Lazyboi

You could probably only have that kind of casual conversation once the TRIS actually befriends her. As I said, the ‘game’ already begins the moment she answers the call, so it’s best to stay cautious with what you say from that point on, rather than leaning into the casualness you’re suggesting. The most important thing is that you should never treat situations involving witches lightly; if you know what’s good for you. “Would there really be no other way to just learn a magic to traverse the sea of fragments without being a witch.” That’s like trying to deny ‘magic,’ or saying you shouldn’t breathe air just because it’s bothersome, author-san. Witches are literally what make everything. Higurashi happened because Hanyuu (my headcanon is that she’s technically an alter-ego of Featherine after her memory aid got buggy) neglected her duties as a Gamemaster. Umineko became a thing after Yasu turned into a witch and started writing it as a ‘book’ to reach that happy ending with Battler. In that sense, as troublesome as they may be, you can never truly ignore ‘witches’ if you want to implement Umineko. Because if that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t even be writing an ‘Umineko’ story in the first place. Back to the topic of Gameboards, there’s certainly more to them than what you said. At their core, they represent an environment where a ‘story’ can be told. Honestly, I don’t even think mystery is the most important component of a Gameboard. Rather, it’s how you actually ‘play’ the game that makes each one unique. Did you really think the newly pledged ‘witch,’ Battler, somehow defeated Bernkastel in that final battle? No matter how much hax power he has, he could never, in a thousand years, overcome an existence like her. The only reason she ‘lost’ was because she had already fulfilled her role in the ‘story’ for the finale of Umineko. After all, the ‘villain’ is never meant to win in the end. Ultimately, the crux lies in how you play the game the witch spins, in order to steal their heart. The same applies to the situation between the TRIS and Lambda when I said the ‘game’ had already begun the moment she answered their prayer. What’s the way to entertain her and make this short game between them compelling? I believe the answer doesn’t lie in what they can offer her, but in what they can promise her. And for a headstrong witch like Lambda, they’ll need to show it rather than simply say it. It’s always the details about the witch herself that are most crucial to remember—because that’s the part that makes the story interesting in its own right. Regarding Battler and Featherine… it’s generally hard to say. The latter is such an enigmatic witch that you can never truly tell whether she’s being genuine or not. If I were to draw a comparison, Featherine is essentially a more powerful version of Echidna, and when you set aside the power difference, there are very few distinctions between them. In that sense, Featherine only desires things that can satisfy her curiosity, and Battler/Tohya was simply unfortunate enough to catch her interest. Growth and discovery, huh? No, I think it’s more accurate to say that those 400 years ago represented turmoil and confusion. I want to expand on what I mentioned before on how the Fool, during that time, truly was just a ‘fool,’ wandering aimlessly and allowing himself to be led by fate. Within the narrative, so much had yet to be realized: the path he was meant to walk, his destination, and even his love. In the end, it all came crashing down—figuratively and literally—with the calamity that cast him into the Abyss. Since I’ve already asked you about the past, here’s a follow-up question: What do you think the Abyss and subsequently, the Present represents? PS: You might want to delete your message that has your Dis Cord name after you finished replying to this message of mine, author-san. Or just reply to me on there once you found my friend request.

