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 BGM: Nighteyes The gold snake arrow fired by the Chiesters... weaved its way through the bushes in the rose garden, weaved its way through the hedges, and climbed the stone steps towards the mansion's entrance, aiming for the keyhole. It weaved through the corridors... and flew into the keyhole on the door to the parlor...!  It happened in an instant. One could hardly blame Beato, who was completely worn out, for not noticing it beforehand.  Furthermore, the gold snake faithfully pierced a hole through Shannon's chest once more... The two hearts were pierced by that gold snake... no, by that gold sewing thread of the new brutal witch's furniture, and it had happened in an instant, mocking the amount of effort it had taken to revive Shannon...! Before Beato's shocked eyes, the two fell over and landed on the floor...  "...G-George, Shannon..." George spent his last breath thanking Beato... and died alongside the one he loved. The gold snake, which still sewed the two in place, spun like a large cyclone, revolving around the inside of the parlor. It was searching for further prey in that room. Then, the tip of the snake met Beato's gaze... In that instant, Beato was prepared to die.  Instantly, gold-colored gold leaf buried the inside of the parlor. It was like a blizzard of gold...  "Beato, run while you can!! No one can escape from the Chiesters' golden bow!!!"  "45, roger that...! Modifying Search Algorithm, Switching to Anti-Personnel Image-Based Tracking. Target Lock Reacquired, Data Link to 410." "410, Data Received. Too slow, Predecessor-sama! Coming, coming, coming... impact!!"Prey targeted by the Chiester Sisters' golden bow did not escape. It could not be blocked. No magical barrier could even dream of blocking it without being multilayered. The gap opened during that instant of confusion caused by Virgilia's deception magic was Beato's only chance to escape. And, it was the only chance to make the sisters confuse Virgilia for Beato.  After sneaking in through the keyhole, the snake shot through George, Shannon, and then Virgilia in an instant, completely failing to notice Beato as she used that instant to escape... As soon as Virgilia saw that Beato had gotten away, she died. The strength left her body, and like gold dust drifting with the wind, her form was erased... Beato completely erased all traces of her magical power, became gold butterflies, and passed through the wall, escaping to the wind and rain outside...  Beato felt regret from the bottom of her heart. Why? Because she had been attacked by the new witch? Probably not. Of course, she hated losing her teacher. And even more importantly, Beato was enraged at the barbarism that had boorishly stolen away the reunion between two lovers. Beato had poured out almost all of her magical power to reunite them. Even though the result had been a miracle, the time it took to steal that away had been so ridiculously short...! Beato trembled at the barbarous cruelty that had brought about such an abrupt end. Besides, this was the true form of the acts she herself had committed up until that point... So just as strongly as Beato hated the new witch, she also looked at her previous self with disgust. But now, she had to escape... If she was targeted next, she would probably lose her life. To think that a chess player had descended, thinking they were like a god, only to be attacked by the pieces.  "Looks like our pile of kill medals is gonna get bigger again nyeh. Nihi!" BGM: The Candles Dance  "And along with that, I get to say goodbye to that drat fussy old hag. Ronove, you don't have any complaints, right?" "...I do not, Beatrice-sama." "That person interfered with the ceremony of the witch's epitaph, you see? She revived a sacrifice from the first twilight without permission, obstructing my ceremony. She's got no right at all to complain." "Kuhhihihihhyahyahyahya...! But it sucks that she didn't leave a corpse behind. And I thought I'd be able to torture that old hag to death over and over again endlessly. Kuhhihihyahyahya...!!" "..." BGM: Rhythm-changer  "...Wh-When, you say...? Uh, what hour was that, again...?" "I think... it was probably around 4:00 or 5:00. At the very least, it was more than an hour ago..." "We got sleepy... and probably dozed off after that... But I think it's probably like Jessica says. About one or two hours ago." "I-I also remember something from around that time. I was asked if I wanted more coffee..."Something hard to believe had happened... Apparently, when Aunt Eva had left for a second to wash her hands, Uncle Krauss and Aunt Natsuhi had disappeared. There's no way they went hiding somewhere. Of course, the doors and windows had all been rigorously checked, and all were locked from the inside. Not one of them was broken. And that wasn't just true for the first floor. The second floor was the same. Again, all the doors and windows had locks built in a way that made it impossible to lock them from the outside. In other words, there was no way that Uncle Krauss and Aunt Natsuhi had gone outside. And yet, they couldn't be found. Furthermore, they weren't the only ones who had disappeared. So had George-aniki, of all people. George-aniki had left saying he was going to get more coffee, and had gone downstairs more than an hour earlier. We'd assumed that he was having a conversation with Aunt Eva and the rest, but Aunt Eva, who had been in the lobby the whole time, said that no one had come down. Since all the doors and windows were locked from the inside, it was unthinkable that they had gone outside.  In a situation like this, we couldn't imagine that this was because they were playing hide-and-seek and trying to scare us with a prank. It was probably reasonable to assume that they'd been caught up in this crime... When Aunt Eva had learned that her only son was missing, she had gone half insane, running from room to room and yelling his name. And Jessica, who had suddenly lost both of her parents, had chased after her. Cries of 'George, George' and 'Mom, Dad' had continued to echo through the guesthouse for some time... I think George said something about wanting to see Shannon's dead face. It would be reasonable to assume that he snuck out of the guesthouse and went to the mansion. But I didn't have a clue about Uncle Krauss and Aunt Natsuhi. Did they see him leave... and then go to the mansion to search for him...? Without even telling Aunt Eva...? At this rate, it's only a matter of time before we start planning to leave the guesthouse to go search for them. When that time comes, I'll agree. We'd thought staying holed up in the guesthouse would be safe, which was why our big, happy group of 12 people locked themselves up here this morning. And yet, now there's only four of us left. That means staying here is no guarantee of safety... However, there's one thing we can't afford to forget. All the doors and windows were locked from the inside.  We searched around thoroughly. However, we couldn't find any traces of someone hiding. The three of them had almost certainly been taken outside the guesthouse.  "A hidden door...?" "...The doors and the windows were built in a way that makes them impossible to lock from the outside. Even using a fish line, it would probably be impossible with the way they're constructed. So, it may be reasonable to assume that they left via something other than a door or a window..." "...You're right. That does make logical sense. No one can be sure that no hidden doors exist. However, before leaping to that conclusion, I suspect a much simpler possibility." "And... what would that be...?"For some time, Battler had been opening windows, opening shutters, and checking outside, repeating this for each window.  "...Hmm. This window's pretty quiet. I see, unlike the other windows, because of how the building's shaped, the wind doesn't blow into this one." "It appears that way... It feels strange that no wind or rain comes in, even though there is so much of it outside." BGM: Closed my Heart  "Huh? No, I did not notice it... I believe it is well oiled." "In other words, it's possible to slink through a window in the hallway when no one is looking. Furthermore, the wind doesn't blow in through this window, so the air pressure wouldn't cause the curtains or a door to make a sound. It'd be quiet."Battler leaned forward and looked at the ground below. He was searching for some sign that George had jumped down. But at a glance, he didn't see any mark like that on the grass in the middle of the pouring rain. "...There might also be a window like this on the first floor. It'd be possible to go outside without anyone noticing." "However, not only the doors, but the windows too are all locked, and the shutters are even down as well, correct...? It may be possible to go out through them, but you couldn't lock them afterwards..." "Sure you can lock them. Just like this, *click*" "...B-Battler-san, you aren't saying..." "If someone inside locked it afterwards, this closed room is as easy as pie." "B-But that means... that means, ooooooohhhh..."Nanjo turned pale and shook his head several times. Because the thing Battler had said had forced him to face a fact that was frightening even to imagine...  "...That's only if the trick I'm thinking of actually happened, okay? However, with this trick, only a very limited number of people can be suspected."He didn't want to say it in front of Nanjo, but after eliminating Jessica, who had been with him the whole time, only Nanjo... and Eva could have done it. "I-I did not do anything of the sort...! Y-Yes, I swear it...!!" "...In this case, it becomes a battle between Aunt Eva and Doctor Nanjo for an alibi. We just have to suspect both of you, and confine the two of you separately." "...To say it the other way around, the more survivors there are, the more effective this trick might be, but since our numbers have shrunk so much, it isn't effective at all."...No, on the contrary, there'd be a chance of having your own neck strangled by using it. It would have been more advantageous to make it look like the culprit was outside, to intentionally leave a door unlocked or break a window...  "...Y-You don't think, umm..." "Hmm? What is it, Doctor Nanjo? Even if it's just a thought, please say it."Nanjo looked like he was trying to swallow his words, even though he'd thought of something, so I urged him on. After Doctor Nanjo refused several times, saying that it was just a foolish idea, he finally said it out loud.  "R-Ridiculous. There's no way witches exist." "...The witch is trying to make her case to us. Specifically because she's doing things that humans cannot do, she must be trying to make us accept her as a witch. To me, this disappearance from the closed room of the entire guesthouse... feels like that kind of message from the witch... It's something I must not think of. Surely, it cannot mean anything. Oooh, I... I am frightened..."As Doctor Nanjo shook with fear, it looked like he was he was trying to erase the fearsome thoughts that he kept imagining one after the other. When we went down the stairs, Aunt Eva and Jessica were enraged, and were each persistent in their desire to leave this place and search for their respective families. It was a desire that naturally hits those who can no longer see their family. Aunt Eva told Doctor Nanjo and me to stay here, but I shook my head and started walking.  "...I've been shut up inside for a long time already. I've started wanting to breathe some outside air." "Yeah, if we're going, let's go quickly...!! There's no way I'm gonna keep myself shut up in a place like this any more...!! Let's go and find Mom, Dad, and George nii-san right now...!!"The blood had all risen to Jessica's head. I hope it doesn't set off her asthma.  "If anyone wants to stay, go ahead and stay. We'll be searching outside...!" "What about you, Doctor Nanjo...? Will you watch the place by yourself...?" "N-No... Allow me to join you..." Aunt Eva had a gun. Moving separately from her was almost like asking to be made into the next victim. In this way, the four of us decided to leave the guesthouse. Even though it should have been safe to barricade ourselves here, we lost eight people after doing so. It was almost as though it this was a holding cell from which the sacrifices could be killed one after another. We removed the chain, unlocked the front door and opened it. It was already pitch black. While there were some lights outside that dimly lit the pathway, they didn't have enough power to pierce the darkness that some suspicious person might be hiding in.  "I'm going...! If you fall behind, you're on your own, okay...?!"Still holding her gun, Aunt Eva dashed out without an umbrella. Jessica followed after her. After glancing at each other, Doctor Nanjo and I chased after them.  I've just been shut up in the guesthouse with the rest of the cousins since yesterday. So I don't know anything about what's going on outside. Just what is happening that I don't know about... outside this room, in the mansion, on this island? Everything is happening, everything is proceeding, and everything is ending without my knowing it. Somewhere in my heart, I've already started giving up. Most likely, not one of us will see tomorrow morning.  
