#nitw angst

[theintrovertedwolfe]

Tonight, Mae finds a way to reunite with Casey months after his death.

[rivtictics]

I'm cooking angst for y'all

[4d-teevee]

“oh look the poison root”

part 4 part 5

part one

master post

[grubscouts]

[pinksbrickwall]

What Night in the Woods Means to Me (As an Angsty College Grad)

I remember playing Night in the Woods for the first time during my freshman year of college, and while I thought the art style looked nice and the dialogue was well written, I can't recall ever really giving it another thought. A lot's happened in the three years that's passed since then--I've met new people, learned new things, and have made steps (however small) towards preparing myself to become a proper adult-- a contributing member of society. And yet, through it all, I could never quite shake the feeling that--for all my efforts--I was no better equipped to deal with the harsh realities of the adult world as a college senior than when I was a freshman. Which is why, during my final few months leading up to my graduation, this game ended up affecting me in the profoundly monumental way that it did.

Night in the Woods is, in my opinion, a game about powerlessness. The setting of Possum Springs itself is trapped in a perpetual state of decay, both from a lack of government funding as well as from the devastation left behind by natural disasters. Every character living in Possum Springs, from the four central characters to the various NPCs you can interact with in town, suffer as a result of this unstoppable decay. Bea is trapped in a state of limbo, working a job she hates to support her broken father. Angus and Gregg work minimum wage jobs to escape a town which holds no future for them. The ending of Selmers' questline involves her reciting a poem about how much she despises the billionaires who take opportunities away from the communities they've never given so much as a passing thought.

Mae herself couldn't fit in at college, can't fit in at home, and everyone's always reminding her of all the things she should have done as the only person in her family with the privilege of a college education. She can barely control her own actions, much less muster up the confidence or will to pursue any given path in life, and it's clear just how much this eats away at her throughout the game. It can be taxing to not have a clear place in the world; it can be exhausting to not have a goal in life when the future once seemed so straightforwards. The cosmic horror aspect of Night in the Woods may seem out of place at first in such a seemingly low-key story, but I think it fits the game on a thematic level; when the world seems like its leaving you behind, when you have no agency over how you choose to live your life, existence can sometimes seem monstrous in nature. In recent years, I've often felt as if life was constantly passing me by, and it's repeatedly discouraged me from doing the things I know I should be doing. Following Mae's journey towards being a more empathetic and open person was kind of eye-opening; it was as if my all my pent-up uncertainty had manifested into physical form, and I felt a little less alone in the world.

The ending of Night in the Woods isn't granular. There's no magic solution to Possum Spring's financial troubles; Gregg and Angus are still leaving for a better place; Bea is still in a state of career limbo; Mae is still riddled with guilt and uncertainty. But I always manage to find little glimpses of hope through the ways these doomed characters interact with one another and find comfort in each other's existence. In the face of a monstrous existence, it's the little things which end up mattering the most.

[nobleclover]

Hey, I decided to do an audio re-enactment of the couch scene from Night In The Woods with my friend! Go watch it!

[gochujangst]

I forgot I play the bass

Its just sitting there it its case

In the corner of my room

Waiting to be plugged into the amp

Which is on the other side of the room

Waiting to be played

And horribly slapped

For notes to be butchered

And songs to be sloppily played

[mikashisus]

AT THE END OF EVERYTHING, HOLD ONTO ANYTHING

SUMMARY: fall in possum springs has returned, and with it, your ex-boyfriend. somehow... despite how long it's been, he's still the same... while you are not.

PAIRING: kazuha x gn!reader

TAGLIST ! @aphrodict @lowkeyren @mitsvriii @https-sourlimes @pixelcafe-network

warnings: self deprecation, mentions of death, angst

wc: 2.2k

notes: wrote this entire thing on a whim at 1am without editing it, so i apologize if there's any errors 😔🙏 can u guys tell i rlly rlly rlly love night in the woods... and the entire coziness of possum springs... it reminds me heavily of my semi-rural hometown, so playing thru nitw feels like home in a way

this is my second entry for the @/stellaronhvnters halloween event! prompt: phantom!

