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Mouse.
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Mar 5, 2023 19:41
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Give it to Rooster. You did well, buddy, but it's time to take a fall.
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Mar 5, 2023 19:45
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Rooster does seem to be kind of getting testy with him doing all the hard jobs, but also Mouse has a proved terrible track record with guns in other routes. Welp Rooster it is
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Mar 5, 2023 20:01
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Mouse Two reasons: with Pig dead, that could easily throw Rooster's story into question, especially if anyone brings up that Pig said she didn't see the figure herself. So between the two of them I think he's more likely to get searched. Also, y'know, we can't trust him to not betray Mouse, especially as he seems to be getting a bit agitated about having to do all the dirty work. He may just decide he doesn't really need her to begin with.
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Mar 6, 2023 16:08
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Marluxia posted:Rooster does seem to be kind of getting testy with him doing all the hard jobs, but also Mouse has a proved terrible track record with guns in other routes.
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Mar 6, 2023 23:58
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Incidentally with this route going on: Raging Loop is another fun visual novel (though much more linear than this one - most choices just lead to bad ends) that has a route where the main character also ends up as the killer in one path.
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Mar 7, 2023 00:00
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 [BGM: Fire Breath]  Instantly, I peeked out the classroom, to see if there was anyone around. I didn't see anyone, but I heard Dog's voice. He was having a one-sided conversation with somebody. And he was getting closer. I leaned back in and quickly filled Rooster in.  Dog's coming, he's coming soon, he has company- we're screwed. I'll try to distract them. Got it!Without another word, I left the room and walked a couple steps forward. When Dog turned the corner, I was standing outside the classroom furthest from the one I was just in. And thank God, because he was walking with Horse. Seriously?! What poo poo luck! One of the few people we couldn't deal with. If it was just Dog, well, we could've shut him up by ourselves. But Horse? If he caught us now, we'd be screwed. Quickly. I needed to stall. [BGM: Silence]  Hey, Dog, Horse, funny seeing you. What are you two doing over here? Good to run into you, Mouse. Hard at work trinket hunting, right? That's the idea, at any rate. Though I haven't had much luck yet. I feel that. Anyways, Horse and I were searching together. ...Actually, Pig was also searching with us, but she went up ahead down this hallway. Did you happen to run into her?You have to be making GBS threads me. Uh, no, haven't seen her around this way. Oh? That's odd. This hallway kinda seems like a dead-end, and there's only three classrooms. Well, I don't know what to say. I've yet to see her.[BGM: A Bite That Persists]  Dog's eyes squinted, and he looked at me, up and down. He was suspecting me, wasn't he? poo poo, poo poo, poo poo. I couldn't do anything suspicious at this juncture. If those two walk into the room with Pig's body, there's no way to weasel out of that. Horse would kill me – no question. Even if I could get away, Horse would report to the group, and then I'd be really screwed. I think I'll look around for her, if you don't mind.I did mind. After you!I gestured to the classroom I stood beside. Anything to keep him out of the deadly classroom for a second more. Following my suggestion, Dog walked into the classroom, and Horse followed shortly after. I didn't know what to do other than stay there. But just staying there in silence felt... dirty. So I talked, and talked. Not about anything useful, just about what I thought about the game, suspicions, Brian, where Trinkets could be found... Anything. Honestly, it probably made me seem more suspicious than less, but its main function was to relieve my own stress. Dog and Horse didn't really engage in the conversation at all. Horse stayed by the door, while Dog searched all over the classroom. ...He looked in places that wouldn't make sense if Pig was alive. Which meant...  He was on to me. After searching the classroom, wordlessly, Dog walked out and into the next classroom. Horse and I followed. Again, he looked around. Nothing to find. After he had searched, he left and walked to the last classroom. The one Pig and Rooster were in. I didn't really want to follow him, but Horse was right behind me. He was... watching me. ...He was on guard for me. It'd be more suspicious not to do so, so I gulped and walked into the room. There...  I didn't see anything. Rooster must've hid. But Dog would sniff them out. He looked around the room, in all sorts of hiding spots, like he had already done. ...And yet, he didn't find anything. Huh? I had to hide my surprise. Dog didn't. At that point, he had become openly suspicious of me, and yet, seemingly, my innocence was proven.  ...so yeah, like I said a couple times, I don't think Pig is here.  … Yeah, well, I must've read the room wrong. Sorry to waste your time like this, Pig must've made a wrong turn or something. Yeah, probably. Well, I guess we'll get back to looking around. You look after yourself, 'kay? Will do. Alright Horse, we're done here. ...Okay. And just like that, the two left. I watched as they walked down the hallway, not looking back. What... had happened? I was confused, to say the least. The only answer I could think of lay in the first classroom, so I walked over to it. And sure enough, I saw Rooster standing there, a grin on his face. [BGM: Dog Days]   Tah dah! Rooster! What did you do? I simply followed through on your plan. My plan? Yeah! You led them into the classrooms in that order, and you kept talking like that. Listening in at first, I was confused. But then I realized what you were signalling me to do! First, I took four of those Hot Wheel cars and put them under four textbooks. Then I put Pig's body on the textbooks. Like that, I could roll her around easy. When the three of you entered the second classroom, I made my move. Since they were afraid you might be a killer, Dog wanted Horse to stay with him at all times. And since they thought you were acting alone, they never thought about covering the hallway. I used the opportunity while they were in the second classroom to move Pig quickly from the third classroom to the first. And since you were talking so much, the sound of the Hot Wheels moving along the floor was covered up! Brilliant thinking, Mouse! Oh, uh, thanks. ...Good on you for picking up on my plan. Hey, I might not be the smartest person around, but I can pick things up when you're putting them down! Anyways, what were we saying before this whole distraction? Tiger, right, yeah. She's an issue. It'd be best to get rid of the big threats like her and Horse as soon as we can. ...The only question is how. Indeed.[BGM: Exotics]  Suddenly, pensive music began to play. Wh-what's that? Oh, I just thought if we were having a brainstorm session, I would set the scene. So I took out my MP3 player and turned on some jams. Why do you have an MP3 player with you? I dunno. I had it on me when I got kidnapped, had it on me when I woke up. Doesn't really have any functionality other than playing music. Who has an MP3 player in this day and age? Mouse, are you here to figure out how to murder an Olympian, or are you here to be a Judgey Jason? Because you can't be here for both. Okay, okay, sorry. Didn't know it was a touchy subject. For the record, I find that music more distracting than anything else. Well, I like it. … Okay then. At any rate, a head-on assault against Tiger isn't going to work. She'll kick both of our asses. However, she's pretty trusting. Maybe if I bring her to a classroom, and you ambush her... I like it, I'm loving it. Ambush her with what? Themis really likes their musical references. First Hanson, and now this? Anyway, obviously only one of these is the right answer, and it's the one that follows what Mouse literally just said- a head-on assault won't work. Therefore... All I need you to do is hide. What? Just trust me – based on the rate this game's been going, I'm pretty sure this'll work. You just need to be out of sight, and this'll work. I don't see what you intend here. I'm intrigued. If this is what you say we're doing, that's what we're doing. Alright, go back to the third classroom, and find a great hiding place. I'll find Tiger and lure her over. On it, boss.And like that, we had our plan. My job, as usual, was to be the lurer, and Rooster would be the killer. [BGM: Silence]  It didn't take long to find Tiger – she was searching in the auditorium on this floor. Convincing her to follow me was easy enough – she wasn't suspicious of me at all. I told her I needed her help with something in a classroom, and she just followed. I brought her to the door.  Alright, the issue is in here. Although, actually, the round's getting close to being over, isn't it? Hey, you're right! Before we start on that, we should input our moves on the tablets. Here, you can use this room, and I'll use the one right beside it. Cool!And just like that, the trap was set. Tiger walked into the room without a single alarm being raised in her head. I waited, and as expected, a little bit later I heard screams of agony. The Jade Emperor made it very clear. Using your tablet when someone else was in the same room was against the rules. Penalty? Instant execution. We couldn't kill Tiger. But Brian could. [BGM: Eyes of the Dragon]  I walked in and saw the results of my trap. I saw Tiger lying facedown, blood dripping from her neck. Rooster had gotten out of his hiding spot, and looked down at the carnage with a blank look on his face. Dang, Mouse. Cold blooded. How was that cold blooded? We didn't even do anything this time! You're right, you're right. Still, you're really good at this 'murder' thing. ...Like, scarily so. Tch.I didn't give him any more of a response than that.  Hey, what's this?Rooster noticed something on the body. He leaned down and fished out a pistol from Tiger's pocket. Sweet, a pistol! Huh. Wonder what Tiger was doing with something like this? Did she have this on her the whole time? I guess so. I mean, there haven't really been any weapons lying around the school, at least, not that I've seen. But in that case, does this mean she had this on her before she was taken? Perhaps. At any rate, this could be useful. Who should hold onto it? Thread voted to give the gun to Rooster. What results from this decision will show up... later!  You can hold onto it. Really? Yeah. Like I said, I don't want to do any killing. Sweet.Happy to have the gun, Rooster pocketed it. And so what now? I think we should split up and look for Minor Trinkets for a bit. Act normal. Divert suspicion. After all, we've already killed 5 people. That's like, halfway there. You're right, we should pace ourselves. Alrighty then, I'll check out the third floor, and you can go down to the first floor. Got it. Oh and, like I told Tiger, the round really is almost up. So make sure to input your move. On it!And just like that, my one ally split up from me. I was on my own. ...Well, I couldn't dwell on that too much. It's not like there was any reason that I'd be in danger. I wasn't a suspect of anything, and there were no 'traitors' coming after me. In the classroom with only Tiger's dead body, I took out my tablet and pressed the RUN button. Then I left the room, and walked down the stairs.
