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#seems she can't GO BEYOND that error
hobietopia · 9 months
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★ cruel ; neteyam
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synopsis. as of recently, neteyam's been slipping away. attempting to get to the bottom of his negligence towards you, he spews harsh words that begin to form cracks within your relationship. will neteyam be able to fix this despite being the cause of your pain?
info. angst / no comfort, gn!na'vi!reader, 1135 words
warnings. arguing, yelling, outta pocket teyam (boo 🍅), one use of y/n, crying, grammatical errors, based off "queen elizabeth" fight scene :P
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neteyam has been distant.
physically, he's there, but mentally — he's lightyears away from you.
it hasn't always been like this though. during the beginning of your courtship, neteyam was nothing short of attentive and caring. he was everything you wanted in a lover but as of recently, he slowly began drifting away from you. at this point, he's been more of an acquaintance than a mate.
and if you were being honest, you couldn't help but find the situation slightly comical. your mind fills itself to the brim with memories of falling so deeply in love with one another, but now — now, he's just gone.
"you never have to hide from me," he told you.
his words were doused in honey, every single insecurity that plague your mind began melting away. he wanted to know the real you. not the village's tskarem, not the "golden child" title that the elders bestowed upon you.
he wanted to know you.
he wanted to drown himself in your scent, burn the feeling of your body next to his, he wanted to know the ins and outs of your soul.
"i am just neteyam when we are together. not the clan's future olo'ekytan, not the successor of my father. i am simple and plain neteyam."
the memory brings the smallest of smiles to your lips, yet it does nothing to ease the surge of loneliness that consumes you, your heart. it keeps you up at night, eyes wide open as you replay everything that had let up to this point of your relationship. you were beyond tired having to play this game with him, so you decided to bite the bullet and ask him.
"neteyam are you here — oh, kiri!" you speak out, sending her a sweet smile her way. she returns the gesture, "hi, y/n! he's near the shooting range." she states simply, going back to her weaving.
you thank her before scurrying away. luckily, he wasn't too far and you were able to catch up with him. your hands nervously tremble, wringing themselves out in hopes to stop the shakiness. your strides are slow, but with a few encouraging words, you will yourself to walk up to him.
as if on cue, he turns around and catches you staring. his eyes catch you off guard, sunflower-hued orbs swirling with something you can't seem to put your finger on.
"hey..." you say, tone unsure. the sunlight sparkles, flashing through tiny openings of leaves as they sway in the wind. the mossy floor quiets your footsteps as you get closer, standing next to him wordlessly.
he parrots your greeting before going back to his previous task. he draws his bow, eyeing the target that stares back at him. "have you been well?" you ask hopefully. he shrugs, muttering something about being busy and that he's fine. your lips purse at the lack of communication on his end.
"okay, stop. what is wrong with you?" you ask sternly. your eyebrows scrunch in displeasure, subtly creating space between you and him by taking a step sideways. he looks back at you, surprised at the sudden fierceness to your voice.
he sends you a quizzical look as if he genuinely had no clue what you were hinting at, "i do not know what you are talking about." he states it as if it were a fact.
you roll your eyes at his deflection, crossing your arms irritably. "do not play this game with me," you scoff, sounding like a parent scolding their child. neteyam's eyes downcast shamefully towards the bow in his hands, the seriousness of the situation beginning to crash down on him.
"look, i know you have been having a hard time with your duties, but 'teyam, i'm here for you. there is no need to run away from me, from us —"
"there is no 'us'," he cuts you off, not sparing you a single glance. "there is nothing here. you have absolutely no knowledge of what it takes, what is thrust upon me as the next olo'ekytan. i am forced to love you, a simple clans person who does not contribute a single thing to this village," he grunts out, nostrils flaring in irritation.
"yes, i have my duties but i will not be forced to go through yet another day where you think we are true lovers. so back off." his voice grows angrier with each word. his words resemble a whip, every word that tumbles past his lips begins to hit you again, and again, and again. his breath gets caught in his throat as his face flushes a darker plum color.
your jaw drops slightly, an instant gasp leaving your lips. the tiny noise knocks neteyam out of his defensive state and with every passing second, regret begins to consume him whole.
both of you stay silent for second, just staring at each other in search of how to respond, to no avail. he watches your face morph into one that is more closed off, walls building themselves high as you straighten out your posture before responding.
"my mistake," you swallow thickly, voice almost mocking him in a sense. "i apologize for thinking there was an us. i thought i was speaking to just neteyam, not the chief's son. forgive me for thinking otherwise." your tone is monotonous, gaze meeting his in an intense staring match.
his brows drop, eyes widening as his frown begins to grow deeper. "y/n..." he tries to take a step closer to you, in return you take a step back. you cut off his advances before they can even start. "i am truly sorry for the fact that our entire relationship was a mere inconvenience for you."
neteyam hisses as if you had slapped him across his face, and after everything he had just spilt, he wouldn't be surprised if you actually did so. but there you stand, the sparkle in your eyes dimming. his mouth open and closes, trying to muster up enough words to form a proper sentence. and to rub salt into his freshly cut wound, "was there anything else the chief's son needed to say to me or am i free to leave?" you ask calmly, eyes never leaving his.
his hands twitch nervously, biting the inside of his cheek as he contemplates his next move. "there's nothing else to say on this matter," he mutters.
you nod affirmatively before turning your back towards him. as you begin walking away, neteyam's hands instinctively reach for you, calling your name desperately as the space between you and him grows bigger.
he knew he had messed up, big time.
"that's enough, neteyam." your voice stern, pointing an accusatory finger his way. he continues to watch your retreating form, heart willing him to run after you, yet his brain forces his body to remain deathly still.
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⋆ ˚。 ୨୧ reblogs / feedback are highly appreciated. thank you!
★ diwa's notes. i always write fluff n shit so i decided to change that LOL there might b a pt 2, not sure tho :P
© ilupearls 2023.
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xqueen-of-disasterx · 10 months
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Mommy issues
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Boss!Scarlett × Fem!reader
WARNINGS: Smut, Boss/Employee relationship, Pet Names, Top!Scarlett, Bottom!reader
SUMMARY: Your boss Scarlett has some special plans for the celebration of your promotion
!Disclaimer English is not my first language so please excuse any grammar or spelling errors. This story is completely fictional!
Word count: 1.1 k
Authors note: Thanks for 100 follows love ya all
Masterlist
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I've now worked for the outset for about three months and somehow, I still couldn't believe that I was working with the Scarlett Johansson. In the beginnings I would even stutter whenever she talked to me, which was pretty embarrassing form me, however after some time working with the movie star got more and more normal.
She made it hard for me to not blush whenever she was in a room with me. Whenever would stand behind me I could feel her hands on me, on my waist, on my shoulders or on my lower back. Or how she would gaze at me during meetings, but she would look away whenever I meet her gaze. I never said anything, to be honest I liked it.
Maybe it was all my imagination or how my friends would call it Mommy issues. But something told me that it was more than that, God it was so much more.
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On that morning I had received an Email from Scarlett personally, which at first wasn't anything out of the ordinary but this one was addressed to my name asking me for a personal meeting.
To be honest I thought I had fucked something up and was about to get fired in the worse place. That was why when I arrived at her Office, I was even more nervous than I normally am. I signed not knowing how to react now. I couldn't remember any cases where I messed up? My appointment with her was at the of the day and what can I say they were torturous.
My hands were shaking as I carefully nocked at Scarlett’s door I beyond nervous I waited shortly before stepping in my boss’s office. I took a deep breath mentally preparing myself for her harsh words or punishment. However, to my surprise she just smiled at me signalling me to sit down across from her which I did.
"So, Y/N, your work lately has been nothing but perfect" suddenly all my stress had been relieved it felt like burden falling off my chest. "Was thinking about giving you the promotion for head of marketing."
I was speechless and she saw that too "I know that you are only 24 but I think it would be a great opportunity for you. I want young people like who know what they are doing in social media. So, what do you say, Y/N “.
"I'm glad you offered me this opportunity and I will gladly take it" I smile at her, and her plump lips turn into a smile too. She reached her hand out over the desk as I took and shook it and could feel how my cheeks heat up at the minor skin contact.
She abruptly stood up from her office chair going to one of her cabinets. „I think we should celebrate your promotion. So, what do you want red or white wine?" She smiled at me I was a bit taken a back. Did she do this with every of her employees? Or was I special to her?
"I'll have to drive home. I can't drink" she just smirked at me while placing two wine glasses down "Oh sweat heart, I'll drive you home if you want to. So, which one are you taking" I signed I knew that there wouldn't be away out.
"I'll take the white" She nods before opening the bottle "I knew it, you seemed like more of the sweet type" I could feel my cheeks heat up even more. Scarlett bit her lips before taking a slip from her whine.
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We talked and made jokes what seemed like hours until she started making me compliments again telling me I how I would be her good girl. She knew how to get me.
"Do I make you nervous" If possible, I blushed even more I try to hide it by drinking more of the sweet alcohol "Come here sweetheart" the actress signalled me to come closer.
As I stood in front of her, but the older woman still wasn't satisfied. She put her glass down petting her lap. "Come on bunny don't be all shy now “.
I couldn't believe it I was sitting on the lap of my boss, and I was liking it. She grabbed on to my hips licking her lips "I know about your little crush on me. I can look through you like a window" Was it really that obvious? I tried to look away from her, but she grabbed my chin, pressing her lips onto mine.
I didn't pull away, no I whimpered into her lips as she broke away. I was breathing hard before diving into her again. I try to take control of the situation, but Scarlett wouldn't let me our tongues fighting for dominance.
In the end she won shoving her tongue down my throat, kneeling the flesh of my ass as I moaned out loud. "Fuck" I whimpered out feeling Scarlett’s lips on my neck, sucking, and nibbling on it.
Scarlett bit my neck making my hips buckle, she groaned on my neck before slamming me into her desk. I groaned at the harsh contact. "Do I have your consent bunny?" She asked me while unbuttoning my blouse "Yes" I cried out at the feeling of her kissing my skin again.
She finished pulling of my clothes before settling between my legs pushing them over her shoulder. She kittens licked my folds neglecting my clit. I let out increased moans making Scarlett groan too."Please Scarlett... no more... teasing" She smirked at me lashing onto my clit sucking it. I rolled my hips, but the actress held me down insisting two fingers into me. "Fuck you're so tight “.
She kept pumping her fingers curling them perfectly against my g spot. "Scarlett fuck I'm close" She smiled at me "Come for me bunny" She moved up my body holding me close as she fucked me through my high. Kissing me as I slowly came down from my high.
"That was amazing" I said as our lips parted "I liked it too" Scarlett kissed my cheek. I pulled my clothes on again. I didn't know what just happened also I didn't know what to do now.
As I tried to leave Scarlett stopped me "Where are you going?" "I'll have to catch subway you know. I don't really want to drive anymore “. She looked at me confused "No, no, I'm driving you I only had a glass of wine besides I feel pretty sober now “. That was the beginning of our live together and now I couldn't imagine on without her.
:)
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elasticitymudflap · 7 months
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one thing i'm fascinated with is how after betty made her wish and reset the crown, gunter/orgalorg seemed to physically FUSE with the crown, making it so it can never be taken off or used by anyone else (simon) in ooo ever again
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farmworld finn was cured of his crown curse by prismo (in the funniest fucking way to address an animation error ever) removing the crown and placing it back on corpse simon's head before the bomb detonated again, removing it from the playing-field of the farmworld reality im assuming
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my guess is that in every universe they venture to they're going to find one reason or another why simon can't access the crown again, all as an extension of betty's wish
... and going back to the subject of her wish
rewatching 'come along with me' got me thinking again. the line from betty's failed wishes to "banish golb from ooo" or for him to "disappear", that golb is "too powerful, even for the crown", it makes me think her assessment of the situation wasn't completely accurate. we know that wish magic is super powerful, but in the crown's case it needed to resonate with the deepest desire of the wearer - which in betty's case was having "the power" to keep simon safe
prior to her wish, she referred to golb's magic as "the most powerful force in the universe", which she was trying to use for the purpose of saving him. i'm wondering if maybe the pre-requisite for making a wish to banish golb/have control over him—the "most powerful force in the universe"—would be having to re-write reality itself to give someone else a level of power above even golb. with that in mind, this now kind of looks like a being above golb taking over his mind and possessing him instead of a straightforward fusion of the two
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one thing keeping me rolling with this theory is that in the flash of golb before accidentally portal-ing cake, we see pre-wish golb's eyes flash, not the eyes of golb as we last saw them, and we do see them in prismo's time room.
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my conspiracy theory that im definitely wrong about is that i dont think she actually fused with golb, i think she's actually something beyond comprehension now: a force in the universe that can control even the most powerful beings like golb, hold dominion over the multiverse, she can overwrite them and force them to obey her one and only command: get your fucking hands off my cringefail malewife this instant
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cirilla-fiona-riannon · 6 months
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Absolute Submission to the Queen
Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors.
Blank, and ageless blogs will be blocked.
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I did everything I could to help Emma, even to the point of being ridiculed as a "dog" when she injured her leg.
I held her in my arms wherever she went so she would never walk, and I always stayed by her side in case she needed something.
Of course, that may not have been what she wanted, but I unexpectedly enjoyed it.
It wasn't that I was happy to kneel in front of others.
(What I like is...)
Silvio: "I'll serve you thoroughly throughout the night."
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To fulfill her command, I just had to bathe her and change her clothes.
However, when I tried to put her in the bath, she resisted and struggled.
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Emma: "P-Please close your eyes."
