Lurker > Mega Mana

Not gonna get rhythm or sports done, I don't think.

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Eerieka posted...

Nice to see you, Mega Mana! How's it going?

Its going well. Havent touched Hig5 yet. Been playing a lot of D&D and Hades. How's everything your way?

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Eerieka posted...

We get to the epitaph solving part! Huzzah! We learn Kinzos homeland was Taiwan, and I get to reveal that Arrias computer has a Made In Taiwan sticker on it that has been bothering me THIS ENTIRE GAME and how I always wanted to say something snarky like the answer is right in front of you.

XDXDXD

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

So, how is Higurashi played? Umineko has a few very set foundations embedded from the start:

1. Who is the killer and how do they accomplish their murders?
2. Can you prove that all the murders were done by humans and successfully deny witches?
3. Who is Beatrice?
4. Most importantly, why is this happening? What is the motive?
5. Is there a way to save everyone?

There are many, many other mysteries dancing about throughout as well like: what's up with Maria? Where is the gold? How do you solve the epitaph? Who wrote the letters? What happened to Kinzo? Does Kumasawa regularly feed the mustached walrus mackerel? All the parents need a lot of money and they need it RIGHT NOW, but can they see why kids love cinnamon toast crunch? Why can't George and Shannon just fall in love together without spoiling Jessica/Kanon and Battler/Beatrice? Who is Maria's father? Why is Krauss arguably the least relevant main character to the story aside from Gohda? What happened to the rose (spoiler: Gohda used it in his dinner! I solved that the first time I played and people commended me for it! Then I was endlessly ridiculed for never figuring out what the **** happened in episode 3)? Etc. etc.

If Higurashi is anything like Umineko, then it is solvable right now with all the clues given. Even though Shkanontrice felt impossible to me even long after Episode 7 spelling it out, in retrospect... it was... plausible? It makes more tangible sense after playing Higurashi so far, with twins and mistaken identities and "Oh you think Mion and Shion are one person? Guess what' they're two people! Enjoy the sequel game where we reverse this and turn who you thought were two people into one!"

What is the mystery of Higurashi then?

1. What is Oyashiro-sama's curse and why do two people die/disappear every year?
2. What exactly happens in 1983?
3. Who is the killer and what is their motive?
4. Every scenario is different, but what are the core elements consistent to all of them?
5. Is there a way to save everyone?

The thing hammered in during the afterparties is what remained the same? Tomitake and Takano were always the two victims of Watanagashi; all the murders in previous years happened as they did; every character is the same in every game; Tomitake always dies in the same way at the same time in the same location; Keiichi suffers punishment games.

The core is Tomitake then, isn't it? He's an ancillary character, gut an important lynchpin to the events surrounding everything. No matter if Satoko's having a miserable home like, Shion and Mion are fighting for control of their existence and perception as their own person, or Rena's axe crazy and spiking paranoid Keiichi's riceballs with hot sauce needles, Tomitake always dies clawing out his throat in the woods and Takano is always missing/dead. But we follow the Gaming Club. Why?

Keiichi is a newcomer with fresh eyes on the village. He is easily manipulated into thinking the worst, horrible at healthy communication, but is loyal, hopeful, and takes actions he thinks are necessary. He is the faceless protagonist though probably not a detective. His decisions cause wide ranging ripples to affect the others, but aside from a simple interaction with Tomitake/Takano or two, and outside of episode 2 where he sneaks with them into the storeroom, those two scenarios seem to have nothing much to do with each other. Do we only use Keiichi-kun in these scenarios to establish the pattern of events and timelines leading up to Tomitake's death? By showing how much Keiichi can affect or be affected by things happening, does his minimal but significant enough interactions with the photographer actually highlight that part of the story?

Okay, then who is Tomitake? He's a photographer who regularly comes this time of year to do birdwatching. Established in Akasaka's.... hmm.

Is Rika the only one who mentions Tomitake in episode four?

If Rika is established as knowing what's to come, my previous thought of Tomitake being around since before Akasaka arrived in 1978 no longer holds up. Akasaka is a birdwatcher "just like Tomitake," but if this is an offhand comment by someone with foreknowledge... Tomitake may not have shown up yet. He might've been sent after Akasaka to fill the same role as badge-hiding observer. Tomitake an undercover cop? He is there to investigate the murders before they happen and who may be responsible? He talks with Keiichi in game one warning him of the town, and being the harbinger by bringing up the past murders and the village's involvement in the dismemberment of the dam workers. He is also using the distraction of Watanagashi to break into the shrine and see the ritual implements, maybe gather information on how murders/disappearanceswere carried out. And he always dies shortly after tearing at his own throat. Keiichi suffers a similar affect in game one, going crazy paranoid and looking to tear out his own throat if not for needing to kill everyone who's out to get him.

And doesn't Shion/Mion commit a similar suicide after the events of episode two?

Also, Satoshi likely murders his aunt to protect Satoko before disappearing himself. And in 1 and 3, characters comment on how much like Satoshi Keiichi is getting: bat-wielding paranoid in 1, vengeful protector of Satoko in 3.

Why does Irie commit suicide before the explosion in 3? What happened to Satoko's uncle? Why did Satoko try to kill Keiichi? What happened to Rika? Why does Rena short-circuit and become terrifying? How much is Mion involved in the family business in the first three games? Why does Chie have a sprite but others don't?

I've fried my brain enough for now.

Kira, may I ask if you have any subtle hints or directions you think I should take, ala Rika trying to help Akasaka help herself?

And should I go back and play the first four games again to try and figure things out on my own before moving onto the Answer arcs?

....Also, why did I just notice your name is an anagram of Rika, Kira? Have you been the Witch of Miracles this entire time??? And are you still a vampire hunter at night, or have you and Arria established new scenarios now that it's been a few months together?

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

higurashi continues

• He lives! Irie's taking care of him! All is well!
• Ooishi giving him a bit of spending money? Well, that's nice of him, but didn't he win all of their money at mahjong night? =P
• There we go. Incentive to play Mahjong again, XD
• Severed phones? Oh this is not good. Ooishi, this man needs an escort, NOW
• Creepy Rika time.
• God, if there weren't so much unease and tension, this back-and-forth would be super adorkable.
• ...Watanagashi...
• Wow, the festival picks up steam after the murders happen? interesting note. Thanks psychic Rika.
• So saving the grandchild as Akasaka did, instead of either possible amicable release or death of the kidnapped kid... results in the Hinamizawa murders? Rika dies in the Keiichi year? Foreman, Satoko's parents, Rika's parents, Satoko's aunt, ???.
• I just want to hug Rika ;_; Rika knows all this is to come.

---next chapter, 1985 ---

• Ahhh, robed Ooishi go away!
• Memorial service? Did something happen to his wife? His child?
• Nooo....
• He says had he just gone home, things would be different. I posit that had he made a phone call, she'd be okay? Or did Rika-chan save her from being killed in aother way. The first two victims of Watanagashi... the wife killed, the baby disappeared??? And the baby is BEATORIIICHE
• Oh. Rika gave him... one last night of hope. Okay. Time travel is not to be questioned, things are ordained.... but what if- *stops, this fragment is as it is, even if Rika could've told him some Signs-level propethic words like 'Swing away' and prevented Aka's injury from being all that bad so he could've calle din the afternoon, huh???*
• These are... the murders of the third game? Or do these happen every game?
• Discover the truth - KOMA.

• "Hey, Ooishi. You've been in a lot of this episode. Better watch out!" *destroyed by Satoko and Mion*
• Is Rika a witch? Shion denies magic, Rena believes it's a possibility, SIGN THE CONTRACT BATTLER
• Shion pretends to help Satoko only to whisk away all the main characters.
• Noble Irie, undone by maid Satoko... shameful!
• There's somebody who resents Shion for appearing? How is turning off the li... liiii..... oh my god... XD XD XD Keiichi only appears if the lights are turned off because he doesn't have a sprite, WTF this is amazing.
• The dawn of perverted and cutesy Higurashi? Where Rena wants in? Sounds like two certain ladies reading through Umineko thinking lewdly about Battler/Beatrice innuendos and hot butler tea time... ^_~
• Oh, that was Irie speaking, not Rena, to go with Keiichi. My bad. It's dark, and excited Irie and excited Rena sound kind of the same.
• MINISKIRT NURSE OUTFIT Hauuuu~ ...I also thought Takano was Irie for a moment. So... IUrie in the miniskirt nurse. My bad there too. So many mistakes!
• XD XD XD, Tommy and Kuraudo arrive! They can be at the afterparty with the lights off too! Oh my god, this is the best. Now the principal and Akasaka joining with Keii- Demon Lord K.
• Chie has swords? But Chie uses her fists and her feet in battle, kicking enemies out of fights entirely!
• The church? The Black something? The Seventh Hour? What is happeniiiing?~!
• And a careful warning that the Answer arcs begin next, and if we want to play the game to its fullest, we should go wild with our theories now before things begin to narrow down. THE MIDPOINT IS REACHED!!!
• 
  

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Eerieka posted...

