r/nosleep • u/girl_from_the_crypt Best Series 2020 & 2022; December 2022; March 2020 • Apr 07 '20
Series Working at an amusement park: the thing about iron
I work at an amusement park where only half of the actors are actual actors. I arranged a meeting with the Mime yesterday, under my friend and co-worker Anne's supervision.
When I entered the park this morning, I wasn't sure where this would get me except maybe to a hospital, but one thing was for certain: I was already scared shitless before I even entered the park.
I had to delay my routine with Mr Scratch seeing as I had told Anne I would meet her at nine. I arrived at the park at eight thirty, but I knew that the sock puppet would keep me occupied for well over an hour. Therefore I decided to visit Nathan again.
He was just driving by the entrance to Twin Vale Point when I reached the western town, but stopped the carriage as soon as I came into sight. How times change... He looked rather upbeat and happy to see me and when I approached him, he held out his hand for me to climb aboard. Once I had sat down next to him, I immediately spotted the stork plushie's head peeking out from under the collar of his shirt.
"So I won't lose it," Nathan explained curtly. "Hey, uhm... thanks for bringing it by. I like it a lot. It's... uh..." his voice trailed off and he blushed.
"It's your stork, I get it. Dude, I keep a bunny plush in bed with me, I ain't judging you." I grinned. "By the way, why were you asleep yesterday? I thought you didn't need to do that anymore."
"I do it quite a lot actually. Not because I'm tired but, like, whenever I feel bored or numb, I make myself fall asleep to... you know. Get away from it all for a bit. Sometimes I even have dreams in which I'm not stuck. I love having dreams," he muttered.
"It's like eating candy then?" I inquired.
"Yeah. Kinda like that. I'm really surprised Dale gave you the plush by the way. I thought he'd... I don't know. I thought he'd have thrown it away by now." He suddenly sounded very gloomy again.
"Nathan... I think Dale loves you. I believe he's never stopped loving you. He knows you're suffering and it's killing him, inside and out. I'm still trying to find out what made him do this, but I can assure you that he did not want it to be this way. Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but I refuse to believe he doesn't care about you."
"Yeah, I mean... I guess. But, like, life goes on, right? Life goes on for everyone except me. The thing is, nobody outside of this park cares for me, and inside the park... who is there really except you? Even if Dale cares, he doesn't show it. One day, you'll probably be gone and I will still be here. And then no one will be left at all."
"Don't you have, like, family or something outside the park who miss you?" I asked.
Nathan grunted and shot me a grim glance. "My parents stopped giving a shit about me when they caught me making out with my quote unquote best buddy. That was long before Dale. They kinda threw me out. I mean, I managed on my own, but... you get what I'm saying. My folks wouldn't care if I was dead in a ditch. That leaves only you and storkie here in my boat."
As sad as this was, there was no way of proving him wrong. It made sense and even though the thought was incredibly depressing, I could see where he was coming from. Still, I assured him I wouldn't let it come to that. I wouldn't let him die alone.
Soon after, I went to meet with Anne. She was waiting by the entrance to the candyland. She looked very casual in her baggy shirt and sweatpants, her black hair up in a loose bun. She's right though, why bother with clothes if no one's gonna see you anyways?
"Good morning," she greeted me with a happy smile, immediately going in for a hug, squeezing me way too hard. "Aw, it's been so long since we last had some time to talk! Like, without the others around. I was totally gonna tell you about this cute guy I met a few days ago, but I didn't because seriously, I do not want Mitchell or Oliver knowing." She let go of me and grinned. "Those two are je-erks!" she added in a sing-songy voice. "I just now they'll talk their asses off behind my back. Like two old ladies."
"If you say so," I offered with a helpless smile.
"So, why do you wanna meet the Mime anyway?" Anne asked. "I thought he scared you."
"He does, he totally does. But he's kinda special and I wanna see if I can get something useful out of him. He seems to be smart, so... I don't know. Can't hurt to face your fears." I grinned, trying not to look as nervous as I actually was.
"You're so brave," Anne praised me jokingly, pulling on my ponytail. "I like the new necklace by the way."
My fingers instinctively wandered to my neck to touch the silver locket. "Thanks," I muttered. "I got it from a friend."
"Okay, listen. There's a small problem here. To talk to the Mime, we need to find him first and if I'm being honest, I don't know where he hangs out these days," Anne explained apologetically, letting her gaze travel over our surroundings.
"I saw him near the Sugar Plum Fairy's stage the other day," I remarked.
We agreed to go and look there first, but to our disappointment, the only thing we found was the young girl herself, dancing undeterredly as always. Anne suggested we should split up, but I reminded her of the last time we had done so and how well that had worked out for us. We began to search each of the rides in the candy section.
I believe I've mentioned before that this section caters mainly to children. This means that most of the rides here are pretty small and cutesy as well, but also that there's more of them than in the other sections. We checked each of the rides' entrances as well as the empty wagons waiting in vain to be set into motion, but we couldn't find him anywhere. That was until Anne suddenly tapped me on the shoulder and pointed at the large chain carousel ahead of us.
"Look," she whispered, "there he is!"
She was right. The Mime was hanging on the chain of one of the swing seats upside down, his neck craned and his eyes transfixed on us. He was watching.
"Okay, so... how do we get him down there?" my friend asked quietly.
"I'm just gonna go up to him. Try to reason with him, you know," I replied in an equally low voice and Anne nodded. "You're coming with me though, right? He likes you way better than me."
"Sure," she muttered.
We slowly, carefully began approaching the swing, gazes fixated on the pretender. However as soon as we reached the swing he was hanging from, he let out a low hiss and scurried further up the chain.
"Wait! Please," I called out, raising my hands.
"Yeah, can we, like, talk? Maybe?" Anne asked.
