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Glazius posted:Oh! Floral scent as a marker actually... makes a surprising amount of sense? I think it means that Subject N -- spending 100% of her time since who knows when in a room with a floral scent -- became so inured to it that any memory she creates smells like that, because she has no reference point for creating memories without it. Maybe?
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Apr 6, 2017 01:21
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| # ? May 14, 2024 23:02 |
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Cyouni posted:Off the top of my head, that results in one of the two options given. No it doesn't, there were two bad ends available here.
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Apr 6, 2017 02:56
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Were both of them Natsuhiko's head exploding? Also, I vote we fix his memories in reverse chronological order wherever possible. EDIT: Also also, I don't trust those question marks.... OddHaberdasher fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Apr 6, 2017 |
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Apr 6, 2017 06:33
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RAM Tutorial ♪ BGM: Evil and Nightmares ♫ Alright, so we got a new system dumped on us all of a sudden. This is the RAM system, or rather, the ''Rewrite / Add to Memory'' system. But before we get into things, there is that handy ''Tutorial'' button down there. Let's take a look at that.                    So really, the reason they can just dump this ''system'' on us is that this is hardly deserving of the term ''system''. It's a glorified scene select menu. We pick the scene - though we have to go through all of them - we get a Senses input during them, and if we do it right, we fix the memory. If we don't, we don't. Also, the game only ''locks'' scenes if you did it right. Also, in this particular RAM segment, we only unlock the final scene if we lock all the previous scenes. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to gently caress Watase's RAM segment here up, and the only thing that happens if you do the input wrong is you get Natsuhiko saying ''this memory didn't change, maybe I should do *INSERT THE SOLUTION HERE*'' and you get dropped back to the scene select. So I won't be doing any voting on the Senses inputs here, we'll get through things faster and won't lose out on anything, really. But with that said, we'll now get into the four scenes and learn some new things.
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Apr 6, 2017 21:06
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Sarabande Divergents: A: 06/07/2029, 19:16 Alright, let's get right into things.  The memory of the time when Ukita had told him the truth behind the Great Rokumei City Arson.  ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ All about how that unprecedented incident had been caused by a single woman known as ''Communicator A''. And how A was lured in by Rokumei City and joined the PRC as a test subject--  (So this is it... This is a memory that's been altered.)He remembered the gist of what Ukita had said.  ''As a result, her malice-laced thoughts were released and caused the Great Arson.'' (... So is there a part of his story that's been altered...? Then what's the truth!?)Natsuhiko tried repairing the memory with that thought in mind.   But the PRC discovered the underlying mechanisms of telepathy and empathy through their study of A.  As you might imagine, the solution here is to set Watase's Senses of our Communicator gang high, since the game did go out of its way to say that his memories were changed through hatred of Communicators and that we should balance it out. Salyu is there because Watase thinks she's a Communicator, which is a nice touch. She became able to use telepathy and empathy freely, their effective ranges grew wider, and her power just kept on growing on and on with no end in sight. But if that was all there'd been to it, there wouldn't have been any problems. The problem was...  (This is it! This is the part I have to repair!)And with that thought, Natsuhiko sent deep affection for Communicators to Watase's heart.  ...that A was both the strongest Communicator there was and the worst criminal there was. ...What's this? This is a French gossip magazine article about an incident that occurred in A's hometown in February 2014.   Malice...? Yes. All sorts of negative emotions such as resentment, hatred, and rage. They then shifted into malice for others-- And A's life was so tragic that it filled her heart.The screen on the PDA then changed when the man said that.  ...What's this? This is a French gossip magazine article about an incident that occurred in A's hometown in February 2014. Discrimination against Communicators was fervent at the time in that country, so it appears that A, with her especially tremendous power, was ostracized horribly by the people around her. In particular, she was publicly ostracized by a recently established local religious sect-- A, with her seemingly incomprehensible abilities, was likely viewed as a servant of the Devil by them. Therefore, they caused the incident described in the article before you: they set fire to A's house. ...How inhuman. Indeed. But the real inhumanity came after that. This is just a guess of mine-- but I'd say that after A became a part of the PRC, it's likely she... Was confined and made into a test subject for human experimentation. What!? It's very likely when you consider the achievements of the PRC back in those days. She fled to Japan to escape persecution only to encounter even more suffering... causing the malice in her heart to amplify further. Despite that, the PRC developed her abilities even further... without ever realizing the true danger they possessed. What was so dangerous about them? You don't know? BC-- telepathy, that is, isn't just the ability to send your voice to a faraway person. You can also send your feelings to others with it. In other words, powerful BC could very well change other people's thoughts. So what do you think would happen if someone who had been turned into malice incarnate like A were to indiscriminately let her thoughts loose on everyone around her? Those thoughts would bring out the 'malice' that lurks in the hearts of every man. Her malice would spread to everyone around her like a virulent disease. ...Now you understand just how dangerous it is, don't you? ...!Watase was rendered speechless. He just silently continued to listen to the man. ...However, A is not at fault. Much of the fault lies in the PRC for exploiting her abilities without even considering the consequences. The researchers at the PRC took that poor woman and raised her to become a monster. The researchers realized how dangerous A was far too late and set up surveillance to keep her from wandering out into the city-- But on September 16th, 2014, A escaped from the facility. Escaped... then you mean she...! Those thoughts influenced the minds of the people of Rokumei City in some way. This caused the already high levels of malice held by would-be criminals to spike through the roof-- This is the truth behind the 'Great Rokumei City Arson'.The man declared all of that in a clear voice. (... It can 't be...!? Rokumei City and the PRC did all of that...!?) ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫  (... but she wasn't the ''worst criminal there was'' at all!?)  Then that meant that Watase's hatred should be directed at the PRC and Rokumei City instead of Communicator A. (... I hope these repairs are enough to lessen Watase's hatred of us a little...)Natsuhiko thought that as he left the memory...  And thus, we are dropped back into the RAM menu, with the first scene locked off. On to the next.
