#When talking to Gilda Ray would be like

[h0lymanteca]

First day: free day

Now colored!

"I want to thank you again for joining me today, Norman" she said with a wide open smile.

"You know I'm more than happy to spend time with you" was the answer Emma heard from behind as she was leaning in Norman's back.

He had been working all morning that day, with lots of paperwork to go through as his schedule was pretty tied during the week, yet whenever she asked him to spare a moment to be with her and their family, he complied.

That was their dynamic, ever since her family found her many years ago, now they were older, and their relationship had grown strong. At the beginning, she didn't know why, but something about Norman was captivating. It didn't take long for her to realize that they had shared a more intimate bond, along with Ray, when she had her memories or when she was "That Emma" who everyone talked about so much.

It took her a long time to come to terms with everyone and their grief. They had lost a sister, yes, she was alive, but her essence was gone, and she would never admit it, at least not in front of the family, that she felt quite jealous of her last self. She tried many times to become like her, to copy her mannerisms and jokes, to have the same attitude as her, gathering information from her family and the stories they told her. After Gilda caught up with what Emma was trying to do, she asked to just be herself, she didn't have to try to be someone else.

"You are still You. Memories or no memories"

Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard Norman ask her a question that she didn't hear quite well, and so she asked him to repeat.

"I asked if there's something in your mind."

"How do you know?" Emma turned her head towards the window.

"It's been a while since I heard you turned the page, and unless the book is boring, which I doubt since you've been reading quite fast, I would say that you're meditating about something"

She looked at the floor for a moment, smiling a bit. He was aware of her habits, and she loved it.

"I was thinking about how far we've come ever since you found me."

He didn't respond. A sound of a page turning became loud in the space of her bedroom.

"And about us."

His back became stiff.

"What about it?" He asked.

Emma turned her body towards him, putting her arms around his shoulders and putting her head in the left one.

"That I'm glad we could find each other again."

Norman put his hand on one of her arms and looked at her.

"I'm glad too."

They kissed briefly.

Yes. This was their dynamic, this is who they were, and she was sure that with or without memories they would always be like this.

[fullscoreshenanigans]

headcannon that norman picked up lock picking to help emma in her super secret stealth missions into the infirmary especially when isabella insists people need peace and quiet

(or when ray was having nightmares and needed someone there for him even when he didn’t want to admit it)

i think it’s cannon that he knows cuz he takes apart machines/clocks with ray but that’s not enough angst for me(definitely using this in a fic soon)

*taps microphone and holds it up to you* thoughts?

Yeah you got it; the mystic code book mentions Norman and Ray learned it from taking apart machines together, while Don learned pickpocketing because he read about it in a book and thought it sounded cool.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 1 Q&A; also mentioned in a questionnaire that I talk about here)

The way it's framed in chapter 1 makes it sound like it's a rare occurrence, or at the very least the boys rarely lockpicked in Emma's presence.

But for fanfic purposes, I think people would be open to him using his skills for covert stealth missions to lift the spirits of sick orphans, and there's nothing preventing him from learning it for multiple purposes.

I'm a bit confused why he would need to do that so he and Emma could sneak into Ray's bed and cuddle him unless Ray is sick in the infirmary and needs the support, though, since there are eight other children in Ray's shared bedroom who need to be able to come and go to use the restroom or get a glass of water. We also see Gilda, who as far as we know isn't able to pick locks pre-escape, going to meet with Krone after lights out unhindered.

Krone's room has a lock on it since Isabella locks Ray in there, so while I can see all the doors in the house potentially having locks on them for whatever emergency situation might arise, the children's bedrooms would almost always be open otherwise.

[usagirln12003]

Yuugo: Hogwarts AU

Yuugo was a Pureblood wizard that was born on the 24th of December 1970 and started attending Hogwarts on the 1st of September 1982, being sorted into Gryffindor House.

He had an Blackthorn wand with a Phoenix Feather core.

His Patronus was Non-Corporeal.

His favorite subject was Defense Against the Dark Arts and his least favorite subject was Care of Magical Creatures.

He was one of Gryffindor's Chaser from his third year onward.

In the past, Yugo was cheerful, optimistic and valued his family who had escaped along with him above else. He had a leader-like personality and always thought of others. However, after losing them during their battle against the poachers, left all alone and unable to cope with the grief, his personality changed drastically. It is shown that Yugo became depressed and suffered from psychological aftereffects, and ever since graduating from Hogwarts, he lost any kind of hope, optimism or empathy for the future, especially since William Minerva never showed up and helped him and his friends. He lost all of his goals and only strived to survive. Although he has a dismissive attitude about the event when he talks about it, he is shown to have grown depressed over this and was even ready to commit suicide before Emma and the others showed up in Hogsmead where he lived.

When Emma and the Grace Field Escapees encounter him, Yugo comes over as a person with a lot of personal problems to the children. The first thing they note is that he has terrible manners, and he seems to be a rather simple person who doesn't value having comrades around him, as he thinks of them all to be dead weight to him. In fact, Yugo hates how optimistic the children and how they act as a close-knit family, because it reminds him of himself when he was young, his own family, and the wrong choices he committed. He's especially affronted by Emma because of her energetic optimism.

Yugo also showed to have a great deal of hatred towards the kids. He put his wand to Emma's head with no hesitation and threatened to kill her, and he also threatened the younger children, such as Alicia, that he would kill them if they broke any of his things while he would accompany Emma and Ray on their journey. Although he won't hurt any of the kids directly, he is ready to do so indirectly: such as kicking them out of his house or provoking dangerous magical creatures into attacking. However, it is later revealed that he had no intention of actually cursing any of the kids dead, as Emma later deduces that he can't actually bring himself to harm a child with his own hands.

He also refused any and all attempts at changing his apathy or letting himself get attached to the kids. Hence, he also refuses to learn any of the children's names. He gives nicknames such as "Antenna" for Emma, "Sleepy Cyclops" for Ray, "Bean head" for Don, and "Prissy Four-Eyes" for Gilda. However, it is subtly shown that Yugo is slowly opening up towards the children, especially after Emma's influence and finding his old friend. By the end of Emma's third year at Hogwarts, Yugo has grown to care for Emma and the other children, such as when he risked his life to get Emma safely back to the castle. Although his blunt and dismissive attitude remained, it is shown that Yugo played a fatherly-role to the children and had no problem playing with them as opposed to before. He is also shown to be very reliable, protective and a voice of reason towards them.

[emmaspolaroid]

@lonely-cereal oh i get to explain this ship. ohhh my god. i don’t have the energy to put this in essay form, but here’s the breakdown of my Rayvio agenda 💜🖤

I personally prefer to ship Ray with someone who isn’t from Grace Field, for Isabella reasons 

and Violet is unlike anyone he’s ever met, in both looks and personality

but let’s be so serious: she looks like a slightly less feminine Norman, has Emma’s courage. the twist is her attitude. I think Ray would be drawn to her.

they instantly understood each other 👇

they both try to pretend they’re cool and chill, when the opposite is true they care so so so much and have a natural inclination to protect 

they look like punk ass mallrat MySpace emo kids like that’s all i can really say on that aspect. but bro trust me on this just trust me

Ray guided her and the rest of the Goldy Pond kids back to the bunker, and it took two weeks, and they had a lot of time to get to know each other. Violet was relativity uninjured compared to the other GP main players, so she’s probably the one who Ray spoke to most often (aside from Lucas ofc) and they definitely worked together while getting such a huge group across that vast distance.  

And they had even more time to get close during the search for Cuvitadala. further reading. I think, if we’d gotten more fleshed out chapters from that part of the story, we’d see them interacting a lot more.

it’s not a jump to say they became friends pretty quickly, even less of a jump to suggest they have a solid dynamic. we saw them gang up on Emma for being reckless (really, they’re both worried about her), demonstrating that they’re on the same page, and they already move as a unit. 

(we’re entering headcanon territory so just close your eyes and open your mind to my vision) While I assume Emma and Ray paired off most often during the search for Cuvitadala — they are the besties of all time after all — as well as Ray and Don, I see Violet and Ray being a surprisingly frequent pair. Gilda and Emma definitely take notice of this development.

now walk with me here, because in my expert opinion, this ship is a slowwwww burn. like it takes them almost a decade to actually get together. But they just vibe with each other. they hang out more and more after coming to the human world, growing steadily closer. 

Ray probably understands what’s happening and comes to terms with it first, deciding to simply Ignore these feelings until they go away. He thinks there’s just no way she’d ever like him like that. And seeing as he places such high value in friendship, he might even think it unfair to put those feelings on her. 

Violet is more hesitant, always cautious when it comes to investing emotionally. However, she knew early on this nerd was going to be a problem for her. She also elected to ignore these feelings, and it works for a decent amount of time. 

Time goes on, and they start to grow up. The dynamic changes a little, and their sarcastic banter has become more like play flirting, then more like actual flirting. They both think the other is 100% joking.

But Violet gets annoyed with the will-they-won’t-they a few years after they find Emma, and just decides to say Fuck It and kisses him to get it out of her system. this plan backfires, spectacularly. 

Ray is like Woah ?!?!!! 

They kinda just don’t talk about it and carry on like before, for a few weeks. Until she’s like “oh hey btw what the fuck is your problem” and he’s like “what’s UR problem” and then. bam. Rayvio. Vioray. You agree. 🙏

[goldiipond]

YOU WERE RECOMMENDED TO ME 🗣️‼️‼️

DON HEADCANONS PLS? THANK YOU SM 💫

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 130

Chapter 130: "Something to Report"

I love how easily Emma can now admit her feelings regarding the annihilation towards her family. From initially hiding her concerns, to opening up to Ray about them and finally admitting them to Norman himself and making her stance against the plan firm.. it's quite the improvement that she can talk freely about her choices without too much worry about how everyone else will react.

Probably the main reason why I believe that the hatred the GP resistance harbored towards the demons is more justified than the malice the Lambda crew feels. The poachers were all psycho and far from innocent, unlike those demons simply living in actual towns.

Definitely the best point to bring up in order to get the other thirteen escapees concerned, and I like how it's only them shown to react to the possibility.

I know it hasn't even been a full ten chapters yet, but it feels as if I haven't seen everyone else in ages. I suppose that's solely a me problem by going through the chapters on a day by day pace. (is Rossi raising his hand?? aww, precious boy has a question!)

She says it so proudly! And hearing her repeat Ray's advice to her makes me feel so soft. My boy has such intense glare though, as if he's just waiting to see if anyone is gonna really shut down her idea. Dude is giving y'all a warning to not challenge them after Emma's worked so hard to reach this decision.

Season two saw that comment of Ray's and said "alright, bet."

It's great that Sandy & Sonya recall that one brief moment with Nous mourning over Nouma, reminding us that even the real terrible demons do have actual feelings.

Getting the chance to see other people's reactions to this whole mess is definitely something. Gillian doesn't seem too thrilled to admit that last bit though. If I was in their place, I wouldn't know which side I'd be on at the start.

