#answers from question box

[averycutesalamander]

so after boots, what other hsr characters do you like?

hm. well. hmmmm. ahhh.. uhhhhhhhhhhh

[tj-crochets]

So it turns out there's a big craft guild organization thing only a few hours from where I live (I saw an ad for their craft fair), and I got like half my holiday shopping done on their website, and the box arrived today! The thing I was most excited to see in person is fragile, though, and it's really well wrapped in bubble wrap and I don't want it to break when I mail it to the friend it's for, so I am not unwrapping it, but oh man the temptation is there lol I also got myself a little metal bug made of a bottle cap and some wire. It lives on my little corkboard where I put postcards and thank you cards now

[hatredmadeofgold]

Remember when I said in 2022 that I could imagine Raiden to have DID and that I have this headcanon? Well what if I tell you that by 2025 I can tell you that this is possibly actual canon because what the fuck *glares at MGR codecs, the mgs2 novel and my Japanese copy of MGR and shakes them screaming*

[youling-the-ghost]

ok so idk if y'all know this but. uquiz creators can see how long it takes for you to answer a question and uhm

(this is from my TUA quiz btw)

I'm sorry anon...?

[loosesodamarble]

Hi soda , I love your Nacht x reader headcanons. I have a request. How would nacht feel and react if his s/o wakes him up by peppering him with kisses.

Aaaaawwwww~! Thank you very much, Anon! I'm glad there are Nacht lovers out there who enjoy the Nacht love that I put out! And I'm more than happy to write a little more!

Thank you for your patience on this ask. I hope you, and anyone else who finds this post, enjoy these Nacht x reader thoughts.

..........

Waking Nacht Faust with kisses

To be honest, I headcanon Nacht as sleeping like the dead. Once he's asleep, he's still as a stone and not easy to wake.

Nacht's s/o has asked if it's some kind of effect from his devil contracts and he'd say that it isn't. He's just always been that way.

The only things that can wake him are either just naturally stirring awake, being thrown out of bed, or an incredible loud sound directly to his ears.

So when it comes to morning kisses, Nacht's s/o would have to patiently wait for him to rouse before they started any kind of affection.

(Unless his s/o wants to kiss Nacht for a good fifteen minutes while he's still asleep. But where's the fun in that?/lh)

Once they get the first sign of Nacht waking, usually it's a small groan or his face scrunching up, then it begins.

There's always a "good morning" whispered first so Nacht knows that it's his partner greeting him.

After that greeting comes a little kiss to his temple, followed by a trail of little pecks along his jawline.

His s/o probably has a hand on his chest or caressing the other side of his face. Regardless, Nacht, even in his groggy, just-woken-up state would be able find their hand and hold it with his own.

Nacht would let out a little sound, something between a sigh and a chuckle.

He would just let his s/o continue to kiss him. He's learned that rejecting affection doesn't do anyone good. It hurts his lover's feelings and makes him feel lonely.

Although, maybe if Nacht woke up feeling like a tease, he'd intentionally turn away from his s/o and make them "chase" him a little to give more kisses. Playing hard to get once in a while keeps things from getting boring in the relationship.

A smooch on the cheek. Feather-light kisses on his forehead. Maybe a little peck on the tip of his nose if his s/o is feeling especially playful.

His s/o would be ready to kiss Nacht on the lips, only for him to put his hand between their faces.

Nacht, fully awake at that point (probably was fully awake earlier but only showing it now), would look at his s/o with a slight chiding expression.

"How very sweet of you. But the taste of morning breath certainly wouldn't be," he would remark.

"Mine or yours?" his partner would ask in reply. It's only a joke, both know that.

Once the couple have done their morning routine, only then would Nacht kiss his partner on the lips.

"With that, I'm truly ready for the day," Nacht would say with a smile, the kind of smile he reserves for his s/o alone.

Even when he's not woken with kisses, Nacht wants his partner to know that he loves being able to wake up with their presence next to him.

The occasional kissing wake up call just makes morning a little sweeter.

And, because Nacht wants the good to be rewarded, he'll find a way to turn the tables and be the one giving the wake up kisses sometime in the future.

