Omori Fanfic - Tumblr Posts

gladiolus (ch 1. i'll carry on)

on ao3

chapter word count: 5.2k

sequel to blue bow; continuing aubrey's story post-canon

It’s Saturday morning when Aubrey gets the knock on her door.

The last week has been frantic. Sunny’s mother had actually showed up the day after Sunny’s confession, promptly pressuring the doctors into letting him leave ASAP. He was discharged on Monday after insurance debates and follow-ups at some city hospital were scheduled. Aubrey hasn’t seen him since.

Basil wasn’t so lucky. With only bruises, he was considered fine before he first woke up. Where is he now, then? The psych ward. Okay, well, they were told that he’s been transferred to a “mental health institution” and will stay there for at least two weeks. More if Sunny’s mom presses charges. 

Aubrey knows what it really means, though. Mav had been sent there by his parents a year or two ago, after he came out as a boy. Taken back after they didn’t “fix” him. But Basil has some serious issues, and - and this genuinely is what he needs. He’s getting the help he needs.

And Aubrey? She almost bailed right after she heard Sunny’s confession. She actually did have to run to the roof, get some fresh air in her so she wouldn’t lunge for Sunny’s good eye. But she knew that there was no way in hell she could leave, not right after promising herself to stay. So, she called Kim on the public telephone and asked her to take care of Mom and Bun Bun for a few more days.

But on Monday, she had work. So she slept in the hospital room Saturday and Sunday night, and then Hero drove her to Fix-It.

Yes, she’s working at Fix-It. No, she’s not happy about it. Her now-manager is the only person who’s willing to hire a crazy delinquent like her, and that’s because he genuinely needs the work.

Now it’s Saturday again. A week since Aubrey’s life was turned upside down, again, because Mari didn’t actually kill herself. Somehow, it’s worse than that. Aubrey’s had a good five days to block that shit out while she shelves products, and a good five nights to smoke with the Hooligans and forget.

The knock sounds once more, louder. Aubrey lightly drops Mom’s plate on the couch. She’s been needing to spoon-feed Mom recently; the woman won’t eat at all otherwise.

“Mom, you gotta eat, okay?” Aubrey murmurs. “I know you haven’t been wanting much lately, but you have to at least have a little to keep moving.”

Mom looks at the food and pushes it away. Her eyes turn back to the TV. Aubrey sighs and stands up.

“Hellooooo? Aubrey?” Kel’s voice wafts through the doorway.

“I’m here,” she calls. She grabs her jacket, pulls it on, and answers the door.

Hero and Kel are standing outside. Hero’s tapping his fingers on his leg. Kel lights up when he sees her.

“Hey,” he smiles. “We just wanted to check up on you.”

That’s… new. “Oh, um, I’m alright.”

“How’s your mom doing?” Hero asks. His eyebrows are furrowed.

Aubrey blinks. “You’ve seen her?”

“We passed by her when we first visited you,” Kel explains. “Hero’s been worried ‘cause she seemed really out of it.” Judging by Kel’s look, Hero wasn’t the only one.

“Probably drunk when you saw her,” Aubrey mutters. “I guess she’s… fine. Hasn’t eaten much.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Hero says.

“Uh.” The only help she’s gotten before is from Kim, who mostly just covers for her when she needs it. “...I dunno.”

“Hm,” Hero replies. “Can we come inside?”

Aubrey steps inward, pressing the semi-broken door until it taps against the wall. “Sure.”

Hero makes his way to Aubrey’s mom. He sits down next to her, asking yes-or-no questions. He sounds like he’s about to diagnose her with something. Did you eat today? What about last night? Have you drank anything?

To her credit, Mom gives him small nods and shakes of the head. Better than how she reacts to Aubrey, anyway. Maybe she recognizes him from the past better than she recognizes her.

Kel paces around her house. He eventually walks back over to Aubrey.

“Hey, um, Aubrey… sorry if this is a bad question.”

“Just say it,” Aubrey replies. It’s not like the dam hadn’t broken already. “We’re all supposed to start talking about the hard shit.”

“Yeah, yeah. Uh… what did happen with your dad? I heard things at the church, but…”

But he wants to hear her side, too. She… really appreciates that. Aubrey takes a deep breath. This - she really doesn’t like speaking about this. But if Kel genuinely cares, then… She’ll try.

“Um,” she starts. “It was a few months after the Mari thing.” Kel’s expression shifts to worry. “I guess, I guess my grief was kinda his breaking point.” He takes a step forward. “He had a huge fight with Mom one night. About me. And the next morning, he was gone.”

Kel pulls her into a hug.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “You didn’t deserve that.”

Aubrey freezes for a second, forgetting how to react. Eventually her brain catches up and she awkwardly wraps her arms around Kel. “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Kel says. A few seconds pass, then they pull away.

Hero stands up soon after. “I’m going to find someone to help with your mom.”

“Wait, what?” Aubrey turns her head to Hero. 

“She needs extensive help.” Hero bites his cheek. “A professional kind of help, I mean.”

Well, yeah, she knows that. “I can’t afford it.”

Hero bites his lip and furrows his eyebrows. “We’ll… find a way. I’ll pay for it if I need to.”

“Aren’t you broke as shit?” Giving money is an immediate hell no. She appreciates they’re friends again, but she doesn’t need Hero’s pity. “Like, you’re a college student, dude. I know you guys wanna help, but you don’t have to kill yourselves over me.”

With the way Hero flinches, Aubrey knows she shouldn’t have ended with that. “...Sorry. But… really, you don’t have to do everything.”

“I’m supposed to take care of you guys, though…” Hero has a guilty look in his eye.

“Hey,” Aubrey says. She pats Hero on the shoulder. “You don’t owe me. Consider saving Basil and Sunny’s life as more than enough.”

“Haha,” Hero replies, humorless. “Okay. I won’t pay for it. But I do want to find her someone.”

“Let’s compromise on that,” Aubrey agrees. “Thank you, Hero.”

Kel suddenly perks up. “Oh, wait! We came here to ask you something.”

Hero sighs, but he’s smiling. “Of course, Aubrey. And yeah, we did.”

“What’s it?” Aubrey crosses her arms.

“Since it’s summer and we have time to hang out,” Kel begins, “We wanted to go to the beach. Since it’s been a while and stuff…”

“...And,” Hero continues, “We’d like to invite you and your other friends.”

Aubrey blinks. “Oh.” Invite the Hooligans, too?

Hero and Kel look at her as she processes, waiting for her reply. Aubrey’s confusion soon melts into a dumb giddiness. This is the kind of friendship they’re trying to rebuild. And - and they’re okay with her new self coming along, her new friends.

“Fuck yeah.” Aubrey grins.

Kel smiles, something wide and childish and happy in a way Aubrey hasn’t seen in years. In a way that makes Aubrey realize the happiness he’s been wearing, the happiness she envied, was just a cover for emptiness.

“We’ll drive over tomorrow at 10 or so,” Hero says. “Should we go find the Hooligans?”

Aubrey nods. “I promised them I’d hang out today, anyway. You should come with, we’ll tell them.” 

As she speaks, Aubrey begins gathering her things. She pulls on her shoes and adjusts her bow; pulls it too tight, as always. Even now - especially now, the sting is something she can’t handle being without. Sorry, Mari.

“Are they at the park?” Kel asks.

“Probably.” That or the lake, but they’ve kind of ditched the spot after what happened with Basil. Talk about deja vu, huh? Maybe the place is just cursed.

The Hooligans do end up being at the park. They’re all elated at the thought of the beach. When Kim mentions getting a tan, Aubrey realizes that she doesn’t own a swimsuit in her size. Her excitement outweighs the worry, though, and she decides she can just sit on the sand.

Kel spots one of Angel’s trading cards before long. The two fall into a long discussion about different Pokémon, which ends with the group heading to Kel’s house so they can challenge each other. Aubrey plays Mario 3 with The Maverick on Kel’s old NES. Hero has a hilariously awkward exchange with Vance that Aubrey can’t help but eavesdrop on.

“You’re a senior next year, right? Are you thinking of any colleges?”

“Nah. Gonna snag a job so Kim and I can skip town after graduation, though. We’re either going to the city or some other state, anywhere away from here.”

“Oh. Um, that’s cool.”

“You?” Vance raises his eyebrows to Hero.

“I’m in med school.”

“Shit. Guess I shouldn’t smoke around ya, then, in case your teachers kick your ass or something.”

“You’re good, haha… Just not in my mom’s house, please.”

Vance puts his lighter in his pocket and shoves a cigarette back into its pack. He had been trying to discreetly pull them out; unfortunately, he’s an obvious motherfucker. Aubrey has to throw her hand over her face to conceal her snort. She’s rewarded with her character losing a power-up.

After Mav and her finish the world, they end up being somehow led by Charlene to Fix-It. Aubrey tries not to be embarrassed when her manager waves at her.

The group walks into the back room: the greenhouse. Aubrey doesn’t really go in here often. She’s usually stuck in the front. Her manager’s decent enough at gardening to take care of the back himself, she guesses.

Charlene tugs Aubrey’s arm over to some potted flowers. They haven’t bloomed yet, but they seem close. She gestures to one of them.

“What is it?” Aubrey asks. It looks a bit familiar.

The taller girl turns to her with a smile. “...Gladiolus.”

And suddenly this plant is associated with a memory. “Oh,” she says. “Someone once told me that I was like this flower.”

Charlene nods, as if she knows exactly what Aubrey means. Aubrey thinks about how she never really participated when they were out antagonizing Basil. She goes to this greenhouse a lot… are her and Basil friends?

