Unmarked spoilers ahead!
open/close all folders
Hong & Beebee
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Both hug and embrace each other when they realize fighting each other is senseless. Hong agrees to try and tame Beebee, and said wolf agrees to focus instead on actual dangers.
- The Big Bad Wolf: From Hong's perspective, their anxiety wolf is their biggest obstacle to happiness. This revelation causes further distress to Beebee who only wants Hong to acknowledge them as a "loyal protector dog".
- Big "NO!": Screamed by Beebee when a drunk Hong jumps off a building on a dare.
- Dark and Troubled Past: When they mend their relationship Beebee mentions they weren't always so uncontrollable until they experienced their past childhood trauma and neglect.
- Decoy Protagonist: Hong is the first character we see and the story is about them dealing with their anxiety however the player character is Beebee, Hong’s anxiety.
- The Dog Bites Back: While Beebee succeeds in getting Hong to leave the first party it's a Pyrrhic Victory as their companion starts to turn on them, throwing them wrestling-style to the ground vowing to return to next weekend's party not just to win, but to destroy them.
- Fear Is the Appropriate Response: Even inebriated, Hong at first appreciates how stupid Hunter's dare to jump off a six-storey building is, but soon refuses to let their anxiety wolf win again via inaction.
- Failed a Spot Check: As Hong is so engrossed in taming their anxiety, they fail to recognize or empathize with anyone else who has the same issue. Likewise, Beebee often perceives immense danger when there is practically none.
- Hidden Depths: Beebee is very knowledgeable and well-versed in various medical studies, even taking the time to cite their sources which Hong can't help but respect.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Beebee's genuinely remorseful for having to use their special attacks against an unruly Hong.
- Meaningful Name: "Hong" means red in Chinese, and they have a wolf as an anxiety animal that they wear as a red hoodie.
- Motivated by Fear: Beebee fears losing Hong. Hong fears losing to Beebee, thereby losing any hope their life will be worth living.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Beebee is understandably horrified that their overreactions as a Guardian Entity have pushed Hong down a self-destructive road, and in an act of defiance is threatening to jump off of a building on a dare. The only way they can save them from injury is to admit they've caused harm by making big deals out of perceived dangers.
- Obliviously Evil: Beebee isn't malevolent - they're just afraid of the unknown and love Hong very much. Their desire to protect them from all harm has blinded them to the harm they're causing them through their overprotective tendencies.
- The Paranoiac: Beebee fears everything and everyone in the world will hurt Hong, whom they love, including Hong themselves.
- Protectorate: Hong's anxiety animal will do anything to keep them safe, including confessing how much they have sucked at their job.
- Punny Name: Beebee, as in "B.B. Wolf" which is nothing like their true personality.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Satisfied Beebee didn't take control of them (yet again), the latest round ending in a tie, Hong leaves Hunter and their drunk friends locked up on the roof they dared them earlier to jump off.
- Sir Swearsalot: Hong swears a lot when angry, whereas Beebee never uses profanity.
Al & Shire
"THEY'RE JUST ACTING NICE! NO ONE REALLY WANTS TO BE CLOSE TO US!"
- All Love Is Unrequited: Al has a crush on Hong, but cannot work up the courage to even ask them to hang out as friends, Shire the cat refuses to behave themself anyway.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Shire is jealous of the attentions of their human partner, and doesn't like Hong in the slightest.
- Nervous Wreck: All of the anxiety animals seem to be a mix of this and Properly Paranoid, for better or for worse. Shire seems to be this in the extreme and has Al under their near-complete control.
- Punny Name: Shire, as in The Cheshire Cat, but of course the perpetually stressed-out Shire never smiles.
- Shrinking Violet: Al and their anxiety cat Shire are very much this, avoiding socializing with others.
Hunter & Gramm
"It's not our friend. It's a rabid beast, which either needs to be tranquilized, or have a bullet put in its skull."
- Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: Only alcohol consumption can temporarily paralyze anxiety animals, but Hunter has ignored how unhealthy this lifestyle is. They throw wild parties as a coping mechanism to keep their overbearing partner Gramm at bay. They refuse to accept Gramm is an inseparable part of them.
- Cope by Pretending: Hunter throws parties every weekend as a means of taking breaks from the stress of life and silencing their huge anxiety animal, Gramm. However, it immediately becomes apparent that this isn't healthy coping, as their parties go wild fast and are pure escapism.
- Elephant in the Living Room: Hunter's anxiety animal, Gramm, whom they deeply hate and detest.
- Meaningful Name: Hunter appropriately believes that anxiety animals are beasts that need to be put down, even using the analogy of tranquillizing them or shooting them.
- No Antagonist: While the instigator of actual danger in the story, Hunter's a human being who is suffering like Hong and foolishly believed alcohol was a quick-fix. The credits show them sleeping uneasily on their couch as their repressed anxiety elephant Gramm, sadly watches over them.
- Oh, Crap!: When Hong misjumps off the building to the ground instead of into the pool.
- Punny Name: A gram is a relatively light unit of measure, whereas elephants weigh up to several tons.
- So Proud of You: When they finally persuade Hong to fight against their anxiety animal's warning of danger to life (with near-fatal consequences).
- Toxic Friend Influence: While Hunter invited Hong to their parties, and is the only person they've ever met who sympathises with their anxiety animal struggles, they end up becoming a poisonous influence by encouraging Hong to take alcoholic concoctions and dangerous risks.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: They see much of their younger self in Hong.
