- May 14, 2023
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There's so much we don't know that for sure, all this speculation is just that, but a few things you mentioned:Good analisys, I like itAt least you bringed up and summarized almost all of important and interesting moments.
But I can't agree with a child or a mirror for a child, with thoughts and conclusions related to this. Because there are a little step ladder, it's not safe for kids (kid should have been really young and small). As you mentioned - it's probably for shaving purposes (intimate parts of body) and legs - that's why step ladder is there. And theory that it WAS a mirror for a child and now she use it for shaving doesn't add up too, because it doesn't match her personality and potenial trauma (if we expect that she locked that room which was intended to her child and doesn't "touch" it, saving it as a memory... then you can understand what I mean talking about using child's mirror for current purposes).
I am also skeptical about the version that there was something intimate between her and Jill, and especially since this was the reason for Bella and James' separation. It doesn't fit with the MC's narrative monologue from EP3, it's just not the reason that would make him say something like that (not to kiss, but to call for help). The reason(s) is obviously much more serious and/or complicated.
And now let's analyze everything by time. Flashback opening EP5, where we see Rusty and Jill in the ANO mansion (they are fresh students there).
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Jill and Bella hardly met BEFORE college. We know that Jill (as well as Rusty) is in the 3rd year. I.e. she is studying for the 3rd year (but not the full 3 years, because their 3rd year of study are just beginning in the game). While Bella mentions that she "hasn't touched herself" for 3 years. I.e. at least about a year she had a completely lonely time "before" Jill.
Another reason - James left Bella 3 years ago (at least, because we don't know exactly when this happened, we learned only that she haven't touched herself for 3 years). Here is an age barrier comes into play. Jill is 20-21 at the moment, and she met Bella being 18yo. As we learned it couldn't happened 3 years ago, because Jill just started her 3rd year at the moment. DPC won't show us and mention anything that has happened before some characters reaches age of 18. That's why we probably will never learn and know something intimate about Josy's past, for example. She told Maya about her feelings and seduced her at 18, while her approach to Maya as well as to MC seemed like he had at least some sexual expirience before her 18, and she definetely not a virgin from a 16-17 years.
Where Jill and Bella met? Obviously in the library. Bella got new job in B&R library at the particular moment, probably after being fired from her previous job (perhaps it was library we have seen in EP8 intro flashback). Another plausible version of their met - psychological rehabilitation courses or something like that. We know that Jill have her own trauma after her sister dead. She meant a lot to her, she loved her much, etc. Bella, obviously, also have some kind of mental problems and/or trauma. Probably because of James or something else. Something united them well, otherwise I hardly imagine such friendship, which became so strong and meaningful to the both of them.
Not that it was impossible, but usually people are friends with peers or the difference in years is not so great, up to about 5-7 years. At least when it comes to a teenager. There is nothing reprehensible and strange in the friendship of an 18-year-old and a 23-25-year-old person. But 18 and 34+ is already quite a strange thing. Let's say the friendship of 30 and 40-year-olds or even 30 and 50 years is already much clearer and more realistic, because these are already, as a rule, established personalities and the difference even in 15-20 years no longer plays such a role, but in 16-18-20 years and up to about 25 people live a different life, they have different values, etc., so such relationships look very strange.
And it's pity that you haven't paid more attention to Bella's flashback at EP8 intro. I really find it quite strange and suspective. If you just watch it and click through it, then it looks simple and doesn't bring a lot of questions. But I really like the theory that James was not there for real. It's just a theory, but it fits quite well with Bella's potential state and mental health.
The last question(s) - why TF she is SO obsessed with libraries, books, etc? All her scenes with MC (and some w/o him), including ones with inner throats are somehow related to libraries/books. EP3 scene, if MC decides to visit her - she starts crying on the floor of the B&R library and MC starts his monologue from the future about being better calling help for her instead of kissing. EP6 - she wants to help MC with his room (ex-library) cleaning, even knowing the fact, that his room is in frat mansion and she even stays for night after... knowing the nature of DIKs frat, etc. She likes that MC is good with books, sorting, putting in order etc. Her flashback with James, her reaction to MC idea of visiting same library she was fired of, etc, etc.
