#the thin man needs protecting from mono

[grim-faux]

New chapter is on the way! WHOOOOO!

Here's an excerpt as proof of my unyielding drive

__

They reached a door and as per the system, she launched the boy at the handle. The rooms they fled through merged into a collage of doors and wrecked furniture, musty shadows and misty windows – she thought they rushed through the same room five times, but she knew each space by the discarded rubbish beside doorframes. For a brief spell they lost the Case Worker after squeezing into vent, barely getting away from a wave of splinters chasing their retreat. The wretched hissing vanished, and it was just their ragged breathing in the narrow passage, muffled by flailing arms and knocking knees. Even in the black confining chute, neither felt safe to halt or clear their heads. The instinct to flee overpowered all sense of need for rest or recover their frenzied wits.

Somewhere in the scarce patches of light, they stumbled into a junction where another kid was nesting. She could smell the other kid before clearing the murky shroud; they had a bunded of cloth and scraps of food scattered. At any other time, she might’ve snagged some scraps, but the kid was already growling softly at the intruders, long before they emerged from the heap of fabric that served as the rest spot. Mono barely spared a glimpse on his way through, he went to the next passage and dunked into the inky veil.

At some distance the vent was caved in, but they backtracked a bit and by sniffing at the murk, managed to fumble into a tight crease. Having the boy to help with fumbling in the dark did make navigation easier – for one, he became a soft barrier her elbows or face plowed into rather than a wall or corner. He also hissed at her when a gap was located, and they managed to drag through the intolerable crawlspace with minimal cuts and bruises.

At last they tumbled out of a crack in an obscure wall somewhere, and landed in a heap of garbage. A swell of flies and other insects swirled when they disturbed the nest, but at least it was noiseless. Six untangled herself first, since the boy was also wrapped up in the tail of his coat. She gave the dim room a cursory examination, foremost absorbing the lack of movement and sound from horrible creatures. Two doors afforded the next direction, and if the urgency was upon them, furniture dotted one of the wilting walls.

#little nightmares #six #mono #feral six #feral mono #feral children #the Case Worker #the Thin Man off somewhere {I wonder where the children has run off to?} #the child off somewhere {running from persistent threat} #mono doesn't need protecting #the thin man needs protecting from mono

[robinlmaoo]

i’ll digitise these later…

for now, have this crudely drawn pencil and notebook version of a comic and some random art of a LN AU that i was making since i wanted to!

in this AU, mono remembers everything, and tries his best to change/delay the course of his fate, so things go completely differently than what went down in LN2. we see more of the two trying to survive the pale city, like a very twisted and dark slice of life with a bunch of horrible angst behind it.

more info / me rambling under the cut:

Mono:

Conflicting, conflicting emotions, his hurt has prevented him from trusting Six completely anymore

but the kind side of him that’s still alive, that side wonders if he can fix her, if it was his fault and not hers…

Is constantly questioning himself and in a state of severe mental distress

“what the hell why am i still helping her should i do something else did i do something wrong oh crap oh crap what do i do is he me do i stop him this time what do i do differently this may be my only chance i can’t mess this up i can’t i can’t i can’t i can’t i ca”

Very paranoid and apologetic, even for the slightest mistakes. He is terrified that any single drop of discord sown between him and six will only contribute to his fated ending.

Quietly helps Six along

Seems emotionally distant towards Six, but shows his emotions occasionally

Shows small gestures of kindness from time to time, though not as openly as when he wore his paper bag

Is only forced out of this state of mental turmoil when fear takes over and he has to focus on keeping he and Six alive while in mortal peril, and even then he’s very stressed

The presence of Six is the only thing keeping him sane (and driving him insane at the same time, what irony)

Mental illness + intrusive thoughts + insecurity + self-loathing + not knowing if this is your only chance to reverse your horrifying fate + the stress of keeping you and your friend alive in a world that’s constantly tryna kill you = seriously wrung out kid that needs a goddamn rest

Cries a lot due to his unbearable stress, but keeps himself alive while clinging to the small shred of hope that he might be able to change his fate

Keeps away from televisions like they’re the plague for fear he accidentally releases the thin man again, and if he sees one on he immediately shuts it off

Six:

Practically the same as before, but is wondering why her new friend is acting so… strange

Still very untrusting of other kids, but builds small specks of trust over time in her new friend

She sees his unwillingness to trust. She, as someone who’s trust has been hurt by others before, finds the same in Mono and so she is able to let herself grow closer to him

Hates, hates, hates being helpless/useless, tries her best to contribute in any way she can

Pounces on the bully before Mono to show him she can protect herself

Aggressively helps Mono along

”hey you try ur best to help me and i appreciate that a lot but i can help too, stop stealing all the spotlight would ya”

Constantly tries to make small conversations with Mono to keep his spirits up

Wants to cheer him up but isn’t good with emotions so doesn’t know how

“My friend is a depressed little sh(ee)t who insists on being annoyingly enigmatic but he still tries his best to be a decent person so i love him for that anyway”

Feels a slight inner guilt for not being able to absolve Mono’s emotion problems and stop him from being so sad

Survivor’s guilt

Knows his sadness has something to do with her but can’t put her finger on it

Is frustrated and confused about why he still insists on keeping her by his side even though her presence is very obviously hurting him, she would have abandoned anyone like that immediately, but aggressively appreciates him for that too

i tried to like, humanise six and not make her seem like a villain and all that 😭

also, since mono’s response is different (and strange) towards her now, six responds differently to him. she isn’t all “stick with ya cause i need to survive” anymore, she actually wonders what the hell is up with him- as she sees more of her in him (unwilling to trust/be friendly) and so has a slight urge to want to make friends with him that grows stronger the more they are together?

please gimme feedback if you have any about this au :D

aight that’s it have a cookie if you read this far :] 🍪

#tw angst #little nightmares 2 spoilers #ln 2 spoilers #ln mono #ln six #ln2 #ln #little nightmares #little nightmares 2 #little nightmares mono #mono little nightmares #little nightmares six #six little nightmares

[coolboyivan]

Six is not evil

u guys r just so mean 2 a little girl

Six is growing up in a harsh world where monsters are constantly hunting her. She was not raised to know a right and wrong, or what's reasonable. She is forced to fight for her life everyday, learning to trust no one. Until Mono shows up, she was warry and ran from him, only when she was cornered she decided to give him a chance. Mono was likely one of her first real friends. Many people act as if her killing the bully or fiddling with the hand is proof of her bad nature, but that's just not true. The bully, if Mono or Six did not kill it, would have attacked them. Six is protecting herself and Mono. That and the fact Mono smashed many bully heads. With the hand; kids just break things, this does not mean that she is evil. Kids who break heads off of Barbie's aren't evil. On top of that, the mannequins tried to kill them. WHY would she care if she broke it. (Also Mono stans always forget he turned a guys life support off) When Thin Man first escaped the TV, Six tried to stay and get Mono to leave, she cared about him, but he didn't budge. She focused on survival and had to leave him. When Thin Man attacked her, she reached out for Mono to help, but he didn't. (I do not blame him, he is also just a little kid.) Then, once Mono finds her in her monster form, she is playing her music box, which comforts her and keeps her calm. He destroys it. She didn't understand that he was just trying to help, it hurt her. She visibly is hurt by Mono smashing the music box. All she could see is that her friend was hurting her. At the end, I don't doubt she thought about pulling Mono up, but with everything he put her through, he was a threat. Ppl also like to pretend that she knew that Nome was RK, she didn't, She was cursed with hunger, she wasn't thinking for herself as her hunger grew. She is selfish, yes, but in a world like this, you have to be. You do not need to like Six, but understand she is more than just a demonic child, and that Mono is not your perfect innocent little cinnamon roll. They're all just kids in a nightmarish world. You cannot expect them to behave normally, or make good choices. Want 2 also add that Six is so cute like when she shows the comic kids her music box, picks up toys with Mono, and plays with the x-ray.. Little moments were she gets 2 b a kid sobss (Sorry4 anny mistakes my laptop font so small) all /lh im not comin 4 anyone

#little nightmares #six little nightmares #ln #mono little nightmares #very little nightmares #guys pls b nice 2 her she just a baby #baby cursed 4 ever #six ln #mono ln

[vafl1a]

DUDE YOUR SIGNLL TOWER AU THING WHERE MONO GOES THEOUGH AN EMO ARC IS SO COOL could you tell me more about it im obsessed...

