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There it is There's that Hatoful feeling... 
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Aug 5, 2014 17:42
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I think St. Pigeonation's has earned itself a what-is-going-on template. In the event of unusual pigeonomena, check all that apply: __ One of Shuu's experiments is going nuts __ It's a Hawk Party project __ It's something completely normal being mistaken for something strange __ Tohri is losing his poo poo again __ San
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Aug 5, 2014 22:58
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...Nageki, are there any childhood friends you want to tell us about? That you liked to watch the moon with? Now seems like the time.
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Aug 6, 2014 00:24
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I thought we reached peak  awhile ago, then I was proven wrong, now yet again I seem to be wrong.This flapping game 
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Aug 6, 2014 21:27
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Hey guys guess what happened
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Aug 7, 2014 06:16
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AstraSage posted:And the game is now at the risk of becoming Shin Mendorigami Tensei... Alternately, this game is now Revolutionary Girl Utena. " If it cannot break out of its shell, the chick will die without ever being born. We are the chick- The world is our egg. If we don't crack the world's shell, we will die without ever truly being born. Smash the world's shell. FOR THE REVOLUTION OF THE WORLD!"
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Aug 7, 2014 13:40
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  Uuuurggghh…I heard… a familiar voice. It seemed so distant… Was I still dreaming?  Miss Lourde. Ah! I quickly sat up at the sound of Nageki’s voice. I could only see darkness. Were we back on the roof again? What a crazy dream, huh? It’s a little early to say that. The nightmare isn’t over yet, mon amie. I knew it wouldn’t be that easy… Not after you said all that flag-raising stuff, Yuuya.Things certainly look a little different, at least. It’s pitch dark all around us, and quiet. There is no sound apart from our voices. It got bright, and there was that earthquake, and then The King showed up out of nowhere… What happened? I’m not entirely sure myself. I think we can safely say that king fellow doesn’t want us leaving, though. W-what? You mean that he’s put us in some sort of prison!? This is… This is kidnapping! Hey! Mister King! What kind of VIP treatment is this!? I don’t want any of it!There’s no reply. It’s just a cold, dark abyss. Wh-what do we do…? Nageki, Yuuya… Are the others okay…? The King doesn’t seem to want to let any of us go, so he’s probably trapped the others in here, too. Of course-- So we can’t. I can just barely make out Nageki and Yuuya, but if they stepped back even just a little I think I’d lose them. We can’t see what’s a wall and what’s a corridor… We’ll never find any-- Hey there! In a bit of a bind, eh? Oh!The new voice signaled the arrival of a familiar friend from the darkness. Mr. Migrant Bird.  Now isn’t the time for friendly old man wisdom! …You know him? Well, we’ve… bumped into him a few times. He’s just a hungry old man. A hungry old man? That’s a depressing way of putting it. …… (Prof. Nanaki and the doctor are the only two adults asleep on the roof… What’s going on here…?) You’re a migrant, right, mister? Do you know how to get out of here? If you’re going to show up right when we’re stuck, can’t you at least be useful!? Hahaha, I’ve never been good at sticking to a goal. I just wait for the wind to blow and head wherever it smells like tender grasses. There’s no need for you young folks to be in such a hurry, either. Why not take a break for a change? We appreciate the thought, but alas, we’re a little short on time right now.We’re one step away from a permanent vegetative state, after all! We’re still alive! We shouldn’t be here! Well… I may have come here naturally. I like living fast! Mmm, yes, that does sound like a problem. Are only dead birds supposed to come here? No, that’s not it. Don’t look so down, you weren’t far off! What do you mean? So, it’s… not where we end up when we die? Birds who pass their names to the stars wander the night sky. There are any number of places to see. But there are also stars like this. Stars which aren’t stars. It’s a bit like a himantophid’s light, if you see what I mean. A humantophid…? A lure for prey… or something like that? I’ll go take a look around.As the migrant began to walk away from us, I noticed that I was still able to see him as he moved. Suddenly, something else began to take shape in front of me. The music stops.   ! It’s not very bright, but… I can see some starlight now.There are tiny stars everywhere! I hadn’t noticed them before. Your eyes are getting used to the darkness. See? A little break now and then can help, too.He’s right--my eyes are used to it now. We’re standing in the center of a large, round room, with… two doors? Maybe everyone else is through those? Though, we can’t tell where they lead… We just got shut in here! We didn’t get to bring a strategy guide along! But doesn’t the mourning dove there have a planisphere? …Yes, I have it. There’s your map.Nageki’s planisphere? It is a very nice planisphere, but will studying constellations now really-- !  Nageki turned his planisphere over, and a new piece of it was displayed. An… egg? It looks a little like a dark nebula. That’s a bad egg. When an egg turns black, it’s rotten. Black is the color of a poor chick who died before hatching… We’re just a bit above the very bottom now. The stars’ lights are birds’ souls. Burning bright and happy even in a dead egg! My job here is to find everyone and get out, yes. …I think I’m ready to go home. And I want to see tomorrow!As I finished my sentence, a huge cracking noise echoed through the nothingness around us. The music stops.  