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Mar 7, 2023 02:53
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Well, Dog and Horse are going to be a problem. I imagine they'd be sticking to each other now, and you can't reasonably get a jump on either, Dog's too smart and Horse is too strong. Who's left? Dog, Horse, Ox, Monkey, Dragon. Ox and Monkey would be the easiest to kill, but can Mouse actually set her heart on killing Monkey? And we haven't seen her (or Dragon) since the start of the route.
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Mar 7, 2023 03:08
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The Hot Wheels thing sounds goofy as gently caress and I don't think that would actually work, but I'll suspend belief here.
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Mar 7, 2023 03:11
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Vandar posted:The Hot Wheels thing sounds goofy as gently caress and I don't think that would actually work, but I'll suspend belief here. Yeah, that was just so enjoyable to see Rooster really thinking fast. That exploit of the tablet rule was even better, though. Too bad it would be hard to pull off on anyone else who isn't as trusting. ApplesandOranges posted:but can Mouse actually set her heart on killing Monkey? That great line about the new therapist suggests she's at least trying to get used to the idea!
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Mar 7, 2023 04:17
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Rooster really is the best! Mouse should start thinking about her endgame. Does she try to kill off everyone? Or does she hide, collecting tablets and trinketing to the end? Breaking the Dog/Horse duo is vital. Those two are dangerous, and Bunny's prayer route showed that traitors have a harder time when the group decides they're willing to kill innocents.
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Mar 7, 2023 04:18
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NeoRonTheNeuron posted:Rooster really is the best! The prayer stuff made it easy to do though. It's a hell of a lot harder for that to happen when people have to actually do the deed with their own hands. That's not to say that people won't do it, as we saw with Rooster, but non-traitor kills seem pretty rare outside of him.
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Mar 7, 2023 04:31
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Probably worth remembering that with Bunny's 'escape' they could still pin a target on him. Though with Dog's suspicion on high it would be much harder to shed suspicion now. It could be a case similar to Bunny's route where Dog pins suspicion on Mouse as Bunny's 'accomplice and Rooster goes along with it so he can escape by himself. He's got a stronger alibi than Mouse after all. But they might search her and not find the pistol. Which might help. Though if they roll down her pant leg and see the bloodstain...
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Mar 7, 2023 04:40
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 [BGM: Silence]  Eventually, I made my way back to the cafeteria, where I found Ox. He was inspecting the results of the round on the screen. He didn't look pleased. [BGM: Ox's Logic]   It's all going to poo poo. It is?I pretended to look concerned, and checked the screen. Oh, that's not great. At least nobody's gone off on their own. I suppose. More concerning, it looks like Bunny's escaped. Indeed, that does appear to be the case. I wonder if his partner freed him. We should've taken precautions against that scenario. ...Do you think we're doomed? I would certainly hope not. Though I can't exactly face this situation with any sense of optimism. It's all that drat Brian's fault! Seriously, how can he think any of this is okay? He's a child. A damaged, unwell child, but a child when it comes down to it. No, I'm inclined to blame Aaron Morris. Aaron Morris? He's the one possessing Brian to do all of this in his stead. If only the man had had the sense to simply admit his guilt in front of the court. Then none of this would be happening. And why wouldn't he? We had him, it was over. He should've just confessed! I disagree. Oh? Well, first off, he was never presented with any sort of plea bargain, so there was no incentive for him to plead guilty. And if there was and he did, that wouldn't prove anything either. Oh? Is not even a confession enough to determine a man's guilt? Don't bullshit me, Ox, you're a prosecutor. You're the one person who should know how it all works. There's a reason 99% of convictions end in a plea bargain. Is the reason not that 99% of convictions are correct? Okay, you're definitely being obstinate now. It's called playing Devil's Advocate, Mouse. Better get used to it, because it's something lawyers are awfully fond of. Whatever you say. Anyways, not that you don't already know this, but the real reason plea bargains are so common is because it's simply risk-benefit analysis. From the prosecutor's side, if the case isn't airtight, then the question becomes 'how harsh a bargain are we likely to get the defense to agree to'. And from the defense's side, unless the case is a complete slam-dunk, it's usually safer to take a reasonable deal, rather than face a guilty verdict in court. After all, a good 10% of juries are so wonky that predicting what they'll do is a complete crapshoot. Rolling the dice like that when you face decades in jail isn't an option most can afford. There's pressure on defense attorneys to push for plea deals as well. After all, the court has too many cases already, and they want to deal with them as efficiently as possible. Fight for an actual trial and you're seen as an 'obstructionist' in the eyes of the judge and the prosecutor. That sort of stigma can hurt, since you're generally working with the same group of people for years. And you know about all this through your thorough time spent in the courts? I know this because my father was one such obstructionist. Ah, I see. So you became a defense attorney to follow