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SSNeoman posted:Keep in mind she's in rage virus mode. It's totally possible that they simply had a professional relationship. From the little we know of Watase pre-amnesia, and how easily Jun can start opening up to Watase, I could see any issues between them being the result of a simple personality clash. Though the idea that there was some antipathy between Watase and Jun before LABO got me thinking; do we know how long Watase has been a rescue worker? Just wondering if he had anything to do with the rescue efforts when Jun was trapped following a gas explosion where she got a scar on her back and her friend/Tachibana's sister died. If Watase was part of the rescue efforts, Jun might harbour some resentment towards Watase for that, ie, "If you had only gotten here sooner, my friend might still be alive." I still think they probably just had a personality clash though. HydroSphere fucked around with this message at 21:31 on Dec 30, 2016 |
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Dec 30, 2016 21:14
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| # ? May 14, 2024 00:37 |
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On the topic of the relationship The Captain and Jun had, re-reading Old Wound might give you some interesting thoughts - for both sides of the argument on whether Jun heavily disliked The Captain or not, even.
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Dec 30, 2016 21:29
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Protection suit: 09/16/2030, 12:46 Alright, so now we've actually seen the last bad end of Route After, as well as all of Kazami's friendship scenes, meaning that there's only one thing left to clean out - Ena's friendship scenes. To do this, we reload at 9-3 and decide to team up with her. Ukita joins in again, as usual. The gang splits up once again, and we start Ena's set of chapters.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫   No one here from what I can see... But there's also a possibility that Yuuri went running this way. And besides, there might be something here that we can use... Yeah, and not just AD that we haven't found yet.Just because they'd found a ton of AD didn't change the fact they didn't have enough for everyone. And their time was still just as limited as always. (We need to be more careful to make sure we don't waste any time from this point onwards...)Watase spoke with that thought in mind. Okay then, this place is pretty big, so let's split up to search it. I'll go check this section. Old man, you search the upper section, and Teach, you search the middle section. Okay, leave it to me. Roger.The team nodded at each other and began searching every nook and cranny of the factory. --They investigated for a while before Ena called out. Captain Kasasagi, over here! Hmm?Watase ran over to Ena. What do you think this is?Watase looked down at Ena's feet to find a lot of scorched vinyl lumps lying there. Each one was about the size of a person. Looks like this thing was burned so badly that you can't even tell what was, but...Watase picked one of the lumps up and looked it over. It was stiff and covered in soot, so it was extremely difficult to tell what it'd originally been at first-- But after examining it for a little while, Watase felt like he was starting to understand what it was. ...Maybe this was originally a 'protection suit'? By protection suit... do you mean a radiation suit? Yeah. See, this part's for the arms, this one's for the legs... and this looks like a faceplate.It seemed there was little to no doubt that the lumps were the remains of protection suits that'd burned up in the fire. It was the same kind of suit Kazami and the other rescue workers had worn, but the material felt slightly different. There were letters written on the suit's skin. Watase barely made them out: ''NBC''. NBC...?Just as Watase muttered this, What are you two doing!?Ukita came running over to them. Oh, uh... we just found something interesting, that's all. What is it? This. It looks like they were making protection suits here.Ukita's face froze over when he heard that. Yes, it does indeed appear so... but why are you looking into something like that? And so secretly at that too. Huh? Are we not supposed to be looking for AD, the survivors and an escape route right about now? Yeah, you're right... Sorry, I just got a little curious.Ukita replied to Ena's apology with a low voice. Did you say it was because you were 'curious'...? Didn't I tell you guys before not to go poking around this facility's secrets!? H-hold on! What're you getting so mad about!? As I said to you earlier, Areas 5 and 6 are a bundle of secrets. The security here is so harsh that even Junior Fellows like myself get severely punished just for coming in here without permission. Why're they -that- strict about it...? Because the things researched here are created from immense investments. For example, are you aware of how much the development of those state-of-the-art protection suits cost? Around 1.5 billion yen. What!? This ruined suit's development cost 1.5 billion yen!? Yes. The ones that Sirius uses are a cheaper and more standardized type of suit. The development of AD costs even more, of course. More than most people make in their lifetimes. Listen, this is a good opportunity, so I'll spell it out for you now. If you were to ever see the precious secrets contained in this place-- then I could not guarantee your safety.Ukita's eyes slanted as he said that. ...You're not pulling our legs, are you? Of course not. ...Even I didn't know how harsh this place was before I worked here: I thought it was just your run-of—the-mill nuclear research facility. But the truth is that I once had this coworker who stole top secret confidential documents and then quit his job. Know what happened to him? He went missing before the week was up. ...! ...A world far beyond the imagination of you ordinary people living in your own peaceful little world exists right here. They always say that 'curiosity killed the cat'. There are a whole lot of things in this facility that you mustn't see. Now do you understand why I am being so strung up about this?There was a silent intensity to Ukita's words. Watase was swallowed up by that intensity and found himself replying on instinct. A... all right. We'll be careful. ...Yes. Good. Then let's continue the search.Watase nodded. All while feeling that there was something akin to a deep darkness somewhere in this facility...
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Dec 30, 2016 21:32
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Seriously how anyone ever trusted Ukita I will never know.