Look! We’re one step closer to hatching. Chicks grow teeth to help them tear out of their shells and into the new world. We only need them that once! With them, we can break out of this shell by our own strength. No matter how tough the shell is, it will break eventually. If the chick is alive, it can break free. This is a false star. That wasn’t a real light you saw… That was the lighthouse, luring wanderers in from the Milky Way. A false star is a dangerous thing. Once you’re in, it can be hard to get out. It’s scary! Answers…? ……I see. So all this is fake? Do you have a plan, Nageki? No, not really. I just know what The King was thinking when he made this place. Well, good luck! Wait! Can’t you explain that a little more…Aaah, too late. He’s gone. Geez, no one likes a key character who just shows up with a whole bunch of gnomic advice and doesn’t actually say anything useful! Now now, mon amie. At least he gave us some hints, right? And some cause for optimism. Well, at least the gnomic and hungry old man gave Nageki some clear reassurance. Your planisphere sure is turning out to be useful, Nageki. Yuuya pointed to the small point at the bottom, and made a small motion over the two branches. And there are two stars nearby. And if the stars are what he said-- We should be able to find everyone else if we aim for the stars? Let’s hope so. And there are two… suspicious stars up at the top. The false lighthouse… That must be the light we saw from the plaza. And from what he said, we need to break it? All right! Happens all the time in longer dungeons in RPGs! I’m ready to roll! Protecting the ladies is always my first priority… I’d like to go with you, mon amie, but I’ll go alone. You’ll be safer if you’ve got the map with you, after all. Take care of her, all right? …Right.     The music stops.  Right.Yuuya does seem pretty professional sometimes. He even had a real gun during that time at Christmas… Maybe he really is with the FBI or something…? I’m opening the door. Are you ready? Bring it on! Nageki pushed the door open, and soon we were engulfed in the great light pouring through the door. What would we find on the other side? Neither of us knew, but we stepped forward anyways, determined to find our way out of this nightmare.
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Aug 7, 2014 15:05
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dotchan posted:Alternately, this game is now Revolutionary Girl Utena. Xun posted:Hey guys guess what happened
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Aug 7, 2014 15:08
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Man, now I really wonder who that migrant is. I'm sure he'll turn out to be important somehow.
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Aug 8, 2014 01:06
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A dead bird who never hatched? Like Yuuya's half-brother that he killed so that Sakuya could be safely hatched? 
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Aug 8, 2014 17:47
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Angela Christine posted:-BBL spoilers- I'd suggest spoiler tagging that for people who haven't read the first LP
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Aug 8, 2014 19:45
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glomkettle posted:I'd suggest spoiler tagging that for people who haven't read the first LP CS already stated that all spoilers for the original game are fair game.
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Aug 8, 2014 20:14
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Angela Christine posted:A dead bird who never hatched? Like Yuuya's half-brother that he killed so that Sakuya could be safely hatched?
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Aug 8, 2014 20:17
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   Once, there was an Okosan. There was something the Okosan wanted to find, no matter what. So he ran to the ends of the earth. The Okosan was very fast. He could run anywhere. He ran everywhere.  At the end of the earth, there was a giant hole in the ground.  The Okosan fell into the hole. No one remembers the Okosan now. Poor Okosan. Poor Okosan. We had exited the corridor and headed into the next room, where we found our first friendly bird.  Okosan!Hostage confirmed! Moving to secure! Okosan, let’s get out of here. Okay? COOOOOO!Okosan used WING ATTACK! It’s super effective! Ow! Ow! Okosan, that hurts! Calm down and listen to me! You’re not being a particularly benevolent god either way. Yeah, Okosan! A god has to listen to the voices of the downtrodden common people! Coo!? (R-really!?) Yes. Coooo…! (Unnnggghhh… In that case Okosan will listen for three centimeters!) Okosan, this pudding isn’t real! You have to kiss it goodbye and come back to reality! Coooooooo! (Silence!) So three centimeters is about ten seconds?Looks like it. Okosan, calm down! This crummy pudding isn’t the pudding you’ve been searching for all these years! I don’t know anything about pudding!The music stops. Err… Think about it, Okosan! Is the pudding you seek something I could understand? Of course not! It’s something beyond and above, something completely outside my comprehension! !!! Whenever you talk about pudding it’s like it’s the meaning of the universe, or final secret of the earth, or some sort of cult deity! No matter how hard you’ve tried to explain it, I just don’t get it. I still don’t know what the pudding you’re looking for is! But I do understand that it’s not something you can find just like that! Doesn’t this strike you as odd, then? How could you have found that amazing treasure without doing anything? Coo…!? What have you been training for all these years? Haven’t you been training so you can find the pudding which sleeps forgotten at the end of the earth!? You couldn’t possibly find a treasure like that this easily! It’s a trap, Okosan! A fake! You have to remember, Okosan! Remember the pudding you seek!The music stops. The scenery around us slowly faded away to whiteness, and from the blinding white came an incredible cry.   Coo! Coo!And before we know it, we’re standing in a room just like the one where we started. Was everything we saw in here before just an illusion created by The King? Probably, yes. He was hoping to hold us back. Coooooooo! (Okosan has remembered!) I… don’t think I follow. Don’t worry, I don’t either! Coo, coooo! (Okosan must return to Earth and seek The True Pudding!) The wall… cracked!? We must be breaking the shell, like the migrant said. Oh, I get it! When someone starts thinking “I want to go home!”, the egg cracks a little?It doesn’t look like it will crack any more, though. And we probably couldn’t break it by hand… We’ll need to keep going forward.  Okosan, wai…!Okosan gallops off into the darkness, snorting and cooing with excitement. Well… he can probably take care of himself just fine. Probably.My eyes are getting used to the darkness again, and I can make out another door opposite from where we came in. Who will we find in the next room? Well, there’s only one way to find out. Let’s go! 
