twilightretro-blog

[twilightretro-blog]

tanakatamer;

“Haha! Nothing could cease my life! Not even a simple execution from a pathetic excuse for a bear!” He loudly boasted, laughing a little despite the fact he did very narrowly escape death. 

“The ‘final boss’ you speak of must be Aries and Stella. As unacquainted I am with video game speak. I see no reason they would be harmful. Although they have created their circumstances very similarly to our previous ‘nirvana’ this seems to be of less cruel and deplorable circumstances.” 

Despite the serious topic, Chiaki’s smile was indeed contagious as Gundham felt himself grinning a little wider than normal. Her words were indeed true. It was a pleasure to see her, as most of the people. Although his mind has indeed wandered to some of the people he had grown closer with.

“It is a pleasure to see you as well. Although it seems as though some were unable to join us, how unfortunate that is, I do not believe with most of us in this land that monokuma would be able to continue his concept of a game.”He did hope that Sonia was okay, as well as Kazuichi despite how loud the latter tended to get.

  Nanami found her smile only getting bigger as she observed Tanaka rambling a bit. It was mostly intelligible to her, just like her ‘video game language” had been kind of familiar to him. It really warmed her heart that they understood each other so much better now.

  “...I think you’re right that this place doesn’t have cruel intentions like last time, probably,” she agreed.

  Despite the kind of unsure words she used, she was positive that was true. These people, whoever they were, had basically brought her back to life, and maybe some of her other friends like Tanaka and Komaeda as well. They couldn’t have been all bad if they wanted the whole class to be together, and besides, they could definitely solve a mystery like this. If there was one good thing that came out of their time on Jabberwock Island, it was the precious memories they made working together to find the answers.

  “You’re right,” she said sincerely, “the most important thing is that we’re here together. I know we’ll be able to figure it out... as long as we trust each other. I’m sure of it.”

  She smiled at him again, this time much wider than usual.

  “Let’s tell each other if we find any clues, okay? But in the mean time, we could probably have a lot of fun here, I think...”

[twilightretro-blog]

  Nanami hadn’t expected the really strong feeling of... comfort, she guessed--although that wasn’t quite enough--when she first met Naegi here in Stella City. It wasn’t really their first meeting... or maybe it kind of was? She didn’t know if the human version of Nanami Chiaki had met Naegi in the real world before she died, but she knew him somewhat. He was part of the team of people that created her and the New World Program, after all...

  She’d counted him as one of her friends even before now, but she had to admit that it was nice to really know him like this. He was just such a bright presence, and so warm, like a little sun that made you feel happy just by smiling. She was really, really glad she’d gotten to know him.

  “...Let’s see,” she said after thinking about it for a moment, “there’s a lot of people from my class, I think... Komaeda-kun, Hinata-kun, Tanaka-kun... I don’t think I’ve seen any of your classmates, yet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t here.”

  Honestly, at this point Nanami would think it was weirder if more of them weren’t here. It was already kind of disconcerting that they hadn’t all woken up together in one place... or was it more comforting, if it wasn’t starting out like that game again? She wasn’t really sure, but she did know that everything was easier when all of her friends were by her side.

  As far as she could tell, though, this place had nothing to do with any mutual killing games, and it probably wouldn’t in the near future. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t a mystery that needed solving, and Naegi was probably the best friend to have on her side in a time like that, besides maybe Komaeda or Hinata.

  “Naegi-kun,” she said suddenly, “do you have any idea why we’re here? It’s kind of weird that it’s only some of us... isn’t it?”

@twilightretro !

Comfort is always to be found when it comes to company – good company, at that.

Like a mug of hot-chocolate served on a rainy day, the company in which Makoto finds himself on this particular day provides a similar kind of contentment. There are infinite reasons to list out when it comes to what makes one be lovely; there is always much to go over, layer upon layer to be peeled away in order to discover one’s core traits.

When it comes to Chiaki, it’s a fact that she’s an individual who manages to spread warmth to those around her. She is a genuinely kind person, one that fills the hearts of many with hope through her kind nature – all of this at a first glance, too. The game, however, is as genuinely warm as she is complex; infinite, unable to sum up with mere words.

Makoto feels safe in her presence, speaks without a trace of nervousness seeping into the tone of his voice. The smile on his lips is genuine and his laugh her a particular ring to it, just as his there’s a glint of happiness in his eyes. This is the most hopeful he’s felt since the arrival to Stella City.

He’d forgotten how terrible is to be unable to remember your past, let alone be wiped out of the memory of others.

