(no subject)
Name: Kristen
LJ: mouthofbrass
E-Mail: kristen[at]spectrumvoid.net
IM: MadMadPhineas
Character Name: Poniko/Uboa
Series: Yume Nikki
Timeline: Post-game
Canon Resource Link: Wiki
Character Background:
In-game, Poniko can be found by diving into a pool inside an igloo in the snow world, and then using the balloons in the subsequent world to transport Madotsuki to a pink world with rainbow-colored, cone-shaped houses. Poniko lives in one of these houses. Poniko is a girl with blond hair in a long ponytail, who wears a green sweater and a brown skirt. Her room is reminiscent of Madotsuki’s, except for the fact that is looks a bit brighter and neater. When Madotsuki tries to interact with Poniko, Poniko ignores her (except when Madotsuki approaches while using the knife effect); the only thing in her room that can be touched is the light switch, which will, predictably, turn the lights in the room on and off.
There is a one-in-sixty-four chance that turning off the lights in Poniko’s room will cause and event in which there is a flash of light similar to a lightbulb blowing out, the room will transform (weird faces appear on all the furniture and the window), and Uboa will appear. Uboa is a black and white blob creature, usually referred to as a he although he is probably actually genderless. Once Uboa appears, Madotsuki can’t leave the room unless she wakes herself up, uses medamaude to return to the nexus, or interacts with Uboa. Talking to Uboa will make his face...melt...somehow, and Madotsuki will be transported to a dead end room with white water, a red sky, and a weird monster in the background. The only way to leave, once again, is to either wake Madotsuki up or to use medamaude to send her back to the nexus.
There is no indication given one way or the other in Yume Nikki that Poniko and Uboa are or aren’t the same person. I’m taking the approach that somehow they are, at least figuratively (since they exist in Madotsuki’s dreams, anyway), and that the event caused by turning off the lights in Poniko’s room actually causes Poniko to transform into Uboa (one support for this is that Uboa replaces Poniko’s sprite when the event occurs).
There is some speculation as to what Poniko and Uboa mean vis a vis Madotsuki’s subconscious (and a lot of it has to do with rape and/or molestation). One interpretation (and the one I would use in playing her/them/what have you) is that Poniko represents an idealized albeit normal person, perhaps either someone Madotsuki wants to be or someone she knows in her real life; conversely, Uboa represents hopelessness, despair, and Poniko’s “dark side”.
Poniko’s house is remote and difficult to reach-one has to go through two different worlds to reach it, and both of the transitional points are somewhat difficult to find. Once you get there, Poniko will ignore you no matter what you do, with the exception of retreating if you try to stab her (smart girl). These two aspects of her role in the game can be interpreted as both a wish for solitude on Poniko’s part and an underlying feeling that she (or whatever it is she represents) is distant or out of reach on Madotsuki’s.
Perhaps conversely, Poniko seems to be idealized as a person and insofar as her lifestyle is concerned, but perhaps is a paradigm of normality. Her room is like Madotsuki’s, but arguably nicer and neater, and Poniko herself might be considered “prettier” or more ideal then Madotsuki. (The latter is definitely arguable, but the fact that there is a blonde hair effect may support this somewhat.) Additionally, her house is located in a pink world, and is fantastic appearance, suggesting that her life or at least her living situation is idyllic.
That Poniko is simultaneously idealized by and distant from Madotsuki could indicate that she and her life are things Madotsuki wants to have or to be closer to, but are out of her reach. As a character in Madotsuki’s dreams, it’s possible that she represents a desire to be beautiful, to have a happier life, to live in a nicer environment, etc. I won’t speculate which of these is actually the case, but I do think that Poniko represents an unattainable desire to be more or better somehow.
