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girl dick energy
Sep 30, 2009

You think you have the wherewithal to figure out my puzzle vagina?

malkav11 posted:

Interestingly, this still doesn't explain why Chiemi was so adamantly trying to keep him from eating or drinking the local fare. I mean, yes, we hear the mention of a "feast", but even if the idea was to avoid having him eat other humans, that wouldn't apply to tea. And if they've got a werewolf doing the killing, there's no need to drug him.
Maybe they thought he's already a werewolf and were trying to poison him before night time?

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AFancyQuestionMark
Feb 19, 2017

Long time no see.
Hint Corner: Toilet Man’s End





We’ve reached our first ending! Which means we get our first Hint Corner, as well. There’s one of these for every ending in the game. In most cases, they’re a means for the game to bludgeon us over the head with what we need to do to proceed, dispensing “advice” that should be fairly self-evident to anyone with even a passing familiarity with this type of VN.

However, they can be somewhat amusing at times and will occasionally toss us some additional story hints, so I intend to show them all off.

So, let’s pick ‘Yes’.


BGM: Safety Zone



’Ey there. You’ve done it now, eh, chief?

Hmm? Me? Ah, don’t mind me. I’m just an insignificant interface character. You can call me Sheep.

“This is a space between dreams. That bastard Haruaki Fusaishi can’t see it, so feel free to kick back and relax. That said, you can’t stay too long. I’m busy, so let’s get down to business. As you’d expect of a hint corner, I’m here to give some helpful advice in your times of need.”



“While I did say ‘you’ve done it now’ just before, you were actually fated to arrive here from the start. I mean, you only had one choice, right? There should’ve been one below it, but it had a lock mark next to it, and you couldn’t pick it.”

”Oh, but just so you know, redoing Chiemi Serizawa’s idiotic quiz is pointless. None of those choices will change a thing.”

“I think it was explained to you back in the tutorial, but let’s review Raging Loop’s structure just in case.”



“Why’s that? Because many choices are locked, and you’ll need Keys to unlock them.”

The sheep goes on to explain the way keys work. But we’ve already gone over that near the start of update 1 and it’s a very intuitive mechanic in the first place, so we’ll skip ahead a bit here.

“It seems Haruaki Fusaishi can retain his memories for the ‘next time’ even if he dies. This is a system to replicate that.”



“There are many Keys lying within the story’s many Bad Endings. You can also obtain Keys from some surprising outcomes. Of course, it’s possible to get all the Keys and finish the game without seeing all the Bad Endings, but I’ll leave that up to your playing style.”



“But that won’t be a problem for next time. Did you notice? You already obtained Key 2 by dying here. You can check it’s details from the Keys List in the menu, so you can check it out there.”

Let’s do that now:



I’ll maintain a list of acquired keys at the bottom of the second post, so you can easily refresh your memories at any time.

“But basically, Haruaki Fusaishi now knows from experience he’ll die if he goes out at night. That’s what makes a new choice possible. You’ll find more Bad Endings that you’re forced to play through first in the future, so keep that in mind. Other times, you can keep going onwards for a long time without finding a Key.”



“You can re-read everything from the start if you’d like, but you’re going to die dozens of times from now on, so it’d be a pain to re-read each time. So once you get a grip of the situation, use the Scenario Chart to jump ahead.”

The scenario chart is accessible from the little CHART button you can see in most screenshots. We can use it at any point to jump to any section of the story we’ve already read through, which is very convenient when hunting for different keys and outcomes.

Currently, our chart looks like this:




The boxes here represent the chapters of the story, which are typically fairly large. As you can see, we’re currently in Chapter 2 - Dense Mist, so let’s open it up.



Unfortunately, this is not the entire chart for Chapter 2. For whatever reason, there seems to be no way to zoom out and see the whole thing at once, so we must scroll up to see the rest.









Very inconvenient. But, this won’t stop me from updating the second post with our current progress in the chart for each chapter, just so you have a frame of reference for any jumps we make as the plot progresses.

“Incidentally, this marks the end of ‘2. Dense Mist.’ The so-called prologue is over. If you pick the choice that was unlocked this time, the game’s first main route, ‘3. Yomi’ will begin. Good luck!”

“By the way...here’s a little tip.”



“Gah! That took a while! And I’m busy!”

Well, that’s enough for this time! Die another hearty death next time!

AFancyQuestionMark
Feb 19, 2017

Long time no see.

Blaze Dragon posted:


The first image here seems to be wrong.


No it isn't. This is Haruaki flashing back, worried that Chiemi is the source of the scream.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


That's actually surprisingly helpful. Especially the tip about Key 01

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Also hey OP you might wanna use LPix with the Rightload plug in. Imgur can eat your pics and I bet manually c/p each pic is a pain in the rear end

OutofSight
May 4, 2017
So one part of the game title stands for Haruaki's "looping" of the event like the guy from groundhog day?
Does the character know the day repeats or are those "parallel universes" like Virtue's Last Reward"?

malkav11
Aug 7, 2009

OutofSight posted:

So one part of the game title stands for Haruaki's "looping" of the event like the guy from groundhog day?
Does the character know the day repeats or are those "parallel universes" like Virtue's Last Reward"?

We'll presumably see when using the key, I assume in the next update.

Tenebrais
Sep 2, 2011

OutofSight posted:

So one part of the game title stands for Haruaki's "looping" of the event like the guy from groundhog day?

Possibly also a pun, with Loup meaning wolf.

Oberndorf
Oct 20, 2010



Tenebrais posted:

Possibly also a pun, with Loup meaning wolf.

I read somewhere that “loup-garou” is Quebecois for werewolf.

Grammarchist
Jan 28, 2013

Oberndorf posted:

I read somewhere that “loup-garou” is Quebecois for werewolf.

Cajun as well, though rougarou is a common pronunciation.

girl dick energy
Sep 30, 2009

You think you have the wherewithal to figure out my puzzle vagina?
Dammit, I really wanna buy this game now.

Ignatius M. Meen
May 26, 2011

Hello yes I heard there was a lovely trainwreck here and...

PMush Perfect posted:

Dammit, I really wanna buy this game now.

