#norton campbell ronald of ness
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Valentine Day Headcanons
I know it took me a while to do this, as classes make it a little difficult for me, this is another gift for someone very special to me, the @kaval0 đ
Norton Campbell
⢠Incredible as it may seem, he remembered the date and was prepared days before as he saw the children arranging things to give gifts to those they like,
⢠Everyone in the mansion was surprised when he handed you a flower and chocolates,
⢠Naib stole some chocolates just to tease Norton, as usual,
⢠His embarrassed look when he handed you the chocolates was really cute,
⢠Both Melly, Frederick and Alice wondered if he was actually sick,
⢠In general, no one in the mansion expected Norton to give you chocolates
Ronald of Ness
⢠He closed the theater so he could have time with just you,
⢠I always saw this skin as one of Norton's most romantic skins because he's an actor,
⢠This man is not very good at cooking, so the one who helped him with everything was Lady Truth,
⢠He compares you all the time to flowers, especially roses,
⢠For a whole day, you can wear his hat and mask,
⢠He called Mr. Inference to boast that he had company on Valentine's Day...
Naib Subedar
⢠You two ate the chocolates together, it was cute according to witnesses,
⢠He worked hard to make the chocolates and even harder not to eat them đ
⢠Norton played little a with Naib, but he didn't care and ignored Norton,
⢠He was a little shy when it came to handing over the chocolate, as he had never done it before,
⢠Eli helped him have the courage to go talk to you and Brooke watched so Naib didn't give up halfway,
⢠Spending Valentine's Day with him was definitely a lot of fun
Morningstar
⢠He made his servants make a feast just for you,
⢠He just loves spoiling you, whether it's a holiday or just a regular day,
⢠There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't say he loves you out of fear of losing you,
⢠He made you a crown similar to his as a gift,
⢠He himself searched the entire kingdom for the most beautiful rose so he could give it to you,
⢠In general, Morningstar is a sweet, beautiful, perfect and sweetheart
Orpheus
⢠This man simply wrote the most romantic poem you've ever seen in your life, along with flowers and chocolate,
⢠Guess who had a pinky in the middle of one of the letters you received? Exactly, Little Girl,
⢠You two had a great day together,
⢠He took the day to listen to you talk about the books you like while giving your opinion about them too,
⢠He is very good with words, so sometimes he would say something or other to embarrass you, like a compliment in French that he learned from Frederick,
⢠There was no shortage of tea and cookies in the afternoon for you two
Bonus due to our zap/discord ship in which I am Frederick
Frederick Kreiburg
⢠Ok... you woke up hearing him playing your favorite song on the piano,
⢠If you ask him about this, you will only hear: "I feel like playing this song", with an indifferent pose as always,
⢠On the coffee table, there is a plate with some strawberries covered in chocolate and a handmade letter from him,
⢠He has a slight difficulty being romantic, but his small acts show that he cares a lot about you,
⢠He won't mind spending the day playing the piano for you if you wish,
⢠If you don't want him to spend the day playing the piano for you, he won't mind taking you somewhere relaxing with few people
#identity v x reader#naib subedar x reader#norton campbell x reader#ithaqua morningstar#ithaqua x reader#orpheus idv x reader#norton campbell ronald of ness
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His expression is soft and adoring towards his love and Iâm about to cry in a burrito blanket because of it, I really canât take it.
I had to post this WIP to tell the world how happy I am that I managed to draw this specific Norton, Mr Ronald of Nice (or Ness) skin of the Prospector Norton Campbell from the hit game Identity V
This is a redraw of an old sketch I already posted on this app, and I used a 30âs poster (or at least thatâs what they say about it) as reference, this beautiful piece e of art that I found on Pinterest, so if you find it familiar itâs because of that! I absolutely adore it and had to redraw my beloved Mike and Norton in it, for my heart.
#fanart#identity v#idv#sketch#norton campbell#idv prospector#idv acrobat#mike morton#tonton#mikenort#nortmike#ronald of ness#idv ronald of ness#idv skin#idv skins#goldenrose tonton#golden rose theater#ronald of nice#digital art#my art <3
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silly animation thing i did today :>
sorry abt the format its for tt
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Ronald x Inference , finally >:3âźď¸
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norton things
and a silly bunny fools gold from something i drew to celebrate hitting 1k on twt
#idv#norton campbell#idv fanart#identity v fanart#idv prospector#idv fools gold#fools gold#idv survivor#idv hunter#fanart#my art#artists of tumblr#artists on tumblr#artist#doodle#sketch#digital art#drawing#ronald of ness#ronald of nice#redraw
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Golden Rose Theater Analysis
Hereâs a short summary of the events:
In the pre-event, we learn Scrooge was the founder of the Golden Rose Theater and created the play âThe Coin of Lachesisâ. Lachesis was the lead actress. The theater started to go bankrupt when people lost interest, and Lachesis supposedly died in a fall during the final performance of the play. Ronaldâs father was blamed for her death due to being the mechanic in charge of the lift at the time. As a result, he was imprisoned and died of a severe cold 1 year later. Scrooge chooses Bella rather than Kroto to replace Lachesis.
The Detective is called to investigate by his client DM, who had been corresponding via letter with Bella and wanted to know why sheâd stopped communicating with him. Jingle Bells prevents the Detective from seeing Bella, but Ronald helps the Detective get into the theater. At this point, he meets all of the members of the theater and gathers information about everything thatâs happened. He eventually learns that Kroto had been the one pretending to be Bella to send letters to DM.
When Bella is reported to have died in a fall accident, Sheriff Jose calls the Detective for help in investigating. Itâs during this investigation that the Detective learns about Quivering Flower, a drug Bella had been using. He also learns that the large sum Scrooge had received to rebuild the theater had come from Lachesisâ compensation after she âfellâ to her death. Eventually, the truth comes out. Bella had actually died due to poisoning from Quivering Flower use. When Scrooge discovered this, he had Kroto help him pretend Bella had instead died from a fall, in the hope heâd earn compensation from her death like after Lachesisâ. In the epilogue of the event, we learn that Kroto left the theater to join a different theater group and has a script called âKrotoâs Chainâ. From Scrooge, we learn he had been a beneficiary on Lachesisâ insurance policy, along with Kroto and Lachesis herself. Finally we learn Ronald became the new owner of the Golden Rose Theater, with DM recommending a person for the role of leading actress.
To start things off, letâs look at Bella, who we never get to speak to. She was a foreigner from France, beautiful, talented, and liked meeting powerful people, but she was regarded as arrogant and having odd habits. We learn later that she was mildly addicted to Quivering Flower, which was the reason Bella repeatedly missed rehearsals, as she tended to get sick from the drugâs side effects. This was also why she could occasionally be found practicing alone at midnight, due to her use of Quivering Flower, which she was trying to hide. For Bella, she apparently thought it better to die before the curtain rises if she couldnât put on a perfect show. This is exactly what happens, as she dies from Quivering Flower poisoning. Scrooge attempts to take advantage of this by trying to make it look like she instead fell to her death. Interestingly, even after the Detective reveals the truth, the newspapers still reported Bella as having fallen to her death.
Many of the other members of the theater didnât look well on her. Ronald thinks Kroto would be able to put on a better show than Bella, as Bellaâs performances had been fluctuating lately. Commander calls her personality not likeable, and says she isnât close to the other members. She is adored by the gentlemen in town though, who gifts her things like she was a queen. Commander also calls her a lunatic after she says sheâd rather die than not deliver a flawless performance. Encore describes Kroto as having to clean up Bellaâs messes whenever Bella misses rehearsals.
She does have a number of supporters. Sparrow is the most vocal who gets incredibly emotional whenever someone disrespects her. Jingle Bells is also really affected by Bellaâs death, as is Phonograph, who got upset when Scrooge asks Kroto to move into the Bellaâs suite immediately after Bellaâs death.
Bella wasnât someone who really blended in with everyone else. She stood out in many ways, due to her reputation, being a foreigner and the new lead actress, and her personality. Mary was a (French) queen in a foreign land that wasnât her home country (Austria), which were contributing factors to the ill feelings about her as well as her eventual execution. Bella, like Mary, appears to have been somewhat isolated in the theater company.
Moreover, in a secret letter after her execution, it was said people would forget about her death and even her existence as a queen, instead they would take pleasure in trampling on the royal family and appointing a new king. Similarly, Bella was hailed as a popular actress by aristocrats, but ended up buried in the daily news and forgotten after being reported as a fatal accident in the newspaper, with people like DM moving on and seeking other âbeautiful thingsâ.
Finally, thereâs how Mary says the Queen is the easiest piece to take. With Bella, you can replace âQueenâ with âleading actressâ. The Leading Actress is the easiest to lose, and thus ends up being the most replaced. Sheâs someone whoâs celebrated when sheâs on a glamourous stage but is cut down when sheâs not performing well.