Bern and Will talk about how Lion is the disappearing/dead cat in the cat box.
A: The name is appropriate. All lions dont think theyre cats, until you see one sitting in a box.

XD

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Guh, Higurashi again already?

• No way this wallet with the same first name and last initial would be the missing grandson's wallet. And that picture only barely resembles the missing kid. And the handwritten note with the same handwriting as the victim stating that he loves his grandfather who is the minister of construction must be talking about a different minister of construction in in Kyoto or something, not Tokyo! Foolish fools.
• Ha, the hammer brought down by a dental card. Wow, the wallet was left there six or seven days ago. Interesting.
• Kid's pretty smart. If this weren't going to end up badly, I'd say this kid is pullig off a miracle with the acting like he can't hear them, putting together all the information and the best plans to escape, and then the feigned illness. Of course, this is where Irie will come in, isn't it?
• Huh. It's very hard for a civilian to obtain a gun in Japan. Well, damn, I should've seen that before. Mion has a gun holstered constantly. That should've been more significant and apparent to me (or to Keiichi?).
• Whoa, there's Rika at the construction protest. And we donm't know what she said... Tip? Tip please?
• I also feel something is off. Finding the wallet in a thicket along this long road around the same time the kidnappers passed through.
• Here comes Irie! With or without the grandson, hm?
• Rock to the head!!! Akasaka, no!
• Ooishi to the rescue! I feel like I'm watching the season one finale of True Detective.
• Nice, they saved the boy, both are still alive, no one died... what will go wrong?

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

HIGURASHI 4 TAKEOVER CONTINUES

• Kanou-sama is his check-in guy. Part of me is curious whether that's actually someone back in Tokyo or someone with really good connections and understanding with the ODA getting him to spill.
• Interesting note. The operator asked to connect Kanou first, but directly connected Ooishi. Probably nothing but Ooishi being locally known.
• The mahjong parlor we've seen in TIPS before! Did not expect games club with Aka and Ooi.
• Who's the new narrator? It's not Akasaka, and not Ooishi. Informant, or middle aged man? There's a Sato amongst them. Or maybe we are Ooishi. I don't understand Mahjong (or Bridge) at all, but I like how whenever a main character is actually being competent, we switch focus away from them.
• Old man = Dam Foreman; can't stand Sonozaki's daughter (Mion? Shion?) - Infor Man(t) = Sato
• Oryou Sonozaki = Empress, head of Sonozaki clan and decision-maker. Mion worthy to succeed Oryou. Mayor Kiichirou Kimiyoshi and his family attending, Rika's priest father and mother and her attending. The Sonozakis attending were like a giant snake coiled about the room.
• Mion with some strong authority. Her father married into the family and has Shishibone under underground control. Sato saying that the Sonozaki's know about the kidnapping is huge news.
• They know about a Public Safety person sent all the way from Tokyo?! Wait, so, did this meeting happen yesterday? Is this the Rika warning Akasaka, because she was in that meeting and already knows? Is that why they were fishing for information, especially if he was from Tokyo? Yup, yesterday. So Rika was a trap laid for Akasaka at the dropoff point, and the bus likely had more than a few people on watch for him.
• ...Holy ****, a choice? In one of these games?! Oh, oh no. Red or blue?!? The other box will disappear and I won't get to see it. Ahhhh~ The red truth it is! That was a really good, introspective tip on the power and finality of choice-making. Wish I made better decisions in life, and didn't choose 'open neither box' so often.
• Mion calling her father to take out the grandson or to release?

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Last time on Higurashi 4, I remember being somebody else and going to Hinamizawa... at some point in time? Glad I left notes in someone else's topic! (Yours, =P). Mamoru Akasaka, expecting a child, there five years before Keiichi's story, dam project protests under way, lots of lore about the families of the town. Okay, let's do this? Oh yeah, and the PM's kid was kidnapped and I'm sent here to see if the ODA had anything to do with it.

• North Wind and Sun. Oh, Ryukishi07.
• Ukita Waterworks - New Place. Wonder if that's around the garbage site with Colonel Sanders.
• A camera... and a knapsack. To look completely... casual... O_O
• Is Akasaka.... Tomitake?!?! Is that why we're here? He'd been going to Hinamizawa the past few years, but wait, didn't he not come back here, or see Ooishi at the least, in seven years? Or did Tomitake take up Akasaka's slack in coming years after whatever happens happens.
• And there it is. The passengers staring at him from the bus. Wonderful. Thank you creepy-ass town.
• Ha! He was directed to get off there. Yup, he's intentionally been marked by being too trusting.
• Awww, there's a sleeping girl in there? But who? Who?
• "Whether we could tell if they were a boy or a girl was, in the end, dependent on whether or not we could get an image of their genitalia." ...Yep. I am definitely thinking more about Umineko than Higurashi when I play this game.
• "MEEP" Yay Rika! XD, 'this girl was way better at interrogating someone than Ooishi', XD
• "Tomitake Mk II" Okay, there goes those earlier theories!
• This fatherhood gaze is heartwarming. Don't crush me later, game.
• Makino: Farmer mayor assigned to accompany Akasaka (and Rika). Auditor of ODA?
• Ugh, Akasaka. I know you're happy to be gushing about our wife ready to give birth, but, uh, you're touring a random ass village instead of being with your pregnant wife. Why? Isn't that suspicious? *beat* Oh good, Makino asked that right away.
• Rika being cute, Rika being cute, Akasaka sharing an opinion, Rika being cute, Akasaka explains thinking she's to oyoung to understand, and Rika gets this new face where she's all business.
• Kiichirou Kimiyoshi - Mayor of Hinamizawa and president of ODA
• Why doesn't the Mayor get a portrait, but the teacher at the school did?
• 'It's already been decided?'?
• Geez, serious-faced five-year-old Rika is intimidating. "Go back to Tokyo." Rika's pulling Akasaka back before he crosses the street...
• Geezus, who is this kid???
• Maybe she was possessed, but she was warning Akasaka. Why? And now she's a small cute little Rika-chan again. I need to think. Hmm... 'It is decided.' 'Go back to Tokyo.' Warnings. Is there foreknowledge? The Rika that appeared... didn't look sinister so much as... done. Tired. Forlorn. WEll ,the smile was sinister, but she was also described as a stray cat earlier by Akasaka... is there some tie here to FredeRIKA Bernkastel? If... if Akasaka leaves to go back to Tokyo, instead of staying, would things change? If the Dam Project ends because it is decided that that happens, what would change? Does... oooh. I really need to pay more attention (helps that the last time I played was a month ago)
• Okay, so, if Akasaka goes back, would that prevent some of the deaths that occur? I forget who is first and why, but didn't Rika's parents get demoned away for... no it was Satoko's for collaborating against the project. If Akasaka leaves, does that save Satoko's parents? Or Rika's? Or both? Or the dam people and their hacked up limbs? What does Akasaka's continued presence do?
• TIPS: Whoa, there is a kidnapping and it's involved with the Dam Project? Wow! I'm tempted not to say it's the same one Akasaka is looking into, but...
• Predetermined fate??? Wait, I was thinking that was Keiichi's kitchen, but maybe this is Bernkastel?! Past data determining events to come, but predetermination is so boring and suffocating. If only things were different than expected? Well, this doesn't sound like the prelude to Danganronpa at all!
• Narrator (Bern?) hoping for a rain cloud (bad times, chaos, change) because he/she's tired of clear skies (order, established story, sameness).
• Oryou Sonozaki. A heavy millstone that needs lots of people to turn it for it to work and grind things to a pulp. The town working together to stop the dam, in unison carrying out a kidnapping? Or the dam project being stopped would be very hard to start up again. Mion and Oryou smiling about Irie wondering idly whether the project could in fact be stopped.

Very interesting episode...

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Lol, I just checked this topic ten minutes ago, XD

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

4/28 - Trials of Mana

Fun blast from the past. There were some definite ease of play improvements from the original that also broke the game and made it too easy in the last third, but still fun and very anti-frustration (which a lot of my SD3 playthroughs did: ended in frustration). Hawkeye, Kevin, Angela ticket; Kevin was a lot of fun to main, running through battles like a whirlwind, while Angela started out a mess but ended up the best, loved her for boss fights. Will probably play again in the future with the other three, but burnt out at the moment.

