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is Monkey going to be jerking herself off much longer, I got better things to do like watch paint dry
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May 25, 2023 04:20
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Golly, it is almost like, in this game influenced by Danganronpa, she might just possibly be Junko.
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May 25, 2023 05:19
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I can't believe, even outside Danganronpa, it was JUNKOS all along. ...I do like that originally Rooster was the original impetus for the games but then Monkey grew to like the game too much and then decided to use the blackmail for herself.
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May 25, 2023 07:42
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This has been evident for a while now, but one of the things I love about Zodiac Trial is how much more grounded it feels. No psychic powers or insane sci-fi concepts, just stuff that would be possible (if improbable) in the real world. Don't get me wrong, I love Zero Escape and Danganronpa and The Somnium Files's quirks and high concepts, but it's a fun change of pace to see something more down-to-earth.
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May 25, 2023 07:51
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I kind of feel its stepped away from grounded with these last few reveals, what with Rooster's murder plan (he somehow didn't think the evidence would be so slam dunk on Morris, but was also concerned about Snake noticing something was off? Dragon at least I'd give him, considering she could actually point right at him) and the magic of hypnotherapy. Monkey being the sole mastermind behind the second game explains its shoddiness. It seems like Brian at least knew how to plan a proper, solid, death game.
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May 25, 2023 08:03
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I was expecting a reveal that Monkey had helped Rooster plan Amadeus Bowen’s murder. Because Rooster’s plan has like 10+ failure points, which rely entirely on other people behaving in a certain way. And if that doesn’t happen then his whole plan falls apart. 1. If Amadeus doesn’t schedule Snake and Rooster’s appointments for the same day (the guy makes people wait arbitrary lengths of time before seeing them, he isn’t working around other people’s schedules.) 2. If Sheep doesn’t put the statue in the storage closet 3. If Snake decides to stay with the statue 4. If Amadeus Bowen doesn’t get bluffed into crossing the window ledges to get to the supply closet. When Amadeus is basically a mob boss kingpin with the city under his heel. 5. If Tiger happens to look out the window when Amadeus is crossing. 6. If a passerby in the street sees Amadeus crossing the window ledges (remember only second floor). 7. If Sheep doesn’t go for breakfast, or comes back early. 8. If anybody tries to go to the bathroom 9. If Amadeus doesn’t get intimidated into recording messages for Rooster 10. If Snake decides to investigate why the statue is heavier than expected when moving it 11. If Snake decides to take the statue off the dolly after moving it and a body falls out 12. If Aaron flips out and causes a scene when he’s remotely fired, causing Sheep to enter Amadeus’ office and provide a testimony that Amadeus wasn’t in there. 13. If Sheep stops rooster from barging into Amadeus’ office, or follows him in before he locks the door. And sure some of those failure points aren’t particularly likely but there’s a lot of them. And there are others (e.g. bluffing Amadeus) where there’s huge potential for things to go wrong. (That’s on top of the other practical issues with Rooster’s plan). Yeah Monkey’s mind-power prediction abilities aren’t infallible, but they aren’t nothing either so it would sort of be easier to explain these things if she was involved rather than Rooster just getting super lucky.
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May 25, 2023 12:39
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Even if there isn't anything else elaborated on regarding Amadeus Bowen's murder, I'll give the game some benefit of the doubt because Monkey does say that Mouse flat out got things wrong in her theories. So it's possible that the actual murder scenario was much cleaner than what was described. And I didn't see anything particularly wrong with her theory on Pigs murder that isn't easy to explain. Regarding the reveals here, I'm gonna hold my powder dry on judging this. The game has been really strong so far so I'm still expecting some nice twists. Nephthys fucked around with this message at 13:29 on May 25, 2023 |
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May 25, 2023 13:23
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Rooster didn't count on the police being corrupt and going all in on ensuring Aaron Morris was convicted, either because Oliver wanted to avenge his brother or because he really didn't want people looking too closely into why someone might have wanted to kill him. Either way, they dogpiled on the obvious suspect and made a shaky case look airtight instead.
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May 25, 2023 13:52
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Nephthys posted:Even if there isn't anything else elaborated on regarding Amadeus Bowen's murder, I'll give the game some benefit of the doubt because Monkey does say that Mouse flat out got things wrong in her theories. So it's possible that the actual murder scenario was much cleaner than what was described. On some things I’m also happy to give the benefit of the doubt, when the exact specifics don’t really matter. e.g. We don’t know if Rooster really used a pre-recorded innocuous looking website to fire Aaron. But there are a couple of ways that could be done and exactly how it happened isn’t important. There are other details that I don’t think really matter either. I don’t think it matters: When and how Monkey killed Brian, so long as it’s at or before the end of the Zodiac Race. Whether Monkey killed Dog, or Monkey manipulated Rooster into killing Dog Whether Monkey killed Pig, or Monkey manipulated Bunny/Rooster into doing it. Whether Monkey killed Rooster, or Monkey manipulated Bunny into doing it. (At this stage it sounds like Monkey did everything, but 2 updates ago Bunny was a very reasonable suspect) Whether Monkey propped up the bookcase with a yardstick through the doorway, or pulled it over with some wire or something. However, for Rooster’s murder plan to work at all. Amadeus Bowen MUST move along the window ledges to enter the supply closet. Undetected. Rooster MUST kill Amadeus in the supply closet, then stuff his body inside the statue. Unnoticed. Snake MUST move that statue (containing the body) into Amadeus’ office. Obliviously.