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Dec 30, 2016 21:45
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Dude just openly threatened us, but god forbid Watase suplex HIM < >
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Dec 30, 2016 21:48
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Message: 09/16/2030, 12:50 ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ It'd been nearly an hour since they last searched this place. The team opened one of the nearby doors and went in--  There were a lot of blind spots, meaning it'd be hard to tell right away if anyone happened to be collapsed behind one of them. I don't think they're here, but let's search to be safe. All right. Roger.The team then began their search of the room. But there was no hide nor hair of the survivors or any AD. (Tch. Maybe I can find some information about how to escape from here instead?)Just as this thought crossed Watase's mind-- he heard Ena talking to herself deeper in the room. Oh... what's this? What's what?Watase ran over to Ena. She was pointing at a white board. Written on it was the following:  For reference, I haven't the slightest what the gently caress this means. I never saw this scene during my playthrough. EDIT: I'm starting to work things out, though I'm still far from working it all out. ...The hell's this?Normally, one would expect to see, say, sentences concerning the contents of some discussion held during a meeting written on the board, but this didn't look like that at all. Mmm... it looks like a message from one person to another... A message? I mean, doesn't it kinda look like the letter I wrote earlier? I see... well, when I see 'Sirius', the name of our rescue team's the first thing that comes to mind... You don't think this is addressed to us, do you? If we go by that line of thinking, then perhaps the 'cage' mentioned here could be referring to our plight of 'being trapped in LABO due to the lockdown'... But what's this whole 'night of the full moon' deal about? I'm pretty sure there's no full moon today, and it's not even nighttime yet. Mmm... beats me.It might as well have been complete gibberish to them. --But as Watase looked over those sentences-- ...?A strange feeling welled up in him for some reason. It was by no means an unpleasant one. It was a warm and heartrending emotion... mixed with nostalgia, relief, and sorrow. ...? Hey, what's wrong? Well... I'm not quite sure, but...Just then, Ukita called out to them from behind. --What are you two up to -this- time? Oh, right... Teach found some weird sentences here. Mr. Ukita, do you know what they mean? Hmm...Ukita glanced at the white board, then sighed. No, I don't... More importantly, do we really have time to be wasting on looking at this? Well, no, but doesn't it make you curious? He's right. This could be a message left behind by Ms. Toba or Ms. Sannomiya. A message? Don't be ridiculous. If it were, then why would they write all this nonsense? Then what -is- it, then? How in the world would I know that? At any rate, we can't stay here going over such pointless details like this. All you're doing is bringing the search to a total halt, right? ...Everything Ukita said from start to finish was harsh. Ena was clearly not happy about his attitude, but she said nothing. (... This is bad. The atmosphere's been totally strained for a while now thanks to the old man...)That said, yelling at him to shut up wasn't an option either. It'd just lead to more bickering like before. Thus Watase spoke in the friendliest voice he could muster. Well, maybe it's best we just do what the old man says on this matter. Isn't that right, Teach? Huh...? Just keep those sentences on the backburner and continue with the search for now.Ena looked even more peeved at Watase's dismissal-- but she eventually just snorted. ...Fine, got it. Let's go with that.Watase breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that. --But at the same time, it finally hit him. Searching together with just these two civilians was extremely difficult. (... No, I mustn't complain... I need to be more level headed. I need to keep up the search while making sure those two don't get into fights.)Watase mentally resolved himself and left the room with Ena and Ukita. TheMcD fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Dec 30, 2016 |
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Dec 30, 2016 21:58
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Hmmm. Is it possible that "tear rain" and "bridge of bird wings" are literal translations of surnames? I can't think of any that match up,
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Dec 30, 2016 22:20
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Fall: 09/16/2030, 12:55 ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ But it had turned up fruitless, as always. ...Shall we head up to B1 next? Yeah, but-- the emergency staircase in this block has collapsed. What? Then how did you search it last time? We climbed up a rope instead of the stairs. But it might be too hard for you guys to climb it...He could carry one of them on his back, but it would take far too much time with two or for them to climb the rope individually. Should we go around and cut in from one of the other areas, then? No, that'll waste too much time. Let's use the ladder in the elevator shaft. Well, anything's fine with me. Shall we go already? Yes.Watase headed for the elevator hall after getting Ena and Ukita's approval.  The shaft was full with thick darkness. So we're supposed to climb up this? Hmm? You know, if you're scared, why don't you just stay here? Don't be an idiot. I'm coming with you guys. No, hold on, Teach. I'll go first and check it just make sure it's safe. Then you guys can follow me once I give the OK. O-oh, really? Well okay then, but be careful.Watase nodded, then entered the shaft. He aimed for the top as he climbed his way up through the pitch-black darkness. He felt a bit nervous about the constant creaking the ladder was making. The ladder only got unsteadier the higher he climbed. Perhaps the fire that'd been upstairs had hit the elevator shaft as well. (... This might be a bit hard on Teach.)Watase thought that as he closed in on B1-- --but then heard voices coming from below.  --t is it? (Hmm?)Watase strained his ears. It seemed Ena and Ukita were talking downstairs. ...You've been getting really up in our case lately. All you do is say 'don't look at this' or 'don't look at that'. But how much do -you- know about this facility? Everything an Area 4 employee is required to know. What of it? Quit playing dumb. You know stuff far more important than that, don't you? Like what? Isn't it obvious? You know why this lockdown hasn't lifted yet! Like I said, it's because the radiation leakage control system-- Seriously!? You're saying that's the -only- reason!? Are you still going on about that!? Enough with your unwarranted suspicions!Ena and Ukita's voices were growing passionate. It seemed yet another argument was erupting between them. (Seriously!? I take my eyes off them for -one- drat minute and they're at it again!? Pairing these two up was the worst idea ever!)Watase tried to stop them from the shaft. Hey, cut it out! No fighting, you hear!? Piss off, Captain Kasasagi! I just want to clear this whole thing up!But all he got in return was angry shouts from Ena. (I seriously don't have the time for this--!)Watase tried to quickly climb down the ladder to stop them-- --but then he heard a thick sound at his feet. !!The Iadder's stair had broken! Watase danced in the darkness for a moment, feeling as though he were floating. (O-oh poo poo!)All Watase could think to do was flap his arms wildly. His hand then collided with something-- another one of the ladder's stairs! He immediately grabbed on to it. But at nearly the exact same moment-- Gwaagh!!Watase's body hit the floor. ...He hit his back hard. The impact reached all the way up to his brain, quickly robbing him of his consciousness. Huh...? H-hey, Captain Kasasagi!? Captain Kasasagi!!As he passed out, Watase swore he could hear Ena shouting—- 
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Dec 30, 2016 22:35