“These ones will bloom soon,” Charlene continues. “But… not yet.”

Aubrey tilts her head. Is Charlene trying to say something? But the girl doesn’t continue, and Kel soon calls Aubrey somewhere else. She forgets about it.

Lunch is at Gino’s. Maybe Aubrey shouldn’t eat this much pizza, but it’s that or the supermarket’s TV dinners. The group crowds around Angel at the Sprout Mole Eater machine. He tries to beat the record for a solid thirty minutes, blowing half his allowance on it. Sunny was the one who set it. The crown is challenged, but ultimately Angel settles for second place.

Kel challenges Aubrey to a basketball game. She doesn’t really play much, only knows how to because of P.E., but why not?

She loses horribly. Lesson learned; don’t fuck with something Kel’s genuinely good at.

In retaliation, Aubrey kicks Kel’s ass at tetherball. The war begins. They spend all afternoon playing different games in the park - capture the flag, knockout, volleyball (only briefly because it doesn’t work well when you use a basketball), and after getting tired of physical activity, Aubrey even learns how to play Pokémon. She’s okay at it, better than the others; Kel and Angel taught opposing strategies.

At some point, the sun begins to set. Aubrey lets time run away from her. It’s with a look at the sky and the jolt of a realization that she forgot to feed Mom. She hasn’t visited Mari yet today, either.

Aubrey’s given space to do both; she’s thankful. As much as she appreciates reconnection, she genuinely prefers to do some of these things alone. Luckily, Mom isn’t nearly as difficult tonight as she was this morning. Aubrey changes Bun-Bun’s water and food before she throws on some pants and heads back out.

For as much as the church is open to all, they lock their doors at sunset. A safety thing. Aubrey can’t help but find it ironic.

Hopping the fence is a practiced motion that Aubrey is more than used to. Like a dance, she swings herself over the metal and lands on the grass. The night is quiet and without wind.

Next to Mari’s grave, the egret orchid has begun to wilt. Aubrey’s not quite sure how to take care of it. She lugs over a hose, drips what she judges to be enough water into the pot, and hopes she did enough. Then she kicks the hose out of the way and settles criss-cross in front of Mari.

“Hey,” Aubrey says. “I hope you’re okay with me coming over later. Even though the pastor said I’m welcome, the churchgoers have finally had enough of me. I can’t really go during the day without getting glared at.”

Aubrey doesn’t know if she’s religious anymore. When she was a kid she would beg for God to forgive her and make her a boy, like her body was. As she grew older, she came to realize that was bullshit and she was a girl no matter what. Either way, God never saved her. Not from Daddy or her friends falling apart.

When she sits here, though, she swears she can feel a presence. Something akin to the spirits that the gravekeeper talks about. It’s almost like, like Mari is still watching over her.

…Hell, she had a dream where she met Mari again, didn’t she? Last week at the hospital. It couldn’t be anyone else, or a dream version of her. That was Mari.

So she likes to think that Mari hears her. That Mari and her are actually having a conversation, even though Mari has no voice to reply with anymore. Maybe she’s crazy, but after everything that’s happened, she can’t bring herself to care.

“Thanks again for talking to me last week,” Aubrey mumbles. “I wish we had more time.”

She always wishes they had more time. Always.

Aubrey twists her finger into the dirt. “Kel and Hero invited me to go to the beach tomorrow. The Hooligans are coming, too. I really haven’t been there since before you died. I’m kinda nervous, honestly. I don’t have a swimsuit or a bikini or anything. Not that they’d make me look feminine, anyway.

“If you were still alive, I’m sure you’d find a way to help me dress up like a girl for it, haha. You were always the one who supported me with those things.

“...My voice has been getting deeper. This stuff was a lot easier when I was twelve. I try to ignore it, there’s worse shit happening to me, but it’s always in the back of my mind, y’know? You once said that a lot of your problems were like that.

“It feels weird to think about your problems, now. Do you get what I mean? Like, because you didn’t kill yourself, it all feels so… confusing. It had looked like all the pieces were in place, but we didn’t notice. But now it’s not that. Am I, am I still bad for not saving you?”

She bites her cheek. Somehow, it always comes back to this - the cause of Mari’s death.

“I kind of feel like I’m in purgatory. Sunny’s in the city, and Basil’s in the ward. And Kel and Hero like to repress this stuff… we didn’t talk about it at all today. I feel like nothing’s gonna happen until I face Basil or Sunny again, but I don’t know if I can do that. Am I taking too much time? No, that’s stupid, it’s only been a week.”

Ugh, why did this have to be so difficult? Aubrey leans back and looks at the stars. The stars always help.

“I’m worried about Basil,” she blurts out.

Nobody questions her - well, nobody’s around to question her. So, Aubrey keeps going. “Like, I dunno. I saw his grandma in her hospital room when I walked down the hall. It made me think about Basil’s behavior the day we checked on him, and… suddenly everything made sense. How he locked himself away. Why he wanted the photo album so badly. The reason why these flowers are here, why your grave was cleaned up.

“Mari, I… he was planning to kill himself. And I, I didn’t notice before. With Sunny moving away and his grandmother dying. I j-just…”

Tears push against Aubrey’s eyes, taunting her. She sniffs.

“How could I face him now, knowing that I hurt him when he needed help most? And how, how could I face him, knowing what he did to you? How am I supposed to feel about him?”

Aubrey pulls in a shaky breath. She sits back up and looks at Mari.

“You said that we aren’t bad people, Mari. That what’s happened has happened. But, but we hurt each other so much. I almost killed Basil. Basil helped kill you. How could… you forgive us so easily? I don’t understand.”

She doesn’t know if she’ll ever understand. She doesn’t know why God hasn’t appeared to damn them all, these murderers and adjacents who call themselves friends. The only good person was Mari, who didn’t kill herself, who never was the reason for their pain. So how could she forgive them? How could she say it doesn’t matter, she loves them anyway?

“I don’t understand,” Aubrey repeats. But Mari can no longer reply.

Her thoughts run blank. She can’t comprehend it all, can’t wallow in self-hatred. There are no words left to say.

So she mumbles, “Goodnight, Mari,” and stumbles to her feet. She walks home on autopilot. None of this makes any fucking sense. It probably never will.

Aubrey’s blankets are old, thin, and dirty. She has to do laundry soon, or better yet, buy new sheets. Maybe she’ll do that with her summer job money.

Sleep comes to Aubrey easily. She’s tired: not the kind that comes from bawling her eyes out for hours, but the kind where she doesn’t want to think anymore. It feels like a welcome embrace. Like an older sister’s warm arms. Aubrey makes no hesitation to accept it.

Morning brings a wave of heat that can only be attributed to July. Aubrey wears a tank top and a skirt. Both pieces are now out of fashion, but seriously, who gives a shit? She’s more worried about getting sunscreen.

Thankfully, Hero and Kel’s mother has some. Soon after Aubrey arrives, she gets fussed over and handed a stick of it before she can ask.

“Thanks, Tia,” Aubrey smiles. 

The woman waves her off. “Nada, querida, keep it! We have too many extras.”

Aubrey blinks. “Um, alright.”

Hero appears with pancakes and other snacks. Kel had already packed a picnic basket, which is now in the back of the car.

“Want one?” He asks. It’s his old recipe, the chocolate-chip ones that him and Mari always made on Saturday mornings.

“Yeah,” Aubrey accepts. The pancake is fluffy and warm on her tongue, just like it always was. These were only ever beaten by Mari’s cookies - if they were even comparable. Pancakes were Hero’s thing, cookies were Mari’s.

Hero grins, but his mother turns to him before he can say anything. “Heitor, quem mais vai? Já está tudo arrumado?”

“Sim, não se preocupe tanto!” Hero sighs lightheartedly. “Vai ser só a gente e os amigos da Aubrey.”

His mom smiles. “Tudo bem, chame seu irmão, por favor.”

Hero nods and turns away, placing his tray on the table before leaving and calling for Kel.

Aubrey decides to sit at the table and eat pancakes until the others show up. Hero comes back over with Kel before long. They play cards while they wait, chatting about the family’s plan for remodeling the house. Apparently, they’re adding a room by the stairs, presumably for Sally once she gets a little older.

It’s slow, but the Hooligans arrive. Mav is somehow last. He rolls his eyes at Kel’s comment about literally being next door, claiming he had “important affairs to attend to first”. Quietly, he admits to Aubrey that he’s been struggling to bind with Ace bandages. 

Kel steals shotgun before Aubrey can, damnit. She settles for the backseat with Kim, squished together with Angel in the middle. The Maverick’s in the way back between Vance and Charlene. He complains about leg room; his loss for choosing that seat.

Hell breaks loose as soon as Hero backs out of the driveway. Angel and Kim fight over the radio - which mainly consists of yelling at Kel to change the station - while Vance yaps about something Aubrey doesn’t really care about, so she half-asses her replies. To Hero’s credit, he doesn’t seem too distracted. Aubrey can only guess it’s a skill that comes with being the oldest of three.

As they make the fifteen minute drive to the beach, Aubrey realizes she hasn’t been in a car in a long time. Not since Daddy left with his, anyway. She never really needed one, at least not yet. The feeling is still a bit jarring. Aubrey’s not stupid - she knows that she’s poorer than her friends. It’s just… weird, looking at these little things.

Aubrey’s shoes meet gravel as she hops through the door. Kim runs past her, cheering. Hero and Kel start unloading stuff from the back, Charlene joining them. Vance lights a cig.

