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grim-faux · 4 months

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X7_ All Was Right

First - A Small Quiet

Sometimes it was important to remind his Thin Man that he was Mono.

Another turn of the mark stick, made the line a little thicker on the corner of the square shape. He made sure the eyeholes were dark enough so the Mono on the page could see. Then the real Mono leaned back and inspected the picture over. Shape. Coat. Everything was as it should be.

He plucked the picture off the dusty floor, away from all the other scratch marks he put down. Speek made into birds and windows littered the floor, along with fragments of other items like a window, a chair, and other stuff he didn’t know speek for. It wasn’t important.

Not like the special marks on the page, which he carried in front of him so he wouldn’t crinkle it anymore than it already was. The page was like that when he started, but it might have gotten more messy as he crawled around. It was still one of his best works, and he made sure to do the best job he could on the piece of paper the Thin Man wouldn’t notice a page missing from a book.

As he moved from one corridor to the next and then a room, his footsteps touched carefully on the coarse surface of the floor. There was a prick here or there from splintered wood, or a sharp rock, sometimes a bit of glass. He couldn’t watch his steps all the time, it was important to watch the doorways and walls for any sort of movement. Sometimes a stray shadow was his first alert of danger, before the clomping boots thundered into the room. He listened too, focused beyond the steady rain on the crooked windowsills or the creaking walls. It was more often that his airy sweeping brought him onto a threat before it realized his presence, if he did sneak right. No child survived unless they mastered nonexistence.

He did scout of the rooms, but he might’ve been a little more focused on returning to the picture marking than he was on dangers. The place was quiet for a long time, he hadn’t even seen or sensed the Thin Man up and searching around. Sometimes he came around and would make big speek. The tall man and his hat were still here, the faint humming rolled across the air. The only time he really noticed it – or noticed something was different – happened when the Thin Man disappeared. The noise was ingrained in his awareness, and when it was gone he missed it.

Though knowing this, Mono still heaved a little breath of relief when he reached the smaller room where the tallest creature in all the city was.

He gave his shoulders a shake, and kicked the tail ends of his coat with his heels. Once ‘presentable’, he charged over to the lonely desk and wove around the table legs, as with the Thin Man’s. One the other side of the table awaited another chair, and this one Mono pulled out from beneath the tabletop. He set the picture up on the chair seat before he forced the chair back, then once the seat had a clear space where he could reach the tables edge, he climbed up. He tossed the paper up onto the table, with that sorted, he only had to haul himself up.

It was important to remind the Thin Man he was Mono. He was the best. He did so much, and looked after the Thin Man.

He walked over to the figure slouched forward, arms folded into a cradle for the frightening face. Mono was never scared of the Thin Man, but he was always cautious.

“See? Mono.” He held up the picture. “Mono. Am’em. Y’see? Hmm?”

The Thin Man did not see. He didn’t even lift his head or wince a smidgen. The very neat hat sheltered the tall man’s face, the brim coming low over the crossed arms. Nothing about the static prickling the air changed, and not even the light bulb wedged high in the rooms corner flashed not by much, though it did shimmer the way all lights did if the Thin Man tilted his head a certain way.

Unfazed, Mono inched closer to the elbow and plucked at the sleeve. “Hmm. See. For show’oo. S’Mono. Yuh’umber? Rim’ber?” He huffed and crinkled his nose. It had been a while since he made speek for the Thin Man.

What did they do together last? He tried to piece back together some of his searching, and what he must’ve given the Thin Man for eat. Usually, he tried to get around to working on his speek, but the Thin Man had been very quiet. Now that he remembered.

He did visit the Thin Man when he wasn’t scout. There were another room, and that was where the Thin Man sat and ate the smoke sticks. It was quiet usually, so Mono just sat next to him and had company. The man and his hat didn’t make him go, the shimmering eyes never glanced down on him. It was all this quiet business that made him think the Thin Man forgot which child he was.

“Am Mono.” He repeated. This time, he pulled the page up and pressed it to the elbow. “Mono. S’portant. Y’see. Am Mono show’em. Sleep? Can wake. Have for see. C'mon.” He reached up and tugged at the rim of the hat, but it was firmly fixed to the Thin Man.

