#some of these are about Gilda. some are about them @ each other and/or life

[about-faces]

Saw a post from a Nightwing fan that was like “oh my god there’s someone out there who seriously would like to see Two-Face in the BatFam, WTF?! After what he did to Dick?! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

….

…

… Anyway, here’s why I think Harvey Dent should be in the BatFam.

For starters, I think it would be a wonderful way to incorporate Bruce’s long-standing love for Harvey in a situation where he gets to interact with a variety of young people who either have personal beefs with Harvey and/or have little sympathy/reason to care about him. We’ve already seen the potential of Harvey and Jason interacting and how fantastic that was for both characters.

I want to see Harvey (specifically a Harvey whose good side gets to be present and distinct, if not in complete control for the time being) interact with Dick, who hates him and—like some of his fans—completely disregards Harvey’s history of mental illness and internal struggles to overcome Scarvey. Extra points if they incorporate the Robin: Year One origin with Dick being beaten by Two-Face (which is not currently canon, btw), something that Harvey would never have done if he was in his right mind or even in control at the time. He was subsumed by his worst side to the point that Two-Face outright genuinely considered Harvey “dead,” but Dick neither knows nor cares about that, and I’d like to see that explored outside of a typical hero/villain environment.

I want to see Harvey interact with Damian and Cass, who each might have his own opinions about Bruce’s ongoing belief in someone’s inherent goodness, heroism, and worth, no matter how much blood is on one’s hands or how they were raised.

I want to see Cass and Steph both reckon with Harvey’s own history of abuse at a father’s hands, and how one tries to struggle against the cycles of violence. Is Harvey a victim of how he was raised, or is he a monster for not overcoming his trauma like they did? I want know if the compassion Cass extended to Clayface could also apply to Harvey. I want to know if either woman would have any empathy for Harvey, or condemn him as being reprehensible and irredeemable.

I want Babs to have a backstory where she, as a kid, knew and liked Harvey, and the two bonded over having alcoholic fathers, something which no one can understand if they haven’t experienced it.

I want to see if Duke has any feelings about a once-good man who was transformed into something he does not want to be, much in the way his own parents were victims of Gotham’s monsters.

I want Tim to better understand Harvey’s psyche, to see if he still thinks that Harvey is someone who “chooses” to become Two-Face again after every redemption attempt.

I want more interactions between Harvey and Jason, acknowledging them as twin symbols of Bruce’s failure who both became murderous mob bosses. How many orphans has Jason created? Why is Jason welcomed back in but not Harvey? Is it because Harvey nearly beat a Robin to death, just like Damian did with Tim? Is it okay to excuse/forgive a brainwashed child but not a severely mentally ill adult who had no control over his worst side? Why or why not?

I want to know which BatFam members would even notice all the ways that Bruce and Harvey are so similar, mirrors to each other with Harvey being the one who lost everything, including his own identity and sanity. I want to know what their takeaways would be, or if they’d even care. I want to know if any of them would realize that Bruce could easily fall like Harvey without the love and support they provide as a family, which Harvey lacks?

Remember A Lonely Place of Dying? Harvey without Gilda and Batman without Robin, both evenly matched in a mutually-suicidal death spiral, broken only when Tim emerged in Bruce’s life? Would Tim draw those parallels? Would any of them? Would it even matter?

Because not all of the BatFam can or should have empathy for Harvey. No family, not even the BatFam, should end every disagreement with Full-House-style hugs and apologies. Sometimes you just hate or don’t even care about other family members, and that’s fine! But I still want to see those relationships explored and hashed out within the context of family.

On top of it all, I want some acknowledgement that Harvey was Bruce’s first and only ally back in Batman: Year One before Gordon came around to Bruce’s side. That Harvey was the ONLY person in Gotham trying to fight against the forces of the mob and cops alike before Bruce returned and Jim rolled into town. That he, as Batman’s ally and the youngest DA in Gotham history, was the original Boy Wonder of Gotham City. That Bruce’s failure to save Harvey has hung over each and every one of his relationships and connections in the BatFam.

Finally, I want to see Harvey in the BatFam because I want to know that, no matter what you’ve done or become, there will still be some people out there who are holding out for you to come back. That you may not be forgiven by all or even most of them, but you’re still worthy of love. And even if/when Harvey loses his battle with himself again, I want some of the BatFam to react with sympathy, some having changed their perceptions about the man they only knew as Two-Face. That maybe, occasionally, the criminals they fight aren’t monsters but just broken people, lost to some combination of circumstance, upbringing, mental illness, and personal choices. I want to see them reckon with that. I think that would be important.

And okay yeah sure I’d also like to see Harvey take them all out for pizza and games at Chuck E Cheese’s or something like that. I just think that’d be neat.

Anyway. I hope that all makes more sense now for anyone still wondering. I’ll finish up with proof that Harvey being in the BatFam has actually been touched on in comics, from the gatefold cover of Hush (that’s Harvey, not Hush, with the bandages), DC Future State, and DC Bombsells.

So there’s a fuzzy sort of precedent for Harvey fitting in with the BatFam. I just hope someone at DC will eventually share my vision, even if some BatFam fans never will.

[graphx]

brainrot on the apollo!ray au

AU credit to @just-like-playing-tag! (check out the apollo ray tag!)

I always thought it was a bit odd that the lambda kids were so adamant on hating demons but we don’t really see how they feel about the ratris or how that affects their views on adults/other humans

they were experimented on by human AND demon researchers

They were the first kids to find out the difference between wild demon intelligence/consciousness and ability to have morality but they still treat them all the same

TPN has crafted a narrative of humans vs demons but doesn’t acknowledge how much the children might hate/resent those who put them in this position

It’s probably because every human forced to sell out the kids is painted in a sympathetic light in some way (except Andrew)

Legirivima/Peter was seen as brainwashed by their own delusion about their glorious lineage/history and it was a problem of the indoctrination they grew up in and the expectations/mindsets that were pressured onto them

It was glossed over in Isabella’s death and lack of living to make up for what she put each of the kids though (ray specifically)

So it's kinda never adressed in canon how cruel the kids are willing to be to those who are somewhat responsible for putting them in this position regardless of if they are demon or not (as I've addressed here with goldy pond specifically)

I think apollo!ray’s attitude vs Norman’s regarding demons would be similar to how they treat adults by only seeing their enemies (no matter what/who they are) as monsters

Norman went out of his way to ensure he wouldn’t be rebuilding the freedom of the children on top of the ratri’s legacy by doing the same thing they did (subjecting future generations to cloning experimentation/inhumane treatment) even though that was an option he could have gone with when allying with Gleelan

He could have given live Ratris to Gleelan to prove he was willing to screw over adults in order for the children to live (which I imagine apollo!ray would be cruel enough to do in this AU) but this shows there is a line when it comes to Norman’s morality he won’t cross

This shows how much norman values humanity regardless of who they are, ratri or not

His plan was for the demons to destroy themselves but he had no plan for the ratris afterward and i think it shows much how much norman unconsciously took inspiration from emma

Norman thought humans wouldn’t hurt/be prejudiced against the children if the demons weren’t putting them in that situation in the first place (he believes in natural goodness to an extent when push doesn’t come down to shove)

I think it reflects on how different his relationship with Isabella was

He asked if she was happy. He does understand (not agree with) her perspective of lying so the kids have a happy life (which he did with Don and Gilda and continues to do with Lamba squad later)

Despite calling her a demon at the beginning (which you can clearly see Emma is more uncomfortable with, but accepts given their desperate situation)

they both (eventually) see her as a human forced into this situation doing the best with what she can

He doesn’t want to kill her but he will (reluctantly) to secure the safety of his family

HOWEVER

RAY IS NOT LIKE THAT

HE IS FULLY WILLING/READY/ABLE TO KILL

To be burdened in a way Norman never was

By taking demon AND human lives

I imagine apollo!Ray would actually enjoy the torture of demons because it’s a way to vent after all he went thru via Isabella

Straight out of Grace field and Ray is most concerned about what control he has in the situation because that’s what he learned from isabella

Causing the demons pain and being encouraged by the other lambda kids would probably turn that need for control into violent tendencies that he is willing to take out on the demons

The only humans Ray has ever seen survive were those willing to climb over corpses and without meeting yuugo/lucas or any other adult/escapees to disprove this he fully believes Emma is being unrealistic and unreasonable and doesn’t go on to adopt any of her positive worldviews like Norman does/strives to

[magpizza]

Mag's Sapphic Book Recs Part 1

Hey! @fairymascot sent a few of you my way who are looking for some sapphic book recs! I have compiled a list of 50 or so books, both Adult and YA, across the genres I read. These are just my personal favorites, and I encourage you to look further into any book that piques your interest!

For where I go for books, I go to my local library a lot and can't sing the praises of the Libby app enough for borrowing ebooks and audiobooks. I also always encourage those who can to get their books from independent bookstores or sites like bookshop.org.

ADULT

I wanna feel sad or stressed out! -Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily R. Austin - Gilda is anxious, depressed, and jobless, so she accepts a receptionist job at a catholic church and becomes obsessed with what happened to the woman who had the job before her. A book I felt really deeply as an anxious person myself. -All The Little Moments by G. Benson - Anna's career-focused world is turned upside down when her brother and sister-in-law pass away and she is left to take care of their two young children. This one is a real tearjerker and the romance with the woman Anna meets is very very sweet. I've read almost all of G. Benson's books and found them all to be absolute winners (Purposefully Accidental is excellent, also deals with grief though is more lighthearted and has some of the best dialogue I've ever read). -Landing by Emma Donohue - This is such a lovely, meaty book that explores the complexities of people, as well as the challenges a burgeoning relationship can go through. The MCs face distance, age difference, culture differences, different life goals, etc. The characters around them were also surprisingly deep and interesting. It had me on the edge of my seat as to how it would resolve. -I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane - this one is a bit sci fi, but I felt the sad outweighed the sci fi classification. A future world where you are marked by your crimes by being given an extra shadow, a woman has to navigate single motherhood with her daughter having been given an extra shadow from birth. It was somber, it was lovely, I felt so much weight in my heart. -Whisper of Solace by Milena McKay - If you like terrible women doing terrible things to each other in the name of their careers but also obsession and love, this one is for you! One of the most unique Ice Queen POVs I have read!

Okay, I'm sad enough, now I want a happy romance! -Wherever Is Your Heart by Anita Kelly - Even as a lover of romance myself, few books have made me swoon like this one. Two older butch women finding love much later in life and being realistic about their issues and problems, I just absolutely adored the grounded conversations they had. Also a very quick read! -Breaking Character by Lee Winter - This is one of the most enjoyable, fun, heartfelt romances. It's Hollywood, it's fake dating, it's age gap. Both characters go on such a lovely journey together. This is one I would highly encourage you to listen to the audiobook as Angela Dawe is amazing at doing all the character voices and accents. Additionally, there is not a single Lee Winter book I haven't liked, so highly recommend any of hers (The Awkward Truth is my second fave of hers, with a unique and younger ice queen). -The Carlisle Series by Roslyn Sinclair - You honestly can't have a sapphic romance list without this series. It's adapted and updated from Roslyn's Devil Wears Prada fanfic, but this is a story all its own and had me tearing up at the ending. I did the exercise of reading both the books and the fanfic which was very fun to compare! -Something's Different by Quinn Ivins - This is one of the sweetest books, I smiled all the way reading it. A woman has to step in to cover for her twin sister at her job while her sister goes off with her boyfriend, and she ends up falling for her sister's boss. It was a lovely book that also touched on mental health. I also love an academic setting, and it made statistics fun to learn about! -Bright Falls Series by Ashley Herring Blake - This 3 book series is so fun, just true romcom goodness. The characters are fun and interesting, they have complex relationships with each other, and I love how the author sets up these little ways the characters think is truth or reality, only to find how differently they perceived things.

Give me some scary ones! -The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling - cave spelunking in a tricked up space suit, being chased by ghosts, and not sure if you can trust the woman on the radio who's guiding you through it. Has just such a satisfying ending too. -The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean - a vampire-adjacent book, it's a world where these beings eat books, but then sometimes one amongst them instead eats minds. A woman, book eater herself, runs away from her family to protect her son who is a mind eater. I felt this one was gutwrenching at times, with characters making tough and sometimes bad decisions, and it kept a grip on me the whole way. -Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant - this one is more of an ensemble cast as it jumps around to several POVs, but the sapphic romance pair in it is great. It follows a crew aboard a ship to figure out what happened to a previous ship where everyone just disappeared. Every character has a rich internal life of why they're there, what are their goals, etc. -Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield - a woman's wife went on a deep sea expedition and returns not quite the same. The book jumps between the two women, what happened on that expedition and what her wife is having to deal with after she returns. I also enjoyed Julia's book of short stories, Salt Slow.

