Re-add CUTSCENE_INSERT item with its own dedicated load buffer

Splicing a JSON-authored INSERT target by name previously resolved
through the same shared CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS/POOL buffer as whatever
outer cutscene was currently running, so loading it would clobber the
outer cutscene's own items mid-playback - that's why it was reverted.
Gives INSERT its own smaller CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS/POOL buffer and lets
the cutscene asset loader be told which buffer set to parse into, so an
INSERT's dynamic load no longer stomps the running cutscene.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <[email protected]>

src/dusk/asset/loader/cutscene/assetcutsceneloader.c

@@ -94,9 +94,27 @@ errorret_t assetCutsceneLoaderAsync(assetloading_t *loading) {
     errorOk();
   }
 
+  const assetcutsceneloaderinput_t *input = loading->entry->input != NULL
+    ? &loading->entry->input->cutscene
+    : NULL;
+  const bool_t toInsert =
+    input != NULL && input->dest == ASSET_CUTSCENE_LOAD_DEST_INSERT;
+  const char_t *filePath = (input != NULL && input->path[0] != '\0')
+    ? input->path
+    : loading->entry->name;
+
+  cutsceneitem_t *targetItems =
+    toInsert ? CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS : CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS;
+  const size_t targetItemsMax =
+    toInsert ? CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS_MAX : CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS_MAX;
+  uint8_t *targetPool = toInsert ? CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL : CUTSCENE_LOADED_POOL;
+  const size_t targetPoolMax =
+    toInsert ? CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL_SIZE_MAX : CUTSCENE_LOADED_POOL_SIZE_MAX;
+  cutscene_t *targetScene = toInsert ? &CUTSCENE_INSERT_SCENE : &CUTSCENE_LOADED_SCENE;
+
   assetfile_t *file = &loading->loading.cutscene.file;
   assetLoaderErrorChain(loading,
-    assetFileInit(file, loading->entry->name, NULL, NULL)
+    assetFileInit(file, filePath, NULL, NULL)
   );
 
   if(file->size > ASSET_CUTSCENE_FILE_SIZE_MAX) {
@@ -137,10 +155,10 @@ errorret_t assetCutsceneLoaderAsync(assetloading_t *loading) {
   }
 
   size_t itemCount = yyjson_arr_size(itemsArr);
-  if(itemCount > CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS_MAX) {
+  if(itemCount > targetItemsMax) {
     yyjson_doc_free(doc);
     assetLoaderErrorThrow(
-      loading, "Cutscene has more than CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS_MAX items"
+      loading, "Cutscene has more items than its target buffer allows"
     );
   }
 
@@ -156,20 +174,20 @@ errorret_t assetCutsceneLoaderAsync(assetloading_t *loading) {
   }
 
   size_t poolSize = assetCutsceneComputePoolSize(itemsArr);
-  if(poolSize > CUTSCENE_LOADED_POOL_SIZE_MAX) {
+  if(poolSize > targetPoolMax) {
     yyjson_doc_free(doc);
     assetLoaderErrorThrow(
-      loading, "Cutscene needs more pool space than CUTSCENE_LOADED_POOL_SIZE_MAX"
+      loading, "Cutscene needs more pool space than its target buffer allows"
     );
   }
 
   // Everything structural has validated by this point, so it's safe to
-  // start overwriting the shared CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS/POOL buffers - a
-  // per-item parse failure past this point still leaves them partially
-  // overwritten, but that's fine: any load failure here already sends the
-  // game into the fatal-error overlay (see cutsceneSystemLoad/
-  // cutsceneCutsceneResolve), so nothing keeps running against stale data.
-  memoryZero(CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS, itemCount * sizeof(cutsceneitem_t));
+  // start overwriting the target's shared items/pool buffers - a per-item
+  // parse failure past this point still leaves them partially overwritten,
+  // but that's fine: any load failure here already sends the game into the
+  // fatal-error overlay (see cutsceneSystemLoad/cutsceneCutsceneResolve/
+  // cutsceneInsertResolve), so nothing keeps running against stale data.
+  memoryZero(targetItems, itemCount * sizeof(cutsceneitem_t));
 
