currently talking about akuneko to the void
block tag 'actively playing aknk get out now'
tag for english-ized akuneko bits: devil butlers and black cats (english)
"Translated" conveys a certain level of expertise and confidence that I just don't feel comfortable claiming, so I use the sillier "english-ized" to try and set the appropriate expectations. I do my best, but I'm just not skilled enough yet to feel like I can truly say, "Yes, I am sure what I am imparting to you is 100% what the creator intended."
That said, these are not machine translated, they are mine, and, as imperfect as they might be, my work is still my work: I do not want anyone feeding it to AI. Please refrain.
Miyaji event card for this event is CUTE. And sad. But mostly cute.
Torn in importance between these two things:
Miyaji bashfully referring to Fleur's complimenting his performance as favoritism, but specifically in the family sense. Love it. Basement found family feels so good.
AND-!!!
YORUM.
LAD.
FINALLY WE HAVE A NAME FOR YOU.
Why are the basement butlers so tragic is that place cursed or something-
Finley: Well...I'm still not sure about sending a force into the heavenly realm...
Aruji: (oh you BI-) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE-!
Crowther, not missing a beat: Wow! Look at that! An organization that has people so willing to risk their lives for their subordinates. How STRONG that organization must be! How impressive! ...as opposed to organizations that don't...which are weak...and not impressive at all...
Finley: ................................
Crowther: :)
Aruji: -EASE PLEASE PLEASE-
---
(I firmly believe every ellipses the writers put into Finley's text box represent the amount of deep breaths he has to take before he can respond to the shit he deals with on a daily basis in a civil manner and Finley needed a LOT of ten counts this time around)
I admit, I wasn't entirely sold on Crowther, but him immediately tag-teaming with us to back Finley into a corner so we could go rescue Fleur is absolute aces. An absolute natural at bullying Finley. What a guy. Welcome to the team, bud.
Episode 3 angry rant so I can continue the story in peace don't mind me
I just finished Episode 3 Part 3 Part 9 (hee hee parts) and like. IS Finley the traitor? He doesn't have a lot to gain from selling the demon butlers out, so it doesn't make much sense, but it must be said that so far the only people whose plans he seems to regularly quietly cooperate with are his enemies. First the actual angels, now the Sardeis.
Literally wouldn't be surprised if the reason Fubuki opted to demand Lato in this way was because he knew from his own spy reports about the Haures incident and so knew Finley was controlled at all times by his most panicky elements and putting pressure on was a surefire way to get the Central Country to do literally whatever he wanted with minimal risk on his part.
I'm losing it.
I WANT to like this guy but so far he's just demonstrated an ability to say words and a near total inability to follow through. You could make a case for his situation in Episode 2 (even when he couldn't properly maintain control of his own kangaroo court), but this is turning into a fool me once, fool me twice sort of a relationship. Finley. Finley, please.
(Especially when he has the audacity to start off the chapter making demands of the butlers to prove themselves to him when it's like, my good sir, you're entirely in the right to be unsure about these new additions and no one's blaming you for it, but let's not pretend that you are not also on thin ice with us and have far less demonstrated ability to prove yourself a reliable ally in turn. You tortured one of us, my guy. Having to play lip service to the established historical ties between your house and the demon butlers is all well and good, but don't pretend that it must follow that it be real, come on now. You gotta earn that. This is why Lucas keeps undermining you every time you turn around.) (I do appreciate the character and worldbuilding realism that his automatic kneejerk reaction to these situations is bread-and-butter corporate/political power games, namely in trying to grab and maintain the upper hand by acting like his approval is the only one that matters and making people scramble for it, but like. Uno reverse, buddy. Two can play at social engineering.)
Knowing the genre, there's a chance he's playing the bad guy to drag this out, stalling for time for the demon butlers to maybe fix this problem for him or something before he "has" to go along with his absolutely terrible plan, and like. Fine, but I don't think so? I don't think he is? This is too stupid if it is. The writers might still insist on it, but like. It still hinges on Finley having a reputation as an incredibly weak ruling lord who stands above his nobility on only the shakiest of knocking knees (because he does), and Finley stuck ducking under that terrible reputation to play a desperate gambit for the demon butlers to bail them all out of the consequences of his own incompetence. So.
The writers did, in fact, go with that option! And it changes nothing! It was still a stupid thing to do! I still really liked this chapter!
Lucas gets a partial excuse because using Lato as a lead to trail back to the Sardeis base of operations and essentially as a Trojan Horse would have been the best option to sell to Finley considering the scenario was likely: Finley receives Sardeis demands and sends a message to Lucas going, 'Hey, so I am going to hand over Lato because I am in fact uselessly controlled by my most panicky elements at any given point in time. You tell me how to make this suck a little less for you guys.'
Like, that doesn't leave Lucas a lot of room to maneuver.
Everything happened extremely fast, in probably just a few hours based on how quickly it seemed from the first chapters that Finley mobilized forces to the border and to bring in Lato, which means Lucas scrambling in the moment for a way to keep Lato's eventual safety relevant without just outright telling Finley to fuck off. It fits the situation we ultimately ended up with. I can say with all sincerity that it seems Lucas really did do his best with a really shit hand, especially since I have distinct memories of reading the earlier chapters where everyone's like, "Oh, Lucas has it handled!" "If it's Lucas, it'll be fine!" "Lucas will take care of it!" and thinking that, you know, that's...probably a lot of pressure for Lucas? It must be hard for him sometimes.
