#ethan mcmillan

[dr-bloxyy]

Had art-block, started watching random Youtube videos and then I got an amazingly awful idea! Forgotten Hill botox/plastic surgery treatments... and the boys goofin' around!

Sad aftermath for Theo...

[underkeep-891]

Forgotten Hill Headcannons

Families

Ethan McMillan/Colonel McMillan

He is a traditional man, he wants to continue the family lineage, he wants to have heirs (even if he is immortal)

He wouldn't get married, no, none of them would, but he would only have one woman for life (it would be hard to convince Ruth to let this woman be immortal too, but she would give in at one point).

He would never call her his wife, no she is just 'the woman who has my children', though, he would act like a jealous husband all the time

Everyone would probably call her 'wife', even though Ethan always says she's not(she is)

He would probably stay with a softspoken woman (with a strong personality, he and his brother are enough),However, after a few years with him she would start to talk back (not in a bad way, she would just be less afraid of him)

He would probably want a boy, but if he had a girl, she would be his little girl.

He would want to be different from his father, not wanting to make the same mistakes (he will do worse)

He wouldn't like to see his daughter grow up, she was his little girl, and soon she would be a grown woman.

Between Ethan and Nathan... Ethan would probably have twins (considering that between Ewan and Owen, only one had twins, I assume it would be Ethan who would have them, it suits him)

However, if he had twins, he wouldn't really tell them apart (if they were identical twins like him and his brother, he only knows how to tell them apart because it's a boy and a girl, but sometimes he gets it wrong).

He would love it if any of his children followed his career path, or took an interest in family history.

he lost his mother at a young age, so it probably affected his relationships with the women in his life (if he had a daughter he would try to name her after his mother, but he would try to pretend it never happened in case his wife the child's mother questioned it, but she would probably like the idea if it made him happy).

I would want to have at most two (but he would lose control and have more, he simply loves his wife, don't blame him)

Ruth would try to use only Ethan's children for the rituals (since he has many, they wouldn't be missed, in her words),he didn't let her, and he got mad

Nathan McMillan/The puppeteer

He wouldn't be a good father, he would spend too much time at the theater (Ethan would be an workaholic,,but he would take a break to see his children and wife)

He would not marry, nor would he maintain a good relationship with the child's mother.

He would be an absent father, and probably wouldn't care that much, but he wanted the approval of both the child's mother and the children themselves.

Sometimes Ethan would probably lecture him on trying to be a better father, he wouldn't listen either way.

He probably wouldn't even mind having kids (it would probably be an accident,or he wouldn't even have children)

The gambler/Theodore Osthegard

If Nathan's child was an accident, Theodore's was even more so.

He was probably drunk after some gambling and the woman was even drunker.

Weird co-parenting

He would never let Ethan be better than him at anything, so he would at least try to be a good father (it wouldn't work, but he tried)

He would probably have a girl (I don't know, it just seems right)

He never sees the child's mother, and they keep it that way, they don't care.

He wouldn't be a good father, his parents probably spoiled him too much (although, I love his mom, she has such a cute face, she seemed nice)

He appeared every few a few months, sometimes his kids don't even know if he's alive(It disappears for 5 months and then appears for a few days, or just a few hours, and disappears again),Well, children are not his priority.

Ruth would not have children, no, definitely not, if she had children she would probably use them for rituals (she tried to use other people's children too, but Ethan wouldn't let her)

[minigamesfanfictionfan]

Four Little demons on Mischief night

[blue-howlite]

I don't really know what else to say, but I really like your work! Live, Laugh, Forgotten Hill :3

AAAAAAAAA THANKS I'M HAPPY YOU LIKE MY STUFF

And oh my gods I've quickly scrolled down your account and there's so much FH content I might implode, ALSO YEAH WHY DOES ETHAN HAVE ONLY FOUR FINGERS???

As a curiousity I checked Night of mischief walkthrough to see his child self and you can't see his hands too clearly but it seems like he has some missing fingers there too? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, I might replay the game just to see the images at a hopefully better quality than YouTube.

This is fueling the theorist in me because what if the reason he's so hell-bent on his research and "upgrading" is that he was born with only four fingers on each hand, thus internalising the idea that he was defective? And since he can't exactly operate on himself to fix it (he needs to use both hands at the same time to operate, without even considering issues with anesthesia) he's projecting his wish to "fix" himself onto others?

