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delurkr · 10 days ago

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Pyromegan: Pressed flowers(1975 part 1)

back again, three years out from the Clarke fire, Megan continues to struggle generally with her feelings towards others, self image, emotional outbursts, Carson being a controlling guardian,(economy mentions 😱), feelings of general isolation and previous warnings at 3600+ words this 4th part only covers from January to early May

Previous parts here: 1972/1973/1974

[January 16th/1975]

"Miss Clarke! What do you think you're doing?" Mr Jackson shouted across the room as Megan pulled an old 1969 photo off the wall. "That is school property-"

"He's dead!" She holds up the photo pointing to Dennis among his old band members in the music room. "He died three years ago today, did you even think about him?" Mr Jackson's face goes tomato red, shame obvious under it all but she doesn't let up. "Do you think my family's deaths was a greater loss to the 'community' or me?" The room is uncomfortably quiet, the older teacher looks away to avoid blowing a gasket. It's her last class of the day, five minutes before the bell. So she doesn't wait to see if he's ashamed, doesn't stick around to find out how much trouble she's in or what they expect her to do to make up for it, she grabs her stuff and as the man begins to protest she starts saying something she really shouldn't. "Miss Clarke-"

"Dennis always said you were an uptight-"

"Miss Clarke!"

But she was already one foot out the door, losing the nerve to finish that sentence, it was bad, she knew that, but she just doesn't believe someone who hadn't given up the rare photos of her family members in three years would do so simply because she asked. So she runs to hide in the bathroom until the bell rings. She knows she shouldn't have done that, she knows she's making it worse... All the trophies and plaques in memoriam they can have, but there is her brother, smiling and she'd like to pretend it was at her. She hasn't done anything to get herself in trouble outright in a long time and she shakes as her heart races as it dawns on her that the school might call Carson... Why? Why did she do that? The bell rings and she does her best to get out with the rest of the students.

Kurt caught up with her at the front gate, "why am I so stupid?" She asks,"You're not," he takes her bag, reassuring her, "He yelled at you first, he should have just let you take it." She scoffs, still feeling a little emotionally fragile, "I don't think it works that way... God I've done it now." She takes his elbow, they stopped by the cemetery early in the morning, there were less flowers this year, people were moving on and she couldn't stand to see this beautiful snapshot of her brother just living his life reduced to a random photo of former students who used to attend...

They went back to Kurt's house, she hasn't outright visited in a while but it is nice to hang out in the treehouse like they used to... The old branch by the window had long been removed, making Kurt's room inaccessible from the tree, they sat up there, leaning against the old wooden walls, "I'm going to skip class tomorrow, maybe it'll blow over by Monday, you in?" He smiles putting an arm around her and pulling her close. "I don't think it'll help but... I can't help that you're a bad influence on me."

"Oh ha ha, I've been told the same about you." she leans in with a smile. "Says who? Father Leonard? He's an ass, you said so yourself." She rolls her eyes, again thinking about what she's going to do but feeling a bit better. "You don't have to ditch with me... I'll figure something out," she sighs, she'd stay right here if it wasn't for the risks of freezing, she doesn't really remember much of the last time she got pneumonia, just that when she got better every thing was different. "Thank you."

"What for?" Kurt asks and she looks up at him feeling warmth through the cold. "For being my friend." He smiles, looking away, she knows she still doesn't have a clear answer about how she feels, she wishes she could just make it easier for him and give him one but she likes things just the way they are. "It's what I'm here for." He responds holding her a little closer.

No calls came from the school, not that Carson knows of, Megan unplugged the phone, she would fix it before he noticed... She prays Mr Jackson won't bring it up at church... She tries to get on top of tidying the house in the hope that it'll soften the blow if Carson does hear about it. Kurt attended classes to report back what people were saying about the incident... Mr Jackson would not look at her on Sunday, she hopes that's a good sign.

On Monday she gets detention over cutting class the previous Friday, but Carson never found out so it's not so bad... Not compared to the way people are looking at her over her outburst, Kurt said he'd fight anyone who said anything about it and she could almost kiss him for that... Almost.

[February 14th/1975]

"Do you think we could have a house like this one day?" Megan asks, Carson's house wouldn't be so bad if his presence was absent from it. She and Kurt shuffle around the kitchen, trying to cook muffins without burning the place down, she's cooked plenty but doing so because Carson works late and doing so with someone she cares about is not the same, she sets the timer, still thinking about the question... "Just like this but... far away from Little Hope." Kurt smiles in that way where she knows that his interpretation is less ambiguous than what she actually said... She knew that he would. "One day." He says, like he had so many other words, she knows, on some level, that it's unfair, that it's somewhere between false hope and promises made in the name of future selves... Is it false hope if you aren't certain?

