#it was SO CLOSE to being the best PP chapter

[x-i-l-verify]

I hope you don't mind me jumping onto this post to add my 2 cents, because this sums up my feelings on the chapter pretty well. Not to say it was BAD per se, it did have some really good moments, but the pacing felt really padded with pointless puzzle sections that were poorly integrated into the larger narrative. It was always "go here, flip this switch, put the batteries in the slot" for the ENTIRE chapter. Hell, at least in chapter 2, there was considerable variety in the tasks the game forced you into, with the various minigames. Those minigames also served as ways for other secondary characters that were introduced in that chapter - Bunzo, PJ, and the mini Wuggies - a time to shine, even if they didn't get any real characterization beyond "trying to kill you." Heck, of the 5 characters introduced in the chapter, only two - Daddy and Baby Long Legs - didn't get any screen time whatsoever, and those two were in a single blink and you miss it poster.

Chapter 3, on the other hand, introduces not one, not two, but ten new characters. (Even if we assume "Ollie" is another character we've already seen, like the Prototype or Baby Long Legs, he's still presented as a new character, so my point still stands.) Of those ten new characters, only four get any screen time at all. And this is on top of all the characters introduced in chapters 1 and 2 that haven't gotten any screen time aside from being dead bodies littering the levels, like Boogie Bot, Bron, Catbee, Candy Cat, and Daisy (Daisy is on posters, she counts).

This is doubly baffling, because ever since November, Mob Games has been hyping the Smiling Critters up, advertising them alongside Catnap as the mean feature of the chapter. They're EVERYWHERE in chapter 3, but you never see them. Even Catnap's presence feels like an afterthought. I was expecting he'd be a constant looming threat, Huggy Wuggy on steroids, always just out of sight, ready to pounce if you stayed in one place for too long, maybe a couple big chase sequences before the finale to keep you on your toes. But no. He's just. Not a threat at all until the final set piece of the chapter. Like yeah, you see him a couple times just lurking here and there, but he doesn't feel like a sword hanging over your head just ready to fall.

In chapter 1, Mob Games holding Huggy Wuggy back until the final set piece is understandable, one, because the chapter is so short. and two, because the world of the factory is new to the player. Nobody knew what to expect from the place or from the game, which really helped in building tension. Chapter 3, however, is NOT chapter 1. The audience is now experienced with how the game works, and the chapter is nearly 4x longer than chapter 1. You cannot use the same tactics and expect them to work the same way.

And what was with them flat-out SAYING that Catnap could change his size in the supplementary material? This implied that he could fit into any nook and cranny, be around any corner, making him even more of a threat to the player, but no! He stays the same size the entire time except for when we're tripping balls at the end; we never see him size shift, we never see him be in places he shouldn't inexplicably, which would have built further dread in the player. Such a missed opportunity. Hell, as OP mentioned, Miss Delight - a character that was not advertised AT ALL and came out of nowhere like a freight train - turned out a better example of a predator than Catnap, the main villain of the chapter.

Speaking of which, though, and speaking of missed opportunities, let's talk about the other Smiling Critters. I felt certain that they would be the breakout characters of this new chapter. I theorized that Dogday would be the Big Good of the chapter, being diametrically opposed to Catnap in every way from design, to theming, to even their names, and then the other Critters would be split down the middle on whether they would be on Dogday's side or Catnap's, and try to aid or hinder the player during the chapter. Instead, all we got were a cutout of 6 out of 8 characters with about 4-5 lines of dialogue each, and the Bigger Bodies version of Dogday only gets less than a minute of screen before he's killed by the mini Critters. Hell, the mini Critters get more screen time than any Smiling Critter except Catnap. And Catnap doesn't eclipse them by much! Why does a random character like Miss Delight - who was in no advertising and got no buildup at all - get more screen time than any of the characters in this chapter outside of Catnap and maybe Ollie? Even Poppy and Kissy don't get as much time dedicated to them as her.

In general, Mob Games seems to have a problem with asset creation and utilization. Instead of using the characters they already have (and they have a lot of them) to their fullest potential, they'd rather come up with reams of new characters every chapter, and even then, most of them don't even get screen time. I get that Playtime Co. is a toy company, it makes sense that they'd have come up with a lot of toys in their time, but in a game about living toys, why are only some of them considered worthy of giving screen time to? Why are dead toys littering the factory Boogie Bots, Catbees, Candy Cats, Bunzos, Brons, and Huggys? Why have we only seen 1 dead PJ Pug-A-Piller? Why have we not seen ANY dead mini Critters except for the ones on CatNap's shrine? Or other Poppy Playtimes? Or Kissys? It just seems rather lazy on the part of the developers. You have the assets already modeled, so why not use them?

Poppy Playtime Chapter 3. (Spoilers)

Did anyone else feel that despite being given such individualised characteristics-the smiling critters were underutilised?

The fact that they only even showed up in the playhouse as small enemies aside from a VERY brief cameo from Dogday was annoying.

This leads me to MAJOR missed opportunity in the use of Dogday as an immediate opposing force to Catnap: having HIM be the one guiding us instead of this random kid named Ollie who we STILL know nothing about (Poppy apparently does but neglected to so much as give us a hint). I just feel that trying to get the lights on would have it perfectly into Dogdays element and worked against CatNaps sleep/night element. It would have at least given us more character to Dogday as a leader and how he goes about it.

Also we were NEVER even made aware there WERE bigger body versions of the other critters. They went on and ON about poor Theodore nearly dying and the protype saving him (by letting him be transferred in to a body anyway, which is the in game version of ‘my job here is done’ ‘but you didn’t do anything’) but we didn’t hear so much as a PEEP about DogDay or the other Bigger body versions of the critters he references. Massive missed chance for story and gameplay by not having them as antagonists, or even warring factions (half with catnap, half against etc) even a few notes detailing craftycorn painting with kids resulting in half a wall becoming a mural, Dogday being kind and bringing Stella coffee or being a general helper, hoppy stealing Stella’s coffee and going on a bender.

Catnap himself was pretty underutilised despite having creepy moments and the boss battle was just plain repetitive towards the end.

Hell, Miss Delight felt more like a ‘stalking in the night’ predator then Catnap.

There was a LOT more that could have been done with them, or even just Dogday.

[ienjoywritingfilth]

a sinner i am part iv

trope: Boyfriend's Dad PP character: Joel Miller x f reader / Shawn Miller x f reader / Joel Miller x Tess chapter summary: You and Joel find yourselves alone and things finally come to a head.

wanna see the other parts?

please reblog and review and follow me and all that good shit - IEWF

warning: oral (m and then m gets it), p in v sex, cheating on your bf (but it’s cool, cuz its with Joel and everything is fictional in this universe), fantasy cheating, daddy thrown around, cum swallowing, dirteeee talk, alternative universe b/c daddy miller stays alive and hates golf and he has a son named Shawn, no Sarah. rating: E

words 3.8 taglist: @lady-viscera | @cjdign | @fuckthatbazinga | @liciafonseca | @stevie75 | @joelalorian | @oldenoughtoknowbettersstuff | @akah565 | @dontknow446 | @pedritosgfreal | @yesjazzywazzylove-blog | @untamedheart81 | @ashleyfilm | @sptbear | @elegantduckturtle | @auteurdelabre | @noneofmyshipsarereal | @blahkateisdone | @hisandsnakes | @wintersquirrel | @shivkillian | @sheepdogchick3 | @moel-jiller | @cuteanimalmama | @gossipgirl-03 | @cowboymarcs | @tahi2006 | @guelyury | @churchofjoemiller | @r3dheadedwitch | @tutarrads | @galway-girlatwork | @supertoga | @gabymalikk

part iv : a moment alone

My heart tells me this is the best and greatest feeling I have ever had. But my mind knows the difference between wanting what you can’t have and wanting what you shouldn’t want. And I shouldn’t want you. — Cassandra Clare

Joel and you sit awkwardly across from one another that evening after dinner, trying to join in on the laughter from your partners. 

"Tess couldn't stop screaming," Shawn laughs as he shows the table the video he took of Tess in the ATV next to him. 

"You were driving so crazy!" Tess giggles back. She's under Joel's arm, smiling. She's beautiful and flushed from the wine.

"How was your ride today you two?"  

There it is again: That strange energy that seems to exist between you and Joel. You shoot him a look, surprised to see him looking strangely at you as well. 

"It was really beautiful," you say as you bring out your phone from your shorts pocket. "This was the lookout." 

Shawn and Tess bend over to look at the beautiful shots you took this afternoon. You'd been so peaceful at that lookout over the ocean, thankful to be away from Joel and your strong desire for him. 

"Thankfully Joel drove safely," you say forcing a grin at him over their heads. Tess and Shawn laugh as Joel offers a shallow snigger. 

"Despite this Tess still wants to hike that damn volcano tomorrow morning," Shawn says smirking at her over the table. "At fucking sunrise."

"It's supposed to be gorgeous that time of day!" Tess takes another sip of her wine. 

Joel takes a deep gulp of his beer, trying to be present but unable to stop thinking about his daydream earlier. Joel watches his sons arm crook around your neck, pulling you close to him. 

"Well I know my girl here likes to sleep in." 

Shawn's palm grazes your breast as he shifts and Joel watches your nipple pebble in your thin shirt. Joel feels his cock twitch in response and he prays that Tess doesn't notice. 

"I also like to sleep in on vacation," you remind Shawn playfully. Your head rests on his shoulder and you feel fondness at how attentive Shawn is being to you today. 

"Well you're gonna be bored tomorrow then," Shawn teases you, "Cause we're all hiking it."

Joel gives a groan at the idea. He agreed to it because Tess insisted he join them. But he doesn't really want to do it. His back is sore and he’s so fucking pent up because of you. This vacation is turning into a nightmare.

"If we're leaving early we should hit the hay," Shawn says with a yawn. "Meet at the car at five?"

Everyone agrees and you rise with Shawn taking your hand in his. Joel watches you murmur something to his son and Shawn chuckles, nodding. The two of you disappear into your bedroom, the door closing quickly. 

Tess bounces on Joel's cock her pretty breasts jumping with every thrust of his hips upwards. His wide hands keep her from falling over and he grunts with every fall of their bodies. The second they got into the bedroom she pushed him onto the mattress and handed him a condom. 

"Missed this cock," she whispered as she guided the head through her damp folds. 

"Missed this sweet pussy," Joel whispered back. "Missed how she looks when she's full of me." 

Even through the condom Tess feels good. So tight and warm it's only a matter of time before the two of them are groaning into each other's mouths in an attempt to keep quiet. Tess tilts back and begins to ride him earnestly her hips rolling. Joel watches how she slides her pussy up and down his wet dick. 

It's just like the fantasy in the ATV. Only it's not Tess he's seeing, it's you in your flimsy clothes riding him. Your pretty face all scrunched up as you bounce on him. 

"You're so big Joel," you cry for him. "Too big for my tight pussy." 

"Fuuuuuck," Joel groans. 

Tess grins down at her boyfriend watching the hypnotized way he gazes where his cock is swallowed by her cunt. 

"You feel so good," she tells him before she begins to ride him furiously, the bed squeaking. Joel grunts with one hand fisting the pillow behind his head. 

"Fucking take it," he grits out as your tight body continues playing behind his eyes. "Fucking take my cum like a good little whore does." 

Tess, turned on from the dirty talk covers her mouth with her hand and moans into her palm. She doesn't want you and Shawn to hear.  Joel is in a state of bliss with Tess squeezing his cock and your phantom body riding him. He can picture your face squeezed in an expression of pleasure. 

"This is so bad, daddy." 

All of a sudden Joel is sitting up and bouncing Tess furiously in his lap. She cries out in pleasure. 

"Beg daddy to let you come," Joel growls into her ear. "Beg daddy to use your cunt." 

Tess feels her core tightening. Joel has always been good in bed but this feels different almost like he's desperate for her. 

