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Junpei posted:So Current is "Route After with running commentary by Natsuhiko Tenkawa"? That's the summary. It begins where Route Before ends and ends where After does.
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Mar 1, 2017 04:35
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Encounter / REUNION: 09/16/2030, 10:38 ---- ----Before he knew it, his consciousness was in the darkness once again. He was in a world shut away from everything. All of his senses had shut off. How much time had passed?  (I... didn't disappear...?)As soon as that realization hit Natsuhiko-- he heard a voice echoing from somewhere.  --... rise so much just now!? Is the radiation down he...--???: ...--sn't good! Let's get out of here!  Wait! It's not that much higher than the AD's limit! I think we'll still be okay! (Is that Jun...? And the other voice is...?)His hearing soon returned, followed quickly by his sight--  ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ He saw a girl he was quite familiar with standing there within the flames. (Salyu!? Why is Salyu here!? No, first things first, why have my senses come back!? What's happening--!?)Just then, someone beside the man looked at Salyu and spoke up.  (!!? P-professor!?)She wasn't wearing her glasses, but there was no mistaking that it was Ena. (What's Prof. Tsubakiyama doing here!? What on earth is going on right now?)Beside the man were Jun and Ena, all surrounded by flames. As Natsuhiko struggled to process everything in his extreme confusion, the man shouted at Salyu. Calm down, you don't have to be afraid of us! We came here to save you!But predictably, the terrorist's persuasive words to Salyu fell on deaf ears-- --She turned around and ran away. Jun and the man pursued her.    O... oh come on, give us a break! Yeah!Jun and the man chased Salyu into an area contaminated by radiation. The man was assailed by an intense headache and numb skin, and the pain propagated to Natsuhiko as well. (Are these the effects of radiation!? Then Salyu must be taking the same radiation damage too--!) Wait! Please wait!Salyu seemed to be in pain. The bandage on her left arm was oozing with blood. Natsuhiko promptly screamed at the man. {Stop! Don't follow her! Don't chase her! Stop right there!} Shut the hell up!The man rejected Natsuhiko's cry and ran even faster. Those words set off a seething rage within Natsuhiko for the terrorist that killed him. (You're not laying a finger on Salyu!) ♪ BGM: Silence ♫ And destroyed the man's current memory of that very instant. Ghh...!--The man appeared to have collapsed. Salyu's footsteps faded into the distance. And as the man's consciousness became dim, it almost seemed to pull Natsuhiko's consciousness away wi--... --... --...
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Mar 1, 2017 19:47
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What the hell, Natsuhiko? You specifically said that you didn't have to worry about this guy wanting to kill people for now, and then you immediately mind crush him when he tries to help out your friend? Who is currently in 'Oh gently caress' levels of radiation exposure?
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Mar 2, 2017 00:56
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GeneralYeti posted:What the hell, Natsuhiko? You specifically said that you didn't have to worry about this guy wanting to kill people for now, and then you immediately mind crush him when he tries to help out your friend? Who is currently in 'Oh gently caress' levels of radiation exposure? Keep in mind, Natsuhiko doesn't get a chance to implant the false memory of Watase wanting to save the kids for about two more hours, so Natsuhiko still thinks Watase wants to kill Salyu. Also I wrote up a massive effortpost on what's going on last night but accidentally hit back and deleted the whole thing 
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Mar 2, 2017 01:08
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Danaru posted:Also I wrote up a massive effortpost on what's going on last night but accidentally hit back and deleted the whole thing Sounds as if you might want to try Lazarus Form Recovery (the Chrome extension, not sure if there's a Firefox equivalent)
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Mar 2, 2017 01:11
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GeneralYeti posted:What the hell, Natsuhiko? You specifically said that you didn't have to worry about this guy wanting to kill people for now, and then you immediately mind crush him when he tries to help out your friend? Who is currently in 'Oh gently caress' levels of radiation exposure? It's debatable that this is actually nuclear radiation rather than "BC radiation". Remember the "reactor room" was a big empty room that wasn't on fire. Also I'm pretty sure if anything's going to trigger Watase's murder mode it's Salyu.
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Mar 2, 2017 04:52
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Glazius posted:It's debatable that this is actually nuclear radiation rather than "BC radiation". Remember the "reactor room" was a big empty room that wasn't on fire. Nothing debatable since we know there's no actual nuclear anything, but Natsuhiko wouldn't know that right now, especially since he hasn't expressed any doubts about the AD yet eternaldough fucked around with this message at 06:02 on Mar 2, 2017 |
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Mar 2, 2017 05:26
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Glazius posted:Also I'm pretty sure if anything's going to trigger Watase's murder mode it's Salyu. This is the main reason why I would want to keep Watase away from Salyu. She's not going down without a fight, and especially not against the one that shot her, should worse come to worse. Keeping Watase far away from Salyu is the correct decision, as having them really meet up will lead to poo poo going down. Besides, the group chasing after Salyu currently consists of the following: - Watase, AKA the terrorist that shot Salyu and "killed" Natsuhiko. He *seems* docile right now, but will that last? - Jun, who is a passing acquaintance. She seems friendly enough and did open her heart, but that's still a risk to take. - Kazami, who Natsuhiko doesn't know at all, and who is also a rescue worker in this group. A group consisting of three confirmed terrorists and two people of questionable state. - Ena, who has been closing her heart to Natsuhiko and shows up at LABO because of some mysterious motive Natsuhiko doesn't know at all. I could see why one would distrust that group, at least for now.
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Mar 2, 2017 18:52
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Action / DEADLOCK: 09/16/2030, 11:16 ---- ------ Though he couldn't tell how many times he'd felt this sense of vanishing, it didn't last very long. Eventually, a sharp sound echoed in the darkness, shaking Natsuhiko awake. (... Is that sound... a watch alarm...?) ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ --... administer the AD to everyone. --... me have three of them. (They're administering AD...? So it's been an hour since they first administered it? But why did I regain consciousness now of all times...?)A prickling pain ran through the man's arm. It appeared he'd just administered himself with AD.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ And just then, that sense of vanishing assailed Natsuhiko once more!    (But I thought AD was an anti-radiation drug!?)Natsuhiko was beginning to realize something. Something possibly vital. --But in the blink of an eye, the darkness consumed Natsuhiko's thoughts. 