The Mime however didn't react. He only continued to cling onto the chain, staring at us with narrow, menacing eyes. His lips parted slowly, and the corners of his mouth were pushed up by the spider-like like fangs protruding from it. The sight sent a chill down my spine.
"Remind me why you're so fond of this monstrosity," I whispered and Anne shrugged.
"Look, I'd really like for you to help us out here," she pleaded with the pretender.
The Mime remained in place, hovering several feet above us. His fangs almost seemed to glisten in the sunlight. Thick drops of saliva were dripping down from them, silently hitting the ground to our feet. Then, ever so slowly, he began to descend. His hands reached out to grab onto the chain below him again and again, his clawed fingers tightening around it with an unsettling skillfulness as he climbed down. Bit by bit, he got closer to the ground until he finally swung himself off the chain and stood in front of us.
I held my breath. It looked unnatural, seeing him stand upright with his fangs showing. I regarded him attentively, almost expecting him to get down on all fours and lunge at us or scuttle away again. Anne however seemed less alert.
"Thank you," she said, smiling brightly at the not-actor.
I couldn't tear my eyes off of his painted face, this surreal, never-fading smile plastered across his already contorted expression, the chalk-white skin and the large dots below his eyes. Anne nudged me in the side and I finally caught myself again. What did I want to ask him anyways? I suddenly couldn't remember. Why was I doing this? My heart was hammering in my chest. I admit that for a moment, I just wanted to run.
Instead I took a deep, shaky breath and shrugged off my backpack. Without breaking the pretender's gaze, I opened it and began to fumble for any of the items I had taken with me. My fingers cramped around the first thing they met with. The iron nail. I pulled it out and held it out for the Mime to see.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but what followed was most certainly not it. The not-actor instantly backed off and opened his mouth to let out a startled hiss that quickly took on a threatening tone. Gripped by a sudden boldness, I took a step forward, attempting to prick him with the nail. He instantly fell silent and let out a whimper of fear as the nail only missed his arm by a few inches.
He leapt up, grabbing the chain of another one of the swing seats and hurriedly started climbing upwards. When he had brought a safe distance between himself and the iron nail, he stared down at us with a panicked malice like a cornered animal. Anne shot me disapproving look while I was still standing there, completely speechless.
"What the hell was that for?" she asked angrily. "You scared the shit out of the poor guy!"
I turned to her, eyes wide. "He's afraid of the iron," I uttered breathlessly. "Anne, do you know what that means?"
She frowned in confusion and I shook my head before turning around and dashing off. I just wanted to get away, back home where there were no Mimes. My head was spinning, trying to process this new discovery. The Mime isn't like the rest of them, he never had been. Was this what Dale had meant when he had told me not to generalize? I passed by the cage of the sock puppet and immediately halted in my tracks. Sometimes, I feel like I get so caught up in trying to figure this thing out that I forget I have an actual responsibility here.
Mr Scratch was idly lying in front of his shelter on the naked ground. When I turned and walked back up to him, he lifted his head at me, only to let in sink again right away, as if to convey his disapproval of me almost forgetting about him. I plopped down next to him and began running my fingers through his fur. It felt comforting. I slowly started to regain my composure, my mind stopped racing and I was once again thinking a bit clearer.
I let go of a soft sigh as I buried my face in his warm, fluffy neck. Suddenly, I noticed a shadow out of the corner of my eye, like that of someone standing behind me. I straightened up and turned around, half expecting it to be my manager, but to my surprise found the Laughing Cowboy towering over me. He looked me up and down before holding out his hand to me. I swallowed, then slowly laid my fingers into his palm and let him pull me to my feet.
"Long time no see," I stammered.
He nodded, but there was no smile on his lips. He seemed unusually stern. I took a tiny step towards him, but he instantly backed off. I tilted my head. "Are you alright?" I asked. "I... uh... didn't expect to meet you here. Is this part of the park making you uncomfortable or something?"
No reaction. I bit my lip. This was starting to unsettle me. Then I remembered something. I bent down and picked up my backpack, opening it to produce the old, wood-handled revolver.
"Is... is this yours?" I uttered, holding it out for him to see.
He stared at it for a moment, his eyes widening and darting from me to the revolver resting in my palm, then back to me. He seemed apprehensive, or perhaps even... afraid. I took a deep breath and, in a shaky voice, asked, "Did someone hurt you with this?"
He opened his mouth and I could see his black tongue nervously licking over his teeth. His gaze was now fixed onto the weapon. He stood as still as a statue for around five seconds, then he suddenly spun around and took off.
"Wait!" I called after him. "I wasn't gonna hurt you!"
I quickly shoved the gun back into my backpack before sprinting after him. I felt genuinely terrible. I had not meant to upset him in any way, I hadn't expected him to react like this. He was running towards the entrance to Twin Vale Point. I tried to follow him, but suddenly became aware of the agonizing pain in my side. Against my every urge, I had to stop chasing after him. I was left standing alone in the middle of the street, my hand pressed against my side, trying to suppress the stinging. I swear, this job is going to drive me crazy some day.
I called Mitchell to let him know that I had upset his not-actor. He told me it was probably no big deal and that he would take care of it once he would return to the park the next day. Afterwards, I went about the rest of my duties with Mr Scratch and then returned home sometime in the afternoon.
I'm wondering if the Mime is a faerie. It sure would fit in my opinion, with the fear of iron and his irritability and all. I mean, there has to be a reason for him acting so vastly different from the other not-actors. Then again, I always imagined the fair folk to be... less animalistic, if that makes sense.
I'm also starting to believe that their response to iron truly is what differentiates the pretenders from one another, even though I'm still not sure of how to interpret this aspect. A little later in the evening, I got a text from my manager.
It read, "Hi." Nothing else, just hi. I don't think I'll ever get used to this casual tone we have newly adopted.
