the Tohoku earthquake and is very much about mutual aid in the community.

And here is the thing: No, CRPGs do not need to have combat. So this is an idea for a CRPG without combat. We have a natural disaster of some sort. Honestly it does not matter. An earthquake, a flood, a vulcano... Can be anything. It just did destroy a lot of stuff in a big area. And the game is very much about rebuilding after this disaster, about people helping each other through mutual aid, and then building something better from it. It could feature a society going full Solarpunk if you want to (like a positive post-apocalypse) or just something getting a bit better. Build back better and such.

And if you are interested in creative Solarpunk endeavors, I would love to invite you into the Solarpunk Creatives community! :)

[gx-gameon]

So I have yugioh duel monsters on as I’m working on a project and I just watched the episode where Yugi’s millennium puzzle is stolen and the warehouse fire occurs.

And you know I love an au….

Say Yugi inhaled too much smoke. He finishes the puzzle and then passes out like in cannon. Joey and Tristian come and save him from the fire, but Yugi doesn’t wake up.

He’s not dead but he is in a coma.

The gang tries everything to wake him up. Even putting the puzzle around his neck to see if the spirit can reach out to him. But he’s so far in his own head that even Yami can’t reach him.

The group is devastated.

Teá is heartbroken over the loss of her friend. She visits him often in the hospital and tries to talk to him. But she doesn’t know what to do.

Tristan’s angry. He’s angry at Bandit Keith and wants him brought to justice. He’s angry at the puzzle spirit for starting this whole mess in the first place. He’s angry at himself for not getting there sooner. He’s trying to cope by getting the authorities to look for Keith.

Joey is a mixture of both. Yugi believed in him. A no good street punk. Because of Yugi’s friendship he’s gone from a directionless kid to one of the world’s best Duel Monsters players. His sister’s surfer was paid for by Yugi (his prize money but same thing) he can’t let Yugi go.

He’s at the hospital every day, talking to Yugi. Telling him about the new games coming out, new duel monsters cards and news, how Dungeon Dice is selling. Anything he thinks Yugi would be interested in. He tell him about their friends and how they are struggling. He always ends by begging his friend to wake up. He’s even started talking to the puzzle begging the spirit to wake Yugi up.

Then the Egyptian exhibit comes to town. Ishizu seeks them out. She knows something horrible has happened to Yugi. She arrives at the hospital and tells them about the rare hunters, how they were the ones controlling Keith. How they are after the Millennium Puzzle.

Tristian’s about ready to throw it at them so that no one else in the group gets hurt. Joey disagrees as Yugi wouldn’t let go of the puzzle in a burning building he’d never want them to give it to a crazy cult. Teá’s with Joey.

Ishizu then reveals that the leader of the Rare hunters, Marik, has the Millenium Rod. It has the power to control and warp minds and might be able to find Yugi’s consciousness and bring it back into control of his body.

That’s all the group needs to hear. They are beating these rare hunters. And wouldn’t you know it, the hunters are coming to them thanks to Kaiba’s tournament.

Now questions that need answered.

The millennium puzzle can’t stay at the hospital, it’s way too easy to steal. Does Yami

1) possess Yugi’s body and help that way.

I don’t think so because he’s cripple with guilt that Yugi is so badly hurt. He can’t find Yugi’s soul any more. He knows Yugi isn’t dead but the damage has locked Yugi away. He’s spent all this time desperately looking for Yugi’s soul.

I don’t think he would take over the body. His own guilt would prevent him from putting Yugi (who’s still in there some where) in any more danger. Yugi’s body is also reviving from the fire still.

2) on of the other members of the group takes up the Puzzle.

My money is on Joey. He’s the other duelist in the group and has the best shot of winning.

I don’t think Yami will take control the same way he does with Yugi. He and Joey aren’t that close. But he eventually can talk to Joey.

This leads to a battle city with Joey as the leading man.

Maybe he wins the first duel on his own.

But the second is against a rare hunter (he misses the alley way encounter because he was already at the hospital for Yugi.) during this duel he’s full of rage. These are the people who hurt Yugi. He’s losing because he’s making basic mistakes in his anger. This is the first time Yami makes contact with Joey.

Together they defeat the rare hunter. Their team work isn’t as good as Yugi and Yami but it will do. They are both completely committed to getting reel fence for Yugi as well as finding a way to wake him. The pharaohs memories are a secondary goal. Nothing matters more than Yugi.

As the tournament goes on they still pick up Slifer. This infuriates Marik because Joey has no connection to Egypt. He’s just some dude who’s wear a Millenium object that doesn’t belong to him. Even if Marik beats Joey he can’t claim the puzzle. He has to beat Yugi.

Now the question is how far does this go. I have two ways this could end.

1) Joey goes all the way to the finals. In his first battle with Ra and Odion he gets struck by lighting. Yami tries to shield him and it works a bit but Joey still has a moment of unconsciousness. Instead of seeing all his friends, he sees Yugi. The real Yugi. Yugi thanks him for all that he’s done. Yugi explains that he almost died in the fire the puzzle took his soul and locked it away. The door didn’t unlock until it was flooded with Ra’s power.

Yugi’s soul will return to his body when the puzzle does. Meaning that for the rest of battle city Yugi and Yami are standing with Joey as the three face Marik together.

Or

2) Marik takes over Yugi’s body for the pier duel.

After Joey gets Slifer he gets a call that Yugi is missing from the hospital. Mario’s puppet mocks him asking why the guard dog wasn’t guarding his friend.

When Joey arrives at the pier he’s faced with a brainwashed Yugi. After all “it’s so easy to control a body that doesn’t have a soul”

Joey and Yami work together to try and snap Yugi out of it. It works and Yugi is back. Allowing Yugi and Joey to head to the battle city finals together.

[chirpingfromthebox]

The Charge's Post-game Press Session from 2/20/2025 - BOS at OTT

The Ottawa Charge's post-game press session from after their home game against the Boston Fleet on Feb. 20th, 2025.

At the table were head coach Carla MacLeod and defender Ronja Savolainen.

My transcription is under the break.

[Video begins.]

CARLA MACLEOD:

[Looking over at Ronja] I thought they’d have T [Tereza Vanišová] here to talk about the fight.

Reporter:

Oh that’s the first question. Tell us about the fight. What was that like?

[SFX: general laughter and comments from the room.]

[Carla turns to look at Ronja.]

[ID: a screenshot of Carla MacLeod and Ronja Savolainen sitting at the interview table with microphones in front of them. A red charge backdrop is behind them. Carla is turned a full 90 degrees to look at Ronja and Ronja is looking over to her and laughing. /. End of ID.]

RONJA SAVOLAINEN:

Insane.

CARLA MACLEOD:

Talk about it.

RONJA SAVOLAINEN:

No, I’m not gonna say what I said in the locker room. [laughs]

Reporter:

Oh now we need to know.

CARLA MACLEOD:

I just think you see the intensity of the game and that’s the fun part of this league. You know? Neither player backed down, they both were intense, and I suspect there will be a little bit of buzz around it; which is never bad for the game either.

Reporter:

Does that give the players a bit boost on the bench watching something like that?

RONJA SAVOLAINEN:

Oh yeah, totally. It’s always- I like fighting so I think that was a good boost for the whole team. And, well you saw, I think every player stand up and cheered for her. So that was good. A good one.

Reporter:

The- Overall is this, like, almost a loss that feels a little bit like a win? By the way you came back and grabbed a point in a game you were down in?

CARLA MACLEOD:

Yeah we had a tougher start there. We could see it. You know, we knew we had to kind of find our way and dig out of it. And to your point, the resiliency that we showed. Big kill there at the end of the third. Recognize we’d only had 90 seconds left to try to get something brewing. And able to plot 2 in that timeline there was really great.

