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It's interesting that we do not remember the moment of our death, unlike last time. I'm guessing this death is part of some divine interference and not due to the usual supernatural poo poo here.
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Jul 9, 2020 20:27
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Seraphic Neoman posted:It's interesting that we do not remember the moment of our death, unlike last time. I'm guessing this death is part of some divine interference and not due to the usual supernatural poo poo here. With us trying to climb a mountain in total fog it's probably as simple as we slipped and fell and broke our neck
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Jul 9, 2020 20:32
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This bad ending sure felt a lot more pointless than the last one. Hopefully the next ones are better.
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Jul 10, 2020 00:07
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Blaze Dragon posted:This bad ending sure felt a lot more pointless than the last one. Hopefully the next ones are better. It also didn't have a key or anything. If anything it seems to only exist to satisfy people who would otherwise say "well why did he just take her word about not being able to leave?". With all the mechanics around death and retrying they had no reason not to give you the option to try to just walk away, so... they gave you it. But it was obvious to everyone from the start that Haruaki isn't going to be able to leave the plot right after it's started.
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Jul 10, 2020 00:16
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Well, put me down as another poster child for ignoring the devs' wishes on LPs. I bought the game, mainlined it over the course of a few days, and am now very much looking forward to the discussion over the coming months. If I thought the LP was going to stop partway through, I'd just have ignored it. Things might seem a bit slow right now, but stick with it. It's definitely going places.
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Jul 16, 2020 00:29
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So many people buying the game! I hope this LP continues 
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Jul 16, 2020 03:42
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I don't have the cash to buy this so I'm still definitely watching/reading.
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Jul 16, 2020 06:26
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I already have way too many games I need to play before I can think of buying another, and very little time to do so, so I'll just follow the LP for now. I may buy this if I manage to actually beat (Xenoblade/FF7 remake/Bug Fables) though!
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Jul 16, 2020 13:04
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This has seemed cool. Cool enough that I also bought it myself, so I expect I won't be participating in the topic that much. Before I get to into it, though, I do have some thoughts. The plot's obvious connection to the game of Werewolf seems like it will be helpful right up to the point that some kind of assumption gets exploited to sneak something past the reader. I'm especially thinking about faked deaths here. That would normally be out of the question for Werewolf, but it's such a common mystery trick. And look, we have two people dead right away, even though the game is suggesting that there should be one at most. There may be some other assumptions that are going to be used as part of tricks, but I'm not sure about that part yet. Just seems like the more the story insists that there are ironclad rules for the game, the more the mystery will skate around those rules. I also do expect some sort of wild explanation for the setting to show up by the end of this, but I have no idea how hard it will go. Hopefully we don't go full Layton.
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Jul 18, 2020 00:14
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Update 14: Cake, Funky, Blow and Rider? Here we are, back after our hasty escape attempt ended up being thwarted by the mist of Yasumizu in a very mysterious manner.  The red skull is here to once again remind us of our failure. There’s nothing left but to pick the other option - Stay.  This is the same opening line as last time. Obviously, escape was the ideal choice, but at this point I didn’t see anyone guiding me out. All I had to look forward to was either dropping dead somewhere in the mountains or becoming a snack in this village. The first seemed way more attractive, but unfortunately, I’d gotten attached to the people here. Abandoning them would, at least, make it hard for me to sleep at night. That’s why running away wasn’t an option for me. BGM: Safety Zone   “You noticed?” “Yeah. And I figured I should clear up anything shady before it comes back to bite me. It’s scary.” “Ahahah. You got me. But really, this is just some insurance. A little medicine for the mind.” “Oh? Tell me more.” “You know how it can be, right? You eat something from a strange place, and next thing you know, you’re turned into a pig and can’t run away.” “What? Is this hell or something?”I’d seen that anime on DVD, by the way. Which way to the bathhouse?  “I can’t say it isn’t.”It seemed like some serious overthinking to me, if not just serious superstition.  “How long will this last?” “I brought a ton of food from the outside, so you should be fine for a while.”I did appreciate it, but I had mixed feelings on living like it was the apocalypse over a local superstition. *Everything goes silent*  I actually skipped two meals, so I was still hungry, but I was used to skipping meals to cut costs, so that wasn’t a problem. I wanted to relax and think things over, but Chiemi was curious about the others, and I ended up tagging along. It was probably because I wasn’t in a position to be by myself. BGM: Safety Zone   “Nope. We’re just here to kill time. Can we sit?” “Of course. I’ll bring you some tea.” “Can I have just some warm water instead?” “Oh? But tea is good for you.” “Umm...I’m the type who can’t sleep if I drink tea.” “Oh...I see. Warm water it is, then.” (I’d have liked it if you refused that, too.) (But you use water from here whenever you make cup ramen, right?) (Ah!) (You didn’t realize that?!) (Maybe it’s safe when you boil it?)Could hell’s water really be purified by boiling? “Here you go...I must say, you’re quite unfortunate. Your bike was broken, and now you’re...you know…” “Oh, it’s nothing compared to everyone else here...If I may ask, does this kind of thing happen often? Is it annual or something?”I asked something important like it was no big deal. “No, it certainly isn’t that common. Personally, this is my first feast. I did hear that people died when the mists appeared before, but that was before most of us were here.”As in, they hadn’t been ostracized back then? I could ask that, but I probably couldn’t dig too deep.  “So this is a first for many people here, right?” “Yes, I think so…” “I see...If that’s the case, knowledge of the rules seems strangely well-kept.” “Old tales and songs are always passed down and survive for a long time.” “Songs?”*Everything goes silent*  Whoa! The mysterious Meiko-chan popped out of nowhere.  “I learned the song…” “Oh my, you did? Could you sing it for us?” “Shin’nai-san’s guardians are…” “One, cake, two, funky, three, blow, four, rider.”Cake, funky, blow and rider? Uh, so...was it about a guy who had a funky birthday party with cake and...ended the night on a happy note? The melody seemed familiar, though.  “Ahahah. I guess it was too difficult for her.” Her guardian came soon after.  Kaori Oribe-san humbled herself.  “Oh, no...I’m the one who should apologize...I let Meiko wander off here.” “No need for that...It’s a difficult time for us all. You are free to come here and relax whenever you like.” “Very well.”*Everything goes silent*  And a loud one. The woman just collapsed.  “Ahh! A-Are you okay?!” “Oh dear...are you hurt?”Apparently, she wasn’t trying some unique form of relaxation - she just tripped on the rail for the door. BGM: After Dinner  She put her hands on her throbbed nose and became teary-eyed. The lady’s mysterious vibe crumbled in an instant.   “Umm...please don’t look at me like that.” “Ah, I’m sorry...Now that I think about it, this is the first time we’ve talked.” “You might be right. Umm...My apologies.” “Huh? For what?” “I got you involved in this.”*Everything goes silent*  BGM: After Dinner   “I saw the evening mists come...but I hoped you could escape.” “Ohh, so that’s how it was. A part of me thought you foretold the future or something.”*Everything goes silent* “Uematsu isn’t the lookout family.”Now that sounded significant. “What does that mean?” “Um...this isn’t something we can share with outsiders.”Crap. Chiemi’s lack of reserve made me forget my boundaries here.  “I, uh...I’m sorry. You’re wearing some strange clothes, so I thought you were a Shinto priestess or something.” “Oh...I’m not that important.”BGM: After Dinner “Haruaki-san, don’t bother Rikako-san too much.” “Oh, I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry, Rikako-san.” “Hoaah...Y-You just called me...by my first name.” “Uhh...S-Sorry…”Chiemi called her that way, so I thought it was okay. Man, this was confusing.  “I-I’m not that bothered.” “Oh, sorry about that. Hahahah.” “Huh. You two are getting along.” “...”I’d have appreciated it if she didn’t put me in a weird situation. *Everything goes silent*   “I’ll stay a bit longer…” “I see. Come back before evening.”And so, she left. BGM: Safety Zone  “She is.” “She’s cute, right?” “Is she?” “Which one is it?” “That’s my question.” “*sigh* Natural beauties sure have it good. They look young no matter how old they get.”Well, that was some bait. “I’ll bite. How old is she?” “I don’t know. I’m pretty sure she’s younger that thirty, but she’s definitely older than me.” “That’s older than expected.” “I know, right? She’s so little. And did you see that baby face?” “By the way, is she - “*Everything goes silent*  We were now joined by the students.  “Mom, can we come in now?” “Oh. Yasunaga, Haru-chan...welcome.” “Yep. I’m ‘You’, at your service.”*Boom*  “Are you messing with me?”I was, actually.  “What is it, Haru-ch...Makishiman-san.” “You almost called me ‘Haru-chan’, didn’t you?! We’ve only just met! You don’t do that! It’s unreasonable!” “C-Calm down. Hysteric heroines aren’t popular.” “You’re still messing around…! I came here to say something to you!”Her behavior was pretty unreasonable too, to be honest, but instead of pointing it out, I just corrected my posture and waited to hear what she had to say. “You’re getting too close to Chie-nee! She’s pretty busy, so you should leave her alone and do your own thing!”BGM: Safety Zone … “You were busy?” “Even if she has some free time, she’s a lady, so you need to be considerate and keep your distance. It’s the mature thing to do!” “Well, that’s true.” “If you agree, then just go away somewhere! This is why adults are so unfair, filthy and annoying!” “Yes, I am a filthy old man.” “Khh!” “What is it?” “We’ll be going to sleep early for a while, so maybe we should have packed lunches.” “Oh, that’s true...I should hurry and start making the rice…”*Everything goes silent*   “Voom-Voom...Huh? Me?”I was busy deflecting Haru-chan’s attack with my stupidity barrier, so being dragged into the conversation surprised me a bit. He gave me a rather dirty, rusty, cheap-looking, cylindrical key. It wasn’t even attached to a keychain. “It’s the key to the dorm. Takumi-nii said he got it from Tae-baa.” “Huh? Why did he do that?” “He said he felt pretty bad making you sleep outside last night.” “What a sincere and considerate person…” “He really is. People like him make living in a place like this far easier.” “Mom, you really…” “Oh, the rice!”With an awkward smile on her face, Kaori-san went back to the kitchen. BGM: After Dinner  “I’m sorry you had to see that.” “Umm...Don’t worry, I’m just a clueless outsider.”I made a blatant lie. Everyone could tell that Kaori-san and Takumi-san would make a nice couple.   “Hey! He’s bothering you, too, isn’t he?!” “Not really.” ” Uh...A-Anyway! If you don’t have anything to do with the feast, then just get out!” “Stop it already!” “Why…?” “Fusaishi-san is a victim. Don’t be so heartless.” “What the hell?! You’re such a dummy!” “Ugh, this is such a mess!” They had to stop fighting about me! We had an innocent little girl here! Also, Chiemi’s info was confirmed to be true. Trying to escape seemed dangerous, and recommending it was heartless. Basically, getting out of here was difficult. That made me all the more grateful for the room. I’d been so busy trying to understand what was going on in this place that I didn’t even consider how to deal with myself. I’d have to thank Takumi-san.  “Play what?” “Prayer to Shin’nai.” “Now? Seriously?” “I want to show Meiko-chan how it’s supposed to be done.” “Baa…?” “That’s fine. But wow, you really care about stuff like this, huh?” “Eheheh. Yeah, kinda.”Something was about to begin. No longer the center of attention, I began drinking the hot water Kaori-san placed before me.  “Yasunaga-kun, what’s this mean?” “Ohh...That’s one of the Kamifujiyoshi head family crests. She should just throw it away.”His harsh tone made it pretty likely that it was the crest of the Higuchi family - the ones who banished them here. Haru-chan moved a chair and sat down in front of Chiemi. *Everything goes silent* “Can I play the man’s role?” “Sure.” “Let’s go. One, two…”  “Shin’nai-san’s guardians are…” “One, snake, two, monkey, three, crow, four, spider.”They started playing an action rhyme, much like “Ring Around the Rosie” or “London Bridge is Falling Down”. Fully in sync, they clapped, slapped their knees, clapped again, joined hands, etcetera...all according to the rhythm. And there was no mistaking it - this was actually the song I’d heard yesterday morning. “Five, prepare for the feast when the evening mists arrive.” “Six, the badger runs along late with nare as a fix.”They were doing it pretty quickly, so I couldn’t see everything, but it was definitely complex. They even raised fingers and made fist bumps. Also, I was pretty sure I’d heard that part somewhere.  Oh… “Seven, the corrupt yomibito rise to oppose the mountain.”Suddenly, the song changed in tone. The movements switched up, too. Haru-chan hid her face, while Chiemi stood up a bit and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Eight, death of the damned yomibito is the mandate.”Similar line, but the roles switched. “Nine, one soul per day now to bind.” “Ten, the mists rise away again.”They returned to the same tone and movements as before, but then, at a slightly awkward point, the song suddenly ended. Then, they quickly stood up and… BGM: After Dinner   “It’s been so long since I did this that I kinda panicked…”Apparently, they were done.  “See that, Meiko-chan? This is how it’s done.” “Woow! You were so fast I couldn’t see it all.” “All right, Haru-chan. Teach it to Meiko-chan.” “What?! Me?!” “Teach me!” “Uh...W-Well, all right.”*Everything goes silent*  Chiemi’s tone was serious. “What is it?”Yasunaga-kun instantly understood that it was important, but he seemed to be mindful of me. “If it’s about the feast, I shouldn’t be here, right?” “Sorry…”Chiemi gave me a meaningful look as I left. She’d probably tell me something the next time we met. “I’m heading out, then.” “Very well, you take care now.”Kaori-san stuck her head out and said goodbye to me as I left the dining hall.
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Jul 18, 2020 14:57
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AFancyQuestionMark posted:Could hell’s water really be purified by boiling? you can boil the hell out of stuff, sure
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Jul 18, 2020 16:15
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That song sure got surprisingly dark by the second half. Then again, it's what we know is happening, so I guess it isn't too surprising.
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Jul 18, 2020 16:19
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I've got a hunch that Yasunaga is a werewolf. No real evidence; he just seems too composed, like he's carefully observing everything and playing it safe.
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Jul 18, 2020 18:30
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"Badger", hmm? I think that's the only bit of the song that we haven't got an approximate explanation for yet.
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Jul 18, 2020 23:47
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Update 15: You Will Die Too, Surely. Welcome to Fujiyoshi, You Poor Man BGM: Search for Keys  However, Chiemi was really the only one I could directly get info from. I couldn’t account for any biases she might’ve had. The other inhabitants, albeit to varying degrees, didn’t trust me. I could probably have decent talks with Yasunaga-kun, but his situation seemed to be similar to Chiemi’s. I’d have liked to get info from the elders. Maybe my best option was to somehow join the feast myself? From what Chiemi had told me, the feast was a really vile and dangerous tradition. And that didn’t change even when you considered the tales that there had already been lynchings because of this. Normally, something so brutal would’ve changed and become some harmless festival by now. How did such a tradition survive in the modern day, despite murder and lynchings being completely illegal? Was this place simply beyond the reach of the law or something? Or…   How stupid. Then again, I couldn’t really write it off. My stance on gods and monsters was basically that, as long as they could be seen, I was willing to accept their existence.  New technologies and methods could easily reveal things that were previously undetectable. This has happened many times throughout human history. The idea that there were strange animals, ghosts, or aliens that were simply beyond our current ability to perceive was entirely plausible. However, there were disappointing realities, too. For example, the original story about something mysterious could’ve easily been a lie, trick, misunderstanding, or misinformation. Generally speaking, the mysteries of the world all turned out to be one of those. Science disproved things far more often than it confirmed them, which was pretty drat boring. Surely even Houdini, famous for exposing mediums and other frauds, wanted to believe in psychic phenomena. He’d searched the world in the hopes of meeting a real medium, but each he found proved to be fake in the end.   Though, my life was in danger, so I couldn’t really waste time trying to speculate what that thing was. Back to the matter at hand… For now, the most important thing was understanding and surviving the feast. To pull that off, I needed more info. I still hadn’t heard how today’s talk had ended. Based on the mood of the place, no one seemed to have died, at least… *Everything goes silent*  Shocked, I turned around.  