Alright, we have another visual novel on our hands. It's not a death game this time... ("No, it's not.") It's not a courtroom mystery this time... ("No, it's not.") It's a historical otome game. ("You are correct.")
"At a time when shougunate and imperial forces clashed for supremacy over Japan, Chizuru travels to Kyoto in search of her missing father. She runs into the Shinsengumi, a band of samurai warriors sworn to protect the shogun. Chizuru soon learns that they, too, are looking for her father. What awaits them is more than just your typical missing person's case, as they face off against imperial soldiers and the supernatural! But in the midst of all this madness, will sweet and innocent Chizuru find love?" (Maybe if Shimohi here doesn't screw up.) Speaking of which, yes, you can rename Chizuru whatever you want. (So, for anyone else playing this game at home, don't be too surprised if characters in this game are referring to the protagonist as "Shimohi" rather than "Chizuru".) (Also, I apologise in advance for these two screw balls for any up tick in stupid Gintama or Rurouni Kenshin-based jokes.) And, one more thing, this is another M-rated game... (Yes! I can curse uncensored again!) ...so, we see the return of this warning below. Interesting that it has the same content descriptors... Okay, let's get this proverbial party started!
Warning!: This is based upon a game that's rated M for Blood, Drug
References, Strong Language, Suggestive (read 'Sexual') themes, and
Violence. If any of these things offend you, don't click on the link.
"Am I going to stick to the default protagonist's name?" Hell no! Let's see here...backspace all the way...S...h...i...m...o...h...i...there we go! (Well, I did warn the readers about that.) (You never use the default name if you have a choice in the matter...) The family name is required for the plot, so that stays. (Besides, "Yukimura" sounds cool.)
'Finished entering name. Okay?'
-Yes-
-No-
Of course!
'This is a work of fiction, but some elements draw inspiration from certain historical figures and events.' Of course, of course... (And you'll try to inject some kind of tangetal learning into this like you did with the Zero Escape games...)
-Prologue-
January 1864
So, a war's going on in both Japan and America...
Shimohi Yukimura: "So this is Kyoto..."
'It was awfully impressive, there was no denying it. Even the simple hellos between people passing in the street seemed warm and friendly. They nodded and smiled to one another almost as if they were family, not strangers about on errands.'
(Sounds a lot like the city near where Shimohi lives...what, did you think we'd include a link about that!? As if!)
'Still... There was something else as well. Something that made the city feel strangely cold. Almost as though there was a great invisible wall, shutting out anyone who wandered in from the country.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um..."
'It wasn't particularly comfortable, I had to admit.'
That's the game talking, not me, although I do sometimes freak myself out trying to keep up with the text speed while typing... (Like you're expecting it to automatically go forward even though you're not done?) Pretty much.
Shimohi Yukimura: "...No. No, that's all in my head."
'I had walked quite some distance to reach Kyoto, and it occurred to me that my mind and body were both very tired. Even so, tiredness was no reason for me to stand about feeling sorry for myself. I couldn't afford to, after all.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um, excuse me!"
'With new-albeit forced-resolve, I tried to stop a passerby.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm sorry, but I seem to be a bit lost, could you...? What am I supposed to do now?"
'I was lost again, but in a different sort of way.'
Explain...
'I sighed, and found myself looking up at the darkening sky. The sun was beginning to set. The people I'd spoken to hadn't been unkind, and they'd given me the directions I'd needed, but...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Couldn't he have chosen a better time to leave the city?"
'Encyclopedia updated'
'Apart from my father, there was only one other person in the city who I could rely on: Dr. Matsumoto. Dr. Matsumoto was a doctor in service to the shogunate.' (And we're getting rainbow speak again...)
'I had never met him myself, but my father put a great deal of trust in the man. He had told me that if I should run into any trouble during his absence, I was to contact Dr. Matsumoto. Unfortunately... Dr. Matsumoto was apparently out of town on business, and would not return for some time.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Was I too hasty? Perhaps I should have waited..."