   size_t poolOffset = 0;
   yyjson_arr_iter itemIter = yyjson_arr_iter_with(itemsArr);
@@ -177,8 +195,8 @@ errorret_t assetCutsceneLoaderAsync(assetloading_t *loading) {
   uint8_t index = 0;
   while((itemVal = yyjson_arr_iter_next(&itemIter)) != NULL) {
     errorret_t itemResult = assetCutsceneParseItem(
-      loading, itemVal, &CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS[index],
-      CUTSCENE_LOADED_POOL, &poolOffset, index
+      loading, itemVal, &targetItems[index],
+      targetPool, &poolOffset, index
     );
     if(errorIsNotOk(itemResult)) {
       yyjson_doc_free(doc);
@@ -190,11 +208,12 @@ errorret_t assetCutsceneLoaderAsync(assetloading_t *loading) {
   // Takes ownership of doc - marker/cutscene-reference name fields point
   // directly into it (see cutsceneCutsceneRefLoad/cutsceneMarkerLoad), so
   // it must outlive this load, replacing whatever the previously loaded
-  // cutscene left behind.
-  cutsceneLoadedSetDoc(doc);
-  CUTSCENE_LOADED_SCENE.itemCount = (uint8_t)itemCount;
-  CUTSCENE_LOADED_SCENE.pause = pause;
-  CUTSCENE_LOADED_SCENE.dataSize = 0;
+  // cutscene left behind for this same destination.
+  if(toInsert) cutsceneInsertSetDoc(doc);
+  else cutsceneLoadedSetDoc(doc);
+  targetScene->itemCount = (uint8_t)itemCount;
+  targetScene->pause = pause;
+  targetScene->dataSize = 0;
 
   loading->loading.cutscene.state = ASSET_CUTSCENE_LOADING_STATE_PARSE;
   loading->entry->state = ASSET_ENTRY_STATE_PENDING_SYNC;

src/dusk/asset/loader/cutscene/assetcutsceneloader.h

@@ -18,8 +18,26 @@
 typedef struct assetloading_s assetloading_t;
 typedef struct assetentry_s assetentry_t;
 
+// Which fixed, shared buffer set (see cutscenesystem.h) a load should
+// parse into - MAIN for the one JSON-authored cutscene resident via
+// cutsceneSystemLoad/cutsceneCutsceneResolve, INSERT for the one resident
+// via cutsceneInsertResolve (see CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT).
+typedef enum {
+  ASSET_CUTSCENE_LOAD_DEST_MAIN,
+  ASSET_CUTSCENE_LOAD_DEST_INSERT
+} assetcutsceneloaddest_t;
+
 typedef struct {
-  void *nothing;
+  assetcutsceneloaddest_t dest;
+
+  // Optional file path override, same trick as assetjsonloaderinput_t -
+  // when path[0] is non-zero this is read instead of loading->entry->name,
+  // so a synthetic cache key (e.g. "insert:cutscenes/foo.jsonc", used to
+  // avoid a single entry being shared - and its dest silently ignored -
+  // between two different logical loads of the same file, see
+  // asset.c/assetGetEntry's name-only dedup) can still point at the real
+  // file.
+  char_t path[ASSET_FILE_NAME_MAX];
 } assetcutsceneloaderinput_t;
 