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Aug 9, 2014 16:26
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Leave it to Hatoful Boyfriend to have an emotionally charged discussion about the metaphysical nature of destiny and pudding.
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Aug 9, 2014 17:53
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Pudding is Serious loving Business, at least for Oko San. On a semi-related note, am I the only one getting Kingdom Hearts flashbacks from the stained glass floor at the end?
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Aug 9, 2014 17:59
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Dr. Snark posted:On a semi-related note, am I the only one getting Kingdom Hearts flashbacks from the stained glass floor at the end?
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Aug 9, 2014 19:55
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Now I'm hoping Kingdom Hearts 3 will be a crossover between Disney, Square, and Hatoful Boyfriend. Then we can finally learn the true origin of Sephiroth's and Cloud's wings
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Aug 9, 2014 21:47
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KINGDOM HATO e: "I know now, without a doubt, Kingdom Haato, is pudding!"
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Aug 9, 2014 22:08
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Oh lord Kingdom Haato. Looking forward to more NPC stained glass.
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Aug 10, 2014 04:49
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  Once, there was a chrysalis. The chrysalis was all alone. It didn’t know how to grow up, so it stayed a chrysalis forever.  One day, a butterfly came along. The butterfly said, “Let’s be friends!” “I can show you how to become a beautiful butterfly like me.” The lonely chrysalis was happy. Because it wasn’t alone anymore.  But… Its friend the butterfly disappeared soon after. The lonely chrysalis was alone again. It didn’t know where to go anymore. It didn’t know what it wanted to do anymore.  The lonely chrysalis shrank, and hardened. Nothing will ever come out of it now. Poor chrysalis. Poor chrysalis. The music stops.  As we entered the next room, a familiar pair of excitable birds greeted us. It’s the Christmas Junkies! And here I was expecting some emotionally charged, heart-wrenching scene! You shouldn’t judge by appearances. Maybe these creatures have some sort of deep internal conflict, as well.Well, we did find out that they have a tragic backstory… And we still need to get them out of here, too! Miru, Kaku. We need to get out of here! If we stay here too long, we won’t be able to go home anymore. M-Merry Christmas!? (Whaaaat!?) This place is called the Holiday Star, but it’s not Christmas, is it? If we don’t get out of here, we’ll never be able to celebrate Christmas again! …I suppose that’s an expression of surprise?They do appear to be moved. Merry Christmas! (That would be bad! Really bad!) Merry Christmas! (Miru and Kaku want to start preparing for next Christmas! ZZZOOOM!)The two of them run off into the darkness. The music stops. That was… a lot easier than Okosan. I guess so. We just went through this plain corridor a little while ago, anyway. I already know who we’ll find through that door. Enormous enemy is approaching! Keep your dignity, Nageki! I’m already dead, so I think I’ll be safe no matter what, but… do be careful, Miss Lourde. Huh? There’s no reply. It’s just a kitchen. Miss Lourde, watch out!What? What!? What happened!? Nageki slams into me from behind. I go rolling across the floor. Behind me, I heard a loud metallic clang. Nageki! And I thought you were such a gentleman! …?I looked behind me, unsure of what to expect. A gigantic bear trap is lying on the floor where I stood a moment ago. Did that fall from the ceiling? Before I could question it more, though, a familiar voice confirmed the suspicions I had.   What do you mean “Do not fear”, you peoplecidal partridge proprietor!? And you’re supposed to lay bear traps on the ground, anyway! Hanging it from the ceiling? Really!? I swear, kids these days can’t do anything right! I was planning to modify it such that it would seize the victim’s head and then lift them back up to the ceiling… It would help with exsanguination, you see. …I see you weren’t planning to close, after all.My neck hurts just thinking about it! But this wasn’t the time to be angry at the doctor; we had to escape now! Fluffy heretic chef! I mean, Dr. Iwamine! Your dark fantasy affections end now! You’ve noticed too, right? This place isn’t normal! We’ve been shut in. If we stay here too long, we’ll-- What, you mean he already knows? I read a report on a similar phenomenon, where a number of people shared a dream… a few years ago, now. I suspect we are under the effects of something not unlike mass hypnosis, caused by the eclipse… If that is not the case, you should not be here. ……? Well, at least we don’t have to explain it to you. Let’s escape together, Doctor! Rejected at the speed of light! Are you more comfortable here, then? Hmm… Who knows? I haven’t even been here for half a day, I haven’t quite decided yet. But didn’t you say yourself that you’re one of those sad people who only love research, Doctor? Your brains will rot and drip out your ears if you stay in this eternal holiday kingdom with its happy-go-lucky king! It is as you say--If I have my fill of research, I cannot complain. Um…Yuuya did say that our brains were disconnected from our bodies, so… I guess so? To cast away all functions but conscious thought… What a pure state of being! It fascinates me. B-b-but! Do you really want to stay in this dream forever, Doctor? Since when were you the dreamy type!? Dreams are not such rigid things as you seem to think. The activity of the brain is no different while dreaming that while waking. But there isn’t anything here to use for your favorite diabolical experiments! You’ve lost me! To put it another way, the birds on this star hold within themselves the capability to replay any number of past events. This star is practically overflowing with material for study. Have no worries there. …This isn’t the sort of thing that happens every day, after all. Since I have the chance to experience it, I want to stay and take advantage of it. Are you really sure about that, sir? No matter what you study, no matter what you discover, you’ll never be able to announce it to the world! I seek knowledge, and knowledge alone. I am not doing this for someone else’s sake, or for some earthly goal. As Dr. Iwamine finished his declaration, the room filled with a blinding white light.   