You know, obviously, when you can call a timeout and set up a play and it wasn’t perfectly executed of course, but it finished the right way. So it gave us a lot of momentum. And you look at maybe last game’s overtime to this game’s overtime, a lot of credit goes to our players and their adjustment. Pushing to win the hockey game instead of just defending the hockey game. And it allowed us to have a lot of O-zone time. So yeah, we’re- You know, we’re on the 3-game point streak right now. Obviously we want to tilt the overtime points to get that extra one: that’s an important piece for us. But it’s not lost on us that we’re getting better.

Reporter:

Was the last week and everything that happened with- from Edmonton and back to leaving Edmonton and then coming back, all that whole thing, extended road trip, was that exhausting at all? Mentally if anything?

RONJA SAVOLAINEN:

I mean, I think we growed up pretty much from that trip. We were together all the time and, I mean, shit happens. I think we had a lot of fun with the group when, obviously, there were a lot of cancellations with the flights and everything. But we were still sticking together and having fun together, eating dinners together and that kind of thing. So I mean it was a nice trip even though we came home pretty late. [Looks at Carla and they laugh.] But that’s life.

Reporter:

Did that whole chaos affect anything with the roster tonight?

CARLA MACLEOD:

Not really. The roster was just being managed based on medical.

Reporter:

And Boston’s obviously right ahead of you guys in the standings. Is there a lot of standings watching at this point in the season?

CARLA MACLEOD:

You just- This league—from game 1 through game 30—you got to get points. So regardless of standing watching per se, or watching the standings, it’s just about executing and getting the job done. And that’s our objective. We’ve got to start to string some games together here where we’re collecting 3 points. Because you can move in a hurry if you find your way that way. It’s easier said than done because there’s always good opponents across from you, but we really genuinely believe the momentum is shifting to us and we can start to see that we can wear teams down.

Reporter:

Went into overtime, obviously, very much felt like it was in Ottawa’s favor for a lot of it. What are some positives you can take away from that going into the next game?

CARLA MACLEOD:

Massive. That’s the best overtime we’ve played as Ottawa: PWHL Ottawa or Ottawa Charge. So really great effort by everyone. And there was a good energy on the bench for when everyone was going out. You know, we had multiple opportunities to finish that game off. I think we had hemmed that group in for substantial amount of time. But it just goes to show in that scenario, 3 on 3, like just one mishandled puck and it can turn on a dime. But really proud of what we did. Really proud of how we played. And we dug out and that’s a good team effort.

Reporter:

Ronja, you’ve been getting more and more power play time. Can you kind of describe your role in the power play?

RONJA SAVOLAINEN:

Yeah, just want to be a big person in front of the goalie. And obviously just make her life harder. And also just help the people there when there comes a loose puck. I go and help and yeah. I just try to be a big person in front of the net and screen all the passes and the shots.

Reporter:

Does it feel weird being a natural defender solo?

RONJA SAVOLAINEN:

No. I’ve been in front of the net almost 8 years in- back in Luleå. So it’s a safe spot for me. [laughs]

Reporter:

Seven seconds left you call a timeout. Down by one. You mentioned drawing up a play, but what was the message to the team to kind of calm everyone down and get them focused?

CARLA MACLEOD:

It wasn’t about calming us down it was just- Haley Irwin took that timeout and she took those 6 players and they knew what the objective was and where the puck was trying to get to. And it was just- the message is just: do your best to get the job done. And that group got the job done. But like I said, for us on the bench one of the key pieces was that the whole bench got up and you could feel it. They wanted our 6 players to be successful. And maybe that sounds like a sort of odd observation, but it’s an important observation: it shows that you’re a team. You know? So at the end of the day it was just, yeah, they got the job done. They got the puck to the outside player and were able to find some net there for T and it was successful. And those are moments that are fun, right? Gets the bench excited. I think it helps spill into overtime and gives us that energy in overtime. So close to getting over that hurdle and getting that moving in the right direction. But lots of positive.

[End of Video.]

[peachhcs]

We need a part two to the Emma and Gabe angst nowww

sooo many people asked for a part 2 so here it is!!! my beloveds ❤️❤️ as u can tell they don’t stay “mad” at one another for long and make up almost immediately or at least figure out what the issue is

(also tell me how my inbox went from 77 to 122 HAHA is that telling to how full my inbox has been and how i’m trying to get through requests. thanks for bearing with me 🙏)

(also also this is lowkey short i’m so sorry 😭 for that)

au masterlist | part 1

when emma never called gabe he went to go check on her. it was probably close to 11pm as he gave a gentle knock to her door and hoped she wasn’t asleep already. considering how late she stayed up in the library, gabe knew she couldn’t have been asleep just yet.

the door finally cracked open and he saw her familiar blonde hair peaking through, “gabe?”

“hi,” he smiled.

“what are you doing here?” she grew confused as to why her boyfriend was standing outside of her dorm so late.

“you never called me, so i wanted to make sure you were okay,” the hockey player said and for a moment, emma’s expression softened hearing him say that.

she opened the door wider, “oh. well, i’m okay. sorry, i didn’t call. i got tired. i guess,” which wasn’t a complete lie. emma did get tired once she got back to her room and she just didn’t know if she could make it back outside after the long day. she was also just trying to process everything and the way she was feeling earlier.

“it’s okay. is everything okay?” the taller boy wondered and emma hated how concerned he looked for her. his head was tilted and he stared down at her and fuck, if that look didn’t want to make her just break down right in front of him.

she wasn’t going to do that though because that would be majorly embarrassing.

“yeah, ‘m fine,” the blonde nodded. unfortunately, gabe saw right through her.

“i know you’re lying. i know you didn’t want to get dinner with me for a reason,” he said not mad or anything, but simply just pointing it out. emma bit her bottom lip and struggled to find the right words.

“you know you can talk to me, right? i promise i won’t judge you or think it’a stupid. was it about today? were the guys too much? they can get like that when we watch any type of sport,” gabe rolled his eyes a bit which finally made emma crack a smile.

“no, no. it wasn’t..it’s like..i dunno. you might think it’s stupid..” the girl’s voice became small and embarrassed that she was even feeling this way earlier now that her boyfriend was making her tell him.

“i just told you i wont think it’s stupid. i wanna know what’s wrong,” the dark-haired boy urged. emma’s gaze locked with the ground as she tried finding the right words.

“i guess it was just the whole game just like..i dunno. i didn’t really know what was going on and then like..you all have known samy for years and i haven’t and like..she seems so cool and popular..and like..” her sentences jumbled together into basically nonsense, but gabe somehow still understood.

“wait, wait..do you think i like samy? you know she’s dating will right and they’re like super in love with one another?” gabe asked and emma grew embarrassed for the second time.

“no i know i just..i don’t really know. i told you it was stupid,” she shook her head but gave cupped her face in his hands.

“it’s not stupid, em, i promise. i know it can be weird and scary to get thrown into a friend group so fast like that. i should’ve not done that and i’m sorry. i never meant for you to feel excluded. i just wanted you to meet everyone more and hang out with us,” gabe began softly. “i promise they love you. they’re just really..rambunctious at times and maybe soccer shouldn’t have been the first thing we all did together.”

they shared a laugh.

“as for samy, i like you. you’re the one i’m dating. she’s a longtime best friend of all of us, but her and will are like in love. although, i can see your concerns because we are all pretty close, but i promise, she is just a sister to me. nothing more, ever. you’re the one i asked to help me with my econ homework,” he made her laugh again and emma blushed thinking back to that day in french class that started this whole thing.

“sorry i got all weird. your friends seem really, really cool. i guess i’ve just never had friends that were so close before like that. samy does seem really cool and i hope i can talk to her more,” emma nodded with a small smile.