JDSKLDJALSWJSDJAWSJDLKAWD GOOD TO HEAR OMG!!

I'll gladly tell my god, no questions asked!! In short, as I said "AU where the Signal Tower was able to control Mono's mind, and Six wants to save him"

(I will call Mono under the control of the Signal Tower - TV Mono, for convenience) Mono was protecting Six from the signal tower the whole time, making it easy for the tower to take control of Mono so that Six would come to him on her own The purpose of the signal tower is to get rid of the Six so that she does not interfere with Mono to take the place of the Thin Man (who has already left, and the signal tower needs new victims, or something like that)

The real Mono under the control of the tower is in his subconscious, very similar to what is inside the Signal Tower (roughly, he is there), but there are many more doors and TVs He can't hear anything but the voice of the tower itself, which urges him to give up already Although sometimes it can hear some loud sounds from the reality where TV Mono is located

During the Six's journey to the tower, TV Mono will pursue her all the time in order to drag her into the TV and get rid of her already, walking outside the TVs is very dangerous, because the Six can greatly harm the physical body And she herself cannot get into the TV without the help of Mono's forces, so this is a very safe point for him

and basically this is all the basic information!! :Р

If there is anything else you are interested in, I will be happy to answer yoooooo!!!!

I would really like to draw a comic on this AU, but I'm afraid that it will not be soon due to lack of time and laziness, sigh... Maybe Emo Mono and the Furious Six will see the light someday-

[kyndaris]

Trapped in a Cycle

From the sunny tropical island of Koholint, I was thrust into the wet and dreary Pale City as I followed the theme of nightmares for month of October in the video games I played. But while Link's Awakening had nightmares made manifest by a dream world, Little Nightmares II only featured nightmares in the title of the game. Still, the game, much likes it predecessor in the franchise, felt very much like playing through a waking nightmare. Especially as I explored a broken down society, with many of its denizens enraptures by the screen before them. Which, in and of itself, feels like a reflection of how current society is obsessed with their little pocket screens.

Although it was never explicitly stated, Little Nightmares II serves as a prequel to the first game in series. Just like the first game, Little Nightmares, it nails the atmosphere of what makes a good and proper horror game without relying solely on jump scares. As I played, there was always a sensation of impending doom and I was always fearful of what I might find around the corner. Coupled with the designs of the enemies, I certainly could not shake how unnerved I was throughout my time with the game. This was especialyl true during the mannequin level in the hospital and during the boss fight with the giant version of Six as she hovered protectively over a music box.

Speaking of music, it, too, played an important role in building atmosphere for the game. The soundtrack was eerily haunting with its use of piano and several key musical motifs. Of note, as well, was how the game also incorporated silence to help build tension. I know that I, not a heavy horror player, was on tenterhooks throughout the game as I crept through levels waiting for the sudden crescendos or the telltale notes to warn me of danger the next screen over.

The music, combined with the gameplay, left me with unease throughout my playthrough, which was perfect for the spooky season of October.Unlike most games I play, there is little Mono can do against his foes. Most of the time, he must run from whatever threat the game sees fit to throw at the player. Thankfully, there are moments can fight back providing a sense of empowerment that is usually lacking when running for one's life. I, especially, liked being able to grab hold of an axe or a bat to whack people or kill a creepy crawly mannequin hand.

But the gameplay, it should be noted, was also what proved incredibly frustrating throughout my time with the game. Some of it was due to the timing when it came to Mono swinging his weapons. Other times, it was the finicky hit boxes or the narrow window players were given to escape a threat. True, it added to the growing panic and tension, but by the time I was redoing the same section for the umpteenth time, much of the horror had bled away and I was left more annoyed than scared.

Of course, since playing through Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's Force Tears, this is less of an issue now. If anyone was able to do those platforming ones first go, I tip my hat off to you.

From a story perspective, Little Nightmares II keeps it close the vest. After all, this is a game with no dialogue. Everything is told via the environment and through the occasional interactions between Mono and the girl he rescues, who is later revealed to be the protagonist of the first game: Six.

Going online, there are theories aplenty of why Mono is in the Palce City and how he got there. The most popular theory says Mono is trapped in a time loop with no memory of what happened before. After all, why dream of the door in the Signal Tower where his supposed future self, the Thin Man, resides behind? And also, why is there a TV right next to him in the forest clearing he starts the game in?

These are all pertinent questions that need answers to but the game doesn't quite explain.

The theory also extends further to the Thin Man's motivations and his actions throughout the game. This includes taking Six away rather than going for both her and Mono. Some have even speculated that the Thin Man was trying to save his younger self from the trauma of the inevitable betrayal from Six. One, sparked because Six saw Mono's true face and realised he was the Thin Man all along - the one who had trapped her.

But I ask you: why then doesn't the Thin Man just let them go? If Six betrays Mono because she was captured, then isn't the way to break the loop be to not traumatise her in the first place?

If that were not the case, what else could motivate Six to leave behind? Especially given the fact she'd always been there to catch mono in the past.

Was she always evil then? And what of the Hunger that seemed to only come into play until the very end during the secret ending?

So many questions, so little answers. And now, Little Nightmares III has been announced!

While I'm curious to see how it will unfold, I'm still unsure if I'll pick it up given it was advertised as a co-op game (albeit with online co-op functionality and can be played solo if so chose). Then again, I want to see how, or IF, it ties back to Six in any way shape or form. There's still so much to be plumbed in this strange world the developers have created.

Even though it's creepy and scary, Little Nightmares knew how to keep me hooked with the many mysteries it lay out. Here's hoping the third game in the series doesn't disappoint.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Little Nightmares II. As a short game, it was a fun dive into something a little different from the usual triple-A titles I normally play. And given I'd played the first game in the series, I was curious to see how the second one would unfold after reading all about it on the internet. I'm certainly going to put the soundtrack on just to give it a proper listen when I've the time.

#video games #little nightmares II #mono #six #horror games

[itstimetotheorize]

Little Nightmares 2 theory, a winning chance, Shadow Six’s scheme,  the truth behind Six’s betrayal and the childrens "immunity". (warning, prepare yourselves mentally...again, I’m serious)

 Before I start, please know I no longer believe kids are immune to the all seeing eyes control because they have an imaginary world in their minds from which they escape to whenever they come face to face with the horrors of the word, this was something I talked about in a past theory, so know this new theory is not only meant to update my information but piece together everything the theorizing community and I had uncovered thus far in the little nightmares games.

https://itstimetotheorize.tumblr.com/post/656326186770792448/little-nightmares-2-the-eye-entitys-existence-and

Now then, grab a glass of water and lets us begin:

All the kids of the Little Nightmares world are known to have had their fair share of horrific experiences. Over time, they learn to take extreme measures to defend themselves against the monsters of the world. But despite the choices they make, somehow, they are still able to go on without being controlled by the all seeing eye itself, but why?

We always knew their childlike innocence had something to do with their ability to resist the eye, but we could never fully understand what part of their childish nature protected them from being controlled by it and prevented them from being just as easy to capture as the adults.

Well,  from what we gather, kids may not fully understand the reality of their situation, let alone the world around them. This lack of understanding appears to prevent them from developing the same corrupted human desires the developers state all the adults share.

And yet despite the many aggressive tendencies the children displayed/developed towards the monsters of the world, not once are they ever shown to be drawn to the 👁️in the same way the adults are...but why?

we always theorized the children only ever understood they needed to do whatever it takes to survive, so perhaps the kids only ever viewed their actions as justified rather than a desire they needed to fulfill... no matter how cruel their actions appeared to be. Their acts of survival were never enough to lead them to fully understand their situation, let alone the world around them, so they remained oblivious to the true nature of the world and the one which ruled over it, the all seeing eye.

The developers always said kids of the little nightmares world needed to find someway to survive until adult hood. But as we thought about their message, many of us soon realized even if the kids do survive to adult hood, they may only be fated to fall victim to the eyes control.

As kids journey deeper into the darkness and are forced to grow up faster every day, they inevitably learn more about the true horrors of the world and become doomed to develop natural human desires which will leave them vulnerable enough to be corrupted and manipulated by the eye entity.

It had always been theorized if the kids were ever going to live a life where they would not fall prey to the eye, then they must first find a way to prevent the eye from corrupting them and their desires, but how?...unless...what if Mono and Six already hinted towards this answer.