As the light faded away and my vision returned, a room much like the one Okosan was in began to take form. Go on ahead. We have nothing more to talk about.The shell cracked! Well, it did crack, but… It looks a little… sub-par. Those cracks must be from Miru and Kaku.Probably… We don’t have much time, so we’ll go rescue the others! Please reconsider while we’re gone, Doctor! This is no time for “hohoho”, fluffetic! And so we once again stepped through the door and into the next corridor.  The music stops.  I do hope he decides to help us… The infirmary would be awfully lonely without the murderous fluffetic around. …Miss Lourde. Yes? We’ve got company.! From out of nowhere, a group of Holiday Star citizens appeared in front of us.  Geez, we’ve already decided to go home! No one likes a host who tries to lock you in their house and make you stay forever!How many of these vague, see-through citizens are there, anyway!? You all should try talking to The King, too! Only a tyrant would try to stop visitors from leaving, right? Have you all been here with that king forever? No, we haven’t. So you came from outside? You must have been the same. We were very afraid, and we came here. Afraid…?Nageki and I had a nice time coming here on a comfortable train with a friendly conductor. I don’t remember being afraid of anything… If you came from outside you have homes to return to, right? Why are you staying here? Because we don’t have to worry about anything. Because there’s nothing scary here. !!!   Just like before, the citizens slowly morphed into copies of The King.  So there is nothing scary here. Everyone is together. Let’s be together. The King is waiting on his royal throne. But… The King--The King glances nervously at Nageki. The King does not want to be friends with that mourning dove. You don’t have to come. …That’s not very nice of you. The Kings fade into the darkness, leaving their selfish command behind. The music stops. Wow, Nageki! From the look on his face, I bet The King is changing his royal underwear right about now! He’s a bit of a crybaby. I don’t think scaring him is very hard.I do wonder about it, though. Why was he so afraid of Nageki? The Migrant said something about that, too. Maybe you’re The King’s natural enemy? And--Those vague citizens turned into The King, and disappeared. If what they said is true-- Perhaps everyone who stays here ends up turning into The King? That’s a bit much! What is this, a horror movie!?At least it sounds like he’s waiting for us. We’ve got to go find the others and then teach him a thing or two about international travel laws! Meanwhile, on the other path…   I can probably trust Mr. One--Leone, rather, to keep my body from spontaneously combusting or anything like that. That artistic scientist fellow’s probably cleared the clouds away… But the king of this place blocked the moonlight. A search-and-rescue mission in a zone of total surrealism, eh? This is new even to me.I reached the first door on my side. Hopefully the other two were doing well. I opened the door and stepped into the bright light that shined from the entrance. 
ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 18:16 on Aug 11, 2014 |
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Aug 11, 2014 16:19
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I keep debating whether to post or not because I know I'll just say something along the lines of  and then HB will find some way to get even more ridiculous.
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Aug 11, 2014 16:46
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ChorpSaway posted:
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Aug 11, 2014 17:56
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Nihilarian posted:Are you sure that middle line is supposed to come from the fluffy heretic? Looks more like a Hiyoko line to me. Haha, thanks for catching that! That is indeed a Goon/Hiyoko line, but I guess I missed that in editing.
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Aug 11, 2014 18:18
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I'm guessing that they'll get Ryuuji's help to convince Shuu. Somehow.
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Aug 11, 2014 21:28
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In the original Hatoful Boyfriend thread I basically stated that I don't think Shuu is capable of love, but after re-examining some of the stuff in this game, now I'm not so sure. After seeing his response to the letters about Doctor Kawara, and after seeing the storybook section about the chrysalis, I have a different impression than I did before. Now I wonder if he is capable of love, but only in the context of scientific research. And by that I mean, it's not that he loves scientific research, it's that he sees scientific research as an expression of love. And he does not understand the concepts of love or affection, or how to express them, in any other context. And if the story of the chrysalis is a reflection of how he sees himself, that suggests some level of self-awareness about this. I wonder if he knows that he's messed up, but just doesn't understand how he's messed up.
