|
curiousCat posted:Okay. I think there's a way to put this scenario together. If we combine theories we've already been floating around here. Everything except for... whatever those numbers are. Whatever a "small golden land" is. Let's separate out the twilights. I'm pretty mystified by those numbers, which probably means they relate to the epitaph somehow because I lost track of that whole thing a while back and because that's supposed to be the thing that shows you where the golden land is. Maybe some of the gold was moved from the main vault to somewhere else? Could the numbers be some fractional longitude and latitude or something? (It would be a weird coincidence if part of that was Battler's birthday, though.) Maybe George figured it out, and that's why it says his soul was traded for it? curiousCat posted:Fourth-Sixth Twilights: It's certainly the guns. I think I mentioned earlier, but all you have to do at this point is imagine that Eva jammed stakes in the bullet wounds after the fact. I don't imagine that if a fight broke out, BOTH sides were armed with some kind of stake-shooting device; Kinzo is a loving weirdo, so it's possible that there is such a device on the island, but the idea that there are two and that they get hold of both of them before the fight starts and they both vanish without a trace afterward is stretching things a bit. It's much easier to imagine Eva trying to muddy things up by desecrating some corpses. Now, there's no way this would fool a modern pathologist, but a) this is a long while ago, when things were less sophisticated and b) the after-action police report from episode 1 suggests that there was nothing left afterward but random body parts. I mean, they talk about identifying Maria from a piece of her jawbone; you don't do that if you have anything else recognizable left. (It's specifically noted that they couldn't tell if any of the children were there at all, which, brrr.) That's why the murders can vary so wildly from episode to episode, probably; if the murderer went back and just chopped everyone up after the fact, it might be hard to determine how they were killed initially. This is also probably why you have to posit a survivor of some kind, since somebody has to go back and chop up those bodies, although honestly after doing that it wouldn't be too shocking if the murderer committed suicide, especially since you probably don't get to inherit all the money if you're the sole survivor from a massacre like that. (If the murderer jumps into the ocean at the end, there's no body, or if they sneak off the island, ditto.) I assume that wasn't the original plan, but things clearly went off the rails at some point during the evening. When I was double-checking this, I also was reminded that we're told the first version of this story was told by a literal message in a bottle that was fished up out of the sea. I assume it was the fake version with the witches, although I have no idea who had time to write that during all this poo poo. Maybe the murderer did it after the fact, before escaping or dying. It's attributed to Maria, but anybody can write a name on a note. curiousCat posted:Seventh-Eighth Twilights: Probably doesn't need a cart. If the theorizing up to this point is correct, she has 1-3 collaborators to help her kill people and move bodies, depending on their current positions and statuses. (Nanjo, Sayo, and K.) curiousCat posted:Ninth Twilight: I like the theory that Nanjo did it, because it explains why he gets killed later. Look at it like this: maybe he spots George sneaking out and follows him. They get to the room and George realizes that Shannon's body is not there. Nanjo appears and George realizes that he must have been in on it, since there's no way he would have said Shannon was dead if she wasn't. They argue and Nanjo kills him, then runs off back to the guest house because he knows he's in the poo poo. Sayo arrives and hangs around the room grieving, since she probably wasn't in this to kill him. Then: curiousCat posted:Battler, Nanjo, Eva, and Jessica storm the mansion. S and K lay in wait. Eva blinds Jessica in her very real freakout. The two pairs split. S confronts Nanjo outside of the servant room. They have an argument that Jessica hears -- and then Jessica hears Kanon's voice. It's K, guiding her around away from "the witch" while S kills Nanjo. If Nanjo killed George, that explains why Sayo kills him here. That wasn't part of Eva's plan, and presumably she doesn't like it either. curiousCat posted:Eva and Battler eventually return and stumble upon Nanjo's body. Both immediately assume the other must, in fact, be the murderer. Battler accuses Eva, Eva says that it "took him long enough to notice", notably not confirming she killed all of them or anything of the sort. Eva survives. S, K, and possibly even Jessica leave the island through alternative means (?). Alternatively, S, K, and Jessica stay in "the Golden Land" (that other bedroom) until the story is over. That would cover how they reunite, if that counts as true. As for chewed to bits by demons... thrown off a cliff and dashed against the rocks? I don't know. Probably Eva kills everyone that's left. They can all provide evidence against her at this point. The nibbling could be the aforementioned corpse mutilation. Which, sure, could involve just hurling bodies into the sea and letting them get dashed to pieces on the rocks. Since Eva's noted to have survived here, she probably sneaks off the island before the ferry arrives - there could easily be a boat somewhere on the island, and there's probably time between when the weather clears up and that happens. That might even provide a motive for the mutilation, to fake her own death. Most likely this isn't the way things were supposed to go - Eva's original plan probably would have had her husband and son surviving, and they might have been able to create reasonable doubt or blame things on the servants with all three of them working together. (George probably doesn't know anything during the story, but could be brought in as an accomplice after the fact, or even had his innocence used as a tool to make the alibis more believable.) Now that everyone else is dead, the plan is in the shitter.
