"The Remaining Piece (The Fourth Entity)".
And what if Doey the Doughman... was more than the three subjects used for an experiment?
So, here is a fanart of Doey! A character many might have found quite attaching with his friendliness.
And honestly, finding something original to draw (and write) about him has been quite... challenging! (Well, there are so many cute fanarts of him all over the Internet!)
Yet, I didn't want to just give a "mainstream" interpretation.
So I've spent awhile trying to elaborate my imagination, and interpretation over this character. 😆
Well, the fanart also turned out to be... somewhat spooky! ÔO But, isn't Poppy Playtime supposed to be a horror game, after all?
But first, here are three random facts:
1) I have to admit I used to think "dough" was pronounced "dahff" in English, till only recently! (Well, considering this isn't my first language, I guess there is still something to learn... :')
2) Ahh, yeah. This fandom definitely helped to move on from previous things that used to consume me mentally.
3) Uhh ohh, wait a minute. HIS HAT IS BLUE?! (Why have I been thinking of it as black...) Ôo
Buttanyway!
Writing this whole thing has taken awhile (to think and rethink). 🤯
Just think a major part of what you are about to read has been already written weeks before I started working on this fanart! (There have been times when I just found it "cringe" and wanted to delete a big part of it! But, I just ended up thinking it would be a waste if I did, so... here it is anyway)
*Disclaimer: This post contains trans related references and some nerdy stuff, so don't read the following text if you feel uncomfortable around this type of subjects. However, if you're interested, be my guest. (To read at your own discretion)
To begin with,
A fun fact about the "fourth entity" is that what inspired me was my new knowledge about… anglerfish! (Thanks, Facebook I guess!)
I'll let you check, if you're curious enough... but I just found this interesting scientifically speaking. It might seem somewhat "horrifying" from our human perspective, though. .-.
Well, while obviously (and thankfully) the context is quite different, I just kept the idea of the big creature living with tiny subjects incorporated into it.
But, one thing that remained unclear to me was if the humans' consciousness was actually still living inside of Doey… or if they were plainly dead and just a part of them were used?
(I might sound silly, but...as I was reading the fandom Wiki pages of the subjects used for the experiment, I was reading "deceased in 1993" when Doey was born. And it seriously confused me! 😅)
Well, I guess if you take a look at the three humanoid heads showing up after Doey transformed to chase the protagonist (aka "the player"), you might notice they looked pretty much similar (which technically would be strange if the subjects initially looked different, and weren’t even the same age to begin with), so… my guess would be that those heads may not have been part of their actual bodies, but just the phantom “embodiment” of the subjects’ personalities used to make Doey. Doey also seemed to keep their memories at a certain extent.
These bits of personalities didn't seem that fusional, but quite distinctive.
They seemed to interact with one another (Doey started arguing with "himself" before chasing the player, for instance), but Doey has been referring to himself as "I" and not "We" throughout the game. (scratches his head)
A) After some thinking, perhaps we could assume their human bodies had been killed, but their consciousness kept living somehow inside Doey (there is a note in the game written by another patient who mentioned waking up in a body that wasn’t hers, which might also apply to the other experiments? Anyway, it seemed to be part of Dr. Sawyer's ambition: transferring consciousnesses into bodies).
B) Another interpretation could be that eventually... their consciousness was never transferred, but Doey kept a "phantom" part of their personalities and memories, a bit like a copy (which might look like some sort of personality disorder from outside, as the switch between them might be drastic and conflicting). Doey would then NOT be the humans per se, but he would have somehow internalized a part of their personalities.
(As bits of memories would have been injected into Doey, he might sometimes sound mature, but he would also have childish "patterns" that would stick to him throughout the years: for instance, he was crying for his parents to go home as Jack would have... while technically, the events happened over a decade ago!)
✔ In both cases, you could still imagine the concept of the fourth "entity", being more or less the dough per se (it would have directly emerged from it, unlike the three other entities that came from the human subjects). Perhaps an extra part and/or the conductor, that would make Doey... actually be Doey, identify as Doey, behave like Doey?
✔ However, in the first case (A), I would imagine this fourth "entity" would be more strictly separated from the three "living" subjects, while in the second (B) it would perhaps be more like a different personality amongst the four (?)
As I was discussing this with someone IRL, we were thinking: if the three subjects are typically represented by the fan community as yellow (Jack) 🟡 , orange (Matthew) 🟠, and red (Kevin) 🔴, this fourth entity could be concretely represented by the color blue of Doey 🔵.
Regardless, I guess the game might just be open for interpretations with its mysteries! And that's also what makes it interesting?
(Or at least, I hope they will leave some mystery in the next chapters, so this universe remains open for different interpretations! :')
-
Pumpkie: Hey Sammy, you made a fanart about Mommy Long Legs before this one, right? Do you also consider we could think of "Doey the Doughman" as two versions: the conceptual version, but also the result of the Bigger Bodies Initiative?
Sam: Absolutely! Doey, as the conceptual version would just be... a jolly, friendly dough creature, working as one single individual I suppose. He would be pretty much clueless about the experiments in the factory, as he wouldn't have been there, nor would he have gone through any trauma.
Whereas, as the result of the Bigger Bodies Initiative, you already know the story: to our current knowledge, three subjects were used, and he happened to be the result of this experiment in Playtime Co.'s labs. He has interacted with the protagonist (player), and the other characters in the game.
Now, I guess the note incorporated into this fanart actually applies more to this... latter version. As for the drawing... I guess it can apply to both? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(Well, it doesn't mean you can't think of Doey as his conceptual, original version in the 50s, and headcanon him however you want! It might actually be more flexible as the character's backstory remains unclear... aaaand, honestly, you might as well be less annoyed by the angry part of the fan community)
Pumpkie: Yes, as complex as it seems, what you wrote indeed seems to... apply more to, you know, the Bigger Body version of Doey. And, I can't help but notice you mentioned anglerfish as a source of inspiration!
