stardreamerl0ve

[stardreamerl0ve]

yessss I'm glad you liked it! And honestly, one of the reasons I like this game as much as I do is bc there's so much room for interpretation. We only get to see the slivers of their lives that exist in the Nightcap—you could make up whatever you like, outside of that, and it means you can do such yummy things with the terrible, terrible decisions these people have made. If you ever want to elaborate on your own headcanons I'd love to read it!

I really like your fanfic! I'd like to know how you see the relationships of Peter/Sandra and Hugo/Sandra🥺

!! Thank you so much for asking!

Short answer: whatever’s most convenient for the fic I’m currently writing, haha.

Long answer: okay, so, we're gonna need two parts for this, and maybe also a cut because the long answer got LONG. So!

Peter and Sandra, to me, are about the fact that regardless of anything and everything else, these two know each other. Like, "I've seen you at your worst, I know the things that keep you up at night and the things you dream of and the ways you hide from the world when you're scared" levels of knowing each other. They've saved each other's lives at least once each and probably more, and I think that's given them a kind of trust that runs bone-deep: it's not the sort of thing where you trust someone not to hurt you or not to lie to you, but if one of them was alone or desperate or needed something, the other would be there, no questions asked. (One of the things that makes me insane about them is that, in a way, Peter got Sandra out—we don't know how much he risked to warn her, but given that they were working for opposing crime bosses it probably wasn't nothing. And it's partially because of that warning that Sandra was able to take over the bar and get out of the criminal life, at least until prohibition dragged her back.) So I think, whether they've admitted it to themselves or to each other, they are extremely ride-or-die for one another.

I also think that Sandra's probably right, and they are bad for each other, or at least have been. I think Peter would tear his own beating heart out for anyone he loves but especially Sandra, and Sandra neither wants that level of sacrifice from him (because she wants him to have something better!) nor is she prepared to know what to do with that (see "That's . . . unexpected" as a response to Peter confessing to her crime). I think Sandra has more moral qualms than Peter—where he sees himself as neutral even if he's aware his job isn't generally great, she never wanted to do this kind of thing and she's keenly aware of it—and so she might have a couple mixed-up emotions about his willingness to forgive her for absolutely anything. Also, pre-prohibition, it's hard to go straight if your closest friend is actively working for a crime boss (a crime boss that killed yours, to boot). And post-Nightcap-and prison, if the bartender talked to Peter, well—it's hard to go straight if your closest friend is actively planning an act of vengeful murder and doesn't care if she destroys herself in the process. It is far too easy, here, for them to drag each other down.

However, I don't think they have to stay bad for each other. I think they genuinely want what's best for each other, and post-game, given time and the space to do so (and also maybe two other people who they're forming meaningful connections with, so they aren't the sole target of each other's worst impulses), I think they could find something that works for them. I tend to avoid distinguishing between romantic and platonic, personally, so the way I see it is that, fundamentally, they care about each other. If it was doable, and if it would make the other person happy, they'd want to be in each other's lives. (And I think it would make them happy, so.)

I have about a metric ton of headcanons about what their relationship looks like over the 6+ years they've known each other (and six is the absolute bare minimum, by the way, in my head it’s more like decades), but that will have to be another post, because this one's already getting long and we're only halfway through.

Speaking of halfway, though . . .

If Peter and Sandra are the "years and years of history" kind of messy, then Hugo and Sandra are the "one colossal fuckup" kind of messy. This is heavily influenced by my own playthrough, where when I started case 0 I ended up liking Hugo way more than I expected, and so I spent the whole case trying to befriend him only for THAT to happen. (Fun fact, if you got attached to both Hugo and Alina in case 0, the one-two punch of "I'm arresting you" straight into "Alina's dead" is absolutely devastating. Ask me how I know!) Anyway, this very much defined how I see them: what happens when you thought, against all odds, you were making friends with someone, and then they betrayed you and ruined your life on top of it? What if you made the deliberate decision to try to believe in someone, and then they proved you horribly, horribly wrong?

