#1:1 scale puppet

[chernobog13]

Vermithrax Pejorative from the film Dragonslayer (1981).

[not-a-workin-boy]

when i get my hands on the pruppet show it is over for all of you. maybe even more over than it would be if i got the 10th Anniversary one. spg fandom WILL feel the wrath of someone who just got patreon. soon...

[borom1r]

saying this w all the love in my heart bc I too would like more SAW merch but the moment u say “I want more SAW merch after the new movie” the monkey’s paw fucking curls and it will all be Billy. ONLY Billy. maybe a pig mask if we’re lucky, but we won’t be. mark my fucking words

[plastic-addicted]

1/24 scale armored puppet sakura edge

[demonic0angel]

City Spirits Cont. (click for clarity)

Ty for the various suggestions and ideas from everybody! And thank you for the support! I really appreciate it :D

Notes:

+ Dani is the spirit of the Batvehicles, including the Batboat and Batplane. As explained in this post, she can travel freely amongst any vehicles owned by the Batfam in Blüdhaven and Gotham City. She mainly stays with the Batmobile, however.

+ Dan is the spirit of Blüdhaven. There are a few reasons for this.

1) I had already planned the background for this AU longggg before I ever thought of drawing it out, and there had always been a sister spirit to Gotham City (I will make a post about this later), 2) I feel like too many spirits in one city would piss off Danny and Dan and also piss off me, 3) Both Dan and Danny are stronger than Jazz and Dani, and I wanted to show that through the scale of what they're spirits of, ex: Danny being the most powerful so he gets the biggest city and Jazz being much weaker, so she is only Crime Alley, etc, 4) Blüdhaven is often described as being even more violent and corrupt than Gotham (which I honestly don’t believe), but I like how Dan represents that sort of city, 5) *gently makes my Dick and Dan puppets kiss* no other reason.

+ All spirits were attached to their place at similar times, but did not come to awareness at the same time. Danny woke up to existence first, while Dani came to awareness last. Their strength also relates to how big/important the places or objects they are attached to.

+ Dani is dressed like Batman with Robin features and accents. She isn't dressed in the formal, old style like everyone else bc the Batmobile isn't that old. She came to awareness not that long after Batman started using it and due to time shenanigans, so she is rather young compared to her siblings.

+ Dan is dressed like a 1900s cop/detective. I got the inspiration from this reblog by @blackdiamondcat and I really liked it. His face is hidden bc all of their faces are hidden.

+ Extras: other spirits include Sam (who travels between any park/garden in Gotham, which includes Neo-Eden and Robinson Park), Tucker (the Watchtower), Valerie (Arkham Asylum), and Wes (the gargoyles in Gotham City, as inspired by @voiceofdragons in the comments of the original post). (Still subject to change). The only spirits in Blüdhaven are Dan and occasionally Dani, since Dan is very territorial.

[smallpwbbles]

AU MASTERPOST

Sonic AUS:

Biolizard Shadow au:

Character refs:

Shadow and scrapped Maria ref / Robotnik fam/ Ark Scientists/ Black arms/Doom Morph/ Eclipse (monster/ Super BL Shadow/ Black arms BL Shadow/ Age timeline/ Fire powers/ Inhibitor rings

Doodles/Comics:

Purring/ Sedatives/ Immaturity/ Baby BL Shadow 1 / Directions/ Empty/ Tails and Big/ Sibling shenanigans 1/ Maria death/ Cream is neat/ Swearing/ Anxiety filter 1/ Copyright laws/ Loser/ Loaf/ Omega/ Tangle/ Cream/ Gossip/ Coat/ Brain freeze/ Baby BL Shadow 2/ High five/ Anxiety filter 2/ So long Gay Shadow/ Sonic is dead/ Ignorance/ Lizard things / Anxiety filter 3/ Cream 2/ Knuckles/ Scales / Scales 2/ Scales 3/ Ratatouille/ What are you/ Down/ Sorry?/ Sick/ Gloating/ Lizardnip/ Chaos control/ Sibling shenanigans 2/ Recovery/ Softie/ Shrunk/ Age/ Sibling shenanigans 3 / Embarrassing/ YOU

Animatics:

Lizard eyes/ Ew/ When you grow up?/ Clones/ Nightmare/ Stop/ Do anything for her

Fun facts:

1 2

Fanfic link:

Can you be called a prototype if you’re the only project made?

