|
HiKaizer posted:One thing I am wondering is what exactly is the 'riddle' of the epitaph that people are supposed to be solving, anyway? It is less a riddle and more a recipe that is followed through in order. So what is it that people have to solve, anyway? And what is their prize for doing so? The whole epitaph is the riddle. Figuring out what kind of riddle it is, how to solve it, and what the rewards for solving the riddle might be are all parts of the riddle. Of course, it should also be said that nobody really knows for sure if it's even a riddle at all. It's just generally discussed as one, with the assumption being that Kinzo will reward the completion of the riddle. Beatrice is the only confirmation they've ever gotten that it's actually a riddle, and she obviously may be lying. oath2order fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Oct 26, 2016 |
#
?
Oct 26, 2016 23:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 01:48 |
|
|
I just figured something out in the the first episode while rereading it with a friend This has nothing to do with the murders and stuff. But it's interesting, it's about Maria's Rose that vanished. Gohda when he made the lunch dessert for everyone. He said it was inspired by the rose garden and the rose pedals on it had been taken from the garden. Likely he had taken Maria's rose as it had been marked and was withering. He also was not at the scene when the discussion about it happened so he would not have known not to take it.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2016 23:04
|
|
|
Let's flip the chessboard: What is the goal of the ritual? There are three main factors of the ritual that could be the motive: -The murders of practically everyone on the island. Hey, maybe someone just hates these guys and has a flair for the dramatic. -The discovery of the hidden gold and thus the determination of the inheritor to Kinzo's wealth. Could be a motive for practically anyone on the island, so it's kind of a tricky thing to pin someone with, but still worth keeping some attention on. -The resurrection of the witch, BEATRICE. I'l get back to that in a second, but first let me state for posterity's sake the fourth option that is practically always a possibility in these situations: -This is all one big distraction so that the culprit can do what they actually want to do on, like, the next island over or something. Currently not a fan of this option. Back to BEATRICE. The main thing that snags me about this is that in order for someone to be "resurrected", they first have to be "dead", right? Even if BEATRICE's resurrection wasn't the main motive, ultimately, the resurrection has to be a factor if the culprit wants to perform - or merely stage - the ritual. Therefore, let us look at the ritual epitaph: when, exactly, does BEATRICE resurrect? After the murders. Also, note that it doesn't specify that BEATRICE has to perform the killings. In fact, its use of second-person implies the opposite. The appearances beforehand in Episode 2? Pointless, as a witch that now exists thanks to the ritual could easily warp reality and retcon themselves in however they want. In the original, unaltered timeline, the only time we see her is at the time of resurrection, and even then, only as a silhouette. Essentially, regardless of whether it was magic, regardless of whether there were 18, 19, or even 20+ on the island, BEATRICE could not have committed the murders as she has the perfect alibi. SHE WAS loving DEAD AT THE TIME.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2016 23:06
|
|
|
Relevant update about the epitaph and what it might be.ProfessorProf posted:
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2016 23:08
|
|
"I welcome you to Rokkenjima, members of the Ushiromiya family. I am serving Kinzo-sama as the Alchemy counsellor for this house, and my name is Beatrice."
"Shut up!"
"I, I'm sure I had the odd feeling that something was missing from Kinzo's finger when we were playing chess..."
"We can't prove its authenticity here. We can only determine whether Father has really handed over his ring and whether this letter tells the truth by asking him directly."
"...It does exist. Some of Father's property that Nii-san doesn't control."
|
Jeabus Mahogany posted:Let's flip the chessboard: What is the goal of the ritual? What I'm getting at is that Battler has no reason to believe that the various magical rules are real, or if the ritual is nothing more than a smokescreen to hide some other goal.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 00:45
|
|
|
everybody recommending good stuff to read posted:Good stuff to read Going to definitely have to take a look at these. Sometimes topics can be kinda hard for me to start to learn about because of how emotionally draining they can seem at first, but I always end up being grateful that I read it, because the things that I learn from them stay with me for years. Maybe a fresh perspective from a different culture's POV might do the trick and help me get into another one of those sort of stories. Thank you all! quote:
Kumasawa speaks the truth. I've turned into a mackerel many times because of this problem, so I can confirm.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 02:40
|
|
: "My, my. They say that if you lie down right after eating, you'll become a mackerel. Hoh-hoh-ho...!"
|
Well, I will say this for Beatrice. She didn't kill Shannon on the second night. She made absolutely sure she couldn't.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 02:46
|
|
|
Glazius posted:Well, I will say this for Beatrice. She didn't kill Shannon on the second night. She made absolutely sure she couldn't. This go around is not the same as the previous one. I don't think it could be the same events with some more scenes added. Indeed, we're probably going to see a different 6 people picked by the roulette. Something kind of funny: there are supposed to be 4 treasures according to the epitaph. And this is sort of two of them. Everyone who was dead is alive, and the lost love is back. The epitaph doesn't say people won't die again or that the lost love will last. That said, it's probably not a shenanigansy golden land because the witch isn't asleep for all time.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 03:08
|
|
|
Qrr posted:This go around is not the same as the previous one. I don't think it could be the same events with some more scenes added. Indeed, we're probably going to see a different 6 people picked by the roulette. So then, by this logic, do you think if Battler defeats the witch the people who were killed will be revived? Or the new, presumably murder-free timeline, becomes the real one?
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 03:20
|
|
|
Was it even established what would happen if Battler won? Did Beatrice promise anything? He's going to be pretty embarrassed when he solves the mystery and it turns out he's still dead.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 03:30
|
|
|
SardonicTyrant posted:Was it even established what would happen if Battler won? Did Beatrice promise anything? He's going to be pretty embarrassed when he solves the mystery and it turns out he's still dead. Edit: *gouge the post and kill* oath2order fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Oct 27, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 03:30
|
|
|
oath2order posted:So then, by this logic, do you think if Battler defeats the witch the people who were killed will be revived? Or the new, presumably murder-free timeline, becomes the real one? Given that Battler defeats the witch by not believing in magic, it's possible that if he somehow eventually wins what he ends up getting is a timeline in which most of the Ushiromiya family and servants were murdered in excessively elaborate but humanly possible ways and no witch shows up at the end.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 03:48
|
|
|
EagerSleeper posted:Bloodthirsty demon-summoning witches wearing private school clothing is standard anime. Realistic depictions of familial abuse coming from a Japanese perspective is the thing that impresses me. (If anybody else knows good anime/manga with realistic human problems, feel free to recommend them.) I can say without a doubt that the characterization of the Ushiromiyas and the exploration of their family dynamic is one of the major draws of the story for me (and I doubt I'm the only one). As we get further into the story, I'll probably throw up a few posts about the characters. Regarding manga, I'd suggest REAL, which is about people adjusting to being paraplegic. Boku wa Mari/Inside Mari seems like Dumb Anime Premise at first, but is a stunningly good story that might fit your criteria. e.  I can't Japanese.
Viola the Mad fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Oct 28, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 04:02
|
|
|
Ah, a bit late on the draw, but the profiles page has been updated.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 04:32
|
|
|
Glazius posted:Well, I will say this for Beatrice. She didn't kill Shannon on the second night. She made absolutely sure she couldn't. Who says she cannot make clones of herself or something similar?
