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SIGSEGV
Nov 4, 2010


I wonder how dangerous that new position really is, last guy made it into standing on a landmine, but maybe it hasn't got to be that.

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Clarste
Apr 15, 2013

Just how many mistakes have you suffered on the way here?

An uncountable number, to be sure.
Welcome back. One more.



Drifting in the Wind

quote:

Young Centaurea is trying to find where her life will lead her, but as the years go by and she becomes more experienced, she realizes she never had the right to choose, and all she can do is drift about in the currents of time.
Music.



My life as a student has come to an end... I, Centaurea, am at a crossroads, about to decide the direction of my life.

So her name is Centaurea. While my first thought was, of course, 'horse pun,' I am informed that this is the name of a flower. I'm not exactly a flower person, sorry.

There are many options available to students after graduation in Kazimierz. One could head to the job fairs the big companies hold every year and compete against all the talented graduates for backbreaking work that pays little. One could also enlist in the military and go through an entire year of hellish training, and then spend one's days on the borders praying that war doesn't break out.



Oh, of course, there is the option of working for the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi, with a bright future ahead of you, but I'm not interested in a career like that one bit. That's why...



Miss Centaurea, would you be interested trying out for my company's knight preliminaries?



...when the Rose Paper Union man handed me his business card, I took it right away, trading pleasantries with a surprised expression on my face.

A knight. Here in Kazimierz, who wouldn't want to be a knight? Who wouldn't want to bask in the fame and glory, and revel in the wealth while millions of fans sing their praises? Of course, there are scandals about knights every now and then, and there's even been knights who dropped off the face of the world overnight, but what does that have to do with me? I'm one of the finest archers there is, and I'm pretty hot too. Most importantly, I'm willing to follow the company's orders.

And so modest too.



If I could become a knight, even if I didn't win fights, I could still be an idol in the Eszeweria Knightclub or something, sing and dance, rake in some money while I'm young, and retire early. That wouldn't be so bad.

That's basically what they offered Maria, huh.

----



In the end, I got second place in Rose Paper's knight prelims that year, and I landed myself the contract of my dreams. As for the one who got first place? It was a blond man who stank of sunshine... How do I put it? He's the perfect Kazimierz ideal of the Kuranta. He comes from a pretty decent background too. Maybe Rose picked him to be their champion up front. Even if not, it would've been tough to beat him in the large-scale prelims At least, I didn't stand a chance in the polls.

Oh well, no reason to complain about that. There's a long road ahead. Who knows? I might get my knight title before him.

----



Rest easy, Miss Centaurea. You'll get a title this time. I've already confirmed with headquarters. Right now, out of all the contracted independent knights, you have the highest priority. You might get a little less matches than before, but we'll arrange for you to get more media time. Just wait a few months. Once you get your title, you'll be the foremost titled knight of your class at Rose.



Hm, alright. Thanks.

It wasn't my first time hearing an empty promise like that. A bright future, shining stars, full support of the Rose Paper Union... They get all caught up in their own illusions there. No managed independent knight would take their word for anything.



Well, this manager's a nice fella. He's industrious, and he jumps through hoops for me. To tell the truth, though. I'm getting tired of this knight business.

In case you hadn't noticed, this story is mostly Centaurea monologuing, so you'll have to make do with all the subtle changes in her expression.



Before I even got my title, I'm hitting all the ugly problems a proper knight could possibly come across in her career. Being told to throw matches is probably the most basic one. Aside from the part where I had to make the loss look legit, it wasn't as rough as the other ones. At least nobody has figured it out yet, or else I'd lose my knight qualifications. Having to deal with the made up scandals and the match arrangements that change at any moment for no reason, though. That's really wearing me out.



Do I really have to be running errands like that just because I'm a seed for this year's independent knights? What are knights anyway? A product? You pay for them and you get your goods? That simple? Then what about me?

......



The only good news I've had recently, if it can be called that, is that my application for a title finally made it through the Court. Ahh... my long career as an independent knight is finally coming to an end. Soon, I'll have my own title and crest. I'll be on all the billboards soon after that. No one's ever been eliminated at this point. Which means... I can probably expect to get my title after this match, and finally become a real knight.

But, well, the fate of 'Independent Knight Centaurea' in this match is sealed—I'll lose.

*Sigh*...

Because of the rigged match she just agreed to. In case that wasn't clear.

----



What's the deal with that Kuranta today? I was already pretending to be exhausted, even signaled to the referee that I was out, but he kept attacking. Some kind of victor's spoils? He knew he was gonna win and he still treated me like a pet fowlbeast, chasing me all over the arena just to humiliate me. If... If I didn't have to pretend I was hurt, then I'd have—



...I guess Dad was right. Getting humiliated in the arena is part of being a knight. Like, if you won't be humiliated, you've only got two choices. You beat everyone down, legit, under the rules—or you disappear without a trace after showing up on the news.