Fanfic doodles/comics:

Chapter 1 /Chapter 4/ Chapter 5/ Chapter 7/ Chapter 8

End Sonic AU:

Character refs:

End sonic/ Post possessed Sonic/ Super Amy/ Puppet Tails

Doodles/Comics:

Tails dies last/ The possession/ The wrong world 1/ The wrong world 2/ Fighting back 1/ Fighting back 2/ He's still my bro/ Do something/ Fix this?/ Technopath 1/ Technopath 2/ Changed body

Animatics:

Mouthing off to a ancient being

Memory loss au (this one is more linear):

1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5

[thylacines-toybox]

Rating various small thylacines on how well they fit as a joey in Artemisia's pouch

If you have recently acquired a Charlie Bears Pathfinder yourself, you'll have noticed their fairly spacious pouch! Wondering if there are any littler thylacines out there that are a good fit? Wonder no more!

(Although uh, good luck finding some of them for sale...)

First: yes, the pouch opens at the back and it looks a bit funny! That's an accurate thylacine pouch! It's actually a fairly normal way round for a marsupial pouch to be, when it's not on a bipedal kangaroo.

That said... there are a lot of photos of a plush thylacine's rear end in here. You may 'teehee' a little bit, but be decent!

Joeys will be placed in the pouch head first when possible, with their backs down and their feet up, as they are usually depicted riding in there.

Chicory (Bocchetta mini): 7/10

A decent size! A bit of a squash to get them in there, their hips are a bit wide especially, but once they're in their tail sticks out pretty cutely. Maybe with a little stuffing removed this would be even better!

Also, of all the thylacines on this list, this one is the easiest to obtain for sure.

Celery (a different Bocchetta mini, either an older style or the keyring version without the keyring...): 9/10

Squishier, thinner and more flexible than Chicory, so fits in really well! A very good joey!

Though... One thing with the Bocchettas is that their muzzles are so stubby, and they look quite out of place next to Artemisia's snooty snoot...

Dill (Paradise Ark mini): 6/10

Not too bad, but his legs are kinda tall and sturdy and it's a bit hard to get the back ones in. It's like he's kicking poor Artem in the stomach.

Wooden thylacine (NOM Handcrafted): 1/10

Technically fits in fine but uh... Ouch???

Purslane (it's a coin purse... by Tasile): 4/10

Pretty easy to fit in there at least since it's mostly unstuffed aside from the head, but too silly to be a joey... It has straps on the back, that's not very joeylike. Doesn't even have a tail to poke out cutely!

(Also I have literally never seen another of these before, so not very accessible...)

Felted finger puppet from EverestPetsSupply on Etsy: 5/10

Also a bit too silly although it fits well. Gains an extra point for the lack of straps and for the funny little pawsies looking extra cute there, but still no tail!

... Since it's got the finger puppet hole, does that technically count as a pouch too?? If only I had a micro thylacine to fit in there lol. Nested thylas.

Now for some I made myself...

Saffron (old tiny version of the ones I sell): 5/10

Though small, he was actually a bit tricky to fit in there because he's pretty solidly stuffed with beans... Not very squishy. Alright once he's in place though.

Also, the bright colours do not match Artem's realism at all. Not related, you can't fool me.

Nettle (modded bashful Jellycat): 1/10

Wh... no! Don't be silly! That's clearly not going to work! Sleeping bag???

You look like you need a pillow.

There we go. Now get outta there...

Nutmeg and Paprika: 5/10 or 9/10

They can be twins! Thylacines were actually meant to have more than one joey at a time, so that's cool! However, fitting more than one in at a time is definitely a struggle... Might be time to start leaving these ones in the den, Artem...

One at a time they fit very well! Much squishier than Saffron was.

Clove (Cinnamon's joey): 0/10

Hey! That's someone else's baby, put that back! Far too small, completely the wrong scale. Fits great in Cinnamon's pouch instead where she belongs.

Artem's actual joey who isn't named yet: 10000/10

Perfect joey, fits in there easily but doesn't fall out, is exactly where they should be!! Not actually visible from the outside when in place because they're not old enough and just soooo snug in there.

Ok actually -1 point because sometimes the little magnetic dummy falls off in there lol. Otherwise perfect babby.

[calllynx]

Ancients and Iterators

Text (if you can't read it):

Panel 1: "Not that anyone has asked, but..." Panel 2: "If you were wondering about the scale of iterators in comparison to us ancients," Panel 3: "We call them "puppets"" "As in-" Panel 4: "Hand Puppets."

[dailyadventureprompts]

Dungeon: Murder in the House of Dolls

Art 1, Art 2

Though once the prize project of a master artificer famed for bringing joy across the land, the Lyrebird theatre now moulders in obscurity, its once wondrous hall now a place where strange things lurk unseen.