Uboa on the other hand would represent hopelessness, a feeling of being trapped, and despair. Once he appears, Madotsuki can’t run away from him without waking up or completely retracing her steps. Her only choices are to ignore him by doing either of these things, or to face him, in which case she’s just transported to another room that she can’t escape from. He’s more than just a fear of the dark: he’s fear and despair in a much broader sense. And when you think of him as being the same being as Poniko, who appears when you figuratively turn out the lights, he could represent either (or both) the negative aspects or dark side of living the idealized life Poniko stands for, or Madotsuki’s hopelessness/fear/despair/whatever else of never being able to achieve this ideal in reality and being trapped situationally/psychologically/whatever.
What this means in an RP setting is that Poniko is a person who appears to be perfect, if somewhat detached. She is clean, neat, polite, etc., and she chooses to remain isolated from others in an attempt to preserve those characteristics. To her, becoming closer to other people involves the break down of her environment and personality. She even exhibits some obsessive-compulsive tendencies when it comes to people intruding on her space (i.e. her room), extending mainly to cleanliness and especially to having the lights on. Poniko isn’t afraid of the dark per se, she just has an obsessive-compulsive need to have the lights on at all times, because she knows that something horrible could happen if they go off (or if any of her other OCD rituals are broken). That horrible something would be her transformation into Uboa. (So in a way, she distances herself from people as much for their sake as for her own.)
As for Poniko’s relationships to the other characters in the game, the only other person she comes into contact with is Madotsuki. She is aware of Madotsuki (when Madotsuki menaces her with a knife, she backs away), but chooses to ignore her for the most part. In an RP setting, she would know who Madotsuki is, but not necessarily consider her either a friend or enemy.
Abilities/Special Powers:
When the lights are turned off, there is a possibility that Poniko will turn into Uboa (of course, this would be worked out with other muns, and not sprung on people at random), and as Uboa, she can instill a sense of overwhelming despair in the people who encounter her (since Uboa isn’t supposed to be mobile).
Third-Person Sample:
Poniko’s first indication that she was no longer at home was that she woke up in the dark. She lay rigid in panic for several moments, barely able to breathe. Something more tangible than plain fear welled up in her throat like bile. Terrified, she flailed suddenly, fell out of bed, and skinned her knees as she scrambled across the rug to the light switch.
When the lights came on, she collapsed on the floor with her back pressed against the wall, panting for breath. She looked down at herself, stretching her arms and legs out in front of herself where she could see them. Then she hugged herself in relief, drawing her knees up to her chest. She was okay. Nothing had changed. There was no one here but herself.
After several moments, when she could breathe normally, she realized that the light wasn’t nearly as bright as it should be. She rose and moved around the room cautiously, examining the bed, the closet, the desk. They all looked like her own, but something seemed wrong.
She peered out the window, and her eyes widened in shock as she saw snowflakes whirling past her on the other side of the glass. It never snowed in the pink country she came from. Unless...
Poniko turned, expecting to see a familiar brown-haired girl in the room with her, but found herself still alone. With a slight frown, she turned back to the window. It was only snowing outside. When it snowed at home, it also snowed inside the house.
So this wasn’t home, then.
She hugged herself again and looked around the room for some idea what to do. She spotted a small device on the desk that looked promising, like a PDA or something of that nature, but the way her hands shook when she reached out to pick it up made her stop. Trying to contact someone could wait. She needed to fix this place, make the lighting brighter, and then she could find other people and start asking questions.
Just the thought of brightening the room helped to calm her, and she padded back over to the closet to see if she could find anything there that would help her.
First-Person Sample:
[The feed comes on, and a blonde girl in a green sweater sits back. Although she is new to the mansion, she has obviously already settled into a room, which has changed itself to her specifications. It is unremarkable except for its cleanliness and the fact that it is extremely brightly lit, despite the fact that it there is daylight coming in through the window.
The girl regards the device in silence for a moment. Her expression is neutral, and she clears her throat politely before speaking. Her voice is calm and soft.]
This is a very nice room, and is suitable to my needs. Even the clothing in the closet fits my preferences. But I do not approve of being relocated. I would like to be sent back to where I came from.
[She pauses for a moment, as though waiting for a reply or for something to happen. When she speaks again, her voice is a little strained, but is more stern than upset.]
Can you hear me, Madotsuki? I want to go home. Now. Please send me back to my house.
