Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Romance]

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Chocopyro
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Projects: Keepsake: Orison of the falling leaves
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Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Romance]

#1 Post by Chocopyro »

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Bishoujo | Supernatural | Slice of Life | Comedy | Romance | Mystery
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"Akiyama is the kind of town which never lets its stories die. No matter how much you want them to."

Its a town which has seen quite a bit of expansion in recent years. But the growing town still retains much of its small village charm. Its a town which remembers its stories and legends, with colorful histories and paranormal mysteries around just about every inch of the valley. Kai Tatsuya, a delinquent who's been immortalized as the poster child for delinquency in his school, knows all too well just how deeply held these ties go. He after all has been stuck with the name "The Beast of Akiyama" since his days in middle school. And just as it looked like he could finally put those days behind him, all it took was a faulty vending machine, a loss of temper, and a camera shot to slam his death glare into the school news paper, and back into the minds of all his classmates.

But that became water under the bridge when things started get weird in his life. It seems that recently, Kai has developed a strange sleepwalking episodes, and has found himself waking up in strange places, and bizarre situations. As if that wasn't weird enough, lately he's been catching glimpses out of the corner of his eye just as he rouses from his sleepwalking misadventures in time to save himself from a near fatal experience. Elsewhere, a girl has found herself completely and inexplicably without a shadow after cleaning the heirlooms of her aunt's attic. Which is a problem considering she was already the type to jump at it to begin with. Now, with no shadow, she finds herself under a curse, where in her consciousness is tied to her spirit rather than her physical body, thus making it hard to keep her soul inside herself.

But the Kami of a long forgotten shrine has been noticing events like this occur in town for a while now. And they aren't isolated to just mortals. The northern village, long abandoned by humans due to a landslide, has always been populated with plenty of yokai beings. And something has been filling the valley with an abundance of a strange energy. One that he feels might be coming from one of four cursed gifts he entrusted with four prominent human families a long time ago. However, sworn to only operate indirectly with the mortals of the valley, and haven lost the purity of his shrine to vandalism, he has little power on his own to find out the fate of those lost heirlooms. What has conveniently fallen into his lap are the two humans, plagued with problems beyond their comprehension. A boy who should be given his fair share of community service, and a cowardly girl who just so happens to be able to interact with humans and spirits, AND has one keepsake heirloom already in her possession.

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Every now and then, each character will be featured in a character spotlight on the post below, where new ones will be introduced and old ones will be expanded. Till then, you will have to make due with a minimalist description. Sorry if the characters sound cliche due to the lack of details, but hey. A flower can easily be categorized by its petals. People rarely take into account the stem, the roots, or the leaves until they've spent enough time with the flower to differentiate it from others of its type.

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"Forget it, I'm not cut out for charity work."
Name:
Kai Tatsuya
Nicknames:
"The Beast of Akiyama High"
Age:
16
Blood type:
Type AB
Class:
2C
Personality:
Short-tempered
Aloof
A softie, despite the rumors
Background:
Intimidating Persona (Those unfriendly, blood-red eyes)
Violent reputation (Oftentimes exaggerated)
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Kai Tatsuya wanted nothing more than to become a symbol of strength. What he got was a short stick, as he was crowned one of the poster children for savage delinquency that was plaguing his middle school. Just by losing his temper to authority figures, holding his ground against a pack of bullies, and taking the blame for a broken window, he found himself on every wannabe tough guy's hit list. And his reputation sunk further with every reputed victory. High school was his last chance to turn things around, but even then, the stigma his name carried persisted. Eventually, he just accepted the label. He started cutting classes, picking fights, and letting the legend grow. The seeds were already there since before middle school, after all. His life has always been turbulent. Born a bastard between a passively loving father who never really wanted to be one, and twice shut out from his mother's side for being a rebellious little black sheep who couldn't quite conform to her high societal standards, resentment toward those who reject him has always ran deep. At the very least, his unintentionally cultivated reputation led to a predictable cycle. Wake up, go to school, get persuaded to skip by one of his few friends, Yoshi Akihara, get in a fight with Kenji on his way home, chill out and play video games in Yoshi's dorm. Stability was something he never really knew growing up between households. Sadly, as of recently, strange things have been happening around him. And a recent sleepwalking problem seems to be at the root of it.
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"I'll become stronger. I have to if I want things to change!"
Name:
Sayuri Tachibana
Nicknames:
"Sayu-chan" by friends.
Age:
15
Blood type:
Type A
Class:
1A
Traits:
Cautious
Worrier
Clumsy
Generous/Charitable
Fatal Flaws:
When scared, nervous, flustered, or feeling like things are too serious, she talks through a stuffed dragon named "Haru"
Cowardly "Petrifies" when situations become too scary.
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Sayuki Tachibana is the kind of girl who would jump at her own shadow... If she had one that is. Sadly, recent events have pulled this scardy-cat into the epicenter of the paranormal. As if she didn't have a hard enough time navigating her freshman year. Sayu isn't exactly shy or introverted, though its hard to tell from the way she hides behind a stuffed dragon when dealing with people who scare her or make her feel uncomfortable. This habit of course has made her a bully magnet since elementary school, and her inability to part with the beloved plush has only made things worse for her. Thankfully, she has a saving grace. Her friends. With her best friend Hana as the head of the school news committee, and Hana's brother as the affable and popular Kendo team captain ready to jump to her rescue at the slightest tear drop, Sayuki has a higher level of influence than many would care to admit. Even if she does have a rather forgettable presence. Suffice to say, Sayuki doesn't believe in her own power, and though adored by her friends, they don't quite seem to either.

