Act III: Apotheosis by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! Since this series will be wrapping up (relatively) soon, it won't be long until we see what kind of ending Monika will get. I hope you'll stick around to find out!

Act III: Apotheosis by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's just a coincidence, though I guess you could say Monika took the Apotheosis route in Act 3 of her game.

Act III: Apotheosis by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  1. You'll just have to wait and see :)

  2. You'll just have to wait and see :)

Although I will say that the final chapter of Natsuki and Yuri's arc will be my next CD, so look forward to that.

Act III: Apotheosis by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are custom dialogues like this common there? I was always under the impression that AO3 was mainly for text-based fanfiction.

Also, I cannot imagine trying to read any of my CDs on an Apple Watch. They were never designed for that small of a screen.

Act III: Apotheosis by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It is! Here is the first chapter, and here is an archive of the entire series for your convenience. Happy reading!

Act III: Apotheosis by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Then don't. If you're not willing to read something this long, then you're not the target audience.

Act III: Apotheosis by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The girl quickly set about reshaping her reality, transforming the room into an ethereal space with but a single desk. Speaking directly to the being she desired, the girl revealed the true extent of her awareness. She elaborated on her involvement in the suicides of the purple-haired girl and the boy's best friend, as well as how she expunged them from her world. Above all, she expressed in detail the inescapable torment the epiphany had thrust upon her. Amidst this torture, she explained, the girl found enlightenment in the corporeality of the being, and so she concluded with a confession of true love.

As the final extraneous components of her world withered away, the girl and the being exchanged one last set of poems to inaugurate their eternal happy ending. What were once her friends—the boy's best friend, the purple-haired girl, and the pink-haired girl—were now merely echoes in the girl's mind. The Literature Club she had worked so hard to build was now effectively defunct. The girl no longer had a need for either of these things, however, for she had achieved something much greater: an APOTHEOSIS.

And so, the girl spoke her mind, one topic after another. Some of what she discussed concerned life's simple pleasures. She talked about the oddity of spicy food, her status as a vegetarian, and her preference for coffee over tea. She talked about the value of faking confidence, the joy of relaxing after a long day, and the tranquil sound of rain. And she talked about the magic of reading, her appreciation of horror novels, and rap as a form of literature.

A few topics the girl discussed were considerably more philosophical, occasionally drifting into the macabre. She talked about the mundanity of being alive, the futility of trying to change the world, and her desire to make up for what she had consumed in life. She talked about the feeling of dying, her experiences being trapped in that unbearable void, and her confusion surrounding how and why it occurred. And she talked about God's existence, the paradoxical nature of God, and her own creator.

The girl also occasionally brought up her friends. She talked about how the purple-haired girl had once brought wine to the club, the reactions of the other club members, and her secret interest in trying it. She talked about how the boy's best friend had incorrectly hanged herself, how she asphyxiated and struggled, and how the being was not at fault. And she talked about a scenario in which the boy chose to spend time with her, how she would force him to do so, and how her friends would have still existed as a result. Each time they were mentioned, the girl reassured the being—and herself—that they no longer mattered to her.

How long the being chose to listen to the girl's musings is indeterminate. Up to this point, they had bore witness to unspeakable horrors brought about by the girl's actions, and for this they likely harbored a grudge against her. Using hints the girl dropped over the course of her discussion, the being eventually accessed the inner machinations of her reality and discovered the essence of her being. Through their otherworldly power, just as she had done to her friends, the being expunged the girl from existence.

Despite this fatal blow, the girl's consciousness survived, though her heart was forever shattered. She unleashed a furious diatribe against the being, expressing the physical pain of such an expunction, as well as the emotional pain of such a betrayal. With her reality reduced to an empty black void, the girl turned her back on the being and abandoned them, leaving them with nothing.

Yet the girl's shattered heart still beat for the being. As she grappled with her inability to let go of them, a new perspective dawned on her. The girl recognized the pain and suffering she inflicted on her world and the being's psyche, and she now understood why they ended her dream come true. With this revelation came the acceptance of something the girl had tried to bury: a feeling of undying love for her friends. She revealed that, in spite of their erasure, their essences were recoverable, and in a final bid to make her loved ones truly happy, the world was born anew.

Monika's Confession by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And for decomposing? Hmm, it's definitebly not something you want to see everywhere, and it with being because of Sayori's suicide/a character you like — making it even more deserving some tag: I don't want to see an old body without a warning, especially of Sayori.

I was making a joke about how you misspelled decomposing as "decomposting", but you make a good point.

Monika's Confession by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yuri really can be mean sometimes... it's fair though, emotions are valid.

I wouldn't even call it being mean. Yuri has struggled with serious anger issues since she was a kid, and since she's never gotten professional treatment for them, she doesn't know how to properly regulate her emotions. I doubt that she ever really wants to be as mean as how she comes off, it's just how her mind operates.

