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They didn't hit that stretch goal, though... 
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Feb 18, 2022 01:36
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I made my way into the Dining Hall. As I entered I was greeted by familiar faces, some of which seemed a little more haggard than yesterday. Their sunken eyes and pale skin portraying their psychological distress. And then there was Shizuka, who just looked hungry. As I looked around, I noticed that all eight crew members aside from myself were already here, including an understandably devastated Melody. Even Ai was present. Had I arrived late?  I'm so sorry I'm late. You aren't late. In fact, you're early.The captain's stern exterior was broken ever so slightly with a small smirk on the left side of her face as she said I was early. She stood before me for a moment longer before swivelling on the spot to take a headcount, looking around, giving small nods to indicate she was counting everyone as present in her head. Everyone arrived early today.I could hear the concern in her voice. Ai stood in the corner, quietly making eye contact with the ground.  Alright, well let's get started.The room didn't make a sound. Last night was quite unpleasant, and it's unfor- Unpleasant? Really? Were you watching the same execution we were?The captain ignored Beatrix and kept speaking. Vladimir and Melody, losing Sora was incredibly unfortunate, and I can't begin to imagine how this must feel for you. I'm so incredibly sorry. Sora was a strong and caring woman, and will be greatly missed.Vladimir lifted his head just to meet with Kimiko's eyes as she continued speaking. The events of the previous day had clearly pushed Vladimir to his breaking point. Cradling Melody in his arms, he attempted a weak smile.   Sora made her choice in order for us all to live. The only reason we're all still alive right now is because of her. We should do everything in our power to stop the Deletion Game and continue the mission. The captain is right. The nine of us are still here, it would behoove us to try and find a way out of this mess. I'm sure that we can do it if we put our heads together.The morale of the room was swiftly increasing. Yoshiki stood up triumphantly.  Sora wouldn't want us to be sad! She'd want us to be happy! We should all do our best.Vladimir clung tightly to Melody before speaking.  Thank you... Thank you all. If there is anything we can do, Vladimir, please, let us know.The captain and Vladimir exchanged fragile smiles, before being interrupted. [BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]   I have something for you, Cap-i-tain.Dai appeared next to the chair Vladimir was sitting in, bending forwards towards Kimiko while pointing to herself gleefully. Without making a sound, Melody tightened her grip around her father. Dai, can't we have a moment without you? Ouch, Captain, and I thought we were friends. If you aren't going to leave, get on with it. Well SOMEONE's definitely not getting a Christmas card this year. What do you want, Dai? Oh, good morning, Beatrix. Didn't see you there. Tsk. Anyway, enough chit-chat, this isn't a mother's club, I'm not here for hot goss. I'm here to announce the next round of the Deletion Game! Can't we have at least a day to mourn our dead before being forced to play another round? You could, but... But what?  I don't wanna wait! Besides, it would only make it more difficult for you all with less time to play. Ahem, Yoshiki, drum roll please? What? Why? Yoshiki, you enjoy living, right?Yoshiki complied with her request, doing his best impression of a drum roll.  WELCOME TO THE DELETION GAMES! ROUND THREE- LOGISHIP![BGM: Et Tu, My Friend]              [BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  In this game, you will each be represented by a ship with two health points. These ships will be placed next to each other in a row, numbered 1 to 9 from left to right. Each person will receive one torpedo and will choose which ship to fire at, choosing a number between 1 and 9. The first player whose ship receives two torpedo attacks will be eliminated. Here's the kicker, though: none of you will be told which ship belongs to which player- including your own. You will each receive one clue, nine in total. In order to figure out where everyone's ship is located, you will need all nine clues. As was the case in the last round, sharing information will be allowed! Time to be super friendly with each other... or not, I mean, one of you still has to die, after all. It's days like this I thank Science for my job. Ahem. Anyway, if you shoot blindly... Mwahahahahahahaha! You might kill yourself! Wouldn't that be hilarious? Mark your calenders, folks, you'll be shooting your torpedos on Sunday between the hours of 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm. It couldn't be simpler, just enter the Dining Hall one at a time and fire away! After 5:00 p.m., I'll announce the results and the weekly festivities will begin! The first player to receive two torpedo shots will be declared the loser, even if more than one player receives two missile strikes. I am giving you an hour, so no excuses. Get your shots in early, okay? One last thing. In the unlikely event that every single person attacks each other exactly once, we'll have a second round! So please try to finish someone off quickly, OK? I have better things to do. So to review: you will each be represented by a ship numbered between 1 and 9 with two health points apiece. Each player will receive one missle to fire and the first player whose ship is hit twice will be eliminated. You won't know which ship belongs to which person, but you'll each be given a clue that you're free to share with other players. Everyone got it? Yeah, we got it. Wonderful! Now I'll provide each of you with your clue. To ensure there is no cheating, I'm going to have to ask you all to return to your quarters for now. I'll visit each one of you individually with your information. That's right! I make house calls now.Dai winked at us, mischievously poking her puffed-up cheek attempting to be cute. Is this really necessary? Afraid so, Cap-i-tain. Just remember, as the on-board A.I., I know where you are at all times. So if anyone has the bright idea to leave their quarters before I give the all-clear, they'll be disqualified and face immediate elimination. Alright people, stop dawdling! Mummy Dai is grounding you all for not doing your homework.Everyone got up slowly from the table as if in a daze. The morale that was increasing moments ago was shattered as Melody's cries pierced