Adventure Hooks:

A body turns up in the party's home city, a tattooed man dressed in antiquated robes like the king of a fallen empire, exanguinated from strange cuts that encircle his major joints. Investigating the tattoos reveals that he was part of a gang that made it's coin "acquiring" things for interested parties by any means. Careful reconstruction of his trail leads to a tumbledown neighborhood frequented by artistic types. Perhaps they can point the investigators in the right direction.

If the party aren't the type to be solving crimes, a fence they know has a job for them: breaking into some boarded up building and stealing some select doohickeys on behalf of a wealthy buyer. Never mind that the last crew she sent in never came back.

Following rumors of strange music playing in the night, or their own need to aquire materials on the cheap, the party might find their own way to the Lyrebird. Sometimes you just need an urban dungeon delve on the quick, yeknow?

Background: It was a brilliant idea in concept, a clockwork playhouse, a scaled up version of music box automata that could play out entire performances accompanied by a clockwork band. In practicality, the system could only be made complex enough to alter between four per-determined plays, and after the novelty wore off no one wanted to see a theatre that could only run the same shows season after season, to say nothing of the stiff performances of clockwork actors.

And so the Lyrebird faded from grand attraction to tourist trap to derelict curiosity. The owners boarded up the building once it was too, which hasn't stopped adventurous youths and enterprising scavengers from sneaking in to take trophies from time to time.

None of this sat right with the spirits of art and wonder that'd come to dwell within the theater in its early days, born from the amazement of those first few years. The show must go on, and with a little encouragement from a fey-curse newly levelled against all the artificer's creations, the spirits got to work staging new performances of their favourite productions... even if they have to get a bit creative when it comes to replacing the damaged puppets.

Challenges & Complications

Using the marionette performers, the spirits infesting the theatre have been capturing those who break into the playhouse and using their bodies in place of damaged automata. A number of them are dead, as being jerked around on fillaments through dance routines or suspended by them for hours, but a few of the most recent band of thieves are piteously alive and in desperate need of rescue. Breaking them out immediately will see the spirits sending an army of possessed marionettes after the party, so the best course of action might be in staging one of the plays and getting all the victims on set before cutting them down and bolting for the door.

Navigating the mechanical theatre will require the party to venture through the uncanny corridors of the puppet workshop, the precarious pathways of the flyloft, and the deafening clatter of the orchestra pit. Along the way they'll face not only rogue marionettes and the hazards of a derelict building, but also fey mischief like swapping the doors around or costumes waiting in ambush that charm the victim into thinking they're someone else.

Even when the party escape, the Lyrebird theatre isn't done with them. Some time later the party will find one of their allies murdered, the death posed unusually so as to resemble the climax of one of the plays. The wrathful spirits of the playhouse have cobbled together a champion of porcelain, wood, and wire, and sent it out into the city to perform their art before a live audience.

[moonsaver]

Spoilers/leaks? Im so normal about Sunday you guys.....

I've heard from a few theories/leaks that Sunday's main obsession and compulsions (hinted to be OCD) are due to him mainly being possessed by Ena. Everything, down to how he sits, presents himself, positions his hands, etc.. are in "praise" of Ena, who was absorbed by the Aeon of Harmony, Xipe. It is also further suggested that The Family exploits Sunday's ability to be possessed by her as a means of bringing her back.

Also the suggestion of Sunday being really lonely as a result of Robin pursuing her career in singing outside of Penacony and leaving only him to deal with the main duties, with no other direct family member for him to really rely upon, and as a result even harboring some sort of resentment between them because of it. I am so normal about this..

Anyways, that's the main theory part. Here are 2 of my brain conjurings;

1) being Ena's obsession, but not Sunday's.

It's extremely frustrating to have to be in forced proximity for him, to someone he has no interest in, to be forced to play this puppet in the grand scheme of things for Ena, and to be forced to abide by her and take you on as a lover. It's almost humiliating, and angering for Sunday. In an almost ironic turn of events, he starts despising you for the sole reason that you're Ena's lover, and could never be his.

This slowly morphs more and more into tiring vengefulness, which burns out into desperate need of companionship. He hates you. He hates everything about this large-scale performance he has to take part in, be forced to play as a role he never wanted, be possessed by something he could almost hope to understand and is beyond his power,leaving him so angrily helpless, but also so tired. Your ease is something Sunday manages to get wildly, unhealthily attached to, the more he seeks you out when he needs you, and not whenever Ena wants to. The comfort you unknowingly bring to him and not Ena, the burdens you seem to share and take off of him, not Ena, the softness of his true feelings that are brought by you, and not for Ena. At some point, this tandem of masks falls through, and Sunday ultimately looks forward to the day you become his, and solely his. Not of Ena's. Not of his Family's. No one else. Just his.

