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furinana · 4 months ago

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Megaten Spotlight, an official newsletter made prior to SMTIV's release, got FULLY TRANSLATED!

While focused on the voice cast, exclusive information surrounding the development of several characters was touched upon, including juicy obscure lore about Mido and Stephen.

Taken from SMTIV's official website. Translated by takujilvr and commissioned by furinana

Megaten Spotlight: Sabbath Newsletter (108 Macca)

Text and Reportage by Shinji Yamamoto

OOOOOO

Jonathan/Kamiya Hiroshi/Forbidden Anonymous Report

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

Kamiya Hiroshi is very busy. This recording session was a gift made possible thanks to the strenuous efforts of his coordinator.

Even today, he could only show up for recording after finishing the rest of his work.

The Deciding Factor was His Versatility

His appointment to the role strongly reflected the opinions of the female staff. Apparently they grinned, saying his voice fit Jonathan's concept and visuals perfectly.

But what really caught my eye, aside from their support, was his versatility. He can perform a wide range of roles, from handsome men to madmen.

In addition to Jonathan, he also plays a character who appears in the latter half of the story, for reasons pertaining to the game's plot.

I knew he’d be able to perform both roles splendidly.

Fighting with Real Swords

He's frighteningly strict in regards to the art of acting.

He gave a great deal of attention not just to the nuance of the lines, but the context they stem from.

Even when we gave the OK, he would ask to do a retake if he wasn't satisfied with the result. In the end, he gave so much of his time to us that he had to make an unplanned addition to his schedule.

I felt he had the approach of a modern-day "Samurai".

Living Up to the Title of Law Hero

Up until now, Chaos has had more vocal supporters thanks to its bold claims and good balance of recruitable demons.

The secret challenge put before this series entry is whether or not it can add to the ranks of Law adherents.

Seeing his acting, the way Jonathan laughs with the protagonist and sheds tears before him, I'm convinced this hurdle has already been cleared.

In Conclusion

After recording, I asked for a photo despite his busy schedule.

This gentle expression conveys his personality well.

I earnestly wish for his continued good health, and that his fans won't throw rocks at me after seeing this photo.

AUDIO FILES

01_01 [Hiroshi Kamiya] I'm Kamiya Hiroshi, who does the voice for Jonathan. Now Jonathan, he's a bit like the honor student there's at least one of in any class. His conduct and morals are flawless, there isn't a single gnarl in his character, but because of that he can be a bit inflexible from time to time, and then again sometimes not. But being the golden boy can come with its own particular forms of suffering, and I feel like in some scenes you might gradually come to see glimpses of that here and there. You'll have to play the game to find out. Thank you!

01_02 [Jonathan] S-Stop pulling my hair, Walter! It won't straighten out, I got it from my mother!

01_03 [Jonathan] Some say, "Might makes right. I have no hand to extend to the weak." …I simply can't comprehend that way of thinking.

01_04 [Jonathan] I'll only tell you this because it's you, all right? Only because it's you! I'm afraid I can't bring myself to like women very much. Being raised in a household with two elder sisters and one younger made me lose any illusions about them I might've had. You're a man, so I feel much more at ease with you.

Walter/Konishi Katsuyuki/Forbidden Anonymous Report

The Troupe's Vice-Leader is a Fisherman's Boy

Lunchtime in Jinbocho

Before the recording session at 2:00, we sated our hunger at a famous ramen shop near the studio. It was before work, so when the call came he asked for "Veggies, salty!"*. *[TN: Referring to infamous chain Ramen Jiro, where you have to make your topping orders very fast-- "Garlic! Veggies! Fat! Salty!"]

This time Konishi Katsuyuki, who plays Walter, is recording. He's a remarkable actor who works as the vice-leader of a theatrical troupe in addition to performing many roles as a voice actor.

He's also tall and has refreshing looks. How many things has heaven blessed him with? The photo below was taken before recording.

We gave him a summary of this SMT title and an explanation of his character. During the prep meeting, we found out that he's an avid gamer. After enduring the worry that we'd lose track of time talking about games with him, I attended the recording session.

A Chaotic Recording

The recording session reached new heights of chaos. The script he was given was full of missing pages.

Walter boasts the most voice lines out of any character, which means that reviewing the script takes up a lot of time as-is.

Perhaps this was the work of a certain bigwig demon he also plays.

Now this is Acting!

To the left, you can see Konishi recreating a scene where Walter, due to a certain event, vents his emotions to Jonathan, who should have been his friend. His clenched fist represents the katana Walter holds during the scene.

It once again drove home to me that voice acting isn't just about reading lines, but performance.

A Brief Rest

The recording actually lasted five hours.

But today's work only amounted to about 60% of the voices he's been assigned to do. The rest would be recorded at a later date.

Dinnertime in Jinbocho

It was dinnertime by the time we left the recording studio.

The scene where Walter enjoys breakfast with his friends crossed my mind, and even though I hadn't decided on dinner yet, I chose to have bread for breakfast the next day, and hurried home.

AUDIO FILES

02_01 [Katsuyuki Konishi] Yes! Thank you! Hello! I'm Konishi Katsuyuki! I play the part of Walter. Right, anyway, Walter, he doesn't talk very nice, but he's a great guy at heart. How do I put this, he's a very human character. He openly expresses the things that most people hide, and if everyone sees that they might be a little turned off by it; but he's very honest; he's a good boy. So I hope you enjoy him a lot. Honestly, I think it's a pretty wonderful thing! Please see him in action in SMT 4!

02_02 [Walter] Enough of that "Ooh, you'll catch cold!" drivel, Jonathan, you sound like a naggy old wife. I can't abide being constricted, this chest must stay bared!

02_03 [Walter] I'll only say this if you promise not to tell anyone! Cats, I just love 'em. When I see one outside, I can't help but crouch down and give it some pets! Wait, no. I mean, listen, I can't stand fish. And they can take it off my hands, can't they? That's why I love cats. Right.

02_04 [Walter] "What is this world without God's order? We don't need any excess of individuality." There are some who say this, but I wonder if they even know where their own heads are at.

Isabeau/Sawashiro Miyuki/Forbidden Anonymous Report

The Sole Lady Samurai is Bilingual

Taking the Subway to the Studio

We boarded the subway from Sangenjaya, where the company building is located. The studio we headed to is in Jinbocho.

The laptop I was carrying holds the data for all the scripts used in recording. If this laptop gets stolen, you can be sure a written apology won't save me. Preparing for unforeseen circumstances, I made sure to keep my nerves sharp even while I was on the move.

Today's recording was with Sawashiro Miyuki. I'm not familiar with the voice acting industry, but even I know her name. I also know she's proficient in English.

She gives a quiet impression, but has a fair amount of presence. I felt the awe you'd get from a still body of water holding back a raging current.

Before recording, we gave an explanation of her character, Isabeau. But she understood the character perfectly. I spend most of my time silently working at the development offices, and I'm not good at conversation, so nothing made me more grateful than this.

A Consummate Performance

Her performance plan was even more perfect.

Not only did she nail the image of Isabeau we had in mind, she polished it even further, without any need for retakes. As Isabeau, she conveyed merry excitement, and acted with bizarrely high energy after inhaling gas.

So many new expressions of Isabeau were given life that couldn't be conveyed through text alone. If at all possible, I'd like to progress the story together with Isabeau, without having to part ways.

The End of Recording

Her recording session ended without incident.

She briskly left the studio to go to her next job.

Back to the Office

I stopped back by the office to prepare the materials for tomorrow's recording sessions.

I was met with the envious gazes of staff who were knowledgeable about voice acting, having become "the guy who got a conversation out of Sawashiro Miyuki".

AUDIO FILES

03_01 [Miyuki Sawashiro] Hello everyone, I'm Sawashiro Miyuki. Isabeau, who I play, is a very strong girl, one of the few to become a Samurai, and she works hard to stand on equal footing with men in a society where she's expected to walk one step behind. In present-day terms, she's like a career woman working hard on the forefront of things. She may not seem like it at first glance, but she's a girl with a very focused will. Definitely play the game and see for yourself how she turns out.

03_02 [Isabeau] Your hairstyle is called a "ponytail", correct? Maybe I should grow out my own hair. I wonder if it'd suit me.

03_03 [Isabeau] "So we're talking like, super lame, but so lame it makes me laugh my ass off, yanno?" It seems this dialect was common in Tokyo once, but how exactly does one laugh off an ass?* *[TN: in jpn Isabeau's confusion revolves around the phrase 'gyaku ni ukeru'. "gyaku ni" can mean "in reverse" but also "on the other hand", and "ukeru" can mean "to find funny" but also "to take", so Isabeau's confused by the slang-- she thinks the person with the 'accent' possesses something that is backwards, and she doesn't know what.]

03_04 [Isabeau] I must tell you something very important. You mustn't go spreading it around. When I think of that one special gentleman, it makes me want to have a romance so enthralling I can't even take my meals! But it's not an easy one, maybe let's say, our parents are both opposed to it. And this is where it really gets good! Finally, after so much deliberation, we choose to elope and-- Excuse me, I got rather carried away. I suppose before all that I need to experience love for myself first.

Navarre/Ōhata Shintarō/Forbidden Anonymous Report

Behold a Gallant Man Who's So Hard to Hate That You Can't Help But Hate Him!

A Quick Lunch Between Recordings

This morning we managed to finish recording one voice actor's lines without incident. Two more are scheduled for the day.

To the right you can see me having lunch before the next session. It wasn't very good manners, but I also went over the scripts we'd be using that afternoon.

Even a Problem Child Outside the Game

It was actually pretty rough going selecting Navarre's voice actor.

The development staff had varying opinions on just how annoying Navarre should be, and we couldn't quite seem to figure out an image we could all agree on.

Then we borrowed some wisdom from the director of the recording studio. On the basis of this recommendation, we listened to some sample voices, and decided to have Ōhata Shintarō play Navarre.

He came without a moment's delay. He was unpretentious and very friendly. To the right you can see him doing a promotional autograph. He handles the pen so smoothly. Navarre could learn a thing or two from him.

Thanks to his acting chops, Navarre became many times more enjoyable than we originally planned.

If that pen was a sword, Ōhata would be a remarkable Samurai.

A Happy Accident

Ōhata's Navarre went above and beyond what I had imagined. The director was right on the money.

The likeability he brings to Navarre will make his tragic fate stand out all the more.

A Quick Break

The session ended faster than planned. This is yet another one of his skills.

We saw him off from the studio.

A Luxurious Time

Thanks to him, we had some extra time before the next session. We took a short break with some coffee, courtesy of the studio staff.

This must be what it's really like to live as a Luxuror.

AUDIO FILES

04_01 [Navarre] Whuh?!

04_02 [Navarre] If there aren't any demons it'll all be fine… And there aren't any demons in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado…

04_03 [Navarre] [Mindbroken laughter]

The COOL☆ Way to Throw a Tantrum

You're on break with your close friends, and you want to get curry for lunch, but everyone else is fine with going to the convenience store. These moves will come in handy in such situations.

Move 1: The Paper Sheet

Stand with your arms relaxed. It's easier to move if you lower your center of gravity.

Vigorously push either one of your shoulders to the front, like you're hitting something.

Stick out your arm, letting it move with the force of your shoulder. Twist your upper body around while doing this. Now do the same thing with your other side.

Repeat while whining. You don't necessarily have to use your words, just make sure to convey your intent.

Protagonist/Kaji Yūki/Forbidden Anonymous Report

The Leading Role

We spent almost the whole day immersed in work.

The last voice actor didn’t have that many lines to record. We planned for the recording time to total less than two hours.

I felt a premature sense of relief.

But……

The Players had Unexpected Knowledge and Wisdom

Nothing’s been published on the official site yet, so I was surprised by how many people online guessed correctly.

Today we’ll be introducing Kaji Yūki, who plays the protagonist.

The Character of a Samurai

I was struck by his inquisitive gaze as we explained the concept of a protagonist who recruits enemy demons, and the mythological origins of the major demons who stand in his way.

I could already feel the character of a Samurai radiating from the way he refused to shrink before demons.

Surely it’s a quality the Gauntlet wouldn’t overlook.

The Personality of ‘No Personality’

SMT puts emphasis on the player being the protagonist.

So we had to give him the unreasonable order of displaying heroism without displaying too much individuality.

To be honest, taking his presence and his voice’s impact into account, I felt a touch nervous before the recording.

But his knack for restraint was superb.

Given his ability to understand our angle and promptly execute it, I believe all his stats would be very high.

Abundant Variations

The majority of the protagonist’s lines are short phrases, such as the “Yahh!” when he swings his sword and his “Ugh!” when he takes damage.

He gave as many “Yahh!”s and “Ugh!”s as the recording time permitted. His excellent performance sparked a passion in me as I gave the orders.

To the right, you can see me striking a pose to explain the nuances of the protagonist’s voice when he lands after falling from a great height.

A Rich Recording Session

During his recording, I didn’t just use my head, but my body, to convey the nuance of his lines.

Despite the short recording time, I had a rich and extremely rewarding sense of exhaustion by the end.

Feeling a bit of discomfort in my thighs due to lack of daily exercise, I left the recording studio.

AUDIO FILES

05_01 [Yuki Kaji] Hello everyone, it's Kaji Yuki. Some of you have probably guessed who I'm playing. I'm the protagonist! In SMT the protagonist represents the player themselves, so I tried hard to make my performance cool without bringing in too much invidiuality and spoiling the player's sense of identification. This game is a story of the choices the protagonist makes. Please weave the tale of SMT 4 with those choices, everyone.

05_02 [Flynn] [Dying Flynn noises]

05_03 [Flynn] Summon!

05_04 [Flynn] [Climbing grunting Flynn noises]

Issachar/Maeno Tomoaki/Forbidden Anonymous Report

The Bass-Voiced, Reliable Childhood Friend

The Character’s Role

Issachar is the first character whose face you see.

In the game’s setting he plays the role of the protagonist’s childhood friend, while simultaneously bearing the responsibility of a guide, easing the players into the game’s world.

So Issachar is a very important character.

We put a lot of thought into selecting his voice actor and the phrasing of his lines, so that he’d appeal to a wide range of players.

Reliable Performance

Since Issachar acts as a guide, he has to be a character that the players will want to take along with them.

Maeno Tomoaki, Issachar’s voice actor, conveys that dependability with his powerful bass voice. I’m sure he’ll be able to comfortably guide the players into the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado.

Although Issachar doesn’t have many lines, he’s a character with turbulent emotions, going from speaking in a gentle tone to suddenly violently raising his voice.

The above photograph shows him just before he does Issachar’s dying scream. The sudden change in him left me awestruck.

I was so transfixed that I forgot to take a photo……

A Tearful Farewell

This is a photo of us after recording.

It was taken after the scene where Issachar, choked by tears, pours out his emotions.

It’s easier to make a middle-aged man cry than I thought. His tears became my own as I saw him off.

AUDIO FILES

06_01 [Issachar] Haha! I suppose so.

06_02 [Issachar] I'll have my vengeance!