It makes her feel lonely for some inconceivable reason, she tries to focus on cleaning up a spill on the counter, she's not trying to be selfish, she just... A few days ago Jo joked that they'd been keen on each other for years, called them 'lovebirds', said Kurt should give her a nice Valentine's Day since they're a little bit older now... Kurt defended that they aren't actually boyfriend and girlfriend and she said 'not officially', it didn't sound that serious but Megan wonders if she has a point, if two people are basically together in everything but name? If... If by all normal standards there's love there? Then why does she feel like she'd be lying if she just 'made it official'? When she thinks about people she loves he occupies the same space as her family... But there's a difference, isn't there?

For a moment she has to step away, feeling she may cry... She doesn't feel sad, not really, but for six months she's sat on the fence, hoping she'll get caught if she falls. People in their grade are way ahead, some of them already on to their second, third or more, relationship and she looks at herself, still in pigtails, feeling both too old and like she's not old enough. She gives herself a moment before going back down stairs... She smiles, he picked out the least lame record kept in the living room, rather than than going through her things, bringing a bit of lightheartedness to the wait to see if their attempt at baking was a total disaster or not.

When the timer goes off, she takes the tray of a half dozen chocolate muffins out of the oven, burning her fingers slightly, she should have been more careful, but she didn't react until she set down the tray on the stove top. "Hey! Are you alright?" Kurt reacts immediately taking her hands, careful to not touch her burnt fingertips and running cold water... She didn't think it was that bad but she let him help, just quietly watching as he takes over the kitchen. She's burnt herself before, Carson usually berates her in that 'concerned' way, but Kurt didn't make her feel stupid about it.

By the time Carson returns she is alone, of the half dozen they'd had two each and Kurt had taken another back home with him leaving a remaining one. The two of them had been sure to clean up and she was in the middle of cooking something. "I don't recall buying cake mix." He says on discovery of the chocolate muffin. She stirs a pot on the burner to not look as she thinks of a plausible explanation. "I made it in school." She says casually, putting the lid back on the pot carefully with a dish towel to not burn her fingers further, she frowns as she turns, seeing him take a bite out of it.

"How sweet of you to bring a treat home for me," He smiles, finishing the muffin, Megan turns to the fridge, pretending to search for something to hide her anger as he adds, "it's very considerate of you to save it for me." She didn't buy for one second that he believed that, she takes what she 'needs' from the fridge, smiling politely, wondering if he suspects anything...

"I try." She responds as He smiles back finishing it, pretending to be completely fine while hating that illusion of warmth between them.

[March/1975]

Even as the congregation dwindles, Carson still plays his part and now more than ever he needs proof of his value to the community, his 'daughter' being anything less than on the straight and narrow was unacceptable to him. Every other day of the week Megan is more or less left to her own devices in the morning but on Sunday she's smothered from the moment she wakes up, she must look presentable in church, but not so much as to draw attention to herself and appear vain and shallow or amoral. It's not always clear to Megan what counts as 'amoral' but the list had expanded considerably over the past year.

She'd been sent back to her room to change before church in the past, it only made them take longer to get ready, which frustrates him, so she tries to rundown a checklist of possible infractions before he even sees her, looking through the critical eye of his past complaints... Is it long enough? She had gotten a little a little taller over the summer and as seasons change she makes sure any skirts and dresses are still of appropriate length to avoid correction.

Recently Jo had give Megan a lot of her old clothes as the two are of much similar size these days, according to Jo it's about time for a change now that she's seventeen, she insists they'd look better on Megan anyway... It didn't feel like the usual pity of people in town but Megan couldn't understand why Jo would want to update her wardrobe, she never was the type to keep up with the latest fashions, who could afford that in this town anyway? She wasn't sure if she could make Jo's clothes hers, it makes her feel like a kid playing dress up and every new item she tries must be assessed in the same way... Suddenly a dress she always admired on Jo hugs the body too close despite her being overly smaller, the hemline too short despite her not being as tall. She decides against it in favour of something a little more toned down despite never thinking it was too much on the older girl...

Megan drops into the whitmart after school to pick up a few things Carson listed as it would be closed before he gets back, they no longer stock icecream or comics, in fact they seem to be running low on a lot of things. Jo hangs out near the register, she's been covering some of Glenn's shifts after school, she hasn't even removed his name tag off the oversized uniform shirt, her blonde hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, she reads the news, there'd been a commotion over land or something, the Carvers were making some deal... She doesn't think about it too much.

"That guy is a total dick." Kurt says as Megan crosses another item off the list. "Yeah but I only made it worse." A boy a few years older than them was talking about her, about her outburst a few weeks ago, saying how Nam was probably less of a minefield, that lots of people lost people and she should just get over it. Except that isn't what he said, not really, not directly, but that's definitely what he meant. "He'll definitely think twice before he runs his mouth like that again," Kurt retorts, he turns to the register, "no offence Jo but I think your boyfriend deserved a textbook to the face for that."