2) Being Sunday's obsession, but not Ena's.

It's heartbreaking. He can't have you. His flesh is tortured under the absolute strain of Ena's possession over his bones. His fingers twitch in disobedience. His eyes wander in longing. His head is bombarded and stuffed with agonizing cacophonies of reminders of his miserable role. And the backdrop of your silhouette only dares to be covered by it. You cannot come near. The orchestra of his Family will not let that happen. And neither is he willing to let you come in harm's way. To become a miserable puppet of his Family, of The Harmony; to bear the long-standing curse that weaves so thoroughly within their blood, only he alone is forced to redeem. He cannot possibly let Ena notice you. Their gazes are far too many, and far too much.

[intimidating-fettuccine]

on a scale of 1-10, how brainrotted are the creeps? Apologies if this doesn’t count as a general question :,)

Anything that isn't an x reader request is generally a general/lore question :)

1 is no brainrot, 10 is having succumbed completely to the brainrot

Jeff: 6 BEN: 10 EJ: 2 LJ: 5 Toby: 7 Tim: 2 Brian: 4 Slender: 1 Liu: 4 Jane: 5 Natalie: 7 Helen: 3 Smiley: 6 Sally: 5 Offender: 4 Trender: 2 Splendor: 7 Jason: 2 Puppeteer: 5 Zalgo: 1 Candy: 5 Hobo: 2 Nina: 8 Kate: 9

[aixeko]

✧.* " Feels like we had matching wounds but mine's still black and bruised and yours is perfectly fine now. " *.✧

| Starring |  Heartless-Husband!Arlecchino x Wife!Reader

| Setting | Genshin universe

| Scenario | [ SHORT FIC ] ANGST! Hurt no comfort. One sided love. Toxic relationship. Pronouns are not used, only the title “wife” is used. 

► RADIO CHANNEL [Author note] | Art credit: 雨睡 / ojiusa on Twitter

× 1/4 drabble for Arle, will span in the course of the next 3 days for her birthday. × The fic accidentally became so similar to the song by the name of "The Exit" by Conan Gray. Good grief, I love it.

[ Word count: 915 ]

Imagine how frustrating it is to fall in love with someone as emotionally detached as Arlecchino—especially considering the circumstances surrounding her past wounds and the fractured void where her heart should lie.

Not only that, Arlecchino, in no way shape or form, is an ordinary mortal; no, the woman possesses feats that still remain unbeknownst to the common folks, the fourth of the Fatui Harbinger—a woman whose power is near god-like scaling and a mastermind in the art of psychological subterfuge. To even fantasize about her reciprocating your feelings, even on the platonic spectrum, is beyond preposterous. And for one's possession of such thoughts as a commoner too? It is practically shaming the esteemed legacy of her name and the reputation she holds. It is absurdly outside the unceasing versatility of the imaginative mind; to even achieve a feat like this is not even praisable; it's pathetic. Because why would the great and infamous Arlecchino, a Harbinger feared by many, show her presence to the likes of you?

Unfortunately, for the one cold star that is the destiny your heart has followed, your relationship does have a label. A husband and a wife, but in actuality, it is simply just that, a label. The dawning reality hidden under the layers of falsehood is but a one-sided beneficial connection.

To Arlecchino, you are a mere pawn, insignificant in value and easily replaceable, to be maneuvered around the vast field of her intricately thought-out chessboard, where every single move is foreseen by her convoluted calculations to achieve her ultimate goal. She is the king with the mastery to dictate the game's outcome to her desire, and you are just one of the many disposable pieces to be sacrificed for her victory.

So why must you stay longer with the very same being that shatters your heart like breathing? Why must your heart desire her so much? Had you fallen so far that your heart dare not let her go?

"Your grace and acquiescence enchant me, rare as they are lovely. Truly, you are an obedient angel, a treasure beyond measure, a diamond among the sea of glass."

Her heavenly lies ensnare you ever so effortlessly. Was it this rare showcase of affection of "true love" that blinded you so completely?

"A Harbinger's life leaves little to no room for love. Be a dear and use that pretty little head of yours solely on obeying my orders."

