#its more like a life simulator? but also point and click

[mr-payjay]

Good Morning!

[rationalisms]

could you recommend an indie game that does disco elysium or its kind of game better? (/genuine)

i'd be happy to recommend some games to you for sure!

but i would like to preface this by saying that my point (which is hard to explain in a pithy tag aside to be fair lol) isn't necessarily that these will be "better" than disco elysium. that's incredibly hard to quantify anyway since so much of this is based on taste. e.g. i disliked some things about DE other people loved (like the pacing) even though i overall had a good time with the game.

it's more that the way people were talking about disco elysium, especially in terms of like... "professional video game journalism" but also definitely on this site and the other formerly blue side, was tinged with this tone that DE is somehow unique or groundbreaking in its attempt to treat a video game like an artform or a serious vehicle for storytelling. which is insulting especially to the games DE clearly draws from.

a lot of people who don't usually play video games played DE based on recommendations, which is great! but a huge part of the response from those people didn't seem to be "wow, clearly i can have a good time with video games if they're like this, i should seek out more". it instead seemed to be "well folks, pack it up, this is the one video game i will enjoy because it's Deep unlike everything else out there". which is incredibly disappointing.

anyway. whether these recommendations will hit for you will primarily depend on what you're looking for when you say "its kind of game", but here's some games that gave me the same general feeling.

planescape: torment is the game that heavily inspired disco elysium. it's a similarly combat-light crpg with a focus on exploration and story and set in a weird, technologically discongruent setting. i would also recommend its sequel, torment: tides of numenera. i didn't enjoy that one as much but it was still pretty good.

kentucky road zero is a game about a truck driver who has to cross the titular road zero and the many people he meets on the way. it's also magical realism so if you enjoyed the genre of disco elysium this might be up your alley.

beautiful desolation is another game which is based on real world culture/history with sci-fi world building on top. in this case south africa. it's really beautiful and rewards exploration in a similar way.

return of the obra dinn is also an atmospheric detective game set on a ship lost in 1803. it's by the same creator who made papers, please (which is also excellent by the way).

hypnospace outlaw has a similar half absurd, half earnest tone. it also felt similarly nostalgic to me. it's incredibly easy to sink a lot of time into this one though so watch out lol.

orwell, and its sequel, orwell: ignorance is strength, are similar "internet" simulators like HO with a much more overt political tone (if you couldn't tell by the name lol). you play as an employee for a government surveillance program.

stasis if you're looking for more isometric point and click games with a strong atmosphere and great voice acting.

sunless sea, and its sequel, sunless skies, are exploration/roguelike games about a weird, fantastical world. if you've ever played fallen london, they're set in the same universe.

what remains of edith finch is also magical realism and dark comedy, so if you enjoyed the tone of DE you might enjoy that.

some say it has always been here also has a surreal and sometimes oppressive atmosphere. i wish this game was longer, i loved it so much.

i miss the sea of japan is another wonderful bitsy game i got reminded of when i thought about SSIHABH. it's wistful and sweet.

i have no mouth and i must scream is a psychological thriller about five people and their dark pasts trying to outwit an AI. it's very atmospheric and also has variously fucked up (by life) protagonists.

whispers of a machine is another detective game with more of a sci-fi slant, though it's set in a world inspired by sweden and other nordic countries. it's also very atmospheric and has some great voice acting.

buddy simulator 1984 gave me a lot of the same feelings disco elysium did (wistfulness, nostalgia, anxiety, etc lol). i really loved the first half of the game but wasn't as into the second half, would absolutely still recommend it though.

and if we're talking just straight up great crpgs with a heavily political tone, i will always always always recommend harebrained schemes shadowrun trilogy (especially dragonfall and hong kong, both incredible games. returns is... fine lol but definitely not on the level of the sequels) and fallout 1 and 2.

plus, no rec list about magical realism would be complete without life is strange. :') i haven't played any of the sequels and it's been a long time since i played it, but i remember loving it at the time.

games i haven't played yet but that are on my to play list and which look like they could scratch the same itch:

citizen sleeper, also a dice based game which is very narrative and exploration based.

norco, which several of my friends love a lot.

where the water tastes like wine, which is set in the great depression era of the US and about collecting stories and sharing them.

pentiment, another detective game set in a real world approximation. i love everything obsidian touches so i'm sure it's great, but i haven't gotten round to it yet.

night in the woods seems to be popular with people who like DE so it might be up your alley. i'm pretty sure it's also magical realism?

roadwarden is another isometric point and click game about exploration and friends have said it has a great atmosphere.

i hope those are a good starting point for you! i would also genuinely recommend just hopping on itch.io and typing in a random prompt and seeing what you get. i've discovered sooo many wonderful games (many of them completely free, though i will always advocate for tipping the creators) by just noodling around on there. tons and tons of incredible indie games who don't have the luxury of publisher funding made by people who could really use the support.

enjoy and have a lovely day ^__^

[doberbutts]

I ask this because I’m genuinely curious as someone who has not trained a dog further than sit/stay/come… What is the purpose of bite sports? Is it just sort of a way to direct the energy of a dog that was bred for protection in a natural way?

It's just fun :]

The long answer is that many bite sports are a way to test and see a protective breed's ability to, you know, protect in a same and controlled environment. And, certainly, a way to prove that at least some level of protective ability is in there somewhere.

However I think the question becomes more complicated if we examine each of the protection sports and what they are trying to evaluate in each dog of each breed, because the answer can differ from dog-to-dog, breed-to-breed, sport-to-sport, and even club-to-club.

What I want to get out of bitesports is having fun with my dog. That's why I always phrase it as "dog bite simulator in real life", because for me it's a game and it's fun to play. And certainly at this point in his career, Fenris also thinks this is his favorite game. I can't really describe it well- there's something about watching a dog do what it was meant to do, watching it click in the dog's head as it performs its ancestral work for the first time, I love that feeling and I've been chasing that high ever since I first held the leash for The Dog That Almost Was, back before I got Creed but after I had Skoll.

I think it's a fun way to allow my dog to perform the behaviors that come naturally to him in a way that poses no danger to others. Someone reblogged one of my posts calling it "controlled violence" - I agree, I've often heard mondioring described as a martial arts sparring match between dog and decoy, a conversation of teeth and flesh, a mutual agreement to beat the shit out of each other but have no hard feelings. And I do think that is true of mondio, but not necessarily true of other sports.

And not always true of other dogs. I've been describing Fenris to my friends as a security guard that likes his job. He has a role to play that he is fairly good at and enjoys. It's nothing personal. If you do not aggress him, he will not strike. But if you cross that line, he will bite you. It's not about you. There's no hard feelings. But it's his job. And he'll do it, gladly, because that's what he's for. VS Creed, who I would liken more to a barely-contained bouncer or cage fighter. He was angry, it was personal, fuck you in particular, how dare you challenge him. He was going to ensure that he hurt you in every way he knew possible. He wanted to hurt you.

Both dogs were/are fairly safe to be around when neutral or friendly. But, come in hot? Both dogs also were/are going to bite you. But the reason for the bite and the mentality behind it is very different. Both of these dogs did some mondio training. Fenris is already farther than Creed ever got, in part because he has a better mentality for it, while Creed had a better mentality for IGP.

[rata2ouillegame]

RATA2OUILLE: THE PERFECT DISH (Info Post + Download)

You’re probably wondering, “what the hell?” Honestly so am I, as not even I can fully process what I’ve done. Rata2ouille: The Perfect Dish (AKA Funny Ratgame) is a satirical, freeware indie platformer, social simulation, full length role-playing hybrid game. Following the events of Ratatouille for Wii and its sequel Ratatouille PSP, a new adventure unfolds after a series of events leads to the protagonist discovering a mysterious world known as the Food Network. Partnering up with an odd naked mole rat named Twinkles, the protagonist forms the Rodent Risers, braving the Food Network to find the mythical Perfect Ingredients and defeat the brutally evil rat Knox. Along the way, the player will have to develop Companion Syncs with both coworkers and customers, craft and obtain Persona to wield in combat, manage their restaurant, cook food that will assist them on their journey, and more.

itch.io page: Click Here

Google Drive: Download Link

Archive.org: Download Link

Please feel free to upload and share with your friends wherever you feel like if they have trouble with either of these links!!!

Unravel a grandiose conspiracy involving the amnesiac Twinkles, the evil rat Knox, the mysterious Food Network, the labyrinthine Hyperstream, fast food delivery apps, and an impending visit from the food critic Guy Fieri that could make-or-break your restaurant!

Fight intense battles with Shadows that you can also wield as Persona. Use them to best your enemies and rivals, like Ratatoing!

Form various Companion Syncs to deepen your bond with important figures in your life to unlock skills and gameplay perks!

Date various cute boyfriends! Only one girlfriend included.

Over 100 characters from various different media properties appear as customers in your restaurant, including... Sans Undertale, Peter Griffin, Yu Narukami, Kazuma Kiryu, Joseph Joestar, Bayonetta, and many, many, many more!

Customize your hero! Set pronouns and unlock over thirty unique costumes that appear both in cutscenes and gameplay!

Obtain all seven of the legendary Chaos Emeralds by succeeding in target breaking minigames hidden throughout the Food Network!

Difficulty adjustments and options, such as the “Skip Battles” pog item that can be equipped to skip all battles and focus purely on the story! Perfect for players that do not care for combat.

Create your own “My Food Network” where you can set your own favorite song to play, choose your color palette, create a food exhibit, and set posters that can be unlocked using points earned from in-game achievements!

Super cool players that 100% the game can view a Secret Ending that plays upon clearing the epilogue or talking to a certain friend in My Food Network...

This game is in no way, shape, or form an actual Disney, Pixar, or Atlus product. It is an independently developed satirical game. It is parody and no profit is being made from it.

Check out more down below for a little Q&A

Q: Is this really a full length Persona style RPG? A: Yes. I’m sorry, I don’t know why. It’s about 60 Hours long.

Q: How long did this take to make? A: About two and a half years, though I took many breaks from working on it due to being a full time college student (after some gap years) and having other projects I’ve been working on.

Q: Who made this? What kind of person makes this? Can you tell us about yourself because I need to know what’s wrong with you??? A: I’m very sorry to tell you that a very hot goth artsy nonbinary femboy made this game. I hope that makes the game more intimidatingly powerful.

Q: If this is a heavily Persona inspired game will it be re-released with a single new dungeon in a few years with a new marketable character tacked on? A: Buddy if enough people find this funny and enjoy playing it, you know it! That and if enough people would like to help me add full blown voice acting in a re-release, which would be one of my major focuses for an enhanced version.

Q: Why did you make this? A: I was really bored during the pandemic. Originally this was a small crude gag game I was making years and years and years ago that I scrapped, but I completely revamped it into something much more elaborate and surreal as a little distraction to keep me busy while quarantining. It sort-of functioned as a low stakes testing ground for less facetious games I plan on releasing in the near future. There’s also an underlying commentary on how obnoxious and outlandish unnecessary sequels to self-contained and subdued stories are, which can be seen in how ridiculously unhinged the game is with constantly recontextualizing various minute-details of the original movie and retconning things as if it was all deep foreshadowing.

Q: Why are you acting like Ratatouille is some kind of game series? A: In the past, in the really early beginnings of making this game, I had this whole elaborate ARG thing I would often joke about with friends where I would insist the movie was just a really bad faithless adaption of a video game series developed by Platinum Games and published by Atlus. There were jokes about the name “Remy” being a “dumb movie adaption thing” and that Ratatouille is in fact the proper name. The implication was that the “Disney movie adaption” was so bad it killed off the game series until this sequel came out well over a decade later due to “vocal fan support.” This eventually died down a bit, but some of the ironic ARG stuff has lingered. One part of the ARG was originally going to be that there were two people working on this game instead of one and that they’d have a messy public falling out on the game’s tumblr blog, but this was scrapped because it felt too explosive lol.

Q: What do you mean by this being a sequel to Ratatouille for Wii and Ratatouille PSP? Aren’t those the same game? A:  While the Ratatouille tie-in game on most consoles was just a movie adaption, the PSP version was one of those weird tie-in games that takes place after the movie. I never beat the game but the plot entails Chef Skinner stealing all the recipe cards from the new restaurant around the time of their grand opening, and Rem- Ratatouille having to retrieve them. This is recited as some sort of major, melodramatic event in Rata2ouille. Ratatouille PSP has a lot of scrapped side-characters from the movie appear (such as rats named Celine, Dodo, Twitchy all of whom were meant to appear in the movie and were in the official art book) in addition to very odd new characters such as Teen Rat, who is seemingly a Sonic the Hedgehog pastiche that challenges Remy to races. These game-exclusive characters are all treated as if they’re established characters from the movie that we should know and recognize so when I discovered they exist halfway through development, I retroactively added a bunch of them into this game and treated them exactly the same here. I did a lot of deep diving into the production of the movie and its tie-in material while making this game and referenced a lot of niche stuff -- in order to be as bizarre as possible, I also needed to be as “authentic” as possible.

[vonlipvig]

If you don't mind my asking, You play a lot of games right??, which are your favs, you'd rec to everybody and everyone, I'm on the hunt for some games to play and you have good taste so I thought I'd ask

You think I have good taste? Why, gorsh...😳

Jokes aside, I do play video games quite regularly! I don't think I'm the biggest gamer (I have a shitty laptop, so it's not like I'm playing newly-released AAA games), but I do have some that I'm very fond of, so here are some of my faves, some well known ones, some hidden gems:

Ace Attorney - The game I played when I was 13 and completely changed the trajectory of my life. Visual novel-like game were you play a defense lawyer and make your way through court to prove your client's innocence. A CLASSIC, the characters are amazing, the stories are fantastic, and god the MUSIC. Game of All Time for me (The Ace Attorney trilogy is where I'd start, but there are many more in the series, The Great Ace Attorney being a prequel duology that can be played individually and is also incredible).