That would be similar to my theory with Nathan and his abandoment issues and his passion for puppets. They would both be projecting an internalised idea of "I'm wrong" (for Nathan because their mother left, for Ethan because of his birth defect) onto those around themselves.

In Run run little horse we see Owen interacting with and guiding Nathan in the ritual with Berry, but Ethan doesn't appear once despite literally living with them, which could point us to the fact that their father put more expectations on Nathan and neglected Ethan. Like, unlike all the others Ethan doesn't even have his own memento game, his child self only appears in Night of little mischief. It might be a stretch... but is it really?

When a child has any sort of abnormality, it's instinctual for the parent to ignore them and invest more resources into the "normal" child; we see this both in human society and nature. The concept of special needs is kinda new after all, and even nowadays not everyone is willing to put in the effort to give their kids what they need if it's anything out of the socially accepted norm.

So for someone from over a century ago, the "normal" thing to do would be to invest more energy in the "healthy" child. But neglected children don't dissappear, and they'll often just try harder to earn the same "worth" their siblings have in their parents' eyes. Add to that any sort of physical defect and an inclination for a field that's supposed to help others (that also happens to be the same field your neglectful parent works in) and you have a projecting overachiever who thinks he has to become his parent to be worthy of affection.

In game I've always thought Ethan was "softer"/less hostile than Nathan, in many ways. And there's a lot of interesting details about the twins - Ethan works in a sociosanitary field (with his own twist to it alright) while Nathan is in the entertainment field (also with his own twist to it).

One makes himself "useful" while the other tries to make people "satisfied". Different ways of interacting - and thus connecting - with people speak volumes about one's childhood and upbringing. If Ethan had to struggle to get his parents' attention and so had to make himself worth of notice by making practical progress, Nathan often had the spotlight on himself by doing very little and so was raised with it. As an adult, Ethan found ways to make himself needed by others, while Nathan kept chasing the spotlight and attention. This last thing also feeds into the "Nathan wants to be liked" thing I said some time ago, which is based on the fact that he turned a guy that didn't like his show into a puppet, like the petty little crow he is.

This is A LOT of speculation hanging by a thread thinner than Ruth's hair, but I am SO into it! Thanks so much I missed making silly little theories like this and probably would have never stopped to do it if you hadn't sent this to my inbox! <3333

[stupid-chaos-miss]

Playing Forgotten Hill and they're forcing me to do math(I'm really not good at math)

I really deserve it

[plaguye]

Hi fellers, I'm a Forgotten Hill fan account!

I post drawings, theories and just silly stuff in general lol. Heres a drawing I made of Nathan and Ethan McMillan, when they were kids.

[nonfilms]

2023 was a remarkable time for cinema, with amazing titles released almost monthly throughout the year. Here are some theatrical and festival favorites that pushed the boundaries of cinema and absoultely inspired, astonished, and impressed us – films that haven’t left our mind since we first viewed them. 1. Hello Dankness (Soda Jerk)  2. Therapy Dogs (Ethan Eng)  3. Fallen Leaves (Aki Kaurismäki) 4. The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer) 5. Killers of the flower Moon (Martin Scorsese) 6. Anselm (Wim Wenders) 7. Pacifiction (Albert Serra) 8. Open Doom Crescendo (Terry Chiu) 9. Free Time (Ryan Martin Brown)  10. All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (Raven Jackson) 11. Playland (Georden West) 12. My Animal (Jacqueline Castel) 13. Waiting For the Light to Change (Linh Tran) 14. Cash Cow (Matt Barats) 15. Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos) 16. Walk Up (Hong Sang-soo) 17. Birth/Rebirth (Laura Moss)  18. Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis (Anton Corbijn)  19. Priscilla (Sofia Coppola)  20. Passages (Ira Sachs) 21. Hannah Ha Ha (Joshua Pikovsky & Jordan Tetewsky) 22. The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki) 23. May December (Todd Haynes) 24. Dad & Step-Dad (Tynan DeLong) 25. Mississippi River Styx (Tim Grant & Andy McMillan) 26. Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV (Amanda Kim)  27. How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber) 28. The Horse Tail (Justyna Luczaj) 29. Onlookers (Kimi Takesue) 30. Divinity (Eddie Alcazar)  31. Enys Men (Mark Jenkin) 32. Cette Maison (Miryam Charles)  33. Sick of Myself (Kristoffer Borgli) 34. A Thousand and One (A.V. Rockwell) 35. Sweetheart Deal (Elisa Levine & Gabriel Miller) 36. De Humani Corporis Fabrica (Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Verena Paravel)

