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1. Individuals sufferings from anxiety or depression may not have a safe experience playing this game. For content warnings, please visit: http://ddlc.moe/warning.html. By playing Doki Doki Literature Club, you agree that you are at least 13 years of age, and you consent to your exposure of highly disturbing content. As mentioned briefly in the Steam description page, this game does deal with some dark and possibly disturbing issues later on. The developers of the game are taking no chances with people suffering from anxiety/depressive disorders and you need to actually agree to this caveat before moving into the game. BGM: Doki Doki Literature Club! **New!**   No chances whatsoever. This is the last notice of disturbing content. There will be no further warnings. Enjoy this LP at your own risk.  Welcome to Doki Doki Literature Club!  Our name is Mitayo. There is literally zero rhyme or reason behind this whatsoever beyond “I wanted something vaguely Japanese-sounding and also I didn’t want him to be named Dongs.”  BGM: Ohayou Sayori! **New!** I see an annoying girl running toward me from the distance, waving her arms in the air like she's totally oblivious to any attention she might draw to herself. That girl is Sayori, my neighbor and good friend since we were children. You know, the kind of friend you'd never see yourself making today, but it just kind of works out because you've known each other for so long? We used to walk to school together on days like this, but starting around high school she would oversleep more and more frequently, and I would get tired of waiting up. But if she's going to chase after me like this, I almost feel better off running away. However, I just sigh and idle in front of the crosswalk and let Sayori catch up to me. I'm not entirely sure why Mitayo starts off the game by being so annoyed over Sayori. I think he’s going for a roasting-my-friend sort of vibe but it doesn’t come across very well. It's not a great first impression, but it never really comes up again. He actually does consider her a friend.   : “I overslept again! But I caught you this time!"So this is Sayori - like the MC mentioned a minute ago, she's a bit of a flake. She's super nice, though, and a generally worthwhile person to know. She's the typical 'has always been my best friend' character - kind of the middle of the road with no obvious glaring faults.  : “Maybe, but only because I decided to stop and wait for you.": “Eeehhhhh, you say that like you were thinking about ignoring me! That's mean, Mitayo!"He was and it is. As an aside, the male POV never appears in the game. The portrait I went with was on the first page GIS search of Japanese high school boy and I have no idea where he’s from. : “Well, if people stare at you for acting weird then I don't want them to think we're a couple or something.": “Fine, fine. But you did wait for me, after all. I guess you don't have it in you to be mean even if you want to~": “Whatever you say, Sayori...": “Ehehe~"This game is not voiced. No weird awkward laughter to cap here. We cross the street together and make our way to school. As we draw near, the streets become increasingly speckled with other students making their daily commute.  : “Have you decided on a club to join yet?"High schools in anime and VNs are super-into extracurricular clubs. How much of this leaks from real life is beyond me because I'm an uncultured idiot. It certainly happens in media enough. : “A club? I told you already, I'm really not interested in joining any clubs. I haven't been looking, either.": "Eh? That's not true! You told me you would join a club this year!": “Did I...?"I'm sure it's possible that I did, in one of our many conversations where I dismissively go along with whatever she's going on about. Sayori likes to worry a little too much about me, when I'm perfectly content just getting by on the average while spending my free time on games and anime. ...they really are friends. He really does like her, I promise.  : "Uh-huh! I was talking about how I'm worried that you won't learn how to socialize or have any skills before college. Your happiness is really important to me, you know!: “And I know you're happy now, but I'd die at the thought of you becoming a NEET in a few years because you're not used to the real world! You trust me, right?"NEET is apparently an acronym for 'Not in Education, Employment, or Training.”I'd never heard this term before so if you're in the same boat I was, you're welcome. : “Alright, alright...I'll look at a few clubs if it makes you happy.": “Will you at least promise me you'll try a little?" : “Yeah, I guess I'll promise you that.": “Yaay~!"Why do I let myself get lectured by such a carefree girl? More than that, I'm surprised I even let myself relent to her. I guess seeing her worry so much about me makes me want to ease her mind at least a little bit - even if she does exaggerate everything inside her head. There! That's a little bit of caring! I told you!  The screen transitions into this classroom. I think we only come here once or twice, so enjoy it while it lasts. The school day is as ordinary as ever, and it's over before I know it. After I pack up my things, I stare blankly at the wall, looking for an ounce of motivation. : “Clubs..."Sayori wants me to check out some clubs. I guess I have no choice but to start with the anime club... Literally no choice whatsoever. I'll get rid of my NEET status in no time if I spend my after-school hours talking about Tuxedo Mask and Goku! : “Hellooo?" Get used to Sayori. While the other girls do make a grand appearance very, very soon, it's pretty obvious that Sayori is the obvious forerunner for love interest. Sayori must have come into the classroom while I was spacing out. I look around and realize that I'm the only one left in the classroom. : “I thought I'd catch you coming out of the classroom, but I saw you just sitting here and spacing out, so I came in. Honestly, you're even worse than me sometimes...I'm impressed!": “You don't need to wait up for me if it's going to make you late to your own club.": “Well, I thought you might need some encouragement, so I thought, you know...": “Know what?" You have about four and a half lines of dialogue to guess which club Sayori's a part of. : “Sayori...": “Yeah??": “...There is no way I'm going to your club.": “Eeeehhhhh?! Meanie!"Sayori is vice president of the Literature Club - not that I was ever aware that she had any interest in literature. In fact, I'm 99% sure she only did it because she thought it would be fun to help start a new club. Knowing Sayori's character, this is probably entirely true. Since she was the first one to show interest after the one who proposed the club, she inherited the title "Vice President". That said, my interest in literature is guaranteed to be even less. : “Yeah. I'm going to the anime club."Tempt me not, woman! Anime awaits! : “C'mon, please?": “Why do you care so much, anyway?" : “I kind of told the club yesterday I would bring in a new member...and Natsuki made cupcakes and everything...ehehe..."Free food, you say...? : “Don't make promises you can't keep!"I can't tell if Sayori is really that much of an airhead, or if she's so cunning as to have planned all of this out. I let out a long sigh. : “Fine...I'll stop by for a cupcake, okay?": “Yes! Let's go~!"It's hard not to like Sayori. She's so bubbly all the time, even over little stuff.  I want this on my tombstone. I dejectedly follow Sayori across the school and upstairs - a section of the school I rarely visit, being generally used for third-year classes and activities. I don't think it's even mentioned exactly what year of school he's in. Sayori, full of energy, swings open the classroom door.  THIS is the room we'll probably be seeing the most of. BGM: Doki Doki Literature Club! (modified - no "Doki Doki!" at the beginning) : “I told you, don't call me a 'new member--'"Eh? I glance around the room.   : “Sayori always says nice things about you."  : “Way to kill the atmosphere."  : “Welcome to the club!"In one fell swoop, every other character in this game gets introduced. Other than Kirby hair, the others are definitely anime but not obscenely so. : “..."All words escape me in this situation. This club...is full of incredibly cute girls!!  GIRLS! To Be Continued! Roar fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Oct 30, 2017 |
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Oct 9, 2017 23:46
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Oblivion4568238 posted:To anybody just reading this LP, I have to second the OP on playing the game yourself. The music and effects really add a lot to the game, it's not very long, and it's free. In fact, Roar, I'd say you should probably put music links alongside the updates, like how the VLR and Phoenix Wright LPs do it. That's a good idea. Doing so. quote:Squished images I'm not sure why OBS did that with my game capture. (OLD)  (NEW)  Is this better?
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Oct 10, 2017 03:39
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2. BGM: Doki Doki Literature Club! (modified - no "Doki Doki!" at the beginning)  : “If you want to say something, say it.": “S-Sorry...": “Natsuki...”: “Hmph."The girl with the sour attitude, whose name is apparently Natsuki, is one I don't recognize. Her small figure makes me think she's probably a first-year. She is also the one who made cupcakes, according to Sayori. I like that Mitayo remembers this; he’s got his cupcake-shaped priorities in order. : “You can just ignore her when she gets moody~"Sayori says that quietly into my ears, then turns back towards the other girls. : “Anyway! This is Natsuki, always full of energy. And this is Yuri, the smartest in the club!"Yuri, huh? According to google, that means Lily. Natsuki, in contrast, comes from a mix of 'summer' and 'hope'. As an afterthought, Sayori might be a combination of small, night, and village, though that might be a huge stretch. : “D-Don't say things like that..."Yuri, who appears comparably more mature and timid, seems to have a hard time keeping up with people like Sayori and Natsuki.  : “And it sounds like you already know Monika, is that right?" : “It's great to see you again, Mitayo."Monika smiles sweetly. We do know each other - well, we rarely talked, but we were in the same class last year. Monika was probably the most popular girl in class - smart, beautiful, athletic. Basically, completely out of my league. So, having her smile at me so genuinely feels a little... : “Y-You too, Monika.": “Come sit down, Mitayo! We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Monika. I'll get the cupcakes~": “Hey! I made them, I'll get them!": “Sorry, I got a little too excited~"Sayori really likes the tilde-trail off. I used to do that all the time when I was like fifteen. : “Then, how about I make some tea as well?"The girls have a few desks arranged to form a long table. As Sayori mentioned, it's been widened so that there is one space next to Monika and one space next to Sayori. Natsuki and Yuri walk over the corner of the room, where Natsuki grabs a wrapped tray and Yuri opens the closet. Still feeling awkward, I take a seat next to Sayori. Natsuki proudly marches back to the table, tray in hand.  : “...Ta-daa!": “Uwooooah!"Natsuki lifts the foil off the tray to reveal a dozen white, fluffy cupcakes decorated to look like little cats. The whiskers are drawn with icing, and little pieces of chocolate were used to make ears. : “So cuuuute~!"I want a cupcake now. It's 9:20 in the morning though. : “I had no idea you were so good at baking, Natsuki!": “Ehehe. Well, you know. Just hurry and take one!"Sayori grabs one first, then Monika. I follow. : “It's delicious!"Sayori talks with her mouth full and has already managed to get icing on her face. I kind of imagine Sayori as a yellow lab. I turn the cupcake around in my fingers, looking for the best angle to take a bite. Natsuki is quiet. I can't help but notice her sneaking glances in my direction. Is she waiting for me to take a bite? I finally bite down. The icing is sweet and full of flavor - I wonder if she made it herself.  : “Thank you, Natsuki.": “W-Why are you thanking me? It's not like I...!"(Haven't I heard this somewhere before...?) : “...Made them for you or anything."SO TSUNDERE BAKA : “Eh? I thought you technically did. Sayori said-": “Well, maybe! But not for, y-you know, you! Dummy...": “Alright, alright..."I give up on Natsuki's weird logic and dismiss the conversation. I've been working on a pet theory that says the the pinker someone's hair, the more likely they are to be super quirky or possibly nuts. Yuri returns to the table, carrying a tea set. She carefully places a teacup in front of each of us before setting down the teapot next to the cupcake tray.  : “Don't worry, the teachers gave us permission. After all, doesn't a hot cup of tea help you enjoy a good book?": “Ah...I-I guess...": “Ehehe, don't let yourself get intimidated, Yuri's just trying to impress you.": “Eh?! T-That's not..."Insulted, Yuri looks away. Good lord, they're all so easily nettled. : “I meant that, you know...": “I believe you. Well, tea and reading might not be a pastime for me, but I at least enjoy tea.: “I'm glad..."Yuri faintly smiles to herself in relief. Monika raises an eyebrow, then smiles at me.  Cupcakes. : “Um..."I was afraid of this question. Something tells me I shouldn't tell Monika that I was practically dragged here by Sayori. Not entirely sure how 'I wanted to check out my friend's club' is an awkward statement but you do you, Mitayo. : “Well, I haven't joined any clubs yet, and Sayori seemed really happy here, so...": “That's okay! Don't be embarrassed! We'll make sure you feel right at home, okay? As president of the Literature Club, it's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!"President is kind of a lofty title when you only have four members, isn't it? : “Monika, I'm surprised. How come you decided to start your own club? You could probably be a board member for any of the major clubs. Weren't you a leader of the debate club last year?"This seems like a weird question to me. Why start your own club? You're already super popular!  : “To be honest, I can't stand all of the politics around the major clubs. It feels like nothing but arguing about the budget and publicity and how to prepare for events...I'd much rather take something I personally enjoy and make something special out of it. And it encourages others to get into literature, then I'm fulfilling that dream!": “Monika really is a great leader!"Yuri also nods in agreement. Natsuki is presumably off seething in the corner during this. : “Then I'm surprised there aren't more people in the club yet. It must be hard to start a new club.": “You could put it that way. Not many people are very interested in putting out all the effort to start something brand new...especially when it's something that doesn't grab your attention, like literature."As a English Lit major, rude. : “You have to work hard to convince people that you're both fun and worthwhile."As an English Lit major, accurate. : “But it makes school events, like the festival, that much more important. I'm confident that we can all really grow this club before we graduate! Right, everyone?": “Yeah!": “We'll do our best.": “You know it!"Oh, welcome back to the conversation, Natsuki.  Such different girls, all interested in the same goal...Monika must have worked really hard just to find these three. Maybe that's why they were all so delighted by the idea of a new member joining. Though I still don't really know if I can keep up with their level of enthusiasm about literature... At risk of spoilers, this will absolutely not be a problem. : “So, Mitayo, what kinds of things do you like to read?": “Well...ah..."Considering how little I've read these past few years, I don't really have a good way of answering that. : “...Manga..."You were about to join the anime club, Mitayo. Stop dancing around the subject - you like anime. It's fine. I mutter quietly to myself, half-joking. Natsuki's head suddenly perks up - it looks like she wants to say something, but she keeps quiet. : “N-not much of a reader, I guess..."RUDE : “...Well, that can change..."What am I saying? I spoke without thinking after seeing Yuri's sad smile. : “Anyway, what about you, Yuri?": “Well, let's see..."Yuri traces the rim of her teacup with her finger. : “My favorites are usually novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of creativity and craftsmanship behind them is amazing to me. And telling a good story in such a foreign world is equally impressive."She's got a copy of LOTR in her backpack right now. Calling it. Yuri goes on, clearly passionate about her reading. She seemed so reserved and timid since the moment I walked in, but it's obvious by the way her eyes light up that she finds her comfort in the world of books, not people. : “But you know, I like a lot of things. Stories with deep psychological elements usually immerse me as well. Isn't it amazing how a writer can so deliberately take advantage of your own lack of imagination to completely throw for you a loop? Anyway, I've been reading a lot of horror lately...""Mitayo, have you heard of Creepypastas?" : “Ah, I read a horror book once..."I desperately grasp something I can relate to at the minimal level. At this rate, Yuri might as well be having a conversation with a rock.  : “For someone as gentle as you...": “I guess you could say that. But if a story makes me think, or takes me to another world, then I really can't put it down. Surreal horror is often very successful at changing the way you look at the world, if only for a brief moment." Oh, you hate lots of things. : “Oh? Why's that?": “Well, I just..."Natsuki's eyes dart over to me for a split second. : “Never mind.": “That's right, you usually like to write about cute things, don't you, Natsuki?": “W-What? What gives you that idea?": “You left a piece of scrap paper behind last club meeting. It looked like you were working on a poem called-": “Don't say it out loud! And give that back!""It's a work in progress, Mom!!! It's called slash and it's ART!" : “Fine, fine~": “Ehehe, your cupcakes, your poems...everything you do is just as cute as you are~"Sayori sidles up behind Natsuki and puts her hands on her shoulders.  If you hate your image that much, you might want to invest in some hair dye. : “Natsuki, you write your own poems?": “Eh? Well, I guess sometimes. Why do you care?"Just making conversation. Jeez. : “I think that's impressive. Why don't you share them sometime?": “N-No!"Natsuki averts her eyes. I was just kidding before but I think she actually is writing weird fanfiction. : “You wouldn't...like them...: “Ah...not a very confident writer yet?": “I understand how Natsuki feels. Sharing that level of writing takes me than just confidence. The truest form of writing is writing to oneself. You must be willing to open up to your readers, exposing your vulnerabilites and showing even the deepest reaches of your heart."Alright, tone it down a little, Zenyatta.  : “Maybe if you share some of your work, you can set an example and help Natsuki feel comfortable enough to share hers.": “..."Yuri looks visibally uncomfortable with the idea. : “I guess it's the same for Yuri...": “Aww...I wanted to read everyone's poems..."Wait, where have YOU been the last ten minutes, Sayuri? We all sit in silence for a moment. : “Okay! I have an idea, everyone~"All: ...? Natuski and Yuri look quizzically at Monika.  : “Then, next time we meet, we'll all share them with each other. That way, everyone is even!"This seems like a horrible idea but I'm just the new guy, who am I to judge? : “U-um...": “...": “Yeaah! Let's do it!"Can always count on Sayori to be up for anything.  : “Plus, now that we have a new member, I think it will help us all get a little more comfrotable with each other and strengthen the bond of the club. Isn't that right, Mitayo?"Monika smiles warmly at me once again. : “Hold on...there's still one problem.": “Eh? What's that?"Now that we're back to the original topic of me joining the club, I bluntly come forth with what's been on my mind the entire time. : “I never said I would join this club! Sayori may have convinced me to stop by, but I never made any decision. I still have other clubs to look at, and...um..."One other club, Mitayo. One. And it's anime. I lose my train of thought.  : “B-But...": “I'm sorry, I thought...": “Hmph.": “Mitayo..."To be fair, Mitayo has a perfectly valid point and they're kind of giving him unnecessary flack here. : “Y-You all..."I'm defenseless against these girls. How am I supposed to make a clear-headed decision when it's like this? That is, if writing poems is the price I need to pay in order to spend every day with these beautiful girls... : “...right. Okay I've decided, then.": “I'll join the Literature Club."Fortunately for the girls, Mitayo is very, very malleable.  : “Yesss! I'm so happyyyy~"Sayori wraps her arms around me, jumping up and down. : “H-Hey--": “You really did scare me for a moment...": “If you really just came for the cupcakes, I would be super pissed."I get the vibe that you'd be super pissed regardless. : “Then that makes it official! Welcome to the Literature Club!" : “Ah...thanks, I guess." : “I think with that, we can officially end today's meeting on a good note. Everyone remember tonight's assignment: write a poem to bring to the next meeting so we can all share!"Monika looks over at me once more. : “Mitayo, I look forward to seeing how you express yourself. Ehehe~": “Y-Yeah..."Can I really impress the class star Monika with my mediocre writing skills? I already feel the anxiety welling up inside me. Meanwhile, the girls continue to chit-chat as Yuri and Natsuki clean up their food.  Wait, it's over? Did we actually do anything at this meeting other than eat cupcakes? That's right -- Sayori and I never walk home together anymore because she always stayed after school for clubs. : “Sure, might as well.": “Yaay~"With that, the two of us depare the clubroom and make our way home. The whole way, my mind wanders back and forth between the four girls:     Will I really be happy spending every day after school in a literature club? Perhaps I'll have the chance to grow closer to one of these girls...Alright! I'll just need to make the most of my circumstances, and I'm sure good fortune will find me. And I guess that starts with writing a poem tonight... BGM: Dreams Of Love and Literature **New!**   So this is where the main actual gameplay is (which is a lot more than you can say for most VNs, to be fair). Our assignment is to write a poem, and we given 20 lists of assorted words that we can use. We don't get to see the completed poem, but the elements we put in will definitely affect one of the girls based on their own preferences. For example, on this page, Milk / Awesome / Lollipop belong to one category, Love / Peace / Promise belong to another and Melancholy / Raindrops / Climax belong to yet another. That being said, it's now time for audience participation. Knowing that your answer will increase our appeal with a certain lady, which of these series of words do you want to go with? A list of possible combinations are located below - the options are randomized, so I can't give you direct options. Some answers may or may not have similar results with multiple girls. Vote now - group A, B, or C? quote:GROUP A Roar fucked around with this message at 23:31 on Nov 3, 2017 |
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Oct 11, 2017 00:00
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“Really Pants” posted:It’s actually super short and a lot of the effects work a million times better in person. I can't encourage this enough. This game is fantastic and I'll do my best with the limitations of the SS format but experiencing it yourself is probably the supreme option. I've got ideas, though. “Adlai Stevenson” posted:I’ve already lost but I’m voting B. Bring on the vanilla waterfalls and sugar kittens! There may or may not be more voting options in the future for gumdrops and lollipops! Roar fucked around with this message at 20:43 on Oct 11, 2017 |
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Oct 11, 2017 20:37
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C wins because you all want to bruteforce the sadness.  Update relatively soonish - either tonight or tomorrow. If you're curious, here are the words I used: quote:agonizing, analysis, massacre, covet, imagination, vertigo, infinite, ambient, starscape, explode, disarray, unstable, pleasure, judgment, breathe, disown, frightening, determination, captive, graveyard Any poem that comes out of those is going to reeking with edge. I'm proud of you all.
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Oct 11, 2017 23:53
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Avalerion posted:If I hadn't been spoiled in the main thread I wouldn't be following this, on the other hand. The Games thread is a treasure trove of cool info and documentation about this game but if you haven’t checked it out and care about spoilers, avoid it like the plague. There’s a anti-spoilers policy there but even inadvertently it’s incredibly easy to spoil a game like this. Also avoid the OST beyond the polsy links. A lot of songs there are spoilers too. Just...just don’t look up anything. Ever. Update after work. I fell asleep and forgot to post last night. 
Roar fucked around with this message at 17:19 on Oct 12, 2017 |
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Oct 12, 2017 17:08
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3. First thing's first - special thank you to Softnum for helping me reduce the time these updates take to write by like 90%. I used to have to write every single line and it took a dog's age. BGM: Ohayou Sayori!  : “Glad to see you didn't run away on us. Hahaha!"You gave me cupcakes. You're never getting rid of me now. : “Nah, don't worry. This might be a little strange for me, but I at least keep my word."Well, I'm back at the Literature Club. I was the last to come in, so everyone else is already hanging out. : “Thanks for keeping your promise, Mitayo.": “I hope this isn't too overwhelming of a commitment for you. Making you dive headfirst into literature when you're not accustomed to it..." : “Sayori told me you didn't even want to join any clubs this year. And last year, too! I don't know if you plan to just come here and hang out, or what...but if you don't take us seriously, then you won't see the end of it."Nanaki is the traditional tsundare character and she just loves getting on everyone's case. This is probably due to her age, though there might be a little Napoleon syndrome going on as well.I can't help but admire her spunk, though she does lay it on a little thick at times. : “Natsuki, you certainly have a big mouth for someone who keeps her manga collection in the clubroom.": “M-M-M...!!"Natsuki finds herself stuck between saying "Monika" and "Manga".  BAKA GAIJIN!! Swiftly defeated, Natsuki plops back into her seat. : “Don't worry, guys~ Mitayo always gives it his best as long as he's having fun. He helps me with busywork without me even asking. Like cooking, cleaning my room...": “How dependable...": “Sayori, that's because your room is so messy it's distracting. And you almost set your house on fire once." I do hope those two things aren't related. : “You two are really good friends, aren't you? I might be a little jealous...": “How come? You and Mitayo can become good friends too!": “U-Um...": “S-Sayori--": “Hmm?": “..." Friends...? With another...g-girl?? : “Oh, oh! Yuri even brought you something today, you know~": “W-Wait! Sayori...": “Eh? Me?": “Um... Not really...": “Don't be shy~": “It's really nothing...": “What is it?": “N-Never mind! Sayori made it sound like a big deal when it's really not...uuuuh, what do I do..."Spit it out, Yuki.  I guess that means it's up to me to rescue this situation... : “Hey, don't worry about it. First of all, I wasn't expecting anything in the first place. So any nice gesture from you is a pleasant surprise. It'll make me happy no matter what.": “I-Is that so...": “Yeah. I won't make it a big deal if you don't want it to be.": “Alright...well, here."Yuri reaches into her bag and pulls out a book. : “I didn't want you to feel left out...so I picked out a book that I thought you might enjoy. It's a short read, so it should keep your attention, even if you don't usually read.": “And we could, you know...” This is Steven King, isn't it? I'm gonna wager that it's a copy of Kujo. As an aside, this game loves ellipses but Yuri is - hands down - the worst offender. Th-This is...how is this girl accidentally being so cute? She even picked out a book she thinks I'll like, despite me not reading much... : “Yuri, thank you! I'll definitely read this!"I enthusiastically take the book. : “Phew...well, you can read it at your own pace. I look forward to hearing what you think."Now that everyone's settled in, I expected Monika to kick off some scheduled activities for the club. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Sayori and Monika are having a cheery conversation in the corner. Yuri's face is already buried in a book. I can't help but notice her intense expression, like she was waiting for this chance. Meanwhile, Natsuki is rummaging around in the closet. I'll be the first to say that I don't know what these clubs generally do, but it seems like Yuri is the only one actively pursuing any sort of literature. If anyone audits this group to find out whether or not they DO what they say they do, they’re all in trouble.  But at the same time, I would feel bad for distracting her from reading. I catch a glimpse of the cover of her book. It looks like the same book that she lent to me...more than that, she seems to be on the first few pages. This sort of tampers down the gift a little bit. She got us a book that she thinks we might read, sure, but it's closer to being a book she just plain likes and hopes that we will too. Maybe I'm just being cynical, though. : “Ah..."Crap--I think she noticed me looking at her...she sneaks another glance at me, and our eyes meet for a split second. BGM: Play With Me! **New!** : “..."But that only makes her hide her face deeper in her book. Is this second grade? What are we doing here, exactly? You're teenagers. Act like it. : “Sorry...I was just spacing out..."I mutter this, sensing I made her uncomfortable. : “Oh...It's fine. If I was focused, then I probably wouldn't have noticed in the first place. But I'm just re-reading a bit of this, so...": “That's the book that you gave me, right?": “Mhm. I wanted to re-read some of it.” : “Just curious, how come you have two copies of the same book?": “Ah...well, when I stopped at the bookstore yesterday--": “Ah, that's not what I meant...I mean--I...just happened to buy two of them."A perfectly normal thing to do. : “Ah, I see."There's something fairly obvious here that Yuri isn't telling me, but I decide to let it go. : “I'll definitely start reading it soon!": “I'm glad to hear...once it starts to pick up, you might have a hard time putting it down. It's a very engaging and relatable story.": “Is that so...? What's it about, anyway?": “Well...mmm..."Yuri closes the book and scans her eyes over the back. The book is titled "Portrait of Markov". There's an ominous-looking eye symbol on the front cover. : “Alright...I just wanted to make sure I don't accidentally give anything away." : “...but as soon as she does so, her life gets really strange. She gets targeted by these people who escaped from a human experiment prison...and while her life is in danger, she needs to desperately choose who to trust. No matter what she does, she ends up destroying most of her relationships and her life starts to fall apart..."As far as I can tell from a semi-thorough Google/Amazon search, this book does not actually exist. : “That's kind of--!"That's kind of dark, isn't it? Yuri made it sound like it was going to be a nice story, so that dark turn came from nowhere. : “Ahaha."  Please stop giggling about this weird dark book, Yuri.: “Are you not a fan of that sort of thing, Mitayo?": “No, it's not that...I mean, I can definitely enjoy those kinds of stories, so don't worry.": “I hope so..."Yeah... I totally forgot that Yuri is into those things. She's so shy and reclusive on the outside, but her mind seems to be completely different. : “It's just that those kinds of stories...they challenge you to look at life from a strange new perspective. When horrible things happen not just because someone wants to be evil, but because they have their own goals, or their own philosophy that they believe in. Then suddenly, when you thought you related to the protagonist...they're made out to be the naive one for letting their one-sided morals interfere with the villain's plans.": “I'm...I'm rambling, aren't I...?"You are a little bit because I'm not following. I mean, I kind of get what she's talking about with the pursuing ideas from an opposing angle thing, but I'm not sure how that relates to the story she described. : “Not again...I'm sorry...": “Hey, don't apologize...! I haven't lost interest or anything.": “Well...I guess it's alright, then. But I feel like I should let you know that I have this problem...when I let things like books and writing fill my thoughts...": “I kind of forget to pay attention to other people...so I'm sorry if I end up saying something strange! And please stop me if I start talking too much!"I remember reading once that one of the worst things you can do is to shut someone down when they're genuinely excited about something. You can just see the enthusiasm wither away and it's awful to watch. : “That's--I really don't think you need to worry...that just means you're passionate about reading. The least I can do is listen. It's a literature club, after all...": “Ah--that's...well, that's true...": “In fact...I might as well get started reading it, right?": “Y-You don't have to!": “Ahaha, what are you saying? Just a moment ago, you said you were looking forward to it.": “..."This is a snuff book, isn't it? That's why it doesn't supposedly exist and why you're suddenly apprehensive about us reading it together. : “Let me just get the book..."I quickly retrieve the book that I had put into my bag. : “Alright...it's fine if I sit here, right?"I slip into the seat next to Yuri's. : “Ah...! Yeah...": “Are you sure? You seem a little apprehensive...": “That's...I'm sorry...it's not that I don't want you to! It's just something I'm not very used to...that is, reading in company with someone."Also seriously inside the bubble of an introvert's personal space. We've known Yuri for less than twenty-four hours now. : “I see...well, just tell me if I end up distracting you or anything.": “A-Alright..."I open the book and start the prologue. I soon understand what Yuri means about reading in company. It's as if I can feel her presence over my shoulder as I read. It's not a particularly bad thing. Maybe a little distracting, but the feeling is somewhat comforting. Yuri is in the corner of my eye. I realize that she's not actually looking at her own book. I glance over. It looks like she's reading from my book instead... Reading over a shoulder is an interesting trait to have, I suppose. Mitayo doesn't seem to mind too much, at least. : “S-Sorry! I was just--!": “Yuri, you really apologize a lot, don't you?": “I...I do? I don't really mean to...": “Sorry...I mean--!"Jokes. : “Ahaha. Here, this should work, right?"I slide my desk until it's up against Yuri's, then hold my book more between the two of them.  : “Ah...I suppose so..."Yuri timidly closes her own copy. Once we each lean in a little bit, our shoulders are almost touching. It feels like my left arm is in the way, so instead I use my right hand to hold the book open. I used to share textbooks with people back in school. It was super awkward and I hated every minute of it, so I'm glad Mitayo and Yuri seem to be enjoying it well enough. : “Ah, I guess that makes it kind of difficult to turn the page...": “Here..."Yuri takes her left arm and holds the left side of the book between her thumb and forefinger. : “Ah..."I do the same with my right arm, on the right side of the book. That way, I turn a page, and Yuri slides it under her thumb after it flips to her side. But in holding it like this...we're huddled even closer together than before. It's actually kind of distracting me...! It's as if I can feel the warmth of Yuri's face, and she's in the corner of my vision... Less than twenty-four hours. We've known this girl for one day. : “...Are you ready?": “Eh?": “To turn the page...": “Ah...sorry! I think I got a bit distracted for a second..."I glance over at Yuri's face again, and our eyes meet. I don't know how I'll be able to keep up with her... : “Ah...that's okay. You're not as used to reading, right?” : “It's probably the least I can do since you've been so patient with me...""I understand that you're slow and I accept your flaws." : “Y-Yeah...thanks."We continue reading. Yuri no longer asks me if I'm ready to turn the page; instead, I just assume that she finishes the page before me, so I turn it by my own volition. We continue the first chapter in silence. Even so, turning each page almost feels like an intimate exchange... my thumb gently letting go of the page, letting it flutter over to her side as she catches it under her own thumb. Only a visual novel could make a sensual moment out of reading. : “Hey, Yuri...this might be a silly thought, but the main character kind of reminds me of you a little bit.": “You...think so? How does she?": “Well, I guess she's more blunt in a lot of ways...but she also second-guesses all of the things that she says and does. Like she's afraid she'll do something wrong. It's not like I can see into your head or anything...but they're kind of reminiscent of some of your mannerisms.": “I-I see..."Yuri remains silent for a moment. : “But Mitayo...that's probably a terrible thing to have in common with her!" I get what Mitayo's going for but Yuri's right, that's not a very flattering feature. : “W-Wait! I didn't mean it in a bad way or anything! Sorry, I really didn't know you were self-conscious about that sort of thing...": “...": “I guess I more meant that it's kind of cute..."Nice save. : “A-Ah-- what are you saying all of a sudden...? I...!" : “...!"LITBLOCKED : “I think it's about time we share today's poems with each other. We might not have enough time if we wait too long.": “Ah..."Yuri exhales, spared from finishing her thought. : “Is that alright, Yuri? You look kind of down...I'm sorry if you haven't been looking forward to this...": “Ah, it's not...": “...It's fine.""We were, uh, kind of in the middle of something special but it's cool. Poems are cool too." Yuri releases her hand from the book, causing it to close on top of my thumb. : “Alright...I guess I'll do some more reading tonight. Or would you prefer I only read it with you?": “Um...! I...guess I don't have too much of a preference either way...": “Hmm...in that case, I'll read a little more tonight. It'll be more fun to read with you after it picks up a bit, you know?": “That's good reasoning.” Two chapters? Jesus. Is there a quiz on this? : “Alright!"I stand up. I make a mental note of where I left off in the book, then slip it back into my bag.  : “Y-Yeah..."Be careful with the paper, I don’t want you to cut yourself with all that sick edge we laid down. My relaxation ends. I can't believe I agreed to do something so embarrassing. I couldn't really find much inspiration, since I've never really done this before. : “Well, now that everyone's ready, why don't you find someone to share with?": “I can't wait~!"Sayori and Monika enthusiastically pull out their poems. Sayori's is on a wrinkled sheet of loose leaf torn from a spiral notebook. On the other hand, Monika wrote hers in a composition notebook. I can already see Monika's pristine handwriting from where I sit. Natsuki and Yuri reluctantly comply as well, reaching into their bags. I do the same, myself. I love how the majority of the group hates this assignment. Only Monika and Sayori - the club president and the VP - are into sharing poetry in any way. BGM: Okay, Everyone! **New!**  Alright, guys, VOTE TIME - in what order should we share our poem with the girls? This is definitely an important decision that has REAL consequences and not a natural stopping point mixed with obvious and shameless response padding! I’m just kidding it doesn’t even slightly matter beyond very minor text changes. Feel free to suggest if you want but no pressure. Roar fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Oct 17, 2017 |
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Oct 12, 2017 22:28
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golden bubble posted:I'll vote A. You should add a competition to see who can make the most coherent poem out of 20 of these word choices. Here's a terrible example I like this idea. Also that vote’s over but there may or may not be other poem votes in the future! chitoryu12 posted:Mitayo might actually be the stupidest person at flirting! This is pretty standard flirting for a VN. Males in them are literally always goony as all hell.
