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  WARNING! Since the game is technically a sequel, there are a lot of references and spoilers to the original game scattered throughout. Thankfully, I did an LP of it here that you can check out and catch up on before you continue to read this thread. Alternatively, you can purchase the game here and play it yourself! It is highly advised that you read through it one way or another beforehand, otherwise you’re going to be lost at parts!  What’s this game? Hatoful Boyfriend Holiday Star is the sequel to the original Hatoful Boyfriend and- Sword Hunter Gil, in the previous thread posted:There’s a sequel to this triumph of insanity!? Indeed there is! Due to the reception of the first game, Hato Moa created a sequel, which focuses on showing what wintertime is like at St. Pigeonation’s for our favorite cast of birdies. It was released in English on Christmas 2012, and ends up being more of a collection of side-stories to Hatoful Boyfriend rather than a true sequel. Rather than being a dating simulator and focusing on ~romance~, Holiday Star contains four interconnected vignettes about winter break, as well as lots of bonus content for fans of the first game. I feel that moving away from the dating sim structure and focusing more on dedicated storylines really allowed Hato Moa’s writing to shine through, and allowed the writing to focus more on a narrative and character development than the sort of fragmentation that is inherent in dating sim-style games. It also has more event CGs, so there’s lots of original art interspersed with the real-life photos of birds. How’s the LP going to work?  We will once again be following the amazing adventures of Goon Lourde and her chick helmet for this LP. This is going to be a screenshot LP. Since there’s a lot of bonus content that unlocks as we complete the main stories, I’ll be showing it off as we gain access to it. Like last time, I’ll be adding in additional dialogue to fill out some of the sparser bits of the game. This game also has more to take note of, so I will likely be including more information on the references made within the game. There are also very few choices to be made, so there won’t be a vote like last time, but you guys will still have a little say in the direction of this LP. All additions to the dialogue will be in italics. All notes added (musical cues, additional information, etc.) will be in bold. Additional Notes No spoilers. There’s a lot more of a developing story within these vignettes, so spoilers for Holiday Star should be avoided. Spoilers for the original game are free reign. And in order to curb a couple of questions I expect to pop up eventually: As far as canon goes, any information that we learned about the characters from the first game applies in this game as well. The events of the first game only apply when necessary, but all character backgrounds are relevant.  Chapter 1: The Christmas Thieves Attack! or, Turnabout for the Holidays Episode 1: Drama, Excitement, and Adventure! A New Case Begins! Episode 2: Investigation at the High Society Seagull Department Store Episode 3: Investigation Day 1 End, An Ominous Late Night Operation Episode 4: The Christmas Thieves Strike Again! Episode 5: The Culprits are Revealed, and a Trap is Set! Episode 6: The Trap is Sprung! Crashing a Christmas Party Episode 7: The Christmas Thieves Strike! A Desperate Struggle Episode 8: Captured! The Christmas Thieves Tell All Episode 9: Shuu's New Assistants! Chapter 1 End Chapter 1 Bonus Material Radio 1: Living With Birds Shrine Visit 1: Anghel Shrine Visit 2: Okosan Shrine Visit 3: Yuuya Shrine Visit 4: Nageki Shrine Visit 5: Shuu Shrine Visit 6: Kazuaki Shrine Visit 7: Sakuya Shrine Visit 8: Ryouta Chapter 2: Fallen Chronicles - Absolute Zero or, Anghel's Bizarre Adventure: Delusion Is Not Crash Episode 10: Rally Cry of the Crimson Angel! Preparations for Battle Episode 11: Ragnarok Approaches! Battle at the Tokyo Big Sight Episode 12: The First Meetings Begin! The Golden Winged Messenger's Effect Episode 13: Infiltrating Golden Weekly! The True Scheme Discovered Episode 14: Surpassed!? Flashback: The Messenger's Motives Episode 15: The Day Arrives! The Messenger's Wild Attack Episode 16: Pretty Coore! Open My Hato! The Counterattack Episode 17: The Messenger Defeated! Chapter 2 End Chapter 2 Bonus Material Hatocatch Pretty Coore Dream Drop☆ Radio 2: The Pigeon and The Partridge Legumentine's Chronicles Radio 3: Special Talk Show Chapter 3: The Day the Night Slept or, Journey of Dreams Episode 18: Nageki's Confession, and the Astronomy Club Event Episode 19: An Eclipsing Evening Episode 20: Travelling Episode 21: First Impressions of the Holiday Star Episode 22: The First Request - The Mysterious Restaurant Episode 23: The Second Request - The Exploding Garden Episode 24: The Third Request - The Approaching Rain Episode 25: Predawn - Chapter 3 End Chapter 3 Bonus Material Radio 4: Spoilers Ahead! Midnight Attack of the Nightmare Chapter 4: The Day the Night Slept (After) or, Nightmare in Dreamland Episode 26: The Dream Will Not End Episode 27: An Unexpected Obstacle Episode 28: Smash the World's Shell Episode 29: The Lying Picture Book Episode 30: The Uneclosed Picture Book Episode 31: The Decorated Picture Book Episode 32: The Black and White Picture Book Episode 33: The King's Story Episode 34: The King's Picture Book Episode 35: Yuuya's Confrontation Episode 36: Picture Book Episode 37: Reunion, But Still Something is Missing Episode 38: A Full Party Episode 39: The Lighthouse, Determination Episode 40: Resolution Episode 41: Peace, The Return to Normal Chapter 4 Bonus Material Radio 5: Human Form Questions Albert's Secret Preliminary Inspection Aftermath, Pt. 1 Radio 6: Extra-Large Edition Aftermath, Pt. 2 The Day the Night Slept (After After) Aftermath, Pt. 3  Our Main Character  Lourde Goon The protagonist and narrator. Plucky and cheerful, she is friendly to all of her schoolmates. The only human student at St. Pigeonation’s. Wears a yellow chick helmet in a futile effort to fit in with her peers. Her favorite food is udon. Her canonical name is Tosaka Hiyoko, where Hiyoko means “chick” in Japanese. The Husbandoves  Kawara Ryouta Birthday: December 3 Goon’s childhood friend and a rock dove. He is kind and responsible, but also has an easily upset stomach and poor health. He works during the school year in order to take care of his mother, who is also rather sickly. His name uses an alternate spelling of Kawara, which stands for the “rock” part of “rock dove”.  Nanaki Kazuaki Birthday: September 23 The homeroom teacher for room 2-3 and a button quail. Mild-mannered and kind, he teaches mathematics and is considered to be incredibly brilliant. However, he is a narcoleptic and is known to fall asleep during his own lectures. Kazuaki shares a kanji from the Japanese name for the button quail in his family name.  Shirogane Le Bel Sakuya Birthday: June 23 A French transfer student and a fantail pigeon. Comes from a noble family, shows it through his snobbish attitude towards his classmates. Apparently related to Sakazaki Yuuya.  Fujishiro Nageki Birthday: October 19 Freshman student and a mourning dove. Very quiet and stand-offish, he spends a lot of time in the library reading. The name Nageki comes from the “mourning” part of “mourning dove”.  Sakazaki Yuuya Birthday: April 25 Upperclassman and a fantail pigeon. Very charismatic, imfamous at St. Pigeonation’s for his flirty attitude. Apparently related to Shirogane Le Bel Sakuya.  Iwamine Shuu Birthday: December 12 The school doctor and a chukar partridge. Notable for his work, but has an unsettling reputation among the student body. Very cold and known to sneak up on students. Shuu shares a kanji from the Japanese name for the chukar partridge in his family name.  Oko San Birthday: July 12 A sophomore student and a fantail pigeon. He is captain of the track team and rather hyperactive. He is a big fan of pudding to an almost obsessive level. He can only speak in coos. Oko San’s model is Hato Moa’s own fantail pigeon, also named Oko San.  Higure Anghel A sophomore student and a Luzon bleeding-heart dove. In the other second year class and seems very dramatic. Refers to other students by fantasy titles rather than their names. Other Characters  Koshiba Azami A Java sparrow. She rides a pink motor scooter, and is known to drive very carefully. She sells takoyaki and often shouts “Carve it into your soul!” Part of a biker gang called Hell's Birdies. On her gijinka design, she wears a long coat with her species name written in very complicated kanji. This is a common trend in members of Japanese biker gangs.  Urushihara Kenzaburou An “extremely elegant” parakeet. Well-spoken and polite, he is the gentlemanly owner of the Torimi Café.  Rabu A yellow budgerigar with a Kansai accent. He is a regular customer at Torimi Café, and is friends with the owner, Kenzaborou. He seems out-of-place in the café environment due to his brash attitude and his unkempt appearance.  Mr. One A cockatiel and the janitor of St. Pigeonation's. Does not tend to talk to students and is considered a dandy, though he seems to be an acquaintance of Yuuya's.  Miru and Kaku Two mischievous bird... creatures. Filled with an insatiable love for Christmas.  Nishikikouji Tohri A golden pheasant and the editor-in-chief for Golden Weekly, a manga magazine. Believes in artistry and beauty above all else, and has a particular fondness for his own name.  The King The king of the Holiday Star. He seems rather quick to cry, but he is very forward and does his best for his citizens.   ElTipejoLoco shows a day in the life of Goon: fighting off jackals, then sitting down with them for a nice bowl of udon. Ariamaki gives brief reviews and rundowns on the many English Hatoful Boyfriend manga books currently available! Focus on the Hawks Kazuaki-kun's Book Overload! Overflow! EX Absolute Zero - The Forbidden Epic of Fallen Angel ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 15:51 on Sep 25, 2014 |
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May 9, 2014 17:39
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Reserved for stuff later maybe.