5/3 - The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

Starting up Life is Strange 2 episode two, they asked if I had a save from this game. Free to play, went and did so... it was good, but anxious. Very anxious. A lot of surface tension with underlying heaviness. Very short as well.

And I thought that was the worst emotional stuff I would play that day... and then I got about thirty minutes in to episode two of Life is Strange 2. I have not gone back yet since last week. Fuck you, game.

5/9 - Knights of Pen & Paper +1

It would've been amazing to watch Critical Role with, but for some reason, it just ate up more computer power than freaking Octopath Traveler and made watching Youtube on the same monitor untenable. Did watch on my phone for the last few hours of gameplay, so that was nice. Boring-ass grind otherwise.

5/9 - One Step From Eden

I beat a boss in Peaceful Run after about 55-60 attempts. I'm counting this as over and done with. Very fun, very fast-paced, I am not good at those. I do enjoying unlocking Lea costume from CrossCode, and that was the only reason I got this game in the first place!

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

4/19 - Ori and the Blind Forest (Steam)
4/22 - Cladun x2 (Steam)

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Realized I'd recently beaten 26 games, decided to toss them in. Not planning on beating any 80s or rhythm games, though, so I don't expect to finish the challenge this year.


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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

-Hmm? Who is this? A middle-aged man with a suitcase going to Sapporo? ANGE?
-Oh, I'm meeting Kuraudo Ooishi, so I'm a friend of his? Former detective from Okinomiya? So is this the future? Again?
-We met seven years ago, in 1978. So it is now 1985, two years after the Great Hinamizawa Disaster. A kidnapping, a mysterious girl? Seven years ago would be... five years prior so... the Dam incident?
-My name is Mamoru Akasaka, and I have no idea who I am or how I am not Keiichi Maebara.

June 1978
-Ah, the Hinamizawa Dam protest was last month. What was that again? There was missing people and a person cut into pieces, iirc? It's been about two or three years since I played through Episode 1.
-Nigthengale, Skylark... this a sting? Protection? Security? Rabblerousing?
-Oh, a kidnapping? Toshiki Inugai-kun. Related to Minister Inugai?
-"There were no direct calls to or from this line." This sentence doesn't mean anything to me. It's just Ihad a hard time reading it after parsing all that split text in the obituaries that the sentence looks encoded to my eyes. Too many short spaces.
-Hidden identity speaking to the Minister. What does any of this have to do with Hinamizawa?
-They put something in the Minister's drawer?
-The boy's nametag? How and when?

-Yukie? Who's Yukie?!
-If it's a boy, 'Mamoru' and if a girl, 'Yuki' and if neither and both at the same time, we'll go to the Golden Land ahaha.wav
-I still have no idea what is happening. Okay, so Akasaka is going to name his kid Mamoru or Yuki, his wife is Yukie, and he has a father-in-law. He's also a police rookie in Tokyo during a kidnapping case. Am I playing Higurashi?
-Ohhh... Minister of Construction. Dam Project. I see....
-Wow, not just the grandson of the Minister, but also his senior staff's kids.
-I suddenly want to play 428 Shibuya Scramble again. If you haven't played, highly recommend it!
-Onigafuchi Defense Alliance
-Yup, the entire village prepares an alibi. It's exactly what Mion and Rena were doing for Keiichi after the festival, and he just didn't understand.
-Ooishi shows up! First sprite of the game. S File, part of the ODA / yakuza, for Sonozaki, which Ooishi is in charge of.
-Treasurer is O. Sonozaki. President - K. Kimiyoshi, mayor of Hinamizawa. Vice President - Furude, priest. Auditor - Makino. Liaison - Y. Kimiyoshi, PR Head - Tadayoshi Sonozaki. Yoshio head of Youth Dept.
-Mayor just a figurehead. Aware of Ooishi's car and would have hidden the barricade.
-Ooishi pointing out a house we've seen plenty of times on Keiichi's walk to school. Kimiyoshi house?
-Ah, blocked off by the Sonozaki family with heavy security.
-Lots of chess games with information. Ooishi got a lot of info about the kidnapping ,and now he's replying towards Onigafuchi Village origins and demons.

Interesting first chapter. Wanted to keep it short ,but it was much, much different than previous games.

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

HIGURASHI EPISODE 4

I'll try and be a lot shorter with my posts. I don't want to take away from Umineko reads!!!
-All the mysteries are right here in this final chapter? Oh god, is Yasu going to be asking me to remember my sin?
-Okay, let's see... what is the mystery? Who killed Tomitake? Why is this happening every year on the same night? What do our characters have to do with it? Why isn't Keiichi worthy of a sprite?
-Episode 1 was all about learning about the town, meeting the club, and slowly growing more paranoid about the curse and past murders and Rena's crazy eyes. Satoshi's absence and disappearance a year ago was a big part. I think Rena and he had a thing going, but he also called Mion a year prior if past events in Episode 3 are still steady. He likely killed his aunt or covered it up. He also seemed to go crazy like Keiichi had... except the differences between Episodes 1 and 3 is that Keiichi was paranoid against his club (like Satoko in Episode 3?) and not against the people hurting Satoko. Mion&Co both described Keiichi as acting as Satoshi had the year prior (reclusive, paranoid, focused brutality, demon-possessed). Rena was also a complete sketchbook, and Mion seemed manipulative. There was a needle in the muffin, except it was likely hot sauce or something?
-Episode 2 is a blur except for Mion/Shion madness where Keiichi was kind of a dunce about it, confusing the two repeatedly and making assumptions all the time. I think Shion killed Mion and took her place towards the end out of jealousy. There was a lot less terribleness in Episode 3 because Shion was established somewhat so Keiichi didn't seem as confused between the two (like Battler growing used to the idea of Beatrice).
-The tea party also set Tomitake and Takano going to the ritual storehouse every festival night and dying/disappearing the next day. It seems as set as Kinzo in the furnace, something that almost always happens after the game has begun, something perpetually set in motion despite other things changing.
-So... should I focus on Satoshi and his relationships and what happened then? Tomitake/Takano festival night? Rika's role as the festival princess and how her family is as badly impacted as Satoko's? There's also the Sonozaki clan with all their power and influence and numbers. Three families, right. This episode also looks like it should focus on the fourth of the girls (Natsuhi/Rena - Rosa/Mion - Eva/Satoko - Kyrie/Rika).

Okay, okay, to the actual episode. KEEP IT SHORT!

-Quote to start us off, with the weird text under Bernkastel's name. Reminded me to go back and look at and look at the obituary screenshots I took. The bodies found before the disaster were in their own thing, with Ooishi and 'Katsuya Kumatani?' (Who?) as 'bad guys' that might be better with misunderstandings cleared up while Coach Irie was too good and needs to be 'a terrible criminal in the end.'?
-And for everyone else, may they all rest in peace... except for Satoko, Uncle Houjou, Teacher Chie, and.... 'Yukikazu Kameda' (Who?). All four are missing persons. Did Chie have something to do with disappearing Houjou then? Or did she get Satoko to safety? Who are Kumatani and Kameda?
-Who is Tatsuyoshi Kasai and why does he have a thing for Shion?
-Wait, is Frederica Bernkastel narrating these obituaries? Because the same font is under her name.
-Above and below the Higurashi Episode 3 title are Shion's comments (above) and Tomitake's (below). Does that mean something?
-Really cool commentary on all his Ryukishi07's support and team.

ALRIGHT TO EPISODE 4, FINALLY

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

4/5 Grim Fandango Remastered (Steam)
Took a few years, and some guides, but I finally got through it. Fun game, would not play again. Maybe watch, but never play.

4/11 Invisible Inc. (Steam)
Also, took a while, mostly because I didn't realize the 72 hour time limit was just to get to a final stage, not like a Majora's Mask type thing. I looked up to see if there were alternate endings to keep playing for, but sadly the game ends where it ends and how it does. Ultimately a letdown, but presumably fun for those who like the harder difficulty settings.

Also, X-COM: Enemy Unknown comparison because I stopped for a long time before the final fight for too long before restarting, not knowing I was at the end.

