#rk would be like - girl the nome just showed you a way out of there why you gotta hate on the lil guy

[grim-faux]

a massive headache of an analysis of two very terrible people in my projected ideas and observations

I mentioned this on the discord that I think that the fandom is coddling Noone a bit too much. but hear me out before you "she's just a child, you monster. She was subjected to emotional abuse and Otto is a terrible guy for being a doctor and a trusted adult in her life."

That's all valid. but one thing we should ALL REMEMBER is that the children who are approached or ensnared by the Ferry/Candleman, are not targeted because of the "sordid and sympathetic story of bullying and internalized trauma". Under my observations, I would say the Ferry/Candleman pursues children that are vulnerable and easily manipulated. And of course he's not monitoring these children for any specifics or potential, his role is to catch kids and drag them to the Maw. For profit.

And I wanna sympathize with Otto - very carefully - cause this man is a mess. He's terrible, he's a jerk, he loses control over himself over a >10 child call out on his toxicity. AND HE SHOULD HAVE APPROACHED THE SITUATION DIFFERENTLY, WHICH WOULD HAVE MAYBE SAVED NOONE FROM THE FERRY/CANDLEMAN AND THE NOWHERE.

And I would wager that this last betrayal and abandonment by Cece2.0 tossed Otto the edge of all moral practice. Otto was a horrible guy, he betrayed his patient and Noone's trust - but all of that was not done for himself per say; he didn't throw Noone to the Candle/Ferryman for glory, for discovery, for personal promotion. He was doing this out of his childish desperation to find or at the very least see his sister. Yes, that is absolutely selfish, yes he hurt someone along the way, and he will continue to hurt other kids on his journey to finding Cece.

But Noone also isn't completely blameless. She is of course a child, she is a flawed, sad, and a broken child. Of course when someone said to her, "escape the pain and awful world you live," she leapt at this opportunity, no questions. No thoughts, head empty. But Noone is far from innocent, and she will not stay that way when she goes native to the Nowhere-ville.

Over the course of the podcasts, we see evidence that Noone- among the children she encounters - adapt to this hostile world. Children actively ignore Noone when she calls to them (see Ref noisy children die), others are swift to abandon her when the terrors find them kiddies. And Noone herself begins to react and fight at the hostilities in her environment - this proven in Chapter 5, when a girl tried to take the nome (see Ref mushroom fairy), she threw A FUCKING BRICK AT HER ARM. And especially in Chapter 6, she slammed a bottle over the marionette pinned to the table, killing it probably. Subjected to the Nowhere and the violence there, children either adapt and defend themselves, abandon others - or they die.

And my Discord did have a big analytical study and discussion over Rusty - the trapeze boy from the circus. Rusty was an interesting character, not only because he was a teen - probably inhabited Nowhere for a long time - but he was hinted to knowing a way out of Nowhere. This latter factor, I doubt - I do not think Rusty had any real knowledge of how to escape Nowhere, and all he wanted at the end of the day was escape the circus. We choose to ignore the giant pillars stretching to the ceiling not important no siree. That's the best case scenario. But Rusty and his group suggested one of two things (or all of these things). Kids left to Nowhere REALLY REGRET THAT DECISION EVENTUALLY (maybe you get older and realize how much of a dumb brat younger you was). Or, and also, Rusty was not there because of the Candle/Ferryman guiding him to Nowhere. Otherwise, Rusty would be property of the Maw, since Ferry/Candleman gives not two ceramic dolls who has a kid or what entity wants a kid - Ferry/Candleman will escort that child to MawcDonalds.

So Rusty and his trope came to the Nowhere on their own accord - either through a liminal space or other mysterious and obscure portal people should really avoid in the normal world. And they did not know really how to find their way back to the world they lost.