It's like $20 right now, you're not gonna see it for less for a long while probably and this LP will take at least several months if not a year or more between the main playthrough and Revelation mode going through nearly everything again. Other than having to drop out of the thread, it's a seriously good value, go get it already!

AFancyQuestionMark, you don't have PMs and there's something I want to talk about here; not gonna ask you to buy that before the site transfer goes through, but do you have another way to get in touch privately? It's a very minor thing, but it's something that is extremely easy to miss and also pretty interesting to see IMO, thus a shame for people not to know of.

AFancyQuestionMark
Feb 19, 2017

Long time no see.

Ignatius M. Meen posted:

AFancyQuestionMark, you don't have PMs and there's something I want to talk about here; not gonna ask you to buy that before the site transfer goes through, but do you have another way to get in touch privately? It's a very minor thing, but it's something that is extremely easy to miss and also pretty interesting to see IMO, thus a shame for people not to know of.


You can DM me on discord. You can find me under the same name in the LP subforum discord server. There should be an invite link in the sandcastle OP.

Ignatius M. Meen
May 26, 2011

Hello yes I heard there was a lovely trainwreck here and...

AFancyQuestionMark posted:

You can DM me on discord. You can find me under the same name in the LP subforum discord server. There should be an invite link in the sandcastle OP.

I tried DMing and it didn't go through. I should be showing up there now as IggyMeen.

Junpei
Oct 4, 2015

Although next time, you would be wise to heed the ancient Japanese proverb... phone first!
Wait the sheep said that we'd have to start from the very beginning. Don't tell me that means that we've gotta redo all the scenes?

This is why VLR let you skip to any point you had previously visited!

I mean, our illustrious host is surely going to skip ahead to the important part, but that seems like it would take a while.

Crepuscule Adepte
Feb 21, 2008

Why is my hair purple? It's from the blood of everyone that lost a bet against me.
Uh... The sheep said that the protagonist goes back to the beginning. He also said that we can use the Scenario Chart to skip ahead.

Junpei
Oct 4, 2015

Although next time, you would be wise to heed the ancient Japanese proverb... phone first!
...

:shepicide:

AFancyQuestionMark
Feb 19, 2017

Long time no see.
Loose Ends: It’s Like a Porn Manga! Congratulations!



As the Sheep explained, we’ve basically finished ‘Dense Mist’, the prologue of the VN, or at least the branches that we could access with no keys. So, before going back to the outhouse and picking the option that leads us into the next chapter, I’d like to show off the last bit of content we can currently access in this one.



I am of course referring to what lies behind the other options we could pick for Chiemi’s quiz. The Sheep told us that this choice doesn’t really matter, and that’s right in that these other options don’t open up new branches (except the one which needs to be unlocked by key 20), but there’s still some unique dialogue here.



So, let’s start from the top with ’You’re desperate’ and go down from there.

BGM: Safety Zone



This line and the music are the same for each of the options.

Hmm...

Well, I won’t tell you the details, but yeah, I have my issues. Not having a good time recently, that’s for sure.

“All girls your age have stuff going on. I don’t mind hearing you out.”

“Wow, so understanding. Forget all the talk about risk - you’re gonna sweep me off my feet and take me home by solving all my problems with words!”

“Why would I have to take you home? I’m already at your place.”

“Well, guess what, though my situation is dire, I’m actually not gonna say anything! You’ve fallen for my trap!”

“What a weird trap…! I wasn’t gonna force you to talk if you didn’t want to.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll find out when we’re a little closer, if you know what I mean. It’ll be harder for you to get away then.”

“Then I guess I won’t touch you!”

“Oh nooo!”

Anyway, this girl was actually pretty sharp. She really had a way with words, and knew how to capitalize on it. It almost felt like she was implying that I couldn’t let my guard down just ‘cause I was a guy. I admitted she was pretty drat attractive, but…

...I felt like I’d have more fun just talking about lewd stuff than acting on it.

And so ends the day, just like the path we picked before. There are no further changes from here on, and in fact the closing narration above is also identical.



So, let’s see what happens when we pick 'You’re a thirsty perv'.

BGM: Safety Zone



Woohoo!

It’s like a porn manga! Congratulations! Now bring it on!

“Hold up. I know how this story goes. People who get lost and stumble upon something good never end up well.”

Ah. That’s true. You could be getting tricked by a fox, I might be a ghost out to curse you to death, or you’re about to catch some bad disease.

“Exactly!”

Dundundundun! Dundundundun! Dundundundun-dundun! Now come! Let’s open this path and see where it goes!

“Nope!”

“Oh nooo!”

From this point, the same narration as before takes place and the route converges into the common path.



The last option we have available is ’You’d feel guilty if you let me die’.

BGM: Safety Zone



Oh, cool.

“Well, I wasn’t joking when I said this area’s dangerous. There’s deer, boars, wild dogs and bears.”

“I actually saw deer and boars myself, but...bears?”

“Yep. Moon bears, though. They aren’t big, but they do attack. It’s pretty dangerous out there.”

“That’s just wild…”

“But there’s something even worse.”

“Hm? What? Worse than bears?”

Snakes. Monkeys. Crows. Spiders.

Huh? Were they venomous or something…? I really doubted that. Those really didn’t seem worse than bears…

Also, wolves.

“There aren’t any wolves in Japan.”

“Yeah there are. You’re in the sticks, you know?”

She smiled and drank out of the third can.

“Speaking of wolves...whatever the reason, you ended up coming into a pretty girl’s home. Won’t you become a wolf yourself?”

“Hmm...nope!”

“What a gentleman! Have another one!”

I wasn’t too sure, but I felt like she’d dodged the subject. Perhaps I wasn’t being cautious enough. But then again, I’d been wandering aimlessly for a long time by now. I had enough recklessness in me to enjoy a drink with a cute, if shady, girl.

We don’t get the common narration here, and instead the day just ends. However everything after that is still the same.

With this, we’ve seen all of the content accessible without having any key in chapter 2, as well as in the entire VN. Next time, we shall return to the outhouse and actually carry out our promise to Chiemi.