 typedef enum {
@@ -73,13 +91,15 @@ errorret_t assetCutsceneParseItem(
 
 /**
  * Asynchronous loader for cutscene assets. Reads the raw JSONC file bytes
- * and, in the same call, parses them directly into the fixed, shared
- * CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS/CUTSCENE_LOADED_POOL buffers (see cutscenesystem.h)
- * - no heap allocation at all, since only one cutscene is ever resident.
- * None of that work touches the main thread (every item type's load
- * callback is pure parsing now; CUTSCENE items defer their nested asset
- * resolution to cutsceneCutsceneStart), so doing it all here keeps a large
- * cutscene from ever blocking a frame.
+ * and, in the same call, parses them directly into one of the fixed,
+ * shared buffer sets in cutscenesystem.h - CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS/POOL by
+ * default, or CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS/POOL when
+ * loading->entry->input->cutscene.dest is ASSET_CUTSCENE_LOAD_DEST_INSERT -
+ * no heap allocation at all, since only one cutscene is ever resident per
+ * destination. None of that work touches the main thread (every item
+ * type's load callback is pure parsing now; CUTSCENE items defer their
+ * nested asset resolution to cutsceneCutsceneStart), so doing it all here
+ * keeps a large cutscene from ever blocking a frame.
  *
  * @param loading Loading information for the asset being loaded.
  * @return Error code indicating success or failure of the load operation.

src/dusk/rpg/cutscene/cutscene.h

@@ -62,3 +62,20 @@ typedef struct cutscene_s {
     .type = CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_CUTSCENE, \
     .cutsceneRef = { .cutscene = CUTSCENE_REFERENCE(CUTSCENE), .name = NULL } \
   }
+
+/**
+ * Splices another CUTSCENE(NAME, ...)-declared cutscene's items into this
+ * one in place, resuming right after this item once the referenced
+ * cutscene's items run out - unlike CUTSCENE_CUTSCENE (a one-way jump that
+ * never returns). Has no dedicated item header of its own, same rationale
+ * as CUTSCENE_CUTSCENE - cutsceneInsertStart/Update/Load are defined
+ * inline in cutsceneitem.h/.c, tightly bound to the asset/loader system.
+ *
+ * @param CUTSCENE The referenced cutscene's NAME, as passed to
+ * CUTSCENE(...).
+ */
+#define CUTSCENE_INSERT(CUTSCENE) \
+  { \
+    .type = CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT, \
+    .insert = { .cutscene = CUTSCENE_REFERENCE(CUTSCENE), .name = NULL } \
+  }

src/dusk/rpg/cutscene/cutscenesystem.c

@@ -30,6 +30,21 @@ void cutsceneLoadedSetDoc(yyjson_doc *doc) {
   CUTSCENE_LOADED_DOC = doc;
 }
 
+cutsceneitem_t CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS[CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS_MAX];
+uint8_t CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL[CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL_SIZE_MAX];
+cutscene_t CUTSCENE_INSERT_SCENE = {
+  .items = CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS,
+  .itemCount = 0,
+  .pause = CUTSCENE_PAUSE_NONE,
+  .dataSize = 0
+};
+static yyjson_doc *CUTSCENE_INSERT_DOC = NULL;
+
+void cutsceneInsertSetDoc(yyjson_doc *doc) {
+  if(CUTSCENE_INSERT_DOC != NULL) yyjson_doc_free(CUTSCENE_INSERT_DOC);
+  CUTSCENE_INSERT_DOC = doc;
+}
+
 void cutsceneSystemInit() {
   memoryZero(&CUTSCENE_SYSTEM, sizeof(cutscenesystem_t));
 }
@@ -55,6 +70,7 @@ void cutsceneSystemPrepare(
   CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.textCache[0] = '\0';
   CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.currentItem = 0xFF;// Set to 0xFF so Next wraps to 0.
   CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.onComplete = NULL;
+  CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStackSize = 0;
 }
 
 void cutsceneSystemStartCutscene(const cutscene_t *cutscene) {
@@ -127,6 +143,21 @@ void cutsceneSystemNext() {
 
   CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.currentItem++;
 
