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I can't believe that we're almost to the point where my favorite character in all of Umineko is unveiled, and that that character is JOHN CENA
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Mar 15, 2017 00:07
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Beatrice's White Day -------------------- Original Translation by musouka of AnimeSuki. Edited by tiistai and oath2order  BGM: String Quartet #1 in G Major This was a day that Asmodeus, who preferred love affairs to three square meals, had been looking forward to with much anticipation.  Belphegor asked like someone who understood something in theory, but not so much in practice. For once, Asmo, the youngest child, answered her older sister's question excitedly.  "White Day isn't just some day you get sweets in return for Valentine's Day! It's about finding out how strongly they respond to the love you've given, how deep and throbbing their love is, stuff like that, and then you enjoy spending time together in a peaceful and quiet atmosphere - it's a timeless tradition! But of course, although you might weigh their love by the price of the return gift, going by just that would be pretty boooring! There are times when the value of a suitable gift can't be measured by its price alone! And while you're enjoying that, you get to gauge the warmth of their feelings compared to yours, and become more intimate, and use it as a chance for new encounters of love - that's what White Day is all about! <Do you OK>, Onee-samaa?" "...I ...I see. It seems to be an event with deep significance..." "Beelz's sooo excited! I'm looking forward to what Gohda-sama is going to give me! Seems he went training in Belgium to make chocolate, so I'm sure he'll give me white chocolate in retuuurn! Forget about love, the sweetness of chocolate is much more bewitchiiiing? Squee~~?" "Asmo's sooo excited! I'm looking forward to what Amakusa-sama got her too! He's soooo cool, and has such good taste~! It's not gonna be something childish like candy~! It might be jewelry, or cosmetics, or perfume! Kyaaah, I can hardly wait to find out what it is!" The older sisters had the strange sensation of being left behind in the face of their squealing excitement.   "Mammon, didn't you give yours to Sakutaro? Do you really think you'll get something back?" "In some sense or another. Ange-sama said we should have a tea party on White Day, so we made plans. We'll have a lovely time sipping tea." "You've been pretty distant lately, Mammon~! You're always so chummy with the group from '98, I'm sooo jealous! Isn't the love of your sisters enough for you?!" Mammon chuckled over getting one up over her sisters, however slightly. Mammon, surprisingly enough, valued her relationships with people. It seemed she was also greedy for friends. So it could be said, of all the Seven Stake Sisters, she was the one that had the most of them. The three youngest sisters had their White Day schedules pretty much laid out, and so they were giddy with anticipation. But the older sisters, inexperienced with White Day and unsure of what to expect, were uneasy about what was to come. "You gave something to Rudolf, right, Belpha? Are you expecting something back?" "H-he said he didn't know what to get me... so we could go shopping together." "What, really?! And you said okay to that?!" "Um, well... I said I thought that helping middle-aged men in their laziness was one of my duties..." "Waah, Belpha, you dirty little... that's great, that's great! I've got a date with Kyrie too!" "...Lucky you, Belpha. Sounds like you're going to have an exciting day." "A-an entire day to make Rudolf lazy...! Levia-nee, you better not interfere...!" "I won't get in your way, I'll just be jealous along with Kyrie! You'll have two pairs of envious eyes following you the whole way!" "@#$&! *#%@$+%!!"Acting unlike her normal self, Belpha was waving her arms and yelling at Leviathan in argument. It seemed fun, looking at it from the outside.   "All of them are raising such a fuss. This is an embarrassment to the Seven Sisters of Purgatory!" "What about you, Satan? You gave your chocolate to Kanon, right?" "...That was more like forcing it on him. Even if I wanted something, I don't think I'd get it."Last Valentine's Day she had tried to give Kanon chocolate, only to be met with suspicious refusal before Jessica had chased her off. Never mind forcing the chocolate on Kanon, she had outright thrown it at him. He probably didn't even consider it a Valentine's Day gift. In that respect, she was the last one to expect getting anything in return. Satan was very prideful. She had spent the last month feeling terrible, because she had been the only one whose Valentine had gone sour. Then... they suddenly felt the presence of another person.  BGM: About Face Judging by that, he had probably been there for a while. Because Satan and Lucifer had been so engrossed in talking, they hadn't noticed Kanon's presence. "K-Kanon...! Wh-what are you doing here?!" Satan cried out in bewilderment. With that embarrassing outburst, Satan realized the reason he must have appeared, and she couldn't hide her face growing bright red. But Kanon had no sensitivity towards girls' feelings. To him, she appeared in the same foul temper as always.  "...Back on Valentine's Day, you pushed your chocolate onto me. It was annoying, but I thought it would be rude not to return the favor."As he was saying that, Kanon reached into his pocket and took out a very small, but beautifully wrapped box. He tossed it to her carelessly. He might have said it was a trifle given out of duty, but the wrapping paper made it clear that this was not a cheap brand of item. Working for the Ushiromiya family meant being paid not inconsiderable wages, and since Kanon had no outside interests or reasons to use money, he'd ended up with quite a store of it. "...You say it's out of duty, but you got me something so high class. How ridiculous." "...Don't worry. I just picked it up while I was getting Milady's gift. It wasn't worth going to a cheaper place just to get you something." "...I... I see." "All right, I've paid my debt. Don't ever do this again."And with that parting rejoinder, Kanon vanished. Out of all the things spoken on White Day, "I've paid my debt" isn't something you hear very often. But somehow it suited the antagonistic relationship of these two, Lucifer thought. Suddenly, Lucifer received a sharp blow to the rear. "Ow! Who was th...!" "B-Battler...! You're participating in White Day too...?!" "You sure are saying some strange stuff. Aren't you the one that gave me that handmade chocolate? And didn't I promise to give you something in return? I might believe that the past is better forgotten, but do you really think my head is empty enough to forget something from just a month ago?"Battler brandished the box he'd been hiding behind his back with a "ta-dah!" The store must have wrapped it, since the packaging was neat in a way that was unlike Battler. ...The wrapping must have been magical. It captured a person's attention before they could ask what was inside. That's how Lucifer felt. "I thought candy would be a little too childish, but I didn't know what sort of jewelry you liked. So, here. Since it's tea, it's something most people will like, more or less, and it's still pretty fancy, right? Don't you like tea?" "N-no... I don't hate it or anything..." "All right then! Open it. You'll be amazed once you smell it!"Since Battler was pushing her to open it, Lucifer reached towards that lovely wrapping paper. Sure, she was interested in what was inside, but unwrapping something so beautiful seemed like a waste. It was held in place by a thick, deep red ribbon, which was, in turn, adorned by a golden butterfly brooch.  