From what's understood, Mono had some understanding of the world to the point where he understood the world was always cruel, because of this, he knew to fight against it in anyway he could. 

Near the end of the game when Mono finally grew fed up with the worlds cruelty towards him, we see him not only defeat The Thin Man but drag The Tower, the very source of the madness witnessed in The Pale City, towards himself rather than waste anymore time chasing after it. Even when Mono entered the tower itself and became surrounded by the eyes pure hypnotic light, Mono was still able to resist the eyes hypnotic transmission.

 Based on what happened to Mono, its possible the childrens first step to victory against the eye is to first feel what Mono felt when he chose to face the world rather than continue to run and hide from it. If the children of the world were to feel just as fed up and angered towards the worlds cruelty towards them, then they may not feel the need to easily accept eyes comforting light. They must harness their anger for the world and abandon their fears of it.

If the eye knew this, then it might've understood it needed to break their spirits before they could finally fall prey to its hypnotic spell. Would this be effective? well...it worked on Mono and Six didn't it? 

but considering Mono was able to wander the city and tower without being hypnotized, we theorized Mono still had no real desire to escape the world around him in the same way all viewers did...until the end, when he was left emotionally broken over six betraying him.

Six on the other hand awakened in a world she cant recognize, her lack of understanding had already shielded her from fully grasping her situation and her reality. 

However, as soon as the eye got a hold of her through the use of the thin man...it forced her to understand she could never outrun the horrors of the world and made her desire comfort and an escape from the cruel world, just as any other viewer did.

If these children are ever to stand a winning chance against the eye, then its possible they must not only harness their hatred for the world, but discover and understand just what “the all seeing eye” is and what allows it to easily gain control of the residents of the world. 

If these kids can learn to take control of their own desires and prevent the eye from corrupting them, then maybe they can also learn to find some way to harness their emotions and resist the eyes temptations even as they grow into adults. Allowing them to not only turn against it, but decide for themselves what they want to do rather than submit to whatever expectations and plans the eye has for them, if so, then...is this what happened to Six?

when Six journeyed to the maw, many forget it was never her intention to be there, she was instructed to go there by the part of herself which had been torn from her very body, Shadow Six, aka what we now understand to be her soul!

However, back when little nightmares 1 released, many assumed Shadow Six was evil, but what we later realized after finishing Little Nightmare 2 was how we never truly saw shadow six do anything evil at all!, our assumptions were purely based on what Six had done, such as when we saw her eating the little nome.

When we see Shadow Six with Mono, we see her act with the same innocent behavior Six displayed back when she first played on the playground. What does this tell us? its tells us Shadow Six carried with her much of the good and kindness Six had before being captured by The Thin Man.

And yet despite Mono having freed Six from the eye by breaking the music box (which tied her to “its” control), we see in the secret ending how Shadow Six  remained separated from her body.

As Shadow Six faced Six in the dark empty room, we see her looking towards the maws poster on the floor, telling Six where to go next...but why?...why did Shadow Six want Six to go to the maw?...or rather...what did she know from her time in pale the city and the tower?

We always theorized the eye had the ability to see into the future. In monster Six’s room, we see pictures of things Six had yet to experience. The only question was, did Six remember these pictures?... or did Shadow Six figure out for herself what these images really meant? 

If Six had been forced to witness her horrific future aboard the maw while in the tower, then could it be possible Shadow Six had chosen to take advantage of the eyes ability to wander the tower unnoticed in order to sneak a peek into her future and understand what exactly lead her to such a cruel fate aboard the maw? all the while Mono was fighting her body (Monster Six)?...maybe...

I know It may seem odd to consider someone like Shadow Six taking advantage of the eyes ability, but what many forget to consider is how even the eye had weaknesses of its own. When Mono had begun the process of freeing Six from being the eyes host, we see the warped reality eye had created in the tower repeatedly come crumbling down each and every time Mono hit Six’s music box.  

What does this mean exactly? it means every time Mono came closer and closer to destroying the music box, the very object the eye had used to tie Six to its control, eye would lose its grip on the reality it had created in the tower, forcing it to not only feel weakened as it watched Mono and Six fight each other, but remain oblivious to whatever Shadow Six might've been doing the entire time she was inside of its domain! after all, if eye was dead set on getting Mono to stay in the tower, then it may not have considered worrying about what else was going on its body, allowing Shadow Six to roam around undetected as she continued to search for its secrets...so then....was she successful?

Well, we had always theorized Six was meant to stay on the maw and fulfill her fate as the next lady. 

Yet despite having been successful in obtaining the Ladys powers for herself...we see Six choosing to leave it instead, but why?!

We always knew Six belonged elsewhere, but if shadow Six had truly taken advantage of the eyes ability to peer into the future, then perhaps shadow Six had discovered what many suspected all along. Shadow Six...discovered the eye had plans for Six! and those plans meant she had to stay on the maw, as far away from Mono as possible! because so long as Six accepted her fate, she would never help Mono fulfill what it feared the most...its demise. 

 If Shadow Six had truly discovered for herself what the eye had planned for Six, then could Shadow Six have instructed Six to go to the maw in order to find the one solution which would rid Six of her hunger and reunite her with the body she had been torn from? In other words....did shadow Six make plans of her own to go against the will of the eye in order to be made whole once again?! 

Back when little nightmares 2 released, angered fans always believed Six dropped Mono because she was selfish or wanted revenge against him for breaking her music box, that everything she did was only ever for her benefit  alone because she was always trying do whatever she could to survive alone, she's a survivalist...but as we now know from the developers... this was not necessarily the case. 

Its true Six could survive many situations alone, like when she survived the nest and the maw. But what many forget to realize is how Six was only ever able to survive these places because they had always given the children more of an advantage! Places like the nest and maw always providing a wide variety of locations for kids to easily run and hide, even with the ongoing threat of the residents of the buildings. 

Its why so many children in the comics state they are far safer in places like the maw, because places like the maw were one of the few parts of the world which made sense to survive in, when compared to the chaos faced in the outside world.

After all, places like the maw and the nest contained what the rest of the world lacked...order, and a system for the kids to easily catch onto so they could plan their escape and survive within the walls. 

So long as the children remained separated and ignorant, they would never understand how their odds of facing the world would increase should they choose to stand together...this... is exactly what the eye wanted and expected of them.

When Six escapes the nest, we see her struggling not long after she leaving its doors, in the end, the only reason Six was able to get as far as she did after leaving the nest was because she had finally chosen to team up and trust the raincoat girl.

Despite what some may still believe about Six being nothing but a selfish girl because of what she did to Mono, many forget from time to time of one very crucial part of Six’s character... Six... is by no means stupid... she's smart!

Despite the lack of trust  Six had in the raincoat girl throughout their escape, Six does in fact learn over time, during their chase against the butlers and pretender, how her chances of survival can increase by working with others and how raincoat girl was someone who is not only trustworthy but reliable as well, hence why Six chose to save her from the pretender near the end of the game, rather than leave her.

Six shows this same behavior with Mono when she first meets him in the hunters cabin. And as the game progresses, we see Six develop a friendship with Mono the more they look to each other for support and the more they conquer the horrors of the world together.

All throughout little nightmares 2, we see Mono and Six face obstacles and challenges neither one of them could have ever conquered alone. By working together, they beat the hunter, escaped the teacher, burned the doctor and traveled through the city all up until the moment Mono freed the thin man. When the little nightmares 2 twitter page revealed to us how Six and Mono actually stood a far stronger chance surviving together than apart, many of us had soon realized the eye most likely knew this as well.

When Mono travels through a T.V. for the first time, we see the eye entity staring at him as he travels through. What does this mean exactly?... it means every single t.v. Mono touched, every working t.v. he and Six walked by and through every single t.v. the viewers were seen staring...the eye was always staring back.

We only ever thought Mono and Six were safe from the eye up until the end, but the reality of it is...the eye was always watching them, it knew exactly where Mono and Six where, it knew what they where up to, it knew how well they worked together... and it didn't like it one bit.

So it chose to make a plan, a plan where it could ensure Monos ongoing fate as the the thin man and one where it would no longer feel threatened by Mono and Six’s victorious teamwork. More on the eyes plan can be read here:

https://itstimetotheorize.tumblr.com/post/657917418942971904/little-nightmares-2-the-issues-surrounding-the

When Mono used his power to drag the tower in front of him, his actions alone might have confirmed what the eye had suspected all along...Mono and Six had the potential to end its reign of terror so long as they stayed together...and for this very reason, it needed them apart.

