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 October 4th, 1986, 11:49 PM  BGM: Rose The fighting between the relatives continued without end... At first, the relatives had crowded around the study. However, no matter how much they knocked, the master of the study did not answer even once. Eva and several others said that they should open the door with the second key, the one Genji held. However, in a flash of brilliance, Natsuhi said that Kinzo had been in a particularly bad mood and had taken back the key he'd previously given Genji, Meaning that he now had both keys himself. She claimed that this was the reason they couldn't open the door. After she promised to let them meet Kinzo tomorrow morning no matter what, they finally returned to the dining hall. But, of course, the argument continued on even after they returned to the dining hall. Eva's group wanted a lot of cash very soon, and they were trying to threaten Krauss somehow and make him pay up. Apparently, Battler's solving of the epitaph threatened Krauss's position as the next head, which gave the others a huge tailwind. On the other side, Krauss and Natsuhi based their argument on the claim that it had never been specified that ownership of the gold would be handed over to the person who solved the epitaph. It hadn't been hidden gold, but just Kinzo's stockpile, and it was still Kinzo's property, which meant it was only natural that it be distributed only after Kinzo's death with the rest of the inheritance. After they claimed this, Eva's group once again started demanding that they be allowed to see Kinzo. ...It's probably been obvious from the beginning. This sibling fight can only be settled by Kinzo... It was obvious that this confrontation was between Eva's group, which wanted cash fast, and Krauss, who was hiding his lack of funds but still didn't need money right away. As he listened vaguely to this exchange, Battler marveled at how, despite their usual affluent airs, they were surprisingly deep in debt...  According to the clock, it was almost midnight. It certainly was a perfect time for a break. The atmosphere relaxed just a bit...  "I agree. It'd do both sides some good to take a breather. So, why don't we take a record down for the rest. I've had enough of fighting over what was or wasn't said." "Seriously. We really can't do without a record of proceedings, not when Nii-san can so easily deny something he's said before the words stop bouncing off the walls." "With a written record, just writing it would be a pain, and it'd be open to forgery." "Right. Aniki, want to fire this up?" "A tape set, is it? I see. This way, we can keep a record without bothering to write it down, and forgery will be impossible. It's fair for both sides." "Make sure you don't mess anything up...! Those are Father's precious music tapes!"The dignified tape set had a sense of weight to it which matched this majestic dining hall perfectly. On pleasant Sunday mornings, it would sometimes be used to play famous tapes or records. However, right now, it was the most neutral and impartial conference record keeper around... Rudolf fished randomly around the cassette rack, searching for a blank tape. And every time he found some tape with 'sophisticated' music, he would chuckle at how pompous it was.  BGM: None  "We're taking a break. Sorry, but could you make us something to drink? And maybe some biscuits would be nice too." "Certainly. I will prepare it right away..." "Also, sorry. Do you have any cold medicine? I've been feeling a bit feverish." "Then don't overstrain yourself. Get some sleep." "If you really feel like it, why not get some sleep, Rosa? Though I wouldn't step out of such an important conference because of a simple cold." "Really? Allow me to take a rest as well. Natsuhi, why don't we take a short rest too." "...Yes, dear." BGM: Moonlit Night ...Even if this hadn't been the case, she was so desperate to get out of the room even for a moment that she'd have taken any excuse. Krauss and Natsuhi left the dining hall, and the tension in the room truly relaxed.   "You've been doing great, Battler-kun. I imagine you feel just horrible. Think of this as part of growing up and just accept it." "Just how long am I going to have to sit around doing nothing here?" "...Who knows. After all, you're like our own portable shrine. Sleepy?" "About as much as your average school class." "I'm pretty sure Father won't show up tonight anyway. When Krauss nii-san and the rest come back, I'll propose that we might as well let you go." "...I'll be counting on you."*knock*knock*. A light knock and the faint sound of china clinking together could be heard.   "We have brought tea."Shannon and Kanon had come by with a serving cart. The pleasant smell of black tea had the effect of relieving a bit of tension.  "...Hey. Did you hear about it?" "What are you talking about...?" "...We didn't hear anything." "Stop it, Rudolf. There's no reason to tell them." "...We are furniture, so we have no interest in the family conference." "I see. That's a wise answer." "...You have the midnight shift? That must be tough." "That is our job. We would be happy to receive your orders." "That may be. It'd probably be even more tiresome to sit around awake doing nothing. When I was still down in the bottom rungs, I once worked as a warehouse keeper. Even if you're just staying awake, it's still pretty tough...! Right after the war, you had robbers all over the place. Plus you couldn't rely on the police back then, so it was a pretty dangerous time...!"Hideyoshi was particularly proud of how he had started with nothing and built up assets by illegally diverting goods from the American army. Once the subject came up, Hideyoshi tended to get pretty talkative. The relatives who knew this were greatly relieved to see that a perfect sacrifice had come up. "If you got found out, you were in for it big time! Those Americandy people are scary! Their strength's in another league 'cause of all that beef they eat. If you got caught, it would end with them shooting you or <death by hanging>!" "Get it? <Death by hanging>! Oh yeah, and then, I figured it out. It's all about the meat! Japanese people've got to eat more meat! And that's when I had a revelation that I needed to start up a business to win over people's stomachs!" "I, I see... That m, must have been quite a difficult task..." "Stop it, dear. No matter how much you tell people born after the war, they'll never understand how we suffered back then." "Oops, looks like my bad habit's jumped out again...! Sorry, sorry! Wahahahahaha!" "You two should have some tea as well. I think it might be helpful for you to use your own mouth once in a while and learn more about the tea you're brewing." "...No, we'll be fine. There's no need to be concerned for our sakes..." "Hang out with us for a bit. Being surrounded by only adults makes me feel like I'm gonna suffocate." "Hear that? That's an order from Battler-sama, successor to the head! Sit over there and have some tea with us. Then you can talk about recent events, your hobbies, TV shows you're watching and whatever it is that's popular with young folks these days. There's a lot we could learn." "*giggle*. That's a brilliant idea. Come on, you two sit down too. And why don't you become sacrifices for us now that we crave something to talk about." "Wahahahahahaha. That's right. I thought it'd be nice to talk to some young kids, but that'll be pretty hard when I'm too old even to go to a cabaret club." "...How long are you planning on standing around there? Rudolf told you to sit. Sit down. I give you permission as well."After getting Eva's permission, Shannon and Kanon looked at each other and finally obeyed, nervously. For a while, the two were pounded by questions and became the relatives' playthings...  BGM: None All of the servants tended to knock in a similar manner, so no one noticed anything strange. However, Shannon and Kanon turned around with surprised looks on their faces. ...The servants here today included the two of them, Genji, Kumasawa, and Gohda. Gohda had the midnight shift at the guesthouse. Kumasawa had gone to bed in a spare room in the guesthouse. They were in here, so Genji was the only person left, but they knew very well that Genji wouldn't knock like that... "...Who is it? It's not locked. Just come in."Rudolf didn't recognize the knock either. When he asked 'Who is it?', it became apparent that no one could tell whose knock it was... After that, the same *knock*knock* repeated just once more. Could it be that someone had their hands full... and was asking that the door be opened for them...? As a slightly odd feeling began to encompass the room, the sound of the large clock in the hall could be heard. It was a sign that October 4th had ended and October 5th had begun...  At this time, Krauss and Natsuhi were a ways off, in a deserted corridor on the second floor...  "Yes... The same move probably won't last us all day tomorrow. If we hesitate any longer, there's a chance that Eva-san and the others will claim that we have Father locked up and call the police. This is... as far as we can go." "..." "...Battler-kun finding the gold... was totally unexpected. If that hadn't happened, I'd thought of a plan which might have managed to get us through this somehow..." "...Hmph. This always happens when I bet on something. Something unexpected always happens, and something which should have been an absolute certainty gets all messed up." "...Let's set it up so that Father's room is empty starting tomorrow morning. Let's plan it out with Genji and have him say that he saw Father heading out into the forest early in the morning." "I doubt Eva and the others will simply accept such a disappearance..." BGM: At Death's Door  "If we do such a thing, Eva and the others will doubtless make a fuss that our actions were suspicious. They aren't worried about appearances as long as they can squeeze some money out of us. It might end up in some odd magazine and cause serious damage to the confidence placed in me." "We can live with damage, right...?! If by any chance Father's secret is discovered, we won't get away with just damage...!!" "There's nothing wrong with persisting until the last second tomorrow. If we're able to make it through safely, we won't have to lose anything. There's no need to get impatient and use that trump card...!" "You want to wait until after they start clambering about how we've locked Father up, and then say he's gone missing? That way would invite much more suspicion...!!" "...Nnnn..."  "Calm yourself. You've just been wrapped up in Eva and the others' toxin and have lost your composure. Only two keys exist which can let anyone into that study! And you have both of them right here. That means no one can go inside. That door is of a very special make. No matter what kind of tools they bring out of the storehouse, it won't even budge." "It isn't a physical problem like that...!" "Please, don't be hasty, and calm down. In any event, you can pretend to have gotten a fever and stay in bed. In the meantime, I will overcome all of this for you." "...I can't leave everything to you...! I'll fight until the end too...!"When Natsuhi could no longer hold back the tears brought on by her fierce emotions, Krauss held her gently. Just how long had it been since the last time she'd felt warmth from her husband's compassion...  