Arms wrap around Aubrey, Angel grabbing her. He points to the shoreline.

“Look at that!” Angel says. “We can play real volleyball!” Aubrey squints. She thinks she can see an abandoned ball down at the shore.

“If it’s not deflated.” She shrugs.

The younger nods. “I’ll go get The Maverick! He can test it!” Aubrey’s left alone as Angel runs off.

Aubrey turns over to the responsible people. Kel’s holding two or three things, and Hero isn’t faring much better, so Aubrey grabs stuff from them both. With Charlene following behind, they look like a weird multi-colored parade shuffling down the boardwalk.

The picnic blanket is the first thing to be dropped unceremoniously. Then someone yells “Shit!” because all the sand gets kicked up by the fabric’s landing. Angel and Kel immediately have to chase after the blanket. Wind and sand particles bite at Aubrey’s eyes, but she laughs all the same.

Aubrey and Kim are tasked with finding medium-sized stones to hold the blanket down. They jog slowly, falling the shoreline and eyeing the water. Kim already kicked off her shoes and left them at their camp, so she wades.

“Ow,” Kim complains. “Stupid-fucking-nerd-rock.” She picks up a tiny yet sharp pebble, throwing it into the ocean.

“Your fault for being barefoot this close to the rocky areas,” Aubrey comments. 

Kim rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

They find the first two stones easily, nestled almost right next to each other. The third takes a little longer, but it isn’t far. The fourth stone gives them trouble.

“What the hell,” Aubrey grunts. “How hard is it to find a stupid rock?”

“Dunno,” replies Kim. “This is dumb.”

Aubrey shrugs.

Kim twiddles her fingers as they head inland to look further. Aubrey can see there’s something on her mind - over the years, Kim’s tells have become obvious.

“What is it,” Aubrey says. Kim blinks at her. “C’mon, I know something’s up.”

Her best friend eventually sighs. “Damn, you’re good at that. It’s just, I dunno, Vance.”

“What happened?” Aubrey asks. Kim squints at the sand.

“It’s dumb,” Kim murmurs, kind of sheepish. “Like, I’m fine with smoking and stuff. Don’t get me wrong about that. It’s just, when Vance…”

Aubrey thinks back to ten minutes ago, Vance immediately grabbing a cigarette. It’s eleven in the morning. “Too much. Too often.”

“Yeah,” Kim nods. “Just gets me worried, I guess. And he’s blowing a lot of our money on it.”

Isn’t Aubrey used to that… “You should, um, talk to him about it, I guess. At least ask him to stop pulling it from your escape fund.” This is bullshit advice and she knows it, but she’s the opposite of qualified.

Kim bites her cheek. “I’ll try. Thanks, Aubs.”

Aubrey smiles awkwardly, and the conversation fades. What a way to fuck that up. She wishes she could actually help with this stuff, but when she thinks about how she’s only worsened Mom’s addiction, she feels horrible.

A few minutes later, Kim suddenly squats. She pokes at the ground. “Hey, check this one out.”

Aubrey looks to Kim. She’s pointing at a rock with some cracks through the middle. It’s fully in one piece, but only barely. A small flower has sprouted next to it - yellow and small, it kind of resembles a sunflower.

“That should be good,” Aubrey nods. She reaches to pick it up, but she’s sliced by one of the jagged edges. “Fuck!”

“Shit, are you okay?” Kim shoots to her feet, checking Aubrey’s thumb. A thin line of blood has formed.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she murmurs. Using her good hand, she scoops up some of the wet sand and fills in the stone’s wounds. “That should be better. Let’s take it back.”

Aubrey’s finger continues to sting, so she decides to ask Hero about it once they get back. She hands the stones to others, who place them on the blanket. Hero’s not there - when Aubrey asks, Kel tells her that he went to the car.

She crosses the boardwalk, reaching the parking lot in full strides. Hero is behind the car, pulling a heavy-looking bag over his shoulder.

“Hey,” she calls. Hero practically jumps.

“Aubrey, you scared me!” He laughs.

“Whoops,” Aubrey replies, unrepentant. She holds up her thumb. “You have any Band-Aids?”

Hero nods. “Just in the front seat, I’ll grab them.” When he turns, Aubrey eyes his bag.

“I can carry that,” she offers.

“It’s alright.” Hero shakes his head. “Your hand is hurt.”

Hero returns with the bandage. He hesitates when he goes to give the bandage to Aubrey. She looks at him for a second and notices his guilty expression.

“You can bandage it if you want,” Aubrey says. She can do it just fine herself, but Hero and Mari handled Band-Aid placement when they were kids. Part of her… wants to feel the safety those two radiated again.

“Sorry,” Hero murmurs.

Aubrey raises an eyebrow. “For what?”

“Um,” he says. “For leaving you to do this” - He gestures at the bandage - “Alone. I was supposed to take care of you guys.”

He said that yesterday, too. “You…” Aubrey doesn’t really know how to comfort Hero. It’s always been the other way around. “You were a kid, too. And you were hurting.”

“Yeah, but I…” Hero sniffs. He tries putting the Band-Aid on, but it gets a little crumpled and part of the cut doesn’t end up covered. Aubrey looks at the squished Spaceboy design.

“We’re here now, that’s what matters.” Aubrey doesn’t really believe her own words, because not all of them are there. Hero smiles; she can tell he doesn’t believe it either.

“Thank you,” he says. “That’s what we should focus on, I think.” 

They’re trying, though, aren’t they? As much as they can, even under all this pressure? Aubrey thinks that, Aubrey hopes that, “Mari’s proud of us.”

Hero kind of blinks at her. It takes him a second to register her words.

“...I really want her to be,” he eventually breathes. “I really, really do.”

Aubrey almost asks him right there if he saw her that night. He had to if she was visiting their dreams, right? That’s what she told Aubrey.

But Aubrey waits a beat too long, because Hero turns away to put the wrapping in the trash.

“Come on,” Hero says, “Let’s go have fun. It’s summer, after all.”

It still bothers her. And it will continue bothering her, but she pushes it to the back of her mind. Hero’s right; it’s summer.

“Alright.” Aubrey nods. “Let’s go have fun.”

It’s sunset when they return home from the beach, soon after eating dinner. The Hooligans are on their thirty-somethingth verse of “99 Bottles of Beer”. Kel’s chugging soda as Mav cheers at him. Aubrey’s had a grin on her face for maybe fifteen minutes now, and she knows it’s not going away anytime soon. Throughout the day, the bow has loosened in her hair.

Hero has to tell the teenagers to calm down multiple times after he parks the car. Of course, it only riles them up more. He eventually gets them all out, and the majority of the Hooligans head out for the park to spent the next few hours in. Aubrey, Hero, and Kel stay.

“You’re not following your friends?” Hero asks.

“I need to check on my mom,” Aubrey replies. “And my bunny, and Mari. I might join them later if I’m up for it.”

“You’re… really responsible.” Hero gives her a sad smile. “Well, we won’t keep you. C’mon, Kel.”

“See ya,” Kel says. “Today was fun. Like, really. Thank you.”

“Of course.” Aubrey nods at them both. She waves goodbye as they walk towards the door, but drops her hand when Kel gets distracted by Hector running out of his doghouse. 

Aubrey turns for the end of the sidewalk. It’s still decently warm outside, but it’s way cooler than earlier. She notes to herself that she’ll need to grab a jacket before she visits Mari. And shake the sand out of her shoes. There is so much.

But she doesn’t have to do that yet. The wind is calm, so Aubrey breathes.

This past week has been really hard. Her old friends are murderers. Her sister didn’t kill herself. But - but then. Then Kel, Hero, and the Hooligans have supported her. And this past weekend was one of the most fun she’s had in years.

It’ll be… it’ll be okay. Everything will be okay. There’s a lot happening in Aubrey’s life, but there’s also moments like these, where she’s just watching a pretty sunset. She’s… never appreciated that before. She had been too angry at the world to do so. And as much as she kind of hates Sunny and Basil right now, she’s, she’s tired of being angry.

Honestly, it’s hard to admit that to herself.

Closing her eyes, Aubrey makes a decision. She can’t bring herself to forgive Basil or Sunny. But she can’t let those feelings take over her life, either. Not like last time.

Mari, I hope you can understand that. I don’t really know how to feel anymore, but now… because I finally can, I want to focus on the other friendships I lost.

Aubrey lets the world envelope her for a few seconds longer. She prays that Mari can hear her. And even if she can’t, the thought brings Aubrey comfort.

She hopes that this is a good decision. That she’s being mature. Hero said she was just now, but she doesn’t really know what that means, ha.

Slowly, Aubrey opens her eyes. Golden beams of sunlight dully sift through the trees. Okay, she can do this. Feed everyone, shoes, jacket, visit Mari, park. That’s manageable.

Aubrey takes a step forward.

quick novelization of the 3 days left scene with basil and sunny in grandma's room. i wrote this because... i saw another one, got annoyed, and decided to do it myself. oops. anyway bpd!basil rights

word count: 1k

tw: suicidal thoughts

He’s in Grandma’s room, isn’t he?

Basil tries to open the door gently, but it always makes the loudest screech and no one’s ever fixed it. He cringes internally as his presence is announced. Realistically, Grandma is deaf to the world and she won’t realize Basil is beside her… but that thought is worse.

Looking up, he sees that Grandma isn’t alone. Basil’s intuition was right - in front of the egret orchid stands Sunny. The stiffness of Sunny’s stance is akin to a statue; he’s just as well gone as Grandma is.