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May 25, 2023 16:16
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I think on some level, you could say 'yeah it doesn't really matter', except so much of the game has been about the cast's involvement on the day of the murder and how there was so much evidence on Morris. For the actual explanation to be some kind of far-reaching scheme that bends over backwards to try to suspend disbelief (that even the mastermind calls it out) is narratively unsatisfying. Elite posted:However, for Rooster’s murder plan to work at all. I'm still mildly miffed that the coroner never determined the correct cause of death. Strangulation and blunt force trauma are two very different causes of death.
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May 25, 2023 16:39
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Uuuuuuuuuuuurg. I loving hate this "I'm a psycho serial killer because my brain works different from normal people!" stick that's so popular with mysteries. It's like, you can't just have Monkey be an evil genius who discovered the knife, she has to be neurodiverse, because clearly that's the only explanation for why she'd start killing people.
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May 25, 2023 17:54
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To be fair Mouse seems to have a similar emotional disconnect button, and she isn’t a total psycho.
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May 25, 2023 20:15
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 [BGM: Do Much Evil]   You're... you're loving batshit lady! Indeed. How on earth could someone like this exist?  It doesn't make any sense! It doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't! How do you live with yourself? I already explained how I feel emotions to a far less substantive degree than the rest of you, right? You...! Save it. It's not worth wasting breath arguing with this reprehensible trash. Completely unforgivable.  Oh, don't curse me so thoroughly. It's not my fault. How can you say that with a straight face? This is simply how it was always meant to be. Huh? Didn't you know, Ox? The world is fated. Your genes and history were decided without your input, and like it or not, those two factors really do make the decisions. From my birth, it was 100% certain that I would grow up to be like this. I've no real say in the matter. So, if you're to curse anyone, curse God for the hand he dealt you all. You're saying that you have no real control of your actions? Not in a grand sense, no. Then I have to ask – how are you getting any pleasure from 'controlling' us in these death games? By your own logic, you still aren't really in control. God is. Th-that's...For the first time, it looked as though Monkey had been caught off guard. At any rate, we really are facing an issue. You've got your hands on Amadeus' blackmail flashdrive, yes? So this incident isn't ending here. With your taste for blood awakened, and with the city safely in your pocket, you intend to continue playing with innocent people's lives until you are eventually caught or killed. Oh, don't judge me too quick Snake. Like I said, I plan to start with some nice, peaceful living. But you know, we'll see. They say being rich doesn't make you happy, after all. We can't let that happen. Oh, but I'm afraid you must. It's a shame that this game is going to have such an abrupt ending, but I guess that's the risk you take when you try and get clever and act as one of the participants. Believe me, it's a mistake I won't make again. But for now, don't despair! I needn't just execute the lot of you here and now. I'll also allow any of you to join me, to become one of my helpers. After all, the more of you that make it out of here alive, the easier my job will be to explain all this. You.Horse stood up. To the side, Snake whispered something to Dragon.  You think you can just do whatever you want, consequences be damned? You think I wouldn't give my life to slay a monster like you? If you think that, you truly can predict nothing![BGM: Metal Horse]  Horse rushed forwards, swinging a fist at Monkey. She didn't panic, however. Instead, from out of her sleeve came a long, metal rod. That rod intercepted Horse's swing. The sound of Horse's cry mixed with the crackling of electricity rang throughout the classroom.  Oh, don't worry Horse. Your little temper tantrum was well accounted for. Grr... But are you sure you want to kill me? Isn't there... someone else who should be handling this?Horse faltered, looking down. ...But then, he grinned.  No, I think I can do this one myself.Immediately, Horse swung his fist down, aiming at Monkey's head. He didn't hit her head, however. He hit the steak knife which she had pulled out from seemingly nowhere. As Horse recoiled, Monkey quickly pulled the knife out of Horse's arm, before moving forward to slash him across the gut twice. He roared, off-kilter, and collapsed backwards onto the ground.  Even the attacks you chose to use, entirely expected. But then again, am I surprised? You were a pawn – the piece with the fewest number of moves available to them.Monkey then took a phone out of her pocket. I can think of a few others who might want to start acting irrationally. If you value your lives... I'd refrain from using such violence. Don't forget who controls your life.With a confident smile, Monkey walked out of the classroom. Many people wanted to stop her. But our attention was diverted as Sheep ran to Horse.  Hey, hey, hold on!She took off her sweater, using it to address Horse's wounds. She looked over him with a grim precision.  Don't worry, those wounds weren't fatal. You all take care of Monkey! I'll make sure Horse pulls through this. Ah, and Sheep moves accordingly as well.Apparently, Monkey hadn't fully left. Rather, she was simply standing outside the classroom. Using this injury to cowardly excuse herself from the responsibility of dealing with a threat. But then again, perhaps she couldn't handle failing to properly address someone's wounds again.Enraged, Sheep pulled a pen from her pocket and wildly flung it at Monkey. She caught it with a calm look on her face, then began to walk away. The group immediately went after her, though nobody seemed to know what the gameplan was. Still, we all stood in the hallway, looking at her. She stared back at us, waiting patiently, holding the phone in the air. Her finger circled around a button that I couldn't read from here – I could guess what it meant, though. The first to step forward was Snake.  I'm not sure if your offer is genuine, Monkey. Of course it is. Well then, I'd be happy to join you. S-Snake? Forgive me Mouse, but it's not like I have much of a choice in the matter. Our options are limited, so I now stand with the powerful. Besides, helping her with this blackmail job could be quite interesting. Done right, there could be a beauty in these experiments. I have some editorial notes on how, in the future, you could incr– That does it Snake, you rear end in a top hat! In a rage, Dragon stepped forward. Without a second thought, she swung her metal bat at one of Snake's back legs.  