Ren'Py Lessons in Love [v0.43.0] [Selebus]

[PhiloPhilo]

Was anyone else a little freaked out by how Sana was acting during the sleepover? Her attentive listening and pushiness seemed suspicious. I'm sure I can't be the only one thinking it, do we think one of the gods are manipulating her? I'm not sure which god she most relates to though, wondering if any lore lovers can help out.

Hope and/or Pareidolia (more likely) has some sort of interest in/connection to Sana, and is seemingly the reason we now have horny Sana — the one that found Akira in the infirmary to fug and can't help but masturbate in public bathrooms. She's probably been/being manipulated on some level somehow. Far as I can tell, she's not being directly controlled or spoken to though, unless we get evidence otherwise. It's more been alluded to that someone is making Sana or others have certain feelings. See the speculation on girls being vessels / sacrifices etc. or having some sort of purpose like angels in training. To make this post distinct, It's likely just weird, hormones-over-introversion Sana, who's already dealt with visions. She can become aware now but doesn't really understand what's going on, either, she just overheard a batshit conversation and can't really process it.

 

[Comiies]

Was anyone else a little freaked out by how Sana was acting during the sleepover? Her attentive listening and pushiness seemed suspicious. I'm sure I can't be the only one thinking it, do we think one of the gods are manipulating her? I'm not sure which god she most relates to though, wondering if any lore lovers can help out.

The gods are starting to gather pawns for the game that is starting.The current players are as follows.

1)Hope
2)Himawari and Co
3)Wires
4)Pareidolia and Sekai

For the sake of the argument im using the theory that everything thats happening is because the 3 MAIN gods of this universe(Pareidolia Wires Hope) have different goals and that creates conflict.

Pareidolia wishes for chaos and destruction.He wishes to destroy everything around Akira not because he wants to remake the world or anything like that.Pareidolia is just a very sadistic entity.

Hope wishes to reform the world.He wants to change the way things are and in order to do that he NEEDS Akira.He has developed an unhealthy obsession with him and he has even went as far as temporarely descending into our world(Which i will refer to it as TERMINAL 23) through Yasu.

Wires is the closest thing Akira has to an ally in this game.Wires has helped him stay sane from the very beginning,he has tried to stop Akira from making irreversible mistakes but to no avail.He wants to maintain order but he is either weakened or is just in general not on par with the other 2.

One potential theory that ive been letting stew goes as follows.

We have 4 seasons in kumon-mi.Winter Summer Spring and Autumn.

Now we know that Spring is Pareidolias season but we cant exactly be sure about all the other seasons.But for the sake of it lets suppose it goes as follows.

Spring~Pareidolia
Summer~Hope
Automn~Wires
Winter~Nao(Im supposing Nao is the god that Maya prayed to to reset the world)

My theory goes as follows.Each god represents one season in kumon-mi so the corresponding god is stronger in their season.They are able to interfere with the world around them and do a lot more weird god stuff.Now i believe that Pareidolias "Endless Spring" is him artifically keeping this up as his first move towards his goal.

If we follow that theory then Pareidolia already has 2 wonderful pawns.Sekai and now potentially Sana(As Moonflare said i also believe that Adult Sana appearing in Senseis dream was Pareidolias attempt to influence him).

Hope has Yasu and his angels.

Wires has Tsuneyo and her father.

Nao is still a mystery.

But yea TLDR:I believe that we are in the beginning of a game of chess between gods to decide the future of this world.We arent an active player,we are the most valuable piece.

 

[Xiondingens]

Was anyone else a little freaked out by how Sana was acting during the sleepover? Her attentive listening and pushiness seemed suspicious. I'm sure I can't be the only one thinking it, do we think one of the gods are manipulating her? I'm not sure which god she most relates to though, wondering if any lore lovers can help out.

Well, at least i never got any sign for ill intent from her. For me it was more like, she finally knows what she wants and how she can get it. Sure, i would agree that she didnt got to this point by herself. But i didnt got the same evil plan vibe as i got from the smile ami had at the end.

 

[LessonsInDissonance]

The gods are starting to gather pawns for the game that is starting.The current players are as follows.

1)Hope
2)Himawari and Co
3)Wires
4)Pareidolia and Sekai

For the sake of the argument im using the theory that everything thats happening is because the 3 MAIN gods of this universe(Pareidolia Wires Hope) have different goals and that creates conflict.

Pareidolia wishes for chaos and destruction.He wishes to destroy everything around Akira not because he wants to remake the world or anything like that.Pareidolia is just a very sadistic entity.