Jo shrugs, at least she's not mad that Megan threw something at her boyfriend of... Megan's pretty sure they started dating over the summer, "He's been having a rough time but it's no excuse to take it out on other people," she says as she bags Megan's items, the total came out a little less than what Carson gave her, Megan considers getting something for herself but-

"I'll get this for you." Kurt offers, grabbing the chocolate bar she'd been eyeing, Jo sighs. "May as well be paying in monopoly money, the way grandpa pays your allowance from here," she says taking it from him, Megan feels awkward, Kurt is a little taken aback by his sister's statement, Jo hesitates realising her harshness, "I'm sorry, it's been a long day, but it's still no excuse."

"It's fine," Megan says as Kurt exchanges a look with Jo, "I have enough change left for it, I just..." She pauses, thinking the reaction she'd get from benefiting from the miscalculation. "Can I get that as a separate transaction?" Jo nods, a sly smile spreading across her face as she hands over the receipt before taking the amount for the additional item. "What Father Leonard doesn't know won't hurt him," she makes a show of balling up the single item receipt, "can't have Reverend uptight having a fit, now can we?"

"No, there's no living with him like that." Megan smiles, taking it in good humour, like it's not that serious.

[April/1975]

Glenn finds a place of his own out of town, somewhere with better opportunities... Megan thinks he needs it, to be an adult on his own terms. Kurt says Jo intends to follow him to the new place, that she's finishing the term early. Megan wonders if that means Jo's broken up with her boyfriend but frankly she doesn't care for the guy enough to ask...

One random Tuesday Megan collects the mail in the morning, shuffling through it absent mindedly as she walks back through the house, Carson is at the dining room table, she stops, the sight of her own name catching her attention. Megan flips the envelope, seeing the sender's name 'Katherine Clarke', Megan tries to remember what Aunt Kathy looks like, she knows she has black hair like her and the rest of her paternal family... People say Katherine and Penelope were like sisters, being far closer in age than their actual sisters.

Megan sometimes isn't sure how she should consider her Mother and Father and Mom and Dad but Kathy is her Aunt either way, Megan opens the envelope seeing a card with a bright sunny scene, she vaguely remembers her aunt's love of travel... It's a card for her upcoming birthday, except it came like two months earlier than intended. She's never received anything like this, why now? Megan is further shocked to find money tucked inside but before she could process the amount it was snatched away with the rest of the mail.

"Hey! That's supposed to be for me!" She reacts as Carson immediately takes the money, pocketing it. "It is, as your legal guardian I assure you every cent sent to you is spent on your care." he admits matter of factly to doing this for god knows how long, how long had her aunt- had any of her relatives been writing her? "I thought they forgot about me..." She's shaking, unable to suppress her reaction, he pets her hair, pigtails sliding through his fingers, he made her believe they forgot her, her heart starts pounding, she looks down, her face is hot, eyes stung by unshed tears. "It doesn't change the fact that I am the only one in the position to house you, I have fed you, clothed you, cared for you when you were ill, under my guidance you are becoming an admirable young woman," she hates him more than the devil himself, "it would have been cruel to give you false hope at such a young age," she opens her mouth to speak but he interrupts, "don't argue with me, one day we'll go over it all and you'll understand just how expensive raising a child is, but it's too early for this now." He pinches her cheek like she's an ignorant child before stepping away, he doesn't tell her that she'll be late for school, he expects her to know that without him saying so...

Megan doesn't say a word as she stalks up stairs, preparing for a terrible day, trying to remember where the card was sent from but she can't... She didn't have a chance to see the return address.

As Jo follows Glenn out of town Jen walks with Kurt and Megan on the way to school, her blonde hair no longer in pigtails, left loose with a headband to keep it tidy, she doesn't skip as she had when they used to walk together, Megan reflects on how she felt at that age... That's around the time her family decided that Carson, who was only ever a father by church title and never a dad with his own children, had things worth saying about how children should be raised... She still doesn't understand why they'd listen to him when they already raised a few kids well enough.

They wave Jen off at the middle school gate and continue on to their school. When it's just the two of them they talk about Glenn and Jo moving out, about how He worries how it'll effect Jen, he knows how it feels to be left behind but Jen has only lived in the absence, even their aunt had returned to her college courses after summer alone the year she'd had Jen. Megan rarely thinks of Jen as Kurt's cousin, just like she doesn't see her brothers and sister as anyone else, brothers and sisters are brothers and sisters if they grow up together. She heard people say they weren't related to her at all but that's just plain stupid... Family is more than that, it has to be.

[May 10th/1975]

Megan was invited over on Kurt's 15th birthday, it was the first time she'd been back inside since... It doesn't really matter, she didn't really have anything for him, she tried to bake him a surprise cupcake with yellow sprinkles and he seemed happy with that, even if Megan quietly felt like it paled in comparison to the cake his grandma made him. Gladys seemed happy to have her around but Megan's not sure how true that is when she made the point of telling Kurt that his bedroom door was to remain open when they went upstairs... That rule didn't exist a few years ago but Megan can't really blame them, she had broken into Kurt's room last time she was here, it only made sense that they didn't fully trust her.

