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Listen here buddy. The EntryLvlBread Encounter is serious business. Let's say, hypothetically, you want a mannequin TF. Do you want the scenario shaken? Or stirred? Will you go for the 007 James Bond approach, which is also identical to the alcoholic approach? Or will you have it the other way? That... is what the new EntryLvlBread Encounter hopes to answer. One is shaken, one is stirred. Read one, read both, read neither if you're so inclined. It's really outta my hands at this point. I just want you to relax in these trying times. Salud

Why Design Matters (Mannequin TF A)Design… is my passion.I went to design school. I have a certificate in design. I have out-designed everyone in the design club. I have out-designed every pigeon that had crossed my path on the way to the design club. I got a B+ in Applied Perspectives. This, of course, was by design…But the world is not kind to people like me. I have quite the set of skills, but alas! Tech Bro is not one of my skills. I cannot do anything that is tech bro. As such, my options for post-graduation employment are few and far between, to put it nicely. The industry’s top dogs have no time… for no tech bro.Yet I persist. For as fate would have it, the kind souls at the local Old Navy have answered my plight. I can only assume they were impressed by my portfolio, as the recruiter started vibrating rapidly five minutes into my interview and had to excuse himself. If everything goes off without a hitch, I shall operate as their new Visual Merchandiser for the foreseeable future. Now, out of all the ways for me to get my foot in the door for my design career, this was far from my first pick. But really, it’s out of my hands at this point… and it would seem it’s out of theirs, as well!“Oh, hey! You must be the new hire. Janet, right?”I can tell straight away that the man tasked with showing me the ropes of Visual Merchandising is an Instant Bozo. As in, as soon as he is brought into existence, he is instantly a bozo. Form follows function… or is it the other way around?“In the flesh,” I reply.“In the flesh? We didn’t hire Hubert von Dracula by accident, did we?”“I reserve the right to discuss flesh as much as I please. Proceed.”The guy breaks eye contact. He looks down, down at my exceptionally-crafted shirt pocket, most likely. “Right… right. Well, as you probably heard, I’m Wilfredo. Senior VM. We’re going to get started soon enough on basic training, but I should warn you. This particular Old Navy location… well, it’s not like the rest of ‘em. And you’ll see why soon enough. Just… try and keep an open mind about what we’re bringing to the Table here.”“Noted.”~~~Wilfredo takes me to the front window display, where he previously set up a little Scene featuring some of the most hyper-realistic mannequins they have on offer. They’re in all the good poses. You get the idea.“So, Janet. What do you think of our mannequins? They’re the best in town. Custom.”“They’re all actually real people, aren't they.”“Huh?”“I know my mannequin info, sir. No one makes them that glossy. Or with those blank eyes. Or with those proportions. No real mannequins are like that.”“Well, uh, you see…”Wilfredo was sputtering through some inane explanation about supplier this and custom-made that, but I was too busy screwing off one of their heads. Most standard-issue human-origin mannequins let you disassemble them in the same way, but you gotta know the secret trick. As a designer, I know… the secret trick.“... I see. You’re sharp, Janet. I assume you don’t have any Qualms with this arrangement, then?”“No qualms, sir.” “Good… Good. I’ll tell you what. You seem to know your stuff pretty well, so here. I’ll give you fifteen minutes. See if you can arrange our girls here into a nice festive scene, for the holiday season, you know, and we’ll see then if you’re ready for the Big Leagues. I’m gonna make a quick trip to Einstein Bros in the meantime.”“On it, sir.” I hear the air conditioning click on. I already know what my design shall be. I rarely need more than two seconds to do this.“Alright, I’ll see ya.” Wilfredo’s hunger for the Schmear puts a wrench in my plot, but thankfully, I know a shortcut. I must work quickly now…~~~Aaand… done! Another day, another Design. That washed-up Wilfredo won’t know what hit him.“Oh, brother! Janet, you won’t believe this. I was gonna go to Einstein Bros., right? But some ghoul must’ve broken into my ride and nabbed my V8 engine! Literally just scooped it right outta there. No shame whatsoever. Didn’t even see ‘em! You can’t just do that to my Ride … Huh!?”In a dire display of virtuosity, I’ve arranged seven of our signature mannequins in a circle. They are all headless, but they are all posed pumping up their fists to cheer on the enigmatic figure in the middle. The eighth mannequin, suspended upright by wires, has a pole for a head. The heads of the previous seven hang from this pole like tetherballs. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I haven’t even switched it on!“Hey!! That’s my engine! What are you doing with my- Ooooaaaaah!”I throw the switch, and the display roars to life! The heads spin around the central mannequin like helicopter blades. In just a few seconds, they blend together into a blissful band of beige and brown. The wind rattles a few of the seven bodies, but it’s not quite enough to tip them over. Stock church organ music to relax and study to blasts out the intercom to set the scene.The senior VM drops to his knees. “Shut it off! You’ll kill everyone!! Oh, God!!”“Wilfredo, I cannot shut it off, even if I wanted to. You’ll just have to let it run its course.”“You… How? How do you even consider this? How do you even think of doing this?!”“I don’t know, Wilfredo. All I can tell you, is that this… was a Design Decision.”“Oh, it’s getting louder! It’s gonna blow any second! We’re toast! I’m outta here!!”“Running will not help you in this case. Whether you live to see the end of this… that, too, is a Design Decision. You… cannot get out of this.”*Crack! B-B-B-BLAMMO!!*The shock could be heard from throughout the whole store. The seven heads flew out to strike every surface conceivable. Broken bits of plastic ricochet at 999 mph, piercing and pulverizing everything within their noble domain. Of course, since I built the darn thing, I know the parry timings, so I come out of this whole deal unscathed. I call this piece, “The Sacrament of the Seven.”Once the dust had settled, Wilfredo emerges from underneath a display table, like the common Rat. He shakes some loose mannequin fragments out of his hair.