[quizlythenerd]

villain epic as portal 2 GLaDOS and villain cross as wheatley. they’re making me so ILL [very positive]

[shoshialyakward]

How's the weather for you? It's too hot where I am and I donmt have AC 😔😔

Oh no!!

The weather is quite warm probably somewhere in the 70s °F but I'm inside and we have a decent ac so it's cool

[subzeroparade]

Hi! Anon here, just wanted to let you know that I spent better part of my day re-reading your most recent bloodborne one shot and that i will do so for the next three weeks.

Just wanted to ask, out of curiosity, when describing yharnam's architecture and they layout of the city and do you draw from in-game yharnam, or is it part of the knowledge you've acquired in your profession?

(I must confess that I once stood in the Grand Cathedral lamp looking at the ceiling for half an hour, it's so pretty i love gothic architecture)

I ask this because in all of your bloodborne works, I've always been really drawn to the way you describe yharnam, making it feel like a place that could actually exist in real life and, as someone who would much rather be studying art history in college, I find that much of what I've learnt pops up more often than not in your works, and I always get really excited when it does. I am also so obsessed with the way you twist and manipulate prose to make it feel organic, almost like a living being—it's so fitting for what bloodborne is about and the era it's set in.

Dear gods I am rambling now, sorry for the long ask and thank you very much for the work you do!

Ty anon <3 even if you don’t study art history, there’s no reason not to appreciate the built environment or objects in museum contexts - sometimes exploring art history through this purely pleasurable/hobbyist path is much better than heady academic specificities. Everyone loves a survey course. 

do you draw from in-game yharnam, or is it part of the knowledge you've acquired in your profession?

Both! I pull as much as I can from art history (my specialty is late 19th/early 20th French) but also cultural and economic history. The more precise these aspects and the more specific the anecdotes in world-building, the more believable (and relatable) the world itself. 

So I don’t necessarily describe Yharnam one-to-one as we witness it in-game - I like to embellish a little. I’ve pulled mainly from Victorian London, for obvious reasons - on trips to the V&A or Westminster, for example, I will gather images or jot down bits of research I think might add a little specific colour and broader life to the fic. There is silverware in the V&A’s collection:

 as well as this whole-ass choir screen:

 ...which both appear in The Feast we Were Promised; while the descriptions of the Chapel of the Good Chalice in Bring Me the Mountain are based on the facade of Notre-Dame de Bordeaux, which is Baroque (despite its quite modest interior):

...in part to distinguish it in Yharnam’s imagined history from the Grand Cathedral, which is markedly High Gothic. The chapel’s burned doors in Feast are a reference to those at the Hotel de Ville in Bordeaux, burned in a protest not long ago (though not over the price of bread).

The multiple mentions of the iconostasis are specific to orthodox iconographic practices - the very orderly, traditional kind, like this one in Romania: 

…but I’m also thinking of the soaring work of my favourite artist of the Russian silver age, Viktor Vasnetsov, and his very human, very intimate, very individual, soulful icons at St Volodymyr. 

Inferring there was once this tradition of iconography, including of the Great Ones, implies the additional possibility of an iconoclasm at some point in Yharnam’s history, which adds another layer of world-building (both visual and temporal), and serves as a fun anecdote to explain why there seem to be many statues and very few frescos or mosaics in Yharnam. This Byzantine colour is also inflected in the Italianate architecture in a place like the Basilica of the Santa Casa at Loreto, for example. 

I am not a medievalist nor a specialist in ecclesiastical architecture (but I have a colleague who would probably think smashing all these disparate styles together is a bit exaggerated) but it’s for the reader’s benefit. It almost feels hard to imagine Yharnam with some kind of colour, given how washed-out it is when we play through it - but because all my work takes place before the Night of the Hunt, this visual difference feels necessary. 

I also like to stand around in many of the in-game locations and find things that are jarringly out of place (e.g. time period or aesthetic continuity) but I also greatly appreciate the gesamtkunstwerk totality of it, given it is fantasy, and if you suspend your disbelief (and are not a professional academic intent on nitpicking) it’s brilliantly done. 

