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Having done LPs of indie Visual Novels before, I know I sometimes felt like my work was underappreciated. In case you ever feel the same, I just want to say that I definitely appreciate it. The work you've put into this thread is impressive. It's interesting how the Norwegian story is almost exactly the same as one of the Greek stories you've talked about before. I mean, I know a lot of archetypal and thematic overlap is inevitable in myth, but the similiarities stretch all the way to plot points here. It also owns that there are versions from the Americas too. Cut off from the rest of the world for thousands of years, yet people still come up with similar but distinct ideas.
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Aug 10, 2017 20:20
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Cupid, Final Run << In this last run, we'll get to the 'secret' ending. To do this, we need to put pressure on our daughter, but not so much that she breaks. She's going to need a chance to see some good in others. We may criticize her, but don't necessarily think that everyone else is evil. It's more like we want to keep her apart from them, to protect both her and them. But probably also to keep her for ourselves. Once again, this will just be presented as the straight choices we made. The first ones are in the church. >>  But he is so very kind--  -Haven't you learned your lesson, idiot?! * -I fear for your safety *...  Can't I stay? -Alright. -No! *... -This is all your fault. * -My poor child. *... << At the afternoon party, we show concern for her, and a desire to keep her safe. We don't yet dislike Guilleme specifically. >> -Are you hungry, child? * -We must not linger. *... -He is the same as everyone. * -I do not care for him. ... -There are no more good people in the world, child. * -It is hard to say. *...  D-Don't you think I'm a good person, Mother? -Of course I do! * -Of course not! * ... -Didn't I tell you to leave? * -Didn't I tell you people are cruel? *... << As for Catherine, there was nothing wrong with her, but she was likely to take our daughter from us. We can't let that happen, since we know she needs our guidance. >> -She was nothing but selfish. * -She led you astray. *... -I am glad she is dead. * -I am glad you are back to me. *... -Remember the fear in Catherine's eyes in her last days? * -Look at how he is unperturbed by Catherine's death. *... <<Guilleme deserves punishment because it is the right thing to do. At the same time, we're developing a sense of dread about him.>>  Tell me what to do. -Justice. * -Retribution. *... -I knew it! * -We must get to the bottom of this. *... -Leave now while he is not looking, child. * -Just go in and ignore him, child.*... << She's grieving in the cemetery. To attack her now would be too unkind. >> -Console her.* -Scold her. *... << It's not Mother's choice, but to get the ending, Rosa needs to show love for Guilleme. But it's also actually important that she doesn't know too much about him. >> -Open it. * -Leave it alone. *... -Does Guilleme's presence upset you? * -Are you worried about Catherine now that he's here? *... -It is obvious he is never going to look at you. * -It is obvious she will abandon you. *... -Friendships do not last. * -Family is more important. *... <<We'd really like to keep our daughter to ourself. We aren't going to try to convince of what she doesn't believe, but it upsets us when she seems to be going in the wrong direction.>> -She is selfish just like everyone else. * -She is probably repulsed by you. *...  -You fancy him, don't you? * -You hate him, don't you? *... << It's also important that we never introduce the thought of violence to her. >> -Take the dagger first. * -Take the key first. *... << Here are the last few unlocked journal entries. I'm pretty sure I never saw these, because I think I'd remember them. The first one is early on, when Guilleme doesn't seem to quite know what he is ... or the effect he might have on others. >> quote:19 December --- << Later, he seems to still be fairly normal. >> quote:23rd April 1471 << This next one is near the end of the 15th century, just before he finds the little women on the farm.>> quote:---- << These unlocked endings suggest Guilleme indulged in a bit more depraved activity, before he got bored. >> quote:16th September 1508 quote:30th March 1515 quote:4th October 1521 << We do have to read the later part of his journal, so that our daughter understands his vulnerability. Once we've done that, we get the message that no more entries will be unlocked. >> Those were all the entries she could read. She closed the book. <<We'll be making a few new choices when it comes to Rosa's big decision, so I'll cut it here. >>
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Aug 18, 2017 19:39
