The Damsel (Slay the Princess) ANIMATIC

[@CB-eo6xo]

One of the most unforgivable actions ever committed in the game, SLIGHTLY behind betraying Thorn and backstabbing her after she trusted you to give you that same blade.....

[@reubensalter8125]

Sure it might be a bit icky but... we get the Burned Grey. She has more agency than ever (aside from an even more urgent need to be with us) and we get our happy ending after all Plus what we do to Thorn is more like "front" stabbing id we're being literal about it. It's still awful though but at least we get punished for it by getting trapped in the vines. But the one that tops them all, the worst thing we can ever do is anything to Wounded Wild. She looks so tired and broken and there are no consequences for us. Why would anyone want to do that to her?

[@TheNiemand]

You can also always stab the wounded Wild. Or Everything you have done to get to Wraith

[@reubensalter8125]

@@TheNiemand Well not everything... I mean saying no to being possessed by Spectre only for her to violently show she doesn't take no for an answer feels a bit out of place, like ripping someone's heart out just is an extreme response to a relatively tame refusal to do something, especially when compared with the other actions you can make which makes it more justified. Plus slaying the Nightmare on the stairs or on the landing is worth it just to hear Opportunist try to barter with Wraith.

[@anna28082000]

You can throw Princess's head in Cage. Achievement don't worth that

[@saviorbob]

Good news! It gets even worse now!

[@emeraldkoala2]

Love how dramatic The Smitten is.

[@k1tkat241]

he’s my favorite tbh

[@SunonMosaic]

I luv him he’s just like me for real.

[@quique3676]

Still messed up in Happily Ever After, tho still liked the ending cause showed the narrator how he was wrong

[@oops14314]

The Smitten and The Contrarian are so relatable literally me wowowow

[@SixArmedSweater]

As usual, the Smitten is right.

[@reubensalter8125]

Yeah he is. She's still alive and we still get our happy ending 😌

[@T_Skillet]

Well *almost always now.

[@forgottensnecko4631]

this didnt age very well

[@reubensalter8125]

@@forgottensnecko4631 I mean he's right in the sense that we get our happy ending anyway. I actually don't think he realised what he was doing during that specific chapter was wrong. He just wanted everyone to be happy. It wasn't until the last torch was about to go out that he finally realised. Just as someone else did.

[@szymonk.7267]

The smiten felt the dead of the princess more then the princess herself...the fact that she was ok with it made me fear the next time you meet

[@m1tl4y0tl]

Watching how the damsel truly is if you decide to break the world before meeting her she scares me more than any other princess

[@micahwest3566]

Yup. It’s a bad one

[@HillLuvJump999]

​@@m1tl4y0tl...what does she do..?

[@m1tl4y0tl]

@@HillLuvJump999 hehe, you will have to find out.

[@quaelgeist3337]

@@m1tl4y0tli need a reminder, i'm 100% sure i had her during my stranger ending path but can't remember what she does that makes her unnerving

[@TheTrashyboi]

Ngl, if I saw the princess crying like that, I'd be down with offing myself with Smitten too

[@The_revenger69]

Ong 😢 how could we 😞

[@EldridEinherjar]

“An unwilling but necessary sacrifice… it’s only fair that an unnecessary but willing sacrifice dies with you.”

[@artyrak4]

Smitten made me regret so hard for killing Damsel, i completely felt throught all of his wrath, it made me shivers so bad. Smitten is the most softest voice and yet the most menacing one, his passions of sorrow that run deeper that the ocean itself are so strong that he can oof ourself just in second with no hesitation. That is part of the reason why i've never slew Thorn nor left her, i am too afraid of consequences and Smitten's wrath. My achievements shall stay 98% forever

[@reubensalter8125]

But you both still get your happy ending after all. And leaving Thorn isn't actually that bad. In fact, if you don't have the blade it's better, because you can still make things right - you can stop her from hurting herself even further, even if it means having to trap yourself in order to do so. Plus if you have Cheated with you he has a few things he has a few things to say about that as well. Slaying the Thorn is awful but... 98%? Oh no, you didn't did you? You didn't do that to Wounded Wild right? 😢 That's even worse in my books.