Ensnared by Arlecchino's siren song, her words detain you in a state of imprisonment, alluring you into a fictitious world where each promise adds another bar and each whispers another stone. In this fabricated reality, only Arlecchino exists as the true player, leaving you with a love that never was. Was it your infatuation and utter attachment to her that blinded you to the point of abandoning your freedom ever so easily in exchange for this nonexistent, one-sided relationship?

"There are desires that you lack in fulfillment; is it wrong to seek an external party for such a minuscule problem? Your fatigue is clouding your judgment; seek your chamber; you must be tired."

How can one love be so enticing and manipulative that its power warps the mind, blinding the blatant betrayal right before your very eyes? Was it the fragility of your heart that's effortlessly puppeteered that made you forgive her?

August 22nd. Your husband's birthday has arrived. Your heart aches as you clutch the divorce in your hands. You are torn between love and sacrifice; the paper—gift holds freedom for the both of you, but despite the toxicity of it all, you can't help but be reluctant to let it all go.

You can't help but admit that it felt amazing. A part of you prayed that she would decline your proposal, that she would devote your love to you, that she would assure you of all the troubles in your relationship, and that she would make you stay.

Despite all the deeds that she has done to you, your heart still desires a delusional fantasy that chases after the farthest side of the ever-expanding cosmic, never in range for your hand to grasp.

When you settled down in her office and handed the divorce paper with a shaking hand, the words that left her mouth were so cold, so cold that you felt the temperature in your body decrease in real time.

"That noggin of yours finally concluded a proper notion, I see. Any longer, and I ought to have done the deed myself, it was about time we ended this little game of ours."

Those very words sink to the deepest part of your soul and will be anchored there for as long as you live. It was those words that dawned on you about the harsh reality that you had gotten yourself stuck in.

As if it couldn't have gone worse, shortly after you handed her the divorce papers, she announced to the world her "first" official relationship with another one who isn't you.

The truth has struck you, one with a speed faster than light. The truth of it all is that you are merely a background character, playing the role of fulfillment to make the true main character of the story shine.

The truth is that to Arlecchino, you are only one of the countless blurred encounters of passing scenes in her story.

The truth is, you are simply an invisible backdrop in the vast scenery, a pawn in a world full of kings.

[ice-cream-writes-stuff]

SCALE

{When a traveler from another world becomes entangled with the world puppetry and lies..}

[1.] [2.] [3.] [4.]

-

Polendina wipes down the kitchen countertops as he dutifully cleans about. Not taking heed of the soft foot steps enter into the Hotel Krat kitchen.

Turning away from his task, the older puppet turns his attention to the newcomer. 

“Oh, hello there Good Sir. How can I help you?” The butler asks, covered palms twitching into each other as he regards the other puppet. 

“Hey! P! Show him the book!”

The puppet glances towards the lantern strapped to his hip, the cricket chirps again. “Pal found a cook book and they wanted to try the recipes inside! He seems adamant, as if we wants to make these for someone..” The cricket chirps coyly, the teasing lit in his voice noted easily.

P recalled your bemoaning of treats on one the trips while out in the city of Krat. He was all to curious of what you described, looking through books in the hotel library until finally spotting what he needed.

Polendina eyes Geppetto’s puppet, though it seemed the male was becoming more YOUR alley than older humans. 

Often seeing the two of you running about in the Hotel, then heading out into the dreadful city streets. The two of you were a strange pair, yet he would be a utter fool to diminish the bond the two of you held in your intertwining journey’s.

“Is that so?”

The other puppet nods, or whom you called P.

“I see, hm. I will check the pantry to see if we have enough rations to spare for you endeavor, Good Sir.”

P nodded, as Gemini chirps up. “Pal, I’m sure we can search around for items to just in case!”

“That seems the best option for a proper back up plan. Though, I will guide you in this conquest, as a helping hand in the kitchen.” P opens the book, searching for a specific page, finally landing on a simple cake recipe. 

“Ah I see,an excellent choice to start on.”

“Looks delicious!”

P’s lips tilt slightly upwards, a certain… Hopeful gleam, lingering about in his eyes. His springs click and chime, reacting to the thought of your happy face at the sight of the desert.

-

After securing more ingredients, then a successful attempt at learning how to bake. P stands outside your room door, carefully handling a small plate of warm, fluffy cake. Gemini sighs, “Buddy, you’re gonna’ have to knock at some point…”

The puppet gazes at the door thoughtfully. “I’m sure they’ll like it! If they don’t, I can eat it!” P lets out a small  huff, as if pouting at the idea. Knowing that the cricket couldn’t eat the sugary treat. “If you don’t knock, I will!”