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 11:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 11:54 |
|
|
 BGM: Organ Short #600 Million in C Minor  "...I searched all over the place for a piece fitting for a game with you. I was sure you'd like it." "What's with that piece?! Who was that person, who was it?! She didn't say her name! That's mean!! Hey, don't you think so too?!" "...I have a general idea. Or rather, I imagine most people would've figured it out." "Most people?! Well I don't get it, and it was that character's first appearance, wasn't it?! If she doesn't say her name, I won't understand, the players won't understand, no one will understand, right?!" "...Beato, don't bother telling her. See? Isn't she a funny kid?" "I-Indeed. Lady Lambdadelta's innocent airhead side is truly precious and amusing. *cackle*cackle*!" "Come on, come on, why won't you tell only me, you meanie?!! In exchange, I'll teach you a special secret that only I know! So tell me!" "...Hoh. A special secret, you say?! I want to hear, I want to hear...!" "Bleah! If you want me to tell you, first tell me who that girl really was! The secret I know sure is awesome! After all, it's about as awesome as knowing that Santa-san is actually daddy! Huh? *giggle*! I said it☆ Sorry, I'll bet you're so shocked that it turned your world upside-down, right?! Ohohohohoh!" "...So, your father was the one who came to your place, Lambda?" "He came... wait, what do you me-an?"  "Well, Lord Santa Claus is gracious. Unless you're a reeeally bad scoundrel, he'll give you a present. After all, he even gave them to me!" "...As you grow and your heart is hardened, he stops coming, doesn't he? How old were you, Beato, when he stopped coming?" "Indeed. He kept coming until I was about 12. When my maiden's heart awoke, I quickly got somewhat embarrassed about Lord Santa coming." "After I wrote 'Thanks for everything, that's enough, so make sure you splurge on the last set of presents', he stopped coming. Oooh, and I was looking forward to it too! How old were you when he stopped coming, Lady Bernkastel?" "...I was pretty wild. It happened fairly early. I think when I was about 9. Something about that beard really irritated me, so I waited in my futon with some sewing scissors ready, trying to cut it off. What a painful age." "So, as far back as Lady Lambdadelta can remember, Lord Santa Claus never came to see her, huh? He usually comes until the last year of elementary school or during middle school." "...Maybe we should take her to a doctor. I hear that being too precocious can have negative side-effects on the growth of mind and body. Yeah, you can definitely see some of those. Those negative side-effects." "*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*! Wahahahaha, it truly is boisterous when three witches gather!" "...If you're talking about a secret on that level, I doubt this will be worth listening to. Can I go now? I have to get ready for the next game." "What, hey, wait a sec! Tell me who that woman really was!!" "...Well then, tell me this special secret of yours first. If it's good enough, then I'll tell you." "Hohohohoh!! Okay, I'll tell you, 'cause it really is a special secret! Remember, in this game, there was a girl who found the gold and became the new witch, right?" "Indeed. And just what kind of secret might that person have?" "Ehheheheheh! I figured out who that girl really is. Does anyone know? *giggle*giggle*! There was a hint in the way she talked." "She was actually... Ushiromiya Eva!! What do you think?! Are you shocked?! Ohohohohoh!!" "Hoh...! I never noticed that! Muu, to think that there would be a hint in a place like that." "...You're a real good sport, Beato. This kid tends to get full of herself, so try not to overdo it. See you, I'm leaving." "Wait, wait! It's not fair if you just listen to my secret and don't tell me yours!! Tell me who she really was!!" "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh, don't say it!! I'm still playing i-t!!" "...Ahhahahahahhahhahhahha... See you, Beato. The black tea was delicious. However, the repertoire of jam on the crackers was lacking. Add some gochujang chili paste every once in a while. It goes great with Russian tea. Later." "Oh, I see. I shall try it. I'll call for some after preparing the next game. Until then, feel free to polish up your strategy at your leisure." "Yes, I'll do that. This last game was pretty interesting. Later." "He-y, wait a sec, tell me-!!!" "...Yes, that's right. Oh, I really like you, Bernkastel. You could even say I love you. I want to gouge out your eyes so that you see no one other than me. Oh, that would be so wonderful. It'd be great to dunk them in black tea. Aha!" "To think that you would be so entranced, Lady Lambdadelta. I have a serious responsibility. Still, this last game really was close! I was a breath away from getting Battler." "...Beato, can I ask you something?" "What is it? I won't tell you that girl's name. *cackle*cackle*!" BGM: Miragecoordinator Lambdadelta threatened her with a low voice that she had never used in front of Bernkastel. It completely blew away the calm atmosphere that had been there until a moment ago.  "...You know I'm supporting you because you're supposed to be a witch who can win against Bernkastel. If you don't have the power to win against her, then I'll abandon you right away, okay...?" "...How harsh of you. What about me dissatisfies you? As you know, my game board is perfect. Lady Bernkastel will never be able to win..." "Yeah, that's right. Your board truly is impressive. It truly is an impressive and perfect game board that Bernkastel definitely won't be able to win in, not even after a hundred years, or even a thousand years." "...That's why I made you a witch in exchange for letting me borrow it. If I stop being your guardian, you'll immediately go back to being a Human. Make sure you don't forget that, no matter how much incredible magical power you hold, you are nothing more than a temporary witch." "...I-I understand. I'm grateful to you..." "Don't speak so casually to me. I'll forgive that when Bernkastel's around, but not when she isn't. I'll bet you've started to forget how much you owe me." "Th-That is... n-n-not so..." "...Aah, you really are disgusting. Go ahead and talk the way you usually do. But be mindful of what you say. I have a surprisingly short temper, you see?" "I-Indeed..." "Let's get back to what we were discussing. Your game board truly is perfect. You should be able to defeat Bernkastel without any trouble... But that kid won't surrender easily. She'll challenge you over and over." "That is no problem. It has been certified by you, Lady Lambdadelta. My game board is perfect." "...What do you mean by that...?" "What do I mean? That's what I want to hear. You play around a lot in your game. Sometimes, that ends up confusing Bernkastel, so at first I thought it was some special strategy of yours." "...But I get the feeling that's not quite true. Rather than toying with the opponent in a match you can win, you don't actually care whether you win or lose, right?" "R-Ridiculous... How could that be...?" "You know what? Your role is to make Bernkastel surrender. In other words, that means being the victor in this game for all eternity. As long as you keep trying to become the victor 'with certainty', then I'll give you my power as the Witch of Certainty. However." "If you fight in a way that doesn't eliminate any possibility of your loss, that's a different story." "Of course, this is a game... Just as Lady Bernkastel will lose when I win, I will sometimes lose when she wins. The possibility of loss always exists. Therefore, I will-" "...What's the role of a bird cage? Making certain the little bird inside never escapes. What's a bird cage worth if it has cracks that sometimes let a bird out?" "...O-Of course, games exist for the purpose of winning. And it is impossible for me to lose. Therefore, I will continue to win... As you wish, for all eternity..." "Good answer, that'll be fine. I'll allow you to play around and use fakes as part of your tactics. It ended up being useful during parts of this round. But you know what? If you make a move hoping for anything else other than victory, make sure you're prepared for something amazing, okay?" "I-I will not do such a thing... I swear it...!" "...Because originally, you weren't even a witch, and at any time, I'll remind you what a truly shabby creature you were. If you betray my expectations, that is. As soon as you do, you can look forward to a fun, fun punishment game." "...In the world of billions of Fragments, I'll send you into the most miserable one and seal you there. You were already miserable to start with, so there's gonna be some reeeally miserable Fragments out there for the picking. *giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*." "..."   
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 14:29
|
|
|
Truly, a plan worthy of the master of super paper
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 14:44
|
|
|
If anything, this update is just reinforcing my idea that witches... are just bitches.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 14:44
|
|
|
bman in 2288 posted:If anything, this update is just reinforcing my idea that witches... are just bitches. Isn't that just another way of saying that witches exist, though?