AAAGH! I knew you were a selfish rear end in a top hat, but I never saw this in you. Maybe I can't hurt Monkey, but I can sure as hell set an example to other potential traitors.Dragon stepped down on Snake's left hand, then swung the bat down at his left arm. I heard the sound of bones cracking. AOAOAHGHHHH! Everyone, look at this. This is what happens when you sell your soul to the devil.She then swung hard at Snake's right side. Again, the bat heavily impacted Snake's right arm. GRRHAGHH!!He fell to all fours. In a beautiful flow, however, Dragon immediately spun around and changed her target from Snake to Monkey's left arm – the one holding the phone. In response, Monkey jabbed Dragon in the stomach with the cattle prod, sending her flying to land on her back on the floor. gently caress! Dragon, you absolute moron! I was obviously going to betray her! What?! My, my. What a comedy of errors. I'd be laughing if it weren't entirely what I thought would happen. Snake would – unauthentically – plot to get on my good side, intending on betrayal. Dragon would act first, think later. But her eyes would never really leave me; she'd just be looking for a time to strike at me. And to think I had you two pegged as some of the most unpredictabl–Just then, Snake lunged up from his position. His right hand grabbed out for the phone. Monkey, caught offguard, tried to pull back, but the phone went tumbling to the floor. Dragon, who was still lying on her back, grabbed the bat and smashed the phone. Gotcha! This is... At our school, we recently had a stage performer come in. I picked up his lesson on acting out a fight quite quickly.Snake smirked, but as he winced, it was clear that Dragon had indeed still broken his left arm. [BGM: Silence]  Monkey's entire face, on the other hand, was entirely flushed.  She immediately started twiddling her thumbs at a speed I had never seen before while closing her eyes. She was muttering something under her breath. Then, a few seconds later, she regained her composure. [BGM: Fire Breath]  I've amended my predictions. I'm still fine. It's simply a matter of forgoing the phone and using the computer.In an instant, I realized what she meant. She's going to try and get to the base where she's running the game!However, as Ox shouted this out, Monkey reached under her sweatshirt and, with a bit of difficulty, pulled out a metallic stick. I realized that this was part of the contraption strapped to all our chests. But Monkey was able to undo this piece from her bomb... Wait, these were bombs strapped to our chests... As I realized what this meant, she flipped a switch on the cylinder and threw it up towards the ceiling. She then immediately began to run down the hall. *BWOOOM!* We had started to follow her, but were pushed back by the immediate explosion that occurred as the cylinder hit the ceiling. It was a pretty minor explosion, all things considered – definitely not the full force of the blast that could incinerate our chests at any moment. ...But it was enough to do a number on the building's structural integrity. The ceiling began to collapse, when– Hrgh!! Tiger leaped in front of us, and held up her arms. She shielded us as the debris began to fall. Hurry! Get through here!We didn't need to be told twice. Ox, Bunny and I ran forwards as Tiger stood in place, looking like she was attempting to prevent the entire building from falling in on itself. I was grateful for what she was doing, but I didn't have time to give thanks. I was too busy sprinting towards Monkey at full speed, with Bunny and Ox at my side. If she was able to get to wherever she had kept the computer running this before we caught up to her... No, I couldn't think about that. Besides, we were gaining on her. As much as Monkey could predict, she couldn't think herself into running quicker. Up ahead, she took a hard right, turning the corner where the staircase to the second floor was. Why was she...? Immediately, my mind flashed back to the library. Other than the two doors to enter it, there was one door in the back with an exit sign. She was aiming for that door to leave the building! We followed her. Bunny had taken the lead, so he was the first to begin turning the corner... which is why he was the one who made contact with the cattle prod as Monkey leaped out to ambush him. To Bunny's credit, though, he didn't immediately pass out. He actually caught the prod. And then, to my utter shock.. he gripped it so hard that it broke.  I had heard that cops needed to pass pain tolerance tests before they got their taser. But this was something different. However... it's not like Bunny was Superman. In doing this feat, he immediately and wordlessly fell back, onto the floor. Naturally, you'd be the quickest of the three. That's the most troublesome one handled.And without another word, Monkey resumed her sprint up the staircase. But through this ambush, Ox and I had all but caught up to her. We made our way up the double-layered staircase, and prepared to run down the hallway at the top. However, once again, as Ox began to turn left around the corner, Monkey jumped out at him, plunging her steak knife at his chest. ...Ox didn't have near the instincts that Bunny had. He took the blow square in the chest, then stumbled back down the stairs, the knife still in his torso. And you, the 'smart one', fell for the exact same trick! ...Though, there really isn't any difference between a cop and a prosecutor.And again, Monkey calmly resumed running away. Ox! I'm fine, Mouse...! She just got me in the side. More importantly, go after her!! Right!Of course. Why'd I even stop to check if he was fine? I was the last one left. If I couldn't pull my weight, we'd all be dead soon enough. I ran faster than I ever had before. Like I thought, Monkey entered the library... and I went in right after her. [BGM: Silence]  There, in the library, Monkey turned towards me, catching her breath. I slowed down, also catching my breath. Please, Monkey, you don't have to do this! You're right. I don't.Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Monkey threw a jab right at my head. I was so blindsided by this that I caught the punch squarely in the face. I stumbled back to the wall. Tiger sacrifices herself in the explosion to let Mouse, Ox, and Bunny through. Sacrifice the cattle prod to get rid of Bunny. Sacrifice the knife to get rid of Ox. In the end, Mouse alone will catch up to me. But she won't be able to stop me from walking out the door to the nearby computer and entering a few simple keystrokes. I already told you Mouse, I re-did the calculations.[BGM: Do Much Evil]  This is a solved game. And your team loses.That couldn't be the case. Come on, Monkey! You yourself know that this is wrong, you said it yourself! Indeed. So you can still be a good person if you just stop! Why should I care about being a good person? There isn't a heaven, Mouse. Your purpose in life is strictly to get the most enjoyment out of it. And this is how I get mine.No... There had to be something. I wasn't done yet!  