#now i'm extra glad i didn't go that route

[eclairbrun]

Nano Day 4: 2082

Total words: 11541

Semi-productive day. I was starting to shift from my original character plan of "unabashedly evil villain protagonist" to "blue-and-orange morality character who can't comprehend that his actions are evil by human standards." 'Twas a fun direction to go for the character, but after thinking it over, I realized it messed with his planned arc too much, and it was forcing me to write a character who was planned to be amoral as having a conscience in order to prevent redundant personalities, which was, in turn, changing their dynamic from what I wanted.

I mean, it was still fun writing the bits I had, but it just didn't work as well with my long-term plans. Lower word count for the day relative to time spent writing since some of it was re-writing, but whatever. A stitch in time saves nine.

Also finished a drawing of my protagonist today. Relatively pleased with the results. My first attempt to make his hair look floaty ended up looking more like he was being attacked by a fat, stubby tentacle monster.

[honeipie]

TWO MINUTES

katsuki x fem!reader

synopsis: your child is learning how to brush their teeth for the first time, but need a little extra motivation

“torami, baby, at least hold it for me-“

“no!” your little girl went running out of the bathroom making you throw your head back with a groan.

“it’s not gonna hurt you! it’s just a toothbrush okay?” you walked out of the bathroom to chase your little girl. torami was about three and a half, so you were trying to teach her how to be a bit more independent. she wasn’t up for it though. at every turn she’s given you some sort of problem.

you stopped in the living room where katsuki sat reading his book. there was a lump of blankets on the couch next to him moving more than regular blankets should. the annoyance you once felt dispersed from your body as you walked closer. carefully you plucked the book out of his hand and placed it upside down on the table so he wouldn’t lose his spot.

“i was reading that” but even through his feigned irritation he placed his hands securely on your waist.

“hm were you? didn’t notice” you placed your head down on his shoulder eyes going over to the restless lump of blankets “i dunno what to do with her kats. no matter what i do she just doesn’t wanna brush her teeth”

he let out a scoff moving his one hand up and down your side “you gotta be firm that’s why. can’t let her wiggle away”

speaking of wiggling away, torami had enough time hiding under the blanket and decided to crawl out slowly, but she wasn’t fast enough. katsuki grabbed her one ankle and pulled her right back to the both of you. giggles erupted from her tiny body as he flung her over his shoulder “watch and learn”

the two of you got up from your spot on the couch and headed back into the bathroom. katsuki placed your daughter on the counter her face still flushed from laughter.

“listen brat, you have to brush your teeth-“

“no!”

"hey! you can't just tell me no! i'm your fa-"

"no!"

katsuki looked back at you in absolute disbelief and all you could do was give him a smirk "c'mon kats, put your foot down. be firm."

katsuki didn't give you any type of look. instead he took the classier route, flipping you off. you didn't have time to be shocked, your daughter did that for you.

"daddy that's not nice! say sorry!"

his eyes widened as he sputtered to get his next words out "what? but she- that's not-" with an annoyed huff he placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose "fine.. i'm very sorry y/n-"

"it's not y/n. it's mommy!"

"i'mverysorrymommy. are we happy now?" he asked looking between both of you.

"yeah, that's fine" you shrugged deciding that was enough teasing for today. with a relived sigh, katsuki went to reach under the sink. the three of you had went toothbrush shopping hoping that it would make her more excited, you were both wrong.

"alright pick one of these you wanna use" his eyes scanned the selection of toothbrushes just as hers did. he scoffed seeing the one at the end. he lifted it up giving you a confused look "how the hell did this get in there?" in his hands was a deku themed toothbrush.

"i mean we were just letting her pick up any toothbrush she wanted. maybe that got into the mix"

wanting to be in the conversation, she leaned her tiny body over to see which one you were talking about. her eyes got big at the sight of the green colored toothbrush in his hand.

"i want that one! the green one!" leaning over just a bit more she was successful grabbing the toothbrush from his hands "uncle deku!" she squealed showing it off to you "mommy it's uncle deku!"

"that's right amibaby! i'm glad you found something you like, and so is daddy" you placed both hands on his shoulders feeling them tense up at the toothbrush "let it go blondie. just be happy that she's excited to brush her teeth" He nodded straightening up his back.

"nice toothbrush you got there kid. now we put some toothpaste on" katsuki grabbed the kiddie toothpaste from its cup on the sink. he placed a pea sized amount on the tiny toothbrush before placing the cap back on “and now brush”

torami looked down at the toothbrush and then at him. her chubby little hands switching the toothbrush from one hand to the other until she reached it out to them “you do too”

if there was one thing you could both agree on, it was that your daughter had this power over both of you. the way she tilted her head so slightly, and made her eyes look just a bit bigger. it always seemed to work.

“let’s do it” you said scooping her up from the counter. the three of you made your way into yours and katsuki’s shared bathroom. gently, you placed her down on this counter and got your own toothbrush ready. katsuki reached for his, which looked like it had been used for a good while even if he had just replaced it.

“now remember we have to brush for how many minutes?” you asked setting up your phone. one of the ideas you saw that worked with other kids was playing a fun little video with music and a countdown.

“two mommy!” torami said an excited look on her face.

“alright! three.. two.. one.. go!” at the same time you all started to brush your teeth as the music started. which was quickly drowned out by the sound of aggressive brushing from your husband. turning your head, you watched as he aggressively scrubbed his teeth, making sure to reach every single one.

torami looked at him rather concerned and shook her head “daddy not like dat” the toothbrush still being in her mouth affected her words slightly. torami went to stand up right in front of him. reaching both of her hands out she placed them over his. he stopped watching as she moved his hands gently back and forth “be nice..” she mumbled.

katsuki almost melted on the damn spot. he focused on her face, the face that he helped make. the one that was a perfect mix of both you and him. she had the same messy, blonde hair pulled back into two ponytails. but the eyes were all your doing. every time he looked into them he thought of you. the day you told him that you wanted kids, the day you told him you were pregnant. damn, he remembers them like it was yesterday.

he snapped out of it when you bumped your hip into his. all you did was give him a look, and he knew exactly what it meant.

‘you good?’

He sent back a nod your way along with moving his arm to rest lazily around your waist.

‘i’m good’

this became a special moment in the day for each one of you, though katsuki would never admit it. you could tell by his actions. how he would pick torami up, and turn her upside down mumbling something about ‘time to brush’. or how he would usually take night shifts, but now somehow ‘his schedule didn’t benefit him anymore’.

you never brought it up though. katsuki loved in his own way, and you loved it.

.

.

a/n: a little extra to brighten your day :)

torami sat in her college dorm room on her newly decorated bed that she'd be sleeping in for the next year. it was a hard concept to grasp, being this far from home even though she begged you both to go here. there was an unfamiliar twisting in her stomach that she couldn't quite place.

her eyes glanced to the open window that had been decorated with white curtains. the sun had already set, even though she felt like she had been sitting here for only a couple of minutes. you and katsuki had left early that afternoon. he insisted that you all woke up early to get a head start before the rest of those "extras". the one trait that he most definitely didn't pass onto your daughter was being an early bird. so even though she complained through half of the process, she was happy to know that she wouldn't have to stress setting up with a sea of people wandering through the halls.

deciding that it was time to stop wallowing on her butt, torami got to her feet to get herself ready for bed.

right before she could go into her bathroom, she heard soft vibrations from her phone. leaning over, she noticed your face flash across the screen. torami answered it as she headed into the bathroom.

“hi mom. i’m alright if that’s what you called for”

you shuffled on the other end of the line before showing your full face “hi baby! don’t rush me off the phone so quick! i just wanted to see you settling in and say goodnight. you’re not out partying are you? is that a boy?”

“better not fuckin’ be!” katsuki yelled across the room and quickly made his way over into the camera “where the hell is he?”

“mom was messing with you”

you had bent over in laughter, but the other two bakugou’s didn’t think it was that funny “oh boo! y’all are no fun!” you and katsuki bickered all the way into your shared bathroom, but all was forgiven when he sent a slap to your ass and whispered something in your ear.

torami groaned loudly on the other line “guysss! if you’re going do be nasty at least don’t do it while i’m on the phone please”

you set the phone down on the counter, propped up against the wall “no! we’re sorry, tora” your eyes glanced over to the cup on the side, yours and katsuki’s toothbrushes sitting next to each other. with a smile you grabbed it putting it in the camera “wanna brush our teeth?”

torami gave you a look through the phone, but quickly caught herself “i’m a little old for that don’t you think?”

you shrugged grabbing katsuki’s brush and handing it to him “not to us, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to”

torami thought for a moment before smiling “let me get my toothbrush”

[echojulietfoxtrot]

Okay, everyone's had a few days to be sad. But the world didn't end, so there is stuff to be done. Mid terms are in 2 years.

This post isn't going to tell you anything other people haven't done better or in more detail, and I'm not even American, so what the fuck are you listening to me for, but I think it might be useful to somebody as a place to start, and I think it's useful to keep in mind that none of us are helpless - no matter how much it might benefit somebody else to let you think so.

I'll add to it as and when I can.

NOW

Check your ballot. Tell everyone you know to check on their ballots. Spread the word to everyone you can possibly tell to check their ballots. The Presidential election is absolutely not going to be reversed, but local races and initiatives can be decided by twenty, a dozen, two votes. The window's closing on this by now, so check into this immediately if you haven't already. And if there is any possibility for a recount where it might achieve something, make noise for one.

You would be absolutely amazed how much harm can be spared and how much good can be done at the Parks & Rec level, no matter what's happening up top. Do not waste the chance to make friction for bad guys later on, or lay down some tools for the good guys in advance.

Then, if you have a Dem Senator, call their office and urge them to confirm all Biden's judicial nominees now, right now, ASAP. Here's a rough call script.

Btw mid terms are in two years.

NEXT

Spend the next two months -

Buying a little extra boring ass shelf stable food and water on your grocery runs, and build up as much food security as you can. You're probably not gonna need it, but it's good to have, even only as a hedge against inflation or unreliable weather/disaster relief responses.

Stock up on medication you might need if you can. Organize whatever procedures you might need done if you can, including contraceptive measures. And find a reason to need a Morning After Pill or two in the next few weeks, somebody you care about might be real glad you did.

Consider making any big ticket purchases that will be affected by proposed tariffs (electronics etc), or any... slightly less conventional things you want to buy, now - but otherwise it would be a good time to lay some money aside if you can.

Get in the habit of paying for things in cash, and limiting how much information on your habits are out there. Stash a little cash somewhere, for if you want to buy something less visibly in future, too.