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Jan 2, 2017 16:58
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Ohh, boy, this is really leading up to Eva vs Evatrice, isn't it? I don't know if I'd be satisfied with anyone else at this point. The husband is bad enough, but ganking the son too? That's a paddling. The Beato Humiliation Conga Line proceeds apace too, I see; vicious pranks to ruin lives in an "artful" manner isn't nearly so fan when your on the receiving end and you get your stuff broke and your mentors killed. I suppose it's great for her development, but... what I want to know is: how are these people getting killed in a mundane fashion? Natsuhi and Krauss are easy but doing George means that you'd have to leave the guesthouse and then come back without anyone noticing... or I supposed George killed himself in anguish after seeing his girlfriends corpse. Are we still playing the game though? We might have reached the last death.
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Jan 2, 2017 18:18
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resurgam40 posted:Natsuhi and Krauss are easy but doing George means that you'd have to leave the guesthouse and then come back without anyone noticing... or I supposed George killed himself in anguish after seeing his girlfriends corpse. Are we still playing the game though? We might have reached the last death. Yeah, I think we're one death over at this point. I guess George was an extra? Perhaps he walked in on the killer as they were killing Natsuhi and Krauss, which again would add credence to the Eva theory, if they were being killed when he went down to get coffee (assuming that he didn't actually climb out of the window and go over the mansion, which is equally possible).
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Jan 2, 2017 18:22
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I could say that Battler and Jessica locked George out, but I don't see any reason for them to do so. No motive. So then it's a tie between Nanjo and Eva, who actually have something involving motives. Eva, because of George's attempt to see Shannon enraging his already delirious mother. Nanjo, because Eva probably said the location of the gold in her sleep, and Nanjo overheard, so he's trying to get the gold now. Krauss and Natsuhi, most likely Eva. But right now, this is all speculation, because we don't even have a cause of death yet. My theory may be thrown right out the window. Like George.
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Jan 2, 2017 18:27
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I feel like this is finally leading to what happens to Witch Magic used in front of people like Battler who don't believe in it. Since this Battler, I'll call him Battler 3: The Revenge, has been able to 'solve' all of the murders as far as we can tell unlike our first 2 Battlers that have had had trouble believing whats right in front of them on multiple occasions. But I'm probably being too optimistic for the not final chapter of a story where everyone actually dies at the end each time.
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Jan 2, 2017 18:50
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This is such a banger. CottonWolf posted:Yeah, I think we're one death over at this point. I guess George was an extra? Perhaps he walked in on the killer as they were killing Natsuhi and Krauss, which again would add credence to the Eva theory, if they were being killed when he went down to get coffee (assuming that he didn't actually climb out of the window and go over the mansion, which is equally possible). I have a really hard time believing that Eva could ever hurt George or Hideyoshi. (Obv Evatrice is a totally different story.) Like, George is her reason for living at this point—she's poured so much of her time and effort into raising him to be essentially the perfect successor (gently caress u dad), and it seems like a major part of her glee wrt the gold was her belief that it would help George. Maaaaybe she could kill him by accident, but I feel like she would act a lot differently if that were the case. On the other hand, I think she's totally capable of killing Krauss and Natsuhi (gently caress u bro), which is a shame considering his unresolved regret and desire for reconciliation. I think Nanjo could have killed George and put his body somewhere, either in the guesthouse or outside. Note that as soon as Battler so much as brushed up against the possibility with Nanjo, he started mumbling about how it was the witch that did it. But also, nobody is loving wet so I have no idea.
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Jan 2, 2017 20:17
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In an interview, Ryukishi said something to the effect that the issue of people getting wet from the storm was one he just decided not to mess with for the mystery - it will never be brought up as a clue or an anti-clue. In this issue in particular, the tale of Rokkenjima submits to pure fantasy. The rain will not make anyone wet.
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Jan 3, 2017 02:41
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Since you revealed that tidbit, guess we might as well post the relevant quotes of that interview.Ryukishi07 posted:If we are talking about the storm, if there is one thing that does not fit into a mystery in Umineko and can clearly be identified as fantasy, there is one kernel part, there is not even a thought spent on getting wet in the rain. It is one part that I cut right out of that world. Needless to say, don't look this interview up if you don't want to be spoiled.
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Jan 3, 2017 03:39
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tiistai posted:Since you revealed that tidbit, guess we might as well post the relevant quotes of that interview. They all had extremely compact and perfectly functional ponchos. With Hypothetical Ponchos X, all manner of going out in the rain is possible.
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Jan 3, 2017 04:01
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ProfessorProf posted:In an interview, Ryukishi said something to the effect that the issue of people getting wet from the storm was one he just decided not to mess with for the mystery - it will never be brought up as a clue or an anti-clue. In this issue in particular, the tale of Rokkenjima submits to pure fantasy. The rain will not make anyone wet. Well, that's weird but it does open up a lot of possibilities. I was starting to retroactively apply the "why isn't anyone wet?" question to the previous episodes and driving myself crazy. I was thinking, did anyone have their hair messed up, or was anyone noted as being excessively sweaty? Stupid poo poo like that. Thanks for the clarification. witchcore ricepunk fucked around with this message at 04:51 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 04:45
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Basically, the typhoon only exists to block exit from the island and to cut off communication to the mainland. In other words, the storm makes all of Rokkenjima a locked room of its own.
KataraniSword fucked around with this message at 09:23 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 09:21
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KataraniSword posted:Basically, the typhoon only exists to block exit from the island and to cut off communication to the mainland. In other words, the storm makes all of Rokkenjima a locked room of its own. But does Rokkenjima follow Beatrices's Closed room definition? Say it in red! Otherwise I think we need to assume that all of the murders have been performed by a sniper who is not technically on the island. And we have strong reason to suspect that the sniper is several chimps standing on each other's shoulders.
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Jan 3, 2017 09:37
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Golgo's been shooting them with arrows from space.