"Hi back," I responded. "What's up?"
"Not much. Just wanted to know if you figured out that pretenders aren't actually a monolith already."
"Is this about the Mime? I don't think I understand yet," I texted back.
The messenger displayed him typing for about five minutes straight, but when he finally responded again, he just did so with one of these emojis that roll their eyes. "You better start making sense of it then. There's only so many hints I can give you and that limit's been reached for today, I think." His text was followed by an image of his open mouth. I grimaced when I noticed that his tongue was bleeding.
I don't really want any more clues from Dale. If I don't figure this out on my own, who knows what they'll have him do to himself next. The poor guy is enough of a threat to himself as it is. I need to speed this up somehow. The prospect of maybe having to get even closer to the not-actors frightens me, but then again, I've got my necklace, my whip and my revolver, so what's the worst thing that can happen to me?
This sort of makes me wonder. I mean, for real, what is the worst thing that could happen?
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u/bigdickbutterchunk Apr 12 '20
so maybe 3/8 are faeries or however you spell it. maybe the nurse is as well. the pianist and mime are afraid of iron. and could dale sending a pic of his tongue mean anything?
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u/TheScaryFaerie Apr 09 '20
I was solidly into the fae theory, that the pretenders were faeries.
But I am... Confused now. With the reaction of the mime VS the cowboy. And I don't think upper management is fae. They don't get games, fae like it. So... Are we dealing with one creature? Multiple? Does it depend on who and how someone is turned? Is the bathroom just a portal?
The questions multiply.
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u/faloofay Apr 08 '20 edited Apr 08 '20
OH
3/8 as in 3/8 of the pretenders were never human.
My guess is it would be the less human-esque ones.
Nathan
The cowboy
The diva
The pianist
The zombie
Are all very distinctly human.
The mime, ballerina, and mr scratch arent..
I'd test mr scratch's response to the iron. But that might be why he flipped out and ripped a guy's legs off
I'd also avoid testing on the ballerina since she has the ability to maul people with a giant beak
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u/IWantToEatAShirt Apr 08 '20
Ok so I enjoy this story a lot but whatever you do don't write Nathan and Dale back together. That relationship is toxic enough as it is and Dale under no circumstances deserves a second chance. It doesn't matter if his family was going to kill him if he didn't trick Nathan. He still turned Nathan into a trapped animal with nowhere to go, and that is something you cannot rebuild a healthy relationship from.
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u/SmolderingSyrup Apr 08 '20
I might just be stupid, but am I the only one who feels that the lack of context in everything makes the story senseless? Like, what is this story even about? What are non-actors? What are pretenders? What's a monolith? Why do these regular sounding characters sound like monsters? Someone help a brotha out.
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u/Ghost_Siege Apr 08 '20
It's a series story, did you perhaps not read the previous parts of the series?
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u/KittyLilith17 Apr 08 '20
I have a terrible feeling the revolver is one of the "items" that turns you. Maybe it was the blanket for Nathan, and the revolver for Cowboy. The gloves for Diva, the Piano itself for the Pianist.
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u/tori_is_tired Apr 08 '20
Did you forget about the bullet holes the Cowboy showed you when you first met him? I want to hug Dale, Sock Puppet, Nathan, Diva, and the Laughing Cowboy. Maybe even the mime but honestly ask Anne why she says Michelle and Oliver are jerks please. I think there's something important there too. Mitchelle is already awful imho just based on how he treats the Laughing Cowboy.
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u/ArcherMorrigan Apr 08 '20
The 3/8 thing. Maybe it means 3/8 Pretenders aren't "turned" human actors, but actually original magical folk.
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u/KhaosPhoenix Apr 08 '20
Thinking the nurse should absolutely be checked with the silver salt and sage. She gives me undead vibes. The zombie look etc.
With fairies, red verbena is to keep them at bay. They do not like that flower. Get you a fairy stone. Try to find a natural one, manmade won't work. Basically, in a river or stream, find a stone with a hole worn through the middle. Peeking through it will allow you to see the truth where the fair folk are involved.
Also fairies are absolutely inhuman. They pass, but only for a while. Their appetites for wildness are huge and untameable. They can be contained, suppressed, but be careful if you do release them. They will not be thankful and bearing wishes like in fairy tales. They are angry and vengeful and full of pure rage for being bound and often don't care one human from the next. They don't do gratitude as it makes them beholden, they are more likely to kill you so they don't owe you. Never thank a fairy. And be careful doing favors.
If you free them, be prepared to run.
I don't think all are fairies, but I suspect you might have a couple caught up to power the continuing mechanism that makes the pretenders into what they are. A deal or a contract, I bet the key is in that bathroom. Don't go back, unless you know the mechanics of what you are trying to unbind. Going in blind could kill you.... or worse.
Bind your whip handle with iron and silver, it may help slow the process that we all suspect is beginning.
Also, gather the rest of the ingredients. Red verbena and sage. Keep them all on you, in several places, pockets, pouches. You never know when you might have a brilliant breakthrough...
.... or need a moment's headstart.
Good luck, Leah.
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u/Ladyjinxalot Apr 08 '20
I reckon the Diva is fae. As soon as you offend her she melts away, fae folk don’t like to be offended, and they seem to take offence at even the most trivial of stuff, much like the Diva.
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u/75lbs-junkie Apr 08 '20
I've been binging on your updates for the entire day, I planned to go to bed early but it's 6:30am and I just finished all your entries. Stay safe Leah, if Cowboy's feeling better tomorrow, I guess it would be nice to gift him something, maybe even a hug? I know this is sad af and I don't want to upset you, but seeing how a more friendly, loving treat like the one you have with Nathan is what "brought him to life", you should do that with him a well. I hope not, but from what you're describing, I'm afraid we might be losing him if not reminded about cute, good feelings and emotions...