Do your homework about your digital footprint. Accounts, posts, doxxable clues, data, behavioral info, browsers, wifi links, cookies, consumer history, always-on "Smart" speakers and devices, think about all of it. Your phone is telling everyone where you are at all times whether the Location stuff is on or not - get in the habit of leaving it at home, so that suddenly not having it is not, in itself, a sign of anything. Your fitness wearables are mapping your entire lifestyle - it is effectively recording where you work, what time you finish, what routes you take, what stores you go to, where your friends live, where you go for recreation, where your family lives and what your relationship is like with them (where's your fitbit at Thanksgiving, Christmas etc?). Don't use fingerprint or facial recognition for anything, ever, if you can help it - apart from cataloguing your biometrics, it is much easier for a third party, police included, to use these to access your stuff than a password. It probably goes without saying, do not digitally document your menstrual cycle in any way.

Figure out what channels you can use in future to retain access to as much as possible if someone decides you shouldn't have it, or wants to know if you look for it. VPNs are a starting point, but not the end point. Do your homework on this now, before you need to know it.

Look into securing documentation that might be of use in future, this includes property, legal stuff like Power of Attorney, passports etc. (Though that doesn't necessarily mean carrying it at all times to everything, just sayin'.)

What's your ACA status? Are you currently availing of absolutely everything you're currently entitled to? If not, work on it. Government resources are always harder to take away from you once you're getting them than to deny you outright.

If there's any gay shit you like or want preserved, it would be a good time to buy/download/back it up. This includes movies, fics, books. It would also be a good time to seek out and subscribe to independent and non-digital gay media, zines, etc, and get to know your in-person scenes. You might be surprised how much stuff still exists and happens in ways that are invisible to the internet, gay and otherwise.

Don't forget that mid terms are in 2 years.

THEN

The mid terms are in 2 years.

Mid terms are 2 years away. Which means the campaigns for them start in a year, which means the work for them starts now.

All else aside, Democrat flips elsewhere in the government structure at that point would make it way, way harder for them to keep smashing everything, and there is work that you can do towards making that happen. For better and sometimes worse, the American political system is a very big and very awkward machine, and King Dipshit and his cronies cannot wave a magic wand to get their way everywhere all the time as a result. Look into your immediate local political scene, and figure out what you can do for it.

You might be getting sick of everyone talking about "building community". What this usually means in practice is firstly, seeking out local or neighboring orgs and groups that are doing what you want done, and joining them; or else, starting them yourself.

That might sound daunting, but it's not hard to start an interest group, just very annoying early on. You'll have to do a lot more printing than you might expect. You're going to have to deal with some deeply irritating people who are, nonetheless, very good at getting good shit done, and you're going to have to learn that's a You problem to deal with.

I'm involved in a couple of local groups in my country and it is WILD how much even one person can get done purely because nobody else gives enough of a shit about boring small potatoes stuff to notice or oppose it. That can be a blessing and a curse, so make it the first one.

Apart from this stuff being generally good, it will stop you losing your fucking mind. No, you're not going to community garden your way out of this one, sure, but that community garden might stop you letting the bullshit beat you into the ground before you can do something more important down the line. And it might introduce you to the girl who knows somebody with the thing that can do the shit you need around then too; it might teach you a lot of practical and psychological stuff you'll be glad of sometime.

It might even teach you how to get much more important things done in your local political infrastructure, who is on your side, who isn't, how to get the best from either - some of the most valuable shit I've learned about my little universe was picked up in the course of volunteering for a haunted house.

I am as guilty as everyone else as looking at the outlook and saying fuck it, bad guys won, but that is legitimately irrational no matter where you live. They never win, not outside of stories, because real life doesn't end like a story does. There is stuff to be done to make life more bearable than it would be otherwise, more bearable until it's possible to make it even better. There is so much stuff to get doing, instead of just feeling bad.

[remusluvr]

heart to heart | james potter

summary: James is your safe haven, he accepts you with open arms. content: secret relationship, brief talk of death (like one sentence), unedited

Time had frozen when you were told. This was the one thing you had been trying to avoid for as long as possible. It's unavoidable now.

"It's time you step up and do something for once," your mother berated, "There's a meeting in an hour. You will be expected to make your decision then. Do not embarrass me."

Fear flowed through your veins after she left the room. There was only one way out of this messy situation - your bedroom window. And so, knowing exactly who to go to, you quickly packed a bag and left. You ran as far as you could before apparating to Diagon Alley where you would be able to find a floo transport to get to your destination.

Your fist pounded against the old door as you looked behind you as each second ticked along. What if they knew where you were going? What if it was a trap to see what you would do? What if they are after you? Raising your fist to knock again, the door opens to a confused James Potter.

"Jamie," you sighed, tears welling in your eyes now as you push yourself into his arms. You can feel his beating heart as he pulls you into his house. He kept you held to his chest as you calmed your breathing. You were safe.

"Can you tell me what happened, sweetheart?" he asked, taking extra attention to make sure his voice was calm. He didn't want to scare you. Sirius came trotting down the stairs, watching the interaction between you and the other Gryffindor boy.

"What the fuck? When did this start?" is all he says as he stops at the end of the staircase. James waves him off, turning his attention back to you. His eyes held so much love that you just wish you'd never have to interrupt your staring with such a heavy topic.

"They tried to make me become a death eater," you sniffled, lip wobbling. He pulled you back into his chest, holding you tight against him. Sirius gasped, excusing himself. He can get whatever answers he's looking for later. Right now you clearly need James to yourself. "I can't go back there, Jamie. I can't."

"You won't, baby. I'm not going to let you."

Your heart is racing when you pull away, wiping at your tear-stained cheeks. He doesn't let you go far, keeping your hand in his. When his mom comes into the room, you straighten up and quiet down.

"I know Sirius is listening at the top of the stairs. He can show you my room, let me talk with my mom." You hear Sirius grunt and can't help but giggle, hugging James one last time before grabbing your bag and heading upstairs. You and Sirius have never gotten along, not when you have been living very precariously, trying not to anger your family. He went the different route, going out of his way to anger them.

He gives you a half-hearted smile when you reach him and you want to apologize for all the mean remarks you spit his way. You both understand though, you were in the same situation.

When James returns to his room, around thirty minutes later, he crashes down on the bed beside you, kicking Sirius out. He had stayed to keep you company, still a little too nervous to be left alone.

"I'm sorry for barging in. I just had nowhere else to go."

"Please don't apologize, I'm glad you're here. You know that I worry when you're home. Now, I don't have to worry."

"Yeah, until we're back in school and all of my housemates want me dead." He frowns at that. James is always optimistic but he knows that you're right. They're not going to take your denouncement of Voldemort well and there will be consequences but he promises to never leave your side and that you can sleep in his dorm all you want if that's what it takes.

His kindness makes your heart ache and at the news of you being allowed to stay here, it only aches more for his family. Why couldn't your own family be this way?

"Only thing is that you have to sleep in one of the guest rooms," he sighs, rolling his eyes. You giggle as he pulls you to lay with him. "Good thing we can be sneaky."

[ihopesocomic]

I know everyone says how great Vicious and Hope were written enough. But I kinda want to bring it up again because, it's actually really well done.

You guys could've taken the much easier: Grr I'm flat and 1 dimensional because I hate my kid for being weak and USELESS. Route for abuse, but you chose to go the extra mile and create one of the best stories regarding parental abuse I've ever seen in media.

Vicious's abuse towards Hope has layers, she's not evilly rubbing her paws together going: >:) TODAY I WILL RUIN MY CHILD'S LIFE!2!1!2. she believes Hope is a object, an accessory. Something that didn't even deserve a name.

Then the way Hope finally stands up, disowning Vicious and leaving with Adamant and Storm is so fucking cathartic for me.

I don't know how the comic will end, but I have a feeling we're gonna get a good one at least. I hope Hope gets to have a full recovery from all the bullshit happening to her right now.

She's not all: oh pity me and the terrible things that happen to me. She's willing to change and aaugshhdhehsbss it makes me want to root for her so bad.

I can barely even put into words how glad I am this little comic exists.

Thank you so so much, anon. This is so sweet to hear.

And we are very fond of our round, strong af Hope and her development too. She's so fun to write! c:

And yeah, Jasper's abuse having an effect on everyone just felt like a very natural place to start with Vicious's feelings towards Hope, as well as having two stillborn children and being given absolutely no support from her partner who she cherishes over it. I think people underestimate how much of a traumatising experience it is for a mother to lose her children because xenofiction throws out dead kid plot devices like candy but it's there nonetheless.

It was enough to work with without having to make Hope's disability a factor and to also develop Vicious as a character in her own right too. She abuses her children and you're absolutely not meant to root for her but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look deeper. What disgusts and shocks us is just as curious and complex as what fascinates us and why parents abuse their children is just one of those topics. There's no excuse for it, but it doesn't mean we can't seek out patterns that can lead to it and have media demonstrate that as opposed to something that places the emphasis on the victim.

And this also allows a chain reaction to happen where people can realise that yes, Vicious is being abused but why and that leads to the discovery that Jasper is working for a tyrannical dictator and has pretty much sold his soul for the tiniest hint of power.

It's just one of those things that allows us to naturally implement story beats and character motivations better and we're always so stoked when people pick up on it, so thanks again! - RJ

[kissmetwicekissmedeadly]

HELLO AGAIN EVERYONE my tummy aches but im being brave about it and im going to fight the pain with the power of love and friendship (aka im going to thank you for the christmas tree messages)

okay let me be emotional for a moment...

because of the current circumstances at home, this Christmas was very different and much lonelier for me. i did my best not to get the blues and i think it was okay for the most part! now looking back at it, without a doubt, the highlight of my Christmas this year was reading the tree messages. it was very late in the night, i had just finished reading Napo's story event route and i saved the best part for desert, barely containing my excitement to finally read the messages. and i expected just a row of "merry christmas"-es 😭 you know, because, i did that? i kept mine all short and i was just shouting some wishes at you.... BUT NO, YOU OUTDID YOURSELVES IN TURN! WHAT WAS THAT! i was right there sobbing in my bed being all "?????" .... i seriously didn't expect 1) to have so many because i did the tree very last minute 2) to receive such sweet messages...

and then i realized, was my Christmas really all that lonely? because, just 3-4 years ago, i didn't know any of you here. before that i never was more than a lurker in online spaces so... i think that's when i had truly lonely christmases, not now. thank you for being here. i don't deserve you... no im sorry if you hate it when i say that, pretend that i didnt say it ( i lowkey think that) (im sorry im in my low self esteem era these past months)