The butterfly they thought was a brooch began to flap its wings, taking off! Battler was shocked, but Lucifer, who already had a hunch about this sort of a trick, was unnerved in in a different sense.  BGM: Dancing Pipe "Dwaah?! What?!" "L-Lady Beatrice...?!" "Baattleeeeerr?! Didn't you buy that Mariage Frères for meeeEeEee?!?!" "W-why would I buy you tea?!" "Huh? Ah... umm... Because, because! Didn't you get something for me for White Day?! I've been so excited! I've waited sooooo long for this day to come! And I saw you going into that lower level of the department store and picking out that expensive tea! And then, choosing that pretty wrapping paper in to show your appreciation for me! I was so sure it was a present for me, but noooooo! It wasn't for me at all, but my furniture! Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!" "What are you doing to your subordinate?! Have some shame! I got this for Lucifer because of the chocolate she made me!" "Huuuuuhh?! Then where's my preseeent?!" "I didn't get you anything. It's not like I got any chocolate from you." "Huh?! But I also gave you hand-made chocolate, didn't I?!" "You lied to me and said you made it, even though it was Lucifer's! So I gave it back!" "...Oh, now that you mention it... I think I had it with my tea that afternoon..." Beato, bring relatively forgetful, had forgotten all about the chocolate Battler had given back until her afternoon tea. "Oh, what is this delicious-looking chocolate doing here," she had thought and then nibbled it all up like a squirrel.  "In any case, I didn't get any chocolate from you, therefore, there's no reason for me to get you anything." "No, no, that's wrong! You just decided not to take it! I did everything perfectly on Valentine's Day! So you have to give me something for White Day! Whiiite Daaaaaaay! I was looking forward to what you were going to get meeeee!" "Well, I don't have anything! If you want to get in a temper tantrum like a spoiled brat, fine! Embarrass yourself! Lucifer, this is for you. Thank you for the delicious chocolate on Valentine's Day." "Um... well... Actually, that chocolate..."In deference to her master, whose mood was rapidly getting worse and worse, Lucifer nervously thought it best to confess that she hadn't made her chocolate by hand either... But before she could, a muffled thump rang out and the area was enveloped by the smell of tea. The tea box had been broken.  BGM: Black Lilliana  "Serves you right, Lucifer! Kiihhahhahha!"Leaving behind only the sound of her laughter, Beato vanished in a huge storm of butterflies. She had mistaken White Day for a holiday like Christmas. She had been certain that as long as you gave a man chocolate on Valentine's Day you were sure to receive some sort of exciting present in return on White Day. So she had prepared chocolate for Battler in hopes of forcing him to give her something on White Day out of a sense of obligation. But then, Lucifer had gotten something and she hadn't gotten anything. She didn't like that one bit. She didn't really understand why, but at any rate, she really didn't like it one bit. The White Day that she was so excited for that she was counting the days for it with her fingers in her bed suddenly just sucks... "Come, arise, Pendragon's Memorial Troops, the Chiester Sisters!"With a wave of Beato's pipe, Chiester 45 and Chiester 00 appeared.   "I beg your pardon! 410 is participating in the Heavenly Designated Marksman Exchange Program today, so please allow me to appear in her stead!" "H-Heavenly Designated... That's a mouthful... What kind of training is that supposed to be?" "Y-you see, Ma'm, since White Day is a continuation of Valentines Day, there's too much work for the Heavenly Love Snipers alone to handle. It's customary to request assistance of a designated marksman from the Imperial Guard Corps!" "...I had no idea. To think the Cupid could have a shortage of manpower..." "Due to 410's excellent skills as a sniper, countless couples are rumored to form every year." And then, a toothy grin, like she was getting ready to rip into something. "Chiester Sisters, I have a number of targets for you today. Failure is not tolerated, so ready your bows and prepare to fire!!" "U-understood! 45, entering firing peparation mode. Lady Beatrice, your target?" "*cackle*cackle*, there are many, many and more! I'll call it Operation..." BGM: Dread of the Grave And thus, what should have been a peaceful, heartwarming White Day was ripped into pieces one by one by the Chiester sisters' shots...   "Kyaaaaaaaaa! I just got that from Amakusa-sama! I didn't even get to see what was inside!" "...That's not what's important. I can always just buy you another one. Isn't it more imporant right now that you aren't hurt? "......Kyaaaaaaa! Amakusa-sama, you're too amazing to be reeeeaaal!"  "Kyaaaaaaaaa, Mr. Amakusa, stay strong!!" "<C...cool>... ...grk."Second Target: Gohda's chocolate full-course that Beelze was just about to eat. "Uwaaaaaaaaa!! The chocolate Gohda-sama learned how to make while training in Belgium exploded in my moouuth!!" "Impossible! It's the secret recipe of the royal family, did I make a mistake somewhere...? Am I, Gohda, still so unskiiiilled?! I-I'm going back to Belgium for training!" "F-forget about the training, just make me another baaatch!! Uwaaaaaaa!"Gohda once again set out to Belgium to explore the mystery of chocolate...  "Ange-sama, Sakutaro, are you all right?!' "...I had no idea that pancakes would become explosive if cooked for too long. Good going, me... I guess there was a reason I got such low scores in Home Ec."Let's make pancakes while we're enjoying the aroma of black tea. But because this is something I can't just solve with money, I might burn some of them... is what I said, and now we're surrounded by the aroma of a burning stench instead. "N-no, even if you burn pancakes to charcoal, they shouldn't explode... Wait, could this be..." "...U-uryuu. Why am I the only one unharmed...? Are you okay, Ange? What about you, Mammon...?!" "Sakutaro was the only one who wasn't targeted... Does that mean someone from the alliance is attacking us?!" "Ru... Rudolf... Are you all right...?" "Heh... I wonder who did this. Sorry, sweetheart... Looks like they mistook you for my woman. At least I was able to protect you."Of course they were actually aiming at Rudolf. Trying to dodge while pretending to protect is one of Rudolf's talents. And, if it fails, it's the perfect technique for making it look like you were trying to defend someone. Belpha, unused to moves like this, was completely taken in.  "You know, a man that has collapsed after protecting a woman can be revived with a kiss." "I-I'm not going to fall for that one! Let's get you some medical help right now. Ah?" Fifth Target: Kyrie, currently stalking Rudolf with Leviathan.  "You all right? Hang in there! Your wound isn't deep...!" "...That was close. I, Leviathan of Envy... w-will gladly put my life at stake for your sake, Master..." "Pfft, because you're a stake, right? *giggle*, don't act so full of yourself. Come on, let me help you to a hospital." "Never mind that! Master, I'd rather see you bring down divine wrath upon that cheater, Rudolf...! I'll watch from here, so please! L-look, over there! See what he's doing with Belpha... eeeek!" ...24x365x67940323580435798438759847598788..."   "Ah... t-this can't be... Was that, just now...the Chiester Sisters?! Urk... grk... This must be my punishment for getting caught up in this White Day nonsense... That's right, Kanon isn't any ordinary rival... I just thought for a bit that his taste in stuff was pretty good... Gh, it's so frustrating... Unacceptable! Pull yourself together! I am furniture in service of Lady Beatrice, one of the Seven Sisters, Satan of Wrath!! Just because something I got from him got broken... t-that doesn't upset me in the least!! ......*sniffle*"Seventh Target: That tea Lucifer got from... aww, who cares, go directly for that obnoxious Battler.   BGM: Endless Nine "Oh Nooooooooo! Battler's Endless Nine Barrier!! It's been deflected!!" "Eek! He deflected again! He isn't Human!" "We cannot penetrate this anti-magic barrier! Please give us our next target, Lady Beatrice!"  If I've wrecked everything, it's just what they deserve! Fwahyahyaah! Just look at all the White Days I've managed to secretly destroy!"With another wave of her pipe, all the incidents caused by the Chiester Sisters' shootings were reflected on smoke-like screens. "...Well, my stupid old man got what was coming to him, but aside from that, you've been horrible! You drat demonic witch!""Kuhihihi!! This is just what you get for ignoring me on White Day! Fear me, worship me! My wrath will continue for seven years, seven months, and seven days! From this day forward, both Valentine's Day and White Day will be ruined in my name! Ahhyahyahyahyah! ...How's that? Do you regret what you've done?! I want to hear you say, ‘Lady Beato, please forgive me, I promise I'll get you something on White Day!' But it had better be something more expensive than what you got Lucifeeeeeer!!" "...Quit screwing around, dumbass. Who the hell would want to do what a lying, selfish witch like you says?""Huh... hmm..."Batter's response caused Beato's mood to rapidly change, and she fell silent. Valentine's Day and White Day are all about the feelings that spring from your heart. Someone who thinks of them as excuses to get stuff doesn't deserve anything.""O-oh... So you're saying I don't have the qualifications to receive anything on White Day." BGM: Mother Battler made his assertion. And though Beato returned his words with a bitter grin, she couldn't help but bite her lower lip. "Gh, hahahahahahaha, hahhahahahaha! Fine, I'll accept your declaration! Wahahahahaha, kyaahhahhahhahahahahaha!!  BGM: Cage  "Y-yes, yes... Once again you've gone and done something you didn't mean to, only to make a mess of things and become upset with yourself, right? Oh, there, there..." "Speaking of which, this is all your fault, Ronove! Battler called me a liar because you made that chocolate!" "My goodness, how regrettable. I could have sworn I made that chocolate under Milady's orders. And it was delicious, was it not? Was it not delicious enough to match the fragrance of Quartier Latin?" "I-indeed, it was. I nibbled it all away." "Then it could not have been my fault. The resposibility falls to you, Milady." "...That's correct. You shouldn't blame Ronove." "T-then it's all Lucifer's fault! She told Battler her chocolates were handmade, and that's why Battler called me a liar!!" "Pukuku! Was lying about the chocolate being handmade not exactly what you yourself did, Milady?" "It isn't Lucifer's fault. She's furniture that works hard to fulfill your exact commands every day. I will be very cross if you misuse her. Yes, I really will."  "It's just like Battler told you. Don't make the mistake of thinking White Day is an excuse to be given something." "Even using obligatory Valentine's chocolate as an example, it's said men and women still enjoy the bittersweetness of it. It needs to be done with grace. Giving Valentine's Day chocolate only in the hopes of coercing someone to reciprocate on White Day is not elegant." "Uu...uuuu..."Even as she was being scolded by Ronove and Virgilia, there was nothing Beato could say in response. Still, it seemed as though she couldn't quite bring herself to accept those feelings, as she continued biting her lower lip. Hot tears rose to her eyes. "...Now, be honest. You were actually just lonely, weren't you?" "It's just not fair! And even though Lucifer got tea from Battler, I didn't get anything! And now I'll never get anything, not next year, not ever! It's so stupid... I can't stand it, uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!"Beato buried her face in Virgilia's dress as she cried. Virgilia and Ronove looked at one another and sighed. "Now listen carefully, Beatrice. If you want Battler to get you something on White Day, you have to give him chocolate that you've put your feelings into. It doesn't matter if it isn't well made. And if making it proves entirely impossible, you can go buy one at the store, as long as you choose it with care. What you really need is that you want to make him happy." "If I do that, will Battler reciprocate on White Day...?" "As long as you put your feelings into it, he will." "And as far as handmade chocolate goes, I can take a recipe suitable for a professional such as myself, and modify it so that even a beginner like Milady can make super sweets (pukuku) with a smile. It is not that difficult to make chocolate from your heart." "...On next year's Valentine's... if I make Battler chocolate... he'll be in a better mood...? So I have to wait until next year...? So that means, Battler will be looking at me with those cold eyes... all this time? ...I don't want that..."Virgilia sighed and then smiled wryly. At least Beato had settled down. All it usually took was time and the patience to help her express her thoughts properly. She was actually quite an obedient child, once you got down to