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acescorazon · 6 months

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And here is the last part of my trial~

Title: Buggy's guide to bagging boyfriends

Chapter: 3/?

Rating: Pg

Word count: 2058

Chapter Excerpt:

“Why do you want to be my friend so badly?” Mihawk asks, genuinely curious as to how Buggy will respond to his question. Mihawk isn’t exactly good at socializing or being friends with people. He’s always preferred to be alone, so he doesn’t get why Buggy would think he of all people is the ideal person to be best friends with.

“Because you’re super cool!” Buggy says, giving him a thumbs up, “And i think the three of us could be the world’s flashiest group of best friends ever!” Ah, but why do they need to be that…? “I know that you guys don’t exactly like me, but I swear I’m not that bad, and I think that we could all really get along. That’s how things should be, right? Cross Guild will be a lot stronger if we have a good relationship with each other, right?!”

|CH1|CH2|

The showers on the wretched circus-themed island Mihawk now calls home hardly ever have warm water; it doesn’t matter if he showers early in the morning, or late at night, before everyone’s showered, or after, the place never seems to have warm water half the damn time and this is the one little thing that even Mihawk finds irritating. He can live with the circus tents and the ugly color scheme, he can live with the world thinking that Buggy is his boss, he can live with all of Buggy’s followers following him around and annoying him, but this?

God, help him.

He showers as quickly as possible first thing in the morning, and every time he gets in the showers he hopes that: One, no one will join him. Two, that there will actually be warm water. Some days he’s lucky, some days he's not, and this is not one of his lucky days, but, oh, well, he’ll get over it.

MIhawk swiftly makes his return to his room after his icy shower, hoping that one of Buggy’s insufferable followers won’t come up to him and start asking him questions first thing in the morning like: ‘Sir! Sir! Can you train me?’ or, ‘Sir! Sir! You’re so cool, can I have your autograph?’ Such ridiculous nonsense.

As he returns to his sleeping quarters, Mihawk notices right away that Yoru is missing. Swords don’t just go missing, especially one of that size, so his mind instantly realizes that Yoru has been stolen, but by who? Who would be stupid enough t–

Buggy.

Mihawk sighs. Why in the hell would he steal his sword? Does he want him to slice him into... no, no, that wouldn’t work. Never mind. Does he want him to beat him within an inch of his life? On the outside, Mihawk remains calm as he exits his tent, but on the inside, he’s starting to grow a little peeved. It’s six in the morning, and Buggy’s doing nonsense like this already?

And, yes, he knows that it has to be Buggy because everyone else on the island either fears him too much to go near him, or they worship the ground he walks on and would never touch his sword without begging him for his permission first.

He searches, that big tent that Buggy uses to hold his meetings, but there’s no sign of Buggy in there. He checks his bedroom next, then the cafeteria, and the medical tent (he doesn’t know why he’d be in there either, but it doesn’t hurt to be thorough.) but no matter where he checks, he still can’t find Buggy. Is he hiding? What a coward, how dare he steal Mihawk’s beloved sword and then run away and hide?

He searches for about an hour, an hour and a half maybe, before he runs into Crocodile. How dreadful, he really doesn’t want to hear him whine and complain first thing in the morning, especially when Mihawk’s day is already off to a bad start. He glances down and notices that Crocodile is without his hook, but doesn’t know why, nor does he bother to ask because he could care less.

“Have you seen that coward?” Mihawk asks, and at this point, he can no longer hide his annoyance, it’s evident in the way he speaks and the way he carries himself, “My sword’s missing and I know he’s behind it.” He still can’t determine Buggy’s exact goal, but it doesn’t matter to Mihawk, he’ll knock him senseless regardless.

“Nah,” Crocodile cackles, but despite his laugh being loud and obnoxious as always, Mihawk can hear a bit of irritation in his voice, “Don’t know if you could tell or not, but my hook’s missing.” He says a moment later, voice filled with sarcasm.

Oh, is it now? Mihawk hadn’t even noticed!

“And i’m pretty damn sure that the clown’s behind that too.”

What? Buggy actually had the gall to steal both Yoru and Crocodile’s hand? Why… if Mihawk weren’t so annoyed right now, he’d honestly be impressed by their ‘leader’s’ sudden bravery. What on earth compelled him to do such a thing? He has to know that he and Crocodile wouldn’t take such a thing lightly…and yet? He still did it.

The pair join forces after that, searching high and low for Buggy and for someone who sticks out like a sore thumb, he sure does know how to hide. The longer their search drags on, the more Mihawk’s irritation grows, and he wonders if he should just tear the whole island into shreds so Buggy won’t be able to hide anymore. He could use the small knife around his neck, it’s more for eating, but… he could make do with what he has.

They eventually run into one of Buggy’s followers who suggests that he may or may not be in one of the island’s workshops, and Mihawk swears that if he isn’t in there, then he really will resort to destroying the island no matter how extreme the solution might seem. They waste little time rushing towards the workshop, and then heading inside, and the moment Mihawk sees Buggy with his sword in his hands, he grows utterly confused.

What is he trying to do with it? Break it? No, if he wanted to do that, he definitely wouldn’t be trying to wrap something around its hilt… What…What is he doing? The sound of Crocodile asking where his hand is snaps Mihawk out of his thoughts and he decides to ask his own question, “Why do you have my sword?” He asks, and he’s not sure what’s more surprising, the fact that Buggy’s rewrapping Yoru’s hilt or the fact that Mihawk’s anger is starting to dim down a little.

Mihawk hears Buggy’s explanation and takes a moment to process everything that was just said to him. He continues to watch him, dumbfoundedly, as he finishes wrapping Yoru’s hilt and then hands him back his sword. He… He did this for him..? He did this to be nice…So, Mihawk would look ‘cool’? What does that even mean?

Mihawk blinks, thoroughly confused now, as he stares at Buggy’s grinning face. How strange, Mihawk didn’t ask for this… Does Buggy have any ulterior motives?... Did he do something to make Yoru weaker… but… it feels just the same as before… Mihawk is so confused. He’s not sure how to respond, so he doesn’t, he gives Buggy one last weird look and then leaves the workshop with a sigh, still trying to figure out if there’s something wrong with his beloved sword.

He despises that something so important to him has been touched without his permission… But... He stares down and notices how Yoru is gleaming in the early morning sunlight, and how her hilt does look a lot nicer now that it’s been rewrapped, and Mihawk can’t help but think maybe this wasn’t the worst thing to happen, but he still doesn’t get why Buggy did it.

He said he was doing it because he wanted to surprise them and for them to look cool, but Mihawk still doesn’t get what that means…were they not cool before? The way everyone always treats Mihawk led him to believe that he was already cool… Was he incorrect?

He spends the rest of the day, frequently looking at Yoru, almost obsessed with his sword now that it’s all polished and shiny and has a brand-new wrap around its hilt. It’s been so long since it’s looked this good, and part of Mihawk feels guilty that he’s been too busy to treat his sword better, and another part of him is… Grateful. He hates having his stuff touched, but Buggy just wanted to do something nice out of the goodness of his heart…and he also took such good care of Yoru, so maybe he shouldn’t be mad.

No, he's definitely not mad, he’s still confused, but the more the day goes on the more that Mihawk actually finds his mood shifting. He begins to feel happy, and whenever he looks at Yoru he can’t help but smile, but then he catches himself and remembers why he’s smiling and who made Yoru so pretty and shiny, and he always quickly thinks of something different, unsure what all his sudden Buggy related thoughts mean.

Around some time in the mid-afternoon, he finds himself a place to take a nap. Today’s location? On the beach, against a palm tree because it was the closest thing near Mihawk and he felt awfully tired. He could sleep anywhere actually as long as the place is quiet, so he gets himself comfortable and is just about to take his hat off and use it to block the sun from his face when he hears footsteps coming from behind him.

He sighs, hoping that it’s not one of Buggy’s weird crew coming to ask him for something, and is pleasantly…yes, pleasantly surprised when he hears Buggy’s own voice calling out to him softly, “Uh, Hawkeye?” He asks, “Is it okay to talk to you?” Well… He supposes he can entertain the thought just this once, after all, Buggy did do something really nice for him. “What is it?” He asks, watching as Buggy carefully approaches him with a rather awkward smile.

“Uh, i just wanted to say I’m really sorry!”

An apology? But what for?

Mihawk raises an eyebrow at Buggy, but says nothing, waiting for him to continue on with what he has to say. “I shouldn’t have taken your sword…” He says, now slowly inching forward, getting closer to Mihawk, “I just really wanted to be your friend and to do something nice for you, and, and…i didn’t really think it all through, and i should have asked first… i’m sorry.” Oh, well… how nice? He didn’t really have to apologize, Mihawk isn’t even really mad anymore. “Can i sit with you for a moment?”

…Can he sit with him?... Can…he…? Why is he acting so strange?! Is he not afraid of Mihawk anymore? And why is he acting so nice? Honestly, Mihawk’s never had anyone so adamant in their attempts to be his friend, so Buggy’s behavior is… quite strange. Still, he shrugs, slightly amused now, “Be my guest.” He replies, and is stunned when Buggy actually sits down next to him, “I know I screwed up, but, hear me out.” He states, and Mihawk still doesn’t get why Buggy’s being so hard on himself when Mihawk isn’t even mad anymore. “I’m going to make it up to you for real this time! Crocodile says i can have a couple of days off, so i’m going to go into town and get you guys each the best gift ever!” He announces, “And then you guys will definitely want to be my best friends, right?!”

Uh… maybe? No, wait…

Well, when he puts it that way… Perhaps Cross Guild would be better off if they all tried to get along and be friends, though the idea honestly feels so draining. Buggy and Crocodile are so different than Mihawk. They’re both so loud and full of energy, and it honestly exhausts Mihawk at times, but… maybe he could give things a go? “Okay, that’s all!” Buggy says, suddenly snapping Mihawk out of his thoughts, “I just wanted to tell you that i’m sorry and that i’ll be getting you a different present instead, and yeah! I have to go get ready,” He chuckles, and as soon as Mihawk hears him laugh…

He starts feeling…strange... again.

#one piece #cross guild #my writing #soooooooooooo what do we think??????#Thoughts ? opinions? criticisms?

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strideofpride · 10 months

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On that note, can you imagine how INSANE the media circus would be if it did come out publicly that Chuck and Blair illegally backdated their marriage certificate and the case against them was actually re-opened? Especially in 2023, at a time when anti-billionaire “eat the rich” sentiment has become very mainstream, and true crime is one of the most popular and profitable genres of entertainment?

Like, the events of season six happen so fast that we don’t really get to appreciate just how wild they are from the outside looking in. Imagine if Michael Bloomberg or pre-presidency Donald Trump died in a car crash, and their then-teenage progeny took over their real estate empires. Everyone just gets used to the idea of a little boy real estate mogul, I guess, and a few years pass, and then - surprise! They were faking their death all along!! Yes there was a funeral, yes they were legally declared dead, but who cares! They’re back baby, and ready to go back to being the same shitbags they were before!

Except, a mere handful of months later, they’re dead again - this time having gone careening off the side of one of their company’s most famous buildings (imagine if Donald Trump died falling off of Trump Tower lmaoooo). Did they fake it again? Was it foul play? By the time rumors start to swirl of the alleged involvement of their recently deposed nepotism baby, the cops close the case and rule it an accident. Their heir, still barely an adult, retakes the reigns of leadership - newly married, a detail no one realizes is suspicious because they likely have no idea that the spouse was at the scene of the crime.