"Please daddy," she whimpers. 

"Please daddy what?" Joel groans back. 

"Please cum in me," Tess says as the orgasm starts in her lower belly. "Use my cunt."

Joel falls back on the bed, his forehead slick with sweat and his hips jutting up brutally. Tess rides him, body twitching as her orgasm nears. 

"Show me how a good girl cums for her daddy," Joel rasps.

Tess grips the headboard of the bed and begins to drop down onto his cock over and over until she lets out a muffled whine. Joel lets out a choked moan and spurts into the condom. 

When Joel returns from tossing the condom in the bathroom trash Tess is already in her nightdress smiling at him. He crawls into bed next to her and pulls her into a hug. 

Tess smiles at him with a glint in her light eyes. 

"Daddy huh?"

Joel feels his cheeks going red. He tries to shrug it off casually, unable to look her in the face. 

"Just wanted to try something new."

The truth is Joel has never used that nickname in the bedroom. He never understood why men wanted to hear it. But for some reason when he pictures you, he wants you to moan it for him. He wants that taboo edge that comes along with it, that desperate notion that it's wrong on so many levels that makes him think of you naked and blissed-out underneath him while he fucks his girlfriend.  

"I liked it," Tess says as she snuggles closer to him. He feels a pang of guilt at what just happened and he kisses her sweetly in remorse. He can’t look at her anymore so Joel flicks of the lamp next to the bed and leaves the room dark.

"I've missed you," Tess says breathlessly next to him. "We've both been so busy at work." 

"I know," he sighs tracing little circles along the side of her ribcage. "Gotta get better at that work life balance shit." 

Tess laughs, pulling his face to hers for a kiss before announcing that she's exhausted and going to sleep. Joel lays awake as he hears his girlfriend drift off to sleep. Her snores begin but another sound soon has his attention. 

You kneel between Shawn's spread legs on the bed with your mouth wrapped around his cock. Your hands are on either side of his thighs and your ass is in the air. You moan around his length trying to sound enthused but in truth all you want to do is go to bed. However you feel so guilty over the dirty thoughts you've been having about his dad that you felt you needed to do this. He lies back on the crisp white bedding with his hips jerking up as he passively lets you suck and taste. 

"Your mouth is so good," Shawn grunts as you go down on him. 

You breathe through your nose, frustrated that you've been at it so long because your jaw is starting to hurt. You need to think of something to keep you going. Your eyes fall shut and even though you don't want to you begin to think of Joel. How thick his cock looked through his shorts and how much bigger he is than Shawn. Shawn groans appreciatively as your tongue flicks the underside of his cock. In your head its Joel your leaning between the legs of. Joel's cock hitting the back of your throat. You groan again but this time with sincerity at the thought. 

"I'm gonna cum," Shawn tells you with a whimper. Your eyes pop open and go up his body to see his eyes squeezed shut. You begin to suck harder just wanting this to be over. 

He grips the pillow behind his head as he erupts in your mouth sending hot seed coating your tongue. 

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck!" 

You hate swallowing cum. It's always grossed you out and tonight is no exception. You throw your legs off the side of the bed and rush into the bathroom. 

Joel hears the sound of the adjoining bathroom door swinging open and of bare feet slapping over the tile floor. He rolls onto his side and looks at the crack under his door to see the individual hasn't turned on the light. There's the unmistakable sound of spitting into the sink then water running.

The figure begins rinsing it's mouth and then he hears them spit into the sink again. After a pause there is a gentle sigh and Joel knows that it's you in there. His tummy tightens. He realizes what's just occurred. You spit again and then the door on your side creaks shut. 

You didn't swallow his cum. 

Joel can't understand why that turns him on so much. All he knows is despite cumming moments earlier he still goes to sleep with his cock so hard it throbs. 

Shawn rises early the next morning to the soft chime of a text. He looks at it then at you and sighs before sending something off in reply. He feels tense as he dresses for the day, sure to wear his best hiking shoes. He looks at you again and sees the drool at the corner of your mouth. 

"Gonna head for a hike to that volcano," Shawn whispers, pressing a ginger kiss to your temple. "Be back in a few hours."

"Mmmmhmmmm okay babe,"' you mutter drowsy with your eyes closed. You're barely awake, still warm and half slumbering. 

You don't know how much time has passed before you wake up again to the empty house. You stretch, groaning as your back pops. You yawn, heading into the bathroom, surprised to see it's foggy. You're eyes are closed as you walk to the sink, squeezing toothpaste onto the brush and staring to scrub. You don't even hear the shower running until it suddenly turns off. 

"Hey." 

Your eyes fly open to look at the mirror in front of you. Joel stands in the glass shower with his brown eyes wide. He's naked and wet from the shower. 

"Fuck!"You drop the brush in the sink and go stumbling back groping for the door. "Shit I'm sorry-" you sputter with a loud thunk of your heart. You feel like your whole body is shaking. 

"its fine," Joel says in a strained voice. You're thankful his lower half shielded by the shower etching. "Don't worry, it's fine!"

Your hand flies over your eyes as you finally push back against the door, trying in vain to locate the door handle. You hear the creak of the shower door. 

"I didn't know," you shriek, "I thought everyone was hiking!"

You hear shuffling and you assume Joel must be wrapping the towel around him as he steps out of the shower. 

"Honey its fine."

You feel thick fingers coming to wrap around your wrist, tugging it down. Your eyes are exposed, wide and stuck on Joel. His hair is pushed back from the water and he glistens with droplets. 

"It's not a big deal it was an accident.”  

"It feels like a big deal." Your eyes begin trailing down his strong stomach to look at the pristine white hotel towel wrapped around his waist. 

"Why?" 

The moment is charged now, the two of your breathing increasingly quicker. Your eyes trail back up his body, taking their time along his naked chest before they finally glue to Joel's parted lips. 

"You know why Joel." 

His dark eyes grow darker. You can see the way that the pupil edges out all remaining chocolate brown leaving him with an aroused look that makes your pussy clench.

You feel like you're in a dream when his hand goes to where his towel is tucked at his hip. You don't try to stop him when he tugs it loose and let's it slip to the tilted floor. He stands boldly, not a shred of insecurity in his tall frame. 

His cock is thick and large with a slight curve. The colour matches the rest of him but the tip is a blush of mauve. He's half hard but the longer you stare at it between you it hardens further, coming to graze your belly in its ascent. 

You lick your lips subconsciously recalling the desperation you had for just a taste of his cock. Joel sees this and feels arousal nudging the base of his spine. Again you lift your eyes to his, uncertain of what Joel is thinking. 

Joel can't stop looking at you all soft and sleepy. Your tank is practically see-through and the short panties you wear underneath cut you perfectly to show your ass. He's sure that his need for you is seeping out his pores at this point.  

You're halfway onto the cool floor before you realize what you're doing. When your bare knees make contact with the tile you seem to come back into your body. Joel's cock juts directly in front of your face, his head tilted to look down at you. 

Tess is gone on a hike. She left him with a kiss to his sleepy mouth and a quick love you. That's what he should be thinking of. Not his son's girlfriend on her knees, her plump lips inches from the head of his cock. 

But all of that seems so far away right now. His heartbeat is pounding out of his chest because you look so seductive with your hair falling into your eyes and your mouth glossy from anxiously licking your lips. You wait there on your knees, your hot breath fanning over the head of his cock and Joel feels himself get desperate. Joel's hand comes to lace its fingers through your hair, the thick digits cupping the back of your skull. He tugs gently at the roots and you shudder an exhale in pleasure. You feel his hand cupping your skull gingerly urging your face forward. 

"They won't be back for a bit." He says in a husky murmur without tearing his eyes from yours. 

His hips roll incrementally and his thick cock bobs up and down. It’s so big that you have to drag a shaky hand to it and wrap your fingers around the base. Your fingertips can't even touch when you circle him.

Joel groans when you touch him, a low, rumble that makes your pussy tingle. You drop your hand nervously. Joel stares down at you, the both of you clearly waiting for the other to make the first move. 

You gaze up at him in supplication before you tilt your head back and let your tongue slide out. Joel takes a deep sharp breath at the sight of your mouth open luridly and your tongue begging for his cock. 

Joel grips his cock by the base while transfixed by your mouth. You sit patiently as he shuffles forward and he taps the head of his cock against your wet tongue several times. He enjoys the damp slapping sound. And so do you if your squirming is any indication. 

He begins to guide the head of his cock along your tongue in slow stripes. Back and forth, rocking it closer and closer to your open mouth. 

I'm a bad man. 

You begin to suckle the tip of him, intimidated at his girth. You're rewarded with a deep growl from Joel and his fingers tightening in your hair. The sound makes you excited as well as nervous. What if Tess and Shawn come back early? There are so many opportunities to be caught. That shouldn't make your pussy ache but it does. Joel sees your hesitation and loosens the fist in your hair. He doesn't want you feeling forced to do this but he also thinks he might die if you don't wrap your mouth around his cock soon. 

"It's just the two of us here." His words are slow and low and soothing and his eyes are black and glossy with desire. 

You feel lulled into moving forward once more and now you begin to lick the tip of him without looking away. His thighs shake as he watches and feels you. You're so desperate for him and you begin to take him into your mouth. 

I'm a bad man. This is wrong and immoral and disgusting and Joel had never been so hard in his life. 

"It's okay," Joel soothes like you're a feral animal he's trying to tame. "Just relax." 

His hand sweeps back your hair from your face. He wants to watch every moment of you blowing him. 

"You want it don't you?"  Joel coos, his hip slowly edging forward when you make no move. "I know you want it, honey. You want this so bad," he mutters and he's not sure if it's for him or you. "Just open up a little and I can give it to you.”

You nod up at him with luminous eyes. He wonders if there's still a part of you that feels guilty. Your mouth parts as you begin to take him, your cheeks bulging as his cock begins to fill your mouth.

"Uh huh just like that," Joel tells you warmly. "Just like that yea just like that honey." 

Your palms balance on his naked thighs, warm and damp from the shower. Then all of a sudden you pull yourself off of him, saliva clinging from your lips to the head of his cock.

"Wait Joel maybe we shouldn't."

This is so wrong. Shawn is your boyfriend you love him. What the fuck are you doing in here sucking his father’s cock?  

"Shhh," Joel offers in a sibilant hush. "It's okay honey. You're feeling guilty I know, but I know how much you want this. You do, don’t you? It’s okay you can tell me.”

You squirm on the ground at the way he’s speaking to you. All soft and charming like his wet cock isn’t brushing impatiently against your lips. Everything in you is commanding that you stop this immediately but a sinister voice in the back urges you to continue.

“We’ll just do it once,” he promises in a voice of velvet. “Just once.”

You gaze up the length of Joel’s naked body, taking in the strong shoulders, the lean neck and the plush mouth that smirks down at you right now. He takes his cock by the base and and drags the head along your lower lip, tapping it there like he’s knocking at the front door waiting to be let in.

“You want my cock baby girl?”

You exhale, surrendering.

“Yea, I want it.”

“Show me.”

You hate yourself for exhaling before licking the tip of him and whining when you watch his cock drool pre-cum. But you don’t hate yourself enough to stop taking him into your mouth. You whine around him, the guilt and the desire mixing up inside of you.

“I know,” Joel coos as if he feels your turmoil. "It's okay to want this."

You hum around his cock and he smirks at your cock-drunk expression. He begins to slide his cock deeper into your mouth and smiles contentedly to himself when he sees how your mouth strains around him.

“Wider.”

He groans down at you as you work your mouth over him, obeying his order. You want to pleasure him and show him how good you are. You want him to make those low growls again. He begins to shift, his hand holding your head in place as he thrusts into your mouth. You gag slightly but Joel doesn't notice. His head is thrown back and he moves like a wild animal. 