it. "Beatrice, why don't we do this? ...I'll use my most secret spell to turn back time to the day before Valentine's Day." "...Huh? ...What?! M-magic that amazing actually e-exists?!" "The ability to turn back time... Who would have thought Madam could use such an impressive, secret spell. No, I guess it is not so shocking, considering it is you, Madam. Even now, you are still full of surprises." "This is not a magic that can be used very often in one's lifetime. I'll use it for you, but you must promise not to waste this chance." "O-okay. I understand..." "Since you will be going back in time, you must struggle against time's currents. If you relax your guard for even a moment, the spell with dissipate. Be careful." "A-all right. I will." "Even though I'm the one casting this spell, you will have to cover the cost of maintaining the world of the past with your own magical power." "I get it already. How should I go about it?" "You must believe in it. If you doubt that this is the world of the past, the spell will break. That's the basis of magic. As long as you believe, there's nothing magic can't accomplish." "I... I got it." With a snap of Virgilia's fingers, Beatrice was transformed into a swarm of golden butterflies and transported to the kitchen... After Virgilia and Ronove had seen her off...  "I understand. You have our humble assistance." "Have everyone involved know that today is the day before Valentine's Day. Make sure the calender, newspaper, television and so on are dealt with, okay?" "To my knowledge, it has all been taken care of, Madam. We leave the rest to you...!" "Stakes, have you been paying attention?""""""""Yes, Lady Predecessor!!""""""" And thus, everything was set back a month to the day before Valentine's Day. Only Beato was unaware.  BGM: Hope "...If I'm supposed to take this seriously, I can't settle for something 'easy!' I'll show them what I can really do if I put my mind to it!"...And so, in her enthusiasm, Beato ignored the tags specifically placed for her sake and chose a good-looking but complicated recipe...  "I'll make everyone regret underestimating me! Fwahahhahahahahaha!"...Good grief. Virgilia sighed, watching the situation through a magical three-sided mirror. It seems like she never learns... Half a day was spent in a spectacular series of events that would have shocked the culinary world. Chocolate exploded out of pots after simply warming it in hot water. Chocolate was sweetly scorched, exploded, and pulverized. Chocolate grew legs and ran around the kitchen. Chocolate grew wings and took to the air. A butterfly net was soon added to Beato's chocolate-making utensils. No matter how you looked at it, you couldn't even call what she was doing making chocolate. However, even though she had failed often enough that the kitchen was coated in chocolate and its sweet scent was hanging heavy in the air, she never forgot her purpose.  As she laughed while stirring the pan, she recalled the words of her Master.  ...T-that's right. This is the chance Master gave me with her secret ability. I can't think like that. That sort of attitude is what I'm trying to solve with this spell. Beato looked up at the page-a-day calendar that indicated this was the 13th of February and imagined how it had been previously, before shaking her head and engrossing herself once again in her work.  "That voice...! Is that you, Gaap?"The refrigerator opened with a clank, and out stepped Gaap. She hadn't actually been lurking in there, she had just used the fridge door to materialize one of her warp portals. Since directly appearing so suddenly in front of a friend was rude, she used the appearance of a door as a measure of small etiquette.  "Did I pick a bad time to come and play around? Are you busy?" "I don't mind. You're just in time to be my food sampling sacrifice." "...I'll think about it after you explain how making chocolate got the kitchen in this sorry state..."Even Gaap was dumbfounded over the situation. Actually, she was even more confused as to why Beato was going to the effort. "Hey, Beato... Why are you making chocolate?" "For Valentine's Day, of course! I have to have it done for tomorrow." BGM: NONE ...Beato's hands stopped in their tracks. From the way the atmosphere froze, Gaap sensed there was something more going on there but she couldn't guess what. There was no helping what she had said just now, however. "...I'm sorry. Did I say something unnecessary...? ...You know, you look busy. I'll just be going now... See you later."Beato didn't respond. Gaap opened another black warp portal on the floor and vanished into it without another word. ...All that remained was a stunned Beato, frozen like time had stopped...  BGM: Worldend (solo) "...*sniffle*......"Saltiness slipped past her nose. Tears fell one by one into the bowl with the melted chocolate. ...I'm such an idiot. How much stupider could I get... I can't even be angry at anyone... It was my fault for being dumb enough to fall for such a ridiculous lie... I'm upset at myself more than anything... Deliberately. Naively. Thoroughly. ...And I only found out after I'd finally gotten close to tempering the chocolate. ...Who cares any more. This is stupid. I should just throw this out, this bowl that I'm holding tightly in my hands. ...I only worked a few hours. This bowl that I spent so little time on, blocking my way to atonement. Why can't I... toss it aside? All I can do is cry... Valentine's Day. White Day. ...I wonder why I was so excited over them in the first place... It wasn't because of romantic feelings or anything. It's just... this season... That time of year when the chilly early spring weather ends and the air finally starts to warm up... ...I wanted to experience that too. I didn't... even really... want to get something back...  It was all too late. All those feelings she'd had towards enjoying the two mysterious days of Valentine's Day and White Day... The calendar... It's probably just Ronove's trick. It might read "February 13th". But that must be a lie. "Based on this calendar... it's really supposed to be February 13th today..."  BGM: Seizensetsu "...Batt...ler...?"Why had he come into the kitchen of the Witch...? But she didn't even need to ask before he already answered. "I came to see what that weird, sort of chocolatey smell was. I sure got to see something ridiculous. You're telling me the witch who calls herself Beato is working her rear end off to make chocolate for tomorrow?" "..." "...I wonder who you're planning on giving it to. Well, I sure hope it isn't me..." If only he'd been a little bit better, Beato's wounded heart might have mended slightly. But that obvious acting only made Beato smile bitterly... ...I already know. Master or Ronove must have spoken to Battler and told him about my l aughable circumstances and asked him to help out. This is pathetic... Absolutely pathetic... One of the world's greatest witches, Beatrice the Golden... acting so pathetic... "......Uh..."