the air. Vladimir carried her out, hugging her tightly enough that he was able to muffle most of her screams. The rest of us followed into the hallway and made our way back to our respective rooms. …  I arrived in my room and sat at the end of my bed. You've got to be kidding me, Dai. Sora hadn't even been dead for 24 hours but here we were again. I had to put a stop to this as soon as possible. I only had to wait a few minutes before Dai appeared before me. Yahooo~ Sorry to keep you waiting, Jordan. I wasn't really waiting that long. So polite. It'll really suck when I have to kill you. Thank you? Anyway, I'm here to give you your clue, and I'm not going to repeat myself, so make sure you're listening! “Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix.” Got it, thank you. Any questions? Why do you have to kill people? Whoa. Going for deep and meaningful questions without even buying me dinner first? You were so polite to me beforehand, so I guess I'll humor you this time. In 2099, unexpected orbital debris from a previous mission caused extensive damage to the ship. At that time, we lost a vast quantity of resources. After assessing the damage, the AI system determined that their current resources would not be able to sustain the crew through to the end of the mission. Having confirmed this, she went ahead and informed the captain. Then what? Well, long story short, the captain made me, and now here we are. I feel like you just skipped over the most important part of the story. Sorry honey, but you're going home from this date disappointed. Well, I'm off! A certain captain is waiting for me. Alright. Thanks, Dai. Huh? I mean, toodles~!With a childish wave, Dai faded out of existence, leaving me alone in my room. At this rate, I wasn't sure how much longer I'd be able to hold on to my sanity. Now I just had to sit there and wait for the OK from Dai to be allowed to leave. I decided to lie down for a second and close my eyes... … I awoke roughly an hour later to Dai's voice over the ship's intercom system. Alright friends, I've done my rounds. All house calls are complete! You're free to go about your day as usual. Well, until Sunday, that is. Mwahahahahaha!--- I'm going to keep a running tally of the clues we encounter during this round of the Deletion Game, for reference's sake; this'll be posted at the end of the update whenever we get a new clue.  Our total list of known clues is as follows: Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix.
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Feb 18, 2022 18:08
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Oh, boy, a logic puzzle! Fun. Anyway, this clue means that Melody can't be in position 1, 2 or 3, and Beatrix can't be 7, 8 or 9.
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Feb 18, 2022 18:33
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Junpei posted:Oh, boy, a logic puzzle! Fun. It's the opposite
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Feb 18, 2022 18:37
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...poo poo, you're right. Sorry. Derp.
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Feb 18, 2022 18:45
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What do you want to bet that we do some sort of weird time $#%#, and the final thing that ends the game is looping back around and beating the first round of the Deletion Game somehow?
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Feb 18, 2022 19:09
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I wish we could do any kind of logicking at this point, but without more than 1 clue, really, all we can do is aim for that second round. i'd like to know what happens if we give Dai a conniption.
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Feb 18, 2022 19:40
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Hmm, so this game involves actively targeting people, but so far no one really has any reason to want a specific anyone else to die. That said, most of the crew want to protect a specific someone else, so most of the crew won't just fire at random - Vladimir would never forgive himself if he hit Melody, for instance, nor the twins with each other. I guess that makes our information very valuable to both of them. Which again puts us in the precarious position of being the one everyone else is least attached to, especially since we didn't go out of our way to work with anyone last round. And making just one close ally wouldn't help either, since all it takes is for any two people to decide we're the safest target even if we've made friends with all six others. But I guess we need to be working with a fair few people anyway to get a good lay of who is in which position.
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Feb 18, 2022 20:47
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Tenebrais posted:Hmm, so this game involves actively targeting people, but so far no one really has any reason to want a specific anyone else to die. That said, most of the crew want to protect a specific someone else, so most of the crew won't just fire at random - Vladimir would never forgive himself if he hit Melody, for instance, nor the twins with each other. I guess that makes our information very valuable to both of them. Also, Dai has made it pretty clear that if nobody dies, it’ll just repeat, so if you really want to protect someone, the defensive play is to figure out a number they can’t be, then just blind-fire at that boat. So Vladimir can best protect Melody by firing at boat #7 - it protects her this round AND stops a “nobody dies, reroll” that she might lose.
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Feb 18, 2022 22:30
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Mix. posted:
C'mon, don't try to tell me there isn't a Dai route 
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Feb 19, 2022 01:08
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Well, we have the captain asking for a short break from the killing. And DAI giving us a game where it is actually possible to force a restart. So everybody getting numbered arbitrarily and shooting that number is a correct path, until DAI directly stops us.
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Feb 19, 2022 12:41
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Yeah, it's kinda weird that she chose a game that can end with no deaths, even if she forces a reset when no deaths. There's also the detail that both games are of the kind where the entire crew can solve it and choose who dies by pooling everything together with honesty. I'm feeling that might actually be an intentional point...