Oh Don, you wonderful supportive brother you. YES! These kinds of decisions is what Emma is best know for and no matter how risky they might be, the kids were able to come so far by following their highly determined and optimistic leader.

The advantage of being the main protagonist. Or disadvantage in this case. Take your pick.

Ahha.. wait til they find out Norman's life is actually in danger due to the Lambda experiments.

Mhhmm, can't say you're gonna escape with everyone when you let one of your besties go. Granted, they left the children four and younger behind but at least she made the promise to go back for them.

He said the thing again + double head pats.

Luckily for Gilda and everyone else, our girl keeps her promises. And remains quite honest throughout the series as well. (she may not tell the whole truth during the most crucial moment of the series but what can ya do.)

I laser focus on the GP trio every damn time I come across this panel without fail. Idc if they're just standing there, I love them.

You know Norman is so deep into the WM persona when he doesn't even bother to see RE off before they venture to the Seven Walls, like he knows how risky it would be to go there, if it even exists in the first place, and he just.. straight up lets 'em go without a proper goodbye.

Favorite panel/moment:

Big sis Paula is back with more hugs.

But more importantly, there's THIS. Ray calling her crazy and no one disagrees. Also, his comment about him not being able to see her pov is sorta foreshadowing to the Seven Walls and how Emma is able to meet the demon god and not him. Sure Ray might come to understand Emma's reasoning and how her mind works eventually, but not at first, hence why he was booted out of the Seven Walls.

Plus, I adore that face of hers. I'm very happy such a tiny detail made it into the anime as well.

I also.. forgot to cross check the anime with this chapter until now. Um, yeah, some stuff remains the same of course. Tons of people missing obviously. How RE invite Don & Gilda to help with their search of Sonju & Mujika is kinda reminiscent of their conversation from ch99 actually with them being thankful to finally help with something. The addition of Emma & Gilda's headbutt is cute.

I know this is already hella long and parts of this conversation don't even happen within the chapter (or at all in the manga) but screw it, my boy looks so handsome here.

[nerdysleepybunny]

I'm curious, how would emma, gilda and isabella act around their crush? any headcanons? they are separate btw.

This is super cute! Thank you so much for the request, hope you enjoy!

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

Fandom(s): The Promised Neverland

Character(s): Emma, Gilda, Isabella

Reader: Gender neutral (they/you)

TW: N/A

Style: Hcs

Summary: How Emma, Gilda, and Isabella act around reader when they have a crush on them!

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

Emma:

She loves you so so much! You’re so kind and cute, and gosh you look so good in your uniform! She’ll stick around you a lot and help you with anything you need, and standing up for you, taking your side over everything!

She sees no reason to hide it, so she doesn’t! She’ll do whatever she can to fluster you for a few days, and eventually confesses.

She gets so happy when you share that you feel the same, she squeals and pulls you into her embrace. She grabs your hand and runs with you over to Ray and Norman, talking a mile a minute about how you and her are officially together! They’d have no clue what she’s saying but laugh at her excitement. When they finally ask what she was rambling about she huffs and kisses you square on the lips, causing your face to turn red from fluster and shock.

The boys finally understand and they chuckle, Emma giggling at your blush and dragging you away so she can tease you more!

Gilda:

She’s much too shy to talk to you, and much prefers to gaze at you from afar. She holds her glasses to her face to get the best possible view of you as you goof around with your friends.

Don soon notices and teases her a bit, before offering to help get the two of you together. She hesitates but agreed, watching anxiously as he walks over to you. She can’t hear the conversation because of the distance but she notices you look over to Gilda and smile warmly at her, making her face turn red before smiling back. You waved at your friends before walking over to her alongside Don.

“Nice to meet you, Gilda!” “Um.. n-nice to meet you too.” She adjusted her glasses with a small shy smile, and your smile only grew wider.

She loved how you were usually a loud and outgoing person, yet quieted down around her. She loved the peaceful moments with you.

Don soon noticed that she’d never have the courage to confess, so he decided to do it himself. You blushed and smiled, confessing that you felt the same. He fist pumped the air, shouting a victorious “YES!”

As soon as you saw Gilda, you rushed over to her and told her how you felt. The poor girl looked as though she was about to have a heart attack! You quickly calmed her down, hugging her and playing with her hair. When she was calm, you gave her a kiss on the cheek before rushing over to Don, giggling at the girl’s cute reaction.

Isabella:

Isabella hired you for some extra assistance, and you were recommended for the job! Isabella has been your role model for many years now, you loved her dearly and looked up to her a lot.

When you arrived, you and Isabella shook hands. “Hello ms. Isabella, it’s so good to finally meet you.” She smiled. “Nice to meet you too.”

After having a tour of the house, you were asked to memorize all the children’s files. You happily obeyed, reading everything over and over to get it stuck in your brain. She liked your eagerness, but also enjoyed the fact that you weren’t too talkative and stayed in your place.

Once you finally went out to meet all the children yourself, they immediately adored you! You were so kind, treating each of them like your own family.

Isabella watched these interactions with a smile, and once the children finally went their ways to play tag, she came up to you. “Good job, (Y/N). I know you’ll do wonderful here.” She adored the slight pink that tinted your face and the smile you gave, she could immediately tell you were fighting the urge to squeal and jump around. She laughed at how formal you were attempting to be. “You can be yourself, there’s no need to be so formal.” She let out another laugh as you finally let yourself go, adoring the true you.

Isabella began to watch you more and more, becoming obsessed with you. The children could see how much she liked you, and decided to try something.

Phil ran up to Isabella and tugged on her dress. “Mom! Mom! Follow me!” Isabella looked down and smiled, agreeing to follow. Phil lead her down a hall, where a door was wide open. They were about to walk past it until Phil suddenly shoved her into the room, and shutting the door. Isabella knew she could easily overpower him and that he couldn’t lock the door, so she played along. “Phil, sweetie, what are you doing?” “You’re not coming out until you tell (Y/N) how you really feel!” The sweet boy giggled. Isabella finally turned around, seeing you standing there, an apologetic look on your face. “I have no idea what these kids are up to..” you admitted, a sweet smile forming on your face.

Isabella smiled and walked closer to you, placing a gentle hand on your cheek. A blush formed and you avoided eye contact, instead looking at the floor. “Uh, what did Phil mean?” “He wants me to admit that I love you.” “Ah, I see.. wait what?” Your gaze finally snapped up to look her in the eye, and she smiled. “I love you, (Y/N).”

“Yaaaaay!!” Phil shouted from the other side of the door, busting it open to reveal the two of you. All the other kids were standing outside too, likely listening. They all cheered for the two of you, and Isabella let out a genuine laugh as you hid your red face.

🩷☁️N E R D Y S L E E P Y B U N N Y☁️🩷

[1000sunnygo]

Hello! Its me, shobi! I was wondering on what your thoughts are on what if sister krone were to escape with the children? Would she and yuugo get along? would she survive getting chased by demons with the GF kids? Would she stay with don and gilda or go with emma and ray incase yuugo plans to kill them? How would she react if she found out that norman is alive and wants to genocide? Would she agree with ray and emma about their plan to not kill demons? would she trust and get along with sonju and musika? If they ever return to the farms, how would she react when she found out that isabella became a grandma instead of getting eaten by demons? I have so many questions. I'm sure having her around be a great benefit for the kids. I miss her sm. I wish she had more screentime. I get that she was a huge help when she gave the pen to the kids but still. I want an AU where she lives. OHH AND ANOTHER QUESTION! If you were given a chance to change sister krone's design to make her a great representative of black people, what would it be? What would it look like? sorry for disturbing you and if theres any grammatical errors. I would love to hear your thoughts and don't hesitate to ramble about it. Again, I would love to hear anything you want to say.

Sorry for the delay 😭 got a one piece brain bug so I decided to give this ask some time.

Initial hostility aside (with Krone around they may knock him out as soon as he brings out the gun lol), I think Krone would get along fine with Yugo. It would be Krone's first time interacting with an adult man, right?

Don't blame my mind for going places 🌚

As for whether she goes with ER or stays in Bunker, I think she stays. She would agree with Norman but then support Emma like GP gang. Overall, the story would proceed just as it did, maybe smoother. Hope she survives Andrew

It's a good food for thought, leaving it here for anyone who wants to add more!

Since you brought up Krone's design, I remember recently rereading an interview where Shirai and Posu talked about her design. It's an extra info but I'd add it here in this opportunity.

^ francetvinfo interview (2018), Shirai says he came up with Krone's design with Posuka.

(upper two are Shirai's drawing, bottom one is Posuka's)

Posuka's inspirations for her style of drawing Krone (and others) was Rembrandt's arts, some video games and Little Prince's illustration book (snippet from the aforementioned interview):

Frankly speaking, I feel that the answers aren't on the same wavelength as the questions, that speaks something for itself :re Shirai and Posuka's awareness on the matter.

And to answer your question. I'm afraid I might not be able to provide a good insight to it based on my insufficient knowledge from news outlets and social media :re this matter. I'd like to hear your own thoughts though :)

[just-like-playing-tag]

Me???? Still not over that Apollo Ray AU in 2021?????? It's more likely than you think.

I jumped into the water and now I need to keep swimming

If you're new to the AU, you can check out this post where it's explained where the name comes from and this other post on what Apollo Ray differs from Minerva Norman.

Tonight, I'd like to expand the plotline that Apollo Ray would choose to imprison Emma and Norman to prevent them from getting in his way to demons' eradication. I know y'all might cringe at this but you have to understand, he's REALLY convinced it's for their best.

This is how I can imagine things to go: Ray kinda tricks them and traps them somewhere inside of the Paradise Hideout. Not really a prison, he'd probably just lock them in a room and be like “you just got back from a long, dangerous journey, why don't you take some rest? In the meantime, I've got some stuff to do at, let's say, the Royal Capital :)”

Sounds familiar?

Like mother like son

Very relevant detail is that the room MUST be without locks. Make it an electronic key or a biometric iris recognition lock or whatever. Ray knows Norman well enough and he's not falling to the magical hairpin trick lmao.

Now, I like to think Gilda would take sides with Ray. I've always thought about Ray and Gilda having a lot in common (often seeing the glass half empty, loving Emma unconditionally; furthermore, they were the only ones who agreed that escaping from Grace Field with everyone was unequivocally impossible). At some point, paralleling how Norman asked to talk with Gilda and Don, Ray asks for Gilda only to come into his study. They have a long talk, during which he persuades her to join him. On Ray's end, he needs somebody he trusts to stay in the Hideout while him and his squad go to their fun trip to the Royal Capital, to keep an eye on Emma and Norman and make sure they won't escape or try and go to the Seven Walls. Now, Gilda probably wouldn't look like his first choice, for she is endlessly loyal to Emma; however, Ray plans of making that very factor, her love and dedication for her friend, his trump card. By talking to Gilda and calmly describing their situation, he makes her understand how hopeless is the mission Emma is so desperate to fulfill; that no one ever came back from the Seven Walls, and they're most likely to die there. Moreover, Ray persuades Gilda to believe that his plan of demon eradication is without doubts the most certain route, that will surely lead to the safest future for her friends - even though they can't understand it yet. However, their safeness and happiness is above anything else, even their own temporary freedom- isn't it? They will understand, once everything is over, that him and Gilda were only acting for their best.