It was a girl I’d never seen before.  “They died. Yes they did. They all died.” “You will die, too, surely. Welcome to Fujiyoshi, you poor man.”The girl turned and ran, her skirt swaying behind her. BGM: Safety Zone   “Whoa! How did you know, poop-man?!” “Who’re you calling ‘poop-man’? And, well, your clothes surprised me, sure, but you should work on your acting skills.” “Hey, this ain’t a costume or anything.” “Huh? You’re saying you wear that normally?” “Yep. I’m super poor, so the school uniform was the only thing I could wear, but Tae-baa never stopped complaining about that. That’s why I borrowed Haru-chan’s old clothes. They’re cute, aren’t they?” “Well, they are, but...you are a guy, right?”If I didn’t already know, I’d have assumed he was a girl.  I didn’t want to see it at all. “Are you uncomfortable with your gender or something?” “What? No. I’m a guy.” “Then why…?” “There’s no reason. This is just the way I am.” “The way you are…?” “But I also can’t just do whatever I please, so I ended up being a bit weird.” “So this is simply your nature?” “Yeah. Speaking of nature, if it wasn’t cold, I wouldn’t mind going around the village naked.”So basically, this was a guy with a unique sense of...well, everything. Unless he found something that really clicked, he’d have a hard time living anywhere. Even in the city. “You have my sympathies.” “Hey, Yasumizu’s actually pretty easy to live in. You should move here, poop-man.” “What does that have to do with anything?” “Living in the city is hard, ain’t it?” “Nope. It’s way more convenient than here.” “Really? I thought you escaped ‘cause something bad happened.” “Well, I can’t deny that.” “You’re a weirdo, too, right?” “Umm...That one I can deny.” “Wait, really? I thought we were birds of a feather.” “Right, old man?” Whoa! There was a weird old guy in the bushes!   “Aeh...eheheheh.” “I know, right? That’s what poop-man is!” “Poop...man…” “Please don’t spread that name. I don’t give a drat if you use Fusaishi or Haruaki, just stop calling me that.” “Hassan?” “Hhaaah-san.”Did I look like a Middle Easterner? I was mildly bothered by the accentuation, too, but he was probably avoiding using nicknames that were similar to Haru-chan’s name… “Well, whatever. That works.” “Poop-man became Hassan!”I was never poop-man to begin with. “You’re close to the old man?” “We’re fellow crazies!” “Ehehehehehehheeheehee.”Well, the old man seemed to be enjoying it. “Join us, Hassan. When the mists clear, we can go steal chickens from Kamifujiyoshi.” “Why would I do something like that? What are you, kappas?”Hell, why did he like me that much? Well, that might’ve been a good thing. He seemed to be a bit more unique than the other two students.  “Hmm? Well, Haru-chan was angry, so I felt it wasn’t gonna be fun with her.” “Why was she angry?” “Hmm…” “Haru-chan likes Yassun.”Oh? “So she doesn’t like that Yassun seems happy about Chie-nee coming back.” “I see...So why was she mad at me?” “Haru-chan actually wants Yassun and Chie-nee to get together.”Well, I sure didn’t expect to hear something like that. “So she’s helping the target of her unrequited love get his sweetheart?” “Yep yep. That’s why you barging in and getting along with Chie-nee messed things up for her.”So basically, I accidentally entered a love triangle. “Does Chiemi-chan know any of this?” “Pretty sure she does. But she doesn’t do anything about it. He has a snowball’s chance in hell.”Man, this kid was harsh. “So yeah! Good on ya, Hassan! Chie-nee is yours!” “Is she, now?” “And wait, are you okay with this?” “Why are you asking?” “Well, I haven’t been here for long, but from what I’ve seen, you’re wild with most people, but kinda gallant around Haru-chan.” “Hmm…” “Ahh…” “Well, you’re probably right. She’s a childhood friend and a bit of an airhead, so I do worry about her. That’s all. “That’s unexpected. You seemed like the type to mess with such people.” “I’d mess around with you to the very end.” “I owe a lot to Yassun, and Haru-chan is...an unfortunate girl.”…  “Ah! I already said too much! Hassan! What kind of magic did you use on me?”He was the one who’d gone blabbing on his own. “By the way, you said that someone died. Did they? Well, I know the journalists did.” “Yasumizu’s people are still alive, but they’re all as good as dead.” “Hmm? Why do you think that?” “Who knows? I’m not good at reasons. But, well…when Takumi-nii said he was the snake, I had a bad feeling come over me.” “Ohh, it felt like I could hear the wolves laughing.”… *Everything goes silent*  “I could hear the wolves laughing.” “Before that.” “Hmm...When Takumi-nii said he was the snake?” “Takumi-san is the snake?” “That’s what he said.”…  “Huhhh?” “The wolf is coming." “You knew?” “?”
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Jul 20, 2020 22:14
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Well. Okay then. Still a lot we don't know about the cast and the setting so this doesn't change much atm.
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Jul 21, 2020 00:50
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What's the implication here? That Takumi lied?
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Jul 21, 2020 00:58
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Or that the wolf was glad he exposed himself because it means he's easier to prioritize. He's only protected for one night. Real curious about this badger now.
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Jul 21, 2020 01:08
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Anyone else notice that there's three wolf symbols on the picture in the first post? The villagers assuming there's only two might come back to bite them. Also I guess this is my last bit of speculation I can post since I'm about to go play the game because I read all the updates and need more.
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Jul 21, 2020 03:32
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While Mocchi is quite adorable I have to wonder if he has an ulterior motive behind coming out right now, I'm not buying this LOLrandom shtick.
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Jul 21, 2020 03:35
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Meiko's name is such a terrible pun.  That's not a spoiler, she just keeps making sheep sounds, so they're calling her "baaaa girl". Except Meiko is also an actual Japanese girl's name. It can be written to mean, among other things, "lost child."