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May 9, 2014 17:39
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  The main menu is similar to the previous game, though the Archive has been replaced by something called “Radio”. We don’t have anything in any of the bonus sections right now, though, so let’s go straight to Story.  We only have access to one of the chapters to start, so let’s get right to it.  We thought they were just an urban legend—until now! They’re after the tree, and that rhymes with T, which stands for Trouble, right here in Littledove Hachiman City. Christmas trees, disappearing. A dark shadow, wriggling just out of sight. Can our faithful heroes from St. Pigeonation’s put an end to this mystery before it puts an end to them!?    Umm… it’s almost six.The time really flew by today; before I knew it, it was already nearing closing time. You’re not running late, are you? It’s already dark out. Tell me about it. We were all talking about the nice autumn leaves and all just a few days back, and now I’m darned if it ain’t winter. Christmas, even, is just a few days away. Swift indeed is the passage of time. Well, I’d better be heading back. Azami’ll be getting out of work soon. Be careful, Mr. Rabu! There are all kinds of hooligans out and about at this time of night. Are you sure you’re not relying on her a little too much…? We put up our Christmas tree today. Please, have a look at it as you leave. You did!? I never saw it on my way in. I’ll have to get a real good look at it to make up. Mr. Urushihara and I put a lot of time into decorating it. I hope you like it! You bet I will. See y’all around!The bell on the door rang as he left the cafe. December certainly does feel like the end of the year. I wonder how much busier it will be at this time next year… No, not really… I just want to make sure I can take care of my mother. Worries are an important part of youth, as well. And sometimes problems will simply disappear as you try to solve them. You never know.A moment of silence passed between us. I was a little nervous, but I thought maybe Mr. Urushihara would be able to help me out with something. Umm, Mr. Urushihara… Could I ask you for some advice? I’ve had a lot on my mind… But of course. I am more than happy to provide whatever assistance I—Before Mr. Urushihara could finish his sentence, however, I heard a loud commotion coming from outside the store. The music stops. ……? That came from out front. I believe it did… Let us go see what has happened.We both rushed out of the café.  What on earth— ……!  I recognized him immediately. Mr. Rabu! Are you all right!? Have you been injured? Aaa… aaargh… I let my guard down… They got me from… behind… They got you!? Do you need an ambulance!? It must have somebirdie settling a grudge from your biker gang days… N-no! That’s not it… They’re… The music stops.   Ryouta had been telling me a story about his work shift last night, but he lost me there at the end. No, no! They’re real! They’re out in the streets right now, spreading misery and destruction! They’ve been coming up on the news a lot, too. Haven’t you seen the headlines? “The Christmas Thieves Invade Littledove Hachiman City at Last!” Hmm… No, this is the first I’ve heard of them… I think…Forget the thieves, this is the first time I’ve heard the name of this town! I guess it just never comes up in conversation or anything. The more you know~☆ Do they show up every year at this time? I don’t remember hearing about them last year. I worked at Mr. Urushihara’s shop, Torimi Café, during the summer. The job was only until August, but apparently he decided he could use help for December, as well. The wilderness gets very cold this time of year, making it dangerous to come home late, so I left it to Ryouta this time. (That and I need time to study!) And… it sounds like Torimi Café is the mysterious thieves’ latest victim. This smacks of drama! Drama, excitement, and adventure!  The music stops. Wh-what was that for!? Just getting the feel for it. There’s been an incident, right? I need to make sure my finger-pointing is sufficiently dramatic for when I need to use it! Eeeeh…? Please don’t go around pointing and shouting at stuff, you’ll give me a heart attack…It’s too late for that, Ryouta! I’ve already entered investigation mode! Tell me! Who’s the victim? And the suspect? And when we found him, the tree was gone. The music stops. Wh-wh-wh-wh-what was that for!? What do you mean, “the tree was gone”??? Please don’t shout everything! You can just ask! Sorry, I got excited. Teehee! They must be wandering the town stealing any trees they see. It’s… it’s horrible! Mr. Urushihara and I worked really hard to decorate that tree, too… And now all the customers who were looking forward to seeing it will be disappointed… Monstrous! How could they steal Mr. Urushihara’s incredibly classy hand-decorated tree!? Let’s look for the thieves! Christmas is at the weekend. They must still be in town! Mmm, I wonder… They probably are still prowling around here looking for trees… We can start today! You two are awfully loud today. Can you not grant the rest of us a little piece and quiet?A familiar, pompous voice rang out behind me.  Oh! Sakuya, listen! They’ve appeared! The White Demons stand poised to Shatter the Silence of that most Holy Night! You can’t just go around giving things nicknames like a certain someone next door, Goon…Ryouta shook his head as he turned to talk to Sakuya. Christmas trees are being stolen all around town, Sakuya. Maybe you’ve already heard? Is there not more important news to be run now, of all seasons? How telling it is that so much attention is devoted to such foolishness. You don’t like Christmas, Sakuya? What!? From where do you think I hail, plebian? France… right? Oh, of course. Christmas probably means a lot more to you than to us Japanese people. I have even deigned to place it near the window, so that the masses may gaze up at it in awe and wonder. Be grateful! He who does not celebrate Christmas is no true bird… That is the importance Christmas holds for us.In other words, Sakuya gets extra jolly this time of year… Better take notes! Trees are being stolen from in front of shops and on the sidewalk and other easily-visible places, so you should probably be careful too, Sakuya. Don’t let it get stolen! Hmph! Do not place me on the same level as you Orientals, with your infantile understanding of private security. Did I not say I overlook nothing? Sakuya… We call that sort of line a “flag”, here in Japan. Oh well, that’s not our problem now! We must try to find the Christmas Thieves before they strike again! Let’s start our investigation by asking people around town, Ryouta. Good idea. Let us know if you hear anything new or get robbed, Sakuya! How many times must I tell you!? My tree will not be stolen!As Sakuya yelled to us about his tree safety, Ryouta and I left the classroom to start our investigation. The music stops.  Upon leaving the building, Ryouta and I are greeted by the sight of Okosan prancing about on the track. Prancing, or… maybe skipping? I’m not sure. At any rate, he appears to be in pointlessly high spirits.   You’re in a good mood today, San. Did something good happen? Coooooo! (It’s Christmas! Christmas is almost here!)What! Another Christmas fiend!? Is there something about Christmas that wakes the ancestral jollity inside a dove’s heart? Coo, coooo! (Everything is sparkly on Christmas! Okosan is excited!) Coo, coooo! (And everything smells like delicious food! Okosan is very excited!) Western pastry shops always look so tempting this time of year…Okosan had gotten me caught up in thinking about Christmas treats, but thankfully Ryouta was a good assistant and curved the conversation to our job. You spend a lot of time in department stores, right, San? Have you heard anything about the Christmas Thieves? Villains out to steal pretty Christmas trees! Coo, coo! (Christmas trees? Yes! Okosan knows about them!) Cooooo! (The trees at Okosan’s favorite High Society Seagull Department Store disappeared!) High Society Seagull Department Store… Do you know where that is, Ryouta? Yeah, I’ve worked at the samples table there. I’ll show you the way.Hopefully the security at a High Society store would give us some leads on the Christmas Thieves. Here we come, High Society Seagull Department Store! The music stops. 
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May 9, 2014 17:39
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tlarn posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q8lcPACNoI Gay Abortions posted:I thought, after everything at the end of the last game, I was prepared for anything this sequel could throw at me. Sally Forth posted:It's good to have Goon back as narrator. Thanks for doing this ChorpSaway, you are a pigeon-dating machine!
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May 9, 2014 21:03
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  They’re okay, really! Just don’t think about that and it’ll be fine.He… read my mind…!? More importantly, we need to ask a clerk about the thefts. Right, right. Umm, excuse me!I waved to a nearby clerk to call him over to us.  The clerk gave me a once-over and made an ugly face.  …… Do you know where you are, young lady? Umm… This is the High Society Seagull Department Store, right? That is correct. The High Society Seagull Department Store! Say it once more! The High Society Seagull Department Store! Good. This store is of High Society, by High Society, and for High Society. It is no place for obviously low society humans. Please leave! The music stops. This is blatant speciesism! I hope you’re ready to swallow your words or defend them with steel, cretin! Draw, man, draw, before I stick you like a rotisserie chicken! Calm down, Goon! Getting into a fight here won’t do us any good! Please, don’t act like San!And just what does Okosan have that makes him so much more High Society than me!? Before I could yell at the clerk some more, Ryouta - ever the diplomat - had already begun a new discussion. Please, we just want to ask you a question. We’ll leave right away! They… did not break into the store, no. They were not allowed in. However, as you know, the store faces onto the street. The three Christmas trees we had arranged outside were stolen. Trees placed outside… just like at Torimi Café! They seem to be quite crafty. I think this might get difficult, Ryouta. Aah, I can feel the thrill of the chase! My hunter-gatherer blood boils! Right on time. I knew it was a good idea to ask you along. The stolen trees were of little value. We have already sent away for new ones. Do you think you could wait a little before setting them up? The thieves might come back… Christmas trees are just so much rubbish once it’s the 26th… They’re not rubbish! You can use them every year! Umm, were there any witnesses? The trees were in a blind spot between security cameras, so alas, we have nothing. Too busy staring down your own noses to look out the window, were you? I hope I never see you here again, young lady.Well, that was a disappointment. About all we’ve found out is that the thieves aim for trees placed in vulnerable spots outside. Maybe we should leave?  Well the clerk said that the thieves “weren’t allowed in”, but they also stole three trees without being caught, so they may have still found a way into the store. I decided to check the clothing section first. Plus, while I’m there I can check out all the new winter fashions!  It’s “out of place”, not “face”!H-he did it again! He read my mind! …I decided not to think too hard about it and turned to do some window shopping. Can birds even wear clothes like these? Are they just for decoration? ??? Shops are always so pretty this time of year! I feel like I’m looking into a different world… They do look a little unreal. Do you like Christmas, Goon? My family’s Shin Buddhist, so I’ve never really celebrated it, but… I do like it when everybirdie’s all festive! I’m not exactly Christian, but I like the atmosphere, too… Actually, I don’t think that many people celebrate it for religious reasons anymore… You dress up as Santa, right? Yup! With a miniskirt? Yup!Why does Ryouta get all the female main character jobs!? That must be fun… I’d like to try doing something cute and high school girl-ish like that sometime, too. Cosplaying as Santa right before junior year exams… Just thinking about it makes my heart flutter! Well, it seemed as if there were no clues in the clothing section, so we continued our search in the furniture section.  There are humidifiers, hot water bottles, and other thermal frivolities lined up nearby. Winter goods are awfully fancy… Maybe I should indulge in something? A bonfire alone just doesn’t say “decadent”. Hey, Goon… Look over there.! The music stops. A disturbingly familiar quail is fast asleep on a display bed. Sir, you can’t just crash in a department store! You’re a grown-up now, you need to take care of yourself! ……Ah! Are you fully awake, sir? We’re not at school! Oh……? Good heavens, so we aren’t. You might’ve been here until closing time, if we hadn’t happened by… Oh, yes… It’s been so cold recently, I was thinking maybe I should buy a new bed. It does get very chilly after dark. Make sure not to catch cold, you two.Mr. Nanaki crawls out of the bed and wobbles off towards a table covered in wool blankets of various dimensions. Blankets… I bet my Casio Mini he’ll fall asleep on that, too!Well, it appeared that the furniture section was a bust as well. We headed out to the main lobby again. The music stops.  All right, where to next? The thefts have gotten onto the news—if we ask around, we should find some eyewitnesses. Sounds good!Before we could start the next step of our investigation, I heard a loud noise from behind me. !? What? Huh?Some glass object splinters with a monumental crash behind us as we make for the exit. I turn around, and—    Merry Christmas!! Merry Christmas!!!!What are those? They look… a little like doves, but not really… are they… maybe they are doves?? In any case, a pair of bizarre white creatures are bludgeoning themselves against a number of glass Christmas trees and reindeer. What are those? Are they doves? Umm… I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anything like them. Merry Christmas!! Merry Christmas!!!!Various sounds of destruction, such as glass breaking and punches, are heard. The creatures frolic through the Christmas display like fuzzy wrecking balls, leaving behind nothing but broken glass and lost profits. While we were watching this display, the clerk from before returned with a security guard.   Oh, dear… That’s no good.The guard pulled the two… birds over.  Merry! Christmas! In any case, I’ll have to take you to the employees’ lounge. High Society does have rules. Merry…? Christmas…The creatures trail dejectedly after the security guard. What were those? I guess Christmas gets everyone pretty excited. Sort of like demons which rampage during the full moon! The music stops.  Apparently trees aren’t just being stolen from outside, but from inside houses as well. If only we knew what the culprits looked like… Well, the investigation at the High Society Seagull Department Store was a bust, so Ryouta and I called it a day there. 