Wow, that was pretty scary. What about some fun science-y adventures? -The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson - a sci fi, multiverse traveling book. In the future, society can send people to alternate verses, mostly to steal resources, but you can only be sent if the other version of you is already dead in that world. The writing is fast-paced, really fun, and had some great quotes I even wrote down. It had so many little and big twists along the way, I gasped a lot. -The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett - kinda fantasy, kinda sci fi, kinda steam-punky, but a whole lotta fun! Fast-paced, it has one of the most interesting magic systems I've ever read. It's low on romance but the sapphic relationship that develops had my heart clenching by the last book. I read this series this year and already want to re-read it. -This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - this book is a short but challenging read. It may not be for everyone. Treat it less like a novel and more like a riddle. It's feeding you bits and pieces as it goes and all will be revealed by the end. One of the most romantic books I've read.

Sure sure, but how about some escapism into fantasy now? -The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir - this one could've also gone in the horror or sci fi lists, what with the lesbian necromancers in space tagline. You've probably heard of it, it's dense, complicated at times, and will throw you for a loop when it quotes Linkin Park lyrics at you. Each book has such a different flavor too. A fun series to not only read but also reread! It requires a lot of attention, and I'm not too proud to admit I had to look up several word meanings as I read. The only series I have multiple versions of because I couldn't resist the special editions. -The Burning Kingdoms series by Tasha Suri - love me some fantasy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, some morally gray characters, complicated motivations, some betrayal of the ones you love most. This series is so lovely and such a fun and heartwrenching ride and I can't wait for the next book. -Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree - It's cozy, it's sweet, it just made me smile all the way through. The sequel I found just as lovely as well.

Enough with the other worlds! Got anything historical? -The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - this one could also go on the sad list. It's poetic, lovely. A town of only women since their men all were lost in a storm and how the women manage to move on, deal with their grief, and face a dude who comes in later to try to "set their society right" or whatever. Throw that dude into the sea too. -Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - an absolute rollercoaster of a book. It's a long, great read with deception upon deception upon twists. I also highly recommend the BBC miniseries it was adapted into! -The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite - this one really surprised me. It's honestly really sweet. Two women come together to translate a French astronomy text and fall in love in the process.

Got anything with pictures? -Luisa Now and Then by Carole Maurel - drama, a woman in her 30s encounters her much younger self and they have to come to terms with who they thought they were and what they thought their life would be like. -A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll - heavy on the horror, not really a romance, but it is gorgeous, atmospheric, and didn't go where I thought it was going. -How Do We Relationship by Tamifull - drama, slice of life, one of my favorite series, it goes through some really complex character relationships and interactions. The main couple starts dating pretty quickly, and it only gets more complicated from there. -She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki - slice of life. This one starts out simply enough, with two women who connect over food. Their relationship blooms slowly from there, and the latest volume introduced some additional characters that expand the discussion on how different our relationship to food and eating can be.

YOUNG ADULT

That was a lot. I'm ready to be sad again. -We Are Okay by Nina LaCour - a girl leaves everyone behind to go to college, and won't talk to them about why or what happened that changed her in those few weeks before she left. Her best friend comes to visit her and what follows is a slow, anguishing tale of grief, regret, and love. Honestly, for a sad time, you can always depend on Nina LaCour. -Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick - this one might not work for everyone if you don't like an amnesia story. It had so much longing, loss, confusion, and a romance strong enough to attempt to get through it. -6 Times We Almost Kissed (and One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe - Don't let the meme-rific title fool you, this book wrung out my heart. The characters are rich, deep, conflicted, and complicated. Deals with grief, with lost opportunities, with complicated friendships and complicated love. -If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude - what happens if you were already suicidal, but then the world is going to end soon anyway? This book deals heavily with depression and the end of the world, in many different meanings. -Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo - this one broke my heart a few times. Two girls who don't know they are related lose their father in a plane crash, and it only gets sadder and more complicated from there as both their words begin to connect.

Wow, all this sadness has made me angry! -Harley Quinn: Reckoning by Rachael Allen - gotta love a female rage revenge book. This book is a really engrossing read, it weaves a lovely mystery, and has one of my all time favorite twists and love interest characters of any book.

I've angered myself out, can we have some happy romance? -She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick - a lovely lovely contemporary romance story. Nothing surprising, just all the good stuff. Also writen by a wife team! -How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow - a very sweet holiday romance that starts when one of the MCs almost runs over her love interest. -Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes - with the topics this one deals with, it could've very easily made the sad list as well. The overall uplifting ending is what kept it more in the happy list for me.

Okay, okay, I'm ready to be scared again! -These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall - this one has it all, creepy house, family trauma, falling for the weird girl in the woods. It all built up to a really great twist too. I recommend the audiobook, it had great production and acting, and even legit scared me and I couldn't listen to it at night.

I like horror, but got anything a little more sci fi? -The Meadows by Stephanie Oaks - along the same lines of A Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian future where the government has a lot to say about what your role is in society and what you are supposed to do/be. At times a little slow, but at all times really heartwrenching.

Anything related to history? -A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar - four girls band together to execute a jewel heist on the titanic! Which sounds very exciting and it is! I also bawled at the end. Honestly I will read any and all Adiba Jaigirda books too.

Okay let's get into that fantastical escapism! -Fractured Fables series by Alix E. Harrow - based on fairytales, these two novelas are very quick reads, very engaging and I especially loved the romance that developed in the second one! -We Set the Dark on Fire series by Tehlor Kay Mejia - Handmaids Tale adjacent as well and the backdrop is Latiné inspired. A really great read, both books had be gripped by the chest. Good twists too! -The Winter Duke by Claire Eliza Bartlett - inspired by sleeping beauty, the prince set to inherit the throne falls asleep and his younger sister has to figure out how the hell she keeps it all together until he (hopefully) wakes up. -Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - a society built after the very real Cinderella story, where all ladies of age go to the ball to be selected as brides, and then the story of a girl trying to fight against all that. -Forgotten Gods series by Marie Rutkoski - A girl who lives on the poor side of town meets a rich girl who seems ready to take her on adventures. I really enjoyed the main character's journey and how she changed oh so very drastically throughout the story. -Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst - I've recced this to friends who did not like it as much as I did but I'm still putting it on this list. Maybe it's just this book has all the things I like and that's fine. A princess betrothed to a prince is hiding her magical abilities and ends up falling for her fiance's sister, oops. -Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley - what drew me to this story was the quiet mystery it weaves. Sofi wants to take her father's place as a Musik (the few musicians in the country allowed to compose music) but then an unexpected, untrained lute player shows up and just absolutely outplays her. Sofi is determined to prove this new girl cheated with magic. Adrienne Tooley overall is an author I always enjoy. -Nampeshiweisit series by Moniquill Blackgoose - only the first book is out so far (To Shape a Dragon's Breath) but boy am I invested! A young girl finds the first dragon egg to appear in her remote island in 15 years, but the colonists of her land have strong opinions of who is allowed to have a dragon, how they need to be trained, and what they should do with dragons.

Phew that was a lot of words. Got anything with pictures again? -Thieves by Lucie Bryon - a really sweet and surprisingly deep story about two girls who steal shit. -Belle of the Ball by Mari Costa - a high school love triangle that worked in all the right ways. I loved the art, and as someone with vision deterioration, one of the easiest reads I've had recently! -Twelfth Grade Night by Molly Horton Booth - the original Shakespeare play Twelfth Night was formative for my lesbian realization, and this cute adaptation was so well done and modernized the story in a really fun and fantastical way. -The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz - continues the running theme of girl pretending to be a boy falls for girl, oops. Has a historical and modern twist to it all, very fun and loved the expressions. Do Not skip the author's notes at the end where she talks about what inspired the story, it was a highlight as well! -Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall - Mean Girls meets werewolves -Cosmoknights series by Hannah Templer - princesses, space travel, giant robot fights, this has got it all and some very lovely art to boot! -Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash - one of those comics that perfectly captures what it feels like to be a young girl falling in love with another girl for the first time. It's a little bit emotionally devastating at times in how expertly it expresses and pinpoints those specific feelings.

Part 2 (Books read in 2024)

[nerdysleepybunny]

why hello lovely author :D

it’s the person that asked for the Don with a confident, yet oblivious crush kiss hcs a while ago, and i thought they were so fucking cute <33

if you’re not too busy, and as a part two to those headcanons, i now request some wholesome hcs with Don, like cuddling, dates, forms of affection, who would be the big/little spoon, would he be fine as either, when is he down for cuddling, things like that.

i hope you’re taking care of yourself and remembering to get enough sleep, drink enough water, eating enough food, etc. :D

GIRRRRL YOU SENT THIS ASK LITERALLY LAST YEAR I AM SO SO SORRY 😭🫶🏻

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

Fandom(s): The Promised Neverland

Character(s): Don (ft. Ray, Emma, Norman)

Reader: Gender neutral (they/you)

TW: N/A

Style: Hcs

Summary: general dating hcs with Don <3

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

Honeymoon stage? Nah, this is honeymoon LIFE. Especially since you guys are young, I don’t think he’ll ever get over the excitement of dating you until you guys are older 😭

But then again the show isn’t really about maturing, it’s more about just surviving. So I doubt Don would ever grow up 💀

Maybe in the human world!

But let’s keep it in the house for now ^^

As for cuddles, Don is kind of shy at first.

He wants to keep any physical affection in private, saying he doesn’t want anybody (Gilda) to know and that he has a “reputation” (he does indeed have a reputation… just not the kind he wants 😭)

Later on in the relationship is when he begins to show you off! The mix of knowing you’re in it with him for the long one AND gaining confidence in himself with the help of the fullscore trio, he loses a lot of his shame.

Doesn’t lose an ounce of his stupidity, though. He’ll walk around with you with his arm on your shoulder and showing you off, acting like he’s the big man 😭

I see Don as a cuddle switch. But tbh I don't really see him doing spoon cuddles. I feel like you two would cuddle lying on your sides directly next to each other, face to face, legs tangled and arms wrapped around each other.

Also Don tosses and turns in his sleep, sorry I don't make the rules

If you're a light sleeper you'll wake up to him pushing you away in his sleep so he's completely spread out on the bed and you're about to fall off

If you're a deep sleeper and don't get pushed off the bed by him, you'll just wake up to the both of you in completely different positions than how you started out

Yes, you've seen him on the floor once.

(Would Isabella even allow the children to sleep together?)

(Just saying, if Isabella were to be strict about the children each sleeping in their own beds, you and Don absolutely secretly cuddle together. Might make hcs of secret cuddling with different TPN characters :3)

There isn't much you can do for "dates" in the house..

But Don tries anyway!

Picks flowers for you if you like them

Idk Don seems like the type to enjoy arts and crafts

Arts and crafts date!!! :D

Have y'all seen those tiktoks of people making clay stuff with their partner? Those are the vibes I'm getting

Don sucks ass at making literally anything but he has fun anyway! Especially if you praise his work

Bring the fullscore trio into it and it'll be even more fun

(The trio will in fact tryhard but like in the sweetest way possible? Like you and Don will be pissed but how can you stay mad at those sweethearts)

Emma and Norman would proudly present their picture perfect clay creations and then see your bad ones and be like "oh... it's okay, practice makes perfect!"

I love you guys but please stfu

I wanna say that Ray would say something mean but tbh I don't really see him as the bragging type? Maybe as a joke to close friends, but he wouldn't do it to just anyone. Especially around the other children.

If you have little siblings/cousins and you're both doing something that you're good at, you learn to go easy on them so they don't cry 😭

Anyways back to Don

Likes smooches! I see him prefering skin kisses over lip kisses

A quick peck on the lips is fine, and a good way to fluster him

But a whole make out sesh is ehhh

Y'all are kids, you shouldn't be doing that anyway 😭

Loves loves lovesss kisses all over the face though!

Forehead, nose, cheeks

They make him smile :)

They especially feel good when he's still trying to get over the truth of the secret

He'll remember all of his dead siblings and begin spiraling, but your loving kisses keep him grounded

It reminds him that you're there for him, and gives him a reason to keep going; to not lose you as well

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

Apologies again for the wait! I love your Don asks <3

[cloudninetonine]

Warning ahead of time (Post includes mention of death-- cremation and mortality. So proceed if you want to)

You know, I started to think about that death scene from 'The Player and The Dollmaker" post. It was the part where Time described burying the player and returning their stuff to their mother. That scene got me thinking of how I wouldn't want to be buried in Hyrule. Honestly, I know how breathtaking and fairytale like it can be but that wouldn't change my mind of where I want to die. I feel like that can be intertwined with Player as well. Even if they feel excited to be in one of their favorite video games with legendary heroes, it can start to wane on you. Missing aspects of you normal life and wondering about the changes happening at home start to affect you. Even though we might start to describe the Earth as a bad place, that there wasn't light in the darkness. The people we met, the families we have, and the achievements we have accomplished and will still drive us to live. Besides, it is a bit safer than Hyrule, where Player is always vulnerable to monsters, Dark Link, and even the people. As long as the Player can't fight back, they will have more fear and a higher possibility to die. I feel like it would start to seed into the Player's mind and make them think about their own mortality.