It’s also one of the reasons I appreciate environmental storytelling but don’t engage or rely on those insanely specific breakdowns of in-game environments fuelled by lore speculation because they generally miss the irl way cultural artefacts, the built environment, and material conditions actually develop, and I’m more interested in making my work entertaining and believable than getting hamstrung by weird in-game details that are probably just assets being reused or reshuffled for convenience because sometimes you gotta do that in a workplace context, whether it’s creative or not. 

[skyward-floored]

if you ask me a question in a rude manner it makes me a lot less willing to answer it...

[maddymoreau]

My Thoughts on Poppy Playtime Chapter 3

Ollie is ADORABLE!!!! "No ouchies or lost body parts?" HE'S A BABY I NEED TO PROTECT!!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!! (¬‿¬) I have ZERO evidence for this but my theory is he’s The Prototype.

I’m REALLY happy to see the phone Ollie calls the player on is identical to the one in Project: Playtime! It’s nice seeing stuff introduced in Project: Playtime finally appear in the main series.

( ⚆_⚆ ) ESPECIALLY DR. HARLEY SAWYER!!!! WOW THE TAPE FEATURING HIM TALKING TO THE PROTOTYPE WAS DARK!!!! I knew a man like Dr. Sawyer would be a sick and twisted individual since he created the Bigger Bodies Initiative.

Despite that I was NOT prepared to hear the joy in his voice to experiment on children. It was revolting.

This exchange:

Prototype: "You stick us. Beat us. Tear at flesh. Do you feel it?"

Dr. Sawyer: "There is a secret inside you, 1006. Valuable beyond all measure. I cut and prod and burn at it, and I get closer with each session . . . So speak, or don't. Fight, or give in. Regardless, I learn something new about you every day . . . (Laughs) It excites me!"

Prototype: "Thank you."

Dr. Sawyer: "You . . . thank me?"

Prototype: "Absolutely. I learn something new about you every day."

THAT FINAL LINE WHEN THE PROTOTYPE IS MIMICKING DR. SAWYER'S VOICE AHHHHHH!!!!

＿|￣|○ I WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO DR. SAWYER SO BADDDDD!!!!!! He wasn’t around for The Hour of Joy but I hope he suffered.

Leith Pierre: "Normally I'd have Dr. Sawyer do this but he's uhhh . . . out, let's say. So you got me until they find his replacement."

(o ´ _ ` )o The contrast between how Dr. Sawyer speaks to the experiments VS Leith Pierre the Head of Innovation at Playtime Co.

Both dehumanize the experiments in different ways.

Leith Pierre can’t even bother remembering Catnap's real name. He puts on this fake friendly facade. Referring to Catnap as his Pal and Buddy. It's so disingenuous.

Especially when he asks, "Heya Theo! How ya doin' bud?" Pierre could care less about how Catnap feels. It's only when Catnap responds, "The Prototype will save us." That gets Pierre to finally drops the corporate spiel. Admitting to what this place is. Catnap’s prison.

No wonder Catnap worshipped The Prototype after being save when this is what he’s told about his horrific situation.

Leith Pierre: "THIS is your life now. Get used to it."

I absolutely LOVED all the new features for the Grab Pack. The air jet looked SO FUN!!!! Watching people desperately shoot the flare gun against smiling critters in a cramped space WAS SO INTENSE!!! The smiling critter's small growls and whimpers made me sad.

(ʃƪ 〃’▽’〃)♡ The horror in this chapter was INCREDIBLE!!!! While I had fun playing Chapter 2 I remember feeling disappointed by the scares.

CHAPTER THREE HAD ME HORRIFIED!!!! EVERY JUMP SCARE HAD ME FLYING OUT MY CHAIR, THE ATMOSPHERE WAS AMAZING AND AHHHHH THE HOME ORPHANAGE SECTION!!!!!

It reminded me of PT ∑(; °_°) Especially with the radio informing us that in Elliot Ludwig's house it was discovered he HAD THE BODY OF A CHILD IN A DUFFLE BAG!!?!?!?!?!?!

ALSO THAT ONE RADIO'S REVERSE MESSAGE!!!