The relatively sleepy town of Possum Springs was not only tucked away in a rural corner of the country, but very very uneventful. 

In true countryside fashion, everyone in town knew each other. It was a crime not to, unless you were new to town. But no one would ever dream of moving to Possum Springs. 

It was boring, same-old, and dull. Well, to you at least. There was nothing to do in this backwards town. It wasn’t anything like the city, and it definitely wouldn’t get you anywhere. 

If anyone wanted to be something, to go somewhere, to make it into the world, they had to leave, because there was no way they were going to do any of that while staying here. 

Tapping along the side of the counter, you blew a bubble with the gum you were chewing on and sighed heavily as you watched Garbo and Malloy on the tv mounted on the wall across from you. 

Possum Springs had little to zero cell reception, which meant you couldn’t text your best friend, Yoimiya. Not only that, but you were on the clock right now. Pulling out your phone would get you a one way ticket to getting fired; which you couldn’t have, because you needed a job. 

The Snack Falcon wasn’t the ideal place to work. It was a convenience store, which meant the pay wasn’t great, but it was enough to keep you on your feet in this town. It wasn’t like you had anything going for you, anyway. 

Your parents couldn’t afford sending you to college, so you had to stay here in this lame ass town and rot for the rest of your life. But at least you had Yoimiya, your best friend from high school, rotting with you. 

Together, you’d rot until the day you die. In this town. Born in this town only to die here too, without ever being able to leave. 

The front door chimed as a customer walked in, and you greeted them in a less than friendly tone. You checked your watch again, and thankfully your shift was ending in only ten minutes. 

A chuckle sounded from the front of the store. “I thought you’d be happier to see me, but I guess I was mistaken.” 

You perked up. You knew that voice. It was the voice of your high school sweetheart, Kaedehara Kazuha. 

Whirling to face him, you took in his appearance. He was wearing a crimson hoodie with black jeans and red converse. A pair of white headphones rested around his neck, and his hair was pulled into that same old side ponytail he always had it in. 

He looked the same. Just like the day he up and left you here to rot, all while he got to explore the world and get out of the town you always wished you could leave. 

“Kazuha?” 

His name felt foreign on your tongue. How long has it been since he left? Two years? You couldn’t remember. Time flew by as soon as you stopped thinking of him.

He smiled at you, big and bright like he always did. So full of love and adoration. It made you sick to your stomach. 

Did he seriously not have anything to say to you? No apology for just leaving you without a warning? No explanation? 

He never even made the effort to reach out when he was gone. Not once did you receive a text or a phone call. Not once did he come back to visit or even see you. Not once did he even think of you. Yet here he was, pretending as if nothing had ever changed. 

But it did. 

You changed, Yoimiya changed, everything changed. Possum Springs changed, even if just a little bit. But it seemed as though he didn’t change. 

How fitting for someone who was always changing like the winds before he left. 

“When does your shift end?” He asked softly, leaning against the counter in front of you. 

The clock on the wall read 5:00. You met his crimson eyes again, and sighed. “Now.” 

He smiled again, never taking his eyes off you. “Perfect. Would you accompany me to the diner, then?” 

What kind of sick game was he playing? Regardless of his intentions, you nodded briefly and told him to wait while you grabbed your belongings from the back room. 

As soon as you exited the locker room, your boss bid you goodnight and you returned her sentiments halfheartedly before slinging your bag over your shoulder and joining Kazuha at the counter. 

You spit out your gum in the trash and left the store, making a beeline for the diner a few shops down. Kazuha kept in pace with you, shoving his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt. 

A tense silence encompassed the both of you as you sat down at an empty table in the diner. You dismissed a menu when the waiter brought two to the table. You ordered a pizza— your usual. Meanwhile, Kazuha settled for a simple basket of chicken tenders and fries. 

The waiter jotted down your orders and left, leaving the two of you to embrace the silence that was still heavy and thick in the air. Kazuha watched you carefully as you stared out the window, your chin in your hand, people watching. 

For some reason, he felt as if he was staring at a stranger. You weren’t the same person he once knew two years ago. Of course, he was well aware that there would be change in this town, but he wasn’t expecting you to change so much. 

