#Marcella gruelle

[crystallakeslasher]

Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls are so cute and have always been apart of my life. They’re so lovable and the fact that Johnny Gruelle made a patent just for Marcella’s love to carry on is so sweet. 😭 They have a heart on their chest that says “I love you”. Even the home-made ones all have a heart. It’s so sweet if you think about it.

Plus, Andy and Ann (siblings or lovers not rlly confirmed I guess idk) nvm definitely siblings guys 👍

have always never been separated. Some dolls have their hands sewn together so they can never leave each others side.

I’ve been collecting them and other dolls for at least 5 years now. I dislike the fact people associate her with Annabelle. Annabelle was the big raggedy Ann doll that was occupied by a demon. That is in the past like not every Ann n Andy doll has a preoccupied demon ready to come home with you???

But seriously, let’s appreciate them both and Johnny gruelles work <3

Thanks to johnnys love for Marcella and to keep her memory alive, we now have the raggedies

[clairyclue]

drew marcella in a quilt scrap dress and bow

[uwmspeccoll]

Raggedy Origins

Raggedy Ann Stories is a short story collection written and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle. The collection centers around the sweet ragdoll character Raggedy Ann. Published in 1918 by M. A. Donohue & Company in Chicago, this edition is adorned with cheerful illustrations that truly bring the stories to life.

Raggedy Ann, a character that has captured the hearts of many, was brought to life by the American illustrator and author John Barton Gruelle (1880-1938). The character made its first appearance as a doll in 1915 and was later introduced to the public through this 1918 Raggedy Ann Stories book.

The exact beginnings of the Raggedy Ann doll and its related stories are unclear, but many myths and legends surrounding its origins have been widely circulated. Johnny Gruelle is responsible for sparking many of these tales—whether inadvertently or with his well-known sense of humor, it’s anyone’s guess! In one version, Gruelle's daughter Marcella discovered a faceless cloth doll in her grandmother's attic, which the artist then drew a face on. It is said that Gruelle made up stories about Raggedy Ann to tell his daughter, Marcella, who is believed to have been the inspiration behind the doll and its stories. One detail that is clear is that despite internet rumors to the contrary, the doll was not designed to represent children who died from vaccines. 

View more posts from our Historical Curriculum Collection

-Melissa, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[tomoleary]

Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) “Marcella, A Raggedy Ann Story” book cover (1929) Source

[foldedchip]

I like this drawing but I feel like it needs a little more. Any ideas? Inspo and infodump under the cut!

Based on this official merch art of Raggedy Ann and Andy. Did you know that the two characters were originally from a book series? The books came out about 100 years ago and they were all dedicated to the author’s late daughter, Marcella Gruelle, whose favorite doll was named “Ann”. The books became so popular that the author decided to create merchandise for them, and Raggedy Ann became the first patented toy design ever! Her brother character Andy was popular too, and he had his own book series, so the toys were often sold together as a pair. One of their most well-known depictions is in the movie Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure, which was a large inspiration for the viral animated series The Amazing Digital Circus.

[arlequinelunaire]

I was inspired to draw Raggedy Ann and Andy as psychopomps due to their original owner, Marcella Gruelle, dying at only thirteen. My idea was they get appointed as reapers for child deaths from how they helped comfort Marcella in her last days. The stage musical was an extra inspiration, as it pits them against a more malicious personification of death in General D.

Their wings were originally gonna be the other way around, but I swapped them for a yin-yang contrast type deal

[what-raggedy-is-this]

Is there any Marcella doll(s) that exist?

no official marcella dolls have been made in the traditional raggedy ann rag doll style, but r. john wright did make a miniature collectors doll of marcella alongside other gruelle characters:

however, these wright dolls do go for a very pretty penny (as in thousands of dollars) and aren’t meant to be played with. they’re works of art!

hope this helps!

~ 🐴

[imaginary-regret-608]

[The Amazing Digital Circus/Hazbin Hotel] - AU/Reimagining Masterpost

Thank you to everybody who took part in the recent poll, and the definite majority being seen for 'Yes' in the responses, especially in regards the enthusiastic response from @willowthefoxxo 's Reblog!

To provide context for why I've recently been making Non-Undertale/Deltarune Projects, whilst writing the Second Issue of the SwilTaett NEWSLETTER, I began to question what it would be like if I attempted making Concept Art for similar Indie Communities. But this doesn't mean that the rate of SwilTaett content will be decreasing!