For...what? (Shimohi, you're not quite into character yet.)
'True, it is rather rude to visit unannounced, which was why I had sent a letter ahead of me. Of course, if he'd been gone for very long, then he had almost certainly not read my letter.' (That's the world before e-mail and cell phones, ladies and germs!)
'Perhaps, I thought, I should have waited for a reply before traveling alone to a city I'd never even seen.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "But..."
'No. I knew I could not have waited any longer.'
Flashback time...
Kodo: "Shimohi..."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Is something wrong, Father?"
'He paused for a moment, and looked at me.'
Kodo: "I... It seems I must go to the city of Kyoto for a time."
I defiantly heard "Chizuru" in that bit of dialogue... (So, it doesn't matter if you change the given name to the voice overs.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Work again?"
'He had been leaving the house often then, sometimes for days at a time.'
Well, Akurei, could you voice everything that I can't say with out being out of character? (Okay, you can count on me!) (Why not me?) (I think we both know why not.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "How long will you be gone?"
Kodo: "...I'm afraid I can't say. A month, perhaps. Maybe two."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh..."
'There was no hiding my disappointment. Nonetheless, I wasn't a child anymore, I couldn't beg him not to go, or some other foolishness. Yes, I'd be lonely, but... I was much more worried for him.' Like maybe he'd catch a deadly disease, like Cholera...
Shimohi Yukimura: "Please Father, be careful. The say that the city of Kyoto is dangerous." What with the ronin and all.
'He only smiled and nodded.'
Kodo: "You needn't fret. I will be sure to send you letters as often as I am able, so that you will have no need to worry."
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Okay. You promise?"
'...Father kept his promise.' (Then why are you looking for him again?)
'A new letter arrived every day, and I scarcely had the time to respond before another would arrive. He told me that he worried about me, home all by myself. Then the letters stopped.' (Oh...that's why...)
'A whole month passed, with no word from my father, and I began to worry.'
And back to the present...
Shimohi Yukimura: "Father..."
'Encyclopedia updated'
'They say Kyoto is full of ronin. It is not a safe place. Usually, a samurai is paid by their house, but... Ronin with no house to report to often rob people in order to make ends meet. They're nothing more than violent criminals who hide behind the image of the samurai. Such is the state of the city of Kyoto: The city of ronin.' To be more precice, they're "master-less samurai"... (Who pretty much act like player characters in a typical tabletop role-playing game.)
'Small wonder, then, that I worried for my father's safety. My mind would concoct horrible possibilities and I inevitably found myself depressed and tense.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Hmm... First, I suppose I need to find a place to stay." (Well, there's always under the nearest bridge. That's what Niyagi's and my father usually did.) (...Th-that's too stupid to even mention!)
'Lost in thought, I hadn't noticed that night had already fallen. If I was honest with myself, I hadn't the first idea how long it might take to find my father.' Yes, I do realise that's very poor planning on my part.
'I'd taken some money with me, but it wasn't much. Enough to last me a month, I hoped, if I used it wisely. If I could find Father in that time, so much the better. If not, hopefully Dr. Matsumoto would return before my funds ran out. Should I be unable to find either of them, the it seemed I would be forced to return home.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well, at any rate... I should try and be a frugal as possible..."
(True, that is something you usually do...except when it comes to your hobbies, I mean you got the 'Limited Edition' of this game. The silly fan feelie that came with it is sitting on the desk in front of you right now!)
'And so I lengthened my stride and set off down the street. Fortunately for me, men's clothing was much more conducive to such a pace than my usual dress would have been.' Actually a kimono, rather than a 'dress', but whatever...
'I'd decided early on that Kyoto was far too dangerous for a girl from the country to explore alone, and that it would be wise for me to dress like a man--or at least a boy.' A wise idea, indeed.
'My disguise, such as it was, had proven successful, and I'd made it all the way to Kyoto unmolested.' (Hurray!)
'Perhaps that success had gone to my head, and let me think a girl dressed as a boy could explore Kyoto as she pleased. But Kyoto is not a safe place. I should have remembered that. Instead, I had somehow convinced myself that whatever dangers the city hid didn't apply to me.'
