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

[Algorist]

I'm still wondering if Sara is pregnant, tbh. Her crying during 'Goodnight' back in Chapter 2:

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Could have been related to her being pregnant.

Sana finding Condoms which Sara has never even tried using with Sensei, implies she at least tried to be active:

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Then there's how Sara's considered a "whore mother" and to have lay'd down for something:

Spoiler

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And how Sara has joked about being pregnant before 'Goodnight':

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Or it's really just implying that Sana's dad is alive. If Ami or Sensei were related through this, there'd be two others instead of one, I'd think.

Could be Rin, I suppose. Same father different mother. Rin is younger than Sana, so she could be her younger sister maybe. Might even be Maya or some other girl who's parentage isn't clear.

These are all good points. Although, from a meta-perspective, I can't see Selebus making that move. I don't think it would sit well with many readers, Sara fans, etc. I don't know, just a hunch.

I also reckon Sara would be honest with Sensei if she were pregnant by some guy. She doesn't strike me as someone manipulative to hide something like that. Especially now since she wants to marry him.

Sara admits to Akira that she lied about going a long time without sex, and that she was afraid he'd judge her for it.

Pardon my poor memory; would you mind telling me in which event she said that?

It could be as simple as Sana's father is still alive, but that would be boring.

It's very speculative, but also a definite possibility that Nozomu was Sana's dad, which would make her either Ami's half-sister or cousin. There's a bit of light foreshadowing early in the game that they're related - it's in a recent post I made rounding up various Chapter 1 stuff if you want to search for it. HOPE/Nozomu took a special interest in Sara for reasons that still haven't been explained, maybe it's because he had a relationship with her in life. I take "Good Boy" to show that Sara went to a school with some significance to Akira's past. Maybe Sekai taught there, though it's more likely she taught younger kids, so maybe Nozomu taught there. We don't know whether he was a teacher or not, but it could explain how he met Sekai. We do know Sana's father was married. Maybe teachers molesting their students is an Arakawa family tradition.

It's also possible that Akira went to the same school. At some point he thinks about what it would have been like to go to school with Sara, which seemed suggestive to me. The fact that they don't remember each other is explained nicely by Akira's missing memory and HOPE altering Sara's memories. If it's true, the Sara/Sana plot could develop by Sensei recovering memories of her.


We still see her drink to excess after this, right? Mother of the year material if she does know she's pregnant.
This line is actually one of the reasons I think that Sara could have had a sexual relationship with HOPE/Nozomu. I think HOPE (or more likely Pareidolia pretending to be HOPE) is implying that Sara lay down like a whore for him.

Oh, quite interesting. Your ideas are very similar to mine. I also faintly remember that part about Sensei wanting to be Sara's underclassman, which event was that again? Was it Good Boy still?

 

[DeSkel15]

Sara admits to Akira that she lied about going a long time without sex, and that she was afraid he'd judge her for it. Which begs the question as to with whom she was having sex when no one came to the bar in the first place. The condoms though were all way past their expiration dates, if I recall correctly that's why Sana apologises later.

A condom is valid for a long time though, and it wouldn't make sense for it to be resets interfering with it (otherwise it would interfere with expiration dates for everything). So either Sara was so poor that she was using old condoms to have sex with another man just before the resets started (and in her mind that's recent), or she's having a dude on the side (which would be even more unlikely, actually impossible from a narrative cohesion angle).

The thing about goodnight is that Sara's scene doesn't have a check to see if she's having sex with Akira, which would make it possible to not be his child. Which would make it possible for one of the "Akira's girls" to be carrying a child from another man, which I very much doubt would happen in LiL.

What "The dark. The light" says to her is "why does it have to hurt so much", which if I recall correctly is mostly a chapter 1 thing. Maybe aramaug is able to take a look at what it references exactly, since he's just done replaying through it. I don't recall if it was ever revealed what it means, or to whom it refers.

Sara may have actually lied about the condoms. She threw them away and said they were old, but never actually proved it:

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Also, something interesting about the 'Tell Me When' Sara event is that Sara and Sana were watching 'Star Wars: A New Hope.'