Silvio: "Ha?"
Emma, completely naked in my arms, covered her face and issued a new command.
Silvio: "Are you kidding? If I close my eyes, I won't be able to do anything."
Emma: "You can do it."
Silvio: "I can't."
(If I did that, I wouldn't be able to enjoy your embarrassed reaction.)
Even though she's usually sassy, she got shy and flustered when I tried to serve her.
I enjoyed it more than anything, so closing my eyes would defeat its purpose.
Emma: "You said it's okay to rely on you."
Silvio: "I also said I might not listen depending on the content of the request, remember?"
Emma: "Are you sure you really can't?"
Emma: "Even though I'm used to being seen, being naked like this is still embarrassing."
Our eyes met through the small gap between her fingers.
Her face went red due to embarrassment, and that oddly turned me on.
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(Damn it. Is she doing this on purpose?)
I felt like I might end up making a fool of myself if I continued to stare at her.
Silvio: "Tch. Fine. I just have to close my eyes, yeah?"
Emma: "Thank you so much!"
Unable to back out now with her looking so pleased, I closed my eyes and confidently made my way to the bathroom.
Emma: "Prince Silvio, can you really not see anything?"
Silvio: “I’ve closed my eyes as you instructed.”
Emma: “Yes, but despite that, your steps seem pretty confident.”
Silvio: “I can manage short distances.”
Silvio: “But from here on, I’ll have to feel my way around.”
I navigated the space with my hand and gently placed Emma in the bathtub.
Now, the real challenge began.
Emma: “You can go back to the room.”
Silvio: “Denied. I’ve decided to serve you, remember?”
Silvio: “Besides, you should’ve resigned yourself to it by now.”
Emma: “Ugh...”
(Where's the soap? Oh, here it is.)
Even though I couldn't see, I managed to mentally map the area as I moved around.
After gathering all the stuff, I returned to Emma's side and heard a splashing sound.
Silvio: "Don't run away. Come here."
Emma: "Eek! Just for today, okay?"
The bathwater rippled again, and I felt her presence nearby.
I reached out and felt something soft, and Emma suddenly pulled back.
(What was that just now?)
Emma: "Where are you touching!?"
Silvio: "I can't see anything, so what do you expect?"
Silvio: "Besides, you shouldn't be running away like this, especially when it's not your first time."
Emma: "No matter how many times I experience it, I'll never get used to this!"
(That's such a cute thing to say.)
Emma: "Prince Silvio, can you help me?"
She reached out and grabbed my hand.
Emma: "My back is here."
I touched the spot she guided me to and slid my fingers along her spine.
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Silvio: "Then, let's start from here."
I lathered the soap on the cloth and glided it over her back.
(She's trembling.)
Of course, it wasn't fear that caused her to tremble.
I tried to move beyond her back and lightly grazed a soft spot on her skin with my fingers, causing a sultry sigh to escape Emma's lips.
(Is she aware that, despite her shyness, her body seems to be anticipating this?)
After finishing her back, I moved on, gliding my fingers over her arms, shoulders, and chest.
Emma: "Prince Silvio..."
Silvio: "I'm not looking."
Emma: "That's not the point... Ah!"
I pinched her pointed peaks, and the water splashed loudly.
After thoroughly attending to that area, I inserted my hand under her arm and lifted her up.
Emma: "It's okay, you can stop now!"
Silvio: "What do you mean it's okay?"
(Even with my eyes closed, I can tell.)
After tracing the lines of her body, I moved and rubbed my hand into the space between her legs, and a different sensation entangled with my fingers.
Silvio: "Hey, open your legs more. I can't wash it like this."
Emma: "I don't need you to wash it anymore."
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Silvio: "I'm still not finished."
Emma: "I don't care if it's not yet finished! You're acting weird."
Emma: "I couldn't bear it anymore."
(.........)
Emma: "Please carry me to the bed like this."
Silvio: "I guess I have no other choice."
(Even though she's acting shy, she...)
Suppressing the surging desire within me, I wrapped her hair and skin in cloth as she emerged from the bath.
Despite being tempted by the sultry sighs I occasionally heard, I managed to carry her to the bed.
Silvio: "So?"
Emma: "I don't feel like sleeping."
Silvio: "Why?"
Emma: "My body feels hot."
Silvio: "Should I let some air in?"
Emma: "You know that's not it."
Silvio: "Then give me clear instructions. How do you want it?"
I fumbled around her body, but she suddenly grabbed my hand and guided it to her breast.
Emma: "P-Please make me feel good."
(You should be clear like this more often.)
(That way, your body can only rely on me.)
With my eyes closed, I took her nipple into my mouth and rolled my tongue around it.
I continued to lick her entire body like a dog and buried my face between her legs.
Emma: "Ahhh…ahhh…"
Silvio: “Does it feel good?”
Emma: “.........”
Silvio: “Can’t you hear me?”
I licked and flicked my tongue to lap her nectar. However, I couldn’t see her reaction as I had my eyes closed.
Silvio: “Can I open my eyes now?”
Emma: “.........”
(Silence means yes, right?)
(I’ve been following her orders so obediently up to this point, so rebelling just a little bit should be fine.)
I opened my eyes and peered into her face, where I saw her sexy, blushing cheeks and longing eyes that shot through me.
Emma: “Please don’t look at me.”
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(Ah, damn it.)
(It’s impossible for any man to not want to see this face and devote himself to it.)
(This is why I want to serve you, even if I have to become a dog.)
I penetrated her bath-fresh body as she desired, and she completely surrendered herself to me.
(Once you’ve tamed a dog, you should take responsibility for it until the end.)
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Part 1╎Part 2╎Premium End╎Special Story
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callsignfate · 6 months
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Personal Exile Pt. 3
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(No note here today, if you're wondering why posts have been slower check out 'Ack - long authors note' Tw: talk of murder and death, you are ex military, fem reader, tension.)
Part One/ Part Two/ Part Three/ Part Four/
♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤
Endless tasks and countless sleepless nights defined your life under Valeria's command. You had come to know her as the tireless leader who seemed to work without rest. Her office was a constant scene of focused activity, her desk serving as her unyielding command center.
Having worked under Valeria for several months, you knew that your personal debt to her had been repaid in full. The men you had once injured had not only recovered but had seamlessly reintegrated into their roles. Although they still harbored reservations about you, you had little interest in winning their favor.
Your responsibilities often involved safeguarding Valeria's men or her valuable products. Officially, you were a member of the Las Almas cartel, but mentally, you refused to acknowledge the depths to which you had descended from your previous military life.
The financial reward was substantial, affording you a life of comfort and luxury wherever you chose to reside in Las Almas. Valeria's treatment of you had improved over time, frequently giving you the flexibility to accept or decline assignments she deemed you trustworthy enough to handle. The hours were unconventional, with Valeria moving at her discretion, whether in the glaring daylight or the shadowy hours of night.
Valeria was a formidable leader who ran a tight ship with minimal room for error. She possessed an uncanny ability to understand the strengths and weaknesses of her men, including yourself. Your sharp tongue and defiant attitude had grown on her, and she recognized your deadly capabilities, evident in her eyes each time you reported a successful mission. She knew she was fortunate to have someone molded and trained to fit her exact needs.
In time, your loyalty had solidified, allowing you to ascend within her inner circle, participating in endless meetings to plan the next move. Valeria's role was to issue orders, seldom involving herself in operations beyond the occasional check-in to ensure things were progressing smoothly.
Returning from yet another uneventful mission, you entered her office without bothering to knock, a practice you had abandoned long ago, and Valeria didn't seem to mind. She remained absorbed in her paperwork as you entered.
"Successful, I already know," she muttered, before sighing and sitting up in her chair, flashing her signature smile.
"Why do I even report to you if you already know?" you countered with playful annoyance, though a scowl crept across your face.
"If you didn't, I'd rarely see you. It's harder to ensure you're not lying or injured," her tone matched the small glare she directed your way.
"Awe, you care if I'm injured? The cartel leader has a heart?" you quipped, scoffing as you casually glanced over the piles of papers on her desk before meeting her gaze with a smirk.
"You can't do what I need you to if you're injured, and I know you'd hide it or lie about it," she returned with a casual shrug before returning her attention to her work.
"Always working. Does El Sin Nombre ever take a break? Or sleep, even?" you inquired, observing her as she continued to write with precision.
"I'll sleep when I'm dead," she muttered after finishing her writing, shooting you a playful glare while stifling a snicker. "You're just going to stand there and watch me work?"
"Isn't that what you do to me? It's almost a nice change of pace, if only your work wasn't so boring," you retorted with an eye roll.
"I'm sorry my work isn't entertaining. I'm not here to amuse you," she replied, her annoyance showing through her slightly furrowed brows.
"Are you not? I thought that was the entire point of me being here—to entertain you," you quipped sarcastically, with a dry laugh.
"Go do whatever you normally do," she dismissed you with a passive wave, her attention returning to her papers.
"I'm not tired," you countered casually. "I'd usually sleep or find something else to do."
"So you decided this time to stand in my office and annoy me?" she muttered something in Spanish, her tone more amused than irritated. You had learned to recognize when she was done with someone, having seen her chew people up and spit them out over the past few months.
"Well, I would sit, but standing gives me an edge so I can run if you get truly annoyed," you joked.
She snapped back at you in Spanish, her words not fully understood by you, though her tone conveyed playful irritation and rested on her face as a hint of annoyance.
"If I understood what you had said, I might have cared, but I didn't, so I don't."
"You should learn Spanish. More people would like you then."
"I don't need to be liked. It's not my job to care what your little pawns think of me. They can say whatever they want; I have no interest in their opinions."
"Oh, don't worry, they like you. They find our conversations interesting to listen to. They find you beautiful, yet dangerous, like a snake ready to strike at any moment. They watch you in awe when you speak back to me, as a child would to her mother when she doesn't get what she wants."
"I only do it to spite you," you said with a cocky tone and a smirk.
"I'm well aware of that," she replied, her dominant smile and confident tone unwavering.
"Are you? Yet you say nothing about it?" you teased, almost certain of her response.
"I find it refreshing to be spoken back to," she admitted, shrugging and playfully narrowing her eyes at you.
"Only by me?" you inquired, mimicking her tone.
"Don't feel special," she retorted, maintaining her playful yet cocky demeanor.
"Oh, I don't. Speaking to you is like speaking to the most irritatingly cocky and dominant woman I've ever met," you playfully said.
"Thank you," she responded with a small, arrogant chuckle and a smile.
"Glad you knew that was a compliment."
"No compliments back?" you asked, teasing her again as you folded your arms over your chest.
"You get the compliment of being near me, working for me, and me dealing with your mouth every day," she replied, moving a few papers out of her way.
"Is that so?" you countered once more, your defiant tone and bratty attitude firmly in place.
"It is," she confirmed, picking up a small stack of papers and organizing them before placing them into a file folder.
"Interesting. I'd tell you to find a way to shut me up, but we both know it would be short-lived," you remarked.
She hummed in response, playing with the pen in her hands as she leaned back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. She appeared amused by your banter, her phone ringing to break the moment, causing her smile to fade as she waved you away with a more serious expression.
Exiting Valeria's office, you slipped away swiftly and without a word. Her demeanor had shifted dramatically, and you recognized that look well. It was a face of unadulterated power and dominance, a stark reminder of her position as the leader of the Las Almas cartel.
You had learned that when Valeria's expression turned serious and her eyes hardened, it was best to make yourself scarce. Whoever was on the other end of that phone call had clearly stirred her displeasure, and you had no desire to be present when her authority was asserted in its full force.
As you moved through the dimly lit corridors of the compound, you couldn't help but wonder about the nature of the call and the actions that would inevitably follow. In a world where power was the ultimate currency, you had become accustomed to witnessing the ruthless decisions that defined Valeria's leadership. For now, though, you would continue with your own tasks, leaving her to navigate the intricate web of alliances and conflicts that surrounded her cartel.
♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤
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1moreff-creator · 9 months
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Trying to figure out the Ace "murder" method
Hey, it's me again!
Seeing the great reception to my Arei murder theory (which, in case you missed, has an important second version (adult warning for Arei's BDA) and a less important third post, and beyond), I decided to try and figure out a method for the Ace murder attempt from episode 6. That and I have a sorta friendly theory rivalry going on with thebadjoe-
Seems like a fun challenge. Let's get into it!
Truth Bullets
Before the murder:
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After:
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1- Ace's body and wounds: Ace's body is sitting against a wall, slumped over. His neck has what seem to be three slice-type wounds across the front. These are the only visible wounds we know of. His face is angry, but this being Ace, it'd be weirder if it wasn't.
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2- Bloodstain on the wall: There is a faint bloodstain just behind Ace's neck. Notably, this is the only trace of blood outside of Ace and the wires.
3- Lone wire: Because I clearly didn't have enough thinking about ropes and pulleys in the other murder, this one involves a wire! That's practically just a sharp rope! Notably, there is blood around a huge chunk of the middle of the cable, and a bit on one of the sides.
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4- Wire taped to the fan: There is another piece of wire, wrapped around and taped to the broken ceiling fan. There is blood on the end of the wire not connected to the fan. The roll of tape used is right there. Fun fact, the tape actually dissappears from the background in the middle of the investigation, as pointed out by thebadjoe. Eden took it. This has more to do with the other murder than this one, but it's something to consider.
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5- Broken fan: The fan on the right (door view) is broken, and on the ground.
6- Moved benches: Two benches have been moved from their original position. The one on the left is just moved to the side, while the one on the right is toppled over next to Ace. Notably, it's under the broken fan, meaning it must have toppled over before the fan got there.