“Ugh… Normally you’d be fired right on the spot, but…” He looks at my shirt pocket again. “I think there’s one more thing you can try before we render a verdict here. Perhaps you’d be interested in acquisitions?”“Acquisitions?”“Yeah. As in, acquiring new mannequins. Considering we’re now down eight perfectly good mannequins, now’s a good time to lend us a hand with this, don’t you think?”“Hmm… Depends. How much… design… is there to be done?”“Uh… You’ll see when you get there. It has a lot to do with posing, and composition, and… and such. You know photography?”“Yes, sir.” As a designer, I basically am photography. The rule of thirds comes more naturally to me than the rule of object permanence.“Yeah, it’s like photography. It’ll be fine. Come, I’ll tell you how the mannequin is made…”~~~Wilfredo takes me to a small waiting room in the back of the building. In one of the seats, reading a police magazine, is a frankly average-looking blonde whose mug looks particularly easy to edit with the likes of Gimp or Photoshop. “So here’s Patricia, she’s signed on for the full-time modeling program. Patricia, meet Janet. She’s gonna be your photographer for today.”“Hi Ms. Janet”“In the flesh.” “Janet, that’s not even- nevermind. Patricia, why don’t you go ahead to the studio? We’ll be right out in a minute.”Wilfredo waits intently for the door to shut behind her, then turns to me.“So, considering your, uh, handling of our mannequins earlier, surely you don’t need me to explain what’s about to go down, do I.”“No, sir. You’re setting her up for the ‘Camera Guy.’ This is easily the most textbook scenario out of all of them. You’d have to be a Stooge to fall for this one in this day and age.”“I can do you one better. This is a ‘Camera Guy’ out of a ‘Fine Print Freddy.’ Here, check it.” He hands me a one-page contract. Halfway through, in big Rosewood font, it reads, YOU WILL BE TURNED INTO A PLASTIC INANIMATE MANNEQUINTHIS IS AN INSTANT KILL MOVEYOU CANNOT UNDO THISGOOD RIDDANCE BOZO“Yeah, I know, at this point it’s more of a ‘Rosewood Ronald,’ but you get the idea.”Sure enough, right on the dotted line… there it is. “And she still signed it.”“Yep. Some people, am I right? Anyway, let’s not keep her waiting, shall we? Here’s your camera.”An Nvidia ObShot 4k Scope! No wonder why he was saying their mannequins are good. This is the primo stuff right here. Designer quality… I would know…“There is no possible way for you to screw this up. Knock ‘em out, Janet!”~~~The studio is pretty much identical to one of those fun photography studios that you can go to. Patricia is loafing around in front of the big white background sheet. She’s wearing that nice dress with all the little beads and sequins as I instructed.“Uh, Ms. Janet?”“Yes, ma’am.”“You’ve been fiddling around with that camera for quite a while now. Is something wrong?”“No, ma’am. I’m just… figuring things out.”“Well, don’t keep me hanging! I got a cute date with a cute guy tonight, and I’d hate to keep him waiting…”“Right…” My grin grows two sizes as I crack into the developer settings. Patricia deserves to go out with a bang.“So, Patricia. Tell me about your date. What’s his name?”“Oh, it’s Snyder. Snyder Salamando. He’s just the best… So cute…” I can just hear the hearts in her eyes, but I don’t look up to check. I gotta make sure these settings are just right.“Oh yeah? What does he look like?”“Ah… I wouldn’t be able to tell you…”“Huh? Did you meet online or something?”“Oh, no. Met him at that one coffee place before it closed down. You know…?”“Bunk Street? Yeah, I know. So you met him at a cafe and you still don’t know what he looks like? Was he wearing a mustache to conceal his identity?”“No, not like that… heehee…” “But you still say he’s cute?” “Yeah… Like, really, really cute…”“Hmm…”“And I guess I didn’t really meet him, per se. It was more like… I encountered him. Aw…”I don’t like this Snyder character. Patricia’s situation could benefit from… a redesign. As a designer, I know what I must do.“Alright, I’m all set. Patricia, it was nice knowing you.”“Huh? Don’t you want me to hold a pose or somethi-”*FLASH!!*“No, that won’t be necessary. Thanks for sticking around.”I must be careful now. I load Patricia’s rigid body onto a dolly and wheel her out of the studio. It wouldn’t do to dent her now.But Wilfredo blocks the way.“Janet!! Janet, why didn’t you let her pose at all?” “Huh?”“Janet, don’t play dumb with me. You got her mid-sentence! No one’s gonna relate to a mannequin of some Schmo caught in the middle of running her mouth or…”“Or what?”Something about Patricia’s face perplexes Wilfredo. He gently knocks on her plasticized shoulder.“Hey, wait a minute… She’s… lumpy? Janet, why is she lumpy?”“It’s for design reasons. Wilfredo, do not impede me further, please.”“Hey! What’s with the attitude all of a sud- Whoa!!”I run the dolly straight past him. If he hadn’t sidestepped away in time, I would’ve been in charge of welcome mat design next. I feel a tremendous pressure, like how you feel when you read about a really serious and scary medical condition that could happen to you. My time is short.~~~I make it to the front display, where a family of several normal, honest-to-goodness mannequins are huddled together with their dogs. A few of them have been kicked over somehow, but I have no time to stand them back up. I double-check Patricia to ensure my modifications are in place, then I put her on the central podium. The ceiling lighting is taking on a lurid hue that does a poor job of illuminating much.But again…! Wilfredo!“Janet, you better explain yourself right this instant! The tech bros are throwing a fit! How are they supposed to train their models on classified medical documents if you’ve gutted their tech bro setup?”“Hush, sir. Hush. The penumbral prince awaits his eternal bride.”“What do you MEAN, the penumbral prince awaits his eternal bride??”*KCKR-IIIISSSSH!!*The floor around Patricia is torn clean open like a bag of Lays. The penumbral prince had waited long enough. Wilfredo immediately assumes a fetal position and rolls away, but I watch carefully as Patricia’s frozen form is captured and raptured into the abyss.I watch carefully… with my thumb on the detonator.“Now!”*BOMB!!!*A tremendous groan pours out from the depths, as does a solid stream of smoke and ember. The emergency sprinkler system goes off, but it cannot heal this hoodwinked hyperdimensional hooligan. The hole squeezes shut awkwardly; it was never meant to be resealed. He’s going to need a bag clip for this. Eventually, however, the floor does close itself up for good. All is well… from a design perspective.Wilfredo looks at me now with an intriguing cocktail of awe and disgust.“You… You turned Patricia into a… a…”“A plastic explosive, sir. C4, to be precise. Figured out how to do it.”