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POOL IS CLOSED posted:I wish we could get a glimpse of Subject N before we hit the end of this path, though. I hope we do. Maybe we already did  I still think Natsuhiko has something to do with the whole Case N thing
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Dec 5, 2016 18:58
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Danaru posted:Maybe we already did Course he has something to do with it, he's on the watch list, but I harbor serious doubts he is the Subject N unless things went bad very recently before the 'fire'.
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Dec 5, 2016 19:20
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Ghost reactor, Case N for Nagisa, I'm telling you! IT DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE SENSE!
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Dec 5, 2016 20:28
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OddHaberdasher posted:Course he has something to do with it, he's on the watch list, but I harbor serious doubts he is the Subject N unless things went bad very recently before the 'fire'. I'm with you on this.
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Dec 5, 2016 20:52
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CirclMastr posted:Ghost reactor, Case N for Nagisa, I'm telling you! IT DOESN'T HAVE TO MAKE SENSE! Danaru posted:Maybe we already did Well are the only two N names we have seen in the game... And considering we can easily assume Subject Y is Yui; ONE of the N's is going to be Subject N. And thus either the BBEG or the one we gotta save from their torment cause child experimentation etc.
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Dec 6, 2016 00:11
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Gridlocked posted:Well are the only two N names we have seen in the game... Keep in mind we still have the entire Before route to go through, which could introduce new characters that these code names might belong to.
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Dec 6, 2016 00:29
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Gridlocked posted:Well are the only two N names we have seen in the game... My beliefs on the whole thing, in itemised format: Subject N is Nagisa (Observation target Na1 was brought in in 2021, the same time of the accident) Subject A was the child that died in the fire of 2021 (the arson incident was either the cover for or merely occurred at the same time as the escape and went wrong) Natsuhiko was involved in the original breakout (observation target Na2 is the only observation target to have Acquired his genetic abnormality, which as far as we know requires exposure to WX particles and other LABO mutagens) Salyu is Yu1 (she was some sort of failure, remaining completely normal even after exposure, so they wiped memories, discarded her and kept a close watch Mashiro was their next target (the document recommended radiation exposure tests on Ma) Nagisa was the driving force behind the original breakout (just something I feel is right, particularly regarding this next point) Nagisa was capable of using the Senses System (Ena's corrupted document, though lacking, can be determined by deciphering what has enough letters to fill in the asterisks and is a;ready a concept in this game) OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 01:02 on Dec 6, 2016 |
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Dec 6, 2016 00:31
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OddHaberdasher posted:My beliefs on the whole thing, in itemised format: Natshuiko's "mother" is also one of the researchers who seems to be heavy into the secret poo poo... Agreed on most other fronts though I'm sure Yui is Yu.
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Dec 6, 2016 01:55
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Gridlocked posted:Natshuiko's "mother" is also one of the researchers who seems to be heavy into the secret poo poo... Nah, there were two Y subjects, one was disposed six days before this mess, the other stayed. Yui doesn't feel like she's been out of LABO in a long time, if ever, and while it hasn't been stated how long Salyu has been around for, she seems 'recent', a very 'Mysterious Transfer Student' vibe about her.
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Dec 6, 2016 02:02
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OddHaberdasher posted:Nah, there were two Y subjects, one was disposed six days before this mess, the other stayed. Yui doesn't feel like she's been out of LABO in a long time, if ever, and while it hasn't been stated how long Salyu has been around for, she seems 'recent', a very 'Mysterious Transfer Student' vibe about her. Yui just seems important to the voice-in-the-head. And if we assume they research here was PSYCICPOWAH then Yui's mind reading thing is a big deal.
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Dec 6, 2016 02:10
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Wait, who's Yui?
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Dec 6, 2016 05:26
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Well, that was a frustrating place to end an update on. I don't really know what to think about all these new reveals, but I'm hooked.
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Dec 6, 2016 06:01
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Pollyanna posted:Wait, who's Yui? Louise Yui Sannomiya, aka Salyu.