I mean, yeah, there were about five million ways to make the situation not as messed up as it was (what happened to Lato was so TREMENDOUSLY messed up, holy shit), so Lucas isn't getting out of this smelling like daisies here, but Finley, the one who put him (all of them) in that situation, still fucked up even worse. He's not getting off the hook for this one. A foot just went through that thin, thin ice he's standing on.
I don't want to give the impression I'm criticizing the story necessarily, though. I really like the worldbuilding and Finley's character. Politics are hard! Finley's got a massive power imbalance in his favor and an upbringing that definitely didn't teach him not to abuse it, and he feels like a real product of his environment who is trying to do better and also messes it up sometimes! The world is real to them and it has an impact on their behavior and beliefs! That's good! It should feel like the Demon Butlers are in a really rough spot, for all that their immediate needs are seen to! I appreciate the story actually showing their really crappy situation and weak political position that the absolute best of the likes of Lucas and Nac and Berrien can only hold together with string and willpower. It's juicy! It says a lot about the world! It's something to sink my teeth into! Look at all the words I'm writing about it!
THAT SAID
I've said what I wanted to say about Finley's position and the crap way the demon butlers bear the brunt of his decisions, so moving on:
Lucas practically skipping when Miyaji indicated he might not actually entirely hate his guts was just. My GUYS. That entire sequence from Lucas hanging onto his composure by his fingernails when his plan almost got Miyaji killed (did kill him, actually, he was clinically dead) to Lucas's rambling sideways explanations to Aruji about how just wanted his friend back!!! He missed his friend!!!!! Miyaji please don't hate him you can't hate him actually he has a seventy-two page notated paper about why you shouldn't hate him please please please don't hate him- I'm losing my mind!!!!!!!!!
Also something about Miyaji always kind of comparing himself to Lucas unfavorably (asking Aruji who they prefer between him and Lucas, notable moments) and not seeing a lot of worth in himself, and meanwhile the Lucas he compares himself to is over here scrambling after his heels for crumbs. Like. 👀Hm. HM. I don't actually have anything to say about it, I just find that dynamic fun.
And Miyaji just straight up telling Lucas to just tell him, next time. And Lucas lighting up like the sun at the prospect. And immediately taking advantage of the crack in the door to wedge his toe in there so Miyaji can't slam it shut again. He's clinging to this olive branch with BOTH hands and a white-knuckled grip, Miyaji. You're not getting it back!
Miyaji thinking that he's a little too emotional and so, even when he suspected Lucas of doing his Lucas thing, decided to bite his tongue and trust him, even when it was really hard, because he didn't trust that he himself would do the right thing-! (Whether he was 100% right, I have my own thoughts on, but Miyaji is also apparently not sure about that either since:) But at the same time not really trusting Lucas to fully consider the ramifications of like. NOT being Like That. So he wants Lucas to come to him next time before he pulls any of that shit. And Lucas wants that, too. And it's just-------!!!!!!!!!!!
It's just! And that's so good!
There's also a recurring thing with Lucas where like. It's a fun part of his character, so when I call him pathetic don't think I'm criticizing him. I mean pathetic in an endearing way. A maddening endearing way, but like.
Where Lucas does that thing where he goes, "I'm sorry. But also I was objectively right. Look at all the reasons I was objectively right. You shouldn't actually be mad at me because I did everything right. You should forgive me." and it's like. MY GUY. MY GOOD SIR. MY BUDDY. THAT IS NOT AN APOLOGY?? That is not an apology. That is a SHIT apology. This is why Miyaji's always pissed at you.
But it's also kind of pathetic in that, you can TELL he's anticipating being hated and criticized and it makes him really anxious even when he's SURE he did everything right. He just also knows that maybe some bad things happened, too, and some people might, perhaps, have a few feelings about that...and he knows the social formula for this, so he's simultaneously AWARE that he should apologize but he doesn't actually feel like he did anything wrong! And he doesn't want people he actually cares about to think he did something wrong! Then they might not realize he did everything right and they might be mad at him🥺And he doesn't want them to be mad at him he wants them to like him and trust him🥺So he knows he should apologize, but then he gets anxious that they might get mad at him anyway and starts a thesis defense on the spot about why, actually, they shouldn't be mad at him and they should forgive him immediately. He even outright says 'You should forgive me.' a couple times I think. It's just so. LUCAS.
It's such a delightful regression to back when he didn't really understand people. He knows he did wrong by Lato, but he doesn't want his friends/family to hate him for it, so he's caught in that awkward spot of trying to apologize while also - almost childishly - trying to insist that no one should be mad at him, actually. He gets away with it because he does genuinely care so much and because it's really obvious he really is doing his best, but like. I can see why a younger Lucas might have almost got his face ripped off by a younger Miyaji. And he would have deserved it.
I myself am beating my head against a wall and also hopelessly endeared. As long as Lucas doesn't even breathe in Lato's direction for awhile, anyway.
(Rap sheet for this chapter alone: Miyaji died. He was clinically dead. The fact he was able to be resuscitated doesn't mean that he didn't die. Aruji was about two centimeters from Lato murdering them. Lato was brutally tortured and had his hard-earned trust in his comrades deliberately broken so he could be set off like a human bomb, which, surprise surprise, almost took out fellow demon butlers and Aruji. Lucas, my dude, my buddy, I adore you, but you messed up. You all squeaked a positive outcome from this shitshow by sheer dumb luck.)
