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cryingcow · 4 years ago

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Character Story - Tanimura [RGGO]

. . . Yeah, I gave up on Ryuji’s. Sorry, it was frustrating >_<. Instead, it’s time for the Mr. Gambling Turtle!

I find it funny that Tanimura’s dad/s go to all the trouble of naming him “Masayoshi” for justice and whatnot, only for no one to ever use his first name XD But “Ma-chan” is cute tho! Also, never figured Tanimura as a detective could be so idealistic, especially when compared to someone like Yagami ┐(￣～￣)┌ .

Story: Tanimura and Date work together to solve a robbery. Tanimura learns like 3 moral lessons from his senior at the end of it, and proceeds to completely misinterpret said lessons.

Date: “Little Asia. My god, just look at this place.”

Tanimura: “Okay can you stop dissing my home now and get back to the case?”

Note: “Continental descent” just means “Chinese”. I wanted to put “mainlander” because that’s the accurate term, buuut idk if it would be more or less confusing like that esp with Westerners. (Also, the way we use “mainlander” in our country is Not Very Nice. Not sure if the connotation is the same in Japan.)

CHAPTER 1

|2010. Tanimura Masayoshi, along with Kiryu and others, uncovered and resolved a big conspiracy involving the Metropolitan Police Department. After resolving the incident, Tanimura was transferred from Community Safety Division to Criminal Investigation Division One. Life goes back to normal.|

[Mahjong Parlor]

Youth: “Damn it! Ma-chan’s probably going to win again!”

Tanimura: “Heh. I’m on a roll lately.”

Friendly Youth: “Hey, Ma-chan. Is it okay for you to be here? Didn’t you move from Community Safety to Criminal Investigation Division 1?”

Tanimura: “Well, I’m a detective who deals in murder now. They gave my achievements from the recent incident a high evaluation.”

Friendly Youth: “In that case, isn’t this bad? Then your boss will come here to yell at you . . .”

Tanimura: “Oh, you mean Date-san? Yeah, that would certainly be dangerous. I should get back to the station before he finds out.”

Friendly Youth: “One of these days, you’re going to get yourself fired . . .”

----

[Little Asia]

Mister: “Yo, Ma-chan. Playing hooky as usual.”

Tanimura: “I’m at work. Patrolling. I’m here to protect the safety of this area.”

Child: “Ma-chan, let’s play!”

Tanimura: “Sorry, I’m at work. Later~.”

Tanimura: (Well, if I play hooky too much, Date-san will find out. I should get back to the station fast.)

Tanimura: “Hm?”

Lowly Gangster: “It’s not a bad idea. And more than that, I don’t think we can wait any longer!”

Weak Middle-aged Man: “H-Hii! It-It hurts! Please stop hitting me!”

Tanimura: (That’s . . . the manager of Smile Heights Ni Hao, Hao-san . . .)

Tanimura: “Oi! What are you guys doing?!”

Lowly Gangster: “Ah?!”

Hao: “Ma-chan!”

Lowly Gangster: “Don’t butt in!! I’m working! I’m collecting this guy’s debt!”

Tanimura: “You’re a debt collector? Hao-san, how much did you borrow?”

Hao: “500,000 . . . I should have won the horse race . . . I lost a lot of money. Haha . . .”

Lowly Gangster: “The interest has ballooned to 5 million! Pay up 100,000 for this month!”

Tanimura: “Hey, stop! 500,000 to 5 million, that’s obviously an illegal interest rate!”

Lowly Gangster: “Bastard, didn’t I tell you earlier not to butt in? What are you, a cop?”

Tanimura: “. . . Tanimura of the Kamurocho Police. You do know if you keep doing that, you’ll be guilty of assault, right?”

Lowly Gangster: “What? There’s 3 of us here. Bastard, don’t think you can do anything on your own!”

Tanimura: “Well, that’s why I called backup.”

Police Officer: “Sir! I received your request for backup!”

{The policeman takes the yakuza away.}

Hao: “Tanimura-san, thank you!”

Tanimura: “Hao-san, if you can’t stop yourself from gambling, why did you have to borrow from that guy?”

Hao: “Because I thought I could win . . .”

Tanimura: “Aren’t you teaching children? A teacher shouldn’t be showing that kind of example.”

Hao: “Ah . . . you’re right. I should set a good example as a teacher.”

Tanimura: “You’re a good person, Hao-san. Isn’t it a shame you lost sight of that because of debt? I asked Mei-Fa recently, and I heard you were picking up orphans and putting them up in your apartment?”

Hao: “Yup. It wouldn’t be fair to push the children all on Omomuki-san, and I like kids anyway.”

Tanimura: “That’s good. That’s why you shouldn’t lose yourself in debt.”

Little Boy: “Ah, there you are Hao-sensei! It’s time for cram school!”

Hao: “Ah! Is it already time?”

Tanimura: “Oh, Hao-san, wait a moment. Here, take this.”

Hao: “Eh?! Money? Are you sure?”

Tanimura: “Yeah. This is the money I won from gambling. Use it to buy the children clothes and teaching materials.”

Hao: “Th-Thank you!”

Little Boy: “Hao-sensei! Let’s go! Everyone is waiting!”

Hao: “Tanimura-san! Again, thank you very much!”

Tanimura: “Go already. And don’t use it for gambling!”

{Hao leaves with the little boy.}

Tanimura: “Teaching children for free, and feeding them on top of that . . . He’s a good person. If only he didn’t have debt and a gambling habit . . .”

Date: “Are you talking about someone else? Because I know a detective who plays mahjong.”

Tanimura: “. . . guh. Date-san . . .”

Date: “I finally found you! Your paperwork isn’t finished yet, you truant demon!”

Tanimura: “Th-This time is different! I wasn’t playing hooky! In fact, I was helping people with their troubles . . .”

Date: “That’s no excuse! If a subordinate of Sudo is skipping out on work, it’s up to me to drag him back. Now, let’s go!”

Tanimura: “I understand . . .”

----

|Several days later . . .|

[Mahjong Parlor]

Tanimura: “Hehe. Oh, this tile . . . I’m on a roll today~.”

Friendly Youth: “Ma-chan, you’re skipping work again to play mahjong. You’re going to get disciplined again.”

Tanimura: “I just can’t stop. Anyway, it’s noisy outside. Is something going on?”

Friendly Youth: “I don’t know. Why are you asking me, you’re the detective. Haven’t you heard anything on your comm device?”

Tanimura: “Hm, I wonder. I was focused on something else today. Oh, this tile . . .”

Date: “Tanimura!! I knew you’d be here . . .”

Tanimura: “D-Date-san? Uh, you see . . . I wasn’t skipping . . .”

Date: “There’s been an incident.”

Tanimura: “Eh? Incident?”

Date: “A bank robbery. Happened just a while ago.”

Sudo: “A man wearing a full-faced helmet broke into the bank, stole 5 million in cash, and escaped on a scooter. It seems that he fled to Little Asia.”

Tanimura: “In Little Asia?”

Date: “You’re very familiar with Little Asia, correct? So you’ll be on this case.”

Tanimura: “. . . Understood. What did the guy look like?”

Date: “There was one perpetrator, a 170cm tall medium-sized man of continental descent.”

Tanimura: “Continental descent . . .”

Date: “There’s only one way in to enter Little Asia. All the other exits have been secured.”

Tanimura: “Wait, are you suspecting someone who lives in Little Asia?”

Date: “Given the situation, I have to be suspicious.”

Tanimura: “Is . . . that so . . .”

Date: “Why are you upset? People who are born and raised in this city can be suspects.”

Tanimura: “It’s just . . . I know everyone in Little Asia, but I don’t know anyone who’d be a thief . . .”

Date: “Hey, Tanimura . . . you know you should look at the facts and not get distracted by personal feelings, right?”

Tanimura: “Alright . . .”

-END-

CHAPTER 2

[Little Asia]

Date: “Little Asia. Narrow streets tangling with one another . . . Foreign signboards in a narrow space lined up in front of suspicious stores . . . It’s the perfect place to hide.”

Tanimura: “Haa. Yeah, maybe you’re right . . .”

Date: “Alright. Tanimura, now listen up.”

Tanimura: “I don’t feel like I’m suitable for this . . .”

{Date and Tanimura presumably discuss their gameplan and go find residents to interrogate.}

Youth: “A man wearing a full-faced helmet?”

Tanimura: “Yeah, and he escaped into Little Asia on a scooter. Did you see him?”

Youth: “. . . You know, I think I did. He went inside a tobacco shop.”

Tanimura: “A tobacco shop, thank you!”

Youth: “Tanimura-san, are you suspecting one of us?”

Tanimura: “No, no. That’s not the case . . .”

Youth: “Is that true? Ren-san of the tobacco shop said he was also interrogated . . . You and that tough-looking detective are going around checking everyone’s alibi.”

Tanimura: “Tough-looking detectives . . .”

Date: “. . .”

Youth: “We may be poor, but when we’re in trouble, we help each other out. We’re not robbers.”

Tanimura: “I-I know. I don’t suspect everyone here. Thank you for giving us information. {to Date} It seems the guy went this way.”

Date: “Even so, this is a complicated place. If you weren’t with me, I’d have gotten lost.”

