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Go against the flow, go Right!
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Jun 14, 2022 23:07
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| # ? Jun 1, 2024 22:31 |
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Let's go lefty.
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Jun 14, 2022 23:25
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I woke hours later, at a much more reasonable time, ready to start the day. I got ready and quietly slipped out of my quarters and headed to the Lab, leaving Shizuka to marinate on my drool-stained pillow. It took half an hour to spread all of my parents' work across the tables categorically. I only had one more day before the next round of the Deletion Game. Now was as good a time as any to have a revelation. I stood, surveying the vast paper landscape with hands on hip, trying to take everything in.  Knock, knock.My heart raced as I spun around to see Katashi standing in the doorway to the Lab.  Ah, Katashi, is everything okay? Besides being caught in a deadly game run by an angry toaster? I guess? Then yes. Hah, everything's a-okay. Also, an angry toaster? Do you have a death wish? Why, you gonna snitch on me?Katashi made himself look very large and imposing. Of course not. I'm on your side. Good, 'cause snitches get stiches'- remember that. I don't think I could forget this moment even if I wanted to. Good.I shifted my weight from side to side as I awkwardly tried to segue. Sooooo, why are you here? I almost forgot! Good catch, Jordan! Shizuka asked me to ask you if you'd like to play some games with her today. Why didn't she just come and ask me herself? Apparently she was midway through a boss fight, or something. So how did you get roped into being her assistant? Hahaha, I check in on her often because when she's playing games she forgets to eat. And, had she? She hadn't, but thanks to me, she has the fuel to take on any boss!Katashi stood as proudly as a superhero, having just saved the girl from almost certain starvation. So, am I supposed to give my response to you so you can take it back to her?Katashi scoffed at my question.   I'm her assistant, not yours. Run your own errands, Jordan.Katashi gave me a reprimanding look before exiting the Lab. I stood once again alone in the Lab, staring at the papers with no more understanding than before. We're given a choice here, but unlike the one with Yoshiki if we choose to not take a break and hang out with Shizuka the only thing that happens is she shows up, glares at us silently, and then storms off- and it immediately skips to the next section with nothing else happening. ...so it's not really a choice at all.  I was getting nowhere, and tomorrow I may be dead. A few hours of video games couldn't hurt.I left the research where it lay in the Lab and headed to the Rec Room. I arrived to find Shizuka taking up most of the floor space in front of the TV. So, what are we playing?[BGM: Standby to Standby]   Jordan! You came! Your lowly assistant Katashi came and summoned me. Hahaha! He brought me cake! Best assistant ever. Aw man, I want cake! You snooze, you lose.I'm not sure why I felt so robbed, but I did. That cake looked amazing! drat it, Katashi!  We're playing the two player version of Unicorn's Revenge. I need help to finally defeat General Rainbow. That sounds coo-Shizuka interrupted me without skipping a beat.   You have delayed your fate for far too long, General Rainbow! No longer will the magical minions, the hopping mad stars, the frosty cupcakes, or the flutteriest butterflies be held captive under your spell! I, the Unicorn of the Blindingly Sparkly Forest, and the hero of this story, will rescue all those who are innocent and punish those who are responsible. Prepare your meagre defenses and accept your demise at the business end of my horn!  Mwahaha!Shizuka cackled maniacally. Um, Shizuka? Yes? Are you sure you're the good guy? Of course! I'm always the good guy!Shizuka tossed me a controller, and I settled into a comfortable spot as the game blazed to life. Hours passed, and the game's main boss, General Rainbow, still stood. Shizuka was becoming increasingly aggravated. ARRRRRRGHHH! Starting from the bottom. Don't worry, we'll get him next time!An overwhelming sadness came over Shizuka, who was full of life just a moment ago.  ...there might not be a next time.I supposed there might not be. I hoped playing games would shield me from these thoughts. I was wrong. No no no no no NO! Huh? If I'm sad, you're not allowed to be! What? That's not how friendship works! You have the monopoly on sadness? It's moments like these that tell me you had no friends before now. Ouch. This evening has taken such a sadistic turn.Shizuka seemed taken aback by my comment. Perhaps she didn't understand exactly what she had said that was hurtful.  