7- Stool: There is a stool.
I have genuinely no idea where the hell this thing came from. It wasn't in any of the second floor rooms, or any of the first floor rooms we've seen. Was it in storage?
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??????????????????
Hey, how fucking far did they drag this thing?! I have to imagine it was somewhere else, as there are actually a few doors which have never been opened, such as in the laundry room.
Whatever, no one cares. There's a stool, let's live with that.
8- Broom: There is a broom. I really hope they didn't get this from storage as well.
9- Toppled over weight rack: The weight rack has been moved closer to the... lifting bench thing, and now lay sprawled across the floor. Yeah, I got no idea about gym terminology.
10- Isolated weights: There are two small weights off to the side. Yep, they sure do exist.
11- Non-functioning fan: The fan on the left isn't moving (I know you can't tell from the picture, but trust me on this). This is especially strange, as we see the same fan moving the next day when Teruko and Rose go to the gym, despite the other fan still being gone.
12- Clean pull-up bar: The tape which was around the pull-up bar since the first day the second floor opened has disappeared.
13?- ???: So, uh, I got no idea what's going on in this general area. Apart from the bench press bar apparently disappearing, there seems to be a whole ass chunk of a mirror missing, which makes absolutely zero sense. It almost looks like someone took a bite off the damn thing, but I don't think anyone here eats glass, not even MonoTV. I imagine this is an animation error, but I'll point it out anyways in case it's somehow important.
14- Rose's account: During her painting session with Nico, her turpentine went missing.
15- Teruko's account: "[Ace] stayed unconcious for much longer than can be explained by blood loss or asphyxiation." Teruko believes this means Ace was likely knocked out with Rose's turpentine. Now, why she believes this when turpentine inhalation cannot cause unconciousness, only vomiting and nausea at worst, is beyond me. But since no one ever corrects her, I believe turpentine just... works differently in the DRDT universe.
16- Banging noise: Shortly before Eden and Teruko entered the crime scene, they heard a strange banging noise which came from the gym, followed by a clattering sound. This noise is... definitely strange, and in fact, I struggle to say what exactly it was. Since it doesn't match anything perfectly, I guess it must either be the weight rack toppling, or the fan falling. Also, this noise must have been caused by Nico, as no one else ran out of the gym afterwards.
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17- Nico's missing cloak: Nico's usual cloak (that's what it's called, right?) is nowhere to be seen. Where the hell it went is a fantastic question, but the fact they don't have it in the first place could mean a lot of different things. Also to note, Nico doesn't have any blood on them.
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I believe that about covers it. Let's see what we can manage. Also, I apologize in advance if it seems like this isn't very structured, I'm doing the best to explain my reasoning step by step.
What was Nico doing?
This may seem like an odd question to start with, but it's actually one which gives way to one of the most fundamental truths of the crime. One which I need to establish before getting anywhere in terms of theorizing. No, I'm not about to claim Nico didn't try to murder Ace, It's something else.
The answer seems obvious at first: they were clearly killing Ace, right? Well, not so fast. Nico was standing quite far from the body, yet holding a wire covered in blood. It almost looks like they just stumbled into an already established crime scene and were just investigating. Some claim this means Nico wasn't the one who set up most of the crime, but we have to remember this line:
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Charles: But did you not intentionally try to make a serious attempt on Ace's life? Answer honestly.
Nico: Y... Yes...
Nico admits to, at some point, having tried to kill Ace. Of course, this isn't conclusive, but there is actually something else which makes me believe Nico might be the sole culprit of this almost-murder. A piece of evidence I haven't seen anyone mention in detail before.
The isolated weights.
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What's the issue with this weights? Well, there are three truths which make them particularly strange.
1- The fact they're isolated means they were likely involved in the murder method.
2- They are decently far from any other piece of evidence.
3- They are neatly stacked on top of each other.
The fact they're neatly stacked means someone put them like that intentionally, yet they were clearly involved in the murder method. However, if they were involved in the method, how are they this far from everything else?
Well, let me answer those questions by raising others in return. Why is Ace so far from the wires, and why was Nico holding one of them? Why are the weights the only thing in the room which seem to be placed intentionally, when everything else is all over the place? When did Nico lose their cloak? What did they do to make that banging noise?
All these questions lead me to one answer. Nico wasn't actively trying to murder Ace when Eden and Teruko entered the scene, they were cleaning the crime scene. This could include moving Ace's body around, screwing around with the wires in a way which broke the fan, and, the important part, instinctively stacking the weights on top of each other. Maybe because Nico was getting bothered by the general mess of the room, or something like that (I know I would try to put some order in the room if I was nervous), and the weights were the easiest things to move around.
Whatever the reason Nico had for moving the weights, the point is, they did. This movement clearly didn't have anything to do with the actual method, as again, the weights were pretty far from everything, so it seems to me like they were just sorta "cleaning". And the reason everything else is in disarray is because they weren't done when Teruko and Eden got there.
Of course, you may be unconvinced. You may have questions like "why didn't Nico check Ace was dead dead?". But I promise, this will all make more sense as I explain further, so for now, let's assume Nico was cleaning the crime scene.
What does that mean? It means the position of most of the objects in the room could have changed between the time the attack was carried out, and the moment Teruko and Eden entered the gym.
With this possibility in mind, let's take a deeper dive into some of the evidence.
Two Wires on a Bird
(Wait, that's not how the song-)
Now, as you may remember, there were two pieces of wire in the gym; one by itself, and one taped to the fan. A lot of people assume these two were pieces of the same wire, which was broken when the fan went down, probably.
However, I do not believe this is the case. Remember, these wires are metal. From what I could find, their black color could imply they may be aluminum or iron, for example. These have, scientifically speaking, a fuckton of tensile strength. You would need a force of no less than an elephant stampede to break that with tension alone. They can be broken, quite easily with enough effort and tools, but not easily snapped.
No, I believe the answer is much simpler. There were always two wires; there was never an unintentional breakage. If these two things were ever one solid piece of wire, the would-be-murderer must have separated them before they set up their scheme, with whatever they could find. Maybe there could be tools in storage? Not too important.
But, beyond stealing the turpentine, is there really any evidence the killer really thought the method through with that much anticipation? After all, there is this line:
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Veronika: Is this what you were envisioning when you tried to kill Ace? That the trial would happen like this, but with Ace instead of Arei dead?
Nico: I didn't... I never thought about it... I...
If Nico is the sole culprit as I'm claiming, doesn't that line mean there wasn't much forethought on Nico's part?
Don't worry, I'll explain that line later. For now, let me show you that the almost-killer absolutely planned the method in advance.
Broken Fans, Broken Hearts
One of the evidence pieces which confused me the most at first was, without a doubt, the non-functioning fan on the left. Why the hell isn't it moving? It's not the other fan falling, as we see the fan on the left working independantly the next day. Clearly, something happened which broke this fan, and it may have broken the other one as well.
Now, I looked through Google to see how ceiling fans work, see if I can figure something funky out. As a quick and oversimplified explanation, they run a current to create magnetic force which moves a rotor which moves the blades. From this, I thought of maybe using magnets to screw them up, but there aren't any magnets we know of in DRDT. I looked into Nico's laser pointer, but that also went nowhere. Despite the lack of evidence of its use, J's remote was the only thing I could think of for a while.
That is, until I realized one fundamental truth:
I'm an idiot.
The answer is much, much simpler. And it comes from one important question. Why is the tape on the fan facing the ceiling?
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Most people, myself included, see a stool, tape, and tape on a fan, and assume the killer used the stool to reach the fan and put the tape there. But the problem is, that would only allow you to place the wire on the underside of the blades. And I'm pretty sure the fan wouldn't do a cartwheel in midair to land upside down.
No, what the tape's position implies is that the killer had access to the upper side of the fan's blades. This means they were likely able to bring the fans down before the murder, and put them back later. However, it's very likely they wouldn't be completely able to fix them, explaining why the left one isn't moving.
I'm not sure how they'd do that, and it sorta relies again on tools from storage, but it doesn't quite matter. There's no point in taping a wire to a fan unless you want it on the fan, aka close to the ceiling, so the killer must have put them back. They likely did this way before the murder, though that raises the question of why the tape would still be there in that case. I do have an explanation, but it'll have to wait for now.
The fact the killer had this ability to take down and somewhat fix the fans makes the left fan's state trivial. They would just take it down to break it, like they did the fan on the right. Of course, the question is why.
I have two answers. The boring one is that the almost-killer thought having one fan moving while the other was broken would be suspicious, and would make Ace more cautious than just seeing both fans broken.
The more fun answer, but one I don't think makes much sense, is that breaking the fans could make the turpentine more effective. Keep in mind Teruko says it is inhaling the fumes from turpentine which can cause unconciousness, and the fans, moving the air around and stuff, would make it harder for the fumes to really be effective... somehow? Again, impossible to know from real life turpentine, as it doesn't work the same as in DRDT. There are a decent bit of inconsistencies with this answer, but eh. As long as Nico could conceivably believe it would help, they may do it. The killers don't have to always know exactly what they're doing.
Alright, Murder Time!
Now that you know how my brain interprets most of the evidence in the crime scene, it's time to get to the actual method. Just so you can get a taste of the insanity required to come up with something which is at least even slightly believeable, here's a highlight reel of the silliest ideas I seriously considered at one point or another!
-Using the broom to beat the shit out of a fan like a piñata.
-Putting the fan on the treadmill and making it run. Don't ask me how this would work.
-Creating a yoyo with the wire and the isolated weights. I almost wanted this one to be true.
-Creating a weird garrote thing with the wires and the weights.
Alright, got it out of my system. Let's actually start now.
The first thing we have to look at is the blood on the wires.
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This is, hands down, the part of the crime which drove me the most insane. We need to somehow figure out a way to have blood on quite a bit of the end of the fan-wire, a huge chunk in the middle of the lone wire, and a bit on its right side as well. All of this, while only leaving injuries on the front of Ace's neck, and not the back.
The simplest way to do this would be to "drag" the bloody parts of the wire across Ace's neck, but the question is how to "dodge" the parts which aren't bloody. If you try to think about this for yourself, you're gonna notice this is a lot harder than it seems. The bloody part on the middle of the lone wire is long, but the one on the right is small. Additionally, you have to somehow figure out a way to bloody up the end of the fan-wire, which comes with the problem of "where the hell even is Ace to have his neck cut by this thing".
The first thing I figured out is that the end of the fan-wire was likely attached to the middle of the lone wire, the latter doubled over the point of contact.
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(My art is back with a vengeance)
The lone wire could have even been tied around itself to triple over itself, if the length was still too long for the killer's taste. This would also help to explain the multiple injuries on his neck.
However, the problem with this is that goddamn little bit of blood on the right of the lone wire. It can't be solved by just dragging Ace a bit further, as there's a part of the wire which isn't bloody. This took me a while to figure out. In fact, at one point I was close to calling it quits, and just leaving that bit of blood unexplained.
But then, it came to me. A noose!
If the killer made a noose with the wire (let's assume that's possible), and Ace was dragged along the base of the noose, but not the noose itself, then the point of connection would leave a bloody part of the wire which would appear separated from the rest once you extended it out.
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(The main takeaway from this "drawing" is the noose, don't worry if you don't exactly understand the triple over thing. After all, I'm not even sure it was actually used)
Of course, now we have to ask ourselves why in the hell is the killer making a noose, then having Ace's neck drag across the base of the noose. The first thing which comes to mind is putting the noose around something, something like the pull up bar. That's sorta the only object near the fan I could see this working with. And we know the other end of the wire must have been on the fan.
This all points me to a theory I was already cooking up beforehand. The killer may have used gravity as a weapon, letting Ace's body lean on the wire as it tenses and untenses to slowly slash at his neck. This is sorta the system I'm envisioning.
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Obviously the drawings aren't to scale.
Now, if we miraculously (and it really would be a miracle) get this to work, it could explain those damn bloodstains that stumped me for hours. It could also explain the meaning of those isolated plates: if you manage to secure them to Ace's chest, they would weigh him down in such a way that his neck would press harder on the wire, causing more damage. I'll get to the way I believe it's possible the killer secured them later, but for now, this is the gist of my idea.
Now, there are a significant amount of questions and concerns you may raise just by seeing this, so let me address those.
The first concern you may have is the length of the wire system. Keeping in mind the fan-wire is atteched to the end of the blade, it would practically be impossible for this system to work if the fan spins all the way.
For the fan to actually spin automatically and not break anything, the "fan-out" position must exist only when the blade with the wire is as far away from the pull-up bar as possible. With how large the fan is, the end of the wire would be somewhat over the treadmills, maybe a bit closer to the door. The problem is, as the fan spins and the wire "tries to slack" (remember, Ace's neck pressing against it would mean it never fully slacks), it would end up practically touching the floor by the time the blade gets closer to the pull-up bar. Not to mention the issue of Ace's weight possibly fucking with the fan's automatic spin. In other words, it's impossible to create this system if the fan is spinning on its own.
...The sharper of you will have already realized why that argument doesn't work. It's not a problem, because the fan isn't spinning on its own. We established it earlier, remember? The fan was likely broken before the murder attempt even formerly began. That means the fan is spinning manually.
Perhaps that piñata idea wasn't so far off after all, we just needed a gentler touch. Using the broom and probably the stool, the almost-killer would be able to make the fan move on their whim. And this means there's no reason for them to make the fan do full revolutions. If they just move the blades back and forth a little bit, they would be able to "straighten" and "slack" the wire system however they wanted, and wouldn't need the system to extend all the way to the other side of the room. In fact, they would actually want the system to be as short as possible while still reaching from the fan to the pull-up bar, since that simplifies the positioning of Ace's body, as you'll see later.