If the eye grew to understand its situation in regards to Mono and Six, then perhaps Shadow Six had also learned for herself why it was the eye had planned to leave her body out in the middle of the ocean once she became the new lady of the maw. The eye needed Six to keep the maw running to ensure its survival, it needed her to stay away from Mono to prevent her from  unknowingly aiding him in ending his loop,

Eye needed Six to continue giving into her corrupted desires and continue to struggle in filling the void left by her missing soul (aka Shadow Six) so she would inevitably remain latched to the maw and never feel the need to leave it! because if she left, who knows what she would do and who knows what would become of the maw itself. But of all the things the eye could've expected from Six.... we imagine it never expected her to turn against everything it had planned as she received aid from the one being it never bothered to take note of, shadow Six.

When Shadow Six appears in little nightmares 1, we see the lights flicker as a way to mark her presence. Because no matter where Six was, as soon as Six began to eat and as soon as those lights flickered... we knew shadow Six would be seen watching nearby.

And she always was...until the end of little nightmares. When Six absorbs the Ladys powers, we once again see Shadow Six standing next to Six, the closest we had ever seen her!. However !... this is the last we see of Shadow Six as the Ladys powers begin to transfer to Six’s body.

After Six absorbed the Lady’s powers, well... no matter how much the lights flicker and as we see Six walking through the guests floor... not once do we ever see shadow Six standing nearby....but maybe this was always because Shadow Six had succeeded in her efforts...

Before killing the guests, we always theorized Six used her newly acquired powers to do now what she couldn't back then... she reunited with the one piece of her life lost during her time in the pale city... Shadow Six herself. 

But if Six truly did become whole once again as she reunite with her lost half then... what did she know now as she made her way up to the maws exit? or rather...what did she remember?. 

In the comics, Six was always stated to have had trouble remembering her life outside the maw. When other kids asked her to try and remember what she saw, she only ever felt the need to keep her memories locked away...but why?

Was she to afraid of what she might find?...or did she feel a strong overwhelming sense of confusion and mixed feelings to painful to bare should she actually take the time to remember those memories?... 

Keep in mind, we don't yet know what it was she couldn't bring herself to remember, but considering the events of little nightmares 2, its possible Six felt nothing but pain and suffering waiting for her behind the very memories she only ever felt should be forgotten. 

The pain and suffering she feared most likely originated from everything she faced and saw in the city and was ultimately the result of three major events which transpired, 1. the memories she had of eye forcefully attempting to corrupt her desire for the comfort and escape she craved from her lovely music box and from being warped into the hideous monster we saw in the game as she became infected with escapism, 

2. the pain and trauma she later experienced as she watched Mono cut her from the perfect false world the eye had made her addicted to by destroying the very object she cherished but continued to tie her to eyes control... the music box... 

Monster Six always cried out in pain every time Mono hit the music box, but maybe this was always because being torn from the false world eye created was always a situation which would be deeply upsetting and painful for anyone to bare.

and 3.the pain and sadness she felt as she later contemplated her sudden decision to drop Mono out of anger for him breaking her music box...leaving her with a heavy feeling of regret she just couldn't bare bring herself to understand...until the end of little nightmares 1.

Where am I going with this? well, if Six and shadow Six had truly been reunited near the end of little nightmares 1, then could it be possible Six’s mind not only began to flood with everything she had tried to resist remembering ...but everything else shadow Six had witnessed herself during her time away?...if she did then... did Six know...EVERYTHING?!

As Six made her way up the maws stairs, did she understand what the eye was and how it needed her to develop a desire for the music box she loved so much, as it was the only way it could corrupt her and leave her just as mindless as the rest of viewers?

Did she understand the eye had always intended to use her as a temporary host in order to get to Mono? and most of all...did she see just what Mono went through to save her as Shadow Six followed him all throughout the pale city?!

 And did she understand just what she needed to do as she felt her new incredible power flowing through her?

It had always been said no one could ever escape the lure of the maw and for someone like Six who suffered from extreme hunger pains, one could only ever assume she would stay right were she stood...but she didn't...despite whatever corrupted desires Six had developed during her time in the tower, could it be she no longer felt those desires to leave her tied to the maw? or did she learn to do what the eye had feared anyone would learn to do... Six took control of her own desires. She got fed up with the world just as much as Mono did, and once she did, she decided for herself what she wanted to do rather than submit to whatever the eye expected her to accept. As Six walked through the guests, we see her kill them with no remorse, 

but if what we theorized is true, then its understandable why she would do so...she wasn't hungry....she was angry!

because for the first time in a long time, Six understood she had been tormented, manipulated and most of all, she had been tricked into focusing her attention on the pain Mono caused her rather than the true source of her suffering, the eye entity itself. 

Perhaps it was always fitting for us to hear the song "togetherness" all throughout Six’s journey in the maw. This song was always a symbol of Mono and Six as we heard the two of them sing together in the Little Nightmares II main menu. So to hear this song near the end of little nightmares 2 and little nightmares 1 well....maybe there really was a part of Six who never wanted to let go of this “togetherness”...

The only question now is...what will Six do?. Despite having left the maw, we see her realize she is still trapped in the middle of the ocean. However, looking back on her now, one could only ever assume she would have no other choice but to admit defeat...but defeat was never something Six was known for, she was never one to give up so easily, after all...Six is not a normal child...

And as we hear the sound of another boat making its way to the maw near the end of little nightmares 1, who knows what Six will do should she continue her efforts to leave...but at least one thing is for certain...the all seeing eye has no idea the kind of wrath it had awoken within Six.

As for what this could mean for the future of little nightmares? well...I guess we will just have to wait and see, for now...its just a theory...a little nightmares 2 theory!

#little nightmares #little nightmares 2 #little nightmares II #little nightmares theory #little nightmares theories #little nightmares 2 theory #little nightmares 2 theories #little nightmares II theory #little nightmares II theories #ln #ln2 #ln theory #ln2 theory #ln mono #ln 2 mono #little nightmares mono #little nightmares 2 mono #little nightmares II mono #little nightmares six #little nightmares 2 six #little nightmares II six #little nightmares the eye #little nightmares 2 the eye #little nightmares the all seeing eye #little nightmares the lady #little nightmares the maw #ln the eye #ln2 the eye #little nightmares the thin man #little nightmares 2 the lady

[queen0fm0nsterz]

I think The thin man is an antagonist (With him being the one cotrolling the signal tower while also being affacted by it) out of free wil, I don't think he was trapped nor controlled by an eldritch entity yet I thinl what he became and his actions may have been influenced by his enviroment and experiences

MASTERPOST

I laugh and evilly rub my hands, as I finally have an occasion to analyze the Thin Man's behaviour in depth

Honestly, out of the three main antagonists, I find the Thin Man to be the hardest to interpret. Since we only get to see him three times total and all these times he's coming after us, there's a lack of... "connection" between him and the player.

For instance, think of all those moments where we have to sneak past the Lady and the Pretender as they go about their day, even witnessing those private moments where their desires and insicurities - their hearts are on clear display for us to observe. These quick instances let us have a better understanding of why they act in certain ways.

But with the Thin Man... you never get moments like this, where you have to sneak up behind him in the Tower.

Honestly, it kinda saddens me: I would have loved a sequence where the player has to help Mono carefully make his way past him to get to Monster Six, and I am forever curious to know how the dynamic between the Thin Man and Six would have been like all things considered.

Yet, with the ways things end up unfolding, I guess it couldn't be helped. Also, we wouldn't have the magnificed Signal Interference fight if that were to happen, so I'm definetely not going to complain.

Then again... is there something more to see?

Going back to your original question. I don't fully agree, yet I don't disagree either.

He's an antagonist out of free will, you say... but is it really free will when you're only given one option?

You have to consider the fact that Mono was doomed to be betrayed from the second he set foot inside the Signal Tower - SOMETHING THAT I FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT NEARLY AS DISCUSSED ABOUT AS IT SHOULD BE! The way the Flesh itself constantly keeps it's eyes on him, even helping him in his "escape" at times - making sure that he gets to Six.