I say that they would take a couple of days just thinking. Whether it would be few or a lot, they start to think about their own (possibly eventual) death. The chain might notice that they aren't talkative at all. They shut down and take every moment to think of each scenario. Hyrule, Wind, and Wild might feel more worried about them than everyone else but there will still be that heaviness of what's causing to change. Hyrule might persuade you to talk about it with him or have small conversations about anything but the Player would be worn off and quiet. Gilda might even stay close to them but Player doesn't pay her any attention. They might not be active at all with Wind and might politely decline any activity he wants to do. In the case that he drags them regardless of what they say, Player just stays motionless and out of touch. Wild might notice that Player doesn't eat as much as they used to, considering that they leave behind food in their bowl. Stuff like this starts to get on everyone's radar but they aren't sure how to resolve it. Even if Player was a lot (talkative, cheerful, funny, slightly optimistic, loving, a riot, determined, wild, and annoying), they brought an atmosphere that made things a little better. I'm sure they have their own private meetings while the Player's sleeping to talk about what's going on. Some of them observed on desolate they are while others observed how they constantly write in a journal with strange symbols and constantly rewrite stuff as if editing it. They decide the best way to approach this situation is to wait for them to talk first.

Later, on a certain day, they decide to speak during the occasional meeting around the fire. They decide to speak once everything important is out of the way.

"There is something I'd like to say"

Everyone might be surprised that they spoke but quiet down anyways. This leaves room for the Player to speak but they appear hesitant with concerned eyes moving towards Wind.

"There might be a chance that I might die during this journey and I want to plan out how I want to be 'buried' ,or in the literal way, conserved."

"You can't be serious""Yeah, we can just heal all of your injuries with a potion or fairy"

They raise their hand to stop the interruption.

"I feel like anything can kill me at any point of this journey. I know that's the thing everyone keeps at the back of their head and fully acknowledge but I can't seem to get the thought that I might be sooner to die than all of you."

Their voice wavers and their eyes become watery. Hyrule and Wild gesture to move closer to comfort them and reassure them that they would rather die than let that happen but Player moves away. They fist their hand and breath in and out.

"I'm not immune to any of your diseases, I'm weaker and very uncoordinated to defend myself against anything or anybody, I'm dumb as a brick, and I'm no use to anybody. I'm just lucky I survived these few instances but, with things get more serious and dangerous, I can't ignore the fact that I will die."

A breeze carries by as no one knows what to say. Therefore, Player continues.

"If my body is intact, I want you to burn me and carry my ashes home. I know that might take a few days off from your journey but I refuse to be buried in any of your Hyrules. It isn't an insult to your homes but I want to die in my home. Give me to my mother and also here"

The rustle of paper catches their attention as the Player hands the note to Time. Warriors and Twilight peek over his shoulder as he sees it but they can't seem to make out what it says.

"It's nothing important. It's just my will-- the shit I have has to go somewhere." They chuckle but the atmosphere is too discouraging to save.

"Money (hardly anything) stays with my mother, toys to younger cousins, consoles go to the older cousins, and everything else will get donated."

They slowly turn away from the group and head towards their bedroll. They stop a few inches away.

"if the case I get controlled or possessed, I want someone to kill me. I don't think I can live with myself if I hurt others in anyway."

As they turn their head slightly, they plant onto Legend.

"Preferably Legend. It would take a lot of weight out of him." With their hands thrown around mockingly, "he can finally end the evil witch that posed a threat to the group from the very beginning. The hero finally ending their reign of terror, cheer for his victory."

Dry laughter comes from them as they stare into his conflicted eyes. "You would want that, wouldn't you?"

No one knew how to respond as they settled into their bed and wished everyone a goodnight. The next day, Player went completely back to how they normally were but the chain still held discussion in the back of their mind.

(Man, I seriously went on a rant with this. But I really couldn't get it out of my head--although I'm not good with integrating the characters into this scenario--I just wanted to share my thoughts with you and everyone else.

I just thought of how important going back home is. With the area Player's in, their death rate is higher than anyone else. I just though that if I wanted to die, I would like to go home fully. It would upset my family but having that closure of being home will help them move on, especially our mother.

But I think that idea of having our preserved ashes addressed an item really got to me. You know how whenever you select or hover over an item, it's name appears normal and sometimes playful. They are presented lively and have unique names that distinguish them from the rest of the items. I imagines one of the boys carrying our ash box and just [NAME] appears. No lively or ridiculous name. Just a morbid box of your friend's ashes in your inventory. Can't imagine the weight of seeing that with the rest of your items. Just being reminded of their failure and constantly carrying that reminder like Atlas carrying the Earth (maybe an exasperation but maybe close to a boulder). It might get to some of them, especially Hyrule, considering how he freaked out in that specific post.

But yeah, I just wanted to share that thought, sorry if it was too much. But I really like your content and I just wanted to give my through on a certain scenario. Thanks for viewing it)

Okay so this hurt A LOT

But God I loved this so much too- it's such a good and real idea too. Hyrule is amazing, Hyrule is beautiful and magical but at the end of the day Hyrule is not Earth. Hyrule is not Player's home. Why would they want to be buried in such a place? It only makes sense to want to be returned home after everything was done.

ALSO THE INVENTROY ASH BOX 😭😭😭😭😭 God just imagine the blank look on the Link's face, yet the complete hurt in his eyes having to carry such a thing

[ninetyminutes]

Hi :) can you please do a blurb of sorts of Lorne/the cast mentoring at the camp?? I can’t imagine the shenanigans they get into 😂

Hi :D

So I’m gonna drop a bunch of little things that I can just imagine happening in the scenario because my adhd won’t let me write a cohesive story rn I hope that’s okay! I’ve also never been to a summer camp so I’m just spitballing here :)

Gilda and Lorne would definitely be doing musical stuff due to their shared love of broadway. Maybe Lorne is actually being confident on stage when he’s mentoring the kids and the other cast members watch him cause it’s very different from what the cast is used to. Maybe Laraine is very artistic and does arts and crafts with kids. They paint and make friendship bracelets and more.

Garrett obviously being really really good at reciting Shakespeare and performing in plays but surprisingly so is John (taking the theater trait from actor Matt Wood's theater background), Danny teaching them about the little pellet guns, Lorne expertly sailing a skiff, Lorne actually deciding to be in the show they're putting on at the end of the week and actually not being bad at all (maybe he sings or something).

Omg what about a bunch of the young kids make friendship bracelets and give them to the cast and especially Lorne. I can just picture his wrists full of them and Chevy would totally tease him for it.

Idk why but John Belushi gives vibes of being surprisingly good at water skiing

Chevy would FOR SURE be teaching tennis. In real life Chevy likes tennis and tennis seems to be a big deal there

Garrett obviously being really really good at reciting Shakespeare and performing in plays but surprisingly so is John (taking the theater trait from actor Matt Wood's theater background)

Danny teaching some of the boys how to shoot the pellet guns or BB guns or whatever they are (I’ve seen pictures from the camp and they have like a mini shooting range).

For some reason I get the vibes of Jane teaching about textiles and sewing and costume making.

Laraine seems very artistic to me for some reason. Like they’d be painting and making jewelry and doing all sorts of arts and crafts.

All the girls, Rosie, Jane, Laraine, and Gilda go paddle boarding. It’s an image I can’t get out of my head.

They would totally try to tip each others canoes or paddle boards or something

Ok but all of them around a campfire singing songs and stuff would be adorable. Chevy would play guitar and there would be s’mores obviously. I feel like Gilda and Danny and John would be really good story tellers.

I can picture Rosie leading hikes and stuff, she just gives off the vibes of confident and independent outdoorsy women who go on hikes idk

Also have these pics from Camp Timberlane’s 1975 photo album

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Hello!! I'm really sorry, but could you do a summary of the Krone and Isabella light novels? I can't find anywhere to read them. thank you so much!!

No need to apologize, happy to help!

I've talked about the contents of the first light novel here. Almost all of it is available either translated in text or via sound dramas with English subtitles. The exception is the "NER in Bird Cages" story, which is only available in English as a summary.

I've provided a general overview of the second light novel here, as well a link to the masterlist of TPN content for the English-speaking fandom. The first half is dedicated to Isabella, and the second half to Krone, though if you've read chapter 181.2, you'll already be familiar with most of it.

If one of the stories is part of the content of a post, I'll usually tag it as light novels, the title of the light novel in question, and the title of the specific story. (e.g., TPN Light Novels + Moms' Song of Remembrance + The Starry Sky and Leslie's List)

Here's all the light novels laid out with their story tags (with the exception of the fourth one because I've only read the half that's translated):

Light Novel 1: A Letter from Norman

• "The Ghost Incidents at Grace Field House" - Norman reminiscences about his earliest memory with Emma and Ray, when they were about three or four, trying to solve the mystery of the spooky occurrences around the house. • "The Day Emma Cried" - Norman recalls an incident when he was about seven and became terribly ill retrieving Emma’s handkerchief during a rainstorm. Thinking he’s on death’s doorstep, with Isabella’s permission (to both appease Emma and test Ray’s loyalty), Emma and Ray go out to find the miracle cure, a white flower that only blooms at night. • "NER in Bird Cages" - Norman muses how he's never seen Ray cry before he remembers the incident where they rescued an injured bird sometime after Emma's ninth birthday. Ray deals with the grief of not being able to save his beloved older sister, Susan, if he wants to save Emma's and Norman's lives. • "A Gift from the 39th Girl" - The Grace Field kids secretly work on putting together a gift for Norman’s eleventh birthday.

Light Novel 2: Moms' Song of Remembrance

• "The Starry Sky and Leslie's List" - Isabella's story where she remembers helping Leslie with a list of goals he set out to accomplish over the course of two days before he's shipped out. She also reflects on her relationships with Ray and Sarah. • "Searching for the Skies of Freedom" - Krone's story; chapter 181.2 is a retelling of this.

Light Novel 3: Records of Comrades

• "Two Paths" - The story of how Lucas and Yuugo's group acquired the tea set we see Yuugo with in the bunker, interspersed with scenes of Lucas interacting with Emma and Yuugo interacting with Ray during the present timeline. • "Two Wills" - Gillian and Nigel's story of their earlier days at Goldy Pond when they both lost their sisters, Lala and Emilia. • "Two Destinies" - The story of how Mujika and Sonju met and how Leuvis inadvertently ended the farm system and thousand-year promise because he was bored.

Light Novel 4: Films of Memories

• "The Days to Celebrate" • "Operation Stormy Night" - The Grace Field children reminiscence about the night their older siblings helped them feel safe during a particularly bad storm. • "Ray and Conny" - The Grace Field kids are telling Emma about their life at Grace Field house when Conny comes up. Ray recalls to himself how he helped three-year-old Conny adjust to sleeping in the larger shared bedrooms with some indirect help from Susan. It's a story only he and Norman know now. • "The Chess Proverb" - Ray teaches Norman how to play chess, and Emma and Norman join in a match with Ray against Isabella. Serves as a metaphor for how each of them approaches a problem and how they balance each other out when they work together. • "Don and Gilda" • "The Guiding Star" - The story that explains how the trio got on the roof for the chapter 119 cover art and the comfort they each draw from the stars.

Finally, here's my general tag navigation page that's hopefully accessible on mobile as well as desktop.