For Bella, the ideal she was likely aiming for was Lachesis, and she was intentionally trying to mimic her. There are several hints to this. From Bellaâs accessory Perfect Marionette, the description is: âBecome âherâ, or destroy her.â The first âherâ is Lachesis, while the second is Bella. Then thereâs how in Act 2 Kroto mentions hearing Bella say âLachesis, are you calling me?â. These were likely hallucinations from using Quivering Flower. Thereâs also how in the official âBella Donna! Bella Donna!â video, Bella appears to express how she struggled to be the âideal Bellaâ but was unsuccessful and ended up mentally trapped. All of this was in part due to how often Bella was compared to Lachesis, which obviously stressed her out.
The introduction for the story mentions âAtropos using the death of her sister, Lachesis, to assume her identityâ. If Atropos is assuming Lachesisâ identity, thereâs a good chance Bella was trying (and failing) to do the same. If sheâd been unable to deliver this âflawlessâ performance (as Lachesis), that would tie in with how Bella dies before the performance begins. Exactly what Bella says (âIf I canât deliver a flawless performance, Iâd rather die before the curtains are drawnâ) comes true.
Speaking of the videos, the 1st trailer for the Golden Theater event (Atropos Ropes) appears to be âBella as seen from the outsideâ, while the later one (where she sings âBella Donna! Bella Donnaâ) is the inner Bella. Bella was the kind of person whoâd do anything for a play. She was trying to make up for her inner fear that sheâd fail to become her ideal, as sheâd feel worthless due to all the pressure she was receiving. Sheâs afraid of not meeting the expectations of those around her. The pressure she felt continued to increase, leading to her addiction to Quivering Flower to worsen and thus eventually causing her death.
Regarding a possible model for Bella, she might come from La Traviata, an opera based on La Dame aux CamĂŠlias, a novel (which also became a play) by Alexandre Dumas. La Traviata means âthe fallen womanâ or âthe one who goes astrayâ and refers to the main character Violetta, a courtesan.
In the novel, Dumas tells the tragic love story of a courtesan, Marguerite Gautier, who sacrificed herself for her lover, Armand Duval, a young bourgeois. In the story, when Armand's father begs her not to ruin his hope of a career and position by marrying Armand, she acquiesces and leaves her lover. However, when poverty and terminal illness overwhelm her, Marguerite discovers that Armand has not lost his love for her. By the end, she keeps hiding that sheâs not well, and dies without letting anyone but her trusted friends know of her physical ailment. She eventually dies of tuberculosis. Marguerite is nicknamed la dame aux camĂŠlias or âthe lady of the camelliasâ, because she wears a white camellia when sheâs available to her lovers, and a red camellia when she is unavailable.
The detail about the red and white camellias parallels the red and white scarves used in the Golden Theater event. Since DM received a red scarf from âBellaâ (who was actually Kroto), that would explain why DM stopped receiving communication from her after.
Specifically, Bella may be based on the actress Sarah Bernhardt, who was a big hit as Marguerite in La Traviata. IBellaâs hairstyle is likely modeled after Sarah Bernhardtâs.
Sarah was so great she was referred to as the âgolden voiceâ, âthe most famous actress the world has ever knownâ, âthe divine Sarahâ, and âthe queen of the pose and the princess of the gestureâ by artists of the time. Her life was also shrouded in numerous rumors. These kind of details were likely inspirations for Bella (who was also seen as being great by her admirers, but also was seen as having odd habits and likely had rumors spread about her by those who didnât like her).
Letâs move on to Kroto. She was first shown alongside Scrooge in a newspaper reporting Lachesisâ death. She gradually became popular after Lachesis was gone. It was her dream to become a famous actress like Lachesis, but that didnât come true as Bella became the new leading actress instead. She does replace Bella whenever she gets sick from Quivering flower, allowing Kroto to improve her acting ability. At some point, Kroto replies to one of DMâs letters intended for Bella after falsely claiming to be Bella. During this correspondence, DM gives her Quivering Flower, which she never uses. She stops responding soon after she gives DM a red scarf, which results in DM hiring Inference to investigate.
Eventually, the Detective exposes Krotoâs lie to DM via the scarf. To pacify him, Kroto got Bella to help in exchange for giving Bella more Quivering Flower. Bella uses it due to how the performances coming up and dies as a result. When Scrooge discovers Bellaâs death, he has Kroto help him make it look like Bella instead died from a fall to get compensation money. When the Detective starts to figure out the truth, Scrooge tries to pin the blame on Kroto, and thus she loses trust in him. After the case has been completed, we learn Kroto left Golden Rose Theater to join with a theater. During this time, she meets up with Inference again and reveals how everything sheâs done has been to present âan opening act worthy of attention and a finale worthy of praiseâ.
This was why, after failing to become leading actress, she sought out patronage (a stepping stone for her career) in the form of DM. Thatâs also why she imitated Bella and sought the things that Bella didnât want. One of those items was the red scarf she gave to DM. If Kroto hadnât done any of these things, the Detective wouldnât have been asked to come and investigate. If he hadnât come to investigate and unraveled the lies around the theater, Krotoâs lie to DM wouldnât have been discovered. It was because her lie was revealed to DM that she gave Bella the Quivering Flower, which caused Bellaâs death, which led to Scrooge having Kroto help fake Bellaâs death. Inference discovers this as well, resulting in Kroto being abandoned by Scrooge when he tried to save his own hide, and thus is a contributing factor for why she leaves the theater in the end.
All these things, this âchainâ of events parallels how Kroto is Clotho, the youngest of the 3 Greek Fates. She was the goddess in charge of spinning the threads that determined a personâs fate, the one who decided when a person would be born and die. The other 2 were Lachesis and Atropos. Lachesis was in charge of measuring the thread of life spun by Clotho. She decided how much life each person had. Atropos was in charge of cutting the thread, the one who decided how each person would die, and ended their lives after cutting their thread. Lachesis means âto obtain by lot, by fate, or by the will of the godsâ, while Atropos translates to âinevitableâ and was known as âthe inflexible oneâ.
The leading actress who performed in âThe Coin of Lachesisâ was Lachesis, and she played the role of Lachesis too. Unfortunately, the shaper and allotter of the thread dies before the event begins. In this case, this could mean chaos is created due to the loss of the one responsible for correctly drawing the thread. Bella on the other hand is Atropos, even though sheâs never referred to as Atropos. This could mean, in the end, Bella was unable to play the role of the one who âcuts the thread Clotho spunâ. This relates to Scroogeâs skin description: âWhen the ropes of destiny intertwine, who would become our Atropos?â. This shows how they needed an âAtroposâ, as it seems like the threads were starting to tangle now with Lachesis gone. But Bella was unable to fill that role, and she dies later. With both of them gone, the threads tangle even further.
This could be why a âtangled threadâ remains at the end of the Golden Rose Theater event. Based on the newspaper at the end, we see how it doesnât really seem to matter to the public how Bella actually died, or how Scrooge made use of Lachesisâ compensation in the past, or how they didnât seem interested in knowing why Bella took Quivering Flower despite the risks. Put another way, this is why there are âloose endsâ (aka, questions without answers), since âAtroposâ wasnât there to âcutâ them.
Kroto and this tangled thread is likely what Ronald is referring to in his skin description: âIt's you, the strings that weave our destiny - let it become the web that entangles us allâ. The threads did indeed tangle everyone in them.
Going back to the script title âKrotoâs Chainsâ, chains can refer to a series of connected elements. As I mentioned earlier, Kroto caused a series of events due to her actions. Chains can also be defined as something that confines, binds, or retrains. This can also refer to bearing a burden, bondage, or lack of freedom. People in chains may feel repressed, closed off, or limited, as if there isnât much they can do about their current situation. This mirrors Kroto. Thereâs Lachesis, who she wanted to be like and tried to imitate. Thereâs Bella, who she even pretended to be in the communications with DM, during rehearsals Bella missed, and after Bella died when she pretended to be her before making it look like Bella died in a fall. Krotoâs âchainsâ can refer to how Kroto aka Clotho, now that Lachesis and Atropos are gone, is left with having to do everything herself (as well as how Clotho is spinning the thread, but now everything is wrong without someone to draw and cut the thread).
Then thereâs also Scrooge, who she continued to work hard for, but who never treated her well. He never let her be the lead, made her help him fake Bellaâs death, and then betrays by blame her for everything. When she leaves for a different theater, this mirrors Margarethaâs fate in her deductions. After Sergeiâs death and after the circus burns down, she had to make a living for herself without anyone elseâs help. By the end of her story, Margaretha understands that thereâs another side to freedom. This kind of ending is just like Krotoâs after she leaves the Golden Rose Theater and after she loses all the other people sheâd been relying on. Now, Koroto in a way put the âchainsâ on herself, having to live without anyone elseâs help, without imitating anyone, and bearing the burden of her past actions.
For Krotoâs model, sheâs based in part on Swan Lake, especially from looking at Krotoâs music box.