“hey, don’t apologize. your feelings are valid, okay? i’m always here to talk and help you out. you’ll warm up to everyone the more you hang out with them. plus, we can always start small and then get bigger so it doesn’t overwhelm you as much. they can be a lot all together,” gabe mumbled.

“thanks, p. i did have fun today. you were right about samy being really good,” emma chuckled as she let her boyfriend further into her room so they weren’t in the doorway anymore. he grinned.

“she is amazing and i am glad you came along,” the hockey player kissed her forehead. emma melted into his touch, the anxieties she had earlier slowly melting away the longer she held onto him.

despite it being 11:30, gabe and emma got themselves comfortable in her bed to watch a movie. she snuggled in close to him to listen to his steady heartbeat against his chest to calm her even more. he helped ground her for the night while they lost themselves in the movie and each other.

[indie-ttrpg-of-the-week]

Big Oily Men and Women grappling and punching, who could hate it!

Genre: Wrestling!

Touchstones: Wrestling! Japanese, Mexican Lucha, and American alike

What is this game?: WWF is a game about Wrestling! you can play the script, or maybe put your own twists on the plot...

How's the gameplay?: WWW is a 2d6+stats game, however characters can build up Momentum during a fight, how generally Hype a match is, which can be spent 1-to-1 to improve rolls. Characters also have a "Heat" score with every other Character, Heat determines how hype the audience gets seeing those two characters in the ring, 0 is "Two Jobbers fighting for the first time" and 4 is "Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant" levels of Hype. Characters at character creation get to pick not only their Story Gimmick, but also their Role, are they a Heel or a Babyface? are they going for cheers or boos? in wrestling, those are synonimous, a good Heel is just as iconic as a babyface! after all, later on you can also pick up a secondary role, Icons embody their role, Legends are unforgettable masters no matter what they do, and Celebrities are famous outside of the ring. Gimmicks depend on what you want your character's ring role to be, wanna play my personal favorite wrestler, Kagetsu, and beat down your opponents brutally? play a Hardcore Heel wanna play a classic wrestler back for one last bout? play the Luminary, wanna always lose your matches? play the Jobber! The Gimmicks are basically everything you'd like from a wrestling game. The game also features some lesser known gimmicks for advanced players so get creative!

What's the setting (If any) like?: The real world, i guess? you could run in an alt history, that'd be fun, or even go full ace combat and create an entire alternate planet for a fairly simple game about wrasslin'

What's the tone?: It's wrestling, so its goofy, but can tell serious stories at times. The game will usually always tell the story of up and coming wrestlers becoming legends in their own right though!

Session length: 2-3 hours

Number of Players: 4-6 is the game's recommendation

Malleability: As long as its wrestling at its core, you could set this in any setting theoretically?

Resources: The game has ref sheets and

a group sheet is available

It's wrestling! if its what you're looking for go for it. My only tip for running it: Ask your players to choose a theme song for their characters, to add some flavor!

[buff-muffin]

Random little One piece modern AU thoughts and I guess scenes I had about mainly Luffy

1. Luffy is the best guy to take to karaoke. While he isn’t the best singer he’s also not the worst. However he sings with his whole chest and heart and will sing duets with anyone no matter how lovey or metal. His energy always brought everyone out of their shells he just has a bad habit of singing when it’s not his turn

2. I feel like in a modern AU Luffy would still be friends with a lot of the people he met in series just under different conditions. Like water 7 instead of the mayor almost being assassinated he just. Met him. Like on good terms. idk, maybe Luffy saved tyrannosaurus and now they just exchange animals pics and the occasional “hey I’m heading to insert place where should I go to eat” and Luffy just introduces the Baratie with no heads up to Zeff and Sanji and when Sanji spams the group chat freaking out he just says you’re welcome :D

3. Luffy keeps the contacts of everyone he’s met and keep them under their nicknames. Monster granny, hammock, split head ect. It’s the only way he can remember them after all. When nami had gotten nosy and decided to go through his contacts she obviously asked who tf ice pops was. Imagine her surprise when Luffy confidently answers that it’s the mayor from a few towns over.

4. In a modern AU the ASL brothers were totally still bush kids. Like. Dadan’s (probably community house) was right by the woods and they would have a similar childhood to canon with less killing wild animals. But they also a thousand fucking percent had a Nintendo Wii. Like Ace and Sabo fought tooth and NAIL for player one and Luffy was banished to player three with the dingiest controller known to man (not even the safety strap could protect that thing from getting tossed at the tv) And speaking from my own experience as a younger sibling Ace totally spent a whole summer trying to unlock every character in Mario kart.

5. Law met the straw hats in collage at 2 am when they got kicked out of a bar and he was trying to mind his own business. While they saw him in their intoxicated state and said “you’re my friend now :)” Law was genuinely worried half of them had alcohol poisoning. An hour later he found himself in one of their apartments two of them passed out. One of them throwing up. All while he makes a grilled cheese for Luffy, the so called infamous man on campus who is crying sitting on the floor cause he’s starving. Law stayed the night to make sure none of them drowned in their own vomit and like imprinted baby ducks they have not left him alone since.

6. Luffy has been going to riots and movements for years. He started going with Sabo and Ace growing up when they were teenagers and hasn’t stopped. He also never thought to mention it to any of his friends until they saw him on the news at a protest absolutely fucking SENDING a tear gas canister back at the cops

7. I kinda wanna believe while devil fruits don’t exist in modern AU the character still has quirks semi related to their fruit. Like Robin is just, double jointed everywhere and could bend her arms and fingers in all the worst ways. Luffy can either contort his body to hide in tiny places OR he has stretchy skin. It’s nothing more then party tricks but it is cool

8. Luffy was definitely a gymnastics kid. Not in like. The competing sense. But in like the, one of the adults in his life would drop him off there twice a week for an hour. Did he participate with the other children and learn how to roll? NO! He was flinging himself full speed into giant foam mats and climbing rock walls without a harness. He was a menace to society and he was only taken to blow off some energy and it WORKED. Until he was kicked out.

[bylrlve]

Warning! Potential spoilers for Stranger Things 5!

To recap, Alex received this dm on 13/2/23, seemingly confirming mileven breakup

She received this message on that day, which states that mileven are still together and happy. However it’s also instantly debunkable bc they’re absolutely not going to do the Hopper-Mike feud bs again. That is beyond clear.

On this past Tuesday, 20/2/23, she received a second message outright stating Mileven breakup.

Finally, on Wednesday, 21/2/23, she received this message full of pretty plausible statements, with mileven breakup included as fact. Interesting.

This person claims it’s all fake, with no rationale or alt info - what, is Will not important now?

Worth noting: Millie is currently doing promo for Damsels, so she’ll be out of commission re: filming for a few weeks. Early March is probably when she’ll come back, but Finn will be be busy with his Ghosbusters 2 promo.

Two conclusions:

1.) there will be no mileven scenes filmed for a few weeks. Filming schedules are very tightly planned to accommodate other actor commitments, so it doesn’t seem like this posed a massive issue. Hm.

2,) Millie will likely be doing any scenes she has with Sadie and Caleb, aka Max and Lucas, when she gets back. As this message says.

This person is probably just smart and well-informed enough to figure this out, but it’s interesting.

There has been some very intriguing activity on a stranger things set a few days ago - red UD ligthing, castle Byers.., and Will Byers. Will’s plotline for season 5 seriously looks like everything us Will stans have been dreaming of in terms of plot relevance, emotional catharsis, etc. This pic dropped yesterday, and the spoiler acc seems to have confirmed it’s Will:

Lastly,this also dropped today:

(Credit to @1987byler on twt)

Very strange framework, here. If the goal is to set up Will being rejected gently by Mike, but understood and accepted, why not focus on that? Why not have Vecna say ‘you’re afraid he’ll be disgusted by you. You’re afraid he’ll see you as the disgusting, broken boy you are’ or something like that? Elsewhere in the game, it’s being reported by players that Will is being taunted about how his friends are all ignoring him, and how Max fits into the group better than he does. This is canonically a sore spot for him - not so much the Max part, but the general point. So why not emphasise his fear of Mike’s rejection, rather than his hurt at Mike picking El over him?