The last problematic matter of Rusty, is he is sus, like a lot of characters of the Little Nightmares world. He's invested in his survival and happiness and safety. So when he and the group are presented with Noone, they jump at this opportunity. It's not crazy to think Rusty was very invested in getting himself away, and ditch anyone else along the way. Case in point when he suggested Noone to be the lookout (wink-wink, nudge-nudge, teehee), "for the man in the purple suit." Noone later realizes she has no idea what the real plan for escape is, aside from alert Rusty that the man in the purple suit is there. She's told only to signal Rusty nonverbally, but she decided to scream at the teen "big top", which he thinks is a good idea. Yes, of course he would. And apparently whatever happened to Rusty was so horrific, it locked Noone in a panic attack. Which is terrible, since it is most probable Rusty and his group only needed Noone there to draw the attention of the man in the purple suit, use her as bait - but that didn't work out. F for Rusty, you big L.

These incidents with the children - of being exploited and bullied, not just in the Nowhere but from her world, drives Noone closer to the edge of the metaphorical doorway. And Otto exasperated the condition by pushing her closer to the threshold of commitment, all to seek a hint that Cece was still there and he might find her. But it was also Noone who took the plunge, despite Otto beseeching her to wait for him - this is the moth to the light, flying closer to that which is enticing and promises comfort, only to be snuffed out when the moth reached the flame.

One of the running themes of Little Nightmares is that of children succumbing to a fate or falling into the same cycle of torment, they are fighting to avoid. For Six, she becomes the next proprietor of the Maw, unable to leave - only so she can survive. With Mono, we follow him through his struggle to find and free his friend from the Tower, only to get thrown aside and abandoned; then he becomes the thing that he fled from, and eventually destroyed - the Broadcaster of the Tower. The children of Nowhere are not escaping a terrible world for another terrible world, they are accepting of the violence and malice that shaped who they are, and turn that back onto the world that inflicted it - perpetuating the trauma which forged them. There are no happy endings of Little Nightmares, only acceptance.

Otto succumbs to that fate as well. He doesn't seek to help Noone so much as he sought to fulfil his own selfish needs. Noone did not wait for Otto to confront the Ferry/Candleman, or wait for him to turn the Candle/Ferryman away - she took the hand offered and abandoned Otto. Which, in turn, leads to Otto's descent into his tragic villain arch. To be clear, Noone isn't responsible for this adult man who should know better, Otto is far from her responsibility. But this mindset may have been what drove Cece from her lil brother Otto - a clingy child she wanted nothing to do with. And ill reiterate, Noone was not responsible for Otto or his actions, as he was the one who swore to help her, he was the doctor and the figure of authority in her life - Otto was supposed to come to her aid.

But when Otto was at his most vulnerable and had no power over Noone any longer, and he begged her to wait. She did not. As with all monsters of the Nowhere, when the child has the upper-hand or has discovered a clever trap, the child dispatches their tormentor.

As equally as she despises Otto, she favored the Ferry/Candleman for the lies he gave her. For the truth he wove amongst the promises.

Though we can dissect Noone's character and grasp what led to her actions, her story is not one of triumph or escape - it is of acceptance and defeat. She does not overcome a great adversary, she submited to the conditions of the world that created the monsters she hated. Her story has only begun in terms of the Nowhere, and it is far from over. She is not journeying through the Nowhere to reach some enlightenment or to become stronger than the shadows that will chase her, or overcome the hazards that await her. Noone becomes another cog in the machine which keeps the Nowhere and its inhabitants gleeful and fulfilled.

It is fair and fine to sympathize with Noone and her fate, she is a child and a victim to all that was set upon her - left with no protectors or sympathizers. And she fell prey to a master manipulator, as did Otto. in this story, the only one who claims success is the Candle/Ferryman, who orchestrated the whole thing.