This is a tragic love story of a girl named Odette and a prince (usually named Siegfried). Odetteâs been turned into a swan by an evil wizard named Rothbart. The prince goes on a hunt one day and finds the swan, who becomes human and explains her predicament to him. He professes his love for her, promising to break the curse and marry her. This angers Rothbart, who devises a plan to kill Odette. This plan includes having the prince proclaim his love for Rothbartâs daughter, Odile. At a ball, Rothbart presents his daughter, whoâs disguised as Odette, to the prince. Overjoyed, the prince quickly proposes to the woman. Rothbart reveals this was a trap, before taunting the prince about how heâs killed Odette. The prince runs off to find Odette and explain his actions. He finds her by the lake, broken hearted, and retells her what happened. She forgives him, but Rothbart appears and informs the prince he must marry Odile or else he and Odette will die. After fighting, the prince decides heâd rather die than marry a woman he doesnât love, so he takes Odetteâs hand and they jump into the lake (though this ending varies) breaking the spell, setting those wronged by Rothbart free. Rothbart and Odile are driven into the water, where they also drown.
Kroto, like Odile for Odette, imitates Bella and pretends to be her several times. Her pretending to be Bella when corresponding with DM, who actually had been sending letters intended for Bella, paralells how the prince actually loves Odette and promises to marry her but is tricked to instead propose to Odile. DM, like the prince, was clueless about the truth until it was revealed to him by someone else. The prince being fooled by Odile and Rothbartâs trick is like how DM and the other members of the theater all believed that Kroto was Bella (DM via letters, and the theater when Kroto pretended to be Bella under Scroogeâs direction after Bella died of poisoning). Finally, Krotoâs black costume gives off a similar feeling to Odileâs from Swan Lake, who also usually wears jet black.
To finish off the 3 characters based on the 3 Fates, letâs turn towards Lachesis. Commander calls her a mix between Kroto and Bella, and is also arrogant. She described Lachesis as not the type to fall off a stage during a performance, never missed a rehearsal, and never made a mistake. âA genius whoâs deadly serious to the point of pathologicalâ. Like Bella, Lachesis was from France, as before the last performance of âThe Coin of Lachesisâ she was rumored to be returning there. This never happens, as she is reported to have fallen to her death in an accident during the final performance. It is from her death that Scrooge receives compensation money that he uses to rebuild the theater, which had been on the verge of bankruptcy.
Based on various factors, thereâs a good chance that Lachesis, like Bella, also died due to Quivering Flower poison.
Back then, when Lachesis was still alive, Quivering Flower wasnât banned. From what we see of her personality, she seems to have been the kind of person whoâd do anything to get on the stage, meaning meaning sheâd be willing to use Quivering Flower. From the mention of her arrogance, her pride also probably led her to hiding her addiction, just like it did with Bella. Though the one person she wouldnât have been able to hide it from would have been Fragrance Queen, who we know had to have been around back then. This might explain why she becomes wary of Inference when she smells the same scent on him, and why she gets sad when she learns Bella used it to, so much so she stops trusting Scrooge. Either because they didnât realize how dangerous the drug was back then, or because Fragrance Queen was unable to stop her.
Itâs possible Scrooge knew about Lachesisâ use of Quivering Flower as well, but didnât stop her due to his love of Lachesisâ talent. This could explain the âtwisted loveâ Rusty mentions, which would refer to Scroogeâs obsession with Lachesis, which was so strong he decided to hire Bella instead of Kroto as lead actress because Bella was like Lachesis more than Kroto was (Kroto was compassionate while Bella had a similar arrogance like Lachesis did, not to mention Bella was also from France like Lachesis was, as well as a few other similarities especially personality wise).
Lachesis, as well as several other elements of the Golden Rose Theater including the theater itself, was likely based on the film Moulin Rogue.
The filmâs heroine is Satine, a star dancer and courtesan with a deadly secret: sheâs dying from tuberculosis. Christian, the would-be writer who loves her, is unaware of this secret. He collaborates with another to write a show to spotlight Satineâs brilliance as well as âtruth, beauty, freedom, and loveâ. To do this, they need financial support, which is where the Duke comes in. Heâll pay for the show, but only if he can court Satine. Christian and Satine fall in love, to the point they can no longer ignore it, but the Duke wonât let anyone get in his way. Eventually it gets to where, to save Christianâs life, Satine must reject him, though the truth does come out. Unfortunately, itâs right before Satine succumbs to her illness. After she dies, Christian completes his work, which is the story of his love for Satine.
If itâs not obvious yet, the Moulin Rouge was significantly influenced by La Traviata, and by extension La Dame aux CamĂŠlias, and thus follows the same basic plot. Bellaâs and Krotoâs costumes also seem to be based on Moulin Rouge, what with Bellaâs long dress-like outfit with pink fur, and Krotoâs outfit with silver sequins that exposes her legs. Thereâs also the similar colors everyoneâs costumes has (compared to Moulin Rouge), the pink feather skirts, head ornaments, all the gold and silver decorations everywhere, the event being all about performances and theater, etcâŚ
Regarding Satine, she isnât an exact match with Lachesis (ex: Satine wasnât an arrogant character), but there are enough parallels to make the connection anyways. Thereâs how Satine dies to an illness on stage after completing a production, similar to how Lachesis dies (likely of Quivering Flower poisoning) at the final performance of âThe Coin of Lachesisâ. Also, like Satine in her last performance, Lachesis was said to have âdelivered a flawless performanceâ even though she died.
The Duke seems somewhat similar to DM, what with both having financial power and chasing after a girl that ends up dying. Eric Satie, a musician who works alongside Christian, seems to be the model for Rusty Penpointâs costume, what with the signature glasses, shirt style, and colorful scarf. Eric Satie also recognizes Christianâs talent for writing just like Rusty recognizes Scroogeâs. Satineâs love for the scriptwriter Christian seems to parallel Lachesis and the possible feelings Scrooge had for her (not romantic). Like with the DeRoss family and the manor, Scrooge became attached to Lachesis and the Golden Rose Theater. This is the âtwisted loveâ Rusty mentions. Itâs referring to the obsession Scrooge has with Lachesis, which again was why he made Bella lead actress rather than Kroto, as Bella shared more similarities to Lachesis than Kroto did. Like Burke in his deductions after losing the DeRoss family to a mob, he also couldnât get over losing Lachesis. Thatâs why, after seeing Bella lying dead on the stage, he described remembering Lachesisâ death as a ânightmareâ and how he had âsufferedâ over her.
Now that weâve finished Bella, Kroto, and Lachesis, we can move on to the other characters.
The first weâll discuss is the Client, DM.
He is a person interested in beauty and in the âhuntâ or ârealistic survival gamesâ. To the females he fell for, he was known to give them Quivering Flower (the ban the government put on the drug apparently didnât stop him from acquiring and sending it as gifts to the women). At the beginning of the event, we learn he was currently captivated with Bella and had been sending her letters, eventually receiving a red scarf at some point before communication was cut with him. It was here he asked Inference for help, who apparently knew him as they were former comrades in arms. We learn during the event that Bella was another recipient of Quivering Flower, though she got more from Kroto, who gave it to her after the Detective reveals Kroto had pretended to be Bella when corresponding with DM in Bellaâs place. Kroto had sought to pacify DM (who learned the news after the Detective revealed the truth) with Bellaâs help in exchange for giving Bella the Quivering Flower DM had given Kroto.
After Bella dies, we later learn he had been attending a council meeting at the time of Bellaâs (actual) death. Apparently, upon learning of her death, he had rushed to the theater and refused to allow an autopsy of Bella because he wanted her to remain âflawlessâ even after her death. Once the truth comes out, we find out DM had already begun looking for another âbeautiful thingâ, instead of being attached to Bella. DM is also the one who introduced the new candidate for lead actress at the Golden Rose Theater after Ronald takes over and Kroto leaves.
Itâs obvious enough that the Client is in a position of considerable power, based on the policeâs inability to go against him (when he refuses to let an autopsy be performed). That plus how heâs so high heâs not referred to by name, his uninhibited pursuit of female relationships, and love of theater could imply the Client DM may be modeled after Prince Edward VII of England, who was also the âillustrious Clientâ from the Sherlock Holmes series, with the Detective obviously based on Sherlock. Prince Edward VII, like DM, was a known opera buff, served in the military, and flirted with many actresses.
Regarding the Clientâs obsession with perfection, this is similar to Josephâs obsession with camera obscura and his desire to preserve things forever (including memories and people). This desire for perfection is likely why the Client gave the females he liked Quivering Flower, as it was said to make you look dignified, shimmer, appear unordinary, alluring, and invigorate womenâs energy.
The Clientâs skin description, âQuestion 1 - the joy of a hunter, does it stem from the chase or the prey?â relates to him chasing various females and his interest in the âhuntâ. This âhuntâ or âsurvival gameâ can be the reason he gives Quivering Flower to the females he chases, like Bella and what happens to her. DM seemed to see Bella like a piece of art he wanted to preserve rather than as an individual. Itâs also possible this description can tie to Josephâs obsession with photography and desire to preserve things.
Then thereâs Scrooge, but I feel like Iâve already discussed him pretty well already, so Iâm going to move on to Fragrance Queen.
