#i really hope its swansea or daisuke actually

[pigeons-with-jello]

watching a playthough of mouthwashing (i cant afford the game xoxo) and daisuke is my child ive avoid spoilers so far but im almost certain hes gonna die tragically but you can NOT stop me from getting attatched to him

[linkcharacter]

Oh I have so many thoughts on aroace Curly, I think it brings so much on the table when analyzing the game's story.

Amanormativity ties in with the reoccurring mentions of the nuclear family, from Wrong Organ making 1950s mock advert posters, to Swansea talking about how getting a wife and kids didn't bring him any fulfillment in life.

In the cake cutting nightmare sequence, where Jimmy talks with Dream Curly about the mediocre cake, Dream Curly begins to talk about how sometimes you can only get the subpar stuff in live. Sometimes he'll get promoted, buy a house, fall in love. But other times he'll just have some awful fucking cake with his friend.

I think there is that subtle implication that Jimmy does buy into Amanormativity, with him projecting his beliefs on Dream Curly that a platonic relationship is lesser then a romantic one. But we never see Curly suggesting that he wants such a thing in the pre-crash.

With Jimmy thinking that Curly has everything in life, except for the desire (although I think Jimmy would view it as Curly not having the skills for it) to get a romantic partner, he would heavily lean into getting the one thing that Curly couldn't get in life to one up him.

THATS EXACTLY WHAT IM THINKING!!! AMATONORMATIVITY BE DAMNED!!!!

Looking at Mouthwashing through an aroace lens is interesting

"Jimmy thinking that Curly has everything in life, except for the desire", well said, well said! And references to the nuclear family fit in very cleanly thematically for Mouthwashing.

Jimmy leaning into amatonormativity is a smart observation. Jim internalizes all the social norms and standards on what you have to do to have a normal and desirable life, who sees everything Curly has and what Jimmy wishes he had, and is offended that Curly isn't satisfied, that he has the "audacity" to be unhappy. Curly meanwhile only wishes for his life to be something he doesn't have to run from, because by all means, he has already reached a point where he should feel accomplished, but isn't. Curly doesn't want to be a freighter captain his whole life, he doesn't want to settle with his sustainable position, he just wants to be happy. Like Swansea who has reached the "ideal" outcome of his life, having a wife, kids and a good career, it will never feel as good as embracing all what society deems undesirable yet right for you.

Jimmy does imply to seeing himself as lesser as a friend, "fall in love" being a goal and a "cake with a friend" being something he "has to settle for", it's all in the subtleties with underlying themes of "what you're "supposed to want" by society's expectations" against "what feels right for you". Jimmy is frustrated that Curly is going to "leave the dirt behind him", when in actuality, letting the crew and him go is the last thing Curly wants. Curly wants to be with his friends, he deeply cares about his crew, and about his close friend.

Mouthwashing as a whole reads to me as platonic through and through. Swansea and Daisuke having such a meaningful familial bond, Curly and Anya being sweet, playful and caring without romance, Anya and Daisuke having something of a siblings dynamic are dear to me. Also it's really rare to get to see representations of "toxic friendship" in media. Its always toxic romance this, toxic yaoi that, toxic family there, however in reality, friendships aren't excluded from being as rotten and abusive as the others, yet they're often overlooked. Jim and Curly are especially unique in this way. It's very impressive how they managed to showcase Jimmy's mistreatment of Curly in such a platonic way (at least that how I read it). Jim too, like Curly, in general avoids hints at romance and attraction explicitly related to him during his gameplay, not with Curly, nor with Anya (dear god thanks for that at least). It's all spite, annoyance and parasitizing off of these two. (That man's dry and lowkey hates everyone and everything) No attraction attached, no desires except hoping it hurts.

Curly to me is very much aroace, or at least on the spectrum. Like, the trivia fact that one of Curly's fondest memories is that of his friends putting in effort to make a shitty awful cake, tells us all we need to know on how dear his friends are to him. Platonic relationships mean so much to Curly, even when it's Jimmy fucking Mouthwashing, the worst friend ever imaginable.

[sschizoid]

would you be willing to do Tulpar crew getting sick headcanons 👀?

like, who’s popping zinc at the first signs of A Symptom, who burns themself into the ground ignoring it, who’s man flu about it, etc

anon !! gives u a big kiss i love this question sm

--

curly

has a pretty strong immune system and only gets sick about once a year, if even that. but when he does, he's not much different from a sickly victorian child withering away from consumption

he lives alone, so any attention he can't get from friends or family checking in on him he gets from social media. posts selfies of himself sick in bed and captions them on his story as "feelin like shit lol anyone else sick rn?" immediate 30+ likes in the first few minutes of being posted

all the while is absolutely downing those emergen-c immune booster supplements with coconut water for the electrolytes. he's trying to get over this cold as fast as humanly possible because honestly it sucks and is super inconvenient

jimmy

just has the worst immune system. gets absolutely sick as a dog— pallid skin, sunken eyes, the works. he's pretty used to it at this point and just expects himself to get sick 3-5 times a year at minimum

at the same time he'll go about his day as usual, now just twice as irritable. spreads his shit to everyone he meets because he refuses to stay home. what, he's just supposed to put his life on hold because of a little cough?

