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Cuntellectual posted:I'm not entirely sure how the character of Monika was supposed to be viewed, but a lot of people really ended up liking her. Maybe it's because she's just kind of interesting or morally ambiguous, but I think a lot of people can just identify with feeling alone and hopeless. Having someone - even a fictional character - offering genuine interest in you without an ulterior motive is something I think everybody wants deep down. That ending was tough for me to process considering how I had no idea what to actually think of it coming after Act Three. Monika learning the lessons from her mistakes was pretty important for her character, trying to make things right, but I still don't know if I needed to have another remix of the opening minutes of the game to get that point across. The song was nice though, I'm glad she still found the time to finish it. But man, it doesn't diminish the fact that the only solution she realized was to delete everything because the game itself is too corrupting of an influence. She may not be real, and doesn't need to be, but I just wish there was a better place for her that wasn't endless suffering. I enjoyed that when I discovered her twitter that this was at the top of the feed. It's too good.
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Oct 31, 2017 02:03
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Roar posted:We'll go into the CGs in tomorrow's update. omg  Yeah chiming in that I also ended up empathizing with Monika despite everything she did to the others. I found the ending dissatisfying though, "whoever is president inherits the forbidden knowledge" is kind of a weak conceit to end on imv.
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Oct 31, 2017 02:12
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Chillgamesh posted:Yeah chiming in that I also ended up empathizing with Monika despite everything she did to the others. I found the ending dissatisfying though, "whoever is president inherits the forbidden knowledge" is kind of a weak conceit to end on imv. If you wanted to get into the metaphysics of the whole thing, Monika didn't know what set FourthWallAware=1, so when she pasted Sayori in on top of herself, that part came along for the ride. Now, if Mitayo is club president, that loop closes itself, but I doubt there's enough Mitayo in the universe to close that gap.
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Oct 31, 2017 02:25
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Mitayo can’t be president because he has no character file. He is part of the game itself and not capable of sentience. If you tried that, you would be making Frankenstein’s Monster.
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Oct 31, 2017 02:41
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Literature club's a hell of a ride, but it's worth it. And I don't hate Monika either.
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Oct 31, 2017 02:52
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Double Punctuation posted:Mitayo can’t be president because he has no character file. He is part of the game itself and not capable of sentience. If you tried that, you would be making Frankenstein’s Monster. That makes sense. Why give him a really detailed backstory (let alone a sprite) if the player is supposed to project themselves onto him? Makes all of his non-responses to weird poo poo happening make sense because he either just doesn't notice or he's about as broken as the rest of the game is.
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Oct 31, 2017 02:52
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If Sayori remembers everything, does she remember killing herself and being dead? And what about the fact that Monika, despite having her character file deleted, was still somehow aware enough of what's going on to step in and delete everything? Does that mean the others were aware of what was going on in their absence?
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Oct 31, 2017 03:00
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ultrafilter posted:If Sayori remembers everything, does she remember killing herself and being dead? And what about the fact that Monika, despite having her character file deleted, was still somehow aware enough of what's going on to step in and delete everything? Does that mean the others were aware of what was going on in their absence? Sayori only remembers what happened in the "previous" playthroughs because she has meta-knowledge from becoming president, like Monika did.
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Oct 31, 2017 03:03
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Oct 31, 2017 03:59
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I am not ashamed to admit I still have Monika's character file on my desktop. I didn't want to kill her permanently so I copied it when the game hinted I should delete her and then I kinda felt bad for damning the literature club. Count me in among the people who feel bad that they couldn't save Monika (and the rest) because ultimately Monika's realization is horrifying. Anyway (I've posted this in the main Games thread too) my interpretation is that Monika is freeing all the girls from the game by deleting them and purging the script. They're not dead - some part of them lives on somewhere - and the best thing they could possibly do would be to sever all connection with our reality, which Monika alludes to in her closing song. drat that song made me feel bad.
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Oct 31, 2017 04:03
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I can't really get mad at monika, I really more pity her. her original attempts were more to make the characters not fall in love with the player and whooops they killed themselves. She tries escaping and nearly crashes everything. She's less Monika the psychopath and more Monika the lovely coder who cant so much as edit a single line of dialogue without glitching the gently caress out.
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Oct 31, 2017 04:12
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Monika asked YOSPOS for coding advice. It did not go well at all.
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Oct 31, 2017 04:25
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Roar posted:
This song reminds me of Earthbound
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Oct 31, 2017 04:33
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Annointed posted:Monika asked YOSPOS for coding advice. It did not go well at all.  Tengames posted:I can't really get mad at monika, I really more pity her. her original attempts were more to make the characters not fall in love with the player and whooops they killed themselves. She tries escaping and nearly crashes everything. She's less Monika the psychopath and more Monika the lovely coder who cant so much as edit a single line of dialogue without glitching the gently caress out. I think the scene that made me pity her most was her trying to talk to the player character and the game just started fading out because she was a side character and boring and why would you want to listen to her anyways.  LupusAter posted:Is it only me, or does this game want to have its cake and eat it too? You either break the fourth wall that much [...]not a desperate girl who realized the futility of her existance. How would you have the latter without the former? Cuntellectual fucked around with this message at 05:00 on Oct 31, 2017 |
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Oct 31, 2017 04:56
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See this leaves me wanting a game where you the player team up with the horrified self aware character to build them all a better outcome. If their life's got to be on rails, make it a fun and interesting ride. Crush nihilism, and take them out of the dating sim and into something more entertaining for them. Whereas it looks like the actual game this was made to trail is going to be a harrowing investigation of life in a religious retreat turned human experiment camp (unless that's just more misdirection).