+  // Run off the end of the current scene? If it was spliced in via
+  // CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT, pop back to whatever it was inserted into
+  // and resume right after the INSERT item - possibly chaining through
+  // several pops if that lands on the end of its own parent in turn (an
+  // insert as the very last item, or a nested insert-of-an-insert).
+  while(
+    CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.currentItem >= CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.scene->itemCount &&
+    CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStackSize > 0
+  ) {
+    cutsceneinsertframe_t frame =
+      CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStack[--CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStackSize];
+    CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.scene = frame.scene;
+    CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.currentItem = frame.currentItem + 1;
+  }
+
   // End of the cutscene?
   if(
     CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.currentItem >= CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.scene->itemCount
@@ -149,6 +180,7 @@ void cutsceneSystemNext() {
     CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.textMiniLastCreated = CUTSCENE_TEXT_MINI_LAST_CREATED;
     CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.textCache[0] = '\0';
     CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.onComplete = NULL;
+    CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStackSize = 0;
 
     if(onComplete != NULL) onComplete(userData);
     return;
@@ -160,6 +192,27 @@ void cutsceneSystemNext() {
   cutsceneItemStart(item, &CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.data);
 }
 
+void cutsceneSystemInsertCutscene(const cutscene_t *cutscene) {
+  assertNotNull(
+    CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.scene,
+    "cutsceneSystemInsertCutscene called with no cutscene running"
+  );
+  assertTrue(
+    CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStackSize < CUTSCENE_INSERT_STACK_MAX,
+    "Cutscene INSERT nesting exceeds CUTSCENE_INSERT_STACK_MAX"
+  );
+
+  CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStack[CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStackSize++] =
+    (cutsceneinsertframe_t){
+      .scene = CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.scene,
+      .currentItem = CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.currentItem
+    };
+
+  CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.scene = cutscene;
+  CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.currentItem = 0xFF;// Set to 0xFF so Next wraps to 0.
+  cutsceneSystemNext();
+}
+
 void cutsceneSystemSetOnComplete(cutscenecallback_t onComplete) {
   assertNotNull(
     CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.scene,
@@ -279,6 +332,8 @@ void cutsceneSystemDispose() {
   CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.textMiniLastCreated = CUTSCENE_TEXT_MINI_LAST_CREATED;
   CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.textCache[0] = '\0';
   CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.onComplete = NULL;
+  CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStackSize = 0;
 
   cutsceneLoadedSetDoc(NULL);
+  cutsceneInsertSetDoc(NULL);
 }

src/dusk/rpg/cutscene/cutscenesystem.h

@@ -59,6 +59,52 @@ extern cutscene_t CUTSCENE_LOADED_SCENE;
  */
 void cutsceneLoadedSetDoc(yyjson_doc *doc);
 
+// A second, much smaller buffer set dedicated to CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT
+// (see cutsceneSystemInsertCutscene) - kept entirely separate from
+// CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS/POOL so that a JSON-authored INSERT item resolving
+// its target by name (via cutsceneInsertResolve) never overwrites the
+// buffer the currently-running outer cutscene's own items live in. Sized
+// small deliberately - an inserted snippet is meant to be a short splice,
+// not a full cutscene.
+#define CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS_MAX 16
+#define CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL_SIZE_MAX 512
+
+extern cutsceneitem_t CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS[CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS_MAX];
+extern uint8_t CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL[CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL_SIZE_MAX];
+
+// The cutscene_t for whatever was last parsed into CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS/
+// CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL - .items always points at CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS.
+// Only one JSON-authored INSERT target is ever resident at a time, same
+// restriction as CUTSCENE_LOADED_SCENE - a JSON-authored INSERT whose
+// target itself contains a JSON-authored INSERT would overwrite this out
+// from under itself, so that isn't supported (compile-time CUTSCENE_INSERT
+// nesting is unaffected, since it never touches asset loading).
+extern cutscene_t CUTSCENE_INSERT_SCENE;
+
+/**
+ * Same as cutsceneLoadedSetDoc, but for whatever yyjson_doc currently
+ * backs CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS' string fields. Called by the cutscene asset
+ * loader once a fresh parse into CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS/CUTSCENE_INSERT_POOL
+ * completes successfully, and from cutsceneSystemDispose to release the
+ * last one at shutdown.
+ *
+ * @param doc The new doc to take ownership of (NULL just frees/clears the
+ * current one).
+ */
+void cutsceneInsertSetDoc(yyjson_doc *doc);
+
+// Maximum nesting depth of CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT items - how many
+// "return to the item after this one" frames cutsceneSystemInsertCutscene
+// may have pushed at once (see CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStack).
+#define CUTSCENE_INSERT_STACK_MAX 4
+
+// One "return address" pushed by cutsceneSystemInsertCutscene - the scene
+// and item index to resume at once the inserted cutscene's items run out.
+typedef struct {
+  const cutscene_t *scene;
+  uint8_t currentItem;
+} cutsceneinsertframe_t;
+
 typedef struct {
   const cutscene_t *scene;
   uint8_t currentItem;
@@ -85,6 +131,12 @@ typedef struct {
 
