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ChorpSaway posted:
Wait, what? How the hell...aren't Kazuaki and Hitori the same person? This isn't the first time Holiday Stay refers to them separately too...will we finally get an explanation? So weird. I'm definitely far more interested in the Kyoto journey now, if only for this.
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Sep 3, 2014 16:32
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Well, that was certainly a ride. It's interesting to see a visual novel with a more linear route, as I'm more familiar with dating sim type games generally. Really great story in those two chapters, and thanks for taking the time to show us all the (limited, failure-inducing) branches in it. I say go for the radio show. Oh, and are those all the stained glass we're going to get? If so, can I ask a kind gif wizard to get them down to avatar size, like was done with the character portraits, please?
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Sep 3, 2014 16:50
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Let's investigate Sakuya's butler. My opinion of this game is that it's almost as crazy as the first. Never change, Hato Moa.
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Sep 3, 2014 17:05
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I found the first thread late and have been following this one from the beginning. I guess now that the story's finished is a good time to start posting.  I'll vote for the radio show For those interested in playing HB yourselves, the Steam version unlocks in exactly a day (minus about six minutes when I post this).
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Sep 3, 2014 17:06
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Let's check out Albert's story.
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Sep 3, 2014 19:23
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I know someone mentioned the Absolute Zero book being out in PDF and Kindle versions, but I thought now would be a good time to pipe up that there are actually a couple of other comics available in English to Hatoful fans. One is Kazuaki-kun's Book about the crybaby Kazuaki. One is Focus on the Hawks following the adventures of Isa (Shuu), Ryuuji, and Tohri back in the day. And the final one is Hatoful Boyfriend Overload! Overflow! EX which has various stories that mainly take place in the current day, although there is also a bit about the Heartful House included too! There's a lot of zany humor mixed with some extra insight on characters, and now that we've completed the main Holiday Star story line it should be free of spoilers for those who are curious!
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Sep 3, 2014 20:09
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I want to see Albert's story, I want to see how Hatoful handles birds that are known to have actual, serious intelligence today. Pigeons, sure they may not be dumb, but if Albert is a crow his last name would basically have to be Einstein.
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Sep 3, 2014 20:44
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Kyoto Journey, naturally.
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Sep 3, 2014 21:18
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Radio show! It's always nice to have a breather with Ryouta.
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Sep 3, 2014 23:46
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Gay Abortions posted:Oh, and are those all the stained glass we're going to get? If so, can I ask a kind gif wizard to get them down to avatar size, like was done with the character portraits, please?    Available in three different flavors of background! These new avatar restrictions are so nice, look at those things!
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Sep 4, 2014 00:09
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Dang, I kinda want one of those, but I probably won't bother. Voting for The Butler because crows are great.
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Sep 4, 2014 00:20
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Radio Show this time for me. Also, 3 hours until Steam launch, will report back as it goes. I also picked up Absolute Zero the other day, and can heartily recommend it. Very fitting with all the HoliStar we just went through. EDIT: 1 hour to go, and Devolver just posted... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qdeW0fYiH0 This. I have officially run out of ways to say   loud enough, and I couldn't be happier about it.EDIT #2: Installing birdfriends. Calculating husbandoves. How the gently caress is this game suddenly a GIGABYTE download? Ariamaki fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Sep 4, 2014 |
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Sep 4, 2014 14:24
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Ariamaki posted:How the gently caress is this game suddenly a GIGABYTE download? Digitized require a lot of space.
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Sep 4, 2014 19:37
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ViggyNash posted:Digitized And even more strange, it only downloaded 600 meg, but the folder still detects as a gig, Steam still says it's a gig, and my hard drive is down... 500 meg!? Regardless, everything is gorgeous, there's a pretty solid fast-forward function for those seeking to grind endings / replay a specific scene, and the bonus features for the Special Edition are top notch. Only current complaint is a (as far as I can tell) rather slim Gallery, doesn't have any of the human-form intro panels or other scenes I expected it to.
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Sep 5, 2014 01:33
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Ariamaki posted:And even more strange, it only downloaded 600 meg, but the folder still detects as a gig, Steam still says it's a gig, and my hard drive is down... 500 meg!? Yeah, that's how Steam works normally. The "required" space is bloated to accommodate for updates or save games I guess, but the actual size is always much smaller.