OKAY SO

thank you person called Bread, thank you Lorei for being the first sob of my sob session, it's all YOUR fault that i got so emotional oh my god im totally dm-ing you after this, thank you irl bestie who not only left me a sweet personal message but also roleplayed my faves for me because i screamed (you heard it), thank you kat for your three messages that made me feel all kind of emotions (im touched that youre willing to write this even if i feel like im going to hate it), THANK YOU NINNI HUGS BACK!, thank you Ally i know it was you. using roy to threaten me with a good time.... smh... MERRY CRIMMY SCUM!!!!, YAY TO YOU TOO, SOLACE!! Thank you aqua, you're right, he's good to me 🥺 just as chev is to you, i believe! THANK YOU DREW im still thinking about it. Thank you Fang, I could say the same and you know it 🥺, THANK YOU DEVON!! Thank you so much Ana, I too hope the same, I'm glad I became your mutual! 🥹 Same goes to you too, Oliver! I'm just always so happy to see new faces around, truth is im a little bit shy with interactions at first because i feel annoying... so thank you for becoming my moot! 🙇🏻‍♀️💗 Thank you, sweet Julie 🥹 THANK YOY MYARA, I CRIED A LITTLE! right back at ya, i think that you're an irreplaceable part of our little space and im just so glad to be here and see everything you do and share with us! hope your 2024 is full of joy both on here and irl ❤ Thank you mimi, i feel the same and you better not forget that! Thank you Michelle, love you too!!! THANK YOU, NAMI! Thank you, Impromptu!!!!! Thank you Nori!!!!!!!!! And thank you sui you're so right as ever. nods.

i think thats all im so sorry if i forgot anyone ALSO im so sorry for doing this. i tried to keep my responses vague in case you wanted these to be extra private... i initially was going to dm all of you but. that was because i thought there were going to be like 10 of you!!! again im sorry. love you all so much im an emotional wreck

i hope you had a good time these past few days and i hope we can all look forward to a great 2024 together 🥺 i'd be nowhere without you

@lorei-writes @yanderepuck @claviscollections @yarnnerdally @scummy-writes @aquagirl1978 @ikemendrew @fang-and-feather @devonares @bicayaya @olivermorningstar @queengiuliettafirstlady @keithsandwich @mimi-but-main @xbalayage @namine-somebodies-nobody @the12thnightproject @mcwentfandomtraveling @leonscape

[wheels-of-despair]

Worth It | Ralph Penbury x You | Masterlist

{<-Previous} [We Should Probably Try That Again] {Next->}

Summary: So an introvert walks into a crowded Penbury Party… Words: 2.6k

Ralph opens the door before you even make it up the front steps, and greets you with a smile that must be hurting his face. You return it, stepping over the threshold and into his arms.

"I'm so glad you're here," he whispers.

"So am I," you respond into his chest, already clad in his red pajamas. You pull back to take him in.

"This really is an amazing color on you," you admire. He beams at your compliment and moves to help you take your coat off. You let him, then hold up your bag.

"You can change in my bedroom and leave your things there when we go up." You nod, and he takes your hand and leads you up the stairs. You're familiar with this route by now, but it still feels a little strange, being here for a party instead of taking care of him.

"I'll wait here," Ralph says, opening the door for you and stepping aside. You change quickly, folding your dress and placing your things on a chair, then return to the hallway. Ralph takes a moment to look you up and down with a hungry look on his face. Your reds do match nicely, and your robe adds a stylish touch to your ensemble. You've never felt this beautiful in pajamas before.

"I know you've told me that this is my color, but I'm quite convinced that it's yours too," he says in a low voice. You turn a shade of red to rival your outfit's, and he draws you in for an embrace. Ralph always smells nice, but tonight, being this close, it's absolutely intoxicating. You close your eyes and stand there for a moment, arms wrapped around him, soaking in the warmth of his body through the thin layers of silk separating you. Is this what heaven feels like?

"Ralph!" You both heave a sigh at the same time, and lean over the bannister to see Victoria standing below in a short white nightie and a flowing robe, hands on her hips. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere! Are you coming, or are you two going to stay in your room all night?"

Ralph gives you a devilish grin and raises an eyebrow. You give him an exaggerated gasp and a light smack on the shoulder, fighting a grin of your own. "We're coming," he calls to Victoria without breaking eye contact with you, that wicked smile still on his face. He takes your hand and leads you up another flight of stairs.

The large parlor on the third floor has been transformed into a pillow palace. Cushions and piles of blankets line the walls of the vast room, and a few extra sofas had been brought in, too. The lighting is low, and the people are many. Were you late, or were they early? You instinctively cling to Ralph's arm, but he doesn't seem to mind. He smiles and nudges you toward a pile of pillows in a quiet corner.

You make yourselves comfortable in your little nest, and for a few minutes, it's bliss. You're able to tune out the music playing in the background and the people chattering nearby to focus on Ralph. And how close he is. And how great he smells. And how handsome he looks, in his red pajamas that match yours, with just enough of his shirt unbuttoned to reveal a smidge of chest hair.

"I'm so happy you're here," he whispers, his face just inches away from yours. You're lying on your sides, propped up on your elbows, both suddenly reluctant to initiate the touch you crave like oxygen.

"Cocaine?" A young man carrying a tray full of white powder kneels at your feet, looking at you expectantly. You glance at Ralph, who is watching curiously. You shake your head at the man's offer with an apologetic smile, and Ralph waves him away.

"Don't let me stop you," you say gently. You know the Penburys take their partying seriously; you didn't come here to be a wet blanket.

"I don't need it," he says in a low voice that makes your head spin, "I have something better." He cups the side of your face, rubbing his thumb over your cheek with a look of lust. You're grateful that you're already lying down, because if you'd been standing, that look might've made your knees give out.

And then a body plops down next to you, followed quickly by another body. You turn to look, but they're too busy trying to swallow each other's tongues to pay you any mind. You scoot closer to Ralph.

The girl next to you moans, and Ralph takes the opportunity to wrap an arm around your waist and pull you even closer. Once again, you revel in his warmth and closeness, trying to block out everything around you. As if guided by magic, you feel a pull that draws your lips to his. You give in and close your eyes.

And then two giggling bodies land on the other side of Ralph with such force that it rocks the two of you on your pile of pillows, making your noses collide. He huffs in annoyance, turning to glare at the pair who ruined his kiss, and you sit up a little to look around the room.

It would appear that you and your sweet Ralph were the only partygoers in attendance who had respectable intentions. This isn't snugglepupping, or at least your understanding of the word. This is an orgy. All around you, women moan and men grunt and slips are pushed up to hips. You've never felt more out of place in your life.

You try to mask the look of absolute horror on your face, but it's too late; Ralph has already seen it.

"Come on," he says, taking your hand once again and pulling you off the floor and toward the door. You try to swallow the lump in your throat. You knew you weren't cut out for the Penbury life of partying, but you loved Ralph so much, you'd fooled yourself into believing you could be. For him. You wanted so badly to be fun, and adventurous, and everything he deserved, but you'd failed. You couldn't handle this life. One party was all it had taken to prove it. You were sure he'd be a gentleman about it, even fetching your satchel and coat for you before escorting you to the door and out of his life forever.

Ralph leads you into the hallway and closes the door, then turns to you and takes both of your hands in his. So this is it. This is how it ends. This is how you let The One get away.

"Darling, are you alright?"

You look up in confusion. That didn't sound like telling you to get out.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. I didn't know this is how it would be. Well, not this early, at least."

You don't trust yourself to speak yet.

"If you want to go home, I'll understand."

"Do you want me to?" you ask quietly.

"No! I've been looking forward to this all week, I'd be devastated if you… Er… I'd understand if you wanted to leave, but I'd rather you didn't. The night is young. We can still salvage it, if you want to."

Overcome with relief, you step forward and hug him again. Ralph squeezes you tight, and when you finally pull back and look up at him, he gives you a grin. "Come with me."

He leads you back downstairs and toward his room, but stops before you reach it. Opening the door next to it, Ralph steps aside to reveal a library. You enter and spin around, taking in the packed shelves and cozy seating. Armchairs, padded stools, a sofa, a window seat, lamps on every table. You were quite impressed.

And also quite amused, as soon as you realize that you've ended yet another pajama party in the library. But this time, you weren't alone.

"Why are you laughing?" Ralph looks almost hurt, like you're insulting his library. You reach out and hold his hands.

"When I told my mother about Victoria's pajama party, she was quick to remind me about the last time I hosted one. Well, she hosted one on my behalf. She'd come down to check on us, but found that I'd abandoned my guests. She only caught me at it twice, but as soon as everyone was busy with gossip and hair-braiding, I'd sneak off to the library to read alone. Every time. And here I am again, leaving a pajama party for the library."

"You're not alone this time," Ralph says softly.

"No, I'm not," you agree gratefully, stepping closer. He leans down for a kiss, and you wrap your arms around him. When your mouths detach, he rests his forehead against yours and speaks softly.

"I used to hide in the library when Victoria had slumber parties as a girl. I wasn't allowed to be on the same floor as them." He swallows. "Maybe if we'd known each other back then, you would have come to one of Victoria's slumber parties, and we could have read together."

"If I'd been able to escape the giggling girlies and be with you instead, I'd have come to all her parties."

Ralph leans in for another kiss.

Several hours of nonstop talking later, you try and fail to stifle a yawn.

"Look at the time, no wonder you're tired! I'm sorry for blabbering on for so long." He begins to get up from the sofa you've been snuggling on, and you reach out and grab the front of his shirt to stop him.

"Ralph, I've told you: You never have to apologize for talking to me." You pull him back down for another kiss, then release his shirt so he can get up. Once he rises, he extends a hand to help you up, and you both take a moment to stand and stretch your tired muscles.

You shake out the blanket you'd been lying under and brush off the crumbs that you've left on the cushions. Ralph's stomach had begun to growl a few hours ago, and you'd suddenly remembered the bag of treats in the next room over. You'd be lying if you said you hadn't fed each other the tiny cakes and kissed away the crumbs from your lips like a couple of lovesick fools.

You walk out together, and he opens his bedroom door. "You take my bed, I'll sleep in the library."

"Ralph, you don't have to do that."

"It's fine, I fall asleep in there at least once a week anyhow."

"Ralph…" you say with meaning. "You don't have to do that."

His brow furrows. Boldly, you reach for his hand and walk backward into his bedroom. His eyes grow wide, and he balks.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not ready for… you know. But I don't want to spend our first night together… apart." Why does his presence make finding the right words so damned hard?

He nods in understanding, despite your fumbling, takes a step forward, and kicks the door closed.

Five minutes later, you're snuggled up with Ralph in his bed, falling asleep with your head on his chest.

The next morning, Ralph wakes up feeling exceptionally warm. When he opens his eyes and sees you sleeping next to him, he realizes it's not the weather. His heart feels like it's fallen down to the ground floor and bounced back into his chest. This is it. This is what it feels like to wake up next to the woman you love.

He carefully turns to face you, wanting to memorize every detail of your face before you wake up. He doesn't know how long it'll be before he gets this opportunity again. But you soon begin to stir, as if you can feel his loving gaze.

You rub your eyes and glance around the room, probably trying to remember where you are, and then your eyes land on him. You smile. SMILE. First thing in the morning, you see him, and you smile. No regrets, no running away. You're here, and you're happy to see him.

You turn on your side to face him. Ralph tries to remember how to breathe.