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Apr 6, 2017 21:08
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Sarabande Divergents: B: 06/07/2029, 19:28   (If I remember correctly-- This is when Watase was boiling with hatred and rage, when he heard that LABO was still creating ''monsters'' like Communicator A. That was what led Watase to becoming a terrorist... But was that not it? What was the real trigger for Watase...?) ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ No, she died. W... what...!? After causing that incident, A was used by LABO as a human test subject-- and then died there just a year after she'd been confined. She probably died a cruel death. In the end, A too was nothing more than a victim of Rokumei City's wrongdoings. ...A sense of emptiness filled Watase's body. Having immediately lost the target of his hatred-- he switched it over to a new one.  So once again, we keep the Senses for our Route Before gang high. What happened with LABO after they lost their valuable test subject due to A's death? They abducted new test subjects and used them to continue their BC research. Out of all the Communicators who live in Rokumei City-- those who possess particularly superb abilities are confined in LABO and made into test subjects.  (This is it! This is the part I have to repair!)And with that thought, Natsuhiko sent deep affection for Communicators to Watase's heart.  And so more monsters like A have been growing in number one by one. Why would they ever do something like that!? One of their goals is, naturally, to study BC. And the other one... is to create a kind of biological weapon.   Watase felt sympathy well up in his heart when he heard that. (Even if they're Communicators, victimizing kids is just...!)It was absolutely unforgivable. But no one's realized this. So there's no one who can talk about or leak this. The truth will forever continue to be covered-up and vanish into the deepest darkness. ...I see... So the Rokumei City government... Wataru's killers... are doing the same thing they did 15 years ago all over again...!Flames of rage burned up within Watase. Rage for the masterminds who were pulling the strings in the background all this time.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (So Watase's hatred... wasn't directed at Communicators... But rather the Rokumei City government, the ones who caused everything?)It appeared that this was Watase's true memory. Natsuhiko felt a bit of relief, then left the memory...  And there we go, that's the second one done.
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Apr 6, 2017 21:09
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Sarabande Divergents: C: 07/07/2029, 17:35  Back then, he'd asked Ukita about his motive for betraying LABO. (... Mr. Ukita said he did it in order to protect his own life the last time I saw this. But if that memory was altered... then what was his real motive?) ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ Have you decided to become one of us? No... I wanna ask you something before that. Third verse, same as the second and the first. Why are you betraying LABO? I can't trust a man who'd betray his own organization without first hearing a clear reason that I can accept.A bitter look rose to Ukita's face when he heard that question.   (This is it! This is the part I have to repair!)And with that thought, Natsuhiko sent deep affection for Communicators to Watase's heart.  ...Because I hate the way LABO does things. That's all. What? But aren't you guys the ones who are abducting Communicators and using them for human experimentation? No, that's only done by a small number of employees known as 'Senior Fellows'-- high ranked researchers, in other words. --and the lies were replaced with the truth.  What? But aren't you guys the ones who are abducting Communicators and using them for human experimentation? No, that's only done by a small number of employees known as 'Senior Fellows'-- high ranked researchers, in other words. Junior Fellows-- normal researchers-- like me know that LABO is a BC research facility, but don't know about the test subjects. But I accidentally discovered the truth, you see... If there are inhumane acts being committed at my workplace, then I want to put a stop to them. Out of a pure sense of justice? Well, something like that. After all, not a single worker at LABO has tried to prevent the horrible things going on at their own workplace. When no one else will act to correct blatant wrongdoing, it offends your sense of justice, does it not? Quite a human reason. Wasn't expecting to hear that from a scientist. Contrary to what many think, the majority of scientists are human. That majority just isn't out out to work at LABO. I know it's much more pathetic than your reason-- but is it acceptable to you? ... Yeah.Watase didn't think Ukita's reason was pathetic at all. He could easily understand the desire to save those in jeopardy when their human rights were crushed. (If Wataru were here, she'd probably feel the same way...) ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (So Mr. Ukita's motive wasn't to protect his own life...) But when he thought about it, it made sense why Ukita's behavior had seemed vaguely soft-hearted.  Steadfast in his belief, Natsuhiko moved on from the memory. And that's three down. One to go.