LJ: mouthofbrass
E-Mail: kristen[at]spectrumvoid.net
IM: MadMadPhineas
Character Name: Poniko/Uboa
Series: Yume Nikki
Timeline: Post-game
Canon Resource Link: Wiki
Character Background:
In-game, Poniko can be found by diving into a pool inside an igloo in the snow world, and then using the balloons in the subsequent world to transport Madotsuki to a pink world with rainbow-colored, cone-shaped houses. Poniko lives in one of these houses. Poniko is a girl with blond hair in a long ponytail, who wears a green sweater and a brown skirt. Her room is reminiscent of Madotsuki’s, except for the fact that is looks a bit brighter and neater. When Madotsuki tries to interact with Poniko, Poniko ignores her (except when Madotsuki approaches while using the knife effect); the only thing in her room that can be touched is the light switch, which will, predictably, turn the lights in the room on and off.
There is a one-in-sixty-four chance that turning off the lights in Poniko’s room will cause and event in which there is a flash of light similar to a lightbulb blowing out, the room will transform (weird faces appear on all the furniture and the window), and Uboa will appear. Uboa is a black and white blob creature, usually referred to as a he although he is probably actually genderless. Once Uboa appears, Madotsuki can’t leave the room unless she wakes herself up, uses medamaude to return to the nexus, or interacts with Uboa. Talking to Uboa will make his face...melt...somehow, and Madotsuki will be transported to a dead end room with white water, a red sky, and a weird monster in the background. The only way to leave, once again, is to either wake Madotsuki up or to use medamaude to send her back to the nexus.
There is no indication given one way or the other in Yume Nikki that Poniko and Uboa are or aren’t the same person. I’m taking the approach that somehow they are, at least figuratively (since they exist in Madotsuki’s dreams, anyway), and that the event caused by turning off the lights in Poniko’s room actually causes Poniko to transform into Uboa (one support for this is that Uboa replaces Poniko’s sprite when the event occurs).
There is some speculation as to what Poniko and Uboa mean vis a vis Madotsuki’s subconscious (and a lot of it has to do with rape and/or molestation). One interpretation (and the one I would use in playing her/them/what have you) is that Poniko represents an idealized albeit normal person, perhaps either someone Madotsuki wants to be or someone she knows in her real life; conversely, Uboa represents hopelessness, despair, and Poniko’s “dark side”.
Poniko’s house is remote and difficult to reach-one has to go through two different worlds to reach it, and both of the transitional points are somewhat difficult to find. Once you get there, Poniko will ignore you no matter what you do, with the exception of retreating if you try to stab her (smart girl). These two aspects of her role in the game can be interpreted as both a wish for solitude on Poniko’s part and an underlying feeling that she (or whatever it is she represents) is distant or out of reach on Madotsuki’s.
Perhaps conversely, Poniko seems to be idealized as a person and insofar as her lifestyle is concerned, but perhaps is a paradigm of normality. Her room is like Madotsuki’s, but arguably nicer and neater, and Poniko herself might be considered “prettier” or more ideal then Madotsuki. (The latter is definitely arguable, but the fact that there is a blonde hair effect may support this somewhat.) Additionally, her house is located in a pink world, and is fantastic appearance, suggesting that her life or at least her living situation is idyllic.
That Poniko is simultaneously idealized by and distant from Madotsuki could indicate that she and her life are things Madotsuki wants to have or to be closer to, but are out of her reach. As a character in Madotsuki’s dreams, it’s possible that she represents a desire to be beautiful, to have a happier life, to live in a nicer environment, etc. I won’t speculate which of these is actually the case, but I do think that Poniko represents an unattainable desire to be more or better somehow.
Uboa on the other hand would represent hopelessness, a feeling of being trapped, and despair. Once he appears, Madotsuki can’t run away from him without waking up or completely retracing her steps. Her only choices are to ignore him by doing either of these things, or to face him, in which case she’s just transported to another room that she can’t escape from. He’s more than just a fear of the dark: he’s fear and despair in a much broader sense. And when you think of him as being the same being as Poniko, who appears when you figuratively turn out the lights, he could represent either (or both) the negative aspects or dark side of living the idealized life Poniko stands for, or Madotsuki’s hopelessness/fear/despair/whatever else of never being able to achieve this ideal in reality and being trapped situationally/psychologically/whatever.