[@coolknight2622]

Get someone else to do that achievement if you don't have the heart to do it

[@Agentjbs22]

You know smitten, stubborn, and paranoid are somewhat powerful. It was show sometime in the game of how they take control of the situation by either giving you an option that narrater and surprised of or piss off at or just completely take over. The main component of all this is that they seem be drive by something.

[@reubensalter8125]

@@Agentjbs22 Also Contrarian, Cheated, even Hunted.

[@frootsnacc6790]

I wonder if that might be just for humor’s sake, or because the Princess and the Slayer genuinely are meant to be together since they’re two halves of the same whole, so the Smitten is the closest to how the Slayer truly feels about her if the Hero wasn’t there

[@clamidia7729]

God the narrator design is so fucking great for his character it makes everything he does so much better in every way.

[@candlestone5397]

It's basically cannon, aside from the glasses.

[@XanderKHD]

He may be over the top, but you've captured just how heartbroken he is about this. Well done. 😂

[@GamerMage2k-kl4iq]

I LOVE THE WAY YOU CAPTURED THIS ENTIRE MOMENT IN THE GAME-THE EXPRESSIONS ARE AWESOME!!! :D

[@justcherryqwq5543]

Thank you! :D

[@GamerMage2k-kl4iq]

@@justcherryqwq5543 You’re welcome! Seriously, you’re amazing and talented and I love your stuff!!! ^^

[@Indigo_Sullivan]

The Smitten, truly a goat of this game.

[@sebastienbusque2312]

The Burning Grey... I know that getting to that scenario is harsh, but the result is beautiful in a way. She loves you even beyond death, and you two burning together is both a way to consume your love and pay the consequences for your betrayal.

[@reubensalter8125]

I agree it's a sorely underrated route and the level of passion just about matches the same level in Adversary or even Thorn. Just about. But I wouldn't call that a betrayal, at least not in a bad way. From her perspective it's probably a sign, that unless someone takes drastic measures, the cycle of us killing each other will never end. As that becomes clear, what little agency she has multiplies and she's able to do what needs to be done. So if you look at it from her perspective, she's not punishing us for slaying her, rather she's rewarding us for it. And us burning together might just be a greater reward than whatever that false ethereal bliss the narrator gave us was.

[@Drakromdemon]

I cant, I feel to much guilt to even think of doing it

[@MrSasukeSusanoo]

Wait there's more Greys?, I got a grey where there was raining yesterday, I f*cking drowned even if I tried to escape lol

[@-ZH]

⁠@@MrSasukeSusanoo Yup, that’s the drowned grey

[@MrSasukeSusanoo]

@@-ZH now I got the fire grey today, are there more or is just those two?

[@leoleonid5400]

The Smitten isn't my favorite... But he has my RESPECT!

[@davilandin5754]

Really liked the design you gave the Smitten. The hearts on his arms are a neat touch!

[@jellyowl2644]

Yay! The smittens design is very funny

[@Maggotier-t5o]

It’s fascinating how the Voice of the Smitten takes such a different turn here, but his personality stays exactly the same. His admiration for the princess no matter her form&elaborate prose are usually shown as very goofy. But here, he’s right. You just slayed-no, MURDERED-a nearly innocent woman, aside from when you were in pain& she had to kill you for both of your sakes. In this chapter, she did nothing but what you said, only wanted to make you happy, and you mercilessly plunged that blade deep into her heart. The Voice of the Smitten was so deeply in love, that seeing you be so cruel to his idol makes his speech serious, even menacing. And you deserve every word of it.

[@Brydav_Massbear]

The Smitten looks exactly how I thought he would. He's like Prince Charming if he was a bird.