[kidrunaway]

I'm surprised that as the number one rk fan I haven't posted a small analysis of him yet but here we go

So what we know from RK so far is barely anything at all but it's clear he wants to escape with people together rather than alone.

of course if that wasn't clarified I would most likely interpret it as him using the nomes to get further without giving 2 shits about them, but because it's canon, thats not rhe case. that doesn't mean he doesn't defend himself though. He will kill/harm others in order to defend himself (n this is why a lot of the times where I see comics of him getting bullied i get pissed because thats NOT him.) he does seem to defend himself several times throughout the game and will harm others in order to protect himself. What's unique about him is that not only do we get a view of what's happening all the way down at the maw, but his story compared to the other stories has a much more different vibe to it. With mono and six it was very hectic. RK seems to be the only kid that doesn't outright have a chasing scene the same way Six or Mono does (The guests, The doctor, the teacher, that kind of chasing scene.) The only thing we really have is the little battles of him defending himself. he gets chased by the lady for the last bit, and I think that part truly shows WHY he didn't have any chase scenes. I'm sure he was panicking when the lady was chasing him, and when you're panicking, it's very common for people to get impatient. So when he gets caught by the lady, he desperately tries to get away, having the lady basically haunt him from each corner. he goes into a room at some point with a broken mirror and you know if he stood hidden in there or was patient enough to just wait a few seconds or avoid going to the door that opened for him, he would've most likely lived. but being the kid he is, out of curiosity, he goes to where the lady opened the door from. He seems to be a curious little guy. I also wanna mention that he is really smart and it's overseen by the Fandom a lot. We know that Six is smart that's canon, but let's not forget that RK literally solved THE LADYS PUZZLES. I'm sure the lady wanted her puzzles hard enough for not anyone else to figure out, prior to the figures being placed in odd places to take and put on a statue, and extreme puzzles that were even hard for me, he figured it out. it's amazing. And he's invaded the lady's space so much that not only did he finish all her puzzles but ALSO find out her secret. So RK is pretty curious, gets impatient when panicking, and smart on top of that.

Could be a stretch, but truly, in this fandom everything gets stretched so why not 🤷‍♂️

One thing about his story that makes me think a lot are the shadow kids. Although you can usually hear giggles and whispers in the game, if you listen close enough, they will say actual things! (What upsets me though is someone figured this out way before I did and while I went on YouTube to find voice clips I saw the video of the girl that posted this 😭 its only fair if I credit her she's called SPILLTHETHEORIES, watch her video its informative!)

Here's what they say just in case you're curious.

"But there was a difference before."

"You're a goner. Goner."

"Hello there"

"Do you hear her singing?"

"Her intentions were to follow"

"Of course they were/yes she does (?)"

"But that can't be right"

"Its about time it was talking."

"Its looking with Its sight."

"Until six..."

[adhdsix]

i gotta sleep soon so ive decided i will finally dump a buncha my headcanons here aswell adfhsf theyre all in here but im gonna copy paste them as a post as well because i wanna ill be updating the doc a lot but i probably wont edit the post much notes slight spoilers but not much? i dont think? mono is written to be the tallest because rcg is more like a bonus i guess? but she is the tallest + oldest (this goes for other similar things written abt six, mono and/or rk) some of these are more like what-if scenarios (ex. modern stuff mentioned like cars) that could fit maybe in an au of sorts rather than entirely canon all links are safe

Six

she/it/they

ADHD

Tasteblind, but sensitive to certain food textures

Shortest by a lot, youngest but not by much Zero sense of time

Likes lullabies, gets Mono to sing them to her (likes to make up her own versions sometimes) Short attention span, unless she’s insanely invested in something

Definitely bites ice cream Uses Mono like a cat tree, climbs all over him, loves to sit up on his shoulders or just literally drape herself around his neck like a scarf (Mono eventually gets used to it, but she still can’t stay there for long or it starts to hurt) (possibly a little random but think like .. them + )

Likes most toys but hates dolls, usually tears them apart/messes with them for fun Not a huge fan of rain, but the sound is calming, and she loves the aftermath, which includes the smell, dew on grass, just how everything looks, worms and snails coming out of hiding, and splashing in puddles

Likes teddy bears (big and cuddly, plus, reminds her of Mono)

You are not immune to her puppy eyes. Raincoat Girl is probably the only person who is

Collects things a lot, gets attached to certain items for a random amount of time When she learns a new phrase or word, she loves to repeat it to herself ( not really in the “ look at me i learned a new word and i'm gonna use it all the time “ type way, she just finds it entertaining, kinda like vocal stimming ) Does a similar thing when she finds something that someone else said funny, mocks them by repeating it and giggling

Likes making "nests" out of her stuff

Definitely occasionally runs on all fours, it's usually not for too long though.