4/15 Brtal Legend (Steam)
One of the earlier games I got on Steam, back when I made purchases very sparingly, and I finally completed it. I had much more fun this time around knowing I'd have to do RTS, and having a Steam Controller to get through it. Thought it was pretty solid overall with some twists that surprised me after all this time. Don't think "Angel Witch" and "We Are the Road Crew" will be leaving my head anytime soon. Ophelia <3

4/16 Higurashi Ch.3 - Tatarigoshi (Steam)
Wow. Third game in a row where I'm fine getting through the beginning and the end, but the middle chapters I flee from for months on end. Really, really good, very surprising, hard to read, hard to play, but ultimately... just wow.

4/16 Arcania: Fall of Setarrif (Steam)
That was dissatisfyingly short. I thought it was a complete sequel, not realizing it was a four-hour dlc campaign for the main game. Very straightforward, pretty easy. Did some nice story beats to add to the poor end of the first game, but still... there was a brand new map and I only explored about 5% of it and fought the final boss without realizing that was the final boss. Whatever, it's over and I can move on.


---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

HIGURASHI 3 - PART 12

-Without a body, there isn't a beginning.
-Keiichi happily waving to a lady as he goes off to murder.
-Poor Satoko. Look at this mess...
-O___________________________________O
-She's still alive... for now.
-TEN-THOUSAND?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?
-Keiichi goes crazy and destroys Satoko's house.
-Okay, good ,take her to the clinic.
-Who's the victim they're talking about? Is it Coach? It is! ;_;
-And Ooishi's car is missing?! Oyashiro-sama sure has a lot of victims o_o
-Not feeling comfortable with this almost naked Satoko sprite. Nope, updated is worse.
-I want Satoko to have clothes, too!
-Keiichi's confession to Satoko ;_;
-RIIIKA?!?!?!?!!>!?>#!<!$?<!?$<tl; mdsoh gia
-Who... how... what? It... how...
-Satoko reacts perfectly understandably to seeing Keiichi with a hatchet.
-This bridge scene has me in tears.
-?
-Wait, who was possessed, Satoko? What are you talking about? I'm getting Umineko Episode 3 vibes right now. -You know, the ones at the end where Virgilia and Beatrice are trying to get Battler to acknowledge them as witches right before Virgilia opens her eyes?
-Satoko trying to kill the curse by killing who she thinks is possessed...
-Poor Satoko...

TIPS
-Oyashiro could have many different interpretations? And one of them is that the shrine is the demon?
-Rika's the eighth generation resurrection of the demon??
-Who wrote that? That it would make his or her heart pound with excitement if the world fell back into hell?

PART 13
-*continues thinking it's time for the afterparty, surprised to see Keiichi alive*
-Wow, no cicadas. It must be all over, for the higurashi aren't crying.
-All... all of them are dead... did Keiicih's wish for Hinamizawa to die... come true?
-A survivor? An defense force? What... what's happening?
-He'd been gone a full day before he finally woke up? What... what happened in that time?
-Down along a small river...? If I were to make a case for witchcraft, the demon left Keiichi's body, flowed down the small river, and carried out his last wish.
-Over 1000 victims O_O
-All the colorful boxes... were corpses...
-The footsteps are gone, Keiichi is free.
-Volcanic gas from the swamp... could it have been the motorcycle?
-Keiichi is the only survivor?!
-Those ending credits... I had to screenshot them all because I need to read those mysteryious bits. Very, very good of them to cut up the words like they did so our brain can't process first-letter-last-letter easily.
-THERE'S MORE!
-A journalist? Photography? Is it T-Tomitake? Was he still alive in '95?
-11-28-83 Keiichi Maebara.
-I like the commentary at the bottom.
-And then he died two days later after cursing this person...
-BABY AHAHA.WAV WHAT THE FFFFFF

REVIEW SESSION
-I did enjoy it, Rena! I did! It made my heart hurt.
-YAYYY! Satoko's wearing clothes again!
-Yes, thanks, Rena. Let's clap for all the new portraits, and laugh as Keiichi gets the 'Sorry Matt Damon, we ran out of time' treatment again. CRUEL!

IRIE KYOUSUKE

• I thought he was an alright guy. Doctor/Coach who knew Satoshi and cared about what was happening to Satoko. He was trusted enough to be Kei's confidante this episode when usually I think it's been Ooishi kind of, sort of. I guess the big mysteries with him right now are: what was he going to do with Keiichi, and why did he commit suicide (apprarently)? Hmm, four bodies that day I haven't really speculated on: Takano, Ooishi(?), Irie, and Ri... Rika. I don't even know where to begin on speculation. If the uncle is dead and he was disappeared before Keiichi tried to dig him up, then... hmm...
• My gut is telling me... I think...No. Satoko couldn't have killed Rika. But... Satoko felt guilty enough about something to boil herself in the bath, there was food for two, and Rika/Rena/Mion were all lying for both Satoko and Keiichi the day before which Satoko was equally incredulous of, even if she insisted her uncle was still alive? Did she think Rika was possessed? ...No, Rika's body was all the way at the shrine and cut to pieces. I don't think that was Satoko. Maybe Ooishi? No, that's dumb too. I don't know how Rika died. I maybe might suspect Takano because we never saw Tomitake's body, and she seemed like she killed someone, but Rika was at school with them the next day. So she was killed the night Keiichi talked to Coach and dug up the grave. Maybe Coach? But why? I should just continue because I don't even know what I'm trying to answer.

CHIE-SENSEI

• I don't understand her portrait. Maybe just to be nice to have a teacher around? She didn't do much this episode except exposit and help tell Satoko's story. Maybe thast's all she needed. That and ramen.

-Hahaha, MeepRika<3 wants the foamy barley tea as well
-Plot discussion! Yay!
-Just realized, Shion was in like a single scene this episode, right? The baseball game?
-The mood has been set.
-Three facets are the same:

• The characters are the same. Rena was scary in the first episode, but she could also be scary here.
• Tomitake is always dead in the same way in the same place on the same day.
• ...what's the third facet? Tomitake dying on the same day? Or Takano-Tomitake going into the ritual storehouse?

-Lol Shion. "Yaaay, Big Sis is needed for the bad ending!"
-Whaaaat?! Shion's the main character next time? Maybe this is so Keiichi gets a portrait!
-XD XD, "Well portraits of Kei-chan would be a big waste of disc space."
-I'm just happy everyone doesn't dissolve in bloody goop during these. Thanks Umineko.

Well, that was something!


---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

HIGURASHI EPISODE 3 PART 10
Start: 5:00pm EST

• The show must go on!
• Haha, Keiichi didn't know about d20 so he wanted to make a d20 so he could win at board games!
• I'm just imagining these flashbacks as something to occupy Keiichi's digging mind.
• Hahaha, his first time in the classroom was one of Satoko's traps!
• "It would all be over very soon. Everything would end." I liked the flashes of different scenes in... I was about to say Rokkenjima and now I can't rmemeber the name of the town.
• Interesting. What's going through Keiichi's mind? What changed everything violet?
• Geez, Keiichi...
• *goes about ten minutes without commenting on the entire murder/burial/return sequence*
• T-Takano?!
• O.o She knows about the body?! Whaaat?
• Oh, she was joking... maybe?
• Oh... and she also maybe probably killed Tomitake?!?!?!?!!?
• You both killed someone. You both 'didn't see each other' this night. You both are dancing about it. Keiichi, there's one thing you must do right now.
• Kiss her.
• "I wish" then silent chimes... I'm fully expecting a golden butterfly to flutter about.
• Tomitake in the oil drum??!? No lie, when I hear 'forest fire in the mountains' I wanna play Life is Strange: Before the Storm.
• Wait, they had their eye on the Houjou residence the whole time? And Tomitake clawed out his own throat? Then... who was in the oil drum? And... and who did Keiichi kill?!?!
• Oh, wait, he left on his motorbike. Okay. So, Keiichi probably did kill Houjou.

Alright, might as well keep going! I'm actually getting through this. Wonder if I can edit in the next phase before the hour is up.