"Good morning."

He struggles to find the right words, and eventually responds with a whispered "gmorn" of his own. You chuckle and lift your head to look at the clock. Determining it's not time to get up yet, you inch closer to him, and Ralph is suddenly aware of a… situation.

Before he can panic and jump out of bed to prevent you from feeling it, you lean in for a morning kiss. It twitches against you. Ralph hears your breath hitch. You definitely felt it. He jerks his hips away from you, leaving no doubt that he knew that you knew, and places a hand in front of himself to act as a barrier between you. How cruel is this life; he's just spent a marvelously innocent night with the woman of his dreams, and now he's going to have to go drown himself in the bathtub out of shame. He scrunches his eyes shut, unable to take the horrified look you're surely giving him.

He doesn't feel you move. Shouldn't you have grabbed your clothes and fled by now? He opens one eye and sees you looking at him with... what is that? Pity? Disapproval? Curiosity?

You reach out and touch his face without a word. He instinctively closes his eyes and melts into your touch. Not only did you not run away screaming, but you're willingly touching him after his vulgar display? He feels your hand drift slowly from his cheek, to his neck, to his shoulder, then down his arm, and his side. You stop at his waist, and his eyes open to meet yours. You bite your lip. Ralph forgets how to breathe. The corner of your mouth twitches into a smile.

"Can I?" you whisper. Ralph, trying his very best not to pass out, nods once and moves his hand, clearing the way for you to…

Light as a feather, your hand drifts from his waist to his hip and eventually comes to touch him. No pressure. No movement. Just a touch.

That's all it takes.

Ralph's hips buck into your hand, completely involuntarily, as his whole body tenses. It's all he can do to turn his head and hope that his pillow stifles his moan as he rides out his wave of ecstasy. It definitely doesn't feel like this when he's alone. He's never felt anything like this before.

As he pants and comes down, Ralph begins to realize what he's done. You probably would have jerked your hand away out of shock, but you'd been so close, his jolt forward had trapped your hand between your bodies. You definitely felt the wetness that spilled from him.

"I'm sorry."

"Ralph, it's alright--"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I can't believe I--"

"Ralph, would you--"

"I know you think I'm disgusting, and I am, I'm so sorry, I'll never--"

Before he can continue apologizing for the most embarrassing moment of his life, your lips crash to his. The shock makes Ralph forget what he was going to say next, and instead of taking his groveling to the next stage, he stares at you in confusion.

"I don't think you're disgusting."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"You don't think I'm disgusting?"

"Of course not."

"…then what do you think?"

You pause, then give him a heart-stopping smile.

"I think… we should probably try that again."

Ralph Penbury has died and gone to heaven.

[gren-arlio]

Ah, Visual Novel Disc System games, my beloved. Welcome to Episode 8 of (Waku) Puyo Extras.

(Serilly reading a fashion magazine is pretty nice honesty. Too bad that Honey Bee and Momomo are gonna appear any second now.)

Hello everyone, it's the guy whose computer exploded on him once as well as the only Ciel fan in America (Seriously, I'm glad some fans know about Quest nowadays). Thankfully, the computer's slowly but surely getting fixed, so who knows, maybe I'll continue Arle's route next month due to every week having something planned this time around. (Apologies, Arle route watchers)

As the silly meme about PuyoLympics comes around and goes around (Thanks Witch,) I haven't neglected to speak about what the poll wanted to speak about: Serilly's Happy Birthday.

Would you call this a character speculated episode? It's more of a game starring a character, but I dunno.

With that, I think we can begin. Hope you enjoy.

------

First, let's talk about its origins:

Serilly's Happy Birthday was released in 1998 from Disc Station Volume #18, a magazine that carried either demos of games or full blown games, on the Windows 95.

(For some extra info, there were 2 sets of magazines. Issues #0-32 and Volume #1-27.)

It's a little unclear what month this was released, but we can make do with what we got.

(Cover page for the Volume.)

However, and idk if this is big news or not, but I think I found an page covering Serilly's Happy Birthday, though not in the best quality out there.

I haven't seen this anywhere on the Puyo Nexus, or anywhere else really, so take this with a grain of salt. If true though, I adore how it looks.

Apparently it was made by the people who made the Tower of the Magician artstyle, which would make a ton of sense, but take this with a grain of salt.

(No Schezo though. Yeah he just makes a cameo, but hey, would've been nice.)

Also, tiny Carbuncle. You love to see it.

-----

So, whats the game about?

The game itself is a Princess-Maker (Or in a better term, Social Simulation, didn't know the name first time around,) type game, a genre where you see the world of our own and the fictional world. Take Animal Crossing or Tomodachi Life for example. Or The Sims.

The story is that Serilly was given the ability to go on land, but she still doesn't have any legs. Minor misconception but an understandable one.

You then...simply put, plan Serilly's birthday as a whole, going through a week by week basis to get to the end of the year.

(A screen showing the days. From the Japanese characters from top left to bottom right, its Arle, Rulue, Suketoudara, Witch, Draco, and Owlbear.)

You may wonder what the numbers mean on the left. I'm glad you asked. They're stats that increase whilst doing activities with Serilly, such as dancing with Incubus, studying with Satan Masked Principal, I believe training with Samurai Mole, cleaning with Kikimora, etc.

From top left to bottom right, it goes Power, Head(? Due to Samurai Mole,) Cuteness, Story(? Or negotiation.), Kindness, and fatigue. These points are given in random increments, and doing too much tires Serilly, so heads up on on that.

(Cleaning with Kikimora. This is the best quality I could find this.)

Speaking of characters, here's some that appear in this game:

Arle

Witch

Suke

Owlbear

Masked Principal (NOT Satan. Wrong guy.)

Rulue

Draco

Incubus

Kikimora (Man. She's everywhere.)

Schezo. As a cameo in I think one of Witch's supports, and he's not the best written here.

-----

Wait, Supports?

Now you may wonder what I mean by supports. Well, to get an ending, along with Stat Points, you need to talk to the person themselves, which is why with my little Fire Emblem brain, call them supports. You have to have spoken to them enough, as well as get the necessary stats to get their ending, which is why it's so hard to get Draco's ending, least from what I see and hear. And Witch flat out won't talk to you if you're too stupid for her apparently.

However, while a little one-note, the supports and talks themselves are very charming in their own right, and they look stupid good to boot.

(A small support you can get with Witch.)

So, with those 6 characters I mentioned for the endings, there's 7 possible endings. One of them is NO ONE going to Serilly's birthday. If I ever got this ending, I'm retiring from everything.

Serilly herself is still fairly shy, but much more outgoing than what we're used to, which is nice considering she's the star of the show. I genuinely like how she's written here. Not Waku Puyo levels of great, but still top 2 IMO.

The characters themselves are roughly the same, with some expections. For example, the Masked Principal is actually incredibly nice to you, which is just...amazing tbh, Rulue is more dedicated to her training than anything, and Schezo...sucks as a character this time around. He's just a dude walking around saying "I want you!" like an actual pervert rather than just being a goofball about it. Oh, the misery. (Everybody wants to be my enemy...)

But what do some of these endings look like? Unfortunately, our old pal "The 10 image limit," has attacked us once again, and so, I can only show 4 of them.

But they're the popular characters so...I guess we win this time.

I genuinely love how this game looks, man. And the endings themselves are super charming in their own way. I believe in the Masked Principal ending, she helps people swim (Panotty, Archan?, Honey Bee, and Kodomo Dragon,) and it's honestly super cute.

-----

So what do I personally think?

I think this game is incredibly interesting, as it's something that Disc Station or Puyo has a whole hasn't really seen. They chose an interesting character with Serilly, and they honestly made this game look visually stunning. The music is nice to listen to, and the characters are fairly nice to you for the most part, which is a nice change of pace considering it's, well... Serilly.

Overall, if you can ever find a way to see gameplay of the sort, check it out.

This is a shorter Puyo Extras, but I think I covered most of the basis of this game. That'll be all for now.

Cya guys.

[chronotsr]

No. 7 - S1, Tomb of Horrors (October 1978)

Author(s): Gary Gygax Artist(s): David C. Sutherland III (Cover), David Trampier Level range: 10-14 Theme: Meatgrinder Dungeoncrawl Major re-releases: So, so many. S1-4 Realms of Horror, Return to the Tomb of Horrors, Tomb of Horrors (2005), Tomb of Horrors (2010), S1-4 Dungeons of Dread, Dungeon #213, Tales from the Yawning Portal, Tomb of Annihilation (sort-of)

I said earlier that S1 is probably the only adventure more ported than G1, and I was right. You have so many options for S1. The original monochrome, the green cover, the compilation version, the silver anniversary version re-erlease-and-sequel, a 3.5e port, a 4e port, a DND Next port w/ 4e porting instructions, and then finally the 5e port in Tales from the Yawning Portal. The only people being left out here are the 2e people, and making 1e adventures go into 2e is as natural as breathing.

As the cover points out, this was originally run at Origins I, and there is so much community lore surrounding this module that I will spare you the rigamarole. If you know where I stand on the "meatgrinder vs fair challenge" argument, go read the Theme header again.

These illustrations are iconic. In basically every re-release they are kept as is, one of the few things that makes the 5e release stand out is not including the original 31 illustrations. And while the new art is OK, I, it can't hold a candle to the sheer charisma of the originals. And -- why no green devil head? That's the single most memorable thing from the scenario? We get one, actually, but it's on the map and I think it's an image from the archives because it looks an awful lot like an old cover of Dragon. If you do run this in 5e, you really owe it to your players to hunt down and use the original illustrations.

I am now morally obliged to tell you that, when I went through Tomb of Horrors (5e version, that's what I can find GMs for), I died to the Juggernaut. Which is actually extremely funny, because earlier when I was in Tomb of Annihilation I died the exact same way! So I guess Juggernauts are my personal arch nemesis. I personally didn't like my time there, but there is value in a module that everyone has played. I wouldn't've picked S1 for the task but I'm glad we have one at least. In general, this will be a a sparse entry in the series. The Tomb of Horrors is Tomb of Horrors. It is both extremely notable and also weirdly bland -- there's just not much to say about a lot of these trollish traps. They're highly specific and only really work in the moment, for very specific tables, at a very specific cultural moment. It's actually kind of boring to read in 2024? How much can one really say about a 20-colored mural with a variety of "it does nothing" effects?

Alright, enough stalling. The module starts with now-traditional Gary intro of "hey, your players are going to try and get extra information in [obvious way], defeat that." Today's edition is that Legend Lore is rendered useless by a combination of obscurity and….too much information? Ok… And then the also very Gary "If your players are dumb stupid idiots they will hate this module", which he also did in G1-3.