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May 11, 2014 16:24
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Ryouta and I decided to finish off the day with a quick trip to the Torimi Café, to see if any clues had been left there. We searched around where we had the tree, but we couldn’t find any clues… I’m sorry, Mr. Urushihara. You didn’t see them either, Mr. Urushihara? Correct. By the time Mr. Kawara and I got outside, the tree was already gone. That said… Was there something else?The music stops. Please, look at this. Mr. Rabu sent it to me a few minutes ago.Mr. Urushihara proffers his cellphone. A smartphone! Fancy! Mr. Urushihara pulled up a picture on his phone and pointed it in our direction.  Y-you mean, these shadows are…! Mr. Rabu said he took it just before he was rendered unconscious. Suspicious shadows carrying away the tree… They must be the culprits!Those silhouettes look awfully familiar… But maybe it’s just my imagination. Probably nothing! I wouldn’t have gotten this far in the vicious food chain if I worried about little things like that. There were a few things that we could learn from the picture, however. There are two of them, then. They’re awfully small… Though, it’s a little hard to see in this picture. That does seem like him. This will help us a lot, Mr. Urushihara. Thank Mr. Rabu for this, too! How is he doing right now? That makes sense; Azami always seemed the most capable of the two. Rabu always seems a little bit incapable, or like he’s in a subtly bad position… Sort of like he’s always stuck being a background character. It’s not much, but we’ve found a clue. We’ll pick up the trail tomorrow morning! And so Ryouta and I headed home, in order to prepare for the coming day and a new investigation. The music stops.     …You’re still here, Sakazaki Yuuya? Haven’t you been instructed to leave with the other students, excepting emergencies? There is a little something going on, actually. Aside from the usual? And what would that be? There have been orders to investigate the Christmas Thieves. High priority. That’s the string of thefts involving Christmas trees, isn’t it? It’s not as if they’re growing legs and walking away, after all. And it’s a little hard to imagining them spontaneously disappearing. I’m quite happy to take up the job to defend everything the ladies and gentlemen of the town have worked so hard to prepare for this special season. You certainly seem eager enough. It’s good to have a little zeal, but don’t go letting your guard down just because the case in question is completely idiotic. We never know who may have laid traps for us where. Roger that. I’ll carve it into my heart, Mr. One. I’ll go take a look at a few things, then. There is a tree here on campus, after all. First I’ve heard of it. Where’s it set up? Sakuya must want to show off with his big, fine, all-natural tree. He doesn’t let anybirdie touch it, but you can always see it in his window. It’s really quite childish. Nothing wrong with a little vanity while he’s still young. To a point, at least. Anyway, I’ll go take a look at the council room and then head into town. I’ll send my report to HQ later. Adieu!The music stops.  Stealing the town’s festivity is hardly an admirable pursuit. I suppose I’ll see if I can rustle up any gadgets to give Sakazaki a hand… But this is him I’m dealing with. It looks like sneaking in is going to be hard, but knowing him he’ll have overlooked something obvious…As I chuckled to myself, I heard a loud explosion coming from upstairs. !? What… was that!?I ran as quickly as I could up to the student council room.  I don’t know what I had expected to find when I arrived, but it definitely couldn’t compare to what was before my eyes. Wh-what—
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May 13, 2014 16:24
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Fates End posted:So, is this just a what-if or does did we somehow come back to life after the true route? And should we tag spoilers for the previous game? There's a warning in the OP that says you shouldn't read this without experiencing the previous game, so I don't mind if those sorts of things are discussed in this thread. As for your other question, no one makes note of Bad Boys Love, so it can be assumed that this is an alternate universe. This is really just a collection of short stories, which can be placed within any of the other routes from the first game. Also, since I meant to respond to this before: Glazius posted:I do hope Goon keeps up the Anghel impression. Or even better, than Anghel gets involved. I want to know what he thinks of Christmas. ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 19:47 on May 14, 2014 |
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May 14, 2014 01:07
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 The morning air this time of year is dangerous indeed. It makes my nose hurt. The birds are all in full winter plumage… I wonder if it’s like wearing a down comforter everywhere. I wish I had winter plumage. Sadly my skin is as bare and tender as my heart, so I might as well hurry up and get to school. The music stops.  As I reached the school, I noticed that something was amiss. There’s an awful lot of activity on the grounds today. A crowd of birds is milling around the side of the building. At the front of the mass was Mr. Nanaki, desperately trying to keep everybirdie in line. Stay calm, everyone. It may be dangerous, so don’t get too close. Let’s make sure nobirdie gets hurt, all right? Mr. Nanaki! What’s happened? It must be bad, if you’re up and about and wide awake at this time of day! Oh, good morning, Lourde. The thieves…?Could he mean… That’s right, the Christmas Thieves… Apparently they broke in last night. It seems they took the tree from the student council room.Nice work, Sakuya! Nice flag retrieval! But Sakuya looked so self-satisfied when he was talking about his perfect security! What happened? Mmmm… Well, look up.Up? As in, up at the council room? As I turned my head to look up, I made a small gasp.  The council room’s window… or rather, its wall, is blasted open. Wow! They’re not just thieves now! I bet they had to break at least five more laws to pull that off! Huh? The tree was placed near the window, right? If they broke in like this…… …… Ah!I let my gaze drop as I was lost in thought, and I see something white on the ground. It’s extremely hard to tell with it mixed in with the broken glass and bits of plaster, but it looks like some sort of fur. It’s… not a feather. It looks like something that came off of a stuffed animal, or maybe some sort of mammal. But I’m the only mammal in the school… This could be a valuable clue! Standing here won’t help me find anything out, though. I need to get Sakuya to tell me exactly what happened. I might as well check a few other things along the way.  Since I knew I would end up at the council room at some point regardless, I decided to take a slight detour to the library. I thought there was someone there who might know what happened. The music stops.   You’re looking pale. !I turned to see a familiar face. Oh good, you’re here!  I always come to see you around lunch and after school… I wasn’t sure you’d be here this early! I’m always here. In the morning, and the evening. And every time between. Is there a problem? Of course not! I’m here to see you, after all. Even though you’re clearly uncomfortable in here? You’ve been shivering since you came in. Aah… It really is cold in here. They don’t turn the heating on until later, after all. I think my ears are frozen. Don’t you want to do whatever you came here for quickly and go somewhere warm, then? U-um! Yes! Some thieves broke into the building last night. I was wondering if you saw them? Thieves…? Yup! They came sometime between evening yesterday and morning today… I think? Anyway, they broke into the student council room. Okay… …Sorry. I guess I can’t help. No, don’t worry about it! Sorry for bothering you this early, Nageki. …Oh! Here! You can have this! ……? It’s a disposable pocket warmer. I was going to use it today, but I forgot all about it… Even with your feathers, you shouldn’t let yourself get too cold! Use it if you feel chilly. Bye!With no other business in the library, I headed towards the council room. The music stops.  …Wait… Nageki doesn’t seem anywhere near as fluffy as the others, even now. Am I imagining things? Or maybe he’s just the slender type. Either way, I hope he can stay warm in that frigid library! It didn’t take long to reach the crime scene.  As if a robbery weren’t enough, there was even a bombing… Out of those two, the latter is almost certainly the more worrying. Goon! Oh, Ryouta! Good morning! As you can see, Sakuya has magnificently recovered the flag he raised the other day. As expected of an aristocrat! Now, then! On to the crime scene!  Sakuya’s flawless security has been completely destroyed. As if beckoned by my critique, Sakuya stormed into the room. What is this lunacy!? Do you mean to tell me that bombing school buildings in common practice in this barbaric land!? Ummm… No, I don’t think it is. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Wasn’t your security perfect, Sakuya? I thought you said it was on a completely new level compared to our primitive concepts.I know I shouldn’t kick a bird while he's down, but his attitude yesterday really calls for some sass now. Arrrgh… It was perfect! Around the door, at least! What kind of rascal blows their way in through the wall!? If they’re going to break in, why not act with some semblance of decency and come in through the door!?Blowing up the window isn’t exactly a common way of forcing an entry, but isn’t it a little bit of a problem if there’s only security on the front door? Did you see the criminals at all, Sakuya? Look! Look at that.He gestures at the corner by the window. There’s a pile of blackened stuff on the floor… What is that?  …W-what is that… The Christmas tree? Or what’s left of it…Looks like it got blown up along with the window! I was wondering if something had happened to the tree. It was right next to the window and wall that got blown up, after all. Nothing left but ashes… They’ve left a criminal ultimatum next to it. An ultimatum!? They haven’t done that before, have they? Let’s take a look.We all gathered around in order to read the note left at the scene. The music stops.  Umm… “We oopsed. We’re very sad the tree went boom. Sowwy. It’s a little lonely but we’re taking mister sparkly star. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas.” That’s… the ultimatum…? It reads more like a kid’s note apologizing for breaking Auntie Mildred’s antique vase… Tree topper?? The star that sits at the very top of the tree. Oooh! So that’s what it’s called! That would be vigilantism, Sakuya! Japan is a constitutional nation! You can’t do that!But it’s not as if I don’t see where he’s coming from. If I spent that much time and effort decorating something just to have someone blow up the room it’s standing in, I’d be pretty angry too. Mr. Urushihara’s tree stolen, Sakuya’s tree reduced to cinders and the topper stolen… We have to make sure these tragedies don’t repeat! …But we can’t really find the culprits just from this apology, or Christmas card, or ultimatum, or… whatever it is. Let’s ask Mr. One if he saw anything. He’s on night shift, so he should have been here. Oooh, good plan! Lead us there, Lourde.Stop treating me like your underling, you satin-pantsed prairie chicken!  See you in a little while, Ryouta!And so Sakuya and I left to see if Mr. One had any information on last night’s activities. The music stops. It’s awfully cold in here… I guess with a hole that large in the wall I might as well be outside.I know I signed up to watch the room, but I was starting to regret it now. However, I was startled out of my chill when I heard the door to the council room open. A familiar face entered. Doctor Iwamine…? I hadn’t expected to see you here.  Wh-what corpse!? Where’d you hear there was a corpse!? Oh. No corpse? And here I had my hopes up… Please don’t say that with such a genuinely dejected look on your face. Well, no matter. It still is quite the fascinating crime scene. I suppose I shall look around. Hohoho… Alone with the doctor is a half-collapsed room… I hope I make it out of here alive.
ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 17:19 on May 17, 2014 |
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May 15, 2014 16:46
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 What is this depressing room? It’s the maintenance office. Mr. One’s night quarters are here, too. I think it’s comfy! It feels very lived-in. Comfy? Hmph! Let us do whatever we are here for and leave, before the poverty and reprehensibility rub off. Mr. One! Are you in here? Yuuya!?He’s sitting at a low tea table. Oh, no… The irresponsible and slightly worn-out Yuuya might be just a little bit too attractive… I knew it! A place as disgusting as this is bound to draw disgusting company. And a very fine morning to you too, Sakuya. We came to talk to Mr. One… What brought you here, Yuuya? I’m holding down the fort while One is out. Out? Immediately after a break-in? You misunderstand. He’s taking care of a few things so our investigation of the theft can go more smoothly. After all, he and I both saw…Yuuya and One…? You saw the crime in progress!? Wh…what…!? Why did you not notify me immediately!? Filthy mongrel! Notify you how? I’ve been asking for your phone number for months, and you always blow me off. Gah…! Did you see the culprits, Yuuya? Yes… Fearsome foes, indeed. Stick your beaks too far into this and you could lose them. Don’t say I haven’t warned you. I, too, swear to retrieve the stolen trees, on my honor as a hunter-gatherer! How brave of you. Let me reward your courage with a little evidence.Yuuya picks up one of a number of photographs lined up on the table, and holds it out to us. They were already on their way out when I arrived at the scene, and alas, I was unable to keep their trail. But I am a professional, and I couldn’t just let them get away. I made sure to capture them on film. These… are the culprits.The music stops.  …… …… Wh-what are these… white things!? …OH!!!!! That’s not it, Yuuya! I know these creatures! Oh? Are they friends of yours? Who are they, and where do they live!? Tell me this instant! I don’t know who they are, exactly…I recalled the scene that Ryouta and I had stumbled upon the day before.  Merry Christmas!! Merry Christmas!!!! Merry! Christmas! In any case, I’ll have to take you to the employees’ lounge. High Society does have rules. Merry…? Christmas… They were caught breaking things in the Christmas section of a department store yesterday and got taken away by security. What in… We’d thought they were only going after easy targets, but it looks like once they get a sight of something they won’t rest until it’s theirs or destroyed! The entire city is filled with Christmas decorations. We have no way of knowing where they will strike next, and thus no way of ambushing them… They’ve got guts, but they don’t seem particularly intelligent. I agree with Yuuya, I think we should try to bait them. Then it’s settled. And the best bait would be the finest tree in the city… right, Sakuya? …… The finest tree in town… Do you know of a good one, Sakuya? Of course! Given how much work he put into the council room tree, he almost certainly has a gorgeous and decadent tree at home! It seems like the best choice. And you aren’t about to just let them get away with having burned your other tree, are you? Of course not. Where is your tree set up, Sakuya? In the main salon. It is not visible from outside. Hmmm… We’ll have to rely on newspaper ads and word of mouth, then. “The Le Bel family, moved here to Littledove Hachiman City from France, is displaying its gorgeous Christmas tree to the public!”, or something. Who said anything about opening the mansion to the public!? Hrrm… Come on, Sakuya. Open it up to the whole city! Let everybirdie know you have an extravagantly decorated tree at home. The thieves should hear the rumors, and they’ll come to see. And then we can catch them. …… Cool. I’ll get everything ready for an announcement in the evening papers. Something like “The Le Bel family’s Christmas tree is open for public viewing tonight! All Christmas enthusiasts welcome!” will be fine, right? That sounds good… but what kind of super high school student are you, to have that much clout with the newspaper companies? Yuuya quickly left the room, eager to begin his work. The music stops. …Loose-tongued cur! Yuuya’s laying the bait for us, so… should we work on a plan to catch the thieves at your house, Sakuya? A reasonable suggestion. We shall plan our strategy after school, then.And so, at the end of the school day, we gathered in the council room to discuss our plan.  At least today was a half-day. It would be freezing in here if it were already evening! Why are we having the meeting in here, Sakuya…? Your domain, though despoiled? Scum! Do you mock me!? There is no “despoiled” in the dictionary of Le Bels! Whatever! Let’s just make our plan already.Sakuya is unexpectedly good at getting off topic.  They used explosives here. How do you think they’ll attack the mansion? They might pretend to be normal guests, and sneak in the front entrance. They might, yes… But their goal is the tree, so even if they get inside— They will not be able to remove the tree. Yuuya’s photograph showed them to be quite small, so there is no way the two of them could carry it out. How could they get it outside, then? So you think they’ll… show up in a truck, or something? Any suspicious vehicles approaching the mansion will be neutralized immediately. So, we need to have guards watching in all directions for any sort of truck or crane. The mansion opens at seven. Should we be there this evening, too? Yes. That should help things go the most smoothly. I’ll see you two there, then. We need to catch these thieves before Christmas itself arrives!And so we went our separate ways to prepare for the upcoming event. The music stops.  Not quite enough to go home myself… What should I do? Maybe I should go pick up some sort of weapon in town. Didn’t Anghel say something about one of the old shops in town starting to stock Excalibur? Maybe I should go there. A door opened in front of me with a loud creak. …Hmm?A familiar figure emerges from the chemistry lab. Doctor? I was just heading home… What about you, sir?He appears to be trying to hide the large rack of test tubes he is carrying. I was doing some… tests. To confirm… some things. …To think that I would only get access to these samples now. It is simply unreasonable.He looks genuinely displeased. Has he ever been this openly emotional before? Maybe the tests went badly? Well, I’m not sure what’s going on, but… Cheer up, sir! I’m sure something good will come of it! And with that blunt remark, he heads off towards the infirmary. I wish I could share some of my cheerfulness with him. I have so much I could brush my teeth with it! …Tell me, Miss Lourde. Y-yes, sir!?He stops, and turns around.  Umm… allergies…?Like to peanuts, or fish? To soybeans… for instance. No, I don’t… I don’t think I do, at least. …Is that so?He walks away, a self-satisfied expression on his face. You need to explain why you’re asking, sir! If you just walk away looking pleased like that you’ll get reported! Well, I suppose the doctor helped waste some time. I better be off to Sakuya’s now! The music stops. 