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Final Run, Chapter 6 << Here's the whole decision sequence from the end of Chapter 6, presented in full as a reminder of the Agape route. Several of these choices we could have made before, but it didn't quite fit with the tone of the endings. So we're seeing them here for the first time. >>  The discovery of Guilleme's identity shook her to her core. But it also made her feel the burden of their years together. Perhaps the understanding of his pain as well.  Must we really do this, Mother? You still have doubts after everything you have learned? No... But-- This knowledge just makes me want to-- You stupid child. Can't you see it is what should be done? -Do it for the greater good! * -Do it for me! * You must do it for me! For my peace! ... Is it really? It is easy to say that.... But... What do you really want? -To destroy him, of course! * -To stop him from hurting more people. He must be stopped. If he will not stop, there will be more victims in the future. He has grown in pride and greed. There is no telling what he will do in the future. He is nothing but a monster, a rabid dog that must be put down. But is it really the right thing? Is death the only way to change him? -Yes, it is. * -Maybe not. * ... Maybe not. But must we risk it? He has become haughty and powerful. Soon enough, this power will drive him mad. Am I not like him, Mother? I am also... a monster. We are the same. -No, you are not! * -Yes, you are. * You are not a monster! I have raised you, guided you, and loved you enough. All my sacrifices were for you. To stop you from turning into something like him. Oh, I was always afraid. Always. Always. He may be a monster. But you are not. Because of me. Because of a mother's love for her child. ... Now that you know his true face, there is only one thing to do! ... ... ... No. No? I... I think he can change. Perhaps I might still be able to save him. -He will never change. * -He will not listen to you. You cannot change him, child! This is his nature. That kind of creature has no redemption! Yes, but isn't he a creature of love? So am I. Love, no matter how lonely and depraved, always gives all of itself. Only I can understand. Only I can save him. That is why I want to try. -So you are throwing all our efforts away? * -What do you intend to do? * The spell is in full effect! I cannot allow you to throw away all our efforts! It won't be for naught. I will light Agape and make him remember. -You are to do no such thing! -Will that even work?! * Disobedient, insolent child! You are not to do such a thing! And why not? -Because I say so! -Because you must do the right thing! Because I am your mother, and I will not be rebuked! Look at you. Ready to defy me, for him! I, who loved you and cared for you all this time! You ingrate! Trust in me, Mother. I will do the right thing. You? You?! What could you possibly hope to do, you dumb child?! You are ignorant, naive! Just a brainless, dangerously idealistic girl with her head up in books and fiction. There is no happy ending in this life, you worm! Oh, you bring me so much pain! I should have abandoned you years ago! You cannot hurt me any longer, Mother. I know that you love me. As such, I want to remember you as the one person who cared for me... You, who stayed with me despite my burden to your soul. Not the tainted woman who abused me. It is my fault you act this way. Your voice is my own insecurities and my own pain. Now, not anymore. How dare you degrade me into an apparition! I am real! Listen to me! You have called me a good person before. You believe in me, don't you, Mother? You have guided me well. Believe in me. Believe that I am doing the right thing. ... I love you so much. But I cannot follow all your wishes anymore. Let me make my own decisions from now on. -Scream at her. -Plead. * M-My darling... I-I know you are strong now. But please... Are you not going to avenge me? Wouldn't you do that for me...? Revenge? Is it really what you want? Will that give you the peace you seek? -Yes! * -...I don't know * ... What else-- I do not think revenge is what you really want. I don't know what you are talking about. You are a part of me, Mother. You are me. You simply crave punishment. You crave atonement. ... ... Is it not true? ... Darling... What will become of me now, without my role to guide you? I will save him, whether you allow me to or not.<< It's starting to dawn on us ... we're losing our daughter to someone else. >> -Why...? * -You love him, don't you? * W-Why are you making an effort to save him? After all that he has done-- Because I am all he has left. I know you hate him from the bottom of your heart. But I have already forgiven him. Like how I have already forgiven you. -How dare you... * -I understand... I cannot stop you from feeling this way, can I? ... I will try to save him from himself because that's what I'm supposed to do. Perhaps that is the reason why I was sent his way. I got to spend years with him and have memories of him. He taught me how to be strong. I was happy knowing him. It is more than I can ask. You do know that he does not feel the same way for you? He does not love you, child. Yes. That makes me better than him. Because I love him without asking for anything in return. A concept that has never yet crossed his mind. -Stop! -S-So be it...* S-So be it. Just know that he is powerful and full of pride. He will not take kindly to being bound by magic. We can only hope, Mother. -I don't trust him. * -Please, take care of yourself. * I am always here in your memories, my dear. Whatever happens. Please take care of yourself. Thank you, Mother. My beautiful daughter.<< Perhaps the most important step to get this ending ... is that we need to let her go completely. >> -I love you. * -Goodbye.