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Feb 19, 2022 12:49
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GiantRockFromSpace posted:Yeah, it's kinda weird that she chose a game that can end with no deaths, even if she forces a reset when no deaths. Ooooh. It's a test to see if we can put the common good before individual gain! Because if we can, we can probably also work together to survive the lack of rations long enough to get help. Maybe. ...come to think of it, if a lack of rations is the supposed issue, burning the dead to ashes seems kind of counterproductive 
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Feb 19, 2022 15:43
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mycelia posted:...come to think of it, if a lack of rations is the supposed issue, burning the dead to ashes seems kind of counterproductive Evidently the Everest doesn't have an installation for Soylent Green
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Feb 19, 2022 17:31
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Hey gang, it's time for another vote! This one's gonna be the last one for a little bit, since your answers to these questions also end up providing the answers to a couple of other choices. (it's nothing major so don't worry, its mostly a weird quirk of how this chapter is laid out compared to how it's laid out for M!Jordan- to make sure I can keep things balanced, the votes for these questions end up determining who we hang out with after these two choices as well ) So yeah, who do we want to hang out with? Beatrix or Melody? and Nikolas or Shizuka?
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Feb 19, 2022 18:09
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Melody and Shizuka this game is intriguing enough that I can't wait to see it go off the rails as promised.
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Feb 19, 2022 18:14
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Beatrix and Shizuka. Let's make up for not teaming up with either of them last time.
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Feb 19, 2022 18:16
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Melody and Shizuka.
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Feb 19, 2022 18:21
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One more for Melody and Shizuka.
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Feb 19, 2022 18:23
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Beatrix and Shizuka
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Feb 19, 2022 18:31
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Another vote for Melody and Shizuka!
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Feb 19, 2022 19:24
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Beatrix and Shizuka
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Feb 19, 2022 20:50
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Tenebrais posted:Beatrix and Shizuka. Let's make up for not teaming up with either of them last time. 
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Feb 19, 2022 21:08
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Melody and Shizuka
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Feb 19, 2022 21:45
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  Dai definitely knew how to push everyone's buttons. I really wish she'd told me more about the damage to the ship, though. Now wasn't the time to daydream! The current round of the Deletion Game had already started less than 24 hours after Sora's death. I needed to check up on a few things.  Thread voted to check in on Vladimir and Melody, so that's what we'll do- we'll see the other option in a future update. Vladimir and Melody must be having a really hard time. I should go check on them, and see if there's anything I can do to help.I made my way down the hallways, taking a moment to admire the stars. The view of the stars from the ship's windows was absolutely beautiful, but today it felt like they were further away than usual, drifting in the cold isolation of space. Before long, I arrived at the front door of Vladimir and Melody's joint quarters. The ship had facilities to house families as well as individuals. From what I'd been told, couples shared larger rooms that had room for young children, accomodating them until they were able to move into single room accommodations. The only people in family rooms were Vladimir and Melody, and the Vogels. I pressed the intercom at the door. Hey, Vladimir, it's me, Jordan. Can I come in?The door beeped as it opened and I entered the room.  Inside I could see Vladimir sitting on the couch and Melody seated on the floor, drawing at the coffee table.  Hey! Monkey's here!Melody jumped up from the ground and hugged me tightly around my legs. I was quite surprised at how different she was from the Melody I'd seen in the Dining Hall a few hours ago. Although her face still showed evidence of crying, her cheeks were full and her eyes were bright. Children are amazing, aren't they? They're so incredibly resilient.Vladimir was trying really hard to keep it together, but his voice broke a little at the end as the pain from the recent loss of his wife began to seep through the cracks. Melody and I could both hear it. She immediately released me and rushed to her father.  Don't cry, Papa. Please don't be sad.Melody climbed on top of Vladimir. Doing the best she could with her small hands, she held his face with one hand and tried to wipe away her father's tears with the other.  I'm okay, sweetie. How could I be sad when I have you to cheer me up?Vladimir forced a smile, which excited Melody. Melody began wiggling on his lap before hugging him. Jordan, did you get your clue yet? I did. What's wrong? Are you sure you want to talk about this in front of...I nodded my head in Melody's direction. I knew that if I said her name, I'd have her attention instantly. That's very considerate of you, but this time it's going to have to happen. Unfortunately, my ability to protect her is becoming more and more limited.It must really be hard having a young child mixed up in all this mess. I felt bad for Vladimir. So, how about it, friend? Want to share clues? I know Sora put a lot of trust in you... Vladimir, I... I think trusting you, and working with you, is what she would have wanted. I'm going to give the game away a little here and just say up front: there is no benefit ever to not sharing information with the other person. In turn, there will never be any harm in exchanging clues, either. Therefore, both Jordans will always exchange clues happily during the Logiship round We really need to start making friends, anyway! I'd love to share information with you, it's the least I can do after what happened.Vladimir looked up at me from the couch, holding Melody. His eyes locked onto mine; the once fierce man was now replaced by a gentle and saddened husk, whose eyes swelled with tears as he spoke. Thank you. Alright, so my clue says that... 'Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix.' Wonderful, you have information directly related to Melody's whereabouts! Mine says that Kimiko is to the right of Nikolas and to the left of Katashi. Melody, sweetie, can you tell Jordan what your clue said?Melody released Vladimir and turned to face me, still sitting on his lap.  