“Was for scout. Am eat. S’quiet, make speek. Am show. Him Mono. Am great. Y’see Mono? Then have’er for you. Am keep”

Nothing he made speek about got through to the Thin Man. He told him all about the trees he saw, tearing through the lower story windows. There was a monster, but he made that room safe. He tried tunning a television, but it started speek at him and that made him nervous. He stashed some food and treasures in one room, he made a ladder to a crack high in the wall. He did all sorts of things before the Thin Man came to see him.

“You lissen.” Mono uncoiled from his crouch, and went to the Thin Man’s shoulder. “Psst. Hey.” With how folded down the Thin Man was, he could climb up onto his shoulders and then his back. He waved the picture above his head and hissed, “You. Am Mono. Up. Am tell’oo.” And also jumped up and down, plowing his heels as hard as he could into the back; the way Her and him did to make the noisy furniture move. Despite how he smashed his feet against the Thin Man, the tall figure didn't budge or make a sound. That failure prompted Mono to hope up onto the leveled hat that lay close to the Thin Man’s neck.

“Am caught. Am keep’yuh.” While he was trying to climb onto the top of the hats crown, his dusty footpad lost traction and he went skidding down the sloped hat across his back and hit the surface of the table. Upon sliding, his instincts prompted him to release the picture, he had tried to claw for a handhold.

Thankfully, the picture glided down and settled beside him on the table. Despite being unharmed, it was never good to fall like that. Eventually, a fall would be dangerous, and he wouldn’t have a sturdy table to land on. Also, his side was a bit stunned.

After getting up and rubbing his sore ribs, Mono snagged up his picture once more. With feet slapping against the table, he marched straight back over to the Thin Man.

“Am tell. Mono. Never lissen. Have make show. Not fair,” he growled. “Why am no’portent? Hmm? You wake?” He waved the picture, torn between loud sounds and alerting danger. Out of habit, he turned his eyes to the doorways. Nothing prevailed over the distant sizzle of rain, not even the room had a creak to spare.

Another noise did disturb the scene. Mono dropped his attention when a small gasp came from the man under the hat. It wasn’t like the sighing breath that came with smoke, but more like the wet sounds children made when hurt. Was the Thin Man hurt?

Mono shifted his position over the table, inching nearer to the edge on one side to check if the Thin Man had a hurt. The crisp coat looked typical, as drab as ever – no tears or blemishes in the shifting outline. He padded over to the other side, and crept closer to the tabletops ledge. Nothing on the shoes was out of place, his knees looked alright (scuffed knees were the worst). The coat was fine. What was wrong, then?

“Hmm?” He crouched to his knees and slipped under the rim of the hat. But he couldn’t find the Thin Man’s face, not with him buried in the folds of his arms. So, Mono sat in the gloom under the hat, listening to the noises of uneven breathing and broken shudders. The same soggy sounds children made.

Mono slipped his picture aside, and shuffled closer to the long arm barring him away. “Y’okay,” he hummed, gently. “Am Mono. Here am keep. Important.” When no sounds came from the Thin Man (aside from the crackling waves of murmuring), Mono reached further into the dark and gripped the Thin Man’s coat. He pet the fiber, fully aware this didn’t do anything. It helped Mono feel better. “Am have. Shh. S’have for. No noise. Mono keeps.”

For a while it was quiet. That was okay. The Thin Man was hurt somehow and Mono didn’t know how to fix this. He could be quiet for his Thin Man, and do company. Maybe he should leave the way the Thin Man does whenever he gets too wet and curled up in his protective ball. Sometimes it was best to be alone and hide from the world. The Thin Man wasn’t like him, and he wasn’t a child like Mono. He was a tall and stupid adult creature.

Mono winced back when the fabric of the Thin Man’s sleeve rustled, a sliver of light winked through; enough for Mono to make out a hand slipping out from beneath the fold of an arm. The face was still hidden, but the long fingers unfurled over his elbow, the way when he grabbed Mono. Except the Thin Man wasn’t reaching or grabbing, he was waiting. With a small space beside his cheek revealed.

Sniffling a bit, Mono clambered over to the arm and gracelessly flopped into the small basket made by the spindly arm. He wriggled in down beside the Thin Man’s cheek, the space soon plastered with black again. The fingers coiled around his body and pressed him into the bony cheek, where he nestled in. A faint glisten of light caught in the edge of the Thin Man’s eye, but everywhere else was dark and smokey. The Thin Man was always smoke. And mystery.