in his footsteps? No. I mean, not really. I became a defense attorney because I learned from him how messed up our system is, and I want to do my part to help it. Messed up? Are plea deals really all that bad? They afford a risk-free solution to suspects that generally come with relatively few expenses. Maybe it looks that way from the outside, but for the actual defendants, taking a plea deal is no small matter. For one, let's not downplay how horrible spending days, possibly weeks in the actual prisons themselves can be. It doesn't sound so bad because people can stay in jail for years, but at the very least those jails are built for long-term residence. Holding cell conditions are horrifying – I've seen it myself. Also, the court fees – even for a simple plea deal – are ridiculous. For someone with a lower income, they'd deal significant damage. And there's the big thing about having a crime on your personal record. That thing can really stick, especially when it comes to seeking employment. And, since you plead guilty, most people will assume you really are guilty.  Plea deals suck. People only take them because the other option, going to trial, has humongous risks if it goes poorly. ...I suppose you're right. But it's sort of the way it is.I remembered Ox's file. The allegations of corruption. So, as a prosecutor, have you ever felt bad about some of the cases you've taken? Are you kidding? Of course I do. Then why take them on? Well, the whole point of our justice system is built around both the prosecution and the defense coming at a case with all they have. The truth will be what ends up in the middle. Right? That's a non-answer, and you know it. Look, the fact of the matter is, even if I do have reservations about any given case, if I don't press charges, if I don't press the harshest charges possible, then I'll be kicked out and someone will take my place. Its a competitive field, and it's filled with people who skew towards having a strong inclination towards 'justice', and I mean the retributive type. And that includes you, right? More of an inclination than you have, I guess. Mouse, all I do is my job, nothing more, nothing less. Everything's above board. You do? I'd be very easy to replace. After all, I'm a trial prosecutor. My main job is taking all the information I'm given and organizing it in the most persuasive way to present to the jury. If you're really so incensed about fair and just punishments, I'd point you towards my boss. She even handles the sentencing recommendations, which isn't even strictly her purview. Really? And that's just okay? Well, I've registered a formal complaint about it, if that will do anything. Anyways, we've gotten massively off track. We need to figure out what our next move is. Do we even have a next move? It feels like we've already fallen into complete chaos. As far as I see it, I'm already a dead girl walking. What an oddly pessimistic take from you, Mouse. It's far too early to give up. There must be something to be done. Like what? I'm not sure, although...Ox began to pace.  Something about Snake and Sheep's murder, something about it still rubs me the wrong way. Oh? I thought we agreed Bunny was behind that. And he escaped, which should confirm it. ...Assuming he escaped. Huh? He's missing. That can mean culprit or victim. I guess you're right. Still, what's the alternative? If not Bunny, then who? You heard Rooster's testimony. Or what, was he making that up? Is Rooster secretly the real traitor, is Pig his accomplice? No, no, I don't think that's right. I'm just... confused. Maybe looking around Snake's crime scene again would help. Well then, lead the way.[BGM: Bullfighter]  I didn't feel great about Ox's current thought process, but I decided to humor him. It's not like he could find anything in the art room. There was no evidence that led back to me. I just needed to distract him while Rooster did the rest of the dirty work for me. Entering the room, a wave hit the pit of my stomach. I could see the murder happening once more. The look in Snake's eye. No, focus, focus. That didn't happen. I know nothing about the murder here. I'm innocent. Ox's eyes scanned the scene.  So, what are we looking for? I'm not sure. Something we missed. Well, I think that's going to be hard. I get how there'd be a ton of evidence if we had, like, forensic science equipment with us and stuff. That way we could get a lot of information out of every nook and cranny. But the way we are now, I don't think it's likely the killer would leave anything obvious enough for us to notice. Perhaps, perhaps.Ox walked over to Snake's clothes, still lying in a heap on a nearby table. I never gave these a close inspection. Perhaps there's a clue in here. By all means, check it out. Ox began going through the clothes. As I already noted, the blood and the hole in the clothes suggest he was wearing this at the time of the crime, and that he was stabbed in the gut from the front. Probably someone he knew, not that that narrows things down. From the location, we could probably eliminate Horse, Tiger, and Pig as suspects, but again, not a huge help. I wonder if there is anything in the pockets?The pockets? I never thought to check that... Well, there shouldn't be anything incriminating there, but I was curious as to what Ox might find. Let's see what we have here... This looks like a key? What's this doing here? You think it's part of the game? No, no I don't think so. It's on a little loop, and it's got a label on it that doesn't match with the style of anything else. 'Master'. A master key for something. What, I don't know. Probably just for his house, right? Yeah, probably. At any rate, I don't think this is the breakthrough evidence you were looking for. Agreed.He put the keys down, then fished something else out of his pocket.  