The room itself has changed with time, most of the stars had fallen away or been taken down when they stopped glowing, Kurt had scored some of Glenn's baseball memorabilia when he moved out, his siblings' empty rooms leave a glaring space in the previously packed house. Jo's vacant room visible through the doorway. Megan sits with him and she feels cruel... How long would he sit in this emotional purgatory before he comes to his senses, she knows perfectly well that other girls in their year had expressed interest and she can't even tell him 'no', can't bring herself to unburden him one way or the other... Is it evil to want him to want her just how she is?

"Kurt?" Megan gets his attention in a soft voice, he looks up smiling at her, his brown eyes full of warmth. She considers asking him what he gets from their friendship, considers kissing him, to give him something, anything, in return for his kindness, feeling like the window to do so was slowly coming to a close, but as she leans in she's gripped by her childish fears, instead wiping a sprinkle from the edge of his mouth with her thumb, tasting it to pretend she hadn't any other intentions. Instead stating. "I wish I could be here with you all the time." "Like, live here?" Kurt asks for clarification, looking over his shoulder through the opened door to the empty rooms, "I'm not sure they'd be cool with that." He says in a half joking manner and she smiles because she already knows she's a nuisance, even if they pretend otherwise. She holds his hand just to hold it, trying to bury the thought of how she must really be seen by his grandparents and she shakes her head. "No, I mean..." What did she mean? "I like seeing you happy like this." He smiles more warmly than before, a slight blush to his cheek and she felt pure dread inside, her guilt burning her up like a raging fire.

@delurkr @ctrvpani @conra @aydeenchan @legenspeople @blubary @komfort-kollection-by-kassiopeia @tinynightmarewoman @eframschweigersskincells @scootingscooterr @mybrainrotforreal @kindheartedgummybears @megandaisy9

Posting for Megan's birthday, which will actually occur in the next part and hey this is the first part to not fit cleanly into one year(it's a very busy year for the story), this is definitely a more quiet part compared to what's to come and as usual I will added anyone to the tag list that asks

#another excellent installment 💖#and obligatory i hate carson #fanfiction #megan clarke #reverend carson #little hope au #pyromegan #the dark pictures anthology #little hope

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delurkr · 11 days ago

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This is very good and I don't have much to add but I will highlight the accusation that Amy agreed to "deliver the children of the village to it," because the children of the village are ofc Little Hope's future in literal and poetic senses and it amounts to nothing less than handing the town off to the alleged demon for it to use and destroy as it wills

Black Samuel Carver: the killing tool of his own creation

One of the many overlooked aspects of Little Hope that has been in the back of my mind is this overlooked reuse of the name 'Samuel', as we know in the 1970s Samuel Carver was broadly responsible for the town's ultimate end and while we understandably focus on the fact that he is a Carver descendant there is also the significance of the first name in the false testimony against Amy which kicked off the trials:

I, Mary Milton, confess the truth of the wickedness I have witnessed. Before the sabbath day Mistress Amy did, by the Ash tree, commune with Black Samuel, a spirit in the form of a dog that spoke with the voice of a man. Then she spun three times around and agreed to serve the spirit and deliver the children of the village to it. Then she made a poppet and placed a spell upon it to curse those who would oppose her. These and divers foul things I have seen.

25 February 1692

Simon Carver

So the immediate thing is the fact that the name is shared with the supposed demon 'Black Samuel' and while the statement is attributed to Mary the 'X' would imply a lack of literacy to write or sign off on it and thus dictation is required, and therefore the accusation can be considered part, if not entirely, a fabrication of Reverend Carver's. So getting into it the accusation itself is pretty straightforward for puritan beliefs(granted my limited knowledge) but through metaphor the dog itself can represent different things, a black dog can be considered a death omen, a metaphor for depression and further a shaggy dog is a story that goes nowhere and to stretch a little I will compare to the intentional misdirect of a red herring.

Analysing the testimony within the context of the full story I do believe that it speaks of Carver bringing about his own downfall and that of the town, he of course is the driving force of the witch trials while he practices witchcraft in secret, as does Carson, with both projecting their guilt outwards. Three spins for three main cycles, the poisoning of the minds of the youth in the 1970s, the threat this evil poses to the good people of Little Hope, a destruction foretold and insisted upon, Samuel Carver destroyed the town for greed and Carver was the creator of the tool of his own destruction in a way that is both metaphorically, metatextually, spiritually and literally true. In his own words he named the killing weapon, through his actions and though his blood did he cause that blade to fall a few centuries later. There may not be a modern equivalent of Carver(which I very much have thoughts I'll expand on at a different time) but while the 70s needed two to cover the interpersonal and macro town layers, 2020 didn't as we travel through the aftermath of the destruction, picking at the dry bones, Black Samuel has long had his fill, that part of the story is over and he is gone from his own epilogue, he didn't need to be present for the third spin.