I had noticed a stapler on a nearby desk. In a clean motion, I leaned over, clutched the object in my fist, and then flung it at Monkey at full speed. ...She leisurely swayed to the side, letting it fly harmlessly out of the way. Is this really the best you can manage? You really are running out of choices, aren't you? Don't worry. You won't have to make them very soon.Something, something, anything?! Okay, okay, you've got me! If you just spare me, I'll work with you! I can help you set these things up, honest! I mean, I saw through you, so you know I'm smart, right? You are quite smart, Mouse. Smart enough to know your only chance at this juncture is to trick me. Apologies, but I know you quite well, Mouse. I'm your therapist. The chance that this is genuine is... perhaps 3%.No... I fell to my knees. Despair was filling my body. There was nothing I could do. Monkey looked at me with something akin to pity.  Oh, Mouse. Don't look like that. It's not your fault. You're really a remarkable woman, truly. Given your situation, you far exceeded what most would be able to do. But the fact is, humans have their limits.That's... Looking at me, you seem to be struggling, panicking. Thinking that if you did or said the right thing, you could win. But that's just not how things work. There are times in life that none of the options can bring you victory. Just accept that this is one of those times.Keep cool... [BGM: Silence]  You know, it really is a shame to get rid of you, Mouse. I had a lot of fun controlling you. And, in some weird way, it was even more fun when you acted out of line. You were a wonderful puppet. But I plan on living free. And you're just too much of a liability.Monkey began to turn away. You can't... You're not going to get away with this! There's some way to, to stop you! It'd be nice for you if there was, right? But I already thought it through. This chessboard? I picked every piece very delicately. I crafted the spaces myself. There's nothing here that's going to defy my expectations. And if nothing defies my expectations, then I can certainly control the outcome of the game. Just face it. I am in control of everything here. You are in control of nothing. Because I have control, I am going to choose to murder you all.[BGM: Mousetrap]  And nothing unexpected is going to pop up and save you.You can only explicitly taunt fate so much until the world decides to whack you on the back of the head. In this case... that whack came in the form of Rooster. To my complete surprise, he had woken up from his stupor a bit ago. Monkey made the classic mistake of monologing for too long. While she did that, Rooster had regained his footing. He... did not look okay at all. But, as though he were possessed, he rushed at Monkey and slammed her into the nearby wall. AAAAH!Before Monkey could cry out any more, his hands wrapped around her throat.  Wh-what are you... d– This. Must. End. Sto– This. Must. End.[BGM: Silence]  With an unparalleled rage in his eyes, Rooster choked Monkey's neck harder and harder. A number of emotions went through Monkey's eyes. Confusion, fear, desperation, and finally... acceptance. What did I do during this? Nothing. I just stood there... watching. Finally, Monkey's eyes stayed open... but they saw nothing. Rooster let go of her, letting her corpse flop to the ground. The second person he had killed. The second person he had strangled. Then, he turned to me. He looked me right in the eye. His eyes had a look of... how to describe it? I can't think of the right emotion. But... it was the equivalent of a sad shrug. An apology. A grim acceptance. A... 'what can you do?' And then, without much ceremony, Rooster collapsed to the ground. He was far, far from recovered. The fact that he had gotten up in the first place is a one in a million miracle. The type that no man can predict. The sort of thing God sends now and again, just to keep us all humble. Absentmindedly, I walked to the door Monkey had been running to. I opened it. [BGM: Queen of the Jungle]  And there, finally, for the first time in a long time, freedom. I wasn't moments away from dying. I could almost cry. ...But not yet. I looked over, and saw a picnic table nearby. This door apparently led out to the school's backyard.  On the picnic table were a number of things. Of particular note, there was a laptop. That was prob ably what was running this whole thing. But there was something that caught my eye even more. A small USB flash drive sitting next to the computer. ...This was it, wasn't it? Amadeus' legacy. The root of it all. I picked the flashdrive up, holding this holy grenade in my hand. Now... What to do with you?  I asked the thread what they felt would be the best course of action should the USB still exist and be obtainable. It was actually a pretty close race between destroying it or keeping it hidden, but between the votes in the thread and a few I was given privately, the action that got the most votes was to pocket it for later. Considering how many lives were ruined or ended by just the potential to reveal this information, having it never be found at the crime scene but still within reach should the information be important later seems to be a common consensus – basically a case of 'think on it or see how it can be used to help others' rather than an immediate gut action.  I slipped the flashdrive into my pocket. For now, it was better off with me. And... just like that, it was over. I contacted the authorities, and they said they would be on the scene right away. In the mean time, I just stood there, in the open air. Finally free. To put it mildly, I had a lot of thoughts about everything that had happened. It was reasonable to say that I'd never be the same after all this. I'd... definitely need a new therapist. Because, boy howdy, was there a lot of stuff I was going to have to work through in all of this. But... I'd move on. Because, unlike Dog or Pig, I could. Unlike Amadeus, unlike Aaron, unlike Brian, Rooster, Monkey – my life didn't have to be defined by this incident. It'd take a bit of doing to get over it all, certainly. Naturally, the media would eat this incident up, and I'd be all over the news. In all likelihood, I'd never truly shed the skin of this incident. Because... the fact of the matter is you can never really truly erase the past. But I didn't need to be defined by it. I could go on and become the greatest defense lawyer the world had ever seen. I could be angered by this incident, shake my fist at injustice, and turn into a prosecutor. I could become a famous author, writing about what had happened, and other similar topics. I could get really into horse riding and become a professional jockey. Or I could just jump off a building one day. But whatever happened... I was free to choose it. I was in control from here. And that's what really mattered to me.