By popular demand
Jul 17, 2007

IT *BZZT* WASP ME--
IT WASP ME ALL *BZZT* ALONG!


I have a distinct feeling that these things said in jest are going to turn out to be true in tragic ways.

By popular demand
Jul 17, 2007

IT *BZZT* WASP ME--
IT WASP ME ALL *BZZT* ALONG!


Oops double post.

malkav11
Aug 7, 2009
I was banking on that last one being the actual answer (or as close as you can get without the key). Was not expecting her reasoning. Well, except for the wolf part. We know she's not kidding about that one...

girl dick energy
Sep 30, 2009

You think you have the wherewithal to figure out my puzzle vagina?

By popular demand posted:

I have a distinct feeling that these things said in jest are going to turn out to be true in tragic ways.
She's a desperate, thirsty perv who needs an alibi but can't bring herself to stop going out of her way for people in need.

By popular demand
Jul 17, 2007

IT *BZZT* WASP ME--
IT WASP ME ALL *BZZT* ALONG!


PMush Perfect posted:

She's a desperateinhuman, thirsty pervpredator who needs an alibi but can't bring herself to stop going out of her way for people in need struggles with residual parts of the person she was.

I'm going to keep myself in suspense and not find out if I'm right about this.

AFancyQuestionMark
Feb 19, 2017

Long time no see.
Update 9: Congrats On Surviving, Toilet Man!



As promised, here we are back at the outhouse, after Haruaki heard a loud scream.



The game is kind enough to mark the option that leads to a Bad End with a red skull once we’ve gone through it once. Now, we just need to use key 2 and pick the unlocked ’Keep still’ option.

BGM: Encroaching Supernatural



It sounded like someone’s life was in danger. It meant something dangerous was nearby.

Wait. I couldn’t be rash. The world didn’t have many things that logic couldn’t explain. Like the existence of murderers. But...

...until I saw the source of the scream myself, it was nothing but a source of fear.





It was my promise to Chiemi.

But that scream just now was very real. It wasn’t normal. I had to assume the situation was dangerous, and maybe I could help if I went out. But…

...that meant endangering myself. I was no saint, and I had no plans to rectify that. If there was something that could get me to walk out, it would be curiosity. My curiosity had won over many dangers thus far. But right now, it was weaker than my fear and risk of death.

Why? Because…

...I already knew.





It wasn’t a premonition, a dream, or anything else that vague. My brain recognized it as something I’d experienced.

But how? After all, I was still alive, and the time from those memories had yet to come. Was I a precog or something? By god, I swore I’d never experienced anything like this before coming here. And why did the memory come back to me at this particular moment? Regardless…

...that overwhelming fear…

...and the pain and death that followed…

...were exactly what waited for me if I opened the door. I couldn’t feel more certain of that.

The thoughts rendered me unable to move. Immobile. I stood still, completely certain that I’d lost my chance to leave. I wasn’t childish enough to sneer at selfish decisions, but this still didn’t feel good. Not to mention I was upset at myself for not being able to act like me and just run out simple because I was curious. I didn’t even feel saved. Until that moment…

*Door rattles*

*Everything goes silent*



This place had a handle on the outside, and someone was pulling on it hard! There was a lock, sure, but there was only so much it could take before it broke!

I prepared to pull on it from the inside, but…

“Get in there, lock yourself in, stay inside the whole night, and don’t make a sound!”

Background Sound: Tension Beats

...what would happen if I did? Whatever was outside would instantly know I was here. Even if I protected the door, the thing had lots of other ways of hurting me.

But what if it didn’t know about me and was just weirded out by this randomly locked toilet? What if I didn’t show a hint of fear to what it was doing? Would it just leave?

I chose to wait and see.

Once again, someone pulled the door, shaking the structure as a whole. I gulped down and focused on the lock. If it broke, it’d be over for me.

Over. As in, I’d be dead. That was what that memory told me. I was powerless back then and even more so now.

Assuming I tried to fight back...what would work? I’d heard that teeth were the hardest part of the human body, so maybe I could bite? Yeah. I’d tear whatever it was apart with my teeth. I’d bite it to death.

I gathered my wits and killing intent. Grinding my teeth…

...I glared at the door.

*Everything goes silent*



The sounds suddenly stopped.

For all I knew, it might’ve been a ploy to make me drop my guard. I’d slowly count to 500. If nothing happened in that time, I’d assume it went away.







There were no screams or attacks after that. But the silence around me improved my perception, and I heard strange noises every now and then. Breathing. Growling. Claws on the ground. Basically - I felt a beastly presence.





Was it what the mists brought here from Saranaga? “The wolf is coming.” Did they all know about this?

poo poo. I couldn’t learn anything in a place like this. And not knowing things scared me.

Trusting my prescience or deja vu or whatever it was, I chose to just stay quiet and wait. I’d find out everything tomorrow. I just had to make it through the night and then talk to Chiemi.

And if it was something I couldn’t solve, I’d just run away. Thankfully, my bike repairs were going well, but I’d be leaving even if it didn’t work. I’d walk to Kamifujiyoshi if I had to. Unlike Yasumizu, they might’ve had reliable means of transport.

For now, I just had to stay awake and make it through the night.



BGM: Tragic Morning



It always made me feel like poo poo - like I’d just done something harmful, both for my body and as a human being in general. I found it natural to spend the night asleep and welcome the morning well-rested and with a smile. I’d never expected to feel so much gratitude for the morning light leaking through the door of an outhouse.

It felt like the beasts had been out and about the whole night. Naturally, the high humidity had made my clothes all wet and sticky. It was unpleasant, but even trying to move them and make it more comfortable for myself felt like a matter of life and death. Maybe it was a good thing I couldn’t relax, but hell, it was exhausting in more ways than one.

When I heard Chiemi shout “Haruaki-san!” in the distance, I was so overcome with relief I almost fell to my knees. If this turned out to be a trick and I opened the door to see some wolf with a chewed collar in its mouth lunging for my throat, I’d just give up and let it have me at this point.

With that in mind, I opened the door. I expected to see the same picturesque village I’d seen yesterday, so what I actually saw shocked me pretty hard.