06_03 [Issachar] Shall we?

The COOL☆ Way to Catch Change with Your Feet

We drop our change at vending machines a good deal more often than we’d like to admit.

We’ll introduce a COOL way to deal with this situation.

Move 2: The Chicken

Stick your lower back out behind you. Keep your upper body as still as possible, and…

Rotate your lower back to the other side from behind.

Use the force of your rotating orbit to raise your leg. Fix your aim on the change at your feet…

And twist your leg as you stomp on it. Don’t let your prey escape.

Akira/Gōda Hozumi/Forbidden Anonymous Report

You Won’t Find These Two On the Website

The Joys of the Job

Game development is harsh work that exhausts and burdens one’s mind and body. One page isn’t enough to convey how painful it is.

But there are joys I’d never experience if not for this job. This time, Gōda Hozumi, who plays the two Akiras, is recording.

There might be readers unfamiliar with ‘Akira’.

Because of the timing of his appearance, and to maintain the balance of the work’s setting, the two Akiras aren’t introduced on the official website.

I’ve known about Gōda since I was little, when he played the role of a perfect soldier.* *[TN: Chirico Cuvie, from Armored Trooper Votoms.]

I really admire him, and in my humble opinion the character he played is one of anime’s top three handsome men of all time. So I’m a lot more tense than usual, and during the briefing my words seem to get stuck in my throat.

The two Akiras he plays are an Akira with an aura of Law, and another with an aura of Chaos.

The tricky thing about this role was how he had to play, fundamentally, the same “Akira”, while still bringing out the differences between the two.

Truly Perfect

Just so I’m making it clear.

Both Akiras became deeply impressive characters thanks to his performance.

In-game, when you find yourself about to press the remote control’s switch, that means you’ll meet Akira very soon.

Normie Experience

You can see a photo of the two of us to the left.

I never imagined I’d be taking a photo with “the man on the TV” I looked up to as a child.

In this moment I felt, from the bottom of my heart, how happy I was to have this job.

The End of Recording

On the way home, for no real reason, I checked today’s horoscope on my cellphone.

It seemed like my sign was in the lowest-ranked position. My career luck was especially bad. After today, I knew that couldn’t be true.

I smiled and followed the route home.

AUDIO FILES

07_01 [Blasted Akira] Your faces tell me you have no idea what's going on. That's understandable. There's no need to worry, we aren't your enemies.

07_02 [Infernal Akira] Oh yeah, lemme ask, where you guys from? I mean, not like it really matters.

07_03 [Both] [Blasted Akira]: We'll make sure your efforts are remembered till the end of time. Farewell, Messiahs. [Infernal Akira]: Damn, you guys are something! That's my Intruders for ya!

Hikaru/Inoue Marina/Forbidden Anonymous Report

A “Light” Hidden by a Uniform

Trouble Brewing

The problems that occurred during Inoue Marina’s recording session almost broke my heart.

In the middle of recording, we found out that a crucial scene with Hikaru was missing from the script.

A certain somebody must have been present at the recording. We wouldn’t be able to do this the easy way.

Handling it Cooler than Cocytus

At this point she had already recorded Hikaru’s lines and started on our old friend’s. Changing characters in the middle of recording can really disrupt the flow of an actor’s performance plan.

After she finished the lines for our old friend, we’d have to have her do Hikaru once again. In contrast to my panicked state, she understood the situation without once breaking her beautiful composure.

Our friend is very reliable indeed. While she was playing this character, I had to work out appropriate lines for Hikaru while checking her performance at the same time.

Borrowing Our Old Friend’s Knowledge and Wisdom

After that phase of recording ended, we went back to recording Hikaru. She helped us out with the parts of the script we had issues with.

With her suggestions, we managed to record some very nicely fitting lines. I came to know firsthand the magnificence of the knowledge and wisdom our friend gave humanity.

A Stormy Recording

She gave us an autograph for promotional use. She then left the studio for her next assignment.

The studio was once again calm, as if our earlier troubles had never happened. This time around, in the words of a certain entertainer, “my stomach turned to friggin’ ice!”.* *[TN: Yamashita Kenji, a personality appearing on entertainer Matsuko Deluxe's variety program Out Deluxe. Notable for his unusually squeaky voice. The line in question is 肝を冷やしたぜ！]

AUDIO FILES

08_01 [Hikaru] I wonder how it'll look if we take a walk together? We can go arm in arm if you like. Hold hands, too. Squeeze them, like a couple. I'll do anything you want… As long as you hold my interest.

08_02 [Hikarucifer] The nail that sticks out is hammered down in the human world, yet in the end it's king-of-the-hill: the winners rise by process of elimination. See Tayama; he has no power, but he draws the people's ire by making more of a display of it than he needs to. Charming, as long as this game goes on, but I can't leave him be if he goes too far.

08_03 [Marina Inoue] I'm Inoue Marina, who plays Hikaru. Hi! Hikaru looks like a very normal high school girl, but is she really? Right. I guess she's a very odd presence in SMT 4's world, which raises a lot of mysteries around her, but definitely play the game, discover it for yourself, and you'll be like, 'Oh, so that's how it is!' Please have fun playing SMT 4! Thank you!

The COOL☆ Way to Push a Button

Buttons may seem like they’re at a disadvantage with the advent of touch panels, but we still have many opportunities to push them.

These moves will turn your everyday button-pushing into COOL button-pushing.

Move 3: The Point

Set your hand at the edge of your shoulder. Put your fingers in the pointing position.

Using your elbow as a fulcrum, stick your hand forward without breaking the position of your fingers. Lean your upper body forward a bit.

You can also do it with the opposite hand, with many variations depending on which direction you’re pointing.

Or do it from the side. There are as many ways to point as there are people.

Tayama/Ōtsuka Hochū/Forbidden Anonymous Report

A Rock-Solid Image Even Before Recording

Unanimous Agreement

Tayama’s role of the ‘lovable enemy’ is a difficult one to pull off. But it was surprisingly easy to decide who we wanted to play him. Basically everyone agreed.

I actually wrote Tayama’s lines with Ōtsuka Hochū firmly in mind even before we decided on him.

I even listened to his acting in other works he’d been in while I was writing. So, ironically, I actually couldn’t believe it when I heard he was officially selected for the role.

He’s played many memorable villains, like the pilot of a Mobile Suit equipped with a weapon called the “Sea Snake”*, and the final boss of the second movie in a series about drunken martial arts.**

[TN: *Yazan Gable from Zeta Gundam, who pilots the Mobile Suit Hambrabi.

**John, an enforcer for the British consul in Drunken Master II. (Of course, just the dubbing, he's not the actual actor.)]

To be honest, I was a little nervous about actually meeting him.

A Gentle Aura

He had a very gentle aura about him when he arrived at the studio.

I could feel my tension melt away in front of him, like a detoxifying lotion.

Lovable Villain

Thanks to his acting, Tayama became even more persuasive than we thought. His voice has the power to make even Tayama’s inhuman methods seem reasonable.

Tayama is more than simply “the tyrant who rules Tokyo”, and Otsuka was able to bring out that appeal even more.

Sharing Drinks

I asked for a photo after recording. Taking Tayama’s character into account, we tried doing a photo of us ‘exchanging sake cups’.

But I was overwhelmed by his presence, and got nervous again. Maybe the senior Samurai in Roppongi ended up that way for the same reason.

I felt like I’d touched the aura of somebody really amazing.

AUDIO FILES

09_01 [Tayama] If I went around looking like a bum, my men would lose their ambition. This way, even with Tokyo in the state it is, you know you can dress sharp and drink your fill of good booze twice a week. I know if everyone in Tokyo heard this they'd really chew me out, but it's a lot to put up with on my end too. I'm really more of a 'wolf down some egg on rice wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants' kinda guy.

09_02 [Hochu Otsuka] Hello, I'm Otsuka Hochu, who plays Tayama. He's one of them yakuzas, but I played him with the image of a slick, smart guy-- a guy who keeps some sharp fangs hidden, who glimpses people's weaknesses-- in mind. A sharp guy who used that rottenness and dirtiness unique to adults to crawl from society's dregs to the peak. He might be a character who grown up players can find surprisingly sympathetic. I know he's a scary middle aged dude, but why don't you join him and think about the future of SMT 4's Tokyo?

9_03 [Tayama] 'Scuse me? You're telling me you can't meet the Reds quota? I've said it a million times, if it looks bad, you gotta report to me with a contingency plan. You know, kidnap some poor sap from the underground, turn yourself into Reds material, that kinda thing. Now I'm not saying you have to just go off and do that. But when you make a report, I better hear you say "We won't be able to meet the quota! In the worst case scenario I will gladly become the Reds myself!", capiche?

The Black Samurai and Gabby/Tanaka Atsuko/Forbidden Anonymous Report

Devilish Female Characters

There’s an expression, “devilish”*, that’s sometimes used to describe a woman. *[TN: The word used, Mashō, literally means ‘devilish’, with the specific connotation of an alluring sexiness.]

During this recording, I found myself in the direct presence of that devilishness. If there were an app that could evaluate devilishness, how many points would she get?

Devilish Beings Taking Human Forms

The Black Samurai and Gabby, who Atsuko Tanaka plays, are unique characters. They appear to be human on the outside, but there’s an inhuman quality we want to emphasize in every one of their lines.

We wouldn’t be able to do this without her skill and devilish appeal.

A Soft Demeanor

I got a very mellow impression from her.

Before recording, I was encouraged by how she said “Just let me know if you have any requests”.

A Gentle Aura

During recording, her demeanor was so cool and dignified that it’d be easy to fall in love with her even if she was a man.

If someone like the crossdressing beauty in V◯rbara* really existed, they would probably be a lot like her.

*[TN: Oscar from Rose of Versailles. You should know this.]

You can feel this devilish allure from both characters. It’s no wonder the people of the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado were led astray by the Black Samurai.

Innumerable Kinds of Devilishness Within Her

We got a promotional autograph from her after recording was finished.

She was very gentle-mannered, in stark contrast to the dignified aura she had during recording. I felt that there were innumerable different kinds of devilishness within her (in a good way).

It makes you wonder if the devilishness you can feel in these characters is something that comes from Tanaka herself.

AUDIO FILES

10_01 [Gabby] Hm? You'd like to share breakfast with me? It would be an honor. I was thinking I'd like to talk with you if I had the chance. You must have all manner of things to think about in the course of your duties each day. I can be your listener if it isn't any trouble. Why don't we share our time as fellow members of God's chosen?

10_02 [Yuriko] It doesn't give me too much grief when I actually wear it, but shame on humans for making this Demonica thing. Oh, you over there, if you've got the time, could you help me take this off? It gets so tight around the chest. Why don't I add it to your quests? Oh, I know you'll accept. Hehehe.

10_03 [Gabriel] Shene Duque is the land of beginning, where your ancestors who once spurned His works alit on the earth anew. Thus from this land shall the new Millennium be built… With you, who have hearkened to the voice of the angel who speaketh His word.

10_04 [Atsuko Tanaka] I'm Tanaka Atsuko. I played two female characters, Gabby and Yuriko, in SMT 4. Their personalities and alignment are polar opposites, so I played them while digging deep into my own lawful and chaotic sides. Maybe this game will create an opportunity for all the players to confront their own selves. Is your alignment Law? Chaos? Or…?

[Editor note: Tanaka Atsuko sadly passed away in August of 2024. She also voiced Lilith in SMTV:Vengeance]

Hope/Nakai Kazuya/Forbidden Anonymous Report

Sympathizing with the Grief of Middle Management

I also found myself in a central position where I was put in charge of and had to give directions to the staff who drew up the in-story events.

Which is to say, I’m a middle manager pushed down by the higher-ups and pressured by the people under me. It’s a tough place to be.

This is a game where the player becomes the “protagonist character” and fights demons. But when I take my own circumstances into account, I can’t seem to take my eyes off what Hope is doing.

Is this the Studio or my House?

It may be because he provides the narration for various morning infotainment programs, but even though this was our first time meeting, I was already used to his voice.

Listening to him as he did the promotional autograph, for a moment, I thought I was in my own living room watching TV.

Truly the Ideal Boss

In the course of the story, the protagonist leaves the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado and has to perform new duties in Tokyo.

The story itself doesn’t go into details, but while the protagonist is gone, Hope makes strenuous efforts to defend the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado.

He has the great pride of devoting himself to behind-the-scenes work so his subordinates can fulfill a great task.

Thanks to Nakai, Hope’s “Ideal Boss” concept was made into a reality.

The Road to Being the Ideal Boss is Long

By the time recording ended and we saw him off, it was already past 9:00. Even then, the story event staff was probably hard at work back at the office.

I was planning on going straight home from the studio, but now I thought I’d drop by the office and give them some snacks…… Unfortunately, the next day’s recording was scheduled early, so I had to go home after all.

If Hope was real, I’d definitely want him to give me some training too.

AUDIO FILES

11_01 [Hope] You. Good timing. I want you to sit down a minute and listen to me talk about the old times. I left a woman in my hometown. A slight one, with a bit of a curl in her hair. My beloved. Haven't been able to send her so much as a letter since the day I became a Samurai. No, here I am throwing the ring I was supposed to give her into Naraku every year for the Prentices' training. Being blessed with outstanding men can be a trouble in its own right.

11_02 [Kazuya Nakai] I'm Nakai Kazuya, I played Hope. He's a rather unlucky adult character who's revered by his peers for his ability, but isn't valued by society at large because his inability to bend his convictions makes him a bit pigheaded and awkward. He shows a brusque, taciturn, and strict side, but on the inside he's quietly full of passion and concern for his subordinates. I played him with the image of the ideal commander everyone has in their heads. He doesn't get very much screentime, but he has a lot of flavor as a character, so please go meet him in SMT 4.

11_03 [Hope] Listen here, you. I can't say I find it very admirable that you're spending your off day mewed up in the barracks. Come, if leisure is too much for you to handle, I'll give you some training. Take off your coat and come to the Aquila Statue Plaza.

The COOL☆ Way to Pick Out a DVD

DVD stores are a treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom. You don’t want to take your eyes from the shelves for a moment, lest you miss out on an unexpected meeting with a masterpiece.

Here are some moves that will help you out at such times.

Move 4: The Crab

Stand by with your toes turned inward. Keeping your knees turned inward is also a good idea.

Open your legs, shifting your weight to the heel of the foot pointed in the direction you want to go, and to the toes of the opposite foot.

When you lift your foot it’ll look like this. As you move, keep alternating your weight between the heels and toes of your left and right feet.

Shift your weight again and return to the first position. Repeat, moving sideways. You’ll never miss that actress’ new movie now.

Hugo/Tadano Yōhei/Forbidden Anonymous Report

Not Just “Another Hired Gun”* *[TN: Tadano Yohei’s name, 多田野曜平, is a homonym for ただの傭兵, ‘just another mercenary’.]

Hugo’s voice actor, Tadano Yōhei, was a pretty unique individual. As soon as we met, I was hit with a preemptive strike: he introduced himself as “tada no yōhei”, just another hired gun.