Maybe because, if this is carried into s5 and we get scenes of Vecna taunting Will about Mike choosing El, it’ll be certain that Mike will indeed pick Will. Maybe this is a means of hinting that?

(Side note: at this point in the time line, El was really just a concept to Will. The one time he met her, it was for barely a minute as a delirious, dying child. By s4, it’s very clear that they’re close and loving. I’ll hear no critique of him for apparently not wanting her to come back - it’s very obviously Vecna twisting things, as he did with Max in s4 to make it seem like she actively wanted to murder Billy.)

Also worth noting: the best Mike can say about the girl he supposedly loved at first sight, after a whole week with her, is that she’s ‘cool’, ‘different’, ‘awesome’. Very lacklustre. Compare to how Lucas would describe the comatose max to a newcomer in s4.

Finally: Will quite literally utilises a never-seen memory of Mike and him in Castle Byers as his happy menory, his safe place. You know,like the Snow Ball and those other memories of good times with Lucas that Max clung to in s4?

Credit to @will80sbyers

This post by @nebulousfishgills reports Vecna saying that Will is ‘the key’, manipulating Will’s memories, and directly saying “You’ll finally matter to someone, Will.” Byler kind of has to be endgame, right? For this to make any sense as a narrative? ‘We can still be friends’ won’t cut it, not if, as the messages Alex is getting make out, Will is still so achingly in love post-time jump that he’s staying by Mike’s hospital bed after everyone else leaves and kissing his forehead (a). Not if they’re still emphasising that Mike is his safe place, his home, his light, in (technically) pre-season five promotional material.

All of this is… interesting, to say the least.

I’ll leave off by sharing the posts made by the wonderful @solgmorell on the set leak (x) and the VR byler stuff (x, y).

(a)

ETA: two of the previous dms Alex has gotten state that Will struggles with his friendships with the other party member this season due to being closeted. This game touches heavily on Will’s feeling disconnected from his friends, at least partly bc of his sexuality…. One is above, the other is here:

[live-emotion]

Live Emotion Review from 4Gamer Part 1 - Rhythm Game

Lots of new info and images.

4Gamer has released a full report detailing the gameplay experience of Live Emotion. You can see their full report in Japanese on their official website.

Part 2 - Story Part 3 - Home Screen and MiniPri

Song Selection:

Some of the initially available songs are:

My Cutie... Drive me Crazy - Lv14, Sing attribute (pink icon).

OVER THE TOP - Lv16, Sing attribute

Michibiki Hikari - Lv12, Charm attribute (yellow icon)

KIR☆MEKI EMOTION - Lv19, Sing attribute,

SONG LETTER - Lv.17, Dance attribute (blue icon)

GLORIOUS ANGELS - Lv16(?), Charm attribute

Maji Love 1000% - RAINBOW STAR ver.- Lv14, Charm attribute

QUARTET☆NIGHT - Lv.??, Sing attribute.

At the bottom left of the image are various filters and search functions for songs. On the right are details for the selected song. In this case displaying the members that sing Kirameki Emotion, buttons underneath to check your ranking (the other has kanji I cant make out, potentially 'completion rewards'), and the option to swap between MV options (detailed later).

Song Difficulty:

Each song has four difficulties; Easy, Normal, Hard, and Expert.

Each difficulty has different amounts of lanes that notes will approach on. 2 on Easy, 4 on Normal, and 6 on Hard and Expert.

The song's 'Lv' refers to how hard it is in the chosen difficulty. For example, a Lv19 song on Hard will be harder than a Lv16 song on Hard.

Music Video Options:

Shots from each group's Live Emotion Theme Song MV showcasing alternate outfits. Likely from an initial set of Normal or Rare Pieces.

Not every song has a Music Video (MV). For songs that do, you can choose between:

2D/No MV - A static stage background. Or, in Live settings, the player can set up to 7 still illustrations as the background so you can still look at your favourite idol (presumably like this Kira above?)

Normal 3D - Unknown. Possibly a static front facing camera version of the MV.

Rich 3D - Also unknown, but maybe this is the versions of the MVs we've seen so far with different camera angles.

Clearing Songs:

Clearing a song with an MV unlocks Live Viewing, allowing you to watch the MV whenever you like.

Clearing any song will also reward you with materials needed to level up Pieces, and raise the Level and Affection of Emotional Pieces used.

It will also add a stamp to a point card called the 'Music Card'. Once the Music Card is fully stamped you can unlock a new song and the Music Card will reset. There will be different amounts of stamps added to the Card depending on conditions met.

[suugarbabe]

Hellooo I'd like to request something:

So it's with George Weasley and the reader and him are classmates (so they know eachother but kindly mind their own business). The reader is muggleborn and a big fan of old muggle music (I'm thinking of maybe something from the 60s/70s like the Beatles, Pink Floyd etc. but you can choose some other if you want) and kinda has like a similiar style (don't know how to describe it, maybe like flare jeans or something?) and totally lives and loves it. But they get bullied from some idiots about it and about being muggleborn and about nobody knowing "their kind of people". So maybe one day the reader gets bullied really hard (calling names, laughing at them etc.) and George sees it and helps them and then they become really good friends and he learns a lot about muggle music and starts loving it. And then - BOOM - one day both realise that they want more than friendship but it's kinda complicated telling eachother? So all in all it's friends to lovers.

It would be cool if you write it but only if you have the time, no pressure! If you aren't able to at the moment it's completely fine ♡

Have a nice weekend (btw I really like your fanfictions)

Babes I'm not sure what more I can do, you wrote the blurb already in your request! That's freaking great, like you did it, I can add a little extra but you did this babes!

You had always thought George was the softer twin. Whereas they were both boisterous and always pranking and loud, Fred just seemed more 'in your face' where George was more observant. Maybe that's how he found himself standing up for you after a particularly nasty group of Slytherin's were bullying you.

They were calling you names, making fun of how you dress when you weren't in school attire, calling it 'old' and 'groovy' and 'ancient', calling you 'four eyes' but George had seen you before and thought your style was rather cute and that your glasses complimented your facial features. He also now had another excuse to jinx some Slytherins.

You had thanked him when he saved you, full intentions on walking off but instead he asked where you were headed and if you needed company. That was the day you spend several hours in the library, you telling him about muggle movies and music and he knows a little bit of what you're talking about since his dad works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Dept. at the MOM, but the way you talk about it makes it so much more interesting.

Neither of you realize you've missed dinner until Fred comes looking for him, surprised to (1) find his brother in the library and (2) find him talking to a girl he's never seen before. George makes plans to meet with you again, and you're taken aback at first, but agree to meet with him.

So you start hanging out more, start showing him your old record player that was your dad's and all the old music and George is in love with it all, telling you that he thinks it's more magical than most stuff he's experienced.

And when he asks you to the yule ball your confused, because he could ask anyone, but George has never been more sure of anything in his life.

With him being in Gryffindor and you in Ravenclaw you opted to go for golden color dress (it matched most closely with both houses and also complimented your glasses frames).

When you met George at the bottom of the Ravenclaw steps you nearly took his breath away, and it was at that moment he knew he never wanted anyone else.

George could do nothing but smile on the dance floor watching you enjoy yourself and playfully criticising wizard music, "Not to say anything bad about wizarding music, all music is great if the listener likes it, but I know quite a few muggle songs that I'd much rather listen to right now."