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Aug 12, 2014 00:40
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I can see why they wouldn't want Nageki here. In a place full of abandoned souls hiding from death, an actual dead one would be about as welcome as a fox in a henhouse.
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Aug 13, 2014 01:18
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  Once, there was a beautiful piano. The piano was decorated with gemstones in all the colors of the rainbow.  Oh, how it sparkled and glittered! Everyone told it it was beautiful. What a beautiful piano! No one had ever seen such a wonderful piano before.  The piano’s owner was very pleased, and decorated the piano even more. Everyone, in all the land, praised the piano’s beauty. No one, from anywhere, wanted to hear its voice.  But the gemstones were heavy, so heavy, and one day they crushed the piano flat. Poor piano. Poor piano. The music stops.  I open the door to find a fantail angrily beating a book on the floor. Salutations, Sakuya. I’m glad to see you’re still yourself. Wha… Is there no getting rid of you? What now? The tea party’s already over. Is it? That’s too bad. I was really looking forward to drinking some of your tea, too. I’ll be expecting an invitation card next time, too.Sakuya sticks his beak in the air and coos irritatedly. The music stops. By the way, what were you reading just now? I haven’t the slightest! Do you remember where you found it? I do not mean to insult a gift of royalty, but… that thing is amazing. It is like the scribbles of a deranged child. A picture book, eh?So this is a little flirtation from the king--or rather, an invitation to stay here. I suppose it’s meant to paint reality in a poor light to flatter the world of dreams. …Alas, its message appears to have been lost on Sakuya.   Gaudiness is hardly the deciding factor in an instrument’s value. Indeed, an instrument covered in sparkly gew-gaws to impress uncultured fools is the epitome of crassness! Decorating an instrument to the decrement of its tone is absurd! Ludicrous! If the author of this drivel was here now I would sit him down and lecture him for three days, without break.He continues on, angrily expounding the qualities of musical timbre. I wonder if he realizes just how much he cares about music? As his brother, I can only hope to see the magnificent blooming of that enthusiasm one day… in the real world. Very true. Visual flair is hardly what an instrument is there for! The piano in here should have used his voice to let everyone know that before he got crushed. “I wasn’t created to be decorated. Let me sing.” Something like that.  I love how thick-headed you are, Sakuya. It’ll save me a lot of trouble. Wha… What is this!? Do you mock me!? No, quite the opposite. That was praise. I doubt it! Your ridiculous facial expression is proof of your deceit! Forgive me, I was born with it. What am I to do? Now, then… I can’t spend too much time here. I doubt whoever I run into next will be as easy as you, after all. You’re always good at keeping things moving. Thanks, Sakuya. And so I told Sakuya everything I knew about the situation.  By the time I finished my explanation, we had been moved to a room similar to the one that Goon, Nageki and I had woken up in. Wha… You do not jest!? It’s hard to believe, but unfortunately, it’s true. You and I are hooked together with a whole pile of electrical wires right now. You cad! Without my permission!? You weren’t exactly being responsive. And it’s an emergency, anyway. Easier to ask forgiveness than approval, right? Agh……! Now, then, Sakuya. Will you spend eternity having tea here with that cheerful, artistically challenged king?  Sakuya made a loud declaration, and a large crack appeared in the wall behind him. Just who do you think I am? I am Shirogane Sakuya Le Bel! It is completely out of the question. I demand to see the man responsible for this idiocy, at once! I shall have recompense for his gross discourtesy towards me!Sakuya runs off into the darkness, an aura of unusual proactivity about him. No one gets the better of my little brother.I grasped the door handle and turned it, facing a white light emanating from the opening. Now, then… who’s next?
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Aug 13, 2014 16:10
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Sakuya is just so precious 
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Aug 13, 2014 16:55
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I loved this scene. It's really obvious how much Yuuya loves his dumb little brother . And Sakuya not even actually understanding his picture book was classic Sakuya.
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Aug 13, 2014 17:05
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You know, I wonder if the King isn't just guessing at ways to keep people here, and some of them work better than others.