I couldn’t see poo poo. It was like the entire area was consumed by it. Did someone line every inch of this place with dry ice or something?

Haruaki-saaan!

I could hear Chiemi, but not see her.

Chiemi-chan! I’m right here!

Haruaki-san?! What a relie - AAHH!

I heard a wet sound and finally saw a silhouette within the mist.

“Are you okay?!”

“I’m stuck in the fieeeld…”



“I see. Well, good luck.”

“Hey! Help me out!”

“Oh, you can’t do it yourself. Take my hand, then...and out you go!”

“Ah! Wah!”

I tugged her hand and braced my legs. That was enough to help her, but she lost her balance and...

“Whoa! Safe!”

“Headlock! This is a wrestling move! You’re actually pulling it off!”

Despite how close we were now, this wasn’t the least bit romantic.

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re okay.”





“Yeah, I guess I am.”

I had no idea what that was about, so I didn’t see any reason to mention it.

“I did feel like there was some beast outside.”

“...”

Chiemi’s expression immediately darkened. She clearly knew what I was referring to.

I have lots of questions, but right now, I’m more interested in the scream I heard than anything else.

“That was…”

“Huh? You know what I mean?”

“...”

She fell silent, clearly uncomfortable. It was pretty ominous.

“This way...No point delaying the inevitable.”

Chiemi gave me her hand. I took it, but I didn’t feel the least bit excited about this.





Congrats on surviving, toilet-man!

“Thanks, warm futon-man. You’re okay, too, hu - wait, where’s Haru-chan?”

D-Did she…?

Oh, she’s fine. She suffered quite a shock, so she’s taking a while to get dressed.

“I see...So the rest of you have already gotten a move on.”

“How did you handle being in there, anyway? Were you asleep?”

“As if I could. I had no idea when I could get out, so I just waited until I heard Chiemi-chan’s voice.”

“Huh? You were awake?”

Yasunaga-kun made it sound like that was weird.

“You try sleeping in there, guy. You can’t even sit, much less lie down.”

No...that’s not what I...I see…

I really hate it when people just trail off like that. It makes me way too curious.

“Why are you here, anyway?”

“Waiting for Haru-chan and keeping a lookout.”

A lookout?

“We’re not letting anyone near the scene until the situation is clear.”

Scene?

So, someone actually…

“Wanna see? It’s a good way to test your stomach.”

“Mocchi, don’t mess around like that.”

“Yeah, I do…”

*Everything goes silent*

The invisible and unknown were way scarier than anything else. Not to mention I could already smell something foul. I lightly moved them aside, and walked up to the so-called “scene”.

BGM: Creeping Despair



It was in such a horrible state it was hard to recognize as human. I imagined this was what you would’ve gotten if you overturned a butcher’s cart. That was how thoroughly the victim was disassembled. Also, the butcher would’ve had to deal in entrails...Enough of that comparison.

Straining my eyes to look through the thick mist, I could actually make out some human parts within the vast sea of blood - or mountain of death. Hands, torn clothing, hair…

...and a shoulder bag.

*Everything goes silent*

How professional. She kept hold of her interviewing tools even while running for her life. Didn’t do her odds of survival any favors, though.

*Sting*





Did it come to me once it was done murdering her?

BGM: Creeping Despair



“Are you alright? Feel nauseous or anything?”

Chiemi was standing a short distance away, looking at nothing in particular.

“I got nothing to puke, and, well, I’m used to this.”

“Is that what you were studying in college?”

“Umm...Well, I guess you can say that…”

“Huh? Seriously? So can you do autopsies and stuff?”

“When asked if they study medicine, ‘I guess you can say that’ is what students from similar departments say to make themselves look good...But I did see a few pathology analyses.”



Then, grimacing at the harrowing reek of blood, innards, and especially digested food, I brought my face closer. Perhaps I could learn something from this?



I could, even if it wasn’t much.

This corpse wasn’t split into pieces. The limbs were still connected, but they were folded in an unnatural way, and looked really flattened. They were either crushed or bent with no regard to bones or muscle position. Then, her whole body had been torn apart. The innards were particularly damaged. The words “wolfed down” felt like the best way to put it.

BGM: Encroaching Supernatural



I found it hard to describe. This wasn’t my job, so there wasn’t much I could tell about it without touching it.

“This is way beyond anything I’ve ever seen before. I can barely tell what happened here.”

I had an urge to add that this seemed inhuman. But I kept myself from saying that.

“Anyway, we should call the police. Leave it to the pros.”



“...”

I said something any good citizen would, but for some reason, they didn’t seem to agree.

Haruaki-san...The police won’t come.

“Why wouldn’t they? I mean, someone died.”

They won’t.



“Then let’s evacuate.”

“That’s not happening, either.”

“Why? We have my bike and their van…”



“We’ll wait for Haru-chan.”

“Yeah, you do that. Let’s go, Haruaki-san.”

Can I get an explanation?!

Sorry, but I’m not in the mood for explanations! Figure it out for yourself!

It was the first time Chiemi had acted so harsh with me.

I was pretty irritated myself, but it must’ve been worse for them - they actually had info on what was happening here.

“Sorry, that was insensitive of me.”

Chiemi said nothing more and just silently walked off. I followed after her.

BGM: Tragic Morning



The bike and the van were both completely destroyed. The latter was in a particularly bad state - the front window was broken, all four tires were flat, etcetera…

My bike was on its side, its front fork was broken...well, it was basically scrap metal now. gently caress. There was a rock right next to it. Guess we had our weapon.



There were more remains inside the van. It looked like an enormous mountain of flesh and bone.

*Sting*





Chiemi slowly nodded. I now knew we’d lost not only two lives, but any means of transportation, as well.

“Look there.”

She pointed at a wooden electrical pole. The line was dangling, torn apart with no hope of repair.

“The other power lines are fine, but the dining hall’s was destroyed along with the telephone line. We can’t contact the outside.”



I took out my own phone. It worked, but the battery was almost dead, and like before, it was out of range. The situation had become even harsher than before.

*Everything goes silent*

“Look here, too.”

Chiemi walked a few steps away. I followed after. There was a large boulder. It was tall enough to reach an average roof, and there were drawings on it.