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Sep 5, 2014 03:35
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ViggyNash posted:Yeah, that's how Steam works normally. The "required" space is bloated to accommodate for updates or save games I guess, but the actual size is always much smaller. See, this is the first game (out of hundreds) where I have had the size be different by more than a small margin (5-10%). More on topic: Steam Trading Cards and Achievements are now enabled for the Steam version: The build immediately after release didn't have them in place. And one of the achievements has a minor spoiler involved for newer players, but it's -very- minor.
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Sep 5, 2014 03:43
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My vote goes to the Kyoto journey. The migrant being Ryouta's dad seemed like a sorta hamfisted twist at first, but I can't be mad because it gives us more insight to his character. He shows the same enthusiastic and innocent zeal for discovery that he did in life and I think it's sweet, and his interactions with Shuu are priceless.  It also gave Shuu a clear reason to want to return to Earth, at least. As begrudging about it as he is, Shuu did always admire his colleague and constantly strove to surpass him, in his own way. And Shuu should go on an excavation. Shuu would probably enjoy Ariamaki posted:1 hour to go, and Devolver just posted...
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Sep 5, 2014 06:04
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Goon would totally help Anghel write his crazy fighting manga. That's a nice ending.
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Sep 7, 2014 05:04
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So, today I decided to finish out my collection and grab all of the Hatoful manga that are currently officially English-translated: Absolute Zero, Focus on the Hawks!, Kazuaki's Book, and the Overload manga collection. I've read AZ and Focus so far, and... Well, they might actually be really relevant to the LP. There's a lot of information that isn't revealed in either game, and they're just generally good reads. So first off, I highly recommend buying them all to support the creators: They're cheap, great quality, good translations. But secondly, I'd like to ask: Chorp, would you be alright with me doing some short reviews with little summaries of info for the thread? Nothing spoilery, no blow-by-blow stuff, just small neat pieces of info that until now were only in official guidebooks, drama CDs, and the like. An example would be this one, originally revealed in the Official Guidebook and then again in Focus on the Hawks: Shuu is almost entirely colorblind: the same accident that injured his right wing also left him capable of seeing only grey-scales and, fittingly, red. If not, all's well: I don't want to overstep my bounds or anything.
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Sep 10, 2014 03:16
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Ariamaki posted:So, today I decided to finish out my collection and grab all of the Hatoful manga that are currently officially English-translated: Absolute Zero, Focus on the Hawks!, Kazuaki's Book, and the Overload manga collection. I've read AZ and Focus so far, and... At this point, I think that this sort of thing would be fine. Enough to give information and stuff, but not just giving out everything that it has to offer. Meanwhile, I might as well cut the voting and see what we're gonna be looking at first! THE RESULTS Radio x x x x Kyoto x x x Albert x x x x Well, with a tie, I'll start off with a slower start so that we have a little more time to relax after that ending. So we'll start with the radio show, move on to Albert's story, and finish with the Kyoto adventure. See you tomorrow for the first bonus update for Chapter 4!