Zero Escape - A trilogy of games about...hm. Well, it's like a bunch of people get kidnapped and put into these locked rooms, and they have to escape. It gets WAY crazier than that, but if you like puzzles, escape rooms, and insane twists, you'll definitely like these.

Not For Broadcast - A hilarious and dark FMV simulation game where you are tasked with editing a news broadcast, censoring swear words, picking the best shots, and basically manipulating what ends up on TV. This game is a MASTERPIECE, I cannot stress that enough. It is wonderfully acted, the characters are so memorable, the plot can get real dark...it's one of my most cherished gaming experiences, and I could not reccommend it enough.

Suzerain - A text-based, decision making, political simulator where you take the role of Anton Rayne, Sordland's newest president. Save the country from recession, rewrite the country's old constitution, or hell, maybe start a war! This game is delightful, and if you're daunted by the extensiveness of most sim games, don't be, because this is super intuitive and easy to get the hang of. The worldbuilding is fascinating, and the characters are lovable and fun!

Her Story - An unconventional one, but so fascinating. It's another FMV game, where you're presented with a police database full of interview videos from an old case. They're not in any particular order, though, it's up to you to make sense from it! A bit of a haunting game (it's not a horror game, don't worry), I totally reccommend experiencing it.

Return of the Obra Dinn - Jesus, another masterpiece. It's a first-person mystery game where you play as an insurance inspector exploring an old ship that has reappeared with nobody alive onboard. It's your task to discover the fate of all its crewmembers. I cannot tell you how incredible this game is, it's a big logic puzzle with an amzing atmosphere and an unforgettable experience.

Papers, Please - I feel like everybody has played PP already, but if you haven't, oh boy go get it! Made by the same guy that made Obra Dinn, you play here as a border checkpoint immigration officer, checking people's passports and documents to see who gets to enter the glorious country of Arstotzka. One of indie games' best, truly. If you can get it on a touch screen, even better.

The Case of the Golden Idol - If you enjoyed Return of the Obra Dinn, then you have to play Golden Idol as well. Kind of a detective-y, puzzle-y game where you search for clues on different scenes, which you then use to solve the mystery of what really happened. Hard to explain, but a joy to play through and solve!

The Darkside Detective - A fun as hell point-and-click detective game where you join Detective McQueen and Officer Dooley on some spooky, supernatural mysteries. Hilarious, filled with witty references and jokes, and with a dynamic duo that will make you fall in love with them (and their silly, blank faces). It's got a sequel, too!

We. The Revolution - This game sent me on a rabbit hole about the French Revolution, and it was so fun. You play here as a judge of the Revolutionary Tribunal during--you guessed it--the French Revolution. Make decisions about the cases that are brought before you, immerse yourself in the history of France (and talk to many of the key figures!), and hell, maybe even give it your own spin! Super fun, and has a gorgeously unique arstyle.

I think that's good for now, hopefully you'll find something here that's to your taste! Happy gaming!

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 5/30/2023

all you can see is my hand over the back of the couch as i give a limp wrist flick of acknowledgement and point you toward the post ↓ 

listening

Smooth Jazz by GUPPY, a selfdescribed comedic punk band that makes secular guitar music with bedroom-pop overtones. said to myself out loud on my walk "this sounds gay" and whaddya know they are.

I’m listening to smooth jazz In the parking lot outside of Joann’s Fabrics & Crafts And I’m feeling like a dumb spazz Because my mind is moving way too fast

i have had this exact experience at multiple joanns. the last bit of the song has been on loop in my head since uhh thursday when i was catching up with my spot/ify weekly recommended list. the tired, slightly ironic last-number-in-the-musical performance is really doing it for me

Jazz, baby! That’s just jazz, baby That’s just jazz That’s just jazz, baby In my brain, baby So give me a lobotomy

-

reading

raymond chandler's the long goodbye.

this book destroyed me. there is some BREATHTAKING racism even for 1953. it's one of the cruelest things ive ever read. it's a sucking chest wound of a book. i'm going to think about it for the rest of my life.

i'm not able to talk about chandler novels objectively.

i am partially grieving the incredibly fucked up shit that happens to marlowe in this book (i have no fucking clue how you even go on after that, but he does) and partially grieving that this is the last full novel and there aren't any more. i know the unfinished poodle springs was finished after chandler's death but! i do not care.

-

watching

One-Eyed Jacks (1961, dir. Brando). widely available for free, pluto had the nicest copy but ads that weren't blockable. this is a film where the production is as much of a story as the actual film.

i don't actually know if i enjoyed this film or had a good time watching it. i don't know that i ever need to see it more than once.

it is artistically distinct, and i genuinely mean that as a compliment. it is a rare western-that-doesn’t-have-to-be-a-western, and such a weird artifact of a particular guy's career in a particular time.

surprisingly, this is a pretty okay western to watch if you happen to be a woman. katy jurado and pina pellicier are acting their GODDAMN hearts out. despite itself, the movie paints a very good portrait of a mother-daughter relationship and some goodass parenting. women make mistakes and don't die about it. nobody gets raped!!! the absolute lowest bar a western can possibly have. as a quick sidebar, it's not that i think movies should never address rape, it's that westerns always address it in a way that makes my stomach turn.

it is a slow-burning revenge that mostly takes place on a beach, but it also takes you in great uneven hurtling lurches toward its finale. it wants to have things to say about lies, revenge, and storytelling but cannot help but give itself a certain kind of ending. it can only push so far. it is fascinatingly earnest, horny, and earnest about being horny.

-

playing

grim fandango remastered (2015, originally 1998) by double fine. the EPIC tale of CRIME and CORRUPTION in the LAND OF THE DEAD!!! critically acclaimed, what we would now call Mexican Gothic i think, but billed itself as a Aztec-inspired noir.

technical details: i am not totally impressed by this remaster bc it still looks pretty fucking janky in parts (things clipping through other things, heavily pixelated stuff despite being on the highest quality settings, etc)

why i bounced off: i did not play video games growing up, and have not played many point-and-click games. despite this i do like walking simulators (the modern successor to point-and-click) and visual novels. i think bc i do not have the point-and-click background and am not playing this through nostalgia-tinted glasses for 1998, four years after i was born, the way the design team of this game expect the general population to solve problems and the way i personally solve problems are severely mismatched. i have spent about ten hours playing this game (in four acts) getting to about halfway through the third act, and i would say about half that time has been looking for/at guides or making up lost progress bc i didn't save. this is a tremendously frustrating way to spend free time.

what i did love: however, it does Look. i ADORE this tile and want it in my home. in a cutscene in this little automat there are not one not two not three but FOUR reflective surfaces. they're not real-time, of course, but i did say "what the FUCK" out loud. it's also hysterically fucking funny! many short sharp barks of laughter! i am greatly amused at how a game about skeletons invented permadeath! both the writing and the voice performances are so fucking top notch. i understand why this is a beloved classic and im glad a remastered edition exists in the world, but i do not anticipate finishing this game bc i don't get a lot of joy out of having to closely follow a guide to progress.

how i found this: it was free on GOG several years ago, i wanted to play something this weekend that was compatible with lying down on the couch and used a maximum of one finger for the controls.

-

making

i cannot show any of the extremely doxxable embroidery samples that will zhuzh up this cardigan for a work event in mid-june, but i can show how i tacked the buttonband down. this is somewhat indifferent stitch spacing but it stays down and is invisible at a distance from the right side, and that's what matters. gotta de-pill this also but that's a bit boring for a tuesdaypost

[persephoneflouwers]

I was letting it slide, but since Louis was seen with this cardigan…

I really can’t sleep on it. So there you have my 2.25 am rant on

Louis and the theory of pleasure in FITF era

This huge parallel post was born yesterday morning on the train to work after the first listening of Saturday (as this freaking out post shows). I don’t want to be boring, but also I fucking love everything about it so… I’m not even saying Louis really knows this! It’s just my interpretation of his lyrics given the background studies I have (I spent all my last year of high school on Leopardi). It’s also fun to analyse concepts like this. I think it’s the first time ever I find something lowkey pessimistic in Louis’ art. He’s usually very positive, that’s why I would have never imagined his lyrics could related to Leopardi’s, the most famous Italian poet (probably second only to Dante), basically known for his pessimistic and lowkey depressing philosophical view (he wasn’t for me, he was just a sad gay lover).

To give a bit of context, I don’t know if any of you is familiar with Schopenhauer, but there was this debate on how deep the influence of Leopardi in his theories (or the other way around?) was. The main concept in Leo philosophy was indeed pleasure. He wrote plenty about it in a book called Zibaldone (July 1820). Here’s some extracts if you want to have a read :)

“all the ... sources of unhappiness make us inevitably and essentially wretched because our nature makes it so, and cannot change”;

“Given that man never properly experiences true pleasure, it follows that he never feels he is alive for any length of time without experiencing displeasure or boredom. And as boredom itself is pain and displeasure, it follows that for as long as man feels life, he also feels displeasure and pain.”

The chain of reasoning behind what Leopardi calls his “theory of pleasure” is seductively simple. Every person, indeed every living thing, is endowed by nature with infinite self-love: to exist is the same thing as to love oneself. This is why every creature naturally seeks its own good, which is nothing more or less than pleasure. In all our actions, including those that appear selfless, we are in search of some kind of pleasure, even if it is only the pleasure of self-esteem. But while our desire for pleasure is infinite, our mental and physical organs are capable only of limited and temporary pleasures; and this mismatch between desire and capacity dooms us to perpetual dissatisfaction. There is no pleasure big or total enough to quench, even momentarily, our thirst for pleasure. But since the absence of pleasure is pain, it follows that we are always in pain, even when we might believe otherwise. And if life is nothing but an unbroken experience of pain, it would be better for every human being never to have been born. (X)

Essentially from his poetic we can extract a few take home messages:

Humankind has an innate tendency to pleasure

Pleasure is temporary and pretty often an illusion. Only the ability, proper to human brains, to simulate the realisation of pleasure in mortal forms (arts) give us the impression we find pleasure, but as Leo would say soon enough humans realise that “the waiting for pleasure is the pleasure it self”, cause pleasure as it is is only as volatile as the idea of it.

As pleasure is ghost (!!!!!!) you can’t properly meet, what’s very real is the pain surrounding it. Schopenhauer would say “life is a pendulum swinging from a moment of pain to another with little moments of pleasure in between”.

Hence pleasure IS pain. You can’t separate them and you can’t have one without the other.

How’s all of this relevant in Louis music though?

This all huge embarrassment of a rant clicked when I was listening to Saturdays. Specifically the lines:

We always used to say

“Saturdays take the pain away”

But nobody stays the same

My first reaction was to stare the guy in front of me on the train to the point he got scared and I got tears in my eyes. But why Saturdays among all the 7 days? It’s definitely a concept in Leo’s poetry. Leo wrote this poem called “il sabato del villaggio”, a classic. Here you can find the translation if you are into poetry, I 100% recommend!

Saturdays are the symbol of youth, dreams, hopes, the antsy feeling of celebration and the excitement of waiting for the good things to happen. On the contrary Sundays are the symbols of the harsh reality, the end of the party, the adulthood, the concrete fall of every illusion. Living in a Saturday haze means to leave in a perpetual moment of pleasing illusion, but that’s not possible because Sundays are gonna come sooner or later. I also enjoy so much the way Louis narrates stories through his songs. He’s so good at describing moments. That’s what basically happens in sabato del villaggio.

Anyway I don’t know what I wanted to say here. It’s 3.58 AM and I should get some sleep, but I was so excited about this! Again this is just a parallel and I’m not saying it’s a reference or whatever. Even if I think Louis knows some Italian (i mean why not, his husband does and they both love italy so why not) I wouldn’t go that far with the knowledge of the italian literature. I just love finding parallels with stuff I know and I’ve studied in other artists art. It’s what we study for after all <3

[bmaxwell]

Top 10 Games of 2022

2022 was a hell of a good year for games. I had a hard time whittling my list down to just 10 games. It was a particularly good year for strategy RPG’s and wordy-talky games. Much to my surprise, I spent more time on my Nintendo Switch this year than anything, mostly thanks to finally taking the plunge on Xenoblade Chronicles. 

Xbox Game Pass continues to be a great value, and I played several games on it I would have otherwise missed. Many people bemoan the lack of AAA first party releases on Game Pass (which is fair), but that’s not me. Signalis, Power Wash Simulator, Citizen Sleeper, Beacon Pines, Shredder’s Revenge, and NORCO were all Game Pass titles for me. I can’t complain. 

On the flip side, I’ve become more wary of Early Access gaming - mostly because I tend to play a lot in early access, then when the game reaches its 1.0 release I sometimes have a “Been there, done that” feeling toward it. 

It was also a very down year for PlayStation. I played The Quarry there, and Valkyrie Elysium. I know Final Fantasy XVI and Final Fantasy 7 Reunited or Rehydrated or whatever the second one is called - I know those games are coming. For now though, it’s a little bare. Their reworking of PlayStation Plus ended up confusing and underwhelming as well. Better times are ahead. 

On to the games!

10. NORCO

Norco tells the story of a young woman returning to her hometown of Norco, Louisiana after her mother’s death. It’s a pixel art, point and click adventure game about...well at its heart it is about solving a mystery, but it’s about a lot of things. It’s about terminal illness. It’s about capitalism and the communities of people who fall through the cracks. It’s about strange lights in the Louisiana bayou, prophets, and powerful otherworldly beings. It’s about family trauma and forgiveness. It’s about eating a bad hotdog and desperately shitting inside a limousine. 

Norco is bizarre, clever, touching, funny, desperate, and brilliant. And greater than the sum of its parts.  

9. I Was a Teenage Exocolonist

This game was a long shot for me. I don’t like the look of it at all, the cardplay is too simple to be of interest, and it’s a story about living in space. I don’t remember who recommended it to me, but I’m glad they did because the writing is wonderful. You play as a child in a colony on a newly settled planet, with the story taking place from the ages of 10-20 years old. You pass time by doing activities such as attending classes, helping out in the daycare area, working in the geoponics center, training for the defense force, or working as a lookout. 