He pressed his forehead against the side of the Thin Man’s sharp brow and gave a soft hum. This was very nice. Even if the Thin Man was hurting, he liked having the company. He liked feeling important for the Thin Man.

“C̸h̸i̷l̴d̸.̵” the static crackled. That was all the speek made.

Mono didn’t make any other speek either. The quiet and company was all that the Thin Man needed, and Mono could be the best company. He did grip at the fingers looped around his chest, the other hand he drew up and traced his knuckles along the Thin Man’s face. The way he did, whenever Mono wouldn’t uncoil from his protective curls.

A lot of time the Thin Man didn’t bother him or pick him up, but other times he would stay by Mono and brush his fingers along his back. Sometimes it made Mono feel silly and small, but other times it was… he liked knowing the Thin Man was waiting for him. Very important.

He didn’t think he was doing anything right, but he figured all the Thin Man really needed right now was to know Mono was near. And would keep him.

It took a very-very almost endless amount of time before the shivers in the bony shoulders eased out, and the soft hiccups faded from the static. At some point, the Thin Man drifted off into a deep rest and his head settled heavily on Mono's back. But Mono had done it, he had beaten the terrible thoughts that haunted the Thin Man. And now he could stay with his Thin Man and make sure nothing took that achievement away.

#little nightmares #mono #the thin man #thin dad #feral mono #emotionally distraught parent #parent child dynamics #sad dad #mono being angry for tower not looking at his picture #realizes tower man is having a bad time #wanted to do a chapter like this for a while #ln fic #little nightmares fic #little nightmares fanfication #mono has important duties

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notsanguineatall · 6 months

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Yuletide Recs, Second Batch

The Other Side (1200 words) Fandom: Hey Diddle Diddle (Nursery Rhyme)

The world is made up of many moving parts. Would you like to learn more? This story is metaphysical, a bit creepy, and utterly delightful!

strange games (1080 words) Fandom: Gilda (1946)

Johnny, Ballin, and Gilda go round and round like a roulette wheel. The author really captures the hateful, passionate dynamic of the film. I don't like Johnny, but I definitely feel for him in this.

before the thin man (1017 words) Fandom: Thin Man (Movies)

Sparkling dialogue and such a witty premise! I never stopped to think how Nora met Nick. Now I know!

Move in Time with the Light (1145 words) Fandom: Bulgari "Unexpected Wonders" Commercial

A sumptuous feast, as befitting the subject matter. The main character is fascinating and -- honestly? -- a little too much. Which is exactly how she would want it.

wilds of thought (1323 words) Fandom: Oppenheimer (Movie 2023)

Truly gorgeous. This reads like memory, time skipping and fragments of dreams.

it doesn't hurt; there's nothing to it (4646 words) Fandom: Dimension 20 (Web Series), Dimension 20: A Court of Fey and Flowers

This isn't a fandom with which I am familiar, but it didn't matter in the slightest. The language is courtly while still being endearing and ridiculously hot. "Weaponized sincerity" may be my new favorite descriptor.

non-regional diction (1373 words) Fandom: Abbott Elementary (TV)

Splendid Barbara voice! Absolutely pitch perfect!

Perfume Suite (1705 words) Fandom: Gilda (1946)

Johnny never stood a chance; between Ballin and Gilda, Johnny burns. The author really captures the dynamic between Johnny and Ballin, with Johnny's impossible feelings about Gilda proving to be the third in a menage a trois.

The New Galatea (4271 words) Fandom: My Fair Lady (1964)

What a delight! This rewriting of the end of My Fair Lady features wonderful characterizations as well as some convincing twists that expand on the roles of Pickering and Freddy. Plus I could practically see the clothes just based on the author's descriptions!

Only One Bed (1483 words) Fandom: The Hunt for Red October (1990)

This… should not work. It should not work at all, and yet the author manages to take a worn (but fantastic) trope and use it to craft a portrait of four fascinating men. It is both funny and sweet.

the pros and cons of being an Addams (2428 words) Fandom: The Addams Family (Movies - Sonnenfeld)

Pubert is not your typical Addams. And yet is he the best of all the Addams traits: the sensible but wry humor, the practicality, and the utter weirdness. What a great character portrait!

