Ok they're ghosts, this is super obvious

And here I was trying to work in a joke about them being vampires since one was literally drinking blood . . .

I don't know if there's a sequel, but it'll need a Supernatural tag.

Could not really get into it. :'(
There is another one of like this setting i.e all girls school, partners which I found more interesting Tomodachi Gokko. Read it on another site - two chapters out.

Autumn posted:

Could not really get into it. :'(
There is another one of like this setting i.e all girls school, partners which I found more interesting Tomodachi Gokko. Read it on another site - two chapters out.

But it's not yuri. At most subtext.

But it's not yuri. At most subtext.

Really?

There's no way thats the end.. is it?

oh. Ok. Yeah. I get it. It's just . . . ending there just leaves me incredibly indifferent to the whole thing. Were it to continue I might be able to get more invested. As is, I don't think it will be something I will even remember reading.

last edited at Dec 10, 2017 4:05AM

Well, that was vague

Would been better if Fine showed back up as a old lady in front of Monica then upon seeing her she turned back into a young girl and they embrace crying in happiness.

Well, that was vague

It wasn't "vague", it was something else. The school here is sort of the connection between life, and the afterlife. Graduation symbolizes moving on. The flower withering means that she wasn't truly dead, and since she's not dead. The place of the "dead" holds no place for her. It's implied all over that she's having difficulty breath, because that's how she went into coma. Monica realizes that she's dead when she turns into bones, and tells Fine that she can't follow her right now, but she's gonna keep the promise of "graduating" moving on together.

The end is rather dreadful, since both girls meet up, and you see Fine as a young girl rather than an old woman. Did she kill herself?

last edited at Dec 10, 2017 5:10AM

Did she kill herself?

That is the very first thing I assumed. Most likely.

Well, that was vague

It wasn't "vague", it was something else. The school here is sort of the connection between life, and the afterlife. Graduation symbolizes moving on. The flower withering means that she wasn't truly dead, and since she's not dead. The place of the "dead" holds no place for her. It's implied all over that she's having difficulty breath, because that's how she went into coma. Monica realizes that she's dead when she turns into bones, and tells Fine that she can't follow her right now, but she's gonna keep the promise of "graduating" moving on together.

The end is rather dreadful, since both girls meet up, and you see Fine as a young girl rather than an old woman. Did she kill herself?

So, if she killed herself, that means Monica tried it too and didnt "fell" from the boat? That would mean, that this gymnasium is a place to pay for your sins in form of creating the bouquets until youre finished to be cleansed again? In the catholic belief commiting suicide is against the commandments.

Well, that was vague

It wasn't "vague", it was something else. The school here is sort of the connection between life, and the afterlife. Graduation symbolizes moving on. The flower withering means that she wasn't truly dead, and since she's not dead. The place of the "dead" holds no place for her. It's implied all over that she's having difficulty breath, because that's how she went into coma. Monica realizes that she's dead when she turns into bones, and tells Fine that she can't follow her right now, but she's gonna keep the promise of "graduating" moving on together.

The end is rather dreadful, since both girls meet up, and you see Fine as a young girl rather than an old woman. Did she kill herself?

I take it as it is like a purgatory for young girls who died where they wait till they are emotionally/mentally ready to move on what is symbolised by them completing the flower things. When they complete it thats shows they are ready. Leaving the place the way they tried was them returning to the physical world and their bodies there. Since Monica was long dead her body was a decomposing corpse she was returning to and that is why that happen to her body.

After Fine had woken up she lived her life and died at a old age. Since the people in charge it all weren't assholes they let her become a young girl again and return to the girl who spent decades waiting for her friend to return instead of completing her flower ring and moving on. That is why they showed Monica with the long flower chain representing the long passage of time.as she waited. Now that they are reunited Monica can finally complete her flower ring and Fine can guide her to the other side as they go there together.

It would been better if they showed Fine as a old women first meeting Monica again then turning back into a young girl as they are reunited. To many authors are stuck on the idea they have make something vague with a abstract ending to make their story artistic and beautiful. Sometimes a nice solid complete ending can really be just as good if not better.

Edit: The flower ring on her finger was something she brought back with her from the other side showing her it hadn't just been a dream.

last edited at Dec 10, 2017 6:06AM

I need my stories to spell everything out for me and that's the author's fault somehow. Who needs visual language in a visual medium? More on the nose please!

I need my stories to spell everything out for me and that's the author's fault somehow. Who needs visual language in a visual medium? More on the nose please!

This 100%. It didn't turn out the way I wanted; I didn't get it; and the author didn't focus enough on elements that I wanted them to. Instead, they wrote and drew it the way they intended. So it must be bad.

Would been better if Fine showed back up as a old lady in front of Monica then upon seeing her she turned back into a young girl and they embrace crying in happiness.

If she showed up as a teacher Nun... Oh I would love that.

This...this was touching. First story since Madder Memory that made me feel this touched :"<

I'm fine with vauge storytelling, but this was too on the nose for the first half to be surprising, and the second half leaves way too much out and makes the implications it leaves behind uncomfortable. Which would be fine if that was the intent, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Or maybe it was, who knows? We weren't given much to work off of.

It's really close to being something wonderful, but, personally, it just falls flat.

Edit: Also, where the hell is this Gymnasium that's being promised? I see a garden, and I see a church, but I aint seein' no gosh dang gym!

last edited at Dec 10, 2017 10:42AM

Did she kill herself?

That is the very first thing I assumed. Most likely.

thank goodness, I thought monica would be left alone for all eternity in that place.

This reads like a fever dream. I kinda like it.

I love how you can interpret the ending in more than just one way

I need my stories to spell everything out for me and that's the author's fault somehow. Who needs visual language in a visual medium? More on the nose please!

Nice try Kojima, but I'm still not buying Death Stranding until I see some actual gameplay.

last edited at Dec 10, 2017 11:26AM

The ending is left very open - it doesn't reveal any concrete details about the nature of the Gymnasium.
I think that Monica's bouquet/wreath had become several metres long is to imply that Fine did live a fairly long life, while Monica kept working on her wreath, playing in the Gymnasium and waiting for her to come back.
The idea of Fine and Monica being sent there initially because they committed suicide probably is not the case, since it seems Monica died in a fire and Fine fell from a boat with other people on it and looks to have been reaching up for help.

Who is the nun?
Thought first nun was fine then she not nun
then Monica cash on fire when she get back to to the bed when saw face of nun thought it could Monica wait for someone to passed afterlife

I really loved that story, there's something about vague-ish endings that make some stories resonate so much with me.