These will often have associated events that are resolved with a simple card game, and major life events grant you more cards. In my first play, my character was great with biology and animal knowledge, and fell in love with the girl working in the biology lab. Long story very short, I ended up inadvertently playing a role in the development and deployment of fungal contagion that wiped out most life on the planet. Whoopsie. 

A second playthrough gives you some chances to intervene on events you remember from the first game, a la Groundhog Day. The writing is smart and thoughtful, and the game has stayed with me in the weeks since completing it. 

8. The Quarry

A few years back my wife, firstborn child, and I enjoy playing “Choices Matter” games together. We’ve gone through Detroit: Become Human, Life is Strange: True Colors, and Little Hope as couch coop experiences. We started Until Dawn a few years ago, but it was a little too much “horny teens” for firstborn to play with his parents at the time. Now he’s older and that stuff is a lot less awkward for us, so when The Quarry came around, I picked it up. 

And we had a freaking blast with it. We were responsible for a few characters each. The story revolves around a group of camp counselors staying over for one last night after the kids are gone at the end of summer. Bad shit starts happening of course, and you’re left to figure out what exactly is happening and why, and what to do about it. Oh, and also don’t die. It’s a fail forward game (which I love) so when something bad happens, the story keeps going rather than presenting you with a Game Over screen. 

The story is good campy fun, the mystery was satisfying, and voicework and visuals are great. Seeing how the other players respond to situations is always fun. We were doing great until the last chapter where we lost a few of our campers, but we still found the wrap-up satisfying. 

7. Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope

2017′s Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was a near miss, but full of promise. Sparks of Hope delivers on that promise, building on the previous game in meaningful ways. The word I keep coming back to with Sparks of Hope is Freedom. You have a team of Marios and Rabbids, but they all level up at the same rate so there’s no worry about your least favorite characters falling behind. As you gain levels you can assign points in unlocking and powering up new abilities. Those points can be refunded and redistributed without penalty. You discover little Rabbid star people called Sparks along the way, and each character in your team can be assigned two of these - they grant elemental powers, extra dash attacks, invisibility, and lots of other stuff. This gives your characters strong customizability in ways that felt game-breaking at times, but was fun as hell. 

My Rabbid Mario was an unholy terror who could lure enemies to him and wipe most of them out in a single strong attack. He was also the best character in the game, thanks to voice acting that made me laugh a few times. Rabbid Rosalina with her strong disinterest in everything happening around her was fun too. In fact, the Rabbid characters generally felt more interesting and entertaining than the Mario ones. Except for Edge. Edge is basically “What if Cloud Strife was a Rabbid?” - just unlikable and lame as hell. Were the devs in on the joke or am I supposed to think she’s cool? I’m still not sure.

Going back to freedom in the design, the combat got a major overhaul from the first game too - specifically, your characters can move anywhere within their range as much as they want until they’ve taken their 2 actions. You can also freely swap between your characters until your turn is over. This lets you cook up strategies and change your mind on the fly if something isn’t going to work out. This means there are always several ways to attack a given situation, and the way things play out is often dumb and great. Huge chain reactions of explosions taking out bunches of baddies, or popping enemies up in the air so Mario and Luigi can snipe them were some of the favorite moments in the game. I couldn’t ask for anything better out of a game with Rabbids in it.

6. Tactics Ogre Reborn

Final Fantasy Tactics is one of my favorite games ever made. I’ve never played its predecessor Tactics Ogre in any form though. Reborn is an update of the 2010 PSP title Tactics Ogre Let Us Cling Together, which itself is an update of the original Tactics Ogre game from 1995. As a fan of FFT, I can immediately see the lineage with that game. The tone and music feel immediately familiar, as do the themes of war and the common folk caught in it. Reborn deals in shades of grey more than FFT does, and I frequently found myself pitted against people who did not feel villainous. 

Also unlike FFT, there are some story choices to be made in Tactic Ogre Reborn, and these choices will affect major parts of the narrative. The game’s design does show its age (being nearly 30 years old at this point). For example, I hope you like navigating menus and checking everyone’s equipment and abilities. A lot. Like, a LOT. The whole thing crumbles if the battle doesn’t hold, and thankfully it still feels great. The difficulty hit a sweet spot for me where I often found myself just scraping by, pulling out a win after it felt like hope was lost. 

I found myself doing Just One More Battle several times with this game, a testament to how fun the combat is. I miss the deep class customization of FFT, but my roster here was varied enough that it never bothered me.  As I’ve been working on this list, every time I see Tactics Ogre Reborn at number 6, my gut reaction is “What? That’s too fucking low!” then I stare at the games above it and think “Yeah no, it’s six. I’ll be damned.” I have no doubt that if I’d played this game in its day in the late nineties, it would be one of my favorite games ever made. 

Six is too low. 

5. Citizen Sleeper  

Sometimes, a game is appealing to me but asks me to put some effort into learning it. Depending on the game and my headspace that day, I might just say “fuck it” and put it down. I almost did that with Citizen Sleeper. The gameplay is, at its core, an action drafting game where dice determine your available options. In my boardgaming days, I’d be all about it. I didn’t sign up for that though, this was a videogame that was asking me to learn this system before being really bought into any of it.

But I’m a big brave dog, so I pushed through and learned it (it’s really not so bad). My reward was a special game, one that will stay with me for a very long time. Citizen Sleeper places you in the role of an android, a synthetic life form whose consciousness was copied from a human. A corporation pays the human for this, they get a worker (you), and the human gets a sum of money. You are property, a thing with no rights of any kind. If you try to run, you’ll soon cease to function without regular injections of a drug (produced only by the corporation who owns you). 

In Citizen Sleeper you are an escapee, a stowaway trying to figure out how to survive on a space station. You need shelter, you need work, you need your injections, and there’s a bounty on your head. As your health deteriorates, you have fewer dice available to you (and thus can perform fewer tasks in a given day). If your dice rolls are lower, you may not be able to perform some tasks very well (low rolls aren’t always bad though). The mechanical parts of the game are there to service the story and writing, which are fantastic

The game mirrors being an outcast with a chronic illness very, very well. You need your meds to survive, so you need to earn money but some days it’s very difficult or impossible to make that happen. Some folks might help, some might not care, some may try to take advantage of you. Without going into too much detail, the game world offered hope in the form of community (in my playthrough anyway). When the systems in place fail us, we must rely on each other. 

I fully plan on playing the game again after they’re done updating it. Citizen Sleeper was another game from this year that is going to stay with me.

4. Triangle Strategy

I’ve played a LOT of strategy RPG’s since Final Fantasy Tactics, always chasing the dragon. Not many scratch that itch but, despite the stupid name, Triangle Strategy is the best SRPG I’ve played since FFT. My only real complaint with the game is how slowly it starts. They really front load the first couple of hours with exposition dumps, doling out a story of a war torn nation and kingdoms competing for resources before you’re invested in anything. I can’t blame anyone who bounces off early. And initially I was disappointed by the lack of deep customization options with your characters.

But the more I played, the less that bothered me. My characters felt distinct from one another, and even the oddball classes were genuinely useful - something I can’t say for FFT. By the end, my A-team had a juggler, a builder, and mathematician on it. The combat here is tight, and the difficulty once again hit a sweet spot for me. I could get through most combats on the first try, and the game gives XP in losses so it always felt like some progress was made even in defeat. I enjoyed the combat enough that I did all of the optional training battles. 

The more I played the game, the more I got invested in the story. The game gives you these decision points where you talk to your team and decide how best to proceed. You can try to sway people one way or the other, but you need to have talked to some people between battles and be able to make a convincing argument. The game tracks morality and other metrics in the background, and some characters will only be recruitable under certain conditions. There are multiple endings as well, and this is another game I plan on playing through again to see what I’ve missed (though my canonical ending is #TeamFrederica).

3. Marvel’s Midnight Suns 

Well, I didn’t count on this. I wasn’t sold on the game until I heard an interview with developer Jake Solomon. I’m not especially a fan of comics or superheroes, but I loved his passion for the source material. And I’m a strategy RPG guy (though XCOM has always been a miss for me). A couple of weeks ago I was seriously considering this for my game of the year and pondering my own possible recency bias. 

Midnight Suns is not my game of the year, but goddammit I was absolutely hooked on this game from start to finish in the “I wonder if I can squeeze a mission in before I have to leave for work” way. The best comparison I have for this game’s design is Fire Emblem Three Houses. That is, you go out on missions that are decided by turn-based combat, then you come back to your home base where you run around talking to your teammates, building relationships and doing some light crafting and collecting. I enjoyed it here enough that it made me retroactively like Three Houses a little less.

It has the Hades “problem” where I love both the combat and the exploration/talky bits so much that there’s no natural stopping point for me. I’m excited to do the next mission and, when that’s done, I’m excited to explore the abbey and talk to people and do my upgrades. It’s another “I was going to take a break 3 hours ago” game for me. And as someone with no real knowledge or expectation of these superheroes, I enjoyed the writing and ended up liking all of them in their own way by the end. Even the protagonist - a wholly new superhero made for the game - felt like more than just a blank slate. Each hero feels distinct in battle, with just enough customization to tweak their playstyles to your liking, but not so much that it’s overwhelming. 

They struck a great balance with the game. For the second year in a row a Marvel game is one of the very best releases of the year. You win, universe. 

2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3  

More than anything, 2022 was the year of Xenoblade Chronicles for me. I played the first one for the first time and loved it, immediately bought the second and loved it more, and bought Xenoblade Chronicles 3 at release. It somehow managed to be even better than its predecessors, and one of the best games I've ever played. 

It does the best version of the things I want from a JRPG. The combat system is complex and satisfying. There’s a class system where you’re unlocking new classes and swapping between them as you wish. The story is heartfelt and serious, but not afraid to lighten things up in the downtime. You get a ragtag cast of characters who start off as enemies and over time grow to tolerate each other and eventually form unbreakable bonds. They band together to overcome impossible odds with the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP.

Each member of the team has to deal with their own personal baggage and trauma, and each grows as a character over the course of the story. The world is oppressive and heavy, and I fell in love with my misfit crew by the end of the Xenoblade Chronicles 3′s ~100 hour runtime. The ending lived up to the rest of the game (which does not always happen). Also, Sena is best girl and additionally she is the girl with the gall. 

1. Elden Ring  

What can I say about Elden Ring?

Despite many attempts, it’s the first FromSoft Game that landed for me. The easiest thing I can point to is the open world design of the game. Where previous soulsborne games would funnel the player into a handful of narrow paths, Elden Ring’s world is VAST. Seriously. It inspired a sense of awe in me that I don’t often feel. I knew the game world was big, but it just kept going. Going underground and learning that there’s a whole additional map was jaw-dropping for me. 

FromSoft somehow managed to make the world feel massive and vast, but still chock full of secrets that feel organic and satisfying. Several times during my playthrough, I’d see something cool off in the distance and think “Oh, I’ll pop over there and check that out!” only to find that the cool thing was a LOT further away than I initially thought. I’ve played games where it feels like the developers sprinkled a handful of icons over the map in the name of padding out the game’s play time (looking at you, Ubisoft). That’s not the case here. There is weird, cool shit to find everywhere, and it never feels cluttered or forced. Even when the reward was a piece of gear that my character was unable to use, I never felt like my time was wasted. 

While the graphical fidelity might not be on the level of games like Horizon Forbidden West, the art design is breathtaking. So much of Elden Ring inspires curiosity and exploration; I went deep underground and there’s a starry sky down there!? The world’s towering golden trees act as beacons in the game’s otherwise harrowing, crumbling world. There is a melancholy beauty to this game that really struck a chord with me. 

The game’s combat is fantastic as expected, and the ability to fuck off to somewhere else whenever I was frustrated with a boss or a location is what allowed a schlub like me to enjoy and finish the game. For a couple of months my buddies and I were consumed by Elden Ring, swapping screenshots and stories and lore findings. It feels like the game of the generation to me and, as great as many other releases were this year, I just couldn’t not name Elden Ring my game of the year. 