Fragrance Queen was one of the older members of the group whoâs known Scrooge since before even Lachesis. She was introduced alongside Golden Scissors, meaning she was a well-known make-up artist. Ronald describes her as the âtrue queen of the theaterâ and is shown commanding the other members. Despite their long history, Scrooge lost her trust after he rebuilt the theater with the compensation from Lachesisâ death. She also becomes wary of Inference after noticing he had the same scent as DMâs letters, the smell of Quivering Flower, and is saddened Quivering Flower is how Bella died.
As discussed earlier, the reason Fragrance Queen was sad after learning Bella used Quivering Flower was likely because Fragrance Queen had experienced Lachesis dying for probably that very same reason (especially if she tried and failed to stop Lachesis from using it). This could reflect Chloe and Vera in Perfumerâs background. Chloe, once she realized what Veraâs true intentions had been some time after Chloe had already killed her, also became distraught over what she had done. Itâs possible Fragrance Queen could have been similarly upset at Lachesis and her lies (about using Quivering Flower), but was gripped with regret and grief after she died.
Next is Phonograph. Itâs unknown whether she was in the Golden Rose Theater company before Bella or if she joined with her. We do know she was one of Bellaâs supporters and was looked down on by many of the other members for worshipping her so much. At the theater, she drove out enthusiastic fans that tried to sneak into Bellaâs waiting room. At the time of Bellaâs death, she was instructed by Bella to go out and buy something, so she was furious when she came back and found Scrooge already trying to have Kroto move into Bellaâs suite. During the investigation, we discover that she was aware of Bellaâs use of Quivering Flower, as well as how Kroto had given Bella some in return for pacifying DM, though when Inference tried to take one of the empty bottles, she became distraught and tried to hide it.
When Fragrance Queen asked if Bella used Quivering Flower, Phonograph responded that she hadnât since it was banned. Along with this, we know from her reaction to Inference taking one of the empty bottles (as well as when she took the empty bottle from Jingle Bells) that she knew Bella had received some more from Kroto. Itâs possible she may not have been initially aware how dangerous it was. Phonograph in regards to Quivering Flower may also reflect how Demi herself has drug resistance and how her brotherâs âmiracle drinkâ brought the two of them success. To Phonograph (and Demi), she might see something like Quivering Flower as a positive thing because, based on Demi, âachieving success through the use of miraculous effectsâ is a good thing to her. Whether or not there are side effects, she might believe that if it makes her loved ones successful and protects their pride, then itâs ok. This reflects how Phonograph worshipped Bella for her success, even with Quivering Flower, though it caused Bella to die in the end. This is similar to how Dovlin made her brother successful and proud, but it was also because of Dovlin that he left and never returned.
Regarding Phonographâs relationship to Bella, Phonograph to Bella was like how Princess Lamballe was to Mary. Princess Lamballe was Maryâs best friend and remained so no matter what, all the way to Maryâs execution. Like Lamballe, Phonograph never stops supporting Bella, and even gets mad at Scrooge for making light of Bellaâs death. Itâs also like Lamballe for Phonograph to be criticized by the other members of the troupe, as this also happened to Lamballe due to her support of Mary.
Other than Phonograph, Sparrow is another supporter for Bella. He may have even potentially joined up (from another theater company) around the same time as her based on one of the rumors from the start of the event. As we can see during the event, Sparrow gets easily emotional when it comes to Bella, at which point Smarty usually has to step in to get him to calm down. For things other than Bella, he seems normal, and despite being told by Scrooge to keep quiet, he still helps with the Detectiveâs investigation of the stage equipment at Smartyâs intercession.
Sparrowâs blindness and lack of composure towards Bella reflect Mikeâs feelings for Bernard, the head of the circus. Mike loves and believes in Bernard, despite Bernard being the same person whoâs abusive to Murro. Bernard seems to have different attitudes towards the other circus members compared to the ones he liked. Mike didnât seem to notice this other side of Bernard, or if he did, he didnât comment on it. Bernard to Mike was Bella to Sparrow. So, Sparrow getting especially upset after Bellaâs death is like the feelings he had after everyone at the circus (except Margaretha) died. Sparrow helping the Detective with his investigation into the circumstances surrounding Bellaâs death is similar to how Mike himself is investigating who killed everyone at the circus.
Speaking of Smarty Pants, she unlike many of the others never talks about the actorsâ performances. She never says anything for or against Bella, and doesnât compare her to Kroto and Lachesis, which is likely why she is said to be Sparrowâs friend and why Sparrow can get along with her easily. She doesnât seem to care if Kroto or Bella is better, and the only time she ever says anything is when Sparrow has an emotional outburst. We donât even really get to see what her feelings are about Lachesisâ and Bellaâs death. What we do know is sheâs interested in stage control and preventing a repeat of the tragedy with Ronaldâs father, which her feelings about are made very clear, especially with how her skin description is referring to it: âIf time could be reversed like cogwheels, could the dead come back to life?â.
Smarty, along with Jingle, are described as the most responsible backstage workers. We know that she didnât believe Ronaldâs father was responsible for Lachesisâ death. After thoroughly reviewing the circumstances of Lachesisâ âfallâ, she was able to exonerate Ronaldâs father 10 years after the âaccidentâ. Unfortunately, Ronaldâs father had already died in prison. Her work to prove his innocence gained Ronaldâs trust, as he calls her one of the only 2 âgoodâ people, with the other being Inference.
Based on Smartyâs feeling about Ronaldâs father and all her work to prove his father innocent, not to mention how an ex-worker of the Golden Rose Theater talks about Smarty, I think we can imply that Ronaldâs father was likely Smartyâs senior in terms of stage control. Meaning Smarty was possibly there 10 years ago when Lachesis died and Ronaldâs father was imprisoned.Â
One question that gives us is why it took 10 years for Smarty to prove Ronaldâs father innocent?
Besides saying itâs because it took time, it could have to do with Ronald joining the theater. That could have brought her back to reality and got her to realize that the machine operator was someoneâs father. Ronald doesnât seem to hide the fact that heâs the son of the machine operator that was accused. To parallel this, Tracy has her Cowardly trait in game: âYears of indoor work have exacerbated the Mechanic's timidity. The mechanic becomes scared when a teammate is wounded or placed on a rocket chairâ. Itâs only when one of her teammates gets hurt that she seems to be affected. This could imply that Smarty also wasnât affected and didnât realize the full reality of things until she met Ronald, the son of the mechanic who was falsely accused of Lachesisâ death. Her trying to prove Ronaldâs father innocent mirrors how she tried to prove how her own father didnât merely die in an âaccidentâ.
Another question about Smarty is how, despite how both her and Jingle are described as responsible, Smarty is the only one Ronald refers to as a âgoodâ person. Not Jingle Bells. Why?
At the very beginning, Jingle nearly turned Inference away until Ronald intercedes and allows him to enter the theater. Jingle thought that Inference was just another fan at first, but even when Inference tries to present the red scarf, Jingle still refuses and says itâs not actually special. During performances, he oversaw the entrance leading to the 2nd floor where officials and nobility reside. On the day of Bellaâs fall, he kept track of people going to and from the 1st and 2nd floor, and found an empty bottle of Quivering Flower at the scene of her fall (though he didnât seem to know what it was). It was the same kind of bottle DM had given Bella several times before, with Jingle apparently delivering it to her each time. He had also seen Kroto go upstairs, but never come down. Jingle shows himself to be sincere about his work, and he still appears shocked and saddened after Bellaâs death.
The issue with Jingle is that he knows important information but doesnât tell anyone. He knows things that couldâve helped stop the incident or solve it faster, yet Jingle doesnât say any more than what heâs asked. For example, when Inference shows him the red scarf to try to meet with Bella, Jingleâs reaction to it as well as his comment about it hints that Jingle in fact knew that Bella gave away the scarf. He may have even known it had been given to Kroto by Golden Scissors. Yet, all he says is how itâs not as special as Inference thinks. Then thereâs how he knew Kroto hadnât come down from the 2nd floor. If Smarty had known this, she might have been able to figure out who had touched the elevator. Thereâs also how he delivered the bottles from DM to Bella. If Fragrance Queen had been aware of this, or even about the empty bottle he had found, she could have realized Bellaâs was using Quivering Flower, or if she knew about the deliveries before then, maybe she couldâve stopped Bella before she got herself killed.
This relates to Victorâs deductions. Victor isnât good at communicating with people and he is also very tight-lipped. Itâs also because of this tight-lipped nature that heâs entrusted with delivery work between the âOld Manâ and the other party (gangs) that canât be made public. Jingle, like Victor, is tight-lipped and doesnât talk about things not related to his job. Even though he has quite a bit of information based on everything he said during the event, he wonât tell it to anyone because itâs not part of his job and because no one asks him about it) The only reason he spoke as much as he did in Act 3 is likely due to Sheriff Joseâs letter. That day, it was his job to cooperate with the detectiveâs investigation.
This âI know but wonât tell you because itâs not relevant to my workâ is likely why Ronald decided Jingle wasnât a good person. Ronald, as well as Norton, are both smart and good at noticing. He also understands this possibly because he, like Jingle/Victor, is the same kind of person.