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Oct 13, 2017 02:31
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4. BGM: Okay, Everyone!  Yuri seems the most experienced, so I should start with her. I can trust her opinion to be fair. Not entirely sure what you’re basing that on but alright.  As Yuri reads the poem, I notice her eyes lighten. Yuri smiles dreamily, as if that's a rare opportunity for her. Which itself is kind of funny...after all, isn't this supposed to be a literature club? : “...Exceptional.": “Eh? What was that?": “...? D-Did I say that out loud...?"Yuri first covers her mouth, but then ends up covering her whole face. : “I...!": “Uu... (He's going to hate me...)"I have no idea why she thinks this considering her next few lines. : “Um...you really didn't do anything wrong, Yuri...": “Eh...? That's...I-I guess you're right...what am I getting so nervous for? A-Ahaha..."Nervous is an understatement when it comes to Yuri. She’s like a mortified chihuahua at pretty much all times. Yuri takes a breath. : “So..." : “Your use of imagery and metaphors indicates you've written a lot of poetry before."I asked the internet and they told me to make you sad. : “Really...? Wow, that's a huge compliment coming from you. This is actually my first time, really.": “Huh...?"Yuri stares at me blankly, then looks at my poem again. : “...Well, I know that! I just meant...u-um..."Yuri trails off, unable to find an excuse. She traces her finger along the words in the poem, as if breaking it down more thoroughly. : “...Yeah. Okay. This is the reason I was able to tell. It's just that there are specific writing habits that are usually typical of new writers. And having been through that myself, I kind of learned to pick up on them. I think the most noticeable thing I recognize in new writers is that they try to make their style very deliberate. In other words, they tend to pick a writing style separate from the topic matter, and they form-fit the two together. The end result is that both the style and the expressiveness are weakened."I don’t know a lot about poetry, but this is pretty typical in all forms of writing, so she’s pretty spot-on here. Once Yuri finds her train of thought, it's as if her demeanor totally changes. Her stammering is completely gone, and she sounds like an expert.  : “There are so many different skills and techniques that go into writing even a simple poem. Not just finding them and building them, but getting them to work together is probably the most challenging part. It might take you some time, but it all comes with practice, and learning by example, and trying new things. I also hope that everyone else in the club gives you valuable feedback.": “Natsuki can be a little bit biased, though...": “Biased? How?"Really, Mitayo? Have you MET Natsuki? : “U-Um...well...never mind. I shouldn't be talking about people like that...sorry...": “It's fine."I'm not sure if Yuri is apologizing to herself, to me, or to Natsuki. : “Do you mind if I read your poem now?": “Please do! I'd love to share my thought process behind it..." BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Yuri) **New!** (Yes, all of the girls have a version of Okay, Everyone! that only plays while their poems are onscreen. It’s a nice touch.) Poem impressions: I may just have old, bad eyes or I just don’t read enough cursive, but I can’t read this at all. Here. quote:Ghost Under the Light There we go. Anyways, I like the cadence of this poem but Yuri’s poetry tends to be a little too heavy-handed and gothic for my tastes. I’m a Lit major, not a poetry major – and I don’t particularly like most poetry, to be honest – mostly because most poems end up looking like what Yuri just wrote. No disrespect to them or her, but they’re just generally not my taste. BGM: Okay, Everyone! : “...I'm sorry I have such terrible handwriting!"It’s not terrible, it’s actually nice. I just can’t read it. : “What?? I wasn't thinking that at all...": “But it took you a long time to read...": “Ah--well, I just don't read script very often...I actually think your handwriting is pretty.": “Eh? That's...a relief...": “Also, I liked the poem. Even though it's short, it was really descriptive." : “I usually write longer poems..."She’s not lying and I wish she were. : “Not at all.": “I'm...really glad you like it. I'll be honest...since it's our first time sharing, I wanted to write something a little more mild. Something easy to digest, I suppose.": “Are you into ghosts, Yuri?": “Huhu. Actually, the story isn't about a ghost at all, Mitayo.": “Really? I must have totally missed the point..."That makes two of us. : “Well, I suppose you did only glance over it, after all...but remember that poets often express their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences in their work. They usually do more than tell a simple story, or paint a picture. In this case, perhaps the subject of the poem is only being symbolically compared to a ghost. Lingering in her last remaining place of comfort, unable to let go of the past. And soon to be left with nothing..."More than anyone else in the group – with the exception of maybe Monika – Yuri seems to know what she’s talking about the most. If it weren’t for her crippling shyness and social anxiety, she’d probably be a better fit for president of the Literature club. : “...That's a lot more solemn, putting it that way. I hadn't even thought of that...that's impressive.": “Eh? I-It's nothing, really! Yours was impressive too, so...": “Nah...if anything, I could probably learn a thing or two from you.": “...You think so?": “Yeah, of course.": “Ah...you know..." You don’t say. : “But in the end, I enjoyed it. I'm going to keep doing my best for you, Mitayo.": “Ah...me too.": “It's nothing, really...well...it makes me happy that you think that. Just remember that it won't be long before you pick up on these things, too.": “Yeah, maybe you're right. I guess I'll have to keep trying.": “I'm counting on you."Alright, I’ll chalk that up as a success. Let’s see if we can go two for two.  : “...?" Hahaha, wow. Salty right out of the gate. Never change, you little viper. : “W-What?? Harsh...": “What, you expect me to believe that you actually put effort into this? Do you think I’m stupid?”: “I'm not a writer! Maybe it's not very good, but yeah, I did put in effort. We all start somewhere, right?" If you're still proud of the first poem you ever wrote, then I'd like to read it."One of the first things I ever wrote was a Star Ocean 2 fanfiction and it is just godawful. It’s still up on FF.net as mostly a message to myself on how horrible writing can be if I let it. : “!!": “Painful to think about?": “..." : “Well, sorry. You'll get better, anyway. I'd tell you what to improve, but you're better off just trying again.": “Fair enough...well, to each their own, I guess.": “Anyway, I guess I gotta share mine now...knowing you, you'll probably think it's stupid." BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Natsuki) **New!** Poem impressions: I like this. We’re not going to hear it because Natsuki straight up hates our poem, but Monika says that Natsuki’s style is similar to Shel Silverstein, and I can see it. The simplistic style helps drive home harder points then you would expect from the basic prose. I also appreciate that Natsuki writes in a script I can read easily – that can’t be said about all of the girls. BGM: Okay, Everyone! : “Yeah...I told you that you weren't gonna like it.": “I like it.": “What? Just be honest!": “I am. Why are you so convinced that I wouldn't like it?": “Well--because!" : “So people don't even take my writing seriously."Considering her poem, it’s pretty plain why she thinks that we’re terrible – we opted for something much heavier than her style and it very clearly did NOT suit her. : “But isn't the point of poems for people to express themselves? Your writing style wouldn't make your message any less valid.": “Yes! Exactly! I like when it's easy to read, but it hits you hard. Like in this poem. Seeing everyone around you do great things can be really disheartening...so I decided to write about it.": “Yeah, I understand.": “But the other nice thing about simple writing is that it puts more weight on the wordplay. Like I set up for a rhyme at the end, but then made it fall flat on purpose. It helps bring out the feeling in the last line.": “So you did...I guess more went into it than I realized.": “That's what it means to be a pro!" : “Didn't expect that from the youngest one here, did you?": “Yeah...guess not."I decide to humor her with that last comment. I don't really care how old everyone is, but if Natsuki is feeling proud then I won't take that away from her. There’s definitely some Napoleon syndrome there. Alright, we’re 1-1 on people who think our poem is good or not. What does the childhood friend think of our angst?  : “This is a good poem, Mitayo! Are you sure it's your first time?"Phrasing. : “Of course...it's not that good. Am I the kind of guy who would be writing poems in his spare time?": “Ehehe, I guess you're right~ but that's why it impressed me! Well, to be honest...I was afraid that you wouldn't do it seriously or that you wouldn't write one at all. I'm really happy just that you wrote one."The faith in me is inspiring, Sayori. : “It just reminds me of how you're really a part of the club now~"(Not to mention the fact that I'm standing in front of you in the clubroom...?) : “Er...well, of course. I'm not really into it yet, but that doesn't mean I'll break my promise.": “See? It's like I said before, Mitayo...deep down, you're not selfish at all, you know? Trying new things like this for other people...that's something that only really good people do!": “Thanks...Sayori."...I'm not sure if Sayori sees the full picture of my motive here. Then again...I can't deny that she's part of the reason I joined. Knowing how much this means to her and all... I originally joined for cupcakes but now I’m here for girls. Poetry is just a…benefit? Consequence? Depends on the point of view, I suppose. : “Yeah. And I'm gonna make sure you have lots of fun here, okay? That will be my way of thanking you~": “Alright, I'm going to hold you to that, then.": “Yay~! Now, you'll read my poem too, right? Don't worry, I'm really bad at this. Ehehe..."I really like Sayori. She really strives to see to see the optimistic side of things. : “We'll see about that." BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Sayori) **New!** Poem impressions: See, now this one I like. Light, easy language and a concept that isn’t doused in symbolism. BGM: Okay, Everyone! : “Sayori...this is just a guess, but...did you wait until this morning to write this?"Wow, super rude. : “No! J-Just a little bit!"…but apparently it’s true, so I guess I can’t fault Mitayo too much. Still rude, though. : “You can't answer 'just a little bit' to a yes or no question...": “I forgot to do it last night...": “Well, at least that makes me feel a little better about myself...": “Don't be mean!" : “Ah, yeah...I didn't mean to say that it was a bad poem. It came out nice...or, how should I put it…it sounds just like you."”I’m not saying it’s BAD, I’m just saying it looks like you wrote it in five minutes. It’s a compliment, really! : “Really?": “Yeah. Especially that last line...": “I made eggs and toast!": “Even though you were late to school...?" : “I get all cranky..."This is an important lesson to remember. Breakfast is important, kids! : “Well, I guess there's no point in arguing...anyway, thanks for showing me.": “Ehehe~ this was so much fun. Monika's the best!"She really is. : “Ah...yeah.": “But next time, I won't forget. And I'm gonna write the best poem ever!": “Well, I guess I look forward to it."Alright, three down. Now, just Monika remains.  : “Having a good time so far?": “Ah...yeah.": “Good! Glad to hear it! By the way, since you're new and everything...if you ever have any suggestions for the club, like new activities, or things we can do better...I'm always listening! Don't be afraid to bring things up, okay?": “Alright...I'll keep that in mind."Of course I'll be afraid to bring things up. I'm much better off just going with the flow until I'm more settled in. : “Anyway...want to share your poem with me?": “It's kind of embarrassing, but I guess I have to.": “Ahahaha!" : “We're all a little embarrassed today, you know? But it's that sort of barrier that we'll all learn to get past soon.": “Yeah, that's true."I hand Monika my poem. : “Great job, Mitayo! I was going 'Ooh' in my head while reading it. It's really metaphorical! I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect you to go for something so deep. I guess I underestimated you!"Thank the Goons. I’m a firm group B supporter.  This is also an important life lesson. : “That way, it always counts when I put in some effort.": “Ahaha! That's not very fair! Well, I guess it worked, anyway. You know that Yuri likes this kind of writing, right? Writing that's full of imagery and symbolism. Unlike Sayori, who likes using simple and direct words to describe happiness and sadness...Yuri likes it when readers are left to derive their own meaning out of it. It's very challenging to write like that effectively. Both allowing people to get something out of it just by feel...or letting them deeply analyze all of the nuances."The problem that can occur with Yuri’s writing is that it can stretch too far into pretentious, though. Not saying that she’s reached that point, but it’s not too far off. : “It can take years of practice, which I'm assuming Yuri has at this point. I never really asked, though...": “I'm sure I'm nowhere near her level yet.": “Don't worry so much about that! You do your own thing." : “I'm sure I'll end up trying different things a lot. It could take a while before I feel comfortable doing this.": “That's okay! I'd love to see you try new things. That's the best way to find the kind of style that suits you. Everyone else might be a little bit biased toward their own kinds of styles...but I'll always help you find what suits you the most! So don't force yourself to write the way everyone else wants you to write. It's not like you have to worry about impressing them or anything.": “Ahaha!": “Ahaha..."Ahaha! Why are we laughing? : “Anyway, do you want to read my poem now? Don't worry, I'm not very good...": “You sound pretty confident for someone who claims to not be very good.": “Well...that's 'cause I have to sound confident. That doesn't mean I always feel that way, you know?"As mentioned in previous updates, Monika’s the ‘cool girl’ – this is an interesting insight into her character. She always has to feel ‘on’ – but at times, it could be little more than a mask. : “I see...well, let's read it, then." BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Monika) Poem impressions: Monika, more than any of the other girls, tends to write long poetry that won’t easily fit onto one screenshot. If my fantastic photoshop skills aren’t up to par, here’s a slightly easier to read version. quote:Hole in the Wall Anyways, I like Monika’s poetry. It flows a lot more like normal language to a cadence than a regular poetry. It makes it seem more natural – more real. BGM: Okay, Everyone! : “So...what do you think?": “Hmm...it's very...freeform, if that's what you call it. Sorry, I'm not really the right person to ask for feedback...": “Ahaha. It's okay. Yeah, that kind of style has gotten pretty popular nowadays. That is, a lot of poems have been putting emphasis on the timing between words and lines. When performed out loud, it can be really powerful."Most of these poems – and all poetry in general, to be honest – are stronger when performed. With limited exceptions, actually reading poetry lessens the impact of the piece. : “What was the inspiration behind this one?": “Ah...well, I'm not sure if I know how to put it..." : “It's been influencing my poems a bit.": “An epiphany?": “Yeah...something like that. I'm kind of nervous to talk about deep stuff like that, because it's kind of coming on strongly...maybe after everyone is better friends with each other. Anyway...": “Here's Monika's Writing Tip of the Day!": “Sometimes when you're writing a poem - or a story - your brain gets too fixated on a specific point...if you try so hard to make it perfect, then you'll never make any progress. Just force yourself to get something down on the paper, and tidy it up later! Another way to think about it is this: If you keep your pen in the same spot for too long, you'll just get a big dark puddle of ink. So just move your hand, and go with the flow!": “...That's my advice for today!" Again, this is more worthwhile writing advice in general. Anyways, that’s everyone. Anyone poetry’d out, yet? I certainly hope not! BGM: Ohayou Sayori! : “Phew..."I guess that's everyone. I glance around the room. That was a little more stressful than I anticipated. It's as if everyone is judging me for my mediocre writing abilities...Even if they're just being nice, there's no way my poems can stand up to theirs. This is a literature club, after all. I sigh - I guess that's what I ended up getting myself into. Across the room, Sayori and Monika are happily chatting. My eyes land on Yuri and Natsuki.  As they read in tandem, I watch each of their expressions change. Natsuki's eyebrows furrow in frustration. Meanwhile, Yuri smiles sadly. : “(What's with this language...?)": “Eh? Um...did you say something?": “Oh, it's nothing."Natsuki dismissively returns the poem to the desk with one hand. : “I guess you could say it's fancy."”This pile of poo poo sure does sparkle.” : “Ah-- Thanks..." : “Cute? Did you completely miss the symbolism or something? It's clearly about the feeling of giving up. How can that be cute?"Uh oh, the hackles are officially up. : “I-I know that! I just meant...the language, I guess. I was trying to say something nice...": “Eh? You mean you have to try that hard to come up with something nice to say? Thanks, but it really didn't come out nice at all!": “Um..." : “Hmph. If I was looking for suggestions, I would have asked someone who actually liked it. Which people did, by the way. Sayori liked it. And Mitayo did, too! So based on that, I'll gladly give you some suggestions of my own. First of all--": “Excuse me...I appreciate the offer, but I've spent a long time establishing my writing style. I don't expect it to change anytime soon, unless of course I come across something particularly inspiring. Which I haven't yet."These two sure are getting heated over poetry. Though, to be fair, it’s more than that. This is about style in general, and they’re obviously interested in writing or they wouldn’t be in the Literature Club to begin with.  : “And Mitayo liked my poem too, you know. He even told me he was impressed by it."Eh. Natsuki suddenly stands up. : “Oh? I didn't realize you were so invested in trying to impress our new member, Yuri."BGM: Poem Panic! **New** Please leave me out of this. As an aside, if you’re not already listening to the BGM tracks, listen to this one. It’s ridiculous and adorable and reminds me a little of the Darkseed 2 circus theme. : “E-Eh?! That's not what I...! Uu, you...You're just..."Yuri stands up as well.  : “Huh! And how do you know he didn't appreciate my advice more?" Are you that full of yourself?": “I...! No...if I was full of myself...I would deliberately go out of my way to make everything I do overly cutesy!"You’ve got to be seriously antagonistic if you’re able to get Yuri yelling at you. : “Uuuuuu...!" : “Is everyone okay...?": “Well, you know what?! I wasn't the one whose boobs magically grew a size bigger as soon as Mitayo started showing up!!": “N-Natsuki!!": “Um, Natsuki, that's a little--" : “I-I don't like fighting, guys...!"Suddenly, both girls turn towards me, as if they just noticed I was standing there. : “Mitayo...! She-- She's just trying to make me look bad...!": “That's not true! She started it!"NUH-UH, YOU STARTED IT : “If she could get over herself and learn to appreciate that simple writing is more effective...then this wouldn't have happened in the first place!" : “The meaning should jump out at the reader, not force them to have to figure it out. Help me explain that to her, Mitayo!": “W-Wait! There's a reason we have so many deep and expressive words in our language! It's the only way to convey complex feelings and meaning the most effectively. Avoiding them is not only unnecessarily limiting yourself...it's also a waste! You understand that, right, Mitayo?": “Um...!" : “Well??": “..."How did I get dragged into this in the first place?! It's not like I know anything about writing...but whomever I agree with, they'll probably think more highly of me!  Frankly, I think that they’re both wrong, but this fortunately isn’t my decision. It’s yours! VOTE TIME – who should we side with? *Natsuki (Simple words and ideas have a bigger impact) *Yuri (Expressive language provokes stronger feelings) *Sayori (stop fighting guys )Roar fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Oct 17, 2017 |
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Oct 13, 2017 23:33
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5. BGM: Poem Panic!  I'm glad this won because it's my personal opinion – they’re both being pretty dumb about this. Sayori, bail me out here. : “N-Natsuki..."Natsuki glares at me, drying up any words I had in my mouth. So instead, I turn to Yuri. : “Yuri...": “..."But Yuri's expression is so defenseless that I can't bring myself to say anything to her. BGM: Music fades out. : “...Sayori!" : “...Yeah! Everyone's fighting is making Sayori uncomfortable. How can the two of you keep fighting when you know you're making your friend feel like this?": “Mitayo...": “Well... that's her problem! This isn't about her.": “I-I agree...it's unfair for others to interject their own feelings into our conflict.": “Yeah, unless Sayori wants to tell Yuri what a stuck-up jerk she's being."BGM: Poem Panic! You're not helping! : “She would never...! It's your immaturity that's made her upset in the first place!": “ Excuse me? Are you listening to yourself? This is exactly why...exactly why nobody likes--"Woah, woah, now! Too far! BGM: Music ends abruptly.  : “--"BGM: Daijoubu! **New!** : “Natsuki! Yuri! You guys are my friends! I-I just want everyone to get along and be happy! My friends are wonderful people...and I love them because of their differences! Natsuki's poems...they're amazing because they give you so many feelings with just a few words! And Yuri's poems are amazing because they paint beautiful pictures in your head!": “Everyone's so talented...so why are we fighting...?": “Be-Because...": “Well...": “Also! Natsuki's cute and there's nothing wrong with that!" : “Big and beautiful!!"That’s the spirit! : “...": “...": “Sayori..."Sayori stands triumphantly. Monika stands behind her with a bewildered expression. : “I'll...make some tea..."Yuri rushes off. Natsuki sits down with a blank expression on her face, staring at nothing. : “So, this is why Sayori is Vice President..."I whisper to Monika. She nods in return. : “To be honest...I might come off as a good leader, and I can organize things..." : “I couldn't even bring myself to interject. As President, that's kind of embarrassing of me. Ahaha..."I mean, to be fair, you did try to interject. You just didn’t do an amazingly good job of it. : “Nah...it's not like I can blame you. I wasn't able to say anything, either."You just got here. It’s not your place to do so. : “Well...I guess that just means Sayori is amazing in her own ways, isn't she?": “You could say that. She might be an airhead, but sometimes it's weirdly suspicious that she knows exactly what she's doing.”: “I see~" : “I would hate to see her get herself hurt.": “That makes two of us...you can count on me."She's our best friend. Have a little faith in us, please. Monika smiles sweetly at me, causing my stomach to knot. Such a genuine person really does make a good President, regardless of what she says. If only I could get the chance to talk to her a little more... Well, our friendship is just starting. I’m sure we’ll get our chance sooner or later. Alright, so here’s the thing – if I go on from here, this update would be way shorter than I’d like…and honestly, all of the responses have interesting character development. This is the conclusion we’re going with, but since I had a lot of spare time this morning, I’m going to include the other two options as well. Am I not merciful? I have no intentions of doing this for every decision in this game, so don’t get used to it. Unless, of course, I do in fact do it for every decision in this game. Only time will tell! BGM: Poem Panic!  BGM: Music fades out. : “Natsuki. You're right that I liked your poem.": “See??"BGM: Daijoubu! : “Wait! That's not an excuse for you to be so mean! You shouldn't pick a fight just because someone's opinion is different.": “That's not what happened at all!"That is one hundred percent literally what happened. We were all there, Natsuki.  : “Mm...I understand. Yuri?": “Eh?": “You're a seriously talented writer. It's no secret that I was impressed.": “W-Well, that's...": “But here's the thing. No matter how simple or refined someone's writing style is...they're still putting feelings into it, and it becomes something really personal. That's why Natsuki felt threatened when you said her poem was cute.": “I...see...I didn't notice that I...I-I'm sorry...uuu..." : “Yuri means well, and if you just told her how you felt...then this wouldn't have happened in the first place.": “Are you kidding? That's exactly what I did! It was her that--": “Natsuki, I think that's enough. You both said some things that you didn't mean.” : “Nnn...!"Natsuki clenches her fists. In the end, nobody has taken her side. She's trapped, at this point being defiant only because she can't handle the pressure. I end up even feeling bad for her. : “U-Um! Sometimes when I'm hurt...” : “Sayori, she doesn't need to--": “You know what? I'm going to do that. It'll spare me from having to look at all your faces right now."Without warning, Natsuki snatches her own poem up from the desk and storms out. On her way out, she crumples up the poem with her hands and throws it in the trash. My daughter is ten years old and she is leaps and bounds more mature than Natsuki is. : “Natsuki...": “She really didn't need to do that..."I look across the room. Yuri has her chin buried in her hands while she stares down at her desk. I gingerly approach her and sit in an adjacent chair.  : “Everything alright?": “I'm so embarrassed...I can't believe I acted like that. You probably hate me now..."Why in the world would I hate you for having a fight with someone else? I’ve never understood this thought process. : “No--Yuri! How could anyone not have gotten frustrated after being treated like that? You handled it as well as anyone could. I don't think any less of you.": “Well...alright, I believe you. Thanks, Mitayo. You're too kind. I'm thankful to have you a part of this club now.": “Er-- It's nothing.": “One more thing...um, that one thing that Natsuki said..." You mean about your allegedly bigger honkers? Is that what you mean, Yuri? : “I would never do anything...so shameful...so...": “...Eh? What thing did Natsuki say?": “--! U-Um!"I honestly can’t tell if Mitayo is actually curious or if he’s just trolling Yuri but I approve either way. : “Well, never mind that...I-I'm going to go make some tea...": “Ah, good idea. Make enough for more than one person, okay?": “Y-Yeah."And finally... BGM: Poem Panic!  BGM: Music fades out. : “Um...Yuri! You're really talented.": “Eh? W-Well..."BGM: Daijoubu! : “But Natsuki has a point! I think that..."I wrack my brain in an attempt to back myself up. : “I think that conveying feelings with few words can be just as impressive as well! It lets the reader's imagination take over. And Natsuki's poem did a really good job at that!" : “It did, didn't it?! Ahah! Shows how much you know!" She's even a graceless winner.: “T-That's not...": “Natsuki...I think that's enough.": “Huh? Me? But she was so mean to me...!"Natsuki's voice whines. : “Look...what we talked about yesterday was right. Writing is a really personal thing. And sharing it can definitely be hard.  : “Even small criticism can lead to something pretty heated."I glance over my shoulder. Sayori is nodding vigorously. : “Yeah, so you don't need to feel threatened. You're a great writer, Natsuki.": “Ah--"Natsuki's voice gets caught in surprise. : “...Thanks for noticing."She finally mutters that, barely audible. : “Yuri...": “...?"Yuri looks at me dejectedly. With a face like that, I can't help but feel bad for her as well. : “I'm sure that Natsuki didn't mean everything she said. So you don't need to feel threatened, either.": “Well...If you say so...": “Hey...! It's not like you need to apologize for me, Mitayo. Sheesh."Well, it wasn’t clearly obvious that you WERE going to, so I mean… Natsuki takes a breath. : “I...the thing about...uu..."Natsuki glances around the room.  Unsurprisingly, Natsuki has a harder time with it than she boasted. Sayori and Monika look away. : “Hmph. Anyway...!" : “That's all."”Everything else, though? Entirely true.” Natsuki looks away, avoiding eye contact with anyone. : “Yeah! You're naturally beautiful, Yuri!!": “Sayori?!": “...I-I'll go make some tea...": “Ehh? I was just trying to help!": “I'm sure she appreciated it, Sayori."I pat Sayori on the shoulder. : “Well, now that we're past that...everyone's read each other's poems, right? I hope that it was worthwhile for everyone! Especially you, Mitayo! And to be honest...it's a nice change of pace from the lazing around we got a little too used to. Ahahaha!"Oh, hey, she actually does mention that they don’t things in this club. I never really noticed this line during my normal playthrough. : “Ah, so my joining the club was responsible for ruining the atmosphere...": “No, not at all, not at all! There's still time before we go home. So we'll all relax for a bit. Of course, besides chatting, we do literature-related things in the clubroom...so maybe you can take the chance to pick up a book, or do some writing. After all, that's what the club is for!": “I disagree, Monika!": “Eh? About what?": “That's not the most important thing about the literature club! The most important thing..."  : “Ahaha, of course...well, I guess that's why you're the Vice President, Sayori.": “Ehehe..."In the end, though, Monika's right. Being in the Literature Club probably means I can't spend all my time doing nothing. But in the end...I guess it's been worth it so far. We've done remarkably little in this club so far so I don't see why not. All three paths merge at this point. Remember, the last two scenes didn't actually happen - we went with the Sayori option.  : “It's just about time for us to leave. How did you all feel about sharing poems?": “It was a lot of fun!": “Well, I'd say it was worth it.": “It was alright. Well, mostly.": “Mitayo, how about you?": “...Yeah, I'd say the same. It was a neat thing to talk about with everyone.": “Awesome! In that case, we'll do the same thing tomorrow. And maybe you learned something from your friends, too.” We, uh, sure are focusing on poetry in this club. Are there other forms of literature that we’re going to focus on or what? : “..."I think to myself. I did learn a little more about the kinds of poems everyone likes. With any luck, that means I can at least do a better job impressing those I want to impress. I nod to myself with newfound determination. : “Mitayo! Ready to walk home?": “Sure, let's go.": “Ehehe~"Sayori beams at me. It truly has been a while since Sayori and I have spent this much time together. I can't really say I'm not enjoying it, either. : “Sayori...about what happened earlier..." : “You know, between Yuri and Natsuki. Does that kind of thing happen often?"”Do they usually make boob-related accusations?” : “No, no, no! That's really the first time I've seen them fight like that...I promise they're both wonderful people. You don't... You don't hate them, do you??"Again with this. I’ve honestly hated very few people in my life – Yuri and Natsuki would need to do a lot more than be mean to each other to join that list. : “No, I don't hate them! I just wanted your opinion, that's all. I can see why they'd make good friends with you.": “Phew...you know, Mitayo...it's nice that I get to spend time with you in the club. But I think seeing you get along with everyone is what makes me the happiest. “ : “That's--!": “Ehehe~ Every day is going to be so much fun~": “Sigh..."It looks like Sayori still hasn't caught onto the kind of situation I'm in. Sure, being friends with everyone is nice, but...does it really need to stop there? We’re getting some indications that he’s up for love. I mean, we’ve been there all along, but Mitayo is finally joining the party. : “We'll just have to see what the future holds, Sayori."I pat Sayori on the shoulder. I said that more to myself than to her, but it's easy to use Sayori as an internal monologue sometimes. : “Okay~!"Yeah...Let's do this! BGM: Dreams Of Love and Literature  Alright, boyos. Poem two, electric boogaloo. Do you want to stick with angst, or switch it up a little bit? A recap of the words are available below. As an added incentive, I’ll give an extra vote to anyone who writes a haiku using at least three words from their chosen group. It has to be coherent – just 5/7/5ing the words themselves doesn’t count. VOTE NOW: A, B, or C? quote:GROUP A Roar fucked around with this message at 03:35 on Oct 17, 2017 |