What did it represent? At first, it looked like an incoherent mess of lines. However, I soon realized there was a pattern. It felt like the calling card of some street gang. From what I could tell, the basis was a warped diamond shape with a spiral inside. There were two of them. They seemed to be drawn in blood, but that wasn’t nearly as disturbing as the bizarre shape.

Two wolves have snuck into the village.

We have to fight.

Chiemi made a quiet declaration.

BGM: Tragic Morning



I could understand that much. But it didn’t make sense to me. This wasn’t some isolated island. There was the cliff, sure, but you could still go down to Saranga or go to Kamifujiyoshi. I’d ask about that the next time I had the chance.

“Sorry.”

“Hm?”

“Sorry I got mad. It must be hard for you, too.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m just an outsider.”

“Don’t say that…”

“Hm? Oh, poor choice of words on my part. I mean, I’m an outsider who doesn’t know the rules, so I’ll just silently watch for the time being.”

“I’m tired, but I’m less shaken by this than most people, so I figured it’s best for me to stay cool.”

“I imagine even the elders here are more bothered by this.”

“...”

“Haruaki-san, are you really just some university graduate?”

“Umm...What else could I be?”

“I don’t know, you seem way too calm about this. Like you’re used to situations like this.”

Hm…

“My nerves are pretty messed up, I guess.”

Blaze Dragon
Aug 28, 2013
LOWTAX'S SPINE FUND

So the "safe" outsiders got killed by the wolf, while the two that were considered dangerous live on. Meanwhile, Haruaki keeps showing he's not a normal person but also refuses to actually explain anything, mostly because not even he seems to understand it.

Lots of mysteries here.

Crepuscule Adepte
Feb 21, 2008

Why is my hair purple? It's from the blood of everyone that lost a bet against me.
Meanwhile, I would like to focus on the fact that there was that "you were awake?" thing. This really is going by Werewolf rules where only special roles are "awake" at night time, isn't it?

Meinberg
Oct 9, 2011

inspired by but legally distinct from CATS (2019)
I wound up buying the game for myself and just bingeing on the whole thing. I'm looking forward to seeing folks' speculation and ideas!

By popular demand
Jul 17, 2007

IT *BZZT* WASP ME--
IT WASP ME ALL *BZZT* ALONG!


Crepuscule Adepte posted:

Meanwhile, I would like to focus on the fact that there was that "you were awake?" thing. This really is going by Werewolf rules where only special roles are "awake" at night time, isn't it?

The two most common specialists are the Detective and the Protector.
And the protagonist is already taking charge of investigating.

Chronische
Aug 7, 2012

Meinberg posted:

I wound up buying the game for myself and just bingeing on the whole thing. I'm looking forward to seeing folks' speculation and ideas!

Same. Hope there's more, considering all the hooks they left at the end.

girl dick energy
Sep 30, 2009

You think you have the wherewithal to figure out my puzzle vagina?

By popular demand posted:

The two most common specialists are the Detective and the Protector.
And the protagonist is already taking charge of investigating.
Look at the way he studied the body and what happened to it. This dude isn't just 'in medicine', he's gotta be studying to be a crime scene investigator. He is, if you're cheeky, both a Detective and a Doctor.

(That or it's Weird Plot poo poo, but Occam's Razor for now, and that possibility kills my dumb joke.)

nweismuller
Oct 11, 2012

They say that he who dies with the most Opil wins.

I am winning.
And now we're into where things start to get serious, what with those two terrible deaths last night.

AFancyQuestionMark
Feb 19, 2017

Long time no see.
Update 10: We Now Gather Upon the Platter Named ‘Yasumizu’

BGM: Encroaching Supernatural





“He survived…”

“Good morning. Though, I guess it’s not very good, considering what’s going on.”



“Oh, it’s okay.”



The younger Oribe boy menaced me.

“No I didn’t...Why would you think that?”

“Shut it! Where the hell do you get off, struttin’ in like that?!”



“The hell?! You’re the one who said this bastard’s shady!”

Man, I hadn’t expected to be treated this badly.

“I’m saying this ain’t a matter for a brat like you. And you’re bothering Kaori-san. Right?”

“Um, Takumi-san, please calm down, let’s keep it peaceful…”

“It’s fine. We’ll talk it out…”



“Stop, Tae-baa. That’s a bad omen. Where’s the key to the meetin’ hall?”

“I gave it to Uematsu-sama two, maybe three days ago. Said she’d fix the podium…”

“Well, missy?”



That was the woman. So she wasn’t just an illusion. Uematsu-sama was her name, huh?

“...”

I thought our eyes met for a second, but she’d just walked by me.



“Meiko-chan, wait here for a moment.”

That girl was here, too…



Deeper in, there was Kiyonosuke Nosato-shi, clearly irritated by something.



And not too far away, there was The Old Man Who Cried Wolf...Just like yesterday, it was hard to tell what he was looking at, let alone thinking.

They were the only ones sitting, by the way. The others were all just idly standing around.



“Come in, Haru-chan.”

U-Ugh...O-Okay…

The three students were here. With them, the settlement’s entire population had gathered.

As for the outsiders...the journalists were dead, while I and the mysterious girl had survived. I didn’t know the circumstances, but they probably had their reasons to be suspicious of me.

Suddenly, Chiemi did something unexpected.

“Rikako-san, can you wait a moment?”



She stopped the girl who was about to go out to get some key (each villager seemed to call her differently, so I didn’t know what to call her myself).

“This is Haruaki Fusaishi-san. He crashed his bike and I met him at Saranaga.”

“Oh, hello…”

An introduction? Now? Why?

This is Rikako Uematsu-san. ‘Uematsu’ is made of the kanji for ‘spin’ and ‘end’. Pretty rare, right? Well, she’s the current head of the Uematsu household, one of the chief families from Kamifujiyoshi.

I’m...Rikako...Uematsu...Pleased to make your acquaintance.

Oh. So she was like a local celebrity, huh? Like Kiyonosuke’shi’s Nosato family?



Baa…

“Hello there. Nice to meet you.”

