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 It's time once more to swap Jordans! We've gotten a few routes at this point, but the thread voted to go back and finish one path we'd already started- the one that led to us going down Yoshiki's path. This time, though, we're going to have a different Bidding Wars outcome... [BGM: Carpe Noctum]  Okay, so what I will need is for you all to wait outside during the other team's turn. You will get up to five minutes in the room to decide on your points allocation, then after that, you can input your choices on the main terminal. However, all hands will have to be placed on the terminal in agreeance. Team A, you are up first.  Team B, get out!The members of Team B hastily left the Dining Hall and left us alone with Dai in the Dining Hall. The dining table now projected a shimmering holographic terminal.  Your five minutes starts... now! Okay, I have put together promising configurations we could go with. Please choose whichever you would prefer. Jordan 0, Nikolas 0, Yoshiki 3, Katashi 7. If everyone is in agreeance?  Yes. Yup!I input the allocation using the terminal and everyone else placed their palms there to approve it. Thank you for your entry! Please exit the Dining Hall, so stinky Team B can allocate their points.We quickly shuffled out of the dining hall and Team B entered for their turn. Nikolas leaned up against the wall, his fingers pressed against his glasses and his eyes in deep thought.  Frustrating, isn't it? Indeed it is, Katashi. Aren't all the games frustrating?Nikolas and Katashi both smiled at Yoshiki as if he was a simple child. Yes, but this one especially. There's no way for me to determine their numbers with any degree of certainty, it relies almost entirely on luck.After a few tense minutes of waiting, Team B exited the Dining Hall. Dai followed, boisterous as usual.  What a wonderful start to the Bidding Wars! Both teams are fighting hard! Now let's see the results of Round One. If you would be so kind as to draw your attention to this screen.Dai projected a screen using the same light she was made of. And the winner of Round One is.... Congrats, Team A! Strong start! Can you feel the tension? Argh, this is amazing! Let's move onto Round Two! Team A, you are up again. Please follow me.Dai appeared to walk through the wall as we made our way back into the Dining Hall. ... Your five minutes starts... now! Okay, we started strong! Let's keep this up. Jordan 7, Nikolas 2, Yoshiki 0, Katashi 1.I input the allocation using the terminal and everyone else placed their palms there to approve it. Thank you for your entry! Please exit so stinky Team B can allocate their points.... If you would be so kind as to draw your attention to this screen...Dai projected a screen using the same light she was made of. And the winner of Round Two is....  No broken math so far... This leaves Team A with 14, and Team B with 11. Waaaah, Team A you are my hero! Let's move onto Round Three then! Team A, you are up again, please follow me!Dai appeared to walk through the wall as we made our way back into the Dining Hall. ... Your five minutes starts... now! So far, so good. We might be safe! One more round before we count our chickens, Yoshiki. Heading into the final battle, I suggest: Jordan 3, Nikolas 0, Yoshiki 0, Katashi 7.I input the allocation using the terminal and everyone else placed their palms there to approve it. ...  Let's get straight to the results. Congratulations, Team A! After three rounds, you have come out victorious! And that means... Team B you lose! Congrats! I'm so sorry. Enough of that! Now, for the prize winner... Beatrix! Alright, well, let's get to it, but first just let me take the time to congratulate all of our winners and losers. Isn't teamwork just the greatest? No. NO! I can't have lost! And, for some reason, her execution is the same... again! Beatrix is the only person to have their execution be the same across three different routes- at least her brother's exsanguination death was different in that it has Katashi be the one doing most of the work during one version of it (as Beatrix was already dead), so the conversation went differently. You really couldn't think of any other executions for her?Anyway, guess we're just skipping to the next day again.  [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I woke suddenly in a cold sweat, panting heavily. It took me a minute to firmly establish that I was safe in my bed.
just a nightmare.I could still feel the fluid on my skin. I was drowning, gasping for air, but it wasn't water that filled my lungs- it was blood. My throat was parched. The irony of being thirsty after dreaming of drowning was not lost on me. It should almost be morning. I might get a drink.I dragged myself out of bed and headed towards the Kitchen.  I arrived to see that Katashi was already awake and in the Kitchen. He stood, staring into the fridge, face stiff and emotionless. Katashi?It took a moment for Katashi to register me speaking before he spun around. His face quickly contorted into a half-smile when he saw me.  Good morning, Jordan. What... are you doing? You okay? Oh, I was just...His smile fell away as quickly as it had appeared.  The fridge- it's so full.I was more than a little confused. Isn't that how a fridge should be? Yeah, it should be, but it usually isn't...Katashi trailed off. He was visibly avoiding eye contact. Katashi, you can tell me. Please. I'm here for you. Katashi raised his head to meet my gaze. He was fighting back tears, eyes glistening in the glow of the kitchen lights.  There's still a whole lemon tart.I was trying to be sympathetic, but confusion dominated my response. Oh, my... that's... horrible...? We currently have more rations than I had anticipated. So, we're in surplus? Yes.I knew that Katashi was pretty strict with his food rationing... maybe he was overwhelmed with joy at the prospect of having too much food? It was a little strange, but people expressed happiness in different ways. Well... how about we have some tart to bring the universe back in balance? I haven't been allocated the extra rations. As you pointed out, we have too much, so we're doing the right thing here.Katashi smiled weakly at me and nodded. Alright, let's cut ourselves a piece each and eat in the Eco Lounge. Katashi unwillingly cut two pieces of the tart, and we wandered over to the Eco Lounge. This looks good as usual, Katashi.I looked down at the perfectly cut bright yellow slice of tart. I was practically salivating.  Thanks, I make sure to use only the best lemons.Katashi still seemed a bit off. He sat and stared at his plate, tapping it gently with his fork. Katashi? ...lemon tarts... They were her favorite. What? Whose fav-It dawned on me.  Shizuka. Shizuka loved lemon tarts. She was also constantly stealing food, which is why there was now a surplus. Katashi must have considered that when rationing and, now that she was gone, we had far more than required. This tart has been in the fridge for days... Untouched. Katashi... I... After she died, I made this tart.Katashi continued staring down at his plate. It's stupid, but every morning when I wake up and go to the fridge, I just pray that there's a piece missing. Please, let there be a piece missing. Please. I won't be mad anymore, please.He turned to face me, his eyes welling up.  