Doku wo Kurawaba Sara Made - By Tobari Sawa (8/10)
Our protagonist is a father who will do whatever it takes to save his daughter, and himself, from complete ruin. He's trapped inside an Otome Game, so fate will never favor him. As the father of the Villainess he has nothing, so he throws away his pride and he uses seduction. It works too well.
The Kingdom of Parsemis is magically blessed. There is a barbaric tradition.
A holy maiden MUST be sacrificed to the nations patron Dragon every ten years.
It's a political thing.
Andrim realizes he is s fool when he watches his only daughter lose. He treated her like a pawn. A convenient daughter from a dead woman.
He realizes she never had a chance.
He never had a chance.
He's not even the main villain.
He, and his daughter, are both prolouge villains.
The ultimate insult.
The Villainess will be executed!!! Is such a trite ending. Here it's more horrible.
In this scenario Natasha, the protagonist, was destined to be eaten by the dragon.
Julietta, the Villainess, was supposed to wed the prince.
The Prince uses his authority to remove Julietta from power and get rid of her in one fell swoop.
Why is this possible?
Natasha is the destined holy maiden, but Julietta is from a special sage bloodline...so conveniently she can be sacrificed as well.
A loving father would have kept Julietta far away from the Prince.
Natasha, of course, realized she could seduce the Prince and save herself.
Andrim was a total fool.
If he had just protected his daughter a little bit both of them would have survived.
Andrim remains calm. He thinks about what he can do. His daughter is doomed and the Prince clearly wants him gone too.
He tries to use his memories of the game to escape his fate, with his daughter.
He accepts the new engagement, and his daughters new position as sacrifice....gladly.
Yes, he is a dutiful Prime Minister.
He understands that a special girl must be sacrificed for prosperity. He carries her away and he says he will prepare her for that fateful day.
In the original plot he raved like a madman and demanded Natasha's death instead. Even though the Prince had declared otherwise.
He backs away, because he cannot win without power.
He joins hands with a corrupt priest and the ACTUAL DRAGON!
He promises to entertain Karis, the Dragon, because only he knows the special lore.
The Dragon is bored.
Andrim is able to tempt the Dragon with a new kind of entertainment. It's bored of eating women.
Andrim must commit evil to live.
He goes waaaayyyy too far.
The Dragon is not the love interest.
It's Jorga the Commander. The adult figure supporting the youthful otome group.
Andrim uses him completely. Not sure how yet but Jorga commits absolute atrocities for Andrim. He betrays the royal family for Andrim, and the palace is filled with torture.
Jorga is the most useful card on the field, and Andrim uses his beauty to "get" him.
Is it genuine love? No, but Jorga is all about loving acts of service.
The plan rolls into an avalanche slowly.
Andrim gives up his position as Prime Minister. This earns him plenty of sympathy points. He also appoints a young genius on purpose. The boy is not fit to run the government. He uses politics to force the boy into a position he can't handle.
This makes him even more pitiful.
The capable Prime Minister had to abdicate for his daughter, and his replacement is trash...
How awful...
His poor daughter. In the end its not her fault that the Prince's eyes wandered...
Natasha is a cruel moron and that helps. Her otome team constantly has to cover her ass.
She's going to be a terrible Queen.
Julietta would have been perfect.
Andrim plans to take advantage of that.
Julietta is sweet but empty.
Andrim vows to make her happier.....after his dirty deeds bear fruit.
Julietta stays in the palace...with Andrim. He uses an old tradition to stay, where he can garner the most sympathy.
Apparently, the story turns into extremely sadistic revenge porn. If you like obsessive dogs with no morals this is your lucky day!
Andrim is not a merciful man. Even with his Japanese memories his ruthless side always prevails.
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Ellis Twilight Main Story: Chapter 2
This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection. I do not own any of the original content. Please support CYBIRD by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.
Warnings and FAQ
Ellis: Sorry for the wait, Jude.
Jude: … Ah?
Jude stared at Ellis in disbelief for a moment when he noticed that he had brought me along, but he surprisingly said nothing about it.
Kate: I’ll be accompanying you as the fairytale keeper. I look forward to working with you!
Jude: … Tch.
Jude clicked his tongue at Ellis as though to say “cut the crap”, completely ignoring my existence.
Ellis: I submitted the declaration for today’s shipment last night.
Jude: Of course you did. I’ll cut your pay if it’s not received first thing in the morning.
(Besides working for Crown, they also have work to do at the trading company… they must be very busy.)
To avoid getting in their way, I walked behind Jude and Ellis while silently observing them.
…
Based on my observations—,
Jude was the boss of a trading company named “Raven” which dealt with both domestic and international business, it also had branches in other countries.
They held their negotiation meetings in the VIP rooms at London’s biggest department stores, and their goods inspections were conducted at London’s pier…
Time seemed to fly by in the blink of an eye while I was following them throughout the day.