the most he'll do in terms of medicine is down 80mL of nyquil (way too much) before bed and hope for the best

anya

a complete mother hen when friends and family are sick, but the second she falls ill, her executive function is all over the place

stays home, but tries to keep herself busy anyway. uses the extra time to catch up on household chores, to rearrange some cabinets, or to catch up on some of her favorite shows

tries to eat healthy in the meantime, as she knows it'll make her feel better faster. but sometimes she just can't help herself and has to have either a pint of ice cream or a full bag of chips for dinner. she's allowed !!

swansea

the last thing he wants is to be fussed over. will insist he's fine to anyone that shows concern, but is still sure to take care of himself behind the scenes

is a hardcore vick's vaporub truther. the second he feels congested or has a tickle in his throat, he's slathering that shit on like its nobody's business. also he just really enjoys the smell of menthol

can sleep for days when sick, and honestly, he probably needs it. his wife thought he was dead once but it was just a combination of the cold and sleep apnea

daisuke

big believer in the whole "feed a cold, starve the flu" mentality. while he himself isn't the best cook, his mother makes sure to feed him lots of broth-based soups and high-fiber foods

he drinks a lot of tea with lemon and honey, usually making a pot at a time and just keeping it his bedside table for easy refills

big cough drop fan, specifically the ones that taste like cherry candy and nothing at all like actual medicine. this of course usually leads to him finishing the whole bag in one day, but it's just an excuse to buy more in other fun flavors

--

THIS WAS REALLY FUN tysm for your request! if anyone else has any requests; my asks are open !! ⁽⁽ଘ( ˊωˋ )ଓ⁾⁾

[dreamingunderacloudysky]

Hello!!! Nice to meet you here!!

Requesting separate HC's for Anya and Curly with gn!reader who miss them so much even for 5 minutes that just make big plushies verison of Anya/Curly to cuddle with

S/O That crochets their partner while they're gone Anya, Curly.

A/N: Interesting prompt, I shall do it! Thank you for the request! Gave it an interesting spin!

For context, the reader crocheted both themselves and their partner so you tow have a crocheted of eachother.

Curly

Is super flattered when you email him a picture of a crocheted version of himself. He'd originally thought you just crocheted a little you for him when he went on the Tulpar.

You send him pictures of little Curly on top of your shared pet with a cowboy hat on, which makes his heart swell with joy.

Every time he has a meeting with the Tulpar crew, he'll use the meeting projector to show all the silly pictures his partner sends to him of mini curly.

One picture is Crochet Curly on the dog against a bunch of mini dinosaur figures set up in a formation; another picture is of the Crochet double with you and it on a swinging bench in your back yard.

Swansea and Jimmy scoff at it, but a small smile curls on each of their lips. Daisuke is asking to help Curly with photography ideas with his own Crochet setting the doll various places on the ship. Anya silently enjoys the little pictures and sketches some of them into her note pad.

When he's alone he'll go through and look at the photo war you guys have between your two crochets.

He really misses you

Anya

Before she boarded the Tulpar, you rushed up and pressed the crochett of you into her hands before leaving a kiss and running back down the railing.

Anya spent the entirety of Tulpar's launch carefully holding the little you in the palms of her hands.

Anya herself may not crochet, but I can tell you that she would be a killer at origami, and she folds little Tulpar coveralls for your crochet to wear.

When the first batch of emails from home came in, Anya clicked on the file you sent and had to hold a hand over her mouth as hot tears welled in her eyes.

Seeing a little version of herself in crochet resting between your fingers, in a little lab coat with a stethoscope around its neck. She wished she could take it all back and be with you instead of this space delivery.

Like curly, Anya takes silly pictures at work of your crochet doing various things like holding the butterfly needle while drawing Swansea's blood or posing dramatically next to the 'Yimpy' sketch on her board.

Anya has made little cartoon comics of adventures your two crochets would go on fighting aliens or the declarations of love that Anya herself could not say out loud.

Her favorite picture is you holding the Anya crochet while in bed with a bag of Wendy's watching terrible reality TV. The Anya Crochet is holding a fry in a chocolate Frostee, a habit that mirrors the nurse's guilty pleasure.

She knows the moment she comes home, she'll tackle you out of your shared bed and not let go for a good while.

A/N: I actually had such a BLAST writing this one! It definately strayed from the original prompt but I hope you enjoyed!

[jams-sims]

I've been seeing people asking for Swansea analyse- I gotchu.

I think the real reason a lot of people don't talk about Swansea is because he is older. As a old head on tumblr, a lot of young folks are gonna be more attracted to the 4 most youthful characters. Swansea characters also is more staright forward (or it appears to be.) Its complicated because Swansea suffers from the "Jimmy prespective."