Tanimura: “Well, at first glance it’s just a dilapidated town.”

Date: “If the suspect is someone who doesn’t know the land, he’ll get lost. But if he does know the area, it’ll be easy to lose the police.”

Tanimura: “Um. Do you still suspect someone in Little Asia?”

Date: “I don’t want to doubt them, but as always we should.”

Tanimura: “‘Prejudice in the investigation is strictly prohibited’. . . . I understand.”

Chinpira: “Oi!”

Chinpira: “You’re the ones who’ve been swaggering around Little Asia, aren’t you?”

Date: “Hm? Who are you guys?”

Tanimura: “Do you even live here?”

Chinpira: “Dunno. But you’re really annoying. Get out of here now.”

Tanimura: “Are you headaches working for the criminal we’re investigating? Getting in our way like this, maybe . . . you’re the robbers?”

Chinpira: “What did you say?”

Tanimura: “You see, Date-san? The culprit is an outsider all along.”

Date: “. . . Tanimura. That doesn’t seem to be the case right now.”

Chinpira: “If you don’t get out now, I’ll kick you out myself!”

{Tanimura and Date defeat the guys.}

Chinpira: “U-ugh . . .”

Tanimura: “Oi! Are you the robbers?!”

Chinpira: “What the hell are you talking about?! We were just ordered to get in your way!”

Tanimura: “Ordered? By who?”

Chinpira: “I-I don’t know. A bunch of unknown men. Probably yakuza, based from how they dressed . . .”

Tanimura: “Is that true?”

Chinpira: “It’s true! If we disturb your investigation, we’ll be paid . . . is what they said.”

Date: “You guys . . . where were you and what were you doing at around 5:30PM today?”

Chinpira: “We were playing at the arcade at that time.”

Date: “And you’re not lying?”

Chinpira: “I-I’m not lying! We even took pictures at the arcade . . .”

Date: “The crime took place at around 5:30PM. If you have an alibi, it should be the timestamps on those arcade pictures.”

Tanimura: “If that’s the case, do you think the yakuza who ordered them are the real robbers?”

Date: “It’s suspicious, sure, but its relevance to the robbery is still unknown.”

Tanimura: “Is that so . . . so what do we do with these guys?”

Date: “They obstructed a police investigation. Call for backup and let them handle it. We can go back to our investigation as soon as they take over.”

Tanimura: “Got it.”

----

Tanimura: “According to the testimony, the criminal escaped around here . . .”

Date: “It’s a straight road. What do you think lies ahead?”

Tanimura: “It’s a dead end. But . . .”

Date: “But?”

Tanimura: “There’s an apartment here. A place managed by a person named Hao . . .”

Date: “Hao?”

Tanimura: “Yeah. He’s a good person who takes orphans in and teaches them for free.”

Date: “Oh. That may be your impression of him, but it’s possible the criminal escaped into his apartment.”

----

Tanimura: “! That thing lying in front of the apartment . . . is that a scooter?”

Date: “That’s what the criminal was using, and it’s even the same color. . . . hm? The license plate has been peeled off.”

Tanimura: “Is it the getaway vehicle?”

Date: “Seems like it. The engine is still warm. Thinking that he got away with it, the criminal made a mistake.”

Tanimura: “Following the footprints leading away from the scooter . . . it looks like the criminal escaped into the apartment.”

Hao: “Oh. Tanimura-san?”

Tanimura: “Hao-san? Are you in there?”

Hao: “. . . Yup. I was in the caretaker’s room. Tanimura-san, is this an investigation?”

Tanimura: “Yeah. In fact, I’m chasing down a robber. A man wearing a full-faced helmet escaped down here.”

Hao: “Eh!”

Date: “This hut in front of the apartment that looks like a lottery counter. Is this the caretaker’s room?”

Tanimura: “Yeah. Children live here, so he keeps an eye out for suspicious people from over there.”

Date: “So in other words, the criminal wouldn’t have been able to get pass without the caretaker seeing them.”

Hao: “. . .”

Date: “Hao-san. How about it? Looking at the situation, it is likely that the culprit disposed of the scooter here and fled into the apartment. Did you not see the criminal run by? If you really were in the caretaker’s room, you should have seen him.”

Hao: “. . . th-that is . . .”

Date: “. . . Did you see him?”

Hao: “I-I didn’t see anyone! No one passed by here!”

Date: “And there’s no mistake?”

Hao: “There’s no doubt! No one escaped to this apartment!”

Date: “Is that so . . .”

Hao: “. . . um. Can I go now?”

Date: “Yeah. Understood. Thank you for your time.”

{Hao goes back inside.}

Tanimura: “Hao-san didn’t see the criminal running away. So where could the culprit be?”

Date: “Something stinks.”

Tanimura: “Eh?”

Date: “It seems like the caretaker is hiding something.”

Tanimura: “Just because he doesn’t want to talk to the police all of a sudden? Maybe he’s busy.”

Date: “Maybe so. But . . . can’t you think of another reason? Like the caretaker protecting the fleeing criminal.”

Tanimura: “Date-san. Hao-san is a good person who takes care of orphans for free, isn’t he? He can’t be covering up for a robber.”

Date: “What if Hao-san knows the criminal? Wouldn’t that be reason enough to protect him?”

Tanimura: “Th-That’s . . .”

Date: “Hey, Tanimura. Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way of the investigation. You shouldn’t dismiss the possibility.”

Tanimura: “I know . . .”

Date: “Alright. Then let’s keep an eye on the apartment from the opposite building. If there is a criminal in there, he’s sure to come out eventually.”

Tanimura: (Hao-san protecting the criminal? That’s stupid . . .)

-END-

CHAPTER 3

|About an hour after Tanimura and Date started watching Hao’s apartment . . .|

[Little Asia]

Date: “There’s no movement. The caretaker still continues to watch TV in his room. The probable criminal hasn’t come out.”

Tanimura: “Yeah, he’s done nothing but watch TV the entire time. But, there is something strange about him . . .”

Date: “Strange how?”

Tanimura: “Hao-san has been fidgeting the entire time. Like he’s wary of something.”

Date: “You think he’s aware he’s under surveillance?”

Tanimura: “I wonder. But there’s something even stranger . . .”

Date: “What?”

Tanimura: “I told you that Hao-san tutors children, right? He should be teaching at this time. The study room is on the second floor . . .”

Date: “And yet he’s been in the caretaker’s room the entire time.”

Tanimura: “Yes. It’s supposed to be his daily routine . . . On top of that, I haven’t seen any of the children. The lights aren’t even on, and normally they should be switched on at the second floor . . .”

Date: “Tanimura . . . do you think your observations are related to the robbery case?”

Tanimura: “. . . I . . . think so . . . If we believe that a robber is in the apartment . . . it makes sense why the cram school isn’t open. The criminal could be using the children as hostages. That might be why Hao-san is protecting him. But . . . if that’s the case, it’s puzzling why the room isn’t lit. There’s no reason to turn the lights off and tell everyone otherwise.”

Date: “Heh. Tanimura, it seems you finally understand how to observe without letting your personal feelings interfere.”

Tanimura: “I’m not . . . I’m still not doubting Hao-san.”

Date: “. . . Alright. Let’s end this stakeout.”

Tanimura: “What are we going to do?”

Date: “You said things felt strange. It’s time to confront the caretaker. Doing so may move this situation from its standstill.”

Tanimura: “. . . Understood.”

Tanimura: “Hao-san. I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Hao: “T-Tanimura-san? What’s wrong?”

Tanimura: “Where are the kids?”

Hao: “! W-We-Well, that is . . .”

Tanimura: “It’s time for cram school, right? But the lights on the second floor are still off. Hao-san, what on earth is going on? Where are the children?”

Hao: “. . . uh . . .”

Tanimura: “I’m going to look inside the apartment room. Is that okay?”

Hao: “. . . Tanimura-san! I’m sorry!”

{Hao grabs a bag and pushes past Tanimura.}

Tanimura: “Ah! Hao-san, where are you going with that bag?! . . . ! The scooter?”

Date: “Tanimura! He got away! Let’s go chase him!”

Tanimura: “O-Okay!”

Tanimura: (Hao-san, is this a joke? There’s no way you . . .)

----

Date: “Haa . . . haa . . . damn it! The alleys are too complex and our target is on a scooter! Haa . . . haa . . . this is . . . we have to keep going!”

Tanimura: “Date-san! Here! Please follow me!”

Date: “H-Hey, that’s the opposite direction . . .”

Tanimura: “This is a shortcut!”

Tanimura: “Haa . . . haa. There you are, Hao-san.”

Date: “Haa . . . haa. Tanimura, you were right.”

Tanimura: “Haa . . . haa . . . Hao-san got off the scooter and entered that building!”

Date: “Alright! Let’s catch him!”

----

Tanimura: “Hao-san!! Haa . . . haa . . . haa . . .”

Hao: “T-Tanimura-san?”

Tanimura: “What’s in that bag? Is it money?! Are you the robber?!”

Hao: “Th-That’s . . .”

Tanimura: “Show me what’s inside!”

{Tanimura grabs the bag and forces it open.}

Hao: “Ah.”