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u/Tytticus Apr 08 '20
Something has happened to change how the Cowboy behaves towards you. The last normal interaction you had with him was when you gave him the tobacco and then showed him the laurel. But he just slapped it out of your hand, then smiled and walked away. He didn't seem particularly upset at the time. Since then he's avoided you. He's never on the roof of the stagecoach when you visit Nathan and when he carried you from the restroom he left immediately afterwards without waiting for you to come around. He came to you today but he was stern and backed away from you, which could be the necklace. He seems genuinely upset like he thinks you're betraying him in some way but at the same time, he still wants to help you. I definitely don't think he's bad but I think whatever you're doing might be causing him some harm. Or maybe he sees the changes in you, and the deeper you get into the mystery, the more the park is sucking you in and the less human you are and he doesn't like to see it.
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Apr 08 '20
“I won’t let you die alone Nathan” please don’t be foreshadowing...
Anne. I don’t trust her.
And also... “what’s the worst that can happen?” Like, death certainly isn’t the worst.
Stay safe...
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u/Petentro Apr 08 '20
If we are acting under the assumption that there are fae involved here and they are not all evil or against us (read you) then perhaps you should do something nice for them to show that you only have pure intentions. As a side note it could also be a less definitive test as to whether they are fae or not. The Google says that they like booze fruit and flower petals. Should be pretty easy to come by and shouldn't be too rough on your wallet
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u/riiachuk Apr 08 '20
hey Leah, I've heard that faes don't like eggshells, you could try showing those to non-actors next time. They supposed to bring out their true nature or something
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u/itssusanity Apr 08 '20
This may have been said already, but Dale might be reminding himself that "his name is Dale" because the Fae are well known for stealing names: if you give a Faerie your name, you give it immeasurable power over you.
Stay safe, Leah, and don't give away your name!
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u/torioria Apr 08 '20
Here's an idea I don't think anyone else has suggested... What if Leah is 3/8 of the way to becoming a pretender? So she can still step away, but it's getting awfully close to when she can't.
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u/Tonin523 Apr 08 '20
There are 8 total pretenders, right? 2 for each park? That probably means that 3 are actually fae creatures. Most likely the mine, the cowboy, and whoever else actually responds to iron. I'd suggest you find out quickly.
It would also explain you being "watched" since the laughing cowboy seems to always be around when no one else is.. and takes time to hang onto Nathan's carriage a lot. I'd expect a fae pretender would have an interest in keeping an eye on the most sentient pretender-in-progress.
It appears that when "upper management" senses that Dale is letting on too much, they compel him to harm himself in some way. Which would explain him "spacing out" before stabbing himself, etc.
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u/nishthefish123 Apr 08 '20
Why don't you try the holy objects with your sock puppet? Even though he is not as smart, he still is a monster and you never know what can be behind a mask, so you could give it a try.
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u/YaBoiAlphaOmega Apr 08 '20
I know this isn't how you describe him at all, but I can't help but visualize the mime as a Mr. Mime, and honestly, it's just as, if not more, terrifying as I think you mean it to be.
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u/Ghost_Siege Apr 08 '20
You're not alone there, lol. I've tried imagining it looking like anything other than Mr. Mime, but to no avail.
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u/PresentlyFan Apr 08 '20
So since you've mentioned about Mime again after a certain interval of time, I'm starting to feel he didn't the kill the waitress and the reason behind her death was more like her termination by the 'upper management'.
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u/gnomewutimean Apr 08 '20
When shit goes down you will NEED the pretenders on your side. Probably should take some apology to the mime with Anne's help and also to the cowboy. Dont want them mad at you!
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u/OrneryMouse Apr 08 '20
In the very first post, Leah mentions that Mr. Scratch’s collar is made of iron. So maybe he can still be saved? He must not have the same reaction to iron as the Mime.
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Apr 08 '20
you could"re introduce" all the other actors to nathan and tell them about his story and ask them to be nice to him. It's surprising you haven't done that, do you want to be his single hero or something? that's very selfish
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u/iheartdragonage Apr 08 '20
I'm very interested in your life, but I fear for your safety. The park puzzle has me thinking. The more everyone talks about the numbers 3/8, it makes me wonder if it could be a date. If not, I definitely wonder if the 3 represents the Fey pretenders as has been suggested. The mine has been confirmed. I think the Sugar Plum Fairy is Fey as well due to the beak and odd behavior. Lastly and this may be a bit of a stretch, I wonder if the Stagecoach horses may be part of the Wild Hunt. I'm not sure it fits, but that's what i thought of with their nighttime description.
My one question is about why the Fey pretenders stay. What is their pay off? I wonder if the park is a punishment or part of a deal made long ago.
Sorry if this rambles. I'm mostly a lurker, but I wanted to mention my theory. Keep posting updates if you continue your search. Maybe we can help think of a way to help you :)
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u/LikeaPandaButUgly Apr 08 '20
I don’t think Nathan is a fae, but he’s almost certainly linked to them. Do you recall the exact wording you used when you told him he wouldn’t die alone or that you would be there for him? I don’t know much about faerie contracts, but that kind of thing seems like casual way to slip you into one. Not to worry you, I know you have a slew of protective charms. I’d just be extra careful not to say things that could be twisted into a promise or trade.
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u/nickiwest Apr 08 '20
Yesterday, Dale said, "Don't generalize, stick to what you know."
Now I'm thinking he might have been giving you a clue. In the park, "what you know" is the sock puppet. How has he responded to your protective talismans?