Sunny makes no acknowledgment of Basil’s entrance. Regardless, anxiety trickles up Basil’s twitching fingers, and he finds himself stuttering out a greeting.

“Oh, Sunny… I didn’t expect to see you in here… Haha…”

Basil bites his lip. Of course Sunny would be in here. He had circled Basil for five minutes, staring at every piece of the living room, searching for reality. When he couldn’t find it there, where else would he go? 

Basil had listened to the doors open and close while he stood on the carpet, lost. He’d realized what Sunny was doing before long. Basil has known this feeling before. He’s performed the same dance, stumbling around his house, desperately trying to catch onto something, anything that will ground him, anything that will clear the fog-

“H-How are you doing, Sunny?” Basil blurts. “Is everything okay with you?”

Sunny turns to Basil, stares at him blankly. Unresponsive. Blind. Basil’s finger taps faster, faster on his leg. Why are you looking at me like that? Are you mad at me?

“...Okay.” Basil’s brow sets. His mouth curls into a frown. Even him? Sunny won’t even recognize him? “N-Nevermind, then.”

Something inside Basil needs to scream. Something inside Basil yearns to weep. Basil does neither. He matches Sunny’s eyes, almost threatening him to say something, anything. What is logical thinking with a glare like that? How could Sunny, even as untethered from reality as he is, look at Basil like this if he doesn’t hate him?

Sunny’s chest rises and falls. The movement is so small that it almost looks as if he isn’t breathing. Basil feels like he can’t breathe, either.

The room is so, so quiet.

Basil forces himself to walk before his feet become his hands and the floor becomes his face. Something drips through the walls. Teeth gleam at Basil, hungry. Basil threatens them with a broken photo album and Polly’s garden salad.

Across the sludge lies Grandma. Something wraps around Basil’s ankle and nearly trips him. He chooses to stop moving. He stares straight at Grandma’s bed, unwilling to see how far Something has covered Sunny.

“Grandma can’t hear us, you know?” Basil’s speech is hollow. Grandma may never hear him again, certainly won’t ever reply. Less than a month. That was what the doctors said. Less than a month before the cancer completely overwhelms her. Can he tell Sunny how long she has? No, that’s more of a reason to hate Basil. “She hasn’t been feeling very well lately.”

Basil tears his eyes away from Grandma. She’s just making him feel worse, too. Everything makes him feel worse. The photo album burns in his arms.

“It’s already been four years, hasn’t it?” I never expected to live this long. I won’t live much longer. I don’t think you will, either. Sometimes I wish we were both already dead.

His glance shifts to Sunny, he can’t help it. Why aren’t you dead already? Do you plan for it, like I am? Is that why you’re here? Will you clean her grave, too, apologize to her? Or are you just here to tell me how much you hate me before we both kill ourselves? “It’s nice to see you’re still around… even if it’s only for a little while.”

…Will Sunny forgive him if he proves how much he cares?

There’s only one reason why he wanted the photo album back, anyway. 

With agonizing steps, Basil approaches his friend. He tries not to throw up. Basil can’t be near Sunny without feeling blood dripping through his fingers and Something choking his neck. He shoves out the photo album. Just take it. Please, take it. Please, please, forgive me.

“Here. Take my photo album… I want you to have it.” But if Sunny’s killing himself, too, or if he still hates Basil after this, won’t Basil’s gift mean nothing? “...I’m trusting you with it, okay?” Basil tries to meet Sunny in the eyes, get his silent plea across. Sunny’s irises are vacant. “I just think… you could use it more than me.”

Sunny cracks the book open. Finally, his face flutters with the smallest sliver of recognition. Basil wishes that he was already dead. His mouth is dry.

He tries to sound chipper as he says, “A lot has happened since these pictures were taken.” Sunny flips through the photos. Basil’s pathetic attempt at optimism drops. “...Sometimes, it feels like it was all a bad dream.”

It’d be better if they never met. It’d be better if Basil was just dead already.

Sunny shuts the album with a soft thump, and his vision catches Basil’s. Does he, does he forgive Basil? Do you hate me? Don’t you hate me? Could you please just fucking tell me!?

“It’s hard to remember now, but…” Maybe if he explains himself… “I think… at the time.. I took photos of what I was most afraid to lose.” Why is he doing this? Why does he open these wounds larger, when he already knows Sunny will never stop hating him? “Flipping through this album, you can still see the good times… Maybe one day… things can go back to the way they were before.”

Once he’s gone, they’ll all be happy. If nothing else, he hopes Sunny will forgive him then. He hopes Sunny will appreciate Basil’s sacrifice enough to excuse everything else.

Basil continues to stare at Sunny. Do you understand? Do you understand what I’m going to do for everyone?

And Sunny stares, and it’s agonizing. He hates this, he hates this so much. Something is blocking out his face. Something makes the world turn to eyes and jet-black ink. Please, just understand. Please-

Kel calls them both for dinner. Basil practically sprints away, tearing himself from Something’s grasp. His head pounds. He feels as though he’s bleeding, about to pass out, but only one of those is true. So, Basil forces himself into the hardwood chair, and he waits.

Soon. Soon, he’ll do what’s needed for everyone to be happy.

Soon, everything will be okay.

Goodbye...Omori

⚠️ MAJOR SPOILERS FOR OMORI!!! ⚠️

Game: Omori.

Characters: Omori and Sunny.

Genre: Angst..?

Proofread: Kinda.

Word count: I dunno lol.

Note: Kinda had to change some things around for the fic. (Though that's probably just me forgetting the order of things lol.) Also, Omori may be OOC near the end but I tried my best to keep him in character! This is the first time I'm including a song for a fic! It may not fit until the end but I think it's well enough. However, if you know of a song that fits the entire fic let me know!

Welcome to To Black Space... You've been living here for as long as you can remember? You woke up in a cold sweat and looked around confused. "Huh, what happened where am I? What happened to White Space and where is Omori?"

As you looked at your surroundings there was nothing but pure black darkness however you noticed one door with a strange red glow. "This looks like the door Omori usually goes through but it's black and has this red glow." You attempt to open the door but it is locked then you hear something fall nearby. "Oh, what was that? Maybe it was the key I need to open the door I should go check it out."

As you look around in Black Space which seemed almost empty you find a key on the ground. "Ah yes, the key now I can open the door and hopefully find Omori!" You say as you run back to the door and with a steady hand begin to open it and step inside.

As you step through the door the first thing you were met with is what looked to be outside of a home. That red glow from before was even more present now coming from the house it sent a chill down your spine. "No, I can't let this scare me I have to keep on moving to find Omori and what is going on." And with that, you step into the house...or at least that's what you thought when you went inside there was nothing but red all around you.

"Just what is this place? What's happening and where is Omori? I don't like this I just want to find Omori!" You have become AFRAID as you walked you notice a trail of redness, on the ground... Could that be blood? You began to worry as to what could have possibly happened here but as you were worrying about what could have happened you noticed a staircase in the distance. You took a minute, to CALM DOWN and then made your way to the staircase and began to go up it. "Maybe once I reach the top I'll finally find Omori."

As you reached the top of the staircase you finally see him...Omori! But you also notice someone else there as well who could it be? And why does he look like resemble Omori so much? However, you then noticed the state of Omori he was covered in what seemed like blood and had these black spots all over him.

Worry began to fill within you as you cared about Omori so much and never wanted to see him hurt. Without even thinking you ran over to check on him and make sure he was alright. "OMORI" Your yell caught both boys off guard as they stopped what they were doing to look at you. "Omori are you alright what happened to you? And...who is this boy that looks like you?"

Omori looked at you and said nothing as he usually did but you looked into his eyes and saw sadness, almost as if he wished you didn't show up when you did. You then looked over at the other boy who looked quite injured himself and was holding a violin. "Just what happened here? Have you been fighting each other?" You wanted answers but you had a feeling you wouldn't get any as both boys remained silent.

You had always been able to read Omori pretty well and understand him through body language. However, right now you were at a loss and you just couldn't make sense of what was going on right now whatsoever. You looked at the other boy with the violin "Will you tell me what's going on?" However, just like Omori, the boy stayed silent but the...Omori spoke.

"Y/N that is Sunny the creator of Headspace of me, of you and everyone else. And now he is here to erase us all." It took you by surprise as it was quite rare that Omori said anything but what took you by even more surprising is what he said. "What? So I'm and you aren't real? Then my feelings for you are they not real as well?" You said heartbreaking as you took what Omori had just told you.

Omori spoke up once again "Everything is how Sunny wanted it however you Y/N are unique. Sunny did not previously know of you so you here in Headspace and our feelings for each other are unique and they are real." You were speechless you didn't know what to say or what you could say.

But after collecting your thoughts and thinking about it. This is the end for you and Omori. You'd rather be here with him while everything comes to an end. "I see so that's how it well as long as I'm with you Omori I wouldn't have it any other way."

Omori was taken by surprise by the sudden hug but after hearing what you had to say dropped his knife and hugged you back. "I love you Y/N" and of course, you loved him as well more than he could ever know. "I love you too Omori I love you too." You then looked over towards Sunny. "Thank you for everything we may not see each other ever again but thank you for everything. I may not be real myself but I know my feelings are real. So go ahead and erase us and this world. Don't worry about me and Omori as long as we're together we'll be fine."

And with that Sunny began to play his violin and played the Final Duet.

(I hate how the ending turned out I accidentally deleted it and had to do it all over again😭.I'll mostly likely come back and change it at some point.)

Vs Y/N!