---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

HIGURASHI EPISODE 3 PART 9

Start time: 1:33pm EST

• Saying goodbye to my day already and hello to an equally anxiety-inducing Daredevil Season 2 I'm almost done with. Y'know, for when Higurashi becomes too much.
• Perfect crimes aren't always the works of God, Keiichi. Sometimes they're witches!
• 'And Then There Were None' was really good.'Murder on the Orient Express' I also read and thoroughly enjoyed.
• Whoa... so the perfect crime doesn't even have a beginning with detectives coming to the scene. SO... Umineko wouldn't be Umineko without Shannon placing those messages in bottles and fueling rampant speculation over what would be classified as just a big explosion. Well, except for Eva getting out alive in a fragment. And Battler. Y'know, there really should be a fragment where Shannon doesn't drown. If amnesiac Battler and Aunt Eva fragments exist, why isn't there one of Yasu surviving? Would it be too depressing?
• Yes, Keiichi. Killing him without anyone finding out and disposing of the body where no one could find would be the perfect crime. It's too bad it's already been done. Four times. In four consecutive years. Keiichi, you are LITERALLY talking about Oyashiro's curse. Where one body is found dead, but the other is vanished completely.
• Keiichi's need to plan and kill right here? This is because it's been about a week since they last had a game night. Little to Keiichi's knowledge, the club plays games to keep Keiichi occupied and placated knowing without it, he'd turn into a psychopath.
• Curious new song. Disjointed, off. Like a weird Animal Crossing (GCN at least) early early morning town tune, but with a twist. Especially with the cicadas buzzing.
• Fffff.... you're thinking of beating her uncle to death with a metal baseball bat? Oh, Keiichi... you really don't know how deep into Satoshi's shoes you're stepping. And you're planning on running away. Leaving Satoko alone. Again. Dammit, Keiichi.
• One of the rules for standing in for him. Yep, he's gonna be Satoshi. It's a rule that the killer must impersonate Beatrice.
• Someone please slap Keiichi in the face.
• Didn't have a time planned. Ah~ that's how Yasu is a much better killer than Keiichi. She had a deadline. A DEAD line. Or, rather more appropriately, a dead LINE. Because of a ceratin character's EMPHASIS.
• Keiichi's house looks like it has a giant oversized envelope at the top.
• Ooh... Mion is asking Kei to do it? Is Mion planning the same thing? Is that why she's been drinking? ARE THEY BOTH BLOODTHIRSTY, especially after Keiichi asked her this favor from Oyashiro the other day?
• ...Oooh, did... did Satoshi do the same thing a year ago? Tell Mion to take care of Satoko while he took care of the aunt?!?
• Poor Mion, poor Satoko...
• I'm sorry, I have to read that TIP again. What's being reported? Why did that music hit so hard at the end?
• So, they arrested a guy for drug possession, and that guy had information only the killer of Aunt Houjou would know, but whoever was interrogating him didn't relay the information properly/didn't recognize the relevance to that separate case, and when it became apparent and fielded to the proper authorities... the suspect died in custody and could not be further interrogated? Hmmm... I don't know why, but I'm getting flashbacks to The Wire Season 4 and everything that happened to Randy.

End: 2:14pm EST. Wow! Not even an hour? That's the fastest time since the end of Episode 2! Usually each episode takes almost eight hours....

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Oh man, next Arria episode is gonna have the Shkanon BSOD which stunned the hell out of me (because I still never picked up on Shkanon at all)

HIGURASHI EPISODE 3 PART 8

• 'The die of fate had been cast.' I rolled a 6. A choice between 'Higurashi' and 'My Time at Portia' and since we've run out of AA batteries for the moment, keyboard-and-click games get priority over Steam controller addiction. I do really want to build my farm, though. Finally got a Level 2 house and had spent about an hour making the yard agreeable to the size difference, and then my game crashed in a fairly usual place, and I haven't been back since. My body is ready for menial yardwork labor and home decoration... it is not ready for the continuing downward spiral of depression that is Higurashi.
• Whenever President Mion is called to lead the class, Ludacris plays in my head. "Everybody stand up!"

*switched to watching UpUpDownDown for about two or three hours*

• Keiichi wants to read some Princess Jellyfish. That's why Mion is so confused. She's gotta step up her punishment games!
• Kei pleads for Mion to select Satoko's uncle for the curse. Hasn't Satoko lost enough people already?
• I won't be surprised if Miyo disappears again.

*switched to watching DissociaDID for the first time for about... three hours now?*

• Survivor: Winners at War has been really good this season, but there's a guy called Adam who's been a major narrator and Kei's post-Mion discussion reminds me a lot of Adam. Lots of assumptions, lots of paranoia, a huge negative tinge to his thoughts. I hate listening to Adam narrate, and Keiichi and his stress feel the same. I think I turned on this chapter about eight hours ago and I'm not even through the first ten minutes of the chapter. -_-
• There was a one-in-a-hundred chance accusing Mion and her family of being serial killers would've worked out. (SURVIVOR: Just like Adam pissing everyone off and then trying to play an idol at Tribal.)
• Please let Satoko be safe!!!
• Oh no.... ;_;
• Wait, what is Rika trying to say? Is... is Satoko's uncle... her dad?!
• Oh, okay, ohh... still... WHY CAN'T I QUIT THIS GAME?! I need witches and magic and small lions and magic swords and pettan pettan tsurupettan fishy aroma music to cope with all of this heartbreak, heartbreak, you tell me goodbye
• Satoko faked injuries to get rid of her stepdad? ;_; ;_;
• Satoko's traps = Maria's Uu~
• 'Telling a lie once and making others unable to trust you later.' Lemme guess, Keiichi said something earlier in this chapter, probably even with calling social services, and Satoko doesn't trust him when he tries to help and EVERYTHING IS BAD
• Agreed with Rika! Stew is great fresh-cooked, but even better when it's had time to stew overnight. (ba dum tish)
• How does Ryuukishi make eyes look so darn empty and drowning? *shivers*
• Colors flipped! Hi Pink-haired Mion!
• Oh, Keiichi, wow. He's gonna kill Uncle Houjou.
• Keiichi's eyes were really scary for a moment? Oh no, we've been possessed by whatever possesses Rena!
• Mion's never seen those eyes before? Rena just had them like five minutes ago!
• Note: Oh, they are going to try and take her into protective custody? Things are going to escalate badly very soon.

I was going to go back and delete a lot of the negativity and anxiety I thought I wrote about, but I guess I didn't as much as I thought. Especially before the second break! Interesting. Definitely a lot of feels though. Uugggh.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

HIGURASHI CONTINUES

• Keiichi! Call them! Don't be a hero! Don't make things worse by getting personally and directly involved. Unless you're adopting her. Then that's okay.
• Yes, Keiichi, talk to your parents about the situation!
• 'Calm down, Keiichi, and realize you can't talk to your parents.' NO KEIICHI! DON'T LISTEN TO YOURSELF! You're putting the cart before the horse, overthinking everything until you do nothing. Take it from me! I am that guy! Don't do it! Open up, talk, and figure things out. Making huge assumptions, often in the negative, is BAD.
• Keiichi thinks how hard it would be to add another place to their table of three... while there's a picture of a four-seated table in the background.
• TALK KEIICHI! TAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLK
• *facepalm* I hate this game. It's like being chained up and watching a series of bad decisions you can't stop, and unlike passively watching a movie or a television show... I'm actively pressing the button to continue.
• Keiichi has gone from maybe calling protective services because her uncle is more outwardly abusive than her aunt to... I'm going to secretly kidnap this younger girl to my room and not tell anyone. And the festival hasn't even happened yet.
• They ganged up on you because you are making decision-faces at the table and you are NOT TALKING TO YOUR PARENTS
• Tomitake! Both good and bad to see you! Oh the signs of bad times a-comin'...
• And Miyo! Everyone with sprites has now shown up! Cue the death parade!
• The curse is her life's work? Huh?
• "All strange things should be explainable by human actions." Okay, so Miyo isn't a witch.
• Keiichi can't talk to his parents, but he can sure as hell talk to Miyo and her serial killer stories
• Whoa! A third part? And we jump past the conversation with Miyo? Keiichi! Don't be an unreliable and suspicious narrator!!!
• No comment on anything at school. That was tough, and I';m glad Keiichi spoke up.

Those TIPS were tough, too... ;_;

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Eerieka posted...

Oh it's been fantastic working with her. I work at night and I told her how sometimes I pretend I'm a vampire, sometimes I pretend I'm a vampire hunter, and sometimes I pretend I am the witch who rules the blood bank's night. She liked that last one. =)

XD XD

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Eerieka posted...

Thanks for all the responses, Mega Mana. Also, due to the quarantine, Arria and I haven't seen each other, at least not for Umineko reading in a while. We ARE, however, now coworkers! We work at the same place. =)

Congrats!!

I'm sure your co-workers are not ready for *cackle*cackle*

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

I thought it was a joke about you being so slow that you need someone else to catch the bugs first!

Next topic should be: 'get me out of this thing'

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Spent my mom's 70th birthday playing Fortune Street with her. I think that may be our most played Wii game now, beating Smash Bros. Brawl and Animal Crossing GCN but with the Wii

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Necodrop (Mobile)
Sonic Adventure DX (Steam)

• Own it for GCN, but played more of it on Steam than back then. Much much easier game than I remember, though still just as glitchy. 108/130 Medals, might keep it around to do the rest but some of those missions seem brutal like the ski flag one.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

3/2 - Wildermyth

• Kept it in my selection because I wanted to try a five chapter game. The Skies of Arcadia was a fun cast to play around with.

