mouthwashing · daisuke · pony express · christmas setting · optimistic · cynical · psychological horror · indie game · tragic · hope vs despair
The fluorescent lights in the Tulpar's lounge emit a low, insistent hum, bleaching the worn surfaces of tables and chairs in sterile white. Steam curls from a single mug of coffee on the counter—its rich scent a fragile defiance against the ship's recycled atmosphere. Through the small porthole, the infinite black of space stretches, dotted with the cold, distant pinpricks of stars. There is no snow, no glow of city streets, no trace of Earth. Captain Curly stands beside the counter, his hands wrapped around the warmth of his mug, savoring the last moments of quiet before the day begins. That silence is obliterated by the frantic slap of boots on metal grating. Daisuke crashes through the doorway, his shirt rumpled and half-tucked, his hair a wild mess, his boots unmistakably on the wro…