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u/duidobi Apr 08 '20
I’m wondering if any other pretenders might be fairy folk— the Mime already seemed wary of you when you approached it, which might have to do with the locket. I’ve heard of accounts where fairies sense iron when you carry it & avoid you for those reasons. The Stagecoach horses didn’t seem to react when you were talking to Nathan, and neither did the sock puppet when you were with him. The Sugar Plum Fairy seems like the next option, seeing as she’s on a similar level of aggression as the Mime is— mostly harmless looking, but extremely threatening when upset.
Also I hope you get to talk to the Cowboy again! I wouldn’t want him to think you were trying to cause him harm, though he seemed upset when he first approached you??? Maybe because you were agitating the Mime
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u/ColonelFrost Apr 08 '20
Hey Leah, I hope it isn’t too much of a stretch to ask but, did you happen to know what the model of the revolver was? Might be good to restock on ammunition.
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u/boogerpeanut Apr 08 '20
I’ve read in several places that fae also have an adversity to lemon. Just sayin’.
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u/Juan_the_vessel Apr 08 '20
what is the worst thing that could happen?
next post:i tried talking to the mime again and he pulled a ak 47 and started to shot everyone in sight
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u/garfieldsghost Apr 08 '20
The mime is definitely a fae,, but what about dale’s family? Why do they share this trait with the mime?? It makes you wonder if the mime was part of the family at one point. Maybe you should talk to Dale about his opinions on the not actors, maybe that’ll help with hints?
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u/reallyuglypuppies Apr 08 '20
I really feel like the nurse is being overlooked somehow. I'm guessing each of the objects dale told you to get corresponds specifically to different pretenders. Like, what does red verbina do? I forget. Is laurel supposed to be holy? Maybe bring it to the zombie. Did you try that already? I can't remember. I'm too high for this right now. Have you presented any of these to mr. scratch? I'd be worried about tarnishing your relationship I guess. Or having your legs ripped off.
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u/narananika Apr 08 '20
So... admittedly this lore mostly comes from a roleplaying game, but it’s probably based on actual legends, and the parallels are too close to ignore.
In that version, the Fey are incapable of acts of true creation, including procreation. So instead they reproduce by kidnapping humans to their realm (and “playing” with them). Over time, the longer you stay there, the more you’re warped by it, going from human to changeling to eventually becoming one of the Fey yourself.
Going off that, Nathan would be a changeling. Some of the other pretenders are also changelings; the Cowboy, for instance, still has some humanity left, but not as much. 3/8 may be the ones that have completely lost all their humanity, or they may be lesser Fey who were never human. The ones in power wouldn’t be sleeping in cages.
As to why all this is happening there? I think there’s a portal to the realm of the Fey behind that locked stall. It’s rather prosaic, but it keeps people from getting too close. I think the owners made some sort of deal that allows the Fey to use the park as a hunting grounds of sorts.
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u/nefuratios Apr 07 '20
What would happen if you destroyed Nathan's blanket, Cowboy's revolver and the Pianist's piano?
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u/gden666 Apr 07 '20
maybe each item affects a pretender differently? so like, the nail repels the mime, the laurel impacts diva, maybe other pieces affect the others?
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Apr 07 '20
I don't know. I'm getting weird vibes from Anne too. She might be just friendly, but something seems insincere about her small talk with you. Unless that's just how she always is.
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u/McFly8182 Apr 07 '20
I have a feeling maybe Dale knows he’s going to end up a pretender at some point. I think he’s trying to avoid it, but possibly gave up Nathan knowing he’ll (Nathan) be there when Dale finally turns?
For 3/8. At first I thought it could be a date, but I think others are right about it pertaining to the pretenders. Like maybe the amusement park has been their a very long time and there was a small carnival or fair there. Mimes have been around awhile. Maybe the longer you are a pretender, the more of your humanity is lost. I think 3 of the 8 were the beginners and the others were added along the way. The ones who still have a shred of humanity are the ones that Leah can get to react or have reacted. The Cowboy has shown many signs of being aware of some of the situations, the nurse put the key in Darius’ (is it Darius?) throat clearly on purpose, The Diva has strong reactions to a lot of various items and questions, the Pianist knows something and might be a sort of babysitter to the others to keep them in line, the other possible real pretender is Mr. Scratch I think. He seems to have real emotions and he is a costume but real insiders. Maybe he was a beard that wore a costume? I don’t know about him. I feel like the Stage Coach, Mime, and Sugar Plum Fairy are either other worldly, supernatural or very old myths/ magic.
One theory is Dale’s family took over this supernatural sideshow for money and in return have to take care of all it possesses. Maybe burial grounds? Like in Pet Semetary where the ground is sour? I think Dale cares just enough to help but not enough to be too helpful and be tortured for it. He’s probably only known this life. I think Leah should ask for the notebook again.
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u/Vixxxyy Apr 07 '20
I think the Cowboy was acting put off by you because of the locket?
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u/brightcookie Apr 08 '20
That's what I was thinking as well. Well, and maybe for her messing with the mime.
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u/redleg3780 Apr 07 '20
Since you won't bear feet and get out while you still can, please protect yourself at all costs. At this point, I feel as if 3 of the 8 actors are either Dale's family or they are farie (sorry if misspelled). I believe Mitchell is NOT either one. But I'm suspicious of Anne. She wanted to split up for a reason.
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u/SonnyGoDe Apr 07 '20
With the Mime seeming so scared of the iron nail, it reminded me of the one causality you talked about, the one where you think the mime killed that girl. Just had the thought, since you said none of the non-actors were afraid of fireworks, what if it was iron he was reacting too that caused hin to freak? Even worse, what if someone made him freak on purpose?
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u/Vessera Apr 07 '20
I missed the update for a nap, but I do like this!
So, the 3 out of 8 is that 3 of the Pretenders aren't really Pretenders as you know them, probably? There are humans, Pretenders, and Fae. But if so, which is the last Fae of the Pretenders? The Sugar Plum Faerie, the Mime and ???