   // See cutsceneSystemSetOnComplete.
   cutscenecallback_t onComplete;
+
+  // Return stack pushed by CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT items - see
+  // cutsceneSystemInsertCutscene. Reset (insertStackSize = 0) whenever a
+  // cutscene freshly starts or the system is disposed.
+  cutsceneinsertframe_t insertStack[CUTSCENE_INSERT_STACK_MAX];
+  uint8_t insertStackSize;
 } cutscenesystem_t;
 
 extern cutscenesystem_t CUTSCENE_SYSTEM;
@@ -129,6 +181,30 @@ void cutsceneSystemStartCutsceneAndGoToMarker(
   const char_t *marker
 );
 
+/**
+ * Splices cutscene's items into the running cutscene in place, resuming
+ * the current cutscene right after the CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT item that
+ * called this once cutscene's items run out - unlike
+ * cutsceneSystemStartCutscene (a one-way jump that replaces the running
+ * cutscene outright). Pushes a return frame onto
+ * CUTSCENE_SYSTEM.insertStack; cutsceneSystemNext pops it once cutscene
+ * ends. Deliberately does not touch pause flags, interact entities,
+ * "last created" state, the text cache or userData - those all keep
+ * whatever the outer cutscene set, since this is meant to feel like
+ * pasting cutscene's items in place rather than starting an independent
+ * cutscene. Because of this, cutscene's own .pause/.dataSize are ignored.
+ * Asserts if no cutscene is currently running, or if inserts are already
+ * nested CUTSCENE_INSERT_STACK_MAX deep.
+ *
+ * Note: cutsceneRestart() resets the insert stack (via
+ * cutsceneSystemPrepare), so a RESTART item used from inside an inserted
+ * cutscene restarts just that inserted cutscene and does not return to
+ * whatever it was inserted into.
+ *
+ * @param cutscene The cutscene whose items to splice in.
+ */
+void cutsceneSystemInsertCutscene(const cutscene_t *cutscene);
+
 /**
  * Locks, loads and immediately starts a cutscene asset by file name,
  * e.g. cutsceneSystemLoad("main_menu.jsonc") loads and starts

src/dusk/rpg/cutscene/item/cutsceneitem.c

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "asset/asset.h"
 #include "asset/assetfile.h"
 #include "asset/loader/assetloader.h"
+#include "util/memory.h"
 #include "util/string.h"
 #include "ui/overlay/uifatalerror.h"
 
@@ -333,6 +334,13 @@ cutsceneitemcallbacks_t CUTSCENE_ITEM_CALLBACKS[CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_COUNT] = {
     .update = cutsceneRegularBattleUpdate,
     .jsonName = "REGULAR_BATTLE",
     .load = cutsceneItemLoadNoop
+  },
+
+  [CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT] = {
+    .init = cutsceneInsertStart,
+    .update = cutsceneInsertUpdate,
+    .jsonName = "INSERT",
+    .load = cutsceneInsertLoad
   }
 };
 