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 14:47
|
|
|
Lord Santa Claus visited me until I was about 13 or 14 if I remember correctly, mostly for the benefit of my younger siblings thoughbman in 2288 posted:If anything, this update is just reinforcing my idea that witches... are just bitches. You sound bitter
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 14:59
|
|
|
tiistai posted:Lord Santa Claus visited me until I was about 13 or 14 if I remember correctly, mostly for the benefit of my younger siblings though Lord Santa Claus never visited me because, as a Jew, my Anti-Magic Resistance was too high. If you read back through the torah, Moses was in fact the original Battler.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 15:21
|
|
|
oath2order posted:Lord Santa Claus never visited me because, as a Jew, my Anti-Magic Resistance was too high. Useless, it's all useless! By proposing pair of glass walls X, a pathway through the sea could EASILY be made by Humans!
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 15:25
|
|
|
To be honest, I'm pretty sure Moses was down with magic poo poo from the start. Plagues of frogs, murdering firstborns, rivers parting. That's some stereotypical witch stuff if ever I saw it.Kaninrail posted:Useless, it's all useless! By proposing pair of glass walls X, a pathway through the sea could EASILY be made by Humans! 
CottonWolf fucked around with this message at 15:35 on Jan 9, 2017 |
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 15:27
|
|
|
Kaninrail posted:Useless, it's all useless! By proposing pair of glass walls X, a pathway through the sea could EASILY be made by Humans! I was more thinking of the part where Pharaoh calls on his great sorcerers to intimidate Moses and he literally just goes "Dame da, zenzen dame da."
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 15:29
|
|
|
It's just Charlton Heston crying and pointing dramatically with Battler's Ryukishi hair
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 18:09
|
|
|
bman in 2288 posted:If anything, this update is just reinforcing my idea that witches... are just bitches. Chill out, and enjoy the opportunity to see Beatrice get dunked on after what happened last episode.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 18:10
|
|
|
Aw, I have people waiting for me to post?  Sorry to keep you all waiting, because I do try to present as cold a reaction as I can muster immediately after reading, but I was out and about yesterday and didn't actually read the update until after three. I tried writing a post several times, but I really didn't have anything to say that hadn't been said before, so I spent most of the rest of the day going over the older updates and trying to reconcile the various... incongruities with Beatrice's behavior, and eventually just waiting until tomorrow's update to weigh in. And I'm glad I did... Because I don't buy it. Not one tiny bit; there are just too many weird things about. After finishing the last update, there wasn't even much surprise on my part (I know a lot of you were hoping for a   "AAAAUGH! BEATRICE, YOU RAT! I THOUGHT YOU WAS GOING TO BE NICER TO BATTLER, BUT IT ENDED UP BEING THE OL' SUPER DOUBLE-CROSS!!! HOW COULD YOU GIVE YOUR OWN BATTLER THE SUPER DOUBLE-CROSS?!?AFLNGBKSKJBNVFG" post, but, well, sorry!), although there was a keen sense of relief... After all, if Beatrice stuck the landing on her face turn after being such a delectable heel for so long, and still so soon, it would not only be a crass cliché, but make Beato herself less interesting as a character. She just pulled out what could have been a total fabrication all chapter*, and the other witches either have their own thing and/or are dangerously unstable, so the only real thing I can say about witches is that they are liars. They lie and lie and lie some more, and the task, it would seem, is to defeat the lie while exposing the truth.But what is the truth, especially when it comes to Beatrice? The only thing I can point to about her that seems true beyond her ability to lie is her... whatever you want to call it regarding betrayal. She has... I don't want to say a fetish for it, because this really isn't that kind of game, but it drives her in a way I can't really determine. This episode was about engineering a betrayal for Battler, to make him think she was heading down a path of good and then yanking the rug away, and her other big target for this is Kanon, in setting up betrayal of his expectations or taunting him about his relationships. (She attempts to do the same with Shannon, but can't really, which stymies her.) At first, I thought this was indicative of her need for revenge against Kinzo, to just break everything connected to him as her way of punishing him for his mistreatment of her but if that's the case... why does she really seem not to care about Kinzo at all? When they are portrayed together, Beato doesn't seem vengeful, but just a bit sad, and the one time Battler happened upon them together, Beato just focused on Battler and not on Kinzo, as if Kinzo, for all of his BEATRICE!! and OH DESIRE, kinda bores her. She doesn't seem like a vengeful spirit at all, so what then? Is she just a monster, then, a terrible trollbeast who wears any kind of face to have fun? If so, then what about all of the times that she seems to feel something when nobody else is watching? Like her relationship with Maria; she seems to have a very real connection with her based around the promise of the Golden Land, and it seems to genuinely shock and disturb Beato when she can’t keep her promise to Maria this time around. And then there's her complicated relationship with Shannon; she claims to Kanon that she was just encouraging her relationship with George to hurt her, but when she was actually bonding with Shannon on the beach, she seemed really reminiscent of the Beatrice that Rosa met, all innocent interest at the world and the people in it and why they do the things they do. And Shannon, through that unique meeting and understanding of Beatrice, gained insight on the Golden that no other character seems to have, since it is only Shannon who seems to be able to elicit genuine emotional reactions from Beatrice in the story so far. In fact, can we get an instant replay of the first time she did that, please: ProfessorProf posted:
Ep 2 has been documented as the rising of the Golden Witch's power, but this moment here... this exposed a crack. Shannon called her a bully who likes to torment people for fun (and to be fair, there is something to that), and somehow, this gets Beato- it gets her bad, in a way Battler could never hope to. Is it because Shannon hit the nail on the head... or could it be there's a part of Beato that really doesn't want to do any of this, that hates that she has to go to such measures to play God with these people's lives? Is she being forced by something to go through with this, or does she feel she has no other choice? There was also this weird moment that TCL brought up about yesterday's episode: ProfessorProf posted:
There's this whole range of emotion here, and I don't buy Qrr's assertion that Beato is just showing off how easy it is for her to lie by changing her face; if that were the case, why not go whole hog and show Beato's tearful face, or love filled face, to really rub Battler's nose in it? No, it seems to me that Beato is deliberately suppressing her emotions here, in order to make her betrayal as painful and damaging as possible. Why is that even necessary if you're just out to have fun, and don't really care what damage you do... and why faff around so much if you're not playing around? Because this is twice now when Beato had Battler dead to rights and then didn't make the victory stick: by torturing Rosa to goad him into fighting again last episode, and then going overboard with the creepiness in this one (I don't just mean the leering at the end, I mean the whole ridiculous thing with everyone acting goofy with that tinkly music**). The setup is ridiculously favoring Battler as well, and it has from the beginning- he literally CANNOT LOSE if he doesn't accept witches, and has been portrayed as a stubborn, never-say-die hardhead from the beginning. So Beato is not vengeful, not completing a ritual, not out to win against Battler, and doesn't want to torture him without reason either. So what does that leave? Obviously we'll never know for sure until we know the mystery of what happened on this island, but in the meantime... I think I may actually be with TCL on this one. I don't think that there's any secret love or desire to be good there, but... what if all of this is to guide Battler to the greater mystery? What if Beatrice is using her horrible trollbeast persona to strip away Battler's incompetence and get him to be a more critical thinker? In the second episode, she attacked Battler's naiveté that there could have been another person, and this episode, she further eroded his resistance to suspecting his family. Not only that, she put on a huge song and dance that guided Battler into not thinking of Beatrice as an enemy, and then actively punished him for letting her control the narrative so much. It's horrible and soul destroying for Battler to go through, but it is working: the Battler at the end of this episode is far removed from the callow, brainless person perving on his cousins at the beach in the first episode. (It would also provide an interesting reason for why she treats Kanon the way she does: she knows he hates being a servant and has an unspoken love for Jessica, so she torments him mercilessly to goad him the same way she goads Battler to break out of his rut, but Kanon is too broken by his years of servitude to do much of anything about it, so Beatrice isn't interested in him.) I could be wrong about all this- I certainly am wrong on some of it, I know- but today's update had LambdaDelta herself suspecting that there's more to Beato's Game than she lets on, so you'll forgive me if I am disinclined to take anybody's definitive word on the matter. *seriously, this last Tea Party update casts aspersions about anything in Beato's backstory might have been real, including Virgilia. I mean, I had doubts that the Virgilia after the big battle scene was really her, or a construct of Beato's meant to put Battler off his guard (or was straight up Strawberry Shortcackle in disguise), but LambdaDelta's conversation makes me wonder if there ever was a Virgilia... but then, how does that explain Beato's memory in the beginning? She isn't even aware of the audience, so it doesn't make sense to lie, so what's the deal there; was there just someone in her past who pretended to be a witch to humor her/make her feel better about breaking a vase that one time? **Happiness of Marionette... what a great name for that tune, because it really does portray false happiness well; nothing deep or resonant, but the momentary satisfaction you get when you just stop thinking and stay still... or perhaps are just being pulled about by your own ambition. resurgam40 fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Jan 9, 2017 |
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 18:58
|
|
"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?"
"Nothing to do with youuu...?"
"I...I was...tr-...tricked...? That can't be...You aren't that kind of-" 
|
tiistai posted:
A little bit. Give me an extra day to recover from the burn that was episode 3.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 19:26
|
|
|
Um question. We have had a mention of a different 'when they cry' game. Is it okay to talk about that one, or should we remain silent about it?
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 19:27
|
|
|
I'm just glad Battler didn't give in and I'm also glad that Beato/rice didn't actually repent. Turnabout: Witches Three.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 19:29
|
|
|
grandalt posted:Um question. We have had a mention of a different 'when they cry' game. Is it okay to talk about that one, or should we remain silent about it? I believe we've had a black bar spoiler policy for things regarding higurashi. I basically posted a description of connective aspects of the higurashi ending to umineko after episode 2. oath2order fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Jan 9, 2017 |
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 19:31
|
|
|
I really like this update, especially seeing Lambdadelta changing her tone once Berkenstien leaves. It really makes me think that she's putting up a fake, ignorant, cute poker face on her impatience running thin. Like some Godfather lecturing their nephew about giving Battler and offer he can't refuse instead being smug about the game still going on after a really risky move. I'm also glad resurgam40 is still posting.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 19:31
|
|
|
That was a good post, and I'm glad that you mentioned that Beatrice seems to have a little something for betrayal, since that ties into a theory of mine about what the imaginary figment Beatrice represents for Battler, who has been hallucinating their brains out for the entire story. Betrayal, that's what Beatrice is. The fact that one or more of the 18 people on Rokkenjima slaughtered everyone else on the island in brutal and cruel fashions betrays the friendly ideas that Battler had about the people he knew. So going along with resurgam's post pointing out that Beatrice seems infatuated with betraying people, it makes sense. They can't help it when they are practically composed of betrayal itself.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 19:34
|
|
|
I'll confirm a black bar spoiler policy for Higurashi.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 19:47
|
|
|
I wonder if Beatrice is plotting a betrayal of Lambdadelta.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 20:20
|
|
|
resurgam40 posted:The setup is ridiculously favoring Battler as well, and it has from the beginning- he literally CANNOT LOSE if he doesn't accept witches, and has been portrayed as a stubborn, never-say-die hardhead from the beginning. Then again, he can't win, either, which is a poor outcome for his helper/patron/whatever.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 20:22
|
|
|
Awesome effortpost, resurgam40, and not just because you keep saying that my theories are right  . Actually, it kind of goes along some stuff I was thinking about last night while taking a smoke break. My academic background is in history and the semiotics of film, and I've done a bit of writing on horror films and a concept called "the monstrous feminine." I think understanding how that concept works and how it applies to Umineko can maybe help us shed some light on who/what Beatrice is supposed to signify. She's a really great character to analyze, but I think it's worth expanding our view outside of her as an individual character into considering her as a deconstruction of a classic horror archetype. I'll try to keep it short and relatively jargon-free.In brief, the "monstrous feminine" is the fear of womanhood made into images/legends, from vagina dentata to Medusa to succubi to witches. It reflects a patriarchal society's anxieties toward female empowerment, symbolic or literal castration, and maternity, among other things, and is closely tied to the idea of the abject, which describes those things that we/society must find repulsive in order to function. Corpses, bodily fluids, incest (hello George/Oedipus!), out-of-bounds sexuality—unassimilable concepts that transgress the boundaries between civilization and anarchy, truth and magic. In horror films and folklore, the monstrous feminine can serve as a guide for us to safely explore the abject in order to exorcise our desire for it; thus, preserving the social order and our identities as people within that order. We actually depend on the abject's