----

Music stops.



The Rose Paper Union is putting all its independent knights on a variety show today. The Union rented a whole competition arena to film the show, and even invited a few popular titled knights on as guests. But right before the rehearsal, a few uninvited guests paid us a visit.



They dragged all the knights into the corner and interrogated us one by one. Chewed out by the Armorless Union, the knights all withered away in fear of drawing their attention. Even the bad tempered knights weren't as mouthy as usual. They kept their heads low and followed the Union men's every word, cooperating fully with their investigations.

These were the Knight-Assassins. After a few of the knights had breakdowns, a few others blurted out some juicy tips, the Armorless Union took one knight away with them. As for the show, we ended up starting after a four hour delay.

The Armorless Union guy leaves.



What happened to the knight that got taken away? No idea. Nobody ever heard anything about him again.

----

Music.



Not long after that incident, I get a phone call. *ring* *ring*.

Phew... Hello.
Good afternoon, Independent Knight Centaurea. Congratulations on your forthcoming title.



I have no idea how you got my number, but if you're calling about business, talk to my manager. Thanks.
It doesn't sound like you are very fond of your job. I can hear the exhaustion. I can offer you a job that's far more suitable. You only need to pass a simple test, and the job will be yours.

While I'm still being confused and hesitant, the man on the other end of the terminal keep going.

The arena's too small for you, isn't it? By the time you release your bowstring, the arrow has already made it to the other end of the arena. With the job I'm offering, you will find the salary as satisfactory as that you've received as a knight, and you will also have much more freedom. If you like, Miss Centaurea, your arrows could pierce even the night skies of the Grand Knight Territory. I await your reply.

As soon as he hung up, I received an address on my terminal. I don't know what to expect, or what they are going to test, but... 'If you like, Miss Centaurea, your arrows could pierce even the night skies of the Grand Knight Territory.'



Sounds better than shooting commercials.

----



I made my way to the address. A flower shop. When the owner noticed me, he hands me a bouquet. The bouquet has a note. Another address along with some information and a name. It's the name of my last opponent. The bad-mannered Kuranta. There's also an arrow hidden inside the bouquet. A military-grade, rhombus-shaped arrow. No manufacturer or serial number listed.

If I'm allowed to see all this, I must already have this organization's trust, if only a bit. But it also means I have no actual choice.



Could I go back and be a regular knight after getting 'their' invitation? It's either completing their test or showing up in the next day's newspapers.



I can already imagine the headlines—'Independent Knight Centaurea Dies at Home in Freak Accident.' Hmph, no real choice at all...

----



I don't like to kill, but, right now, I have lots of reasons to do in this guy. That guy enjoying his massage chair in front of his floor to ceiling window.

Okay, so maybe he deserves it a LITTLE.

Maybe it's to calm me down, but the data lists every last detail about this independent knight— He was paid to pull out of the fight. But he wasn't happy with his company's arrangement, so he beat down the opponent in the arena and humiliated the company director. Normally, one of those transgressions would've been enough for a court to sentence him, but, because of his name, no one dares. No one wants to get on the bad side of an old, prestigious family. I guess that's why Kazimierz needs Knight-Assassins.



I think to myself, hold my breath and concentrate, pulling back my bowstring—

Thwip.

The arrow draws an arc in the air and bores through the window, his forehead, and his massage chair, before burying itself in the expensive hardwood floor. If we faced each other in the arena, I'm sure a knight like him would have taken a long time to bring down. I would've had to figure out how to pierce his armor, I would've had to throw in lots of flashy moves to please the crowd. But this way?

I just have to nock my arrow and pull back the string— And bam.

...The chair is still giving him his massage, but he'll never get up out of it again.

*ring* *ring*.



Hello.
Wonderful work, Miss Centaurea. You masterfully gathered your intel and picked the finest vantage point from which to carry out your mission. Superb execution, considering your age and talents. From here on out, you are part of the Armorless Union. We've concluded our negotiations with the Rose Paper Union too. They agreed to terminate your contract, and you will receive a mental health compensation payout. Please come to the General Chamber of Commerce's headquarters tomorrow morning. Someone will meet you there for the follow-up arrangements.



Alright. So what should I call you?
...You may call me— Platinum.

----

Music.



That's the kind of place Kazimierz is. Though she had a bright future ahead of her, Independent Knight Centaurea ended up serving under Platinum of the Armorless Union, after taking a phone call and passing a test. It's also thanks to him that my archery is getting better. Compared to the short-range, rapid firing I had to do in the arena, I'm much better suited to long-range sniping. Maybe that's why Platinum asked me to join the Armorless Union. But he also taught me a lot of things I never thought about before. Management, leadership, staffing, and command.