Tanimura: “Th-this is . . .”

Date: “The 5 million that was stolen. Judging from the number of wads, I’d that’s probably it.”

Hao: “. . .”

Tanimura: “Hao-san! What is the meaning of this?! Why did you become a robber . . .”

Hao: “. . . i-it couldn’t be helped.”

Tanimura: “What can’t?”

Hao: “The yakuza were claiming my debt! They took the children!”

Tanimura: “What did you say?”

Hao: “They . . . if you’re an orphan in Little Asia, it’s hard to go to the police . . . If I didn’t pay off my debt, they’d kidnap the children and sell them off . . .”

Tanimura: “I see. Since the parents of those children were here illegally, then those kids don’t exist at all in this country.”

Date: “in other words, there is no one who’ll sue them. They’re free to do human trafficking.”

Tanimura: “Hao-san, is that why you did the robbery?”

Hao: “They ordered me to. If I steal the money, they’ll return the children.”

Tanimura: “Is that so . . .”

Yakuza: “There it is! That money is ours.”

Tanimura: “! Who are you guys?”

Yakuza: “It can’t be helped now that he’s talked. I’m taking all that money. Hand it over in exchange for the children’s lives, or we’ll sell them to get the money.”

Tanimura: “I won’t let you do that. I’m not paying, now hand over those kids.”

Yakuza: “Kekeke. There’s only two of you against us. You’re going to die right now!”

{Tanimura and Date defeat the yakuza.}

Tanimura: “Where are the children?! Answer me!!”

Yakuza: “S-Second floor of the opposite building . . . they’re tied up there . . .”

Date: “Tanimura, watch these guys and Hao-san. I’ll call for back up and pick up the kids.”

Tanimura: “Got it. Hao-san, are you okay?”

Hao: “Yup. Tanimura-san, I’m sorry . . .”

Tanimura: “Hao-san, if you’re ever in trouble, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Hao: “Tanimura-san . . .”

----

Date: “Tanimura. The children are safe and protected now.”

Tanimura: “Um. Does the police know about the children’s complicated situations . . .”

Date: “Yeah. I sat that out. It would be confusing when it comes to the police.”

Tanimura: “Thank you very much.”

Date: “About Hao-san . . . as expected, there’s no easy way to handle his case. Even though he was threatened, it was still a robbery. They might give him a lighter sentence.”

Tanimura: “The situation is what it is. I hope they do . . .”

Tanimura: “. . .”

Date: “What’s wrong? That’s not the face one wears when a case is resolved.”

Tanimura: “. . . This case went exactly as you said. I was too caught up in my personal feelings, and my eyes were clouded. I should have known from the testimony that Hao was suspicious, but I didn’t want to doubt him. I didn’t want to believe my friends from Little Asia could do that. . . . No, I didn’t want you to think they’d do it. Letting such thoughts distract me from the facts . . . I should be kicked off the police force.”

Date: “. . . You’re right. It’s not a very flattering side of you. But Tanimura, I think there are two kinds of people in the police. The kind who upholds the law . . . while the other kind fights for their idea of justice. There are people like you who learn once they bounce back from their mistakes. Remember that.”

Tanimura: “. . . I will. Thank you very much, Date-san.”

Date: “Besides, solving this case would have been impossible if it wasn’t for your keen eye and familiarity with the streets of Little Asia. It seems your truancy turned out to be useful this time. Heh, if everyone was just like you, the world would be a better place.”

Tanimura: “Haha, I can’t say anything to that.”

----

|A few days later . . .|

[Mahjong Parlor]

Tanimura: “Alright! I win again this time~!”

Friendly Youth: “Wow! You beat me again!”

Tanimura: “Hehe. Looks like I’m in great form today as well.”

Friendly Youth: “But Ma-chan. Is it okay for you to be skipping out on work again? Your boss is going to get angry at you.”

Tanimura: “It’s alright, it’s alright. I had a chat with my boss. It turns out my truancy is useful.”

Friendly Youth: “Is that true . . . Oh, that’s right. It seems like Hao-san got off with a light sentence.”

Tanimura: “Yeah. They took into consideration the fact that he was threatened by the yakuza.”

Friendly Youth: “If Hao-san is gone, there’ll be no one to take care of the kids.”

Tanimura: “Yeah. I’m glad all the loose ends are tied up.”

Date: “What loose ends are tied up?”

Tanimura: “Guh. Date-san . . .”

Date: “Tch, you! Are you playing hooky again?!”

Tanimura: “N-No, because you gave me permission to skip, didn’t you? You said skipping was good!”

Date: “You idiot! I didn’t give you permission! And I’m not cleaning up your paperwork! Sudo told me off because of your truancy! Get back to work!”

Tanimura: “Y-Yes! I’m sorry!”

{Tanimura runs off.}

Date: “Good grief . . . Heh. To be young with such energy.”

-END-

Masterlist

#with this done I can finally play Y5!#after i finish studying asfdgjsk #the next one will be a multichapter one so buckle up #idk what its about either lol #rgg online #rggo lore #rggo #rgg #Ryu ga Gotoku #yakuza #masayoshi tanimura #Makoto Date

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missnight0wl · 3 years ago

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Is Jacob dead?

Before we dive into this question, I just want to say that the whole idea is based on three other assumptions:

Jacob we found in the Portrait Vault is not real Jacob. I talked about this idea quite a lot on my blog, so if you’re interested in details, you can check this masterpost.

We’re not done with the final Cursed Vault. This is another idea that appears in my posts pretty often. I guess the best summary of it would be this post.

Rowan is alive. The shortest explanation of this idea is probably this post.

I’ll mention one scene from Y6Ch42, but its context is not really relevant here, so the spoilers will be mostly for Y4 and Y5.

Now, with that in mind, we can move to the main issue.

The idea of Jacob being actually dead was present in the story pretty much from the very beginning. Admittedly, it was usually Merula joking about him being dead, though you can’t really tell me it wasn’t something that MC feared as well. It seems to me that they were kind of suppressing it, though. And I think that a very good example of it is the “Wizarding World Famous” SQ from Y3 – which is currently unavailable in the game, sadly, but I don’t think it means we should ignore it. After all, those quests are being added again (see: The Weird Sisters! TLSQ, for example).

Anyway, by the end of this quest we had this scene:

(screenshots from I-GGames YouTube channel)

And when you think about it, it’s really quite unsettling. First of all, Rita basically suggested that the Mysterious Voice MC’s hearing might not be Jacob’s. And secondly, why would she imply that he might be dead?

Moving on, we kind of abandoned the topic of Jacob’s possible death. I mean, Merula continued her comments even in Y4, but MC themselves never really addressed it on-screen. And truth be told, I sort of stopped thinking about it seriously, too. Until there was a moment in Y6 where MC sings a song, and you choose “Odo the Hero”. See, Jam City decided to play “Brother Theme” in the background for this particular song. Interestingly, these are the lyrics:

And Odo the hero, they bore him back home / To the place that he'd known as a lad, / They laid him to rest with his hat inside out / And his wand snapped in two, which was sad.

Now, I know that “Brother Theme” kind of lost its meaning with the new devs. I mean, they randomly put it in the “Lone Wolf” TLSQ after our duel with Chiara, for example. Still, it got me thinking… It kind of sounds familiar, considering that MC always wanted to “bring [Jacob] back home”. And Madam Rosmerta even used exactly those words in the past while talking about our brother. Plus, a part about “his wand snapped in two”? Just like Jacob’s wand left in the Vault of Ice? Like, it seriously does sound like it could’ve been about Jacob, don’t you think?

And you know what? While I do think that “Odo the Hero” is probably just a coincidence, I also have to say… Jacob being dead actually makes sense.

I suppose the most important thing here is the change in R’s messages between Y4 and Y5.

Y4Ch3:

Y5Ch1:

In Y4, R wanted to stop MC. But in Y5, they suddenly needed them. We learnt later that it was about the Legilimency door (and possibly the final Vault). I discussed it in the past already, and I think we should keep in mind here another thing that Rita told us about Jacob in her first SQ:

I bring it up often when I talk about vault!Jacob being fake because “being trapped in the portrait” is not the same as “being held captive”. So, I believe that Jacob was indeed imprisoned somewhere by R (and it wasn’t the Portrait Vault). However, something major changed between Y4 and Y5. In my personal story, R “lost interest” in Jacob because he got so ill that they weren’t sure if he’d survive long enough. Yet, if Jacob actually died… Yeah, it works even better. In Y4, R wanted to stop MC because they still had imprisoned Jacob. In Y5, Jacob was already dead, so R needed MC to open the Legilimency door.

Now, there’s one more very interesting scene in Y4Ch7. If you choose Rakepick to talk about the arrowhead, and you tell her that you know about it from your brother, this is how it goes:

And honestly, her reaction is just… so odd. Sure, you might say that she was scared that Jacob told us that she’d betrayed him and left him in the Portrait Vault. But even if it’s true – it doesn’t really make sense that Rakepick would be worried about that. I mean, she told us that Dumbledore told her about our visions in the past. Even if she lied, she should expect on her own that Jacob might’ve revealed her secret somehow already. Either way, it’s too late to be worried about that – if Jacob wanted to warn MC about Rakepick, he’d do it by now.