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Oct 14, 2017 23:40
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Logicblade posted:I think that's supposed to be Natsuki Very true and very fixed, thank you! Really Pants posted:as an aside, if you want a Polsy YouTube link to play automatically when it's opened, you can add "&autoplay=1" to the end of the URL Huh, I tried that when I first started but I must have tried to put it in the wrong place. Works like a charm now, thanks. Gonna go back and fix it in previous updates
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Oct 15, 2017 00:01
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Voting’s up! C wins. Should be able to get the next update out tonight when I get home, or tomorrow at the latest. For those interested, these are the words I went with: quote:disoriented, hopeless, contamination, graveyard, melancholy, grief, frightening, tenacious, philosophy, incongruent, fester, whirlwind, heavensent, afterimage, disarray, electricity, vivacious, uncanny, raincloud, effulgent Roar fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Oct 16, 2017 |
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Oct 15, 2017 22:14
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6. BGM: Ohayou Sayori!  I've gotten a little more comfortable here over the past couple days. Entering the clubroom, the usual scene greets me. : “Hi Mitayo~": “Yo, Sayori. Looks like you're in a good mood today."Sayori's always in a good mood. This shouldn't be a huge surprise. : “Ehehe~ I'm just still not used to you being in the club, that's all.": “I see...that's a pretty simple thing to get you in a good mood. But I guess it's always the simple things with you, anyway."Rude?  : “I'm kinda hungry...will you come with me to buy a snack?": “No thanks.": “Eh?? T-That's not like you at all!!": “I have my reasons. Why don't we take a look at your purse, Sayori?": “E-Eh? Why that...all of a sudden?": “No reason, really. I just wanted to look at it."I'm thinking of getting one myself. Is that Gucci or what? : “A-Ah..."Sayori nervously retrieves her coin purse. She fumbles with the latch and gets it open. Then, she turns it upside-down and lets its contents spill onto the desk. Only two small coins fall out.  : “I knew it...I can see right through you, Sayori.": “That's not fair! How did you even know?": “It's simple. If you had enough money in the first place, you would have bought a snack before coming to the clubroom. So, either you're not hungry and wanted an excuse to take a walk...or, you planned to conveniently forget that you spent all your money, so that I would lend you some!": “But there's one more thing...you're always hungry! And so, that only leaves the one option!"Easy there, Pheonix, she just wanted a snack. No need for the third degree. : “Uwaaa~! I give up! Don't make me feel guiltyyy!": “If you feel guilty, that means you deserve to feel guilty..." Yuri suddenly giggles. : “Eh?"I didn't notice that she was listening in. Her face is in her book, as always. : “A-Ah! I wasn't listening or anything--! It was just...something in my book..."Yuri is the worst liar in a group of super-bad liars. : “Yuriiii...tell Mitayo to let me borrow some money...": “That's--! Don't get me involved like that, Sayori. Besides...you should only buy what you can responsibly afford - and frankly, after pulling a mischievous little stunt like that, your suffering is fair enough retribution.": “...": “Ah--! Did I just... : “ I got too absorbed into my book...Uu...": “Ahaha! I really like when you speak your mind, Yuri...it doesn't happen much, but it's a fun side of you!"To be fair, she's just parroting what we said a few minutes ago. : “That's...there's no way you could think that...": “You were right, though...I did something bad and now I have to accept the revolution.": “Retribution.": “That!": “Still, coming from you, Sayori...I guess there's a little devil inside all of us, isn't there?": “Ehehe...": “Don't let her fool you. Sayori knows exactly what she's doing. After all, she told you guys she was bringing me to the club before she even told me...": “B-But...! You wouldn't have come if it weren't for the cupcakes...so I had to trick Natsuki into making them!": “Come on, give me more credit than that, Sayori."No, that's actually what happened. I've been mostly kidding about us just showing up for cupcakes, but that's pretty much the only reason you chose to show up back in the first update. : “Ehehe..." : “Kyaa--!"Out of nowhere, something smacks Sayori in the face and tumbles onto the desk. : “Ow...what was-- Eh?? A-A cookie!"Sure enough, it's a giant cookie wrapped in plastic. Sayori glances around. : “I-Is this a miracle?? It's because I paid my restitution!": “Retribution.": “Actually, that one almost worked...": “Ahahaha!": “I was just gonna give it to you, but then I heard you blab about the cupcakes. It was totally worth seeing your reaction, though. Ahaha!"It's interesting that this seems to be a purchased cookie as opposed to one that Natsuki baked herself. It's also interesting for other reasons that I can't get into right now. : “N-Natsuki! That's so nice of you! I'm so happy..."Sayori hugs the cookie. : “Jeez, just eat it..."Sayori rapidly tears open the wrapper and takes a big bite. : “Sho good...Mmf--!"Sayori suddenly clasps her hands over her mouth. : “I bit my tongue..." : “You're going through a lot over just one cookie."This reinforces my 'Sayori is a puppy' theory. Natsuki takes a bite of her own cookie. : “Ah, yours looks really good too, Natsuki! Can I try it?": “Jeez...beggars can't be choosers!": “But yours is chocolate...": “Yeah, why do you think I gave you that one?"This seems fair. That being said, I would go for a white chocolate macademia nut cookie over most anything other type. : “Fine...still, I'm really happy that you shared this one with me. Ehehe~"Sayori gets out of her seat and goes behind Natsuki, then wraps her arms around her. Cookie still in hand, Natsuki reaches up to nudge Sayori off of her.  Sayori suddenly leans down and takes a bite out of Natsuki's cookie. : “H-Hey!! Did you seriously just do that?!": “Uhuhuhu!"I don't have internet on the computer I’m writing this on - if I did, I'd put a picture of Jabba here. Mouth full, Sayori trots away to safety. Yuri and I laugh as well. : “Jeez! You're such a kid sometimes! Monika! Can you tell Sayori--eh?"Natsuki calling someone else a kid is the biggest case of hypocrisy I've seen in a long time. Natsuki glances around. Monika isn't in the clubroom. : “Ugh...where's Monika, anyway?": “Good question...have any of you heard anything about her being late today?": “Not me...": “Yeah, I haven't either.": “Hm...that's a bit unusual.": “I hope she's okay...": “Of course she's okay. She probably just had something to do today. She's pretty popular, after all...": “Eh? You don't think she...she has a...!": “Ahaha. I wouldn't be surprised. She's probably more desirable than all of us combined."That seems over-the-top, but she is supposed to be the prom queen of the group. : “Ehehe, that's true...": “Excuse me?!"Natsuki finally realizes that that's almost a dig. Suddenly, the door swings open.  : “Ah, there you are...": “I didn't mean to be late...I hope you guys weren't worried or anything!": “Eh?? Monika chose the club over her boyfriend after all! You're so strong-willed!": “B-Boyfriend...? What on Earth are you talking about?"She runs a literature/poetry club. It might not be as easy as one thinks to get one of those. Monika quizzically glances at me. : “Ah, never mind that...what held you up, anyway?": “Ah...well, my last period today was study hall. To be honest, I kind of just lost track of time...ahaha...": “That makes no sense, though. You would have heard the bell ring, at least.": “I must not have heard it, since I was practicing piano...": “Piano...? I wasn't aware you played music as well, Monika.": “Ah, I don't, really...! I kind of just started recently. I've always wanted to learn piano.": “That's so cool! You should play something for us, Monika!": “That's..."Monika looks at me.  : “Yay~!"Pretty soon we're going to be the Poetry-And-Piano Club, just you wait. We could call ourselves Doki Doki P-P. : “That sounds cool. I'd also look forward to it.": “Is that so? In that case...I won't let you down, Mitayo."Monika smiles sweetly. : “Ah...I didn't mean any pressure or anything like that!": “Ahaha, don't worry. I've been practicing a whole lot recently. And I'd really love the chance to share once I'm ready."This is gonna be like the ending of Groundhog Day with Phil Connors, isn't it? : “I see...in that case, best of luck.": “Thanks~! So, I didn't miss anything, did I?"Sayori tried to scam me and then she and Natsuki had antics. : “Not...not really."I choose to leave out Sayori's mischievous escapade. I'm sure Natsuki will end up complaining to her, anyway. It looks like everyone has already settled down. Sayori somehow already finished her entire cookie. Yuri is back to her book, and Natsuki disappeared into the closet. ---------------- BGM: Play With Me!  : “Eh?": “Ah..."I suddenly notice that Yuri is reading a different book from the one we've been reading together. : “Sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt...": “Ah, no...I was kind of just waiting for you...": “Ah, if that's the case...why don't we go ahead and get started?": “Yes, let's! Actually, I have a request...do you mind if I make some tea first?": “Not at all.": “Thanks very much. If there's one thing that can make my reading time here any better, it's a nice cup of tea. Not to mention for yourself, as well."I’m more of a coffee man myself, but I can get down with a good cuppa. Yuri stands up and makes her way to the closet. I follow and watch as she retrieves a small water pitcher from the shelf - the kind with a filter inside.  : “Sure..."Yuri hands me the water pitcher and also fetches an electric kettle. : “I'm going to plug this in at the teacher's desk, and then we'll go get some water."She walks past me and sets the kettle down on the teacher's desk. I simply watch her movements. To my surprise, the way she moves really contrasts her speaking mannerisms. Especially because of her long legs, Yuri appears elegant and methodical. I think that just Monika is taller than Yuri, but it’s hard to tell. : “Okay, may I have the water pitcher? ...thanks. I'll be right back.: “Ah, I might as well walk with you...": “Yeah...why not? Shall we go, then?": “Yeah...": “Hm? Where are you two off to?"The book shop. We just read the most wonderful story! About a beanstalk and an ogre and- : “Eh? We're just...Yuri was going to make some tea, so..."I suddenly realize how weird it sounds to explain this to Monika. : “We're just filling the water pitcher...": “Ah, okay! Sorry, I was just a bit curious...that's kind of a one-person job, isn't it?": “That's--" Wooooah.: “Or do you want to tell me there's something wrong with helping involve Mitayo in club activities?": “E-Eh...?": “--!"My mouth gapes. : “I...I suppose there's nothing wrong with that...": “Hmph...then let's go, Mitayo.": “Ah..."Yuri quickly exits the room, and I follow. BGM: Music fades out. Once in the hallway, she suddenly puts her forehead against the wall. : “I spoke without thinking...how could I say something like that...?": “Yuri...": “I just...something about the way she said that... : “What's wrong with me...?"You were a little…abrupt…I guess, but there’s nothing necessarily wrong with what you said. It was just surprising, is all. : “No, Yuri. I think you did the right thing! I wasn't expecting it, but...it's also not right for Monika to judge people like that."BGM: My Feelings **New!** : “Mitayo...how come even when I do something bad...you're being nice to me?": “Because. Nothing that you do is as bad as you make it seem in your head. Nobody's perfect. We have emotions, and we can't always hide them away. But you always amplify things in your head...your mind turns a light rain shower into a hurricane." : “Wouldn't you hate me for something as terrible as that...?": “Why would I hate you? I can't hate someone for having emotions...what kind of friend would do that?": “Friend...you say? Ah...um..."Yuri lifts her head. : “Mitayo...I really like...being friends with you!": “Ahaha...thanks, Yuri. I like being friends with you too..."I feel kind of awkward saying something like that...but I'm doing my best to help Yuri feel better. These two are either super awkward or completely adorable. Or both. : “Anyway...!": “Ah-- Yeah...shall we go?": “Yeah."Yuri and I walk to the nearest water fountain. Once we fill up the water pitcher, we return to the classroom. BGM: Play With Me!  If I’m going to do tea, I prefer it green or Earl Grey. I’m not even sure what Oolong tastes like, exactly. : “Ah, yeah. Anything is fine.": “Very well."Yuri sets the temperature on the kettle to 200 degrees. : “Now it's time to get the teapot.": “You really do this properly, don't you?": “Of course...I shouldn't do any less when I'm making tea for others.": “Even if I'm not an expert on tea or anything...?": “Huhu. In that case, you'll only be even more impressed."Maybe I’m really wrong here but I don’t think making tea is all that complicated. Maybe Yuri elevates it to a fine art. : “Ah...perhaps I will!"Yuri fetches the teapot and begins measuring the tea leaves. To my surprise, she even starts humming a little to herself. : “You must be in a good mood now...": “Is that so? I was letting it show...and you noticed.""How could I be so stupid?? You hate me, don't you??" : “I was doing a bit of thinking...and I decided that I would try expressing myself a little bit more. It turns out it's not very hard for me to do...when it's you who's around, anyway.": “Ah...that's great, Yuri! Just don't push yourself too much.": “You're always worrying about me, Mitayo...it's very endearing.": “That's..."Yuri wasn't kidding...I don't even know if I can keep up with this...! I watch Yuri pour a cup of tea for each of us. : “Mitayo, I have another request: do you mind if we sit on the floor today?"That’s an…unusual request. : “Eh? Why's that?": “It's a little bit easier on my back...I can read with my back against the wall rather than bending over at my desk.": “Ah, sorry, I didn't realize.": “No worries. I just have back pain fairly regularly, so I do my best to manage it.": “Is that so? I wonder why that is...": “It's most likely because my--ah--m-my...": “Your posture, right? Always hunched over like that while reading...": “Yes! I have terrible reading posture! So that's why we should sit on the floor."This is another boob joke. A lot of girls with big ol' honkers have back problems. This is a known and relatively common problem so I don't know why Yuri's so embarrassed about it, but that's Yuri for you. How this problem is alleviated by sitting on the floor is unclear - I'd figure that the lumbar support of a hard seat would be better. I'm no expert, though. : “Fair enough. I'll go ahead and get the book."I retrieve the book from my bag. Wait, are we sharing the book again? Is this going to continue being a thing? : “Ah, I have some chocolate as well..."It's a bag of small chocolate candies that I kept hidden from Sayori's candy radar. I take it, since it'll go well with the tea. "Hey Yuri, do you want a kiss? (uncontrollable eigth-grade giggling)" Yuri and I then sit against the wall, teacups at our sides. As if in sync, we assume the same reading position as last time, each holding one half of the book. Except this time...our bodies are even closer to each other. Okay, yep, I guess they ARE sharing the book again. Seriously, just return the other one, Yuri. : “I can't see too well...": “--!"Yuri slides closer until our shoulders are touching. How am I supposed to focus on reading like this...?! Yuri was always kind of cute, but...when she's being less apprehensive, it's almost more than I can handle! : “Your teacup..."Yuri hands me my teacup. Holding it with my hand that's not holding the book, I end up in a position that makes it even harder to focus. Because now I need to worry about making sure I don't accidentally touch her chest...! Meanwhile, Yuri hasn't noticed a single thing. She wears her intense reading expression, and I can only presume the world around her has faded away. I use all of my willpower to focus on reading. After a few minutes, I finally manage to relax a little. I put the teacup between my legs and fumble with the chocolate wrapper. ”For some reason, I found it very easy to balance my tea cup on my lap.” : “Ah, sorry..."I briefly let go of the book to finish opening the wrapper. : “You can have as much as you want.": “Ah, that's...that's okay, I won't take any...": “Eh? Are you sure?": “Well...if I touch it, then it might get smudges on the pages...": “Ah, you're right...I didn't even think about that. My bad...": “No need to apologize. I'll hold the book, okay?": “Are you sure...?": “Of course." She holds it so that I don't have any harder of a time reading from it. But as a result, her left arm is practically resting on top of my leg. : “Well, in that case..."Yuri is already totally focused on reading again. I take a chocolate candy and pop it into my mouth. Then, I take another chocolate...and I hold it up to Yuri. She doesn't even look away from the book. She simply parts her lips, as if this situation was completely natural. But that means I can't stop here! I apprehensively place the chocolate in her mouth. Just like that, Yuri closes her lips over it. Haha, wow. That’s…almost smooth. : “Eh...?" : “Did...did I just..."Yuri looks at me like she needs to confirm what just happened. : “U-Um...Mitayo...""You probably hate me now, don't you?" : “S-Sorry! I guess I shouldn't have done that...": “Ah, that's...well...y-you were just helping...that's something that...friends do...right?": “I mean..."Not really in this kind of context, but... Yeah, this isn’t really a ‘friend’ thing. : “Yeah...that's all it was.": “Yeah...then...you don't need to stop or anything...": “I-I see..."The situation has gotten really tense...Yuri tries to return to the book. But I can tell just by her expression that even she can't focus now. My heart is pounding...I nervously take another chocolate between my fingers. But this time, Yuri's eyes meet mine. Okay, this is officially no longer about the chocolate. : “..."How did it even come to this...? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss. Yuri doesn't avert her gaze.  I raise my arm... : “Ah..."Like before, Yuri parts her lips. But...it's different this time. I take the chocolate and place it in her mouth. I feel her hot breath on my fingers. : “Okay, everyone!"BGM: Music ends abruptly. : “Uwa--": “A-Ah!"LITBLOCKED BGM: Ohayou Sayori! Yuri jolts back. : “It's time to share poems! Mitayo, you can help Yuri put away the tea stuff, right?"”Also, could you stop the foreplay during club time, please?” : “Y-Yeah...of course.": “Okay, thanks!"The spell is abruptly broken.  : “Yeah..."Yuri picks up the teacups from the floor. I pick up the bag of chocolates. In the end, we hastily clean up without so much as a word between us. I get the feeling this is something neither of us will have the courage to bring up... Yeah, seems about right considering the two of them. BGM: Okay, Everyone!  You know the drill, boyos. If you have a request of who to show our Hot Topic poem to first, let me know - but it's not a huge deal if you don't care. No huge difference choice-wise. As an aside, I appreciate all of the lovely poetry received so far. It’s starting to feel like we’re all part of the Literature Club now.  Roar fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Oct 17, 2017 |
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Oct 16, 2017 01:12
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witchcore ricepunk posted:I don't mean to be snarky but I think it would be really funny if Natsuki really was Red XIII in disguise. Heheheh! ...I have no idea how I keep making that mistake. I don’t even like FF7. Gonna fix it in a minute. In other news, I changed the user portraits. Should be better and less weirdly narrow in upcoming updates, but I’m not a graphic artist so v vMonika: Old:  New: Yuri: Old:  New: Natsuki: Old:  New: Sayori: Old:  New:
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Oct 16, 2017 17:23
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7. BGM: Okay, Everyone! Strap in, boyos, this update's a long one.  It was a threeway tie between Yuri, Natsuki, and Monika - or at least it was until that last minute vote . Before that, the only thing you all can agree on is not Sayori.  : "...": "......"Yuri stares at the poem with a surprised expression on her face. : “Do you...like it?": "Mitayo...this one might even be better than yesterday's. How did you even pick up on this so quickly...? Just yesterday, I was telling you the kind of techniques worth practicing...": “Maybe that's why...you did a good job explaining. I really wanted to try giving it more imagery."Yuri visibly swallows. Even her hands appear sweaty. There's vomit on her sweater already. Mom's spaghetti, she's nervous.  : “Used to what?": "I don't know...!": “It's fine, take your time..."Yuri breathes and collects her thoughts. I know that Yuri likes to think before she speaks, so I offer that patience to her. : "Yeah...just...being appreciated like this...I guess. It probably sounds really stupid, but seeing someone motivated by my writing...it just makes me really happy..."I've started deleting some of Yuri's ellipses, but not all of them. I think there were three more sets in that last statement and it didn't flow well at all. : “Are you saying you've never shared your writing before?"Yuri nods. : “Really? I don't believe it.": "I really only write for myself...and besides..." : “Do you really think that...?"Again, Yuri nods. : “Huh...even your close friends?": "..."Yuri doesn't respond to that. I wonder why... I mean, look at how Natsuki responded to her poem yesterday. That was a hot mess - it's no wonder Yuri's a little paranoid...writing is obviously very important to her. : “Anyway...do you want to share the poem you wrote today?": "...Yeah. I do! If it's with you..."BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Yuri)    I told you that she wasn't lying about long poems. quote:The Raccoon Poem impressions: You know, if you feed that raccoon too much, it'll lose its fear of humans and end up seriously hurting someone and that's very irresponsible. That being said, I like this poem - she seems to have lost some of her more flowery language, so perhaps yesterday's argument struck a cord with her. BGM: Okay, Everyone! : "Um...I was a little more daring with this one than yesterday's...": “I can see that. It's a lot more metaphorical..."I don't know if it's my fault, but I can't begin to imagine what this poem is about. It's clearly about a raccoon. Weren't you listening? : "That's right. It's a bit closer to my preferred writing style...using the poem as a canvas to express vivid imagery, and conveying emotions through them.": “Yeah, if I take it at face value, then I can't even figure out what it's supposed to mean...": "Well...I think it's something that different people can relate to in their own way. I wanted to express the way it feels for me to indulge in my more unusual hobbies...it's those sorts of things I'm usually forced to keep to myself. So, I sometimes enjoy writing about them."This is an interesting topic that I can't get into at this time, so keep it tucked away for later. : “Why do you keep them to yourself?": "Be...Because...they're embarrassing...and people would make fun of me. Don't you have anything like that, Mitayo?"Does being part of the Literature Club count? : “Well...yeah, I guess I do..." : "The best we can do is respect each other and our individualities. Even if it's difficult sometimes, and some things make us uncomfortable...after all, if I hadn't learned to embrace my own weirdness, I would probably hate myself.": "I-I might be ranting a little bit now...but I'm glad that you're a good listener. You're good at a lot of things...writing, listening...""Sensuously hand feeding me chocolate..." : "There really aren't many people like you, Mitayo...": “Th-That's exaggerating a little bit...": "It's just...how I feel. I never thought I would feel so comfortable sharing my writing...but now, I almost feel like I look forward to it...it's just...a really nice feeling. And you're to thank for that.": “It's...it's nothing, really..."Yuri smiles sincerely at me. For just a moment, her timidness seems to disappear. At the very least, it's nice that we're able to pull Yuri out of her shell a little bit.   : "Well, I can admit that it's better than the last one. It's nice to see that you're putting in some effort."That might be the nicest thing Natsuki has ever said to us. : “That's good...": "But I still don't like this at all. It's trying too hard to be serious.": “Eh? What do you mean by that?": "Poems don't need to be all deep-sounding to express something. It's going to just sound like you're forcing it unless you really don't suck at it. Honestly... Don't bother trying to write poems like this until you're on Yuri's level--"Natsuki stops short all of a sudden.  : “Eh?": "You're not...you're not just trying to impress Yuri, are you?!": “W-What are you talking about?? And keep your voice down...!"I think she knows that we fancy her, Mitayo. : "You know Yuri would love this kind of...this angsty.......!!": “Just because she's a talented writer doesn't mean...I-I mean...": "Uu....!!"Looks like I'm in trouble. I somehow struck a nerve, though what I did is beyond me.  Natsuki shoves the poem I handed her back over to me. : "Take your stupid poem. If you wrote it for someone else, just don't show it to me!"It's entirely possible that I wrote it for the whole group! : “Ouch..."This is what I get for letting a younger girl step into my business. Unless I was a mind reader, I was destined to be in a world of pain from the start. At least Natsuki wasn't really the girl I was trying to impress in the first place... No, I didn't forget anything here. Natsuki flat-out doesn't show us her poem. To be fair, if we'd gone with group B words both times, Yuri would be just as closed-off...though she'd be a bit more mature about it.   : "How's the writing going?": “Alright, I guess...": "I'll take that. As long as it's not going bad! I'm happy that you're applying yourself. Maybe soon you'll come up with a masterpiece!"Uh, all of my works thus far have been gothic masterpieces, thank you very much. : “Ahaha, I wouldn't count on that...": "You never know! Want to share what you wrote for today?": “Sure... Here you go."I give my poem to Monika. : "..." : "It feels like you're not only getting more comfortable with your style...but the imagery is better than the last one I read!": "Just wondering, but have you been finding inspiration in Yuri's writing style?": “Hmm...I guess so. You can't deny that she's talented.": "Yeah, totally! I think her poems are the most...romantic. That's the best way to describe it."You do know that she wrote about a raccoon today, right? : "She's like a totally different person when she picks up a pen...": “I noticed that, too. Or when she's talking about literature, it's like a light turns on inside her.": "Mhm! Sadly, it's hard to get much personal conversation out of her..."It's not that she has problems talking, she just has no self-confidence in anything she says or does.  : "Who knows what goes on in that head of hers?": “I hope you don't mean that in a bad way.": "No, of course not! I just meant that I wish she didn't keep so much to herself...but still, defending her like that...you must be pretty into her...": “Eh?! You...completely misunderstood!"She saw you hand-feeding her chocolate. She didn't misunderstand a thing. : "Ahaha! Calm down, I'm kidding! Besides, I'm pretty sure she's already got a boyfriend...": “Wait, really?: "Yeah. A fictional one, anyway."Monika kind of whispers that last part to me. : "It's just a hunch, but...": “...Well, there's not really anything wrong with that!"Uh, you sure, bro? I don't think a Reginald Barclay is what you're looking for, Mitayo. : "Oh, well I know...! I was just saying~ but anyway...you want to read my poem now? I like the way this one turned out, so I hope you do too~": “Alright, let's take a look."BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Monika)    code:BGM: Okay, Everyone! : “Hm...it's even more abstract than your last one, huh?": "Ahaha...I guess it's just the way I write...I'm sorry if you don't like it."I really wish everyone would stop making assumptions about what I do and do not like. : “No, I never said that. It's just a kind of thing I've never really seen before, I guess.": "I kind of like playing with my space on the paper..." : "It's almost like magic. The way I wrote the lines really short makes it feel like they're trying to speak over the noise."This is the second time this update that writing has been compared to magic. : “I see...it's still hard for me to tell what it's about, though.": "Ahaha. Sometimes asking what a poem is about isn't the right question. A poem can be as abstract as a physical expression of a feeling. Or a conversation with the reader. So putting it that way, not every poem is about something.": "Anyway...": "Here's Monika's Writing Tip of the Day! Sometimes you'll find yourself facing a difficult decision..." Uh. : "You never know when you might change your mind...or when something unexpected may happen! Wait...is this tip even about writing? What am I even talking about? Ahaha!": "...That's my advice for today! Thanks for listening~"Well, you're the boss, Monika.  Not that I really need the reminder…   : "Ooh! I like this one, Mitayo! It has some nice feelings in it~": “Ah, I'm glad. So it's at least better than yesterday's.": "Uh-huh!": “Maybe I'm getting better at this, then." : "But that's why I just go by my heart~ if it makes me feel things, then it must be a good poem!"I'm not sure that's exactly how it works... That is absolutely how it works, at least from an artistic sense. 