[technikki]

YOU WERE RECOMMENDED TO ME 🗣️‼️‼️

DON HEADCANONS PLS? THANK YOU SM 💫

OHH HELL YEAH I LOVE THAT I AM SEEN AS A GOOD SOURCE FOR DON HCS. i love him soo much no youdont even UNDERSTAAAAND how many thoughts i have. about don <3

these might be a bit all over the place bc im just typing them as they come to me but thats okay <3 also this got long. to no ones surprise

autism+adhd KING. he can pick a topic he's passionate about and just ramble on for hours. he can't sit still to save his life and is always tapping his feet or fidgeting with his hands in some way. basically he's 'if i stop moving at any point i die' and he's everything. to me

he's got poor volume control too, and often talks really loud without realizing it (projection <3)

definitely has some anxiety, and gets startled pretty easily. this is mostly based off the light novel chapter where he does this, but ray has gotten used to don instinctively clinging to him like a lost puppy

the most physically affectionate person you will ever meet. the gracefield kids unanimously agree that he gives the best hugs

BISEXUAL TBOY SWAG !!!!!!!!!!!!!

emma had the honor of giving don his first haircut after coming out, which was re-cut by isabella very shortly after

post-timeskip he wears a little bunny patch that the younger kids made for him with gillian's help. he always wears it right over his heart <3

speaking of which, he absolutely adores bunnies because they remind him of conny. probably owns several articles of clothing with bunnies on them and an army of bunny plushies. he wears bunny slippers at night <3

before coming out, him and conny both wore their hair in pigtails

i like to think olivia was like a big sister figure to him much like susan was to the trio, the very few bits of olivia characterization we get in light novels just make me think they'd get along <3 ithink michelle had a similar relationship with gilda and maybe anna as well

him and emma are BEST FRIENDS their dynamic is so fun to think about. they spend their time doing wild and sometimes dangerous shit just for fun and also coming up with new creative ways to mess with ray

norman+don friendly rivalry is soo real to me even if don is probably more into it than norman. post-canon he WILL finally beat norman in tag if its the last thing he does

has had a crush on ray for basically forever. him and conny picked a bunch of flowers in the forest for him one time but don was too nervous to ever actually give them to him

his and conny's beds at gracefield were right next to each other and sometimes conny would get up and crawl into his bed when she got scared at night <3

WOLFPACK TRIO BESTEST TRIO EVER ithink they have sleepovers a lot. ayshe's dogs love him more than anyone besides ayshe herself, and they tend to just sort of. dogpile on him. he's completely okay with it

tbh i think he would just really love animals in general. bunnies are of course his favorite but he will befriend any creature he can get close enough to

at like 18/19 him, gilda, ray, norman, and emma all get matching little bunny tattoos. may or may not have stolen this idea from the main kids' flapjack tattoos in toh <3

[marvelandponder]

“She labelled each one accordingly: Eros, Ludas, Meraki, Philautia, Philia, Storge, and Pragma.”

Okay I'm going to guess who matches what. This seems like a very specific order so I'm going to match them with The Ex Files in the order that they're going to be released! I'm very unsure about the first two but they made more sense as I went down the list.

Sunset - Eros obviously

Solstice - Ludas (hedonism and casual sex…I'm not completely sure about the difference between Eros and Ludas? I guess Ludas is fun while Eros (the story) has been kind of angst-y so far…of course Solstice's story will have angst too I'm sure. Ludas shares many qualities with Eros, but it’s not limited to physical or sexual relationships…Solstice having fun in college maybe? Partying or something lol? I don't know I'm lost here, I thought that Solstice would be Agape because of its connection to Christianity! And The Ex Files playlist has a lot of Christian songs for him)

Twilight - Meraki (creative endeavors and just passion in general…I'd say that coming up with inventions is pretty creative. Twilight’s inventions going from being the only thing that made her happy at Crystal Prep to a metaphor for her romantic relationship with Sunset? Twilight’s discomfort with romance for most of her life, but she still had love for her inventions?)

Rarity - Philautia (Self-love! Accepting herself for who she is! Becoming less beholden to traditional values like being feminine, that's my girl)

Wallflower - Philia (Friendship! Her story will be about Wallflower becoming friends with Juniper, probably)

Timber - Storge (Family!!!!!!!! Timber finding his family in the Rainbooms! His story will probably include what he remembers about his parents too...)

Flash - Pragma (Duty, the behind-the-scenes work that no one notices but is the most important part of a relationship…yeah that suits my boy perfectly. Pragma can save any relationship (friends or lovers or everything in between) so Flash is going to be reconnecting with Sunset as friends after they broke up!!!!!!)

Oooooo!!! A fun game!!!

I won't spoil the answers but I can say you got some pretty bang-on, and some were great ideas but totally different than what the stories ended up being about (or, which kind of love that character's story will explore)! Some you got close to, but the story includes more than you guessed!

I can also say that The Ex Files playlist you're talking about is out of date, and I created private solo playlists for each story after a while (some songs transferred over, some didn't).

In terms of kinds of love I left out, I think there's at least two big ones that could've been interesting and were considered early on.

Agape is often thought of as, like, the love of god for humans and humans for god. Tons of spiritual or religious ties, like you said, but also the love of all. Common humanity. If I were writing a story in this universe for agape, I'd probably go with the latter interpretation. Unless I wanted to lean into the idea of alicorns being godlike, with Princess Celestia. Could've been fun to do a Princess Celestia story to see her relationship with Sunset from the other perspective!

And then there's Mania. Mania is like an obsessive love. Intense feelings of jealousy, fears of abandonment, and pure obsessions. Big problem here is that I feel like the most possessive, jealous character in the bunch is Sunset and she's already got her own story lol

Maybe I could've done something fun with rival characters obsessing over each other - maybe Rainbow wanting to win so badly she and Lightning Dust or Gilda have a rivalry? IDK, I feel like whoever would have got this one would have gone demon. It just feels right.

[thoughtfulfangirling]

With October just about to a close, I feel like talking about the books I read over the month as I didn't have a particularly great time. It wasn't that the books were bad, they just weren't the kind of horror I was looking for, for October reads. If I wasn't reading them for the horror thrill, then I would like them very much and did enjoy quite a bit, but it wasn't hitting the itch hardly at all that I was looking to scratch this month.

Again! This doesn't mean these books are bad! And that's particularly why I want to talk about them, because it's super fascinating to me that I can simultaneously see how they are correctly categorized as horror (well… from my perspective which is not super literate in the horror genre) and yet not invoke that thrill of books like say even The Coldest Girl in Cold Town or something as perfectly horror as A Winter Haunting (none of what I read will be gore heavy if I can help it XD)

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez Okay, this is one that I think should have been just fantasy and not horror at all. It's a book about vampires. They feed on humans, but they don't kill them. Rather, the ones we follow don't. I think the last chapter could work as horror, but it didn't like, build up to the last chapter over time in a way that I think lets the rest of the book qualify as horror when it's just a book about a vampire going through the ages. I very much liked this book! I quite enjoyed a book that was about a vampire that read a lot like just a sort of, domestic going about life story. I mean, it's obviously not just like that, but a lot of it kind of is. Managing relationships, who we let in, how we keep growing, when we trust ourselves and grow in that trust, etc. I very much enjoyed, but I actually think this would make a better Spring book.

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould This worked for me! Not all of them failed to scratch the itch, and this was one of those. It is a young adult, which means that it didn't go as dark as other horror will, but it had a very good build of tension and mystery around scary supernatural stuff that had the protagonists feeling out of their depth and even, on occassion, clawing at each other (not literallly) in their distress at not being able to make sense of what is happening. Very good. Very spoopy.

Haunted Wisconsin by Beth Scott & Michael Norman I wanted to read this in October, and I'm glad I did. I never expect any sort of real thrill from nonfiction. It's a compilation of ghost stories, and as someone who enjoys ghost stories but has never been able to place myself in the feelings of real ghost presence (aka I don't have that sense of belief in ghosts which does NOT mean I do not believe others' experiences. I can't force myself to believe shit.) So there's no regret here, and they were very interesting, but no real horror thrill. If more of my fiction books had managed that aspect, it would be a disappointment to me at all that I spent so much time on this book.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris Only the last like, chapter or two felt like I was reading a horror book. I did go in knowing that it would go in that direction, and it did properly build to it by the end where it tracked and felt pretty earned, but if I hadn't known, I could have missed a lot of what makes this book a thriller/horror. There was a lot of anxiety but not so much thrill. I also don't think the ending works well without looking at it through a horror lens, so I do think it's properly placed in the genre, but for about 90% of the book, it didn't Feel horror.

The Ruins by Scott Smith Yeah this one was horror. Thru and thru. Hahaha. It was a summer horror though, which was a little sad to me. In some books that aren't seasonal, I can still sort of picture it taking place during the season in which I'm reading it, but this took place primarily outside in hot, humid heat. No pretending that's taking place in any sort of autumn XD

Fledgling by Octavia Butler This one also falls into a similar situation for me as The Gilda Stories. It read more like a fantasy featuring vampires. It had more horror elements than The Gilda Stories, particularly thru the first two thirds of the book. But the last section was a trial (which was really interesting! And I enjoyed reading very much!) And that just didn't feel horror. I see why it's in the genre, and enough horror-like stuff happens that it seems it deserves it, but it didn't do much to give me that horror thrill. Very good read! Wish I'd have read it a different time of the year.

Vampire Forensics by Mark Collins Jenkins This is in the same category as Haunted Wisconsin almost down to a T. This had a little bit more going for it due to talking at length about decomposition and the way people reacted to corpses when decomposition wasn't thoroughly understood. There's something grotesque but also uncannily relatable about how people would react to the viscera they would see during the decomp process.

The Vampyre; A Tale by John Polidori Victorian novella? Okay this was pretty good with setting a gothic eerie atmosphere… at times. But it was such a short story that only really small sections could be put in those settings. Still, a good October read!

Sorrowland by Rivers Soloman I am 81% through this. This has more horror in it than Fledgling or Gilda Stories, but reads also very similiarly. Things will be mundane, and then they'll be horror! Then things will be mundane (in terms of horror stuff) for a while, and then it's horrorish again! I also fully realize it's required for the story that's being told, but they stripped the mystery away a little too much for it to have that really horror thrill instead of the sort of fantasy quest feeling. The fact that we're only seeing the horror happen to one person and we understand why and how it's happening strips a lot of the thrill away even while it definitely has strong horror elements. I suppose it could go harder from here on out, but it's ramping up to feel much more like a revenge quest from here and while that can be scary, one of the hallmarks imo to horror is the lack of ability to do anything about the horror (until perhaps like the last moment or in a very intangible way) and that just doesn't feel especially present here (unless we're talking like on systemic levels but that kind of circles right around to the fantasy/sci-fi genre WHICH ARE GOOD GENRES but yeah)

The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy Listening to this on the It Will Happen Here podcast with the spouse (he's a huge fan of the Robert Evans podcasts) and that is absolutely hitting the spots. Uliksi is a fantastic monster, and Danielle is so perfectly out of her depth both in terms of what is happening with him and in terms of his history/the community that summoned him. Excited to finish this up.

This is Halloween by James Moore. A++ This is perfect. Chef's Kiss. I'm glad I'll be finishing up the month with this. I am 73% through this one. It's a series of short stories with an emphasis of occurring during October/Autumn and it's just fingerlicking good as that's EXACTLY what I love most to read this time of year. I could read a whole novel(la) about the Beldam Woods creatures. So far he did three stories in that universe or whatever, and they all super hit the spot for me. Those monsters were so neat and yet different and just yeah. Big fan.

Some of these will eventually get added to my spoopy reading list, but definitely not all of them. Not because they're not horror, but because I just don't know that I really recommend them for the season. Ah well.

[finxwrites]

Trees are a lot like people. Each one’s got a life’s tale that matches no other, full of private joys and more private sorrows, borne on the currents of time and change and just trying to keep afloat. Also like people, most of them are common as pixie dust, and it’s a rare specimen indeed that truly stands out from the crowd.

Goldilocks’ sulking tree could claim that distinction. It was a grand old oak as broad as it was tall, with craggy, moss-covered branches that sprawled possessively over the patch of forest it presided over. Gilda led me right up to the base of it, and I felt the damndest urge to tip my hat as we approached.

After a bit of an internal struggle, I gave in. I’ve got my pride, but I’ve got my sense, too, and it pays to be polite when you can. Even to something with no eyes to see it. 

Oak trees are self-sufficient creatures, and they like their space. The forest floor is always dark under the awning of their branches, brown with the tree’s own fallen leaves, with only a few guests sharing its shade and nothing at all growing within arm’s reach of the trunk itself. The paw print Gilda showed me was right up in that no-man’s-land, a deep divot in the soft loam. 

It was definitely large. It was definitely some kind of footprint. It was not so definitely a paw print, but one look at Gilda was enough to tell me it’d be a waste of time pointing that out. 

“You see?” she said, arms folded, an imperious glint in her eye. “It has to be the Bears.”

I hummed, and scribbled down some nonsense in my notebook just to satisfy her. Then I took a turn around the tree, eyes on the ground. “You said your sister comes here a lot?”

Gilda huffed. “Used to be more. Every few days, whenever she got in one of her moods. These days she’s more likely to go crying to that useless lout Jack.”

There were no other obvious disturbances in the leaf litter. I took another turn, this time casting my gaze a little higher. “What makes you so sure she ran off here after your fight, then, and not into his loving arms?”

“I told you, I spoke to Jack. He hadn’t seen her.”

I stopped to peer at a particularly interesting burl on the tree trunk. “And you’re sure he wouldn’t lie to you?”

Gilda was silent a moment. When she spoke, the words came out bitter as a witch’s apples. “He does…care about her. She’s been missing for six days. If he knew anything, he’d have told me by now.”

