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What really gets me is that they're torn about whether or not to just let him leave. If they think he's a werewolf, wouldn't they want him gone ASAP?
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Jun 26, 2020 17:40
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AFancyQuestionMark posted:The lady brought some tea to the old folk. Perfect timing. You've got this image twice in the update, and I'm sure this is the wrong one. It's probably supposed to be the younger woman introducing herself or something? This mistake is also on your LPBeach copy. PMush Perfect posted:What really gets me is that they're torn about whether or not to just let him leave. If they think he's a werewolf, wouldn't they want him gone ASAP? Assuming this is like the game Werewolf, they've got until nighttime to get rid of him.
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Jun 26, 2020 18:38
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Fixed all of the issues. Sorry for being sloppier than usual this time. If you notice anything else, feel free to point it out.
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Jun 26, 2020 19:03
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Update 5: Alrighty Then… Stuuupid, You’re Stuuupid! At the end of the creaky hallway, there was a black rotary phone - a rarity in this day and age.  Seriously…?  “Oh, and not a single mobile service provider works in this area.” “Really…? Wait, who do you want me to call, anyway?” “Road service, insurance, stuff like that. And family, if you have to.”Oh, that made sense...Hell, I should’ve been the one to say that.  “Like I said, it’d be best if you left as soon as possible, so you should use everything you have.” “Because outsiders aren’t welcome here?” “Yep.” “And I shouldn’t pry any further, huh?” “Umm...Haruaki-san. I see you catch on quickly. That’s good.” “But you also seem really curious.” “It shows, huh?” “Of course it does. Honestly, though, you should avoid sticking your nose into things.” “Because we’ll part ways soon, anyway.” “Exactly.” “That’s kinda sad.” “Oh? You want my contact info?” “If you’re willing to give.” “Yaay! That makes you guy number fifty three on the list!” “drat, if that ain’t a letdown.”We still went on to exchange our info. I could only hope that being “number fifty three” wasn’t as big a problem as it sounded. “Anyway, I’d still like to know the reason why me being here is such a big deal.” “I don’t recommend it…” “But whyyy…?” “Because it’d make me upset.” “You don’t like it here?” “Yeah. I actually hate it.” “You seem to get along with the people, though.” “That’s just how it looks. I was a huge problem child, so I feel kinda awkward around the older folk here.” “And there’s tons of things you can’t see right away. Oh, but I can’t say I actually hate the people…”With that, I decided to stop prying about this place any further. I’d back away before she came to hate me.  “Ooh, gutsy. Go ahead.” “Do you like that Takumi Muro guy?” “What? Me? Like him?” “Yeah.” “Ahahahah! No way! Takumi-niichan’s cool and all, but he’s too rugged and over a decade older than me. He’s out of my strike zone.” “And he’s always only had eyes for Kaori-san.” “It sure felt like it… They married or something?” “Nope. Kaori-san’s a widow.”Well, that seemed complicated.  Why had she dragged me away from the tea? It seemed so awkward, too. Assuming she hadn’t been jealous of Kaori-san and simply didn’t want her to charm me… It would mean that she just hadn’t wanted me to drink the tea. Why? Also, why’d she feed me cup ramen if I could’ve just gotten food at the dining hall? Looking too deep into things was part of my nature… Though, things were never as bad as I assumed.  Apparently, this village was hundreds of kilometers away from the nearest service station, meaning I was ineligible for the normal service and had to pay extra. And the extra was no small amount, too. It actually went over 100,000 yen. Also, I could’ve avoided this if I’d taken a more expensive plan. This was all my fault for not taking the bike salesman’s advice. poo poo. I said I would consider it, and hung up. Then, I went back to the dining hall.  The customers had changed completely. Tae-san, Kanzo-san and Takumi-san were gone now. They were replaced by a caricature of a juvenile delinquent. BGM: Safety Zone  He shouted at me. He seemed like he was trying too hard. He then slammed his bowl and chopsticks on the table and stood up to intimidate me. “Umm...I’m Haruaki Fusaishi.” “The hell? You wanna go?” “Goodness! Yoshitsugu! You don’t talk like that to someone you just met!” “Shut up, hag! Chie-nee, the hell’s this rear end in a top hat?” “Haruaki-san, a traveler who crashed his bike.”Boy, was that introduction half-assed.   “Huh? Yasunga-kun? The guy you introduced me to this morning?” “Yep. They may not look it at first, but they’re alike, don’t you think?”The Oribes… what an unpredictable family.  “Stop talking ‘bout bro, you ugly bitch!” And from what I’d seen, that confidence was well justified. “Tch...gently caress off back to the city, you idiot! Stupid dumbass!” “Oh no! Haruaki-san! I don’t think I can argue with that!” “What? You were an idiot? Alrighty then… Stuuupid, you’re stuuupid!” “Oh, how mean…” “Join me, Yoshitsugu-kun! Stuuupid, stuuupid!” “Huh… What the hell?! Don’t talk poo poo ‘bout Chie-nee!”You’re… pretty conflicted, aren’t you?  “Sorry, Chiemi-chan. I was just playing.” “Wow, one nice reversal after another. It takes quite a man to surprise me.” “I just don’t wanna lose to you, that’s all.” “You datin’ or something?”Boy, did I wish.  “Shut up. I ain’t going.”Mumbling something, the kid walked out of the dining hall, leaving his half-full bowl behind.  “He’s a really good boy deep down, though…”Yeah, I could actually see that. Somewhat. “By the way, where are Makishima-san and Muro-san?” “They went to pick up your bike.” “Oh no. I gotta hurry after them.” “Hey, they know where it is. They’ll be fine, don’t you think?” “Well, you just have to set it on neutral and push… but I’m not sure they’ll know how to do it. And I, of all people, should help. They might go about it the wrong way.” “If that’s all, then you shouldn’t bother.”