Most of the time it’s momentarily while she's already in the middle of sprinting, to give herself a boost with a bound or two, or if she trips or feels herself falling forward while running she'll shift onto all fours which is is how she originally developed that "reflex", to prevent herself from falling while running, but eventually she started using it a little more often 

She can also just walk normally on all fours too but she usually only uses it while running 

She likes to show off her object collections to Mono, he’s very supportive :] Loves long car rides, as well as Runaway

Brings mono gifts (usually dead rats, birds, etc. or bizzare objects from her collection that reminded her of him for whatever reason)

Hates drinks like soda or sparkling water, anything fizzy is a no-no

Likes shiny things Her pupils widen (that cat thing) when she sees something interesting, or something/someone she likes Plus her eyes shine in the dark / in photos sometimes, they usually look red

Mono gave Six their lighter

Heterochromia, their right eye is a dark, reddish brown, the other is milky white

Always chewing on stuff

Fidgets lots, stim buddies with Mono Six stims by rocking on her feet, bouncing, cracking her fingers and shaking fists most often She also vocal stims lots, mostly by repeating animal noises

It’s got tons of freckles

She likes to sing, and is very good at it but doesnt get to very often

it’s favorite things to sing are hypno and sunshine ( 11:11 hypno, sunshine )

Not super into arts, but loves to draw, and is very fascinated by origami

Often refers to Mono as a nerd (affectionate) (also sometimes dork)

Purrs, growls, hisses etc. Because she doesn't talk much, she adapts more animal-like ways of communication, not only vocally but also physical stuff (slow blinking, headbutting stuff, mostly cat-like traits and reflexes. also she likes to drop stuff off of shelves and tables just bc its fun)

Doesn't know her own strength a lot of the time

Very touch starved (they all are) even if she doesn't realise it

Flinches and/or swats others away when touched Eventually they get used to Mono, he's the only person that can touch her at all, but she still has limits

No sense of others personal space though

She’s great at tracking things, mostly small animals

Super ticklish, not very happy that Mono found out 

Very visual memory

She really loves all types of music, ranges from things like 100 gecs type stuff, to calm instrumental kinda things, literally anything with maybe a few exceptions Shark teeth, very sharp, loves making dents in stuff with them

