Chapter 2 - The Hilltop Mansion

[NUE]

Taking the liberty of opening discussion for Chapter 2. :]

To keep spoilers behind spoiler tags, remember to use [spoiler][/spoiler].

[NUE]

Okay I have a new theory though that mostly stems from a throwaway sentence that might literally just be translation issues. But what if it’s not Takako that died, but Sachiko. And Takako is the one thinking she is Sachiko. I find it weird how Narasaki told Kozue about a friend she had had, who was very smart. Isn’t she right there with you? Is that not the one you are helping out? But maybe I’m reading too much into such a little thing and I’m completely off the tracks.

The sudden perspective change during the chapter confused me, and also had me wondering how long it would be, but I guess it’s going to be a while longer until we get a full Narasaki POV? We’ll see.

Kozue is cute, she’s the type of character I like to see myself in lol

No more for me this weekend I think. I tend to fall asleep while reading a little too often.

[pixeldesu]

Finished Chapter 2 as well:

@NUE

I find it weird how Narasaki told Kozue about a friend she had had, who was very smart. Isn’t she right there with you? Is that not the one you are helping out? But maybe I’m reading too much into such a little thing and I’m completely off the tracks.

I think that Sachiko wasn’t there when this happened, I think this scene happened when Narasaki strolled off and explored the area herself. Still, talking about Sachiko that distant feels indeed off.

Here’s my theories though:

I like the above presented idea that it’s not actually Takako that died, but I have something else in mind first.

Narasaki was never at the Hilltop Mansion at all.

Some ideas why that’s the case:

• Her appearance was led into by a hallucination that Sachiko had.

• You would think that she would attend breakfast together with Sachiko and Nanae, but Narasaki isn’t present there.

• When Narasaki, Kozue and Sachiko walk to Lily/Yurika, Nanae only acknowledges Sachiko and Kozue.

• Yurika never acknowledges Narasaki either. Narasaki makes remarks mid conversation, but she is never answered.

• The only person talking to “Narasaki” is Kozue. The Narasaki whose perspective we see doesn’t tell Kozue her name. So, whoever that is, I have a feeling it actually isn’t her. This could tie in to NUE’s idea of the entire chapter being in Takako’s memory…or that it is from Sachiko instead, but it definitely doesn’t feel like this was Narasaki.

Edit: Some more points I figured out later:

• The talking setup is also pretty much a giveaway that Narasaki is not actually here. Yurika seems friendly enough that even if she didn’t anticipate 3 people coming, she would have instantly gotten another chair to the table so that Narasaki wouldn’t have to sit away from the table.

• Additionally, while it seems that Kozue talks to whoever is in Narasakis perspective later, Kozue herself also doesn’t seem to perceive Narasaki in the talks with Yurika. Narasaki says something to Kozue here, but once again it’s a line of dialog that doesn’t need a reply because it is followed by an obvious action. (“didn’t you want to ask her something?”…that’s why they are meeting up with her)

This is getting more confusing now, but…so many different ways to think and approach this. I like this.

[coffeentacos]

I hadn’t picked up on that but it makes some sense to me. It felt all too coincidental for her to show up.

Something that stood out to me is how the inn is, at least in its description, heavily implied to be the same building as the sanatorium in the previous chapter. The fact it was used as one before the war is setting off alarm bells.

Did anyone else pick up on, while Sachiko was first having dinner with Nanae, the way Nanae described the wind as picking up the same time every year was almost exactly how Sanae had described it in the previous chapter?
Also just how many characters resemble others and remind our perspective characters of them, and even how close some names seem to be.

[pixeldesu]

@coffeentacos

Something that stood out to me is how the inn is, at least in its description, heavily implied to be the same building as the sanatorium in the previous chapter. The fact it was used as one before the war is setting off alarm bells.

I think, based on the descriptions of certain places (the tree in the inner yard), it also having the library, etc. it just is the same building.

@coffeentacos

Did anyone else pick up on, while Sachiko was first having dinner with Nanae, the way Nanae described the wind as picking up the same time every year was almost exactly how Sanae had described it in the previous chapter?
Also just how many characters resemble others and remind our perspective characters of them, and even how close some names seem to be.

Just as NUE mentioned above, this could very well be that this is because it’s from someone elses memory instead, thus turning people into slightly different characters instead.

Something else that came to my mind:

Is Sachiko maybe aware that Narasaki isn’t there either? She isn’t really talkative in general, but I don’t think she really spoke a lot to Narasaki outside of her room at all? Because I’m pretty sure she never addressed her by name in front of others, or even indirectly.

[Steffo]

Ok, ok, ok, things are getting very interesting now!

As soon as I saw Sachiko arriving at that mansion sharing some background graphics with Takako’s sanatorium I started wondering about what could possibly be happening…

The chapter seems to be hinting a lot at the possibility of Sachiko and Takako being in different decades, but I kinda feel that it’s some sort of red herring…

A scary thing was when Narasaki started to talk about Sachiko as if she was dead…

It’s interesting that Narasaki and Sachiko were playing Chess specifically: it’s one of those games which you can play against yourself… I wonder if it will mean anything..

Oh, have you noticed that the intermission graphics have been alternating between blue-greenish and orange-ish for the whole chapter? I still think it has got to have some meaning…

---

Reading your reactions now!

@NUE

But what if it’s not Takako that died, but Sachiko. And Takako is the one thinking she is Sachiko.

Interesting, interesting, but I sort of hope that it’s not the case, as I’ve played another visual novel where this is a plot point already!

That same VN also had a side character named Kozue of about the same height…

@pixeldesu

Still, talking about Sachiko that distant feels indeed off.

Yup yup yup.

@pixeldesu

Narasaki was never at the Hilltop Mansion at all.

It’s indeed super weird that she showed up there of all places…

All those points you mention, plus the chessboard thing have me 100% convinced she’s not real. But then, who’s the Narasaki we see in the library?

Wait, is her perspective further ahead in time compared to Takako and Sachiko? Like, a couple decades later? Ignoring the missing piece of Kozue’s appearance not changing, we would have…

1. Takako (with the mansion being a sanatorium)

2. Sachiko (with the mansion being a hotel)

3. Narasaki (with the mansion being ???)

I wonder if the TIPS are needed to have a full picture of the puzzle. Each one seems to have the name of a room of the mansion…

@coffeentacos

Did anyone else pick up on, while Sachiko was first having dinner with Nanae, the way Nanae described the wind as picking up the same time every year was almost exactly how Sanae had described it in the previous chapter?

Nope, by reading more slowly I had already forgotten the details by then. Nice catch! (Also, now that I think about it, the similarity in the names…)

@coffeentacos

even how close some names seem to be.

Yeah.

@pixeldesu

it’s from someone elses memory instead, thus turning people into slightly different characters instead.

Hmmmmmm. I’m not sure I understand what this means in practice.

[Steffo]

Oh, a weird thing that I’m 99% certain it’s a weird bug but which I’m going to mention in case it turns out to be some meta thing (which isn’t impossible, given that SeaBed seems to be an in-universe book…).

When I open the Save menu, the cursor seems to sometimes be at a different position from the one I left it at, depending on the scene I’m currently reading.

This chapter specifically selected Slot 5 by default, while Chapter 1 selected Slot 3, and the prologue selected Slot 1 and Slot 2 at different times.

Odd.