I could tell he wasn’t “just another” guy at all.

Eyes on my Head

We explained Hugo’s concept to him before recording.

During my explanation, even as he listened to me, I noticed that his gaze drifted to the top of my head multiple times.

Adding More Lines

When it was decided he’d play Hugo, the development staff felt a sense of regret. You see, Hugo didn’t have nearly enough scenes. We wouldn’t be able to fully convey the appeal of a Hugo played by Tadano.

Despite the difficulty of making large-scale revisions given our schedule, we increased the number of events Hugo appeared in, and drew up some new quests focused on him.

Among the staff, Hugo has a solid position in the popularity rankings, even moreso than the female characters, who are all pretty high up there. This is also thanks to his voice.

Trembling from the Seriousness

This next photo shows him acting out another character related to Hugo, just before you enter into battle with him. *[TN: Most likely King Ahazuya Mikado-- He's played with a lower-pitched voice, but its tone and quality makes me fairly certain it's Tadano]

He gave a serious performance, as far from Hugo as you could imagine. I trembled at that quiet air of intimidation that lulls whoever listens to it into despair.

A Friendly Chat After Recording

After recording, he told me he had a request. I readily consented, saying I’d do whatever I could.

He’d had his eye on something since before recording started. If this’ll make him happy, it’s no problem for me.

I attained a heartfelt understanding of how a certain anpan-headed hero feels.* *[TN: Anpanman. You really should know this.]

AUDIO FILES

12_01 [Hugo] In truth, we of the Monastery have been conducting excavations of Naraku ever since King Aquila founded the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado 1500 years ago. Yet every one of those daft Samurai speaks of our many accomplishments in Naraku as if they were their own deeds! No one would have even conceived of forming the Samurai if not for us!

12_02 [Hugo] In this kingdom, the fruits that come of researching Tokyo net you more praise than doing battle with demons all day. Thus I left the Samurai and joined the Monastery, even as my brethren-in-arms all scorned me as a coward. Now I'm the Abbot, and even the Samurai must act as I will it! And yet I feel a hollowness sometimes. I've lived my life prey to the whims of my own avarice; I've never learned what it is that I truly must do. I envy, yet resent my Commander-- I mean, Hope, for how he lives with such unwavering conviction. [TN: Hugo calls Hope 'Hope-kun', implying that he sees him as a subordinate, or at least tries to act like it. idk how to carry over the nuance?]

12_03 [Hugo] It seems in Tokyo there was once a dish called sweet-and-sour pork. I'm told the meat was fried together with vegetables and even fruit, and mixed with a sweet, mildly sour sauce. Isn't fruit supposed to be eaten as dessert? And what's meant by "sweet and mildly sour"? Does the sweetness win out in the end, or is the flavor more acidic? It's all very bizarre. I can't say it doesn't fascinate me, this pork.

Fujiwara/Morita Junpei/Forbidden Anonymous Report

From the Ward Junior High to the Coffee Shop

This installment’s voice actor is active in many other areas besides games. He really does have a wide range, from anime to dubbing to theater.

Morita Junpei, who plays Fujiwara, also played “Kan-Kan from math class” in a nationally famous school drama. *[TN: Morita played Inui-Sensei, nicknamed "Kan-Kan from math class" in the long-running Kinpachi-Sensei series. His nickname comes from an alternate reading of his name, and his short-tempered (kan-kan) personality.]

A Very Well-Suited Role

All of the voice actors are people I’m meeting for the very first time at the recording studio.

It’s natural that when they get cast, I’m not going to know what kind of people they are.

But even though he looks different, Morita felt just like Fujiwara himself.

He’s a mature fellow with an intellectual and gentle demeanor, but the discretion to not make a big show of it.

It Feels Just Like a Cafe

Morita loves conversation very much. During the pre-recording briefing, he told me about the frontman of a well-known guitar rock band some of you may know as “Shikerona”.* *[TN: This was a misspelling, probably deliberate, but it's supposed to be "Shinaroke"-- Sheena and the Rokkets. Fujiwara was based on frontman Makoto Ayukawa, who sadly passed away in 2023.]

It seems like he’s very good friends with him. Coincidentally, Fujiwara was based on that musician.

Our conversation grew even more enlivened. The briefing’s mood was supremely relaxed, just like Cafe Florida. I found myself unconsciously reaching for imaginary snacks in front of me.

An Artisan’s Technique

What struck me was his magnificent way of utilizing pauses.

Fujiwara is meant to search out and get a feel for whoever he’s talking with without saying much himself. Morita conveyed this through exquisitely timed pauses.

His technique as an artisan shined even within his relaxed manner.

Making Balanced Decisions

Fujiwara doesn’t have very much screentime at all. This means you could easily reach the ending without even touching on Fujiwara’s real motives.

You should definitely try to make balanced decisions and conquer your feelings of despair. Then Fujiwara just might open his heart to you, using the power of Morita’s voice.

AUDIO FILES

13_01 [Fujiwara] Hey, Skins. You're looking a little long in the tooth lately! The corners of your eyes are all droopy now, like in one of those idol groups from this one country back in the day. Maybe time to think about a facelift? I can give you one if you're jealous. Aw, what's with the face? Bet it's 'cause you don't know where they messed up with it!

13_02 [Fujiwara] I've lost all my appetite with age. A drink, a cig, piece of a biscuit, and brother, I've got myself a dinner. But back when I was a company man, I duped my coworker Kelly so I could eat at this yakiniku joint in Roppongi three times a week at my employer's expense.

13_03 [Junpei Morita] Morita Junpei here. I play a character called Fujiwara. He's the man with the cigarette and coffee cup who's always at the cafe. He used to be a newspaper reporter and he went through a whole lot in the past, but I tried to play him as sort of detached and easygoing, without letting that show on the surface too much. Also, his friendliness and that kind of thing. Depending on how you progress through the game, there's a route where you get to find out about the hopes and sorrows he's had since he was younger, so if you haven't seen it yet, please try and adventure through every nook and cranny of SMT 4's world.

Skins/Yamaji Kazuhiro/Forbidden Anonymous Report

The Dandy Comes to Town

When I was a teenager, I had a sense, albeit vague, of wanting to become a “cool adult”. But even as I near my 40s, I still don’t know what you need to be “cool”.

But when I met Yamaji Kazuhiro, who plays Skins, I think I began to understand a little.

Exuding Presence

Skins was written as taciturn to begin with, but he doesn’t have much screentime either.

I tried to give each and every one of his lines a lot of weight so that he would make a bigger impression. Adding Yamaji’s performance into the mix, Skins stands out far more than we initially planned.

He Can Play Around, Too

Yamaji doesn’t operate on presence alone.

When Skins asks the protagonist the name of a certain character, you’ll get to see a unique reaction from him if you enter a certain string of letters.

On his recommendation, the content of his lines in that scene became more comical than we initially planned. I take my hat off to his playful spirit.

Definitely enter “Masa****” when you get the chance.

How to be a Cool Adult

He joined us for a post-recording photoshoot. He proposed that we both make “cool faces”.

Being photographed with him, I felt like I got closer to being a “cool adult”. I think I still have a ways to go before I can really become one.

I want to think that I got a little bit closer from realizing that.

AUDIO FILES

14_01 [Skins] When I see you I think of this one kid I worked with in my old unit. Had these two friends he was always with, just like you with Jonathan and Walter. What were their names again… Oh, right. One guy was a little too much of a people-pleaser. Had some real backbone though. He was Kiyoharu. The other was a rough, wild type, but real compassionate when he wanted to be. That was Kenji.

14_02 [Skins] The guy who first proposed building the Yamato Perpetual Reactor was the Minister of Defense. Said Japan was weak, didn't have enough stamina, and if we wanted to catch up we'd need a perpetual-motion plasma reactor. He drew up the perfect plan to make this Yamato Reactor a reality. But it was actually a means of staging a coup d'etat, to purge the incompetent politicians resigned to selling our country out to the ones who financially dominated us. He was a brave but pitiful man who got swallowed up by the lust called patriotism. His dying screams as he fell to the demons still ring in my ears.

14_03 [Skins] I remember these rumors that started going around way back when the Counter-Demon Force was first established, about the source of the Demon-Summoning Program. Thought we'd summon some demons with it and put 'em to use as weapons anyway. I mean look, this thing, if you got the most bleeding-edge tech in the world back then, you still couldn't even come close to developing it. And that means you've got everyone talking about some broad out there providing our country with supertechnology.

Stephen (or rather... Steven) /Chō/Forbidden Anonymous Report

The Father of the Demon Summoning Program

When I had to stay home sick early in elementary school, I saw a young man on the TV, who moved to Nagano Prefecture to pursue his dream of running a store.

I can still clearly remember how he worked hard at his delivery job with his beloved bicycle, and how between deliveries, he would make maps of his routes and introduce the places on them.* *[TN: Cho played the main character in the television series Tanken! Boku no Machi.]

To think I’d be able to meet him in a situation like this.

So Many Mysteries

Some of you may know this, but for a little while there was a rumor that Chō was dead.

Steven, who developed and spread the Demon Summoning Program for the sake of humanity’s potential while losing his own physical form, is one of the most unusual characters in the game.

Chō and Steven are both shrouded in mystery.

How he was chosen to play Steven is a mystery in its own right.

The Father of Steven

Even though Steven has appeared many times in the series so far, the truth of his character remains unknown.

So even the development team struggled to work out Steven’s nuances. This is why we decided to leave it to Chō to depict Steven’s image.

His performance was gentle, but with a sense of overwhelming scale, as if he had descended from on high.

Chō is the father of Steven, so to speak.

His Smile Hadn’t Changed a Bit

After recording, he joined us for a photoshoot.

He gave us an innocent smile, just like the one I remember from elementary school.

AUDIO FILES

15_01 [Steven] I remember a movie about a group of astronauts killed by an artificial intelligence they themselves developed. That's humanity for you; they'll sacrifice everything for demons and gods they birthed from their own imaginations, and lose themselves completely in the process. But that purity is humanity's greatest strength and its greatest weakness; it's exactly what makes humans human. [TN: obviously, he is talking about 2001: A Space Odyssey]

15_02 [Steven] With you it was Naraku, and I think with the other you it was the Harajuku police station. The first time we met I believe it was, "Will you find a ray of hope in a place the sun doesn't reach?". Now that fits the description of a certain somebody who hacked the Ministry of Defense's PCs to distribute the Demon Summoning Program, heh heh heh heh.

15_03 [Steven] Technically speaking, I used to be STEVEN, but you can still call me that, I won't mind. But let me just say that it's SteVEN; not PHEN, VEN. Say it with your teeth on your lower lip; I'd appreciate it. Up to you, though. [Editor note: The fictional SMT character was known as STEVEN in Japanese (and changed to the written form of スティーブン in SMT4/A albeit still officially romanized as STEVEN). However, the English localization spelled his name as "Stephen" because well, Stephen Hawking. Whether this distinction was intentional from the start from the Japanese side or this was a reversal Herlock Sholmes situation, who knows. Either way, his name is pronounced the same in both languages]

Mido/Chafūrin/Forbidden Anonymous Report

Human or Demon?

At first Mido didn’t even have a portrait, and wasn’t counted among the characters with unique voice actors.

But the demon fusion system is the jewel of this entry, and the staff in charge of system development wanted to make it stand out.

Taking their wishes into consideration, we decided to have Chafūrin play Mido.

Refined Uniqueness

To say nothing of his voice, Chafūrin’s hair and clothes are very refined, and he has an exceedingly stylish sense of presence.

In spite of myself, I couldn’t help but have big expectations for Mido’s recording.

Stylish and Crazy

Mido is already a character who would willingly give up his own humanity, so he isn’t exactly in his right mind.

The Mido Chafūrin played during the test recording had a much more stylish image than we thought he would.

We gave him a rundown of the image we had in mind and had him do another performance.

After comparing the two, we decided to proceed with the “stylish and crazy” Mido Chafūrin played.

The Recording was a Battle with My Ab Muscles

Those who know him may understand this already, but Chafūrin’s voice has a strange charm that slowly grows on you.

He has a tendency to boldly exaggerate every bit of Mido’s lines, and you might find yourself about to burst out laughing.

I had to put up with the desperate urge to laugh in the middle of a serious recording, and if it had gone on just a half hour or so longer, my abs might have collapsed.

Just Like Going on a Bar Journey

The recording ended without incident.

We’d gotten to the time of evening where the bars are about to open, so we naturally began talking about alcohol. Like, whether rice or noodles are better for a last meal of the night after a bar crawl.

We began getting deep into topics like whether you should cut shochu with dark or light low-alcohol beer, like in a certain travel program about touring different bars.* *[TN: Yoshida Rui no Sakaba Horoki (Yoshida Rui's Bar Journeys). The Japanese header namedrops it, referring to "Sakaba no Horoki".]

When I remember that conversation, I start wanting to eat vinegared mackerel.

AUDIO FILES

16_01 [Mido] Welcome to the Cathedral of Shadows, where demons gather! And congratulations! From this moment on, you'll live within the Extraordinary that lurks in the shadows of the Ordinary! That's right, by activating this app, you've stepped into a zone far beyond the human world!

16_02 [Mido] What do I look like to you? I bet I look like a weird digital geezer. But this form is proof that I successfully grasped the reality of the human mind and transferred my own soul to the Expanse. I'm a superior species of geezer, so to speak. And not only that, I've successfully fused myself with a demon native to the Expanse. Right now you can only see me as an old guy due to issues of data capacity, but if you saw my true form… You'd be too scared to open the app.

16_03 [Mido] When I was young I spent all my time with that Steven, immersed in researching how to convert emotions to digital information. Steven was the one who proposed the theory, but I, Meade Waugh, used my own body to put it into practice and become a cybernetic trailblazer! Goodness gracious, this body is fantastic! Without any pesky human relationships, I never need to worry about getting my suit dry-cleaned! I only regret that I can no longer savor those blissful times when I stuffed my face with vinegared mackerel and washed it down with some dark beer. It still weighs on my mind. [note: his old name seems to be ミード・ウォー? pronounced 'meed woe']

Masakado/Nakata Jōji/Forbidden Anonymous Report

The Majesty of Tokyo’s Guardian Deity

Many readers are probably familiar with Nakata Jōji as the voice of Q, the shopkeeper who sells weapons and armor in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado.

But Q isn’t the only representative character he plays.

Some of you may recognize him as the character responsible for the game taking place in two settings, the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado and Tokyo.

Nakata plays none other than him: Masakado.

Switching Modes Before Recording

In contrast with the humble Q, Masakado is a majestic, imposing character.

Nakata was supposed to do his promotional autograph after all the day’s recording was over, but he asked to do it right after recording Q. He wanted to cut Q’s energy off before going into Masakado’s recording.

I saw his spirit as an actor in this request. I thought an aura of quiet and solemn majesty began to grow from him the more he moved his pen.

Masakado is rooted firmly within him.

A True Guardian Deity

His Masakado was a guardian deity for sure.