Years pass. YouTubers and online conspiracy theorists periodically bring up the case, but the public at large once again more or less accepts the public narrative. Another piece of shit real-estate mogul gets elected president, and the attitude of the general public towards the uber wealthy turns increasingly hostile. Then there’s 2020, and 2021, and 2022, and- And then. “Billionaire boy and family linked to father’s mysterious death after discovery of faked marriage license”.

Even though we, the audience, knows Chuck didn’t actually kill his father, do you think in a world where this was an actual case involving actual public figures anyone would believe that? The coverup is so ridiculously suspicious that the general public almost definitely assumes they really did do the crime.

And consider the players in this case - a terrible billionaire who died a deliciously ironic death, his somehow worse son who in a post-#MeToo world is already a PR nightmare waiting to happen, and the ex-princess of Monaco (?!) who just so happens to already be tabloid fodder. If they get especially unlucky, Dan (a pretty famous novelist, at least according to the reboot), Serena (a 2000s era “it girl” and semi-celebrity), and Nate (an ex-NYC mayoral candidate, media mogul, and in universe Kennedy equivalent) might just find themselves implicated too - or at least forced to testify - given they were at the very much in public wedding where any rando could have snapped a picture.

There is just soooo much fucked up entertainment value in a case like this I can’t imagine it being anything less than a public fucking spectacle, and not the kind Chuck or Blair could just shake off. I genuinely do not know how they could absolve themselves in the court of public opinion if it actually went to trial, even if they managed to prevail legally.

Oh my god. Okay well, first of all, I really want the fake Serial podcast that unpacks all of this lol. Someone should make that lmao.

"little boy real estate mogul" took me out lololololol

also like...faking your death is a crime right??? how was Bart just able to re-enter society so easily??? did they ever say???

i'd also like to point out that it's actually much vaguer whether or not Chuck killed his father. They cut away during their fight and then next thing you see is Bart hanging onto the edge. Chuck himself says that he isn't sure whether or not he pushed him or Bart fell over. but also Chuck and Blair both just stood there and did nothing to help Bart before he fell, which is involuntary manslaughter I believe

But seriously though, you're so right anon that all of this was made for true crime. In 2030, someone makes a "Jinx" style doc about Chuck I bet

#anti chair #gossip girl #anti chuck bass #anti blair waldorf #anti bart bass #gg meta #anonymous #strideofprideanswers

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peachsequence · 10 months

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Dead By Daylight Drabble Character focus: Jake Word count: 900 Synopsis: Jake Park makes himself a tent. Content: no ships, sfw, indulgent headcanons, poorly written Manchester slang lmao

The others were unsure about Jake’s plan, at least at first. They watched, whispering to themselves, while he scavenged for metal scraps, tarps, and sturdy sticks. Anything that could help with making a covered structure.

Some felt that a tent meant admitting this was their home now. Others were scared it somehow broke the rules of the place.

Maybe they were right, but Jake didn’t care anymore. He wanted privacy. It had been fine when there were just a few people but now there were well over a dozen flowing in and out from trials. He couldn’t go anywhere without tripping on someone sleeping by the fire or hearing David King’s rancorous laughter over his own stupid jokes.

After dozens of trials and free time exploring, he gathered an impressive pile of junk. Most of it came from the meat packing plant, much to the chagrin of the young woman that guarded the place. She’d nearly killed him several times for stealing from the supplies she used to adjust her traps. The tool sheds of Haddonfield had plenty of tarps. Michael hadn’t seemed to care even when Jake stole the sheets off the beds in the neighborhood.

What resulted in his work was an angular tent of blue and yellow tarps sewn together, held up by a string tied several feet off the ground to two trees. The ends were staked apart with nails and metal pieces, spread far enough that Jake could lie down any direction with plenty of room. He could even stand up without hitting his head.

Sure, the ends were still open so anyone could see inside if they really wanted to, but he had plans to alter the design to fix that problem. That, however, could come later. First he wanted to enjoy the effort he went through.

He slipped into his new hiding spot, tucked away a few yards from the campfire. The light slipped through the openings at each end, reflecting the color of the yellow and blue walls of the tent. He lay on a few layers of sheets, just enough to keep from feeling the uneven ground jab too hard into his back.

A smug grin tugged at the corner of his lips. This is perfect.

---

It took three trials before someone broke the threshold of his new home. Jake was tying knots on a piece of rope he’d found when David King barged in without so much as knocking.

“Park, make me a tent,” he said, ignoring the way Jake glared up at him. He dumped a stack of folded red fabric with gold thread embellishing the fraying hems. The smell of chemicals permeated from them.

“Did you tear down the tents in the circus for this?” Jake asked, noting the blood stains on the coarse surface.

“Yeah. Got a nasty scar for the trouble,” King said, grinning wide at the admission. “Oh, since I know you’ll throw a strop without pay, I brought you a toolkit. Weird one, too. Look at it!” David shoved the toolbox in Jake’s hands like a child wanting to show off a new toy.

While he remained stone faced, Jake was intrigued by it. Rather than the plain white toolboxes he normally found, this one was bright red with gold clasps and handle. Opening it up, he found it packed full with firecrackers and sparklers that once might have made him think of New Year’s festivals. Now it just made him wonder if he could hurt a killer with them.

Rather than ask where it came from – something that David would probably love to brag about – Jake simply closed it and set it aside.

“Fine,” Jake relented. “Just don’t expect anything special.”

From there, it became a downward spiral. He’d barely gotten started on David’s tent before the next person asked. Some were fine with anything Jake gave them, others wanted room to fit their partners too. Then new people arrived at the campfire and assumed getting a space was part of the norm. He made a rule after that: supply your own materials or pay out the ass for the trouble I’m going through.

Jake hadn’t realized just how much work he’d gotten done until he took a step back to admire a pale blue canopy he’d made for Kate. Seven tents were nestled in between trees and around the campfire, their colors adding the atmosphere of life to their hellish purgatory. Claudette’s small pink and green tent was surrounded by her garden. The white one Dwight shared had a clothes line which Ace hogged to store all his ridiculous outfits on. Meg and Nea were at that moment attempting to make stands outside each home for some lanterns they’d found.

A warm feeling settled in his chest, one that made him nervous to think about too hard. He hated to admit that he enjoyed the strange little community they’d all cobbled together. As standoffish as he acted, he liked these people. Even David King. Eventually that would get him hurt, he’d experienced that pain before, but for a moment he let himself enjoy it.

He made his way back to his own tent, ready to rest after finally finishing the last bit of work he’d been commissioned, and settled into his makeshift bed. Jake’s head hadn’t even touched the pillow before a man tugged open one of the flaps and peered in.

His beige trench coat popped against his dark amber skin, which was tinged pink in the cheeks as he sheepishly tried to find the right words to say. “Sorry to bother you but I was told to ask you about a tent?” the man asked with an accent Jake couldn’t place.

Jake sighed, rubbing his fingers against his temple. So much for my genius plan to be alone.

#dead by daylight #dbd #jake park #david king #drabble

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psychic-refugee · 1 year

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I’ve talked about keeping silent as a legal strategy before, but one aspect I don’t think I’ve covered is that JUDGES HATE SOCIAL MEDIA/ OTHER MEDIA BULLSHIT AND SHENANIGANS.

Judges HATE media circuses. They are interested in the law, they do not care what a bunch of idiots on Twitter think. They only care if they or those involved in the trial start to get harassed or if the circus starts to taint the jury. They do not want to waste their time or public funds for a mistrial.

There is a reason why the jury is sequestered during trial and deliberations, which include being forbidden reading newspapers, doing outside research, and social media. The jury should only pay attention to the facts brought before them during trial, not what idiots on Twitter are taking out of context and consider evidence because of “vibes.” If one side is spouting their mouth and riling the public up, it’s going to piss off the judge and that’s the last person you want to piss off. Look at Trump, he had to be specifically told to shut the fuck up on social media by the judge. ALSO be aware that Trump got dinged for things he posted on social media. His own posts were used against him.

Silence is your friend, social media is the enemy. I’ve been on trials where the judge told opposing counsel that they were made aware they were speaking to the press and saw that some things were being taken out of context. Opposing counsel was told to shut the fuck up. Some judges don’t even give one warning, but let me tell you opposing counsel did as they were told.

Social media has only harmed any hope the accusers might have had for a case, if they were ever actually serious. PHW as of now has a much stronger stance, and that’s because he shut the fuck up from the get go.

Another reason why judges hate social media is that it makes it harder to find unbiased and appropriate jurors.

The jury goes through a filtering process to kick out anyone who may have biases, this includes people who already have an opinion due to social media.

The States call this Voir Dire, in Canada it’s called “challenge for cause.”

They will specifically ask if prospective jurors can be unbiased etc…if your social media is public they can review it for potential bias. They cannot friend request you or do any ex parte communication, but they can at least do their due diligence to make sure you don’t have a vendetta against either side. e.g. The antis and anyone from PercyNation, including myself, would be dismissed if we were called for jury duty for any case involving PHW or the accusers. We’ve clearly taken a stand already and would not be good jurors. If you lie and cause a mistrial, you’re looking at fines. Like $11,000 USD fines. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/juror-fined-11000-conducting-outside-research-during-criminal-trial-and-causing-mistrial (Last visited 11 May 2023) If the accusers keep posting even after court proceedings start, they would be dinged and threatened with contempt. The fact they did all those posts before even speaking with an attorney, is not going to do them any favors. All the accusers have done is give opposing counsel ammo.

So, I must stress again that going to Twitter to air grievances and accuse someone of criminal conduct is a mistake. Go to an attorney, file a lawsuit/ask for criminal charges, let Twitter and the world find out in due course via litigation.

I promise you, your story can be told after the fact. Trials and their results are generally a matter of public record.

#I Stand With Percy #Percy Found Not Guilty

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onceuponalegendbg · 11 months

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Top Ten Ace Attorney Games

So this seems appropriate given recent announcements. Note: I’ve never played the Professor Layton crossover so it will not be on this list. Can’t really rank something you never interacted with, you know? Also, goes without saying but all opinions expressed in this are fully subjective and should be taken with a grain of salt. Like, seriously, guys. I’ve warned you.

10) Apollo Justice - Okay, so I just want to say that AA4 is not a bad game, but good lord is it the one I have the most problems with. Good things first, however. I love the dynamic between Apollo and Trucy. Their banter is so fun. I like this version of Phoenix. Really seems like he’s grown a lot in the time between games due to circumstances. I feel his relationship with Trucy could have been explored more but what we do get is good. Ema’s back, and I’ll never say no to that. Klavier is a good rival for Apollo. All that said, man do I remember barely anything about any of the cases of this game. Outside the main cast I remember Lamoire, Kristoph, and that a couple of Gramaryes are in this one. That last case also just... gives me a headache if I think about it too long.

9) Justice For All - Oh boy. So outside of introducing my favorite Prosecutor of the OG trilogy, JFA is a bit meh overall. Don’t get me wrong, Case 2 with all the Fey Drama is very solid and the final case... Come on, do I really need to say how good the Engarde Case is? I don’t even hate the Berry Big Circus case as much as most people (except for the very uncomfortable love triangle, that I detest) but even I can’t deny it’s one of the weaker cases in the series and the first case is... the whole amnesia device is more annoying than clever. Again, I’m sure I’m not saying anything new here.

8) Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright - Man, I wonder if this is some form of sacrilegious putting the first game this low on the list. Honestly, there’s not much to truly criticize with this one. It’s a very solid first entry into what would grow into such a beloved franchise. But I also just don’t have a ton of things to say about it in general? At least not many that haven’t already been said by more articulate people than I. It’s a good game. Solid starting point. Weakest case is the first one but... It’s the first case. So. To be expected.

7) Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth - Admittedly, this is only so low because I love the other games more and the last case is.... unbearably long. It was brilliant of Capcom to take what is likely AA’s most popular character and give him his own games, and even better to give us characters like Kay and Lang while also giving us Tiny Franziska. We did not deserve Tiny Franziska but they gave her to us anyway. A very enjoyable foray with a new game-play style.

6) Trials and Tribulations - Oh man, I am going to get so much crap for this one. Before anyone comes at me! Yes! T&T is a near flawless entry. Genuinely, the writing for this one is insane and Dahlia is such a well used antagonist. The through line for this game is masterful. Even the third case, which is indeed the weakest case, I find some charm in. So don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that objectively this probably should have at least been in the top three. But this isn’t an objective list. This is my list. And while I do love T&T, I just adore the games in the top five more.

5) Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor’s Path - An improvement from the first Investigations in almost every way. While I do think that the last case is still a bit too long, I think it’s overall more interesting than the first’s. More of Kay, Miles, and Gumshoe having the best dynamic. The addition of Ray, Sebastian, and Justine only making the cast all the better. Again, I’m a sucker for Justine being the best mom ever and her dynamic with John (and even Sebastian) is something I wish we’d had more of.

4) Dual Destinies - I don’t care what ya’ll say, AA5 is a fun addition and Athena is an amazing new character. I freakin love Athena. Like, I’m sorry but any character that has been through that much crap and still manages to smile and cheer up the people around her even when she’s feeling the absolute worst is a good character and I will die on this hill. Not to mention Blackquill being an equally fantastic rival for our protagonists. And that reveal in the last case while Aura is forcing them to do a retrial for her brother! “Oh but Phoenix is back to being goofy and it’s like AA4 never happened.” “Oh, but Apollo is angsty for no reason.” Sorry, doesn’t bother me. Like, I’m not even willing to call these things nitpicks because they’re just such non-issues for me. The only thing I’ll say is that the models do look a little off sometimes. This is a good game, ya’ll are just mean.

3) Spirit of Justice - So confession, SOJ was the first AA game that I saw from start to finish. I’d tried before but I’d never found the right let’s play of the AA franchise. Then I did find one, and I watched SOJ through start to finish. And I really enjoyed it. I love the setting of Khura’in, Rayfa, the final boss looking like a Power Rangers’ villain. Also, while we do get a lot of father son stuff, I’m such a freakin sucker for the mother daughter stuff between Rayfa and Gharan and Amara. Also, the Magical Turnabout is just... such a fun case? And of course, Maya can’t be in a game without getting accused of murder. But her growth as a character is great. I just really really enjoy this game, guys.

2) Great Ace Attorney: Adventures - I’m sure this comes as very little shock to anyone who knows me. The first GAA game is astounding. I love this cast of characters so much. Susato, Ryu, Sherlock, Iris, Barok, Gina, Toby, they’re all great! The new mechanics with the jury and multiple witnesses on the stand are great. The story is great. Yeah, the first case goes on for too long, but at least it feels fresh due to the new setting and characters. I feel like I can’t properly articulate how much I love this game. Which, speaking of...

1) Great Ace Attorney: Resolve - Yeah, yeah. Predictable, I’m sure. But what can I say, this took everything I loved about the first game and just made it better and expanded on it. The story takes so many twists and turns and it takes the characters and their bonds from the first game and makes me love them even more. WE LOVE THE FOUND FAMILY TROPE! Kazuma comes back and he becomes such a fascinating character. Rei, Courtney Sithe, Esmeralda Tusspells, Drebber are only some of the memorable new characters for this part 2. The fight against Stronghart (Vortex is still the cooler name) is such a triumphant moment! And playing as Susato in the first case!? That was amazing! And Ryu’s growth throughout all of this!? Like excuse me! I love this boy!

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soartfullydone · 6 months

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I finished my first bg3 playthrough and just need to ramble about act 3 things specifically (spoiler-heavy, don't read this)

There's so much about this game that's great. But so much of act 3 made me go from :D to :/ like people were not kidding about how unpolished it feels. There's some positive thoughts here, but there's also a LOT of critique sooo don't read this probably fr fr.

The amount of bugs are egregious in act 3. I normally have a high threshold for bugs in games. They happen. So long as I don't lose gameplay hours over them, I'm pretty fine. But omg, I finally found my threshold. Just so much that distracted and detracted from cutscenes, from character moments, from the immersion of it all. It's hard to praise Larian for showing up the AAA studios when they turn around and actually do much the same as them: rush an unfinished product to launch. BG3 should've been worked on another year at least so the poor devs wouldn't have to go through the crunch time they are as I type this.

Acts 1 and 2 feel very tight and cohesive, act 1 especially (and I swear, act 2 was the shortest, easy, and yes, I did everything), but in act 3, you start to see so many holes, so many quest lines abandoned, rewritten, and unfinished. Quick question: why was Cazador's palace attached to a random guard wall in the Lower City when he's as upper echelon as they come? Oh, because we cut all of the Upper City from the game but still needed to resolve Astarion's storyline? Got it. What was the point of me tracking down the bomb factory in the fireworks shop if there are no repercussions for either destroying it or leaving it alone? Oh, just a reason to connect Rivington to Baldur's Gate, same as the Dribbles quest? Cool.

Speaking of Dribbles, I almost couldn't even finish the damn quest because I stole the clown's hand from the kobald and the game didn't acknowledge it because a cutscene didn't trigger. I had to do the most roundabout series of tests and finally figured out I had to put the hand in a pouch marked as wares, sell the wares to the kobald, steal the pouch back, drop the hand in front of him, and ensure he caught me stealing it.

That being said, there is nothing about the Circus segment itself I would change. Pure confetti all the way down. Enjoyed being turned into a stinky wheel of cheese.

I love love love the Auntie Ethel quest line. The only thing I could've asked for in relation to it is even more fae shit.

On that note, loved Valeria. Loved how Normal a miniature flying elephant detective was.

The Emperor's sex scene? Delightful. So glad I got to experience that through a friend. Can't wait to be a freak like that someday.

The House of Hope was Hot AF. I died at the Haarlep part; it was everything I wanted: a Raphael """romance""", a terrible deal, exhibitionism, companion-wide disapproval, body and mind violation. Honestly, Larian DOES get full points for that. (Now, make it a true possibility with Raphael, cowards. Let me ride that pillow princess.) Can't WAIT to fully go through with this deal someday with a different character because Riven wasn't the one.

The Raphael fight was honestly incredibly fun (the soundtrack lol A+++) and I didn't find it that challenging in Balanced mode. Like, I thought it was going to wreck my shit, but it was easily one of my most favorite parts of the game. Getting to the room to go through with it, however, was a trial and a half.

Act 3 also had two, if not three, of my least favorite quests of the whole game, tbh. And when I say least favorite, I mean they were just plain not fun to play. At all. Top of mind is the Free the Artist quest with the haunted house, which should've been fun but was just an incredible pain in the ass the whole time, and the Iron Throne quest, which I had to do no less than 8 times to get the exact results I wanted because bugs would thwart me at every turn. NPCs not dashing because their pathways were somehow blocked. Characters getting stuck up the ladder, not allowing anyone else to climb it. Having a character physically move to pull a switch to lock a door behind them only to get them permanently stuck on the wrong side of the door. Did I mention this quest was also a timed trial? lol lol

Kept expecting for my betrayal of the Zhentarim in act 1 to have Repercussions when I reached the city, their stomping ground, in act 3. lol lol

With the flood of companion interactions and cutscenes I got in act 1, it's a shame how much those dried up in act 2 and were practically non-existent in act 3. Their personal quest lines are all you have, and once they're over, you'll maybe get one final cutscene and maybe a romantic one and that's it.

Karlach barely feels like she had a real arc. You do a few things to keep her infernal engine from exploding, but then there's nothing more you can do and she resigns herself to death, refusing to go to Avernus. She and Dammon stop interacting, and the game gives you no other avenues to explore besides a confrontation with Gortash that went about as well as I expected. Just dissatisfaction after dissatisfaction with her. Which is a shame because her VA killed it the entire time! The best I could do for her was take her to the House of Hope for a few hours of relief, but not even an archdevil's home has anything more to offer her.

And it's wild because her death scene was super emotional and touching. I was ready to burst into tears until Wyll ran up and begged her to come to Avernus with him, to live. Then, I wanted to cry for another reason! (My Wyll lost his warlock powers but saved his father and became the Blade of Avernus.) This made so much sense to me as an option for Karlach a long time ago, that I was both relieved and frustrated that this was The Solution the whole time.

I gave Karlach the option to choose what she wanted, and she chose to go with him. What has all this been for, then? So much of Karlach's narrative and the tragedy of it hangs on her absolute refusal to return to the place that tortured her so badly just to live—but that turns out to be only solution this whole time? Why couldn't we just go to Avernus and find something that actually helps her then?

Karlach and Wyll got short-changed in many respects to their arcs, which is wild considering all the touchpoints they have with each other. I'm still frustrated that I, not Wyll, had to choose between severing the pact and saving his father. Even though I achieved both, Wyll should've been given the option to make that decision based on how you interacted with him throughout the game, same as every other character gets to make. At least he gets to choose between becoming a city official and the Blade of Avernus. But it's wild that we have two characters here who were used and enslaved by devils, and that's either not really addressed or resolved (Karlach) or it's only passively handled (Wyll).

And god, I loved the final scene with Wyll and Karlach in Avernus! How Karlach accepted that she would live, how she appreciated both the horror and the opportunity that Avernus presented, and how she wasn't alone anymore. I loved how confident she gets, assuming the role of the experienced expert/hunter in this place. And then Wyll. Who has also hunted and explored Avernus before. Doesn't even get to speak. Just smiles encouragingly the whole time, silent. This scene is so clearly written for Karlach with a Tav, and it's. Frustrating. Wyll and Karlach should be straight-up talking shop together right now. If this is the resolution of both of their arcs together, then it should be written for both of them together.

I'm a Wyll fan who loves the character he is, but I also resonate with folks who are frustrated losing the EA Wyll I never got to meet. I love what I've seen of his romance arc; it's his character arc that has me scratching my head at times, just because I see where they could've done a lot more with more time. The Ansur quest was... interesting but feels very tacked on at the last minute, and the twist that occurs from it isn't even about Wyll. And it matters for all of two seconds and then is never brought up again except to remind you to never speak of it lol what?? At least the lesson Wyll learns is one I knew all along, which is he's the hero Baldur's Gate needs and deserves.

And Gale! I'm honestly not even counting his arc as resolved. That was a joke. The crown falls into the lake?? And based on how you talked to him, he decides whether he's going to fish it out or not??? And I don't even get to see it??? For me, Gale decided to leave it alone, not giving it to Mystra or using it to become a god, which is. Wild. Considering my Tav, Riven, was very much Team "Fuck Mystra" and didn't discourage him from the god path. I was expecting a whole moment like what Astarion got between completing the ritual or not, but nope! You've gotta be joking.

I think the only arcs I'm satisfied with are Lae'zel's and Shadowheart's, even though I still don't know how and why the latter dyed her hair white lol. (I mean, symbolically, I get it, but I'm half-convinced her hair's not even supposed to be white because her portrait never changed hair color and the other characters only commented on her bangs like is this a universal bug that everyone accepted and Larian doesn't want to own up to?)