It's only your mouth and you feel like heaven. He can only imagine how your cunt would feel. He needs to feel it, taste it, smell it. He needs to taste every part of your body. He needs you to call him daddy in a whine as he fucks into your beautiful body. 

I'm a bad man. 

He's close now, his balls tightening. He doesn't know why but he thinks of you spitting into the sink. About how his son's cum wasn't worthy enough for you but Joel's is. His hands move to your cheeks, caressing them as he continues to thrust. 

"You'll swallow mine, won't you, baby girl?" 

Yes, you will. You want to feel him down your throat you want to savor any part of him he'll share with you. 

He grunts in approval when you nod and, his hips start slapping against your face. He’s gonna come and he’s gonna make sure that you don’t waste a bit of him. His hand goes to the top of your head, holding you in place again. You've taken his cock so deep your nose is smashed in the thatch of hair around his cock. 

You're gonna swallow his cum. You want to do it. You wouldn't swallow for his son but you'll swallow for him. Joel feels dizzy with elation and deplorable need as his body tightens. He holds your head as ropes of cum shoot down your throat. It's so much that your cheeks plump and he lets out a strangled moan. 

He holds you and waits, watching as your delicate throat bobs, swallowing him down before you beam up at him. He doesn't have to say anything. You simply hold out your tongue to show him it's clean. He gives a wobbly smile and nods in approval with his blushing chest heaving.

You go to say something when the sound of your cell chirping in the other room drains the blood from your face. What did you just do? You've crossed the line. You sucked the cock of your boyfriend's dad. You swallowed his cum. He tapped his cock on your tongue. He fucked your mouth and you loved every second. Your face goes beet red and prickles in the heat of shame. Joel seems to be feeling the same because he helps you to your feet looking concerned as he re-wraps the towel around his waist breathing in and out quickly. 

"Better answer that. Might be Shawn." 

“Yea." 

Joel twists away and walks to his bedroom. His eyes fall shut and he grimaces as he closes the door behind him with a click of the lock. He hears you chatting on the phone to his son and catches his reflection in the bedroom mirror. His face morphs from that of a disgusted father to that of a depraved man.

I'm a bad man and it feels so good.

[theyanderespecialist]

Velvette's Trans Man (Headcanons) Yandere Velvette X (FTM) Trans Male Reader (Hazbin Hotel)

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! I am back with a new chapter this one is going to be Velvette being Yandere for A Trans Male Reader! Which means he was born assigned female but is a Male. Trans rights are human rights! 

(Disclaimer 1: Trans rights are human rights, trans men are men, trans women are women, and non-binary people can present as masc or femme and still be a they/them! Also, some Nonbinary people do consider themselves trans and some don't but they are all valid! Human Rights for ALL!  Disclaimer: Velvette is Not Yandere In Canon! This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine! Just do not be illegal or gross about it! You know who you are! You Dirty, Flaky, Biscuits! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life! Also, remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon! Thank you! 

Also, it is fine to Simp For The Villains of Media, as long as you do not support what they do, and do not do it In real life, and you separate fiction from reality!) 

Please Enjoy this chapter!] 

-Yandere Headcanons Wtih Velvette X Transgender Male Listener (FTM/AFAB) From Hazbin Hotel- 

.Velvette Is The Woman that is THE HBIC (Head Biscuit/Bitch In Charge) 

.And she fell hard for you, one of her male models. 

.She loved you and could not care less that you were trans, you were still HER Man! 

.She of course calls you her build a bear, how she gives you your T Shots, and is stuffing with that testrome and taking you home! 

.She loves you with all her heart and sees you as her big strong man. 

.How she loves and adores you and wants to keep you by her side at all times. 

.How she can sometimes be considered your sugar mama~ And you are her Trans Daddy.  .She would be the type to pay all the top care for you to get the best top and bottom surgery that you needed and wanted. 

.She would also have made a line of binders for you, and other transmale clothes. 

. Built-in pacas (The thing that shows the bulge and is a fake PP) and such for masculine clothes. 

.She also watches VoxTube for various things about how to do male stuff like teaching you how to tie a tie, so she can help teach you to shave, and so much more. 

.She is beyond supportive as a girlfriend for you and is the type of girlfriend to help you feel like the man. 

.She needs help opening a jar of pickles she comes to you for your help and loves making you feel so strong and tough opening a tight jar. 

.She purposely tightens jars so that she can ask you to open them and make you feel like the big strong man you are. 

.She loves to stroke your masculine ego and even plots ways out to make you feel even more manly. 

.She would also get custom-made suits for you and go to the gym with you if you want. 

.She is beyond supportive and POSSESSIVE AS SHIT! 

.She would not want to share you at all! 

.And She noticed how women look at you now and that you are confident in your body and man oh man is she jealous! 

.You are her man and no way should those tramps look at you like that, who did those Whores think they were looking at you like that?  .You are HER Man, not theirs! If They got too close to you she would kill them for sure. 

.Making sure they were publically humiliated and publically killed as well. 

.She is ruthless and will drag them through the blood to try to get with you. 

.And IF Anyone misgendered you or made you uncomfortable She would destroy them they had no right to do that to you! 

.You were her man! Key Word Man! So she would not let anyone make you feel like any less of a man than you are! 

.Pretransition she would make sure to take good care of you when you shed the monthly curse and would make sure that she made you feel good during the curse of your assigned gender. 

.She will let you cry with her never making you feel less than when you are overwhelmed and having a really hard gender dysphoria day. 

.Dropping everything to make you comforted. 

.If you did not want any surgeries she would understand and still treat you like a man! Having Val make MANY Sextoys for you to feel like the man you are! 

.She would have confessed her love to you, using your chosen/new name. 

.She would make it so romantic and genuine that you would not be able to turn her down. 

.If you did she would pretend she understood. 

.She knows she cannot kidnap you and make you love her. 

.But she would use a slightly altered love potion to make you more interested in her so that you would "Willingly" Change your mind. 

.Then she would prove to you that you do love her and get you to genuinely fall in love with her. 

.She would be not like old fashion woman, she would be the one to propose most likely. 

.She is a boss woman and she will not pass up the chance she has to marry you. 

.Although she would let you have a photo shoot proposing to her as well so you can experience it as well! 

.If anyone were to deadname you her eyes would twitch and she would rip their tongue out of their skull!  .The utter your dead name she would make them suffer. 

.She would also get Vox to hypnotize everyone to make everyone never ever say your dead name again and for them to not say anything transphobic to you. 

.She is a woman who is petty and if a rival tries to touch you she will humiliate them and then kill them. 

.But also if someone were to make you feel dysphoria then you know she will destroy them, making them feel the same way you felt and make them suffer deeply. 

.All in all, she is a major ally and she is one of the most intense but best girlfriends you could have in the Helluva/Hazbin Verse as a trans man! 

(Now Here is A Scenario, Please do enjoy this!) 

(Velvette) (Shots Of T, Comfort and loving words!) 

(No One's POV) 

Velvette got the shot ready and you dropped your pants as she bent you over and injected the T shot into you. You hated the shots, they always made you feel like shit for the first couple of hours. She rubs your back and smiles sweetly.  "Hey I know it will hurt for a bit, do you want to have some lunch?" She asks and you nod your head. "Alright, handsome. Let's go, I will need you to reach the top shelf."  You smiled at that as you started to get a bit taller because of the T and you felt really good that you could now reach the top shelf with your new height. You get the noodles from the top shelf and sheets them into the pot of water.  You wrapped your arms around her waist and rested your head on top of hers. Finally able to do so.  "mmmmm~ Love you handsome~" She purrs and turns around wrapping her arms around you. "You are starting to get some stubble, I will have to teach you how to shave your beard once it comes in~"  You grinned at that, the idea of having a full beard was a great dream of yours, all the facial hair styles you wanted to try! 

"You think so Vel?" You ask her.  "I know so, you would look so sexy with a goette~," She says and nips at your neck.  You blushed and then pulled her into a kiss, making out until the timer for the noodles went off~ 

The comfort of her words was all you needed~ 

You loved your girlfriend, and she loved that you were her boyfriend. Her Man. 

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS another chapter is done! I hope that you all enjoyed this! All My Trans Male Muffins Are My Muffin Men! Also A Shout out to All My Sexy Trans Muffins! AND Please Stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!] 

[asenvs3000f24]

Unit Six Blog

 The quote by Edward Hyams from The Gift of Interpretation resonates with me very deeply, especially when combined with some of the content from this week’s readings. I can appreciate his stance in there being no real weight in the existence of an ancient thing, be it an artifact, artwork, or text. Where the significance of these things lies is in remembering what they meant in history and what people did with them and how that impacts the modern day.

I feel particularly strongly about this quote and this topic as my minor area of study in my degree is classical studies, therefore I am often dealing with the topics of ancient civilizations and the things we have wrought from them. This area of study serves as a constant reminder that the people of the past were not statues or inherently good or bad, but they were people just like us who had the capacity for both greatness and terror, and that there was more going on in their lives and lifetimes than can be understood through simply looking at their writing or their personal belongings.

The quote by Edward Hyams draws parallels to the quote from the AASLH at the start of chapter 15 in our textbook “History serves us in many ways. It can delight and enrich us, inspire and caution us, inform and educate us, help us make thoughtful decisions, enlarge and intensify the experience of being alive.” (pp. 326). Both quotes deal with the interpretation of history and how that interpretation creates meaning and can teach people in the modern world. As I pursue my own studies regarding the ancient world, it is sometimes difficult for me to have respect for the actions and choices made by those ancient people. But it is so important for us to try and understand their emotions and how they were impacted by the environment in which they lived. This feeling of mine pairs closely with the topic of controversy in history interpretation as discussed later in chapter 15, which discusses the method of interpreting emotional topics and how provoking or gentle that interpretation needs to be.

An example of the impact of interpretation on the understanding of history that I have experienced in my own life comes from a course that I took on ancient Greek literature. In this course, I had the opportunity to study a Greek novel written sometime around the second century called Daphnis and Chloe. What was so interesting about the study of this novel was how much our overarching ideals and desires in a work of fiction haven’t changed, but also how much the more minute details have. What I mean by this is that the novel is a romance, about two beautiful young lovers, filled with comedy and pining and a little bit of miscommunication that ends with a wedding and a happy ending for the two leads. Now, based on that summary, this could be the plot of a film coming out later this year. However, the particulars of the story no longer fit our cultural ideals, such as the concept of slavery being a good thing, or that a woman always requires saving from a man, or the idea that an arranged marriage is the best possible outcome for a young woman. My study of this novel and act of interpreting it as a lesson and not just a mode of entertainment was enlightening for me in the timelessness of certain values as well as how vital it is for our continued cultural evolution. These are the kinds of lessons that should come from history, and it is important for interpreters to guide people towards these lessons and allow people to engage with history in a way that lets them appreciate it and reflect on how it has shaped the world.

The final part of Hyams' quote, where he uses a railway station and the passing of trains as a metaphor for the forgetting of history, really cements in place the idea that history is not just something that belongs in the past but is something that affects our choices and our actions on an everyday basis.

[chickenkurage]

HELP ?? CHAPTER 13? HELLO???

I love how Noogai and Satin have different ways (hopefully) on how to help people. With Alan becoming a god to create the perfect world, and Satin...probably just wanting to be a god that people can look up to. In a way both of them carrying different traits a god would have.

But, their methods are bad, as it neglects others (mainly Noogai) But then again we haven't seen what Satin would and could do with the power of the weapon.

And poor DJ caught in the middle of this. The two of them practically having their own ways of keeping him to themselves. Alan, just using the best friend card, and it also doesn't help that DJ is after Alan. Satin probably definitely drugged them choco, as a way to keep DJ with her, she knows that DJ doesn't remember her, so she opts to use other ways to keep him.