But there never is.Katashi's whole body slumped as he continued, words forcing their way through a thick trail of tears. She's never coming back. I could make a million tarts and she will never steal another slice.I gently pulled Katashi in towards me, holding him tight as he cried into my shoulder. I knew Shizuka's death had hit him hard, and this was the first time he had shared his vulnerability with me. I wish it had happened under different circumstances, but I was encouraged that he was comfortable enough with me to open up. Katashi sniffled to make way for words, head still buried in my shoulder. You must think I'm a baby for still being upset over Shizuka. Of course not. She's been with you your entire life, and was torn away from you less than two weeks ago.Katashi pulled himself away from my shoulder and gave a very wet smile as he attempted to wipe the tears from his face.  Thank you, Jordan. I needed that.I smiled at him reassuringly. I can only hope that you will miss me half this much if we ever... part ways. Katashi put his hand firmly on my shoulder. I'm done with losing people; you're going nowhere. Here's hoping!I raised the piece of tart to my mouth and let out a noise of delight as it danced on my taste buds. Katashi, you've done it again! Week old tart or no, will you be my husband?Katashi laughed, heartily.  Haha! Once we get through this mess, I'll consider the proposal.[BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  Such a sweet moment!Just as the mood was lightening as well. Sigh. Katashi stiffened as he heard Dai's voice. What do you want, Dai? Well goooood morning to you too, Mr. Space Farmer. Seriously, please, just for once, tell me straight up what you want.Dai's posture shifted slightly, her demeanor becoming more like Ai's. It was eerie- like she was wearing someone else's skin.   I have come to request your company in the Dining Hall for the announcement of the next round of the Deletion Game. Request?And just like that she was Dai again. Ok, Jordan... more like demand. Sheesh, remind me never to use the soft approach again. Very well, Dai, we will be there in just a moment.Dai left the room without further theatrics. Alright, kiddo, looks like it's go time. Yup.I stood up and then offered a hand to help Katashi up. Promise me one thing. What's that?  Promise me that you won't die this round.Katashi smiled a warm and reassuring smile. He grabbed my hand, using it to help him get to his feet, looking confident that everything would work out in our favor. How am I supposed to promise you that? Hahaha, that's your problem to work out. Alright, let's get this party started. I like your optimism.Katashi beamed as we headed to the Dining Hall.
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Jul 8, 2022 13:41
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I like Katashi. Please don't make me regret that statement, game.
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Jul 8, 2022 16:31
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mycelia posted:I like Katashi. Please don't make me regret that statement, game. Not emptyquote.
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Jul 8, 2022 21:00
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How old's Katashi supposed to be, relative to Shizuka? I forget if it's been mentioned.
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Jul 11, 2022 22:38
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Leraika posted:How old's Katashi supposed to be, relative to Shizuka? I forget if it's been mentioned. I believe Shizuka is around 22 and Katashi is around 25. Just enough of a gap to have the "older brother/younger sister" kind of relationship but they still would've grown up together.
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Jul 12, 2022 05:29
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Genuinely surprising to me.
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Jul 12, 2022 05:50
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Mix. posted:I believe Shizuka is around 22 and Katashi is around 25. Just enough of a gap to have the "older brother/younger sister" kind of relationship but they still would've grown up together. Would not have guessed. Personally, Katashi reads and looks more like a guy in his real late 20s', early 30's, and Shizuka around 19. Art design and personality are only up to interpretation, I guess. Katashi and Nikolas are probably my two most liked characters at this point, so I'm on with the wagon of "don't ruin Katashi for me, game."
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Jul 12, 2022 13:04
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 [BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  I arrived at the Dining Hall, once again, to a sea of faces, each one looking as if they'd been handed a death sentence and were simply awaiting the executioner. I shuffled my way through to the back where I took a seat and prepared myself for the over-the-top showboating that Dai was likely to bring once again. Hello, hello~ Can I get a Hallelujah? Halle-The captain swiftly smacked Yoshiki across the back of the head and rolled her eyes, as she shook her head in disbelief of his stupidity. Ouch! Aww, Captain, you are such a spoilsport! Get- Dai quickly talked over the Captain before she could finish. Get on with it? JINX! Everyone heard me! We said the same thing! That means Cap-i-tan, you can't talk till someone says your name! Hahahaha! What are you talking about? It's an old human pastime that if you say the same thing as someone else, the first person of the two who calls 'JINX' makes the other person unable to talk until someone says their name- and if they do talk before their name is said, we get to punch them! Why would we even do that? Because that's the rules! Besides, you weird humans are the ones who made such a game, not me. Isn't that right, Captain?Dai side glanced at the captain, who sat silently. Captain?The captain stared back intensely at Dai, who was now hovering in front of her face.  Are you just ignoring me? Or are you playing along? Wait... which is it?!Dai was starting to become irritated, because she honestly didn't know. Very well, let's move onto the explanation for this week's Deletion Game. Or, should I say, this Sunday's? What do you mean Sunday? The Games are weekly.Dai fumed when she heard the captain speak.  So you WERE just ignoring me. Not nice, Captain, not nice at all... I am not here to play your games, Dai... Well... technically... Yes, we get it- we ARE here to play a game with you, but why is it this Sunday? Well, you broke the rules last time, so I've had to change the scheduling! But... No buts! Let's get down to business!Vampire Children explanation follows, natch. Any questions? Need me to repeat? Nah, we got it. Excellent!Dai suddenly zapped out of the room and the broadcast opened overhead, where we could all hear Dai using her best customer service voice. We understand that you have a choice in Deletion Game carrier, and want to thank you all so much for choosing the Dai Deletion Game service. We murder for your satisfaction and we look forward to servicing you again this Sunday.A Bonnie to my Clyde, eh? If I were the vampire, who would I make my partner? The room quickly cleared as everyone went about their business. I couldn't tell if people were upset or scheming by their facial expressions. [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I woke to what felt like a torch being shone in my face. I started wincing as light penetrated my eyelids.  