Cat-like claws too (retractable maybe?? why not.. it usually has them out though) Love-hate relationship with snow, they find it weird and kind of icky, but Mono teaches her how to make snow angels, forts and snowmen, and she loves snowball fights (Mono regrets teaching them about those though), plus she adores going back inside and just drinking hot chocolate with Mono and sometimes other friends :]  Mono he/she Tallest of the three, oldest as well  Colorblind He has vitiligo Loves all sorts if arts and crafts, often drags Six into making stuff with him Her hair is very soft, even if it doesn't look like it Very touchy-feely, with others and with objects Knows and respects others boundaries. Six does not He will often push his own boundaries though He’s very protective, usually feels the need to put others safety and health in front of her own A little naive, will protect even if she isn’t getting anything in return from the person(s) Likes skirts! Mono loves to learn about his friends and their personalities, strengths, weaknesses etc. to use for their own benefit! For example, he has a different way to cheer up each friend, and does his best to include them in stuff he thinks they'll also like Loves any happy sounding music the most, but listens to lots of other stuff too (a few songs that remind me of him not lyric-wise but like, sounds like he'd listen to them, are She Wants Me (to be loved), Dancing in my Room, Sunday Best and Sunkissed type stuff, I don’t know music genres so) Favorite drink is probably coffee Loves all sorts of soup!! Has lots of nicknames for Six! Mostly uses kitty and shortcake (it hates them but gets used to them, only from Mono though; some of the other kids use them to get on her nerves, doesn’t end well for them) Love loves bugs! Six likes them too, but isn't as interested as Mono and Runaway (she likes to eat them) Runaway he/they Almost as tall as Mono, noticable difference though He loves chocolate milk and tea Probably the most reasonable out of the three Despite this, he still likes to annoy them (mostly Six) Similarly to Six, he sucks at keeping track of the time Likes goldfish snacks a lot His nomes are always nearby when he is Really likes coloring books and puzzles They love the sound of pianos, not the best at playing it but likes messing with them in his free time with Six (their rare bonding moments) Loves any instruments really, pianos are just his favorite Has the biggest sweet tooth Also loves bugs!! Mono and him are bug buddies His favorite bugs are caterpillars and butterflies, he isn’t a very big fan of spiders though (Mono didn’t used to mind them, but after the hand incidents in the hospital, he finds them icky; too similar) Bonus; RCG  she/they Tallest as well as oldest (again, not oldest by much though) Big sister vibes Super supportive Usually in charge of keeping others in line, doesn’t mind a little chaos here and there though (even if it doesn’t usually end well) Also has a few freckles, not nearly as much as Six Lots of energy that often rubs off on the others when she’s around Probably the most responsible, great with kids younger than her Loves teaching the others how to do stuff, has the longest attention span which makes it easier Very playful and teasing, but still knows and respects boundaries when it comes to that kinda stuff Gets easily stressed out and nervous when she doesn't know what to do, as she feels like she always has to be responsible aaaand thats all 4 now! i might do more characters like comic kids if i get enough ideas but thatll be in the doc if i ever do pleas share with me ur hcs and ideas too!!!! if u wanna i would love 2 see them!!

[jubilantwriter]

Of Blood and Static

?̩̲ͯ̚ͅC̉̏̿̒̓͐ͮ͝͏̢̫̭̫͚̜h̦̩̼̝̳͎̹̎̊̿́͐ͮͬ͑̚4̩̞̮̝̊̂͊̈͗ͨ̚͡p̲̻̯̏̃̀t̰̦̙̥̟̺̥̤̓̔͆͛͢͜-̦̠̹͎͎͖̾̂͊?̙̼̱̩̬̏̅ͫ̐̂P̜͉̦͉̲ͨ̃̇ͥ͠r̫̲̰͚̙̫̔̂̒̅͋̐̎̄͟͟0̮̱̅̑͟l̡̘̭̤̹̝̪̱̹̑̈-͉̙̣̘̬̮̗̱̌̆͛ͪ̾ͯ̇̀̕͠?̸̜̩ͭͪͮͭͧ͟͝E̙̤͈̲͋̋́p̨̭͕ͬͪ̕1̺̰̳̣̌̀͝͠!͕͔̘̯͎͍̈́g̼̳̙̯̱̟͉̀̄ͫ̈̋͌̏͝-̜̖͉̰ͫ͡?̩͚̍̀͝: All my love, your Dearest Friend.

(AO3)  (First)  (Previous)

...Summary?:  (He rolls the sheet of paper back up and smiles, stowing the message away in his pocket.  Perhaps it was meant for him.  Perhaps not.  But there's only one way of knowing for sure.

The screen reveals to him the distant figure of a rowing man approaching the beach much sooner than usual.  So the march of time continues.  A new beginning?  Or the end of the line?

Perhaps, he thinks as the screen shuts off, perhaps those questions are best left unanswered.)

Word Count: 2712

////

The Lady is used to the loops.  The pieces fall together in her hand, the puzzle complete as she sets it aside to focus on another one.  The mirror in front of her, pieced together by all the broken shards from all her past lives, reflects back a her that looks nothing like the monster she often sees reflected back in her quarters.  Instead, the her she sees is of a young girl in yellow, defiant, desperate, but hopeful.  The Shadow stares at her in the mirror and nods.  She nods back, and the mirror is put aside, whole and complete.