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May 17, 2014 17:17
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Readingaccount posted:Great idea! But does this sequel stand on its own or does it draw plot from the previous one? It's true that Epee Em didn't finish his playthrough... But I certainly did! ^^^drat you, Sindai! Each story in this game uses some amount of information from the base game, some more than others. The bonus materials tend to avoid spoilers and straight up tell you when they draw from spoiler-y material from the original game.
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May 17, 2014 18:15
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 In the center of the grand salon…  There appears to be quite a crowd gathered outside already. Apparently there are plainclothes security officers scattered throughout the line. There are of course a great number of security personnel within the mansion, as well. Ah, the Gull Guard! Stern when necessary, an iron hand masked in a velvet glove! I feel safer already! Your house really is huge, Sakuya. Isn’t it tough to clean? I cannot comprehend your question. Why should I worry over such things when I have servants? You didn’t even know how to use a mop until just recently, after all! Th-that sort of foolery is for commoners! It has nothing to do with a noble such as myself! Aww, what a waste! You have the makings of a domestic genius, Sakuya. Yeah! You were way more help at the end of year cleanup than any of us expected! Agh…Sakuya appears troubled, no doubt unsure if he should take that as praise or as an insult.  I think that depends on them! Yuuya did a good job of getting the word out… I think we can safely say they know about it. I have deployed elite bodyguards in the employ of the Le Bel family throughout the entire area. The thieves will be captured within two seconds of arrival.As we were talking, a bird who I could only assume was a butler appeared. The music stops.  Master Sakuya. What is it, Albert? Hm.Sakuya took the letter from his butler and began to read it. …… Hah hah hah! What does it say, Sakuya? They’ve got guts. It is a letter announcing their nefarious intent! It says they’re coming? May I see?Sakuya hands the letter to Ryouta. I took a look at the letter myself. It says…  “We want the big tree. Merry Christmas.” …… This… I guess it’s a letter of intent? An awfully cute one. It might almost be a Christmas card, or a letter to Santa. They want the tree? And expect us to hand it over? If they want it, they can come and claim it! Merry Christmas… (They say they won’t give it to us…) Merry Christmas… (They say if we want it, we should come and take it…) I heard a familiar set of voices coming from Sakuya's direction. I looked up, only to find… ! S-Sakuya! Behind you! !? !? Merry Christmas!!! (It’s time for plan B!) There! It’s them, Sakuya! The Christmas Thieves! Wh… What…!? After them! Seize them! Have you knotholes for eyes, you confounded gull!? How did they get in this far!? Were they hoping to get the tree just by asking nicely…?There was no time to think about it, though, as we all took off in pursuit of the thieves. The music stops. We ended up running all the way into town before losing sight of them in the crowd.  I’ve received no word from the security teams, either. It would appear they have escaped… What a dreadful waste of an opportunity! They said something about a plan B before they left, right? I don’t think they’ve given up yet. We’d better stay on guard. I am well aware. Let us return to the mansion.We spent a lot of time waiting back at the mansion, but there was no sign of those creatures returning.  It’s almost midnight already. Maybe they’ve gone home for the day and are all snug and cozy under a kotatsu. Waaah! I want to be under a kotatsu! I have prepared some ginger tea for you, miss. Please. Oh, the butler! Thank you so much! I always thought black butlers know just what you need!Note: It was pointed out in the thread that this line can be taken the wrong way out-of-context. "Kuroshitsuji", or "Black Butler", is an anime about a demon butler who's really good at his job. Indeed, miss. What word from outside? Nothing to report? Hmph! Have those cowards given up already? It’s way too late for us to be up and about… I wish they’d just tell us if they’re not coming.As if on cue, a loud alarm began to sound from the other side of the mansion. What was that noise!?One of the Gull Guard officers came running towards us.  That could only be the Christmas Thieves! I quickly sprang to my feet. Sakuya, Ryouta! Let’s go!We all hurried towards the alarm. This could be our chance…! ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 21:48 on May 19, 2014 |
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May 19, 2014 15:31
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Geokinesis posted:What? Oh, haha, wow. D3m3 hit it on the head, and I read it as a reference, but looking at it again I see how that can be a little strange out-of-context for someone who doesn't know about anime. I should probably add a note there or something. Just to add to D3m3's explanation, Black Butler is about a demon butler who is stuck in a Faustian pact with the 12-year old head of an important family. He is required to follow all orders, and his demonic nature makes him real good at doing things efficiently. Hence the line. EDIT: Actually, I might as well ask, since I didn't do it for the last game and this seems to have a pretty diverse audience as far as anime or pop culture knowledge goes. Should I just add notes about all of the references that are made in the game? I skipped a Music Man reference in the opening paragraph for this story and there are sure to be more as we go along, so should I document them for you guys? ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 21:28 on May 19, 2014 |
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May 19, 2014 21:09
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Alright, that's enough votes to convince me! I don't think there will be any other references similar to this one, but I'll leave out notes on references unless I think that it warrants further explanation.
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May 19, 2014 22:26
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  That guard mentioned armor, right? Which means… They’ve brought some sort of vehicle, like a truck or something. It matters not. My elite Le Bel security will have them neutralized in a matter of seconds.As Sakuya finished his declaration, his butler approached once again.  You see? This is what happens to those who stand against the Le Bel family. Hah hah hah! Sakuya, wait! That’s not what he said! He said “were”, not “have”! Wh…what…!? Indeed, sir.Any further outbursts from Sakuya were silenced by the sound of an approaching vehicle. The music stops. This noise… Something’s coming!I looked down the street to see what was coming towards us, and I could hardly believe my eyes. L-look at that! It’s the Christmas Thieves! In a… tank…!? WOW! They weren’t bringing just a truck! This is… way more than I expected!! Merry Christmas! (We’re stealing the tree! We’re stealing the tree!) The two of them entered the tank and began to roll forward once again. Gah… What do we do? It’s headed right tow-- Sakuya was interrupted by a tank shell that flew right in front of him. They brought live ammunition!? Stop! Stop! What sort of demons would damage my beautiful mansion!? There are still birds inside! I’ll go get them out of there! They blew up the council room without a second thought… At this rate, your house is going to end up looking like mine! I… cannot have that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have to stop them! What can I do…?The music stops.  I am a hunter-gatherer… I will fight in order to keep my friends and I safe!  I clench my fists, and assume the stance! The enemy is straight ahead! They cannot dodge! I can feel… the strength of Gaea beneath me! My love… my life, I place in this hand! I make my declaration here! The empress arrives! I wound up and took a swing at the tank! The music stops. ……  Nothing… it did… nothing at all… Well, if just my fists won’t work… I need… some sort of weapon… I looked around for anything nearby that I could use.  Forgive me, Japanese Post Holdings Company, Ltd.! I will apologize properly later!I uproot a nearby postbox and take aim at the advancing tank.  I wound up and took a swing at the tank! The music stops. ……  Nothing… it did… nothing at all… I’m sorry, Sakuya… I’ve never tried to hunt an animal made of metal before, so I don’t know where its weak points are… Even my elite guards were no match for it… There is nothing a bird or human can do to that thing…A sharp crack echoes through the night.  I looked around for whatever could have caused this, but I never could have expected what I saw.   Wha…… Yuuya! And you’ve kept a lady up this late? Never mind the thieves, you’re the real villain here. Please, forgive him, mon amie. Oh, no, it’s fine! I wasn’t able to do anything, anyway… You… You rascal! What is that thing? What kind of high school student has one of those!? Do not mock me with jests! But Sakuya, even I have a broad-axe! Of course a fashionable young man like Yuuya is going to have an assault rifle or two… Precisely. I hope you’ve learned something about Japanese culture today, Sakuya. Japan… truly is a complicated and confounding place…While this discussion was going on, I heard some loud mechanical noises coming from down the road.  Yuuya, look out! It’s still moving! It would seem so. Alas, I was hoping to have things cleared up and be walking the sweet lady home by now. Don’t lay a finger on Lourde, lecherous cur! She is my underling!Since when!? A lady never likes a man who tries to monopolize her, Sakuya. Don’t bend my words! I had no such thing in mind! Yuuya fired off another shot at the tank. Sakuya and I turned to see if the tank reacted. The music stops.  It’s stopped…! Nice job, Yuuya! You’re acting straight up cool for once! Why thank you, mon amie. I am honored by your words.However, while the tank had stopped making noise, the two inside the tank were not quite finished. Merry… Christmas… (Connect this with this…) Merry Christmas… (Stick that there…) Merry Christmas! (We fixed it! We fixed it! Yay!) !? I-It’s not dead yet! Oh… oh, dear. I had thought I immobilized it. Have you no other plan, cur!? I have not prepared any more ordinance, no. It seems I have met my match. Forget preparations! Would a super student like you really give up this easily!? Yuuya tackled me to the ground, and I saw an artillery shell fly right above us. That was too close for comfort! Eeeeeek! Goon! Are you hurt? I-I’m fine… Yuuya, wait! Your tail! Your tail is burnt! It smells delicious! All that matters is that you’re safe. A little burn like this is just another medal of bravery. Sakazaki, you fool! Don’t go raising flags here! …You seem to be having difficulties.The music stops. We all turned towards the newcomer.  Who’d have expected him to show up here!? Dr. Iwamine!? Why are you here…!? I took the liberty of examining the council room this morning. I find this case… rather interesting. …I could help you out, if you like. Of course, if you don’t need my assistance, I will leave. I do have other things to be doing, after all.I can’t really see his face in the darkness, but he sounds even more uninterested than usual. Maybe he’s in a bad mood again. But, not even the doctor would bluff about something like this… right? What a sharp tongue you have, doctor! Please, Dr. Iwamine! If… if you have some way of stopping those thieves, please help us! I had hoped to take them alive, but at this point I won’t object if you decide to obliterate them entirely! Sakuya, no! They’re doing bad things, but I could never live with myself if I let you kill something that adorable! …I have no intention of killing them. Miss Lourde.The doctor turned towards me. Y-yes!The doctor tosses a ball… or rather, a sort of oblong metallic lump to me.  The music stops. Ah…! It’s a grenade! Leave it to me, sir!Here’s the wind-up… Hiyaaaaa!And the pitch! The grenade entered the tank, and I could hear the casing break. Look! Look! I did it! Hole in one! Well done. You have a good throwing arm. But, what did that do? There was no great explosion… Huh?Yuuya was staring avidly in the direction of the tank, and so I turned to see what the doctor’s grenade had caused.  The tank is… swathed in some sort of gas!? Wha… Doctor, we must withdraw! We’ll be affected too, and won’t be able to secure the thieves! Can you stand, Yuuya? We need to get--The gas is spreading throughout the entire area. We need to get back to the mansion and send out guards with gas masks!  Huh……?I looked around and noticed that we were already surrounded by the gas, but none of us seemed to be affected. But then, who…  Uu… -sniff-… achoo! -sniff-… -sniff-… The tank hatch opens, and the two white creatures stagger out. Awww, they look terrible… Finding an allergen specific to them was quite simple. I found plenty of samples to work with in the council room, after all. Mr. Sakazaki had already created a number of holes in the body of the tank, so it diffused in quite beautifully. I am pleased to see it worked. How kind of you to give me some credit, despite my miserable failure. I hadn’t expected that from you. You’re an exemplary teacher. Thank you, Mr. Sakazaki. You flatter me. Sir, how did you know so much about these previously unidentified creatures? ………The music stops. Looks like he’s still in a bad mood. He’s staring off into space. Were the tests he was doing this afternoon for this? If so, it was an undeniable success. Shouldn’t he be happy?  We may have caught them now, but we had plenty of questions for them. We made our way back to the mansion with the thieves in tow. 