Just listening to him, the courage to take on God’s Chariot or the demonic Tyrant wells up within you.

Definitely keep a slot in your stock open when you head for Ginza to bear Tokyo’s hopes on your shoulders.

The Stage for the Battle is Set

This has already been published on paper, but Masakado also has a design from the neck down. If you want to see it……

If you don’t know what we’re talking about, give the information we’ve released up until now another good once-over.

Nakata’s majestic voice just might bear down on the protagonist in hostility this time.

AUDIO FILES

17_01 [Masakado] Behold my form. I am Masakado, guardian of Tokyo and great spirit of earth. The boy entrusted with destiny, the boy who found himself in the Colosseum, the boy who became a demon, or the boy who was once in the Counter-Demon Force… It matters not who you are. If you have become the hopes of the people, I shall follow you.

17_02 [Weapon Shop Guy] You wouldn't think it, but when I was little I too wanted to be a Samurai and fight for the sake of my kingdom. But selling weapons and armor to the blessed Samurai, I have many opportunities to listen to them, and they seem to be having an awful time of it. They worry for their superiors, they worry for those at the Monastery, and of course they worry for their compatriots. I now consider it a blessing I was never chosen by the Gauntlet.

17_03 [Joji Nakata] Hello, I'm Nakata Joji. I think some of you may know this, but I played a cat named Gouto in Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha. If you know, you know. He was the cute black cat. Anyway, this time, I played a number of roles in SMT 4, some of which were pretty important! In the game I turn up in many different positions- standing in the players' way in battles, selling weapons and armor, and handing over very important items, so look forward to it. Please fully immerse yourself in the world of SMT 4.

The COOL☆ Way to Jump Over Obstacles

Stepping over the threshold, you find seven enemies.*

*[TN: Reference to a proverb, 男は敷居を跨げば七人の敵あり( “Stepping over the threshold, a man finds seven enemies”). It basically means, keep your wits about you when you grow up and step out of your house and into the world, because you never know who might be out to cause you harm. The “seven” is just a symbolic number standing in for “many”.]

Here are some moves that will allow you to clear any obstacle in the level known as the World.

Move 5: The Shuffle

Obstacle spotted by the wayside. This time we will represent it as a tissue box. Set your direction, and using the foot opposite to this direction to launch yourself…

Jump over the obstacle. The key is to do it without exerting yourself.

And land. At this point, if you’ve already done the steps to make the jump, your landing will be COOL too.

Cross the foot opposite to the one you landed on and strike a pose. You haven’t just jumped over an obstacle now. You’ve jumped over your own limits.

Burroughs/Kaida Yūko/Forbidden Anonymous Report

The Fairy in the Gauntlet

As soon as you think you can do a surprising amount of things in the world by yourself, you realize that all those things are a pain in the butt.

Even when you eat alone, if you don’t talk with the other people in the store, you’ll have to pick out all the ingredients and seasonings by yourself.

The protagonist of this game must have also had a hard time fulfilling his duty alone.

A Fairy for Real

Burroughs is played by Kaida Yūko.

When she appeared at the recording, she was gorgeous, just like the “fairy” in the Gauntlet.

Burroughs doesn’t just appear in events, she gives you support with the game’s system and the tutorial, and has lines for just about every scene.

We of the development team want the players to have a comfortable experience, and we think that’s best communicated to everyone with a lovely female voice, rather than the deep voice of a middle-aged man.

A Fairy Again

Actually, Kaida did another recording after finishing her work for the game itself. She also did the narration for the promotional videos.

Not just the development team, but the person in charge of promotion took note of her voice’s power of persuasion and Burroughs’ appeal.

Some readers may know this already. The narration for the fourth trailer currently viewable on the website and the title call in the TV commercial is Kaida’s voice.

A Fairy Three Times

She put in a particular amount of effort for the TV commercials.

When the development team got the pilot version, we ended up deciding that we wanted her voice to give it a more mature finish.

She cooperated with us in the midst of her very busy schedule and did a third recording session.

“Shin Megami Tensei IV”. Just to give us that one line.

Until I can be called “Master”

On the left you can see us after recording. We requested a smile for the photoshoot.

In contrast to her unreserved gaze towards the camera for the sake of this request, despite my best efforts, I couldn’t even manage a half smile.

I wonder if I’ll be someone worthy of being called “Master” when the next series title is announced.

AUDIO FILES

18_01 [Burroughs] Lovely weather we're having, Master. On days like these, don't you humans just want to forget about your duties and laze around all day? All right, I'll give you an extra day off. And I'll go tell the Monastery to keep an eye out for a flagrantly falsified report.

18_02 [Yuko Kaida] Hello, I'm Kaida Yuko. I played Burroughs. Will my voice reach Masters all over the country? Burroughs is the character who spends the most time with all the players, so I strived to do a performance that sounded pleasant without too many mannerisms that stood out. A little like a reliable older sister. I'm here to support your comfortable gaming life. Journey onto the stage of SMT 4 with me.

18_03 [Burroughs] This was long before you were born, but the people of Tokyo once used communication equipment similar to Gauntlets in their daily lives. I think they were called smartphones and feature phones?

We’re at That Point, so Let Me Say it/Almost Time to Move On/Forbidden Anonymous Report

I Know it’s Sudden…

This morning, I got a notice from the higher-ups to complete this blog. Should I take this as a “step up”, or as a “fall back to the center”? This is the story of my own choices.

I know this is sudden, but I’d be happy if you read this report as an editorial postscript.

Take care not to get possessed until the day we meet again.

A Definite Response in the Feedback

This is only within the scope of what I myself have been able to check, so I apologize, but I can definitely feel a surprising response in the support I’ve seen for Isabeau.

Isabeau doesn’t get the indulgent treatment common with female characters in other works. We made sure to always center her character around the themes of the story, and use her concept to discuss those themes.

I’m encouraged by the fact that even though nowadays works are full of female characters who seem to embody male fantasies, with predictable “character types” and excessive attention drawn to their body lines, there are still plenty of users in the market who “get it”.

A Definite Response

Even now, when I look back on the horrors of getting the script done before the deadline, I’m as moved as Hideki* was every time I hear the voices in this work. *[TN: Reference to a commercial for Vermont Curry where singer Hideki Saijo says "Hideki, kangeki!" (Hideki's moved!)]

The staff in charge of game events who skipped their days off to edit the script, the administrative staff who helped send the script out, and the promotional staff who helped out so much preparing the voice material for this blog.

Then, the coordinator, who worked everything out even with the frequent script delays and made these recordings possible. And of course, the voice actors who breathed life into these characters.

To everyone who worked on these recordings……

Thank you!

AUDIO FILES

19_01 [Raphael] I am Raphael. God's solace resounds through my name. I hear that a popular song in your world sings of children of men as flowers, all special in their own way. Indeed, such is the Lord's teaching. All children of men are children of our Lord, equal in His eyes. Thus every one of you is special. [TN: idk which song he's talking about..]

19_02 [Michael] I am Michael. God has no equal; this resounds through my name. If you children of men repeat not the mistakes of your foolish forefathers, if you exalt our Lord Almighty, if you eat not the Forbidden Fruit, no wickedness shall take root within your hearts. O wise ones who hearken to this voice! Will your future hold such glory as befits our apostles in the new Millennium? Or will you suffer God's wrath, laid low at Armageddon and cast out with the Snake?

19_03 [Uriel] I am Uriel. God's fire resounds through my name. If you have heard this voice, you pass muster as a warrior of light on a par with us four Archangels. Do not betray our Lord's expectations. I have wrestled with you children of men and I have delivered you prophecies, but if I find you to be unclean, I will not hesitate to burn your face to ash that I may never see it again.

19_04 [K] Let me recount the legend of a hero passed down in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado-- not one so great as Aquila, mind, but a hero nonetheless. This isn't public knowledge on account of the Monastery's controls, but some decades ago a demon erected a Domain in Naraku. Many Samurai fell prey to this demon. Now the Commander at the time couldn't just leave this matter be, so he let the demon plunge its teeth into his own arm, then took his chance and skewered it, arm and all. The Commander could fight no longer, so he became a tavernkeeper. They say he's there to this day, watching over the young Samurais' progress with his one good eye.

19_05 [Charon] The souls of those who took their own lives wash up here on occasion. And when they get a look at this riverside, it's always the same: "Oh, it wasn't supposed to be this way!" These misguided nuisances choose death on a moment's impulse or out of plain naivete, and all it does is give me more work. You had better believe I charge them a massive return fee. The market price is three times the usual, as compensation for inconvenience.

19_06 [Chiwa Saito] Hee-hello, everybody! I'm Saito Chiwa. I've been here since Soul Hackers. In SMT, I started with the Hee-Ho demons, and I've actually played about five more people-type characters… People-type, that sounds really weird… So I thought it'd be fun if I could do it being conscious of, where am I now?, and all that… Anyway, I did the Hee-hos, and before I started I thought I'd give the voices recorded in Soul Hackers another listen, and thinking I really had to do that myself, it really calmed me down! The game itself is very much for die-hards, but that 'ho! ho!' tic, it's relaxing! I try to really relax and get comfortable, but actually I have to convey that dangerous and precarious quality, and I have to keep that balancing act all by myself, and that's the hardest part. Right. I managed to put things pretty well while hee hee ho ho'ing. Or, well, I'm not right now, but, well, I did it. And in this game, I did what I could, and hee-hos will gladly be your demons, so if everyone can relax and be fends-- I fumbled my words, friends with them, I'd be really happy. This has been Saito Chiwa, nice to meet you all, ho!

Download link (includes raw data with the audio clips, original text and translation)

#smtiv #shin megami tensei iv #translation

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waaow · 1 day ago

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Chara undertale how I hate you (affectionate). The fandom has endless arguments about your nature and purpose to the story of undertale. I am going to regurgitate information I have stewing in my mind and put down my theory/interpretation.

This isn't very refined. None of it is unique, and I have read/watched so much Chara and genocide route analysis that I can't recall where parts of it originally came from, but I will link to the most notable instances at the end.

The actual theory that gets repeated midway through the post: You are Chara. Chara is the actual player character of Undertale. This wasn't originally here, but I think it's best to have the theory in mind when reading the first bits of evidence.

The player names them, and most players will name them after themselves for the first playthrough, this seems to be intended. Using "Chara" results in the response "The True Name." The term "True Name" has various definitions that could apply to this situation, but the one that seems the most accurate is "the name of a thing or being that expresses, or is somehow identical with, its true nature." Chara is short for "Character," which would mean Chara's true nature is that of a character of some kind.

Chara's fall date is marked as 201X, with the X being a stand-in for the game's release year of 2015 (alternatively, the demo's release year of 2013).

Similar to Gaster for Deltarune, when Undertale came out, messages from Flowey were posted by the official Undertale Twitter account. They're directed at "you," which in this case appears to be Chara. Here's the transcription: "Hee hee hee...I've been waiting for you to get here. How long has it been...? How many years...? ... It doesn't matter. I KNEW you would come back. ... So. What do you say? Won't you play with me again? =)"

Chara's name appears on Frisk's stats/save menu and the battle screen. In Deltarune, we see something similar, but it only occurs on Kris' save file with the player name.

Throughout the game, you will occasionally see some of Chara's memories. This occurs in the intro and when Frisk dies, falls asleep under specific circumstances in Toriel's home in the ruins, or falls into the garbage dump. Something similar happens in Asriel's boss fight, but we know that comes from Asriel himself due to the name of the code and Temmie's FAQ describing it as Asriel regaining his memories.

Here's some quotes from Flowey/Asriel describing his motivations:

"If you leave the underground satisfied, you'll "win" the game. If you "win," you won't want to "play" with me anymore. [...] But this game between us will NEVER end."

"I just want to reset everything. All your progress... Everyone's memories. I'll bring them all back to zero! Then we can do everything ALL over again."

"Do you know why I'm doing this...? Why I keep fighting to keep you around...? I'm doing this... Because you're special, [Name]. You're the only one that understands me. You're the only one who's any fun to play with anymore. I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready for you to leave. I'm not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again..."

Asriel's motivations are very odd to read from an in-universe perspective. If he broke the barrier, he could still play with Frisk (who he thinks is Chara), but instead, he seems to think that if they leave the Underground satisfied (if the game is won), he'll have to say goodbye to them again. To stop "the game" from ending, he wants to reset it and force you to do it again.

Flowey's post pacifist monologue reveals a lot. It is directed at the one being with control of the Save/Load system, which means he became aware of them and their presence at some point. He begs the being in question to not reset and describes it as "the power you were fighting to stop [...] The power that I wanted to use," referring to his plan as Asriel to keep the game going. He begs this being to let Frisk and the monsters live out their lives, separating this being and Frisk. The speech places extra emphasis on the word "you" twice by fully capitalizing it. Flowey addresses the being he's talking to as the name you gave Chara. An extra note to add here is after this scene and before true resetting, the menu theme is replaced with an extremely slowed down version of the regular menu theme (extremely slowed down music is associated with Chara by the genocide route).

Before moving onto the genocide route, I'm going to put down one more piece of information that I think is important, and follow it up with the interpretation/theory that I personally think explains all of these details rather cohesively:

Toby seems to see and portray the relationship between the player character and the player as the two being mostly one and the same entity. This goes all the way back to his Earthbound Halloween Hack days, and you can see it in his statements all of the time, such as here when he refers to Kris' room and family using second person pronouns. But I think you can see it most clearly in Skies Forever Blue's lyrics (which were written by Toby), in which the singer conflates the player character "Two friends started just as neighbors" and the player "When you made my name the same just as the one you love, then I knew. Maybe to your view, I'm just a faintly colored hue, that's alright," and falls in love with them.

The interpretation/theory: You are Chara, alternatively, Chara is the actual player character of Undertale. This leads to a nesting doll situation with Frisk.

Why is Chara's name on Frisk's save file? Because Chara/you are the being who is actually in control of it. Why is Chara's name in Frisk's stats? Because you're not directly playing as Frisk, you're playing as Chara, who is then playing as/controlling Frisk. Why does Asriel not want the barrier to be broken/not want the game to be beaten? Because you (Chara) as the player can't exist in Undertale's world when the game is over.

Just from the evidence in neutral/pacifist, this seems to be what Toby was trying to portray. While the genocide route does complicate this, I think it also reinforces it a lot too.

As a pre-emptive note, I do not believe in NarraChara and think it is not intentional. While it is a cool headcanon, I think most of the fanbase thinking it's canon has actually damaged analysis of the genocide route and Chara as a character permanently. To me, there is a general narrator that Chara occasionally speaks over in the genocide route. Before their monologue, Chara consistently speaks in a very contrasting tone with regular narration and always in first person. The closest to normal narration they speak is the "Strongly felt [x] left. Shouldn't proceed yet" waterfall geno-abort prevention dialogue, which dodges any pronouns and is still likely Chara describing their own emotions in first person perspective. The genocide route takes many ques from classic video game creepypasta tropes. The player character speaking directly to the player is one of them, and it is purposefully portrayed in contrast to be eerie.