They are so close.  So close to completion.  The Caretaker joins her side as they both gaze over the crowd of Guests.  Her hand hovers over the crowd of gluttonous monsters as he takes her other hand and squeezes.  The Ferryman had whisked away all the children from the Maw, taking them to a new haven where no one can harm them.  The nomes had already gotten a head start in building the start of a settlement.

She never got to see a blur of a blue boy in this loop.

A smile hides behind her mask as the monsters below her scream and screech in terror as she culls them for all their worth.  The Maw groans as it creaks, but she pays it no mind.

As they fall over one by one, she looks up towards the entrance of the Maw.

Soon, she thinks.  Soon.  They'll see him again.

 (-)

The Thin Man is tired of the loops.  So tired, in fact, that when he finally breaks from his spell the Tower had over him (for so long, so long he had been hurt, pulled apart, ripped apart, smothered, made a monster, a horrible, real monster), the first thing he does is reach out to his beloved friends.  The Lady had sobbed - it truly had been that long, hadn't it? - showing a weakness he hadn't seen since the very first loops when they were still completely new to this.  Then the Caretaker followed, his appearance a welcomed one as he recalled the mumbled conversations between them when the Caretaker called for him without the presence of the Lady.

There was no real expectation that the Caretaker would remember him, given the lack of contact they've had.  But alas, the man in blue cried as well, placing his hand on the glass and whispering out so very tenderly:

"It's about time I got to meet you again.  How lucky I must be to be the one who lives to see you once more?"

The reunion had been sweet, words spoken through tears even if his were silent.  A charm lays in his suit pocket next to a sailor's cap and a short message.  The energy it exudes steals from the Tower and feeds him just enough that he can keep his mind all his own.  It had been a struggle.  A fight.  An endless scream that resonated in the Tower that only he could hear.  

He recalls all the memories he had of receiving that charm from the man behind the door after he delivered that package on a whim.

"I'll give this to Six once I save her.  If I can't always protect her, at least this thing might do it when I fail her again."  Over and over again, he'd repeat that to himself as he wore it on his back like a shield.  Funny how it protected him instead of his intentioned Six.  But that's what friends are for, huh?

...Friends.  There was a time when, as an adult, he thought that the concept of them was nothing more than a lie.  How wrong he was back then.  How happy he is that he was proven wrong.  Loops and loops of fighting, of enacting useless revenge upon useless revenge, of never-ending self-inflicted suffering and anger and regret-

They were always both at fault.  It wasn’t always her fault, as much as he so arrogantly used to believe.  It’d taken him so long to realize how wrong he was.  How the pointless arguing and accusations did nothing to free them.  It was, after all, his fault that the loops began in the first place, wasn’t it?

All he wanted was to save her.  The Tower twisted his desire and created a never-ending cycle of blame and anger and victimization.  Took his desire and twisted it into a desperate vision of wanting to be her hero, her savior - so he became the villain to his hero counterpart.  A fantasy created by his own hands in order to forget the origin of why the loops were created in the first place.

(How he failed her over and over and over again and he’ll never forget how she died in his arms because he was too stupid, too idiotic as a child, dragged in by the Signal’s tune and taking the place of the original Thin Man, and it was his fault his fault his fault-)

But now he’s the one being rescued.  His fantasy is broken like an axe against a music box, and the one who wields is not one, but two people.  Perhaps the real key to their freedom had always been to save him from himself.  From his delusions of being the hero, of being the protector of everyone.  Because in the end, even a protector must have someone else to protect him.

The door in front of him opens.  He knows his part by heart, but this time.

This time it will change.

He smiles as he breaks out of his prison and into the open air.  Two children cower just beneath where he stands.

One final chase before the finale.  