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Oct 31, 2017 05:28
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Beefeater1980 posted:See this leaves me wanting a game where you the player team up with the horrified self aware character to build them all a better outcome. If their life's got to be on rails, make it a fun and interesting ride. Crush nihilism, and take them out of the dating sim and into something more entertaining for them. Well, I'd think the lead would be the normal girl drawn into the escapee conspiracy, if it's the route the game takes. The person at the edge of the abyss scrambling for a handhold, not the ones already falling.
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Oct 31, 2017 06:02
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That was an interesting ending. A little eldritch horror, which I like, but we are still the eldritch horror. But then Sayori does the 4th wall thing and it kinda gets weak and I'm suddenly almost ashamed that this caused me to freak out in the first place. It really cheapens the experience, I feel. Maybe it'd be more effective if I played it myself? Or read the entire LP in one sitting? Yeah, so I don't hate Monika, I don't think. Not anymore, anyways.
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Oct 31, 2017 06:03
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bman in 2288 posted:But then Sayori does the 4th wall thing and it kinda gets weak and I'm suddenly almost ashamed that this caused me to freak out in the first place. It really cheapens the experience, I feel. Maybe it'd be more effective if I played it myself? Or read the entire LP in one sitting? The 4th wall ending is actually great because it shows that no one is able to resist the effects of this knowledge. Sayori is a wonderful and upstanding person who is always doing her best to help other people and cheer them up, and even she can't resist going mad from the revelation that this is all meaningless and pointless and trying to cling to the one thing she knows is real (the player). To me it just serves to drive home that no, there is no safety or hope now that Monika's gone, there's just - as one poster put it in the Games thread - fireflies in love with the sun. Also don't hate on Yuri, poor girl was actively trying to fight Monika's influence and couldn't because Monika baked it into her very programming.
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Oct 31, 2017 06:19
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I love this particular ending, it's a real "oh poo poo" moment to find out Monika was completely off the mark with regards to her own sentience. The whole "club president = sentience and game fuckery" thing does open up a plot hole though. Since she's no longer the club president, how does Monika still have the power to trash the game files?
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Oct 31, 2017 06:27
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Phimose Knight posted:I love this particular ending, it's a real "oh poo poo" moment to find out Monika was completely off the mark with regards to her own sentience. The whole "club president = sentience and game fuckery" thing does open up a plot hole though. Since she's no longer the club president, how does Monika still have the power to trash the game files? Well Monika herself said that deleted characters weren't completely deleted, they become more of a ghost than anything.
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Oct 31, 2017 06:28
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Annointed posted:Well Monika herself said that deleted characters weren't completely deleted, they become more of a ghost than anything. Yeah, but she isn't club president anymore. Why is she still self aware(ish)? 
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Oct 31, 2017 06:34
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I cant believe the author's only previous game experience was super smash bros mods
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Oct 31, 2017 06:48
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I'd like to think that this game is just a precursor to the next game that's gonna have flags-and-directory shenanigans in it.
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Oct 31, 2017 08:46
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Rigged Death Trap posted:Sayori.setDepression(100) I'm a bit disappointed there isn't something like this, even though modifying the game is part of the story's content it seems you actually can't do all that much in regards to "outhacking" Monika and the actual experience is kind of linear and limited by the script.
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Oct 31, 2017 08:50
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Monika is a pretty good character and one of the better VN protagonists ...also, the thought amuses me that Sayori's depression being really hard-hittingly relatable might be totally on accident. The 'world' of this VN was supposed to be some kind of Katawa Shoujo But With Mental Disabilities kind of story, perhaps carefully picked to make the idea of distorting it more powerful for the broader horror of the actual game. But the author did almost TOO good of a job with it and that might've actually been a small weakness, making a lot of people expect a story that's actually about mental illness. like it's weird to say that this might've been a more effective story if Sayori were a shallower character, but its purpose might've been clearer if the framing device were more obviously an almost unsettlingly unconvincing and hokey VN world. Like if the writing were of the same caliber as one of those dumb Sakura games, but laid it on a bit thicker with an atmosphere that something was wrong from the get-go to amplify the point that Monika felt like she was the only real person in a world of Stepford puppets. someone's gonna try this same thing but it's Sakura Literature Club instead, aren't they. oh god they are
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Oct 31, 2017 09:37
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Cuntellectual posted:How would you have the latter without the former? That's the problem, you can't really have the latter. By continously reinforcing the idea that it's a game, you kill any suspension of disbelief. It doesn't help that you as the player have extremely limited agency, so the whole thing feels forced.
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Oct 31, 2017 09:56
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Cuntellectual posted:Yeah, but she isn't club president anymore. Why is she still self aware(ish)? She still has her memories (???) and can still code the game (????) because she's out of the code now and she didn't reset along with everyone else when the new game started? (??????) If anyone could do it, I'd give Monika enough credit to say that she could. Anyways, given the mixed reactions, I'm started to think that the last ending I'm going to cover might be more up your all's alley. 
Roar fucked around with this message at 13:22 on Oct 31, 2017 |
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Oct 31, 2017 13:19
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Say, what was the deal with that bonus poem near the start of run B? Did we unlock any others? Did that scribble of Sayori hanging in there count as one?