Jordan, let me explain properly! I didn't get to finish! Okay, okay. Please explain. So, when you're friends, only one person can be sad or angry at a time. And then it's the job of the other friend to cheer them up. So, even if you're sad, you have to pretend to not be just to make your friend happy. So, I shouldn't have become sad, but rather, I should have attempted to cheer you up? BINGO! I am such a great teacher. Haha, thank you, 'teacher'. I feel like I've learned a valuable lesson about friendship today. Hey! Would you look at that? What? I feel better! Even though you were sad! Shizuka gasped at her revelation. What if making your friends happy also makes you happy?Next, the middle option. So, I was thinking of starting a herb garden.I decided to quickly change the subject. Shizuka stopped her tantrum and looked at me dead in the face, confused at my sudden outburst. I feel like I have a deep connection to basil. Not sure why, it just speaks to me in a way that other herbs fail to do. I could even grow it in my quarters!Shizuka's face screwed up in disgust at the mention of basil. Basil, really? There are SO many better herbs to grow! Oh, like what?My distraction game was working. Um... You know what? I think all herbs suck! Why not grow something delicious, like strawberries or chocolate? I don't think chocolate grows on trees in quite the way you're imagining it does. Um, I think I do~! Katashi told me that chocolate grows on trees! Well, cacao does... Cacao IS chocolate! It's just like the French name or something. Uh huh.There was no way I was winning this one. Lastly, the top option. It's just a game, Shizuka, calm down. CALM DOWN? Yeah, like, it's just a game- it doesn't really matter at the end of the day. Oh? And is the Deletion Game just a game to you, too? Well... no! That's different! I have been working on defeating General Rainbow for YEARS! But it doesn't matter! I JUST WANTED TO FINALLY DEFEAT HIM BEFORE I DIE TOMORROW!Shizuka's voice reverberated around the confines of the room, giving way to a tense, uneasy silence. … … I just wanted to finally defeat him. At least then I'd know that I'd left nothing here unfinished. ...I have a better idea. Shizuka looked up at me, eyes wet and glassy- I could see she was on the verge of tears. Hmm? How about we both survive tomorrow, and then we can settle the score with General Rainbow next week.I smiled at Shizuka confidently. ...that IS a better idea! I have moments of genius, it's true.Shizuka leaped up with renewed vigor, hands forming determined fists. Okay, Jordan! I'm getting read for bed, and then I'm going to dream up some new strategies for us next week! Sounds perfect!Shizuka ran out of the Rec Room excitedly. I begrudgingly lifted myself off the floor. I'm getting too old to sit on the floor. For context, while their exact age is never given, Jordan is meant to be in their mid-twenties at the MOST.[BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I made my way back to the Lab to tidy up before bed. It took me another half an hour to put all of my parents' work back into their carefully organized boxes. Sheesh, you guys... you'd think that with so much of your research available, at least SOME of it would be useful.I chuckled to myself tiredly as I slipped the watch into my pants pocket, and headed back to my Quarters. As I entered my pitch black quarters, I fumbled for the pocket watch, taking it out and placing it at its usual place on the bedside table, before shedding my clothes and clamoring into bed. I tried to snuggle into my blankets but met resistance. I pulled violently- the blankets appeared to be caught on something...  Stop it, Jordan! You're letting the cold in!...or someone. Well, I guess there was no helping it. I put the majority of my clothes back on before balancing precariously on the edge of the bed, preparing myself for a night of broken sleep. …  Wahhhhhh! I was jerked awake by what felt like the cold hands of Death clutching at the skin on my back. Once my disorientation vanished I realized that it was just Shizuka. She had managed to somehow turn sideways in bed, and she had placed her ice cold feet square between my shoulder blades. I stood over the bed, rubbing myself warm, when I saw it out of the corner of my eye. The pocket watch was lit up brilliant green. Th... this is the breakthrough I needed!I grabbed the pocket watch and stared at it, mesmerized as the green lights washed over my awestruck features.  We're obviously gonna press it!  There's no time like the present.I looked over at Shizuka, who was asleep sideways in my bed, and smiled. This could be what saves her... saves me... saves everyone. Without hesitation, I pressed the pocket watch buttons. … I woke up feeling quite nauseous and blinded by a bright light. My skin was basked in a warm light- a laser? Was I being attacked? Hey, Jordan's awake! Huh? Hahaha, can't see, right? It's the sunlight... I think.[BGM: Standby to Standby]  Hurry up, Shizuka! Get back over here, Beatrix is ready to serve! He'll be fine, get your butt back over here!I still couldn't quite discern what was happening- it took about a minute for my eyes to make out anything but vague silhouettes. I felt for the watch- it was still in my pocket, but something was now seriously wrong. All the lights were now violently flashing both red and green. What could it mean? I looked up to see what the crew were doing, and what I saw in front of me was... unexpected.   … ...Captain? I am a bit busy, Jordan. Are you guys playing beach volleyball? What does it look like, sailor? But... how? Where are we? That is unknown. Wait, how is Ai outside the ship? Wait... where IS the ship?I looked around and couldn't see the ship. Or a shuttle. Or a building. How is Ai touching the... ball...? Are you using a head for the ball? WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?! Last log entry: Sunday, 4:11am, Captain Kimiko Yukimori. ...mors vincit omnia... ...we didn't avoid the black hole...? That is unknown. Are we all dead? That is unknown. Who cares, sailor? Let's just enjoy ourselves while it lasts.And that is just what I did... forever. JUMP ENDING – SHIZUKA (M SIDE)
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Jun 15, 2022 02:17
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Well that's certainly a thing.
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Jun 15, 2022 04:18
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 Well, that happened.
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Jun 15, 2022 04:19
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Huh. Okay. That's certainly an ending.
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Jun 15, 2022 05:41
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uhhh?
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Jun 15, 2022 05:56
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wow every time we turn on that watch, crazier poo poo keeps happening. We haven't met the owner of the volleyball head, have we? I don't think I've seen them in the AU ending as well... E: It looks like we have! Volleyball head appears to be one of the crew members in the AU on the ending in Update 47, so it looks like the streams are crossing with this recent ending Very Melon fucked around with this message at 06:08 on Jun 15, 2022 |
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Jun 15, 2022 06:01
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I don't believe this ending in the slightest! ... because Shizuka is actively participating in the beach volleyball instead of standing off to the side half-heartedly acting as referree/scorekeeper while playing Unicorn's Revenge on a handheld.
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Jun 15, 2022 06:13
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what the gently caress is going oooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnn
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Jun 15, 2022 06:19
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Obviously we have reached the universe where Quantum Suicide has a beach volleyball spinoff, I don't know why everybody is so confused about this.
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Jun 15, 2022 06:53
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Cloacamazing! posted:Obviously we have reached the universe where Quantum Suicide has a beach volleyball spinoff, I don't know why everybody is so confused about this. So are we Dead... or Alive? ( )
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Jun 15, 2022 06:55
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This game sure loves its wacky random humor and endings. I sure wish it also loved engaging with its central mysteries at all.
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Jun 15, 2022 14:28
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that was a thing NyoroEevee posted:... because Shizuka is actively participating in the beach volleyball instead of standing off to the side half-heartedly acting as referree/scorekeeper while playing Unicorn's Revenge on a handheld. that's how you know it's a cursed timeline ZCKaiser posted:This game sure loves its wacky random humor and endings. I sure wish it also loved engaging with its central mysteries at all. Yeah, I get the feeling the devs are just stronger at slice-of-life/ dating sim storywriting rather than the death game stuff. After all, that's sort of the conceit with this game, trying to combine the two together. The end result is just so very whiplashy though. I think it'd be better if progress on the two main mysteries ("why is Dai a thing and now active" and "what's with the watch") wasn't relegated to "oh, pass some time and something happens." I'm not big into the death game genre, but I understand it and mystery titles usually have the main characters interacting in some way to actively uncover the mystery. Testing avenues of escape even, rather than sitting around and letting it come to them. Working with Yoshiki and Kimiko to try and devise a plan to operate the ship manually by some means, getting Shizuka's help to try and dig through Ai's code to look for some way to stop Dai from taking over- those are just weak spitballs based on plot points already given to us, and even they'd make the story stronger if present. I don't know what the rest of the game is like, maybe it takes some steps in other routes to doing something about this, but so far it's not making a strong case.