BGM: Future "...Dear..."She had come to think that her husband could never guess the way she felt. But, when it came to times like this...  "...Let's wait for the very last moment before using our disappearance trump card. It's like a last-resort treasured sword. It's best when it remains in its sheath. The important thing is that you're ready to pull it out at any time, right...?" "I... understand that..." "Would you let me handle that trump card? Of course, at the final moment, I will take all of the responsibility. I won't get you and Jessica involved." "What... do you mean by that...?!" "When the Ushiromiya family is destroyed, it is enough that I alone am crushed in the rubble. When the typhoon passes, let's make sure we're ready to file for divorce. I will sign the papers and let you hold onto them. I've secretly left some of my assets in your name. If you add on some compensation money, that should be enough for you and Jessica to live on without any hindrances." "No!! Ushiromiya Natsuhi is the name that should be engraved on my tombstone...! Please let me be with you until the last moment...! Even if it turns out that you are the last head of the Ushiromiya family, please let Natsuhi... be the name of the final head's wife... your wife..." If either of those weakened, nothing would remain. If they used the trump card of Kinzo's disappearance, they would lose one of these two essential supports. It was like offering your right arm in exchange for your neck being cut. It was probably better than losing your neck, but you still might die from the blood loss, and even on the off-chance that you did survive, you would have to bear a heavy wound that wouldn't heal for the rest of your life... Krauss was prepared even for death... Natsuhi understood this, buried her face in Krauss's chest, and cried...  BGM: None Genji's sudden voice made Natsuhi jump back and hurriedly wipe the tears from her eyes. Krauss stood in front of Natsuhi, shielding her. "Ah, Genji-san. Please don't sneak up on us. Do you have some business?" "...Yes. My apologies, but I have something to report to Madam." "To... me...? Dear..." "I don't mind."  "...What is it?" "...Well... The truth is, another phone call has come for you, Madam."At that time, she was surprised by a sudden, eerie sound. It was the large clock in the hall announcing 24:00... "You don't mean... that man... again...?" "...Yes. What is to be done?" "D, did he say what business he had with me?" "...He would not answer. He kept insisting that he wanted to speak to you directly." "..." BGM: Stupefaction 19 years ago. That was just one year before Jessica and Battler were born. In Natsuhi's eyes, the gap between 19 years ago and 18 years ago was immense. For a long time, she had been unable to fulfill her role of creating a successor for the Ushiromiya family... and had been treated very coldly. But then, she finally gave birth to Jessica... and became able to call herself the Ushiromiya successor's wife with her head held high. So in her eyes, 'Ushiromiya Natsuhi' began 18 years ago. That's why everything before that, including 19 years ago... contained nothing but hateful memories. And... the last year of that hateful period... is whispering of revenge... from the other end of the phone...  ... "...What is to be done?" "Transfer it... to my room. Don't let my husband know." "...As you wish."From the very beginning, Genji had guessed that she wouldn't want Krauss hearing about this phone call. That's why he had told Natsuhi covertly... Natsuhi ordered that he transfer the call, told Krauss that she would turn in for the night, and left at a quick pace... She returned to her room and locked the door. There's nothing peculiar about that. In the Ushiromiya family, hallways are like public roads. There's no special meaning in locking the door when you enter your own room... This is what she told herself.  She took a deep breath, readied herself, and picked up the receiver. "...Hello..." "..."Again, it started with silence. She realized that the person at the other end was trying to irritate her and make her feel uncomfortable, and she got angry... "Why are you silent...?! I'm hanging up...!" BGM: Deep Blue Jeer Again... that unpleasant voice... "Are you trying to mock me...?! Tell me what you want...!" "I want to play with you, Mother." "...Wh, what? What are you talking about?! I have no desire to play with you...!!" "...You're tired from the family conference, right? Is that chronic headache of yours getting to be a pain...?" "Th, that's none of your business...!"Just the fact that he knew her headache was troubling her made a shiver run up her spine... "You get headaches because your head's all stiff. If you go straight to bed like that, you won't be having nice dreams." "Haven't I told you that's none of your business?!! I'm hanging up!!"Natsuhi forcefully yelled that she was hanging up, but in actuality, she couldn't... After all, being at the receiving end of a phone call was much better than the alternative. If she hung up violently, this person might then call someone else... "Let's play a bit to help you relax. I won't take up much of your time." "I, I have no intention of playing with you...!" "...Your name is Natsuhi, Mother. It has the kanji for a season in it. Pretty nice name. However, just because your name is Natsuhi, that doesn't necessarily mean that you like summer. Which season do you really like, Mother...?" "You think I'll tell you?" "If you don't, I'll hang up. Is that alright?" "...Gah..."It was clearly a threat. It meant that if she forced him to hang up the phone... anything might happen... Humiliated that she was forced to give in to a threat made by a man whose name she didn't even know, she gave him the answer he wanted...  "Why...?" "B, because it's an easy season to pass the time in...! There's no other reason in particular. Are you satisfied now?!" "Yeah, I'm satisfied. So, looks like your favorite season really is the same as mine. I like Fall too. Heheheheheheheheheheheheh..." "...Liar! You just made that up...!"Surely, this man would have done the same thing no matter which season I said I liked. What is he after?! What's so fun about making me uncomfortable like this...?! "It's not nice to call someone a liar. I didn't make it up. I already knew that you liked Fall, Mother. I can even prove it to you." "Prove...?" "Yeah. Is there a clock in your room, Mother...?" "...A clock...? Y, yes, there is, but what's your point...?"In Natsuhi's room, there was a beautiful antique clock with an intricate design. Krauss had bought it for her as a birthday present long ago. "...It's 12:07 right now. I'm tired, so please get this farce over with quickly...!" "Try lifting the clock up." "Wh, why?" "...You just don't know when to shut up. Stop resisting every single time I say something. Just shut up and do what I say."The tone of the man's voice suddenly went low, turning into a threat. It made it clear that he was displeased. At first, this man seemed to have a calm way of speaking, but on the inside, that wasn't the case at all. If she enraged this man even a little more, he would surely show his true nature right away... "...Are you really that eager to make me hang up? Things are best when I'm talking on the phone with you... I could tell your husband and daughter about what happened 19 years ago any time I want to..." "I, I don't know what you're talking about, but please don't get my husband and daughter involved...! I'm listening to everything you say...!" "Then just do what you're told..."Once again, the man threatened her in a low voice, as though warning her not to interrupt again... My head was filled with the pain from my headache, the sound of my beating heart, and the roar of the sea... I can't disobey him anymore. As the man had ordered, I lifted up the antique clock...  There lay what appeared to be a single playing card...? Is it the warranty for the clock...? Thinking this, she took it and turned it over... "Are you... wide awake now?" "Well, I'll be happy if your headache's gone down a bit. Tell me you're happy, Mother." "How did you...?! Why?! How?!" "I want you to tell me you're happy, you murderer. How dare you act like a normal, neat-freak mother. You make me want to vomit. Do you want that to land on your husband and daughter as well? You don't, do you? You want me to keep quiet, don't you? Yeah, I'll keep quiet. See, aren't you happy? Aren't you happy?!" "Ah, gaaaah, I'm happy... I'm happy...!! So please... stop... Don't burden my husband and daughter...! What is it you want? Money? How much?!" "I don't want money. My wounds couldn't be healed with any amount of money. But there is a medicine. That's right. It's like a kind of ointment." Natsuhi had never had anything so hateful said to her in her entire life. So she suspected many times that she must be having some sort of bad dream. However, this definitely wasn't a dream... "...Y, you couldn't possibly be... on this island right now, are you...?" "I am. Didn't I promise you? I said I'd be at the family conference." "That's impossible...! There's no way you could have come during this typhoon...!!" "That's no problem if I came before the typhoon reached here. And I'm pretty sure this guest called Erika or whatever arrived even during the typhoon."Her blood froze... Furudo Erika had supposedly been brought here by coincidence... If he knew that name, he would have to be very close by... "Wh, where... a, are you...?" "...I won't appear in front of anyone until you introduce me. Don't worry. Oh yeah, it's useless to try and search for me. Your mansion is huge. You even have a phone system in it. And I'm sure you don't want to meet me, right? Or else, do you want to expose me and introduce me to everyone...? Introduce me to Jessica too. Tell her I'm her older brother by one year. Heheheheheheheheheheheheheheh!!" "S, stop it, stay away from Jessica..." "I guess I've scared you a bit too much. That's all from me... for tonight. But don't forget. You cannot disobey me. Understand, Mother?" "...Y, yes..." "I'm going to hang up for the night, but I have an order to be followed up until tomorrow morning." "Wh, what is that...?" "And you will turn the lights off right now, get in bed, and sleep. Then you will wake up at your ordinary time. Heheheheheh. It sure is nice to live a healthy life. I really am such a good son, working so hard for the sake of my Mother's body..." "I, I understand. I'll sleep right now. I won't leave my room, and I won't pick up the phone...! So, let my husband and daughter...!" "As long as you follow my orders, I'll keep your secret, Mother. Don't disobey me. I'm already very close by to you. I can easily tell whether you've turned your lights off, or whether you're on the phone. If I wished to, I could even kiss your sleeping face." "I'll keep it! I'll keep my promise!! So stop it, just stop it! Stop iiiiiiiiiiiiiiittt!!"...As she screamed, Natsuhi took the card she had found under the clock, and crushed it up into a little ball. 