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Mar 2, 2017 19:35
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Search / BAFFLEMENT: 09/16/2030, 11:41 (What the hell is going on...? Why are my senses cutting in and out intermittently? Is my lingering BC energy becoming unstable inside the man's head...?)But there was no way he could reach an answer. He had no information to work with, and without his five senses, the best he could do was guess. (... A ghost, huh... Right now, I'm an even more fleeting existence than I thought...)Eventually, even his sense of time grew vague-- --And then he was abruptly greeted by his fourth awakening.  ♪ BGM: Approaching Death ♫ Moribe! We'll meet up in the center! Roger! (Wh-what!?)Once Natsuhiko came to, he realized the man was running through a passageway. The man's intense headache and numbness of the skin faintly propagated to Natsuhiko. (It's the same feeling as last time...!) The man raised his voice as he searched through the room and moved on to the next. Eventually, the man's rushed, impatient thoughts vaguely propagated to Natsuhiko. ''Survivors'' and ''AD''. He was apparently looking for those two things. Moribe! Any luck!? I checked all three rooms, but I got nothing! Same here! Then this ones the only room left!The room the man was looking at had a nameplate reading ''Dr. Miyoko Tenkawa''. (This is Mom's office!)     ...Moribe, let's go in! Yeah! Tch, already!? Let's get out of here! We promised we'd go back after three minutes!As he heard those words, Natsuhiko finally understood the situation. It seemed the two of them had designated a specific time frame for them to search a ''contaminated zone''. (I see. So that's why they're in such a rush.) (Wait, don' t tell me...!?)A certain hypothesis came to Natsuhiko's mind. --And he got evidence supporting that hypothesis once Jun and the man slipped out of the contaminated zone.    ♪ BGM: Silence ♫   And as he held that conviction, Natsuhiko's consciousness once again sank into the darkness--... --... --... ♪ BGM: Memento Mori ♫ ...--Once he was shut inside the darkness, Natsuhiko began to think. (... But even if I've figured that out, what good does it do...? I'm still nothing more than a ghost now, aren't I...?)Natsuhiko was struck with helplessness. --But even so, it was only a few dozen minutes later... that he eventually reached a turning point-- 
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Mar 2, 2017 19:35
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One thing you should be doing during Route Current is going back and reading the relevant chapters in Route After to connect some dots. For instance, way back during Laboratory - Part 2, from the viewpoint of Watase, he had a vague vision of the events that happened during the end of Route Before, with Yuuri fading away in front of Natsuhiko, and Natsuhiko confronting Mashiro. We now know that this is because Natsuhiko was remembering that while seeing the nameplate on his mother's office. There's a lot of interesting bits and pieces like that, though the upcoming ones will be a lot more major.
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Mar 2, 2017 19:40
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Just two more chapters left it seems. This clears up a few things, but we're still not getting some important questions answered.
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Mar 2, 2017 20:26
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SSNeoman posted:Just two more chapters left it seems. This clears up a few things, but we're still not getting some important questions answered. C definitely feels like the "tying threads together" chapter, after the "mystery" chapter and the "set up" chapter and as such feels like its a bit unnecessary but also vitally important? Not sure how I feel about C.
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Mar 2, 2017 21:56
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Flashback / AWAKENING: 09/16/2030, 12:26 ---- ------ The fifth awakening groggily began.  ♪ BGM: Pose the Question to this World ♫ ???: --... the terrorist is one of the nine--... ???: --... No one's saying that at all! ???: Then do you mean to say there's a terrorist amongst the six of us? That's even more unlikely. Several people around the man were arguing about something. (... What's the situation this time...? What's this about a terrorist...? Don't tell me they figured out the man's true colors!? But how!? I could've sworn I erased his memories--!) ...All right! Let's just all calm down for a minute, guys! What's your problem!? You're the only one who hasn't spoken their thoughts on the matter, right!?Once Natsuhiko regained his sight, he first saw Ena's face. Near her were Jun, the lieutenant, the girl--  (!! Even Mr. Ukita's in LABO!? Why!? I mean, when Mr. Ukita had that guest lecture, he said--)  Several 'bulkheads' and 'gates' are installed that lock down to completely shut out the scattering of radioactive material.♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (He should've very well known that he could've been locked underground in the case of a meltdown...! So why did Mr. Ukita stay behind during the evacuation? Was he really the sleeper agent...!?)For a moment, he saw Ukita in a suspicious light, but-- (... No, wait a second... Something's not right if you think about it... If Mr. Ukita were with the terrorists, then he'd have escaped as soon as the meltdown happened... But at any rate, I still don't know why he stayed underground.) His doubts didn't stop there.  (It's no use! There's just way too many things I don't understand! Fine. In that case---!)As Natsuhiko recalled the time he dived into Mashiro's memories... ''I want to know!'' ...he focused on that wish with all his spirit. ♪ BGM: Silence ♫      --At that moment, all of the man's memories starting from when he had awoken floated before Natsuhiko's eyes. Memories of a heroic struggle in the midst of a hopeless situation.    The announcement of a Case N and the subsequent lockdown of all the bulkheads. The encounter with Ena and Ukita who were trapped below.    The pressing fires. The spreading radiation. The lack of AD. The difficult search for survivors.     