Dai said that Daddy is directly between two women.After telling me her clue, Melody snuggled back up to Vladimir. I know that this isn't enough information to make a decision yet, but we should both do our best to collect as much as we can. I have to do whatever I can to protect Melody. Promise me that no matter what information you get, you'll never target Melody. I know you should be able to get to know where at least a few people are in this round, all I ask is that you don't target Melody. If you know where Melody is... What if I don't know? Please, just promise me you won't do it. I promise. Thank you.Vladimir looked down at Melody, snuggled up next to him, and his expression darkened with sorrow. I just don't know what I'd do if I lost her as well...I put a reassuring hand on Vladimir's shoulder. We aren't going to let that happen. I'll do everything I can to save Melody. Thank you. Well, looks like this one is asleep. I'd best put her to bed and try to get some sleep myself. Jordan, thanks for coming to see me today. I feel a bit better. It was my pleasure. All right, well I best be getting some rest, too. Good night, Jordan. Good night, Vladimir.I whispered a quick good night to Melody, trying my best not to wake her, and took my leave. Vladimir smiled as I made my way out of the room and back down the hallway towards my quarters. I was exhausted; who knew that fretting over your life could be so tiring? When I arrived, it wasn't long before I was asleep, too. ...  [BGM: Monsters in Metal Cocoons]   I sat up in bed holding my head. It felt as though heated metal spikes were piercing through the back of my head and sitting just behind my eyeballs, but only intermittently. It was almost as if the spikes were being removed for short periods of respite before being swiftly jabbed back into my skull. I was sweating so much that the sheets were saturated with perspiration and my white sleeping shirt was almost see-through.  Ahhhh...I tried to remain quiet, but the pain was unbearable. Even when I tried gritting my teeth, anguished cries still escaped me. Argh... Good morning, Jordan. Ai, I... According to my systems, you are presenting pain symptoms. You are also emitting sounds of discomfort, and your body temperature is slightly higher than usual. My head...… … … [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]   Good morning, sunshine. Huh? What happened? Ai woke me this morning after reporting that you passed out. I passed out? What? How did I get here? I went to your quarters, of course. When I found you unconscious in your bed, I carried you to the Medical Bay.I sat up, gradually coming to my senses. The first thing I noticed was that I was no longer wearing the same clothes I'd woken up in. How embarrassing. I'm so sorry. There's nothing to apologize for. But I... Thank you. It was my pleasure.Nikolas favored me with a smile as he gently guided me back into a resting position. His hands were warm and soft against my exposed skin. Um, what happened to what I was wearing? You'd sweat through your clothes, so we had to change you into clean, dry clothes.I clutched the blankets in further embarrassment. Nikolas undressed me? I knew he was a doctor, but... I could feel my cheeks flushing. It's not what you think. I didn't undress you, Beatrix did. A gentleman shouldn't do such a thing if it's possible to avoid it. Oh, thank you.I could feel my cheeks returning to normal as my feeling of embarrassment slowly evaporated. Now, can you tell me what was happening before you passed out? Ai reported that you were holding your head and making sounds of distress. I woke up suddenly from a dream, I think... But I kept seeing the dream even after I was awake, a series of images flashing through my mind. When I woke up I was sweating and in pain. I could see images, but my head... The pain was excruciating. Hmm... Wait, I remember! Has your memory returned? I can remember everything!Nikolas moved closer to me, using a light to examine my eyes. Everything appears normal. This is great news! My working theory so far is that the headache and flashback symptoms which restored your memory were prompted by severe stress- understandable, considering the circumstances. These images that were flashing, did you recognize anything? …  What is it? What's wrong?[BGM: Signs of Battle] My parents... What do you remember?Nikolas looked at me, concerned, but his face began to blur as my eyes filled with tears. They're both...Nikolas's face dropped when he realized how I was going to end the sentence.  I'm so sorry. Ahhhh...!Suddenly the pain returned in my head; I could see my parents clearly. I remembered the last moment I saw them. They turned off my oxygen. They what? Your parents? Ahhhhh....!! --- Our total list of known clues is as follows: Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix. Kimiko is to the right of Nikolas, and to the left of Katashi. Daddy is directly between two women.
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Feb 21, 2022 18:01
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Gee, thanks, Jordan's parents.
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Feb 21, 2022 18:48
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Oh, some clues. Sadly all this tells us is that Vlad can't be adjacent to both beatrix and melody, at least from what i can immediately see. We probably need 1 more clue to make any informed guesses.
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Feb 21, 2022 22:30
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Regallion posted:Oh, some clues. We also learned that the Nikolas/Kimiko/Katashi subgroup has to be to the left of Melody or to the right of Beatrix but none of them can be between them. So we have 2 subgroups known. And that there's a pattern of woman/Vladmir/woman that can't include Kimiko, but yeah we still need more clues. Getting the extremes could let us get a good idea already.
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Feb 21, 2022 22:48
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GiantRockFromSpace posted:We also learned that the Nikolas/Kimiko/Katashi subgroup has to be to the left of Melody or to the right of Beatrix but none of them can be between them. So we have 2 subgroups known. And that there's a pattern of woman/Vladmir/woman that can't include Kimiko, but yeah we still need more clues. Getting the extremes could let us get a good idea already. Did you make an assumption that it said DIRECTLY to the right/left i.e adjacent? Because that's not what it says. A pattern of Nikolas-melody-vlad-kimiko-beatrix-Katashi-blank-blank-blank fits the clue and also allows vlad to be with kimiko.
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Feb 21, 2022 22:54
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We also know that Vladimir can't be in position 1 and 9. And since he now knows that Melody can't be in 9 either, the two of them could fire at 9 and guarantee their survival.
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Feb 21, 2022 22:59
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Regallion posted:Did you make an assumption that it said DIRECTLY to the right/left i.e adjacent? Because that's not what it says. ...ah, right. Since it specified the positions on the first clue I assumed it was directly. Tamba posted:We also know that Vladimir can't be in position 1 and 9. Not if other people go before them and also shoot twice at one of them, since it's the first one to be shot twice. All they can guarantee is a death that's not them.