“Unless Goldina swore him to silence.”

Gilda scoffed. “He doesn’t have the spine for oaths.” She came around to where I was still inspecting the tree burl. “Look, Detective—”

“Is your sister in good with the trees?” I interrupted.

I glanced over in time to see suspicion flash across her face, there and gone as quick as a gingerbread man. She replaced it with polite incomprehension, but I just tipped my head and raised my eyebrows, waiting. 

She kept me waiting a while. Gilda was not the kind of dame to lose a staring contest. But then, neither was I. 

It left us at a bit of an impasse. She finally said, dry as a djinni lamp, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

I couldn’t have held back the smirk at that if I’d tried. I do love a dame with the moxie to tell a blatant lie without a scrap of guilt. 

She wasn’t going to budge any further than that, either. And I had a case to crack. “Well,” I said, “I’d appreciate it if you applied some of that same selective ignorance to what you’re about to see.”

She frowned, but before she could ask, I leaned in close to the tree burl and whispered a request.

It doesn’t take a lot to befriend a tree. Most of what it takes is patience. The rest of it—the real trick of it—is in learning how to understand that tree, and make yourself understood in turn. Different people have got different ways. Me, I helped a grove of dryads hunt down an arsonist some years back, and then they went and stiffed me on my pay. I learned an important lesson, and now I always get half my fee upfront, no matter how harsh the sob story. But I learned something else, too. Because instead of gold, the dryads gave me the Blessing of the Leaves.

It’s been far more of a boon to me than the gold would have been, I have to admit. That’s why I only demand half up front—there’s a lot to be said for getting paid in favors, in a place like the Enchanted Wood, so long as I get enough hard cash to keep the lights on.

The Blessing of the Leaves is what let me befriend the trees near my office. Trees love to gossip, it turns out, and if there’s one thing a private detective has in spades, it’s gossip. They tell me all the best rumors, and in exchange, I go track down the truth of them when I can.

Being in good with the trees isn’t any sort of magic power. Not for me, at least. All it means is the trees like me well enough, so they’re apt to do me favors when I ask, long as I do the same for them.

And as luck would have it, this old oak had heard of me, and was in an accommodating sort of mood. So at my whispered query, the gnarled burl cracked along a dozen fault lines, and then it shivered and unfurled like an opening flower.

The space it revealed was almost as wide across as the tree trunk itself. The walls were perfectly smooth and followed the shape of the tree, vanishing off into shadowed recesses where branches forked off the trunk. Diffuse sunlight glowed from a dozen openings high above, no doubt hidden from outside view by careful ridges of bark. It wasn’t a particularly large room, but it was cozy, and someone had installed a battered old armchair with a generous stack of cushions, a reading lamp, a tiny table, and a cramped little bookshelf. There was just barely room for it all. 

Hollow-heart trees are rare things. This was only my second time meeting one. No one knows how they’re formed, or if they do, they’re not telling. The space at the center of one is hidden from all manner of scrying, and there’s no way to get in or out except by the tree’s own leave. 

I watched Gilda out of the corner of my eye as the oak tree opened up. Her eyes went wide, her mouth fell slightly open, her whole face went slack—she was as sincerely gobsmacked as Cinderella's family watching her try on that shoe. 

Something else pinched her face. Hurt, I thought, and maybe anger. “Little sister’s got some secrets, huh?”

She shot me a dirty look for that. “So it would seem.”

I canted a grin at her. “Let’s go find out what they were.”

strange & grimm, which btw sounds like an urban fantasy affectionately parodic hardboiled detective agency. probably queer.

It was a hot, muggy night in the Enchanted Forest. Everyone with a lick of sense was down in the fairy glens, hoping the Winter Court would put in an appearance and bring a breeze on with them. Lucky me, I’m the sucker who fingered the Snow Queen for the missing persons case last winter, so I’m persona non grata in the fairy glens these days.

Just as well. I couldn’t afford to leave the office, not when it’d been so long since my last case. Though on a night like this, I might as well not bother. It was too hot for crime. Even the leaves on the enchanted trees were drooping in the heat. 

I was just about to call it a night when a dame walked in my door. Tall, blonde, legs for days, with an air of tragedy that could put an unloved stepchild to shame. I looked her over suspiciously for any cheery woodland creatures hidden in her golden ringlets. If she was a princess, I’d turf her right back out of the office, case unheard. Princesses paid well, but they were more trouble than they were worth.

No mice poked their adorable little noses out of her pockets as the dame sank into a chair and fixed me with a hard look. “I hear you’re the best in the business,” she said without preamble. “And I need the best.”

I leaned back in my seat. “Baby, I’m the only one in the business. It’s not a good genre for private dicks.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, far too child-friendly for any sort of dicks.” Before I could recover from that little gem, she went on, “It’s a child I’m here about. My sister. She’s…she’s gone missing.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “Please, Detective, you’re my last hope. The royal courts won’t hear me out, they think she’s gone on the lam!”

I nodded grimly. “One of those Bo Peep situations, huh?” I get a depressing number of those. All it takes is one wolf in sheep’s clothing—you’d think the kids would learn.

The dame glared. There was enough cold iron in her gaze to put a fairy off her ambrosia. “On the lam, Detective. On the run. My sister has…something of a record.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Your sister the child? She some kind of crime prodigy?”

The dame fidgeted, looking away. “She’s…” She sighed explosively. “My sister is Goldilocks.”

I whistled, low and long. Crime prodigy indeed—Goldilocks was wanted in five kingdoms for the most impressive string of burglaries the Enchanted Forest had ever seen. No one could ever prove she’d done it, but the circumstantial evidence had piled up higher than mattresses on a pea. No wonder no royal court would take this case.

The dame’s shoulders hunched defensively, but she bulled on without trying to defend her wayward sister. “She’s gone missing, and I know it’s not another one of her sprees. Something is wrong this time.” She turned back to meet my eyes, her lovely features harsh with poorly-suppressed fear. “It’s her first crime come back to haunt her, I just know it is. They’ve always wanted revenge—especially the baby of the family, and he’s all grown up now. What they’d do if they got hold of her—“ She cut herself off with a watery gasp; her eyes were wet with tears. “Oh, it doesn’t bear thinking about!”

I handed her a handkerchief and gave her a minute to compose herself. It gave me a minute, too, to decide if I was really going to be this stupid. You don’t tangle with the big predators, not if you know what’s good for you, and especially not a whole family of them. Families are a dangerous thing in any genre.

But I was her last hope, and I’m a sucker for lost causes. And if I didn’t get paid soon, this business would become a lost cause itself. I said a silent farewell to my good sense as it packed its bags and left for kinder climes. “Alright,” I told the dame, “Give me the facts. We’ll see what kind of a story they tell.”

[ziracona]

I made a playlist for Big Bad Harve and Harvey, but specifically the film The Long Halloween ones.

[inamindfarfaraway]

If we can’t have Batfamily movies and all Batman movies must be set in the early years before Robin, at least let us have one about the Gotham Justice Triumvirate. With Harvey Dent in the central role. Here’s my pitch:

Badass DA and wonderful person Harvey.

Harvey and Jim Gordon and Batman’s friendship. Jim and Harvey are friends! They’re two normal humans hanging out with a vigilante/living shadow cryptid who has no concept of normal human interaction! Think of the in-jokes they must have! Near the beginning, after Batman pulls his trademark disappearing act on them Harvey asks if Jim thinks he’ll ever say goodbye to them. Jim’s reply is some form of “when hell freezes over”, maybe even “Yeah - when he’s seeing you off to Arkham and me to Blackgate.” They laugh.

Harvey and Bruce Wayne’s friendship.

The fun and dramatic irony of writing Bruce and Batman as completely separate characters.

Depending on the timeline, possibly a cameo of newly fostered little Dick Grayson! To whom Harvey is like an uncle.

Gilda’s character being fleshed out. Exploring her side of the marriage and views on her husband’s career and mental decline and alliance with the Bat.

Harvey and Gilda’s relationship. And her and Two-Face’s relationship! He doesn’t care for Bruce, but he does love her equally while she apparently doesn’t even know he exists prior to him killing people. That’s an interesting dynamic.

Mafia intrigue and drama as the heroic trio finally bring down the previously untouchable Maroni empire.

Judicial, political and police force intrigue and drama as Harvey and to a less examined extent Jim fight to preserve their moral integrity in and reform their deeply corrupt institutions.

“For Gotham” is a key phrase, and may be the title. It’s said by each member of the triumvirate at different points when demonstrating or discussing how far they’re willing to go and how much hope they have for their city and its people.

Accurate, in-depth DID representation with Harvey and his protector alter not yet named Two-Face, who, reasserting himself after years if not decades of repression, resentment and ingratitude by the person he’s only ever wanted to protect slowly grows into a persecutor. Now Harvey’s wary, dismissive treatment of him is very understandable because of how terrifying DID can make life when you don’t understand it/your alter(s), and the need for control and excessive responsibility his childhood of abuse and neglect has cemented in him. But it’s still damaging. Other than lash out sometimes at people making Harvey feel threatened (Pre-)Two-Face hasn’t really done anything wrong before the events of the movie. They’re two sides of the same badly scarred coin each just trying to survive and make sense of their pain, equally sympathetic and valid… at least at the start. An element of the tragedy is that Two-Face could have healed and been a true friend to Harvey, if different choices were made and different chances were given. But the pressure of the Maroni case, a lifetime of unresolved trauma and post-traumatic stress from their father and each other, some plain bad luck and some mistakes lead to him becoming another abuser and a supervillain besides.

Music! Harvey has a theme, Two-Face has a theme. They hit opposite beats and parallel each other a lot yet never quite harmonize well. The coin (and the destruction and despair it represents) has a leitmotif that slowly rises to prominence in both. This motif is also associated with Christopher Dent. Harvey and Gilda have a love theme. Bruce and Batman have distinct themes that complement each other perfectly when played together, and when Bruce’s emotions shine through in Batman or Batman’s grimness peeks out of Bruce elements from the other piece are mixed in. The concept that Gotham’s ‘soul’ can be saved and humanity is worth fighting for has an uplifting theme, the main theme of movie and an antithesis to the coin’s, that has sections and elements woven into each member of the triumvirate’s themes and is repeatedly reprised in different tones.

Harvey’s external plot is making Gotham a better place, specifically via dismantling the Maroni crime family. The structure of most of the movie builds up to the climax of the trial of Salvatore Maroni himself. Maybe there are even recurring shots of Harvey’s calendar with an increasing number of days crossed out, to really drive the countdown home. To the main characters, it’s a beacon of confidence; a chance to prove law, and law for the good of the people, does hold power in Gotham, to send a message to everyone that things can and will get better. Nothing (and no one) is beyond redemption. To the audience, it’s a doomsday for Harvey we’re helpless to stop that taints every victory and happy moment on the path toward it.

His internal plot is grappling with his severe psychological issues rooted in his nightmarish childhood. He goes to therapy, he’s in a good place right before the start. But the first scene is… rough.

He visits his alcoholic father Christopher in the cheap hotel Chris, reduced to a pathetic old man, is staying in. Though he still calls him Dad and wants to try to reconcile, it’s clear he understands his regular, brutal beatings and otherwise generally neglectful parenting style (at least half the time) were wrong and he’s uncomfortable and tense. Chris solemnly presents him with a coin. The coin he would flip every night to ‘decide’ to beat him or not, which always, always came up heads for punishment. He said it was fair and that paradigm - that that his desires and actions don’t matter, he was just always bad inside and always deserves to suffer, in short that Harvey’s fate isn’t in his control - shaped the system’s entire personalities and worldviews, Harvey striving to prove it wrong and over years of bearing trauma and triggering experiences, his much more cynical protector internalizing it. With trembling fingers Harvey picks up the coin and looks at both sides. Two heads. The music cuts out. Dolly zoom on him that makes the room appear to close in around him, as a boy’s pleas, cries and screams of agony echo and he dissociates. Two-Face, who always acknowledged the flip was rigged, switches in. He smiles ruefully and says in a calm, quiet voice, “I understand.” Then he lunges to his feet, punches Christopher to the ground, grabs him by the throat and slams him against the wall, right fist raised to strike. He is now anything but calm. “Why? Why did you do it? Not the beating, that was just because you’re a sick bastard and took your anger out on the person least able to do anything about it. But why use the coin, why make it a game? Why lie? To shift responsibility even more? Just for fun? Tell me! Why would you bother to put a little spark of hope into your son’s eyes only to crush it? Answer me!” Instead of answering, Chris notes he’s bleeding; his right fist is closed so tight his fingernails have punctured his skin and the coin inside it is cutting into his palm. The shock of seeing that damn coin literally, physically hurting him brings tears to Two-Face’s eyes. He looks back up at his father, full of only raw grief and sadness for himself and his alter. His voice breaks. “Why, Dad? Did you really… not feel anything good when you looked at me?” “Did you really believe every time?” is all his father can say. Two-Face’s expression hardens, his fists clench again and he squares his shoulders. “Only half of me did. Goodbye, Christopher,” he says bitterly. The second he slams the door his facade of strength crumbles. He falls to his knees, sobbing and heavily dissociating. Cradling his head in his hands and raking them through his hair smears blood on and in the right half of his face and hair. Cue title card!