No relationship DJ is currently in is safe, it's not healthy. The healthiest relationship he has right now is with Victim, and even then they're so far apart. It's sad that the healthiest relationship is the one that's physically far away from him, while Alan and Satin are in a game of tug of war, they both have the same goal, trying to tug the center(DJ) towards them, but no matter how close DJ is to them, he'll be pulled back by the other party, and once they're done it feels like they'll just throw him away :((

I do feel REALLY bad for DJ. His mental health is practically zero at this point, his sanity hanging by a thread, the only thing keeping him sane is the feeling of being needed by Satin and Alan for the weapon. But to him they both feel distant, but he doesn't care, because as long as he's needed he's fine with that?? SIR I'M PUTTING YOU TO THERAPY WITH SNOW.

Yeahhh, it's really fascinating seeing the characters just mirror and parallel each other and I'm sure that was Spongey's intention. Alan and Satin, Satin and DJ, and Alan and DJ. To some degree, each of them have some similarities with each other and deyum, noticing these similarities unsettles me at times but I like em :>

And oh poor DJ indeed TOT Really, the guy couldn't catch a break. DJ's already non existant mental health at this point will someday tip into that downward slippery slope that you never know could get any worse until it reaches the deepest negatives. And I'd be here wincing and crying for this fictional characcter's life cause his mindset of "wanting to be useful" just kills me inside TOT

Yeahh... I GENUINELY HOPE he gets therapy after this, and Snow too. Cause oh lawd these two are the most miserable characters Spongey has made... as of now :PP - JM

[khaleesiofalicante]

So, I actually got Sarah to join my obsession with Lbaf!!! Yey!!!! She hasn't read it or anything (she's the slowest reader I've ever met, so that wasn't gonna fly lol), but I couldn't keep all this drama and pain to myself any longer, so I told her the WHOLE story, it took me like two weeks to finish telling her everything, but now she loves it too!!!

And she's constantly asking for updates like "has the new chapter come out??" Or "well, read it faster I want to know too!!"

Also, I told her about you and she said you sounded very cool and smart for creating this "wonderful mess". AND, she cried when I told her about Arthur's death!!!! You don't understand how big of an achievement that is, because she doesn't cry with any piece of media!! You made someone who didn't even read your books cry for your story. You should put that in your curriculum 😌

But also we have an ongoing argument about Other Max, Max, Arthur, Lance and David. She dislikes David for now because she says he's being selfish and a piece of --- (she never swears, NEVER, but she got really close lol. Which is kinda funny because I swear a lot😂 when you speak spanish you can't let the wonderful swear words go to waste!!)

I was telling her my theories that Arthur could come back to life and maybe they could change the fact that his death was a canon event. She just told me I was in denial and I should wake up😒. She also likes Other Max and thinks both Max are being dumb by not getting along😂

And her favorite character is Magnus (obviously!), but she says she also likes Rafael a lot and that his position is unfair.

Anyway, she's now really excited for the next chapter too, and I will continue to defend David from her 😌

PS: See attached evidence to prove how I've tried to explain it as best as possible but it's still a mess!!

PPS: Istg that's not my real handwriting!!! Yeah, my handwriting is shitty still, but now THAT shitty 😭

First of all, Sarah, I love you, but keep David's name out of your mouth.

I love the idea of loving something so much that you want to share it with the people you love too. It's like, 'hey, person i love, here is something else i love'.

YOUR NOTES ARE SENDING ME BECAUSE THEY ARE AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION OF MY BRAIN WHEN I WRITE/BRAINSTORM ISTG.

Thanks so much, Noah. This ask really made my whole day. My mental health is in a weird place these days so I really appreciate this 💙

[journeytothewestresearch]

How long would it have taken to carve 100 chapter woodblocks for the 1592 Journey to the West? Wu Cheng’en died in 1580-1582 so when would he have submitted his work?

Wu Cheng'en's authorship is not completely settled among the academic community. But even if he contributed to the standard 1592 edition of the JTTW, he only added his own flourishes to an already extant body of episodes. For example, during the Ming (1368-1644), there were no less than three versions of the novel in circulation. These include:

The 1592 edition, Newly Printed, Illustrated, Deluxe and Large Character, Journey to the West (Xinke chuxiang guanban dazi Xiyou ji, 新刻出像官板大字西遊記).

The "Zhu edition," Newly printed, Completely Illustrated, Chronicle of Deliverances in Sanzang of the Tang’s Journey to the West (Xinqie quanxiang Tang Sanzang Xiyou shi ni (e) zhuan, 新鍥全像唐三藏西遊释尼(厄)傳) by Zhu Dingchen (朱鼎臣) of Yangcheng (羊城, i.e. Guangzhou).

The “Yang edition,” Newly Printed, Complete Biography of Sanzang’s Career (Xinqie Sanzang chushen quanzhuan, 新鍥三藏出身全傳) by Yang Zhihe (陽至和) of Qiyun (齊雲).

Koss (1981) shows that the 1592 edition is an expansion of Zhu, and Yang is a later abridgement of the former. Zhu being the oldest, with portions likely predating 1450, is based on its earlier style phrasing and chapter structure; the use of vernacular language with simplistic two-person dialogue and fewer and less literary poems, suggesting a reliance on oral literature; and Zhu illustrations serving as the basis for many pictures from the 1592 edition.

As you know, Wu died 10 years before the 1592 edition was published, so it was later published anonymously. But since portions of the 1592 JTTW are almost exactly the same as the Zhu version, it may not have taken long to finish the chapter woodblocks.

You can read more about this here:

Edit:

Here is an example of how close certain sections of the Zhu version are to the 1592 version. The following quote describes the first time that Monkey meets the Patriarch Subodhi. It then continues with a poem describing the awe-inspiring presence of the holy master. The red indicates differences in the Zhu edition:

With solemnity the Monkey King set his clothes in order and followed the boy into the depths of the cave. They passed rows and rows of lofty towers and huge alcoves, of pearly chambers and carved arches. After walking through innumerable quiet chambers and empty studios, they finally reached the base of the green jade platform. Patriarch Subodhi was seen seated solemnly on the platform, with thirty lesser immortals standing below in rows. He [It] was truly [a realm of immortals. Let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter]: A Golden Immortal of Great Awareness and of great ken and purest mien, Master Bodhi, whose wondrous appearance like the West Had no end or birth by work of the Double Three. His whole spirit and breath were with mercy filled. Empty, spontaneous, it could change at will, His Buddha-nature able to do all things. The same age as Heaven had his majestic frame. Fully tried and enlightened was this grand priest (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 1, p. 114). 這猴王整衣端，隨童子徑入洞天深處觀看：一層層深閣瓊樓，一進進珠宮貝闕，說不盡那靜室幽居，直至瑤台之下。見那菩提祖師端坐在台上，兩邊有三十個小仙侍立台下。果然是座仙境。且聽下回分解。 大覺金仙沒垢姿，西方妙相祖菩提，不生不滅三三行，全氣全神萬萬慈。空寂自然隨變化，真如本性任為之， 與天同壽莊嚴體，歷劫明心大法 (原作“怯”) 師。

The Zhu version is comprised of ten scrolls (juan, 卷) with three to ten subsections each. These subsections differ from the chapter layout of the 1592 edition. For example, subsections one to three and four to five respectively correspond to chapters one and two of the 1592 edition (Koss, 1981, pp. 14-15). It’s interesting to note that the above quote describing Monkey and Subodhi's meeting caps the first subsection of scroll one. This is why it ends with: “Let’s listen to the explanation in the next chapter” (qieting xiahua fenjie, 且聽下回分解).

Source:

Koss, N. (1981). The Xiyou ji in Its Formative Stages: The Late Ming Editions (Vols. 1-2). (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 8112445)

[sknolls]

I think I have to hard disagree on the idea that difficulty implies linearity. And I'm specifically talking about Celeste mods. In my experience, having ten solutions to one problem doesn't make a map less difficult if all ten solutions are equally bullshit. The actual problem with balancing difficulty and linearity is that when you design a level with so many potential solutions, you have to make every solution roughly even in execution. Or at the very least, you want to account for the various potential approaches in balancing them. Which just makes designing rooms so much harder.

Generally when designing difficulty, I like to either make something that someone could probably pick up immediately after Chapter 9 or something that I personally can barely beat. So, in more common terms, it has to either be Intermediate, low Advanced, or Cracked GM.

But I've been experimenting recently with making cracked GM stuff where the player is offered multiple approaches and it's absolutely possible. Maybe that's because I really like working with Spike Jumps and Corner Tech, which inherently expand options and make you rethink how you interact with common obstacles, while I hate working with Ultras because they're the exact opposite of that.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xkotKbNJd_g&list=PLAlu1k6xjlvT74eGDfT6-f2QWRKRE2Q6x&index=5&pp=gAQBiAQB

I made this as a proof of concept for a bullet hell corner spam hybrid and currently all of these solutions except for the last one are usable and similar difficulty. It all comes down to personal preference.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VrxkOK-lAU0&list=PLAlu1k6xjlvT74eGDfT6-f2QWRKRE2Q6x&index=6

And this is what the completed screen looks like. Some of the difficulty comes from the corner tech, some comes from the player needing to manage the infinitely spawning homing missiles, some comes from the player having to make decisions and execute shit while under pressure, and some comes from the lack of a single clear solution to any given segment. At some point the player gets such a huge catalogue of options that asking them to perform clearly signaled tech quits being challenging compared to asking them to filter through their options to find the correct one.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I7y1M-GEhOY&list=PLAlu1k6xjlvT74eGDfT6-f2QWRKRE2Q6x&index=3&pp=gAQBiAQB

Or here's another map I'm working on. The badeline fight is a massive spike in difficulty specifically because the solutions are open ended and combined with having to manage resources, being trapped in a closed in environment without a lot of options to manuever around Badeline chasers, and the heightened pacing, these two rooms are easily a difficulty spike despite the previous rooms using more complex tech. In fact, more than half of my time getting the recording for this was me trying to beat the final screen.

Think of it like this, if the player can afford to put 100% of their attention on executing a tech, then it's easier than if they have to divide their attention. And that division can come from psychological pressure like "is this really the best solution?" or "I need to keep track of the shit chasing me while also doing this thing." Plus, I think open ended shit is more exciting to see run by speedrunners, TAS, and Goldens because part of it is just going "how will they go about it?"