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Apr 6, 2017 21:11
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Sarabande Divergents: D: 07/07/2029, 20:21  Back when they'd been discussing Q's goals... (... Mr. Ukita said that Q's ultimate goal was to abduct the test subjects. But if that too was an altered memory... then what's Q really after?) ♪ BGM: Pose the Question to this World ♫ And once more, we keep our Senses held high. Tell me all the details about the plan and its goal. Very well. This is what we've thought up so far.Ukita nodded and began talking.   (This is it! This is the part I have to repair!)And with that thought, Natsuhiko sent deep affection for Communicators to Watase's heart.  First of all, our ultimate objective is to abduct the test subjects. Huh? What good's abducting monsters gonna do? I believe I've already told you this, but a Communicator who's turned into a monster has the potential to become a biological weapon.   We want to deal a fatal blow to the both of them simultaneously. Our first goal towards achieving that is rescuing the captive test subjects. What? How's that related to dealing a blow to LABO? They'll act as living witnesses to expose the truth. No matter how loud we shout, our voices will be smothered or we'll be dismissed as nutjobs-- But if we rescue the test subjects, then we'll have the best witnesses we could possibly hope for on LABO's wrongdoings. You know how society and the media are-- They won't be able to ignore a story like that from such a direct source of information. I see, that makes sense. That would result in an investigation into all the other things Rokumei City's been covering up all this time one after another. ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (H-hold on! Then that means-- Watase and Mr. Ukita's goal wasn't to ''abduct'' the test subjects, but ''save'' them!? They did everything they did to save Yuuri and Subject N!? Watase and Mr. Ukita... were driven by their sense of justice to do all that...!?)Natsuhiko left the memory as he continued to reel in shock.
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Apr 6, 2017 21:12
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De Temporum Fine Comoedia: Play At the End of Time ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫ He was quite confused, so he decided to organize his thoughts first. (U-umm... so let's go through everything I learned through this process...)  ''But it was an undeniable fact that she was the one who caused the Great Rokumei City Arson.''  (Next is Watase and Mr. Ukita's motives and goals...) ''In fact, he sympathizes with them. No, what he truly hates is the Rokumei City government and LABO for abducting test subjects over and over again even to this day.''  ''He took part in this terrorist plot out of a pure sense of justice to try and stop the inhuman cruelty going on at LABO.''  ''They're trying to bring Rokumei City and LABO's wrongdoings to light by having the test subjects serve as living witnesses.'' (That's right... so Watase was also driven by a sense of justice...! Though of course, his core motive is to avenge Wataru...)Watase's motive, when it came down to it, was to settle a personal grudge. And there was no denying that he was indeed a terrorist. But even so--  (Watase and Mr. Ukita are challenging LABO!! They took extreme caution to make sure no one got hurt...!)Natsuhiko felt his perspective on them had taken a complete 180. The Watase that Natsuhiko had seen in those memories was a totally different person from the one he knew. His true self wasn't a ''hero of justice'', but rather a bona-fide terrorist. But there was one constant that had stayed in his heart for all those years--  That was the will that he had inherited from his deceased sister. (Now that I know all that... there's no way in hell I can leave Watase as this murderous psychopath. I have to bring him back to his true self no matter what it takes!)Natsuhiko reaffirmed the determination in his heart to do exactly that. But he knew repairing four memories alone would never be enough to bring Watase back to normal. The altered memories ultimately did little more than foster Watase's malice. It was likely that the malice, the hostility, the killing intent in Watase hadn't vanished.  (The memory of that time is the problem! If I just erase that memory--!)Then Watase would most certainly go back to normal. Natsuhiko put faith in that belief and searched through Watase's memories again. His target was-- (''The memory of when Watase's malice was at its greatest''...!)    Well, so here we are. This is the last memory we need to purify. Strap in, folks.
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Apr 6, 2017 21:13
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There's one memory in the future involving Ena that I hope you show off both wrong answers for. There's also a few answers which get interesting responses if you half-rear end them.
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Apr 6, 2017 21:23
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Cyouni posted:There's one memory in the future involving Ena that I hope you show off both wrong answers for. There's also a few answers which get interesting responses if you half-rear end them. I'll make a second pass over the RAM segments during the completion part of the route. For the regular playthrough, I'll just make the right decisions in the segments themselves, though don't worry, readers, there will be decisions surrounding the future RAM segments that you'll get to gently caress up.
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Apr 6, 2017 21:27
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Huh. I feel bad for Alice, now. Poor girl. Also, Subject Nope (N) continues to be creepy and awful. But something doesn't make sense: If she's making Watase hate Communicators, wouldn't that put her own life at risk by making him want to kill her because she is one?
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Apr 6, 2017 22:49
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uhhhhh I mean I like the idea and all, but the execution is sort of lacking.