Of course, this could be nothing, but "A New Hope" sounds interesting. We also had AmIOkay Maya suggesting that Sensei and her could create a new HOPE back in the 'Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock' Happy Event. Could be a hint at why the gods want Sensei to fuck the girls. May lead to them being reborn or something.

In other words: Sara may be supernaturally pregnant. Sara also seems to have experience with Happy Events, Shadow figures, and the Untitled Show.

Or it's just nothing.

 

[aramaug]

What "The dark. The light" says to her is "why does it have to hurt so much", which if I recall correctly is mostly a chapter 1 thing. Maybe aramaug is able to take a look at what it references exactly, since he's just done replaying through it. I don't recall if it was ever revealed what it means, or to whom it refers.

I don't remember that specific phrase being used in Chapter 1 except, funnily enough, by Rin when Sensei is consoling her. I think it might be a Chapter 2 thing. The idea of things hurting in general is often connected to memories, though. I've always assumed that Sara crying is related to her son in some way (though the narrator does imply it's for reasons more complicated than just memories of him).

These are all good points. Although, from a meta-perspective, I can't see Selebus making that move. I don't think it would sit well with many readers, Sara fans, etc. I don't know, just a hunch.

I also reckon Sara would be honest with Sensei if she were pregnant by some guy. She doesn't strike me as someone manipulative to hide something like that. Especially now since she wants to marry him.

Pardon my poor memory; would you mind telling me in which event she said that?

Oh, quite interesting. Your ideas are very similar to mine. I also faintly remember that part about Sensei wanting to be Sara's underclassman, which event was that again? Was it Good Boy still?

Unfortunately I don't remember. I'm pretty sure it was in the bar, though, and not in Chapter 1. Maybe Haru was also involved since she went to school with Sara? (Haru is enough older than Akira that they wouldn't have overlapped)

 

[XHunterz]

I see some people hate those God's in this game why they mad about them?

 

[Moonflare]

Pardon my poor memory; would you mind telling me in which event she said that?

Missionary sex at the bar

Spoiler: sara sex

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also, what the fuck Ayane

Spoiler: she's always a woman

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[Algorist]

Unfortunately I don't remember. I'm pretty sure it was in the bar, though, and not in Chapter 1. Maybe Haru was also involved since she went to school with Sara? (Haru is enough older than Akira that they wouldn't have overlapped)

I've just remembered it. CH3 generic bar event.

"Another night means another chance to drink cheap beer and flirt with an attractive bartender while her daughter cleans glasses in the next room over."
"Thankfully, Sara is social enough that I don’t have to spend the majority of the night teaching her how to talk to people and, instead, am free to interact the way a normal human being does."
"One of the things I like most about Sara is how naturally our conversations are able to form and how, despite having not known each other for very long, it feels like we’ve been together forever."
"I think for a moment about how things would be if I could go back in time and meet her there."
"About having an upperclassman two grades ahead of me who would pop into my classroom and steal me away from my friends."
"And about what the rooftop would look like if we were to sit down and eat lunch there."
"Throughout the night, a stream of customers come into the bar."
"It isn’t many, but it’s more than before. And it goes to show that Sara is trying her best, even if I don’t always see it."
"Either that or Yuki is going out and intimidating people into coming here but, at this point, business is business."
"I accept the moments in which I need to be ignored in favor of furthering Sara’s return to the successful business-owner world and down several more drinks while she tends to other guests."
"But she always comes back to me once she’s done with them."
"And that’s far more than I deserve from her."

Missionary sex at the bar

Spoiler: sara sex

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also, what the fuck Ayane

Spoiler: she's always a woman

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Huh, I guess I didn't catch that subtext, then. No wonder I didn't remember that.

 

[Yarazin]

assuming this one takes around 5-6 more

Didn't Sel say 40 events for each girl just for Purity? I'm thinking 7 years after we get to that phase. But please someone smart do maths.

 

[Moonflare]

Didn't Sel say 40 events for each girl just for Purity? I'm thinking 7 years after we get to that phase. But please someone smart do maths.

We should see the end to LiL by 2030 - and then I entrust my nephew or something with the duty to look after his next project I'm walking out right after Akira.

 

[Pedro4545454]

We should see the end to LiL by 2030 - and then I entrust my nephew or something with the duty to look after his next project I'm walking out right after Akira.