I also wish that if Halsin, Jaheira, and Minsc are going to be companions that they would've given them proper arcs, too. Halsin especially since he comes along earlier. Jaheira gets more of a pass since she's older and a legacy character and I love her, but I could take or leave Minsc tbh. Haven't gotten Minthara yet, so opinion's still out on her.

I loved Jaheira's little adopted family. A shame I never saw them again or got anymore resolution! (More on resolution in general later)

I guess I'll talk about Astarion's arc. I loved so much of it, but I'll be honest; I was having the most fun with him in acts 1 and 2. The sex repulsion thing, while key to his arc, also seemed to dry up all the romantic chemistry he has between himself and your character. Part of that might be because his arc turns so hard into obsessing over the ritual. But part of it is a Huge Missed Opportunity between exploring the difference between Sex as a Means to an End and exploring with him what actual intimacy looks like. Sure, you get the hand-holding and the hug, once, which can easily turn into a Just Friends thing. But where was learning what easy sensuality and intimacy looks like with a partner who won't pressure you into making it about sex? The graveyard scene was great! Sure wish there was more where that came from!

Astarion's romantic arc became a lot more about what Astarion wanted versus what you both want, argue with the wall. Sure, he wants it to become something real and wants to take things slow, but at what point is a Tav who was used for protection through sex allowed to be sexually frustrated and not shamed for it? The only time that's even acknowledged is if Tav considers a poly relationship with Astarion and Halsin, and we're supposed to feel bad on Astarion's account and not Tav's. Well, I'm sorry, but for Riven, Astarion would've been her first sexual partner and relationship, and he knowingly turned that switch on to make her obsessed and pliant towards him. It's unrealistic to just. Expect her to not be sexually frustrated, to grin and bear it, just because he's finally acknowledging his own automony. Part of that autonomy means taking ownership for what he did as an exploitive sexual partner; I'm not saying he needs to get her off or anything, but this is where displaying actual intimacy could've helped while they were taking a break from sex. Instead, the game really does have Astarion cut her off cold turkey with no further romantic scenes outside of the odd line here and there while discussing the ritual, and p e r s o n a l l y, I take Great Issue with that as a woman with some fucking self-respect.

Considering how hard this romance goes on the front-end with sex, flirting, and banter, Astarion's romance arc feels very foreplay-heavy with a very dissatisfying finish, which I'm not impressed with, okay? (And yes, my last romantic scene with him was bugged all to hell, so I didn't get to experience it as a cutscene, just fragmented lines in a box of a room. In fact, a lot of his romance lines throughout act 3 would either get cut-off or there'd be other buggy things happening that detracted from the scene.) At least he stays an asshole and not this uwu baby that so much of the fandom wants to pretend he is lol

That said, and even though I haven't done it yet, I am so sure that it'll be Ascended Astarion >>>>>>>> Good End Astarion for me lol. Give me the dark, fucked-up ends forever, thanks.

I didn't even get one of the biggest payoffs from convincing Astarion not to Ascend. I had Shadowheart cast Daylight as an orb and not on an object, so when the other spawn got free, they took damage from the spell and ran away, disappearing forever. Cazador's staff was nowhere to be seen because it was tied to a cutscene with those spawn, so now??? The ~7,000 spawn trapped in those arcane cells are just going to be driven mad as they starve to death, which we know from Astarion being held in solitary for a year is going to take a very long time. Meaning the more humane thing to do would've been to just. Let Astarion go through with the ritual, damning himself to save them from a fate worse than death. Great storytelling, Larian, we didn't test that Daylight spell at all, did we? Good thing I made a save with Astarion post-Ascension, tbh.

(Which, the fact that you still have to convince Astarion not to go through with the ritual, despite your high approval, romance, and all the things he's seen getting there, fascinates me. So many other characters will do the right thing if you've planted the seeds and give them the chance to make the choice themselves, but Astarion is determined to see the ritual through by default unless you roll real good. It's Big Sexy of him.)

On the one hand, this game has SO many more companion cutscenes and reactions than past rpg games like this. But on the other, it doesn't balance them well throughout the game. It doesn't help that I played the version with approval thresholds being lower than they should've been. But it goes back to how much of act 1 was written, built out, and tested in EA, and how much the rest of the game was... not.

Also what was the point of Yenna besides being nice to an orphan kid? Why did she disappear from camp for days and days that was never acknowledged? How many more bugs with kids did I experience in this playthrough, the Mol quest also being fucked sideways?

Gortash was so hot and SO underused and for what??? Jason Isaacs, b r u h!!! Oh well, more reason to play Dark Urge at some point.

I also never got the option to Find Familiar my owlbear and he stopped moving in the camp in act 3, and I'm sad, okay? He does somehow become fully grown?? for the final battle and armored up, but you're joking if you think I'm risking my baby boy like that

That said, I did like how the final battle played out, how you could summon your allies to help fight. (Zevlor redeemed himself and survived, baby!) I liked the various stages of it. But omg... the audio problems. A whole area where background music didn't play for over 20 minutes. Where characters had dialogue but no audio track. The immersion was in tatters for me, and given all the character arc resolution problems I discussed above, yeah, no WONDER I'm fucking frustrated. All this build up, to just trip at the finish line?

It was also wild how. Abrupt. The ending is. A series of cutscenes with a few final choices here and there, with random companions interjecting their opinions/perspective, but. There's no goodbye tour. There's no talking to everyone for the last time before the FINAL scenes happen and the credits roll. No "what will you do now?" discussions besides Karlach and Wyll's abrupt leave (made even worse by Astarion's abrupt leave for Reasons). I've been traveling with most of these people since the first hour of the game, and I can't even say to them "goodbye and thank you"??? We've poked fun at Bioware throughout BG3's launch, but they beat you there, Larian. Muchly.

The ending cutscenes were also not edited together cohesively, which might be why the Astarion romance scene bugged out. It's possible it's out of order, but it either goes: Companions talking about celebrating, Astarion getting scalded by the sun and running away, Karlach's engine catching on fire, Wyll convincing her to save herself and the two running off, the narrator showing you the city and proclaiming you a hero, Astarion romance scene in a black box, Wyll and Karlach in Avernus, end credits. OR it goes: Companions talking about celebrating, Astarion being scalded and running off, Karlach's engine catching on fire, Wyll imploring her to live but you convince her to die, the narrator proclaiming you a hero, Astarion romance scene, credits. And that switch to the credits, both times, is a fast and hard switch.

Also okay FINE I'll be honest! How determined this game is to turn you illithid finally pissed me the fuck off! The whole game, I played a character who would Not Eat the Damn Tadpole for anything but who would still abuse her compulsion powers now and again. (Which, a shame that power went away in act 3, that was fun roleplaying.) The whole game, she decides and is given the option to decide that her own strength and those of her companions would be enough, and guess what? It's not lol. Someone still has to become illithid and eat Orpheus's brain. Picture it: I had Astarion, Gale, and Lae'zel with me, the latter two who still need their arcs completed, hence why they're here. And the choice I'm given is either: give the Emperor the stones and have him eat Orpheus' brain; turn myself into an illithid and eat Orpheus' brain, or free Orpheus and convince him to turn himself into an illithid (or have myself or a dying Karlach do it, and guess what? We'd still have to eat his brain). All but one of these choices will either have Lae'zel hate me forever or permanently end my Astarion romance. The only viable option, meanwhile, is depressingly anticlimactic and uninteresting. Yeah, I'll say it: BOOOOOOO!

I have so many characters I want to do different playthroughs with, but act 3 and its ending, man. The taste of it is not horrible but it's not great, either. Kinda torn between taking my time in the first two acts and giving the game a break, see if they fix the most annoying bug issues first. I don't hold out much hope that storytelling issues will be fixed, but god, I wish they would be. Gonna just hold it in and die until I can talk to any friend about it.

#mel's ramblings #bg3 spoilers

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nny11writes · 2 years

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No six sentence sunday today, have a silly wip idea that I do not know enough about and do not have the time to research to write it lol.

She Ra, Modern AU, College AU, either glitra or general, G or T rating

Glimmer does contact juggling, she learned as a kid because she thought it looked super magical and really kicked her fairy costumes up a notch at the ren faire (look me in the eyes and tell me that Bow does not go to ren faires, he would absolutely go and do archery demos/play his lute). It’s a fun hobby, and when she finally moves out of the house to go to college she feels super lonely. Glimmer chose to not go to the private school her mom picked out specifically to be more “normal” and to follow her only friend. But Bow is busy all the time now with his major and new extracurriculars, and no amount of him inviting her will let Glimmer enjoy the experience of a robot club not building battle bots. She eventually finds a club on campus that is basically a juggling club although a few people also do tight rope and slack rope walking or other fun circus tricks. She grabs her favorite orbs and wants to give it a real go!

Catra learned to juggle because she was bored and Adora gave up. Adora begged for a set of soft cubes to learn to juggle and then got so frustrated that she couldn’t get it done quickly enough for her liking that she stopped. Catra found them and was just goofing around, but it was also a little bit of a “Wanna play N64 with me?” where your friend who ones the console is the only one who plays and you have to watch a little excited a little bored and a little frustrated that it’s never your turn. She gets decent at it and eventually starts juggling other things for shits and giggles, teaching herself through trial and error to juggle knives and eventually even use a whip. Adora was accepted to a private school and Catra never even applied to it. She ends up going to college because “it’s what you’re supposed to do” but she doesn’t know what she wants from it if anything. Catra learns there’s a juggling club and decides that she wants to do flaming torches and is wondering if there’s a fire eater who can teach her some tricks too.

Glimmer and Catra are what you would call frenemies. They are easily annoyed by one another but don’t actually hate each other. Despite not doing the same sort of juggling at all, they’re always trying to out do one another. Their friendly rivalry can get Intense at times but most of the club is just waiting to see what happens.

Sea Hawk teaches Catra how to eat fire, so Glimmer demands to be taught as well. Perfuma teaches Glimmer slack line, so you bet your butt Catra decides to learn it too.

Eventually the whole club goes to do a performance at one of the small theaters tucked away on campus and Glimmer and Catra decide to do an act together where the whole thing is designed to look like they are seriously trying to sabotage one another but keep failing because of the other’s talents or obliviousness.

They have a grand ol’ time and when the performance is over Adora and Bow have bonded because THAT WAS AWESOME AND ALSO SO DANGEROUS BUT MOSTLY SUPER COOL!!

#catra would totally have an edgy juggling act #like she'd either go heavy metal and dangerous acts or ''oooh I'm spooky!'' acts #Glimmer goes for a more ethereal/fantasy style with a lot of cheek to it #she would look super graceful as she suddenly moves from one position and trick to another #idk folks I just like the idea of them both doing juggling #and somehow it brings them closer #and then Adora getting to go ''WHEN THE HECK DID YOU LEARN TO JUGGLE MACHETES!?''#while Bow is whispering ''what are the safety standards I know there's safety standards what are they? I'd feel better if I knew!?''#they both think it's cool as fuck and are very into it #they both learn some juggling basics afterwards as well because Bow does feel better trying it and Adora wants to try again #(once he knows enough to feel set Bow is good to go)#(Adora has successful adult syndrome and gets frustrated when she's still struggling and stops again lol)#wip for adoption I guess?????#I wanna read the fic #not write it #is there a SPOP circus AU? I feel like there has to be but I don't want high drama more slice of life style :\

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archduke42 · 1 year

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Old Barriss fanfiction

For those bored on a Friday nite, I thought I would post more segments of an older story I wrote before TCW came to TV. When Barriss became my Muse, I just started giving her more adventures and liberties to be involved more in the Prequel Trilogy timeline

In this scene, Darth Tyrranus has lured Barriss into a trap when she arrives on Geonosis to attempt to rescue captured Obi-Wan Kenobi. Keep in mind, when I wrote this, Dooku and Tyrannus are two different characters, and Tyrannus has abilities where he can only be seen by Barriss as he poisons the minds of Dooku and the Separatists. Barriss is put on trial,and sentenced to Death. Dooku, who is slowly becoming a Dark Jedi obsessed with hunting down Darth Sidious, also reveals the big secret that has been hidden from Barriss her entire life, which will devastate her in that moment.