HOWEVER, if Rakepick was suspecting that Jacob might be dead, the fact that MC heard his voice could mean that he’s still alive – even though she also implied that the voice we hear might not be Jacob’s at all. So, would she be afraid that Jacob is alive, and that’s how the secret of her betrayal might be revealed in the future? Well, I doubt it. And that’s because I don’t think it’s supposed to be a “scared” animation.

If I recall correctly, there was only one other situation when Jam City used that animation for Rakepick – and it was after Pettigrew Obliviated us:

And in my opinion, she wasn’t scared there at all. If anything, she was excited. Excited that they finally had a lead for the vault portrait, that they’re getting closer to the Portrait Vault. So… would she also be excited about Jacob being possibly still alive? Well, I believe that yes.

I’m not gonna insist that Jacob and Rakepick were as close as they’re in my version, but I suppose that they had some kind of partnership. In my post: “How the Cursed Vaults work?”, I explained how they might’ve placed the clues in the columns together. So yeah, I believe that Rakepick wanted him to be alive. Unfortunately, the end of Y4 came, and her concerns came true – Jacob died.

Moreover, Jacob being dead would explain why R needed to place the imposter Jacob in the Portrait Vault. As I mentioned above, I assume that MC is also needed for the final Vault, and not only the Legilimency door. However, if MC would learn that Jacob died, they might’ve abandoned their search for the Cursed Vaults. Let’s keep in mind that for MC, it was always about finding Jacob. So, R allowed us to find “our brother” to give us hope. But at the same time, they made sure that we still have to chase after him because he’s chasing after Rakepick, so that’s our new motivation.

So, everything checks, right? Well, except for one thing… It would suck. From the narrative point of view, Jacob being dead would be pretty lame. It’d be a similar kind of a cheap plot twist as the stories where at the end, it turns out that everything was just a dream. It’d be pretty disappointing if MC went through all of that to find and save their brother, only to discover that he died years ago. Unless… Jacob can still be saved.

In the past, I made a couple of posts on what might be the real treasure of the final Vault. In one of them, I proposed that it’s “the twin” creation of the Veil in the Ministry of Magic – and by that, I mean something that allows people to come from the afterlife. See, there’s a fan theory that the Ministry was actually built around the Veil, and that’s how it became a part of the Department of Mysteries. So, what if something similar happened with this “other Veil”? After all, in the “Nearly Headless Nick” SQ, we had this scene:

It would make sense for such “other Veil” to be extra protected with the whole system of the Cursed Vaults because bringing people from the afterlife can be definitely more dangerous than the Veil at the Ministry. On top of that, we know that R is interested in immortality:

And being able to come back from the dead is kind of immortality, isn’t it?

If the ancient construction like that is really the true treasure of the final Cursed Vault, it could help us bring Jacob back. And I made it clear at the beginning that I believe that Rowan is actually alive because I don’t think it should be about choosing between Rowan and Jacob. But if Rowan is alive, it doesn’t really matter – it’d be obvious that we should use it for our brother.

Finally, I think that this whole plotline would add a quite interesting layer to Rakepick’s character. Imagine that at first, her motives were pretty selfish. I still kind of doubt that she’d be particularly interested in the treasure itself, but I can totally accept that it wasn’t simply about helping Jacob. But then, maybe she got a bit attached to him or something, and once she learnt that he’s dead, she realised that she failed him in a way. Maybe she even felt somewhat guilty. Therefore, she was like: “All right, I messed up with Jacob. He was an innocent victim of this war with R. But now, I can at least help MC get to the final Vault, so they could bring their brother back”.

That’s why she joined R by the end of Y5 – to know what exactly they’re planning once Jacob was dead. That’s why she faked Rowan’s death – so R wouldn’t kill anyone for real, yet MC could reach the final Vault (assuming that experiencing the death of a loved one is a requirement to enter it). And that’s why she’s probably laying a trail of breadcrumbs for us even in Y7.

Personally, I don’t love this idea. But at the same time, I have to say... it does add up.

#long post #hogwarts mystery #hphm #hphm mc #jacob's sibling #hphm jacob #hphm r #patricia rakepick #pro rakepick #rita skeeter #cursed vaults #analysis post #theory #hphm theory

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gunterfan1992 · 4 years ago

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“Obsidian” Comic-Con Panel Highlights! *SPOILERS*

If you've missed it, Adventure Time was featured this year at the (virtual) San Diego Comic-Con. The video is right here:

youtube

If you do not have the opportunity to watch the panel, I’ve jotted down some highlights. Read on for more (but be warned, as there are spoilers):

Distant Lands was an “older idea” that has its origins during the final season of AT.

The BMO space story and Bubbline story, in particular, were envisioned as miniseries “to fill out the back-half of a longer season” that we, unfortunately, never got.

The writers didn’t want to focus on Finn and Jake too much in Distant Lands because their story was “mostly done—and that was the series.”

When workshopping possible miniseries during the final season, many revolved around minor characters that the writers played.

The producers chose to start with a BMO episode because it is an “easy access point.” Adam also argued that, due to BMO’s kid-like perspective, “the episode [would] feel younger by default.”

“Baby Finn and Jake… I love the look of baby Finn and Jake.”—Niki Yang

According to Niki, “BMO always bounces back!” is her favorite line because “we live in such a strange time,” and that line suggests that “we will bounce back together.”

Curda believes that after BMO departs Y5′s satellite world, Y5 was able to reorganize the Drift and make significant social and political change.

“Obsidian” will touch on pre-series events and post-finale events.

In regard to the previous point, Olson said: “It was really cool to be able to see some of the things in the past that happened between them and how it will affect their, future moving forward.”

Olson was “really excited” when she read the script for “Obsidian,” and she thinks that fans will be able to “tick off a lot of questions.”

The name ‘Obsidian’ is “a metaphor” and the “most powerful fusion” (SU joke, haha), but it has mostly to do with the location of this episode, which takes place in the Glass Kingdom. Adam explained that the name was chosen because obsidian can be protective, but it can also be weaponized (just like Marcy and PB, who can love one another but also be quite mean); he also notes that obsidian can be a “cleansing” material, and this episode will explore some of their “older conflicts” while also considering what their relationship would be like “down the road” after the finale.

Olivia Olson argues that, when she asked Ward about Bubbline in 2014 (prior to her spilling the beans at a 2014 Barnes and Noble panel), she was being “highly speculative” and investigating for the Marceline scrapbook. [Note: Olson was visibly uncomfortable during this portion of the Q&A, suggesting she wasn’t quite OK talking about it.]

“Obsidian” is going to give us a chance to see “so many sides of Marceline.” Much of the episode is focused on her “getting over some of the barriers that she’s put in place for herself.”

“Obsidian” features several new songs, composed by a number of “amazing songwriters.” Many of these songwriters were working hard to replicate Rebecca Sugar’s signature style; the writers also tried to show how Marceline has grown as a songwriter over the years (including from when she was a kid, when she was an “angry punk,” and now as an adult who still has some issues to focus on).

All of the songs were composed before the episode was storyboarded.

Adam and the writers wanted a song in the episode because otherwise, it would be a “missed opportunity.”

It was “an emotional day” for Olivia when she recorded a specific song, and it caused everyone in the recording studio to tear up. She “hopes we get a similar reaction” from the fans.

There are new characters in “Obsidian,” including characters who show up in the beginning as analogs for Finn and Jake. One of them is called “Glass Boy,” and he is a Finn-esque “instigator” who gets PB and Marcy to talk about their past.

Glass Boy is voiced by Michaela Dietz, who played Amethyst on Steven Universe!

The final two specials focus on topics/characters that weren’t explored that well, or might have been explored if the show had gone on for longer. My guess is Peppermint Butler (duh) and the Lich (highly, highly speculative on my part).

Adam notes that the writers didn’t want to go “so far a-field” and focus on D-list characters in these special. The main characters in the final two specials will be major (duh).

One of the songs is called “Monster,” and it was written by Half Shy. It seems to be one of the ‘big’ ones, and of course focuses on Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship.

Those are the big ones that jumped out to me! Let me know if there were some other cool facts and tidbits that I should’ve added!

#adventure time #atimers #obsidian #princess bubblegum #marceline the vampire queen #marceline #bubblegum #bubbline #adam muto #olivia olson #niki yang #Glory Curda #Comic-Con #Comic Con #half shy

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kulemii · 3 years ago

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Hey, I also think Aizawa from Yakuza 5 is an underrated character! What was it about him that appealed to you? Something I've been trying to figure out about Aizawa is how much was an act and how much of his reactions were genuine. Like, did he know the whole master plan from the beginning? Do you have any headcanons about that? I'd love to hear it!

Ahhhh! Anon, my friend, you have no idea what you just did! Someone wants to hear MY opinions?! On AIZAWA?! My cheeks are hurting from smiling so much. I am way too excited over this lmao. I apologize in advance if I’m all over the place or don’t make much sense! I JUST HAVE A LOT OF THOUGHTS!