I like the idea that her boss was watching and listening to what was happening not because she was having an innocent conversation with her husband in the workplace, but because... there was no husband there.
In that flashback, only James touches Bella, while she does not even try to touch him, after leaving the library, she does not take his hand. And during their "dialogue" near the libraty - the dude on the bench looks at her with suspicion or misunderstanding. All this may indicate that she is talking to herself and there is really no James around.
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And in the end, we know that Bella has a stable financial condition and apparently a good income. It's not that employees in libraries are poorly paid, but still this is not a profession in which they earn a lot. Why was she so obsessed with that job, why did she need it so much? She bluntly tells James that "she needs this job."
And another mystery is what happened to her parents. She only mentions that they died some years ago. And here is another interesting question - was it before marriage or after? It also could be a key to something.
We are used to the fact that almost all the main characters and MGs have some kind of problems with their parents or family. Bella is "favorably" different from the others in this sense, but is everything so smooth there?
"Jill and Bella hardly met BEFORE college. We know that Jill (as well as Rusty) is in the 3rd year. I.e. she is studying for the 3rd year (but not the full 3 years, because their 3rd year of study are just beginning in the game). While Bella mentions that she "hasn't touched herself" for 3 years. I.e. at least about a year she had a completely lonely time "before" Jill."
How do you know they never knew each other before college? There's some speculation that Lana is Bella's friend, so she may have known Jill since she was little and almost became her proxy sister after Lana's death.
"Another reason - James left Bella 3 years ago (at least, because we don't know exactly when this happened, we learned only that she haven't touched herself for 3 years). Here is an age barrier comes into play. Jill is 20-21 at the moment, and she met Bella being 18yo. As we learned it couldn't happened 3 years ago, because Jill just started her 3rd year at the moment. DPC won't show us and mention anything that has happened before some characters reaches age of 18. That's why we probably will never learn and know something intimate about Josy's past, for example. She told Maya about her feelings and seduced her at 18, while her approach to Maya as well as to MC seemed like he had at least some sexual expirience before her 18, and she definetely not a virgin from a 16-17 years."
If Jill was 18, this still works, and once again, where does the the presupposition that Bella hasn't known Jill for long enough come from?
"Not that it was impossible, but usually people are friends with peers or the difference in years is not so great, up to about 5-7 years. At least when it comes to a teenager. There is nothing reprehensible and strange in the friendship of an 18-year-old and a 23-25-year-old person. But 18 and 34+ is already quite a strange thing. Let's say the friendship of 30 and 40-year-olds or even 30 and 50 years is already much clearer and more realistic, because these are already, as a rule, established personalities and the difference even in 15-20 years no longer plays such a role, but in 16-18-20 years and up to about 25 people live a different life, they have different values, etc., so such relationships look very strange."
But Bella and Jill do have a close relationship in spite of the age gap. Bella's, "Jill is... special... to me" tells us it is a very close relationship (nothing sexual implied in that, but still). Plus, the mc is even younger than Jill and he's all for that 18 year age gap!
"And it's pity that you haven't paid more attention to Bella's flashback at EP8 intro. I really find it quite strange and suspective. If you just watch it and click through it, then it looks simple and doesn't bring a lot of questions. But I really like the theory that James was not there for real. It's just a theory, but it fits quite well with Bella's potential state and mental health."
We've all discussed the "James wasn't there" theory, but there's nothing else other than their lack of serious contact and the librarian's lack of acknowledgement of James to perpetuate that theory. I can't even think of any other corroborating evidence that works with that story. It seems like she really was married, so James likely existed at some point. A counter to this point is that flash back seemed like a very long time ago. Not just 3 years ago. Bella looked 5 to 10 years younger. It's really hard to gauge with these models though, but she looked closer to her college days than to her current days.