And George would smile and nod in agreeance while he swayed with his hands on your waist, watching your lips as you talked so enthusiastically only to be suddenly cut off by his lips on yours.

You respond immediately, hands finding trace in the hair at the base of his skull pulling him closer. And when you finally break away, both breathless, chests heaving, George just smiles and tells you to continue what you were saying, that he just had to kiss you quickly before he got to scared later.

[jamiesfootball]

Whumptober Easy Mode Edition

Day 2: Trust Issues

Going into Whumptober, I knew I wouldn't be able to fill every day's prompt. However, my discord group is doing daily discussions on each day's prompts, so my goal for the month is to at least play with the ideas and then share a little ditty about them on tumblr. If they get written in the future, great! If not, we can at least all have fun playing in the sandbox together

And then today's idea snowballed and it's actually longer than some of the fics I've posted - it's just gonna be like that sometimes. I talk a lot on discord.

So for today I have in mind an AU of the story I posted for day 1:

What if Ted had tried to reach out to Jamie after he was sent back to Manchester? What if he succeeded?

The general idea is that once Jamie leaves, Ted does keep attempting to reach out to him – at first with well-meant voicemails that Jamie reads the worst into, but then via annoyingly chipper text messages.

The problem is that the nicer Ted is, the more Jamie thinks he’s rubbing his face in it.

“Caught your game last night! I know you weren’t on the field much, but boy you made an impression on those spurs. Way to go, bud!”

To which Jamie hears Ted delighting in his severely reduced minutes, sarcastically mocking him for drawing a foul in the last ten minutes. Disguising mind games behind a facade of kindness.

He already got suckered in by that once. Look where letting people in got him. 

He has no way of knowing that Ted actually cares (except Ted insisting he does, of course). More than that, he has no idea that Ted feels guilty for him getting sent off like that without warning (Jamie doesn’t know what’s going on behind the scenes at Richmond, and Ted is taking full responsibility for the fact that Rebecca ‘misunderstood’ whether Ted wanted to keep Jamie.)

But if Ted thinks that his insistent ‘Good luck out there today!’s are going to somehow get into Jamie’s head, or even trick Jamie into giving up details about City, then he’s sorely mistaken.

In fact, Jamie’s going to take this opportunity to tell Ted exactly what he thinks of him.

So they fall into a pattern:

Ted watches all of Jamie’s matches, even the ones where he doesn’t play. He sends encouragement and cute gifs that make Jamie’s eyes roll into the back of his head.

In return, Jamie watches all of Ted’s matches and interviews. He unleashes insults. He mocks Ted’s ability as a coach and the team’s inability to score a fucking goal without him, and he never misses a chance to point out that Roy Kent is a hairy old twat past his prime.

To his horror this only makes Ted start bringing up Jamie in his interviews, talking about how impressed he is with Jamie’s performance and how he does know one thing that Pep doesn’t seem to know: that that kid’s gonna be a star one day.

(Ted doesn’t think for a second how the fuck that’s going to land for Jamie when he goes back into the dressing room. Fucking hell, Ted)

But then the thing about Manchester is that Jamie really didn’t know how good he had it at Richmond until suddenly he had to deal with his dad being around all the fucking time. And it’s absolutely eroding him, like roadkill getting dragged under the wheels of a car.

So one day he has a match where he gets to play the full ninety. Should be a good thing, right? He can finally show off, and hopefully it’ll help him shake off the weird funk he’s been in lately (trouble sleeping, trouble eating, jumpy as hell, and he can’t seem to focus on anything. Normal, but fuck it hasn't been this bad in a long time)

Instead what happens is he goes out and plays the worst 90 minutes of football he’s had all season. Possibly in his entire life.

He never stood a chance. With other players out on injury, it was a guarantee he’d play, and the opposing team came prepared for blood. 

Honestly, with the exception of one very bad moment, he wasn’t awful. Maybe 60-70% of what he’s been putting up all season. Not great, but he hasn’t had a full game with this team literally all season and his head is in a funky place and he’s stressed out.

But the match is a train wreck, and his dad lets him know it. He rips into Jamie like he’s nothing more than a wet newspaper left out overnight.

The cherry on the situation is when he gets home and checks his phone, he finds that Lasso didn’t even bother to send one of his condescending messages about how ‘great’ he played. That’s how bad he played – even lasso feels guilty taking the piss out of him.

Later that night when he’s licking his wounds and rewatching match coverage on Sky sports for the upteenth time, Jamie decides that no, actually, that’s not fucking fair. If Ted’s going to jerk him around then he needs to commit, he’s not allowed to go radio silent just because he feels bad for Jamie or he pities him or something.

He sends an absolutely scathing text message in this respect.

Meanwhile back in London, Ted also had a Bad Day. His marriage is officially dissolved, custody agreements inked and everything. He’s been antsy all day, and to make matters worse him and Beard had a– well, not a fight, exactly, but a cautioning. Beard knows that he’s been texting Jamie, trying to keep in touch with him, and he questions Ted as to whether he thinks that’s wise. He knows what sort of responses Ted gets out of Jamie, and while Ted brushes them off-

“He’s a bit feisty, but if you look past the bark, he’s not so bad. Hell if you edit out some of the profanity, he’s got some pretty good ideas for Richmond mixed in. Well, between taking pot shots at Roy, that is.”

– Beard thinks Ted is maybe letting himself be a bit of a punching bag out of misplaced guilt surrounding the circumstances of his leaving.

“Wow, you’re not mincing words today, huh?”

But between one thing and another, it all gets jumbled up Ted’s head. Later that night he has a conversation with Henry and it goes- fine. Forced. Feels like they’re just stuck in the same old pattern of Ted asking about school and then a few question about Michelle. Then it’s time for Henry’s day to start just as Ted’s is ending, and maybe he’ll pour himself a drink. Maybe he’s been drinking a bit more than he should be lately.

Mostly he feels like a scooped out person today. It’s not until he gets the text from Jamie that Ted realizes oh shoot, that’s right. Jamie had a match. He better get on that really quick.

Double-time, if the amount of acid of that text is any indication. The fact that Jamie reached out first at all is a concern in itself.

Despite what Beard accused him of (which does have some truth to it, if he’s being honest), Ted does, genuinely, enjoy talking to Jamie. He’s a sharp kid with his own point of view and a unique way of putting things together. Ted wouldn’t want to hurt Beard’s feelings by saying it, but Ted’s always learned better with a visual aid, and between watching Jamie’s matches and hearing Jamie talk unfiltered about Richmond’s performance, Ted thinks something’s finally starting to click for him when it comes to this silly little game they call football.

Or at least it’s clicked enough that when he watches the replay of Jamie’s match, his response is a very emphatic, “Oof.”

“Hey, bud. Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. It’s just been a long day. I just watched your match, and wooh-boy, I am sorry. I’m sure that wasn’t exactly how you were hoping your first full game back would go. You know, it’s still crazy to me that y'all actually give the credit of own goals to the player from the opposing team that did it? In hockey, we just give it to the teammate who’s the closest to the goal. Which now that I think of it, probably doesn’t make any sense either, but at least it feels more whimsical. A goal by association, you know, like just the power of somebody else’s presence being nearby was enough to turn the tide and make a difference.

“Look, I know you probably already heard all this tonight – that everyone has a bad day and one match isn’t the end of the world, even if it does feel like it at the time. But you know what, it doesn’t mean you aren’t talented. Sometimes a bad day is just a bad day; nothing for it but to sleep it off and try again next time. So chin up, alright? It’s not easy, trying to find your feet in a place where everyone else already knows what's going on, but anyone who knows you at all should know by now what you’re capable of. This was just a hiccup, nothing worth beating yourself up over. I believe in you, and I know you’ll get ‘em next time.