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May 26, 2023 00:53
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Elite posted:To be fair Mouse seems to have a similar emotional disconnect button, and she isn’t a total psycho. Didn't Monkey teach her that in therapy?
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May 26, 2023 00:53
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As fun as the fight/chase scene was, I'm still enjoying characters acting 'differently' from their imagined Monkey versions: Horse declares to fight for justice, rejects the mask, and is one of the first to attack Monkey. Sheep attacks Monkey because, honestly, screw her. Bunny is stated to have already started moves against Oliver instead of 'just smile and fall in line'. Snake is trying to look out for the good of the group by planning the triple-cross.
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May 26, 2023 02:00
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My question here is: how did Rooster avoid getting blown up for not taking an action when the round ended?Dirk the Average posted:Didn't Monkey teach her that in therapy? From update 3: quote:I took a deep breath in, and another out, and all of a sudden it all just flushed from my system. I was still scared and confused, deep down. But the mind-numbing panic the others were in, that I was in a second ago, it had left me. This was my greatest talent, something I inherited from my father. When the stakes are high, the chips are down, that's when fear chokes you. I guess it’s a bit different than I thought it was. I thought Mouse and Monkey were similar, just Mouse defaulted to emotions switched on and Monkey defaulted to emotions switched off. But from that it sounds like it’s only Fear that Mouse can switch off. But Mouse can instantly calm down when she’s mad about something too, so it sort of seems like she can do it with Anger too even though that isn’t explicitly stated. And it’s possible that Monkey helped Mouse develop it, but it’s pretty unambiguous that it’s something Mouse always had. Actually I think Mouse is sort of like a Will Graham to Monkey’s Hannibal. Mouse doesn’t have the ability to control and manipulate people as Monkey does, but she can construct explanations for what happened based on basically no data. See some parts of Mouse’s explanation on Amadeus Bowen’s murder. But there’s also smaller things like Mouse randomly picking up the book that was used to bludgeon Rooster whilst Ox wonders what the hell she’s doing. And it’s pretty clear that Monkey is overstating her emotional disconnect anyway. If she truly felt nothing then she’d have no reason to do any of this, and she wouldn’t have such a poo poo eating grin when revealing her evil scheme. She seems pretty bitter about being controlled/misunderstood, and things like that are emotions in themselves.
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May 26, 2023 02:06
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Even if she got shocked in the end, I’m kinda shocked/annoyed by Monkey’s instant anime combat skill. Like when Horse turned into a slasher, but somewhat less silly. Still, haha get hosed 
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May 26, 2023 02:35
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This thread during Monkey's route: haha yes! control the cast into killing each other, Monkey! This thread during the real ending: what Monkey you can't control the cast into killing each other, you're terrible at this
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May 26, 2023 04:39
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I hope there's like, still something major to come. Something about this ending so far feels...kind of off to me.
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May 26, 2023 04:51
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Vandar posted:I hope there's like, still something major to come. It’s just another layer of imagination, only this time it’s Tiger coreographing “awesome anime fights” while Bunny mixes in the plot of an NCIS episode. Dog is still alive and scoffing at them from behind the bar.
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May 26, 2023 06:27
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Hooray for Rooster! Vanquishing evil once again! Realistically speaking, I think everyone explodes. Mouse forgot to terminate the game. Lots of people aren't in a great position to make moves on their computers. Aside from that, I'm glad we have kept the USB as an insurance policy. No way we're getting kidnapped a 3rd time.
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May 26, 2023 07:00
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NeoRonTheNeuron posted:
We don't actually know if automatic explosions are real though, is the thing. We only have monkey's word on that, they could just be entirely manual and controlled form the phone/computer. Remember, the voting phase conveniently requires everyone to filter out into separate rooms at the same time.
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May 26, 2023 07:42
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Mix. posted:
LMAO, Snake really is the best character. Get hosed, Monkey. Rooster coming back and ending this after Mouse and Ox miraculously saved his life is a fitting way for this to end. I guess in the end he got to be the hero at least once.
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May 26, 2023 08:15
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Yeah, Snake and Rooster are probably my favorite characters in this. A lot of the others I wished had more to do, though, especially Sheep and Pig.
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May 26, 2023 13:41
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Let's hope Mouse's plan involves more "exposing the corrupt police force that helped start all this" and less "blackmail random people with painful pasts" regarding that USB drive. Man this cast is great. Everyone left gets a neat moment (even if Dragon's involved her being a bit of an idiot). They did a very good job of making Monkey very hateable, even if her "I can predict your actions so well I can defend myself against any attack" is stretching credulity to the breaking point. (I get you have to have some reason Horse, Tiger and Dragon don't just solve things with violence, but it probably could have used a bit more work.) So, interesting thought: waaaaay back, Snake commented on a chess game seemingly left out by the people behind the game, one of the first hints that there was more than one person behind the Zodiac Race. He theorizes that White is the more experienced player but mostly good through memorization, but that black, while an amateur, is extremely skilled at analysis. Black was almost certainly Monkey, then. But white could either be Rooster or Brian; who do you think it is?