So, I only played y5 once. I intend to do a second playthrough, specifically so I can write more in depth about my feelings on Aizawa as he relates to the plot and whatnot. So, these thoughts are subject to change (though likely not a lot because I rewatched any cutscene with him or that relates to him more times than is probably healthy at this point, just to try and read him as a character)

First off, it would be unfair of me to not admit right off the bat that thirst was the driving force behind my interest in him. You didn’t say anything about that so I’ll spare you the details, but you can hmu again if you want me to talk about that because I can thirst after Aizawa for daaaaaaaaaaays.

Anyway, I would be lying if I said that dedicated support of his seiyuu (Hiroki Yasumoto) had nothing to do with my initial attraction to his character after hearing him speak, and seeing his expressions and reactions-- I knew I had to stan lol

!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!

There’s a lot to be said about the writing in y5 and I think the overall convolution of the plot makes it very difficult to fully grasp who he is as a character and where he stands in the thick of it-- which is wild considering they decide to make him one part of the Big Bad™ in the end (don’t get me started on that).

That said, I can understand why you wonder how much of him was an act and how much was genuine. I was left wondering the same and after an ungodly amount of rewatches of relevant cutscenes this is what I came up with:

He’s someone who prides himself in truth and transparency- that’s what I got from his entire monologue before the final battle.

That said, I think his reactions were always very genuine. He never hid himself or pretended to be anything he wasn’t because he despises when people use trickery to get what they want.

In the beginning when he meets Kiryu, he doesn’t hide his disdain at all and I think if he was only following Kurosawa’s plan, it might’ve been more beneficial to sit back and watch quietly. It was always obvious that he wasn’t a fan of Kiryu and didn’t have a lot of respect for him. Alternatively, I think he had a ton of love and respect for Morinaga, his aniki, just because of how sincere his reactions seemed whenever he was hurt or in danger.

I think it’s worth mentioning, while it’s clear that he’s gotten his hands filthy with blood by the time he found himself in Daigo’s chair, I don’t think he was the one that killed Morinaga (apparently others do).

There are a couple reasons for this:

1.) if he was the one to have done it, I doubt he would have gone to The Florist for help finding him because killing Morinaga would’ve undoubtedly gotten him out of the way. Putting too much effort into finding him would draw too much attention to himself (and I have no doubts The Florist would’ve refused to help him anyway or at the very least call him out for being the murderer of Morinaga). 2.) it was never explicitly stated or shown that he did it- when Kiryu asks him, there’s the deeply solemn look on his face followed by an admission that he and Morinaga weren’t on the same page but I don’t see how that would’ve given him any motivation to kill him since they were still both on the antagonistic side. (If they wanted us to believe he killed his aniki, they did a shit job at making it make sense. I mean, killing him off-camera after Morinaga claimed that he killed Aizawa off-camera?)

Something that does make me wonder, though, is when he talks about Morinaga after his death, he refers to him as ‘-san’ rather than ‘-aniki’ as he had the entirety of the game. My understanding of Japanese is nothing to write home about so it’s possible that it’s a cultural thing to show respect for the dead but also, when I entertain the idea that Morinaga died by Aizawa’s hand, him not calling him aniki could signify the dissolution of their ties to one another but idk.

To answer your last question, I don’t think he knew about the entire plan from the beginning because he actually says that he “wonders what [his father] would have done if [he] didn’t join up” with the Tojo Clan, giving me the impression that his father hatched the plan first then presented it to him well after he started making preparations. He says himself that he didn’t even care about and was doubtful of the plan, finding it silly and by scoffing that his father isn’t really thinking straight now that he’s on his deathbed.

Aizawa is a really great character with a lot of potential and I think even Kiryu recognized that. I agree with many of his ideals, too. I loved that he pointed out how nepotism got Daigo his seat and challenged Kiryu’s moves to get him there as well as his tendency to get involved (and get others involved in his affairs) with the Tojo Clan only to walk away until the next time something catches his attention.

Physically, he’s as strong as a beast. His strength (health meter) is a perfect example of how determined he is to maintain his resolve and I can’t lie, if they would have ended Kiryu’s story with y5, I would have hoped that Aizawa could pick up the reins and we get to see him continue to fight to surpass the legend of the dragon.

The plot was far too busy and I can’t help but feel that Aizawa was meant to have a much smaller role and Morinaga was meant to be in his shoes but since they went this route, I wish they put more effort into fleshing Aizawa out. With more work on building his character, the ending of 5 could have had a much bigger impact and possibly placed him amongst some of the greatest characters in the franchise.

Oh well. He will always be a fan favorite in my heart!

If you want more lighthearted headcanons that veer into imagines/scenario territory, head on over to my writing blog @kulemiwrites and check out his tag. It's not-safe for work stuff there but I know that’s not everyone’s bag, so feel free to check out the sfw stuff too.

One of these days, I plan on posting my full headcanons about his younger years, what led him to join the yakuza (since he’d only recently joined) and who he is as a person (outside of the Tojo pin). I hope my opinions interest you enough to wanna hear more on those too.

I'm currently working on a gifset to worship his facial expressions, no matter how subtle lmao

#masato aizawa #aizawa masato #ahhhhhh!#I got an anon about Aizawa!#i feel on top of the world rn #I don't talk about him enough #this has to change!#yakuza 5 spoilers

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buckybarnesbingo · 6 years ago

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It’s our first BBB roundup post! We’ve had a whopping 26 fills created in our first week, and it has been amazing to see so much creativity! Keep reading to see the awesome stuff that was done this week.

Title: Muppet Collaborator: Entwinedlove Link: AO3 Square Filled: B5 - John Wick AU Ship: past BuckyNat Rating: Gen Major Tags: impending animal death Summary: Bucky has to make a difficult decision. Word Count: 250

Title: misdirection Collaborator: nightwideopen Link: AO3 Square Filled: U1 - mission sex Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Mature Major Tags: blood and violence, mildly dubious consent Summary: Clint hates running, so he comes up with a better idea. Word Count: 1418

Title: Swing Collaborator: ArtInMotion Link: AO3 Square Filled: B5 - Dancing Ship: Stucky Rating: Gen Major Tags: Implied/referenced dissociation Summary: James is not really ready for this party. He doesn't feel like himself. He really just wants to sit at the bar with Bruce until it's over. Thor has made it his mission to dance with every team member at Tony's Press Party. The night is coming to a close, and Bucky is the last one left. Word Count: 2568

Title: ever fallen in love with someone Collaborator: 1000_directions Link: AO3 Square Filled: C2- Recovering Bucky Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Explicit Major Tags: Amputee Bucky Barnes, Deaf Clint Barton, explicit sexual content Summary: Clint is just… nice. He’s just a nice guy. He has an easy, generous smile, and his humor is teasing and self-deprecating but never cruel. He’s non-threatening. Bucky doesn’t like people getting too close, but he doesn’t mind when Clint sits next to him on the beat-up couch they liberated from some dumpster three blocks over. He doesn’t even flinch anymore when Clint passes into his peripheral. It’s easy. Like he belongs there. Word Count: 4797

Title: Kamala and the Heroic Knight Collaborator: MassiveSpaceWren Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y3 - Asset on the loose Ship: WinterIron Rating: Mature Major Tags: no powers AU, LARP, torture, hurt Tony Summary: Kamala was excited.Tony had stopped by early in the morning to load Kamala and her carefully made costume into the car, right next to Miles, who had been smiling tiredly. They had been looking forward to this LARP convention for months, had been planning their costumes and backstories, and now it was finally here. They'd fight alongside the coolest group of heroes on the con: the Avengers! ~~~ AKA the LARP AU nobody asked for. AKA the "EVERYONE likes to see Tony suffer" AU. Word Count: 7306

Title: angel song laughter Collaborator: halfwheeze Link: AO3 Square Filled: K1 - Misunderstandings Ship: Pietro/Bucky, HulkEye, PepperStony Rating: Gen Major Tags: Jealousy, Misunderstandings Summary: Pietro Maximoff has the laugh of an angel. He carries himself quickly and yet so gracefully, laughs with his entire body, smiles with his entire face, and he's maybe the prettiest little thing that Bucky has ever seen. He is also egregiously unavailable, but Bucky can live with that. He can. Word Count: 2034

Title: Tumble and Splash Collaborator: Judy_The_Dreamer Link: AO3 Square Filled: B2 - Shapeshifters Ship: none Rating: Teen Major Tags: Nearly accidental drowning Summary: Deprived of believers by the modern world, Steve Rogers is perhaps the most lackluster earth faerie prince you’ll ever meet. Good thing then that he’s a man with a plan. Unfortunately for Steve, he hasn’t quite figured out that the people he’s charming aren’t exactly human in every sense of the word. That time Bucky Barnes’s adrenaline addiction nearly got Steve killed and pollution might not be the saviour Steve thinks it is. Word Count: 863

Title: Winter Collaborator: LostSpaceCadetLeon Link: AO3 Square Filled: B1 - IMAGE: Zen Bucky with Alpine Ship: Stucky Rating: Gen Major Tags: none Summary: Steve asks Bucky how he came across his new pet Winter Word Count: 479

Title: Strategy Collaborator: candycanedarcy Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 - secret relationship Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Gen Major Tags: Steve POV, JARVIS is a good bro Summary: Steve just wants Bucky to be happy. And if that means locking him in a closet to make him tell Clint how he feels, then so be it. Word Count: 1767

Title: A Gay ol' Time Collaborator: Cptn_Rogers Link: AO3 Square Filled: K4 - Undercover in a Gay Bar Ship: Stucky Rating: Teen Major Tags: fluff, light angst Summary: Bucky is on an undercover mission for SHIELD along with Cap, Sam and Natasha. The Target is the last thing on Bucky’s mind as he reminisces about the 40s but it’s not all that bad now that he can openly dance in public with Steve for the first time. Word Count: 1736

Title: Anniversary Gift Collaborator: Eyra Link: Tumbr Square Filled: Y5 - Bucky Bear Ship: WinterHawk Rating: Gen Major Tags: art Summary: What I imagine a newer bucky bear would look like :)

Title: Vulnerability Collaborator: massivespacewren Link: Tumblr Square Filled: Y1 - Vulnerability Ship: WinterIron Rating: Gen Major Tags: art Summary: It’s kind of part of my headcanons for Vampire Bucky. He’s all tall and dangerous usually, but soft for Tony.