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Nursing: 09/16/2030, 13:02 ♪ BGM: Silence ♫ --sagi... Hey, hang in there, Captain Kasasagi. Ugh...Watase awoke to the sound of someone calling his name.  ♪ BGM: Words of Healing ♫ Oh, you're awake! Thank God...!Ena stared at Watase's face with a look of worry.  Here, we have a yellow path, with Ena at 4. Watase tried to sit up, only for a sharp pain to shoot through both his head and back. Oww! Ah, you shouldn't push yourself! You only just regained consciousness after suffering that concussion! R-right...Watase nodded weakly-- and then noticed that there was a soft sensation against his head. ...Uh, hey, Teach, are you... Letting you rest your head in my lap? Why yes. Should I not have? Well, no, that's not what I mean, it's just... why? Because I'd feel bad if I made someone with a head injury lie on the cold, hard floor. ...Though maybe that's not the best way to deal with this. If you don't like it, then I'll stop, just say the word. N-no... I'll take you up on that offer.It was a little embarrassing, but he had no reason to refuse. A question then came to his mind. ...By the way, where are we? We're in that elevator hall in Area 6's inner ring. Do you remember falling from the ladder? Y-yeah...As he said that, he recalled that he'd grabbed onto the ladder before he'd smashed into the ground. It seemed that action had slowed his momentum down enough to keep him from getting severely injured. ...How long was I out? Just a few minutes. I see... where's the old man?Ukita was nowhere to be seen. Ena answered with a bitter look on her face. He said he'd continue the search, so I gave him a Procyon and let him go on ahead. Wait... by himself?Watase sat up on instinct. Ena then replied to him calmly.  ♪ BGM: Achiever / Theme of Ena ♫ That's right. He should be heading towards Area 1. Then you should have left me behind and gone with him. There's no way in hell I could have done that. And besides... Here we have a blue path with Ukita at 1. Huh? What do you mean... by that?Ena's face clouded over at that question. He seems kind of dangerous... surely you've noticed that too. It feels like he's changed ever since he saw that body by the lift... ...True, maybe it is strange. But keep it to yourself... I mean, the old man's still one of us, right? He's been through the same things we have. One of us, huh...Ena locked eyes with Watase, lowering her voice. ...I don't know if we should continue believing that. What? I get the feeling he's hiding way too much from us... You might get mad when you hear me say this, but my doubts about him are just getting worse and worse. ...! Hey, didn't Mr. Ukita say that you and he had met before you lost your memories? Y-yeah. I mean, he said it, so it must be true. Are you sure you don't remember anything about him...?Watase searched through his memories, but—- ...I'm sorry. I still don't remember anything about that part. Apparently I took his security card and locked him in Area 3. That's all I know.Watase had done that to make sure that Ukita, who had been panicking from the Case N announcement, didn't do anything rash. Perhaps Ukita still held a grudge against him for that-- Honestly, I found that strange too. I have doubts that's something one would do. Instead... what do you think of this idea? 'During the rescue effort, you found Mr. Ukita to have been acting suspiciously. As a precautionary measure, you proceeded to restrain him'. ...!Watase's eyes widened at Ena's theory. (I-I never considered that...!)But it most certainly was possible. (If her theory's correct, then that means the truth was buried in darkness once I lost my memories after that. The old man then took that opportunity to play innocent and join up with us with the ultimate goal of escaping...!?)Watase quickly stopped his train of thought there. No, but... I don't want to consider that. Huh? Even if the old man was indeed up to something at the time of the accident and acting suspiciously-- Restraining him and locking him in Area 3 just isn't part of a rescue worker's job, right? ...'Not part of a rescue worker's job'? That's right. A rescue worker's job is to save lives. Willingly trapping someone in a burning facility is out of the question. I have amnesia and even I know that much. ...And with this, we enter one of Ena's friendship scenes.
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Dec 31, 2016 00:25
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Father ♪ BGM: Achiever / Theme of Ena ♫ How admirable... but are you really okay with leaving it at that? Huh? I'm saying that it's dangerous to trust Mr. Ukita unconditionally when you don't know him that well. This is a life-or-death crisis we're in here. Shouldn't we be doubting those who seem suspicious?Ena was looking at him with questioning eyes. But Watase shook his head. No. I still don't want to doubt anyone. I can't save lives if I don't trust others, right? Even though the one you're trying to save may not be a good person? To use a rather extreme example... what if they were a murderer?Ena's face was dead serious-- That's why Watase answered honestly, with not a trace of doubt in his words or on his face. ...I probably would save them. If I ever think 'I shouldn't save them because they're a bad person' or 'I should save them because they're a good person' for even a second-- Then I believe I'll have lost all right to be a rescue worker. I don't want to be that kind of person.Ena's face warped at those words. ...You're an idiot. Call me whatever you like. But I'd rather be deceived than doubt others-- No, going down that path's not the answer! Thinking that way will only get you killed, you know? !?Watase was rendered speechless by Ena's sudden outburst. Ena cast her eyes down and spoke. ...I know someone who's like you. Who...? My father. 'If people lose their ability to trust, then it's all over'... those were the words he lived by. Sounds like a good father if you ask me. He was. But-- But that belief cost him his life. H-how did that happen...? He was killed. ...!Watase couldn't speak. He felt like he'd asked something he shouldn't have. In spite of that, Ena kept on talking about it as if they were having a normal conversation. My father was a member of a 'probation agency'. His job was to manage the reformation of criminals. It was a simple job that operated underground, but my father had a sense of duty about his job, working his heart out both passionately and sincerely. Why would anyone kill a man like that...? ...One time, my father was put in charge of a particularly vicious subject. A dangerous person who everyone else had given up on as a lost cause. But my father still made a serious effort to take care of him and reform his charge. ...But it didn't work out. My father got way too empathetic and let his guard down... And then that very same person he'd opened his heart to stabbed him one night...!Ena kept looking bitterly at the ground as she gritted her teeth. Watase only barely managed to speak, and even then, his voice was faint. ...What happened to the murderer...? The arrest and sentence were made ages ago... Perhaps... my father died for nothing.Ena looked up and stared straight at Watase. I respect the way my father lived his life and I still love him to this day. It may not be the same as what he did, but a 'teacher' is still a job that contributes to society. But I can't unconditionally trust people the way my father did... It just seems way too dangerous. ...So that's why I don't want you to...A somewhat different expression rose to Ena's face when she said that. One that was as hard as steel and yet as brittle as stone—- Watase looked straight into that face and answered in a quiet voice. ...I know what you're saying... but I still want to trust everyone, even the old man. He's still struggled with us all this way. That makes him one of us.After taking Ena's feelings into consideration, Watase wondered if he perhaps should have left that unsaid. But Ena instead just replied with a faint yet sad tone in her voice. ...I see. Well, to each his own, I suppose. And I'm sorry to tell you such an ominous story... even though you and my father are not the same. No... it's okay. Thanks for telling me about that.Ena laughed somewhat awkwardly in response. Her face had already returned to that of a calm teacher. All right then, I think it's about time we got back to searching, you? Yeah, I'm feeling better now. We need to hurry and find those kids. Yes... that's for sure.Watase and Ena ran off towards Area 1 to find Ukita. And then we reenter Nursing.