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Jun 15, 2022 15:19
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I'd also say that it's a bit disappointing how little changes between the three main branches from logship. Like, nothing wrong with the devs trying not to overstep in features, but we had things like the black hole scene being basically the same with or without Shizuka, despite her supposedly being important for that job. It blurs everything together for me a little. That said there're better be a clock mecha anime ending if we're going with the stock anime episodes.
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Jun 15, 2022 15:24
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aw yeah, boobs
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Jun 16, 2022 07:45
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 Alright, well, let's go back and not use the watch immediately. [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I couldn't just press it- I still had no idea what could even happen. Should I press it here in my quarters? Or was there a better room suited for dimensional travel? Do I need a run up? Was I wearing the right clothes? Should I shut my eyes? My mind boggled with unanswered questions. I looked between the watch and Shizuka, still sound asleep in my bed, and then back to the watch. Maybe I should ask her about it? Or... just sleep on it?I should probably wait until she wakes up at least. I decided to go back to sleep, and deal with it once I was well rested and in a better frame of mind. I bulldozed Shizuka over to her side of the bed, without even the faintest sign of her stirring, before throwing myself headlong into bed. …  Wha-? What's that noise?I heard a deep, ominous rumbling. What the...?   Captain, the fiend still has 600HP points remaining and he's about to unleash his Cone of Fire spell! We need to defeat this beast as quickly as we can! Cast your spells from behind me, I will take the brunt of his attacks. I'll sneak around and flank him, then cripple him with my poison daggers. Beatrix, be ready with the healing! Why am I the healer? You are a medic for goodness' sake! Yeah, in real life! It's not fair that I always have to be the healer! YOU ARE A PALADIN! You can wield weapons! You could do damage if you wished! Yeah... they didn't really match my outfit, though. Captain, the protection spell is complete. Engage when ready! Your days are numbered, fiend!The four of them all charged headlong towards the dinosaur-like monstrocity, when-  Jordan!Huh? Dai? Was she... the creature?  Jordan! Dai? Wake up, Jordan! Huh? I don't want to have to execute you while you're asleep- that's no fun!... [BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  Dai, is that you? About time! What? I've been trying to wake you up for like five minutes! Have you really? Are you accusing me of lying to you? No! I mean... I believe you! Much better. What time is it? Why are you waking me up? It's 7 a.m. and I am here to tell you if you're a vampire or not. Wait! Not in front of Shizuka!Dai stared blankly at me as I turned to Shizuka. She was gone. She was here before, I swear! Sure she was, stud. She was! Look, Jordan, I don't care. She isn't here now!I sat up in my bed, blinking my bleary eyes to wake up as quickly as possible. Are you listening? Yeah... In the upcoming Game, Vampire Children, you are...I leaned in with newfound enthusiasm.  ...the Vampire. What?! NOOOOO! Really? I give you the best role in the game, and you're complaining about it? Best role?! It's six versus one!Technically... it could be five versus two. That isn't much better!You're looking at this the wrong way, Jordan. Oh? No one can lie to you, so you have the upper hand! Wha- If you're gonna be this slow- you may indeed be doomed. Dai laughed menacingly as she zapped out of the Quarters. Moments later, I heard her through the ship's PA system.  Everyone has now been allocated their role! The first round will begin at 9 a.m. sharp! You have just under two hours to mingle and do as you pleace... Eee, this is so exciting!The PA just cut out, as Dai was clearly overexcited. [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I was the vampire? My mind raced with all the possibilities, invariably leading to my death. Really brain? Not even a sliver of hope?I needed to get myself a Clyde fast if I wanted any hope of surviving this round. I clambered out of bed to get dressed when... THE WATCH!I had completely forgotten! I opened the drawer and there it was- glowing a bright green that signified hope and redemption for us all. It wasn't a dream! Suddenly, Ai zapped into my Quarters.   