Hope wishes to reform the world.He wants to change the way things are and in order to do that he NEEDS Akira.He has developed an unhealthy obsession with him and he has even went as far as temporarely descending into our world(Which i will refer to it as TERMINAL 23) through Yasu.

Wires is the closest thing Akira has to an ally in this game.Wires has helped him stay sane from the very beginning,he has tried to stop Akira from making irreversible mistakes but to no avail.He wants to maintain order but he is either weakened or is just in general not on par with the other 2.

One potential theory that ive been letting stew goes as follows.

We have 4 seasons in kumon-mi.Winter Summer Spring and Autumn.

Now we know that Spring is Pareidolias season but we cant exactly be sure about all the other seasons.But for the sake of it lets suppose it goes as follows.

Spring~Pareidolia
Summer~Hope
Automn~Wires
Winter~Nao(Im supposing Nao is the god that Maya prayed to to reset the world)

My theory goes as follows.Each god represents one season in kumon-mi so the corresponding god is stronger in their season.They are able to interfere with the world around them and do a lot more weird god stuff.Now i believe that Pareidolias "Endless Spring" is him artifically keeping this up as his first move towards his goal.

If we follow that theory then Pareidolia already has 2 wonderful pawns.Sekai and now potentially Sana(As Moonflare said i also believe that Adult Sana appearing in Senseis dream was Pareidolias attempt to influence him).

Hope has Yasu and his angels.

Wires has Tsuneyo and her father.

Nao is still a mystery.

But yea TLDR:I believe that we are in the beginning of a game of chess between gods to decide the future of this world.We arent an active player,we are the most valuable piece.

bruh, you're making it hard to remain calm here

 

[Xiondingens]

So what do you guys think is the plan? I mean i think because of the fact that she did agree to niki moving in, it will be about her. But is it about Niki overtaken by Sekai, or is it to completely destroy her releationship with Akira? I mean, i am sure Ami has enough proof for what he is doing to do that.

 

[Moonflare]

bruh, you're making it hard to remain calm here

Spoiler: Spotless mind

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[ElaineZol]

So what do you guys think is the plan? I mean i think because of the fact that she did agree to niki moving in, it will be about her. But is it about Niki overtaken by Sekai, or is it to completely destroy her releationship with Akira? I mean, i am sure Ami has enough proof for what he is doing to do that.

She asked her if she would be okay with her having another mental breakdown and "accidentally" hurting her. I think she is going to play dumb and actually harm her hoping Niki will say "yeah fuck this I'm out, this bitch is too cray cray", or something around those lines. I think coming out and telling her straight up that she loves Akira in a more than daughter-father way was also an attempt to make her step back. Maybe is also part of the start into the dark route and Ami eventually going all Higurashi on everyone... here's hoping anyway.

 

[Antosha]

Honestly, I think it kind of comes down to this:

Spoiler

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Being Whole may just translate to being Happy. Most of these girls are "happy" with how things are, even if it's not perfect. They are happy with their script that they were given. Happy to play the girl they are scripted to play.

When they truly go off script is when they become aware. When things happen that change who they are and what they want, or when they are not "happy here", they seem to become aware. Sana, for example, is wanting to be Happy, now:

Spoiler

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Which seems to have made it so that she can acknowledge the reality of the world. She's not the same character she was scripted to be. She just didn't care about the weird things going on, until Sensei mentioned it.

• Ayane had been happy until she got knocked up, and then lost the baby, which she still remembers. She wanted to be a mother, and that's what made her happy, what kept her going, but this world wouldn't allow that. She's had to go off script to be happy ever since.
• Makoto has had to change again and again since Bluejay to be Happy. Bluejay broke her, then she was reset, but the memories of Bluejay forced her to try to change, then her father's death nearly broke her, but Ami helped her (Ami's the caretaker and cared for both Ayane and Makoto before they became aware), which allowed Makoto to instead focus on what makes her Happy. This is when the Unbluejay happens, she tricks Sensei into signing marriage papers, and then she's shown to have become aware of things. Her trying to be Happy, instead of simply being "happy here", may have been why.
• Yumi was forced to re-evaluate what makes her Happy after Nodoka forced her to face herself, Chika, and what her future might look like (Yuki). This led to her trying to be Happy, by letting Yuki back in, being nice to Noriko and Futaba, etc.
• Tsuneyo is a little different, but assuming that what happened to Molly forced her to re-evaluate what makes her Happy, then Sensei taking her on that date also changed what she thinks will make her Happy (Sensei), then this may explain why she's become aware.