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Dec 31, 2016 00:26
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Nursing: 09/16/2030, 13:02 - Part 2 ♪ BGM: Achiever / Theme of Ena ♫ Here's a yellow branch with Ena at 4. I guess he already went to Area 2... That was a waste of time. Let's just move on. You're right.Watase nodded in agreement and headed for Area 2. And with that, we're already off to Beyond Communication. Now, you'd think this chapter would be quite different with Ena along, but it's really not. Watase still reads the books and has his thoughts largely on his own - just occasionally, Ena gets to cut in, and even then, it's not a lot of difference to what Watase came up with on his own. There's one particularly interesting bit, as Watase is getting paranoid over empathy:  ...Teach, lemme ask you one more thing. Can those kids use empathy? Huh...? No, they can't. Ms. Toba is an expert at using telepathy, though. And the other two are bad at BC to begin with... (Is that true...?) Hey, is that relevant in any way?Watase didn't answer Ena's puzzled question, and retreated back to his thoughts. I don't think we've had any real information regarding the BC capabilities of the kids before. From this on, the path to In the Mirror is basically the same, and from that point on, we don't really have any differences until during Lesson.
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Dec 31, 2016 00:27
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Believe This yellow branch during Lesson hides the entrance to another one of Ena's friendship scenes. A Sense of Ena at 4 or higher lets us in. Ena turned around in surprise. She put away her PDA and spoke in a sharp voice. Don't sneak up on me like that. You scared the living daylights out of me. ♪ BGM: Achiever / Theme of Ena ♫ ...Why? Isn't it obvious? Because according to her, there's something suspicious about me too... So if we told them about that, they'd stop looking at you so suspiciously and focus all their doubt on me instead.Ena's eyes widened when she heard that. I don't believe it... are you saying that'd be all for me? Oh, is that bad? Of course it is. It's not something you just go around telling people. I mean, it's because of my pistol that everyone got so furious... And besides, you shouldn't have covered for me before. Keeping quiet about the gun was -my- mistake. You did nothing. Don't you think those two might already be starting to suspect you after you trusted me without any plausible reason? So don't go-- No, I've got a reason all right. Huh? It's because I decided that you're 'trustworthy', that's why. ...! I can't believe you're still saying that-- Why do you think I told you about my father?Ena looked truly irritated as she said that. Listen up, Captain Kasasagi. Something is going down right here in LABO. That's for sure. There must be a reason behind that bomb earlier and Ms. Sannomiya running from us that we don't know about. Make no mistake that someone with malice in their heart is operating from behind the scenes. And that if we let our guards down-- it's likely that we really will lose our lives. ... Doubt everything around you in order to survive. That includes the people nearby, this facility, and occasionally everything you see. Your own preconceptions may be tricking you, after all. ...That sure doesn't sound like something a teacher would say. Disappointed? But teachers are surprisingly suspicious creatures. You can't protect the students you're sworn to keep safe if you trust every little thing. I see... teachers sure are tough.Ena let out a heavy sigh when Watase said that in what could be called an admiring voice. Haah... see, you're screwing up already. You need to doubt even what I just said. ...True, the things I believe in could be tricking me. Your story about your father taught me that there's a certain risk involved with 'trusting'. Glad you get it. That holds true especially in this kind of situation.Ena gave him a scorning glare. Watase looked right back at her and spoke with a clear voice. But I still trust you in spite of that. Huh...? 'Faith' without risk is a downright lie, isn't it? If you say you 'trust' or 'don't trust' something but you keep yourself in a safe position, your words hold no power whatsoever. So if you're ever doubted from this point onward, I will trust and cover for you unconditionally. ...I'm sure that's what your father would have done too.Watase declared all that in a quiet voice. He filled each and every one of his words with his desire to affirm the life of Ena's father. When he did, Ena let out a somewhat sad smile. Sheesh, you really are an idiot, you know that...?Ena didn't say anything else after that. The group then finally arrived at Area 6. And with that, we go back into Lesson with the group arriving in the factory.