If chapter 4 doesn't end this year (which is very likely) and it lasts until the end of 2025, it will take two years for a chapter to be ready, now imagine if LIL has 6 to 8 more chapters left to be ready and that each of them takes 2 years to finish.......it could get even worse if the story doesn't end in chapter 10.

 

[Yarazin]

Missionary sex at the bar

Spoiler: sara sex

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I kind of interpret that as she just wants the reassurance that he believes her. Not that she is saying different. Maybe I misunderstand.

 

[Fire Lord Zuko]

The truly frightening part is apparently we aren’t even in the Dark Route yet. We’re still in the Harem Route technically speaking if this is anything to go by:

Spoiler: Dark Route Discord

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Legitimately can’t remember if this has been posted before, but I was under the impression the Dark Route had begun. Guess not though.

Edit: As far as purity routes go… it’s projected to take 1-2 months per character. There are 35 of them. With that said, the math would come out to an estimated 35-70 months or 2 years 11 months minimum / 5 years 10 months maximum.

AKA a long ass time.

Spoiler: Purity Route Discord

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[Moonflare]

I kind of interpret that as she just wants the reassurance that he believes her. Not that she is saying different. Maybe I misunderstand.

I agree, when I took the screenshot I thought of this. But the issue is that while one thing could be a misunderstanding, there are a lot of them. There are the condoms and there's Sara's overall attitude. We know Haruka and Maki had sex, so there's an out there for both of them. But what about Sara? She's just been using dildos since her boyfriend left her? With her sexual energy and the need to drown out the trauma of her son's death? I find that very unlikely.

But, hey, If I'm wrong and Sara's been saving herself for Akira all these years, I'd prefer that tbh. It would not be weird for someone with mental issues, her history both with "unnamed male" and her dead son, and having to deal with the bar and Sana - to abstain from inviting random people into her life, even for casual sex. Who knows.

 

[LessonsInDissonance]

I see some people hate those God's in this game why they mad about them?

Because HOPE is a lying asshole, Sekai is a stupid bitch and PAREIDOLIA is a shitstain.
The only good deity is WIRES, he always helps Akira and is the one who should win in the end

 

[Moonflare]

The truly frightening part is apparently we aren’t even in the Dark Route yet. We’re still in the Harem Route technically speaking if this is anything to go by:

Spoiler: Dark Route Discord

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Legitimately can’t remember if this has been posted before, but I was under the impression the Dark Route had begun. Guess not though.

Edit: As far as purity routes go… it’s projected to take 1-2 months per character. There are 35 of them. With that said, the math would come out to an estimated 35-70 months or 2 years 11 months minimum / 5 years 10 months maximum.

AKA a long ass time.

Spoiler: Purity Route Discord

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Cope at max for this post, here we go:

On the brightside, another way to read this is: We're currently on chapter 4 and there will be 5 chapters total. When that ends, comes the dark route. He says that would technically be chapter 6. If we take it literally, then the dark route would be the size of a chapter (this could be wrong). Then comes the purity routes, which, by his decision of "I might just work on other projects at the same time" would probably mean that the purity routes aren't that demanding story-wise = story has basically ended.

So really we're close to the end of the main story (harem arc), where all things get set up I'd assume - then we have a single chapter of everything going down (dark route). Then we start getting a bunch of "but it could have ended this way instead" every two months. Until at the very very end we get all the answers to the puzzle with the true end.

What I mean to say is, obviously most of us will stick to the very end, but it would be conceivable that someone would just stick until the end of the first purity route and be able to go "yep, game's done, I'm out". So we should have at least some closure as the first purity route rolls out (which is much earlier than when the true end will).

 

[Fire Lord Zuko]

Cope at max for this post, here we go:

On the brightside, another way to read this is: We're currently on chapter 4 and there will be 5 chapters total. When that ends, comes the dark route. He says that would technically be chapter 6. If we take it literally, then the dark route would be the size of a chapter (this could be wrong). Then comes the purity routes, which, by his decision of "I might just work on other projects at the same time" would probably mean that the purity routes aren't that demanding story-wise = story has basically ended.