I know some of this reading may be a bit over the top, but I was excited to write a cliffhanger moment for her.

It may look as if I Mar Sue’d Barriss the way Filoni writes Ahsoka, but at the time I preferred to think of stories like this as “Barriss being a normal Jedi trying to do her best, gets into epic situations and faces imminent death.....but then a miracle happens and she just becomes naturally more awesome” kind of thing. At the very least, I tried to make all her epic moments plausible when I wrote it. Enjoy

(Barriss is brought into a large chamber blindfolded and tied up. The blindfold is removed. She finds herself facing Separatists Shu Mai, Nute Gunray, Po Nudo, Sun Fac and the shadowy Darth Tyrannus)

Tyrannus: A surprise for the Council......a Jedi spy.

Barriss: TRAITORS! Where's Dooku? Where is Senator Hadranus?

Shu: *SILENCE! You are in no position to demand anything!*

Nute: It is an unfortunate turn of events for you, my dear.

Barriss: When the Chancellor discovers your deeds here, Viceroy, you-

Nute: -Oh, be quiet. I hear that one every morning.

Sun: *Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee, it is with great regret that you are charged and found guilty of trespassing into a sacred catacomb of our honored dead. Great though your heart and deeds may be, you are unworthy to be in such a place. The penalty is Death!*

(Barriss turns to Tyrannus)

Barriss: Clever little trap for a clever little joke trial.

Tyrannus: An easy one, too. Master Unduli would never have fallen for such an obvious ruse.

(Barriss looks at him with irritation at the taunt)

Barriss: I’ll have you eating those words when Master Dooku gets here!

Nute: You can't talk to us like this! This is outrageous. You're on trial, you green skinned pest! This is for what you did on Naboo years ago!

(Barriss turns to the neutral Sun Fac with urgency)

Barriss: Sun Fac, you obviously remember that we Jedi have always been your allies. We helped end Hadiss' reign of terror. How can you let them pull off this "kangaroo court"??

Sun: *Politics......make strange bedfellows, Padawan Offee. Archduke Poggle is now a member of the Confederacy-*

Barriss: -No!-

Sun: *-of Independant Systems. Even if it were not so, you were caught in the sacred catacombs. Wether intentional or not......we must follow with Geonosian Law!*

Barriss: Joining the Sepratists makes you a traitor, Sun Fac!! Don't give in to their lies! Go get Senator Hadranus!

Tyranus: Barriss, Barriss. General Hadranus is not on this world. He is on Rhen Var, and he is about to discover his true destiny.

Barriss: Even if you kill me, the Republic will not stand for this horrible act! Palpatine will have you all on trial!

Nute: (sigh) Booring!

(Tyranus swiftly moves next to her with silent grace)

Tyranus: There is no victory you can have that I cannot take away.....

(The doors behind them burst open. Count Dooku storms into the proceedings, startling everybody. Barriss turns to him with a small feeling of relief. She turns back to Tyranus to give a witty reply, but Tyranus has vanished again)

Dooku: This is outrageous! Of all the audacious things!! I cannot allow this to turn into a circus!

Barriss: Master Dooku, I am grateful you are here! Finally you can tell these lunatics to let me go!

(A sudden uncomfortable chill sweeps over her as Dooku marches to her sternly. He looms over her like a dreaded prophet of Doom)

Dooku: On the contrary, young padawan.......I am here to stop you from ruining everything!!

Barriss: (In shock) WHAT??

Tyrannus: (whispering) She is a traitor....she must die.....she will destroy all your dreams....

(Barriss can actually HEAR Tyrannus as he sends horrible thoughts to Dooku's mind. Dooku's face is red with a held back indignant rage)

Dooku: You, of all people, Barriss......I never thought I'd see you try to stab Qui-Gon in the back as well with this treachery!

Barriss: MASTER DOOKU!! He was LIKE A FATHER TO ME!

(Dooku frowns even more)

Dooku: More's the pity!

(He walks past her)

Dooku: Barriss, the punishment for spying is death in the arena, the punishment for desecration of the sacred Nekropolis....death by immolation. The Geonosians believe it is to purify the stench of your unholy trespass. If I will it, you would die in a most horrible fashion.......but it would be an even worse fate that you should die without ever knowing what it was that has kept you alive.....

Barriss: Don't give in to the madness......this Confederacy of yours is an act of TREASON!!!

Dooku: I have cared for you like a granddaughter, and I have held secrets to protect you.....

Barriss: What are you talking about??

(At that moment, the dread Cyborg, General Grievous, enters the trial room. Barriss becomes frightfully aware of the malicious aura. She recognizes him, and he almost seems to smile under his cold metallic mask)

Grievous: Barriss.......how lovely......

(Dooku and Grievous escort Barriss Offee down to the dungeon)

Barriss: This is NOT the answer, Master Dooku! War with the Republic-

Dooku: -I did not ask for this war! I did not ask for my friends to die needlessly on Naboo.....or here....

(Dooku gets paternal as he opens a secret door among the dank dark cells)

Dooku: I have always admired your drive and initiative, your strong will. You would have made a great Jedi....

Barriss: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!!!! BILLIONS WILL DIE IF YOU GO DOWN THIS PATH!!! You will be lost to us....please....don't do this! Please....

(Grievous stands coldly as Dooku leads her into a small chamber with several tunnels)

Dooku: Barris, I am carrying out the best kind of death sentence for you I can. I pulled strings to get you here.

Barriss: (sarcastic) Oh, thank you. I'm soooo grateful! You put me in the dungeon! You are not a Geonosian, you don't have-

(He leans down, for a moment, caressing her head in a grandfatherly way. He is ready to sacrifice even those he would call family to fulfill his obsession in destroying the Sith)

Dooku: -You don't understand. The legal alternatives like the arena.....it would be unbearable to see you suffer that fate. I do this for you as the friend you once were. Trust me, I helped design things so Poggle would never have to worry about the same stunts that were pulled when you and Master Unduli interfered years ago....Master Kenobi is also under sentence of Death.

(Barriss looks at him, shocked and horrified. He is not the graceful, witty Jedi she had known for so long. Dooku wearily stops and slowly turns to almost glance back out the door at Grievous. He looks uncertain about everything)

Dooku: It is not your fault, Barriss. You were a tool of the Jedi and the Senate. They have killed you, We must stop the Sith. We must make it all right. THAT is why this must happen.

(Barriss gets angry)

Barriss: What would Qui-gon say? You would kill your own friends and family??

Dooku: So much you do not know....about family...

(Barriss gets more agitated, but Dooku suddenly gets very quiet)

Barriss: WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT IT!!!??? You're Master Dooku!! Lord of all you survey!! You can kill with a word and these tin pot drones will do it!

(He looks away. Grievous gets huffy outside the room, but Barriss is no longer scared of the Cyborg)

Barriss: And you shut up, Grievous!! Nobody cares to hear your opinions!!

(She almost snarls at Dooku)

Barriss: I've grown up my whole life obeying the rules, smiling and eating and breathing according to the rules of the Order without ever knowing my family, my parents....How dare you!!?? Telling me I know nothing about it....you keep rattling on about secrets you held!!! You talk about family and yet you have calmly given me the DEATH SENTENCE???? WHAT IS GOING ON???!!!!

Dooku: IT is about your mother and father!

Barriss: What about them? I never got to meet them!

Dooku: YES, YOU DID!!!

(Barriss is stunned. Dooku composes himself)

Dooku: Qui-gon never told you about your father.....

(POV Does a CU of Barriss)

Barriss: What did Qui-gon know about my father?

(CU of Dooku as he drops the bomb on Barriss)

Dooku: Qui-gon....he WAS your father!!

(Barriss looks at Dooku in complete disbelief)

Barriss: -That can't be! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

Dooku: Search your feelings, you know it to be true!

Barriss: But who wo-

(Barriss stops and gets wide eyed as she suddenly realizes, as if putting two and two together on who "Mother" really is!! She holds back the shock as best she can, fully aware of everything around her)

Barriss: (sobbing) It can't be....IT CAN'T BE!!!

Dooku: It was time now to tell you, because time is so short! So much for you to know, but....

(Dooku looks away. He suddenly can't look her in the face)

Barriss: (tears up) All this time....

Dooku: You deserved to know before I sealed you in. You will wander these tunnels until you succumb to death. There is no way out. But at least you have a chance to die in peace, with the truth....I am truly sorry.

(Dooku, oblivious to Barriss' state of mind, turns and exits)

Barriss: (whispering) You son of a bitch.....You've condemned me to a fate worse than death.....

Dooku: You will die with dignity, and no one will ever know of what I have told you. When I establish a new galactic order.....you will be remembered as a great hero to the next generation of Jedi....A NEW Generation of Jedi under MY leadership!

(POV watches Dooku seal the door shut, Barriss' silhouette dimmed by the growing darkness)

(POV follows Dooku and Grievous back into the palace)

Dooku: Prepare the staff for our next briefing, especially concerning Poggle's latest weapons' project. Prepare the trial for Senator Amidala and her puppydog Skywalker!! They will join Master Kenobi for the arena.

Grievous: Yes, my lord.

(Dooku steps into another room quickly out of sight. He leans against a wall and closes his eyes. His world feels like it is crumbling around him for a few seconds. Tears fill his eyes for a second, but he grips himself)

Tyrannus: (VO whisper) Friends must die so that you can win against the Sith Lord. It is a necessary sacrifice....

(Dooku wants to say something, but the Darkness clouds his judgement and he steels his resolve to destroy the Sith even though he has committed one of his first terrible acts to accomplish it)

(Barriss sits in the dark, facing the tunnels, pondering what to do as she recovers from crying. The door opens behind her. CU of Grievous as he slowly enters and lights up two sabres with glee)

Barriss: YOU!!

Grievous: My child, I have waited a long stretch of time for this rematch!!

(Barriss jumps up and prepares for battle! Sabre lit, she stands in readiness as Grievous closes the door behind him)

Grievous: You are dead, one way or another. Dooku does not need to know the details! I think about our encounters on Naboo all those years ago, and I think I owe it to you to make this as painful and prolonged as possible!!

(He lights up a total of four sabers! Barriss suddenly realizes she is out of her depth fighting him. Smartly, she leaps into the nearest tunnel. Grievous laughs)

Grievous: You cannot run far!! Every tunnel in this labyrinth is a dead end!!

How does Barriss escape?? That is a story for another time....