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Dec 31, 2016 00:27
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Kiss Finally, this yellow branch during Cause hides the final friendship scene for Ena. A Sense of Ena at 4 or higher lets us in. I can't confidently deny the possibility that a part of me's okay with letting everyone else die so long as I survive...!Watase suddenly began to get scared. Very scared. Perhaps there was a ''wicked'' side to him that he was not aware of-- one that was deciding all his actions on its own and driving everyone to their deaths-- That thought was much more frightening than the prospect of his own death.  ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫ For crying out loud... I'm so disappointed in you. Huh...? I mean, you said you trust me-- But that doesn't hold any water when you clearly don't trust yourself. S-sorry... Stop it. Don't let me see you with that look of despair on your face. You are indeed suspicious-- your amnesia and the security footage attest to that. But even when I take that into account, I want to trust you. And yet here you are, assuming your own guilt without proof... ...But I don't have any memories of my past, you know? If my past self was someone who held malice in his heart-- It doesn't matter who your past self was. The indisputable truth is that you have been pushing yourself to your limits to save people. Are you saying you can't trust what I say ever after I saw all that? ... I see... so words alone won't do it, huh... Fine then. Then let's try something besides words.Ena put her hands on Watase's shoulders as she said that--  ♪ BGM: Words of Healing ♫ Watase froze on instinct when he saw Ena's face approaching him. However-- Ena suddenly stopped just before their noses could come in contact with each other.  Ah, no, uh... Watase frantically shut his eyes.  Ena's lips were trembling ever so slightly.  Well? You convinced now? That's my way of saying I trust you from the bottom of my heart.Watase had no clue what he should say. Without his memories, it was essentially the first kiss of his life. Ena swiftly looked away as if she could tell what Watase was thinking.  A charm?Ena let out a slightly lonely laugh when she heard that and continued.  It worked, didn't it? I thought it was quite generous.Watase didn't understand the meaning of the smile Ena was giving him. But those feelings she was showing him were the real thing. Yeah... thanks, Teach. I'll believe in the 'current me' that you believe in. There was someone out there who truly believed in him when even he couldn't believe in himself-- Watase was grateful for that more than anything else right now. And he felt like he could trust her with his life. Hey, Teach... If the 'me' you know now vanishes forever and I turn out to be a black-hearted person when I get my memories back... Will you stop me? However--  Watase's heart lightened at that moment, his reservations completely disappearing. And with that, we return back to Cause, with Watase and Ena wondering what they should do with Moribe and Ukita being the way they are.  And that... was it! That was the last scene we needed for full completion of Route After! It's certainly been one hell of a ride so far, and let me tell you, the ride hasn't even truly started yet. Next time, we'll be starting Route Before - and we'll get to learn a lot more about Rokumei City, Natsuhiko and his gang, Beyond Communication, and much more. It will be slow at times, but it will be interesting. Route Before will begin in the new year. Give you some time to process all this new stuff.
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Dec 31, 2016 00:29
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For what it's worth, I managed to figure out about half the salutation line of the note when I got here myself (I'd blitzed through Route After since I'd read it here and then cleaned up the remainder before moving on to Before as well), but the actual note was just as "what?" as it was for Watase and Ena. There is definitely some Japanese language and cultural knowledge involved in the salutation but most of it isn't anything particularly obscure.
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Dec 31, 2016 00:52
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ArashiKurobara posted:For what it's worth, I managed to figure out about half the salutation line of the note when I got here myself (I'd blitzed through Route After since I'd read it here and then cleaned up the remainder before moving on to Before as well), but the actual note was just as "what?" as it was for Watase and Ena. There is definitely some Japanese language and cultural knowledge involved in the salutation but most of it isn't anything particularly obscure. Yeah, I also figured out two thirds of the salutation, and I'm pretty sure it's the same part you figured out. The rest of the note? Complete blank.
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Dec 31, 2016 01:04
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Dang. Checking out that screen, Route Before seems like the way more complex one.
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Dec 31, 2016 10:26
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PROLOGUE: 09/16/2030, 06:19 ♪ BGM: Extra-Sensory Perception ♫ Well, this is nostalgic. ...is it? It's been less than three months since we've been here the last time.  We've gone through Route After, and we've gotten all the endings we can get. We've gotten all the friendship scenes, all the scenes in general, all the CGs (I think?).  Now it's time to get into Route Before.  We start Route Before like we started Route After, with a Bible quote. Have you worked out the relevance of the one at the beginning of Route After yet? I haven't. Then again, I'm just not very smart.  As if it were a bell heralding the end.  The screen shakes with the sound of an explosion.  The boy gasped in shock.  Another explosion. The girls screamed beside him. Another explosion.  Ghh...!They felt the tremors through the floor. Multiple explosions. ...Explosions? Several of them...!? N-Natsuhiko, could this be...!?The boy called ''Natsuhiko'' gritted his teeth at the girls' words.  Yeah, it is... We didn't make it in time.His words were drowned out by the shrill shriek of an alarm.         ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ Automatic PA: Security has shifted to 'Evacuation Mode'. All gates, barring those leading to Area N, have been opened. All personnel, please calmly evacuate to the surface levels.  Researcher 1: W-what happened!? Researcher 2: I don't know! Were those explosions...? Researcher 3: Explosions!? In -this- facility!? The announcement continued as if to answer that question.  