So yeah, there are only a couple of months between that day and the Maroni trial. He can’t bring himself to throw away the coin despite knowing he probably should. Gilda can’t understand why and urges him to leave it behind. He says it’s “too important” and “a reminder”, although of what, he can’t verbalize. The coin eventually ends up being habitually fidgeted with and kept on his person like a lucky charm. He’s trying to ‘redeem’ his trauma, turn it into something good, by drawing on it to motivate him to fight for justice, but the coin in practice is just a trigger. His PTSD, guilt complex and self-worth and control issues are dragged to the forefront and he dissociates more frequently. He falls further and further into obsessive workaholism. Loses sleep. Misses therapy sessions. All that matters is giving the absolute most he can to his city. Rest can wait, quality time with his wife and friends can wait, Harvey Dent the person can wait until the case is closed. Until after the trial. Everything will be better after The Trial.

The Trial happens. Everything is not better.

Maroni unscrewing his flask occurs in the background of the shot out of focus. When the acid is thrown, it sprays through the air in slow motion. We see Harvey and the witnesses’ (including Gilda and Bruce) shock transitioning to panic and horror as he flinches away too slowly, the coin in his hand flung into midair revolution and a wayward drop of acid approaching it. With a last close-up on his wide left eye reflecting Maroni’s smirk, cut to black. The most tortured screams you can imagine ring in our ears. No music in any of this.

Harvey and Two-Face’s mental health sinks to rock bottom during their hospital stay. Gilda, Bruce and Jim’s visits comfort Harvey little, especially since Batman duty calls Bruce away at a critical point (remember, nowhere in the script does it say Bruce is Batman). They’re given the coin back and discuss that life isn’t fair, but it should be… if they played their dad’s game now, it would be fair. All that work, all the blood and sweat and tears Harvey put into Gotham and this is how Gotham thanks him. He was never going to change things. Not playing by the rules of a rigged game, at least. It was never up to him. He never had it in him to be good, to be someone not worthy of punishment, let alone to improve other people’s lives. Flipping the coin, Harvey whispers with shattered eyes, “I understand.” Of course, seeing their scars is the last straw. Two-Face switches in, literally locking an anxious Harvey in a dark repressed chamber in their inner world to stop him getting in his way, and escapes hospital. Gilda, on her way to his room, begs him to stop and he hesitates but, genuinely sorrowful, decides his quest for justice takes precedence and runs into the stormy night, the shadows and rain obscuring his trail. She calls him, phone in a death grip. Fade out to its continual ringing.

This might be too weird and artsy but what if from the Fuck My Life I’m Listening To A Coin Now toxic epiphany onward, the shot composition is roughly pretty much symmetrical? Within shots or with shots mirroring each other. Not perfectly, obviously, but like. Rewind looking for it and it’s there.

The penultimate scene is another rooftop rendezvous and this time Harvey isn’t present; we and his friends feel his absence. Batman regretfully tells Jim and shows him footage of a new criminal taking the underworld by storm: the fledgling Two-Face. Jim is first disbelieving, then devastated and turns his back so Batman won’t see him cry. He angrily tells Batman not to comfort him, and to leave now that he’s given him the shitty news, because that’s all he ever does for him. We pull back to show Batman is staying, pained, guilty and truly having no idea how to proceed. Jim assumes he’s already silently vanished. Once he collects himself and goes inside to inform his subordinates, Batman lingers in front of the Batsignal where they took their shared vow. “Goodbye, Harvey,” he says softly.

The epilogue is Two-Face’s confrontation with Maroni. Several months later, the Mafia don’s out of prison already thanks to the, again, incredibly corrupt legal system. Two-Face acts venomously calm and civil while holding him at gunpoint. He remarks how long and hard Harvey worked just to bring Maroni to court, and how now with some broken laws and spilt blood here Maroni is in front of him in a fraction of the time. Helpless, like he was in that courtroom. He explains his “fair” game to kill him or not in a speech clearly quoted from Christopher, shows him both sides of the coin, tosses it and stares at the unseen outcome in his hand. “Lucky,” he announces, making Maroni slightly relax - a little spark of hope put into his eyes, you could say. Suddenly Two-Face shoots him twice in the heart. “For Gotham, not you.” Harvey switches in (implicitly his alter’s guilt is a positive trigger for him as his anger is for Two-Face) to find his alter has committed murder, with a smoking gun in his right hand and flecks of blood on that hand and his suit. He staggers back in horror and drops the gun and coin. A pang of practically physical pain interrupts his calling Jim to turn himself in, because he can’t choose that, can he? He falls to his knees. With trembling fingers he picks up the coin and, pleading under his breath to just have this one chance, flips it. It comes up scarred. Two-Face resumes control. He smashes the phone under his heel and stands. The final shot is him walking purposefully toward the camera so it zooms in on the vertical divide of his suit jacket.

[annachum]

Oh yes yes! I love all the operas you just mentioned ( with some of them have issues, but still )! And I generally agree with the stuff about them you mentioned!

One thing tho - all these operas are created around 18th/19th century ( I have to check the date of composing ), so, yeah, those plots are.....a bit dated. But you can't deny the musical feats in those operas

And yes, Gilda does deserve better. Marguerite aka Gretchen too. Even tho they start off as being woefully naive 16 year old girls who grew up educated in a convent school in 16th century ( one in Mantua the other in Wittenberg ), but still.

About the Magic Flute, I like the whole general concept, but some things can be changed. Have you seen the whole Stolas drama in Helluva Boss? That is an AMAZING adaptation of the Magic Flute. And srsly, Stolas and Octavia deserve better ( fuck you, STELLA )

And YES YES about the Figaro and Susanna being kinda like Loki x Sigyn ( Norse Myths ). YES INDEED I TOTES AGREE, with Figaro being a mischief maker but can be a good friend if you are worthy to him, and Susanna being a sweetheart and girlboss who tries her best to make sense of situations. Bless.

Also FYI in the Olden Days, there are a number of cases of younger women WILLINGLY date and/or marry older men isn't so uncommon. The main issue with the creepy Mantua count/Gilda in Rigoletto ( with a 20 year age gap, around ) and Phantom/Christine ( UGH ) ( with a 25 year age gap ) isn't really their age gap, it's the fact that the Mantua Count and Phantom ARE TOTAL PSYCHO CREEPS and Gilda and Christine DESERVE BETTWR ( THANK FUCK CHRISTINE AND RAOUL GOT TO LIVE A HAPPY LIFE IN STOCKHOLM AND ALL, LOVE NEVER DIES AINT CANON )

' But Julius Caesar is a whooping 31 years older than Cleo VII?! ' some may say.

And?! From what I heard so far AT LEAST Caesar isn't being a psycho creep to Cleo VII and she was NATURALLY DRAWN TO HIM GRADUALLY. They defo start off as allies yet it grew to something more. FYI Lepidus ( one of Caesar's generals who became a Triumvir in the Second Triumvirate Era ) is ( from what I heard ) around 18 years older than his wife Junia Secunda, and they are doting and loving to each other, bless.

Ofc even back then, most ladies won't choose someone old enough to be their GRANDPAS ( I mean, duh ).

And srsly Marguerite deserves better. I know she starts off as woefully naive and shit. BUT STILL. May she rest in peace in Heaven

One other pair that reminds me of Loki x Sigyn ( Norse Myths ) in some ways - Peer x Solveig ( Peer Gynt ). As a young lad Peer Gynt is a mischievous yet brave fella who likes to play usually harmless pranks, yet his maturity is explored once he meets Solveig, a beautiful and brave volva from a volva family who just moved into that Viking village in Norway. One event after another, and Peer and Solveig eventually lived together in the woods where I HC they have 1 or 2 children together. And then Peer got lost in the midst of a Viking raid in North Africa and TOOK 20 YEARS TO RETURN. And Solveig didn't just twiddle her thumbs either, she NEVER STOPS LOOKINY FOR PEER IN ANY WAY SHE CAN AND BECOMES A SEERESS OF THAT VIKING TRIBE. When Peer finally returns....man, emotional reunion ensues.

Srsly Juliet ( Romeo and Juliet ), Marguerite, Micaela, Ophelia ( Hamlet ), Gilda defo be part of a ' screwed over by men who don't deserve them club '. I can totes see it.

Also edit : I long have this HC that Micaela's DAD is a cavalry general in Seville. TYPO MISTAKE. APOLOGIES

I've actually come to accept that Sigyn may only appear as a minor character on screen eventually, or even not appear at all on screen, in MCU

But then again, Larry MAY be a male Sigyn variant

We can only hope

Also

I did say that I would love for Anne Hathaway to play MCU! Sigyn

But I'd also love a ' POC ' actress to play MCU! Sigyn too

IDK

[yamuyamswirl]

ᵀʰᵉ ⁿᵘᵐᵇᵉʳᵉᵈ ʰᵉʳᵒ || ᵀʰᵉ ᴾʳᵒᵐⁱˢᵉᵈ ᴺᵉᵛᵉʳˡᵃⁿᵈ ˣ ᴿᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ ˣ ᴮᴺᴴᴬ

Chapter 1: 「121045」

"Hi" - speech

'Hi' - thoughts

Hi - sounds

-------------------------

October 10th 2045

tik...tok...tik...tok

DING! DING! DING!

...

"Everyone, wake up! Or you'll be late for breakfast!"

You let out a displeased sound as you slowly wake up. You open your eye a wink but ultimately roll over to try to escape from the blinding morning light.  Suddenly you hear a giggle and feel a bunch of weight on top of you. You don't even have to open your eyes to know who it is. She does this every morning.

"Come on (Y/N)!! It's morning! Wake up!" Emma tells you as cheerfully as ever

"5 more minutes." You mumble as you try to push your twin sister off of you. You may be twins but you still don't understand how she has this much energy this early in the morning.

A few seconds pass after the redhead gets off you before you hear the familiar sound of bed sheets getting ripped away from you. You get hit with a blast of the cold air that your blankets were sheltering you from and you violently shiver.

"Hey! Give those back! It's really cold y'know!" You shout, now mad, as you leap up from bed to retrieve your sheets. You hear a few snickers coming from the other kids as this whole scene plays out.

Emma just gives you a mischievous smile as she tosses you your bed sheets.

"Why you little-" you growl at Emma but before you could finish telling her off some of the younger kids approach Emma for help.

You sigh knowing that there's no use getting back in bed as you're already up.

From there you get ready like usual, help a few of the younger kids with their buttons and shoelaces, and watch a lot of the other kids run around. You hear Gilda fuss at some other kids for messing around but you ignore them.

'Another day of the same old things' is all you can think as you make your way down the hall into the dining area, telling everyone good morning as you pass them.

You start walking over to the kitchen area as a bunch of hungry and energetic kids run into the dining area. You watch in amusement as Emma runs in with Phil in her arms. You let out a small laugh as Thoma and Lani run right into Emma.

"hehehehe... Watch out... I'm going to eat you!" Is the last thing you hear Emma yell as you turn to peek into the kitchen.

"Good morning, (Y/N)." Both Norman and Ray tell you simultaneously as you step fully into the kitchen.

You grab a few baskets of food after Norman and Ray had exited the kitchen and walk out to set them on the tables. You walk out as Ray is teasing Emma about the amount of energy she has. You weren't really paying much attention, as this happens almost every day. That's when Emma gets your attention by shouting

"Hey (Y/N)! What do you think!? Do I act like a 5 year old?!"

"Sometimes" you reply, holding in a laugh.

"Meanie!" Emma tells back

"See! Even (Y/N) agree with me!" Ray says

Emma just sticks out her tongue as mama laughs at our antics and asks Emma for help.

You hear Emma go and complain to mama but you ignore them and go help set up the table with Norman, who has the food cart.

...

ding-a-ling...ding-a-ling...ding-a-ling...ding-a-ling...ding-a-ling

"Good morning, my dear children. Let's give thanks that all 39 of you siblings are able to live here happily, today, too... Thank you for the food."

"Thank you for the food."

You eat breakfast happily talking with your sister and best friends. Although you were getting tired of your pristine life you'd never get tired of these happy moments you shared with the people you loved.