3/9 - Wildermyth

• Third completion, this time basing characters off Trials of Mana. Had a fun time figuring out the kids. Kevin had three generations of family (Karl, Ludgar, and Gauser respectively), and Luna unexpectedly had a daughter. Which was cool because I learned Luna was replaced by Aura in another Mana game! So much fun with this one.

3/12 - Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel

• Jack the Doppelganger victory!

3/21 - Trials of Mana (Demo)

• Today the full release comes out! Looking forward to my Hawkeye/Kevin/Angela team.

3/23 - Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel - Claptastic Voyage DLC

• Usually I wouldn't list DLC separately, but my god, that was a ride. That was a lot of fun action, some cool levels, but that emotionally hit haaaarrrd. Incredible storytelling.

3/24 - Dead Rising

• Finished all the cases and won Overtime mode, but missed about five NPCs. Learning the Small Chainsaw book combo made the last few days a breeeeeze, because I only had to worry about Survivors and cases and not searching for back-up weapons and keeping inventory well-stocked. Fun game, but uncomfortably sexist a lot of the time. Half the girl zombies would attack right at the crotch, most of the female survivors couldn't take weapons and just wanted to hold hands, there was a lot of cheesecake and rewards for taking lewd pictures. There were a lot of stereotypes and over-the-top personalities, but those aspects made me feel grosser than doing loops in the downtime just mowing down thousands of zombies in the tunnels.
• Also, Overtime was a great capper. I thought that ending of the main game was insanely dark and depressing, and the sudden plot of Frank being infected because he collapsed, which was after his way out and beacon of hope exploded and after all the people he helped save were all zombies or spirited away by special forces, but then we learn more about Carlito's plot and... yeah, I can see why that was the 'best' ending. Any other ending with a successful or unsuccessful escape were delayed bad endings. I'm trying to think of another game that had something like this, but it's not coming to mind. Maybe I read about Dead Rising's ending on TvTropes long ago and forgot? Maybe a Nonary Game? Ooh, maybe the first Danganronpa? Hrmm...

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Ffff.... looks like my dice want me to play some more.

• So Rika is definitely not living with Satoko anymore. Her uncle is back and keeping her held hostage. And it's been four days.
• Damp humid back of school. A place for dead bodies to fester.
• (Walks away from game because Food Network is addictive; comes back just to the sounds of cicadas buzzing - Harvest Moon 64 summertime nostalgia hits like a truck)
• Buying expensive soft tofu... for her uncle. Who is keeping her out of school. Her uncle has a lover in Okinomiya? And the aunt and uncle were abusive to Satoko and Satoshi?
• Keiichi asks my question.
• Damn... Satoko's eyes. And her speech... "Gosh. It is nearly about lunchtime, is it not? I am just starving." I am ever so famished.
• Yeah, definitely getting Satoshi killed his aunt vibes.
• Abuse? Kinzo-style abuse? Did I just call out Teppei in my last post just by talking about how awful Kinzo was? Oh god... please, no. Please, no no no.
• They reported abuse two years ago.
• Keiichi, go back. Two minutes. Rena wasn't just showing you how you hurt Mion. She was always showing you a solution you obtuse idiot. Take her in to your home. I'm sure your parents would love to have her. Talk with them, discuss options, stop pawning her off on others when you can do it yourself. Coach was called a doctor twice, and you're like, 'Huh, how does he know first aid?'
• God I wish that were the end. I can't take much more today.
• Four bags of stuff just for the uncle, from a faraway store, on her bike. Fuck this guy.
• ;____;
• (Takes a two hour nap before viewing TIPS)

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Also, Arria is not prepared for Episode 7. It is the most 'It gets worse' chapter of the game, IMO.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

HIGURASHI 3 - PART V

Grah, it's b een almost a month. This game gives me so much anxiety, and it's not even bad times yet. BUT THEY'RE COMING!

• Keiichi just woke up from a night of horrible nightmares. That's what I feel when I open up this game. And play for a chapter at a time.
• "Anxiety was the only emotion growing within me." GAME KNOWS!
• Teacher, coach, and curry-lady all with sprites?! THIS IS SO DISCONCERTING! Are they stakes? Sniper bunnies? The certainty of a clock? Ohhh.... I just realized.... One of them is short, one of them is tall. They're the hour hand and minute hand! (referring to Gertrude and Cornelia)
• Rena spoiling Umineko: "Like if suddenly there was a volcanic eruption tomorrow and everyone died." ... "If you were the only one who survived the catastrophe, Keiichi-kun... how would you feel?" Useless, he'd feel all useless.
• "It'd probably break my heart. ...First... I think I would cry." Umineko: When Battler Cries
• What's going on with Rika? Where's Satoko? Why is everything so somber?! WHY DO YOU HURT, GAME?
• ...And now Rena, Mion, and Rika are recreating the famous laughing scene from FFX (which was totally charming and well done in context, especially the really laughs trailing in at the end).
• And end of chapter! It's end of chap-... oh, right, there's always more.
• Tomita and Okamura have the most screentime of all secondary characters, yet they still don't have sprites. Thank you for just being here, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern!
• Just gonna be picturing Keiichi as Yusuke Urameshi for the rest of today. He can sleep in class whenever he wants! He's a rebel!
• The ball falls behind the building, someone calls out to Keiichi. I'm fully expecting R&O calling out about Satoko's dead and mangled body because why not. But it's just Ooishi. Yay... things are about to get super awkward.
• Ooh, this is what happens when you don't play too often. This is the first Ooishi/Keiichi meeting. Weird since he's been in most of the TIPS.
• I, too, shuddered in fear, Keiichi. "Hey, what are you disgusted by? This is the first time you've met him." IN ANOTHA LIFE BROTHA. NO MATTER WHAT I DO, YER GONNA DIE KEIICHI
• SHUT UP OOISHI! STOP TELLING KEIICHI EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM, HIS PARENTS, HIS LIFE, HIS FAVORITE CANDY, HIS (not-so-)SECRET FETISH FOR PUNISHMENTS, AND THE SUN AND THE WIND
• YES OOISHI! IT WOULD BE GREAT TO NOT MAKE ENEMIES! NOW GO AWAY! YOU'RE MAKING KEIICHI PARANOID, AND WHEN HE'S PARANOID, HE MAKES ENEMIES!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Coach is a doctor? Cool!
• Wow, definitely a different Ooishi feel than the first two episodes. He felt meddling and obtuse before, but there was at least a working relationship between he and Keiichi that made him seem sensible. Now we get to see what he's like when he isn't dealing with someone as receptive. Geezus, no wonder everyone in town hates him and gets super stiff and laser-focused when he's around.
• 'He's the coach for the baseball team. He must be used to treating wounds with first aid.' ...Keiichi, you dense ****er. You literally heard two or three people call him DOCTOR in the past ten minutes. *heavily sighs* No wonder everything ends up going to ****.
• Satoko's aunt died last year? By a drug addict with a baseball bat?..... Whyyyy do I get the feeling.... I'm gonna learn it was Satoshi?
• I'm so confused by the blue haired lady (doesn't help my last play was 2/29). Is she their teacher, the other class' teacher, or the principal? She keeps showing up. It wouldn't matter if she didn't have a sprite!
• Hmmm, who does have sprites? Rena, Mion, Shion, Rika, Satoko, Ooishi, camera guy, blonde lady, blue haired teacher, and coach Irie.
• Hmm, from the tips, Teppei Houjou (who may or may not be yakuza) just came back to town from Okinomiya. And Satoko is missing today and Rika didn't know if she would be coming in.

Alright.

Eerieka posted...

Lion continues to pinch Wills butt
A: God I love this. I love that he shuts him up by grabbing his ass. You know if Natsuhi and Krauss see this though, theyll be like Lion, honey, you know you have to marry a woman, right? Sure, you can keep him as a mistress, just like your grandfather did to Beatice, but you have to keep him in the garden."

Please remind Arria that Will seems to like it, so Ronove is a much better analogy =P

Eerieka posted...

A: *disgust intensifies* Wow, of all the crack theories I threw out there, that was the one I least wanted to be true. Things that make you want to sew your vagina shut

Eerieka posted...

A: *laughs* Yeah, like I might say What if Kinzo is f***ing his daughter? and youre thinking Yeah, thatd sure be dark, Uh-huh.
K: Id be thinking and that daughter is 10.
Arria shivers

Yeah. Yeeeesh. Disregard my earlier jest about Kinzo and Ronove. Kinzo doesn't deserve fun butler times.