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Sep 10, 2014 16:57
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ChorpSaway posted:At this point, I think that this sort of thing would be fine. Enough to give information and stuff, but not just giving out everything that it has to offer. In that case, I think it's time to... Focus on the Hawks!  (jfc guys this cover I just can't handle it wow) Our first-reviewed manga is set way back before, well, before most of the things that went horribly wrong: Kawara Ryouji is still alive and kicking, the Hato House incident is still years in the future, and nobirdie is sad or broken. Except for Iwamine Shuu, or as he's still known at this point in time, Isa Souma. His brokenness is something you can set your watch by, a perpetual fact of life. Due to a childhood injury from a human terrorist attack that destroyed his family's compound, he lost his parents, most of the strength on the right side of his body, and the majority of his color vision: He can only see in grey and red. The two of them, Kawara and Souma, work together for the Hawk Party's research departments along with Tohri Nishikikouji, a golden pheasant who we all met here in HoliStar. Also, despite their modern (IE, game-era) appearances? Isa / Shuu is the youngest of the trio, by a great margin. This manga, a bit over 30 solid pages (primarily 4-panel vertical comics, 2 to a page), is about 70% birdie and 30% human, in the author's own words. It opens as bird comics, covering the various random events of their research lives (none of them have much home life). I won't spoil more than one comic, but I will mention that particular outlier: During a break period, Ryouji decides to have a "Spectacular Phone-In Event" where children from nearby schools can call and ask him science questions. His first call is from a "kid" named Isa Souma (literally perched 5 feet away, at his desk, on the office phone line), who immediately opens by asking why Dr. Kawara is wasting time with this when he has a wife and child at home. The good doctor immediately declares question time to be over and runs off-panel to dodge the bullet. There are blizzards, sleepovers, pizza parties, valuable research, useless research, and gratuitous acts of, I quote, "ooweewoo". The book transitions to humans right before the time that Kawara leaves on his fateful vacation. I refuse to spoil what happens after that, other than to say you will probably cry, and you will certainly sympathize with Shuu more than you ever expected or wanted to. I give this manga 10 / 10 tear-stained Isa / Shuu faces, a forlorn visage found nowhere else in this wide world. Focus on the Hawks! is 1.99 and can be purchased on Amazon here. Ariamaki fucked around with this message at 00:43 on Sep 11, 2014 |
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Sep 11, 2014 00:20
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Is it sad that I thought Tohri was a dude this whole time? I only realized she wasn't after seeing that cover art.
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Sep 11, 2014 01:32
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ViggyNash posted:Is it sad that I thought Tohri was a dude this whole time? I only realized she wasn't after seeing that cover art. Nah, you were right the first time. Tohri is a dude.
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Sep 11, 2014 01:46
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I want to see some Mister One side stories. The contrast between real cockatiels and One's competence and manner adds another layer of fun. ChorpSaway, will you be getting the HD version and showing any of the extra content from there? Battle Pigeon fucked around with this message at 02:04 on Sep 11, 2014 |
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Sep 11, 2014 01:57
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DaniDaniDanica posted:I know someone mentioned the Absolute Zero book being out in PDF and Kindle versions, but I thought now would be a good time to pipe up that there are actually a couple of other comics available in English to Hatoful fans. I am so sad that these appear to be Kindle only and don't work on the Kindle app that lets you read Kindle stuff on your desktop.
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Sep 11, 2014 03:02
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Vonder posted:I am so sad that these appear to be Kindle only and don't work on the Kindle app that lets you read Kindle stuff on your desktop. They do work on the Kindle app if you have a smartphone at least. (Or at least Kazuaki-kun's Book does, I need to pick the other couple up at some point.)
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Sep 11, 2014 03:16
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Vonder posted:I am so sad that these appear to be Kindle only and don't work on the Kindle app that lets you read Kindle stuff on your desktop. Hato Moa specifically mentioned on their blog that they had all sorts of trouble getting the books set up in any digital form, much less onto a distribution service, much less working on all devices. I wouldn't be surprised if these kinds of problems cropped up, nor would I be surprised if they had some simple solution everyone has overlooked. I got a Fire recently myself, which is what spurred me to get these at all, so it isn't impacting me. ArashiKurobara posted:Kazuaki-kun's Book To clarify, although I am guessing one of our next side stories will do this more-so: Kazuaki's Book is set in an alternate / mirror universe of the main game where Kazuaki and Hitori were, in fact, separate birdies / people all along, and Nageki is alive (and lives with Hitori). Kazuaki's Book explains the circumstances of the lone bird. That's not, however, to say that Kazuaki is OK and mentally unscarred. He just comes at it from a different angle around here.
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Sep 11, 2014 05:16
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ChorpSaway posted:Nah, you were right the first time. Tohri is a dude. That is one feminine looking dude.