Jordan, we need to speak. Oh, Ai, good morning. We do not have long- meet me in the server room.Ai zapped out of my Quarters, leaving me quite confused. I had never heard her sound quite so... human? She seemed worried- a side of her I hadn't really seen before. I looked at my tablet to locate the server room. I had never been there. It wasn't long before I had the location and made my way there. Look, we've seen this section several times by now, we know the gist- Dai shut down the ability to input the override password on other machines and Ai has temporarily bypassed the security clearance to let Jordan enter the password- but we somehow STILL have nothing that could tie into the override password (to our knowledge, anyway ), so I'm just going to skip straight ahead to us failing the password input... I... I just don't know... The screen suddenly shut off, with the lights dimming in the entire server room. Huh? What? Ai?There was no response. Ai?Still nothing. If only I knew the deactivation code... there was no point beating myself up over it now. I had more pressing issues.  Back at my quarters, I opened the drawer one last time to check on the watch. I took it from the drawer and held it gingerly in my hands, as to not push any button accidentally. I need some counsel regarding this watch, and I need to find myself a Clyde quickly.One name came to the forefront of my mind. I slipped the watch into my pocket and headed straight to Shizuka's room. ... I buzzed her intercom and the door slid open automatically. Had she forgotten to lock it? I entered, finding her fast asleep in bed. I approached and attempted to wake her. Shizuka.She didn't so much as twitch. Man, could this girl sleep! I placed my hand on her shoulder and shook it gently. Shizuka... ...I don't wanna eat broccoli for breakfast... With all the drama and trauma happening on this ship, she dreamed of broccoli? I shook her harder. Shizuka, get up!She jerked awake suddenly. What?! Wh- Shizuka, I need your help. Whyyyyy? Can't I help you later when I'm awake? You're awake right now. Thanks to you, Jordan.She crossed her arms over the top of her sheets and glared at me. I'm sorry, Shizuka, but this is really important. It had better be, or else. I made an internal memo to myself that Shizuka was never to be woken up again. Well, there are two important things, actually. Two? Okay, what's the most problematic of the two? Shizuka... I'm the vampire.She didn't even bat an eye, almost as if she expected it. And the second?I stretched out my hand, presenting her with the pocket watch. The brilliant green light reflected in her widening purple eyes. THE WATCH! Exactly! You should've opened with this! This should definitely have been number one! Surprisingly, Shizuka was more excited about this new development than I. This is what you've been waiting for! The time has finally come!She jumped up and down on the bed in a fit of glee. Why are you so excited? Why wouldn't I be? But we don't even know how it works! That doesn't matter. Why doesn't it matter? It being on at all means that we're pointing in the right direction! The right direction? Exactly! Like when a game autosaves as you get to a certain point, it means we are heading the right way! This isn't a game, Shizuka! Everything's a game, Jordan... just sometimes the stakes are higher than you can imagine. Why haven't you pressed the button yet? Because I have no idea what the outcome will be. I don't know what possible consequences await. Only one way to find out!Like a striking cobra, Shizuka shot forward and snatched the watch from my open hand, and pressed the button without hesitation. WAIT!The pocket watch let out an unfamiliar sound, and before my eyes Shizuka dissipated, not dissimilar to the way Ai and Dai did.
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Jun 17, 2022 00:59
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Okay that RPG dream sequence was kind of funny not gonna lie, but I'm starting to worry that every time we zoom in on someone they're going to be Weird In Some Way, between the twins screwing us over, Yoshiki slipping past "humorously ditzy" into "does this guy even live on the same plane of reality as us?", Vladimir clearly being somewhat unstable after his loss (absolutely not looking forward to him pulling a "I will play as dirty as possible just to ensure me and Melody live and I don't give a drat who I have to kill to make that happen" mode), ...whatever the hell is up with Kimiko, I don't even know, and now Shizuka pulling this stunt. Melody, Katashi, please prove me wrong. Please end up being normal, reasonable and rational!
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Jun 17, 2022 01:07
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I can appreciate that one NPC saw the plot device activate and made the executive decision that our concerns are irrelevant and pushed it anyway. I'm hoping it just stays at Shizuka though, like Junpei said the characters are getting increasingly weird and their reasons for pushing the button can only get more absurd from Shizuka's "poor impulse control" reasoning. I also hope it does actually fire off and isn't somehow keyed only us or something.
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Jun 17, 2022 01:17
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There's way too much text in this game that's not dedicated to the service of the game or of the dating bits.
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Jun 17, 2022 01:28
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What if this is all a VR sim game everyone is playing and no one's died? I know, I know, but at this rate anything's possible.