P, having enough the crickets teasing, turns him off for the moment. Silently promising to switch him back on later.

Stirring awake from your nap, you hear a soft sound of a knock. You groan quietly as a sweet scent lingers in the air. Sitting up, you focus on the sugar smell like bloodhound. Opening up the door, you pause at the doorway.

“P?”

The puppet holds out a small plate and fork, right in the center laid a small slice of cake.

You open the door wider, dragging him inside. Slowly pulling him towards your bed, the two of you sit. P still offer the plate to you like a offering, you take hold of the plate. Letting it lay on your lap as grab the fork. Slowly puncturing through the spongy, but firm texture. Raising the fork to your mouth, you take a bite.

A small moan leaves your throat, a gummy smile overtaking your lips. It tasted like utter heaven!

Setting the plate down on your side dresser, P eyes you worriedly. Fretting that the noise you made was not a good sign. His hands itching in his lap, glancing back and forth between the cake and you.

Grabbing hold of his face, you pull him close. Foreheads connecting together as a saccharine aroma lingers on your lips. “Thanks P…” You mumble, softly rubbing your head against his. Hands slowly placed on his legion arm and other palm; you press a quick, almost unnoticeable kiss to his forehead.  

P closes his eyes, his springs gently ticking along with your pounding heart.

-

(As soon as I was the TRAILER FOR OVERTURE! I HAD TO WRITE! Comments, reblogs, fan art are always appreciated!)

[daisukoth]

How Jevil is a mirror of Susie - A character analysis

(NOTE: I was originally going to start explaining how Spamton mirrors Berdly, to explain the logic of this theory, but it has been done already, this reddit post explains it best)

Why would the Darkners mirror the Lightners?

This is because Deltarune is probably using the concept in occultism of "As Above, so Below": "That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above." There are better explanations out there, but a short one would be: “What you do on the material plane will be replicated on the spiritual plane; what happens In the cosmos will be reflected in our mundane lives. What happened at a micro scale happens at a macro scale.” The Dark World being the microcosm, and Light World being the macrocosm. This is why the Darkners are representations of objects and people in the Light world.

Why Susie and not Kris?

I have seen some say that Jevil is a mirror of Kris, and while I do think there is some truth there, Kris actually relates to Jevil in the meta sense, and so does the rest of the Fun Gang, with how they’re all puppets in a game. But Susie is the one that relates to Jevil in a personal level.

Some analysis of chapter 1 say the King may be a parallel of Susie- what she’s gonna end up like if she keeps going in the wrong path. By this logic; Lancer is a younger Susie- mischievous, still a child, but growing their meaner side. So couldn't Jevil be a more present facet of Susie?

The Joker 

The joker card is seen as the wild card, not bound by the rules that govern the other cards. This is why Jevil speaks of freedom, and chaos. How he “can do anything”. Not bound by any rules, he’s the freest of all cards. Susie is also a wild card, she’s unpredictable, chaotic, and ruled by no one.

But Jevil’s freedom is limited to his game. Much like Susie; she's free to do as she wants, and is not bound by rules. But she is also limited by her world. Jevil believe's he's the free one, despite being inside his cell. Susie's freedom is a cell without bars;

How Jevil relates to Susie

Jevil understands that nobody in this world is truly free, by having this knowledge, Jevil considers himself free, even despite his cage. But despite his freedom, Jevil is lonely. he shut himself from the world, and became all alone, with nobody to play with. Much like Susie. Who shut herself off from the world, and is now alone, telling cruel jokes that only she thinks are funny.

Jevil is what perfectly describes the kind of person Susie was before her change of ways in chapter 1. He is a jester whose jokes stopped being funny long ago. he no longer entertains people, only himself, and what he considers ‘entertainment’ is inflicting violence and cruelty on people. Now he’s just a sad and violent clown, locked away from everyone else because they got tired of dealing with him. And as soon as someone does approach him, unlocking his cage, he only sees it as an opportunity to "play" with them.

Like Jevil, maybe in the past Susie was funny. But Susie’s ‘jokes’ aren’t funny anymore. They’re cruel, violent… And maybe even criminal, seeing as how Undyne is looking for her for “comic mischief”.

This is why after Susie’s change of heart in chapter 1, she mellows out and becomes truly funny and charismatic. she’s learning to not drive others away with her cruelty, learning how good and fun friendship can be. Her jokes aren’t just cruelty any longer, she’s trying to make others laugh for the sake of their happiness.