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Sep 11, 2014 13:13
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Part 5: Human Form Questions    Hello again! Everybirdie’s favorite rock dove, Kawara Ryouta from 2-3, here! First off, thanks for playing all the way through story mode! That must have taken a while! Make sure to take a break if your eyes are tired, okay? They’re not? You’re fine? All right, let’s go! As you all know, we’re birds, but we have human designs, too. They’re just a bonus, or there for convenience, or something like that, though. So don’t think about it too hard, okay? All right! Our first question is from Naginata. …Gosh, I wonder why they want to know about that? Umm… I’m wearing light-gray today. Let’s try asking the others.        A lot of those weren’t really answers! This next one isn’t exactly about our human forms, but it fits the subject of pants. As you can see, we aren’t wearing any. Clothes for us as birds are only used for warmth, fashion, or ceremony, and aren’t really mandatory at all. All right, next question! This one is from Imari, for Prof. Nanaki. Uhh, this one would be a little hard to just ask to his face… Umm, professor?The music stops.  You’re pretty heavily dressed in human form, sir. Doesn’t it get hot during the summer? That’s true… but even during the summer so many places have the air conditioning on that you need a coat to stay warm. If I go to the supermarket in short sleeves during the summer I feel like I’ll freeze… Aah, yes, I know what you mean! Whenever I go shopping in short sleeves I need to go running to the bathroom. Yes…  Is it? Don’t you ever want to strip down a little? Not really, no. Hmm, I see… The music stops. I-I’m sorry! I just can’t bring myself to look at my homeroom teacher and say “Take it off!” Anyway, on to the last question. This is another one for the doctor… Maybe he gets so many because he’s so mysterious? It’s from Kisami. Yes, Yuuya’s are just for show. Every so often he’ll break a pair and it doesn’t bother him at all. A true Super Agent needs to keep six or seven pairs of fake eyeglasses around, after all. Oh, Yuuya! The doctor left as soon as we did that question about panties. You know all kinds of things about him though, right? Do you know how his eyesight is? It seems to be pretty bad. If you take them away he’s practically helpless. You tried taking his glasses away!? Hardly! I’m not that much of a daredevil. Aah, I see… It was bad enough that he started feeling pretty sick, too. They were returned promptly. Sort of like how wearing glasses that don’t match your eyesight can make you dizzy? Merry Christmas… (He got all wobbly…) Well, we don’t know the exact numbers, but it sounds like the doctor’s vision is bad enough that in his human form he can’t get by without his glasses. I guess that might be good to know.  Broadcast End
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Sep 11, 2014 16:30
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Battle Pigeon posted:ChorpSaway, will you be getting the HD version and showing any of the extra content from there? I already have the HD version, and I've seen the bonus content. It's pretty great! However, the other thread fell into the archives a while ago, so I think at this point it's better to let that content stay in the hands of those who purchase the Steam version. It certainly gives a little incentive to purchase the game for yourself now! That said, stay tuned, as I may do a giveaway for some copies of Hatoful HD for all you guys.
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Sep 11, 2014 16:34
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Sep 11, 2014 18:51
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Ariamaki posted:Except for Iwamine Shuu, or as he's still known at this point in time, Isa Souma. His brokenness is something you can set your watch by, a perpetual fact of life. Due to a childhood injury from a human terrorist attack that destroyed his family's compound, he lost his parents, most of the strength on the right side of his body, and the majority of his color vision: He can only see in grey and red. How the heck did this guy murder Goon that one time? A fit human teenager got stabbed to death by a crippled partridge. Goon is the worst hunter.
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Sep 12, 2014 00:56
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Ariamaki posted:To clarify, although I am guessing one of our next side stories will do this more-so: Kazuaki's Book is set in an alternate / mirror universe of the main game where Kazuaki and Hitori were, in fact, separate birdies / people all along, and Nageki is alive (and lives with Hitori). Kazuaki's Book explains the circumstances of the lone bird. I've seen some confusion about this and since we're done with the Holiday Star game, I'd like to add that they are still separate birds in the main story line too! The only difference is that the original Kazuaki died in Holiday Star, whereas the alternate route involves his survival and continued friendship with Hitori, who does not need to take his identity because Nageki is still alive (if sickly). Angela Christine posted:How the heck did this guy murder Goon that one time? A fit human teenager got stabbed to death by a crippled partridge. Goon is the worst hunter. Because she was too ~*deeply in love*~ to stop him... or something.
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Sep 12, 2014 01:17
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Paralyzed by the sheer force of his ~killing intent~
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Sep 12, 2014 01:20
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Maybe he just poisoned her while claiming it was a headache pill, or some such.
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Sep 12, 2014 01:31
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DaniDaniDanica posted:Because she was too ~*deeply in love*~ to stop him... or something. She was also a little bit in shock at the revelation that her ~*bad birdie*~ husbandove had given her a delicious roast classmate dinner for a Christmas gift. That probably dulled her reflexes a bit, too.