"8-8-1995 I find your presence intrusive. After all this time you return. You come in here and yet you kill and murder. You pilate and destroy. Your presence was demanded 10 years ago and yet you didn't show up . . . 8-8-1995 You were supposed to be here. Why weren't you here? You missed the event. You missed the meeting. You missed the party. You have no right to be here . . ."

AHHHHHH MOBGAMES KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WITH THE LIGHTING IN THIS SCENE!!!!!

I thought I was going to see MY BOY 😭💔!!!!!!

Huggy Wuggy is completely fine.

Kissy Missy was so sad and adorable in this chapter. Seeing her stare at the picture and hug herself BROKE MY HEART ( o̴̶̷᷄ _ o̴̶̷̥᷅ )!!! She deserves the world.

Catnap acting like a child and avoiding school 😭💔

Miss Delight was a minor spoiler I knew about since people used her face in their thumbnail. However I was NOT prepared for her to act like a Coil-Head!!!!

Theodore being described as antisocial and having a peculiar relationship with an imaginary friend _(:ì」∠)_.

That “imaginary” friend being The Prototype. Who guided Theodore to help them both escape. Only for Theodore to get electrocuted since he was just a child who didn't know how to safely use a Grabpack.

The Prototype throwing away their chance to escape to save Theodore by bringing him to the staff. Showing The Prototype does care in some way.

Only for Theodore to be later turned Catnap.

THEN the player electrocutes Catnap the SAME way Theodore originally received his injuries. The Prototype comes to “save” Theodore once again but this time by making Catnap a part of him AND CATNAP ACCEPTS SO WILLINGLY (˃ ⌑ ˂ഃ )!!!!

It felt like I was watching a religious experience.

I love Poppy Playtime but I do think they show too much in their trailers. Dog day is a great example but even then his scene was *chef kiss*

All the smiling critters crawling inside Dogday as he desperately screamed in agony and for us to run away left me speechless.

I liked the detail of Dogday calling us angel. I'm excited to see all the AUs people create where we save him.

ALSO THE HOUR OF JOY WAS A BLAST TO WATCH!!!!!

I know Poppy is right that it was just senseless slaughter. How all that death didn't fix or help anyone. Especially when it didn't matter if those killed were innocent or not.

However imagining these characters being painfully experimented on and stripped of their autonomy. Going though years of hell and finally reaching their breaking point. It's hard to not feel good for them getting to release that anger. Even if I know it's wrong.

ALSO I GOT TO SEE MY SECOND FAVORITE CHARACTER BOXY BOO YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

THERE WAS SOOOOO MUCH HUGGY WUGGY IMAGERY IN THIS CHAPTER AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I'M GOING TO OVER THINK IT!!!!!! I HAVE NO THEORIES I’M JUST POINTING DETAILS OUT!!!!!!

When hallucinating Huggy Wuggy's face is on the employee training video:

“Join the Innovationists, where the bounds of science are continuously pushed. Or join the Counselors of Playcare, whose diligence and care for our children will help shape a brighter future, just you see.”

“Now every one of you has your part in that future, so should you come back tomorrow feeling unhappy for where you are, or what you’ve done . . . worry not, for your supervisor is here and happy to listen! And . . . should you come back . . . years later . . . your conscience finally getting the better of you. May you descend into the dark and the dust, finding all that awaits you are incomprehensible horrors . . . each hungry for your return, each eager that they might find you. Perhaps they’d smile at you from a shadow, their smiling mouths full of teeth and meat and plastic, watching and waiting patiently for their turn at a warm welcome. Or perhaps they won’t allow you such a time to figure your place in the world you’d left. A world that’s theirs now. Welcome home.”

The video transforms into a manifestation of the player's guilt. Not only for their involvement for whatever they did while working at Playtime Co. but for being gone and returning after ten years.

This is also paired with the player's possible guilt for killing Huggy Wuggy and their fear of him.

The hallucination version being a more exaggerated version of the Chapter 1 Huggy Wuggy vent chase.

When Catnap causes the player to later hallucinate:

Poppy: “Do you even know what’s real?”

Poppy: “No you don’t.”

THEN AT THE END OF THE HALLUCINATION IT SHOWS US THE DAY OF JOY!!!! Which is very odd when you consider two things. We've been told multiple times we weren’t there and during this scene we didn't know what the Hour of Joy was.