Lato...
I already knew a good chunk of his backstory, but this was ROUGH. Him quietly going along with everything because he had that much faith and trust in Miyaji. And us. He could have saved himself! He could have! But he didn't, because he trusted us. And that trust was used to brutalize him. That was incredibly difficult to get through. Nothing about what happened to him was okay, and the fact it was orchestrated makes it worse. They're so, SO lucky Lato took it as well as he did, even though it makes me want to tell him he deserves better. Ends do NOT justify the means, actually!
Lato's hearing coming back into play was a great story moment, though. Just how he silently turned his head from where he was keeping vigil over Miyaji and then we knew what was happening but also we don't get closure for several more parts was just. Excellent.
I'm not being especially coherent. There was a lot I liked about this chapter, though you can be sure I picked all the coldest responses possible to Finley and even Lucas for a bit. No regrets! Let me stare Finley into the ground more often!
Episode 3 angry rant so I can continue the story in peace don't mind me
I just finished Episode 3 Part 3 Part 9 (hee hee parts) and like. IS Finley the traitor? He doesn't have a lot to gain from selling the demon butlers out, so it doesn't make much sense, but it must be said that so far the only people whose plans he seems to regularly quietly cooperate with are his enemies. First the actual angels, now the Sardeis.
Literally wouldn't be surprised if the reason Fubuki opted to demand Lato in this way was because he knew from his own spy reports about the Haures incident and so knew Finley was controlled at all times by his most panicky elements and putting pressure on was a surefire way to get the Central Country to do literally whatever he wanted with minimal risk on his part.
I'm losing it.
I WANT to like this guy but so far he's just demonstrated an ability to say words and a near total inability to follow through. You could make a case for his situation in Episode 2 (even when he couldn't properly maintain control of his own kangaroo court), but this is turning into a fool me once, fool me twice sort of a relationship. Finley. Finley, please.
(Especially when he has the audacity to start off the chapter making demands of the butlers to prove themselves to him when it's like, my good sir, you're entirely in the right to be unsure about these new additions and no one's blaming you for it, but let's not pretend that you are not also on thin ice with us and have far less demonstrated ability to prove yourself a reliable ally in turn. You tortured one of us, my guy. Having to play lip service to the established historical ties between your house and the demon butlers is all well and good, but don't pretend that it must follow that it be real, come on now. You gotta earn that. This is why Lucas keeps undermining you every time you turn around.) (I do appreciate the character and worldbuilding realism that his automatic kneejerk reaction to these situations is bread-and-butter corporate/political power games, namely in trying to grab and maintain the upper hand by acting like his approval is the only one that matters and making people scramble for it, but like. Uno reverse, buddy. Two can play at social engineering.)
Knowing the genre, there's a chance he's playing the bad guy to drag this out, stalling for time for the demon butlers to maybe fix this problem for him or something before he "has" to go along with his absolutely terrible plan, and like. Fine, but I don't think so? I don't think he is? This is too stupid if it is. The writers might still insist on it, but like. It still hinges on Finley having a reputation as an incredibly weak ruling lord who stands above his nobility on only the shakiest of knocking knees (because he does), and Finley stuck ducking under that terrible reputation to play a desperate gambit for the demon butlers to bail them all out of the consequences of his own incompetence. So.
So my dollhouse glitched a little and I got the opportunity to take pictures of the manor layout without sprites in the way. I didn't get the 3rd floor or any part of the villa, but I can talk about my ideas for who sleeps where!
I'm sure this is very riveting! Here we go!
The 1st floor is a bit ambiguous, since there isn't much by way of personal customization here. I'm gonna take a stab at it anyway. I figure Bastien definitely has one of the corner beds. It actually makes sense to me if he's in the upper left? The two on the right look more like a standard layout, which maybe could have been from when Berrien was essentially raising Lono, and Bastien's bed was pulled out of storage and added wherever made the most sense (the fact it's an odd corner and there might be a window there (exterior wall) makes it seem like it might have been intended as a sitting area by the mansion's architect that the butlers use in a more utilitarian fashion). (I refuse to believe this room wasn't originally intended as the master bedroom before Berrien decided it was better suited to group housing/too big of a security risk for any Aruji to be situated on the ground floor and moved the official master bedroom to where it is now).
That leaves the right two, and from there I definitely think Berrien has the one nearest the desk. The only thing that leaves me a little unsure about this is Berrien has commented on Bastien and Lono sleep-fighting at each other, since that might imply they have the beds nearest each other, but on the other hand this could also mean Bastien and Lono are sleep-fighting from literal opposite corners of the room while Berrien sits in bed between them watching them go like a ping-pong match and that's hilarious.
That leaves Lono in the lower right bed, which I feel is appropriate considering the hours he must keep as the primary cook and resident 1st floor morning referee. You have to get up early to get all that food prepped and the day's bread baking! The door and everything to get ready is right there, without having to cross by anyone else still sleeping, and less of a risk of stumbling over something in the dark. There's a little less freedom of movement than in "Bastien's" corner (the upper left has both sides open, while the lower right one doesn't), but Lono probably would feel more secure in the mansion than Bastien did for a long time.