#barriss offee #Barriss #tcw barriss #Count Dooku #dooku jedi lost #Star Wars the Prequel trilogy #attack of the clones #star wars the clone wars #star wars attack of the clones #geonosis #jedi #sith #darth tyrannus

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sneezewizard · 2 years

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This was a highly politicized trial that seemed to blow up due to a collective effort on the right to raise it into a political and a culture war issue. When a bunch of people are suddenly getting very angry about one particular thing online, it always raises a lot of alarm bells for me. And indeed, far-right news outlets spent tens of thousands of dollars pushing ads on this trial. Outrage sells. Which means that if someone or some group of someones is trying to get you to be very angry on the internet, especially at one person in particular, its always important to take a step back and ask why does this person want me to be so angry? I don’t want to get into the specifics of the trial itself. The media circus around it was horrid. I couldn’t follow it very closely. I’m a survivor, and I’ve been cross-examined on the stand trying to get a restraining order, and let me tell you that was one of the least fun fucking things I’ve ever had to do. If someone had decided to turn that into a meme, god I don’t think I would have made it. I’ve also worked in the domestic violence field, and now I work in politics and boy did those two things come together here in a very bad way. This, like recent cultural blowups and panics about various forms of abuse (LGBT hate disguised as anti-grooming discourse, QAnon, etc) are an immense distraction and do an immense disservice to the people actually working to stop abuse. Anti-domestic violence work is inextricable from antipoverty work. Wealthy people are victims of domestic violence, and it's awful when it happens to anyone. But domestic violence is at its most dangerous when people have no other options, and the people needing emergency shelter and resources are not usually like Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. They're often struggling with homelessness, poverty, mental health, addiction, various forms of discrimination, and practically every institutional barrier you could imagine. They often don't have a family or social network that is able to help them. If a survivor has children, that makes leaving even more difficult and expensive. Domestic violence shelters and housing programs are often underfunded, and staff face burnout and secondhand trauma from the work they do all while making basically no money. I knew a girl who worked at an emergency shelter that had a scabies outbreak, and she was so terrified for weeks that she was going to get scabies. She did not make enough money to deal with the ramifications of having to take off work because she got scabies. Domestic shelters in the U.S. (I can’t speak to other countries, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this were also the case) often compete against homeless shelters for funding. So it creates this weird toxic competitiveness that is very detrimental in the long run, all these service agencies pitted against each other for scraps. This is not the first time domestic violence has become a culture war topic to the detriment of progress on the issue. Domestic violence as a point of culture war started with the Father’s Rights groups that formed in the 1970s as a response to feminism, changes in family law, and the burgeoning anti-domestic violence movement itself. And the language around this trial has a lot of the same right-wing, misogynist undertones employed by these groups 50 years ago. Yes, men face domestic violence and this should absolutely be recognized and better addressed, but having the far-right lead out on conversations about gender and domestic violence does nothing but set us back. The policy solutions proposed by Father’s Rights groups never were actually about addressing domestic violence, and generally would have make things harder for survivors of any gender. Turning domestic violence into a culture war topic always sets us back. It ends up obfuscating and misinforming people of the actual issues underpinning domestic violence, which is that we live in a country that makes it hard for people to leave. And the timing here sure does feel ominous. It’s especially alarming to me that this has all blown up on the eve of Roe being overturned, which will be a disaster for people facing domestic violence. Overturning Roe will make this worse. Continuing to gut social services to line the pockets of the wealthy will make this worse. An overly punitive criminal justice system makes it worse. The threat of deportation for undocumented immigrants makes it worse. The threat of defamation suits and the politicization of domestic violence makes it worse. Nothing about the way this trial was covered raised any sort of awareness about this all in a real or productive way. Domestic violence agencies have been fighting for recognition and awareness for decades, and it makes me so disheartened to see tiktok accounts amass millions of views around this trial treating it like some sort of spectacle. We need a conversation around domestic violence that doesn’t involve fancams. If, in following this trial, you have decided that this is an issue you care about, that’s great. But please be aware of the political motivations of certain coverage of the trial. Get involved and support people actually doing anti-domestic violence work. If you are based in the U.S., find your local domestic violence program here and donate, if you can: https://www.womenslaw.org/find-help/advocates-and-shelters Or, donate to NNEDV if you want to support anti-domestic violence policy work on the national level: https://nnedv.org/donate-now/

#domestic violence #politics #rant #sorry #long post #anyway back to writing my silly gay stories #and thinking about fictional silly gay women

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swervestrickland · 2 years

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THANK YOU for your tags about the trial. I am honestly sooooo sick of seeing people following it like it’s a fucking tv show and not a domestic abuse legal case. when I was younger I was one of the staff monitoring the international depp fansite/boards for like 8 years straight and even I’m just 😬 can we not???? I know it wasn’t about me and my opinion means nothing but tbh, seeing britt come out in that shirt absolutely didn’t win her any personal favors with me 🤷🏻‍♀️

same! earlier today when I saw her tweet about the trial I was like, “oh, you’re one of THOSE people🙄” I just. I cannot deal. Lost some respect there from me, too.

Last month my brother asked me if I was following the trial and I was like No!!!!!! I hadn’t even known about it until a few days before he mentioned it, but the break room at work happened to have TMZ on when I went for a snack and I saw that the trial was happening. Honestly if it hadn’t have been for that, I wouldn’t have known at all! And I was perfectly happy not knowing!!!

And it drives me insane that every time I get on the YouTube homepage on my tv, it tries to show me all that trial shit. I don’t give one flying fuck about the trial. I don’t care what he says, I don’t care what she says. These are celebrities and I’m not down with becoming a part of their circus. It’s repulsive behavior and it’s a no from me. I made up my mind about what happened between them months and months and months ago and nothing that happens now in a televised courtroom is gonna change it for me. I’m all for watching it if you’re generally interested in the result and you want to see the evidence yourself, but so many people are just watching it and laughing at this that or the other and it doesn’t feel like anyone is doing it for the truth. It feels like something everyone is just hopping on the bandwagon for and I don’t like seeing it. At all. And every time I see someone mention it here on tumblr my teeth start grinding.

Anyway. Sorry to vent this to you. I’m sure someone somewhere will be upset about my opinion on this but frankly I don’t care.

#emi replies #doedreamss

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squadron-of-damned · 1 year

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Is Ace Attorney a good series to play? Which entries do you recommend?

It depends on your definition of good. Also I am hardly an expert, because I've cleared only the first two games in the series.

Ace Attorney is humorous and absurd. It's also dated back to 2001, so expect the old games not to be keeping up with the times as far as the themes go; it can be casually cruel to you. It haphazardly mixes anime and video-game logic with impactful real life parallels. Just when you think you have figured it out and are prepared for the next gag joke about the power of police and how it controls everything without being able to find its own arse even when they have a detailed map and an anatomical atlas a guy literally named Dick Gumshoe punches you in the emotional gut by having a meltdown and crisis of what his own worth to the world is. And then he turns around and goes "But I'm the world's best chef, I can make instant ramen like no one!"

Be prepared to get frustrated over "that is in no way obvious or logical!" prepare to have a favourite character who is an ultimate idiot. (It doesn't matter who will be your favourite, everyone is an idiot.) Prepare for an interactive visual novel where you aren't given choices to actually influence the outcome. Prepare to shout "WHAT? HOW?" a lot. Really really a lot. There will be a point where you will ask yourself "Can this shit-show be any more of a circus?" and the game will turn around and show you that yes, yes it can. (Turnabout Big Top might not be the most amazing episode, but it has impeccable timing.)

It's not a bad game and it is, in my opinion, a highly enjoyable game. Alternatively if you don't want to take a part in the absurd clusterfuck of a roller coaster.

I personally can’t play it for long in one sitting; I get emotionally charged and need to walk the charge off. I’ve walked many many kilometres to get through Farewell My Turnabout and Turnabout Goodbyes. At least I stay fit. But with mindless hack-and-slashers or puzzle games or strategy games I don’t have this problem. For the same reason I’m also stuck on Disco Elysium (objectively a great game, also very depressing). On the plus side AA is mostly character driven, which is something I am very much into.

My suggestion is that you play/watch a let's play chronologically in order of release. At least the first three games (Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney: Justice For All and Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations) rely on each other that you know what happened in the previous installments. It also doesn't make much sense to play Ace Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney when you don't know who is that depressed guy in a beanie and what he's been up to previously. Ace Attorney Investigations will land flat when you didn't want to strangle its protagonist Miles Edgeworth with your bare hands for that autopsy bullshit he's pulled, not to mention meeting young Franziska. The Great Ace Attorney, which are set in 19th century are going to have you so lost without knowing the main series.

Start with the original trilogy of AA:PW, AA:JFA and AA:T&T, see how it goes. On Steam there are several good walkthrougs that spoiler the minimum of the story. Hug Wendy Oldbag for me, girl has shit luck. Also hug Maya. Dear gods, hug Maya.

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what-once-was-eemaartz · 2 years

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I remember once that you have Talon OCs. Can you maybe tell me all about them (names, backstory, abilities, teams that are affiliated with, hobbies, some quirky things about them,etc)?

Just curious

No one:

Me when I get an ask: *absolutely buck wild*

Also it’s about the idiots (affectionate) so even better!!!

Our main is one utter fool by the name of Chase Nathaniel Whitney. (Nathaniel to honor my partner’s favorite canon Talon) Here he is:

He (like all Talons) was taken from the circus by the Court as a kid. He was eight when he was taken. He passed his trials at eighteen, but ended up dying after the fight with his mentor, and so was brought back using the electrum then.

He’s the youngest of my OCs, at 28 as of the start of the story. (The story spans a long period, so the ages change throughout)

He’s rather impulsive, but the Court liked him for his acrobatic tendencies as a kid, and he somehow managed not to piss them off too severely before the story really kicked off.

He’s an aerialist, specifically the silks. He usually ties his hair back to keep it out of his way, but since this drawing was a ref I left it down to show the length. He gets cold really easily (which is something I headcanon for all talons- they don’t like the cold because it reminds them of the freezing chambers too much)

He’s an anxious wreck most of the time, and tends towards depression. (Spending twenty years of your life as a glorified slave to an evil organization will do that)

He’s pan, but doesn’t understand the concept of sexualities at the start of the story, because he was eight when he got taken. He just assumes everyone is looking at every hot person’s ass regardless of gender.

He is the exact opposite of well adjusted.

Next up! Love interest. His name is Matthias Lynn Carter.

He had a SHIT childhood- grew up in an abusive, Catholic household and ran away to the circus when he was ten. He lived at the circus with a group of friends (notably including John and Mary Grayson, tho they weren’t married at that point.) That’s not super relevant to the story because they’re dead and nothing ever comes of it, I just thought it was a fun little detail.

He did contortion and sleight of hand while he was with the circus, and the Court took him when he was fifteen. Took is rather a strong word, though, as he went willingly (you could even say enthusiastically) because the Court gave him a false promise of “being a hero” and “helping people.”

His exact age is kinda iffy, especially since he’s been frozen a good portion of the time, but he’s about forty-four at the start of the story. He died as a Talon when he was twenty-five, from falling off the top of a building. It should have killed him, and if it weren’t for the Court killing him as soon as they found him and bringing him back with the electrum, he would be mostly- if not completely- paralyzed from the waist down because of it.

As a Talon the Court mostly had him doing things that required more subtlety and less “scary guy in assassin costume,” such as escorting Court members to events and acting as a guard for them. He’s good at blending in, and the fact that he’s darker skinned than most Talons (by nature of having been darker skinned in the first place) makes the telltale black veins much subtler and easier to cover with makeup.

He was also a very good Talon for tracking targets over a longer term, because he was good at tracking, and blending in allowed him to do that more easily.

He has ADHD, as well as some tendencies towards anxiety, though not nearly as bad as Chase.

He’s creative, and he especially enjoys music. He plays the guitar and sings. He’s also a hopeless flirt, and he’s a little cocky, especially at the start of the story.