It was... two colored markers. A red one and a grey one. Now what's this? Huh? What is that doing there? I'm not sure. But since these are art supplies...Ox looked around the room before spotting a set of matching markers. That set over there, he grabbed them from there. That set is sitting on the table right by where we found the wiped up bloodstains. It's likely that after he got stabbed, he slumped against the table, and with the last of his strength, he grabbed hold of those markers. That's possible, that's possible. Judging by everything we know, I think... Whether we try to lie, or move through the deduction correctly... Ox isn't an idiot. He's capable of some basic dot-connecting. ...I think, as he was dying, Snake wanted to help the group. ...He didn't have many options, but on the table he had collapsed onto, there was a marker set. Thinking quickly, he discreetly grabbed two markers and shoved them in his pocket. ...Those markers weren't randomly chosen – they're some sort of coded message. ...In other words, those markers are Snake's dying message. I'm inclined to agree with you, Mouse. As cliché as it might seem, that's the most likely possibility. But in that case, what's the message say? Indeed, what could it mean? I can't imagine the message would be all that complex. After all, he was dying as he grabbed them. Whatever he meant to get across with this action, it must've been something very simplistic. Um... could it be... There's not very many ways to read the message that could make sense, given the setup of the Zodiac Race, and given who our victim is. Again, Ox isn't an idiot. ...Snake is an artist. Naturally, he'd be on the lookout for colors. I think... if anything is a message, it's the colors. ...Specifically, red and grey. Something about those two colors holds an important hint. Yes, that would be the reasonable assumption to make. So, looking at it from that angle, we should be thinking what the colors red and grey could mean. ...If I'm thinking about what those colors could mean, there's one conclusion I can draw. The color of the pawns on the race board. Rooster, the witness who 'saw Snake', has a red pawn. ...And your pawn is grey. ...That's right. So then...[BGM: Silence]  ... ...Ox, I know what you're about to say. You're going to accuse me of being one of the traitors. I am. But Ox, if that were the case, a very important question is suddenly raised. And that is? It's just the two of us in this room. If I was the killer, why would I have left you alive for this long? …Ox's mouth opened, but then closed. He had noticed it. His eyes were glaring right at my right hand.  In which I had gripped the kitchen knife that murdered Snake. We had also left this on a nearby table. For a second, nobody moved a muscle. Then, I went for the slash. Ox tried to block, but we were too close, and I was too determined. In a straight up fight, I've no doubt he would win. But all it took was one good plunge of the knife in his stomach to end things. *slick!* The feeling of metal moving through flesh, of killing intent entering his body... it felt just like cutting any other type of meat. After being stabbed in the stomach like that, Ox stumbled back, and eventually collapsed to the ground. Blood was pouring down from him – it was clear that I had already landed the fatal blow. He had but minutes to live... no, even that was generous. Immediately, I felt like collapsing to the ground. My head felt like a bowling ball, and the room felt like it was spinning. If I bent slightly any which way, my head would plummet to the ground, and the rest of me would follow. [BGM: Sleepy Sheep]  Finally, I had murdered someone myself. Up until now, I had certainly been an accessory to the crime, but this was different. Ox, the person who had gotten me through the start of this, was now dying. And it was because of me. And I couldn't undo it. Not now. Not ever. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! He was a bad person, a corrupt tool, he was nothing. He deserved this. I was a good person, he wasn't. This wasn't a sin, this was... this was fine.  Ox locked eyes with me, a gaunt look on his face. He knew everything. I hope... I hope this works out for you. I really do. Because I suspect it won't. And you can't take it back. … Maybe I do deserve something like this. But man, Brian really is a devil. He didn't just kill us. No, those of us who died got off easy. Because what he did to you, Mouse, is a fate worse than death. He took your soul. And you're not going to get it back. … Well... It'd be a waste if all 12 of us are ruined by this game. So try your best to forget all of this. Think of it as a bad dream. And maybe then, Brian won't have completely won. …Even at the end, I couldn't say a single word. I just watched as the light slowly faded out of Ox's eyes. I needed to do at least that much. I killed him. I needed to see him to his death. And once he died, I felt... Nothing. It was just another one down. [BGM: Silence]  But just then, I heard a noise by the door. Hey, Mouse, did yo- Oh. ...So, looks like you dealt with one of them by yourself. … Okay, you need some time to yourself. I get it, I'm respecting your boundaries. No... no, I'm fine. What's the update?[BGM: Rat's Awakening]  Weeeell, good news bad news. Bad news? Well, not bad news for us, just bad news in general. ...Everyone else is dead. Wh-what?! You killed... you killed all of them? Actually, Horse did most of the work. Huh? I don't know what his deal was, he just started wandering the halls killing people, all the while wearing some sort of skull mask. He looked like a complete psycho – his arms were literally covered in blood. Christ. Yeah, I think we might have broken him. Whoops. Anyways, I was nearly a goner myself, but luckily I had an ace up my sleeve.Rooster proudly displayed the pistol. Good thing I decided to hold onto it, huh? Yeah, no kidding.We'll see what happens if we give Mouse the gun instead in one of the Bonus Update. [BGM: Silence]  So... it's over? That's right. It's all over.I couldn't describe the emotions that overtook me. I expected relief, maybe regret. But instead, I just felt a hollowness. 