And the gruesome murders that occurred within the inescapable walls of LABO--!     To overcome those countless hardships, the man threw himself into danger and kept on advancing regardless of any injuries he sustained.  Eventually, they reached an escape route. The cargo lift in Area 6.  But what was waiting for them there was the control panel Natsuhiko destroyed--  --and the corpse of an unfamiliar girl.  --... Natsuhiko's consciousness returned from the man's memories and linked back to the present. Before he knew it, all eyes were on the man. ♪ BGM: Evil and Nightmares ♫ H-hey, what's with the sudden silent treatment? {... What the hell was that...!?}The man appeared to be thoroughly confused himself. Natsuhiko gasped at that sign. (Don't tell me... he saw those memories the same time I did?)If that were the case, then the man had relived his memories of three hours in the span of a few seconds. Not his memories as a terrorist, but rather his memories as the rescue worker known as ''Watase Kasasagi''. The current Watase was almost a completely different person compared to the homicidal murderer. (Can memory loss alone cause such a drastic change in someone? If the man's true self was how he was before he lost his memory, then where in the world did the current ''Watase'' get his personality from...?)But there were more pressing matters for Natsuhiko to ponder. (In any case-- Murders in LABO? What's going on here!? I think the two rescue workers who died were probably the terrorists from back then, but-- What kind of LABO researcher would go so far as to kill a girl like that, and for what purpose...? If all of those incidents happened after the bulkheads shut, then does that mean the perpetrator is among the people present...?)Just then, Watase looked around at everyone as though he too shared Natsuhiko's doubts.  (Is Mr. Ukita the sleeper agent? Or did he merely get dragged into this mess...? If Mr. Ukita is in fact the sleeper agent, then maybe he double-crossed the terrorists for some reason-- At the very least, that brings up the possibility that he killed the two terrorists...!) (I don't want to think of Prof. Tsubakiyama as a murderer... but if she isn't, then what's she even doing here? After she refused to cooperate with us when we asked for her help, she's the last person I expected to see here... She explained to everyone that she came here because a staff member called her up, but I'm not so sure about that...) (Jun and Lieutenant Tachibana are in the same rescue squad as the terrorists... But as far as I can tell from how they've acted so far, they seem trustworthy enough. Especially Jun. I definitely can't see her killing anyone ever.) (!?)♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ --Yuuri's gone! Y-you're right! But why!?When Watase looked around in a panic, he caught a glimpse of her from behind. Found her! She headed for Area 5! {I don't think Moribe ever told Yuuri that the inner ring was a contaminated zone! If she ran there--!}Those thoughts were imbued with the righteous desire to save people, as if it were only second nature to him. {Go! Save her!}Natsuhiko approved of Watase's intentions as he ran into the contaminated zone.
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Mar 3, 2017 21:09
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Terror / ERASURE: 09/16/2030, 12:34   ♪ BGM: Extra-Sensory Perception ♫ What do you mean, 'you really did come after me'?! Of course I did! Anyway, this place is dangerous! It's a contaminated zone! You're always worrying about me like this, aren't you...? But... then why... Why did you do something so horrible to me back then...!?Those words confused both Natsuhiko and Watase. (''Something so horrible''? What could she be talking about?)There wasn't any applicable answer to be found within Watase's memories, but-- Do you really not remember...? A minute later and I would have died... I was really scared... when I found myself trapped all alone in that sea of flames... And yet you were also the one who saved me...Once he heard that, Natsuhiko finally understood. (I see, she...! She probably knew of Watase from before he lost his memories!)If that were the case, then of course she'd be confused as to why Watase currently seemed to be a completely different person. Yuuri stepped up to Watase and spoke up. Captain Kasasagi... please... Please let me know your mind...! (Let me know your mind? Wait, does that mean she's a Communicator too!?)As soon as that thought hit Natsuhiko, a certain memory flickered in Watase's brain.  !! ♪ BGM: Silence ♫ (!!? Is this a memory of when we fought!? But why!? Didn't I erase all his memories!?)--A moment later. Aah, aah... U-UWAAAAAAAAAAAH!Watase screamed and made a mad dash out of the elevator hall.  For some reason, he was equating Yuuri with his memory of Natsuhiko from back then. Natsuhiko recalled the mental voice he heard from Watase right before the memory erasure.  {This is a monster hunt...! Kill or be killed...! Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill...} (Crap! She's going to be in danger if this keeps up!) Natsuhiko once again sought to destroy Watase's ''current memory''. (Disappear!!) Ghh! Ghh, agh... GAAAAAAAAAAGH!At that very moment, Watase's mouth spewed blood and vomit.  (Wh-what's this all of a sudden!? It couldn't be an effect of erasing his memory, could it!?)Now that he thought about it, Watase also fainted when Natsuhiko erased his memory to give Salyu a chance to escape. It seemed that the bodily damage of memory erasure was no laughing matter. (If I keep doing this... will it end up killing him!?)    (Would I disappear too...!? S-screw that! I don't want to disappear!!)There was no way he could disappear without knowing the full story behind this incident. Without solving the mystery behind the girl who called herself ''Yuuri''. (I... I really hate to admit it...! But I'm in the same boat as this bastard! This isn't the time to just give up and die! Wake the hell up, Watase Kasasagi!!)Natsuhiko wished with all his strength--  ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ --and Watase reclaimed consciousness with a scream. (All right! He's holding out for now!)They had wasted time-- but probably not that much. (How's the girl!?) Yuuri had already disappeared.