[@gachaevery]

I just noticed Smitten's feathers on his arms are shaped like hearts, neat! ❤

[@gingusbingus5499]

Oh my gosh your Smitten is so cute! Him raising his wing to not have to look at the Narrator is killing me, plus the watery little eyes. I love that his little patterns are hearts too! Super cute animation you did really well!

[@greenhydra10]

"Measured" is not a word I'd use to describe Smitten.

[@JJ_R]

The Smitten is a fantastic source of entertainment!

[@giangnguyentv3733]

YOU DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE NARRATOR THIS SILLY HE IS TOO SILLY HELPPP

[@cristianbarragan8707]

Every design, from the narrator, to the princess, to all the versions of the character, give so much emotion. I really hope cherry make one of the thorn, even the ending.

[@demsterclippy4252]

The voice-acting in the game is already excellent, but this one moment from Johnathan Sims is so fucking good. He nails the over-the-top comedic yet believably distraught emotion so well. It makes this animatic so much funnier too 😂

[@justinscott1315]

Honestly with the new pristine cut content, these older scenes make you realize just how powerful Smitten is over the narrative, easily able to force the plot in the way of his choosing if he feels strongly enough about it. Power of Love really do be a super power in the metaphysical narrative!

[@gameovergcl605]

YES I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ANOTHER ONE OF THIS

[@norrieslibrary]

HELP THIS WASNT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING. GOOD SHIT AS USUAL

[@MrSpartan993]

And now the “Happily Ever After Epilogue” is out, and my heart wept.

[@arysky5193]

Okay, I need to let you know how AMAZING you are. I finished watching some playthroughs of this game and during those I wasn't as moved as watching your animatics. You really put us viewers into the moment of the game and it's so immersive and beautiful and painful and GAH! I applaud you, your animatics are fantastic and I get excited every time I see you've posted.

[@justcherryqwq5543]

Thank you. I'm glad u enjoy it! ^^❤

[@edionangel6429]

This may be my favorite way someone has drawn the smitten...Ever.

[@Midorisgayestfan]

I genuinely can't help but giggle a bit on the way she says "I'm going to die now, I think that's what you want?"

[@orionofvolga]

Wow I actually didn’t expect you to do this route. Also the design for Smitten is great!

[@justcherryqwq5543]

Thanks! ❤

[@SugarSpice07]

The little details are so good in this one. I love how LQ's, the voice-critters', and the Narrator's wings move. The blink-and-you'll-miss-it "okie" on screen after the Narrator points out the blade is fun, meanwhile Smitten is distracted being... well, smitten over the princess. And then when LQ stabs her, the pearls slide off her neck, which is a nice touch. I also find it interesting that LQ has such a blank expression for most of it, (including the bit where Smitten makes him stab himself) except a look of remorse, right after killing the princess. Like this sort of puppet that's tugged back and forth between the whims of the different voices.

[@m1tl4y0tl]

Damsel scares me way more than the witch or the hunter ever could for some reason, shes just wrong in so many levels

[@umgarotoaleatorio7044]

Tbh, it's just her "oh you just stabbed me to death but it's fine i love you" mindset, you know? So, yeah, it does feel off, but it's kinda hard to feel scared/intimidated by her. She can't really harm you in any way. ( Also, the fact that she looks adorable doesn't help )

[@MaiHiroe]

man i was screaming with The Smitten when they decided to plunge the blade in to slay her, i never tried to slay her in my first run , AND I NEVER TRIED TO SLAY THE DAMSEL ,the fact she is ok with it makes me so sad it is kinda worrying how ok she is, because in her perspective , she just got betrayed once again by the person "supposedly" rescuing her and tbh if i were in her shoes,i would not let that slide, this game is awesome and your animations show the voices feelings and emotions in a way i never imagined 10/10 Btw your animatic is very cute and honestly looks good ,keep on working hard and remember to take a break when needed, there is no pressure for you bro ,or sis if your on the other side of things anyway keep it up! we appreciate your effort and yes i am the yappinator