So really we're close to the end of the main story (harem arc), where all things get set up I'd assume - then we have a single chapter of everything going down (dark route). Then we start getting a bunch of "but it could have ended this way instead" every two months. Until at the very very end we get all the answers to the puzzle with the true end.

What I mean to say is, obviously most of us will stick to the very end, but it would be conceivable that someone would just stick until the end of the first purity route and be able to go "yep, game's done, I'm out". So we should have at least some closure as the first purity route rolls out (which is much earlier than when the true end will).

Yeah it’s quite possible things could go this way. Just wish we had a bit more info on the Dark Route’s length specifically. It very well may start on Chapter 6 and last multiple chapters. Still, there are too many unknowns for now.

Regardless, we still have many years’ worth of Lessons in Love to come. So at least we won’t have to brace ourselves for the end anytime soon. Anticipating the next update is one of my favorite pastimes at this point.

 

[Hario1225]

We should see the end to LiL by 2030 - and then I entrust my nephew or something with the duty to look after his next project I'm walking out right after Akira.

No wonder. I was in senior highschool when this shit started. I expect Sel to milk the shit out of this fucking game until my wedding ceremony.

 

[Yarazin]

Cope at max for this post, here we go:

On the brightside, another way to read this is: We're currently on chapter 4 and there will be 5 chapters total. When that ends, comes the dark route. He says that would technically be chapter 6. If we take it literally, then the dark route would be the size of a chapter (this could be wrong). Then comes the purity routes, which, by his decision of "I might just work on other projects at the same time" would probably mean that the purity routes aren't that demanding story-wise = story has basically ended.

So really we're close to the end of the main story (harem arc), where all things get set up I'd assume - then we have a single chapter of everything going down (dark route). Then we start getting a bunch of "but it could have ended this way instead" every two months. Until at the very very end we get all the answers to the puzzle with the true end.

What I mean to say is, obviously most of us will stick to the very end, but it would be conceivable that someone would just stick until the end of the first purity route and be able to go "yep, game's done, I'm out". So we should have at least some closure as the first purity route rolls out (which is much earlier than when the true end will).

I plan on staying till the end. I believe I read somewhere that Maya's will be last one. I do want to see all of them but as of right now the ones I look most forward to are Maya, Niki, and Ayane, which aside from Maya's may be kinda tame. My fantasy ending is those three in somewhat of a happy ending. I know impossible. I am sure many of them will be very interesting.

Anticipating the next update is one of my favorite pastimes at this point.

Totally agree and sorry for getting a little sappy but I am having a great time here. You all make the game much more enjoyable and to have others understand your feelings after an event like Remember to Smile was very helpful. I'm proud of myself at how much I've posted and joined in as its normally way outside my comfort zone. I really like this place and am looking forward to the many years of talking about LiL. So, thank you.

 

[Comiies]

Spoiler: Spoiler

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[Fire Lord Zuko]

Most anticipated purity routes:

- Yumi: Yumi’s one of the most unique characters in the game in that she has perceived the time fuckery, is around for a lot of Akira’s blackouts, and may or may not have been involved with him in a past timeline. So many interesting variables at play here.

- Maya: She’s essentially the ‘main’ love interest if you were gonna label any of them as such, so chances are we’re in for a wild ride with this one. Maya’s purity route will also apparently be the longest one, so that’s something to look forward to.

- Io: Akira/Io/Uta throuple must be endgame in this one. This idea is too good to not pursue at some point! Io might be a jerk and pretty unlikeable at times, but fuck it. I’m rooting for her to get better and improve. I really am.

- Noriko: For the love of fuck please give her a win! Her managing to defy the odds and win Akira over in her purity route would be so cathartic to witness and would make all her suffering finally worth it. Alternatively, a throuple with her and Niki would be hot asf.

- Niki: Surprise, surprise. The other half of the Nakayamas makes it on here too. Akira/Niki is peak asf. Enough said.

- Wakana: I envision a perfect world where we’ve cucked Osako so hard she watches us crying through the window as we plow the fuck out of her ex goth girlfriend.

- Tsukasa: “Wait why?” Because I’m morbidly curious, that’s why.

 

[Yarazin]

Spoiler: Spoiler

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Did I miss your thoughts on the end of chapter 3? I've been looking forward to reading them.