Although initially hesitant, as never in her life she had gone against Emma, Gilda ends up firmly accepting, for she's determined to do anything to save Emma's (and Norman's) life- including betraying her.

I don't think it shouldn't be too surprising to have Gilda accept Ray's plottings; already in the manga, she's shown as being maybe the most condescending to Norman's plan, since she believed it was the less dangerous route to secure Emma's safety- and, to her eyes, consequential happiness.

In this AU, Ray's using the very feelings of affection that build Gilda's loyalty to Emma to bring her to his side; he's persuading her that the mission Emma and Norman are trying to carry out is a suicidal one, and that if they let them go they will lose them forever- which is something he knows Gilda would do anything to not let happen.

I know it may seem like he's manipulating her to get what he wants, but I want to underline I don't think that'd be the case: by saying he's worried Emma and Norman are going to lose their lives going after the Seven Walls, he's putting genuine sentiments on the line, and he's as determined to prevent it from happening as Gilda is. In comparison, Norman has been way more dishonest when he spoke to Gilda and Don- as Gilda would have later learnt, he was never intentioned to spare Musica (thus having plainly lied to them).

On the contrary, Ray's intentions of simply wanting to protect Emma and Norman were sincere, and he was way more honest with Gilda with his plan, fully entrusting her with it.

On the other side, Don would obviously take sides Emma, which would eventually lead to a very cool conflict between Gilda and Don?? I'm certain Don would support Emma because he grew up to be very similar to her. Brings back to my mind this old old post I once made, which considers the events of chapters 138 and 139: Don shares Emma's point of view on many matters, so I'm confident he would be ready to support her. When you think about it, he was the fastest to take sides with her in canon too, probably second to Ray only; and when Ray's choice was likely driven by his undying loyalty to Emma, chances are that Don was supporting Emma not only because he believed in her, but also because he was the first one to truly believe in her ideals as well, the first to believe they would have really been able to find a solution that would have brought happiness for everyone.

Now Don openly supporting Emma would inevitably lead to him and Gilda clashing which I find being the absolute COOLEST thing. I mean I love them, and I love how they love each other; still the thought of them being compelled by the circumstances to collide intrigues me so much!!!! I think they'd have this extremely angsty confrontation that will eventually end with Don convincing Gilda that trusting Emma has took them so far, and that the best thing to do is give up and help him to free Emma and Norman (maybe Ray had entrusted her with the keys / password to open the room Emma and Norman were locked in?? Dunnot)

Besides, I think it would make a lot of sense taking the whole tpn plotline?? It would end up paralleling Gilda and Don's chapters in Grace Field in so many different ways. First of all, I have to say it would be very nice to have a new spotlight on Gilda: her role in the first arc was relevant indeed, with her and Don being the key to the success of the escape; however, she didn't really got to have enough space for character development. The moment when the trio revealed them the truth was more about Don, while Gilda had never doubted of their words in the first place; moreover, the space she had as a possible spy was mostly used to deceive the attention from the true spy, and the revelation that she was never intentioned to betray them was more of character development for Emma, who consolidated her will to trust and protect her family, than a growth of Gilda herself.

But now, for Gilda to take sides against her dear Emma, the person she's more loyal and devoted to, what a great potential for character development that has!!!!!!! I can imagine her, once she finally accepts to help Emma, to echo the words Emma once told her at Grace Field: “I'm sorry- to protect you, I was prepared to be hated by you; yet, I wasn't ready to believe in you!”

To sum up: the Apollo Ray AU is still my jam and Gilda and Don deserve way more space than what they were given in the manga. Also stan Gilda.

[justjensenanddean]

Jensen Ackles is so glad he can finally talk about playing Batman in The Long Halloween

Watch EW's Around the Table discussion with the cast and creators of DC's latest animated film about the Dark Knight.

One of the greatest Batman stories of all time is finally coming to the screen. Originally published as a 12-issue comic series by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale, Batman: The Long Halloween is a yearlong murder mystery in which Gotham City's organized crime figures keep getting killed on holidays. Though Batman is trying to take down the mafia alongside his allies Commissioner Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, they don't support extrajudicial killings - especially when the witnesses they need to formulate a case against the crime bosses keep ending up among the dead.

Next week Warner Bros. will release Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One, the first of a two-part animated adaptation of the story. EW assembled a roundtable of actors Jensen Ackles (Batman) and Julie Nathanson (Gilda Dent), writer-producer Tim Sheridan, and supervising producer Butch Lukic to discuss their take on the classic tale.

One of the first topics that came up was the fact that The Long Halloween has been in development for years, but it was stalled for a time when Warner Bros. thought Matt Reeves might use the story for his live-action movie The Batman. When that film, starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight, ultimately went a different direction, the animated version was able to proceed. That means those involved are finally able to talk about it - and Ackles is definitely ready to talk about Batman.

You may have seen Ackles dress up as the Dark Knight for Halloween 2019. As many fans wished, the actor is now playing Batman for real - and in one of the character's best story lines, no less.

"I come from a previous film where I voiced Red Hood," Ackles says. "So when I got the call for this, I assumed I would be reprising that role into whatever story these guys were adapting. But then I realized I'd gotten the upgrade! I don't think they even got the whole word 'Batman' out. They were like, 'Bat-' and I was like, yes!"

When it comes to the Halloween getup, Ackles admits, "I couldn't help myself." But it also came together organically.

"I had this wonderful crew person I was working with who hand-made costumes and cosplay stuff," Ackles says. "She didn't even know. She did a Red Hood version for me. She was like, 'I'm gonna do a Batman, would you be my mannequin?' And inside I was like, 'If you only knew!'"

Although the masculine trio of Batman, Dent, and Gordon are at the center of The Long Halloween, this adaptation also centers female characters. Nathanson's Gilda pokes holes in Harvey's heroism, while Catwoman (voiced by the late Naya Rivera) keeps Batman on his toes.

"There's a lot of, well, duality in this particular film," Nathanson says, in a tease to fans who know or suspect where The Long Halloween leads. "But I think the female characters also have their own two sides. I hold that as Gilda, having her own personal space and stuff she's dealing with, and her guardedness because of pain, mixed with her desire to connect with her husband. The women get to play with that duality and that strength as well."

Watch the video above for more. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One releases digitally and on Blu-ray on June 22, with Part Two following later this summer.

ew.com/movies/jensen-ackles-talks-playing-batman-in-long-halloween/

[fullscoreshenanigans]

how do you think Emma (post cannon or otherwise) and ashye would interact? I don’t think Ashye would hate her just because she’s Norman’s friends since she gets along with Ray in the side story decently enough

Ayshe definitely wouldn't hate Emma. While being raised by a demon, she's not misanthropic; she just hates a specific group of people.

I talk about this on my Gildayshe musings post and this recent poll, but the first conversation Ayshe has with Don and Gilda has them reacting like this:

(Chapter 139)

After she just told them Norman was behind her father's murder—someone who was her whole world—they're in tears at the thought of not being in conflict with him. Even when considering the possibility that Norman ultimately plans to kill Sonju and Mujika after they bring them to the paradise hideout, if there's a chance of negotiating with him, they'll take it.

It goes even further when Norman betrays them and uses them as bait just like they suspected in chapter 135.

(Chapter 144)

Gilda still pleads with Mujika, after Norman just tried to have her and Sonju—her companion of 700 years—killed, to help them stop Norman before things become irrevocable for him and everyone around him. She still considers him her older brother after all of that. Don looks empathetic and in agreement with her while Ayshe is left in open-mouthed shock, because she could understand if Gilda didn't want anything to do with him at this point.

But she also understands family, and her new companions have made it clear that her father's murderer is still important to them. She doesn't begrudge them for it.

(Chapter 167)

And she doesn't hesitate to save them when they return to Grace Field.

She has known them for ten days.

(Mystic Code Book Chapter 7)

Within the span of four days, she's willing to have this conversation with Ray:

(Chapter 169)

This is after Emma has made it clear how close she and Ray are with Norman:

(Chapter 161)

She's conciliatory to Don and Gilda when she says "it's true that he ate humans, but to me, he was my father" and here. Despite acknowledging that familial connection she feels toward him, she gives all of them an out. 'You don't have to spare my feelings. I understand why humans hate demons.' Knows most demons wouldn't think twice about eating her if given the opportunity. She's downcast and gives a light sigh of resignation because she's aware of how bizarre this would look to another human. They can conceptually see why she feels the way she does, but not how profound that loss is for her, so she'd rather skip the attempt at sympathy.

It's why she's so shocked at Ray's blunt declaration reaffirming her love for her father as valid and gives her full attention to him in earnest. She follows it up by saying their parents were also good people.

Given their prominence in the story since the start, I'm fairly confident the figures on the left and bottom center are Norman and Don respectively so all five of the oldest Grace Field kids are included here and poignantly attached to her sentiment. It's possible she's lying to Ray to be reciprocally kind or mentally separating the kids into differing levels of good with Norman at the bottom to still technically qualify him, but with less reason to lie to him between the validation of her feelings and the intimacy of the setting I'm disinclined to believe the former, and with the latter he's still included regardless.

(Chapter 181)

With all that in mind in addition to how she's willing to let Norman and Vincent hold her dogs' puppies post-timeskip, it would be very bizarre for Ayshe to hate Emma. If anything she'd think Emma's too good for Norman lol

I also imagine there would be a lot of overlap between how she interacts with Emma and Ray.

(TPN Light Novel 4: Films of Memories - “Don and Gilda”)

She reacts this strongly to Don and Gilda even thinking about being burdens in the post-canon. Despite lacking those memories, there are still convictions she holds that are etched into her very being. If she was given a rundown of Ayshe's history, she'd also conclude that her father's species was irrelevant if he saved her and provided her with unconditional love, possibly more forcefully than Ray. It wouldn't come as a surprise to Ayshe, given her interactions with all the other Grace Field children at this point, but it'd be comforting all the same, that reinforcement of why Emma's friends and family cared so deeply for her and spent years searching for her. There was never really tension between them, but it makes Ayshe feel more at ease around her all the same.

I'm also a very big proponent of wlw Ayshe, so I enjoy @dyslexicsponge's take of her having a crush on Emma (intimidating Norman by going to hang out with him because he's so obvious about his crush on Emma and Ayshe's so smitten she doesn't know who else she could possibly commiserate with optional lol).