Their work ethics, however…
Jude: No making new deals until all debts are settled.
Jude: Of course there will be consequences for failing to pay your debts. If your debts are too much for you, you’ll pay for them even if you have to cough up blood.
Jude was sharp and a good speaker; he commanded respect from his business partners, was subjected to envy from his rivals, and his employees admired him.
Meanwhile…
Ellis: Okay, I’ll handle the rest.
Ellis: It’s easy to make mistakes in these documents. Let me know if there’s anything you don’t understand; I’ll teach you and we’ll correct them together.
Ellis was well-liked by others because of his gentle demeanour and thoughtfulness wherever he went.
(The two of them are polar opposites of each other.)
As we went on with our day, it was soon nearly noon on Big Ben.
Jude: You don’t need to come with me to the main office. There’s no knowing what people will say if they see an extra person.
Ellis: Mm, got it.
Kate: Thank you for letting me come along with you today.
Jude: … Heh, I look forward to hearing you say that the next time you come.
(What does that mean…?)
I tilted my head in confusion at his words.
Jude: You brought her, so you clean up after her. This has nothing to do with me.
Ellis: Yeah… I will.
(… Ellis seems to know what he meant.)
Jude walked way without so much as another look at me, and Ellis turned to me.
Ellis: You must be tired. Sorry for dragging you everywhere.
Kate: No, I’m not tired at all! I have lots of stamina because of my previous job as a postwoman.
Ellis: I see, that’s good. … Well then, while we’re here…
Ellis: Can you come with me for a little bit?
I was asked to stay for a while longer, and—
…
(W-Why are we here…!?)
We arrived at the post office I used to work at.
Ellis turned to look back at me when he noticed me hesitating at the entrance.
Ellis: What’s the matter?
(That’s what I really want to ask him right now…)
Kate: I know a lot of people here because this used to be my workplace… is it really okay for me to have interactions with them before my one month is up?
Ellis: Victor said that there are no restrictions on your activities apart from going outside alone, so I guess this is fine?
I blinked in surprise at his casual response.
(That’s not something I’m in the position to decide… is this REALLY acceptable?)
Ellis: I have some mail to send out. I’ll handle the procedures myself, go ahead and do whatever you want while you wait for me.
Kate: Okay…
Ellis made his way to the counter, leaving me behind at the entrance.
(I wonder what would happen if I asked someone I know for help and leaked classified information…)
I couldn't conceal my confusion at my suspiciously relaxed “surveillance”.
(At least… this means that Ellis trusts me to not do that, I guess?)
(However—)
(If classified information is leaked, they’ll get rid of everyone who knows about it, including myself…)
— “Do we kill her?”
I suddenly remembered those words he said so casually and shook my head in a panic, when…
Coworker with Braids: Kate!?
Kate: Ah.
Coworker with Braids: It really is you, Kate! Everyone, Kate is here!
The other coworkers heard them and immediately gathered around.
Red-Haired Coworker: Kate~ why did you suddenly start working at the palace? What’s going on?
Coworker with Black Eyes: We were so worried about you.
(Even though they’re this worried about me because I suddenly stopped coming to work…)
(I can’t tell them the real reason for my absence. Not now.)
(I don't even know if I’ll come back in one piece after a month.)
(But…)
I pushed my anxiety aside, not wanting to make them worry more.
Kate: I’m doing well. I still don't really understand what's going on because today’s only my first day of work, but I’ll definitely figure it out.
Coworker with Braids: I mean, it’s THE Kate who can turn any complaining customer into a good one; I’m sure you’ll be fine, wherever you are.
Red-Haired Coworker: We were at a loss and felt so lonely after you disappeared so suddenly…
Kate: I’m… really sorry about that. The situation is beyond my control.
Coworker with Braids: I guess you can’t really refuse orders from the palace.
Coworker with Black Eyes: We’ll always have your back, Kate.
Red-Haired Coworker: Hey, take this!
Red-Haired Coworker: We bought these together and wanted to pass them to you if you happened to drop by. Glad we could!
Kate: Eeh… you guys bought this many things?
Various presents were piled up in my arms.
There was a blanket, cookies from my favourite shop… so much that I was afraid I would drop the items if I moved.
Ellis: Let me help you carry them.
Ellis appeared next to me and took over the items.
All my coworkers simultaneously turned their eyes towards Ellis immediately.
Coworker with Braids: Wait a second… who is THIS!? Is he Kate’s boyfriend!?
Red-Haired Coworker: Oh I know him! He’s that scary businessman’s bodyguard!
The situation went into chaos like a hornet’s nest being disturbed.
Coworker with Braids: Kate, you must give us a good explanation of your relationship with this handsome man!
Kate: Uhh… we met at the palace yesterday because of work. We have a purely professional relationship.