*Everything goes silent* “Why?” “Because you’re an outsider. I wouldn’t suggest spending too much time alone with them.” “They didn’t seem that bad to me.” “That’s because they’re adults. Don’t assume everyone here is as welcoming as me. I’m an exception.” “You might get along fine, but you might also set them off. This place is already far from normal. Don’t risk making it worse.” “She’s right, I say. They insisted you leave it to them, so that’s what you should do.” “You think so, too?” “Yes. The men here are pretty serious about Yasumizu having its own way of doing things.”I could somewhat understand that. A visitor should behave like one. Doing anything more would be uncalled for. It was an old-fashioned way of thinking, but this was an old-fashioned kind of place, for sure. “Where do we wait, then?” “At my place.”Expected as much, but it still made me curious. Normally, you’d expect we’d sit around and drink some tea right here, so why didn’t we?  First, I found out that the people here in Yasumizu were a bit on edge right now. The reason for that was the fact that, excluding me, they had three whole outsiders here. I’d assumed this myself from what I knew so far, but apparently, yesterday morning, a little girl was found straying around the Saranaga Rapids. They couldn’t even find out her name, let alone who her parents were, so they didn’t know how to handle her. For now, one of the inhabitants was looking after her. Like I’d been told, the more superstitious inhabitants (Tae-san, mostly) saw her as a bad omen. I suggested leaving her to the police, but Chiemi didn’t seem to think it was a good idea. It barely made sense to me, but if I were to believe her, things around here were such that not even the cops could do anything. BGM: Safety Zone  Unlike the little girl and I, they’d come here via the “normal route” - through Kamifujiyoshi - and therefore weren’t considered a “bad omen” or whatever. Still, even normal outsiders put the people here on edge. Through this talk, I also got some details about the area itself.  It’d also been on the map I’d been shown at the store. Fujiyoshi was split into two areas: Yasumizu and Kamifujiyoshi. They were separated by a mountain. Going to Kamifujiyoshi took about an hour by foot, or twenty minutes by car on the winding, but paved, road. Side note: The school the students went to was in Kamifujiyoshi. These two settlements had ties so strong they shared customs and culture. Chiemi said the local seasonal events were quite unconventional. I asked her to elaborate, but all she would say was that Yasumizu had “special meaning to Fujiyoshi. She was making me more suspicious than I wanted to be.  Well, at least I found she didn’t have a boyfriend right now (very intriguing). It was nearly noon when Takumi-san came back, ending my waiting game.
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Jun 27, 2020 09:02
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Is it just my internet, or does the image quality drop in the back half of the update?
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Jun 27, 2020 09:51
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It's not just you. Will fix later.
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Jun 27, 2020 10:09
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I wonder why the map needed to mark that pine tree. Feels kind of random.
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Jun 27, 2020 15:42
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Alright, does anyone have some sort of list of the characters from most to least suspicious, in their opinion?
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Jun 27, 2020 18:07
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Junpei posted:Alright, does anyone have some sort of list of the characters from most to least suspicious, in their opinion? Haru-chan seems cool, everyone else is probably a cannibal
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Jun 27, 2020 18:14
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The most suspicious person here is Haruaki, the protagonist. Suspicious of others, that is.
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Jun 28, 2020 01:39
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Update 6: A Traditional Yasumizu Welcome? You Know, Throw Him Off the Cliff Side note: The door was fully open the entire time we waited. It was probably Chiemi’s way of saying that nothing bad was happening here.  BGM: After Dinner  “Ain’t as ‘eavy as the boar I caught last ‘ear.”I really didn’t expect them to just...carry it here. Like, sure, there were two of them, but just how much mass did you have to have to haul a 200 kg piece of metal so easily? The unpaved road and the river made my sweet ride really drat muddy. “How did you bring it up the cliff?” “There’s a pulley. We bring stuff up from the bottom every now and then.” “Takumi.” “Oh yeah, now’s not the time for that. Hey, you think this thing’s all right? It looks pretty drat wet.” “I’m not sure...I’ll check.” “I’ll leave the rest to you, then. Old man, this took longer than I thought it would. It fine if I do the sharpening tomorrow?” “Mh.”I saw them off with a loud “thank you!”. Now then…  “I’ll see what I can do by myself first.” I wanted to start by washing it, but that old lady (Tae Yamawaki was her full name) got really mad at me. She didn’t want any Saranaga mud on the ground here because it was “corrupt” or something. But this plaza was the only place with easy access to a water supply tap, so I did my best and convinced her to let me wash it as close to the edge as possible. Once it was clean, I could start checking what was wrong with it. It actually looked pretty good. Bent in places, sure, but the wash got rid of the bad sounds the wheels made. The only problem was that both tires were flat. ...And it was a pretty big one.   “No…” “Aren’t you supposed to whenever you go on a bike trip?” “I just thought I could call road service and they’d do all the work…” “So unprepared…” “I have no excuse. Honestly, I was having a moment when I went out. Didn’t think things through.” “Oh, can I ask what happened?” “My girlfriend left me.” “That seems like a lie.”It wasn’t. “In any case...Hmm...Somewhere to get tools to fix a flat tire...” “There might be some in the Nosato mansion.” “Nosato mansion?” “Yep. It’s the biggest place in Yasumizu. If you can’t find something there, you won’t find it anywhere else in the village.” “I see. Then let’s give it a shot.” “Hmm...I don’t really recommend meeting the guy, but I can’t think of any other ideas.” “Someone important again?” “Yep. And he’s kinda messed up, to boot.”*Everything goes silent*  From what I could tell, it was located at the highest point in the settlement. And, like Chiemi said, it was definitely a hell of a building. It had an elegant Western design, which would probably look even better if the place were better maintained. The yard was overgrown, and the building itself was pretty much buried in ivy and small trees. If someone told me it was cursed, I’d instantly believe them. Did people actually live here? “I wonder if the intercom works…”She pressed a button next to the aged iron gate. Yasumizu was a quiet place, so I could easily hear the bell ring inside. … “Should we try again?” “Let’s not. We’ll piss him off.” “Moody guy, huh?” “‘Moody?’ Yeah, that’s pretty accurate.”I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I opted to just wait rather than ask more questions. Soon enough, the person in question walked out of the mansion. BGM: Safety Zone  He wasn’t young, but he didn’t look middle-aged, either. He certainly looked high-strung, that much was sure. “Hello, Nosato-san! It’s Serizawa!” “I know you, Chiemi Serizawa. I’m asking the young man with you.” “Haruaki-san, this is Kiyonosuke Nosato-san. Kiyonosuke-san, this is Haruaki Fusaishi. He got into an accident.”That introduction was the briefest yet.  “Huh? What?”I explained the situation again (he furrowed his brow when I mentioned the Saranaga), in addition to the reason we were here. “So...I need repair tools so I can get out of here as soon as possible…” “Are the tires tubeless?”Huh…?  “I have patches, but I think fixing tubeless tires would be a bit too much for an amateur. Though, there’s no problem if you aren’t.” “Oh, but if the tube burst, you have no choice but to change it. I don’t have any spares here, obviously. And I wouldn’t give them if I did.” “Umm, sorry, but I’m not too knowledgeable about that.” “What a waste of time. I recommend spending however many thousands you need to have repairmen come and pick you up.”Gh...I had no retort to that. “Oh, but Nosato-san, I don’t think we can have any more outsiders come here right now.” “Huh? Haven’t you been to a proper city? Don’t tell me you still believe that nonsense.” “Hmm...I’d be fine with it, but I doubt the elders would be...We’ve had too many visitors these past few days.” “I don’t care what you Yasumizu peasants think! What do you expect me to do, anyway? Fix the tires myself and get oil all over me?” “Oh, I’d never suggest that. I just think that a Fujiyoshi village head should help a troubled visitor.” “Hmph. How about, instead of relying on me only when it’s convenient, you just give him a traditional Yasumizu welcome? You know, throw him off the cliff.”Whoa, what the hell?  “Come ooon, you can’t say thaaat…”Chiemi’s tone was slightly off. I could feel a bit of irritation behind her words. “I know it might be a bother, but can you at least lend me the tools?” “What?” “I’ll just borrow them. You won’t hear or see me work. I can even pay.” “Well, I don’t mind that much, but I’ll want compensation for anything you break. Student or not, I’ll have you act proper.”Then he pointed me to the garage and walked back to the mansion.  “Wow, that’s so lame…” “What, you think every biker can fix a bike by just bashing it with a wrench or something?” “I dunno, but aren’t there a lotta girls who’re into guys good with cars and stuff?” “Oh, so you’re into Nosato-shi?” “Nope. He’s just acting like he’s smart. He’s probably never repaired a thing in his life. The guy’s not nearly as experienced as he’d have you think.” “Huh? Then why does he have bike repair stuff?” “The Nosato mansion is basically the Yasumizu branch of the Nosato family. Their main mansion is in Kamifujiyoshi. Whatever they don’t need there, they send over here.” “I heard Kiyonosuke-san was given a car five or six years ago, but he couldn’t drive it at all, so it’s been gathering dust ever since.”drat, that was the countryside for you. Couldn’t hide your shame if your life depended on it. Anyway, I now knew that the man was the condescending, pretentious type. He still helped me out, though, and it was true I didn’t know much about bike repairs, so I couldn’t really get mad. “Anyway, let’s just take everything that looks like it could be useful.” “Like bandits, huh? I’m in!”A bit of a shorter update, this one is. For those counting down the days until things start kicking off, don't worry - the next update is going to be the last of the setup/character introduction sequence. You don't have that long left to wait. In the meantime, you can talk about what you think is going to happen or anything you might have noticed. AFancyQuestionMark fucked around with this message at 22:06 on Jun 28, 2020 |
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Jun 28, 2020 22:02
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Seems like not packing the most basic of patching kits before riding off to the country was a really boneheaded thing to do. And also, getting the stink eye is bad enough without people 'jokingly' suggesting homicide.
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Jun 28, 2020 23:05
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Haruaki come on man.