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Apr 7, 2017 00:08
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My only gripe with it is that oh my goodness that is a lot of text to tutorialize us on at once. Nothing really new so far from the real memories since we had already figured out that the Rage Virus was making things MORE RAGE and that the truth would be significantly less rage.
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Apr 7, 2017 02:14
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Junpei posted:Huh. I feel bad for Alice, now. Poor girl. Remember, no matter what kind, BC is ultimately based on making others feel things you are feeling/have felt. Given the depth of malice shown by nearly everyone in LABO, I don't think she's in a state of mind to plan these things out.
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Apr 7, 2017 11:25
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I'm also curious about what's supposed to stop N from simply melding and re-writing Watase's memory again. The only thing I think that was keeping him from being re-infected this whole time was his lack of malleable memories to make him hatehateHATE something/someone.
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Apr 7, 2017 13:29
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Awake, a Voice Calls to Us: 09/16/2030, 07:50   Natsuhiko and Watase had been facing off.  ♪ BGM: Approaching Death ♫ Look, you Communicator... Even if you don't know it, I've got a perfectly good reason to hate your kind. You have precious friends, right? Well there was someone who was more precious to me than anyone else. Wh... what are you... talking about...!?Watase felt like he could cry when he heard the Communicator ask that with clear bewilderment. The monster who had taken Wataru's life didn't even know who she was. You don't know? Nah, of course you don't. What's one more dead kid in a list of 118 casualties? But that kid was my other half. My very mirror image. Weak, but motivated. Stupid, but gentle. The very embodiment of light to me. But that light died. And all that's left is a dark shadow. ...That's me. That's Watase Kasasagi. Burn that name into your ears. Carve it into your mind. Reflect on that name until the moment you die!!Watase's heartbroken screams echoed through the cramped room.  There was no trace of any alteration to this memory. This was reality. Those were the exact words Watase had said to Natsuhiko. (I can't repair this memory... Even if I do, it won't help...)Natsuhiko endured the pain in his heart and continued watching.  That's it. Run, run, run, you drat Communicator. Just like how we ran in the hospital that night.Watase spat those words out as he watched the Communicator run away from him. ...Dammit...! Dammit, dammit, dammit...!The Communicator cursed over and over again as he ran for his life. Watase chased him as he felt a sick, twisted joy. At last, he could finally kill the monster responsible for Wataru's death... the abomination he despised so much--  A thought ran through Watase's head as he gripped his gun tightly. (--Hey, Wataru, would you be sad if you ever saw me like this? Hey, Kazami, would you be sad if you knew a rescue captain like me was trying to kill someone? But you know, I want the two of you to think about it carefully. Communicators aren't humans. They're mind-corrupting monsters. This is a monster hunt...! Kill or be killed...! Another 118 innocents will die if I don't kill that monster right here and now! I will give life to 118 people for the 118 that died, including Wataru. So the two of you will forgive me, right? I have to kill that monster in accordance with my beliefs. I have to convince myself of this... I have to be strong...! Time to kill... I must kill the monster. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill...) An incoherent, unstable malice perched precariously on the brink of madness. (To think Watase could be driven to this state...)Boundless sorrow filled Natsuhiko's heart. This was the first time he had felt such sorrow ever since his and Watase's minds had become one. (... I swear... I'll erase this memory... This memory can't be allowed to exist... This isn't how Watase is supposed to be. If I can just erase it, then Watase should go back to his true self...!) Watase chased Natsuhiko all the way into Area N.  ♪ BGM: Sinister Ambience ♫ But Natsuhiko was overcome with surprise when he saw that memory. For there was no one in Area N. (Huh... huh? Hold on, what's going on here? Why am I not in Area N?) Yet Natsuhiko was nowhere to be found. Watase was standing all alone in Area N. As if he were dumbfounded that the monster he was supposed to be killing wasn't there. But filling the air of that empty void-- Was a floral scent. Wh... what's going on!? This wasn't how things happened!!But just as Natsuhiko shouted that,  ♪ BGM: Silence ♫ a voice echoed in his head. !!Natsuhiko gasped. When he came to his senses-- he realized something was there that wasn't there a second ago--  ♪ BGM: Evil and Nightmares ♫ She was the Communicator who'd been confined in Area Zero-- Subject N...!?Natsuhiko shuddered. He had a bad feeling that something terrifying was happening.  