The 2nd floor has customization all over the place, so that's easy. Haures absolutely has the left-most bed (it's technically made; he tried!) (and also it's nearest the door, quite literally between it and the entire rest of the beds) (this probably has to do with Haures's training regimen and the hours he keeps, but also probably at least 10% is due to his protectiveness. 20%. 30-), which makes Fennesz the most likely candidate for being right next to him in the middle-most bed, reinforced by the neat pile of books and the candles for late-night reading! Ammon is obviously up in the upper right, with a lot of space and accessibility to help out Boschi if required in the lower right (which is complete with additional pillow for probably tasteful decoration and extra comfy sleep! For some meta commentary, this also leaves Fennesz and Ammon more-or-less between Haures and Boschi at all times lol. Fennesz's bed is more steadfastly in the way, while Ammon is a little more ehhhh up there in his little corner (bundled in with his flowers that help obscure sight lines and further give him some semblance of privacy/distance from anything else going on in the room), but he's still there!
The 2nd floor doesn't have near the space to work with that the 1st floor butlers do, but I also think it's interesting to see how even all the spacing is between them. In a barracks sort of way, this is a very cozy set-up from people very used to living on top of of each other. Aaaand if anyone comes through the door, they've got to get through Haures and Fennesz in that little artificial chokepoint they've got going and can easily reinforce with the couches, with those same being more of a hindrance to any outsiders than Boschi if he needs to go around them, and zero percent chance of anyone making it near Ammon who is ideally placed to utilize his weapon if any intruders get a little too bold for their britches.
Okay, so Lato most likely has the lower left bed. Mostly because the only other option is the middle-most bed, as the upper right is the most hilariously awful position possible to put Lato in that it can't even be entertained (it's the most hemmed in and has a direct shot for the door). The middle-most is also pretty bad, though, so we won't consider it, either. The lower left's got a comfortable chair for Miyaji if Lato wants to be read to or needs monitoring through the night, and also is the bed that gives the maximum amount of free space and the clearest sight lines, which is probably pretty important for Lato.
This means Miyaji probably has the middle-most bed. This leaves him with direct access to Lato if necessary without crowding him, and keeps him squarely between Lato and the door/Fleur in the right-most bed. If it's the middle of the night and Lato has one of his more aggressive episodes, as he has occasionally in the past, Miyaji has more of a chance of intercepting him from here before he can hurt anyone else or himself.
That leaves Fleur crowded into the upper right corner of the room. If anything goes down, then even half-asleep all Fleur has to do to get out is roll out of bed and book it and he's out the door in two steps maximum. This is a position of utility more than comfort, but he's taken strides to make it homey regardless, looking at those trinkets he's got on his side table. Very cozy-cluttered!
Quarters are tight in the basement, but it seems like they make it work, and it suits their little family set-up. Tight quarters or no tight quarters, the basement butlers like hanging out down there together doing their own thing, and the primary hang-out spot is definitely over around Lato's side of the room. Lato's probably on the rug a lot with his picture books, and Fleur's probably got the projects he has deadlines for that we hear of him working late on over there, especially now that Lato's doing better. Most of the other rooms have a communal area, but the basement butlers definitely live in theirs, and are very comfortable navigating around each other to do it.
I don't have images for the 3rd floor or either of the Villa floors, but I'll write them down anyway since I'm here, and fill in when I get this glitch again, hopefully with their floors this time!
[3rd Floor]
The 3rd floor is a little tricky. Lucas is easy, he's obviously in the upper left, but I'm torn between the right-most two for Nac and Lamli. At first I figured Nac had to be in the upper right, since it seems like the darkest, plus shelving is set up in such a way as to maybe provide some sound-proofing for the guy who needs to try and sleep when everyone is awake. Makes sense, right? But then I realized that's the outer wall, which means there's most likely a window over there somewhere that the shelving in that position probably won't be much help with, which isn't great for someone who regularly needs to sleep his full rem cycles during daylight hours. It also leaves Nac very much cornered and hemmed in with limited space to maneuver, which is not exactly an ideal scenario, and Nac in particular would be someone very aware of how easy it is to catch someone out in their own home, in their own bed.
Lamli in the upper right would not only have direct access to Lucas, but is less likely to instinctively clock the surrounding shelving as much of an obstacle (actual trained acrobot + according to Yuuhan, moves like he's spring-loaded + less ingrained professional paranoia than Nac). This also gives Lamli a lot of personal storage, which leaves him snuggled in and literally surrounded on all sides by his favorite things, which, I don't know, seems more of a Lamli thing than a Nac thing? Plus a desk, which Nac wouldn't need, considering he has his own entire office. And the fact the shelves are situated so that the only open space goes directly into Lucas's own space, which seems like...a very Lamli thing to do, honestly. He's just gonna pretend that entire part of the room with Nac in it isn't there!!
The lower right has more space if someone needs to wake up fighting, good sight lines to nearly the entire rest of the room, plus a candle-holder for the resident night owl and the Devil Palace's official hall-roamer, and leaves Nac in the blind spot of anyone entering the room, possibly even on the hinge-side of the door, with the additional buffer of a dresser to obscure him further in peripheral vision, primed and ready to take any intruders off guard if they dare not pie their corners properly. Any attempt at beelining in would get them a Nac to the back (haha see what I did there I made a rhyme), and anyone coming through the window has a frontline of obstacles they're less familiar with than the room's occupants, which also gives Nac cover on top of plenty of warning to ready himself. This bed also gets him as far away as possible from the exterior wall and its potential windows, with the shelving still able to act as a light barrier keeping the door-side of the room in the dark as much as possible. It's also the bed with the least amount of personal touches of the three, which makes me lean toward it being his. Whether he just keeps his things in his office/very contained, wrestles some of that ample shelf-space from Lamli, or just doesn't bother with personal effects because he's got Hang-Ups, who knows.