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Sep 12, 2014 10:05
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Super belated realization: Human!Nishikikouji is basically Kefka from Final Fantasy VI.
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Sep 12, 2014 23:01
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Hatoful Boyfriend is amazing in how it's an utterly ridiculous concept (pigeon dating sim!), entirely aware of how ridiculous it is, but also sincere and solidly written. It goes from 'haha let's romance some doves' to an emotional 'oh my god he is murdering out of love'. By which I mean, thank y'all for reminding me the manga spinoffs were available for kindle. I was not expecting to feel this much sympathy towards Iwamine of all birds, but, well. Hatoful Boyfriend continues to do what it does best! Also dang, I hadn't played Holiday Star myself. So the revelation that not only is Hitori assuming a fake identity, but it's an identity he stole from a bird he befriended and then tricked into committing suicide, is something else. 
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Sep 13, 2014 05:21
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Dreamy Souffle posted:So the revelation that not only is Hitori assuming a fake identity, but it's an identity he stole from a bird he befriended and then tricked into committing suicide, is something else. Yeah, even knowing how crazy things got in BBL that was still way more dark than I was expecting. The worst part wasn't even the suicide plan itself, it was how he couldn't just fake it for a little while longer to let the real Kazuaki just die in peace. Instead, his last moments were spent freaking out about how he'd been lied to and thinking now he didn't really want to die. I don't think Hitori's one of my favorite characters anymore. 
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Sep 13, 2014 13:07
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Albert’s Secret  A footprint here, another there… I didn’t want to consider this possibility, but perhaps…  Bah! The idiots always come crawling out of the woodwork as soon as the frost melts. And by idiots I mean you. Harsh from the get-go, as always. Come on, can’t you show me one of your happy springtime smiles? Doesn’t your young heart feel joy and gaiety at the turn of the seasons? Why should I smile because it’s spring? You’re gibbering nonsense, as always. What am I supposed to be, the March Hare? Anyway, what do you want? I don’t remember inviting you. And in any case, I am-- “Forbidden by father to speak to you”? Don’t worry, I know. I’m going to be moving to college next week. I won’t be too far away, but I thought I’d drop by to let you know. Well, you know… As your brother, I’d be really happy to have you drop by once in a while to hang out. If you feel like it, you know. Do you mean to insult me, mongrel!? Hardly! Of course I don’t. Anyway, my address is on here. If you need help with anything, just let me know. Even if I ever did, you’d be the last person I’d ask. I like to think I come in handy in a pinch, at least. Sharp words, oh, such sharp words… Not that I mind. In that case, why not give me a call when you’re not in trouble? What are you talking about? Do you think I have the time to be… Master Sakuya.The music stops. Ah, Albert. What is it? No, I shall take it now.Pay this imbecile no mind. Understood, sir. Right, right! We’re brothers, no need for formality. That is not what I meant! …Will you be staying for tea, Master Yuuya? Nah, I’ll pass. I’m on my way to meet someone. Nice talking to you, Sakuya. Adieu!  Ah, there he is. Sorry to keep you waiting.  Sit down. I’ll make this quick. The info you requested came in. I had them do a background check on Albert--the crow working for the Le Bel family. …That was fast. What did you turn up? It’s just as you thought. He’s not a butler. Right. Had you already found something out? No, it was just a hunch. I never feel comfortable around him. Hardly! I’m not that childish. You can feel the tension just by standing next to him. He doesn’t feel like a servant at all. Is he a spy? It takes one to know one, as they say. No, but you’re not far off. The music stops. …! Who’s he targeting? The head of the family? Or-- Calm down, youngster. He’s been with the Le Bel family for more than five years. If he was after one of them he’d have done it and been gone years ago. But he could be waiting for a signal! Can’t really argue with that. …… Sit back down, Sakazaki. …True.The music stops. Sorry. Let me know if anything else turns up. That’s better. Know your opponent before you strike. …Sounds like something out of an RPG. His high success rate has earned him a reputation, but he doesn’t stick with one client long, so not many people know what he looks like. That’s where it comes from. …To think he’d turn up now, of all times… Have you met him before? No, not in person. An old friend and coworker went up against him in his final mission. That’s all. …… …Happens a lot, if you stick around long enough. Don’t sweat it. Just remember it. Right. Don’t give up on anything just because it’s him. We’ll stay cautious and investigate everyone involved with the Le Bel family. I’m going to stake out the mansion. I’ll let you know if anything happens.  