[video-production-leeds]

The Power of Interactive Video in Health and Safety Training

In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of health and safety training cannot be overstated. Ensuring that employees are well-informed about safety protocols and procedures is crucial to maintaining a safe workplace environment. Traditional training methods, such as manuals and lectures, have their place, but they often fall short in terms of engagement and retention. This is where interactive video comes into play, revolutionising the way health and safety training is conducted. In this blog, we’ll explore why interactive video is an invaluable tool for creating effective health and safety training video productions and why you should consider partnering with Shot Blast Media for your next project. One of the most significant advantages of interactive video is its ability to engage viewers actively. Traditional training videos can be passive, with employees simply watching and absorbing information. Interactive videos, on the other hand, require active participation. This can include clicking on different sections, answering quiz questions, or choosing different scenarios. This level of engagement helps to keep the viewer’s attention, making the training more effective. Engagement is critical when it comes to retaining information. Studies have shown that interactive content can increase retention rates significantly compared to passive content. When employees are actively involved in their learning process, they are more likely to remember and apply the information they have learned. This is particularly important in health and safety training, where forgetting crucial information can have serious consequences. Interactive video allows for the creation of customisable scenarios that can simulate real-life situations employees might encounter. For instance, a health and safety training video for a construction site can include different scenarios such as handling hazardous materials, working at heights, or responding to emergencies. Employees can navigate through these scenarios, making decisions that affect the outcome. This type of training is not only more engaging but also more practical. It allows employees to practise their decision-making skills in a safe environment. They can see the consequences of their actions without any real-world risks. This type of experiential learning is highly effective in helping employees understand and remember safety protocols. Another significant benefit of interactive video is the ability to provide immediate feedback and assessment. Traditional training methods often involve a significant delay between the training and the assessment of knowledge. With interactive video, employees can receive instant feedback on their performance. This can include explanations of why a particular choice was correct or incorrect and additional information to reinforce the learning points. Immediate feedback helps to reinforce learning and correct misunderstandings before they become ingrained. It also allows employers to assess the effectiveness of the training in real-time. They can see which areas employees are struggling with and adjust the training accordingly. This ensures that all employees receive the support they need to fully understand and apply health and safety protocols. Interactive video offers unparalleled flexibility and accessibility. Traditional training sessions often require employees to be present at a specific time and place, which can be logistically challenging and disruptive to work schedules. Interactive videos, however, can be accessed anytime and anywhere, allowing employees to complete their training at their own pace. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for businesses with a geographically dispersed workforce. Employees can access the training materials online, ensuring that everyone receives the same high-quality training regardless of their location. This can lead to a more consistent understanding of health and safety protocols across the organisation. Why Choose Shot Blast Media? At Shot Blast Media, we specialise in creating engaging and effective health and safety training videos. Our team of experts understands the importance of interactive content and customisable scenarios to maximise learning and retention. We use cutting-edge technology and innovative approaches to produce high-quality training videos that resonate with your employees. By choosing Shot Blast Media for your next health and safety video project, you benefit from our extensive experience and dedication to excellence. We tailor our services to meet your specific needs, ensuring that your training videos are not only informative but also engaging and memorable. Interactive video is a powerful tool for health and safety training . Its ability to engage viewers, provide customisable scenarios, offer immediate feedback, and deliver flexible and accessible training makes it an ideal solution for modern workplaces. The enhanced analytics and real-world case studies further underscore its effectiveness in improving training outcomes. For businesses looking to enhance their health and safety training programmes, investing in interactive video production is a smart move. It not only improves the quality of training but also helps to create a safer and more informed workforce. With the right approach and tools, interactive video can transform health and safety training into an engaging and effective experience for all employees. Partner with Shot Blast Media to create your next interactive health and safety training video and ensure your workforce is well-prepared to maintain a safe and compliant workplace. +44 (0)113 288 3245 | hello@shotblastmedia.co.uk Your Industrial Story Starts Here Press the button. Make the call. Transform your media. +44 (0)113 288 3245 hello@shotblastmedia.co.uk Contact Us

[guyfmpyear2]

Research : Dating sims

Doki Doki Literature Club! :

a game me and josh played through together, its a dating sim turned psychological thriller, it isn't written amazingly but from a coding standpoint it got the gears turning on what I could and should do coding wise, when it comes to a typical visual novel in terms of displaying text, displaying characters and the scene's.

the gameplay is mostly clicking through dialogue while occasionally choosing dialogue options or actions. as well as the end of day poem writing minigame to decide which girl you will appeal to.

Cryptid Crush:

came across it on itch.io, seems to fit the niche of mythical characters in a dating simulator, the UI is very pretty and thematic. Compared to Doki Doki it certainly allows a greater variety of interactions. a history feature is something that seems common within these titles, where you can access a transcript of everything that has been said recently. which could be something I can make.

Do NOT Take This Cat Home :

Another visual novel that isn't how is seems, surrounding the discovery of a stray black cat that leads to a series of undesirable events in the protagonists life.

The Multi choice options in the 2nd picture are something I can incorporate into the game to have branching choices. the artstyle is quite minimalist but cute.

I love my follower (count):

A stat building Visual novel where you are an eldritch god having to acclimatize to modern society to gain followers for your church. the stat building aspect gives me ideas for how to adapt and innovate upon the visual novel medium.

Serial Lover :

A dating sim rhythm game, this is more adaptation on the visual novel genre, I definitely don't want to make another rhythm game after the last one, takes place with you trying to survive, and possibly win over a few serial killers. other than that it seems pretty basic outside of the rhythm game gimmick.

Saint Spell's Love Guide to the Magical Student's Spellbook :

a dating sim set in a magic school of some sort, with you being able to brew potions, practice spells, read books and more. Its yet again stat based, with the stats being useful on storylines and outcomes.

I'm starting to warm to the idea of a stat system in my game with certain stats attracting certain characters or unlocking actions/ dialogue choices.

Purrgatory:

A Point and click visual novel about being trapped in purgatory where nothing really matters, and you encounter a bunch of whimsical characters, the art style being minimal is endearing

point and click is another method of doing a visual novel with more substance / gameplay.

Sucker for love:

a Lovecraftian horror dating sim, where you have to perform rituals to date eldritch girls.

I saw the ritual system and instantly thought about what I'm trying to do with the feats of strength minigames, there's also items in sucker for love, which is an interesting mechanic that i have also seen in other games like it. and I think there could be some really cool possibilities for items in our game.

Danganronpa : Trigger Happy Havoc :

You are a student selected to attend a seemingly prestigious high school, until on the first day. the place locks down. not letting anyone leave, and setting the simple task: get away with murdering another student and you earn your freedom.

The gameplay revolves around investigating, and then 'mock trials' where the class has to debate on who committed murders. with the player having to play word games to prove their innocence and break apart other students arguments.

Heavy Rain:

Its not a typical visual novel, but the storytelling is still impeccable

First thing that caught my eye is the Quick Time Events (QTE's), i dont know how i would actually integrate 3D motion based quick time events into the quite flat and stationary ideas i gave of a visual novel. immediately though i think of adding stakes and a timer

[ankitaacadereality]

The Impact of VR on Top-Notch Animation Solutions

Did you ever wish as a kid that you were part of your favorite comic book or that you were a role in the cartoon series you keenly followed on television? Did you ever visualize that one day it would be likely to do so?

Best animation services helped bring adventure and our heroes to life, but we constantly hoped for just that individual interaction with our favorite shows.

Over the years, with technological advancement, the modes of entertainment have also evolved. From just hearing in front of the TV screen to being active members, animation solutions in VR are assisting in bridging that gap.

Also, the web designing world is rapidly changing. From the chunks of text that were primarily used to the advanced websites with videos and now the presence of top-notch animation solutions, the changes are coming in strong and fast. 

Animation comes in diverse shapes and forms and can be the focus element on the page or a subtle feature on the website. Animation can have a constructive effect on your virtual presence. There are a number of benefits to using animation, and we will discuss them all. 

Why choose Animation solutions?

The WWW is full of sites in your line of company. Since you are contending with millions of other sites, having a particular unique feature will work to make your site more prominent. 

Animation comes in diverse forms for various reasons. You can use the best animation services to distract the consumer during loading time, particularly for flat designs, minimalism, and portfolios. 

Animation solutions can also be used in the web menu, mainly with hidden menus and moving icons that are revealed with a click of a button.

Galleries and slideshows are other standard places where web animation is used in most websites. This is just a common way of displaying content in an exclusive, attractive way that draws the target audience. Whatever form of animation is selected, it should serve its perseverance without distracting the people from the vital content.

What is VR animation?

Simply put, VR animation solutions create simulated places and environments the consumer inside an experience.

This means artisan must now stage animation to help their spectators move through and step inside the story. However, VR gives individuals the choice to look around at any viewpoint. Which means the usual deletion of cinematography and linear narratives is gone.

With top-notch animation solutions for VR, content makers have to stop thinking about animating from protected camera shots and angles and instead study various vantage points that keep shifting, just like in the actual world. 

VR animators feel the trial and are, of course, pleased.

Creative director of projects for VR studio Wevr, Jake Rowell, clarifies it well in an interview with Cartoon Brew when he says that, "The major difference between linear projects and VR is that you are putting yourself exclusively in the experience and looking at the animation with this new outlook. 

This contribution gives you a lot to react to and think with regards to speed and scale of movement relative to the players' size."

While huge-scale VR experiences will need such a method, for minor VR experiences (like when the consumer is seated, for example) a linear tactic could work without you having to provide the best animation services for all angles.

How will VR impact the future of animation?

Since the consumer operates the camera in VR animation, animation service providers will need to direct where consumers would look, anticipate their perspective, account for different audience members, and direct the user. 

According to professionals, this is vital to avoid confusion among customers as to where they must look, and that means animators must collaborate with layout, sound, and lighting teams in animation for VR.

Here are three ways VR will change how individuals interact with the world of animation. 

Increased emotional attachment – Stories invoke feelings of anger, happiness, or sadness. With VR animation solutions, these feelings are going to be further augmented because of the audio-visual immersion that comes with the feeling of playing a lively part in the story.

Experiencing animation as an interactive medium – Picture going from actually playing a role in it or wanting to watch a story. Or being the hero in the game, watching a favorite character play a game, VR animation will help the viewers cross over to their favorite imaginary worlds fluently.

Improved visuals – Even though there have been sufficient 3D movie releases, auditoria, with their less-than-optimal projection setups, were not geared fully to take advantage of the 3rd dimension. 

With the improvement and advancement in technology, VR helps give the user a completely diverse visual experience and bridge this gap that is more hands-on and way more collaborative than present modes of entertainment.

Wrapping up 

Best animation services have brilliant potential for companies that seek more engagement and exposure in the virtual realm. Because the virtual world is getting messier by the day, you need to innovate within your product to stand out eventually. 

You can use the multipurpose nature of top-notch animation solutions for different purposes, as their impact is more dominant for clutching the audience's attention. 

They can be used for engagement, Search Engine Optimization, storytelling, and conversions. Thus, animation is the ideal resource for sole proprietorship and business success.

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💾 ►►► DOWNLOAD FILE 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Village Life Cheats Gems. likes. village life cheats village life gem cheats village life cheats gems village life cheats for gems village. [Request] Village Life: Love, Marriage, and Babies, If you truly have a hack for this game, please provide a working link. The tool will let you play for free in your favorite game Village Life! Village Life cheat program download for free only on -- The Tribez is an adventure like no other – a prehistoric game about a charming tribe leading a peaceful village life in the Stone Age! Travel to a settlement. 9 Sign in to add this item to your wishlist, follow it, or mark it as ignored. Sign in to see reasons why you may or may not like this based on your games, friends, and curators you follow. Note: This Early Access game is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more. You can use this widget-maker to generate a bit of HTML that can be embedded in your website to easily allow customers to purchase this game on Steam. Sign In. Home Discussions Workshop Market Broadcasts. Change language. Install Steam. Your Store Your Store. Categories Categories. Special Sections. Player Support. Community Hub. My Village Life. Papucs Games. My Village Life is a open world village simulator vehicle driving game. All Reviews:. Popular user-defined tags for this product:. Is this game relevant to you? Sign In or Open in Steam. Languages :. English and 1 more. View Steam Achievements Includes 19 Steam Achievements. Publisher: Papucs Games. Share Embed. Early Access Game Get instant access and start playing; get involved with this game as it develops. What the developers have to say:. Why Early Access? We take original ideas in to the game, but we need feedbacks from the players to put their ideas into the game as well. 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You can complete missions, earn money, obtaine vehicles all around the map. You can chop wood and sale it on the wood delivery point for money. And from the money you can shopping. You can walk to the pub to drink some beer. Find granny and take her to the market for some rewards. You can pick up any item and take it with yourself. You can find in the game many little story line. The vehicles based on their real life speed. You can find some secret thing in the game. On the roads are some AI but you should be cautious with them. If you bored of the story mode, try out the the My Village Life Multiplayer mode. Create a room for 2, 4 or 8 people and play with your friends. Jump in a car together and drive around the map, find all the easter eggs and find all the secrets. Or just grab a chainsaw, earn money together and drink it all in the pub. After you stumbled home you can go and make the drivers day horrible. Organize a car meeting or play roleplay with players. See all. View all. Click here to see them. Customer reviews. Overall Reviews:. Recent Reviews:. Review Type. All Positive Negative All Steam Purchasers Other All Languages Your Languages 22 Customize. Date Range. To view reviews within a date range, please click and drag a selection on a graph above or click on a specific bar. Show graph. Brought to you by Steam Labs. Filter reviews by the user's playtime when the review was written:. No minimum to No maximum. Off-topic Review Activity. When enabled, off-topic review activity will be filtered out. This defaults to your Review Score Setting. Read more about it in the blog post. Excluding Off-topic Review Activity. Loading reviews There are no more reviews that match the filters set above. Review Filters. Enter up to characters to add a description to your widget:. Create widget. Popular user-defined tags for this product:? Sign In Sign in to add your own tags to this product. All rights reserved. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries. VAT included in all prices where applicable. View mobile website.

[servtrust]

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#Ootp baseball 2016 full

#Ootp baseball 2016 full

The realism that goes into MLB Manager 2016 is pretty extraordinary, with a full financial system, minor league rosters (though not full systems as with its PC counterpart) and all the bells and whistles you’d expect from an OOTP game. You can also slow things down to a pitch by pitch basis or auto-sim to any point in the game if desired. The action is relayed via a text-based play by play announcer who fills you in on what’s going on in the style of a radio broadcaster, with some fun flavor bits thrown in from time to time. With the default option to only play out the key pitch of any at-bat, one game of baseball can be simulated in about 15 minutes, give or take, while still giving you control over any strategic option available to a real life manager at any time. A quick menu allows you to see rosters, the box score and more at any time. Hitters have their contact and power ratings displayed, which turn to baserunning abilities should they reach safely. The in-game sim style will be familiar to anyone who’s played an OOTP title before, with an overview of the diamond and the names and key defensive ratings for the players in the field. Don’t like the DH or the one-game wild card round? One tap can fix those for you. And you can easily change any major rule during league setup to your liking. You can jump right in and take control of a team in the upcoming real life season, create whole fantasy leagues with auto-generated teams and players or dive into a historical season from any era of baseball history (the game comes with three, with others available as in-app purchases). It’s great to see them back this season.Īs with all of the company’s games, MLB Manager 2016 offers a tremendous amount of flexibility with the way you want to simulate the sport. Having not only every current MLB team name and logo but historical logos as well adds an immersion factor that can’t be duplicated in any other way. To be fair, nothing OOTP did for this season was going to be as momentous as getting the Major League Baseball license, which it did for 2015. OOTP Developments took a conservative path with MLB Manager 2016, and while it’s still the best baseball sim on mobile, it’s similar enough to its predecessor to leave you wanting just a bit more. Change too much and it makes people grumpy, too little and they feel cheated. Customers expect annual updates to add not only updated teams and players but also new features. Sports game franchises can be tricky things. Continued abuse of our services will cause your IP address to be blocked indefinitely.No major new features added since the 2015 game. Please fill out the CAPTCHA below and then click the button to indicate that you agree to these terms. If you wish to be unblocked, you must agree that you will take immediate steps to rectify this issue. If you do not understand what is causing this behavior, please contact us here. If you promise to stop (by clicking the Agree button below), we'll unblock your connection for now, but we will immediately re-block it if we detect additional bad behavior. Overusing our search engine with a very large number of searches in a very short amount of time.Using a badly configured (or badly written) browser add-on for blocking content.Running a "scraper" or "downloader" program that either does not identify itself or uses fake headers to elude detection.Using a script or add-on that scans GameFAQs for box and screen images (such as an emulator front-end), while overloading our search engine.There is no official GameFAQs app, and we do not support nor have any contact with the makers of these unofficial apps. Continued use of these apps may cause your IP to be blocked indefinitely. This triggers our anti-spambot measures, which are designed to stop automated systems from flooding the site with traffic. Some unofficial phone apps appear to be using GameFAQs as a back-end, but they do not behave like a real web browser does.Using GameFAQs regularly with these browsers can cause temporary and even permanent IP blocks due to these additional requests. If you are using Maxthon or Brave as a browser, or have installed the Ghostery add-on, you should know that these programs send extra traffic to our servers for every page on the site that you browse.The most common causes of this issue are: Your IP address has been temporarily blocked due to a large number of HTTP requests.