...

Here's a dark thought. What if 'fun butler times' was Ronove's best way of keeping Kinzo from wandering off to the second mansion? Like, Kinzo is a voracious old man who takes what he wants. What if Ronove is so dedicated to Kinzo and attending his needs... in theory, of course... in order to keep him satisfied... and not hunting for his goddamn daughter. Ronove knows about Beato, Ronove also knows about Yasu and saved them and kept them hidden (but still employed under the family? Hrmm... I'm now just spiralling. DAMMIT OOISHI! EVERY TIME YOU COME AROUND THINGS GET WORSE!!!))

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Love my trials!

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Naye745 posted...

i'm totally fine with the boot order, excited to see sophie and yul crush it at the merge tbqh

<3

GTM posted...

tony had another spy bunker and this time HE GOT AWAY WITH IT

He got away with not being found, but it wasn't successful! Everyone else knew it was something he did, called out that it would probably be at the water well, and discussed everything elsewhere. I don't know why, but I'm reminded of the Black Knight from Holy Grail where they just... go around him and he can't do anything because he's stuck in one spot.

Like, it's a great act of subterfuge when no one expects it! But you're Tony! If the season is all about adapting, don't play the same plays!

Enjoyed the episode well enough. Team green won, Sophie was psychic, Yul survived, Denise played awesomely, and Amber had Nam flashbacks when Tyson carried over a log. (Rob and the Fafaru) Also, Sarah's face when they won and that big group hug.

I won't disagree that both tribals kind of sucked, and Wendell/Michele drama is tough to watch, and I'm sick of Adam as our narrator.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

From EW:

When we spoke the day before the game began, you mentioned that if you made it to the end, you were thinking of offering to donate your winnings to ALS research in honor of Stacy and asking CBS to do a dollar to dollar match. With that in mind, what were you thinking on day 1 when you found out the grand prize was actually $2 million?
My first thought was, Dang, I should have just said I was going to donate a million dollars instead of all my winnings. Im just kidding, of course. Well, mostly. No, no, Im kidding.
Seriously, though, I was thinking that $2 million could really make a difference in terms of funding ALS research and support. And then I thought my mom would probably kill me if I gave away $2 million dollars. And then I thought maybe I could tell my mom that I was on a special charity edition of Survivor where you couldnt actually keep any money. And then I thought why am I stressing out so much about my mother? And then I thought I really shouldnt have skipped that last appointment with my therapist.

I love Yul so much.

Im a bit nervous about how all this is going to be shown on television, I dont think Ive ever cried on camera before. I wonder if people will be surprised to find Ive upgraded my Yulbot operating system with emotional software that includes a crying subroutine.

So much.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

The Mana Sword posted...

Still chuckling about Tysons comment on how much firewood they have on EoE after he got there

Oh my god, it's so good.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Five episodes in, and you know what? I think the Edge of Extinction segments are my favorite parts of each episode. I think it's only because we've got such great people there, but it feels like such classic Survivor. Not because it mostly has pre-20 people, but because it feels like the survival struggle and disparate personalities stranded in the middle of nowhere who dig deep against themselves and their limits to persevere. The lack of tribals and strategy helps, and the challenges they offer are a lot more basic and not "physical challenge, teamwork obstacle, puzzle finish" that seems to be every challenge. It's those confessionals. Those up close confessionals talking about survival and their lives outside the game and narrating the struggles. It feels like Borneo/Australia era documentary-style naration and its wonderful. Who knew Amber "Oh my god, it's so good" Brkich would be such a great and personable narrator? Ethan is incredible as always. Natalie. NATALIE. NATALIE. <3

Sandra looking vulnerable, Yul/Sophie looking stronger, Adam is... late-game spoiler? I don't even know what his edit is. 4th place redemptive arc? Michele picking up some steam. Parvati, Kim, Nick, Wendell get nada.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Third attempt over the past month to play.

HIGURASHI EP. 3 - CH. 4

• Yayy... Rena wants a prince... on a white horse.... If only she could get a 'nice, sproingy body' to be all over dirty magazines to win such a man... Maybe it'll take six years and some fake breasts and almost wedding the much older cousin, but I'm sure that's a good dream for Rena to have. To have.
• Mmm, squash is very delicious.
• Higurashi Episode 3 a.k.a. The One Where Rika Meeps
• Switched to updated sprites with the coach only to see Mion shrink like three feet in height comparatively. Also, Coach is a creep.
• Oh no... Satoko's parents... ;_;
• Ugh, like... the fact that this guy has a sprite is making me wary, and I'm also getting serious Life is Strange vibes from him. I don't expect to like him much, if at all, by the end of the episode.
• SeE?! Upon adopting Satoko, he could make her call him Master and be re-educated in the ways of being a maidservant!!! Uu~! Bad Kinzo Irie! Bad bad Kinzo pervert Irie!
• WhAaAaAT?! Not you too Mion!
• Wait, Shion? Oh, whoa! Hey! I didn't even realize they were both here! Right! That's Shion because Mion's in yellow!! Also, you have kickass theme music.
• So much flirting!
• An Angel Mort uniform? Oh... oh Keiichi, you got yourself in trouble again, didn't you? XD Yessss Maid Keiichi!!
• Hmm, did Shion have a crush on Satoshi? Is that why she's no longer going to games?
• Mion and Rena both got really tense when mentioning Satoshi. We just want to know the truth!
• Rena being a creep again. The curse is mentioned for the first time this episode, AND THEN RENA GOES BLANK-EYED. I can't tell which one's creepier: the original or updated sprite. The original definitely is clearer with the better sociopathic smile, but the eyes in the updated get much deeper under my skin.
• It was dead-eyed Rena stalking him. He ran away from you and your giant axe.
• Hmm?
• 'Oyashiro-sama is the guardian deity of Hinamizawa. He would never allow anyone to abandon Hinamizawa and run away. I apologized for it! But Satoshi-kun probably didn't.' Rena tried to run away before? But why? What happened? Is that why she goes serial killer sometimes? Oh, yup, there's angry blank eyes. Fun.
• Thank you, Mion. Both for punching out Rena in her MARIA mode, and for talking with Kei on the way home.
• Rena transferred here, too? Dammit, Mion, don't tell Keiichi secrets. He's terrible and keeping things secret.
• Wait, Mion! Don't go! WHAT ABOUT THE MANGA?!?!
• D'aww, Shion is pining for Satoshi's return...
• *blurgh* This autopsy report....
• Houjou? Hmm.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

ALL ON STEAM
2/21 - Arcania
2/23 - Wildermyth
2/24 - Tales From the Borderlands
2/29 - Resident Evil HD (Chris)

18 games so far!

Rank Categories of January's & February's:

BEST
Bug Fables
Disco Elysium

GREAT
La-Mulana
Saints Row IV
Slay the Spire
Tales From the Borderlands

GOOD
Resident Evil
A Short Hike
Song of the Deep
This War of Mine

ALRIGHT
Arcania
Avadon: The Black Fortress
Distrust
Higurashi Ch.2 - Watanagashi
Monster Prom
Wildermyth

MEDIOCRE
Anna's Quest
River City Girls


---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

SavageInTheBox posted...

Sucks to see Ethan go (that came out of nowhere) but he was also part of that potential Final 3 I was talking about so it's nice to get confirmation that it was fake. I suppose he could pull a Chris Underwood but it's not likely.

I was happy to see Michele get a great episode Edgic wise. She's a really under the radar potential winner right now I think. The only bad thing for her in that respect was getting bullied by Rob. I'm shocked how much more she got than Jeremy.

It definitely helped her more than Jeremy, showing her not cowed or falling under the Robfather's thumb like Ben and Danni did.

Speaking of Jeremy, remember after episode 1 how we were thinking Jeremy would have a revenge story for Natalie's boot? Sele's been to Tribal twice since then, and barely a peep has been heard from Mr. Val Collins. Meanwhile, Natalie is looking even better and better despite first boot.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

And daaaaamn, that last Ethan quote was such a good tell for Adam's exit, too, for thinking too far ahead by planning for working with Rob later, but it also face value took him out.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

O_O_O_O_o_O


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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Mmmm... couchside opinion... I think the best option tonight would be to 3-Adam, 1-Parvati, 4-Ethan/Rob.