Kangra fucked around with this message at 17:50 on Aug 22, 2017 |
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Aug 22, 2017 17:47
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Are all these choices always available or did some of them only unlock in this path?
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Aug 24, 2017 03:34
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I'm fairly sure all of those choices are reachable in other paths. It was only that last decision that locked us into the ending. I believe if you miss there or in a few other points, you'd get Ending 2 (the first one we saw). Requirements for this ending: Never be a 'bad' mother (pick the nicer options, call her a good person and not a monster). Via hints/choices, ensure that Rosa is in love with Guilleme. Allow her to think that Guilleme does not need to be killed .. this includes making sure she never gets a weapon. However, also say that you think he will never change (to some extent I think part of the ending is pushing her away, so that she ends up rejecting Mother). Do not open the locket. Read 'more' of the journal (to discover that Guilleme may want/be able to change). Be accepting at the end, particularly by making the choices "So be it -> Please, take care -> Goodbye." Things that don't matter: Our 'primary purpose' (since we're going to be cut out of the ending anyway). What we think of Catherine. Whether family or friends are more important (since the locket never gets opened). Kangra fucked around with this message at 18:52 on Aug 25, 2017 |
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Aug 24, 2017 07:36
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Final Run, Chapter 8 << This picks up in the middle of Chapter 8, after Rosa confronts him and he drops the facade. This starts out about the same as in our first run; the primary difference this time is the locket was not opened, so we don't see Guilleme treating Rosa as 'family'. Even though much of this isn't exclusive to this ending, it's here to see how it leads up to it. The secret end proper starts right about when Mother is definitively unresponsive. >>  Always, the love of self is first, Rosa. I don't take it personally.  Don't you ever get tired of justifying your hunger? So, Catherine wasn't perfect, yet you simply pass the blame. All just excuses! The truth is, you just don't want to stop, do you? You're no god. No higher being. You're nothing but a common vampire! A monster!Guilleme's face twitched.  Feeding on the love of the people who love you? You must know how wrong that is--Guilleme's fist shook visibly, but he kept his smile. His voice remained pleasant and calm.  So you compare me to storybook monsters now, Rosa? How insulting. But yes. Wouldn't it be easier if I dined on blood or flesh? Something tangible, perhaps. Something physical. Things would've been so much simpler. After all, if I drank blood, I wouldn't have to tangle with their lives.He turned to Rosa, his eyes burning and she could feel the heat in his stare.  I wouldn't have to be sane.Guilleme's voice shook with anger. She flinched.  You self-righteous minstrel, how dare you talk to me about guilt! How dare you call me a monster! You chastise me, singing songs of praise for the greater good. Have you ever tasted your own betrayal on the lips of the person you love? Do you know what it's like to strangle hope with your own hands? ... I look into their eyes and see them die from the inside out. Am I worth it? Am I worth all their lives? Never! But I do it again and again. Again and again. Just for the right to exist. You read my journal and act like you know me. You know nothing! I wish I was a monster-- Maybe then, I wouldn't have to feel! ...The silence reigned between the two of them.  He forced his lips into a placated grin. P-Pardon me... I... I didn't mean to shout.He took a deep breath and refused to speak again. Rosa buried her face in her hands. He was right. She had come here with an overestimation of herself. Her ethics were the cries of a child. How could he listen to someone immersed only in her own tender ideals? If she wanted to help him, she had to know his pain. But what could she say? Her mind struggled with the words. They all sounded artificial in her head. All she could do was hold out her hand to reach him, couldn't she? She could offer him hope; a little warmth away from the chunk of ice beating inside of him. She approached him, tentatively.  