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Aug 15, 2014 01:07
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 Once upon a time, there lived a white dove and a black dove.  The white dove loved the sunflower.  The black dove loved the sunflower, too. What a beautiful sunflower it was. It was as warm and bright as the sun itself. The sunflower would go out and play with the doves all day long.  But one day, the sunflower made friends with a star. And after that, the sunflower always went out at night. Without the sunflower, as bright as the sun, to light them, the days became dark.  The white dove knew how nice the night star was, and became sad, and more sad, and cried.  The black dove thought the night star should turn into a shooting star and go disappear somewhere far away. Things would be better then.  But in the end, both doves froze in the darkness and died. Poor doves. Poor doves.  What did you think of it? Kawara Ryouta. …… That doesn’t mean anything. How I feel doesn’t matter… Looks like he’s more interested in talking to the king than to me. I guess I’m still just not charming enough. The King said, that mourning dove is a bad, bad bird. That mourning dove wants to steal something precious from The King. And from you. You must know already. That the mourning dove is an evil, evil demon. Nageki is a ghost, but he’s not evil… I guess he can be scary if you make a mess of the library books, but… Because you can tell that your greatest treasure will be taken far, far away. …… If you join The King, you will not be afraid of anything anymore. The evil demon will be gone, then. The King is waiting for you.After a lot of smarmy babbling, the king disappears. I guess that now would be the time to make a proper entrance for Ryouta. The music stops. Salutations, o troubled young pigeon. Mind if I join you for a bit? Oh… Yuuya! Well, I wasn’t exactly invited. You know how it is. I’m here to rescue you all. Blah, blah, blah, blah, please decide to bust out of here and come home with me as soon as possible. …… I see… So we’re all in the same dream, after all.Well, I’m certainly glad that he understood me so that I didn’t have to do the whole speech again.  By all indications, yes. The king there is the host and creator of this charade, and you’re all guests. And I’m crashing the party. Everyone dreaming the same dream beneath the starry night sky… Very romantic. So, are you still caught up in this dream? I don’t… I don’t know. I don’t know what I want anymore. From what little I saw of the king’s solicitations I can guess pretty easily what he means. And I am a bit of a specialist in that area… You know by now what it is that’s causing you pain, right? …… …I… I haven’t done… Talk to me, Ryouta. I’m here for you, and I can help you. What’s bothering you? What are you afraid of? Once you’ve put it into words, you’ll know exactly what you need to do. That’s what I think, anyway. It’s why I talk so much all the time… Seems reasonable, doesn’t it? At this rate, you’ll rot from the inside. Quite literally, at that. Be brave, Ryouta. …I’m… I’m afraid of-- I always worry too much, and at first I thought this dream was just me being scared that someday she’ll leave me behind. But I guess that’s not it. The Goon I saw here… is the real Goon…His eyes flicker about nervously. What he says is true: even though this is a dream, Goon is acting of her own accord. Goon has been with me ever since we were children. But it won’t. It never would. It was all… just my imagination. All of it.His eyes glisten with tears. Ah, how brightly his innocence shines to one as worldly and jaded as myself. He probably hasn’t even realized that what he’s feeling is love. I took it all for granted. I thought it would last forever. But that’s not possible. I know Goon better than anyone. I know what she loves, and what she hates. What she’s good at, and what she isn’t. I know everything about her. And not just in this dream. She spends more time in the library every day. If someday I stop being special to her… For that matter, maybe I just thought I was special to her… All this time, to her, I’ve been nothing but…!The music stops. Well, well. What a pickle. If I’ve been reading the signs right, Nageki and Goon aren’t quite to the point where Ryouta should be worrying. But his fears are going to get more and more likely by the day. I need to pick my words carefully. How can I coax this young man’s heart back into the real world without breaking it?  The king said something to Ryouta about becoming one with him to avoid his pain. So if I say something wrong here, or I make too many assumptions, and Ryouta decides to stay on the Holiday Star… Believe in Goon, Ryouta. You’re just jumping at shadows. What do you mean? They aren’t really a couple. I’ve had a thousand loves--I could tell at a glance. I… would like to think that, but…The music stops. He looks just as troubled as before. Shoot. That wasn’t what was worrying him… What I’m trying to say is, um… You’re clearly her favorite, Ryouta.  That’s a little harsh, isn’t it? Not that I can exactly explain myself now. It would take too long. A casual, here today, gone tomorrow bird like you can’t even comprehend the depth of my relationship with Goon. We’ve been together… forever… I know Goon better than anyone. And the same goes for her. She knows me better than anyone else in the entire world. A horrible screech came from Ryouta--no, the king.  Everything around me went black. I could no longer see or feel anything around me. All that was left was-- The music stops.      The music stops.  