No one knows about the secert ending where if you let Swansea kill you 10 times in the grave yard you get a achivement called Good Ending.

While Swansea's was able to over come his addiction. He never really addressed the reason why his addiction got started in the first place. It's clear that there's some underlying depression and other issues that he never really worked through. Is something about working in Corporate America that just destroys you. And Swansea is your typical cis male, old man, angry but has an actual gentle heart. Cares a lot, but is unable to in the narrative of the story, provide that care in enough time or effectively communicate that care until the last moments. I think some parts of him knew if he told Diasuke about the cryopod. Diasuke in his good nature, would try and put any other memeber of Tuplar above himself. I can see an ending where, Jimmy, Curly are dead. An Daisuke tells Swansea Anya should go inside. Daisuke nature is that last bit of hope for Swansea.

Swansea use to be a Jimmy. Not in the sexual assulate way, but in the Endless Grind way. You think its going to fix anything climbing that ladder. You'll end up sad and miserable but sober. Swansea had nothing outside of work. Jimmy has nothing outside of work. Yet swansea found value and love and care in another person. That he could try an teach something too. Even if its a warning and nothing else. Swansea was a better version of Jimmy.

[slimewashingau]

where the washers go/what they do when they need time to think.

this is specifcally abt the ex tulpar crew, but i might do a follow up of where i think the ranchers go :) daisuke - he enjoys going out to the far far range, sitting down, and letting the ever so curious slimes chirp up to him. the company makes him feel less alone. his favorite spots to go are the dry reef, due to all the pink slimes, and the ancient ruins, because he likes watching the echos wisp around ^^ anya - she also goes out to the far far range, but she much prefers going to where no one else will find her. her favorite time to go out is at night, especially on clear nights- though she enjoys a night sprinkle too, as she really likes watching the night sky on the far far range. much better than the night time screen. usually beatrix can find her eventually if she ends up falling asleep out there swansea - he never actually leaves the ranch, hes too old to be doing all that/j, rather, he spends his time writing physical letters ment for his wife and kids, in hopes one day he'll be able to send them to them. ...beatrix has told him about the star mails system. curly - he doesnt leave the ranch either, instead spending his time with the slimes on the ranch. he will avoid the fire and boom slimes like the plague, but he likes getting to sit with the water slimes. theyre a welcomed presence, quiet enough to let him hear his thoughts when hes overwhelmed by the duty of having to deal with jimmy. ..jimmy. - he doesnt oftenly have the chance to be alone, always monitored by someone. he techinally keeps a diary, but its messy and if anyone found it he would be in a shitton of trouble. the best he can do is sit down on breaks near the slimes, though he isnt allowed too close because beatrix doesnt trust him near her slimes.

[crumbazaar]

Mouthwashing (spoilers)

I've watched a few people play Mouthwashing, it's a really fun watch as the way the story unfolds you get to see all the different reactions to the characters. Shout out to FroggyLoch and AtlasAnarchy's playthroughs, Atlas especially nails the VA of the characters so well.

CW for sexual assault, self-harm, gore, drugging w/o consent, violence and lots of eye stuff.

I'm gonna just fire some shots at Curly in this post. I love the man, I think he has his heart in the right place, but goddamn does he have the worst taste in friends and he enables way too much. The game really benefits from a second playthrough or watch as you know what's going to happen. But seeing Anya pour her heart out to him only to have Curly respond that he can talk to Jimmy and fix things is gut wrenching.

Dragonbreath X kills 99.9% of germs, but what about that final 0.1%? When it's left to fester and do what it wants? I think that's in part what the game is about. Weirdly enough, none of the people who knew Jimmy was bad try to stop him but Anya. She tells their superior who she has the utmost belief in (Anya and Curly's interactions over the game are really sweet, he's the only character who treats her well, and she gets to express her joy and humour and inner self with him that you DO NOT get to see as Jimmy.) From her perspective, he lets her down and then crashes the ship. Maybe because he didn't want to deal with the consequences? Anya is very smart so I hope she figured out that Curly didn't do it, but it's very sad to think that she died thinking her revelation to Curly lead to him to take the actions that lead to the crew's demise. Instead of just reprimanding and confining Jimmy.

Swansea immediately dives back into alcoholism, his admitted most enjoyable time of his life, all while genuinely trying to stay safe, keep their wages and the remaining crew safe. I think he knew that things were fishy and did not believe that Curly did it. He never takes any action towards him. He even refers to Curly's orders as still being the prevailing ones over Jimmy, although he doesn't fight him much. When Anya tells him that she was abused by Jimmy, he doesn't take any action. Doesn't even tell Daisuke. It's only after Daisuke and Anya die due to Jimmy's behaviour that he finally attempts to kill him. Although with the way the narrative flows, it's not even clear that he did try to kill Jimmy. We "see" Swansea ends up attacking Jimmy in the cockpit where he seems to have the gun, and in the medical room, but in his final moments he's tied to a chair, says his last words and Jimmy executes him. It's possible Jim got the gun in medical, ran to the cockpit, sealed himself in and then shot Swansea when he breaks through the door. Either way it's too little too late.