But beneath the worry, the fear, and the anxiety, is a rare sort of authenticity to herself. Sayuki has always been an earnest, self aware individual who is careful not to tread on others, and honest about her feelings, even if just to herself. She has no brothers or sisters, and lives with her parents in a house next door to the Takeda Family. And due to her own parents often being gone, she can be found there after school on most days. She's over so frequently that both Hana and Shiro (And even their parents) consider her a relative. She's a nurturer at heart, and feels like a fish out of water when she isn't tending to other's needs. More than likely though, perhaps she just wants to feel needed by someone, in order to help her cope with her own anxieties.
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"I'll stop pestering you once the hype surrounding you dies."
Name:
Hanako Takeda
Nicknames:
"Hana-chan" by friends.
Age:
15
Blood type:
Type B
Class:
1A
Traits:
Nosy and investigative
Devious
Stealthy/Flexible
Ambitious
Fatal Flaws:
No sense of personal space
Obsessive (Leaves no rock unturned)
Exagerates and embellishes certain details in her articles.
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Small, flexible, and well informed on the latest gossip, Hanako Takeda is always among the first on a scene, even if it means wedging herself in tight spaces and occasionally getting stuck. She is a true reporter, and her accurate (Albeit greatly exaggerated) articles are the pride of the school news committee. If you ever want to find out whats going on in the realm of Akiyama high school intrigue, you talk to Hana. But if you have a secret, then keeping it safe from this nerd can make your life a living nightmare. Its for this reason that her articles are loved much more than she is. But for whatever reason, there are two boys in school who seem to narrowly avoid her at every turn. Kai is sometimes able to be caught, but whenever that Yoshi Akihara is around, somehow he always seems to know exactly where she's holed up. But for as intriguing as the Akihara boy is, Hana's obsession with the delinquent politics seems to keep her unhealthily fixated on Kai, to the point of being referred to as his stalker. Strangely though, this seems to put her at odds more with Kirie than anyone else.

When she isn't found creeping through the ventilation shafts or popping out of bushes with that camera of hers snapping away, Hana is usually found where Sayuki is. For someone as obsessed with human interaction as she is, she doesn't seem to have that many friends in her expansive list of contacts, informants, and acquaintances. Even with someone as popular as Shiro being her older brother, there's a certain awkwardness about Hana when she doesn't hide behind her wall of facts, embarrassing secrets, or latest gossip. Hana cares more deeply than she lets on about how annoying people find her. But her capacity for cleverness should not be underestimated. She knows just how to ensnare who or what she wants. Even if they don't realize they're being kept right where she wants them.
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"Let me in, dumb ass. I don't know what you're up against, but I do know I can help."
Name:
Kirie Nagano
Nicknames:
"The Typhoon Fist"
Age:
16
Blood type:
Type O
Class:
2B
Traits:
Protective/Honorable
Dutiful/Proud
Energetic/Athletic
Lover of all things Fish
Fatal Flaws:
No sense of direction
Hyper competitive
Notoriously thick headed, and easily tricked
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The Typhoon Fist of Akiyama High School. Thats what they call her on the streets. Its a title Kirie has earned... And has always considered an embarrassing blemish on her otherwise good record. Kirie moved in from an island village, and she had no way of knowing how that pretentious delinquent scene worked when she transferred over in middle school. You beat up a delinquent making a mess outside of the family business, and you get noticed. You make a habit of winning, and suddenly you're a legend with a title, and rivals everywhere. Unfortunately when she figured out exactly what this entailed, made things hard for her when she tried to get onto the disciplinary committee. Still, Kirie is a fighter, and she stuck to her heart's sense of justice in order to shed that minor detail.