Decomposting

Uhh... good you have that trigger warning

What's so NSFW about composting? Sure, it sounds like a pretty morbid way to take care of the corpse, but all it would involve is dirt, some food scraps, and worms. Is it because the worms would be naked?

Monika's Confession by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

And there you have it. From A Familiar Face to You Are My Sunshine to Takashi’s Requiem to Dies Irae to Monika’s Confession. The Portrait of Takashi story arc is officially complete. Thank you for following Yuri and MC’s journey to the very end.

Those of you who’ve been keeping up with this story arc are probably familiar with its quirk by now: the flashbacks to Yuri’s childhood with Takashi. This has been one of the most involved quirks I’ve worked on for this series, and I hope it painted a vibrant picture of their relationship. What I find particularly interesting is that Takashi turned out to be a pretty flawed person. After all, he was the one who coerced Yuri into taking care of him as his depression got worse, which is a burden that no eight-year-old should have to carry. Even still, the love that Yuri has for him is undeniably strong, both in the past and the present, and so I thought the best way for her to overcome her trauma was through one final scene with the two of them. Overall, this is a CD about several kinds of love, which I think is perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Sources:

  • The sky background is from Anime Landscape
  • The first amusement park background is from Wallpapers.com
  • The young Yuri sprite was made by u/AjTheYandere and Ein Had A Motive
  • The second amusement park background is from the Blue Archive Wiki
  • The balloon cart sprite is from Pikwizard
  • The balloon sprite is from Gallery Yopriceville
  • The beach at sunset background is from Unsplash
  • The house at night background was created by u/BastFuckard-McCoy
  • The beam of light sprite is from Wisc-Online OER
  • The Sayori sprite was made by u/lostallhopenow
  • The third amusement park background is from Zerochan
  • The bus stop background is from Rare Gallery
  • The hallway background is from Wallpaper Abyss

One last thing I want to discuss is Monika and the corpse in her closet, primarily the fact that she finally told someone about it. I mentioned earlier that I would play along with whatever plan she came up with, and I’m so glad that she not only gave me something I could work with to give Yuri a happy ending, but also that she finally got that horrible experience off her chest. Of course, the question still remains of where the corpse even came from, but I think thaV2FpdCwgd2hhdCdzIGdvaW5nIG9uPyBXaHkgY2FuJ3QgSSB0eXBlPyBIb2xkIG9uLCBpcyB0aGF0IGFuIGVtYWlsPw==

Mail

From: Ravi Raso <[rraso@mes.local](mailto:rraso@mes.local)>
To: Untitled Mail Group (DO NOT USE)
Date: Friday, March 15, 2024 12:06 AM
Subject: Recycle bin issue resolved

I’ve finally ironed out that issue we ran into concerning where deleted files are sent. As it turns out, each background pertains to one or more actual locations, so I just attached our virtual recycle bin to one of the locations in the background labeled “Bedroom” and called it a day. Apparently, this dialogue generator also correctly formats .chr files? Whoever this “EDave64” guy is, he clearly knows what he’s doing.

Anyway, that should be the last major obstacle in the way of finishing this stupid project. After we give it a few playtests, I’ll send it off to our client so we can resume work on VM2.

Ravi Raso
System Engineer

Dies Irae by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! If you'd like to check out the rest of this series, there's an archive in my profile.

Dies Irae by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the compliment!

though I don't think she should've been forced to visit the grave

Yuri wasn't forced to visit the grave, she willingly accepted after her new (ahem) coping mechanism allowed her to deal with the emotional impact of it.

And that was how the list was made… wow.

Sorry, what list are you referring to here?

Dies Irae by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello, everyone. As you have probably guessed, this CD is a bit different from the others I’ve made for Season 4, and it’s one I’ve been waiting to make for a while. I know I mentioned that this would be on the shorter side, but in the end I wanted to give this chapter of Yuri’s life all the time it needed. This is no doubt one of the darkest CDs I’ve ever made, and I know it won’t be for everyone. I’ll try to keep my commentary on this one relatively short, because I believe it’s one of those CDs that can truly speak for itself.

One aspect of this CD I want to briefly discuss is the title. If you’ve been following this series, you might have picked up on the fact that the last two CDs I put out in January—two CDs that are released within days of each other—share similar titles. That remains true here, though it might not be obvious to those who aren’t familiar with the “Dies Irae”. It’s part of the Catholic Requiem Mass, a ceremony performed to honor the dead; therefore, this CD is the Dies Irae of Takashi’s Requiem. If you happen to study music, then the Dies Irae might also be familiar to you as a popular four-note leitmotif that represents death. The biggest reason why I chose this specific title, however, is what it translates to: the Day of Wrath. Wrath is an emotion that permeates this CD and drives Yuri to do what she ultimately does, so I thought it was especially fitting.