Eventually, your party finds this stupid looking thing, which is (I know this is repetitive) iconicly so-bad-its-good. And everything about this intro is trolling. So There are three routes into the tomb, two of which are trapped and fake. 2024 DND players would never think to try any of these things, but I do get the sense that in 1978 it would've occurred to most veteran players to try things like "poking the wall with sticks" and "extensive excavations". Anyone who tries to be clever and bypass shit by phasing into a parallel plane gets got by Demons, and I like the theory that Seth Skorkowsky aired a while ago that the Demons are the ones maintaining the Tomb so you should steal that.

You know what? Let's just go into keyed mode.

I do not respect this "only these express options work" mindset. It's very anti-ttrpg to have pre-programmed solutions Naturally, the second door cannot be removed by strength, only by one of 5 spells and thinking to wedge the door with iron in a specific day works. IDK bro I know the idea is Acererak is an asshole and has bewitched this complex to high hell but cmon, even the fake doors are borderline invulnerable?

There's a riddle-poem that hints at the solutions to the dungeon's puzzles. I actually really like this poem, and for all this module's sins I disagree with commenters who think the poem is too vague. At least when I was playing, it was just right.

That is the most off brand Ancient Egyptian tomb hallway I ever did see, and I do kind of love it. As for how confusing the wall-door-chest trap is, it's trollish but it makes sense to me. The chest is a red herring to distract you from the actual secret door, which is a literal door, and honestly that's a hint I consider fairly on the nose.

The misty arch sucks. The short version is that if you press the glowing stones in the right order, you progress, otherwise you get teleported to one of three random rooms. The solution is inscrutable to me (why that order? you could brute force it but that'd be suicide) and I really wish that the book spelled out what the puzzle logic was -- a lot of newer adventures will explain the operating logic in parentheticals next to the solution. If the answer is "you're supposed to brute force it", I have no respect for that mindset.

The devilhead is obviously iconic as hell and we love it. As many commenters have noted, the often-cited "our whole party climbed in and died" story is incompatible with a RAW or RAI interpretation -- your GM was just an asshole, your character died as soon as their head got annihilated and the party would see their body go limp suddenly. There is no way all 5 of you piled in without removing a body and discovering they're Very Dead.

The lever room also sucks. You could only guess the solution, and the act of testing will get you killed. And don't give me "well your hirelings" your hirelings are not going to test any traps after they see the 2rd guy get turned into meatpaste, and while ADND lacks the hard cap on people hireable that Basic had, you're still going to run out of guys who are willing to commit suicide in here in short order.

"Yet there are also depicted various religious symbols of goad alignment, and a faint aura of good can be magically detected. What a puzzle! Could the demi-lich actually have been of good alignment" This will fool no-one Gary. It's the Tomb of Horrors, not the Tomb of Hope. He clearly bewitched the chapel to appear as good, which literally anyone would think of. Heartbreaking: worst lich you know has access to revolutionary SRS magic.

It's at about this point where I realized how little there really is to comment on in this dungeon. It really is just a sequence of obtuse murder traps that are faintly hinted at. The things that are iconic about it (the devilhead, the acerack fakeout) are actually exceptions to the rule -- both of those are super clear traps that are designed to tease particularly foolish players. The majority of the dungeon is, tap random objects and get gassed by poison or dropped into spikes. In a lot of ways ToH feels like the bad timeline version of White Plume Mountain, which is trollish in a more memorable way? What I mean here is, when people complain that ToH is unfair they're burying the lede. A hard dungeon can be fun. An unfair dungeon can be fun! The issue is that Tomb of Horrors is boring. Every room being a puzzle tied to a deathtrap with almost no combat or negotiation is tedious.

Basically every tomb of horrors room has this setup:

You walk into a room with an illustration that looks cool, and there is some vague image, object, or feature in the room that is conspicuous

There is either no obvious exit (strongly implying a secret), or an extremely obvious exit that is currently impassable

You have to try fiddling with any object in the room that can be fiddled with, or grope around for an illusion

There is a roughly 25% chance there is a vague hint from 3 gameplay hours ago that will help you if you interpret it correctly, and a 75% chance that this is intended as attrition

You fuck around for a while, and maybe you work out the puzzle and maybe you don't. Almost certainly, someone takes 50% damage or has some vital asset removed or changed about them.

You eventually pass into the next room

Really the variety of traps in this dungeon is surprisingly narrow -- something like half of these traps are "activate these objects in a specific order or orientation". The other half are some variety of mist or gas or cloud or other fluid that kills you if you do not avoid or interact with it in the specific way. Occasionally when you're lucky, you simply turn a lever and get skewered -- what a treat!

The final encounter with Acereak, you will be unsurprised to learn, also sucks. If you touch his jeweled skull, he instantly steals your soul and ruins your body (no save, no appeal). If you guess one of the, again, explicit list of options to destroy the skull (which you have already established will instantly kill one ally per touch) which is of course very specific (essentially, holy attacks, the most powerful magical swords, and inexplicably gem-slinging), you can kill him in 50 hp. Weirdly, the soul gems that you get trapped into do offer some escape from death, but it's a terrible one -- IF you pass your save, IF they crush the gem, IF there is an eligible body for their soul to go into (yours was ruined), then you may come back to life in a very different form. Completing the Tomb gives you, of course, 100k exp. And in ADND that'ssss…. actually not very much. At level 10, 100k exp is not even a full level for most classes to get a level (thieves are the exception) and your actual treasure haul I think is going to be fairly meager -- I think the average character will get maybe one level of experience after distributing the loot. For going through one of the most dangerous dungeons ever.

I remain a bit of a ToH hater.

In blog news, we are looking at post 7.5 coming up, in which I will do another retrospective on the year's developments, and as a special treat we will be briefly discussing the first Dragon Magazine dungeon!

[ughmyreality]

I love your fics and I have a prompt for you. It’s fine if you don’t want to take it. It’s Christina/Orel fic idea. Basically one day Reverend Putty comes across a grisly sight of Christina and Orel wrapped in each other arms lying dead. He find out they drowned but the weird part is that they drowned in sea water but Moralton is pretty far from the ocean. Putty decides to solve the mystery by looking back over the previous weeks remember Orel asking about love and sacrifice. He then discovers the Posabules were under a curse that could only be lifted with an act of love.

Hey, I will go ahead and say that I lowkey didn't know what to write for this for multiple reasons lol. Mainly, I'm not particularly enthralled with Reverend Putty. So this might be OOC. Another being, I decided to take a more realistic route rather than lean to heavily into it being a hardcore curse. Anyway, I present to you "The Truth Will Set You Free"

Death is all around. From the highest points to the deepest depths. It’s a fate so inevitable that it might as well be a comfort. No matter what you do in life, even your biggest missteps will be erased in due time. That is why Reverend Putty places little thought in the matter. When it happens all around you, you become numb to it. It was just another thing that happens just as the moon proceeding the sun. Just as God intended it to be, and after all who was he to question God, he was simply his spokesperson.

But that doesn’t mean that all death is pleasant. No, some are taken in gruesome ways while others are far too young. It just so happens that the sight before him was a mixture of both. 

The sun had barely come up into the sky by the time the Reverend made it to the church. He wanted to get there extra early to rehearse what quick whipped jokes he’d tell and it’s not like anyone would miss him back at home. 

When the creaky door fully opens, it wasn’t the sight he had become accustomed to. There laying in the middle of the building sat two people. A boy and a girl. Orel and Christy, Christian, Kristina Whatever that new girl’s name was. Their arms were wrapped around each other as though to shield each other from harm. It would have been a wholesome sight if they were just sleeping.

…if only they were just sleeping.

Their faces were still submerged deep within two buckets. One a beach pail and the other a mop bucket. Probably swiped by the two. The water within them couldn’t be just regular water from the tap. No, this had the familiar stench of the wilderness. The piss of the animals and the salt of the sea. But how’d they get it anyway?

Taking a closer look he sees a simple note laid like a small blanket over the two. 

Hello to whoever’s found me. If I have yet to wake, that must mean that the curse is lifted! I’m sorry but we couldn’t find a mass amount of holy water so this will have to do instead. The boy beside me is Orel. He kinda helped me with this plan. Don’t worry, he’s going to be ok too. We both think he has the curse too. We’ll be just fine,  for in God’s hands everything goes to plan.

-Love Christina Posabule and Orel Puppington

He knows exactly where to go.

“Hiya Reverend!”

-2 Weeks Earlier-

It was a late Sunday afternoon. The service had come to an end, and all he wanted to do was get home and rest, but as they say there’s seemingly no rest for the wicked. Orel came barreling through the door with a joyful expression on his face.

“Ugh, Orel, don’t you have anything better to do?”

Orel’s face didn’t change, instead he deflected. “What’s more important than talking about God?”

The boy held his eye contact until he was forced to give in.

“What is it now, Orel?”

“Well, I’m glad you asked! What if you love someo-”

He quickly cuts the boy off. ‘Love’? Why would he be asking about that of all things? There was no room for things like love in a town like Moralton.

“Orel, I know nothing about love so you might as well cut it off there.”

“Come on Reverend, everyone knows about love at least a little bit. I mean you have to love God something fierce to devote your time to be a Reverend! I might know a lot about it but I know that I love that I can go to school, and my brothers, and christmas, and apple pie, and going to church, and hav-”

“OK! Fine, I get it, everyone knows about love. Now what is it you need?”

Orel let out a sigh of relief and rambled, “Oh, well, I need to help someone else. They need to sacrifice for someone they love but how do you do that? Shouldn’t they want the best for you? Not want you to sacrifice anything?”

“Orel, Orel, Orel. People make small sacrifices everyday, it doesn’t even have to be for someone they love. Take your Mom and Dad for example, they’ve stayed together all these years for appearances. Danielle continues to coach you crazy kids for money. And I’m talking to you to keep face. We all must sacrifice some of our happiness to survive in this world, Orel.”

For the first time since he’d arrived Orel’s bright eyed gaze shifts. “But… this person isn’t very happy as it is.”

“You know, when something gets too hard, it's easier to just give up. Like writing an essay an hour before the deadline. It would be easier to not do it at all than try to scramble to get it finished. So, I’d say you should just end-”

Orel jumped up from the pew with a new wave of excitement. He had to give it to the kid, nothing could take him down for too long.

“Great! Thanks so much Reverend! You always know what to say!” He smiled at him and ran to the door.

“Hello, I’m Rev-

“...the relationship.”

“I know who you are. It hasn’t been that long, you old geezer.”

The person who came to the door was no other than Poppit Posabule. When he first thought of abruptly showing up to her house he refrained. He needed to give the police time to inform the family and to let them grieve. It’s been 3 days since he’s found them but the woman before him looks as though nothing was amiss. Three days is a long time for a lot of things but three days wasn’t enough to get over the loss of a child.

“Well, I just came here to talk about Christina if you don’t mind.”

The woman leaves the door, opting to walk deeper inside the house. She takes off her shoes and walks on the plush carpet and he takes this as a sign to follow.

“What’s there to talk about?”