Lol, if we’re not counting the shadowbanned messages, we’re definitely racking up to 457 replies once I sent this message. That said, there’s a chance we might be bloating the system, since it wasn’t necessarily built for this kind of ‘chatting,’ so I might have to delete the my review if that day comes, or if someone happens to stumble across the massive number of replies under this one review. Whichever comes first, I guess. As for Dis Cord… between it and this place, which would you say you have more of a presence for chatting, author-san? I’m fine with either, as long as we can have sustainable long-term discussions without too many issues popping up. Regarding what could be used to amuse someone like Lambdadelta, I don’t think actions in the human world, the meta world, or even sharing meta-knowledge would be worthwhile enough to gain her favor. It’s especially ‘uncertain’ when it comes to that suggestion of sharing meta-knowledge. As I said before, the little knowledge the TRIS holds is but a drop in the ocean compared to Voyagers like Bern and Lambda, who have accumulated so much over the course of a thousand years of trying to stave off their boredom. In that regard, it would be almost insulting if the TRIS ever tried to dangle that in front of their faces. And yes, I believe there’s always danger lurking when talking to a witch. Honestly, that’s a given when you consider the numerous ways they’ve come up with to fight off boredom. Case in point: the interaction between Beato and Bern in the first Witch Tea Party. You might not have noticed or remembered, but there were a lot of subtle jabs, insults, and witch’s political drama being thrown around. As such, and considering the TRIS made it obvious they knew who she was during the prayer, they’d better be careful with what they say to Lambda. I just think that’s an interesting aspect of witches to work with when it comes to risk and reward. Now, as for the matter of actually gaining her favor, let me approach that with a question: Why do you believe witches like Gameboards so much? I mean, if you’ve already written the ‘book,’ it would, in turn, be considered a fragment in Umineko’s context, so you could probably just dive in from there. That said, I believe there are a lot more restrictions than it seems at first glance. A single fragment is said to be the crystallization of human worlds and memories; one that represents infinite possibilities. In that case, if you can’t impose something like that into your ‘book,’ you wouldn’t get a fragment, but simply a book. It’s actually quite the Cat’s Box situation when it comes to the idea of power persisting after leaving a world… perhaps you could make do with something like that by explaining how ‘experience’ remains tied to your very ‘existence.’ For the Re:Zero story, to make this clear regarding the period 400 years ago, I think it’s best to present it as a reminiscence. This means that certain distinctive memories the Fool had from a time long past will occasionally resurface in the forefront of his mind during his journey in the modern period. I generally dislike the idea of presenting the past in full scale, as it can sometimes take a dozen chapters before the story reaches the present. At that point, it becomes rather grating because, while I understand the importance of such backstory, it doesn’t change the fact that part of me couldn’t care less about a ‘stagnant’ period apart from a few moments. Going back to the question itself, to rephrase it for hopefully better clarity: What do you think the period of 400 years ago represents for the Fool and the narrative as a whole?

Ultimately, it’s our respective experiences that define what we consider to be ‘twisted,’ author-san. However, unless we open our hearts to one another, we’ll never truly be able to gauge just how twisted something really is. That said, the ‘twistedness’ I’m referring to in reading material simply comes down to what deviates from ‘normality.’ Your mention of Abigail is a good example since characters of her archetype are often relegated to “head-patting and mascot” roles, without any possibility for romance. I find that to be a waste of potential. That’s why I want to see whether you can embrace that kind of twisted mindset moving forward, as we continue our discussion. I think the mention of this platform's full name had caused your comment to become shadowbanned, author-san. Also, I don’t believe there is anything to feel awkward about. Unless, you want us to move to Dis Cord if you want to remove the filter? Praying to Lambda will ‘certainly’ work. She is probably the only witch for whom that method comes with a 100 percent guarantee, especially since, as I mentioned, she is also worshipped as a goddess… And a ‘benevolent’ one to some extent. As for actually attracting her attention, perhaps having that bit of ‘certainty’ in their prayer, as you suggested, could work wonders. Of course, everything still boils down to whether Lambda considers the TRIS to be worth her time. That said, the TRIS’s anomalous existence alone would at least make her a tad curious. Although, I suppose the real gamebreaker lies in the TRIS being able to ‘entertain’ Lambda when she actually comes down to ‘greet’ them. They want to get to the Meta World, no? Then they’d better have a good way to surprise the Witch of Certainty—or else the consequences will be dire. As I said, you’re essentially gambling when you deal with a witch, and that’s a prominent theme to carry through the narrative. And no, I don’t think throwing her some candy will work, other than earning that TRIS a ticket straight into the meat grinder fragment. I mean, the Sea of Fragments is basically the ‘multiverse’ as depicted by your typical fanfic on this platform. Also, do note that the Meta World and the Sea of Fragments are two different things in Umineko’s context. As for actually traveling through the Sea of Fragments itself, I believe you can only do so with the help of a Voyager Witch or one above that. The other method would be using those pirate ships Erika used to attack the Golden Land. Then again, they all originated from the City of Books, so they’re probably Featherine’s creations… So yeah, the TRIS’s best bet would still be a Voyager, and conveniently enough, Lambda could be the key they need, if they manage to earn her favor based on what I suggested earlier. I don’t think there’s a limit on what a non-witch can attain with ‘magic.’ Then again, unless they’re a witch, I doubt they’re capable of creating an entire universe just by writing a ‘book,’ so the ceiling is probably somewhere below that tier. The same applies to writing your own story and entering it (that’s some Amon-level loophole right there). I imagine it also requires a certain level of finesse and talent, since crafting a ‘terrible’ story might very well spell your doom. As for your final paragraph, I appreciate that you share my sentiment about the harem desire being overly emphasized in certain works, author-san. Sometimes, you need a protagonist who doesn’t have it in mind in the first place to make the most out of the eventual realization of a harem. Regarding the topic of the Fool’s purpose… no, I wouldn’t say that technically counts as a purpose; it’s more of a dilemma he faces. Tell me, without having much prior knowledge about this (since I’ve yet to delve into the topic in detail with you), how would you define the time of 400 years ago in terms of narrative?