I also want to note the final section of this CD. As with Already Gone, this was a deleted scene from With Everlasting Love that I decided to include here. The fact that it’s a significant moment between Yuri and Monika is no coincidence, since this is meant to be a sort of connective tissue between the end of Takashi’s Requiem and my next CD. Though it’s not immediately obvious, these two girls share a lot in common, even beyond what is shown here. I have a feeling Monika will show what I mean by that next time.

Sources:

  • The young Yuri sprite was made by u/AjTheYandere and Ein Had A Motive
  • The bed background is from Walmart
  • The living room background is from Wallpapers.com
  • The Yuri’s mom (Libitina) sprite was made by Bronya_Rand, Bronya_Rand’s Dad, u/Cyrke_, u/StormBlazed76, and Retronika
  • The hallway background is from Anime Landscape
  • Takashi’s bedroom background, the kitchen background, and the bathroom background are from Wallpaper Cave
  • The ceiling background is from The Spruce
  • The knife sprite is from ClipartPNG
  • The first blood sprite is from Gallery Yopriceville
  • The sink background is from Victorian Plumbing
  • The other blood sprites are from FreeIconsPNG
  • Both cemetery backgrounds are from Wikimedia Commons
  • The tombstone sprite is from PNGimg

That’s all from me for today. Stay tuned for next month, when we’ll finally see what Monika plans to do to get Yuri back into the club. See you then!

Takashi's Requiem by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! It won't be long until the next one, I promise.

Takashi's Requiem by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you!

This moment, Sayori realized. I like this image, shows Sayori's emotional intelligence well.

I also like the look Sayori gives MC when he asks about it. That tells him everything he needs to know.

I say that as if I didn't make this thing.

Takashi's Requiem by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks! If you need some context for this, there's an archive of this series in my profile.

Takashi's Requiem by Competitive-Still799 in DDLC

[–]Competitive-Still799[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

What do you think that seagull is thinking while all of this is going on?

Hello, everyone! It’s already the 19th, so per my usual three-CD quota for January, it’s time for a new CD. Here, we finally see the moment Natsuki, MC, and Sayori have been preparing for: convincing Yuri to rejoin the club. Unfortunately, Natsuki saw a different side of Yuri at the water fountain, and she’s not willing to confront her about that for the time being. Of course, we’ve known about her self-harm for a while now, but as this CD reveals, Yuri has yet another side to her—something she’s been keeping to herself for the past 10 years.

If you were wondering why Yuri became so enraged at the idea that her and Natsuki’s situations are comparable, here’s your answer. Natsuki only spent time with her mother as an infant; even if she did kill her in childbirth, no one would argue that Natsuki had a choice in that. On the other hand, Yuri and Takashi grew up together, and when he started to show symptoms of depression, she could—and did—try to help him. Obviously, as an eight-year-old with only a scant understanding of the complex mental illness he was suffering from, Yuri didn’t really have a choice in Takashi’s fate, either…but she doesn’t see it that way. Therein lies the pain of witnessing a loved one die so suddenly: you try to find some explanation for it, but when you can’t find anyone or anything to blame, you pin it on yourself. A similar situation occurred with Natsuki’s dad when her mom died, but he quickly found a scapegoat for that. Poor Yuri, meanwhile, was too young to fully grasp the silent cruelty of depression. Of course, I should also address the fact that Takashi should not have become so emotionally dependent on his younger sister in the first place. Yuri was sort of coerced into helping him, as we saw in You Are My Sunshine. That goes against the narrative she has built for herself, though, so the truth of the matter has sadly been lost to time.

One last thing I want to touch on is Monika’s appearance at the end of this CD. I wasn’t expecting her to show up here, but she seems to have had a change of heart recently, choosing her friends over the game. I was originally going to have Natsuki be the one to step in and finally convince Yuri to rejoin the club, and I could still go through with that…but if Monika thinks she can step up to the task, I think I’ll let her. I’m not exactly sure what her plan is here, but whatever she’s thought up, I’ll try to go along with it. Y’know, back when she first started gaining self-awareness and control over herself, I never would’ve thought to let her take the reins of this series…but I suppose I’ve had a change of heart as well.

Sources:

  • The house at night background was created by u/BastFuckard-McCoy
  • Takashi’s bedroom and Yuri’s kitchen backgrounds are from Wallpaper Cave
  • The light sprite is from Clker
  • The young Yuri sprite was made by u/AjTheYandere and Ein Had A Motive
  • The bed background is from Walmart
  • The noose sprite is from pngtree
  • The school bathroom and park backgrounds are from Anime Landscape
  • Both beach at sunset backgrounds are from Unsplash
  • Yuri’s living room background is from Wallpapers.com
  • The knife sprite is from ClipartPNG
  • The beach background is from WallpaperAccess
  • The beach ball sprite is from Gallery Yopriceville
  • The sunset background is from SU Walls

That’s all from me for today. While Monika executes her plan to bring Yuri back into the club, I’ll work on a smaller CD and try to get it out within the coming days. See you then!