“Surely you know that Christina has passed aw-”

“I know she’s dead.”

He stills right in his place. It was such an abrupt way to speak of someone much less their own child.

“She’s dead so there isn’t much left to talk about is there?”

“Maybe I can talk about this to your husband?”

“He’s not here.”

“When will he be back?”

“We divorced, he’s never coming back. I’m getting tired of your questions. Can’t you see I’m a newly freed woman? I’m trying to enjoy myself for the first time in years! In solitude.”

“Fine! I’m just here to find out why they did it! You know she did it with Orel too right? That kid really knew how to get under my skin but he was still a kid. A kid who now will never get to grow up! Do you know why she did it? Why try an-”

“BECAUSE I TOLD HER TO! Because she'd become the bane of my existence. Because I wanted a way out! So what if I made up some story for her? Parents do it all the time. The story of a poor little girl named Christina, who was cursed when she was a baby. She made everyone around her miserable but all she had to do was make a sacrifice. The curse was sure to be her family's downfall if she didn’t reverse it. And look at her now! It’s reversed!”

Living in Moralton has caused him to hear plenty of fucked up things but this… this might take the cake.

“It wasn’t hard either, she was so gullible. Oh so very gullible. It’s not like flat out told her to do it. She could have left the family any way she pleased but you know how kids are Reverend. So full of imagination.”

It’s not uncommon for families to have that one member that they’d rather avoid. The one that you only include out of obligation. The one that sticks around plaguing the family like a curse. For the Posabules, that person was Christina. And now he knows the unfortunate truth.

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. – John 8:32

[thedeal-if]

Ohh y además eres de habla hispana?? A D O R O! Automáticamente te has convertido en fav JAJA

I will continue in English just in case, but I didn't expect you to know Spanish! Lol I have a question, when you write, did you do it in Spanish and then you translated to English or you did the write in English from cero? I want to try to write something sometime but I don't really know what way better ngl (well that's only if your mother tongue is Spanish as I'm taking it for granted lol)

Now let's talk about business... What romances have/will have more angst? Just for research purposes 👀👀

And I don't really know if you answered this before (if that is the case, sorry!) But can you please tell us what kinda action/words can make the ROs meltdown? (But in a sweet romantic way, like RO.exe stop worked I forgot the word for that lol not a meltdown for anger, but if you think is more funny that way, works for me too)

Sisoy 🫂 JAJSJJAS (soy española 😶‍🌫️ a que quieres que te gane)

I write in English! I have for many years lol it helps internalize things better but I do remember translating things at first (I knew like... 0 English at the time lol). It takes some getting used to but I recommend you try and see how you handle it ^^ grammarly helps too when it comes to checking spelling mistakes and all that.

I made an angst top but tbh all romances are angsty to some degree ✨

Imo, the top 4 (Nathan/Aliyah/Lilith/Victor) have pretty... rough moments.

Words that would make them stop functioning below! (crushing stage)

RO.exe stopped working...

Dante isn't exactly shy but he does tend to get a little wordless when he's very embarrassed by MC. He recovers quickly enough so I wouldn't say it wrecks his mind to be flirted with. Instead, the way to probably turn his brain to mush is through art. Dedicating songs, sketches, aligning Dante's existence to that of a muse— worthy of that affection.

Lilith is very sweet and doting her route is pretty much full of repression and forbidden love (Inferno and Succubus lore spoilers, you'll understand when you meet her). Prior to establishing a romantic connection with her, Lilith's brain would melt if MC were to call her out on her attraction toward them.

Honestly, he's known MC since they were very young so it really depends, I think he'd be desensitized at this point lol. In the case that MC is normally very extra, Josh would be pretty much immune to anything they might say— if they're normally more guarded sincere words would break him. Surprises are something he can't handle well.

Villanelle is very sweet and naive, her initial reaction to most affective things MC says or does is to accept it wholeheartedly and return it eagerly. To really really break her would be easy tho lol, flirty MCs would completely shatter her expectations. Villanelle kind of doesn't know how to flirt.

Yeah, no words are getting through to him lol. Victor places no value in them, he needs MC to put their money where their mouth is. Taking care of Victor, small tasks and such, is the best way to startle him. MCs would need to be two steps ahead of Victor. He would be beyond lost, he wouldn't know how to respond to being taken care of.

Aliyah is very calculating and guarded with her true emotions. Even if she's surprised she's going to swallow it all down. I only see one and one thing only completely breaking through her walls and that is MC committing themselves to helping free Aliyah of her shackles.

Honestly, even she admits that would be a terrible decision. But who knows ^^?

Rather than shameless flirting or compliments, Nathan's mind would be blown by genuine and heartfelt words. No sugar-coating it either, just an admission from the heart. He doesn't know how to approach sincerity all that well. Just a very honest “I’m so glad to have met you” would make Nathan's mind get the blue screen of death lol

I don't really see her being all that impressed if MC tried to compliment her in any way lol and she would receive and reciprocate most affective actions naturally. Startling Eden would take effort— taking her by surprise, with her guard low enough that she entertains you. Subverting Eden's views and expectations of MC while she's distracted, for example.

[dark-frosted-heart]

Memories of the Beasts - Clavis & Sariel (main route)

We start off with a literal bang in the castle. The trap of the day's an extra large confetti cannon in the drawing room. Fortunately, no guests were hurt; however, several servants were buried under the confetti. While the castle is by no means understaffed, Sariel would like Clavis to stop creating so much unnecessary work.

Clavis: But that trap made our stuffy guests laugh, didn't it? Tomorrow, Nokto should be reporting that negotiations have concluded. A job well done, wouldn't you say?

Sariel: If what you say comes true, then I would be happy. But please improve your methods...is what I've asked at least 1000 times already, but you never learn, do you?

Clavis: Never learn? That should be my line. You're getting old. All that chasing's bad for your lower back.

Sariel cracks his whip at Clavis. His stomach will be the first to suffer before his lower back. Yves, who's also present along with Jin, flinches away from the force of whip. Sariel has to be forceful for it to have any effect on Clavis, Jin says. And then sighs at how neither are acting their age.

Suddenly, another explosion goes off. Oh, Clavis threw a pepper bomb and fled. And there goes Sariel chasing after Clavis again. Jin recalls hearing about how sprinting strengthens one's lower back. But at the cost of exponentially increasing stress, Yves responds back. Once the footsteps fade, Jin decides to get a drink.

~~

That night, Jin, Sariel, Leon, Yves, and Licht are at a bar. For a job well done on clearing up all the traps today, drinks will be on Jin. Sariel's drinks, not Leon's. Yves ordered some food for Sariel so that he doesn't drink on an empty stomach. He also cancelled Jin's cake order because he already reached his daily sugar intake.

Sariel's already downed his ale in a matter of seconds. The bar's got a great selection so he'll be trying them all out...is what he'd like to do. Clavis has been giving him a very hard time recently. Leon points out that his cup's creaking. Jin tells Sariel to take a deep breath, the cup did nothing wrong here.

Yves brings up how despite being on bad terms nowadays, Sariel and Clavis used to be teacher and student. They'd been together for so long, Yves wonders if they were false memories from when he was a child. Leon adds that Clavis learned how to pick locks from Sariel. The bureaucrat had no idea that would be the start of a teacher-student relationship or turn Clavis into a hellcat. Jin still remembers the time when Clavis would follow Sariel around like a duckling.

To this day, Sariel still sighs and finds himself wondering what happened. He pauses, as if a thought came to him, but brushes it off. Since Clavis has become full hellcat, he can't go back to the way he was as a kid. The best he can do is be a step ahead of him to minimize casualties. Jin says that without Sariel around, every day would be traps galore. Licht agrees and asks if there were traps that have failed that they're unaware about.

Jin says Clavis has always been a pain, but according to Sariel, Clavis was more difficult to deal with back then than he his now. Because back then, he was an innocent and reckless child. That reminds him, there was a day where Clavis cried in front of Sariel for the first time.

~~

The story cuts to Clavis with Nokto. The latter's home earlier than usual. Nokto tells Clavis that he's just back for dinner; he'll be going out again later. Clavis reminds him to enjoy his nightly entertainments in moderation and Nokto counters that Clavis should take things in moderation himself. Is he talking about the confetti cannon? Clavis controlled the amount it'd fire. The negotiations went well, didn't they? Nokto agrees, they signed a contract on good terms.

Clavis: That's great. I'm glad to be of service to my younger brother.

Nokto: At the cost of increasing the wrinkles between Sariel's brows.

Nokto asks how he's on such bad terms with Sariel. Clavis says that they have different values. Clavis wants to feel joy and a sense of pleasure every day while Sariel just wants safety and peace. While Nokto agrees that joy means stimulation, he doesn't think they can continue being friends if he takes it too far. Must be hard for Sariel.

Clavis: I'm having one of those days when I'm feeling depressed because my joy was interrupted, you know?

Nokto: Not sure I can say much to someone who redecorated my room with bright colors. Surprises are supposed to make our days better, but I guess that didn't work out for you, Mr. "I used to love Sariel as a child".

Clavis: Next time I'll...

Nokto: Don't. I'm pretty sure you've cried at least once or twice when Sariel got mad at you.

Clavis: Never! On the contrary, I'm the one that made him cry.

Nokto doesn't believe it but Clavis claims that he saw it with his own golden eyes.

The story goes back to a time way before they met Emma, a time when the pleasure-loving leopard and the court devil were teacher and student.

~~

Clavis: Sariel, it's morning! It's morning already! Your apprentice is here so wake up! What are you gonna teach me today?

Sariel: Ugh...Prince Clavis, we don't call it morning when it's before 4 in the morning when the sun hasn't even risen yet. For now, please get off.

Clavis: If you wake up then I'll get off! How 'bout that?

Sariel: I'm the master here aren't I?

~~

Clavis: Sariel, wake up! This time I came when the sun rose. Aren't you proud?

~~

Clavis: Since I'm your apprentice, it's only right for me to help my master!

~~

Clavis: Listen to this, Sariel! I was able to unlock all the boxes in the treasury!

~~

Clavis: This vial may look like it contains water, but when you smash it against the ground...!

Sariel: Your invention's potency is strong, so please show it to me in the gardens.

Clavis: Right?! My inventions are amazing!

~~

Sariel!

~~

Sariel!

~~

In common room, Sariel lets out a long, long sigh. Jin's impressed by his lung capacity. Sariel suddenly flinches as he hears Clavis calling for him. Jin assures him that the prince isn't around. He's just starting to hear things. His younger brother's more attached to Sariel than he thought and he finds it cute. Only because it's not his problem, Sariel says. Regardless, he'll continue to act as Clavis' mentor since it's part of his duty to educate the princes and something Chevalier had told him to do. It's worth anyway since the prince is always eager to learn. Still, Sariel hopes that Clavis gets bored of it soon so that he can go back to his other duties. Jin's unsure about Clavis being one of those kids that frequently change interests.