Hmm... maybe he's trying to develop my leadership skills, training me to work in management? I guess it wouldn't be so bad to sit in an office and boss people around, without dirtying my own hands.

----



After three months, the people have long forgotten there was ever an independent knight called Centaurea. Her manager has already been reassigned to other knights who made it through the preliminaries. Her fans turned their eyes to the luster of other knights. Even the girl who was once her greatest fan, the girl who once camped outside her door every single day just to catch a glimpse of her, already joined another knight's fan club. Even when they walked past each other, it seemed like the girl didn't recognize the woman who had once been her idol. It was as though she never existed.



Forgotten so soon after shining so brightly. Maybe that's the fate of all knights.



But being in the Armorless Union is different. They hold a knight's life and death in their hands. Even the most prideful knights are afraid to speak up before them.

Assassins rule, knights drool.

That is, as long as we don't mess up the jobs the bosses hand down to us. After all... K.G.C.C.'s directors don't like seeing the words 'mission failed' on their reports. And if we do screw it up, even Platinum himself gets an earful.

----



Spokesman: That's how the Armorless Union works?

......
I'm sure I was clear that there's nothing more important than intel!

The spokesman on the phone is now a ? for convenience.

I don't care whether that knight's dead or alive, but you let him send out top secret intel?



......
'The target planted fake transmitters to deceive our assets and hid a miniature transmitter with his body, allowing it to send out information'? You couldn't have been more careless, could you? You took care of the guy, but what about the problem?! Have you taken care of my problem?!
(Purses lips)
(Looks at Platinum)

The spokesman has been yelling at us for over an hour already. It makes me wonder just where a big shot finds so much time to waste yelling at people. Or he just wants to waste his precious time talking down to his contractors?

...But he can yell however he wants. There's something else here that has piqued my interest. From beginning to end, Platinum hasn't shown even the slightest interest in arguing or defending himself. That's not the Platinum I know. At the very least, he's definitely not patient enough to put up with the same man yelling at him for so long. If Platinum was really ticked off, the frail, fancy-pants office worker wouldn't be breathing right now. But he managed to bear with it. Not only is he swallowing his pride, he's doing his best to play at obedience. And all because the man in front of him is a spokesman, and a member of the K.G.C.C.

The little conference of admonishment lasted 1 hour, 36 minutes, and 28.36 seconds. The parties in attendance included the spokesman, an office clerk, Platinum, me, and seven other Armorless Union members. He was the only one who talked during the whole meeting. As for us, well, it didn't seem like we even had permission to speak.



That was the day I finally figured it out. Both the knights and the Armorless Union are just employees of the General Chamber of Commerce. We're nothing different compared to the guys who sit in the office, yawn, and type away at their documents, making phone calls. The only difference is that our work is much harder and we get paid more. That's really the only thing that separates us.

*Sigh*...

Assassins... don't rule...?

----

Music.



It was a regular rainy night when the Lazurite paid me a visit after I'd taken care of a knight.



My little pegasus, I'm looking for Platinum. Have you seen him?
My master's out on a mission right now, Lazurite.
Haha, is he now? What sort of mission?
He didn't tell me.
Then did he tell you he had doubts about this mission?



No, he didn't, but I kind of sensed it.
...You're an honest one, little pegasus. Well, since you shared what you know about Platinum with me, let me tell you what I know as well. 'Platinum' is dead. On the path of betrayal, even.



!
......

I knew that he felt something for his target. But I never expected him to give his life for hers.

You see, it would be very inconvenient for this position to go unfilled, both for me, the Darksteels, and the General Chamber of Commerce directors. How about this, little pegasus? Why don't you be the next Platinum?



Put on the spot like that, I can't knee-jerk an answer. If I say yes, is Lazurite going to spare my life? If I say no, am I going to die? All I can do is stand there and mutter incoherent words. I'm just not brave enough to answer him. Even though I'm Platinum's student, and I might be able to succeed him just fine, I'm not his only student. Besides, if Platinum just betrayed them, how does it make sense to have his student become the new Platinum? Not to mention the more senior Armorless Union members. Technical skill or command, they're way more capable than me.

Why me? Why me, of all people?

Seeing me standing here like an idiot, Lazurite chuckles a little, and shoves a badge into my hand—the symbol of 'Platinum.'



Silence means yes. Do your new job well, Platinum.

He leaves.



And then he leaves. And there's Centaurea, who is now Platinum, with a knight lying there on the ground.