Ichiro: "Hey, kid."
'I was about to discover otherwise.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Eh?!"
'I spun around. In the street in front of me were three men. Ronin.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Can I help you...?"
'Encyclopedia updated'
'I did my best to keep my voice calm as I reached in what I felt was a nonchalant way for my kodachi. My father had made me take lessons in self-defense. I'd kept with them, and actually done rather well. My skill was enough to defend against most attacks. Then again...' (Weapons note time!)
'Perhaps it was my confidence in my skill that had put me in this situation in the first place.' Oh, what the hell, I'll break character for this. "Your confidence is your weakness." (Well, it's not like the Pansy will help me with this...ever. "You faith in your friends is yours.") *whispering* "More like faith in yo mama..." (Oh no, a Robot Chicken Star Wars reference...And I thought you two wouldn't stoop so low.)
'I'd messed up and let my guard down. My fault. There was a chance I could take them on and win, but... There were three of them, and one of me.' (And no "conservation of ninjutsu" in effect here.)
Jiro: "Pretty nice blade you got there, kid."
'Only then did I realize they were far more interested in my sword than they wore in me.'
Saburo: "Looks a bit much for a pup like this one, am I right?"
For some reason, that's sounding wrong on so many levels...
Ichiro: "Give it here, okay? We'll use it to defend our country."
No, get your own sword you lazy bum, this one here is mine!
Shimohi Yukimura: "But...this is..."
'The sword wasn't just some blade I'd picked up: It had been passed down though my family for generations. There was no way I could give it to the ronin.' Besides, it has a name: Korimaru. (Isn't that what you named your Spirit Sword in Mabinogi?)
'Unfortunately, I had a feeling they wouldn't understand. ... ...In such a situation, the best decision was undoubtedly...The retreat!' ("Run away! Run away! Run away!" What!? It worked for the Europeian equivelent of the samurai, the 'knights' of the round table.) (And that's two dollars into the reference jar.)
'And so I turned and ran as fast as my legs would carry me.'
Jiro: "Hey! Get back here, you little bastard!"
Well, as ronin, it's more likely that you're the ones born out of wedlock.
Shimohi Yukimura: "Gosh, they sure don't give up easily, do that!"
(Who the fucking hell says "gosh" anymore? You sure this is a M-rated game?)
'I felt like I'd been running for quite a while, but I could still hear the ronin behind me, cursing loudly. I ducked into an alley and flattened myself against the wall. After deciding they weren't too close, I crept farther into the alley. Someone had left a couple sheets of wood leaning against one of the houses. It was a perfect spot to hide. With luck, I thought as I knelt down to shuffle under them, this will get me out of this mess... ... ...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Huh?"
'Something was wrong. I'd expected to hear the ronin yelling to each other, looking for me, but... Seconds turned into minutes, and I heard nothing. I was about to steak out and have a look, when...' (...The Fire Nation attacked.) (No, no, no, that's absolutely wrong and you know it!)
Ichiro: "EEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHH!"
("Fatality!")
'They began to scream.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Wh-What?!"
'My plan to investigate was immediately halted. Remaining silent and hidden was clearly more important. Still...'
Jiro: "Damn you!"
Saburo: "What is this?! Why won't you die?! Damnit! We gotta get out of here!"
(What is it? A giant space flea from nowhere?)
'It was then that true fear began to set in. There was something out there, something very, very dangerous. Something quite possibly lethal. The possibilities were... Well, my imagination conjured up no shortage of gruesome theories.'
Wolves... (Werewolves...) Demons... (Aliens...) Axe murders... (Vampires...wait, that would just be silly!)
'Even so, I could feel that itch of curiosity... I wanted to know what was out there.' (You do know that curiosity killed the cat, right?)
'Slowly, carefully, I edged up to the corner and looked out. Cold moonlight glared back at me from the bare blade of a drawn sword. My eyes followed the blade up, to the arm that held it, clad in a coat of light blue. ...Had this person saved me?' (Nope, you're next!)