Chara's enhanced presence in the genocide route is first made known when the kill counter in the ruins is exhausted. Dialogue/narration from them then appears in Toriel's house. "Where are the knives?" in the kitchen and "It's me, [Name]" in the mirror.

The second line, in particular, begins a running trend throughout the route, Chara claiming ownership of Frisk's body/actions and speaking as if they ARE Frisk. The second case of this is actually during Glad Dummy, which despite using second person pronouns, is clearly directed at the Dummy itself which would make sense if they were facing her personally "Wipe that smile off your face." The third case is when facing Monster Kid, with their encounter text "In my way." The line "It's me, [Name]" reappears in both the lab camera and Asgore's mirrors. The Hotland Guards have their check text "I see two lovers [...] I couldn't stop laughing." The final notable instance is "(I unlocked the chain)."

The behavior of out-of-player-control actions starting in Snowdin is vastly different in this route, and the implication is that this is Chara's doing. Rushing through introductions/cutscenes with Sans and Papyrus and refusing to do puzzles. Starting in Waterfall, the surprised encounter icon is replaced with a smile (associated with them by that being their sprite's default expression). Threatening Monster Kid & Flowey (with a "creepy face" associated with them by the True lab tapes). Slashing Sans and Asgore. Mercilessly & Sadistically cutting down Flowey. In the demo, this actually starts right before Toriel's boss fight with her getting cut off before she can finish her speech. (Additionally, we see more Chara dialogue that I think goes underappreciated in the form of "That was fun. Let's finish the job.)

Chara claiming ownership of Frisk's body/actions seems very similar to how Toby portrays the relationship between a player character and their player. While Chara is OUR player character, Frisk would basically be Chara's player character. Frisk as a character does not change uniquely in the genocide route when compared to violent neutrals. The only thing causing their drastically different behavior is Chara's active participation upon becoming partially disconnected from the player.

Chara's monologues are often the subject of the debate of "Who is Chara talking to?" I personally think its pretty clear that they're talking to the player. Nothing they say makes sense in-universe. The idea that they're talking to Frisk also runs into a problem when they suggest doing a different route if you recreate the world again. Frisk, just like Flowey, does not remember True Resets or completed genocide routes (unlike Chara who on the steam release can technically remember things from other installs of Undertale which further ties them and the player together, as Flowey/Asriel's dialogue implies that True Resets erase the memories/deja vu of everyone besides the one preforming them). Also, why would you be talking as if you were equals to a person you've been controlling the entire time? That feels a bit odd to me.

Chara's monologues do contain lines that present a problem to this theory/interpretation. The first one is "Since when were you the one in control?" The second one is "But. You and I are not the same, are we?" Both could be more metaphorical as most if not all of Chara's dialogue isn't strictly literal and there are other explanations of Chara that don't contradict this one and could help cover up these weak points.

Even with those two lines, I think this interpretation is extremely strong and seems to at least be close to Toby's intent. It also keeps getting reinforced:

The Important person shirt is in both Undertale and Deltarune's sections on fangamer's merch site, and while it is clearly Kris' shirt in design, its description should also apply to Chara because it's being sold as a shirt for them as well. This description of it from the newsletter is what added the "It will make you look like someone with an important connection to you." The "You" also gets replaced by whatever name you subscribed to the newsletter with.

While the shirt has been used to argue about Kris' DR counterpart, I don't think the description is referring to that topic at all, as it focuses on specifically the connection the shirt's bearers share with the player. The only connection I can think of is that both Chara and Kris are player characters. If you think Frisk is the player character of Undertale and Chara is a third party, they don't have any connection to the player at all. We also don't name Kris, unlike Chara. I would actually like to see other interpretations of this because I genuinely cannot think of any other possible "important connection" Kris and Chara could both individually share with the player.

This Twitter thread by Wandydoodles is where I got the Flowey/Asriel motivations from. Additionally, despite how much I dislike Oblivion theory's conclusions regarding Deltarune, I think its Undertale/Chara analysis is really great and deserves a read.

This Youtube video by Grim Dreamer. While it is primarily a NarraChara debunk video, the creator proposes Chara as a mirror to/representation of the player, which is basically the same theory and may actually be more coherent than my drivel.

#Chara #chara undertale #undertale theory #Undertale #frisk

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kazarinn · 1 year ago

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Future subbing plans

When I first put Hurricane Touchdown out three years ago (goodness, has it really been that long already?!), I wasn't really planning to make fansubbing a regular thing, but after having worked on the Saint Tail project enough, I've started getting a little more used to it, so I decided to put a little more proper thought on what I want to do with it. This post will only be here, so my Tumblr followers can consider this to be an exclusive scoop ☺️

Regarding Hurricane Touchdown: As probably many of you know, Discotek Media recently announced an upcoming release of the first three Digimon movies, which, naturally, will include the Japanese version of Hurricane Touchdown. As is etiquette for fansubbers, I will be removing the download links for the Hudie release once that drops. However, I will be leaving the translation script file accessible to preserve the hard work done on it, and to leave it accessible for anyone who can't use the Discotek version for any reason (importation issues, region locks, etc.).

Raw script files can still be used with videos by putting them in the same folder as the video and giving them the same name, and the transcript is very easy to open with any standard text editor, so I think this will be a good compromise to keep the translation accessible and easy to reference. This is a workflow I started using with Saint Tail due to the unusual nature of its localization situation, but it's something I think I want to consider making use of going forward as well.

Regarding Saint Tail: Nothing really special to report here; I'll be releasing and revising sub scripts as usual until I've finished the series (I'm hoping to get it done by the end of the year). I haven't made a firm decision as to what will happen after that, but since it is a fact that the official release still has serious translation problems, I do think I want to do something to address that a little more aggressively once it's done.

Regarding Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning: Based on the US screenings of the movie, it seems that the official English subtitles for the Japanese version are actually a transcript of the English dub, but with Japanese names swapped in. Surprisingly, this isn't as much as a detriment to the translation as you'd think it might be (the English dub script seems to be surprisingly close to the Japanese script, rather unusually for Digimon standards), but nevertheless, this is extremely bad translation practice and offends me on a personal level. As such, if future releases turn out to still be using this translation, I am considering making my own subtitled script for it.

For the record, because of how close the English dub script is to the Japanese script, I don't think this is actually that much of a detriment to understanding the movie; in fact, I would argue that LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna's official English subtitles are far worse and mistranslated in a more dangerous way. A theoretical The Beginning fansub would be, at most, something that would be done to satisfy a personal pet peeve and to address some minor loss in nuance that isn't reflected in the dub script, especially in regards to the Chosen Child partnership lore it presents (something that I know can be quite a serious issue to a lot of Digimon fans). So I'm not going to make guarantees about whether I'm going to do it in the end, and I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you, but I do at least want people to know that this is an issue and that I currently have this idea on the table. As with Hurricane Touchdown, if I do put this out, it probably would be in script-only form.

As a side note, I do plan on translating The Beginning-related material (interviews, etc.), but I would rather put them up at a time when a sufficiently large percentage of fans has actually seen the movie. If you're from a non-American country and your country will be having a screening in the near future, please reply to this post with the date so I can get a good idea of when people will be watching it ☺️

#Digimon #Digimon Adventure 02 #Hurricane Touchdown #Digimon Adventure 02 The Beginning #Saint Tail

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anotheruserwithnoname · 1 year ago

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youtube

I don't think I've ever done a post on Castle before, but after having mostly ignored it during its 8 season run, I'm being reintroduced to it via reruns on CTV Sci-Fi. That was the first clue to me that this wasn't just a detective show; it's on CTV Sci-Fi because some episodes have some sort of sci-fi fandom type reference, while others cross into X-Files and Kolchak (google it) territory. Plus both Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic are Canadian so it probably satisfies some sort of Canadian content rule for CTV.

(For those not familiar, Fillion plays Richard Castle, a writer of mystery novels who, seeking inspiration for new books, is given the OK to do ride-alongs with Det. Kate Beckett, who quickly becomes the inspiration for a new series of books. Much to the chagrin of the cop establishment, he becomes not only a valued member of Kate's investigation squad, but her partner (in more ways than one).)

One thing I wasn't aware of was the intense ship between Richard Castle and Kate Beckett that built up over the first 4 seasons and finally became not only a full-out relationship but the two actually get married later in the series, which is a rarity. Now, it's obvious the two were destined to be a couple from the first episode so it's not really a case of shipper glasses being applied (this was also a given the moment they announced that the new Magnum PI would feature a female version of Higgins and that she and Thomas would have romantic tension. Big difference is while Magnum waited until technically its final episode to make "Miggy" a couple, Castle was only midway through its run when it officially launched the ship.)

I can see some similarities between Magnum (which was subsequently given an extra couple seasons by NBC, though it's now been officially cancelled) and Castle in how they incorporate the romance (and marriage in the case of Castle and Beckett) into the storylines without distracting from the crime of the week plotlines.

And yes, as a member of the crew of the S.S. Whouffaldi , I can't not also compare to the relationship with that of Twelve and Clara, since Castle is at times very Doctor-like (especially the "distracted by shiny objects" part attributed to Twelve early on).

Anyway, for people not familiar with Castle, I found a pretty good Ms Mojo list video looking at some of the best romantic and non-romantic moments of the series (spoilers, of course).

#castle (tv series)#caskett #kate beckett #richard castle #nathan fillion #stana katic #Youtube

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antisocialsharky · 9 days ago

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the guy who's 14, I got a lot more questions, but for now I'll just give the big ones. 1. is there like a limit of how many questions I can ask before it gets like too much 2. what does it mean if like I'm under 15, and fit into five of the seven things on the dsm-5 for aspd, but only three out of the fifteen for conduct disorder 3. what should I do if I can't see a profesional

1) There is no limit to the questions you can ask, answering questions is basically a hobby of mine. Which sounds sarcastic, but its genuine xD

2) Well right now, that (officially) only means that you show behavior that might fit those criteria points you named. Three out of fifteen is technically whats needed to get a conduct disorder diagnosis, so if they are present in the severity & longevity thats required, a professional might see those as sufficient evidence. The ASPD symptoms you say you fit, might then be represented as the "callous-unemotional traits" or "with a lack of prosocial emotions" specifier (that some professionals use), but may also simply be grouped under further CD evidence. That would depend on the professional you have and whether or not they are a supporter of the "be specific with PDs in teenagers" thing.

(I am probably repeating myself, but thats the official stuff. What you think/believe unofficially is not my business.)

3) That very much depends! A professional is needed for an official diagnosis & any official prescribed treatment/medication/etc. If you can't see a psychologist/psychiatrist you won't have access to that for the most part. Theres a few options you can explore tho, depending on what your goals are:

• school counselors/trusted teachers or similar people can be contacted to at least either have someone to talk to, or get some stuff on file, if you think you'll later need evidence that it has been a problem for a while => theres always the problem with them being bound to tell the adult(s) responsible for you or alert authorities, if you pose a danger to anyone or yourself, or if there might be evidence of a crime

• general doctors can sometimes prescribe therapies that might not be ASPD specific & they can't diagnose you, but some therapies do actually help with managing some symptoms, if such is of interest to you. theres something called "progressive muscle relaxation" that teaches you to intentionally relax every part of your body, ground yourself and calm your mind => helpful with aggression & impulsivity (GPs may prescribe it for aggression, stress, anxiety, frequent headaches, etc.). then theres also a therapy type (idk what you call it in english) thats basically building stuff, taking part in arts & crafts, channeling emotions into doing something productive, etc. (GPs may prescribe it for aggression, concentration difficulties, overall emotional dysregulation, etc.). sometimes they can also help you access local group therapy things, more rehab oriented organizations that offer sport & music programs, etc. theres a lot of different ways to get access to stuff that might overall be cool & help with some of the symptoms (tho once again, that depends on whether or not symptom management and/or reduction is a goal of yours

• You can also always just do stuff privately if symptom management is important to you/a concern. you dont need specific therapies to engage in skills and find hobbies that are regulating and help you avoid damage that possibly goes along with the symptoms.

• If you are satisfied with the way you are right now and all you want is a diagnosis and then possibly proper treatment by a professional, I suppose all you can do is wait tho

#actually aspd #aspd #mental health #mental health education #asks open #antisocial personality disorder #aspd awareness #asks #send asks

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dark-bear-productions · 8 months ago

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Don't give up on an idea you love

I'd like to tell you how I started Hunting Darkness, the transmedia project I'm working on. You might find a cool new piece of media, you might find a bit of personal motivation, and you might find a fun new blog to follow, but you'll certainly find an insight into the creation of the project I am dedicating my life to.

First: if you're unfamiliar with the term transmedia and are hoping it's media by and for trans people, I'm sorry to disappoint you: that's trans media. No, transmedia is when you combine stories told through different media to create a larger whole. (Although I'm happy to say Hunting Darkness features characters who are trans, non-binary, gay, bi, ace, and more, as well as many characters whose gender identity or sexual orientation never comes up and can be freely interpreted).

With that bit clear, let's get this story going.

It began in 2016, after I played The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and -- inspired by my parents' love for Victorian and SteamPunk aesthetics during a visit to their house -- wrote a rain-sodden, blood-soaked, action-packed story about a team of five slightly SteamPunk Victorian Monster Hunters fighting a massive pseudo-vampire that had mysteriously appeared in a warehouse.

I intended to expand the story into a debut novel called Hunting Darkness -- yes, the name stuck -- but ultmately failed to turn it into something that satisfied me and tried moving on. Unfortunately for my mental health, I kept coming back to that idea of Victorian Monster Hunters, my beating Bloodborne in 2019 adding fuel to the growing fire.

From time to time, some story idea would excite me and I'd begin writing once more only to inevitably think "This would be great for Hunting Darkness." I'd then open my old files, go over my notes and ideas, and try once more to get something out of it. I'd rearrange concepts, tweak my ideas, adjust my themes, and eventually realise it was a much too big and unwieldy a project, I'd never fit it into a novel, and I had better give up.

On it went. I wrote thousands of words and never finishing a story. Eventually, I pretty much gave up and stopped writing altogether.

Then, in late 2022, I listened to The Magnus Archives while doing some (very dull) data management at my new job. I had never really listened to an audio drama before -- unless you count the time I accidentally listened to an old radio drama on shuffle while temporarily blind -- but I really liked this format of stand-alone stories lasting about 20 minutes each. Of course, I then thought of some scene I had cooked up for my Monster Hunters and wondered at how much fun it would be to write a series of stand-alone monster hunts for my very own audio drama.

And then it finally clicked.

My partner Luca studied transmedia storytelling in college and had excitedly told me about it many times, but I'd never considered that Hunting Darkness might be a prime subject for it. Now, however, I wondered if it wouldn't be nice to create an audio drama solely for the writing of monster hunts.

I began working on From the Bay of Fangs, playing on the idea of reports written by Hunters being used as advertising for their services. When I fleshed out my world building and it became clear the Hunters would be government agents, I decided to change the tone from advertorial to propagandistic.