Impressively, he is actually pretty well adjusted.

Last, but certainly not the least of the protagonists, is Elijah Alexander Cross. His role is well summed up as “Dad man” despite the fact that he is nobody’s actual dad.

(He gets a full illustration because I always forget to draw the veins, but I actually added them here, vs the others where I literally had to edit the refs while making this post) (also I’m pretty sure the sweater he’s wearing in this drawing and the one in Chase’s ref are the same. Chase is a clothes thief)

Honestly I could make like a three part series of posts about his backstory, but we’ll keep to brief for the sake of this. You are always welcome to send more specific asks, as these characters are my love and my obsession and I will talk my heart out about them if only given the opportunity.

Elijah’s 150 years old, give or take. He was taken by the Court at 10. His father was a strongman in the circus. He’s religious, but not the “use it to justify bigotry” variety. Unspecified, but it’s Christian of some sort. Based on his family’s values as I’ve written them, they might actually be Quaker.

He was raised to be a pacifist, and did not cope well with having to kill for the Court. He spent most of his twenties, all of his thirties, and his forties until he died as an alcoholic, because he drank to cope. After he died he was forced into sobriety, because the electrum made him unable to get drunk at all anymore.

He mentored four kids for the Court. One was while he was a drunk and one was in the forties. Those two both survived and later passed their trials. The third kid (Justin) was one he was very close with, but he accidentally killed him during his trials, when Justin had to fight him. The fourth kid is the one he’s mentoring at the start of the actual story.

He likes to read and cook and garden, and he’s a complete and utter nerd.

He’s got a lot of depression and guilt to work through, and he’s autistic.

His parents were Irish immigrants, so he was raised speaking both Irish and English.

As a thank you for reading that long post have some art. The guy Elijah’s almost kissing and is in bed with is not Chase, it’s Chase’s dad, Cody. Feel free to send more asks about these fools, I love to talk about them.

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vgckwb · 1 month

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Danganronpa: Away Chapter 4: Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me (Part 7a)

For the fourth time, we were all gathered in Monokuma’s little circus of Hell. We were both confused and on edge. As common as these incidents were becoming, it’s not easier. “Well, fourth verse, same as the first!” Monokuma said. “Now then, let’s go over the rules for the Class Trial. Students will take turns discussing who they think is the killer. This will continue until an agreement has been reached. Afterwards, a vote will take place to determine who the blackened is. If you guess right, then only the blackened will be punished. However, if you guess wrong… then everyone BESIDES the blackened will be punished. Now let the Class Trial BEGIN!”

Cassy: Let’s just get this over with as soon as possible.

Pierce: Agreed.

Pierce: Does the killer want to come out and confess everything?

…

Pierce: Sounds like a “no.”

Andy: Well, what do we know about the case?

May: I guess that’s as good a place to start as any.

Jay: Of course.

Monobird: So then, let’s take things from the top.

NON-STOP DEBATE!

BEGIN!

Duke: From what we can gather so far,

Duke: it appears that Annabelle was shot and hit her head up in the broadcasting studio.

Cassy: Plus she had a bruise on her sternum.

Cassy: And a big one at that.

Tammy: Well yeah. We all heard her get shot, right?

Tammy: That’s when we came up.

Tammy: And the killer blended themselves in with the rest of us.

Jay: Sounds reasonable.

CCOA:

Tammy: Well yeah. We all heard her get shot, right?

Truth Bullet: Recording.

Justin: You’ve got that wrong!

Justin: You probably don’t know this, since you left,

Justin: But we found a recording that was an hour of silence and then the sounds of the gunshots.

Justin: And that’s what we heard.

Tammy: Really?

Jay: Of course, you could be the killer, and just be feigning ignorance on this front.

Tammy: Shut it, Jay!

Sophie: So, if we didn’t hear her getting shot, what were those noises then?

Cassy: I have a guess, but I’m not entirely sure.

Pierce: Well then, let’s hear it.

NON-STOP DEBATE!

BEGIN!

Cassy: So, this is just a guess,

Cassy: But I do imagine that the murder was recorded.

Cassy: And the gunshots on the recording are what’s left after the killer edited everything else out.

Pierce: Well, that makes sense, I guess.

Andy: Yeah. She was shot three times, and we heard three gunshots.

Sophie: Looks like that adds up.

CCOA:

Andy: Yeah. She was shot three times, and we heard three gunshots.

Truth Bullet: Gun

Justin: You’ve got that wrong!

Justin: It’s true that we heard three shots,

Justin: And that Annabelle was shot three times,

Justin: But the gun is missing four bullets.

Justin: So where did the other one go?

Justin: And why did we only hear three?

Andy: Huh!

Andy: That’s a good question.

Cassy: True.

Cassy: And it’s one that I think needs discussing.

NON-STOP DEBATE!

BEGIN!

Andy: So, what happened to the fourth bullet?

Sophie: Perhaps it was used earlier?

Duke: How?

Sophie: Well, we’re discussing that now.

May: Did the gun even have a fourth bullet?

May: Maybe it was brought to the crime scene not fully loaded to begin with.

Pierce: If that’s the case, that puts us in a real pickle.

May: I don’t think so.

May: if anything, it clears up an oddity.

CCOA:

May: Maybe it was brought to the crime scene not fully loaded to begin with.

Truth Bullet: Tammy’s Report

Justin: You’ve got that wrong!

Justin: According to Tammy, when she and Monobird searched the weapons room,

Justin: she found the guns to be fairly organized.

Tammy: That’s right!

May: Ummmm.

May: What does that mean?

Justin: It means whoever took it was thorough.

Justin: I doubt they’d leave without noticing a missing bullet.

May: Oh.

Tammy: Not only that, but there was a knife missing too!

Duke: I do find that to be a bit odd.

Jay: Well, there was a knife at the crime scene.

Andy: But why a knife and a gun?

Pierce: I don’t know.

Pierce: You’d think one would be sufficient.

Cassy: *sighs

Cassy: I suppose we should discuss that now then.

NON-STOP DEBATE!

BEGIN!

Duke: Why were there two weapons at the crime scene?

May: You’d only need one to kill, presumably.

Tammy: Maybe it’s to add to the confusion.

Andy: I imagine Annabelle’s body would be stabbed if that was the case.

Cassy: Maybe they were brought in separately.

Sophie: Oh, that makes sense!

Andy: But who would do that?

Pierce: It’s not like the other person would just admit to it.

CCOA:

Cassy: Maybe they were brought in separately.

Truth Bullet: Knife

Justin: I agree!

Justin: Based on where we found it, I think it had to have been brought in by another party.

Tammy: But who could that be?

Justin: Maybe Annabelle herself?

May: Yeah, we were thinking that.

Pierce: But that also means that Annbelle went into the weapons room.

Jay: And why is that an issue?

Pierce: Simple.

Pierce: I think Annabelle would have noticed the missing gun.

Pierce: So why bring a knife to a gunfight?

Jay: Hmmmmm.

Cassy: She could have missed it.

Pierce: It is possible.

Pierce: But Annbelle is a journalist.

Pierce: I think she’s the kind of person who would notice something like that.

Andy: Well, we can’t ask her now.

Andy: So either way, the point is moot.

Tammy: Well hold on.

Tammy: What if she got the knife before the killer got the gun?

May: I guess that would make sense.

Cassy: Well, we’ll consider that a “maybe.”

Cassy: Regardless, we can’t spend time thinking about that now.

Cassy: It’s conjecture at best.

Cassy: And we have a lot of other things to look at.

Justin: She’s right.

Justin: But that is curious.

May: So now what?

Jay: Well…

Jay: Should we talk about the motive?

Duke: Perhaps.

Duke: It might narrow the suspect pool.

Pierce: Well then, let’s get into it.

NON-STOP DEBATE!

BEGIN!

Pierce: So, this weird dance thing.

Pierce: After a while, that bastard would send out invites on our behalf.

Duke: But we don’t know when that was.

May: It seems a little silly that someone would kill over that.

Tammy: Well, we are all wound up tighter than a toy soldier.

Sophie: But it is peculiar that someone would kill Annabelle for having Justin as her invite.

Cassy: That is interesting.

Pierce: Because if someone wanted to eliminate competition, you’d be the obvious target?

Cassy: Shut up, Pierce.

Pierce: Heh heh.

CCOA:

Sophie: But it is peculiar that someone would kill Annabelle for having Justin as her invite.

Truth Bullet: Annabelle’s Monopad.

Justin: You’ve got that wrong!

Justin: Hold on.

Sophie: Eh?

Justin: While it is true that Annabelle had me,

Justin: There's no way for anyone to know that.

Justin: So maybe the motive doesn’t have anything.

Justin: At least on that front.

Tammy: What do you mean?

Justin: The other aspect of the motive is the fact we don’t know what day it is.

Justin: I can imagine someone wanting to kill over that more than this silly dance.

Sophie: Um, wouldn’t we know once the time is up though?

Jay: I dunno.

Jay: “If we waited” seems like a weak defense of things.

Jay: The fact of the matter is someone didn’t.

Jay: So this motive has to be stronger than we imagine.

Andy: But like Sophie said, if you were interested in Justin, why make Annabelle your target?

May: Well…

May: I can think of one reason.

May: And everything makes sense if it’s true.

Pierce: Oh? Do tell.

Cassy: I’d be interested in hearing this as well.

May: Would you now?

May: Miss Murderer?

Cassy: Excuse me?!

Pierce: Oh this is getting good.

Justin: Are you saying that Cassy killed Annabelle?

May: Well, it’s the only thing that makes sense.

Cassy: How could it make any possible sense?

May: You wanna go?

May: Bring it!

FALSE CLOSER

Act 1: When we got the motive Cassy obviously got you. However, in her paranoia, she worried she wasn’t the only one.

Act 2: She began investigating, and sure enough, she found out that Annabelle also had you. Scared, she panicked.

Act 3: Cassy figured if she couldn’t have you, no one could, and so she began planning her devious plan.

Act 4: She grabbed a gun and a knife from the weapons room, took out a bullet from the gun, and went up to the recording studio.

Act 5: It was there where she found Annabelle, turned on the recording software, and killed her. She planted the knife and the gun to confuse us.

Act 6: She then edited the recording to bring us all up in an hour, and then went out to plant fake evidence elsewhere to further confuse us.

May: It’s a devious plan, but I saw through it. Isn’t that right, Ultimate Detective: Cassy Williams?

Cassy: I don’t know where you get off-

May: Can you refute it?!

Justin: I can!

Pierce: Of course you would.

Andy: Maybe now’s not the best time for that Pierce.

CCOA:

Act 2: she found out that Annabelle also had you. Scared, she panicked.

Truth Panel: Pierce’s Monopad.

Question: Would it be just Cassy and Annabelle?

Justin: You can’t rewrite the truth!

Justin: According to Pierce’s Monopad, he was also set to invite me.

Pierce: Oh yeah.

Pierce: If this was a case of jealousy on Cassy’s part, she’d more likely go after me.

Tammy: Maybe she didn’t know?

Sophie: It seems odd that the Ultimate Detective wouldn’t know.

Sophie: I mean, we were talking about Annabelle’s sense of observation.

May: Hmmmm.

May: Well, only one would have to do.

May: If she was willing to end it all.

Cassy: Clearly, you don’t know me that well.

May: Under normal circumstances, I’d imagine no one would do this.

May: But this is far beyond normal.

Justin: Well hold on, cause there’s another course of contradiction coming up.