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Dec 6, 2016 06:59
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Pollyanna posted:Wait, who's Yui? Just me repeatedly misspelling Yuuri, at least for me. It's probably best if we just stick to 'Louise' or 'Salyu' if we wish to refer to the straw-haired one. OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 11:38 on Dec 6, 2016 |
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Dec 6, 2016 09:00
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Pollyanna posted:Wait, who's Yui? Also me misspelling Yuuri. Names are too similar.
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Dec 6, 2016 11:57
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Anyways, to reply to your last reply, yes Yuuri's PSYDEKICKPAWORS are undoubtedly a big deal, which is another point to the idea that Yuuri is not Yu the observation subject. They'd never risk letting her get away.
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Dec 6, 2016 12:47
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OddHaberdasher posted:Anyways, to reply to your last reply, yes Yuuri's PSYDEKICKPAWORS But if case N has caused poo poo to hit the fan as it has with the fires and stuff maybe she was able to escape on her own? I mean she is fairly secretive as to why a young girl was in the facility apparently alone. She escaped in the chaos. Found some people who with her mind reading powers discovered maybe dangerous. So she lies to them and probs lightly with her mindpowahs in order to try and get them to help her escape.But then she winds up getting killed by something. Also slight side note but gonna highlight once again the "Monster" clip from early in the LP looks like Natshuiko fighting Watasee who has a gun. So us being the bad guy with amnesia theory back on track cause only the bad guys have guns!
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Dec 6, 2016 14:30
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Gridlocked posted:But if case N has caused poo poo to hit the fan as it has with the fires and stuff maybe she was able to escape on her own? I mean she is fairly secretive as to why a young girl was in the facility apparently alone. I think we have a fundamental misunderstanding here. The observation subjects (denoted by two letters- Yu, Na etc.) are those whom LABO is keeping watch on but that are otherwise unaffiliated with LABO and not experimented on. I believe Salyu (as Yu) is part of this group. The test subjects (denoted by a single letter- N, Y-1, Y-2 etc.) are those being experimented on. Y-1 (whom I believe was Salyu) was part of this group before she was deemed worthless, had her memories erased and was placed back into society, where LABO had her monitored as Observation Subject Yu. Y-2 (almost definitely Yuuri) was considered useful, as the only success of their program to create Type S abnormalities, and was kept.
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Dec 6, 2016 14:51
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Llab posted:Well, that was a frustrating place to end an update on. I don't really know what to think about all these new reveals, but I'm hooked. For reference, there's basically no real good place to end updates on for the rest of these chapters from this batch of recording. Pretty much every one ends at a lovely spot.
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Dec 6, 2016 19:22
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Battle: 09/16/2030, 14:53 ♪ BGM: Abyss ♫ Watase strafed to the side to dodge the sudden swing. He desperately put distance between him and his attacker, then confirmed their identity. Standing there was none other than--   You're--!?It was ''Salyu'', the girl who'd run away from him twice now. A light as cold as ice shimmered in the depths of her eyes. Gripped in her hand was a burnt axe. That axe... it's...! But they'd left it behind in Area 4. So why did Salyu have it--!?   Salyu ignored Watase's question,  and charged straight at him again.  She was aiming for Watase's neck. He barely leaned back in time, leaving the axe to slice only through air. The weight of the weapon was throwing her around, causing her to sway forward heavily.  He immediately grabbed for Salyu. But she swung her leg up a second earlier.  Gah!?She made use of her centrifugal force to launch a swift kick, connecting solidly with his temple. Watase's brain rattled and his vision grew dark. Despite that, he still managed to quickly thrust Salyu away.  He was greeted with a cold look on Salyu's face when his sight came back. (Wh.. what's she doing...!?)She attacked without the slightest hesitation using battle techniques that didn't befit a girl of her size and age-- Khh...!Worse, Watase's headaches and convulsions were only getting stronger. It was likely he'd die for real if he fought in this condition. And fighting with the pistol, his first natural choice, was simply not an option here. (Dammit... I've got to find a way to subdue her without getting her hurt...!)Just as he thought that-- he noticed that Salyu's body was faintly trembling. She was convulsing the same way Watase had been for a while now. H-hey! You wouldn't happen to have a headache too, would you!? ... Then get out of here right now! What good is fighting me if it means putting your body in such extreme danger!?Salyu suddenly stopped in what appeared to be surprise. ...That line again. Again!? You said the same thing last time as well. Wh... what!?Watase's body froze with surprise and confusion. (When was this last time!? When did this girl and I--!?)That moment of confusion left Watase wide open.  (poo poo!)I can't hold out next time! I'll be done for! When Watase thought that-- his body moved on its own.  ♪ BGM: The Truth is Revealed ♫ Watase then lowered his body as if he was putting himself into a crouch start for a 100 meter dash. He filled his legs with strength, then released it all at once and sprung at Salyu. !?Her face was filled with shock. Watase tackled her with the force of a bullet a second later, hitting her right in the waist. *cough*!The axe slipped out of Salyu's hand as she fell on her back. Watase used his remaining momentum to straddle her.