#ramblings #black samuel #samuel carver #reverend carver #reverend carson #the dark pictures anthology #little hope

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delurkr · 11 days ago

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And now that I've played devil's advocate elsewhere in the notes I must revisit this to add my actual stance lest I give the impression that I don't align with @108garys 's perspective on the topic.

The first thing to get out of the way is that the sa interpretation seems to usually be linked with some variation on "the characters are fake and the demons and witch stuff wasn't real," which is not my most frequented interpretation nor the one I think is "truest" if such a thing exists for this game. More objectively it also is not supported by the Secrets comic dealing with Carver and the curse among other clues, although yes it can have its merits if you're not believing it just because you think you have to. But I also see a lot of "Carson was sa-ing Megan and so Anthony just used the occult stuff to make sense of it because he was reading about the witch trials" which I side-eye hard, and taken even further the dismissal of the occult in C's story is just a step towards the atrocious take that literally nothing shown is believable in LH except the bus crash scene and the ending, and I cannot emphasize enough how deeply stupid that kind of dead-end presumption is, my point being that if someone needs it to be sa because otherwise things wouldn't fit their interpretation of the rest of the story then they're doing it wrong.

So since it is entirely correct to believe what we are shown in any of the eras, first off yes that includes Carver and his witchcraft Bible (which for the record technically appears in all three eras although the Bible Carson had during the funeral wouldn't realistically be the same one) as well as the 1690s judgement against him that is solely concerned with his occultism, both in the initial reveal in the court scene and in the aftermath where Wyman's letter emphasizes that Carver's teaching strayed from piety and true doctrine, which just like it sounds is concerned with the way Carver embraced specific beliefs that were antithetical to the principles of the faith he pretended to uphold. There was no concern over sexual sin, and in case anyone is thinking of going all "it was in the past hurr durr and abuse of power against women and children was what society ran on and they were probably all p#dos anyway," literally no (bold of you to assume you take illicit sexual desire of whatever definition more seriously than Puritan authorities did).

And also 🤓 as was alluded to above, the p#do priest concept, which arose out of Roman Catholicism, is not especially applicable to either the 1690s scenario or the 1970s one. Carver is a Puritan minister and Carson is an Episcopal priest, both positions where you're free to marry which completely circumvents the sexual angst (for lack of a better word) that's built into Catholicism's prohibition against priests marrying. Nobody @ me, because that isn't to say married people of any belief system wouldn't and don't commit csa, but no interpretation of Carver or Carson can rightly be built on that trope because it's simply not the same thing. Pedantry ftw.

Also, not being able imagine a pre-corruption Carver in a marriage that was loving enough to gut his entire world when it's torn apart is a skill issue, sorry not sorry. It's literally what the game states.

I suppose nobody needs a blow-for-blow on all the evidence for Carver's occultism which the game near on takes us by the hand and walks us through before basing the entire resolution on it depending on whether you choose to expose it or not when the story could just as easily have been doing otherwise if there was this other layer to focus on, but for the record there's no saying that sure maybe Carver was into witchcraft but that Carson was sa-ing Megan and the game was just using the trials as a metaphor. You could still question the nature of the charges for which Carson was arrested but right alongside that it's still made abundantly clear that Carson acquired a reputation involving the practice of witchcraft, which put him on par with Carver and cast both their names in associated contempt by the time the church folded.

And back on the metaphor thing, I actually think it's closer to the inverse, where the sa undertone is deliberate but is there as shorthand to keep the mystery unfolding slowly while providing direction on how the actual confirmed abuse is playing out when it's time to examine that closer. Sort of "csa but it's actually about demonology" if you will, which I suppose someone might find to be insensitive treatment of csa but upending first impressions is what the game is about, and, while I'll always appreciate an interpretation that cuts through the big wild speculations to hit you with something that's actually very mundane and close to home, we're not here to ignore the horror of realizing that something you thought you had a grasp on is actually a completely different creature whatsoever for which you have no supply of experience to help you handle it.

And frankly there's actual facts to be sorted through long before speculating about perceived undertones. Like we need to focus here *snap snap* because I think if people really want to be tinfoil hatty about Carver and the ways he was abusing his power they need to be thinking more about the land disputes, because again that's something the story actually presents to us as opposed to giving flavorful yet vague impressions. A pastor who went straight off the deep end over a personal tragedy to the point of cultivating a love-hate relationship with the occult because what good did his devotion to God do and then blaming his involvement on a child whom he believes he needs to wring the devil out of but also those stupid fits he pitched over land out of sheer greed and desire for power are coming back to bite him because he might not be the only witch in town and who knows what the other one will try to expose about him after he took her land and well maybe the accusing evidence isn't great after all but he still needs to get rid of her whatever lies it takes because he's RIGHT and he'll do the same thing one by one to any member of his congregation who could pose a threat as this situation snowballs? Horrifying, that's my read on him and I can stand by it because it's based on the facts and once we get through with those we don't need anything else to understand the abuse he inflicted on Mary or how deep his corruption goes.