[delimeful]

you cant go back (1)

BTHB: Locked Up and Left Behind

first in a new alien series! this one is completely unrelated to WIBAR :)

warnings: abandonment, violence, injury, mentions of death and starvation, mild cliffhanger

-

Virgil was screwed.

This was quite a familiar phrase for him. He most frequently utilized it while trying to haul Jan away from whatever batshit scheme he was joint-deep in before it blew up in their faces. Normally, however, even he could admit that his panic, fury, and/or despair was sometimes exaggerated for emphasis.

“I’m absolutely, massively, unbelievably screwed,” Virgil tried out in a low hissing whisper, and grimaced when it came out sounding like an understatement.

In the corner of his eye, his helmet’s display screen blinked an eye-numbing red, informing him that there was a breach in his suit, and the atmospheric pressure inside had been completely disrupted. There would normally be beeping, too, the shrieking ‘you’re about to die’ kind that made his shelling turn pitch with terror in simulations, but— well.

He’d been able to endure about two clicks of the racket before giving in and tearing through the audio speakers with his teeth, ruining them entirely. It meant he wouldn’t hear any of the vital organ failure notifications, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to experience a sickening play-by-play of his death on another planet anyhow.

The others had left him in some kind of dilapidated shack, hand-painted a faded red on the outside. It looked unstable, but it was apparently built sturdier than any of them expected, enough to not even creak as he thrashed around with all his free limbs. He’d been cuffed around one of the support pillars, which meant that even if he could break it, it would probably just immediately collapse and crush him to bits.

Considering there was an enormous crack in the glass of his helmet, he hadn’t really thought he’d get the privilege of worrying about how he was going to die. Aisleen— the one who had bashed his helmet against her elbow plate— had certainly agreed. She’d waited until after the others had left, granting him a quicker death the way her culture called honorable.

Janus would have disagreed loudly. Not just because Virgil was pretty sure his only friend didn’t actually want to see him choke to death on the probably-somehow-toxic atmosphere of a Deathworld, but also because that guy could go on about interplanetary ethics for rotations if you let him.

Virgil wrenched at his restraints for the hundredth time, ignoring the hot pulse of pain that came with the movement. His chitin had to be cracking by now, but the rawness of that was easier to focus on than thoughts like, ‘I’ll never get to watch him argue someone in circles again.’

The worst part wasn’t wondering if they’d fess up to abandoning him or not. No, the worst part was he wasn’t actually sure which option he preferred.

He could imagine Janus looking for him, searching for leads that didn’t exist, stubborn the way a starving shilsho would stay locked onto flesh. Never knowing what actually happened. Jan hated not knowing things, the way Virgil hated sitting with his back to an open entryway.

But if he knew… If Janus managed to wrest the truth from them— or if they bragged about it— he would blame himself. They’d left Virgil because he was just a weaker version of Janus when it came down to it, and because he backed Janus up no matter what, and because it was funny, leaving the twitchiest guy on the crew to die on a world where anything and everything could kill you.

At least Janus wouldn’t be tempted to come down and retrieve his corpse. The other Chelcera was all about self-serving scheming, and there was no way the benefits outweighed the costs. He had to believe that much for his own sanity.

Virgil closed his eyes, trying to push away the what-ifs and the mental flash-images of Janus stuck in his position. He had more than enough to worry about already.

Since the atmosphere didn’t seem toxic enough to kill him outright (for now), there was a surplus of possible ways he was going to bite it. Weather, wildlife, or withering into a lifeless husk due to lack of sustenance.

Alliteration, nice. He was funny when he was on the brink of deathbed hysterics.

For now, he was only in conceptual danger. The shack was sheltering him from any outside elements, being terrified had killed his appetite, and there didn’t seem to be any heat signatures nearby, though his vision was limited by the sides of the helmet.

It made his skin itch, not being able to see behind him, but his auxiliary arms were spread out and taut, waiting for even a wisp of movement. If anyone tried to attack him from behind, they’d strike quick and true.

Of course, then he’d probably be immediately immolated by a pissed-off Deathworlder, but at least he could go down fighting.

If he was vicious enough, they’d have to kill him, and he wouldn’t have to worry about being taken alive. Bitter venom welled up in his mouth at the thought, and he tried to breathe deeply.

He was thinking too far ahead. For now, he’d struggle and swear and watch his atmo tank dwindle down to nothing, see if it changed anything. Maybe he was going to asphyxiate, after all.

-

He made it through the night.

The sun was close to this planet, enough that he was warm even in the stripped-down version of his bodysuit and in the enclosed shade of the barn. He thought he might even get overheated if he tried to sunbathe here, which hadn’t ever been a concern back home.

Thankfully, the meager sun that spilled through the half-open window didn’t reach him, so he didn’t have to add boiling alive to his list of potential deaths.

Unthankfully, more and more heat signatures popped up as the dawn arrived, all small but still potentially life-ending. He’d heard more than enough horror stories about palm-sized Deathworlder creatures that could kill you with one bite. He wasn’t letting his guard down.

The noise that accompanied the day was welcome— he was exhausted, and every unfamiliar chattering call or whistle made his aux limbs lift back up defensively, keeping him from dropping off into sleep.

He was not falling asleep on a Deathworld. That was just asking for trouble.

The energy crash hit hard, though, and by the time the sun was overhead, he was warm and sleepy enough that he almost missed the slow creak of the door.

He definitely didn’t miss the bright splotch of heat that trotted in, though. He quickly flicked his sensor eyes closed, getting rid of the heat-sense overlay, and felt his hair stand on end as he met the slitted eyes of a small, furry quadruped.

“Mrow?” the creature chirped at him, tail winding back and forth in the air. Its fur was colored in abstract patches, and he could see the tiny fangs in its mouth as it yawned threateningly.

Virgil resisted the urge to hiss, wriggling his wrists desperately. There was no point in antagonizing a Deathworlder creature preemptively while bound and helpless, a voice in his head reminded him. It sounded kind of like Janus.

The creature stalked a little closer, predatory grace in every one of its movements, and paused to watch him again. It’s pupils seemed rounder now, ears flicked up attentively. Virgil resisted the urge to twitch his backlegs, keeping still like a terrified prey animal as it approached at a leisurely pace.

He’d had all of his bulky outer suit stripped from him by the others-- no point in leaving the soon-to-be-corpse with a pricy surface suit. They’d even taken the shoes, which had felt a bit like insult to injury.

Now, with the local fauna drawing close to his feet, it felt more like just plain injury.

As bad as the odds were, he was fervently hoping that he could make himself seem tougher than he was. Maybe having to work for its meal would scare it off? He grit his fangs and drew himself up in preparation to lash out as much as he could in retaliation for whatever damage the creature was about to inflict on him.

It trod directly over his feet and brushed its little head up against his legs, a low rumble beginning to emanate from it.

He stared blankly down at it.

“What?” he clicked quietly, and the creature chirped back at him, taking a tight turn to loop right back around and brush against him in the opposite direction. Still, not a hint of pain.

Did… Did it have contact poisons, maybe? There was a residue of shed fur building up on the ankles of his undersuit, but it seemed surprisingly harmless.

With another, louder rumble, the creature settled into a crouched position-- directly on top of his feet. Its eyes drifted slowly closed, the vibrations it was making rolling through him.

Oh, Seryl and all her stars. It was sleeping on him.

It seemed docile for now, but what would it do if he woke it? Even he threatened to bite people who interrupted his naps, and he wasn’t a tiny wild creature governed only by survival (no matter what Janus told people). His flimsy inner suit wouldn’t stop an Ampen’s claws, let alone Deathworlder teeth or claws.

The creature continued to be a warm purring weight on his feet.

He resigned himself to a very tense next few hours.

-

Patch, as he’d taken to mentally calling the creature, didn’t end up attacking him. When it woke, it stretched languidly, chirped up at him a few more times, and then departed shortly before the sunlight began to fade.

And then, the next morning, it returned. Despite Virgil’s many fears, it continued to show no interest in harming him. At some point in the day, he even accidentally fell asleep with it, and still, no surprise ambush.

Despite Patch’s yawns and rumbles and claw-flexing stretches that could all technically be threat displays, it seemed bizarrely… almost... fond of him.

There was the slightest hitch, on the second day, when he realized Patch could come in the other windows and approach from behind while he slept. Surprisingly enough, the thought of the creature sneaking up on him was less distressing than the idea of accidentally striking out at it while asleep.

The presence of a non-hostile creature keeping him company had been... surprisingly nice when he wasn’t busy freaking out about it.

Once he’d imagined that awful scenario, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility, and so he spent an inordinate amount of time using his aux limbs to fiddle with the sealing latch on his helmet until he could tug it free. The slick surface and broken glass of the visor meant that he fumbled it basically as soon as he got it off, letting it drop to the floor behind him, but the reserve power had already long died anyhow.

And then, when Patch returned a bit after the sun’s rising, they hissed viciously at him the moment he turned his head. They proceeded to refuse to come anywhere near him for a good long portion of the day, at first bristling and pacing back and forth, and then eyeing him oddly while pretending not to, and then finally approaching slowly-- in what Virgil struggled not to view as a predator’s stalk-- and deeming his feet a suitable resting perch once more.

He’d like to say he never had a friendship so exhausting, but his best friend was Janus, so this was basically different ditchport, same junkyard.

“You two’d probably get along,” he said to Patch after he’d been forgiven for the horrific crime of exposing his face. “How do you feel about schemes?”

Patch had imitated one of his double-click noises perfectly, which was somehow mostly-adorable instead of mostly-terrifying. He tried to make one of their little round chirp sounds and mangled it horribly, but thankfully the resulting look they gave him was more alarm than offense.

By the fourth day, he’d begun to keenly feel the effects of being completely without nutrients. It was really only thanks to his nature that he’d gotten this far. Chelcerae were sporadic eaters-- big meals sustained them over longer periods of time compared to other aliens. The downside of that, of course, meant that when his body finally realized that there was no food coming, the hunger pains were going to be all-consuming.

Working at Janus’s side, he’d gotten used to having food when he needed it, or even wanted it. It just figured that he was probably going to die the same way Janus had first found him: starving.

He fell into sleep more and more frequently. It passed the time, and being asleep made it much easier to ignore his impending doom.

Of course, if he’d been aware of the rude awakening he was in for, he wouldn’t have been so eager.

In fact, if he’d known what exactly was going to find him sleeping on that fourth day, he probably wouldn’t have dared to shut his eyes at all.

[greaterawarness]

ARC Training Program Ch. 2 "Starting Small"

(Here it is! I hope you like it! I made this chapter a little longer then the first. Alpha-17 starts a ARC Training Program and it isn't going well.)

Things hadn’t started out on the right foot. After the first training exercise Alpha had decided to whoop these boys into shape. He deliberately made their life hell. He woke them up at the ass crack of dawn and made them run sprints. He had them run through simulation after simulation. Even during the classroom portions, he didn’t take it easy on them. He drilled them with every scenario possible and had them copy the reg manual front to back. By the end of the first week, he had to hand it to the boys. They were resilient. Despite being exhausted and pushed to their limits every single day they still gave it their all. They showed Alpha every chance they could on why they were the best of the best. That is until they’re put into a group simulation. Then everything turns to shit.

Alpha stands at the top of the training room looking down at the eight cadets failing once again to complete a single practice battle. He growls deep in his throat before slamming his fist on the stop button. CT-7567 trips on a shutdown droid toppling over into CC-2224.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my way?” CC-2224 yells while shoving 7567. The cadet stands quickly to stand toe to toe with 2224.

“Come on, don’t fight!” CC-1004 groans from the back.

“Hey, at least he doessomething! You and CC-3636 are to concerned about tripping over each other to do anything!” CC-1010 yells from the side. He crosses his arms and leans against one of the blocks used for cover.

“Oh, right? Like you and CC-4477? You two can’t take two steps without knocking into one another.” 2224 snorts. This causes all eight boys to erupt into arguing.

“Enough!” Alpha yells down at them. They pop to attention. Alpha rubs his face tiredly. “Clean this mess up and when you’re done with that you can go and clean the refreshers!”

He hears a few groans but he’s to tired to scold them anymore. He walks away mostly because he feels like he has to. He walks into his room ignoring Fordo who sits on his couch pressed against the wall. He looks up from his datapad with an amused look on his face.

“So, how’s it going?” He asks already knowing damn well how its going. Alpha stands by his table taking deep breaths.

“I have never seen so many talented cadets in my entire life who are completely incapable of working together!” He places his hands on the table in frustration. Fordo shifts on the couch with his head turned as if thinking.