“A C4… Sweet mother of god…”“Your tech bro setup is remarkable. It had everything I needed to make the necessary hardware. Thank you, sir.”Wilfredo looks away, this time gazing at the spot on the floor that was blown open just a minute ago. “Was that… was that God just now? Did you kill God, Janet?”“No, not exactly. That was just Snyder.”“Snyder…”“Trust me, sir. What you just saw was the best possible sequence of events. You don’t want to see someone like Snyder making a Scene because his girl fell for a Fine Print Freddy. And you can’t just turn down someone like Patricia who’s just looking for pleasure from people looking at her.”“Sure, but… you know, you turned her into a-”“I know. But I like to imagine it’s one of those things where exploding her makes her feel really good and euphoric, and now she gets to spend eternity feeling really euphoric forever.”“That… Alright, there’s no way that’s actually the case. You’re cappin’.”“Perchance… But it’s a nice thought, no?”Wilfredo grunts.“Well, Janet. Seems you’ve made it painfully clear that you’re not quite cut out for this industry. But if you really want to stay on the team, there’s one last thing you can do…”He gently pulls out his own ObShot.“This is the one thing you physically cannot screw up. Policy requires you stay like this for 30 days at the minimum. I completely understand if you don’t wanna do it.”“30 days straight, you mean?”“Yeah, 30 days straight.”“Give me 8 hours a day, and not a minute more. The nine to five.”“That sucks, Janet. No one wants to see a mannequin transformation that only happens from nine to five. Sorry, but this one’s a No Go”“You drive a hard bargain, sir. How about this. I noticed you were stealing glances at my shirt pocket.”“Huh? Your shirt pocket? Uh…”“If you wanted me to design a shirt pocket for you, you can just ask. How about I stay on the team as the lead costume designer?”“Um… Janet, this is an Old Navy.”Rage.“Tell me, Wilfredo, sir, had your uniform not been designed by someone? Is it not subject to Redesign, as is everything in nature? You… are not immune to Redesign, Wilfredo. No one is.”“Ah… This is getting a little heated… How about you come back when we have another design job opening? It shouldn’t be too long till then…”“No chance. Wilfredo, let me put this in plain terms for you. You can try as you might to get rid of me, but I will find you. And I will… design for you.”I step forward while leaning strangely. Wilfredo instinctively raises the camera. He can’t take the shot yet because my contrapposto is all wrong and it would ruin the pose. This is the counterplay to the famous camera. That… and also bringing him to the mat with a hurricanrana. ~~~As the new Senior VM, I take pride in knowing how to best draw out the innate characteristics of our custom mannequins. It turns out that Wilfredo’s fetal position is so perfectly shaped that he can easily be bowled across the aisles like a Flintstones wheel. He is very popular with the kids. This… is why design matters. Why Design Matters (Mannequin TF B)The fluorescent lights flickered overhead as I arranged the latest collection of dresses on the mannequins in the department store. My name is Olivia, and I've been a visual merchandiser here for years. But today, something unusual caught my eye. I overheard a conversation between two employees in the break room."You know those mannequins we use in the displays?" Jane, the sales associate, whispered. "I heard they're not really made of plastic. They're people, transformed using a special camera."I scoffed, thinking it was just another workday rumor. However, curiosity got the best of me, and I discreetly approached Jane."Come on, Jane, you can't be serious. Mannequins can't be real people," I said with a nervous laugh.Jane raised an eyebrow and leaned in, lowering her voice even more. "I'm telling you, it's true. They sign up for it, willingly turning themselves into mannequins for a few hours. It's some kind of bizarre experience. You can even sign up if you're interested."The idea lingered in my mind. The allure of the unknown and the promise of something different intrigued me. That evening, after my shift, I found myself in a dimly lit room at the back of the store. A sign read, "Mannequin Experience: Transform Your Reality." A woman behind a desk explained the process and handed me a form to sign.As I stood in front of the camera, I felt a tingling sensation wash over me. The room buzzed with a low hum, and my body began to feel strangely weightless. My skin tingled, and it seemed like every pore was opening up to absorb the transformation."Is this really happening?" I thought, but before I could process it further, everything went silent. I blinked, and suddenly, I was no longer in control of my body. I tried to lift my arm, but it was unyielding—stiff and immovable. I stood frozen in place, surrounded by the same dresses I had just arranged, but I was one with the mannequin.My vision had transformed, taking on a glossy sheen as my skin became plastic. I could see my hands, now rigid and unmoving, fingers posed delicately. My limbs felt strangely light yet unyielding, and I marveled at the lack of sensation in my plastic form. The transformation continued, working its way up from my fingertips to my face. I could feel the plastic settling in, rendering me expressionless. It was like wearing a mask, an unyielding facade that concealed all emotion.As the process completed, I stared blankly ahead, unable to move or speak. My plastic body gleamed under the store's bright lights, and I reveled in the attention of passing shoppers. I was now one of the mannequins, a silent observer of the bustling store.Customers passed by, eying the dresses on display, unaware that one of the mannequins was once a living, breathing woman. I reveled in the stillness, the quietude that came with my newfound plastic existence. I couldn't feel the weight of fatigue or the strain of the day. I simply existed, content in my plastic serenity.Hours passed, and as the transformation began to reverse, I found myself back in the dimly lit room. The woman at the desk smiled as I blinked, adjusting to the return of movement and sensation."Did you enjoy the experience?" she asked.I nodded, still processing the surreal journey I had just undertaken. "It was… fascinating. Like being a part of the store's history, frozen in time."As I walked out of the room, the weight of reality settled back onto my shoulders, but a lingering sense of satisfaction remained. The secret world of the mannequins had opened its doors to me, and for a brief moment, I was both the artist and the masterpiece in the grand display of the department store.