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May 20, 2014 16:47
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  The Christmas Thieves had been caught, and they were currently being interrogated by Sakuya. Accept your fate, Christmas Thieves! You’ve nowhere left to run. Now identify yourselves! Merry Christmas… You won’t get to go home any quicker by looking sad. What are your names?   Merry Christmas! Miru and Kaku… That’s all? …… Why did you two do all this? Quite frankly, I don’t give a hoot about Christmas and as far as I’m concerned it’s just so much capitalist, commercialized rubbish. But there are plenty of birds who really care about it! It’s not nice to ruin their fun. Merry Christmas… Merry Christmas… (Christmas is ingrained into Miru and Kaku’s very instincts…)        It’s too cruel, doctor! To create pitiful, hybrid beings in your mad scientist experiments and then to try to kill them… Maybe you felt your creation violated the laws of nature… But artificial creatures are still alive, just like us! They have the right to-- Please, do not misunderstand. I am not responsible for their creation.The music stops. What? He’s not??? I thought I was being clever, but I think I’ve made a terrible mistake!  Merry Christmas! (Miru and Kaku’s daddy was a merry daddy! He liked parties!) Merry! Merry Christmas! (Daddy celebrated all through December! Especially Christmas!)They look excited to the point of getting their memories mixed up.  None of the researchers had expected their creation. At first, the new lifeforms were hoped to hold great scientific value, but they soon proved to be almost identical to existing birds. Once the investigation was complete, they were to be disposed of. But there was one researcher who acted irresponsibly. The researcher was charged with taking care of them.Well, even if he wasn’t the one trying to get rid of them, he certainly seems to be connected to Miru and Kaku somehow. Maybe he knows what should be done with them… …… May I ask what you intend to do with them? But they’re unidentified creatures, born of the excesses of modern science! Can they even have trials? The law only covers humans and birds. Even if they look like birds, I don’t think they can. So then… They do not have the right to be tried by law. All they can do is wait to be culled. Agh… They may have done some bad things, but nobirdie was badly injured. The worst was Yuuya’s burn! We can’t just kill them.The doctor seemed to be thinking hard for a minute, after which he turned to Sakuya. I have a proposal, Mr. Shirogane. Yes, Dr. Iwamine? You would…!? We can’t, Sakuya! Giving them to him is sending them to a fate worse than death, no matter how you look at it! Please, do not be so agitated. I have no intention of harming them… just yet.In other words, you probably will later! But I don’t suppose there’s any better option for them… so I guess I can allow this. If you are willing to take them in, sir, I have no objections. Be respectful towards Dr. Iwamine, you two rapscallions! And make sure to tell us where you hid Mr. Urushihara’s Christmas tree, okay?  But why was the doctor so happy to help? He didn’t even ask for compensation. Normally he would have asked for something… That will be one leg, please.Maybe it was his idea of a Christmas present? The music stops. At the end of the interrogation, I checked my watch to see how long we’d been at this.  We got them to tell us where the stolen trees are, so I should go home to eat udon and sleep.  Merry Christmas! (Caretaker! Caretaker! Look!) Let me see… …… You… Ugh. You never did leave anything behind but trouble. The next day, Ryouta and I finally returned Mr. Urushihara’s tree to its rightful place. Oh my, oh my. Thank you. It really is calming to look at, isn’t it? I’m so glad yours is intact! Sakuya’s was completely incinerated… At least the big tree Sakuya had at home was saved… I guess that’s some sort of consolation. And… That’s the end of the investigation. I’m looking forward to working here over the break! And with that, we had brought all of the stolen trees back. A job well done for the unstoppable detective duo!
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May 21, 2014 15:38
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 Christmas only comes once a year. I want to spend it having fun with everybirdie! Winter break starts tomorrow, too… I’m excited just thinking about it! …What happened to Miru and Kaku, anyway? Did the doctor take them to his house? That seems pretty cute! Dr. Iwamine living with the seasonal mascot characters… No, it’s too surreal. I can’t imagine it. I do wonder, though. I think I’ll ask the doctor before break starts! The music stops. And so, after school, I decided to head straight to the infirmary and check on the doctor.  I was struck speechless by what I saw in the infirmary.  The infirmary is transformed! S-sir, what happened!? Are you actually even more enthusiastic about Christmas than Sakuya!? He says that, but his Santa hat says otherwise. The doctor is transformed, too! Maybe it’s protective camouflage? Sir, what happened to you!? Don’t tell me you finally got that lobotomy!? …They always give me another as soon as I’ve taken it off. It’s easier to work if I leave it on. They? So Miru and Kaku are-- Merry Christmas!They’re here! You’re keeping them in here, sir? Yes. They would only get in the way at my house… Not that they don’t get in the way here.Grumpy, as usual! He seems to be putting up with them so far, but he hardly looks happy about it… I wouldn’t count on their hands staying attached for much longer.  You don’t think you’re pushing yourself too hard, sir? What do you mean? Maybe I’m imagining it, but… You don’t quite look like you mean it, sir. It is tiring to have them in here all the time. Perhaps I should make a hutch for them outside.It doesn’t look like he’s using them for research. What is he thinking? He’s treating them awfully nicely, though. I’ve never seen him act this nice. Maybe he likes cute animals? I’m going home now, doctor. Thank you for everything this year! Merry Christmas, and happy New Year! …Thank you. The music stops.   And so, with The Great Christmas Thief Caper behind us, we reach the end of the first chapter! Let’s see what kinds of things we’ve unlocked because of it. First, we’ll see what’s in the “Radio” section.  We’ve unlocked a question-and-answer radio program that we can listen to, hosted by Ryouta!  Also, if we go into the “Story” section, we can see what the next chapter is going to be, and it seems like a small Shinto structure has appeared near the bottom corner. Clicking it leads us to…  A new year comes to Littledove Hachiman City. Everybirdie heads for the shrine, some for their New Year’s visits, others with very different goals in mind. This episode allows you to pick from eight routes.  …A screen where we can go on a New Year’s date with any of our lovely husbandoves! Ah, choices, choices, so many choices. Too many choices for me to decide on my own. Won’t you help me figure out what to do next?
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May 22, 2014 17:25
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Alright, so with two possibilities, I need the thread to help me decide how we tackle the bonus content for chapter 1! Which will we do first? Listen to Ryouta’s radio program, or go on some New Year’s dates with our favorite birdies? Also, with each of your votes (or even if you don’t want to vote), please include your two favorite husbandoves so that whenever we get to the New Year’s dates, I’ll know which order I should do them in.
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May 22, 2014 17:26
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Boob Dylan posted:The husbandove icons on that route select screen would make some excellent avatars. I agree!         Here you all go!
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May 22, 2014 19:14
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Alright, I'm back from a convention and mad tired, but it was lots of fun. No Hatoful cosplayers this year, but I wasn't hopeful anyways. Well, this is a perfect time to check out... THE RESULTS I don't even need to count the votes for the first one, since there was only one vote for the shrine visits. We'll be doing the radio show first, followed by the shrine visits in this order: Anghel x x x x x x x x x x Okosan x x x x x x x x x Yuuya x x x x x x x x Nageki x x x x x Shuu x x x x x Kazuaki x x x x Sakuya x Ryouta Pretty decent spread, IMO, though a little sad to see that Ryouta didn't end up with any votes. Ah well. Radio show should be up tomorrow. Hope y'all are ready to learn about "Living with Birds"!
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May 26, 2014 18:41
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Part 1: Living With Birds    Hi, everybirdie! I’m Kawara Ryouta, a rock dove from 2-3. I seem to be in charge of the questions corner. I think you all can tell what we’re doing here just from the name, but… since it’s the first time, I’ll explain. In the How and Why Question Box, I’ll be answering letters you’ve all sent in. It’ll be pretty relaxed. Bear with us! Because this is the first time, I’ve made sure to pick things which don’t spoil any of the BBL route from the full version. If you haven’t finished yet, spoiler landmines can be scary! But don’t worry, there won’t be any of those here. Let’s get started, then! Now, for our very first letter, from one “Aviophile”. This is a historic moment, everybirdie! …Y-you seem awfully sure about this…! Ummm… Actually, Hiyoko told me a little about her dream wedding a long time ago. If she still wants to have a bungee wedding, a dress would be risky for either of us… It would be nice if we could wear our streetclothes. Anyway, next letter! I don’t know what life expectancies were like before, but some have increased over the past 100 years or so. …Doves still have much shorter lives than humans, though. That’s just how it is. Oh, sorry! We’re getting gloomy already. Let me change course a little! Let’s regroup and move on to the next letter.  I was told to answer anything for Hiyoko as best I could. Umm… Hiyoko’s really something. She’s been wild and rugged ever since we were very young… I’ve always admired her, too. She never really complains, so I’m not sure I know of anything that’s really given her trouble. The one time I can think of would be the time her den got hijacked. It looked really tough. As long as there are living creatures, there will always be turf wars. She said the fight with the boss jackal lent an entirely new meaning to the phrase “domestic violence”, so maybe that’s a good example of a quarry which gave her trouble, as well. …The next letter is addressed to Nageki. I think we should have him answer this himself. Nageki! Nageki, are you here? Oh, good! I was worried I’d have to call you on the announcer. …… Is that microphone on? Yup! We’re on the air right now. …… W-wait! Don’t leave yet! Just answer one question! Please? ……Fine. But once I’ve answered, I’m leaving. Thank you! This letter was asking if you make wishes on Tanabata. I’d like to know what you wish for, too… I don’t. Wishes are for superstitious children. Dr. Iwamine always makes one… Oh! Did you make them when you were younger? …Yes. What sort of things did you wish for back then? …… I’m always hoping for the same thing… I know how it is. …Are we done? I’m leaving. Oh, yes. Sorry for holding you up. See you! …Right. The next one is for San! It isn’t signed. It’s a little long, but I’ll try to read it in one go.  “Hif-hif” is the Japanese onomatopoeia for sniffing.  “Mofu-mofu” is the Japanese onomatopoeia for feeling something fluffy.     “Ha-ha” is the Japanese onomatopoeia for me feeling glad that I don’t have to transcribe this mess.     Coo, coo! (Your love has been delivered!) Cooooooo! (Will you accompany Okosan on a journey? True Pudding awaits!) On that note, the last letter here is for San, as well. From one “Ori”!   Umm, I think I should start by talking about San’s actor. This will get a bit meta. In reality, he isn’t interested in pudding at all. Please don’t try to feed a dove pudding! Doves aren’t particularly hard to care for. Anyone who’s kept a budgie or sparrow or anything should find it pretty easy. A racing bird would be a little more difficult, but for a fantail or the like a fairly small cage is fine. A rabbit cage works very well. However, doves aren’t very common pets, so there aren’t many veterinarians who know how to treat them. Doves are usually very healthy, and rarely get sick, but you might want to make sure there’s a clinic nearby which will receive them just in case. They’re not common in general pet stores, but there’s usually a section for doves in places that specialize in birds. Have a look around!  Broadcast End ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 18:23 on May 27, 2014 |
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May 27, 2014 17:03
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Nihilarian posted:When Ryouta is answering Kanako Mikan's letter he says "Ryouta's really something." Is that an error? Why yes it was. That has now been fixed, thanks for catching that! Also, I should be able to get the first shrine visit up on Thursday, so be on the lookout for that.