existence to better define ourselves and say, "I am not X." Think Teeth, The Exorcist, The Witch. In Umineko, Beatrice is a cipher, a cryptic character with multiple facets and whose power as an Endless Witch lies in disrupting the boundary between life and death. Her association with corpse mutilation, bizarre ritual, cannibalism, weaponized female bodies, and symbolic castration make her a prime example of the monstrous feminine at work. On a surface level, she embodies everything that must be violently rejected by Battler in order for him to come to an understanding of the truth. But I think if this is supposed to be a (feminist?) deconstruction of horror and mystery, it makes sense to consider whether Beatrice is knowingly manipulating that archetype (as she just manipulated the tsundere archetype this episode!) in order to become an active player in her own story. As others (and Lambdadelta!) have pointed out, there are cracks in her façade that seem to show glimpses of her true agenda. That is to say, she's not really a monster; she's just playing one on-screen. And we've seen echoes of this with other female characters, which I think is meant to hint at that big reveal. We see this with Maria and her kihihi persona; Shannon and Sayo; Jessica and Jessi; Eva and Evatrice; Kumasawa and Virgilia; Rosa and the "bad witch." For Jessica, Rosa, and Eva especially, pushing away emotions and urges that are abject is part of the project of maintaining their identities and roles in the prevailing social order. (And oh boy, is Kinzo the definitive patriarch!) This is also highlighted by the flashback to Kuwadorian earlier in this episode: the "Beatrice" identity is a source of power, but essentially a cage. There's someone hiding on the other side of the Golden Witch's mask, simultaneously challenging and begging Battler to expose them. It's worth nothing that this story doesn't show this rejection of unpalatable emotions to be a good thing. The project of Umineko could be to feel out under what conditions one might be able to reconcile the abject with social order in order to "save the witch," in a sense. Perhaps, as hinted at in this episode, the true Golden Land is the erosion of the boundaries between "self" and "other" and a reclamation of the monstrous feminine in service of the whole truth of human existence. tl;dr: Bato x Beato 4eva witchcore ricepunk fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Jan 10, 2017 |
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 21:00
|
|
|
Also their are some implications with Lambadelta saying that she empowered Beatrice and made her a Witch. And that she can take away her power and turn her back to a human at any time.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 21:19
|
|
|
MonsterEnvy posted:Also their are some implications with Lambadelta saying that she empowered Beatrice and made her a Witch. And that she can take away her power and turn her back to a human at any time. We have a bonus update coming up in the episode break that will tell the story of Lambda and Beatrice meeting for the first time. Please look forward to it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 21:31
|
|
|
oath2order posted:We have a bonus update coming up in the episode break that will tell the story of Lambda and Beatrice meeting for the first time. Please look forward to it. Good, because it threw me a little with Strawberry having to work through Beato--if she can make someone an Endless Witch, why not do it to herself to beat Bernkastel?
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:07
|
|
|
Mister Olympus posted:Good, because it threw me a little with Strawberry having to work through Beato--if she can make someone an Endless Witch, why not do it to herself to beat Bernkastel? Bern trashed her in Higurashi
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:15
|
|
|
Rodyle posted:Bern trashed her in Higurashi Right, that's the confusing part. We have the whole rock-(super) paper-scissors thing, where Beato in this case is the rock... but if the paper can produce a rock out of whole cloth, how is it not already super paper, or a rock-paper hybrid impervious to scissors? Why the proxy? e: Now I'm half-thinking it'll come out that Beato made Bern a witch and Bern made Lambda a witch and we have a weirdo escher triangle of magical patronage.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:24
|
|
|
DLord posted:Shouldn't you change your avatar firebird after it has been proven that Eve is not a witch. By two "real witches" Strawberry Shortcackle gave her approval and that's good enough for me!
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:25
|
|
|
As she stated it's sort of like a rock paper scissors situation. Bern is scissors and can beat Lambda paper, Lambda's paper beats Beatrice's rock and Beatrice's rock beats Bern's scissors. Lambda more or less is a paper that is threatening rock to beat scissors for her. Mister Olympus posted:Right, that's the confusing part. We have the whole rock-(super) paper-scissors thing, where Beato in this case is the rock... but if the paper can produce a rock out of whole cloth, how is it not already super paper, or a rock-paper hybrid impervious to scissors? Why the proxy? Guessing it's cause while she can bring a rock out. It does not change that she is still paper.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:25
|
|
|
Tender Child Loins posted:Amazing archetype breakdown analysis effortpost This is really good and I can't wait for you to look back at this once we've gone through the Answer arcs.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:33
|
|
|
DentD posted:This is really good and I can't wait for you to look back at this once we've gone through the Answer arcs. Once you guys get to the last episode you should just generally reread your posts in this thread for maximum comedy
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:36
|
|
|
Obviously each Witch's magic (since both Magic and Witches are Real) is an inherit part of them. Even if Lambdadelta can make Beatrice a witch, she can not change Beatrice's powers or her own.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:37
|
|
|
That is more or less the case. Magic being real, Lambda can no more make herself the Endless Witch than Beato can make herself the Witch of Miracles or Bern can be the Witch of Certainty.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2017 22:50
|
|
|
Are we going to get an Umineko episode video for 3? I liked those.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2017 00:34
|
|
|
Violet_Sky posted:Are we going to get an Umineko episode video for 3? I liked those. If you mean the Umineko Motion Graphics, there is indeed one for every episode except for the last one  . However, it cannot be posted until I finish up episode 3 tomorrow.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2017 00:36
|
|
|
Tender Child Loins posted:tl;dr: Bato x Beato 4eva This is some interesting stuff. Particularly when you consider that Beatrice is very openly a reference to Dante; Dante, like Kinzo, was obsessed with Beatrice, his first love, even after marrying another woman and having children, despite her being dead. (Thankfully, Dante just wrote some fictional representations of her rather than going crazy and starting to believe in fake magic powers. Well, okay, he did the "going crazy" part.) Beatrice, in his fiction, is the exact opposite of a female horror - a female ideal to be aspired to but which can't be attained in reality. She never had to be a real person to him, because she married someone else and died after only meeting him twice, so he was free to invest her with whatever characteristics he wanted, and those manifested directly in his work. Of course, Kinzo's obsession with Beatrice is ALSO about as far from an ideal situation as you can get; creating a fake woman who is the ultimate realization of your idea of perfect femininity is no better than creating a fake woman to embody all your fears. It just causes a different kind of problem. ProfessorProf posted:If you mean the Umineko Motion Graphics, there is indeed one for every episode except for the last one Without episode 3 being finished, it cannot etc.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2017 01:24