@@ -414,10 +422,18 @@ errorret_t cutsceneCutsceneLoad(
   cutsceneitem_t *item,
   uint8_t *pool,
   size_t *poolOffset
+) {
+  return cutsceneCutsceneRefLoad(itemObj, &item->cutsceneRef, "CUTSCENE");
+}
+
+errorret_t cutsceneCutsceneRefLoad(
+  yyjson_val *itemObj,
+  cutscenecutsceneref_t *outRef,
+  const char_t *itemTypeLabel
 ) {
   const char_t *name = yyjson_get_str(yyjson_obj_get(itemObj, "name"));
   if(name == NULL) {
-    errorThrow("Cutscene item (CUTSCENE): missing 'name'");
+    errorThrow("Cutscene item (%s): missing 'name'", itemTypeLabel);
   }
 
   // Only validate that the eventual "cutscenes/<name>.jsonc" path would
@@ -425,11 +441,69 @@ errorret_t cutsceneCutsceneLoad(
   // actually runs (see cutsceneCutsceneStart/cutsceneCutsceneResolve).
   int32_t pathLen = stringFormat(NULL, 0, "cutscenes/%s.jsonc", name);
   if(pathLen < 0 || (size_t)pathLen >= ASSET_FILE_NAME_MAX) {
-    errorThrow("Cutscene item (CUTSCENE): 'name' too long");
+    errorThrow("Cutscene item (%s): 'name' too long", itemTypeLabel);
   }
 
-  item->cutsceneRef.cutscene = NULL;
-  item->cutsceneRef.name = name;
+  outRef->cutscene = NULL;
+  outRef->name = name;
 
   errorOk();
 }
+
+void cutsceneInsertStart(
+  const cutsceneitem_t *item,
+  cutsceneitemdata_t *data
+) {
+  const cutscene_t *cutscene = item->insert.cutscene;
+  if(cutscene == NULL && item->insert.name != NULL) {
+    // Not cached back into item - same reasoning as cutsceneCutsceneStart,
+    // but resolved via cutsceneInsertResolve (the dedicated INSERT buffer)
+    // rather than cutsceneCutsceneResolve, since item itself may live
+    // inside the currently-running outer cutscene's own CUTSCENE_LOADED_*
+    // buffer and must not be clobbered by this resolve.
+    cutscene = cutsceneInsertResolve(item->insert.name);
+  }
+  if(cutscene != NULL) cutsceneSystemInsertCutscene(cutscene);
+}
+
+bool_t cutsceneInsertUpdate(
+  const cutsceneitem_t *item,
+  cutsceneitemdata_t *data
+) {
+  return false;
+}
+
+const cutscene_t * cutsceneInsertResolve(const char_t *name) {
+  char_t path[ASSET_FILE_NAME_MAX];
+  stringFormat(path, sizeof(path), "cutscenes/%s.jsonc", name);
+
+  char_t key[ASSET_FILE_NAME_MAX];
+  stringFormat(key, sizeof(key), "insert:%s", path);
+
+  assetloaderinput_t input;
+  memoryZero(&input, sizeof(input));
+  input.cutscene.dest = ASSET_CUTSCENE_LOAD_DEST_INSERT;
+  stringCopy(input.cutscene.path, path, ASSET_FILE_NAME_MAX);
+
+  assetentry_t *entry = assetLock(key, ASSET_LOADER_TYPE_CUTSCENE, &input);
+  errorret_t result = assetRequireLoaded(entry);
+  // Released the instant loading finishes - see cutsceneSystemLoad's doc
+  // comment for why nothing further depends on this entry once loaded.
+  assetUnlockEntry(entry);
+  if(errorIsNotOk(result)) {
+    errorCatch(errorPrint(result));
+    uiFatalErrorOpen(NULL);
+    return NULL;
+  }
+
+  return &CUTSCENE_INSERT_SCENE;
+}
+
+errorret_t cutsceneInsertLoad(
+  yyjson_val *itemObj,
+  cutsceneitem_t *item,
+  uint8_t *pool,
+  size_t *poolOffset
+) {
+  return cutsceneCutsceneRefLoad(itemObj, &item->insert, "INSERT");
+}

src/dusk/rpg/cutscene/item/cutsceneitem.h

@@ -57,15 +57,25 @@
 
 typedef struct cutscene_s cutscene_t;
 