“You know,” Fordo starts, “If I remember correctly, you and I weren’t the best at teamwork when we first started out.”

“That was different.” Alpha sighs while taking a seat at the table.

“How so?”

“Because we started out being the best. We weren’t the best out of a batch. We were the best because we had to be the best. These boys aren’t used to actually working as a unit with equally competent members. They also don’t trust each other not to spit in each other’s food let alone save their life on the battlefield.” Alpha leans back in his chair. He rubs his sore neck while Fordo chuckles on the couch.

“So do some trust exercises. Remember when Jango took us diving into the waters beneath Tipoca city and we had to rely on each other to make it through the night? We were all scared shitless but none of us wanted to admit it. That was the night we finally clicked as a team.” Fordo leans forward on the couch. Alpha thinks on it for a moment.

“You want me to take those boys diving under the city?” Alpha arches a brow at him.

“With your boys? No. You’d lose all eight of them. They would still be arguing even while drowning.” Fordo gets to his feet. “I just mean something like that. Whatever version of diving it would take for your boys to finally click into being a team.”

Fordo walks out of his room leaving him with no answers. Alpha crosses his arms and stares at his table. He has to find a way to get them to work together. He pushes himself up and grabs a clipboard before walking out of his room. He finds the boys still cleaning up the practice room. He decides to analyze them one by one and start small. He begins writing notes.

CC-2224: Smart, dependable, most levelheaded of the eight. Follows orders a little to closely.

CT-7567: Brave, determined, not afraid to think outside the box. Seems to think all orders are mere suggestions.

CC-3636: quiet, quick on his feet, likes to observe from the back. Needs to learn to speak up more.

CC-1004: smart, constantly learning, not afraid to ask questions. Never seems to make the first move.

CC-1010: fast, skilled, best attention to detail I’ve ever seen. A little to smug for my liking.

CC-4477: fast learning, not afraid to make mistakes, always ready to go. Seems to have a hard time finding his own rhythm.

CC-1138: strong, intimidating, wouldn’t want to get into a fight with this one. Has anger issues and doesn’t like losing.

CC-8826:

Alpha looks up from his writing to stare at the boy as he scrubs the floors. He gets this crazy look in his eyes before aggressively scrubbing as if he were throwing punches. Alpha lets out a deep hm while writing:

That boy’s not right.

He stares at his notes while bringing a hand to his chin. Perhaps he should start small. Break them up into twos. Alpha flips on the bright lights getting the attention of the cadets. They stare up at him waiting for orders.

“All of you, front and center!” Alpha yells with his hands behind his back. The boys rush to the lift. Alpha rolls his eyes when they even fail to get on the lift without fighting each other. when they finally stand in front of him, he stands up tall. “We’re going to be doing one last exercise. Complete it and your free to have the rest of the day for yourselves.”

This makes their usual glued neutral faces expose flashes of excitement. Alpha hasn’t made it easy on them and they haven’t had any real time for themselves.

“We’re going to be doing more practice battles but this time in groups of two,” Alpha watches but their faces are back to neutral. “The rules are simple. Complete one practice battle successfully and you get the rest of the day off. Fail to complete the battle and you’ll be redoing it over and over again until you get it right. Understand?”

“Yes, sir!” They say but Alpha can sense the uneasiness.

“Alright, CC-2224 and CT-7567. You’re up first.” Alpha says. The boys eyes grow wide. It hasn’t been any secret that those two haven’t gotten along since day one. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out when it’s just the two of them. 2224 and 7657 walk back to the lift to take themselves back down. Alpha stands with the other six curiously watching at his side.

“Just stay out of my way.” 2224 mutters before they start. Alpha can hear everything they say through their coms.

“Right, I’ll stay out of yours if you stay out of mine.” 7567 says back. Alpha shakes his head before pressing start. It first starts off well enough, but it never takes long for things to fall apart. 2224 follows the orders given to him down to the letter while 7567 focuses on his own plan. 7567 ends up ahead of 2224 leaving him stranded. Alpha frowns already seeing the end. 2224 gets surrounded and eventually shot leaving all the focus on 7567. When they both eventually come back to and the training battle is reset they make their way back up to Alpha.

“Where did they go wrong?” Alpha asks the six watching by his side.

“They left themselves completely open.” CC-1010 snorts.

“They left each other completely open.” Alpha corrects him. “7567, when an order is given, I expect you to follow it! And 2224, following orders is one thing. Never stepping outside of those orders is another. How do you expect to lead a group of men into battle when you lack the ability to think on your feet?”

The two say nothing but stare at the floor with their faces growing a few shades of red.

“Alright,” Alpha moves on. “CC-3636 and CC-1004. Your up next.”

Alpha is curious about these two. They never stand out and rarely cause any waves. He’s interested in seeing how they do when it’s just the two of them. He watches them take point down below.

“We got this!” 1004 says. 3636 doesn’t say anything. He shifts his training blaster while waiting to begin. When it does start it doesn’t look promising. They both seem entirely too timid. Their aim is good and its not that they are making bad decisions, but they lack the confidence needed to properly execute the orders given to them. They end up getting shot a lot sooner then the first two. When they make their way back to the top Alpha says again.

“Where did they go wrong?”

“They moved way to slow.” 1010 says not afraid to give his opinion.

“Alright, anyone else?” Alpha says trying to get someone else to answer.

“They lack confidence.” 2224 says still sounding down from his failed attempt with 7567.

“Exactly,” Alpha nods. “If you two ever hope to be a leader you have to have confidence in yourself. Someday lives will be on the line and you’re going to have to make the difficult decisions. There’s no time to second guess yourselves.”

“Yes, sir.” They say softly. They fall back in.

“CC-1010 and CC-4477, you’re up.” Alpha nods his chin towards the training room. He watches them make their way to the bottom.

“Just follow my lead and we’ll have the rest of the day to relax.” 1010 says. Alpha almost hopes that they will fail this one. Might do some good for CC-1010 to get knocked down to size.

“… sure.” 4477 mumbles. When they begin they start out well enough. As much as Alpha hated to admit it, they were doing good. Normally they’re tripping over each other and breaking out in fights. With the rest of the eight out of the way it gives them space to do what they need to do. They get further than any of the others. The six watching by Alpha’s side lean on the railing in excitement. Just when it seems that they’ll be the first to finish Alpha sees their mistake before it happens. 4477 has an opening to make a break for the tower. He see’s his chance and tries to take it but 1010 see’s it as well. Despite 4477’s clear advantage to the tower 1010 charges forward as if to outrun 4477 and beat him to it. This results in one of their usual headbutts and then a small brawl. Alpha stops the training before they can get shot. When they make it up to the top 1010 won’t make eye contact with anyone.

“Alright, what did these two do wrong? Aside from the fist fight at the end.” Alpha sighs.

“CC-1010 is too full of himself.” CC-8826 says. 1010 lifts his eyes to 8826 with his face burning with rage.

“He’s right,” Alpha says keeping him in his place. “CC-1010, you’re to worried about being the hero and being in the spotlight that you jeopardized the mission! And CC-4477 you can’t let people walk all over you! What are you going to do when one of your men doesn’t agree with one of your orders?”

4477 lowers his head while 1010 looks away with an angry frown. Alpha lifts a hand to rubs above his eyebrows.

“Alright, last two. You’re up.” Alpha says already knowing this will be a disaster. CC-1138 and CC-8826 are the biggest problem children. They’re both temperamental and have a competitive side like no other clone. They share no words with each other while waiting to start. Alpha crossing his arms and holds his breath during their battle.

Despite everything he’s seen about these two in the past, they’re doing better then any other group. Alpha has to keep his hand on his chin to keep his jaw from dropping. 1138 uses his brute strength to clear a path for the much faster 8826. They barely speak but seem to be on the same page with each other. Alpha thinks back to every other practice battle and how they always end up in an all-out fight. Now, watching it just be the two of them Alpha realizes it’s because they finally have an equal number of droids to destroy. Without the competition of the other cadets, they find no issue working beside each other. when they make it to the top of the tower and pull the green flag out of its post it leaves Alpha and the six other cadets speechless.

1138 holds the flag still in his hand with a blank expression while 8826 bends his legs and balls his hands into fists while letting out a victory scream. Alpha finds himself at a loss for words as the two make their way back up to them.

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” 1010 says. “Psycho and Bigger Psycho beat it first try?”

Alpha finally snaps himself out of his daze to clear his throat to silence CC-1010.

“CC-8826 and CC-1138, I’ll have to admit I wasn’t expecting any of you to succeed first try. Congratulations. You’re free to use the rest of the day as you see fit.” Alpha says. 8826 gives a smug grin while walking past the other six before turning to 1138.

“Wanna get some food?” He asks to which 1138 responds with a hm. Which Alpha can only guess means yes? Alpha shakes his head slightly to get him focused back on the matter at hand.

“Alright, we’re back to the first two. Go on.” Alpha says. he watches the last three groups fail once again. The first group fail on their third event, but the second group finally seem to be getting the hang of it. CC-3636 and CC-1004 begin to communicate and in that communication they find confidence. They’re the next group to successfully finish the practice battle. It would take a whole other round for CC-1010 and CC-4477 to start working together. CC-1010 ends up being the one who reaches the top first. Alpha still isn’t sure if its because 4477 made it that way or if that’s just how it happened. Either way he let them go. This just left CC-2224 and CT-7567.

They would try again and again only to fail over and over. It is starting to get late, so he asks Fordo to make sure the other six are in their racks asleep. When he walks back to join Alpha, he’s just in time to see the last two remaining clones fail all over again.

“They haven’t even gotten close to the tower.” Alpha shakes his head trying to hold back his anger.

“Maybe they’re a lost cause?” Fordo shrugs his shoulders. Alpha stays silent not sure if wants to agree with him or not. Fordo pats his shoulder.

“I’m heading to bed. Try not to stay up to late.” He says before walking away. Alpha watches the boys fail one more time before shutting the droids down. The two make their way up to stand in front of Alpha. They’re both dripping sweat and exhausted. They can barely hold their blasters properly anymore. Alpha lets out a long sigh.

“Boys, I’m not going to sugar coat it. This isn’t good.” Alpha starts. “Some people just aren’t cut out to be ARC troopers…”

“What? No, no we can still do this!” 2224 yells.

“He’s right! Just give us one more chance!” 7567 begs. Alpha shakes his head while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Boys, you need to realize…”

“No!” 2224 says stopping Alpha. “You said so yourself that we are the best of the best. We can prove to you that you were right! We belong here.”

“He’s right sir. I know we have our differences but though we’ve failed every single time every time I get up to do it again well, CC-2224 is right there beside me ready to go again. We’re not giving up yet!”

Alpha stares at the two cadets who were just struggling to stand up straight now at full attention with determination in their eyes. He tilts his head to the side thinking it over.

“Alright,” He says seeing the relief wash over the two. “But you have one more shot. One more! You fail this time then I have a decision to make by morning.”

“Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!” they say before running for the lift. Alpha shakes his head. They’ve never even come close to the tower. Why would this time be different? Even as he thinks this, he notices the two talking on the lift. Actual talking, not fighting. The have their helmets off so Alpha can’t listen in. when they slip their helmets on Alpha hears “Right there with you brother.” He shifts his weight to the other leg intrigued. Maybe they really mean it this time? When they appear ready, Alpha presses start.

He finds himself holding his breath. The last few tries were complete failures. They had lost all energy and could barely make it to cover in time. This time they seem to have caught a second wind. They’re still sluggish compared to their normal speeds but there’s a clear difference then the try before this. The biggest difference is the team work. They communicate with each other and don’t advance without the other. at some point they stand back to back taking down droids. Alpha lifts a hand to his chin feeling a grin spread across his face. They’ve almost made it towards the end. Alpha gives out the last set of orders and waits. Alpha feels his stomach drop when they begin to get surrounded. He shakes his head. This is it then…

Just when Alpha is ready to hit the stop button CC-2224 does something unexpected. He rushes forward throwing himself on a droid similar to the way CT-7567 has. He spins around on the thing before firing down at it stunning it. 7657 manages to take down a droid for himself. Alpha finds himself leaning against the railing when these two cadets begin using the stunned droids as shields. They begin advancing for the tower. Alpha squeezes the railing the closer they get to the top. Finally, they both throw their droid shields at the advancing droids and make a break for the top. They both grab hold of the flag and lift it into the air cheering. Alpha pulls himself together and stands tall. He watches the cadets throw their arms around each other screaming in victory.

“CC-2224 and CT-7567,” Alpha calls down. They break apart to stand at the closes thing to attention they can manage at this point. “Congratulations. You two have finally passed your practice battle. Now go hit the showers and get to bed! We got another long day of training tomorrow.”

“Sir yes sir!” They yell. Alpha chuckles to himself as he watches the two cadets laugh and playfully shove each other while making their way out of the training room.

“There’s hope for you yet, rookies.”

Read full story HERE AT AO3

[itsuki-minamy]

LIMITED KINGSHIP, WAR STORIES:

CHAPTER 2: HEKIREKI & SENDEN

* Mini Episodes KFCN (List of Chapters) * Projects & Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

Suddenly he realized that the enemy was gone.

The surroundings were full of the dead. Most of the folded corpses belonged to members of the "Purgatory" clan who wore black clothes. Fifteen minutes ago, a hasty force led by Gouki Zenjo raided that warehouse after being contacted by the intelligence department. And then the warehouse turned into a terrible battlefield.

With "Hekireki" bloody on his shoulder, Zenjo started looking for the next enemy to attack. But that no longer existed.

The battle was over and the remnants were hunting. There were still some in black who resisted, but it was only a matter of time before they were crushed or smashed. While he was thinking that, Bado's iron spear pierced one of the black ones, and Azuma's twin sword stabbed another. The "Purgatory" clan member, who had decent fighting ability, didn't seem to be staying anywhere.

"How boring."

He hit the field in an unsightly way and lowered "Hekireki" to the ground.

The next moment, the pile of corpses exploded.

"Zenjo!"