'Oh, so this is how it went, huh?' I could hardly muster the motivation to celebrate. Rooster seemed to be doing that fine by himself. But... I couldn't shut down. I'd heed Ox's words and live my life to the fullest. Afterwards, we gathered everyone's tablets, and used them to great effect. Finally, we made our last inputs. I would come in first. Rooster would come in last. We would be free.  And with that, we've successfully pulled it off! Nothing else to worry about. Nothing else to worry about? Rooster, you realize the mountains of forensic evidence we've left behind, right? They'll know what we did. That... there's no way that won't have repercussions. That's... … poo poo, poo poo, okay. Once we leave, we find a bunch of gasoline, and we burn the entire school down. WHAT?!? Think about it, nobody knows what's happening here, or else the building would be surrounded! If the whole places goes up in smoke, even a thorough investigation is going to struggle to prove we did anything. The murders, maybe, but they can show we burned the building down! Right, well, that's fine. We can just say that after everything, Brian threatened us with the collars. He ordered us to burn down the school, or we'd be executed! But our collars will be undone once we leave. Says who? When they catch Brian, surely he'll speak up. Who are the police going to believe, the perpetrator, or the victims? … Trust me Mouse, everything's going to work out just fine. We won! I didn't know if I could agree with Rooster that 'everything was going to work out just fine'. But he was right about one thing. We had won. And because of that , I knew I had to live the rest of my life to the fullest, for those who had lost. No matter what it takes.  [Ending – 2 of Spades]  If she puts her mind to it, Mouse can win as a traitor. However, that's a path that leads to complete destruction. Anyone who leaves a bloodbath will be stained in blood that can't be washed away. We're not looking for a total slaughterhouse like this – the less victims the better. There should be a better way.
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Mar 8, 2023 15:56
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Ah, given this update it makes more sense to give the gun to Rooster (as Mouse is now under more suspicion than him). Still not entirely sure trusting him with it is a great idea, but he doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would betray Mouse for no reason at all at least. Horse is an issue, but if Dog's onto Mouse he probably needs to go sooner rather than later. Fortunately, as a lone wolf type he's less likely to have told someone "hey if I die, Mouse did it" but you never know. I feel like Monkey needs to be avoided at all costs though; she will almost certainly see through Mouse instantly if they spend any amount of time together. Using the fact that Rooster acts too stupid to draw suspicion to our advantage on this route is very funny. Edit: Even newer update! That...ended abruptly. Kind of hard to believe Rooster managed to off Horse with just a pistol after everything we saw on Horse's route, but he is pretty cunning and also ruthless enough to take a kill shot if he has the chance. An ambush could work. And hey, we got to learn a bit more about Mouse and her motivations. Hurray! Except for, you know, all the murder. ZCKaiser fucked around with this message at 16:09 on Mar 8, 2023 |
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Mar 8, 2023 15:59
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Well, another Horse rampage sure was a good way to keep the route from dragging on for too long. It was good to get more insight into Ox, he is still one of the remaining routes I am most interested in seeing. Overall, this was a fun route that lived up to my hopes for a 'traitor protagonist' situation. Rooster being our partner gave it dark comedy vibes that prevented from getting too grim, and we got more insight into Mouse herself. I wonder how much of that will play into the final route.
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Mar 8, 2023 16:20
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Yeah, kind of an abrupt ending but it drove home the points it needed to re: mouse, killing, and the justice system so I'm ultimately satisfied. Rooster is still the best character other than Mouse.
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Mar 8, 2023 16:39
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ZCKaiser posted:Edit: Even newer update! That...ended abruptly. Kind of hard to believe Rooster managed to off Horse with just a pistol after everything we saw on Horse's route, but he is pretty cunning and also ruthless enough to take a kill shot if he has the chance. An ambush could work. And hey, we got to learn a bit more about Mouse and her motivations. Hurray! Except for, you know, all the murder. The funny thing is that every time Horse has died, it was either execution (Dog, Bunny routes)... or it was with the pistol (Rooster, Sheep, Monkey, Horse, Mouse routes). I like the few extra nuggets in this route that might seem confusing but make sense since we've done a few other routes. Like we know Snake's key is actually his master key since he's a teacher and he used that in his route. And we know about Horse's mask from his route. The only question mark is Tiger's diorama, but I'm sure we'll get to that. Also wow, Monkey and Dragon don't even get the dignity of a death description. We didn't even see them since everyone split up. It's just 'oh yeah, Horse murdered them'. And that's a lot of re: legal debate. Very sobering. ApplesandOranges fucked around with this message at 17:46 on Mar 8, 2023 |
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Mar 8, 2023 17:42
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Mouse and Rooster pulled it off! I thought Dog and Horse would team up, but an offscreen rampage allows Ox vs Mouse to be the climax. Snake: targeted for being too smart Sheep: unlucky explorer Bunny: scapegoat Tiger: collar victim Pig: walked in on the wrong discussion Ox: figured out too much Dog: Horse rampage Monkey: Horse rampage Dragon: Horse rampage Horse: sniped by Rooster Poor Monkey and Dragon hardly made an appearance on this route.
