It is time, guys! Time to let Agnes Heart get broken... somehow, somewhat on purpose even? Oh well. Lets get Vans usual night patrol with the unusual ending to it beginn!
Imagine that poor Girl, who trusted us enough to be this vulnerable around us, would have been given over to the police the very moment she finally was allowed to faint. The betrayal. She is not just simply an Enforcer of Ouroboros. She has been part of the gardens and she murdered many people while in that garden. Getting away from the Police would have been almost impossible, even if she is still a child and clearly, as we can see with Swin and Nadia, these kids should be shown SOME sort of mercy for what they did while part of the garden. But that doesn't mean all she did can just easily be swept under a rug. And the Bracer Guild, while probably merciful about her time in the garden, would have ripped her apart to find out things about Ouroboros from her. I am glad Van was reasonable enough to take her to his home instead.
I think on this map you can also see 3 (of 4, I think...) locations in Calvard we have not visited yet. Baume has been sad to be a small backwater town, so I am not sure how high the chances are of us ever going there, no matter what Falcom plans for the next game. I am not sure if our chances to visit the other locations are much stronger either, even if it is possible that they are bigger. Because... there really would be no reason to go there from the point of the end of this game. The current assumption for the next game (including some informations from Kondo that - as you all should know - we ALWAYS have to take with a grain of salt) is that the Prologue will likely start somewhere along the lines of the beginning of the first game, with Van clearly feeling like something is missing. SOMEHOW Yume will manage to get his memories back and then I assume Mare, will SOMEHOW make it possible for us to return to Loop 1999 or save Agnes in some other capacity that will lead us the end up in a similar situation like we were in in Loop 1999 just now we know what we did wrong when and can work towards fixing this. This is at least the theory. I mean I think we can all agree that they will not force us to replay the first two games in a "what if" and "what would have changed" - kind of scenario to make us see how much influence Agnes had on EVERYTHING, including Van. At best we get a short narration IF the game makes it so that Vans memories will not come back as early as assumed. In any case, as far as I can tell, none of the possibilities of things that could happen in the next game speak exactly for us going to some place we have never been before. We do not have time for this anyway. The only reason would be, if we need to aquiere something in order to turn things around this time, that is hidden in one of these places. But Rean is supposed to be were the heavens turn, which is exactly were he is at the end of this game, Kevin needs to be wherever Hamilton is and I do feel like there was a reason for her hiding were she did, so that will likely not change either. So Vans hands are the only ones that COULD be free, depending on how things go. But even then, I doubt we will visit more than one new place. (Then again I do believe we have not seen ALL of Erebonia either...)
At least until Agnes leaves the team, then all of a sudden Elaine is free as a bird and joins the ASO once more. (I wonder if they left her out of this part of the next chapter in order to give Agnes and Van the space to deal with the aftermath of the rejection without dangling Elaine and all the "what if..." - possibilities in front of them all the time.
I really like the name of the chapter. Because in a sense... feelings are untangable. They are there, you can feel them and sometimes other people can see them through the way you act. But they only truly ever take form if you speak them out loud... to the person who should hear them. HOWEVER I do think the whole "I need to get rejected to move on" - thing is really a Japanese way of doing things. Where I come from, we only confess if we truly have a chance of the other person feeling the same way. No one would want to get hurt purposefully just because it supposedly makes it easier to move on. Not to mention that both times Trails-Games did this, it could have backfired immensely... and badly. Kloe (as I never forget to mention) absolutly and purposefully betrayed Estelle with her confession to Joshua, even putting in a "what if Estelle died" - kind of question, which in my eyes was really crossing a line. In any case, imagine Joshua had said "If it wasn't for Estelle, it would be you" (even if just meant to not hurt Kloe too much) and she would have started to hate Estelle for existing or meeting Joshua first? Kloe in itself is a good person and I don't doubt that she truly is Estelles friend, but she wouldn't be the first to sacrifice everything, including a dear friend, just because she was blindsided by love. Agnes here on the other hand, put the whole ASO in jeopardy with her confession. What if Van had said he can not work with her anymore, knowing she has feelings for him? Her absence, as a centerpiece of the team, would have caused a huge problem, especially with not everyone supporting Vans decision even tho it would have been somewhat reasonable, if you think about it. ALSO imagien Van did not reject her despite the school Uniform. That would have lead to FINALLY rejecting Elaine, which would have likely caused some trouble with the Bracer Guild. We know Elaine is professional enough to get over it eventually, if she must. However even for her it will take time and people like Zin and Fie would not take kindly to their ship sinking and Elaine being hurt. Which would likely mean the Bracer Guild taking a step back from supporting ASO for a while and at a crucial point like this, that could have been fatale for them. PLUS... what would have happened had he not rejected her? Agnes wanted him to reject her to make it easier for herself to make that sacrifice. But if he had actually said "I love you too, but lets wait until you are done with school", what would she have done then? Sacrifice or not, the time would have turned back then either way. But depending on the fact if Agnes was destined to be born again, the way she is now, there was always a chance she could have been happy with him in the next loop, IF she allowed it to happen. Which means she also kind of literally put the future of the whole of Zemuria at stake here, given how high the chances were of her wavering, had Van not rejected her. And I know she is a beautiful, selfless character and all that... but just like with Kloe, love does make you do stupid things. So... my point stands, confessions like that come with many risks and that those Girls were ready to take them, just underlines my words about love making people do stupid things.