“Oh, and uh- sorry for the long, rambly voicemail. I know you don’t like those. I just…. I really want you to know that I hope you’re doing alright. And you can call me, too, if you ever need anything, anything at all. I’m just a phone call away.

“You have a good night now.”

Ted hangs up with a long sigh. Not his best work. Nothing he hasn’t said before, really, but he can admit to himself that his heart’s a little sore and that was probably more for himself than for Jamie.

Tomorrow, he promises, tomorrow when he's more clearheaded but no less tenderhearted, he’ll try again. Send Jamie all the usual encouragement and let the kid swat back at him.

Ted doesn’t know that approximately four hours north that Jamie’s listening to his message on repeat. That he’s biting his lower lip so hard that it’s reopened the split. That he’s trying to choke down a sob and losing. That if he presses his face any harder into the cushions, he’ll disappear.

No one told Jamie any of that. Ted’s the only one.

It was easier to brush off Ted when he couldn’t hear the sincerity in his voice. But he listens to the voicemail over and over again, until it’s burned into his brain, until it feels like a living thing in his chest scrambling to get out.

That’s when a niggling feeling of doubt starts to creep in and he starts to scroll back through their text history.

He rereads all the messages Ted has sent him the past few weeks. Caught between Jamie’s own barbwire responses are the “Good job, Jamie!”s and the, “Well done, champ!”s and the, “Well, I don’t know if that sort of feedback is necessarily gonna motivate Roy, but I´ll let him know you were thinking about him. We all really miss you, bud.”

Jamie starts to wonder what they would sound like if they were true. If they were sincere. If Ted really did mean them.

For some reason it’s that thought that finally makes the dam break.

The next two weeks pass in a blur. Ted’s not sure what changed, but after his voicemail something’s different. Usually Jamie thrills in letting Ted have the full force of his opinion, but lately the kid’s so clammed up it’s like digging for pearls. 

(From the way Beard gives him a so-so gesture when he shares his metaphor, Ted figures they’re still in not-agreement on the Jamie situation)

It’s disconcerting, this level of restraint. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear the kid had gone shy. Not too shy, though. He’s still more than willing to tell Ted exactly where Richmond’s strategy is going wrong, although with less colorful language. No, it's mostly his responses to Ted that have taken a muted turn. The last few congratulations Ted has sent, they haven’t gotten back more than a thumbs up in response – which is the opposite of Roy’s usual thumbs down approach. Now Ted has two players that are stubbornly sticking to pictographic communication methods.

(He may not be Jamie’s coach anymore, but in every way that matters Jamie is still his player in his heart)

Ted’s still turning around the puzzle that is Jamie Tartt when the universe decides to throw him a curveball in the form of a phone call from the Mancunian devil himself.

Ted’s halfway through a greeting when Jamie cuts him off with a panicked, “You said I could call you if I ever needed something. Did you mean it?”

There’s a sense of urgency in his voice that makes the hair on the back of Ted’s neck stand up. 

“I meant it from the bottom of my heart. What’s going on? Are you okay?”

In the long pause that follows, ambient noise filters in, a severe and orderly racket that starts filling in some blanks.

Jamie inhales sharply. He sounds wrecked. “I’m in hospital. I’ve, uh. I’ve got a concussion, and they won’t let me leave without…”

He trails off. A small sniff brushes down the line, but it could just as easily be a shirtsleeve sliding across the speaker.

Ted is four hours away down in Richmond. He was on his way to practice. Later this evening, he has one of those press conferences that’s a little too shaped like a firing squad for his comfort. At lunch, he has a meeting scheduled with the scouting department. He’s spent the better part of a week trying to figure out a way to say, “I get what you’re all suggestion, but what I really want is sitting up in Manchester, warming the bench on somebody else’s roster.”

He doesn’t know when he decided he’d fight to get Jamie back, but it wouldn’t change his answer even if he did.

“I‘ll be right there.”

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials - Number 10: Danganronpa 2 Case 1

//It was very very difficult to decide what between this case and the first case of Another 2 would be the one to manage to breach the Top 10, but ultimately, I had to give it to the OG series because of how significant an impact this case had, and how it set itself apart from the opening case of the first game.

//And it largely has to do with how much better than SDRA2 it does at setting up what a sequal can offer, even if its not by an awful lot.

//Personally speaking, I think if you take a step back and look at all the opening cases of this main series and the Another games, this is definitely the most engaging mystery and narrative of all the opening trials.

//And I know what people are going to say in response to that. And yes, we do still have one more opening trial to cover. And LORD KNOWS what that could be (he said sarcastically.)

//But I feel the need to remind people what this list is about. I am not ranking these trials based on how good I think the mystery is alone. I'm ranking them based on how much I, personally, feel they resonated with me. How much I cared about them.

//I can reflect upon myself and say that 2-1 is a better mystery than 1-1, V3-1, A-1, and A2-1, but that doesn't necessarily make if my favourite because maybe there are others that I felt were more impactful for me.

//But for what it's worth, 10th place and second favourite opening trial isn't bad.

//Right out of the gate, I think what makes this trial so much more impactful to me as an opening is the simple fact that, DRASTICALLY unlike Case 1 of DR1, it's a tutorial case, but it doesn't feel like one.

//Ergo, it doesn't give you a painfully simple mystery and/or hold your hand throughout the duration.

//It instead introduces both old and new gameplay mechanics organically, almost tricking you into learning while you’re too busy untangling the chaos of all the wacky shit that goes on here. Like being fed your vegetables but disguised as a pizza.

//The game sprinkles in trial mechanics and investigation tools gradually, so players grasp concepts without realizing they’re being taught. For example, the glowing paint on Nagito’s knife not only advances the plot but doubles as a clever way to demonstrate how evidence ties to crime scene analysis.

Plus, the setup; a pitch-black room full of panicking Ultimate students; makes the case feel dynamic and complex, while still being manageable for a first-timer. It's a much more complicated and thorough mystery thanks to the not-very bathroom-like liminal space that the first game had.

//By the time you’ve solved the mystery, you’re already an expert in piecing together alibis, reconstructing timelines, and using testimony against suspects, all without a giant neon sign saying, "Press this button now."

//In contrast, the first Danganronpa case felt more like a guided tour of Murder Mystery Land, complete with monotone Monokuma hints. Here, Danganronpa 2 tricks you into thinking you’re a genius detective right out of the gate, when really, it’s just doing a great job at teaching the ropes. It’s the difference between a boring school lecture and a fun, chaotic group project where someone (probably Nagito) brings a flamethrower. The result? A tutorial that feels like part of the narrative instead of a checklist.

//The large reason why I think DR2 leans way more into the chaos is that it assumes you've already played the first game, so you already know what's at stake here.

//In Danganronpa 1, the rules of how the Killing Game work are different than most other iterations, because you're walked through it one step at a time. Monokuma introduces the fact that you're stuck here, and murdering someone might be your only way out, but it isn't until AFTER Sayaka dies that the concept of the Class Trial even comes up.

//Monokuma introduces it immediately in Danganronpa 2, and explains it quite thoroughly, if a little suddenly.

//I genuinely believe the tension among the characters and their reactions to being thrust into a mutual killing game feel much heavier in Danganronpa 2 compared to other games. I even think the stakes are automatically higher than V3, despite how terrifying things seem right from the get go in that game.

//Right from the outset, there’s a palpable sense of unease, and the characters’ behaviors reflect that in spades. Take Kazuichi, for instance. We know this to be common with him now, but his paranoia is cranked up so high at the beginning that he flat-out refuses to attend the morning meetings. Something that everybody agreed to do in Danganronpa 1, and didn't get broken up until halfway into Chapter 2 earliest when Byakuya went off to do his own thing and Toko started following him.