[greenygreenland]

Dream A Little Dream of Me: Norman x Reader (part four)

-part four because I couldn’t fit everything in part three-i went overboard, I’m sorry

-please enjoy I worked a month on getting this out, haha. it is a labour of tears and love.

---->PREVIOUS PART <-----

Summary: You need your memories back. But how will you get them?

Gracefield House

Not a single soul moved for what felt like centuries. The moment Ray, Gilda and Don arrived at the scene, it was clear that nothing else could be done. Mama smiled at her children viciously. She wasn’t here to play nice any longer. Today, she was the hunter and her children the prey.

“It was a clean break. She will recover smoothly,” Mama curtly announced. “And Norman?” You didn’t like the way she looked at him, or the way her grip seemed to tighten on your limp arms. Her gaze dangerously narrowed and she said, “Your shipment date has been set.”

Your heart stopped. Norman’s shipment date had been set? No, that couldn’t be. Your plan required at least another week until everything fell into place. Norman was the core of it all. Without him, what would you do?

And speaking of which, he was going to die. Die. Die. Die. He was going to die.

You squirmed in Mama’s grasp, hoping--praying that you could maneuver around this. Norman wasn’t going to die. You wouldn’t let him.

“Let me--let me go!”

It was reckless and it was stupid to think he’d be able to evade Mama’s sight just like that, but you had to try.  Didn’t Emma say you’d all leave here together?

“Norman--!”

He blinked as if he’d woken up from a long dream. He forced himself to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Don’t struggle.

Don’t struggle? How did he expect you to sit around and do nothing? If anyone should be shipped out first, it should be you. Why? Because you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself if you let any of your family go.

Mama glared down at you with a cold smile. “You can’t fight me more than you can stop the sun from setting,” she said, heaving you higher off the ground. Your leg hit Mama’s arm and a cry escaped your lips. Norman flinched and Emma stood frozen in place.

You were always the strong one, not Emma, not Ray, and not Norman. Because you were one of the eldest, it was your responsibility to be the shoulder to cry on and to stand when no one else could. To see you holding back tears and gritting your teeth tight enough to make your gums bleed made Norman’s little heart break.

He didn’t care about his shipment date. All he wanted was to see you safe.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of faces, voices and regrets. The sharp pain in your leg long faded, leaving only a dull throb that stayed as a reminder of your failure. Yes, that was what you were, right? You couldn’t complete the plan even with Don, Gilda and Ray distracting Mama. You were pathetic. A waste of space.

The door creaked open and you sat up a little straighter. You smiled at the trio as they entered the room. “Hey guys.”

“How are you feeling?” inquired Norman. He took a seat by your bedside and gave your hand a gentle squeeze. Ray pulled up another chair. He hid his face behind his fringe to conceal his grim frown. It didn’t work though, and you merely smiled at him. He huffed irritably, as if he didn’t want you to know he worried so much.

“I didn’t think she’d go that far.” Ray quietly muttered. You knitted your brows together with a absentminded shrug. “And to think I was that close to getting her watch.”

Emma’s shoulders sagged. “I wish I had--”

“It’s fine Emma.” you said with a warm smile. “Broken bones heal, it’s not permanent.” She wrapped you in a tight embrace and you rubbed her back comfortingly. It was hard to look her in the eye anyway. The sadness she tried so hard to force down only added to your guilt, and you weren’t sure if you could think straight with all the regret.

“I’m sorry this happened.” you began. “Now that I’m hurt, you’re worrying for me.”

Emma pulled away as Norman gave a firm shake of his head. “None of this is anyone’s fault.” he stated. "None of us saw that coming, and even if we did, I’m not sure we’d be any good outwitting Mama on the spot like that.” He offered a gentle smile that made you feel just a little bit better.

-----

(University name), DAY TWO

Class went by rather quickly today, and maybe that was because you were sure you’d seen similar material before. Each answer came easily along with each mark on your paper like a memory from long ago. You’ve answered harder questions, much more difficult tests that held more weight than a simple grade.

“I was impressed by your extensive knowledge on world history,” said Mr. Baker. He was the world history teacher. Unlike the others, he was young, perhaps in his mid twenties. In the hour you’ve gotten to know him and the class, you’ve come to realise he’s a class favourite. For good reason, too. His jokes were phenomenal, the material entertaining, and the atmosphere, friendly.

It was like having a conversation between friends rather than teacher to student.

“Do you know what school you went to before you came here?” he inquired. You shook your head. “No. I don’t think I went to any school before this actually...but I’m not sure. I wish I knew, sorry Mr. Baker.” He offered a warm smile. “Maybe my jokes will remind you of something. In the mean time, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll remember eventually.”

Eventually. You didn’t want to remember ‘eventually’. Living a life of ignorance was difficult as it was, why should you continue it? You adjusted your grip on a notebook and said, “See you tomorrow Mr. Baker.”

“Same to you, Letha.”

The cafeteria wasn’t hard to find. Students crowded in the hallways, pushing and shoving as they stuck close to hurry towards for their meals. You didn’t care much for the food. There wasn’t any way it could measure up to your, or Gramps’s, cooking anyway.

“Letha!”

You spun around as much as you could in the congested hall. Flanna raised a hand above her head and waved. She didn’t even try to hide the fact that she was looking for you. “Letha, you comin’?” There was no way out of avoiding the red-head. She had too much energy, and an eerily observant eye hidden under her smile.

“Hello to you too, Flanna.” you said, matching her step. Flanna grinned brightly. “Are you excited for lunch? My first day here, I thought it’d taste terrible. You’d be surprised how good it is, but maybe that’s because the school’s expensive.” She let out a snort that was lost to the chatter of the crowd.

The cafe wasn’t all too big. Despite the long tables stretching out across the floor, and the high ceilings and tall windows, it felt small. Crowded. The sheer amount of teens gathered in one area was daunting, scary even. It made your head spin, and your stomach lurch in disgust.

Was this what everyone dealt with every single day? How could they do it? This was madness.

Flanna patted your shoulder and led you towards the lunch line. “You get used to it after a while. Can’t say I have, but it’s not so bad.” She handed you a cup of fruit from a large cooler. You watched as she did the same and instructed the lunch lady on exactly what she wanted.

You copied her. It was all you could do to prevent embarrassing yourself.

Once you found a table, a long sigh left your lips. “That was actually...a bit stressful.” Flanna chuckled good-naturedly. “Oh, I get it, you’re shy, aren’t you? I had a friend like that back in ninth grade when I still lived in the countryside. Couldn’t even go in line without help from me.”

“What happened to that friend?”

“Moved away. Lots of people do. They like the city because it’s “full of opportunity”.” Flanna rolled her eyes. “I think it depends on what you want. I’d prefer a quiet life where all I have to do is take care of a farm. You know, sheep, chicken, cows. It’s easy because the only person who’s your boss is you.”

Flanna clearly didn’t favour modern life as much as her peers. She went on about the difficulties of technology and how they were “nothin’ but trouble” for simple folk. You couldn’t say much about that, but you wish you understood.

The rest of the day went by in a flash. It turned out, your last three classes were with Flanna. She didn’t talk as much in class, but she asked you a lot of questions about why you knew so much. Of course, you couldn't remember, but she didn’t know that. She didn’t know who you truly were.

FIVE MONTHS LATER

The setting sun illuminated the sides of your face as you glared at the frosty grass below your winter boots. You stood outside, wrapped tightly in your thick, fur coat. It was Gramps’s daughter’s before yours, so it smelled like him. The forest. A cosy fireplace. Hot chocolate. It did little to comfort your aching heart, and maybe that was because a part of it was still missing.

Standing in the last rays of sun reminded you of that boy with light hair and kind eyes. It reminded you of his touch that refused to leave your mind. He was scorched there like an emblem on wood.

“So why can’t I remember you?” Your words were lost to the harsh, frosty breezes. “Who are you to me?” He wasn’t family, that much you knew, nor a friend either. He was much more. Much closer to your heart than either of those.

-----

This wasn't a massacre. It was the shambles of a bloody war.

The remnants of limbs and broken bones lay strewn across the throne room, where pools of crimson stained the tile flooring with its iron stench. Part of you wished you hadn’t opened the door, and another said it was your fault for letting everything get this far.

Would you have been able to stop Norman if you ran faster? If you had stopped him earlier?

Your stomach flopped and turned. The smirk painted on Norman’s lips wasn’t right. It wasn’t him. He was satisfied, not with the massacre, but with how perfectly his plan had been executed. It played out like a game of chess. Each pawn he sent out had been eliminated, leaving only the most powerful pieces on the checkered board.

“I’m sorry,” Norman said. “It’s too late (Y/n).”

He wasn’t sorry and he sure didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for lying to you. Or at least, that was what you wanted to believe. Every fibre in your body screamed at you to run at him, slap him to the moon and back, or beat him to a pulp for lying and cheating you all. Yet you couldn’t do it. Not with the way he kept his eyes to the floor.

“I’m so glad you made it back safely,” he added. “It’s a shame you were a little too late.” Your gaze lingered on his for a moment longer before you cast it to Ray and Emma. They stood strong with you, yet you had a feeling they wanted to waver just as much as you.

Emma stared at the sticky crimson under her boot, eyes wide in disbelief. “They’ve...they’ve all been...?”

“Killed.” Norman plainly finished. “They killed each other and they’re all dead now. The Queen, the nobles, the Giran clan. All of them.” Despite the pleasant way he spoke, you had a feeling he didn’t mean it. The Norman you grew up with--no--the Norman you knew wasn’t like this. He was kind. Gentle. Sweet. He cared for everyone and everything, which was why he chose to be shipped out in the first place.

And why he always chose to be the sacrifice.

You heaved in a deep breath. If this were the reality of your situation, you had to accept it. Ignoring Norman for who he was and what he did wouldn’t do a thing.

“I reforged the Promise.” You made your way across the room, eyes straight and head held high. The smug glint in Norman’s eyes vanished.

“Everybody can escape to the human world and no one needs to fight. You don’t have to kill anymore, it’s over.” That was what you wanted to believe with every fibre of your being. But was it really all over? Could you escape to the human world and leave this place after what’s happened?

Norman shook his head, as if he knew exactly what you were thinking.

“It’s too late for that.” he plainly said. “No, it’s impossible. A monarchy that has lasted thousands of years has collapsed. Governance for the demons is impossible now. So is peace.” He glanced at the lifeless body behind him. “Iverk was the last one, and I killed him myself.”

You stiffened.

“We’ve put a lethal fissure in the demon society. A fissure that can’t be mended. All that’s left to do is,” he threw out a careless hand, “shatter it. All of the demons will die out. There’s just one more factor left. We can’t go back now. We have no choice but to wipe them out.” He straightened and it was like you were staring at a different person. There was no kindness in his eyes, or that light that you’ve relied on to keep you waking up every morning. “Don’t get in the way.”