Still, they could easily be reversed. I overall I feel like a good case could be made for Nac or Lamli in either of the right-most beds, with Lucas definitely in the upper left.
The 3rd floor goes out of its way to give each member their own clearly defined space as much as possible. Lucas sacrifices a little of this to make sure he has a clear run for the door, but otherwise they essentially all have their own 'room' carved out neatly from the bigger one. The exemplifies their spirit perfectly, I think.
[Villa 1st Floor]
The Villa's 1st floor is, frankly, impossible to really pinpoint. I bet Teddy's in the middle, though. If that were the case, then Hanamaru might have the left-hand bed and Yuuhan the right-hand, but that's solely from vibes. Hanamaru likes to sneak out at night and that side has the least obstacles between the bed and the door (and, if anyone were to intrude or yell for help or a kid has screaming nightmares in the middle of the night, the least obstacles between him and the door) (only one of these men had the care of four small, traumatized children while also being heavily traumatized himself by which I mean only one of these men has likely broken a toe on a cabinet at 2 in the morning trying to get to his kids and swore never again is all I'm saying), while Yuuhan might appreciate having a quiet spot to sit and chill before bed and probably doesn't really feel like he needs to worry about obstacles if he needs to maneuver through that room in a hurry or sneak around quietly in the middle of the night when he should be sleeping. Unlike some people he could name.
[Villa 2nd Floor]
Villa 2nd floor is a literal coin toss, but okay. I've come this far. I'll do it. I don't know these two as well, but I think Shiro is in the left-most bed, up in the corner, and Bellen is to the right. The left-most bed has the best view of those flowers in the corner and, based on light, is definitely near a window, with a lot of room for setting up an easel or anything else without necessarily being bothered by people walking through it. The right-most is nearest the area where guests might sit and Shiro would probably literally rather die. That's it, that's all I've got. (This also leaves Bellen theoretically closest to the door, which I feel is probably a Bellen "perpetual eldest brother and raised combatant" staple, but Shiro has plenty of space to circle down from his corner and form a wall with Bellen, so actually they're about equal in terms of their ability to respond readily to threats). That painting overlooking the sitting area was definitely made by Shiro, though.
I have had news that there are OFFICIAL LAYOUTS (or partial layouts, rip villa squad) for the bedroom arrangements and I am here to see how I stacked up!
First of all! All these drawings are super cute! I see you, artists, and I respect you!
The addition of the little nightcaps is everything. This is VITAL information.
That space next to his bed is for Bastien's sword...- of course it is how did I not realize. (I love this. That and all those wood shavings he's apparently collecting out of sight of Berrien over there. He stashes his important things like a chipmunk. Drawers? Shelves? Absolutely not. Floor between the bed and wall only. I love it.)
(Also that sword is, truly and genuinely, ridiculously huge)
The layout and use-space of the room flows a bit differently in this drawing, but it keeps all the major elements, I think. I still hold that this was 100% intended to be the master bedroom in the original design, but the first floor is a huge security risk for the occupant, so that got remedied EARLY-early. Major argument for why this was never intended to be quarters even remotely meant for staff? There is not a single utilitarian door in this space. This was not a room meant for anyone who would ever have cause to even consider how obnoxiously roundabout the way to the kitchen is from here.
And, I mean, I bet Lono's grumbled about it when he's up in the wee hours of the morning and has to go the entire opposite direction from the kitchen, cut through the primary dining room, go down that narrow little rickety-ass, useless hallway, and THEN. FINALLY. Make it to the kitchen.
Which doesn't even have outdoor access what the FU-
(edit: oh my gosh I just noticed his little oven mitts awwwww-)
Haures...um...your clothes...
(pssst Haures you have two dressers why are your clothes on the floor-)
(one dresser is for victorian-era protein shakes the other is "packed" because he never folds anything I'm calling it now)
Ohh, they actually have more space than I thought they would! I love the additions of personal effects. Boschi's got a fancy chair! He and Fennesz are probably up reading together some nights.
Ammon still taking the entire damn alcove for himself is still funny to me, though. He annexed it. That's prime real estate, okay, there's no way that happened without a fight. Ammon's theoretical little black book earning its keep just with this haha.
Compared to the in-game version, this makes them look a little more round-table, too. Less narrow space and sharper corners. I kind of like the in-game version a bit more for that tighter space, since it really felt very 'old house with a lot of people to cram in' to me, but this is nice, too. They have more hang-out space.
HUGE.
HOLY COW.
(This was probably the actual staffing quarters and was definitely supposed to house way more than just three people. How do I know? ("know") Because it's all the way up on the third floor too far away from anything useful and whoever designed this house clearly hated its future staff with a passion, is why. That person WOULD inconvenience them like this. Just like making them take an entire internal spiral through the very public areas of the manor just to get to where the dang kitchen garden would be from the kitchen. At least that person gave them some square footage of their own to make it up, I guess.)