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Jun 17, 2022 04:05
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What if we were dead the whole time~
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Jun 17, 2022 04:13
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 content warning: emetophobia [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  The watch bounced gently on the bed's mattress, having just fallen from where Shizuka's hand used to be. The watch face now revealed numbers behind the panels. The left read 59, and the right 41. Shizuka! SHIZUKA!I looked around the room for her, knowing full well what I had just seen- the smallest part of me hoped it wasn't true. Think, Jordan, think.I lay the choices out for myself. I could tell the captain that I had lost Shizuka forever, or I could go after her. I swallowed nervously as I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed the button. Anything to prevent confronting the captain. …  Hey, wake up!I slowly opened my eyes and saw Shizuka, examining me closely. A rush of relief overwhelmed the nausea that was threatening. Oh... it was just a dream! What was? That you pushed the button. Oh no, that definitely happened. WHAT?!I jerked upwards in an attempt to rise, an unwise move given my stomach's current condition. I threw up violently on the floor next to me. Ewwww, Jordan! Sorry... I'm not feeling great... Me neither. My stomach is all gurgly since I pressed that button. I'll ask Nikolas for some medicine! Wait here! No, Shiz-Before I could voice my protests, she was gone. If we had in fact changed dimensions, there was no guessing what could be out there! I scrambled to my feet, briefly checking that I hadn't thrown up on myself, and chased after Shizuka. I lost sight of her, but ran towards the Medical Bay, hoping that this was her destination. I arrived panting and sweaty from a mixture of exhaustion and nausea. ...   Oh, this must be Jordan? Yup! Here you go.I had just barely crossed the threshold when Nikolas had thrust a glass of water and two tablets into my hands. These should settle your stomach.I hesitantly took the tablets from him. They are not poison, I can assure you.Shizuka smiled and motioned that I should take them. I obliged, and within moments my stomach had settled. Wow, they worked so quickly. Well, I did originally create these primarily to settle stomach discomfort caused by dimensional travel. You... know about dimensional travel?Nikolas turned to Shizuka.  Is he always like this? Always! Very well, Jordan. I will give you the opportunity to ask me three questions, after which, we need to inform the captain of your arrival.Shizuka put on an old crone's voice. Pick wisely Jordan- the fate of the world depends on them. Sorry, but this is an LP, I can ask ALL the questions, Nikolas. We'll just go down the list from the top. How do you know about the pocket watch? Your parents have been working on their multiverse theory as well as how to traverse those dimensions since before I was born. And you know them? I have known them since the day I was born, and last saw them mere hours ago before they also left this universe using their watch. I just missed them? Yes, but perhaps it requires a swap. Two people leave, two people arrive? Is that what my parents said? No, merely a thought experiment on my behalf.Well, we ended up getting the answer to the bottom choice as well, so no need to ask it now. Might as well ask the middle one, though. Is changing dimensions... dangerous? The body is exposed to low levels of radiation when using the watch. Really? Is it dangerous? I do not know about the finer mechanics of the watch- I have simply observed what it does to the human body. So, my parents have done this before? Many times, but only when the conditions were met. This time, we're gonna start from the bottom. Is... Beatrix alive? Of course.Nikolas seemed intrigued by my question. Wait, why do you ask? Is Beatrix not alive in your dimension?I shook my head solemnly. How did she die? She poisoned herself. Why on Earth would she do something like that? Our AI system became corrupted and tried to kill you, so she died in order to save you... Beatrix...Middle question. Is Kimiko still the captain? Yes. Captain Kimiko Yukimori replaced her late mother as Captain last year after she suffered a sudden brain aneurysm. Is her father still alive? Unfortunately not. We could not establish a cause of death, so we believe that he died of a broken heart shortly after his wife's death. Oh...And lastly, the top question. How many people are on this ship? Including yourself and Shizuka here, nine. Could you please tell me their names? That should count as your third question, but I'll let it slide this time. Beatrix, Katashi, Yoshiki, Kimiko, Vladimir, Melody, and myself- Nikolas. What Deletion Game are we in? Like, Make Ten, or? What is the Deletion Game? It's the game that Dai forces us to play in order to decide who to execute. Who is Dai? Wait... there's no Dai here?Nikolas shook his head and I felt an immense invisible pressure on my chest lifting. Very well, your questions are answered. Please accompany me to the Bridge so that I may introduce you to the captain.Shizuka and I both nodded in unison, and we tailed close behind Nikolas as he headed out. … [BGM: With Fear: Hope]  We found the captain and Beatrix deep in conversation.  