...Even Battler himself must have realized how bad his own acting was. The least he could do... was to stop forcing out his cheap lines and shut up so he wouldn't hurt her any worse. It was time to end this farce. Beato realized she was the only one who could bring an end to this uncomfortable tension. ...If she just put on the usual wicked smirk and laughed while abusing Battler, things would go back to the way they were before... We could go back to the usual rough and tumble fooling around. Then, once again... she finally remembered her Master's words. 'You must believe in it. If you doubt that this is the world of the past, the spell will break. That's the basis of magic. As long as you believe, there's nothing magic can't accomplish.' "Th... that's right... *sniffle*..."I am... the great witch that can master any sort of incredible magic. I'll show you... how great... my mastery of magic really is...  "That's right. You've figured it out! I'm making chocolate for Valentine's Day tomorrow!"With tears on face and her nose still running... she wore a mysterious smile, like she had all of a sudden come to her senses. "You can be sure whoever gets my handmade chocolate... is in for a surprise!" "S-surprise, huh? Did you put something in there? It's not something that shouldn't be eaten, right?" "How rude. I'll have you know this is perfectly normal Valentine's Day chocolate! It's a miraculous, once-a-year holiday where the world's men gets chocolate labored over by women. I wanted to participate too." "Heh. Trying to put up a girly act at a time like this."It was strange, but as they kept talking... Battler's words started sounding more and more natural. And... it began to feel more and more like it really was February 13th...  "Yep. I'm sure he will." "...Even if this man used the red truth to say he wouldn't get me anything on White Day...? There's no way he can, right...?" "No... he can." "How?" "Valentine's Day is tomorrow, right?" "I-indeed..." "Well then, if he has something to give back to you, he'll do it in a month. But if for some reason that day a month later isn't technically White Day, the person you're giving your chocolate to won't be violating the red truth." "...Hmph. He's quite the sophist... H-hey, look at what you've done! I messed up on the tempering again because you were chattering away! Now I have to start all over from the boiling water. You help too, my arms are getting tired!" Thud. I wondered what that noise was, so I turned around towards where it came from, and there stood the fridge. Was that sound of the fridge door closing...? "W-what is it? Your face is bright red all of a sudden. Did I mess something up?" "I-it's nothing! Now, hurry up and start boiling and melting it! Uugh, this is such a pain, maybe I should just dip you in chocolate and shove you in the oven instead!" 
oath2order fucked around with this message at 01:59 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 00:07
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oath2order posted:It was months. MONTHS. And yeah, set the scene is a bit of an understatement.
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Mar 15, 2017 00:20
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And then Beatrice herself carved the roast beast.
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Mar 15, 2017 00:42
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oath2order posted:Suddenly, Lucifer received a sharp blow to the rear. As previously established, sexual harassment is basically Battler's standard greeting.
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Mar 15, 2017 00:57
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The White Day TIP is also available in manga format too.  It's published under Umineko no Naku Koro Ni Tsubasa. Some of the chapters do contain spoilers from Chiru though. Edit: Here's squirreltrice.  
Danann fucked around with this message at 06:11 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 01:15
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... W-Well that was a cute, funny exchange! How slick of Virgilia ... to... Um... ... It's no good... no good at all. When this part came around, I just... I cried like a drat baby; it got to me harder than anything in the actual LP did. Such a silly story, but...  I know she was awful, a butcher, a monster... the murder of eighteen men women and children is not something that can or should be forgiven easily. And this is not once, but multiple times, and it was a conscious choice taken for revenge. But she was sick, and in pain, and at the mercy of things who didn't care about her! And she begged us for death before the end, so sad and broken... I just get the feeling that it all could have been different, you know?... Been better, somehow, before all this poo poo happened. That she could have been happy, somehow, that what happened really could have been avoided. But we failed... and now, what? There is more to this story, yes? It doesn't just end here, right? Because it feels so empty, now... 
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Mar 15, 2017 01:34
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Theres more to this story, and the TIP proves that BatoxBetao is still the best and most correct ship.
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Mar 15, 2017 01:38
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Tender Child Loins posted:To be honest, even I realize how much of a crack ship that is.
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Mar 15, 2017 02:04
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Witches have strange tastes...
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Mar 15, 2017 02:06
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That was genuinely sweet. Mittenhands Virgilia's horrifying though.
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Mar 15, 2017 02:10
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CottonWolf posted:That was genuinely sweet. Mittenhands Virgilia's horrifying though. So, funny story. I lack the  to actually connect all of prof's portraits to the specific original art expressions the characters have, so I usually just take the first one from Prof's list for each character and throw it on for all of them.I had to change Virgillia's though because, originally it looks like this.  'You must believe in it. If you doubt that this is the world of the past, the spell will break. That's the basis of magic. As long as you believe, there's nothing magic can't accomplish
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Mar 15, 2017 02:43
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I dunno, that seems pretty appropriate.
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Mar 15, 2017 03:04
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Beato can uuu uu all she likes but that spell won't make anyone love her enough to give her chocolates on white day.