While I guess the tiny anglerfish that "fused" into the big one are like the subjects incorporated into Doey's dough, could you imagine the dough's inner organs could be female? You know, because if I'm correct, the big anglerfish are fema-
Sam: Uh oh… alrigh', alrigh'. First, I indeed talked about internal organs. Because, you just simply... can't see much from outside (not at first sight at least), he looks very "neutral" and can change his shape anyway (at least at a certain extent).
Now, if there were (let's say) something similar to internal female organs in some sorts, and the consciousness of the three subjects still lived inside of him, would they necessarily notice this specific detail? Only the "dough" would know, perhaps... as these organs would be constituting it/him per se.
Nevertheless, wouldn't the dough, as the fourth entity, communicate with the living consciousnesses? And at which extent?
Conversely, if what's left inside were just three "phantom personalities" existing amongst the four, I guess you could imagine things a tad differently: either Doey would know... either he wouldn't. (I guess it would also depend if these organs would "affect" his life at some point, remain dormant or not, etc.)
Anyway, I’d assume he would have a funny karyotype. Perhaps XX, or... XXX? (Typically called "X trisomy", but considering Doey is one of a kind anyway...)
Pumpkie: And what if it was XXXX?
Sam: Wow, that’s a lot of X, Pumpkie! Three BIG X is already a lot, but four...
And where would that fourth X come from, anyway? ÔO
Pumpkie: I dunno... I'm toying with you, but what if there were an impostor?
Sam: Errrrr... if you really want to have four X, I mean... that DNA sequence could come from an external agent? This "extra" X you would like to add, anyway...
Now, if the karyotype was solely made out the three subjects, one might have had a chromosomal irregularity? (And not the usual XY, which could only give three X)
We could also imagine one of them was born a girl (XX), but wouldn't it be a bit... I mean, to my knowledge they were pretty young... and yet, not the same age.
At the same time, I've seen trans teenagers, so I guess it's not such an irraaaaational thought, if one was indeed at least a teenager before the experiment. (Is it reasonable to imagine at least one of them might have been a transboy..? 🤔)
I guess in Playtime Co., they might also have changed the name of some orphans in their files after all, and kept some details more confidential. (Once again, there is room for your imagination!)
I wouldn't think of Jack though, considering his context.
Alongside, Kevin had behavioral issues but good physical abilities (according to the tests he had passed), while Matthew wasn't "gifted" physically but more mature apparently. I thiiiink Matthew was the oldest, though (if I'm correct).
Anyway. That's a lot of thinking!
For now, I'll rather focus my interest on the possibility of the "dough", functioning as a fourth entity. :')
Pumpkie: OK, Sam. I'm a bit puzzled, but knowing you enough... with all of what you said previously, do you think we could headcanon Doey as a trans man, then?
Sam: That's a bit complicated concerning Doey... I guess it really depends on your viewpoint. But, perhaps at least a part of him?
Perhaps the dough as an entity per se, I guess? If we assumed it/he was "born" with inner female organs, but identified as a man. We could, maybe, put it up this way.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
You could also think of the "dough" as the true Doey, and the three subjects (or phantom personalities) as something extra, incorporated into him?
Anyway, there is a character in Poppy Playtime who's non-binary: a Nightmare Critter called Poe. So, why not after all? I don't know... 🤔
But, you know what? Come to think of it, Doey somewhat reminds me of the logo of “Trans Gentlemen Art”. He kinda fits to be honest. T__T Look at this little hat and... the blue stains. That logo isn't that recent, but... now I find this comparison actually funny. :')
Pumpkie: Oh. That's right: that's somewhat inky... aaaand I dunno, those arms kinda remind me of a scarecrow?
Sam: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Pumpkie: Well... now I start getting why you found some interest in this character. There are things that might feel familiar...
Talking about art and inner organs, there is that one detail in your fanart...those things, there. What did you draw? It looks like there is something inside of him.
Sam: Good point, which I almost forgot! 😃 (chuckles)
Yes, those are organs inside of him you can slightly see by transparency...
Not regular human organs per se, but they might have a flexible consistency (they probably carry DNA though, and might have grown out of the dough): basical things that enable Doey to be alive at least. As for the dough’s opacity, this looks like a smol detail in the game, but here is this fun screenshot of it. :’)
He is trying to sneak his head first into that crack on the wall.
Another thing is: I guess he can retract his teeth? ÔO
Pumpkie: Ohh, right: he's got sharp teeth!
Sam: Yeah, at first I thought it was just a thing in the fanarts, as in: people like to imagine him with those while he is in his "basic" form, but then I found out it was ACTUALLY in the game.
Pumpkie: Ah, right, the fan community... You have been in the official server, haven't you? Do you plan to share this... you know, interview, this post in there?
Sam: Errrrrrrrrrrrrr, you know, after some thinking.... I'd rather not. Perhaps the artwork, but not the whole publication? 😅
As I have been observing some reactions, I just decided I might just want my peace after all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Pumpkie: Sounds fair.
Sam: Anyway!
That was a lot of... talk over that Big Dough Baby (phew!)
I hope you enjoyed it (I wouldn't have the confidence to call these "theories", but at least "headcanons" or "potential perspectives of representation"? :')
As for my future art projects, I don't know yet, as this one happened to be... the last of my current list! But, I might as well take a break. I've been going out less these past weeks... and my body would probably thank me for seeing the sunlight, and make it exercize some more.
(I'm also a human on my own, after all! And have to take care of my physical health, I guess! :')
Take care, everyone! 👋🏻