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Jun 29, 2020 00:19
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Update 7: The Wolf Is Coming! Background Sound: Chirping Birds  “I’d feel down without anyone to talk to. Just keep chatting with me. It helps.”The instructions that came with the repair kit told me that my bike’s tires were a rather difficult type to repair. Apparently, I had to remove the tires, but where did I even start with that? Well, as long as I didn’t break it, nothing I did could be worse than having to call road service down here, so I just tried taking it apart. But as I removed whatever nuts I could, I made the situation even worse than it was. Yeah, this really wasn’t a job for an amateur…  “Wow! Thank youuu!” “Hey, the benefits of culture are great as long as they don’t break. (Munch, munch)” “Hmm, that might be hard...Don’t worry, though. Worse comes to worst, I’ll do something. (Munch, munch)”I really appreciated how she handled the visitors in my stead.  “I know that scooter licenses are easy. I have one myself. (Munch, munch)” “Mid-size bike licenses are pretty hard to get. You even need to take a course, just like with cars. You like bikes?’ “The hell?! What’s it matter to you?! How much was that, anyway?” “800,000 yen. Brand new.” “What the hell?! That’s way too high! You an idiot or what?! How’d you get that much?! “Umm, part-time jobs and all that.” “And you got it into an accident...poor Haruaki-san…(Munch, munch)” “Chiemi-sensei, if I may ask, what happened to my share of the food?” “Ah! Oh no! I ate it all! Poor Haruaki-san!”I didn’t want sympathy from the one responsible. As I told her off for not leaving me any food, I somehow removed the tires. I could only hope I’d be able to fix this up. I’d had this thing for less than a month, but the trouble it was putting me through made it feel somewhat dear to me. I wanted to fire it up again and make it go as fast as it could. Background Sound: Car Engine Suddenly, I heard an engine. It felt like it was mocking me. Hold on. An engine? Here? I stopped working and turned around to see an unfamiliar van drive into the plaza. Barring the classic-looking piece of junk in Nosato’s garage, this was the first time I’d seen a car here. As far as I knew, no one living here actually owned a running car, so… “These are the journalists I told you about.”I knew it. Once the van stopped, a lady stepped out of it. BGM: Safety Zone  Oh. She’s pretty. “Hellooo!” “I’ll be bothering you again today...Hm? You’re a new face.” “Umm...Hello. My name’s Haruaki Bikecrash.” “Don’t be so hard on yourself!” “Uh…?”Crap. That was no time for an inside joke. I quickly introduced myself properly. “I crashed not too far away, so I’m stuck here for the time being.” “I see. So you’re a student. Sorry about the trouble you’re going through...Oh, and this is me.”The woman gave me her business card. Hisako Mamiya...a freelance writer. Her pen name was...Kyuko Housei. “Have you ever read Kyuko Housei’s articles?” “Umm...sorry.” “Figured...I’m not a big name yet. And the magazines I do get printed in are marketed for housewives and the elderly.” “That’s some pretty intense competition. What do you write, anyway?” “Food reviews. I specialize in unusual dishes.” “Like...the foulest-smelling canned food in the world or something?” “Yep. Well, your usual brand of weirdness doesn’t attract much attention these days, so I’m looking for minor culinary oddities local to Japan.” “Anyway, if you know any weird dishes from your hometown, do tell me I’d travel the length of Japan to give it a try.” “Umm, a student from the lab I frequented once made pork miso soup with a mushroom he found on campus. We had mass hallucinations and - “ “No ‘flashes of brilliance or ‘poisons’, please.”As we chatted, I became curious… “By the way, weren’t there two of you?” “Yes. I’m here with a partner. He just needs some time to...oh, there he is.”I looked at the van and… ...became completely awestruck. It felt like the van had shed its skin or something. That made no sense, but seriously...how did this fit in there?  He was gargantuan. Takumi-san was something, but this man was on the level of a foreign heavyweight wrestler. Though, unlike Takumi-san, this man was primarily fat, rather than muscle. As he walked out of the driver’s seat, the van shook wildly. “Yudai Hashimoto-san. A photographer. He’s way more famous than me.” “He works in all sorts of fields. I imagine you’ve seen some of his photos without even knowing it.” “...”I didn’t know much about photography, but I was definitely convinced. There was a certain kind of authority...or gravity...around him. “...”He wasn’t saying a word, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “Nice to meet you. I’m Haruaki Fusaishi.” “...”Was he even alive? “Hello…”After a strange pause, he slowly bowed like the moving mountain he was, and greeted me with a voice like a titan. He seemed somewhat difficult to interact with.  “Yes. Oribe-san said she’d let me try her prized shishinare.” “I don’t know if an outsider can handle it.” “Heheheh. I have my stomach medicine. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”And so, Mamiya-shi and Hashimoto-shi walked off to the dining hall. Who would’ve thought that such a beauty was a delicacy hunter. I had to admit, that gap was kind of charming. … As intrigued as I was, I couldn’t waste any more time. I had to fix my bike already. *Everything goes silent*   “...”A lot of things have surprised me here in Yasumizu, but nothing as much as this. “...Hello?” “...”No reaction. At first glance, he looked like a poor man too senile to think and perceive properly. “You need something from me?”I made sure to speak as clearly as possible. It didn’t look like he understood. “...”I figured it was best to just ignore him and resume the repairs, but… “Coming…”I looked at him again. He was still just standing there like his soul and brain had left his body. A vacant stare. Yellowed eyes. Half-open mouth covered in saliva… “Coming…”He spoke again. “What’s coming?” “The w…”What? His voice was too hoarse to make out. “Come again?”I placed my hand against my ear.  He finally understood what I wanted and prepared to whisper something. I brought my ear closer and…  “THE WOLF IS COMING!”…! The sudden shout caught me completely off guard and made me fall to the ground. BGM: Safety Zone  He clapped and opened his half-toothless mouth into a wide smile.  “The wolf is coming! The wolf is coming!”He bent his body in a weird way, laughed like he was convulsing, turned around… ...and just left.   “Haruaki-san! Oh. I’m too late.”Chiemi had joined the journalists and only just came back. “Late for what?” “Gramps over there loves messing around with strangers like that.” “Wait, that’s your grandpa?” “No no no. I don’t even know his name. He’s been in Yasumizu forever, and he’s always like that.” “It felt less like he was just messing around and more like he’s a bit...touched.” “Yep. Everyone calls him ‘The Old Man Who Cried Wolf’.”Named after “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”, I assume? Doesn’t work as well, though.  “Wolves, eh…?”As far as I knew, there were no wild wolves in Japan. There used to be, but after the last sighting in either the Meiji or Showa era, they’ve been considered extinct here. Modern Japan’s image of wolves came from western fairytales and the like. It wasn’t linked to anything in our culture or life. Even “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” was a western tale. Did his brand of insanity make him repeat the tale or something? A bit weirded out by the circumstances, I went back to repairing my bike.  Both tires were pierced by some really rusty nails. gently caress, this kind of stuff only happened at the worst of times. Then I applied the patches and filled them with air using a manual pump. I wet the tubes. There were no bubbles, meaning no air was leaving them. Things were looking good. Background Sound: Chirping Birds  After the high schoolers came back from school and passed by, no one else stopped to talk. Chiemi was looking a bit bored now. “I think I got it.” “Seriously? But it all seemed so hopeless.” “Well, sorry. Though, I still need to rebuild this. That’s gonna be a lot of work.” “And you’ll be able to leave then?” “Yeah. Believe me, I know I shouldn’t stay here long. I can take a hint.” “That’s great.”She didn’t seem to care that much. ...Guess I had no chance with her, huh? “You’ve been at this for hours. How’re you holding up? Need a break?” “Well, I’d be better if a certain someone didn’t take away my lunch break.” “Hey, I gave you some crackers, didn’t I?”Like that was enough to sate a guy in his mid-20s. “Still, I’m pretty fine. I’ll push forward a bit more. You can go, if you want. I’ve been introduced to just about everyone here.” “There’s two people you haven’t met yet.”Really? Well, there was no real need to, right? “I’ll stay around a bit longer. I came back here ‘cause I was bored, and it’s not like I’m busy.” “Couldn’t you play around with your fifty two guy-friends?” “I take it back. I came back ‘cause I wanted to be bored. Living in the city is so annoying and tiring, especially with fifty two guys texting you all the time.” “Oh.” “Sorry. I lied about the fifty two guys…” “Why?!” “‘Cause I wanted to keep you in check, I guess?”Why would she pull a tactic like that only to reveal her hand? “Hey, did you really get dumped by your girlfriend?”And now she asked me that... “I did. Honest…” “Hmm...I see.”Well, after that relentless assault, it wouldn’t be fair unless I played my own card. “Wanna come with?” “Yeah. There’s even an extra helmet. It’s not dry yet, though.” “I’m obviously leaving soon, so unless you have something planned, you can join me.” “We can even go on a bike tour. If we have enough time, I can take you anywhere.”Flexible, open to fine-tuning, wild, and charming...This was a good date invitation, if I said so myself. “That sounds great. And I have no plans.”Oh?  “I’ll go get my stuff, then.”Chiemi smiled and turned around to head to her place. She then looked back at me, and…  “You should hurry back before I change my mind.” “Yeah, sure.”Well, that made me motivated. This was one tiring trip, but at least I met someone good along the way. I’d just forget everything I didn’t want to remember while on the road with her. I could only hope that clever girl and I would eventually grow closer. 
AFancyQuestionMark fucked around with this message at 17:38 on Jun 30, 2020 |
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Jun 29, 2020 22:41
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Oh no, the 52 guys were fake? Who could've guessed?
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Jun 29, 2020 23:37
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This is actually a romantic comedy not a mystery novel.
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Jun 29, 2020 23:47
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Seraphic Neoman posted:This is actually a romantic comedy not a mystery novel. Next update: Haruaki and Chiemi leave the village forever, to start new lives as roaming mysery-solvers. Tune in next time for "Curse of the Ancient Urn"!
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Jun 30, 2020 00:00
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Tenebrais posted:Next update: Haruaki and Chiemi leave the village forever, to start new lives as roaming mysery-solvers. Tune in next time for "Curse of the Ancient Urn"! Wait, wrong game.
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Jun 30, 2020 00:38
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On “I did. Honest…”, you have Chiemi's portrait when it should be Haruaki saying that.
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Jun 30, 2020 02:16
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I didn't get the chance to say anything but when it looked like the site might blow up I bought and finished this. Should have waited for the sale, but I don't regret buying it one bit (it's $20 rn on Steam when it used to be $30, go get it it's good). That said, I can't really participate now, but I'm sure it'll still be fun to read the thread, especially due to the... let's say, new game+ feature. e: hopefully you don't consider that to be a spoiler, but I figure that's probably something you won't show off because, like the voice acting for all the dialogue, it's not required to really understand the story. It is fun and adds a lot of extra depth to everyone, but the story itself is complete without it. Ignatius M. Meen fucked around with this message at 05:13 on Jun 30, 2020 |
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Jun 30, 2020 05:06
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Actually, I do have every intention of showing off Revelation Mode in full once we get to the end. But that's a while off still, so who knows  .For now, we still have an entire 30+ hour game to get through. So strap in folks, the ride has only just begun  .