You look down the table and see Mama feeding Conny who was, like always, holding her stuffed rabbit, little bunny. You smile as you watch the two. Today was Conny's last day at the orphanage we lived at. It was sad knowing I might never see her cute little face ever again but I was glad she was happy on her last day.

'I hope she's this happy in the outside world with her new family' you think as you resume your conversation with Emma, Ray, and Norman.

...

"Age 11, type 1. Answer each question within nine seconds. We will now begin."

bzzzzz....

tik tik tik tik tik tik tik tik tik

BZZZZZZZ...

You let out a deep breath as you look over and see Gilda flop onto her testing machine.

"Well, I think I got at least half!" Thoma loudly and confidently exclaims

"That much? Wow!" Mark replies as he stands up

"I'm jealous. I didn't get most of it." Conny pipes in, still holding little bunny.

"Are you all ready for the results?" Mama asks

We all wait in anticipation for mama to continue

"Norman. Ray. Emma. (Y/N). You four did an amazing job. You got all of them right! Perfect scores!" Mama continues with a huge smile on her face

"Yaaaayy!" Emma yells, pumping her arms up in victory while all of the other kids let out a surprised noise.

I smile, proud of myself for not breaking my perfect score streak. I look over to Ray and Norman to see their reactions but like always they don't have a reaction at all.

"Those four are different, huh?" One kid says aloud. Many other grunt in agreement

"Norman is a genius who has the best brains. And Ray, an intellect who can compete against Norman's genius. Emma has amazing athletic skills, and her learning ability allows her to stay close to the other three. Then there's (Y/N) whos also athletic but (Y/N) is best known for their really quick learning ability and how they can   almost always pick up on any subject just with one lesson." Another kid points out

All the others continue talking but I can only focus on Don who seemingly gets more aggravated with every comment made about us. This goes on for about another 30 seconds before Don snaps and yells "Norman! I challenge you to a game of tag!"

'There he goes again, challenging people to a game of tag.' I think while snickering at Don's sudden outburst.

Don just glares at me and I put up my hands in defense

...

Everybody runs off in different directions towards the woods that surround our home. we were playing tag with Norman being it and we only had about 30 seconds to get into the woods, away from Norman.

"Run, run!" Some kids yell, very cheerfully.

I run off with Emma planning to hide until we're the last ones who haven't been caught.

...

Kids around Emma and I were getting caught left, right, and center. Despite this Emma and I were able to remain hidden and become the last two in the game. That's when Emma and I decide to sprint off to a new location.

It was completely quite other the sounds of the forest and Emma's and my feet thumping against the soft grass as we ran. That's when I heard another pair of footsteps. I look over to the direction from which the noise is coming from and sure enough, it's Norman. I smirk and speed up. It seems Emma had the same idea.

'Great minds think alike' I think with a smirk before going back to concentrating on running.

Now with Emma and I in the lead and Norman trailing us, we were sprinting through the forest with intentions of winning this game.

Through the trees

Jump over the cliff

By the stairs

Over the stream

Up into the giant tree

Yep. Into the giant tree. That's where Emma and I had hid. Norman was below us looking around for any signs of our presence. That's when Norman takes a step forwards and trips over a rock, slamming face first into the ground. Emma and I both make a sound of shock and we quickly jump down from the tree and rush to Norman's side.

"Norman!" Emma and I both call out in concern

That's when Norman looks up at us two and with a smile says

"I was pretending."

I let out a relieved breath I didn't even know I was holding

"No fair! I was worried about you!" Emma yells back with a face of anger, shock, and relief.

"I'm just glad you're okay. You gave me a heart attack. That looked like a pretty rough fall." I say with my hand on my heart feeling my accelerated heartbeat.

Norman gives me an apologetic look before telling Emma

"Emma, your weakness is that you're nice."

After that he tags Emma and turns to me and says

"And (Y/N), you too. You're too nice for your own good sometimes."

I give him a fake pouty face as he tags me and shakes his head smiling at my pathetic attempt to make him feel bad.

...

thump thump thump thump

Emma bangs her fist on the ground as she complains about losing.

"He caught me again! Why? So frustrating!"

Emma gives one final hard punch to the ground before deflating onto the grass.

I'm laying on top of Emma, reading a book Ray lent me, mostly ignoring my sister's whining.

"Question." Ray states blatantly, successfully getting everyone's attention.

"What does Norman have that you don't?" Ray continues

"Hmmmm.... The ability to plan ahead? Calmness? Overwhelming intelligence?" Emma replies, confused.

"Maturity." I pipe in

"Hey!" Emma exclaims while reaching back to flick me.

Heh...

Ray rolls his eyes and Norman just smiles like usual

"Strategy." Ray again blatantly states.

"If it's about simple physical ability, you and (Y/N) have the upper hand."

Ray continues explaining while he closes and puts down his book

"But Norman is strong right here."

Ray points to his head indicating he's talking about the brain.

"Yeah... Like no other." I say, sighing knowing there's nobody as smart as Norman at the house.

Ray keeps talking.

"You're playing tag. It's a game where you compete with stragey."

"A simple game of tag?" Emma asks Ray

"It's like chess, but using your entire body." Ray replies

"Isn't that right, Norman?" Ray turns and ask Norman for confirmation.

"Yeah." Norman agrees

"But your a better tactician than me, Ray."  Norman continues with

"You overestimate me." Ray replies slightly aggravated as he turned back to face Emma.

"Reading the enemy's moves, huh?" Emma and I say at the exact same time.

Emma and I look at each other before bursting out laughing. Ray just sighs and Norman joins in laughing.

"But we're not even close when it comes to Mom." Norman says after we all finish laughing

"That's true! We've never beaten her at chess." Emma points out, giggling at the end.

Norman and I let out a little snicker as Ray maintains his usual emotionless expression.

"NORMAN!" a voice, that I recognize as Don's, shouts

Ray jumps at the sudden noise but looks over at Don who's farther down the hill that the tree were sitting under is located on.

"I want a rematch! Next game, everyone will be "It" except you!" Don yells out loud for everyone to hear

I sit up, getting off of Emma, to look down at Don who is totally serious.

"Whoa!" Emma yells

'This sould be fun' I think putting on a close eyed smile

Norman sits up straighter seemingly ready to take on the challenge.

...

I'm searching for Norman in the woods with Emma, like always. I'm rarely ever not with Emma. Emma doesn't mind my clinginess though in fact, she love it.

Emma and I approach the low fence in the middle of the woods. We both come to a stop simply staring at it for a few seconds. Emma then taps my arm to get my attention. When I look up at her she's looking over at something. I looked past her and see Norman also staring at the fence like we were moments before. Norman looks over at us with a neutral expression and is met with our own neutral expressions. Emma approaches Norman and touches him on the shoulder. During this time not a word was exchanged and both Emma and Norman's faces stay the same. I just watched keeping my same expression seemingly in a trance. There's a few seconds of silence before

"You caught me." Norman says, as he starts to smile.

Norman and Emma turn their attention back to the fence as I ran over to their sides.

"You can't go there, no matter what." Emma says just repeating what mama always tells us

"Yeah, Mom is always telling us that." I say

"The gate and the fence deep in the first are dangerous." Norman adds as Emma approaches the fence with her hand stretched out in front of her

"That's obviously a lie." Ray suddenly butts in

I let out a loud surprised squeak when Ray speaks up.

"Pfffff...." Ray holds back laughing at my reaction.

I turn red from embarrassment and slight anger

I give Ray a glare but I quickly turn my attention to Norman as he speaks up.

"What do you mean?" Norman inquires

"Well just look at it... What part of this is dangerous? The fence is low, and I don't see anything threatening." Ray points out

"But if mom is telling us that" Emma protests back

"You really love mom, after all." Ray says rather quietly, looking away from us

I don't know why but that kind of set me off so I grab Emma's hand defensively and start to tell of Ray

"But everyone-" I shout

That's when another voice cuts in

"Hey! Are you sure you guys are playing tag?" Don says running over towards the four of us

Nat and Phil approach from behind as Gilda, Conny, and little bunny approach from the side.

"Oh, is the game over already?" Gilda asks as she walks over towards everybody else.

"We should call it a day. If we're late, Mom will be worried." Norman suggest

There's a comfortable silence for a few seconds before Don speaks up

"We'll eventually leave this place, huh?" He says looking around at the trees and plants

"This is an orphanage. Of course we'll leave eventually." Nat reminds Don

"Before we turn 12." Nat adds on

"You know what?" Gilda suddenly says, catching everyone's attention so she can continue to speak

"We don't receive letters from anyone." She continues with

"Letters?" Emma asks

"Gilda is right though." I say putting my hand on Emma's shoulder

"Yeah! After they leave the House, no one writes us." Gilda says mostly aimed at Emma

"I'm sure they're being considerate to their foster parents." Norman says trying to provide a reason for the absence of letters

"But we've all been together ever since we were born!" Don shoots back

"Even if we're not related by blood, we're truer siblings than most! Well expect Emma and (Y/N)" Don says, kind of upset. Although he mumbled that last part about Emma and I

"They must be having so much fun everyday that they've forgotten about the House." Gilda says, obviously jealous.

"Then that's fine, right? I'm happy for them." Emma replies

I notice Norman eyes soften as he smile at Emma

"I want to go outside, too!" Gilda yells, throwing a mini temper tantrum

"What would you do outside?" Nat asks Gilda as he leans in, closer to Gilda's face in a mocking type of way

"Isn't it obvious? Get. New. Clothes!" Gilda shouts back, getting closer to Nat's face with every pause

Nat obviously didn't expect her to react like that because he backs away when Gilda gets in his face

"Not again." Don says seemingly tired of hearing Gilda rant about clothes

"I mean, come on!" Gilda shouts at Don getting more aggravated

Don also didn't expect Gilda to react like that as Don takes a step back when Gilda snaps at him.

"We only have this one uniform!" Gilda yells, sticking out her arms to draw attention to everyone's plain uniform

"I read in books that the outside world has so many different types of clothes! I want to wear them all!" Gilda says with fascination and awe.

'What a complete 180 degree turn in her emotions' I think, slightly startled

"I want to eat delicious food." Nat says simply

"I want to go on a date with a cute girl." Don says

"Geez, that was rude." Gilda says fussing at Don

"Oh, that's not what I meant..." Don says slightly apologetically

"I WANT TO SEE A TRAIN" Phil shouts excitedly

"That's a good one!" Don tells Phil, happily

I go over and ruffle Phil's hair

"I agree! Trains are awesome." I tell Phil, my hand still on his head

Phil looks up and gives me a huge smile and my heart practically melts.

I've always loved the little kids. Anybody could tell you that. If im not with Emma I'm always with one of the younger orphans spending time with them.

"What about you, Norman?" Emma asks, turning towards him.

Everybody looks over at Norman curiously.

"I want to go to different places and see things I've never seen before." Norman replies with soft eyes and a kind-hearted smile.

I can't help but smile too. Both Norman and Emma have really contagious smiles. I move back towards Ray to give myself more space

"Good idea! And you, Ray?" Emma says, turning towards Ray now

"Once I get outside, well, I'd have to survive first." Ray says

I give him a suspicious glance but he ignores it. Ray acts all weird anytime one of our siblings gets adopted.

"Such a downer... I want to make a bunch of new friends!" I say excitedly

"Me too! I want to have more friends like little bunny!" Conny says, still clutching her favorite stuffed bunny

"What about you, Emma?" I ask my sister

"Me?" Emma asks caught off guard by the sudden attention put on her

"You want to ride a giraffe, right?" Ray says, recalling the time Emma, Norman, Ray, and I went down to the gate when we were six

"Did I say that?" Emma asks while chuckling

"Well... I don't really want to leave. I want to stay here forever!" Emma says halfway seriously

"Hey, that's kind of unfair." Don says

"But I'm so happy now. Right?" Emma says just as bubbly as always

"Happy, huh?" Ray mumbles

Nobody else seem to hear Ray but me. This time I give him a worried look

"Of course! Aren't you happy, Ray?" I ask him quietly so nobody else can here

"Huh?.. Oh, yeah." Ray says not showing any emotion

I give him one last weird, worried, glance before returning my focus back to the conversation that's taking place.

"...I'll never forget about everyone." Conny says finishing a sentence I didn't hear the first part of

Gilda nods as Conny continues telling everyone about her plans for when she gets outside

"When I leave the House, I want to become a mother like mom." 

"And then, I'll never abandon any children." Conny says proudly

"You love mom very much, don't you?" Emma asks Conny

"Yeah!" Conny replies cheerfully giving everyone a big close eyes smile as a slight breeze comes through, her hair blowing softly with it

...

"I'm slow, and I wasn't as smart as everyone, but even after I leave, I'll do my best." Conny says in her cute outfit.

