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[anobservatory]

Hatchetfield headcanons?

Let’s see…

Holloway has lots of scars from living for centuries and hides them with the jacket. These include:

Lightning scars

Wiggly: sucker/tentacle marks

Pokey: cracks

Blinky: eye like circular pattern. Red vein squiggles at end.

Tinky: hoof print

Nibbly: bite marks

Her accent gets stronger when she’s mad. Same for Duke, but you rarely hear it.

Original name was Holly-May Logan.

The strange carving it’s mentioned she has in Killer Track, is a part of Pokey’s mask.

Ryan Reynolds is the person running against Solomon for mayor. He’s pushing the problematic pooch story because it shows how horrible the town has gotten under Solomon’s rule. You’d think the disappearance of his wife right before he got elected would be a bigger deal, but no, time for our daily Peanuts the Hatchetfield Pocket Squirrel segment!

The Obnoxious Teen is actually different versions of Pete after an encounter with the Bastard Box. He now lives in a never ending hell of minimum wage jobs.

Grace’s birthday is September 9th, buy a priest a beer day.

The Honey Queen sacrifice takes place on the summer solstice at midnight.

Description of the tree that grew from Willabella: Gnarled roots extend from a bulbous center. No leaves hang from its crown of branches. It is not natural. Nothing grows near it, except the apples that grow for its branches, never ripe and always rotten. A hollow in the center is swarming with spiders whose web spans across it. Several scars are evident from where the Hatchetmen, once they realized their mistake, tried to cut it down. From its branches hand charms of protection and containment that replace old ones of worship. It grows behind the old Waylon Hall, over the sight of Willabella’s execution. Like the Hall, many rumors swirl around it and foolish children often dare each other to touch the bark.

The Blade of Truth that MacNamara uses on the Sniggles is one of multiple PEIP has constructed. With help from Holloway, they were able to harness the White’s energy into physical form. Each Blade requires a secret to be whispered into it as it forms, one no one has ever heard before. If someone tells a lie while holding the Blade, it shatters.

The Foster family are descended from Willabella and a Hatchetman with the last name Forester. Willabella had no love for him and only got pregnant to delay her execution.

The Stockworth family vacations in Hatchetfield because they have connections with the Church of the Starry children. Lucy is not aware if this.

Charles Coven was part of PEIP and went by Carlo at the time.

PEIP has ID numbers based on the Stith Thompson’s Motif Index of Folk-Literature. Basically a collection of a bunch of different motifs in folklore.

Wilbur: D1310.10.1. Magic apple gives supernatural knowledge.

Holloway (Holliway this identity): G220.0.1. "Black" and "white" witches. Malevolent and benevolent.

John: B147.2.1.2. Eagle as omen of victory.

Xander: J1291.2. Theological questions answered by propounding simple questions in science.

Douglas Keane Sr. was an informant for PEIP. Basically, PEIP goes around to various people in professions where the supernatural may be encountered (law enforcement, medical, park rangers etc.) and gives them a little presentation with very vague language about if they seen anything unnatural, or out if the ordinary, to give their office a call. Since Hatchetfield is such a hotspot, Douglas knows a lot more about the supernatural than most informants do and is on first name basis with several PEIP agents. (This is heavily based off a book called The Rook by Daniel O’Malley.)

[anobservatory]

🥪 for the New Lords, cause I get a feeling that the old lords don't like to eat anymore (except the blue bug I'm forgetting the name of who likes tea) and I don't think Webby can eat.

Hold on a minute, first I gotta draw Stinger butchering you with a chainsaw for forgetting her name…

Just kidding, just kidding!

🥪 Favourite (human) food?

Wiggly - Generally any kind of seafood, but specifically shrimp. He actually does prefer when it’s, like… actually prepared and not just a full-ass, raw fucking fish. The incident at the end of Chapter 7 was mainly just him satisfying his primal instinct to hunt something that would at least try to run. He’s like a dog in that sense.

Blinky - I don’t know why, but something tells me she’d like those shitty, greasy snack foods you get at, like, carnivals and such. Y’know, caramel apples, corn dogs, churros, mac and cheese in a waffle cone (wh… does something like that actually exist, or is Google fucking with me?), etc. Oh, and tobacco smoke, but I don’t think that counts.