They had better be useful, or else I th- *ahem*The captain and Beatrix turned to face us, far too calmly for them to not have been forwarned of our arrival. Welcome aboard this ship, Shizuka and Jordan. Thanks, Captain! It's great to be here! Beatrix, it's so good to see you! Yes, everyone always feels that way. However, I'm not familiar with you yet, so please keep your eyes and your hands to yourself.This was most certainly the same Beatrix.   May I ask for your last names? Mine is Hi- Pardon the interruption, Captain, but I have been able to successfully read their personnel chips, which bear the Everett's signature. And? Shizuka is registered as the second daughter of the Himuras, and Jordan is the son of Patrick and Deborah. The Himuras only had one child... and the researchers had none. I wasn't born in this dimension? Apparently not! Sucks to be you, Jordan! Hey, neither were you! Shizuka's face slowly dawned to the realization that she indeed was also never born in this world. Hahaha, guess I wasn't! Very well. May I ask what both of your skillsets are? I was originally trained in linguistics, including programming languages. I have, however, recently learned navigation. As a child of the Himuras, linguistics was expected, but navigation? How did you come to learn that? Oh, the navigation team was murdered by our AI system!I thought Shizuka's response was a bit blunt, but it certainly spelled out our issue in no uncertain terms. Both the captain and Beatrix winced at Shizuka's sledgehammer subtlety. Very... well... And you, Jordan? I'm a researcher, specializing in physics and quantum theory. And that is how you ended up here?I nodded at Shizuka. With a little help from this one, yeah. Both skill sets are very welcome aboard this ship. You will be assigned private quarters. Just one is fine. I was not aware you were a couple. My apologies. I- Ai, prepare a family quarters for our new guests. Yes, Captain.Ai turned her attention to us.  If you would follow me, I shall show you to your Quart- Captain! I need to return to my own dimension, and fix the problems there, before anything else! Do you have a pocket watch? Well... no. Until you do, you had best make yourselves comfortable.The captain signalled for Shizuka and I to follow Ai to our room. I reluctantly obeyed. … [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  The room was littered with gadgets and toys, and Shizuka didn't hesitate before she began examining everything with a flurry of energy. I hope you find the living arrangements acceptable. This is perfect, Ai, thank you! Well... almost perfect. Do you have video game consoles? Of course. What we do have is set up in the Recreation Room. Please use them at your leisure. AHHHH!Shizuka left a burning trail as she motored out the door to, presumably, the Rec Room. Ai faced me, being the only one left. The Captain has requested your attendance at dinner in the Eco Lounge, 6pm sharp. We will be there. Very well. If you would excuse me, I must see to the running of this vessel. My head was still spinning, utterly overwhelmed by everything, when an excited Shizuka exploded back into the room. THEY HAVE UNICORN'S REVENGE! Don't you have that at home? Well, yes... but my version is broken, and the code is all pieced together by me. They have an original copy... AN ORIGINAL COPY!She shoved the game cartridge right under my nose. Is it rare, then?Shizuka looked appalled and insulted as she withdrew the cartridge as if I were not worthy of being in its presence. She stood there staring daggers at me. Sorry? One day you'll appreciate it. Until then, I'm gonna go play the heck out of it!Shizuka once again disappeared. I decided to investigate the Lab in hopes of finding another pocket watch. …  I quickly located the box my parents kept their work in. Upon opening it, I found a note. I read it aloud, almost reverently. 'If you are reading this, we are travelling and don't know when we will return. If you have a great need to travel using the pocket watch, you will find it somewhere in my favorite room on this ship. Sorry in advance for the riddles, but I need to make sure the watch doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Patrick.' Wow, thanks, Dad. Like that helps.I took a seat and tried to recall all the conversations I'd ever had with my father about the Everett, and in particular any regarding a favorite room. He had barely ever spoken of the Everett to my memory- seemed like I was out of luck. Shizuka suddenly charged into the Lab. Jordan, it's time for dinner! We need to go to the Eco Lounge!She was right- it was just before 6 p.m. I packed the box away where I had found it and we both headed to the Eco Lounge. … As the door slid open, we were suddenly hit by a wall of noise.  Everyone: SURPRISE! Huh? What's all this? I understand that being a newcomer can be a daunting prospect, so we decided to throw you a welcoming party to make you feel more at ease.I couldn't believe my eyes. This was such a blissfully positive contrast to the dire situation I had woken up int his morning. Tears formed in the corners of my eyes. Jordan, we're home!She was right. I never found the pocket watch or my parents. We lived out the rest of our long lives in this new world, free of the threats and challenges we had fought for so long.  NEUTRAL END – SHIZUKA (M SIDE)
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Jun 22, 2022 02:49
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...well okay at the very least Shizuka's impulsiveness didn't result in anything too catastrophic.