'But no sooner had it appeared, that hope was dashed.'
???: "Ehehehehehehehe..."
That sounded psychotic...
Saburo: "H-Help...!"
(Too late for that buck-o!)
'I could hear the ronin beg for his life as he stumbled back. The person in the blue coat said nothing, just stepped forward, his sword raised.'
Saburo: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!"
???: "AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
(Are we sure this isn't a time-traveling Joker?)
'A high, screeching laugh cut through the man's scream. The blade fell though the air, more like a butcher's cleaver than a sword: no technique, no skill. Just death. The scream turned suddenly wet, caught, and disappeared like air leaving a half-empty bellows.' (And that's the way I like it, more death, hurray!) (Figures you'd cheer for that, you Monster...)
'My eyes went wide. I had just watched a murder. Whatever strength adrenaline had given me was suddenly gone. My legs gave way, and I crumpled to the ground.' (I don't think they were aware of what adrenaline even was back then...well, that's an anachronism.)
'My eyes had gone so wide I though they might never close. The ronin had died with the first blow, but as I watched the blades kept falling, carving deep lines into the corpse. The soft slip of a blade though flesh; the crack as it struck bone; the silent creep of blood across ground. I felt nothing from them but madness.' (Oh no, now you've done it...) ("Madness"? THIS! IS! SPARTA!) No, this is Kyoto.
'Their only desire was raw, animal violence. Whatever they were, it wasn't human.' (*ding-ding-ding!* And you win...absolutely nothing!)
'They were...broken.' (So, it was PTSD.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Hgkk..."
'I could feel my throat closing up. I couldn't breathe. A warm, dark smell brushed against my face... I took me a moment to recognize the coppery tang of blood. An icy bolt of fear ran down my spine, crawling its way out into my limbs and freezing me in place.' ("CRAAAAAAAWLIN IN MYYYY SKIIIIIIIIN!!!") (Why...why me...?)
'I was terrified. What was I going to do...? What could I do?' (Kick, Scream, call for the...oh wait!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "...You have to run, Shimohi."
(And...now she's reffering to herself in the third-person.) (Wow, that must be bad...)
'I forced my jaw open and drew a ragged breath. This was the only chance I'd get. I had to--'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Aah!"
'But my body, still numb with fear, was less than responsive. I lurched sideways, into the wood stacked against the building. With a rough clatter, it collapsed.' ("!")
'The creatures turned, their blue coats drenched in blood. Hideous grins split their inhuman faces, and they shook with animal excitement at finding fresh prey to slaughter.' (Well, I thought they already had you, oops.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "A-Ah!"
'I had to run.' ("...for your life!")
'I couldn't die yet. ...But my legs refused to move. That hideous, cackling laughter began again. I was going to die. My body was frozen with terror. I couldn't even scream. This was it. This was the end.'
And that's just one of the things I fear will happen to me, getting murdered by some creep.
Shimohi Yukimura: "Wh-Wha...?"
'I watched them raise their bloody swords, the moon glinting off the metal. Then there was a flash of light, and the soft splash of blood. I could feel it, warm and sticky.' Well, that wasn't pretty but, here come the big damn heroes.
'Bile began to rise in my throat, but before disgust took hold I heard a voice...'
???: "Really...?"
'The words suggested disappointment, but the voice sounded...happy.'
???: "And here I was, planning to take care of them all on my own. Couldn't you have picked another day to work so fast, Saito?"
(So...was Saito here trying to hunt down our father, Pansy?) (Himura Kenshin is not our father!) (You just keep telling yourself that...)
'As he spoke, the strange man smiled, almost as if he were enjoying himself.'
Hajime Saito: "I only did my job. Unlike you, I take no pleasure in battle."
???: "Well that's not a very nice thing to say."
'He laughed.'
Hajime Saito: "...You didn't even bother to deny it."
(Well, if the shoe fits, wear it. If not, don't worry about it.)