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May 26, 2023 14:05
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I don't see rooster as a chess player. But monkey also said she set up the board that way, so it might have just been a prop to mess with snake or a way for her to feel superior.
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May 26, 2023 14:27
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Nephthys posted:LMAO, Snake really is the best character. Get hosed, Monkey. This was a pretty great exchange too: Mix. posted:
ZCKaiser posted:So, interesting thought: waaaaay back, Snake commented on a chess game seemingly left out by the people behind the game, one of the first hints that there was more than one person behind the Zodiac Race. He theorizes that White is the more experienced player but mostly good through memorization, but that black, while an amateur, is extremely skilled at analysis. Black was almost certainly Monkey, then. But white could either be Rooster or Brian; who do you think it is? I’m going with Rooster Snake says Brian doesn’t play chess. Sounds like Brian was dead at the start of the game, and most likely time for the chess game to happen is just before the game starts when Rooster and Monkey are waiting for everyone to wake up. Rooster does have some fairly complex murder plans Sounds like Monkey valued Rooster more than she valued Brian
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May 26, 2023 15:55
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I took it as the literal game set up in the cafeteria had monkey as white and rooster as black. Monkey is in control for most of the game and proceeds along the proscribed “correct” path to get her a victory, only to be foiled right at the final bell by the less knowledgeable but more reactive and unpredictable Rooster. It parallels to this ending, where monkey (as the white player) thinks she’s in control and just about to achieve final victory before the rest of the cast (representing the black pieces) come back from the brink thanks to unpredictability, in this case rooster surviving just long enough thanks to Ox and mouse trying to help him. E: actually, after rereading it black didn’t actually win, white surrendered despite having a large lead with the assumption being that black saw many moves out and explained exactly how white’s defeat was inevitable. I guess in this case white was rooster and monkey was black, though it does seem odd to assume rooster would play by the books and be considerably more knowledgeable about chess than monkey. Though snake’s guess that “maybe white surrendered because they just got bored” sounds like rooster Insertnamehere31 fucked around with this message at 16:02 on May 26, 2023 |
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May 26, 2023 15:56
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Rooster getting his (999 spoilers if you're someone in this thread who somehow hasn't seen it)Snake moment was excellent and I am glad my best boy Snake got a snipe in. The rest...well, endings are hard. I kinda wish they'd had the balls to make Monkey less of a threat--she's cerebrally brilliant but as we've learned, that doesn't count for much in the face of an angry Horse--but, well, that would be equally hard to pull off. Also lmao at Dragon, totally wasted, complimenting Rooster on his totally slick pickpocketing and unwittingly putting a target on her back. I really warmed up to her despite her very silly route. Rooster also ends up as a surprisingly compelling character, come to think of it. I can kind of relate to obfuscating stupidity to reduce people's expectations, although, uh, not to this extent. He has a lot of complexity for someone who initially seems like a joke character. Wow I didn't mean to write so much. This game really had me thinking! It's super ambitious and it does a lot of really interesting things. Very cool, especially for an indie.
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May 26, 2023 16:03
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Insertnamehere31 posted:E: actually, after rereading it black didn’t actually win, white surrendered despite having a large lead with the assumption being that black saw many moves out and explained exactly how white’s defeat was inevitable. I guess in this case white was rooster and monkey was black, though it does seem odd to assume rooster would play by the books and be considerably more knowledgeable about chess than monkey. Though snake’s guess that “maybe white surrendered because they just got bored” sounds like rooster Rooster is a rich kid, I can totally buy him being forced to learn how to play chess. And I can also totally buy Monkey starting to monologue about how his defeat is inevitable and him immediately surrendering out of boredom.
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May 26, 2023 16:46
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The memorization line is probably a hint towards White being Rooster, on the basis of an actor presumably being good at memorizing lines.
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May 26, 2023 17:31
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This is a weird ending sequence.
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May 26, 2023 19:14
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But also, lol PS: "FICTION BOOKS" 
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May 26, 2023 19:14
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I think the only problem I had with that is I wanted Monkey to eat poo poo just a little harder. I mean, it mostly turned out fine, it hit all the beats of "cocky intellectual who thinks she can predict everyone's moves gets beaten by people acting unexpectedly" but I just kinda wish everyone got a chance to contribute more, instead of Monkey mostly being in control until the surprise assist from Rooster.
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May 26, 2023 19:19
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Monkey suddenly turning into pyjamas Batman and beating up the entire cast is kinda bullshit yeah.
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May 26, 2023 20:47
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Plot twist: This whole game so far has just been the plot of Rooster's first foray into screenwriting (with a role tailor-made for himself as the last-minute hero who saves the day). The final scene is going to have his screenplay getting rejected as too out-there. Shaking his fist at the closed-mindedness of the entertainment industry these days, Rooster swears he'll get the story out somehow... say, why not produce it in a different format--something that can be done by one person or a small team on a far-less-than-Hollywood budget--such as a visual novel game...?