//This isn’t your average "we’re all in this together" camaraderie; this is "I don’t trust any of you, so I’m staying put" energy. Moments like this amplify the weight of the situation and make the entire atmosphere more ominous and unsettling than its predecessor. Even though Jabberwock Island is way more out in the open than Hope's Peak was.

//The setup for the murder itself is also quite clever. Byakuya, a returning character from the first game, (or so we think at the time) decides to host a party to keep everyone in one place and prevent a murder.

//Because what could possibly go wrong with that plan?

//Well, everything, as it turns out.

//Fuyuhiko refuses to attend, probably because he’s too busy being the resident jerk, and in a twist dripping with irony, Byakuya’s noble attempt to maintain order directly leads to his demise. The dramatic irony here is so thick you could cut it with Nagito’s glowing, conveniently placed knife.

//Which we will get to.

//What really elevates this case is the setting and investigation. And as I already eluded to, the first case always takes place in a typically liminal setting, and that applies to the Another games too. Makoto's bathroom, the Old Building, the Library, the Girls' Bathroom, and the Belltower are all very simple areas, with the SDRA2 Belltower being the most vast.

//But in DR2, the quirks and layout of the Old Building are taken full advantage of, more than any of those other places where they contain at least one minor nitpick that insinuates there's more going on than there appears to be.

//Instead of snooping around in someone’s private bedroom, as we did in the first game, we’re exploring an old, creaky building full of mysteries and logistical challenges. From the blackout setup to the hidden compartments, every element feels like a classic whodunit sprinkled with that signature Danganronpa flair.

//Sure, there are death flags waving furiously, but the execution makes it all worthwhile. It’s a standout opening case that sets the bar high for tension, creativity, and character dynamics.

//But yeah, let's start talking about how this case pans out, starting with the first death itself.

//If you were to ask me who I think, of all of the first victims in the series, was the most shocking to me, I'd probably say Rantaro, but Byakuya in this game is definitely the close second.

//And Rantaro's death wasn't as emotionally captivating as it just was shocking, given how the game REALLY set him up to feel like he might be important, then went a different route than what they had already done with Kyoko and Hajime.

//Sayaka, Yuri, and even Kiyoka in contrast were raising so many death flags, and although it became obvious to me from the fact that Byakuya wasn't there by the time the lights came back on that he was dead...Good lord, it got me regardless.

//One of the best ways to kick off a killing game is by hitting players with a truly unexpected victim, and Danganronpa 2 nails this in its first case.

//And then Kodaka just went mad with this idea with V3 and Rain Code later.

//That aside, Byakuya was already so important from the get go because he's a (seemingly) returning character from the previous game, and even though he's gained a lot of weight since then for some reason, he's also gained a newfound dedication to leading everyone to safety.

//Upon reflection, he’s practically dripping with death flags, because he gets so much significant screentime in the same way Sayaka did in the first game. But even so, it's because he's been through this already that when he ends up as the first victim, it’s still a huge shock.

//Of course, the twist that he’s not actually Byakuya but an Impostor pretending to be him adds another layer to the surprise later on. Obviously, we as Survivor writers and readers know him as Ryuji Mitarai now, but I'm just gonna call him "Imposter" here so we don't get things twisted.

//Impostor is a surprisingly likable character in spite of his short screentime, especially when you consider he’s imitating someone who’s iconic for being, well, a complete jerk. Unlike the real Byakuya, Impostor exudes a level of care and selflessness that makes him stand out in the group.

//His decision to host a party in an effort to bring everyone together and keep them safe is a solid plan, at least on paper. As said already, the irony that his attempt to protect everyone results in his own death is just the kind of cruel twist that Danganronpa loves to serve up these days. However, because we don’t know at this point that he’s an Impostor, his actions reflect more on the character he’s pretending to be than on himself, leaving him feeling a bit thin as a character in this particular moment.

That said, Impostor shines in other parts of the franchise, particularly in the Danganronpa 3 anime. Now, we all know that DR3 kind of sucks, but Impostor’s moments are a rare highlight. His actions there show more of his true personality and make him one of the few redeeming elements of the show.

//So while he doesn’t get as much depth in this first case, his later appearances prove that he’s more than just a stand-in for Byakuya. In hindsight, his role in Case 1 is both ironic and tragic, but it sets up an intriguing foundation for his character.

//The investigation begins quickly after his body is discovered under a table, and it's already off to an amazing start.

//I found this investigation surprisingly enjoyable, and honestly, it felt oddly realistic to me. Maybe that’s a weird take, but hear me out.

//Whenever I go to indoor parties or events like that, I tend to get flushed and a little lightheaded, whether it’s from the heat, the crowd, or the questionable air circulation. Even though I wasn’t physically at the old building, the atmosphere was so immersive that I actually started feeling that same wooziness.

//The setting, with its dim lighting and creaky vibes, reminded me of places I’ve been to for dinner parties, which only added to the mystery’s engagement factor. It’s like my brain decided to simulate party-induced fogginess just to make the experience more authentic.

//Now, I’ll be the first to admit that this might be a "me" problem. I’m not claiming to be the sharpest tool in the shed, and maybe I’m just a bit of a dummy for letting myself feel this way over a game, but still, the sense of immersion here was real. While the investigation itself wasn’t anything groundbreaking, it had this subtle charm that kept me hooked.

//There’s something about piecing together clues in a claustrophobic, slightly disorienting environment that made me really feel like a detective, albeit one who probably needed to sit down and drink some water.

//Genuinely, this setting makes this case the most "clue-like" case in the series for me. Someone is murdered at the party, now you simply need to find out who did it, where, and what with.

//In the grand scheme of things, the mystery in this case isn’t exactly revolutionary, as solid as it is. But the combination of the setting, the clever use of the blackout, and my own personal haze made it a uniquely enjoyable experience.

//Either way, I had a great time racking my brain, even if half of that effort was spent fighting off imaginary dizziness.

//And as I kind of said already, both in this analysis and the previous one, the sequence of events here is just generally super cool and clever.

//The use of the blackout during the party as the centerpiece of the murder setup is a stroke of brilliance that emphasizes both creativity and logical deduction, despite being very simple on paper. In a scenario where vision is compromised, spatial awareness and timing become the key elements in unraveling the mystery.

//With that being said, one major reason it falls short is that the actual murder mystery itself can feel a bit contrived. While the blackout during the party is a clever setup, the sequence of events that leads to Teruteru’s accidental killing of the Impostor feels somewhat forced.

//Teruteru’s motivations, though sympathetic, still hinge on some rather convenient coincidences, like Nagito's manipulation and the unexpected turn of events during the blackout. It's a little too convenient for the sake of shocking twists.

//But even so, that's still a very minor problem, and not one I think about too regularly. Sometimes you need to take a few leaps in logic, and DR is famous for doing so. It's only with cases like 2-3 that do it a LOT that makes it kind of questionable.

//The trial builds on this foundation by introducing innovative mechanics that align perfectly with the unique circumstances of the case. For instance, the glowing paint on the knife becomes a pivotal clue, as well as a Chekovs (I've definitely spelt that wrong) Gun that at first seems like a red herring and not part of the case, only to be an integral part of the real scheme later.

//Similarly, the use of sound adds another layer of depth. Unlike 1-1 where you literally have to use your eyes and the culprit is just spelled out for you, here, they do basically the exact reverse.

//What makes this even more effective is how seamlessly these mechanics double as a tutorial, as I've kind of already gone over, but I want to elaborate on. The game gently introduces players to its more complex investigative tools without making the process feel like a chore.

//You’re not just learning how to use Truth Bullets or analyze contradictions, you’re actively piecing together a mystery that feels compelling and genuinely challenging. By tying these mechanics to a clever and memorable setup like the blackout, this case manages to be both instructive and immersive, making the trial a standout moment that’s as fun to play as it is to solve.