Yes sirree! Just in time for the holiday season, I have now officially uploaded balloonbabe pics of all 4 DDLC characters! Perfection. Believe it or not, Monika was the first licensed character I tried generating balloonbabes of. The original pics I made were great, and I was planning to use one of those for the caption, but I wanted something truly special and kept rerolling until I got this one. If you want in on my Tips and Tricks, send me a note!!

Also, while I was generating the story for this one, the Al had the idea of having Monika do a cartwheel to test her flexibility. Thought you'd like to know.

💀💀💀 THE PENUMBRAL PIC AWAITS ITS ETERNAL CAPTION TEXT 💀💀💀

The convention buzzed with energy as I strolled through the sea of cosplayers. That's when I spotted her—a Monika cosplayer. She looked so convincing that I had to approach her.

"Hey! Your Monika cosplay is amazing!" I exclaimed, excited to meet a fellow Doki Doki Literature Club fan.

She turned with a smile, "Thank you! Yours is great too. I love your attention to detail."

We struck up a conversation, sharing our favorite moments from the game and discussing the challenges of putting together the perfect cosplay. As the convention wound down, we decided to grab some fresh air outside and continue our chat. But as we turned a corner, the Monika cosplayer seemed a bit disoriented, glancing around as if something unusual was happening.

"Are you okay?" I asked, noticing her confusion.

She hesitated, then tried to move her arm, but it resisted as if filled with air. "I… I don't know. Something feels off. My body feels different."

I furrowed my brow. "Different how?"

She winced slightly, looking down at her hands. "It's like... my skin is becoming softer. Less solid. And look at this," she continued, pressing her fingers into her sleeve. Her arm gave way under the pressure like she was squeezing a balloon.

She felt the softness reach her face, so she pressed her fingers against her cheek. Her skin yielded slightly under the pressure and even squeaked slightly as she rubbed it. "It's like touching a balloon. This is unreal."

As I looked closer, I noticed a subtle sheen on her skin, a glossy texture that wasn't there before. As the sheen intensified, her limbs grew rounder and more inflated, the rubbery material smoothing out the natural contours of her body. The strands of her hair began to solidify into a glossy balloon of a ponytail that resisted any attempt to separate them. Her white bow merged seamlessly with her hair as it, too, became a balloon. "My hair... it feels so strange. It's like it's all one big inflatable piece," she remarked as she tugged at one of her bangs, watching as the rubber stretched and snapped back into place with a faint creak.

The sheen soon spread to her clothing. Her blazer and shirt shifted from cloth to a smooth, inflatable rubber that clung to her body. As her chest expanded with each breath, her clothes tightened around her until her rubber skin and rubber outfit were one and the same. As her hands pressed against the transforming fabric, it resisted and rebounded, like pressing against a balloon filled with air. Her legs, encased in the pleated blue skirt, were now feeling stiff and resistant. Each step became a challenge as the skirt inflated around her thighs. Her socks and slippers felt impossibly tight as they merged with the rest of her rubbery legs. "Walking is getting difficult. It's like my legs are encased in something thick and bouncy."

The transformation extended to her face, which now resembled Monika’s features painted onto a perfectly smooth expanse of rubber. Her expressions remained animated, and she could still speak through her lips drawn on the glossy rubber. "It's like I'm an inflatable doll of Monika. It's bizarre, but there's a strange beauty to it," she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

I nodded, still trying to comprehend the surreal sight before me. "Are you okay? Can you move?"

The inflatable Monika hesitated for a moment, testing the flexibility of her rubbery limbs. "It's a bit tricky," she admitted, attempting to stand and wobbling slightly. "It's weird. I feel so light, yet everything's so bouncy. But I think I'm getting the hang of it."

"Well, let's figure this out together. Maybe there's a way to make it more manageable," I suggested, trying to sound reassuring.

She absentmindedly played with her rubberized hands, stretching and squeezing them. "I guess it's not that bad. It's like being a balloon, and balloons are meant to be fun, right?"

We found a bench to sit on, and she marveled at how her legs felt like an inflatable cushion. "This is surprisingly comfortable. It's like I'm sitting on a giant, squishy balloon, but it’s just my body."

As we sat, she continued to explore her new form, her hands gliding over her inflatable skin. "It's like I'm a living balloon. Look at this!" she exclaimed, pressing her fingers against her thigh. "It's like pressing on a pool toy. So soft, yet so firm. And it’s so shiny, too."

I smiled, relieved to see her embracing the unexpected turn of events. "I'm glad you're taking it so well. You make one adorable inflatable Monika."

She nodded, her rubberized head bobbing slightly. "You think so? I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm starting to enjoy being a living inflatable. I might even prefer it," she confessed, a genuine happiness in her painted-on smile.

The vibrant lights of the city reflected off her glossy surface as she bounced on the rubbery soles of her slippers, enjoying the buoyancy of her inflatable body. Passersby glanced at her curiously, some with amusement, others with envy. The night had taken an unexpected turn, but somehow, being in the presence of an inflatable Monika made the world feel a bit more magical.