Coworker with Braids: Hmm, you two seem way closer than that.
Red-Haired Coworker: So suspicious…!
Kate: Hey… calm down, you guys…
Ellis took over the remaining items in my arms while I tried to calm my coworkers down.
Ellis: I caused quite a commotion… sorry. I’ll wait for you outside.
Kate: Ah… I’m sorry too! I’ll be quick.
Ellis: Take your time :)
I watched as Ellis nodded politely at everyone before leaving the post office.
(I made him worry…)
Coworker with Braids: So you got married before returning to work, huh…
Red-Haired Coworker: Congratulations.
Kate: I’ve been saying, that’s not true…!
…
— In the end, the commotion was resolved when our supervisor said “please, let’s leave it at that”.
I bid my coworkers farewell and stepped outside to meet Ellis who was leaning against a lampost with my gifts in hand, waiting for me.
(He looks like a work of art even from a distance.)
His refined physique and long, slender legs made him stand out.
Kate: Sorry to keep you waiting.
Ellis: Nope, not at all. … You could've stayed to chat more if you liked.
Kate: It’s fine! Umm, about the rude things my coworkers said earlier on…
The jokes about him being my boyfriend when we had a purely professional relationship might have made him uncomfortable.
(I have to make it up to him somehow… ah, I know.)
Kate: There’s a shop nearby that has delicious baguettes. Please let me treat you to something there as an apology.
Ellis: …
Ellis stared hard at me, looking like he just made a realisation.
Ellis: I think I get why you received so many gifts now.
Kate: Huh…?
Carrying the large bag of gifts from my coworkers in his hands, Ellis took a step closer to me…
He leaned in, his face so close to mine that our foreheads almost touched.
Ellis: You don't have to treat me, but I’m curious about your recommendation.
(... Ellis is still a mystery to me.)
However, there was no doubt that his kindness had found its way into my heart.
As proof of that, our conversation during our second meal together went more smoothly compared to the one we had over breakfast—.
…
Kate: Oh… it’s already gotten this late.
It was almost sunset when we left the shop.
Ellis: … We should hurry and return to the castle.
Ellis muttered in a low voice while staring at the streets getting dark.
It was my first time hearing that urgency in his voice, and I realised how overly lighthearted I was being.
(Perhaps he has plans for tonight, and yet I kept him outside for so long.)
Kate: We can save some time if we take the shortcut through this alley.
Using the navigation skills I got from working as a postwoman, I walked into a narrow alley.
Ellis: Ah…
Ellis: … It’ll be okay if we’re together, I guess.
We hurriedly made our way through the dimly lit alley where the sunlight didn't shine, and we were only a little more away from reaching a well-lit street.
Man in Hunting Hat: …
Suddenly, a man appeared and blocked our path. I instinctively tried to pass him by moving to the side, but—
(Huh…?)
The man extended a foot, stopping me from leaving.
I sensed that something was off and turned around to see two more men emerging from behind.
Man in Hunting Hat: You’re Jude Jazza’s woman?
(Jude?)
Kate: No, you’re mistaken… who are you people?
Man in Hunting Hat: We’ll confirm if you’re telling the truth later. Capture her.
The three men drew their knives and attacked.
(Wha- What!?)
Ellis: Kate, hold onto these for a minute.
Kate: Whoa…!
I was handed the bag of gifts from my coworkers in the middle of the chaotic situation and Ellis deflected their leader’s attack with a black dagger.
Ellis: This might get a little scary, but it’ll be over soon.
While I stood there at a loss for words, Ellis did as he said and swiftly knocked the men out.
He only used his dagger to counter their weapons, and relied mainly on his long limbs to handle them.
Ellis: … Done.
Ellis lined the unconscious men along the side of the path and gave each of their heads a light tap like a finishing touch—
Their wrists instantly stuck together, almost like they were in prayer.
Kate: Amazing…! How did you do that?
Ellis: I can bind people’s wrists like this by touching their heads.
(Now I remember…)
— “Cursed people” possess special abilities ordinary people don’t.
I recalled what Roger once said to me.
Kate: I see… so, this is your special ability?
Ellis: Yup. That's right. It’s convenient for such situations when you don’t have rope.
With a satisfied smile, Ellis effortlessly took over the bag of gifts again.
Ellis: Jude tends to get many people holding grudges against him, so he often gets attacked like what just happened.
Ellis: It’s unusual for him to have a woman with him, so those guys must have misunderstood you for his lover.
(Grudges… I see.)
Somehow or other, I realised that this happened because I followed them to work during the day.
(To think being attacked like this has become a routine, working for a trading company must be hard.)
Ellis: … Sorry.
Kate: You don’t have to apologise! Thank you very much for protecting me, Ellis.
Ellis frowned slightly and shook his head.