Tinky - That man would bite into pickle slices like they’re fuckin’ Pringles. But only because he’s a goat, of course pickles taste good to him.

Nibbly - I don’t think she’d be able to choose herself, but if you ask me? I’m leaning towards chocolate.

Pokey - Now that’s a tough one, because I don’t really see him being eager to eat anything, but off the top of my head… how about a nice caramel frappe? Nothing better!

[anobservatory]

⚖️ for every one. Old Lords, new Lords and Webby.

That’s a… tall order if I’ve ever heard one, but- ok!

Ruling Law/Chaos as willingness to abide by societal rules, and Good/Evil as general levels of empathy.

⚖️ Alignment (in DND terms?)

Wiggly - Lawful Good, but the “lawful” part is mainly as a result of him conforming to other’s will to appease them. By the end of his character development, he’ll be Neutral Good.

Blinky - Chaotic Good, that woman owns a T-shirt reading “EAT THE RICH” (or did in her past life) and you can’t tell me otherwise.

Tinky - Neutral Good, leaning slightly on Chaotic.

Nibbly - Chaotic Good, and I don’t think I have to explain why.

Pokey - Lawful Neutral, making him the least moral character of all the New Lords… but we knew that already.

Webby - Lawful Neutral. She’s loyal to the Lords and to the Lords only.

Stinger - Surprisingly, I’d say Lawful Evil. You’d think she’d be Chaotic but she’s actually kind of a stickler to her own personal rules, believe it or not.

Rattler - Now, he’s Chaotic Evil. He just sort of goes around doing his own thing, spreading decay wherever he feels, and there’s no one who can stop him.

Gazer - True Neutral. Easily the most moral of the Old Lords, but still not a good person.

Thrasher - Chaotic Neutral, bordering on Evil. He very much does find bloodshed hilarious, but he doesn’t really do much of it himself, just kinda… waits and listens while the other Old Lords or his followers spread some chaos.

Kindler - Neutral Evil, bordering on Chaotic. Not sure why, I just feel like that fits him best.

[anobservatory]

Why did you pick your option?

[anobservatory]

Because something is terribly wrong with the world today, obviously.

[anobservatory]

I'd feel like I have a better chance of survival in Gravity Falls than in Hatchetfield. Especially if I don't go looking for weirdness. In GF most of the time the kids are looking for weirdness, while in Hatchetfield the weirdness finds you whether you like it or not.

Reblog for larger sample size!

[anobservatory]

Wait don't tell me, his new boyfriend is Infected Paul.

I have a new wip I'm working on that I like to call "Wilbur bullying John while on a date with his new boyfriend"

[anobservatory]

Good thing I like both of those things.

To those who followed me for starkid im so sorry the bill cipher fixation came back and is wrecking my brain.

[anobservatory]

Donna: Oh, and we're back Dan did you have a good commercial break?

Dan: Well any day I get to stare into your eyes is a good day to me.

Donna: Oh, you!

*Playfully shoves Dan a little.*

Dan: Ooh, have you been working out?

Donna: Oh, come on now, we have to do the news.

Dan: Ok, you go first.

Donna: No, you go first.

Dan: No, you.

Donna: Ok. *Switches from playful to serious* A headless dead corpse was found in the bottom of a well early this morning. Officials say the body has not been identified, but it was 100% strangled.

[anobservatory]

I don't think she did. She missed the phone call from Tom, she missed the funeral and the wedding trying to get back home, and she never mentioned going to Jane's house. Plus she spent barely a day in Hatchetfield and she spent that day just trying to figure out who stole her life. So based on what I can remember, I don't think human Emma ever learned that Jane died.

wait a minute, did forever and always human Emma ever find out that Jane died?