Fresh blood came out from the sword wound all over the body, and flames came from both feet, the one in black clothes was good at fighting. A deadly surprise attack that hid the corpse of a colleague. Long before he understood it, Zenjo tried to shake "Hekireki" with his own super reaction.

He could not.

According to a later investigation, it was an inadvertent collaboration between those in black. One in black that lay behind Zenjo was dying, but was still breathing. With the last of his strength, he grabbed the "outside" blade, regardless of whether his fingers fell.

That caused a delay of a few seconds. Zenjo was just looking at the flaming fingers approaching in front of him, holding "Hekireki's" fixed handle.

But he just grabbed Zenjo's nose.

"You need more than that..."

The one in black clothes who attacked Zenjo stopped in midair. Blood poured from the edge of his mouth which opened and closed with bloody eyes wide open. A thin saber protruded from his chest, and the saber that pierced his chest diagonally from below suddenly stopped the one in black clothing.

"Ah!"

A cheerful voice that did not seem to belong to the place, resounded behind the one in black clothes.

"I'm sorry I made a mistake! Zenjo-san, can you take care of it please?"

It was as easy as asking him to take the remote there. After blinking, Zenjo passed by "Hekireki" and frequently shook the ones in black clothes.

The flames that clung to both feet disappeared.

The body of the man in black, who had lost his neck, was thrown to the ground. A young man standing there waved his saber and wiped off the blood. The friendly look reminded him of a laughing dog.

"No, I made a mistake. If you tap it, it can't be the case, huh? Hahaha…"

"Kuze. You saved me."

Young Kuse laughed cheerfully and waved.

"I just did something extra. Zenjo-san, you could have handled it with a margin."

"No, I couldn't react now. I would have been 'without a nose' at best, because it was aiming at my head."

"Well, is that so? That's good. Soon it's new soba season!"

Zenjo smirked as he tapped on Kuze's shoulder, saying that he was out of focus.

"This season's buckwheat noodles are pretty good too. I'll use chopsticks when I get back to the barracks. Thanks for your help."

"Oh then, make it soba."

"What? Are you going to ask me to make arrangements again?"

Kuse was smiling. Zenjo saw the smile as if he was amazed. Not suitable for a bright appearance, this young man had a very persistent character.

"Well, I wish I could go home."

"Oh, thanks!"

As Kuze struck a gutsy pose, Zenjo shrugged and walked towards a group of hurrying troops who had begun to take care of the remaining work.

++++++++++

The war was escalating.

Kagutsu Detention Center "Red King" crackdown operation. The attack from "Scepter 4" intended to kill Kagutsu Genji was unsuccessful in retrospect. Although the force of "Purgatory" was greatly reduced, the original purpose of the operation was not finally achieved, and Kagutsu left his territory and fled, and the remaining clan members divided into thousands and went into hiding. The hive was destroyed, but the queen bee and the soldier bees were flying now.

The activities of the scattered members of the "Purgatory" clan were almost the same as before. Whenever something happened, there was a danger that they would explode. "Scepter 4" chased after them and they were incapacitated as soon as they were discovered, but "Purgatory" wasn't just silently hunted to death. The damage caused by a fierce counterattack who did not care about his own life was turning into a social problem that could not be covered even by "Tokijikuin".

There were two pressing issues.

One was the search and murder of Kagutsu as soon as possible. As long as that "King" will continue to exist on earth, this war would never end.

And the other was to increase the strength of "Scepter 4".

The battle with "Purgatory", who burned the people, burned the city and even burned themselves, was slowly shaving the staff of "Scepter 4". To make up for the loss, they touted that they had the cause of the war and recruited a large number of talented personnel from the relevant ministries.

Shuichiro Kuze was one of those supplemental staff members.

Originally a police officer, he achieved outstanding results on both his aptitude and skill tests, and joined the "Scepter 4" running unit at exceptional speed. He was a rare human resource who had already been dispatched several times and was not afraid to fight the deadly "Purgatory", but instead displayed a simulation as if he was enjoying it.

For some reason, Kuze teamed up with Zenjo.

Even now, Kuze and Zenjo were undergoing simulated one-on-one training in the training ground of the "Scepter 4" barracks. Except for the fact that the product was a bamboo sword, it was a form of training that came as close to the actual battle as possible. Even attacks on key points were tolerated wherever they were covered by armor.

Kuze raised the bamboo sword to eye level and turned its blade towards Zenjo.

Zenjo carried a large bamboo sword on his shoulder and was about to attack him.

Kuze's specialty was "pushing". His stab, fired by explosive acceleration with a different ability, was roughly equal to the speed of a bullet. It would be impossible to react if it were the perception of an ordinary person.

But, of course, Zenjo was not an ordinary person.

"Let's go!"

The next moment that Kuze said that, the figure disappeared.

An extraordinary light that glowed fluttering blue like the tail of a meteor. Before recognizing it, Zenjo's body was moving. The speed God's sword judgment darted into the void on the right.

Zenjo's bamboo sword touched Kuze's sword that jutted out without fail.

"Ah!"

As he wielded the sword of pursuit, Zenjo was impressed. Viewed from above, the location of the different abilities would have looked like a rank "nine". A blow from outside the field of vision due to explosive acceleration, but it did not exceed Zenjo's reaction speed.

"Che!"

Kuze sped up again, leaving a childish click of the tongue. As he repeated sharp turns ignoring the laws of physics, he jumped incessantly. He was like a spring-loaded toy that swept across the training ground.

Zenjo stopped chasing him with his eyes and closed his lids.

Behind.

Before he felt it, his body was still moving. He turns and cut the space behind him. The cut that was shot deflected Kuze's thrust horizontally upward and hit him like he was a face shield.

"Damn!"

With a stupid voice, Kuze struck and fell to the ground of the training ground. If he had been serious, he would have lost his nose.

"This is the ninth."

Carrying the bamboo sword on his shoulder again, Zenjo said that without pride. Kuze, who had stretched out into a large shape, lifted his upper body as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I thought I could pull it off now... Zenjo-san, do you have eyes behind you?"

"Well, it's clear. You can understand it even if you can't see it."

"Mm... Zenjo-san, another one! Please."

When Kuze lifted his index finger, Zenjo was truly astonished and showed the training ground clock with his chin.

"It's closing time. It will be tomorrow."

"Really? Absolutely tomorrow!"

"I wish they hadn't sent me."

Saying that, while he was a bit crowded, Zenjo headed for the exit. Kuze also put the bamboo sword in a bag and bounced after him.

After taking a shower together, they had dinner later.

The barracks cafeteria was quiet, probably because it was late. Zenjo ordered a hazaru soba and Kuze a kitsune udon, and they ate together.

Kuze talked to Zenjo all the time while he ate.

"Zenjo-san, are you attached to the army?"

"Hmm?"

" I belonged there. There are a lot of people like that in 'Scepter 4', right?"

Surely it was so. The personnel of "Scepter 4" came mainly from other security organizations. Unless they didn't lack combat training on a daily basis, they couldn't withstand the battle with "Purgatory."

However, the situation was different for Zenjo.

After slurping his soba, he said...

"I am from a mountain."

"Mountain?"

"When I was waving a stick in the mountains, I met Habari, so I followed him."

Kuze blinked twice as he pinched the fried food with chopsticks.

"Well, what was that? What kind of situation?"

"Thanks, like I said."

Answering only that, Zenjo took a sip of soba again.

Kuze stared at Zenjo for a while with a surprised face, and then...

"Fu…"

He shook his shoulders and started laughing.

"Hahahahahahahaha! What's wrong, did you meet the commander in the mountains and follow him? Hahaha, Zenjo-san, are you a youkai?"

Zenjo was disappointed in Kuze, who bent over his body and laughed like a child. It was surprising that he was laughed at, although it was not his intention to make him laugh.

"No, sorry, I'm not going to make a fool of myself. But that was very interesting."

"Is it interesting?"

"It's incredibly interesting! I've never met such a person!"

"Mmm...?"

He wondered if that was the case. Originally, Zenjo was a guy who didn't understand many things. If they told him it was interesting, it would be true.

"No, you're good at 'Scepter 4' after all. It's not boring."

As he cheerfully said that, Kuze drank the udon from him. As Zenjo ate the soba noodles, he looked at Kuze as if he was looking at something strange.

"Bored?"

"Yes. The workplace in front of me was already boring. Anyone can do it, such as document preparation, on-site verification and traffic control. More like this, a fierce car chase with the criminal! Fighting battle! Shooting! I was imagining it."

He lifted the bowl and drank the soup.

"So it's so boring that I shouldn't do it. When I was thinking about it, they asked me and I came to try it. I can do what I want every day! It's a lot of fun, right? That's why I think you adapt very well to "Scepter 4"!

Zenjo scratched his cheeks while Kuze drank, wiped his mouth and clasped his hands with a "Thanks for the food!"

"Uh..."

"Isn't that the case with Zenjo-san? Don't you do it because it's medicinal?"

"Eh?"

He wondered if that was the case. Was he enjoying the battle with "Purgatory"?

There was no doubt that he was elevated during the battle. On the battlefield where a momentary judgment divides life and death, that feeling that inspires all cells cannot be experienced anywhere else.

But he didn't think he was struggling to taste it.

When he swung his sword under Habari's command in "Scepter 4", he felt that he was breathing properly. It seemed natural to do so and it "fit." He didn't know if he could describe it as funny.

"Well, that's correct."

It became difficult to think of the way and Zenjo answered that.

"That's right! Well, I'm glad you feel the same way as me!"

Kuze laughed in a friendly way and then a mysterious light fell on his eyes.

"But lately, it's more fun practicing with Zenjo-san than interacting with 'Purgatory'."

"Really?"

"Yes, because Zenjo-san is much stronger than them, so it's fun to do it. Hey, Zenjo-san. Someday, with me…"

Kuze cut off the words when he suddenly remembered. After blinking several times, the mysterious light disappeared. Then suddenly he stood up and held the bowl of kitsune udon in his hands.

"Sorry, it's nothing! So, good night!"

With a smile, Kuze went to the place where the dishes were being returned.

As he drank his soba, Zenjo rebelled against Kuze's words.

(Well, I'm glad you feel the same way as me!)

Maybe it wasn't.

Although they belonged to the same "Scepter 4" and wielded a saber, he felt that something was decisively different between him and Kuze.

He didn't know what it was. He didn't want to think until he knew. Thinking again that he was okay, Zenjo dropped the green onion seasoning into crushed chunks.

++++++++++

Three days later, the hidden member of the "Purgatory" clan in Minari-cho, Fengze-ku, was discovered.

According to the information department report, there was only one member. However, the problem is that he was hiding in the houses of common people. They threatened the inhabitants and parasitized their lives themselves. A bully lurked in his house and behaved inattentive. The father of the family, who could not bear such a situation, rushed to a public institution and discovered his existence.

In response to this, "Scepter 4" quickly formed a unit that rushed over. They ran to the site to "exterminate" the abominable parasite.

However, this time, it was not possible to get through the gate with the transport vehicle and cut it randomly. After all, the other party was alone and the detained hostages were a mother and two young children, according to the father's information. If they took action inadvertently, it would have the worst consequences.

The operation required speed and stealth. "Scepter 4", the deputy director, Gen Shiotsu, selected the appropriate personnel and devised a strategy.

Shuichiro Kuse was included in the staff, but it was boring for him.

Kuze was toying with that idea while biting his yawn in the car.

It had already been three hours since they arrived at the place. Because "Scepter 4" stood out in a transport vehicle, they used an ordinary sedan type and stopped from hiding to blind spot. Kuze sighed softly, looking at him stagnant out the window.

He wished he could rush in and kill him.

It would be easy. He would jump out the door, go through the second floor and invade, and drive the saber into the heart of the guy in black. That was all that was needed.

Kuze understood why he was selected as a runner. The small body was suitable for infiltration, and the "Senden" saber he had was also a slim custom-made one, so it should work effectively in a small room.

So he wanted to do it as soon as possible.

Finally, the long-awaited command came from insiders.

"The target has taken the hostage. I enclose the location."

"Yes!"

He sprang to his feet, grabbed the saber, opened the passenger seat door, and Kuze broke into a run.

In seconds, the target house came into view. When he was hiding behind the wall of a neighbor's house and observing the situation, the transmitter spoke a voice again.

"The target is in the bathroom on the second floor. The children cannot confirm the whereabouts of their mother in the next room. Each member must pay the utmost attention and do everything in their power to secure the hostages."

"Kuze, ready!"

With a light tone, Kuze pulled "Senden" out of the scabbard.

He held his breath and waited for the moment. The plan of the house is engraved on his head. All the images of how he would move, what kind of path he would take and how he would kill the one in black clothes were created in Kuze's brain.

Kuze himself did not know that there were no hostages there.

"Fast!"

By the time Shiotsu's voice echoed, Kuze was jumping.

He jumped off the wall, landed on the ceiling, and ran. At the edge of the field of vision, he could see a blue trail that went through him in the same way. There were a total of four runners, all their own competitors, who aspired to the life of a single man in black. Kuze licked his lips and accelerated to the point where the shingles broke.

He jumped with the same impulse, he broke the second floor window with his body and ran inside.

"Eh?!"

He heard a high-pitched voice. Kuze invaded the children's room on the second floor. According to the information, two children who were less than elementary school students were shaking in a corner of the room.

Kuze ignored it.

The problem was that of black clothes. If he killed him, everything would be solved. So that should take precedence. Kuze thought that way and stepped out into the second floor hallway.

Their eyes met.

There was a figure in black clothes in the bathroom that was left open. However, when Kuze found him, he was strangling and using the children's mother as a shield.

"Stay away, blue clothes! This woman will die!"

He could barely see the one in black who was angry. Very firmly, he was hiding behind the woman. The scared woman shook her head, while she shook her head, he looked and disappeared his face burned in black.

Before thinking of anything, Kuze was kicking the ground.

If he killed him, that would be it. That was the only priority, and everything else was wiped from Kuze's head.

Many things happened at the same time.