[maceincognito]

All my main OC’s for my story

Mason “Mace” McMillan(🪓)

Joise Nevermore(🪶)

Damian Crowder(🦈)

Alex Menendez(👾)

Ruby Savanna(🐉)

Aleister Crowder(👻)

Alinnah “Ali” Belle(🦅)

Julio Quinn(🪄)

Isaiah Thorne(⚡️)

Sophia Rose(🩸🦇)

Justin Holland(🕶️)

Aaliyah Jimenéz(🐍)

Seth Logan(🐺)

Maria Abigail(🗡️)

Issac Martin(🎭)

Violet Addison(🌹)

Amaros Bloodthorne(🕷️)

Dionte “Deon” Westbrook(🚬)

Embla Revna(🐅)

Natalie Brooke(🐈‍⬛)

Wyatt Nash(🦂)

William “Zelter” Edwards(☠️)

Xanthus Vanidestine(🪨)

Ramona Amherst(🪦)

Santana Crimson(🎸)

Javíer Thomás(🎼)

Sadie Hutton(🐰)

Chris Thompson(🦊)

Ashley Larissa(🩺)

Leo Claxton(🌘)

Zane Pearce(☣️)

Stella Thatcher(🏹)

Kai Aoki(💮)

Isabella De Los Santos(🌺)

Atticus Verlice(⚜️)

Arebella Elsher(🛡️)

Aiden Crassus(✨)

Austin Hayes(🦾)

Daisuke Isuma(🥷☄️)

Sakura Suzuki(🦠)

Esmeralda Cassidy(❤️‍🔥)

Itsuki Noaki(🔥)

Saleyah “Sally” McMillan(⚰️)

Archie “Snow” Walker(❄️)

Alice Scarlet(🎮)

Michael Burton(🃏)

Clara Carmichael(🔮)

Colt Jameson(📡)

Enríque Nūnez(🦁)

Aiko Sora(🦋)

Ethan James(🔪)

Alexandra Belov(💧)

Clyde McIntyre(🦡)

Noah Author(🪳)

Estrella Peralta(🐆)

Ember Levine(🏜️)

Draco Bateman(🏮)

Bellatrix Bateman(🐀🎀)

Adrenaline Myskia(🦴🌒

Talon Corbin(🐐🦉)

Blossom Emerson(🐝)

Desmond Langston(🦥)

Skylar Zali(👽)

Dryden Ryker(🔯)

Syrena Isola(🦜🏴‍☠️)

Neptune Cutler(🦑🏴‍☠️)

Elizabeth Mallory(🦌🎪)

Alexa Justice(💞)

LeMarcus Jackson(🐾)

Mae Mintz(🖼️)

Jason Lamb(🛹)

Daichi Yoshida(🪲)

Alejandra López(💐)

Conner Riley(🐇🧨)

Akihito Tanaka(⛩)

Faith Marigold(🪽🐕‍🦺)

Daniela “the cougar” García(💥)

Trey “T-Hill” Hill(⛓️)

Axel Maverick(🧟‍♂️)

Mia Jordan(🕯️)

Katio D’Angelo(⚔️)

Valkyrie Ripley(🐱)

Jalen O’Neal(☢️)

Amaya Burna(🪰)

Zaiden “hacker” Mitchell(🔌)

Mordre Keller(🕸)

Devin Lockwood(🔫)

Fuyuko Honoka(🪭)

Roberto Perdomo-Reyes(🎰)

Delilah Cora(🛍)

Henry Ellis(🧪)

Ava Harper(💀🧁)

Jae Brunson(⚓️)

Katie Holly(🧸)

Jrue Brunson(🪝)

Maybelle Banks(💸)

Carlos De La Curz(🏁)

Adele Harmony(🎻)

Tyrese “Ty” Davis(🧊)

Kayla Lauren(💖)

Nayla Nura(🔅)

Hanzo Matsuki(🀄️)

Nia Sky(🎟️)

Cain Bloodthorne(🌕)

Cassie Cash(📷)

Adonis Ortiz(❗️)

Autumn Ashford(🩻)

Rosaline Thornhill(📖)