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May 26, 2023 21:36
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 Many weeks later... [BGM: See No Evil]   Uh, hey. Nice place you have here. It... isn't. Nice of you to stop by though, Ox, I wasn't sure if I'd see you again. I don't know why you wouldn't. We did sort of go through a lot. Also, are you really going to still call me Ox, even now? Think of it as a nickname. I think of it as a reminder of a pretty thoroughly traumatic experience. Well, you always did look on the downside. Anyways, what brings you here? There's no reason in particular. I just had some time off, and wanted to see how you were holding up after the dust had really started to settle. I'm... living. Found myself a new therapist. ...Hopefully one that doesn't try to slowly brainwash me over time. That's the goal, isn't it? So how about you?Okay, so, I do have a small confession here – there's a thing the game does that I completely left out of the LP until this point, and simply acted as if it wasn't there. During the second game, when Mouse goes and talks to everyone, you actually get a dialogue option for everyone there – and there's a “right” choice you can make that changes how life goes for each surviving character in this epilogue. I left it out for a couple of reasons – firstly, it breaks the pacing REALLY hard and also would be hard to get votes for in any kind of reasonable scale, and secondly, Monkey, Pig and Rooster's questions are, uh, a little more obviously thin in scope compared to the rest considering, well, how that all shakes out... and people in the thread had already basically sussed out the broad strokes so that would be a confirmation updates before the reveal. Instead, I went ahead and picked the “right” option for all of the ones where there was a right option, and I'll just briefly mention what the neutral/default outcome for each person is as we get to it.  Quitting the whole prosecution racket, eh? How bold. Indeed. I can't say I'm feeling particularly confident in my choices right about now. However, after reflecting a bit on this whole thing, I can't help but feel my time there has been misplaced. I want to make the world a better place. But I might need to think a bit harder about how exactly I plan on going about it. Well, good for you. Have you figured out what you want to do now? I'm not sure. Something befitting my skillset, certainly.The default outcome for Ox doesn't result in him quitting prosecution, but instead he's simply taken a break to process what happened and is ready for things to get 'back to business as usual', with no other introspection on his place in how everything happened. Anyways, did you hear about the news regarding Rooster? Oh yeah, he finally woke up, didn't he? Indeed. Honestly, after spending so long in intensive care, I thought he was a goner. Totally. I can't believe that botch job we cobbled together actually ended up saving him. You can never underestimate the human spirit. You can't. ...He's probably going to jail for the rest of his life, huh? The case against him at present is actually surprisingly tenuous, should he not confess. But... yes, I would still wager on a long-term imprisonment for him. That's probably for the best. Still, I can't say I don't feel at least a little bad for him. You do? I mean, he did end up saving us, when all's said and done. And he was probably just as manipulated into being party to the whole thing as Brian was. I suppose. Still, I wouldn't have shed a tear had he not recovered. … The funeral date for Dog and Pig is still being set. It's been a while... I do think it's nice that Pig's online popularity is sort of surging post-mortem, though. I mean, it kind of seems like hollow consolation, but, you know. It's not nothing. I'm sure Pig would have appreciated that. ...As I'm sure Dog would have appreciated the media's silence on his whole part in any of this. He probably would have.Dog was dead before the second game started, so he didn't get a dialogue choice at all, and both Rooster and Pig's dialogue choices don't change anything either, for somewhat obvious reasons. Did you hear about Tiger? She apparently decided to get therapy, and like, totally changed her life around. Indeed. If I understand it right, she now intends to be a motivational speaker? That's fitting. It's definitely a large pivot for her, and yet, you're right, it suits her. I'm just glad she seems to be doing well.The default outcome for Tiger has her end up getting arrested for assault after getting in a street fight with someone, and while it's implied her sentence will be light due to first offense, her financial status, and lingering trauma from the games, Mouse and Ox note that while she'll probably be forced to get the help she needs this was hardly the ideal way for her to get it.  I also heard all about Sheep. What about Sheep? She... joined a punk rock band.Ox started coughing in response to this. I'm sorry, what? Yeah, it's crazy, right? Apparently she met up with some old friends from middle school, had a few drinks, and decided – 'gently caress it'. Huh. Wouldn't have thought it. Well, more power to her. Certainly. I hope the band makes it big.The default for Sheep, on the other hand, just has her return to her regular job as a librarian. Not much changes for her, but Mouse noted she seemed happy enough going back to the routine.  At any rate, I also heard about Bunny. Oh yeah, so did I.Since I stole that incriminating flash drive, it's been difficult to prove much regarding the whole police situation. Didn't he, like, revolutionize the police force or something? Yes. Unbeknownst to Oliver Bowen, it appears Bunny had been spending his time gathering confidants who are also sick of the current system. In a rather radical turn of events, a whole bunch of evidence has come to light which has put Bowen and many other high ranking officials under great scrutiny. They've lost their jobs, and the federal courts are considering pressing charges. In the meantime, Bunny and the others have become the acting police force in Hightower. Huh. Good for him, I guess. He... definitely strikes me as the type that would plot an uprising like that.No matter what choice you make regarding the flash drive, it doesn't influence Bunny's outcome – if you turn it in, it just “goes missing” and nothing changes.  Bunny's default outcome has him confess to his personal involvement in stuff, as well as ratting out the police force; he ends up in a high-security federal prison for his own protection while he waits to be able to testify in full, and functionally 'goes down with the ship' to ensure the corruption gets routed, rather than whistleblowing and heading up the process of change himself. This version of Bunny believes it's better for him to spend his days in a jail cell to atone, rather than cleaning up the mess the police have left.Themis does acknowledge that depending on your personal views, either of these could be the “best” outcome for Bunny, but for our purposes of getting the “right” outcome, having Bunny out of prison and helping to remove the corruption is what counts for that.   