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Mar 8, 2023 17:50
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I can't help but feel some of that takedown of the lovely us justice system was also a deliberate jab at Phoenix Wright
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Mar 8, 2023 18:52
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FoolyCharged posted:I can't help but feel some of that takedown of the lovely us justice system was also a deliberate jab at Phoenix Wright Yeah, the plea bargain thing definitely had me in mind of Ace Attorney. That whole exchange felt kind of expositiony, but I suppose it'd be hard to make it feel natural any other way. The rest of the route was so well written that it felt stiff in comparison. Also, yeah, letting Monkey anywhere near this route would probably derail things pretty quickly. If anyone could pick Mouse lying, it'd be her.
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Mar 8, 2023 19:15
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Eh, it was a prosecuting lawyer talking to a student looking to become a defense attorney. Doing a back and forth on their opinions of the legal system didn't feel too out of place and a lot of the stiff conversation felt like how Ox is characterized as a bit of a stiff person.
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Mar 8, 2023 19:30
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FoolyCharged posted:Eh, it was a prosecuting lawyer talking to a student looking to become a defense attorney. Doing a back and forth on their opinions of the legal system didn't feel too out of place and a lot of the stiff conversation felt like how Ox is characterized as a bit of a stiff person. Same, plus Mouse is fishing for any reason to condemn Ox to not feel as bad about stabbing him. It should absolutely be stiff, because Mouse isn't having a normal conversation where she is relaxed, and Ox is trying to figure out who the murderer was and is increasingly becoming more suspicious of Mouse.
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Mar 8, 2023 20:34
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Not counting bad ends, some characters have had consistent ways of dying and some have been pretty varied. Ox: execution, arson, letter-opener, stabbed Tiger: execution, strangulation, shot, pen-stabbed Bunny: shot, stabbed, brute forced, strangulation Dragon: execution, poison, stabbed, shot, Horse'd Snake: execution, shot, suicide, stabbed Horse: execution, shot Sheep: execution, poison, brute forced, blunt trauma Monkey: execution, Horse'd Rooster: execution, pen-stabbed Dog: execution, shot, stabbed, Horse'd Pig: execution, strangulation, shot, stabbed, suicide This marks the first time that Monkey has died in a way that wasn't being executed (and those were only on route endings where she was a traitor). Also vaguely interesting that Bunny hasn't been executed, in both his traitor routes he was murdered instead. ApplesandOranges fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Mar 8, 2023 |
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Mar 8, 2023 21:07
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ApplesandOranges posted:Not counting bad ends, some characters have had consistent ways of dying and some have been pretty varied. Wasn't he executed for failing to tame Dog in Dog's route?
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Mar 8, 2023 21:22
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ZCKaiser posted:Wasn't he executed for failing to tame Dog in Dog's route? Oh yeah, he did. I thought Dog shot him at the end of their game, but he actually shot Snake. So everyone's been executed in at least one route. 
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Mar 8, 2023 21:32
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ApplesandOranges posted:This marks the first time that Monkey has died in a way that wasn't being executed (and those were only on route endings where she was a traitor). Don't forget her death on Bunny's route, where Rooster and Bunny killed her in the side room w/ a kitchen knife
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Mar 8, 2023 22:17
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Mix. posted:Don't forget her death on Bunny's route, where Rooster and Bunny killed her in the side room w/ a kitchen knife What? I don't remember this; Monkey made it to the end of the prayer route. In any case, Mouse's route marks another time when Monkey could've survived. Her death was off-screen, as reported by Rooster. So those two could still be working together in the bigger picture.
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Mar 8, 2023 22:52
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DNeoRonTheNeuron posted:What? I don't remember this; Monkey made it to the end of the prayer route. There was one route where she confessed, and the group wound up deciding to knife her to be safe, and monkey cooperatef. Mouse got a choice on whether to look in at her corpse later. E: I would put rooster off the suspect list for those 2 because as shown they want a happy ending where everyone lives, and rooster is very, very open to killing all of these people he has a personal grudge against.
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Mar 8, 2023 23:11
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NeoRonTheNeuron posted:What? I don't remember this; Monkey made it to the end of the prayer route.  for some reason i got pig and bunny's routes mixed up, and i couldn't tell you why. lmao
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Mar 8, 2023 23:47
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Yeah, this route was never going to lead to a happy ending, but it was a fun one! Lots of clever kills and even some decent detective work from the opposition. I do wonder what the final resolution is going to be, as the tarot theme and tone of the narrations make me thing someone is viewing these endings in universe as well.