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Jul 21, 2020 11:28
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Update 16: Listen, People Die All the Time BGM: Encroaching Supernatural   “Huh? What?”That was my line. Why was he farming at a time like this? “Thank you for the key.” “O-Ohh… Don’t mention it. But don’t walk around by yourself. Everyone’s on edge as it is.” “About that… Do you know how many humans the wolves can kill per night?” “Chiemi went and told ya about it, huh?” “I insisted on it. In fact, you had to have seen that coming when you sent her to meet me.” “The info I have is still limited, but I’m a bit worried. Sorry to bother you, but can you tell me more?” “‘Sorry’ won’t cut it. It’s a huge bother. I don’t wanna waste any time on this dumb poo poo! I have a farm to care for!” “I thought you and Chiemi would understand, but you’re serious about this, too?” “...”Well, he really didn’t seem all that bothered by all this, but... “Two people already died.” “Huh?” “Listen, people die all the time, and I’m always stuck cleaning it up.”What? What was he talking about? “Did you see the aftermath of the landslide uphill? It’s been like that ever since the Nosato got to work on the place eight years ago and it collapsed. They were too freaked out to even clean it up. I ended up digging out the workers’ corpses and burying ‘em.”I had no idea that was such a big deal. “Then there’s the idiots from the city, coming here just to hang themselves or getting eaten by wild beasts. Me and the old man always have to deal with the mess.” “It’s not rare for Saranaga to bring us corpses, either. I don’t know if they’re mountain fishers or something, but it’s dangerous upstream, drat it!” “And yet no one cares! I pick them, give them all nameless graves, and leave it at that! Beasts, corpses...you never know what you’ll find in the mountains, kid.” “But this time, it was in the village…” “Yeah. I was wondering about that, too. I never heard of Asian black bears eating humans, so maybe we got a pack of actual wolves here.” “You’re saying that was done by beasts?” “And you’re saying that was done by humans? What of it? We just have to create a night patrol! Why the hell do we have to kill each other?!” “...”This person was hard to read. There was no denying he had a good head on his shoulders. He was reasonable and skeptical about the unknown. On the other hand, there were some things he put even above rationality. It felt like something you could call “Yasumizu’s rules”, or, better yet… “Fellowship” He looked at the situation from the perspective of “I gotta protect Yasumizu”. He did whatever he could within those constraints, but he was in denial about the existence of enemies originating from within Yasumizu. To him, the situation was just a common case of “Some outsiders died. So what?”. Or maybe that was what he really wanted to think. That made the situation very bad. But I, being an outsider, couldn’t say that. “Umm...that’s true. Like you say, there’s something wrong with anyone believing such superstition. “...” “But I’m curious about what I asked first. Do the legends say that everyone dies the first night or what? I need to know how to feel about this.” “Oh, that won’t happen. Wolves can only kill one person per night.” “Really? But why? What does the legend have to say about it?” “What did baa-chan say again…? No one can go against the laws of the mountain. Not even the Yomotsu Ookami-sama.” “Yomotsu Ookami?” “Wolves that’ve returned from Yomi, apparently.”Huh? Weird. I felt like I’d heard that term before...Still, wasn’t it weird that the laws applied to the wolves, too? They were on the yomibito side. As in, those opposing the mountain. I was pretty sure the law of the mountain said that only one person could be killed per day. And killing more than one per night was against the rules...both would make you the target of the corruption. It didn’t make much sense to me, but at least I found out that the wolves, too, could only kill one person per night. “Sorry for bothering you with weird questions. I’ll get out of your way...oh, right.”  “Yeah, sure…”His last reply was half-hearted, but at least I got a bit of the rules I was missing. BGM: Safety Zone   “Poop-man?!” “What?”The name still got a chance to spread… That aside, I had to find out what happened at today’s feast. … Recalling what Mocchi told me made this kinda hard. “Sorry, but can I borrow Chiemi-chan?”  “Haru-chan, let’s just help Mom.” “You say something, too!” “It’s probably something complicated.”  “Haru-chan, you be the one who holds him back.” “Huh? Hey! What’s going on…?!”*Everything goes silent*  “What did you tell Yasunaga-kun?” “We talked about today’s feast. Things aren’t looking good.”Yeah, I figured it was something like that. BGM: Encroaching Supernatural “Chikamochi-kun told me that Takumi-san revealed he’s the snake.” “Mhm. He did.” “Are there any other snakes?” “Others? No, there’s only one snake.” “If you ignore the fact that it’s murder, the fact that you didn’t choose a wolf suspect today is pretty bad. It’s a day wasted, isn’t it?” “Yeah. That’s what I told Yasu-kun.” “Then there’s the fact that the snake outed himself.” “Mhm. It’s pretty bad.”She understood it well. We couldn’t expect the help of the police or getting a forensic investigation, not to mention we were up against supernatural monsters. As things were, the snake’s power was the only way to find out who was a wolf or not. “But he should be fine for today. The spider’ll protect Takumi-niichan.” “Huh? Hold on. We also know the spider?” “No. Yasu-kun suggested that whoever it is keep it a secret so that the wolves don’t find out.”Sharp. “Kanzo-jiichan agreed, and we went with that.” “Seems like the right move.” “It does. We probably should’ve done the same with the snake.”They really should have. It was best to secretly gather info without revealing their guardians. Especially for the snake. He should’ve kept quiet and used his power to find out as much as reasonably possible before revealing himself. I knew it was difficult to figure out right away, but the fact that the snake - the most important role - was the first to be outed was really bad. From my perspective, Takumi-san had been so focused on protecting Yasumizu himself that he’d made a terrible mistake. He appeared calm, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d realized this and was actually pretty shaken.  “What do you think will happen?”She asked like she already knew the answer. “The spider was told to protect Takumi-san. The wolves obviously heard that. If they try to go for him, the spider will stop them, right? No idea how, though.” “Yeah. And with that, they’d lose one day’s worth of murders.”Chiemi seemed to process this as a logic game, too. “If I were a wolf, I’d ignore him and go for someone else.” “You think so, too…? Who do you think they’ll go for?”*Everything goes silent*  “If they prefer the blood of women and children, they’d probably go for the younger people.” “Scary…” “Don’t worry, you’re not the youngest girl here.” “I’ll kill ya.” “I-It’s fine! You’re still the prettiest!” “I’ll forgive ya. Though, that still sounds pretty bad. Who knows what they’ll do before killing me?”BGM: Encroaching Supernatural  “That’d be someone influential or a player who’s invaluable to the humans.” “That’d be Kanzo-jiicahn. Or Yasu-kun.”That seemed likely. Yasunaga-kun was the only who’d done something helpful for the villagers this time. He seemed to be the leader of the high schoolers, and had a good head on his shoulders. But his ideas required Kanzo Makishima-shi’s approval, which made it pretty clear he was a standout. Honestly, I’d expected him to take more initiative than he had, but the fact he considered the younger people’s opinions showed real leadership skills. In any case, he wasn’t someone the humans wanted to lose. Oh yeah…  “Yeah. It’s Kiyonosuke-san.” “Huh? What’s with that choice?” “What do you mean? He asked for it, and we wanted to prioritize those who were the least popular. It’d make them safer.”I wasn’t so sure about that choice. Those who were confirmed as non-wolves would have much more freedom to act. At the very least, they wouldn’t be suspected as wolves who were just trying to exploit the situation during the feast. That being the case, shouldn’t they have opted to choose a potential leader to investigate? Well...I didn’t really know if Nosato-shi had the skills, but from what I could tell, he definitely lacked the influence to lead. If they wanted to secure a reliable leader, they should’ve went for someone like Makishima-shi. But, wait… “If the snake’s target is killed by the wolves, the snake’s power will be wasted, right? The dead can be investigated by the crow, after all...” “Hm? No. Those killed at night are chosen by the wolves, so they’re obviously humans. The crow can only investigate those chosen and killed during the daily feasts.” “Oh, I see...Makes sense.”Whatever the case, perhaps investigating Kiyonosuke-shi wasn’t that much of a mistake. Did that mean that they were actually doing a decent job? Well, it’d be pretty bad if Kanzo-shi was the one to go... *Everything goes silent*  Chiemi looked gloomy. She and I probably felt that it wasn’t a complete blunder, but still had a bad feeling about it. BGM: Encroaching Supernatural  Well, I could understand it, considering the legends, but I’d still wondered why the students didn’t go to school. It was a weekday. When I’d asked, they just told me “Why would we leave when it’s so dangerous?” The idea that they couldn’t leave when the mist was here was so popular, it affected their daily lives. Also...the people at Kamifujiyoshi had to know that Yasumizu was covered in mist, right? Considering the school there probably had few students to begin with, the non-presence of the three from Yasumizu would normally be a serious problem. I knew it was a settlement for the ostracized, but did they really neglect this place that badly? Looking at it from that angle, it was safe to assume that the local villages, Kamifujiyoshi included, actually concealed the Feast of the Yomi-Purge.  Chiemi had given me some cup ramen and hot water. We’d chatted for a moment about being neighbors for a while, and then she returned to her room. Weird we could be so casual about this, considering there was a chance we wouldn’t meet again tomorrow. After dinner, I took a bath. The gas boiler was pretty drat old, so learning how to use it took a while. There were some working electrical outlets, too, so I could charge my phone. I didn’t have a wristwatch, so that was important. By the way, my room didn’t have a kitchen. I was pretty sure the other rooms didn’t, either. From what I could tell, no one here actually cooked or ate at their own homes - they all relied on the dining hall to provide their meals. This settlement had not only a unique culture, but a way of life, as well I couldn’t help but wonder how something like this began and survived into the modern era. It was an interesting subject to research, but for now, I had to worry about the fact my life was in danger. Anyway...what were my options now? I wasn’t part of the feast, but walking around at night was probably dangerous regardless. After all, I had memories of getting killed doing exactly that. Then again, I had a record of surviving by just not making any noise at night. Maybe I should’ve stayed awake and looked around? Also… ...Takumi-san had said they were gonna have someone keep watch at night, didn’t he? Was he gonna do it himself? Considering the snake’s importance, he shouldn’t do something so dangerous. poo poo! They’d barely decided anything in the feast! I wasn’t getting enough info, either. I felt like I barely knew the basics. Talking during the feast meant giving info to the wolves, but if the humans kept too many things hidden, the wolves would end up knowing way more than them, and that was just dangerous. Still, there was a limit to what I could do in my situation. If I kept being the messenger I was today, I could create a huge imbalance of info myself. Not to mention I could be deemed suspicious and lose the residents’ trust. poo poo. What was I supposed to do here? Was it best for me to just stay quiet and wait for the feast to end? That… That wasn’t like me at all.  I opened it up and looked outside. Everything was still covered in mist, so I couldn’t see much. I could only see the handrail and the branches going into the hallway. But maybe I could see some intruder if I kept staring…? ...Not likely. After all, this was the room at the end of the second floor. Haru-chan’s and Chiemi’s rooms were closer to the stairs, so I couldn’t see anyone going to attack them. The only time I could see the monster come would be when it was coming for me. Maybe keeping watch like this was the most important thing if I wanted to stay alive, but I found it hard to put my own life on the priority list.  Yeah, better not think that. Anyway, I had to stay awake. I still had many things to worry and think about.