----



It wasn't until I became Platinum that I understood how hard things were for him. Every day, the K.G.C.C.'s directors dish out difficult assignments to the Armorless Union. The Lazurites take care of the top priority missions themselves, while Platinum has to both assist the Lazurites and assign hands to take care of the directors' other problems. Platinum has to manage, command, and take to the field personally. There's no more tiring job in Kazimierz.



Thankfully, everything he taught me came in handy. After I made a few mistakes and got yelled at by the spokespeople a few times, I started to get the hang of things, and, just barely, I'm finally a decent Platinum. If I could quit, I would hand in my resignation to the K.G.C.C. the first opportunity I got. With so much responsibility and risk, plus how exhausting it is, who'd want a job like this?



But, you know, I don't have a choice here.

*Sigh*...

----

A phone buzzes.



One thing that sucks about being Platinum... You never know when you'll get a call from the K.G.C.C. From their headquarters in the center of the Grand Knight Territory... to the edges of the nomadic city, at the plates' bridging points. It's like a ghost that wanders the city. You can always find a poor soul called Platinum wherever you are. You just dial her number, have her take the call and make her listen to the K.G.C.C.



And Platinum can't refuse whatever it is they want. Which is why—

She picks up.

Go ahead.
Hello, Platinum. We have a secret mission for you. Please see to it immediately.
Hmph... Go ahead.
We want you to make sure that Glorious Shield Industries' Chairman doesn't attend the General Chamber of Commerce's board meeting tomorrow.



Y-You mean...?
Right, and we would prefer that he has no more involvement in Glorious Shield Industries' affairs in the future.
I don't think I'm allowed to go after someone that high up.
This mission was originally meant for the Lazurites, but they recommended you for the job. That's why your phone rang. Here is the mission authorization passcode— Please confirm.
Confirmed... It's a match.
Very good. Do not disappoint us.

They hang up.

It's easy to make a regular Joe disappear, but it's no simple task to have a K.G.C.C. director die under mysterious circumstances. To make sure, I gave Lazurite a call. He told me I just had to pay a visit to the Chairman's lounge at Glorious Shield Industries headquarters. Apparently, this isn't going to be very difficult. Everything is already in order, and no one will be there to stop me.



After he hung up, I breathed a long sigh. If that's what Lazurite says, what else am I supposed to do? There are only four hours until daybreak.

----



To make sure the Chairman has no way out, I stationed an Armorless Union squad around his children before heading to the company. Then, I waltzed in through the front door. Just as Lazurite said, Glorious Shield HQ is all prepped and ready. The lobby doors are wide open. The security guards are away, all the detectors are undergoing maintenance, and there's a temporary card key in the most conspicuous spot on the front desk counter. And that card key— It has access to the top floor, where the Chairman's lounge is.

Convenient!

----



As soon as I walk into the room, or should I say the floor, I spot the Chairman, still working tirelessly in front of his large terminals. Before he notices me, I have already broken his neck. After I check his vitals and make sure he's gone, I report to Lazurite. Per the usual procedures, I would get a phone call from the K.G.C.C. right away, so I'm not in a hurry to get out.



It's a phone call. Why does it matter where I take it? I pull the curtains open. Through the giant floor to ceiling windows, I gaze out at the brilliant lights illuminating the Grand Knight Territory's night sky.



When I was still a student, I admired the knights. After I became a knight, I learned the secret of the Knight-Assassins. These days, as one of the Armorless Union's leaders, I still have to listen to every word the K.G.C.C. directors say. And now, by pure coincidence, I've offed one of their directors.

My parents once said. My sharp eyes will bring honor and glory to my family.

That's awfully similar to what Maria's grandpa told her... Pegasian eyes.

But what am I seeing with these eyes now? I see the vast, dark wilderness beyond the borders of the Grand Knight Territory. I see the colorful neon lights emblazoning the whole Territory. I also see the General Chamber of Commerce headquarters in the dead center, towering above everything. And the radiant night sky above it. As long as I can see, I can understand. Still...

Above these pillars of capitalism and beneath the earth that the city drives over, there are a pair of invisible hands puppeteering the directors. Compelling them to stack bricks, tiles, and steel to the tops of those buildings, adding ever more to the tower called Kazimierz. But like the puppets they are, if they don't keep their masters happy, they get replaced. He's not the first, and he's definitely not the last. Through the General Chamber of Commerce, this pair of hands can reach anywhere in Kazimierz. And you can never escape them, so long as you walk the world.

This is when they make their themes 100% transparent for anyone in the audience who hasn't been paying attention. This isn't a matter of a few bad actors corrupting the system, the system itself is the enemy, and the villains are all people like her and Malkeiwicz and this director guy whose neck she just snapped. People who see themselves having no choice, stuck in its self-perpetuating cycle. Also, you know, capitalism. This game loving hates capitalism.