He slows time and begins his slow walk towards the doorway.  

His final chase, and he gets to pick where the finish line is.

 (-------)

The Caretaker is aware of the loops.  Not quite at the level of the Lady or the Thin Man, but aware enough that he can feel the weight of them on his shoulders.  He knows that he was never meant to live.  That much he can be sure, the phantom pains of something tearing his neck apart spiking up every once in a while, the nightmares of a child in yellow tearing him apart still plaguing him through his years.  He used to question why he's suddenly a part of the loops in this way, but he figures that the knowledge is long since gone, or at the very least, very buried in the recesses of the Lady's mind.   A part of him wants to know, to understand why he's suddenly here when he wasn't before.  But the other part of him wants to leave it be, knowing that unburying that truth may lead to unsavory discoveries.

At least, for now.

Whatever curiosity he holds has to be put aside for another time, for when they're all away from this horrible hull of a boat.  His dream of fully running away from this accursed place is finally coming to fruition as they walk past the deceased Guests and down to the drop-off area.  The Ferryman has one last delivery to the Maw.  One last visitor before they can finally leave this wretched place.

Dying in the Maw is the last thing he wants, after all.

The Lady fidgets besides him, all elegance tossed to the wind as she waits for a boat to dock.  He nudges her gently and smirks when she sends a glare back at him.  The mask on her face always felt disingenuous to him, but he never remarked on it despite all the times she wore it.  Perhaps it was to make her feel safe, or to hide whatever ugliness she saw in herself.  But after all they've been through, it's only a matter of time before she takes it off.  

Quietly, he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze.

Just like when they were children.  Like when she would look up at him from under her hood, eyes barely shadowed as they shimmered with something unspoken.  She was undoubtedly annoying when they were younger, always causing some sort of trouble that he had to drag her out of, but there was something about how she held herself as a child that always had him wanting to protect her from things she couldn't fight back against.  Maybe it was how she clung to him after waking up from a nightmare, silent as she stared at a wall wide-eyed, seeing something that he could never.  Or maybe it was how she screamed the first time she saw him jump into the water when he first showed her the depths of the Maw.  Terrible things happen to children all the time, but having her sob and pound at his chest after he swam out of the water made him wonder just what happened to her that she became this way?

Maybe that's why he stuck around so long.  He could have left long ago, but...

She squeezes back, tight and desperate with a smidgen of fear.

If he'd left, she would have been left with no one once again.  Thin Man or no, she'd be the same little girl who was hunched over the body of the previous Lady, so full of hurt and desperation and hunger, so ready to make all the wrong choices that he couldn't help but reach out and take her hand.

Everyone needs a little guidance every once in a while.

The sounds of chains hefting a boat up grabs their attention.

Steadily.  Without pause.  The Ferryman with his sagging face appears, and a man in a sharp suit and fedora is seated just behind him.  Long limbs carefully remove themselves from the boat, and he bows slightly to keep his head from brushing the ceiling.  The Ferryman nods and makes his descent silently as RK looks up at the man with stolen breath.

Oh.

So this is how he looks from beyond the screen.  All the entries in his notebook failed to prepare him for actually meeting the Thin Man in person.  He’s impossibly tall and thin and absolutely towers over the two of them, but he holds himself in the most docile way possible.  The way he holds himself is completely different from Six - all soft around the edges and nervous to be judged.  RK nearly reaches out to take his hand and comfort him.  Absolutely amazing how a tower of a man manages to give off the least threatening aura between the three of them.

Almost shyly, the man removes his hat to reveal a full head of hair and an awkward expression.  He looks to Six and then to RK with a small smile.

(Ridiculous!  To think he’d been locked away in the Tower for so long, twisted and broken into something that didn’t resemble him for loops - it makes RK’s blood boil.  But also- he gets it now.  Oh, does he get the numerous entries about the Thin Man now.  Oh, how he gets it now.)

Never has RK been so happy to be alive to see this day.  It was all worth it.  A small smile graces his features as his vision blurs happily.