The actual way to get the Tulpar crew out of this situation seems like it would've been LISTENING to Anya and then as a team restraining Jimmy, or locking him in a room, or in cryo until they got back from the job. Screw Curly's legacy as a perfect captain (not that Jimmy's actions really would've marred that as much as Jimmy says), screw Curly's friendship with the creep and screw trying to keep decorum or keep Daisuke innocent.

At least that's my takeaway, it's definitely an amazing story on its own. It does an incredible job of evoking an array of emotions and for me that makes it Art. But for me it's also a good moral for anyone with power and how it's important to be fair and just with it.

[theoxenfree]

final verdict of mouthwashing:

YO, MAN. WHAT THE FUCK

total gameplay time: steam is clocking me at 3.5hrs; realistically, most players will probs finish in under 2.5hrs.

overall rating: 4.2/5

gore rating: 4.5/5

fucked up rating: 4.7/5

LITERALLY BIGGEST SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT + other notes.

if you just want to know: would I recommend you spend the money to play this? yes, but, you've gotta be able to handle some pretty immense gore.

realistically, this game is extremely linear and from what I've looked up after finishing, there is only one actual ending to the game. you aren't really given much choice in the things you do, but to be fair, some of the stuff that looked like you may have been able to do (e.g. feed curly isopropyl alcohol vs the painkillers(, I didn't venture with.

steam clocked me at 3.5hrs for the playthrough, but without my additional time to wander around, trying to interact with everything possible + some of the gameplay being fucking annoying (e.g. cargo haul and graveyard) I'd say the realistic play time is closer to 2-2.5hrs total.

there really aren't any options for things. the devs had a script and a plot in mind and went full throttle with it. in this case, I really appreciated it, bc this is the sort of story that can easily overwhelm players they'd been loaded up with different endings and choices.

because the game was made using unity, the gameplay was mostly smooth throughout, despite the N64/PS1 graphics lmao. the main map of the game is pretty straightforward, you don't really need to memorize it bc it's basically a circuit.

there were a couple of maps in the game that were frustrating bc, like, solutions and moving forward with the storyline weren't immediately doable. but, even those didn't hold me up too long.

they were annoying enough to take a cut into the overall rating tho. they interrupted the immersion of the story.

I like the dimension that the devs gave the characters, particularly anya and swansea. daisuke had some background and motivations throughout the story, but I feel like he was made for you to feel sorry for by the end.

swansea is fascinating bc he's deemed the central antagonist of the game (wrong, but also not wrong). verbally abusive. former alcoholic. mean, ugly guy who you receive more clarity on as the game progresses. I won't say he is "redeemed" by the end, as I think he stays thoroughly unlikeable, but, y'know, at least he's honest until the end with some smidge of kindness to him.

anya is a... tragic character and part of me feels deeply for her story, but I'm also partly miffed by it. there are some nasty implications throughout the game, so player beware.

but, christ, even how the game ended with him was unkind and just straight up evil.

curly, MY MAN, I cannot be normal about him bc the way he suffered throughout the game was absolutely obscene—in the worst way possible. like, I kept hoping he was going to receive mercy at some point before the end and then the rest of the game was just jimmy's fucking delusions

also tho, real talk, fuck curly for not manning up and beating the shit out of jimmy after he learned what happened to anya. literally homeboy is perpetuating stupid "don't sell out your bros" shit bc he and jimmy were friends

jimmy can rot in hell, I have thoughts on this motherfucker and his character. so, if you want to know, feel free to ask, but just know

what an absolute fucking bastard 💀

one thing I'm sort of back and forth on with the game was its use of time skips—both forward and back. I'm not overly fond of those in games or writing, but they were able to keep it clean enough that I wasn't confused about the timeline of events, which was quite nice.

this game excelled primarily at gore and atmosphere. there are a couple of scenes that I'd describe as "chases" and a few "jump" moments, but it isn't a traditional horror game in which you're running from Big Bad. it depends heavily upon atmosphere and claustrophobia and just that foreboding sense of doom that gets you from the first minutes in.

the gore is nothing to laugh at.

it is disgusting and distressing and merciless. and take my word for it, as someone who is highly desensitized to this sort of stuff, it's intense. and if you can't handle that, it's gonna be a rough ride for you.