//And then there's how it all critically ends with "ON-THE-MEAT-BONE!" And speaking of which...

//One big issue that I see a lot of people take with this trial is who ends up being the killer, and...yeah, I understand why.

//But in case I haven't made it clear so far with this blog, I actually don't dislike Teruteru at all!

//Again, just as Imposter is my second favourite victim for an opening case, Teruteru is...well...he's technically my FAVOURITE first-case killer, but assuming we count the killer of Danganronpa V3's first case as Kaede, then he's my second favourite.

//Teruteru is, understandably, one of the more polarizing characters in Danganronpa as a whole. His behavior often crosses the line into outright predatory territory, making him difficult to defend.

//But, if we’re being honest, he’s also a more entertaining and complex character than certain other franchise favorites like Yasuhiro or Hifumi . While those two often devolve into comic relief without much depth, Teruteru has layers to his personality that make him more interesting to watch, his involvement in this case be damned.

///...Even if those layers come with a side of sleaze.

//I genuinely think that every killer in Danganronpa 2 has a certain degree of sympathy and likeability to them regardless of their motivations, and that includes both Mikan and Teruteru.

//What sets Teruteru apart is that, despite having traits like being short and uncomfortably perverted, he’s nothing like your stereotypical perverted, touchy anime character.

//My Hero Academia’s Minoru Mineta, for example. That character gets a lot of flak for being a one-note pervert (and, let’s face it, deservedly so), but Teruteru has an actual backstory, genuine character motivations, and even some moments of surprising emotional depth.

//His perversion, while still off-putting, isn’t his sole defining trait. Instead, his actions and decisions stem from a mix of personality quirks, life circumstances, and emotional vulnerability.

//When you dig deeper into his motive for murder, you find a blend of noble intentions and tragic desperation that make him far more nuanced than he initially appears.

//Teruteru’s reasons for killing are multifaceted. He learns that Nagito is plotting a murder of his own and, in an effort to protect the rest of the group, he tries to stop him, albeit in the most reckless way possible. The murder plan was supposed to ensnare Nagito, but things go horribly wrong when the Ultimate Impostor ends up as the unintended victim.

//Beyond that, Teruteru’s desire to escape the island and return home is driven by a surprisingly selfless motive: his sickly mother. After realizing his school memories were erased, Teruteru becomes desperate to leave, fearing for her well-being while she struggles to run their family diner alone.

//His guilt over accidentally killing the Impostor feels genuine. He doesn’t wish he could undo his actions entirely, as his intentions were arguably good, but he deeply regrets the unintended consequences.

//And it's even more gut-wrenching upon reflection when you realize that not only is Teruteru's mother most likely dead, but that as a Remnant of Despair, Teruteru likely killed and ate her himself.

//I would argue that Ayame did the half-heroic, half-realistic goals for murder thing better, but hey, I can't stay mad at Teruteru for this, despite himself. His motives were noble, regardless of whether they were selfish or selfless.

//It’s easy to argue that Nagito manipulated him into this situation, making Teruteru’s downfall all the more tragic. Beneath the inappropriate jokes and questionable behavior lies a character who’s more human than he initially lets on...and that complexity makes him a fascinating, if controversial, addition to the cast.

//But of course, let's not beat around the bush.

//The characters are what makes these cases as great as they are, but even so, it's not the involvements of the Ultimate Imposter, or Teruteru's motivations that make this narrative as engaging as it is. No...We all know who the REAL highlight of this goddamn trial is...

//Nagito...fucking...Komaeda...!

//Arguably the best antagonist in the entire series, and this case perfectly solidifies why right from the get-go.

//Nagito initially seems to fit neatly into the archetype established by characters like Sayaka in Game 1. He’s the friendly companion who walks the protagonist through introductions to the rest of the group, acting as kind of the first true friend you make on the island, and the one that you feel like you can rely on, and he treats you with the same respect.

//It's incredibly interesting to think about how vastly Nagito and Hajime's relationship changes throughout Danganronpa 2, when what starts out as mutual respect eventually turns into shared animosity. But that comes much later.

//As of this moment, much like Kyoko in Danganronpa 1, Nagito keeps his true nature hidden until the first trial, when the cracks in his façade begin to show.

//And wow, do they show.

//We all know this by now as DR fans, but instead of being the slightly awkward but otherwise kind-hearted nice guy he appears to be, it turns out Nagito is completely, utterly, spectacularly UN-FUCKING-HINGED!

//Once the trial begins, Nagito transforms into a ENGINE of pure CHAOS, derailing conversations left and right and dropping bombshells like he’s hosting a fireworks show.

//The kicker? He's not even the killer!

//Nagito actually manipulated Teruteru into committing the first murder by instilling a degree of fear in him about what would happen. He openly reveals his plan to Teruteru, chancing that Teruteru's pre-established paranoia will trigger his hidden desire to murder and escape.

//Which is effectively the same tactic that we're used to seeing JUNKO use to light the fuses.

//But it's still somehow not as simple as that. Because in his warped worldview, starting the killing game was a necessary step toward creating a brighter Hope.

//And in his twisted logic, sacrificing both Teruteru and the Ultimate Impostor was just a means to that end. On top of that, he confessed to the crime, fully admitting his role, even though he wasn’t technically the killer.

//Which means the literal FIRST HALF of this trial is chasing after Nagito's actions that gets you no closer to the actual killer, and it's only in the second half that Teruteru's involvement becomes much clearer.

//I will say that this is kind of one of the reasons why I don't like this case as much as others, though it's an incredibly minor complaint for what it is.

//While Nagito’s chaotic presence adds an interesting layer to the trial, it does sometimes overshadow the actual clues. Rather than focusing on the specifics of the crime, the trial often feels like it’s more about Nagito’s antics than the methodical unraveling of the murder, and that kind of takes away from the actions of the Imposter and Teruteru.

//His erratic behavior, while entertaining, makes it harder to stay grounded in the actual mystery, and as a result, the case feeling more like a dramatic spectacle than a carefully crafted whodunit, due to how little focus there is on the actual specifics of the murder.

//With all of that being said, what the case actually does do with that wasted time, cementing Nagito's role in the story going forward, REALLY leaves you with some intense feelings. And again, if it had REALLY wasted Teruteru and Imposter's characters, then I wouldn't have nearly as much to say about them as I have done.

//Nagito is one of the most fascinating and complex characters in the entire series, and there's no one who can argue that. His dramatic shift from friendly companion to mastermind of mayhem is executed flawlessly, making his first trial a rollercoaster of emotions.

//Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that he makes a hell of an impression, and his antics in this case set the stage for his chaotic brilliance throughout the rest of the game. Whether you’re laughing at his absurdity, recoiling from his insanity, or begrudgingly respecting his intellect, Nagito manages to steal the show

//In summary, what makes this case such a compelling opening is how it immediately subverts the expectations that the first game established, and shows that this game is just a whole new beast.

//When you boot up Danganronpa 2, you most likely expect the sequel to follow the tried-and-true formula of the first game. You know the drill: a few quirky introductions, a grisly murder, and a trial where the guilty party is unmasked with relatively straightforward reasoning. But Case 1 here throws a Monokuma-shaped wrench into that structure right from the start.

//The shock of Byakuya’s death, the one character returning from the first game and someone who seems too important to die so soon, is a massive curveball. Nagito's unhinged behavior makes the courtroom feel more like a theater of absurdity than a place of justice. And yet, amid all this madness, Teruteru’s surprisingly heartfelt motives shine through.

//It’s a case that toys with your emotions, your expectations, and maybe even your sanity, which is why it stands out as such a brilliant opening act for this wild sequel.