I never considered you to be ‘innocent,’ author-san. As long as you have access to the internet, you're bound to come across some questionable stuff sooner or later. That said, I don't think your twistedness could ever match mine, considering I went through the equivalent of the Dark Ages when it comes to online exploration. I'm not even joking; you could legitimately find P on YT recommendations back then. From what I remember, Fragments are often likened to universes that house an infinite number of stories. Another explanation, derived from Umineko, is that they’re prisms representing parallel universes with different possibilities. As such, the Sea of Fragments is filled with an endless number of these, effectively representing a kind of multiverse. And it isn’t just any ‘multiverse,’ as I see it more as the multiverse among multiverses, since it houses pretty much every form of fiction, which just works in the context of Umineko. As for why I consider the witches, especially Bern and Lambda, to hold a higher level of meta-knowledge than your average TRIS protagonist… are you really asking that when the average witch has lived much longer than the protagonist? It’s hard to say for sure what a witch knows exactly, but I’m certain it’s more than you could ever imagine. After all, I distinctly recall Lambda inviting Bern to ‘watch’ the French version of Ghost in the Shell at the end of Umineko. Of course, you could also just ignore everything and use your power as the author to impose a red truth that makes the TRIS protagonist a special existence due to the unique meta-knowledge they hold. However, I just think that would be a lame excuse that eventually degrades the quality of the story; if you get what I mean. Umineko is simply the kind of pill that's hard to swallow, which is why there are so few fanfics of it. If they want to access the Meta World and, subsequently, ‘magic,’ then I suppose praying to Lambda would be the easiest approach. Umineko wasn’t kidding when it said she’s pretty much a goddess, thanks to people worshipping her nature as the Witch of Certainty. And yes, praying does work since she did grant Takano’s wish in Higurashi sometime in the past because of her ‘certain’ determination to become a god. You know what makes that piece of information funny? Apparently, ‘Lambdadelta’ is also ‘Satoko’ and ‘Takano’; something my pea-sized brain has yet to make sense of. The same could be said for becoming a witch, as I believe it’s only possible with the interference of an actual witch and Voyagers would be the most intimate with the process. I believe ‘magic’ in Umineko isn’t really restricted by anything. For a witch, in specific, they only seem to be limit by experience and time, considering Maria was mentioned at one point to have the potential to become a Creator Witch after at least 1000 years. And no, I don’t think dying a physical death would net you a ticket into the Meta World. It’s hard to determine how one could arrive there through their own means, because a single mistake could land you in eternal damnation—or just plain disappointment. One method, without needing a witch, that could technically work is becoming a novelist, like Ange in the human world tale, and grinding it out until you eventually reach the ‘impossibility.’ Like, after a few decades... So yeah, the fastest method is still to somehow catch the attention of a witch. I suppose that question regarding the Fool centers in giving him a distinctive purpose as a character. That takes shape in his dilemma of trying to understand why people always deny the ‘truth’ with ‘lies’ in order to keep moving forward. As I said, I don’t want him to end up as a typical TRIS protagonist whose only purpose is to survive and find waifus. Of course, realizing the harem is still the main goal of the story, but it shouldn’t be part of his motivation, to say the least.