Then you have case 4, and I think from there it depends on what ending you pick (assuming one of the golden endings, because otherwise the answer is "she hates Hugo forever" and honestly, I can’t blame her.) If she flees Bukovie then I think the answer is that she and Hugo come to an understanding, and they probably never talk again but they leave at least able to live with with how things ended. If she stays, though, then things get complicated, because Hugo is still the person that got her arrested and ruined her life, but now he's also the person helping her navigate her case and working to get her a reduced sentence and visiting her in prison. I think there's a whole lot of tangled-up resentment there, about 50% of which is justified and 50% of which is . . . not unjustified but is also caught up with the guilt and the hurt of it all.

And on top of that, the entire time, everything that might have made them friends in the first place is still there. Sandra is just as sharp and clever and determined as she was when they met, Hugo is still too much fun to tease and still has that same enduring sense of justice, and they are both still the people who, at heart, wanted to make a place where people could be feel safe and at home. But also, the past two years have changed them, and broken them a little to boot. So not only do they have to reckon with that, but also, the other person is a constant reminder of it, because they were the catalyst for it all. (And, this is pure headcanon, there's no textual support for it, but I like to think that part of why Hugo lets you keep the bar open is because he regrets what he did to Sandra, and he can't quite bring himself to do it to you.)

I have a running joke with my irl friends that Sandra is "everyone's ex," and for Peter that comes from the fact that I think they're actually exes, but for Hugo that comes from the specific hurt of "oh, so you were always capable of changing and realizing that sometimes the law is wrong and does more harm than good, but not in time to not send me to prison over it." (Olivia Rodrigo's "good for you" is not really an applicable song here, but it's a very funny image.) I recently went back to the game to review some things, and if you try to romance Sandra you can get a line where she says “I just want to know if I’m worth being vulnerable for.” Pair that with the demonstrable truth that Hugo does not know how to be vulnerable with people, or for that matter, to admit that he’s been wrong—a skill that we see him learn over the course of working with the next bartender, just to rub it in!—and you’ve got a fascinating combination. In a way, they're both less and more complicated than Peter and Sandra: less complicated, because they don't have all those years of history, and more complicated, because they don't have that bone-deep trust as a basis. They don't know how to feel about each other, and that makes for some REALLY fun territory to play in.

All this to say: I'm deeply, deeply obsessed with these dynamics, and thank you for giving me the chance to ramble. Sandra is a favorite of mine (honestly, I haven't liked a character this much in like, a little over a year) and it's in no small part because all her relationships are so messy. She's my little skrunkly creature and I love her? I love her. Anyway, I hope this answered your question, and thank you so much for asking!

[stardreamerl0ve]

I need you all to please go play Best Served Cold ft. my dumb photo dump

[stardreamerl0ve]

do bsc camilo and hellebore follow different game endings, or are do they both convince sandra to do the same thing? also if any, which npcs are they close with? also also, do you have any songs you associate with them respectively? :]

OC ASKS!!! YAHOOOOOOO

do camilo and hellebore follow different game endings, or do they both convince sandra to do the same thing?

unfortunately as much as it hurts me to give them the same route, yes they both convince Sandra to skip town..

it pains Camilo either way, but he thinks sending her to jail again is much worse than convincing her to moving away. As for Hellebore, her first instinct when it comes to conflict is to run away, so no wonder she'd suggest Sandra does so too.

which npcs are they close with?

hmmmm i'd say Camilo gets along best with other forward people—someone who makes their intentions and feelings clear, he doesn't like walking on eggshells. People like Bjorn, Clara, Maria, and Ilya come to mind. He might also have a bit of an affinity for "rough" people, someone jaded like himself, like. uhm. PeterandSandrahahanobodysawthatcomingright

(+ he's also always keeping an eye on the younger customers like killian and the aforementioned maria (+ clara and ilya if you count my own hcs of their ages). you can take the man out of the classroom but you can never take the classroom out of the man)

Hellebore... He really likes talking with intelligent people, someone that can match his brains (or even outsmart him?); of course someone they can pick on is fun as well, but nothing captivates them more than a smart fellow. She might get along best with Efia, Elena, Sandra, Reece (both lovers of gothic literature!), Alina, Maria (again), and Hugo! Who's a mix of both

(+ they also admire olivia and lawrence as respected figures in theater, mostly olivia. BIG mostly)

do you have any songs you associate with them respectively?