Man, looks like you've got no clue what the hell's going on, huh?Subject N looked at Watase and said that. No-- perhaps she was looking at Natsuhiko and talking to him directly. The girl was speaking in a rough tone that didn't suit her at all. Furthermore, the look in her eyes was sharp and somewhat ominous. Wha... what's going on here? Hey, what the hell did you do!? This is all that remains of the BC energy that I-- that Subject N used. What...? When I used Senses Sympathy on Watase, I lobbed a powerful lump of information energy into that skull of his. That lump has continued to stay in the depths of his dumbass brain without vanishing or decaying, despite the fact that it's been cut off from Senses Sympathy. You could call that collection of energy... a spirit, so to speak. That's me. I've been waiting in the depths of Watase's mind for you to haul your rear end over here. ...!A sense of shock and understanding hit Natsuhiko at the same time. Subject N continued to exist on the flip side of Watase's mind as a lump of information energy filled with malice, like a split personality. So even if what he were seeing wasn't reality, it wasn't Watase's memory either. It was a ''visualization'' of Watase's mind, so to speak. Natsuhiko was now facing off with Subject N's spirit which existed in the depths of that mind. You're the source of Watase's desire to kill, aren't you...!? Yeah, bingo. You... what do you get out of egging Watase on like that?Natsuhiko held back his fear and interrogated Subject N. Aren't you a Communicator too? Didn't you ever consider that your actions could've caused your own death, too? Maybe I did. But who the hell cares? What...!? Subject N has no 'self'. She can't fear her own death either. ...!? What do you mean... you have no self...?A smile formed on the girl's face when she heard that question. ...I was forced to participate in a certain experiment over the course of the many years I lived in this facility. The experiment was to see how many people's minds I could dive into and copy their memories into my brain. You know how many people that turned out to be? 351. That many sets of memories overlapped with my own mind. ...Back when the whole experiment started, neither me nor those LABO bastards knew just how dangerous that was. Dangerous... how? Guess you're still clueless about it, but the thing about Senses Sympathy, you see-- It isn't merely borrowing someone else's senses and seeing their memories. It's using BC particles as an intermediary to copy the information in your target's brain into your own head. It truly is the ability that connects people's minds. The power to share each other's feelings and sensations and have a mutual influence on each other. By using this ability, the minds of the Communicator and their target blend inextricably together. Let's take you for example. You hated Watase Kasasagi's guts, yet now you find yourself relating to him, right? Ah...! So basically, the more a Communicator uses Senses Sympathy, the more their mind mingles with their target's mind. ...Care to guess what happened to me after I did that poo poo 351 times? My sense of self went down the drat drain. !! Well, it ain't surprising. Melding with 351 different minds is the kind of poo poo no mortal mind can endure. This is the fatal danger of Senses Sympathy. The more you use it, the more you wear your sense of self thin. In exchange for my self, I obtained the memories of 351 different targets, plus my own. A grand total of 352 sets of memories. One of them is mine. Beat the hell outta me which memories belong to that set, though. So since I don't know what my real memories are, I can't obtain a real sense of self. The one thing I do remember is the designation 'Subject N'. I don't even remember how the hell I used to talk. The reason I'm running my mouth like a guy right now is probably Watase Kasasagi's influence at work. So long story short, I lost my original self by melding with others' minds. I'm an extremely vague entity. ...Natsuhiko was utterly speechless. Seeing this, Subject N continued her dispassionate explanation. The researchers apparently call my condition 'N-ification'. Hahah. I don't remember a drat thing about myself, yet I remember totally pointless crap like that. N-ification...? What's the N stand for? Hell if I know. Maybe 'Nobody' or 'Neighbor'... or perhaps 'Nucleus'? A being who is 'nobody', yet 'neighbors' their target, and bases the 'nucleus' of their personality off of them. Therefore, I am Subject 'N'... Sure, whatever.The girl snorted, then continued. Well, my name doesn't mean a drat. It's those piece of poo poo researchers who gave it to me anyway. I've been N-ified for so drat long that I don't even remember when it happened. My head was empty that whooooole time, and I always dreamed. I barely thought about anything. ...And yet I just wanted to connect to others' minds like it was some kind of instinct. A lone desire that motivates me. B-but why did you become malice incarnate? If it weren't for that, then a little more and you too could--Subject N gave a wry smile to Natsuhiko's question. ...That's just another result of Senses Sympathy. Though its form and volume may vary, everyone holds some kind of malice in their minds, no exception. You'd be surprised at just how many people out there hate and discriminate against Communicators. ...Malice is harder to get rid of than you'd think, and it just keeps building up and up. It wormed its way into my mind little by little. The malice of 351 people completely contaminated my mind. And thus I became pure 'malice' itself. Instinctively propagating myself is the sole absolute behavioral value I have. ...No way... But on the other hand-- he'd finally realized something. He remembered the ''monster'' mentioned in the Seven Wonders. ''If a Communicator uses BC without knowing the proper way, they will eventually turn into a mind-broken monster. The monster will even break the minds of those around them with malice-filled BC.'' --Those rumors matched up perfectly with what Subject N was saying. (So the monster... really did exist...!)The monster would then indiscriminately spread its malice like a radioactive object spreads its radiation. As a result, it didn't matter if she died or not. To Subject N, physical death apparently meant nothing. (She's fallen too far off the beaten track...! She's a mere shadow of the Communicator she used to be! Though she's lost her body, she still clings to people's minds and keeps on hating others! That's just...!) He wanted to defeat this monster right away. ...I'll put a