“So…” he began, trying to draw your attention back to him, “how’ve you been? How are your parents doing?” 

“They’re fine.” 

“How’s your brother?” 

“He’s alright,” you shrugged, “still a smartass teenager.” 

He laughed softly. One thing didn’t change after all. He could still remember the way your brother would tease you and drive you up the wall. He had to be at least a sophomore in high school by now. 

“You work at the Snack Falcon? Is that new?”

You shrugged again. “Yeah. Came about after the Food Donkey closed.” 

His eyes widened. “The Food Donkey’s gone?” 

“Yep. Replaced by the Ham Panther.” 

A lot changed. 

He frowned as he realized you were barely giving him more than a sentence as an answer. That, and you weren’t even paying attention to him. At all. 

Finally, you turned to him, your expression stoic. He wasn’t used to you being so standoffish. Was it because he left so suddenly two years ago? He wouldn’t fault you for still being upset if that was the reason. He deserved it, after all. 

“What are you doing back?” You questioned, your tone somewhat dismissive. 

He cleared his throat. Your food arrived at the table just as he opened his mouth, and you eagerly began to dig into your pizza. You hadn’t eaten since this morning and your stomach had been growling for an entire hour before your shift ended. 

Needless to say, you were starving, and this pizza would satiate you until you returned home. Clik Clak Diner’s pizza wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad. It definitely wasn’t the best pizza, but it was okay in terms of your pizza scale chart. 

Kazuha took a few bites of his meal before he answered your question. “It didn’t work out.” 

You glanced up at him. “Interesting.” 

He was getting tired of your one-liners. You didn’t care enough to ask why or what happened. It wasn’t your business, and you didn’t feel like prying. 

The rest of dinner was silent, aside from the sounds of the tv playing across the room and the occasional chatter of the other patrons. You practically devoured your pizza, labeling it as a firm ‘normal’ on your pizza scale. 

It was sunset by the time you exited the diner. The crisp Autumn breeze rustled your hair, and the smell of fresh pumpkin pies from the house across the street added to the October ambience. Halloween was steadily approaching. You’d have to think of your Halloween costume at a later date. Maybe you could match with Yoimiya, or— 

“Look,” Kazuha sighed softly, “I’m deeply sorry for leaving so suddenly.” 

The two of you stopped walking at the edge of the woods, staring out at the old train tracks you used to fool around on as kids. The sound of the train was a welcome one, one filled with memories of winter nights and sunsets in the Fall— just like now. 

Fall in Possum Springs was pleasant and quiet, just how you liked it. Leaves littered the sidewalks and yards, the days got shorter, the temperature got lower, and Harfest was right around the corner. It was the ideal time of year— the only time of year you actually enjoyed living in this rural town. 

Fall felt like home. It was nostalgic. 

A soft Autumn breeze drifted by. It wasn’t enough to make you shiver, but it was a cooling one that felt like a caress on your skin. Just the kind of weather you preferred. 

“You left me here…” you trailed off, “do you have any idea what I would give to go to school? To have been in your shoes? And what did you do? You threw it all away.” 

He didn’t fault you for being upset. Hell, he would be mad at him too. He already was mad at himself for everything that happened. If he could, he would go back in time and stop it all from happening, but he didn’t have that kind of power. 

He was silent, allowing you to vent your anger. 

“Do you know how much that hurt me? To find out you were leaving the day that you left?” you said softly, your voice cracking slightly. 

“And then have you come back out of nowhere saying it ‘didn’t work out’ and acting as if nothing has even changed between us?” You turned to him, tears gathering in your eyes. 

His brows knit together in sorrow. “I’m sorry. Everything has changed.” 

You nodded, looking down at the ground. The next words out of your mouth felt like a knife being driven straight through his chest into his heart. 

“I stayed here and got older, while you went off and stayed the same.” 

As it turned out, you were right. He hadn’t changed one bit, yet everything about you had. He found himself wondering how much time really passed. Time was incomprehensible to him now. He wouldn’t be surprised if more than two years passed since he last saw you. 

A long silence passed, with the only noise being your sniffles. 