Nodoka seems to be trying to liberate everyone, presumably like her mother tried to, in the past, from the script. From the game. She's doing this by more or less:

Spoiler

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However, trying to break the mold seems to have crippled Nodoka's mother mentally, and may do the same to Nodoka. Kyoko didn't seem to have a Sensei to help like Nodoka might, though:

Spoiler

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For those unaware, Nodoka's mother isn't able to take care of herself:

Spoiler

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And we presumably know why, now. She fought the world, alone, and...lost.

Although, like Nao has pointed out:

Spoiler

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I'm not sure if Nodoka's attempt at liberation is because she's actually smart enough to escape her script, or if it's simply how she was scripted.

Her noticing the stain, and her notes, may simply be what's supposed to happen, but if so, then who's to say that becoming aware, or getting to the roof during a reset, isn't part of the script.

We know it technically is, but if Sel is going that route, then this really can only end rather depressingly.

Edit: Also Maya and Sensei may have become aware because without eachother they weren't "happy here".

RE: Nodoka and breaking the script —

Spoiler: Philosophical Diddling (Sorry)

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That said, after reading Comiies's interesting rundown, it occurs to me that

Spoiler: God Talk

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[Xiondingens]

She asked her if she would be okay with her having another mental breakdown and "accidentally" hurting her. I think she is going to play dumb and actually harm her hoping Niki will say "yeah fuck this I'm out, this bitch is too cray cray", or something around those lines. I think coming out and telling her straight up that she loves Akira in a more than daughter-father way was also an attempt to make her step back. Maybe is also part of the start into the dark route and Ami eventually going all Higurashi on everyone... here's hoping anyway.

But this clearly wouldnt work. So if -and that is a big if- it would happen that way, not only was the setup pretty poor, it would also end with the status quo. Niki wont leave, ami looking crazy again. And then what? Ami will come up with a new evil plan each update? I really think the only two possibilities that already have set up is, Niki going crazy/getting taken over by sekei -or at least something that looks like her- or Ami leaving evidence out there for Niki to find that Akira fucks over half the class by now.

I mean Sel did introduce the niki lost senity for a reason. And ami has now all the evidence she could ever wanted. And when they life together and might become hard to hide his fuckery already. I mean, from a story perspective it was already hard enough to get ami out of the way for him to invite one of the girls. Now he has to do it with niki too.

Hm, could be the reason the invitation mechanic still hasnt come back online.

 

[Riolol]

She asked her if she would be okay with her having another mental breakdown and "accidentally" hurting her. I think she is going to play dumb and actually harm her hoping Niki will say "yeah fuck this I'm out, this bitch is too cray cray", or something around those lines. I think coming out and telling her straight up that she loves Akira in a more than daughter-father way was also an attempt to make her step back. Maybe is also part of the start into the dark route and Ami eventually going all Higurashi on everyone... here's hoping anyway.

I think Ami is going to try to get caught with Akira by Niki but that might just happen on it's own. It's not really clear how much Ami and Akira have been fucking lately but they surely haven't stopped, moving Niki in is retarded when you think about it (unless you are a good uncle, I always forget that's an option).

 

[ElukiaTV]

Gentleman, a question i have regarding one of the next version previews we got here.

Spoiler: Osako Sensei and Maki

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[Xiondingens]

I think Ami is going to try to get caught with Akira by Niki but that might just happen on it's own. It's not really clear how much Ami and Akira have been fucking lately but they surely haven't stopped, moving Niki in is retarded when you think about it (unless you are a good uncle, I always forget that's an option).

And the good uncle path is the reason why that wont happen. And instead it will with a girl where we basically never had any choice.

 

[Moonflare]

I think Ami is going to try to get caught with Akira by Niki but that might just happen on it's own. It's not really clear how much Ami and Akira have been fucking lately but they surely haven't stopped, moving Niki in is retarded when you think about it (unless you are a good uncle, I always forget that's an option).

Yeah, given that good uncle in an option it kind of debunks Ami's plan being essentialy Niki catching them (it could be more of an accessory). However, I will say that it never fails to amuse me just how much Niki doesn't know about Akira. It's shocking really.