After the deeply traumatic event of being left behind by his only friend, as he traverses the infinite wasteland of flash, he's finally presented with the chair - with the choice.

He can sit and stay there, accepting his role in the cycle, or he can aimelessly wander across the Flesh.

For the Thin Man to be born, it is imperative that he is betrayed.

If he was to fall normally, he would simply get back up and look for a way out and reunite with his friend - because it's Mono, and that's what Mono does. When it comes to his friend, the concept of giving up might as well not exist.

Yet, if he doesn't sit, the Thin Man will not exist.

He needs to have his heart shattered. To be in the right mindset to give up to the Eye and let himself be consumed by despair as he was meant to.

Tecnically, it is a choice. But you also have to keep in mind that he's being taken advantage of when he's in his most vulnerable moments, pushed towards the only option he's left with. And I think that this choice trapped him.

If the person chosen as the host leaves, the Tower goes down in ruins. It can't afford to have him leave, which also goes back to the fact that Mono needs to have his spirit be completely broken until it's time to repleace him.

So I feel like it's a bit of both: he is being held hostage by the Eye, but he is because he chose to... after the Eye, Flesh or whatever you want to call it created the ideal situation for him to pick the option presented to him.

About the "actions influenced by the environment and his experiences" bit, I DEFINETELY agree. That's kind of the whole reason the Thin Man goes after Six, isn't it?

Being the heart of the Tower has twisted Mono's protectiveness into... this.

The conflicting desire of revenge for what she's done to him vs the possibility of a second chance to start over with his best friend... Now that is something I wish was expanded more - especially if Six isn't his old best friend.

#little nightmares #little nightmares 2 #the thin man #ln the thin man #mono #ln mono #ln meta #ln theory #little nightmares theory #six #ln six #{I HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE #IM KINDA SLEEPY BUT YOU KNOW ME #always ready to talk about mr thinnnnn😌😌😌😌😌😌👏👏👏👏👏👏 #i hope i got my thoughts out well enough for all of you ^^ #well then! back to the iceberg}

[iamespecter]

[LN ‘Deep in the Woods’ AU]

“Alan Walker ft. K-391, Emily Hollow - Lily”

Lily was a little girl Afraid of the big, wide world She grew up within her castle walls.

Now and then she tried to run, And then on the night with the setting sun, She went in the woods away, So afraid, all alone.

They warned her, ‘don't go there, There's creatures who are hiding in the dark.’ Then something came creeping, It told her, ‘don't you worry, just’

‘Follow everywhere I go, Top over the mountains or valley low, Give you everything you've been dreaming of, Just let me in, ooh.’

‘Everything you want in gold, I'll be the magic story you've been told, And you'll be safe under my control, Just let me in, ooh. Just let me in, ooh.’

She knew she was hypnotized, And walking on cold thin ice, Then it broke, and she awoke again.

Then she ran, faster then Start screaming, "Is there someone out there?" ‘Please help me, Come get me’ Behind her, she can hear it say

‘Follow everywhere I go, Top over the mountains or valley low, Give you everything you've been dreaming of, Just let me in, ooh.

Everything you want in gold, I'll be the magic story you've been told, And you'll be safe under my control, Just let me in, ooh. Just let me in, ooh.’

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Everything you want in gold, I'll be the magic story you've been told, And you'll be safe under my control, Just let me in, ooh.

‘Follow everywhere I go, Top over the mountains or valley low, Give you everything you've been dreaming of, Just let me in, ooh.’

Then she ran faster then, Start screaming, "Is there someone out there?" ‘Please help me’ ‘Just let me in, ooh.’

Heavily inspired by Alan Walker's "Lily", this AU follows a grimdark tale of Six, an unusual yellow raincoat wearing child who wants to roam free and explore despite her mother, The Lady's, protests of staying inside The Maw Kingdom's protective walls.

She befriends a mysterious giant who 'makes wishes come true'. Little did she know that her adventure unravels itself as a nightmare as time goes on. As she finds out the dark truth and runs from the Man in the Hat, she meets Mono, a young lumberjack. [They are young teens in this AU]

Together, the two must work together, and traverse the monster-riddled wilderness to make it back to The Maw Kingdom in one piece.

If you would like to take and expand on this AU, you’re free to take it. If anyone wants more ideas, I have a couple more that’s not in the description. My reasoning is the fact that I still have so many owned arts to finish, and I just needed to get this one out of my head before continuing on finishing all of my commissions. I really wish I could get to keep it and expand on it more, though.

that being said, hope you all enjoy this small doodle piece :]

P.s. can you all find the nomes? 

#little nightmares #little nightmares 2 #little nightmares thin man #little nightmares six #the thin man #six #nomes #little nightmares au #grimdark #fantasy #modern? #medieval? #idk :/ #forest #trees #black and white #hehe ln aus go brrrrrr #my brain didn't shut up about this until I finished it #so now I'm at peace lmao #I'M FREEEEEEEEE #I've nicknamed the Thin Man 'tree bark' on this au #my brain is so weird lmao

[tratserenoyreve]

Bit curious on what your thoughts were when you first saw The Thin Man. Even more so when you found out the truth. Something about their entire character just gets to me the most.

the Thin Man, or Man in the Hat, or Broadcaster, does not run. he doesn’t run at the player, he ambles. it’s a strolling pace, a steady and deliberate walk. his chase is only so frantic as the player realizes the Thin Man’s long strides, tho slow, are so far-reaching that they need Mono to sprint to have any hope of getting away. like a nightmare where, as you try to run, it feels like you’re going nowhere.

the Thin Man looks old and desaturated. A monochromatic statue of a person, an uncomfortable crick in his neck, pronounced cheekbones, and layers of bags under his eyes. as he follows Mono, slowly with sporadic blips into intangible shapes that flicker forward like a broken piece of film skipping frames to appear in a place he shouldn’t be in for ten more paces, there is a strong sense of wrongness and inevitability. he stops to tilt his head and just look at Mono as the boy desperately climbs into a broken wall to get away.

the air around the Thin Man is distorted, everything slows to a crawl the closer he gets to the player, and the sound of electronic feedback builds like there are two conflicting signals that, in proximity to one another, become unbearable noise. because, to Mono and the player, the Thin Man is very wrong.

if caught by the Thin Man, he examines the boy with a curious and unnaturally fast, twitchy, tilt of his head. Mono becomes less tangible the closer the Thin Man is and when in his grasp looks like he is fading away completely into static noise. (it’s not the only time Mono seems like he’s falling apart, approaching glitched remains or active televisions does similar)

i think the Thin Man is everything Mono fears, not necessarily the fear of growing up but the fear of being the thing that traps others, of being unmoving, of lacking hope. an inevitable crushing despair that says nothing will change for the better.

i don’t think it’s accurate to say Mono -is- the Thin Man, because Mono opposes the Thin Man directly. by the end of ln2 we lose Mono, it is only when he is abandoned and broken that he stops being Mono, he loses his name and identity. he loses his hope, represented by the color shift of the light within the tower, from a dreamy magenta to a dull cold blue as we see him “grow up”. Mono -can- become a Thin Man and that’s likely his worst nightmare.

i think i’ve talked a bit before about how Mono is protective, and how that description of protectiveness can be flipped and twisted into something harmful. the Thin Man, to escape a world that is cruel and hates him, hides behind the screen in isolation, one he chooses to remain in as we see as the camera zooms away from him that the door to the hall had been open that entire time and only just closes. the Thin Man, possibly thinking he is saving others from a cruel world, pulls them in to the Tower, where they will be “safe”.

there’s also something to be said about the pressure of roles in ln2, i kinda touched on when talking about the other adults you meet in Pale City. i think about how the devs have said Mono is and isn’t the Thin Man, at the same time. the Thin Man may have originally been an entirely different person, but the Tower needs another to fulfill that role, and Mono lost his drive to continue to fight that. or, Mono stops being Mono when he loses his hope.