Since I mentioned Golden Scissors, Iâll move to talk about him next. As I mentioned earlier, he was introduced in a newspaper along with Fragrance Queen, implying he was a well-known stylist. Currently, he works exclusively as Bellaâs stylist, but any work Bella didnât like he diverted to Kroto for a fee. âIf the trade is fair, I donât mind feeding her vanity a little bitâ. He also has a habit of reading newspapers in the afternoon to help inspire his work. It was 1 of these newspapers that gave Inference a hint about the similarity between Bellaâs case and Lachesisâ death.
Jack, like Golden Scissors, is someone who takes pride in his work. Jack is an artist, while Golden Scissors is a stylist. However, he doesnât mention any feelings of regret or disappointment when talking about Bella discarding the red scarf. He remains surprisingly calm. The Ripper is said to have his âown unique set of standards for his âguestââ. This likely relates to his actions with Kroto. Another connection between Jack and Golden Scissorsâ is his mask. Itâs half black, half white, with 1 half smiling and the other sad, and has a crack running through the white side. This is ties to how Jack himself is split between Jack and the Ripper, and Jack, who isnât happy about the Ripper and what he does, is the one who seems to be fading away, which explains the crack in the white half of the mask. Jack immersing himself in his work as the only way to calm the Ripper ties to Golden Scissorsâ focus on his job.
Thereâs also how in Act 3 he shows Inference a newspaper that leads him to suspect Scrooge, as well as causes Sparrow to explode into the conversation, which leads to a lot of information and a sudden revelation of the truth. This action doesnât seem to personally benefit Golden Scissors. All he did was step in when Encore was at a loss for words, hand the Detective the newspaper, and watch the resulting show. He doesnât defend anyone like Sparrow or try to see what was bothering people like Fragrance Queen. This kind of role possibly reflects the Ripper. He doesnât seem too particularly interested in what happens to the Golden Rose Theater or what itâs future is. The action of showing the newspaper may have been an intentional one to sow the seeds of confusion, as well as allow him to watch the results of his action for the benefit of his own amusement. Him finding the confusion in Act 3 interesting to watch may have been the only thing he cared about.
From Golden Scissors we go to Encore. She, like Sparrow, came from another theater company, with her current job being as âStand-inâ, as well as her custom of telling fortunes before performances. Unlike Sparrow though, she is a friend of Krotoâs and doesnât think much of Bella and her worshippers. She is also superstitious and believes Lachesis holds a grudge against the theater. As a result of Bellaâs accidental death, memories of Lachesis and her death resurface for people and result in them calling the theater cursed, making Encore even more nervous.
The reason Encore is friends with Kroto reflects Fiona in her own deductions in regards to her mother. Fiona was desperate to meet her motherâs excessive, strict expectations, but was never able to do so, with her momâs disappointed comment of âWhy couldnât you have been more like meâ to top it all off. Kroto, like Fiona, struggled in her own way amid her unfortunate circumstances. Her efforts were also easy to understand by those around her, as theatergoers could see her hard work and effort as well as her unhappiness, such as when Kroto gradually became more popular and yet wasnât chosen as lead actress, or when Kroto was forced to substitute for Bella whenever Bella missed rehearsals.
Encoreâs skin description also reflects these same sentiments: âWhenever the chants âEncore! Encore!â roar throughout the theatre, I only wish they were meant for me.â. This is likely exactly what Fiona felt with her mother, always just wishing to meet her expectations and earn that praise, but like the cheers of the theater, Fiona herself never earned that praise. Encoreâs job at the theater is also similar. She, as the âstand-inâ oversees the interval show, which is performed to keep the audience occupied between acts while preparations are being made for the next act. Itâs an important job but isnât always seen as such despite all the work it takes. She wants to be recognized by the audience the same way she wants her mother to see all her effort trying to meet her expectations.
As a result, itâs no wonder Encore likely felt camaraderie with Kroto. Kroto worked hard as an actress but wasnât rewarded for all her efforts. We also see how she, like Fiona, in the end left to go somewhere else. All this would explain why Encore isnât supportive to Bella. From Encoreâs point of view, Bella came off as a selfish person who relied on her natural talents and neglected rehearsals. She was gifted and wasnât trying, yet had so many adoring fans.
Another person who didnât seem to have much love for Bella was Commander, the theaterâs logistics manager who, along with Phonograph, kicked out enthusiastic fans that tried to sneak backstage to see Bella. Rusty comments that she knows everything. Commander acknowledges Bellaâs talent for acting but says Bellaâs performance had been fluctuating lately, and comments she doesnât like her attitude. She calls Bellaâs personality not likeable and seems bugged about how she wasnât close with any of the other theater members, not to mention calls her a lunatic for saying if she couldnât deliver a flawless performance sheâd rather die. In regards to Lachesis, she refers to her as a mix between Kroto and Bella, calls her arrogant, but never slacked off, didnât ever miss a rehearsal, never made a mistake, and states sheâs a âgenius whoâs deadly serious to the point of pathologicalâ.
According to the Detective, she didnât have any interest in Lachesis (at least in Act 1), compared to all she had to say about Bella. The only hints we get is Commander seemed to become âlost in some bad memoriesâ regarding Lachesisâ death. This may hint Commander knew the truth about Lachesisâ death and Scrooge using her compensation to rebuild the theater, and so may be suspicious of him trying to do the same with Bella. It could also explain why she made a comment about how maybe Bella couldâve fallen in an accident, what with all the slacking of sheâd done, but Lachesis, who never screwed up and was always flawless, would never have fallen in some accident during a performance.
The reason Commander didnât seem to like Bella relates to Emmaâs background. Emma had to go through her family falling apart. Her mother left, and later her father turning to drinking before later burning himself up in the factory, leaving Emma all alone, without a home or family. To Commander, the theater is like her home, and the theater group is her family, so she likely doesnât want to see it falling apart (or be left alone). One of her goals is to protect it, which is why she kicks out the enthusiastic fans trying to sneak backstage, why she tries to figure things out and thus knows so much, and why she doesnât like Bellaâs behavior and how she didnât get along with the other members of the theater.
This could also be why she wouldnât like Scrooge and the tactics he was using to keep the theater afloat via insurance fraud. This could parallel Emmaâs background, as Leo, her home, and life, was destroyed due to financial reasons. 1 thought why Commander didnât accuse Scrooge 10 years ago if she knew the truth may be because she didnât want to do something that would destroy the theater.
Now letâs discuss Rusty, the assistant screenwriter. Rusty is an interesting character, as he only ever shows up in Act 1. He doesnât even show up in Act 2 to defend himself when everyone is proving their alibis (regarding Bellaâs death). Ronald ends up being the one to provide it. The first time Rusty is mentioned is in a rumor that said Ronald and Rusty were the theaterâs âsilver tonguesâ. We first see him right after the Detective gets into the theater with Ronaldâs help. Heâs the one that made the comment about money and twisted love corrupting Scroogeâs talent. He also opens up more when he learns the Detective was a friend of DM, which includes informing us about Lachesisâ fall at the final performance, Scrooge obtaining money of unknown origin after Lachesisâ death, and that the sequel to âThe Coin of Lachesisâ is being rehearsed right then. He closes up when Inference asks for more information, telling him to instead talk to Commander.
From all this, Rusty is definitely suspicious, especially due to his lack of appearances, and even more especially from not showing up to give his alibi. He, like Jingle, seems to know more than he lets on. Rustyâs skin description seems to hint towards this: âIf the duty of a detective is to seek out the truth behind every mystery, no matter how ugly it is, then the duty of a playwright is to provide an ending to every story, no matter how far it deviates from the truthâ. This relates to Freddyâs thinking the law isnât a permit for âwhat you may doâ but a provision for âwhat you must not doâ. His desire to âprovide an endingâ ties in with Rustyâs feelings towards Scrooge. Originally, he had joined the theater because he wanted to learn from the director who âused to be a talented writerâ. As we know from his money and twisted love comment, he seems to have lost the respect he once had for him. Rusty feels that Scrooge lost his talent because of his obsession with Lachesis (and using her death for money).
Based on this and his goal to âprovide an endingâ, he may be working to undermine Scrooge. With him out of the way, Rusty would be able to give the ending to the story that Scrooge has proven himself unable to write (at least not adequately enough anymore).
The reason Rusty may have clammed up and told the Detective to talk to Commander instead was possibly to prevent himself from giving too much information and becoming a suspect later on. Freddy is clever, so his plans are bound to be well-thought out. Thatâs why Rusty knew to not give too much away, especially to a Detective.
I think wasnât working alone. I think he had the support of both DM and Ronald. Regarding DM, the reason Rusty opened up when he heard Inference was friends with him mightâve been because he was allied with DM. With Ronald, this comes from the number of times we see the 2 together in some way. At the beginning, Ronald drops Inference off with Rusty before going to rehearsal. Thereâs even before then with the rumor how Ronald and Rusty are the âsilver tonguesâ at the theater. Later, we see itâs Ronald who provides Rusty with his alibi. Further more, thereâs how Ronald somehow seemed to know the Detective was coming to the theater to investigate, despite the fact only DM shouldâve known that. On top of this, Ronald apparently was coming to greet the Detective right before rehearsal. Finally, thereâs how DM is the one to suggest a lead actress to Ronald when he becomes the new owner, as well as how Rusty is likely the playwright at the Golden Rose Theater under Ronald.