stop to you. I'm going to erase all your malice.He could do it. He had the means. All he had to do was completely erase the memory he was currently watching without leaving a single speck of it behind. (Erasing the memory will damage Watase's brain... but I really don't have a choice this time!)Subject N looked at Natsuhiko and smirked. Thanks for the consideration. But-- Kid, haven't you noticed it yet? Looking into someone else's mind means letting them look into your own. ...? What do you mean? I told you that using Senses Sympathy causes your mind to meld with your target's, right? And you've been watching Watase's malice-filled memories this whole time. In other words-- !? What was it you thought about me earlier? Oh yes, you called me a 'monster', didn't you? Even though we're both Communicators. I thought Communicators were your allies and Q was your enemy? Now that's odd. Where the hell did this 180 come from? ...! Just fooling with you, kid. You haven't pulled a 180 at all, right? You were going to erase Watase's memories without the slightest hesitation just a little while ago, yeah? Even though you know that he could die from any further brain damage you give him. Ah... n-no, I...! Now you see? You're already 'one of us'. You just screw around with Watase's head however you like as if it's your own little plaything. You use inhuman abilities to your heart's content to stomp on others. You know what they call a being like that? A monster, that's what. --!!Natsuhiko shouted voicelessly. Subject N walked over to Natsuhiko. See... try thinking back on it. Your memories are filling up with malice. But you probably can't even remember how those memories actually used to be anymore, huh, kid? H... huh?Natsuhiko cried out in a hollow voice-- And a memory of Watase flashed through his head.   Give me back my memories if you don't want to die!  He felt like that wasn't quite what'd happened, but-- No, that is what happened. Watase held you at gunpoint and forced you to restore his memories.  (Th-that's right, I was...!) (I was forced by Watase to restore his memories or else...!) (In that case, why don't I just get the jump on Watase...) (I'd be better off just completely destroying his memories again...!)Twisted intentions welled up in Natsuhiko's mind. His fear and hatred of Watase filled his heart. (That's right, that'd be for the best! Besides, the bastard's a terrorist! He--)But at that moment...  !?Yuuri's voice echoed in his brain. Y-Yuuri! Why can I hear your voice!? Where are you!?  {I dove into your mind at the same time you dove into Captain Kasasagi's.} ...! {Remember what I told you? Just remember me when it looks like you'll lose to the malice. I'll restore your memories to normal now.}And with those words-- the true memory of that time came rushing through Natsuhiko's brain.     If I try to attack you as soon as I get my memories back, then shoot me down. Don't hesitate. I'd rather die than kill you guys. {See? Captain Kasasagi didn't force you to restore his memories at gunpoint at all. There's no need to erase all his memories. The only one you have to erase is the one you're seeing right now. When you do... Captain Kasasagi will be set free from N's curse. So let's do it.} Y... yeah!Natsuhiko said that and looked at Subject N.  No, I will. But-- I'll only erase this one-- only your spirit. ...!?♪ BGM: The Brave Decision ♫ Subject N's face froze for the first time. Hey... you saying you're gonna erase me, kid? When I'm only barely clinging to life here in Watase's brain? Yeah... that should be the best for you too. What? I feel sad for you. You continue to hate people even after your body's died and you've been reduced to a mere spirit. You must be tired of it all, right? ...So I'll put you to rest now. When it comes down to it, you're just trying to get rid of me for your own good, aren't you!? --Natsuhiko hesitated for an instant. His guilt and sympathy for Subject N came rising up. However--  {I feel bad for N too... but in the end... We have to do this for Captain Kasasagi...!}Natsuhiko felt a warm sensation on his hand accompany that voice. He could tell Yuuri was holding his hand.  ...I'll remember you. You think that makes me happy!? No, please tell me. Anything you remember about yourself. Anything at all. Like, for example, oh, I know-- what's your real name?The girl responded in a depressed voice. ...I don't have one. I was born in this facility and lived here until today. What the hell's a lab rat gonna do with a name? ... It was a sentence from the data Ena had extracted from LABO's computers about the specifications of a Case N. ''Subject****as born in LABO.'' --Perhaps that line referred to this girl.  The little I remember is just memories of LABO, too. Maybe I would have been given another name had I lived in the normal world. But I was born in this BC facility. I bore the role of 'test subject'... ...You...Her words and expression wrenched at Natsuhiko's heart. He had at least wanted to call her by her name at the very end, but he couldn't even do that. I'm sorry... Subject N. ...Don't apologize, you monster.And as Natsuhiko felt the pain in the girl's heart through her voice--  
TheMcD fucked around with this message at 11:41 on Apr 8, 2017 |
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Apr 7, 2017 16:03
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Haha get owned Nagisa. Come on Natsuhiko, you gotta shape up bud. She's indirectly responsible for everything here.
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Apr 7, 2017 23:38
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Huh, "virus" ended up being a lot more apt than I thought  TheMcD posted:
... 
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Apr 7, 2017 23:59
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GHOST RAGE VIRUS! Everything here does make a lick of sense. Two communicators are better than one!