Game Series: Omori

Characters: Omori, Kel, Hero, and Aubrey

Notes: Wish I could have gotten this done sooner but I got sick and had school to deal with. But now I'm finally getting around to this which I'm happy about! Also sorry if anyone feels OOC character here. Also, I made this at like 2 am lol.

Genre: Fluff

Reader: Gender Neutral

Proofread: Yes

Omori

• He saw you talking with Mari and Boss but couldn't hear what the three of you were talking about.

• However he did notice both you and Mari had mischievous looks on both your faces.

• After defeating his foes from his adventure in Headspace for a second time he thought he and his friends cleared the Boss Rush.

• But it wasn't over yet! He didn't know it but there was a surprise waiting for him an extra boss to defeat.

• So for the final time Omori and his friends entered the area and saw...you waiting there for them!

• At first he began to worry as he didn't want to hurt you! He cares about you so much and being hurt is the last thing he wants to happen to you.

• But you reassure him that you wanted this as you wanted to be as strong as him to travel around with him and the others.

• Even though this was to help you get stronger he went easy on you as he still couldn't bring himself to hurt you too much even if it was going to help you become stronger.

• Omori and friends have won!

• As soon as the battle ended he rushed over to see if you were alright.

• You told him you were fine but he didn't seem to be convinced until you hugged him and told him once again.

• "Thank you for helping me become stronger Omori I hope I'll be strong enough to travel around with you!"

Kel

• He's surprised to see you in the area and wonders why you're there despite being in a fighting area...

• Anyways! After hearing you explain why you're here Kel is more than willing to help you become stronger!

• You knew Kel was quick so landing attacks on him would be difficult but all you had to do is time your attacks!

• However you were caught off guard by him and his basketball ended up hitting you right in the face.

• It caught you so off guard this attack was enough to end the battle and you were in pure shock.

• He ran over to see if you were alright and after helping you up you told him you were fine.

• He admires that you want to become strong like him and the others but still didn't know why.

• "Why do I want to become strong? Well, it's because I want to travel around with you silly! I get a little lonely when you're not here so I want to travel around with you plus I need to keep a close eye on you haha."

Hero

• Just like Omori and Kel he's wondering why you're here in the area with them.

• After explaining why you're here In the area he's hesitant but you tell him not to worry and that it's for your benefit!

• You knew Hero supported his friends during battle instead of attacking like the others. You also knew he didn't have much stamina so you used this to your advantage!

• However you made sure your attacks wouldn't hurt him all that much as you cared about him and didn't want to see him injured.

• The battle ended once you noticed how tired Hero seemed so you decided to call off the battle.

• You both asked each other "Are you alright?" You two both laughed at saying something at the same time.

• After making sure the both of you were alright you say down and began to relax but then Hero began to speak.

• "I admire you wanting to be stronger Y/N but it seems like I'll need to get stronger as well. From now on let's help each other out and become stronger together okay?"

Aubrey

• She's super strong!

• Already knew why you were here as you've talked about getting stronger with her before.

• "Alright Y/N don't hold back show me how strong you are!"

• You knew Aubrey was really strong and had to before with making sure you weren't hit too many times.

• So you did you two battle it out for ages until Aubrey won which you excepted.

• Just like the others made sure you weren't. Seriously hurt or anything and you were okay which you told her you were fine.

• "I'm proud of you for making the steps to become stronger Y/N. But I know you're going to get even stronger. Come let's show the world our power no one will stand in our way!"

OUT OF POCKET ANON has a request!

Open <-

Close

Heyo! I just found your blog and wants to know how would the main four + Basil react to somebody who has ice skates on and just kicks enemies in the face with them and deals massive damage but like their attacks cost a lot of JUICE so they mostly heal with HERO.

Thought that would be a cool concept!

End of request.

- out of pocket anon

Note: Anon this request is amazing! I'll admit I laughed while reading it. But in a good way! I hope I'll be able to get more requests from you in the future out of pocket anon! My apologies this took way longer than it should have anon.

Reader: Male. (Pronouns He/Him.)

Game Series: Omori.

Characters: Omor, Hero, Kel, Aubrey, and Basil.

Ice Skating Mania

Omori

It was just another day in Headspace with Omori and his friends sitting at having a picnic....in a mountain of snow and ice. An unusual place for him, his friends, and his sister to have a picnic for sure but as long as Omori could be with them he was happy. Aubrey and Kel could be seen having a snowball fight while Hero was caught in the middle trying not to get hit. Basil and Mari were also making snow angels together and while he could Basil snapped a picture of the snowball fight between Kel and Aubrey. Meanwhile, Omori was sitting on the picnic blanket waiting for another one of his friends to arrive.

However, it has been quite some time since he went off and left the group of friends. Omori was beginning to get a little worried about his friend thinking something may have happened to him. However just when he was thinking that he was pulled out of his thoughts by a "Hey Omori!" He turned his head to see M/N running towards him with something in his hands. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting Omori!"

"I promise you though it's worth the wait I can't wait to show you!" His friend's eyes sparkle with excitement and joy. Omori looks to see his friend has a pair of ice skates in his hands. "I've got some ice skates with me. I didn't feel they need to bring this up before since we don't come here much. But I'm pretty talented at ice skating and wanted to show it off to you!" His friend says as he takes off his shoes and puts on his ice skates. "Thankfully there's a frozen lake super close to here come I'll show you and everyone else what I'm capable of!"

He says as he takes Omori's hand and yells out to his other friends to follow him to the frozen lake. "Great now watch and learn you're about to witness skill and grace!" He says as glides around the frozen lake with graceful movements. But before he could finish two snow bunnies suddenly attack! Omori and his friends immediately jump into action to protect their friend and defeat the snow bunnies. "Now you get to witness some of my skills watch and learn everyone!" He says as does a twirl and downward kick and attacks the snow bunnies defeating them.

"Woah! That was amazing!" All but Omori said but even though he didn't say anything. You can tell by the expression on his face he found what his friend did pretty impressive. "Although that took a lot of my juice. Hero, do you mind healing me?" "Of course!" Hero said as he healed up M/N juice. "What's with that look, Omori? Were you impressed? If so come on I'll teach you to be just as skilled and graceful as I am with ice skating!"

Hero

M/N had just gotten back to see his friend Hero In the middle of a snowball fight between Kel and Aubrey. M/N laughed at the sight of Hero being caught in the middle of a snowball fight. "Oh, my Hero how did you manage to end up like this?* M/N smiled as he saw Hero trying not to get hit as he ran over to M/N. "Those two haven't stopped they've been having that snowball fight forever now." Hero says to M/N out of breath from the running and dogging he had been doing trying not to get hit by the snowballs.

"Seems like you need a break huh? Well, I know the perfect way for you to take a break and relax! Look I've got some ice skates with me I'm pretty skilled at ice skating come on I'll show you!" He takes Hero's hand and drags him near a frozen lake and Omori and the others follow as well to see M/N skate. M/N takes off his shoes and then put on his ice skates putting his shoes aside.

M/N steps onto the frozen lake and skates around with skill and grace "Well Hero what do you think? " You're amazing M/N! You should have shown me this sooner! M/N laughed "Thank you Hero I'm glad to hear that. Now to finish this off with a spin!" But before M/N could finish with a spin a Snow Angel attacked! Hero and the others rushed to M/N's side to help him defeat the enemy.

"My skills with ice skating even involve battle as well! Now watch and learn everyone!" M/N said as he skated around the Snow Angel and as he got closer to it attacked it with the heel of his ice skate. "Yay another victory for M/N!" The group watched in amazement as he defeated the Snow Angel. "However I am low on juice be a dear and heal me, hero?" "Oh of course! Right away I'm here to help!" Hero said as he healed up M/N juice.

"That was amazing M/N! How'd you manage to do that?!?" "With tons of practice of course! Here I have another pair of ice skates put these on and I'll tell teach you!" Hero takes the ice skates from M/N and then steps on the frozen lake and falls. "I thought that might happen here take my hand I'll teach you step by step!" M/N says as Hero takes his hand and begins to practice ice skating.

Kel

You had just gotten back to see your good friend Kel in the middle of a snowball with your other good friend Aubrey. You had no idea how long it had been going on but assumed it started after you left. You also noticed Hero in the middle of the chaos of the snowball fight trying to get Kel and Hero to stop while not getting hit with a snowball himself.

Kel and Aubrey even built snow walls to duck behind so that they wouldn't get hit. You quickly rushed over to Kel "Hiya Kel how's the snowball fight going? Kel turned to look at you and his face lit up as he saw you. "M/N your back! Come help me defeat Aubrey In a snowball fight!" You laughed as he started to throw snowballs toward Aubrey. "Okay I can help but only for a little while I have something to show you!" You said as you and Kel threw snowballs at Aubrey while she complained about how unfair two against one was.

After a while, the snowball fight ended with you and Kel being the winners! "Yeah, we won! We're awesome we make a great team M/N!" Kel said looking towards you with a big smile on his face. "I agree we were we'll have to do this again sometime Kel. It was so much fun! But look I have something to show you." You get your ice skates and show them to Kel. "This is what I was away getting some ice skates! I'm pretty talented and wanted to show you what I'm like when ice skating!"

M/N took Kel by the hand and guided him over the frozen while calling out to his other friends to follow. He took off his shoes and put on his ice skates while putting his shoes aside. Once he was ready he stepped onto the frozen lake. "Watch this Kel! Watch and learn the skill and grace of a skilled ice skater!" He was about to finish with a slide however enemies appeared!