Description
Listen here buddy. The EntryLvlBread Encounter is serious business. Let's say, hypothetically, you want a mannequin TF. Do you want the scenario shaken? Or stirred? Will you go for the 007 James Bond approach, which is also identical to the alcoholic approach? Or will you have it the other way? That... is what the new EntryLvlBread Encounter hopes to answer. One is shaken, one is stirred. Read one, read both, read neither if you're so inclined. It's really outta my hands at this point. I just want you to relax in these trying times. Salud

Why Design Matters (Mannequin TF A)Design… is my passion.I went to design school. I have a certificate in design. I have out-designed everyone in the design club. I have out-designed every pigeon that had crossed my path on the way to the design club. I got a B+ in Applied Perspectives. This, of course, was by design…But the world is not kind to people like me. I have quite the set of skills, but alas! Tech Bro is not one of my skills. I cannot do anything that is tech bro. As such, my options for post-graduation employment are few and far between, to put it nicely. The industry’s top dogs have no time… for no tech bro.Yet I persist. For as fate would have it, the kind souls at the local Old Navy have answered my plight. I can only assume they were impressed by my portfolio, as the recruiter started vibrating rapidly five minutes into my interview and had to excuse himself. If everything goes off without a hitch, I shall operate as their new Visual Merchandiser for the foreseeable future. Now, out of all the ways for me to get my foot in the door for my design career, this was far from my first pick. But really, it’s out of my hands at this point… and it would seem it’s out of theirs, as well!“Oh, hey! You must be the new hire. Janet, right?”I can tell straight away that the man tasked with showing me the ropes of Visual Merchandising is an Instant Bozo. As in, as soon as he is brought into existence, he is instantly a bozo. Form follows function… or is it the other way around?“In the flesh,” I reply.“In the flesh? We didn’t hire Hubert von Dracula by accident, did we?”“I reserve the right to discuss flesh as much as I please. Proceed.”The guy breaks eye contact. He looks down, down at my exceptionally-crafted shirt pocket, most likely. “Right… right. Well, as you probably heard, I’m Wilfredo. Senior VM. We’re going to get started soon enough on basic training, but I should warn you. This particular Old Navy location… well, it’s not like the rest of ‘em. And you’ll see why soon enough. Just… try and keep an open mind about what we’re bringing to the Table here.”“Noted.”~~~Wilfredo takes me to the front window display, where he previously set up a little Scene featuring some of the most hyper-realistic mannequins they have on offer. They’re in all the good poses. You get the idea.“So, Janet. What do you think of our mannequins? They’re the best in town. Custom.”“They’re all actually real people, aren't they.”“Huh?”“I know my mannequin info, sir. No one makes them that glossy. Or with those blank eyes. Or with those proportions. No real mannequins are like that.”“Well, uh, you see…”Wilfredo was sputtering through some inane explanation about supplier this and custom-made that, but I was too busy screwing off one of their heads. Most standard-issue human-origin mannequins let you disassemble them in the same way, but you gotta know the secret trick. As a designer, I know… the secret trick.“... I see. You’re sharp, Janet. I assume you don’t have any Qualms with this arrangement, then?”“No qualms, sir.” “Good… Good. I’ll tell you what. You seem to know your stuff pretty well, so here. I’ll give you fifteen minutes. See if you can arrange our girls here into a nice festive scene, for the holiday season, you know, and we’ll see then if you’re ready for the Big Leagues. I’m gonna make a quick trip to Einstein Bros in the meantime.”“On it, sir.” I hear the air conditioning click on. I already know what my design shall be. I rarely need more than two seconds to do this.“Alright, I’ll see ya.” Wilfredo’s hunger for the Schmear puts a wrench in my plot, but thankfully, I know a shortcut. I must work quickly now…~~~Aaand… done! Another day, another Design. That washed-up Wilfredo won’t know what hit him.“Oh, brother! Janet, you won’t believe this. I was gonna go to Einstein Bros., right? But some ghoul must’ve broken into my ride and nabbed my V8 engine! Literally just scooped it right outta there. No shame whatsoever. Didn’t even see ‘em! You can’t just do that to my Ride … Huh!?”In a dire display of virtuosity, I’ve arranged seven of our signature mannequins in a circle. They are all headless, but they are all posed pumping up their fists to cheer on the enigmatic figure in the middle. The eighth mannequin, suspended upright by wires, has a pole for a head. The heads of the previous seven hang from this pole like tetherballs. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I haven’t even switched it on!“Hey!! That’s my engine! What are you doing with my- Ooooaaaaah!”I throw the switch, and the display roars to life! The heads spin around the central mannequin like helicopter blades. In just a few seconds, they blend together into a blissful band of beige and brown. The wind rattles a few of the seven bodies, but it’s not quite enough to tip them over. Stock church organ music to relax and study to blasts out the intercom to set the scene.The senior VM drops to his knees. “Shut it off! You’ll kill everyone!! Oh, God!!”“Wilfredo, I cannot shut it off, even if I wanted to. You’ll just have to let it run its course.”“You… How? How do you even consider this? How do you even think of doing this?!”“I don’t know, Wilfredo. All I can tell you, is that this… was a Design Decision.”“Oh, it’s getting louder! It’s gonna blow any second! We’re toast! I’m outta here!!”“Running will not help you in this case. Whether you live to see the end of this… that, too, is a Design Decision. You… cannot get out of this.”*Crack! B-B-B-BLAMMO!!*The shock could be heard from throughout the whole store. The seven heads flew out to strike every surface conceivable. Broken bits of plastic ricochet at 999 mph, piercing and pulverizing everything within their noble domain. Of course, since I built the darn thing, I know the parry timings, so I come out of this whole deal unscathed. I call this piece, “The Sacrament of the Seven.”Once the dust had settled, Wilfredo emerges from underneath a display table, like the common Rat. He shakes some loose mannequin fragments out of his hair.“Ugh… Normally you’d be fired right on the spot, but…” He looks at my shirt pocket again. “I think there’s one more thing you can try before we render a verdict here. Perhaps you’d be interested in acquisitions?”