The two projects I'll be showing here will likely be worked on the most when experiencing moments of Burnout whilst working on SwilTaett, or in sudden moments of inspiration.

First, despite being the second of the two in regards to their initial creation date, isThe 5-Star Digital Hospital!

An AU for The Amazing Digital Circus where each of the Humans is based on a respective time period and an individual part of the human body, while still maintaining the style of the source material! Each Cast Member has been renamed and given new lore to fit the time period they're based on (even though none of them are actually from these eras of history), so here are examples for each:

Pomni is now Tricul (Pronounced ‘trick-yull’, based on the scientific name for the stomach because of Pomni consistenly throwing up in both Episode 1/The Pilot and in Candy Carrier Chaos)! 'Tricul' also translates to 'Kicker' in Romanian, which is reflected in Tricul experiencing such an unexpected arrival to this unusual world.

Tricul's Design Style has also been changed to resemble how Pomni looks in The Amazing Digital Circus, with the best examples of how she'll look in later Concept Art seen in the bottom left of the image. Tricul even has her own 'Well, it's possible' Replacement, further hinting towards her representing the stomach.

Kinger is now Fector, based on the Effector muscles and glands seen in the Nervous System. He's also based on the Middle Ages, is noticeably less quick to be startled, and will likely act as a wise mentor to Tricul speaking in a similar way to how Kinger does to Ragatha in Candy Carrier Chaos while riding atop The Fudge.

Zooble is now Promexis (Pronounced ‘prom-E-six’), with the design now being based on Ancient Greek medicine and prosthetic limbs. Whether Promexis has control over these false limbs is quite the mystery among the Humans (in which the answer is yes), and whether they still can if they becomes one of THE INCURABLES (Abstraction Replacement, she does and it's probably one of the hardest FIGHTs).

Gangle is now Nestling, based on the Great Plague, Leeches and the Eye. There isn't as much to say about nestling, other than her Plague Doctor-Inspired appearance, as most of her time is spent crying in the break room.

Although also not dedicated to a specific Human, these Doodles were used to finalize front-facing expressions while also creating a list of Potential Nicknames (although definitely not all of these would be used because of how spontaneously), while also providing the first looks at Ragatha as Rammczi and Jax as Geronimo! Both are based on the Great War as their , but. Rammczi is based on the Heart (based on multiple interpretations of Raggedy Ann and the candy heart she's described as having, such as in 'Raggedy Ann Stories' (the original book by Johnny Gruelle where the painter's Mamma ), 'Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy' (1941, ), 'Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure' (1977, when Ann/Andy sing as a duet in 'Candy Hearts and Paper Flowers' and when 'I'm sorry, and I'd like to help you, but I'm only a ragdoll with a little candy heart-') and the 'Rag Dolly'/'Raggedy Ann: The Musical Adventure' (1986, which is also the only version with the candy heart stitched onto the outside, after Marcella says 'Look! (What?) She has no heart! (Sure she does, inside, you can't see a real baby's-)' before the song 'Carry On' begins)) and nurses seen on the Western Front.

Geronimo is instead based on 'GERTIE, The Wonderfully Trained Dinosaurus' from 1914, which is often regarded as the first animated character with her own personality. Geronimo also exists with the currently-unnamed Bubble Replacement in a group known as the 'Pearly Knights', with Jax represen and currently-unnamed \bubble representing the Wisdom Teeth. The Pearly Knights have their own pre-written lore in the world of the Digital Hospital (which is best seen in the Candy Carrier Chaos Replacement) that Geronimo had nothing to do with, even if he definitely would've if given the chance.

Although not being as different to his toothy counterpart in comparison to the Humans and their Original Versions, it's time to re-introduce Caine as Braine!

bbh (as Braine would've ended up doing surgery on her involuntarily, as Tricul suddenly replaces the Dummy that Braine was planning to use).

Braine having a brother to act as the Replacement to @sm-baby's (sorry for the notification!) Able has been considered and probably does exist somewhere in-universe, but no digital reference exists of him yet. His name would likely be Braune, allowing for the Caine & Able biblical reference to be paralled with 'Brains and Brawn' in The 5-Star Digital Hospital.

The only idea I've had for his design so far is a 3-fingered hand with eyes that resemble fingers, with pupils as the fingernails, which also has a hole in its wrist for the mouth.

There are designs and lore made for the Candy Carrier Chaos Replacement (including Design Reveals for Gummigoo and The Fudge), but I'll be adding that in a Reblog in order to keep this as short as I can due to this post being much longer than average, despite only being the first half.