Kirie has family in the area. She has some relation to the Mosuke family, and a cousin in Yoshi Akihara, whom she seemed baffled when she even learned he existed. And of course this association has led her to meeting Kai, back in middle school. They hit it off surprisingly well. Back then, there was a rather solid friendship between Kai, Kirie, Yoshi, and even Kenji. Shiro too, of course was close, beyond acquaintance, but the other three boys were her main clique. She introduced them into her family martial arts, and thought it would be a good way to straighten the three boys out. And for a while, it was working. Then Kenji and Kai were back at each other's throats, Yoshi continued to be a bad influence, and the group fractured with all three boys leaving the dojo. Kirie still holds a grudge on all of them, and even kinda blames Shiro's sister Hanako for the mess. Still, she has a hard time refusing to help Kai or Yoshi when they ask. Even if they drive her nuts as a member of the disciplinary committee.
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"I don't need my memories to be Hoshiko. I choose to be Hoshiko."
Name:
Hoshiko (No surname)
Nicknames:
"Shovel Girl", or simply "The hobo" by most. "Hunter of Treasures" by the spirits.
Age:
16
Blood type:
Type AB
Class:
N/A (Not a student)
Traits:
Productive
Confident
Weird
Could be a genius, despite being borderline illiterate
Fatal Flaws:
Aura of dirt: (Even after washing herself, it doesn't take long before she's covered in dirt again.)
Homeless, maybe a bit feral
A societal offbeat with no hope of changing
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There are many peculiar oddities in Akiyama village. Not the least of which is a certain vagrant girl who found her way into town about five years ago, asking to barter junk she dug out of the hillside around the old village landslide in exchange for some food stuffs. People see her around here and there, but nobody is quite sure where she holds up. Sure, evidence of her many holes seems to linger all around the mountain forest trails. But where does she rest her head at night? How does she make it through the winters? Why do the spirits seem just as perplexed by her as the humans? Nobody quite knows what makes Hoshiko tick. Not even herself. She doesn't hide anything. If she's even interested in your questions at all, it doesn't take long to get out the details that she doesn't really know how she ended up in the area. But while she is constantly dirty, and constantly violating social norms in her interactions with the locals, she seems to have a certain practicality and uncanny cleverness about her. She is constantly prospecting the area for treasures, and for whatever reason, she always seems to know exactly where to dig. Sadly, her appraisal abilities could use a bit of work. A gold watch could be tossed aside as garbage, where as a blue plastic bucket might end up in her most prized collection. Hoshiko seems to have a high awareness to the presence of spirits, but can't see or hear them. Nor does she care. Just like the squirrels in the forest, so long as she isn't violated, there isn't really a reason to be bothered.
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"Wow, Tatsuya-kun, you totally suck at dying!"
Name:
Sylvia (No surname)
Nicknames:
Grim Reaper, Shinigami, Valkyrie, and many names through out the ages.
Age:
Appears 17
Blood type:
"Silly, we don't bleed."
Class:
N/A (Not a student)
Traits:
Cheerful/Friendly
Teaser
Talkative/Chatterbox
Unexpectedly wise and insightful
Fatal Flaws:
Apathetic toward the inevitable human struggle against the current.
Slight "Yandere"ish tendencies. (Not possessive or jealous, just unsettling at times.)
Perhaps a bit lonely on some level.
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Sometimes, certain souls trigger false alarms when it comes to avoiding near death experiences. Then there are souls who make a reoccurring habit of it. To those on the other side, this is akin to calling the fire department over five times a day, just to ask them how they're doing. The souls of the dead can't always ferry themselves. Discarnates have a tendency to get whisked away by grims, demons, faeries, and astral beings who regularly interfere with the soul's samsaran cycle. Worse yet are the mortal souls who get stuck, and become earthbound. Hence, in these cases, it becomes necessary to keep a single psychopomp on full-time watch duty. To ensure that when the mortal's time does expire, they receive timely conveyance to the next life. Of course the reason is two fold. You also want to make sure a mortal isn't cheating death, or an earthly god isn't playing favorites. Aside from that, what more can a solitary creature like Sylvia say about herself? She's a third generation reaper, she likes old school RPG games, dancing, modern pop culture, and people watching. After all, watching is all she could do from behind the third veil, a layer of reality beyond even the perception of spirits, save for uniquely mortal souls who have officially met their expiration date. But ferrymen are built for solitude. So its alright, she can handle going a few hundred years before chatting someone's deceased ears off. Still, Sylvia can't quite shake the feeling sometimes that maybe Kai can see her. A rare ability for even the most powerful mediums. This could mean a few things. And all of them are a bit unsettling to the conveyer of his soul.
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"What? come on, man! We're best friends, aren't we? You could trust me!"
Name:
Yoshi Akihara
Nicknames:

Age:
16
Blood type:
Type B
Class:
2B
Traits:
Light hearted
Fun loving
Scoundrel
Trickster
Fatal Flaws:
Compulsive Liar
Prankster
Greedy
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A carefree, trouble making prankster, who lives life to the beat of his own drum. Yoshi knows the town about as well as Hanako, and he's seen as rather shady by most of the students at Akiyama high. If not because of the high level of manipulative puppeteering performed in some of his pranks, then definitely by the company he keeps. Kai and Yoshi are seen as a tag team. Partners in crime, who might as well be playing mind games with the yakuza after school. Although Yoshi is clearly the more approachable of the two, and seen as more of a neutral force of chaos. The fact of the matter is that Yoshi and Kai have less a friendship, and more of a symbiotic relationship. Yoshi's devious and impish pranks tend to cause a lot of mischief, and that spells danger when delinquents like "Snake Eyes" Kenji are after him. Therefore Kai is typically the one who has to bail Yoshi out. What Yoshi offers in return is amnesty from the wrath of his cousin Kirie and the rest of the disciplinary committee. Or advanced notice when Hana Takeda is prowling in the area. Basically its thanks to Yoshi that Kai hasn't gotten thrown out of the system yet.