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 05:14
|
|
|
 Even though it had been so lively in the parlor with so many people gathered there, when all of them scattered at once and were sucked into the vast mansion, it created an eerie silence, with no sound except that of the rain...  BGM: Corridor of the Sands of Purgatory  "...I haven't met them. Kyrie-san, is that true?" "...Even I only greeted her quickly when she came into the entrance hall. She looked like she was in her twenties. I told her my name, but she didn't tell me hers. She was being guided by Genji-san and I saw her go up to the second floor." "So it would probably be faster to find Genji-san and hear the story from him directly. Still, what a strange turn of affairs..."The mystery woman had spoken to Kyrie. Without naming herself, she had sneered that Kyrie should have had a vague idea. And the person that brought to mind... was her look-alike, the witch of the portrait...  "Was this person trying to say that she was... the witch of the portrait?" "I realized that was what she was laughing at. Even though it was our first meeting, she spoke as though she knew I'm your second wife." "...Aneki. You really don't know someone like that?" "You talk too much. I have never seen a blonde woman like that go in or out of this mansion!" "That kind of thing doesn't matter. The problem is what happens if that woman starts calling herself Beatrice, if she starts calling herself the manager of Father's assets." "Or, maybe she plans to call herself his mistress's daughter, and demand that the inheritance be distributed to her. Either way, an outrageous joker has been slipped into the deck. Did Nii-san call her? Or did Father...?" "This is bad. We've been thinking that if we did a good enough job cornering Aniki in our discussion, we might be able to work things out. But this takes us back to square one." "...I don't know what kind of schemes you've been making when I'm not around, dear, but it looks like we've been given a little time to form a counter-strategy." "...Yeah. The little time that we've been given to discuss a counter-strategy is better than what would have happened if Miss Blondie had suddenly appeared at the dinner table and scared the poo poo out of us." "...Our effective counter-stategies will be limited as long as we don't know what she came to do. What could they be after...?" "Isn't it obvious! It's to claim that they are the rightful heir to Father's inheritance! Father is still captivated by Beatrice. If that girl were here, you would think he'd want to give up all of his assets! She might even thrust some strange will before us!" "...Sure, if we take it to court, we could probably claim half of a quarter of it, but that probably wouldn't be resolved until the distribution of the inheritance is settled. That's a problem. To me, to Rudolf too! And of course Rosa too, right?" "...For all of our various situations, we need to gather money urgently. It's our biggest weak point. Then, what are they after? Kyrie, can you tell?" "...It's the first I've heard of it, but one of the premises here is that we have an urgent need to collect money, right?" "...nn..." "...Kyrie-san. When you're on the offensive in a man's business, that's the time ya need funding. Please understand that." "...What's this, Rudolf? You didn't tell Kyrie-san about it?" "...Sorry. I wasn't really hiding it. Actually, it was kinda..." "It's alright. If this is something that you decided wasn't necessary to tell me about, I won't press you about it right here. What's more important is finding out what the Golden Witch is after, right?" "Yes... By organizing what we know, will we be able to see the enemy's move coming?" Of course, it didn't give him any more peace of mind than fortune telling, but every time Rudolf was polishing up some important strategy, he would give a great deal of thought to Kyrie's advice... For a while, Kyrie pressed her finger against her forehead, considering...  "...Judging by the fact that her coming here was kept hidden until today, one of her goals is some kind of surprise that she wants to give us. We can't know whether that has something to do with assets or being recognized as a relative." "However, because it was kept hidden that she could come until today, maybe you could say that she didn't want us to be notified in advance and therefore interact with her. Which means that, it seems her goal is one that would be disadvantageous to her if we did interact. Understand?" "I get it... For example, if it was something like a will which Father had written previously, or something that could prove that she was acknowledged as a blood relative, if we assume it was something like that, it would be completely unshakable. If she thought it was rock-solid proof, then you'd think she'd actually have announced it beforehand." "...That's right. Since we are in a position to doubt her, she should have brought a lawyer or an expert, and thrust some completely undeniable proof before us. If she could." "Hmmmm... So that would mean that, from the time she first aimed for a surprise attack, we know the enemy couldn't win in an honest, frontal attack. No wonder. It's best to play a trump card that can surely win openly. If you play it in a roundabout way, it might actually obscure the impact of that trump card." "...To skip to the conclusion, you would probably expect that that some huge surprise would be thrust in front of you, something related either directly or indirectly to the inheritance problem that everyone is so infatuated with. The other party probably plans to have the impact of this alone be enough to overpower us. However, even if this carries with it a significant impact, it is not absolute." "In other words, we have enough leeway to take advantage of this." "You've really got brains! Even understandin' just this much is really reassuring! In other words, you're tellin' us not to get sucked into our opponents pace." "...In the end, it's an extremely simple conclusion. No matter what our opponent brings up, we interact calmly, without rushing things. This is just the very first step in the art of negotiation. You really can't say that you've predicted your opponent's thoughts with just this." "Come on. Just like usual, that was pretty good. Now that we know that we have a little leeway to attack, it gives us a little more room to spare." "What we don't know is how she is connected to Krauss nii-san. Is it a surprise for Krauss nii-san too, or was the person who called her here none other than Krauss nii-san himself? If it's the latter, it might make things very troublesome." "...That's right. Secretly calling a mystery woman on the day of the family conference... Repulsive, but it somehow feels like Nii-san." "Aneki, let's handle it like this. As long as she can't clearly prove her identity, we won't accept her position in any way." "That would be best. She really didn't even name herself to Kyrie-san. We won't stand for an announcement from a woman whose true form is unknown to disturb our conference." "...She might even show us proof that she's a blood relative. If she can show that Father's blood runs through her veins, like with a maternity record document, there's nothing we can do." "We can suspect that any proof is only something disguised. Even if it is the real thing, in order to prove that the person mentioned is the person in question, we would need to check their condition at a hospital. At the very least, it will be impossible to prove that now, on Rokkenjima." "...You're right. So, in other words, it's something like this. No matter what is shown to us now on Rokkenjima, it can't be accepted as truth. So we can't believe anything until the typhoon passes and they prove it to us at the proper place. *giggle*." "Recklessly finding fault in that kind of thing is Aneki's specialty. We'll be counting on you." "Are you an idiot? You'll be helping too. We need money. And quickly, and a large sum! We're all in this together. As if we could just stand by and let a mystery woman, who appeared unexpectedly in a place like this, destroy our goal, the inheritance...!" Kyrie noticed how indomitable they looked, swung her head slightly to the side, and gave a small sigh as she looked out the window. Outside, there was still a strong rain falling, and everything was gray, having lost all vibrance. It felt like the lush garden that the sun had shone on earlier had been no more than a lie. For some reason, the words Eva had said just a short while ago kept repeating in Kyrie's head.  There was an odd nuance to those words. Right now, this island was closed off by the typhoon and isolated. They had no official connections and no hospital. So on this island, no matter what manner of proof with any relation to the outside world was shown, one could claim that it was fiction. It was impossible to prove that something was the truth. They were cut off from the outside world, and any truth that must be proven in the outside world would be called 'fiction'... So did that mean... that now, on this Rokkenjima, there was nothing that was truthful? That everything would be controlled by 'fiction'? It almost gave the illusion that separate from the human world made from truth... was another world called fiction, in which they had been shut away. Kyrie remembered what that woman had looked like one more time. And she remembered the woman's figure, and the witch of the portrait.  No matter what she did, Kyrie couldn't help think of that smile that had appeared on that woman's face as anything other than a thing of misfortune... It feels like my chessboard thinking mistook a vital premise, now that I try to understand that smile of misfortune. That's right, that smile seemed like that of something not human looking down on me. I have reasoned based on the assumption that my opponent was a 'human' like us. However, just like this island now, she may be a being that is not human, and human values may not matter for her. In that case... all reasoning is useless. For what reason has the witch been invited here today? Only one thing is certain. Now, in this instant, she is staying somewhere in this vast mansion...  BGM: Stupefaction  "...Uu-. Said it many times. Beatrice." "Maria, did you ever meet Beatrice before that...?" "Uu-. Met her every year." "Every year...? In this mansion on Rokkenjima?" "Uu-." "I don't know what uu- means! Is that true?!" "...Yes." "How long have you been meeting her? How many years ago did it start?!" "...Uu-. Don't know." "You don't know?! Why?! Last year? Two years ago?!" "...Since before that. ...Uu-." And yet, Maria said that she had been meeting with that suspicious woman every year during the family conference... If what Maria said was the truth, then that strange woman called Beatrice had been at the family conference every year. That's insane. Is she saying that some eerie woman was at the family conference every year, and none of us ever noticed it...?! Even though Rosa had just met her herself a couple of hours ago in the rose garden, she was overcome with a strange emotion which told her not to accept that existence...  "...Maria. So, you said that you met her every year. After you met, what did you do?" "Uu-. Sang songs, learned magic. Learned how to write magic circles." "R, really? That's incredible. Maria, you often draw scribbles... no, magic circles, in your notebook, right? Did she teach you that?" "Uu-! You know what, Beatrice draws what they should look like! C'mon, c'mon, look! Look!"Maria joyfully fished around in her handbag. Then, she drew out a single notebook and began opening to that page. Most of the pages were covered with drawings that were literally scribbles. All of them were occult-like things, and, while it might sound rude to Maria, who was joyfully flipping through the pages, they were all creepy.  "Look! Here! Beatrice wrote it!! Uu-!!"    Furthermore, at a glance, Rosa realized that Maria hadn't drawn them. The strength of the strokes, the thickness of the lines, how clean the shape was. This by itself wasn't enough to guess the background of the person who had written it, but it was enough for Rosa to understand that it was definitely someone older than Maria. Rosa had to accept it now. There really was a person on this Rokkenjima that she herself hadn't known existed until now, and this person had come to the family conference every year to play with Maria. "...Maria. Umm, does this witch Beatrice live here...? Or does she live outside the island like us...?" "Uu-. Beatrice is the witch of Rokkenjima, so she lives on this island." "...So, you're saying that she's on the island even when it isn't the family conference... right...?" "Uu-." "I don't know what uu- means!! What do you mean?!" "...Yes. Uu-." How long has this unknown witch been living on this island?! I used to live on this island. I lived on this island, passing the time in the mansion, in the rose garden. And even so, I never encountered a witch like that... never... I think... "Mama...? Mama...? What's wrong...? Mama...?!" ...I was probably getting a little mixed up with my memories from when I was a young girl. When I was a young girl, unlike Maria, I was very frightened of the witch. So for me, the name Beatrice was a synonym for something frightening. So surely, my feeling of fear from my days as a young girl has been revived because a woman calling herself that has appeared... ...She couldn't be a witch. She's obviously a 'human' calling herself Beatrice, right?  Rosa pulled that western-style envelope out of her pocket. It was the western-style envelope which bore the Ushiromiya family crest, which Kinzo used on his personal letters. And it had even been sealed with the red sealing wax by the ring of the head, which Kinzo held... Which meant this envelope belonged to the Ushiromiya head. In other words, it was from Father.  That's right, I'm sure she said to read this aloud at dinner. What in the world could be written inside...? An uncertainty gripped Rosa, as if opening this envelope would release a ridiculous object of misfortune... However, at the same time, a little curiosity sprouted up, causing her to want to find out what was written inside before the other siblings. Using common sense, one could guess that a huge resolution somehow related to Father's inheritance was probably written inside. Actually, since she had been made to hold it by a woman who called herself Beatrice, there was no way that wasn't related. Did it mean that this person wants, not just the four, but a total of five people to be included in the inheritance? I needed a large sum of money, and I couldn't wait long. I felt like a sinful daughter for discussing the distribution of Father's inheritance while he was still alive. However, this was no time to keep everything pretty. And I was even consulting with Rudolf nii-san and Eva nee-san in order to get some money out of Krauss nii-san. With myself in this situation, I can't help but foresee misfortune... What could be written in here? I'm sure there must be something frightening written. Shall I first read it secretly myself? The witch had requested it be done at the dinner table, when everyone was gathered. However, didn't that just mean that she could have read it aloud herself at the dinner table? Why did she go to all the trouble of entrusting it to me? ...In other words, was that because it didn't matter whether I secretly read it beforehand...? It would be better to secretly read the contents first. I understand that it would be breaking my promise. But this is no longer the time to keep things pretty... It would probably be good to discuss it with Eva nee-san and Rudolf nii-san, depending on the contents. ...Nee-san and the rest are always really good thinkers when it comes to this kind of thing... When I gulped, and put my hand to the red sealing wax... Something suddenly pulled on my sleeve, and I let out a small scream. "...Wh, what?! M... Maria. Don't scare me like that. What?" BGM: Witch in Gold "Huh...?"The same sign of misfortune as the witch appeared in Maria's expression, sending a tingle up Rosa's spine...  "...Beatrice told Mama to read that letter during dinner. You can't break a promise with a witch. Kihihihihihihihihihihihi..." "Th, that's not it. I just wanted to look at the envelope for a second. I'll keep my promise. After all, Mama always tells Maria to keep her promises. Of course Mama will keep her promise..." "Yes. Mama's a good girl. Kihihihihihihihihihi..." "Th, that laugh... It isn't cute, so stop it." "...Uu-." "Come to think of it, you received a letter too, Maria. What was written inside?" "It isn't open. Beatrice said mustn't open it until the time to open it comes. So taking good care of it. Uu-." "I... I see. You listen well to what Beatrice says, don't you, Maria." "Uu-. Maria is Beatrice's disciple, so she listens well to what her teacher says." "...I... I see." ...If she broke the rules, and opened the envelope here, Beatrice would probably know about it. Because Maria was the witch's disciple. Maria communicated with that witch... "...Mama will keep her promise. So tell Beatrice not to worry, okay?" "Uu-! Tell her." "...Hey, Maria. I want to speak with Beatrice, but what could I do to meet her, I wonder...?" "I don't know. Beatrice is very fickle, so she always shows herself suddenly. Maria doesn't know a way to get her to meet Maria. But you know, she's always watching Maria. So when Maria gets in trouble, she'll definitely save her afterwards. She has definitely, erased her form, and is hiding close to Maria... Kihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihihi." "D, don't I always tell you to stop that laughing!!" Rosa swore. She swore that, at least until they left this island, she must not leave Maria alone. She couldn't allow an unknown being to make direct contact with her daughter any more... 
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Oct 31, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 13:18
|
|
|
ProfessorProf posted:
(or this is a typo)
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 13:52
|
|
|
Huh. So apparently, Beatrice has been meeting with Maria on this island for a while, if what Maria says is true this episode, and that's why she has such a solid occult knowledge, apparently. It was all shared to her by her "friend" Beatrice, and the poor girl was probably starving for a parental figure that doesn't yell at her to be quiet or flip out and beat her that she lapped it all up like a starving puppy. The thing is, whenever Maria shifts into "witch" mode, she does sound her age- even older- and speaks at that level, is interested in the world an communicating with others, even if she does sound creepy doing it, so we can't really say that these secret meetings haven't helped her... but we also can't say they're good, can we, since she'd do anything that her teacher tells her to do. This was the figure that came to Maria when she was alone and hurting, and brought her comfort, got her interested in the world, made her feel normal...why would you go against such a person? But where did she come from, if she didn't come on the boat? Well the island is big and only a little part of it is used, and everyone is told to avoid going into the forest for their safety, which makes me immediately suspicious. This islands pretty big, there are numerous ways to set up a pretty big hidey-hole and means of transportation without anyone in the mansion or grounds noticing, assuming they aren't in on it... as well as having another port on another side of the island. All so that somebody can stroll up and "appear out of nowhere", especially when one is otherwise occupied in a high stress task like apologizing to your daughter for losing control again. This is really what it all comes down to, doesn't it... there are so many secrets and holes in both this place and people that we can't be sure if anything's real, even if Beatrice is telling the story fairly, which I doubt.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 14:06
|
|
|
SardonicTyrant posted:Go home Hideyoshi, you're drunk. The older translation my notes are based on really, really butchered Hideyoshi's accent. I've been trying to temper it in my writeups, but I sometimes miss a line.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 14:25
|
|
|
Holy goodness somebody is restarting this LP. I'll be sitting tight for the  .
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 15:47
|
|
|
Jeek posted:Holy goodness somebody is restarting this LP. I'll be sitting tight for the If you've read Umineko before, and are a fully qualified Witch, please come join us in our Discord, where we enjoy candies and tea while cackling at the foolish players. I mean, talking about how good you guys are doing. You're doing great. Really.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 16:03
|
|
|
It's not a huge problem, but the first music link in this update goes straight to YouTube and not polsy.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 19:41
|
|
|
Fixed.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 19:43
|
|
|
Viola the Mad posted:
I believe you mean Boku wa Mari. Looking for Boku no Mari will take you to Boku no Marie, a manga about a guy who makes a robot identical to his crush.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 20:21
|
|
|
So it turns out some stranger has been hanging out with Maria, unbeknownst to Rosa, for several years, teaching her strange things. And the stranger is associated with something that horrified Rosa as a child. God drat, their lives suck.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 22:43
|
|
|
bman in 2288 posted:So it turns out some stranger has been hanging out with Maria, unbeknownst to Rosa, for several years, teaching her strange things. And the stranger is associated with something that horrified Rosa as a child. Haven't you been listening to Maria? It's Beatrice, not some stranger! When will you accept Beatrice? 