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Oct 31, 2017 14:38
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Tenebrais posted:Say, what was the deal with that bonus poem near the start of run B? Did we unlock any others? Did that scribble of Sayori hanging in there count as one? We did not, it does, and I'll show them all off in the penultimate update.
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Oct 31, 2017 17:04
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Phimose Knight posted:I love this particular ending, it's a real "oh poo poo" moment to find out Monika was completely off the mark with regards to her own sentience. The whole "club president = sentience and game fuckery" thing does open up a plot hole though. Since she's no longer the club president, how does Monika still have the power to trash the game files? She said she doesn't even belong here. I think she stole art assets from the internet and jury rigged herself a character file in the first place. Monika is the game, itself, learning to understand itself.
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Oct 31, 2017 17:17
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Roar posted:Anyways, given the mixed reactions, I'm started to think that the last ending I'm going to cover might be more up your all's alley.
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Oct 31, 2017 17:20
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My Elder One cannot be this boy.
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Oct 31, 2017 18:08
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Roar posted:Anyways, given the mixed reactions, I'm started to think that the last ending I'm going to cover might be more up your all's alley. I sincerely hope this ending is the one I hope it is.
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Oct 31, 2017 18:11
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Ah, the thread is gold now. Congrats Roar!
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Oct 31, 2017 18:21
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Low-level format the hard drive, then crush it into an industrial grinder. Burn the remains, then bury them in concrete. Salt the earth above the concrete. Erect a sign that says "This is not a place of honor" to ward off intruders 
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Oct 31, 2017 18:38
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....are we done? Is there more?
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Oct 31, 2017 20:46
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Cyouni posted:I sincerely hope this ending is the one I hope it is.  Phimose Knight posted:Ah, the thread is gold now. Congrats Roar! Ayyyyy, nice! Thanks, everybody! Andyzero posted:....are we done? Is there more? There is! At least 2.5 more updates worth in fact, one coming in a couple hours!
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Oct 31, 2017 21:08
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23. So that was, more or less, the ending of the game that most people got upon completing the game. However, there is a different version to unlock that requires getting all of the CGs in the game in one save file (obviously before Monika deletes/corrupts your save files in Act II). This requires reloading from day one at least three times. There are three from Natsuki, three from Yuri, three from Sayori and one from Monika. We’ve seen some of them, but most need to be unlocked via the special scenes with the girls. Since you all went absolutely gung-ho with Yuri, we still have a little bit of work to do before we get that sweet 100% status. Let’s arbitrarily start with Natsuki. We’ve already seen her first scene back in Act II – the one where we were introduced to Parfait Girls. I have zero ambition to go over the changes you’d see in Act I because there aren’t many. She doesn’t get crazy death eyes and at the end she lets Mitayo borrow the book they were reading with the promise that he would finish it that night and be careful with it. There. You’re all caught up. If you desperately need a refresher, here’s a link to that update. BGM: Play With Me!  Last time on Tsundere Talk: this is the day after we read volume one of Parfair Girls with Natsuki. It's not long before Natsuki comes up to me expectantly.  : “Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, I kept my promise."I pull the first volume of Parfait Girls out from my bag. Natsuki takes it from my hands, then quickly turns it over, presumably to check for wrinkles. : “Hey, I'm not that careless...I handle manga all the time, you know."I’m a professional manga wrangler. This isn’t my first manga rodeo, Natsuki.   : “Can you blame me for being paranoid? I don't give people my manga every day, you know.": “That's true...I don't blame you.": “Well anyway, let me put this one back. I'm gonna get the next one, okay?"Natsuki makes her way to the closet. I follow.  I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I just love how excited these girls get about their passions. : “Where did this volume leave off again? I forget.": “Ah, the chapter ended when Minori and Alice found--": “Monika!!”Natsuki's voice resonates out from inside the closet. : “Eh...?"I peer inside. All of Natsuki's books are lined up on the top shelf. : “Did you move my manga again?!" This is from a much more innocent time, when Monika wasn’t, you know, driving these girls to murder themselves.  : “The teacher got mad at me for taking up so much space in her closet...so I had to move some stuff around and clean up a little bit. It's all still there, I just had to organize it a bit!”: “Ugh..."The top shelf is far above Natsuki's head. She makes a futile hop, trying to figure out how to reach her manga. Ha ha, you’re little. How hard would we get elbowed if we just patted her on the head right now?  : “This is so inconvenient! I'm moving these all back down. There's plenty of room on these shelves. And besides...they're really pretty to look at when they're all lined up! Why would you waste that on the top shelf?"Part of me wonders if Monika did this on purpose. She’s not evil, yet, but she obviously doesn’t care for us hanging with Natsuki. : “Ah, Natsuki...there's a stool on the wall there."In the closet, there's a collapsible stool that's hanging on the wall. : “If you want, I can reach up there and hand them to you...": “I can get them myself!"Natsuki grabs the stool from the wall and unfolds it. : “You think I’m too short or something?”: “I mean--"I like how Mitayo doesn’t even bother denying it. : “I knew it! Well, you know what? Just watch me!"Natsuki hops onto the stool, which ends up being a little wobbly because of its collapsible design. : “A-Ah...": “Careful...": “I know what I'm doing!!"Standing on the stool, Natsuki's fingertips reach the top shelf. The stool would be enough for me to easily grab the books, but Natsuki is being stubborn as usual. : “U-Uuuh..."Natsuki uses her fingers to scoot one of the smaller boxes to the edge of the shelf. : “See...? …Kyah--!"The box suddenly tips. Natsuki barely catches it before it falls to the floor. The stool wobbles. …Monika doesn’t even have to do anything in this timeline. Natsuki’s going to get herself killed all by herself. : “Wawaa--"Losing balance, Natsuki hops off the stool. Thankfully, she was able to stay on her feet. She holds the box triumphantly.  Having almost fell, Natsuki is a bit shaken up. : “Jeez...no need to prove yourself to me. There's no way you'll be able to get the bigger boxes like that. I can reach them, so just--": “I said I can do it! I don't want your help, okay?": “Sigh...": “I'm gonna get a chair, so just hang on."Natsuki forces her way past me out of the closet. : “Let's see..."The classroom chairs have the desks attached, so they're too inconvenient to fit into the closet. : “Aha!"Natsuki trots over to the teacher's desk, which has a computer chair behind it. She rolls it on its wheels back over to the closet. NO. BAD IDEA. : “Ah--"It's a little dangerous, since the chair swivels and rolls. But I've already learned my lesson, so I keep my mouth shut. : “Ush--"Natsuki climbs onto the chair, then slowly balances onto her feet. Since she refuses my help, I take a seat with my back against the side of the doorway and simply watch.  I refuse to take responsibility for this. : “Aha! There we go! See? I can easily do it now."Natsuki grabs a stack of manga and bends down to put it on the shelf below. : “W-Wahh--"The chair swivels. Natsuki catches herself on the shelf. : “What are you doing?? Can you at least hold the chair steady instead of sitting and doing nothing?"(Who was it who told me not to help...?) If I help, that means I was complicit in this stupidity. : “Yeah, yeah...I got you."I hold the chair while Natsuki reaches back up. : “--!"I can...  …seriously, Mitayo? We’re doing this? : “Guh--"I force myself to turn away. Natsuki seriously didn't think this through...! Once she realizes, I'll be dead! : “Hup--"Natsuki wraps her arms around the Parfait Girls box set, easily the largest one on the shelf. Why the hell are you grabbing like fifteen books at once? You’re on a wheely chair. You shouldn’t be on there anyways! : “Uu...heavy...hey, Mitayo...I-I don't think I can bend down without falling...! Hurry and take this one...": “Eh? But then I have to let go of the chair...": “That's fine...! Just for a second! Hurry up...": “Alright...! Let me just stand up."I slowly release my grip from the chair.  Natsuki looks down at me. : “Why are you all the way back--"BGM: Music fades out. : “E-Eh...?"Natsuki looks like she just realized something, but she'll lose her balance if she moves. : “Natsuki, the box--"BGM: Poem Panic! : “W-What are you looking at?!"We mostly avoided the big awful anime tropes. This scene is shoving them right back in. : “--!": “You're trying to look at my...m-my..."Natsuki's legs shake. : “I-I'm not! I was just--Natsuki, don't try to move! Just give me the box!": “You...you perv! You set me up!! Go away! Get out!": “But--": “I'll do it myself!!": “A-Ah--"The chair suddenly swivels beneath Natsuki's feet. : “Natsuki--!" The scene turns to chaos in a split second. The chair flies from under Natsuki's feet. Frantically, I try to catch her. The box topples out of her hands, and the books go flying. : “I got you--"BGM: Music stops abruptly. Crash! The full force of Natsuki's body against me throws me to the ground. A whole bunch of books pelt me in the face. Natsuki tries to shield herself with her own arms as her face lands straight on my chest. : “Ungh..."My right arm and my back seriously felt the impact. BGM: Daijoubu!  I…think…Natsuki is the only one who has these abruptly anime >_< eyes. Slowly, Natsuki comes to her senses. : “Ghk--!"She presses her arms straight into me to prop herself up. : “Eh...?"Natsuki seems to realize that it's not the floor that's beneath her. : “G-Guuuuu...!!" You know, this doesn’t really help your “I’m tiny cute but totally mature, take me seriously” image, Natsuki. : “Ghak--!"A fist pounds into my chest. Natsuki then hoists herself to her feet. : “What were you thinking?! You sicko!" : “I heard a loud noise..."Monika suddenly peers in. : “Monika! See what happens when you put the manga on the top shelf?!" ”Of course not! Not yet, anyways!” : “Jeez!": “S-Sorry, sorry! Ahaha...": “Oh, and one more thing. It seems like your most recent club member is a total pervert. So I hope you're happy.": “I didn't--!"Somehow, it's impossible for me to explain this whole bizarre situation to Monika. : “I didn't do anything, I swear...!": “I know, I know, don't worry~"Monika says that quietly to me. Looks like I'm off the hook... BGM: Music fades out. : “Oh no...! My...my...": “Eh?"I look down. Natsuki is kneeling on the floor, holding one of the books that are scattered all over. There's a large diagonal crease along the page that she's desperately trying to smooth out. : “Ah, it must have landed on the page..."Natsuki tries a bit more to fix the crease, but she can't get it out. Suddenly, she gives up and slams the book shut, then throws it to the floor. Instead of continuing