Okay, so Nac is in the upper right! This drawing definitely makes that whole 'narrow and cramped' concern from the in-game design description moot, though. He has a TON of space up there. It's also far more evenly distributed here, and those left-hand wall-making shelves are made clear as definitely Lucas's. (Lucas...Lucas you have an office why is there a second, bigger office in your bedroom...have you heard of work-life balance...Lucas the bedroom is for BED-)
Still a little concerned about Nac's ability to really sleep properly, though. The in-game one was at least dark in exchange for the comparative cramped boundaries, but with this much space (most of the outer wall, actually) I can't see it providing the same benefit. I'm sure its fine. Give him one of those silk eye masks with the wide open eyes embroidered on the outside; he'll be okay. See him bust out poetry over THAT gift. (Actually, don't. He'd do it.)
And since we can see which way the door opens, this means Lamli, far from having the advantages I speculated on in the in-game version, is actually in direct view of anyone entering the room. And they're in Lamli's. In terms of like...design, that's actually supposed to be a pretty uncomfortable sleeping situation, with all that energy (draft, sound, movement) being directed right at him every time that door opens. Lamli could fix it by rotating his dresser to block himself off from it, but he hasn't, which actually definitely implies that he prefers it that way. No one's getting in or out of that room without disturbing Lamli at least a little bit! (except maybe Nac lol).
Lamli's corner is pretty sparse in comparison to the others (one dresser!) but he probably has a use for all that space. He has zero problem with self-expression or collecting things he likes, and I can't imagine he wouldn't be allowed another cabinet or dresser if he wanted one (witness Lucas's FIVE ENTIRE SETS OF PERSONAL STORAGE + DESK) unless something...froggy happened to the last addition, possibly 👀. Lamli only having a small set of favorite items he rotates constantly and wears/loves to death actually makes sense, though. He's clearly the minimalist of the three. I said it.
Okie-dokie, I was waaaay wrong on this one! lato what's that marked on the floor under your bed-
In my defense, the door is in an entirely different location that the in-game version. This changes everything. It was sabotage. /jk
In all seriousness though, I can see this working. No one is between Lato and the exit, and Lato has the easiest escape route of the bunch if he ever feels the need to take it (roll out of bed and go) (for better or worse, I suppose). He's in the most enclosed part of the mansion, but no one's making him feel cornered. Miyaji is nearby, but not in the way. Fleur's in a bit of an awkward position, but thinking of that big fluffy chair in the game version belonging to him is really cute, actually. He's got a sewing chair! A knitting chair! A cozy little spot to hunker down! I love his weights, too.
Miyaji's got himself in an interesting spot, but I'm stewing on it a bit, still. Idly: Miyaji's set-up makes sense to me if it was echoing Zepal's placement, I think. I'm guessing Zepal's bed was probably in that upper left corner where the picture (?) is hanging, situated like Fleur's, and that dresser was probably his. Zepal to Fleur and Miyaji to Lato, with Zepal and Miyaji bracketing the room from either side and situated so if either of the younger butlers needed them, they could respond. The communal space would have been more toward the center of the room during that time, which means where they've moved it now has them hanging out primarily in the space Zepal used to occupy. This might have been necessity, but I wonder if that makes them feel a little bit like he's still there, sometimes.
psssst! you did overall pretty good on guessing who sleeps where! there's an old twitter post about the main inside floor plans (sans the villa floors) i can send them to you if you wanna see the "answer sheets" lol
Ohhh, there's officials? That sounds fun! Yes, please, kind anon, send them my way if you get a second! Thank you!
So my dollhouse glitched a little and I got the opportunity to take pictures of the manor layout without sprites in the way. I didn't get the 3rd floor or any part of the villa, but I can talk about my ideas for who sleeps where!
I'm sure this is very riveting! Here we go!
The 1st floor is a bit ambiguous, since there isn't much by way of personal customization here. I'm gonna take a stab at it anyway. I figure Bastien definitely has one of the corner beds. It actually makes sense to me if he's in the upper left? The two on the right look more like a standard layout, which maybe could have been from when Berrien was essentially raising Lono, and Bastien's bed was pulled out of storage and added wherever made the most sense (the fact it's an odd corner and there might be a window there (exterior wall) makes it seem like it might have been intended as a sitting area by the mansion's architect that the butlers use in a more utilitarian fashion). (I refuse to believe this room wasn't originally intended as the master bedroom before Berrien decided it was better suited to group housing/too big of a security risk for any Aruji to be situated on the ground floor and moved the official master bedroom to where it is now).
That leaves the right two, and from there I definitely think Berrien has the one nearest the desk. The only thing that leaves me a little unsure about this is Berrien has commented on Bastien and Lono sleep-fighting at each other, since that might imply they have the beds nearest each other, but on the other hand this could also mean Bastien and Lono are sleep-fighting from literal opposite corners of the room while Berrien sits in bed between them watching them go like a ping-pong match and that's hilarious.
That leaves Lono in the lower right bed, which I feel is appropriate considering the hours he must keep as the primary cook and resident 1st floor morning referee. You have to get up early to get all that food prepped and the day's bread baking! The door and everything to get ready is right there, without having to cross by anyone else still sleeping, and less of a risk of stumbling over something in the dark. There's a little less freedom of movement than in "Bastien's" corner (the upper left has both sides open, while the lower right one doesn't), but Lono probably would feel more secure in the mansion than Bastien did for a long time.