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May 27, 2014 18:27
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Shrine Visit 1: Anghel An interesting feature about the shrine visits is that there are two versions of the events: one with the bird pictures we’ve all come to love, and one with unique human character graphics, much like a more typical visual novel. I will be showing off the humanized art, as I feel that it’s worth showing off the work that was put into making these character graphics.  Isn’t he really Catholic, though? I hadn’t expected to be invited out for something like this! Maybe it’ll turn out that he lives in the shrine!  That is incorrect, Edel Blau. Oh, Anghel! Happy New Year!With no windows around to jump through, Anghel approached me surprisingly quietly.  Silver beings? What are those? So, they’re not shrinekeepers… How do people usually refer to their job? …Fishmongery. Oh! I see!I see but I can’t imagine Anghel going home every day to a fish store! We must not let time slip by, Edel Blau. We must obtain the Legendary Sacred Bow, Holy Slasher, before it falls into the hands of the other side! But weren’t we going to visit the shrine?As I asked him this, I saw a look of pain flash across Anghel’s face. The music stops.  Agh…! I only need a blade. Let us go, Edel Blau.Anghel bravely enters the shrine precincts. I guess I’ll be in for another year of having no idea what Mr. Eccentric Filipino Dove is talking about…  ……Anghel silently rummages around in the shrine office. What are you looking for? Did I not tell you? I seek the Legendary Sacred Bow, Holy Slasher.Sacred bow? Shrines aren’t weapon shops… They probably don’t have anything like that. Actually, in a shrine office, maybe… You mean a hamaya? I’m a person of this world too, Anghel! Just call it that from the start! And maybe next time bring me a dictionary, and have subtitles! Umm, hamaya… They usually sell them here.I went to ask the clerk at the shrine gift shop about their stock. Oh! They’re sold out, Anghel… …… No… This cannot be…! The Sacred Bow has fallen into their hands…?Anghel stands still, looking terribly shocked. Are hamaya that popular? I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything from a shrine aside from charms and the occasional votive picture. It’s okay, Anghel! Maybe they’ll be back in stock tomorrow. I don’t mind. You invited me because you’d be lonely on your own, right? I’ll come looking for hamaya with you whenever, if you want! He seems relieved. So this is what it means to rescue a soul from an eternity of painful solitude!  It was nothing, Anghel! I hope we can find a hamaya for you tomorrow. …Indeed. See you tomorrow, then! Bye-bye! …Wait, Edel Blau.The music stops. ? Do you not feel something? Something? Umm… like, the winter cold…? A light?The sky is the same winter sky as always, and the lights from the shop windows don’t look any different. What’s he talking about? A world is but the light reflected from a fragment of the broken mirror. The fragments write out the destiny of every star in the heavens. Is your Azure Soul satisfied with the world and the fate you see before you now? Or perhaps it has been charmed by the fate written by a different shard of the mirror. If that is the case, then I shall…As so I spent the rest of the day listening to Anghel ramble on about whatever crazy delusions he was having. He certainly knows how to make a conversation interesting! And so concludes Anghel’s shrine visit event.
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May 29, 2014 17:23
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Waffleman_ posted:How uncomfortable would it be to have a belt that big around your neck? That said, having seen the questionable fashion choices of many RPG characters, what appears to be a semi-loose large belt around the neck seems on par. I think it might be something that comes with the hero gene. CherryCat posted:it's weird not going out with birds. Tonfa posted:I had absolutely no idea the human forms have alternate artwork, that's some attention to detail.
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May 29, 2014 22:47
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I did what any decent person would do and went through the dates in bird form only.
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Shrine Visit 2: Okosan I think it’s important to leave this screen in again for Okosan’s bit. Even the game doesn’t know what to think of Okosan’s birdie-ness.  Okosan, it’s cold! It’s way too cold for my featherless human skin!  A true bird until the end. But Okosan, my house is completely unheated! Coo!! (Okosan said, no complaining! Neglecting your training is bad! You will RUN!) Ah, Okosan, wait! You’re too fast! I can’t keep up with you if you go that faaaaast! We rushed by the playground I used to visit when I was a kid…  We ran through the mall and had the Gull Guard on our tail the whole time…  We even passed by the orphanage on the edge of town! What kind of route is this!? Eventually, we reached the front of the White Dove Shrine, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I stopped and put my hands on my knees, gasping for breath.   Coo, coooo! (Goon has become slow! Okosan is disappointed!) Aaah… I’m sorry, Okosan…I did give in to the cold and skip training a little over the past few weeks, so like Okosan said, my body has gotten soft and weak. But what is his heart made out of? He went shooting off out of the blue all the way to here, and now he’s bouncing around energetically while I’m completely winded. I don’t think all the cruelest roads and tracks in the world together could stand in defiance of Okosan’s steel-plated cardiovascular system.  Thank you, Okosan… Did you come here to make your offering on New Year’s Day, Okosan? Coooooo! (Okosan believes only in the Pudding God!)Oh, right. Ummm… And does this Pudding God have a shrine? Do you make offerings to him? Huh…? So if he’s with you all the time, you don’t need to go out on New Year’s to say hello to him? Doesn’t he have a home? Cooooo! (Of course he does! His home is in the Lost Ruins of Pudding!)But I don’t understand! Coo, coooooo! (The God of True Pudding sleeps in the Lost Ruins of Pudding, somewhere in this world! Okosan trains himself so that one day he may find the Ruins!) Oh, I see. I wonder if I could find a certain goal like you and get more serious about my training that way. Okosan flaps agitatedly about for a little while. He does get awfully excited about pudding. But I still don’t understand what his idea of pudding is. It certainly isn’t the pudding I know… Hey, Okosan. The god of this shrine is supposed to be a brilliant white dove who flies to faraway places. Doesn’t that sound a little like you? …Well, you run to faraway places, rather than fly. You’re like a god yourself, Okosan! I know you’ll get to meet the pudding god someday. And so concludes Okosan’s shrine visit event. ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Jun 6, 2014 |
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May 31, 2014 16:44
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Oh also, since I found out about this yesterday, I might as well share it with the thread. A new Hatoful-like has been released for mobile devices! Finally, you can kiss and date your favorite sushi toppings! It even has an English translation, so you could all play it, unlike most of the other imitators.
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May 31, 2014 16:49
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SaffronKit posted:Just wanted to pop in and say I've loved following these threads, Hatoful is just an amazing series! Hey, thanks! Glad you're enjoying the games! I dunno what was causing that, but I just went through and edited the post links. Hopefully they all work now.
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May 31, 2014 21:35
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Shrine Visit 3: Yuuya He hasn’t come to school much since some time last semester. He seems really busy, but what has he been doing? Maybe he’s been job-hunting? Anyway, he said he didn’t have any time over the holidays, so he asked me to wait. And then he texted me out of the blue last night to say he was free today, so--  Oh, Yuuya! Happy holiday salutations! ~☆ Sorry to keep you waiting, Goon. I always try my utmost to never keep a lady waiting, but alas I wasn’t able to get away until just now. You’re still really busy, aren’t you? I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard to take me… Non non, don’t make that unhappy face! It doesn’t suit you at all, mon amie. I cannot express with mere words how much I have looked forward to seeing you again, Goon. Time spent with you always flies by at the speed of light, so let’s go.Yuuya takes my hand and leads me off to the shrine. He seems like he’s in even more of a hurry than usual. He must be really busy…  It’s true. The shrine was crowded during the first three days of the new year, but now it’s practically empty. I don’t mind a lively crowd, but I’m glad there’s no one to disturb us here now. I’m not falling for that, Yuuya! How many other girls have you used that line on by now? Ahaha, you’re as cruel as ever, mon amie. He whispers to me, an unusually serious expression on his face. Stop it! You’re gonna make me melt! I already know you’re not completely made of cheap pickup lines and flashy foolishness! I haven’t met privately with anyone at all recently, in fact. Third-years like you really are unimaginably busy, aren’t they… Don’t worry, mon amie, you won’t end up like me. I’m just having to work extra hard now because I’ve been an unusually total failure. So you’re studying like crazy for exams now? No, not quite. Let me give you a hint, mon amie. Lots of important corporations have parties during the holidays. Many well-known people go to those parties. Each one is a potential jackpot for the villains who skulk around behind the curtains of society. So… so what!? --I had a dream like that, anyway. It was a dream!? Hahaha, sorry. Just kidding, just kidding. Like you said, I’m just having to make up for all the slacking off I did earlier as exams draw near. Geez, don’t tease me like that! I hadn’t realized you were planning to go on to university, though. Where are you thinking of going? That’s… a secret, I guess. I’ll be leaving the school, and it’s probably best if you don’t know where I go after that. D-don’t tell me you’re going somewhere so seedy and low-end you don’t even want to say…!? He did it again. Sometimes he says stuff in that self-deriding, or maybe even despairing way. He’s usually so cheerful, so whenever he does it I don’t know how to respond! I think you’re a better person than you think you are, Yuuya! Sakuya and the doctor are always chewing you out, but you shouldn’t let that get you down! Just do your thing and be yourself! Aah, that makes me happy. Hearing you say that puts some pride back into my little dove heart, mon amie. And so concludes Yuuya’s shrine visit event.
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Jun 2, 2014 15:44
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Shrine Visit 4: Nageki Nageki’s is probably one of the most interesting shrine visits.  The first three days of the year are always crowded, and it’s really cold in the morning, so we decided to be a little untraditional and go just after noon. Of course, even if we waited for weeks or months before going, our first trip to the shrine in the new year would still be a New Year’s visit… Nageki is delicate like the first flowers of spring, so I’ll have to make sure he doesn’t push himself! …You’re here already. Oh! Nage…ki…??The music stops.  Uh, umm… Nageki? You sound like Nageki… You’re Nageki, right? Yes. Sorry, did I keep you waiting? I made sure to leave on time, but… Don’t worry, you’re not late! I just came early. I wasn’t waiting too long, anyway! More importantly, what’s up? Are we going to hold up a store or something? I mean, I’d be happy to, if that’s what you want to do… …This thing really is weird, isn’t it. No, no, I think it’s nice! It’s definitely nice! It’s warm and it hides your identity! Everyone should have one! I’m behind you whatever you’re planning, Nageki! We’ll do our best together, okay? ……  Hitori made me put it on. He said I shouldn’t go out without making sure I was perfectly protected from the cold.Does that really mean wearing a balaclava, though!? He made me bring a whole bunch of hand warmers, too. I don’t think I’ll run out for a week. Mr. Uzune does seem to worry about you a lot… He’s overprotective. I barely managed to convince him he didn’t have to come with me today.According to this information (and the fact that Nageki is outside at all), Nageki is alive in this scene, and he’s living with Kazuaki/Hitori. This points to a timeline where Nageki never took up the chance to get “help” from Iwamine and therefore end up dead, or he was able to get out of the testing facility without dying. Nageki is a perfectly normal, if unsociable bird. It’s inconsequential, since it doesn’t factor into anything outside of this one scene, but I think it’s interesting nonetheless. I wouldn’t mind if he came along… …… I would. I’m not a child anymore. Of course I do! I’m so happy I get to be with you, Nageki! Anyway, it’s time for Lourde-senpai’s Guided Shrine Tour! Let’s la go! I think when I came by during summer vacation there were maybe three other people… Is this your first time visiting a shrine for New Year’s, Nageki? I see… You should make up for all the lost time and make lots of wishes now, then! …Is it all right to be that sloppy? It’s all about your frame of mind. You’re not very religious in your day-to-day life, are you? I’m not. Then you can be as sloppy as you want! Take this! Super coin-toss! Zzzzzbang! Are you supposed to throw the offering money rowdily like that? The gods will have an easier time hearing your message if you put lots of spirit into it, right? I don’t think I need them to hear it that well.Hey! He just threw his like a normal person! He stared at me with cold, disdainful eyes and threw it like a normal person! …… …… …What did you wish for, Nageki? That’s a secret.Oh. I don’t really have to tell you. It’s between me and the gods, right? Aww, that’s no fun! Well, okay… I guess if you go around shouting your wish to everyone it sort of feels like a god is going to pop out of nowhere and revoke your right to a divine miracle…I am curious about what he prayed for, but it doesn’t look like he’ll tell me. There’s a tea shop up ahead that sells really good mochi, Nageki. Let’s go! …Okay.   And so concludes Nageki’s shrine visit event.