Spencer Springer(💦)

Raven Ebony(🐦‍⬛)

Gunner Hawk(🌩️)

Iyo Akria(🌨️)

Juan Escobar(🔔)

Cecilia Ricci(🎷🕊️)

Cherry Desma(🤡)

Olivia Audrey(🩰)

Blake Carter (🌊)

Marcus Simmons(🎤)

[mirandamckenni1]

This Disease is Deadlier Than The Plague All Links, sources & further reading: https://ift.tt/BuYh8Cb This video was made possible through a grant by Gates Ventures. The white death has haunted humanity like no other disease following us for thousands, maybe millions of years. In the last 200 years it killed a billion people – way more than all wars and natural disasters combined. Even today it’s the infectious disease with the highest kill count. But what is this horrible disease? OUR CHANNELS ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ German: https://ift.tt/sizW9f4 Spanish: https://ift.tt/aB4cOzV French: https://ift.tt/KhzlgFR Portuguese: https://ift.tt/clCHd97 Arabic: https://ift.tt/IYMAiCE Hindi: https://ift.tt/yBLifRF Japanese: https://ift.tt/v0JRsLD Korean: https://ift.tt/jJ4tcCg HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US? ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ This is how we make our living and it would be a pleasure if you support us! Get Products designed with ❤️ https://shop.kgs.link Join the Patreon Bird Army 🐧 https://ift.tt/9Xcw8YH DISCUSSIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ TikTok: https://kgs.link/tiktok Reddit: https://kgs.link/reddit Instagram: https://ift.tt/L3ErzJi Twitter: https://ift.tt/rzJAcHo Facebook: https://ift.tt/7xMtOQy Discord: https://ift.tt/eFNUoX4 Newsletter: https://ift.tt/rI8ACjL OUR VOICE ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ The Kurzgesagt voice is from Steve Taylor: https://ift.tt/JfOevV4 OUR MUSIC ♬♪ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 700+ minutes of Kurzgesagt Soundtracks by Epic Mountain: Spotify: https://ift.tt/new6PyJ Soundcloud: https://ift.tt/RS3tKZU Bandcamp: https://ift.tt/f7Y1Tgo Youtube: https://ift.tt/xvAdFpP Facebook: https://ift.tt/BLEoxOA The Soundtrack of this video: SoundCloud: https://bit.ly/3xHijno Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/4eDFhMO If you want to help us caption this video, please send subtitles to subtitle@kurzgesagt.org You can find info on what subtitle files work on YouTube here: https://ift.tt/gfOZabS Thank you! 🐦🐧🐤 PATREON BIRD ARMY 🐤🐧🐦 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Many Thanks to our wonderful Patreons (from http://kgs.link/patreon) who support us every month and made this video possible: Rick Mildebrath, Uriel Perez Villegas, Nate Pitts, Earth2.0!, Maik Seifert, Richie C, Angela Hartmann, Matthew Deane, Orobas, Crazy Nilo, Z00, Jay Morrow, Nightmare Punches, Sputnik, Aziz A, Justin Silagyi, William porter, Mishell Steel, Michelle Cruz, Mystari Alyssa Endris, UglyBagOfMostlyWater, Nico Holzer, Oekida, Max Castonguay, damir randic, King Pin, Max Santmire, Bishop, schoenbrunn, isaiah watson, Ismael TR, Takuneru, Malek Sabra, H, Jorge Limon-Ramirez, Robbie de la haye, Kasper Bengtson, Dmitry Dimov, Joseph Mixon, Kristian Vizcarra, Pilier51, Logan J McMillan, Maximilian Gruber, Tobias Arlt, Itamar, Gretchen Bonasera, Marco Sawaya, Sinmis077, Tung Vu, Tanya, LukeOnTheBrightSide, Giovanni Rizzo, Dylan Gonzalez, Benjamin Guan-Kennedy, Dan, Sam Hecht, Petter Sælen, Emile Ponson, Dan Sauer, Volo Herzon, The_Party_Octopus, Felix Parey, Dillon Hearne, Peirce Ellis, EstefaníaDelSol, Mick_Holtel, Viz, David Grivel, Christine Gunter, Craig Brennan, Nicolas, BerniNotFound, Nico Cronan, Will Garmon, KatzeLP xx, Tom Bricaud, Zakariaâ Rida, Jessie-Naomi Horsman, Arthur H. Sakamoto, Damien Burley, blarglenarf, William Sharkey, skibur, Blaze Lumini, Generic panda, Ethan Salafsky, Charles Vane, The Scoot, Rachel Alexander, David DeBroux, Carly via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFLb5h2O2Ww

[mimikyu-oli]

They are eating breakfast in the kitchen. (Well, only Ethan. Michael can't, because... You know.)