[@justcherryqwq5543]

Aw! Thanks 😊

[@reubensalter8125]

I'm honestly not worried at all. My view is she had every bit of faith in us that we'd do the right thing for a few reasons: I'll start by pointing out that we didn't actually betray her that first time - we had the option to and we chose not to. Then when the narrator tried to make us, we did everything to regain control; not only did she know this, she saw it too. If she didn't, we would've had a Witch/Thorn situation. So when we charged at her again, she didn't see that as a betrayal either, she saw it us giving her a sign - that someone had to do something otherwise we'd keep killing each other forever and the cabin was keeping us apart. It's kinda like when we give Witch the blade but whereas Witch felt confusion, Damsel had a moment of clarity (pun intended). She knew what she had to do, and that even if it meant causing our deaths once again, at least this time we'd be dying together. It truly was the greatest tragic love story of all time.

[@michaellatner975]

As people say, Smitten is in the right for this, which is why i accept my fate in the next chapter, we deserved it. HOWEVER WHAT HE DID IN HAPPILY EVER AFTER THOUGH

[@buttermati0ns649]

i like calling smitten in happily ever after "voice of the desperate" as my head cannon name

[@msf2399]

Love the little hearts on Smitten’s arms.

[@7eduDenOtahT7]

You character designs are so goood! The drama in their motion, ahhhh

[@TheOneAndOnlyLobster]

NOBODY TOLD ME THE BIRD THING WAS VOICED BY JONNY

[@arnoldmws6330]

Killing the Damsel made me feel like a total monster....

[@Creepie-Cake]

The expressions & designs for the Narrator, hero, and smitten are gold. Thank you for animating this route! 🖤🤍

[@captainlastreo5160]

I like how there's a three whole seconds of silence before the Long Quiet decides to slay the Damsel, like he's weighing the pros and cons

[@buttermati0ns649]

smitten is surprisingly scary in this

[@slenderminion2229]

You should do the Thorn romance next. My personal favourite and probably the most beautiful path in the game. Both visually and story-wise.

[@reubensalter8125]

I kinda want it to be the version with Cheated instead of Smitten though, mainly because we've already got a few awesome animations depicting the other one, kiss included, and Cheated in that route is sorely underrated. That or I'm probably just biased. 😄

[@boomshockalocka]

as I've said many times in the subreddit: THE BETRAYAL!! IT STILL BURNS!

[@SimplyTrulyNothing]

Smitten is just so silly love him

[@natsumischwarz.151]

Smitten low-key is terrifying when angry

[@FaeChangeling]

It's pretty terrifying to me how she stops being a person and just becomes an object designed to make you happy, willing to even die if that's what you want.

[@LéaCeresa]

I literally just discovered you and now i'm addicted

[@Billyblue98]

I did not come in here ready for Damsel killing

[@foolris]

this looks amazing!! love the details like smitten's wing covering the narrator at 2:36

[@sunnydelight7252]

Yesss!!! So good !! I love your chara designs!

[@TheLocalGhoul]

I still can't get over the fact that he's voiced by Jonny dhfudyfufjtdgcftf

[@usmansubhani7482]

I never even thought of killing the Damsel. She seemed so non-lethal compared to her counterparts.

[@huynhphucm445]

"You and the princess make your way upstairs and... *The blade!* That's right! There's still a chance to do the right thing!" Yep literally me the day before my best friend's wedding day. And of course he used it for the wedding cake, why not 🙂

[@joshuawilson3443]

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE THIS

[@bendysans1473]

I wanna see the kiss animated next The narrator has a lot to say about it XD

[@lemmingrad]

It would be amusing if they use the non-cowardly way the dev has answered the question of how the kiss would look.

[@irons880]

Damsel qnd Smitten look gorgeous!

[@jackzx13]

Never even considered doing that, but now I wonder what the next incarnation is like.