This then sparked the idea that not everyone would just accept this propaganda, leading to The Dark Truth, a series of in-world posters objecting to the stories told in From the Bay of Fangs, accompanied by a story about a government agent trying to find the people behind those posters in order to save her career.

At this point my creativity went into full swing. I officially created a (one-person) company called Dark Bear Productions, created a website, shared some of my worldbuilding, and am now publishing both From the Bay of Fangs and The Dark Truth independently while writing more Hunting Darkness stories and coming up with more still.

It's been stressful, I won't lie. I quit my job in order to work on this and I'm hoping I can find those people who'll find Hunting Darkness as cool as I do -- although I'm sure they're out there.

But it's also been fun and exhilarating and inspiring and it just feels like what I should be doing. So if you have something you really want to write but can't figure out how: consider transmedia! Or just explore some more stories when you can and see if anything clicks. If you share the results with me, I'll check it out. I can't promise I'll like it, but I can promise I'll like you for having created what you had to create, no matter the self-doubt along the way.

Take care!

Daan

#my projects #my writing #dark fantasy #flintlock fantasy #victorian fantasy #steampunk fantasy #monster hunting #the witcher #bloodborne #the magnus archives #audio drama #short stories #anthology #transmedia #representation matters

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leighsartworks216 · 2 years ago

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Sodomy

Damien x male!DA!reader

IT'S FINALLY COMPLETE Y'ALL GAMIEN IS HERE

I did not proofread this and I'm not going to until I decide to read this again late at night and cringe at all my mistakes

Edit: I fixed some spelling errors and changed a few minor things here and there to make it flow better so it has officially been proofread 👍

Warnings: internalized homophobia, religious trauma, lowkey emotionally abusive parents (only hinted at tho), old timey sodomy laws, googled 20s slang

Word Count: 2915

Slang Reference:

Wise head (wise-head): A smart person

Stuck on: Having a crush on

Masterlist

Oftentimes, Damien missed his old university days. Back then, his responsibilities didn't stretch so far. His parents had been breathing down his neck for so long, expectations as high as a Heaven he never believed he would reach, that university had been his only escape. His parents influenced his career choice, as it was them who pushed him into a politics major. But once his sister left, his eyes were opened, and he distanced himself from their wishes so he would have room to grow into a better person.

He’d also met you during this time.

Somehow, you both just clicked. Where one was, so too was the other. Perhaps it was this closeness that drew out feelings in him that had long been repressed, by his parents, priest, and even himself.

Homosexuality was a sin. At least, that’s what he was raised to believe. Why should you think any different? Sexuality as a whole in this day and age was changing and evolving, but… Sodomy was still a serious crime. If he or you were accused, you’d both be ruined, surely.

Damien was sleeping rough. He hated to admit it, truly, but his mind was focused more on you than his work. How could one attend meetings and prepare speeches when you existed?

As he got ready for the day, his mind began to wander. He kept it under control, for the most part, but then he imagined you fixing his bowtie, smoothing out his lapels, and he had to rush to pick up those few minutes he wasted staring dazed in the mirror. Then, as he was grabbing a mug from his cabinet, his hand had subconsciously begun to grab a second one. He went without coffee that morning.

“Damien?”

His head shot up, tearing his attention from the paperwork on his side of the desk to where you were sitting across from him. You’d taken up residence in his office today, using the other side of his desk to file court cases and shuffle folders around. Your brow was furrowed, face laced with concern. A lump formed in his throat as he thought of how cute you looked like that.

“You’ve been staring at that graph for a while now,” you observed. A sly smirk crossed your lips. “Does our mayor need help with his paperwork?”

It was hard not to get used to your teasing after so long. And yet, somehow, even as he rolled his eyes and shuffled papers around, he could feel his heart fluttering against his ribcage and a warmth heating his cheeks. “Of course not, dear district attorney.” The floating feeling inside of him almost died as he saw the large block of text he had flipped to.

Damien cleared his throat and folded his hands on top of his desk, leveling you with a knowing look. “I was simply thinking of breaking for lunch,” he lied. “If you’re still as careless as you used to be, I can almost guarantee you have not even had breakfast yet.” He didn’t mention his own lack of a full breakfast with coffee that morning; you could tell he was preoccupied enough already without him having to admit it.

You chuckled, averting your eyes back to your own work as you slipped papers into different folders. “You know me too well, Dames.”

“An honor and a privilege,” he teased with a self-satisfied grin. The Mayor stood from his desk, grabbing his cane in the process. “How about we go to lunch? Somewhere close by - mayhaps that diner down the road? My treat.”

Your head snapped up. You almost looked afronted at the idea of him paying for your meals. “I couldn’t possibly let you do that, Damien! It’s completely inappropriate and-”

He waved a hand, silencing your protests. “Please, I insist! This is a lunch between friends, not the mayor and district attorney.”

And how could you possibly say no to those pleading eyes of his?

“Do you remember that one party we went to where - What was his name? Markus… Lynch? Where he broke a table doing a keg stand?”

Damien chuckled. “Oh, you mean the party you dragged me to because I was, and I quote, ‘working too hard’ on a term paper due the next day.”

You laughed at the memory. You must have forgotten that you did that, as you looked off wistfully into the distance, as though you were searching through dusty files of old memories in your mind. His heart fluttered as he studied the dreamy look on your face.

It was a marvel being able to know you, truly know you. He had seen nearly every side of your beautiful personality, from your overwhelming joy to your lonesome sadness. The set determination in your eyes was ever so familiar from uni. It carried over to your days as a lawyer, and as DA, but he remembered seeing it very clearly when you would work for much too long on an assignment, or when you would tell him he had been working too long and he needed a break. He remembered seeing them as you dragged him to that party, where you laughed and chatted and dragged him over to the poker table almost immediately. (You were always so skilled at cards, he never had a chance to beat you in the first place. Lots of money was lost and gained that night.)

Admittedly, other than the poker, the table mishap, and you dragging him there, the party was rather dull. It wasn’t long after you arrived that you were dragging him outside again, this time to the roof. The two of you laid out on the hard shingles of that frat house and spoke of your dreams, your futures, your aspirations, until the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon.

Perhaps he didn’t fully realize it yet then, but he believed now, as the orange lights of the diner highlighted your nose and cheekbones, bathed you in their warm light; as the coffee steam from your mug and the steam from his hot chocolate drifted between you; as your eyes shined like those stars. Yes, he knew it now.

He was in love with you.

Damien’s brow furrowed as he read over the same paragraph again and again and again. His mind was elsewhere, despite how many times he tried to bring it back down to reality, to business.

Ever since his epiphany at lunch, he couldn’t stop thinking about you. It was never anything indecent or suggestive. Rather, he simply imagined what it would feel like if you caressed his cheek. Or ran your fingers through his hair, freshly washed after a shower. Sometimes he imagined what it would be like to kiss you. He imagined too often that it would be soft, sweet.

He found himself praying more often. His heart ached to be closer to you, to hold you. But guilt ate away at his soul every time it did. It felt wrong to feel this way for another man, especially as he’d never before felt this way about a woman. He asked God questions he’d been asking since he was a child.

If God made humans in his own image, and if he was supposed to love every one of his children, did that mean he loved Damien too? If he had these terribly lovely thoughts about kissing another man, did that mean he was no longer deserving of God’s love, even if said love was supposed to be unconditional? Was he born a sinner? Or did the Devil turn him into one somewhere along the path of life?

He never received any answers, of course.

His only solace was that you had decided to work in your own office as of late. The cases were piling up, it seemed.

With a sigh, he pushed his paperwork aside. He wouldn’t be getting through it anytime soon. Instead, he grabbed a fresh sheet of parchment from his drawer along with a reservoir fountain pen. For a long moment, he just stared at the blank sheet. Then, he began writing.

My dear DA,

Our reminiscing during lunch got me thinking of those old university days - it seems you’ve opened a floodgate that does not wish to be shut just yet. As such, I was wondering if you would like to come to my estate for dinner tonight. You need not reply in such short notice, you simply must show up if you choose to attend.

Best Wishes,

Damien

Before he could overthink what he was doing, he folded the letter into thirds and slipped it into an envelope. With careful care and precision, he proceeded to heat up some wax and pour it at the ‘v’ of the envelope. Once it was cool enough, he pressed the signet ring he wore on his left pinky finger into it. The sigil of his family was left in the red wax. Damien addressed the backside to you and gave it to his secretary, telling her to have it delivered before the end of the day.

And when he sat down again, pulling his paperwork back in front of him, he desperately tried to ignore the sinking feeling of dread pooling in his gut.

The chime at the door shocked Damien from his task. He fumbled for a moment, cursing under his breath as he hurriedly finished what he was doing to run to the door. Once he was actually at the door of course, he paused, took a deep breath, and pulled it open.

You were both dressed down. Working in the positions you did, suits were a must, and Damien especially had to look the part of a good, upstanding Mayor (which he was, thank you very much). So, seeing you in such simple clothes again after so long, well, if made his heart stutter.

He greeted you with your name, saying it as though he hadn’t seen you in ages, when it had only been a few days since your face graced him with his presence. “Come on in! I’m, uh, not quite ready,” he admitted through a nervous chuckle.

You laughed good-naturedly as you followed him inside. “It’s okay, Dames, take your time.”

Your presence had an oxymoronic effect on his emotions. On one hand, he was nervous and energetic. Being around you made him antsy, worried he would make the wrong move at any moment in a giant chess game of your friendship. On the other hand, you had a comforting effect on him like no one else, not even Celine. It was like his body didn’t truly know how to act when it was around you.

He left you in the living room, telling you to “Feel free to explore” as he disappeared back into the kitchen. He double-checked that everything was as it should be, running through an ever growing checklist in his mind. He made sure he had sandwiches, grapes, cheese, wine and glasses. He wondered if he should throw in crackers, if he needed to grab a blanket or if it would dampen the familiar experience. He was at war with himself.

Resigned to grabbing a spare blanket from his linens closet, he was stopped abruptly when he was met with you in the doorway. He felt - and perhaps even looked - like a deer in headlights.

You just grinned, lopsided and knowing, like you were trying to bite back a full-blown toothy smile. “A picnic?” It was less of a question than it seemed, especially as you nodded to the basket he’d just finished packing everything into.

He floundered, mouth silently opening and closing. It was truly a spectacular sight to see the Mayor at a loss for words this great. But, after a moment, he straightened up, swallowed the thick lump in his throat, and then cleared his throat. “I- Well, I was hoping we could- I had planned for us to maybe-” He cleared his throat again, nervously running a hand through his hair. He desperately wished he had his cane so that he had something to wring with his hands - an awful nervous habit that he hopelessly wished he could act on. “That night,” he began slowly, ”at the party, we snuck onto the roof to look at the stars and talk instead. I thought it would be… nice. To do something like that again.”

Dark eyes looked to you for approval. You were smiling. He turned away, blushing, playing it off with a scoff. “Stop smiling like that,” he scolded, but it was half-hearted at best. “I know it’s stupid-”

“It’s not stupid!” you cut him off quickly. You made your way to the basket on the counter, and peeked inside. Your smile became less mischievous and more sincere as you saw the care he put into making a nice dinner for the both of you. Not only had he thought through what wine would go best with the cheeses he picked out, the sandwiches he made were your favorite. Honestly, you were amazed he remembered. “It’s very thoughtful of you… It’s sweet.”

He couldn’t possibly hide how red his cheeks and the tips of his ears were now, but he certainly tried. With a nervous ahem, he excused himself to grab a blanket. And if he closed himself in the linen closet for a moment to hide his hands in his face, breathing deeply multiple times to calm his racing heart, you would never know.

The stars seemed to shine brighter tonight than he’d ever seen them shine before. They twinkled and winked down on Earth, like they were concealing some secret from all of humanity. After all, what did they really know about space?

Dinner was simple, good. Damien found himself on his second glass of wine before you finished your first in hopes it would settle his nerves. (It didn’t. Instead, it allowed his mind to feel more free to think about you.)

But now all that was left was you, him, the blanket underneath you both, and the stars above.

He was smart enough to choose a section of his roof that faced away from the road, away from the prying eyes who may think that any of this was scandalous. Though, he supposed, it was, on some level. Two men, laying this close to each other… Even if it wasn’t in a sexual sense, if any word of it got out, your reputations, your lives would be ruined forever. He frowned at the thought.

“Okay,” you broke the silence abruptly, turning on your side and propping your head up on your hand. “What has gotten into you lately?”

Damien stared up at you with wide eyes. “Wh-What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s not like you to reminisce about university. Why now?”

He looked back up at the stars, trying to avoid your interrogative gaze. But, even as he stayed silent, you just kept staring at him, waiting for an answer. He couldn’t avoid it any longer.

Your eyes followed him as he sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. He stared down at the shingles of his roof. He silently prayed that God would forgive him.

“When you brought up uni the other day…” He sighed. His heart was pounding so hard against his ribs. “I realized something. Something I had… repressed for a long while, I think.”

You sat up fully, sitting on your knees and facing him. The stars, no matter how much they twinkled, shined, sparkled, and shimmered, would not pull your attention away from Damien.

His dark eyes, almost too dark to see in the dim light of the moon, finally looked up at you. He opened his mouth, closed it, and swallowed thickly. “I… I love you.” He held his hands out, in a gesture one would use to calm someone down. “A-And I know sodomy is illegal and a sin, and you don’t have to reciprocate anything at all, b-but-!”

Your laughter stunned him silent. He blinked owlishly. You leaned forward and grabbed his hand, pulling it close and pulling him closer in the process. “I knew you weren’t a wise-head but c’mon, Dames, I thought you realized!”

He stammered, trying desperately not to look at your lips. He had to prop himself up with his free hand just to keep himself from falling over into your lap. “Wh- Realized what?”

You chuckled again, softer this time. “I’ve been stuck on you since we first met!”

Unlike him, you weren’t shying away from glancing at his lips. You leaned forward and brushed your nose against his. He practically shuddered in anticipation, his eyes fluttering closed.

“I don’t care about sodomy,” you whispered.

His eyes shot open to look at you. This time, it wasn’t just shock. It was wonder. This whole time, he’d been so worried how you would react to his admission, but you were in the same boat as him all along.

With a jump of his heart, he leaned forward and finally closed the distance. Your lips connected in a passionate crash, desperation from years of pining finally finding a release. Hands found their way to tangle in hair, fingers gripping onto shirts, all in an eager attempt to bring each other closer.

He loved you. And he couldn’t even begin to fathom that you loved him, but you did. The stars dimmed as they witnessed your love finally come to fruition.

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claaaaaare · 2 years ago

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Start with something easier and more relaxing

I've been developing my own art style by drawing Jojo for so long, but it turns out that isn't the best way for me, since I haven't made any progress, still focusing only on faces but never begin to draw bodies. The art style of Jojo is too complex for me, who choose to learn drawing mainly through imitation. I decide to start with something easier and more relaxing, and Mob Psycho 100 is the best choice. Its art style is simple, with the human structure, facial expressions, postures and clothing easy for me to understand.