I-I'm sorry... I shouldn't have spoken such hateful words-- But, don't you see? You don't have to endure this pain anymore. I am offering you a different path, Guilleme. Let me help you... ...He didn't speak, nor move. Rosa held on to the pain she saw in his eyes a moment ago. It was her only hope... But if there ever was a trace of it in his face, it had flitted away before it took substance.  Spider Eyes by Kevin MacLeod Then his laughter filled the room; cold, bitter laughter that chilled her skin into a shiver. Rosa drew her hand away in fear.  You really don't get it, do you? I meant to say, that is what makes it substantive. It is... precious. W-What? Make no mistake, I endure all this not for something as silly or disposable as blood. Love. Love is worth all the pain. The best wine tastes like the dirt from which it was exalted.Rosa's mouth dropped in horror. She stepped away from him. A cold shiver passed her spine. No. No...!  No... Guilleme!She stared at him, grasping at the flicker of hope that came as fast as it went.  Both ruler and prisoner, both exalted and doomed.  He wanted to get out. Rosa thought she saw light in his darkness. A hand reaching out to be saved. SFX: Glass breaking  ...Where was this hope? ...It was... ...gone. Had it ever been there at all? ...Or did her desire to help him trick her into seeing what she wanted to see? Rosa bit her lip to steel herself. ... Oh, don't look at me like that. I had the same morals as you when I was younger. But time smoothes out our rough ideologies. ... I-I was wrong. I thought I could still save you-- You are quite full of yourself if you think you can save people.Guilleme took a step towards her, and Rosa's throat closed up. Get away from me. I'm not going to hurt you, Rosa. If you wish to debate philosophy further, we can do so for a thousand more years. But aren't we ignoring the single, most potent truth? We found each other. So many souls running around this earth and we actually managed to meet. Do you realize how momentous this is? I can give you love, Rosa. Forget Catherine or your Mother. They are remnants of a bitter past. How long are you going to hang on to their memories, anyway? Don't look so troubled, my darling. Enough of such moody, sentimental topics. They bore me. Instead, why don't we start thinking about possibilities? Guilleme, please...She was still bent on changing his mind, but Guilleme could tell her resolve had all but fizzled out. Oh, again? You still haven't given up? I'll admit, you have some spirit. It's admirable that you'd go to such lengths for me. I mean it when I say I'm honored. But you are so naive. Tragedy is everybody's friend, Rosa. If you stay with him too long, his smell will linger on your skin. I don't care much for tragedies myself. I am more interested in opportunities. And what we have right now is a dawning. A beginning.Guilleme stepped closer to Rosa, touching her cheek with his palm.  ... Aren't you glad you found me? ... You're not alone anymore. You don't have to hide and cower, to subject yourself to the motions of this cruel life. Enough of this fascination for glorified sacrifice. ... Come with me.Rosa stared up at him. …What? Come with me, Rosa.He repeated his words with a cheerful smile. Let us leave this place and go far away! Start over. Doesn't that sound grand? ... It's about time you let go of the bad memories and face something new. Don't you think you owe yourself that much? And what of the victims you will continue to take, Guilleme? What about them? What about them? I care little for strangers. It is you I want to make happy, Rosa. Please let me. I need you, as much as you need me. ... M-Mother...? I need you right now. Please let me hear your voice.She struggled with the pain in her heart. She was freefalling. To hear her Mother's voice... She had always been the ground she stood on. Both the pain on her bare feet, and a place to stand. Whether she walked or chose to fly, that ground would be there when she landed. Such was the role of family.  "Snowdrop" by Kevin MacLeod<< This is the same piece that played when Guilleme wakes from his dream, but this is the only time it shows up in an ending. >> ... ...Rosa wiped her tears. He was right. She was alone now. Mother had left her. Whether for good or ill, she was not sure. This was her choice, wasn't it? But the thought of being alone out in the world scared her. Where would she go? How would she even begin? She felt vulnerable.  A new beginning. It was almost too good to be true. She stared at Guilleme's outstretched hand. Almost at once, she understood what he meant.  Love Have you heard the rumor about Love? It is never pure.He only wanted her for his benefit. That was fine. It was mutual. Who was to say this wasn't love, no matter how twisted? Two broken people existing together, edges cutting skin as they drew close. It sounded pathetic. Desperate. Foolish. But what was it really? The world was less lonelier, less empty. That, alone, was worth everything. Kangra fucked around with this message at 18:48 on Aug 25, 2017 |