Hellebore: sun&moon - Sheena Ringo. "I want to be endlessly evolving, so let's compare our answers!/every time I learn more about you, I feel increasingly enlightened/and that's something special, it makes me want to keep on living" reminds me a lot of this Hellebore in particular, someone who enjoys discussion and debate, who wants an equal.

The Adult Code - Sheena Ringo. "It could be false, or reality/the things I like, or hate, or things I want to gain/whatever's feeling good is what my lines would say/for setting off the black from white, it'd work perfectly/though like a chant of ruination it'd be" do I need to add anything. The way she prioritizes other people's perception of her over her own opinions and desires. The fact that Hellebore isn't even "Hellebore" when outside the Nightcap.

Camilo: Lamento Boliviano - Enanitos Verdes. It's 2am and my brain is so fried right now I'll let the lyrics speak for me here "they want to agitate me/they encourage me to scream/I'm like a rock/words don't touch me/inside there's a volcano/that will soon burst/I wan't to stay calm" and "and here I am/drunk and insane/and my idiot heart/will always shine/and I'll love you/I'll love you forever/babe, don't brush on the bed/cause the travelers might delay"

Like Him - Tyler, The Creator ft. Lola Young. I feel like this is very on the nose. Child of an young, struggling mother who didn't have anyone but her kid and often relied on him when he shouldn't have had that responsibility placed on his shoulders. yeah

and honorary mention to Besame Mucho - Los Panchos which I just imagine him dancing to :)

(this was a hard one because I have a billion songs for TS Kaiho but this version of him is much less consumed by his grief and scared of himself so most of the songs that apply to Kaiho don't really apply to Camilo...)

[stardreamerl0ve]

Peter said his last name comes from his favorite poet. I wonder if he is a person who enjoys reading?

Ohh, interesting question! As always, personal headcanons coming up...

I personally like to think so, yes. Although maybe not out of passion for stories, like Sandra? I think part of why he reads is... because he really wants to be 'a well read person'.

I always imagined he had to leave school early and start working in order to survive, but he kept reading to teach himself what he needs to know. Partially out of genuine interest of course, but also because he wanted to prove to himself that he's more than what the uneducated crook his circumstances forced him to be.

He quotes poetry mostly when he's trying to be charming - like his "beacon in the night" line in case 0. I like to think that the 'civilized' side of him is the only part he's not a little ashamed of, the part that's loveable... so it's what he puts forward when he's trying to flirt. That's just how I see it though haha

[stardreamerl0ve]

so ghost trick is a good game

[stardreamerl0ve]

contains potentially distressing depictions of objectification, body alienation, and numerous traumas

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66755650

Title:drowning meat

Fandom:Best Served Cold (Video Game)

Language:Chinese

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Sandra Fischer/Hugo Mertens, Sandra & Peter (Mentioned)

Characters: Sandra Fischer, Hugo Mertens

Additional Tags: Stream of Consciousness, Implied/Non-explicit Sexual Content, Dreams and Nightmares, Loss of Agency, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Memory Suppression, Self-Loathing, Symbolic sex, Intimacy as Violence

I'm still in the middle of finals week, but I desperately wanted to write something. So I spent just one night finishing this damp, dark little piece where I poured my personal emotions

I didn't translate this one into English like the last piece, because I used a lot of expressions that I feel just don't have good English equivalents. The translation difficulty is way higher for me on this one, and honestly, I don't have time to proofread it either. So... you guys might have to run it through a translation tool to read it, haha

[stardreamerl0ve]

i would just like to say thank you to whoever wrote peter and sandra's Whole Deal in case 4 actually. my heart

[stardreamerl0ve]

one of the best things you can make a female character is really bad at interpersonal relationships

[stardreamerl0ve]

if we're going any road

rating: g chapters: 1/1 words: 2680 warnings: no archive warnings apply relationship: sandra fischer & peter wagner characters: sandra fischer, peter wagner, feng bai additional tags: feng bai is never named but it’s definitely her, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Pre-Canon, peter and sandra are like. in their late teens here?, there is no way to make this compliant with the canon timeline of when they met, but shhh who cares we’re having fun, peter goes on an adventure!, (peter is Not Enjoying the adventure), cradling someone in their arms, Bad Things Happen Bingo, this can be shippy if you want it to be, but eh. more fun to be like "they care about each other. how? they care."

summary:

"Sandra?" She flinched, a little, and held herself tighter. "Can I stay here tonight?" she said, sounding hoarse. Sandra gets sick. Peter finds help, the only way he knows how.