But before we get to that, I have to answer something else. This method, you may have noticed, wouldn't exactly leave the deepest wounds, would it? I mean, it could definitively cause bleeding, but the wounds would likely be quite shallow, unless the wire is ultra sharp. It seems like a pretty bad murder system if it only leaves mostly superficial wounds.
Except, who told you the wounds weren't superficial? Remember, Ace didn't actually die from this. And although I'm no expert in anatomy, I believe any neck wound would be fatal if it's deep enough. Thus, whatever the method used was, it could only leave shallow wounds.
That still raises the question of why the killer would do this, but I'll get there. For now, let me give you a sneak peek: I believe the attacker knew Ace didn't die from the wire attack. Intriguing, right?
And if you're worried about the amount of blood being too much for shallow wounds, don't worry. As I said, I believe Teruko and Eden ran into the crime scene a while after the crime actually happened, so Ace must have been bleeding for a while. And I'm no forensic expert, but I believe people who are alive bleed faster than corpses, since the heart is still beating and all that. Essentially, there's a lot of blood only because Ace has been bleeding for a while.
Now comes the hardest part of the visualization, and frankly, the one thing which really makes me doubt whether or not this is possible. With the two benches found on the crime scene, you have to play jenga with them and Ace's body in a way which makes sure his head reaches the pull-up bar in the "fan-out" position, and which doesn't run into issues holding his body up in the "fan-in" position. Considering the height of the pull-up bar, I think the best way to do this would be placing the benches parallel to the wire, and Ace's body kneeling perpendicular to it. You might also want to put a space in between the benches for the knees to bend forward, but I'm not sure.
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(Not to scale)
Again, I know this is hard to visualize, and probably harder to pull off, but I don't think it's completely impossible. If anyone has better ideas on how to put the benches, I'd love to hear it.
Now, the sharper of you would realize a problem. As Ace's body flops onto the wire, it's likely going to get pulled forward, but it would also likely slide down towards Ace's chest. That's a problem, since his wounds are only on his neck. However, I have a possible solution for this. You know how I said you could secure the isolated weight plates on Ace's chest to make him press harder onto the wire? Well, if you secure them high and well enough, with tape for example, they might be able to stop the wires from sliding down.
The unfortunate part of this is that we can't be sure if there was any blood on the weights, which there likely would be in this case, since Teruko didn't check them closely. But the bigger issue here is the tape itself: where'd it go?
Well, I'll answer that question with another question. How is there no blood on the floor? Under this method, gravity would make at least a fair bit of blood fall to the floor. There's no way Nico cleaned it up, so how?
Well, if you don't want a liquid to stain a floor, what can you do? You can drape something over the floor so that gets stained instead of the floor. And this is how I plan to explain Nico's missing cloak. Their cloak was draped over the floor in the place where the blood would fall, as to avoid staining the floor with blood. Nico later removed the cloak from the crime scene, possibly leaving it in the dress-up room or somewhere else for the time being.
Now, that sounds ridiculous. Why would Nico leave the crime scene so early? Is there any actual evidence they left at some point?
Well, actually, there is. It's the other place where blood should have been in this method. Since Ace's neck must reach the base of the noose, it would touch the pull-up bar and stain it with blood. Or rather, it would stain the tape on the pull-up bar with blood. The tape which is also missing.
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Before.
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After.
In fact, this missing piece of tape is extremely important evidence for my theory. The fact it's missing means the pull-up bar was involved, possibly being stained with blood. It also means the culprit took evidence out of the crime scene, which helps explain why Nico is missing their cloak. It also gives credence to the theory the killer taped the isolated weights to Ace's chest, since one missing piece of tape could imply two missing pieces of tape. And- hey! That's why the roll of duct tape is still there! They didn't need it for the fan, since that set up was likely done before the murder attempt as established earlier, so they must have used it somewhere else!
Oh yeah, it's all coming together.
And with this, as you've noticed, we've sorta already arrived at my conclusion on the culprit. Since I believe Nico's cloak was involved in the setup, but was later removed, I firmly assert Nico is the sole almost-murderer. After all, even if the killer knocked out Nico and put them in the crime scene or something, there would be no reason to discard their cloak, and if Nico took it out the gym after waking up, there's no reason to return until they tell someone else about the body.
At this point, I should also address the hidden quote I know is gonna be brought up. Like with every character, if you inspect element on Nico's page you get a hidden quote, which in their case is "why should I own up for the mistakes someone else made?". That makes it sound like they didn't do this, but keep in mind, Nico did confirm having attempted to kill Ace, so I don't think it makes sense for the mistake to be "tried to kill Ace". I actually think this line could be a lot darker. I think this line could imply Ace made the mistakes being referred to, and Nico feels as though they don't have to own up for that. Like, "Ace was the one who fucked around, I just made them find out". Though I am admittedly biased towards evil Nico interpretations, so I can't be sure. Also, this could be about something from another chapter entirely.
Now that we sort of have an idea of how the attack could have gone down, we have to start thinking of the clean up. Unfortunately, this part of the plan wouldn't leave many clues behind, so it's largely speculative. Also worth keeping in mind, I believe this started a while before Teruko and Eden even arrived at the second floor.
The first order of business is taking Ace's body out of the mechanism. They would need to gently let it lean on the wire until the fan wouldn't turn anymore, before quickly stepping off the stool and going over. I'll explain why they're so worried about the body later, but for now, trust me bro. They would push the body off the wire, moving the benches to maneuver better, but their movements are sort of sloppy. This results in the rightmost bench falling over, and when they push Ace up against the wall, they do so haphazardly, leaving behind a small blood stain behind his neck. This is unfortunately the only explanation I have for the bloodstain on the wall which still fits all the other evidence. I say unfortunately because it's a sorta odd explanation for something I would usually consider quite important, but I've had enough trying to explain the blood on the wires, I'm not gonna worry too much about this little thing.
After making sure the body is off the wire, Nico would want to take care of the most incriminating evidence first: their bloodstained cloak. They would probably roll it up into a ball to carry it, though I imagine they may wipe some of the blood off the wires as well. After all, it's the one piece of evidence which can be directly be linked back to them. Since they just took the body down, they would also pick up the evidence closest to them; the bloodstained tape on the pull-up bar and the tape and weights on Ace's chest. They decide to leave the weights in the gym for the time being, and carry out the cloak and the pieces of tape, likely leaving them somewhere else on the second floor. I think one of the changing rooms in the dress-up room is the likeliest spot, or the trash can. They were later planning on disposing of it in a better way, I imagine, but I don't think they wanted to leave the body alone too long, since as I said, they may have known Ace was alive.
Timeline-wise, it's hard to say how much time passes between Nico going out and into the gym, and the moment Teruko and Eden meet in the dress-up room. Especially because part of my other theory is that Eden was actually doing some stuff on the second floor at this time. So here's how I see it; when they return to the gym, they put the weights they had just sort of left there one on top of the other, probably move the stool a little, but most importantly, they start trying to figure out a way to take down the wire system. They initially try things like untying the noose or undoing the knot in the middle, but they're worried about blood getting on them or getting cut by the wire. This hesitation on how to take the wire system down is what explains the time difference between the start of their cleaning and the moment Eden and Teruko get there. I am deeply aware this isn't a very satisfying answer to that issue, but I don't think it's too outlandish, especially since Nico is clearly not in the greatest mental state.
Eventually, they decide they're not going to take the wire system down carefully. To avoid getting blood on themselves, the best way would be to rip out the entire system all at once. I imagine they looped the wire around the broom, and pulled hard in one direction. Do it well enough, and I believe both the noose and the knot between the wires would come undone. However, in doing this, Nico also accidentally knocked down the ceiling fan. This causes the banging noise Eden and Teruko hear.
However, Nico doesn't think anyone else is nearby, and thus doesn't worry about the noise. They just pick up the lone wire (by the parts which aren't bloody), which had flown towards them thanks to their broom trick, and stretch it out... because they felt like it. Yeah, I'm not really sure. But I know a lot of people do weird things to calm themselves when nervous, and Nico is not thinking straight. Fixing up the wire could be something they felt compelled to do without logical reason. I hope this makes sense to you as much as it makes sense to me. Regardless, this is what Teruko and Eden catch them doing. Nico runs away, and probably picks up their cloak on the way as to at least have the slightest argument for their innocence. Since the lone pieces of tape are there, Nico probably picks them up too.
That's basically it for what happened, though you may have noticed there is one piece of evidence I never mentioned. That being the toppled over weight rack. However, there's a pretty simple explanation for this, one I have to give credit to thebadjoe for. Essentially, it's possible the weight rack was moved by Ace to train. If he was bench pressing, it would make sense for him to bring the weight rack closer to the... bench press bench? You know what I mean. And then, when the killer attacked them with turpentine, the rack was toppled over in the struggle. There's unfortunately no way to confirm this, as in the ep 11 flashback, Ace is in the gym but the weight rack is not next to the bench press bench. This doesn't disprove anything; Ace could have just been doing literally anything else. But it unfortunately doesn't confirm anything either.
So, there we go! A series of events which more or less explains all the major evidence in the scene and is (hopefully) physically possible! The bloodstains on the wires were a major pain, to the point I will gladly take anything that explains them more or less satisfactorily, and the missing tape on the pull up bar convinces me I'm (hopefully) in the right track.
... Yeah, so there's still a problem.
Hey, OP, what the fuck?
So, once again my "method before motive" way of theorizing arrives at an extremely complicated system which seems to have no purpose at all. If the fan really is broken as I claim, then there's no way for this to be a remote murder, and a lot of this is just unnecessary. Like, why not just cut Ace's neck with the wires using your hands, the way God (MonoTV) intended? And what the hell did I mean when I said Nico started cleaning the crime scene despite knowing Ace was alive?!
So, here comes the most speculative part of my theory. The reason for the method. Initially, one would assume a system like this would be used to get away with the murder without being caught, like most murders in... well, murder mystery stories. However, remember that line I brought up before? The one where Veronika asks about the trial, and Nico claims to have never thought about it?
I think they're telling the truth. I don't think the purpose of the system is to get away with the murder at all.
And it all comes back to the concern I raised about superficial wounds. Like I said, this system seems odd because it wouldn't be able to cause anything but some shallow cuts. But, what if that's the point?
What if Nico designed this method specifically so it wouldn't kill Ace?
That sounds insane, but think about it. If Nico tries to cut Ace's neck with the wires just by using their hands, it's possible they would get over-excited and accidentally cut too deep, killing Ace almost instantly. If that's not what they want, then it would make more sense to set up a somewhat automatic system which runs less risk of cutting too deep. Maybe.
But, didn't Nico confirm they made a serious attempt on Ace's life, like they told Charles? Yes, but they weren't done.
I believe it's possible Nico wanted Ace to wake up after receiving his neck injuries. That way, he'd be weakened by the blood loss and the pain, but still concious when Nico actually killed them. Under this interpretation, Nico wanted Ace to die knowing Nico was stronger than him, not just by using turpentine and cheap tricks, but just in a straight up fight (though with the handicap of the injuries).
Is that too sadistic? Arguably yes, but we still don't know how far Nico's anger is capable of taking them. I'm probably biased since I am a Veronika kinnie at heart, whose love for a character only increases the more evil and fucked up they are. Still, trust me when I say I went insane trying to figure out any method which could explain the fucking bloodstains on those wires as well as everything else, and this one is the best one I've found so far. It's all I have, I gotta work the characters around it somehow, and this is the only way I can think of.
Nico waiting for Ace to wake up also answers a lot of the basic questions of what the hell was going on when Teruko and Eden entered. If Nico really made a serious attempt on Ace's life, why are they standing so far without confirming Ace is dead? Because they know he's not, and are waiting for him to wake up.
The biggest issues I see here (besides the sheer insanity of the idea) are:
-This method still really isn't that reliable at not killing. However, it doesn't have to be; Nico just needs to trust it more than they do their own hands. And the trust Nico has on their own hands could actually be very little knowing how insecure they is about a lot of things. Not a great argument, but it's there.
-If Nico didn't think of the trial at all, there's no reason for them to take the cloak and tape out of the gym. This is admittedly a much more pressing issue, since a lot of my theory hinges on them doing this. My best answer is that they were working mostly on autopilot. Not actively thinking of the trial, but still knowing in the back of their mind that they would have to hide they did this. It's not great, but it's an answer.
-We don't have evidence Nico even had another weapon on them. If Nico wanted to kill Ace after he woke up, they would have likely brought a weapon with them. However, counterpoint; we know they must have had at least one possible weapon, the turpentine bottle. It's a pretty shitty weapon, but break it open and it would be effective enough. Additionally, the fact we don't know where that thing is implies Nico could have been hiding another weapon, but I'm hesitant to claim this, because again, no evidence.
Overall, I think these holes aren't too big, and considering I'm expecting to get lots of things wrong here, I'm comfortable enough with my answer to put it out there for peer review.
Closing Argument
-During the afternoon, the culprit had to get two custom weapons for their plan. One, the turpentine, they stole from Rose during a painting session. The other, Hu's wire, they simply asked for with some vague excuse, as they had a good relation with her.
-Once they got the wire, they split it into two and went to the gym, a while before the victim arrived. They also brought a stepstool and a broom. With them, they took down the rightmost fan, and ductaped one of the wires' end to one of its blades. They managed to put the fan back up, with the wire hidden on top of the blades. However, the fan didn't spin anymore. The culprit also broke the other fan with a similar method, so as to not make the victim suspicious when they entered the gym.
