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great game! pollution's storytelling is always incredible. it's a short entry but it tells a moving, relatable story very effectively

-L

there was a lot that we specifically coordinated on when writing our respective parts of the story, but the self-loathing and the feeling that we are at fault for our trauma was something that i think came naturally to both of us, no discussion necessary. i appreciate you taking the time to check out the game and leave your thoughts, it means a lot to us- the feedback, your kindness, and just knowing that there are people who get it in a world that often feels cold and cruel

-L

intense, uncomfortable read. i love the way shuron is drawn, chuuni goals. her position is so relatable, too. playing into someone's fantasies when they are in crisis because you don't know what else to do... and i've known so many people like jessi, too. every top i know has. being treated like a sex object by someone confusing fantasy and reality... it was genuinely terrifying following jessi's thought processes and wondering how far she would go. i loved the way the story was delivered in subtext and memory too, from characters who are, for one reason or another, not able to ever be vulnerable with each other in the present. wonderful story, thank you for sharing it ^^

-L

it is kind of you to say that the humor was never in poor taste, because that is always a worry when we make a game like this lol. i want people who have been hurt to laugh along and feel seen and understood, but sometimes it feels like the world is so rotten that it's beyond parody. i'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it and grateful that you shared your thoughts with us ^^

-L

it makes me very happy to hear your thoughts. i'm glad we could capture that sinister feeling, because that's what it's like, i think. the world doesn't stop turning. it doesn't stop being full of whimsical, silly moments. kids don't stop being goofy and even horny when they're being hurt

i think it ties in with the desire for a perfect victim. we are desirable either when we're inspirational, or when we suffer quietly and our lives are ruined and we're irreparably stained, always on the outside looking into polite society, knowing it isn't for us and spending our lives mourning it. sexless, of course, after the trauma

but in this miserable, painful world, trying to process all the things we're feeling, how we felt loved and desired in a way we know we never can again, the way an adult's touch felt in the midst of solitude, the joys and smiles and laughter and arousal, everything that seemed so beautiful turned into nightmares that haunt us every time we're touched.. any discussion of those feelings, any expression that goes beyond "look at this little VICTIM!! aren't they SAD?? that's all they'll EVER be now!!" is met with disgust and vitriol 

there have been times that people told me what i make *is* csa. that any fictional depiction of these kinds of traumatic experiences is indistinguishable from actual abuse. i like to ask them about nabokov's lolita. some stick to their guns and say it should be banned. others accuse me of comparing "goonslop" or something similar to masterful writing. when i ask them to elaborate, they never do. are all of these works of fiction literal csa, but that's forgivable if they're of high enough quality? is it no longer csa if it's good enough? or if it's sad enough? or if some big publisher says it's okay? i just want to know what makes it acceptable for me and my friends to write about our experiences

i have these same feelings about my queerness. i know there are several states in the usa where i can legally wear a dress instead of a suit at my job and my employer might even be discouraged from reprimanding me for it. i know i can petition a court to legally recognize my gender. i can be a good little semi-acceptable member of society. but i can never celebrate the things that make us different, i can never be too comfy. alex, i think, would be "bad representation" to a lot of people, but to me,  writing his story, it felt like home

(thank you for appreciating the girl doctor too it makes me giggle)

-L

this is very kind of you to say, but i played your garbage doll and was floored and humbled. i think i have a lot more to learn from you than the other way around! i see you're also in toxic yuri 2 (same, which was why it took me so long to get around to checking out your stuff orz), i'll check out GIRLDREAMS next and i'll be cheering for you!

-L

incredible, beautiful work here. the initial worldbuilding and discovery of what dollhood means in this setting is a stomach-churning experience, all the tension building up so that the encounter with beautiful's polycule feels like it could be anything, some new nightmare or the calm, refreshing breath we end up getting, and that part feels like the first crack in the facade of what we know about this world, like the first thing getting through to our protagonist that the world isn't quite as nightmarish as they have perceived it

it sets the tone for the rest of it to unravel as we find out just how complicated the situation was. despite all the magic, it feels like a very realistic story of hurt people with good intentions mixed with selfish desires making short-sighted decisions, all while being so immersed in rape culture and patriarchal ideas that they can't even describe the things happening to them, let alone figure out what they actually want and need

the art and visual effects were incredible too. the repeated dog attacks and accompanying graphic are at times silly, horrifying, traumatic. the effect of the blood covering the screen and even obscuring the text is super cool too. i was impressed with the writing too. it was witty and fun. the poetic use of repetition was done well, and i loved all the times that all that poetry falls to the wayside for garbage doll to talk about something not being punk rock enough (and a loner dog reference?) or a defiant "make it clothes like that".  it was a lovely story, i am very glad i checked it out and grateful for all the work you put in to share it

editing to add that all the doll modifications and injuries were hot lol x.x i was glad the bits near the end seemed to fully confirm they were meant to be so i didn't feel like such a pervert freak ^^;