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Dec 6, 2016 19:26
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Unclear Conclusion: 09/16/2030, 14:55 ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫ Watase came to his senses, only to realize he was pinning Salyu down. (Wha...?)The actions he'd taken just now had clearly been etched into him instinctively through training. But they were obviously not skills needed to save lives. (Where did I ever pick up a skill like that..?)Salyu glared up at him, her eyes seething like cold blue flames. Watase shook off the chills running down his spine and tried reasoning with her. ...Why did you attack me? ... Please tell me! I don't have the slightest idea why! Salyu's eyes moved just then. Her gaze was now focused on Natsuhiko. ...Wait, was it because you thought I attacked Natsuhiko? If that's what it is, then you've got it all wrong!Salyu then spoke in a near inaudible voice. ...top it. ...Huh?Watase brought his face closer to hers to hear her better. Even I can see through your thinly veiled lies. Stop it. Wha--!? What are you--But Salyu moved her right hand as fast as lightning before Watase could finish.  Ugh!She poked him in the eyes, temporarily blinding him. Watase felt Salyu slipping her body out from under him at the same time. (Crap! I've gotta put some distance between us!)Watase had no way of dodging any axe swings at this time. (poo poo, poo poo, poo poo!)Watase blindly stretched out his hands in the darkness. His left hand came into contact with something. It was the sensation of cloth- a sleeve. Watase grabbed onto it and focused solely on pulling it towards him. Ah!Salyu's gasp echoed through the darkness. Watase kept clutching on to her with his left hand while his right hand remained free. (I have to defeat her right here and now!)Watase's body, spurred on by his ever-growing fear, filled with fierce strength.
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Dec 6, 2016 19:27
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Murder ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫ Salyu still tried to move to the axe in spite of that-- --Not on my watch!Watase filled his right arm with as much strength as he could muster and flung Salyu in the opposite direction of the axe. He found that her body was lighter than he'd imagined--  ♪ BGM: Silence ♫ An unnatural silence then filled his surroundings.  Watase had no clue what'd just happened. However, he felt goosebumps spread over his body and cold sweat travel down his spine. His vision soon started to slowly fade back in like a focusing camera--  ♪ BGM: Memento Mori ♫ !!!???Watase was rendered speechless by the sight that greeted him. He found himself face to face with Salyu-- Or rather, Salyu after she'd hit her head hard on one of the six giant pillar-like devices that surrounded the hall. Blood was spreading by the second at the base of the device. Salyu's body convulsed over and over again-- then soon stopped.  N... no...Watase staggered on over to Salyu. But all of her muscles had gone limp, and her now dull eyes were staring off into space. Are... are you kidding me...? I... killed her...?Watase knew better than anyone else that there was no other possibility. The sensation of when he'd flung Salyu away still lingered in his right hand. Uu... uu... U-uw...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!With nothing to vent them out on, Watase's feelings emerged in the form of a scream. He'd never meant for this to happen. But he had more or less been filled with a killing rage just before he'd flung Salyu. What... have I done...!? How could I... a rescue worker... have killed someone...!?He'd crossed a line from which he could never come back. His guilt overwhelmed him, and tears began streaming down his face. *sob*... Salyu... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...!But no amount of apologizing he did would ever bring Salyu back to life.  He then started madly muttering to himself. I'm sorry, Teach... I... I killed two of your students... He was clutching the gun from Area N for some reason. (...? Why in the world did I take this with me...? Was I... planning to blow my brains out with this thing...?)It wasn't implausible. The guilt of having murdered someone had cast dark clouds over Watase's thoughts. Just then--  ♪ BGM: Abyss ♫ !! You know, for reference, I'm kind of astonished nobody picked up on this CG being used for Ukita in the intro video. At least nobody directly pointed it out. He turned around and found Ukita standing there. With a warped smile on his face and a gun in his hands. Watase saw him and started muttering in what almost sounded