Personally, I don’t think those experiences left me in a bad state. After all, you can’t really control what shapes you. Although they did leave me with some... ‘interesting’ urges and perspectives, if my tendency to bring up taboo subjects is any indication. In the end, I just enjoy seeing what that twisted world can offer us in terms of reading material, and maybe, I can even convince you of such a mindset one day, author-san. As for what you suggested, I think it's important to remember that the Sea of Fragments technically embodies every single form of fiction we've ever known. In that regard, a TRIS protagonist plagiarizing the fictions they’ve seen would be absolutely ineffective in curing a witch’s boredom. Perhaps it might work on Territory Witches, but for Voyagers like Bern and Lambda, who have seen more than they could ever imagine, the TRIS would be like a cub baring its fangs, not realizing how out of their depth they are. As I’ve said, that kind of thought process would more likely damn the TRIS for eternity rather than help them deal with the witches. “Could a TRIS protagonist in Umineko use 'magic' and access the meta world?” I believe that works more in reverse, no? Considering how Umineko interprets things, ‘magic’ could be more or less seen as a concept brought into being by the witches themselves. Of course, that doesn’t deny the possibility that it’s real; we just can’t really prove it. In that sense, you’d be better off trying to find an actual witch and somehow convince them to invite you into the Meta World, rather than relying on such a convoluted method with no real foundation to build upon. As for becoming a ‘witch’, while Featherine is out of the question due to how unpredictable that woman is, the TRIS could still try their chances with Lambda. The thing is, though, whether they actually have anything that could grab her attention in the first place. As I said, with her being a Voyager Witch, you'd have a better chance of making pigs fly than getting her interested in you using whatever scrap of meta-knowledge you’ve got. And Lambda, despite her outwardly bubbly personality, is just as hard to read as Bern. “What if a TRIS protagonist used the meta world to reflect and create a world full of Eldritch abominations and Outer gods?” That is quite an interesting question you ask there, author-san. In the context of Umineko, everything under a witch’s eye is naught but fiction, and even we aren’t exempt from that truth. So, does it really make a difference when those same ‘omnipotent’ beings are themselves born from fiction? If you could create them in the first place, they would be ‘fiction’ at the end of the day, meaning they wouldn’t be worth much against a witch or affect them in any meaningful way. “But he gotta calm down Sattela first, you know?” This is pretty much a topic I’ll need to breach another day, considering Satella is a different kind of hazard for a witch. But back to the Fool, even though I said he lacks a purpose, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that one does exist for him to some degree. His ability allows him to see the ‘truth,’ but not understand it. In that regard, despite knowing the truth deep down, why do people deny it with lies just to keep moving forward? It’s a dilemma he’s struggled to make sense of throughout his entire life—both 400 years ago, and even now, in the modern era he awoke to after ‘falling’ into the Abyss. Why do you think I suggest something like this, author-san?