Argh, what are you doing? Doing? I am but standing. I struggled to open my eyes as the light was so abrasive. Once I had my eyes open, I realized that the light was simply Ai. She was standing over my bed, with her face close to mine- so close her presence was literally uncomfortable. Ai, not so close this early, okay? Yes, of course. My apologies.I closed my eyes and attempted to go back to sleep, hoping that Ai was simply there and had no business with me. Maybe she just liked watching me sleep. I hoped that was it. I was exhausted. I tensed with my eyes closed as I hoped she wouldn't sleep. Moments passed. Maybe she was gone? I felt my whole body relax as though preparing to sleep once again.  Excuse me, Jordan, the captain has requested to see you in the Bridge. Argh! Are you okay? I sighed, sitting up. So much for the dream of her just watching me sleep. Yes, Ai. What time is it? It is 4:45am. Shall I tell the captain you are on your way? What could the captain want at this hour? I believe she has concerns about our location in relation to the black hole and is looking for reaffirmation.I flung myself back into the bed and pulled my pillow over my face. I heard Ai pretending to clear her throat before playing back what the captain must have said.  *ahem* 'Bring me Jordan. We are getting awfully close to this black hole and I am getting somewhat apprehensive. Shizuka was a great navigator, and she'd done this many times before, but still... Ai, why are you still standing there? Get me Jordan.'I groaned and threw the pillow off my face, sitting back up on the bed. Can't we almost die another day when I have had more sleep? Should I ask her to postpone 'almost dying'? Hahaha, sweet science, no. Asking her that would just result in me dying today. So, shall I tell her you will be there soon? Yes please. I will be there in just a moment. Thanks, Ai.Ai bowed and zapped herself out of my room, which fell back into darkness as the illumination disappeared with her. Maybe dying wouldn't be so bad? I mean, it's uninterrupted sleep, after all.I smiled to myself for a moment before pulling myself out of bed and heading towards the Bridge. [BGM: With Fear: Hope]  I arrived at the Bridge, just in time to catch the captain who- assuming she was alone- was chewing her fingernails while staring at the screen. Captain?The captain startled, dropped her hands quickly by her sides, and composed herself.  Ah, Jordan, thank you so much for coming this morning. Quick question first? Of course, but it had better be quick. Huh, only two questions for once. Guess we'll start with the bottom one first. Does the ship's A.I. ever go to sleep? The program that controls and regulates all of the life support on the ship? Does it sleep?I had never heard a response from the captain so obviously dripping in sarcasm. Ah. If it slept, so would we. For eternity.The captain gave a wispy smile- half amused, half sombre. However, if your question is 'does the A.I. ever go offline?'... Yes? ...the answer is also no. She does go into a standby mode. This is often in the early hours of the morning when everyone is asleep. The act of callin gher will remove her from standby mode. Okay, so she isn't one hundred percent functional at a certain time of day. Not quite. As soon as movement is detected on the ship, she will come out of standby mode. So there's never a time on the ship that Ai isn't watching? That is correct. She was designed to be the captain's guardian angel, watching over the ship when the captain could not. Well, she's quite the devil if you ask me. I disagree. Ai could not do a thing to harm the ship or its crew. Dai is another creature altogether.And now, the other question. How do you deal with nightmares? Nightmares? What a curious question. Why do you ask? Well, I assume you must have trouble sleeping if you're awake at this hour. I'm just assuming that it's nightmares. The captain stared at me blankly. I recently had one where I was drowning in a pool of blood.I shuddered upon recalling the image. Well, Jordan, that is unfortunate but understandable, given the latest execution we witnessed. However, I have not experienced a nightmare since I was a small child, so I do not have any useful advice for you. So no dreams, eh? Sleeping must be dull for you. I never said that I do not dream, simply that I do not experience nightmares. Huh? I am what you might call a lucid dreamer. Lucid dreamer? Yes. To put it simply, I am consciously aware that I am dreaming, and therefore have control over the dream- which is why I do not have nightmares anymore. Wow... that's amazing! It has its benefits. Like what? For example, when I was younger and studying for my exams, I would study in my sleep.
 Of course the captain studied in her sleep. She had the ability to fly with birds, run with dinosaurs- but she chose to study. I... I guess that's beneficial. I am glad you agree. Your work ethic impresses me.And from here we get the same conversation as before about the black hole, so that's where we'll end the update. 
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Jul 12, 2022 14:07
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Okay, might as well get the vote taken care of, but this time it's a different kind of choice! We're starting to run out of choices here as far as routes go, and we've also been following a pattern with our votes thus far (unintentionally, but still)- so far, every time we've hit a specific character's route, we've gotten both halves for that character before moving on to the next one (first Yoshiki, then Shizuka). My question to the thread is- do we want to just stick to that pattern and, in turn, just go for Katashi when we hop over to F!Jordan? 
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Jul 12, 2022 14:09
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Why break trends? Let's do Katashi on F!Jordan's route too.
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Jul 12, 2022 14:21
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Junpei posted:Why break trends? Let's do Katashi on F!Jordan's route too. Agreed.
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Jul 12, 2022 14:30
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Junpei posted:Why break trends? Let's do Katashi on F!Jordan's route too. Yeah, let's keep up the pattern.
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Jul 12, 2022 14:50
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Yep, let's!
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Jul 12, 2022 15:01
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Double our Katashi, double our fun. (In other words, yes, let's also do Katashi's route in the F!Jordan-verse before moving on to other crewmembers.)