Explosions of unknown origin have just occurred within the facility! From our current understanding of the situation, explosions occurred simultaneously in ten different locations inside the facility. Fires have broken out as a result! Researchers Eriguchi and Kashiwagi! Please come to Area 2 posthaste! Staff Member 2: 'Unknown origin'!? What do you mean, 'unknown origin'!? As the men shuddered, a female scientist muttered.   No matter what happens, it shouldn't escalate to a large-scale disaster. Our safety is guaranteed... so there's no need to worry.She spoke softly and gently to quell their fears with hope. --But that hope was trampled soon enough.  ♪ BGM: Abyss ♫ Security Guard 2: Why...? Dammit! Hurry up with the personnel evacuation! The systems that were supposedly their last ray of hope proved to be completely ineffective.  Staff Member 2: You've gotta be kidding me! Do you even realize how much it cost to develop that!? We can't let it go up in flames! Put it out manually! Staff Member 1: There's another fire breaking out in in Hall 4! Who can extinguish the flames if nobody can even reach the factory? Chaos and hysteria dominated the facility. Anxiety began to spread. And, as if to top it all off, a new announcement rang out.  All personnel, including those in the Area N control room, please evacuate to the surface levels immediately! Researcher 1: H... heightened readings!? Researcher 3: L-let's just go to the surface level for now! To the remote control room! Researcher 2: This elevator's no good! Use the stairs! The stairs! Everyone shouted their lungs out.  Researcher 2: I never thought we'd actually need to use it...! Researcher 1: Don't panic! Just follow the manual! They did their best to adapt to the situation. But it was all too late by then.  Researcher 2: All the elevators are offline too! There's no way out! Researcher 3: Impossible... How did this happen!? Their escape routes were cut off. And they had no way of knowing why. Nobody understood what was going on. --Nobody, with a few exceptions, that is.  ♪ BGM: The Brave Decision ♫ --Dammit! This is all their doing! How could the situation have gotten this bad...? The girl beside him grieved. Just how much time did they have left? As he pondered that question, the boy looked at his watch. But to his dismay--  --one of the explosions had broken it. The watch's date had stopped at 9/16. Its hands at 6:19. A time he'd likely never forget for the rest of his life. (If only we had gotten here just a little bit sooner...!)But even if they were late, there was still meaning in their arrival. Natsuhiko tried to walk off, but the girl grabbed him by the hand. Hold it, Natsuhiko! Where do you think you're going in a crisis like this!? I'm gonna find those bastards...! --Wait, Natsuhiko, you don't mean!? ...I'm gonna put an end to their plan. I can still do something-- No, you can't! Natsuhiko, calm down! Why!? You agreed that we should come here, didn't you, Mashiro!? The sltuation's completely changed! It's too late now! It's never too late! I'm sure I can still make it! Besides, even if we do run, it's not gonna change anything! So in that case--The moment those words left his lips, a sharp pain ran through his cheek. The girl had slapped him. ...! Do you want to suffer another loss that badly...!?Those words gouged out his heart. --And then, another roar rang out. !? Another explosion... where...? Please, Natsuhiko. Let's get out of here already!The girl's pleading voice shook Natsuhiko's heart. ... ... ...Okay. Let's look for a way out of here first...!--And thus, they ran, looking for an exit. Without knowing what laid ahead of them. And thus, the long day that they'd later look back to time and time again-- had begun.  Do you know the layout of the facility!? We should look into that first. It's dangerous to run blindly without an escape plan.  Salyu, what are you doing!? I'm looking up a map of the facility.  Okay, so let's head there first!  Don't tell me it was set here to prevent the people from escaping the facility...? Gh... it's too dangerous here! Let's look for another path! Roger. Be careful! To escape from the facility and survive. But in the midst of their path--  ♪ BGM: Silence ♫  ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫ --Yuuri!?There stood ''Yuuri''.  The girl who shouldn't have been here-- (What's Yuuri doing...!?)Natsuhiko gazed at her in astonishment. Yuuri--  Why did you come here...!?--sadly muttered this. What about you, Yuuri!? Why are -you- here!? You left home!?As he asked this question, Natsuhiko thought back... and recalled the journey that brought him here. Eventually, Yuuri spoke in a lonely voice. ...So that's what happened...And smiled as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders. --At that moment...  ♪ BGM: Silence ♫ !! Yuuri!Natsuhiko swiftly lunged at Yuuri. And not a second later, a shockwave struck them. Ah!!Natsuhiko and Yuuri were blown away. In the split second before they hit the ground-- The events that led up to today flashed before Natsuhiko's eyes. (How did this happen?) ♪ BGM: The Truth is Revealed ♫        Or perhaps it was merely a memory of such a voice. He heard that voice as he lay beneath the whitewashed tomb...  We hear a clock ticking. 
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Jan 1, 2017 00:14
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Regarding the Bible quotes, the one for Route After (Isaiah 24:22) is part of the "Apocalypse of Isaiah" or "little apocalypse" as it is sometimes called. This chapter refers to "The city of confusion" which basically refers to the capitol city of whatever power is oppressing the Jews at the time. If it was originally written during the Babylonian exile, it would have referred to Babylon and the readers at the time would see that obviously. It was later interpreted to refer to Antioch during the Seleucid persecution, and later still to Rome. The specific verse refers to the fate of the people of that city, the oppressors of the Jews, as being punished by God when the end times come and God reigns from Jerusalem. So in the context of the game, it could refer to all the villains and schemers (like Ukita and pre-amnesia Watase) being trapped in LABO together, shut up in prison and punished. Meanwhile, Route Before (Psalm 88:8) quotes what is generally regarded as the saddest, darkest, most melancholy of the psalms. The psalmist is in the depths of despair and has apparently been abandoned by both God and those around him. The situation of the psalmist is never explained within the psalm, and there are various conflicting interpretations possible (quarantine due to leprosy, imprisonment as punishment for crimes, guilt from sin, or simply unjust treatment). Given what little there is to know and that only one and a half verses are actually quoted, I'm just going to guess that Natsuhiko is going to be betrayed or abandoned at some point. Vague, I know, but there doesn't seem to be a lot behind the Route After Bible quote either.