like delirium. Old man... what's with that gun...? Oh, this? Is it not obvious? It's the instrument that I plan to use to bring you to justice. Bring me... to justice?The word ''justice'' tugged at Watase's recently born guilt and tormented him. (Then does that mean the old man saw me kill Salyu...? Is that why he's come to pass judgment on me...?)That thought crossed Watase's hazy mind for a moment-- (... No, wait, that all went down in Area N. There's no way the old man could have seen it-- he doesn't have a Level N card. And now that I think about it, doesn't the old man only have the gun itself and nothing else...? So how's he planning to pass judgment on me without any bullets...?)Ukita started talking in a gleeful voice just as Watase pondered that thought. Whoa now, I wouldn't move if I were you. This gun's all loaded and ready to go. I wouldn't recommend trying to pull any stunts. Loaded and ready...? What are you talking about? I mean, we gave the gun's 'bullets' and 'magazine' to Moribe and Teach each so that wo-—But just as he said that,  I see... so it was you... You're the one who killed Teach...! Hmph, so what if I did? You guys crushed my hopes. So it's only fair that you receive retribution for that, wouldn't you agree? Re... retribution...? Then you deserve retribution just as much as I...!Watase muttered that as he slowly raised the gun in his hands up. I told you not to move! !!Ukita's shot grazed Watase's face. Watase felt a hot stream roll down his cheek. Blood was slowly seeping out of the wound. But Watase ignored it and fixed his aim on Ukita.  Wha... Wha...!? ...This is for Teach...!And with that low growl, Watase pulled the trigger. E-EEEEK!Ukita screamed as he curled into a ball. --Watase had missed. Watase gritted his teeth and got ready to shoot Ukita again-- EEEEEEEEEEEEK!Ukita fired blindly at Watase as he frantically ran about in an attempt to escape. The second shot veered past Watase's right. But the third shot hit him right in his left flank--! Ghh!Watase grunted from the impact of the bullet. However-- (I don't give a drat if I die here...!) He could never forgive Ukita for killing Ena. That rage spurred Watase on to pull the trigger again. But he couldn't hit Ukita no matter how hard he tried. Aaaah, eeek, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!Watase kept mercilessly shooting at Ukita's back as the latter ran away pathetically. However-- he failed to land a single shot on Ukita, and by the time Watase was out of ammo and came to his senses, Ukita was long gone. Goddammit... --GODDAMMIT!Watase angrily tossed his unloaded pistol onto the floor. Even at the very end, he couldn't do anything. Not even take Ukita's life-- (... Why...? I've already killed Salyu, haven't I? Then what difference is another murder or two...!?) So... why couldn't I..Even now, he was still as utterly pathetic and useless as he'd been at the start, despite everything he'd been through. You have to do it, Watase Kasasagi...! That bastard killed Teach...! Killing someone as pathetic as him should be cinch for even you now, right...?Watase steeled his resolve and tried to pursue Ukita. But just then, he heard footsteps echoing from right behind him. --And a second later...  ♪ BGM: Silence ♫ Sparks flashed in his eyes. Ga... agh...!He felt all the strength in his body give way right after that. His face was closing in on the floor second by second. He tried to place his hands on the ground. But his body wouldn't move. --Too late. Watase crashed onto the floor cheek-first.  (Wh... who hit me...?)It couldn't have been Ukita. There was no way he could have had enough time to circle around Watase. He then heard a voice calling to him from above.  (I-isn't that... Moribe's voice...!?) But it'd be best if you slept this one out... A bullet in the side ain't the most pleasant thing, after all.... So just leave Mr. Ukita to me...--Wait. Watase tried to say that, but his voice wouldn't come out. I'm real sorry 'bout everything, Captain... I had it all wrong... It was all that bastard's fault... and yet I doubted you like you were a criminal... So don't worry... I'll make sure you don't have to stain your hands in this... It pains me to do this... but I'll be sure to kill Mr. Ukita...Jun then stopped talking and walked away, the sound of her footsteps gradually growing fainter and fainter. Watase desperately tried to call out to her. --Wait. You don't have to do that, Moribe. --My hands have already been stained. --So you don't have to kill the old man. But he couldn't put those thoughts into speech. Watase rapidly blacked out as he heard that unpleasant sound-- We hear the engine cutter revving up.