[7ban-sama]

@rapidfur

This chapter was sooo weird to me for various reasons. 1. Sakura appointed him to his position (allegedly) but he either doesnt know or doesnt seem to care that his brother is his boss's boss?! This is so minor truly but it kinda drives me crazy. THIS ON TOP OF WHAT YOU POINTED OUT… but there's something so sincere about him here, still, that pisses me off. I underestimate amane a lot but sometimes i think hes just actually, literally, stupid. I think his apology was definitely scraping the bar, he somehow clunked his head on the bar while it was underground, its like a "SORRY I GOT CAUGHT" as opposed to a genuine apology. Which is typical for him. Or like hes barely understood the consequences, and is very tentatively accepting new morals into his head (doing things you think are good without permission… bad!?!?! *frantically gauging other party's expression*… yes, yes, bad!!!! Got it…)

The more I comb over events, the more I'm convinced Hanako is not feeling any remorse or guilt for the Severance in reality, like omg I think it's less than conferring with your party members for morality, actually, and more like. Trying to dupe your party members into thinking you apologized when you did not and do not intend to. so yes more like a "sorry i got caught" kind of mindset, or, maybe more like "sorry YOU feel bad" rghh

Tabbing through raws of the conversation and, I swear the flow of it is that he's like aheeehhe... 👉👈I, might, do it, again ���️ & then he gets shaken by Kou and yields like, ugh okay okay... & says he didn't confer with either of them before making all the decisions himself, and he knows that was bad. He must be using a gentler tone along with his expression to convince Kou/Nene this is him being sorry, but nothing he said actually refers to his own thoughts/feelings, it's almost a very factual recitation of events? Not even referring to it as unforgivable (just kinda like, "oh you know, warui! lol" fdsghs)

I'm of course not actually of the belief that anyone in this manga really is a cold unfeeling monster (as fun as it is to rib Amane...) so, i DO think it's all a medley of sincerity/insincerity here. but tactically so. I think there are some bad feelings, but it's more so the sting of embarrassment and residual sadness to have made Yashiro specifically upset at him. Never like to incur her sobbing/yelling at him, haruu... *sad dog noises* ....... but taking initiative to overwrite autonomy & disregarding other's input... and uh, trying to kill her best friend. That's like *shrug* "I did what I had to :/ and you guys weren't doing anything about it all..." Perhaps Hanako is feeling the kind of sadness one gets when getting a scratch from their kitty while trying to take it to the vet — you feel "sorry" for it but you don't feel sorry for having done it... I was doing it for you!!!

but of course, it makes life easier to have assumptions from everyone around you that you're sorrier, sadder than you are. If Kou/Nene aren't going to really twist his arm and grill him about anything, then it's just convenient. Play along with their little games... don't mention the nitty-gritty. eurr, I mean it just reminds me of how relatively normal and back to the status-quo Hanako was able to act after PP... Obviously the encounter with Nene in the clouds in PP didn't actually make him feel ashamed of the actions he took, because he just went and did the Severance anyhow! He's good at what he does kfdkgdh

as for the Sakura thing though, I'd again just refer to the prior logic above ⬆️ ; Hanako is playing a lot close to the chest and isn't actually surprised by events. Resulting in fairly subdued, underwhelming results to info. at least, it's the only way i can rationaize it all, www

[noctiilio]

I just wanna say I don't know much at all about Touhou but my friend shows me your art sometimes and I think the way you draw flandre is very good she's so small and so kiddy and it's nice to not see her drawn like a murder-crazy monster keep up the great work

Ohoho! then if you're new around these parts i am absolutely DELIGHTED to inform you that the "murder crazy monster" flandre is one hundred percent a fanon fabrication! (which by the way i loathe with every fiber of my being) now i'll rant to you a little bc i never miss a chance to show Flandre's good character charms sorry its my autistic brain going supercharged, critical mass even, whenever flan is mentioned, shes been a character ive held very dear to me since i was barely 13 (almost twelve years ago!) so you have to imagine my brain sizzling like soda with mentos as i'm typing this

Y'see, this uh. portrayal dates back from when our only source of flandres character was her introduction in touhou 6: EoSD (2002). Now. she DID flex about being strong and scary and threatening etc etc but what people dont get is that it was just for show! yknow! like a kid in their ebony dementia raven way phase. You cant tell me you'd see a kid in their edgy mary sue phase who blasts nightcore evanescence from the shared family computer all day and take them seriously.

after you defeat her you find out that the child is absolutely clueless on what shes doing, knows ABSOLUTELY nothing about socialization 101 and thought scaring the hell out of you was how you make pals, but if you play the reimu route she offers to give you a cake to thank you for playing with her (which has blood as an ingredient so reimu refuses but flan doesnt KNOW that humans dont drink their own blood. also she doesnt hunt her own food like remi does so thats actually sakuya's cooking)

so she DOES try to be your friend. basically the kids confused to an absurd degree but shes absolutely got the spirit

My second point: there are little character sheets written from the PoV of Akyuu which serve as official references (called Perfect Memento in Strict Sense, 2007! I always recommend this as a must-read for new fans!), and it was the first clue, a little nudge, a little trail of breadcrumbs leading to the fact that Maybe the rumors that remilia locked up her sister are actually just rumors.

But then it got confirmed in Cheating Detective Satori (2019-ongoing official manga written by ZUN w guest artists for each chapter) which portrays flan and not only is she super excited about showing off her collection of dolls and stuffed animals to sakuya but also she says this.

Flan is actually very introverted and CHOOSES to stay in the basement. None of that "remilia locked her up" bs, it's officially debunked!

(and the day i stop showing this panel of CDS to defend her characterization, you can assume that i am deceased)

ALSO. LITTLE RASCAL SAVED GENSOKYO T W I C E. First, she used her destruction powers to disintegrate a METEOR that was headed for the scarlet devil mansion and would have an impact radius that would reach all the way to youkai mountain. She made it explode and went back to her basement to take a nap (and Remilia tried to take the credit for that but failed horribly)

AND THEN theres touhou 17.5 where she's the ONLY playable character that actually solves the incident. Again, her power to destroy anything made her the ONLY gensokyo resident able to face Yuuma without her eating Flan's bullet for lunch.

So yeah! her reputation is atrocious but the gal's not even closely as bad as people make her seem.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk i am here every day same hour and i will talk your hear off about Flandre Scarlet and i will defend her portrayal until my last breath.

PS: little headcanon moment yeah woo yeah but uhh in my head i always pictured her voiced by Ikue Otani, best known as the voice of pikachu, but specifically >her role as Hana from Ojamajo Doremi<

PPS: if you're new around here; despite everything, flandre is not actually my favorite touhou. no, nononono she is only second. Nah, the honor of the gold medal goes to ✨Her✨. do NOT get me started. I will talk for days without taking a breath between sentences.

[hanako-san]

Hanako's Selfishness

I was talking about it few times ago. This really last post about Hanako's selfishness.

Hanako in his past life he give up everyting. He decided "not go anywhere" He had dreams which he wanted realize in future,his passion to moon and comos's beautiful thing. He gave up for some reason on his own future for the purpose of killing his brother. He gave up the life that Tsukasa had given him. Don't know why Hanako killed Tsukasa, don't know the twins entire past to say anything. One thing is for sure - He must have had good reason to kill Tsukasa. I really feel annoyed by now that I have only crumbs of Hanako's past life.. It's hard to say anything when the twins' past is broken into fragments. It is unknown what happened between Amane and Tsukasa when Tsukasa returned to his home. Knowing AidaIro, something terrible must have happened.

Amane's life was a hard, disease, he couldn't have fun with Tsukasa, every effort made him difficult, all the time in the room on the bed, later Hanako was beaten by an unknown perpetrator, he decided to commit a grave sin and doom himself to eternal suffering. He took the life of the person he loves, he gave up his own life and future,he has no friends,his life was full of sorrow and suffering.

Amane becomes Hanako who must act as a god to forgive him for his actions.

Being supernatural said he doesn't care someone has to die, but I consider it an absolute lie. If it weren't so, that wouldn't be comforting a weeping Nene in the opening chapters.

Does not care? Is he selfish? Not. Here Hanako shows Nene support and comfort her,If he doesn't care about who is going to die, but cares about people's feelings? Here it is clearly shown that this is not true. Hanako's concern shows that he is not indifferent and not selfish and, not being selfish in the beginning chapters, her friend.

He admitted this in the PP arc

PP arc I've already seen this desperation in him. Hanako didn'timprison them in the PP arc, Tsukasa did. Hanako is responsible for trying to stop Nene and the rest. Hanako is responsible for imprisoning Nene to keep her from leaving PP. He did it to make Nene live a happy life without sacrificing anyone else.

Everything changed when Nene made the official wish to Hanako-san It was a contract between Hanako and Nene. Hanako decided to fulfill her wish (I already wrote about Nene's wish and her guilt in sacrificing Aoi). "He could refuse" Sure he could have refused that, but then he would also be considered "cruelty,he's not caring about Nene's life", so it's easy to complain when both options are wrong and there is no proper decision to make everyone happy. He knew that he would have to take the life of a person close to Nene's heart. Hanako fulfilled the contract he made with Nene by her wish. Literally at this point, Nene gave him again the burden that he decided to lift.

"He could return Aoi when they came for her" Not. He didn't, and I wasn't surprised by his attitude, it was predictable. At least I knew it from the beginning, because Hanako was ready to take a second death for a loved one. He stood in front of Akane and Teru. Hanako fought Teru, the person he fears, but he did it for Nene. He was ready for anything. He has tried to fulfill the contract he had with Nene. Hanako faced an enemy he knew he had no chance with, which shows his desperation to save Nene's life

But didn't he really care about Aoi's life? Not. He cared about her. It was in his best interest to protect her, but he didn't have to ask about her life, but he did.

Without saving her, he could fulfill Nene's wish, but at the same time he wanted to help her survive this last journey, because he knew well that it was a terrible experience and he wanted to help her with a conversation. He didn't have to - but he did. He showed her concern in a certain way. He's not being selfish here either. He showed sympathy for Aoi for her fate, but had no intention of withdrawing from his contract with Nene.

So he admitted that he knew that Nene would not agree and he did everything in his own way and in a secret. But that's normal. I don't see anything strange. The contract had to be fulfilled, and through Nene her friend became a victim of her wish.

Hanako doesn't want to give up for Nene's life because he "controls her choices" or "loves so much", I believe there is more to it. Hanako also faced death and didn't want to die, neither did Nene(Nene lied to Hanako whe she said "it's okay" and he knows it)

Amane's life was supposed to last "a month" For Nene "year" I see a lot of similarity between them. And I also think Hanako knows perfectly well what Nene is feeling. He showed her concern for a start, tried to extend her life by other methods because he cared for her life from very start!

Nene is not the only person Hanako cares about. Kou's second person. Also showed in earlier chapters. Mokke would steal every now and then, and Hanako would return the things to their owners. He asked Kou to help him get something that this person appreciates very much and it belonged to Kou. He didn't have to say that this "person appreciates it", and yet he knew, and yet he took into account that this amulet could be valuable to him.

Hanako began to change before disappearing, he said

Hanako thought of both of them and wanted things to stay as they are. Of the boy who gave up his dreams by killing his brother for some reason unknown to me, he wanted things to stay the same without changes

I don't consider him a selfish boy. It's a boy who goes through character development and changes. He shows concern, is not selfish and tries to fulfill his duties as best as possible. His duties include not only saving students and keeping order between the supernatural and human, but also fulfilling wishes at the right price.

He don't want to give up? Let him try. The fight against destiny is hard, but no matter what Hanako do, I'll be on his side

[theyanderespecialist]

Velvette's Trans Man (Headcanons) Yandere Velvette X (FTM) Trans Male Reader (Demon Slayer)

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins! I am back with a new chapter this one is going to be Velvette being Yandere for A Trans Male Reader! Which means he was born assigned female but is a Male. Trans rights are human rights! 

(Disclaimer 1: Trans rights are human rights, trans men are men, trans women are women, and non-binary people can present as masc or femme and still be a they/them! Also, some Nonbinary people do consider themselves trans and some don't but they are all valid! Human Rights for ALL!  Disclaimer: Velvette is Not Yandere In Canon! This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously at all! Simping for fictional characters and yanderes is fine! Just do not be illegal or gross about it! You know who you are! You Dirty, Flaky, Biscuits! Yanderes are not ideal partners to have in real life! Also, remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon! Thank you! 

Also, it is fine to Simp For The Villains of Media, as long as you do not support what they do, and do not do it In real life, and you separate fiction from reality!) 

Please Enjoy this chapter!] 

-Yandere Headcanons Wtih Velvette X Transgender Male Listener (FTM/AFAB) From Hazbin Hotel- 

.Velvette Is The Woman that is THE HBIC (Head Biscuit/Bitch In Charge) 

.And she fell hard for you, one of her male models. 

.She loved you and could not care less that you were trans, you were still HER Man! 

.She of course calls you her build a bear, how she gives you your T Shots, and is stuffing with that testrome and taking you home! 

.She loves you with all her heart and sees you as her big strong man. 

.How she loves and adores you and wants to keep you by her side at all times. 

.How she can sometimes be considered your sugar mama~ And you are her Trans Daddy.  .She would be the type to pay all the top care for you to get the best top and bottom surgery that you needed and wanted. 

.She would also have made a line of binders for you, and other transmale clothes. 