-// A CUTSCENE item's target. C-authored cutscenes (the CUTSCENE_CUTSCENE
-// macro in cutscene.h) resolve cutscene at compile time and leave name
-// NULL. JSON-authored cutscenes (cutsceneCutsceneLoad) do the opposite -
-// only name is set at parse time, since resolving/locking the referenced
-// asset there would eagerly load every cutscene a cutscene merely
-// references, even ones never played. cutsceneCutsceneStart resolves
+// A CUTSCENE (or INSERT) item's target. C-authored cutscenes (the
+// CUTSCENE_CUTSCENE/CUTSCENE_INSERT macros in cutscene.h) resolve cutscene
+// at compile time and leave name NULL - safe to hold onto indefinitely,
+// since C-authored cutscenes are compiled directly into their own static
+// const arrays, never a shared load buffer. JSON-authored cutscenes
+// (cutsceneCutsceneLoad/cutsceneInsertLoad) do the opposite - only name is
+// set at parse time, since resolving/locking the referenced asset there
+// would eagerly load every cutscene a cutscene merely references, even
+// ones never played. cutsceneCutsceneStart/cutsceneInsertStart resolve
 // name to cutscene the first time this item actually runs (via
-// cutsceneCutsceneResolve) and caches the result back into this field so
-// replaying the same item never re-resolves it.
+// cutsceneCutsceneResolve/cutsceneInsertResolve respectively) but do NOT
+// cache the result back into this field - with only one shared, fixed
+// buffer per destination (see cutscenesystem.h), every JSON-authored
+// reference resolves to the same fixed address every time anyway, and
+// item itself may live inside that very buffer, so caching a pointer into
+// it here would go stale (or, worse, get clobbered mid-resolve) the
+// moment a later load overwrites it. Shared by both CUTSCENE
+// (item->cutsceneRef) and INSERT (item->insert), since both need exactly
+// this "resolved pointer, or a name to lazily resolve" shape.
 typedef struct {
   const cutscene_t *cutscene;
   const char_t *name;
@@ -81,6 +91,7 @@ struct cutsceneitem_s {
     cutscenecallback_t callback;
     cutscenewait_t wait;
     cutscenecutsceneref_t cutsceneRef;
+    cutscenecutsceneref_t insert;
     cutsceneentityteleport_t entityTeleport;
     cutsceneentitywalkto_t entityWalkTo;
     cutscenefade_t fade;
@@ -197,10 +208,11 @@ bool_t cutsceneItemLookupType(
 );
 