[jils-things]

over all thoughts i suppose? (spoilers, and knowing the kind of genre that mout.hwashing offers, these warnings can apply here. i tried not to say it so bluntly but do keep in mind if you're sensitive to it)

ITS SO LONG IM SORRY

this might come off as very rushed because its 12am and i have school sooo wkakdkks but but man. might not word stuff correctly and im sorry in advance but here goes

this game is one of those stories which really emphasizes on the fact that no one is really truly a winner or hero. one of the reasons why i love dark content such as this, is cuz of how people can go from being the kindest person, to the worst person alive and its all because of an event that is uncontrollable. man vs nature kind of plot device. the way they eventually get peeled off of their humanity just to protect themselves is... just something to stare in awe at. makes you think. tbh this line is most applicable to jimmy. hes a fuckin beast that i am afraid of

ive said this before, but this game really reminds me of lisa the pa.inful. the characters are forced into an uncontrollable situation, has this one consumable that is always present in the story (the mouthwash/the joy pill) and dealing with other people who cope with the situation differently. some are positive, some are neutral, or even worse

before i continue - i Do Not Like Jimmy. I do not respect him and I don't want to ever put him in a good light. so keep that in mind as i ponder about this.

jimmy is an incredibly complex character, i just wanna applaud the way he was written here - he's utterly detestable and flawed and yet he thinks he's doing the right thing. i hate to say it but he really helped make the story so. toe curling and unnerving. its insane. i really don't know where to start with this man but he clearly wants to be someone he's not. he's jealous of curly for being the superior leader, the one everyone relies on. the one in control. something he wishes he had. so when he actually does assume the role of captain, he starts to get so upset that he's failing to be their captain even if he wanted it. its so. its so petty like it seriously says a lot about him. he just wants to be feared YET he jumps the gun on everything AND doesn't want to be held accountable on what he does and blames it on everyone else. he just wants his hands to be clean. too bad. you are FLAWED everywhere. he's such a manipulator too, and i bet you that's why he wants to be in control. to let people do his bidding and if they fail, its their fault. not his. eeugg. i still will not forget his gaslighting towards daisuke on the vent scene. because of this, daisuke hurt himself SO bad. as if that wasnt it. fucking jimmy thought it was a good idea to THROW MOUTHWASH on DAISUKE'S BODY hoping it would act like some DISINFECTANT when even ANYA, THE MEDICAL STUDENT said that this is not a GOOD DISINFECTANT SUBSTITUTE. again. dude jumped the gun and just fucked around and found out. what happens? swansea is forced to mercy kill him. because of JIMMY'S DUMBASS. incredible fuckin work dude. /SARC.

as much as i am upset over daisuke's death, i dont think he had any chance after that disinfectant. he was practically burning alive and I wouldn't want him to suffer like that. its terrible. its sad even because i think swansea had a little familial bond with him and it probably really hurt him to do him like that. they remind me of hank and connor from dbh. hank was initially distant and mean to connor but through connor's kindheartedness and general innocence, hank couldn't be mean forever. the same can be said for swansea and daisuke. that's how i see it. i also wanna throw my 2 cents here, i feel that swansea is very regretful for not being the most... successful man. especially as a father. i feel that him being with daisuke is his second chance to be a good father figure to someone since he has already failed his own family and wanted to make up for it by teaching daisuke how to be a mechanic (again, reminds me of lisa the p.ainful. brad and buddy. if u know, u know)

i remember somewhere during my gameplay, jim was so angry when anya asked him to do the pill duty on curly. like hello? as captain aren't you supposed to understand your crewmates? why so dismissive? aren't they your responsibility and it's your job to also check on their morale??? why do you think the sweetener is only within captain's restriction? to ensure that everyone's mentally okay! hours go by, i see curly and he says his chad line "as captain, you are all my responsibility" AND I WAS LIKE OKAY THIS MAN GETS IT. HATE HOW THE GOOD ONES GO TOO SOON. CLEARLY JIM IS WAY OUT OF HIS LEAGUE he doesn't deserve that spot its insane he was provided that role. (i am aware of their. friendship :\)

ok ok i know you're gonna say "jil curly isnt that perfect either" YES that's why i said earlier "nobody is truly a hero" we all know that scene when anya confessed what happened to her and what did he do? idk he just says. "ill talk to him" sorry what akdjfhdhd i don't think talking is enough. he needs to be held accountable for that.... oopsie! nopee! jim already fails at being responsible soooo!!!! im sure i can say more for curly but atm ill just. stop there because i would prefer to do a round 2 of the game and then provide more insight

anya is... is a tragedy to me. a girl who had to retake her medical classes only for none of it to be successful, so she's left feeling unconfident knowing shes not really... well versed. but she really is trying her best and it has to be appreciated. the mere fact that curly is still alive is definitely because of her and i think she did amazing. she is a very sweet, and smart woman. i just hate how agaiiin ooh fuckenn jimmy has the gall to see her less of a person and devalue her worth its so djfbfbhdjdjd UGH it must be so overwhelming for her too, as the only woman in the ship it can be really scary. she's lucky to have swansea, daisuke and curly treat her right. except for Him. truly sickening. the fact that he didn't react so much to her ... demise is so ://// arent you at least, perhaps, feeling guilty? (no he's not) (the only nightmare he has of her is the fact she has ... a baby because of Him. yet again. displaying his need to have a perfect record. to have no dirt on himself. but he really does.) i truly feel sorry for her, she didn't want her unsuccessful classes define her capabilities, so she always tries her best to be informed. about the ship, her medical work, and curly of course. i remember when she said "our worst moments doesnt have to define us as monsters" or however it went. i like to think she was also saying this to herself, that even if she's just a nurse and not a doctor, she can still be of help. and it doesn't make her any less credible. i really want to hug her. i noticed she became so nervous and antsy after that subtext had been implied, i feel sorry for her.