Title: Friends First Collaborator: The_Alias (Artemis_Day) Link: AO3 Square Filled: C1 - IMAGE: shirtless ripped Bucky Ship: Steve/Sam, Bucky/Jane Rating: Teen Major Tags: slice of life, mild sexual content Summary: It's not that Steve and Bucky regret coming out, this is just getting annoying. Word Count: 794

Title: The No-Escape Room Collaborator: debwalsh Link: AO3 Square Filled: Chapter One, Y3 - blankets Chapter Two, K3 - abducted Ship: Stucky Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: Bucky Recovering, Bucky Remembers, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug Summary: Bucky is recovering, and Steve will do anything to protect him, to make him feel safe and loved. Bucky wants to express his own feelings for Steve, but words don’t come as easily as they once did. So instead, Bucky sets about building something for Steve ... something Steve is sorely missing. Word Count: 3188

Title: Your Hand in Mine Collaborator: debwalsh Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y1 - holding hands Ship: Stucky Rating: Not Rated Major Tags: declarations of love, Post-Captain America: Civil War, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers Summary: In the aftermath of the battle with Tony Stark, T’Challa escorts Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers to Wakanda to recover. On the flight en route, a simple truth becomes evident to the two men out of time. Word Count: 1042

Title: At The End Of The Tunnel Collaborator: tonylovedthestarstoofondly Link: AO3 Square Filled: B3 - AU: fantasy world Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: identity porn, arranged marriage, dystopia AU, fantasy AU Summary: Bucky used to think he'd have a big wedding. He'd be happy, his family would be there and he'd marry for love. He rarely got what he wanted. Word Count: 2134

Title: Rough Seas Collaborator: LostSpaceCadetLeon Link: AO3 Square Filled: U1 - AU: pirates Ship: Stucky Rating: Mature Major Tags: fluff and smut, mermaid AU Summary: Bucky tries to sail into a storm and ends up in the frigid seas only to be save by a kind mermaid. Word Count: 2574

Title: Something New Collaborator: Cptn_Rogers Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y4 - guitar Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: domestic, Bucky remembering and recovering Summary: Bucky is tired of not knowing who he was before and during Hydra’s control, so in his time in Bucharest he decides that maybe he should stop trying to be who he was and figure out who he is now and who he wants to be. Word Count: 1616

Title: Bedtime Stories Collaborator: shield-agent78 Link: Tumblr Square Filled: C3 - free square Ship: Bucky x OFC Rating: Mature Major Tags: fluff, implied adult content, some language Summary: Yours and Bucky’s mission doesn’t go quite as planned. An argument leads to something much more Word Count: 1654

Title: The Flavor Of Betrayal Collaborator: Blondie_Bluue (LuvMeAlwayz) Link: AO3 Square Filled: K1 - Innocent Until Proven Guilty Ship: Stucky Rating: Gen Major Tags: fluff, caught Summary: Someones been eating Steve's ice cream, but Bucky doesn't like mint n chip. Word Count: 724

Title: Magic Fingers Collaborator: sereinial Link: AO3 Square Filled: B3 - Bucky/Tony Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: sleep deprivation, fluff, massage Summary: Tony hasn't slept in God knows how long; JARVIS rats him out to a certain Winter Soldier that works his magic on the dead-inside genius. Word Count: 1370

Title: Oblivious Faerie Prince, Handle with Care Collaborator: Judy_The_Dreamer Link: AO3 Square Filled: K3 - handle with care Ship: none Rating: Teen Major Tags: Faerie AU, Aquatic shifter AU, Shifter AU, modern fantasy AU Summary: Deprived of believers by the modern world, Steve Rogers is perhaps the most lacklustre earth faerie prince you’ll ever meet. Good thing he’s a man with a plan. Unfortunately for Steve, he hasn’t quite figured out that the people he’s charming aren’t exactly human in every sense of the word.In which Bucky discovers that the entire supernatural world is playing a joke on Steve Rogers, and he’s not a fan. But what is one lone octopus to do? Word Count: 926

Title: (not) together Collaborator: halfwheeze Link: AO3 Square Filled: U3 - jealousy Ship: WinterIron, Darcy/Natasha Rating: Gen Major Tags: highschool AU, getting together, bets and wagers, gay panic Summary: Bucky doesn't like guys, has never even thought about it really, but acting like he's Tony's boyfriend for just a second to get Justin Hammer out of his face, well, that might trigger something. Word Count: 5473

Title: A Heart Beats at Midnight - Chapter Two Collaborator: Trashcanakin Link: AO3 Square Filled: C1 - holding hands Ship: WinterIron Rating: Teen Major Tags: fluff and humor, Tony POV, post CA:CW Summary: Tony & Bucky take a walk. Things are said, yet unsaid. It's soft. Word Count: 2716

Title: Brooklyn Collaborator: greyishbasia Link: Tumblr Square Filled: K3 - Brooklyn Ship: none Rating: Gen Major Tags: art

Title: New Friends, Old Friends Collaborator: sweeetmonstrosity Link: AO3 Square Filled: Y2 - IMAGE: Bucky and Sam "I hate you" scene Ship: Bucky/Sam Rating: Gen Major Tags: broken promises, new family, team Cap Summary: In which Bucky makes a new friend and learns how far Steve’s friends will go to save him. Word Count: 842

#buckybarnesbingo2019 #bbb19 #roundup #weekly roundup #week one roundup

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lifeofkaze · 3 years ago

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I've reached the end of "Artemis Hexley and the Portrait of the Vault" and I'm still blown away by the sheer quality of this fic. I could leave it at that, but if you know the slightest bit about me, you know that I'm physically incapable of keeping things short, so here's what I think makes this fic and series stand out among all the others:

Persistence: Most adaptations of the game plot I've seen have been abandoned at Y2 or 3 at the latest and you have just completed Y5. I don't think I've ever seen any adaptation whatsoever reach this point. Sure, there are some picking out one year or another, but the Hexley Saga is literally the only series I know from the top of my head which literally started at Y1 and has come so far. I am so proud of what you've achieved already and will in the future.

Plot: With every passing year, the plot gets darker and more twisted. We have reached a layer of complexity, foreshadowing and interweaving events that leave me dumbfounded as to how incredibly genius your mind is. As a bonus, you don't shy away from the horrible and problematic stuff like the (canon) topic of torture in this year. You take it as it is and write it out so realistically (I guess?) and intense that it regularly leaves me breathless.

The Villain: Y5 was Rakepick's moment to shine in her role as this fic's villain. Your take on her makes her a fantastic antagonist and mentor to Artemis at the same time, charistmatic, sociopathic, cruel and still somehow a complete badass. She is so subtle in how she's manipulating each character in a different way and the rare moments when her mask dropped before the big reveal gave me chills each and every time. That was some stellar writing right there.

Character Growth: One of the most special aspects about following Artemis through her time at Hogwarts is that we get to see all the characters grow into who they are. The most common thing we see (my own works included) is authors telling their readers how the characters relate to each other. Here, we actually get to see and experience the development of each and everyone first hand, and that's what makes them so believable. Even characters we only got to meet, like Jae and Diego, become so distinct through your writing that it rubs off on how I perceive them when I actually play the game.

Romance: We got to experience Artemis' first crush and relationship, and dating has become a theme in this year. But the Saga was never meant to be a love story and I'm glad that it didn't take centre stage. The way the romantic stuff happened on the side and the fact that it was a sideshow actually having consequences was so well done. It perfectly captured this mix of adorableness and awkwardness that really only comes with teenage love.

Quidditch: How could I leave this out, come on? I know you wanted to cut Quidditch from the Saga and I remember begging on my knees for you not to. And oh boy, I'm so glad you didn't. I know it's only meant as a fun distraction, but you're action writing is stellar and I've taken so many phrasings and ideas from it for my own works. As always, it blended perfectly into the main plot and you captured all the characters so incredibly well. Thank you a thousand times over for letting my girl Lizzie be a small part of this fantastic story. I couldn't be more honoured by this 💛

Atmosphere: Something that I love about the Saga in general is how much the mood reminds me of J. K. Rowling's writing (in only the best ways, ofc). Like with the Harry Potter series, the fifth book was the one that really started setting up the events of the final books and turned fully dark. Y5 does the same. And still the lightness of Y1-4 is still there to balance the darkness out, but you manage to never lose sight of the big picture. The whole set up of the whole story is just so well thought out and absolutely impeccable.