One night Clavis ambushes Sariel and asks him to let him join him on a mission. Sariel regrets telling Jin that he'd be going on a mission. To Clavis, he tells the prince that he'll be in the way so he can't bring him, but Clavis insists that he won't.

Clavis: A apprentice grows by watching his master's back.

Sariel: You've seen it plently already.

Clavis: It's not enough because I'm still growing!

Sariel: What is that logic.

Clavis: You know what? I'm gonna tell everyone that you picked a lock.

Sariel: Be my guest.

Clavis: No! I'm comign with you.

Sariel: Where did the blackmail go?

Sariel tries to usher Clavis back to his room and have him wait for his return but the prince won't budge. He wants to watch Sariel and be of use to him. He promises to be good. Sariel relents; Clavis is going to follow him regardless. Fortunately the mission's just an inspection, but it's still dangerous so Clavis will need to listen to Sariel's every word.

~~

Clavis is in a wonderful mood because he's going on his first mission with his master. Sariel reminds the prince to hold on tight so that he doesn't fall of their horse.

For their mission, they'll be going in to town to visit a baron who invites orphans to his mansion to provide them with meals. He sounds like a good guy and the town has a good reputation. However, there's something suspicious going on because the baron shouldn't have the funds to actually do this so they're investigating.

Sariel can feel a stomachache coming.

Clavis points at some beautiful flowers and Sariel tells him about what kind of flowers they are. Speaking of flowers, Clavis brings up how his mom once gave him sweets and flowers as a gift for getting a perfect score on a test. He says his mom makes the best sweets; he'll give some to Sariel next time because he's his master and Clavis wants to share what his favorites. And it'd make him mom happy too. The prince just loves his mom so much.

Clavis asks Sariel about what his mom's like, but Sariel wonders about that himself. He has no memory of his family. Clavis goes quiet for a bit before imagining what Sariel's parents are like. He says that Sariel got his beautiful black hair from his dad and eyes from his mom. He could've inherited his meticulousness from either parents. Do his parents wear glasses, are they early risers like Sariel, are they strict about manners? Or are they surprisingly crude? There are so many possibilities. Clavis then asks Sariel if he's looking forward to seeing them again, but that's not something he's ever thought about. But thanks to Clavis, he's going to end up imagining what it'd be like.

~~

In town, Sariel disguises the both of them as street urchins. The baron will be providing meals today so they go to look for his mansion.

Sariel: Now then, is the baron black or white? We shall see

~~

Sariel and Clavis: ... Black

The two spy on the mansion from outside. The way the baron looks at the children is as if he's appraising them and the servants look like they're in pain, like they're being forced to do bad things. Clavis takes a step closer but Sariel stops him or else they'll get caught. Clavis says that if they don't do something, both the children and servants will continue to suffer. Sariel says there's no point in going in blind. The baron's going to keep an eye out for them and they won't be able to gather evidence. He suggests waiting until nightfall but is cut off by Clavis saying that the kids might end up being dragged into bad things so it doesn't feel right to just wait.

The prince continues toward the mansion and a servant takes notice. They ask him if he's here for a meal. Sariel starts to say they're not, but Clavis interrupts to say that they are.

Clavis: We came from the next town over because we heard that this mansion served free meals. Right, big brother?

Sariel: Huh...?

Clover End (Clavis POV)

Heart End (Sariel POV)

Epilogue

[lisutarid-a]

[Gakuen K] Yatogami Kuroh Route Translation

Summer festival for two

LIST OF CHAPTERS

[Translation under the cut]

Saya: (Today is the last day of summer vacation. We were supposed to go to a summer festival, but…)

Saya: (Neko is on an extra supplementary class, Shiro-kun had maintenance work to do on the Himmelreich)

Saya: (We with Kuro-kun decided to go together)

Saya: …Ha, I'm nervous.

Saya: (That wasn't a problem until a while ago)

Saya: (Something strange happening with me since he told me the other day that I'm better)

Saya: (Even thought it was a simple conversation…)

Saya: …I wonder what this feeling is.

Saya: Ah, the phone.

Saya: Hello.

Kuroh: It's me. I'm in front of the dormitory. How are you doing? Are you ready?

Saya: Uh! Sorry to keep you waiting. I'll be right down.

Kuroh: Yeah, I'm waiting.

Saya: …

Saya: (All he said was that he was waiting for me, but it made me really nervous somehow)

Saya: (Kuro is a good friend. There is no need to be nervous at all)

Saya: …Well, let's go.

Saya: Kuro-kun. Thank you for waiting!

Kuroh: That was really quick. You could have taken your time, you know.

Saya: Un-uh, it's alright. Kuro-kun, you're wearing a yukata today.

Kuroh: Yeah. I haven't worn it in a long time. It's not something you get to wear very often unless you have an opportunity like this.

Saya: That's right. It really suits you!

Kuroh: Thanks. You look good too.

Saya: R-Really? Thanks.

Saya: (I'm so glad….I'm glad I took the plunge and wore it)

Saya: Well then, let's go to the summer festival!

Kuroh: Wait.

Saya: Eh?

Kuroh: …The shrine is that way.

Saya: I-I see…Ahaha.

Saya: (Let's calm down a bit…)

Saya: Even though it's the last day of summer vacation, there are so many people here.

Kuroh: I believe it's because it's the last day. Be careful not to get lost.

Saya: Kuro-kun too.

Kuroh: Yeah. I know. I'll try to keep a good eye on you.

Saya: (…Him saying things like that makes my heart racing)

Kuroh: What's wrong?

Saya: Un-uh, nothing! If Kuro-kun is looking out for me, I feel safe even if I go to different places!

Kuroh: That's not what I meant. You are…a bit in high spirits today, aren't you?

Saya: Fufu, it that so.

Kuroh: It's okay at least for today. It's a festival after all. Let's go take a look around.

Saya: (…My feet hurt)

Saya: (I guess it's because I'm not used to wearing geta. The part that is in contact with strap hurts…)

Saya: Uwaa!

Kuroh: Eh…What's wrong?

Saya: Geta is…Ah.

Kuroh: Seems like the strap snapped. We need to find a place to sit down…Let's move over there.

Kuroh: Sit still. Now, if you'll excuse me.

Kuroh: …You've got blood between your toes.

Kuroh: I believe I had a band-aid somewhere…I'll put it on for now, make sure you disinfect it when you get home.

Saya: Uhm. I understand. …Sorry.

Kuroh: There's nothing to apologize for. The strap snapped, it can't be helped.

Saya: Un-uh. After all, I think I got carried away.

Saya: I'm not used to wearing geta. I should have walked a little more carefully.

Kuroh: No…I should've been more careful too. Sorry for dragging you around.

Saya: It's not your fault, Kuro-kun.

Kuroh: I think I was…a little carried away too. Guess I was just feeling a bit relaxed without the two usual guys around.

Saya: …You, Kuro-kun? You didn't look like that at all. You were paying attention to make sure I didn't get lost.

Kuroh: I hope it looked that way. …We both were carried away. Let's put an end to the strap theme.

Saya: Uhm…I got it. Thank you for a band-aid.

Kuroh: Yeah. Okay, I'll fix your strap. Give me your geta.

Saya: Is it really that easy to fix?

Kuroh: I can somehow manage with the first aid. Just give me a minute.

Saya: Thanks for today, Kuro-kun. And for the strap.

Kuroh: I'm the one to thank you. It was a lot of fun. You can send the strap for repair later.

Kuroh: I've never talked to you this long before, so it was a good opportunity.

Saya: I understood ve-e-ery well that Kuro is really influenced by the principle.

Kuroh: Sorry. I just can't stop myself when it comes to Ichigen-sama…

Kuroh: I got carried away because you were listening quietly. I'm… sorry about that.

Saya: Un-uh. I've enjoyed listening to your stories. Please tell me again.

Kuroh: Ah, uhm!

Choice: [Good night] ❤

Saya: Well then, good night. See you tomorrow.

Kuroh: Yeah. Good night. Let's work hard in the second semester as well. See you tomorrow.

Saya: Fufu, that's so like you, Kuro-kun…

Choice: [Just a little bit…]

Saya: It all ended so fast. I wish I could have hung out with you…a little bit longer.

Kuroh: Second semester starts tomorrow. It would be better to go home and get some rest today.

Kuroh: If you don't maintain a regular lifestyle, you will have problems later on.

Saya: You're right. Well then, good night, Kuro-kun.

Kuroh: Yeah, good night. See you tomorrow.

Saya: He's gone…

Saya: Second semester starts tomorrow…It's a little depressing that summer vacation is over, but I'll do my best!

[Prev chapter][Next chapter]

[perfectlovevn]

Perfect Love VN Devlog #8

I gotta say, I'm really proud of my UI right now because it looks very good, though it bothers me that the Endings buttons have a weird hover state. But when I said that I didn't like the Renpy UI apparently I made it my own personal issue and decided to destroy it and remake it. All the Milos on the GUI screens also change depending on route because I can't not make it difficult on myself. I was thinking of making the head UI have a different character for the left side (based on any references, else it would just have Eris's sprite) but I'm not sure if the creators would like that and it would have been a LOT of creators I would have to contact and ask about and it would be even more work for me, so I will decide against it for now. Maybe in the future I'll add it back in. The space under options is also bothering me so I might add a button for extras later on when I get the chance. But as you can see, pretty much everything is animated to a certain degree (even the buttons and whatnot are customized for each ending, sound and visual wise) because I take great care in making things look unique (and dying I guess).

SFX and music are really killing me right now because unlike stuff with UI, art and coding, I'm not nearly as versed in deciding those things which is very ironic because it's probably actually one of the more technically easier things for me- since all I'm doing is rummaging through Creative Commons and other free music/sfx stuff to find things to add and not making it myself. I think I might be too picky. I've started adding animal noises to mark each version of Milo (PreMilo is rabbit sounds, Violence is dog sounds and Manipulation is cat sounds) though it's hard to do them without it sounding too strange or out of place. Rabbit/Bunny sounds especially are kind of hard to find, though I did find a handful of them. I'm really glad in the past I was really obsessed with finding free sounds like this because it's really helping me as of now. Still I don't know what's too much sfx and what's too much music and that's what's really getting me a bit confused on what to do.

Still I underestimated how long it will take me to find/assign the right sfx and music, though I will say it will take me about half-two thirds of the time I did sprites though. After that I should be going to do the Perfect Ending, Main Menu (since you can see there's no pupils or anything), a starting warning screen and POSSIBLY extras since I figured out how to make an extra gallery by looking through through another visual novel's code. Oh, and a custom mouse because I realized I forgot about that.

I'll probably get some people to test it for me when I'm done with the Main Menu and SFX.