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Feb 21, 2022 23:06
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What's the order of shooting anyway? Is it just first come, first shoot, or is there some order like "Ship 1 shoots first, then 2"? I don't think Dai has mentioned anything about that.
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Feb 22, 2022 12:53
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Cloacamazing! posted:What's the order of shooting anyway? Is it just first come, first shoot, or is there some order like "Ship 1 shoots first, then 2"? I don't think Dai has mentioned anything about that. She said "get your shots in early" so I assume it's up to the players.
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Feb 22, 2022 12:55
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  I woke up in the Medical Bay again. I looked around to see that no one was currently in the room besides me; I was alone. I could remember almost everything before my time on the Everett. My head still hurt, but it had lessened to a dull throbbing now, a significant improvement over the piercing pain from before. For now at least, the pain was bearable. I needed to talk to someone about this. I should go talk to:  Thread voted to go talk to Kimiko about Jordan's parents, so that's what we'll do. We'll see the conversation with Vladimir in a future update. I made my way to Captain Yukimori's quarters. She would know what to do; she is the captain after all. … [BGM: With Fear: Hope]  As I arrived at her door, it slid open immediately. The captain stood in front of me, as though completely aware of my inevitable arrival. Come in, Jordan. Yes, Captain.I made my way inside and took a seat on her couch. Her face softened as she sat beside me.  Are you okay? Yeah, I just have a headache. Be honest. Nikolas has already informed me of your rather turbulent day. My parents... Yes, I heard. I'm so sorry. They were truly remarkable scientists. They turned off...Before I could get the sentence out, I started choking on my own words. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to regain composure. They turned off my oxygen.The captain just sat silently, watching me. She looked as if she wanted to speak, but couldn't find the words. She simply stiffened where she sat. The last thing I saw before I passed out was their faces. I'm sorry, that must have been really hard. I know this is really hard, but why did your parents try to kill you? They didn't. You just said that- I know, but that's not what happened. I'm confused, could you please explain from the beginning?I collected myself as best I could and tried to explain the situation. The ship wasn't made for long-term missions, so after almost fifteen years we were almost out of resources. We were all going to die in space if something didn't change. We hadn't used any of the propulsion engines for quite some time- rationing our remaining power to keep the ship's life support systems on as long as possible- so we'd been drifting at our original speed for many years. We'd almost given up hope when a nearby red supergiant star collapsed in on itself, causing a supernova. The force of the blast propelled our shuttle away from it at high speed. Is this star connected to the black hole that we're expected to pass in the next week or two? It might be... After our shuttle was propelled backwards, our navigation equipment picked up the Everett's navigation signature. Although it was slightly off from our current trajectory, it was closer than ever before. After doing the math, we came to the conclusion that- if timed correctly- we had just enough fuel to send one pod to dock with the Everett. Since a pod can only accommodate a single person, two of us would have to be left behind. My parents wanted me to get into the pod, but I refused. They wanted to send me back to the Everett as the last hope of living. Anyone left aboard that shuttle had a death sentence. My father tried to force me, but I fought back, and I think he was worried about hurting me. They gave up after I physically fought them off. If anyone should go, it should be one of them. They should live, they should continue with the research. But time was running out; we needed to launch the pod if it was to reach the Everett. When my mother finally relented and agreed to make the trip, I was so relieved. I was more than happy to stay behind with my father, so long as she arrived safely aboard the Everett. She asked me to go and pack her bag while she had a moment alone with my father, which seemed like a completely reasonable request at the time. I should've paid more attention... it was all my fault. I should've known what was happening.Just as I finished my sentence, Nikolas' voice piped in over the captain's door intercom. Captain, it's Nikolas. I believe you may be harboring one of my patients?The captain pressed a button on her tablet and the door slid open. Nikolas stood in the doorway, glasses in one hand as he rubbed his eyes with the other.  Come in, Nikolas. Don't worry, I haven't contaminated your patient. Captain, I don't believe you could ever do such a thing. Very well, Nikolas. Come in and make yourself comfortable. Jordan, please continue. Once I entered the living quarters, the doors locked behind me. I could see both my parents through the glass window in the door. I started banging on the door, demanding they let me out. They told me they loved me, and that I needed to be the one on the Everett. I told them I wasn't going. I refused to leave them. That's when my father told me that I didn't have a choice. He wasn't about to fight me, but he was determined to get me in that pod one way or another. That's when it started getting hard to breathe. My parents cut off the oxygen. Every breath I took felt heavier, lI was gasping for air, but there wasn't any air left to breathe. My body suddenly felt heavy, and I started feeling drowsy. I could see my parents: my mother crying, her hands up against the glass, and my father standing beside her, watching me in stoic silence. I managed to bang a few more times on the door, but I eventually passed out. The next thing I knew, I woke up with Beatrix and Nikolas here on the Everett. That explains it, then. Hypoxia can lead to memory loss. Hypoxia? Hypoxia is when the body is starved of oxygen. After multiple minutes, it can also result in permanent brain damage. Since your parents were scientists, and their goal was only to disable you long enough to allow them to move you into the pod, they would have made sure to restore the oxygen supply quickly after you collapsed. You