I couldn’t take that sort of risk. Instead of assuming I understand Ryouta’s problems right now, I’ll have him tell me himself. What exactly do you mean by “special”? Something… irreplaceable? I don’t really understand myself. But, at the very least… So that’s it? What were you ever afraid of, then? No one can ever be replaced, Ryouta. You will never stop being “special” to Goon, in that respect. It’s as simple as that. You don’t think I’m trying to fool you or anything, do you? That’s… true, I guess, but that’s not it. I’m scared that I just won’t be with her as much any-- Of course not. You can’t stay children forever. …! Feel like writing me off as a heartless bastard yet? But ignoring me won’t change anything. Time will pass, and places will change. No matter how fair the flower, it will rot and fall to pieces if you never let it go. But memories will never hurt you. The flower withers, the star falls, and the rainbow fades away, but you will always remember their beauty. Are you telling me to… go on alone, with nothing but my memories…? That’s a little pessimistic! What I’m saying is… don’t let your fears for tomorrow cloud the memories you’re making today. …That’s too abstract for me. I don’t think I understand.How long is he going to keep floundering around? I’ll have to be a little more clear. Maybe you’ll be an unrequited lover, or maybe you’ll live and have a family with Goon, or maybe you’ll go your own separate ways. But whatever happens, all the time you’ve spent with her, all the joy you’ve had, will still be yours. How could I live without the sun, now that I’m so used to its warmth and light? I’m scared, Yuuya! I don’t want to see everything I know collapse around me!This is pretty bad. I’d been taking him for a quiet metrosexual, but maybe he’s really into the whole total monopolization thing? And as far as I can tell, Miss Goon herself hasn’t got the slightest idea all this is going on. What a sinfully negligent lady! Everything changes, Ryouta. Time is like that--inconvenient and rude to everyone. Even if you stand still, everything else will leave you behind. No matter how hard you try to prevent change, it will still come. The world, and your friends, will still change. If what you really want is undisturbed peace for the rest of your days you’ll have to cut all your ties, leave everyone behind, and become a hermit in the mountains. No… I don’t want that! I didn’t think you did. Are you planning to ask someone else to stay with you, then? So you think it would be selfish? Aren’t you wishing someone would do that for you, just a little bit, deep inside? …I don’t know. Maybe I am. Or maybe you aren’t. …Right. There are things that scare even me, yes. Even a hero of justice has his weaknesses. What’s waiting for me at the other end of this night? The best day of my life? Or the very worst? No one knows. And that’s why-- That’s why all we, who cannot see tomorrow, can do is put on our bravest smiles and march boldly into the new day. Isn’t that called bluffing? Hahaha, I suppose it is. All this time I’ve just been trying to look cool so no one will realize what’s going on inside. But what’s wrong with putting on a little show? The music stops.  It seemed that, even just a little bit, I had been able to help Ryouta overcome his fears. We appeared in a room rather familiar to me at this point. And so I made my final attack. I have a question for you. There are only two choices. We’re running a little low on time, you see. Kawara Ryouta. What do you want to do? You could accept the king’s invitation and stay here. Nageki would be removed. You would spend eternity celebrating the endless holiday with Goon, and tomorrow would never come. Nothing would change, and nothing would hurt you ever again. Or, you could refuse the king’s invitation and return to the real world. Your relationship with Goon will change, sooner or later, for better or worse. And a new day will come. Now, choose. I won’t try to force you either way. You alone can decide what your salvation will be.And in any case it won’t do us any good unless he decides to break free himself. 
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Aug 15, 2014 16:00
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Hmm. I wonder if Yuuya's going to run into a room made for himself.
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Aug 17, 2014 03:51
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 But something’s bothering me. I’ve been looking as hard as I can, but I still haven’t found it.  I went to the right. If that map is correct, there should be a route to that star here somewhere…But, where…? Meanwhile, on the other path…  It is connecting two stars. There really isn’t any way it could not be long.Stop pointing out how futile my complaints are! We’re almost there, anyway. Beyond that should be-- The King’s chamber?Nageki stares at the extravagant door at the end of the hallway and nods. All right! Let’s get in there with a bang, take out The King with a clang, and knock down the lighthouse with a… crash! Looks like you two cleared your half just fine.While Nageki and I were discussing our plan of attack, a familiar bird came from behind us. Yuuya! We talked to Okosan, Miru and Kaku… and Dr. Iwamine! And we made lots of cracks in the shell!Though, I still don’t think the doctor is really with us… Two rooms, after all… Yup. Just like on the map. I didn’t take any shortcuts, but I’ve only been through two rooms as well. So-- But we’re just a few steps from The King! We’re still one short. I must have missed the room somewhere… No doubt it’s the quail. I’ll go find the last room, as quickly as I can. My mission here is to get everyone out alive, after all. And your status as a hero of justice does give you a better chance at spot checks than either of us! Yuuya will finish his search-and-rescue, I’ll clobber some sense into The King, and Nageki will destroy the lighthouse! It’s the perfect plan! Try not to hurt him too badly, Miss Lourde.He started it! I was hoping to enjoy our reunion a little more, but we’ll have plenty of time for that after we wake up. Don’t worry, Yuuya! Nothing can stand before Nageki and me! Ours is a march of destruction, and no tender grasses sprout in the charred trail we leave! …Speak for yourself. Mr. Sakazaki. Hitori is blind, and if he’s alone he may be scared. Please, help him. Of course. Leave it to me.  And as for us… Into the hall of The King! I opened the large door in front of us, and Nageki and I slowly entered the room behind it.  The music stops.  You invited us here, and we have come. We want to talk. His Royal Highness, The King! You rotten royal rapscallion! Your silly fanfare and informal greeting won’t help you now! The King asked, why do you look so angry? The King is scared. The King does not understand. The King does not understand. The King does not understand, and thinks he might cry. Your Majesty. We didn’t come here to make you cry. Please, listen to what we have to say. You won’t get anywhere talking to him, Nageki. He belongs in a mental institution! He hasn’t listened to anything we’ve said so far, anyway. Come on, let’s beat him up already! Miss Lourde, please!Nageki glares at me. I guess he’s right… Our opponent is the undead lord of a dead kingdom. Maybe if we talk for a bit we’ll find out something useful. Who are you? The King is The King. I know that. And it’s not what I’m asking.  