Ren'Py Lessons in Love [v0.53.0] [Selebus]

[Moonflare]

Yumi never had to leave the Yakuza. She did however feel like she had to. It was her choice and a praiseworthy one to make, imo. That doesn't make something what it isn't, though.

We're saying the same thing. That she felt like she had to is what I meant with had (using italics). No one has to do with anything, however they feel compelled to react in a certain way (because of a multitude of reasons) which is the had I used. Chika didn't have to care for Chinami either, but she had to because that's how she reacted to the trials that presented themselves (whereas another person might have reacted in a different way about leaving a child behind - both her father and Yuki certainly did). Io didn't have to cope with her trauma by putting everyone down and laughing at "smaller" traumas instead of being compassionate, but she feels she had to, and that that is somehow justified because she suffered "more".

My use of had stands primarily in opposition to Touka's idea of Yumi being a princess (which isn't even the point she's making in the conversation, cause she's just pointing out the present state of affairs of the Yamaguchi while looked from the outside). However, to say that Yumi somehow has it easy or easier than someone else in terms of trauma is naive to me (that isn't specific to Yumi and Io, but to any trauma in general). In Yumi's case in Touka's analysis, for someone to be able to capitalize on the Yakuza, of all people, it would take such a shrewd intellect that I doubt anyone on the cast other than Touka would be able to do it (given that they're teenagers) - and that's simply because she was raised the way she was in the place she was.

As for Io and Noriko, well, from Noriko's perspective, Maya wanted Akira and possibly initiated it herself. Although still a crime, it's of a different nature than forcing himself on someone that is trying to run way, calling him a rapist, and basically yelling for help.

Spoiler: Town has two halves

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I don't know if Io will ever find out about Yumi though, I think it's more likely that she finds out about Karin or Molly indirectly (if anyone), since Yumi is not about to expose her weakness, especially not to an asshole that laughed at her when she tried to open up.

 

[Moonflare]

I didn't remember that we had explicit confirmation that Himawari was Ayane's daughter, but there we have it:

Spoiler: Fairytale The end until tomorrow

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I guess it's nothing new for most people, but again I didn't remember it was that explicit. So the more you know.

 

[Nadekai]

I didn't remember that we had explicit confirmation that Himawari was Ayane's daughter, but there we have it:

Spoiler: Fairytale The end until tomorrow

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I guess it's nothing new for most people, but again I didn't remember it was that explicit. So the more you know.

Does that mean Himawari is our daughter?
... So she really was pregnant...
... Why isn't she helping her very own father...
... Why is she just trolling us...
... Why can she shapeshift into cute girls but we cannot...

... Also, I didn't pay attention, but did Himawari appear before Ayane got into Apoco Club?

 

[Moonflare]

... Why isn't she helping her very own father...
... Why is she just trolling us...

Wdym? She goes out of her way to help Akira every chance she gets, and tried to protect him almost to death during the 5th reset (Quiz Event named Untitled). The thing about her is that she's not that powerful, she is under constant supervision and has to help on the downlow.

 

[Nadekai]

Wdym? She goes out of her way to help Akira every chance she gets, and tried to protect him almost to death during the 5th reset (Quiz Event named Untilted). The thing about her is that she's not that powerful, she is under constant supervision and has to help on the downlow.

.. She turns into cute girls and trolls us...
... Also what do you mean under constant supervision...
... Why does she even have superpowers in the first place ...

 

[Leoxsama]

You can pretty much write off anyone who deliberately participates in trauma olympics, if your trauma doesn't generate a level of empathy in you for other peoples struggles then you're just an asshole, regardless of your life experiences. I can totally understand not having enough room on your plate for other peoples trauma, you have to put your own mental health first some or even most of the time, but that doesn't mean you need to justify it with some crap about how yours is worse or theirs isn't so bad, that's just plain shitty behaviour no matter the circumstances.

That being said, Io is a teenager, so having that kind of attitude is practically cliche, we were all shortsighted self-involved dipshits in our teens.