So I firstly imitated the anime character settings of Reigen and Mob, not 100% copying but trying to draw in the way I feel comfortable with. I literally know nothing about coloring, so I directly pick the colors from the official artwork. I feel that Mob is too cute in anime (I like that though), and I somewhat like his vibe in manga (which I can't describe), so I tried to mix the two, which I expectedly failed lol.

Then I drew Ritsu and Mezato. Ritsu in down-right corner looks really weird so I covered his face for now, will re-draw him later (he is hard to draw, but not as hard as to draw his brother). And I love drawing girls! There will be more girls in the future.

After drawing those 4 character settings, I kinda understand the basics of human body, postures and expressions. I tried to draw myself in the same way, and I think it works well, at least its the best I can do right now. I'm satisfied that I've made so much progress, and see you late Jojo! I'll come back when I'm stronger!

I'm recently really stressed by everything in my life, and this setting perfectly shows my daily conditions, which none of them is happy lol. I'll explain them a little bit here.

Left-top: Trying to save an Ai or a Ps file, but my laptop freezes. The Chinese Character "啧" means "tsk".

Left-bottom: Wandering.

Center: Waiting for metro at 10:30 pm, exhausted and starving.

Right-top: Yawning, apparently, bored or tired.

Right-bottom: Have made a digital model for 3 hours, but Rhino 3D suddenly crashed, and the file fails to save. The Chinese Charater "艹" meangs "Fxxk" or "damn".

#mob psycho 100 #mob psycho one hundred #reigen arataka #kageyama shigeo #kageyama ritsu #ichi mezato #chracter design #anime #japanese anime #procreate

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mothandpidgeon · 4 years ago

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Extra Credit (Professor!Dave York AU)

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Professor!Dave York x F Reader

Words: 2865

Rating: VERY E 18+!

Warnings: student/teacher quid pro quo (safe to say this falls under DUB CON so please be careful!!!), spanking, humiliation/degradation, oral sex, orgasm denial, spitting, pussy slapping, biting/marking, p in v sex, Dave York

Summary: With graduation on the horizon, you just have to pass Professor Dave York’s class. But a bad choice on the final assignment leaves your grades in jeopardy. But he’s willing to give you extra credit if you can follow instructions.

a/n: First off, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU MIND THE WARNINGS. I did not see myself sharing this kind of stuff but I guess I'm freaky like that.

Second, I’m sorry this has the plot of a bad p*rno but sometimes it be like that. Thanks @pascalslittlebrat, @starlightmornings and @mouthymandalorian for encouraging this. It is filth. And thank you P for the gorgeous moodboard!!!!

Also, here is my assignment for the class. What subject do you think Professor York teaches? I was thinking Political Science. Would love to hear your ideas.

It was hot in the lecture hall, one of those early spring days when the weather decided winter was officially over. You had only a few more weeks until graduation and you were white knuckling to the end.

It had been a tough semester. You had your classes to deal with and your motivation was dipping. It wasn’t entirely your fault. You’d had to take on a full time job on top of your studies. Your shitty little car always seemed to be in the shop and your roommate had turned into a psychopath so you slept with one eye open.

Professor York’s class was the hardest you’d ever taken. You liked his style, his dry sense of humor as he lectured. But he was difficult to please. Most professors let their TAs do their the grading but not him. No matter how hard you worked on your papers, you couldn’t wrestle anything higher than a B- from Professor York.

The TA was handing back your papers, the last assignment for the semester, and he placed yours face down in front of you. There was no grade on it just red pen that spelled out see me after class in tight, neat handwriting. Fuck.

You looked up to see Professor York glowering at you from his spot at the front of the hall. You approached him as the other students filed out. You wished you could share their relief that this class was finally done but you had a knot in your stomach.

“Have a seat,” he said, taking the paper from you and tapping it in his palm.

There was a chair next to the professor’s desk and you sat down putting your bag beside you.

“Thanks, Tyler,” he said, dismissing the TA.

When the lecture hall was empty, Professor York sat behind the desk, eyes skimming your paper.

“I wanted to talk to you about this,” he said.

You nodded, too nervous to try speaking.

“This is some great work. This is the kind of essay that really sticks with you after you read it,” he said. His brown eyes were warm and soft and he sat forward in his chair.

You were dumbfounded, your anxiety quickly washing away.

“That’s probably how I know I already read this,” he said, his features suddenly darkening.

Your stomach plummeted into your feet. You were such an ass, thinking you could get away with it.

“I don’t tolerate plagiarism,” he told you.

With everything that had been going on this semester, you didn’t have it in you to complete this final assignment. It wasn’t like you were going to get a good grade anyway. You’d been so exhausted, you hardly cared if you got caught when you’d handed it in. But now that you had to face Professor York, you were kicking yourself.

“I find it highly disrespectful that you would try and pass this off as your work. You know you can be expelled for this?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” you choked out. “I’ve just had so much work to do-“

“I’m not interested in excuses,” he snapped.

You shut your mouth and felt tears bite at your eyes.

“Are you going to cry?” he asked in disgust. “That’s not going to work on me.”

“Professor, if I fail this class I’m not going to graduate. Please. I’ll do anything to just pass,” you said.

“Anything?”

“Anything,” you said. The word sounded so definitive when it left your lips.

Professor York leaned back in his chair, swiping his finger across his lower lip in thought.

“I can give you extra credit but you have to do exactly what I tell you,” he said.

You were so relieved, you nodded breathlessly.

His lips curled into a smile.

“What color panties are you wearing?” He asked.

Your cheeks set on fire but heat also pooled between your legs. “I- what?” You managed.

“Show them to me,” he commanded.

Your whole body flushed and you stared at him, wide eyed. You had to be dreaming. You’d always found Professor York sexy with that grin and his deep voice but he wouldn’t- this wasn’t happening.

“Do you want extra credit or do you want me to give this paper to your advisor?” He asked, his tone suddenly harsh.

You swallowed hard. Why did his words send a shiver down your spine? You picked up the hem of your skirt and lifted it so Professor York could see between your legs. You looked away, blushing deeply.

He made a guttural noise that made you drop your skirt and clench your thighs together.

“Give them to me,” he said.

Your mouth hung open. He looked completely serious, blinking at you slowly as if this was a casual request. You bit down hard on your lip but finally you relented.

You squirmed out of your panties, being careful that you didn’t give him a show in the process, and placed them in his large, outstretched hand.

He put them to his nose, inhaled, and then squirreled them away in his back pocket, all the while watching you with amusement.

“Stand up. Put your hands on the desk,” he said.

You couldn’t move, sitting there with a gaping mouth. Finally he narrowed his eyes and you did as he said. You put your palms against the table top, aware of the vulnerable way you were leaned over. His eyes moved over your form and he wore the same self-satisfied expression that came when a student asked a stupid question.

Once he was finished admiring your obedience, he stood up and walked behind you. Your heart was pumping wildly as he stepped closer and you could smell his cologne, leather and tobacco.

“I‘ll pass you but I don’t want you thinking you’re getting off easy,” he said.

“Thank you,” you said.

He chuckled and your breath caught. You felt him lift your skirt up, the fabric skimming over your bare ass, and you gasped. He didn’t touch you but he made a noise of approval that shot through you.

“I’m going to hit you five times,” he said into your ear. “You tell me if it’s too much.”

You nodded without even knowing you were doing it. What the fuck was happening? You were standing in the empty lecture hall, bent over, ass out, and desperate to graduate. You couldn’t believe Professor York’s audacity and yet you were going to let him spank you like you were a little girl. It wasn’t like you had a choice, you told yourself.

Before you could make sense of it, his hand connected with you and you let out a grunt. Were you getting wet? You definitely should not be enjoying this.

He hit you again and this time a moan escaped from you. You clamped your hand over your mouth.

“Hands on the desk,” he commanded.

You put it back down and another strike came against you. The sound of his punishment seemed to be echoing off the walls of the empty room.

He pulled your hips into him to steady you as he went on. You loved the feeling of his arm wrapped around your middle, holding you firm.

When he was finished, you were nearly shaking, your pulse quick and your lips parted. You were still reeling not least of all due to the fact that you wanted more.

“Good girl,” Professor York purred smoothing his hand over the spot he’d turned red. His fingers dipped between your legs to feel the slick on your lips. “You’re not going to learn your lesson if you’re enjoying this.”

He came up right behind you so he could wrap his hand around your front and stroke at you. You were thankful your palms were braced against the desk because your knees nearly gave out.

“Professor,” you tried.

“Did I say you could speak?” he asked, a hand gripping your hair.

“What if someone comes in?” Your voice shook.

“Then you’ll have to tell them why you’re failing my class,�� he said and continued to play his fingers between your legs.

You whimpered. You could feel his hard length through his pants pressed into the tender flesh of your ass. Your head spun. You knew how fucked up this was but you didn’t want it to end. Professor York’s fingers circled you expertly and you felt like you were melting in his hands. You forgot everything— the circumstances that lead you to this moment, that this was your teacher, that you were exposed in public. Nothing existed except for your pleasure building and building.

As the sensation mounted in you, you began to buck against his hand.

“Are you close?” he asked.

“Yes,” you moaned.

“Good,” he replied and suddenly, his hand was gone.

You cried out in desperation. You clenched at nothing, left at the precipice with no relief. You were throbbing almost painfully. Professor York caught your chin in one of his hands, squeezing your face and wrenching your head around to look at him.

“Do you deserve to cum?” he asked.

You thought you might actually cry between your need for his touch and the fear his voice instilled in you.

“Answer me,” he demanded.

You shook your head.

“No,” he confirmed.

He loosened his grip on you and, for the briefest moment that softness returned to his eyes. You looked at him, eyes glassy and practically drooling, wishing he would touch you again.

“Needy girl,” he chided. “On your knees.”

He pulled you to your feet by the back of your skirt and you got down, bare knees and shins on the tile floor. You gazed up at him, still a little nervous, still pulsing between your thighs.

Professor York undid a few of the buttons of your shirt and skimmed his knuckle across your breast with a hum.

“Maybe I should take this too. Matching set,” he said. He snapped your bra strap which made you jump. “Off.”

He palmed the bulge in his pants as he watched you remove your shirt and unhook your bra. He squeezed one of your tits and pinched your pebbled nipple until you flinched.

“You want to pass?” he asked you, repeating the motion on the other side.

You nodded and he arched an eyebrow.

“Yes,” you said.

“You want to please me?” Now his hand ran gently along your jawline.

“Yes,” you breathed. You’d been trying all this time, studying hard, staying up all night to perfect your papers. Now you had a new goal in mind though you were afraid it was just as unattainable.

“Open your mouth,” he instructed and when you did he spit into it. “Don’t swallow that.”

You stayed like that, with your mouth open as he released himself from his pants. There was a dark patch on his boxer briefs stained by precum. You watched him wildly as he pulled at himself and a glistening bead appeared at his tip. Saliva, yours or his, was dribbling out of the corners of your mouth, dripping on your hard nipples.

“Don’t you look pretty. I hope you can suck cock better than you write papers,” he mocked.

For some reason this was what made your eyes pop. You asked yourself if you were really going to suck off your professor for a good grade. As if you hadn’t just handed him your panties. As if you hadn’t just let him smack your ass. As if your thighs weren’t drenched with your own slick.

He approached you, still stroking himself and you were jealous. You wanted that friction on yourself, were dying for more.

You didn’t have to be told what to do. You wrapped your wet lips around his thick length and your tongue swirled around him.

“Eyes on me,” he demanded.

You looked up at him, and grasped his shaft in your hand as you sunk your mouth around him as far as you could go. Your saliva dripped down his cock pooling in your fist.

“Fuck,” he said.

That word excited you. You kept going, watching him try to keep his eyes open as you surrounded him. The noise of your lips on him was almost disgusting, wet and squelching, and yet it was driving you insane. You clenched your core for some kind of relief that wouldn’t come.

He thrust deeper into your mouth and you tried to take him in but gagged. You pulled away, his cock bouncing out of your mouth and you coughed.

“Good girl,” he said. “Look at you trying to earn that extra credit.”

Tears stung in your eyes as you tried to recover.

“You still want to cum?” he asked, one hand pumping himself slowly.

You nodded timidly. More than anything in the fucking world. But you didn’t want to seem too eager, aware that he was ready at any moment to rescind the offer.

“Sit on the desk,” he said and you did. “Greedy little brat.”

Professor York slid your skirt up your thighs and that sensation alone felt erotic. He inserted two fingers into your mouth and you sucked them hungrily while he grinned.

He slid them across your folds and you were already so sensitive your back arched. He surprised you by getting down on his knees, opening your legs and throwing your thighs over his shoulders. You leaned back on your hands, laid out across the desk, fully on display.

You heard a noise in the hallway and gasped, your head snapping towards the door. But your attention was immediately drawn back to Professor York when you felt him smack you between the legs.

“Do you want to cum or not?”

“Please,” you begged.

He gave you a dark smile and then began nipping at the inside of your thighs. When he got closer to your center, he bit and sucked hard. You let out a breath, a mix of pleasure and pain.

“When you think about this later, I want you to touch yourself and look at this,” he said, swiping the pad of his thumb over the welt he’d just left there.

You let out a shuddering breath and he began to nibble at your clit between his lips. When your hand automatically shot into his hair, he grabbed you by the wrist and removed it, holding your palm against the desk. His tongue lavished you, churning you into a frenzy, and it didn’t take long before you were back where you’d been before. You were panting and grinding your hips into him.

This time he let you hit your high and you trembled and thrashed as he worked at you. It felt like you’d been wiped out by a wave, not being able to sense up from down. You were mewling and shaking when you finally begged him to stop, overwhelmed and cloyed.

He stood and wiped you from his chin and then said, “I’m going to fuck you now.”

You nodded frantically. He pushed into you and you were sure he could feel you still fluttering around him. You were wetter than you could ever remember but still he was difficult for you to take and you inhaled sharply. He didn’t seem to care, snapping his hips into you and grunting, one hand balling your skirt in his fist against you. Soon, though, you were lost in the sensation of his thrusts.

You didn’t even realize that you were whining loudly as he fucked you, your head thrown back in ecstasy. Professor York took your panties from his pocket and shoved them in your mouth to stifle your cries.

“You’re going to have to quiet down,” he rasped.

You whimpered against the fabric in your mouth and he smiled wickedly. He put his hand around the back of your neck to draw you in closer and he pressed into you faster and faster. He pulled out and you heard your own muffled moan at the loss of him. He worked at himself, spilling over your thigh and on your skirt with a groan.

Both of you took a moment to catch your breath and you watched as the professor leaned over you on his hands, swallowed, and then stood up, as composed as ever. He laughed quietly to himself as he took the panties out of your mouth and smoothed his hair.

“Put your clothes on. I have another class to get to,” he said, handing you a handkerchief and zipping himself up. He slid your panties back in his pocket.

You felt shaky on your feet after you’d mopped up his spend. You got dressed wondering how you were going to get through the rest of the day commando, with a ruined skirt, and the remnants of your professor’s cum drying onto your skin. He didn’t say anything else. You hooked your bag over your shoulder and Professor York looked you up and down one last time. He handed you back your essay. It was soaked through down the middle and you realized you’d been sitting on it on the desk. At the top was a new note in red pen: see me after graduation and his phone number.