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Mar 15, 2017 04:00
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I'm just trying to figure out how promising to give the witch chocolate in a month denies her. Maybe he intends to make it really lousy chocolate. Edit: Also, tempering chocolate is an enormous pain in the rear end. You should have paid attention to your nonexistent demon bulter and started with something easier, Beatrice! Toffee isn't that hard to make and you can just melt chocolate on top of it! idonotlikepeas fucked around with this message at 04:05 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 04:02
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I think update gave me diabeetus but I'm still happy. Who knew that a story about trying to make chocolate would be an emotional roller coaster? This update also proved that food that explodes like a small bomb is canon btw. Lastly, Help.jpg
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Mar 15, 2017 05:10
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So it's looking like the LP will continue on to the rest of the books then? Sounds good. I'm looking forward to it!
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Mar 15, 2017 05:40
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I like how we're all overlooking the fact that Beatrice shot like 5 people in this story.
oath2order fucked around with this message at 06:42 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 06:40
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That's, like, Saturday for her. Well, Saturday and Sunday. It gets a little blurry after that.
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Mar 15, 2017 06:51
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oath2order posted:I like how we're all overlooking the fact that Beatrice shot like 5 people in this story. They were not shot, this was more casualties of Small Bombs.TM Agreed though, it's very tragic how it's so overlooked.
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Mar 15, 2017 07:10
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oath2order posted:I like how we're all overlooking the fact that Beatrice shot like 5 people in this story. It's not like she killed them or anything. Just ruined their White Day.
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Mar 15, 2017 08:05
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It's been a good week to be Batorice trash. 
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Mar 15, 2017 08:21
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Dr Pepper posted:It's not like she killed them or anything. Just ruined their White Day. Well, given what happened to Belphegor after Rudolf used her as a (non-)human shield, there very well could have been casualties. Also, Amakuza totally got small bombs'd. <Cool>. But, again, this is basically a light workload day for Beatrice.
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Mar 15, 2017 11:04
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She was also totally up for killing Battler. He just happens to have specced into magic resist.
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Mar 15, 2017 13:19
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Well, like I said, it's not like we're not all painfully aware of what a screwed up person Beato is... I think that everything she does, nice or otherwise, has the caveat of "she shot a bunch of people" hanging over it. But you don't really help such people by hurting them even more, and even if she is beyond help, it is poignant to imagine what could have been. And drat it, cute is cute; can't we appreciate it when it comes? Anyway, I've had my cry, and now want to return to the subject of the horrible murders, because I've been going over the stuff (which took up an embarrassing amount of time yesterday, slow day because of the snow) and something has been bothering me. Not concerning the whodunnit, necessarily, but concerning the whydunnit. Tender Child Loins posted:I was kind of thinking that Shannon was lying there with a painted-on wound, but I suppose it's just as likely that there was no body there at all. She could have been off somewhere enacting another facet of the grand murder plan while everyone else was distracted. Or uh... there's that weird theory that I'm embarrassed to even mention again. I don't actually remember what that embarrassing theory was, but I think that what I am about to suggest will in fact out-crazy you, so don't feel too bad.  So... Shannon and Kanon. I have the conspiracy theory going, and honestly, it's the only way I can see everything working, but these two are at the core of it, the heart and the impetus. I think it was their idea, and that they're absolutely connected in some way. But I've been thinking about why, because they both have a lot of reasons for staring the massacre, but seperately, not enough: Kanon holds a deep resentment for his sisters abuse and furniture-hood, and Shannon just wants them both to be happy with their loves. And I suspect they both want to help out Maria, even if Kanon is the only one who's expressed so outwardly... and Shannon, does seem to have a connection to Battler, as TCL and Lycaeon have both pointed out, in the promise Battler made top Shannon to come on his white horse. I am initially more suspicious of Kanon, but let's face it: Shannon holds many things close to her chest too... they both give me the impression of having more to them then we've seen. But what is this hidden side, and how are they connected? ProfessorProf posted:
I keep coming back to this moment, this little one off way back when the LP began, before I even started posting... how weird and- I don't really know what. The way Kanon is oddly outwardly cold to Battler, the way he stumbles with the wheelbarrow in a way that is certainly treated as uncharacteristic, the way he just watches the kids from the bushes... Like I said, it genuinely feels like Kanon is expecting something here, and that he was put off guard by Battler's appearance. In the past, I had hypothesized that I thought it was because he had switched places with Battler somehow, that Kanon was somehow the real Battler Ushiromiya, but if that's his impetus for being Beatrice, that makes no sense. If the right was always his to move for the family head, why did he allow himself to be treated as a servant this whole time, a whole three years, before solving the epitaph or otherwise proving his worth, through a paternity test or something? And if he was genuinely vengeful of Battler for taking his place, why did he sit on the "Battler is not Battler" piece of info for so long? It should have been the opening for his revenge, not what essentially amounts to a table-flip when he didn't get what he really wanted out of the exchange. So I am tempted to say that that story is false... and there's another reason for Kanon to be so weird here. Which leads me to the theory I've been building towards here... what if Kanon seeing Battler was a deep shock not because he was the real Battler, but because he was seeing after six years, the man who said he'd take him away on a white horse and then left? To put it another way... has anyone who's viewpoint we actually aren't given to suspect (read: Battler) actually ever seen Kanon and Shannon together in the same room?
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Mar 15, 2017 14:40
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"..."
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Someone brought up that theory before, I think. It's somewhat compelling, but there are (to my mind), two very big problems with it, which are easily visible in Shannon's portrait if you compare it to Kanon's:  ...wait, hold on! I'm not just being dirty! Although I am going to talk about boobs now. If these two are the same person, we have to assume Kanon's figure is, errr, kanonical. Breast-binding technology powerful enough to conceal Shannon's chest does not exist on this planet, and even if Kinzo is crazy, I don't believe he would invent or buy it. (I don't think he would be motivated to!) So in this case, Sayo has a figure like Kanon's, but is wearing false breasts to play the role of Shannon, right? OK, here's where the problems come up. 1) We have to assume that George never got to second base with his girlfriend. He'd have noticed; fake breast technology ain't that good either. Not only did they never have sex, he never saw her naked or even sneaked one grab in, despite the fact that they have been going out long enough to be engaged. I know this dude is a boy scout, but do we really think he's that much of one? Their entire secret romance was 100% chaste? 2) Battler's first reaction upon seeing Shannon is to grab for her boobs, and she just stands there patiently waiting for him to do it, despite the fact that it would spoil her impostiture and expose any secret plans she might have. If Jessica hadn't stopped him, Battler would have wrecked the whole thing right there. Does that make sense for her to do?