Despite how Akira/Sensei portrays Io as "mature" for her age, this is arguably one of the most immature things Io did.

 

[Nadekai]

Despite how Akira/Sensei portrays Io as "mature" for her age, this is arguably one of the most immature things Io did.

... Io...? Mature?
... That's oxymoron...

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[Squalicorax]

Oh god dammit. Either I really played through this game 4-ish times while totally overlooking Maya's backstory being blatantly laid out, or I have some Akira tier memory.

Spoiler

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[DeSkel15]

We're saying the same thing. That she felt like she had to is what I meant with had (using italics). No one has to do with anything, however they feel compelled to react in a certain way (because of a multitude of reasons) which is the had I used. Chika didn't have to care for Chinami either, but she had to because that's how she reacted to the trials that presented themselves (whereas another person might have reacted in a different way about leaving a child behind - both her father and Yuki certainly did). Io didn't have to cope with her trauma by putting everyone down and laughing at "smaller" traumas instead of being compassionate, but she feels she had to, and that that is somehow justified because she suffered "more".

My use of had stands primarily in opposition to Touka's idea of Yumi being a princess (which isn't even the point she's making in the conversation, cause she's just pointing out the present state of affairs of the Yamaguchi while looked from the outside). However, to say that Yumi somehow has it easy or easier than someone else in terms of trauma is naive to me (that isn't specific to Yumi and Io, but to any trauma in general). In Yumi's case in Touka's analysis, for someone to be able to capitalize on the Yakuza, of all people, it would take such a shrewd intellect that I doubt anyone on the cast other than Touka would be able to do it (given that they're teenagers) - and that's simply because she was raised the way she was in the place she was.

As for Io and Noriko, well, from Noriko's perspective, Maya wanted Akira and possibly initiated it herself. Although still a crime, it's of a different nature than forcing himself on someone that is trying to run way, calling him a rapist, and basically yelling for help.

Spoiler: Town has two halves

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I don't know if Io will ever find out about Yumi though, I think it's more likely that she finds out about Karin or Molly indirectly (if anyone), since Yumi is not about to expose her weakness, especially not to an asshole that laughed at her when she tried to open up.

That's just semantics. Chika literally had to take care of herself and her sister or they'd die. That's not just a feeling. Yumi having to take care of herself is at best just a feeling.

Yumi also isn't just considered a princess by Touka and Tsubasa. She's literally considered a princess by herself and her Yakuza dudes:

Spoiler

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Touka isn't exaggerating what Yumi is. All Yumi needs to do is basically ask and she can get whatever she wants. Bed, food, the pinkies of those who piss her off, etc. They'll do whatever she tells them to:

Spoiler

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Yumi has status and power whenever she feels like using it, and inheritance that's basically hers already, unless she has brothers and sisters I don't recall.

I definitely agree that laughing at someone's Trauma is all sorts of fucked up, but I do think just treating all Trauma as the same is wrong as well. Everyone is different. Yumi isn't usually blacking out, or needing a bunch of medications to function, or slicing herself open to feel even after going to therapy, etc. She's a mess, but I wouldn't consider Yumi broken. She could probably use some therapy, though.

As for Noriko, she somewhat knows about Sensei forcing himself on Yumi. He didn't go into details beyond just a kiss:

Spoiler

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She doesn't know who it was he forced himself on, but frankly if she can still consider Sensei "good" after what she at least thinks he's done, I don't think it'd affect her much, but who knows, we may find out since her and Yumi are friends, and Sensei has a habit of blacking out around Yumi.

Io finding out about any one of them would be interesting. There's also Sensei and Sekai which will surely have to come up eventually. Not to mention, Maya and Sensei.

 

[BlackDays]

And as far as i remember, later she came back and took on that offer from who i think was Akira.
Thats how they probably met.

There's also an event where Maya takes Akira to a vending machine for a rare offer to buy him something to drink.
Akira comments the drink with something like "this feels strangely nostalgic".