He swallowed the lump in his throat. He would’ve liked to wait before dropping the bomb on you, especially since you were in the midst of crying, but there was no better time to say it than now. 

“(Name), I have something to tell you.” 

The seriousness of his tone made you falter, and you turned to him with a skeptical look in your eyes. Your brows furrowed together, and he met your gaze as he said, 

“The reason I came back to Possum Springs was to see you one last time. To clear this all up.” 

Huh? What did that mean? It wasn’t making sense to you. 

“What do you mean?” 

He took a deep breath. “There was an accident— a construction accident.” He let you piece the rest of it together. 

He watched as the gears slowly turned in your head before you gasped, a hand coming up to cover your mouth as your eyes widened. 

“So, are you…?” 

“I’m a ghost,” he confirmed with a small nod, “I returned to settle my past grievances. Now that I have, I can rest in peace.” 

Another long silence passed. He wondered what you were thinking right now, but the expression on your face was one he couldn’t decipher. He knew all of this was a lot to take in— especially the part about him being a ghost. 

Your silence was unnerving. Were you scared of him? Would you run off now that you knew he was a ghost? Would you stay? 

“School didn’t work out. I didn’t lie to you about that,” he muttered, “I would never lie to you. It didn’t work out, so I decided to return home. I was on my way to the bus station when the accident happened.” 

This was all too much to take in. You could feel a headache already forming. 

He shuffled closer to you, his fingers gently brushing against yours. When you made no move to pull your hand away, he intertwined his fingers with yours and gave your hand a soft squeeze. 

A tear rolled down your cheek. The train in the distance blared. The Autumn breeze you loved so much now felt like knives on your skin, and the hand encompassing yours was cold to the touch. 

Everything really had changed. 

Possum Springs was still the same-old, boring ass rural town. It was still the same town you were born and raised in and would likely die in. The people were all familiar faces that you’ve seen everyday, yet all of you grew older by the year. 

Yoimiya was older. You were older. Your brother and your parents were older. But Kazuha was the same. 

Everything had changed. You changed. 

But he stayed the same. Stuck in time. Forever unmoving. 

You looked out at the old train tracks, at the countryside you knew all too well and the town you were stuck in. You looked at the man— now a ghost, standing next to you. 

And suddenly, it felt as if he had never left at all. As if nothing had changed.

notes: the line “i stayed here and got older while you went off and stayed the same” is a line from the game!! it’s one of my favs and im so glad i got to use it! bea is the one who says it! :)) 🤍

© 2024 mikashisus. do not plagiarize, copy, repost, feed to ai, or translate my works to any other platforms.

[snarky-wallflower]

for the fic writers ask: 2, 14, 33, and 37! or any combination of those if you dont wanna do em all lol.

<3

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

okay, so my top-used five tags are POV Third Person, Angst, One-Shot, Not Beta Read, and Canon Compliant. I think they do explain my writing habits, because I really love getting into the implications of a story, and I am. bad. at waiting for betas sometimes, and not great at continuing a story for longer than a couple of thousand words.

14. Are there any tropes you would only read if written by a trusted friend or writer?

honestly, i'll read a lot, so nothing immediately comes to mind?

33. If you write chaptered fics, what’s your ideal chapter length to write? Is it different from your ideal chapter length to read?

stares at the WIPs I have not updated for nearly SIX MONTHS pas de masque, The Show Must Go On, I am so sorry. honestly, I really never plan out my chaptered fics, as the evidence shows - but a chaptered fic I'm recently proud of and that I actually finished was about three chapters, and 24k, so I'd say THAT was my ideal chapter length to write. so much fun. at some point, i need to reread my own fic. And I can and will devour 100k-300k worth of epics, even if I haven't been as good as doing that recently as when I was younger. shoutout to you, @acaciapines, whose TOH daemonverse fics are something i am SO excited for. you're gonna kill it.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