The things she misses on purpose are one thing, like blinding herself to his cheating and overall teenage sex - but things like the incest are really strange. Her idea of having to explain to Ami why incest is bad when she's Sekai daughter is borderline between funny and tragic. Most of all, how come she aknowledges that Akira lost his world when Sekai died, yet thinks he could have been a virgin when they meet again? [...] it's like, what? lol

You're devoting your whole life to this person and yet have no idea about the most important things in his life. Granted, Niki has a lot going for her. But good luck trying to improve Akira when Akira and Ami are going to keep having sex under your roof. I guess we'll learn if Niki's just bark soon enough (cause at the moment, the ability to accept this side of things is the only thing Noriko has going for her - and the lack of a heavier history together too I guess, but that's still an advantage for Niki).

 

[Riolol]

Yeah, given that good uncle in an option it kind of debunks Ami's plan being essentialy Niki catching them (it could be more of an accessory). However, I will say that it never fails to amuse me just how much Niki doesn't know about Akira. It's shocking really.

The things she misses on purpose are one thing, like blinding herself to his cheating and overall teenage sex - but things like the incest are really strange. Her idea of having to explain to Ami why incest is bad when she's Sekai daughter is borderline between funny and tragic. Most of all, how come she aknowledges that Akira lost his world when Sekai died, yet thinks he could have been a virgin when they meet again? [...] it's like, what? lol

You're devoting your whole life to this person and yet have no idea about the most important things in his life. Granted, Niki has a lot going for her. But good luck trying to improve Akira when Akira and Ami are going to keep having sex under your roof. I guess we'll learn if Niki's just bark soon enough (cause at the moment, the ability to accept this side of things is the only thing Noriko has going for her - and the lack of a heavier history together too I guess, but that's still an advantage for Niki).

Fair point, I guess she will just go back to her original plan of chopping his dick off. Maybe that's the thing Sel had planned from year one? I think I'd prefer that over Chinami dying, I assume he'll get it back in a reset anyway.

 

[Antosha]

Yeah, given that good uncle in an option it kind of debunks Ami's plan being essentialy Niki catching them (it could be more of an accessory). However, I will say that it never fails to amuse me just how much Niki doesn't know about Akira. It's shocking really.

The things she misses on purpose are one thing, like blinding herself to his cheating and overall teenage sex - but things like the incest are really strange. Her idea of having to explain to Ami why incest is bad when she's Sekai daughter is borderline between funny and tragic. Most of all, how come she aknowledges that Akira lost his world when Sekai died, yet thinks he could have been a virgin when they meet again? [...] it's like, what? lol

You're devoting your whole life to this person and yet have no idea about the most important things in his life. Granted, Niki has a lot going for her. But good luck trying to improve Akira when Akira and Ami are going to keep having sex under your roof. I guess we'll learn if Niki's just bark soon enough (cause at the moment, the ability to accept this side of things is the only thing Noriko has going for her - and the lack of a heavier history together too I guess, but that's still an advantage for Niki).

Yeah. I find myself wondering how much interaction Niki and Sekai had — if any. Because Sekai was abusing/fucking Akira all through the first stretch that he and Niki were sort-of boyfriend/girlfriend, right? Do we have any in-canon references to non-ghost!Sekai talking with or about Niki? Or Niki talking about Ami's mom as anything but Ami's mom? Does she ever reference "the girl who cannot breathe"?

 

[fdsasdf_p]

Some other questions/thoughts about what Nodoka is letting on in this update.

Q1: What does Nodoka mean when she reaffirmed that Futaba is special? Who is this she?

The she here is highly likely to be Kyoko; the groceries, the attic, and the fact that she's now a proven special case.
I just fail to see how that makes Futaba special; or maybe I misunderstood what Nodoka means here. She perhaps isn't alluding to the origin that makes Futaba special, but is simply saying that a certain she also went through similar paranormal events and is thus deemed special by Nodoka, and now Futaba qualifies as well.

Q2: Can the when and where Nodoka recovered the note her other selves wrote for herself be confirmed by an event?

I wanted to guess that "a place that God himself could never find" is that abandoned school featured in Beyond the Reach of God, but the date couldn't be correct. That event took place in early Ch3 and before Halloween wars so it's for sure not December. However, the rest of that event seems very fitting; venturing out to find something, a mark that resembles lower case T on the ground (perhaps the exact same spot where amiokay got crucified on the cross in The Letter 'T'), the event name itself, etc.

Another possible place is the Wishing Well / The Library where Nodoka is submerged in the pool, but this is supported merely by thoughts like "why not".