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Mar 3, 2017 21:11
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Recollect / FORGERY: 09/16/2030, 12:37  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ Me neither... ...So we've really lost sight of her, huh...As he watched everyone give their reports with depressed faces, Natsuhiko thought to himself. (I ended up helping her escape... but was that really the right choice? Well... it's not like I had a choice back then.)As Natsuhiko agreed with himself, he focused on the laboratory itself. The sight of all the equipment ready there began to bother him. (... That's strange... Laboratories like these usually experiment on mice and stuff, don't they? So why is all the equipment here scaled for human use...?)As Natsuhiko pondered on that observation-- Ukita suddenly started interrogating Watase. --In fact, why did you go to the basement in the first place? How did you lose your memories? W-well... Amnesia caused by external trauma normally fades away with the progression of time. Yet you show no signs of recovery regardless of how long it's been... do you not find that strange? Mr. Ukita... are you implying something? I am. It is my belief that-- Captain Kasasagi may be lying about having amnesia.♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ Th-that's impossible! Why would he ever need to lie about something like that!? I believe... that it's because he's trying to hide something. No, if I'm to be completely honest, I've suspected that from the very beginning. (What's gotten into Mr. Ukita all of a sudden!? Is he blaming Yuuri's disappearance on Watase!? Does that mean Mr. Ukita wasn't one of Watase's comrades!?)As Natsuhiko pondered that thought, Watase objected to Ukita's accusation. I-I've done nothing wrong! Even without my memories, I-- Then go ahead and prove your innocence!Watase was pierced by everyone's suspicious stares. Ukita's accusation was persuasive enough. (But... if their suspicion of him grows any stronger, what will happen to Watase? If they restrain him, it'll restrict my ability to act too, won't it? Also--)    (If there's discord between the terrorists inside this facility...!)Then Ukita could very well end up killing Watase anyway. In which case Natsuhiko's spirit would likely vanish as well. (Wh-what do we do...? It doesn't look like Mr. Ukita's willing to give up on his suspicions of the current Watase. Should I try temporarily restoring the bastard's memories? ... No, I can't! If I did, that would truly be the revival of a murderer in itself! Then what should I do...!? What the hell -can- I do...!?)As he searched for options, he suddenly remembered the lesson from a few days ago.  ♪ BGM: Silence ♫ Telepathy stimulates the parts of the brain responsible for hearing to produce 'the same response as if it were actually hearing it'. So it's a kind of hallucination? True. But since it's the brain 'perceiving' the information, that might already make it a hallucination to begin with. Theoretically, that influence isn't limited to the sense of hearing... The possibilities of BC are endless. (If I can cause the brain to hallucinate in senses other than just hearing...!)If Natsuhiko could deceive not just Watase's hearing, but his sight, his touch, and his sense of time-- as well as his awareness itself. He could, in essence, fabricate a memory within the mind.  (I've got no choice! I have to!)Natsuhiko immediately focused his mind and wormed his way into Watase's consciousness.  ♪ BGM: Extra-Sensory Perception ♫ (Let's see... In short, all I need to do is prove that Watase was conducting rescue squad activities, so...)Natsuhiko began by projecting his own memories.   Terrorist 1: We're the rescue squad that received a distress call from LABO. Rescue squad!?Terrorist 1: You kids must be survivors, right? Y-yeah... We happened to be down here by coincidence and got caught up in all this.   To plant the memory into Watase's mind, Natsuhiko concentrated on it even harder than he would when using telepathy. (... Did it make it through...!?) (It's working! BC can be used to fabricate memories! I've had enough experience with Watase's point of view, so if I apply our joint memories to good use, it should be easy for me to create new ones from scratch! Next, I should create the image that Watase's comrades were proper rescue workers as well--)--Natsuhiko concentrated once more.       Terrorist 2: We should've put you through a little more pain back then... It was a mistake to show you mercy.   Natsuhiko used the voice he heard the second man use as a base to manipulate the vision so that the man said something else.   At this point, this voice sounds squeaky and too fast. Terrorist 1: Get down here right away! And this one sounds too deep.     ------: Get down here right away! Getting closer, but not there yet.     Rescue Worker 1: Get down here right away! Now it sounds good.   Natsuhiko then moved on to imagine the men conducting rescue activities.   Several minutes after that, he ran in the basement with his two subordinates. Watase was wearing his protection suit. His subordinates were wearing ones as well.  Rescue Worker 1: I heard footsteps coming from this way!   We... we're saved! Heeey theeere, please save uuuus! Survivors!   (All right! Looks like this will work! But it still lacks credibility, so--)  He's Natsuhiko and I'm Mashiro. And this one's Salyu. Salyu? A nickname. Comes from Louise Yui Sannomiya. I see...   (Prof. Tsubakiyama's the only one here who should know Salyu's nickname, so hopefully that'll get her to believe him... --Wait, what?)Just then, Natsuhiko noticed a certain oddity about the memory he had just forged. (Watase's watch turned into my watch? But why would that happen...? By changing someone's memories, do my own memories have an effect on them? Is that it?)He tried thinking about it, but he couldn't quite understand the reason why. (It bugs me... but I guess there's no helping it. Let's continue. Knowing Salyu's nickname might not be sufficient evidence on its own. If Prof. Tsubakiyama doesn't pick up on it, then it's all over. I need to add one more memory to gain everyone's trust for sure...)As he considered that requirement-- Natsuhiko figured out what would make the perfect ''evidence''.  --Back when he and Mashiro had been locked up in Area 5-- They'd entered Miyoko Tenkawa's office in their search for a security card.  (I didn't realize it back then, but that must've been AD, right?)Watase and Jun had later went into Miyoko Tenkawa's office and found 5 ampules of AD, but they didn't find the ones inside the desk drawers. (So if I just bestow Watase with this memory of the AD--!)    Natsuhiko bestowed Watase with that memory and returned to reality.  ♪ BGM: Silence ♫  --AAAAAAAAH! Captain! Captain, please calm down! Y-you okay!? ...Y-yeah... I'm okay. M-more importantly... I just remembered. ...Huh? Wait, does that mean!? ...My memory came back.--And as a result of the memory Natsuhiko had bestowed upon him, Watase was able to dodge suspicion.
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Mar 3, 2017 21:13
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 Jesus Christ Natsuhiko
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Mar 3, 2017 21:42
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At this point, my money's on the rage virus being another BC user tampering with people's memories. And Terrorist Watase was the result of getting rage virus'd a while back, which explains why he's so different post-amnesia.
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Mar 3, 2017 22:57
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So, to note, another interesting thing Route Current explains to us is what the burst of static means. It means that memories have been manipulated. That burst of static got a lot of screentime during the first two routes!
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Mar 3, 2017 23:26
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No wonder Watase had so many deaths in the first go around, getting his memories/mind yanked around like that.
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Mar 4, 2017 00:14
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I like to imagine all the bad ends are just explicitly natsuhiko's fault now. Oh poo poo it's Yuuri, better dive face first into this fire!