'The main called Saito sighed with the air of a long-suffering companion, and looked over at me.' (I think I can relate to him.) Ah, the "long-suffering" bit I see...
???: "Maybe, but I you'd just say back and let them kill the kid you could have saved us some trouble."
'His tone was light, but his words confirmed my fears. I had left the frying pan, yes, but I was now in the fire.' (Great, I didn't have to say that for you!)
Hajime Saito: "Perhaps. That decision is not ours to make."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Huh...?"
'Then...there was someone in charge of these two? Their conversation seemed to suggest they were part of an organization of some sort. As I thought about it, I remembered hearing stories of a group of men with blue coats...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah--!"
'My thoughts were interrupted by a dark shape sliding into view.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh..."
'I swallowed hard.' (That's what she said...)
'The moonlight shone off his smooth, dark hair. For reasons I couldn't fathom, in that moment the light on his hair made me think of fluttery flower petals... Almost as if the cherry trees were blooming out of season.'
???: "Luck is not your friend tonight."
'His voice was cold and quiet, like a blade of ice.' (Ice is nice.) (Now it's rhyming puns...)
'Blue-white moonlight lit his slender face and shone from the blade he held pointed at my chest.' (It's Slender Man! Run for it!)
'But it wasn't the sword that made my breath catch in my throat. It was his eyes. They were fierce and hard, but somewhere behind them I could catch a glimpse of...something else. There could be no doubt that he was prepared to kill me, and yet he looked troubled.' (Oh no! Stockholm Syndrome's setting in already!)
'Not kindness, but perhaps...mercy?' (You wish.)
???: "Run, and I will kill you. Do yo understand?"
'I nodded. There was no doubt he'd meant every word he said. He stared at me for a moment, then grimaced, and with a sigh put his sword away.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Wh-What...?"
'I was too surprised to stop myself from speaking, and it quickly became apparent that I wasn't the only one.'
???: "What? Wait, Hijikata, are you sure about this? This kid saw...well, everything. That can't be good."
(Oh, the 'demon' is here! Cool! Well, if it wasn't for that mayo thing...) (That's only in Gintama!)
'As he spoke to the man he'd called Hijikata, his eyes narrowed. The man called Hijikata frowned back at him.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Shut up. If you keep that up, you know what we're going to have to do."
'...I wasn't quite sure what they meant, but it was clear enough that what I'd seen was something they wanted to keep hidden. Still, they more they said, the more I understood, despite the fact that none of us wanted such a thing.'
???: "I really think it's gonna come back to bite us in the ass if we let this kid go."
'The way he looked at me made me feel as if he'd read my mind. ... ...Perhaps it would be best if I didn't think too hard about things I wasn't supposed to think about.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "So we should just kill people so they don't bother us later? No, I'll decide what we're going to do with this kid when we get back."
Hajime Saito: "I agree with the commander. If we remain here, we are likely to be seen. Again."
(Funny you should mention that, there's a video all about avoiding that.) (That's a total of three dollars for the reference jar.)
'The man they'd called Saito spoke with quiet confidence. He glanced around, possibly looking for other witnesses. Then he looked down at the creature he'd killed, almost as though he'd forgotten the whole ordeal.'
Hajime Saito: "If they have this sort of reaction to blood, then they don't seem like they'll be very practical."
Toshizo Hijikata: "...Damn. I didn't think they'd gotten this bad."
'He peered down at the corpse, his face an emotionless mask. When he looked back up at his companions, however, his eyes narrowed.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "As for you two... Drop the 'Hijikata' and 'commander' stuff. We're supposed to be keeping a low profile."
(And you're spectacularly failing at that.)
???: "What?! Come one, you can't be serious... You don't think our blues are a bit of a give-away already?"
'He was right... Even I had heard stories about a gang of cruel men in blue coats who cut people down in the streets.' (That much is true.)
'But--'
Shimohi Yukimura: "No...no. Don't think. Ignore them."