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The next project is Ring Around the Halo, a reimagining of Hazbin Hotel with new designs and lore, for both Heaven and Hell!

Just like what's happening for The 5-Star Digital Hospital, the lore for Ring Around the Halo will be much more open because of them not being the primary focus of this Tumblr Account. This is why I'll first be introducing this project through God's Design Reveal, as well as the changed structure to Heaven and Hell's Hierarchies!

Because the commonly-accepted design of God in Hazbin Hotel content was first a Headcanon Design Drawn by Voidseeker, I decided to make My Take on what God could look like for Ring Around the Halo, focusing on the Holy Trinity, the Word of God, and the Good Word spread by the Apostles of Jesus after His ascension.

This image also presents how the palettes of Sinners are decided upon entering Hell, with the Sin that led them to be seen as deserving of Eternal Damnation being a dominant part of their design.

It also shows the Reimagined Version of Angel Dust, with an appearance resembling a male Orb Weaver Spider. I'm not sure about whether his time period will be the same in this reimagining, as this version of Angel Dust has multiple parallels to a real-world person born in 1978, with a similar occupation (even with the Character Theme being reused from the same source)! I'd also made a Poster Redraw based on Angel Dust's films seen in backgrounds of Season 1, but I currently won't show it here for similar reasons to the anonymity of Angel's accidental real-life parallel.

Niffty's Reimagined Version is the most recent example of what Ring Around the Halo is currently planned to be like!

Niffty, formerly known as 恵子/Keiko in the mortal realm, was a Japanese child who was taken out of her education during the events of the Pacific War, and placed into a textiles factory. As the war progressed, higher demands were needed and longer shifts were put in place, some children having to work year-long shifts. As this would be the time when Keiko's brain would first start maturing, spending her life in the factory was responsible for her warped view of adulthood, focusing on the tasks and responsibilities expected of a typical housewife (as that was already what she was also being taught at school beforehand) and leaving that as all she now knows.

Her design in Ring Around the Halo still has her as a cyclops because of her having a one-track mind by the time she arrives in Hell, and her childlike appearance is kept as a representation of her childhood being taken from her because of the conflict she was forced into sewing work for, which is also why she wears a near identical version of her uniform. Niffty's bug-based activities and appearance also have an expanded cause because of her being Japanese. This is because children in Japan collect bugs in order to feel closer to nature, as well as cockroaches being the most common type of insect in Japan, having Niffty's new appearance in Hell cause her to remember herself as unclean and having a wasted time alive as just another worker.

Finally, here are the Reimagined Versions of Alastor and Vox as presented in 'Stayed Gone'! Vox's Design is the oldest that Ring Around the Halo has, even being made before a name for the Reimagining was finalized, which means that his and Alastor's Designs could become subject to change, as the concept has changed very much since then.

However, Alastor's censored face (which has an appearance inspired by the Lost SOULs from Asriel's FIGHT in Undertale) being a physical representation of having 'a face made for radio' is an element of his design that will remain unchanged if he is ever redesigned.

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If you have any further questions about Ring Around the Halo or The 5-Star Digital Hospital, feel free to ask and make your own suggestions for what you'd like to see from these projects!

[undergroundbillions]

Kinda saving this for my own future reference, a collection of materials on the scrapped 2012 Raggedy Ann and Andy movie:

Variety Article

IGN Article

CinemaBlend Article

Photo from the Variety article which is now taken down for some reason? But I verified it with reverse image search that it used to be on there.

"Project aims to take the dolls — created by Johnny Gruelle for his daughter Marcella — into a contemporary, live-action setting with celebrity cameos accompanying them on their journey. Pic will blend puppetry and CG to bring the characters to life."

"Story, based on the classic storybook “Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel With Wrinkled Knees,” centers on the dolls being lost in a modern-day city and possibly having to save a stolen friend from the clutches of a scheming enemy."