Okay, show of hands people! I want honestly from all of you, yes YOU!

Did anyone else... Think the story of Little Hope was that reverend Carver was a kiddy fiddler at first? Be honest, because I can't be the only one who thought he was a nonce.

Please I can't have been that much of an idiot

#ramblings #theories #reverend carver #reverend carson #tw: csa #the dark pictures anthology #little hope

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delurkr · 11 days ago

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have a small load of john headcanons i came up with on a whim while brainstorming!:

- john absolutely loves the rain but hates getting himself wet, sometimes he'll make the treacherous journey across campus, while its pissing it down with a comically large umbrella, to one of two pavilions just to sit n enjoy the atmosphere. both because he finds that it "clears his head" and gives him the space to come up with class prompts

- kinda passing a previous hc ive had for daniel to john in that he loves his coffee sweet, though john doesn't drink flavored/instant coffee, finds the stuff too artificial. instead, regular coffee with enough sugar to give the average person type 3 diabetes. probably an overstatement, moreso trying to get rid of the tolerance to some specific alcohol tastes. but has grown to like overly sweet coffee regardless.

- post-game and decimating the twist to oblivion, john and andrew have an almost-weekly book club between the two of them. a way of coping with stress but also strengthening their friendship by geeking out bonding over their mutual love of literature. they both agree on a fairly short classic to read or reread, sit together the following week in a library, cafe or empty lecture hall and discuss absolutely everything about it to their hearts content.

- enjoys dusting but never usually finds the time to take it upon himself to practice the act at home. almost all of his high-ish shelves have a decent layer of dust on them, certain books included. i like to think that post-game, he's admitted this to angela on a separate occasion and she demanded that they'd sort the place out from top to bottom because she can't stand it herself (she probably has a dust mite allergy n is yet to come to that conclusion).

- john rubs his hands together in a circular motion when nervous or particularly stressed, sometimes he'll try to do it while not thinking and accidentally jab himself with an item he's holding. the gang each eventually catch onto this and have each gone out of their way individually, at least once, to ease his nerves when noticed. he appreciates their concern but tries to catch himself doing it before he's bombarded with support lmao

- mochi is one of his favourite pass-time snacks, specifically red bean mochi. taylor may or may not have introduced him to it to get out of an assignment she missed and it ended up benefiting both parties!

#maybe daniel and john can bond over their aggressively sweet coffee and ensuing type 3 diabetes #but hey absolutely nobody asked and im probably not the person to go around asserting things such as this but for what its worth alcoholism #*has been said* to be associated with a heightened affinity for sugar #reasons debated if even true #anyway i had to look up mochi i had no idea what it is #headcanons #john little hope #the dark picture anthology #little hope #im so down for doing little hc posts for each of the main cast #< please do 😁

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delurkr · 12 days ago

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Sort of, definitely not because he's a minister but because the textbook language is there so I was moreso waiting to see if the writers confirmed or denied what I still see as an intentional seed planted in players' minds. They didn't do either (and the language continues straight through the end) so I believe it's still valid to view him that way if you've put a requisite large amount of thought into it, but I also believe it's pretty obvious that the directly-confirmed occultism was a redirect for those thoughts. Certainly sa and witchcraft can both exist, it doesn't have to be one or the other, but the witchcraft is the primary explanation to be focusing on.

(I could still pretty easily imagine a situation where he took the sickest path in the gaping absence of the affection and intimacy ripped from him when his wife was kidnapped, especially since there's a potential conflation to explore given Madeleine and Mary are both M's and in LH we're always on the lookout for shared first letters. It perhaps would look different than the stock version of your neighborhood p#do but I have no doubt it's happened before irl. I find it important to keep in mind that there is exactly zero reason to bring children into things if he was just practicing the occult in reaction to a personal loss, like grief + witchcraft does not equal a compulsion to teach it to kids which would also make things a hundred times riskier and less personal for him, so I believe it's perfectly legitimate to circle back to questioning what other motive existed and hence which other boundaries were crossed and how far as a needed third factor.)

@108garys Fun fact in case you didn't know this, there's a censored version of LH where the camera pans off as Megan starts to burn and same thing for some of Daniel's bloody stabby deaths. I hear it has to be censored in some countries although I can't always tell what countries letsplayers are from.

Side note that I see more people upset about supposedly yet another use of an uncreative trope (p#do "priest") than people upset that others don't see him as that, and to them I say try the witchcraft interpretation on for size, it's only spelled out in both English and satanic symbols and rubbed right in your face lol.

Okay, show of hands people! I want honestly from all of you, yes YOU!

Did anyone else... Think the story of Little Hope was that reverend Carver was a kiddy fiddler at first? Be honest, because I can't be the only one who thought he was a nonce.