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Dec 6, 2016 19:29
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God dammit Watase how is dunking a child muscle memory for you, but shooting someone trying to kill you is impossible < >
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Dec 6, 2016 19:42
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Danaru posted:God dammit Watase how is dunking a child muscle memory for you, but shooting someone trying to kill you is impossible < I mean, the muscle memory was the thing involving taking somebody charging at you and getting them to the ground and subdued without hurting them much. I can imagine things like that being taught to elite rescue squad people as a means of maybe quickly subduing survivors that are too panicked to get them out fast. Or maybe Sirius people get some training from ex-JSDF, they're pretty famous for their unarmed combat techniques. On the other hand, I can't imagine handguns ever really coming up in rescue squad training.
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Dec 6, 2016 19:59
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Yeah, I can see him having studied martial arts in the past, but it'd be pretty easy to be uncomfortable handling a gun. Especially one you've not handled before.
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Dec 6, 2016 23:45
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:Yeah, I can see him having studied martial arts in the past, but it'd be pretty easy to be uncomfortable handling a gun. Especially one you've not handled before. On the other hand: 
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Dec 6, 2016 23:54
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Danaru posted:On the other hand: This assumes the Watase now is the same Watase as then. I'm not sure of that yet.
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Dec 7, 2016 00:01
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OddHaberdasher posted:I think we have a fundamental misunderstanding here. The observation subjects (denoted by two letters- Yu, Na etc.) are those whom LABO is keeping watch on but that are otherwise unaffiliated with LABO and not experimented on. I believe Salyu (as Yu) is part of this group. The test subjects (denoted by a single letter- N, Y-1, Y-2 etc.) are those being experimented on. Y-1 (whom I believe was Salyu) was part of this group before she was deemed worthless, had her memories erased and was placed back into society, where LABO had her monitored as Observation Subject Yu. Y-2 (almost definitely Yuuri) was considered useful, as the only success of their program to create Type S abnormalities, and was kept. Ah ok. Yeah I'd agree with that.
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Dec 7, 2016 00:10
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It might just be the Rage Virus or whatever affecting Watase, just like it's affecting Jun, Ukita, and maybe Salyu (stupid loving name IMO)
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Dec 7, 2016 00:20
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So, Ukita and Jun, huh? Looks like the Ena thing wasn't something she knew about. I don't know if I can forgive her yet, but she seems to be on the path of forgiveness. As for Sannomiya, that just raises questions. First question, did Ukita shoot Natsuhiko and the pistol just happened to be there from Watase's earlier stunt? If not, who? Suddenly, it occurs to me that we have only ever had the word of Ukita when it came to seeing the children running about, and have only ever seen Louise. But then, that idea contradicts Watase saying the body was still cooling and had been alive only a few minutes before. Even the idea that Watase fought Natsuhiko in Area N (maybe somewhere else, but probably not Area N) may have to be scrapped, as we now have confirmation that, whether it be radiation or something more exotic, it is having noticeable effects and we already know it can kill. But then how did Watase and Natsuhiko survive if they were in there earlier? Finally, something I can't believe I didn't get earlier. It appears that cloning is actually on the cards LABO because Nagisa (who in my mind was probably Subject N and almost certainly the body at the cargo elevator) was actually buried in a service where people could see her face. Also neatly explains the whole 'born at LABO' thing. Edit: As an addition to the above question, can anyone think of anything we might have missed as to the identity of the mysterious subject A? It definitely seems like something of future importance.... OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 01:09 on Dec 7, 2016 |
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Dec 7, 2016 01:06
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Obviously Ukita and Jun have been possessed by vengeful ghosts. From the ghost reactor. I'm going to push this narrative until it becomes true, damnit!