Some suspicious sounds are heard from outside.

Ethan suddenly stood up while his right hand slap the table.

He seems really high alert.

"Quack."

Ethan: "Shit!

ESTEBAN!"

Ethan stand up and go rush to the basement.

Ethan: "ESTEBAN! THE DUCKS ARE BACK!!!"

Michael: (...uh?)

Ethan came back with a big butterfly net.

Ethan: "This is not a butterfly but a FISHING net."

Michael looks at him with wide open eyes.

Ethan: "It was obvious. This looks like a butterfly net but it's for fish. It's bigger and stronger." He goes toward the backyard door.

Meanwhile Esteban came out from the basement's door with some kind of NERF version of a potato cannon.

Michael: "Ok. What's going on?"

Ethan: "The DUCKS are HERE!"

Michael: "The what now?" He doesn't get the chance to have an answer since the other two had rushed outside.

Ethan: "Ready?"

Esteban: "Riiii!" (I was born ready!)

Ethan: "Good! Micheal! If you want to be of service, get a weapon!"

Michael go get something in the cabinet under the sink and go out holding a fly swatter.

Mrs. McMillan: "ETHAN! THE DUCKS ARE BACK!"

Ethan: "I KNOW! WE’LL TAKE CARE OF IT!"

Mrs. McMillan: "THEY BETTER NOT RAVAGE MY CLEMATIS AGAIN!"

Ethan: "I'LL DO MY MY BEST, DOROTY!"

"PHOK-KUNG!" Esteban shot a bullet.

"QUARK!!?" And it hit right on one of the intrudors.

Ethan: "NICE SHOT!" 👍

Esteban: "REEEE!" 👍

They continue like this for a while.

Until one of the birds go lurking toward Michael who was quite good with his swatter.

Ethan: "Michael! Do. Not. Move."

Michael do as said.

But the feathered pest jumped at his head.

Michael: "GARRGH!"

Ethan: "DON'T WORRY MIKE! I'M ON IT!" Ethan start repeatedly hitting Michael's head Animal Crossing style.

Michael: "ARRG! ROUPHH!" "OURCH!" "STOP THA-"

"PHOK-KUNG!"

"ONRK!"

Esteban hit it right inside its mouth.

Michael: "Ouf. Thanks."

Esteban: "RIIIII!" 👍

[dr-bloxyy]

I originally posted this in the Offical Forgotten Hill discord and I haven't really gotten any answers on why Ethan only has four fingers... I realized this when I was playing Forgotten Hill : Surgery with my friend's a few weeks back

Now it's time to ask Tumblr!

Another plausible excuse-

[underkeep-891]

I have a little 'theory' that as soon as people stop being useful to Ruth, she gets rid of them.

This means that if Colonel, Puppeteer and Gambler (Ethan, Nathan and Theodore respectively) become useless for Ruth's plans, she will not hesitate to get rid of them if she feels they are getting in her way.

Mainly because their family was probably involved in her first death (as a witch), and she swore revenge on the descendants of those who killed her, so she is probably using them as pieces of her plan on a big revenge.

Or maybe I'm just crazy... This is very likely.

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have The Fountain 2006

[blue-howlite]

"Our dear thing"

McMillan twins x GN!Reader

Sequel to "Our pretty thing"

Warnings: romanticized toxicity, horror, gore, objectification, power dynamic, everything a relationship shouldn't be, romantic undertones but in the most wrong way possible?

Author note: GODS HOW LONG DID THIS TAKE ME. It sat in the drafts for an eternity. I didn't even add much before publishing but I needed to give it a conclusion that wasn't an attempt at something that just wasn't meant to be there. It's not even good as a whole but I want it out of the way. Have fun, enjoy, remember this isn't something meant to be healthy- y'all know the drill.

It had been a few weeks since you arrived in Forgotten Hill... since your abduction. You had come to accept the fact that you weren't leaving as you learned more about the town.