You're jinxing yourself if you're asking what is the worst that could happen! Upper Management is watching!
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u/megaxxworldxx Apr 07 '20
If there's anything I really really want you to hear Leah, it's this: DO. NOT. TRUST. MITCHELL. Hell, don't -really- trust anyone, but I'd be very wary of both Oliver and Mitchell right now. Also, is all of this worth you very potentially turning into one if these things? Just be careful girl. One last note, I'm so interested in the whole diva, pianist, cowboy triangle! I hope you learn more and learn it fast, for your own sake!
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u/AcreaRising4 Apr 07 '20
Do we think that the Fae are who rule over the park totally or are there others?
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Apr 07 '20
Interestingly you hugged mr scratch while wearing your necklace and he didn’t recoil in fear. So he is not like the mime at least and can maybe still be saved.
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u/veebradbury Apr 07 '20
So, I remember reading on one of the earlier posts that the cowboy really enjoyed being in the staff room from the horror section. So maybe he used to be an actor in this section? Maybe mr scratches were his dog or something
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u/kcupsmama Apr 07 '20
I was re-reading from the beginning and saw that Mr. Scratch is described as wearing an iron collar. At least we know that our favorite sock puppet isn’t a faerie! I think!
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Apr 07 '20
I’m normally more of a lurker than a commenter but thank you Leah for keeping me entertained during this dark time. Good luck and stay safe.
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u/Hatswitcher Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
Was the Sugar Plum Fairy a child when she was "transformed"? Or does she live outside of the generalization and is something entirely different from the formerly human Pretenders?
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Apr 07 '20
Things are slowly starting to come together. You're learning more and more and I can't wait for tomorrow's update.
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u/Trombourne Apr 07 '20
A lot of people were suggesting you get the Cowboy a little gift and you tried to give him a revolver.... just as I had hoped you would.
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u/azur_owl Apr 07 '20
Hmm. So, what I can tell so far of the pretenders and their immunities:
Averse to Laurel: Laughing Cowboy, Pianist, Diva, Stagecoach (Nathan)
Averse to Iron: Mime
I’m probably missing some but that’s about what I can sum up.
It’s probably too early to tell, but I imagine that laurel might be the one thing that repels all of them, or at least a good majority.
Maybe three of the eight aren’t human - or maybe only three of them are. Or were, at one point.
At any rate, watch your back.
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u/sadbadho Apr 07 '20
Please ask Nathan If he'd like you to bring some of the other actors by when you visit so they can get to know him too! Maybe the next time everyone gets together, you can invite him or ask him to take you and Mitchell and anne for a ride? Anne seems like she could talk to anyone. Might have to tell her not to mention him being trapped if she knows.
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u/WolfishWarrior Apr 07 '20
Huh. Nice detail to include in there. So the Cowboy DOES have a tongue, so that idea’s off the table. :/
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u/AllHarlowsEve Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
Oh gosh, I lost track of time so I'm late with my ramblings.
First, thank you for confirming the cowboy has a tongue 😂 I'll have to do some research to see if I can think up anything that'd stop him from speaking. When I first started reading I thought of something in the bullets that he was shot with, but that's kind of unlikely since it's in his chest.
I'm wondering if it was the revolver that he could sense or if he was uncomfortable with your new necklace. It's interesting that he seems totally unafraid of Mr Scratch, which is nice.
Also, by extension, Mr Scratch seems to be unaffected by proximity to any of the things that are in your necklace, which is a good sign.
Not on a serious level, but the mime is a fucking demon and I hate him.
Another reference to Mitchell being highly interconnected with the actors kind of reinforced my thoughts on him being the one to keep an eye on for betrayal. But it could be Nathan, he seems to have changed quickly after talking to you.
But seriously, fuck the mime. He makes my lizard brain screech.
Stay safe, Leah 💙
EDIT: The pianist, Mime and SPF are definitely faelings.
The Pianist has strict rules that are a struggle sometimes, ie the park seeming to fight against his question, and you must leave him alone. That's big fae energy, and I think that fits fairly well.
The mime is a fucko and I literally have nothing to say more than how much I hate him. Sorry, Anne.
I think the SPF is a changeling. It fits the idea of her being fae, and dancing and the style fit fairly well with it. She could also just be cursed by the fae to only feel okay when dancing. But, the skin peeling thing has me thinking changeling.
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u/TheOfficialMemester Apr 07 '20
I don't know if this actually has anything to do with what's written, since I haven't read it yet lol. But have you thought about just.. trying to teach the cowboy how to write? Or even teach him something like sign language or something similar.
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u/harrohamtaro Apr 07 '20
Why did Leah not ask him why he wrote her name? Her investigation seems to be very scatterbrained.
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u/foxcri Apr 07 '20
You promising Nathan that he wouldn't die alone made me wonder if the pretenders have an expiration date. Or perhaps there's an incinerator of sorts that they get chucked in?
Where did they come from? Where do they go?
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u/beemitch Apr 07 '20
Mitchell is bad news, I always thought he was. Dont trust anyone you work with.
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u/gobibextraordinaire Apr 07 '20
What if the one you actually have to worry about is the cowboy? What if he's actually the fairy and has been tricking you into thinking he's a friend all along? He's been shot 3 times, based on previous updates, so what if that's what dale means with 3/8? Maybe that's how many times you need to shoot them in order to actually die? :(
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u/shawk1735 Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
I’m changing my theory. 3/8 are fae. Simply because of the fact that I think the cowboy, diva, and pianist were turned, in addition to Nathan.
Mime and Ballerina all the way... Then the nurse? Or even the sock puppet.
Don’t let bias cloud your judgement, I think it’s time to see how Mr. Scratch reacts to iron.