 /**
- * Starts a nested-cutscene item, handing control over to the
- * referenced cutscene. If item->cutsceneRef.cutscene hasn't been
- * resolved yet (a JSON-authored reference, only known by name so far),
- * resolves and caches it first via cutsceneCutsceneResolve.
+ * Starts a nested-cutscene item, handing control over to the referenced
+ * cutscene. If item->cutsceneRef.cutscene hasn't been resolved yet (a
+ * JSON-authored reference, only known by name so far), resolves it first
+ * via cutsceneCutsceneResolve (not cached back - see cutscenecutsceneref_t's
+ * doc comment for why).
  *
  * @param item The cutscene item.
  * @param data Runtime data storage.
@@ -262,3 +274,89 @@ errorret_t cutsceneCutsceneLoad(
   uint8_t *pool,
   size_t *poolOffset
 );
+
+/**
+ * Shared JSON parsing body for both CUTSCENE and INSERT items - both need
+ * exactly a 'name' string field, validated to fit the eventual
+ * "cutscenes/<name>.jsonc" asset path. Only stores the name (see
+ * cutsceneCutsceneLoad for why resolving is deferred).
+ *
+ * @param itemObj The item's JSON object.
+ * @param outRef Destination ref, already zeroed by the caller.
+ * @param itemTypeLabel Item type name used only in the error message on
+ * failure (e.g. "CUTSCENE" or "INSERT").
+ * @return Error code indicating success or failure of the parse.
+ */
+errorret_t cutsceneCutsceneRefLoad(
+  yyjson_val *itemObj,
+  cutscenecutsceneref_t *outRef,
+  const char_t *itemTypeLabel
+);
+
+/**
+ * Starts an INSERT item, splicing the referenced cutscene's items into the
+ * running cutscene in place - unlike CUTSCENE (a one-way jump that replaces
+ * the running cutscene outright), control returns to the item right after
+ * this one once the inserted items run out. If item->insert.cutscene hasn't
+ * been resolved yet (a JSON-authored reference, only known by name so
+ * far), resolves it first via cutsceneInsertResolve - not
+ * cutsceneCutsceneResolve, so the referenced cutscene lands in the
+ * dedicated CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS/POOL buffer rather than overwriting
+ * CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS/POOL out from under whatever outer cutscene is
+ * currently running (see cutscenesystem.h's CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS_MAX doc
+ * comment). Not cached back into item, same reasoning as
+ * cutsceneCutsceneStart.
+ *
+ * @param item The cutscene item.
+ * @param data Runtime data storage.
+ */
+void cutsceneInsertStart(
+  const cutsceneitem_t *item,
+  cutsceneitemdata_t *data
+);
+
+/**
+ * Resolves a JSON-authored INSERT item's referenced cutscene by name,
+ * locking (under a synthetic "insert:cutscenes/<name>.jsonc" cache key,
+ * distinct from the plain "cutscenes/<name>.jsonc" key cutsceneCutsceneResolve
+ * uses for the same file, so a load driven by an INSERT item is never
+ * silently shared with - or overwritten by - a load driven by a CUTSCENE
+ * item, or vice versa - see assetGetEntry's name-only dedup) and blocking
+ * on assets/cutscenes/<name>.jsonc, parsed into CUTSCENE_INSERT_ITEMS/POOL
+ * rather than CUTSCENE_LOADED_ITEMS/POOL. On failure, opens the fatal
+ * error overlay and returns NULL.
+ *
+ * @param name Bare cutscene name (without "cutscenes/" prefix or
+ * ".jsonc" suffix).
+ * @return The resolved cutscene, or NULL on failure.
+ */
+const cutscene_t * cutsceneInsertResolve(const char_t *name);
+
+/**
+ * Updates an INSERT item. By the time this would run, control has already
+ * moved on to the inserted items, so this always reports incomplete.
+ *
+ * @param item The cutscene item.
+ * @param data Runtime data storage.
+ * @returns false always.
+ */
+bool_t cutsceneInsertUpdate(
+  const cutsceneitem_t *item,
+  cutsceneitemdata_t *data
+);
+
+/**
+ * Parses an INSERT cutscene item's JSON fields into item.
+ *
+ * @param itemObj The item's JSON object.
+ * @param item Destination item, already zeroed by the caller.
+ * @param pool Unused (INSERT needs no pool storage).
+ * @param poolOffset Unused (INSERT needs no pool storage).
+ * @return Error code indicating success or failure of the parse.
+ */
+errorret_t cutsceneInsertLoad(
+  yyjson_val *itemObj,
+  cutsceneitem_t *item,
+  uint8_t *pool,
+  size_t *poolOffset
+);

src/dusk/rpg/cutscene/item/cutsceneitembase.h

@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ typedef enum {
   CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_IDLE,
   CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_UI_SHOW,
   CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_REGULAR_BATTLE,
+  CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_INSERT,
 
   CUTSCENE_ITEM_TYPE_COUNT
 } cutsceneitemtype_t;