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Jan 3, 2017 12:09
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 October 5th, 1986, 6:03 PM  BGM: Corridor of the Sands of Purgatory Jessica's woeful voice echoed throughout the rose garden... Perhaps it was the intuition of a person who lived on this island. After checking the part of the rose garden where Aunt Rosa and Maria had fallen and seeing nothing, Jessica went to look in the arbor next. Normally, the arbor was probably a wonderful location to enjoy tea peacefully while appreciating the roses on a good sunny day. Maybe even Uncle Krauss and Aunt Natsuhi... had days when they relaxed and enjoyed their tea together here. In that arbor lay their corpses. At least they aren't drenched in the rain like Aunt Rosa and Maria had been, but there was no way I could say that out loud to Jessica at the moment...  "...St-Strangulation, I believe. Come, take a look at this. On their necks, there are distinct markings that something thin was used to strangle them." "Right. I doubt those things were the primary cause for their deaths."Right there... lay two stake-like weapons decorated with an occult design, which had been found driven into Uncle Krauss's thigh area... and near Aunt Natsuhi's calf. When we found these sticking out of my parents' forehead and chest, we decided to preserve the crime scene and leave them for the police, but Jessica didn't care about such matters and immediately pulled the stakes out of her parents' forsaken bodies. "...By now, bodies gouged in the head, chest, stomach, knee, and leg have been found." "Aaaaaaaaahh, drat it, drat it, drat it!! I'll kill that murderer, kill him!! Uwaaaaaaaaaahhh...!!" "...With this, the eighth twilight has been completed. Is this going to continue onto the ninth twilight? The witch shall be revived, and none shall be left alive." "Bring it on... If the witch revives, that means the culprit is gonna make his grand appearance, right?! No one's going to be left alive? Bullshit... I'll kill him...! I'll definitely kill the culprit who killed Dad and Mom with my own hands...!!" "...We still... haven't found George. Jessica, you children had better stay here. I'll go into the mansion." "E-Eva-san, we mustn't split up...!! It's dangerous if we do not all stick together...!" "There's nothing we can do for Nii-san or his wife." "But George may be still alive somewhere...! I have no time to waste here...!!"As Aunt Eva screamed this, Jessica glared at her. Eva had no more time to bother about the dead. She was more concerned for the safety of her only son, who had yet to be seen. "Jessica-chan, you should stay by your father and mother's side. I'll make a short trip to the mansion. Battler-kun and Doctor Nanjo, you two can stay here as well."After arbitrarily saying this, Aunt Eva rushed out of the arbor. I called out to stop her, but there was no way she would listen. However, being alone in this situation meant nothing short of death. If we silently watched her leave, it would be the same as letting her die. Since Aunt Eva was unwilling to stop, we had no choice but to follow her. ...And, while it may be cruel to say so, Uncle Krauss and Aunt Natsuhi were already dead, so there was nothing more we could do for them... In the end, we had no choice but to console Jessica and head for the mansion together. Fortunately, Jessica stood up. Perhaps she had been able to break free from her grief. But... what had surfaced in its place was an expression like a demon's.  "...I've got my own parents to avenge. Sorry, but this is first come, first serve." "...Yeah, that's right... Let's kill them!"At my words, Jessica finally seemed to feel like we sympathized with her emotions. She still had that dark expression, but I felt that Jessica had regained some of her sanity. We took off. Chasing after Aunt Eva. Through the rose garden, up the stone steps, running at full speed towards the mansion, whose large, intimidating shadow flashed in the lightning. With this, the murders of the epitaph have reached the eighth twilight. And then, on the ninth twilight, the witch shall revive. None shall be left alive.  ...But at the very least, I want to burn the truth into my eyes. That's the only thing motivating me to move right now.  It seemed that all the blood had risen to Aunt Eva's head. That was probably making her fingers clumsy. It looked like she couldn't even handle the simple task of inserting the key into the lock. Then, there was a faint sound. The sound of the door unlocking. Just as though it had waited for all the survivors to unite before opening. It felt to me as though the malicious mansion... was trying to swallow up all the remaining humans at once...  It wasn't just the charred smell from Grandfather. I think it also may have contained the regrets of the servants and Dad's group, all of the dead. What did it mean as it floated out, overwhelming us? Was it the cry of the dead, telling us not to enter? However, Aunt Eva didn't even flinch at something like that. And we who had to chase after her... were forced to step into the mansion, even after receiving that message...  Aunt Eva shouted at the top of her lungs. Considering the situation, it's probably far too optimistic to imagine that he's alive. When we started following Aunt Eva's example and calling out George's name in loud voices... ...Aunt Eva spotted something... and stopped walking. She was standing in front of the door to the parlor.  "...What is this...? D-Doctor Nanjo, could you come here for a second...?" "Wh-What is it...?"I'd heard about the eerie magic circles written on doors, like the one on the parlor, from the adults. Eerie is the only word to describe that thing, which was scribbled with a deep-red paint, reminiscent of blood, so that it slowly dripped down. However, that had supposedly been there since this morning. ...Wondering why Aunt Eva, who had supposedly seen it already, would think it odd now, Jessica and I stared at the door... "...Certainly, I have no memory of numbers such as these being written here." "Right, they weren't. Eerie magical characters were written here, but not numbers."From what the two of them said, only the magic circle had been there this morning. However, right now, there were eight digits written near the upper part of the magic circle.  BGM: At Death's Door 07151129. ...I didn't know what it meant, but I didn't even want to imagine what someone had been thinking when they wrote it. It was drawn with the same paint as the magic circle, but it had clearly been written very recently. The way it had dried and the condition of the color was completely different from the magic circle part.  "...Pfeh. I'm sure it just has some magical meaning. No point wasting time thinking about it."Jessica intentionally spat those words out in an attempt to push aside the eerie feel it gave off. "It... could be a magic square. The idea that a ward against magic can reside in a certain sort of number play. I believe everyone has heard of the one where adding all of the numbers in each row leads to the same sum..." "Wasn't that a group of numbers buried in a rectangle? This is just a single row. I don't have a clue what it could mean. What Jessica-chan said is probably correct. There isn't any point in us wasting time thinking about it..."Even though she said that, she probably suspected that it actually meant something. Aunt Eva was deftly writing that number down on an old receipt or something with a short ballpoint pen. Unless it had some obvious pattern, it'd probably be tough to memorize a code made up of an eight-digit number. ... "...Could... this be a date, or something?" "A date...? What are you talking about...?" "...Why would your birthday be written in a place like this? And what's up with November 29...?" "That's what I wanna know... Still, it's probably just a coincidence. When I thought about it, it started to feel a little creepy. What if someone's birthday was November 29? That's not the birthday of anyone else in my family, not Dad or Kyrie-san or Ange. And of course, it isn't my Mom's either." "Nothing comes to mind... I don't believe it's Kinzo-san's or Genji-san's birthday." "It isn't from my family either. And it isn't Rosa's or Maria-chan's." "It can't be anyone in my family... And it isn't Kanon-kun's or Shannon's. I always give the servants presents on their birthdays, so I know it for all of them, but I don't know anyone who was born on November 29..."Once we started imagining that the eight digits weren't meaningless, but actually two dates written together, it really started to look that way. However, its true meaning may be something completely different, or there may be no meaning at all. Anyway, since we don't have any real clues, it's probably pointless to stand around here worrying about it. The inside of the parlor's much more important. This morning, behind each of the doors with a magic circle drawn on them...had been the body of a victim. So, if something new has been added to this door, does that mean something new has been added inside the parlor?  As soon as she opened the door, Aunt Eva let out a high-pitched scream and ran inside. That alone was enough to tell us what had happened inside the room... Doctor Nanjo and I looked at each other, and I shook my head slightly as we entered the parlor...  BGM: Requeim George-aniki lay there crumpled alongside Shannon-chan's corpse. His chest was stained bright red. And judging by his still-opened eyes, I'd hate to say it to Aunt Eva, but I couldn't pick up any signs of life. After moving to take George's pulse, Doctor Nanjo shook his head, wordlessly reporting that George was dead. Brushing him aside, Aunt Eva once again crouched beside George-aniki...and started crying at the top of her lungs... With Aniki's death, one thing is certain. The murders hadn't ended on the eighth twilight. The epitaph was being carried out in its complete form, including the ninth twilight, 'And none shall be left alive'... I was really starting to lose track of things. For some reason, Aunt Eva's half-crazed cries actually made me cool down... Crestfallen and exhausted, I flopped onto the sofa and plunked my feet on top of the table. Maybe all these murders numbed my heart. Instead of just being frightened, I felt completely confused. Dad and Kyrie-san are dead, and people have been killed off one by one, starting with the servants... And there's been a hell of a lot of them by now. I don't know when the first murder happened, but they might have been killed at a rate of about one person per hour by now. We believe that the boat will come for us around 9:00 tomorrow. There's still a full 12 hours until then.  BGM: Voiceless With the four of us, if one goes each hour, we won't last any longer than four hours. We don't even know if we'll last until midnight tonight... Yesterday, after lunch, we came into this parlor. Just as they started talking about serving some tea Aunt Rosa had bought, we kids decided to take a walk. Maria was jumping around, wasn't she? Didn't Shannon-chan bring us some cookies? She said Kumasawa-san had baked them, or something. It would've been hilarious if she'd baked some mackerel into them, wouldn't it? That's right, I'll never hear Kumasawa baa-chan's mackerel jokes again, will I...? ...Oh, right, if I only remember stuff about Kumasawa baa-chan, that wouldn't be fair to everyone else... Why did Dad and Kyrie-san... even go outside? It's not like going without food for a day would kill us. So why did gluttony get ahold of them and make them go out for food? I'll bet that fearless dad of mine just started complaining about being hungry... Kyrie-san, you were supposed to be the brakes for my reckless dad... Why didn't you stop him? ...And... what about your daughter, Ange...? She's still just six years old. Don't tell me you planned to leave her in my care... After all, it's doubtful now whether even I'll be able to leave this island alive...  ...It's been kinda noisy for a while. By the time I looked up to see what it was, Jessica and Aunt Eva had suddenly started fighting each other. No, maybe I should say that Jessica was grabbing at Aunt Eva.  "How foolish!! Why should I know anything about what happened to your parents?!" "Who was on the first floor of the guesthouse?! Aunt Eva!! Dad and Mom were in the first floor lobby, along with her! And who was left alive?! Only Aunt Eva!! Why? It's obviously because you're the culprit!! You killed Mom and Dad, carried them outside, and then shamelessly locked the door, trying to make it seem like it was the witch's doing...!!" "Then why do you think George disappeared?! He never came down to the first floor! So, did he disappear from the second floor?! And who was on the second floor?! You people were, right?!! You knew, didn't you?! You knew that George slipped out of the guesthouse!! And you brazenly acted as if you didn't know anything!! If you'd stopped George, he'd be... he'd be...!!!" "I said stop...! Jessica-san was in the cousins' room the whole time! And Eva-san was in the first floor lobby the whole time! Neither of you is responsible for anything! What we have here is simply the sadness of losing family members...!! The culprit is no one, nowhere...!! It is all... just the witch's fault!! So stop hating each other, you two...!!" Yeah, I finally understand why three people evaporated from the guesthouse... when all the doors and windows were locked from the inside... This is what they were after. Making us think the culprit was inside...and sparking this ugly, mutual hatred... has to be the culprit's... the witch's goal. ...But if that's the case, how did the culprit lock it from the outside...? When Dad's group was attacked, their master key was definitely stolen. But the doors and windows to the guesthouse were built so that you couldn't lock them from the outside, no matter how hard you tried. So that master key should have had nothing to do with the guesthouse closed room... Jessica and Aunt Eva were turning their sadness at losing their blood relatives into anger at the person in front of them. Doctor Nanjo was trying to step between them. And I sat in the sofa, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about things that didn't even matter anymore with a worn out expression... I just couldn't believe that this was the same parlor that had been so warm and pleasant midday yesterday, for just a short time before the typhoon hit...  BGM: Nighteyes The sudden sound of a gunshot shook me out of my half-asleep trance. Smoke was rising out of the barrel of the gun Aunt Eva held. Jessica had fallen to the floor and was covering both her eyes. Aunt Eva and Doctor Nanjo were looking down at her in shock... "A-Are you okay, Jessica-san...?! Jessica-san...!!"  "...I-It wasn't my fault... Th-This happened because you came at me even after I told you to stop...!" "H-Hey, wait a sec, what's going on...?!"So, did Jessica grab at Aunt Eva, which turned into a scuffle...? Did they start fighting over Aunt Eva's gun? Did some kind of impact cause the trigger to be pulled...? I didn't know if the bullet had grazed her or if she'd been burned by the discharge, but either way, Jessica was covering both of her eyes, screaming 'It hurts, it hurts' and rolling around on the floor. "...Don't worry, calm down...! It is not a serious wound, so get ahold of yourself...!" "My eyes hurt, it hurts, I can't see, I can't see...!!"Doctor Nanjo let Jessica borrow his shoulder, saying that he would tend to her in the servant room. The servant room in this mansion had a bed and a first aid kit and was able to function as an infirmary.  "...I-It wasn't me, it wasn't me...!!" "Jessica-san, you'll aggravate the wound, so don't move about...! Come, let us go to the servant room..."Jessica continued to curse Aunt Eva as her parents' murderer. It seemed that Aunt Eva couldn't conceal her trembling at the fact that she had pulled the trigger, even if it had been an accident. "...It wasn't my fault, it happened because that kid jumped at me... I didn't kill anyone... More importantly, who killed George? That's right, who killed George?!! George, Geooooooooooorge!! It isn't my fault, it isn't my fault...!!" "W-Wait a sec, Aunt Eva...!! Don't go off on your own!!"I didn't know if it was because Aunt Eva couldn't bear her mistake...or if she'd given up control of her body to anger at the person who had killed her only son...or if it was both of those all mixed together. At any rate, she ran out into the corridor, yelling, fearful, and screaming. I was also worried about Jessica's condition, but right then, I couldn't leave Aunt Eva alone. Why would she go off on her own in this mansion, of all places? Is she suicidal...?! Doctor Nanjo took Jessica towards the servant room. I chased after Aunt Eva, dashing into the depths of the mansion...  The barrel had probably been near her eyes. There was a possibility that the flames from the discharge had injured her corneas. There was no threat to her life, but it would probably be necessary to take her to a doctor as soon as possible. Nanjo applied emergency first aid, covering the affected area with gauze and wrapping it with a bandage. As a result, Jessica completely lost her field of vision... "Is that okay...? The wound may hurt or itch, but you mustn't scratch at it or rub it. When tomorrow comes, let us go to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible." "...Eva-san would not do such a thing. That was an accident." "You call that an accident...?! She killed Dad and Mom. There's no way any 19th person or witch exists on this island...!! She's behind everything. She was the only one on the first floor of the guesthouse!" "...I-If that is indeed the case, then we'll find out about it as soon as the police investigate. The police are incredible, and with their powers of discernment, there is nothing that cannot be understood. There is no need for us to suspect or hate anyone. The police will resolve everything." "So for now, Jessica-san, you should devote yourself to resting your body and keeping your eyes safe. Of course, if you wrinkle your forehead too much, it will do nothing good for your eyes, not to mention your beauty."When Jessica's abuse of Eva had reached a crescendo, she actually had started glaring instinctively, and the pressure on her eyes had hurt her. Jessica herself realized that the more she talked, the more the wound would hurt, and regardless of whether she'd overcome her suspicions of Eva, she regained her composure for the time being... "...She killed them, Dad and Mom. And Shannon... and Kanon-kun... Kanon-kun..." BGM: Worldend (solo) Jessica was now less fearful about the fact that she was blinded, and more frightened that the police would carry Kanon's body away while she still couldn't see, and that she would have to say her final farewell without being able to look at his face. Her anger at the culprit... and her sadness at the death of the person she'd liked. Those mixed emotions started her crying. But right now, tears were actually painful for her, so she wasn't even permitted to leisurely remember his face in bygone days... Jessica could do nothing but sit on the bed and let her head droop, withstanding the pain... "...Well then, now I am worried more about Eva-san. I hope she isn't too shaken by this."Realizing that Jessica had calmed down for the time being and letting out a sigh, he stuck his head out into the hallway to look for any sign of the others coming back.   BGM: Black Lilliana  Then, their eyes met. Nanjo, unable to understand who this person was, was bewildered for an instant.  "...Wh-What did you say...?"Nanjo had no way of understanding who the person in front of him was, much less what she had just said. "...Doctor Nanjo? What's going on...?"Unable to see, Jessica had to rely on voices alone to make out the situation. But since she heard Nanjo say something in an uneasy tone, she tightened up, thinking that something bad might have happened. "...S-Stop, please...! Please don't kill me...!! I have a sick grandchild...! I mustn't die here...! Please, spare me...!! Eeeek!!!" "...Doctor Nanjo...? Doctor Nanjo?!"Jessica couldn't do anything except call out from the bed. Judging by the tone of his voice, Nanjo was in the corridor, confronting someone. And he was scared. His life must have been threatened just a second ago.   The witch pointed the end of her gold staff at Nanjo. Even though he didn't know what she was planning to do, Nanjo assumed that she must be trying to take his life. "Doctor Nanjo!! Doctor Nanjo!! Is someone there?! Answer me!!" "Stop iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit, ahiiieeeeeeeeehhh!!"*bang*! A sharp sound echoed.  Jessica, who could only try to grasp what was happening with her ears, had no clue what was going on. But even so, she was able to realize that with that sound, Nanjo had died. And, she could tell that that person was now in the corridor, right in front of the servant room. Furthermore, since she couldn't see, she wouldn't be able to run away, much less resist. Knowing that she was a mouse in a trap and in a life or death situation, Jessica shuddered...   "E-Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekk!!!"Jessica was struck with fear and let out a frail scream. She wanted to scream in a much louder voice, trying to get someone to help her. But she couldn't. When faced with true fear, it clogs up a person's throat... Right then, Jessica could barely even breathe. "H-Help me... help me...!! Eeeeeeeeeekk!!"She searched around with her hands, trying to find some way to escape. But even though she should have known this room well, just being unable to see made it like a closed room of darkness. She ran into a shelf or something, and things like a candy jars and bottles fell down, hitting her on the head. As she was now, it would've been tough for her to even guard her head to block it. She was painfully aware of how powerless humans become just by losing their sense of sight. Of course, she had no time to be impressed by this fact. She crawled around at random, trying to escape from that place, but she kept bumping into things that she didn't understand, getting hit by various falling objects, and it felt like the entire room was alive, bullying her and refusing to let her escape. Then, a footstep could be heard from that presence in the hallway. And then, a voice. She'd probably poked her head into the room, since Jessica had been so loud.  "You really are noisy. Act like a lady and wait there on the bed. 'Cause I'll give you a wonderful blood-red death outfit fitting for such an honored daughter. Something good enough to make the person who finds you faint, okay? Gehheheheheheheheheheh!!" "E-Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!!"Until just a second ago, she had sworn that she'd kill the culprit if she found them. However, she was now very powerless. She couldn't do anything except let out a scream, crawling around on the floor and bumping her head into the bed and the legs of desks. 