daisuke is probably last person to have committed something so serious (iirc) and he was in fact, the victim of something worse. though it doesnt make him the perfect character either because he's just some guy who didnt have a good future ahead of him and just got there because his parents wanted him to be worthy. he was quite insecure about not being useful. (jim exploited that.)

yes daisuke may be irritating to them, but he really means good and he tries not to fight with others. im sure this is also his way of respecting everyone else as he's just an intern and they all collectively know better than his rookie self. he's quite obedient.

i wish i could say more because i really really loved this tragedy from start to finish and I could pinpoint every small detail but... ill just hold myself there hehe

i dont wanna start any arguments or debates abt the charas, i just wanna express how i understand them so far. dont take these for granted since this is all based from my first play and i'd definitely be more informed and well versed if i replayed/took time to read the intricate details

i'm very happy to have checked this game out. i was first exposed to this by jack's video and i immediately put it on watch later, not knowing it would get super popular lolol but im glad to catch up now

[euclydya]

favorite word?

Oh buddy you've opened the floodgates now. I've got like dozens of people yelling random words at the top of their lungs in here. I cannot actually make out any words in this cacophony so lemme ask our main fronters one by one:

Me: I've never put thought into this. But given source shit and how deranged I am over this one word, I will go with RESPONSIBILITY.

Curly: It's been having a bad day actually but seeing this question immediately cheered it up. I took one look at it and didn't even get the question out my mouth before it telepathically screamed FUCK at me.

Anya: Murder. She stared into my soul when she said this. I know exactly why. Friends and followers may know why. People familiar with our source may know why. Sorry ma'am. You should've been able to murder me I 100% agree.

Swansea: He just brandished his axe aat me???????????????? Curly asked instead and he squinted and also said murder. Okay. Understandable.

Daisuke: I just heard him scream "COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" at the top of his lungs. Brother it is too early for coffee right now but noted.

Bill: Verbatim, He said: "MURDER—HAHAHAHAHAHAHA JUST KIDDING!!!! I DON'T THINK I HAVE A FAVOURITE WORD BUT I'M TEMPTED TO SAY FORD. IS THAT TOO ON THE NOSE."

Will: He gave me a short list. Sleep, Somnus, Insomnia, Sleepy, Tired... Then He went back to bed.

Ford: She mulled it over a bit. "Eureka!" She said after a little while. "But also shoutout to 'urethra,' because that meme is funny." Then she got lost in thought? "Y'know, I can't actually think of a word that's green right now. That would probably be my actual favourite word, but eureka is a close second." Synesthesia is a hell of its own design, I understand.

Stan: Couldn't even find him in-sys to ask before he bombarded my thoughts with CASH MONEY CASH MONEY CASH MONEY FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK BLOOD KILL ATTACKA DEATH DIE. So pick one from that list I guess.

Fids: He thought about it for a second and then laughed at himself. "You'd think my favourite would be connected to my source in some way like the others, but in fact, I'd have to say my favourite word is lavender. Funny, that." If you know you know.

Diamonds: It just stared at me bewildered. Didn't even say a word. After a few seconds, it said: "Perhaps storm, or spring? Maybe electric? Any word that is deep blue, really."

Spades: He let out a low whistle and a sigh before saying one word: Apathy.

Felidae: REPENT. Understandable.

Thank you for the question. I hope these answers suffice. -Jimmy

[mouthwashingconfessionsblog]

i really hope this isnt a hot take but im not the biggest fan of the charactet models. my main two issues are with Swnasea and Daisuke. with swansea,... i think he was the creators attempt at making him fat but it looks a lot more like hes pregnant. the way his stomach is shaped looks more like a baby bump than actual fat😭 i saw him for the first time and genuinely thought he was mpreg. it really looks like they used the same base as the other charactets and just. added a sphere to the torso. coming from a fat person, thats not how fat works. fat will be more present in arms, legs, and your body will be wider. i dont think any of those things are there in swanseas model, it just really comes out as lazy to me

daisuke's model is as much an isssue to me i think. my issue lies with his skin color; what is his skin tone?? ive seen fanarts ranging from whitesuke, white as paper, to dark and tan. i cant tell if its the lighting hitting him ingame to make him seem lighter than he actually is or if he really is that pale? its confusing. idk if i can speak too much on speculating his skintone/ethnicity/race whatever because im not asian myself and dont know enough about that stuff to make good judgements so ill just kinda leave it at that

.