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Mar 30, 2017 10:46
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drat it, why does real life keep getting in the way? It's 1:00 am and I'm on pain pills, so everything will probably be nonsense. This is the first time the story has brought up motive, isn't it? And we're told we need to look deep; it's not something simple like a psycho or the gold. But I'm thinking that this is like figuring out a magic trick - look at what the magician isn't drawing your attention to. No matter what the motive, there has to be a piece on the board doing things. Much like Ericka had to be placed to have a detective. What piece carried out the murders? In one of the games, Eva walks away the only survivor, and inherits everything. But in the others, everybody dies. Which, I suppose, points back to motive: why commit a bunch of murders that then include yourself? Kinzo, I could have seen doing it, but he's very dead. Hmm, did the Beatrice portrait really go up while he was alive? Genji said it was in April of the year before last. Since the family meeting that year was apparently unremarkable, Kinzo must have been there. Though he might have had his warning from Nanjo and prepared something. And Genji might be crazy enough to carry out posthumous orders - he's just furniture. Oh, and on the "X=0, Y=0, X+Y>0" wasn't Maria the witch who could "find a 1 floating in a sea of 0?" And I'm still freaked by her black king hat. But I can't see her carrying out the murders. She's just too young. Maybe it's supposed to means she can come up with answers? I've been assuming that our red statements, about the number of people on the island, count all the servants as human. If they don't, we've got lots of extra slots for, I suppose, goat-kun and demons. Battler surviving never was a surprise because he's (usually) been our point of view, and you don't expect that character to die. And his name sounds like he's been put in the story just so there's somebody to fight. But if he's being kept alive until the end, then Beato wants something from him, something more important than gold or lives. Something very emotional, and probably irrational (as viewed from the outside). She wants him to find her human piece, I would guess. If you follow "demons = furniture = Kinzo's servants" then it's either Shannon or Kanon (the others are accounted for) and Gapp would be the other. I suppose that's possible, but it doesn't feel right. The best line of attack I can see rests on three things: who is Battler's mother? Who called Natsuhi? And what are the murders trying to accomplish? Maybe I should add "how did Battler sin six years ago?" I've been assuming it was by denying the family, walking away from them. His father, at the very least, should be angry. The call to Natsuhi would fit great if she were the detective and the caller was Beatrice. I still like Beatrice as Battler's mother, because it clicks some pieces into place, but it doesn't solve everything. I proposed before that we're seeing different versions of Ange's head canon for what happened. She could see Battler leaving her and her family as a sin. There's only the tiny detail that she wasn't born yet. Edit: And Prof posts again. Don't you ever sleep? If you flipped the genders, I'd be sure this is Natsuhi's illegitimate child, but it's awfully hard for a woman to hide a pregnancy. More likely she'd pass it off as Krauss'. For guys with no mother, we have Battler and Kanon. The ages line up close enough. If you'll take a female caller, Shannon also lacks parents. Maybe Krauss had an illegitimate child and wanted to bring it into the family? Or he was looking at adopting to get an heir? That could work, and provide a very bitter murderer, who works as a servant instead of being rich. But then why drag in Battler? The voice on the phone doesn't have to be connected with the murders, but that's hard to swallow. Maybe Krauss wanted to adopt not a random kid, but Rudolf and Kyrie's first child (who, in this version didn't die being born). Natsuhi blocks that, and the child goes to the orphanage, then later comes back as a servant using the name Shannon or Kanon. Eh, still doesn't work. The kid should be upset with Kyrie, not Natsuhi. And Natsuhi seems to have figured out who it is, and it seriously scares her, but she thinks they're off the island, not downstairs in the servants' room. All right, I confess. It was me. I called Natsuhi and killed everybody. BurningStone fucked around with this message at 11:20 on Mar 30, 2017 |
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Mar 30, 2017 10:51
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There's a fairly common magic trick where, when you have a sharply limited number of options, you conceal papers listing all of them in different places or differentiate them in some other invisible way. So, for instance, if I wanted to predict what season was your favorite, I could have two differently-sized pieces of paper folded up in each of my front pockets. When you told me which your favorite was, all I have to do is reach into the appropriate pocket and pull out the correct piece of paper and hey, presto, I'm psychic! (It's more theatrical if you can conceal them in the room ahead of time, but that isn't always practical.) I don't know if that's what happened here, of course. I guess I'll have to think about whether this <good> avatar is a compliment or an insult.
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Mar 30, 2017 15:12
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First thought of the episode: Well, at least Kyrie seems to care a little about Battler's well being, even if she is still using him to get gold. Second thought: Krauss  Man, I actually feel sorry for him now; he does have moments of being a good husband now and then, glory be, and at least he's willing to accept the consequences of his actions. I'm still amazed at the fact that the best Ushiromiya sibling is Krauss, World's Worst Investor, but I guess that's the story for you- there's that paradigm shift I was talking about.Third thought:  God, I don't even care what Natsuhi did: no one deserves to be terrorized in their own home like this. But the question is, who could be calling now? Who's not in the conference room and could make it? Genji gave her notice so it probably isn't him. And the voice is described as a tenor, and that isn't Gohda or Nanjo, so not them either. Kumasawa? I would assume Natsuhi would recognize her voice, but she did praise Kuma's acting talent a little while ago... and the only others that fit the bill are Erika and the kids. I don't see George doing this at all, although I suppose he could, but what about Erika? One of Knox's rules is that the detective can't be the culprit, but if we define "culprit" as "the murderer"* then these calls have nothing to do with any murders, and there's no guarantee that these phone calls are connected to them either. So could Erika be making these calls to mess with Natsuhi somehow? *Of course, now that I say that... it really does sound like the creep on the phone is setting Natsuhi up somehow by staying in her room all night... is this an attempt to implicate her in the murders by removing any alibi? I mean, what's she gonna say if the murderer's happen, "I was in my room all night" and expect that to fly with no vouchers? If that were true, then the person making the call would have to be at least an accomplice, if not the murderer himself. But does Knox's 7th cover accomplices, or just murderers?
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Mar 30, 2017 15:16
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resurgam40 posted:First thought of the episode: Well, at least Kyrie seems to care a little about Battler's well being, even if she is still using him to get gold. This is one of Ryukishi's greatest strengths as a writer, I think. Every* character is so wonderfully complicated. Rereading Umineko in LP form is really making me appreciate character nuances I missed in my own playthrough. *Except Gohda. Gohda just wants to cook, dammit.
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Mar 30, 2017 15:37
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idonotlikepeas posted:I guess I'll have to think about whether this <good> avatar is a compliment or an insult. 
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Mar 30, 2017 15:46
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idonotlikepeas posted:There's a fairly common magic trick where, when you have a sharply limited number of options, you conceal papers listing all of them in different places or differentiate them in some other invisible way. So, for instance, if I wanted to predict what season was your favorite, I could have two differently-sized pieces of paper folded up in each of my front pockets. When you told me which your favorite was, all I have to do is reach into the appropriate pocket and pull out the correct piece of paper and hey, presto, I'm psychic! (It's more theatrical if you can conceal them in the room ahead of time, but that isn't always practical.) I don't know if that's what happened here, of course. For what it's worth, we've been talking about getting you an Erika AV since like episode 3.
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Mar 30, 2017 15:51
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There's a couple people with AVs in the pipeline but yeah you've always been Erika.
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Mar 30, 2017 16:44
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It's a complisult.
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Mar 30, 2017 17:41
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Hmm. After the last update with the man on the phone, I'd had a thought concerning his possible identity but ultimately kept it to myself because there were just too many other, more plausible explanations that kept coming to me as I tried to put a coherent post together. But now that he's made another appearance, it's still nagging at me... The living Beatrice who Rosa found in Kuwadorian was killed 19 years ago, right? As far as I can tell there's no textual evidence that ties this mysterious caller to anything that happened at Kuwadorian, but I have a hard time swallowing that these two things could be wholly unrelated.