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Jun 30, 2020 07:46
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I fully support a story model that introduces a protagonist and their love interest to the first act of literally every horror scenario imaginable, only to have them get wise to the act and leave before it's too late. Like if Roger from Night of the Demons actually accomplished his goal of leaving the story when he realized the situation only to Mr. Magoo his way into the town from the Howling before hightailing it to Salem's Lot.
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Jun 30, 2020 19:54
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What if your love interest will be the werewolf? Or our protaginist is a werewolf on a road trip? Would put a new spin on the old myth. I am somewhat suspicious.
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Jun 30, 2020 20:03
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The bike is the werewolf. A cyberwerewolf.
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Jun 30, 2020 21:24
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I mean she's almost certainly up to something, she's way too friendly with our protag.
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Jun 30, 2020 22:22
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wologar posted:The bike is the werewolf. A cyberwerewolf. gently caress I am in for this game
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Jun 30, 2020 23:18
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Seraphic Neoman posted:I mean she's almost certainly up to something, she's way too friendly with our protag. They had a conversation about that very issue, pick your poison.
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Jun 30, 2020 23:23
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Update 8: There’s No Such Thing as Werewolves Afternoon had passed and it was almost evening. At the rate I was going, I’d definitely be working while it was dark. Would that even be possible? It might be way past midnight by the time I was done. Chiemi might dump me for that. Man, life sure was hard. The plaza I’d worked in was now totally empty. There was no one around me. All I could hear was the wind, the frogs, and the tools in my hands. It was desolate, to say the least. I suddenly felt really weak. It made me keenly aware of being in a place I didn’t belong, and that I was preparing to escape. It was an oppressive atmosphere - like the bars of a cage were slowly swinging shut. What’s this, Haruaki? Think you’re gonna get attacked or something? I tried to laugh it off, but it didn’t work. As I became more conscious of my surroundings, I began to hear things I hadn’t noticed before.  Someone was singing. It was an inarticulate little girl’s voice. I stopped my work. Before I knew it, I’d put my tools down and gone looking for the source. Was I that starved for human presence? Or did the malaise make me feel like I was in danger?  Down the hill. To where the song came from. Passing the tall grass. I arrived. Background Sound: Mountain Winds   “...’s guardians are…”It was a strange sight. The field was covered in tall grass. There were countless rocks peeking out of it. Unlike the boulders all over Yasumizu, these were only up to my waist. They looked like… Like gravestones. “Six, the bad jar hums along within a ray of bricks.”The field extended into the dusky western sky before ending at a cliff. This was the lowest spot in Yasumizu - the border to Saranaga. There was a large pine right at the edge. “Eight, the donut baloney rice snows on the mountain.”The evening sun, the stones, and the pine’s shadow gave the field a strange aura. A little girl was running through it. Her steps were awkward. At this moment, this space was alien. I felt like I was looking at a Giorgio de Chirico painting. The place felt like it didn’t belong in this world. Suddenly... ...I came to understand that this place was special. It was a sacred, mystical ground where no outsiders were welcome. The girl fell. “Are you okay?”I → Run to with no hesitation → The little girl   “Baa…”    “’Prepare for the feast when the evening mists arrive.”  “Run.”Girl→ Hug→ Little girl → Warn→→→→→→→→→→ Me?  “You probably won’t make it.” “But...Run!”     → Turn around → Run → Where? BGM: Eroding Thoughts   “Where were you?” “Sorry, I’ll finish the job now.” “It’s too late, you idiot! You won’t make it in time! You’ve gotta hide!”I couldn’t understand what she was getting at.  “But Haruaki-san’s…!” “Tch. Forget the outsider! Old man Kanzo and I’ll check the other places! Stop wasting time and go back to yours!”I couldn’t understand. What were these two doing? What scared them so much? It didn’t take long for me to find out.  It was so dense you could easily call it “mist”. It moved strangely, like a living creature, as it flowed into the plaza. “Haruaki-san, over here!”Chiemi pulled me by the hand. “What’s going on…? Ugh, my head...Feels like it weighs a ton.” “Deal with it! You’ve gotta find a place you can lock the doors! You’ll die if you don’t!” “What do you mean? Tell me…” “Please, don’t ask questions and just do as I say, just this once!”Albeit hesitantly, I did as she said. *Everything goes silent*  ...we made it to a simple outhouse. “This should be fine…” “Seriously, what’s going on? And sure, that was a hell of a mist, but this won’t protect me, right?” “Listen, there’s no time to explain. So please, just do what I say and only that.” “Get in there, lock yourself in, stay inside the whole night, and don’t make a sound!”My mind was pretty clear by this point. So much so that I began to wonder why it was clouded until now. Because of that, I could easily understand exactly what Chiemi just said despite how weird it was.  That second option requires us to have a total of four different keys: 3, 8, 19 and 20. So we’ll have to do as Chiemi says and hide in the outhouse. BGM: Fractured Heart  “Haruaki-san…” “Just so you know, pulling that off is pretty hard. When I do, I’d like a good reward and an explanation.” “Sure. I’ll tell you everything.” “So please...Survive the night.”The words, the teary smile...none of it looked fake. “See ya, then. You gotta hurry, right?” “Yep. Haruaki-san…” “What?” “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”Leaving me one hell of a homework assignment, Chiemi ran off. The plaza was covered in the mist by now. I could see it rising to take over the fields, too. Anyway… A promise was a promise.  