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Dec 7, 2016 01:13
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SSNeoman posted:It might just be the Rage Virus or whatever affecting Watase, just like it's affecting Jun, Ukita, and maybe Salyu (stupid loving name IMO) Out of curiosity, you do know Salyu's not her actual name, right?
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Dec 7, 2016 01:38
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Yeah I know. She's the character who has the long foreign name so she gets a nickname.
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Dec 7, 2016 01:57
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:This assumes the Watase now is the same Watase as then. I'm not sure of that yet. Probably not. My Pet theory's becoming that this whole thing is a giant test that's gone unexpected places. Previous Watase was in on it and isn't actually a fire rescue worker, he's a security person for LABO (would explain the CQC training and lack of gun training, especially since this is japanese.)
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Dec 7, 2016 01:58
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CirclMastr posted:Obviously Ukita and Jun have been possessed by vengeful ghosts. From the ghost reactor. If it helps, I am now thinking that perhaps it was A that used the Sense System, not N. Though regardless, the ghost hypothesis would be correct no matter which one it was by now... EDIT: Though while we're on the subject, while I see the possibility of vengeful ghosts, I don't see the point of a vengeful ghost reactor. What use, in your mind, would there be? When radiation leaks out, It may kill victims slowly and painfully even years after the vent, but at least a cure for Radiation sickness can be made. Homicidal ghosts, not so much. OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 09:08 on Dec 7, 2016 |
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Dec 7, 2016 09:04
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SSNeoman posted:Salyu (stupid loving name IMO) Eh, I like the name. I mean, "Louise" works just as well, but for a nickname, it's short and gets the job done of abbreviating Louise Yui Sannomiya in a way that's easily pronouncable. There's a bit of a story behind that nickname, too, but we'll hear about that later.
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Dec 7, 2016 18:23
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"Salyu" weirds me out too, tbh, but there is so much other bizarre poo poo here that a wonky nickname barely registers.
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Dec 7, 2016 18:27
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Salyu sounds like a weird artificial salt alterbative that would give you hella cancer
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Dec 7, 2016 18:34
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Ringleader: 09/16/2030, 17:49 ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ Automatic PA: --... Emergency power supply has hit operational limit. --How long had he been passed out for? Automatic PA: Now switching to uninterruptible power system--... --... U-ugh...!Watase woke up to the sound of an emotionless, artificial voice.  ...What's going on...? Was there a blackout?Watase shook his throbbing head and glanced at his watch. The time displayed on the faintly glowing LCD was ''5:50 PM''. It appeared he'd been unconscious for two and a half hours. What am I... doing here...?He remembered everything up to getting hit in the back of the head and passing out. And that it was Jun who'd been responsible for that. His blurry thoughts then soon gradually became clearer and clearer again--  It pains me to do this... but I'll be sure to kill Mr. Ukita... (That's right... and that sound I heard right after that...) It was the engine cutter...! Why did I hear something like that back then? Oh no—-! Don't tell me she went to kill the old man with something like that!?Terror overcame Watase when he made that connection. He then felt a pain in his side. He looked there to find blood oozing down. It was the bullet wound he'd gotten from Ukita. Moribe, you dumbass! The old man has a gun!A pistol versus an engine cutter-- Jun was at an overwhelming disadvantage no matter how one spun it. Watase looked to the side to find the pistol he'd picked up in Area N lying there. Goddammit...But it was out of bullets. Now Watase had no weapons. His head was still swaying from Jun's blow. (But if I leave things the way they are now, then Moribe will also...!)He didn't want to see any more deaths. Not his comrades, nor any innocent people. Watase put a hand against the wall and stood up-- Then started walking as though he were dragging his body along.  