You clenched a fist. “No.” Your voice came out strong, reassuring. “What is the point in wiping out a whole race just because we can’t see eye-to-eye? There’s hope and I’ve finally grasped it! For thousands of years, there’s been a cycle of slaughter and war that we have to break. I don’t plan on standing back, and I don’t plan on letting you become more of a murderer!”

Norman’s eyes were dark from under his cloak. “(Y/n)...”

You stood your ground. Defying him was the only way you could stay strong, the only way you could convince him. “We’ll find a way together! It’s not going to be easy, but I know we can do it!”

“(Y/n)...!”

“I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself again and I’m not letting you do this alone!”

Norman’s tight expression relaxed into an uncomfortably serene smile. “What are you talking about?” he lightly inquired. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m not going anywhere.”

You heaved in a sharp breath because he stopped telling you the whole truth ages ago. He stopped relying on you because he thought he had to do everything alone. “I can’t trust you. You’re a liar! You think you can fool me? I know something’s wrong with you, you’re just trying to hide it! Don’t underestimate the family you grew up with, stupid Norman. We can see through all your lies and tricks!”

You thought back to the day you walked into his office alone.

I know you Norman, don’t forget that.

It had been too long since you’d seen him and thought him dead. Too long since you were able to hold his hands in yours.

And because I love you, I don’t want to see you destroy yourself.  

It was nice to see him again, yet there was something off about him. He hadn’t changed much besides growing as tall as a tree.

I admit, I don’t know why you act like you’re going to leave again...

The only difference was the hesitance in his stance. As if he were trying to hide something very painful in his chest.

...but I’ll do everything in my power to stop you.  

Then he left your words open-ended, as if he knew he couldn’t possibly lie to your face like that. He knew you saw through him from the start. It was only a matter of time before he acknowledged it.

“Doesn’t it hurt?” you slowly inquired. “Because you’re so smart, you chose the reliable path. Because you’re so kind, you shoulder all the burden. I know you Norman, didn’t I tell you? You don’t want to slaughter the demons! And you don’t want to wipe them out either!”

That was the truth that shone in your heart. You wanted to believe in Norman because he always believed in you. If he didn’t then he wouldn’t have allowed you to go the Seven Walls. If he didn’t, then he wouldn’t have allowed you to walk without him.

“You shouldn’t lie to yourself,” you added. “What are you hiding? What are you so afraid of?” He raised a brow challengingly. “Afraid?” Norman wanted to laugh. “I’m not...”

“The Norman in front of me looks like a scared child.” You said it like it was fact, and judging by the way Norman’s gaze unfocused, you were right. He wasn’t just scared, he was terrified. Of the consequences, of how you would look at him again, of how the blood would never, ever wash off.

But it was okay, right? He was strong. Just a little longer and it would all be over.

You took a step forward. Norman firmly held out a hand. “Don’t come any closer.” His voice was void of any emotion, cold even. “I’ve come this far. I have no intention of turning back now.”

“Well that’s too bad!” you exclaimed. “Because neither do I! I’m not letting you go this time!” You grasped his hands in yours, giving it a firm squeeze.

“Yes, you’re strong, yes you’re smart and you’re amazing and all those great things, but you’re stupid too! And arrogant! Can’t you see that you aren’t alone? Don’t be afraid to believe in us! We’re here to share everything. The tough, the burden, the painful things and the scary!”

Emma nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we’ve done that since day one. It’s what we’re here for!” Ray locked gazes with Norman. He wasn’t about to be left out of this, not after Norman’s little stunt back in Grace Field. “Don’t be so reserved either,” he added. “Just spill it!”

You squeezed his hands tighter and stood a little closer. “You don’t need to protect us anymore! We want to walk with you, not behind you!” Answers were simple, but the journey was everlasting and dangerous. You understood what it took to get here even if you weren’t walking in Norman’s shoes. It was difficult. Terrifying. But with all the accomplishments under your belt?

It was time to reunite with him.

“Your family and siblings are your friends.” added Ray. “We don’t want a future where you end up suffering no matter what the result is. And you? What do you want? What do you want to do, Norman?”

He pulled away and the warmth left your hands. “No, it’s no good.” he stated. “You’re already too late. I’m...I’m in a place where I just can’t go back. You can’t walk alongside me--”

“We know.” you interjected. Emma nodded. “About the poison, Mujika and Sonju...”

“And the experiment in the basement.” added Ray. A hopeful smile inched itself onto your lips. “See? We’re not too late. It’s okay to be vulnerable. If you’re the real Norman, then let’s lose our way together. Let’s struggle too, and laugh.” You held out a hand and Emma and Ray joined you.

“Let’s live together.”

Norman didn’t struggle to keep his cool. You re-called the look in his eyes, the same one you saw that night he was told his shipment date. He cried, not just because he chose to get shipped out, but because he was scared. For you. For himself. For his family.

That stifling look of serenity washed off his face. His lips trembled, his shoulders shook, and his eyes watered. You all wrapped each other in a tight embrace. No one deserved to face all the ages of time on their own, no matter what it was, and more than anything, you’d do that for him.

“But...” Norman’s voice trembled. “It’s too late. It's pointless because of the drugs we were forced to take. We don’t have much longer left to live--we can’t live on.” He collapsed to his knees in a heap. “Help me... (Y/n), Emma, Ray... Please...”

That was when all the puzzles finally fit. After laying in wonder for so long with thoughts that kept you awake until the sun rose, you understood. The hesitance in his walk. The way he tried to hide his sluggish step. The way he acted like he was running out of time.

“You’re dying.” The words left your lips before you could even stop them. “It’s...the drugs from Lambda, right?” Norman tried to suppress a sob, but it came out in a way that sounded like he was chocking on his own lies and tears. You took a knee, gently placing a hand on his cheek. “Oh, Norman.”

He couldn’t stand the soft look in your eyes, or the tone in your voice that was like a warm summer breeze. You should have yelled at him. Should have stamped your foot against the ground and growled and slapped him. Yet you knelt in front of him, caressing his dampened cheeks with a touch that said it would all be okay.

Norman wouldn’t look at you--no--he refused to because he was just as you said: a liar. Why were you so kind to him when all he did was lie? He said he’d let you go to the Seven Walls. He said he’d wait for you. He said he wasn’t going anywhere and that he’d live, laugh and do everything to be there with you, for you.

Norman wondered what a murderer like him ever did to deserve you.

-----

The grass crunched under your feet. Towards the brick walls you walked, following the sun as it lowered deeper and deeper towards the ground. You had to keep reaching for it. You had to see it.

In times of trouble, it was your beacon of hope, the last bit of your old life you were sure you could recall. No matter where you were, it was always the first thing you followed. Towards the light. Towards that ray of hope.

You came to a stop at the edge of the school grounds, right where the gates separated you from the outside world bustling with life. The occasional car zoomed through the streets, interrupting the quiet air with its incessant honking and screeching.

The sun disappeared over the horizon, bathing the skies in navy blue and purple.

“Excuse me.”

The voice was light, warm, polite.

“You should really hurry home. It’s not safe out here at this time, especially since we’re students.”

You stuffed your cold hands in your pockets. “I really appreciate your concern,” --you turned to face him-- “but I’m fine. Thank you.”

A boy with light hair and kind eyes met your gaze. Something about him reminded you of something--no--someone. You couldn’t put your finger on it, but the boy did. He’d never forget you, no matter how many lifetimes he lived.

“(Y/n)?” He was breathless, frozen in time as you awkwardly knitted your brows together. (Y/n) wasn’t your name. It was Letha, the name Gramps gave to you because you couldn’t remember your own.

Your confused frown made the boy’s eyes well with tears. You stared, watching as he slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle a pained sob. He was a student here just like you, sporting the traditional sweater vest, white button-up with a tie, and black slacks to match. You’ve never seen him before, yet he looked so...familiar.

Gosh, why couldn’t you remember?

“It’s been over a year and,” he chocked, “I’ve looked everywhere. How could you--how could you do all that for us? You promised we’d live together, but you reforged the Promise and--and...”

The boy's knees wobbled, and out of instinct, you threw out your arms. He fell into you, right at the crook of your neck. You couldn’t see his face, but you knew his tears must have been frozen by now. It was cold out here.

“Are you okay?” Your voice was small, fearful almost. It made the boy cry harder. “I don’t know you, but why don’t we go inside? There should be a cafe down there, and they’re open late, so...”

“I’m sorry.”

You paused.

“I’m so sorry.” he echoed. “I wish I was there. I wish--I wish it were me--but instead...”

You patted his back as if you’d known him for a lifetime. Maybe you felt bad and that was why you hadn’t shoved him off, or maybe, it was because having him in your arms felt so right. Familiar in a way you couldn’t put into words.

Your gentle touch made the boy’s sobs relapse. He curled into you, wrapping his arms around your middle like you’d run away. Like you’d disappear. There was something so nostalgic about this hug and the way you both had your arms around each other.

It had happened before.

“The Promise,” the boy muttered, “you made it in exchange for--”

------

Bright, blue sky stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful, and oddly calm. Perhaps a little too calm. After running through a maze of illusions and riddles you struggled to solve, you arrived in this place. Alone. The ground was like water, and with each step you took, it rippled and fanned out.

Someone sat in the middle of this endless sky and water, hovering over it serenely.

“What is it you seek?” the demon inquired. You stepped forward. “I want to reforge the Promise.” The demon’s single eye gazed straight through you, as if you were nothing more than a sheet of paper held to the light. “Sure, (Y/n).”

You pursed your lips together. He was unnervingly calm, child-like even, and you had a feeling it had to do with his ‘reward’ after the promise.

“So what is it you seek?” questioned the demon. “You must give me a reward as well.”

Yes, that was the catch. But what could it be? This demon was a being higher than anyone in the land, a god that once split the world in two. He transcended time, yet remained relatively simple-minded and difficult to read.

“The reward,” the demon fiddled with an orb in his hands, “hmmm... It would have to be something important. Ambition. Desire. What someone longs for. What I would want is something important to the other party. Will you make a wish despite that?”

This was for more than your family and Norman. You had people relying on this one choice, this one Promise.

“Yes, I will make a wish despite that.”

It all meant more than the world to you. You had to liberate your family, the children who were raised like livestock and mass-produced like wild animals. And the mamas who fought to survive--you had to think about them too.

“I wish for all the cattle children to cross over...”

They didn’t choose that life of suffering. None of you did.  

“And after that, for it to be completely impossible to pass between the two worlds.”

The demon continued to stare. You stood strong and proud with the weight of all humans in this Neverland on your shoulders. If he granted your wish, then the tide would turn and you’d be able to save everyone and everything.

“I will grant that wish,” he said. “And the reward I want are your---”

----

“Memories?” The words fell from your lips in a hasty breath. More than anything, you valued finding them. It was the only missing piece in your heart. The last portion of the unsolved mystery.

This boy--whoever he was--talked about you like he knew you. Held you like you meant something. Said that name, (Y/n), like it were his life line. He pulled away with a sniffle, settling his hands on your shoulders with a loving touch.