#tratser replies to stuff #little nightmares #little nightmares 2 spoilers #0necro0pyro

[harborchild]

Harbor's AUs and OCs i guess

AUs:

Feral Children Colony- Six, after defeating the Lady, accidently crashes the Maw into the Forest/Wilderness' shores and the Children held captive break free an now theres jus a colony of feral children living in the wreckage of the Maw. this ones jus ment to be cute, RK lives cuz he was in the Hideaway when the Maw crashed, RK is the "leader" of the Colony because 1. nobody else wanted to and 2. he has experience from the Nomes. Six and Seven(RK) have an adorable protective sibling relationship, nobody knows if their actually related or not Tag: Feral Children Colony

Masked Six- this au exists because i really like the Rascal Mask and Six and Mono get to be mask buddies. the kids have their funky lil powers and are learning how to control and use them. Tag: Masked Six

Monster Friens- Mono an Six are both big signal tower Monsters but theyr still friens. RK is also there but hes still smol cuz he jus got snatched and he is very frighten. outside the Signal tower Shadow Six and Static/Shadow Mono ponder their funky new existance. Tag: Monster Friens

Pokemon- Six is a Mimikyu, Mono is a Phantump other than that its pretty much the same (if Mono's a phantump dose that mean Thin Man is a Trevnant?) The Maw is in a Giant Lapras Shell. Tag: LN Pokemon AU

Living Maw- where the Maw Itself is some kind of eldritch sea creature contained in a giant metal shell. occasionally peices of the hull fall off and expose the creature itself and also all the characters are creatures because i say so. it has a happy ending Tag: Living Maw

Littol Nightmares- i have no self control they are so smol and there are several of each of them. what is the term for a group of littl Sixes? a Poncho. and a Group o Monos is a Static. a Group of RKs is a Retreat (thanks to that anon for the lighthearted names nwn) i dunno theyr jus smol

Halloween AU- Magical and Spooky things happen around Halloween time. dolls, puppets and even static itself all comes to life!

Born of Blood- Six and Mono arrive at The Pale City, once a place of wonders and healing now fallen to ruin and Beasts, seeking a cure for Six's mysterious and painful sickness

Ghost Hunters- Mono can see (and Slightly Interact with) Ghosts, Six can pull her own Spirit out of her body to fight ghosts, RK is normal (no hes not thats a lie he has prophetic dreams) and RCG might know ghost-related magic, together they hunt ghosts!

Space Station AU- Six is a malfuctioing Repair Bot, Mono is a Secondary AI, both need to flee the stations that they are from, why not flee as a team? and why not collect more stray friends along the way?

OCs:

Crackle: (Any pronouns) Electric powred child who is the caretaker of The Harbor and child of The Generator

Matchstick: (She/It) Fire-Fond little girl, lives on the Maw, hair is naturally blond but is colored black with coal, Sibling to Petricor

Petricor: (He/Him) cannot say or spell his own name, very smol so so smol, baby, makes up stories about the places they explore, forgets they were makeing it up and gets upset about it, has survived purely off of stupildy dumb luck

The Inventor: (He/They/It) many armed very smart centipede man whos head is on backwards

Guise: (They/Them) Awful Creature. Rotten, empty little beast. a false child. Their own soul (or at least most of it) was stolen from them, leaving them acheingly empty and forceing them to take other's souls

Leech Prince: (It/They) kid who lives in the deepest darkest depths of the Maw, leeches dont attack them so they are the leech monach, can seemingly command the leeches

Scrunchy: (She/Her) lil nome. she cannot cook but nothing stops her from trying

The GateWalker: (Any Pronouns, They/Them prefrence) a strange little entity who cant remember who they were before they became the Gatewalker

Vernon: (It/They) cute little gremlin who dosent talk, but they do make critter noises! they like fruit and think Twig is cute!

Bagel: (He/They) Vernon's big bro! hes protective of Vernon and made a promise to protect them no matter what. He has heat powers and is resistant to high tempuratures! and wears a dragon-like mask!

Radio Kid: (He/It) Kid whos possessed by a Raido Frequency Entity whos got some grudges against The Signal

Shade and Fuz: (They/Them) a Shadow Kid and a Glitching Remain who are best buddies and also fused at the hand because theyr both ghostly and they held hands so much

H: (They/Them) Creature made by The Tower(hence the tv antennas and lack of facial features), lured away from the Pale City by The Maw, now serves the accursed ship, But is Friendly! I promise!

Grin: (It/Its) Gremlin born after the world fell appart, which resulted in their face being...strange. wears masks to hide their face. also got kicked out of home by its parent to "show it how the world is"

Reven: (They/He/It) Bird child, has wings, unknown if they can fly, lives in a graveyard and frequents an abbandoned hot topic with their flock or twisted ravens, throw rocks at people, and get chased. alot

Mosquito Kid: (it/he/she) Vampire, responds to any name directed at her, silent type, kills with little to no warning, constantly deadpan

Vector: (she/her) LOUD angery wasp child, has a poisoned stinger-dagger, you'll hear her coming, loud and screams and lots of threats of killing, often gets kills stolen from her by MK because shes so loud, also she has wasp wings

This List will prolly be updated. unless i can have some self control. which i dont. self control? whats that? a salad dressing?

#harbor rambles #feel free to ask questions #my brain it go zoom #Feral Children Colony #Masked Six #Monster Friens #LN Pokemon AU #Living Maw #Born of Blood #littol nightmares #ln halloween au #ln ghost hunter au #LN Space AU #little nightmares au #LN OC #OC Crackle #OC Matchstick #OC Petricor #OC The Inventor #OC Guise #OC Leech Prince #OC Scrunchy #OC Vernon #OC Bagel #OC Radio Kid #OC Shade and Fuz #OC H #OC Grin #OC Reven #Bug Kids

[eebie]

okay. i do need a beginners course. on little nightmares cuz like

i breifly know the lore bc i watched a fuckon of videos about it but now i forgot. so i just need alittle help like. where do i go to find out? and would you like to share some of your fav parts?

LN lore is like . kind of everywhere?? I got most of my ideas on the story just from watching gameplays of the games over and over and over and over and over and- well. you get the point. You can find out pretty much anything though here on tumblr. I wouldn’t recommend YT videos for theories or anything because they tend to be a little innacurate(? like. not fitting for the narrative of little nightmares. But some videos are good for timelines and stuff!) If you don’t want to spend the time watching/playing little nightmares and picking the game apart (like an insane person /j), I recommend just searching up #little nightmares theory on here. it‘ll give you a good idea about the story and lore! (You can also ask me about anything that‘s confusing you!! Or ask me about the general timeline for any of the games (except for VLN, since I don’t know much about that)

As for my favorite parts of the game … I just love the moments where Six and Mono actually get to be kids! It’s easy to forget that they’re still only children because they spend most of their time fighting for their lives. Like, the two of them playing with toys they found in the hospital? Six going off and exploring the playground right outside of the school area? Six and Mono jumping together on a piano for no real reason? I love those little moments not only because they’re more lighthearted, but also because it’s a reminder that even after all they’ve had to do to survive, they really are only kids. It’s also a little heartbreaking. And as for my favorite part or “chapter” of the game, I’d say it has to be the Tower section. The Tower is visually fascinating, what with all the strange anti-gravity things and easter eggs from other games. And, the final battle with the thin man was great storywise, but paired with the amazing soundtrack by Tobias Lilja, it was fucking amazing! I get so hyped when I listen to the song that plays during that scene… I also love monster six and music box. It really did come out of nowhere when I first watched a playthrough, and the whole ending chapter of LN was probably what sealed my interest in it. I was left with so many questions that I needed answered, and being a part of a fandom that felt the same way was a wonderful experience. I loved theorizing and seeing other people theorize about why certain things did and didn’t happen with a shared passion. It really felt like I was a part of a community! I guess that’s just the general vibe with smaller fandoms, though. Things are more closely knit.

Sorry, I got a little off topic… More about the tower section- it really shows one of my favorite of Mono’s characteristics. He’s so dedicated to protecting, or ”saving” Six that he will go to any lengths to achieve this. He’s so determined that, even when he knows what he’s doing is hurting Six, he’ll keep on going if he believes it’s the only way to protect her. One of his best traits simultaneously being one of his worst (that eventually leads to his own downfall) is just. SO GOOD. I could ramble about it for hours... I won‘t for now though, since this ask isn’t about that, and I’ve already talked for long enough KABFBAKDBAB

(I just realized I only talked about LN2. MY BAD LMAO!! I got carried away)

#hope i didn’t bore you too much with this…!! #my asks #beasties #little nightmares #god talking about this felt good . i didn’t realize how much I actually want to talk abt LN…..

[grim-faux]

Chapter Excerpt!

Mono doesn’t know a thing about the Thin Man, aside from books and he also steals other children.