Overall, Y5 can definitely be seen as the big set-up fic that is the calm before the storm of the two final years. Year 6 is already casting its dark, dark, dark shadow and I have to say, I literally can't wait.

I'm going to regret saying that.

But also, not.

Thank you for writing this incredible series. The moment I will stop fangirling about this, I'm probably dead.

Artemis Hexley and the Portrait of the Vault

(Part 5 of The Hexley Saga)

Chapter 1: Badges

Chapter 2: The Imperfect Prefect

Chapter 3: Trials and Tribulations

Chapter 4: Neither Love Nor Money

Chapter 5: The Girl in the Portrait

Chapter 6: Hufflepuff vs Slytherin

Chapter 7: Knockturn Alley

Chapter 8: The Snowstorm

Chapter 9: Miracle in the Transfiguration Courtyard

Chapter 10: Christmas at the Burrow

Chapter 11: Rowan, Resentful

Chapter 12: Broken Bonds

Chapter 13: Growing Pains

Chapter 14: Head and Heart

Chapter 15: Funny Valentine

Chapter 16: The Treasure Seekers

Chapter 17: A Wild Ghost Chase

Chapter 18: The Portrait and the Poltergeist

Chapter 19: Comets

Chapter 20: The O.W.L.s

Chapter 21: An Education

Chapter 22: Out of the Frames, Into the Fire

Chapter 23: The Buried Vault

Chapter 24: The End

#hphm #hogwarts mystery #artemis hexley #the hexley saga #artemis hexley and the portrait of the vault #kaze reads #kaze reviews #writers supporting writers #writer besties

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missnight0wl · 4 years ago

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As a year one character, Penny makes so little appearance in the main quest now. Do you think that she can do something evil behind MC?

Nah, Jam City loves Penny too much to do something like that.

More seriously though, I think it’s perfectly reasonable that Penny’s not as prominent in the main story recently. It makes sense both from a more technical point of view and strictly for the narrative – and it really doesn’t need any mysterious explanation, if you ask me.

First of all, Penny played a huge part of the whole Y5. I don’t want to say that that year was Penny’s year… but it kind of was. Since Beatrice was the first and main victim of the Portrait Curse, it all was always going back to the fact that she’s Penny’s sister. Then, the Haywoods played a big role in Y6 again because we’ve spent all that time on their conflict. So, I really feel that it’s high time to give some of that screen time to someone else.

As for the narrative, Penny is actually the one character who’d definitely say: “We’re done with the Cursed Vaults, we’re done with R”. Why? Because she’s too traumatised and she’s done with that, considering everything she went through with Beatrice and how personally she was affected by that. I’m not saying that MC is not traumatised, or that our other friends should be perfectly fine. But the thing about Penny is that she tends to try to avoid her problems. You know, kind of like when her instinctive reaction was to forget about Scarlett’s death, or how she refused to understand Beatrice and just wanted everything to be as it was. Now that she has a chance to go back to the situation from before R came to the picture – she’s gonna take it. So yeah, it makes sense for Penny to not want to be involved with any of that anymore.

I’d also like to think that Jam City finally realised that more and more people were getting tired of Penny being everywhere. Although, even if it is the case, I imagine it influenced more the side quests and not the main story.

#hogwarts mystery #hphm #penny haywood #beatrice haywood #ask #anonymous

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missnight0wl · 4 years ago

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Believe it or not, but I still enjoy the story of HPHM – even in Y6. I mean, the Polyjuice Potion plot was really shitty, but still. And you know what? I’m not even mad about Rowan’s death. Admittedly, it’s probably mostly because I just don’t believe it was real… But in general, I don’t think it’s bad as a part of the story. Especially when you realise how it parallels Jacob and Duncan. And I don’t think that Rowan died purely to shock the audience (at least it wasn’t meant to be that way). I’m not even mad that we grew apart with Rowan in Y5, because it’s something that happens when you’re a teenager and your group of friends is expanding. What I HATE, though, is how it all was done. I hate that MC didn’t ever think why R wanted to kill one of their friends SINCE THE START OF Y5. I hate that we didn’t talk with Rowan in Y5 after our fight in the Library. I hate that we didn’t talk after they attacked us, and that we didn’t see how things turned out later between Rowan and Ben. I hate that we didn’t even mention Duncan when talking to Jacob after Rowan’s death.

Imagine something like that: you had the most amazing adventure at school, at work, or just in some other place. It was either thrilling, or funny, or whatever – simply a good story to tell at the parties etc. Therefore you (Person 1) decide to tell that story to your friend (Person 2). However, for whatever reason, that someone doesn’t quite pay attention to what you’re saying. Maybe they’re distracted by some problems, or they’re sleepy. Perhaps that’s just who they are. Still, they enjoyed the story enough that they want to tell it to Person 3 (who doesn’t know you). Unfortunately, because they don’t remember everything, they skip over some parts or even make things up to fill the holes. Perhaps they also forget to mention some detail about you that is important to fully understand the story. In the end, even though the punchline is the same as it was in the original story, Person 3 is just a bit confused because it did sound interesting, but not everything adds up. And that’s basically the problem with HPHM, especially since the second half of Y5, where Person 1 is the original writing team under Matt London, Person 2 is the current writing team, and Person 3 is us, the players. It’s a good story, but it’s written poorly.

That being said, it doesn’t have to mean that the story is doomed. I don’t think they’ll write anything, no matter how stupid it is. Because the thing is that a lot of the story was planned from the very beginning. I recall a post where London said that they knew how everything ends, what’s in the final vault etc. from the start. Then, it was only about getting there. Also, it seems like he worked on a big part of the story before he left after Y3.

He has to talk about Beatrice here because before Y5, we didn’t see much of Penny’s interest in her family.

Now, Rakepick wasn’t even introduced officially before Y4, yet, he put so much into her character that it makes him “the proudest”? I admit, if he talks about all of Rakepick’s symbolism, IT IS damn impressive. But it also means that Jam City can’t fucked up Rakepick’s story because it’s already done, and throwing it away would be plain stupid (also, if they’ll do it anyway – I’m so so sorry, Matt…). And you know, we already have examples in the game of things which makes sense in the big picture, but they were poorly executed.

New Ben. All of Y5 was for Ben about becoming braver. There should’ve been something at the end of Y5 which showed Ben that his previous efforts weren’t enough, and that’d explain his behaviour in Y6. I believe that Ben was supposed to try to sacrifice himself to protect MC (I explained it in details here), but for whatever reason, Jam City changed it. Still, Ben’s story is probably the same as it’s meant to be. We’re just missing a link which would explain his change better.

The Wizard in White. There were theories that he was expelled from Mahoutokoro as soon as he was first mentioned back in Y5. The thing is that those theories were based on the facts that he wears white robes AND that he was using incantations Fletcher didn’t understand (suggesting foreign language). In Y6, Dumbledore deduced that based only on the fact that he wears white robes – which is stupid. Even if white colour is not common in Knockturn Alley, I refuse to believe that Dumbledore would guess it so accurately without any indication that the wizard might be a foreigner.

Alanza. We needed a long time for her to reveal that Rakepick was at Castelobruxo. Why? Because the current writers weren’t listening to the original story at the part where MC finds out that Rakepick was there before coming back to Hogwarts. Still, they know that it’s important that Rakepick was there and that they need Alanza to bring it up.

All of that are examples of a good story being told by an incompetent person. But I do not believe that they will pull out who knows how stupid things “because bad writing” – at least not when it comes to the main events (I don’t believe that R could be Voldemort, for example). In fact, I have to say, I’m always a bit... irritated seeing that argument. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we shouldn’t criticize Jam City. We should! You can find quite a lot of complaints on my blog, actually. But I always try to point out why things are stupid. That’s why I use shitloads of screenshots and write essays for a thousand words. Why I keep bringing up questions which should be answered. And honestly, I don’t really know how to react to people saying that Jam City will do something stupid because it’s Jam City… I mean, if that’s what you believe – you do you. But that’s not really why I’m here. I always try to show that HPHM can still make sense.

Also, I probably wouldn’t find it very motivating to improve if I was a writer at Jam City, to be frank. Like, people have no expectations, but they keep playing, some of them keep paying, so... Why would they try harder? Their salaries are probably the same, no matter how much sense the story makes. I mean, I get that it’s frustrating when they ignore things, and it makes constructive criticism harder, but assuming in advance that we shouldn’t hope for logical solutions won’t take us anywhere either.

Long story short: even if people think it’s pointless, I’ll keep analysing the shit out of this game because I know I’ll be right about the main events in the end. Even if the way Jam City gets there will be missing many explanations, will be full of pointless fillers instead, and it won’t be half as thrilling as it could’ve been. I didn’t want to offend anyone; I just felt the need to explain myself as to why I believe that my procrastinating makes sense. I’m not sure if I succeeded, but oh well.

If you made it here, thank you for your time and attention.