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Jun 4, 2014 16:01
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Nihilarian posted:This begs the question: Does Nageki wear a balaclava in birdie form?  Yes.
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Jun 6, 2014 03:08
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Shrine Visit 5: Shuu I decided to stop by the shrine for a visit since I was here anyway, but… it’s really crowded! Where do they all come from every year, anyway? The shrine is usually so empty! I want to at least make an offering, but standing around waiting like this is breaking my heart… It’s cold, and waiting by myself is so lonely! Maybe I should go home and come back some other day. …Wait… I thought I saw a familiar partridge walk by. The music stops. Dr. Iwamine? Is that you? Don’t tell me he’s here to make an offering, too!? Happy New Year, sir! I’m surprised to see you here! I never would have expected to bump into you in a place like this. You’re kind of like a devil or something, so I always figured you’d get purified into nothingness if you went into a shrine! Oh, okay! So I don’t have to worry about him getting hit by some stray exorcism and evaporating! Yay, I’m so relieved! But why are you here, sir? Are you making a New Year’s offering? No. I feel no need to plea with hypothetical gods for help. As I’m sure you know quite well.OH? YES, I KNOW. Umm… Why are you here, then? There isn’t!!! Please stop hearing about corpses that don’t exist, sir! But I was told there was a crowd here because they found a rotting corpse in the pond. Shrines are already crowded on New Year’s! No one’s said anything about a corpse. I see… That is truly unfortunate. It seems I have been misled by a falsified report.The doctor, thoroughly disappointed, turned and began to walk away. Oh! Are you going home already, sir!? There’s no reason for me to stay, is there? But you’re already here, and it’s New Year’s! Want to make an offering with me? It’s cold and there’s a line and I was thinking of giving up and going home, but if I got to wait with you then I wouldn’t mind! He gives me an amazed-looking sneer. Geez, don’t you have any hopes or dreams, you diabolical partridge? Any romance!? Getting turned down like this every time I try to do something with him makes my hunter-gatherer blood boil! I’m starting to want to just look up a walkthrough for him on a wiki or something. But this is a special day! And if I’m with you, then even if I catch cold you’ll be able to give me pertinent advice! Please do not treat me as your personal medical advisor. I am not fond of selfish children. Aaah, I’m sorry… I got carried away… Now, if you would be willing to take the place of that rotting corpse for me, then I might be interested. You want to make an offering with a rotten corpse!? What kind of pervert are you!?!? That’s too much, sir! …Hoho, don’t worry. I was only joking. Yes… joking.Were you, sir? That felt an awful lot like you were asking just on the off-chance… Perhaps we can come to an arrangement. I shall offer a very simple contract, with only one condition. It sounds more like I could be in serious danger of losing everything, including but not limited to my life!? But if I don’t come down with a cold it should be fine. That should be okay… I guess…? All right, sir! I promise! Oh, how my heart leaps when I hear that laugh! And so I spent New Year’s Day with a non-believing partridge. I’ll be fine as long as I can endure until spring… I wouldn’t mind paying him back, but I’d rather not risk my life, so I’ll pray to make it through the winter without getting sick! And so concludes Shuu’s shrine visit event.
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Jun 6, 2014 17:28
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Nihilarian posted:I'm not sure if this is for real, but if it is and they don't make Azami romanceable I will be disappointed. Wired and Forbes also did an article on it, so I'm willing to call it confirmed and also real at this point. Official announcement on the update is "Improved art and music, more advanced pigeon AI. 60 flaps per second, 1080 pigeons." As far as I can tell, it's mostly a visual/audio upgrade, and it probably fixes up typos and such in the script as well. No additional material, just bringing it to a new audience in an updated format. The only problem I see is that this opens the floodgates for a new generation of "wow this is so wacky you date BIRDS oh man japan i just cannot handle or believe lemme roleplay and voice act" YouTube LPs. But hey, if it helps support Hato Moa, I'll gladly deal with that.
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Jun 6, 2014 18:23
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Shrine Visit 6: Kazuaki I’m glad it didn’t pile up, though… It seems like I have a near-death experience or two every winter. Maybe I should do something about that. The White Dove Shrine, where everybirdie comes for their New Year’s visit, is in a hilly area a little ways away from the center of town, but it doesn’t look like the snow piled up much here, either. There are little drifts here and there, but the sun’s out now so it’ll all melt pretty soon. Here for the new year and gone within the day. Very wabi-sabi!  Plum blossoms in snow Soon they shall wither and fall Even if it melts. Oh, Mr. Nanaki! Happy New Year! But what’s with the weird incantation? It’s not an incantation, it’s from the Manyoushuu! Didn’t we do that poem in class just a month or two ago?Umm, did we…? I forgot everything I learned in the entire semester as soon as I turned in my last final! I-I do not recall, sir… He seems incredibly disheartened. You need more emotional brawn, sir! Please don’t look so down, Mr. Nanaki! I feel like I’m bullying you or something! I’m just not diligent enough. Please don’t be sad! You do just fine! You’re so nice, Lourde… But don’t forget to review. You might have proficiency tests coming up soon.If you make me start thinking about proficiency tests first thing in the new year then I’ll be the one who’s sad! Anyway, are you here to visit the shrine too, sir? Want to go together? Would that be okay? Are you sure you’d like to go with me? I’m alone today, too! Thank you, Lourde!We made our way to the shrine together and made our New Year's wishes.  May I become a little, even just a tiny little bit would be okay, less emotionally delicate… Geez… You can’t go making a puny little wish like that, sir! That’s why you’re emotionally delicate! Wish for something tougher! Like “I wish to attain the spirit of a mighty conquering emperor!” or something! R-really…? I’m not a hunter-gatherer like you, Lourde, I wouldn’t want that… I’d be happy just to be a little more average… Mr. Uzune said so, too! He complains about how you get offended easily and always start crying at it’s way too hard to pick his words that carefully so he wishes you’d shape up a little! And Dr. Iwamine said he’s never seen someone as delicate as you before, and wants to use you for some experiments! What…!? Th-that’s scary! Did Iwamine really say that…!? He did his creepy laugh, so I don’t think he was too much more than half serious. Waaahhh…There are tears in his eyes already. We pick on you because you cry this easily, sir!  And I’ll do my best on the proficiency tests! So you can try hard with your mental training, right? Maybe you’ll at least harden your tear ducts a little! -sniff- Thank you, Lourde. I’ll do my best… No, come on, don’t cry! I hope your reputation for total uselessness recovers fully! That’s not right, Lourde! If I did that I’d be useless again!And so concludes Kazuaki’s shrine visit event.
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Jun 8, 2014 17:17
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MightyPretenders posted:Hahaha what spoilers Yo, it's great you wanna answer questions or whatever but you wanna edit out your spoilers? Or at least tag them? Like you stated IN THE POST that this hasn't come up, so I'd prefer if you didn't do that. Thank you. ChorpSaway fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 03:03
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Shrine Visit 7: Sakuya Why did he ask me to come…? Maybe I should check his email again. “It seems that New Year’s Day is regarded with the foremost importance in Japan. My mother informed me of many bizarre traditions having to do with this day. As an aristocrat, I wish to study the ways of the locals most closely. Such knowledge might well be useful in a diplomatic mission, or the like. I designate you as my personal guide. Be grateful. Be at the White Dove Shrine at nine AM on January first.” How on earth does he manage to type so well when he can’t pry his eyes away from his own nose? I wonder what he’s planning. Le Bel things, probably. I don’t think much of being treated like an underling by my own classmate, but I don’t have any other plans… And this is his first New Year’s in Japan, so maybe he’s nervous. I guess I can lend him a hand.  Oh, sorry, Sakuya! So you got here already? Unlike you yokels, I have a busy schedule. A true aristocrat must always plan his schedule out down to the very last second. Okay, I’ll be more careful next time… Hey, it’s barely twenty seconds past nine o’clock! Did I not just say that I plan my schedule out down to the very last second? Gosh, if you keep nitpicking like that, people will end up calling you a bickery old spinster! How dare you question my masculinity!?That’s not the part you should be objecting to!  Yeah, yeah… Come on, let’s go in.As we were walking to the shrine, I was thinking of ways to explain all of this stuff to someone from outside the country.   I know that much already. I did not come completely unprepared, after all. Any who see their image on the screen will meet a terrible and bizarre death before long. A terrifying tale, indeed. And yet all these people gather at the shrine once a year… Japan is a mysterious country indeed. ……And you heard that story from-- My mother. Yeah, I thought so…Oh, no, I’m getting terribly interested in Sakuya’s mother! What kind of person is she? Did she tell him these things in honest misunderstanding, or was she just setting him up to embarrass himself later in life!? Unfortunately, I don’t think there are any Onmyouji around anymore. They show up in old stories, but I’ve never seen one. I wonder about that… Your mother taught you most of what you know about Japan, right? Have you ever tried asking your butler about things? Albert? He has never left France before now. I do not think him a reliable source for information on foreign cultures.I dunno, he seems like the serious type. Maybe if he’d been well-informed about Japan, Sakuya wouldn’t have come here with all these strange ideas…  Anyway, I wish to throw some coin. Where is the target? Direct me. Th-throw some coin…? You mean give an offering, right? Sakuya, no! Nobirdie throws money at people now! If you put it like that, it’s like the offering box is some sort of criminal! I have brought with me some heavy silver coins, of classical Roman manufacture. I believe we will find them impressively lethal. Hoh hoh hoh! Sakuya, I’m trying to tell you, you don’t throw the money at anybirdie!I bet he gets “Please listen carefully” written on all his report cards. Explaining ethics to him from the ground up is going to be hard, but he did ask me for this. I’d better do my best! And so concludes Sakuya’s shrine visit event.
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Jun 10, 2014 16:43
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Shrine Visit 8: Ryouta Job meaning the usual work as a miko. It barely even needs saying by now! I’d like to try wearing a miko outfit sometime. I feel like it would give me so much fighting spirit! Evil, disperse! Evil, disperse! Anyway, Ryouta invited me out for lunch after work. When I think about it, he’s been really busy with various jobs since the end of the year. I don’t feel like I’ve had a chance to talk to him since Christmas… He says this time of year always has the best opportunities to make money. It’s the natural hunting season! Aah, my wild spirit stirs! …Oh dear, just look at the time. I’d better go!  Umm, Ryouta is--  Ryouta! …Wait, you’re still in your battle gear! I guess the uniform is battle gear to a part-time worker, but I don’t think that’s how people usually refer to miko costumes… Oh… is it that time already? Yup! You said to come a little after three, right? And I did! S-sorry! I didn’t notice! I’ll be done as soon as I finish cleaning around back, so would you mind waiting just a few minutes? There’s a little lounge next to the office. They have warm tea and stuff, so why don’t you go rest there and-- No, I’ll help you! Many hands (and feathers) make light work, right? Of course!  Opening the new year with a good deed! Karma payoff please!  Let’s head into town, then. What would you like to eat? I got my pay, so I’ll treat you. Really? Are you sure!? New Year’s generosity!? It’s my thanks for helping with the cleaning. And I got to work a lot this year, so I’ve got a little to spare.We both happily sat down at my favorite noodle shop. The place was mostly empty, so we got our food quickly.   …You sure do like udon, Goon. It’s good! Yeah, it is. I’m really impressed that you get it even when you’re eating out at a family restaurant, though. I can feel the strength of your conviction from here. Don’t make me sound like some weird cultist who only ever eats udon! I have days when I don’t eat udon, too! Maybe once every six months or so! That often!? Sorry, I figured it was more like once every three years or so! I guess you don’t eat it all at often, after all!Stop profiling me! How is it? It’s really good! It’s different from when I make it at home. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Goon. Mmm, that was great! That was fast! Almost unbelievably fast!Ryouta and I spent a while after that chatting about whatever came to mind. School, friends, udon. Sunday morning TV, udon… Talking with Ryouta is always so relaxing. I hope I can learn to be as iyashikei as him someday! ”Iyashikei” (lit. healing) is a term referring to anime or manga that is meant to have a soothing or calming effect on the audience. And so concludes Ryouta’s shrine visit event.