 

[Moonflare]

Oh god dammit. Either I really played through this game 4-ish times while totally overlooking Maya's backstory being blatantly laid out, or I have some Akira tier memory.

Spoiler

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I got that, but what I didn't get is that maybe that's why Maya takes him to a vending machine after moving the boxes? Like, it's that what she's trying to make him remember? Them meeting? That's pretty awesome.

 

[Riolol]

I got that, but what I didn't get is that maybe that's why Maya takes him to a vending machine after moving the boxes? Like, it's that what she's trying to make him remember? Them meeting? That's pretty awesome.

I always thought the vending machine was a test to see if he was the real him. She said that drink was only sold at that specific vending machine so if he recognized it that means he has been there before.

 

[Moonflare]

As for Noriko, she somewhat knows about Sensei forcing himself on Yumi. He didn't go into details beyond just a kiss:

Spoiler

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She doesn't know who it was he forced himself on, but frankly if she can still consider Sensei "good" after what she at least thinks he's done, I don't think it'd affect her much, but who knows, we may find out since her and Yumi are friends, and Sensei has a habit of blacking out around Yumi.

Io finding out about any one of them would be interesting. There's also Sensei and Sekai which will surely have to come up eventually. Not to mention, Maya and Sensei.

That's a topic I find interesting. It's possible that Niki has really signed her soul off on whatever Akira does, as long as he can convince her that he's trying to cope or become better. Noriko also points out that she's just broken in a way that she can't function without him anyway, which I might believe.

However, both Niki and Akira seem to hope that Noriko can escape him. So I wonder if she can or is she as equally bound as her sister.

On another note, I do wonder how much Niki knows about Sekai. I got no definite answer while replaying, but I mean, she's not stupid. She obviously knew he had no home at home, and that he didn't like his brother. So why else would the accident be so horrible for him in the first place? Traumatic? Sure. But to wreck his will to live and to abandon her?

Maybe it could be justified by Sekai being sort of a surrogate mother figure to him idk, but I think she knows he loved her to some extent. Niki has revealed to a couple people that she remains willfully ignorant of the things he does (which is probably a very good decision, given that she can't get out of this relationship anyway).

 

[DeSkel15]

That's a topic I find interesting. It's possible that Niki has really signed her soul off on whatever Akira does, as long as he can convince her that he's trying to cope or become better. Noriko also points out that she's just broken in a way that she can't function without him anyway, which I might believe.

However, both Niki and Akira seem to hope that Noriko can escape him. So I wonder if she can or is she as equally bound as her sister.

On another note, I do wonder how much Niki knows about Sekai. I got no definite answer while replaying, but I mean, she's not stupid. She obviously knew he had no home at home, and that he didn't like his brother. So why else would the accident be so horrible for him in the first place? Traumatic? Sure. But to wreck his will to live and to abandon her?

Maybe it could be justified by Sekai being sort of a surrogate mother figure to him idk, but I think she knows he loved her to some extent. Niki has revealed to a couple people that she remains willfully ignorant of the things he does (which is probably a very good decision, given that she can't get out of this relationship anyway).

Sensei seems to know he's holding on to pieces that will keep Noriko around him, and she's basically lived her life trying to be his dream girl. She could move on, but I don't really see it happening.

Niki thought Sensei might still be a virgin since they never had sex:

Spoiler

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So, I doubt she was aware of him having that relationship with Sekai.

Her letters in the Chapter 2 'Spotless Mind' Main Event, seem to imply she wasn't sure why he ghosted her.

Although, I'm beginning to wonder if the accident or Sekai was even the actual reason he did. Niki seemed to remember Maya and Maya was around within months of Sensei ghosting Niki. Maya simply may have not wanted to share.

 

[Moonflare]

Sensei seems to know he's holding on to pieces that will keep Noriko around him, and she's basically lived her life trying to be his dream girl. She could move on, but I don't really see it happening.

Niki thought Sensei might still be a virgin since they never had sex:

Spoiler

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So, I doubt she was aware of him having that relationship with Sekai.