[anobservatory]

What do y’all plan to be for Halloween

[anobservatory]

That one fucking tiktok trend but with Pete and Ted

[anobservatory]

forgive me if I'm wrong, as I've never been in a similar situation or especially familiar with one, but I like how...realistic Rancilda and Putrice's relationship to Ella feels.

at one time, Rancilda and Putrice feel like Ella is just another sister to them. they complain about her just like they complain about each other, even that Ella gets things and special treatment that they don't. but she's very much the scapegoat. any "special treatment" the troll sisters feel like Ella gets, it's just to keep her in line and afraid, or to keep up appearances.

but their mother feels superior to Ella and broadcasts that sentiment, so Rancilda and Putrice feel the same way, even though they don't entirely understand the reasoning for it. they're young in comparison to, the gods know how old the Stepmother is. they're impulsive, and easily distractable, and want their mother's love and approval. they only know what she teaches them.

they treat Ella like a pest to be tolerated and killed at their whim, and, well...to them, that's basically what she is. at the same time as being like another sibling, because they feel like their lives aren't fair and they're competing against her for that fair treatment and their mother's attention.

but it isn't at the sisters' whim that Ella is killed, it's the mother's, which, in the sisters' eyes, is more unfairness to them. Putrice whines, "can't we just kill her?" when Ella says something completely innocuous that upsets them, like a child might complain that their sibling won't share their game, can't their mom just make their sibling share?

this really got away from me and is more of a stream of consciousness about the sisters' relationship with Ella at this point, but basically, yeah. "she's our sister and the most abused and terribly treated by the family but c'mon, she's getting something nice for a single day and we're not? that's not fair!"

[anobservatory]

Alright everyone I'd like your help please. See I'm getting a backup character ready for my DND campaign and I want to make one inspired by Ella Ashmore from Cinderella's Castle. I've decided to do a warlock but I'm stuck between Archfey and Celestial. Archfey gets wilderness, illusion, fear and charm themed magic while Celestial gets light, fire and healing themed magic. She is called The Fairy Queen of Sweet Dreams but has the whole fire and starlight motif.

So I'm asking the people to help me decide.

If you want, give your reason in the tags.

[anobservatory]

We should talk about The Lords in Black I'm gonna do that right now because I wanna talk about their trope subversion and symbolism and shit.

So obviously The Lords in Black are a subversion of Cosmic/Eldritch horror and I'm gonna explain how using an ant metaphor

So the classic ant metaphor for cosmic horror is to imagine that you're an ant encountering a piece of human technology, right? I believe it's usually a circuit board. The whole point is you're witnessing something deeply incomprehensible and unfamiliar.

The ant metaphor for the Lords in Black is: imagine you're an ant and a teenager starts burning you with a magnifying glass.

It's still incomprehensible, but not in the way the complexities of a circuit board is. If you were suddenly stricken by a scalding beam of light, the only way you could rationalize that is that it was an act of a god. You and your ant colony would invent and fear this god.

The Lords in Black each represent a kind of strange and inscrutable cruelty that the modern world offers, the cursed lasers that cut into our souls, from places we have no power over.

Wiggly is obviously the idol of capitalism. Animalistic desperation, commodity fetishization, and the exchange of money, products, and emotions. All of the things that the other Lords represent stem from elements of capitalism, hence why Wiggly is THE Lord in Black, the leader of his brothers. What Wiggly offers will never be enough. He is what leaves you always unsatisfied.

Nibbly is the idol of the consumption of human beings as products. Obsession with self image and presentability, trends of all kinds, and the beauty and fitness industries. People in the modern age are desperate to be consumable, and some would go to any lengths to do so. This is an attitude that especially impacts women, who feel that they need to wear make up every day just to earn respect. And when we feel the need to change to be respectable, the need to look appealing and to be consumable, the bourgeois eat well. Our quest to look special makes us like any other customer, filling. It's no mistake that the two leads of Honey Queen are women desperate to be noticed and respected. It makes them all the more eager to be eaten.

Tinky is the idol of infinity and repetition. Dead end jobs, middle class suburbia, and the inability to escape one's circumstances. It's no coincidence that the first time we see Tinky is at a wedding, a ceremony dedicated to eternal commitment, or that he's associated with CCRP, a company in which most of the workers do useless busywork all day. When you look at the life you have ahead of you, it can feel crushing. Will you ever have a real career to be proud of, or will you be stuck at this job until you die? Will you ever not struggle to make rent? Will you really love your spouse forever? What if you don't? Isn't it just easier to continue the routine than to address the problem? After Ted is driven to insanity by the Bastard's Box, after he discovers that he can't escape the person he's become, he becomes homeless, one of the most terrifying eternities a person can find themselves in, fully dependent on random acts of kindness to survive while your situation drives you further into insanity.