So, why would these 3 work together? I think itâs because of their mutual interest and shared benefit. Not to mention, this fits Freddyâs deductions and how it says itâs good to have âmore than one good partnerâ (and Norton has a similar deduction about needing helpers). Weâve already discussed Rusty, who wants to provide an end to the story, and how he wants Scrooge out of the way to do that. DM is likely cooperating due to his interest in the âhuntâ (not to mention his interest in Bella, even after she dies). Finally, we have Ronald, who wants to become owner of the Golden Rose Theater and wants revenge on Scrooge for his fatherâs death.
Rusty and Ronald are potentially the source of the rumors we hear about, like the rumor about Rusty and Ronald being the âsilver tonguesâ of the theater. This was listed as âgossipâ and of âunknown sourceâ. Gossip is exactly what Rusty was doing after hearing Inference knew DM. The reason for the rumor was likely to help them gather information. The other information we learn before the event begins is the âunreliable informationâ from the âbutlerâ of the theater. Both this and the previous one are deliberately worded as to make us unsure if the information is reliable. Itâs possible this 2nd bit of information also came from Rusty. This would be the kind of information we could describe as a âleakâ. In that case, it could imply that another âleakâ we saw later during the event also came from the same source. The information Iâm referring to is the newspaper Golden Scissors had that discussed the compensation Scrooge received from Lachesisâs death, which helped him escape financial difficulties. This couldâve also been leaked by Rusty and Ronald to deliberately hurt Scroogeâs reputation.
If Rusty was working behind the scenes (against Scrooge), especially to help gather information (and also leak it to people), that could explain why Rusty was missing for so long, including in Act 3. Another of Freddyâs deductions parallel this: âThis is an era of change, and you need to be privy to exclusive news to be successful!â. Finally, in the end when they are successful in getting Scrooge removed, this mirrors how Freddy was successful in getting Martha from Leo and getting Leo to fall into his trap (to buy the debt ridden factory and getting Leo to âdisappearâ).
As a final continuation of this, the fact the newspaper continues to describe Bella as having died via a fall, and Inference mentions âthat gentleman must have something to do with itâ, âthat gentlemanâ is DM. I think this could be how Rusty and Ronald can leak information. With someone as high up as DM, he could help get the information they want to hurt Scrooge into a newspaper with his influence. Though I think the reason the newspaper didnât report the truth about Bella more has to do with what DM wants than Rusty and Ronald. I think the reason DM kept the newspapers at the end of the event that way is because he didnât want the truth about Bella dying via Quivering Flower to become public, as otherwise it mightâve made it difficult to hand out them out as gifts to the females he chases after, or made his âhuntsâ harder to do.
To finish our analysis of the event, we have Ronald. To a number of people, he may not have seemed very important in this story, but thatâs probably the way he wanted it to be. Like Rusty, he was being sneaky and hiding his true intentions really well, which was why they were working behind the scenes regarding most of what they really did (and wanted). Ronald is the lead actor for a reason, even though some people may have forgotten that as the event went on. He was made the lead for a reason. It shows that he is a good actor, which is something reflected in Nortonâs background, especially in Nortonâs letter where Benny comments on Norton having a âpolarized façadeâ. Itâs also implied due to Ronald being called a âsilver tongueâ, which means âpersuasiveâ or âeloquentâ. Ronald, as well as Norton, are good at talking to people, convincing them of the things they want to convince them of, as well as are good at hiding their true intentions and feelings.
As an add on, he is also described as having âacumenâ, which means âkeen insightâ or âshrewdnessâ (aka, heâs sharp). This helps prove the idea of him being able to notice the truth behind Jingle and how much he really knew but didnât say, as well as how he like Rusty is able to gather information for their mutual goal. The âgreedâ heâs also referred to as having here can help prove the idea that he was working with Rusty to help get rid of Scrooge, for Ronaldâs personal goal of revenge and so he could become owner of the theater.
The first time we hear about Ronald is after his father dies, when heâs forced to return from his studies in France to arrange his funeral. Interestingly, after the funeral it says âBut no one heard from him sinceâ. This implies Ronald disappeared after the funeral, only reappearing 10 years later when he joins Golden Rose Theater as the ânew leading actorâ.
When the Detective arrives at the Theater at the beginning of the event, we learn that him and Ronald know each other from serving in the military together. Ronald helps the Detective get into the theater, as well as continues to remain cooperative through the Detectiveâs investigation, before and after Bellaâs death. Another detail we learn is that, despite how he has a certain amount of say in the theater, he doesnât seem to be well respected by the other members of the group. Later on, he provided alibis for himself and Rusty during Act 2, showing neither of them couldâve killed Bella. By the end, we see that Ronald became the new owner of the theater.
Ronald studying in France, as well as his passion for performing, reflects Norton himself, as in his deductions we see hints about Nortonâs eagerness to learn. This comes from the letters of recommendation we see in his deductions, which mentioned he didnât stay with any one employer for too long, showing how he was going around learning what he could, getting different experiences, and likely developing and improving his techniques (the same way Ronald would be). Which would explain why all his past employers were saddened at not being able to keep him for longer.
Ronald studying from France also connects him to Bella and Lachesis, who are both from France. The fact he was studying could mean he was trying to be like Lachesis, as Bella wasnât lead actress at the time. And him wanting to be as good as Lachesis might possibly stem from how Lachesis was mentioned to be âflawlessâ, never made a mistake, and did anything for the performance.
Ronaldâs intellect also goes along with how Ronald constantly helps the Detective throughout his investigations. Heâs the one to help him get into the theater. Heâs the one introducing the Detective to most of the theater members, and he usually includes important snippets and details about each one (the fact he knows information about each person like this could be further proof to the idea mentioned earlier, with how him and Rusty are gathering information for the end goal of getting rid of Scrooge). Ronald also helps the Detective talk to people when the Detective needs to (or when itâs hard for the Detective to talk to the person himself).
Back with Ronaldâs passion for performing, this shows that his main interest is in ensuring the performance is perfect. It doesnât matter who the leading actress is to him as long as they perform their part well. That would explain his dislike for Bella. Unlike the reasons of most others, Ronaldâs only reason for disliking Bella is because of her acting. Sheâs been missing rehearsals, and when she does perform in front of the other cast, it hasnât been great (it apparently had been âfluctuatingâ recently, nowhere near flawless). That means if Bella had been able to do her job right, Ronald wouldnât have cared that Bella was the lead actress instead of Kroto. Ronald is just serious about his role and the performance. This is just like Norton, who is a hard worker to the point of overworking from how he was always the âfirst to enter the mine, and the last to leave itâ. Nortonâs Season 12 Essence 2 skin, Wild Pitch, also is a hint to this aspect of Norton, about how heâs a hard worker who overworks to the point of seriously hurting himself and to the point of total exhaustion. He takes mining (and his interest in ore) seriously, and he puts all his effort into it to make sure itâs done as well as it can be done. So it would make sense heâd expect at least an adequate performance from his coworkers.
Also, with how smart Ronald is implied to be, it could make sense that he may have taken notice of Scroogeâs talent and that he wasnât writing as well as he used to (due to his obsessions and everything from Lachesisâ death). That could be part of the reason why Ronald wants to be owner instead of Scrooge, the same way he thinks it might be better for Kroto to be lead actress instead of Bella. All because Bella and Scrooge arenât doing good enough and he wants the performances to be as great as they can be.
Alongside his goal of becoming the owner of the Golden Rose Theater, the other reason Ronald is working against Scrooge is because he wants revenge for his fatherâs death. Itâs because of Scrooge faking Lachesisâ death as an accident via fall that his dad was falsely accused of getting Lachesis killed, due to his father being in charge of the lift, and being imprisoned led to his death via a severe cold.
I think one of the official tweets on Ronald might hint at the importance of his fatherâs death to him and hint at him wanting revenge for it: https://twitter.com/IdentityVJP/status/1286919130658926594. Specifically, Iâm referring to how it says âin the darkness of tragedyâ and âonly the rose on his chest continues to shineâ. âTragedyâ. The one tragedy that happened to Ronald was his dadâs death. âDarknessâ refers to how Ronald felt after his fatherâs death, which impacted him so greatly that âonly the rose on his chest continues to shineâ. This last bit might mean Ronald wasnât happy after that day, that there wasnât really any light in his life or in him afterwards (because all his light got taken away with his fatherâs death). If this impacted him so greatly, this helps prove Ronald had a strong desire to get revenge on the man responsible (Scrooge). Thus, the last bit of the tweet, which asks what Ronald wanted, might be hinting at Ronald wanting revenge and his desire to take Scroogeâs position as director and owner of the theater from him.