"The last question(s) - why TF she is SO obsessed with libraries, books, etc? All her scenes with MC (and some w/o him), including ones with inner throats are somehow related to libraries/books. EP3 scene, if MC decides to visit her - she starts crying on the floor of the B&R library and MC starts his monologue from the future about being better calling help for her instead of kissing. EP6 - she wants to help MC with his room (ex-library) cleaning, even knowing the fact, that his room is in frat mansion and she even stays for night after... knowing the nature of DIKs frat, etc. She likes that MC is good with books, sorting, putting in order etc. Her flashback with James, her reaction to MC idea of visiting same library she was fired of, etc, etc."
Umm.. she likes books?
I don't really get your point here. She's into books so she works at a library. The mc's room being the old library is kinda just a coincidence, but all other library related points are because... she's a librarian."I like the idea that her boss was watching and listening to what was happening not because she was having an innocent conversation with her husband in the workplace, but because... there was no husband there.
In that flashback, only James touches Bella, while she does not even try to touch him, after leaving the library, she does not take his hand. And during their "dialogue" near the libraty - the dude on the bench looks at her with suspicion or misunderstanding. All this may indicate that she is talking to herself and there is really no James around."
Although I like that idea too, I think the evidence is flimsy at best. It's more likely their relationship wasn't shown to be too loving just the same as no other LI (or even side chick) has been shown in any way whatsoever to be into anyone other than the mc. There are sensitive readers that need to be considered.
"And in the end, we know that Bella has a stable financial condition and apparently a good income. It's not that employees in libraries are poorly paid, but still this is not a profession in which they earn a lot. Why was she so obsessed with that job, why did she need it so much? She bluntly tells James that 'she needs this job.'"
That's a good point, but I think it was just about not wanting to lose her job. None of us want to be sacked, we've all got bills to pay (except for the basement dwellers, but none of them come to F95 I'm sure...). And although I haven't thought about it before, there's a good chance her parents died after that scene (because I don't see that scene just being 3 years ago as I mentioned above), and so she inherited her parents house.
"We are used to the fact that almost all the main characters and MGs have some kind of problems with their parents or family. Bella is 'favorably' different from the others in this sense, but is everything so smooth there?"
I dunno about that. How can "dead" be favourably better than Jill's parents for example.
All in all, I don't much agree with anything you wrote!
But at the same time, all my shit is just a guess anyway. I don't really believe Jill went too far off track. She has one main aspect where she's out of her comfort zone, and that's dating and sex.
She doesn't have any issues having male friends (she treats Tybalt as one), but when things turn to romance, she turns to butter. That's been consistent from the very beginning.
The Tybalt blackmail isn't a fantastic plot element; we have to accept that she actually believed Tybalt when he said Trent wanted to press charges and Tybalt was trying to dissuade Trent.
But Jill has known for ages that Tybalt is interested in her (in episode 3 she tells Bella she knows Tybalt is trying to win her over).
So when Tybalt asks for the three dates, she kinda relents, like he's doing her a favour by stopping Trent from pressing charges, and he's asking that Jill go on a few dates with him. Sure, we hate Tybalt, we've seen him at his worst. Jill hasn't, so she gives him the benefit of the doubt. She only later realises the error of her ways.
But getting back to Jill and sex, in every scene when the mc makes a move on her, she typically has trouble. Even when Bella mentions dating him (in the same scene that she mentions she knows Tybalt is interested), she kinda baulks:
Jill: "Date him?"
Jill: "I'm not sure I'm looking for someone to date..."
Jill: "Did you think I was?"
Bella: "Well, you're a woman. Stranger things have happened."
Jill: "Haha, yeah, but still..."
So yeah, i think the blackmail plot is viewed differently by us (who hate Tybalt and completely understand his motives) and Jill, who treats him like a friend who she knows is interested and wants to be kind to his feelings. When she blows Rusty off in that flashback, he's basically a stranger sleazing on to her and she shoots him down. Tybalt isn't the same thing, even though we hate him more.
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