"Kuze, stop!" One of the rushing staff members yelled.

"Damn it!" The man in black's burned face turned red, and the flame-filled woman screamed in tears.

Time seemed to flow slowly. He could feel precisely the extraordinary light of "Senden", the heat of the flames that sprouted from the face of the man in black and the smell of the flesh that enveloped her.

In the slowdown time, Kuze analyzed various factors and...

(Oh, this person can't be helped anymore.), he thought.

Too easily, he cut off the hostage's life.

This being the case, the hostage's body was no longer a problem. It was just a corpse, a wall of flesh less than 8 inches.

It did not hinder "Senden".

With a half-smile, Kuze stabbed hard forward.

A bright blue tip pierced the woman's chest, and the heart of the man in black was skewered and glued to the bathroom wall.

"......"

The woman opened and closed her mouth. Kuze tilted his head and looked at her face, thinking that she looks like a dying goldfish.

When Kuze drew the saber, the woman and the one in black fell one on top of the other. Their bloods mixed.

The bodies clung to each other and wet Kuze's shoes.

He takes a breath and inform the others.

"We have deactivated the objective. The mission is complete."

At the same time, an angry sound rang out from behind.

"Kuze! Damn! What did you do?!"

He thought, and looked at the owner of the voice as if he was confused. It was Shinohara, who belonged to the same group as him. He was yelling something when he flushed with anger, but Kuze couldn't understand the meaning of the word. He turned his neck and face away to keep them from flying off.

The frozen facial expressions of the two boys, looking through the door, were reflected in Kuze's field of vision.

++++++++++

"Do you know what you did?"

"Scepter 4", Shiotsu made a heavy voice in the barracks interview room.

Shuichiro Kuze, standing in front of him, replied as if nothing had happened.

"I killed the member of the 'Purgatory' clan. I think it was an unavoidable decision in that situation."

"Right now, 'Purgatory' is not the problem. The problem is Kuze, you stabbed the hostage and killed her."

"I did not murder her. At that time, the woman had already been killed by the one in black clothes. Should I be so reprimanded for damaging her corpse?"

Shiotsu had various reports in front of him.

"Shinohara's report is different. At that time, Shinohara said that the woman was still alive. However, he testified that you ignored the warning and approached the black-robed one and went through him."

"In my eyes, she looked dead."

Kuze spoke clearly.

"I think it would have been difficult to help her, even if she had a break. Is it the right decision to leave the dangerous clansman to help a dying woman? If the action was delayed, hers, two of her children and I could have been euthanized."

"It is not you who should judge whether the woman would be saved or not."

"The judgment of the site should be left to the members of the site."

Shiotsu groaned softly.

What Kuze said was correct in some respects. In the battle with "Purgatory", a momentary misjudgment could be fatal. And that moment came innumerably. It was not enough to have many lives if they were all compared with the regulations of the body and the current law. Above all, Kuze said that a certain amount of excessive acts should be allowed to protect one's life.

But…

Shiotsu watched Kuze's expression.

There was no expression floating there. Self-blame, regret, remorse. He couldn't read any of the emotions the one with the almost innocent human hands would have.

Shiotsu muttered to himself that that was the real problem.

"Kuze..."

At that moment, Shiotsu silently inhaled, and then...

"Where do you think the meaning of 'Scepter 4' is?"

"Eh…?"

"Answer it. What's 'Scepter 4' for?"

For the first time, the color of hesitation reached Kuze's expression.

As he listened to Shiotsu, Kuze replied.

"Kill the enemy. Annihilate "Purgatory" and bring peace to society."

Shiotsu sighed deeply and said.

"No. You are definitely misunderstanding."

"......"

"Our mission is to protect the general public. The sword to protect those who cannot resist the weapon of incompetence, that is 'Scepter 4'."

"It's the same as I said, right?"

In the words that Kuze muttered, unprecedented emotions appeared.

He was frustrated.

"Killing those in black clothes is to protect the general public. If they are left unattended, tens or even hundreds of people will die if they are not treated well. To avoid that, isn't it natural to leave two people alone?"

"Still, we should not be the ones to kill. We should be the ones to protect the people. If there is a defenseless civilian, that is why we have the power to protect ourselves."

"It's stupid."

Kuze laughed through his nose. His dark and bright gaze seemed harsher, as he generally had a friendly gaze.

"Why do we have to do that? It is so stupid for a good person to be sacrificed for an inferior person."

Shiotsu closed his eyes.

What swirled around his chest was not anger at Kuze, but responsibility for himself.

He may have been too impatient to make up for the personnel lost in the battle with "Purgatory". He had hired a person who lacked the most important qualities, distracted only by the ability to fight. He should have known well what would happen if that person had a different ability and special power.

People who cannot control themselves will eventually use their different abilities as they wish.

How is it different from "Purgatory"?

Shiotsu slowly opened his eyes and said in a low voice,

"Shuichiro Kuse. Say goodbye to "Scepter 4" from now on."

++++++++++

Kuze, who came out of the interview room, was looking vaguely at the ceiling of the hallway.

(I blew it.), he thought.

With that in mind, he sighs. This time, he looked down at the ground and started walking.

When he was called by Shiotsu, Kuze had decided what he should do. That was a field decision and he didn't think he had done anything wrong. He intended to stick to that statement.

It is the members of the field who exchange lives. However, it was not uncommon for him to be blamed for a later trial. It was a common feeling not only for Kuze but also for the ER personnel.

Shiotsu was smart and looked closely at the members. That is why he thought that he would not give such a severe punishment based on his thoughts.

"He was telling me something strange."

Kuze lied and looked at his hand. When he focused his consciousness there, the blue glow of the extraordinary shimmered.

It was proof that he was an excellent person and a chosen one.

Kuze couldn't respond well to Shiotsu's words asking the meaning of "Scepter 4". That was because Kuze didn't know. Therefore, he got a rag out of there. It didn't matter if the general public died or lived, he knew that his true intentions would probably not be forgiven within the organization, so he hid it.

The important thing for Kuze was to use that power in all directions to fight. Fight "Purgatory", bypass the momentary deadline and end the life of the enemy. Never in a dull life until now, was it a bright day.

That was stolen from him.

Because he took a boring life from a boring human.

Kuze sighed again and suddenly raised his face.

A familiar giant was walking down the hall. Kuze laughed and raised a hand.

"Hey, Zenjo-san."

"Oh, Kuze?"

Zenjo's eyebrows widened when he noticed that Kuze was there for the first time.

"What are you doing in a place like this? Is it training?"

"No."

Kuze laughed bitterly and...

"Hey, I've been preaching to the vice principal. I'm here for that."

"Oh, Shiotsu? It's loud."

Sympathy reached Zenjo's eyes. Seeing that, Kuze's smile changed to a natural one.

That person knew himself.

He had always felt that way. Zenjo, like himself, rejoiced in the fight. He was a person who should have the nature of killing people rather than helping people. So, Kuze was sure that if he talked about the situation, this person would be on his side.

"But you're almost right."

Zenjo simply denied the idea.

"Eh?"

"Shiotsu is loud, but he's always right. If he claims something from you, you're wrong. I wonder what he was. Apologize properly."

"......"

Kuze looked at his toes.

"Yes, what is that?"

"If that is all."

"I see."

Kuze scratched his head again with a bitter smile.

"In a way that's correct. I thought it was suitable for 'Scepter 4', but surprisingly, isn't it?"

"Eh?"

Zenjo mysteriously shook his head, thought for a moment and then nodded.

"That's right. You said you were the same as me, but I think you are different from me."

"......"

"I can't put it right. You might not be good at 'Scepter 4'. You should stop in time."

Zenjo said that in a wonderful and irresponsible way.

Kuze was about to start laughing. Interestingly, he didn't get mad at all. This was because it had been broadcast that Zenjo was saying that from the bottom of his heart without any malicious intent.

After all, Kuze didn't dislike Zenjo. He was clean, natural, and stronger than anyone. That's why he liked dealing with this person, because he could fight without shackles.

He regretted thinking that he couldn't do that from now on.

Then, Kuze suddenly glowed.

"Ah!"

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Sorry Zenjo-san, I just remembered my errand now! I'm done!"

In a hurry, Kuze ran down the hall. Zenjo said, "Oh...?", and gave up, but Kuze suddenly stopped and looked back.

"Please help me again later!"

Zenjo laughed and nodded.

"Oh, I have to be sent."

"Still, please!"

Kuze ran away, saying just that with a smile.

It was that night that Shuichiro Kuze disappeared with "Senden".

++++++++++

When he got out of the transport car, a warm wind caressed Zenjo's cheeks.

The policeman raised his face and smelled a faint smell on the wind. He was delving into the battlefield with "Purgatory". He smelled like sticky, burnt blood.

According to the map, the back alley where the discovery of the men in black was reported was divided into T-shapes. The unit split into three hands, blocking all exits. The most important thing to prevent was that those in black clothes escaped. They had to make sure to capture or neutralize them, even if they took some risks.

At that moment, in front of Zenjo, the entrance to the back alley was black and open.

"Over there."

At random, Zenjo entered an alley.

The back alley was narrow and dark. Polyethylene buckets and outdoor units blocked the street, and the walls of the building that approached from the left and right blocked the sunlight. If one in black clothes came out of the shadows and emitted a flame of extraordinary skill, there would be no way around it. It could be said that this was also a dead place.

Still, Zenjo was not afraid and advanced slowly.

The process suddenly stopped.

Shinohara, who was following Zenjo, said groaning.

"What is the situation? What is this?"

One in black clothes was dead, as if his back was against the wall of the building.

Wide-eyed and in a pool of blood. The burned right hand was soaked in the blood clot, burning and producing black smoke. This was probably the cause of the smell.

In the first place, it was a mystery from the initial discovery report.

It was said that several of the black clothes were fighting. At the time, there were no "Scepter 4" units deployed nearby, and since the Hiiragi incident, the police had been told to stay away from the men in black. Most likely it was a fight between those in black, but in the current situation where they were hiding in a scattered way, he did not think they would do such an outstanding act.

So who was fighting the ones in black?

Zenjo, who was inspecting the corpse in black, said the answer.

"It's Kuze."

"What…?!"

"It is pierced all over the body. This is due to 'Senden'."

Saying that, Zenjo stood up.

Since that night, Kuze's whereabouts have been known to be uncertain. Kuze's legal status was the same as an "Illegal Strain" since he was fired from "Scepter 4". They had to capture him and put a skill suppressor on him, but there weren't enough personnel to track him down in "Scepter 4".

Kuze killed the ones in black and, perhaps, he was still hiding in that place.

"But why is Kuze here?"

Shinohara said that, and suddenly closed his mouth.

Someone slowly emerged from the darkness behind the alley.

It was also one of black clothes.

"Oh, fufu...!"

His face was distorted with anger and hatred, and blood was pouring from his entire body to the point that his black suit was still drenched in red and black. Legs wobbly, the one in black slowly approached.

"Gah!"

The tip of the saber protruded from his chest.

The saber was instantly pulled out and the one in black collapsed to his knees.

Zenjo spoke the name from behind him, standing there.

"Hekireki."

"Oh, Zenjo-san!"

Dressed in a dark green raincoat, Kuze smiled at his face, which had been bathed in blood, and called out to Zenjo cheerfully.

"No, I'm lucky! I can't get it all of a sudden!"

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

Eyes blinking, Kuze looked around him, and mysteriously at himself.

"What's wrong? It's not a job. I got fired from 'Scepter 4'."

He shook "Senden" to spill the blood.

"But if you look for the black clothes, 'Scepter 4' will come, right? Maybe Zenjo-san is there! I thought it was good."

While he smiled, Kuze,

"I never thought we could meet at once! I'm lucky! So…"

He crouched down and pointed the tip of "Senden".

"Let's go."

Before Zenjo thought of anything, Kuze was kicking the ground.

The glow of the blue genie was diffusely reflected in the narrow back alley. He bounced off the ground, scaled walls, emergency stairs, he went up, down, left and right, and hit everything, drawing an unpredictable trajectory like a pinball.

Shinohara, who was behind Zenjo, couldn't even follow Kuze with his eyes. But Zenjo reacted.

It was also an action before thinking. The thick blade of "Hekireki" flipped up as the wind scattered.

The dark green raincoat split in half.

Kuze was no longer there. He twisted in midair, tossed his raincoat, and landed on the ground.

Zenjo kept "Hekireki" jumping and stopped in an unprotected posture. Looking at his empty torso, a fierce smile appeared on Kuze's mouth.

(I caught you!), he thought.

With extraordinary power in his legs, Kuze tried to strike a stroke of luck.

He felt the shock in his chest.

"Eh?"

He lost the strength of his leg. His soles did not separate as if they were stuck to the ground. Interestingly, he looked under his feet and saw a saber thrust into his chest.

"Ah?"

When he coughed, a blood clot spilled from his lips.

Kuze slowly looked at Zenjo.

Zenjo was flipping "Hekireki", with just his right hand.

Before he knew it, he held another saber in his left hand. That pierced through Kuze's chest.

"Oh, wow...!"

Kuze distorted the edge of his mouth when he heard Shinohara make a panicky voice.

"Hey, Shinohara. It's a pay cut to have a saber stolen from you."

When Zenjo drew the saber, Kuze sank into place.

The blood was overflowing. The color of his face was white and transparent. It was clear to everyone that it was no longer useful.

Still, Kuze was somewhat satisfied. He looked at Zenjo and laughed weakly.

"After all... you are amazing, Zenjo-san. I couldn't get over you."

"Kuze."

There was no anger or sadness in Zenjo's expression, just confusion.

"What did you want to do?"

"What?"

Kuze shook his shoulders and laughed. Eventually the laughter turned into a cough and the exhaled blood created a series of stains in the alley.

"I wanted to. A real and potentially deadly battle with Zenjo-san."

Breathing out, Kuze fell onto his side.

"It was fun."

That was the last word from him.

Zenjo, holding a bloody saber, shot a confused look at Kuze's corpse.