-The culprit waited until the victim entered the gym for their regular nighttime exercise session, likely after feeding the fish in the relax room.
-The victim, Ace, wanted to do some bench pressing, so he brought the weight rack closer. They didn't notice anything amiss, until the culprit entered the gym.
-With a rag filled with turpentine (maybe; it's impossible to know how people in the DRDT universe would use turpentine as a sedative), the culprit ambushed Ace. Although there was a struggle which knocked over the weight rack, the culprit managed to get Ace to inhale enough turpentine to knock him out. Now, the culprit could have just killed Ace then and there, but that's not what they wanted. They wanted to prove themselves stronger than him, or simply to make them suffer for what he had done to them. In any case, they wanted him to be seriously injured, but not dead by the time the turpentine wore off. Since they couldn't trust their own impulses, they wanted to use a more hands-off method which would ensure Ace would be in serious pain, but not die until the culprit could make sure he felt it.
-Working quickly as nighttime approached, the killer used the broom and stepstool to spin the rightmost fan's blades so as to get the wire taped to it to fall down.
-They tied a noose around the pull-up bar with the other part of the wire. They possibly made the wire triple over itself, and attached the fan-wire to its middle. They also put the non-noose end under the noose on the pull-up bar, for extra stability. For Ace's body, they used the roll of tape to attach two small weights from the rack to Ace's chest.
-With the wire system now hanging slack, like a vine, between the fan and the pull-up bar, they moved the benches under it. The killer also wore a cloak, which they took off and draped over the floor around where they believed the blood would end up.
-They dragged Ace's body to the benches. They propped him up there on his knees, letting his neck press down onto the wire system, specifically a part of the fan-wire. Once they made sure he wasn't going to fall, they quickly made their way to the stepstool, grabbed the broom, and got on it.
-With the broom, they moved the fan's blades manually, not too fast, but with some strength. The wire system pressed hard on Ace's neck, starting to cut his neck as it straightened. Ace's head tilted as this happened, and he started to lean towards the pull-up bar. As his neck dragged over the rolled up lone wire, various shallow cuts opened in his skin. Ace's head touched the pull-up bar's tape, staining it and the base of the noose with blood.
-The killer then slowly allowed Ace's body weight to press on the wire as the fan slowly spun in that direction, the speed controlled by the broom. The wires didn't fall to his chest because of the weights, as well as the slow nature of the descent. His blood stained every spot of the wire his neck dragged across, including the end of the fan-wire.
-The culprit repeated this one or two times, enough to feel as though Ace was sufficiently hurt for their purposes, but not so much they felt he'd die before waking up.
-When they were done, they gently let Ace's body lean on the wire as far as the fan would allow, before dropping the broom and hopping off the stepstool.
-They quickly ran over to Ace, pushing him off the wire system before it could do any more damage to him. In doing this, the bench he was kneeling on fell over, and Ace's body slammed on the wall next to the pull-up bar. The culprit managed to keep him in a sitting position, but the impact with the wall had left a small bloodstain behind Ace.
-The culprit moved the benches a bit to maneuver better around the gym. They took the bloodstained tape off the pull-up bar, retrieved the weights and tape from Ace's chest, and got their cloak off the floor. They used the cloak to wipe a bit of the blood off the wire system, though since it was already covered in blood, some still remained. Not enough to drip off and make a noticeable change on the floor, though. The killer left the weights off to a side in the gym, and ran off with the tape and cloak. They likely hid it somewhere nearby, like the trash can in the hallway or the changing rooms of the dress-up room.
-They came back to the gym at around the same time Eden went to the second floor (this is related to my other theory, don't worry too much about it). They began waiting for Ace to wake up, but their desire for cleanliness guided them in the tense situation. They started trying to figure out a way to take down the wire system without risking injury and without getting blood on themselves.
-A few minutes later, as Teruko went to the second floor and met with Eden, the killer figured out a way to take down the system. They grabbed the broom and wrapped a clean part of the fan-wire around it, before pulling with all their might.
-Several things happened at once. The noose and knot in the point of connection came undone instantly, and the lone wire flew towards the entrance. However, the strength of the pull also took down the fan from the ceiling, making a loud banging noise which could be heard from the hallway.
-The killer didn't think there'd be anyone on the second floor at the time, so they just continued their clean up effort as they waited for Ace to awaken. They grabbed the lone wire by the non-bloody parts and stretched it out, just as Teruko and Eden entered the gym.
-Upon seeing the two girls, the culprit panicked. They dropped the wire and ran away, but still had the sense to quickly pick up their cloak and tape just in case.
-The culprit's plan was to wait until Ace woke up, and in his weakened and pained state, kill him with the bottle of turpentine or some other weapon they had brought with them. And they would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling girls!
-The missing cloak, paired with the suspicious lack of blood on the scene; the turpentine theft during a painting session with Rose; the motive to kill Ace in this manner; their actions and presence in the crime scene; all paired with an admission of guilt. The method shows only one person with the ability, opportunity and motive to attempt such a heinous murder: Nico Hakobyan, the Ultimate Pet Therapist!
Conclusion
Is this conclusion perfect? By no means. Nico's actions are still extremely erratic and hard to explain, not to mention how difficult it would be to physically get the method to work. However, it's an answer which I feel sufficiently explains all the evidence in the crime scene, which is shockingly difficult. Those damn bloodstains, man.
Still, I imagine I've gotten quite a few things wrong, so this is more a starting point than a final answer. I just think it's solid enough to put out there and get second opinions on it.
Thanks for reading all the way to end! I would give you a cookie, but I'm afraid it's impossible through a screen. Have a good day!
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iamphibolous · 7 months
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Hello :) I started reading romantically apocalyptic a while back and got a far bit through it (maybe) but then stopped and forgot about it for a bit. And recently I wanted to keep reading it but can't find the site anywhere :( I found another site that hosts it but it's uhhhhhhhhhh not greeeeat
And I just wanna know what's going on with it and where abouts i would be able read it
Looking through the tag you seem to be the person to ask about this
HAHA I'm flattered you thought to ask me! And I can talk about it, sure.
So, if you want to continue reading the old stuff, it is still available on the internet archive:
Sadly it is the Internet Archive, so it takes a long damn time to load, (and I think right now the romac stuff is down? Says there's a gateway error >_<) BUT at least it still exists y'know? 🥲
I would recommend sticking to the ~2014 - 2015 stuff if you like a silly time, and going to the 2016-2019 stuff if you want more world-building entries.
And uhhh ass for what happened,
it's a lot so I'm putting it under a readmore ;p
I don't have the exact dates on hand so what I'm boutta say is likely not entirely accurate but,
The Moon Arc of romantically apocalyptic was begun sometime around 2014(?). This marked the beginning of a defined story for romac! Which was very different from the more loose comic relief stuff from before. The thing is, updates began slowing down at the same time. Then, as with everything, Covid put it to a halt.
...but not entirely.
Vitaly (the original creator of Romantically Apocalyptic) has a tendency to delete old stuff he no longer likes... and a bigger tendency to go back and rewrite stuff to retcon in new characters or plotlines.
Okay, now bear with me cause this sounds like a different thing but it IS related:
So, in the romantically apocalyptic "Official Discord"*, there is (or was?) a gigantic roleplay that was set in the distant future of Romantically Apocalyptic, however parts of it were planned to be incorporated into the main storyline as Vitaly didn't really have many actual plans beyond that (and admitted as such).**
A character called 'Infi Nova' was part of the roleplay, and iirc, had been intended to become part of the story for a while.
Now, as I said previously, Vitaly had begun retconning his old work... and he decided it was time Infi become a part of the universe, although not through new entries, no! Let's just put her into the old ones! :)
Here's a few entries that show this.
Entry 14 2019 Entry 14 2020 <- Infi is introduced Entry 15b 2019 Entry 15b 2020 <- New motivations (implied to be Infi) Entry 125 2020 Entry 125 2021 <- Infi commits a harassment
She was put in without much fanfare iirc, and little acknowledgement for her new presence. It was a surprise returning to old entries to discover her there. The retcons involving her also majorly changed: Pilot's motivations, Captain's character, Snippy's 'destiny', and Engie's ... Something. I forgot. He got scared by a traffic light I think, but it wasn't in a fun way :p
Anyway, so I very much dropped out of romac for the year or two following that and I'm not quite sure exactly what convinced Vitaly to take down the original site.
From what I've seen, he justifies the switch by saying the old site was too buggy and he has 'many more books' on royal road...
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Which leads me to believe he has shifted most if not all of his attention away from romac and has put it on royalroad in the hopes that it's remaining few followers will gain interest in his other 'works'
(And I say 'works' because he's also leaned very heavily into Machine-Autogeneration usage...)***
Anyway that's your romac history lesson. Congratulation!!!! 🎉
Le Footnotes
*fun fact, I am fairly certain it was not made by anyone who was working on romac at the time, but rather a romac fan made it. From what I hear, Vitaly overtook it and made it become the 'official discord' later.
**I will not speak on the ethics of such a thing here, but iirc there were both children participating in the rp, and lewd instances within the rp story... among other things. It really is it's own subject and some people know more about it than I do ^^"
*** most particularly machine-autogenerated big-titty girls, which he has put as the cover for almost all his books... and like. To each their own. I have my opinion. I'll leave you to make yours.
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abundantchewtoys · 2 months
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HS^2 re: p534-576
Woof (pun not intended), it's a doozy, this one.
Jade as doting mother was hilariously embarassing. But it seems her reasons to have a child in the first place stem from her intense loneliness, exacerbated by her celebrity status.
Meanwhile, Rose's motivation to carry the child... There's two ways to interpret it. The least complimentary is that she's just as manipulative as Dirk, using her powers to 'okay' a disgraceful decision because she'll be forgiven in the end anyway. I hope she actually wanted to see if she could do something her powers couldn't predict the outcome of. It would mean she's aware of the Candy timeline's nature of decreasing truthfulness, relevance and necessity and is trying to do something about it. The fact that she's so dismissive about Earth C's people, as is Jade, could point in that direction.
In fact, it would seem that, for all that the Candy timeline appeared to be a 'saccharine end state' for most of the kids, they do seem to be aware that even beyond the totalitarian government, there's something else fundamentally wrong with the timeline?
Meanwhlie, Yiffany not talking is so funny when you think about it. Even while we're being her, she's just too cool to lower herself to such base characterizational devices.
Would be funny if she's treated as the teen version of hypothetical older Maggie Simpson of Beyond Canon. Implied to be witty & talkative but never shown. :p
What else? So, uh, Tavros & Yiffany are acquainted, and Yiffy probably got locked up/kept hidden in Tavros' house when she was away from boarding school. Like a perverse Rapunzel. Making Tavros not just her biological uncle but also foster brother, oh jeez. So, uh, it might also mean her enmity with Gamzee's corpse stemmed from actual, in-person interactions with the clown.
Meenah's probably calling to let Rose & Kanaya know that Jane's coming to the meteor too.
So, the Point. I'm assuming it's to do with the device behind the curtain, beneath the meteor.
Spitballing & exchanging theories with Blaperile, I'm assuming it's a way for the Candy people to travel into the Meat timeline.
I wouldn't like it to be one way, for one thing because some people might not want to leave. For another, what would The Influencers even be able to do?
It could be a Sburb copy for the new kids to boot a session with & interact with the Deltritus gang?
Would be funny to have a sort of Hivebent situation going on with 2 separate teams turning out to be entering the same session.
If it's a giant version of the Hiveswap device, maybe the Candy & Meat timeline meteors get swapped (a literal swapping of hives).
Then maybe Candy Earth C with the Meat meteor turns out to be Alternate Calliope's home timeline, and the reverse for Caliborn/Lord English?
It would seem Jade was carrying around a stuffed corpse in her sylladex! Of course Adult Dave (now Davebot) is the most likely person. It could lead to Davebot exploding if his corpse is ever prototyped! But then we'd have a new version of Davesprite...
If it were Candy Dirk, we'd get Dirksprite: aka Arquiusprite minus Equius minus autoresponder.
With how Rose's mom got touched on in the argument, what if Jade had stuffed Mom and Dad? As Blaperile pointed out to me, while John & Jade had a funeral for them pre-retcon, we don't know that they did post-retcon, do we?
No chance for a Johnsprite beyond Terezi prototyping Meat John, though! Would've been funny to have Johnsprite^2 or *2. But unless Jade took John's original body (from his quest bed) from LOWAS before it exploded, we won't have that. As she never found the bodies for John & Davesprite in her timeline.
(Yeah I'm just grasping at straws to get a POV & further fleshing out for Dad, can't help it.)
As for the newspost, turns out I missed the one from Feb 1st. Wow, Vast Error has gotten the Hussie stamp of approval and now falls under the HICU protection and can monetize on their work!
I haven't read it yet, but I know from experience how engaging fanventures can be, so good for them!
And oh geez, so much unvaulted commentary to read on Patreon. :B
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heartlurch · 3 months
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hai heart !! its me again , anon :3 have you got any so called au ideas of mystery n8 nene ?? nene’s name involves the number “8” , so of course people are theorising that she’ll become the 8th mystery. if so, the mystery of what ? 🤍
Hi again :0
I'm certainly aware of how Nene's name alludes to the number 8, since other characters have numbers correlating to their seat #. A maddening detail honestly... I will admit, it's not the sort of thing I can think of as an 'AU' so much as... 'There's this thing being foreshadowed that I have to brace myself for.' I've more or less just stared at this detail and felt helpless and confused lol. What is sensei trying to tell me!? <- I'm too busy thinking this and crying...