'Good' is, of course, relative - maybe 'effective' would be a better description. ...Then again, I guess conveying feelings is a pretty important part of this whole thing. : “Yeah, maybe...honestly, I don't even know what kind of writing you like in the first place.": "Yeah! Me neither!": “Ugh...why don't you at least try giving it some thought?": "Aww, you want to write something for me? That's so sweet~"Almost no one is choosing your words, Sayori. Don't give us too much credit. : “Yeah, right. But you're always thinking about other people. You need to think about yourself once in a while. If you don't, you might end up getting hurt at some point." : "Well...I don't really know what you mean, but I'll try to keep it in mind!": “Well, whatever...": "Anyway, let's see...Hmm...I guess I like...happy poems~ wait, sometimes I like sad poems too...sometimes a little bit of both...there's a word for that, right...? What's the word I'm looking for...bittersweet! Yeah! I like things that are happy and things that are sad.": “Happy and sad? I can't see you liking something sad, Sayori...": "Well...I like happy the most! But sometimes when you have a little raincloud in your head...a sad poem can help give the raincloud a little hug...and make a nice happy rainbow!" I really do love Sayori. All of the girls have their own personality quirks that make them interesting, but Sayori really is something special.: “...Sayori, that's unexpectedly poetic.": "Eh? It is?" : "Thanks, Mitayo! I should go write that down, then~. You can read my poem now, okay?"BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Sayori)   Oh God, they're all long now. quote:Bottles Poem impressions: Good Lord, this one's super long. When I first played through this, I didn't pay much attention to the poems themselves since, as previously mentioned, I'm not a huge poetry fan. Now that I'm actually paying attention, these poems are more than just prose on a page. That being said - I like this one too. Sayori's are always good, but this one gives a good message while still sticking to the formula she likes so much. BGM: Okay, Everyone! : “Holy crap...Sayori, did you really write this?": "Of course I did! Didn't I tell you yesterday I was gonna write the best poem ever?": “Yeah, but...I mean, I didn't expect something like this, coming from you.""That's what you SAID, but I didn't believe you even a little bit." : "Monika taught me a whole lot! And I've been really in touch with my feelings recently...": “I see that...it's almost kind of creepy." : “Well, not exactly...maybe because I'm so used to you being cheerful...Well, never mind. I'm thinking too hard about it. The point is, it came out good, so you should be proud of it.": "Aw, thanks~ I feel like...I feel like I was meant to express myself this way. It even helps me understand my own feelings a little bit better...writing is like magic!"Writing is one of the best ways to express yourself, in my humble opinion. : “You've gotten pretty passionate about this, huh? I hope you keep it up.": "Yeah! Writing's the best! I'm gonna keep writing until I die!"That's the spirit! : “Ahaha...don't get ahead of yourself."Sayori's always had a habit of getting obsessed with something, before dropping it no more than a week later. I wonder if this is one of those times? But seeing the passion in her eyes makes it hard for me to be pessimistic." BGM: Ohayou Sayori!  : "We're all done reading each other's poems, right? I have something extra planned today, so if everyone could come sit at the front of the room...": "Is this about the festival?"I don't remember whether or not the festival has been mentioned more than just in passing by this point, but it's about to become a major focal point. : "Well, sort of~": "Ugh. Do we really have to do something for the festival? It's not like we can put together anything good in just a few days. We'll just end up embarrassing ourselves instead of getting any new members.": "That's a concern of mine as well. I don't really do well with last-minute preparations..." : "We're going to keep it simple, okay? We won't need much more than a few decorations. Sayori has been working on posters, and I've designed some pamphlets we can give out during the event.": “Okay, that's great and all...but that doesn't tell us what we're actually going to be doing for the event.": "Ah, sorry! I thought you heard about it already. We're going to be performing!"Fun fact: the Sayori path learns about this early. : "Performing?": "P...um, Monika...": "Yeah! We're going to be having a poetry performance. Each of us are going to choose a poem to recite during the event. But the cool part is, we're also going to let anyone else come up and recite poems too!": "Sayori's putting it on all the posters in case anyone wants to prepare ahead of time."Sayori, who's been coloring a poster, holds it up for us to see.  : "Are you kidding me, Monika? You didn't...you didn't already start putting those posters up, did you?": "Eh? Well, I did...do you really think it's that bad of an idea...?": "Well, no. It's not a bad idea. But I didn't sign up for this, you know! There is no way I'm going to be performing in front of a group of people like that!"This sounds like a terrible idea on a multitude of levels. : "I...I agree with Natsuki! I could never...in my life...do something like that..."Imagining it, Yuri shakes her head in fear. : "Guys..." : "I understand where they're coming from. Remember that Natsuki and Yuri have never shared their poems with anyone until just a couple days ago...it's a lot to ask for them to recite their poems out loud to a whole room full of people. I guess I kind of overlooked that. So, I'm sorry.": "...": "...But! I still think we should give it our best! We're the only ones responsible for the fate of this club. If we start the event and each put on a good performance...then it will inspire others to do the same! And the more people who perform, the better we'll be able to show everyone what literature is all about!": "Yeah! It's about expressing your feelings...being intimate with yourself...finding new horizons...and having fun!": "That's right! And it's those reasons that we're all in this club today. Don't you want to share that with others? To inspire them to find the same feelings that brought you here in the first place? I know you do. I know we all do. And if all it takes is standing in front of the room for two minutes and reciting a poem..." Stage fright is not really something you can get over on a whim, Monika. : "...": "..."Natsuki and Yuri remain silent. Sayori looks worried. I guess that leaves me no choice... : “I agree...I don't think it's too much to ask. I think that Sayori and Monika have been trying really hard to get new members. The least we can do is help them out a little bit.": "Well...maybe, but..."It looks like Natsuki doesn't have any arguments left. : "Uu...okay, fine! I guess I'll just have to get it over with.": "Alright~!": "Phew...thanks, Natsuki. What about you, Yuri...?" Yuri dejectedly glances around at everyone else's expectant faces. : "Sigh...I-I guess I don't really have a choice...": "Ahaha! That's everyone! You're the best, Yuri~"The fact that they're willing to actually go through with this shows their dedication to the club. It's impressive and a little touching to say the least. : "This club is seriously going to be the death of me...": "Oh gosh...you'll be fine, Yuri. But anyway...let's move onto the main event! I want each of you to choose a poem of yours." : "N-N-No way!!": "Monika...! This is too sudden...!": "Well, if you can't recite your poem in front of the club, how do you expect to do it in front of strangers?"This is a very good point. : "Oh no...": "Don't worry. I'll start off to help everyone feel a little more comfortable.": "Can I go next??": "Ahaha. Of course. Now, let's see..."Monika flips through her notebook to the specific poem she has in mind for herself. She then stands behind the podium.  : "Ahem..."Monika begins reciting her poem. Her clear, confident voice fills the room. More than that, her inflection is pristine. She knows exactly how to apply emotion behind each line she recites, bringing the words to life. Is this something she's done before, or is she simply a natural? She's supposed to be super popular. I would assume she's had plenty of experience being the center of attention. I glance around me. Everyone has their eyes on Monika. Sayori looks amazed. Yuri has an intense expression on her face that I don't understand. Finally, Monika finishes the recitation. The four of us applaud. Monika takes a breath and smiles. : "That...that was so good, Monika!": "Ahaha, thank you very much. I was just hoping to set a good example. Are you ready to go next, Sayori?" : "Uwah! Yuri's fired up all of a sudden!"Yuri has a firm "let's get this over with attitude" that I can fully get behind. Yuri clutches a sheet of paper between her hands and stands up. Keeping her head down, she walks quickly over to the podium. : "This poem is called--!"Yuri anxiously glances at each of us. : "You can do it, Yuri..." Yuri's voice shakes as she starts reading the poem. Just a moment ago, she practically refused to do this. Why is she suddenly putting in so much effort? As Yuri gets past the first couple of lines, her voice changes. It's almost like what happens when Yuri gets absorbed into her books. Her quivering words transform into the sharp syllables of a fierce and confident woman. The poem is full of twists and turns in its structure that she enunciates with perfect timing. This must be a rare glimpse into the whirling fire Yuri keeps concealed inside her head...! Suddenly, she's finished. Everyone is stunned. Yuri snaps back into reality and glances around her, as if she bewildered even herself. : "I..."...It's up to me to save this situation. I'm the first to start applauding. Everyone joins me afterward, and we give Yuri the recognition she deserves. It's not that we didn't want to applaud for her. But we were caught so off-guard that we must have forgotten. As we applaud, Yuri holds the poem to her chest and rushes back into her seat. : "Yuri, that was really good. Thank you for sharing.": "..."Looks like Yuri is down for the count... A for effort, though. Good job, kid.  Sayori hops out of her chair and cheerfully walks to the podium. : "This one's called...My Meadow. Ah...ahaha!": "Sorry, I giggled...ehehe...": “Sayori...": "It's a lot harder than I thought! How did you guys do it so easily?": "Ah...try not to think of it like you're reciting to other people. Imagine you're reciting it to yourself, like in front of a mirror, or in your own head. It's your poem, so it'll come out the best that way.": "I see, I see...okay, then..." Somehow, it feels like her soft voice was made as a perfect match. The poem isn't aimlessly cheery like Sayori is. It's serene and bittersweet. If I were to read this on paper, I probably wouldn't think much of it...but hearing it come from Sayori's voice almost gives it a whole new meaning. Maybe this is what Sayori meant when she said she likes my poems. It's like I get to reach more deeply into someone I thought I knew through and through. Sayori finishes, and we applaud. : "I did it~!" : “Good job, Sayori.": "Ehehe, even Mitayo liked it. I guess that's a good sign~": “What does that even mean...?"Yeah, I thought we've even told her that we've liked everything she's written so far. : "It came out nicely, Sayori. The atmosphere of the poem fits you really nicely. But it might be that other poems wouldn't work quite as well with that kind of delivery...": "Eh? I don't really understand...": "In other words, I've seen poems of yours where that sort of gentle delivery wouldn't work as well. They might need a little more force behind them, depending on what you're reading...": "Oh, I know what you mean! That's...well, I've been practicing that kind of thing...it's just embarrassing to do in front of everyone...ehehe...": "Then next time, I'm going to make you pick a poem that challenges you a little more. We don't have much time before the festival, you know?": "Okaaaaay.": "Now, who's next...? Natsuki?" : "It's not like I can compare to you guys, anyway...might as well let Mitayo lower everyone's standards a little before I have to do it."As spicy as ever. She hates our poems on this route and, by proxy, us - but the funny thing is that this particular line is non-changing. Even if she likes us, she still insults us. : "Natsuki...": “It's fine, it's fine. I might as well get it over with. But it's not like I have much of a selection of what to read...I'll just have to go with what I wrote for today."I stand up and step in front of the podium. Everyone has their eyes on me, making me feel terribly awkward. I recite my poem. Since I'm not exactly confident in my own writing, it's hard to put energy into it. Despite that, once I finish, I receive applause anyway. : “Sorry I'm not really as good as everyone else...": "Don't worry about it so much. I think it's less about your abilities, and more about your lack of confidence in your writing. That's something that'll improve over time, though.": “Yeah... Maybe."Look, I only write to impress the ladies. : "Alright, then! That just leaves you, Natsuki.": "Yeah, yeah. I'm going."Natsuki begrudgingly gets out of her seat and makes her way to the podium. : "The poem is called...it's called...": "W-Why are you all looking at me?!": "Because you're presenting...": "Hmph... Natsuki takes a breath. Once she starts reciting the poem, her sour attitude disappears a little. While she's still a little unenthused, her poem has a rhythm and rhyme to it. It's Natsuki's trademark style, and it works surprisingly well when spoken aloud. The words feel like they bounce up and down, as if giving life to the poem. Natsuki finishes, and everyone applauds. She huffs back to her seat. : "That wasn't so bad, was it?": "Easy for you to say...you'd better not make me do that again.": "Ah, well...do you at least feel prepared enough to recite a poem in front of other people?": "I mean, doing it in front of other people will be way easier! I can put on whatever face I want for other people. But when it's just my friends...it's just...embarrassing.": "That's a surprise, Natsuki...I think it would be the other way around for me."Yeah, that seems...off. : "Well, that's just how it is, so...": "Well, I guess in that case...you won't have much to worry about for the festival.  : "It might be hard, but I hope that you all have an idea of what it's like now. Make sure you pick a poem and get enough practice before the festival, okay? I'll be making pamphlets, so let me know ahead of time what you'll be reciting.": “Jeez...I should probably find some other poem to recite instead.": "That's fine, too! It doesn't have to be your own. I'm already pleasantly surprised that you're putting in all this effort for the club. It makes me really happy."I'm just going to read some song lyrics instead. Is that cool? : “Ah... Yeah, no problem..."BGM: Daijoubu! : "Okay, everyone!": "I think that's about it for today. I know the festival is coming up, but let's try to write poems for tomorrow, as well. It's been working out really nicely so far, so I'd like to continue that. As for the festival, we'll finish planning tomorrow, and then we'll have the weekend to prepare. Monday's the big day!": "I can't wait~!: "I can do this... I can do this...": “Alright--"I stand up. There's no way I'll be able to find the same enthusiasm as Sayori and Monika, but I'll do my best to get through it. If it's for the sake of the club...and impressing Monika...then I'll have to do my best.  : "Yep!": "Look at you two, always going home together like that.": "It's kind of adorable, isn't it?": "Ehehe~": “Jeez, guys...don't make such a big deal out of it."We literally live right next to each other. : "It must be a little nice, though...": “Well...ah..."How am I supposed to respond to that? : "It's okay, Mitayo, you don't have to say it.": “...Whatever. Let's go already."I walk home with Sayori once more. Even though it's only been a few days, a lot of things have already changed. But today, Sayori is being a little quieter than usual on the way home. : “Hey, Sayori..." : “Ah, no wonder...": "Um...I was...thinking about something from earlier. I like how we get to...I-I mean..."Sayori fumbles with her words. : "So...let's just say that one day, Yuri asked to walk home with you...": “Huh?!": "What would you do?"...we're neighbors, Sayori. We have to go home the same way. Why does everyone keep forgetting that? : “What kind of question is that...? You're kind of putting me on the spot here...": "Ehehe..." Alright guys, DOUBLE CHOICE TIME! 1) Would we walk home with Yuri if she asked, or would we continue to walk home with Sayori? 2) Since the next poem vote is literally right after this, what word grouping do you want to go with? Once again, double votes for sensible haikus! This is the last…normal…poem vote, so make it count! quote:GROUP A Roar fucked around with this message at 13:35 on Oct 17, 2017 |
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Oct 16, 2017 23:48
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geri_khan posted:I'm stuck for whose poem I liked more in this update, Sayori's or Monika's. I do miss not seeing Natsuki's though, as I'm pretty sure I liked that too. Do you have any plans to show off missed poems? I intend to show all of the things I can possibly think of
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Oct 17, 2017 17:36
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8. BGM: Daijoubu!  Annnnnd Sayori gets the shaft again. : “Walking home with Yuri, huh..."Why does the thought of that make my heart pound...? : “I mean...given how hard it is for her to socialize, I would feel awful turning her down, so...": "Isn't she so beautiful and smart?": “That has nothing to do with what I just said!" : “Jeez...there's not even any point in speculating something that's never going to happen."This is the biggest point of all. Do you honestly think YURI would be so bold as to request we walk home with her? She gets nervous putting her on her shoes. : "Well, maybe...but I just like to think about it." : “Need you...? Sayori...I can't figure out how you're seeing things in your head right now.": "Sorry...": “Everyone is different...nobody in the club is a replacement for you.": "Hmm...if you say so..."The conversation trails off, and I'm left feeling awkward. But it was kind of her fault for trapping me with such a weird question...I can't just lie to her. But if there's something that makes her happy, I would hate to take that away from her. That's why I said there's no point in speculating. But the festival is in just a few days...  What indeed?  ----- BGM: Dreams Of Love and Literature  The words we went with were: quote:graveyard, melancholy, unrestrained, tragedy, fester, starscape, judgment, vivacious, eternity, whisper, vivid, dark, uncanny, vertigo, extraordinary, massacre, imagination, empty, secritive, extreme I know they’re not all from group C; I have to sort through 200 words and I am absolutely not going to filter down the list to check every single word, so some of them were accidentally from other lists. It doesn’t matter in the long run – majority rules. ----- BGM: Ohayou Sayori!  : "I'm the last one here again!": “Don't worry, I just walked in too.": "Were you practicing piano again?": "Yeah...ahaha...": "You must have a lot of determination. Starting this club, and now picking up piano...": "Well, maybe not determination...but I guess passion. Remember that the club wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all of you."Literally! : "And I'm super happy that you're all willing to help out for the festival, too!"We were sort of strong-armed into it.  : "It's gonna be great!": "Eh? Weren't you complaining about it just yesterday, Natsuki?": "Well, yeah. I'm not talking about our part of the festival."Yeah, our part's gonna blow. : "But it's a whole day of school where we get to play and eat all kinds of delicious food!": “You sound a bit like Sayori all of a sudden...": "Monika! Do they usually have fried squid?": "Squid...? That's a pretty specific thing to look forward to...": "Oh, come on. Are you saying you don't like squid? You, of all people?": "Eh? I didn't say I don't like it. Besides, what do you mean by 'you of all people'?": "Because! It's right in your name!” : "Eh?! That's not how you say my name at all! Also, that joke makes no sense in translation!": "...?": "Ah...never mind!""Ika" means squid in Japanese.  : "Let's just focus on our own event for now, okay?": "Ehehe. Fine, fine. Your reactions aren't as fun as Yuri's or Sayori's, anyway.": "Excuse me...": “Where is Sayori, anyway...? Oh, there you are."Sayori is sitting at a desk in the corner of the room, looking down at nothing. I walk over to her. : “Hey, Sayori."I wave my hand in front of her face.  : “You're spacing out again.": "A-Ah...ehehe, sorry...don't mind me. You can go talk to everyone else.": “Huh...is everything alright?": "O-Of course! Why wouldn't it be?"Because you're sitting there being catatonic. : “It just feels like you're a little off...sorry for assuming things.": "Jeez, you worry too much about me.” Sayori shows me a big smile. Well, I'M convinced. : "Don't let me distract you from having fun with everyone.": “Well...alright. If you say so."I worriedly glance at Sayori before turning back toward everyone else. But the conversation has already dispersed, with everyone back at their usual activities. Maybe I should ask Monika if she's noticed anything about Sayori recently...since they've been preparing for the festival, they must be spending a lot of time together. I timidly approach Monika, who is shuffling through some papers at her desk. Papers? What papers? Has she been grading these poems or something? : "Mitayo! What's up?": “Hey, this might sound a little strange, but...have you noticed anything up with Sayori recently?" : " In what way do you mean?": “Maybe I'm reading into it a little too much, but she seems a bit downcast today...": "Oh? You think so? I can't say I've noticed anything about her..."Monika peers across the room at Sayori, who is idly dragging a rubber eraser up and down her desk. That, uh, is not like her at all. : "Maybe there is something on her mind...but I'm surprised I'm not the one asking you, Mitayo. You certainly know her a lot better than I do.": “Yeah, but she's never really like this...she's always talked to me about things that bothered her. But this time, when I asked her, she was really dismissive. Sorry, I know it's not your problem! I just wanted to ask if you knew anything, so I'll drop it now...": "No, no...it's important to me, too. I mean, I'm also friends with her...and I also care about the well-being of my club members, you know? Maybe I'll try talking to her myself...": “Eh? Are you sure about that...? She seemed like she wanted to be left alone...": "Are you sure? Maybe she just has a hard time bringing it up with the person of interest...": “Person of interest...? What do you mean by that?" I admire that Monika just comes out and says what Sayori made perfectly clear with that 'walking home' question. : “Me...? How on Earth would you come to that conclusion?": "Well...I probably shouldn't say too much, but...Sayori talks about you more than anything else, you know?": “Eh...?": "She's been so much happier ever since you've joined the club. It's like an extra light was turned on inside of her.": “What? No way...Sayori...is always like that. She's always been full of sunshine. It's not any different now than it always has been.": "Ehehe. You're so funny, Mitayo. Have you thought that maybe you've always seen her as so cheerful...because that's just how she is when she's around you?": “..."This is much more obvious when following Sayori's path, but we've still seen plenty of hints throughout our run as well. : "Ah...I said too much. I'm sorry...what do I know, anyway? I didn't mean to jump to conclusions, so you should just forget about what I said. I'll try to talk to her, so try not to think about it for now.": “Ah...alright..."Monika smiles meaningfully. I know she said to forget about it...but I already know that I won't be able to get her words out of my head. Monika stands up from her desk and walks across the room to where Sayori is sitting. I watch her kneel down next to Sayori and gently talk to her. But she's keeping her voice so quiet that I can't hear her from here. I sigh and sit myself down. I know Sayori told me not to worry about her, and to have fun with everyone else...but that's impossible to do when she's behaving like this. Exactly how much do I care about her, that I'm letting this weigh me down so much? Now it feels like I'm the one behaving out of the ordinary...but there's nothing I can do besides wait for Monika. ----- Why does it feel like I'm being watched...? I glance around the room. Suddenly, I notice Yuri peering at me from over her book. But she looks away just as quickly with a flustered look on her face. I realize that she won't get anywhere like this. I've never really seen Yuri approach anyone or start a conversation on her own accord. So, I have no choice but to approach her myself. By now, it's a little easier for me to do that. I stand up from my desk and sit in one next to her own. Our relationship is never going to leave the awkward stage at this rate. BGM: Music fades out. : "...": "I...didn't mean to bother you or anything..."BGM: Play With Me! : “Relax, you didn't even do anything.": "But...” : “Alone with my thoughts...? How were you even able to tell that I was thinking like that?": "Well...it's something that I do a lot...so it wasn't hard for me to spot based on your posture and expression. N-Not that I was staring or anything...! I didn't do anything creepy like that...!"There's nothing wrong with looking at the guy you're interested in. Mentioning that you're 'not creepy' makes it creepy, though. : “In any case, I guess you were right. I'm sorry if I caused you any concern.": "Don't apologize...your troubles are only the concern of those who willingly share in that concern. Of course, there are certainly those who find the most comfort in keeping to themselves...but if you would prefer to share what's on your mind, then I would be glad to listen.": “Ah, it's really not that big of a deal...I was just feeling a bit uneasy about Sayori." : “Yeah...she seems a little off today, but when I asked her about it, she didn't want to admit it to me. So I can't help but wonder if something happened to her.": "Oh? That's quite romantic..."You're all projecting really hard on my relationship with Sayori, which is especially weird coming from you, Yuri. : “Eh...?": "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to say something stupid...!": “It's not that, I just didn't want you to misunderstand. Sayori and I have just been friends for a long time, that's all.": "Ah...I see...then perhaps it is unusual for her to be dismissive to you about her feelings...": “Or maybe I'm just reading into it a little too much...": "Mitayo...the world is full of meaning, often hidden deep beneath plain sight. And there are many untold mysteries behind every person, no matter how well you may know them."tl;dr - people are deep. : “Ah...so you think that there might be something behind it after all?" : “I think that Sayori is a very complex person. Her mannerisms on the outside don't always match what may be going on inside her head...and she may not always know what she wants. I noticed her strange behavior today, too...and I also feel some concern for her. But in your case, it looked like she was fully occupying your thoughts, wasn't she?": “Well...I guess that was the case.": "Sayori...she really means a lot to you, doesn't she?"I think that most people have forgotten that Sayori exists unless she's directly brought up. : “Ah--I...I guess...but you don't need to put it that way! We're just good friends, that's all...": "..."Yuri suddenly looks deeply into my eyes. Her expression is gentle and curious, as if she was searching for something. Embarrassed, I avert my gaze. : "Sometimes... : "And you, as someone honest and caring...may uncover feelings you weren't aware were in you. T-That is...I think that...she would be a very fortunate person to have you feel that way about her."I just don't like people to be sad, okay? : “Yuri...you're giving me too much credit. I'm a pretty simple guy. So I think I'm pretty good at understanding my own feelings. I'm not nearly as sophisticated as you.": "A-Ah...that's not...a compliment, is it?": “It is what it is. Anyway, as long as we're here, why don't we do some reading?": "Well...as long as you're okay with it.": “Yeah. I should be taking my mind off this whole thing anyway."If we hadn't already seen the first two scenes with Yuri, one of them would play here. Since we have, it moves right along to poetry. Thanks for making me do less work! -----  After some time passes, Monika calls out to the clubroom. : "Why don't we share our poems now?"Before I know it, everything is back to normal. Everyone goes to retrieve their poems, and I do the same. I make eye contact with Monika, and she smiles at me. I wonder what she was talking about with Sayori... BGM: Okay, Everyone!  For the sake of pacing, no what-order vote this time.  : "Mitayo. Your writing has only improved in these last few days. Every poem you've shown me has been nothing short of spectacular. I can really feel the emotions...I'm a little envious, even...I don't think it ever came to me this naturally.": “Yuri, that's the wrong way to put it. This never did come naturally to me."I asked the internet. They wrote me poems, too! : “But I've been able to improve so much thanks to you. You're really the example I was chasing after.": "I-Is that so...?"Yuri gently smiles to herself. : "This feeling...": "I'm so glad...I got the chance to share my writing. I never thought it would feel like this.": “I remember you mentioning that yesterday. I can't believe that you're so good at something and you've never even shared it with anyone. It's kind of a shame.": "Maybe, but...it's not like I really...had a choice.": “What do you mean...?": "Well..."BGM: My Feelings Yuri smiles sadly. : "Mitayo, during lunchtime, I eat by myself. Did you know that? It's a great time to find a quiet spot and do some reading. In fact...I always have some books with me. You could say I really enjoy reading...Well, that's one way to put it, anyway...": "But...books are so full of amazing and inspiring people. People you want to fall in love with. Or people you just know would make a really good friend. Cheerful people, who always put a smile on your face...or deep thinkers, and problem solvers, who discover the mysteries of life. So when you look at it that way...I'm surrounded by friends every day...you know?" : "They don't tease me for spacing out all the time...they don't make fun of my body type...and...And they don't hate me for acting like a know-it-all!"Wait, what’s wrong with your body type now? : “People...say that about you?": "I'm not a know-it-all, Mitayo! It's the opposite. I don't know anything! I don't know how to talk to people. I don't know how to make people see me as normal. I don't even know how to make myself happy! I have all these feelings...and all I can do with them is read, and write...": "But it wasn't until now…that I started sharing it with you...that I really understood what was missing all this time.": “But I haven't really done anything...": "No..." : "Just being patient and respectful...that's really...important to me. I know I'm a difficult person, Mitayo...I speak too slowly...I second-guess myself all the time...I read too deeply into things...": "But every time...you've always treated me just like anyone else. It's so rare that I feel comfortable with myself when I talk to others...but that's why every time I talk to you...I just feel really happy.": “I see...well, I treat you how you deserve to be treated, Yuri. And if other people don't see it that way, then screw them. I mean, I joined this club hoping I would make friends."We joined for cupcakes. : “And I would say I've had at least one success. Wouldn't you?" : "If you put it that way…yeah...we really are friends now, aren't we?"YES. JESUS. Yuri puts her head in her hands. But this time, she's smiling as she does it. : “Do you want to show me your poem?": "Yeah. I do! Let me get it for you..."BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Yuri)   quote:Ghost Under the Light pt. 2 Poem impressions: I think she likes us, boyos. BGM: Okay, Everyone! Finishing the poem, I start to hand it back to Yuri. But instead of taking it from me, she looks away. : "...do you...dislike it?": “Ah--no, of course not. I just...don't really know how I should respond."Despite Yuri's poems usually being cryptic, it wasn't hard to figure out what this one was about. ”This is about the raccoon again, isn’t it?” : "I-I don't know if I'll be able to explain this one...": “That's fine. I understand this one.": "..."Yuri is having an even harder time speaking than usual. : “Does this one...mean a lot to you?"Yuri nods. : “I'm not really good with words, but...I'm happy that you shared it with me. So, thank you. And I hope we keep spending time together."Despite my inability to make eye contact, I see a faint smile emerge on Yuri's lips. I once again try to hand the poem back to her. But instead, Yuri gently takes my hands and pushes them back toward me. I hesitate in response to her warm touch.  : "Um...the poem is..."Once again, Yuri fails to form a complete sentence. What is it, girl? Is Timmy stuck in the well again? : “You mean I can keep it?"Yuri nods. : “I'd love to."Again, Yuri faintly smiles, as if she doesn't want me to notice. : "You always....make me feel nice. I know I'm not good with people, but...I hope that...I can return the favor sometimes.": “Yeah. Don't worry. I think you do a good job."Yuri finally turns back toward me. : "I guess...we should move on before Monika says something. But I'm sure we can talk again later...": “Yeah. I'm sure we will."With that, Yuri timidly smiles at me, and I return to my seat so I can put her poem away. Oh thank God, I've been hoping to get a nearly illegible piece of paper to tie my room together. This thing looks like the Declaration of Independence. LEARN PRINT.   : “Eh? You didn't even--": "Next!"Hahaha, she doesn't even try to be nice. What a brat. I love Natsuki. You gotta admire that level of pettiness.   : "...Hm. It's nice, I guess~": “Come on, I can already tell you don't like it.": "Well... you don't need to worry about what I think. After all, you wrote this for someone else, didn't you? Probably Yuri...": “Eh?? I didn't write this for anyone specifically!": "Maybe...that's not really what I meant, though. But it's okay.  : "That makes me...really happy. And you're happy too, right? In this club?": “Well...of course I am.": "Good~ that's all that matters to me. Thank you, Mitayo.": “Sayori...is there something wrong?": "Huh? No, nothing. I'm just a little tired today. Ehehe.": “Alright...just tell me if you need anything. I will.": "Don't worry about me, okay? You can go play with everyone else now.": “If you insist..." : "I'm gonna go home a little bit early today.": “Sayori...?": "Tell Monika I wasn't feeling well, okay? I'll see you tomorrow~"Before I can say anything else, Sayori cheerfully walks out of the classroom, humming to herself. Well, uh, that was abrupt.  : "Hi Mitayo~ Have you thought about what you want to submit to perform at the festival?": “Well..."Being in this club is one thing, but performing in front of a bunch of people... : “...I'll have to give it some more thought." : "But whatever you do, I'm sure it'll turn out great. It would also make me happy to see. Ahaha! Anyway, let's take a look at today's poem!": “Sure..."I let Monika take the poem I'm holding in my hands. : "Your style's gotten so refined, Mitayo.": "Yuri's been teaching you a lot of things, hasn't she?": “Well--I guess so.": "Yeah... I've been noticing how much time you spend with her. I think I've heard her say more words these past couple days than she's talked in the whole year. Not sure how you did it, but that's pretty impressive...": “Well, she just needs some patience and a way to talk about all the things in her head, I guess...I'm still getting the hang of it, myself.": "Hm...you're certainly putting in a lot of effort. You must really like her.": “Eh? That's--": "Ahaha! It's awfully suspicious, you know? Spending time with her in the clubroom every day...reading that edgy novel with her..."Shoving chocolates down her throat while she stares longingly at you... : “Well--! I just...feel bad that she has a hard time socializing."Uh-huh. : “It makes me want to make sure she doesn't spend all her time alone. Besides, the novel isn't too bad either, you know...": "Alright, alright~ I get you." : "I know that Yuri isn't used to opening herself up...so if something bad happens while she's vulnerable...then it could be really hard for her. Her books aren't a total escape from reality. They're just a bandage.": “You say that like I'm going to hurt her..."Love can be the greatest pain of all, right? : "Sorry, I didn't really mean that~ If anything, she might accidentally hurt herself.": "Anyway...!": "I'll share my poem with you now, alright?": “Er...alright..."BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Monika)    quote:The Lady who Knows Everything" Poem impressions: I like the structure of this poem and the way it plays across the page. Monika’s right – it is visually appealing to play with the empty space. BGM: Okay, Everyone! : "You know...I feel like learning and looking for answers are the sorts of things that give life meaning. Not to get too philosophical or anything...but it was kind of on my mind, so that's what I wrote about.": “I see...I never really put much thought into it.": "In a way, it's almost paradoxical. Because if we had all the answers, wouldn't the world start to lose its meaning?": “You know, there's one thing I noticed...it seems like everyone in the club prefers writing about things that are more sad than happy." : "I mean, if everything was okay...we wouldn't really have anything to write about, would we? Humans aren't two-dimensional creatures. I think you'd know that better than anyone.": “You mean one-dimensional...?": "Ah...yeah, that! Anyway...": "Here's Monika's Writing Tip of the Day! Are you ever too shy to share your writing because you're afraid it's not that good? It can be really disheartening to get a lukewarm response to something you put so much into. But if you find other people who enjoy writing, then sharing becomes a lot easier! Because instead of just telling you that your writing is good, or okay, or bad...they'll want to focus more on everything that went into it, and the things you can work on. It's much more encouraging that way, and it will make you want to continue improving. It's almost like having your own little Literature Club, don't you think?": "...That's my advice for today!  --------- BGM: Doki Doki Literature Club! (modified - no "Doki Doki!" at the beginning)  : "We're all done sharing poems, right? Why don't we start figuring out--": "Hold on a second! Is it just me, or did you say something strange just now?": "Eh...?": "Something did sound a bit unusual...that's right. You deviated from your usual catchphrase when addressing the club.": "C-Catchphrase? I don't have a catchphrase..."Of course you do. It's an OST title, after all. : "Jeez...why is the mood so weird today? Look, even Yuri isn't immune to it.": "Uu...stagnating air is common foreshadowing that something terrible is about to happen..."Calm down, Magus. : “In your books, maybe! Look, the only thing different is that Sayori isn't here.": "Ah...it seems you're right.": "Sigh...Sayori always helps lighten the mood a little bit, doesn't she? It's almost like everyone's balance is thrown off a little when she's not around...": "Where the heck did she run off to, anyway? I thought she just went to pee." : "Oh, come on.": “Ah, she actually wasn't feeling too well and went home early...": "Is that so...? I hope she's alright...": "Seriously? Of all the times to not go home with her, you pick the time she's not feeling well? So much for you two being all lovey-dovey.": “Ah--no! First of all, stop misunderstanding my friendship with Sayori! And second, she's kind of been avoiding me today, so I didn't want to force it...": "Hooooh?"That curious expression coming from Yuri, of all people?? Pretty sure Yuri's reaction is stock no matter what route we're on.  : "I talked to her earlier, and everything is fine.": “What did she say...?": "Anyway, we need to figure out the rest of the festival preparations, so...let's decide what everyone will be doing this weekend."So...not gonna answer the question or...? : "I already know what I'm doing!": "That's right. Natsuki will be making cupcakes. But we might need a lot of them, and different flavors...can you handle that all by yourself, Natsuki?": "Challenge accepted!": "And as for myself...I'm going to be printing and assembling all the poetry pamphlets. Sayori will be helping me design them.": "And as for Yuri...": "...Yuri, you can...ah... Um...": "...?" Smooth, Monika. : "I...I'm useless...": "N-No! That's not it at all! You're the most talented person here, you know!": "...": "N-Now Natsuki's pouting, too??": “Jeez, even I can tell now...I guess I never gave Sayori enough credit, but I can tell things are even harder on you when she's not around.": "Ah...that may be the case...": "But if I can't also be a leader on my own, then I won't grow as a person. So, Yuri...! You have beautiful handwriting, you know? So you should make some banners and decorations to help set the atmosphere.": "Atmosphere...? Um, about that...I..." Her little fistpump makes this. Yuri's expression suddenly changes as she stares at her desk in focus and starts nodding to herself. : “Your mind is already racing, I see...": "That's great! You'll be a wonderful help, Yuri. But anyway...that just leaves you, Mitayo.": “The one who is truly useless."I mean, more or less. : "Ahaha! Don't say that.In fact, both Natsuki and Yuri have some pretty heavy tasks to handle. It would probably go a long way to give one of them a hand. You could always help me out, as well...I would be really appreciative of that.": “Ah--that's..."Is Monika suggesting I spend the weekend with one of my club members? How on Earth are they going to respond to a suggestion like that...? Yuri would probably wet her pants with excitement. Natsuki, though, would probably resent every minute of it. : "Ah...I...suppose I wouldn't mind a bit of help...": "Well, even if you don't know how to bake, there's always some dirty work I could give to you. It's not like Monika's going to give me a choice, and you shouldn't be sitting on your butt anyway..."Oh, apparently Natsuki's all for it. Stock response, again - kind of a missed opportunity there, considering how annoyed she is with us right now. Natsuki tries to mumble a bunch of excuses like that.  : “If I recall, Natsuki, you mentioned that you would like to handle the baking on your own. Mitayo may not like to be around if you only make him out to be a nuisance. So therefore...he may be more suited to assisting with the decorations.""Like holy hell are you going to hang out with my book-boyfriend." : "Hold on! I never said that! How hard could it be to make a few decorations, anyway? Sounds more like you're just making excuses for Mitayo to--": "W-What are you saying?! It will be extremely meticulous work...": "And baking isn't? Just what do you think--"Good Lord, are we doing this again? These two bicker like an old married couple. Fortunately, Monica's a bit quicker on the draw this time. : "Guys, guys! Let's settle down for a moment...in the end, I think it's up to Mitayo to decide how he'd like to contribute.” : "So I'm sure he's interested in--": "You literally just said--": "I-I'm surprised as well!": "Sorry, sorry! I was just saying, though...": "Jeez...can we just settle this already?": "Yeah...Mitayo, you're okay with this, right? In the end, it's up to you.": “Ah...of course."I choose none of you. I'm going to play Rocket League all weekend. That's what you get for being catty. : "Hmph.": "Very well...": "In that case..."Everyone looks straight at me.  Okay, guys, I'm going to have to ruin the magic a little bit for this one - we can't actually choose Sayori or Monika for this choice. It's a but-thou-must. For today's VOTE TIME, who do you want to spend time with: Yuri or Natsuki? Roar fucked around with this message at 23:26 on Oct 18, 2017 |
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Oct 18, 2017 00:29
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ArcadePark posted:Let's see all the fluff text before our actual decision. We will!
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Oct 18, 2017 18:42
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9. BGM: Doki Doki Literature Club! (modified - no "Doki Doki!" at the beginning)  : "I mean...if it's going to be anyone, then I prefer helping Sayori. I mean, we're already neighbors, and--": “But Monika said--": “Monika said that Sayori was helping her! Jeez..." You wouldn't even look at my poem ten minutes ago, Natsuki. Don't try to make ME feel like a jerk for caring about others. : "N-No!": “Sorry, I didn't mean for this to be difficult..."Welp, okay...  Might as well help the boss, then. : "Well, I guess I should probably be helping Monika...": “Yay, you picked me!"BGM: Music fades out. : “Hold on one second!": “Y-Yeah!"BGM: Poem Panic!  : “Eh? But...": “I agree with Natsuki. Not only is your work already most suitable for one person...but you already have Sayori as well."To be fair, 'designing and assembling pamphlets' isn't really a three-person job. : “But Mitayo was the one who...ah...": “That doesn't matter. You were the one who scared him into picking you in the first place. You're the club president, Monika." : “Monika, you shouldn't let any ulterior motives interfere with this decision.": “Ulterior motives? W-What are you saying, Yuri? In fact, it sounds like you guys are the ones with ulterior motives!": “Excuse me?": “Otherwise...this wouldn't have been made into such a big deal in the first place!": “That's...completely false, Monika!": “Yeah! We have a lot of work to do, you know! We won't do as good of a job if you make us work alone.": “Ah...maybe...that's true...": “Think of the club, Monika...if we want our event to succeed, then we need to appropriately distribute our resources.": “Um...ah..." : “Okay, okay! I get it!"BGM: Music fades out. : “Sigh...it's...technically most logical for Mitayo to help one of you two. So...I guess...that's what we'll do."BGM: Doki Doki Literature Club! (modified - no "Doki Doki!" at the beginning) You know, we could solve this by all going to the same place to work together but nooooo, gotta have dramatic tension.  : "Well, I'll probably be most useful helping out Yuri...": “M-Me...?": “Are you serious? Why would you--": “Natsuki. I can already tell you're about to say something mean.""I can tell because your mouth is open." : “N-No...I was just saying--": “Ugh...": “So, you'll be helping Yuri then, Mitayo?": "Yeah. That's what I'm going to do." : “I have a bad habit of overthinking these sorts of things...so I think your assistance will be very useful."I want to make sure the decorations for the festival aren't just large posters that ask if the other other students hate us. : “That's great to hear. Natsuki, will you be able to handle the baking yourself?": “I mean, yeah. I already said I would be fine.": “Okay, okay..."Everyone can tell that Natsuki is feeling a little sour. You don't even like us! : "So...is that everything we needed to go over?": “Yeah, that should be about it. Are you guys excited?": “Well, 'excited' may not be the right word...but I suppose I'm looking forward to it a little bit.": “Do you feel the same way, Mitayo?": "Me? Ah, I guess you could say I'm interested to see how it'll turn out...": “That's good enough for me! What about you, Natsuki?": “...": “Natsuki!" : “Why is everyone yelling at me? I didn't even do anything...!": “N-no--! That's not what I meant at all! A-Ah..."Yuri anxiously glances between everyone in the room. : “I-I'm sorry for this! I don't really know why Mitayo picked me..."Wait, what the hell? Yes you do! We've done nothing BUT pick you the entire time we've been here! : “And also...your cupcakes are the best cupcakes I've ever had! They go really well with my tea! And nothing that I do for the event will compare to that, so...so..."Gonna be honest, I kind of want a cupcake now. : “I get it, I get it. I'm kinda surprised, though...": “W-Why?": “Um...well, I'm the one acting immature...I already know that."This is an interesting sidebar. Natsuki is actually self-aware of what a brat she's being. This can be considered progress!  : “I-I know I'm not very good at it...I'm sorry if I said something bad!"Natsuki isn't the only one surprised. Monika and I are also taken aback by Yuri's words. When she already has trouble with words, trying to cheer someone up must be far out of her own comfort zone. But I begin to understand. Yuri 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. Sayori does certainly bring a balance to the group. When she's not here, the loss is noticed. : “No...I kinda appreciated it. I'm sorry...for making a big deal out of nothing. But I'm going to say this.": “...?": “You better bet that my cupcakes are going to be the best part of the whole event!"Compared to reciting poetry from a stage, I wholeheartedly agree with her. : “Ah...I believe you.": “Yeah!" : “But with that...there's nothing more for today. So I guess it's time for us to head out.": “Alright, let's get out of here, then."Everyone packs up their things. I start to follow Monika and Natsuki out the door as they chat between each other. BGM: Music fades out. : “U-Um--!": "Eh?"I turn around. : “Sorry..."BGM: Play With Me!  : "Oh, you're right. I can't believe that slipped my mind. Should I give you my phone number?": “I think...that would be the best way, yes.": "Alright, then..."Yuri and I exchange phone numbers. Aww, yeah, girl. Gimme dem' digits. : “Okay. Then, I'll be stopping by your house on Sunday..."...won't you need my address too, then? : "Eh? My house?": “I-Is that a problem...?": "No, not at all...I just thought that I would be the one going to your house, since I'm the one helping you.": “Ah, I suppose that makes sense..." : “I think I would prefer going to your house."I mean, whatever. It doesn't really matter, I guess. : "Alright. In that case, it won't be a problem."I decide not to press Yuri for a reason. It's not like it should matter much either way, so I'll just need to make sure my room is clean. : "I hope I manage to make myself useful in some way...I'm not nearly as creative as you are.": “Don't underestimate yourself, Mitayo. I think that we'll make a very productive team. Even if you only chose me because you felt bad or something...": "Wait...! You don't actually think that, do you?"You overwhelming won the vote, Yuri. Don't sell yourself short here. : “...I...don't know. It's difficult to come up with any other reason you may have chosen me..."I can think of two very big reasons. I'm sorry, was that crass? I don't have much more time to make silly boob jokes so I need to press them in whenever possible. : "You're forgetting the one reason with the most common sense! I chose to help you because that's what I want to do.""And also because the game didn't let me pick Sayori or Monika. But mostly because I wanted to!" : “B-But..."Yuri thinks to herself with an extremely tense expression. : "Yuri...you're overthinking this. You wanted me to point out when you're overthinking, right?": “Eh...?" : "I'm telling you, I want to. That's all there is to it. Do you believe me?": “I..."Yuri thinks really hard again. She looks straight into my eyes for a long while. : “...I believe you!"As if it took her tremendous effort, Yuri finally says that and relaxes her expression. : “And I'm really looking forward to Sunday."Wait a second, I just thought of something. Can't I just work with Natsuki on Saturday...? Why did I have to choose in the first place? : "Yeah...I am too."After that exchange, I make my way out the door, and Yuri follows.  Yuri is going to be coming to my house on Sunday...? Even though I would have preferred to do this with Sayori...my anxiety still shoots through the roof. I guess I've gotten pretty used to handling her at this point...but who knows what might end up happening when we're outside of school? She even told me she was looking forward to it... I shake my head. Why do I feel nervous that Sayori finds out about this? It's not like we feel that way about each other...besides, like Monika said, this is about the club. I have nothing to worry about.  Besides, we're making decorations, not frenching. I think. ------ BGM: Music fades out.  I've been getting increasingly anxious about Yuri's upcoming visit. I keep telling myself there's no reason to be nervous, but it doesn't help much. Yuri is clearly an introvert and also an intimate person in general. There's no doubt that she'll open up a little bit when it's just the two of us. Meanwhile, we've even been texting occasionally. She was extremely apprehensive at first, but it wasn't long before I was already learning more about her. But putting Yuri aside...I haven't heard a thing from Sayori since she left club early the other day. It's not like we text each other all the time or anything...but I've been worried about her in the back of my mind. Between what Sayori said, and what Monika said...Is it really okay for me to put Sayori's feelings aside when she might need me? Regardless of the fact that we haven't been macking on Sayori, she is still our best friend.  Rather than asking, I simply tell her "I'm coming over", much like we've done in the past. Once I reach Sayori's house, I knock on the door before entering it myself. Again, we used to play so often that we've made it a habit of simply entering each other's houses like we were family. And no one locks their door, apparently. The house is quiet. Sayori isn't anywhere on the first floor, so I assume she's up in her room. It's already strange of her not to run down and greet me. I head up to her bedroom, where I finally find her. : "Sayori?"BGM: My Confession **New!**  : “Hi Mitayo~"I sit down in her room. Sayori forces a smile, but it's easy to tell that she's different. There's a minute of silence between us.  This is our first view of Sayori out of her school uniform. It's hard to tell behind the text box, but she's wearing short shorts. I forgot to get a better screenshot here, but don't worry - we'll get a much better view in a couple of updates. : "Ah... I guess you're right. It has been a long time. Not much has really changed, has it?"Sayori's room is as messy as it's always been. I also recognize the same stuffed animals and wall decorations that she's had for years now. I like the duck-thing in the back there. : “Ehehe~ If you came over more often, it wouldn't be such a mess.": "That's because I end up cleaning it for you...": “How come you suddenly wanted to come over today? Aren't you supposed to see Yuri today?": "Yeah, but...wait, how did you know that?"Sayori had already left by the time we decided that last meeting." : “Monika told me. It's only natural for her to keep me informed about the festival preparations, right?"Gossip again. You ladies.  : "Ah, that's true..." : "Aren't you going to be helping Monika today?": “Of course! But I'm just helping her online. We didn't plan to meet up or anything."So are you guys going on Discord and screensharing or something? How are you helping her design from here? : "Ah, so it's just me and Yuri, then...": “Yep~"There's more silence between us. Sayori stares in a random direction. Everything about her behavior is really uncharacteristic. I finally get to the point. : "I just...wanted to see how you were doing. After you left on Friday. When something's wrong, you can't hide it from me! I know you too well. So..."Sayori smiles, shaking her head. : “That's no good, Mitayo.": "Eh?" : “This is all my fault. If I didn't get so weak and accidentally express my feelings...if I didn't make that stupid mistake...then you wouldn't have been worried about me at all. You wouldn't have come here. You wouldn't have even been thinking about me right now.": “But this...is just my punishment, isn't it? I'm getting punished for being so selfish. I think that's why the world decided to have you come over today. It just wants to torture me. Ehehe~"We're here because we're worried about you, Sayori. It's that simple. : "Sayori!"I grab Sayori by the shoulders. : "What on Earth are you saying?! Are you listening to yourself right now? I know something happened to you. There's no other explanation for you to be like this. So tell me, already...! Until I know, I won't be able to stop thinking about it!": “Ah...ahaha..."Sayori gives me an empty smile. : “You really put me in a trap, Mitayo. But...you're wrong. Nothing happened to me. I've always been like this. You're just seeing it for the first time.": "Seeing what? What are you talking about, Sayori?": “Ehehe~ You're really just going to make me say it, aren't you, Mitayo? I guess I have no choice this time. The thing is..." ...oh. : “Did you know that? Why do you think I'm late to school every day? Because most days, I can't even find a reason to get out of bed. What reason is there to do anything when I fully know how worthless I am?": “Why go to school?": “Why eat?": “Why make friends?": “Why make other people put their energy and caring to waste by having them spend it on me?": “That's what it feels like. And that's why I just want to make everyone happy...without anyone worrying about me."I don't have depression - or, at least, I don't think I do. From people very close to me, however, this seems to be a relatively accurate depiction of it. : "..."I'm in shock. I can't even figure out how to respond. How is it possible that Sayori kept this from me the entire time that I've known her? Did she really want so badly for me to just not think about her? : "...Why, Sayori?" : "Why is it that you've never told me about this? It almost feels like I've been betrayed as your close friend. Because if I knew, I would have done everything I could to support you! Even if there's only so much that I could do...I would have tried a little bit harder to make every day a little better for you.": "That's why I'm your friend! All you had to do was tell me!"This does not seem like the most...helpful response. This isn't about you, Mitayo. : “You don't understand at all, Mitayo. Why do you think I didn't tell you? Because if I told you, then you would have to waste effort caring about me instead of doing important things. I don't want to be cared about. It's bittersweet, when people try to care about me. It feels nice sometimes. But it also feels like a bat being swung against my head.": “Ahaha~ that's why I wanted so badly for you to make friends with everyone else..." : “But then, I discovered something else, too. Seeing you make friends and get closer with everyone in the club...it feels like a spear going through my heart. So, that's why. That's why I decided the world just wants to torture me. Every path leads to nothing but hurt. Ahaha~"The whole situation is really a huge catch-22 for Sayori. : "You're right that I don't understand...I don't understand your feelings at all, Sayori. But I don't need to understand. Whatever it takes for me to help you stop hurting...that's what I'll do.": “No, Mitayo. There's nothing. Nothing at all. The only thing that could have helped is if everything could be like it always was. But I was selfish. I finally showed you what a horrible person I am." : “I made you join the literature club because I was selfish. And I was punished by my heart hurting in a way that I couldn't understand. And now you came here and I made you hurt, too. I'm just weak and selfish. That's all I am.": “And that's why I'm going to accept these punishments. Because I deserve every last one...!"The game never mentions whether or not Sayori is seeing anyone for her depression. If she isn't, she really should - this is something she needs to get out with a professional, not someone as emotionally inexperienced as Mitayo. Without thinking, I once again grab Sayori's shoulders. This time, I pull her into a tight embrace. The background dissolves to black. : “A-Ah--Mitayo...": "Sayori, I don't care if you feel selfish. I'm really happy that you convinced me to join the club. Seeing you every day makes it worthwhile enough. If I make friends with everyone else, then that's just a bonus. But please never underestimate how much I care about you. I wouldn't have it any other way.": “Mitayo..."Sayori isn't hugging me back. Despite my arms being wrapped around her, Sayori's arms remain at her sides. She starts sobbing next to my ear. : “No...don't do this...to me...please don't do this...": “Mitayo...I..."Sayori barely manages to speak between her sobs. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. But all I want is for her to know that I care. : "If you have it in you to call yourself selfish, then you have to let me be selfish too. No matter what it takes, I'll figure out what needs to change. I'll make these feelings go away. And if there's anything that you need me to do...then you'd better tell me. I'll get mad if you don't."Me, me, me.  : “I...don't know...": “I don't know...": “I don't know."Gently, Sayori finally puts her arms around me in return. : “I don't know anything. It's all really scary...I don't understand any of my feelings, Mitayo...the only time I'm not feeling nothing is when I'm feeling pain.": “But...your hugs are so warm...and that's really scary, too."Sayori lets me go. As she does so, I let her go as well. : "The festival is tomorrow.": “Yeah...": "It's going to be fun, right?": “Yeah.": "How would you like for me to spend it all with you?" : “Ah--": "It's what I want. I promise.": “I...I think that would be nice, then..."On the plus side, this seems like a positive step. Spending some time with Sayori - and just her - might be helpful for her. Just to let her know how much we care for her. : "Yeah."Sayori wipes her eyes. If I could spend the whole day here, I would. : "Of all days, this has to be the one where I have other plans...Maybe I should cancel--": “No, don't--! Please don't...if you did that...then I really wouldn't forgive you.": "But...it's almost time for Yuri to meet me at my house...at the very least, do you want to come along and help out? It would be fun."To my surprise, Sayori shakes her head. : “I'm sorry. I don't know if that would be very good for me today. You understand, right?"I have a feeling that Yuri would be worse at making Sayori feel better than Mitayo is - and that's saying something. : "Ah...it's...kind of hard for me to fully understand. But I'm trying my hardest.": “It's okay." : “I'll see you tomorrow, okay?": "...Alright. I look forward to it."I say goodbye to Sayori and exit her house. On the way home, I find myself still feeling uneasy. But it's hard for me to keep thinking about it when Yuri is about to come over, too...I think Sayori is right.  I should just focus on what's ahead of me! Sayori is super important to us - it's important to let her know just how much. Man, I'm glad that's settled. But now that that's taken care of, we have other fish to fry. Next time - Yuri comes over! Roar fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Oct 19, 2017 |
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Oct 18, 2017 23:06
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DoubleNegative posted:Now if you want to really twist the knife even more, go back to earlier updates and look at the interactions between Mitayo and Sayori. How many times did he tell her that she deserved something that happened because of how she was? quote:
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I'm sure there are more interactions like this but I have to get to work - so here's just a few examples of what a good friend Mitayo is. 