Forgotten Hill was under the control of a witch, Ruth, aided by Theodore, Ethan and Nathan. To think that something like witches and monsters existed... and two of those monsters had decided that you were their property. Yes, Ethan and Nathan had a human face and body, but you knew they were just as terrible as the disfigured beasts the doctor created, or the cannibalistic puppets the other made out of humans. You could pity those creatures, as you could have become one of them at any time; but you couldn't have pity or sympathy for their creators, your tormentors.

Your days were mostly spent at the hospital, where you had a room, the same one they put you in the first time you arrived. Now and then you would be pulled out of it and either twin would have a turn studying you.

Nathan seemed to be almost obsessed with your hands and limbs, observing and feeling your articulations bend. Sometimes he would bruise one of your fingers or dislocate your arms as he studied how they moved, by accident... though you suspected they weren't always accidents. After that he'd take you to his brother to "get you fixed". Ethan always scolded his twin for being so careless with you.

The colonel wasn't as rough. According to Theodore, a guy with a creepy smile that would visit the twins now and then, Ethan wanted to recreate your beauty. The doctor's studies usually included a lot of touching your face to feel the bones and muscles, and a lot of writing down notes and sketching what he guessed was under your skin.

Within the first visits, you learned to tell them apart by their looks: Ethan had a less cured appearance and dark circles under his eyes, and his expression was always serious and calm, while Nathan seemed to have infinite enthusiasm and energy, and he also cared more about his looks. Their personalities also differed. Ethan was stricter in dictating his rules, but rarely punished you for acting up and was more indulging in your questions. Nathan acted laid back and friendly, and he'd usually grant you more freedom in moving around as long as he could see you, but would easily snap if you did something he didn't approve of.

It was late at night, and you were strolling down the hospital's corridor, when you heard a loud scream. Nothing unusual, since you knew this place wasn't a real hospital and more like a monster factory where human rights were disregarded... Those screams were rather common. Still, the sound sent a shiver down your spine. It was a reminder that as soon as Ethan got done with his studying, that could become you, and your agony would echo in the halls as he turned you into a mindless monster. Then you'd aimlessly roam Forgotten Hill for the rest of your cursed existence.

It took all your willpower not to break down in that moment. You were used by now to the idea of danger lurking in every corner, but as you stopped fearing the immediate danger, it became easier to be scared of the future and feel helpless. Anxiety attacks and crying for hours were almost a daily routine. So lost in your thoughts, you didn't realise Ethan had stopped right behind you. His hand gently tapped on your shoulder, making you flinch and turn around abruptly. He was still wearing his operating claws, the long and sharp metal blades that helped him dissect his patients, so you accidentally cut your cheek on one of them in your movements. The scare and the small prick of pain were enough to send you into a breakdown, but you swallowed your tears and tried putting on a brave front. The doctor was looking at you through the eyes of his bug mask.

«My apologies dear... I should have taken these off earlier.» he said as he stepped closer, looking at the cut. It wasn't deep, but he still motioned for you to follow him to the nurse's office. As far as you knew there was no nurse in the hospital, though there were pictures of one in the office.

Ethan made you sit, then started taking off his operating claws. They were sharp, and looked clean, except for the one that scratched your cheek. A tear threatened to fall from your eye, as you thought that one day those claws could be dissecting you. Another flinch of your body followed as Ethan now pressed a tissue with alcohol to your cut. You didn't notice him getting closer, yet he was standing right in front of you now. You didn't notice him taking his mask off either, yet his dark eyes were staring right back into yours. Would he operate on you with his mask off? Or would you have to stare at the horrible bug eyes while your body got mutilated? It was haunting to think about.

«Why were you in the corridor? I thought I was clear about the rules.» he scolded you as he applied a small bandaid to your cheek. He would often catch you walking around despite not being allowed to, but he never really punished you for it. Still, his stern tone was enough to make your lip quiver.

«I-I'm sorry... I just couldn't sleep.»

His hand gently held the side of your face, his eyes scrutinizing your expression. Always so cold and analytical, would that be the look he'd give you on the operating table? Just thinking about it...

«Dear, are you crying?»

His voice was a little softer this time. Tears were freely falling down your cheeks, but you couldn't help it. It was all too much. Normally you'd try to hold yourself together until you were alone, but tonight it was all coming crashing down.