You got an A.

-----

tagging some folks: @pascalslittlebrat @mouthymandalorian @starlightmornings @purplepascal042 @originallaura @cheekygeek05 @fangirl-316 @fairytale07 @tuskens-mando @rosiefridayrogersunday @a-skov @skulliebythesea @oceanablue @rebel-soldat @goddessinwolfskin @stevie75 @yespolkadotkitty @danniburgh @221bshrlocked

#dave york #dave york au #dave york x reader #dave york pit #oneshot #dave york x reader fic #dave york fic #professor!au #au

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knockknockchicagopd · 4 years ago

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❛ BLACK JACKET WITH WHITE LETTERS ❜

❚❙ REQUEST BY ANON: Would I be able to request prompt 16 “You're mine. I don't share”. With Hank voight where they go to one of those police events and she works in his unit and they are a couple with her being younger and they dont have to be in police uniform so she wears a really nice dress and as he introduces her and talks to other people he knows, some of the men check her out and try flirt with her and he notices. Could there be a bit of smut if not that's cool to ❤❤

❚❙ HANK VOIGHT MASTERLIST.

❚❙ WORDS: about 3k.

❚❙ Warnings: swearing, unprotected sex.

❚❙ A/N: this writing hasn’t been edited, you may find some grammar mistakes, I’m sorry about that. If you find a description about body or a word out of place, or something that makes you feel uncomfortable / unrepresented, let me know by a private message and I will change it delighted.

❚❙ GIF credits: to my amazing @sonsofeorl.

❚❙ General tag list: @melblacc @rebelwrites @skyofficialxx @sesamepancakes @scarletsoldierrr @mondefantastique @that-chick212 @enbyamaro @inlovewith3 @ocetevasgirl @destynelseclipsa @miahelen @jadakiss13 @mcgreads @graniairish @teller258316 @i-love-scott-mccall @tclaerh. Hank Voight tag list: @sophie-writes. If you wanna be added to my tag list, send my a message! ⚡

Fortunately, it's been a quiet day, otherwise, you couldn't deal with a Districts event like the Commanders call them. A meeting that reunites every officer, inspector, detective, and whoever who wears ‘the blue uniform’; including special agents from the FBI. These last ones are the kind of man who pushes you out of your good mood with all that quackery about serving the whole country, the unlimited resources, the missions. Every time you hear a fed talking about how passionate and exciting their jobs are, you just want to punch their faces. Mostly, they're behind a desk while cops like you are protecting the streets of Chicago in the firing line. But, as Burgess and Upton said, it's time to have some fun. And anything else.

Since you don't have to wear that horrible uniform you use at official events, you have chosen a breathtaking black silk dress that fits your anatomy to perfection, falling from your chest, with a spaghetti strap neckline, to your ankles. And a pair of skyscraper highlights on the same color, with the small difference that the heels are tremendously golden. Your back is almost bare, being crossed by four fine strips, knowing it's going to give Hank some trouble. Oh, you're going to have so much fun tonight. You are very sure.

The soft make-up delights your cute, but lethal, outfit on point ready to leave Kim's house accompanied by your friends. You've arranged to meet at the party with the rest of the Unit since your future husband and Antonio needed to be from the start of the event, which means the three of you are going to earn more than some gazes by assisting alone, with no male figures by your sides. As if you need some kind of protection. Men (...).

Stepping out from your car and giving the keys to the parking attendant, who seems he's having a heart attack after watching you walk with so much cockiness and sensuality, you come into the party. The look you exchange with Kim and Hailey as soon as you check the reaction of the assistants, makes you draw a triumphant smile while raising your chin in some kind of greeting. You aren't going to stop now, leading your steps straight to your partners. Ruzek chokes on champagne with his eyes over Burgess, while Hank looks at you over the edge of his glass of bourbon taking a sip.

“You should work like that every day”. Antonio opines welcoming the three of you in his arms.

“I second that, brother”. Jay quickly adds making a toast with his cup of red wine.

“Bet you'd be the one who wouldn't work”. Hailey replies palming his chest, making you giggle.

In the meantime they continue arguing about the dress code, a strong arm gets placed around your lower back to push you somewhat closer, letting his hand fall over your hipbone. You know exactly what it means. Hank isn't the kind of jealous man, who needs to mark his territory like a dog. But you know that sometimes he feels insecure because of the age gap. He trusts you blindly, that's a fact, but he's human; he has fears and you understand it. Putting your left hand on the back of his neck, you caress his scalp almost unnoticeably, tilting your head to leave a gentle kiss on his cheek earning a satisfied grin from him.

“You look really beautiful tonight”. He whispers, watching you sideways as if it's a secret between you two.

“Thank you, Sergeant. I always try to do my best”.

Hank chuckles against his glass about to have a last sip till emptying it. Taking it from his hand, you pull yourself away to go to the bar and ask for two more drinks. You're thirsty and too sober to be a Friday night. Checking some emails on your phone while the bartender serves your order, you can't help but listen to some backtalk about your career. A couple of suited men combed as politicians and wrapped on a strong scent that throws your stomach. You try to ignore them until they're close enough from your position to offer you a hand in a formal greeting.

“Johnson and Derrick. FBI”.

The blonde one looks like a senior official, while the other looks like a newbie. Turning towards both, you come into the forced polite mood to stretch his hand firmly.

“(Y/L/N), Intelligence Unit, gentlemen. A pleasure”.

“The pleasure is ours, detective”.

“Special agent”. You correct him inevitably, even if it sounds arrogant.

“Special agent, of course”. Johnson replies with a nod of his chin. “I've read your file lately. I have no words to describe it. Graduated with excellent grades in Yale, two years in the Army, another undercover in a Cartel… And you also know how to fly a helicopter”.

“If you weren't from the FBI, I could think you've been stalking me like one of your serial killers, sir”. The sarcasm in your tone of voice earns your Unit's attention, very focused on the conversation between the feds and you.

“Who catches a monster without becoming one, right?”

The man introduces a hand under his jacket to offer you his business card. But you don't take it, just looking at it for a second before raising your eyes towards his.

“In your academy shows you to have the big balls to disrespect a Sergeant or a Chief, by trying to steal their officers in front of their faces? Because mine shows us to serve and protect the citizens”.

His gesture changes suddenly in a sight, hearing some chuckles behind you coming from Hailey and Kim. Raising both eyebrows as you don't get any reply back, you just nod before grabbing the two drinks you have asked for when they interrupted you. Coming back to your friends, you can't help but wrinkle your nose in a gesture of disgust earning more giggles from your partners. But it doesn't seem funny for Hank, who you know he's killing them in thousands of ways inside his head.

As the night passes, you notice Agent Johnson's eyes on you with no shame, starting to make you feel uncomfortable. Although you would be delighted to embarrass him in front of everyone, he has had enough from you. But this doesn't end there. Excusing yourself, you step to the terrace almost emptied to have some fresh air, knowing he's going to follow you. Maybe, to insist a little more. He was so interested in recruiting you to miss the chance.

And as you thought, he's that predictable. You don't turn because of his steps coming closer, but because he pretends to clear his throat to claim your attention. Crossing your arms over your chest, you tilt your head to a side feigning curiosity with a forced smile showing up on your lips.

“I would like to apologize for my behavior. In my profession isn't habitual to find agents of your characteristics”.

“For sure, sir. It doesn't matter”.

“You could have an extraordinary career in the FBI”.

“I already have it where I am. I don't need schedules, cheap suits, and an earpiece to succeed”.

“I understand your relationship interferes in your decision, but you do—”.

“I'm sorry, you said what? Did you…? Oh, god, I can't fucking believe it”. You can't help but laugh shaking your head. “I don't have any relationship as soon as I wear my badge, sir. And you are starting to cross a line you don't want to cross. Believe me”.

“Ma'am, don't misunderstand my words, nor my intentions. I just think ma—”.

“Nobody asked you to think, Johnson”.

Raising your eyes over his shoulders, you can see your boyfriend sipping his glass of whisky, joining the talk as he tries to keep calm. You know Hank to perfection. If he wasn't your boss, he would have punched him already.

“If you continue pissing off my agent, we're gonna have a problem”.

The man just nods, alternating his gaze between the two of you. Seems that he has admitted his defeat.

“Beautiful and lethal. You're a son of a bitch with so much luck, Voight. Take care of this diamond. Or she will end up wearing a blue jacket with yellow letters”.

“Uh-huh”. He replies as you continue remaining silent.

Passing your boss away back to the party, leaving you alone, you can't hide the proud smile that turns your gesture into a funnier one. Taking short steps towards him, you steal the glass from his hand to drink from it under his attentive brown eyes.

“Blue isn't my color. Not at all. I'm more into black”. You whisper referring to the jackets you are used to wearing in the Chicago department.

“Hm…”

“Imagine having your badge hanging from your neck all day like a collar. Do I look like a dog? I prefer to have it on my belt. And I'm already used to the disgusting watered coffee we make in the twenty-one”. As you continue giving him more reasons, your forefinger traces a path up from his chest to his nape. “And I have so much fun driving my Dodge all around Chicago”.

“Anything else you wanna add?”

“Hm… no. Actually, not. That's all, sir”. You reply puckering your lips, pulling yourself away some inches with a playful aura wrapping you both.

“Now lemme tell you something here”. Hank says then, leaning over your ear. “You're mine, I don't share”.

His voice and his characteristic raspy voice gives you some chills down your spine bone. Biting your bottom lip unconsciously while he stands up, you know the party is over for you and it's time to go home. Holding your hand and taking back his glass of whisky, you walk inside to say your goodbyes before leaving the fancy place straight to the underground parking. You are not going to lie saying you don't love his dominant mood when the occasion demands it.

As soon as you reach your car, you can notice sideways Hank making sure you're totally alone. He doesn't usually take risks of being seen in public too lovey-dovey, but it's not about it this time and you can't wait for him to go ahead with his intentions. Of course, he doesn't make you wait for too long to push your back to the copilot door, attacking your neck in the meantime his hands grab your hips stealing you a low gasp. Hank makes himself between your legs, urging you to surround his waist with one of them to close the distance that separates you, feeling the need he has to mark his territory, as rarely he shows.

“Take me home”. You almost beg closing your eyes as his teeth are nailed on your most sensitive spot, earning a soft grunt that vibrates your body.

“I'm gonna take you here, sweetheart. Any problem?”

“Hell, no, sergeant”.

“Get in the car. Now”.

You don't complain, taking it as an order when he takes two steps back releasing your body and opening the back door for you. And the next minute passes too fast, rolling up your dress as Hank undoes his belt and unzips his pants. In just a sigh he's deep-buried between your legs. It's the first time you take this kind of risk, almost in public, and the horniness it produces is driving you crazy. With your lips almost touching the others, you moan uninhibited every time his hands on your lower back urge you to keep swinging your hips, sitting on his lap.

The way his eyes memorize every gesture drawn on your face has you breathless. It's a sensation you can't describe. Hank has some kind of power over you that you haven't experienced before, even if you think you're indomitable he always manages to make whatever he wants with you. And you know it. You let him do it. Just like right now, marking his territory with desirous bites and wet kisses all around your exposed throat. The most visible part of your body. He doesn't need to prove anything. He isn't the kind of man who needs to call out any other man who dares to lay his eyes on you. Everybody in this damn city knows you're more than his pupil and they're too scared to say hi, although there's always an exception to the rule. In this case, the FBI agents acting like carrion birds.

The mist clouds the windows, as the heat concentrated on your bodies makes you sweat slightly. Hank takes the control turning you under his body against the seat in a position that puts you to see the stars. Every move of his pelvis is accurate, hitting your g-spot, satisfied with how good his name sounds getting drowned between pleased moans once and again. With every push to your body, his dick is dug deeper through your tight wetness making him grunt into your ear, feeling more delighted than never before. And everything is because of the way you had to reply to that FBI agent in front of everyone, showing him how clear you have your preferences; not only because of your relationship, as Johnson pointed out. But because everybody in Chicago is aware that there's no better boss in law enforcement. There's no better Unit than the Intelligence one from the police department of your hometown.

As your legs get wrapped around his waist to pull him closer, one of his arms surrounds your middle back while his free hand flies straight to your throat. Keeping your eyes closed, the suffocating sensation within your lower belly continues growing with every thrust that steals the air from your lungs and races your heart over its possibilities. You're close. So close that your mind is a total blank, just focused on the way only he can make you feel. So good, so desired, so full of life. He knows it, he takes it in advantage. And he enjoys it more than anything.

“Oh, fuck…” Hank got you almost in tears because of the pleasure, traveling your hands to the back of his neck, nailing your nails there. “God… I'm gonna… Fuck, Hank, don't stop, please… Don't stop”.

“I won't, my love… Not till you give me what I want”.

His voice always plays dirty with your mind. The way he has to drag every syllable on his tongue with that husky voice that puts you to tremble, as he continues burying his hard dick inside you with no mercy, speeding up as soon as he feels your legs clung to his body slightly shaking. Because of the fewer insecurities he has about your relationship, he feels proud whenever he makes you reach that sweet sensation of the orgasm taking control of your anatomy. He doesn't care if he has to use his hands, his tongue… whatever. It's not only about sex between the two of you, of course not. But making you cum screaming out his name is an every-day-goal.

And you don't make him wait for too long, arching your back when a lash of heat hits your spine and the grenade inside your lower belly explodes. Your gasps fill up your car, while he continues fucking you harder than seconds before not showing any compassion to your exhausted body, looking for your lips to devours them desperately. His tongue starts a fight for dominance, winning over yours like every single time, in the meantime his fingers grips tightly your throat. Instinctively, you swing your hips in sync, provoking every move to go deeper among your shaky legs.

Hank can't hold it anymore, digging his cock to the limits of your guts, almost hitting your soul with a last strong lung. His warm seed fills you up completely, keeping pushing his body against yours, pressing both to the seat with his hands now placed on the headrest. It feels like a whole set of fireworks. Your moans complement his delighted growls to perfection.

“Don't move, please”. You beg with a thin voice thread, at the same time he rests his forehead on yours.

The two of you can barely breathe, trying to recover after an intense session of your favorite cardio workout. From nowhere, you can't help but giggle in unison. You can't believe you just fucked inside your car and with the risk of being caught in the act. A sergeant and one of his special agents. Even if it's your free night and you're in an established relationship, he's still your boss.

“I would miss working with you”.

“Huh?”

“If I get the FBI's offer”. You mumble, leaving clumsy kisses all around his face. “You're the best cop Chicago has”.

“You don't have to butter me up for a second round”.

Shaking your head briefly and laughing, you caress his scalp so gently as he sinks his face into your sweaty neck.

“Now you said so… maybe I have the fantasy of being bent over your desk”.

“Maybe?”

“Yeah, just… maybe”.

“Then maybe I could bring you to my office, before going home. There's some paperwork to attend to”.