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Apr 8, 2017 00:24
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: Join me, Natsuhiko, and we can rule people's minds! : Never! I'd never join up with a hateful sociopath like you, who has forgotten how to love! : I figured you'd say that. HATE BLASTER! : GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! KILL.... WATASE... KILL... YUURI.... KILL MASHIRO AND LOUISE AND JUN AND KAZAMI AND ENA AND UKITA AND EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! : Hikorin! MEMORY RESTORE!!! : ...tch... Thanks, Yuuri. Alright. N! YOU'RE GOING DOWN, AND I'M SAVING WATASE, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! : WHAT? HOW?! : MEMORY BREAKER! SHATTER LIKE GLASS!
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Apr 8, 2017 00:34
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... I kinda feel bad for Nagisa, when it comes down to it.
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Apr 8, 2017 00:35
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TheMcD posted:
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Apr 8, 2017 04:35
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Haifisch posted:
I have no idea what you're talking about. There is no typo there. As an aside, Subject N is my favorite character in the game, beating out Salyu for the top spot. TheMcD posted:
I have a writing fetish for mindfucking antagonists, and Subject N's mindfucking game is on point. All this time, I figured that Natsuhiko's incredibly callous behavior in regards to the brain damage he's giving Watase was just going to be written off as protagonists doing protagonist things, being a loose cannon and getting results, but no, somebody actually calls him on it. Of course, being able to manipulate memories and going "See, this is what happened. You hate this person. You have the power to kill them. Now go and do it." helps a lot.
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Apr 8, 2017 13:21
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Partner: 09/16/2030, 16:10 ---- --  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ --Natsuhiko returned to reality once more. What he first saw was Watase. He had collapsed onto the floor face-down. C... Captain Kasasagi!? ...Watase seemed to have fainted after Natsuhiko had erased his memory. When Natsuhiko tried to shake him awake-- ...Guh... ugh...!Watase got up with a groan. And then he glared at Natsuhiko. (The malice didn't disappear!?)Natsuhiko quickly covered Yuuri. But-- Watase muttered in confusion. Wha... what happened...? 'What happened'--? I hated your guts just a second ago... but that hatred suddenly disappeared?At those words, Natsuhiko and Yuuri looked at each other. We did it... It worked! ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 1 ♫ H-hey! What do you mean, 'free from the malice'? Explain what's going on! Well, actually--Natsuhiko explained the circumstances to the dumbfounded Watase. What they had learned from his memories. What had happened inside his brain. How Subject N had manipulated his memories and infected him with malice... After Watase had heard it all, he took a deep breath and spoke. ...So that's what happened, huh. So... how are you feeling, Captain Kasasagi? ...Like I just woke up from along nightmare. But in any case, my memory's mostly returned to normal and the hatred ruling my mind's gone too.Watase's tone of voice was calm and composed. The madness had faded from his eyes. Thank goodness...!Yuuri sighed in relief and Natsuhiko felt a weight off his shoulders as well. Everything seemed to be good, considering Watase had returned to his original self brimming with a sense of justice. Then... can I ask for your cooperation? My cooperation? I want your cooperation to protect Yuuri and aid in her escape. I want to set Yuuri free. ...A suspenseful silence spread through the shelter once more. Finally, Watase made up his mind and spoke up. ...I'm sorry, Natsuhiko. I can't do that. Huh!? Captain Kasasagi, why...?♪ BGM: Pose the Question to this World ♫ Even if my malice has disappeared, now that I have my memories back... I'm still part of 'Q'.Natsuhiko twitched at those words. Now that he thought about it, Watase's goal wasn't just to rescue the test subjects. His end goal was strictly to use the test subjects as living witnesses against LABO's crimes against humanity. But if that were the case, then that meant that even if Yuuri escaped, it didn't necessarily mean she was free, naturally. It was most likely that Q would take custody of her and have her cooperate with their activities. As Natsuhiko realized that possibility, Watase continued. I have a mission. A mission I must carry out no matter what. Kidnapping Yuuri? Yeah. No, you can't mean that...! You're really a gentle person on the inside, so why must you persist in such a thing? Exactly! I don't care how you sugarcoat it by calling it a mission. That doesn't change how it's terrorism! I understand that. No, you don't understand at all. While your memories were gone, you desperately tried to save everyone, didn't you? That was who you are by nature. I'm sure that was the true you. The one who succeeded Wataru's dying wish to become a rescue worker! Don't say that name like you knew her. You think you understand me? Of course I do. Our minds were once one, after all!Watase's eyes widened at those words. You wanted to save lives, didn't you? That desire was always on your mind ever since Wataru's death. ...Yeah. So please, just forget about your terrorist mission or whatever. You can still start over again, can't--Watase interrupted Natsuhiko with a depressed murmur. Maybe if my comrades hadn't died. ...!   