«I don't want to die... or to become a monster...» you murmured with a strained voice, trying your hardest to hold back your sobs. Ethan frowned, then took your face in both of his hands, holding you gently

«Dearest, I don't intend to do any of that to you... I promise I'll keep you safe, so don't cry, please.»

Even his voice was gentle now, and his eyes softer than you had ever seen before. It was hard to believe that was the same Ethan that would make the hospital echo in the screams of his patients. This Ethan didn't like to see you cry, he didn't intend to harm you, he just wanted to comfort you.

«You won't cut me up...?» was your quiet question, still suspicious yet looking for the reassurance. He hummed, still looking into your eyes, his thumbs gently caressing your cheeks.

«I won't. I'll keep you as beautiful and whole as you are now.» he promised. He could have been lying, he could have been telling you this to soothe your temporarily... But somehow you felt like that was a genuine promise.

Just as you had started to calm down, the door to the infirmary slammed open. A familiar mask peeked inside, one you knew all too well.

«There you are! I believe today-»

Nathan cut himself off suddenly. In an instant he moved from the door to where you were sitting, with those soulless orbs staring into your eyes. His mask, figuring a crow typical of Forgotten Hill, made your anxiety rise again. Maybe Ethan wouldn't hurt you, but would he stand up to Nathan if he had decided to turn you into a puppet? Or would you have to stare into the crow's eyes while your limbs got broken and replaced with sticks, your body then controlled by strings and forced to dance on the stage for all eternity?

«Why are you crying, dear? It's unlike Ethan to be rough.»

Even though you weren't crying anymore, tears still stained your cheeks. Nathan's hand, the same that often bruised your limbs by accident, came up to dry your face. Your body tensed up as soon as his fingers brushed against your skin, and it didn't go unnoticed by the puppeteer. He took off his mask, then held your face with both of his hands. Now that you could see his expression he looked less creepy, and almost concerned.

«Dear?»

Even his voice didn't sound playful at all, just concerned.

«Am... am I going to become a puppet?»

Your voice was shaky, a bit hoarse from your crying. Ethan tensed up in your peripheral vision, as if he also wasn't sure how his brother would react. Would he protect you from Nathan if it was the case? Would he-

A loud cackle interrupted your thoughts. Nathan was laughing... if you could even call it laughter. Maybe comparing it to a feral cat being mauled would have been more accurate. His whole body was shaking, he seemed hysterical. Your eyes were locked on the sight, unable to look away.

He calmed down slowly, taking deep breaths, though a giggle still escaped from his lips.

«Dear, did- did you really think that? It's been weeks, and y-»

«And our dear thing is confused.»

Ethan's calm interruption didn't seem to bother Nathan, who just shrugged at his twin. Then he suddenly got up from his chair, clasping his hands together.

«Today is the day of the show! Come on dear, I came here just to get you.»

«Show? What-»

But before you could ask more, Nathan had already begun to pull you up from your seat and towards the door. He seemed excited, more than usual. You, on the other hand, were feeling disoriented and almost nauseous. Your body and mind could only take so much after all, and right then you didn't know if you were supposed to be scared about what Nathan wanted to show you, or relieved because he didn't seem interested in turning you into a puppet. Or did he? Maybe he wanted to make you into a puppet after all, and simply wanted to drag you to the theatre first...

Everything had built up until you had passed out. That must have been it, because when you opened your eyes you weren't in the hospital anymore; you were in a seat, a theatre seat. The walls and ceiling were dark, and the lights in the room were dim. A blanket was draped over your body, protecting you from the cold. You vaguely remembered one time mentioning to Nathan how cold it was in the theatre, especially in the evening.

A light then shone on the stage; the red curtains parted, revealing a puppet dressed as a jester, with bulging soulless eyes and a disproportionate body. It gave you the creeps.

You looked away, to your left, feeling the unease bubble in your chest. That was once a human being, with thoughts and feelings just like you. Now? It was swiftly maneuvered by the puppeteer, making him- it talk and dance on stage, like nothing was wrong.

«He wanted to cheer you up.»

You jumped in your seat at the voice on your right and turned around. Mask off and leaning back in his seat, was Ethan. His eyes were on the stage, following the puppet as it launched in a monologue about the wonders of the world.

«Nathan hates improvisation. He needs a script, with clear actions and sentences that have been written over and over again, until they express exactly what he wants to communicate to his audience.»