The girl they called “Meiko” trembled a bit and…



“Whoa…”

...sprinted through the crowd to hide behind Rikako Uematsu.

“So, whaddya wanna say, Chiemi?”

*Everything goes silent*



I felt a wave of perplexion go through the room.

BGM: Creeping Despair



“The feast is there to help us decide if he’s shady or not, right?”

Their expressions were stern and their words harsh.

“No. I’m saying he doesn’t have the right to participate in the feast.”

“The hell you talking ‘bout?! He’s the shadiest of us all!”

“Yoshi-kun, did you prepare for the feast?”

“Huhh? Y-Yeah I did.”

“Who didn’t?”



How was I supposed to react? No one else was raising their hands, but I had no idea what they were talking about.

“Me, probably. I don’t even know what that entails.”

“The other two who didn’t prepare for the feast were taken by the corruption. However, Haruaki-san wasn’t. I think the Ookami-sama ignored him.”

Ookami-sama? As in “Wolf-sama”? Why the reverence? And what was she even talking about?

“He’s from Saranaga, sure, but he clearly just passed by. In fact, I think he’d get in the way of the feast.”

“No, for all we know, forcing him into the feast would just make the Ookami-sama mad.”



“Did you really survive without preparation?”

“What was I supposed to do?”

“Purify, shelter, dream…”

“Basically, cleanse your body, lock up in a single building all by yourself and wait for dawn while asleep.”

“I didn’t, then. I was in the outhouse by myself, but that’s it. I didn’t bathe and spent the night awake.”

The place got all noisy. They probably didn’t expect that answer.

“I don’t know...This never happen’d before.”

Tae-san sounded genuinely puzzled.



“...”

I had no idea what kind of dynamics were at work here, but Chiemi asked for Rikako Uematsu’s opinion.

I consent to the idea.

If our Great Lord Shin’nai chose to spare him...he must be exempt from the rules of the mountain.

Her words created even more commotion.

“So there.”

“Chiemi, you know what you’re doing, right? If we remove him…”

“Yeah. We won’t have to waste our hanging for the day.”

“Old man, whaddya think?”



It was roundabout, but in the end, once again, the one to make the final call was Kanzo Makishima-shi.

He won’t be in the feast.

“Old man…”

“But…”

Glaring directly at me, the old man walked directly through the gathering and approached. Seeing him from up close, I realized just how big and burly he was. It was pretty typical of someone living in a place like this, but it felt out of place on someone his age. His expression displayed both an inner strength to match his physique and a profound rage.

“If the laws o’ the mountain don’t work on ya, it’ll be our rules ya follow. If ya don’t...”

I’ll shoot ya dead.

He spoke slowly, yet decisively. Man, this was uncomfortable.

“Hold on! If he can be excluded, I would like the same to happen to Rikako-san and I!We’re from Kamifujiyoshi! We have no reason to play along with Saranaga’s business!”

“Nosato-sama...that won’t do...If yer ‘ere on the day of the feast, it doesn’t matter if yer Nosato, Uematsu, Miguruma, or Higuchi.”

“Uncle, that’d mean Yassun and I could leave too.”

“You were both disinherited! That’s different! Why must people that are still part of the four families take part in this idiocy?!”

“Listen here, Kiyo…”

“Don’t call me that, Muro! Let’s go, Rikako-san, we have no reason to play with these peasants.”

“No, Nosato-sama...Those in Fujiyoshi have a duty to remain present.”

All remains in the hands of Shin’nai-sama… and we now gather upon the platter named ‘Yasumizu’.

“B-But…”



Kiyonosuke-shi eventually fell silent, and Rikako left (to get the key, probably).

She returned in no time, and everyone began leaving.

“You’re not coming with us.”

“All right...where to, then?”

“Takumi? Is the cage open?”

“Uh...Well, yeah...All right, i’ll take him.”

*Everything goes silent*



Everyone went to some hall near the village plaza, while Takumi led me elsewhere. We made our way through the tall grass between the buildings.



It even had a roof and would’ve passed for a hut with a bit of work.

“This is where we keep the live game we capture. Sorry, but you’ll have to wait here.”

“I can’t say no, can I?”

“Don’t take it the wrong way, okay? You’ll be out once we’re done with the feast. It won’t take long.”

“And I can’t get any details. Huh?”

“Yeah...I do feel bad about this, but you should be thankful you don’t need to take part in the feast.”

How was I supposed to feel that way if I didn’t even know what the feast was? I’d have asked, but he looked pretty irritated (probably ‘cause he wanted to get it over with), so i kept my mouth shut.

The floor of the cage was mostly gravel, with spaces of wheat and other things littered about. There was a vague, but very clear scent of beasts.

“Can I lie down here? I figure I should sleep whenever I can.”

“Man, you’re brash.”

“No, just a coward...I don’t wanna die, is all.”







After Takumi-san locked me in and left, I laid down and closed my eyes.



I should’ve taken the time to think about what the villagers had said, about my strange memories, and about how I could get the hell outta here. That was what I wanted to do, but I knew that I’d just be swept away by an unproductive spiral of regret if I went down that rabbit hole.

Had I alway been this admirable of a person? Another thing…

For some reason, I felt like I’d spend the entirety of this time just watching the battle. So I decided that I’d focus on resting, in preparation for what was to come.

Regallion
Nov 11, 2012

They won't have to waste a WHAT? Excuse me?

Hwurmp
May 20, 2005

Shanging! Just gonna...shang out with the fellas, like normal

girl dick energy
Sep 30, 2009

You think you have the wherewithal to figure out my puzzle vagina?
Listen, you always policy lynch anyone who makes a power role claim on D1, Outsider included. (Though I guess it’s actually D2 now.)

Ignatius M. Meen
May 26, 2011

Hello yes I heard there was a lovely trainwreck here and...

PMush Perfect posted:

Listen, you always policy lynch anyone who makes a power role claim on D1, Outsider included. (Though I guess it’s actually D2 now.)

Even Masons?

Fat Samurai
Feb 16, 2011

To go quickly is foolish. To go slowly is prudent. Not to go; that is wisdom.

Regallion posted:

They won't have to waste a WHAT? Excuse me?