The 2nd floor has customization all over the place, so that's easy. Haures absolutely has the left-most bed (it's technically made; he tried!) (and also it's nearest the door, quite literally between it and the entire rest of the beds) (this probably has to do with Haures's training regimen and the hours he keeps, but also probably at least 10% is due to his protectiveness. 20%. 30-), which makes Fennesz the most likely candidate for being right next to him in the middle-most bed, reinforced by the neat pile of books and the candles for late-night reading! Ammon is obviously up in the upper right, with a lot of space and accessibility to help out Boschi if required in the lower right (which is complete with additional pillow for probably tasteful decoration and extra comfy sleep! For some meta commentary, this also leaves Fennesz and Ammon more-or-less between Haures and Boschi at all times lol. Fennesz's bed is more steadfastly in the way, while Ammon is a little more ehhhh up there in his little corner (bundled in with his flowers that help obscure sight lines and further give him some semblance of privacy/distance from anything else going on in the room), but he's still there!
The 2nd floor doesn't have near the space to work with that the 1st floor butlers do, but I also think it's interesting to see how even all the spacing is between them. In a barracks sort of way, this is a very cozy set-up from people very used to living on top of of each other. Aaaand if anyone comes through the door, they've got to get through Haures and Fennesz in that little artificial chokepoint they've got going and can easily reinforce with the couches, with those same being more of a hindrance to any outsiders than Boschi if he needs to go around them, and zero percent chance of anyone making it near Ammon who is ideally placed to utilize his weapon if any intruders get a little too bold for their britches.
Okay, so Lato most likely has the lower left bed. Mostly because the only other option is the middle-most bed, as the upper right is the most hilariously awful position possible to put Lato in that it can't even be entertained (it's the most hemmed in and has a direct shot for the door). The middle-most is also pretty bad, though, so we won't consider it, either. The lower left's got a comfortable chair for Miyaji if Lato wants to be read to or needs monitoring through the night, and also is the bed that gives the maximum amount of free space and the clearest sight lines, which is probably pretty important for Lato.
This means Miyaji probably has the middle-most bed. This leaves him with direct access to Lato if necessary without crowding him, and keeps him squarely between Lato and the door/Fleur in the right-most bed. If it's the middle of the night and Lato has one of his more aggressive episodes, as he has occasionally in the past, Miyaji has more of a chance of intercepting him from here before he can hurt anyone else or himself.
That leaves Fleur crowded into the upper right corner of the room. If anything goes down, then even half-asleep all Fleur has to do to get out is roll out of bed and book it and he's out the door in two steps maximum. This is a position of utility more than comfort, but he's taken strides to make it homey regardless, looking at those trinkets he's got on his side table. Very cozy-cluttered!
Quarters are tight in the basement, but it seems like they make it work, and it suits their little family set-up. Tight quarters or no tight quarters, the basement butlers like hanging out down there together doing their own thing, and the primary hang-out spot is definitely over around Lato's side of the room. Lato's probably on the rug a lot with his picture books, and Fleur's probably got the projects he has deadlines for that we hear of him working late on over there, especially now that Lato's doing better. Most of the other rooms have a communal area, but the basement butlers definitely live in theirs, and are very comfortable navigating around each other to do it.
I don't have images for the 3rd floor or either of the Villa floors, but I'll write them down anyway since I'm here, and fill in when I get this glitch again, hopefully with their floors this time!
[3rd Floor]
The 3rd floor is a little tricky. Lucas is easy, he's obviously in the upper left, but I'm torn between the right-most two for Nac and Lamli. At first I figured Nac had to be in the upper right, since it seems like the darkest, plus shelving is set up in such a way as to maybe provide some sound-proofing for the guy who needs to try and sleep when everyone is awake. Makes sense, right? But then I realized that's the outer wall, which means there's most likely a window over there somewhere that the shelving in that position probably won't be much help with, which isn't great for someone who regularly needs to sleep his full rem cycles during daylight hours. It also leaves Nac very much cornered and hemmed in with limited space to maneuver, which is not exactly an ideal scenario, and Nac in particular would be someone very aware of how easy it is to catch someone out in their own home, in their own bed.
Lamli in the upper right would not only have direct access to Lucas, but is less likely to instinctively clock the surrounding shelving as much of an obstacle (actual trained acrobot + according to Yuuhan, moves like he's spring-loaded + less ingrained professional paranoia than Nac). This also gives Lamli a lot of personal storage, which leaves him snuggled in and literally surrounded on all sides by his favorite things, which, I don't know, seems more of a Lamli thing than a Nac thing? Plus a desk, which Nac wouldn't need, considering he has his own entire office. And the fact the shelves are situated so that the only open space goes directly into Lucas's own space, which seems like...a very Lamli thing to do, honestly. He's just gonna pretend that entire part of the room with Nac in it isn't there!!
The lower right has more space if someone needs to wake up fighting, good sight lines to nearly the entire rest of the room, plus a candle-holder for the resident night owl and the Devil Palace's official hall-roamer, and leaves Nac in the blind spot of anyone entering the room, possibly even on the hinge-side of the door, with the additional buffer of a dresser to obscure him further in peripheral vision, primed and ready to take any intruders off guard if they dare not pie their corners properly. Any attempt at beelining in would get them a Nac to the back (haha see what I did there I made a rhyme), and anyone coming through the window has a frontline of obstacles they're less familiar with than the room's occupants, which also gives Nac cover on top of plenty of warning to ready himself. This bed also gets him as far away as possible from the exterior wall and its potential windows, with the shelving still able to act as a light barrier keeping the door-side of the room in the dark as much as possible. It's also the bed with the least amount of personal touches of the three, which makes me lean toward it being his. Whether he just keeps his things in his office/very contained, wrestles some of that ample shelf-space from Lamli, or just doesn't bother with personal effects because he's got Hang-Ups, who knows.