But there is a layer of friendship between the two, even if neither consciously admit it. Despite being annoyed by Yoshi's shenanigans, the two seem to understand each other, more deeply than anyone else seems to understand either of them. One such understanding is that Yoshi is actually obsessed with urban legends, regional cryptids, and local ghost stories. He knows about as much on the subject as Hanako does with gossip, drama, and secrets. He never seems to shut up about which house was haunted, or the seven mysteries of their high school. Yoshi is actually the sole owner and member of the Akiyama High paranormal research club, a club that on paper isn't regarded as official anymore. He claims that many of his shadier skills, from lock picking, to avoiding enforcement, comes from his afterschool hobby. Urban exploration. Although Akiyama still has its old small village charm, its a growing town, and many places, particularly in the old village which was hit by a landslide, have been Yoshi's goal since middle school. Yoshi is really the only contact Kai stays in touch with from his middle school days. And though he's a liar, a trickster, and all around untrustworthy, Yoshi is a team player.
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"Just stand aside! I'm the hero of the story!"
Name:
Shiro Takeda
Nicknames:
Captain Red
Age:
16
Blood type:
Type O
Class:
2C
Traits:
Heroic disposition
Energetic and Optimistic
Brave and charisimatic
Affable and approachable
Fatal Flaws:
"Okay in small doses"
Can't say no to a pretty girl
Hero complex
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Whenever a hero is needed in Akiyama, Shiro Takeda is swift to arrive with a wooden bokken in hand, and a stock hero line straight from his childhood favorite sentai series. Shiro is well liked among his classmates, and his universal, inclusive attitude shows that he has no concept of the social hierarchy, and will just as likely be in his element talking to other athletes, top students, the prettiest girls in class, and the kinda creepy otaku who only seems to talk about mecha figurines, and shonen manga. Whether he's at a kendo event leading his team to victory, or a doujinshi convention, leading a pack of neck bearded online hikikomori buddies through the gates, Shiro does so with absolute confidence in himself. Its that confidence which makes his childishly naive fighting spirit so infectious. And for people like Kai, so annoying. Shiro seems to look at delinquents like Kai as super villains that need to be kicked back to whatever hole they crawled out of, and the fact that he's close friends with Kirie, AND Hanako's older brother (And thus rather close with Sayuki, as neighbors), means that his presence is difficult for Kai to avoid. Of course the two see each other anyways, since the kendo team captain is in the same class.
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"You can actually eat this pigswill? Quite an impressive feat. I shall never underestimate a commoner's fortitude."
Name:
Bastian Arastoth
Nicknames:
The Prince, the mageborn pretty boy.
Age:
18
Blood type:
Type RH-
Class:
NA
Traits:
Confident, charming, and assertive
Seemingly limitless wealth
Intelligent
Gifted occultist
Fatal Flaws:
Megalomaniac
Inhabitant of an ivory tower or two.
Unfamiliar with local etiquette amongst commoners
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It's easy to garner within the first five minutes of meeting this foreigner that his face must be in every world dictionary, in every written language, associated with the word "Condescending". Despite being well traveled, this aristocrat appears to have garnered no ability to relate to the peasant stock whatsoever. And the worst part is, he doesn't even do it on purpose. Bastian Arastoth is cut from a different cloth, and he lets people know it. Nonchalantly showing off the ten dozen silver spoons he was born with just seems to be the an ordinary formality for the young man. But exactly what his sudden appearance in Akiyama valley one day means, along with a large western style mansion built seemingly over night, is anyone's guess. Whether he's an ally, an antagonist, or an unrelated third party is anyone's guess. But his powers over the arcane and illusions are quite formidable. For a mortal at least. For a psychopomp like Sylvia however? Mmm, rudimentary perhaps.
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"Snake Eyes" Sekai
Name:
Kenji Sakai
Nicknames:
Known on the streets as "Snake eyes" Sekai the Viper of Akiyama
Revered to as "the Worm" by Kirie, Kai, and Yoshi, and a select few of others.
Age:
17
Blood type:
Type A
Class:
1A
Traits:
Mean spirited
Nasty
Disrespectful
Rebellious
Fatal Flaws:
Inferiority complex
Arch rival to Kai (In his point of view at least)
Written off as a small fry by those who actually know him.
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These days, it seems hard to believe. But at one time, Kenji Sakai, Kirie Nagano and Kai Tatsuya were friends. A fact that seems to have been a life time ago, from the way Kenji carries himself now. He's not the strongest delinquent in the school, but he's known as the most nasty. And his feuding with Kai stretches back before that brief period of time in middle school when they trained in the Nagano dojo. Kenji has always had it out for Kai, for as long as anyone remembers. The two fought as children, they warred as middleschoolers after acquiring martial arts training, and by high school, it became evident that Kai was clearly the stronger of the two, and simply stopped caring. Well, its obvious to anyone, except for Kenji and his gang themselves. Kenji is always calling Kai out to fight, and even resorts to kidnapping Yoshi (And in rare cases, Hana, though it shows she tends to draw Shiro to the rescue more than Kai) in order to make sure he'll answer the long, clumsily written challenges he leaves flooding in Kai's shoe locker. Unfortunately for Kenji, these letters are largely ignored.
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Shin-sama
"Any blessing in excess can become a curse."
Name:
Referred to as Shin-sama
Nicknames:
Diety of the forgotten shrine, Fox
Age:
Unknown (Appears in his 20s when in human form)
Blood type:
"That's not something I would know."
Job:
Local deity
Traits:
Insightful and honest
Benevolent, if a bit of a trickster
Lazy, procrastinator
Has been "Defanged" as of late.
Fatal Flaws:
Tends to answer big questions in allegories and metaphors.
Dotes on shrine maidens
Has a fondness for bad puns
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In his heyday, he was a local Kami who protected the roads, and the travelers through the mountains and valleys. And unlike most foxes, Shin was said to sweep the illusions of spirits away, and reveal falsehoods wherever travelers were afflicted. Under him, the four families and consequently the town prospered. And a maiden of each family served him in maintaining that balanced prosperity with the spirits and mortals alike. Each maiden held a keepsake from him. To the Takeda family, a mirror. To the Tsukino family, a Kokeshi doll. To the Yonamine family, a bamboo broom. And to the Mosuke family, a scarf. And at the Autumn solstice, the maidens would dance to keep the curses on each gift purified. That was up until an event that transpired about three generations ago, where in a landslide hit the northern village, the mirror was lost, and the Takeda family started pointing fingers. Over time, all the keepsakes were lost, or put away and neglected in storage. The families lost influence and wealth, new generations began to throw the old grudges aside for love marriages, and Shin's shrine sat neglected, and vandalized. Now a days, Shin has taken to some bad habits. Neglecting certain duties and traditions, gambling with spirits in the old school building, and nonchalantly placing minor bad luck curses on vandals and the like. That was until things started happening. Old friends began to behave strangely, whispers of an old enemy began to resurface, his pesky sister has been stirring up trouble again, and a human boy started picking fights with oni while... Sleepwalking? Well, that may have earned him an excuse to be thrown into community service and help figure out where those old artifacts went off to.
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Image pending
Okamoto-dono
"How dare you! Go back and wash your hands at once! THEN you can address Shin-sama!"
Name:
Okamoto
Nicknames:
Okamoto-dono
Age:
Speculated to be between 50-70. With shapeshifting Tanuki, its hard to tell.
Blood type:
Type A
Job:
Shin's retainer, and vassal
Traits:
Ridged
Authoritarian
Honorable
Dependable, multitalented
Fatal Flaws:
Prone to attacking (scratching) troublemakers
A stickler for traditions, rules, tidiness, and order
Bad shapeshifting ability.
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Okamoto is Shin-sama's most loyal retainer. A tanuki with magical shapeshifting powers, who recently returned from a long journey through the mountains in search of his daughter after the events of the landslide separated them. And much to his dismay, he returns to find things have fallen to disgraceful levels while he wasn't around to look after his lord. The people go to a new shrine to pray, the keepsakes and the maidens are gone, the lord has taken up gambling with, and only a half assed cowardly girl and a deplorable savage delinquent seem to be working on his behalf by the time he gets back. But for some reason, returning home to see such a large laundry list of problems has only proven to revitalize his depleted willpower from returning home empty-pawed.
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I recently lost my job. Which is... Kinda something I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, after they got rid of my old shift, I didn't really have enough time to work on my personal projects anymore, but I had the funding. Now, I have the time, but no income. I was going to try to transition to a part time position anyways, but now it looks like I'm going to be using the money that was meant to get me a new computer and to Japan in order to keep fuel this project. I have enough to keep me afloat for a while, but may need to look for something new once that's depleted. But I intend to get some sort of working demo up before then. Crowd funding is an option I'm speculating on, but I need to make sure I have a final outline and list of needed assets before then.