Chiaki remembers, though. She remembers Makoto and perhaps, that’s a sign to tell that not everything is lost.

“Nanami-san, I have a question,” after a moment of reconsidering, the sentence is rephrased. “Actually, make that a couple! There’s been quite a bit happening since I got here and— I was wondering if you knew who else from our school is around?”

[twilightretro-blog]

kusamochilover;

Hajime’s heart skipped a beat when suddenly Nanami grabbed him by the hand. Following Nanami’s example, he apolitically placed the net of oranges as well as his shopping basket in the place for returns. He gave the oranges one more thoughtful look as if to say ‘This is goodbye, but not farewell’ before he was led away by Nanami. They were almost out of the supermarket already when she stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him.

“Yes, it’s fine. Let’s find someplace quieter,” Haijme said, squeezing her hand softly as encouragement. “Where to? Lead the way.”

  Nanami found herself smiling brightly as she turned back to the doors of the supermarket, squeezing his hand back as she led them outside. She’d known all along that seeing Hinata again would make her this happy, but it was still such a good feeling that she hardly knew what to do with it.

  “...I don’t really know that much about this city yet,” she said as they walked, “but when you don’t know where to go next, it’s always a good idea to go back to the place you started from.”

  She was leading them to Hummingbird Hotel, because that’s where she had woken up when she first got here. It was a really simple RPG strategy, but also totally foolproof and time-tested.

  As they walked, she turned to Hinata, still unable to stop herself from smiling. “I’m so glad you’re here, too, Hinata-kun. No matter what happens, I think we’ll be alright.”

[twilightretro-blog]

humanitysbeauty;

✝ : all he could do was watch her skilled ministrations quietly as if she’s done this a million times before. he wouldn’t doubt if that were the case. it seems like she had calmed down as well. that makes one of them, considering korekiyo is still a bit on edge after that brief moment of weakness. even if he, himself, finds a hobby to be a waste of time or nonproductive, his appreciation for the dedication and passion put into it does not change. what a human decides to put their heart into is admirable and beautiful in itself. it was almost fascinating to watch, even if the topic was something that didn’t hold his interest. 

he’d blink a few times as the game was held up to him. was she letting him play it? once again, he’s a bit taken back by this sudden kindness and willingness to share, his shoulders raising just a bit as he slowly spoke up. 

“video games do have an impact on modern day society in their own way… humans seek comfort in them, whether it be for an escape from harsh reality or to relate to a plot or story. some only play for the sake of entertainment or to keep busy. what are video games to you?”

if he was going to be learning things about games, he might as well learn more about how they effect her personally. hesitantly, bandaged hands reached out and took the console, gazing at the lit screen. he’s played video games only a few times in his life, considering how traditional his family was, but he still had a rather vast knowledge on them. it’s all a part of learning about their impact on culture. he’d hold the PSP a bit lower so that the other didn’t have such a hard time seeing the screen as his thumbs positioned themselves wearily. 

  Nanami had to think about her answer for a moment, which resulted in her just kind of staring at him blankly for a few seconds, and then a few extra seconds longer than usual. (This was a really good question with a really important answer, after all. She had to get it right.)

  “It’s all of that, I think, but it’s so much more,” she said finally, watching the spaceship on the screen of her PSP with a little fond smile on her lips. “Games are... guides, to help you understand the real world. They’re not real, but at the same time, they’re kind of more real than this. It’s like when you have a dream about a problem you’re having, and when you wake up, you know exactly what to do about it... It’s that kind of inspiration, you know?”

  She truly believed everything she was saying, from the bottom of her heart. She didn’t just like video games because she was good at them; she would have played them just as much even if she was the worst player in the whole world and she never got any better. They really had a unique power to her, one that she would never get tired of.

  “...My favorite way to use games is to make friends, like right now,” she said after a comfortable moment of silence. “If games aren’t really your thing, do you have something else like that?”

[twilightretro-blog]

moonstudentmagus;

Gaming is her life? Hakuno probably didn’t have a chance to beat the high score of someone who played professionally, but it couldn’t hurt to try and try again. The other girl seemed to be just happy to have someone accept her challenge.

Flashing lights, orange guns…it was a different game than the one she saw before with different controls, but it didn’t seem particularly difficult. She’d have to grab the gun and just shoot right? Hopefully the girl, Nanami, would explain the details.

“I’m Hakuno, Hakuno Kishinami. And likewise!” Smiling, she gripped the gun and aimed it at the screen. “Alright, so how do we play? I just aim this at the screen and shoot, right?”