. Built-in pacas (The thing that shows the bulge and is a fake PP) and such for masculine clothes. 

.She also watches VoxTube for various things about how to do male stuff like teaching you how to tie a tie, so she can help teach you to shave, and so much more. 

.She is beyond supportive as a girlfriend for you and is the type of girlfriend to help you feel like the man. 

.She needs help opening a jar of pickles she comes to you for your help and loves making you feel so strong and tough opening a tight jar. 

.She purposely tightens jars so that she can ask you to open them and make you feel like the big strong man you are. 

.She loves to stroke your masculine ego and even plots ways out to make you feel even more manly. 

.She would also get custom-made suits for you and go to the gym with you if you want. 

.She is beyond supportive and POSSESSIVE AS SHIT! 

.She would not want to share you at all! 

.And She noticed how women look at you now and that you are confident in your body and man oh man is she jealous! 

.You are her man and no way should those tramps look at you like that, who did those Whores think they were looking at you like that?  .You are HER Man, not theirs! If They got too close to you she would kill them for sure. 

.Making sure they were publically humiliated and publically killed as well. 

.She is ruthless and will drag them through the blood to try to get with you. 

.And IF Anyone misgendered you or made you uncomfortable She would destroy them they had no right to do that to you! 

.You were her man! Key Word Man! So she would not let anyone make you feel like any less of a man than you are! 

.Pretransition she would make sure to take good care of you when you shed the monthly curse and would make sure that she made you feel good during the curse of your assigned gender. 

.She will let you cry with her never making you feel less than when you are overwhelmed and having a really hard gender dysphoria day. 

.Dropping everything to make you comforted. 

.If you did not want any surgeries she would understand and still treat you like a man! Having Val make MANY Sextoys for you to feel like the man you are! 

.She would have confessed her love to you, using your chosen/new name. 

.She would make it so romantic and genuine that you would not be able to turn her down. 

.If you did she would pretend she understood. 

.She knows she cannot kidnap you and make you love her. 

.But she would use a slightly altered love potion to make you more interested in her so that you would "Willingly" Change your mind. 

.Then she would prove to you that you do love her and get you to genuinely fall in love with her. 

.She would be not like old fashion woman, she would be the one to propose most likely. 

.She is a boss woman and she will not pass up the chance she has to marry you. 

.Although she would let you have a photo shoot proposing to her as well so you can experience it as well! 

.If anyone were to deadname you her eyes would twitch and she would rip their tongue out of their skull!  .The utter your dead name she would make them suffer. 

.She would also get Vox to hypnotize everyone to make everyone never ever say your dead name again and for them to not say anything transphobic to you. 

.She is a woman who is petty and if a rival tries to touch you she will humiliate them and then kill them. 

.But also if someone were to make you feel dysphoria then you know she will destroy them, making them feel the same way you felt and make them suffer deeply. 

.All in all, she is a major ally and she is one of the most intense but best girlfriends you could have in the Helluva/Hazbin Verse as a trans man! 

(Now Here is A Scenario, Please do enjoy this!) 

(Velvette) (Shots Of T, Comfort and loving words!) 

(No One's POV) 

Velvette got the shot ready and you dropped your pants as she bent you over and injected the T shot into you. You hated the shots, they always made you feel like shit for the first couple of hours. She rubs your back and smiles sweetly.  "Hey I know it will hurt for a bit, do you want to have some lunch?" She asks and you nod your head. "Alright, handsome. Let's go, I will need you to reach the top shelf."  You smiled at that as you started to get a bit taller because of the T and you felt really good that you could now reach the top shelf with your new height. You get the noodles from the top shelf and sheets them into the pot of water.  You wrapped your arms around her waist and rested your head on top of hers. Finally able to do so.  "mmmmm~ Love you handsome~" She purrs and turns around wrapping her arms around you. "You are starting to get some stubble, I will have to teach you how to shave your beard once it comes in~"  You grinned at that, the idea of having a full beard was a great dream of yours, all the facial hair styles you wanted to try! 

"You think so Vel?" You ask her.  "I know so, you would look so sexy with a goette~," She says and nips at your neck.  You blushed and then pulled her into a kiss, making out until the timer for the noodles went off~ 

The comfort of her words was all you needed~ 

You loved your girlfriend, and she loved that you were her boyfriend. Her Man. 

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS another chapter is done! I hope that you all enjoyed this! All My Trans Male Muffins Are My Muffin Men! Also A Shout out to All My Sexy Trans Muffins! AND Please Stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!] 

Velvette’s Trans Man🏳‍⚧Yandere Velvette X Transgender Male Listener (FTM/AFAB) (Hazbin Hotel) 

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket Manga Review , ch 111

sigh~~~ I feel that my recent posts are a bit negative towards the anime, but thats cuz the chapters I’ve read so far are either unbelievably important character depth content cut for no valid reason or content in the anime but packed with million other things that it lost its purpose or importance. Basically tohu’s ep 6 which consists of 4 chapters & now ep 5 which is a momiji ep & yup, packed with 4 chapters as well... so, I apologize for any negativity, my intention is just analyzing artistic & story-telling aspects, I love se03, but yeah it screwed up lots of important characters due to its not so thorough plot decisions & harmful character insight choices.

today.. we explore Momiji... but only before his curse breaks.

Furuba anime struggling to know how to design an episode based on various plot-heavy chapters?

so, they decided 13 eps, & decided one ep for momiji cuz motoko’s graduation & the fanclub is the core of the furuba & have already cut tons of tohru, cuz who cares? she’s kind. be like her. end of lesson. No. really, jokes aside, how to do this?

How to combine several chapters in one ep? collect small snippets from chosen chapters/content like a bee does flowers? you gotta skip some content, you gotta highlight others. The ep is only 20 min after all & you got an op & Ed that you cant always skip.... so.. furuba team decide that momoji’s ep should be true to his zodiac animal, this is the rabbits last appearance in spirit. so, they went with quick hopping from one chapter to the other like a rabbit?

No really, ep 5 is really like a rabbit in its flow, you can’t savior a moment enough before jumping to the other: we learned momiji grew up!! loves toheu romantically, challenged kyo, really meant it, wanted a fair love game, got freed, lost tohru romantically & faced momiji! but that’s not all? we still have space!! quick add akito’s moodiness & love triangle with her dog & her submissive bed partner, add a happy comedy for no reason whatever & make shigue kiss tohru & wish shes 'was his lover instead!!!!!!!!! Mind you all this happened in the anime before shigure hurt tohru with his “the truth of the zodiacs talk & them accepting & feeling consolance that kyo is doomed”talk. 

-Gets whats my biggest surprise after reading this chapter ?????????

Shigure is consistent!! He isnt a rabbit hopping here & there. The dog is loyal & is tired for good reason! Him being depressed & his weird talk with thoru makes so much sense given the manga’s order.

Kyo is consistent!! In the anime, momiji surprise him with confession he loves tohru & challenge him, then kyo la~la~la~joins them downstairs for curry. Not a single expression on his face, where is the expression? it will appear when the plot is forced to address it: by the end of the ep when momiji face hin again. Then we get kyo’s reaction.

I need someone to tell the anime that actions require a reaction. You can refrain from showing a certain reaction if you can’t address it now, but you can’t erase it, negate it, then make it appear when have to!!!! couldn’t they make kyo refuse to join them & eat together? the     other characters wont be surprised they think he’s needlessly moody. The audience will know that kyo is troubled with momiji’s challenged & it will excite them!!! having kyo just go eat & watch the momiji/hiro/haru/yuki comedy skit is weird.

The manga’s author wanted kyo to join the dinner, like the anime did. but huge difference. the author actually cares for logic reaction & understands that the audience aren’t dumb little kids that will sit & wait for kyo’s turn to...react! nope! she did this: (a) & (b) below.

-Lost Small Bits/ Panels from the chapter.. But Sadly Big Huge Chunks for Characters buildup & Growth:

(a) addressed the fact the hiro noticed kyoru is in love & dressed that shigure was right!! the cat being in love is a weird concept to the zodiacs! hiro reacted naturally & the author used hiro to flesh yuki’s (the rat), momiji’s (the rabbit) & haru’s (the cow) decision to silently watch the kyo (the cat) makes his own decisions to live!!! They won’t interfere or tell akito or remind him of his state as the doomed caged cat. So sad this moment is cut from yuki. Why must yuki only interact with kyo to beat him (all seasons)? why must yuki only think of kyo to envy him (all seasons) ? Here, yuki’s growth towards kyo as a person & his relationship with tohru is 1000 times better than all tohru is my mom’s sh!t & I envy kyo’s Sh!t we saw in the anime over & over till we memorized it.

(b) kyo didnt just go la~la~eat with momiji after knowing he loves tohru. Nope, there’s small bits missing: called logical emotional reaction. He was surprised he’s caught pining over tohru! cuz yuki, the audience representative, has told us in the previous chapter that ppl in love dont notice anything around them. Kyo thinks him being cold hid his feelings. the dummy’s feelings are as bright as the sun in the Sahara, tohru too. a child read her! such small thing that wont take much space from the ep but was cut cuz kyo only needs to be responsive at the ep’s end. & this scene of kyo & tohru looking awkwardly at each other is minor in space but so important cuz kyo is determined to let go but his decision is challenged by not only momiji, but his natural attraction to tohru. Here he knows he’s caught & exposed... here he knows momiji is a better choice for tohru cuz he wont didn’t hurt her mom... here he knows that even yuki is better cuz never had to pretend to be cold to her... here he knows the world is better than him... & here he just cant help by smile & walks towards her... T_T ... another lesson in writing slow burns by Takaya-san.

-Why would the anime team pass on this?? drawing kyoru closer after the epic tear in Cinderella ep, cuz they want empty suspense~! The anime team thinks that if kyo & tohru stand next to each other, then it means all their issues are solved & the audience are so stupid as to forget tohru’s mom, kyo’s imprisonment, kyo not confessing his sins to tohru & tohru’s need to make a choice wether to fogive hom or not.. nope! you see, they think, ppl who read mangas are smart, so the author can give this epic symbolism & pp would still be not sure kyoru is end game & tohru will forgive him or kyo even fogive himself, but ppl who watch, oh no, gotta cut all the plot worthy content, produce a graduation song for a minor character, cut all kyo/tohru interaction cuz it only means romance & not at all character depth & oh if we show yuki actually formulating deep thoughts that aren’t centered around him, the audience might forget his se02 struggles! or that might ruin yuki’s upcoming growth moment in the finale where he .. you guessed it hits kyo.. as he always do & sulk &  think abt himself cuz yuki can only do monologues when he’s directly involved.... man~it is so sad how the anime is dumped down.. Who is the target audience again? not kids as young as hiro cuz even hiro is smart!

-just look:

 Momiji talks abt kyo shouldn't give up loving tohru & the authr shows this this ghost!!! his mom! The author reminds us that kyo isnt da~~~~ forgetting anything. He’s a deeply troubled soul & hos mom wants him locked cuz she too was locked in a cage & thinks that’s safer...why oh why you dump ur own story! sh!t~

Side Notes:

I like the closeups on Kisa’s face as she interacted with kyo. It’s very rare for kisa to have a world beside the endearing parental/big protective bro/big doting sister love she has with tohru & haru & off course the romantic love with hiro which was perhaps since their birth or sth. lol.  Kisa & kyo arent much on the brotherly side as they rarely interact, but its one of those  refreshing  interactions she has that helps cast a new light on her as tiny as it is,  but its sth out of the norm around her. She sees him  around tohru & gets to perceive his true unprovoked character. “He is  nice guy”.