__

This was all that was needed, and the kid was able to crawl loose of the ruble. The kid huddled on his knees breathing hard. Their ribs must have been pinned.

 “Not stay. Move.”

 Mono shook his head. He held fists against his hips, trembling from his shoulders to his knees. The Teacher frightened him. She put cold, dead things in jars – crammed them in tight. She made loud noises that vibrated through his ears and stung his joints. Her shoes scuffed and stabbed the floor, carving out sharp rivets. If she saw him—

 Tugging brought him back from the memories. The other kid plucked at the edge of his coat, pulling the side back to look at his pants. The kid wore an oversized shirt and stiff pants, the size of his clothing contrasted his twig like feet and hands. He couldn’t be younger than Mono, but he could’ve been bad at foraging.

 Mono bent down and hoisted the kid up by his elbow and shirt back, and let the kid lean on him until they had balance.

 The kid inched over further and sniffed at his shoulder. He was bleeding again. No surprise, since he’d fallen a few times and squeezed through a broken panel. They prodded at his wrapped head, maybe thinking that was hurt too. The kid was being soft and careful. He didn’t want to hurt Mono, he wanted to catch. Good to clear that up.

 Mono pushed him away and departed the wreck. It was possible the kid lived here, and he was protective of the area. His biggest concern was a whole pack.

 Wait!

 He twisted back to the child, causing them to flinch. Did they belong to the Thin Man? Is that why they came here? The Thin Man tricked Mono!

 With a shove, the other kid flew flat onto his back. The boy (he thinks they are a boy now), rolled over and crouched, staring up at Mono with glittery eyes. He couldn’t draw a mental image of the expression, but Mono didn’t care.

 “Shood leave in buried,” he hissed. “Not look’t you.” The kid tilted his head, as Mono marched by.

 Stupid. The Thin Man had his biz-ee, but Mono was chase. Couldn’t show the other kid, because Mono was the danger. Never trust Mono. Nothing was important. Secret thoughts and quiet watch.

 The other kid followed him now. Good! They would see the Thin Man, and he wouldn’t be the lie.

 Mono took in their surroundings on the way back to the other end of the long room. He and the kid stuck to the dark edges, though there was no indication of anything having entered from the door, or whatever other ways might be available to reach the chamber. He checked the other kid, following him, exploring around, but always kept near. Good-good.

 No windows, so the OK came in from a door, a vent, or a window. He wondered, if this was where the Thin Man left the OK. Did he keep Place safe? That was why he chased Mono. Made safe. Trick danger. Mono was danger, but the Other Kid didn’t know that. The thought made Mono smug.

 “Do speek?” he prompted, when they reached the door. The OK was under the table, staring up at the edge above his head. He gave Mono his focus, then looked around the room. “Make speek?” he rasped.

 The kid returned his attention and tipped his head. “Sss… speeeeek.”

 Mono nodded, and stood under the latch of the door. He put his hands together and brought his shoulders low, waiting. It doesn’t mean much that the kid came over and set his foot pad on his palms. That could mean anything, but it didn’t change the suspicion that this kid either had a pack, or lost a pack.

 When the kid dropped from the latch, Mono stepped closer to him and took the sleeve of his shirt. They could get that sorted later.

 The room was very dim by now, without the sharp haze drifting in through the large window. Intense whips of rain swept in from the broken glass and misted the floor below, along with the surface of the desk. No other noise permeated the drab room, the scratching hum of the static was absent, as with the delicate flipping of pages. The chamber sat empty and cold.

 Mono led the way around the big desk, still searching at the gloom for an imposing silhouette. Ran away. Or out searching for the Other Kid, since Mono went away.

 The other kid tugged him this time, and pulled him over to the door he and the Thin Man teleported through before. The kid stood beneath the latch and put his hands low.

 Mono sailed up and caught the handle. He adjusted his grip, but the lock didn’t click under his weight. Not until the OK jumped and caught his ankles.

 The door didn’t open. Once Mono was back on the floor, he studied the OK pushing the door… sideways? He shuffled in close with the kid and took the edge in his fingers tips, same as the kid was doing. With a lot of effort and grunting, the door ground sideways. Not by much, but they didn’t need a lot of room to squeeze through….

 Back into the open chamber and the fabric labyrinth.

#little nightmares #mono #the thin man #other kid #thin dad #little nightmares fanfic #little nightmares fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #new challenger approaches

[little-magical-banana]

As both a LN and an Undertale fan, I have had this idea floating around my head for months and finally decided to draw it. After much consideration and an unhealthy amount of procrastination, I managed to finish it. Now it's ready to be shared it with anyone unlucky enough come across it. I now present to you: the LN children and what I think their soul traits would be.

Six: 

Perseverance

At first I wanted to make her trait determination, but I felt that it was a bit too cliche to give the main character the strongest soul. So, after looking into her character for a while, I decided perseverance fit her perfectly. No matter what she has faced she just keeps pushing on and is currently the only playable character that has yet to die or give up. A perfect match for the purple soul.

Mono:

Justice 

A few of you would probably disagree with me on this but hear me out. When think of justice, I think of those who fight for what's right and dedicate themselves to protect others. I definitely see that in Mono, who has only killed an enemy when it was necessary or to protect Six. His official bio even states he is naturally protective of others and he is interpreted by the fandom to have strong morals and a pure heart. Even when he grows to be the Thin Man I see justice in him. After all, isn’t revenge a corrupted form of justice?

Runaway Kid:

Patience

Rk was difficult for me because I don't see much of his personality in the gameplay. However, a lot of the DLC requires patience, like when you're as sneaking past the janitor, collecting the nomes in The Hideaway, or being killed by the shadow children about fifty times. It is also one of my head-cannons that the nomes proclaimed the Nome King, and I would imagine they need a great deal of patience to care for.

The Girl in the Yellow Raincoat:

Kindness

I was a bit reluctant to give her this trait because she did lock Six out of the shed at the end of the VLN. However,  I eventually caved and let the personality the fandom gave her influence my decision.  RCG is often portrayed as a mature and selfless girl who takes care of Six as if she were her mother or older sister. She aslo rescued another kid while escaping from the Nest. So, with not much else to go on, I gave her the green soul.

#littlenightmares #undertale but just the soul traits #ln mono #ln six #ln runaway kid #ln raincoat girl #my first Tumblr post so bare with me

[just-a-little-nightmares]

LN2 Theory *Yet Again*

A/N: Now that I’ve read over this, I can see this being a personal headcanon of mine. So that’s what this is, but it can be seen as a theory as well.

This is a theory, so again, SPOILERS FOR LITTLE NIGHTMARES II

I’ve seen many people blaming either Six or Mono for the events that happened during Little Nightmares 2. Some saying Six is nothing more than a selfish girl of pure evil when she’s literally nine years old, other saying Mono was prideful and let his pride get in the way of his friendship which I can see but still they’re both a bit shaky. I’ve even seen a theory about the Thin Man and his part in this, which I agree wholeheartedly as the Thin Man plays a heavy part in the betrayal of Six (but that’s for another time).

But I haven’t seen many theories interpreting the Eye’s (Aka the Signal Tower Monster) role in all this, or at least not a heavy theory on it. Which is sad because I think the Eye is the main reason for all of this.

Think about it. The universe of Little Nightmares stars a world where your fears can become reality. Mono’s worst fear was being alone — shown in the comics when his friends and classmates were taken one by one and his instant friendliness towards Six despite living in a world where everything hates him — and his fear became reality as he was betrayed by Six and forced to grow up in a desolate signal tower where his only company is the very creature, The Eye, that trapped him there in the first place.

Six’s worst fear is possibly constantly being chased. I’m not able to find a lot of evidence for this that makes the most coherent sense, but in each of the three games in this series Six has been shown to always be on the run. In Very Little Nightmares she’s chased by The Butler. In Little Nightmares 2 she and Mono are both chased by The Hunter, the Teacher, the Doctor and then the Thin Man. In Little Nightmares 1, seems chased by the Janitor, the Twin Chefs, The Guests and finally the Governess of the Maw. Six is constantly being sought and chased after by things that want to kill her for no apparent reason, so the world corrupts her to become the chaser so she can protect herself from a world that hates her.

Both kids become the main piece of the very world they were trying to escape. And all of that is because of the Eye.