What is he up to? Every night he comes out and stands completely still right there. Is he watching for intruders? I can’t read him at all…Directly above him is a window. Looks like-- …A bathroom? He wouldn’t be standing there for some sort of sick voyeurism, would he? Bathrooms have always been good places to commit the extra messy sorts of crime. Could he be standing here because-- ! You think I’ll let you!? …Master Yuuya? I am aware that you do not like me. May I ask that you not interfere in my work all the same? Talk, now! Who hired you? Who’s your target!? I am not permitted to say. Forgive me. If you won’t talk then I’ll make you! …Unfortunately, it is time for me to go back to work. If you have some business with me then please call again. Gah! The music stops.   They surrendered as soon as they saw my blade. I took them without injuring them, as you directed me. I knew it was you, you reprobates! You will feel the back of the hand of justice for this! First I shall-- Get away from him, Sakuya!The music stops. …? What are you doing here, Sakazaki? Albert is after your life! Get out of here! …… Merry Christmas!? (What is happening!?) You seem to have misunderstood. I-infiltrating…? Merry Christmas! (What a nice bath it is! Miru and Kaku’s favorite!) That doesn’t mean you can just come in and use it! But, wait… Do you know who he is…?  I saw him with a dagger! I told him he could threaten them into submission if they resisted. Sakuya, he’s an assassin! The music stops. Y-you already knew…? Correct. W-what’s going on here…? You know who he is, but you keep him around anyway? Yes, that’s right. Is there something wrong with that? Of course there is! A professional assassin wouldn’t place himself in an aristocrat’s household just for fun! He must be after you or your father. There’s no other way! Merry Christmas! (Things are getting complicated! Miru and Kaku don’t know what to do!) Merry Christmas! (Miru and Kaku will sit here and say nothing until you’re finished talking!) Please do. This will take some time. Shall I explain to Master Yuuya for you, sir? No, it’s fine. I’ll do it. Certainly sounds like I’m missing something here. I would love it if you clued me in. What is an assassin doing in the Le Bel household? Who is he working for? Wha… Have you sunk that far into the intrigues of nobility, Sakuya…!? No! Don’t lump me in with those fools who can’t get anything done without sneaking around in the shadows! But you employ an assassin? That’s right. An assassin needs a target. Who are you after, Albert…? The music stops. What…!? I knew it! I can’t let you live! Good gracious, calm down before someone gets hurt.   Albert arrived just as the last leaves were falling, at the start of winter. Apparently he’d been referred by the head butler, and so he was hired. My first impression of him was… a disturbingly elaborate apparatus. He was always businesslike, and after a while I started to doubt that he had emotions of his own at all. While he was the most capable of our servants… his cold demeanor made him hard to approach. It was a little questionable for a butler. Even the other servants found him distasteful… I felt some respect for his capability, though.  “Good night, Master Sakuya.” “…What about you, Albert?” “What about me, sir?” “Aren’t you going to sleep? You were out late on an errand for father last night, were you not?” “That was nothing, sir. Please, do not concern yourself with me.” In any case, he worked hard. He never missed a detail, he was strong, and he was smart. If it weren’t for his attitude he would have been the perfect butler. He could easily handle the work of ten people. Soon the servants who had always trailed after me grew fewer, and fewer, until it was just Albert and me. The music stops.  It was a great honor. Father had already singled me out as his favorite for the succession. It was an opportunity for me to gain some of the experience I would need as the next head of the family.    “There are some people who feel that your life places them at a disadvantage. And you’re so young, too. What a pity. But, this is my job. You’ve only your blood to blame.” “……!” A swiping sound is heard.   But it wasn’t coming from me.  The assassin who had pinned me from behind crumpled silently to the floor.  