[@HiAgainTheNameIsStillAyle]

It's an alternate version of The Grey were she kills us with fire, she still loves us and sees it as a way of getting together

[@leahnzastrzelecki5217]

She sees us get possessed the first time. So after we try to kill her the second time, she takes it as a sign that the cabin is what's forcing us to kill her/her to kill us in self defense and she destroys the cabin but stays by our side to comfort us even if it guarantees her own demise again. It's simultaneously deeply fucked up and incredibly sweet.

[@BowChicaByeNow]

Another amazing animation! You are truly talented! And I'm depressed now...I'm with the smiitten on this for sure

[@skylue1524]

You are basically recreating the game in your own style at this point lol

[@Ton1MOOSE]

Lovely animation, love how you draw the characters

[@someoneunknown6553]

I love his stupid muscles, I love his stupid little hearts on his forearms, I love his stupid little chin hairs. He is the perfect man

[@k1tkat241]

THE VOICE OF THE SMITTEN MY BBG

[@k1tkat241]

he’s so stupid ❤️

[@wiej007]

Smitten is mine fav voice.... Also I just love when Narrator suffers from describing things that he wasnt want to. Cant wait for Thorn Princess

[@InternetBirb]

I love the design you chose for the MC! amazing artwork!

[@wakaitsu]

Even Smitten's podotheca is forming little hearts

[@vagueblob385]

Oh my god the smittens hand scale things are heart shaped!!!!

[@autumnmei]

You captured this scene really well! Love the expressions you gave them! 💙🦋

[@hollowbeings]

Lol, i love your Stp animatics, im always finding myself rewatching them all whenever you post a new one :)

[@Lordmaster135]

Homegirl out to be the gigi/Sadist of this fandom and I'm here for it

[@frostymat45]

I just beat the game recently so all my feed is this now lol. These animations are soooo good! It's helping with the emptiness I feel from 100% the game

[@bunnybug7668]

I love their design 😮❤ He's so cute

[@mariefann]

Another amazing animation!!! Can you do one with Voice Of the Hunted he's my favorite!!!

[@thefungiwhisperer2313]

THE SMITTEN'S SCALES LOOK LIKE HEARTS!!!

[@Señor-Donjusticia]

YOU BARBARIAN!!

[@GlowwingHeart]

This is amazing! I need to see more of slay the princess Animatic!

[@danielbarnes1241]

Narrator is so cute in your art. Bro is the number 1 hater and i love him for that

[@nunoosorio3832]

And then you get the most horrifying chapter in the entire game.

[@reubensalter8125]

But also the most beautiful besides Thorn. The only thing I can find more horrifying then this is Drowned Grey. In Burned Grey she finds a way out for both of you. In Drowned Grey she's slowly suffocating you as you're pulled deeper into the basement.

[@nunoosorio3832]

@@reubensalter8125 I find the drowned Grey merely offputting, since she openly expresses resentment and scorn. In the burned Gray, nobody gives you context, and you just stumble upon a corpse and then a ghost again, but this time she looks almost joyful of seeing the player character again, deciding to burn alongside the killer until all you have is a corpse burning to the bone, almost staring back at you, without saying a single word. If that wasn't creepy enough, then the dark background that follows really shows the oddly realistic skeletal figure that is left in the place of what once had the proportions of a cartoon character. I hold my case. The burned Grey is worse than the likes of the Nightmare or the Wraith.

[@reubensalter8125]

@@nunoosorio3832 I tend to look at it from a more empathetic and positive side. She's happy to see you and she's rewarding you for showing her there's a way out - a way for both of you to be together. And in doing so you also gave her agency than she had before, a little bit too much agency, sure. But she sees she has no choice other than to take drastic action as long and both you and she are burning together. And the best part is Smitten got his happy ending after all, and so did we. It's one of the best tragic romance stories I have seen and it ranks as high as both Thorn and Adversary in terms of routes. The horror of being burned is beautifully undercut by the roaring passion and love from both her and Smitten. Plus Smitten and Cold goading each other is one of the best interactions of the game by far.