Kel and everyone else jumped into action to defeat the enemies and protect M/N. "Don't worry everyone like I said I have the skill and I shall deal with this enemy," M/N said as he dashed around and did a jumping slash at the enemy. "The enemy is defeated and there's a victory for the party!" "Woah M/N you were so amazing! So cool! Teach me to do that!" M/N laughs. "Of course, I shall teach you but I need to heal my juice and then I'll teach you!"

Aubrey

After getting a pair of ice skates you decided to head back to see your friends. Hopefully, you didn't keep them waiting too long Honestly you're not sure long you'd had been away. But it seems like you've been away for longer than you thought as two of your friends had gotten into a snowball fight. Those friends being Kel and the friend you had something to show to being Aubrey.

But you decided that you could have a little fun before you showed her your talent. You rushed over to Aubrey and decided to join the snowball fight! "Heya Aubrey! How's this snowball fight going?" She was surprised to see you but then quickly became excited. "M/N I'm glad your back! Now join this snowball fight and help me win!"

Alright Aubrey let's do this we'll win for sure!" You said as you joined the snowball fight with Aubrey. To say the least...you and Aubrey won easily. I mean why wouldn't you? You've got a friend who's pretty strong after all!

"Okay now that we've won that and quite easily might add. What is it you want to show me M/N?" Aubrey had asked. "Oh yeah here's what I want to show you!" You said as you showed Aubrey the pair of ice skates. "I've been told I'm pretty talented with ice skating. I must say I also agree as I enjoy it. But I wanted to show you and see what you think. Come let's go follow me!" You say as turn around going around to the nearby frozen lake and call out to your other friends to follow.

As M/N and the others get closer to the lake. He then takes off his shoes then puts on his ice skates. "Okay now watch this Aubrey I'm sure you'll be impressed!" You say as you step into the lake and show Aubrey what you have learned. "Wow, amazing! That's so graceful and wonderful M/N!" However, just then Snow Angel attack!

"Okay everyone time to defeat the enemy prepare!" Aubrey says as she and the others prepare to fight. However, before they do anything. You slide in and defeat the enemy with some ice from your skate! "Woah amazing M/N! Teach me how to do that!" *After that you take a moment to relax. "Sure Aubrey but I need Hero to heal my juice then I'll teach you!" You said as Aubrey grew a smile on her face. "Thank you M/N I can't wait!"

Basil

You had just gotten back from the picnic you and your friends were having. You were not sure why you'd have a picnic here. But to say you didn't mind would be a lie you now got a chance to show off your ice skating skills! However, you just need to find Basil so you can show him.

You were looking around for him and then spotted him with Mari making some snow angels. You approached the both of them "Hello you two! Mind if I join?" You smile. "Oh hello M/N it's nice to see you again. Sure you can join us." Basil said. "Great seems like the both of you are having fun!" You lay down next to Basil and start making snow angels.

"Hey, Basil I have something to show you!" You sit up and turn to look at him as he does the same. "Oh, what is it M/N?" Basil asks. "It's these! I got these ice skates while I was away. I like to think I'm pretty talented with ice skating. Come on I'll show you!" M/N says as he takes Basil to the nearby frozen lake. "Have fun you two!" Mari called out. "We will!"

As they approach the lake M/N takes off his shoes and puts on his ice skates. Then steps into the lake. "Okay watch me Basil I'm sure you'll be impressed!" M/N said showed off the skills and moves he had learned as an ice skater. "Watch out M/N!" Basil says as M/N turns around and dodged an attack from an enemy.

M/N strikes the enemy in the head. "Oh, my that was wonderful M/N!" "Oh thank you, Basil. Goodness, I need to heal up my juice I need to ask Hero to heal me." "Yes let's have Hero heal to make sure you're okay." M/N smiles at Basil. "Sure let's do that then I can teach you how to skate!"

Sunny, Will you Help me? (Because I'm gonna Help you.) / OMORI SongFic

Basil thinks about the past, and what happened. He misses it.

woo songfic

A niche meme about a fanfiction I enjoyed.

posting tiny snippets of fanfic until someone finds it interesting and i am motivated to finish it, part 1

content warning: self harm.

[KEL MULTIVERSE 1 - 332]

At least 46,656.

Oar dipped into murky, purple waters as Kel pushed himself along the river. How many times had he travelled through this exact spot, in this odd, hand-whittled canoe? He couldn't remember.

46,656 universes. Maybe more. Hopefully more.

Eerie, white light streamed in from the… ceiling? Roof? Could it be the Sun? 

He didn't think this place had a Sun.

But he supposed it didn't really matter.

He pulled himself towards the shore, which was made of an opaque salmon crystal, and pulled his dull, orange canoe onto the bank. He dragged it to one of the many coral-like plants, each brightly coloured with pastel pink, orange, green, and laid it along the plant’s pointy edges to dry. 

Kel sat down, feeling the hard, cool ground beneath him.

He turned his eyes to the fleshy, pink walls surrounding the water. They stood high above him, making him seem like a small bug tasked with climbing a mountain, beating with obscure, lifelike movement. Their ribbed texture reminded Kel of cutting slices of ham with a jagged kitchen knife. 

Ham sandwiches. 

Hero.

The walls themselves seemed to hold their breath.

Kel hesitated. He had tried not to think about this.

How many times had he watched Hero-

Kel put a hand over his mouth, his head spun around, the world began to cave in, heavy smoke filled his lungs, he couldn't breathe, he was dying, he was dying, he was-

Kel stuck his hand into his pocket and grabbed forcefully onto the edge of his knife.

He took a deep breath in as the blood dripped down his fingers. Calmness enveloped him.

Sure, it was an unhealthy way to cope, but what else was he supposed to do? Talk about his feelings to the open air? Wait for comfort no-one would give him? Waste time letting a panic attack occur?

Fast relief was far more important than worrying over his mental health. He had things to do.

Kel pulled a wrap of white bandages out of his pocket and pulled some around his bleeding hand, leaning back on the pulsating wall. He dipped his knife into the river, and pulled it out completely clean.

The light began to fade, and Kel realised he wouldn’t be able to travel to the Forest tonight. 

I'll have to set up camp.

posting tiny snippets of fanfic until someone finds it interesting and i am motivated to finish it, part 2

warning: major omori spoilers, mentions of death.

[KEL MULTIVERSE 1 - 332]

Kel pulled out a small glowing tulip bud from his backpack, white, clear and crystalline, made of glass. It reflected the glow of the blue fire, but it also flickered with its own blue colour. Kel could almost see the universe held inside it, a calm sunset, four friends; then a cold graveyard, a delusional child. 

That one was a fucking disaster. Again.

At least he now knew ‘The Truth’ for that Kel. Although, really, the killing of someone else always seemed to set off the chain of death. 

Murderers, that’s what we all are, Kel thought to himself, rotating the glass.

Resisting the urge to smash it into pieces, he sighed, tossing it into the river. After all, he might have to fish all these out again sometime, so it would be worth trying to keep the functional ones around, but out of sight. He watched the glow dim as the flower sank into the acidic waves, like a lost ship taking its final breaths.

As he drifted off to sleep, Kel wondered how many crystalline flowers he had left. How much time he had left. The world closed in around his fear, where he would sleep through nightmares in numbed horror.

In these nightmares, he watched everyone die over and over, dead bodies being dragged to hiding places and graves being dug, weeping parents. He saw an echo of his past self relive the worlds again and again, a naive child who thought positivity would solve everything, banging at closed doors and crying quietly in a bathroom, breakdowns in front of five corpses. He saw only failure and husks, shells of humanity. 

Happiness doesn’t work. Happiness stopped working.

Tonight, yet again, there was a girl with dark brown hair, clutching a stuffed toy, happy and innocent… a girl with faded pink dye in her hair, clutching her hands, empty inside… a girl with bright pink hair and green coloured contacts, gripping a bat, furious… a boy with blue hair and a beanie,... many more, standing around him, enclosing him… but they all had the same golden eyes, the ones that bore into him.

My name’s Aubrey. Who are you? 

Hey. Who are you?

New kid, huh? Who are you, then?

I’m Rei. Who are you?

They repeated the questions, but he had no answer. He couldn’t speak, words failed him, so they encircled him like sharks, bats looming over his head, sky darkening, vision darkening…

Who have you become?

Kel turned in his sleep, covering his head as if to block something out.

Outside his mind, feeble glows pulsed synchronically at the bottom of the river, distress calls for dead universes.

posting tiny snippets of fanfic until someone finds it interesting and i am motivated to finish it, part 3

[KEL MULTIVERSE 1 - 332]

Kel scoured the Cool Forest. It was one of those recurring places he came to, looking for more flowers. He thought he’d been here hundreds of times before, but obviously there must be something he missed. 

Kel looked around. The eerie blue leaves of white-bark trees blocked out most light, so he had to rely on the glowing red lanterns that floated among them. The lanterns were naturally formed - originally, Kel thought they were fruit, but they tasted disgusting, and they didn't make good soup, so now they lit the way during his journeys in the forest. 

They worked relatively well as soap, too. The glow came from the lanterns being filled with a strange liquid that cleaned, but didn’t strip off his flesh like the river. 

Little creatures with dozens of yellow eyes fearfully scuttled into the purple bushes as Kel peeked into them. He worked systematically, like the repetitive nature of the forest, a tree surrounded by a circle of bushes, another tree surrounded by a circle of bushes, so on, so forth. It felt like it had been copy-pasted by some vengeful God.

Ah.

He kneeled down when he spotted the soft blue glow - but froze angrily when he got a clear look into the flower.

There’s that goddamn black glass again.

Unlike the clear crystal flower from last night, this one was tinted black, swaying in the wind like it was taunting Kel. 