After a long pause, her phone buzzes again.

Hmph...

Buzz.



*Sigh*... Can't I at least get a little time to veg out...?

Buzz.

I'm so tired... I want a vacation...

She picks up.

Fin.

I love this vignette and Platinum is the most relatable character, prove me wrong. Or don't, please don't actually. Anyway, it was brought up way, way back in some LP vote or other that Platinum is not a nice person, based mostly on the fact it seemed like she killed an innocent child way back in Maria Nearl. Well, now we know that she didn't actually do that, and is in fact trapped in her own personal hell: middle management. I'm just saying, are we not all a little Platinum? Forced to do things we hate in a society we can't control? And also we didn't kill any children, I hope.

AweStriker
Oct 6, 2014

It seems like a useless pipe dream but Arknights seriously would make a Project Moon collab work.

Lord Koth
Jan 8, 2012

Clarste posted:


This is when they make their themes 100% transparent for anyone in the audience who hasn't been paying attention. This isn't a matter of a few bad actors corrupting the system, the system itself is the enemy, and the villains are all people like her and Malkeiwicz and this director guy whose neck she just snapped. People who see themselves having no choice, stuck in its self-perpetuating cycle. Also, you know, capitalism. This game loving hates capitalism.

And the worst thing about it is that the writers also make it clear there isn't really a way out that they can think of, or at least not one that doesn't come with a boatload of its own issues. Because the whole thing with Maria illustrates that the only reason she even got a chance to try and shift anything in the first place was because of her family's name and position in society. Unless you're a true monster, it's basically impossible to even try and enact change without becoming part of the system if you're not from an influential family in the first place. Everyone else either plays by the rules or else is just casually discarded - whether by manufacturing a scandal, siccing assassins on them, or just by tweaking numbers so it looks like they're performing poorer and poorer over time before letting them go. And then they're completely forgotten about as everyone moves on to the newest thing.

Like, I was literally just watching a video that happened to talk about how vicious the world of Twitch streaming is, and one of the ugliest things they mention is how if a streamer even dares to disappear for like a week - whether for injury, illness, or just wanting to take a vacation - they'll have lost roughly HALF their followers. And it takes a whole hell of a lot more than a week to recover those numbers. Now compare that to Centaurea talking about how even her most obsessive fan just... forgot about her within weeks of her leaving the knightclub and vanishing from the headlines.

Centaurea's relatable because she joined one job she thought looked really nice, found she utterly hated the underlying mechanics of it, and then joined another job where she thought she could actually make a difference - only to find out that was just an irrelevant cog in the machine as well. And, unlike at least some portion of knight-assassins, it's not even like she enjoys killing and thus can take her frustrations out that way. She derived some satisfaction from knocking off the person literally abusing her in the arena, but once she figured out out they don't actually make any difference she just started hating every aspect of the job - possibly aside from improving her archery, as she does seem to like that, at least. There's a reason basically her opening line in the Maria Nearl event was she hated being back in Kazimierz and wanted to leave again as soon as possible.

OneWingedDevil
Aug 27, 2012

Lord Koth posted:

And the worst thing about it is that the writers also make it clear there isn't really a way out that they can think of, or at least not one that doesn't come with a boatload of its own issues. Because the whole thing with Maria illustrates that the only reason she even got a chance to try and shift anything in the first place was because of her family's name and position in society. Unless you're a true monster, it's basically impossible to even try and enact change without becoming part of the system if you're not from an influential family in the first place. Everyone else either plays by the rules or else is just casually discarded - whether by manufacturing a scandal, siccing assassins on them, or just by tweaking numbers so it looks like they're performing poorer and poorer over time before letting them go. And then they're completely forgotten about as everyone moves on to the newest thing.

I think the event is being a bit inconsistent with its message. It goes over how everyone is forgettable and replaceable, but unlike everyone else portrayed in these events there is one person who isn't affected by Kazimierz's system and that's the Radiant Knight. She's been gone for years, her family's name is worthless among the elite, and both her uncle and the K.G.C.C. have done everything in their power (either intentionally or just by being an rear end in Młynar's case) to dilute her name, but her stardom in the eyes of the public never died. She's allowed to just waltz into a match, overthrow the K.G.C.C.'s rigged game, and walk away freely. Anyone else would have been dead within the next few hours, but one of the protags gets a free pass because she's just too untouchable. In the hands of inexpert writers, Margaret's protection is plot armor, plain and simple. Casting it in a different light means it has to have a reason behind it that trumps the example they've set everywhere else.