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Oct 19, 2017 11:55
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10. BGM: Play With Me!  : “Yuri--?" : “Ah...thank goodness...": “You're a little early...I'm sorry I wasn't home yet! Were you waiting for a long time?" : “But I started to get really nervous when nobody answered the doorbell..."”I thought that you hated me!” : “You always could have texted me. If I had known, I would have reassured you and hurried more on my way home.": “Ah...I suppose that's true...I didn't think of that...for some reason."It should be common sense to do that, but I decide to ignore it. She obviously doesn’t text people very often. This should not surprise you even a little bit. : “Anyway...let's go inside. I see you brought a lot of stuff with you.": “That's right. And did you manage to find everything I asked you to buy as well?": “Yeah, pretty much. At least, I hope I got everything right."I also bought a bunch of Red Vines. Those weren’t on the list but I like candy. : “I'm sure it will be fine." Phrasing? The first thing she does is glance around curiously, which makes me feel anxious. : “It's so clean...": “Ahaha...I cleaned it before you came over, so...": “That's very considerate of you to do.": “Ah, no...I would be really embarrassed for my room to be a mess while you were here.": “Hmm...well, I do enjoy cleaning...I would have gladly helped you clean." I appreciate the sentiment but that would just be weird.: “That would be even more embarrassing!": “Wait, don't look in there--!"I snatch Yuri's wrist, which was in the process of opening a desk drawer of mine.  : “I'm sorry...! I wasn't thinking for some reason...I was just spacing out!"So quick recap: Yuri was just about to look through our desk. This is a stock scene, meaning she would do that even if she hated our poetry as much as Natsuki does. To say that Yuri is a weird duck would be an understatement. : “It's fine, it's fine..."I let go of Yuri's wrist. She puts both of her hands firmly in her lap, as if making sure she's keeping track of them. : “So, um...should we...get started?": “Ah...yes..."They sure do like pausing.  This was when I realized I hadn’t taken a non-obscured shot of Yuri. Her outfit is really quite nice. : “Um, I have a few things planned that you can help with...decorations and other atmospheric enhancements.": “Atmospheric enhancements...?" : “Mood lighting, aromatherapy candles..."Are we doing a poetry reading or running a day spa? : “Oh, wow. I didn't know you planned on taking it that far.": “Of course. I want to help take our guests to a faraway place. Although many will stop by just out of curiosity...and for...cupcakes, I guess..."I love that she sounds almost bitter about Natsuki’s cupcakes, as if she hates that people won’t stop for the joy of listening to poetry alone. : “I'm determined to provide an experience that will leave them wanting more.": “That's great. It's easy to forget that you're a pretty intense person.": “Ah--Intense...?": “I guess that's the best way to put it.": “Is that...a bad thing?": “No, not at all. It's something that I like about you, actually.": “I-Is that so...? That makes me feel relieved...and kind of happy...": “Yeah, no need to be so anxious. You can relax a little.": “Relax..."”What does that word mean, exactly?” : “I brought some things for relaxation. I was going to use them during the poetry event...": “Oh yeah? Like what?": “Let's see..."Yuri rummages through her bag. She pulls out a few candles and a wooden cylinder-shaped object.  : “I planned to cover the windows in black paper and use the candles to light the room. I think that would be amazing, don't you?": “Yeah, that would be really neat. What's that wooden thing, though?": “Oh, this? It's a diffuser for essential oils. How familiar are you with aromatherapy?"I have about fifteen thirty-year old women trying to sell me that on Facebook. : “Not familiar at all...": “Ah, is that so? It's one of my favorite contributors to a positive atmosphere. Depending on the oils or herbs you choose, you can change the mood of the air itself. You can even feel it permeate through your body. Relaxation, positive energy, romance, reflection...It's almost like magic."You could have saved a bunch of money by getting a Yankee Candle instead. Yuri takes the cylinder and pushes a switch on the bottom. In just a moment, a thin ray of vapor begins to spout through a small hole on the top. : “Wow, that smells wonderful. What kind of mood is that one for?": “This is a Jasmine essential oil. It smells a little sweet and flowery, right?": “Yeah, that's a good way to describe it." : “Jasmine enhances your emotions and helps you feel them flow through your body. You feel warmer, and your heart pounds more heavily. Don't you think that will be perfect for sharing our poems?"What, uh, poem did you plan to be reading, Yuri? : “It does sound suitable...but you seem to know a lot about this, so I'll trust your opinion with anything."Yuri smiles gently, clearly enjoying herself. She again reaches into her bag and pulls out several spools of thin ribbon. : “What are those for?": “Well...did you purchase the origami paper I asked you to get?": “Yeah, I have it over here...": “We won't be using the paper for folding origami. What I'd like to do is write a different word on each paper. We'll need about a hundred of them."Did you have any specific words in mind or…? : “Oh yeah? What will those be used for?": “Well, I'm going to cut pieces of ribbon to hang from the doorway of the classroom. Then, we can fasten the paper onto the ribbons to create a doorway curtain. Wouldn't that be beautiful? It would also catch the eye of those passing by the room...it may attract some to peek inside."I didn’t realize until this update that the festival was going to be held indoors. That seems a little off, even for a VN. : “That's really creative! I had no idea you'd be so good at this, Yuri." : “Well, I suppose I do get a little intense...as you'd put it. Uhuhu."Yuri giggles with red cheeks. Is it just me, or is she more relaxed when it's just the two of us? Or maybe it's the excitement she feels from sharing something that she enjoys. : “Here's a marker, Mitayo. You can write any characters you want. I'll help you once I finish cutting the ribbons.": “Ah, alright."Sitting on the floor together, the two of us get to work. I carefully draw a different character on each paper, doing my best to manage my bad handwriting. Instructions unclear. At least one of these is a getting a dickbutt drawn on it. Yuri unravels a long strand of red ribbon to her desired length. Then, she reaches into her bag once more and pulls out a pocket knife. : “Eh...?"The knife is strangely beautiful. The silver handle has an intricate pattern of waves etched into it. The blade itself is gently tinted blue. It’s Sting! : “That's no ordinary pocket knife...it looks really fancy.": “A-Ah...well..."Embarrassed, Yuri looks away. : “What is it?": “You're going to think it's weird...": “Yuri, whatever it is, I have no reason to judge. To each their own, you know?": “If you promise you won't be weirded out...": “Yeah, I promise.": “Alright..." : “They're just...so pretty...I-I can't help it! I don't know what it is...the combination of craftsmanship and feeling of danger, maybe..."”Also, I can detect when orcs are nearby with it.” : “Uu, what am I saying...? Please don't think I'm weird for this..."You like good craftsmanship. That doesn’t seem weird at all? : “Ahaha.": “You're laughing at me...": “No, I'm not laughing at you. It's just funny how nervous you got about sharing. It's...well, it's an interesting thing to be into, I guess. But I think it kind of suits you.": “Suits me...?": “Yeah... It's kind of intense. Ahaha. Besides, it's a really cool-looking knife, I can't deny that."You sound like a twelve year old. : “It is, isn't it...?"Yuri relaxes her expression once again. : “Would you like to hold it?": “Sure, I'll check it out."Yuri carefully hands me the knife, with the handle facing me. I take it and turn it around in my hands. It feels heavy, and extremely solid. Where do you even get a knife like this...? Curious of its sharpness, I feel the point of the knife with my index finger. : “Ow--!"Oh God. You ARE a twelve year old.  : “Why did you do that?!": “I didn't expect it to be that sharp...! I barely touched it at all.": “I-It's my fault! I should have warned you...this knife is extremely sharp...it can cut through skin like it's paper. Oh no..."A small drop of blood trickles down the side of my finger. You deserved this entirely. Yuri takes my hand and gives the wound a closer look. : “Ah..."She stares at it and noticeably fidgets. : “If you're squeamish, I'll go wash it off now--A-Ah!"Without warning, Yuri puts my finger in her mouth and licks the wound. I feel her tongue curl around my finger. Uh.Startled, I instinctively pull my hand back. : “O-Oh...p-please forgive me! I wasn't thinking! I..."Yuri lowers her head, her face burning up. : “Yuri...": “That's the most embarrassing thing I've ever done...how could I do something like that?? I'm sorry, I'm sorry...": “Ah..."Sure, it was a little weird, and it took me by surprise...but I guess she was just trying to help, right...?" I mean, it was pretty gosh-darn weird. Unexpected from Yuri, though? Not particularly. : “Yuri, I think you're overreacting a little...": “Uuuh..."She doesn't lift her head. What if she doesn't recover from this for the rest of the afternoon? : “Alright, you know what..." A good life motto. I take Yuri's hand and lick her index finger in return. : “Mitayo--!! D-Did you really just do that?": “N-Now we're even...": “..."I mean, not really considering that she probably didn’t have blood on her hands. Close enough, I suppose. Yuri just looks at me like I did something wrong. : “Ahaha...I knew that would be a bad idea..."If not for the sweet aroma of the Jasmine oil, the air would be extremely heavy right now. : “You're so weird, Mitayo."Yuri giggles shyly. : “Eh...?"Yuri calling me weird? I have no response to that... We licked her finger to make her feel better. She wanted our hemoglobins. : “Where do you keep your bandages?": “Ah...I don't think I need one, actually. It was a tiny cut. Look, it already stopped bleeding.": “I see..."Uh, you should definitely go and clean that. Human mouths are disgusting.  The tension is quickly lifted. We each resume our respective activities. I watch Yuri's knife cut through the ribbon like it's nothing but air. Meanwhile, I continue to make progress on the paper. I drew Spiderman on this one. After we finish attaching the paper to the ribbons, we lay them all out side by side. It looks better than I expected and will be very effective as a door curtain. : “It looks great. Good thinking coming up with this, Yuri.": “Ah, thanks...it's just something I saw online, really."quote:
: “Are you ready to move onto the next task?": “Yeah, let's do it. What do you have in mind?": “I'd like to create a banner. That's why I asked you to buy the paint tablets.": “Ah, that's right."One of the items Yuri had asked me to buy was a kit of watercolor paint tablets.  : “Do you mind fetching those for us?": “Of course not. Six cups of water...I'll be right back in a minute.": “Thank you very much. Oh, and just a little bit of water is okay. If you fill the cups too much, it will be too diluted."Man, we’re gonna have the best Easter eggs in the club. Taking Yuri's advice, I decide to use small plastic bathroom cups rather than full-sized glasses. I put them on a plate to catch any paint that drips, then bring it back into my room. : “Yuri?" I come in to see Yuri quickly unrolling her sleeve, pulling it back over her arm. : “Ah, nothing...your face is a little red. Is it too hot in here, or anything?": “Ah--No, not at all! There's nothing wrong, so...let's mix the paint."She probably is hot – she’s wearing long sleeves and is clearly excited by you. Yuri hurriedly dismisses me and takes it upon herself to unwrap the tablets, dropping them into the cups. : “So...I thought we would do something simple that would look very nice. I'd like to paint a gradient across the banner...starting with the colors for a sunrise, then daytime, then sunset and nighttime. Once it dries, I'll write an inspirational quote across the banner. We can hang it on the wall behind the podium at the front of the classroom.": “Ah, neat. What are you going to write?": “Well...It will be more fun to surprise you."…I was kidding before, but I’m starting to think that she doesn’t actually have a plan worked out in any way. Yuri smiles at me. : “If you say so..."After rolling out the banner, Yuri and I kneel on opposite sides so we don't get in the way of each other. Yuri uses a brush and adds a few dots of different colors across the banner to serve as a color guide when we paint. : “This kind of reminds me of elementary school..."Painting on a banner with watercolors feels a lot like the art class projects we had back then. It's relaxing. : “Ah..." : “No, I didn't mean that at all. It's kind of fun, you know?": “...Yeah. It is fun. I'm glad you feel that way, too."Yuri stops painting for a moment, thinking to herself. : “For me...I don't need to go out and do crazy things to have fun. In fact, I usually don't even want to. I just like when I can spend time with one other person...even if it's something simple, like reading - it doesn't even matter if we don't talk much. Just having a friend next to me makes things feel a little bit nicer. I think that's all it takes for me to be happy."Yuri is very much an introvert – I fully understand how she feels with this. : “Is that so...?"Even if Yuri and I are quite different, I can understand where she's coming from. I feel that way about things like anime and games, where simply sharing the experience with someone can make me happy. : “I think I feel the same way."Yuri smiles gently. : “I knew you'd understand..."Yuri leans over the banner to grab an unused paintbrush. But I move at the same time, causing my head to bump into hers. *bonk*  : “S-Sorry!"Yuri reels back, and I quickly lift my hands in surprise. : “Are you hurt?": “N-No, I'm not hurt. It just startled me...that's all. Sorry, I should have asked you to get it for me...": “It's not your fault. Ah, your face..."There are droplets of paint on Yuri's face and neck. : “Is there something on my face?": “Yeah, I accidentally got paint on you..."Wait, how? Did you have paint on YOUR face that somehow transferred over when you bonked heads? : “Sorry, it's totally my fault! I'll get a towel right away."I rush out and fetch a small towel, then I dampen it with hot water. I return to my room and kneel back down in front of her.  : “Here..."I pat down Yuri's face and neck with the towel. : “Ah--": “Is something wrong?": “It's hot...I just didn't expect it.": “Sorry...I didn't want to use cold water."That’s smart thinking. Having finished, I start to retract my hand. But Yuri suddenly holds my wrist. : “Wait--": “Eh?": “Just...for a little longer. It feels really nice...": “Ah..."I keep my hand still against Yuri's neck. She looks into my eyes. It's an intense expression that I recognize from when she reads her books...  She breathes gently, half through slightly-parted lips. What is happening...? Is it the aroma of the Jasmine oil giving me this dizzy feeling Yuri's gentle fingers, wrapped around my wrist, send a tingling sensation through my arm. And suddenly, her face seems to be much closer to mine than it was just a moment ago... Maybe it’s blood loss. : “Ah..."Yuri slowly pulls away. : “Sorry...I've been feeling a little light-headed today. I didn't mean to space out...": “I-It's fine..."The moment is over as soon as it began. Yuri picks up her brush again. But her movements seem clumsier, like she's unable to focus. I remain silent, forced to ignore the event that just transpired. I hesitantly retrieve my own brush and continue following Yuri's example. ----- : “That should do it..."I finish filling the night sky with white dots that looks like stars. Looking at the banner as a whole, it's very pretty and natural-looking.  : “I'm really happy with the results.": “Yeah, me too. Are you going to add the lettering now?": “Ah, not yet...it needs to dry first."Wait, where are we keeping this? Just, like, on my floor? : “That's true, but won't that take a while?": “Well...perhaps it would be best to leave it here, then have you bring it in the morning. I can do the lettering in the classroom before our event starts. Is that okay?": “That's totally fine.": “Wonderful. In that case...I don't think there's anything more for us to do here.": “Phew.": “Ahaha. You say that like you're glad it's over. Was I wrong to assume that you were at least enjoying yourself a little bit?"Yeah...slicing my finger, drawing pictures on things and bonking heads together was a veritable lark. : “Ah, no, it's not that. I'm just glad that we managed to get everything done.": “I see. I am, too." : “I need to start making dinner soon.": “Ah...": “So you don't have any time left?"I was secretly hoping we would have extra time after finishing the work... : “Well..."Yuri thinks to herself. : “I-I think it would be too irresponsible of me to wait much longer...I'm sorry! I was hoping there would be more time as well...": “It's probably my fault. Sorry for being such a slow worker.": “No, it's not your fault at all. And...the important thing is that we got everything done, right?": “Yeah...": “So...I shouldn't be disappointed...or anything."Gathering all her things, Yuri seems to look a little downcast. I understand why; it sounded like she rarely gets the opportunity to spend time with friends in a relaxed environment. But that doesn't mean this is the last time it can happen... That would be awful for our budding relationship if that were the case.  : “Thank you very much for having me today.": “No problem, I'm glad I was able to help. Just let me know if there's anything else you need me to bring tomorrow.": “I will. Well, then..."Yuri fidgets. : “I guess...I'll see you tomorrow.": “Wait--"I kind of say that without thinking. : “About today...it's fine that we didn't have as much time as we wanted. Because we can do this again. Whenever you want, you can come over, or we can go out somewhere-- ah, I forgot you don't like going out much--"”Do you play WOW? We could meet online instead.” As I stumble over my words, Yuri simply smiles bashfully. : “Anyway...you know what I'm trying to say, so...": “You're very thoughtful, Mitayo."Yuri takes a step closer to me, then briefly squeezes my hand. BGM: Music fades out.  She’s stepped much closer to us. This is the most forward Yuri’s been in a…well, ever. : “Well..."How am I supposed to respond to that? But I don't even get a chance to, as Yuri suddenly pulls back.  : “Eh?!" : “H-Hi, Mitayo...": “Sayori--!"Well, this isn’t great. : “Just now, we weren't--": “Ehehe~ it's okay, Mitayo. I just stopped by to say hi~": “U-Um...well, it's nice to see you...I'm sorry, but I'm already on my way to leave!": “Aw, really? That's too bad..."She seems honestly disappointed by this – outwardly, anyways. : “I'm sorry...but we'll all be together at the festival tomorrow, so...so that's fine, right?": “Of course!"Sayori beams. : “Y-Yeah, so...I'll see you tomorrow!"Clearly embarrassed, Yuri hurries off. Sayori waves goodbye after her. BGM: My Confession  : “I thought you didn't want to come over today!": “Ahaha, well...I tried staying in my room...but my imagination was being really mean to me...so I had to come here and see it for myself.": “See what? What are you talking about?": “You know...how much fun you were having with Yuri. And how close you got to her. It makes me...really happy...that you've made such good friends. That's all that matters to me."Tears start to fall down Sayori's face. : “That's all that matters to me--! Why am I feeling this way, Mitayo? I'm supposed to be happy for you." : “It hurts so much...everything hurts so much...this would be so much better if I could just disappear!"I’m…starting to get the impression that we didn’t somehow magically "fix" Sayori last update. : “Sayori, don't say that!": “It's true, Mitayo! If I wasn't here, then you wouldn't have to waste your sympathy on me! You wouldn't have to put up with me being selfish!": “Monika was right...I should just...": “Monika...? Monika was right about what?": “...": “Sayori...what I said before is true. I'm not going to let this continue. Caring about you like this isn't the burden your mind is making it out to be. It's something that makes me happy. It's something that I wouldn't trade for anything else. So, even if it takes an entire lifetime...": “I'm going to be by your side until you don't feel any more pain." Sayori looks away. I put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. : “I'm scared, Mitayo...I'm really scared...": “What are you scared of, Sayori?": “I'm scared that...that I might like you more than you like me...": “Sayori...?": “It's true, isn't it? I was weak and started to like you too much...I did this to myself. Mitayo...I like you so much that I want to die! That's how I feel! And...and...": “That's enough, Sayori...I don't want you to hurt anymore."I slide my hand down Sayori's arm and squeeze her hand in my own. : “Do you remember how I said I always know what's best for you? Do you still believe me? "Wordlessly, Sayori nods. : “Even if you don't understand all of your own feelings...I know what you need the most right now.": “And that's what I'm going to give to you." …this, as you might imagine, is a somewhat important vote time. *Love *Friendship Roar fucked around with this message at 12:47 on Oct 20, 2017 |
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Oct 19, 2017 23:51
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11. BGM: My Confession  : “What you need most is for things to be like they've always been. Monika told me the truth...she told me how much happier you seemed after I joined the club. I know you're struggling with some really difficult feelings right now.”: “But...please trust me that I know what's best...and what will make you happy in the end. I promise I'll help get things back to the way they were.": “I...I...see..."Sayori forces a smile through an incredibly pained expression. : “Ahaha..." : “I should write a poem about this...": “Sayori--": “It's okay. This is just my punishment...remember? For being so selfish...so please...please don't worry about these stupid feelings. I know you're right. I knew this whole time that there's no happiness down that path. That's why I came here...just so I could get the answer I needed to hear.": “And the other thing...you're also right that I just want it to go back to the way it was. I realize that now. You really do know me better than anyone, Mitayo. I'll trust you with anything...anything at all...": “So..."Sayori's smile finally breaks. All of a sudden, she turns around and drops to her knees.  Clutching her head with both hands, she screams as loudly as she can. I'm so shocked that I don't know how to react. : “..."Sayori looks over her shoulder and flashes me one more weak smile before turning around and running off. I have no jokey-jokes for any of this. I honestly just legitimately hurt for Sayori. She’s in so much pain…and Mitayo, while good intentioned, has done so very little to help. In his defense, I don’t know what his best option would be in this situation…but I’m fairly certain that what we’ve seen so far isn’t it. : “Sayori!"...I'm left helplessly standing in the front of my house. Why am I feeling so horrible about this? There's nothing more that I could have done. The most I can do is support Sayori through her feelings and help her on the path that's right. But I'm having as much trouble understanding Sayori's feelings as she is. Even though I can comfort her...I keep wondering if I should be doing something more, or something different. I know these thoughts will continue to plague me until things are back to the way they were. I'm going to give it everything I've got. Sayori will always be my dearest friend. And I'll do whatever it takes to put a smile on her face every day. At least Mitayo’s heart is in the right place…it’s obvious that he cares for Sayori. Despite knowing how much it will hurt, he’s not willing to tell her something that, based on the decisions we’ve made so far in the game, is a total lie. That’s not what friends do. BGM: Music fades out. ----------- BGM: Silence.  Of all days, I expected this to be the one where I'd be walking to school with Sayori. But Sayori isn't answering her phone. I considered going to her house to wake her up, but decided that's a little too much. Meanwhile, the preparations for the event should be nearly complete. The banner Yuri and I painted is dry, and I gently rolled it up to take with me. She sent me a pleasant text reminding me not to forget anything, and I reassured her. Funnily enough, I probably feel the same way as Natsuki about the event. I'm more excited for it to be over so I can spend time with Sayori and Yuri at the festival. But knowing Monika, I'm sure the event will be great, too. Do you think the anime club has a stand? I wonder if they managed to do better than aromatherapy candles, essential oils, and high-school level poetry.  : "You're the first one here. Thanks for being early!": “That's funny, I thought at least Yuri would be here by now."It’s interesting that just Monika is here – with as much as Yuri loves literature, she should have been the first one to arrive. Monika is placing little booklets on each of the desks in the classroom. They must be the ones she prepared that has all the poems we're performing. In the end, I found a random poem online that I thought Monika would like, and submitted it. So, that's the one I'll be performing. I thought about putting a joke poem here but I didn’t think it would be appropriate after what we just went through with Sayori. : "I'm surprised you didn't bring Sayori with you.": “Yeah, she overslept again...that dummy. You'd think that on days this important, she'd try a little harder..."...dude. Seriously? There’s insensitive and then there’s Mitayo. I say that, but I suddenly remember what Sayori told me yesterday...and I suddenly feel awful, knowing it's not nearly that simple for her. I only said it because it's the way I'm used to thinking. At least he’s aware of his behavior. That’s a step in the right direction, at least. But...maybe I should have gone to wake her up after all? : "Ahaha. You should take a little responsibility for her, Mitayo! I mean, especially after your exchange with her yesterday...you kind of left her hanging this morning, you know?": “Exchange...? Monika-- You know about that??": "Of course I do. I'm the club president, after all.": “But--!"I stammer, embarrassed. Did Sayori really tell her about it that quickly? You underestimate the power of gossip. Sayori and Monika are friends, after all. About how I basically turned down her confession? That makes me really seem like the bad guy here...but I'm the one who knows what's best for her, right? I’m not sure where in the world you got that idea from, to be honest. Just because you started saying it doesn’t make it true. : “Jeez...you don't know the full story at all, so..." : “Eh...?"Monika is being as friendly as usual, but for some reason I felt a chill down my spine after hearing that. : "Hey, do you want to check out the pamphlets? They came out really nice!": “Yeah, sure."I grab one of the pamphlets laid out on the desks. : “Oh yeah, they really did. Something like this will definitely help people take the club more seriously.”If it wasn’t Mitayo saying it, I’d judge this as sarcasm. : "Yeah, I thought so too!"I flip through the pages. Each member's poem is neatly printed on its own page, giving it an almost professional feel. I recognize Natsuki's and Yuri's poems from the ones they performed during our practice. : “What's this...?"I flip to Sayori's poem. It's different from the one she practiced. It's one that I haven't read before...   Poem impressions: Oh God.: “Ah--"What is this...? Reading the poem, I get a pit in my stomach. : "Mitayo? What's wrong?": “Ah, nothing..."This poem feels completely different from everything else Sayori's written. But more than that... : “I-I changed my mind! I'm going to go get Sayori, so...": "Ah--well, alright! Try not to take too long, okay?"I quickly leave the classroom. : "Don't strain yourself~"Monika calls that out after me. I quicken my pace.  I should have tried a little bit harder for Sayori. It's not a big deal to at least wait for her, or help her wake up. Even the simple gesture of walking her to school makes her really happy. Besides...I told her yesterday that things will be the same as they always have been. That's all she needs, and what I want to give her.  I don't expect an answer, since she's not picking up her phone, either. Like yesterday, I open the door and let myself in. : “Sayori?"I highly recommend that you watch the upcoming scene at the following link - the music and effects are important to experience the game properly. I fully understand if you choose not to - If that's the case, scroll down for the standard format. There will be no further commentary in this update. I'll see you all tomorrow. http://www.polsy.org.uk/play/yt/?vurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DoKOvVT-i6vo&autoplay=1 She really is a heavy sleeper...I swallow. I can't believe I ended up doing this after all. Waking her up in her own house...isn't that more like something a boyfriend would do? In any case...it just feels right. Outside Sayori's room, I knock on her door. : “Sayori?": “Wake up, dummy..."There's no response. I really didn't want to have to enter her room like this...isn't it kind of a breach of privacy? But she really leaves me no choice. I gently open the door.   BGM: Sayo-Nara **New!** (REQUIRED LISTENING)   What the hell?? Is this a nightmare? It...has to be. This isn't real. There's no way this can be real. Sayori wouldn't do this. Everything was normal up until a few days ago. That's why I can't believe what my eyes are showing me...! I suppress the urge to vomit. Just yesterday...I told Sayori I would be there for her. I told her I know what's best, and that everything will be okay. Then why...? Why would she do this...? How could I be so helpless? What did I do wrong? Turning down her confession...that has to have been what pushed her over the edge. Her agonized scream still echoes in my ears. Why did I do that to her when she needed me the most?  This is my fault--! My swarming thoughts keep telling me everything I could have done to prevent this. If I just spent more time with her. Walked her to school. And gave her what I know she wanted out of our relationship... ...then I could have prevented this. I know I could have prevented this! Screw the Literature Club. Screw the festival. I just...lost my best friend. Someone I grew up with. She's gone forever now. Nothing I do can bring her back. This isn't some game where I can reset and try something different. I had only one chance, and I wasn't careful enough. And now I'll carry this guilt with me until I die. Nothing in my life is worth more than hers...but I still couldn't do what she needed from me. And now...  Never. Never. Never. Never. Never... 
Roar fucked around with this message at 00:15 on Oct 21, 2017 |
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Oct 20, 2017 23:08
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Hi guys.  I wanted to take a moment to apologize for the blindside back there, even though it was fairly telegraphed that something along those lines would go down. I strongly considered doing another warning to brace yourself, but "HEY THERE'S SOMETHING REALLY BIG AND SAD COMING" kind of makes it lose its effect. The best I could say without spoilers is that the warnings at the beginning are absolutely still in effect and should be considered with every single update moving forward. GeneralYeti posted:The discordance on Sayo-Nara is just enough to make that scene hit even harder oh my god I've had to hear at least parts of Sayo-Nara like a dozen times today while making sure this update was just right. I hate it and never want to hear it again Dr Pepper posted:Oh you jerk. Ha ha, I forgot I wrote that. I didn't forget to take a screenshot A Bystander posted:May want to Polsy the video because it spoils some things on the sidebar. Thanks, Youtube. Oh god, sorry - super fixed. TheGreatEvilKing posted:Wait, was that Monika in the background of dead Sayori? If you mean during the discovery distortions, Yuri pops up as well. quote:EDIT: Where are Sayori's parents? The DDLC wiki says that the developer has her age set at 18 - she very well could live on her own.