From the picture of this incident where we see Ronald crying over his fatherâs body, from Ronaldâs disappearance after his dadâs funeral instead of returning to France to continue his studies, and only reappearing 10 years later when he joined the Golden Rose Theater, helps prove that Ronald did indeed care about his father. Enough to want revenge for his death.
This is why Ronald explores a lot of things personally and gathers information himself. Anything that might inconvenience Scrooge he likely spreads as rumors or via newspapers (with DMâs help). Itâs also likely why he works so much with the Detective. Because he wants help getting the truth to come out.
The main reason Ronald likely joined the theater was probably to look into it and get his revenge (or find the information and whatever else he needed to achieve his revenge on Scrooge), as that theater was where Scrooge was.
Another reason I think Ronald wanted to be owner of the theater had to do with Nortonâs background again. Itâs the part about how despite having some say in even though he was the lead actor and the amount of talent he had to have had to get that position. It parallels what we learn about Norton from his profile in the Famitsu article, which hints at how he wasnât treated well by the people around him. Before Norton went to the 13 mines, it mentions how others were intimidated by how hard he worked. After the accident, while Norton was recovering in the hospital, it mentions how no one really comforted him and instead avoided him. Finally, Ronald wanting to become owner of the theater can mirror Nortonâs desire to change his status/fate (how he wants to move up) by acquiring wealth or finding gold. Ronald wants to be owner relates to part of the reason why Norton wants to change his fate. He wants to prove himself.
Ronald, like Norton, was a hard worker and exceptional at his job, but didnât receive the respect and treatment he deserved (despite his position and talent). This was in part because of who his parents were (his dad was a lowly miner) and also because of Nortonâs parents dying early and leaving Norton all alone. As a result of this, Ronald and Norton want to âproveâ themselves and show them how good he really is. For Ronald, this means becoming owner of the Golden Rose Theater (and getting rid of Scrooge). For Norton, this was changing his status and earning the wealth he needed to do so (and showing those around him that he was capable of being more than what he was currently).
Ronald being willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goal is also similar to how Norton was so desperate to change his fate. Norton was tired of just being a miner, tired of not being treated well by the other miners and his employers, and he was depressed over how, now matter how hard he worked, he was still just as poor and likely to end up like the other homeless miners in hospice. But since effort alone wasnât enough, he decided to try something else, which came in the form of his search through 13 mines in the hope of striking gold in a get rich quick scheme. Ronald and Norton being positive no matter how bad things look and remaining hopeful mirrors one of Nortonâs deductions as well as the message a number of Nortonâs skins seem to provide, which was how he had to keep being positive, and he couldnât be affected by what others around him said or did.
Basically, one of Ronaldâs hopes is that, if he can become owner, that will show everyone that heâs worthy of respect.
As a bit of further proof for this that Ronald wants revenge for his father, we can look at Act 2 which was when we learn Bella died. When itâs said that Bella âdied on the spotâ, we get a curious response: âI wasnât sure what came to Ronaldâs mind as he sighed and said âAt least it didnât look like she suffered much before she died.ââ. Ronald commenting about Bella not having to suffer much is an interesting parallel when you think of how Ronaldâs father died. He was sent to prison and suffered from a severe illness before dying. He didnât die instantly. He suffered greatly. He was even in prison and didnât have any family when he died, which likely made his suffering and death all the worse for Ronaldâs father. The fact Ronald sighs before saying it, not to mention him making this kind of comment at all, I think is all a way of hinting at Ronaldâs feelings regarding his father and the grudge he holds against Scrooge.
Actually, when I put it that way, that reminds me of Encore mentioning Lachesis still haunting the theater because she died with a grudge. What if itâs not Lachesisâ ghost haunting the theater holding a grudge? What if the grudge is actually Ronaldâs? Encore is mentioned to be superstitious, and does things like fortune telling, while Fiona herself is also spiritual, interested in the occult, and possibly could have something like a 6th sense. Based on this, I think itâs possible Encore could tell something was there and someone had a grudge (especially considering how Encore does fortune telling), but may have guessed wrong about who that grudge belonged to. Sheâs said to be anxious over people calling the theater cursed with memories of Lachesisâ death being brought back due to Bellaâs death, so itâd make sense sheâd assume that the grudge belonged to her. But the fact that, when Encore is talking about grudges, the Detective is with Ronald at this time, I think could be a hint to the truth.
Also, when Ronald makes the comment about the only good people are Smarty and the Detective, this apparently comes after the cast of the performance was finalized, with Bella being the chosen as lead actress. Yet Bella refused to rehearse, and Scrooge refused to cancel the rehearsal or change the cast. I think this might be another hint at Ronaldâs annoyance with Scrooge (and his desire to get rid of him), as Scrooge refusing to change the case or cancel the rehearsal even though Bella refused to rehearse likely upsets Ronald, who wants the performance be perfect and go as well as it can which wonât if Scrooge keeps making bad decisions. It is later confirmed that this (Scroogeâs actions about the rehearsal and cast) did in fact annoy him (it said he was âticked offâ), heâs mentioned to not be surprised (which could hint at him at this point already having an opinion on Scrooge and/or knows how he is by now). Itâs also said that âBy that time, Kroto could take on Bellaâs role convincingly, so he didnât really care whom he was going to perform withâ. This goes back to what I said about Ronald doesnât really hate Bella personally, he just wants someone who can perform well during the performance. So even if he didnât care too much about Scroogeâs actions, as Kroto could still replace Bella if need be, itâs still a hint towards Ronaldâs actual feelings.
Thereâs also Ronaldâs comment about Smarty and the Detective being the only good people, which can be used as further proof. Smarty is âgoodâ because she was the only member of the group to work to prove his fatherâs innocence, while the Detective is a friend from the military that Ronald says he really trusts.
I also think that Scrooge could be a parallel to Benny (just like the theory how Marshall from the Western themed story of Season 10 essence 1 may also represent Benny for Norton). Scrooge had an obsession with money, which is just like Benny (and Marshall) who also has an obsession with money and finding gold. Bennyâs obsession with money could also be described as a âtwisted loveâ. Marshall never finding real gold could parallel Bennyâs failure to ever find real gold himself. Thereâs also how Scrooge is related to Ronaldâs father death.
Once Ronald actually becomes owner of the theater, itâs mentioned he acquired a vast fortune from somewhere and used it to purchase the deed to the theater. This money was likely the compensation from Bellaâs death.
The reason why Scrooge made it look like Bella (and Lachesis) died in accidents is because he wanted the money from their insurance policies. Therefore, Sheriff Jose likely arrested Scrooge and thus he was removed as owner of Golden Rose Theater due to insurance fraud. As a result, I think Scrooge wouldnât have gotten any of the compensation money. Considering Kroto is said to be listed on those insurance policies too, I think the money wouldâve gone to her.
1 option is Ronald got the money from Kroto. She didnât even want to use Bellaâs suite due to thinking Lachesis cursed it. So maybe after everything that happened at the theater and everything Kroto did, she just wanted to get away from the theater and everything. That could include the compensation she received from Bellaâs death. So maybe she gave it to the 1 person she knew wanted Golden Rose Theater. Kroto does say all she wants is to show sheâs worthy of being the spotlight or something. Itâs also possible she gave it because she liked Ronald. This comes from the comment that Kroto likes âred and covets things that donât belong to herâ. Ronald wears mostly red. Thereâs also how during the Golden Rose Theater trailer, Kroto has hearts in her eyes while seeming to be looking at Ronald. Ronald could be something she canât have based on his personality, his focus on revenge for his father and replacing Scrooge, and how he mainly only cares about the performance (plus especially if Ronald stays at the theater while Kroto wants to get away from the place).
Either way, I donât think Ronald did anything dirty or underhanded to get the money. Weâve already gone over how smart Ronald actually is. If he was willing to invite the Detective over to the theater after Ronald became the owner, especially with how well Ronald knows the Detective and he fully well knows just how smart the Detective is, especially right after the Detectiveâs investigations, I doubt he wouldâve done something bad. Not to mention, I doubt he wouldâve done something like or as bad as insurance fraud right after Scrooge was (likely) just caught and charged for that very thing. Itâd be like a criminal calling the police right after he robbed a store. It doesnât make a lot of sense (at least for a normal person, as we arenât going to talk about some of the weird stories where this sort of thing likely happens). Not to mention, Ronald is mentioned to âreally trustâ the Detective. From what weâve seen and heard from the Detective as well as Ronald, I honestly think the 2 of them are friends (the very beginning of the event has the Detective mentioning him and Ronald are friends), that they (at least somewhat on the Detectiveâs side) trust each other, and so wouldnât do anything to get themselves in trouble with each other.
If anything, the 2nd option as to where Ronald got the money is maybe he got it from DM. Considering his interest in beautiful things, in the âhuntâ, and how he quickly moves on after Bellaâs death, he probably wants the theater to go on so he will continue to have sources of entertainment (and people to âhuntâ). Also, I have discussed how Ronald and DM were working together. So it wouldnât be much of a surprise if DM was willing to fund Ronald to become the owner.