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 23:23
|
|
|
I meant from Rosa's perspective.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2016 23:57
|
|
|
bman in 2288 posted:I meant from Rosa's perspective. Well, strictly speaking, things like witches doesn't exist. So it must be a stranger. Honestly maybe Maria, desperate for a parental figure with seemingly unconditional interest in her, could have given this 19th person access to information about the portrait in the mansion so that she can change the way she looks to look similar to the Beatrice in the portrait. Something to keep in mind, that if this witch is an magical being but only riding on the curtails of the original killer/people involved in the first ritual, the if Maria met up with someone teaching her about the occult it doesn't rule out or in anybody seeing as how the family is still mostly the same bar some servants. Ghoda is relatively new right? And Battler of course missed the past 6 years of conferences. One thing too to keep in mind, I honestly haven't seen anything magical that the 'witch' has accomplished besides transition scenes when it comes to the mansion. In the original chapter too, letters only started appearing after Kinzo tossed his signet ring out the window as an offering to 'Beatrice', the same person probably found the ring and supplied Maria with an umbrella in chapter 1. I strongly suspect a servant of carrying out Kinzo's will to some degree.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2016 05:22
|
|
|
 October 4th, 1986, 6:00 PM  Ever since they had met Maria in the airport, she had been romping around about Halloween the whole time. But maybe she had cut loose a little too much, and acted a little too boisterous on the plane, on the boat, and during lunch, because Rosa had warned her several times. In times like that, aunt Rosa would rarely scold her in front of people. More commonly, she would call Maria into the shadows, and scold her when they were alone. So since Maria had been called off somewhere, they thought she must be getting scolded. When they looked at the clock, they realized that it was almost 6:00. They couldn't really imagine that Maria had been scolded this whole time. Maybe it was time for some anime she watched every week to start. She had probably stayed in the mansion's parlor the whole time.   "That's because Maria-chan thinks of Battler-kun as a new friend. I'm sure it was tons of fun when she played Halloween with Battler-kun at the airport." "Battler was messing around a lot himself. Even though that guy's gotten big, he hasn't changed a bit since long ago." BGM: Moonlit Night  "Shannon, do you remember about Battler-kun six years ago?" "Yes. Because he was, well, very energetic. *giggle*." "I also remember how the four of us used to play six years ago. Shannon acted a lot like a big sister." "That's right. I get the feeling that she was even more level-headed then than she is now. Ahahahaha!" "B, back then I, umm... didn't act fitting for my place so... umm, I did some rude things..." "...It's alright to act like that. Forget when you're working, when you're taking your break, like now, I want you to stay with us and be friendly." "That's right. Treat the servant Shannon and off-duty Sayo differently. You aren't a slave, you're just working as a servant, right? I think of you, Shannon, no, Sayo, as my oldest friend." "...Thank you very much, Milady." "..."Apparently, George had also been informed about that history, more or less. As George approached the window, he looked up at the darkening rainy sky...  "...Even though Kanon-kun is still young, I think that he's starting to grow a bit in his way of thinking." "Uhh, hahahaha... C'mon, quit it already. Well, umm, I think there's been some times when I've been sucked in by the atmosphere... Well, umm... maybe after looking at you two, umm, I got a little jealous, and sometimes started feeling a little rushed." "...Wh, what happens to me isn't important. More importantly, how's it going between you two? Looks like it's goin' pretty well, eh? Ehehe!" "Err, I... I wonder..." "Yes. It's going very well."Shannon was lost for words, her face red, while George answered brightly and immediately. That carefree attitude made it obvious that their relationship was proceeding so perfectly, it would make anyone envious.  "Heh, I'm jealous. That mean Shannon's gonna resign and have a party soon?" "I, I wonder... I am, umm..." "I wonder, right? How could I know?"  "I have a dream. It isn't only an ambition to become the leader of my own domain in business. I also have a dream to build a family together with a partner I can spend my life with." "...I want two kids at the very least. And I'd like to do some sports that the whole family could do together. And many more things besides that. I often talk with Shannon about that kind of thing... Although every time I talk about that sort of thing, Shannon always laughs and says I'm getting ahead of myself." "...For some reason, even at the age I am now, I've started having some calmer thoughts like I'm in my old age. Healthy grown kids, and grandchildren running around. If only I could spend the rest of my life at a slow pace, surrounded by that, and together with Shannon forever." "You're definitely getting ahead of yourself. But, how should I say it, it sounds like you, George nii-san." "Being surrounded by that family would probably be so wonderful... The ideal family that I've painted in my mind is something like that."...To Shannon, who had been raised in an orphanage, that harmonious image of a family was probably something she yearned after. And George, who promised that he would definitely grant that wish for her, was surely a fitting person for her to spend her life with... Shannon was an important friend to Jessica. George was surely the one most fit to entrust that friend's future to. "Well, I don't want to throw cold water on you guys, but forget about uncle Hideyoshi, what would happen with auntie Eva? Wouldn't it be tough to convince her?" "..." "Ah-hah-hah-ha. There's no reason for anyone to worry about something like that. No one can worry about who I chose to be my partner. Shannon makes me happy. Whose permission do I need?" "Whooooa. George nii-san, that was cool... I can't believe you can say something so embarrassing out loud. I thought George didn't used to be that kind of character." "If you don't see a boy for three days, you should watch them closely. Even I grow up. I plan to study more and more to make Shannon happy and grow to be a suitable man." "...George-san." "It's alright. I'm sure Mother will be difficult, but you can leave that to me. I'll show you that I can make all of the relatives accept you as my partner." "Awesome... I'm jealous of you Shannon, seriously!" "...I, if you will go so far then... I, I'm sorry to trouble you..." "Wait a sec, I'm starting to feel like I'm getting in the way. Would it be better if I leeeft?" Before Jessica picked up the receiver, wondering what business they could have, Shannon looked at the clock, taken aback. Somehow or another, it seemed that she had taken too long on her break.  "I, I am sorry...! I forgot it was time for work...! Th, then, if you will excuse me...!"At the same time that Jessica picked up the phone, Shannon began dashing out of the room. "Ah, Shannon! Again, same time, same place." "Y, yes. E, excuse me!" "Hello, it's Jessica... Ah, Genji-san. Yes, Shannon is going back to you guys now. We held her up. Please don't scold her. Yeah, yes." "I see. So it will be time to prepare dinner very soon." The number of plates that were lined up there... was 19. That number was one more than were lined up during the family conference every year.  Gohda-san flared up at Genji, paying no heed to the pot that was boiling over. The Master enjoyed having his food alone in his study, so the food needed to be set out in the study. However, this always happened. Gohda-san really wanted to set the table for the Master with his own hands, as he had put his heart and soul into his cooking. But the Master had imposed a strict rule that none but the servants bearing the Golden Eagle crest could enter his study. So while Gohda-san could greet the Master from outside the study, not once had he been granted the honor of carrying his cooking into the study. Gohda-san was always unsatisfied with this. Of course he was a newcomer in terms of years of service. However, he had piled up plenty of experience from his previous jobs, and he was strongly confident that he would always be able to perform in front of Kinzo in a way that would not insult him. And yet, just because he was not permitted the Golden Eagle, he still hadn't been blessed with this honor.  Because tonight, there was a person other than the Master who wanted their food carried to their room.  Gohda-san must have wanted to earn some points by serving this honored guest with his own hands. Because he was a person of strong vanity. If he wasn't qualified to serve the Master, then at least a guest of the same rank... He couldn't have made time during lunch no matter what, so Kanon-san had gone for him. Therefore, he truly desired to serve tonight's food, the best dinner of the year. But Genji-san had had a problem with that. Something about how Gohda-san didn't have the Golden Eagle. After being scolded that he wasn't qualified again, Gohda-san had lost his patience. Aah, so heartrending, Gohda-san...   "Kumasawa-san, if you have enough free time to dawdle around, please prepare the dining hall. Is the tablecloth ready?!" "Hoh-hoh-hoh-ho... oh my, my apologies..."When it became her turn to bear the brunt, Kumasawa softly disappeared into the hall.  "Beatrice-sama is of exactly the same rank as the Master. We must respect this rule in the same way we do with the Master." "...Gohda-san, if you would, please devote your attention entirely towards the task you are confident in, for all of the relatives..." "I don't mind if it's you, Genji-san, but is it really alright to let a child like this go to such a guest?! If she made some blunder, it would be quite rude." "I know that they have served here for a long time, but that doesn't mean that they have been trained in the proper areas. If you will allow me to speak freely, they have no foundation which makes them able to interact with this guest!" "..."Even though Shannon was waiting there in the kitchen, Gohda spoke so bluntly. Shannon was the one who Genji had ordered to carry the food to Beatrice's room. By the ranking system among the servants permitted the Golden Eagle, Shannon was surely the second highest ranked. If the highest ranked, Genji, went to set the table in Kinzo's room, then it fell to Shannon to set the table in Beatrice's room. Gohda pride was always horribly injured when he was shown this ranking system. In times like that, he would speak out bluntly and rudely about Shannon and Kanon. Gohda kept raising examples of each one of Shannon's failures until now, making a ruckus about how this was wrong and that was wrong. Shannon, who listened to this and hung her head in shame, heard Kanon's voice from behind her. Kanon had heard everything, having approached from a blind spot in the hall along the wall near the entrance to the kitchen. He probably knew that if he entered the kitchen, sparks would start to fly his way.  "...B, but, it would help to build up a foundation of experience on how to entertain someone. Gohda-san has learned a lot, so he could be a good reference...?" "Hmph. Nee-san, you sure are nice." "...More importantly, is the guest in the honored guest room... really Beatrice-sama, as they say?" "...Yes. I met her when I was made to set the table for her during lunch. There's no mistake, it's her." "R, really? Was she doing well?" "..."Kanon remembered that he and Shannon had different impressions about Beatrice. To Shannon, Beatrice was a cupid of love, who had granted her magic to create her relationship with George. Judging by the expression that rose to her face, it looked like she couldn't wait to inform Beatrice of how her relationship with George had progressed. However, Kanon already knew. That witch had come here with a terrifying goal in mind. That vague witch that only they had been able to see in the past, had now walked in openly through the front door, and had revived enough that they could now carry food to her. In the past, when she had disappeared from in front of Kanon... The witch had said something about how her own power was still weak.  And she had said that. She had definitely said that she had known of his failure and had sown the seeds of love. She had said something else. She had definitely said that the day on which the door to the Golden Land would be opened had finally come.  "...Shannon. She will hold some bizarre ceremony with the Master, and will surely do something unimaginably horrible... And no one can resist that." "What are you talking about...?" "..."In the past, the two of them, as furniture working for Kinzo, had been told what opening of the door to the Golden Land meant. Therefore, even without asking a single question in response, Shannon understood everything... So, she grew deeply hopeless. ...Something tore at Kanon's heart as he looked at that expression twisted with grief... "...How could... why... why now..." "...Didn't I tell you? We are furniture! Because we acted like humans, because of love... we can't obediently accept the day when our service is over...!" "...At one time, in the past, I wished that this day would come. But it never came after so much time... I didn't know how long we would be able stand being tormented as furniture... So I thought. I thought that day of rest wouldn't come for all eternity." "...That's what I thought! But I believed that it would definitely come someday! So I never forgot that I am furniture! But Nee-san, you forgot that!" "...It's... my fault, isn't it... I'm..." "Yeah, it's your fault, Nee-san. If only you hadn't known love... we would both be happy that this day has finally come! You built up shameless regrets! Even though it was a world that you must not leave!!" "...Yes. Then, she said this to me. Tonight, George-sama will probably give you an engagement ring, Nee-san." "..."That was a fact. George should have snuck in an engagement ring in his pocket today. And surely, he would hand it over tonight.  "...She joined you together, planning to use you and George-sama as the sacrifices of the second twilight. Understand? By tempting you, Nee-san, she took advantage of you!" "...That's right. I never thought of that." "There will be 13 people as sacrifices. Only five people will be left alive. The chances of us being a part of that group are really slim. However, if only you, Nee-san, can take advantage of that promise, those chances rise higher! I want to take that bet! Our salvation is in the Golden Land. If we can make it that far, we can become human. And I want to walk through life as a human, together with you, Nee-san...! If we do that, we might be able to achieve... true love!" "...In the past, we used to dream about being able to go to the Golden Land. If we go there, any wish will be granted. We will be saved from this pain. We believed that." However, in the past, Shannon and Kanon had thought that whether they reached the Golden Land, or were made sacrifices, they would still be released from their duties as furniture. So in other words, this ceremony would definitely give release to furniture like them. "I don't like it. I want to take back everything painful that we lost until now, together with you, Nee-san. I won't become a sacrifice. Nee-san and I will remain alive. And we'll reach the Golden Land together." "...So I won't let you become the sacrifice of the second twilight! Please, Nee-san! Don't accept that man's ring! If you don't accept that, she promised not to select you as a sacrifice, Nee-san!!" "...I... cannot do that. Tonight's ring is very special. My heart won't permit me to not accept it." "Nee-san...! The sacrifices of the ceremony are decided on the witch's whim! That witch has promised to overlook just you, Nee-san!! Only you will definitely be able to go to the Golden Land!" "...Only me? What about you, Kanon-kun?" "The witch's game... is enough for me. I'll slip through her evil hand. I am not powerless. I'll forcibly grasp that small chance..." "..." "After all, our lives are temporary, aren't they? In order to begin our real lives, let's drag ourselves to the Golden Land. Then... we will gain humanity." "...And when we've done that, maybe I want to... be able to know love, like you, Nee-san. Can I still... let a person cry just because I'm furniture...?" "...Kanon-kun..." "I... don't like being furniture anymore...! I'll definitely... become human... From this pain, definitely...!" "..." By now, Kanon had noticed. Shannon hadn't been the only one to know and suffer the taste of love. He had too. The tears Jessica had shown him that day, and Jessica's pitiful face as she tried to smooth things over and brighten her mood until today, had slowly wrought some kind of change on Kanon's heart without him knowing it...  Shannon was taken aback by Genji's sudden voice. Apparently, she had been called for repeatedly. She hurriedly answered. When she turned back, Kanon had disappeared. It seemed he didn't feel like showing his tears to anybody... "Y, yes. I'm sorry for being careless..." "I entrusted Kanon with lunch, but it should have been you, as the next in rank after me, that carried it. Beatrice-sama is the most honored guest of this house. There is no more honored guest than her. Please think of her as another Master, and be polite." "...Is that alright? I sincerely ask that you make no blunders. It is quite painful for me to entrust this to someone inexperienced as yourself, but there's nothing we can do about the house's rules. I am sincerely counting on you."Gohda had officially agreed, but he threatened Shannon with an expression that told her that he definitely wouldn't forgive any mistakes. Shannon thought that Gohda should just go if he wanted to that much, ...but she thought of her responsibilities as one who had been granted the Golden Eagle, and had to give up. ...Besides. I wanted to meet Beatrice. What will we talk about? What will I hear? ...I don't know. Will I show gratitude? Or else, grief? Or else, what? I don't know. 
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Oct 31, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2016 13:27
|
|
|
oath2order posted:If you've read Umineko before, and are a fully qualified Witch, please come join us in our Discord, where we enjoy candies and tea while cackling at the foolish players. No, I have only watched up to episode 3 of 8 (which was where the last LP end). Still, many thanks for your offer.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2016 16:34
|
|
|
Jeek posted:No, I have only watched up to episode 3 of 8 (which was where the last LP end). Still, many thanks for your offer. Same boat.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2016 19:24
|
|
|
I get the feeling that this may be foreshadowing into George's character. We've seen a lot of Hideyoshi in him, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any Eva in him. What would happen, you think, if Shannon declined the ring?