[everythingisround]

info dump about raggedy ann and andy, just recently watched the show and i am in love B))

hello!! ive been in the fandom for two and a half years (almost three lol), so i know a bit about raggedy ann and andy.

so raggedy ann and andy were created in the early 20th century, the former sibling coming first with her patent in september 1915. the most popular legend surrounding her creation is that she was based off an old rag doll that belonged to creator johnny gruelle's mother/sister (can't remember exactly), who he then drew a face on and gave to his beloved daughter, marcella, who sadly would pass away months after ann's patent. marcella's inclusion in the raggedy books has been seen by many raggedy historians as johnny working through his grief by immortalizing his daughter's likeness in his stories to remember her in a positive way. andy came around in august 1920 and is said to have been created with johnny's sons, worth and richard, in mind.

the 1977 film is probably where a lot of the younger fans first became interested in raggedy ann (well, that and tadc, and even then gooseworx is a pretty big fan of the film and even specifically based jax's voice on raggedy andy from the film), although the 1986 broadway musical has also been bringing a lot of people in through tumblr and tiktok. the film, despite ultimately flopping at the box office, had the esteemed richard williams at the helm of the animation, even animating the ever so popular "no girl's toy" sequence. of course, richard williams being richard williams, went way overbudget and way past the deadline and ended up being removed from the project just so it could get released. considering the composer of the film, joe raposo, theorized that the film flopping had something to do with the first star wars movie being released around the same time, it's interesting to think about how the raggedy film's fate could've been altered if it had released the year prior for america's bicentennial. the 1986 musical is a whole other can of worms, and im still learning a lot about it from being in the RARE server (which you should definitely check out, wink wink nudge nudge), but to summarize, a combination of a development team constantly at the brink of self-destruction, constant adherence to a family-friendly atmosphere spurred by parental concerns despite the dark themes playwright william gibson intended the story to have, and too much of the budget spent on expensive special effects that nearly killed the actors led to the musical notoriously flopping on broadway and ending its run prematurely never to be seen or heard from again. or so they thought.......

although the 1986 musical is considered a failure in the united states, over in russia, the story has a small cult following amongst childrens and community theatre productions. basically, in 1985, the musical was brought to the USSR as part of a cultural exchange between the two superpowers, and considering that russians had not been familiarized with raggedy ann or her cultural impact up until this point, this led to the rag doll and her friends not being seen as cheap americana, but rather somewhat of a childrens fable (ironic, considering raggedy ann as a character was born from johnny gruelle's stories...). because of this, russian productions of rag dolly (the 1986 musical) are plentiful, with even some very recent productions popping up every now and then. it should be noted that these productions rarely contain the original songs; sometimes the story will just be played straight with no music, while other productions will substitute the lack of musical songs with their own music. this can lead to some..... interesting results lol

i feel it is also important to bring up the various other adaptations of raggedy ann, too! there's the original books, of course, but if you're an animation nerd like me, there's the 1941 fleischer short (which takes some.... interesting creative liberties from the original source material), the two noveltoons shorts, the chuck jones holiday specials from 1978 and 79, the 1980s cartoon (watch at your own risk lol), and the two snowden specials from 1998; one is just a straightforward direct-to-vhs animated special, while the second is a full ice show with animated segments dispersed throughout. you get to see raggedy elvis! who doesnt want to see raggedy elvis?

in this last section ill just toss to you a bunch of links i recommend if you wanna learn more about raggedy ann beyond the movie!

(i should also probably mention now that some books and adaptations of raggedy ann feature racial stereotypes- i know suddenly its spring has a racial caricature in terms of adaptations specifically- likely due to the culture at the time. these depictions are obviously not right, but sadly when we're talking about a franchise that has been around for over a century, it's kind of unavoidable especially in the older books, so just be aware that those depictions will come up occasionally.)

my pal brooklyn is also working on a more extensive video on raggedy ann history, so be on the lookout for that when it comes out :)

[crystallakeslasher]

MY FAVORITE DOLL SET-UP!!!

I even have a puppet raggedy Andy ☹️👍

I have many more dolls this is just my favorite raggedy set up I have more they’re in a raggedy Ann moving box/toy box! They’re so cute

I even have those big walker dolls (Patti playpal from the 50s SHES ACTUALLY IDEAL TOO OMG

I also have knock off pattis which is still as cool I love every doll old or new

[clairyclue]

claire learned digital

[raggedyannrevivaleffort]

I have two questions about the creativity behind the revival and redesigning characters!! :))))

1. Are you guys going to use any other Raggedy Ann media for Broadway? Like using the books (the original ones made by John Gruelle) as a sorta of creative inspiration? Or will you be using different media from the Raggedy Ann franchise as creative inspiration?

2. I'm curious about how do you redesign a character like Panda to Teddy, I've been trying my own redesigns on characters and I have been struggling with it, do you have any ideas to make my redesigns of characters be better then their original design/concept?

Thank you for the questions!!!