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Mar 15, 2017 15:19
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Anything is possible with Breast Binding Technology X. It's a Devil's Proof. edit: Consider this my official suggestion for the Umineko Chiru thread title. oath2order fucked around with this message at 15:28 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 15:26
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resurgam40, that was exactly my theory. Thank loving god someone else brought it up, because I've been suspecting that for a while but it made me feel insane to press on it. Battler, whose POV is the only one that counts, never sees them together. If Beatrice is both Shannon AND Kanon, everything clicks into place. And even better... There were exactly 16 people on Rokkenjima. idonotlikepeas posted:1) We have to assume that George never got to second base with his girlfriend. He'd have noticed; fake breast technology ain't that good either. Not only did they never have sex, he never saw her naked or even sneaked one grab in, despite the fact that they have been going out long enough to be engaged. I know this dude is a boy scout, but do we really think he's that much of one? Their entire secret romance was 100% chaste? SEPARATE. ROOMS. On an overnight trip!! Do not underestimate George's gentlemanliness. witchcore ricepunk fucked around with this message at 18:08 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 17:57
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It makes sense. And Beatrice only states there are no more than 17 humans on the island. That certainly doesn't preclude there actually being 16.oath2order posted:Anything is possible with Breast Binding Technology X. It's a Devil's Proof. This might be the best post in the thread. E: Though if Kanon and Shannon are the same person, how do you explain the daisy chain murders? And the time Shannon got her face half smashed in, but Kanon was still alive? E2: Actually, in episode 1, the murder of the six, Kanon's there with the cousins and Shannon's corpse. It's split across two updates, but he's there with dead Shannon in that scene. CottonWolf fucked around with this message at 18:10 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 18:05
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CottonWolf posted:E: Though if Kanon and Shannon are the same person, how do you explain the daisy chain murders? And the time Shannon got her face half smashed in, but Kanon was still alive? In an earlier post, I mentioned the daisy chain locations. Shannon and Kanon were both in ground-level rooms. After the group found Shannon, Sayo left the room and went to the chapel. Both Shannon and Kanon had chest "wounds." The parlor was the most accessible and obvious room to start the investigation with, and the keys were arranged in such as way that the chapel would be found last. Are you talking about episode 1? Shannon's corpse wasn't in the storehouse.
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Mar 15, 2017 18:11
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Yep, episode 1:ProfessorProf posted:
E: Tender Child Loins posted:Are you talking about episode 1? Shannon's corpse wasn't in the storehouse. Is that a theory, or have I forgotten some red text somewhere? CottonWolf fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 18:16
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"...Father. I have a request."
"What...?"
"...I want you to look for me. On Shannon's finger... is there a ring...?"
"And... which hand, which finger is it on?"
"...Hmm, the ring finger of her left hand. I see, was Shannon-chan... engaged...?"
"...George...You, it couldn't be-"
"...Let's go. Battler-kun, Jessica-chan. If we stay here any longer, we'll get in the way of the adults."
"...Sniff. You're right..."
"...Battler...don't lose heart..."
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Tender Child Loins posted:It's been a good week to be Batorice trash. The commonly accepted term is Beabato, btw
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Mar 15, 2017 18:21
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CottonWolf posted:Is that a theory, or have I forgotten some red text somewhere? Theory. The corpse was only seen by accomplices, so I'd consider their testimony invalid. If you think about who actually entered the storehouse, it becomes clear. tiistai posted:The commonly accepted term is Beabato, btw I think the most accurate term would be "horrible, no good kissing cousins shipper." 
witchcore ricepunk fucked around with this message at 18:38 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 18:35
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I can believe that. Looking more closely at that update: This section ProfessorProf posted:
is written in first person. At which point it switches to third person omniscient for the rest, including the bit where Shannon's corpse is seen. CottonWolf fucked around with this message at 18:47 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 18:40
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ProfessorProf posted:
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Mar 15, 2017 19:29
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"For example, what about Kanon-kun?"
"K K, Kanon-kuuuuuun?! N n, no way, no way!! Anyways, I'm sure Kanon-kun has work on the day of the festival... and I don't want to bother him..."
"Of course, I've fully checked the schedule. Kanon-kun has that day off."
"...Wh... why are you always so clever at times like this... No, wait! It'd be even worse if he's off... I can't pull him away from his precious break just for my own vanity!"
"Then try everything else... How about meekly confessing to everyone that you don't have a boyfriend?"
"Sh, Shannonnnn~!! You aren't really worrying for my sake, are you, you're teasing me, riiiight?!!"
"Why not, Milady? It's a cultural festival, but it's also a chance for you to have fun with Kanon-kun."
"No, that may be true, but, no, no, no, no...!!"