Nearing the end now. I know some people might make some comparisons between Ronald and the Phantom from the Phantom of the Opera, but when I checked I didnât see enough connections between them. Yes, Ronald has a mask covering part of his face, but the Phantom wears his mask to hide/cover his disfigurement, while Ronaldâs mask doesnât (it actually covers everything but the burn scar on his face). Then thereâs how the Phantom is obsessed with Christine, but this love element is absent in regards to Ronald, who wants revenge on Scrooge. Thereâs also how the Phantom threatens the opera house to do what he says or else heâll do something bad. Ronald never threatens anyone, and even if he might be working against Scrooge, heâs doing it secretly. Most of what he does is help the Detective with his investigations and maybe leak information to newspapers, but that isnât the same as what the Phantom does. The Phantom in the story already seems to be in control of the theater, while Ronald in the Golden Rose Theater event is trying to work his way up to be owner of the theater.
The second to last thing is Ronaldâs description and how it relates to Norton. This has been hard for me to figure out. âIt's you, the strings that weave our destiny - let it become the web that entangles us all.â The first half should refer to Kroto. This is because Kroto is based on Clotho, who in Greek myth was the one to spin the thread of a personâs âdestinyâ. As to the 2nd half may refer to how Kroto was essentially the one to start the whole chain of events that occurred during the Golden Rose Theater event. Her being jealous of Bella, leading to her pretending to be her and talk to DM, which makes DM call Inference to go to the theater, which causes Kroto to have to give more Quivering Flower to Bella and thus lead to her death. With Bella dead, Scrooge tries to take advantage of it to acquire more money from her insurance policy, and Inference stays longer to solve that case, leading to the truth about Scrooge faking Bellaâs (and Lachesisâ) deaths and thus gets him arrested, which allows Ronald to finally get his revenge and replace Scrooge as owner. All in all, this would explain why Ronald would hope that the âwebâ Kroto âweavesâ would âentangleâ everyone. This allowed him the opportunity to reach his goal and get what he wanted.
It's harder for me to determine how his description relates to Norton himself though. Maybe for his backstory, in place of Kroto itâs supposed to be Benny and the old miners. Benny was the reason Norton received an opportunity to find gold when Norton was failing to change his fate from simple hard work. Though he never got the gold in the end, he did get the meteorite magnets and was able to change his profession so heâd no longer have to be a miner (geological prospecting is actually the very sort of thing Norton would likely enjoy considering his canon interests and talents). Thereâs also how I still think Benny was involved in the death of Nortonâs father, so by going after the gold alone and not helping Benny could be like a form of revenge for Nortonâs father.
The very last thing I have is about Ronaldâs name.
To set this up, the Detective mentions when he first meets Ronald that âwe called him âRonald of Niceââ. This is said immediately after the Detective comments how Ronald is an old friend from the army, and right before he says âwe hadnât seen each other for yearsâ. This means it was him and his other pals from the army that called him âRonald of Niceâ and not the other members of the Golden Rose Theater.
Ronald is a name from Old Norse that is composed of âadvice, counsel, decisionâ and âpower, rulerâ. âAdviceâ or âcounselâ could relate to how Ronald was helping the Detective all throughout his investigation, introducing him to the different members and briefly explaining who they were, as well as talking to people when the Detective couldnât, how Ronald helps the Detective figure things out, and various other ways. Regarding the âpowerâ or ârulerâ part, this could relate to how Ronald is the lead actor of the Golden Rose Theater, as well as could refer to Ronaldâs desire to become owner of the Golden Rose Theater.
Regarding the last part of his name, âNiceâ is a city in France. Sometimes called âNice the Beautifulâ, the city was founded by the Greeks and named after Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. The connection to the Greeks fits with how much theyâre connected to the main lore of the game, while Nike and âvictoryâ may connect to Nortonâs Highway Cavalier skin, as he achieves âvictoryâ in COA 4. Inference says that Ronaldâs name reflects his personality. Therefore, maybe what heâs saying is that Ronald is someone who wants to win and works hard to achieve âvictoryâ or success.
Thatâs everything I have. Hope this was a fun journey for everyone. Iâm not the most knowledgeable on some of the topics I mentioned in here, so donât be too harsh with me. I donât mind constructive criticism though.
#idv#identity v#truth and inference#truth & inference#T&I#idv truth and inference#idv truth & inference#idv t&i#mr. inference#ronald of ness#ronald of nice#D.M.#desire melodis#lady bella#golden rose theater#atropos' ropes#naib subedar#norton campbell#joseph desaulnier#idv mary#idv naib#idv norton#idv joseph#sirenjose analyses and theories
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Point of No Return.
figured would be doing them in Moulin Rouge! soon too..
#identity v#ronald of ness#lady bella#idv prospector#idv bloody queen#norton campbell#idv mary#golden rose theater#truth and inference
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i dont feel like properly rendering him,,,
#identity v#identity v fanart#identity v fandom#identity v norton#norton campbell#fanart#Ronald of ness#small artist#digital drawing#artists on tumblr
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đ§Ąđ§Ąđ§Ą
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#tag your otp#this screenshot came from my friend and it's killing me#norton really like idgaf#norton campbell#ronald of ness#identity v#idv#mpreg#character.ai#jester zone
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NORTON ANGST 𧲠(EDNORT MENTION đ§˛đ¨)
TW: SUICIDE, MURDER, DEATH
It's been 10 years since Edgars death. Norton could still not get out of bed. He laid in bed.. watching TV. He was 38, no partner. No kids. Nothing. He didn't even have a job. He sighed and sat up. He looked up at his ceiling.
He imagined himself hanging from it.. He sighed. He laid back down and stared out the window. He missed Edgar. Even after 10 years. He saw people outside, laughing, playing, eating. He saw them acting as if they've never had heartbreak. He knew he shouldn't have let Edgar go to that damned theatre in Russia.
He looked away from the window. He got up and went over to his mini fridge. Notton opened the door and grabbed a bottle. Just some water. He needed to do the bare minimum. Sitting back down, he opened the bottle, and taking a drink.
Norton imagined killing that damned actor, Brother or not. Ronald should've left Edgar alone. Next time the actor came to visit Norton, he'd kill him. He was sure of it. Then, he'd kill himself. He needed to avenge Edgar first.
He'd do exactly what Ronald did to Edgar. Torture him. He was...â
...?
What was that noise..
It was a knock.
Ronald was here. Norton looked at the counter and grabbed a knife. He put behind his back as he went over to the door. He opened the door and Ronald smiled.
âTonton! How have you beeââ
âDon't call me that.â
âAh.. sorry, Norton.. It was what I used to call you so I thoââ
âI don't care.â
Norton then punched Ronald.. perhaps instead of stabbing Ronald... He could beat him to death. Ronald was knocked down. Norton got on top of him. He started punching his brother in the face over and over. His hands were starting to get covered in blood. He loved it. It's what this fucker deserved.
He kept punching and punching. He panted as he finally stopped. He saw Ronald's lifeless body, blood covered the once famous and beautiful face of the Russian actor. He got up. That part of his plan was done. Now it's time for the second part.
He picked up the knife. He put it up to his neck and closed his eyes. He was ready. He then quickly sliced his neck. He fell to the ground with a...
THUD!
Both Ronald and Norton were dead. Norton could see Edgar again.
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I just loved the Golden Rose Theatre event in Identity V + Norton and Naib as Ronald of Ness and Mr.inference.... It gave me life.
#Identity V#Idv#Identity V Fanart#Golden Rose Theatre#Game#Game fanart#fanart#horror game#identity v mercenary#identity v prospector#mercenary#prospector#Norton Campbell#Naib Subedar#Mr Inference#Inference#Ronald of Ness#Ronald of Nice#art#my art#art on tumblr#artist on tumblr#illustration#nortnaib#ship#digital#couple#lgbtq+#digital drawing#digital art
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Day 7 - Lowering the Curtain
I don't think Inference gets paid enough for this.
Anyway! I didn't have a lot of motivation at first for this day, but by sheer willpower and reminding myself I can do the values first and worry about color later I managed. Somehow that was a bit more fun?
Yeah.
Anyway. This week was really fun to do! It's going to be running through out all of august so if you're interested it's primarily being done on twitter . I had been hoping for a while to have something like this and well. I got it and it was very fun. I hope either to participate again next year or. Maybe not I don't know.
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ronference
#norton campbell#prospector idv#naib subedar#mercenary idv#ronference#nortnaib#norton campbell idv#naib subedar idv#etc etc#gay old men in gay old love#ronald of ness#mr inference
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truth & inference identity v keychains
âśď¸ shop here
#shop julian#identity v#idv#identity 5#lady truth#mr inference#dm#emma woods#gardener#lockheart#tracy reznik#lady bella#amethyst duchess#white#paranormal investigator#luca balsa#prisoner#ronald of ness#norton campbell#prospector
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SmoochâŚ
#identity v#idv bloody queen#idv prospector#norton campbell#mary idv#ronald of ness#lady bella#golden rose theater
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