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Oct 21, 2017 05:26
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12. Well. That could have gone better. Anyways…the game’s not over yet by a long shot. We still haven’t written our way into someone’s heart – and the game does still offer us that chance. Here’s the thing, though. For all of its fantastic writing, there does seem to be certain…flaws…in the coding. You probably noticed some of it during the discovery of Sayori’s body, but the errors, uh…  …get worse. The top option – which used to be New Game – is now a jumbled mess. I forgot to get a screenshot, but our save files are still there. Unfortunately, the bizarre way this game handles Sayori’s suicide makes them inaccessible: quote:Error: Sayori.chr cannot be found.  The game’s not lying – auto-deleting her game data is how the dev decided to handle her death. It’s weird at best, sloppy at worst. After the error message, all previous save files that contain Sayori are auto-deleted. Reinstalling the game and getting back to this point yields identical results, so I guess we’re stuck for it. Looks like we’re startin’ over, boys! ----- BGM: Ohayou Sayori! …sort of. The version in-game is a little off-key and slightly distorted. I have no way of accessing it and can’t find it on YouTube, but the game files list it as “3g.ogg”.  Oh, Lord. This is a complete mess. I see an annoying girl running toward me from the distance, waving her arms in the air like she's totally oblivious to any attention she might draw to herself.  You know, the kind of friend you'd never see yourself making today, but it just kind of works out because you've known each other for so long? We used to walk to school together on days like this, but starting around high school she would oversleep more and more frequently, and I would get tired of waiting up. But if she's going to chase after me like this, I almost feel better off running away.   The game crashes to black, then restarts a second later. How did this get through the QA process? Or was there one?BGM: Ohayou Sayori!  Mornings are usually the worst, being surrounded by couples and friend groups walking to school together. Meanwhile, I've always walked to school alone. I always tell myself it's about time I meet some girls or something like that...but I have no motivation to join any clubs. I'm perfectly content just getting by on the average while spending my free time on games and anime. There's always the anime club, but it's not like there would be any girls in it anyway... …ah. So that explains it. Apparently getting the Sayori end changes around the opening and there was still some residual code or whatever left over. I hope this gets patched soon - sorry about that! ----- BGM: Doki Doki Literature Club! (modified - no "Doki Doki!" at the beginning)  After I pack up my things, I stare blankly at the wall, looking for an ounce of motivation. : “Clubs..."There really aren't any that interest me. Besides, most of them would probably be way too demanding for me to want to deal with. I guess I have no choice but to start with the anime club... ???: “...Mitayo?"  The game is having an, uh, interesting time loading characters. : “Oh my goodness, I totally didn't expect to see you here! It's been a while, right?": “Ah...yeah, it has."Monika smiles sweetly. We do know each other - well, we rarely talked, but we were in the same class last year. Monika was probably the most popular girl in class - smart, beautiful, athletic. Basically, completely out of my league. So, having her smile at me so genuinely feels a little... : “What did you come in here for, anyway?": “Oh, I've just been looking for some supplies to use for my club. Do you know if there's any construction paper in here? Or markers?": “I guess you could check the closet....you're in the debate club, right?": “Ahaha, about that...": “I actually quit the debate club.": “Really? You quit?": “Yeah...to be honest, I can't stand all of the politics around the major clubs. It feels like nothing but arguing about the budget and publicity and how to prepare for events...I'd much rather take something I personally enjoy and make something special out of it.": “In that case, what club did you decide to join?": “Actually, I'm starting a new one!" : “Literature...?"That sounds kind of...dull? Oh, trust us, Mitayo – it has its interesting points. In case it’s not obvious, Mitayo has no memories of what happened in our previous run. : “How many members do you have so far?": “Um...ahaha...it's kind of embarrassing, but there are only three of us so far. It's really hard to find new members for something that sounds so boring...": “Well, I can see that...": “But it's really not boring at all, you know! Literature can be anything. Reading, writing, poetry..."”But mostly poetry!” : “I mean, one of my members even keeps her manga collection in the clubroom...": “Wait...really?": “Yeah, it's funny, right? She always insists that manga is literature, too. I mean, she's not wrong, I guess...and besides, a member's a member, right?"...Did Monika say "she"? Hmm... GRILS : “Hey, Mitayo...by any chance...are you still looking for a club to join?": “Ah--I mean, I guess so, but...": “In that case...is there any chance you could do me a big favor? I won't ask you to join, but...if you could at the very least visit my club, it would make me really happy. Please?"Will there be cupcakes? : “Um..."Well, I guess I have no reason to refuse...besides, how could I ever refuse someone like Monika? : “Sure, I guess I could check it out.": “Aah, awesome!" : “I-It's nothing, really...": “Shall we go, then? I'll look for the materials another time - you're more important."I mean, you could do both, but whatever.  I timidly follow Monika across the school and upstairs - a section of the school I rarely visit, being generally used for third-year classes and activities. Monika, full of energy, swings open the classroom door. : “I'm back~!": “And I brought a guest with me!" : “Seriously? You brought a boy? Way to kill the atmosphere.": “Don't be mean, Natsuki...But anyway, welcome to the club, Mitayo!": “..."All words escape me in this situation. This club...is full of incredibly cute girls!! I’m getting the strangest sense of déjà vu. : “So, let me guess...you're Monika's boyfriend, right?": “Wha--no, I'm not!": "Natsuki..."The girl with the sour attitude, whose name is apparently Natsuki, is one I don't recognize. Her small figure makes me think she's probably a first-year. : “A-Anyway, this is Natsuki, energetic as usual...and this is Yuri, the Vice President!": “I-It's nice to meet you..."Yuri, who appears comparably more mature and timid, seems to have a hard time keeping up with someone like Natsuki. : “Yeah... It's nice to meet both of you.": “So, I ran into Mitayo in a classroom, and he decided to come check out the club. Isn't that great?" I presume the end of this is ‘make cupcakes’. : “Sorry, sorry! I didn't forget that, but I just happened to run into him.": "In that case, I should at least make some tea, right?": “Yeah, that would be great! Why don't you come sit down, Mitayo?"The girls have a few desks arranged to form a table. Yuri walks to the corner of the room and opens the closet. Meanwhile, Monika and Natsuki sit across from each other. Still feeling awkward, I take a seat next to Monika. : “So, I know you didn't really plan on coming here...": “But we'll make sure you feel right at home, okay? As president of the Literature Club, it's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!": “I'm surprised there aren't more people in the club yet. It must be hard to start a new club.": “You could put it that way."”We used to have more members, but we just can’t seem to hang onto them for very long…” : “Not many people are very interested in putting out all the effort to start something brand new...especially when it's something that doesn't grab your attention, like literature. You have to work hard to convince people that you're both fun and worthwhile. But it makes school events, like the festival, that much more important. I'm confident that we can all really grow this club before we graduate!": “Right, Natsuki?": “Well...": “...I guess."That’s the spirit! Natsuki reluctantly agrees. Such different girls, all interested in the same goal...Monika must have worked really hard just to find these two. Yuri returns to the table, carrying a tea set. She carefully places a teacup in front of each of us before setting down the teapot in the middle. : “You keep a whole tea set in this classroom?": “Don't worry, the teachers gave us permission. After all, doesn't a hot cup of tea help you enjoy a good book?"Many of the early scenes are nearly identical. Nearly. : “Ah...I-I guess..." : “Eh?! T-That's not..."Insulted, Yuri looks away. : “I meant that, you know...": “I believe you. Well, tea and reading might not be a pastime for me, but I at least enjoy tea.: “I'm glad..."Yuri faintly smiles to herself in relief. : “So, Mitayo, what kinds of things do you like to read?": “Well...ah..."Considering how little I've read these past few years, I don't really have a good way of answering that. : “...Manga..."I mutter quietly to myself, half-joking. Natsuki's head suddenly perks up - it looks like she wants to say something, but she keeps quiet. : “N-not much of a reader, I guess...": “...Well, that can change..."What am I saying? I spoke without thinking after seeing Yuri's sad smile. : “Anyway, what about you, Yuri?": “Well, let's see..."Yuri traces the rim of her teacup with her finger. : “My favorites are usually novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of creativity and craftsmanship behind them is amazing to me. And telling a good story in such a foreign world is equally impressive."Yuri goes on, clearly passionate about her reading. She seemed so reserved and timid since the moment I walked in, but it's obvious by the way her eyes light up that she finds her comfort in the world of books, not people. : “But you know, I like a lot of things. Stories with deep psychological elements usually immerse me as well. Isn't it amazing how a writer can so deliberately take advantage of your own lack of imagination to completely throw for you a loop? Anyway, I've been reading a lot of horror lately...": “Ah, I read a horror book once..."I desperately grasp something I can relate to at the minimal level. At this rate, Yuri might as well be having a conversation with a rock.  : “It suits your personality."…there’s something off about this. : “Oh, is that so? Really, if a story makes me think, or takes me to another world, then I really can't put it down. Surreal horror is often very successful at changing the way you look at the world, if only for a brief moment." : “Oh? Why's that?": “Well, I just..."Natsuki's eyes dart over to me for a split second. : “Never mind.": “That's right, you usually like to write about cute things, don't you, Natsuki?": “W-What? What gives you that idea?": “You left a piece of scrap paper behind last club meeting. It looked like you were working on a poem called-": “Don't say it out loud! And give that back!": “Fine, fine~": “Natsuki, you write your own poems?": “Eh? Well, I guess sometimes. Why do you care?": “I think that's impressive. Why don't you share them sometime?": “N-No!"Natsuki averts her eyes. : “You wouldn't...like them...": “Ah...not a very confident writer yet?": “I understand how Natsuki feels. Sharing that level of writing takes more than just confidence. The truest form of writing is writing to oneself. You must be willing to open up to your readers, exposing your vulnerabilities and showing even the deepest reaches of your heart.": “Do you have writing experience too, Yuri? Maybe if you share some of your work, you can set an example and help Natsuki feel comfortable enough to share hers.": “…!”: “I guess it's the same for Yuri..."We all sit in silence for a moment.  : “How about this?" : “...?"Natsuki and Yuri look quizzically at Monika. : “Let's all go home and write a poem of our own! Then, next time we meet, we'll all share them with each other. That way, everyone is even!"This…didn’t go so well last time, but Mitayo doesn’t remember that. : “U-Um...": “...": “Ah...I mean, I thought it was a good idea...": “Well...I think you're right, Monika. We should probably start finding activities for all of us to participate in together. I did decide to take on the responsibility of Vice President, after all...I need to do my best to nurture the club as well as its members."Now that Yuri is vice president, she’s apparently taking the role seriously. This is an interesting shift of her character – she was never quite so gung-ho throughout our last run. : “Besides, now that we have a new member...it seems like a good step for us to take. Do you agree as well, Mitayo?": “Hold on...there's still one problem.": “Eh? What's that?"Now that we've reached the most important topic, I bluntly come forth with what's been on my mind the entire time. : “I never said I would join this club! Monika may have convinced me to stop by, but I never made any decision. I still have other clubs to look at, and...um..."You don’t even have cupcakes! I lose my train of thought. All three girls stare back at me with dejected eyes. : “B-But...": “I'm sorry, I thought...": “Hmph.": “Eh...?"The girls exchange glances before Monika turns back to me. : “I...guess I need to tell you the truth, Mitayo. The thing is..." : “We need four...and I've been trying really, really hard to find new members. And if we don't find one more before the festival..."[/i]: “..."I...I'm defenseless against these girls. How am I supposed to make a clear-headed decision when it's like this? I would feel terrible for letting everyone down in this situation...and besides, the club itself seems pretty relaxed...so, if writing poems is the price I need to pay in order to spend every day with these beautiful girls... : “...Right. Okay, I've decided, then. I'll join the Literature Club."One by one, the girls' eyes light up. : “Oh my goodness, really? Do you really mean that, Mitayo?": “Yeah...it could be fun, right?": “You really did scare me for a moment...": “I mean, if you really just left after all this, I would be super pissed.": “Mitayo, I'm so happy...we can become an official club now! Thank you so much for this. You're really amazing. I'll do everything I can to give you a great time, okay?"Can you promise me that no one will die? That was…kind of a bummer last time. : “Ah...thanks, I guess.": “Okay, everyone! I think with that, we can officially end today's meeting on a good note. Everyone remember tonight's assignment: write a poem to bring to the next meeting, so we can all share!"Monika looks over at me once more. : “Mitayo, I look forward to seeing how you express yourself. Ehehe~": “Y-Yeah..."Can I really impress the class star Monika with my mediocre writing skills? I already feel the anxiety welling up inside me. Meanwhile, the girls continue to chit-chat as Yuri cleans up the tea set. : “I guess I'll be on my way, then...": “Okay! I'll see you tomorrow, then. I can't wait!"With that, I depart the clubroom and make my way home. The whole way, my mind wanders back and forth between the three girls:    Will I really be happy spending every day after school in a literature club? Perhaps I'll have the chance to grow closer to one of these girls...alright! I'll just need to make the most of my circumstances, and I'm sure good fortune will find me. And I guess that starts with writing a poem tonight... That last picture seems incomplete. BGM: Music fades out.   Well, this is new. At the end of each chapter, we unlock a special poem. There are quite a few of them in the game – more than there are actual scenes to view them in. Anything the game doesn’t show us will be covered in a post-game update. BGM: Dreams Of Love and Literature  Alright, boyos, VOTE TIME. Before you vote, there are three things to keep in mind: 1) There WILL be differences from last time regardless of what we choose – some of them more prominent than others. 2) We have not seen the resolution to Yuri’s path. 3) We will cover any scenes not picked within the LP after the endgame. With those caveats in mind – which group of poems would you like to go with? Group A, Group B, or Group C? Double votes for haikus. I realize that we’ve done haikus but they’re the only poems I like so if you don’t like it don’t write one, okay?  quote:GROUP A If you want to hear poem laugh and the other new additions, check out the unedited raw footage. Definitely not required but for a little extra context. Roar fucked around with this message at 05:06 on Oct 22, 2017 |
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Oct 21, 2017 23:09
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Double Punctuation posted:You’re a real bastard, Roar. You'll have to be WAY more specific. Heaven Spacey posted:When the "Can you hear me?" poem is presented, it's accompanied by a giggle, which besides "DOKI DOKI!" in the title screen song, is the first voice audio in the game. This is an excellent point as seen at 5:43 of this video data.. You can also see the highlighted code errors a little better. Roar fucked around with this message at 05:07 on Oct 22, 2017 |
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Oct 22, 2017 04:48
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Real talk? There is a super strong possibility that I wouldn’t have downloaded this game without the warnings and “DON’T READ SPOILERS JUST PLAY IT” Steam reviews. I love VN’s but I already own like 15 of them that I probably just won’t play due to lack of time/drive - there just didn’t seem to be any enormous pull from the outset from DDLC. Sayori’s suicide was the turning point for me and I assume most other people...and, of course, the stuff coming up. It sucks that there has to be warnings because it sort of ruins the fact that there will be a huge shift at some point in the story, but that’s a small price to pay. Anyone already feeling similar to Sayori and then having to deal with that scene...that would be a pretty poo poo day.
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Oct 22, 2017 16:09
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Alright, the votes are almost exactly a dead heat between the three groups - practically a hung jury, so to speak. I’m going to executive override and choose B as the winner because of reasons I will go over later. Plus I think we could use a little lightness after, uh, you know. Also, all of the updates going forward are a little more annoying to do thanks to stuff so there might be some delays. Roar fucked around with this message at 19:55 on Oct 22, 2017 |
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Oct 22, 2017 19:53
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13. BGM: Dreams Of Love and Literature  So I decided to go with column B since the majority of the votes were looking for a more light option after the tragedy with Sayori, even though C technically won by one vote. Captain's prerogative. Besides, this'll give us an entirely new cutscene instead of just a slightly modified version of one that we've already seen. I can absolutely not be assed to remember which words I used, but they ARE in the video at the end of the update if you’re interested. Natsuki's super-slow jumping isn't a glitch and I have no idea why it's showing up that way. This gif just doesn't want to work for some reason. BGM: Ohayou Sayori! : “Hi again, Mitayo!": “Glad to see you didn't run away on us. Hahaha!"That's only because he literally : "Nah, don't worry. This might be a little strange for me, but I at least keep my word."Well, I'm back at the Literature Club. I was the last to come in, so everyone else is already hanging out. Not everyone.  : “I hope this isn't too overwhelming of a commitment for you. Making you dive headfirst into literature when you're not accustomed to it..." : “You already had to be dragged here by Monika. I don't know if you plan to just come here and hang out, or what...but if you don't take us seriously, then you won't see the end of it." Uh, Monika, you’re kinda blockin’ the text here, Honey. : “Natsuki, you certainly have a big mouth for someone who keeps her manga collection in the clubroom."This is a slightly more abrupt response than the last time we saw this scene. : “M-M-M...!!"Natsuki finds herself stuck between saying "Monika" and "Manga". : “Manga is literature!!"Swiftly defeated, Natsuki plops back into her seat. : “I'm sorry, Mitayo...we'll make sure to put your comfort first, okay?"Yuri shoots Natsuki with a disappointed glance. : “Um, anyway...now that you're in the club and all...perhaps you might have interest in picking up a book to read?": "Well...I can't really say no either way. Like you said, I'm in this club now. So it only feels right for me to do something like that, if you ask.": “W-Wait...I didn't mean it like that! Uu...if you don't really want to, then forget I said anything, I guess...": "Ah--No, it's not that, Yuri. I want to try to be a part of this club. So even if I don't read often, I'd be happy to pick up a book if you wanted me to.": “A-Are you sure...? I just felt like...well, as Vice President and all...that I should help you get started on something you might like."I love that Yuri brings up that she's vice president at literally every opportunity. Yuri reaches into her bag and pulls out a book. : “I didn't want you to feel left out...so I picked out a book that I thought you might enjoy. It's a short read, so it should keep your attention, even if you don't usually read. And we could, you know…" The only sad part about us not going with Yuri this route is that the book Yuri gives us is DRASTICALLY different. We'll go over that in a future update. Th-This is...how is this girl accidentally being so cute? She even picked out a book she thinks I'll like, despite me not reading much... : "Yuri, thank you! I'll definitely read this!"I enthusiastically take the book. : “Phew...well, you can read it at your own pace. I look forward to hearing what you think."Now that everyone's settled in, I expected Monika to kick off some scheduled activities for the club. But that doesn't seem to be the case. Yuri's face is already buried in a book. I can't help but notice her intense expression, like she was waiting for this chance. Meanwhile, Natsuki is rummaging around in the closet. There's a small but significant difference here - literally none of them seem interested in the others. At least when Sayori was here, there was SOME chatter; now, though, they're all focused on their own things entirely. This club is in shambles. -----  I am a firm, card-carrying member of Team Natsuki so I can't say how happy I am to be going through this...even with the game issues. I hear Natsuki utter an exasperated sigh from within the closet. She seems to be annoyed by something. I approach her, in case she needs a hand. BGM: Play With Me! : "You looking for something in there?" Eeeesh. Not even Natsuki’s scenario is safe from the code glitching. : “She never puts my stuff back in the right spot! What's the point in keeping your collection organized if someone else is just gonna mess it up?"Natsuki slides a bunch of stacked books and boxes across the shelf. : "Manga...": “You read manga, right?": "Ah--...Sometimes..." Manga is one of those things where you can't admit you're really into it until you figure out where the other person stands. : "...How did you know, anyway?": “I heard you bring it up at some point. Besides, it's kind of written on your face."What's that supposed to mean...? It means you look like an otaku. Coming from Natsuki, take it as a compliment. : "I-I see..."There's a lone volume of manga amidst a stack of various books on the side of one of the shelves.Curious, I pull it out of the stack. : “There it is!"Natsuki snatches it out of my hand. She then turns to a box of manga and slips the volume right into the middle of the rest.  : “Seeing a box set with one book missing is probably the most irritating sight in the world."I can see where she's coming from. I have two full complete sets of a manga and two editions of one of those sets were from a different printing and it looked out of place and awful. I spent actual money to replace them because it bothered me so much. : "I know that feel..."I get a closer look at the box set she's admiring. : "Parfait Girls...?"It's a series I've never heard of in my life. That probably means it's either way out of my demographic, or it's simply terrible. No, Parfait Girls is not a real thing. It sounds completely believable, though. : “If you're gonna judge, you can go do it through the glass on that door."She points to the classroom door. : "H-Hey, I wasn't judging anything...! I didn't even say anything.": “It was the tone of your voice. But I'll tell you one thing, Mitayo.": “Consider this a lesson straight from the Literature Club:" I don't like lessons from the Literature Club : “In fact--"Natsuki pulls out the first volume of Parfait Girls from the box. : “I'm gonna show you exactly why!"She shoves the book right into my hands. : "Ah..."I stare at the cover. It features four girls in colorful attire striking animated feminine poses. It's...exceedingly "moe". Oh boy. : “Don't just stand there!": "Uwa--"Natsuki grabs my arm and pulls me out of the closet. She then takes a seat against the wall, beneath the windowsills. She pats on the ground next to her, signaling me to sit there. : "Wouldn't chairs be more comfortable...?"I take my seat.  : “We can't read at the same time like that."I'm starting to wonder if the dev didn't just really like the work he did on the classroom floor. Also, what is it with you girls and reading the same book at the same time? You have a whole collection of books! Pick a different one! : "Eh? Why's that? Ah...I guess it's easier to be close together like this..." Natsuki crosses her arms and scootches an inch away from me. So tsundere. A nice change of pace from gothic Yuri and...Sayori... : "Sorry..."I didn't exactly expect to be sitting this close to her, either...not that I can say it's a particularly bad thing. I open the book. It's only a few seconds before Natsuki once again inches closer, reclaiming the additional space while she hopes I won't notice. I can feel her peering over my shoulder, much more eager to begin reading than I am. : “Wow, how long has it been since I read the beginning...?": "Hm? You don't go back and flip through the older volumes every now and then?": “Not really. Maybe sometimes after I've already finished the series."Yeah, you don't generally need to do a reread when you're actually reading the series for the first time, Mitayo. : “Hey, are you paying attention?": "Uh..."I am, but nothing's really happened yet, so I can talk at the same time. It looks like it's about a bunch of friends in high school. Typical slice-of-life affair. I kind of grew out of these, since it's rare for the writing to be entertaining enough to make up for the lack of plot. I unironically love slice of life anime. I don't watch or read that much in general, to be honest, but that's generally the genre I go with.  : "...Are you sure this isn't boring for you?": “It's not!": "Even though you're just watching me read?": “Well...! I'm...fine with that.": "If you say so...I guess it's fun sharing something you like with someone else. I always get excited when I convince any of my friends to pick up a series I enjoy.": "You know what I mean?": “...?": "Hm? You don't?" : “...that's not...well, I wouldn't really know.": "...What do you mean? Don't you share your manga with your friends?": “Could you not rub it in? Jeez...""Not all of us HAVE friends, okay?" : "Ah... Sorry...": “Hmph. Like I could ever get my friends to read this...they just think manga is for kids. I can't even bring it up without them being all like...'Eh? You still haven't grown out of that yet?' Makes me want to punch them in the face...": "Urgh, I know those kinds of people...honestly, it takes a lot of effort to find friends who don't judge, much less friends who are also into it...I'm already kind of a loser, so I guess I gravitated toward the other losers over time. But it's probably harder for someone like you...": “Hm. Yeah, that's pretty accurate."...Wait, which part?? The part where you're a huge nerd loser, probably. Jokes aside, this is one of the few insights we get into Mitayo's life before the Literature Club. He's not cool and popular, though most of the members aren't - just Monika, really.   Uhhhhh. This is...one of the first glances we get into Natsuki's backstory.: “At least it's safe here in the clubroom. 'Cept Monika's kind of a jerk about it...ugh! I just can't win, can I?": "Well, it paid off in the end, didn't it? I mean, here I am, reading it.": “Well, it's not like that solves any of my problems.": "Maybe...but at least you're enjoying yourself, right?": “--...So?": "Ahaha.": “Jeez, that's enough! Are you gonna keep reading, or what?": "Yeah, yeah..."I flip the page. ... ...... ......... ............ ............... Time passes. Natsuki is strangely quiet now. I glance over at her.  I thought you said this manga was good. It can't even keep YOU awake! : "Hey, Natsuki...": “Y-Yeah...?"Suddenly, Natsuki collapses straight into me. : "H-Hey--"Oh God, I was just kidding. Are you okay? BGM: The music is suddenly static-ridden.  I...will take that as a no. BGM: Music stops abruptly.  : “Natsuki, are you okay?": “...": “Here..."Monika reaches into her bag and pulls out some kind of protein bar. She throws it in Natsuki's direction. Natsuki's eyes suddenly light up again. She snatches the bar from the floor and immediately tears off the wrapper. : “I told you not to give mmph..."She doesn't even finish her sentence before stuffing it into her mouth. Looks like she has some blood sugar issues...? And…other things, maybe??? : “Don't worry, Mitayo.” : “It just happens every now and then. That's why I always keep a snack in my bag for her. Anyway...!": “Why don't we all share poems now?"BGM: Okay, Everyone!  We'll, uh, continue with the poem delivery next time...though I think that our priorities might not be in order... As usual, if you have any recommendations for who to talk to first, lay em' on me - but it's not a huge deal either way. Raw Video File: http://www.polsy.org.uk/play/yt/?vurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DR4mDbdDNQcQ&autoplay=1 Roar fucked around with this message at 00:20 on Oct 23, 2017 |
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Oct 23, 2017 00:04
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SirSamVimes posted:So how many times did you have to reload to get the random Natsuki effect happening? (spoiler about background mechanics of something from the previous update, not future events) First time, actually. I’m not sure that that’s randomized since it’s happened every time I’ve gone through this section, but I could just be ‘lucky’.
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Oct 23, 2017 13:03
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14. BGM: Okay, Everyone! I should start with Monika. Yesterday she seemed eager to read my poem, and I want her to know I'm putting in effort. I passed the effort onto the internet, actually.   : “Having a good time so far?": "Ah...yeah."I mean, we haven't really done much yet. Knowing what we know, I'll consider that a good thing. : “Good! Glad to hear it! By the way, since you're new and everything...if you ever have any suggestions for the club, like new activities, or things we can do better...I'm always listening! Don't be afraid to bring things up, okay?": "Alright...I'll keep that in mind."Of course I'll be afraid to bring things up. I'm much better off just going with the flow until I'm more settled in. : “Anyway...want to share your poem with me?": "It's kind of embarrassing, but I guess I have to.": “Ahahaha! Don't worry, Mitayo! We're all a little embarrassed today, you know?" : "Yeah, that's true."I hand Monika my poem. : “...Mhm! I like it, Mitayo!": "Really...?": “It's a lot cuter than I expected. Ahahaha!"Kawaii desu =^-~= : "Oh jeez...": “No, no! It kind of makes me think of something Natsuki would write. And she's a good writer, too. So take that as a compliment!": "Ahaha...if you say so.": “Yep!" : “She'll cling to you like a puppy. Ahaha!"Remember last time when I said that Monika compared Natsuki to Shel Silverstein? That...doesn't happen in this timeline. : “Natsuki's dad doesn't give her lunch money or leave her any food in the house, so she's in a fussy mood pretty often...but sometimes she just loses all of her strength and shuts down. Like earlier.": “This is just a guess, but I think she's so small because her malnutrition is interfering with her adolescent growth...But hey, some guys are into petite girls too, you know? Sorry...just trying to look at the bright side!"That doesn't explain those evil swirling death eyes, Monika. : “Anyway, do you want to read my poem now? Don't worry, I'm not very good...": "You sound pretty confident for someone who claims to not be very good.": “Well...that's 'cause I have to sound confident. That doesn't mean I always feel that way, you know?": "I see...well, let's read it, then."This poem, and Monika's response, are identical to the first time we went through this scenario. Feel free to skip the following quote unless you're interested in a refresher. quote:
STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING It seems like Monika's changing her MO this time around. Hopefully that's a good thing...? No time to worry about that now, though. Let's move on to Natsuki.  : "...?": “...Okay, well let's start with the things I don't like!": “First of all, um...": "..."Natsuki re-reads my poem. : “N-Never mind. I don't feel like giving you my opinion."Rude. : "Eh? Then what's the point of sharing in the first place? I wrote this when I could have been doing other things.": “Uu...": "In fact, remember how I said I wanted to read your poems? That's what I had in mind when writing this. I want to help you feel comfortable enough to share yours. Like Monika said.": “Uuuu...! Well I would be more comfortable sharing my poem if yours was really bad!" : “And you went and ruined it! I hope you're happy!": "...so, in other words, you're saying you liked it?": “Urk--"Natsuki's retort gets caught in her throat. : “Uuuuuuuuu...You're so...! You just...you...don't understand anything, do you? I already told you that, you don't have to go announcing it to the world like you're all self-important!": "Pretty sure you never actually said that..."I say that mostly to myself. Natsuki must really hate me or something. I can't figure out if it's a win or a loss that she liked my poem. I love that Natsuki is angry with you regardless of whether she likes or hates your poem. She's really found a reason to get mad no matter what. : "In any case... You still need to show me yours, right?": “Gr... Fine, I guess. Only because Monika will make me if I don't."quote:BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Natsuki) STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING Charmed as always, Natsuki. Now how's our favorite girl doing today?  Yuri has a different reaction to our poem due to the fact that we used cutesy words that she hates. : “Mm..."Yuri stares at the poem. A minute passes, more than enough time for her to finish reading. : "Um...": “Oh! S-Sorry...! I forgot to start speaking...": “U-Um!": "It's fine, don't force yourself.": “I'm not...I just need to put my thoughts into words.": “Hold on...okay. This is your first time writing a poem, right?": "Er, yeah...why do you ask?": “I'm just making sure. I guessed that it might be after reading through it.": "Ah, so it's that bad.": “No!!...Did I just raise my voice...? Uu, I'm so sorry..."Yuri buries her face in her hands. Now there's the Yuri we know and love. I couldn't help but notice that it's been several minutes and we really haven't gotten anywhere. It might take Yuri a while to get used to new people... : "It's fine, I really didn't notice. What were you saying?": “Right...um...it's just that there are specific writing habits that are usually typical of new writers."And now we're back to rehashed territory. Behind quotes it goes! This is really only going to be an issue for this particular poem day. Things are going to get more complex and not repeating very, very soon. quote:
STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING ----- BGM: Ohayou Sayori!  I guess that's everyone. I glance around the room. That was a little more stressful than I anticipated. It's as if everyone is judging me for my mediocre writing abilities...even if they're just being nice, there's no way my poems can stand up to theirs. This is a literature club, after all. I sigh. I guess that's what I ended up getting myself into. Across the room, Monika is writing something in her notebook. My eyes land on Yuri and Natsuki. They gingerly exchange sheets of paper, sharing their respective poems. As they read in tandem, I watch each of their expressions change. Natsuki's eyebrows furrow in frustration. Meanwhile, Yuri smiles sadly.  Repeated text! Activate fast-forward mode! quote:
STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING  : “You really act as young as you look, Natsuki.": “Me? Look who's talking, you wannabe edgy bitch!" The gloves are coming off in a huge way.: “Edgy...? Sorry that my lifestyle is too much for someone of your mental age to comprehend!"BGM: 7g.ogg - a version of "Poem Panic!" that speeds up to a frantic pitch and is interspersed with static at random points. I highly recommend that you watch the raw video file for this upcoming section. It's not as imperetive as it was for Sayori, mind you, but the visual effects are much more interesting in video than in text. This particular section starts around timestamp 5:02. : “See?? Just saying that proves my point! Most people learn to get over themselves after they graduate middle school, you know."Almost every sentence is interrupted by an angry screen pulse. : “If you want to prove anything, then stop harassing others with your sickening attitude! You think you can counterbalance your toxic personality just by dressing and acting cute? The only cute thing about you is how hard you try.": “Whoa, be careful or you might cut yourself on that edge, Yuri." BELOW THE BELT, NATSUKI.: “D-Did you just accuse me of cutting myself?? What the gently caress is wrong with your head?!": “Yeah, go on! Let Mitayo hear everything you really think! I'm sure he'll be head over heels for you after this!": “A-Ah--!"Suddenly, Yuri turns toward me, as if she just noticed I was standing here. Oh God, please don't involve us in this.  The scene itself is getting filled with static now. Everything in this game is spiraling wildly out of control. : “That's not true! She started it!": "..." That's the last barrier - even Mitayo himself is glitching out!    Clicking…doesn’t work. All it does is makes the screen zoom in a little bit.     Only way to go from here…      Time to see how deep the rabbit hole goes…!        ACK WHAT WHERE DID YOU COME FROM BGM: The 'music' (which is mostly just noise at this point) stops abruptly.  : “Um...": “Hey, Mitayo...why don't we step outside for a little bit? Okay?"Yeah, that sounds good. What, uh...what even just happened back there? BGM: Silence continues.  : “...they really shouldn't have tried to get you involved. It's probably better for us to stay out of this...we'll go back inside once they're done yelling."I didn't want to be involved in that anyways. I didn't want that to HAPPEN. Good Lord, what's even happening in this club? : “Ahaha...some president I am, right? I can't even confront my own club members properly...I just wish I was able to be a little more assertive sometimes. But I never have it in me to put my foot down against others...you understand, right?": “Anyway...if this makes you want to spend less time with the others, then that's fine." Suddenly, Natsuki runs out of the classroom.  Oh wow, she looks really upset over what just happened. She quickly runs away. The fight apparently got way worse after we left. The last time we danced this tango, Natsuki just sulked in the corner afterwards. : “Oh dear...well, it looks like they're done..."The screen pans and we go back in. : “I didn't mean it...": “I didn't mean it...I didn't mean it..."Yuri is rocking back and forth in her desk with her palms on her forehead. : "Yuri...?" Yuri's looking pretty worse for wear as well. : "I-I believe you..."I have no idea what Yuri might have said to Natsuki. Or did. : “Mitayo. Please don't hate me. Please! I'm not like this! There's something wrong with me today..."I know I usually give Yuri a hard time for the whole 'don't hate me' thing, but...this feels like a legitimate concern for her at this point. It's one thing to have a little argument with a friend, but this was an unbelievable escalation...and the words they shared, judging by the aftermath, were not pretty. : “It's fine, Yuri. We know you didn't mean it. Besides, I'm sure Natsuki will forget all about it by tomorrow." : “..."Natsuki isn't really the forgiving type. I'm not sure if that will pan out the way Monika says it will. : “Anyway, the meeting is over, so you can go home now if you want." Yuri looks at me like she wants to say something. But she keeps glancing at Monika. : “Y-You can go first, Monika...I'd like to stay a little bit longer.": “I'm the President, so I should be the last one out. I'll wait for you to be done.": “...Well-- I'm Vice President, so...please let me take that responsibility today.": “It kind of sounds like you don't want me around for something, Yuri."...can we not fight right now? Please? : “I-It's not that! It's not that...I just...I didn't get much of a chance to discuss my book with Mitayo...it would just be...embarrassing with you listening...": “*Sigh* I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?": “I-I'm sorry for causing trouble..."  Wow, that was, uh, abrupt. I guess it's TIME FOR ANOTHER VOTE TIME? Same rules as always - do them haikus for a double vote score and whatnot. Group A, Group B, or Group C? quote:GROUP A Raw Video File: http://www.polsy.org.uk/play/yt/?vurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8bwBZserTUg&autoplay=1 Roar fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Oct 24, 2017 |
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Oct 23, 2017 23:10
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Ayndin posted:Also, the quoted text when Yuri and Natsuki start talking mentions Sayori (when Natsuki is saying who liked her poem) - I checked the video and it actually doesn't do that. Figured it was worth checking as a potential glitch or something. Er, yeah. That was a copy/paste screw-up all the way. There have been no direct mentions to Sayori throughout this current playthrough in any way yet.