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Jan 1, 2017 02:44
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TheMcD posted:
It's actually really easy. Problem is that it's all in reference to optional scenes, and it's hard to actually provide the answer to it (and other interesting factoids) without resorting to spoiler bars. We'll get there eventually, but if you want the early answer, leave me your email or something and I'll send you the references. EDIT: I don't have PMs, or I'd just send one. Cyouni fucked around with this message at 06:59 on Jan 1, 2017 |
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Jan 1, 2017 06:52
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Oh, so that's where the fire extinguisher bomb came from. It was there the entire time 
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Jan 1, 2017 07:57
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Cyouni posted:It's actually really easy. Problem is that it's all in reference to optional scenes, and it's hard to actually provide the answer to it (and other interesting factoids) without resorting to spoiler bars. Eh, it'll be fine if we just discover it then - I did get barely any optional scenes in my playthrough, so it makes sense I'd only get barely anything.
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Jan 1, 2017 13:04
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*Finished Before's opening* So basically everything we thought we 'knew' about the kids (barring perhaps Nat's exposure to WX) is rapidly becoming more hazy. I mean, you would think a test subject (like what we thought Yuuri was) would not be allowed out. Unless this is some psychic ghost clone memory sharing shenanigans going on. Also, the tutorial was canon (though I had the vaguest feeling it was anyway) and whatever Watase was doing there, he didn't have anything to do with LABO's catastrophe. In short, I now have to speculate about everything all over again. The best part of these threads:  .Also, apologies, but I had to do this: DAIJU NI NO BAKUDAN: BITE ZA DUSTO!
OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 15:31 on Jan 2, 2017 |
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Jan 2, 2017 13:44
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OddHaberdasher posted:*Finished Before's opening* For what it's worth, the tutorial appears in pretty much unaltered fashion in Route Before as well - I'll be skipping over it in the next update (since we've already seen it before). The tutorial is actually quite special, in that it's the only time (so far, anyway) that the game uses "you" for the protagonist and directly talks to us as the player, explaining gameplay mechanics. I think we can safely assume it not to be relevant to the greater picture.
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Jan 2, 2017 19:49
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SSNeoman posted:Seriously how anyone ever trusted Ukita I will never know. Given that the majority of his negativity is directed towards Ena (difficult to get along with, as we well know) and Watase (locked him in a room during a fire, did other obscure but almost certainly nefarious deeds), I'm inclined to cut some slack. Danaru posted:Dude just openly threatened us, but god forbid Watase suplex HIM < No, he just gave a warning, as polite as the circumstances allowed, that the secrets of LABO are such that if they so much as knock the wrong file over they (and likely anyone close to them) will be disappeared. Quite frankly, it was probably a personal risk to him just to say that much.
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Jan 2, 2017 20:58
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START OF THE FIRST DAY: 09/10/2030, 06:19 Now, this chapter is probably going to perfectly encapsulate Route Before, especially the early part of it. Slow-paced, slice-of-life as all hell, and then suddenly intriguing. But I'm getting ahead of myself.    Which was only to be expected. He had always slept and woken up in this room for as long as he could remember. He got up, put on his glasses he had set aside, and stretched his arms out wide. ♪ BGM: Quiet Days of Rokumei City ♫ Hwaaahh~aah...He felt as though he had awoken from a worrying dream-- but he couldn't remember what it was.  His watch was perfectly measuring the flow of time today, as usual. Not even once had it broken these past ten years. He climbed out of bed, changed into his uniform, and left his room.   ???: Hmhmhmhmm~mm... Good morning.Once he called out to her, ???: Ah, good morning! the one humming cheerfully replied. The newscaster on TV was rambling on in a matter-of—fact tone of voice. Newscaster: --Next on the news. Early this morning, Rokumei City's 'BC Training Center' received objectionable literature from an extremist group. A connection to the recently held BC seminar was also identified. The police are now working with the city security department to-- Natsuhiko casually let the news in one ear and out the other, thinking to himself. (Almost time for her to wake up, huh...)As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he heard the living room door open.  Mnyu mnyu~... Good morning, Yuuri. Mnyu... Hikorin, Mashiron, good... morning...Yuuri sank onto the table as she muttered the nicknames she had for those two. And right around that time, the other girl came out of the kitchen.  Good morning, Yuuri! Breakfast is just about done~Brightly sounding the morning meal call was ''Mashiro''-- Natsuhiko’s childhood friend. Yuuri was about to fall back to sleep before Mashiro's voice woke her up. ... Nu--? Yay, food time, food time~ What's on the menu today? A classic all-American breakfast. Wow, starting the day off with a full meal, huh. Looks delicious~ Thanks for the food~And thus, they began their breakfast as usual. Yup~ it's delicious~ Just like you'd expect from Mashiron~ Yeah, it's amazing how you can make all of this in such a short amount of time. Hahah, I'm just used to it. I mean, I -have- been doing this for over half a year now.Mashiro gave an embarrassed grin upon being complimented. Just another typical breakfast at the Tenkawa residence. (Now that I think about it, it's a little strange, huh... We're not even family.)Though they were all sharing a meal at the same table, none of the people here were related.  His father passed away before Natsuhiko could remember. His mother worked hard to support them, to the point she became a serious workaholic. She spent most of her time at work, seldom returning home. As Natsuhiko sat lost in thought, a concerned voice called out to him. Huh? Hikorin, you've barely touched your food. Does your tummy hurt? Ah, no, I'm fine. I just wanted to savor the food as I ate. Really? That's good. ... I might not look it, but I've got a sturdy body. I've always got a healthy appetite.And with that declaration, he stuffed his cheeks with bread, causing a different cheerful voice to chime in this time. Oh, I like how you eat, Natsuhiko. Makes all that effort worth it. Prior to Natsuhiko entering high school, a commuting housekeeper had prepared his meals, but since spring, she had to resign for personal reasons. And that's when Natsuhiko's mother asked Mashiro to help prepare breakfast and dinner since they lived in the same neighborhood. --Natsuhiko bowed his head to Mashiro's words and muttered softly. But still... sorry for making you do this all the time, Mashiro. Whaddaya mean? Your mother pays me after all, so it's kinda like a part-time job. And besides, it's not like I do it for you or anything. If I had to say, I do it more for Yuuri. Right, Yuuri? Hmm, I'm happy to hear that, but... Ah, I see how it is. Well, I don't care either way as long as I get to eat delicious food.And then, as if to interrupt their peaceful chit-chat, an unsettling voice rang out. Newscaster: Next on the news. Last night, a fire broke out at the 'BC Development Center', a research facility in Rokumei City. Six research buildings burned down. A fire...?