#1. You get rid of a power playing old school alliance member and keep new school solid.
#2. You torch Adam for being so reckless and let him know where he stands, while keeping him as a number that is temporarily under your thumb until a more permanent time to get rid of him.
#3. Michele, Jeremy, Denise, and Ben get jury power move arguments for flipping things around.
#4. Old school are going to have tougher targets the longer they stay.
#5. Idol split.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

God, this episode is stressing me out so much.

There's too much fun character stuff (even if it surrounds advantage gets). There's quality character stuff with breathing room on all three beaches. There hasn't been a challenge yet or a hard story being pushed for who to get rid of.

I think we're getting an injury. I think since everyone who's been a target tonight has talked except (I think) Parvati. I think Parvati might be injured. I'm not feeling good when things are pleasant on this show in this era of Survivor.

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Happy GMUNday!

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Monster Prom (Steam, Remote Play)
Bug Fables (Steam)

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Naye745 posted...

was watching/listening to the live know-it-alls from last night and enjoying it for the most part (dan lue surprise appearance!)

Wow, what a coincidence! I decided on a whim to watch the first episode of WWF's Tough Enough earlier this week and also had a Dan Lue surprise appearance!!

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Naye745 posted...

it's funny, given the hate from inviso and other people from this board, i kind of forgot why i loved yul so much the first time after 14 or whatever years. and then he speaks for like 3 seconds tonight, and it all comes flooding back

<3 <3 <3

AWWWW NAYE!!!! DON'T YOU DARE BE SOUR! CLAP FOR YOUR FAMOUS COOK ISLANDS CHAMP, AND FEEEEL THE POWAAAAHHHHH!

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Haaaaaaaaaaa

I really need to start getting into shape because I have been out of breath since Rob Mariano showed off his Amazing Race TWoP-coined 'man-strength' in that challenge. My god, Jeremy in that clutch!! Wow!!! Wow, my body is on fire, lolol.

That was.... really great. I haven't felt this impassioned during a television program in a long time. I don't even know about what really. Everything? Like, don't get me wrong, there have been better premieres and better games being played in other seasons, but it's insane how... ahh. Brain is all over the place. Thoughts as they bounce forward:

• I rewound one moment like ten times over and that was the scene with Parvati and Rob right before Tribal. It's just absolutely insane how magical that was. Like, I don't even know how to describe it. It's before Tribal, and you can see Rob is visibly in game mode, is guarded, is just caught up with this whirlwind going on with his hard game mode voice on and Parvati sits next to him and it's, like... the game left! Parvati just straight up asks this complete armor-piercing question. Like, Rob is ready to strategize with her or talk shop and Parvati's all, "Are they all dumb?" and he pauses on what he's about to say and like his whole aura just changes imperceptibly. He's just loose and chill and like normal, and they just have a normal conversation. Like, Marquesas morning radio loose and there's a pitch in his voice that wasn't there a second ago and they just laugh and it's so freaking amazing and charming and fun. The wavelengths just matched so perfectly, and it was old school charisma magic.
• I mean, it can easily be compared to Sandra/Rob chats on the beach betting a dollar on Coach shimmying up the palm, but honestly, the way Rob's face just changed but didn't change in just a few frames... it was The Second Coming of Fafaru. #11. on the first Funny 115 where in a couple of seconds you can see Boston Rob's entire body shift from happy to miserable, but THIS TIME IN REVERSE!
• And Parvati's confessional was amazing too and I've dearly missed Parvati. "Am I being punked?" God, that minute was just the best thing in Survivor. They're the two biggest threats out there, and they're weirded out because they're so freaking relaxed and they share that absurd feeling together and it's hilarious!
• I don't think or expect the rest of the season to be like that though. That second tribal had a lot of faces change and get serious, realizing the game is truly afoot with Tyson, Kim, and Amber looking shellshocked with how the day played out, and notes about being cutthroat and lots of talk about TWO MILLION DOLLARS. I'm enjoying this a lot now, but I know my guard is going to be up like Rob's going forward because it feels like All-Stars destruction might rear its ugly head in the proceedings. There could be some Lex or Jenna Lewis clashes. Everyone here is a winner, everyone here is super competitive, everyone here is playing to win no matter what, and we don't have the hate sponge of Russell Hantz playing that can be the unquestioned bad guy. It's all up in the air.
• I cannot believe blue team won that challenge. My god, I can't believe Rob got over the barrel after all he did. He carried that team to the beach!
• I'm a terrible person. I love Natalie, but I couldn't help but let out a few chuckles when she got voted out. I'm sure she at some point, probably more than once in the half-decade since, casually joked to her twin sister being first one out, and I'm certain Nadiya is hurting to see her sister Natalie gone from the tribal part of the game already, but there's got to be some part of her that feels something schadenfreude. Maybe. I don't know. Maybe Nadiya is above all that. I know she's proud of Natalie's strength and resolve on EoE though.
• For all the alliances forming and unforming and strategy and everything, my favorite alliance is Yul & Sophie. I love Yul, and I love Sophie, and I love that their the awkward brainy nerd alliance together and Ahh~! I want so much more. I just want a show of these two having conversations. I want Rob C. to interview both and just not talk the entire time after introductions. And we only had like a minute of them forming an alliance. I don't care.
• Speaking of Yul, I love that we instantly got one of his weird but perfect metaphors. "We're like dinosaurs who traveled forward in time" just hit me with all the "That's why elephants can't run up trees" nostalgic warm feelings. Yul is a treasure and I know Cook Islands is a terrible season with a really touchy premise and obvious rigs and some really bad recruits, but we had Penner, we had Ozzy, we had Cao Boi, we had Flicka, and WE HAVE BOTH YUL AND PARVATI AND THEY ARE AMAZING AND STRATEGIC BRIGHT RAYS OF SUNSHINE.
• Like Ethan and Yul are wonderfully adorkable and if they go before the merge, I will be very sad. Ethan's presence in All-Stars was like the final rays of sunshine before dark clouds took over at the merge until the proposal.
• When Sandra noted that in the 36 days they were out there together, Rob said he'd never play against her again, that he wasn't coming back out, and that no one expected Amber out there too. Sandra's visible emotions of betrayal hit and were real. Combine that with Rob charming information out of Ben (maybe the RI players weren't as stupid as we thought and Rob's just that good), and then going right to Danni with it and playing the Robfather role seamlessly... with Rob talking about lies and trust... and Sandra knowing those tricks and pretty damn immune to those charm attempts... and that they know each other well after 36 days together...... there will be blood. And Rob won't know it's coming until he's already dead.

Ugh, I'm gushing over nostalgia, and I don't care. Everyone post-Cook Islands (except Jeremy, Denise, Sophie, and Natalie) can go away because I don't care about you. Even you Tyson. I don't care that you've grown up and are still awesome and have a really good face for emotions.

I'd say my preseason favorites (not to win, just in general) were Yul, Sandra, Jeremy, Denise, and Sophie.

Week #1

1. Boston Rob
2. Parvati
3. Yul
4. Sophie
5. Natalie

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Peridiam posted...

Who did you get?

Sandra, Danni, Yul, Tyson, Denise, Jeremy

Happy with them all, and very blessed to have both Yul and Jeremy. Denise, Tyson, Queen Sandra, and Danni are unbeliably perfect as well. Actually, these are probably my favorite six i the cast, too, with Ethan hovering around Danni for sixth/seventh.

But I may be saying that just because of who I have. I think Tyson & Denise & Danni could be swapped out for Natalie/Ethan/Sophie and I'd still love it!

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Rolled for survivors to win with my friends (and their kids getting the two missed) and I got four of Peridiam's top six as my guys.

I'm just happy I know all six that I got!

---

"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD

Alright, so, now that the end of Chapter 6 happened, I just want to push forth my still extremely plausible theory that I had before I even realized Shkanon was a thing.

So. During all of Erika's checks at the very end, there is one place I remember she DIDN'T check / an omission of blue/red truth. While Erika was in the bathroom looking for Battler, there is that window of time where Kanon comes in, frees Battler, and they switch places.

HOWEVER!!!

I posit that Kanon does not exist inside the closet. Hell, Kanon does not exist in that room! Nor does Shannon, Beatrice, Lion, Kinzo, Gaap, or any other form Yasu wants to take! THE TRUTH IS...

It was no longer a closed room.

...Okay, so I don't really remember how much of the truths there are at the end after so long, but the chain on the door. It was either cut, cut and resealed from the outside (you can get your fingers through that gap), or something, but that was my theory for months. It's just been ten years and now I feel old and tired trying to remember the exact thoughts I had.

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"In my headcanon, some staffer saw Trump pull out his phone and start typing so they just Terry Tate Office Linebacker'd him out of his shoes." - FFD