Beyond that, I can't really think of an 8th mystery the same as I would the others, too strugglesome. I mean, if we try and imagine it like 'we tack on No. 8 with the others' it would mean that a new seat could be created that doesn't previously exist. How... do you do that... But like, we don't know how the previous mysteries were made... Were there always 7?? If not, how do you add more, who decides(or decided) that? Would a rumor have to be made to make way for this mystery Nene-? Or could she manifest before having a rumor-?? Is being appointed just a matter of someone saying so, or is there more to it? (More prerequisites?) We don't even know what Sakura does when she appoints someone, and Tsukasa seems to exist outside of the system's typical conventions so I can't base too much on what he does with Mitsuba...
Each mystery seems to have jurisdiction over some, element, aspect of the world. But these concepts are as broad as 'time', 'life/death' and 'records'... While I like the story of JSHK and analyzing it is lots of fun, I feel like I cannot really simulate Iro-sensei's thought process— not enough to conceive of what an '8th Mystery' would dictate...
So... that's me being pedantic about a bunch of things. BUT... What I can tell you, that I've thought of on my own: I don't actually think Nene will 'become a mystery' in the manner we've seen... I think being "8" actually means she's something new, errr... rule-breaking? That's the vibe I get from her... I think Nene's existence is a bit of an anomaly. There are various things about her yet to be explained.
(MY SMALL ADDENDUM TO THIS is the fact that No. 7 already seems to operate differently than 1-6, so we already don't know enough about THAT guy... arghh.)
Why is Nene a kannagi? Aoi's family history explains her position, but somehow I doubt this is the case for Nene as well? So... where is her blessed nature coming from? And it's eerie, you know... how she meets Hanako just in time to be there to commence yorishiro, as the broadcast club orchestrates rumors. Why is that? What were they going to do if Hanako never got his hands on a kannagi...? Their goals are quite exact, with little room for error, aren't they... hm.
Nene has technically, from the twins' chronological perception, been interacting with them multiple times throughout their life. So her fate has been tied to the Yugi 'since the beginning' of this story... The cherry on top is the fact that her lifespan is inextricable from the existence of the mysterys' yorishiro. For whatever reason, if you get rid of all the mysteries, Nene will die. All I can infer from this is Nene's very existence is tied to that of the mysteries, so — I don't think she will become a part of the system, as much as she is already deeply involved in it? ...?? Perhaps she is already... No. 8? In SOME manner? You feel me??
My wife's even pointed out, it's troublesome Nene is already an isolated weird girl who gets whispered about in the halls... what 'rumors' exist of her already, we don't know. I wonder how blurred this line between human/kaii/mystery can be. There's no way to know, but... something to chew over. (The recent ASHK chapter showing an ominous dream that calls to question Nene's authenticity was designed to make me insane btw.)
Last thing I will say, prolly will seem out of nowhere but, my gut tells me Nene's existence... is tied to the well god, and Tsukasa. If the god inside Tsukasa / is the same god the mysteries are deriving power from / then Nene's lifespan is directly correlated to that god's power being unleashed (as the yorishiro/mysteries are simply a means of divying out these powers, controlling things like time, life, death, wishes, etc.)
It's my delusion but I'm holding out that all this information will kiss passionately someday. And-!!!!!!!!! Then I'll explode.
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mbti-notes · 2 months
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Anon wrote: Hi! I need to ask about my enfp mother's behaviour. Is there cultural reason why she believes so strongly in highly superstitious, almost witchcraft like things despite growing up in a religious and conservative household? I understand a lot of superstitions can exist in Asian culture, but there's something especially strange about your mother accusing your romantic love interest of using love potions, curses, or spells on you to win you over all because he isn't attractive in her eyes.
For more context: my dad passed away a few years ago, and ever since then I feel like my mom's been a different person. I originally thought she was clinging onto religious beliefs to cope with the grief, but I now feel like it's gone beyond just using religion for comfort. It has absolutely dictated her life, all because she believes there's something malicious after me and my sibling, and she feels obligated to protect us from what this is. Whenever we ask her what she's protecting us from, she doesn't really give a straight answer.
What's more, recently I've noticed she's been describing a lot of strange beliefs that resemble, for a lack of a better description, witchcraft. I honestly have no idea where this came from, but it seems like this is something she grew up learning about. I can't really find a lot of information about Vietnamese witchcraft, so I honestly have no idea if this is pure delusion, or actually a part of the culture. I'm really trying to understand where she's coming from, but it's so hard when she doesn't want to open up about anything.
--------------------
I'm not a member of Vietnamese culture and don't know anything about Vietnamese folklore, so I'm not sure why you believe I can answer anything about that. The only thing I can say is that certain psychological characteristics/issues make some people more prone to adopting fantastical or conspiratorial beliefs. For example:
- Struggling With Trauma: Losing a loved one, especially the central relationship of one's life, is a very traumatic experience. Such grief is very difficult to process and endure, psychologically. When someone isn't able to accept and understand a traumatic event, they can't help but seek out answers, and this makes them susceptible to any beliefs that might bring some measure of emotional relief. Perhaps you have underestimated the depth of your mom's trauma and grief. If that's the case, empathy is called for.
- Struggling With Self-Esteem: People at low levels of ego development are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem due to often making more errors in judgment. There are healthy and unhealthy methods to boost self-esteem. One unhealthy method is to find ways to feel superior and/or to feel more unique than others (both points are likely to apply for ENFP). Thus, some people are drawn to odd beliefs because it makes them feel smarter or it gets them special attention, which provides temporary relief from deep-seated fears about being inferior or ordinary.
- Security Through Simplicity: The world is a very big and complicated place with lots of stuff going on. It's easy to feel scared, powerless, helpless, or cynical in the face of human suffering. It can be very difficult for a caring or sensitive person to make sense of all the bad things in the world. If a person lacks the intellectual skills to understand complex issues (e.g. due to lack of educational opportunity), they are more likely to reach for easy answers or answers that provide a sense of certainty. Fantastical or conspiratorial theories provide easy answers because they do not require any justification or evidence. The explanations can seem logical on the surface, so it's easy to get sucked in by them when one is already emotionally primed to believe.
- Cognitive Biases: By default, the human mind is riddled with cognitive biases that distort perception and judgment. For example, many people don't realize that they mistake correlation for causation. A person with good logic knows that, just because two things occurred together, doesn't mean that one caused the other. It could be the case that both were caused by some hidden third factor. You have to take extra mental steps to properly prove that causation actually happened. When people aren't aware of their cognitive biases and don't work to counteract them, it is very easy for them to fall victim to bad logic, and they won't be able to detect the logical errors in their own belief system.
- Dependence on Intuition: The fact of the matter is, as one person, you can't know everything. There are many situations where you have no choice but to fill in gaps in your knowledge with "gut feelings" or random ideas that seemingly come out of nowhere. The more heavily someone relies on gut feelings without being aware of it, the more likely they are to make errors in judgement, because they are not giving enough consideration to concrete facts and evidence. For example, when you have experienced one senseless and unfair tragedy after another, it becomes more and more difficult to avoid thinking that you're being singled out for punishment, which easily leads to believing in curses. Of course, people with a dominant or overactive N function are very likely to trust intuition a little too much.
In some cases, these issues can be remedied by providing more and better learning resources to people. For example, you can help people overcome their cognitive biases by teaching them the critical thinking skills they need to analyze issues systematically and break down complex problems into more manageable steps. It's also important to nurture intellectual humility and intellectual curiosity in order to be open-minded enough to entertain being wrong.
However, deep and unresolved emotional or psychological developmental issues are much more difficult to resolve, which is why such individuals usually need counseling or therapy. It sounds like your mom could have a combination of cognitive and emotional factors contributing to her adoption of such troubling beliefs. If she's refusing help or won't open up, there's not much you can do but keep trying to provide an emotionally supportive environment in the event that she finally decides it's time to talk. You can lead her to water, but you can't force her to drink.
Your tone is somewhat judgmental, probably because you are feeling exasperated, so I have to warn you that, if she picks up on it or has already, she won't believe you are a safe person to open up to. From what I know about East Asian cultures (through studying cross-cultural psychology and Eastern philosophy), people are extremely reluctant to discuss psychological issues because of social stigma and the fear of becoming a social pariah. And this might also contribute to you treating her as an inconvenience rather than a human in pain. If you are battling against such deep cultural currents, then it's imperative that you can guarantee a safe, supportive, nonjudgmental, and empathetic space for her to explore what's really going on, deep down.
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kimmingtonjames · 1 year
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RE8 DLC: Shadows of Rose
So I was really frustrated by the Shadows of Rose DLC and I felt like talking about it. I'm going to try to keep this fair-minded and reasonably-well organized as I discuss my thoughts. 
GAMEPLAY
Overall, the shift to a more survival-horror experience was pretty successful. Limited ammo helps instill a sense of panic and fear of error. Frequent saves alleviate some of that tension-- or at least make the DLC feel punishing but fair because backtracking post-loss is limited. Even unsaved deaths rarely throw the player too far back. It's a kind choice on the developer's part. 
The Duke level in Castle Dimitrescu is a good introduction to how they've varied up existing level structures: the mold barriers, little puzzle changes, and enemies offer enough difference to make revisiting familiar spaces refreshing. However, the integration of Rose's notably meager powers and ensuing upgrades feel overly-convenient, situationally specific, and narrow in scope.
In my opinion, the revisit to the Beneviento manor is where the DLC really shines. The survival horror elements here are strongest-- no weaponry, chase sequences, stealth-- and serve to play up the tension. The puzzles are darkly hilarious and the reanimated autopsy doll of Mia chasing Rose through the dark basement halls, freezing when seen and racing when beyond line of sight, is the stuff of nightmares. However, the late-level appearance and inevitable one-on-one battle with Eveline from RE7 was functionally a repeat of her last encounter with Ethan. It has no meaningful additions and an even more limited arena. Overall, I can't say I was fond.
And the final boss fight with Miranda, though visually interesting, was disappointing. She now fires projectiles Rose can absorb for more power, which is useful, but blocking is difficult to time. In fact, both blocks and absorption moves take more time than is comfortable to use, and Miranda's blackout sequences impede telegraphing. I beat her upon first playthrough but wondered how I was successful in retrospect. Let's just say it was both an odd and much too familiar boss fight.
Getting stuck on enemies in tight hallways continues to be a frustration, but that seems to be an issue with the engine. This happens with other engines, as well, so it feels potentially unfair to target the RE Engine for it.
VOICE ACTING
Loved it. Everyone brought their energy to this and it was fun to hear their performances. Miranda is over the top and it suits her perfectly; Rose is well cast, and her portrayal of a stubborn but terrified teenager is spot on; the Duke is always great; Ethan is both fatherly and constantly frustrated, which is right where he needs to be. 10/10.
STORY
This, sadly, is where it all really falls apart. 
We're thrown sixteen years into the future to play as Rose, who we hardly know outside of her origins and is given motivations without background, so her desires and choices lack weight. 'Michael', who I will simply refer to as Ethan, doesn't introduce himself in earnest, and the choice around this is also not well reinforced. In fact, it ends up feeling like a revisit of mistakes other characters have admitted to-- namely Chris choosing not to explain the situation of the core game to Ethan, which later on felt like a choice to serve gameplay rather than reinforce the narrative. The feeling sadly remains the same upon revisiting. 
The core arc of the plot-- that Ethan, even beyond physical death, loves and protects Rose no matter the cost to himself-- is the central element, but it was also the central element of the core game. It's another instance in which the DLC repeats RE Village rather than builds upon its narrative.
The Duke, who I assumed to be killed by the blast that destroyed the Megamycete, is reshaped and twisted into a villain who pursues the Rose ‘husks’ with horrifying cruelty. This change is explained to the audience in a short and random note which does not explain his fate post-Megamycete, and is simply a machination by Miranda. Real horror exists here but is never given its due: the pragmatic but kind man doesn’t recognize himself or his role, re-formed into a hateful executioner of innocent children, now entirely under Miranda’s unrelenting thumb. It's presented as a simple anecdote. In my opinion, it should have been the central arc for the level.
None of the lords are seen despite the lore stating that those who are physically destroyed, like Miranda, are simply absorbed into the mutamycete’s grasp. The Duke supplants fan-favorite Lady Dimitrescu in a very disappointing choice. Angie’s voice actress can be heard at the outset of the Beneviento Manor level, but she is replaced by a poorly-animated Eveline. Shortly after, we pursue Miranda directly. Nothing about her, nor her arc, has changed: once again she wants to transmute Rosemary into Eva, only this time with a questionable approach. It makes the ending of the DLC a hollow repetition of the original game, a cheap choice to create the circumstance for Rose and Ethan to meet again in tears. This is not to say reuniting them is inherently cheap; rather that the circumstances surrounding it feel like they’ve only taken place for these scenes to occur.
And there are myriad other issues: the horror of the Rose-husks is somehow quickly forgotten, even as their bodies litter the world; Eveline is finally humanized and then immediately vilified; Mia is explained as having abandoned Rose years prior with no explanation, having never told heroic stories of Ethan to her daughter even once; and as a personal gripe, Salvatore Moreau and Karl Heisenberg's levels never appear, even for a brief moment. And the ending-- which is a complete replay of the post-credits scene from the core game-- feels a total abandonment of the narrative. Every single character moves like a toy doll being pranced around a dollhouse while the best dolls languish in a nearby play chest. 