So is this an example of how strong ideals, properly applied, can rise above a system built around turning people into cogs in a machine? Is it an example of how the system is ultimately flawed like any other because it is run by people, and mistakes (letting Margaret live instead of killing her, not working hard enough to assassinate her character once she did escape, powerful but inexperienced leaders being too ineffective to run the machinery when she returns) can still lead it to fall? Is this an indication that a system that treats people as disposable internally can only be broken by something coming in from outside of its control? Where, if anywhere, do the Infected (unquestionably the most disposable of all classes in Kazimierz) then play in this narrative when juxtaposed against Reunion and the movement they built that nearly brought world powers to war? Do they count as an related-yet-external power like Radiant Knight because society never really found a way of integrating them beyond token efforts in the knight clubs? Is this really just a veneer of "boohoo this system can't be fixed or changed it's eternal" and really the thinking of an elite that's had its head stuck up its rear end thinking it was special for too long and the Infected are about to remind that that no, the system really isn't all that different from any other in this world, it's just another variation of "poo poo on the Infected" and they're tired of it?

I imagine the final act would be to play two possible ways to topple the system at the same time. Radiant Knight taking the "high" road by motivating the people to rise up (taking a page out of Reunion's book) and Pinus Sylvetris taking the "low" road of assassinating the complete K.G.C.C. at once to plunge the system into anarchy (also taking a page out of Reunion's playbook...) and the third perspective being from actors inside the system (Malkeiwicz, Centaurea) that either try to defend it or try to burn it from within while the others two groups act (taking a page out of... not Reunion's playbook? Way to break the pattern).

Clarste
Apr 15, 2013

Just how many mistakes have you suffered on the way here?

An uncountable number, to be sure.
I don't think Margaret is completely unique, for example the Blood Knight managed to change the rules on how Infected are treated to some extent. It's just that Champions are so visible that it's hard to silence them when they go off script. Even taking down her portrait from the Hall just leaves a big blank space and an obvious story.

Clarste fucked around with this message at 05:00 on Aug 4, 2022

Einander
Sep 14, 2008

"Yeh've forged a magnificent sword."

"This one's only practice. The real sword I intend to forge will be three times longer."

"Can there really be a sword as monstrous as that in this world?"

"Yes. I can see that sword... Somewhere out there..."
Centaurea flowers symbolize a lot of positive things, and Platinum's situation is basically the opposite of all of them. Between that and the surface horse joke, I appreciate it working on multiple levels.

OneWingedDevil posted:

I think the event is being a bit inconsistent with its message. It goes over how everyone is forgettable and replaceable, but unlike everyone else portrayed in these events there is one person who isn't affected by Kazimierz's system and that's the Radiant Knight. She's been gone for years, her family's name is worthless among the elite, and both her uncle and the K.G.C.C. have done everything in their power (either intentionally or just by being an rear end in Młynar's case) to dilute her name, but her stardom in the eyes of the public never died. She's allowed to just waltz into a match, overthrow the K.G.C.C.'s rigged game, and walk away freely. Anyone else would have been dead within the next few hours, but one of the protags gets a free pass because she's just too untouchable. In the hands of inexpert writers, Margaret's protection is plot armor, plain and simple. Casting it in a different light means it has to have a reason behind it that trumps the example they've set everywhere else.

So is this an example of how strong ideals, properly applied, can rise above a system built around turning people into cogs in a machine? Is it an example of how the system is ultimately flawed like any other because it is run by people, and mistakes (letting Margaret live instead of killing her, not working hard enough to assassinate her character once she did escape, powerful but inexperienced leaders being too ineffective to run the machinery when she returns) can still lead it to fall? Is this an indication that a system that treats people as disposable internally can only be broken by something coming in from outside of its control? Where, if anywhere, do the Infected (unquestionably the most disposable of all classes in Kazimierz) then play in this narrative when juxtaposed against Reunion and the movement they built that nearly brought world powers to war? Do they count as an related-yet-external power like Radiant Knight because society never really found a way of integrating them beyond token efforts in the knight clubs? Is this really just a veneer of "boohoo this system can't be fixed or changed it's eternal" and really the thinking of an elite that's had its head stuck up its rear end thinking it was special for too long and the Infected are about to remind that that no, the system really isn't all that different from any other in this world, it's just another variation of "poo poo on the Infected" and they're tired of it?

I imagine the final act would be to play two possible ways to topple the system at the same time. Radiant Knight taking the "high" road by motivating the people to rise up (taking a page out of Reunion's book) and Pinus Sylvetris taking the "low" road of assassinating the complete K.G.C.C. at once to plunge the system into anarchy (also taking a page out of Reunion's playbook...) and the third perspective being from actors inside the system (Malkeiwicz, Centaurea) that either try to defend it or try to burn it from within while the others two groups act (taking a page out of... not Reunion's playbook? Way to break the pattern).