In a shocking twist, it sounds as though Horse will be joining Bunny. What? Yes, apparently he's decided to quite his job as a construction worker, and will be training to become a police officer. Something about getting a more stable income for his adopted daughter. You know, I think Horse being a police officer is kind of fitting. I... guess I could see it? Citizens can sleep safe knowing that Bunny and Horse will be watching over them at night. The default option has Horse vanish into the night completely, having been unable to process the trauma from the games and seemingly deciding the best option is to separate himself from his adoptive daughter... who is likely to end up back in an orphanage as a result. Great outcomes, guys! Either he becomes a cop or he abandons his daughter.  If we're really going to do a full recap of how everybody's been doing, I suppose I'd be remiss in not mentioning Dragon. You would be. Apparently, she's reformed her gang into a group aimed to 'protect and uplift the community'. No poo poo. Indeed. I suppose the dance with death has made Dragon turn an altruistic heel. Naturally, such drastic reforms to the group have met with a lot of backlash. A lot of people quitting, other gangs eager to take advantage of the power vacuum and the like. But... that was always to be expected. For the most part, it seems like Dragon's been keeping things together. That's a relief. I spent a lot of time imprisoned with her. I'm glad to see she's using her charisma for good. Indeed.In her default outcome, Dragon simply steps down from head of her gang and washes her hands of the whole scene. She decides to start attending community college, and in her absence the gang's activity does start winding down just naturally with the lack of a strong leader. (Mouse actually considers meeting up with Dragon for drinks and trying to spark a friendship in this outcome, so I think the default outcome is the better one, personally.) ) She's even collaborating with Snake. You're kidding. I'm dead serious. Snake apparently rekindled his love of teaching through this. I spoke with him, and he says that after everything was said and done, he realized the things that would last after he was gone was not any of his artwork, but his influence on the younger generation. The way he put it was, 'it'd be simply amoral to waste time dilly-dallying about nothing much of substance, no?' That... sounds like Snake alright. In this aim, he's been a part of a community outreach program aimed at helping high school dropouts turn their life back around. A pretty saintly idea if I've ever heard one. You're telling me. Right on, Snake. Right on.Snake's default ending has him quit his teaching job, seemingly stop producing new art under his current name, and leave Hightower completely. He functionally just goes off the grid, and nobody can get hold of him. I sighed. It was all a lot to take in. … Say, Mouse? Yes?[BGM: Rat's Awakening]  Have you been, er, bothered at all about what Monkey was talking about back then? You're gonna have to be a bit more specific there. That lady said a lot of crazy poo poo. I'm talking about her whole spiel about how the world is 'predestined' and everything. I've been thinking about it ever since, and... she raises a point, you know? In this very specific avenue, I mean. It's just... I don't know how to refute it. … Ox, have you heard of 'playing your outs'? Hm? I heard about it from Snake when we were imprisoned at Dog's. Basically, the idea is that if there's a situation where you always win, or always lose, you ignore it. After all, your decisions don't matter in those scenarios. Instead, you just focus on the situations where your choices can change things. I think that's pretty applicable here. How so? Perhaps predetermination is real. Who gives a poo poo? If that's the case, then whatever. But if it's not? Then think about how ridiculous it'd be to use predetermination as a crutch! Imagine failing to win a race and then claiming that 'you never could have won the race, because it was predestined'. It's laughable, right? Well... when you put it like that. I think it's important to keep in mind that everyone has their own circumstances that made them the way they are, and that sometimes things happen without much of a good reason. That's all fine and good. But beyond that? The only use I can see for thinking about that type of stuff is just making yourself depressed. I don't know if I have 'true free will' or whatever. But I know that I'm experiencing my life. I know that the choices I make are what will make my life better... or worse. And that's really all that matters to me. It's kind of a dismissive way of thinking about it, though. Is that so wrong? Who's to say? I am. Then it isn't so wrong. Exactly. Standing there, my eyes wandered to the stolen USB still sitting on my desk. Evidently, so did Ox's. Is that... It is. I figured. I knew you took it when I realized it wasn't recovered at the scene. ...So, what are you going to do with it? Why'd you take it? Are you going to publish it online, for all the world to see? Or are you going to put it to your own uses, blackmailing people like Amadeus did in the past? Or are you just going to start by looking through it all, and decide from there? …Truthfully speaking, I didn't know why I had grabbed that USB drive. I just figured that turning it in would be a mistake, and I didn't want its secrets to vanish into the ether forever. That flashdrive represented opportunity. Possibility. With it, I could do so many things. I could be a benevolent revealer of the truth, or a devilish mastermind just like Bowen. Who deserved to be outed? What secrets should stay secrets? I'd need to decide all that by myself. They were important questions. But I was the one who'd be in control of answering them. And that was the most important thing.  [True Ending – Joker] There are infinite ways in the universe to live. This... is merely one. No man has a set path that he must walk. But in the end, we all must make the choice of which. … [BGM: Sleepy Sheep]       
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May 26, 2023 23:18
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Well that was... a lot. Fun ride, though! Thanks for LPing it!!
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May 27, 2023 01:17
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Man, Horse really deserved better. Weak route, weak endings. Vaguely interesting that we only got real names for half the cast, I think? We got first names for Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Bunny, Rooster and Monkey. Maybe they just couldn't be bothered coming up with actual names for everyone.
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May 27, 2023 01:35
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It's really over then. Bunny was surprisingly effective! We didn't need the USB as insurance after all.
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May 27, 2023 01:43
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