CCOA:

Act 6: went out to plant fake evidence elsewhere to further confuse us.

Truth Panel: Monokuma’s Receipt.

Question: Would Cassy only buy two things?

Justin: You can’t rewrite the truth!

Justin: We had a little chat with Monokuma earlier.

Justin: He told us that the killer only bought two things.

May: …

May: I’m sorry, why does that contradict what I said.

Justin: If Cassy wanted to plant fake evidence everywhere, why only stop at two things?

Duke: Now that you mention it, things do seem a bit sparse in the evidence department.

Pierce: Furthermore, Cassy is used to the lap of luxury.

Pierce: Only using two things would seem light for her.

Andy: Again, I don’t think this is the right place.

Cassy: Well…Pierce has a point…

Pierce: See?

Andy: Still.

Justin: I just don’t see this being Cassy.

Justin: I know a lot of things don’t line up, but I think it’s too early to jump to conclusions.

May: OF COURSE YOU’D SAY THAT!

Justin: Come again?

May: Look, even if we don’t want to discuss romance,

May: You can’t deny you and Cassy are fairly close.

May: I know you’re trying to defend her, but you need to let go!

Justin: I think you’re the one who needs to let go.

May: OK, so we’re doing this!

REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN

BEGIN!

May: So what if she only got two things?

May: That’s two more things than was at the crime scene initially.

May: This is the only way things add up.

May: I’m sorry, but you have to know this too.

ADVANCE

Justin: I don’t “know” anything.

Justin: It just seems unlikely to arrive at a conclusion now.

May: Face it, this is the only way this makes sense!

May: She took the weapons!

May: She altered the recording!

May: She killed May!

CCOA:

May: She altered the recording!

Truth Blade: Recording Software

Justin: I’ll cut through your lies!

Justin: While it may be true that the killer altered the recording,

Justin: the recording software itself was on the other side of the room of the body.

May: So?

Duke: Hold on!

Duke: I think I get it.

Duke: Annabelle didn’t turn it on because she��d be under duress.

May: Yeah, but maybe Cassy turned on the recording and shot Annabelle from there.

Andy: The position of the body would be weird though.

Andy: Especially if Annabelle was already in there to begin with.

Tammy: Not only that, but between you and me, I think Cassy got the least out of your lesson on how to work that.

Cassy: Hey! I understand it just fine!

Justin: My point is that while Cassy may very well be it, I think it’s too early to jump to conclusions.

Justin: There’s still too many unknowns.

Pierce: Yeah, and unless you like dying, I think we should see if we can’t find any other answers.

Cassy: If we really can’t, then suspect me all you want.

Cassy: But until then, let’s work on figuring this puzzle out.

May: …

May: …Fine!

May: But I’ll be keeping an eye on you.

Jay: I really thought we had something there.

Jay: Guess not.

Sophie: Well, we kind of do.

Sophie: I mean, the recording itself is strange, don’t you think?

Pierce: How so?

Sophie: Think about it.

Sophie: Why record at all?

Sophie: You’re in a soundproof room. Why leave evidence of your crime?

Duke: I see.

Jay: That is something worth figuring out.

Jay: Everyone ready?

NON-STOP DEBATE

BEGIN!

Jay: If you’re in a soundproof room, why record at all?

May: Well, typically, it’s good for recording normally.

Tammy: But here, it recorded a crime.

Jay: Furthermore, why give yourself only an hour to do your cleanup?

Jay: If I were the killer, I’d have given myself more time.

Pierce: That is a fair point.

Duke: Well, whoever they are, they only needed one hour.

Duke: So maybe they timed it right.

CCOA:

Jay: Furthermore, why give yourself only an hour to do your cleanup?

Truth Bullet: Recording.

Justin: I agree!

Justin: Heh heh heh.

Tammy: What are you laughing about?

Justin: I think I’ve solved one of the problems.

Pierce: Oh?

Cassy: Do tell.

Justin: Why was there an hour long silence before the gun going off?

Andy: Is it not to give the killer time to clean up?

Justin: That’s what we thought.

Justin: But as Jay pointed out, why only give yourself one hour?

Justin: And there’s also another issue here.

May: Oh?

May: What is it?

Justin: Why had it been recording for an hour?

Justin: I think this person answers that question.

Duke: Well, spit it out!

PICK SOMEONE:

Question: Who could help solve the recording conundrum?

Answer: Annbelle Winchell

Justin: It could only have been you!

Duke: Annabelle?

Justin: Yes.

Justin: I believe that Annabelle started the recording herself.

Justin: That’s why it went on for an hour.

Cassy: I get it.

Cassy: It would be difficult to get that recording in a short amount of time.

Cassy: But if Annabelle had been recording for an hour, all the killer had to do was mute the sound.

Justin: Precisely.

Justin: Not only that, this also explains why there was no signs of struggle at the microphone itself.

Pierce: Alright.

Pierce: But do you know why Annabelle was recording for an hour?

Tammy: Maybe it had something to do with her class.

Pierce: Perhaps.

Andy: Well, regardless, we can’t figure that out now.

Andy: I think if we keep thinking about the case, things will come to light.

Jay: I think that’s a smart idea.

Jay: It’s not like we can ask the dead what they think.

Sophie: And it’s not like the killer will just say what transpired.

Jay: Right.

Duke: So, where does that leave us?

Justin: Well, maybe we should focus on what the killer did afterward.

Justin: After all, they only had an hour to do what they could to muddy the water.

Justin: Perhaps we’ll find some clear water in there.

NON-STOP DEBATE

BEGIN!

Andy: So, after the killer killed Annabelle, they left the gun and the knife behind.

May: They went to the computer to mute the recording, and set themselves up to play the sound over the PA system to draw us all in.

Jay: And then they seemingly escaped through the window.

Duke: And then what?

Cassy: Well, I know that they visited Monokuma’s shop at some point.

Pierce: But that could have been before the murder.

Cassy: True…

Cassy: But they did also go to the laundry room.

CCOA:

Jay: And then they seemingly escaped through the window.

Truth Bullet: Upper Wall

Justin: You’ve got that wrong!

Justin: You’re referring to the grappling hook, right?

Jay: Yeah?

Justin: I’m not sure you know this,

Justin: But there doesn’t appear to be signs that the grappling hook actually grappled the wall.

Jay: Huh.

Jay: Maybe they used it to get in then?

Justin: Even then, it still would have left an imprint of some kind.

Jay: Hmmmm.

Jay: So what does that mean?

Cassy: Perhaps that the grappling hook was a red herring.

Duke: But why go through the trouble?

May: To further confuse us.

Duke: But that seems like such an easy thing to fake.

Duke: Just tug on it slightly.

Duke: It makes no sense to add it if you’re going to follow through.

Justin: !!

Justin: Unless…

Duke: Unless what?

Justin: Unless that was the last thing the killer did.

Justin: If that grappling hook was placed when the gunshots rang out over the announcements system,

Justin: then the killer would have had no time to make it look like it was used.

Duke: Oh.

Duke: Interesting!

Cassy: So the killer went to Monokuma’s store after killing Annabelle?

Justin: That’s my hypothesis.

Tammy: Hold on.

Tammy: How was the window open then?

Tammy: That had to have been done beforehand.

Justin: It probably was.

Sophie: So did the killer know that the store had a grappling hook?

Pierce: I don’t think we can answer that concisely.

Pierce: Whether or not they did, proving it would be herculean.

Sophie: I guess that’s true.

Andy: Hold on. Something doesn’t make sense.

Tammy: What is it?

Andy: If the killer planned to murder Annabelle,

Andy: Why did they wait until after she was dead to buy the grappling hook?

Andy: That just doesn’t add up.

Pierce: Huh. Nice catch.

Andy: Thanks.

Justin: Well, I’m sure we’ll figure it out if we keep talking it through.

Andy: Then let’s do it!

Justin: Huh?

Andy: Let’s talk!

Andy: Do you have the answer, answer guy?

Justin: What’s gotten into you?

Andy: Don’t worry about that now!

Andy: Just answer my question!

Justin: OoooooooooK…

REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN

BEGIN!

Andy: The grappling hook was the last thing used

Andy: That’s your idea, right?

Andy: But then if the killer had planned all of this,

Andy: why not set it up beforehand?!

Andy: Why wait until the last possible second?!

Justin: Calm down Andy.

Justin: I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation.

Andy: Well, what is it?

Andy: I’m waiting!

Andy: How do you not take this into account when you’re planning a murder?

Andy: It just seems so weird to me!

CCOA:

Andy: How do you not take this into account when you’re planning a murder?

Truth Blade: The Recording

Justin: I’ll cut through your lies!

Justin: While at first glance, it seems like this was planned,

Justin: We already found proof that it wasn’t.

Andy: We do?

Justin: The recording.

Justin: It was Annabelle who set up the recording, not the killer.

Pierce: But what does that prove?

Justin: I think it proves that this murder wasn’t as premeditated as it seems.

Justin: I think the killer had to react, instead of act.

Andy: Oh.

Andy: Interesting.

Tammy: Why’d you go off the handle like that?

Andy: Oh, uh, well, Pierce did it last time, and it yielded a good result.

Andy: I’d thought I’d give it a try.

Tammy: Really?!

Sophie: Well, it worked.

Sophie: I think we’re piecing together some of the inconsistencies better.

May: But then where does that leave us?

Jay: No idea.

Cassy: The only way out is through.

Cassy: So let’s keep going.

NON-STOP DEBATE

BEGIN!

Cassy: Let’s review what we know so far.

Andy: Well, the killer came in, killed Annabelle,

Andy: Then noticed that she was recording something.

Tammy: From there, the killer edited the recording to draw us all to the scene.

Duke: From there, the killer opened the window, and went down to get a grappling hook.

May: That wouldn’t take an hour though.

Jay: So what would?

Cassy: That’s the million dollar question now, isn’t it?

CCOA:

May: That wouldn’t take an hour though.

Truth Bullet: Washing Machine

Justin: I agree!

Justin: Maybe getting a grappling hook and setting it up might not take an hour,

Justin: But I think some laundry would.

May: Huh?

Sophie: What would need washing off though?

Duke: If I had to guess, blood.

Justin: I agree.

Cassy: So, the killer went to clean their clothes.

Jay: Seems like it.

Pierce: But why not go to the shop beforehand?

Sophie: I’m assuming they didn’t want to be seen.

Sophie: Sticking around in the hall would be pretty obvious.

May: I guess that’s also true.

Andy: But going through the halls is dangerous itself.

Jay: Maybe, but that’s the only washing machine we have access to.

Jay: So it has to be worth it in some way.

Jay: Assuming the killer used it.

Justin: Huh?

Jay: I mean, let’s face it, there’s no hard proof that the washing machine was used by the killer.

Jay: It could have been anyone.

Jay: I know I go out there a lot.

Jay: And I’ve seen plenty of people coming through.

Jay: It could have been anyone.

Justin: Hmmmmmmm.

Andy: But what else could it be?

Tammy: Yeah, given what we know, it seems like the only viable option.

Jay: You may be right, but there’s no proof.

Justin: He’s right.

Cassy: Pardon?

Justin: No matter where we go in explaining this, we’re always coming up short.

Pierce: So does that make this impossible?

Justin: No.

Justin: What this is telling me is that there’s something about the basics of the case that we are just getting wrong.

Sophie: What would that be?

Justin: Again, we don’t know until we explore.

May: So, we just have to review the facts on a more granular level?

Duke: I don’t mind that, if it means we can make it out of this.

Justin: Let’s keep going on what we know.

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