Her letters in the Chapter 2 'Spotless Mind' Main Event, seem to imply she wasn't sure why he ghosted her.

Although, I'm beginning to wonder if the accident or Sekai was even the actual reason he did. Niki seemed to remember Maya and Maya was around within months of Sensei ghosting Niki. Maya simply may have not wanted to share.

Wait, what? I thought Maya only came up way later. Noriko says that Maya forced Akira to leave them only the second time. Also Niki has been separated from him for 8 years, and if Maya was a thing, then he would have "adopted" her when she was about 6.

From my understanding the timeline is more or less: Sekai dies -> Akira gone for up to a year -> adopts Ami -> eventually starts tutoring -> Noriko and a bunch of girls show up -> eventually Maya shows up -> Maya forces him to abandon Noriko -> One year of ghosting -> Noriko stumbles upon Akira and someone at the old district and something happens.

Unfortunately I don't remember from which event that is, but I remember Noriko saying that Akira was tutoring her and a bunch of girls, and then Maya showed up one day.

 

[DeSkel15]

Wait, what? I thought Maya only came up way later. Noriko says that Maya forced Akira to leave them only the second time. Also Niki has been separated from him for 8 years, and if Maya was a thing, then he would have "adopted" her when she was about 6.

From my understanding the timeline is more or less: Sekai dies -> Akira gone for up to a year -> adopts Ami -> eventually starts tutoring -> Noriko and a bunch of girls show up -> eventually Maya shows up -> Maya forces him to abandon Noriko -> One year of ghosting -> Noriko stumbles upon Akira and someone at the old district and something happens.

Unfortunately I don't remember from which event that is, but I remember Noriko saying that Akira was tutoring her and a bunch of girls, and then Maya showed up one day.

Maya was probably around 6 to 7 when the relationship started with Sensei. This was recently implied/revealed in Noriko's 'Rivals (Taco Tuesday)' Chapter 4 Event:

Spoiler

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Based off Maya saying Sensei hadn't been alone with Niki for months, this was likely only months after the accident. Which was 8 years ago... and apparently Maya and Sensei were already "alone a lot".

Edit: Sensei didn't leave the second time until the girls were around 11, and that was with Maya.

Ami was probably adopted within weeks after the accident, and they probably "recovered" within months, then Maya was apparently around, and Niki was ghosted.

Extra Edit: Noriko's Chapter 2 'Loxosceles Reclusa' Event is what you're referring to, and Noriko actually implied it was a short time before Maya showed up.

 

[DeSkel15]

Based off Niki apparently vaguely remembering Maya:

Spoiler

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Maya may have been around even before the accident.

The Maya killed Sekai theories may be gaining a come back, before long.

 

[Moonflare]

At the end of the event flowerchild, in chapter 3, during the ending to the 3 DormWars, Himawari will show up extending her hand to the sky, and carved to her left there is a hexadecimal message.

Does anyone have the translation to that? I was midway through translating it, but the power ran out and I really am not looking forward to having to start over.

It starts something like "I have no name, I am two days old". Please and thanks.

 

[Moonflare]

Based off Niki apparently vaguely remembering Maya:

Spoiler

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Maya may have been around even before the accident.

The Maya killed Sekai theories may be gaining a come back, before long.

Next you'll tell me Futaba's horror story of the girl without a voice being killed by a cat was about Sekai and Maya.

Also, how did the cat even kill the girl if the girl's body was rotting away for so long before?

Edit: calling back to what you said about moons before, there seems to be a white, green and red moon (during Nodoka's "love" story). But when Ayane comes back from Himawari there's also a blue moon?

 

[Leoxsama]

Next you'll tell me Futaba's horror story of the girl without a voice being killed by a cat was about Sekai and Maya.

Also, how did the cat even kill the girl if the girl's body was rotting away for so long before?

Edit: calling back to what you said about moons before, there seems to be a white, green and red moon (during Nodoka's "love" story). But when Ayane comes back from Himawari there's also a blue moon?

This is why i think the moons actually represent Maya, Ami, and Ayane.