This is literally Werewolf, the board game.

wologar
Feb 11, 2014

නෝනාවරුනි
Waiting for the reveal where this village had a population of 40000 a few decades ago, but their weekly werewolf problem took its toll.

Supersonic Shine
Oct 13, 2012
Okay, human sacrifice definitely happened here. The only question is if it's still going on or if the spirits are feeling famished after the villagers decided to call it quits.

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AFancyQuestionMark
Feb 19, 2017

Long time no see.
Update 11: Let’s Begin the Feast of the Yomi-Purge

BGM: Feast Strategies



“...let’s begin the Feast of the Yomi-Purge.”

“Uematsu-sama, if you may…”

“This is sacred sake presented to us by Shin’nai-sama. Please drink it...starting from the youngest.”

“Sake…”

“You just put your mouth to it.”

“No drinking for you, kids.”

“Not like it’d kill me…”

“Stop it, Yoshitsugu...You say something, too, Yasunaga.”

“Yoshitsugu, this is just for tradition’s sake.”

Tch. Shut it. I know how it is, aniki…

“I don’t wanna drink this…”

“Haru-chan, just kiss it. There, done. And I’m done, too.”

“Same here...Chie-nee.”

“All right, adult time. Here I go.”

“This is enough for me…”

“It’s better than I expected. Muro.”

“We’re drinking sake during the day...this feast is something. Here, old man.”

“Mhm...Don’t spill it, Tae-baa.”

“I’ll have it...Can you hold it, mister?”

“S-Sake, sake...uh, cough, cough…”

“That’s done. Tae-baa, explain.”



“There were two symbols of the Yomotsu Ookami. That means that two wolves have risen.”

“That’s why we must do as Shin’nai-sama says and throw feasts so we can find and hang them using the powers of the guardians some of us were given.”

“If we don’t, we will be taken by the corruption. That means dying a horrible death…”

“To avoid the corruption, we must have feasts to slay the wolves. That is our role as inhabitants of Yasumizu.”

“Onee-chan, what does ‘slay’ mean?”

It means ‘kill’.

“Scary..”

“It’s fine. I’ll protect you.”

“Sorry for the interruption...Yamawaki-san.”

“It’s okay. Children always do that. She’s not the only one among us who could be a wolf…”

“Good grief, what nonsense.”

“If that’s what you think, then just gently caress off and let the corruption have ya!”

“Yoshitsugu!”

“Oribe-san, I’m concerned about your son’s upbringing.”

“I’m like this ‘cause I wanna be! Don’t drag the hag into this!”

“Shut up, Yoshitsugu. I’ll punch you.”

“Huh?! Takumi-nii?! The hell’re ya acting tough for?!”

“If I say I’ll punch ya, I will. You too, Kiyo. Just shut up and listen.”

“Hmph, you don’t have the guts.”

“Hear that?”



“I’ve been hearing about this ever since I was young, but it never made sense to me.”

“We’ve been here for as long as we can remember. With the exception of Meiko, we all know each other.”

“They’ve been replaced by wolves? Like hell. They’re the same as always.”

“Takumi, yer bein’ naive.”

“What? You’re saying there’s someone shady among us?”

“Everyone’s shady.”

“Oji-chan…”

“You be careful, too, Haru.”

“Even beasts can trick people. And people trick better than any beast.”

“There are things here acting like they’re one of us…”

“Why are you so confident?”

“There’s truth in what the ancestors said…”

“Well, if you say so…”

“That’s just what Yasumizu’s numbskulls say, isn’t it?”

“Chikamochi.”

“Again?! You irreverent little…!”

“Mocchi, stop that...I’m sorry. So, what do we do now?”

“What do you mean? We talk and decide, right?”

“Will that be enough…? I mean, we’re deciding who to kill here, aren’t we?”

“Everyone will say what they think, then we’ll narrow down to the most reasonable opinion.”

“Chie-nee, what do you think?”

“I think it’s a mess. We already have people who think no one’s shady and those who think everyone is.”

“Yammering on and on about something that can’t be reasonably decided is a waste of time. Besides, in the end, this is just going to be decided by whoever’s most influential.”

“What’re ya gettin’ at?”

“Don’t worry too much, Chiemi. Most of us here are Yasumizu brothers and sisters. It’ll work out in the end.”

“I appreciate that you’re being so considerate, but…We’re talking about killing someone here.”

“...”

“Plus, it gets worse. If you don’t want to pick someone close to you, you’ll choose someone else. Someone you don’t like, or a stranger.”

“Personally, I think you shouldn’t let that kind of thing affect your decision. It’d be a grave mistake.”

“Hey, I’m trying to say that killing and all that poo poo is insane and we should stop it!”

“That won’t do, Takumi.”

“Baa-chan’s saying the same thing. That’s why we gotta talk it out, you know?”

“I know, I know what you’re trying to say, but…”



Haru-chan’s speaking!

“Um, what’s the likelihood of the guy Chie-nee brought being the one who killed the journalists?”

“See? What did I just say?”

I don’t think he did. It’s just my gut, though. What about you guys?

“Takumi-nii, you said he’s shady.”

“Yeah, I did. But like Chiemi said, we shouldn’t make decisions based on that. Also, the guy’s weird, but I don’t he’d do something like that.”

“I’m with you on that. This is our problem, so we should solve it by ourselves.”

“Hmph, isn’t that basically choosing someone based on who you like?”

“So how do you think we should choose, Kiyonosuke-san?”



“‘Hail democracy’ and all that? That’s not very like you.”

“I’m merely saying that there’s no better way to get the common opinion of this many people.”

“Also, talking it out and the decision then is basically taking the conclusion most people agree with, no? That’s the same as majority rule.”

“Otherwise, like you mentioned, everything would be decided by whoever had the most influence.”

Who would that be here in Yasumizu? Kanzo Makishima-san? Yamawaki-san? And who would be killed? Me, of course - the non-local.

“Isn’t that foolish, considering the people deciding might themselves be wolves?”

“Nosato-san…”

“Just so you are aware, I have no intention of dying. At the very least, I want a method where I have a say in what happens.”