#yuletide #yuletide ao3 #fanfic #fic recs #the addams family #the hunt for red october #my fair lady #gilda #abbott elementary #dimension 20 #oppenheimer #commercials #the thin man #nursery rhymes #ao3 #yuletide 2023

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strifesolution · 2 years

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RT being upset that Wilbur hasn't written in 2 years and his final letter mentioning that he was a soldier now... to quote Wilbur, RT put 2 and 2 together my man what do you think happened 😭😭😭

TOOK ME A SECOND TO REALIZE WHAT YOU WERE QUOTING. I HATE IT HERE.

look!!! with how much Dan has been through and how he keeps loosing people, let the man be a little in denial! we will continue to go back to this though. it's just a very slow process when Dan is 1/5 POV characters, and the only one who knows Wilbur.

one thing i do wanna say, is to note that whatever Dan has learned from Wilbur is entirely through his bias. explaining things in writing leaves out a lot of what could've actually happened, and Wilbur has rose tinted glasses on most of the time :P hehe

#i am SO delighted you are enjoying <33 #so glad to finally get the name Dynamite Pass in this fic tho it FUCKS #i have a very clear image of it #houses built into the two cliff sides with rickety bridges going across #it's like a slot canyon but without the smooth walls #because it's man-made and not natural #but the same thinness going all the way down #there's a lot more i want to describe but we have to wait ORZ #5r6c #ask

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dyed-red · 1 year

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me, writing How it Works: ehhh if i’m blunt in those opening lines, it won’t be too heavy or too much to digest

me, 2 years later re-reading it now: what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the - who hurt you OP no don’t answer that you’re me but what the f -

“...but it’s only a moment, long enough to wonder if this is what Dean wanted all along, and it's gone.”

#someone left a very lovely comment on this fic #and so i opened it back up (like i do with most of my works) for a periodic reread #and man it's still the most vicious thing i've written and that *is* saying something #even though the plot pieces are... pretty thin and just there to move the angst along #anyway come suffer with me :3 #shameless self promotion #how it works #phyn vs. writing

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goodluckdetective · 1 year

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Fic: Chainsaw Man

Spoilers for Arc 1 of the Manga.

When Pochita dies, Denji gains a ripcord in his chest, a mark of what he lost for all to see. It demands attention, with how out of place it is. Sure, he can hide it easily with shirts and jackets but at the end of the day, it’s still there, a mark of both the absence of his loyal companion and the gain of his new life.

Power and Aki do not leave as obvious scars, though the pain is just and deep and biting. But they leave traces in their own way, even if they are not as noticeable.

Nayuta plays with Meowy as Denji cooks, her hands buried in the cats long fur. The same fur sticks to Debbi’s clothes when he goes to school and causes one of his classmates to sneeze when she gets too close, even though he tries to brush most of it off. The meal Denji is making is one from a little handwritten note with pictures that Aki made him when he was going to be gone for a few nights. There are six or so of the notes in total, and while Denji can read some of the Kanji now, he still likes seeing the scribbled bowl on the paper. It looks more like a rock than anything; Aki was not a good artist. The radio plays as he cooks, set to a station Power introduced him to.

When dinner is done, he puts it on the table and shoos Meowy from trying to steal some. He gets sauce on his homework and when he wipes it away, it causes his signature to bleed. “Hayakawa” turns into a scribble of ink. It’s not much of a loss considering the state of his handwriting, but he knows he’ll be docked points for it.

Nayuta eats silently as Meowy begs for leftovers. Denji thought only dogs did that, but any sign of fish and Meowy begs almost as good as Pochita. Pochita who wanted him to have this, of all things.

After dinner, he cleans up (well, more dumps the dishes in the sink to be dealt with later) and puts away the recipes. He has them memorized, but there’s something reassuring about being able to double check. He turns off the radio, letting the music fade.

The apartment is quiet but it’s not empty. There is life here, both amongst the living and the memory of the dead. Even though Makima took so much from him, she couldn’t take it all. What she self-servingly gave him is impossible to take away entirely.

Like the cord in his chest, some things stay, despite everything.

#Iz writes #chainsaw man spoilers #chainsaw man #denji hayakawa #Fic from me: more likely than you thin

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