I really wanted to punch kureno this chapter.. like Shigure is a jerk shitty dog for sleeping with akito’s mom but kureno... dude.. you submissively sleep with the guy’s eternal love interest & still walks in on him talking to her!!! lol. you’re mentally, emotionally & physically weaker than him & yet, she puts you on her bed, not him & you, tho not wanting her at all, dont walk away. No wonder shigure is defeated & wishing for someone like tohru, lol! Even if shigure met an older tohru-like person, it wont work. shigure deserve someone like him mean, schemer & loves playing power games. Tohru is someone who values honesty & commutation, not saying she’s an angel on earth, but tohru knows who suits her.. except fate is saying: NO. .... currently. lol.

I know kureno’s weakness is part of his character & I love that such characters exits. There are ppl ike that in real life. It’s just this chapter, I felt shigure’s frustration. XD

Yuki in this ep is the best yuki. no exaggeration here, I love when yuki is calmly thoughtful of others & here its kyo of all ppl !!!! cutting this scene is sad.. without it, kyo & yuki remain a cat & rat in the anime. Only ever thinking abt each other thro envious binoculars or hateful words or yuki giving kyo comedic hitting or life’s problem-solving hitting. Why can’t anime yuki be interactive outside his self-centered issues is beyond me.

Momiji & kyo’s interactions are always the best! whether comedy or drama.

I hated the curry cooking scene in the anime... so weirdly out of the ep’s flow.. very forced comedy... in the manga it had a purpose! not just quick add comedy cuz next shot momiji curse breaks & drama & we’ll close the ep with tears & sadness & glimpses of hope...

I love haru’s answer to hiro... so him.. “a guy can’t fall in love?”so chill.. so..simple.

[shadowscans]

Translation of natalie.mu's Interview with Soumatou

Source: https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/shadowshouse03

With the TV anime “Shadows House” starting its broadcast on the 10th of April, Comic Natalie is running a special feature on the work. In this third installment of the series, the original author Soumatou makes their long-awaited appearance. Here, we are given the chance to hear them talk about the behind the scene of the production, the sense of speed that comes from the short amount of time between the adaptation decision and the broadcast, the background behind the creation of the original work where the characters have no face and whose expressions cannot be seen, as well as the story behind the creation of the 2-person unit Soumatou, with Nori in charge of design, and Hisshi in charge of drawing. It should be noted that in this interview, they are answering not as Nori and Hisshi but as Soumatou.

“It’s probably a work that’s hard to adapt into anime”

──Soumatou-san, when did you hear of the anime adaptation?

In 2019, about 50 chapters were made free to read online, and amidst the great response, we learned that the anime adaptation was greenlit.

── Making something open to the public has such an effect, huh?

When “Shadows House” started, it was a relatively subdued serialization. With the chapters being made free to read, people started sharing their thoughts through various means like Twitter, and the paper volumes were selling out. In regards to the public release, back when the person in charge proposed the idea, we approved of it since our impression was that “If not many people were reading it anyways, then let’s just give that a try.” Therefore, in the midst of all that, when we heard of the anime adaptation, we were very surprised. “Is there such a thing?” Because production starts immediately after the decision, it was very speedy.

──With how short the time period is between the decision and the start of broadcast, it doesn’t seem like you have much time to rejoice huh (laugh).

We were happy at the time of the decision of course, but apart from that, “It’s probably a work that’s hard to adapt into anime” was what we thought. In the first place, we’re the type that only believe in something we can see, so it didn’t really sink in for us. We were thinking something like “This project might not even fall through” (laugh). That is why ever since the anime adaptation was publicly announced, the feeling of joy finally sinked in.

──Soumatou-san, in what ways were you involved with the anime?

We supervised roughly all the main processes. When the anime adaptation was greenlit, since the person in charge advised me that “If you will be involved, then be involved with everything. If you won’t be involved, then don’t be involved with anything at all,” we thought “If it’s going to be like that, then we will do as much as we can.” However, the supervision of the script was quite hefty, and having to do that concurrently with the serialization was rather physically difficult.

──I had the chance to watch the first episode, and the thing that surprised me was the original development related to Emilyko’s establishment. Was it difficult to supervise these parts?

We had thought to draw that in the original work, though we decided not to since we thought it wasn’t particularly important. That was just a story from the original work which was added on. However, what was difficult were the adjustments made based on the decision at the script meeting to also depict elements or episodes which are not yet revealed in the original work. We have to think two steps ahead of the current plot of the ongoing serialization, then we have to put in stories or elements that would put us closer to that in the anime. It was a maddening task (laugh).

──If that’s the case, then it seems like it would be fun to compare the original work with the anime huh. Even though it’s difficult, was it refreshing to work on the anime?

Yes. Since we didn’t know anything about anime, or rather, we had no production know-how, so at first, we had no idea how everything would progress. To begin with, we gave them the material created for the serialization. Because we have already created a vast amount of material like the building’s 3D layout, it was easy to say “This is what the layout looks like.” In addition, even though the creation of the colored edition was intended for overseas readers, that material seemed to have been of use for the creation of the colors in the anime. In that sense, there might have been little materials that must be created when it comes to adapting it into an anime.

Supervising as far as the way soot is emitted and the movement of the Clingers

──Soumatou-san, what kind of impression did you have when you saw the anime?

We were amazed by how much more profound the atmosphere was than what we expected. We knew the character’s line drawing and the colors that go on them since we supervised it, but we can’t visualize the final image with just that. However, when we saw the processed recording with the background attached, we felt it was close to the impression of the original work.

──How about the directing?

Expressions that aren’t possible in the manga, such as the movement of the soot, Emilyko rolling on the ground or the inclusion of the song that the Living Dolls sang to themselves, left me with a strong impression.

──As for the soot, I was convinced that it would move like that. Was that also supervised by you?

As for the soot and the clingers, we were shown a few patterns, then we fine-tuned it from there.

──By the way, what kinds of patterns were there?

As for the soot, there was a difference in how it was emitted, be it softly or firmly. For the clingers, there was a difference in the movement, like whether it would move slowly like a cockroach or quickly. Such were the patterns that were there. We did quite a bit of trial and error.

Only the voice actors for Kate and Emilyko were entirely decided by others

──Did you go to the dubbing location?

We only visited for the first time to say hello. The voice actors went through the performance about 3 times. As we listened to the anime staff's directions without giving any input ourselves, we felt it fit our image. On the other hand, when the voice actors were asked by the director “Is there any part you want to re-record at the end?,” they responded with things like “I want to re-record this part” or “would this part be better like this instead,” one after another amending it. It was also the first time we observed a dubbing session, so we were very impressed.

──Well then, did Soumatou-san have any particular request?

There were one or two scenes where we thought “This doesn’t seem to come through, so we want it like this,” and asked them to redo the intonation. However, because anime has a fixed length, I felt that it was better to leave it to the director to draw out the best performance within that time limit. The rest of the time, it was alright for us to really just watch.

──That’s roughly how I imagined it to be. Well, then, please tell us about the impression you got from the main characters. First , how were Kate’s by Kitou Akira-san and Emilyko’s Sasahara Yuu-san?

The rough images of Kate and Emilyko’s voices in our own heads were just “calm” and “cheerful.” That’s why we were able to express our wishes after the audition for the other characters. However, just for these two, we only said, “Please use the person that fits the best'' and left it for others to decide (laugh). When we heard the audition, our impression was that Sasahara-san would fit Kate’s voice, and Kitou-san would fit Emilyko’s voice. However, when we looked at the results, it turned out to be the other way around. There are differences between the performance they did at the audition and at the start of the dubbing, though now we felt that this way was definitely more fitting.

──The other shadow and living doll pairs are played by one person each. What was your impression when you heard of that?

We stated in the original work that the shadows and living dolls have different voices. However, for the anime, when the idea to have the same person performing the roles was proposed, we told them that “we are looking forward to the voice actors doing their best.” The voices are altered based on vocal ranges, and I think the end result is that you will be able to enjoy the voice actors’ varied performances.

──Currently, the cast for four sets of characters has been announced. Please tell us your impressions about each of them.

Sakai Koudai-san’s duet between the hearty, easily carried away John and the cool-headed Shaun is very amusing. Both characters sound good, and their voices are cute. As for Sakura Ayane-san, she was able to portray the very different atmospheres between the lively Louise and the calm Lou.

──Those two consist of clearly different characters so it might be easy to work with, but I felt that the remaining two seem difficult.

Indeed. Kawashima Reiji-san has to play Patrick and Ricky - two characters whose voices and personalities are quite similar, so we thought it was quite a hard role. However, he was able to perform the roles with the understanding of the fine differences in the character of the two. For Shimoji Shino-san who plays the role of Shirley and Ram, there is a lot of dialogue with the imaginary friend, and she has to portray a different image than that of others. She said that “It’s a type of character that I have never played before,” but her voice fitted perfectly.

The pair’s 20-year relationship

──Well then, let’s move from “Shadows House” and let's hear about you Soumatou san, and your past works. You two work together as a pair, but when did you get to know each other?

We have known each other since when we were students, so it is already a roughly 20-year relationship.

──Why did you two start making manga together?

When Hisshi stopped submitting to manga awards, they no longer drew their own manga and ended up settling down as an assistant. I thought that this was a waste of potential, so when I quit my own job, I told Hisshi that I would write my own stories and asked Hisshi to draw them.

──Afterwards, you seemed to have created doujinshi for a while huh.

Yes. Because Nori normally doesn’t read manga and had not created a manga before, we thought to make a lot of them and send them to publishers. Since around 2008, we made a few and showed them at exhibitions. Afterwards, we were able to thankfully get in touch with Shueisha.

──It sure is amazing that you called out and said that you would “make your own story” even though you had no prior experience. Nori-san, what is it about the manga that Hisshi-san made that drew you in?

The composition is very skillful. To phrase it slightly poorly, even if the story is not that interesting, the skillful composition has the power to make you read from beginning to end. That is why Hisshi was able to receive rewards from various magazines.

──I see.

However, since I’m the type to make a manga from whatever episode or idea I want to draw, I have a good grasp on it, but I’m bad at putting things in order over a long span of time. I can draw one-offs, but they did not lead to serialization at all. It seemed like I was slowly running out of things I wanted to draw.

──How do you two divide the work for making the manga? For example, please teach us the making of a single chapter of “Shadows House.”

Firstly, Nori describes the entire course of events, then after bouncing the ideas off of Hisshi, it’s all put together into the plot. With that as the base, Hisshi makes the mini storyboards, which Nori then uses in the briefing session with the editor. Afterwards, Hisshi draws up the real storyboards, and after another meeting with the editor, we head to the rough draft. Hisshi checks that rough draft, then we work on things like new characters, backgrounds, minor characters and the frontispiece’s design. Then, Hisshi inks a pen sketch while Nori does assistant work around the characters. Finally, Hisshi puts the finishing touches and the manuscript is complete. Also, Nori makes the final adjustments to the dialogue right before submission.

──You sure communicate in great detail.

We think we go back and forth more than others whose original works and drawings are separated. Furthermore, we also consult each other when we come to a standstill in our work.

Both “Kuro” and “Girigiri out” have the same ingredients

──Well then let’s return to “Shadows House”, please tell us how and from where you got the idea for the work.

I was staring at a mannequin at a clothing store when the idea suddenly flashed in my mind. The rest is a mishmash of things such as Hisshi’s specialty of clothes and backgrounds, as well as our shared interest in buildings and everyday life in a strange setting.

──Even if you have come up with the idea, it must take courage to make the main characters pitch black, right?

Mangaka are tasked with doing works like drawing facial expressions, though we wondered whether it was possible to present emotions without facial expressions in “Shadows House.” Nori simply thought that “It can be done in novels, so it should be possible in manga too,” and Hisshi hates drawing characters’ faces (laugh). Hisshi even says that “I just want to draw clothes and backgrounds” all the time. Of course Hisshi tries to draw the characters cutely, but that’s without a spontaneous desire to do so.

──That’s surprising to hear, since in your previous work “Girigiri out”, the charm of the beautiful heroine is pushed to the forefront.