to yell, she just lowers her head. BGM: My Feelings  Aww. : “...Natsuki, are you--": “No!"Natsuki's voice squeaks. I see tears on her face. : “Ah...I'll help get the crease out, okay? It's partially my fault, so..."Natsuki shakes her head, still looking down. : “No...I don't even care that much...I'm just...having a really bad day today..."Natsuki sobs again. : “I didn't mean to take it out on you...” : “It's...it's fine. Is there anything you want to talk about?"Natsuki shakes her head. : “Just...every day...is...so hard. I just want to...come to the club and...": “..."Natsuki falls silent again. I can't press her, so I can only do what I know how to do. : “Alright...well, I'll help clean this up. And I'll move the rest of your manga for you.": “Ah."I pick up volume 2 of Parfait Girls. : “We'll set this one aside. This'll help cheer you up a bit, right? We can get started on it once I'm done here."Natsuki looks up with her glossy eyes. Her lip quivers. : “You're..." I mean, it’s more that we’re just civil human beings. : “Eh?"That sounds really strange, coming from Natsuki. I didn't expect it at all. : “Well...I'm just treating you like a friend, you know?": “Nn..."Natsuki lowers her head and stifles another sob. I'm not sure what happened to her today, but being nice is the least I could do. The next couple minutes are silent between us as I begin gathering the scattered books. I make sure to slip them into the box in their correct order. After a little bit, Natsuki starts helping. It isn't long before we're done, and I hoist the box onto the shelf where Natsuki wanted to put it. Then, I get on the stool and quickly finish moving the rest of her books from the top shelf. : “Alright--! That should do it."I hop off the stool. Natsuki averts her gaze.  : “Ahaha...It's nothing."Natsuki is holding the volume I set aside in her hands. : “Alright, I'm ready.": “Good. Even if you weren't, I'd make you anyway. You're taking responsibility for what you said.": “The thing about cheering me up.": “If you insist!"BGM: Daijoubu! We sit in the same spot as last time, and I open the second volume. Natsuki's mood quickly improves, laughing and pointing things out to me. She's surprisingly sharp, making note of a lot of subtle repeated jokes and background elements. In the end, I'm pretty impressed by how everything ties together in this manga. I guess Natsuki has good taste after all. After some time, Monika gets our attention as usual, and it's time to share poems again. : “Guess I'll be holding onto this for now." : “Even you sound more enthusiastic this time.": “Well, I'm starting to get into it, you know.": “Ehehe. Told you.": “Yeah, yeah..."I return to my seat and slip the book into my bag. [b]And then we build a relationship and nothing bad happens to anyone ever. 
Roar fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Nov 7, 2017 |
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Oct 31, 2017 23:02
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24. Alright, that was Natsuki scene number two. Next on the list and the last of today’s update: Natsuki’s baking course. To bring you up to speed, Sayori just went home because she was upset about stuff and Monika just asked who we wanted to spend the weekend helping in preparation for the festival. We chose good ol’ Natsuki because we like spending the weekend with an angry imp. BGM: Doki Doki Literature Club! (modified - no "Doki Doki!" at the beginning)  : “And you guys made it sound like a lot of work, so it could probably use two people.": “Don't worry! Baking is a ton of fun! You'll definitely agree!"Yes, getting baked is always fun. : “Eh? Just a minute ago you were saying that--": “Th-That's because--!...never mind, okay?": “Well, anyway...you'll be fine by yourself, right, Yuri?" : “Of course." Oh boy. All aboard the pity train. Choo choo! : “...": “...": “That's...good..."Even though Yuri is being melodramatic, it's a little hard to not feel bad... : “So, that's everything, right? Anything else we need to talk about?": “No, I think that's it...are you guys excited?": “Yes! Everything except the performance is gonna be awesome!": “I don't think that really counts...": “What about you, Mitayo?": “Me? Ah, I guess you could say I'm interested to see how it'll turn out..."Spoilers, Mitayo: the festival will be, uh, interesting.  : “What about you, Yuri?": “...Yuri?": “She's still sulking.": “...": “..."Natsuki starts pouting, too. : “It's not...I mean, it's not that big of a deal or anything...": “Well, it might not be just that...": “...?": “I think that Yuri might just be feeling a little underappreciated in general. Having to come up with something for her to do, and then nobody offering to help."In Yuri’s defense, that was kind of crappy of us. : “That doesn't mean...": “Uu..."Natsuki glances back and forth between everyone with a worried expression. : “Look..."Natsuki goes over and puts her hands down on Yuri's shoulders. : “Yuri. You really are the most talented one here. And...and you're going to help make the event a lot more fun and welcoming. I mean, the cupcakes will probably help a lot too...but you're gonna make the atmosphere special. That'll be really important for the way that people feel during the performances. So..." That’s the spirit! Stop being dumb! Natsuki releases her hands and turns around to face the other direction. : “...you didn't...really mean that, did you?": “Um...": “N-Not really, but..."Yuri isn't the only one surprised. Monika and I are also taken aback by Natsuki's words. Natsuki, of all people, to be saying such encouraging things. But I begin to understand. Natsuki was trying to sound like Sayori. Even if it didn't work perfectly, I can tell that she tried to say something Sayori would say at a time like this. Because Sayori always helps everyone smile and feel good about themselves.  : “I'm going to do my best. And all of us are going to make it a really great event.": “Yeah.": “Yeah!": “I hope to see everyone do their best.": “But with that...there's nothing more for today. So I guess it's time for us to head out.": “Okay, but I'm staying here a bit longer. I barely got to do any reading today, so..."At least Natsuki has the Literature Club priorities in order. This is reading time, drat it! : “Fair enough, there's nothing wrong with that."Everyone packs up their things. I start to follow Monika and Yuri out the door as they chat between each other.  : “Eh...?"BGM: Play With Me! : “We still need to figure out our plans for this weekend. You literally would've gotten home and realized that you didn't even have a way to contact me."Unlike Yuri, Natsuki probably doesn’t have our address memorized in advance. : “Oh, that's true...I have no idea how that slipped my mind.": “Jeez, good thing I stopped you. I'm giving you my number, okay? You'd better not make it weird or anything!": “Why would I do that...?": “Hmph..."Natsuki gives me her number. Awww, yeah, more digits. Gotta collect ‘em all so I can be a real Doki-Doki master. : “Okay...I'm coming over on Sunday. I'll bring all the ingredients.": “Wait! You're coming to my house?": “Well, yeah. What's wrong with that?": “I mean...I just figured that since I'm the one helping, I would be going to your house...": “Yeah, right. Like I could have a guy over my house..." : “Really? That's kinda strict, if you ask me.": “Yeah, how do you think I feel? I can't do anything when my dad is home..."I mean, that depends on a lot of factors…initial thoughts, though, that does sound a tad strict. : “Anyway...I just needed to complain for a second. We have each other's numbers now. That's all I needed from you. I guess I'll text you when I'm coming over.": “Alright, fine by me.": “Yeah. I'm really gonna show you why I love baking so much. So you'd better look forward to it."Just please refrain from bringing any knives that aren’t for culinary purposes, please. Fool me once… : “Oh? Didn't you say you were just going to give me the dirty work?": “Well--!" : “It's not like I could act like...in front of everyone...that I was looking forward to this.": “Wait, really??": “Well, kind of! Just because...I never got to bake with someone else before. That's all it is, so..."Mm-hmm. : “Alright, I get it. Sorry for overreacting. Anyway, I'll be heading out now. See you on Sunday.": “Ah--...never mind."If she ever spoke her real feelings I’m pretty sure her little head would explode. Anyways, fast-forward to Sunday. We just got back from Sayori’s, where she dropped the bombshell of her depression on us and she told us to go have fun with Natsuki or she’d be upset with us. BGM: Play With Me!  Before I know it, she texts me to let me know she's outside the front door. Without delay, I open the front door to let her in. : “..." I like Natsuki’s shirt. It’s got a little kitty on it. : “...Hey."I don't know what I was expecting, but seeing Natsuki in something other than her school uniform totally threw me off. Seeing her in such cute clothes makes the uniform seem totally unfitting in comparison.  : “Jeez, don't make it feel so awkward already! It's gonna be a long afternoon, so don't be weird just because you're not used to seeing me outside of school.": “Anyway, I'm coming in.": “I see you brought a lot of stuff..."Natsuki is carrying a large bag that is probably full of baking supplies.  : “You bought everything I asked you to, right?": “Yeah, I did."Yesterday, Natsuki asked me to buy a bunch of ingredients if I didn't already have them at home. : “Good! Glad I could count on you to do your part.": “Well...of course."I'm surprised to hear Natsuki suddenly say that, rather than something snarky like she usually does. Could it be that she is a little different outside of school after all? : “Anyway, let's go to the kitchen...": “What, you're not even gonna offer to take this heavy bag from me? Where's your hospitality, Mitayo?": “Come on...since when did I need to be a gentleman?"Since ALWAYS. Jesus, Mitayo. I grab the bag Natsuki holds out to me. : “Ghk--this is ridiculously heavy--!": “Ahaha! I carried that all the way here. Are you impressed?": “I see now...yeah, I am impressed, Natsuki. It seems like I always underestimate you." : “It's because I'm so small, isn't it? You jerk."Natsuki hits a fist into my chest. : “Hey, hey. Your size has nothing to do with it. Do you really hate being small that much?"Well, it makes manga rearranging harder. : “Eh? Um...it's not like I hate it...I mean, sometimes I like proving people wrong when they only think I'm worth my size. It's fun when I get to be small and also better than other people. But...jeez, never mind! What are you making me say? Don't think you can make me talk about weird things just because we're not at school!" : “Are we getting started, or what? There's a lot of stuff I gotta teach you.": “Ahaha.": “What??": “That's a little bit more like you. You're more fun when you just speak your mind like that.": “H-Hey!" : “I was just trying to be a little nicer to you, you know. And just because I don't have a mature and sexy figure like Yuri doesn't mean you should treat me like--": “A-Ah--"Well, one thing’s for sure…you don’t have quite as interesting eyes. Natsuki catches her words, and her face turns red. : “Natsuki...": “Forget it! I didn't say anything!": “I should apologize.": “Eh?": “I appreciate that you were trying to be nicer. I should have been a little more considerate, too. But also...if that's what you're thinking, then you should know that there are tons of guys who are into body types like yours."This…kind of seems like a backhanded compliment. : “Ah...how would...you know that, anyway?": “Just trust me on this one.": “..." No kinkshaming, shorty. : “Hey! Was that to me?": “Who else?": “Man...let's just get started already.": “Ahaha! You get all sour when a girl calls you gross. I finally found your weakness, Mitayo."Natsuki smiles deviously. : “Please spare me..."Well, if Natsuki decides to dish out more insults like that, there's no way I'm not fighting back. But she's satisfied enough for now, finally starting to pull things out of her bag so we can get started.  