Ellis: To be honest, I saw this coming. I knew something like this would happen if I brought you outside with us.
Ellis: But… you looked disheartened when I said I was going to work today.
Ellis: I made the selfish decision to take you along. … I’m sorry for that.
(Ellis…)
He said it was selfish of him, but I knew very well that everything he did was for my sake.
(Breakfast, telling me about all the members of Crown, taking me with him to work…)
(Even our trip to the post office could’ve been for me.)
Kate: I was happy throughout the day, so… you really don’t have to apologise.
I smiled to express my appreciation for Ellis’ kindness.
Ellis: … Okay. Glad to hear that.
Ellis lips curled into a warm smile — much like the last ray of sunlight cast by the setting sun…
Maybe it was because of the approaching twilight, but there was a strange troubling feeling that caused a stir in my chest.
…
Upon returning to my room, I opened the bag of gifts from my coworkers.
“We’re concerned about you, Kate”
“Feel free to contact us anytime.”
The kind words in the letter from them made my heart feel warm.
(The only reason why I could receive these from them… was because Ellis took me to the post office.)
The joy I felt at that moment was all thanks to Ellis’ efforts to make me happy.
I’ve stepped foot into a different world.
For one month, there’s no going back to my original daily life—
It felt like he was telling the frightened me that “everything will be alright”.
(I now feel more confident about surviving this one month than I did this morning.)
(All the more so with Ellis by my side.)
— And so, I welcomed the next morning with a renewed sense of determination.
…
Victor: I heard about it, Kate. You were attacked by Jude’s business rivals yesterday?
Kate: Ah, yes. But I remained unharmed, thanks to Ellis.
Victor: That’s a relief to know, but… Miss Kate, if your safety is put at risk before the end of the contract’s one-month term—
Victor: — Crown’s confidential information will also be at risk of being leaked! Am I right to say that?
Ellis: Yeah.
Jude: … I have a bad feeling about this.
Victor responded to Jude’s obviously displeasured tone with a broad smile…
Victor: For that reason, Jude and Ellis, I’d like for both of you to take up the role of Kate’s bodyguards!
(What!?)
Jude: Ah?
Ellis: … Bodyguards? :0
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Tuff Mallow Update 4/18/24
Let's talk about all the things.
I've always been a "tell you like it is" person to a fault. I have never had a problem being direct, even if it has been awkward sometimes communicating.
So if I haven't had anything to say, you can be sure something serious is up.
Most recently I moved. And it was necessary. I was in a previous living situation that made game dev nearly impossible. I'd kept trying though, even as the world was crashing around me, while trying to keep up a front that everything was good. My dev friends were like "JmB, things are not okay."
It was a hard pill to swallow. So I doubled my efforts, took on more work and finally moved and wow have things been moving fast since then!
I went to GDC 2024!!
Having peace of mind in my own home was already awesome, but then the opportunity to go to GDC arose and I couldn't turn it down! I traveled to San Francisco and attended the week long event for people of the gaming industry, via a scholarship initiative by Black Voices in Gaming! I learned so much and made so many connections with talented phenomenal game industry professionals. But most importantly, I came to understand that this little Mallow has a place in the gaming industry. That the way I am is valid. That I don't need to be perfect, and that other game professionals want to see other creatives succeed and are also actively working towards that goal. It was inspiring and humbling and I never felt more a part of a community. It just reminds me to try harder to build up the creatives around me because if we all come up together, we come up strong!
Well Now We Are Back in Action!
I am back home. Finally stabilizing a workable schedule. And finally able to finish the things I promised! I owe people content!
- The Closet Door main release
- Background art to clients
- Chibi art to a supporter
- Some art for upcoming jam releases (shhhh)
There's so much going on this month!
I want so desperately to promise that TCD will be out next month- I mean all I have to do is finish coding the game in!
But for now...
I'm just taking it one step at a time.
You'll definitely know when I release this game (as well as announce the other projects I've been fortunate to be a part of, as well as the solo projects I've been working on behind the scenes. Because I am SO READY!!
As soon as I can officially make a beta version of The Closet Door (late April or Early May), things will move pretty fast! So at that time I hope you will still be with me on this journey, as it's been hell for us all getting here. I'll most likely announce it on all media channels.
Professionals Do... Their Best
I'm thankful. Always thankful. I would never have made it this far without the kindness people have shown me.
I am not perfect.
Professionals are not perfect. And I refuse to attempt perfection anymore, as I've learned just how toxic that can be to anyone's physical and mental health.
Best believe at any point that I am striving to do the best I can. I will always give the best of what I've got to my work and to others if I can help in any way.
And I will continue to strive towards being genuine and expressing those beliefs in everything I do and make.
I probably won't post another very personal dev post like this again. But it needed to be said.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm AlwaysJmB.
And I am doing my best. 💗
Until next time~
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