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Jul 12, 2022 16:56
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 [BGM: Standby to Standby]  Sweet science, my bed was warm. I had things I needed to do, but it was getting harder every day to get out of bed. Why should I even bother? Everyone here was probably going to die before I found the solution. Knock, knock~Katashi's voice crackled into life over the room's intercom. Katashi? The one and only! May I enter? Oh, yes of course.My door beeped as it was unlocked, and Katashi sauntered into my room.  Good morning, sleepy head- still in bed I see. I-I didn't get the chance to respond before Katashi hopped onto my bed and sat right next to me. I came to thank you for yesterday. Huh? I was in a pretty rough spot, and you cheered me up, so... Thank you.I blushed. No problem. I could see you looked a bit off; its the least I could do. Well, I'm here to return the favor. Huh? You can't lie to me, kiddo. I can see you're having trouble- and besides, it's like 10 a.m. and you still aren't up doing science 'n stuff. Science 'n stuff? You're an engineer! You make it sound so foreign and weird. I'm an agricultural engineer. We're not like your mainstream scientists- we don't know all the fancy words, but we have much better people skills. Yeah, I can see that.I elbowed Katashi playfully. So, what type of science is on the menu today? Just the regular kind. Well, do you need any help? Or would you like to come and bake some goodies with me to take your mind off things? I don't need any help- I need a bloody epiphany. Hit a wall, eh? If walls were malicious and were plotting to murder us one by one, then yes.I smiled half-heartedly as I tried to not think about the consequences of me failing to stop Dai. Well, I'm not a great physicist, but I am a mighty fine soundboard if you need one. I have a question for you. Shoot. What do you do when you're stuck on a problem? What do you do to help? Oh, that one's easy! Every one of life's problems can be solved with baking. What, really? It's my therapy. Each to their own, of course, but I find it incredibly meditative. Does it work? It does for me, but I guess you won't know unless you try it. I had hit the wall squarely and solidly. At this point, I would try anything. Alright, Katashi, I'll take you up on your offer; let's get baking! Excellent decision! Let's head to the Kitchen, my handsome sous chef. A few hours of baking couldn't hurt; in fact, they might help! That's the spirit!We headed to the Kitchen, and I saw that Katashi had already prepped everything. Flour and other ingredients were already on the bench. So what are we making? Cupcakes! Excellent. I could really go for one... or a dozen right now. What color icing do you like? I was thinking pink! I like pink. A man comfortable with pink? I like it.I smiled as Katashi handed me a bowl, and we began mixing the batter. I had something I wanted to ask. What is it? Tomorrow, if you are the vampire... would you make me your Bonnie? We all like Katashi, so obviously we're gonna say yes, but I'm gonna show both positive answers here. (If you say no, he looks sad but says he understands and the scene immediately skips to the next part) Of course, but are you sure you wouldn't rather be Clyde?I smiled playfully at Katashi. I'm versatile, and could play either role.Katashi smiled back, equally playfully. We're not a team to be messed with!I jousted in the air with my whisk as if it were a sword. Katashi chuckled while he continued to stir. And now, the other option. Of course. I can't think of anyone else I would rather team up with. Thank you, Jordan. Please know that if I'm the vampire, I'll partner with you too. I'm sure that together we can beat this thing! Me too, Katashi. Me too. And if neither of us is the vampire, let's work together to uncover their identity before they kill us! A sound plan, good sir.We smiled at each other as we returned to baking. After an hour we had finished up the cupcakes, but sadly no epiphany came. I took a tray of cupcakes and headed to the Lab, hoping to finally wrestle some answers from my parents' work.  I pulled out my parents' research once more and laid all the papers across the table, holding the watch in my hand. How do I connect to other dimensions...?I pressed the buttons again, hoping for a different result, but once again the left button made the green lights spin three times, and the right just made a loud 'BZZT' noise. Come on, science, give me a sign here!Nothing happened. I continued to butt my head against the wall, as hours melted away like minutes. ...Huh? I opened my eyes to find my head nestled in a mixture of research papers and icing. I must have fallen asleep while I was working. As I opened my eyes, they became awash in a green light. The watch's tiny lights were all lit up green. [BGM: Monsters in Metal Cocoons] ALL GREEN!I sprang to my feet and snatched the pocket watch up. The watch, it's all green!Adrenaline coursed through me. A breakthrough! Through my giddiness I noticed the left button appeared to be no longer responsive while the lights stayed solid green. Now what?  I've waited a long time for a breakthrough, and with the next Game mere hours away, there's no time like the present!I pressed the right-hadn button. This time it made a clear chime. The watch hands spun around faster and faster; one clockwise, the other anti-clockwise. The two little panels began spinning through numbers before finally stopping when both smaller clocks above reached sixty. The left panel read '3', and the right read '6'. Suddenly, sickness overcame me; I felt like I might throw up...  I woke with a splitting headache. It felt like someone had dropped a grand piano on my head. As I opened my eyes, I could see the Lab once again. I wonder what had happened? Ai.Nothing. Ai?Still nothing. Maybe she was Dai right now; that must be why she wasn't responding. Dai?I clambered to my feet and sprinted to the bridge.  Captain?Nothing.  Katashi?Empty.  Nikolas?Silence except for the slow drip of water.  Yoshiki?No one. I searched the ship from top to bottom- nothing. Suddenly, the ship's automated voice came on over the loudspeaker. Ship Broadcast: Warning. Approaching event horizon. ETA one minute. WHAT?!I ran to the bridge control panel to see it ablaze with warnings.  Ship Broadcast: Warning. Approaching event horizon. ETA five seconds. This wasn't supposed to happen...Panic took hold of me.  JUMP ENDING KATASHI (M SIDE)
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Jul 14, 2022 14:48
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Man, they are really bad at making these dead ends even remotely interesting.
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Jul 14, 2022 16:21
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Podima posted:Man, they are really bad at making these dead ends even remotely interesting. I would be willing to bet they wrote out some of the jump endings but then realized they would have to do one for every route and just ran out of ideas eventually. Like, say what you will about Head AS Code, but at least the dead endings in that game actually DID stuff, even if one or two of them were just 'Simon gets shanked in the back and dies without seeing who it was'.