Susie & Lancer duo fight

Just like with how Berdly and Spamton's fight are very similar- so is Susie and Jevil's:

For their attacks; Susie throws spinning axes at you, and Jevil throws spinning scythes.

Jevil is able to use the attacks of all card suits- Susie having Lancer by her side is playing at how she’s able to “use” the power of other cards.

The pacifist way to defeat Jevil is by exhausting him, making him tired and putting him to sleep. Susie is defeated the same way in the fight with her and Lancer, putting her to sleep is the only way to get to Lancer and defeat them peacefully.

I dont think this is a coincidence, as Toby went out of his way to make Jevil and Susie's weakness the same Whats interesting is that, for the Genocide route, you cannot kill Jevil. Unlike Spamton, who you can snowgrave like Berdly.

Jevil and Susie interaction

A lesser point, but you can feel by their interactions how Susie and Jevil match each other’s energy. Its like they’re trying to outmatch each other.

Noelle and Jevil's items

Noelle has a pretty good insight of the dark world, her dialogue to the secret boss items are very interesting, and may be a hint at their nature:

When given the Devilsknife, she will comment how It smiled at her:

..? It smiled at me? [When attempting to equip it to Noelle]

And when given the Jevilstail, Noelle will whisper to herself that she likes it:

... (I like it...) [When equipping it to Noelle]

Both of these are characteristics that Noelle takes notice of in Susie: her scary teeth, and her tail

Jevil and Susie have the same fanged teeth, and odd tails (Susie having a small tail, and Jevil a J shaped tail, rather than a normally pointed imp tail)

TLDR; Jevil and Susie share a similar story; a similar boss battle; match each other's energy; and have similar physical characteristics (according to Noelle)

So what does this parallel mean?

I dont think beating the secret bosses are meant to be the turning point for the characters, like they're "defeating their dark side". Thats what the main story is doing already So what is their purpose then? I believe their purpose is more for the sake of the player, to give further understanding of the characters, giving an extra layer to their character arcs. With Spamton, you learn about a man who was driven to despair due to his greed and ambition, much like Berdly may have ended up if he didn’t have a turn around. With Jevil, you learn about the despair of a clown, who became trapped and isolated due to his freedom and ego, much like Susie.

[romchat]

Favorite Visual Storytelling of 2024: Cdrama Edition

Although I spent the better part of 2024 complaining about the state of Chinese dramas, one thing I did appreciate seeing in this year's lineup was all the lovely cinematography and production design on display. Not only did these visuals look great, but they were meaningful to the story.

In no particular order, here are my top picks of the year...

Favorite Use of Color: The Double

Evocative and theatrical, The Double's cinematography definitely caught people's attention, splitting viewers into those who liked it and those who thought it was too much.

But what always struck me as refreshingly unique about the drama was its careful use of color . Check out how the following scenes have a completely different feeling because of their color palettes:

Whether it's the fairytale romanticism of a white blossom forest or the queasy yellow and pink of a brothel, the show's colors always give us a sense of mood (and character) without needing much exposition. Really efficient storytelling!

Favorite Production Design #1: Fangs of Fortune

If I included screenshots of all my favorite sets and costumes from my next pick, we'd be here all day.

I've always loved the energy and symbolism of Director Guo Jingming's visual storytelling, but his production design team in Fangs of Fortune really outdid themselves. The scale, shapes, and most importantly texture of each set gives the show a sweepingly escapist quality that we rarely seen in Cdramas. It is true high fantasy come to life, asking us to reflect on what it means to be human through the eyes of those who are otherworldly.

Favorite Use of Production Design #2: To the Wonder

I was uncomfortable with the tacit political messaging of To the Wonder but the amount of care and detail that went into its production design is undeniable. People seem to mostly praise the drama for its idyllic on-location shots but I think it's the prop design and interiors that really sing because they provide insight into lives we rarely see represented on screen.

Favorite Use of Light: Love in a Dream

When I see dramas like Love in a Dream, it makes me wish the industry would just throw money at all the talented and creative visual directors in the short drama circuit. A masterclass in contrast, this drama is absolutely gorgeous, and its dramatic use of chiaroscuro lighting makes it look like a cross between a Renaissance painting and shadow puppet show.

Was I always able to follow the plot? No, but who cares when every other scene looks like art.

Favorite Use of Camera Language #1: Tender Light

Tender Light is a great example of using cinematography to establish the right tone for a story.