Story Outline: On its 4th revision. And I wont give percentages until I have the final.

Update: Would love to post a crowd funder link, so I could get money to finish a demo so I could post a crowd funder link, so i could get money to finish a demo so I could post a crowd funder link ~ "And he repeated this cycle till the end of time."

Anyways, a Patreon is up. Just look for it or something. ;>.>

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Core Team:
Chocopyro: Project Lead | Scenario Designer | Photoshop Asset manipulator
Bonesy0: Programmer
Ran08: Writer
Writingprobably: Writer
ZennyPai: Writer

Commissioned Talents (Ongoing):
KahoOkashii: Sprites|Original Character Design
Daphinteresting: Original Character Design (Male character sheets)
Badriel: UI design|Backgrounds

Past Commisions:
ShojiAmasawa: Logo Design
Kazenokaze: Original Character designer (Females)

Open Positions: I am keeping an open eye out for;
Last edited by Chocopyro on Sun Sep 24, 2017 12:44 pm, edited 32 times in total.
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Re: Keepsake (BxG|A Supernatural Romantic Comedy)

#2 Post by Chocopyro »

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Alright, lets see if I could get a few of the obvious questions I see pop up all over the place out of the way preemptively.

"Why is it in Japan?"
Because I have a deep fondness for three major fields in sociology/anthropology. The high midlevel ages, Modern Japan, and folklore from cultures all over the world. I've actually played around with the setting quite a bit, but I felt Japan was the most comfortable place. Don't get me wrong, working with icelandic folklore might grant me similar results in the supernatural side, but the general mindset of the characters, their beliefs, and behaviors feels rather unique to Japanese memes... Save for Sylvia and Bastian. They're actually linked to other unannounced projects.