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Mar 30, 2017 18:38
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idonotlikepeas posted:
 Rodyle posted:There's a couple people with AVs in the pipeline but yeah you've always been Erika. Now I'm scared what kind of bizarre character are gonna show up in this, I mean at least one new character has shown up per episode so I'm assuming there will be more. Oh Christ, there will be more. 
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Mar 30, 2017 18:50
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As usual for events that aren't in red, we don't know if this really happened. Yes, they could be forcing Natsuhi to stay in her room so she doesn't have an alibi. On the other hand, maybe Natsuhi "staying in her room" is all in her head, just like her conversations with Kinzo. The only people who interact with this caller at all are Genji and Natsuhi. Also, I'd expect that either the caller isn't real at all or else Genji is helping them. He's just too convenient for them. Oh, and I'm also suspicious of the money Krauss set aside for Natsuhi and Jessica. I mean, I'm sure that he set the money aside at one point - that's in character for him. But I would also expect that at some point he needed just a bit of money for a venture that was guaranteed to pay out tenfold, so he borrowed from that fund, fully intending to return it, but somehow it just didn't pay out. That would also be very in character for him. Hmm. The caller also accuses Natsuhi of being a murderer. So whatever happened 19 years ago (if anything) wasn't just her having a kid. But who are the possibilities for her murder victim? We don't know about any mysterious bodies in the past (besides Beato). So... what if the issue is that she didn't have a kid? What if she became pregnant and had an abortion 19 years ago? Then either someone found out about it and is threatening her based on it, or for some reason she's now feeling guilty about it. What if the reason she and Krauss had so much trouble having children is that Natsuhi didn't actually want a child? Or didn't want a male child? I'm not sure why that would be, but it's a possibility. IT also explains why no one noticed her going through a pregnancy, which is not the most subtle of things to do. Qrr fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Mar 30, 2017 |
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Mar 30, 2017 20:07
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Fabulousvillain posted:Now I'm scared what kind of bizarre character are gonna show up in this, I mean at least one new character has shown up per episode so I'm assuming there will be more. Oh Christ, there will be more. There's still 70 more demons of hell to introduce, after all! Just wait until we get to Flauros-chan, she's the cutest.
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Mar 30, 2017 21:56
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That is...an amazing avatar.
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Mar 31, 2017 00:01
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oath2order posted:For what it's worth, we've been talking about getting you an Erika AV since like episode 3. Rodyle posted:There's a couple people with AVs in the pipeline but yeah you've always been Erika. It's a fair cop. Speaking of Erika, many fictional detectives have been broken people; as I mentioned earlier, Holmes and Poirot both ended up detested by their authors. They didn't necessarily start as irritants; they were more intended to be eccentric, but after a while it's hard to ignore the fact that your ostensible protagonists routinely do things like disguising themselves while talking to their best friends and then make fun of them for not noticing, or load a bunch of perfectly innocent people into a room with a murderer so that they can show off their reasoning skills, or withhold the solution to a mystery from the proper authorities until what they consider to be the most dramatic moment. In some ways, the conventions of the genre kind of force your detective to be a bit of a douche. Some authors, of course, have leaned into this; Rex Stout's detective, Nero Wolfe (a personal favorite of mine), is a lazy misogynistic jerk who routinely turns away clients who can't afford to pay his (ridiculous) fees even if they desperately need his services. Of course, he's aware that he's a lazy bag of dicks, so he employs the point of view character, Archie Goodwin, both to do his legwork and to kick him in the rear end just enough to get him off it so he can solve mysteries. While a detective is supposed to present you with a challenger match wits with, there's no harm in them also being an interesting character in their own right and, in fact, that often makes for much better storytelling.
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Mar 31, 2017 01:59
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Lot of Doyle's antipathy for Holmes is that he overshadows all his other writing attempts - and there's an interesting theory I saw once, given Holmes gets compared to a hound frequently, note the depiction of dogs before and after "The Final Problem" - save for one dog that needed to be put down, thus made it convenient for them to test a poison, dogs are helpers and treated well before The Final Problem, but Hound of Baskervilles and on, the Dogs are often killed - quite painfully. A few fans theorized that Doyle's taking his frustrations using the dogs via proxy. But I digress, but Erika definitely seems to be a knock against the type of detectives that do it not for money or some nebulous sense of justice, but purely to prove their intellect or slake their curiosity.
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Mar 31, 2017 02:25
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Hey, a fellow Nero Wolfe fan! I thought we were all gone, though I understand the books were very popular when they were released. Someday I'll find somebody outside my family who's read van Gulik's Judge Dee books. My mother has always been a big mystery fan, particularly Christie, so I was reading them as soon as I was old enough to reach them on the shelves. Locked rooms used to be very popular, which makes this story feel a little old fashioned to me, even if how the rooms got locked has faded into the background for now.
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Mar 31, 2017 03:26
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Judge Dee? I believe I've read one of those before; perhaps I'll look the others up sometime. Knox would have a heart attack.
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Mar 31, 2017 03:36
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I've always been kind of curious about the Judge Dee books, but just never found the opportunity to read them.
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Mar 31, 2017 03:41
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The best thing about them is seeing a very different take on the detective novel. The earlier ones in particular; the very first one he translated rather than wrote. One warning: he was also a collector of Chinese pornography. I don't recall any explicit sex scenes, but there's always at least one naked girl (he did Chinese style drawing too).
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Mar 31, 2017 05:58
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I love the fantastic discussion of other mystery novels. The only ones I can comment on are the Sherlock Holmes stories, and how they displayed British imperialist attitudes and fear of otherness/the exotic of the time period they were made in, but I'm always glad to learn more. Now I got to share this theory about our mysterious crank caller, so here goes. ABSOLUTELY BASELESS THEORY OF THE IDENTITY OF ANGRY OINTMENT-RUBBING CRANK CALLER: Jessica or Kannon. I'm leaning more towards Jessica because she has a noticeably (according to the game's narration) male pattern of speaking, and she would know the interior of the house and furniture well enough in order to pull off that card-behind-the-clock trick. Same goes for Kanon, but I think Jessica would know what Natsuhi's favorite season was more so than Kanon. Crank caller says they are 19 years old, but Jessica or Kannon could be claiming that in order to reference a mysterious event in Natsuhi's life. The voice was also described to be ambiguous about whether it belonged to someone who was female or male, and Jessica and Kannon, as young people, could both fit that role quite well. Now, as for why they would want to mess with Natsuhi? I'm honestly not sure, so I shall present another baseless theory. ANOTHER BASELESS THEORY ABOUT WHAT THE CRANK CALLER'S RUB IS: Maybe Kannon is Natsuhi's abandoned child? He gets adopted into Kinzo personal orphan house and later gets hired to work on Rokkenjima because desire or something. (Perhaps Kinzo liked Kannon when he found him in the furniture catalog, who knows.) Maybe Jessica and/or Kannon (Jessica is empathetic towards Kannon so she could turn on her mom) are pissed at this treatment, and do some mean pranks on Natsuhi. EagerSleeper fucked around with this message at 09:45 on Mar 31, 2017 |
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Mar 31, 2017 09:34
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 Right now, it is exactly the same time that the large clock in the hall announces midnight. Wondering who the person who knocked on the door twice was, the relatives in the dining hall stared at the door. Rudolf told them to come in. But there was no answer. Until the end of that long tone marking the coming of 24:00, which had come from the large clock in the hall shortly after the knock, they were unable to move in the slightest...  "...Maybe their hands are full and they can't open it..." "Maybe. But it's a little creepy that they won't say their name." "...Should I open it?" "Open it."Kanon nodded back, then slowly opened the door...  "Ah, what's that...?!" BGM: Corridor of the Sands of Purgatory Right behind the opened door, on the floor of the hallway, lay the envelope. "There's no one in the hallway. Perhaps they placed this here and left..."The adults flew out into the corridor as well, but they could find no trace of anyone who might have knocked on the door... Barely an hour ago, Shannon and Kanon had come in to serve tea. At that time, everyone had seen that nothing lay in that spot. Someone came, knocked, left an envelope with the mark of the One-winged Eagle on it, and left... "C, could it have been... the Master...?!" "...It's not unthinkable. Father's pretty much the only person in this mansion who would refuse to answer when asked who he was." "That's not possible. If that's so, then why didn't Father come in here openly?" "...That's right. Father would probably just suddenly come in here without knocking... The doors and windows of this mansion are locked now, right...? In that case, the only people who could conceivably have left the letter there are Krauss-san, Natsuhi-san, and Genji-san."By this point, the mansion had been completely locked up. Therefore, the cousins in the guesthouse, Nanjo, Gohda, Kumasawa, and Erika could not have come here. Furthermore, since Krauss, Natsuhi, and Genji were the only three who weren't in this room, one of those three had to have been the one who set that letter down in the corridor. In that case, it was very likely that Krauss and the others had placed the letter there to make it seem like a message from Kinzo...   "It's not like I have any interest in being the next head..." "Give it up. That's just your fate. Anyway, why don't we read what's inside?"Rudolf set the letter on the dining hall table and let everyone see the front and back to show that there were no tricks or hidden mechanisms, almost like a magician does before performing his act.  "...This envelope is without a doubt Father's?" "Y, yes, there's no doubt. Father liked to use this envelope for handwritten letters... What do you think, Shannon-chan?" "Y, yes... To my eyes as well, it looks like the type of envelope that the Master uses..." "That doesn't mean Father was the one who wrote it. It would be pitifully easy for Nii-san to snatch one of these from a drawer in Father's study...!" "Even Krauss-sama would not be able to enter the study easily... It might be hard for him to steal an envelope..." "Let's try opening it. We can think about this later. There's something in it. I wonder what." Then, a folded letter... and a glittering object fell. It was a ring.  "Huh? Wait a second, that ring is...!"Eva noticed it immediately and grabbed at it...  BGM: Fishy Aroma "...Wh, what in the...!! Seriously?!" "Are you sure it's Father's ring...? Could it be a replica...?" "No, this is the real thing! I've always dreamed about wearing this ring on my finger someday. Even though Father wore this on his finger, I know more about it than anyone else. This is Father's ring, no doubt about it! Why is it here?!" "In that case, was it really Father who wrote this letter...?!" "...Heh, heheheheh. The sender isn't Father. It's much more interesting." "Then, who is the letter from?" Rudolf showed everyone the part of the letter where that was written. It really did say that...  "I, it's from Beatrice...?!" "What's it say...?"  "...Hah, hahah! What the hell...! I see, Dad just won't come out of his study, so Beatrice, the witch of the forest, has acknowledged Battler directly...! Hahaha, hahahahahahahahaha!" "...Battler-kun. You should take that ring. This is a special ring to be worn by the family head. I don't know who this Beatrice is, but she's watched the whole thing and sent you this ring after acknowledging you as the true successor." "I, is that alright...? It's such an important ring..." "Yeah, it's fine. You should wear it proudly on your finger. Got it? Even if Aniki and Natsuhi nee-san tell you to take it off, you better not do it no matter what...!"All of the relatives, with creepy smiles on their faces, urged Battler to put the ring on his finger... It looked like things would get pretty nasty if he refused, so Battler reluctantly decided to put it on the middle finger of his left hand... The ring was heavy and stiff... At that moment, Krauss returned. Genji came back as well immediately afterwards.   "...Battler-sama, that is..."Immediately, Genji keenly spotted that which Battler had just put on his finger...  "Your eyesight's pretty good, Genji-san! Looks like you know whose ring this is." "What...? What are you talking about...?"Judging by Krauss's dubious expression, it's pretty unlikely that he was the one who set that letter there... Furthermore, that expression quickly changed into one of shock. "Eheheheheh!! That's right, it's the Ushiromiya family Head's Ring!!"The family conference took up this new topic, and the storm came once again...  October 5th, 1986, 3:01 PM  ...This weather was supposed to continue all day tomorrow as well, which made me feel a bit depressed. Oh wait... given the time, that's today, not tomorrow... But that doesn't really matter now. I'm sleepy... With half-asleep eyes, I opened my umbrella. The large drops of rain pounded against it mercilessly... Technically, the end of the family conference had been proclaimed at 1:00 AM, but external scuffles kept continuing sluggishly. I'm really jealous of Aunt Rosa, who managed to slip out of there at that time. She cleverly got away by saying that she'd check on Maria, who might have been staying up too late. Dad caught me, I missed my chance to escape... and they made me stick around until now, 3:00 AM... After all this time, what have they decided on...? They haven't decided on anything. They just kept on arguing about who said what, like elementary school kids. I'm sure that they're tired too. I'm sure that's why they keep dragging on with the same pointless questions. I no longer felt any shock or anger towards them. I guess no painkiller works better than drowsiness... ...I left them behind and finally returned to the guesthouse.  Not only that. I could even hear people chatting inside... Apparently, some people were still awake this late. Despite this late hour, Gohda-san and Doctor Nanjo were still awake and chatting. Plates and cups were lined up on the counter, and it looked almost like a bar with Gohda-san as the bartender. When they noticed I had returned, they apparently finally realized how late it was. When Gohda-san made to top off Doctor Nanjo's glass, Doctor Nanjo declined with an exaggerated gesture.  BGM: Cage  "Look how late it's gotten... You were such a good person to chat with, I hardly noticed." "If so, it's all thanks to your liquor. We'll have to do this again sometime." "Yes, gladly! Battler-sama, welcome back. Is the discussion with Krauss-sama and the others still continuing?" "...From the way things were going, it looks like they might plod on until dawn. None of my business..."I spoke carelessly, with a big yawn.   "Oh, so you're here too..." "...With one thing and another, they ended up having a small night party here. They let me join in. Don't worry, I haven't said a word about *that*." "..."Erika could be seen on the sofa. She had taken her shoes off and was lounging around as though she owned the place.  "Erika-sama is very knowledgeable on a variety of subjects. I enjoyed listening to her immensely." "Your knowledge truly is extensive. Very impressive for one so young..." "...You're very welcome. I, Furudo Erika, know quite a bit about trifles such as this."Erika grabbed the corners of her skirt and posed. This was somewhat less than graceful considering she was lounging on the sofa with her feet up.  "...Where's Aunt Rosa?" "She returned at 1:00 AM, but she went straight upstairs to sleep."That's probably true... After taking part in that conference for so long... I feel like flopping down in bed right away myself. I've had it. I'm tired enough that I might flop over right here... "...Well then, let's call it a night. Don't you have to get up early tomorrow morning to make breakfast, Gohda-san?" "Preparations for breakfast have already been made. I would be most pleased if you look forward to tomorrow's breakfast."In Gohda-san's eyes, the family conference is an open stage on which to display his culinary skills. Maybe this invigorates him so much that he doesn't even get sleepy. Erika stood up, laughing at how youthful Gohda was. This became a sign that it was time to disperse.  Leaving the clean-up to Gohda-san, I went to the bathroom and then climbed the stairs to the second floor.  "Goodnight, everyone. These old bones have stayed up a little too late." "...Good night, Doctor Nanjo. Good night, Battler-san." "Yeah. G'night..."Then, in the second floor hallway, we split up. Doctor Nanjo went to his own room. Erika went to her room. And I... returned to the cousins' room. I couldn't hear any sounds of playing coming from the cousins' room. Could they have fallen asleep already? No surprise, at this time of night. If they were still playing, they would have been staying up way too late...  BGM: None Everyone was already sleeping in their beds. I'm sure they all had a great time and played a ton. Then they'd probably talked about youthful things and enjoyed staying up late. If only I hadn't found the gold, I could have enjoyed my time with them... I'm already... tired... so tired. Forgetting even to change my clothes or brush my teeth, I crawled into bed, and immediately started to fall into the marshes of sleep... Aaah, today's been so insane... I wonder if that old bastard is still in that family conference now... How does he not get tired...? Come to think of it, what was it that old bastard said when we parted company...?  ...I'm sure it's more stuff about being the successor to the head. I don't even want to hear about it... 'If I tell you about this, I'll probably be killed.' I'll kill you whenever you want, you old bastard... And then, what was it he said next...? 'It's about your birth.' My... birth...? Probably just something about the noble Ushiromiya lineage... Not interested...  
Quinn2win fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Mar 31, 2017 |
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Mar 31, 2017 13:22
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So the letters show up again, mysteriously... And there uis no mention of the epitaph, as it has been solved. But does that mean there will be no murders? I doubt it... especially now that there's ten tons of really good reasons to kill somebody. Poor Battler, he sounds perfectly miserable in these scenes. But... ProfessorProf posted:
Here we have a reminder that the circumstances of his birth are weird, in a manner the game has not specified. And no age of any character thus far has been confirmed in red... Could he have been the caller? I don't see how that's possible for the last call, during all this hullabaloo, but... maybe the first one, the one before the conference started?
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Mar 31, 2017 13:42
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While we're sharing mystery novel recs, one of my favorites is Sarah Caudwell's Thus Was Adonis Murdered. Very funny, technically sound, fully solvable, and with an interesting detective. I've got some not-great medical poo poo going on right now, but all this means for the LP is that I'm at home and on narcotics with nothing else to do than take screencaps, so if anything this will make the update pace more stable.
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Mar 31, 2017 13:43
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I'm so glad there are other Stout readers among us. I got into him once A&E did the serial adaptations, I'm still sad they didn't make it to "Some Buried Caesar". But it did start me on looking for others besides Holmes, and I'd throw in "The Devotion of Suspect X" by Keigo Higashino & "The Last Policeman" by Ben Winters as decent mysteries. And if you're ever in Houston TX, check out "Murdered by the Books" which is a pretty cool store specializing in them. Back on topic: Looks like it's time for the adults to get killed so Battler doesn't get filled in on his true heritage. And Battler is in the family conference, so we know he can't be making the calls. Weren't Jessica & Kanon in the conference room the entire time during the call as well? Ghoda & the Doc, as well as Erika were "having a chat" though I suppose someone could of left for a moment, made the call, and come back. So that leaves Genji, Jessica, George, Maria, and Rosa, correct? Assuming we're going with the 17 individuals theory.