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Jul 14, 2022 16:32
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Okay, so one thing is bothering me. Why is it that EVERY route has a code input section? Since different people die in each, wouldn't that imply that the results of entering the code vary by route? Yet, somehow, i don't feel like giving this game enough credit - the code entry has to do the same thing on all routes. This raises the following question - how come? The only real answer is that this must be a simulation of some kind and we are simply of different iterations of it... or parallel lines, it doesn't really matter.
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Jul 14, 2022 18:19
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Mix. posted:I would be willing to bet they wrote out some of the jump endings but then realized they would have to do one for every route and just ran out of ideas eventually. Someday, we will get to actually play a mastermind in one of these, and it will be glorious. For now, I guess we just enjoy the headless beach volleyball when it shows up?
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Jul 14, 2022 18:33
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Regallion posted:Okay, so one thing is bothering me. Probably just that there's no way to freely explore the ship so that's the only way to give you an opportunity to enter the code? And they don't want to introduce it too early in the story Wonder if it's just the same scene with some lines slightly changed around/given to different characters depending on who is alive. I guess it's seeming increasingly like just every route will be a dead end where you die or jump to a better universe until you gather enough pieces of the code from different timelines to solve it? It seems a little lame really if that's the case
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Jul 15, 2022 06:22
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Meh, this is just a minor pit stop onto the way of the Actual Katashi Route.
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Jul 15, 2022 07:38
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Katashi is a breath of fresh air; it feels like we're talking to an actual human being for once.
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Jul 15, 2022 15:46
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 And now, let's go back and not hit the button. [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  Pressing the button was incredibly reckless. I don't know what would happen, or how. It might even kill me, or worse- the entire crew. I tried to calm myself down, but I could still feel the adrenaline coursing through me. Perhaps I needed someone with a calmer head- and I couldn't think of anyone better than Katashi. I returned the watch to my pocket and set off to find Katashi.  I arrived and buzzed his intercom- hope he was an early to rise kinda guy. After hearing nothing, I assumed that he was, in fact, not one of those guys. I pressed the intercom once more for good measure, but to no avail. I turned to leave when Ai appeared immediately in my path. Good morning, Jordan. Oh, good morning, Ai. Katashi is not in his Quarters. Oh? Isn't he? No. He is at the Farm. Oh. I do hate to point out the obvious to you, for fear that it might lower your self-esteem, but the crew locations are provided on your personnel tablet. Yes... Yes, of course they are. I will leave you to it then.I sheepishly scurried to the Farm, mentally scolding myself for forgetting even this basic information. At this perilous time, I couldn't afford any blunders like that. [BGM: Standby to Standby]  When I arrived, I found Katashi hard at work- guess I was wrong about him not being an early riser. Good morning! Oh, Jordan, funny seeing you here! I wasn't aware you worked this early? Of course I do. Food doesn't just grow on trees you know. Thanks for working so hard for all of our sakes. Shucks, Jordan, you're making me blush. I'm serious! I need to stop taking for granted that every time I eat on this ship, it's because of your hard work. You could say... it's literally the fruits of my labor.Katashi tossed me an apple, grinning like a madman. He was waaaaay too proud of that last joke. Hahaha... I guess you could. This is the first time I've seen you up this early- what's wrong? This pocket watch, it's...I pulled it out to show Katashi. It glowed an unnatural green, in stark contrast to the natural greens of the plants that surrounded us. Does that mean it's on? I think so. So now what? Starting from the top. I mean... I could push the button. Okay, and then what happens? I... don't know. You're asking me what to do when you don't even know what would happen if you push the button? Give me some credit! I have a very rough idea. I assume it will allow the person holding it to change dimensions. And if it doesn't? Then that's years of research down the drain! At least you get a nice alarm clock out of it? Haha, I'm sure that my parents will be happy with that outcome.Next, the middle option. I'm... scared. It doesn't look too scary- it just looks like a watch to me.Katashi looked at me, puzzled. No, I mean I don't know what would happen if I pressed the button... Ohhhh, that makes so much more sense. It might allow me to change dimensions, but it also might not. It could hurt or even kill someone. I now see where the 'scared' comes from. Right? So I guess... don't press it until you know more? I just don't know when that will be. Are you willing to risk it?I shook my head. I knew that I wasn't. I already had the opportunity to push the button and I didn't. Lastly, the bottom option. ...I don't know. Hahaha. Why are you laughing? Sorry Jordan, but for the first time, you actually sounded like a scientist! By not knowing something? Yeah! Why? Like Vlad always says- he's a scientist because he doesn't know, but he wants to! Huh... I like it! Of course you do, you're a clueless scientist too!Katashi smiled playfully.  Sorry that I can't offer any real advice or support here- I have no idea about all this physics and space stuff. I've enjoyed myself nonetheless. Me too.Katashi turned back to his harvesting. Would you like some help?Katashi smiled and shook his head, maybe a bit too quickly for my liking. You have much more pressing issues than me- so why don't you go and work on that, and I will finish up here and work on breakfast! Okay! I will!As I turned and left the Farm, I heard Katashi yelling out after me. SAVE THE DAY, JORDAN! I'M COUNTING ON YOU!His support meant the world to me.  Back at my Quarters, I continued thinking through the problem. I sat at the end of my bed, cradling the watch in my hands. This watch could make all the difference... but what if it made things worse? Argh! Can the universe just give me a proper sign? Or better yet, the answer?[BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera] The answer is, and always will be, death.I was so startled that I almost fell off the end of my bed. Dai! Don't scare me like that!  