Blinky is the idol of the panopticon. Gossip, public drama, and unwanted attention. One of the first things Blinky does on screen is sexually objectify a girl who's fresh out of high school, and this plainly displays a consequence of living in a content driven world. There is constant scrutiny and interpretation given to your every action. At any moment, you could have over a thousand eyes on you, whether you want them there or not. The panopticon we live in captures us in moments of time, and turns the person we were in that moment into an object deserving anger, embarrassment, lust, admiration, judgement, or anything else a watcher might assign. But Blinky also targets another fear, the fear that we feel when we can't see the danger, and cannot protect ourselves or those we love. Alice's anxiety that Deb might cheat on her when she's not around are made manifest in Watcher World, and Bill's frustration at not being let into Alice's life are used against the family. We are inclined to both want and fear the panopticon. We hide, and we seek, and we expose.

Pokey is the idol of tyranny. Complacency, sedation, and obedience. The world revolves around the few and uses the many in service of this. We are all expected to fill some role in service to the rich, to work for a corporation and to buy the products of those corporations, and when we cannot fill these roles we are at risk of starving, or being kicked out of our homes. We must join them in their quest for profit, or die. But we must also accept their pacifiers or we will be driven insane. We must choose between complacency or despair in confronting our place in the world as a pawn, as an ant in the colony. Isn't it easier to accept the comforting lies? Your job is important. Corporations give people what they want. People in power deserve their power. People in power are using it well. We are happy. America is great.

These are the magnifying glasses that are being used to torment us, that we cannot make reason out of, that we've made dark gods out of. But this isn't the first time humanity has encountered scorching light from the heavens. When the people of ancient Greece witnessed burning rods of light, falling viciously from the heavens, they invented Zeus.

But we know where lightning comes from now. We know the science behind electricity and its place in the world. We know what keeps lightning away and what attracts it. We can protect ourselves from it.

But there's an important difference. Lightning is natural. It's existed long before we have and it will continue when we're gone.

The unorthodox cruelty of being alive today is not natural. We cannot logic our way into surviving it because it does not operate under a sound logic. But we can make things a little more bearable by focusing on what is sound, understandable and natural.

There is humanity. There are families friends and lovers who would go to the ends of earth to protect each other. As long as we have this humanity, we have hope.

That's why Miss Holloway's deal with the Lords erases her from living memory after her temporary deaths. To have the powers that she does she gave away the power most important to have under the Lord's rule: human connection. The only real thing we have left.

Alice and Bill escaped Blinky's manipulation through the love they have for each other

Emma survived the longest out of any character in tgwdlm because of the genuine hope Paul gave her of a better future

Lex snapped Tom out of Wiggly's control by reminding him of what his son really means to him

Ted couldn't escape Tinky's plan for him because he was too jaded to make a genuine connection with a woman.

Linda was eaten by Nibbly because she didn't have a loving connection with her father, because her father always made her believe that she was never good enough, because this mindset led her to take for granted the connections she did have in her life.

The world no longer cares about us. We have to care for each other. It's the only thing we have left

[anobservatory]

Looking forward to it.

What an iconic woman!

Art of our good old Goddess of Light friend, Bliklotep. Because I’ve just realised: she’s such an important character, even amongst the New Lords, but you’ve… literally never seen her? Anyways, here she is with her smug-ass grin.

Chapter 7 is on the way… eventually. I got a good chunk out yesterday, and the digital ticket of Cinderella’s Castle reawakened my hyperfixation, so things are looking up!

[anobservatory]

Not British but the Hatchetfield series by Team StarKid kinda pokes at this. At one point one of them says "This is Hatchetfield, people go missing every day." And both the rest of the town and the audience are just, yeah that makes sense.

currently obsessed with british murder mystery tv shows where all the murders happen in the same town in every episode and everyone's just like oh yep there goes another one, just another day in shirefordtonstead