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Jul 31, 2020 12:37
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Well at least our main character is all caught up. I expect it will still take a bit before the events really hit the fan.
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Jul 31, 2020 18:36
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"For some reason, I felt like if I died, I'd just go back to the starting point". Very cheeky. Following Haruaki and Chiemi's logic, it wouldn't be necessary for the Spider to protect the Snake. After all, the werewolves would go against someone else. Can the person being protected know that they have the protection? That is, if the Spider chooses to protect a werewolf, do the werewolves know that no villager is protected?
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Jul 31, 2020 19:42
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wologar posted:"For some reason, I felt like if I died, I'd just go back to the starting point". I don't think the spider can risk not protecting the snake. The werewolves will almost certainly go for someone other than the snake, but the odds that the werewolves ignore that and hit the snake anyway are probably higher than the odds the spider gets lucky with anyone else.
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Aug 1, 2020 02:02
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Azathoth256 posted:I don't think the spider can risk not protecting the snake. The werewolves will almost certainly go for someone other than the snake, but the odds that the werewolves ignore that and hit the snake anyway are probably higher than the odds the spider gets lucky with anyone else. Not really, in this situation the scum team should be trying to hit the spider with the night kill so they're not going to target the snake until the spider's gone
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Aug 1, 2020 08:17
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Just remember these are random villagers (with family ties, etc), not people who've played hundreds of forum games of Werewolf. And lives are actually at stake. That means play will quite possibly be non-optimal.
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Aug 1, 2020 17:36
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Filthy casuals
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Aug 1, 2020 23:51
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i demand perfectly rational ideal play at all times
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Aug 2, 2020 03:58
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Picked up the game on account of the LP. I have marathoned it for 15 hours thus far. I feel like I've ground Yoko Taro up into a fine powder and snorted him straight past my blood-brain barrier. This thread is going to be a loving ride.
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Aug 2, 2020 23:57
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I'm enjoying the theorycrafting personally. Even if obviously the villagers aren't actually gonna do the optimal path, it's fun to speculate what they should do (and what the wolves will probably do in response). Just based on "what would be most shocking", I'm calling Tae-baa as one of the wolves. Maybe Mocchi and Old Man as the monkeys? Mostly because it would be funny. eta: it is going to be Very Hard to not buy this and binge the entire thing. I'll recommend it to friends for sure, tho. (Boring game dev opinion from someone who writes in the same genre: while I get why people don't want their twists spoiled, I genuinely think LPs, especially longform SSLPs like this, do more good than harm for us. It's so hard to find good games, I rely a lot on LPers to introduce me to devs I haven't heard of.) mycelia fucked around with this message at 17:40 on Aug 3, 2020 |
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Aug 3, 2020 01:15
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Add another one to the saw this LP bought it and binged pile
SirKibbles fucked around with this message at 00:53 on Aug 4, 2020 |
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Aug 4, 2020 00:51
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The title alone of this LP got me to play this game, 100% recommended. If I was reading this I don't think I could control myself between the updates.
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Aug 5, 2020 01:50
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Update 16: But Now I Know Who Got Killed … …  BGM: Tragic Morning  As I woke up and tried to move, my head rubbed against something though, and then smacked into the doorknob. I writhed in pain. What was going on? Did I fall asleep against the door? Was I more tired than I thought? I was glad I didn’t die and all, but this was a failure in my eyes. Sleeping in an unnatural position made my whole body hurt. I wobbled over to my fully-charged phone. It was six o’clock. That was early morning for me. I’d have loved to just go back to sleep, but I was too curious about the feast. After washing my face with hot water and putting on my shoes, I decided to take a peek through the mail slot. *Sting 2*  *Everything goes silent* Outside, I saw Chiemi, standing there with a knife in hand. Background Sound: Tension Beats  What the hell was that? There was a woman standing before my room with a weapon. I’d only caught a glimpse, but that was enough to conclude that I was dealing with a scene straight out of a horror movie. What could’ve prompted this? Did she suspect I was a wolf? Or was she a wolf herself? She knocked on the door, making me squeal a bit.  “Haruaki-san! Are you awake?!”Would she kill me if I replied? “Wake up! I need a hand checking on everyone!” “...” “By the way, I’m armed, but it’s just for self defense.” “Say that sooner, drat it!” “Oh, so you are awake...Don’t worry! I just put the weapon away!” BGM: Tragic Morning  While they got ready, we went to the Nosato mansion, just ‘cause it was close. Yasumizu was still misty and unpleasantly silent. I walked carefully, just like yesterday morning. I couldn’t write off the possibility that a werewolf would jump out of the mist and tear me apart. It’d be over for me. I was walking ahead, dragging Chiemi by the hand, careful about where I was going. If something happened and I got eaten or something, Chiemi could either fight back or run away.   “Is someone there?!” “Oh. Nosato-san. It’s Fusaishi and Chiemi-chan.” We peered through the mist and a gloomy frown appeared. “Hey there.” “Looks like the mansion was safe.” “ Of course. It’s old, but well protected. Not even monsters could make it in, surely.” “I see. Then can we all take shelter inside?” “Why should I let you? This is Yasumizu’s problem. Not mine.” “I see. Good point. Then we’ll just get moving and solve the problem, I guess.” “Huh? Wait! It’s dangerous! We need to be in groups.” Though prideful and vain, he wasn’t as smart as he claimed to be, as shown by his inability to take charge of the feast. Also, his fussy attitude was probably just him making up for his fear. It was entirely possible he was just putting on an air and that the mystery of Yasumizu - or, rather, Fujiyoshi - was actually scaring him.   “Yeah. Mists sure are weird.” “I can get naked and no one will get mad!” “...” “Stop that, you fool.”Haru Makisihima was acting weird. Mocchi was definitely expecting a retort from her. She didn’t say anything, and her face was so pale you could tell through the mist. Hanging her head, she was lightly shaking. Everyone else could see it too, but no one chose to address it. Questions would quickly become suspicions, after all. Perhaps she was a wolf and did something horrific last night? As we all thought similar things, she suddenly collapsed to the ground.   “Don’t touch me!”Her hoarse scream shocked everyone. “Haru-chan?” “Nii-chan, I just…” “...” “Sorry...But right now, I…” “Yeah. I can understand if you’re on edge. Be careful about where you walk.”  As we walked, trees and stones drifted in and out of visibility through the surrounding mist. Our vision was so limited it felt like the world around us was changing with every step we took. A tunnel of trees, a path of paddy field, a stone platform, a concrete stairway…We walked between realms every passing second. I was still wondering about Haru-chan. What was on her mind? Was she afraid? Or wary? After descending for a bit, we arrived at the plaza.  “...”We met two more people in front of the dining hall. “Are the elders sleeping in?” “Baa-chan’s still getting dressed. She’s not feeling too great right now.” “Let’s check on those who aren’t here yet. Come with me, Kiyo.” “Why are you ordering me?” “‘Cause we might need some manpower. Fusaishi, you come, too.”This was the first time he’d ordered me to do something, but it wasn’t a situation where I could be happy about him relying on me. “Yes. Of course.”He probably had a bad feeling...Namely, that he wouldn’t be able to rely on a certain someone ever again. As I passed by Kaori-san, I heard her whisper. “Umm, Yasunaga, can you help?” “With what, Mom?” “Finding Yoshitsugu. He’s missing.”Everyone probably had a bad feeling about this. The three of us guys checked the houses. Yasunaga-kun, Chiemi, and Mocchi walked around the settlement. We’d agreed to split up and start searching. The misty village was silent. I couldn’t hear anyone chatting. BGM: Encroaching Supernatural  Some were on the verge of collapse. The way their frames jutted from the mist reminded me of the carcasses of giant beasts. I walked on a line between the grass - a footpath, surely. I often heard something small jump in the grass. It was probably just some bugs or frogs, but it still made me flinch.  “Yeah. In that house.” “poo poo. Why must she live in a place like this?” “If you don’t know, there’s no way we would. I’d guess it’s the Miguruma’s orders.” “To my knowledge, she moved to Yasumizu of her own accord. And there’s no need for her to be here in the first place.” “Maybe she knew the mist was coming and came to cast a spell or something to keep it away. That sure didn’t work, though.” “Takumi Muro, I don’t mind you being disrespectful of me, but you should choose your words when talking about her. She’s a legitimate Kamifujiyoshi family head.” “Like I care. This is Yasumizu. She said it herself, didn’t she? In the feast, we’re all served on the same platter.” “Tch...Rikako-san, Rikako-san! Are you all right?!”Apparently, Takumi-san didn’t like the Uematsu family, or the four head families in general. Now that I thought about it, though she wasn’t as disliked as Kiyonsuke-shi, the villagers in general weren’t fond of Rikako Uematsu. It seemed a pretty obvious outcome, though. Yasumizu was the settlement for the ostracized. It was impossible for a member of one of the head families who openly spurned them to form a good relationship with the locals. Rikako-san emerged before too long. She was wearing her usual strange get-up, and she didn’t seem any different from how she looked yesterday.  We moved on to the next house. It felt like Rikako-san was urging me, so I woke the girl up. “Meiko-chan. It’s morning!”Well, I couldn’t imagine Rikako-san raising her voice, while the other two probably didn’t feel like they had to get involved with the girl. After a few calls, she finally came out, still half-asleep.  “Meiko. I’m glad you’re alright.” “Come with me, Rikako-san. Watch your step.” “Yes...Umm…”She was apparently trying to get my attention, so I turned around and said “Yes?”. “I’m sorry.”Her sudden apology left me completely confused. *Everything goes silent*  “Are you sure we should go on without Kiyonosuke-san?” “He’d be useless anyway. I only brought him along in case it was the Uematsus’ mock priestess that died.” “But now I know who got killed.” “It could still be the old wolf guy, ri-” “Shut up! If old man Kanzo was still around, he would have woken up first and searched all of Yasumizu twice over!” “...” “...” “Sorry...His house is over there.”I followed him in silence. I couldn’t think of anything to say.
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Aug 5, 2020 23:20
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Goddamnit Rikako, tell us what you know!  I maintain my Tae-baa Wolf theory. I was gonna say "Haru is obviously the Crow", but that doesn't make sense since they didn't hang anyone. Spider, maybe? That's a lot of responsibility for young shoulders. Alternatively, Takumi was lying about being the snake, and it's actually her. (Or I'm overthinking it and it's just a realistic depiction of a teenager in a life or death situation.) Other people have said it, but Chiemi being a wolf seems too obvious. But maybe the twist is that it's so obvious? I play too many murder mystery games. Aaand with that, I can't take it anymore. I'm off to binge.
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Aug 6, 2020 19:13
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