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Jan 3, 2017 14:20
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Jesus... Torturing a blind person? For some reason, that disturbs me more than any of the gore inflicted on the characters hitherto... I mean killing someone over and over again is horrible, but too esoteric for me to really get as it's been described. But this is painfully real... and something that Beato, as bad as she got, never did. (Too common for her to do, anyway, she'd have been more grandiose about it, but consequently easier to dismiss.) But... with Nanjo now dead, it has to be Eva doing all this, doesn't it? There's no one else to do it, unless the servants were faking their death and it was said in red that they weren't... But if that's true, does that mean Battler's an accomplice and has been helping her move corpses around? Why would he do that? His aim for coming was to renew his friendships with his cousins and even if his relationship to his dad is icy at best I don't see him just agreeing to murder them even if he found out about Kyrie's crazy grudge. But he went off after Eva... does that mean she just gave him the slip? It's still all so uneven and I don't like it! ProfessorProf posted:
And what's this now, because I don't buy Nanjo that it's just another magic thingamajig; what number is there that has eight letters? Because while Battler's birthday is July 15, I don't really see the significance of that number in the year 1129; don't see what that entire year has to do with anything, and it's one number short for a social security number (not that Japan has such a system anyway)...and they've already discussed that nobody has a birthday of Nov 29. Is it some kind of code then? But for what; there's no safes around that I can see. Is this some kind of cypher?
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Jan 3, 2017 15:55
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Maybe the number is a location or something?
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Jan 3, 2017 16:43
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ProfessorProf posted:In that arbor lay their corpses. At least they aren't drenched in the rain like Aunt Rosa and Maria had been, but there was no way I could say that out loud to Jessica at the moment... Now it's just taunting us.
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Jan 3, 2017 17:35
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Shannon has to be one of the people pretending to be dead in order to enact the murders, but their plan got messed up when George came to check out their corpse but found them alive. So Shannon could killed George in order to keep the secret. Additionally, Eva really has multiple personalities and has probably killed a majority of people. Edit: Shannon being an accomplice to the murders also explains why George always dies when they are together. EagerSleeper fucked around with this message at 18:49 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 18:26
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ProfessorProf posted:
Yo, doctor or not, I'd clock him right then and there for giving me beauty tips after 1) my parents were murdered and 2) I was blinded. The gently caress, Nanjo? resurgam40 posted:And what's this now, because I don't buy Nanjo that it's just another magic thingamajig; what number is there that has eight letters? Because while Battler's birthday is July 15, I don't really see the significance of that number in the year 1129; don't see what that entire year has to do with anything, and it's one number short for a social security number (not that Japan has such a system anyway)...and they've already discussed that nobody has a birthday of Nov 29. Is it some kind of code then? But for what; there's no safes around that I can see. Is this some kind of cypher? The only 8-digit code system I can think of is the PIN for routers... which I don't think exist in 1986 Rokkenjima.
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Jan 3, 2017 18:40
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EagerSleeper posted:Shannon has to be one of the people pretending to be dead in order to enact the murders, but their plan got messed up when George came to check out their corpse but found them alive. So Shannon could killed George in order to keep the secret. But Beato said in red that Shannon was dead, remember? And if we start doubting the red, we'll never know anything for sure... So while I haven't ruled out accomplices for this go-round (and I'm pretty sure some things are flat out impossible without one), it probably wasn't Shannon. I say probably, but an accomplice was the only way the string of murders could have been done- either Nanjo to set up the last room or Genji for arranging the rooms and then suffering a massive heart attack or whatever- and I believe it was how George was able to leave. So maybe it was Genji who did the latter, coerced by Eva- and this would be her tying up loose ends.
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Jan 3, 2017 19:22
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From Nanjo's last words I think he may be an accomplice. I think he may have faked deaths or misdiagnosed. (But he did not fake any of the deaths said in Red I guess)
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Jan 3, 2017 19:29
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We haven't seen Purgatory!Battler in a while. He's probably lost his mind over Evatrice.
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Jan 3, 2017 19:42
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Tender Child Loins posted:
In fact, Krauss invested most of his fortune investing in new routing protocol research, correctly guessing that computers were the wave of the future. Sadly, he over extended and sold off his stock at a pittance in 1983. Sadly, history forgot his sacrifice to history after a witch sacrificed his body to a magic ritual. It would not be the last time this happened in Silicon Valley. Violet_Sky posted:We haven't seen Purgatory!Battler in a while. He's probably lost his mind over Evatrice. As he said the last time he showed up, he stepped away from the game so Beatrice could sit in a corner and reflect on her actions. oath2order fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 19:47
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resurgam40 posted:But Beato said in red that Shannon was dead, remember? Shannon (and Kanon) are not their actual names. Say goodbye to the servant personas who served the Ushiromiya family faithfully, and hello to the pissed off people who have been mistreated for the past decade of Kinzo's furniture fetish. EagerSleeper fucked around with this message at 20:57 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 20:55
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EagerSleeper posted:Shannon (and Kanon) are not their actual names. Say goodbye to the servant personas who served the Ushiromiya family faithfully, and hello to the pissed off people who have been mistreated for the past decade of Kinzo's furniture fetish. OK, that's kind of silly, but could we consider that this loophole works in this game? Is that actually a legitimate workaround for "X is dead" in red? I guess it makes sense... like in the sense of alter egos. For example, Chris Gaines could "die" while Garth Brooks lives. (uhh I just spent my Christmas with my country relatives so that's all I can think of.) edit: kill me 
witchcore ricepunk fucked around with this message at 21:20 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 21:09
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I just can't reconcile Eva as the murderer with George as a victim. It doesn't make sense, from her motivations; she wants to take over the family and supplant the real heirs. It isn't just about money, it's about needing to prove herself as the most worthy to be the head, and part of that is having a child to carry on the family. Even if it were an accomplice of hers, that person ought to know better. Maybe Nanjo is/was acting without her, though? Possibly they were separate murderers rather than him being her accomplice, or he decides to make a power play at this point for some reason? And then Eva kills him in retaliation, as I suspect we're about to discover. Edit: Tender Child Loins posted:OK, that's kind of silly, but could we consider that this loophole works in this game? Is that actually a legitimate workaround for "X is dead" in red? I guess it makes sense... like in the sense of alter egos. For example, Chris Gaines could "die" while Garth Brooks lives. (uhh I just spent my Christmas with my country relatives so that's all I can think of.) Actually, this is really clever. This could explain how we end up with a Shannon resurrection and re-murder easily; if she were really someone else, but dressed up as a fake person named Shannon and pretended to be dead, then reappeared, it's almost like she was resurrected. And it provides a super convenient way of busting the chain of locked rooms early on, as long as we're okay with Nanjo being a suspect (which we definitely are by this point). If real-Shannon wasn't dead then, but Shannon-the-persona was, it seems to satisfy all conditions while also allowing her to lock the door behind herself after committing several other murders. Edit 2: Shannon is the first one that gets found and George asks to see her corpse, but is refused. And they're all left alone for the cops, which means that her body could have vanished back then and absolutely nobody would know. Edit 3: This also would raise the question: who the gently caress is Shannon? Just a random person pissed off by being made to be a servant in this crazy place? Kinzo's accomplice? Some other weird poo poo? idonotlikepeas fucked around with this message at 22:09 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 21:37
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idonotlikepeas posted:Shannon is the first one that gets found and George asks to see her corpse, but is refused. And they're all left alone for the cops, which means that her body could have vanished back then and absolutely nobody would know. AHHH!!! This happened in E1 too!! AHHH WHAT?? And if we can believe Hideyoshi was a culprit in E3, then it's possible he was an accomplice in E1, too... oh poo poo  edit: But she's definitely, undeniably dead in E2, and early. So how could she be the culprit then? Why would she kill herself? editedit: Also, how can we be sure that she's dead RIGHT NOW? If Shannon is alive and unaccounted for, she's free to kill Nanjo while Eva is off with Battler. witchcore ricepunk fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Jan 4, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 22:08
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Tender Child Loins posted:edit: But she's definitely, undeniably dead in E2, and early. So how could she be the culprit then? Why would she kill herself? We don't necessarily have the same murderer(s) in each version of Rokkenjima. It seems like that would be one of the big differences between "games". It might be she just wasn't involved at all in episode two's version, whatever her deal is. Or had a more minor role; it wouldn't surprise me if she were the one dressing up as Beatrice early on, and then the real murderer could have disposed of her once she stopped being useful. Edit: Tender Child Loins posted:editedit: Also, how can we be sure that she's dead RIGHT NOW? If Shannon is alive and unaccounted for, she free to kill Nanjo while Eva is off with Battler. Conceivable, yeah. Having an extra person wandering around really does make a lot of these mysteries easier, and if fake personas count as deaths we don't have to violate the red text about there being 18 people on the island. Incidentally, her real name is supposedly "Sayo" according to an earlier update. That could be a lie too, though. But it works for now. So using the Chris Gaines example, it could be that "Shannon" is dead but "Sayo" is still alive. idonotlikepeas fucked around with this message at 22:48 on Jan 3, 2017 |
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Jan 3, 2017 22:39
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idonotlikepeas posted:Incidentally, her real name is supposedly "Sayo" according to an earlier update. That could be a lie too, though. But it works for now. So using the Chris Gaines example, it could be that "Shannon" is dead but "Sayo" is still alive. Oh yeah, I completely forgot that Shannon and Kanon had "work" names. If that's the basis for this, then we're dealing with two people who could potentially consider their "work" and "private" selves as different identities. If "Shannon" and "Kanon" only exist while they serve the Ushiromiyas, they could easily be considered to be "dead" when they quit. (Quitting via staging one's murder is pretty dramatic, but I've seen worse in the restaurant world.) This could also explain how, in the previous episode, Kanon's corpse disappeared, then reappeared as Even Edgier Kanon and committed more murders edit: yeah, that was super funny vvvv witchcore ricepunk fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Jan 4, 2017 |
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Jan 4, 2017 01:43
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ProfessorProf posted:Realizing that Jessica had calmed down for the time being and letting out a sigh, he stuck his head out into the hallway to look for any sign of the others coming back. I just want to point out that I burst out laughing at this bit. That's some black as pitch comedy, right there.