#long post #hogwarts mystery #hphm #hphm mc #jacob's sibling #rowan khanna #ben copper #patricia rakepick #penny haywood #wizard in white #alanza alvez #matt london #jam city #marta rambles #let's talk

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missnight0wl · 5 years ago

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Do you remember in death hallows, when Harry sacrificed himself in order to turn Voldemort mortal again and unintentionally shielded all Hogwarts fighters (Even if he didn't die, because he genuinely thought he would)? Do you think redacted's death could produce a similar effect? I know I am not the only person who thought that way, but I really would love to hear your opnion!

Hm, it is possible. Sacrificial protection is a kind of ancient magic, and the theme of ancient magic appears around the Cursed Vaults every now and then - especially in Y5, in the context of the Portrait Curse. First, we had this comment of Merlin when we found Beatrice:

And when we asked Flitwick about the Extension Charms, he said:

The Cursed Vaults themselves are speculated to be created at the same time as Howagwarts or even earlier. So yeah, I won’t be surprised if that issue will be yet more important. An ancient, powerful, and long-lasting counter-charm could be a part of that.

However, a lot depends on what happened that night in reality. The problem some people still have with Lily’s sacrifice is that we’re supposed to believe that it was so unique. Like, did any other mother not sacrifice her life for her child? C’mon. What makes her situation (and Harry’s, for that matter) different though, is that you have to be given the option to live, but consciously choose to die. That’s why it didn’t work for James to protect his family - he never had a choice.

Now, let’s take a look at Rowan. The current version of the events goes like this, more or less: being worried about MC, Rowan followed the gang to the Forbidden Forest. Seeing that Rakepick is about to kill Ben, they jumped in front of him in the last moment and took the curse. If there’s nothing more to it, I’d say that Rowan’s sacrifice didn’t put any protection on anyone. You can argue that they could’ve chosen to not do this, but I believe it was more of an impulse which makes it much more similar to James’s case.

For it to work, Rowan would have to have an opportunity to decide. And I’m not gonna lie, it got me a bit excited because… it enters the territory of “Rowan was (or is) working with Rakepick”. Of course, no matter if Rowan really died or not, they’d also have to believe that they are going to die. Perhaps, sacrificial protection was even a part of Rakepick’s plan…? 👀

The last thing I want to discuss is who would be affected by Rowan’s protection. Yes, they were in the Forest, in the first place, because of MC. But ultimately, they saved Ben. And sure, sacrifice has to be done out of love and whatnot, but while Rowan undoubtedly cared about MC the most, it’s not like they didn’t care about Ben at all. Rowan and Ben were friends pretty much from the beginning. It was definitely tense at the time, but Rowan was really worried when Ben went missing in Y2, they were still giving him the benefit of doubt at the end of Y3 (”I hope you’re not lying to protect us. We can’t help each other unless we know what’s going on.”). And Ben cared about them, too, they were getting back closer after Rowan was put under the Imperius Curse. So hm… I think that the protection should work both for MC and Ben then. Because the assumption is that Rowan agreed to die for The Plan to work - which basically means protecting MC - but it doesn’t change the fact that at that moment, they saved Ben’s life.

Finally, I’m going to tag @nightingaletrash because I unexpectedly talked about things kind of related to her “It’s Always Ten Past Ten” AU (you can check it here!). I remember you mentioning in one of your posts that Rowan wasn’t expecting to die, but I don’t know if you thought about sacrificial protection in that context. Perhaps it’ll give you some inspiration!

EDIT: All right, false alarm. I don’t think it can work. Both Lily’s and Harry’s sacrifices gave protection but only from Voldemort who played the role of the killer. In our case, the killer is Rakepick. But if she gave Rowan a choice, it had to happen off-screen - and likely means that some bigger plan is involved. It also means that Rakepick is not planning to hurt MC at all. Even if Sacrificial Protection was created, it’d be kind of pointless. For it to be useful, Rakepick had to be truly evil, but then, she wouldn’t give Rowan a choice - therefore, Sacrificial Protection wouldn’t be created.

#hogwarts mystery #hphm #hphm spoilers #hphm mc #jacob's sibling #rowan khanna #ben copper #patricia rakepick #sacrificial protection #analysis post #ask #anonymous

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todayisafridaynight · 2 years ago

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Y5's plot is a little messy from there being five protagonists, but I feel things converged pretty well regardless of that. Even though I wish they had more time to interact with each other aaaaaa. But I did start to get a bit confused around the end of Shinada's part because I was trying to keep track of who was actually important to stuff overall. And also baseball. Trying to understand all this terminology what's going on I don't have time to learn the plot anymore, game 🙄

Gameplay? God. The moment I was starting to get used to Saejima finally I had him snatched away from me by the story. So it felt like I was relearning his moveset every time afterwards 🫠 Akiyama is so easy to fight as, but Shinada was giving me slightly similar problems to Saejima. The enemy rate encounter in the old games was insane and they should go to jail for making the decision to do that tbh. I got into nearly 200 street fights at the start of the game. And kept running into fights right after I finished one. Directly. After. I found myself not doing a lot of side stuff. I think part of it was from trying to get to certain parts I really wanted to see, and part of it was because of who knows what really... The only character's side story I did was Saejima's, and I did almost all of their substories, tho. Besides Haruka's. I can see how someone who wants to do everything would get instantly burnt out. I just didn't

Story? Why the F U CK didn't they bring up Kiryu's thoughts and feelings on Majima after he hauled ass back to Tokyo to find answers. That was the whole initial reason he was there, and the writers were like "nah. Let's not touch that with a ten foot pole but here's Kiryu threatening to end that twink Baba." He didn't even directly react to knowing he's still alive. Like, that's one of the most glaring problems I have with it. It feels like someone ignoring an elephant stomping in the room. However I have to admit I didn't care for the out of left field relationship drama Majima had in the past. It was like a huge brick was dropped on me and then am anvil

Five catches some weird heat from people who want to pretend the whole thing never happened, and those that gave up on it super easily. To each their own of course. I just don't think it's nearly that bad, personally. Four is definitely my least favorite of the bunch. Next to six

my thoughts below the cut cause this post's already long </3

unfortunately for the rest of this website, shinada's baseball scandal was easy for me to follow on account of me being a baseball lover myself. BUT yeah i can totally see how the typical player will get lost on things like 'stealing signs' and either might take too much time googling terms and rules to pay too much attention to the plot, or not bothering to do that and just proceeding with the story without fully understanding what's happening

on that note though like i said in the last post, shinada's the strongest point about this game for me: him and his co-stars are just such fun characters, and my favorite thing about shinada is that his play style reflects his i'm-just-a-guy-fghting-for-his-life character. it's incredibly rough, unrefined, and sluggish- nothing you'd expect from a regular fighter like maybe kiryu or akiyama. from purely a gameplay standpoint though i get how it could be irritating when you're shifting from characters you're familiar with who move relatively similar to. Shinada. (affectionately). especially if you weren't using weapons beforehand and now you're trying to become accustomed to them if you don't want to raw dog his gameplay

speaking of akiyama though, while i did like how he and haruka get to team up (i also think the protags shouldve had more time to hang out, if not at least invite each other to karaoke </3) his part felt so short. t'was foreshadowing for being sidelined in y6, but yk even for the three seconds we get to play with him, and despite the minor nerf done to him, i love him too much to be too upset. plus that air-combo shit's Wack

all things majima related in Y5 were weird, but park was especially. Off. for me. as an antagonist, she's great- hell, even NOT as an antagonist she's great. but it's just a weird feeling how the game wants us to sympathize with her and ignore how she's been threatening kiryu and haruka this entire time and treat her like a martyr. i dont think park's the worst charcter and most evil character ever, but that's prob a post in of itself honestly. what does make me feel weird though is her and majima's relationship- i guess it's just weird hearing about it after y0 though, but i'm not forgetting this game was made way before y0 was even conceptualized. it sucks that we don't get to know about majima's reaction to her death though, and honestly i was hoping they would get to reunite at haruka's concert: he said he wouldn't see her until he was dead, and according to every news outlet at the time he sure was dead, if you catch my cold.

back to majima though, it DOES suck how we don't get to see how kiryu reacts to majima not actually being dead. it's as you said, that's the reason why he even came back in the first place, and now that he's fine we're just going to have to assume how he felt

for me, five was alright. yakuza game plots are hardly anything to write home about (unless it's 7 tbh i love 7 sorry not sorry), so i'm not overly pressed about the plot being the way it is. besides, i cant be mad about the plot when part of the plot is 'daigo's on thirteen doses of copium so he runs away and decides to give 20 mil yen to his old classmate cause Dreams'.

the only game plot that actually does deserve a 'that's so stupid' comment from me is Y4's plot 🥴

#snap chats #my vague y5 review is here hiiiii #i only know vaguely what im talking about im all rambly but i think my feelings are accurate #tbh maybe i could write an essay on shinada like. i genuinely love him so much #definitely top five fave charas #ok dont quote me on that he's top ten Point Is he's very close to the top of the list #i should make a proper tier list at some point.. that'd be fun..#if someone air drops me a premade one ill do it but for now Them's Me And Anon's Thoughts :)

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