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Oct 24, 2017 02:56
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King of Bleh posted:Looks like some rascal posted a flier over the classroom calendar! ...I would love to say that I planned to show that off there.
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Oct 24, 2017 17:03
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15. BGM: Play With Me!  I've gotten a little more comfortable here over the past couple days. Entering the clubroom, the usual scene greets me.  Starting the fun off early, huh? Some of these glitches happen randomly and aren't in the raw video. I had to rerecord several times. : "Ah, hi Yuri..."I'm not sure if it's me, or if it's Yuri's expression...but the weight of yesterday's quarrel still hangs in the air a little.  The glitching stops at this point and her portrait returns to normal. Yuri glances over her shoulder, looking around the room. Natsuki is reading manga at a desk. And surprisingly, Monika isn't here yet. Suddenly, Yuri takes my arm and pulls me to the corner of the room.  : “I...I really need to apologize. Nothing like that has ever happened before...and...something just came over me, I guess...I wasn't acting mentally sound. Please don't think we're usually like this! Not just me, but Natsuki as well..."We've been through a lot with Yuri and I feel like we know her fairly well, but remember that this is THIS Mitayo's third day of knowing her, if that. : "Yuri...I'm happy that you were considerate and apologized. You don't have to worry too much. Even though I've only been here a couple days, I could tell something was off yesterday...maybe we were just a little extra sensitive because it was our first time sharing poems.""Poems also swing me into a near-murderous rage, don't beat yourself up." : "But whatever it was...it didn't make me think any less of you. I had already decided that there's no way you can be a bad person. And now that you're apologizing, I know you really didn't mean it.": “A-Ah...Mitayo...don't say those kinds of things so frankly...they make me a little too happy. I'm really glad that you're such an understanding person...and I'm really glad that you joined this club. Everything is a little bit brighter with you around, and--": “Ah--": “Sorry, what am I saying right now...? I just--" : “Ah--!"Yuri apparently wasn't ready for a Natsuki confrontation this morning. : "No, I haven't...I was also kind of wondering where she was.": “Man...Yuri, I'm guessing you haven't, either?": “..."Yuri is clearly taken aback by how calmly Natsuki is addressing her. : “N-No, I haven't...": “Jeez, this isn't like her at all." : “...": “What? Why're you looking at me like that?": “U-Um...Natsuki, about yesterday...I-I just wanted to apologize! I promise I didn't mean any of the things I said! And I'll do my best to stay under control from now on...So--" : “Did you do something yesterday?": “...Eh?"She really did forget all about it. It's not like I'm not suprised, it's just...Monika was right, after all! : “Jeez..." : “I-don't-even-remember-anything-bad-happening.-You're-the-kind-of-person-who-worries-too-much-about-the-little-things,-aren't-you?"Those lines are in glitch text as well. : “...B-But..." Oh, ok, that explains everything. : “I'll accept your apology anyway, if it helps you feel better about it. Besides, it's kinda nice to hear, since I was always afraid you secretly hated me or something like that. Ehehe.": “N-No, not at all...! I don't hate you...": “Ahaha. Well, you're kind of weird, but I don't hate you either.": “..."Natsuki turns to me. : “You're still on trial, though.": "Hey...!"So, we're just not gonna bring that up at all, huh? We're just gonna sweep that little weirdness under the rug? Alright, then. You know what? No, not alright then. Am I the only one in the room seeing this or what? Suddenly, the door swings open.  : "Ah, there you are...": “I didn't mean to be late...I hope you guys weren't worried or anything!": "Nah...well, Natsuki was.": “I-I was not!!" quote:NO LYING ALLOWED IN THE LITERATURE CLUB, NATSUKI. : “Ahaha.": “...What took you so long, anyway?": “Ah...well, my last period today was study hall. To be honest, I kind of just lost track of time...ahaha...": “That makes no sense, though. You would have heard the bell ring, at least.": “I must not have heard it, since I was practicing piano...": “Piano...? I wasn't aware you played music as well, Monika.": “Ah, don't give me more credit than I deserve. I guess I've been practicing for a while, but I'm still not really good yet.": “Still...that must require a lot of dedication. So, I'm still impressed.": “Aw, well thanks, Yuri~": “You should play something for us sometime!": “Ahaha, that's..."Monika looks at me.  : “Maybe once I get a little bit better, I will."She didn't mention that she was working on a song last time. Whether that's relevant or a change from the last timeline is unknown. : "That sounds cool. I look forward to it.": “Is that so? In that case...I won't let you down, Mitayo."Monika smiles sweetly. : "Ah...I didn't mean any pressure or anything like that!": “Ahaha, don't worry. I was hoping that I could share it with you, anyway. I guess that's why I've been practicing so much recently." Uh, we've only been in the club for three days, Monika...: "I see..."I'm not sure if Monika was referring to the whole club, or just me... : "In that case, best of luck.": “Thanks~! So, I didn't miss anything, did I?": "Not...not really."I choose not to bring up anything that the three of us talked about. Besides, Natsuki has already run off into the closet. Alright, word group B won, which means another scene with Natsu  : “Um...since your compliments put me in a good mood...I was wondering if you would like to spend some time together today. I mean--in the club!": "Ah, I suppose so. I don't think I could say no to you, after you gave that book to me. Well, I guess I need to make sure Natsuki isn't waiting for me. After we finished reading yesterday, she--": “She's fine! She's reading over there. See?" : “She's-used-to-being-ignored.-Come-on,-we're-going-over-there."Uh, welp. Change of plans, boyos - it looks like Yuri is commandeering our play time for the day. You can see it in the video, but the transition between scenes is a rough cut-out as opposed to a screen-wipe. -----  I'm a little salty with myself because I had this done a few days ago when I thought Yuri would win - I forgot that she would do this. Guess I'm doin' it again. I'm smrt! : “Well...mmm..."I look at the cover of the book. The book is titled "Portrait of Markov". There's an ominous-looking eye symbol on the front cover. It's the same book... : “Basically, it's about this religious camp that was turned into a human experiment prison...and the people trapped there have this trait that turns them into killing machines that lust for blood. But the facility gets even worse, and they start selectively breeding people by cutting off their limbs and affixing them to--": “O-Oh, that might be a little bit of a spoiler...": “But anyway, I-I'm really into it! ...The book, I mean!" ...yet...not the same book...at all. : "That's kind of--!"That's kind of dark, isn't it? Yuri made it sound like it was going to be a nice story, so that dark turn came from nowhere." : “Ah...are you not a fan of that sort of thing, Mitayo?": "No, it's not that...I mean, I can definitely enjoy those kinds of stories, so don't worry."Totally into body parts and stuff, yeah, all those things! : “I hope so..."Yeah... I totally forgot that Yuri is into those things. She's so shy and reclusive on the outside, but her mind seems to be completely different. : “It's just that this kind of story...it's the kind that challenges you to look at life from a strange new perspective."  : “I'm...I'm rambling, aren't I...? Not again...I'm sorry...": "Hey, don't apologize...! I haven't lost interest or anything."I'm just super weirded out, that's all! : “Well...I guess it's alright, then...but I feel like I should let you know that I have this problem...when I let things like books and writing fill my thoughts..." : “I kind of forget to pay attention to other people...so I'm sorry if I end up saying something strange! And please stop me if I start talking too much!": "That's--I really don't think you need to worry...that just means you're passionate about reading. The least I can do is listen. It's a literature club, after all...": “Ah--that's...well, that's true...": "In fact...I might as well get started reading it, right?" : “I-I mean, you don't have to, but...!": "Ahaha, what are you saying?": “...": "Let me just get the book..."Unchanged scene. Activate scrolling mode! quote:
STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING Real quick change. It looks like she's reading from my book instead-- : “S-Sorry!"  Sorry about that. Back to middle-mouse buttoning! quote:
STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING  : "This might be a silly thought, but...the main character kind of reminds me of you a little bit." : “N-No, I don't relate to this character at all! Definitely not!"The last time we went this, Yuri seemed mildly unhappy at the thought. This time, though, she is vehemently opposed to the comparison that Mitayo's making. : "Really...? I was just thinking the way she second-guesses things she says, and all that...": “A-Ah...that's what you were talking about...sorry...I thought you meant...something else about her.": "Something else...?": “N-Never mind! We didn't even get that far yet...so I don't know why that came into my head...ahaha!"This seems like a fair reaction given what we know about this timeline's version of the book. : "Yuri, are you feeling alright?": “Eh--?"Yuri's been a little fidgety ever since we started reading... : "You can rest if you're feeling sick or something. Your breathing is a little..." Yuri puts her hands on her chest, as if to feel her heartbeat. : “I-I didn't...even notice...anyway, I'm fine! I just need some water...!": "Alright...don't push yourself."Yuri stands up and practically rushes out of the classroom. : "What on Earth was that about...?" : “Did something happen just now?": "Eh? I have no idea...Yuri was acting a little strange, I guess..."Let's be honest here. Everyone's acting a little strange. : “So you don't know anything...": "Sorry, I can't say I do. Are you worried about her?": “Oh...no, not really. I was just making sure that you didn't do anything to her.": "N-No, nothing!": “Ahaha, don't worry...I believe you, silly. Yuri just does this sometimes, so it's nothing alarming.""That crazy girl, always drinking water!" : "Alright...if you say so.": “Anyway, why don't we start with sharing our poems with each other?": "Eh? Shouldn't we wait for Yuri?" : “Is that okay?": "Yeah, I was just asking..."I stand up. I make a mental note of where I left off in the book, then slip it back into my bag.  Well, since Yuri's off getting the world's longest drink of water, our options are somewhat limited... We'll explore them next time! Raw Video File: http://www.polsy.org.uk/play/yt/?vurl=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FNJTWH74qOxQ&autoplay=1 Roar fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Nov 3, 2017 |
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Oct 24, 2017 23:34
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Blind Sally posted:you know: the penis is bad, the gun is good--that sort of thing I’m not entirely sure I want to understand this reference
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Oct 25, 2017 17:09
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16. BGM: Okay, Everyone!  : “Well, it's not terrible. But it's pretty disappointing after your last one. Then again, if this one was as good as your last one, I would be completely pissed."I'm not entirely sure why Natsuki doesn't openly care for our poem here. I'm assuming it's because we got our time commandeered by Yuri, but we still wrote a super cutsey poem. : “Well, I guess I wanted to try something a little different this time.": “Fair enough. You're still new to this, so I wouldn't expect you to find your style right away. I mean, everyone in the club writes really differently from each other...maybe you'll find a little influence from all of us.": “For instance..." : “Not that I care who you spend your time with. After all, I was taught never to expect anything from anybody. So it's not like I was waiting for you, or anything."Careful, Natsuki, your tsundere is showing. : “Still, you should at least look over my poem...you'll probably be able to learn something from it."BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Natsuki)  quote:T3BlbiBZb3VyIFRoaXJkIEV5ZQ Poem impressions: Uh, Natsuki, did you write this with your face or something? This is the text equivelent of a static-filled televison. The following is, uh, a little bit of a rant. Excuse the screenshot overload but it’s necessary this time.      BGM: The music gets a bit off-pitch and there’s a weird metronome sound playing.            BGM: Music ends abruptly.    EVERYTHING'S FINE. MOVING ON. BGM: Okay, Everyone!  : “How's the writing going?": “Alright, I guess...": “I'll take that. As long as it's not going bad! I'm happy that you're applying yourself. Maybe soon you'll come up with a masterpiece!": “Ahaha, I wouldn't count on that...": “You never know! Want to share what you wrote for today?": “Sure... Here you go."I give my poem to Monika. : “...Alright!" : “I was going 'Ooh' in my head while reading it. It's really metaphorical! I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect you to go for something so deep. I guess I underestimated you!"For some reason, Monika assumes that I was using Yuri's word group. : “It's easiest for me to keep everyone's expectations low. That way, it always counts when I put in some effort.": “Ahaha! That's not very fair! Well, I guess it worked, anyway. You know that Yuri likes this kind of writing, right? Writing that's full of imagery and symbolism."This is the same thing she told us last time, back when we were pining for Yuri. That feels like a million years ago now. : “Sometimes I feel like Yuri's mind is just totally detached from reality. I don't mean that like it's a bad thing, though." Things, however, branch off a bit this time around. : “She spends so much time in her own head that it's probably a much more interesting place for her...but that's why she gets so happy when you treat her with a lot of kindness. I don't think she's used to being indulged like that." : “Like earlier...I think if she gets too stimulated, she ends up withdrawing and looking for alone time."Suddenly, the door opens. : “Yuri!" : “Did I miss anything?": “Not really...well, we all started sharing our poems with each other.": “Eh? Already? I-I'm sorry for being late...": “No need to apologize! We still have plenty of time, so I'm more glad that you took all the time you needed.""Most people don't drink four gallons of water at a time, though. That's why you took so long, right? Drinkin' a lot of watttttter?" : “Alright...thanks, Monika. I suppose I should go get my poem now." : “You want to read my poem now?": “I like the way this one turned out, so I hope you do too~"BGM: Okay, Everyone! (Monika)    quote:Save Me Poem impressions: Monika's original second poem was also named Save Me. This poem, however, is showing similar signs of degridation as everything else in this timeline. Apparently Monika, who up until this point has shown relatively few signs of glitching, isn't immune to the code issues. BGM: Music fades out.  BGM: Okay, Everyone! ...case in point. : “Sorry, I know it's kind of abstract. I'm just trying to...um...": “Well, never mind." : “Anyway...here's Monika's Writing Tip of the Day! Sometimes you'll find yourself facing a difficult decision...when that happens, don't forget to save your game! You never know when...um..." : “Can you hear me?": “Tell me you can hear me.": “Anything." : “...That's my advice for today!" Curiouser and curiouser. Speaking of which...  : “Let's see what you've written for today.": “..."Yuri smiles and takes a deep breath.  Oh good lord. Could we please not make this weird? : “...?": “Ah, I mean--the poem turned out good! It's, ah...well, there are some things that you could work on...but that doesn't really matter. It feels like anything written by you is a treasure."You know, when we were actively pursuing you, you seemed a little...aloof. I feel like there's some middle ground that we shot WAY, WAY past. : “Ahaha...that came out a little awkward...l-let's move on...here's the poem I wrote. You don't have to like it or anything..."BGM: Music fades out.   quote:Wheel Poem impressions: There's definately something wrong with Yuri, and I'm not just talking about her weird, kind-of spooky poem. Her handwriting's changed, too.  : “It doesn't really matter what it's about. My mind has been a little hyperactive lately, so I had to take it out on your pen.": “Ah--": “That is...a-a pen fell out of your backpack yesterday, so I took it home for safekeeping and...": “I, um...I just...really like...the way...that it writes.": “So I wrote this...poem...with it.": “And now you're touching it...": “Ahaha. I-I'm okay!!" You've made it weird.Signs that you are not okay: all of the things Yuri just said.  : “...Can we pretend this conversation never happened? You can keep the poem, though..."I would love to forget it. I don't think forgetting anything about the Literature Club will ever be an option for me, unfortunately.   BGM: Okay, Everyone!  Oh great, DDLC is channeling CoD now. : “We're all done reading each other's poems, right? We have something we need to go over today, so if everyone could come sit at the front of the room..."This glitch is making it very hard to read the text. : “Is this about the festival?": “Well, sort of~": “Ugh. Do we really have to do something for the festival? It's not like we can put together anything good in just a few days. We'll just end up embarrassing ourselves instead of getting any new members." I, uh, guess we're done here?  Oh, clicking fixed it. That's a relief. : “Don't worry so much! We're going to keep it simple, okay?": “Look...I know everyone's been a little more...lively...ever since Mitayo joined and we've started with some club activities. But this isn't the time for us to become complacent. We still only have four members...and the festival is our only real chance to find more, you know?": “What's so great about getting new members, anyway? We already have enough to be considered an official club. More members will just mean everything gets noisier and more difficult to manage."Four people isn't a club, Natsuki. It's some people hanging out sharing poetry. : “Natsuki...I don't think you're looking at it the right way at all. Don't you want to share your passion with as many people as you can? To inspire them to find the same feelings that brought you here in the first place? The Literature Club should be a place where people can express themselves like they can't do anywhere else."All three of you produced absolute drivel today. Natsuki's wasn't even real words. : “It should be a place so intimate that you never want to leave. I know you feel that way, too. I know we all do! So that's why we should work hard and put something together for the festival...even if it's something small! Right, Mitayo?": “Ah...": “Oh, come on! You can't take advantage of Mitayo to agree with you just because he doesn't know how to say no to anything.": “Look, Monika. Do you really think any of us here joined the club with other people in mind? Yuri never even talked until Mitayo joined. As for me, I just like it better here than I do at home. And Mitayo isn't even passionate about literature in the first place. And that's everyone."I mean...it’s not EVERYONE : “Sorry, but you're really the only one who's so interested in finding new members.": “The rest of us are fine like this. I know you're President and all, but you should really consider our opinions for once.": “..."Monika is clearly taken aback by Natsuki's words. BGM: My Feelings : “That's...not true at all. I'm sure Yuri and Mitayo want to get more members too...right?"Not really. Nothing has gone well for any of us in the cursed club. I wouldn't wish our fate on anyone else. : “...": “..."I don't know about Yuri, but I'm kind of indifferent. If I showed as much enthusiasm as Monika wanted, then I would probably be lying. Still, if it's up to me to rescue this situation... : “Um--": “No." : “This club...it's nothing more than a place for a few people to hang out. Why did I think that everyone here saw it the same way as I did?": “But that doesn't mean that we're against getting new members or anything...": “Mitayo, why did you even join this club? What were you hoping to get out of it?"It started out with cupcakes. How did it end up like this? Have I made that The Killers reference already? I honestly can't remember. : “Well--"That's not really something I can be honest about, is it? : “In fact...if I remember, you weren't even given a choice not to join."Monika sits down and stares at her desk. : “What's the point of all this, anyway? What if starting this club was a mistake?"This is probably the most raw emotion we've seen out of Monika...ever. : “..." : “What, me? I just spoke my mind...is it a crime to be honest?": “It's not about being honest. It's about word choice. Besides, you have no right to speak for everyone else in the club like that...": “You don't understand at all! I just...I just want a place that feels nice to hang out with a few friends. Is there a problem with the club being that for me? There aren't...there aren't many other places like that for me...and now Monika wants to take it away from me!": “She's not taking anything away--": “No, Mitayo. It's not the same. It won't be the same with the direction she wants to take it. If I wanted that, then I could have just joined any other stupid club."...you know, I've literally never thought about it until this moment, but why in the world wouldn't Natsuki have joined the anime club? SHE HAS A MANGA COLLECTION. She spends the entire club time reading it! : “But this one...I mean...at least for a little bit of time..." Natsuki starts packing up her things. : “I'm going home. I feel like...I don't belong here right now.": “Natsuki..."Natsuki ignores Yuri and walks right out of the classroom.  : “…I don't know what to do...": “Well...do you have an opinion on the festival?": “I-I don't know...I'm kind of indifferent, I guess..." Uh...!  : “And I'm just...happy with you here...but still! I'm the Vice President...it's not right for me to ignore my responsibilities like that..."  MIXED SIGNALS.  : “But what about you, Mitayo? What do you want to get out of this club?"Yuri repeats the same question as Monika. I decide giving an indirect answer is better than nothing. : “...I think the most important thing is for everyone to get along...and for the club to provide something that you can't get anywhere else. I don't think it's about how many members, but rather the quality of each member. That's what will end up making the Literature Club a special place."I can absolutely not be assed to make yet another gif for this update, but Yuri’s eye bleeds intermittently throughout this section. : “I see...I really agree with you. Each member contributes their own qualities in a special way. With each change in members, the identity of the club as a whole will change, too. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Stepping out of your comfort zone once in a while..." : “Alright. Well, maybe we can all talk to Natsuki tomorrow..."Yuri nods.  : “Eh?": “Um, I know things were a little awkward yesterday...but I feel like you deserve to know that I still think you're a wonderful vice president. And also, a wonderful friend.": “M-Monika...": “I want to do everything I can to make this the best club ever. Okay?": “...Me too."Best friends forever! <3 : “Yeah...let's all go home for today. We'll talk about the festival tomorrow.": “Okay. I look forward to it." : “Um--please don't take this the wrong way, but...I'm going to chat a little bit with Mitayo before we leave. Just to see what he thinks of his time here and all that..." : “..."Yuri looks a little troubled, but she doesn't protest. : “Okay. I trust your judgment, Monika. In that case, I'll see the two of you tomorrow.": “See you tomorrow~"Monika waves as Yuri exits the classroom.  : “Things have been a bit hectic lately, haven't they? Mitayo, I just wanted to make sure you're enjoying your time at this club. I would really hate to see you unhappy. I feel kind of like I'm responsible for that, as President..."BGM: Music stops abruptly. : “And I really do care about you...you know? I don't like seeing the other girls give you a hard time. With how mean Natsuki is and everything...And Yuri being a little bit...you know. Ahaha...sometimes it feels like you and I are the only real people here. You know what I mean?": “But it's weird, because in all the time you've been here, we've hardly gotten to spend any time together.": “Ah...I mean..." : “Sorry, I didn't mean to say something weird! There are just some things I've been hoping to talk about with you...things I know only you could understand."  Last normal-ish poem vote. For real this time. quote:GROUP A Raw Video Link: http://www.polsy.org.uk/play/yt/?vurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLV2gtUUQnJY%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&autoplay=1 Roar fucked around with this message at 01:08 on Oct 26, 2017 |
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Oct 26, 2017 01:02
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Kurui Reiten posted:Just wanna say, probably don't dissect things too closely. There's a lot of stuff happening that kind of spoils the magic if you try to pull it all apart by analyzing everything, but it's a game designed to be played in more or less one relatively short burst. Just go along for the ride right now, and you'll find this stuff out later. This is a good point. While I’m taking two weeks plus to LP this, you can probably beat the game in roughly the time it takes to make a long update. Reminder to stay far, far away from that thread if you don’t want spoilers. Another good resource is the unofficial-ish discord channel, which I don’t have a link to but google can find relatively easily. It too is pretty spoilerheavy, though.
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Oct 26, 2017 17:50
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17. BGM: Play With Me!  Well, aren't you chipper this morning? : “I've been waiting for you. Are you ready to continue reading? I brought my best tea today--" : “I told you not to-- Ugh...is she really late again?"I can only assume that Natsuki is upset about Monika moving around her manga again, though it's not expressly stated.  : “Excuse me?": “Must you always interrupt my conversations with your incessant yelling?"Oh. Well, maybe she's not quite as pleasant this morning as I thought. : “What are you talking about?! You say that like I do it on a regular basis or something. I just wasn't paying attention, okay? I'm sorry." : “Look...I did some thinking about yesterday. I was a little more hostile than I meant to be...I guess I really felt threatened or something. But I know this is something we're doing together. Another new member wouldn't hurt, as long as they're cool...and I guess another girl would be nice this time...": “So..."   : “--! ..." That...seemed really uncalled for. Apparently whatever conclusion Yuri came to last night about the club and unity and whatnot is long gone now. As an aside, that would have gone differently had we made different decisions, so our input does still matter in the most basic of senses.  : “I'm the last one here again!": “Were you practicing piano again?": “Yeah...Ahaha...": “You must have a lot of determination. Starting this club, and still trying to make time for piano...": “Well, maybe not determination...but I guess passion. It motivates me to work hard for the festival, too.": “Anyway, Mitayo...what do you want to do today? I was thinking we could--" I...don't remember agreeing to this. : “Ah...is that so, Yuri?": “That's correct. Mitayo is already engaged in a novel that we're reading together. Aren't you glad I've already gotten him into literature, Monika?": “I...I suppose...": “I was just--": “Actually, it doesn't matter. It really doesn't. You guys can do whatever you want." This is the first time we get to see this. Get used to it - you'll know what exactly I'm referring to soon enough. : “Um... Thank you for understanding, Monika."-----  : “...Do you mind if I make some tea first?": "Not at all.": “Thanks very much. If there's one thing that can make my reading time here any better, it's a nice cup of tea. Not to mention for yourself, as well."Yuri stands up and makes her way to the closet. I follow and watch as she retrieves a small water pitcher from the shelf - the kind with a filter inside. : “Can you hold this for a second?": "Sure..."Yuri hands me the water pitcher and also fetches an electric kettle. This portion of play time is nearly - if not completely - identical to the second play time with Yuri in the first timeline, but it's not long enough to justify fast-forward mode. It'll switch up very soon. : “I'm going to plug this in at the teacher's desk, and then I'll go get some water."She walks past me and sets the kettle down on the teacher's desk. I simply watch her movements. To my surprise, the way she moves really contrasts her speaking mannerisms. Especially because of her long legs, Yuri appears elegant and methodical. : “Okay, may I have the water pitcher?": “Thanks. I'll be right back.": "Ah, I might as well walk with you..." : “You stay here...it won't take long."Pitcher in hand, Yuri hurries out of the classroom.  : “...did Yuri leave you again?": "No, it's not like that this time. She's just filling up the water pitcher to make tea.": “Oh, okay! Sorry for misunderstanding~"-----  Ten minutes pass. Yuri said it wouldn't take long...is something holding her up? I'm bored just waiting here, so I decide to go look for her.  BGM: Play With Me becomes muffled while in the hallway, as if someone is blasting it from inside the classroom and we can hear it through the walls. It's a nice touch. The most logical place for Yuri to be would be the nearest water fountain...I start heading down the hallway.  ???: "....Haah.....haah...." ...What's that noise? It's coming from around the corner...it sounds like breathing. ??? "Khhhhh--" A sharp inhale, like someone is sucking the air through their teeth. Are they in pain...? I have a bad feeling about this. I reach the corner and peer around it. : "Yuri...?" ...oh, Yuri... Yuri's extremely-hinted-at-and-largely-suspected secret has now been confirmed. Why she's cutting in the hallway of the school - or, allegedly, in our living room back in the first timeline - is something I can't explain to you.  BGM: Play With Me plays in reverse.  : “Mitayo, do you like oolong tea?"...I...what now? As normal, Mitayo doesn't seem to notice that Superman just slammed into the planet and sent us back in time by a a couple of minutes. The next little bit is a repeated scene so get your middle-mouse button a-scrolling. I'll tell you when to stop...but you probably won't need my help this time. quote:
STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING STOP SCROLLING BGM: Music stops abruptly.  Yuri starts to breathe heavily. : “I...I can't...Mitayo..."Suddenly, Yuri forcefully grabs my arm and jerks me to my feet. My teacup gets knocked over.  The closet door slams shut and the lights go out.  : “My heart won't stop pounding, Mitayo...": “I can't calm down. I can't focus on anything anymore...!": “Can you feel it, Mitayo?"Yuri suddenly presses my hand against her chest. : “Why is this happening to me? I feel like I'm losing my mind..." : “It even makes me not want to read...I just want...": “...to look..." : “...at you."This is way, way too far within the boundary of my personal space, Yuri.  : “...Haah...": “...Haah...": “...Haah..."This lasts an...uncomfortably...long time. After what feels like hours, the door opens. : “...um..." I've never been so happy to see Monika - or literally anyone - in my entire life. ----- BGM: Okay, Everyone!  Interestingly enough, this is one of the few times where the order actually does matter (in a very, very basic way). This is the last time we're doing this, so savor it like a precious jewel. The raw video will be in tomorrow’s update since I did both together
Roar fucked around with this message at 14:47 on Oct 27, 2017 |
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Oct 27, 2017 00:41
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: “Ah, yeah. Anything is fine."
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Avalerion posted:Only one to think the Yuri stare is a deliberate reference to that overly attached girlfriend meme? If it is, it's way, way too subtle. The raw video will go up today, but the intention is just full-blown awkward creep-staring...and not in a playful way like you know OAG when off-camera.
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Oct 27, 2017 17:28
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