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Aug 25, 2017 18:45
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Final Run The sea of despair engulfs unwanted, jettison hearts. We struggle with the weight of our existence tied to our ankles. Without anything to cling on to, We drown in its cold embrace, pondering our own solitude.  She took his hand. Guilleme smiled as Rosa sighed in submission. He pulled her into a hug, and Rosa let his warmth fill the gaps of her lonely, confused heart. He terrified her. He was hideous. She shone a light at his true face and saw the monster hiding behind the shadows. Yet in her fear, she was also helplessly captivated. His arms were comforting. His heartbeat soothed her own. It thumped in time with hers. ... She could still change him, right? She stared into his eyes. He would be lost without her. Wasn't she the only one who could help him? Then she had to try... A tiny voice screamed its protests. For how long? To what ends? What is my bargain? But then, Guilleme kissed her. The doubts stopped, muffled by the bloodrush as their lips touched. Instantly, a sweet taste exploded in her mouth. Oh.  It was... toxic. The sweetest poison. Rosa pulled away in fear. Guilleme... I-I... I don't want to feed. I will not feed from other people. Then don't.Guilleme pushed a strand of hair away from her face. I won't force you. But to survive, you have to learn to feed from me. ... One step at a time. W-What if I hurt you?He grinned. I have a lot of love to give.Rosa averted her face. ... P-Please stop hurting people, Guilleme.It was not an opinion anymore, but a request. She expected to be turned down again, but Guilleme appeared to ponder it. Rosa looked up at him. ... You managed to make a more appealing offer after all. ... ... Alright. I shall do it. R-Really...? As long as you are with me, I will do whatever you wish. I need time to get used to it, however. ... Don't worry... Now that I have you, I won't have to feed to the point that a person is sucked dry. I will take only what I need. Does that console you?Rosa closed her eye and sighed. ... Do you promise? Do you promise not to take more than what is needed? Of course! Anything for you, Rosa.He grinned at her easily. A nervous pang of doubt churned in her stomach once again. Rosa hesitated. Guilleme held her face in his hands and looked deep into her eye. Rosa. You don't know how much I appreciate you. I have been alone for so long... But now, I know where I belong. I belong with you.He said this earnestly. His face emanated genuine bliss, like that of an innocent child's. His thumb caressed her cheek. To know that she was the cause of this happiness struck her with ecstasy.  At that moment, she knew she would believe anything he said.  ...As do I... ... Guilleme... ....I... I have always...Guilleme pushed her against the wall into a deeper kiss, their bodies moving closer. His hand slid down her waist. It made the hairs on her neck stand up. It was rougher this time, the taste a little stronger.  She felt simultaneously weak and alive. An ebb and a flow. A push and a pull. A waltz. They were feeding on each other. The activity was draining but maddeningly euphoric. Guilleme pulled back, both their breaths laboured and heavy. Blood dashed to his face. His ears were hot. His lower lip trembled. He clutched his chest in surprise to find his heart racing. What a curious sensation. He had never wanted anything so desperately in his life. Guilleme caressed Rosa's face in utter devotion.  You... You are... exquisite.His warm breath was on her ear, low and barely audible.  ...Thank you... ...For existing.The candle lost the last of its light, plunging the room into darkness. Two figures in the shadows entwined and melted into each other like wax.  << Before the final event summary screen, we also get a message saying "You have unlocked the secret end. Good for you!" >> 
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Aug 28, 2017 17:15
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This ending is all kinds of  , but I do really like this line.I'm glad they made this a secret ending. Giving this story a standard romance VN ending seems very unthematic, and the writer probably realized that.