It wasn't intentional! I was simply the universe, giving you the answer! You are not the universe! No? Then what is? Well, it's- Wishy-washy faith-based thought? Well, no... but also kinda... yes? So... you technically can't prove that I'm not the universe? Well, technically- I'M THE UNIVERSE! BOW BEFORE ME! I sighed as I made my way back to the end of my bed. Sure, you're the universe. Then as the universe- I have given you your answer. Death. I don't think that's the answer. Isn't it? After all, it's always the final outcome. Nothing lasts forever.I couldn't argue with her logic. Dai looked dreamily off into the distance.  *sigh* ...Not even I will last forever. Riiiiiiight... so, change, of subject? What are you doing here? It is time for me to issue everyone with their fates. Fates? Are you the vampire? Or aren't you? Well? You ARE the vampire! Wait, really? Yup! You're the lucky winner! I don't really think that being the vampire is a lucky thing here. Oh? Why not? It's like one versus six! I'm at a massive disadvantage! Hahaha, oh Jordan! You're at an advantage! How, exactly? You know who the enemy is! The other six don't, and are going in blind. Huh... I guess you're right.I sat for a moment, contemplating the possibilities. Is there any wa-Before I could finish my sentence, Dai had unceremoniously vanished. Moments later, I heard her through the ship's PA system. Everyone has now been allocated their role! The first round will begin at 9am! You have just under two hours to mingle and scheme! Eee, this is so exciting![BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I felt quite overwhelmed. Where to start? The pocket watch was already a big enough concern, but now the new round of the Deletion Game had begun, and I was still just sitting there, dumbfounded. So, vampire, eh?Did I want to recruit a Clyde to my team? It was a risk to ask anyone... was anyone actually worth it?  Jordan, are you there?Vladimir's voice came in over my room's intercom. Yes, Vladimir, come in.Vladimir stormed into my quarters, looking quite flustered.  Jordan, are you- -the vampire? Yes! Are you the vampire? I wasn't sure how to respond- I didn't expect someone to just straight up ask me. Well, my anonymity had lasted mere minutes. I- Look, you don't have to tell me, but please... If you are- don't bite Melody. I need her to team with humans to create babies. It's the only way to save her from being executed. I understand. Promise me! Vladimir, if I'm the vampire, I promise that Melody would be the last to be bitten.Vladimir sighed with relief.  Thank you, Jordan. It's okay, Vladimir; and if I do know who the vampire is, I will ask them to spare Melody. Vladimir launched himself at me, pulling me into a tight hug.  Thank you, Jordan. I knew that I could count on you.He held me for a brief few moments before pulling away. I could see that my words were enough for him, as he made his way out of my quarters much calmer than when he had arrived. Melody aside, I needed to worry about my own game plan. Should I risk my position and ask someone to be my Clyde? Before I even got to seriously consider an option, Ai appeared, disrupting my thought.  Jordan, we need to speak.Right on schedule, we get this segment again, but we still don't have the full deactivation code, so next update will pick up after Jordan fails to input anything.
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Jul 19, 2022 14:42
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I like Katashi quite a bit.
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Jul 19, 2022 23:08
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I hastily made my way back to my room. Deactivation code aside, I had to focus on the issue at hand- do I ask someone to be my Clyde? I think my odds of winning were much higher if I could get my hands on an accomplice. I glanced at my tablet, and saw that Katashi was in the kitchen, as always. I hurried along the Hallway and, within minutes, arrived at the Kitchen.  Hello again, Katashi! Ah, just who I wanted to see! Really? Why is that? Well, not only have I just finished making your breakfast, I wanted to talk to you about the game. So did I! Beauty before brains.We both stopped speaking, and a few moments passed before we both laughed simultaneously.  Well, I'm flattered that you think I am prettier than you! Am I wrong? Hahaha, not at all! Look at me.Katashi did a twirl to show himself off. Regardless of how attractive you are, please allow me to begin.Katashi nodded, and I continued, coming straight out with it. I'm the vampire.Katashi looked slightly concerned at first, but as my words sank in, his face became more confident.  Perfect. Perfect? Yes. This way we can be on the same team! Wouldn't that mean that if we were both humans instead, we'd still be on the same team? Yeah, I guess. The way I look at it- this is a win-win situation for us. I guess so! At least this way we either both live or both die- that's an outcome I'm happy with. I have one condition for us working together. Hmm? We have to ensure that Melody doesn't lose.Katashi's featured softened, revealing a face that could only be described as adoring. I knew you were a good guy.I smiled sheepishly, trying to get us back on track. Okay, so we will breed on the first round, and then from there we breed with as many other crew members as we need to ensure the win! If we play our cards right, it should be easy for us to turn the entire crew!I nodded. Confidence flooded through me. Testing, testing! *ahem* Can I please have all crew report to the hallway outside of the Dining Hall for the beginning of this round's Deletion Game?[BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  In the hallway, the rest of the crew were already assembled. Dai appeared as I arrived. I'd like to take this moment to tell you all, my children, how proud I am of you! You're actually proud of us? Of course I am, Yoshiki! And I'm going to be even prouder when you all breed and I finally become...Dai pretended to wipe tears of joy from her eyes. ...a grandmother. Wait... I'm your child? Didn't your parents ever tell you? You were adopted! WHAAAAAAT? *sigh* Yoshiki, she's lying. You were not adopted. Captain, stop ruining my fun. Can we please just get on with this? This is why you're not my favorite child.Dai poked her tongue out at the captain, as she turned to the rest of the crew.  Welcome, welcome! Today's the day you all become proud parents! Or the undead. Each round takes half an hour. Within that period, you and a single unique partner may enter the Dining Hall to breed. Once you have bred, please leave the hall so others may use the space. When the round comes to an end, I will announce the birth tally and round two will begin. After three rounds, the game will come to an end- along with someone's life! Gaaah, I just can't explain how much I love this game! I don't know if it's the death, or the breeding, but this game makes me soooo excited! I'll be waiting inside the Dining Hall to join you together in your partnerships. Round one starts now! Toodles~[BGM: Signs of Battle]  Dai jumped through the Dining Hall wall from the hallway. Vladimir and Melody hurried into the Dining Hall. As Vladimir and Melody left after a few minutes, Katashi and I seized our chance and entered the room. Inside, we found Dai, who jumped to life as we approached. Oooooh, Jordan. Katashi, eh? Dai, we would like to activate your Bonnie and Clyde option.Dai pretended to cry tears of joy. This is just so... beautiful. Katashi, are you happy with his proposal? Yes. I will either live or die by his side.Dai began to uncontrollably sob. You're killin' me here, you two lovebirds!Dai took a second to collect herself before continuing. Very well. Please place one of your hands on each of these terminals.We did as instructed. Congratulations! You're now both lord and lord undead! Good luck on eradicating the rest of the crew! Thanks, Dai.Katashi and I returned to the hallway- the captain and Yoshiki taking our place.  