So the player hallucinating being in front of Huggy Wuggy’s podium during The Hour of Joy with a large Prototype hand reaching for us IS ODD!!!

ALSO THE TAPE IT SHOWS THAT’S WHERE HUGGY WUGGY WAS DURING THE HOUR OF JOY!!!!!!!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!?!?!?!

This is just speculation but perhaps the player's memories aren't as trustworthy as we think. After all we still aren't even sure who even sent us the letter or tape in Chapter 1.

"EVERYONE THINKS THE STAFF DISSAPEARED 10 YEARS AGO WE'RE STILL HERE FIND THE FLOWER"

It’s important to point out the characters from Chapter 2 made ZERO appearance during these hallucinations. Mommy Long Legs, PJ Pug-a-Pillar, Bunzo Bunny and the Wack-a-Wuggy.

Is the Huggy Wuggy imagery used because he’s who we encounter at the start of the game?

OR SOMETHING MORE AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

[loboto-bear]

Why do you love Franco Barbi so much 🤔 speaking as a fellow lover of that crazy lil man

Oh boy, good question.

I’ve kind of explained this before, but I guess this is an opportunity to go into more detail.

On a base level, I just enjoy Franco because he’s the perfect mix of entertaining and horrifying. His voice actor did a fantastic job and I love just listening to him when he’s toddling about in the trials. I love that, even though he has baggage and motives behind his sadistic actions, there’s also just an objective level of enjoyment he gets out of what he does. All the antagonists in Outlast are unapologetically awful and it makes them insanely fun, but Trials really knocked it out of the park, I think. Everything about his general design also fucks severely. I’ve always been a fan of childish characters mixed with very un-childish behaviour and aesthetics, and Franco being a fucking mafioso with a pacifier round his neck fits the bill. The Downtown map and the whole, like, Diner decor you could get for the sleep room also itched my brain in all the right ways, but that’s just because I’m a sucker for cities and 50s decor.

That being said………

(Warning for Personal Nonsense under the cut)

I’d be lying if I said the depths of my enjoyment of Franco wasn’t mostly personal. I’ve mentioned this in passing before and tried to vaguepost about it, but I’ve got my fair share of Mommy Issues™️ and the way in which Franco handles his is oddly validating to me? And before people get weird about this, because I know they will, I mean that in the sense that he’s highly emotional and he’s just sort of allowed to be that way. I won’t go into detail for obvious reasons, but I grew up in a household where everyone else’s emotions were okay, but mine weren’t, which has led me to have a lot of difficulty Feeling things. I’ve said before that I don’t think Franco’s baby shtick is entirely sexual, I think he does have genuine age regressive tendencies and the fact that they seem to manifest in him being emotionally volatile and angry and crying is very refreshing. He’s real as fuck for that.

I made a post a while back about how Franco’s first crime was being undesirable to his family, which- as someone who grew up undiagnosed and still hasn’t been treated any differently SINCE being diagnosed- was a very sore spot for me. It sounds dumb, but I never really thought much about how I was treated until I started looking at Franco more and then everything hit me at once. My girlfriend also helped a lot with connecting the dots, so I can’t take all the credit for that.

Writing him throughout Reparenting Lupara has been oddly therapeutic to me. It’s allowed me to explore certain aspects of my own problems through him, and so the last few months have been very emotional for me. Lots of personal revelations and junk. It’s weird how certain characters can pop up at the right time and make you think about things you never considered.

But uhhhh yeah. TL;DR: Freaky Baby Man is very cool aesthetically and also hit me where it hurts lmao

[homeless202]

I’m new here and I absolutely love your type of blogs with analysis and meta and long texts~~

I was wondering—is Eunyung and Haejoon’s relationship the kind that could be interpreted as romantic?

first of all, welcome and ty! and sorry it took me so long to reply, i hope u're still around anon. now to answer ur question

i'll take this opportunity to share all my thoughts on the topic bc i have Many.

TLDR: it is possible to read it as romantic if you really want to, but it's not meant to (at least not as of right now in the story aka ch.224)

deep dive under the cut as to why

-> can Eunyung and Haejoon’s relationship be interpreted as romantic?

i like how you phrased that bc, the thing is, interpretation is very subjective. you're welcome and allowed to interpret things however you want, but in EY&HJ's case, i feel like you'd have to work a lil extra hard to get to that point.