Now another puppet, wearing a costume with a star mask and smaller stars shining on its clothes, joins the scene; apparently, the first puppet's attention is stolen by its presence.

«What... What does that mean?»

Ethan smiled, following the play. Now the man on stage was dancing with the star, at a slow pace.

«You should pay more attention to the show. He put a lot of effort in it.»

Your attention went back to the stage, even though you could feel your nausea rise as you watched the thin strings pull at the puppets limbs, forcing what were once people to just obey to their puppeteer. The dancing of the man and the star became suddenly faster. The star was struggling to keep up, and soon fell to the ground. The man kneeled by its side, as if concerned.

"Why did you fall, little star?"

"You danced too fast, and my feet got scared, so I fell."

"Are you afraid of me, little star?"

"Yes, I am afraid of you."

"But I want to keep you, little star."

"I don't want to be kept."

"But I'll admire you, little star."

"I don't want to be admired."

"But what can I do then, little star?"

"You can let me go."

The man shakes his head.

"You can't abandon me, little star."

"Why?"

Pause.

"I... I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I just see something... and I don't want to let go."

The star sits up. It's its moment to talk now.

"You're impulsive."

"I'll be careful."

"You're a monster."

"Not to you. Never to you."

It started to click in your brain. The scene on stage was just a mirror, you started to realise. A reflection of your reality. Or rather, the reflection he wanted to show you.

"But you'll cage me."

"I... I will protect you."

That was the last straw. You stood up, head spinning and vision blurring. He was trying to make you pity him, to make you empathize with him and feel sorry for being afraid of him.

And the worst thing? It was working.

You were starting to feel something different from fear.

And that felt even scarier than whatever fate was originally planned for you.

[krispyweiss]

Livestream Review: Aoife O’Donovan with Yasmin Williams from Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 2022

With a new set of songs and a new band with which to play them, Aoife O’Donovan kicked off a new year of touring with a concert/livestream from Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center.

Dubbed the Age of Apathy Band, Lula Wiles’ Isa Burke on acoustic and electric guitars and fiddle, drummer Robin McMillan and electric bassist Ethan Jodziewicz backed O’Donovan on a set heavy on songs from Age of Apathy, with no musical nods to Crooked Still or I’m With Her. Moody and atmospheric on record, tracks such as “B61,” “What Do You Want from Yourself” and “Lucky Star” are still finding their on-stage personalities just two shows in to the tour.

So when opener Yasmin Williams joined O’Donovan and company for the “Age of Apathy” encore and added her unique style of acoustic guitar (more on that later), the potential for these songs was reached.

O’Donovan shone brightest when performing a solo-acoustic version of “The Lakes of Pontcahrtrain;” and on full-band takes of Bruce Springsteen’s “Open All Night,” and earlier solo numbers such as “Red and White and Blue and Gold” - both with Burke on violin - and “Detour Sign.” These are songs O’Donovan has lived in for years and seemed most comfortable singing.

Early-tour, getting-to-know-you tentativeness notwithstanding, O’Donovan and Burke already mesh seamlessly both vocally and with the former’s rhythm finding a good nesting place inside the latter’s leads. Jodziewicz brings a busy, jazzy-like style of bass to the fold, while McMillan is all about color, playing with brushes, sticks, mallets and his hands to add unique shading to the aural canvas.

With her technique on full visual display, Williams’ 45-minute set was a revelation in the Feb. 25 livestream setting and she sounds as crystalline on stage as on vinyl. A guitarist who sits somewhere between Tommy Emmanuel’s percussive style and Stanley Jordan’s tapping, Williams plays instrumentals exclusively and proves Jimmy Page doesn’t have exclusive rights to cello bows.

Employing tap shoes, fingerpicks, a hammer, the aforementioned bow and occasionally taping a kalimba thumb piano to her guitar as it lay across her lap, Williams epitomized the concept of a one-woman band on numbers such as “On a Friday Night” and unreleased material with working names such as “Untitled No. 2 Million.”

That she so effortlessly found her spot in “Age of Apathy” was just more testament to her specialness.

Grade card: Aoife O’Donovan with Yasmin Williams from Kennedy Center, 2/25/22 - B

2/26/22

[diviinitism-a]

Henry: Get the fuck outta here with that 'gays can't drive' and 'gays can't cook' shit I do BOTH. Don't be disrespectful.

Ethan: But can you do math?

Henry: Don't. Don't do this to me.