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Mar 4, 2017 01:40
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Apprehensions / MISGIVINGS: 09/16/2030, 12:42 ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ ...Okay, now that we've got my story cleared up, there's something more important we need to discuss. You're talking about Ms. Yuuri, aren't you? Yeah. It's far too dangerous for her to be wandering around this huge facility. And there's also Natsuhiko and the others to worry 'bout too. We've looked all over LABO and still haven't found them... Then either they really are moving around, or we missed them somewhere.Natsuhiko pondered to himself as he listened in on the conversation.    Thinking about the topic of his own whereabouts made him feel hopeless. With Watase and the others having already concluded their search of most of LABO, there was only one place remaining where Natsuhiko's body could be. --Area N. That was the only logical place. (They're saying there's a raging fire going on in there... Even if my body escaped being incineration by some miracle, it's probably been exposed to ungodly amounts of radiation... I guess... there really is no Chance at all that I'm still alive...)Though it was something he had already anticipated, Natsuhiko was still depressed to learn that he didn't even have a glimmer of hope. (Maybe I should be grateful that I still even have a consciousness here, but...)But he had no idea how long that would last. The lingering BC energy in Watase's brain could die out that very same moment, erasing Natsuhiko from all existence. (But still-- I've been awake for quite a while this time, haven't I? Just a while ago, my consciousness would cut in and out like crazy, so what changed that?)As Natsuhiko questioned that fact, Watase glanced at his Procyon. It read ''4531 mSv''. (The value's rising...? Now that I think about it, my consciousness has been awakening in contaminated zones... Huh? Wait a minute, what was the AD tolerance level--?) That was a conversation Watase had with Kazami in his memories.  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 3 ♫ (But how would that even work...???)--A plausible reason Natsuhiko came up with was that as the radiation grew stronger, it would damage Watase's body, thereby lowering the man's consciousness level-- And conversely, Natsuhiko's consciousness and sensation would be given more room to return. (... If consciousness is a type of energy, then that conjecture holds some water... doesn't it?)As Natsuhiko's thoughts ran about, Watase spoke up in a tense voice. ...If the contamination keeps on increasing at this rate, the whole facility may eventually be filled with over 8000 mSv. If that happens, then it'll be the same as not having any AD at all, huh... (Khh... if that's the case, then both Salyu and that girl are...!) And thus we come to the first and only branch in Route Current. This decides who Watase teams up with for the upcoming part, choosing between Ena, Jun and Kazami. As the ''canon'' choice (for our run, that is), I go with Jun. We'll see the other parts once we finish this route. --After that, the group's discussion progressed, and they eventually decided on a course of action. They would split into two teams and begin their search that way so as to not overlook any of the survivors. (Okay, then I'll help out as much as I can! But I want to avoid risking Watase regaining his memories... so who should I team him up with?) And then, as if that thought had a considerable effect on Watase-- Moribe, old man... you good with teaming up with me?Watase made that proposition-- --which was quickly accepted.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:02
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Strike / CLASH ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫  But there's also a possibility that Yuuri went running this way. Yeah, and we've also gotta find anything that can help us locate an escape route.They held that conversation as they headed to the small room with the cargo lift.  But eventually, she concluded that it would be too difficult to repair. ...I just don't have enough parts to fix it. The parts I need are just gone. Like the internal wiring was ripped out or something. It would take a lot of time and effort just to fix it. (That's right... Back then, I ripped it out so that Watase couldn't follow Mashiro, didn't I...)And since it was on Natsuhiko's person, which was currently in Area N, it was only obvious that repairs would be difficult. Okay... then let's consider the whole lift thing again after we've found the survivors. Watase and the others had no choice but to head to Area 1.  ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 3 ♫ Hmm? Is something the matter? No... I just thought I heard someone's footsteps or something... Huh!? From where!? But what awaited them was-- ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ Captain, look out!! Kah... agh!--a severe accident where falling debris injured Jun's back.  ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ O... okay, Captain Kasasagi! Then I'll keep searching while you treat Moribe!Ukita dashed out of the room with that statement-- --and after finishing Jun's treatment, Watase resumed the search as well.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:05
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Doubt / IRRITIATION: 09/16/2030, 13:09  ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫ Watase looked toward one of the bookshelves inside and found it to be tightly packed with books and theses. An Introduction to the Informational Field Theory / Author: Miyoko Tenkawa Elementary Particles, Information, and Consciousness / Author: Miyoko Tenkawa ESP Synchronization Hypothesis / Author: Antoine Courbet, Translator: Miyoko Tenkawa Cerebrum: Labyrinth of Physiology / Author: Ryoken Kashiwagi Unbinding from Pseudoscience: The Future and Prospects of Parapsychology / Author: Koki Sumida Before Crime * After Days / Author: Chikage Sonomura Particles, the Mind, and the Brain / Author: Shuuya Eriguchi (... A lot of these seem to be written by Mom, but-- ''Informational field''? ''ESP synchronization''? What on Earth is Mom researching? Do those things relate to nuclear power research...?)As if influenced by the curiosity in Natsuhiko's consciousness, Watase picked up the book ''An Introduction to the Informational Field Theory / Author: Miyoko Tenkawa''.   (Dark energy...? I don't really get it, but Mom seems to think its true form is ''information'', huh. Now that I think about it, Prof. Tsubakiyama said that information is a type of energy during her lecture too, didn't she? But what is this thesis trying to say, then...?)  (Artificially ''create a consciousness''...!? I can't see how that research has anything to do with nuclear power science... No, wait, maybe I'm mistaken? LABO's full name is the ''6th Laboratory of Atomic and Biological Organization'', right? So maybe Mom wasn't researching the Atomic part, but the Biological part...?)    (She's suddenly talking about BC now... ''Creating a consciousness'', ''nuclear power'', ''biology'', ''BC''... how do these four things connect...?)As Natsuhiko harbored that question-- Watase suddenly spoke up. ♪ BGM: Looming Crisis ♫ 'The ability to read another's mind'...!?Various doubts suddenly rose up within Watase's mind.    But the strongest thought in Watase's mind was-- {If those kids can read people's minds... And when you take into account they've been running from us... then maybe one of us hates them and they know it...!} (--!!)Natsuhiko was frightened by the conclusion Watase was drawing towards. There was an extremely high probability that the girl who called herself Yuuri was a Communicator. And it was most likely true that Yuuri and Salyu were running away from someone who hated them. The only thing Watase was missing was the self-awareness that the one who hated them was none other than he himself. (Crap! If Watase realizes that fact--!) {This is a monster hunt...! Kill or be killed...! Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill...}Natsuhiko's consciousness vividly recalled the hatred and murderous intent he had seen within Watase back then.  But as soon as Natsuhiko tried to interfere with Watase's memory,  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ Ghh... ugh...!Watase was suddenly struck by an intense headache. (Wh-why!? I haven't even done anything yet--!)In light of the unexpected situation, Natsuhiko panicked and loosened his concentration-- Watase flew out of the reference room and rushed into a nearby restroom.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:07
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Sign / ANXIETY: 09/16/2030, 13:13 ♪ BGM: Memento Mori ♫ Ghh... urgh!Watase even spewed out gastric juices, leaving Natsuhiko confused. (Are these... effects of radiation...? Or maybe... maybe Watase himself doesn't want to remember? Is he refusing to remember that he was full of malice, and this is a result of that rejection...?)Watase's own feelings of intense confusion were propagated to Natsuhiko. {Dammit... I'm thinking about way too much at once...! There might be monsters out there who can read people's minds...!}As soon as Watase had that thought, a bizarre spectacle flickered before his eyes.      (Don't tell me Watase's memories are threatening to return!?)In shock, Natsuhiko strongly appealed to Watase. {That's enough, Watase Kasasagi... don't think too deeply about it...!}--But it had the opposite effect. !? {Wait... could this auditory hallucination be trying to control me...!? No, what if-- What if someone's been controlling me this whole time...!? Then who is the ''me'' that I've thought was me up until now...!?} (D... dammit, Watase! You're starting to jump at shadows!)Watase looked at his reflection in the mirror as if it weren't even his own face. D-dammit...! What... or who should I believe in...!? (Oh crap! At this rate, he won't even be able to continue the search, will he!?)Natsuhiko felt an impending sense of danger, but then--  ???: Do that and you'll just wuss out to the point where you won't be able to make sense of anything anymore. --Inside the mirror was the face of a girl unfamiliar to both Natsuhiko and Watase.  (What's going on!? Is this bastard hallucinating!? No, could this just be another flashback of a past memory!?) Don't overthink things, huh...With that calm whisper, Watase shut off the water. (Wh-what just happened!? Don't tell me...!)Natsuhiko recalled was the words Watase had said when he was a murderer.  ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ Weak, but motivated. Stupid, but gentle. The very embodiment of light to me. (But if Watase suddenly saw her, then-- Does that mean my frequent manipulation of his memories has only made them more easy to recover!?)Watase left the restroom. He didn't seem distracted in the slightest. But Natsuhiko couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about him. --And immediately after that-- Watase witnessed Ena speaking with Salyu.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:08
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Crisis / PANIC: 09/16/2030, 13:16  ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫  ! Ah, Ms. Sannomiya, wait! Wait!The two of them rushed to chase her, but what they found wasn't Salyu--  It came from this way! Let's go! Let's follow it! Yeah!  What's something like that doing here!?--Just then...  ♪ BGM: Abyss ♫  The bomb's countdown commenced. Open! Open up, you goddamn son of a bitch!Watase desperately screamed, but the door wouldn't open. (I-It's no good--!!)As soon as Natsuhiko thought that... Captain Kasasagi, out of the way! (Wh-why does Prof. Tsubakiyama have a gun!?)Natsuhiko was astonished-- but Ena calmly raised her voice. Smash the door down now! Hurry! R-right! The two of them ran away from the bomb-- Teach, get down!--but the blast never came.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:10
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Support / SUSPICIONS: 09/16/2030, 13:32 ♪ BGM: LABO Security Lv. 2 ♫ The quick succession of events left Natsuhiko dumbfounded.  Ah, Captain, Ms. Tsubakiyama! I heard a most peculiar sound! What happened!?Watase looked at Ena's hands in surprise to see the black luster of a pistol. ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ M-Ms. Tsubakiyama...! Wh-what are... what are you doing with a pistol!?But Natsuhiko's surprise was incomparable to theirs. (Why... Why would Prof. Tsubakiyama have a gun...???)His doubts about Ena rapidly deepened. --She didn't offer Natsuhiko, Mashiro, and Salyu any help when they asked for her cooperation. Mashiro said that she wasn't opening her heart to them. But while that may have been true, it wasn't as if Natsuhiko had grown to hate Ena. In Natsuhiko's eyes, Ena was at times gentle, at time strict, and at times charming-- an all around good teacher. And yet here she was, holding a pistol. She was a completely different Ena from the one Natsuhiko had known. (Professor... what on Earth are you?)As soon as he had that thought, he recalled the gruesome scene he saw earlier.   (N-no, no, no! Prof. Tsubakiyama isn't a killer!)As Natsuhiko shook off that doubt that'd plagued him for just a moment, Ukita and Jun began to interrogate Ena. What's the meaning of this!? Why do you have something like that with you!? Yeah! I thought you were a teacher! Hold on a minute, you're all making a big misunderstanding! This pistol isn't mine! I found it here in LABO!That sounded like a lazy excuse, but Watase told everyone to believe in her. Wait, you believe her? Well, we can't prove otherwise, so yeah, nothing we can do about that.Eventually, at Watase's suggestion, they disassembled the gun and divided the parts between Ukita, Ena, and Jun. But that still didn't clear Natsuhiko's reservations. (... Professor...)As Watase and the others moved towards Area 6 to chase after Salyu, a somewhat lonely breeze blew through Natsuhiko's mind.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:12