When all of a sudden, he noticed something lying in front of him. Huh...?Watase studied it carefully as his nose was assaulted by a stench akin to rusted iron. (...!)--The stench of blood. Watase felt shivers run down his spine as he realized that the air around him was saturated with it. (... It can't be...!?)Watase cautiously approached the object. He could make out more and more of its features the closer he got. The thing he'd spotted lying in the middle of the hallway-- Was a small woman wearing a rescue worker uniform. M-Moribe...?Watase staggered over to her and held her in his arms.  ♪ BGM: Memento Mori ♫ His arms were soaked with something slippery when he did. H... hey...Watase called out to Jun in an unbearably shaky voice. But she didn't answer him. Memories of Jun then flickered through Watase's head at that moment.   My nickname's 'Sirius' Lady Suicide Squad Chief'! My catchphrase is 'Jun's my name, rescue's my game!' Let's get along, okay!? My body's smaller than the Captain's, so I'm better suited for this role! Are you listening to yourself!? It's more dangerous for you to go alone, right?! I can't let Moribe die!Watase shouted that as he searched Moribe's body for wounds. He wanted to see if there was any chance she was still alive. But there were three holes burrowed into her body. The first was through the right shoulder, the second was in the abdomen, and the third was right in the center of her chest. Blood was gushing out of every last one of them. Watase's gloves were already soaked to their core. What the hell is this...? I-is this a bad joke...? Hey, c'mon, Moribe... Cut it out already and answer me, you hear...? Hey, come on...Watase shook Jun's body. But she never answered him.  Jun had probably gone up against Ukita and lost. The engine cutter truly had been no match for a pistol in the end. Dammit... this is why... --This is why I should have finished off the old man when I had the chance!But it was too late for regrets.  ...this time. I'll kill that bastard for sure this time...!Watase broke out into a mad dash with a feral roar. But when he made it out of the connecting passageway--   He found Ukita sitting there, dead with blood pouring from his head. W... what...!?Watase was rendered speechless by that abrupt anticlimax. A bloody piece of debris was lying next to his corpse. He'd probably died after being hit in the head by it. H... huh? I-if the old man died here, then that means...!That meant the only other people still alive in this place aside from Watase were Kazami and ''Mashiro Toba''. (Wh-who did it... Was the old man killed by Tachibana, or by Mashiro Toba?)He couldn't see Mashiro Toba anywhere, and he didn't know a thing about her. That was the way it'd always been. Which meant that the only suspect he really had was Kazami, but-- (It couldn't be Tachibana... not in a million years. I mean, she didn't even have a motive to kill the old man... ...!?)But just as that thought had hit him, something suddenly flashed through his head. (No, hold on... if Tachibana witnessed the old man killing Moribe--!)Jun was like a sister to Kazami. If Ukita shot Jun dead right in front of her, it wouldn't be all that implausible for Kazami to want to kill him. Watase looked down coldly on Ukita's body, then spat out his next words in a hateful voice. ...You reaped what you sowed.But the moment he said that--  He felt like Salyu was staring at him from the beyond the darkness. Watase turned to her phantom and spoke. Yeah, I know... I'm just as guilty as he is...Watase turned around and started to walk away from Ukita's body-- Only to stumble over something. ... But that didn't make sense. That had been Jun's weapon of choice. What was the old man doing with it...!?A bad feeling started worming its way into Watase's head. As far as he knew, Ukita had shot three people: Ena, Watase, and Jun. Meaning there was a plausible possibility he had run out of bullets after finishing Jun off. Then that means the old man must have taken the engine cutter from Moribe and...!Watase crouched down and touched the engine cutter. ...!The blade was covered with something wet. It was a slimy liquid that had a unique stickiness to it. Watase took a deep breath and took out his PDA.  Aah... Aaaah...Watase's breath shook. It was just as he'd feared-- the blade was indeed painted with blood. No... Tachibana, not you too...!?Watase panicked as he used his PDA's light to illuminate the floor of the passageway. It had to be there. He just knew it. --He found it. There was a line of blood drops there. Almost as if they were her footprints. --Tachibana!Watase ran through the hallway as he followed the blood trail.      