"Why is it high school?"
As many of the themes in this story are rooted in shintoism, one common theme of all the character arcs is growth, and adolescence too plays a big part in at least three of the character routes. There's just something I find endearing about Japanese high school lifestyle and setting. Or maybe I'm simply trying to capture a certain old fashion bishoujo game feeling in a new age. Yeah, I'm pretty sure its that. ^___________^

"Why don't you try a more semi-realistic, darker, grittier art style?"
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(I'm not being ethnocentric, but if it's not obvious already, I'm a shameless, light hearted otaku, and so are many others who enjoy playing and/or making VNs. There's room for both of us here.)
"Will this game be echi heavy or have adult scenes?"
Nah, its going to be light on the fan service. Don't get me wrong, there will be a few scenes here and there (If I didn't, my artist might sneakily slip some in), but I'd rather emphasize the comedy more than fetishize the characters. I feel that makes characters less relatable. As for adult scenes, this is in the wrong section for that, isn't it?

"Will it be commercial or free?"
I'm aiming for commercial quality and it most likely will be commercial, but I'm certainly putting a lot more into this game than I expect to get out of it. I'd rather create a game from the heart with a meaningful story that a small amount of people love than become another next Bill Gates of the world. It would just be nice to get a little something to save up for whatever comes next.

"How can we help?"
I'm looking for a bit of anything really. Opinions on the art direction, suggestions on the story direction, team recommendations for music, art, programming, and writing, ideas, the stray piece of fanart or the "OMG, FINALLY A BxG GAME!" comment. (<--Basically my reaction whenever I see one these days. :lol: ) As you can see, some details are vague, the art is unpolished thus far, and I'm sitting on a mountain of details about the setting, characters, and sub plots that I don't want to spoil. So I'm in a position where the clay is still damp, malleable, and in different parts, and I need to figure out what more I want to add or change before putting the pieces together.
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Re: Keepsake (BxG|A Supernatural Romantic Comedy)

#3 Post by gekiganwing »

Some character related questions:

1. It sounds like the heroines know each other, and care about each other. How often will the reader see them interact?
2. How will the protagonist's male friends contribute to the story? In my opinion, it would be interesting if they have something interesting to say, and if they're competent. In other words, I would take notice if the guys in your story are capable advisors or rivals.
3. How many of the characters start out the story believing that psychopomps exist?

Plot questions:

1. Balancing slice of life events and external conflicts: How much emphasis will there be on the characters' ordinary lives, and how much emphasis will there be on dealing with metaphysical blood feuds?
2a. Will there be a point in the story in which Kai chooses a heroine? If so, will this mark the difference between the common route and the character paths?
2b. If he does not choose a love interest, what will happen? Does this result in a bad or mediocre ending?
3. If this isn't your plan, then what will you do instead?
4. How many endings do you intend to create? How will they vary?
Chocopyro wrote: I recently lost my job. Which is... Kinda something I have mixed feelings about. On one hand, after they got rid of my old shift, I didn't really have enough time to work on my personal projects anymore, but I had the funding. Now, I have the time, but no income.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure what to suggest. A few questions:

1. At this time, how easy is if for you to justify time for writing and coding?
2. Can you persevere and keep writing even when you're busy or stressed?
3. Do you have experience selling stories, video games, VNs, or other creative media?
Chocopyro wrote: Or maybe I'm simply trying to capture a certain old fashion bishoujo game feeling in a new age.
I'm curious if you have a specific frame of reference. Was there a story or game which you found inspirational? (For instance, my interest in boy x girl romance VNs began with Season of the Sakura, which I liked because of its not-too-serious takes on '90s characters. It peaked with Heart de Roommate, because I didn't find its character types to be too familiar at the time.)
Chocopyro wrote: "Why don't you try a more semi-realistic, darker, grittier art style?"
If your story is mostly upbeat and humorous, then it makes sense to have bright colors and characters who often look happy. Here is a brief off-topic opinion:
There have been times when I've looked at recent OJLVN art and thought "The characters' faces seem washed out." One example is Irotoridori no Sekai. In my opinion, their skin color seems unnaturally white, almost clear. Also, I have been starting to dislike art in which the characters have permanently blushed faces. I prefer it when characters blush only when it's dramatically appropriate.
Chocopyro wrote: "Will this game be ecchi heavy or have adult scenes?" Nah, it is going to be light on the fan service.
What would be an appropriate content rating for your story? On an MPAA scale, would it be more PG-13 or R (restricted) rated? On an ESRB scale, would it be more Teen or Mature rated?