Or, since Nodoka from time to time went apeshit well before Beyond the Reach of God, so she might've located this note a lot earlier behind the scene and has been trying to crack it for some time, though in those scenarios she could very well be studying Kyoko's words and not her own. In addition, my impression is that Nodoka would know what her own note meant as soon as she retrieved it; she just struggled with the mechanisms until Yasu enlightened her. All in all, it’s relatively possible that the note was retrieved BTS but it feels a lot less enticing if that’s the case.

 

[ElaineZol]

But this clearly wouldnt work. So if -and that is a big if- it would happen that way, not only was the setup pretty poor, it would also end with the status quo. Niki wont leave, ami looking crazy again. And then what? Ami will come up with a new evil plan each update? I really think the only two possibilities that already have set up is, Niki going crazy/getting taken over by sekei -or at least something that looks like her- or Ami leaving evidence out there for Niki to find that Akira fucks over half the class by now.

I mean Sel did introduce the niki lost senity for a reason. And ami has now all the evidence she could ever wanted. And when they life together and might become hard to hide his fuckery already. I mean, from a story perspective it was already hard enough to get ami out of the way for him to invite one of the girls. Now he has to do it with niki too.

Hm, could be the reason the invitation mechanic still hasnt come back online.

No, it wouldn't work, but I still believe Ami would still try something along those lines, mostly because of the foreshadowing that whole scene implies; of course I could be completely wrong. It is also very possible Sekai is the one who takes action, though I believe it is more likely that she pushes Ami into doing something rather than possessing Niki, though either one is possible.

I think Ami is going to try to get caught with Akira by Niki but that might just happen on it's own. It's not really clear how much Ami and Akira have been fucking lately but they surely haven't stopped, moving Niki in is retarded when you think about it (unless you are a good uncle, I always forget that's an option).

It is a very bad idea considering that little detail, there is no way they can keep it hidden with Niki living there, but that takes me back to when Niki told Akira she would accept/forgive anything he did (or at least something like that). She knows Ami is into Akira, but she doesn't even suspect Akira in the slightest. Once she knows about them fucking is only a matter of time before she learns more and more.

Really, what Ami does is not really that important in my opinion, but rather what is the line that Niki draws when it comes to Akira and all of the shit he is currently doing and what he has done in the past and what she does about it. I don't expect her to be the one to actually take action against Akira considering what other people have already forgiven/accepted as part of him.

Edit: As a final thought just to add to that last part, I believe the only way to get Niki out of the way is to literally take her out of the picture. Whether or not that will happen or how, idfk. Also, a reset will happen soon, so when things happen and how they play out might be different depending on who is in control at that point, maybe.

 

[Xiondingens]

Yeah, given that good uncle in an option it kind of debunks Ami's plan being essentialy Niki catching them (it could be more of an accessory). However, I will say that it never fails to amuse me just how much Niki doesn't know about Akira. It's shocking really.

You know, i have thought about this for a while already. And i think, maybe she does. Just remember last update how casually she said that Noriko wont get the D. And when Ami is talking about sex, unless i missremember, the problem that Niki points out is incest, not age.

I mean, Niki isnt stupid, her choice to wait for him was deliberately. So what if she is actually aware, but just choose to not speak about it? What if she just did decide to ignore all of it, or something around that line.

Now that i think about it, that would be hilarious, Ami tries to destroy their relationship by letting her know about it, and it blows right back into her own face and Niki just does say "Yeah, so? I knew about this shit for a long time. I dont care, i will still fuck with your dad. As long there is enough dick for me, then i am happy with that D."

 

[barglenarglezous]

Gentleman, a question i have regarding one of the next version previews we got here.

Spoiler: Osako Sensei and Maki

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Sensei: "Maki, you've known about a strip club here in town all this time and you've never told me about it?"
Osako: "To be fair, they don't hire your type"

 

[Xiondingens]

Who is this she?

The she here is highly likely to be Kyoko; the groceries, the attic, and the fact that she's now a proven special case.
I just fail to see how that makes Futaba special; or maybe I misunderstood what Nodoka means here. She perhaps isn't alluding to the origin that makes Futaba special, but is simply saying that a certain she also went through similar paranormal events and is thus deemed special by Nodoka, and now Futaba qualifies as well.

Is she not talking about her mother here? I mean i think it was right before her little porn game she said, "And only then will the words of my mother make sense to me." So unless that Kyoko you talk about is her mother, i would disagree. But, i dont remember ever reading that name. So... do i disagree or do i agree with you here? I am not sure.