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CottonWolf posted:Yep, episode 1: Allegedly, the body was there, yes, but... like I said, the only ones who saw it are Kanon and Hideyoshi. George was stopped from going in and due to being in shock, he aquiesced, and Battler, our main viewpoint character, wasn't allowed in the shed either, and thus counted five bodies, not six. Shannon was described by Hideyoshi down to the ring she was wearing... but notice that Kanon was pointing to the "body" in the passage you described. What if Hideyoshi was able to describe the ring so well because that ring was on Kanon's finger? Or perhaps the ring was described to Hideyoshi beforehand, but that assumes that he and Eva were playing along (which may or may not be true, but the way Hide is acting all melodramatic, with the "A demon, a demon has done this!" bit, is suspect). idonotlikepeas posted:Someone brought up that theory before, I think. It's somewhat compelling, but there are (to my mind), two very big problems with it, which are easily visible in Shannon's portrait if you compare it to Kanon's: Well... Breast Binding Technology X is a powerful argument, but more importantly, this is a work of animation, a style of animation that evolved through caricature, and even dismissing the mysterious nature of this story, does play around with appearance and perception. I don't just mean dream sequences and other fantastrical settings, I speak of the way an animated world and characters can be used to reflect the "inner life" and emotional reality of characters. If you're wondering how any of this relates to shannon, what proof do you actually have that her breasts are actually that large and that the male characters in her life aren't projecting? That whoever drew the sprites for the PS3 isn't projecting? And even dismissing that, this isn't the first time this story has played around with how characters actually look with how they want to look/how other characters see them so... not really sure what your point is with the tits. idonotlikepeas posted:1) We have to assume that George never got to second base with his girlfriend. He'd have noticed; fake breast technology ain't that good either. Not only did they never have sex, he never saw her naked or even sneaked one grab in, despite the fact that they have been going out long enough to be engaged. I know this dude is a boy scout, but do we really think he's that much of one? Their entire secret romance was 100% chaste? Allow me to quote TCL here: Tender Child Loins posted:SEPARATE. ROOMS. On an overnight trip!! Do not underestimate George's gentlemanliness. And this was a trip to Okinawa, I remind, an extremely popular tourist destination, and they spent the day at the aquarium and walking on the beach... It's all very sweet and chaste and fairytale like, but it does mean that it is possible they havent seen each other naked at all, so not really a dealbreaker. idonotlikepeas posted:2) Battler's first reaction upon seeing Shannon is to grab for her boobs, and she just stands there patiently waiting for him to do it, despite the fact that it would spoil her impostiture and expose any secret plans she might have. If Jessica hadn't stopped him, Battler would have wrecked the whole thing right there. Does that make sense for her to do? Ah, but he didn't actually touch her, did he? Jessica did stop him, which renders this point pretty much moot... But I'm glad you reminded me of that, because that whole interaction is weird too, as Battler himself points out: who would just stand there and take it when a slavering perv makes a move towards your breasts? As pretty much everyone in the room points out, shannon would be well within her rights to defend herself (especially within sight of her apparent boyfriend, who didn't really do much of anything either), and as we see later is perfectlky willing to defend herself... and also doesn't call herself furniture. So her meekness here is incongruent... did she want to be embraced by Battler, somehow? Anyhow, none of these answers my original question: do we have actual confirmation from an unbiased perspective that Kanon and Shannon are two different people? Because it seems to me that the schedule for servant shifts gives them alternating schedules for this event that oh-so-conveniently gives one time off so that the other can stick around and do plot stuff. Go back to the first episode, our establishing chapter: the cousins arrive at 10:30 and are greeted by Gohda and Kanon; Shannon's nowhere to be seen yet, but everyone anticipates her arrival. When we actually see Shannon serve the tea, it's pointed out that the tea is running late, something uncharacteristic due to the number of servants usually on the island. Then Shannon arrives at the guesthouse at noon to get the children for lunch: no Kanon then, and we don't actually see him again until he gets the kids to come for dinner. But Shannon has a bit of time with the kids after lunch on the beach, before excusing herself for an actually unknown reason; Jessica assumes it's because she has to work, but recall that earlier, after lunch, Kumasawa told Shannon this:  "I just heard from Genji-san that there was a change in the afternoon shifts. I believe Shannon-san was given a break until this evening. Hoh-hoh-ho, I'm jealous."Shannon excused herself from the kids at 3:30, pretty drat far from evening; no one should have been looking for her to do anything. So if she's not doing chores... what is she doing? Relaxing by herself? But where? We know from later updates that the servants have something of a green room, but every time we see either Kanon or Shannon there, they're with each other, or someone else whose viewpoint I don't trust... The only time we really see or get a sense of either Kanon or Shannon or what they actually do when they aren't on duty, is on their respective dates with Jessica and George. That feels suspicious to me, really suspicious. In fact, I'll go ahead and say it in blue: Shannon pretends to be Kanon, or vice versa, during this period of two days. Now, why they would do this, I have no idea, because while both characters feel incomplete, they both feel like actual characters; most of their development comes from their private conversations- another red flag- but it does feel real for both of them. So, did one of them die before the events of this story, and the other is "covering" for them, so to speak, with their object of affection? Is the "affection" for George/Jessica real, or a plan they concocted to break the hearts of the children of their biggest tormentors, Eva and Natsuhi? (That's a cynical interpretation, but... these relationships have always felt a bit one-sided, and an undeniable element to Beatrice has always been spite) Or is there some other reason?
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Mar 15, 2017 19:31
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resurgam40's right. We don't need to suggest one of them doesn't exist, so that scene doesn't need to be horrifyingly weird. We just need to suggest that one was playing the other during the period of the murders. Though you'd think someone would notice. If this theory requires one of them (presumably Kanon, as Shannon started earlier) to never have existed, it's almost more insane that Tiny BombsTM.
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Mar 15, 2017 19:49
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Yeaaaah I'm going to go out on a limb and say that both exist, like Beatrice exists, but they have the same body.
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Mar 15, 2017 19:50
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CottonWolf posted:resurgam40's right. We don't need to suggest one of them doesn't exist, so that scene doesn't need to be horrifyingly weird. We just need to suggest that one was playing the other during the period of the murders. Though you'd think someone would notice. If this theory requires one of them (presumably Kanon, as Shannon started earlier) to never have existed, it's almost more insane that Tiny BombsTM. Just as a reminder, "They would never mistakenly think any other person was Kanon!"
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Mar 15, 2017 19:54
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oath2order posted:Just as a reminder, "They would never mistakenly think any other person was Kanon!" In which case, Kanon's playing Shannon. Perfectly consistent.
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Mar 15, 2017 19:55
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