♪ BGM: Silence ♫ Suddenly, silence spread across the dining table, but the newscaster continued matter-of-factly. Newscaster: At the time of the fire, several staff members and researchers were inside the facility-- But the fire department rescue squad was dispatched and fortunately brought everyone out alive. Everyone was saved. That's great~ Hm? Ah, yeah, I guess. Huh? Now that's an uncaring thing to say. You're so cold, Natsuhiko. You think so? Nothing really productive happens if you let things on the other side of the TV screen get to you, does it? Hmm... but it did happen in this town, so you can't really say we're completely uninvolved... Things have gotten dangerous around here lately. Like some sort of incident's just waiting to happen... You're overthinking things. I'm sure this town's safe.The town they lived in was quite good about public order. It was unthinkable that any of them would get caught up in an incident.   Yuuri shook her head and quietly spoke. ...Hikorin, you shouldn't let yourself become too careless.♪ BGM: Anxious Times of Rokumei City ♫ Huh? Dreadful incidents don't just happen on the other side of the TV screen, you know. After all, something completely unexpected could happen to you too, Hikorin...Natsuhiko's expression stiffened upon hearing such an ominous prediction. (No way...)He tried to say that, but his voice wouldn't come out.  (...??) His prized watch from years ago-- --had broken sometime when he wasn't looking. (Why...? When did it...?)     So, after that, we are dropped straight into Senses Sympathy Tutorial. This tutorial is exactly the same as it was back during Route After, so if you need a refresher, head back to the first post in the thread and find it from there. The only difference is that at the end...  However, the girls' favor towards the boy is very important to him. A tragic result may be awaiting in the worst-case scenario. Please look over the situation calmly and select your Senses carefully. We are expecting your feelings to have a good effect on this world. ...we have a different color for the upcoming Senses input. Now, the chapter ends there, and afterwards, we have a new chapter, so let's just cut things here. However, we're not quite done yet... VOTING Now, we have a bit of a decision to make. Early Senses inputs will be focusing pretty much entirely on Yuuri and Mashiro. As such, I'm going to hold a bit of voting right away for those two. So, with nothing much to go on, pick between Top, High, Middle, Low and Bottom for Yuuri and Mashiro. Don't worry about it. Just trust in your instincts. Do you want to trust these people?
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Jan 2, 2017 22:08
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Speaking from a logical point of view, unless we are absolutely determined to get the implied death-by-low-favor, we have no reason not to put them on High at the very least. They're our friends. EDIT: So, depending on how you read it, we have mental time travel (the description of this route pretty much stated this as well). Because things weren't getting messy enough apparently. OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 22:33 on Jan 2, 2017 |
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Jan 2, 2017 22:30
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Top for both obviously.
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Jan 2, 2017 23:11
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OddHaberdasher posted:EDIT: So, depending on how you read it, we have mental time travel (the description of this route pretty much stated this as well). Because things weren't getting messy enough apparently. My thoughts pretty much. I wonder how much "overlapping" perspectives we're going to get with the other route, Natsuhiko's mention of seeing the watch out of the corner of his eye sounds awfully familiar. Top for both, why not.
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Jan 2, 2017 23:33
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Top while there's no danger. We currently have no reason to distrust either of them.
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Jan 3, 2017 00:02
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Top for both. I mean, Natsuhiko's known them both for years, so why wouldn't we trust them?
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Jan 3, 2017 00:33
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I can't wait to see if we somehow end up in horrific bad ends during the Slice of Life segments just for choosing bad levels. 
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Jan 3, 2017 02:25
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TheMcD posted:
TheMcD posted:
Also top for both.
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Jan 3, 2017 04:34
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Pollyanna posted:I can't wait to see if we somehow end up in horrific bad ends during the Slice of Life segments just for choosing bad levels. Well, we do know from the Afters end trailer that we get involved with a nearby car crash, a surprise mugging/warning (involving Watase?) and Louise Yui Sannomiya. So time paradoxes are perfectly possible, in my opinion. EDIT: Haifisch posted:Hmm. Probably isn't physical time travel (someone would have noticed scrapes and/or burns from the last bomb) so either mental time travel or simple precognition. OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 04:41 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 04:35
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I wonder if, after the end of Route Before, we'll access some sort of merged route? It's not like that sort of thing hasn't occurred before in video games that present this sort of option, ranging from Final Fantasy 6 to Radiant Historia. Also let's go with top.
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Jan 3, 2017 09:31
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Mashiro to the Top, and Yuuri High, just in case we need one girl's validation over the other's.
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Jan 3, 2017 09:44
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NGDBSS posted:I wonder if, after the end of Route Before, we'll access some sort of merged route? It's not like that sort of thing hasn't occurred before in video games that present this sort of option, ranging from Final Fantasy 6 to Radiant Historia. Well, at the end of the first route the Playing Log showed that we had 19/39 endings. The Route Select screen shows that this route has 5 endings, so we'll be at 24/39. Obviously there's more to the game after this route.
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Jan 3, 2017 17:41
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Top for both No reason to smack into a wall right from the get-go.
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Jan 3, 2017 23:02
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I'll go for Top for both as well.
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Jan 3, 2017 23:21
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Alright, I'll be calling it here. I won't bother tallying the votes up, given the one-sided nature, I'll just put Mashiro at 8 and Yuuri at 7.
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Jan 4, 2017 19:28
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| # ? May 14, 2024 00:37 |
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Ah, salad, the classic all-American breakfast.
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Jan 4, 2017 20:38
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