“You don’t remember me.” He lifted a hand and raised it to place on your cheek. But he couldn’t touch you like he used to. Not when you looked at him like he was far away and out of your reach.

“You don’t remember me.” the boy quietly repeated. He began to pull away, but you grasped his hand in yours. It was warm, soft. “No, I...I’ve seen you before.” There was a pained look on the boy’s face, as if he thought you were lying to him.

“Haven’t we been through this before (Y/n)?”

No, said your mind. Yes, said your heart.

“You shouldn’t lie to yourself.”

Your grip tightened around his hand, but not enough to hurt him. “I...I do know you. You’re...” You shouldn’t lie to yourself. You shouldn’t lie to yourself. You shouldn’t lie to yourself. But you did know this boy, and all this time, you yearned to see him.

Remember.

Remember.

Who was he to you?

Who were you to him?

Remember.

Remember!

“I can’t remember your name,” your eyes welled up with cold tears, “but I know I’ve missed you all this time.” You pulled his hand to your cheek as he brought you close. The scent of parchment, aged books, and the woods. Yes, that was nostalgic, so much that it felt right. The final piece, fragmented and broken, began connecting again. It brought the dots and the gaps you tried so hard to fill together.

But something else was still missing.

The boy pulled your head to the crook of his neck and rocked you from side to side in the moonlight. Even the hazy streetlights were drowned out by the stars. You liked to think it was because this part of the city was quiet, isolated, from the rest of the world. And the rest of your worries.

“Norman.” he said.

You looked up at him.

“My name is Norman.”

“And mine is...(Y/n)?”

“Yes,” he said with a bittersweet smile. “I think the day I fell in love with you was when you got excited about something Ray told you. Ray is our family if you’re wondering, and so is Emma, and Gilda, Don...” He told you about people you once knew, and the life you once lived. Some parts he left out, and others he kept.

But you wouldn’t have known. Not when your memory laid in fragments.

“...And so we looked for you. I didn’t think you’d be here, but I’m glad you were.” He laid his chin on the top of your head. “You used to joke that I’d never be taller than you, but now I am.” A sad chuckle left his lips. “I wish things could be different and that you--”

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a flash of red hair. Your head began to pound and you nuzzled closer into Norman.

“What’s wrong?”

“My head hurts.”

He ran a hand through your locks, arms folded close around you as he hummed a sweet tune. It was sad, melancholy, and the only one you’d ever known your whole life. “I know that song.” you mumbled. Norman smiled softly. “Mama used to sing it to us all the time. When Ray had nightmares, she put him to sleep with this song.”

The pounding in your head increased and you squeezed your eyes shut. “I did too. I sang...to you.” Norman’s lips parted, but he settled on a nod and smiled instead. “You remember?”

“I think so.” The memory was hazy, as if someone were trying to make you forget for good. But you fought that urge, held on to the image of a room with white sheets and bed lined up side by side. “You were...talking to me...about a...I don’t know...”

“Go on.”

“You were crying late at night...so I...I sang to you.”

Norman kissed the top of your head. When he was in Lambda, locking in that room all alone running through test after test, he held fast to that memory. It kept him from giving up on what he fought for, and kicking the bucket for good.

“I missed you so much.” he wistfully whispered. “You can’t leave me again, or else you’ll break my heart for good.” You looked up to meet his watery eyes. “Why would I leave?” Norman shook his head. “It was in the Promise, wasn’t it? You can’t break it.”

The pounding began to fade. You tiredly smiled, but it was warm and thankful and happy. “That won’t stop me, Norman. I don’t think I could live without you.” He warmly chuckled, intertwining his hands with yours. “Me too.”

And it was then that you began to feel a little more complete, a little more you from then. You were sure you wouldn’t have to dream another little dream of your wodeerful Norman any longer, for he would be right by your side, where you both belonged.

You released his hands and cupped his cheek. It was a natural act you didn’t even have to think twice about. When you were you, you had done this more than a thousand times. Your lips connected in a sweet kiss. He tasted like coffee and tea rolled into one, and you had a feeling it was because he couldn’t choose which was better.

“I love you.” you said. He warmly smiled, but underneath, it was almost sly. “I love you too. Why don’t we do some catching up?”

TIP JAR!! <- (Support me on Ko-fi please!)

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Thank you to those who stayed this long, I love you all SOOOOO MUCH!

[tempo-takoyaki]

Hello Tempo, I hope you are okay. I would like to know if you intend to finish your old TPN long-fic someday. If not, would you consider posting a summary of the ending here on Tumblr?

Hi! Thank you, i'm doing fine, though I am quite busy lately.

As for my TPN long-fic, I suppose you are talking about Giver: no, I won't. A lot happened in my life between the time I started it, and the last publication, and this fic isn't as cathartic as it used to be (I also believe it went into a direction I don't like). I apologize for that, and as you requested (thank you for asking btw because otherwise I would have completely forgotten about it), here is the complete summary of what the end should have been. (^^)/

Warnings for what was about to come : body g*re, r*pe, t*rture, inc*st, death (lots of them) and bittersweet ending.

And under the cut because it's hella long :

If we continue from the latest chapter, Emma and Norman were going to Ray’s room to ask him for explanations regarding his secrets and what happened in room n°4.

Ray opens the door to them despite Hayato’s and the other Giver’s reluctance and explains what happened a few years ago when Andrew was here. Basically, when Andrew had arrived, he and the other mediators would do nights during which they would torture and/or rape a Giver or a Receiver of their choice, and then hide the evidence. Those nights would happen in room n°4. After stealing medicines for one of his elders, Ray had been publicly flagellated, but his resilience from the event surprised Andrew and he tried multiple times to take him to the room. Oliver always managed to protect him and make up for it, but after Nigel’s sudden death, Ray had had enough and decided to deliberately let himself be taken to room n°4. The idea behind it being that if he was the one going through everything, no one else would have to.

However, Andrew had discovered his relationship with Susan, and also the fact that she was actually his half-sister. (Ray hadn’t been aware until then). He wants to blackmail the boy by telling him that as long as he does what he is asked of, Andrew won’t tell anyone about his incest.

Ray then takes Emma and Norman to room n°4 (he had always kept the key with him), and opens the door to reveal Andrew’s decaying body. He explains that he killed him that night, using a porcelain shard. Everyone had been aware of his deeds at the time, but given what kind of person Andrew was, everyone kept it quiet. Since they didn’t want the demons to find out, and those couldn’t get into the House due to their heights, they closed the room for good, and decided to never talk about the events of Andrew’s presence ever again.

Officially, Ray and Krone explains, Andrew is still at the House, and Krone is writing his reports in his stead.

But despite the new shocking revelations, Norman inspects the room instead, and has no issues with moving the body away. He finds out a secret passage, as he had expected from the map he found with Vincent, and the trio enters to discover a hidden room leading to a dark corridor from which cold air emanates. There’s also a circuit breaker that Norman supposes is used to activate and de-activate the electric fences surrounding the House.

As the idea of finally escaping emerges in Emma and Ray’s head, people call them up from upstairs, and they rush back to the entrance of the House to discover that the demons have arrived, but instead of bringing a new batch of Givers or Receivers, they only have three women accompanying them: an unnamed Sister, Sister Anna, and who they call Aunt Gilda.

They are all armed.

Gilda tells everyone to reunites in the dining room and explains that she is from a new branch of Grace Field specialized in policing the cattle. She also explains that since new reforms are to come, a part of the group will be executed right this instant. Everyone complains, including Krone, that they had never heard of such things as reforms…

“Uh? Oh, the information mustn’t have been relayed efficiently. We have decided to switch our system from natural procreation to artificial insemination. We already have a successful example right here, don’t we? Helen, Hayato?”

Everyone discovers then that Helen and Hayato, despite being assigned as partners, never had any sexual intercourses, and instead were used to do the tests for artificial inseminations, which ended up successful since Helen is pregnant. Hayato was actually already a product of artificial insemination, and came from an experimental farm called Lambda, the tattoo from it hidden by the fabrics surrounding his wrists. That was also the reasons for so many transfers, as Grace Field was the last farm which would partake in the new system, all leftovers from each farms were sent here.

Gilda announces that all those transfers will also be executed tonight. She also says that Ray will be placed under supervision by the unnamed Sister in room n°4, claiming that it was left unused anyway…

“About Andrew? Oh, everyone knew he was dead already, no one cared that’s all. You can move his body somewhere else. How do we know? We had a great informant. Her name was Susan if I recall well… She has sadly died from childbirth though. But her child has been left in the care of Mama Isabella, so there’s no worries to have… Well, unless the child’s father decided to go against orders of course.”

Ray is then forcibly taken back to room n°4 against his protest, and the rest of the group has barely the time to say goodbye to the transfers before they are taken back with the cars the demons arrived with. Norman does manage to say goodbye to Vincent one last time, and Vincent reveals to him that all that he has done was both because he loved Norman, but also because of the regrets he had when he lost his two best friends, Barbara and Cislo, who died because of the system.

Olivier tells Emma to never give up, and leaves with the rest of the group. Ensues a tense night in which everyone is on edge. Emma sneaks out of her dorm to talk with Gilda and ask why she is doing all of this. Gilda tells her that she is just ensuing her future.

“Isn’t that what you wanted? For us to stay together forever? Emma, I’m infertile. In the eyes of the system, I’m as good as a 4-year-old. I have no other choices. This is the only way to ensure a future for the both of us.”

“What about Ray? What about Norman? What… What even about all the other kids? About Phil, or Don?”

“… Phil and Don are dead. I’ve taken care of their bodies myself. As for Ray and Norman… The first one is no more than a common whore and the second a murderer, are those really the people you want to share your life with?”

Without results, Emma goes back to her dorm. The next day, everyone arrives in the dining room with empty eyes. Gilda is the one supervising lunches now. She says that Ray has escaped from his prison by seducing his guard, the poor girl kneeled next to Gilda with a gun pointed to her head, tears brimming from her eyes. Suddenly, Ray appears from behind Gilda and attempts to kill her with a shard of porcelain, but fails miserably as he kicks him back and throw him on the ground.

“This is what happens to those incapables of following orders.”

She shots the girl in the head. Her blood and brain scatters on the floor. Gilda smiles to herself “See? This is what I like to hear… Silence.”

Anna comes up after her, holding a beaten-up Norman, and throw him on the ground. Emma and Ray hurry to his side to check on him. His nose his broken, but other than that, he only has bruises, which is already a lot for someone like him. Gilda explains that she found him sneaking around where he shouldn’t have and gave him a lesson. She also says that Anna will now be the one in charge of keeping Ray in check, and that he better behaves if he doesn’t want her dead.

Ray asks Gilda why she isn’t killing him than, and Gilda explains that all his children had gotten good scores for their tests, and as such, his genes are a valuable thing. She isn’t allowed to kill him. Just like she isn’t allowed to kill Norman because he supposed to become the Queen’s best meal.