-L

thank you for your kind words. it's hard to describe how much your thoughts in your rating mean to us. i tend to assume most people will look at our work and go "heh, they said 'boner', i get it" (which tbf we are very funny) and not really care to see what we are talking about. it is heartwarming in a strange way to hear that you got it, to the extent that your ideas are some of the things we've been talking about lately

i forget what spurred it on, but we were just talking the other day about how it felt like the absurd cruelty of the world was beyond parody, like there was nothing we could put in our games and comics and writings that would serve as an overexaggerated take on rape culture rather than a sincerely held belief with the world the way it is. i am sad to hear it all resonated with you, but hopeful too. the future seems bright despite these dark times, because i know we are not alone

personally, i think sexuality is another part of life, another facet of ourselves that is interwoven into the human experience, as much as people would like to excise it, cut it off and hide it away in its own corner. yeah, trans girl, wearing your skirt is gonna feel good. it's gonna be uplifting and euphoric and it's gonna turn you on, because you're a multifaceted being and your sexuality is one of those facets 

when i pitched alex for the game (to go along with the other characters that big sis wrote), it was mostly just because i wanted an outlet to write force-femme smut, but writing him, so many of these feelings came flooding back, culminating in the scene where he realizes with horror that he feels good being a girl outside of horny contexts lol. i think those kinds of horny thoughts can often be trying to tell us something, lead us to something we still need to grapple with. they were doing that 20 years ago when i was alex, and they were just now when i wrote him too

sexuality has been kind of a special interest of mine for my whole life, and i think that's why, because the way it is treated as shameful and something to hide away was something that i didn't feel free until i moved past. i feel the same way with humor. it's not as directly frowned upon, but i do feel like it's considered lower, somehow, like it has no place in a serious work, like it's something crass, something that detracts from the things around it, and that's just not true. people who are hurting are looking for a reason to laugh. we're horny and silly and when the world is rotten, what can we do but keep seeking those joyful experiences? to connect with others and laugh and love, to look our pain in the eyes and say "don't make me laugh" and hope it doesn't notice when we walk away rock hard?

-L

glad you enjoyed it! it was lotsa fun to make, i'm grateful we had the chance to play in the toxic yuri jam again ^^

-L

the bit with the therapist kinda felt like,, over the top and unrealistic just to make a point, but i have had friends who have experienced exactly that situation- cops called on them by a therapist for fully legal but icky porn they create...

thank you for playing, and for organizing the jam! it was a blast. trying not to plan in advance, but we've got ideas we're excited to explore for the ryona jam too, so if things come together, we'll see you there ^^

-L

very cute! the art is lovely and the concept is silly and fun. i love the sound effect for the fairy moving the coin, it's perfect for the fluttering of little fairy wings.

-L

i'm so glad you enjoyed it! this one was made on a much tighter timeframe, and i wasn't entirely sure it would happen because we were living out of a hotel for most of the time of the jam, but my sisters had some great art and really interesting ideas and i really wanted to bring them to life, along with my idea of sort of capturing the "unstuck in time" feeling of trauma that slaughterhouse 5 is about, and trying to express the way trauma can trap you or your mind in cycles that keep retraumatizing you.. if that makes sense

i'm glad you enjoyed the ending, too! it felt a little too on-the-nose when i was writing it, but it's based on a thing that genuinely did happen with a therapist to a friend of mine, and if anything, I toned it down lol -_-

thank you for your kind words, and for including everyone! i think i am the most vocal in taking ownership and promoting our work, and a lot of people overlook my sisters, but we all work together. i could not have come up with this at all without them, let alone making it come together as well as it did. thanks for playing, and for being a friend ^^

-L

silly, fun, and peverted! i adored imperia and i loved her dynamic with justicia. it's hard to maintain the tension of that kind of dynamic after initial meetings/sex scenes lol but they were delightful the entire time. i was expecting a lot more cold and cruel, but it ended up being very heartwarming whenever justicia showed her vulnerable side. these despots, despite everything, seem to have probably the healthiest relationship they could hope for. lovely story, thanks for sharing it with perverts like me ^^

-L

gomen friend i hope it wasn't too scary! it's funny, parts of it feel like,, over the top or silly, but those parts are the closest to being true stories. thank you for playing and for sharing your thoughts too ^^

-L

i'm glad you got to play it too, though i hope you got something to eat ^^;

thank you for your time and for your kind words, this project meant a lot to us and we really gave it our all, so hearing people's thoughts really brightens up our days. and thank you for being nice to bumbles, she's me i based her on me!! maybe not her specific circumstances tho lol

-L

don't be mean to ana i love her to bits!! my big sis did the character sprites, i think she really knocked em all outta the park. she's amazing. i love the confused bumbles one where her head is tilted, it's so cute

i actually just posted this the other day so i guess my goals are accomplished lol https://bsky.app/profile/lostlamby.konbinichicks.moe/post/3ltjrt6tcv22c

still, i hope it was more fun and maybe surreal to you than upsetting or disturbing! thanks for playing, and for sharing your thoughts, i appreciate it!

-L

gomen if it freaked you out! thank you for your kind words anyway. bunny was comparing it to like some pico game on newgrounds the whole time i was writing it so you weren't the only who felt that way. it is high praise imo ^^

-L

thanks for checking it out! my writing has been referred to as "incomprehensible and absurd", so i'm glad if it wasn't too hard to follow lol. seriously, a lot of the time, i have no idea if what we make is for anyone but each other, so your kind words and enjoyment of our first project of this kind are very much appreciated ^^

-L

we can dream...