He said that this “false star” grows by attracting those souls with its light. Were you the one who created this star? …… If you did, why? Why do you try to trap more people here? Safe? This place is fake! It’s a sham! This place IS the danger! I don’t think The King is evil. Sometimes he doesn’t seem like anything but evil! No. The King just thinks a little differently than we do. He’s doing all this because he thinks he’s helping people. Isn’t that right? His idea of what’s good is too far away from ours, Nageki! …That may be true. But I still want to figure out his motives. It’s not very likely, but if we can persuade him without using force, we should. Tell me, Your Majesty. Where did you come from?Everything was quiet for a long while, but slowly, The King began to tell us a story. The music stops. The slow ticking of a clock is heard.  Which one was it… Classics? Or maybe German lit… Whatever. I gave up on both of them ages ago. …… “I don’t want to go out…” Where did I go wrong? Was it when I took the gap year? Or when I settled for a safety school? No… It must have been a long time before that. The days go by, and I do nothing. I wrap myself up in blankets and never go outside. I hate myself, and I hate myself, and night is here. I sleep until morning, sleep until noon, doze through the evening, and wake up at night.    My bed is a cocoon, protecting me. I want to go back to the shell I hatched from. I want to go back to when I was a yolk floating around in an egg so I can rot and die before I hatch.  Working hard has never gotten me anything. Birds had it so much better decades ago. They were born, ate, flew, slept, and never had to think about any of this. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. But I don’t have the courage. I don’t like pain, I don’t want to suffer. Someone, help me… And just when it was the most painful, when I had sunk so deep into my depression that I could sink no further… The gods heard my wish, and granted it.  “Your plumage is so nice. It’s bright and cheerful, unlike mine.” And it wasn’t just our coloration. He was my opposite, in every way. He was earnest, and smart. He didn’t mumble when he talked. But despite all that… He understood me, more than anyone else in the world.  “It’s not your fault. Society is always telling us to do this, do that. It’s like we’re held at gunpoint. I hate it all, too… Just like you, right?” He alone understood me, and I alone understood him. We were alone, the two of us, in the world. The time we had together was the warmest and sweetest of my life. If only it would go on forever. And one day, he said to me. “Let’s make it go on forever. Come on, let’s die together. It won’t be scary if we’re together.” “Are… Are you serious…?” “Of course I am. I’ve never lied to you, have I?” He was kind to me right until the end. One night he came home with a bag full of medicine. Medicine to wash us away, without pain, forever. “Let’s go somewhere far away. Somewhere where we’re completely alone. Just the two of us. Where no one can bother us, and no one will find us.”  “Aah… I’m getting tired. I feel so peaceful, holding your wing like this… We should have done this a long time ago.” “My pulse and breathing are dropping steadily… We’re almost to the end.” “Yes. Just us, at the end of the world. Time to say goodbye to this awful world, together…” “I guess you’re right. I was thinking it was about time I said goodbye to you.” The music stops.  A loud heartbeat is heard. “What……?” I reach out. I can’t move. “Goodbye. This is as far as I take you.” “B-but, you said you’d leave this awful world behind with me…” “Yes, what an awful world it is. But I still have things I need to do in it.” “N-no! I don’t… I don’t want to die! I don’t want to! I don’t!!” “It’s too late for that now. How many times have you told me you want to die? …You never really wanted to die, but you had to. People like you are just a bother, hanging around complaining and getting in the way. What an awful world.” “I-it… It wasn’t my fault! Why do you have to kill me? Come on, please… This isn’t right…! You’re right… I never really did want to die! It wasn’t me… It was… Society did this to me! It wasn’t me, it was everyone around me!” “Society, you say?” “Help me, please! Call an ambulance! Come on, please!” “They won’t come. This is the end of the world, and it belongs to you and me alone.” “A-agh… I don’t… want to die…! I’m scared… I’m scared! I don’t… Why are you doing this to me…!?” “You wished for death. And I helped you to it. That’s all there is to say. …Ah, please try not to throw up. It will just hurt you more.” The heartbeat fades out. 
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Aug 17, 2014 17:24
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Well, that was darker than I thought it was going to be.
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Aug 17, 2014 17:56
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Well, that's certainly the saddest thing I've read in a good long while.
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Aug 17, 2014 18:21
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Ah, there's the other half of the now-infamous one-two Hatoful sucker punch. We'd touched on the uncomfortable horror, and now it's time for the painful revelations of how screwed up a bunch of birds really can be.
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Aug 17, 2014 18:36
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Jesus Christ, this game. That ranks right up there with (I don't remember if BBL spoilers are kosher so I'll tag it anyway) Yuuya's revelation that he killed his half brother to replace him with Sakuya.
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Aug 17, 2014 19:25
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Is this how Nageki's brother took over Mr. Nanaki's identity? It would also explain why the king hates Nageki.
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Aug 18, 2014 02:27
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| # ? Jun 9, 2024 19:23 |
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In BBL, we got the impression that Hitori merely switched IDs with Kazuaki immediately after the fire, where he'd died in the confusion. Now they're telling us that Hitori was playing a longer, crueler game...
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Aug 18, 2014 03:44
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