“...”

“I’m against that! Majority rule? Yeah, you’ll get a conclusion, but there’s no guarantee it’ll be right! I still think talking it out and deciding then is the best.”

“Speaking of which, what would we even talk about?”



“Yes...The snake, the monkeys, the crow, and the spider will lend us their aid.”

“Do you know the details?”

“The snake…”

“Ah! Old fart?! You know about it?”

The snake...can ask the mountain who’s a wolf.

“There are two monkeys...they both know who the other monkey is.”

“The crow can ask the mountain if the hanged one was a wolf…”

“The spider can ask the mountain to protect someone from the wolves, but only for one night.”

“That’s what I’d been told, too.”

“The wolf has come…”

“I wasn’t aware you knew this. I thought you were just senile, but it looks like you’re pious, too.”

“Anyway...that means some of us here should have those powers.”

“What do you mean? Wait, do god and the guardians even exist? Isn’t it just some serial killer using old folktales as a cover?”

“Haru-chan. God really does exist.”

“You just believe he does!”

“No. All of us must’ve seen Shin’nai-sama at least once in our lives.”

“But...that’s…”

“Calm down, Haru-chan. Are you all right?”

“Yeah...Sorry.”

“Whether it’s true or not, we should start by putting together what we know. It’s too early to decide anything.”



“Can’t you young’uns remember the old tales better…?”

“The snake sees. The monkeys hold hands. The crow tastes. The spider protects.”

“The snake can discover the wolves among the people. It’s also the guardian beast of the Miguruma family.”

“The monkeys know for certain that the other monkeys aren’t wolves. It’s the guardian beast of the Higuchi family.”

“...”

“The crow can tell if the one who died was a wolf or not. It’s my family’s - Nosato’s - guardian beast.”

“That’s pretty sad.”

“Silence...And the spider can keep the wolves from entering someone’s home. It’s the Uematsu’s guardian.”

“Indeed. Each family’s crests represent their guardians, too.”

“But how do those chosen by these guardians use their powers?”

“The snake writes the name of one still-living person on something and puts it under their pillow before bed. The next morning, Shin’nai-sama tells them whether it’s a human or a wolf.”

“There are two monkeys, and Shin’nai-sama tells them who the other monkey is the moment they’re granted protection.”

“The crow is told whether the person who was hanged the day before is a human or not.”

“The spider writes the name of one still-living person and places it on their pillow. That person will be protected from the wolves, but only for one night.”



“If we get all the wolves, we win. If the wolves get everyone else, we lose.”

“Do you understand now?”

“Yes, but…”

“Where did you even learn this?”

“I heard about it from my obaa-chan.”

“W-Wait, that means that those who have village head family blood have their guardians, right?”

“I’m not so sure about that. I mean, we don’t have anyone with Miguruma blood, disowned or not.”

“I heard that...the guardians are very fickle...about who they lend their aid to.”

“Then who are they?”

“If they reveal it, they might make themselves targets for the wolves.”

“We won’t get anything done if we can’t talk about it, though.”

“You think so? What if - “

*Everything goes silent*



Listen up! My guardian’s the snake!

*Sting*

“Huh?!”

“What?!”

BGM: Feast Strategies

“Takumi-nii, is that true? How do you even know that…”

“I forgot to explain that. The guardians come when we’re dreamin’ and leave a mark for their chosen ones.”

“Yeah. I had a mark on me. I don’t remember the dream, though.”

“The snake sees...Does that mean Takumi-niichan already knows who are the wolves here?”

“No. As I said, he has to write it up and he can only choose one person per night.”

“Huh? So we won’t know anything until tomorrow morning?”

“Yes.”

“Can I ask something, Muro?”

“What is it?”

“Why did you reveal such important information for no reason?”

“What do you mean, why? We have no other information to go on.”



“So...revealing it like you did puts you in grave danger…”

“Hah, I ain’t scared at all.”

“How can you say that? Did you see what those monsters did to those people?”

“Oh, so you believe in monsters?”

“It was a figure of speech. Anyway, this turn of events has cost us a valuable weapon.”

Don’t just decide that! You don’t know poo poo!

“Yes, I do! Listen to me, everyone. Anything you say here is free information for the wolves.”

“We should talk things out without overplaying our hands, yeah?”

“That’s true. And it gave me an idea.”

“I’m the one speaking now!”

“Quiet, fool. Yasu, speak.”

“Huh…?!”

“To make the best use of Takumi-nii’s reveal, the spider should protect him.”

“The spider among us, without revealing his or her identity, should uh...write his name down, I suppose...and protect him. That would keep him safe...What do you think?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Yasu...Old man…”

“You’ll be safe today. Ask the snake to tell ya ‘bout someone.”

“Whatever he finds out will definitely be correct, right?”

“Right.”

“Takumi-niichan, can you promise you won’t lie no matter who you investigate and what result you get?”

“Of course I - “

“Of course I won’t.”

“Isn’t that good enough for today? I don’t think we can hang anyone without any kind of proof.”

“You sure that’s okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Just sitting around and waiting doesn’t suit me, okay?”

“I know that...Oh, by the way, I think Takumi-nii should tell us who he’ll investigate.”

“Why?”

“So if you investigate someone and don’t like the result, you can’t lie that you actually investigated someone else.”

“What the...I wouldn’t lie.”

“Hmph. That’s reasonable. I’d say it’s necessary for Muro, considering how sympathetic he is to Yasumizu’s inhabitants.”

“He’s not that special in that regard. Everyone wants to protect their own. But the situation doesn’t allow that.”

“There’s another positive to that. We can all discuss and decide who we should investigate first. Right?”

“True...I’d like to talk about that, too. Who do you think I should go for, Yasunaga?”

“I’m not too sure, but I think we should start with the one who’s most likel to be unjustly chosen to be hanged…”

“That would be me. Honestly, I feel as though I can’t even speak if I’m not confirmed to be human.”

You’re speaking quite a lot, if you ask me…



“...”

“...”

“Fine by me. Then we’re not hangin’ anyone today.”

“Is that really fine?”

“Yeah. It’s gonna be fine. That’s it for today!”

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