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Aug 28, 2017 17:48
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Bonus Material There are a few things on the bonus screen that are available at some point (I don't know when they unlock, other than the first one listed here). This includes a few production notes and some extra story bits, but also some silliness too. I'll be summarizing most of them in this post, and add on my last 'informative' section on Cupid himself. One more update will follow after this, in which we'll see what's really in Gilly's diary. Finishing the secret ending unlocks some secrets about Mother throughout the game. I don't know if I've found every bit of them, since they're spread across the routes, but here's a few of the details that I've gathered: * Guilleme was known as 'Florian' when Mother knew him. She and he were lovers, and lived at the 'Hacienda de Puzo', so she's presumably Spanish. * There was a fire at the house and Mother was apparently burned in it [she probably didn't die, unless the raising of Rosa is wildly different from what we saw]. She also was able to wound him somehow, possibly because she hated him at the moment he expected her to still love him. It's not a pleasant memory for him. * We already knew from the hints about 'life before Mother', but it seems clearer that she is merely using Rosa, and not her actual mother. There was possibly going to be a short prequel game based on this story, but it doesn't seem to have gone anywhere, and the company has moved on to other projects. The Epilogue There is bonus story set in apparently modern times. It's all told in dialogue, and to be honest feels more like a sketch of another story than anything really connected to this one. Guilleme meets up with an old bandmate (and maybe sometime lover) named Nathan who he hasn't seen in years. Nathan's wife has recently left him and their kid. Guilleme in modern times seems to be a pop idol, and from the sound of things he occasionally drains one of his fans to keep himself fed. With the topic of divorce and single life on the table, the question of what love is comes up. After a bit of dodging the question, Guilleme eventually does come up with this, which is probably the most interesting bit from the story: quote:Love is... the reason why humans are what they are. Not fear. Never fear. Otherwise, we would've been extinct eons ago. Love makes us idiots... but it also enriches us and makes us more than what we are. I thought it's what made humans weak, but the contrary is true. Nothing is stronger than something that can change and adapt. The true kind of love will hurt and change us, for better or worse. Otherwise, there's no point. As for the fate of Rosa, Guilleme mentions that he does have a daughter, and he doesn't know where she is know — "probably with her mother". He also says he's bound to run into at some point or another. The story ends with Guilleme taking Nathan home, probably to feed on him. Who is Guilleme? The production notes mention that the idea of the story came from the thought of inverting the romance novel, and specifically making Cupid be the 'bad guy'. It's also influenced by the idea of Cupid being predatory, since he after all does go around shooting a bow at people. Nonetheless, it is pointed out that Guilleme is not the Cupid, but a Cupid. They aren't supposed to be vampires, or any specific traditional creature, but merely beings that both feed on love and inspire it. It appears that Rosa and Guilleme are likely the only of their kind, however, as male and female counterparts — one innocent, the other manipulative. The developer mentions some 'early myths' in which Cupid and Venus are lovers, which I suppose suggests Mother may also be his mother, too. The story of Psyche and Cupid is also explicitly mentioned as an inspiration. Who is Cupid? The modern interpretation of Cupid is of a cherubic and mischievous fellow who goes around shooting arrows that cause love, or at least desire. He chooses targets capriciously and seems happy to see people in love, even when (as often happens) the arrow ends up going in the wrong direction. This version of Cupid as a 'putto' (boy baby) became solidified some time in the Renaissance. This was due to a revival of classical figures in artwork, as Cupid had been associated with the image of a boy child since Roman times. Prior to that he had been more of a handsome youth, and occasionally he is still portrayed that way, especially in works depicting specific myths, such as that of Cupid and Psyche. That mainly defines his appearance, but not his personality. I've already written about Psyche and Cupid, which is one source for how the god was treated in his time. Ovid's Metamorphoses is another major work which describes Cupid as shooting arrows to inspire love. In this period, he acts more like a (young) adult than a child. His tradition goes back deeper, of course, to the Greek god Eros, of which Cupid is the Roman counterpart. Both Cupid and Eros are the god of love, although both the Greeks and the Romans held the goddess (Venus/Aphrodite) to be the superior in this realm. There are actually at least two versions of Eros that are quite different from each other. The much older version of Eros has him as one of the earliest gods, with varying parentage. He is associated with growth and fertility but also with the madness and disruption that love can bring about. The younger Eros is the one we're more familiar with - he is invariably the son of Aphrodite, and tends to be more playful and less terrifying than the earlier form. Another influence on the modern Cupid was his association with the Erotes (Latin Cupides). The Erotes are small winged figures, usually shown as the attendants of Aphrodite. Eros is typically named as one of them, but he is often paired with Himeros ('desire'). The third one that is named, Pothos ('lust') may also appear, but the Erotes eventually became a group of nameless figures associated with love. There is a counterpart to