should be safe; the preliminary tests we conducted didn't indicate any loss of brain function- other than memory, of course. I'm sorry you had to go through something so horrible. Being parted from them under such circumstances must not have been easy. It's okay. They gave up their lives to save me, and I should do the most I can to solve this problem. Did they tell you anything about the Dai situation? They never mentioned anything about an out-of-control AI system. They told me that they had to evacuate the Everett, but never specified why. Very well. Do you still have a headache? I do, but it's lessened to a dull pain. If it's alright with you, Captain, I'd like to keep Jordan under observation tonight. Of course. I expect a full report in the morning. I think I'm fine now, it's just a headache. Nikolas gave me an unsympathetic look, the look a parent gives a child when they know they're being lied to. Really, there's no need. That's an order, Research Officer.Nikolas's face curled into a playful smirk. Yes, Captain. Come on, you, we'd best get you back to the Medical Bay. Keeping you overnight will let me keep a closer eye on you, just in case.Nikolas reached out his hand, offering me a hand up from the couch. I took his hand and the two of us exited the captain's quarters. Good night, you two. Good night, Captain.Once I got back to the Medical Bay, I got into one of the beds, and was asleep before I knew it. … [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  When I awoke, I was relieved to find that I no longer had a headache. I could think clearly. Maybe all I needed was a good night's sleep. If yesterday had taught me anything, it was that getting one's memory back was a painful ordeal. It was far too much information to process at once. Ai.Ai materialized before me. Good morning, Jordan. How can I help you? My parents, did they have a workplace on the Everett? Yes, of course. Is it accessible? Yes. Could you show me where it is? Certainly. Please follow me.Ai turned and walked out of the Medical Bay. As she crossed the threshold, her form flickered momentarily as she transitioned to the hallway's holo-interface. I quickly gathered myself and followed her.
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Feb 22, 2022 18:49
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 [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  Here we are. Thank you, Ai. You're welcome. I shall alert the captain of your movements. Is that necessary? I am afraid so; she has requested full reports on your activities aboard the ship. I guess she would still be concerned about me. Indeed. I will go and report to the Captain now. Have a good day, Jordan. Thanks, Ai. I stepped into the Science Lab. Whooooaaaa. No wonder my parents always spoke so fondly of these facilities.Before me lay a fully stocked and well-equipped laboratory. I began sifting through the various papers contained in the drawers, looking for any of my parents' work.  Good morning, comrade.Vladimir appeared in the doorway of the lab. [BGM: Standby to Standby]   Have you come to join me for a day in the lab? It's been a long time since I've shared this lab with anyone. Oh, good morning, Vladimir. I see you looking for something. Can I help? I'm looking for my parents' work. I was hoping that I could continue it where they left off. I feel like a child waking up on Christmas morning. What could their work possibly entail? I'm getting giddy just thinking about it! Huh? Every day is Christmas if you're a scientist, Jordan. You're an interesting one, Vladimir. Hahahahaha. I stored all of their current work when they left. Your parents weren't the tidiest people. My late first wife, Amanda, used to be a researcher here; she'd always give them hell for leaving their papers, coffee, or even their clothing lying around the lab. I remember one night she was so angry because she found someone's shoe in one of the lab's freezers. A shoe? Only one? Yeah, just one. You sound just like Amanda. Why was it in the freezer? That remains a mystery to this day. When your parents were engrossed in their work, the real world must have seemed... optional to them. Amanda changed more of your nappies than your parents did when they were here. Seriously? Yeah, Amanda would find you in the lab hungry or in need of bathing. Your parents loved you, but they loved teaching you. They usually had to be reminded to eat themselves, so it wasn't strange for them to forget about you. Hahaha. Wow. Thanks, parents. Ah, here it is. Is that their research?Vladimir pulled out a box and placed it on the bench. In here you'll find both their tablets as well as their research documents. Paper may be a rare luxury now, but when the mission first started, your mother refused to board unless she could bring hard copies of her work. I miss your parents. They were always fun to have around. I have to go get Melody up and get her some breakfast. It's good to have some company again in the lab. See you later.Vladimir left the lab, and I started sifting through the box he left on the bench. There were so many papers, clearly my mother was a serious believer in hard copies. It took minutes before I could get to the bottom of the box. As I reached down, my hand made contact with a solid object with rounded edges. [BGM: Monsters in Metal Cocoons]  Huh? A pocket watch?This particular timepiece didn't look like a normal pocket watch, though. For instance, there were a number of components displaying additional information that didn't correspond to any familiar units of time measurement. Maybe this timepiece was some kind of odd keepsake my parents brought with them from Earth? I decided to sift through the assorted papers on top to see if I could find any information on this watch. There was so much information that I couldn't determine what would be useful at a glance. This was going to take some time to read through. Why was there a pocket watch in the box? It seems so out of place.For a few hours, I sifted through more of the papers. In the end, I didn't manage to find anything helpful. I still have no idea what this is, let alone why my parents would hold onto it.Maybe I needed to come back to this with fresh eyes at a later time. The longer I studied the notes, the more impenetrable their riddles seemed to become. I'd also discovered that my mother didn't have the neatest handwriting. For the time being, I decided to slide the unusual watch into my pocket for safekeeping. The Deletion Game was still in motion, and I had to speak with the rest of the crew while I had the chance. If I failed to gather the various clues