|
|
|
idonotlikepeas posted:Of course, Kinzo's obsession with Beatrice is ALSO about as far from an ideal situation as you can get; creating a fake woman who is the ultimate realization of your idea of perfect femininity is no better than creating a fake woman to embody all your fears. It just causes a different kind of problem. Oh man yeah, I think there's definitely some weird madonna/whore inversion going on with her, too. Alas, an effort post for another day. Basically, Kinzo/the patriarchy ruins everything.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2017 01:34
|
|
|
   BGM: Sukashiyuri The room was colored with hygienic tones... in other words, an emotionless white. It was a room at a certain university hospital. Neither her doctors nor the person herself had any doubts that this room, which had a price so high that no commoner could afford to spend a single night there, would be the last room she ever saw...  Even if someone told you that was so, she was unbelievably aged and worn out. The well-built man in a suit waiting in the corner near the door was having a whispered conversation through an intercom with someone outside. He was a guard protecting Eva's person. After telling the person on the other end of the intercom to wait, he approached Eva's bed. Eva had been awake for a short while. However, she stared at a single point in empty space, as though her mind was not in the same place.   "..."For a long time, Eva didn't answer. However, bit by bit, her eyes began to regain their focus, and she gave a small nod, indicating that she didn't mind if they called Ange. It had been Eva who called her. And she was right on time. By this point, Eva would refuse anyone who wanted a meeting without an appointment. The room was dark, even though it was still light outside, because the curtains were always closed. There was always one guard waiting in the room, and three more waiting in the corridor and the lobby. They were all there to protect Eva's person... Eventually, there was the sound of a knock. Also, there was a message from the intercom that the guest's body check had been completed with no problems. The door was unlocked, then opened... and a high school aged girl was standing there. "Chairman, Ange-san has arrived."Eva reacted and turned her face towards the guest. However, instead of reacting to the guard's call, maybe it would be better to say that she reacted to the smell of Ange's makeup. After being shut up in this room for so long, Eva was sensitive to even small changes in smell. "...So you came... Ange." BGM: Steady Pace On Eva's face, there was no trace of a person warmly welcoming their niece. And on Ange's face, you couldn't see the expression of one pleased to meet with their aunt. Eva waved her arm, which had grown as thin as a withered branch, and motioned for the guard to leave. The guard bowed silently and went out into the hall.  "...It's not only stuffy, but dark too. Why don't you have the curtains opened?" "...Is your plan for that hit man you hired to shoot me through the window...?" "...I wish I could get hired to assassinate you. All I'd have to do is relax at home for a month and the job would take care of itself." "...Heheheheh, hahhahhahhahha..."Their discussion was quite morbid for an aunt and niece. However, they didn't look like they were joking. At the very least, Eva believed that someone was after her life.  ...It was said that this fortune also included the 10 tons of hidden gold that Ushiromiya Kinzo was rumored to have hidden. While this vast wealth lay in Eva's cunning, sly, and suspicious hands, no one was able to complain, but it was rumored that as soon as it was passed on to Ange, who was no more than a young girl, certain people were plotting to snatch it away. By now, Eva and Ange were Kinzo's only descendants. If Eva died, all of the wealth would go to Ange. And if Ange were then to be killed as well, that wealth would go to the family of Ange's mother, Kyrie. In this sense, not only Eva, but Ange as well, were in a position where it wouldn't be odd at all for their life to be targeted by some unknown person. And Eva had hated Ange for a long time. This was because she knew that, after losing her only precious son, George, the inheritor of her own wealth would be none other than the girl who had been absent at that family conference 12 years ago, and who had survived. Eva shunned Ange, disliked her, and even hated her. She isolated Ange in a special school and separated her from the youth and happiness normal people have, trying to keep her as a pet until death. However, Eva had succumbed to an incurable illness, and ironically, her remaining life was estimated to be the same as Kinzo's had been at that family conference 12 years ago. Both Eva and Ange... hated each other. Even though they were each other's last blood relatives, they hated each other so much that they hoped the other would die quickly...  "...I don't have much time left. These quack doctors still can't detect any of the poison that's filling me up. I know. I'm sure it's some secret assassination drug used by those Soviet KGBs. Ooh, I'm gonna be killed, I'm gonna be killed...!! Isn't that great?! Very soon, I will die, which will surely be quite a load off your back...!" "...What a pitiable person."This always happened. They immediately deviated from the main topic, distorting it into a more unsettling discussion. Eva, who was absolutely paranoid, believed that someone was always after her life. And in actual fact, after inheriting the vast wealth of the Ushiromiya family, she had used wild methods just like Kinzo had done in the past, repeatedly making money by any means necessary and creating many enemies along the way. With a massive supply of capital, she had plotted to aggressively buy businesses that were starting to have rapid growth, making them buy it back at a high price under the guise of reconciliation. Ironically, it was the same type of action that her husband's company had been hit with 12 years ago... She had repeated this constantly for 12 years. She had also earned a lot of hatred. If her husband had heard of this from beyond the grave, he might have defended her, saying that the loneliness from losing her family fueled her actions. However, of all the people who knew her now, none would defend her. For some time, Eva eloquently spoke of how her life was being targeted, listing off names of people who hated her, and sneering at the fact that she still hadn't been killed. Even though Ange heard her own name included in that list, there was no particular change in her expression, and she waited indifferently for Eva to tire herself out...  "I'm honored. Same here." "...I built this future for George's sake. To think that it would be snatched away by you. To think that it would be stolen away by Rudolf's daughter... I can't bear it. To think that... I would have my fortune stolen away... without even leaving behind a child... That, I cannot forgive...!" "...If only you'd just give all of your fortune to charity. What about all those religious people you used to go so far out of your way to find?" "...*cackle*cackle*! They all say the same thing. ...My excessive wealth has become a burden to me. And they always say something about how I need to give it up and cleanse myself. ...Ahhahahahahahahahaha! Then I thought of something. I stopped donating!"For a time, Eva had searched for the founders of several strange and new religious cults, perhaps seeking peace in her heart. But they gave her heart no relief, and if anything, they ended up increasing her paranoia further...  "...If you have too much money, why don't you start buying up thoroughbreds and make some corned beef?" "I've thought of something even more interesting. *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*! I've worried over it a lot. What could I do to make things horrible for you? I thought about killing you. I also thought about erasing all of my wealth, leaving you penniless, and selling you off to a slave trader or something. Wouldn't that be wonderful? You'd have your arms and legs chopped off and be forced to take customers until you died. Aaah, that would be so wonderful, *cackle*cackle*cackle*!!" "...Having fun?" "Oh yes, it is. It's fun to scare you, but very soon, I will die. So I thought about how I might continue to cause you pain even after my death. And then, *cackle*cackle*!! It was surprisingly simple. I called you because I wanted to talk about it." "...I have midterms coming up. Keep it brief." BGM: Fortitude "...Oh?" "Not only that, but I decided that until the very day I die, I'll expand that fortune as much as I can, inflating it to massive proportions before having you inherit all of it. *cackle*cackle* Can you even imagine what that would be like...?" "...I don't get it. Because it's stupid." "Ehhehhehheh, *cackle*cackle*cackle*cackle*!! That's right, you don't get it, do you...?! Look forward to it, it really is fun, being rich...! Every day, youkai from across Japan come to play. From now on, your entire life will be followed by talk shows and weekly magazines. The media will criticize me no matter what I do or don't do! If I donate, they'll attack me for being bourgeois, and if I hesitate, I'll be abused as a miser. Oh, every day really is wonderful, you see? I decided it'd be great let you have that kind of life, when you're so young and have so much ahead of you. Doesn't that sound absolutely wonderful?" "...Looks like the public's opinion of all you've done was spot on." "*cackle*cackle*cackle*!! Too true, yes, that is too true. Go ahead, abuse me as much as you want. Soon, you will face that same criticism. Japanese culture dictates that good people live in honorable poverty, while the wealthy should just die. No matter what you do or do not do, you will eventually be lifted up as a symbol of envy and hate across Japan. *cackle*cackle*cackle*! I wonder how twisted your life will become after living that way... You have no allies! No one will listen to your worries. Abusing you will become a public sport. And no one can stop that! Oh, Ange! Heheheheheheh, oh, I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder how you will live your life... and how you'll end it...! Enjoy to the fullest a life of being unable to trust anyone in the world, being unable to love anyone, being unable to talk with anyone...!! I'll be patiently waiting for you to take that story of hardship down with you into hell. Heheheheh, ahahhahahahahahahaha, wa-hhahhahhahhahhahhhahahahahahahahahahhahha, gkk, *cough*cough*, ghah!!"Her insane laughter turned into a painful cough.  Perhaps because he found the violent coughing suspicious, the guard gave a short knock on the door and rushed in at the same time. Ange glanced at him, wordlessly making it clear that she didn't intend to move a step from where she was. Ange was prepared for some kind of trap to frame her in Eva's death. However, that was fortunately a needless fear. As the guard rubbed Eva's back, he poured hot water from a thermos into a mug. As he did, Eva kept coughing, apparently in pain. Ange figured that this was probably the last she'd see of the Rokkenjima Witch's final days. Eventually, the coughing subsided, and Eva regained her normal breathing. However, the glittering madness inside her eyes hadn't subsided in the slightest.   "I don't need that. More importantly, tell me. On that day, what happened on Rokkenjima? I don't believe it was an accident. Tell me the truth about what happened that day, and why Father and Mother and Nii-san died...!!" "*cackle*cackle*...! Oh, yes, that is the best way I have to harass you, isn't it? What happened on that day? What happened on this day in 1986...? You want to know what they said before they died, riiight...?"  That laugh continued until she started coughing again. And that cough did not subside until she started moaning and going into convulsions...  On Rokkenjima, the Ushiromiya family's customary... and final family conference was held. And on the next day, October 5... 'An extremely unfortunate accident' occurred, and the Ushiromiya family was wiped out. 'Fortunately', Ushiromiya Eva escaped from that...and inherited almost all of the Ushiromiya family's fortune. However, due to the many turbulent rumors surrounding the Ushiromiya family, the way Eva acted afterwards, and her unnatural actions 'at the time of the unfortunate accident', the public was in an uproar over whether this might have been a conspiracy to get all of the inheritance for herself. Under pressure from the public, prosecutors repeatedly tried to investigate the matter, and the media began tracing the outline of a conspiracy they called the Rokkenjima Suspicion, but in the end, they weren't even able to find proof that this 'unfortunate accident' was a crime. However, because the media continued to give the impression that the Rokkenjima Suspicion was a conspiracy of Eva's, public opinion began to believe that she was the true culprit. Of course, that was also influenced by the bad impression caused by all that easily-condemnable, overbearing financial activity, which she had carried out using that vast wealth. Every time she did something and the rumors started spreading, the media would bring back the Rokkenjima Suspicion, blaming the criminal justice system by saying that she was the true culprit, and that the only reason she hadn't been arrested was because even the police had been bribed. So the impression that she was a great villain grew stronger and stronger... Her heart eventually degenerated, and ironically, it began to transfigure her into the kind of human that the public expected...  After her beloved husband passed away, the talk shows occasionally mentioned his company, saying that it was run recklessly, while criticizing and disgracing its former accomplishments. Even her beloved son, George, was dramatized as the stereotypical 'rich, lazy son' that the public expected, and no one even wanted to know what a simple and honest character he had possessed. As to how much all of this hurt Eva and ran her to ruin, no one cared. The public was only interested out of curiosity... about how a super-rich evil woman who killed her whole family lived her pitiful later years. So that happened more and more, and eventually... Eva's personality was transfigured until people started calling her a lunatic... It was said that this sometimes reminded her of her father, whom she had once admired, in his later years, and that she laughed at herself with scorn... And, on the day of that final family conference... Because Ushiromiya Rudolf's daughter, Ange, had been sick and had stayed with her mother's family, she had not participated. At the age of 6, she had lost her family and had gained Eva as her guardian. Since Ange had become Eva's only blood relative, Eva 'took very good care of her'. She had imposing guards surrounding Ange's person at all times, to prevent her from coming to harm. Ange had even her right to play with friends, to come home from school together, and to enjoy the seasons together... stolen away. 'So that she can live a full and pleasant school life', Eva had sent Ange to an elegant boarding school that took care of her every need, completely isolating her from the world. She didn't even know the popular songs that girls her age might hum. She was never given a chance to enjoy window shopping with her friends or stuffing her mouth with crepes, much less an encounter with a member of the opposite sex to make her heart throb.  