The day goes by, the members of the House were forced to clean up the unnamed sister’s body. Everyone is on edge.

During the night, Ray has a talk with Anna, and convinces her to let him out just this once, and that he promises to go back to his cell. That he dreams of freedom and wishes the same for her. (It’s more convincing than that I can assure you). She accepts at the condition that she can follow him to where he is going, and they both get to the attic, where all the remaining Givers, Receivers and Mediators reunited to decide what to do next.

Each side is accusing the other until Emma shuts everyone down by explaining that there is a way out, and that everyone can escape and live happily. That life doesn’t have to be dictated by the rules they were forced to live by, or by the books they’ve read. That she discovered how much each group had love to give, and that, no matter the social statue or the gender.

Helen agrees with her and says that she wants to live in a world where the child she bears grows up happily. One by one, the entirety of each group follows after, and a common agreement is made to escape the Whorehouse. Everyone decides that in order to stay equal, the leader for their escape plan are Emma for the Receivers, Ray for the Givers, and Norman for the Mediators.

A day passes by, and everything seems in order, Gilda is even surprised by how calm things are. During the night, Emma come to see Gilda and tells her that she was right, and she should have never doubted her younger sister. She tells her everything Gilda ever wanted to hear, and it makes the younger woman realize that Emma is lying. She drags her out of her room, and furiously looks around to discover that the entire house is empty, not even Anna stayed. There’s also a lingering smell…

Suddenly, Emma sets the House on fire, and attempts to attack to Gilda to incapacitate her. Gilda has been trained well however, and their fight leads them right back to room n°4. Gilda shouts at her that she knows that they all escaped using the secret passage from the room, and that demons are already waiting at the exit to get them back to their place. To which Emma reply that Gilda way of thinking is still too simple: everyone escaped from the outside, and the electricity had been de-activated for the occasion. Emma was just distracting Gilda.

In a feat of rage, Gilda tries to get to the circuit breaker to re-activate the electricity, but Emma stops her, they fight for a while, it escalates to Gilda piercing Emma’s eye with a pair of scissors, and Emma shooting Gilda with the gun Violet had given to Ray. In her last breath, Gilda tells Emma that they both had never ones to give, but always ones to take. To which Emma replies that she had to learn that herself, but that in the end, she believed that all humans are givers at heart. 

Gilda laughs, and her last words are “I know... You gave me plenty of love, enough to make me crazy. But the love I had for you, for everyone... I never found a way to give it to them the same way you did for me. I’m sorry... I can tell it to you now... I love you, Emma. I always did.” 

Gilda dies in Emma’s arm, and Emma is left alone between two paths leading her to death. She gathers her strength and climb back to the dining room, where she sits down and waits for the smoke to asphyxiate her and finally take her life.

But Norman, who had felt that Emma was trying to sacrifice herself, had come back to the House with Ray, together, they carry her back to where the group escaped to.

Emma says that she sees a bright light ahead of her… Unknowing of whether it’s for a new day to come, or death.

[coolperson4499]

A variety of headcanons about the promised Neverland characters, manga characters included. Warning for manga and ending spoilers! (Ps. In my own little world Emma never lost her memories bc my fragile heart can't handle the real ending)

Ray is a caffeine addict and drinks at least one cup of coffee with way too much sugar a day.

Right before the kids raided gracefield Emma and Ray had to teach Norman how to fire a gun.

Ray dangles Norman's crush on Emma over his head and teases him without mercy.

If Norman has just a little too much sugar he feels sick so he usually doesn't eat sweets.

Emma has a minor case of ADHD so she constantly has to be doing something.

Norman started calling Ray a 'ray of sunshine' as a joke and eventually it caught on until all of the gracefield kids started calling him that.

Emma's love language is physical touch.

Emma and Ray like to roughhouse. Emma usually ends up winning but Ray claims it's because he lets her (even though he doesn't.) Sometimes the younger kids will join in and they'll tone it down a little. Once Norman wanted to join in but immediately got his butt kicked by Emma.

Once Emma got to the human world she stopped eating meat. Phil, Gilda, Anna and a few other kids followed her lead and stopped eating meat as well.

When Ray was really young he had a stuffed cow he named Mr. Moomoo.

Ray has terrible social skills and has a hard time talking to strangers after they get to the human world.

Despite being the co-ceo Ray doesn't really do much other than bother Norman all day. At least once a week one plays a prank on the other. Vincent gets a little annoyed with their antics but low key thinks it's funny.

Ray hates wearing fancy clothes.

Emma doesn't like dresses or skirts just because that's all she could wear at Grace Field.

Phil and Ray became really close after they crossed worlds. Phil confided in Ray as he was really the only one who understood his guilt.

Don started a memorial/cemetery mainly for Connie and it eventually grew until everyone they lost had a headstone or cross (including Yuugo and Lucas). Eventually it got so we'll known kids from other farms added their own loved ones. Mom's added all the kids they raised, the Goldy pond kids put stones in for their fallen comrades, and all of the gracefield kids showed up to put down Isabella's. Ray had the honor of putting the cross in the ground.

Norman doesn't like driving so either he gets someone else to drive him around or he takes the subway.

Vincent is the only one who should be trusted behind the wheel. Zazie and Barbara are too reckless and would crash just for fun, Ray is a total speed demon, and Emma swerves for squirrels no matter what.

Ayshe became a dog trainer. She also started fake threatening Norman just to watch him squirm.

"You should hire a body guard."

"Why?"

"You never know when a sharp shooter wants you dead," she said as she cleans the barrel of her gun. "Also it be a fun challenge."

"..."

Anyway Norman hired a body guard.

Ray will still hum Isabella's song to lull Emma and Norman to sleep.

Ray and Emma made sure Norman got a bed big enough to fit all of them. The two of them usually end up sleeping in it with him anyway.

Some of the younger kids will get bad nightmares and go to Emma, Norman, Ray, Gilda, or Don for comfort.

Emma and Ray went absolutely bat shit when they tried pizza for the first time. Norman didn't really like it but still orders it for the two of them at least once every two weeks because they enjoy it so much. Ray likes mushrooms and Emma is a classic cheese lover.

Anna went on to become a nurse after going to medical school.

Ray received a turtle for his 17th birthday from the gracefield kids and was so choked up he started crying. He named it Nikola after the Nikola Tesla.

Ray and Norman have a reoccurring argument over Tesla or Edison being better electricians. Almost everyone has watched the two of them almost rip each other's throats out over two dead inventors.

Ray got really into fiction books once they crossed worlds because he spent 12 years studying out of spite and is now a little burnt out on non-fiction.

Norman is a pit of a picky eater. But that's okay because Emma and Ray eat all of the foods he doesn't like.

Emma likes to try a bunch of hobbies and activities just to see if she likes them. Hiking, crochet, bug hunting, painting, whittling, and many more. Sometimes she can rope Norman and Ray into trying some activities. Once she got the three of them to go to swimming lessons and ended up having fun.

Oliver has accidentally called Lucas dad so many times Lucas eventually just suggested that he just call him dad permanently. Oliver cried a little.

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 100

Chapter 100: “Arrival”

One of the few things season two did right was keeping Simon alive. They made his eyes so pretty with that shade of green and he’s just one of those characters that you instantly fall in love with how sweet of an older brother he is to Phil.

Eugene I remember, Charlie’s name doesn’t ring a bell but I’ve definitely seen that face of his before, but I have no memory of a child called Milosz at all??

Sigh.. soon my queen will return, if only for a short while. unfortunately.

I think one of the things I hate most about this chapter is how quick it got us to like Simon, even going as far to compare him to Don, then BAM! Literally being shipped off next panel! 

The chapter continues to pull at my heartstrings once it makes the parallel of Phil being in a similar situation as Ray when he knew the house’s secret, only difference being that Phil is a couple years younger than Ray when he first found out about the farm, which that makes the pain hurt even more!

Quick, no one tell Phil that Emma passed out in the forest due to her injured ear and a fever or that she was brutally stabbed by an insane demon. The little guy would surely have a heart attack if he knew.

There’s no way in hell a four year old child should be subjected to such depressing thoughts and emotions! At least it all makes the ch175/176 reunion with Emma worth it but aaahh, Phil is too precious to deserve any of this pain in the first place!

“They ask you how you are, and you just have to say that you're fine, when you're not really fine.” (Damn Isabella, she raised a handful of wonderful actors.)

And the absolute worst part of this chapter is when this finger-tapping bastard comes along, spreading fear into our hearts and Phil’s. What really sucks is that we still dunno exactly what Andrew asked of him and what Phil ended up telling him. All we find out in ch111 is that the conversation mentioned Emma but not much else.

Thankfully the chapter lightens up a bit when we turn our attention back to the Cuvitidala search group. Once again loving the detail of Emma adjusting her hearing to aid her missing ear like she did in ch43 & 67.

I love Zack and how he’s so easily impressed and/or scared by how these children are able to function so efficiently. Of course I’m very proud Don & Gilda managed to follow Ray’s crazy request as well.

And if we’re gonna talk about stuff that’s praise-worthy, then I gotta mention how Emma killed three wild demons at once! I haven’t a clue on how she managed to fire off three arrows simultaneously and have each head in a separate direction to hit the necessary weak spots so perfectly, but who cares! Lovely archery skills regardless!

I really wish we were able to see more of the journey to Cuvitidala though. Apparently it takes them 52 days to get there yet we only get a couple panels. It might not have been as exciting as them finally arriving at the destination itself, but after all the intense action we saw in GP, I’d be down for some chill adventuring. Hell, I just wish to see Violet and Zack interact with our GF kids more and continue to be astonished by how smart they all are. Also wanna see how Zack handled being surrounded by these kids for months since he’s quite literally the only adult on this trip.

Favorite panel/moment:

Violet and Zack being terrified of the GF kid’s capabilities yet again. And Ray looks far too pretty in that second panel. It’s not fair. Could you imagine if he had bright colored eyes in the anime? Oh my.. I’d die. and yes I’d hope for a real light purple, of course.

[officersnickers]

002 - Norrayemma & OliZack

003 - Don, Gilda, and/or Matilda

@fullscoreshenanigans, this took some time, but here I am! Hope you like my lil essay 😊

NorRayEmma

002 | Send me a ship and I will tell you:

When I started shipping them: I don‘t know the exact date nor year, since I guess my preference for the OT3 ship developt over time. My first fanart of them being romantic partners was made in 2019, so I guess that‘s the year my heart was finally struck by them.

My thoughts: As much as I dig NorEmma, RayEmma or NorRay, only NorRayEmma feels truly perfect and in-canon for me, to say so. Over the course of the manga, it was shown so many times how these three truly belong to each other and which effects it had on two of them when one was missing – not to forget to mention the one who would be alone and with their best friend. So, I don't really want to see them seperated, and imagine them in other relationships is fine, but not my ultimate choice. If it‘s not🤍🧡🖤, I‘m not going, period.