-> is Eunyung and Haejoon’s relationship meant to be interpreted as romantic?

this one's easy bc no. objectively Not. the genre of No Home is drama and slice of life (and once upon a time, horror). even if they were to ever end up in a romantic relationship, that's not what the story is about.

when i ask myself what the author's intention is with this story, i'd say it's to (realistically) portray how a young person with trauma would navigate another young person's trauma. and showing how easy it is to unintentionally fuck it up for various reasons: lacking context as to what exactly said trauma is, generally not knowing how to navigate it, their own trauma getting in the way, lacking the necessary resources. take your pick.

think of it like "how should i carry someone else's baggage when i have my own to deal with?" while also keeping in mind they're kids; they often don't have enough experience to know how to help, and even when they know what the right thing to do is, they're not old enough to take (legal) action.

and especially, the most heart-breaking yet realistic thing, when you're just getting to know someone, you can't know everything about them. it's so easy to accidentally do or say sth that cuts or offends when it wasn't meant to. but when they've got their own issues, it's hard not to take it personally (eg. EY talking about HJ's parents without knowing his mom died not long ago in the beginning of the story).

-> what even is Eunyung and Haejoon’s relationship??

this one's so funny bc i have no idea how to answer and i'm convinced not even EY and HJ themselves would know how to answer. they're not really friends; they got off on the wrong foot and kept walking with two left feet way too much to call themselves friends. the things that pushed them together the most were the dorms (not anymore) and the same friend group (more or less since EY has multiple).

what fits them best i'd say is "the universe forced us together against our will and now we're stuck with one another altho we hate each other" (<- at least in the beginning) extended with the "misery loves company" sentiment. finding comfort in someone who gets it, even tho they only kinda get it but not really but it works out anyway except it doesn't <- THERE'S NO NAME FOR THAT *cry* they invented a new type of character dynamic smh (i've never read a pairing with so much (romantic) potential only to see them completely fuck up their chance so royally by the end of their interaction EVERY SINGLE TIME. like yeah, enemies to lovers whatever BUT NOT TO THAT LEVEL HOLY SHIT)

they've changed each other, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. they're compatible in the way they understand each other on a deeper level and incompatible in the way they don't.

...however...

this is how HJ thinks of EY: (and also what No Home is truly abt)

and this is how EY feels about HJ after EY found out HJ used to steal as well (aka that HJ isn't perfect like the stuck up bitch EY thought he was at first):

so...

<- -> EY's first impression of HJ was that he was looking down on him and sth like "does this guy have ulterior motives? or is he just that naive being so trusting?" until EY found out HJ wasn't that different from him. after that, EY started admiring HJ for still managing to achieve things in life despite the hardships he had to go through. the type of admiration that can easily (and sometimes does) slip into envy.

-

since the beginning, EY has helped HJ (or at least tried to) without him knowing. sometimes it worked out, sometimes not. most times EY tried doing sth nice for HJ was (from EY's perspective) in return to HJ trying to help him or doing nice things for him (which, again, sometimes worked out, sometimes not). EY was just paying back a debt to "this stubborn naive guy who keeps getting into trouble and butting into his business. gotta look out for this idiot or he might get scammed." (<- eg. when EY offered to get HJ's money back from his uncle)

he doesn't do it for credit or friendship or out of obligation, he's just doing what he thinks is the right thing bc he doesn't want to owe anyone anything. he can't accept people just genuinely being kind, genuinely caring and genuinely wanting to help. but he's been learning and slowly coming to terms with it.

-

<- -> HJ first wanted to try befriending EY despite not liking him bc, well, the guy did steal his wallet and stab him in their first interaction. after trying and failing at it multiple times, thanksgiving happened, and HJ started thinking of EY as his underclassman bc he realized EY's just a kid with issues and he should keep an eye on him (discretely bc EY hates pity).