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Jan 4, 2017 01:45
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 ...A single gold butterfly secretly watched that scene from the corner of the hallway. It was Beato, who had barely escaped with her life once before.  By now, her power was so weak that even maintaining this form was difficult for her. Right next to her, Ronove also appeared.  BGM: Melting Away  "...She has grown feelings of love for Kanon... I have toyed with them at times. However, such behavior was shameful for a witch." "...Love is the single element. Romantic love is even more pure, more sacred. Though for some reason, you seem to despise it thoroughly, Milady." "...Teacher told me. Magic exists to bring people happiness. That's something I myself must have been aware of in the past." "...Ever since I forgot that, I stopped being a witch. And so, I lost the right to be Battler's opponent..."  "I know... Even if I do save her, she will become a plaything of the witch's banquet when the door to the Golden Land opens." "...But even so, that death would be far more compassionate than what that person would do to her. The witch's banquet steals lives in a terrible way, but it does not do so more than once. It does not toy with life and death." "...However, that person is different. She kills over and over. She kills for fun! There is not even a trace of compassion there. I want to at least save Jessica from that kind of cruel fate." "...Certainly, by carrying that out, you would probably be praised as a good witch." "...However, the new Beatrice-sama already views you as hostile, Milady. If you were to be seen by her again, you would not have any method of escape this time, correct?" "...When I reunited George and Shannon, I finally understood what a witch is... and what magic is." "...I am a witch. I must act as a witch. And I must be acknowledged as Battler's opponent, and make Battler accept me as a witch this time around." "...The road to that goal may be long and difficult. However, if I do not take a step forward here and now, I won't be able to call myself a witch." "I understand your feelings, but how do you plan to rescue her? There are not many forms of magic that your body is capable of now, Milady. Did you not have to borrow George's power even back when you revived Shannon?" "...Right now, she is begging for Kanon to save her. If I can borrow the power of that emotion, my magic may be able to knock on the doors of the Land of the Dead once again." "You may be able to knock. However, you would use up all of your magical energy. If you were to be spotted by the new Beatrice-sama, you would truly be without a method of escape." "...I am no longer your butler, Milady. Understand that I cannot assist you if the situation worsens." "...I know. By now, I have toyed with and taken more lives than I can count. So, I may not be able to make up for it... except by saving the same number of lives, bringing them through that door." "...I have had nothing to lose in the first place. I am just a gold butterfly who has passed its name and magic power on, and who is no longer acknowledged as a witch." "...What about Battler-sama? You are partway through a game with him. He has said that he would wait until you returned. Are you truly satisfied to end it here? You have a duty to return to the seat across from Battler-sama, Milady." "For that very reason...! If there's a life that only I can save, I will save it. And I will be accepted as a witch. I must become a witch...! If this is training, it is a very childish thing, nothing that compares with the evils I have committed before now." "...Vanish, Ronove. Watch what may be the final magic of a single butterfly who used to be called a witch...!" "Go, my friend. If you can find enough ink, write down the story of my foolish life... and hand it over to some fool who is about to walk down the same path. So long, Ronove...!"  BGM: Soul of Soul "...K-Kanon-kun...? Kanon-kun...?!"It seemed to Jessica as though she'd heard Kanon's voice just then. She looked around with unseeing eyes, but of course, she saw nothing. On the contrary, that action caused her head to hit the desk again. "...Kanon-kun, Kanon-kun... Help me, help me..." "...K-Kanon-kun...?! Y-You survived...?!"This time, she thought she heard his voice clearly. Jessica jumped up in surprise, banging her head against the desk once again.  "...Huh...?"   Jessica obeyed those words. She chased all idle thoughts from her head and relaxed her breathing. Of course, her heart felt like it was going to explode after hearing the voice of the one she'd liked and had thought was dead. She resisted the excitement with all her strength. ...When she did, she felt as though Kanon-kun really was right in front of her. Even though she shouldn't have been able to see him with her eyes, she was able to sense him clearly.  "Yeah... I can see. I can definitely see you, Kanon-kun..." "...I exist only as as a soul now. So I cannot touch you, Milady. I cannot do anything except talk to you like this. With my current weak existence, I can do nothing more than that, but I should be able to be of some aid to you, Milady." "...So, we can only talk...? I can't...touch you, Kanon-kun...?" "I am now more fragile than smoke from a candle. So much so that if one of the living such as you were to touch me, I would be wiped away instantly. So please, don't try to touch me. Because I am also... holding back my desire...to touch you, Milady." "Ah, o-okay..." "More importantly, Milady, please listen well. The new Golden Witch has a cruel heart. She surely plans to make you meet with a horrible fate. You must escape from this room and hide." "...H-How...? I can't...see anything...!" "Quiet... I will be your eyes, Milady. Please move in accordance with my instructions. First, please crawl three steps from there, then stand up. You are now under the desk, Milady. If you stand there, you'll hit your head." "...Th-That was under the desk...? Okay, 1, 2, 3... I'm gonna stand..." "Ha, haha... This is pretty... embarrassing... Ah, ack, owowow..." "Are you okay? Does your wound hurt...?" "N-No, I'm fine... What next...?"Jessica thought that if this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up. And, if she were allowed to, she would've wanted to take off the bandage covering her eyes and see him. However, if she did that, Kanon might vanish like frail candle smoke, just like he himself had said... She was afraid of that. So she satisfied herself with just listening to his words once more, repressing her desire to see him, to hold him. Therefore, what hurt her eyes now were tears of gratitude. Tears of gratitude for the god... or maybe the witch... who had given her this miraculous moment.  "...I have erected a secrecy barrier. As long as we don't make any loud sounds or speak noisily, no one will notice us. That's why people can't tell when I'm around." "...I-I don't really get it, but anyway, we'll be fine as long as we stay quiet, right...? Wh-What should I do next...?" "Please walk 10 steps in that direction. You will touch the sofa. Please continue along that. Do it slowly. Stay calm. Believe in my words." "...S-Sure. Heheh, it's weird... Even though it's so scary not being able to see, I'm not scared at all if you're with me, Kanon-kun..." "...Yes, that is the sofa. Trace it to the left while advancing slowly... There is a table just to your left. Be careful not to bump into it with your shins..." Even though she would have been killed in an instant if the terrible witch noticed her, there was no fear in Jessica's heart. She was being protected and guided by Kanon, someone she thought she'd never be reunited with. ...It would probably be just a momentary miracle. Even so, Jessica was deeply grateful for it. If she hoped for too much, she was sure that he would disappear, so she tried not to ruin this faint miracle. And, trying to engrave this moment into her heart for all eternity, she slowly, slowly... continued to walk, obeying Kanon's voice... "...Okay, if you walk 10 more steps, you will exit the servant room. Then, please turn to face 9 o'clock, and keep walking very slowly. Put your hand on the wall to your right, and keep on following that. I will take you to a safe room." "..."Kanon didn't answer. But his lack of an answer was enough to tell her the truth. "...Then, no way. ...I don't want to go..." "If you stay here, you will be killed by the witch." "I don't mind... If I'm killed, I can go to the world where you are, Kanon-kun..." "...Milady, please listen to me. ...The human world is too bright and painful for the dead, like me... So I cannot stay for long." "So Milady, please allow me to use what time I am allowed...to guide you to a safe place. Because after that, I will stay with you until my time runs out." "...Is that...the very best you can manage, Kanon-kun...?" "...Yes. In exchange, I will stay by your side as long as possible. I will stay with you... and talk with you, Milady." "Talk...about what...?" "...What do you want to talk about...?" "...I don't care what, as long as you're willing to tell me, Kanon-kun..."  "...The story of how that girl, after being reunited with that boy by a miracle from god, used that chance to finally muster up her courage." "...I also... want to hear that. So, for that reason as well, let us go. To a safe place." "...Yeah... If I could be with you, Kanon-kun, I would walk however far, however long it took... I don't need eyes anymore. If you tell me to step forward, I will take that step, even if it leads off a cliff." "Thank you. Come, Milady. Let us go. The first 10 steps." "No, I don't like it. I won't do it... unless you call me Jessica." "...Understood... Well then, Jessica. Take the first 10 steps." "Yes, Kanon-kun..."Very quietly, Jessica and Kanon slowly snuck out of the servant room. Just around the corner, the witch could be seen cruelly looking down at Nanjo's corpse, but she didn't even notice their presence.  ...Kanon thought 'Oh no', grimacing and blocking Jessica with his back. "..." He played dumb, just as though he hadn't spotted Kanon in the first place. No, maybe he did appear to chuckle. From a finger on Ronove's hands, which were joined behind his back, a single small gold butterfly appeared, flying in front of Kanon as though guiding him. It went unnoticed by the master he served. Kanon was surprised at the magic that butterfly held. Because it was far more powerful than the secrecy barrier Kanon possessed. He may not have known it, but that power of his had originally been Ronove's. Kanon's ability was an imitation of that, which Kinzo had made and given to him. As that butterfly of secrecy magic scattered gold scales, it grew smaller bit by bit. It probably wouldn't last long. But without a doubt, even that would buy them enough time to get them far away from the cruel witch.  "Yeah. If I can be with you Kanon-kun, I'll keep on going, on and on..."Led and protected by the small gold butterfly, the pair separated by the wall of life and death slowly walked away, towards the end of the corridor... There was no way that the evil witch could have had magic to notice their flight. Until they disappeared at the other end of the corridor, the witch didn't realize that Jessica had vanished...  Even though she would have been able to make it this far quickly if she had been able to see, as she was now, it had been a very long adventure. "...Come, Milady. We've reached the parlor. I will now take you to the bundle of curtains by the window. If you hide in there, you'll surely be safe." "Inside the curtains... Not bad. I used to hide in there a lot, long ago." "...Beatrice-sama..." "...Huh?"Kanon called out the witch's name. Jessica looked around in surprise, but she obviously couldn't spot the witch when she couldn't see...  "...I don't know what sort of whim led you to revive me, nor do I understand what you're thinking now." "...Oh, it was nothing more than a whim. No, this is how witches should be. It took me a thousand years to realize that. That is how... foolish it is." "Wh-Who is it?! Who's there...?!" "...Milady, be quiet. She is the witch, Beatrice... I owe her, because she let me be with you one more time." "...The witch, Beatrice..." "...Forget about me. More importantly, you should quickly hide that girl in the shadows of the curtains. You probably do not have much time left. You may spend it having a final conversation with Jessica." "...A secret meeting inside a bunch of curtains? How clever you two are. *cackle*cackle*..." "U-Umm, thank you, Beatrice...!! Thank you for letting me be with Kanon-kun...!!"Jessica didn't know where Beato was, so she said that while facing in the wrong direction. Perhaps because she found that funny, Beato snickered.  "I will now leave this room to the pair of lovers. Evil witches have no need for tales of love. Allow me to depart." "...Beatrice-sama, thank you very much." "Hmph, there is no need to thank me. You know that something like this cannot compensate for all of the evil I have done." "I offer my gratitude to this good witch as a parting gift. I don't know what has happened before or what will happen later. However, at this very moment, you are without a doubt... a good witch." "...You flatter me, furniture. The next time we meet, I may be an evil witch who doesn't betray your expectations. And with that, farewell."  Video: EndlessAnd, mustering the last of her remaining magical power, she sealed the door. The fact that those two had escaped into here would eventually be noticed. And now that the ninth twilight had been reached, no matter how much they struggled, their inescapable fate had already been decided. However, until that final moment, they should be given the chance to speak with each other of their love. The witch poured out all of her magical power to protect their time together. So that no one would be able to defile their time alone until the last possible moment. At that time, Beato noticed something. Her body had been detected by a magical searching technique. The evil witch's furniture had sniffed this place out. "...So, boorishness is the witch's way of doing things after all... To think that she doesn't even intend to let those two young ones speak together of their love... *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*!!" BGM: Dance of the Moon Rabbits   "Go ahead and shoot. Oh, and avoid her vital areas. There's something I want to ask that old hag." "410, Firing. Nihi!"The Chiester Sisters' gold bow released a gold snake. It crawled down the corridor starting from the front of the servant room, aiming for the parlor as it drew a soft, snake-like curved line trajectory... and pierced Beato's chest.  BGM: Prison Gold butterflies gathered, and the cruel witch appeared along with her furniture.   "...Ugh... uu... I didn't think they would be... Still, the Chiester Sisters really have gotten rusty. To think that they failed to bring me down. And twice, at that...!"Ronove spoke in a manner befitting the witch's butler. As she pushed her pain aside, Beato grinned and spoke back.  "M-My apologies, Predecessor-sama...! We were ordered to avoid vital areas...!" "As soon as we get the order, we can pierce you at any time. We can pierce a hole in your ears, a hole in your belly button, any hole you like. Nihi!"The gold snake that had pierced Beatrice grew even longer, drawing a funnel-shaped helix and awaiting its next order. It was prepared to pierce a vital spot as soon as the evil witch told it to. "...For what reason would someone like you, who is no less brutal than I, make them avoid my vital areas? New Beatrice...!!"  "Why is it that even though you could've escaped by hiding, you took the risk of appearing again? It can't be that you came back just to protect those two young people, riight?" "...Well, who knows? *cackle*cackle*...!" "And just a second ago. Why'd you do something as soft as reviving the lovers and reuniting them? The more I hear about you, the more I learn that I don't even reach up to your feet as an incarnation of evil. If you're like that, why did you suddenly start acting so mildly? That's what I wanted to ask." "...*cackle*cackle*! I am brutal, therefore I am fickle. What purpose could questioning that possibly serve?" "Chiester Sisters, sew her." As the cruel witch had ordered, it drew a cross-stitch through Beato's chest. The gold thread made a squeaking sound and tormented Beato... Rather than a gold snake searching for its prey, it waited for orders like a sewing needle ready to sew Beato.  "If it's you we're talking about, there's no way it could've been a whim. I've heard about you. And I've learned. You're such an incarnation of evil that I don't even rise up to your feet. I thought I was truly a fitting successor to you." "...But you've always been in the way. You always say warm, pleasant things that shock me. What changed you? You explored the depths of evil for one thousand years, and I let you live... because I wanted to know what happened to make you change so much." BGM: Thanks for Being Born "Sew." Beato's chest was once again sewn with a golden cross-stitch. It tightened once again, squeezing fresh blood from Beato's chest. The intense pain it caused ran in conflict with its beauty to the eye. "...You might be one of those things that disappear when they die and don't leave a corpse. So I'll kill you slowly." "But if you answer my questions honestly, I'll let you die easy. I'll give you a splendid, gorgeous death, perfect for my Predecessor-sama. I'll sink you in a coffin filled with water and roses. Isn't that wonderful? And you still won't talk? About the reason for your change of heart?" "Sew. Twice." "Gyoah, gwuaahh...!!" "Of course, you don't have to answer. After all, that way I get to torture you. Kuukuhihihihihihihihihihi!!" "The Endless Magic truly is wonderful. When you think about it, this world is limited in every way. The endless cannot exist in the human world. Because gods are without limits, the human world is deprived of all limitlessness, so that they can be looked down upon." "...So, in other words, this endless power is the power of the gods! A wonderful power where, the more you play with it, the more fun ways of playing you find! You used that power as you pleased for one thousand years and went on a rampage! Why are you having a change of heart only now? You aren't gonna say you regret handing it over to me, are you?"  "And this is what you realized...? Then what... is it?" "*cackle*cackle*cackle*! Wander about for a thousand years without realizing, foolish witch." "Sew. Three times this time." "Gwoah, gyuooh, gu...!!!"Beato's chest had been embroidered with the gold thread. It tightened even more, causing Beato more and more pain... "...Well, that's fine. I'm no longer curious about what kind of revelations an old hag who refuses to die might've had. I'm bored now, so I'll just kill you. If I do, the barrier around the parlor will dissolve." "...Then I'll torture Kanon and Jessica to death a whole bunch of times. Being able to have two lovers as my toys at the same time... sounds pretty fun, right? Kuhhihihhihhihihihhihihihihi!!" "Kill her...!!!" Beato finally remembered the actual feeling of dying, which she had forgotten over the course of a thousand years... But... she couldn't die. She must not die. If she died, it would mean handing over the two in the parlor to the cruel witch. So she definitely couldn't die. She resolutely... refused to die...!  "No waay. Isn't tearing apart two who love each other fun? You said it yourself. So I want to try it!" "*cackle*cackle*... In that case, I mustn't allow you that pleasure... *cackle*cackle* Yes, it can be fun, tearing apart lovers." "Really? I'm sure it is fun. So don't get in my way!! Sew more! Sew, sew, sew!!" "Nihi! 410, Understoood!!"The merciless gold sewing needle sewed the gold thread through Beato's heart over and over again. However, no matter how much it tightened, that heart did not stop... "Nng, aaaaahhh, this isn't nearly enough... I won't die by something like this...!!" "What are you doing? Make this old hag shut up. Kill her quickly!" "...W-We're killing her...!! Even though we've sewn her heart in place several times, this person's heart... w-won't stop...!!" "...Are you... immortal?" "Of course not. I've handed the endless over to you. My heart will not beat many more times."  "Sew!! Keep sewing until her heart stops moving!!" "Guuh, guooooh, gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!" "...Wh-Why doesn't she die?! It's impossible...!!" "Why... isn't her heart stopping... even though it's been sewn in place?!" "Who cares, we'll make the heart explode from the inside nyeh...! How pitiful, and you could've died cleanly if you hadn't resisted us!!"As they said that, even though the gold needle and thread made round trips over and over again, Beato still didn't die... The cruel witch eventually grew pale at how bizarre that was.  "...*cackle*cackle*cackle* You probably cannot understand. Even I didn't understand. And yet, somehow or another, it seems that this is true magic. In other words, I have now... become it. I have become... a true witch!!" "Detonate!!!"There was a terrible sound...and gold leaf was scattered around the area, along with a cloud of gold butterflies. Beato's chest had opened wide from the inside, and from that, gold butterflies and gold leaf poured out, staining the surrounding area gold... Then, Beato's flesh crumpled. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, she crouched down...and crumpled.   "M-Monster, eeeeeeeeep...!"When the Chiester Sisters saw that, they fell on their butts in shock. Somehow, even though Beato had become nothing more than a heart, it still kept beating, continuing to protect the barrier to the parlor. It was an immeasurably vast magical power. Impossible to measure. In other words, endless.  "Chiester Sisters!! Smash that heart!! Quickly!!" "I-It's impossible, my apologies! We can't do it!!" "...Indeed, it probably will be impossible. No number of people could crush that heart. And certainly not the soldiers who serve under His Highness the Dragon King." "In that case, an Endless Witch like me should be able to crush it, right? My power is that of a god!!" "...Just what... do you mean by that...?" "Just as there can be no light without knowledge of shadows, there can be no infinite without knowledge of the finite. Before Milady Beatrice's true endless power, your frail magic is quite, quite lacking." "What is... that... aah-"The cruel witch was surprised and stepped back. It was thinner than a lace curtain... no, Beatrice's form was still standing there. Even after being laid bare so tragically like this, she refused to let evil through that door. At that time, a shadow just as thin as Beatrice stood behind her. It was Kanon.  "...Hmph. I'll hear those words of yours once the number of my blessings has surpassed the number of grievances I have caused. Was that long enough?" "Yes. Truly, thank you very much. And Beatrice-sama... you have also done enough. Please, be at peace..." "...Is that so? Is this... enough...? Ha, *cackle*cackle*cackle*..." "What's going on...? ...Why are you guys calling that old hag Beatrice?!" "Beatrice is my name, right?! It's got to be, since I'm the new Golden Witch and Endless Witch, right?!" "...How rude. How dare you claim Beatrice-sama's name." "I am afraid to say... that the name of Beatrice-sama belongs to the one crowned as the Endless Witch. Right now, you are the Predecessor. Pukkukukukuku." "What... did you say...?" "...Farewell, Kanon. I'm sure I'll see you soon enough. In a new nightmare." "...In the nightmare of a new night, I will once again be your companion, Beatrice-sama... With that, if you would excuse me..."Kanon's form grew faint, and he disappeared into thin air.  Then, there was a *splat*. The golden heart that had been floating in midair... lost its sparkle, became bloodstained flesh, and fell to the ground. How frail it was. It was ragged and full of holes. But until a moment ago, it had sparkled so much, had continued to beat so forcefully. That heart still just barely managed to beat. However, it was only a matter of time before it stopped. Beatrice, whose form had become fragile and faint like incense smoke, lay on the floor, steadily watching her own heart... There, the cruel witch could be seen...  "How can there be a finite infinity? That's a contradiction, it couldn't exist! This is the limit of your magic! The endless is better than the finite!!" "..."Beatrice no longer even had the will to respond. No, on the contrary, it was doubtful that the words of the cruel witch even reached her ears... "If you're a real Endless Witch, try standing up!! How's it going? You can't stand, can you?!" "Why do you think you can't stand?! It's because you aren't the Endless Witch!!"The cruel witch poked Beatrice's heart with her fingernail. Beatrice had no words with which to respond to that provocation. However, instead of words, she returned a single expression. It felt humiliating only to the cruel witch.   There was no way she had misheard it. That rough squeaking of heels was the sound of Battler's footsteps... "...Battler, is it...? Ha, *cackle*cackle*cackle*... After talking so tough, I ended up like this..." "..." "...I've been trying to become... the true witch you talked about... in my own way..." "...Yeah. I was watching." "...Hey, have I... been able to become... a witch...? Have I earned... the right to become your opponent...?" Battler said it unbelievably bluntly. As Beatrice breathed painfully, she saw this and sneered at herself, as though she should have expected it. "...Ha, *cackle*... I see. Yes, the road to becoming a true witch will be much, much longer than this..." "...However, I will not surrender... Just like you never surrendered to my torture, I will definitely... become a true witch... and be... accepted as your opponent..." "Yeah, it's no good. It's no goddamn good at all. You aren't my opponent." "Die, you old hag!! Let's see how endless you are when you've been crushed to a pulp!! I'm the witch! I am the Golden Witch, Beatrice!!! Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieee!!"  
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Jan 4, 2017 |
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Jan 4, 2017 14:24
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what
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Jan 4, 2017 14:40
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...Is Battler magic?
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Jan 4, 2017 15:45
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BEATRIIIICEEEEEEEEEE
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Jan 4, 2017 15:45
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CottonWolf posted:...Is Battler magic? The real witches were inside us all along!
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Jan 4, 2017 15:51
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CottonWolf posted:...Is Battler magic? He can totally be magic if you give up and accept the existence of witches!
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Jan 4, 2017 15:56
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AfroSquirrel posted:The real witches were inside us all along! The true form of magic is the friends we made along the way.
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Jan 4, 2017 15:56
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Haha, Battler managed to separate the killer from the witch so he dragged the killer to the table. God, this game is great. 
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Jan 4, 2017 16:11
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 I don't know what the gently caress is going on anymore, but I love it. This is reeeealy cathartic on many fronts.Charles Dickens posted:He went to church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and fro, and patted children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of houses, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed that any walk -- that anything -- could give him so much happiness. Too bad Professor couldn't get this update to align with Christmas without breaking tables or his poor wrist again, but I'm assigning it to Christmas anyway in my head-canon, because Beato's face turn- A face turn! For Beato! That I believe! I can't even! - is too good for me not to.
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Jan 4, 2017 16:45
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halfhazardKnight posted:He can totally be magic if you give up and accept the existence of witches! He's a wizard, a totally different category which doesn't require accepting evil witches.
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