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Mar 9, 2023 00:49
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Ah yes, that did happen in Pig's route before they raced to the end. Rooster was involved again, but we voted to traumatize Mouse into looking at the body. She didn't touch Monkey's body, but she could've. It weakens the "Rooster fakes Monkey's death" theory since they'd have to have convinced Bunny to stay quiet too.
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Mar 9, 2023 02:03
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NeoRonTheNeuron posted:Ah yes, that did happen in Pig's route before they raced to the end. Rooster was involved again, but we voted to traumatize Mouse into looking at the body. She didn't touch Monkey's body, but she could've. It weakens the "Rooster fakes Monkey's death" theory since they'd have to have convinced Bunny to stay quiet too. I do wonder if something would have changed had we not checked. Would there be an implication that Monkey may have survived? Also, as far as Rooster and Monkey potentially being/helping Brian together, it would explain why Rooster is so good at getting trinkets despite not actually bothering with the puzzles--he actually just knows all the codes already. Rooster was also absent for basically all of Dog's route--the one route where Brian would absolutely have to be watching from somewhere to know the outcomes of the games (whereas most other things that trigger executions are automatic and don't require the Jade Emperor's personal input).
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Mar 9, 2023 15:15
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ZCKaiser posted:I do wonder if something would have changed had we not checked. Would there be an implication that Monkey may have survived? This might also be slightly cheating because of the ability to go back and reread other routes, but one thing I also did notice is that at the end of Pig's route, when Brian comes on speaker and addresses the group entirely, Rooster isn't shown talking. Could have certainly slipped away from the group to chat with them directly. It's not hard evidence, but there's a lot of incidental case against Rooster, and at the same time, Monkey's high survival rate is also suspect, given that she's only died in three routes so far.
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Mar 9, 2023 16:19
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Next update will be the end of route bonus update, but the one after that already has a vote! Its very straightforward though, as it involves an element of the game we've had plenty of experience with: the weapons cache. Specifically, the group is voting on who they think would be better off guarding it, Tiger or Dragon?
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Mar 9, 2023 16:44
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Tiger seems trustworthy. I'm sure she doesn't have any lurking dark secrets to be concerned about.
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Mar 9, 2023 16:53
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ApplesandOranges posted:This might also be slightly cheating because of the ability to go back and reread other routes, but one thing I also did notice is that at the end of Pig's route, when Brian comes on speaker and addresses the group entirely, Rooster isn't shown talking. Could have certainly slipped away from the group to chat with them directly. Rooster was also off on his own at the end of Sheep's route, when the Jade Emperor responds to her confession that she exaggerated in her testimony, which is notable for being one of the only times he directly responds to someone. Monkey is clearly involved somehow (after all, she went missing at the end of her own route), but the big hole in the "Rooster and Monkey" theory is that Rooster is dead on that route and couldn't have been the one to free her. But then again, seemingly no one could have. Also, I think Dragon would make the better guard.
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Mar 9, 2023 16:56
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One one hand, we just saw an apparent clue that links Tiger to a murder and possibly the conspiracy. While Dragon at most seems just connected to Dog's bar and maybe Horse's gang (for now). On the other hand, Tiger is a sweetheart who together with Monkey and Mouse are the only traitors willing to confess, and Dragon has been willing to ditch us when things went wrong, albeit usually in bad endings cause otherwise she was cooperative. I'd say trust Tiger this time, mostly because I'm sure we'll get more info on whoever we trust and that diorama is sus af.
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Mar 9, 2023 17:08
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ZCKaiser posted:Rooster was also off on his own at the end of Sheep's route, when the Jade Emperor responds to her confession that she exaggerated in her testimony, which is notable for being one of the only times he directly responds to someone. Monkey is clearly involved somehow (after all, she went missing at the end of her own route), but the big hole in the "Rooster and Monkey" theory is that Rooster is dead on that route and couldn't have been the one to free her. But then again, seemingly no one could have. Rooster was the one who suggested the jump rope to tie her up though. If Monkey knew how to free herself from jump rope, then that could have been a deliberate suggestion to let her escape if she needed to. It's not like it's the only option they have to tie someone (they have wire in the art room for instance which Snake used to strangle Tiger in his route). Anyway, choices, uh. It's either Tiger or Dragon's route next most likely so... either of those are risky. I'll guess Tiger. She seems more suited to hand-to-hand, while Dragon with a weapon is dangerous. GiantRockFromSpace posted:On the other hand, Tiger is a sweetheart who together with Monkey and Mouse are the only traitors willing to confess, and Dragon has been willing to ditch us when things went wrong, albeit usually in bad endings cause otherwise she was cooperative. Well we haven't actually seen Mouse confess yet.
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Mar 9, 2023 18:00
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ApplesandOranges posted:Well we haven't actually seen Mouse confess yet. We saw she had an option to. Whether she confesses or something happens and she doesn't confess till the end or a gun drops from the ceiling and just happens to shoot Mouse in the head doesn't change the fact she has an option to.
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Mar 9, 2023 18:14
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