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Re: Keepsake (BxG|A Supernatural Romantic Comedy)

#4 Post by Chocopyro »

1: Sayuki and Hana are best friends, Kirie and Hana don't like each other, Kirie is close friends with Shiro, Hana's sister, so she acquainted with Sayuki, Yoshi is Kirie's cousin, and Hana has an interest in Yoshi's past, as well as his connection to Kai, so between those characters, it is pretty safe to say there is a LOT of interaction between all of them. Hoshiko is a bit of an outsider that a few of them know of, but no one really talks to, and Sylvia and Bastian have no link to the town, or each other. But as these three characters get pulled into the protagonist's life, they two will start to form interactions, bonds, and such with the other characters. Like real people, the characters have connections with the people in the world they live in, and those connections will be explored as you get to know each of them.
2: Well, I can say this at least. There are a lot more characters than those listed above, but the ones that are listed will likely have the most weight on the story. I don't want characters to exist purely to fill roles like "Generic best friend character". Shiro and Kai kinda rub each other the wrong way, and Yoshi is kind of the friend that Kai is stuck having. But both actually do play a myriad of roles in the common rout, as well as in individual character arcs. Bastian as well will have a rather dynamic role which shakes things up for everyone. Kai will have to interact with all of them, either because group dynamics lead them to bumping into each other, or because Yoshi has knowledge, Shiro is related to one of the four main families, and Bastian leaves too much of a mark to be ignored. And of course each girl does not get conveniently pushed aside when you enter a specific romantic route. They're still around playing active roles in each other's stories.
3: Shin has had limited interaction with psychopomps in the past. They're kind of upper management in another department to local deities. The lesser gods serve the living, and the psychopomps ferry the souls of the dead to wherever they go next. But most nature spirits who have never been incarnated as mortals don't even think about their existence. As for the mortal characters, only Bastian believes in their existence from the start. He has access to esoteric knowledge which transcends that of the unilluminated after all. And he has never encountered one, but he knows he'd be outclassed if he did. Yoshi and Sayuki are open to the idea of their existence, but neither has given it much thought. Obviously, Sayuki is too scared to think about it, and Yoshi is more concerned with the things that are actually caught on camera, or encountered by credible sources. Shiro, Hana, and Hoshiko are agnostic, Kai and Kirie are skeptics to the idea (Kai actually thinks she's a spirit trying to arrange his demise at first), and Sylvia of course believes in herself.

Plot questions:
1: This is an interesting question, and honestly, the two are more closely intertwined than one would think. As stated, I've found a lot of inspiration for the story in themes of shinto beliefs, and many of those is its views of nature and materialism. There's a certain way to interact with nature, as well as the shoes you wear, or the broom you sweep your house with. You don't disrespect something by throwing it out before its time anymore than you would try to dump chemical waste in a mountain stream. Its as though civilization is not viewed as separate from nature, but an extension of it, and I like that approach to environmentalism so much more than "Being materialistic is evil, we should all live in minimalistic trailers and wear clothes made of organic fibers." That same way of thinking extends into the physical world and its interactions with the spirits. You treat other people with respect, just as you would the things that aren't visible. Regarding this in the story, I think it is important to play at the theme of nonviolation. Spirits are not any more absolved from the consequences of their actions than humans are, and the results of how one chooses to live his, her, its life always bleeds over into the lives of other people and things. If I had to separate the Slice of Life aspects from the supernatural, and then remove the "Metaphysical Blood Feuds" from the supernatural aspects, I'd say it leans much closer to Slice of Life, with a lot of urban exploration and snooping around in other people's business. Though towards the end of each "Episode" in the plot, things start to swing in the opposite direction.
2a: Yes, and yes. A lot of choices early on might lead to some alterations in the common route, and of course if you stay the course, you will deviate from the common route entirely. Then again, I'm still working that part out, but thats kind of the model I'm playing around with currently.
2b: In the original outline, I actually had two outcomes based on when he ended up alone. One was your typical bad ending, the other became what I called "The Kai Route." in which he and his friends kinda pulled together to help him out. I currently don't know if their is room for both these endings in the current outline.
3: I dunno. Keep rewriting it until I find something that works.
4: Endings. Boy, I have a ton of ideas, and I don't have a plan yet. ^^;

Personal questions:
1: Under my previous job, I worked 10 hour shifts, walking the equivalent of 10 miles a day on concrete (Yes, we kept track with spedometers one day) at a warehouse that could be found on a very very conspicuous website. So needless to say, while I liked the job, It was a very draining one. Its not just time and motivation spent coding and writing that were suffering. I'd get inspired to make a positive change in my life, go to work for four days, spend two days resting, get inspired again right before bed on the last day, repeat the process. I've also been completely nocturnal. So every time I needed to do something on my days off, I needed to wake up and be out the door much earlier than It would take me most days to cognatively function. Since I've gotten more free time, I've actually found that I have a lot more capacity to change my habits for the better than I previously had, which is something I actually wasn't counting on happening. So yes, for a myriad of reasons, I feel as though my time spent on this project, and in a variety of other areas in my life is very well justified to the overall quality of how I live.
2: Under my new diet and sleeping schedule? Much more than I was able to before.
3: Its a process that I'm learning. I've worked as a roadside sign wielding advertiser once, and a volunteer for a dealer at an anime convention as well. I don't quite call myself an expert in marketing. Though I've been studying the dynamics of it (Indirectly) since before I lost my previous one.