The story follows a woman being accused of murdering her abusive husband and the camera language actually mimics the social fallout of his death. Look at how it uses dirty framing, overhead shots, tracking, etc. to give the story a voyeuristic and surveillant feeling. It's like we (the audience) are being forced to invade the privacy of these characters, and in doing so, the show implicates us in the nasty gossip that surrounds our FL as much as the local townspeople spreading it.

Favorite Use of Camera Language #2: Regeneration

From the opening shot of Regeneration , we learn that this is a world where it's difficult to distinguish reality from its equally compelling reflection. The drama is all about the stories people weave and the show plays with subjective cinematography to make us question what we perceive as the truth.

Runners-Up

I dropped Blossom before I could get a sense of its visual storytelling, but the drama has Director Zeng Qingjie's signature dreamy, romantic visuals . Bonus: Li Yunrui looking hot in his gray wig.

Riverside Code at Qingming Festival didn't quite work for me as a case-breaking story but the amount of research they put in the costuming and prop design is incredible. I hope Director Yang Fan gets more opportunities to direct big budget period dramas because his attention to detail is immaculate .

--

And that's a wrap!

What was everyone else's favorite Cdrama visuals of 2024?

[venigni]

Markiona

Ok so...NOT posting the vid bc I'm genuinely ashamed of my performance. Thought I would have fun posting those but nah. Next playthrough, for sure, though.

THOUGHTS BELOW THE CUT (spoilers, obv)

I want to preface this by saying I am not trying to gatekeep & I genuinely do not Give A Fuck what difficulty you play at, if you use specter, throwables, etc. At the end of the day, Lies of P is a video game and it should be FUN. So play however you find FUN.

That being said, I had to drop down the difficulty for her due to time, trying to get thru the story asap so to not get spoiled, and just needing to know wtf happens, but playing her at the lower difficulty was NOT fun for me. I get very little enjoyment out of it tbh. I want to be sweating and screaming and shaking as I play. Like, that's fun to me. And I feel really sad about it but I will get over it tomorrow, probably. I just don't want ppl to think I care about that, like u do u, just for me, I'm disappointed in myself, is all. (Again I'll get over it).

I honestly haven't been reading reviews/etc. as I'm trying to avoid all spoilers, so I only know what y'all tell me in the comments. I did find out via YouTube watching Markiona vids that game difficulty scales based on your NGs so I'm really curious to see how it is on other files eventually. My PC file is only on NG+ so it should be a little easier there for me, maybe?

Up until this point I honestly didn't feel like the game was too hard. Actually it was really fun and I liked the challenge the alligator gave me, even if I ended up cheesing him (which in itself was fun). Honestly, Markiona wasn't even like...HARD it's just. IDK if it's just my build (I tried some other ones but was struggling to adapt to diff stats), but even my heaviest hits were just the tiniest light taps to her health bar. She just felt. Like. A fucking. Sponge. I didn't like that. Is this our punishment for all the people who complained about LoP bosses always having two health bars? Just make one deplete at half the rate? Slkjfslkjfslj

I enjoyed the aesthetic, all the mechanics. It seemed pointless to learn perfect blocks in this fight so I mostly dodged, which I'm not used to doing. Maybe that's why this one had a bit more of a learning curve for me? But not too bad in the end.

What I really struggled with is the speed. This is where dropping down a difficulty level really helped. In LS, there was just...no time. For anything between attacks. Gap closing, charged attacks, Legion, it was really, really difficult, and I kept animation locking myself and then I'd get blown up. That was my #1 weakness. It improved when I learned their tells, but it was still really fucking difficult with my strat.

Which was: Using Falcon Eye to yeet the puppet to have a chance to get Markiona. Doing that twice, plus chipping away at her throughout the fight, you eventually win. But it's easier said than done bc in her second half she really goes bananas with her melee attacks, and it's harder to focus on the puppet...

I think one of my issues was trying to use the bow. Like, it really doesn't do much damage, but I tried several times to use close range melee weapons and I just. Couldn't make prog with those. There was too much going on at that range.

I really like the idea of a duo fight and the animations were all really gorgeous. I loved how the puppet moved and fought. Dodging all of her attacks was really satisfying. I think she was more of a standout than Markiona herself who I just thought was kind of annoying with her blue balls......

Anyway, even though I'm sad about how it ended, esp after how much time I poured into it, it actually isn't so bad, you just really, really need to endure and that's one of my weak spots (esp since I can't hold the controller for long) so I kept getting inpatient (and animation locking myself thus getting blown into oblivion).

Curious to hear all of your thoughts, so please don't hesitate to reply / reblog with them!!! Sorry this was long. 💔