All of them were strictly ordered not to let shabby humans approach the daughter of the esteemed Ushiromiya family. During that time, the talk shows were always mentioning Ushiromiya Eva, always spreading rumors about her countless financial misdeeds. Those who knew who her 'daughter' was naturally began to keep their distance. Even now, she was called a witch at school, and anytime something bad happened, even if there was no proof, it would be whispered--whispered as though if were absolute truth--that she had imposed her will on the school staff. The environment makes the person. By now, she had a heart as wild as those around her feared. No one trusted her, so she never bothered to believe in anyone. No one loved her, so she never even tried to love. And when Eva caught an incurable illness on top of all this, it was whispered that this too was a conspiracy, and this time, Ange was set up as the mastermind...  ...So Ange also... accepted it as though it was definitely... no, as though it was obviously true. Therefore, since she already believed that she was a witch, when she heard that the name of the Golden Witch was being turned over to her, she only felt like saying 'You just figured that out now?' However, she was at least sure of one thing. This title of witch that she had inherited... would definitely never be inherited by anyone else. She would be the last Head of the Ushiromiya Family, and the last lonely... Golden Witch...  BGM: Wingless Compared to the winds of the world that had beaten down upon her until now, this strong, cold wind was warm and pleasant. Below her lay a beautiful nighttime scene, and a dazzling river of red and white lights. It was supposed to be clear out that night. So there really should have been countless stars stretching out over the sky. However, the light from the ground was too bright, so you couldn't see them at all. Ange couldn't help but think that what she truly sought must lie in that unseen starlight. The world of reality below her looked so far away from here. She could imagine that this place was the closest to the world she really should be in. There was only one thing that Ange cursed. Why had she not been able to go to that family conference, on that day 12 years ago? Even though, if she had gone, it would probably have been possible for her to stay with her family forever. ...Lately, I'd been dreaming about my family over and over again.  But both Dad and Mom are too far away, and my hand won't reach them. Battler nii-san always loved me a lot, and he'd always pat my head, but even though it looks like that hand's about to touch me, even it does not reach. For some reason, I started having that dream over and over. Every time I had that the same dream, I uselessly tried to stretch out my hand even more forcefully, over and over and over. Even if only Battler nii-san had lived... Then, perhaps, we'd at least be able to support each other in my cold and lonely reality. But his hand never reaches me. Even if I climb to the roof of this tall building... I'm so far away from all of them. ...A mysterious girl appears in my dreams and urges me. She urges me to find the truth of what happened 12 years ago.  There was no way... that anyone would answer that question for her. I get it. In this world, I have no family or friends. So, let's go. Let's go home. To where my family is.  The scenery below her eyes was distant, beautiful, and so fantastical that it actually didn't give rise to fear. If I look down, I'll surely be swallowed up by the world below. So I looked up. Because I wanted to be taken to the world above, the world where my family was. Who cares about vast wealth? Who cares about cursed gold? Who cares about the Golden Witch, Beatrice? What I really want, even a mountain of gold couldn't get me... What I need for that... is to take a single step forward, just that little bit of courage. ...At that moment, I definitely heard a voice. It was a voice I knew. A voice that had... called to me in my dreams for so long... Before my eyes... in other words, in mid-air above that jet black nighttime scenery... There was the figure of the girl I'd seen in my dreams... She spoke again, with the same voice I'd heard in those dreams.   Video: Farewell, 1998BGM: Haze "...My... assistance...? Who needs it...?" "...Your family needs it. Your family has been eternally imprisoned in the span from this day 12 years ago until the following day." "I-If I save them, does that mean my family will come home?!"When I asked the question I had most wanted to, the girl cruelly stopped talking and hung her head. "...I cannot promise that. The enemy is the Golden Witch, Beatrice. A mighty opponent. I cannot oppose her. But, another Golden Witch might be able to manage something." "...I-I don't know...what you're talking about." "That witch from 12 years ago... took away my family...?" "That's right. She is your foe. The root cause that always leads to your future of isolation." "...My... family's... foe." "...I had planned on bringing you that ideal Fragment as a present today, but I still can't find it. This is a very firm fate. I haven't seen the likes of it since the time I fought Lambdadelta." "...I-I don't know... what you're talking about." "...I'm giving you a chance for revenge. In exchange, I promise to search for and bring you the happiest resolution among the possibilities you're capable of accepting." "...Revenge..." "...It may be a fruitless effort. Even if you succeed in your revenge, there's no definite proof that your family will return. Even if you manage to hit a miraculous probability, you may only be able to bring one person back, if that." The dream where it seemed that, with just a little more stretching, her hand might be able to reach at least Battler nii-san. "A miraculous probability... means it's still higher than zero, right...? Is it 1%...?" "...Trying to read any probabilities before the result is useless. So I cannot tell you that number." "But it'll definitely be slightly more likely than if I do nothing." "Yes. As long as you do not throw that desire of yours away. But be prepared. It is extremely close to zero." "...Are you sure? You probably won't be able to return here again." "This isn't the world I'm supposed to be in. ...I'll find the world I am supposed to be in myself. Tell me your name." "The Witch of Miracles, Bernkastel. And by that name, I acknowledge you as the Golden Witch, ANGE Beatrice. As of now, you are a true witch."The instant she proclaimed that I was a witch... I felt dizzy, as though something inside me had changed drastically. At that time, I heard a *clunk*. It was the sound of the door that opened to the staircase to the roof. It was Aunt Eva's guards. They're only 'guards' in name. Aren't they the cage that wraps the tightest around me, shutting me in? They saw that I was already on the other side of the fence and dashed forward, horrified.  BGM: Activepain "Ange-san...! We were looking for you! It's dangerous there, so quickly, come this way!" "...What's that?" "...My fan club. I'm pretty popular." "No point in getting caught. Let's go."   Watching that perfectly casual gesture, I followed her as though it was completely normal. "Ange-san!!! Wait! Don't be hasty, look ooooooooooouuuut!!" "Please send a limo to get me. 'Cause everyone else will be there too. See you." TO BE CONTINUED
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2017 14:28
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 11:54 |
|
|
And with that, EP3 has been completed! It's now time for me to take a bit of a break. Regular updates will resume when one of two conditions are met: When the date reaches Monday, January 16th, 2017, or when my prepared backlog reaches a length of 11 updates. Don't fret - until then, my fellow witches and I have a lot of fun bonus content for you. Your patience and skill are both commendable. Whether or not you've gotten anywhere near it, the truth is nearly within your reach.
|
|
#
?
Jan 10, 2017 14:31
|
|