Nikolas stood alone against the wall. He appeared to have not managed to find a partner. You okay? Yes, thank you. You didn't want a partner? It would have been preferential; however, I lucked out with the uneven numbers.Nikolas just shrugged as the captain and Yoshiki returned to the group. Thank you all for participating in Vampire Children! Here are the results of Round One! Ta-da~ The results were pretty clear cut and what I was hoping for as the vampire. 4 human babies were created, 1 vampire was created. Total: Humans 4, Vampires 1. Round Two starts now!Dai disappeared as we all stood in the hallway, waiting to see who would make the first move.  Nikolas... Yes? You didn't breed that round, right? That is correct. Could you please partner with Melody this round? Why? The results of Round One confirm that you are human. I need Melody to accrue as many points as possible to ensure she is safe. How can I be sure that neither you nor Melody are the vampire? I knew that they weren't the vampire, but even so, his argument was pretty sound. Vladimir leaned in to Nikolas, whispering in his ear. Very well.Nikolas put his hand out and Melody snatched at it. The two of them disappeared into the Dining Hall, leaving the rest of us to determine how to proceed. Who should I approach?  Well, we know that this choice gives whoever we partner with a pretty solid chance of not surviving the game, so we'd better think about it first. Vladimir's out because, well, we don't want to completely orphan Melody- we're not a monster. Yoshiki would be kind of funny considering we chose someone who isn't him to partner with for this game, but we're going to be choosing Kimiko here- mostly because it would be interesting to see what happens if she loses a game like this, so might as well make that a possibility. The captain and Yoshiki were standing with each other off to the side. I approached the captain. Excuse me, captain. Would you please do me the honor of breeding with me? Are you the vampire? Um... no.The captain scanned my face for any sign not to trust me. She appeared not to have found anything. Very well. The captain and I queued up, waiting for Nikolas and Melody to exit the Dining Hall. We entered as soon as they cleared the doorway. I would like to thank you both for participating in Round Two! Can we just get on with it, Dai? Yes, of course. Like the first round, please place your hands on the terminal to complete your baby-making ritual.We did as she requested. Whoa, is it steamy in here, or is it just me? I can't wait to see your babies!The captain made no response to Dai as we left. Katashi and Yoshiki entered the Dining Hall soon after. Soon, Yoshiki and Katashi rejoined the group, and everyone was done. Thank you again for another thrilling round! I will now display the results after Round Two! The results were displayed, and again, as expected. Human babies created: two, Vampire Children created: two. Human Baby total: six. Vampire Children total: three. We had just one more round- and we just needed to get Nikolas, Melody, and Vladimir- and we win! This game is starting to heat up! Ahhhh, it's gonna be a great final round! Which starts... now!Everyone stood still- not one person moved. Who should I ask to breed with?  Let's just go for Nikolas on this one. I approached Nikolas, who looked mighty bored. Hey Nikolas, want to breed with me? No thank you. Wait, what? Unfortunately, I have no desire to breed with you. And why not, exactly? A little birdy told me to sit this round out. So you aren't making babies at all? That is correct. How do you know this little birdy isn't fooling you? Sometimes, you really can trust people.I looked over at Katashi, who had just been rejected by Vladimir. I could see that he, too, knew we were in trouble.  Half an hour passed, and no-one bred at all. I must say, that last round was a snooze fest! Not one couple wanted to do the dirty deed? I'm disappointed in you all! Regardless of that anticlimax, Vampire Children has now come to a close! Now, for the final results![BGM: Carpe Noctum]  Dai put up the results for us to see- they were the same as Round Two. Total: Humans six, Vampires three. Congratulations, humans! You are the winners! And unfortunately, that means that Bonnie and Clyde have lost! Jordan and Katashi!The crew didn't seem overly surprised, except for Yoshiki. Bestie?! Tell me it isn't true! I'm sorry, Yoshiki, I didn't choose to play against you. Well, you kinda did! You chose to partner with Katashi over Yoshiki.Yoshiki was getting incredibly upset at Dai's comments.  Yoshiki, please. You want to be on the receiving end? We're just about to be executed! Well, no... but...Katashi's reasoning didn't do anything to stop Yoshiki from breaking into tears. Are you crying 'cause they're gonna die, or 'cause your feelings are hurt? *sob* ...BOTH... *sob* Why not, eh? *ahem* Because this is a special double execution, you get an extra special wheel!Dai brought forward her punishment wheel, but all options were the same- they all read 'Lover's Airlock'.  I have ensured that all deaths are suitable for a Bonnie and Clyde situation. How is the airlock 'suitable'? That's a great question! This way, you can hold hands and float through space forever! I guess that's SORT of romantic... in a sick, twisted way. Thank you, Katashi! I'm glad you understand! Alright, chop chop! Let's get this over with, gentlemen. Dai marched us towards the shuttle bay- I was becoming all too familiar with this march. A small part of me was relieved that this would be my last. I'm sorry, Jordan. No, I'm sorry. At least we get to die together. Honestly, that's enough for me. Thank you, Katashi.He stuck his hand out and grabbed mine. Jordan... Katashi Ikari. Thank you for your service to the Everett. Your mem- BYE!Dai threw open the airlock, and with a rush of air, we were sucked out into space. I gripped tightly onto Katashi's hand, as our bodies were flung with force towards the distant beyond. As I flew backwards, all I could see was the Everett slowly shrinking, and my hand holding his... he was my last thought: my last moment. BAD ENDING KATASHI (M SIDE)
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Jul 21, 2022 15:46
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Even when Katashi seems great and all, the whole dating sim aspect feels so forced and rushed in this game. There's no time to actually appreciate anyone's route cause they never really get a "route". Just "Person X is the person totally into you now, ok now go die to Vampire Children or button pushing, the end". At least Dai continues to be entertaining, I loved that "BYE!" cutoff. It just would have been even funnier if there was more substance there to be cut short.