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Danger / FALSIFICATION: 09/16/2030, 13:48 Watase was going room to room, searching for Salyu.  (...?) ♪ BGM: Close to the Truth ♫   ♪ BGM: Ominous Ambience ♫ (Subject? IGF2R gene? Observation target? No, more importantly--)''Subject Y -> Yu (Sept. 10,2030)'' (--September 10? That's the day everything started changing, wasn't it!? What the hell is this file? What does any of this mean?)At the same time Natsuhiko felt something off about some of the descriptors-- --a bizarre sight suddenly flickered in Watase's brain.      (But why!? What's bringing it back!?)The event took Natsuhiko by surprise, and one second later-- Watase fled out of the room. (Wha!? Wh-what the hell's he doing!?)For some reason, Watase was in complete disarray. His mind was whirling with rage and discomfort. And once again, past memories came back--  (!! I swore I erased that memory...!)But that memory came bursting out nevertheless.  Please let me know your mind...!  U-UWAAAAAAAAAAAH! Wh-why did I...!?Bewildered, Watase tottered out of the stairwell.      ♪ BGM: Psychological Warfare ♫ (!? ''The test subjects are dangerous''? ...What s gotten into him...!?)Natsuhiko was left in confusion as that idea rose up inside of Watase-- (Don't tell me--!) (Is that why reading the document provoked Watase's memories--!?)Natsuhiko panicked and dove deeper into Watase's mind.  {Wh... what the hell was that!? What the hell were those words!? I don't know them! I've never heard those words before!!} (What is this...!?)It was clear that Watase was fearfully resisting the hatred that was seething within his mind. But the jet-black hatred gradually corroded that fear, painting it out. The hatred then evolved further into murderous intent. (If this keeps up, Watase will revert back to how he was back then! I need to do something about his memories! ... No, but then...!)Considering the damage memory erasure inflicted upon Watase, any further memory erasure could very well kill him. And naturally, if Watase died, Natsuhiko would vanish. (Then what do I do!? How can I seal Watase's hatred!? Think! There's got to be a way!)--Watase was scared of Yuuri for some reason. He hated her and wanted to murder her. Even though normally, he cared for her and tried to keep her safe. Each time his memories threatened to return, so too would his fear, hatred, and murderous intent. (In that case, why don't I just get the jump on Watase... And give him the misconception that ''she's already dead''? I'm sure that would erase his fear of her, as well as his hatred and murderous intent...!)He didn't know if it would work. But if he left things as-is, Watase could very well regain his memories. Natsuhiko had no choice but to take chances with his plan. {Create an image of a ''dead Yuuri'' in Watase's memory--!} ♪ BGM: Silence ♫    Watase remained frozen on the spot as if he were dead. (Hey... how long do you plan to stay like that...!?)Driven by anxiety, Natsuhiko called out to Watase. {--Hey, get a hold of yourself already! How long are you gonna space out for!? Hurry up and get back to the others!} !!Watase was shaken back to consciousness by Natsuhiko's voice. He then tottered back to the factory where everyone was waiting. (... Looks like it'd be best for me not to tamper with your memory any further than this. So please, Watase. Don't try to regain your memory anymore...!)Natsuhiko prayed. --But the distortion caused by his actions was soon exposed.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:15
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I know Natsuhiko is just desperately doing what he can in a really awkward and tricky situation, but wow is he relentless is playing with this man's mind like playdoh.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:37
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It doesn't change much, but I was hoping for more information about brown haired lady. Aside from being Watase's impetus and likely being his sister, we don't really know anything about her
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Mar 4, 2017 19:38
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Wait a minute... Natsuhiko. (complete with the mysterious rank increase, but an even more mysterious second listing for him) Mashiro. Yuuri. ...Kazami?
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Mar 4, 2017 19:45
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holy poo poo, Natsuhiko is pulling some crazy poo poo with Watase's mind. It's the first time his character is really interesting, though, so I'm not complaining. and if anyone deserves this, it's a psycho terrorist intent on murdering a bunch of people because they can't deal with their own grief. This also effectively explains disappearing dead Yuuri in a satisfying way.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:48
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Haifisch posted:Natsuhiko. (complete with the mysterious rank increase, but an even more mysterious second listing for him) Na2 is Natsuhiko since that's the one with the rank increase. Na could be anyone and AFAIK we don't have a name for Watase's sister yet.
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Mar 4, 2017 19:52
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Danaru posted:It doesn't change much, but I was hoping for more information about brown haired lady. Aside from being Watase's impetus and likely being his sister, we don't really know anything about her Yeah, the main problem is the guy that knows about her has somebody floating around in his head making drat sure he doesn't remember her.