“Acquisitions?”“Yeah. As in, acquiring new mannequins. Considering we’re now down eight perfectly good mannequins, now’s a good time to lend us a hand with this, don’t you think?”“Hmm… Depends. How much… design… is there to be done?”“Uh… You’ll see when you get there. It has a lot to do with posing, and composition, and… and such. You know photography?”“Yes, sir.” As a designer, I basically am photography. The rule of thirds comes more naturally to me than the rule of object permanence.“Yeah, it’s like photography. It’ll be fine. Come, I’ll tell you how the mannequin is made…”~~~Wilfredo takes me to a small waiting room in the back of the building. In one of the seats, reading a police magazine, is a frankly average-looking blonde whose mug looks particularly easy to edit with the likes of Gimp or Photoshop. “So here’s Patricia, she’s signed on for the full-time modeling program. Patricia, meet Janet. She’s gonna be your photographer for today.”“Hi Ms. Janet”“In the flesh.” “Janet, that’s not even- nevermind. Patricia, why don’t you go ahead to the studio? We’ll be right out in a minute.”Wilfredo waits intently for the door to shut behind her, then turns to me.“So, considering your, uh, handling of our mannequins earlier, surely you don’t need me to explain what’s about to go down, do I.”“No, sir. You’re setting her up for the ‘Camera Guy.’ This is easily the most textbook scenario out of all of them. You’d have to be a Stooge to fall for this one in this day and age.”“I can do you one better. This is a ‘Camera Guy’ out of a ‘Fine Print Freddy.’ Here, check it.” He hands me a one-page contract. Halfway through, in big Rosewood font, it reads, YOU WILL BE TURNED INTO A PLASTIC INANIMATE MANNEQUINTHIS IS AN INSTANT KILL MOVEYOU CANNOT UNDO THISGOOD RIDDANCE BOZO“Yeah, I know, at this point it’s more of a ‘Rosewood Ronald,’ but you get the idea.”Sure enough, right on the dotted line… there it is. “And she still signed it.”“Yep. Some people, am I right? Anyway, let’s not keep her waiting, shall we? Here’s your camera.”An Nvidia ObShot 4k Scope! No wonder why he was saying their mannequins are good. This is the primo stuff right here. Designer quality… I would know…“There is no possible way for you to screw this up. Knock ‘em out, Janet!”~~~The studio is pretty much identical to one of those fun photography studios that you can go to. Patricia is loafing around in front of the big white background sheet. She’s wearing that nice dress with all the little beads and sequins as I instructed.“Uh, Ms. Janet?”“Yes, ma’am.”“You’ve been fiddling around with that camera for quite a while now. Is something wrong?”“No, ma’am. I’m just… figuring things out.”“Well, don’t keep me hanging! I got a cute date with a cute guy tonight, and I’d hate to keep him waiting…”“Right…” My grin grows two sizes as I crack into the developer settings. Patricia deserves to go out with a bang.“So, Patricia. Tell me about your date. What’s his name?”“Oh, it’s Snyder. Snyder Salamando. He’s just the best… So cute…” I can just hear the hearts in her eyes, but I don’t look up to check. I gotta make sure these settings are just right.“Oh yeah? What does he look like?”“Ah… I wouldn’t be able to tell you…”“Huh? Did you meet online or something?”“Oh, no. Met him at that one coffee place before it closed down. You know…?”“Bunk Street? Yeah, I know. So you met him at a cafe and you still don’t know what he looks like? Was he wearing a mustache to conceal his identity?”“No, not like that… heehee…” “But you still say he’s cute?” “Yeah… Like, really, really cute…”“Hmm…”“And I guess I didn’t really meet him, per se. It was more like… I encountered him. Aw…”I don’t like this Snyder character. Patricia’s situation could benefit from… a redesign. As a designer, I know what I must do.“Alright, I’m all set. Patricia, it was nice knowing you.”“Huh? Don’t you want me to hold a pose or somethi-”*FLASH!!*“No, that won’t be necessary. Thanks for sticking around.”I must be careful now. I load Patricia’s rigid body onto a dolly and wheel her out of the studio. It wouldn’t do to dent her now.But Wilfredo blocks the way.“Janet!! Janet, why didn’t you let her pose at all?” “Huh?”“Janet, don’t play dumb with me. You got her mid-sentence! No one’s gonna relate to a mannequin of some Schmo caught in the middle of running her mouth or…”“Or what?”Something about Patricia’s face perplexes Wilfredo. He gently knocks on her plasticized shoulder.“Hey, wait a minute… She’s… lumpy? Janet, why is she lumpy?”“It’s for design reasons. Wilfredo, do not impede me further, please.”“Hey! What’s with the attitude all of a sud- Whoa!!”I run the dolly straight past him. If he hadn’t sidestepped away in time, I would’ve been in charge of welcome mat design next. I feel a tremendous pressure, like how you feel when you read about a really serious and scary medical condition that could happen to you. My time is short.~~~I make it to the front display, where a family of several normal, honest-to-goodness mannequins are huddled together with their dogs. A few of them have been kicked over somehow, but I have no time to stand them back up. I double-check Patricia to ensure my modifications are in place, then I put her on the central podium. The ceiling lighting is taking on a lurid hue that does a poor job of illuminating much.But again…! Wilfredo!“Janet, you better explain yourself right this instant! The tech bros are throwing a fit! How are they supposed to train their models on classified medical documents if you’ve gutted their tech bro setup?”“Hush, sir. Hush. The penumbral prince awaits his eternal bride.”“What do you MEAN, the penumbral prince awaits his eternal bride??”*KCKR-IIIISSSSH!!*The floor around Patricia is torn clean open like a bag of Lays. The penumbral prince had waited long enough. Wilfredo immediately assumes a fetal position and rolls away, but I watch carefully as Patricia’s frozen form is captured and raptured into the abyss.I watch carefully… with my thumb on the detonator.“Now!”*BOMB!!!*A tremendous groan pours out from the depths, as does a solid stream of smoke and ember. The emergency sprinkler system goes off, but it cannot heal this hoodwinked hyperdimensional hooligan. The hole squeezes shut awkwardly; it was never meant to be resealed. He’s going to need a bag clip for this. Eventually, however, the floor does close itself up for good. All is well… from a design perspective.Wilfredo looks at me now with an intriguing cocktail of awe and disgust.“You… You turned Patricia into a… a…”“A plastic explosive, sir. C4, to be precise. Figured out how to do it.”