[thecoolerliauditore]

jesus christ okay. thoughts below. spoilers. im gonna mention rape/sa and cannibalism fyi

I love it when horror games are more or less bait and switches with what the "real horror" actually is. Like when godzilla movies are more about government apathy than the monster, Mouthwashing's premise immediately had me jumping to conclusions on where the story was going to go.

Surely, I thought, the stranded crew would turn to cannibalism. Especially with the imagery in the trailer, I was under the impression they would start eating the heavily injured captain bit by bit and the crew would then begin to break down due to the moral quandaries. And that does eventually happen too but like.

Jimmy being the real source of horror as well as your POV as the player is. so incredibly well executed. There's just enough in there to hint towards him being. The Problem but at the same time as the player you're so preoccupied on figuring out everyone else's deal and waiting for the cannibalism to start that I at least didn't really realize the extent of Jimmy's awfulness until I was well into the game (the thing that finally got me to go "oh huh that's..!" was him getting mad at Anya for wanting to give Curly painkillers but being unable to do it herself). It

It twists the survival horror convention on its head -- in a game where you have to constantly expect everything and everyone around you to be a threat, your character is the most destructive in the end. The repeated flashes of TAKE RESPONSIBILITY suddenly take on a new meaning the more you recognize that is the one thing Jimmy is incapable of doing.

I think the moment that made me realize Jimmy was truly the monster was the moment it clicked that Jimmy raped Anya BEFORE they were even stranded. Like I mentioned before, with the premise being what it is I kept waiting for the morality slippage that comes with these stories usually (and that does kinda happen) but Jimmy is not a monster because he is forced to be by his circumstances, or because of some innate human instinct that comes alive when freed from the shackles of societal expectation, he was ALWAYS a monster from the very start and you just didn't see it that way because you're looking through his eyes.

What sticks with me is the horror that Jimmy must've inflicted on his crewmates, the more I became more sympathetic to them than the guy I was looking at them through. Anya having to show up to work and be courteous to her rapist (her line at the start of the game about worst moments not defining people as monsters goes from being hopeful to horrifically sad as the game goes on -- I at least get the feeling that mindset is less for Curly and more a coping mechanism she's developed to continue being as nice as she is to Jimmy) and Curly having to weather Jimmy's abuse while helplessly laying there in agony watching him kill off the others one by one, knowing he should've gotten rid of him a long time ago most of all.

Swansea and Daisuke's relationship is so awesome. I love how the game leads you into being afraid of Swansea, only for him to end up being arguably the most genuine and vulnerable guy on that ship. The achievement for letting Swansea shoot Jimmy 10 times being "good ending" is hilarious. Yeah it really is.

Mouthwashing uhm goodgame I'm going to go play that funny card roguelike now

[thefuriousmagician]

(cracks knuckles) I need to figure this out before my english major friend does

IT GOT STUPID LONG AND COULDN'T FIT IN TAGS SO HERE I'M SO SORRY

Birthday hat: obvi something from the game. Birthday hat kinda symbolized the beginning of the end for the crew of Tulpar as well as something like rebirth. Curly got the news about Pony Express going under and could rebirth himself as something new, like he was talking about to Jimmy. Also a form of irony as well because Curly's birthday was NOT happy akfkdlsa

The pills: Once again, something from the game with the addition of a smiley face on the bottle of pills in the back. The pills are a bandage solution for Curly's condition in the game, the same way that the mouthwash is in game and Curly's constant "keeping the peace" when it comes to letting Jimmy's behavior/assault towards Anya slide. The smiley face is a cover for a far worse truth: Curly would've been better off dead than gulping down painkillers and crying in the night. Or it's a nod to Anya's fate, especially with the different types of pills.

The knife/I Hope This Hurts: A Jimmy thing I think. He's cutting up Curly. He hopes that Curly's suffering hurts, that he causes as much destruction as he can in the face of his inadequacy so that he can have something to "fix". He needs Curly to hurt so that he can be the hero. And Jimmy feels inadequate compared to Curly. He wants to hurt him so that Curly knows that. It's a power move. It's covered in blood and cake, because, like the pills and the mouthwash, its a bandage over something grotesque. Something sweet to hide the carnage.

Sorry pieces: Like the game! Jimmy and Curly both do something that they say they regret but they do it anyway. Jimmy's a lot more obvious than Curly, but Curly is also at fault for everything that happened on the Tulpar. He was in charge of keeping the crew safe, but he was more focused with keeping his friend happy. He sacrificed Anya's peace of mind for Jimmy's friendship, the ship's peace. Both ended up hurting everyone around them with their moves. I guess you can also imply that Jimmy considers it a game, taking care of the crew/Curly, but I don't think that sticks as well. Pieces are color coded to represent the crew.