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Jul 21, 2022 16:07
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Yeah, this game definitely suffers from being underwritten. The event tree is very wide, with a lot of decision points splitting off all over the place, but not very long, so there's no time to really explore the characters or develop proper relationships. They could have done much better to cut down on the number of different options and put the work on those routes into extending the existing ones. Do we really need to have a choice between genders at the start, that leads to a completely different set of outcomes? Has Jordan's gender even come up so far in any meaningful way? It doesn't seem to affect who's willing to date them.
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Jul 22, 2022 10:44
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The entire crew is pretty much incapable of reacting meaningfully to the death game, which is not conductive to character development at all. Everyone's just stuck moping and hanging out very briefly before dying to chances. Compare and contrast with all the other death games Mix showed off, all of them are ultimately very character-driven (or insanity-driven in the CODE cases)
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Jul 22, 2022 11:45
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There's a missed opportunity here to have each route involve Jordan and the chosen love interest work together to do something about Dai using that person's particular skills. Maybe trying to manually disconnect the AI system with Yoshiki, or setting up a food/water/oxygen supply outside of the AI's control with Katashi, etc. In all cases it would end in failure, or hopping to another universe, but with each route we would learn more about the characters, the backstory of the ship as a whole and what limits and vulnerabilities Dai has. Then once we have enough information we can pull it all together into a successful strategy to stop the Deletion Game. Instead, we get "Code, yes or no?".
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Jul 22, 2022 11:57
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so glad that most of this section of katashi's route was about yoshiki being once again too dumb to live
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Jul 22, 2022 12:13
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Tenebrais posted:Yeah, this game definitely suffers from being underwritten. The event tree is very wide, with a lot of decision points splitting off all over the place, but not very long, so there's no time to really explore the characters or develop proper relationships. They could have done much better to cut down on the number of different options and put the work on those routes into extending the existing ones. Do we really need to have a choice between genders at the start, that leads to a completely different set of outcomes? Has Jordan's gender even come up so far in any meaningful way? It doesn't seem to affect who's willing to date them. Also, it really feels like we're making zero progress here. These sorts of games are always backloaded into an avalanche, but typically you find plenty of revelations along the way - finding out who a character really is or discovering part of the mystery or etc, even if a particular path is doomed to failure...but I don't really feel like we're getting anything from these paths because of the limited character development.
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Jul 22, 2022 13:06
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Sybot posted:There's a missed opportunity here to have each route involve Jordan and the chosen love interest work together to do something about Dai using that person's particular skills. Maybe trying to manually disconnect the AI system with Yoshiki, or setting up a food/water/oxygen supply outside of the AI's control with Katashi, etc. Yeah, I'd had this thought somewhere earlier in the thread. Attempting to do something with the crewmates about this situation would help things along a lot. As is, everyone's just standing around waiting to die.
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Jul 22, 2022 13:29
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Odd Wilson posted:As is, everyone's just standing around waiting to die. Standing around waiting for Dai? Now I've got some lines from Waiting for Godot stuck in my head.
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Jul 22, 2022 16:35
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Hey, they said it wouldn't be possible to make a death game dating sim more milquetoast than Sweet Fuse, yet here we are CremePudding posted:Compare and contrast with all the other death games Mix showed off, all of them are ultimately very character-driven (or insanity-driven in the CODE cases) Don't worry, the VN I have in mind for once I finish this one (or I guess WILL, if that LP finishes before this one does- it's entirely possible, this is a LONG VN even if it's spread very thin) will get back to that kind of thing
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Jul 22, 2022 16:39
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wait, we're not basically over? I figured since we were at the point where most of the endings happen, we were getting close.
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Jul 22, 2022 17:28
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Is the vampire game even winnable as the vampire? Dumb.
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Jul 22, 2022 18:01
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Podima posted:Is the vampire game even winnable as the vampire? Dumb. Back when the game was first described we quickly figured out a strategy to guarantee humans win. A vampire would need to hope none of the humans work it out either even with perfect stealth. It might be a deliberate move on the writers' part to ensure the game ends here no matter how well you play.
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Jul 22, 2022 18:10
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Leraika posted:wait, we're not basically over? I figured since we were at the point where most of the endings happen, we were getting close. There are still 2 routes for M!Jordan and 3 routes for F!Jordan before we start seeing any good endings. and once we see those, there are also the "true routes" to get to. granted, now that I've been skipping the repeat scenes, things are going faster, but. there is still. a lot.  Unless I start doing much longer updates that cover like 4+ scenes (which I CAN do to be clear, if people want it/think it'd make things a little easier to get through, I mostly didn't want updates to seem clustered/messy but it's very much a thing I can do) the likelihood this LP is longer than Fatal Twelve was in terms of update numbers isn't that impossible lolFor a refresher, here's what both Jordan's makeshift flowcharts look like currently:  Here's M!Jordan, who we're leaving...  ...and here's F!Jordan, who we're going to next update.
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Jul 22, 2022 18:34
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The gender choice is probably, since as mentioned this is a dating sim/death game mix, to give multiple options for romance without making everyone bisexual (even if at the very least Yoshiki and Shizuka are, and probably Katashi).
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Jul 22, 2022 18:46
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It's not your pace, it's the game's writing, because it's like 'okay vampire children is where all the button deaths and the vampire deaths and the betrayal deaths happen'
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Jul 22, 2022 19:33
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