"the reason behind it that trumps the example they've set everywhere else" isn't anything new, actually. Arknights places a lot of importance on ideals, but it also spends a lot of time on power. There's a reason the story repeatedly stresses that for all the power of Rhodes Island's diverse array of physical and magical powerhouses, they'd still be crushed underfoot the moment they tried to take on a nation. Ideals aren't enough to stop an Emperor's Blade.

But one of the main contrasts between Maria and Margaret is that Margaret Nearl has power. Margaret has the power to rush into Maria's arena before they can stop her, and she has the power of her fame to keep them from throwing her out of the arena. After that, she leans on both kinds of power to get a foot in the door and begin competing again, because between the greater public presence of the Infected and her dramatic show in the arena, they don't have an excuse to deny her.

(She also has Shining with her, who by the rules of Dramatically Hiding Her Power is essentially invincible until we reach the most maximally dramatic moment to explain her whole deal.)

But that kind of power just means that her enemies can't take the most direct route. With the way Maria's story ended, with the focus on the shadows of Kazimierz and with Mlynar's repeated statements that they have no idea what they're getting into, it's pretty safe to say Margaret won't be able to just keep smashing straight through the obstacles ahead of her. That's the part you should be trying to read themes from.

Clarste
Apr 15, 2013

Just how many mistakes have you suffered on the way here?

An uncountable number, to be sure.
Welcome back. This update will be a little different than usual. First of all I guess I should write-up my overall impressions of Pinus Sylvetris:

It's an interquel. Mostly it's just setting the stage for the next event, Near Light, which is also the event with the most text in the game (beating out Chapter 8, so I can see why they didn't want to cram even more into it. It's the Big One, so it needs the proper foundations, and Pinus Sylvetris mostly exists to introduce all these people and themes so it won't have to do it later. It does this job... okay? I think most of the vignettes suffer a little from being obviously incomplete stories, although I do really like Malkiewicz and Platinum's. That said, I may be biased towards Platinum's since it proved me right about a minor internet argument I had back when Maria Nearl first released. But anyway, the important thing is Near Light, not Pinus Sylvetris.

Speaking of which, Near Light! Near Light is next, and as mentioned it has a fuckton of text, so I am already silently regretting my choice to present these three events as a trilogy. But first, there's a trailer:



Near Light has a 6 minute long CG animated trailer associated with it, which you should almost definitely watch here. Like, I can't force you to watch a video and I can completely understand the desire not to click on it in the middle of a screenshot LP, but there's only so much I can do explain what happens in a 6 minute music video. Also, it's kinda-sorta canon and happens in between Pinus Sylvetris and Near Light.

That said, I WILL be taking screenshots and trying to explain stuff as best I can, just don't expect this to be a good replacement for just watching it yourself. I cannot possibly go through it frame by frame, or action by action, nor do I want to.



It starts with a fancy news reports on the opening match of the Kazimierz Major (not the prelims). Naturally it says "Breaking News" despite this being the least breaking of all possible news because that's how they operate.



Then the camera backs out, showing it to have been focused on one of the many giant screens covering the skyscrapers of Kawalerielki. The news segues into how it's great and all that Infected can compete now, but now there are also Infected secretly living in the city everywhere and isn't that just gross? Not in those exact words. Anyway, this is probably the first time we've seen a wide shot of the city? Or any city, actually.



The camera then flies down a trash chute...



Which leads us into some kind of underground slum. Presumably where the Infected have been living.




'Flametail' Sona shows up and gives a doll to this little girl. This is a group of Infected she's been supporting with her winnings from the arena.



The people there cheer for her, but when she turns away her smile fades and she looks more exhausted or resigned.




Then it cuts to Sona in the arena, with a 2D animation style. It's cool, you should probably be watching the video instead of reading my banal commentary.



This is intercut with a scene of her getting some restless sleep down in the slum, which is notable mostly because of the giant poster of Nearl as well as some ads for Vitafield: Life, Unstoppable. Ads, everywhere!



But while she's away fighting, the Infected camp gets a visit from some Armorless Union goons accompanied by drones.





And at the same time, she wins her fight and looks up only to see a big portrait of Nearl flip over and get replaced by the Blood Knight. Which is all very symbolic and stuff.




Anyway, she gets back and the place is wrecked and on fire!



Kids are crying!



Sona feels like she's drowning. Symbolically.



But there's another drone hiding, which beeps ominously before exploding. I guess the whole thing was a trap to get her.



This is followed up by the news reporting on a mysterious gas line explosion and warning everyone to stay away. The camera now starts flipping over completely to show how misaligned the news is from reality. Or something, I dunno, decide for yourself.



More drowning.




Meanwhile, a mysterious person who is Margaret Nearl walks up to a mysterious object... somewhere.