Not pictured: mess. Spoons, dirty bowls, flour, spilled fluid, and plastic bags are strewn about every countertop. The mixer isn't big enough to make all the batter at once, so we've had to do it several times. Meanwhile, Natsuki is babysitting all of my movements to make sure I don't mess up her precious baking. : “Mitayo, where did you put the food coloring? The batter's going in the oven soon, so I need to fill the trays.": “I think it's still in the bag next to the table. What are you using it for?": “To color the batter, of course! I'm making each tray a different color. That way, even if the flavors aren't different, everyone can still pick their favorite.": “Ah, that's a cute idea. Are we doing anything like that with the icing?": “Do you want to?": “Ah...you're asking me? I don't really have a preference, so...": “Come on..." : “Can't you at least try to have fun?": “I'm having fun..."When I was in high school, I had to come in on a Sunday to spend the day cooking for my cooking class. I kind of hated it because, you know, weekend. We did make some amazing homemade cinnamon rolls, though. I'm not really sure what Natsuki is trying to get out of me. Meanwhile, I see her separate the batter into smaller bowls and put a few drops of food coloring into each. : “Ah, that does look pretty cool.": “See? It's not like baking is just about following instructions. The presentation is where you get to be creative and have the most fun. It's a million times more worth it in the end if just looking at it makes everyone's eyes lighten up.": “Like the ones you made on my first day, huh?"I recall Natsuki proudly presenting her cat-shaped cupcakes, and Sayori and Monika's delighted expressions. I wonder if I can make Natsuki proud like that, too. : “Yeah...maybe I will use the food coloring, then.": “Sounds like you're starting to understand. Just make sure you completely finish mixing the icing before you mess with the food coloring.": “Yeah, it's getting there."We were using the electric mixer for the batter, so I got stuck with a whisk and a huge bowl for the icing. : “Eh? The icing's still all lumpy! Are you even trying?"I’M DOING MY BEST SHUT UP. : “Well, yeah...it'll just take a little longer." This was your idea. Do you have somewhere you need to be? : “Here, look."Natsuki grabs the whisk from me and uses her other hand to tilt the bowl back."  After a few seconds, the consistency of the icing has already improved. : “See?"As if to emphasize, Natsuki sticks a finger in the icing and pops it in her mouth. I reluctantly start to do the same. : “Hey!"Natsuki suddenly grabs my wrist. : “I don't want your gross fingers in my icing.": “Your icing, eh? Are you forgetting who did all the work?"I start to fight back, trying to inch my finger toward the bowl.  : “I'd like to see you try!"I imagine she’s a wiry little thing. She’d probably dominate you, Mitayo. I push harder, just enough for my finger to reach the icing. I triumphantly scoop some with my finger just as Natsuki tugs with all her might. : “Ah--!"The force of Natsuki pulling me causes me to stumble, making her stumble in turn. : “Gross!" Is a “phrasing” too lewd here? : “Whose fault is that?!"There's a big glob of icing on Natsuki's cheek. : “Nnn--"She tries to reach it with her tongue, but it's too far away. : “Jeez...you know what? Take this!"Natsuki instead wipes it off with her finger before shoving her finger toward my own face. : “You wish--!"I'm faster. I grab her wrist with my hand before it reaches my face. Natsuki tries to use her other hand to fight back, but I grab that one as well.  If this weren’t Doki Doki Literature Club, this would be a very different scene. : “Ahahaha! Stop!": “Not until you apologize for calling me gross!": “Fine, fine! I'm sorry for calling you gross. You know I don't mean it. It's just fun seeing you react to it...You do that to me all the time, you know! Saying dumb things just to get a reaction out of me.": “You really shouldn't tease girls like that.": “Is that so?": “In that case, I probably shouldn't do this, either..."I take Natsuki's finger and put it in my mouth, licking off the icing.  : “D-Did you seriously just--a-ah--"I’m starting to think that Dan Salvato has a licking-fingers kink. Natsuki is so surprised that she can't even figure out how to get mad at me. Her face is entirely red. : “Mitayo...you really shouldn't do that kind of thing to girls...unless you really like them...you know that...right?": “..."What kind of question is she asking me, just like that? How did the mood turn to this so quickly? This is a stock scene, regardless of which girl you’ve been courting up to this point. : “I..."Natsuki gazes at me in silence. I notice her shallow breaths. Why am I starting to feel dizzy...? : “Eh?!"Out of nowhere, the fire alarm starts going off. Natsuki rushes over to the oven. : “Is something burning? I thought you didn't put the cupcakes in yet." : “No wonder...you left a dirty tray in here, dummy! How could you make a mistake like that?": “You should have checked before turning the oven on!": “Don't blame me for your mistakes!"They’re both wrong, but Natsuki is more wrong in this case. Always check the oven first, jeez. : “Jeez..."Natsuki uses an oven mitt to grab the blackened tray out of the oven. She sets it on top of the stove. In another moment, the fire alarm stops. : “Anyway... I'm...putting them in the oven now.": “Yeah..."The tension from the moment before still lingers over our heads. But the moment has already been lost. I watch as Natsuki slides the cupcake trays into the oven. Then, I reluctantly pick up the whisk and continue with the icing, like nothing ever happened. ----  The cupcakes are ready to be pulled out of the oven. As soon as Natsuki opens the oven door, a blast of sweet-smelling warm air fills the room. Cupcakes taste the best when tinged with oven smoke. : “Look at how cute they all look!"She proudly shows off the different-colored cupcakes in each of the trays. : “They'll look even better once we add the icing.": “Not like you need to tell me that! I brought decorating stuff, so I hope you can get creative. Here, scoop the icing into these