What this means in an RP setting is that Poniko is a person who appears to be perfect, if somewhat detached. She is clean, neat, polite, etc., and she chooses to remain isolated from others in an attempt to preserve those characteristics. To her, becoming closer to other people involves the break down of her environment and personality. She even exhibits some obsessive-compulsive tendencies when it comes to people intruding on her space (i.e. her room), extending mainly to cleanliness and especially to having the lights on. Poniko isn’t afraid of the dark per se, she just has an obsessive-compulsive need to have the lights on at all times, because she knows that something horrible could happen if they go off (or if any of her other OCD rituals are broken). That horrible something would be her transformation into Uboa. (So in a way, she distances herself from people as much for their sake as for her own.)
As for Poniko’s relationships to the other characters in the game, the only other person she comes into contact with is Madotsuki. She is aware of Madotsuki (when Madotsuki menaces her with a knife, she backs away), but chooses to ignore her for the most part. In an RP setting, she would know who Madotsuki is, but not necessarily consider her either a friend or enemy.
Abilities/Special Powers:
When the lights are turned off, there is a possibility that Poniko will turn into Uboa (of course, this would be worked out with other muns, and not sprung on people at random), and as Uboa, she can instill a sense of overwhelming despair in the people who encounter her (since Uboa isn’t supposed to be mobile).
Third-Person Sample:
Poniko’s first indication that she was no longer at home was that she woke up in the dark. She lay rigid in panic for several moments, barely able to breathe. Something more tangible than plain fear welled up in her throat like bile. Terrified, she flailed suddenly, fell out of bed, and skinned her knees as she scrambled across the rug to the light switch.
When the lights came on, she collapsed on the floor with her back pressed against the wall, panting for breath. She looked down at herself, stretching her arms and legs out in front of herself where she could see them. Then she hugged herself in relief, drawing her knees up to her chest. She was okay. Nothing had changed. There was no one here but herself.
After several moments, when she could breathe normally, she realized that the light wasn’t nearly as bright as it should be. She rose and moved around the room cautiously, examining the bed, the closet, the desk. They all looked like her own, but something seemed wrong.
She peered out the window, and her eyes widened in shock as she saw snowflakes whirling past her on the other side of the glass. It never snowed in the pink country she came from. Unless...
Poniko turned, expecting to see a familiar brown-haired girl in the room with her, but found herself still alone. With a slight frown, she turned back to the window. It was only snowing outside. When it snowed at home, it also snowed inside the house.
So this wasn’t home, then.
She hugged herself again and looked around the room for some idea what to do. She spotted a small device on the desk that looked promising, like a PDA or something of that nature, but the way her hands shook when she reached out to pick it up made her stop. Trying to contact someone could wait. She needed to fix this place, make the lighting brighter, and then she could find other people and start asking questions.
Just the thought of brightening the room helped to calm her, and she padded back over to the closet to see if she could find anything there that would help her.
First-Person Sample:
[The feed comes on, and a blonde girl in a green sweater sits back. Although she is new to the mansion, she has obviously already settled into a room, which has changed itself to her specifications. It is unremarkable except for its cleanliness and the fact that it is extremely brightly lit, despite the fact that it there is daylight coming in through the window.
The girl regards the device in silence for a moment. Her expression is neutral, and she clears her throat politely before speaking. Her voice is calm and soft.]
This is a very nice room, and is suitable to my needs. Even the clothing in the closet fits my preferences. But I do not approve of being relocated. I would like to be sent back to where I came from.
[She pauses for a moment, as though waiting for a reply or for something to happen. When she speaks again, her voice is a little strained, but is more stern than upset.]
Can you hear me, Madotsuki? I want to go home. Now. Please send me back to my house.