I am sorry, but SERIOUSLY?! XD Eastern Medicine being a bit different and dealing with Chi and Stuff is all well and good but who on earth has a fast-working medicine that will help you if your very sould gets almost torn in half? Its like that deus ex machina medicine that Rixia gave Lloyd in Reverie and that Aaron got in Daybreak. Its an absolutely and utterly ridiculous, unbelievable freaking plot convenience XD Its like people never taking accurate fall-damage in such games. Its just a matter of convenience. There is no logic behind it. And honestly? Reading that I feel like Falcom stopped giving a damn about it at this point ^^' "Hey, we're in a game with time-loops and all kind of unlogical and unrealistic stuff... what would be one deus ex machina more, huh?" *can only shake her head in disbelieve at this point*
(By the way, all that miraculous medicine better be ready when Shizuna tears Rean in half next game...)
Yeah... well you might not have done it for them, but the blush on your face clearly shows that you are glad that you trusted them and that you didn't just help yourself with it, but also Van and his amazing friends.
As unrealistic as her change in character between Daybreak 2 and Horizon may be... its still nice to see her in this scene. I think I Falcom had more time and... think things through more, they might have had the chance to give her a redemption arc as great as Rennes. Which makes that such a wasted opportunity. But lets pretend Daybreak 2 was nothing but a feverdream and this here is another loop in which Jorda never said and did what happened in Daybreak 2 ^^'
BTW... I think its a nice move to make sure Jorda also noticed Agnes. Especially her, I mean. It brings a multitude of upsides. For example could it mean that when the times comes, she might help us fix whatever we can fix when it comes to Agnes destiny, as she feels indepted to her and might even kind of like her. On the other hand it also reminds Van what an amazing and deeply caring character Agnes is. How much love she has and is willing to give.
Also Jorda is reminding Van that a gift from him will make the person who receives it very happy, is important. Yes. It puts a lot of pressure on Van on one hand, but on the other hand also reminds him, that at the end of the day, its not whats in the box that counts, but rather that the box comes from him. That he thought about the person and that he tried his best to find something that person would like, is more important, than to actually find "the right" gift.
I think it would truly be better for her to just learn to live a normal life. And isn't that somehow also the motto of the Calvard-Arc? That no matter the circumstances, that you can and should be able to live a normal, happy life? That you deserve it, even if you aren't perfect? I mean look at Van. Locked himself up, kept people at arms length, played the edgy bad boy, even tho his heart was breaking more and more of the lonelyness and the guilt for things that he did in the past. After Agnes joined him, he started to go back into the light. Opening his door, letting people in (literally and figuratively), facing his guilt and fixing the damage to his heart step by step. And in there very own unique ways, this is also what the rest of the ASO did, when they joined Vans-Team. Finally fighting their inner demons. Figuring out what they want to do with their life in the future. Finding a place in society. And so on. The ASO is a place were people who lost their way can find their home and themselves and learn to slowly but surely fix the broken parts or learn to accept them as something that makes them stronger. (I wish just that the games would utilize that more. There is so much wasted potential with the ASO.)
By the way... Ouroboros is losing a lot of Enforcers to our good guys these days, huh? XD One Enforcer per Arc. Joshua lost to Estelle. Renne lost to Estelle and Joshua. Sharon lost to Alisa and the Reinford-Family as well as Rean and Class7. And now losing Jorda to Van and the ASO ^^' I hope they wil also lose Cedric to his family and Shirley to Cedric XD (Wishull thinking on my part, but hey, a girl can dream!)
Its great how fast Yume gets attached to Vans people. For her they truly really all are a big happy family. And I feel like Paulette sees it the same way. She also gave Van that little nudge when he said Agnes would be a great nurse, which is in itself somewhat pushing her away to a "better" and in Vans eyes "more approriate" way of living. As she said that in her eyes, Agnes would also make a good Spriggan. Hinting that she is right were she belongs and also that this kind of character-trait is something that isn't a bad thing for a Spriggan and that Van actually has it too, deep down.
You know... I think its quite upsetting that even tho this should be the game were Agnes deserves all the prais and the spotlight and the special treatmeant, she only gets put more in the focus now, when it is almost too late.
And uh... where exactly is that empty room supposed to be? Because I am pretty sure that all rooms in Vans part of the complex are rented out. (Yumes was so cute in that scene XD)
Awwwwww ♥ I wonder if this boy has just the slightest idea what he is doing tho ^^'
I feel like all of this should have told us something was off! That screenshot with the loading screen is also very unusual. Look at how the figure, which will turn out to be Agnes, in it is glowing. And I am pretty sure no one was questioning it much. I feel like we were all so focused on Agnes likely revealing her feelings to Van that we didn't even notice.