1. Yes! We all absolutely love early Raggedy Ann media, especially the books. Johnny Gruelle did create Raggedy Ann for the love of the real Marcella, after all, and we are trying to keep that intrinsic to the show, so that, even in fiction, the love between Marcella and her dad can be remembered. We are planning to have Raggedy Ann look more homemade and scrappy, like she would have in real life, and we have also snuck in a few very subtle references to the Gruelle books. Though no design concepts are official or concrete yet, we hope to take some inspiration from the original illustrations or the real life events surrounding the creation of Raggedy Ann.

2. Teddy isn't technically a "redesign" of Panda; they're a completely new character (who also happens to be a bear)! I say this because Panda's spot in the story was a bit of a blank slate; we had to keep the essential dialogue, in some regard, and the same dynamic in the group, but couldn't necessarily keep Panda as a character for obvious reasons. We tried out Babette from the 1977 film, but she didn't fit, both in terms of mood/tone and in terms of how she would move along the story. We ultimately created our own character, who became Teddy! The replacement wasn't just visual; so much thought and work was put into Teddy before their visual appearance was even considered. We had to change all of the dialogue to fit their tone and personality, while still writing with the style and intention that William Gibson had originally wanted for Panda and for the show as a whole. Teddy's personality was developed as we wrote based on the needs of the story, which actually gave us some wonderful opportunities for character development that Panda never received, and, accidentally, an opportunity to fill a long unfilled plot hole in the show. Teddy serves the story in the departments where Panda was lacking, while also supporting the story in the same way Panda did well, and that's their most important aspect in my opinion. They were created for the Raggedy Ann musical, not because of it. (If that makes sense?) Also, they're just super cute, quirky, and loveable.

Thank you so much for the asks, I always love answering these types of questions. :)

[eclipsewarrior101]

Today in History: September 7th

Today marks the Day the Beloved Raggedy Ann doll turns 109 years old. Raggedy Ann was made in 1914 by John Gruelle after his daughter Marcella found an old doll with no face. He helped her make a face and then gave her the name Raggedy Ann. Marcella unfortunately passed away at a young age. Gruelle made the doll in her honor. Years later he created Raggedy Andy, Ann’s little brother. Raggedy Ann and Andy has been a successful franchise for many years with books, a television series, tv specials, a movie and even merchandise. Even one of the worlds most haunted objects is a Raggedy Ann doll.

To honor this milestone let’s take a moment and watch or read about this. Watch the specials, tv show or movie. Maybe even post art saying happy birthday.

I know to many it’s just a doll. But it’s part of our history.

[beckybarnes]

What do you think the names of the ‘nameless’ Rag Dolly characters would be?

-🪡

Because Marcella in the musical is based off of the real life Marcella Gruelle, Poppa & Mommy’s names would technically be Johnny & Myrtle, but aaaalso to not get the fictional Marcella’s family confused with the real Marcella’s family I like to think their names are Dave and Bernadette. They just LOOK like a Dave and a Bernadette to me (however I’m still callin them Poppa and Mommy so it doesn’t matter lmao)

I’m gonna include the characters whose names are just like. what they are. Idk if that’s part of what you meant but

Camel I have no idea

Panda I have no idea (Though Teddy is an actual name so let’s just say that)

Baby maybe Goldie or Minnie? Something with an -ie

The Batettes (battetes? whatever) canon names are Lily, Morticia, and Elvira!

The Raggettes I have no idea

I have beef with the rat in the Rolls Royce so he doesn’t get one

Also I know he has a name but in my head General D is a Gaylord not because of the gay part surprisingly but because it’s the name of Mr Robinson from TAWOG and yk. grumpy old men

[bluerapunzel103]

Not an Easy Job

My contribution to @raggedyannrevivaleffort's 2023 gift exchange! @stpaulofsuburbia, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Synopsis: General D. rides at night. Now, he rides alone. This gives him ample opportunity to ruminate on his position as General Darkness, Decay, Dissolution, Done For, Death, Doom.

Fandom: Raggedy Ann/Rag Dolly Character: General D., Bat Mention, Wolf Mention, Marcella Mention, Raggedy Ann Mention Dynamics: Past General D. and Bat and Wolf, Marcella and Raggedy Ann Rating: General/K+ Content Warnings: MASSIVE spoilers to Rag Dolly, heavy themes of death, grief, repression as present in the show Beta read?: Yes

Being Darkness is a dull job. General D. must operate mostly in the nighttime, only working in daylight in times of emergency and crisis. To be Darkness is, literally speaking, just that. He is one with the darkness, in most cases, to bring new souls into his army. Working with just the din of midnight's stillness leaves him ample time to meditate--no, ruminate--on his position in his travels. Granted, often, his right-hands killed that quiet, whenever he had right-hands, but even when he has none, or just finds peace, these thoughts occupy him instead. He supposes it comes with his rank, and he shouldn't be one to complain.