Finally.

(------)

Six doesn't care for the loops as she removes her mask, finally, tears streaming freely as she returns the little smile that Mono had given her.

He looks younger than she expects - true, there are a few wrinkles here and there, but with how he spoke and how he presented himself in the past, she imagined a weary, beleaguered old man to appear before her.  He must be as old as them, but he looks just as young as Six parades herself and RK to be.  An inkling for the cause is at the back of her mind, but she truly does not care for it.  Instead, she reaches out a hand and takes his.

So warm and familiar.  A comfort she once took for granted, but will no longer.  Fingers longer than her hand squeeze hers in a grip she'd nearly forgotten.

"...Hey," he whispers, voice crackled by the static as a sob breaks her voice.  It's deeper than she expected, but the smoothness of it comforts her like a soothing lullaby.  She smiles through her tears as she looks back up at him.

"Hi," she whispers back, and the corners of his eyes crinkle up with how bright his smile is.  "You must be hungry.  Why don't we get a meal ready for you?"

Mono nods back, his other hand already taken up by the warmth of RK's as they lead him through the Maw.

It will be the final meal this Lady of the Maw will ever serve, but it will be warm, and filling, and everything unlike the previous meals she's served before.  And they will laugh, and converse, and enjoy each other’s company.  Maybe she will take some meat off of RK’s plate, and he’ll act like he’s upset, but he’ll be secretly glad as he focuses on the fish instead.  Mono will undoubtedly be confused but entertained by the bickering as RK will try to convince her to eat vegetables, to which she will aggressively decline.  And then RK and her will press him to eat more, enjoy more, as they scoop more onto his plate than he can possibly eat, and he’ll try to decline, and maybe he’ll cry a little bit, but he’s happy, he’s happy and not alone and surrounded by warmth as they care for him.

Perhaps the Chefs will be happy to cook a real feast for once, even if it may be the last they will ever cook.  Perhaps Roger will be able to bask in the sounds of happiness on the Maw, never to have to clean up after sobbing children or disgusting Guests ever again.  Perhaps perhaps perhaps.

And when they finally finish their meal, they'll be able to step out into the warm sunlight together as nothing more than friends with names rather than titles.  And it will be the last of the loops they'll have to face.

Their ends mark the beginning of a new start.  With hands warm and never empty, they look to the sky together and bask in the sunlight of their newly gained freedom.  For however long their existence may last, at least they’ll be able to share their final moments together with a smile and a laugh.

(000000)

Six wakes up on a beach, a body curled up beside her.  Nothing of consequence plagues her mind as Mono gets up and stretches beside her, paper bag stowed away in his pocket.  A different hat sits atop his head, its tattered ribbon flowing down between them.

"Oi ," says a voice, one that was introduced to them last night when they first arrived, "you guys okay?"

"Yeah," Mono says with a smile, still bashfully hiding his face away from RK.  The boy in blue hugs a nome to his chest and nods in response.

"Okay, well, there's food if you guys want any."  He jabs a thumb in the direction of the other children.  Six nods in response, and watches as he trots off to meet with the others, stopping only once to look back at them curiously.

"So, Six," Mono begins, already standing up and dusting himself off, "what do you wanna do today?"

She grins, because there's nothing to worry about for now.  Her mind is free of those haunting feelings, those weird senses of deja vu, of familiarity when familiarity is not warranted.  The boy in blue is the last of the familiar feelings, but it is a warm one, one she doesn’t want to let go of.  Hopefully, they’ll cross paths soon enough for her to explore this feeling.

Her stomach growls, but nothing of consequence follows.

"Eat."

"Sounds good to me!"

Mono offers her his hand and she takes it.  Not once does she have to fear letting him go.  She squeezes his hand, a familiar reassurance as he squeezes back.

Nothing of consequence plagues her mind.

She smiles, blissfully unaware of what the future has in store.  

And for once, she feels as though she's allowed to be happy.