[@nunoosorio3832]

@@reubensalter8125 Credit where credit is due. I get it. But I wouldn't compare this chapter with the Adversary in particular, since her story is either die, or rip and tear until it is done. It's a somewhat radically stoic approach, where violence doesn't stand in the way of peace, and instead becomes peace itself. Those who don't get it usually die and proceed to Needle, where she can be defeated, but the Adversary seems like some sort of message we don't quite get. That violence ≠ wrath. And in a way, it is correct, but not from the perspective of mortal beings like us.

[@reubensalter8125]

@@nunoosorio3832 But you have to admit, there's something so romantic about two beings locked into an eternal, combat especially given how sensual the fight is, as shown during their dialogue. Basically an allegory for physical intimacy. Also saying we don't get the message is a massive understatement. Lots of people get it and we can choose to show it through a powerful dialogue option that causes both Stubborn and Adversary to cry. Also I think it's less "those who don't get it die" and more they don't get it but they try anyway then die which leads to Needle. There's also not getting it, suggesting an alternative (freedom) trying to force it on to her then dying, which leads to Needle but with Skeptic instead of Hunted; consequently we can only lure her to freedom just to see what happens. And while we're on the subject, let's go further and add Fury to the mix: Not getting it and refusing to give it to her in favour of pacifism leading to her getting upset and killing us. Not getting it and wanting nothing to do with it resulting in her chasing us; leading to either Fury or Needle, based on whether we chose to run, if we made it upstairs and whether we have the blade. Actually getting it but getting it the "wrong" way (no blade = no equal ground) resulting in a gruesome and unpleasant situation which causes her to become scared and mercy-kill us, thus ruining her love of fighting forever. Finally a lot of these do fit into the allegory but I'm not going to go into it since this comment is getting way too long.

[@sagesaria]

I love your design for the Smitten so much.

[@selensewar]

I didn't have it in me to check that option... now i know how it would've played out. Thanks.

[@reubensalter8125]

Honestly now that Pristine Cut is out I feel it's one of the tamer options.

[@yunon5820]

Ahh, ... the voice of the smitten my favourite voice

[@natsumischwarz.151]

Narrator's expressions are peak

[@Bodie_Games]

Welp, instantly subscribed after watching a few of these. Great Job!

[@TheKoriKasai]

Absolutely amazing!

[@kobbleup]

I LOVE DAMSEL

[@ORelic]

I’m never going to be sorry, I picked up the blade and then entered the dungeon to find the damsel locked away, the only thought in my mind was “it’ll be funny” and it was. Smitten got his revenge and we died together in a fire.

[@reubensalter8125]

It really was a-hunka-hunka burning love wasn't it?

[@toastedshmoe]

“You… smarmy AHSS-“

[@themasterprocrastinator4933]

SMITTEN'S DESIGNS IS SO OFSJSKAKAA ILISM

[@unifiedhorizons2663]

The girl is a monster who eat sun light… rash? she has swords for arms!

[@Spencer_TheSpender]

sorry smitten. im personally not into the world-ending type

[@effectofp.1287]

Wonderful animation

[@andistansbury4366]

"I'm going to die now."

[@moonspiritleaf12]

I love how she said that so causal

[@venomouswyverns8819]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO you monster

[@samueltrusik3251]

That is not what I expected this to be about.

[@goblinguard4833]

This is great

[@Scortch-lo3xy]

love these

[@Arctic_Legion]

If I would select a scene for you to animate, I think something that would cool to animate would be the princess possessing you in The Wraith and you jumping into the abyss.

[@reubensalter8125]

Or the whole back and forth between Wraith and Opportunist. That's great right there

[@connorschultz380]

The new route would be cool

[@eduard2736]

The perfct moment.

[@lunatic0verlord10]

With the Pristine Cut out, I wonder what will be next...

[@reubensalter8125]

Scarlet Hollow chapter 5