The Reference:
My absolute first VN was Snow Sakura, and from there, Da Capo and Da Capo II. I actually digressed and progressed in both directions, playing more modern VNs, and older classics. I don't know which I prefer to be honest, since I love them both, but there is a certain charm to the older 90s VNs that just isn't around today.

The Art Style:
:lol:

The Rating:
I don't really care what rating it gets in the end. I hate restricting myself based on that, but I do keep consistent with what I feel is appropriate for a story, and I don't see this one getting too dark or mature. (Then again, and when you have a topic like "How humans choose to live their lives" as a story theme, you might as well be treading in water with deeper fathoms than you think you're in.) It most likely will end up with a T rating, but hey, I've seem games that were pretty light get slapped with an M rating before, so if it does, at least fans of games like the Persona franchise should feel familiar in this territory.

-sighs a breath of relief- Wow, its been a LOOOOONG time since I posted something as long as that. (Not including the Opening Post, I've been working on that for four days) I hope its as useful to you as your questions were to me. ^____^
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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#5 Post by Zelan »

OMG, FINALLY A BXG GAME!!

I'll be honest, BxG isn't my absolute favorite pairing (that'd probably be GxB?), but there don't seem to be too many of those recently, so it's cool to see. c:

Your cast of characters is diverse and interesting, I like them a lot! I'd especially like to see some emphasis on Kai's relationships with the guys; they often feet shunted out of the spotlight in favor of the heroines. This seems like something you're trying to be aware of, though.

Other than that, I don't have anything else to say besides that I'll be watching this project. ^_^

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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#6 Post by Chocopyro »

Thanks! Yes, I firmly do in fact believe that having males interact with other males in BxG games is something that really does need to happen more. Guys have some very interesting ways of bonding, and I think that sort of chemistry enhances every aspect of character development. Especially with characters like Kai who really don't fit in with other guys or girls. Friendship is just as powerful and heart warming as romance when done correctly. (That, and some of the scenes where its just Yoshi, Shiro, Kai, and Bastian are just hilarious to write. Their conflicting personalities really do just let the scenes write themselves.)

Thank you for pointing that out. ^__^
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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#7 Post by Chocopyro »

Cobbled this together with ComiPo and Photoshop for some laughs. This is made with game assets, save for the last panel.

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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#8 Post by Zelan »

tenouttaten

I wasn't sure what to expect but that would definitely qualify as a tragedy.

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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#9 Post by Chocopyro »

Alright, its time for a little update to show where we are in the project so far.

Art:
Our protagonist's official design has finally been completed!
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Yoshi will be the next to get a sprite, and Daphinteresting is currently working on Shin's design and character sheet.

And currently, Its looking like we may have a BG artist as well. Here's a sample so far. And I ain't plopping it in anywhere other than here until I have paid for it. So congrats. You guys get the first glimpse of Chiharu and Lolichibli's work.
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Writing:
As of now, no more writing positions remain open. I apologize for the delay regarding that update, I've been busy trying to set up a lot of group communication stuff, while balancing the artists, writers, and other structural stuff for the project. But enough about that, lets get back to writing: We're still tossing some ideas around on how to structure the story right now. Its a bit difficult considering I'm nocturnal, two of our writers are from the Philippines, and our other is on the opposite end of the US from me. (Meaning he's Californian time). As of now, its looking like we're close to something. Wish I could be less vague.

Programming:
And lastly, a special thanks to our programmer, Bonesy0, who helped me set up a Text log log. Its not much, though since he joined rather early in the project's development, there's not a whole lot else I can have him do right now. ^^;
Still, its a good chance to point out his existence.
(Any dialogue in that sample is a mockup story I made to get a few for the protagonist and his interactions with a few of the characters. Therefore, tis not final)
Sample
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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#10 Post by tamacitas »

if you open position for voice actor, i'd gladly join! o3o I really like Hoshino and Hanako in that fanfiction /? I now get the character portrait! o2o
unfortunately, i haven't set any samples to hear, but I have voiced in this auditory novel o3o

good luck for your work, by the way!

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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#11 Post by Chocopyro »

(Really needs to keep up with the lemmasoft threads)

Thanks, Kyakyakyu! I have a second chapter posted on my DE. At the moment, I'm I'll be holding off on accepting most positions until enough of the writing has been complete. That said, you are being acknowledged, so we'll most likely get back to you when that time comes. ^_^

By the way, Yoshi's first sprite is done! Now then, I need to grab something to eat, cause I'm... I have no food in the house. T_T
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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#12 Post by Chocopyro »

Here's a new BG from LoliChibli. Along with the UI designed by Badriel. This is taken in the engine, though the joke is a historical reference that just popped up in my head the other day. Up to our writers as to whether it sticks or not. XD

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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#13 Post by johandark »

It´s nice to see someone is trying on new and unique backgrounds art. It looks great this project. ;)
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Re: Keepsake [BxG|Bishoujo|Supernatural|Comedy|Mystery|Roman

#14 Post by Chocopyro »

Thanks. Though I've been on hiatus for a while. Lost a lot of money after having to fix the car, my twin brother just got a brain tumor removed, and I need a job to help him through that as well. That being said, I am looking to pick up on this project again once I do.

That reminds me, I forgot to put up Shin's concept art.
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