Why were these fucking failed-flowers even created? They didn’t even work. People can’t die twice in the same universe. He couldn’t even enter them properly, they just erred out after the double-death and he was forcefully removed. It all felt so stupid.

Kel angrily kicked at the Lily of the Valley, and it smashed on the floor, black glass shattering over the lime green dirt floor. The glow instantly died. Good riddance.

He pulled out a worn leather notebook, and took a small note, pen cap in his mouth. ‘Lily of the Valley, #2,252. Failure.’

Kel furiously searched through more bushes. If he didn’t find anything good, he was going to be so fucking mad, but there was nothing to do with that anger, except yell at the sky deliriously. He liked to pretend he was taking revenge on someone, some God, but the sky never responded, unless streaming and fading pulsing light as time changed counts as a reply.

He felt like her in those moments, in the universes where she managed to live past the age of 12. Sometimes it made it all feel better, but sometimes it just made everything worse. 

Reminded him endlessly of the point of all this.

posting tiny snippets of fanfic until someone finds it interesting and i am motivated to finish it, part 4

content warning: gore, drowning.

[MARI - 25]

Mari plummeted through the grass, soil swallowing her up, suffocating her with darkness, she was drowning just like he did. Her hands disappeared and the Puppeteer’s gnarled fingers wrapped around her throat, yet you still did it you still did it you still did it you still did it

Mari gasped for air, choking in an inky black ocean, and the Puppeteer tightened its grip. She tried to scream out, but no words could be heard, her ears filled up with swollen water, leaking into her mind, fading out, the Puppeteer’s limbs tangled with her, pulling her down, lower and lower and lower and lower…

Mari crashed onto solid ground. The Puppeteer was gone.

She looked around, picking up her shovel. A small note was written on the handle.

A shovel for burying your sins.

A movie theatre. Everything was dark like the ocean. Rows of seats stretched on forever, down to a brightly lit stage. The stage had nothing on it.

Shh! The movie is about to start!, said No-One. The theatre was empty. 

Mari moved down the stairs, shielding her eyes from the light. Something drew her to it. Her fingers were missing. 

Shh! The movie is about to start!, repeated No-One. Shh! The movie is about to start!

Her hands were missing. She dropped the shovel, but she kept walking.

Shh! The movie is about to start! A chorus sang those words piercingly, like a choir at a church. Shh! The movie is about to start!

Her arms were missing. She reached the stage.

Shh! The movie is about to start!

Mari looked down. Her body was missing. She was missing. 

You are meant to be here.

A man with a crooked neck stared at her with harshly dyed black hair. His eyes were white scribbles. He was the movie.

You were born to be here.

The man reached into her neck and pulled out her throat.

sometimes you spend so much time writing horrible aus for your silly little multiverse fic that you forget this game actually has a good ending.

posting tiny snippets of fanfic until someone finds it interesting enough for me to finish it and put it all on ao3, part 5

content warning: serious self-harm, references to emotional neglect and abuse.

[MARI - 25]

Mari booted up the old PC. The Puppeteer watched, warped face sneering in the reflection of the black screen, long, stringy hair covering thin shoulders; Sunny was busy with Basil today. 

Trying to ignore the creature behind her, Mari looked out the window. Perhaps her vision was getting worse, some parts of the backyard looked blank, like raindrops distorting the view outside a windowpane. She could still see the forest and sky, and figure outside. He was always there too, scarf flapping in the wind. She imagined him as her father, waiting peacefully for her to come outside and play…

Come now, Mari. You know that’s not good enough. Take a break, we can do more soon.

Mari’s fingers tapped absent-mindedly along the desk. She played out some notes… right, G4, E5, …left, C4, G4 and E4, once again,... everything played mezzoforte, she hummed quietly to herself… 

Yes, this one would sound good enough for Dad. This one would be perfect…

She closed her eyes. It was like it was all really there… left, A3, C#4 and E4; G3, C#4 and E4, repeat,... right, G5, D5, no, wait, E5…

Wait.

Mari froze.

What was she doing?

No, what the fuck was she doing?

No, no, no. Absolutely not. Never again

Her mother's voice echoed in her head. 

Don't hurt yourself, Mari. I told you to stop. You're burdening me and everyone else.

No, no, wait, but,

Mari slammed her hands on the edge of the desk, and again. Over and over and over and over and over. She hit them harder and harder. Over and over and over and over and over. She hit them until they turned purple and throbbed, she hit them until they went numb. Then she kept hitting. 

She stopped. Her fingers were shaking, bent in odd directions. The bandages must've slipped off.

She knew it was supposed to hurt, but it didn't. She looked blankly at the shattered mechanics of her hands.

Her mother burst into the room, the door flying open. Mari hadn't heard the footsteps. “God, Mari, what did I tell you? That's the third time this month.”

Mari stood up and looked at her mother's shoes, avoiding her eyes. They were navy velvet loafers, with a small rose near the top of the shoe. Perfect mom shoes for a perfect mom.

“No, we're not going to the hospital again. They're fed up with you.” Her mother grabbed Mari's wrists, pulling them harshly. She peered at the fingers.

“Go and clean them up and bandage them. I'm sick of this. I know you miss him, but this isn't appropriate.”

Mari moved to leave, slipping past her mother, avoiding touch. As she walked toward the door, her mother sighed deeply.

“You know you're fine. Don't pretend otherwise. I'm fine and you're fine. If you weren’t fine, you would talk to me.”

Mari nodded distractedly, and busied herself in the bathroom. Puppeteer loomed in the mirror, hissing the words her mother said. 

You're a burden. She's sick of you. They’re fed up with you. You're fine. You're fine. You're fine. This isn’t appropriate.

Mari tried to ignore it.

posting tiny snippets of fanfic until people find it interesting but remember this is just a segment of a wider multiverse, part 6

content warning: description designed to remind reader of an in-game jumpscare

[MARI - 25]

“I’m going out,” Mari’s mother yelled from the living room. Mari made no effort to reply.

Her mother leaving meant the knocking would start up again, like someone was watching her house just to target Mari. 

It scared her. 

The Puppeteer whispered things that the person might do. 

It didn’t help.

Mari sighed, and leaned back on her bed. The knocking started up again.

“Open the door.”

It was Sunny’s voice. He looked at her forcefully. She turned away from him, staring at the wall. 

He is with Basil.

“Open the door,” he repeated.

Mari lay down. Maybe she could will the knocking away. 

He isn’t supposed to be here.

“Open the door.”

She covered her head with a pillow. She knew what was going to happen.

Sunny angrily threw his halo on the ground.

Suddenly, Sunny’s voice distorted, and he let out a piercing shriek. Mari froze, burying herself more, squeezing her eyes shut. Sunny kept shrieking, screaming, like he was a child throwing a tantrum, he wouldn’t shut up, he wouldn’t shut up, he wouldn’t shut up. Mari could see his snapped neck and twisted features, mouth gaping open to eat her, eyes empty, empty, empty, begging, wailing…

Sunny went dead silent.

Mari opened her eyes. She was in front of the door, and it was open.

I didn’t do that.

“Oh-oh-oh my gosh! M-Mari! It’s me! Aubrey? Do you remember me?” 

A short, brown-haired girl beamed. She was wearing a pink shirt and a long, beige skirt, clutching her fingers together. Her eyes were shining, like she’d seen a present or a shiny toy. She looked simple.

This isn’t Aubrey, Mari thought. Aubrey was shorter, and carried a stuffed toy. Aubrey…

Aubrey’s real features had escaped her mind. But this wasn’t Aubrey.

“I didn’t expect you to open the door!”

I didn’t open it.

i posted like a tiny bit to ao3

considering that the majority of this fic isn't anywhere near done i can't promise regular updates but i hope this... interests people??

next update will be when i finish the mari au

a place between unreality and lucidity, or understanding the intentions of Chapter 12

CONTENT WARNING: DISCUSSIONS OF DEATH, SUICIDE, AND ABUSE. I ALSO TALK A LOT ABOUT LUCID DREAMING, WHICH CAN BE DISSOCIATIVE FOR READERS, SO PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

SPOILER WARNING: REFERENCED YUME NIKKI AND OMORI SPOILERS, AND OBVIOUSLY, DREAMSCAPE SPOILERS.

We're back bois, and we're back with my favourite chapter.

I love Chapter 12 so much, the same way I adore the Truth Sequence in Omori. Originally I was going to compare the two, but I realised there's little overlap other than the intentions they're written with.

...so I wrote about the intentions instead. The little bitch boy intentions. You'll see what I mean.

Buckle up, this one takes some insane turns. I had wild epiphanies while churning all this out in a couple hours. I think I may be losing my mind.

understanding what I mean by "lucidity", and discussing dreams as plot devices

Lucidity is a very particular type of plot device that I find difficult to describe - it is a specific type of fragmented narrative that fragments location, exploring an impossibility that often has links to deeper meaning. Typically it is an abstract way of foreshadowing or revealing something to the reader, and it mirrors the concept of a "liminal space".

Dreams in texts have been used as a method of foreshadowing for hundreds of years. While the human brain has no ability to predict the future, but only reframe the past, the uncontrollable fragments of memory that are spat back out at you during unconsciousness have captured human fascination since we first started sleeping.

Dreamscape itself isn't a dream, but it is a different form of consciousness, and the creator has stated that Chapter 12 draws a lot from lucid dreaming, which suggests this counts as part of the 'Lucidity' narrative trope. As someone who does not dream much, I find this shit fascinating. Like I'm sure it's horrific as hell but. It seems so fucking cool.