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Mar 31, 2017 14:26
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If we're assuming the call actually happened, then the possible people who could have done it were Krauss, Genji, Jessica, George, Maria, Kumasawa, Nanjo, Gohda, and Mary Sue. I'm not sure how Natsuhi could fail to differentiate those voices, but I guess if we assume speaking technique X then it works out.
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Mar 31, 2017 19:13
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Feel good, prof.
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Mar 31, 2017 19:22
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Yeah, feel good; this LP is great, but don't strain yourself or do anything that compromises or pains you.
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Mar 31, 2017 21:04
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ProfessorProf posted:
A small missing bit of text here
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Mar 31, 2017 21:39
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ProfessorProf posted:I've got some not-great medical poo poo going on right now, but all this means for the LP is that I'm at home and on narcotics with nothing else to do than take screencaps, so if anything this will make the update pace more stable. Being sick sucks. Hope you feel better soon!
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Mar 31, 2017 21:57
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ProfessorProf posted:While we're sharing mystery novel recs, one of my favorites is Sarah Caudwell's Thus Was Adonis Murdered. Very funny, technically sound, fully solvable, and with an interesting detective. Prof, get well soon, and absolutely take a break if you need one. Don't wear yourself out on our account! But yeah, just got back from holiday and insane work week, and I missed some stuff. I feel incompetent, but I still can't reach the solution for the epitaph. TCL's QUADRILLION solution is pretty great. That said, I just don't see how it leads us to Kyoto (if indeed that is where we're going) but it feels like it fits too well not to be right in some capacity. Anyway, it's time for some parentage theories, as this is clearly the parentage episode. Some of it is just stating things we've discussed before in blue, but I think the first bit's new. As multiple people have pointed out Beatrice died 19 years ago, I think that's too strong a connection to be a coincidence, so here goes: Beatrice 1 died 19 years ago. At the time of her death she was pregnant by Kinzo. Somehow Natsuhi found the body. The baby survived. Natsuhi is therefore "Mother". The child was given to Fukuein (sp?) House to be raised in the orphanage. Though resurgam40's theory about her attempting to drown the baby could work here too. Either Kanon or Shannon is actually 19, and Beatrice 1's child, and therefore is an Ushiromiya. Whichever of these two is Beatrice 1's child is the current Beatrice. Battler's parentage is a misdirection. The murders have nothing to do with Battler's parentage. He is Rudolf's child by Kyrie. Asamu miscarried and Kyrie didn't and for some reason Battler was played off as Asamu's child and raised as such. The big flaw in this theory is, of course, why wouldn't she tell anyone? I have no real answer to that. In this theory she didn't really do anything wrong. The only other theory that potentially comes to me is, and that other people have hinted at, is this: The "child" is Ushiromiya Natsuhi's child by Ushiromiya Kinzo. This explains Natsuhi's obsession with Kinzo, either they were lovers, or something more messed up (not that having sex with your son's wife isn't already appropriately messed up). The rest of the theory would proceed as above. CottonWolf fucked around with this message at 09:43 on Apr 1, 2017 |
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Apr 1, 2017 09:37
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Good luck dealing with whatever medical stuff you're going through ProfessorProf. These threads are good fun, but I don't want anyone physically suffering through them.
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Apr 1, 2017 10:39
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 The sound of the tide surging. The noise of the sea breeze. Whenever my headache torments me, these are the sounds that fill my head... Unable to bear a successor, I was in a very difficult position with regards to the Ushiromiya family... Whenever I heard of a drug or incense that could make you achieve pregnancy, I tried it... but nothing I tried had any effect. Until I was blessed with Jessica 18 years ago, I was ashamed to even call myself a wife.  BGM: Melody (instrumental) "I still don't know what caused my inability to become pregnant. I even went to see noted physicians. I underwent humiliating examinations. But I was always just told that they didn't understand the reason..." "Even though quite some time had passed since your marriage, you still couldn't bear a child. I see. It's only natural that Eva, who secretly aspired to become the next head, would start getting ideas..."Eva tried to convince Father that I was a failure as a future head's wife. It was a time when Kinzo was also very disappointed in my husband's repeated business failures. On the other hand, Eva's husband Hideyoshi's business was growing well, completely the opposite of my husband's business. He was the only person who could bring Father good news. In that case, perhaps there could be no blame placed on Father if he decided to lend an ear to Eva's words... or even accept them completely. It was all my fault, because I couldn't bear a child...  "You are sinless. Aren't babies of this country carried here by storks? If anyone is to be judged, it should be the stork." "...Thank you. However, even though he was still in good health then, the head was already well past his prime, and it's not hard to imagine that he wanted to see his grandchildren's faces as soon as possible..." "Who cares. If he wanted a grandchild, he could have just done what he wanted with that appalling amount of money he had." "...This is Kinzo, the man who always bragged about how money could create anything. If he wanted a grandchild, why couldn't he just manage something with that money he was so proud of...?!" "...Yes, that's right. The head... gave up on me when I couldn't bear a child... and did just that."...Thinking it the duty of anyone in possession of large amounts of money, the head gave a lot to charities. One among these, the orphanage known as the 'Fukuin House' had been given an especially large donation, possibly because he had old ties with that place.  "Ah, the Fukuin House. Furniture came from that place quite often." "As part of their work training and public activity, the head employed Fukuin House children with exceptional grades as servants. All of the servants in the mansion with "音" (On) in their names, such as Shannon, Kanon, Runon, Manon and Reion, came from there." "...There were quite a lot of them, weren't there... Though most quit after just a few years." "That's probably because a few years of wages from working here would earn them more than enough to live on their own. Experience as a servant for the Ushiromiya family would be a wonderful thing to add to their resume. I'm sure it was the head's ambition that they would gain this for themselves and then spread their wings in society." "...I see. So, an adopted child..." "..."  "Welcome this baby as my grandchild." "Ohhh, there, there. There, there..."Apparently, the baby Kumasawa was trying to soothe didn't like the air in the study at all. It kept on crying, displeased... "M, my apologies, Father... I'm not sure what you want me..." "Welcome this baby as my grandchild. And raise this baby to be the one who succeeds Krauss." "...In other words, you want me to raise the baby... as me and my husband's own child...?" "That's right. It's clear now that you cannot bear children. There must be some sort of defect in your body." "Ooh, there, there. Ooh, there, there..."As though she couldn't hear our discussion in the slightest, Kumasawa kept on persistently trying to cuddle the baby. This made its crying get even louder...  "I've never forgotten the bitter pain I felt that day... It's not as though I didn't want a child... However, no matter how much I prayed, I couldn't get pregnant... Thinking that something to do with my body might be the cause, I went to see several famous doctors. But even so, no matter how hard I tried... I couldn't become pregnant..." "And in the end, this was the result. I understand."The baby had been picked up by the Fukuin House just recently. Of course, you couldn't help but feel compassion for this child, who was so young and who had already lost its parents' affection. However, it brought me nothing but pain and sadness. It would have been another story if I had suffered to bear this child... but why did I have to hold this baby... who not only shared none of my blood, but who was not related to my husband in the slightest either...?  "...For what did you pray to angels?" "I prayed for a miracle in my body...! If there was something wrong with my body, I could accept that. In that case, I wanted to overcome that defect and somehow be granted the miracle of being given my husband's child...!" "...That wish was granted. The next year, you gave birth to Jessica." "And, for what did you pray to demons?" "I couldn't stand it, I couldn't stand it... I hated my body...! So, I hated this baby, because it made my failure so apparent...!!" "...What did you wish for?" ...Of course, that wish was also granted... by demons. On that day, I left the baby with an older servant and went to think about the future in the rose garden. No, that's a lie. I didn't want to think about anything. The baby's cries were annoying, so I ordered the servant to take the baby to a place where I couldn't hear. By a place where I couldn't hear, I meant somewhere far away. Yes, I wished.  BGM: Witch in Gold (cembalo)  "I see... So, a passing demon heard your wish, Natsuhi-sama." "And then, what happened next?" "After that... was a bizarre accident that could only have been granted me by a demon..."The woodland path from the rose garden to the harbor is probably well suited for a comfortable walk. It must surely feel good to occasionally leave the path and walk through a grove of trees, depending on your mood. However, wouldn't that path be fairly hard to travel on when taking a walk with a baby in your arms...?  "...There was also a fence there! Does it seem at all likely that the servant went to the trouble of walking there holding a baby, and then leaned against the fence...? The only conceivable explanation is that she was lured there by the beckoning of a demon!!" "...She was lured there. A demon who heard your wish lured that servant there..." "And then, the servant and the baby..." "They died...!! They fell from the cliff, down to the rocks below...! No, they died because I wished it! That means this is-" "It isn't your fault! There's no need to think about it any further." "But it happened because I wished it...!!" BGM: Black Lilliana "You are sinless. Humans are sinless. You can even say that I killed them." "No, I did kill them! I saw your mourning and felt pity, so I lured the servant with the baby to the cliff and guided them down it!" "Wasn't it just an unfortunate accident? Even if you can't accept that it was an accident, blame it on us. That's why demons exist." "...That's right. We're here for your sake. It's not like you killed them. We killed them. So you are sinless. So please, don't blame yourself, Natsuhi." "Is that true...? Am I truly sinless...?!" "Yeah, you are. Fuhhahahahaha!!" "Young one who claims revenge for 19 years ago. If you're going to curse someone, curse me. However, witches have a patent on curses...! Let me take on this fight you're trying to pick with Natsuhi!!" Gahahahahahaahahahahahahahaha!! So, you hate Natsuhi for wishing your death 19 years ago?! Let me make you remember just who it was that lured you off that cliff...!! As the middle-aged female servant cuddled the sobbing baby, she walked on a small path through the trees... Natsuhi had told her that the baby was too loud, so she had tried to get as far from the rose garden as she could. She was completely unaware as to why she'd gone out of her way to head in this direction. However, the sobbing baby... suddenly stopped crying. Something was reflected in its eyes, but the servant couldn't tell what. However, thinking that the baby had stopped because it had taken an interest in something, she headed in the direction of the baby's gaze...  And, on the other side of the trees, the servant could see a woman. Who? She didn't recognize this person, but it didn't look like anyone who was supposed to be here. The baby stopped crying and stared in that direction. Then, the servant's legs started to automatically carry her that way...  "...Ah..."The woman couldn't disobey. She was completely overwhelmed by Beato's gold-glowing eyes... She walked lightly, as though through a dream world. At some point, the scenery around her had changed, but she did not notice. She could not notice... Though this should have been Rokkenjima, at some point, it had become the garden of a mansion she had never seen before.  There stood an arbor, and a woman wearing an elegant dress beckoning her... There was a man who looked like a butler, and the tea he poured with a beautiful gesture had a very nice and enticing smell. It was as though they were telling her to join their tea party... She couldn't disobey. She had to go to the master of this golden rose garden... and give this child as an offering...  "...Yes, understood."When Gaap snapped her fingers, a pitch black hole opened at the woman's feet, and she was swallowed up along with the baby. Then, the scene of the next moment after that probably burned itself into the eyes of the woman and the baby.  Below their feet was not the earth, but a golden rose garden which stretched as far as the eye could see without any interruptions. If one could have this scene imprinted in their minds as their last memory, that would be such a merciful way to die... Then, the woman and the baby were swallowed up by the golden sea. The *thunk* was remarkably plain, and remarkably quiet for the sound that stole the life away from the two of them. However, that was perfectly suitable for the entertainment at a tea party of witches. With the woman and the baby at the center, the rose garden was slowly swallowed up by darkness... The sound of the wind grew stronger bit by bit. Is that TV static? What is that noise...?  The two who had fallen into the thicket of golden roses from that great height and died... were gradually wrapped up in the roar of the sea, wrapped up in the scenery of the beach below the cliff...   When I spotted the two of them on the rocks below, I went pale. Then, I dashed back to the mansion... and there was a huge uproar. They took them to a hospital in a boat as soon as possible, but from that height, it was a miracle that they had even avoided an instant death. Both the servant... and the baby... died. In less than three days from the time Father had entrusted me with the baby, I had killed it...! My husband had been on a business trip. Rosa-san, who had still lived on the island at the time, had been traveling with her friends. Father and I were the only ones on Rokkenjima!! And before anyone except Father and I knew, a baby had appeared out of nowhere... and then disappeared again!! That's right, it was a dream... a nightmare!! I was sure that Father would blame me. However, he seemed somehow strange...!   "How long will you struggle? How long will it be before you're mine?!! Wahahahahaahahahahahaha!! I have no interest in an empty cage! Throw it away!!"When Father learned of the accidental death, he kept on laughing and laughing, as though there could be no greater pleasure, enough that just listening to it gave me a creepy feeling. Perhaps something had come loose in his mind... From that day onwards... Father shut himself up inside the world of the occult even more than he ever had before...  However, he had already accepted that this would happen sooner or later. Of course, my husband had heard about the baby. However, he told me that it was surely just some whim of Father's, and to forget it. So I forgot it! It was an unfortunate accident. No, there wasn't an accident at all! I forgot everything, even that the baby had existed in the first place...!! After all, it was a twisted nightmare which lasted not even three days! That's right, it was all a nightmare...!! I don't want to remember!! The cliff, the broken fence, the roar of the sea, and... the cry of the baby...!!!   "Of course not! I killed that baby! It no longer exists in this world!" "...However, there is no red truth in the human world. Nothing can be trusted in the human world." "...That's right. Beato definitely killed that baby. However, it might be made out to be alive in the human world. Whether it's really alive or not, right?" "Are you saying, that it actually was alive?! After falling to the rocks from that height...?!" "I don't know. But calm down. No matter how much that person hates you, the truth is that it was an accident. If he does hate you, that hatred is completely unjustified...!" "But, but...! Even if I didn't lay a finger on him, inside my heart...!!" "Calm down. No matter who the man from 19 years ago hates or what he yells, there's no way the sin he's after actually occurred." "So calm down. Why don't I welcome the man from 19 years ago as my guest? *cackle*cackle*cackle*!" "And just when the riddle was solved and I thought my job was finished. I've got to entertain this final guest of mine!! Kuhhyahyayhahyahya!!" "It's getting interesting. Not only are you protecting Lord Goldsmith's secret, but you also have a 19th guest and a man from 19 years ago." "...That's right, since we claim that Kinzo is alive, Erika is the 19th person. And after that 19th person, we have a man from 19 years ago? How interesting. I'm getting all excited." "We have no lack of opponents!! And I was just thinking it a shame to have only one guest at my tea party!! Come, you fools!! Kuhhahahahaahahaha hahahaahahah!!"Furudo Erika is Lady Bernkastel's piece. In that case, whose piece is the man from 19 years ago...?  BGM: None "I, I understand. I'll sleep right now. I won't leave my room, and I won't pick up the phone...! So, let my husband and daughter...!"Even this begging scream, which would have shaken the heart of anyone listening to it... could be listened to ruthlessly through the end of the receiver... "As long as you keep our promise, I'll keep your secret, Mother. Don't break our promise. I'm already very close by to you. I can easily tell whether you've turned your lights off, or whether you're on the phone. If I wished to, I could even kiss your sleeping face." "I'll keep it! I'll keep my promise!! So stop it, just stop it! Stop iiiiiiiiiiiiiiittt!!"The receiver was set down violently. 'He' knew very well how much the way you hang up a phone can leave a nasty aftertaste for the other side...  BGM: About Face  "...That's pretty handy. You can change your voice?" "*giggle*! Anyone can change their voice. A sweet voice when coaxing Papa? A sick-sounding voice when taking the day off school. An apologetic voice when turning down a friend that you actually hate! If you want♪, I can do~ any voice at all☆ Got i-t?!" "...You should stop being a witch and become a voice actress." "Heheheheheheheh! So, are all the pieces set up on both sides now?" "...'Furudo Erika'. What a wonderful piece. She's a much more suitable piece for you than Ange was, Bern." "The pleasure is mine." "...She really is wonderful. Truly cute. I'd like to make her surrender to the Illusion of the Witch and see her face twist in humiliation." "...Hear that? Don't embarrass me, okay? Show me that you're a much more useful piece than Ange was." "Yes, leave it to me. Lady Bernkastel, my master. I'm nothing like that gloomy, dull-minded, totally uncute piece." "*giggle*giggle*giggle*! She's right. That Ange didn't do anything useful except get turned into meat chunks to egg Battler on!" "I have absolutely no interest in family love or sibling love! The game we want to see is more gruesome and sticky! A <grotesque>, <pop>, and <cute> murder case!!" "...If Natsuhi is the king, then I wonder if Beato is the queen. *giggle*. The pack of witches and furniture guarding Natsuhi is less like a set of chess pieces and more like-" "Bowling pins, right?! Kyahhahahahahahahahahaha!! Illusions of Natsuhi and Beato. Kinzo and the worthless furniture! Entertain us a bit, will you?!"  "*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*giggle*. Both Natsuhi and Beato are like the guts of a filthy truth wrapped up in a bit of thin skin. Tearing that to bits and dragging the insides out is one of my, no, one of our few pleasures." "Yes, you can have a lot of fun with it. Hey, are you watching? Beatrice? Look at how much fun can be had playing with your board. I'll show you. This 5th game really is fun!!" "...It's a bit sad if we're the only ones having a pleasant chat. Why don't you let Beato talk too?" "Hear that? I'll give you special permission to talk. What do you hope to gain from this latest game?!" "Ahahahaha! She said nothing! That's right, that's right! You're the loser who surrendered to Battler! Leave it to me, okay? I'll put the witch side on top right away! But that means I'll have to sacrifice the piece you are!!" "The epitaph has been easily solved before the first twilight, and Beatrice, the keeper of the gold, has lost face. *giggle*giggle*!!" "...Isn't it great that you've been left as a piece as part of Natsuhi's illusion? Well, we're treating you as a pin now instead of a piece, okay?" "The Golden Witch Beatrice is out of the picture now! You and your furniture have only a miniscule role in my game! A loser's role!! Resign yourself to getting blasted away and becoming Bern's and my toy!!" "...If you don't like that, why not just tell us to stop? If you do, we'll stop." "..." "She's saying she doesn't mind! *giggle*giggle*!! You're totally a pin!!" "Ahhahaha, ahhahahahahaha!" ""Kyahhhahahhahhahahahahahhhahahahgwahyahhahaaah!!!""There's no need for a Golden Witch anymore. All that's needed is a sacrificial doll so that the two witches can enjoy some time playing. Die, die, disappear. Confess to your filthy past and your crimes, speak out your sob story of regret and repentance as you throw yourself off a cliff and die!! The Golden Witch will never again have her turn...!! Ahhahhahahahahaahhahhaahahahahahaahahahaha...!!   BGM: Spiral This will probably... turn out to be a nasty game. On the surface, it looks very similar to the usual tales. However, there's no respect given to the true main character of this tale. This tale... was supposed to be one that the Golden Witch Beatrice invited Ushiromiya Battler to see. However, the host has been lost, and there are no longer any guests. The one who did the inviting and the one who was invited are no longer around in this horrible tale.  "...Ready, Battler? The second day is finally about to start. Heheheheh! Just like Beato, I hate slow story progression!" "Just do what you want. No matter how much you mess things up, I'll definitely reach the truth of this game." "*giggle*. It has to be that way. You've got to fight for your little sister's sake as well." "..." "Don't worry. Lady Lambdadelta is a far more terrifying opponent than that fool Beatrice, but I'll be giving you plenty of support, so there won't be any problems." "Together with me, why don't you finally expose the Illusion of the Witch this time?" "...I don't give a drat about you. I won't acknowledge anything that didn't exist in Beato's games, so I don't need you." "Is now really the time to act tough? Oh well, let's both give it our all, okay?"" Together, let's tear this Illusion of the Witch apart. *giggle*giggle*!"Erika acted as though she was asking me to shake her hand. Instead of just passively ignoring this, I gave her an active and clear answer by knocking her hand aside. "...*giggle*. Looks like he hates shaking hands. Just like Ange." "Don't worry. I'm a far more useful piece than Ange. I'm nothing at all like shredded meat which couldn't do anything except restore Battler-san's fighting spirit." "..." "*giggle*...! Isn't it great that you've been blessed with such a helpful-looking ally?! In the past, it was Virgilia and Ronove. Then Ange came as well." "And now you have Bern and Erika! There are so many pieces supporting you! So how does it feel knowing that you still can't catch on to the truth despite that? How does it feel?!" "...It doesn't matter. This battle is between me and Beato. Everyone else besides us... doesn't matter." "Oh, is that true? Are you finally standing on your own?! You've always had someone helping you, someone sympathetic to you, so I wonder just how far you'll get on your own! Entertain me!" BGM: Dir "*giggle*. Yes, that's true. This is your game. So try taking it back. Let's see how far someone like you, who couldn't even win Beato's games when she went easy on you all over the place, Can get in Lambda's completely ruthless game without any help!" 
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Apr 1, 2017 14:18
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Well, that theory lasted all of two posts. So, "a baby" from Fukuin House which died in a fall with a servant. In suspiciously similar circumstances to which the Beatrice which Rosa met died. Natsuhi, also, appears to have had no direct role in the death. Wishing isn't killing. I'm still on board with the baby being Kinzo's child in some regard, a random baby unrelated to everyone else seems like a weird thing to bring in, but I guess it has to be more roundabout at this point. I guess it's not impossible that just before escaping, Beatrice gave birth to a child fathered by Kinzo. The baby survived. Natsuhi is unable to concieve* and therefore is given this child to raise, believing it to be an orphan. The child is given to a servant, who dies, but the baby itself survives and actually goes to Fukuin House, is raised up and eventually becomes Kanon/Shannon. *I think it's seriously worth considering whether it's actually Krauss who's infertile rather than Natsuhi. If that's the case, it raises a massive question over who is Jessica's father.
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Apr 1, 2017 14:47
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To all the people encouraging me to rest for my health: Your concerns are appreciated! The issue is kidney stones, which means I'm in a fair amount of pain and not really leaving my apartment, but definitely doesn't inhibit my ability to take screencaps of visual novels. This thread and Zelda are the main things keeping me from going stir-crazy.
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Apr 1, 2017 15:41
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^^^ What he said. If the baby didn't die, and ended up a servant instead of heir, that's plenty of motivation. I'd bet on it being Kanon, since he's male, to match the voice and Kinzo's presumed preferred heir. He's also got a clear streak of bitterness running through him. It also seems pretty clear that Kyrie is Battler's mother. Her family are supposed to be aristocrats; can you imagine their reaction to a child born outside of marriage? A quick adoption into the father's family would be a relief. The new characters are turning out to be worse than Beatrice was, which isn't easy. I can't believe I want Battler and Beatrice to combine against them. This story is really more of a thriller than a mystery, isn't it? Lots of cliffhangers and dramatic revelations, along with a lot of mysteries instead of one central one. Prof, I had surgery myself on Tuesday, and I'm also looped on pain killers. It's hard but I've learned you can't push yourself; get healthy instead.
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Apr 1, 2017 16:41
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I just woke up, so I'm sure there's some evidence somewhere which totally invalidates this, but here goes: I noticed that the person on the phone with Natsuhi had seemingly perfect access to her whereabouts and her mind, that their voice's timbre is so ambiguous that it could be anyone, and that the person doing the calling here is Lambdadelta, which makes me think that one or all of the calls which Ushiromiya Natsuhi has received did not actually happen. Either it's a visual metaphor for her struggling with guilt, or she's shouting and crying into an empty receiver, while the servants facilitate it because indulging breaks from reality is like eighty percent of being an Ushiromiya servant. The "child" calling is a manifestation of guilt; Natsuhi, pushed to the breaking point by the stress of maintaining the illusion of Kinzo, spousal neglect, fear of discovery, self-hatred as a "borrowed womb," and, of course, guilt over ordering the death of an infant child, started imagining that that child had grown up and was threatening her with vengeance over phone calls. This will presumably motivate her towards the murder she apparently commits (I assume, since Erika is accusing her in that one scene). If this is kind of an awkward, convoluted way for her to behave in order to justify a murder mystery, it's because Lambdadelta is the game master, and likes this sort of thing. Okay, now bring on the counter-evidence!
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Apr 1, 2017 16:50
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BurningStone posted:^^^ What he said. If the baby didn't die, and ended up a servant instead of heir, that's plenty of motivation. I'd bet on it being Kanon, since he's male, to match the voice and Kinzo's presumed preferred heir. He's also got a clear streak of bitterness running through him. I'm not sure that fits with what we know about Beatrice's motivation. If it's about being denied their place in the family or the headship, that doesn't seem to gel with explicitly being about making Battler see something. This has to be to do with something that happened the last time Battler was at the family conference, and I can't see how that relates.
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Apr 1, 2017 17:57
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ProfessorProf posted:I was sure that Father would blame me. However, he seemed somehow strange...! Hmm. This makes it seems like the Beatrice's Kid theory has some legs. The description of the child as an "empty cage" particularly; he can't catch Beatrice's spirit in a dead child. ProfessorProf posted:To all the people encouraging me to rest for my health: Your concerns are appreciated! The issue is kidney stones, which means I'm in a fair amount of pain and not really leaving my apartment, but definitely doesn't inhibit my ability to take screencaps of visual novels. This thread and Zelda are the main things keeping me from going stir-crazy. Ouch. Sympathies. Hope it's over with soon.
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Apr 1, 2017 18:24
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idonotlikepeas posted:Hmm. This makes it seems like the Beatrice's Kid theory has some legs. The description of the child as an "empty cage" particularly; he can't catch Beatrice's spirit in a dead child. I thought that with that line, but I don't understand Kinzo's reaction at all. You could brush it away with "he's insane", but within presumably a couple of months, he's lost young Beatrice and her child, and he seems completely chill about it. I'm very much in favour of that theory, and I think that it's a really odd response if it's right.
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Apr 1, 2017 18:31
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