ohhhh okay, one of my favourite fics I ever wrote would be always be my favourite ghost, from Night in the Woods. It explored grieving Casey Hartley, and how at the end of it all, so much of his life was left unresolved. how he never even got a funeral. it tugged at my heartstrings, that part killed me. so i decided to write people holding one for him. i really loved getting to explore his relationships with those around him, even if he wasn't there. from bea barely knowing him but still being pissed that he'd been taken, from angus knowing that he deserved better, gregg losing his closest friend, and to mae knowing that she'd missed out on so much of his final years, and still missing him anyways. and to maybe, knowing that if she'd stayed, she could have fallen for him. (shoutout to @doyouhearthunder for inspiring that part, as I read all of his NITW fics and that definitely played a role there.) i think i explored grief well there - in a game that has such a bittersweet ending, there aren't many threads to resolve. but this was one i could resolve, and i don't have any regrets about how i handled it. in the end, casey hartley mattered to people, no matter what that cult thought. that wasn't something that could ever be taken away. and it never got much traction because i posted it in 2023, and the game came out in 2017. but i'm still glad i did. it turned out really well for a fic i wrote mostly on a red-eye flight at 1 am.

thanks so much for the ask!

[findroleplay]

helloo!! I'm an 18yo transmasc looking for some more rp partners! I'm looking to do something based on the Night in the Woods universe but with original characters and plotline :D

What I'm looking for:

-must be 18+, preferably no older than mid/late 20's

-I generally write semi lit to lit, but I do tend to adapt to my partner

-I prefer to write on discord

-I am okay with suggestive elements but I'm not comfortable with smut/ERP and would rather fade to black if things go down that route

-communication! don't hesitate to let me know if you don't like where the plot is going, if there's something you'd like to add on, if you want/need to stop for any reason, etc.

-I would rather the plot be mainly focused around a single pairing (at least to begin with) but I'll happily play side characters if needed. We can also discuss the introduction of more characters later on!

-all genders welcome, for yourself and your characters!

The Idea:

I would love to play some college-aged characters from a Possum Springs-esque small town. Think slice of life drama with some supernatural elements if we're feelin it. Maybe it's coming home for the summer and seeing an old friend for the first time in years, maybe the death of a mutual friend brings them back even though they swore they'd never return, maybe they can finally make good on a promise they made when they were both kids. Angst, feels, found family!! I crave!!! We can discuss potential plots together :)

Basically I'm looking to steal the vibes of NITW but have it play out more like a fandomless rp. I'm content to keep Possum Springs as the setting but I'm not really looking to involve canon characters in the plot. As for whether the characters will be humans or animal-based like in the game, I don't really mind either way! Let me know what you'd prefer :)

Any of this sound interesting? Leave a like and I'll get back to you!

-

[roleplayfinder]

helloo!! I'm an 18yo transmasc looking for some more rp partners! I'm looking to do something based on the Night in the Woods universe but with original characters and plotline :D

What I'm looking for:

-must be 18+, preferably no older than mid/late 20's

-I generally write semi lit to lit, but I do tend to adapt to my partner

-I prefer to write on discord

-I am okay with suggestive elements but I'm not comfortable with smut/ERP and would rather fade to black if things go down that route

-communication! don't hesitate to let me know if you don't like where the plot is going, if there's something you'd like to add on, if you want/need to stop for any reason, etc.

-I would rather the plot be mainly focused around a single pairing (at least to begin with) but I'll happily play side characters if needed. We can also discuss the introduction of more characters later on!

-all genders welcome, for yourself and your characters!

The Idea:

I would love to play some college-aged characters from a Possum Springs-esque small town. Think slice of life drama with some supernatural elements if we're feelin it. Maybe it's coming home for the summer and seeing an old friend for the first time in years, maybe the death of a mutual friend brings them back even though they swore they'd never return, maybe they can finally make good on a promise they made when they were both kids. Angst, feels, found family!! I crave!!! We can discuss potential plots together :)

Basically I'm looking to steal the vibes of NITW but have it play out more like a fandomless rp. I'm content to keep Possum Springs as the setting but I'm not really looking to involve canon characters in the plot. As for whether the characters will be humans or animal-based like in the game, I don't really mind either way! Let me know what you'd prefer :)

Any of this sound interesting? Leave a like and I'll get back to you!

.

