Analysis:Sucking on Candy

On the 5th day on Satoru's route, Inubushi comes into the room sucking on candy. She says that it's necessary to eat candy when you're thirsty. It's possible to skip the candy insertion scene. This page assumes you've seen this event.

Let's consider this in a bit more detail.

Thirsty?
Inubushi is interested in and knowledgeable about the DMT hallucinogen. That's why she stole the DMT and MAO inhibitor for Enomoto's basement room, but the transfers prevented her from consuming them.

Inubushi enter's Satoru's room after he consumed the drugs and seductively asks "Do you get thirsty after doing THAT?" (Note: In the English translation, she says "Do you get thirsty afterward?". However, in Japanese uses the word "アレ" or "THAT", alluding to something more suggestive)

And what is "THAT" which Inubushi talks about? Since Satoru's lips are noticeably dry, THAT appears to point to the MAO inhibitor and the hallucinogen DMT. Having a dry mouth is a real side-effect of MAO inhibitors. Perhaps Inubushi knows that, which is why she made that comment.

Significance of the MAO Inhibitor
There's also this statement.

"I know... or rather, you could say I heard... So, when they do it, everyone keeps some candy on hand."

This strange statement can be explained if you consider that the "Shadow" consciousness is the core of Inbubushi's personality. From the first statement it seems her other personalities know first hand, and "everyone" refers to all her personalities.

One thing becomes apparent from the above. Inibushi received the MAO inhibitor many times before in the past. But why did she have to consume the MAO inhibitor?

We can immediately find the answer by looking the effects of the MAO inhibitor. MAO inhibitors are used as antidepressants. It may have been given to Inubushi frequently.

Dream of a Faraway Country
When Inubushi inserts the candy into his mouth, Satoru dreams about a faraway country. An interesting description is given, but what does it mean?

There is some unused text within the game files which is used to help decipher the symbolism in the scene. The narration is posted below:


 * "Surrounded by that quiet and peaceful sensation, I slipped into a doze, in which I had a dream."


 * "A dream of long ago, of a faraway country. That country was at the bottom of a deep valley. It was enclosed by high mountains to the north and south, and a clear brook flowing to the east and west. There was a natural embankment in the upper stream. A natural reservoir had formed where the land had dammed the current. It was an incredibly clear and beautiful pond."

The "high mountains" are Satoru's lips, one north (upper lip) and one south (lower lip). The brook is the line formed when the lips are pressed together.


 * "At the center of the country... on the banks of that brook, stood an old castle. That castle, which had lost its master long ago, was already reduced to a desolate ruin. Curtains of deep crimson that had once been able to block out the brightest light now hung in tatters, stuck out through the holes in the walls that had once been windows. The ancient curtains swayed in the passing spring breeze."

The castle represents Satoru's mouth, while the crimson curtains are his tongue. The "lost master" may represent the personality of the true Yukidoh Satoru that Self has overwritten. The curtains are tattered to represent lost innocence, since Satoru likely indulged in his relationship with Mayuzumi Lin.


 * "Suddenly, a dark red shadow fell over the country. It was the shadow of an enormous, writhing specter. The specter swooped down from the sky, heading for the bottom of the canyon."

The unused text refers to Inubushi's tongue as a "slimy creature". While the specter mentioned here seems to be a ghostly being, it's described as "slithering" below. In any case, the specter represents Inubushi's tongue.


 * "Landing at the base of the mountains, the monster skillfully wrenched open the gate of the old castle and slithered inside. The specter assumed an air of arrogance, toying with the deep crimson curtains as it wished. At that very moment, a bolt of spring lightning struck the window. And yet the monster was unfazed. It gently caressed the curtains, tracing their texture. It ripped them from their fixtures and slithered back and forth across them."

Here, Inubushi forces her way past Satoru's lips and enters his mouth. Her tongue caresses his and she toys with him.


 * "Then, the specter chanted a spell. As if in response, the embankment surrounding that beautiful lake collapsed, sending a huge volume of water thundering down toward the valley below. It became a great flood. The whole country was submerged in an instant."

The water likely refers to saliva being transferred from her to him. She is described as being "moist" whereas the unused text says Satoru's lips are parched. On top of that, the point of the candy is to stimulate saliva production.


 * "Did it suddenly feel remorse? The specter departed the castle, leaving behind a beautiful jewel. That jewel emitted a sweet fragrance, tinged with a faint acidity."

The jewel is the candy that Inubushi places into Satoru's mouth. Her lips part with his once she's left the candy.


 * "When I woke from the dream, Hotori's face was still close to mine."