“A C4… Sweet mother of god…”“Your tech bro setup is remarkable. It had everything I needed to make the necessary hardware. Thank you, sir.”Wilfredo looks away, this time gazing at the spot on the floor that was blown open just a minute ago. “Was that… was that God just now? Did you kill God, Janet?”“No, not exactly. That was just Snyder.”“Snyder…”“Trust me, sir. What you just saw was the best possible sequence of events. You don’t want to see someone like Snyder making a Scene because his girl fell for a Fine Print Freddy. And you can’t just turn down someone like Patricia who’s just looking for pleasure from people looking at her.”“Sure, but… you know, you turned her into a-”“I know. But I like to imagine it’s one of those things where exploding her makes her feel really good and euphoric, and now she gets to spend eternity feeling really euphoric forever.”“That… Alright, there’s no way that’s actually the case. You’re cappin’.”“Perchance… But it’s a nice thought, no?”Wilfredo grunts.“Well, Janet. Seems you’ve made it painfully clear that you’re not quite cut out for this industry. But if you really want to stay on the team, there’s one last thing you can do…”He gently pulls out his own ObShot.“This is the one thing you physically cannot screw up. Policy requires you stay like this for 30 days at the minimum. I completely understand if you don’t wanna do it.”“30 days straight, you mean?”“Yeah, 30 days straight.”“Give me 8 hours a day, and not a minute more. The nine to five.”“That sucks, Janet. No one wants to see a mannequin transformation that only happens from nine to five. Sorry, but this one’s a No Go”“You drive a hard bargain, sir. How about this. I noticed you were stealing glances at my shirt pocket.”“Huh? Your shirt pocket? Uh…”“If you wanted me to design a shirt pocket for you, you can just ask. How about I stay on the team as the lead costume designer?”“Um… Janet, this is an Old Navy.”Rage.“Tell me, Wilfredo, sir, had your uniform not been designed by someone? Is it not subject to Redesign, as is everything in nature? You… are not immune to Redesign, Wilfredo. No one is.”“Ah… This is getting a little heated… How about you come back when we have another design job opening? It shouldn’t be too long till then…”“No chance. Wilfredo, let me put this in plain terms for you. You can try as you might to get rid of me, but I will find you. And I will… design for you.”I step forward while leaning strangely. Wilfredo instinctively raises the camera. He can’t take the shot yet because my contrapposto is all wrong and it would ruin the pose. This is the counterplay to the famous camera. That… and also bringing him to the mat with a hurricanrana. ~~~As the new Senior VM, I take pride in knowing how to best draw out the innate characteristics of our custom mannequins. It turns out that Wilfredo’s fetal position is so perfectly shaped that he can easily be bowled across the aisles like a Flintstones wheel. He is very popular with the kids. This… is why design matters. Why Design Matters (Mannequin TF B)The fluorescent lights flickered overhead as I arranged the latest collection of dresses on the mannequins in the department store. My name is Olivia, and I've been a visual merchandiser here for years. But today, something unusual caught my eye. I overheard a conversation between two employees in the break room."You know those mannequins we use in the displays?" Jane, the sales associate, whispered. "I heard they're not really made of plastic. They're people, transformed using a special camera."I scoffed, thinking it was just another workday rumor. However, curiosity got the best of me, and I discreetly approached Jane."Come on, Jane, you can't be serious. Mannequins can't be real people," I said with a nervous laugh.Jane raised an eyebrow and leaned in, lowering her voice even more. "I'm telling you, it's true. They sign up for it, willingly turning themselves into mannequins for a few hours. It's some kind of bizarre experience. You can even sign up if you're interested."The idea lingered in my mind. The allure of the unknown and the promise of something different intrigued me. That evening, after my shift, I found myself in a dimly lit room at the back of the store. A sign read, "Mannequin Experience: Transform Your Reality." A woman behind a desk explained the process and handed me a form to sign.As I stood in front of the camera, I felt a tingling sensation wash over me. The room buzzed with a low hum, and my body began to feel strangely weightless. My skin tingled, and it seemed like every pore was opening up to absorb the transformation."Is this really happening?" I thought, but before I could process it further, everything went silent. I blinked, and suddenly, I was no longer in control of my body. I tried to lift my arm, but it was unyielding—stiff and immovable. I stood frozen in place, surrounded by the same dresses I had just arranged, but I was one with the mannequin.My vision had transformed, taking on a glossy sheen as my skin became plastic. I could see my hands, now rigid and unmoving, fingers posed delicately. My limbs felt strangely light yet unyielding, and I marveled at the lack of sensation in my plastic form. The transformation continued, working its way up from my fingertips to my face. I could feel the plastic settling in, rendering me expressionless. It was like wearing a mask, an unyielding facade that concealed all emotion.As the process completed, I stared blankly ahead, unable to move or speak. My plastic body gleamed under the store's bright lights, and I reveled in the attention of passing shoppers. I was now one of the mannequins, a silent observer of the bustling store.Customers passed by, eying the dresses on display, unaware that one of the mannequins was once a living, breathing woman. I reveled in the stillness, the quietude that came with my newfound plastic existence. I couldn't feel the weight of fatigue or the strain of the day. I simply existed, content in my plastic serenity.Hours passed, and as the transformation began to reverse, I found myself back in the dimly lit room. The woman at the desk smiled as I blinked, adjusting to the return of movement and sensation."Did you enjoy the experience?" she asked.I nodded, still processing the surreal journey I had just undertaken. "It was… fascinating. Like being a part of the store's history, frozen in time."As I walked out of the room, the weight of reality settled back onto my shoulders, but a lingering sense of satisfaction remained. The secret world of the mannequins had opened its doors to me, and for a brief moment, I was both the artist and the masterpiece in the grand display of the department store.