[findyourrp]

🌙helloo!! I'm an 18yo transmasc looking for some more rp partners! I'm looking to do something based on the Night in the Woods universe but with original characters and plotline :D

What I'm looking for:

-must be 18+, preferably no older than mid/late 20's

-I generally write semi lit to lit, but I do tend to adapt to my partner

-I prefer to write on discord

-I am okay with suggestive elements but I'm not comfortable with smut/ERP and would rather fade to black if things go down that route

-communication! don't hesitate to let me know if you don't like where the plot is going, if there's something you'd like to add on, if you want/need to stop for any reason, etc.

-I would rather the plot be mainly focused around a single pairing (at least to begin with) but I'll happily play side characters if needed. We can also discuss the introduction of more characters later on!

-all genders welcome, for yourself and your characters!

The Idea:

I would love to play some college-aged characters from a Possum Springs-esque small town. Think slice of life drama with some supernatural elements if we're feelin it. Maybe it's coming home for the summer and seeing an old friend for the first time in years, maybe the death of a mutual friend brings them back even though they swore they'd never return, maybe they can finally make good on a promise they made when they were both kids. Angst, feels, found family!! I crave!!! We can discuss potential plots together :)

Basically I'm looking to steal the vibes of NITW but have it play out more like a fandomless rp. I'm content to keep Possum Springs as the setting but I'm not really looking to involve canon characters in the plot. As for whether the characters will be humans or animal-based like in the game, I don't really mind either way! Let me know what you'd prefer :)

Any of this sound interesting? Leave a like and I'll get back to you!

.

[dissociationswagcompetition]

I don't remember if I actually finished writing and sending this ask so sorry if you got this one twice, but I voted for combination of options on the poll because honestly between convention/running more tournaments all of those sound super cool!

i think it would probably be pretty easy to decide to run any kind of tournament as like an "event" if this ended up being a convention blog, if you're considering multiple options simultaneously!

other options for your consideration might be starting up a discord server (that sounds horrifically complicated to me personally, but I don't know how it would compare to running a convention blog— mostly I mention it in case it somehow sounds like less time/work for you) or another identical blog with a different url for the post-tournament convention, if you end up going that route— these suggestions are made specifically to address the concern of this particular competition becoming difficult to find in the future.

anyway yeah!! I would love a dissociation convention for all of our dissociative blorbos especially bc this competition has reignited my love for some of my old blorbos— and if the finals do actually result in anyone playing NITW or reading (?) The Stormlight Archives for the first time I would love to hear about it!!

As of writing this, the convention idea is the most popular option and honestly I'm really starting to feel it!!! It'd be a lot of fun to have a space to just! Celebrate characters with dissociative disorders rather than the usual stigma, angst, negative stereotyping, etc etc! Not just characters with canonical disorders, but also characters who may be coded with plurality and/or dissociation, or simply taking a look into characters who have no such coding and analyzing where others may be getting headcanons from!

I really like the idea of doing in-depth character analyses because I just. Really like reading way too into overanalyzing character behaviors! (I recently had a whole fit over reading way too into overanalyzing the meaning of eye colors of robots from a 2007 cartoon) It'll be harder for certain medias if the medias are less accessible/available or would take a long time to go over everything, like book series, but still!!!

It could also be cool to just- share any good resources I find too! Whether that be articles/books/videos about dissociation and/or dissociative disorders, grounding tips, or other things that could help those of us who experience these!

And then of course the occasional tournament here or there because I like brackets and data collection >:3c

And a discord server would be interesting! I haven't run one in a while so I'm a bit rusty, and would def need to find some mods because solo running servers is anxiety inducing, but I may do that in the future, we'll see!!!

[4d-teevee]

more nitw au!!!!!

the twins are stargazing and reminiscing

warning

dead body implied and hallucination implications

[grubscouts]

[cam-stopped-eating-candles]

What character is Ocean in ur nitw au? I saw someone make her bea just to throw in perfectdolls one time lmao so I'm curious

Lmfao in my particular au, I have constance taking the role of Bea, but I didn’t have anything in particular for ocean, she’s just kind of herself. I know I’m thinking Astrid for Casey/headless body (like @luckynature said for her au) so maybe I’ll throw in some angst that way where ocean is extra anxious to find her after she goes missing