  Nanami nodded eagerly, excited that Hakuno was just as raring to go as she herself was. She did want to actually talk to her some more, hopefully get to know her better, but right now it was game time. Besides, there was pretty much no better way to get to know someone than to play a video game with them, she thought.

  “Yeah, when the targets pop up, you try to shoot them as fast as possible,” she said. “You don’t have to worry about ammo until the later levels, I think, so for now it’s just point and shoot.”

  She leaned over and adjusted Hakuno’s stance as she held the gun, straightening her shoulders a bit. “Like this, so you can move your arm faster. There’s a co-op mode, but you’re playing the single-player. You can start it whenever you’re ready.”

[twilightretro-blog]

Hey!!! Your art is so cute and amazing!! Do you think you could do a picture of Gundham giving Chiaki a piggyback?? If not something similar? I LOVE yOUUU AAAAAAAAAA

off they go!!

[twilightretro-blog]

@twilightretro

When you’ve been awake for 3 days straight and become a zombie.

[twilightretro-blog]

[twilightretro-blog]

tanakatamer;

“Why would he be here? The four dark gods have smited the impostor.” He happily smiled, petting the peaking hamster. 

It wasn’t worth worrying about that stuffed animal. He might have had power then, but it seems the sheep have the power here. Good, perfect animals. “Perhaps you should be praising us for our efforts.” He let out a chuckle.

It was hard to admit how relieved he was to see Chiaki however. “You act as if this is not a new development. Were you perhaps here longer than I?”

  Nanami found herself smiling a bit at her friend’s exaggerated ramblings, not because she thought they were funny, but because she was just so happy to see him after she’d thought she never would.

  “...I was a little worried for a minute there,” she admitted, tilting her head to the side. “I haven’t been here for that long either, I think. Definitely not long enough to have found the final boss.”

  It was a relief to know it wasn’t Monokuma, though. Sheep kind of made her uncomfortable, but she could deal with that.

  “It’s really good to see you, Tanaka-kun,” she said after a moment’s pause. “...I’m glad you found me.”

[twilightretro-blog]

kusamochilover;

“You think?” Hajime asked jokingly, scratching the back of his head in an attempt to keep up the facade that he was calm in that moment. “Well, I know that I’m happy to see you, so uhh… Y-Yeah!”

Not the place, not the time. Not the place, not the time. NOT THE PLACE, NOT THE TIME.

These were the words that kept repeating inside Hajime’s head. His spirits were so high that he could pick Nanami up and spin her around. Deep down he knew he probably would have done that exactly if it hadn’t been for the fact they were in a supermarket for God’s sake. He knew better then to make a scene here. 

“……I don’t know what to say, to be honest. I didn’t expect to find you here of all places. Give me a moment to process all of this?”

  Nanami blinked at him for a moment, lips slightly parted. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Hinata might need time to process the situation in a different way than her, because, well... usually she took longer to do that than anyway. She could understand that it might be harder for him to come to terms with her being here than the other way around, though, since she wasn’t really supposed to exist anymore.

  “Let’s go somewhere quieter, then,” she said suddenly, grabbing his hand to tug him out of line. “We can go for a walk, maybe.”

  She made sure to put down her items in a place for returns before she started to expertly lead the way through the maze of sheep, relying on her puzzle-solving experience to find the path of least resistance. Actually, sheep were kind of fun like this, weren’t they? Maybe animals weren’t so bad after all.

  “...Oh, I probably should’ve asked,” she said after a moment, pausing to glance over her shoulder. “It’s okay if we leave now, right? I kind of think... I just want to spend time with you instead.”

[twilightretro-blog]

moonstudentmagus;

She didn’t expect the pause, however short it was. Had she don’t something wrong? Or did the girl expect her not to humor her?

Oh! A shooter simulation game? If she was thinking of the same thing the girl was, she had helped her friend attempt to play one of those the last time she was here. Even if they were different things the experience would likely help, probably.

“Ah, you think so? It can’t hurt to try I suppose.” She took the girl’s hand and prepared to be dragged into the arcade. “You said you set the high score here, so I take it you are great at this yourself?”

  Nanami nodded as she led the girl into the arcade, already feeling the excitement growing in her at the prospect of playing this game. This was the part of her new job that she really, really liked.

  “Yeah... How should I put it?” She paused to think about it for a moment, tilting her head to one side. “It’s like, gaming is my life, probably.”