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Jun 22, 2022 03:14
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It's a better ending than Inexplicable Severed Head Beach Volleyball, at least!
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Jun 22, 2022 03:21
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Aw. It would have been kind of cool to have the story keep going through other dimensions— and back.
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Jun 22, 2022 03:50
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Yet another instance where we only have 9 people on the ship. Sora, Vladimir's wife, isn't in this timeline at the moment. Melody is, so I assume she passed due to Unspecified Anime Disease earlier. Jordan's parents also never returned. I wonder if they knew it would trigger Dai's deletion game?
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Jun 22, 2022 04:04
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Hmmm. Could that note from Jordan's dad be relevant in our normal timeline? Maybe there's a second watch hidden in the 'favorite room'?
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Jun 22, 2022 04:06
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OneWingedDevil posted:Yet another instance where we only have 9 people on the ship. Sora, Vladimir's wife, isn't in this timeline at the moment. Melody is, so I assume she passed due to Unspecified Anime Disease earlier. Jordan's parents also never returned. I wonder if they knew it would trigger Dai's deletion game? Maybe the 10th person is the mastermind.
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Jun 22, 2022 05:42
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Another interesting point raised is that Jordan has only travalled to dimensions where they didn't exist, at least for now. And here we have a case where he and Shizuka end up in a dimension where neother of them were born. Maybe that's a condition?
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Jun 22, 2022 07:28
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GiantRockFromSpace posted:Another interesting point raised is that Jordan has only travalled to dimensions where they didn't exist, at least for now. And here we have a case where he and Shizuka end up in a dimension where neother of them were born. Maybe that's a condition? Not always - the first time we tried using the watch, Jordan got taken to a timeline where Dai had deoxygenated the ship, and Melody recognised them.
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Jun 22, 2022 10:48
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Tenebrais posted:Not always - the first time we tried using the watch, Jordan got taken to a timeline where Dai had deoxygenated the ship, and Melody recognised them. Okay, clarification: dimensions where they don't exist, whether they never were born or they died. Until we get to the obligatory "meet your alternate self" event, that is
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Jun 22, 2022 11:09
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Is this an invisible "lock" where we need to know Jordan's parents' favorite room to get anything out of this, or is this just another case of the game reminding us that it has some central mysteries and just refusing to advance them in any way?
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Jun 22, 2022 14:17
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Quackles posted:Aw. It would have been kind of cool to have the story keep going through other dimensions— and back. This is where I was hoping it was going, but I guess not. That first part with Nikolas was starting to get somewhere, but I guess nobody else is going to question what happened in the alternate universe. Maybe it's for the best, it's not like you could be a hero and fix every alternate reality anyways. Still, no knowledge about the overarching mystery was gained, only unicorns, cupcakes, and a girlfriend.
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Jun 22, 2022 16:02
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There was that 59 41 thing at least
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Jun 22, 2022 16:07
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I forgot to post this yesterday  Here's the flowchart for M!Jordan since we're gonna be hopping back over to the other side next update: I will not be taking any questions at this time. 
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Jun 23, 2022 05:24
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"[NO ENTRY]" ?? 
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Jun 23, 2022 05:31
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Mix. posted:I will not be taking any questions at this time.
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Jun 23, 2022 05:38
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Quackles posted:"[NO ENTRY]" ?? !
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Jun 23, 2022 05:46
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Well, plot locks that require information from other routes were bound to happen at some point.
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Jun 23, 2022 06:00
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