The more you dive, the more resistance you build. Isn’t that the joy of adaptation, author-san? Then again, it’s certainly horrifying when you realize what you’ve eventually become. Take me, for example, considering I’ve reached the point of no return where I can casually bring up the topic of ‘taboo’ as if it were just another everyday subject. I was born in a time when regulations for online content were almost non-existent, author-san. You could scroll through YT and come across messed-up things on a daily basis. The same applied to other platforms as well, and little old me was unfortunate enough to encounter some of them. The rest is pretty much history. Not really. As a TRIS protagonist, they technically have a sort of meta influence if they were to enter the narrative of Umineko in particular. However, the same couldn’t be said for whether they could compete with witches on equal footing—much less someone as monstrous as Featherine. Unless they can somehow grasp the twisted mindset of a witch, they have no hope of winning against them. “Wouldn't a TRIS protagonist easily be able to cure Featherine's boredom?” I think this is the kind of thought process that would land them in a meat grinder fragment for 100 years. The crux of the matter is that you can’t treat witches in trivial because of how unpredictable they are. And no, I don’t think being a TRIS automatically makes them a special existence capable of curing a witch’s boredom. In the context of the Sea of Fragments, witches are essentially TRIS with a far higher level of meta-knowledge than you could ever hope to compete with, especially Voyagers like Bern and Lambda. Featherine would be the ultimate boss of such a notion. “I might include Umineko in my fic, or in a future fic...” Well, I’d recommend being extra careful if you ever plan to include Umineko in your stories, author-san. It isn’t hard to implement, but truly living up to its potential is another matter entirely. Romance with a witch isn’t an easy game by any means. Boredom is simply a facet of their existence, and beyond that lies a question I’ve asked you before: “How does one unlock a witch’s heart?” The road to that answer is a long one, and that requires more understanding than what you currently have to actualize. But who knows? Perhaps if you can successfully implement the relationship between the Fool and the Witches in the Re:Zero story we’ve been discussing, you may eventually reach that ‘answer’ yourself. As for your paragraph, I don’t think you’re wrong when you say that the path to happiness depends on the person. That said, it’s still something worth contemplating. Philosophy is an important component in giving a story meaning. You don’t need to live long to implement that; rather, it requires you to think about what it means for the character themselves and to immerse yourself in it. As it stands, the core idea surrounding the Fool is how we present his struggles: finding his path and purpose, where he stands in the world, realizing that there is more to the ‘truth’ than simply seeing it…, and most importantly, why the witches are the key to uncovering that path.

I mean, what did you expect from the world those ‘manga’ came from, author-san? You signed up for something you could never look away from the moment you stepped into that world. The depravity of humankind runs deep, so what you deem ‘extreme’ might be relatively tame compared to what you’ll encounter next. Trust me, my ten-year-old mind was never the same again after everything. Well, Piece isn’t entirely wrong in her observation about Battler. In a way, his desire to understand others is already the greatest factor. That also applies to how open and forgiving he is toward witches, considering his attempt to reach out to Bern as a friend near the end of Umineko. Alas, while he’s capable, that alone doesn’t mean he can form a harem of witches. This becomes clear when you see how ‘broken’ of a person Battler becomes by the end of the series. I would first commend that TRIS protagonist for their bravery and then scoff at their stupidity. There is no way in the Sea of Fragments they could ever win Featherine over with something like that. If they’re extremely lucky, she might simply ignore them for being uninteresting. If not, they will regret ever approaching that crazy woman in the first place. After all, there’s a reason even someone like Bern is wary of her. Since I already used the Fairy Eyes as a basis, we might as well consider that the Fool’s ability also works through eye contact. However, that doesn’t mean it loses functionality if something happens to his eyes. Even if he were to gouge them out, his empty sockets would still allow him to ‘see’ the truth of whoever he makes eye contact with. This exemplifies how deeply ingrained this ability is to his very existence. Of course, he could simply close his eyes to prevent activation, so he does have a degree of control over it. That said, can you truly close your eyes to the ‘truth’ once you’ve already seen it? “And they would consider dialogue worthless, and getting to know someone whose 'true essence' is ugly as a waste of time.” That, I believe, is more stereotypical of an ability of this nature, no? Those assumptions only work if you consider the Fool to be someone who ‘judges,’ like the Witch of Pride. In that end, he isn’t. The actual interpretation I’d like to go for when it comes to his struggle of having such an ability lies in the idea of him being blinded by the ‘truth’ itself. People are free to choose whichever path they take. And yet, what does that mean for someone who has only ever seen one thing throughout their life? To him, there is no uncertainty, only the cold and absolute truth. And in that certainty, he is trapped. When the world offers only one answer, can you still call it a choice? More importantly, what is his purpose in living such a life? As a result, the Fool is lost—so terribly lost that he wanders like a fool, which is, essentially, where his title also comes from. In that sense, how do you think one can find meaning through the ‘truth’ that blinds them, author-san?