It was now nighttime and time for Conny to go meet her foster parents. I'm really going to miss Conny. I only knew her for six short years but like all the other young children I had grown quite close to her. She was a bright and wonderful child who always had something nice to say about everyone and always tried her hardest. Don't get me wrong though I'm very happy for her and I hope that she has just as much fun in the outside world.

"I have little bunny so I'll be okay." Conny continues as she hold little bunny close

"Conny..." Don says sadly, looking down at the ground

Conny gives Don a smile but that quickly fades as a bunch of emotions hit Conny and she starts to cry, which in turn makes me start to cry.

"I don't want to leave anymore. I want to stay here!" Conny says suddenly, crying even more

"Conny... Conny!" Don says starting tear up as well as Emma

Distant crying can be heard as the front door closes

..... Silence

...

click click click click

Emma and I are walking into the dining area to clean.

click click click click

"CONNY! You're kidding me!" Emma yells

I violently jump at the sudden loud noise and look over to Emma who is running over to the table closest to the wall on the side where the door to the kitchen is. That's when I notice little bunny sitting on the table.

'oh no! What about Conny? She'll need little bunny!' I think, panicked

"Conny's already gone!" I faintly hear Gilda say

Emma grabs little bunny and looks over at me and silently asks what we should do. I shake my head indicating that I also don't know what to do. Emma then looks over at Gilda and asks her.

"There's still time." Ray cuts in, answering Emma's question.

Everyone looks at Ray expectantly.

"From the window, I saw the lights on the gate were still on." Ray says, explaining himself

"Mom isn't back yet either, so I don't think Conny has left yet." Ray continues, further explaining himself

"Let's hurry, Emma, (Y/N)." Norman says without a seconds hesitation

"Okay." Emma and I both reply

...

Emma, Norman, and I are running to the gate to try and deliver little bunny to Conny before she leaves.

...

We pause right in front of that gate wondering if we should really go inside. It's against the rules after all.

"You can't go near there, no matter what." Emma says, repeating mom once again

"I know. Let's all get scolded together, later." Norman says, looking at us and giving us a reassuring smile.

...

We peak around the corner and see nothing.

"Conny?" Emma calls out cautiously and curiously

We all step inside to further search for the girl.

step step step step

It was odly quiet

drip

It was quite dirty

Step step step step

Every step echoed ominously

drip

Nobody is around

step step step step

Not a word has been spoken

Drip

No signs of Conny

step step step step

Everything was unnaturally still

Drip

Dimly lit

step step step step

Everything is giant

... Quiet

"Is this the truck that will take Conny?" Emma ask out loud finally breaking the silence

I shrug to myself, still looking around

"Actually, I've never seen a vehicle before." Emma continues curiously checking out the truck

Drip

Drip

Drip

Drip

Drip

"No one's here." Norman comments

"Maybe she'll find it if we leave it in the back" Emma say, pointing to the back of the vehicle

Norman and I continue looking around

thump

Norman and I pause and turn towards Emma to see what the noise was.

Emma lets out a scared noise as she backs away from the truck with a purely terrified face.

"Norman... (N/N)..." Emma says breathlessly

You were now extremely worried not only by the look on Emma's face but more by the fact that Emma had called you (N/N). Emma only calls you that when something's wrong or when she's teasing you. Even the dumbest person alive could tell that Emma was not joking meaning something was terribly wrong. So, you follow Norman over to the back of the truck. As you reached the back you were a shaky, sweaty mess. You didn't know what had frightened Emma so bad. Almost every possibly of what could be behind that curtain ran through your mind. Norman gulps and moves the certain to the side to peer into the back of the truck.

Drip

You definitely didn't expect to see what you did. Every possibly but that specific one ran through your head. You didn't want to believe what you were seeing. It was a nightmare. It had to be. Right?

Nope. Not a nightmare. Right there in front of me was Conny. Dead. She had been murdered. There was a fully bloomed Vida flower pierced right through her heart.

"Is someone there?" A deep voice suddenly spoke out.

Everybody jumps and jerks towards the direction of the mysterious voice.

"Hey, did you hear a voice just now?"  The deep voice asked who was probably another person in the room they were in.

The door suddenly creaked open. Norman and I bolted behind the truck. Emma started to but quickly grabbed little bunny, who was still on the floor, and joined us behind the truck.

"Probably your imagination" another, more gruff, mysterious voice says.

We all are breathing heavily but silently out of fear. That's when we were able to hear footsteps coming from the door opposite to the one that just opened. If somebody came out of that door they'd be able to see us behind the truck so Norman, thinking quick on his feet, signaled for us to get under the truck. That's what we did.

"If it was a stray cat, I would have caught it and ate it." The first mysterious voice said.

I normally would have been extremely grossed out but I was too terrified to form any coherent thoughts.

"You eat things like cats?" The gruffer voice asks, not necessarily disgusted, but more curious and probably weirded-out.

Two giant shadows pass by the truck as Emma and I peak out slightly from underneath the truck to look at the people talking. The things the voices were coming from where definitely not human. What we saw were these giant demons that'll haunt me forever. These demons we're tall, bulky, and had masks on. They also wielded spears of some sort. Emma lets out a surprised, muffled, noise as she takes in the creatures in front of us. Norman also lets out a variation of the same noise Emma did. My breathing just quickens. Norman lets out terrified little whines and Emma covers her mouth with her hands, while shaking her head, as one of these creatures grabs Conny's pale, limp, dead, body. I'm violently shaking with tears in the corners of my eyes pushing back the urge to vomit. One of the creature, who I now know has sharp teeth, sticks out its tongue towards Conny like it was trying to eat her. The one with the deep voice lets out a sinister laugh while saying

"It looks so delicious. Human flesh is the best."

Emma looks over at Norman who moves back slightly and just simply says

"No..."

Then one of the creatures set down a giant tank in front of us. It had blue liquid in it that was bubbling. The creature then threw Conny's, now naked, body into the tank.

"Damn! Can't I at least have a fingertip?" The deep voice says teasingly.

"You idiot. It's valuable merchandise." The thing with the gruff voice tells the other.

"It's not something the likes of us can have." The gruffer voice continues

"All of the human flesh produced on this farm are high quality meat intended for the rich." Says the gruff voice continuing to explain why the other demon can't have a taste of Conny.

Emma shakily takes her hand off of her mouth.

"Where's mom?" Emma quietly asks Norman

Norman quickly shushes her.

Norman and I peek from under the truck again as another demon enters the picture and the tank with Conny in it is lifted up to be taken away.

"Is the Gunpa done?" A demon in a robe asks the other two demons

"Mostly done, sir." The creature with the deep voice replies

This is the first time I got a good look at the things. I tune out what the demons are staying to focus on studying the demons. There is one with a robe holding a stack of papers. The thing is extremely tall and has a mask on. The said mask is seemingly made out of bone or a material similar. There are two horns on the top and it has two eye holes one on top of the other. It has extremely skinny arms and long bony fingers with fingernails that could probably pierced through your skin easily. I didn't focus back into what the demons were saying until the robed one said

"Isabella"

"Yes." Mama says

Emma, Norman, and I, all look over, now more than horrified, to where mama is.

"Make the preparations to pluck these four with full scores." The robed demon said.

At that moment I didn't care that I was one of the next ones that was going to be "adopted". All I cared about was mama. Was she really with them? Was she forced to work for them? Did she know what was happening to all "adopted" kids? My mind was going a million different directions but I knew I had to listen to what was being said.

"Understood" mama replied

Judging by the way the robe demon said 'pluck' us with the full scores and Mom still said she understood I'm assuming she knows exactly what goes on. There's also the fact that she prohibited us from coming to the gate. If she didn't know we were being killed and just thought we were getting adopted she most likely wouldn't have a problem with us coming to the gate. Then again she might just not want us to see the demons. What really sold it for me though was the fact that Conny's dead body was still in the tank right in front of Mama and she didn't react. I however, didn't have any more time to think as Norman dragged Emma and I out from the gate. From there we ran. We wanted to get back to the house as soon as possible but about halfway there Emma collapsed and Norman and I stopped to take a breath.

"Emma!" Both Norman and I called out as she collapsed

All of us were breathing heavily but despite that I couldn't seem to get a lot of air into my lungs. I felt like I was suffocating. I fell to the ground on my butt.

'What the hell...

what the hell??

Is this a nightmare?

It... has to be.

This isn't real.

There's no way this can be real.

Mama wouldn't do this.

Everything was normal up until we reached the gate.

That's why I can't believe what my eyes showed me...!'

I, once again, suppress the urge to puke.

'Just yesterday... I told Conny I would always be there for her.

I told her I know what's best, and we'll be together forever

Then why... ?

Why would someone do this...?

How could I be this helpless?

What did I do wrong? 

This is my fault-!'

My swarming thoughts keep telling me everything I could have done to prevent this.

'Screw the House.

Screw mama

I just...lost my dear little sister

Someone who grew up with me

She's gone forever now.

Nothing I can do can bring her back.

This isn't some game where I can reset and try something different.

We only have once chance.

Now I'll carry this feeling with me until I die.

Nothing in my life is worth than hers...

She was only six!

And now...

I can never take it back.

Never.

Never.

Never.

Never.

Never....'

My train of thought is cut short by Emma letting out an emotionally distressed scream that echoed all throughout this cage that I now realize we're living in.

...

"Welcome back. How did it go?" Ray asks us as we return

Norman tenses while Emma and I are silent in the background.

"We didn't make it." Norman says in a flat voice

As we walk up the stairs I look back at Ray. As always, he's not expressing any emotions despite our weird behavior.

...

"Were we raised just to be eaten by something?" Emma asks Norman, still crying.

"Let's escape, Emma. We have to leave this place." Norman says

"Don't worry we. can do it." he continues

"You, (Y/N), me, and Ray. If it's the four of us..." says Norman, already starting to make a plan

"No. We have to bring everyone." I add in

"It might be impossible" Emma starts

"But (Y/N) is right. I can't just leave them here. Otherwise they'll definitely get killed." Emma continues with

"I don't want any more of my family to die." My redhead sister says though sobs

"Emma..." I whine as a hug her from the side, burying my face into her shoulder

"It's not impossible." Norman states confidently while patting Emma on her other shoulder

Norman then slides down from the bed and sits on the ground with Emma and I.

"It'll be okay. Let's run away. Together, with everyone." Norman says, looking at us giving his best smile

"B-But how? How will us kids run away from those monsters?" Emma asks Norman, doubtful we have a chance of escaping

'......tag!' it hits me

"Tag!" I say suddenly

"It'll be like playing tag. We use stragey." I elaborate

Emma looks at me, surprised.

"That's right. We'll find a way for all of us to survive" Norman tells Emma and I

Emma nods and gives a grunt of understandment.

"Sounds like a plan" I mumbled as a faint feeling of hope bubbles up in my stomach

'We can do this'

...

-------------------------

BNHA should come in around chapter 4.

[ninetyminutes]

Can you please expand on Lorne being sad about break up due to cheating and everyone noticing it and tries to cheer him up pls?

There was a line in Lorne's biography that mentioned how everyone on the cast became "comfortable crying in front of each other." And I promise that's a direct quote, I just don't have the book in front of me to dig through. Still, I'm sure that Lorne would try to focus entirely on the show and refusing to acknowledge any struggles in his personal life. They have a show to put on and he can't afford to be caught lacking or else the show is in jeopardy. I can totally see him neglecting his own needs and thoughts because if he thinks about it for even a couple of minutes he could just break down.

Of course everyone starts to pick up on the fact that somethings up with him, so they send Gilda to try and talk to him because everyone knows Lorne can never say no to Gilda. And he's trying to tell her he's fine like "it's nothing, I promise. I've just been stressed dealing with the network and Jack broke up with me and I'm trying to figure out how we're going to make this sketch work-" and Gilda is immediatey like "omg you poor thing."

I absolutely love the idea of Gilda declaring a girls' night at Lorne's apartment. Like I just love visual of Lorne sitting on a couch surrounded by all of the girls who are comforting him and shit while they all trash talk his ex. They have ice cream and popcorn and wine while they watch whatever shitty romcom is on TV or something. Maybe they gossip a bit about people within the tv industry or talk about their worst exes or worst lays they've had, and some other stereotypical girl things. Maybe truth or dare. Basically, they have this super awesome sleepover at Lorne's.

At some point Laraine is just like "men are stupid, no offense Lorne" and all of the girls agree. And Lorne is like "yeah I guess I kind of am stupid for thinking it would go well” because he probably blames himself for the cheating/relationship falling apart like Lorne is definitely insecure about his failed relationships. Maybe Lorne admits he didn't even really like his ex all that much, that he just missed everything that came with being in a relationship in terms of having someone be your person.

Let’s be real, Chevy and the boys totally crash the sleepover and they make it this whole thing with everyone. And Lorne probably cries because she’s just so grateful for them and shit.