-

with time HJ has come to understand EY better by going after him whenever he ran off and slowly realized that EY does mean well and has his reasons (as fucked up as they might be sometimes). but his mentality abt EY is still "i gotta push him in the right direction cuz he's my underclassman and i unintentionally got attached to him (somehow??)" (also bc he knows EY already gave up on himself so he needs a lil help to find his way again. also also bc he knows EY is lowkey suicidal and he's scared it'll be his fault if sth happens) <- his care for EY comes from a protective/nurturing (/possibly maybe guilty) place which started when he realized EY was just a kid^^. in other words, HJ still bothers with EY out of a subconscious sense of responsibility/obligation in a way (a good way tho. or at least a way that gets better)

see, sth i struggle with is if HJ thinks he has to or wants to or thinks he should or can't just not help/care for EY. i can't exactly pinpoint where the sentiment is coming from. his face is too blank for me to read sometimes T_T

-

to summarize: HJ is EY's goal, what EY wishes he could've been. and EY is HJ's 'responsibility' so to speak (bc 'burden' doesn't quite fit since HJ is there for EY willingly) -> EY has a positive opinion of HJ while HJ has a neutral opinion of EY (which is also gradually getting better)

note1: i think HJ's intention (maybe subconsciously) was to be to EY what HJ's upperclassman was to him. aka someone who's there when you need it and can help guide you. it would explain why HJ kept chasing after EY despite not really having a reason to and EY repeatedly rejecting HJ's care/help.

note2: i also believe the 'upper-under-classman' relationship dynamic fits them the best atm bc it also matches the way the story often singles EY out as he's the only second year (aka younger) of the 6 MCs.

-> Romance in No Home?

another thing i should mention is that No Home rarely leaves things open for interpretation. the deepest arguments EY&HJ had were always spelled out for us, to make us understand exactly what the problem was, and how there isn't a good guy and a bad guy. it's just two people with issuesTM.

from what we've seen in the story up to this point, i couldn't pick out a moment where i'd go "here! that's romantic! that's the moment they realized SomeThing!" yk

when it comes to romance specifically, i feel like a handful of opportunities were missed. there are scenes which could've easily been written trough a rosy lens but simply weren't.

exhibit A:

HJ was speechless bc "wow this mf really is actively picking a fight with an authority figure. i gotta make sure things don't escalate" not bc "hoLY sHiT hE's PreTTy. all his fangirls are on to something". however, this only becomes more clear when you keep reading the next few chapters, so i understand how you could interpret it as the latter.

exhibit B:

here they got so close and the moment was so deep bc "woaa he said he believes me. no one's said to me that before!". unfortunately, EY was panicking too much for it to mean something bc of the guilt he felt for HJ trusting someone so undeserving of trust like EY.

exhibit C:

this is maybe the closest we got to romantic between these two. i think this might be the only (or at least first) ever deep interaction between them that didn't end in a fight or misunderstanding. is it meant to be romantic tho? -> ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

-> what do i think?

first, full transparency: i went into reading this story fully expecting it to be a BL and for EY&HJ to end up together. but the more i kept on reading, the more i got the ick thinking about them being in a (romantic) relationship bc, at least from what we've seen so far in the story, their relationship would be so ToxicTM (which i personally don't enjoy reading).

as they are right now, i wouldn't want them to be together like that. like, honestly, you still can't really consider these two even friends; they just tolerate each other if the stars align correctly (altho, i'll admit, their relationship is gradually getting better!!). every big argument they had i thought "god, there's no coming back from that. i'd cut ties so quickly if was them wtf". i still don't know how they managed to keep on interacting, props to them ig.

there's a lot of unresolved issues between them. and a lot of resentment which would not bode well in a romantic relationship. the smallest argument would turn explosive and they'd be, at best, in an on&off type of relationship. they both have the power to break the other and neither would be afraid to use it. they have a lot of history together, which is not always pleasant, so if they ever were to go the romantic route, it would have to be a long way to go.

technically, i could see them in a romantic relationship if they both went to therapy first and talked out all the baggage they're carrying (both individual and shared). realistically tho, what i think will happen at the end of No Home is that either they never cross paths again after high school ends (which would absolutely break my heart Wanan pls don't), or they somehow (unintentionally) end up living together bc they both desperately needed a roommate to pay rent (which would be a hilarious fucking gag LMAO). just, HJ going to uni/work and EY doing his own thing (prolly an actor) while still cohabiting together; hanging out to watch a movie before bed <- (whether platonic or romantic being left up for interpretation)