Ten minutes later, I began to wonder what I was doing. Was I really supposed to spend the night here? This outhouse wasn’t like a prefab you’d find in construction sites. It was just a shack built by hand. It merely happened to have a toilet unit installed. It was Japanese-style, so I couldn’t even sit down. All I could do was stand. Another problem - it was the type of toilet that periodically had to be pumped empty, so the smell was really bad. Sure, there was a cover on the toilet unit, but without any kind of air freshener anywhere, the smell of ammonia could only do so much. The only good thing about being here was that, if I had to go to the toilet...well...mission complete. But what of it? Again...Was I really supposed to spend the night here? The question quickly made me realize how stupid this was, and I began making assumptions to make this easier for myself. Was I being pranked? Or was everyone here just crazy? Hell, the mist had already filled the surroundings, and there was no way that this shabby outhouse protected me from it. The air here felt misty and damp. The temperature was low, so I could still bear it somewhat, but staying here all night would make me all wet. Again, I wasn’t safe from the mist here. That considered, I’d probably be better off sleeping in the grass outside than staying here. The reasonable part of my mind urged me to stop playing along with these hicks. However... “Get in there, lock yourself in, stay inside the whole night, and don’t make a sound!” “Sure. I’ll tell you everything.” “So please...Survive the night.”My sense of duty made it hard for me to break the promise I’d made to her. ...Actually, that wasn’t quite true. I was more intrigued by the prospect of learning more about this place. BGM: Search for Keys  This was the Yasumizu settlement, a special part of Fujiyoshi. It was situated right next to the Saranaga Rapids. The people living here were…           Those were the eleven people I’d met, and Chiemi said I had two more left. That could only mean that the two I’d met by that pine were the ones.   She was probably the one I’d seen in the morning. The fact I’d seen her twice made it likely that she was indeed real, but with how mysterious this place was, I couldn’t rule out the possibility that she was an illusion. According to Chiemi, the little girl was being looked after by someone in the village, so I could only assume that the white-haired woman was the one. If I counted the little girl, it would mean Yasumizu had thirteen inhabitants.  Add me to that, and you had a total of three outsiders, but I’d put that aside for now. Anyway, time for an assessment… Yesterday morning, a little girl strayed into Saranaga. To make it worse, no one, not even herself, knew anything about her. She instantly got branded as an ill omen. The next day, Chiemi, who was in Saranaga for some reason, found me there. They recognized me as a proper lost person, but since I came through Saranaga, I was also branded as an ill omen. From what Kiyonosuke Nosato-shi said, it was safe to assume that it used to be customary to throw people like us into Saranaga. And then there was the mist. The girl said something mysterious…”Prepare for the feast when the evening mists arrive.” I could only assume it was related to the same superstitions. After all - the mist came from Saranaga itself. It and the river seemed to be central to the local customs and ideas.  Yomibito...as in...people from Yomi? The ancient Japanese land of the dead? Dead people came back through Saranaga...and they were corrupted… Well, that gave room for some wild ideas… Was there some sort of pathogen in Saranaga that rose up with the mists? Did it turn people into zombies? Was I about to be a part of a Japanese Resident Evil…? Wait, that was already Japanese. What if you had a ten percent chance to be infected by the mists, but a hundred percent chance to be infected by another person? That’d explain why everyone had to isolate themselves like this. If I became a zombie, I probably wouldn’t have the mind to unlock the door… So basically, by locking myself in here, I was quarantining myself. I hadn’t put all that much thought into that, but that seemed like a good story. Sure, stuff like the boulders and the wolves didn’t fit anywhere into my idea, but it was still interesting. Then again, I knew this was hicksville and all, but would a superstition that science could explain so easily really survive the modern world? It seemed so weird… “Get in there, lock yourself in, stay inside the whole night, and don’t make a sound!”*Everything goes silent* “Don’t make a sound?” … … ...To be frank. The reason why I spent so much time on these delusions was because I was scared of things I didn’t know or understand. In the past, people used to attribute stuff like natural phenomena and diseases to gods, devils, yokai, and then do nothing but fear them. They were scared of these manifestations of monsters and whatnot, but on the other hand, it was better than not seeing or not knowing what they really were. The fact that you could die to things you couldn’t see or understand made life really unreasonable and unfair. That was why it was very logical to give things names and mental images in order to recognize and memorize them. My fear of things I didn’t know was the same, except I wasn’t satisfied with just labels or hypotheses. I needed to reach the truth. That aside...What I was feeling right now wasn’t a fear of the unknown. It was a realistic, practical fear of something that could endanger my life. “Get in there, lock yourself in, stay inside the whole night, and don’t make a sound!”That meant that, outside, lurked something dangerous that could hear sounds. Perhaps it was the so-called “dead” that rose up from the river. Or maybe, assuming I was right with my Saranaga Sickness theory, it was people who came out and beat the poo poo out of all the diseased who didn’t follow the rules. “The wolf is coming.” Maybe “the wolf” was the title given to the killer? *Loud scream”  Without key 2 it looks like we must go out and take a look. BGM: Pursuit Instincts  That was some timing… Right as I was about to form a new hypothesis… ...the proof connecting it all suddenly came to me...And it was right outside. It had gotten really dark. There were no lights anywhere. The darkness was fear. Unperceived = unknown = dangerous = scary. Leaving this place was dangerous. Dangerous = scary = scary = scary = scary! Scary things were scary no matter how much logic you applied. But I couldn’t discard my desire to get to know the fear and conquer it.  