What makes me happy about them: Their interactions. Their discussions. The huge amount of intelligence that is radiating from them whenever they are together. The fondness of their eyes when they see the other two happy and well. Their determination to do everything for their best friends sake, even if it means to give up themselves to guarantee there‘s a future for those they love. The possible tension between them. The concept of them being parts of the whole, only truly perfect when the other two parts are with them. The idea of an one year old child meeting two other babies and instantly deciding to stick with them, forever, from crib to coffin and maybe even beyond. Just, everything.

Should I continue or was that enough for now?

What makes me sad about them: The hardenships they had to face throughout their young lives and how it probably affected them even in their adulthood. For example, Norman‘s declining health due to the experiments in Lambda, that surely never truly go away, even with good medication. Ray‘s mental state is completly in ruins and I fear not all amount of therapy in the human world will ever make him feel not guilty for the things he decided to do for Emma and Norman‘s sake. Not to forget best girl Emma, who can‘t even remember the childhood she spent with her best friends due to the new promise. After all, new memories are wonderful and I‘m glad she found her way back to them. But still, there will always linger a bit of sadness in her, feelings of loss and regret, that will also affect Norman and Ray.

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: Ray being constantly annoyed with Emma and Norman; listen, he‘s sarcastic and sometimes looses his temper, but overall, Ray always takes time to explain things that annoy him, without too much scolding. In some stories, I get the feeling he doesn‘t even like Emma and Norman, the way he acts, or he drank too much edgy juice™ this morning. Also Norman being all bashful around Emma. He‘s certainly not a casanova, but I like to imagine he cooled down over his crush for her and is just as happy as Emma herself to experience new feelings alongside her. That being said, I don‘t really see Emma being either too shy around either of them or drifting into turbo mode when she‘s in the mood. I like her as a complex, more differentiated character and not a child in a teenager's or adult body. She‘s not dumb and she‘s not over the top 24/7.

Things I look for in fanfic: The Trio having a frickin‘ good time, chilling and talking and doing silly stuff together, but also basic stuff like cooking or going on with their lives in the human world. I prefer fanfictions in which they are already young adults, maybe even with jobs, but school or university is fine, too. If the story is spiced up with some drama, whichever kind, I‘m happier than you could imagine.

My wishlist: Wheter it be Emma, Norman or Ray, they all should get a good therapist. Like, a really good one. They deserve it. Norman‘s health becoming better after countless treatments, and not to forget, Ray finding joy again in reading and learning (I bet he would love most fantasy books in the human world, and since the activity would not be affliciated with his survival, I bet he could „waste“ countless hours on this). For Emma, I wished her memories could come back, but I fear they are gone for good :(

And my personaly headcanon – them starting a big family on their own, giving back all the love that they experienced throughout their lives, and see a new generation of „cattle‘s children“ living free and without the horrors of their anchestors.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: If the Trio‘s not possible, I would also accept either NorEmma, NorRay or RayEmma, hehe. These ships are almost as good. For Norman, I can‘t really think of another partner, sorry. If they both are older, I could totally see Emma with Oliver (as long as he even like girls), and for Ray, I‘ve got another favourite ship I just like as much as the common NER ones: Ray and Ayshe. Shirai and Demizu probably doesn‘t know what they did to me with that one side comic them discussing their parental figures. They also share the same „my face is too cool to show it fully“-act going on and the thought of Ray and Ayshe making Norman nervous, whenever he interacts with the two of them, is pure comedy gold to me.

My happily ever after for them: They live married in a big house near the countryside, have awesome jobs they love to go to and of course a bunch of children of their own or even adopted, to make their new life just as loud and chaotic and wonderful as life in Grace Field House was for them. Well, at least before everything went downhill real quick.

OliZack

When I started shipping them: Only around a year ago, to be honest. I saw several really adorable pictures with them and yeah, where captivated by childhood friends to lovers. Also their colour combination is just superb.

My thoughts: Why wasn't there more of them in the manga? What impact had the several journeys with Emma and co. on Oliver and Zack‘s relationship? They were always together since they were ten; suddenly, they were apart for months, not knowing what was going on with the other and if they would be safe or see each other again. That‘s the stuff that keeps me awake at night.

What makes me happy about them: They stayed alive throughout Goldy Pond and everything that followed after. It would have been so easy for them to die, for every reason, but no, we shippers were lucky and managed to see them going to the human world. And as I said before, their colour pallets are just wonderful – one pale and white haired in red, the other one darker pigmented in blue. Name a more iconic duo ❤️💙.

What makes me sad about them: Not really seeing much of their friendship in the manga. Did they even talk to each other once? Oliver and Zack defintly deserved more attention and content, even as side characters.

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I… I have never read any OliverxZack fanfictions to this day, I guess. I could be wrong, though, but it‘s a rare sight. That‘s my complain – there‘s not enough of them.

Things I look for in fanfic: Their past in Goldy Pond, like them being children in a child-unfriendly environment and growing up to the persons they are today. Stuff about the two in the human world and their future would be cute as sugar, too.

My wishlist: To see and read and hear more about them . Asap!

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: You know what? Whe talked about my OT3 before, why not doubling the joy? How about Oliver, Zack and Paula ending as more as just friends? As mentioned before, Oliver and Emma could surely form a great team (again), and Zack with someone else… maybe some other GP residents? I have never thought about it, to be honest, but ifI should change my mind sooner or later, I will add it!

My happily ever after for them: They live together in the human world in a nice appartment; Oliver‘s a social worker for kids on the streets and Zack became a paramedic. Maybe they got some pets, maybe adopted kids, possibly ones Oliver knew due to his work. They managed to get over the loss of their father figure and friends and become old and grey and live happily ever after.

003 | Give me a character & I will tell you:

Don

How I feel about this character: Oh, sweet summer child (literally, since he was born in July). Don got such a big heart and a lot of passion; in contrast to Norman and Ray, who are mostly cool and calm characters, he‘s a nice change. I just love it when male characters can show their feelings more open, even if it‘s anger or grief. Don‘s development from „guy who is a bit confused but got the right spirit“ to someone who activly became part of the riskiest operations, baffled me as much as delighted me. Not to mention his glow up. Thank you, Demizu!

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Hmm, none, really! My headcanon is that he got a hard time in the human world wooing the ladies who have no interest in him (stupid, stupid decision, but it can‘t be helped). Maybe he finds his significant other one day, maybe he learns he‘s happy the way he is. Dunno.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: Gilda and Don! Add Ayshe to the mix and I would read a whole series about their adventures. I also like to imagine Violet teaching him a lot of stuff to survive in the demon world on their journeys to Cuvitidala or the Seven Walls, including veeery creative swear words.

My unpopular opinion about this character: He‘s not as dumb as fandom sometimes depicts him. After all, he already knows where southeast is. No, seriously, Don has to be incredible smart, way smarter than he is usually depicted. He survived in Grace Field, of all farms, easily up until his tenth year of live and even beyond. As much as I like goofball-Don, we should never shove his intelligence aside and underestimate the boy.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Him punching Norman again. I mean, he deserved it as much as Ray did, possibly in the days after queen Legravalima was killed and they had to rush back to Grace Field. After all Norman was a huge dick to Don and Gilda, lied straight into their faces (again), used poor Hayato and the other Lambda guys as his own personal weapons and made Ayshe suffer (which Don befriended immiatly, as it seemed). Enough for a clap, I think. Additionally, I‘d love to see him grieving more about Conny‘s death. Sure, we had the bonus comics in which it was finally revealed how much he regretted not being to save his little sister, but… How did her death affected Don afterwards? Did he had a trauma through this sudden turn of certainity he had all his life? That‘s the stuff I truly wanted to see.

Favorite friendship for this character: Gilda and Ayshe, but I basically love to see him interactin with everyone. Don radiates a warm, friendly aura, that surely everyone is drawn too.

My crossover ship: I gonna be real with you: I have no crossover ships, that‘s why I won‘t fill this for the following characters. I never really could draw a line between The Promised Neverland and any other series, yet alone including any ships. Sorry!

Gilda

How I feel about this character: She is beauty she is grace, she will blow up the shelter if you don‘t bring back at least one of her siblings back an alive from Goldy Pond. Gilda‘s a powerhouse and way too good for all the stuff she had to went through. I wish I could love her as much as she would deserve it, but TPN got so many characters that gave me brain rot, she kinda falls behind.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Emma and Gilda as romantic shipping is nice, but I prefer their sisterly friendship. Besides that, I can‘t really think of another ship for her (Don‘s her bro and nothing more).

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: As stated before, her and Don‘s friendship. These two didn‘t shared any similarities at first glance, besides being the only ten year olds in the orphanage, but always sticked together. Their interactions during the whole story were adorable and a nice change from the Full Score Trio ones, since the two were sometimes left in the dark about certain topics and had to find out ugly truths on their own. That surely did strengthen their bond.

My unpopular opinion about this character: She did forgive Norman too easily after he lied about finding Mujika and Sonju „to protect them“. I‘ve got the feeling deep down, Gilda won‘t forgive someone as fast as maybe Don, and making snippy side comments to Norman about his wrong doings would have been hilarious. She managed to frighten Emma and Yuugo after them being reckless again, she could surely could have done this with Norman too.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Overall, just depicting more of Gilda, like showing her settling in in the human world or wearing a bunch of adorable outfits (the bonus chapter with Gilda, Anna and Emma was not enough!!).

Favorite friendship for this character: Don, because of all we‘ve seen throughout the manga, and Ayshe, for all the possibilities they could have.

Matilda

How I feel about this character: A Mother‘s Determination was really a wild ride. In around 40 pages I went from „uggh get her away from me“ to „I strongly want to protect her (as well as the other sisters)“. Matilda‘s backstory and character development was touching and I enjoyed learning more about the life in Grace Field. She left a greater impact on me than a side character probably should, but here we are, loving Matilda hours 24/7, again.

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Again, I can‘t say any. I know I‘m a terrible person for never providing any shipping ideas here, but at this point, I can‘t really see her with anybody.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: The „friendsip“ with Sienna, Jessica and Scarlet as well as her relationship with Isabella. I don‘t know if you can call this friendship, depending on their social status in the headquarters, but I like to imagine they grew fond of each other over time.

My unpopular opinion about this character: That‘s probably not unpopular at all, but I headcanon that she‘s Norman‘s biological mother. Due to her ID and the resulting age, I had a hard time bringing Matilda‘s age in correlation with Norman‘s, but for me, I imagined she had the child when she was barely eightteen years old, so it adds up. For me, at least.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Oh, what would I give to witness more of her shenangians under Grandma Sarah and Isabella! The two years until the escapees came back were surely a very interesting time.

Favorite friendship for this character: Probably no real friendship, but I bet she went regulary to Isabella and wanted to hear stories about her child, their development and what kind of person they are. Matilda was the first one crying over her child being alive (and well?), and I‘ve got the feeling she still cared way more about them as she would probably admit.