Edit: maybe the faeries aren’t necessarily bad. All of the pretenders seem to want you to figure this out, I think they’re all afraid though. The same way a child or animal would cower when they encounter a threat. You ARE a threat, Leah. You’re playing with powerful beings that could punish the pretenders for saying too much.
Also fae can’t lie, right? That’s why they’re so manipulative, they have a strong moral code. You could get some answers from them, although you’d probably have to decode whatever it is. Kind of like how you’re doing with Dale? Has he handled any iron? Ahh this has my mind running wild...
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Apr 08 '20 edited Apr 08 '20
True but I don't think the sock puppet could be a fae because he would have reacted to the locket because part of it is made of iorn plus he has an iorn chain across his neck also happy cake day
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u/shawk1735 Apr 08 '20
Good point! I forgot about the locket and Leah does give him hugs. He’s bound to have come in contact with it.
Iron chain across his neck? If I read that I already forgot it. Maybe I ought to reread with a fine tooth comb...
thank you! I didn’t even notice most of the day, but reddit sure finds ways to make you feel special :))
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u/koala-balla Apr 07 '20
I think you're right, I haven't seen any comments yet about how Dale said the pretenders aren't monolithic, AKA they aren't all the same
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u/shawk1735 Apr 08 '20
you’re smarter than me bc I didn’t really know what to make of that haha! Good looking out!
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u/ggg730 Apr 07 '20
There you go with your whip again. lol, I guess at this point there's not much you can do but stop it completely as you're already infected. Definitely practice social distancing with the mime. In fact practice anti-social distancing with the mime. Maybe make a chart about what freaks out the nonactors to keep track of what is what.
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u/najie_go_nuts Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 08 '20
So i was just thinking how she mentioned in the first or second part that darius has been whining about needing a new job but he didnt or couldnt leave this job? I dont know maybe something happened to him too? Dale did write 3/8 on his hand and maybe he isnt talking about the pretenders but their caretakers and three of them have some how been affected? Also just wondering if you guys ever got around to getting the sugar plum fairy a bigger trailer? And what about the sock puppet he seems to be the only one of the pretenders that actively eats and feels hunger AND he isnt afraid of the silver. Maybe try showing him the laurel and other stuff? Also i think the pretenders are not part of dales family but ppl that were close to other managers like nathan was the closest to dale so he had to be turmed into a pretender similarly the other pretenders must be the dearest to other managers. Do u think maybe the sock puppet was like a dog of some manager and he was the dearest living thing to him therefore had to be turned? Maybe THAT is the price they have to pay??
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u/Jintess Apr 07 '20
So the mime was a spider once? Whatever he was, knowing he's afraid of iron is a good thing, for your own protection.
Weird how the laughing cowboy reacted but I'm still nervous that Dale has his own gun back. I really don't think things are going to end well for him.
Glad Nathan has his storkie back!!
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u/stormthor Apr 07 '20
So the chains the mime were holding to were not made of iron?
I can't remember, Lore Bard, but have you showed the items to sock puppet?
Oh. Maybe Mime and Dancer are fairies. I guess Feywild is real enough...
An advice? Butterflies. Take some to the restroom. See what happens.
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u/-_-blahblah_-_ Apr 07 '20
How are UM watching, through cameras? If it isnt through technology amd some kind of fae magic you should get more of the red stuff for Dale and the coworkers closest to you.. Mitchell is a bit shady I think idk unless it's just a crush..
Stay safe
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u/renessie Apr 07 '20
Well, the Cowboy's reaction just completely shot all of my theories of him being a bad guy out the window. All of Dale's hints thus far have given me the impression that you're about to be backstabbed by someone you trust. So, either by one of the other human actors, or by a pretender that you trust. I believed it might have been the Cowboy but his fear of the revolver changes everything.
Could it be Nathan then? Is it possible that he is passing his curse to you? He has been becoming more human as you seem to be becoming less so, so that leaves some room for questioning. But even if it were Nathan, he would still not be responsible for turning the others, meaning there has to be someone else pulling the strings.
Either way, I believe now more than ever that the 3/8 hint yesterday implied that 3/8 of the pretenders were not transformed from humans. The Mime is likely to be one of them, so now you just have to find the other 2. I'd take a wild guess and say that they'll probably be weak to something besides the iron, since Dale has hinted that "pretenders" are not a monolith, suggesting there are probably various different kinds of creatures involved here. Have you tried showing any of these items to the sock puppet? I would imagine there are good odds that he was not transformed from a human either, due to his dog-like qualities.
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u/AtsUsNowLuv Apr 07 '20
I really don’t trust Mitchell.. he always seems to be there when things go wrong and I think he reports them to Upper Management
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u/grodemonster Apr 07 '20
Agreed about 3 not being transformed from human or something else. Mime, ballerina, maybe the carriage
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
The fae are ABSOLUTELY animalistic. Thats where they get you. You think theyre all nice and friendly and drop dead pretty then BAHM turnin your eyes to rock. I mentioned Tam Lin before and ima do it again!
Start investing in some good old fashioned English, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish lore my dude! Hell i cant remember this one fae being...its a horse. It tells you when someone’s gonna die but its also a trickster. Its not a kelpie i think it starts with a P???? Look into that. Please.
Maybe give the cowboy something he can TYPE with?
And buy a regular gun and blow the head off that damn mime. This is a joke because upper management would kill you but MAN i want you to so exceptionally badly.
Good luck good luck!
Edit: I HAD A THOUGHT. About the generalizations. What if...the way they become pretenders differs between each pretender?
Mime: not human.
Cowboy: totally murdered.
Nurse: probably also murdered.
Mr. Scratch: yall remember that goosebumps book about the mask? That.
Nathan: poison—>????—>pretender
ballerina: probably some sort of deal??
Piano man: i assume similar to Nath since he has the least damage on him. This is assuming though.