[stardreamerl0ve]

burning bridges (and your boss' paper trail)

[stardreamerl0ve]

from the tags:

#maria incorporating yellow into her outfit with her headband #but alina doesn't wear any blue at all #it means something to ME

Feng Bai repainting the tea terrace walls yellow because it's Maria's favourite colour... Alina's primary colour in her design being yellow... yeah okay cool (crying on the floor)

[stardreamerl0ve]

As requested, the first half of the height comparison! My kids... I had so much fun drawing them all again.

Do any of these surprise you?

[stardreamerl0ve]

hiii, i rlly loved your character design work for best served cold. i wanted to ask if there was a character you enjoyed designing the most ??

Aw, thank you! Though I did draw all of the sprites, not all of the characters were designed by me - Olivia, Ilya, Elena, Efia, Lawrence, Vincent (and Vlad) were designed by the very talented coworker that also drew the cutscene assets!

I probably had the most fun with Reece or Lucas, designing the fun floral patterns for their outfits... But Sandra and Peter were so heavily based on my personal preferences that they sprang from my brain almost fully formed as "the most attractive person my mind can conjure up". So... designing them was probably the most relaxing process, haha

[stardreamerl0ve]

I see you😉

[stardreamerl0ve]

fire warning

rating: m chapters: 1/1 words: 1681 warnings: graphic depictions of violence relationship: sandra fischer/hugo mertens characters: sandra fischer, hugo mertens additional tags: angst, uhhh I don’t think there’s comfort in this one, cigarette burns, the violence itself isn’t all that graphic, but we are lavishly describing the act of burning someone with a cigarette so better safe than sorry, very light D/s undertones, not safe or sane but consensual, burns, bad things happen bingo

summary:

Her eyes fall to his wrist, the same place where he saw her bruise. There's a sliver of exposed skin between his glove and the cuff of his shirt. She holds her hand out, palm up. "Prove it." Hugo visits Sandra in prison. Things escalate from there.

[stardreamerl0ve]

if i could articulate myself properly I'd try to explain my thoughts about the relationship between sandra and the bartender and how much imposter syndrome could stem from their history

[stardreamerl0ve]

I have a question about Sandra and Peter’s dynamic-

Was Peter originally supposed to be romanceable and if not was he supposed to just be left with this pining for Sandra?

I’m a big fan of Peter x Case 1-4 MC but I can see why people like him and Sandra! I feel like the end of case 4 left me with more questions then answers for how Peter and 1-4 MC’s relationship was left at 🫣

I suppose I can answer this as I've answered it on a stream as well. The game wasn't originally planned to have romance in it at all, it was 100% a bartending social detective game. The romances were heavily, heavily requested in feedback during demo and QA - 95% of them for Peter - so we happily obliged as best we could with the time and resources left in our small scope... but this is also why [spoilers!] there's no romance epilogues or cutscenes, sadly. Thankfully it seems several very talented fic writers have already taken stabs at the bartender x peter post-game, haha.

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Anything past this point is fully my personal take and definitely Not word from god.... Also, case 4/ending spoilers!!!

Personally, I imagine Sandra and Peter only becoming romantically involved in a timeline where the bartender gives Peter the courage to leave 'the underworld' behind and encourages Sandra to run away... while ending up with Hugo themselves. Which happens to be my favourite route! Not that Peter's romance dialogue isn't my favourite... but Hugo's affection is rooted in deep trust and humility and redemption, which really appeals to me. He kinda needs the bartender, more than Peter does.

I like to see Peter and Sandra as people who can fully understand each other's 'damage', possibly the only ones that can... but while one is out of the game and the other is in, they'll constantly remind each other of what they hate about themselves. So, imo, if they're going any road - be it to hell or to redemption - they are strongest when going it together. That's just my personal view though 😅