Being Decay is a gruelling job. So many people and animals die every single day. If one were to think about it, it's no wonder he needs an army. The volume of his workload is simply impossible to ever dream of fulfilling entirely on his own. Come to think of it, the General should probably think of recruiting some right-hands. He was beginning to regret letting Bat and Wolf fall victim to their own hubris. They were both very useful for covering more ground on busy nights. Then again, they were prone to taking entirely too long at their jobs. And pestering him. And, of course, thinking independently. Well, just because the General's army is large, it doesn't mean that there aren't no-good, clumsy, wimpy, flat-out useless excuses for soldiers within his legions.

Being Dissolution is a thankless job. No one ever thinks about the work it takes for him to consider when a soul is ready for recruitment. Yes, there have been countless miscalculations. In fact, not long ago, he had thought he found a good recruit to take Wolf's place, but the dog survived his ills and was back on his paws in no time. And, of course, Marcella still stings, considering that was when Wolf's soul died to begin with. But usually, he knows when it's time. Like now. He has finished recruiting a bullfrog who has met the end of its life. It was ready. It had been for a while. Each time, he takes whichever appendage is the most suited for a handshake, congratulates the new soul on their use of their life, and then presents them with their new title as Soldier of General D.'s Army. Then, he points them in the direction of the nearest boot camp for the dead to have the liveliness trained out of them. If they're lucky, they may rise to the top legion, just below right-hands to the General. Even just his workload adds up. He needs to hire right-hands.

Being Done For is an annoying job. Lately, it's been a bit quieter since Bat and Wolf have been gone, and it's allowed for some welcome peace and quiet on good days, to allow the General to meditate-ruminate. There are still times, though, that he finds himself pestered by the newest soldiers. Their relentless cries over regrets in their lives, seemingly endless questions as to whether their families and friends would be okay without them, what their title meant, and whether this surely would be forever. Even this bullfrog seems so unsure of themself in their first few minutes in this realm. The General has seen this countless times in varying orders, but it gets no easier to tolerate it every time, especially after he has just told them what they were now, for how long, and where the nearest boot camp was. He briskly takes Bullfrog's hand and tugs them along. Once he thankfully finds a veteran recruit, a human whose car he found on the road one rainy night, he shoves the clueless amphibian onto her to take to camp. Now, he could focus more on honing down the gentleman he was after next.

Being Doom is a lonely job. It is true. Despite the countless thousands of legions that he has accrued over the course of his career, despite, yes, the company of Bat and Wolf, the General has always been lonely, in a sense. It is something he does to himself. Being a harbinger of heartbreak, after all, does not necessarily grant one social capital in a world that can never seem to agree whether death is a good thing or a bad thing. He is quite positive most of his soldiers don't have a high opinion of him. Even more, though, he is trying not to get too attached to his recruits anymore. The last time he sought companionship with one, he not only lost his chance at bringing her aboard when he wanted to, but in his rage, he ended up losing his own right-hands. It truly is a shame, whenever he thinks about it. That's why he tries not to. Companionship only distracts him from his work.

Being Death is a cruel job. There are times where he does get a sick kick out of it, one should not get him wrong. The General usually is the first to admit that he has historically had quite liberal standards as for whether a soul "deserves" to be taken. Even when he killed Bat and Wolf, he is willing to admit, he felt a rush that he had not felt in so long. But even then, he has standards, and death is indiscriminate by design. Death is neutral, not on anyone's side. As such, especially since Raggedy Ann saved Marcella's life, he has begun to somewhat regret some of his recruits. He begins to feel sympathy for their loved ones. Each tear of confusion from a child who has seen her goldfish flip upside down in her tank. Each pained caress of a trunk from a pack of elephants at their matriarch's funeral. Each cry of anguish from a man freshly grieving his wife after a fast-acting illness. Again, he tries so much not to let himself get distracted by his feelings and do his job without any feelings of, "what if?" He is beginning to turn into a sorry excuse for a General, if he were to say so.

Being General D is not an easy job. It never has been, and it never will be. It is only getting harder. That is the one thing certain to him tonight as he finally finds his next recruit. An old man surrounded by his loved ones. There is no doubt to the General that it's his time. He cleanses the tattered, shattered, freshly-aching remnants of his heart, then he makes his entrance.