Sona continues leading her people to find somewhere else to live. Spirits are low.




And of course they get ambushed by more goons.



But Sona will not give up.




She cuts through some scaffolding to drop some sort of structure onto the assassins.





But there are always more exploding drones, and she doesn't catch it in time.




While she manages to pull herself up and relocate her shoulder...




Seeing all the people she was trying to save done in by the explosion drives her to despair, and to question the value of knights at all.





Not to mention the infinite drones.



But just as the drones are about to reach her, something drops from the sky wreathed in flames, destroying the drones behind her.





It's a golden spear...




Along with a golden knight, come to answer her question. "To be a knight is to be the noble light that illuminates the land." There's also some wing and feather imagery, which invokes both pegasi and angels. Which I guess are the same thing to a Kuranta. A version of Margaret's theme song starts playing.



This is the exact moment that everyone falls in love with Nearl, both in-game and in real life.




However they are rudely interrupted by an arrow from nowhere, which Nearl deflects with her swordlance. It's cool how the arrow bends, imo.



It's our girl Centaurea! Er, the evil Platinum ordering the murder of all these innocent Infected.





What follows is a cool fight scene that's hard to take screenshots of play by play, but it involves Platinum doing a flip to dodge Nearl's spear while staring directly into her eyes in slow motion, which is cool. To be honest, I didn't know you had it in you, Plat.



She also tries to stab Nearl with an arrow directly. I don't think that's necessarily, like, the wrong move for someone desperate to win by any means necessary, but I also think the video focuses on this a bit too long (probably to give the viewer time to understand what's happening), which makes the action feel slow and awkward. That's it, that's my criticism of this trailer.





Platinum jumps back to get some distance, but finds Sona right behind her, and more flipping ensues. I can't believe 5* Platinum can keep up with two 6* characters at once! 6* Platinum Alter, please.




So Platinum jumps WAY back and fires off this cool lightning arrow which doesn't even slightly resemble anything she can do in-game.





Nearl responds by drawing out this... crystal thing? And throwing her charged up light spear directly at the lightning arrow.




The two forces clash and mix like Dragonball Z characters shooting beams at each other.



Before ultimately exploding and killing everyone in the room (exaggeration).

The end. That's the trailer. It's cool. You should watch it, if you haven't.

Clarste
Apr 15, 2013

Just how many mistakes have you suffered on the way here?

An uncountable number, to be sure.
Sorry if the screenshots are bigger than usual.

Weissritter
Jun 14, 2012

No problem - I like seeing some details I missed in the trailer, like the posters.

HellCopter
Feb 9, 2012
College Slice
This trailer was what got me back into the game after skipping the previous two events. You should watch it, It's rad.
It also makes Platinum look incredibly evil! I bet she and Flametail sit on opposite ends of the Rhodes Island cafeteria.

Clarste
Apr 15, 2013

Just how many mistakes have you suffered on the way here?

An uncountable number, to be sure.
I do plan on updating this soon. But, not today. Or tomorrow.

Weissritter
Jun 14, 2012

Take your time, I understand this is when the word count really increases.

Clarste
Apr 15, 2013

Just how many mistakes have you suffered on the way here?

An uncountable number, to be sure.
Okay, to be perfectly honest it may be very hard to keep up this LP for the foreseeable future. Not because I don't have time for it, per se, but because I've recently taken up a long-term job with no strict deadline (or rather, I set my own deadline) and I need to be constantly poking away at that in my free time. Which, well, used to be the time I would spend working on this. I could set up a strict schedule for this and treat it like my job while my actual job is treated like a hobby, but that strikes me as extremely weird and also torturous.

I wish I could finish the 3rd part of the Kazimierz trilogy first, at least to have a nice stopping point, but honestly just thinking about it is kind of intimidating at this point. One thing that might help me a lot is if someone else could make like a linear timeline of all the events and articles (there's a timeline in-game but it doesn't explicitly show you when all the missions take place), so I don't have have to piece it together as I go. But even then I can't guarantee that I'll actually work on it.

SugarAddict
Oct 11, 2012
You could just make this a multi-year long LP, there's been quite a few of those. Or just put it on hiatus.

SIGSEGV
Nov 4, 2010


It is unreasonable to ask that your hobby, that we benefit from, eats your life, you can just take it nice and slow.

Clarste
Apr 15, 2013

Just how many mistakes have you suffered on the way here?

An uncountable number, to be sure.
I am bumping this thread just to note that Peacake now has a dialog sprite and it is not the one in Beanstalk's cage. So I have been 100% correct to refer to the one on the field as Peacake all this time.

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SIGSEGV
Nov 4, 2010


Then I was wrong, I promise to hang my head in shame.

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