them, the 'Psychai' which are shown as small butterfly-winged girls; they often depict the soul and are also paired with Eros in some artwork. As for the developer's mention of Cupid and Venus being lovers in some myths, I'm not certain that there is a specific Roman or Greek story involving this (which is in a way surprising given everything else that goes on in the pantheon). However, like many gods and goddesses, these figures can be traced back into earlier traditions, and many of these religions seem to have borrowed from similar sources. For instance, in Hinduism, the deity representing love or desire (Kama) is also depicted as a handsome young man, and he too shoots arrows that inspire love in those who are hit by them. With an expanded view of who 'Cupid' and 'Venus' are, they might indeed be considered to have been united as lovers in some other culture. One story that we do have of Venus being in love is her relationship with Adonis. Adonis in some ways resembles Cupid (he is a handsome youth), and according to tradition he is also a child of an incestuous relationship. The myth has several versions. In all of them, Adonis has either died or is being held in the underworld. Venus negotiates for his return to the world of the living, but he is only able to be with her for half of the year, and spends the rest in the dark underworld. This myth would seem to represent the cycle of the seasons, especially as related to growing crops, and the story echoes a myth that goes back as far as the Sumerians. In that culture the two lovers are Inanna (a powerful goddess of love and desire) and Dumuzid (a fertility god). There are several stories about the two, but one in particular has her wander the land of the dead and then Dumuzid ending up stuck there for part of the year. Inanna is also identified with the goddess Ishtar later, and Dumuzid with the Babylonian Tammuz. There is also a potential connection of this story to that of Isis and Osiris in Egypt. When these figures were worshipped as gods, even then they did not always have a consistent depiction -- every new era and author reflected changes in perception. As cultures met with each other they also borrowed ideas about what their gods represented and how they might have behaved. Thus it is with Cupid, whether you want to trace him back to a particular god of love or not. That this figure has persisted in popular culture to a greater extent than most of the older gods is certainly a testament to something that has remained true for thousands of years: Love and desire are never something you feel you can control or understand, but always seem to come to you as if from somewhere (or someone) else -- but you suspect that even if there is some person behind it, even they don't really have control of the thing either. Additional reading/sources Putti: http://www.loggia.com/art/renaissance/putti.html Erotes: http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Erotes.html Pictures (from Pompeii) of Cupides and Psychai: http://www.pompeiiinpictures.com/pompeiiinpictures/R6/6%2015%2001%20cupids%20p3.htm Venus and Adonis (Ovid): http://classics.mit.edu/Ovid/metam.10.tenth.html Discussion of Dumuzid and the possible connection to Adonis: http://www.argonauts-book.com/inanna-and-dumuzi.html Sumerian texts on Dumuzid and Inanna: http://etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk/cgi-bin/etcsl.cgi?text=c.1.4* Kangra fucked around with this message at 07:51 on Oct 28, 2017 |
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Oct 28, 2017 07:34
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Bonus Update: Guilleme's Journal << All of these are on the library background, but only the pages are important. >> "Sneaky Snitch" by Kevin MacLeod  ... ..... Uh... Well, he is kind of a manslut, isn't he? Why is he offended? ... ... Tap dancing...  ...Rosa touched her hair on impulse. I think he's right. Your hair and skin are so dry! You're too stressed and you always sleep so late. You should get more fluids in you. Moooom... Oh, sorry dear. ... God drat it, Gilly. I am not weird! And I do not hide behind curtains! He makes it sound like I'm stalking him! That pompous asswipe! Well... you do have his picture on your-- STOP! MOM. Stop. ... Just sayin'. ... Princess Sparkles... ... The classy penis... ... There is something very wrong with that boy. ...  ...  That's it! I am killing that guy! It was one time his briefs got mixed up with my laundry. And I'm branded for life! I am going to kick that-- ... Calm down, honey. Sorry, sorry.  He stole my diary?! That little manwhore! I am going to fry his rear end! Uh... did you forget that you also stole his? And a good thing too! He's asleep!An idea was forming in her mind. Rosa snapped the book shut and dragged her feet along the floor.  That doofus is sleeping right now. I'm sure Cath is up for a prank!SFX: Camera shutter  << And that's finally it. Thanks for reading, everyone. >>
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Nov 1, 2017 19:05
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 What. What.
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Nov 1, 2017 19:20
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Man, this was so good, even though I already played the game myself. Thank you for the big effort posts about this little gem.
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Nov 1, 2017 19:39
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What the... I don't even! WHAT?!
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Nov 1, 2017 22:33
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Is that actually in the game?
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Nov 2, 2017 00:36
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ultrafilter posted:Is that actually in the game? it's in the bonus section as 'extra end'. it is the only part presented in a similar way to the game itself.
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Nov 2, 2017 14:26
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