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Jun 10, 2014 19:15
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Well, I've been sitting on these for a while now and I'm about as ready to move on as you all are. Chapter 2 should begin Thursday, Saturday at the latest depending on how dead finals leave me. Thank you everybirdie for your patience! Also, I wanna apologize to MightyPretenders because reading my post back I probably came off worse than I would have liked last night. I dunno if you were speculating or not, but I'm trying to keep the thread safe and finals always get me a little on edge. Sorry about that! Also also, if you guys want, lemme know which shrine visit was your favorite! I'm kinda partial to Okosan's and Nageki's, myself.
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Jun 10, 2014 19:21
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Tonfa posted:
 Now you can all enjoy the many (two) stylings of Dr. Iwamine's hot pickup lines.
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Jun 10, 2014 22:39
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 Hello, and welcome back, everybirdie! Now that we’ve gotten through all of the bonus material from Chapter 1, let’s head straight into the next chapter!  What will he find there? The Laurel Crown of glory, or the Thorned Circlet of despair? What will the Fallen Angel find through the guidance of the Golden Apostle? The music stops.  The sound of glass breaking is heard.  ???: His research holds no beauty. Mere reason is not enough! All is meaningless without the sense of an artistic soul… ???: So then… why…? ???: Why does this happen? No, if I remain here, my genius will only rot. I cannot allow such a loss to the world! ???: I am done here. I shall find a place where I am valued for what I am! I shall not return here. ???: This affront will not be forgotten. I will have my revenge… one day. Consider it punishment for your lack of imagination! Ahahahaha! ???: Remember then, my name. Unlike you, I have pride in the name I carry. You will not find me using some ridiculous alias.   This is my last day in the library for the year. Once I’ve put away the returned books… and written down the list of additions, I should be done, but… What is it with this library!? Why can’t a big name school at least shell out for some decent heating!? …If you have the energy to be shouting at the bookshelves, you should try writing a petition.Nageki startled me as he spoke up. I’ve been working here all year and he still manages to surprise me! He’s usually so quiet that I forget he’s there. Oh, sorry! Was I bothering you? Please forgive my dreadful sin. Bad language is supposed to have effects on the spiritual world… The cold doesn’t bother you, Nageki? It doesn’t. I feel fine. I see… Having plumage must really make a difference. Maybe they don’t bother with heating because all the birdies are fine… I don’t think that’s the case. So birds are cold in here too, then? The music stops. ?? What? I follow Nageki’s gaze, and--  Anghel! Are you alive!? Speak to me, Anghel!I ran over to Anghel to make sure he was okay. He seemed to be breathing, but he felt deathly cold.  Ah… aah… Is that you… Edel Blau…? Where is this…? Have I fallen once more… into the Eternal Prison of Ice…? No! Look around yourself! It’s just an unreasonably cold library! I don’t care about that! Why are you on the verge of death in here!? The Day of Judgment draws near. I speak… of Ragnarok, Edel Blau… ???He’s incomprehensible, as always. The desk he was sitting at is covered in sheets of paper… Oh! Are you drawing manga? It is a lonely… lonely battle.Let’s see… He’s in the manga club, so maybe he’s working on a club zine? Even though the festival was ages ago… How admirable! You can do it, Anghel! I’m sure you’ll make it on time. But, it’s so cold in here… Don’t you think you should go home and work on it there? Do you worry… for my flesh…? …Very well. Perhaps now is a time for repose, as you say. He happily gathers up his papers and exits the library. The music stops. He comes in here quite often. Though he would be better off working elsewhere, if the cold bothers him so. He must have some reason… Maybe the atmosphere in here gets him into the perfect mindset for the story he’s telling.But bleeding-heart doves are from the Philippines, so they don’t fare well in the cold. He shouldn’t push himself so hard! Well, the rest of my shift was uneventful, so I headed home at the end of the day.   I should have bought that blanket robe I’ve had my eye on when I was in town today! The price will make my purse weep, but this cold makes me weep more. Between home and school I’ve been freezing all day! As I was lamenting my current condition, a familiar sound came from my pocket. Huh? Someone texted me. Umm… It’s Ryouta. “Meet me in town”… I wonder what’s going on? Doesn’t matter. My body is rapidly approaching its crystallization point, so I’ll head into town and avail myself of this wearable blanket on my way to meet Ryouta. I walked into the noodle shop where we always meet, now wearing my brand new blanket. Finally, some warmth!  Oh, no, I just got here. ……Ryouta looked me up and down, tilting his head. Um, Goon… I know it’s cold, but are you sure you want to be walking around in public looking like that…? Huh? But it’s a wearable blanket. Wouldn’t it be more strange to not wear it? Well… I guess that’s true. If you’re okay with it… Anyway, you wanted to talk to me? You hardly ever ask for my help. I’ll do whatever it is with flash, and pizzazz! So… what is it? Do you have plans for the end of the year? Not really. I’ve finished cleaning and everything. Even New Year’s Eve? I was planning to laze around all day, like always. A volunteer salesgirl? Is it at the flea market, or something? That’s… not far off… Do you know about Comiket? Comiket??? So… Sort of like the manga club’s booth at the festival? Yeah, something like that. Just… on a much larger scale. I was wondering if you could run a booth for me. Would you like to? Sure! It sounds like fun. Did you draw something, Ryouta? No, no! I’m just another salesgirl.? What does that mean? So one of your friends asked you to find someone? WHAT Oh… So that manga he was pouring his lifeblood into in the library is for this Comiket thing. But why are you asking me? He never mentioned it to me… I’ve been a salesgirl for one group for the past three years, and somehow Anghel found out. So…   That means… “I’ll be lonely on my own, so come with me”? I think so, yeah. But I’m already helping someone. I can’t be in two places at once… So you’re asking me! Yup! What do you say? Want to? Of course! It could be a good learning experience. A learning experience…? Well, you’ll certainly see some things you wouldn’t anywhere else. It is Ragnarok, after all! I’ll need a weapon, right!? Just tell me what to bring! Will I want something with range, or will I be up close!? D-don’t take it that literally! I just meant there can be a lot of really impatient birds with no social skills! It can be confusing at first, so you should probably do some research ahead of time. If you search around you’ll find plenty of guides for first-timers. Okay! I’ll study hard!A salesgirl at Comiket… I have no idea what this will entail. But from what Ryouta said, it may well be as Hell on this earth. Wahahaha! My blood thirsts for combat! Time to go home and Google around for Comiket tutorials. The music stops. 
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Jun 12, 2014 16:59
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Nihilarian posted:I want to see. Until then,   ViggyNash posted:
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Jun 13, 2014 23:19
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  I am up at dawn, so that I may meet the lonely… I mean, the brave Anghel who throws himself into the fray of the Holy War! I tried to find Anghel on the outside, but--  Waaah! What a crowd! Is everybirdie here going to Comiket!? Correct, Edel Blau! Oh, Anghel! So that’s the Big Sight? It’s an even more bizarre building than my investigations had led me to believe! Let’s go inside, Anghel! It’s cold out here. Be not in haste, Edel Blau! The time is not yet come. Wait for the Nightmare Sage, who shall guide us! Who where???Does he have a second helper? I didn’t have to wait long for my answer, as a familiar bird approached us from behind. Good morning… Chilly out, isn’t it? Mr. Nanaki!? We have awaited you, Sage of Nightmares! Wh-why are you here, sir…? So you’re standing in? I suppose he’s busy with winter cleaning and everything… No, no. The advisor is here, too. ??? He’s here, but he wants you to be Anghel’s chaperone? Yes, that’s right. Apparently, he’s busy… He said he’s helping at a company booth.A company booth!? I feel like the internet said those can end up swamped from the start of the convention until closing time!  How mature of you!It looks like I’ll be selling Anghel’s manga with Mr. Nanaki all day. Better do my best! And so together we charged into the Holy Battlefield, prepared for a fierce battle!  I’m a little worried that somebirdie’s tender foot or wing bone might get broken with this many birds crowded together… I turned to Anghel to ask about something I’d been wondering about since yesterday. What kind of manga did you draw, Anghel? Oooh! Sounds… pretty Goth!!! Interestingly enough, this particular manga appears in full in the Hatoful Boyfriend guidebook. Here's the complete cover. Mm, mm… Yes? That’s nice. Very like you. I studied a lot to prepare for today! I’ll show these idolaters my super salesgirl moves! Let us ride to battle side by side, Edel Blau, as dictated by the Contract of old!I took my seat next to Anghel and Mr. Nanaki and prepared myself for the coming crowd.  The music stops. …… ………… Umm…… ……………… Many birds passed by us, some taking a quick glance at the book, but none stopped at our table. What should I do? Time is passing worryingly by. The epic poem of the Dark Angel is stacked on the table exactly as we placed it when we set up. Umm, Anghel… should I maybe use my voice a little? Like they do in markets. O-okay…Mr. Nanaki turned to talk to us. It’s rather chilly in here. Why don’t I get us something warm? Oh! Yes, please!Mr. Nanaki left me and Anghel at the table waiting for birds to stop by.  …… ………… What kind of expression should I have right now…? A sea of birds floats by on clicking feet. The far wall is lined with enormous queues. Those must be for the “big circles”. Some of them have even started packing up. Have they sold out already? Just how many books were in those stacked up boxes? It’s like looking into another world.  Goon!  When I heard that Ryouta was going to be a “salesgirl”, I certainly didn’t expect something like this! P-Pretty Coore!? You know Pretty Coore, too? Yes, I do! HatoCatch Pretty Coore! It’s the one that’s on Sunday mornings, right? Aaah, you’re so cute! Hey, can you do that… thing? The signature line! Uuhhh… It’s embarrassing… Just once! I just want to see it once! Umm… okay. Yes! Yes! That’s so cute! Just like in the anime! Do salesgirls cosplay? Sometimes. Not everybirdie does, but they always tell me to make sure I come in costume. The circle I’m with just sold out. We’re cleaning up now, so I’d better go back and help. Good luck, Goon!Coore Grey… err, Ryouta strides gallantly off with some sales slips and duck tape. The music stops. Aah, the aura of an old veteran hangs about his shoulders. I’ve never seen Ryouta looking so competent!  …… ………… Birds continued to pass by our booth. It’s almost closing time… ……Anghel remains silent, looking mildly tortured. I didn’t realize salesgirls were supposed to cosplay, Anghel… Next time I’ll pour my tribal blood into a costume! Don’t say that! You did your best, Anghel! An unerasable sin. I am carved with my black past. That is my punishment. The inescapable cross that I must-- Excuse me… Which of you is representing the circle?The music stops.  Waaah, colorful! He’s a golden pheasant. A phasianid like the doctor and myself, you know.I’d have never thought something with such extreme plumage was related to them!  I am sovereign of this domain. And you are…? Ah, it’s you? I thought as much! Your bearing, your countenance--so artistic! I can feel your aura… So unlike any other here.He certainly is unlike any other, yes. Forgive me, I haven’t introduced myself.The extravagant bird passed us his business card.  Mister… Bishikikouji Toshiki? Nishikikouji Tohri. Not, I might add, a pen name. It has been mine since hatching. I am rather proud of it. It is a good name, yes? …And the next time you get it wrong, I will make you wish you had never crawled your miserable way into this world. Anghel’s eyes seemed to light up as he read over the card. Golden Weekly… That’s the new splash-hit magazine! So you know of it! I am flattered. I am the editor-in-chief, and I am here looking for new talent. I noticed you from far away. Aah, your unparalleled artistry! Your vast imagination! Yes… These are the attributes of one who will change the world! Golden-Winged Messenger… Could you be the one written of in the Crimson Tome of Augury!? A great power, locked within… Yes! Exactly! I am here to tell you that I can help you awaken your powers. My firm’s location is shown on the back of this card. Please, come talk to me in the new year, Anghel… sir. I thank you, Golden-Winged Messenger. Let us enter a Pact of Blood.Wow, Anghel looks so happy! He’s grinning. I guess he has a pretty worldly side to him, too.  I shall take my leave now. I pray your new year will be abundant with artistry.The golden pheasant walks smartly off through the crowd. What impressive coloration! The music stops. Mr. Bishikikouji was a… very strange fellow, wasn’t he? “Nishikikouji”, Lourde. It’s a confusing name…You’re so sharp you’ll cut yourself one of these days, Mr. Nanaki! Mmm… Then again…Mr. Nanaki looks Anghel up and down, and then tilts his head, staring off after the golden pheasant.  He looks like he wants to say something, but falls silent.        
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Jun 14, 2014 14:20
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