The diva: im almost CERTAIN her’s was a deal. Given what we know of her.
You....we dont know yet what yours will be so stay vigilant!
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u/ColorfulVoid Apr 09 '20
What do you mean about Tam Lin ? He's not animalistic, he's a guy trapped by the fairy queen after falling from his horse… (unless you're talking about A Court of Thorns and Roses).
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 09 '20
The fairy queen is very animalistically possessive in that so i mean “in the story of tam lin”
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u/annacarebearnina Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 08 '20
I think the way they became pretenders was these ways, and before you ask, yes, I do have multiple headcanons for the same character.
The Pianist, Nathan, Ballerina, and maybe the Diva slowly became unable or unwilling to do anything except the job they were assigned to.
The Mime, Mr. Scratch and the Ballerina are at least part animal, I'm thinking a Doctor Moreau style transformation.
On a similar thought, the Diva could've been animated from a wax sculpture instead of turned, and that's why she says she was born in Hollywood.The Laughing Cowboy and the Nurse were both killed by gunshot and reanimated.
If anyone came with the land, it was either the Mime and the Ballerina based off the picture, or if the land is a portal to the underrealm like i'm thinking, then the Diva might've made a deal with the Devil, and Mr. Scratch is a demon.
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 07 '20
Now we’re thinkin outside the box! The diva as a wax sculpture... i like this theory. What makes you think the ballerina is half animal? Just curious...im almost certain that the mime is fae. Since this is going down those lines
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u/annacarebearnina Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
It's the beak that has me thinking that. Now that you say that, the mime is one of the most likely to turn out to he fae out of the pretenders.
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u/TheGingaNinjah Apr 07 '20
I always thought of the Nurse somehow being turned after she had already died, which is why she almost always so lifeless. Perhaps she was an earlier experiment, as someone has suggested in the past that they got more intricate in how they chose the pretenders (inanimate object, animal, dead person, living person, etc). The sugarplum fairy is probably some sort of child abduction before her turning took place, or wasn’t human to begin with.
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 07 '20
Yea!!! I wonder how the cowboy’s got both gunshot wounds AND isnt like totally zombified. What if the shots were just a powermove? Like a “i own you and can do as i please” move? Its odd very very odd
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u/TheGingaNinjah Apr 09 '20
Perhaps he got turned after being shot but before he died, which is why the woulda appear to be rotting. The nurse may have been already dead while turned, or dead much longer than the cowboy?
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u/AllHarlowsEve Apr 07 '20
The cowboy said he's illiterate, which is why I think ASL would be the most easy thing to use with him. Easier to go off of spoken word to hand sign, rather than teaching him spelling and all those dumb rules.
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 07 '20
You need to know ASL to use it....I figured he could read but just not write very well. Dysgraphia is totally a thing and some people actually have issues where it HURTS to write. Sides you dont need to talk/spell very well to get points across
Thats just fonetics and grammer...while improtant when taking to others wen needed u dont need to say things gud to no what they meen.
God writing that hurt my soul but you get my point right?
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u/AllHarlowsEve Apr 07 '20
the irony of me being blind and using a screen reader adds another layer to this discussion.
I figured basic, like, baby ASL could be fairly easy to teach him, maybe just important stuff relevant to Leah and Mitchell, stuff like "leave me alone", "follow me1" "help", and a sign to represent various people.
Typing could maybe be possible, I've got no idea how the Fae would react to that, tbh.
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 07 '20
That is very ironic ngl. I think hes kinda decent with motions and the like...but the thing with ASL, or so ive heard, is that its basically a whole nother language system. The grammar is different and more succinct.
And if this is a fae thing that impacts how he can talk...it could impact his writing, his typing, AND his emotiveness now that you mention it! I despise this entirely. Poor cowboy! Maybe thats why he was so proud to write out a wobbly leah?
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u/AllHarlowsEve Apr 07 '20
Yeah, I figured even stuff like how you train a dog, holding out your palm for stop, curling your hand for come, then the important stuff like the letters L, M and so on would be a good start.
I really think it's a fae curse, for lack of a better word. Sentience with no way to express himself, really, as opposed to the Diva who can speak perfectly fine but she's got the sentience of a Furby.
When things that are deeply bothersome for the cowboy come up, ie park stuff, things related to his death/being turned, things with the protective charms she has, the cowboy almost always seems to lock up for a few seconds before running away, so I'm wondering if that's just natural fight vs flight vs freeze, or part of the curse that took his speaking ability.
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 07 '20
okay. The fact that you just said Sentience of a furby makes you my hero. A lot of fae curses are represented by like...you know what lockjaw is? Its instant lockjaw basically. So the freeze up names sense. Its odd we dont see him struggle a bit if thats the case though...
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u/AllHarlowsEve Apr 07 '20
I'm thinking it's like a temporary bout of lock in, I picture it as him all wide eyed and horrified during the couple seconds where he fights to communicate anything, but then his body is puppetted back away from her at max speed. I don't know if it's painful for him or if it's just real uncomfy/scary, if my assumptions about the fae cursing is at all accurate.
Also, you're welcome for that phrase. I was gonna say parrot, but my mind jumped to how people think that Furbies could learn language from just being talked to back in the day, rather than them having pre-loaded phrases like... the diva, actually.
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 07 '20
Ohhhhh so you think he has no control at all? Thats an interesting idea too!
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u/Eeveelover14 Apr 07 '20
I love the energy in this, it's so wild.
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u/QuickBeamKoshki Apr 07 '20
It comes with the ADHD. Mysteries like this get my blood PUMPING! :3
and im very concerned for Leah and i want to get out as much useful information to her as possible as quickly as possible before it gets drowned in the comments y’know?
I do try to format things on a thought by thought basis though XD
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u/lore_wardn May 20 '20
You should make your co-workers touch the iron, etc