Night wasn’t absolute darkness. No matter how dark or cloudy it was, the sky always gave some bit of light to us. However, I came to understand that it could be hard to see even if there was light. Everything I saw was covered by a dense mist. Combined with the pale moonlight, it made the area seem...milky. It made it hard to get around. Regardless… ...I couldn’t ignore the scream. There was something beyond this veil. I kept moving forward. Unless my ears were deceiving me, the scream belonged to a woman, and had come from the right.   Or, rather, I didn’t want to think that. The unknown was scary. Personally, I’d found that principle made my life really easy. I had more than enough fear from those which were directly threatening my life. I really didn’t want to have the fear of losing someone, as well. Change your line of thought, Haruaki. Solving the mystery might save someone. Two birds with one stone. I began walking faster. *Louder scream* Another scream. It was close. I realized I had to find a way to protect myself. I was unarmed, so I looked around for anything I could use as a weapon. I felt around to see if there were any branches or anything. Sadly, all I felt was grass. I went deeper and searched the ground itself. Soon, I felt something hard. It was a rock. A moment of digging later, I took it in hand. It was a bit smaller than my hand. I almost teared up at how useless it seemed, but it was better than nothing. I looked at the base of my feet and saw the grassy ground. I could easily move forward if I first checked the ground using my feet. And since I might’ve been close to the danger, I had to focus on what was ahead, too. I’d recognize the danger and, if possible, get rid of it. I concentrated entirely on that and stepped forward. *Everything goes silent*  But I could hear other things. *Other things* A wet sound. And the sound of something cracking. It filled my mind with countless things I didn’t want to imagine. Even so, I kept walking forward. Forward. Until I saw it. Background Sound: Tension Beats  My hypotheses were nothing but delusions. The truth was truly something you had to see yourself. But… But why… Why was this so scary in spite of being true? It wasn’t supposed to exist. It couldn’t exist. After all... ...it was a wolf with a humanoid body… *Wolf howl*  BGM: Unrelated Funeral Procession  In a paddy field in Fujiyoshi, Yasumizu, third block… ...someone discovered a thoroughly mangled corpse. The clothes nearby… ...led the discoverers to conclude that it was the traveler, Haruaki Fusaishi.  “He’s still moving.”Strangely enough, I could perceive this particular moment. “A yomibito! Purge ‘im!”And so, I… “Goodbye, Haruaki-san...”*Gunshot*  “The feast begins.”The last thing I heard… “I’ll hang the wol-”...was that. *Everything goes silent*    
AFancyQuestionMark fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Jun 30, 2020 |
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Jun 30, 2020 23:40
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Incomprehensible phrase is right.
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Jun 30, 2020 23:54
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PEACE FOREVER!
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Jun 30, 2020 23:58
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 Gotta love a game that gives you at least one mandatory bad end.
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Jul 1, 2020 00:04
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does this game have a fast forward? I want to buy it but also i am dreading spending an hour clicking through text to get to where the lp is ah, i've bought it and seen that it does! nice. Nea fucked around with this message at 00:24 on Jul 1, 2020 |
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Jul 1, 2020 00:15
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I guessed we'd end up on a bad end sooner or later considering the key stuff. There was no way you could get a happy ending on the first route. I'm glad the game gets it out of the way fast, even if it was obvious where it was going and even moreso with the "Get out and ignore all you were told" option being the only possible one. I thought the werewolf wouldn't be an actual werewolf though. I thought it was a manner of speaking, but nope, we have a real werewolf running around. And it can infect others considering Haruaki got killed but still seemed to live and it was dangerous to let him live. AFancyQuestionMark posted:Unless my ears were deceiving me, the scream belonged to a woman, and had come from the right. The first image here seems to be wrong.
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Jul 1, 2020 03:07
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It must be something uminekoesque. Not a real werewolf (or is it?), but something that almost everyone in the story perceives as such.
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Jul 1, 2020 04:08
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It's obviously the light refracting off all that swamp gas.
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Jul 1, 2020 05:34
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Are we gonna have a Virtue's Last Reward-esque plot map/tree so we can jump to specific points?
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Jul 1, 2020 06:38
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Rarity posted:Haru-chan seems cool, everyone else is probably a cannibal When you're right, you're right 
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Jul 1, 2020 07:13
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I like what they do with the text during the dream encounter with little miss shrine maiden. (Hello again, "Rikako". You look a lot less chibi and more creepy now.)
OutofSight fucked around with this message at 11:51 on Jul 1, 2020 |
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Jul 1, 2020 08:53
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Junpei posted:Are we gonna have a Virtue's Last Reward-esque plot map/tree so we can jump to specific points? I don't think it's really a spoiler to say that this is exactly the point of the Chart option you can see at the bottom of the game's screenshots. Even with skip and saves, not having it would be a slog.
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Jul 1, 2020 11:17
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Interestingly, this still doesn't explain why Chiemi was so adamantly trying to keep him from eating or drinking the local fare. I mean, yes, we hear the mention of a "feast", but even if the idea was to avoid having him eat other humans, that wouldn't apply to tea. And if they've got a werewolf doing the killing, there's no need to drug him.
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Jul 1, 2020 15:35
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