[irismfrost]

July 27 - Rice County School, Green Tunnel, Hot Pot, Natural Museum of Prehistory

I unfortunately forgot my jacket this morning and I was cold all day - it's been rainy and is always cold inside every building and the bus is also cold and my feet are wet :( I did buy a very expensive shirt at one of the museums we went to and that warmed me up. We started today bright and early (9:30am) at the Rice County School. It took us about an hour and a half to get over there. It is a bit north of Taitung. It showed us all about the stages of rice harvesting from the raw to brown rice to white rice, including all of the hull and mill and what damaged rice looks like. You got to touch all of them which was pretty cool and definitely a sensory sensation.

We also drive through the "Green Tunnel", which is a popular cycling route. It is basically a pretty road with huge trees that creates a green and scenic canopy.

Today on the bus, we saw the fuzz up ahead and as we got closer, we could see there was a fallen tree in the middle of the road. The police were directing traffic around the tree, but it's only more evidence of the damage from typhoon Gaemi.

Our awesome tour guide, Peter, distributed some snacks on the bus and I tried custard apple mochi and it was pretty good - tbh better than the custard apple itself. The apple wasn't bad but had a strange texture and sorting through the seeds was a little annoying. I also tried this dried squid snack - I will not eat that again. The more you chew, the worse it gets, but I'm glad I at least tried it. We had hot pot for lunch and this time we had individual pots and I got so much food. I didn't realize it came with vegetables automatically so I ordered a bunch extra and did not finish it. But that's okay! I still ate a ridiculous amount of food.

Next, we visited the National Museum of Prehistory. I think the name of this museum got a little lost in translation. It was cool to learn about Taiwan's history prior to and during the beginning of colonial rule. The people were very efficient with their natural resources. They figured out how to use dogs for hunting, different angles to use stones to cut other stones, how to mine certain stones like jade (and trade it), and mining other stones for building materials. Their pottery changed over time too - it was a very popular theme and was a pottery section for every time period. Even their burials were very strategic, people would be buried with different pots of things and jade and also heads. Head hunting was a thing back then and people would be buried with either no head or extra heads (the extra heads would be in a pot though).

We drive by the Music Village (it was raining so nothing was open. We stopped in this bakery which had bagels. All the bagels were filled with stuff and I had a cheese bagel. Last night, I was talking to my roommate about how much I miss sharp cheddar cheese and this bagel got as close to that as I will ever get in this country, so I was satisfied. I also got a chocolate bagel with some sort of chocolate filling (yet to be eaten) and some jam which I sampled at the store. It is some sort of raspberry type of fruit with something else. I'm really not exactly sure, but it tasted good enough to know that I'll eventually use it when I bring it back to the US with me. And of course, we ended our day with 7/11. This time I picked up some noodles for dinner. I am very excited to go to Kaohsiung tomorrow (realized that I've been spelling it wrong this whole time). There is a lot to do in a bigger city and we'll have a nicer hotel. The one we're staying at now has a very unique shower and the curtain sorta sticks to you. If there's a better way to shower in there, I haven't figured it out yet.

Reflection

Rice is an important crop for Taiwan, and dominates Taitung. There are so many rice fields here it's ridiculous. It makes up about 20% of all arable land in Taiwan. Taiwan also is agriculturally self sustainable, but the younger generations are opting for more wheat products like breads and noodles. Every year, the demand for rice decreases and puts local rice farmers in a tough spot financially. The government has been trying to incentivize rice consumption, but the demand only gets lower. On the flip side, Taiwan's rice exports have increased to Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore, and have exports to Japan have remained steady. The typhoon that just happened will negatively affect the rice fields here due to water logging and structural damage from high winds.

People who settled in Taiwan are related to other groups with Austroasiatic languages; evidence shows that people traveled between Madagascar to New Zealand to the Pacific Islands all the way to Easter Island. If you think about the movie, Moana, people travel from island to island and establish a community there - that movie is based on Oceanic peoples (though the accuracy is debatable). One thing that reminded me of Floridian natives are the shellfish. There were sooo many shells embedded into the earth which is evidence of the amount of shellfish they ate. In south Florida, there are shell mounds that support the idea that they also consumed a lot of shellfish (in addition to fishing, hunting, and gathering).

Seeing how Taiwan's society changes over time was pretty cool. Some traditions stay the same and some evolve into something different. Different regions have different markers. For example, the pottery in the north had different designs than pottery in the south. When outsiders began to come to the island, the uniqueness of each region seemed to shrink and in the eyes of the foreigners, the native people were all the same just because they were different. Taiwan may not be the same type of melting pot as the US, but there is a lot of diversity here (native tribes and colonial influences across the centuries) that doesn't exist in many other countries.

[weezly14]

Hey Weezly, wondered about your thoughts on EP 9 of TCR. Tough one to watch, at least for me anyway. Thanks!

Hi there. You may regret asking for my thoughts.

Let me preface this by saying that I came into this show wanting to like it. I think Tom Holland is a great actor, and the source material was interesting, and I was curious to see what they'd do with it - especially once it became clear they were going the "inspired by" route rather than an adaptation of the Billy Milligan book.

That being said, I think episode 9 is when we start seeing the plot really get going, and, as a result, see just how poorly constructed it is. Episode 9 laid bare all the flaws and issues I could ignore in previous episodes. I'm going to watch the last episode because I've invested all this time already, but I liked this show a lot more before I watched this episode.

Here's a brief bullet-pointed list of some of my issues with it:

i hate this courtroom drama angle. a) that's not how trial works and b) why the fuck are we having a trial in the first place. Is he not pleading guilty? The trial just makes it clear how convoluted and contrived the case is - a shooting that injured but did not kill - and I know we were given the heads up that the defense lawyer isn't a good trial lawyer 2 episodes ago or something, but god, I could've represented Danny better. And the prosecutor gave a great performance except I cannot imagine a judge allowing half the shit he did. Also, again, the defense lawyer? Didn't cross-examine Marlin? wtf

the racial and sexual politics of this show are all the fuck over the place, and I could sort of let it slide but nope, now I've gotta call it out. 1) the prosecutor has been so clearly and completely painted as The Bad Guy so she's an easy target for abuse from viewers because she's being mean to our protagonist, and the fact that she (and the judge, who I assume will give Danny a harsh sentence next week - because the jury decides the verdict but the judge decides the sentence) is black and Danny is white? Feels some kind of way. 2) Angelo on the stand? This is a drug dealer, why would he show up? Further on Angelo - in like a 10 second scene last week we saw that Jonny-Danny had apparently a sexual relationship with him which makes the trying to get a gun scene hit so different. There's so much to unpack here. And yet. 3) Jerome. So, like most of the actors on this show, he's given a great performance. He and Tom have had some great scenes. But a) the amount of emotional labor this black character has done for the white character he barely knows is vaguely upsetting, b) when we're first introduced to Jerome via Ariana it doesn't come across as Great Love (sure we can debate this but I digress) but as soon as he seeks out Danny in prison and on the stand we get that narrative of practically Soulmates, c) this show purports to take place in the 70s - not a great time to be gay! To say nothing of the extra layer of race. Stonewall was 1969, dudes. On the one hand, super glad we're not having to listen to slurs. On the other, how is seemingly everyone barely blinking at Danny having a female alter or at the very least, if they don't accept the idea of alters, cross-dressing and fucking dudes? The prosecutor tries to prove that Jerome and Danny/Ariana weren't a couple because they never interactied outside the club - I'm sorry, it's the 1970s. Again, there is so much to unpack here re: Jerome as both a black man and a gay man and! We are getting! Nothing!

I liked Rya well enough but this episode she really grated on me? Her monologues felt preachy and patronizing.

Candy. So, one of the things I've come back to over and over is - we know Marlin abused Danny, and now we're to believe that Candy, on some level, knew. We also know that she married Marlin and theoretically stayed with him for financial reasons. Financial abuse is real, I'm not discounting that. But aside from being a dick, we don't really see Candy and Marlin's relationship as terribly abusive. She's so deferential to him, and yet we never see why, what has her so scared of him. She has a job! Her child is out of the house! Her characterization has been nearly nonexistent and it's frustrating.

So after struggling with undiagnosed MPD/DID for his entire life, we're supposed to accept that Danny, who was given a diagnosis like three days ago, is suddenly able to control his alters? With no issue? The scene 2? 3? Episodes ago where he tells Rya there are voices and he needs help is completely undermined by how much of a nonissue his alters have been in the interim.

All press tour Tom has been saying this show is about asking for help, and Danny asked for help in that scene - which was a great scene, I felt so seen there - and then in episode 9 we get Rya saying how brave or whatever Danny is for asking for help. BUT! He didn't! He committed a crime and was sent to jail and ended up in these therapy/interrogation sessions and then eventually yes, asked for help. But he was not out there crying for help, asking to be saved. He had his alters! He was unaware that he wasn't okay!

It's so clear that this show doesn't know what it wants to be and doesn't know what its focus is. Is it Danny? Is it Rya? The first 4 episodes are their own fucking show, and 6-9 are their own show. 5 feels like its own thing, too.

Additionally, this show is set in the 1970s. Why? Because Billy Milligan. Except they took the teeth out of that story, completely sanitized it to the point that there are virtually no stakes, but kept the set dressing. But that's literally all it is at this point. We get b-roll of 70s London, we have the costumes and cars, but aside from one shot of defense lawyer in army fatigues, we have no real sense of where we are in time. That is the only allusion to Vietnam. The prosecutor talked about incarceration like she's also read The New Jim Crow. Not a slur to be heard despite the fact that we are allegedly between Stonewall and AIDS. Rya talks about mental health like someone might in the present day. If they were already going to not make this about Billy Milligan, why the fuck did they keep it set in the 70s?

It is so frustrating because the actors are giving it their all. Tom? No notes. I was moved this episode, I've been moved all season. But I cannot get away from how poorly constructed this all is. This could've been so good. We should've spent more time digging into each alter. (What the fuck purpose did Mike serve? Ariana is the one "who can have sex" yet we also see Jonny engaging in sex?) What about the other dead alters in the barn? What about Adam. It has been hinted at all season that Marlin was not the first - the existence of Adam before Marlin would indicate that Danny had already experienced something that caused his psyche to split. we know nothing about dad. we still know nothing about Adam!!!!!!! Are we ever getting that resolution? Then what was the goddamn point? Why is there even a trial. Why have him commit a crime that's so toothless and that he's so obviously guilty of? Why structure this around a crime in the first place? Emmy Rossum has been severely underutilized, fuck, even Amanda Seyfried. Cannot believe they got Jason Isaacs to be in like. 17 minutes of this show. And once again, Tom Holland can have no lines and still be the most interesting character on screen. Can he go back to theatre, I'd love to see what he can do with a good script if this is what he can accomplish with a bad one.

I'm tired. This show had such potential, and it's tripping at the finish line. After taking four episodes to get started. Acting is great, cinematography has been good, but story? Writing? It's disappointing. I'm frustrated.