It did happen that one time, so perhaps you forgot to hit the send button after you finished writing your message, author-san. I think you already gave me a similar explanation for that scene with Melanie, actually. Again, it’s just that the sequence of events feels really unsatisfying, if I were to describe my feelings upon seeing it for the first time. The reasoning is flimsy at best, and the execution leaves much to be desired. You could have at least remedied it later on by allowing Adam to have a moment of reflection on it, but the ‘you’ from back then had yet to emphasize the importance of details. That, in the end, is still the bane of good writing. The keyhole description you gave for Abigail just reminds me of certain ‘mangas’ I’ve read in the past that involve her… Regardless, I don’t think making her naughty should be the crucial component of writing a successful relationship for someone of Abigail’s archetype. In that sense, the importance lies in how you juggle her ‘innocent’ and ‘not-so-innocent’ nature, where she can be both the sweet little girl we’ve grown used to from canon and also a twisted priestess of an Outer God who knows many otherworldly secrets. I believe that is how you slowly change the perception of a character like Abigail into one that is viable for a relationship rather than simply preparing her for a lemon. Also, if you use the standard Japanese measurement for the height fitting of a lo**, Abigail would barely qualify when you realize she stands at 152 cm. Like, she’s actually 2 cm taller than Nero and is comparable in height to the average female Servant. That is actually plausible when you consider that she came from a fairly wealthy family for that time period, so she was likely well-fed and grew to a height fitting for a girl her age before the whole Witch Trial thing. I just thought this was a fun fact to tell you. “Be a witch Rizzler like Battler, understand them, and then make them fall for you?” You do realize that Beatrice’s attraction to Battler more or less stemmed from the fact that he unintentionally charmed that servant girl—who he didn’t even realize was his half-cousin—back in the past, right? Funny enough, if we consider Umineko solely from the perspective where fantasy doesn’t exist, then Battler’s happy ending with Beatrice is basically Yasu’s romance novel coming to life. But no, I don’t think he actually has rizz with witches, except for Beatrice, who was already down bad for him due to how she was created. If he did, things would have turned out very different, and probably not in a good way, when you consider that he had somehow rizzed up ones like Bern, Lambda, or Creator forbid, Featherine. Back to the topic of a Witch’s Heart, I suppose I need to approach it from another angle by addressing the Fool first. Tell me, what do you think life is like through the lens of someone who can only ever see the ‘truth’?

If you were talking about the reply to my message that starts with " I think the most important thing here is that you shouldn’t let your perception as a reader...", then I don't believe I've seen any, author-san. You might want to double check whether you've sent one or not. I actually thought you were busy with finals and didn't have time to chat, so I haven't considered this possibility. As a minor note, even if that message got shadowbanned, I can still see it by going to your profile, but I haven't seen any aside from your old replies and this one.

I think the most important thing here is that you shouldn’t let your perception as a reader shape your entire viewpoint when you’re also a writer, author-san. If I were to describe them, the reader’s side allows you to connect with what you see, while the author’s side compels you to view the world on a grander scale. One is emotional, while the other is neutral. It’s good to maintain a balance between both rather than letting one side completely cloud your judgment. In your case, your personal bias as a reader makes it difficult for you to write Abigail differently from how you’ve grown used to seeing her. As an aspiring writer striving to improve, that is quite the bottleneck you’ve encountered, which is why I advised you not to be too narrow-minded and to keep the door open for more possibilities. As I said, your dilemma with protagonists choosing the "normal" woman over the more ‘preferable’ waifu option depends entirely on how well the author justifies it. Strictly speaking, it’s essentially a game of convincing readers to accept something. If the author executes it well and the logic is clear, then you would at least reluctantly accept the MC’s choices, even if you don’t necessarily agree with them. If not, you’re left with both your preferences being denied and the author failing to provide a proper explanation, which is already a deal breaker for some people. Ultimately, in my opinion, what matters most is the explanation itself and how relevant the details are. An example that illustrates the point above is from your Honkai fic when Adam was in the RWBY world. From what I remembered, you basically threw in an off-screen lemon scene between Adam and Miltia (or Melania? Still not sure which twin) for no apparent reason. It came out of nowhere, and the explanation you gave me in the comments when I brought up the issue didn’t really help. On another note, there’s a question I’ve been pondering for quite some time: What do you believe is the true way to unlock the ‘heart’ of a witch, author-san? By "witch," I mean those as perceived in the context of Umineko and Re:Zero, considering how similar both of them are when it comes to witches in particular.