He then arrived at B2 of Area 2's inner ring-- Only to find Kazami collapsed in the middle of the dark hallway. Tachibana!Watase ran over to her and held her in his arms. There was a giant laceration in her chest. Her body was still warm. Tachibana! Hang in there! Tachibana! Ugh... Ca... Capt... ain...? Tachibana...! It's okay, don't worry! I'll take you to the infirmary right away, you hear!?Watase said that and tried to lift Kazami up. But she just shook her head in refusal-— Captain, please wait... You dumbass! Don't talk! You'll just make your injuries worse! Pl... please... there's something... I have... to ask you... That's why... I was... looking for you... this whole time... I know! I know that! If you want to ask me something, then ask anything you want later, okay!? So let's just--Watase was pleading to her. He could feel Kazami's body grow colder with every word she spoke. Yet she continued to talk to him with trembling lips. Captain, please tell me... What... what in the world have we gotten ourselves mixed up in...? I don't know. I wouldn't-- Captain... please... stop... lying... Mr. Ukita said... that you were... behind all this... ...!? So please tell me... why did this... have to happen to us...? H-hold on... Why would I be the one behind all this...!? I'm just a rescue squad captain, right!? Weren't you the one who told me that...? That's why I... wanted to be as close as I could to the 'Watase Kasasagi' that you know... So why are you... Yes, but... In that case... why... did you lie back then...? You're wrong! I never lied about anything! Not a single time since I've woken up-- Watase... I don't... understand you... No... I never have... not since back then... That's enough! Please stop! Don't talk any more! I'm begging you!He suddenly realized that Kazami's body had grown much colder. He could feel as much through his gloves. Hey... please... Answer me... Watase...Kazami's breath grew faint. The light was fading from her eyes. H-hey... T-Tachibana...? Wata... se...? Watase... I'm so... cold...Kazami muttered that in a shaky voice...  --And then closed her eyes. Kazami quietly breathed her last in Watase's arms. Silence once again filled the darkness. ...Watase stared at Kazami's now lifeless face dumbfoundedly. Without anything to vent it out on, rage welled up from the pit of his stomach. ...aah... Aaah... Uwooooh... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! Why!? Why the hell did this happen!? Tell me, Tachibana! What did you mean when you said I'm behind all this!? Was it my fault!? Are you saying that it's all my fault everyone's dead!?But Watase's cries were devoured by the darkness. No answer came to him. Khh...It was at that moment that something decisive snapped within Watase. The whole situation was so bizarrely humorous that he couldn't help but laugh. Heheheh... Heheheheheheh... --AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! I get it! It all makes sense now! It's just as Tachibana said! I really did kill everyone!    That memory was just a fragment of the time I did it, that's what!   Of course! I must have killed everyone with my own hands! That has to be it!Watase looked at his gloves to find they were stained dark red with blood. It wasn't just there-- his entire uniform was splattered with the blood of others. Ha ha... yes, I'm sure, that's gotta be it... I just forgot about killing everyone and rewrote all those memories with fake ones that made me look good-- I'm a murderer who set fire to LABO, blew it up, and killed everyone who got trapped by the lockdown!Watase then looked at Kazami's face one more time.  That had to be what you meant when you said I was behind all this, right? Right, Tachibana...? Right...? ... ... ... Hey, come on, Tachibana...! I'm begging you... call me 'Captain' again one more time...! Leaving Watase's wish to be swallowed into the darkness.          
TheMcD fucked around with this message at 13:17 on May 1, 2017 |
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Dec 7, 2016 18:37
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| # ? May 16, 2024 00:02 |
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Jesus.  That's grim. Is this the end of this particular path? I don't feel like very much was revealed, just more questions. I was hoping to learn a bit more about Ukita at the very least.
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Dec 7, 2016 18:42
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