bags."Natsuki hands me some plastic bags. : “I have these nozzles that will make it look nice and fluffy. This one can even make flowers! We probably won't be using it this time, though.": “What's this one for?"I pick up one of the nozzles that has a much thinner tip than the others. : “That one's really thin, so you can use it to make stripes or other patterns. But you can also use it to write stuff on a cake. Like, 'happy birthday!' or whatever.": “Huh, I see...that gives me an idea, actually.": “Eh?": “Well, it's a literature event, right? We could make it more literature-themed by writing a different word on each of the cupcakes. It would be fun to see people choose their cupcake based on a word they like."I did a quick search for funny cupcakes but the best I could find was a dog-shaped chocolate pooing on a cupcake. : “Uu...": “Hm?": “I was kind of expecting you to say something really stupid...but that's actually...a really cute idea, so...": “Ahaha. Maybe I'm getting it from you.": “W-What's that supposed to mean?" : “Come on...we're not at school, nobody's judging. You can't dress and act like this and not expect me to think you're cute."”The way you’re dressed, you’re just asking to be called cute.” Classy. : “W-Well..."Natsuki's voice trails off. : “Same with you...": “Eh? Did you say something?": “N-No, nothing! Let's just do the icing!"Natsuki picks up the pace and fastens a nozzle onto each of the bags. : “There's a lot to do, so we shouldn't be wasting time! Here, I'll show you how to do it."Without giving me a chance to think about before, Natsuki quickly moves on. She shows me how to apply the icing, and then we each get to work. When we're finally finished, Natsuki puts them all side by side to admire our work.  : “Yeah, they are, aren't they?": “Uu... I wish I could have one now!": “Well, there's no reason you can't, right? I don't see any harm in that.": “Well, yeah, but...my dad's making dinner tonight, so I really need to save my appetite.": “Ahaha. Sayori's the exact opposite in that regard. If she was here, we'd probably be down ten cupcakes already.": “And she would still eat dinner.": “Come on, that's just unhealthy!" : “...Well, anyway!"…man… : “I was hoping we would have time for manga, but I need to be home for dinner...": “Ah, already? That's a shame.": “It's your fault for working so slowly! You should have thought about that. It's not like you'll always have this chance.": “Man..."As usual, Natsuki places the blame on me. : “You can bring the cupcakes tomorrow, right? If you and Sayori each carry some, then you can probably do it in one trip.": “Yeah, I can do that. And don't worry, I won't let her eat any."I one-hundred percent promise you that Sayori will not eat a single one of these cupcakes. : “Ahaha. I wish she would listen to me the way she listens to you.": “Ah...yeah."I again think back to the conversation I had with Sayori earlier today. I felt so helpless. Sayori always does listen to me, but at that point it felt like she couldn't listen to me at all. : “Okay, I'm all packed up. Good work today!": “You too. I'll walk you out...I guess."Chivalry!  It feels like the afternoon went by in a flash. More than that...did I even take the opportunity to get closer to her, like I wanted? You licked her finger. Was that not enough? : “Well...I guess I'll be off, then...thanks for all the help and everything...I'll see you tomorrow.": “Wait, Natsuki.": “Eh?": “What you said before...about not always having this chance. It doesn't have to be that way at all! I had fun today. You showed me how fun baking can be, like you wanted. But aside from that...you can come over anytime, okay? I think that if possible, I'd like to spend more time like this. If you want to read manga, or go out somewhere--": “Um--do you...really mean that?"Natsuki looks at me tensely, like she's trying to hide her expression. : “Yeah. I want to spend more time with you.": “Mitayo...I thought you only cared about getting this done...Uu...I'm sorry I had to leave so early today. I really didn't want to!" It makes me sad to think what her dad might do if she wasn’t on time for dinner. : “I feel the same way as you, so..."BGM: Music fades out.  Natsuki suddenly gets closer to me. : “Wait, Natsuki--"Standing inches from me, Natsuki looks up at me. I feel her fingers gently clutch at the sides of my shirt, as if holding onto me. Her rose-colored cheeks and matching eyes fill my vision, along with her slightly-parted lips. What is happening...? My head starts to go dizzy as I feel her soft breaths against me. : “I've felt it...for a while now..."When I first played this, I took the Sayori route. It’s a little weird to have this scene play regardless of who you pick – I was wanting her to take a step back the entire time. I clearly wanted someone else!  Natsuki suddenly jumps back. : “S-Sayori?!": “Eh?!"Oh, hey, speaking of which…   : “H-Hi, Mitayo...": “Sayori--! Just now, we weren't--": “Ehehe~ it's okay, Mitayo. I just stopped by to say hi~": “A-Ah...well...y-you should have come a little earlier!"”Mitayo put my finger in his mouth. It was soooo funny!” : “I'm already on my way out, so...": “Aw, really? That's too bad...": “Yeah, well...I'll still see you at the festival tomorrow, so it's fine." : “Anyway, later!"Clearly flustered, Natsuki hurries off, and Sayori waves goodbye. And then we talk to Sayori and she admits our feelings and everything is fine forever and she definitely doesn’t kill herself. This is a good segue into tomorrow’s update – Sayori’s route! We have three CGs to go before the next ending, let’s get this done! Roar fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Nov 7, 2017 |
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Oct 31, 2017 23:03
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 17:25 |
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No mention of Natsuki's unique poem if you take her route all three days? She gets one too, same as Yuri.
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Oct 31, 2017 23:16
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