'I did my best to be stern with myself, but it came out sounding more pleading than commanding. My mind swirled with thoughts and worries. I was being drawn into their world...A world where there is nothing strange in carrying on a normal conversation in the dead of night, with corpses for company.'
Hajime Saito: "What shall we do with the bodies, then? There doesn't seem to be any physical signs, but..."
'Hijikata thought for a moment before he spoke.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Just take their blues. Yamazaki can deal with the rest."
Hajime Saito: "As you wish."
???: "Another man cut down in the street, huh? Doing a great job, aren't we?"
'He gave a derisive bark of laughter.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "So long was we keep our mouths shut I don't think anyone will connect us with this."
'He looked directly at me when he spoke, and I got the distinct feeling that his words weren't for his companions. It was common for people to be murdered in Kyoto. It was a dangerous city, after all. I knew that, of course...But to see it happen? That was something else entirely. If death was such an easy thing in Kyoto, I thought, then the city itself must surely be mad.' (No, you've already did the Sparta joke once already.)
???: "Ah yes... We did save you, didn't we? Aren't you going to thank us?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Huh...?"
'I didn't realize immediately that he was speaking to me. When I did, my eyes went wide.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "What do you mean, you saved me...?"
'...Well, he did have a point. Despite their threats, they had saved my life. I stood up as steadily as I could manage, brushed some of the dirt off my clothes, and bowed.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um... Thank you very much. I apologize for not thanking you earlier. I was... There was so much going on. I was a little confused."
'I glanced up at them, tentatively. The man called Saito was showing some confusion of his own. His eyes were wide, and he had an expression I couldn't place. Hijikata looked as though he'd taken a bit of something sour. ... ...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I-I know it seems weird to...say that...But he told me I should say thanks, so I--"
'I looked up. Saito and Hijikata were both looking pointedly at anything but me, and the third man was shaking with laughter.'
Shimohi Yukimura: ...
???: "Ha! Oh man... Well, my apologies. I certainly did tell you to, didn't I?"
'He broke out in laughter again, so much so that he was forced to wipe a few tears from his eyes as he straightened up.'
Souji Okita: "Well, you're welcome, I'm Souji Okita. Nice to see a kid who knows how to be polite." (Okay, just...don't bring out that bazooka and we'll be just fine.) (Again, that's only in Gintama!)
Shimohi Yukimura: ..."Thank you for helping me..."
'Not quite sure what else to do, I bowed again.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "What the hell do you think you're doing, Okita?"
Hajime Saito: "Commander, I understand your concerns, but we must move."
'Whatever mirth I might have inspired was gone, the man called Saito spoke with quiet urgency. Hijikata nodded. The man who'd called himself Okita grabbed hold of my wrist, gave me a smile, and began to lead me down the street. His grip was a touch too tight to be friendly; his fingers like iron cables around my arm. There was no question about my situation. If I ran, I would die. Quickly, at least, but still. Even if I did as I was told, my life was in the hands of these strange men. I set my jaw and stood up as straight as I could. My eyes met those of Saito as he looked up from the bloodstained coat.'
Hajime Saito: "It would be best if you prepared for the worst. I doubt this will end well for you." [sarcasm] Thanks for the hope spot there. [/sarcasm]
'His words were like a dagger in my stomach. What was going to happen to me? Was I...was I going to die? As we walked through the cold Kyoto night, I felt horror begin to crawl its way up my spine once again. The cause of my horror wasn't the gruesome end that almost certainly awaited me, but something else entirely. I'd spoken with these men, and watched them speak to one another, not feet from a still-warm corpse soaked in blood. That I had done such a thing terrified me in an altogether different way. Perhaps, I thought, this is what it is like to go mad.' (Don't worry, we're all mad here.)
-------------------------------
And that's the prologue folks! Check back for the first actual chapter, of the game that is! ([sarcasm] Yay! [/sarcasm]) And, yes, the title's a reference to the animated show "Sheep in the Big City." (Also, here's what Akurei owes for the Monty Python reference jar...)
Monty Python Reference Jar
Akurei: $3
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