<- -> in conclusion, from what we've seen up to this point, their relationship is mainly upper-under-classman; reluctant (maybe) friends who tolerate each other but also care (too) deeply. they've changed each other, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. in some ways they're compatible and in others they're not.

all this being said, their relationship is improving and romance between EY&HJ is not impossible, just rather unlikely imo. but, again, interpretation is subjective and u're welcome to read their relationship however you want.

[askthekoopsandjr]

Iggy you like corn?

[loosesodamarble]

for the recent oc ask 💢📿🐾 for any of your ocs! also 🍻 for joselle 🫡

Unni~! Hello hello~! Thank you for the questions!

And thanks for waiting for the answers. Took me a while to think on them and then coherently put my thoughts together for this post!

.....

Dusk Faust

💢 - Who have they never forgiven and never will?

Yoshisumi Kogane (another oc of mine).

He's an emissary from Hino and has unintentionally done each of Dusk's siblings dirty.

First, Yoshisumi dueled Dawn very soon after he arrived in Clover. It was mostly a spar for Hino and Clover to display the strength of their top tier combatants. However, Yoshisumi was far superior in the fight which caused Dawn to be discouraged for a time. While unintentional, Yoshisumi caused Dawn's lack of confidence and began Dusk's grudge against him.

Later on, Yoshisumi met Sterling and was instantly attracted to her. So of course he attempted to court her. Sterling was made deeply uncomfortable by his advances, earning Dusk's ire in another way.

Yoshisumi became acquainted with Sirius through another visitor from Hino, Kohaku. While Kohaku likes Sirius's usual pacifistic nature and mild manners, Yoshisumi believes Sirius to be weak-willed and destined to be used/trampled upon by stronger individuals. Another strike against Yoshisumi.

For Vivian, Yoshisumi did what most people do when they meet her: call her creepy and lifeless. It's not much but it's another nail in his coffin.

Finally, and probably the worst sin of all, Yoshisumi heard about Merel's Nightmare Magic and began thinking of it as a pragmatic tool for torturing information out of people. Even if they don't break and confess directly, the contents of their nightmares could be gleaned for information. Merel was horrified by the implication and was in hysterics about it.

After so many incidents, Dusk has sworn off forgiving Yoshisumi for what he's done.

📿 - What superstition or ritual do they cling to?

Dusk believes that his reflection is it's own entity and that if he looks his reflection in the eyes too long, his soul will switch places with his reflections and he'll be forced to live in some warped mirror world. So he avoids looking at his own reflection for prolonged periods of time. No more than 10 seconds in one go. It makes getting ready for a date takes a while but to save his soul...

Also Gauche takes no responsibility for Dusk gaining that paranoia.

🐾 - Do animals like them instinctively?

Dusk is like a classical Disney princess with animals, if he's brave enough to approach them, they tend to take to him quite well. He's a gentle and soft-spoken young man. He's also wise enough to act in ways that would indicate to wildlife that he's not a threat: moving slow, letting them approach him, showing vulnerability. Nothing about him could scare away animals.

Except maybe for the occasional devilish aura he gives off when using magic... But otherwise, he and animals get along great!

.....

Josele Canty

🍻 - What kind of drunk are they?

When Josele is very drunk, not just one or two drinks but a whole night of downing alcohol, she's more shy. She gets self-conscious and easily embarrassed when she's drunk. Not to the level of Grey but it would be noticeable in Josele. She's red in the face from alcohol and embarrassment, she's stuttering her words as much as she's slurring them, and she can barely bring herself to even hold hands with others when she's sloppy drunk.

It's possibly her body knowing she's making herself vulnerable with the alcohol and thus preparing her to be as aware as she can be. And, for whatever reason, it ends up with her being on the jittery side until she sobers up.

[grape-souffle]

oh the red stoli drawing immediately made me think… what about him with color palette #115 - his name was king?

This was such a fun palette the mess with, thanks!

[shoshialyakward]

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