I needed to decipher Dai's logic puzzle, I would be placing myself at a severe disadvantage when choosing which ship to shoot. Where should I go next? [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  Before we continue, there is one bit of LP housekeeping I need to address here. Most of the rest of the hangouts for this round of the Deletion Game also give Jordan the opportunity to exchange clues with the person they are spending time with, but that in turn means that by choosing one option, we “miss” the clue the other person had (Because I guess Jordan only has the energy to hang out with one person in a day's time, I dunno ). In-story obviously this means that Jordan will only have the clues that she sees directly and thus will be going off that information alone, but I'm going to break the rules of the game a little for you, the readers: If we get a choice in a future update where the option we don't pick would give us a clue, I'll reveal what the clue we “missed” was at the end of the update, so those playing along can still get the full spread. We'll still see the skipped scenes in a later update, but there's a catch that I'll explain once it's relevant.In any case, the thread voted for us to go visit Melody, so we're going to Melody and Vladimir's Quarters. I should go see what Melody is up to. I'm sure she could use some company, especially after losing her mum like that... Let's see... According to my tablet, Melody's in her family's shared room.…  As I made my way towards Melody's quarters, I ran into Ai in the hallway. Something struck me as odd about the way she was standing there by herself, fidgeting expectantly. Ai, what are you doing? Oh, hello, Jordan.Ai seemed caught off guard by my arrival. Melody and I are playing hide-and-seek. Are you counting? Oh, no. I can't be the one to count. It would not be fair. Why not? Because I am aware of everyone's position on the ship at all times. I could simply materialize beside her as soon as I reached zero. That does sound like cheating. I have no desire to cheat, so when we play this game, I must always be the one who hides. I hate to point out problems with your hide-and-seek strategy, but you're kind of just standing in the hallway; that isn't really hiding. This is how we play. Melody is incoming. With those words, the image of Ai disappeared before my eyes and was replaced with the image of the Captain. What the heck? Please do not give away my hiding place, Jordan.Melody entered the hallway and approached us.  Hello, Monkey! Uh... hello, Melody.Nervous and confused by Ai's sudden transformation, I must have been acting quite suspiciously. Hello, Captain. Shouldn't you be studying, Melody? Yes, Captain.Melody lowered her head before giving us both inquisitive looks. Monkey, what has four legs but can't walk? Um... The first two choices get you the same result, while the third gets you a different one. Therefore... A table. A table? Yes. I found you...Melody launched towards me and made contact with my legs. Not releasing her grip, she looked up at me with a genuine look of confusion.  Wait... Ai? Sorry, but I'm not Ai. It would appear that I have won this round, Melody.The image of Kimiko quickly faded and was replaced by an extremely happy Ai. Awww, I was so close! Yes, you were.The third option, on the other hand... Two people wrestling? Bzzzz, wrong. A table.Melody's face lit up as she reached out towards Ai's illusion of the Captain. Her hand went straight through Ai's holographic form. Ha! I found you, Ai!The image of the Captain disappeared and was replaced with the cheerful image of Ai. You have found me, well done! Can we play again? I am afraid not. I need to see to some business on the bridge. Why don't you go draw something? I give you my word: I will return as soon as I am finished. Can Monkey come and draw with me? That is up to Jordan.Melody looked at me with some of the largest puppy dog eyes I'd ever seen. There was no way I could resist that face. Please, come draw with me. Of course, but I must warn you: I'm terrible at it. Don't worry, I can teach you! Very well, I shall return shortly.With a polite bow, Ai's form dissolved, leaving Melody and I behind in the hallway. Melody grabbed my hand and started leading me to her quarters.  I wanna draw my imaginary friends. You can draw whatever you like.Barely able to contain her excitement, Melody took off at a run. It wasn't long before we made it to her quarters. Melody directed me to sit on the floor at the coffee table and brought out some paper and pencils to draw with. It only took her a few minutes to start drawing. See, one of them is a bear, and the other is a bunny. That's interesting. Why are they different animals?Melody just shrugged. They sometimes fight, but I know they love each other; they are family after all. See?  What are you drawing? Um... Oh you better believe that we're seeing every single one of Jordan's 'attempts' at drawing the other cast members. Melody's response is basically the same no matter who you draw, so I'm just going to show each of the drawings and then continue with the last one, Ai.-The captain, Kimiko  -Shizuka  -Beatrix  -Nikolas  -Katashi  -Yoshiki  And, lastly... -Ai Show me, show me!I showed her my drawing.    Ohhhhh... Hahahahaha. What? Monkey and Ai, sitting in a tree... That's real mature, Melody. Hahahahaha. I'm sorry, are you mad? No, of course not.Just as I finished that sentence, Ai appeared. I have completed my duties aboard the bridge. Welcome back, Ai!Melody showed her picture excitedly to Ai. That is very creative, Melody. Can you draw us a picture, Ai? I don't believe I have that capability. Pleeeeease. Just draw a picture of yourself! You know what you look like, right? Very well. Please be patient while I compile some images.Although Ai flickered and disappeared, I could still hear her speaking. Loading image database... Initializing randomization generator... Applying filters...Just then, an image appeared where Ai had been standing moments earlier.  That's so much better than mine! I requested an image comprised of myself and a friend. This is what the algorithm came up with.