I can’t recommend this DLC. It was entertaining for a while, but failed on the most important fronts, and in ways that disappointed me as a fan. I hope others enjoy it more. 
I’d love to hear other’s takes.
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harrowharkwife · 1 year
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"it should hopefully buy us a bit more time." 👀? this is not the first time (ha!) that the idea of 'buying time' has come up this season. just food for thought.
may bringing her boyfriend darius by as a surprise, her parents not knowing who to expect, thinking she was bringing a friend or a roommate but instead she brought her partner.
"no, this is all wrong. you've got Schipp International sitting next to ZenithPro. / the donors are seated exactly as you asked, sir. i wrote down all your instructions verbatim. / welp, you must have heard wrong. we all make mistakes, just put RevitaThon next to Post-Everest and we should be fine." schipp/ship, right by zenith? the seating charts being wrong and needing tweaking. revitathon- like, revived, revitalized, rescued, brought back, made new again next to POST-EVEREST. as in, just beyond the mountain peak. or, in storytelling terms, the climax. the ship (buddie) can't be at its zenith (peak, glory days, its brightest) just yet. just move the buddie comeback/revival to right after the big plot climax and we should be fine. Y'ALL. THIS IS IT. especially after that very loaded dialogue from karen in tomorrow, about the programmers "finding the exact right series of maneuvers to make the robots do exactly what we want them to do" and "we need to make sure every single piece of this mission is in perfect shape to give it the best chance of success."
"what are you waiting for? just fix it." us, lol!
"i fantasied about it so many times, you have no idea. but this time i think my subconscious actually made it happen." manifestingggggg
"i'm just saying, i thought we were past the whole keeping secrets phase."
"sometimes talking about your dreams makes it seem all too real. sometimes the fantasy is better than the reality." this paired with earlier lines from animal instincts, "probably knew it'd make for a good cover. smart kid" and "sometimes half the thrill is thinking you're getting away with it." y'all.
"no idea. he's not spilling, i don't feel like pushing."
"i can't believe we're doing this. i know. we're finally about to live our fantasy. this is gonna be so much better than a plane. everybody does a plane. this is legend." you Cannot tell me these lines aren't the writers getting hyped about being able to say they made buddie happen, how groundbreaking it would be. this happening, overhead but hidden and out of sight, while the firefam talks about first kisses? and secret crushes? and said first kisses making you realize you've been looking for love in all the wrong places, and ignoring the perfectly good option that was right under your nose, because you'd just never considered it before? yeah, no, this was loud. especially combined with a line from earlier this season that was something like "we've been working on this mission for five years now. if we don't do something big, we'll get left behind."
"that sounds traumatizing. / illuminating, actually. i realized i was kissing the wrong suarez. his sister martina was more my speed." just like how eddie was originally written for the girl buckley sibling, but the writers + jen realized her brother buck was more his speed?
"i don't know why i tell you guys anything."
"keep young people too distracted to see what's really there." i'm incredibly iffy/hesitant on including this one, considering who said it 😬😬😬😬😬 i highly doubt it's foreshadowing, and that scene/plot was about may & darius & athena, and important social commentary on incels, above all else. i only mention this line bc when i was going through the script it reminded me that there's been a general theme so far this season in terms of weird one-off dialogue lines referring to buying time, element of surprise, paying attention, distractions, secrets, etc. i don't think it's all a coincidence, not with this show. not when the season pilot was literally titled "let the games begin." nope.
"listen, may, fantasy or not, there's no room for error in these situations."
"great. so we lost the element of surprise, too." you guys i cannot begin to explain how much this made me go 👀🚨🛑🧨⁉️ ESPECIALLY after an earlier dialogue line this season where maddie said "you just learned how the element of surprise can shift a listeners focus and make them pay attention"
"he knows that his options are running out real soon."
"-roll cold. no lights, no sirens." secrecy, and element of surprise, AGAIN
"i understand. not everyone's built for my pace." not everyone's willing to stay tuned for this slow of a burn, and i think they get that, but they're not willing to compromise on their storytelling and rush things just to satisfy the audience. this is a good thing!
"so how long are we gonna be able to convince ourselves that this is a sustainable way to live? / as long as we need to. when the right dream house presents itself, we'll know. but in the meantime, this is a pretty great fantasy, too." LMFAO this one is pretty self explanatory. when the time comes, we'll know, but in the meantime this is still a good story. this is especially juicy paired with all the back and forth re: buck, and happiness, and when you're "truly at ease," you'll know.
"so how long do you plan on standing guard out here? just until they get inside."
"all those milestones start to seem like a stupid fantasy. / looks like that fantasy's turning into a reality. how's that feel? / pretty damn good." you guys. it's happening.
"bobby: with everything may and darius have been through, i don't mind waiting for dinner, but how much longer? (does this not sound like us, talking about buddie and the shooting and the will?) athena: i think they're almost done." (‼️‼️‼️)
"there is nothing quite like being young and in love. or just in love." we ended the episode on "in-love". and not young love, either- stable, mature, deep, true, adult love. hm.
all this, in one episode. y'all this ep was fucking loud.
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teaveetamer · 1 year
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Okay, so let's address this since it's so obviously meant for us. And for the record, I'm not blocked by OP. I went to check their blog to see if they had anything else interesting to say about the conversation started yesterday. I'm taking a screencap because the post this is attached to has little to do with the issue at hand, and frankly my beef isn't with OP.
Personally, I wouldn't have screencapped the post. I believe that if someone blocks you then you should respect that and not interact with their posts. That's why I personally, when talking about the situation, did not reblog or spread the post with the screencaps further. Since I know Gascon will probably read this I'll make my feelings clear: I think it was a bad call to screencap someone who blocked you.
However, I'm not surprised that you, my not so anonymous dude, decided to present this entirely devoid of any context to make it seem to your friends and followers like there's somehow a moral equivalence between what you do and what was done in this situation. I know you struggle with nuance and context, so I'll spell it out very clearly.
Gascon was directly invited to contribute to a conversation. The user who invited him had no idea that Gascon was blocked by the OP of that post, because Gascon didn't even know he was blocked by the OP of that post. The invitation was a good faith attempt to engage and provide the OP with analysis from a user they believe has expertise in the subject at hand. Gascon screencapped the original conversation that he was invited into and probably would have never seen otherwise, in full with complete context, and gave his response (as well as notifying people that the user in question had him blocked).
Now, I'm not Gascon, but I can say with almost 100% certainty that he does not care to interact with this person beyond this encounter, and he was never going to be invested enough to actually seek this person out beyond what he'd been tagged to respond to. And I know this because Gascon has repeatedly said over the course of the last year that he's bored of 3H and has no interest in discussing it further unless specifically prompted by a third party.
You, on the other hand, have been relentlessly stalking and screencapping and harassing people for months now. You have no qualms about sending hate anyone's way, in fact you even pass blog names on to your buddies on Discord and Reddit and then brag when harassment happens. You find people on other social media sites to continue harassing them even after they've blocked you on one platform. Your blog has literally hundreds of screencaps from Nilsh and FantasyInvader and probably others that you use to whip your followers up into a frenzy. You are literally so obsessed with some users that you stalk their blog and then leave rude comments on the fics they recommend. You learn that you are blocked and you take it as a personal insult, and you do not stop harassing them until they have gotten so sick of you that they leave the platform entirely. And even then you don't stop. You still can't take Nilsh's name out of your mouth even though he's been gone for like six months. If you were a fictional character, I'd be Enemies to Lovers shipping you two by now with how obsessed with him you are. I mean really, full nine yards, 500k slowburn.
An analogy: you're basically saying a guy getting rejected by the same girl twice is the same level of harassment as a guy getting rejected by the same girl two hundred times. Like yeah, Guy #1 probably should have been better about hearing her "no" the first time and it was definitely an error in judgement to ask again. If she's upset by the interaction, I'd call him out. But good fucking lord it is not even remotely as severe as refusing to take no for an answer two hundred times. The only reason you would ever present them as equivalent is, frankly, if you are Mr. Two-Hundred and you're trying to make yourself look less creepy. You are Mr. Two-Hundred, my dude.
Also nice of you to continue insinuating that the women who call you out for your blatant harassment are all histrionic just because we don't like... *checks notes*... being stalked and harassed by some random 35 year old man on the internet over our opinions about a video game character. For your information, I'm neither screaming, crying, nor throwing up. I'm just holding you responsible for your behavior. Sorry if that upsets you, but there's a pretty simple solution to getting me to go away that you haven't tried yet. It's called leaving us the fuck alone like we've been asking you to for months. I would blissfully never talk about you ever again if you just stopped harassing people.
Not tagging you in this post because again, I don't encourage harassment. I doubt I need to tag you anyway, considering you've been stalking my blog ever since I called you out for that other little harassment situation you incited, so you'll definitely see it.
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cirilla-fiona-riannon · 3 months
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Francis Drake Main Story
This is simply a fan translation and is not intended as a replacement for the game. Expect grammatical errors.
Minor spoilers ahead.
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I returned to the mansion alone and quietly closed the door.
(It was here that I first met Drake.)
(To think that this would also be where we part ways.)
As I touched the door that stood between him and me一
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Napoleon: “Mitsuki!”
Mitsuki: “Napoleon, everyone.”
Everyone in the mansion rushed to join me.
Comte: “We got worried after reading your letter. Are you okay?”
Mitsuki: “Yes. I’m really sorry for worrying you.”
Vlad: “Mitsuki, did you go through the door?”
Napoleon: “Did you go after Drake?”
Mitsuki: “Yes. I went to settle things.”
Let’s rewind time a bit.
------------Flashback-----------
Drake was leading me through the dark hallway while holding my hand. After confessing our feelings on that cliff, we returned to the hallway that transcends time and space.
Mitsuki: “The mansion’s doors were experiencing some spatial anomalies, yet this place seems fine.”
Drake: “Probably because I’m here now.”
Tilting his head, he tugged at the harness belt wrapped around his shoulder and waist with his thumb.
Drake: “This thing acts as a stabilizer to keep us from getting lost in here. It’s keeping this place stable.”
Drake: “My genius partner created this.”
Mitsuki: “There’s such a thing?”
Drake: "Yeah. Well, his genius led him to bear a responsibility that went beyond simply designing a door."
(Is the person accompanying him the designer of the door?)
I heard Comte and Vlad build the door using a blueprint Vlad happened to come across.
Could it be that Galileo drew the original blueprint?
Drake: "So, what will you do, fawn?"
Mitsuki: "Huh?"
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Drake: "Right now, you can go wherever you want, whether it's the 19th century or the 21st century where you originally lived."
(----!)
Faced with an unexpected choice, I could only stand there, bewildered.
(The place I want to go...)
The place that came to mind was neither the 19th nor the 21st century.
Mitsuki: "I want to go to a certain place and confirm something."
Mitsuki: "It might be harsh for you, but..."
(I want to check it for his sake.)
The place I wanted to go was...
Drake: "This place..."
The location we visited was the garden of the old mansion一the place where Drake and his mother were captured.
Peering into that cruel hall from the garden, it seemed like the young Drake had already escaped, as there was no one there except for a woman crucified, her chest drenched in blood.
Drake: "You understand, right? We can't interfere with the past."
Mitsuki: "Yeah, I know."
He averted his gaze, seemingly avoiding facing whatever was in front of him.
This place probably still hurts him.
(I'm forcing him to confront painful and difficult memories.)
Even knowing that I was doing something terrible, I still held onto his hand and mustered my courage to step through the window into the room.
And then, amidst the choking smell of blood, we walked quietly toward his mother, her chest stained red.
(I really don't want to intrude at this moment.)
But if my guess was correct...
(I want him to know his mother's true feelings.)
She probably could no longer notice us as she was looking down, her tear-stained lips faintly moving.
Drake's mom: "That's right, run away, Francis."
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Drake: "----!"
Drake's mom: "Sorry. I'm so sorry. Since giving birth to you, I've only brought you pain."
Drake's mom: "You can hate me, but please, survive."
Drake: "Mom..."
Drake's mom: "I love you, Francis."
With words of repentance and love, she breathed her last, uttering her son's name.
(Just as I thought.)
After shouting that she shouldn't have given birth to Drake, her lips seemed to move again, saying, "I'm sorry."
Mitsuki: "Maybe your mother tried to let you escape and intentionally pushed you away because she loves you."
This was the truth hidden behind the betrayal.
Drake: "Ha...hahaha..."
Drake: "Is this even possible?"
Drake dropped to his knees, covering his face with his hands.
(Believing in something is very difficult, especially when you're consumed by sorrow and anger.)
However, feeling his pain and learning about the hope he had held deep within his heart, I felt that I could confirm it once more.
(The difficulty of believing and the strength to overcome it.)
(My encounter with him taught me that.)
I leaned my cheek against his trembling back and gently hugged him, wanting to ease the despair he had been carrying since childhood.
Drake: "Hey, Mitsuki."
Drake: "Is it okay for me to believe those words?"
Mitsuki: "Of course."
Drake's hoarse voice was both heartbreaking and precious.
Drake: "Mitsuki."
Mitsuki: "Yeah?"
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Drake: "Thank you. I'm glad I could hear those words."
Drake: "You've managed to overturn things again."
Drake: "Not that I mind, though."
(Drake...)
Gently narrowing his eyes, he held my hand and smiled.
It was a calm smile, different from his usual easygoing and fearless one.
This sight was probably the real him.
(His smile has always made my heart flutter, but right now I'm even more happy.)
Drake: "Hey, Mitsuki."