Color coding: I'M READING SUPER INTO THIS. Green, blue, orange, and red represent the crew! Green is for Jimmy: its his text color, green represents envy in a lot of negative contexts which is a huge character trait for him, but that's more talking about the game than the piece itself. Blue: Anya. Often represents sadness, and ties into her habits of viewing the blue night sky at night hours on Tulpar. Orange: Daisuke. He's a ray of motherfucking sunshine, that's all. Orange colors represent optimism and youth. Red: For Swansea! Red is often for passion and anger, and love, and I feel like he held a lot of love for Daisuke, who he was saving the cryopod for. Can also represent danger, like the danger he posed to Jimmy later in the game.

Candles: each candle represents the crew, the only one that's lit is the green candle, or Jimmy, representing how he was the only one left with Curly at the end. Blue is alll the way in the back, indicating how Jimmy never really thought about/regretted what happened to Anya, only the unborn child she had that was dehumanized significantly (gestures at Horse Monster scenes) (Anya is also severely dehumanized by Jimmy during these sequences as well)

Confetti: It's a celebration! You should be happy Curly, Jimmy is fixing it! All for you! It's a celebration of life; you lived and you'll thank Jimmy later for what he's about to do.

The cake: Like the game said, it's cheap and godawful, but it's good to enjoy it with a friend. Overly frosted to hide that cheap aftertaste, a bandage over what's actually happening. Enjoy that cheap stuff, but that shouldn't be the only thing you have access to. The sorry piece representing Anya seemed to have been inside it. It represents how she was the catalyst of everything that happened on the Tulpar. Even though Jimmy doesn't want to acknowledge her, she must always be on Curly's mind.

Additional thoughts: the candles can also represent being a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Jimmy thinks he's a protagonist, that he's fixing everything. He's gonna think of himself as the thing to keep away evil, he thinks he's your savior, a good captain. Jimmy was playing Sorry! with his crewmates' lives, knocking them down as they got in the way while Anya wasn't personally killed by Jimmy. If you wanna be morbid, she made it "home", in Curly's head.

Posting this on its own

(First person to reblog and tell me all the symbolism gets a free headshot sketch!)

[zapsoda]

i believe jimmy is a prince. i was thinking he might be a bard because hes stupid and seems to genuinely believe in his ability to fix things but its extremely notable how active his role in fucking things up is which makes him suuuuch a prince. honestly i think you could make an argument for other classes and it would work im just biased toward the destructive classes <33333333333.

LIFE is a really good aspect for him what with the pregnancy (destroying with/through life) and the murder/suicide (destroying life itself). light could also work because of its association with fortune but i think the knowledge part of light doesnt work as well for him. blood is an interesting choice because of his neurosis surrounding all his relationships (kind of like ME <3) so i think that is also an option. anyways my current favorite classpect for him is prince of life

curly. hm. heir and knight are both good choices for him i think. or BARD. passivity is such a critical part of his character. the way he and jimmy complement each other (as in they are opposites or mirrors they are like puzzle pieces which fit together) is reallyyyy interesting. active vs passive. sun vs moon. etc etc. anyways i got distracted. bard of blood is really compelling i think. destroys relationships and/or destroys with relationships. you could interpret it as his desire to keep the crew together being a destructive force. or his love of jimmy his relationship with jimmy filling that same role. heir of doom is also interesting ESPECIALLY post crash its like post crash he god tiers AKDJSKDHSJS. some options. i like him being the passive counterpart to jimmy though.

anya im honestly not as certain about her i think rogue of light is interesting. Particularly because of the way light intersects knowledge and fortune. the theme of her words having power over the crew. jimmys paranoia over her exposing him. something to think about. maybe she is a witch. if i remember correctly the witch controls or manipulates their aspect. which ties into her telling jimmy about the pregnancy behind curlys back. what do we think about this one.

daisuke.... i think he is hope. because he is young and a ray of gosh darn sunshine and a nice boy and when he dies its because he was trying to do something good and save anya and curly. i think he is a rogue. rogues and thieves are associated with redistribution and rogues are the passive, more selfless counterpart. passive classes tend to be associated with simply inviting their aspect into the session with them as a conduit as opposed to actively generating it which i think works for daisuke.

swansea. he has bardlike qualities what with him flipping a switch of sorts after daisuke dies. i dont think hes really a bard though. to be honest his behavior with trying to kill jimmy and delivering a monologue reminds me a bit of the control/manipulation classes heir and witch. his monologue and the self awareness involved make me think of SEER though. i think his aspect is probably doom. his monologue and resignation to their situation very much give the impression that he KNOWS that their fate is inevitable and he wants to make it easier on everyone. especially daisuke. i think thats interesting. his trying to kill jimmy fails too which indicates that manipulating his aspect isnt actually his strongsuit. it was futile. what do we think of this

anyway guys what do we think the Tulpar Crew's classpects would beeeeeeee