Standing on the other side of the pool of blood was the black crow. Albert wiped the blood from his blade, and knelt to examine the corpse. “I must thank you, Albert! If you had been a few seconds later--” “Yes. A few seconds later and I, too, would have been unable to fulfill my contract.” “C-contract…?” Albert was leaning over the body, and I couldn’t see his face. It was probably as blank as always, anyway… “But… unfortunately, it would appear that my client has voided the contract anyway. This is the same paper as was given to me… I won’t be removing you now, Master Sakuya.” Gruesome intrigues aren’t uncommon among the powerful elite. It was the first time I’d become involved in one myself, but I’d heard of people I’d met at parties or the like disappearing, being murdered, or having suspicious accidents any number of times. But, I didn’t understand. An assassin was targeting me. Albert killed the assassin. But Albert was targeting me as well? Was this just a fight over prey? “You… came here to kill me?” “Yes, sir. That was my intention.” “‘Was’?” “My client has violated the contract, so I no longer have any reason to do so.” “I have a mountain of questions for you, Albert. You will answer them.” “All pacts of confidentiality have been voided by the client’s violation. What do you want to know, sir?” He remained as distant as ever while I questioned him. Apparently the circumstances were as follows.  But my step-mothers were not going to take that lying down. The mother of my eldest brother had hired Albert to infiltrate the mansion under the guise of a butler, and wait for an opportunity to kill me. That night, she became impatient. She hired another assassin, independent of Albert. “You slipped in as a butler, as you were ordered. You were never liked, but you were hardly treated as a stranger. If she wanted to kill me, wouldn’t it have been more certain to just wait for you to finish me off? I cannot understand why she would bring in another assassin now, of all times.” “I can only guess that the client became impatient. I have been with you for longer than I estimated, so perhaps she feared that her plot had been exposed. It would seem that I did not gain her complete confidence, and that I regret.” “Do you mean to say that she was afraid that you, having grown close to me, would be unable to carry out your orders? And so she brought in an unrelated third party…?” “I am terrible sorry that I was not able to deliver the full value to her. Had she but given the signal I would have been able to complete the contract at any time, but…” He was as detached as ever, unconcerned that it was his very target that he was speaking to. Perhaps his black feathers really do hide a machine, with no flesh and blood at all. Strangely, his calm was infectious--it was amusing, and at the same time allowed me to remain composed while I considered my own position. “The client contracted me to take care of you, Master Sakuya, but at the same time interfered with my work before giving me the signal to act. Had you died, I would be unable to complete the contract.” “Well… It’s true. The only place a man can rest without fear of the assassin’s blade is in his own grave.” “Master Sakuya must remain alive if he is to be assassinated. I took care of this gentleman here to preserve that state of affairs.” “You mean it wasn’t out of your devotion and love for me? Hoho, you don’t mince words, Albert.” “Indeed, sir.”  “Your usual world? …Wait, Couldn’t you be rehired and come after me again?” “I cannot say. That would depend on who approaches me.” I was sure, after that night’s events, of what I had suspected all along. He had probably thrown away whatever emotion he was born with long ago. He followed his own rules with the utmost perfection, and beyond that, nothing. He would leave the mansion, and if he were hired to target me again--he would kill me without hesitation or remorse. “Wait, Albert. I shall not allow you to leave. Stay.” “I am not a butler, Master Sakuya. This mansion is not the place for me.” “I will hire you.” “If you mean as a butler, then I must refuse. If… it is an assassination you are after, then we can talk.” If I let him out of my sight, he will surely become a threat. I have to keep him here. But I can’t hire him as a butler. A… bodyguard? No, he wouldn’t accept that, either. Meaning--    The music stops.  It… does let you keep him by, provided you don’t give that signal… Besides, Albert is excellent. If someone else in the mansion were to make an attempt on my life he would protect me with his own. After all, he can’t kill me if I’m already dead. Indeed, sir. …That sounds like a pretty hair-trigger kind of relationship. But at the same time, it’s a good way of keeping tabs on an otherwise dangerous assassin… I dunno, Sakuya. It still bothers me. I don’t like you, Albert. But Sakuya seems to have this sorted out. …But if you do end up hurting him, I’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth and back. Remember that. Understood, Master Sakuya.The music stops.  Merry Christmas…! (We’ll make our escape while they’re distracted…! Hooray!) Get back here, you two! I haven’t lectured you yet! Merryyyyy Christmaaaaaaas!!! After them, Albert! Catch them, and bring them back here! Understood, sir.
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Sep 13, 2014 16:31
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