Perhaps some of the best examples of the use of lucid dreaming to form narrative are Yume Nikki and its fangames, as well as Omori. Yume Nikki was a catalyst for the creation of many RPG maker horror games, and it's an excellent piece of work. No concrete story, just wandering an endless abyss of Madotsuki's mind, observing the horrors within it. The fangames branched off this concept (I personally recommend .flow ) and added more aspects, but never being concrete about the trauma.

Things are illogical in the Yume Nikki dreamverse, but they don't have to be logical, and things don't have to make sense to the player - it is purely up for speculation. At the same time, we know it has to mean something. There's an innate sense of exploration and meaning in dreams, despite the real life version often being meaningless bullshit.

This is where Omori explicitly diverts - it outright states what happened on the Recital day, in a short, distorted sequence known ominously as "The Truth". While the entire game is about lucid dreaming, this section captures the horror due to the illogical nature of it, where Sunny travels from his living room, to a hospital, to stairs, his bedroom, backstage... things are wrong. At the same time, the player is focused on completing the album and collecting the polaroids, with the confusing nature of the locations building to the horror of the final moment.

Despite all this, none of these sequences are the big moment, or even nearing the climax.

Yume Nikki doesn't have a big moment, unless you see the ending as significant enough for that title. It is a game about wandering unreality, and without a plot, it can't have a climax. It uses lucidity to provide a sense of narrative, even when there isn't one, tricking the player into trying to comprehend an impossible universe.

Omori is not building up to that that one sequence, but rather, it is a stepping stone leading to the Final Duet, which is the true climax of the game. It's an emotional release for Sunny and the player, a sense of finality in a game without a proper "ending". The Truth sequence is merely a way for the player to understand plot and build horror, and without the Truth's photo album... we would understand nothing at all. An impossible universe.

This leads to my big theory...

the purpose of chapter 12 - you can't understand it

Chapter 12 is a lying piece of shit and won't admit to us more than cookie crumbs about the future of the Dreamscape universe. And I still love it. And here's why.

Due to the abstract nature of it, we can't understand it. Perhaps Sunny can, to some extent, but since we're not sure the cause nor purpose for it, we can't understand it. We can speculate, but we can't understand. Just like Yume Nikki, we might never properly understand what each segment means.

Here's some little nuggets I've been scrambling through for information.

The beginning talks about time and distortion of it, which mimics some of the issues with time Sunny has in real life. This may be foreshadowing his eviction or declining physical state.

Body horror is incredibly prevalent, particularly self-mutilation. This has several implications, but it likely hints to Sunny's feelings for himself. It may also foreshadow what Mari looked like during the Recital day scene, which I'm starting to realise hasn't actually been shown yet. Interesting.

While this is one of the first times we see Mari as more than a virus or a corpse in the text, it's also completely distorted by Sunny's unreliable narration. Despite the slightly manipulative conversation held between them, Sunny is completely frozen in grief, desperate to beg for her forgiveness.

Sunny sits there with her pain in that hospital, insisting he deserves it. It hints further to Sunny's declining mental state, but that doesn't tell us anything more than his own self-loathing. Both this and the above point foreshadow Mari's potentially abusive nature.

Sunny is completely determined to stay within the lucid dream, and is also very insistent that Mari is somewhere at the end, which turns out to be right. How he knows this is not shown to the reader.

Segments of this are related to Mari's own memory, which provides us with a better understand of the VHS system, and of the accident that lead to her suicide.

The lucid dream is a representation of Sunny's unending trauma through what he perceives to be Mari's eyes, perhaps even a representation of what he feels he needs to do for her forgiveness.

We also learn a bit more about Pianoboy, who we know is a clone of Sunny, and he specifically highlights a connected feeling of isolation. At the same time, it has to go further than that, but we're again limited by understanding. There's more, but not enough to guess what 'more' means.

But those tidbits mean nothing. And I can't do much more than spew nonsense about segments, with no ultimate conclusion.

Because Chapter 12 is not designed to be understood, but rather, it's something to look back on when you finally do understand. It's foreshadowing in its most complex form, hinting ominously to what you don't understand. It is also similar to Black Space in this way - no-one can figure out the truth of the Recital Day from Black Space alone.

I could spend hours trying to understand every symbol, every room, the essence of Chapter 12 itself, and fuck me because i totally would but ultimately, it's all fragments of a deeper narrative, more complex than our limited understanding.

And it's a horrible, horrible thing to do to a reader. An unanswerable segment, dangling understanding right in front of their nose, but making it unreachable. Haunting them with the human desire to see patterns in chaos. What utter cruelty. How could you do this to me, @omoriboii. Why would you do this to me, the analysis God, with the most overthink-y brain in existence, and yet give me, ultimately, nothing to lead to. Why leave me a crumb to look back on, something I can never understand with the information I hold. I may be stupid, but I can understand when I am beat.

It's perfection.

why even torture someone with the inability to understand?

Building horror is incredibly difficult, because it's so easy to do foreshadowing incredibly wrong. We've all seen horror movies that are so bad they're funny, relying entirely on petty jumpscares, terrible props and showing off the killer way too fast-

Wait a minute. Showing off the killer too fast ruins everything? Dammit, I wanted to flex my big sharp knife. That's right guys. I'm the serial killer of this blog. ?????

Anyway, demonstrating the inability to understand something to the reader is a common feeling that gets the emotional brain hooked and the cogs whirring in the logical segments. You need to understand. You develop theories, you discuss them with others, seeking evidence, only to find something that changes your view, ruining everything, forcing you to start again. Being teased is fun. I am kinky

That's my favourite feeling of all time. It's why I spent hours searching for that again after I played Omori. I still remember my first theories of the truth of the game, right up until the one I had just before I discovered the real Truth. Even after that, there was more for me to analyse. Analysis. I love analysis. Yk?

I love a good challenge, and analysing these segments are so much of a challenge that I actually can't do it, which is why I get so hyped over it. Why do I do this to myself?

I actually don't really know how to end this, but I think you get my point. It's fun. I like it. I love suffering. uhh. dreams cool.

new bit: song i wrote this listening to.

today's song, the main title theme from Tomorrow Won't Come for those without.

i needed a reminder of what horrible liminality feels like, and that goddamn game does it better than anyone. i love it so much. thanks, etherane, your games cursed me with a sick desire for unreality.

special thanks to all the games who ever bullied me for having boring ass dreams.

reviewing chapter 16 of dreamscape, or finally, happiness for the children!

CONTENT WARNING: DISCUSSIONS OF HAPPINESS, PEACE AND SUNFLOWER CANON

Alright! Finally, some good news for the Dreamscape cast!

We've been waiting on this for a while, as the fic is tagged, "It gets worse before it gets better," and it looks like our better has finally arrived, after the Great War!!!

To give a short runthrough of what the Dreamscape AU is, it's a canon convergent post-game fluff fanfic which follows Sonny, Basil, Aubrey, Kel, Hero and Mari living in a house together (with Mewo of course!!). They're all obsessed with this cute little game called Dreamscape, and the fic follows their daily activities (with a dash of romance!) as they work to live a happy and normal life after the Great War.

Dreamscape as a game is not particularly symbolic - it's just a MarioKart replica with character creation - but the way the characters use the game provides a catalyst for their development. For example, we know that Sonny and Basil have something going on, and this is because Sonny is always requesting that the two play Dreamscape together, and his character in the game is bright rainbow. Colours are easy to access in the game - in fact, it's much harder to go fully monochrome because of the Great War.

Donut is my personal favourite character in the text, but Jude comes a close second. Donut is a tall, clever ftm top who never gets flustered over praise, and Jude has a large peniThey live on a houseboat along with Kouta, their very very active track runner friend. He's always running laps around the house. The group contrasts to Pianoboi's clone, Sonny, as well as the main group, mean they serve as useful secondary characters, juxtaposing with the contrast of comparison. The group were all present during the Great War, and they love playing the Sims 4!!!

Let's look at where our characters are. Mari is perfect and flawless, just as she should be in canon. Basil is a recovering alcoholic, and Sonny is not traumatised. Kel has a clue, Aubrey is as bubbly as ever and Hero lazes around with Mewo all day. This is hugely different from before the Great War!! Look at how far they've come :)

If you remember from before (I barely did, it's been so long!!), Chapter 12 was an incredibly obvious and normal chapter which introduced nothing into the text!! Except the Great War.

Overall, ten stars. No plot, but pure, pure fluff. Exactly what @omoriboii aimed for :)

I wrote something about my experiences with OCD from Mari's lens because I need that in my life apparently.

Right, now that's finished, I can finally get onto schoolwork and shit.

okay this is spoilers for the omori dreamscape au but i thought it was really really really funny and i edited it and i'm notoriously cool and epic.

art by @omoriboii obviously

video is from brandon farris. he is funny.

oh right i forgot i wrote a chapter 2 to this

negative focuses on more personal experiences of OCD

i think that the possibility of a Mari with OCD isn't too far-fetched. lots of people only ever write or portray her as perfect, which isn't true, but Sunny doesn't provide enough perspective on what Mari was actually like and apparently half the fandom can't look past his idea of her.

i was interested in writing an analysis exploring the way Mari is portrayed but i think i sorta explained what i wanted to say in this analysis exploring angry dead women. it's just fascinating to me that the fandom falls into the same trap that Sunny fell into, some weird desire for the perfect older sister.

I wrote something about my experiences with OCD from Mari's lens because I need that in my life apparently.

Right, now that's finished, I can finally get onto schoolwork and shit.