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2016 19:44
|
|
|
bman in 2288 posted:I get the feeling that this may be foreshadowing into George's character. We've seen a lot of Hideyoshi in him, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any Eva in him. What would happen, you think, if Shannon declined the ring? Well he does have some Eva in him. He enjoys teasing as shown during his interactions with Shannon/Sayo. Anyway if was declined I expect he would be upset but try to move past. Similar to how he acted when she was killed in the first arc, but not as bad.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2016 22:23
|
|
|
bman in 2288 posted:I get the feeling that this may be foreshadowing into George's character. We've seen a lot of Hideyoshi in him, but that doesn't mean that there isn't any Eva in him. What would happen, you think, if Shannon declined the ring? the birth of the MAN OF SORROWS (chikai no utage yo)
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2016 00:49
|
|
|
  "Father. Today is our annual family conference. Haven't the siblings gathered here to get a glance of you, Father?" "Aaah, be silent!! I'm saying I won't leave! I imagine that you are there, Genji!! Why haven't you had my food brought here as I ordered you to?!!"Kinzo screamed across the door. Genji was waiting behind Krauss.   "Father. I don't mean every day. Even if it's just for tonight, won't you gather together with your family?" "Who are you calling family!! When did you start calling those vultures who wait for me to collapse and die family?! Have you started calling rotting, gushing maggots family?!!" "...My, my."Krauss shrugged at this answer, which he had half expected. "Genji, carry the meal here as you were told!! Why don't you listen to what I say?!! Why?! WHY?!!" "...Genji-san. I will leave the rest to you. My voice will no longer reach that person."Krauss gave his head a small shake, and quickly turned his back on the door to the study. He had only called out for the siblings' sake, even though he knew it was useless. After Genji watched Krauss go down the stairs, he called again across the door. "...Master. We have finished preparations for the meal to be carried here. What about a serving for Doctor Nanjo?" Nanjo had announced as a doctor that Kinzo's days were numbered. In that situation, if Kinzo pestered him about finishing a chess game while he was still alive, Nanjo couldn't refuse. Kinzo was thinking deeply about his move, concentrating more than usual. It had been Kinzo's turn for quite some time, and Nanjo, who was tired of waiting, had randomly pulled out a book on magic that he couldn't understand and was skimming it.  "...Kinzo-san. You won't think of a good move just by folding your arms and sitting in front of the board. I wonder if it wouldn't be good to take a break and refresh our minds...?" "Be silent. Hmmm... That should be good enough for defense. Will the bishop and the knight be able to penetrate that hole...? ...nnnnnnnn..."Today, Kinzo was insistent on a strong defense. Normally, Kinzo's motto was that offense was the best defense. However, today was completely the opposite.  "...I am also hungry. Shall we suspend the game here? And I've used my head so much without a break that I'm already feeling dizzy. Any more of this might limit my ability to make my best moves." "...That is a problem. In chess, both players must always make their best moves. Other moves are painful to understand, and ruin a game that is about reading thoughts. That considerably reduces our enjoyment."Kinzo sighed deeply, and finally shifted his gaze away from the board. Chess needed an opponent. If that opponent was tired and was trying to suspend the game, too bad... "It is true that the goal of chess is for both players to aim for victory and make the best moves possible in order to achieve that. It is an intellectual game of being able to read each other." "...But Kinzo-san, are you forgetting that there is another goal separate from victory?" "...What? What goal could there be other than victory?" BGM: Worldend (solo)  "Ah... I give up. I believe those are words I said to you a long time ago. I give up."Kinzo, who normally wore a frown, surprisingly relaxed his face and laughed. Nanjo felt like he had been reunited with a close friend he hadn't seen in a long time. "That's how it is. Now that I've taken a shot back at you, what do you think? Will you go down to eat with me? What do you say about discussing Kasparov's middlegame along with some coffee?" "...A good plan, but I will refrain. I can no longer leave this room... Because the ceremony has begun." "...Is that so? Well, my stomach is growling. I will go downstairs. Any time you feel like it-" "Nanjo... Thank you." "...Oh, what could you be thanking me for?" "...We didn't resolve our chess match. However, it seems that I have somehow succeeded in that goal of chess which I forgot. It seems that was just as important as checkmate." "This isn't like you. Why so sentimental?" "...You said it, didn't you? My days are numbered. Now, go. And don't come to this room again. Maybe we will continue in the Golden Land." "...That is fine, but I have a score to settle. Losing that rook was a serious blow. Well then, I will see you later." "Yes, later. Maybe in the Golden Land, or in Purgatory. Or maybe the next world." "..."Nanjo didn't say anything beyond that. And, with a practiced hand, he pushed the button on the table that would release the auto-lock. Then after looking at Kinzo's back one last time, he left the study.  "...Well then, Master. I will now carry in your dinner." "It may be my final dinner. I must savor it. Please, prepare it." "Certainly. Is everything to Master's satisfaction?"  Shannon entered the honored guest room, bowing her head and pushing the serving cart. The young woman by the window, gazing out into the darkness, where nothing should have been visible, was definitely that witch.  BGM: Melody (instrumental) "...Thank you very much."Shannon solemnly prepared dinner. There were actually several things that she wanted to ask and talk about with the witch... But those things were all jumbled up, and she didn't know where to start. Her heart was also jumbled up with various things, and she didn't even understand her own emotions. Therefore, still remaining vague, she could only do her job indifferently. However, the witch guessed what was in her heart. You couldn't hide things from a witch...  "...I won't apologize. Because I am a witch." "...For what?" "Come. Kanon must have told you about it. Saving your love life was simply my mischievous spirit. It was nothing more than a seed I sowed to appreciate how things would get complicated, become twisted, and fail." "...There are some who think it is more fun to hear about love than to have it." "You... couldn't possibly be trying to thank me, right?" "...Yes. No matter what kind of ulterior motive you had when you gave me the magic of love, it doesn't change the fact that I received it from you. So even if you sowed that seed knowing that the two of us wouldn't be able to stay together for life, I won't hold a grudge against you." "...Hmmmm. It appears that furniture isn't interesting after all... *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*. This is where I show my skill by cooking it into something interesting." "...I don't understand what you are thinking, Beatrice-sama. You are a Great Witch, and people like us don't even reach your feet, nor can we even imagine your grand thoughts. But there is at least one thing I can say." "...What is it?"  "...Be silent, furniture. If you were a true human, hearing the announcement of your death on the day that you were to receive an engagement ring should have you dancing around, mad with grief." "But what are you doing? Doesn't your face look so enlightened, as though you have accepted everything? Truly an anticlimax. Furniture...!" "No. I am not furniture." "Be silent, furniture." "I won't be silent. Because I am not furniture." "Are you saying you won't listen to my orders?" "Furniture obeys orders. But a human decides for herself whether to obey orders or not. So I won't obey your orders." "...If I hadn't sowed those seeds, you probably would have allowed the ceremony to control your fate without clinging on to any emotions. But now you have been brought up to be truly interesting, which pleases me to the bottom of my heart. That will be fine. Because I have no love for boredom. *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*!" "...I have finished preparations for dinner. Here you go." "Hmm. Doesn't this look delicious? If Gohda makes it to the Golden Land, it would be desirable to commission him as my chief cook." "...I heard from Kanon-kun. Something about, if I rejected George-san's proposal, you promised not to make me a sacrifice." "Hmm. I did. that was only as a candidate for the sacrifice of the second twilight. Kanon cried and screamed that I should forgive you for that, so I graciously listened to his words. With the condition that you give up your engagement. *cackle*cackle*, see how gracious I am?" "...What a foolish condition. And what a foolish threat. Is that how you bullied Kanon-kun so much?" "Hoh. So you understand. *cackle*cackle*cackle*!" ...Apparently, she could imagine how much Kanon had been bullied and humiliated by the witch, with that horrible promise as bait. "I made him crawl on the carpet and kiss my shoes. *cackle*cackle*cackle*! And that's not all. Do you want to hear the other ways in which I humiliated him...?"Shannon silently shook her head.  "I have finally come to understand you. You like to bully, confuse, and trouble people, and you do it to entertain yourself. So I'm now sure that this is the way to resist you." "What is?" "I will have nothing to do with you. I will carry out the fate that has been given to me. So I won't entertain you." "Nothing to do with youuu...?"The witch's features twisted in hatred for just an instant. It disappeared immediately, but that expression that rose to her face for only a brief time was unusual for the witch, whose malicious smile hadn't disappeared even once.  "...If that is the fate that you have decided, that is up to you. I won't be afraid of that or go against that. Because I don't believe that the severe fate that will start occurring from here on is something controlled by your will. We humans don't know anything about fates that could occur in the future. Therefore, until the last instant, I'll live to the fullest, relying on my own fate and conviction. Fate is just a roll of the dice. You can't feel malice from it. I don't believe that you inspire it." "...Hoh. Even though you have stopped being furniture, you have no fear of death. It seems you think that will bore me, but that's a huge misunderstanding. My interest will be increasingly satisfied as I see whether you really can stick to that until your last moments. *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*!" "It's so frustrating. Why did you take the form of a human, appear in front of us, speak with human words, and ridicule us? If you hadn't appeared in front of us, if you hadn't predicted the future, we would have been able to live life to the fullest until the last moment." "That's what witches do. I live off your fates, reigning as a high-order being does over low-order beings. After all, your fates are merely fragments. If we cup our hands together, we can scoop out as many as we want. "...Just like how no matter what the beef cows I raise babble, it won't change whether I invite them to my dinner table. *cackle*cackle*!" "...We are powerless, so we can't go against your ceremony or fate. But I can make you unhappy right now." "Hoh. What would that be?" "I see, I see. You may be able to take a shot at me. But you cannot defeat me, right? I have the power to kill anyone for eternity." "...I can't wait to see whether you can keep up that resistance in an endlessly repeating cycle of death and rebirth. Don't forget it, now. You spoke those words yourself. *cackle*cackle*cackle*" "Well then, if you will excuse me. If you have any business, please call me."Shannon gave a reserved bow, and faced away. With that gesture, maybe she really had taken a shot back at the witch, just as Beatrice had mentioned. Because when the witch called out again, she sounded a little more quick-tempered than she had before. "Kanon thanked me. Can't you? Can't you thank me for giving you your day of rest?" "Furniture will be happy about their day of rest. But I am a human. So I have nothing to thank you for. Do you have any other business?" "...You plan to receive the ring from George? Don't forget that if you do, I will abandon the promise I made with Kanon, the promise that you would not be selected as a sacrifice." "If you have any more business, I'll have someone else come for you. If you will excuse me."A flat-out interruption. Shannon still hadn't answered her. And the sound of the door closing came instead of an answer. It seemed that Shannon's resistance probably struck far more deeply into the witch than Shannon herself thought. Because an expression of hatred once again rose to Beatrice's face. She had made Kanon submit, even though he hadn't been ensnared until the end. And after that, Shannon, who had until now been easily ensnared, refused to submit this time.   In the past, Kinzo, who had been serious about the family conference, took everyone's yearly gathering for dinner very seriously. Because anything embarrassing that occurred during the dinner would cause the deepest shame for him as the host, he had strongly ordered Natsuhi to sincerely attempt to avoid anything embarrassing. Because of that, she and Krauss had employed Gohda, who had confidence in his cooking abilities. As a result, even though they could announce a wonderful dinner they had confidence in, by that time, Kinzo had closed himself up in his study and did not appear for dinner. Maybe you could call that ironic... When the main dish for tonight, calf steak, was set out, Gohda began to brag about it, further exciting everyone's appetite.  BGM: Novelette  "Of course, the red wine base I used was excellent even among those made in Bordeaux, but in addition, I prepared an original blend of this house, a blend of choice alcohol from around the world to further deepen the taste. This sauce is limited to this year. It would greatly please me if you were to enjoy yourselves." "...Isn't that wonderful? However, isn't Bordelaise sauce common to French cooking? It almost seems like using alcohol from outside France with that is heresy." "Master. Today is the annual family conference. As a dinner for those who normally live far away, and have traveled far from across the world to gather together, I realized that a sauce made from a blend of fine alcohols from across the world that have never met each other before would be most fitting, so I had it specially prepared." "Wonderful! A truly wonderful cook, that's what you are! If you add in good advertising, food and medicine are twice as effective! The original tastiness is doubled, and then doubled again by yer advertisin'. It's a game of multiplyin' taste! Wahahahahaha!" "*giggle*. Come on, Nii-san. Didn't he see that question coming?" "There's no mistake. Having Gohda-san handle the truly delicious part." "Is that so? I thought there might be some people here who didn't notice that today's food was in the French style." "...Just now, Eva said that not using butter was a virtue, but that's the Spanish style. Well, I guess they do share a border, right?" "...That's not what I meant. Will you please not take a part of the conversation out of context and manufacture something?" "...It's a very delicious sauce. Gohda-san, you certainly are wonderful." "It is a great honor to receive your praise. And this is all thanks to Madam's habitual guidance." "...No, it was all Gohda's idea. I only listened to the recipe and approved of it."It looked like the siblings quickly got into a loud argument about the sauce, ...but for the most part, dinner proceeded peacefully. However, something that they really wanted to ask about smoldered inside all of their hearts.  BGM: At Death's Door In actuality, Eva and Rudolf and the rest were cautious during dinner. If the mystery guest was to be introduced, this dinner table was the most appropriate place to do it. However, no place was prepared at the dinner table for the witch. The family conference would begin in earnest after the meal, and previous experiences told them that it could last until deep into the night. But they couldn't understand what it would mean if this person, who should be introduced, still hadn't been by late that night. So Eva and Rudolf and the rest began to feel some doubts... About whether this guest was actually unknown to Krauss as well. If this wasn't an assassin called by Krauss to give him an advantage in the inheritance problem, maybe they should speak frankly to Krauss beforehand, and create a common front to resist anything disadvantageous to the four siblings. If she was Kinzo's saboteur, whose purpose was to keep the inheritance from being handed over to the four siblings, the enmity between Krauss and the other siblings could only become a weak point that benefitted the enemy...  When he finished explaining the table setting and the cooking, Gohda tried to leave the room, but Kyrie called him to a stop with a small voice. "...Yes, Kyrie-sama. What is it?" "Umm, I'm sorry. I thought that there was a guest here today, but I haven't yet seen them at dinner..."She had planned on saying it nonchalantly, but unfortunately, it reached the ears of Natsuhi, who was sitting in the next seat. It seemed that Natsuhi had heard it as, 'Even though the guests have come, won't the host come to dinner?' In other words, that Kyrie had asked whether Kinzo was going to come to dinner.  "The head's condition is not good, so he said that he will take his dinner in his study. My husband explained that in the beginning, but is something...?" "...I'm sorry. That's not what I meant."...In an instant, Kyrie realized from Natsuhi's reaction that this unknown visitor was also unknown to Krauss and his wife. And what that meant... On the chessboard placed inside Kyrie's mind, it felt like there was a loud sound as the arrangement of the pieces changed...  It seemed that Battler, who had been sitting next to Natsuhi, had heard Kyrie's words without misunderstanding them, and thinking it was a question about whether yet another person had been invited to today's family conference, he let out a wild voice. Thanks to that voice, the uncomfortable feeling in the siblings' chests suddenly exploded... Everyone looked at Gohda at the same time. Judging by their appearances, it was at least obvious that no one here had invited that mystery woman. For an instant, Gohda was startled to find everyone's gazes gathered on him, but because of his naturally vain personality, this actually gave him a feeling of superiority. Therefore, he answered in an extremely calm and graceful manner. "...Yes. Because that person wanted to eat alone in the honored guest room, their food was carried over there."Therefore, Gohda's extremely graceful and reasonable response made it obvious to everyone that a 19th person, a visitor, existed... "Honored guest room? Guest? What, who are you talking about?"Natsuhi's words echoed the question that everyone who didn't know about the visitor, the Golden Witch, was thinking. Gohda was slightly disoriented, as though he hadn't thought Natsuhi would actually question him. It had been an honored guest spoken of so severely. He hadn't imagined that Krauss and his wife might not have know.  "Beatrice!! See, see! Beatrice came, uu-uu-uu-!!"Maria had been telling the other cousins over and over again that she had met Beatrice that day. The cousins had answered, saying 'Isn't that nice', but they hadn't believed. So, their eyes grew wide.  "S, sorry. I was sure you were just joking, Maria... S, so, she really was there..." "...By Beatrice, you mean that Beatrice of the gold...?!" "Uu-!! Maria has been saying she 'exists' the whole time! No one believes!!" "Sorry, Maria-chan... That's not what we meant..."After learning that everyone had doubted Beatrice's existence, Maria, who had been in a good mood all day, completely lost her temper. George, who sat in the next seat over, tried frantically to calm Maria. "...Gohda. Is that another bit of dinner entertainment? *cackle*, quite a good performance." "...Aniki. Stop playing dumb. You called her, right?" "Called? Called who? From where?!" "Nii-san. Let's make this clear. Who is that? Surely you aren't going to tell us that it really is the Beatrice from that portrait, right?" "I don't have a clue what you people are talking about! Gohda, isn't this really a joke?!" "I, I, umm... I was just ordered by Genji-san, umm...!" "Call Genji. Immediately!!"When Natsuhi yelled, Gohda shot out into the hallway. At that time, with the sound of the door being thrown open as a spark, the dinner table was suddenly engulfed in an uproar.  "...I don't know anything about this. It seems that you people believe that I have been pulling the strings behind the scenes, but that is a huge misunderstanding." "Calm down, Krauss nii-san. We are no longer at the stage where we can sound each other out. If you also say that you don't know this mystery person, the situation becomes ridiculous...!" "Hideyoshi-san, won't you be a little more discreet with you words? My husband would not invite unnecessary humans to the family conference." "Seriously. What are you people talking about? Are you saying that the witch of the portrait has broken out of her frame and appeared?! There's no way anyone has actually met this witch." Eva and Rudolf nodded at Rosa's proclamation.  "Uu-! Maria also met her!! Uncle Krauss, belie-ve it! Believe Mama! Uu-uu-!"The brief tension was broken, and Maria also started to make a ruckus. The room was already chaotic.  "I don't have a clue what's going on... So what does it mean? Does it mean that the witch who gave Grandfather the gold is appearing as a special guest in this year's family conference...!" "But... really...? Aunt Rosa didn't see it wrong, did she...?" "Maria met her too--!! Uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-uu-!!!" "Aunt Rosa, are you... sure?" "...Yes. Maria and I met her... we even talked to her." "...I met her!! That was definitely a witch...! Believe it!! I definitely didn't see it wrong or hallucinate or anything! What... was that?!" But that scene had been so hard to accept as truth... The more she spoke of it like this, the less she understood what it was she had met. Ironically, because she had lost her composure and said that she had definitely met the witch, the more desperate she became, the more vague the witch's existence seemed. Because, with that one composed sentence, she had definitely affirmed that existence. "...I also met with her. I greeted... well I really couldn't call it that. I exchanged a few words with her. It's definitely not something that Rosa-san saw wrong." "Kyrie-san, are you serious...?" "Yes... But she didn't tell me her name, so I can't conclude that she was Beatrice."  "That isn't possible! In the first place, where did that woman come from? That boat will only make the trip to the island to escort everyone there and back. Was she riding on that boat?!" "...There's not much we can say if you ask us that. Of course, I have no memory of that woman getting off the boat with us." "Ooh, really? How can you prove that there wasn't a boat other than the one we rode on? You can't! You can't prove one 'didn't come'!" "That's right. You could prove that it 'came'. All you have to do is say that someone saw it. But you can't prove that it 'didn't come'. Even if everyone says that it didn't come - that they didn't see it - you can't deny that it could have 'come secretly'. It's that thing they call the 'Devil's Proof'." Just by saying that no one has ever met a devil, you can't deny the possibility that they're hiding away somewhere that humans cannot go. You can't deny the existence of aliens for exactly the same reasons. Until humanity searches the whole of space and can show perfectly that aliens don't exist, you can't be sure that they don't exist. And it's definitely impossible for us to ever check the entirety of space for the existence of aliens. Therefore, while there may be a number of ways to prove that aliens do exist, it is impossible to show proof that denies their existence. "...In that case, even if we discuss whether a boat separate from the one we rode on came to the island, we would just be wasting our time. She wasn't on the boat with us. That much is a fact, and she visited this island through some other means." "That's right. There may be no need to discuss how she came here. The essential point is the fact that she actually is in this mansion now, and doesn't feel like having dinner with us." "Let's review. Right now, there is another guest on this island other than the 18 of the Ushiromiya family. And that is a guest that even Aniki and Natsuhi-san don't know about, right?" "I don't know...! I don't know what you're talking about...!" "Be silent for a while. Your headache will get worse. It is as my wife says. I have no idea what you people have been talking about up until now." "Then there can be only one answer. Father called her. For today's family conference!" "For the family conference?! Then for what reason?!" "I don't know that! I thought you knew, Nii-san, that's why I thought I'd question you!" "Eva, could you give it a rest?! Krauss nii-san said that he doesn't know! So this is how it happened. Father stealthily invited the witch of the portrait as a secret guest. And she met with Rosa-san and Maria-chan and then Kyrie-san. That's all for now! If she has something to say to us, she could just quickly show herself! The question becomes why she's shut herself up without greeting us." "Does this mean that Father, who never had any interest in the family conference from the beginning, secretly called a new mistress here? And had her wear the clothes of his ideal witch? This day is too important for us to come to that conclusion." "There can be only one reason. To join in on the family conference. She wants to claim some right to Father's inheritance!" "Ridiculous!! The head wouldn't have something as filthy as a mistress!" "I told you to be silent! I've been in this mansion with Father the whole time, and I haven't heard about this once. At best, all we can guess is that Father's hidden mistress of several decades ago had a hidden child, and Father searched her out and called her today. Is that what you want to say?" "Dear! Father couldn't have something like that! To waste the noble blood of the Ushiromiya family on a mistress...! This is nothing more than a few people saying that they saw something! It's obviously an illusion, a delusion, a daydream! Or is everyone taking part in some kind of act to trick my husband?!" "What act?!! If anyone is acting, it's you!!" "Quit it Aneki. This is a slightly reckless way to say it, but Natsuhi-san is correct. Kyrie saw her, I did not. Neither did you, Aneki. But Rosa did." "...However, that means that she 'exists'. Because there is someone who can prove that she 'exists', we directly conclude that she exists. It is the opposite pattern of the Devil's Proof." "...And I want to meet her too. And I want to ask her directly what kind of business she has with the Ushiromiya family." "I agree with you on that. I truly wish to enquire as to what business she has on Rokkenjima." "Don't say such obvious lies! She is after one thing. It's Father's inheritance! We should polish up any further strategy relating to the inheritance problem with a knowledgeable lawyer. If the mistress claims equal rights as Mother, then our shares will be cut right in half!" "...W, wait a second, everybody! Genji-san will come very soon. He knows everything. I'm sure he will answer our questions! Until then, let's stop talking about this!!" "Hey, kids?! Sorry, but the adults have to start talking about something complicated! Return to the guesthouse!!"Rosa yelled at the children, slightly emotionally. The children didn't understand why they were suddenly being yelled at this time, but Eva and the rest realized it too late.  ...There was no way that they'd want their children to remain here. So they all immediately agreed with Rosa's plan. "Th, that's right, just as Rosa-san says! George! Return to the guesthouse with all cousins! Play friendly with all of them!" "George, do as you're told. Take all of the cousins, and leave right now!" "W, wait a second Mother...! We still haven't finished eating...!" "Uu-! And dessert hasn't come ye-t!! Uuu--!!" "We will have Gohda-san carry dessert to the guesthouse! So leave!!" "Jessica. From here on, the adults will be talking together. Go." "...U, understood. Even though I'm still eating..." "...Guess that means I'm not the only exception." "Thank you for understanding, Battler-kun. But you sure are lucky." "Huh? Why?" "I'd want to leave if I could." "...Ihihihi! That's right. Why don't you adults have fun like adults, with your happy family get-together surrounding the inheritance." "...I will also leave my seat. Anyhow, it appears that my turn will not come tonight."Nanjo softly rose from his seat. He had been calmly watching the whole discussion without pointlessly interrupting from his seat in the farthest corner. His reaction was very adult, like a calm old gentleman. When Nanjo rose from his seat, it urged the other people who were supposed to leave. The children noisily rose from their seats and as they hurried into the hallway, the servants returned.  "...I was checking to see that all of the doors and windows were shut, so it took me some time. My apologies." "Come on! Children, to the guesthouse! Gohda-san, my apologies, but could you carry the children's portion of the dessert to the guesthouse?" "Ha... Is that what you wish...?"It seemed that Gohda didn't find it interesting to see that the dinner he had worked so hard on had been interrupted like this. He sent Natsuhi a look as though asking her whether that was really alright. "Do as Rosa-san says. After that, it will not be necessary to set out dessert for us. Try not to approach the dining hall until we call you. Tell that to the rest of the servants too. Alright?" "Y... yes. Certainly..." "Come, everyone. Shall we go? Even Maria-san must not trouble her Mother any further." "Uu-uu-uu-!! Maria also talk about Beato-!! No no no, uu-uu-uu-!!!" "Maria-chan, will you tell us about Beatrice in the guesthouse? I really want to hear about the witch. Okay?" "Uu-? Uu-!" "...You're really good, George nii-san. I'm moved." "Are you sure you don't have kids? You're too used to this, ihihi!"Maria's mood was completely back to normal at George's words, and she took the initiative, saying that she wanted to go to the guesthouse.  "...Do you all have some business?" "Yes, we do. A bunch of it. And we all do. So much that we almost want to have a lottery to see who asks the first question." "But no matter who wins the first lottery, the first question will be the same, won't it?" 
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 22:36 on Nov 16, 2016 |
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2016 13:40
|
|
|
Now we have learned Beatrice's true nature: She's an internet troll.
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2016 17:00
|
|
|
Bholder posted:Now we have learned Beatrice's true nature: I know, what a bitch.
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2016 17:24
|
|
|
ProfessorProf posted:
Aw man, I've been waiting for Beatrice's smug rear end in a top hat grin to slip up all LP so far, and goddamn if it wasn't Shannon that made it happen! Wow, we've been on a rollercoaster with her all this episode, haven't we: first she capitulates to the witch and breaks the mirror, while Kanon defies the witch and refuses to be trapped in a poisonous relationship, but as soon as Beato shows up on this island, it's Opposite Day- Kanon still bangs the furniture drum and kisses B's feet to save Shannon, but Shannon uses her newfound assertiveness to tell her where she can stick her promises and threats. You go, girl! (Still don't really think her thing with George is the healthiest thing, though, but if it helps her tell a dangerous megalomaniac to gently caress off, I guess I can deal. Of course, now I wonder if she'll eat it this time too...  )I guess it was nice seeing that very human moment between Kinzo and Nanjo, showing that they really are buds... taken with her moment with Natsuhi last ep, I guess even the old rear end in a top hat gets at leasr one humanizing moment per chapter. And things are heating up a little quicker at dinner this time, and at least Maria doesn't get the third degree, but I am wondering where it's going to go from here. (Looking forward to it, but we are approaching the end of the month... how is your wrist doing, Prof?)
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2016 17:27
|
|
|
resurgam40 posted:(Looking forward to it, but we are approaching the end of the month... how is your wrist doing, Prof?)  New powerful drugs prescribed, regular icing, double wrist braces. I've found a pace and strategy where I can get some LP work done without hurting myself, so I don't think an extended hiatus is going to be necessary. Still, though, after Halloween, well be moving down to MWF updates for a while at least.
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2016 17:37
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 10, 2024 01:48 |
|
|
bman in 2288 posted:I know, what a bitch. Chill out, it's just an anime. What's up with portrait of Beatrice becoming that of the schoolgirl uniform version? Is it still supposed to be the classic painting of her in a dress to everyone else but the audience, or is Kinzo a fan of high school animes in this universe?
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2016 17:45
|
|