Still, they could easily be reversed. I overall I feel like a good case could be made for Nac or Lamli in either of the right-most beds, with Lucas definitely in the upper left.
The 3rd floor goes out of its way to give each member their own clearly defined space as much as possible. Lucas sacrifices a little of this to make sure he has a clear run for the door, but otherwise they essentially all have their own 'room' carved out neatly from the bigger one. The exemplifies their spirit perfectly, I think.
[Villa 1st Floor]
The Villa's 1st floor is, frankly, impossible to really pinpoint. I bet Teddy's in the middle, though. If that were the case, then Hanamaru might have the left-hand bed and Yuuhan the right-hand, but that's solely from vibes. Hanamaru likes to sneak out at night and that side has the least obstacles between the bed and the door (and, if anyone were to intrude or yell for help or a kid has screaming nightmares in the middle of the night, the least obstacles between him and the door) (only one of these men had the care of four small, traumatized children while also being heavily traumatized himself by which I mean only one of these men has likely broken a toe on a cabinet at 2 in the morning trying to get to his kids and swore never again is all I'm saying), while Yuuhan might appreciate having a quiet spot to sit and chill before bed and probably doesn't really feel like he needs to worry about obstacles if he needs to maneuver through that room in a hurry or sneak around quietly in the middle of the night when he should be sleeping. Unlike some people he could name.
[Villa 2nd Floor]
Villa 2nd floor is a literal coin toss, but okay. I've come this far. I'll do it. I don't know these two as well, but I think Shiro is in the left-most bed, up in the corner, and Bellen is to the right. The left-most bed has the best view of those flowers in the corner and, based on light, is definitely near a window, with a lot of room for setting up an easel or anything else without necessarily being bothered by people walking through it. The right-most is nearest the area where guests might sit and Shiro would probably literally rather die. That's it, that's all I've got. (This also leaves Bellen theoretically closest to the door, which I feel is probably a Bellen "perpetual eldest brother and raised combatant" staple, but Shiro has plenty of space to circle down from his corner and form a wall with Bellen, so actually they're about equal in terms of their ability to respond readily to threats). That painting overlooking the sitting area was definitely made by Shiro, though.
The whole of the town can be viewed from this observation platform.
The air is perfectly crisp and the stars are twinkling beautifully…
Coming here for the Lord's Christmas outing was certainly the right decision, hm?
Oh? "What made you decide on this place?", was it?
*chuckles* Well, then. With the greatest of care, allow me to properly explain.
I touched on it briefly already, but from this spot you can take in the entire town and truly appreciate its distinct Christmas atmosphere.
To see this town, engulfed in the warmest of lights, and to experience it with you...I knew it would surely be a joyous occasion, bringing with it the kind of true contentment one cannot easily replace.
That is why, for this night, together…a place where we could savor this time without interruption…a quiet place, to simply be at peace...I chose this location in accordance with these humble wishes of mine.
More than the refined radiance of the stars floating above, and more than the wondrous light brought into existence by the town below…to me, you are by far the most beautiful and gentle; the warmth radiates from you.
In this town…no, in this world, the one who shines with the most brilliance is none other than you.
Hm? "Aren't you praising me too much?" Nonsense. Rather, it's nowhere near enough.
The idea that a single statement could possibly suffice, even if I were to exhaust all my words on it - no, it's entirely impossible.
It is my belief that this sky, this town, and even this quiet night all exist for the sake of celebrating my Lord.
Ah, see there! Please look. The snow has just started falling.
It seems it, too, shares the desire to shower you in praise.
Even a fleeting moment enveloped in beautiful snow becomes something beloved, if I am together with you.
...Yet even so, if it were to leave you cold, I would gladly say nothing.
But...all the same, "If time could just stop here…!" …I find myself with that wish.
...It's about that time. Shall we head home? My Lord, please, take my hand. You must be especially careful of your footing around here to avoid falling.
Normally, the likes of snow such as this fouling your steps would barely be worth consideration.
However, tonight shall be an exception.
*chuckles* I see the questions appearing on your face. You're wondering why, yes?
If this snow could stymie our course for even a moment, then that would be more time I could spend with you.
Mm? "I want to spend time with you even after we get home?"
My Lord...
Ha-!
What wonderful words!
If it is my Lord's wish, then this Nac will, even upon the end of this special night, even on nights when the snow is no more, stay - as he always has - by my Lord's side…
And continue to guide them with this hand.
Always. Forever! Even to the farthest reaches of the world!
A bit overtired maybe, but thinking about how Nac probably definitely has Big Feelings, especially earlier in his time as a Devil Butler, about the fact Lucas can sleep totally dead to the world in the same room as him, knowing where he came from and what he's done.
Imagining him on one of those bad nights, out of morbid curiosity, touching his fingers to Lucas's neck or laying his hand flat over his stomach - anywhere sensitive and vulnerable, really - just to see what happens, half-expecting Lucas to catch him out, but Lucas just keeps snoozing away without even twitching, and Nac experiences the whole entire spectrum of emotions about it.