Please I can't have been that much of an idiot

#im scared of tumblrs censorship guidelines idk what they are #tw: csa #ramblings #reverend carver #reverend carson #< what applies to one applies to both #the dark pictures anthology #little hope

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delurkr · 12 days ago

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What's in a Name? DPA Deep Dive part two

Before I dive into Little Hope, a reminder that I'm not going to go over every single named character. I'm limiting myself precisely because Little Hope has a huge cast compared to the others in the anthology.

That said, let's dive in! TW for mentions of abuse.

Clarke I'm giving this its own entry since the Clarke family is at the center of the story. The name is Irish and refers to clerks or the clergy. It was the association with the clergy that caught my attention here. There's a big religious theme in Little Hope--the talk of lost souls, the Gregorian choir kicking up in action sequences, the witch trials, etc. I won't go too deep into this, but I do think the devs were aiming for the clergy side of this surname.

Tanya This is Russian and means "honorable." From what we saw of Tanya, she is a little timid and wants to avoid conflict. When you play her side of the prologue, you see she wants to leave home. She is also into pagan stuff, which was a hot topic in the town when she and the others died. It's likely she kept it from her family, which wouldn't make her seem very honorable. Her negativity toward Megan could be seen as not honorable as well (Megan is much younger and smaller than her). However, Taylor is the only one who gets a trophy for fighting her demon(s), which could mean that by doing so she is restoring her honor.

Dennis This is Greek and means "follower of Dionysus." My love of Greek mythology snagged on that immediately. Dionysus is the Greek god of theater, parties, wine, and madness. We know that Dennis is a passionate vinyl collector and was in a rock band. We also know he has a temper, as he gets angry with Megan and Anthony complains that he's being "really Dennis." I looked this up and 21 wasn't always the legal drinking age in America, so he might have been drinking at the time of his death. (And he might have done it illegally anyway) Being in a rock band means he is a performer, which gives him the link to theater, and he likely went to a lot of parties. Over all, the name makes a lot of sense for him.

James This is Hebrew, and is a form of Jacob. It means "holder of the heel." This could work for his character, as one could say he's holding onto his job and his family. Possibly enough for it to feel constricting to them (see Tanya's desire to leave home, Dennis rebelling through music). Personally, I think of the Biblical associations with this name. There are two prominent men named James in the New Testament: one who was a disciple of Jesus, and the other Jesus's brother. I find it interesting that his name and its form are both names of Biblical younger brothers. With the strong religious theme of the story, the devs had to pick the name for the Biblical association.

Anne This is also Hebrew and means "God has favored me." Out of curiosity, I looked and there is a Biblical character named Anna. She is a New Testament prophetess. Very interesting that the parents both have Biblical names, both playing roles in the New Testament. As for the meaning, there's a lot to unpack here. It's implied Anne can't conceive children, but she and James have also adopted and raised four children. That's impressive on its own, not even factoring in the socioeconomic struggles the family was going through. It was hardly perfect, but you can definitely say that God favored her with her family.

Megan This is a Welsh form of Margaret. It means "pearl." I think of jewelry when I think of pearls, particularly necklaces. They're used as a metaphor for something rare or valuable. Megan is portrayed as not being valued by most of her family. Tanya and Dennis yell at her, her mother doesn't have time for her, and we see that she's struggling in school. I also saw a lot of implied abuse from Carson, which is later reinforced through the interactions with Mary. Anthony does value her, though. He carries a poppet that's meant to represent her, he stands up for her and defends her, and he struggles the most with her loss.

Anthony This is Latin and means "priceless one, praiseworthy, flourishing." I feel that Anthony sees himself as the opposite of priceless or praiseworthy. He was the only member of his family to survive the fire, carrying a lot of survivor's guilt around. Even if you do get the perfect ending, he still says to Mary/Megan "but I couldn't save you" and apologizes to the others for all he put them through. One could argue he isn't flourishing, either. He's in the same job he took when his family died and at the start of the story, he hasn't moved on from his guilt and grief. If he's arrested, he seems to have a certain level of relief and peace with it, like he believes he deserves the punishment. Then of course there's the worst ending for him. The name sums up all the tragedy that Anthony endures.

Vince This is Latin and means "conqueror, victor." He's a constant presence, either mistaken for a demon or trying to force a confrontation. Depending on the ending, his name could be seen in two different ways. When you first meet him, he's in a similar place as Anthony: stuck in the past, unable to move on. He still blames Anthony for what happened to the Clarkes. If he has Anthony arrested at the end, that is him as the victor over this man who murdered Vince's love and her family. If he forgives Anthony, it's a victory because Vince has let go of the past and is willing to move forward. Either way, Vince has conquered his demons.

Taylor This is French and refers to a tailor, or one who cuts. Taylor is a much more outspoken character than Tanya. She confronts both John and Angela and, as previously mentioned, is the only one who gets a trophy for fighting her demon(s). One of the jobs of a tailor is to make adjustments and alterations on clothing, so one could see Taylor as an adjustment or alteration on Tanya's more timid nature. I discussed this in a previous Little Hope deep dive, but she's the only modern day character whose name doesn't have a Biblical link. I went over my thoughts on this in that post, so feel free to read it if you're interested.