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Mar 4, 2017 20:05
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Haifisch posted:Wait a minute... I actually have an idea on this. Actually, a lot of ideas, that I've written up a bunch of times over the last few weeks and lost in various ways, including accidentally closing the tab on myself more than once and losing it all On the upside, I don't have to explain that Natsuhiko is changing Watase's memories  TheMcD posted:He hadn't noticed it the last time he'd been there. The monitor was still on. It appeared the PC was frozen. On-screen was what appeared to be a text file that someone had been editing. Subject A is really bad place to start, because I'm pretty sure they're unrelated. They probably died from LABO loving up expermintation or something Subject N is a name we've heard more than enough, but we'll get to that. Subject Y has been "discarded" due to not being effected by WX particles (which we saw a picture of the WX Particle Amplifier in the basement, it's the machines in Area N.) Subject Y-II acquired IGF2R Type S, our important type, via exposure to WX Particles. Immediately I can say Subject Y-II is Yuuri. Her death was faked by LABO because of her potential to become IGF2R Type S, which they need for potentially nefarious reasons (baby reactor is my best guess). With this comes the precedent that LABO is perfectly fine kidnapping kids after faking their death. Yuuri's whole ghost-thing was likely her BCing to Natsuhiko, maybe to continue leading a normal life. With that said, let's continue: Special Observation Target Na: Became Subject N on April 7th, 2021. Special Observation Target Na2: This specific target is Natsuhiko Tenkawa. I don't 100% know how he acquired IGF2R, it could have something to do with the LABO incident nine years ago. Observation Target Ka: This is Kazami Tachibana. The fact that she's a regular observation target means she's likely not an IGF2R Type S target, so why is she being observed? Observation Target Ma: This is Mashiro. Another regular observation target, I believe this is due to her proximity and care of Natsuhiko, an IGF2R Type S Candidate. (Also run mashiro they want to hit you with WX particles )So who us Special Observation target Yu? We know they were a Test Subject that was discarded, but became a special observation target on September 10th, 2030. Let's remember what happened that day. And if we recall the images Watase saw after viewing the computer I believe Test Subject Y/Special Observation Target Yu is Louise Yui Sannomiya Professor Tenkawa clearly knew her, and may have chose Salyu to protect Natsuhiko because she knew her before LABO discarded her. The terminal doesn't say when she was discarded, but it's clear her memories were deleted and changed using the same technique Natsuhiko and Yuuri have been using.on Watase and Natsuhiko respectively. She looks relatively the same age as she does now, so it may have been fairly recently. One thing I'm unsure about is... exactly HOW Watase is seeing these images. It's likely that they're images brought to Q from inside LABO. This leads me to my next accusation: Ukita and Professor Tenkawa are both members of Q. Recall the first few times we saw Empathy in action TheMcD posted:
TheMcD posted:
Professor Tenkawa and Ukita clearly know about what's going to happen at LABO, I was actually going to lump Ena in with them because of her closing off her heart and being vague, but back when we met her in After: TheMcD posted:
I believe she's remembering "Dojima". I'm honestly not sure why she was brought here, whether as a member of Q or otherwise, but the known Q members MO of stuffing people into rooms and locking them seems clear enough. Watase did it to Ukita, likely did it to Yuuri, and it seems Dojima did it to Ena. The important thing is to ask now is what is Q's plan? If it was to destroy LABO, why did they have plants in the rescue squad go in AFTER the fires? TheMcD posted:
TheMcD posted:
I believe Q's mission was to rescue the test subjects in LABO, not to kill them. Otherwise Watase would have shot Yuuri when he had the chance. Also incidentally that last screenshot is totally the bottom of Area N, down the elevator in the center of the room we saw the WX particle machines. The Sirius Q members mention two targets, one is Yuuri of course, but there's still one more target. Subject N Nagisa Tachibana The Root Double opening posted:TheMcD posted:
TheMcD posted:
Nagisa didn't die, much like Yuuri, her death was faked. She had a natural IGF2R Type-S Gene which means LABO would have really wanted her. However something went wrong. TheMcD posted:
Something terrible happened to Nagisa, and she turned into a "monster", using her Type S to jump into other people and gently caress them up with the "Rage Virus", or as it seems to be called, "NBC" TheMcD posted:
My guess is Watase has already been 'infected' with NBC a long time ago, which is why he locked up Ukita despite also being a member of Q, and shot at Natsuhiko a bunch. This sorta clashes with him not killing Yuuri, but it explains why his brainulum world that Natsuhiko's floating in keeps getting all red and murder-ey. Regarding NBC, I believe Nagisa has a tell for when she infects someone: TheMcD posted:
Jun and Ukita smelled this floral scent but Ena and Watase haven't. Watase keeps getting cleared up by Natsuhiko so that may explain his immunity. I also believe The people inside LABO were not killed by Q, but by NBC infected LABO staff, possibly a liquidation squad like the one that rescued Watase in the bad ending. LABO has already had a poo poo ton of precautions in place in case of a Case N, it stands to reason they'd keep some guns around. Plus Nagisa had a Level N card on her when she died, likely stolen from one of the two dead researchers by the Area N elevator. Despite figuring this much out, there's still a poo poo ton of mysteries. Also I'm not really smart, so I could be wrong about loving ALL of this, but I think I've been able to back at least most of my suspicions with evidence We still don't know:Who killed Nagisa? What was the commander trying to say on the radio at 12:18? What's Watase's connection to LABO, and how did he have memories of Salyu as a test subject? Who stole the AD shortly before everyone got all murder-ey? How is Kazami involved? Who is the brown haired girl, and was she a hallucination or a result of BC? Who was Kazami talking to at 14:16? She claims she was talking to the radio but that doesn't really jive. She does turn out to be NBC effected so Nagisa could be pulling a secret-ghost on her like Yuuri did to Natsuhiko all those years. Why is Ena here, and how is she involved? What the gently caress killed Dojima? quote:But further in the room was one other body... the remains of the rescue worker who Kazami and Jun had called ''Dojima''. His case was even stranger. His limbs were bent in unnatural directions, his fingers broken at their bases as if they'd been tortured. Flesh from the nape of his neck had been torn off, blood oozing out from it, and the bones also appeared to have been twisted and crushed. His face was warped in agony, and his tongue was sticking out of his mouth in a slovenly matter. That sure as gently caress wasn't a gun. So anyway, there's my thoughts. Also it's a bit late but yeah I rate this LP an 8
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Mar 4, 2017 21:25
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{But until all the work is complete, it'd be best if I avoided him...}
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I've really been waiting for somebody to make a post like that about the subject and observation target names, since there's a lot of reasoning one can make with the information given to us. All the rest of the speculation is just gravy. There is one incredibly vague connection you can make regarding Salyu, and I don't think anybody will ever pick up on it, so I'll throw out a question for you to have fun with: Where is Salyu from (and why am I asking that question)?
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Mar 4, 2017 21:46
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Natsuhiko you're kind of a gently caress
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Mar 4, 2017 21:54
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SSNeoman posted:Natsuhiko you're kind of a gently caress At this point, Watase is nothing but a tool for him, a vessel to be manipulated as he pleases. The only time he cares for Watase is when he's about to die or be held captive, which would limit his ability to do what he wants to do. In a way, I like that - like Spatula City said, this ruthless streak makes him a lot more interesting.
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Mar 4, 2017 22:26
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Duh. Louise is from France, she said so.
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Mar 4, 2017 23:11
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| # ? May 14, 2024 05:41 |
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Junpei posted:Duh. Louise is from France, she said so. That's not the full answer, though.
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Mar 4, 2017 23:12
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