Suddenly, his voice and expression turned serious.
Drake: "Loving you made me realize there's something in this world worth believing in."
Drake: "But, you know, my hatred and despair towards humans and vampires haven't completely disappeared from within me."
Mitsuki: "Yeah."
(Human emotions are not that simple.)
Even if a ray of light shines through, I don't think it can melt his frozen heart instantly.
Mitsuki: "But it's precisely because I've witnessed your despair that I want to be by your side."
Mitsuki: "I want to live together with you."
(Since he's someone who can even throw himself away, I want to be there to lighten his despair a little.)
Drake laughed as I stared at him with such hope.
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Drake: "Haha! You really are a kind soul, aren't you?"
Drake: "I'm glad to hear you say that, but I'm sure you'll struggle with our incompatibility."
Mitsuki: "That's not..."
Drake: "You can't say that with absolute certainty."
Drake: "You've probably cried and suffered, knowing my betrayal and desires."
He traced my cheek with his finger, as if there were still traces of tears.
(Could it be...?)
My chest tightened in unease as I anticipated what he was trying to say.
He smiled, covering the sadness in his eyes, and continued.
Drake: "Making the woman I love cry is enough for one night."
Drake: "Besides, it wouldn't be fair if I go back and there's someone I can't just leave behind."
Drake: "It might not be enough to make up for what I've done with the guys, but I'll make sure their precious little treasure gets home safely. Then I will disappear from your life."
(........)
His gentle smile and determination made my chest ache.
(I could finally touch his heart, and yet...)
I decided not to betray this love, but...
Mitsuki: "Is that what you really want?"
Drake: "Haha! That's a sneaky question."
After letting out a smile, he held me tightly.
Drake: "I thought about kidnapping you to the end of the sea where no one could chase after us, but..."
Mitsuki: "Drake..."
Drake: "But you have your own future that you believe in."
Drake: "A future full of hope and positivity, a future I never wanted."
Drake: "That's why I can't stay by your side."
His strong embrace seemed to express that he didn't want to let go, but at the same time, it clearly conveyed that this would be our last encounter.
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Drake: "Hey, Fawn, would you like to make one final bet?"
Mitsuki: "What kind of bet?"
He let go of me slightly and lifted my hand.
Drake: "The fate of this world diverges into countless futures."
Drake: "Will everything meet its demise as I wish, or is there at least one future filled with hope, as you believe?"
Drake: "It's a bet on an endless future."
(But that's...)
It's an uncertain and endless gamble that spans across time and countless futures.
(Oh, I see.)
(So, this is his way of saying goodbye.)
Drake: "If I win, I'll come to take you."
Drake: "When the world falls apart, you'll be by my side. I promise."
He confidently laughed and made an impossible promise.
I mustered my courage and also made a bold statement.
Mitsuki: "So if I win, you're mine?"
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Drake: "........."
Mitsuki: "Your heart, your trust, and you. I want it all."
Mitsuki: "You'll give up your wish for destruction, live with me, and be mine alone."
(Will I take him or will I be taken by him?)
A bet where we seek each other, a bet that will never lead to a conclusion, and a promise only to engrave each other in parting.
Drake: "Haha! You're even more greedy than me, little fawn."
Drake: "Yes, your majesty, as you wish."
Drake: "When you win, you can have me."
With a tender gesture, he kissed the back of my hand.
In the hallway that spans between the past and the future, we silently gazed at each other and gently exchanged our final kiss.
---------Flashback Ends--------
Mitsuki: "After that, I parted ways with Drake on the other side of the door."
I recounted all the events that had taken place to Comte, Leonardo, and Vlad.
I told Drake's life as a Dhampir, his despair towards humans, vampires, and the world, his desire for destruction, and the existence of his companion named Galileo.
Mitsuki: "I'm sorry for being selfish."
Comte, with his fingers interlocked and listening intently, slowly nodded as though digesting my words.
Comte: "Thank you for telling us. So, you came back to the 19th century to convey all that."
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Leonardo: "For Drake, the historical figures who interfere with history are not only targets of his hatred towards vampires but also crucial sources of the destruction he desires."
Comte: "So it seems that the one distorting fate is an everlasting flower, after all."
Mitsuki: "Comte, I don't think that's true. We can't predict how anyone will influence history."
Comte: "You're right. Thank you, Mitsuki."
Vlad: "I'm also wondering what the architect of the door, Galileo, was thinking when he leaped through time."
Vlad, pausing slightly, continued with a somewhat melancholic tone.
Vlad: "I used to think that dhampirs were born from the coexistence of vampires and humans striving for harmony. But even there, persecution arises. Why does the sorrow continue?"
Leonardo: "The divide between races is an eternal dilemma for not just vampires but all beings in this world."
------------Flashback-----------
Drake: "The divisions among races are the root of fear and hatred. With that alone, anyone can become as cruel as they want."
Drake: "Whether human or vampire, their essence is the same. Hatred spreads through living beings as part of their nature."
---------Flashback Ends--------
I recalled the words Drake once uttered almost dismissively.
(There are humans who fear and hunt vampires, and there are purebloods who scorn humans.)
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(And in between, there are dhampirs who lose their place.)
Through the incident with the hunters and Drake's past, I have witnessed the sad circumstances in which they persecuted each other.
(It's true that differences in race can give rise to fear and hatred, but...)
Mitsuki: "It's up to us to change the future. We can change it as much as we want."
Mitsuki: "I don't believe I have the power to change fate like Drake was talking about."
Mitsuki: "Even so, if the sad fate that originally existed somewhere has changed, I think it's because we, living in the same world, aimed for a better future together."
(Like the pureblood who loves humans, like Drake and I falling in love, we can coexist beyond our races and change towards a hopeful future.)
(We just need to believe.)
Believing made me feel connected to him, even though he was no longer here.
Leonardo: "That seems like something you would say."
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Vlad: "True. Even if people call it idealistic, I want to believe that."
Smiling at each other, Comte looked at me with a slightly lonely expression.
Comte: "Should we leave Drake's room as it is?"
Comte: "A pirate needs a place to come home to, yeah?"
Comte's suggestion was probably out of concern for Drake and me.
(If Drake's place remains, even if just a little, I would feel a little comforted.)
Mitsuki: "Thank you, Comte."
(But...)
Despite expressing gratitude, my heart was tightly gripped with pain.
(Drake won't come back anymore.)
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Previous Part ╎ Romantic End ╎ Dramatic End
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eversea143 · 3 months
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December
It's the 31st of December, 23:58pm. You're at your place with friends and family, happily celbrating the end of the year and the arrival of next year. The air is abuzz with festive music and people chattering away merrily.
You're talking animatly with your sort-of crush from college, having a good time. Because of size constraint and the sheer turn up of part goers, you had to move into the kitchen in order to still be audible over the general din of the full apartment.
You have a glass in hand, the flute kind, topped up with the best champagne you could afford. You'd felt a little aghast at the price when you went to buy it, but for the holidays you're never averse to splurge a little. You'll make do with some warm up meals for a little while. Perhaps a nice thing to aim at for next year: saving up money.
Anyways, you're perhaps a little buzzed. Not full-on drunk, as the (only) responsible person at the party you're not about to start downing beers like some of the other guys. A couple actually already tapped out, snoring away on your couch with empty cans scattered about the floor. You at least hope they'll remember to clean up after themselves tomorrow.
A loud cheer rises up and your head snaps up before focusing on the digital clock of the kitchen oven. You look towards your friend and she seems to agree with your on-the-spot plan.
You both start counting down with everyone else.
It was a rough year, all the ups and downs making it not particularily difficult or easy. You remember the good memories fondly whilst hoping for better times conserning the bad ones.
On your little flat screen TV (a gift from your father after he saw the big box that came with the place) there's a livestream of some kind of public event, the calls of hundreds of thousands of people joining yours as you reach the end.
You aim to raise your glass right as you hit 1.
Then you pass out.
...
You awaken on the kitchen floor, eyes groggy and mind clouded. You aren't sure why you're on the floor, your memories of what had happened haven't yet cleared up. With some difficulty you get up, noticing shattered glass next to you and the pool of, presumably your drink, around it.
Your friend is almost right next to you, blessedly without a broken glass so close to her face. She's still out, like many others you notice when you begin to look around. You're the first to wake up from whatever affliction caused everyone to pass out.
You aren't terribly worried or concerned, strange as it is there doesn't seem to be anything else wrong. No one's dead, as far as you can tell, which is even better.
You check the time, not about to let this strange event faze you. Classes don't start until after winter break, but you have a part-time job that is rather stern about working hours.
It's only 8:05am, there's plenty of time to wake everyone up and send them on home.
Just as you look away, your head snaps back when you realize what else the digital clock is displaying.
32/12.
That can't be right, you think, frowning at the date. Dismissing it as an error, weird as it seems, you start rousing people in the living room.
But something in you has doubt, that oven clock never had the time wrong before after all. Against your better judgement you check the calender you bought for the new year and had hung up yesterday afternoon.
You blink and stare in utter befuddlement at the first page of the calender.
December.
Starting from 32 and going on until 62. It doesn't even say what proper day of the week any of them are, although you remember it being a Sunday yesterday, which makes today a Monday.
You reach out and start going through the pages, at first hoping and then silently begging for it to be a prank. Every one is similar, the month of December and numbers going up and up into the hundreds and beyond.
You pause when a part of you realizes how many pages you're holding up. You must have gone through over a dozen by now.
When you try to get a look at how many pages this cursed calander has, you find to your shock that they're a blur. You can't see how many, your vision there literally blurs into nothingness!
With a desperation for answers you turn to the TV, hoping there's some kind of news report on right now or something. This can't actually be happening, there's no way-
When you turn on the TV, which for some reason had turned off somewhere during the night, you find only one channel available to watch. And it shows only one message.
'December is here to stay. This year will never end. The worst is yet to come.'
You swallow nervously, then proceed to freak out.
The rest of the worlds is soon to follow.
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Note
In a previous post you mentioned the "official" translation for the Daughter of Evil novel is garbage. Could you give me some examples of what the translators got wrong?
There is no official English translation of the Daughter of Evil novel, in scarequotes or otherwise. The translation I was referring to was a fan translation made in 2014 by a handful of individuals, only some of whom knew Japanese (and even then, not at a level that I would consider necessary for translating a full novel). At least one person who contributed to the translation admitted to copying and pasting a Chinese translation into Google Translate for the sections they worked on.
To give an overview, the translation has very poor quality control. There are large chunks of the novel that are roughly accurate (though they often read very awkwardly or nonsensically, especially as they kept a lot of the Japanese syntax), but there are also many instances where it deformed the meaning of a line beyond recognition, or outright wrote the exact opposite thing the line was saying. There is more than one scene where they just straight up left a line untranslated in Japanese. Don't get me wrong--the work was passable as an information resource so people could know what was in the novel, but it was never treated like just an information resource. It was treated and advertised to people as a standard translation of the novel, conveying the tone and intent of the text--and in that regard, it failed. Maybe I'm a snob when it comes to creative writing, but I can't even stand reading it for long. Mothy's writing was merely amateurish--this translation was atrocious.
My examples are under the read-more. The entire translation is riddled with errors, so I hope you'll forgive me if the list is a bit long. It is by no means comprehensive.
Line on the left in bold quoting from the old translation. Line on the right is quoting mine (not that mine is perfect but I guarantee you I at least could read Japanese when making it). In the interest of fairness, I'll admit that without a copy of the original Cloture, I can't be 100% certain what differences are a result of revisions on mothy's end or not. But I'm fairly confident that these ones I've selected are mistranslations.
"I’m beginning to worry about narrow-minded Asan, who seems to be looking at his past right now." -- "Beginning to worry for the timid man, I glanced his way."
"I heard strange rumors circulating among the chefs that the ingredients they got from the recent barn were unnatural." -- "I heard the cooks passing around a strange rumor. That apparently the food from our stores has been unusually light lately."
"What I’m proud of is the fact that one of the “Three Heroes”, Leonhart Avadonia, and some aristocrats who only know how to line their own pockets, are the outstanding personalities of the citizens in the first place." -- "I was very proud of my father. Leonhart Avadonia of “The Three Heroes” was different from the other, selfish nobles. He was a magnificent person, who thought of the people first and foremost."
"I really don’t understand what part of struggling with these kinds of liquids is good." -- "It is simply incomprehensible what you would find good about such a bitter juice."
"Oh, this isn’t how Riliane practices it."-- "Heh heh, that was just like something Riliane would say, wasn’t it?"
"She also said that it’s her first time to meet Germaine." -- "Germaine said that to me too, the first time we met"
"There is no plan, ah!" -- "That’s far too reckless!"
"Take advantage of the ones not yet killed before I escape" -- "I’m going to quickly escape while you’re unable to kill me"
"Since the day father was killed, I finally got the chance to taste wonderful tasting wine." -- "Since the day that Dad was killed, I hadn’t been able to enjoy the taste of wine."
"The child, can I really?" -- "Is she really on board with this?"
"Though the revolution was soon suppressed as Minis expected." -- "I had thought that the revolt would be immediately suppressed, but it seems that things didn’t go according to Minis’ expectations."
"Overconcentrated, make a ring around Chivality’s camp." -- "By gathering together into one single line, we would be able to make an opening in the knights’ group."
"And also, everything seems to have settled down, so you have to worry" -- "Don’t be so cautious. I have no intention of taking over Lucifenia."
(as a side note, this same group also did a translation of Wiegenlied, as well as (AFAIK) several of the evillious-sidestories translations).
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