Originally Nori was a graphic designer, and Hisshi was a Mangaka’s assistant, so it was deeply ingrained in us to accede to others’ demands. There wasn’t anything that we could say “We want to draw that!” about as Soumatou. Because of that, basically, we are the type to start by fumbling at themes and genres that the editor has an interest in. From there, we come up with various things, and the engine gradually starts. Moreover, at the serialization meeting, among the three works we submitted, “Girigiri Out” was a discarded idea to give the impression that we were trying our best. We thought that if we submitted three works at the serialization meeting then it could look as if we’re trying our best (laugh). Since we didn’t think of anything aside from the 3 chapters submitted at the meeting, when the time came for the serialization, we were worried about what to draw from there.

──”Girigiri Out” is about a situation surrounding a girl who wets herself when she’s nervous, and a boy with the power to suppress someone’s urge to urinate through touch. Even though you have only thought of 3 chapters, during the serialization, you drew quite a few variations on wetting oneself huh.

Generally speaking, we were motivated to make every chapter a different situation (laugh).

──Furthermore, among your previous works, “Kuro” has parts that felt connected to “Shadows House”, but “Girigiri Out”’s style was surprising. I understand now that it’s a story that started from fumbling about with themes and genres of interest to the editor.

However, maybe it’s hard to notice, but the themes drawn in “Kuro” and “Girigiri Out” have quite a bit in common. Everyday life in a strange setting, strange characters that are not people, restlessness, action, surreal jokes, familial love, release from trauma, folk beliefs… the packaging is different, but “Shadows House” also has roughly those same ingredients.

We want to do a gag manga next, but it might be difficult?

──Please let us hear a bit more about “Shadows House.” The story was carefully foreshadowed from the beginning, but just how far ahead did you plan at the start of the serialization?

Since the beginning we have faintly thought about what happens very far ahead into the future, and from there we flesh it out. However, we don’t know how long each part will take if we haven’t drawn it, and parts do change due to the characters’ relationships. For example, at first we had planned for the Debut to end in about 3 chapters.

──In reality it took a volume and a half. That sure is a big change.

We have a bad habit of putting off thinking about the minute details.

──The garden in the Debut also had such a complicated map that I didn’t think it was planned to end in just 3 chapters.

The person in charge is someone who likes exciting and shounen-like things, so we were told that “If I go to the garden then I want a map of the garden.” Though, since we haven’t thought of anything, we spent the next day making a map of the garden as well as all of the gimmicks (laugh). We feel like without that, the story would have been aimless, so we appreciate the advice.

──It certainly has an exciting adventurous feel to it, so the Debut looks like something that would shine in an anime huh. By the way, when I was reading “Shadows House,” the thing that surprised me the most was how screentone was not used at all. I’m sorry that it’s a simple question, but isn’t that quite difficult?

It normally is difficult (laugh). Originally, for a drawing method that suits the work, we wanted something that is reminiscent of old printed works. It started when Nori, who was simply bored, lightheartedly suggested that “This time let’s use hatching (Method of filling in space using uniform parallel lines).” It limits the range of expressions, so now we do regret it a little bit.

──I will continue to enjoy your wonderful drawings from now on. Lastly, you mentioned that “there wasn’t anything that you wanted to draw as Soumatou,” but when you finish drawing “Shadows House,” please tell us what genre you want to tackle next.

Let’s see… how about gag manga? We originally started with drawing gag manga, and the works submitted together with “Shadows House” at the serialization meeting also had comedy in them. However, the gag portion was so hard to do that the editor was put off by it. It might be difficult, but it would be nice if we could publish it some day (laugh).

[saezuru-another-tampopo]

Today, I have found another brilliant interview with YONEDA Sensei with the same interviewer.

It’s about a film by Takeshi KITANO, but how she thought about the film tells us a lot about what kind of thoughts and feelings she had (and probably still had) toward men in the underworld.

So, I introduce you my translations for two excerpts from the article here.

:::::::::::::::::::::

“Outrage: The Final Chapter”

Narrated by Kou YONEDA:

Behold the Ultimate Embodiments of Narcissism of Men!”

An Interview by Yoko MATOBA

An Excerpt from Comic Nathalie

https://natalie.mu/comic/pp/outragecoda03

::::::::

[…]

ーー In addition to all those complex human relationships surrounding Yashiro, you also have been depicting the relationships and game plays, which are special to the world of the Yakuza, from your unique perspective.

Kou YONEDA:

I am not totally sure if I have been able to express it well enough, I have been drawing (/ creating) it [the work; Saezuru] with quite a lot of ironies.

That goes toward the world of the Yakuza as well as toward the issues of such things as sexuality of men and women, and depictions of sex.

Like Doumeki, who is “Seme [top guy; “the offender” in a literal Japanese word]” being impotent, or Yashiro, who is “Uke [bottom guy; “the receiver” in a literal Japanese word]” being seriously masochistic yet at the same time sadistic and lecherous, and having opposing contradictory feelings toward everything.

This is a part rather hard to describe with words, though.

[…]

ーーLastly, could you please tell us what are the “points of your recommendations” in "Outrage: The Final Chapter"?

Kou YONEDA:

After all, [I think] the highlight of (/ best parts to enjoy in) this film is the violence, that comes one after another in massive successions.

Also, the farcicality (/ ridiculousness) of the men, being so desperate in trying to save their faces as Gokudo [; Yakuza].

The Yakuza have to act out the “strong selves” in order to live as the Yakuza.

They cannot get played around and looked down by others because they cannot lose faces ( / set bad examples) for their subordinates.

Even if they actually don’t have spare money, they have to pay when they have to and to play cool.

Really, so many of them like playing cool - the Yakuza guys (laughter).

I think they have the mottos that “men have to be strong”, which is a pretty old-fashioned way of life.

Young men nowadays probably are thinking it’s good to live their lives in their natural styles, and I think it is, in fact, an extremely difficult thing, to live like those men, putting on bold fronts in those ways.

However, for them, because that has come to be the place they have to keep on living in, they cannot get out of there.

I think they are a kind of people who can live only in the world like that.

It feels to me that side of those guys is sad, as well as comical, and also sweet [“kawairashii”; sweet, cute, adorable].

I want you to watch and enjoy the momentary and ephemeral modes of living of such guys, who fight in between their narcissism and pride, their true feelings and outward pretences.

Also, I think it would feel conversely refreshing, while watching the film, in the sense that it never gets wet at all in its atmosphere….

As such, I’ve tried to close (laughter).

ーーThank you very much.

:::::::::::::::

[crayonwriting]

Holy (Sakusa Kiyoomi)

summary: ‘and i realize no one has ever touched me before you’—bridgett devoue

Sakusa was always known as the cautious one. He never hid the fact that he was more careful of the things he comes in contact with, not to mention the people. It took a while—months, sometimes a year—before he would be safely comfortable with anyone.

But that wasn't the case with you.

When you had met, he treated you like how he did with people he's first met with: pocketed hands, a glare directed at your outstretched ones and a good three feet distance in between. You were partnered with Komori on a school project which required you to walk home with him for a couple of days. He and his cousin were neighbours—besides the fact that they're both on the volleyball team—so it was practical for them to walk home together. 

Komori had already given you a warning of his cousin. You thought it was an exaggeration but nonetheless, you respected Sakusa's boundaries. You had stayed on the other side of Komori all those times but maintained your want of befriending the tall germaphobe. 

Safe to say that after a few weeks, even after you and Komori finished the project, Sakusa found himself wanting to walk you home for the purpose of "making sure you got home safe." You had blushed at the statement back then but accepted it nonetheless.

It wasn't long before you had started dating which surprised the whole Itachiyama volleyball team—minus Komori. Nothing really changed when you both got together. Sure, he walked a tad bit closer to you or would let your shoulders or elbows brush past each other and he wouldn't flinch, but that was it. You weren't sure of initiating physical contact with Sakusa and had just concluded that the time will present itself.

And it did—in the form of you crying in front of the school gates while waiting for him. You had failed an exam you had studied so hard for. He offered you his handkerchief which you took gratefully, wiping your face of the tears. Your shoulders shook as you hiccuped, still feeling down.  

Something in Sakusa's chest twisted uncomfortably at the sight of your red and puffy face, not to mention the sad aura you emitted in your broken state. He hated that feeling and he never wanted to see you like this again. 

He felt his body move on autopilot. He lifted his arm and placed his hand on top of your head, giving it a few soft pats. Your body went rigid at the contact. You were shocked at the new gesture and weren't quite sure yet how to respond. 

Not feeling satisfied with just patting your head, he gently held your shoulders closer, one arm wrapping around them while the other went around your waist. He leaned his head down just so his lips were aligned to your ears.

"S-Sakusa, I—"

"Don't cry." He said softly. He wanted to say more. He wanted to tell you that he hates seeing your crying face and that he's there whenever you need him. He'll help you study for that class again even if he's tired from volleyball practice. 

But he doesn't say anything. Instead, he tilts his head to the side and kisses your temple. 

You knew he wasn't affectionate in public—good thing the school's almost empty now. You also knew that Sakusa giving you a hug was a huge step in your relationship and you were glad that he's finally comfortable to let you into his personal space. 

Slowly, you lifted your arms and wrapped them around his waist. He tensed slightly but relaxed almost immediately.  He seemed to hold you tighter to him as you pressed your cheek to his shoulder, revelling at the warmth his body was giving off.

Sakusa was hyper-aware of the feel of your hands against his back and your warm breath against his chest.  In a different situation, he would have flinched and walked away in an instant—but this was you. Everything was different when it came to you. He felt a sense of comfort and belonging with just your touch. 

He should be the one giving off comfort for you right now so, he gave you another gentle squeeze and pressed this soft lips against your forehead.

"Let's go home."

Sakusa never forgot that day. The way you held each other led to more moments like it—minus you crying, of course. Despite being cautious, he showed his trust in you through his touch which you never took for granted. You did your best to make him feel comfortable and safe within your hold.

Trust, safety and love.

He couldn’t help but let a small smile grace his face at the memory as he sat on the small couch of the room. He was waiting for you to get dressed in your hikifurisode while the guests waited in another room. Who would’ve thought that he’d be able to hold you for forever now?

“Anata.”

Sakusa turned towards your voice. His heart leapt at the sight of you, glowing and just pure angelic.  He closed the distance between and held your hands in his. He lifted one up, kissing your knuckles softly, never taking his eyes away from you. You felt yourself blush at the thought.

“We’re already married but you still blush like a school girl.” He remarked with a smirk. You bit your lip, fighting a laugh, then playfully punched his shoulder.

“How can I not when I have you as a husband? I mean, have you seen yourself?” You held his face in between your palms. You tiptoed slightly and pulled him down towards you, kissing the delicate moles on his forehead tenderly. You pulled back just enough to look into his eyes but still close that your noses were brushing against each other. “You’re beautiful, Omi.”

Sakusa just hummed and rolled his eyes. He leaned in quick and kissed the corner of your lips. He then placed his chin on your shoulder, tugging you closer within his arms. He sighed at the familiar feel of your arms snaking around his back and your fingers rubbing the nape of his neck, twisting the ends of his hair.

“I love you.” He breathed.

“I love you too.” You kissed his cheek affectionately.

—

a/n: i cannot, for the love of god, unhear justin bieber singing “’cause the way you hold me omi omi omi omi, feels so ho-ho-ho-holy” samebiebersame thus this fic was born. i know i ain’t the only one who hears that!

if y’all don’t know the song, it’s ‘Holy’ by Justin Bieber ft. Chance the Rapper.

also, i dedicate this chapter to @romaune​ for her characterization post for omi-kun. this is my first time writing for omi and it helped me a lot. i hope i did justice to omi because he deserves the world. 

ps. this isn’t proof read yet. will do it when before i go to work. tell me if there are any errors!

pps. yes yes i shall be working on mamma mia after this i promise