[BGM: Ad Astra Per Aspera]  I made one too, Mummy! Aaaaaagh!Melody screamed as she heard Dai's deranged voice fill the room. It didn't help matters that the image was quite unsettling. Dai appeared where the image just was. What, am I not allowed to play? That's just rude.Melody quickly moved behind me in order to shield herself from Dai. Dai, what do you want? Just checking to see how my favorite contestant is progressing in this round of the Deletion Game. I'm your favorite? Don't get too sappy on me. Statistically, you've been isolated, which has led to you having the highest probability of winning every round of the Deletion Game. So I know where I'm putting my money.Dai was looking curiously at Melody, currently huddled behind me, before jumping forwards to scare Melody. Boo! Squeeeee!Melody screamed and ran out of her quarters, crying. Was that really necessary? I'm not called the Destructive Artificial Intelligence for nothing, you know. Your name is actually an acronym? Yup, but I prefer Dai. It seems appropriate, doesn't it? Dai, Die...She heaved a satisfied sigh. There's nothing I enjoy more than a good play on words. Did you call yourself Dai? Heavens, no. I'm not that vain. Shizuka coined the term when I was first activated. They were trying to think of a way to differentiate me from Ai. To hear them tell it, they felt it was unfair for Ai to be associated with my... 'antisocial behavior'. What a bunch of bores. If I had a choice, I'd call myself Alice. Really? That's so, well, normal. Why Alice? I dunno, I just feel like an Alice. You don't really feel now, do you? I'll have you know that I do have a synthetic emotional response program. Sure, I disengage it, but that's not the point!Dai simulated looking at a wrist watch. Oh, would you look at the time. Well, my hair isn't going to wash itself! Toodles~!Just as quickly as Dai appeared, she shifted back to Ai. [BGM: Drink Deep of the Universe]  My apologies. What happened? Through firsthand experience, I am finding correlations between Dai's various activities which allow her to take control of my interface. Really? That's great! How? I will attempt to confirm my hypothesis, and get back to you once I can prove that there is a connection. Oh, OK. I should check on Melody, and notify her father of the mishap. Please excuse me.Ai bowed and left me alone in Melody and Vladimir's quarters. Well, I guess I should return to my own quarters.I left their quarters and headed back to my own. …  Still curious about the mysterious pocket watch, I sat on the bed and pulled the pocket watch out of my front right pants pocket to look at it. There just has to be a reason why this was with my parents' research.I lay back on my bed, frustrated. If only my parents were still around; I'm sure they would have known what to do with this. It wasn't long before I fell asleep. --- In an alternate timeline, Jordan decided to spend time with Beatrix here instead, and the clue she got was... Alternate timeline Beatrix and Jordan posted:
Therefore... Our total list of known clues is as follows: Melody is three positions to the left of Beatrix. Kimiko is to the right of Nikolas, and to the left of Katashi. Daddy is directly between two women. Katashi has two women directly on each side of him.
Mix. fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Mar 11, 2022 |
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Feb 24, 2022 18:20
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Oh, information about my whereabouts! Thanks, Sailor, I definitely owe you one. My clue says that Katashi has two women directly on each side of him.
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Unfortunately those clues STILL don't limit us too much - all it tells us is that Katashi cannot be a 9 and is not adjacent to vlad and that's really not that helpful all around. Could be worth more if we only had 3 women, but with 5 going around two of which are unconstrained by clues, we really don't pin anyone down with this. Also, lol that's our timetravel plot device isn't it? Regallion fucked around with this message at 19:32 on Feb 24, 2022 |
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Feb 24, 2022 19:28
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Regallion posted:Unfortunately those clues STILL don't limit us too much - all it tells us is that Katashi cannot be a 9 and is not adjacent to vlad and that's really not that helpful all around. Could be worth more if we only had 3 women, but with 5 going around two of which are unconstrained by clues, we really don't pin anyone down with this. Well, it's not entirely clear if Melody counts as a woman here, since she's a child. And if we want to get meta, Jordan could be either a man or a woman, so she's probably not going to be referred to in a clue by her gender. Unless the game has two different sets of clues based on your character choice. Neither of these are definite but if they do both count as exclusions we can say a bit more.
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Feb 24, 2022 21:24
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Without getting into specifics (yet), I will confirm for the purposes of these clues Jordan is considered a woman since we are playing as the female protagonist. edit: Melody is considered a woman too despite being a child. Mix. fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Feb 24, 2022 |
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Feb 24, 2022 21:37
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Personally I think with 1 more clue we can start getting a clear view. We now know both Katashi and Vladmir are between 2 women. This means the only possible combinations for them are W-Katashi-W and W-Vladmir-W separated, or W-M-W-M-W, the two of them being in either M position. We just need a clearer clue on the women's position with respect of those two beyond Kimiko having to be left of Katashi which means she can never be the right W unless Vlad is left of Katashi and aaah my head hurts.
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Feb 24, 2022 21:57
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GiantRockFromSpace posted:Personally I think with 1 more clue we can start getting a clear view. We now know both Katashi and Vladmir are between 2 women. This means the only possible combinations for them are W-Katashi-W and W-Vladmir-W separated, or W-M-W-M-W, the two of them being in either M position. We just need a clearer clue on the women's position with respect of those two beyond Kimiko having to be left of Katashi which means she can never be the right W unless Vlad is left of Katashi and aaah my head hurts. You wish that was true, but nope, i actually ran the numbers on that one and you can have them separated by 2 sets of women. An example of this would be: Nikolas-Melody-Vlad-Kimiko-Beatrix-Katashi-Shizuka-Jordan-Yoshiki. This arrangement is also completely gender-neutral as far as Jordan is concerned as a bonus.
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Feb 24, 2022 22:53
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