  She had more she could’ve said, but they’d reached the machine with its bright orange plastic shotguns and flashing lights. She realized then that she hadn’t introduced herself, and she knew she never would if they got into the game right away. She could get a little intense sometimes.

  “I’m Nanami, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”

[twilightretro-blog]

humanitysbeauty;

✝ : don’t worry nee-san. soon you will have all the friends you deserve. you will be happy. 

composure. he has been in this city for months and has yet to lose himself. he couldn’t afford to blow his own cover now. not when this place was a goldmine of opportunity to reach that goal he was working so hard on. despite how loud the buzzing was, how loud the thoughts were in his head, he tried to silence them enough to get a bearing of reality. nee-san isn’t dead. she’s right here.

a game?

ah, that’s right. she’s only discussing a game. a fictional character. it’s not like anyone in real life was harmed. silly him. that distant look in his eyes seemed to vanish as his hands kept their place, clearly trembling against his skin. 

“i am… perfectly fine. i apologize if that caught you off guard. my point still stands.” 

his attention fell to the console. that was… oddly a kind offer to someone who just nearly had a breakdown. golden eyes were brought back to the other’s face, taking note that she, herself, was still visibly upset. oh yeah. that’s why he started this conversation. 

“i do not normally sully myself with video games. i know about their culture, but i usually do not have the time to play them.” 

  She didn’t really know what to make of his use of the phrase “sully himself” in relation to her most precious hobby, but she figured she could set it aside for now. She was used to people not taking video games seriously, and besides, this guy was clearly not in the right state of mind to be picking his words very carefully. If she just thought of it as another opportunity to share the power and brilliance of games with someone, she could do it.

  Wiping the last few tears from her cheeks (she’d stopped crying now that she was focusing on a different game), she went about putting the other game into her PSP and setting it up for him. She was silent as she worked, until it occurred to her that she should probably say something. That... was how this kind of situation worked, right?

  She glanced up rather abruptly, her fingers still working from muscle memory.

  “Even if you’ve played a game like this before,” she said, barely containing her passion for it, “there’s a lot more to discover about it. For instance, on this level, if you rescue the ship at the end fast enough, you can unlock a hidden stage.”

  She stood on her tiptoes to show him the screen and offer the console, hoping he wouldn’t have to bend down too far. “Games can do a lot of things besides be entertaining, I think... The same one can even become something totally different depending on who plays it. No two people will ever have the same experience.”

[twilightretro-blog]

soothe: what's one thing that always makes you feel better when you're upset?

♥ late night self-reflective asks ;; accepting

“It depends on what exactly I’m feeling, probably. Sometimes I need a 2D fighting game with lots of exciting combos and finishing moves… but sometimes a long visual novel with very few gameplay elements is better. There are lots of different genres, and all of them leave you in a different kind of mood.”

[twilightretro-blog]

sunset

♥ late night self-reflective asks ;; accepting sunset = who is someone you thought would be in your life forever, but you no longer talk to?

“...I never thought that I would get to stay with anyone forever. I knew that from the very beginning, but I still wanted everyone to hold onto their memories of me... Staying together like that was enough. Even now, I don’t know why I’m still here, so I’ll just have to make the most of this chance, I think.”

[twilightretro-blog]

slumber & midnight

♥ late night self-reflective asks ;; accepting 

slumber = answered here !

midnight = are you a different person late at night than early in the morning?

“...That depends on what you mean by ‘different,’ I think. You can game at any time of day, you know, but there are always flags on a character’s route that are only available at certain times. You have to be really patient if you want to see all of them.”

[twilightretro-blog]

[ cosmos & slumber ! ]

♥ late night self-reflective asks ;; acceptingcosmos = what’s one thing you wish you could say to someone you are no longer friends with?

“There are a lot of people I never thought I would get to see again, but I think we’ll always remain friends. ...I would want to say, thank you for believing in each other, and I hope you’ll always remember me. I’ll never forget any of you, for sure.”

slumber = what’s one thing that helps you fall asleep when it feels impossible?

“...When it’s hard to fall asleep? I’ve never had trouble with it before. Usually, by the fourth round of Mario Party, I can barely keep my eyes open...”

[twilightretro-blog]

nightmare :)

♥ late night self-reflective asks ;; acceptingnightmare = what are you most afraid of?

“...It’s no good to be afraid, I think. I get scared for my friends whenever something bad happens to them, or for myself when I don’t know if I can help them enough. But it’s not something that I should let beat me. It’s much more important to believe in each other, and in myself... probably.”