Tabitha This is Aramaic and means "gazelle" or "gracious." What we see of her, she tries to protect her sister by taking away Mary's doll. When she's condemned for it later, she defends herself by saying it's just a doll, but never gives up Mary as the owner. She doesn't betray her sister even at the cost of her own life. Gracious might be too weak a word to describe that.

Daniel I defined this name already, but to go over it again, it is Hebrew and means "God is my judge." Like Taylor, Daniel's character is very different from Dennis. He's more calm and friendly, and often plays the role of the protector. Since the whole point is to save these souls, the change in personality could be a way for him to be judged in a better light. A brief note on Daniel's story in the Bible: he's the one who was thrown in the lion's den. In the story, Daniel faces his demon in a pit, so you can draw some parallels there.

David Hebrew again, meaning "beloved." Out of the characters Mary interacts with, David is the one she seems to care the most about. She is distressed when he's in danger and begs Carver to have mercy. David is reassuring to her, which makes his death so much more heartbreaking. A note on David in the Bible: he is known as a musician, penning man of the psalms. This gives him the link to Dennis.

John Hebrew yet again, meaning "God is gracious." John goes through a nice arc where he starts off as cowardly and ends up fighting Angela's demon alongside her. He acts as the group's leader and usually approaches situations with logic. His first Bearing is to refuse the alcohol offered by Vince, which diverts him from going down the same path as James. His interactions with Andrew are usually him trying to be supportive or encouraging. There's also the Biblical link, as John is another of Jesus' disciples.

Joseph I already defined this name, but here we go again: Hebrew for "God shall add." Joseph's main character trait is to be a champion for his wife. He is protective of her and refuses to accept her condemnation. There is a tragic element to the meaning of his name, as he was crushed by adding rocks to a plank on his chest.

Angela This is Greek and means "messenger of God." The obvious link to angels is there, too. Angela is sassy and outspoken, bickering with Taylor at the start. There's also a chance she and Andrew can tease John for being scared by a cat. Her positive moments are when she's supportive and encouraging, especially with John. She's the first character to be attacked by their demon, which sends a very clear message. Since she's "saved" when she shows support and chooses to stand with John, the message there was she needed to be a more supportive presence.

Amy This is Latin for "beloved." This is certainly true in regards to her husband, as already discussed. But it turned out to not be the case for other characters, as Amy was the first one to be accused and tried as a witch.

Mary From what I found, this is the Latin form of Miriam. The name has a lot of different meanings, including "bitterness, star of the sea, beloved," and "wished for a child." All those meanings work for Mary on some level. The other characters are very bitter of Mary for causing all the pain and strife; the "star of the sea" has a link to pearls, which associates her with Megan; despite all the trouble she causes, she is still beloved by her siblings. I could fall down a rabbit hole thinking of all that's implied by the "wished for a child" meaning. As for the Biblical link, the most famous Mary is the mother of Jesus. Miriam is also a Biblical figure: she is the sister to Moses and later acts as a prophetess. Note that Anne was a prophetess as well. This had to be on purpose. Further notice how many of the witch trial characters' names mean "beloved."

Andrew I defined this already. It is Greek for "strong, manly." If we look at his character arc, Andrew grows from a confused young man to being more assertive and in control. He ends up acting as a leader, guiding the others and gets alone time with them either for him to encourage them, or vice versa. You're meant to "save" the others by letting them fight their own battles, which tells me Andrew is meant to not be the strong one. He wants to be, though, and is conflicted whenever he's guided away from that role. In the Bible, Andrew is the first disciple to follow Jesus and is Peter's brother.

Abraham This is Hebrew for "high father, father of nations." His character acts as the final guardian for Mary. He is very conflicted as well, wanting to believe Mary is an innocent child but also seeing evidence to the contrary. He can be influenced to stand up for her, and makes the final determination of her fate in the end. If he is to be seen as a "father," he's a reluctant one. Mary goes through two other guardians before him. He's willing enough to take her, but he struggles a lot with everything that's happened around her.

Simon Carver His name is Greek and means "to hear, listen." This meaning gets so twisted in who Carver is as a character. He refuses to listen whenever any of the accused try to defend themselves, and when Mary stands up to him, he ignores her as well. Meanwhile, the rest of the town thinks that he's listening to Mary's accusations. His surname is English and refers to a trade, "one who cuts or carves." But of course with this Carver, there's a much darker meaning. He is cutting through the town, murdering innocent people. He is violent with Mary.

I know there are other notable characters, like Isaac or Leonard Carson, but there are just so many in this game that I had to limit myself. Thankfully there aren't so many in House of Ashes, so I'll see you for that dive!

#methinks megan is a reference to regan in the exorcist but the pearl part?#something something the scarlet letter because yes #whether or not it was the intention #the dark pictures anthology #little hope

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