Yes sirree! Just in time for the holiday season, I have now officially uploaded balloonbabe pics of all 4 DDLC characters! Perfection. Believe it or not, Monika was the first licensed character I tried generating balloonbabes of. The original pics I made were great, and I was planning to use one of those for the caption, but I wanted something truly special and kept rerolling until I got this one. If you want in on my Tips and Tricks, send me a note!!

Also, while I was generating the story for this one, the Al had the idea of having Monika do a cartwheel to test her flexibility. Thought you'd like to know.

💀💀💀 THE PENUMBRAL PIC AWAITS ITS ETERNAL CAPTION TEXT 💀💀💀

The convention buzzed with energy as I strolled through the sea of cosplayers. That's when I spotted her—a Monika cosplayer. She looked so convincing that I had to approach her.

"Hey! Your Monika cosplay is amazing!" I exclaimed, excited to meet a fellow Doki Doki Literature Club fan.

She turned with a smile, "Thank you! Yours is great too. I love your attention to detail."

We struck up a conversation, sharing our favorite moments from the game and discussing the challenges of putting together the perfect cosplay. As the convention wound down, we decided to grab some fresh air outside and continue our chat. But as we turned a corner, the Monika cosplayer seemed a bit disoriented, glancing around as if something unusual was happening.

"Are you okay?" I asked, noticing her confusion.

She hesitated, then tried to move her arm, but it resisted as if filled with air. "I… I don't know. Something feels off. My body feels different."

I furrowed my brow. "Different how?"

She winced slightly, looking down at her hands. "It's like... my skin is becoming softer. Less solid. And look at this," she continued, pressing her fingers into her sleeve. Her arm gave way under the pressure like she was squeezing a balloon.

She felt the softness reach her face, so she pressed her fingers against her cheek. Her skin yielded slightly under the pressure and even squeaked slightly as she rubbed it. "It's like touching a balloon. This is unreal."

As I looked closer, I noticed a subtle sheen on her skin, a glossy texture that wasn't there before. As the sheen intensified, her limbs grew rounder and more inflated, the rubbery material smoothing out the natural contours of her body. The strands of her hair began to solidify into a glossy balloon of a ponytail that resisted any attempt to separate them. Her white bow merged seamlessly with her hair as it, too, became a balloon. "My hair... it feels so strange. It's like it's all one big inflatable piece," she remarked as she tugged at one of her bangs, watching as the rubber stretched and snapped back into place with a faint creak.

The sheen soon spread to her clothing. Her blazer and shirt shifted from cloth to a smooth, inflatable rubber that clung to her body. As her chest expanded with each breath, her clothes tightened around her until her rubber skin and rubber outfit were one and the same. As her hands pressed against the transforming fabric, it resisted and rebounded, like pressing against a balloon filled with air. Her legs, encased in the pleated blue skirt, were now feeling stiff and resistant. Each step became a challenge as the skirt inflated around her thighs. Her socks and slippers felt impossibly tight as they merged with the rest of her rubbery legs. "Walking is getting difficult. It's like my legs are encased in something thick and bouncy."

The transformation extended to her face, which now resembled Monika’s features painted onto a perfectly smooth expanse of rubber. Her expressions remained animated, and she could still speak through her lips drawn on the glossy rubber. "It's like I'm an inflatable doll of Monika. It's bizarre, but there's a strange beauty to it," she said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

I nodded, still trying to comprehend the surreal sight before me. "Are you okay? Can you move?"

The inflatable Monika hesitated for a moment, testing the flexibility of her rubbery limbs. "It's a bit tricky," she admitted, attempting to stand and wobbling slightly. "It's weird. I feel so light, yet everything's so bouncy. But I think I'm getting the hang of it."

"Well, let's figure this out together. Maybe there's a way to make it more manageable," I suggested, trying to sound reassuring.

She absentmindedly played with her rubberized hands, stretching and squeezing them. "I guess it's not that bad. It's like being a balloon, and balloons are meant to be fun, right?"

We found a bench to sit on, and she marveled at how her legs felt like an inflatable cushion. "This is surprisingly comfortable. It's like I'm sitting on a giant, squishy balloon, but it’s just my body."

As we sat, she continued to explore her new form, her hands gliding over her inflatable skin. "It's like I'm a living balloon. Look at this!" she exclaimed, pressing her fingers against her thigh. "It's like pressing on a pool toy. So soft, yet so firm. And it’s so shiny, too."

I smiled, relieved to see her embracing the unexpected turn of events. "I'm glad you're taking it so well. You make one adorable inflatable Monika."

She nodded, her rubberized head bobbing slightly. "You think so? I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm starting to enjoy being a living inflatable. I might even prefer it," she confessed, a genuine happiness in her painted-on smile.

The vibrant lights of the city reflected off her glossy surface as she bounced on the rubbery soles of her slippers, enjoying the buoyancy of her inflatable body. Passersby glanced at her curiously, some with amusement, others with envy. The night had taken an unexpected turn, but somehow, being in the presence of an inflatable Monika made the world feel a bit more magical.