'Friends' doesn't even begin to describe them. We were kindred souls. Partners. Family--... Watase's sad words left Natsuhiko speechless. But even so, he squeezed out an earnest reply. You're... wrong. Then you should be able to understand why I'm resorting to all this. Conventional methods won't change a goddamn thing.Watase was right. Natsuhiko understood Watase's feelings. Whether he wanted to or not. However-- (But still... he really has changed...)Regardless of whether or not he was affected by the malice contagion, once Watase had regained his memory, the ''amnesiac Watase'' had disappeared. But at that moment, Yuuri spoke up. I understand your point...Natsuhiko looked at Yuuri in shock as she made a brooding face. Let's make a deal, Captain Kasasagi. A deal? Yes. Once this incident is over-- I'll entrust myself to your care. What!? Hand me over to Q or whatever you please. But in return, cooperate to make sure everyone escapes. Wh... what are you saying, Yuuri!?Natsuhiko tried to stop her, but Yuuri wouldn't pull back. It's okay, Hikorin. If I endure this, then nobody else has to get hurt...Yuuri spoke with a smile. (No... there's no way I can approve of this deal!)But Natsuhiko could think of no other way to earn Watase's cooperation. Natsuhiko fell silent as Watase spoke up in a low voice. Yuuri, I accept your deal. I promise to get everyone out of here alive. Please do, Captain Kasasagi.The deal was made without Natsuhiko having a say in any of it. (D-dammit... What do I do...!?)Even if the two of them had consented to the deal, there was no way he could just sit back and watch as Watase took Yuuri away. By no means could Natsuhiko turn a blind eye. (I-I guess I've got no choice... If Watase insists on prioritizing that mission of his, then...!)--Then there was a way to put a stop to him. Indeed. There was something Natsuhiko could do.   VOTING So, now we've restored Watase's memory, for better or for worse. He's now no longer interested in murdering the poo poo out of Communicators, but alas, he's still very fixated on his mission of getting Yuuri to Q to completely destroy LABO, which is very much at odds with Natsuhiko's plan of getting Yuuri the freedom she hasn't had in ages, especially given that they're both probably going to kick the bucket after about seven to ten years or so. Natsuhiko thinks he's found a solution to the problem, but what do you think of his solution? Our choice here is either to favor Watase, or to favor Natsuhiko. You can probably imagine what the two options will do in this case. Now, choose wisely.
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Apr 8, 2017 13:25
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Nah, I'm sticking with Watase. Partially because I'm hoping this is how we get a bad end, and partially because I just don't like Natsuhiko all that much.
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Apr 8, 2017 14:19
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I'll go for Natsuhiko. I dislike him, but given it was just pointed out that Watase is a good person (if perhaps misguided), I feel like erasing Watase's memories yet again could lead to a bad end.
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Apr 8, 2017 14:56
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Going with Watase.TheMcD posted:
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Apr 8, 2017 15:29
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Watase
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Apr 8, 2017 15:36
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Watase.
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Apr 8, 2017 16:13
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Watase did nothing wrong.
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Apr 8, 2017 17:02
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Watase We hosed with his mind enough and maybe this is the best way to get Yuuri her freedom. I think if we try to SSS him again he will straight up die.
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Apr 8, 2017 17:05
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With Yuuri's testimony we'll be able to bring justice to LABO for kidnapping and experimenting on children, and my comrades won't have died in vain. Well my options are to stay here with the bomb or track down my abusive parents who think I'm dead, so... yeah, Q's good. (Maybe I should erase Watase's memory again and save human experimentation. God drat I'm a good-rear end protagonist)
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Apr 8, 2017 17:30
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Watase Favoring Natsuhiko is an obvious bad end, and I want to get through the plot, before seeing the bad endings. also, Natsuhiko's being dumb, understandably, but still dumb. Watase is probably not going to do anything to hurt Yuuri (the malice is gone, and he needs Yuuri for the mission), and this will expose LABO's blatant evil.
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Apr 8, 2017 19:16
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Watase Even leaving aside things like which choice will lead to a bad end or not, I just cannot agree with Natsuhiko. Symapthise, yes, but agree with his course of action no.
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Apr 8, 2017 19:43
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Watase. We've been told several times already that messing with someone's mind too much can seriously gently caress them up. With the amount of fuckery Watase has already been through, I'd be afraid of anything more being the straw that broke the camel's back. Also, seriously Natsuhiko, you might want to pull back for a minute and think. Wanting to deal with your problems using memory erasing and manipulation is a slippery slope that could turn you into something like N.
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Apr 8, 2017 21:17
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Watase We always have chance to see bad ends later.
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Apr 8, 2017 21:59
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LucyWanabe posted:Watase. We've been told several times already that messing with someone's mind too much can seriously gently caress them up. With the amount of fuckery Watase has already been through, I'd be afraid of anything more being the straw that broke the camel's back. Pretty much this. If it turns out that Q just wants her to do their own crazy Communicator experiments then Natsuhiko can go 'dangit Watase with these methods Q is no different than LABO!'
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Apr 9, 2017 01:01
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Choo choo Watase support group comin' through.
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Apr 9, 2017 07:12
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Guess I might as well close voting now. There's just no stopping the Watase train.
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Apr 9, 2017 12:32
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