I haven’t seen many theories on it, so I’m going through this process with my own interpretation. I believe the Eye is responsible for the cursed world that is the LN universe. From the constant message of eyes shown through both Little Nightmares 1 and VLN, as well as the eye being inside the TV that Mono travels through to reach the Signal Tower, I believe the Eye needs acknowledgment of its existence to survive. It needs others to know it’s there, otherwise it’ll disappear from existence itself. So, it feeds off the fears of others, as in “you fear me therefore you know I’m there”, and creates some sort of loop within the world (or at least the people who inhabit it) to make sure their fears lead back to it. The viewers are enthralled by the TV, and creatures within the Maw like the Janitor and the Granny are interested in its signal as well.

The Eye uses the Signal Tower to access control and order throughout the world of LN. If it’s presence is acknowledged, and it’s feared, then it’s existence is saved.

However, there are certain people who want to disturb that order. Children like the children within the Pale City grow curious instead of fearful from the messages and signals of the Eye. Children like Mono and Six become brave as time goes on, even in a fearful world like this, their persistence and determination overpowers their fear of the Eye. That can’t happen. The Eye must survive.

So instead of making them fear itself, the Eye makes their personal fears comes true. It is able to alter the world around it (the entire Signal Tower is the Eye itself), so it alters what occurs throughout the story. Six befriends the RCG only to have her die and leave Six with trust issues believing it’s everyone for themself in this world otherwise they’re dead meat. She meets Mono, a boy who is alone and lost and will take any form of companionship. The Signal Tower amplifies Mono’s curiosity, which leads to him releasing the Thin Man despite Six constantly pulling him away. Six is to be captured by the Thin Man and placed in an illusion-filled room with all her favorite items, altered into a monster so she can’t escape.

The Eye uses something that Six loves to focus her attention away from Mono, aka the Musix Box. Six’s attention is entirely fixated on the music of the box, which in turn, is keeping her a horrific monster so she can’t escape. As long as Six loves the music box, she can’t leave. The abused protecting their abuser. The Eye now has the fixated attention of a person, and it’s existence is secured.

Until Mono comes and breaks the music box to free Six. They both run, and the Eye needs another placeholder in order to exist, otherwise the attention of the viewers is just going to fade away as even the viewers die over time. So it amplifies the emotion that Six feels now that her music is broken, leading to Six becoming angry with Mono and betraying him. Now that Mono is stuck, the Eye now has a placeholder and is free to exist. Mono grows up within the Signal Tower and becomes the next Thin Man.

However, the Eye is aware of the Circle of Life, and how people die once reaching a certain age. To prevent this, it creates a loop of Mono’s life, from his childhood to his adulthood. The constant stringer of this loop being Six’s betrayal, which leaves Mono to be the placeholder for the Eye’s survival.

All of the events that happen within the world is because of the Eye and its need to survive.

#headcanon #little nightmares #little nightmares ii #little nightmares 2 #ln2 #ln #little nightmares spoilers #spoilers for little nightmares #six #mono #thin man #signal tower

[akogami]

  I’m  watching  the  comics  again,  and  I  completely  forgot  that  Thin  Man  also  has  a  scene  on  one  of  them,  and  I’m  like,  having  a  lot  of  thoughts.  I  need  to  see  what  is  doing  the  static  kid  hiding  on  the  Hunter  chapter  again.

Also!  I  found  a  comment  related  to  this;  it  seems  that  Six,  Mono,  and  the  others  children  use  stuff  to  hide  part  of  their  eyes  to  protect  themselves  from  the  light  on  the  TV.  It’s  catching  my  attention  that,  and  only  after  this  kid  moves  the  fabric  on  his  eyes,  Thin  Man  grabs  him.

#( ⠀ ┊ ⠀ little mirror on the wall.⠀ ┊ ⠀ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑛 : 𝑛𝑖𝑘𝑘𝑖⠀ ）

[jubilantwriter]

Of Blood and Static

Chapter 7: I hope to see you soon one day.

(AO3)  (First)  (Previous)  (Last)

Word Count:  7059

////

She despises the loops.  The memories never seem to be wiped clean anymore, and her awareness only grows stronger as they continue to tear the cycles apart.  So of course the world would start lashing out violently.  Mono comes to rescue her from the Tower as he always does - bag missing and tinier than she remembers.  But he also seems… more different than usual.  Twisted and broken as she is, even her monstrous form can see the obvious signs of harm.

A severe limp.  Hand clutched to one side.  And blood.  Blood on the corner of his mouth, an ever growing haze clouding his eyes as he struggles to stay upright and conscious.  Brows furrowed in pain as the last of his adrenaline drains away.  He staggers forward and collapses against her form, almost comically sliding down her raincoat as she cries out in her broken voice.  

The music box is her treasure, her one comfort in this room- but no, no that's not true.  She pushes it aside for the moment and carefully cups the boy in her hand.  He's hurting, he needs help, he can barely move.  Thoughts and thoughts push through the haze of her mind, her moment of escapism fading away as she stares down at his broken body (a girl in yellow is falling falling falling into the ocean never to be seen again until a boy in olive is falling falling falling as he’s dropped into the abyss by her hand just as a man in blue is falling falling falling until he's broken into pieces, broken and mangled and bent in all the wrong ways and she screams screams screams-).  

Reality is always a harsh wake-up call, but it's the wake-up call she chases.  Safety means nothing if the little boy with the paper bag isn't safe with her.  The music box continues to play, but she pushes herself forward.  It plays and plays and plays and coaxes her to stay, won't she stay?  Please, please stay, it's so nice and safe here with no monsters in sight (except for her), and she’ll never have to worry ever again.  She’ll have everything she needs and more!

It's tempting.  So very tempting.  But the little boy gives a harsh wheeze, and her mind turns to Mono Mono Mono Mono he's hurting he's dying why why why why-

She breaks down the door with ease and shuffles her way out into hallways and doorways and more hallways with brightly colored lights, and she's lost, so very lost and Mono is dying, she has to get him out of here-

"Th-there."  He points feebly towards a door, and she follows his directions without a second thought.  The Tower shakes around her, annoyed by her attempts as they try to escape.  Each exit morphs the Tower around them as the walls turn to Flesh with eyes bulging out to watch their every move.  More hallways lead to more Flesh Walls protruding through the cracks.  Mono gives a wet cough as the Tower shakes around them until the walls become nothing more but Walls.

Her shuffling grows frantic as the Tower collapses around her, intending to trap them in this prison covered in ever-watching eyes (eyes, always eyes, always always always eyes watching, mocking them, and she hates them, she wishes they’d leave them alone, leave them ALONE-).  There's a bright light ahead of her and- the exit!  So close!  She forces her bent limbs to move faster, holds Mono closer, and she can feel the Walls closing in on her, grabbing at her and trying to pull her back even as she crawls ever closer to the exit-

But reality is harsh.  Just as she's about to make it through, the Walls collapse around her, pulling and dragging at her limbs as she screams and thrashes against it as Mono yells and feebly struggles and-

-disgusting, slick and fleshy, audible wet blinks that stare and convey a smugness she wants to destroy, the Walls pulse and slide and separate him from her grasp and she screams and fights as that tiny warmth-

No!

No!

Give him back!

She's spat out, gangly and monstrous and twisted with empty hands into an apartment too small for her size.  A music box follows after her like a taunt.

Play with this instead of the boy.

It's not the boy.

It's not Mono.

It’s nothing but a beautiful lie.

She screams as she smashes the music box with her bare hands, metal splintering with a wretched laugh, and it hurts, it hurts so much, like she’s being smashed into pieces, but it doesn’t hurt as much as having him ripped from her hands so easily, so she slams her fists down over and over and over again and she screams give him back, give him back-

Metal cuts into her hands as she screams.  The contraption is bigger than her now, her anger and rage cutting her out of the fantasy completely as she stands before the remnants of that saccharine dream.  And what does she have to show for it?  Only cold hands and broken sobs.

As she hugs herself, her Shadow appears before her, morose and quiet and a reminder that she has to keep going.  Her stomach growls, and her Shadow looks down at a poster by its feet before nodding to her.

Move forward and satisfy the Hunger.  It disappears without a word as Six approaches the poster with heavy, mechanical steps.

The girl travels and becomes a woman.  She becomes the Lady with her right hand man, the Caretaker.  He stands besides her, watching anxiously as she presses her palm uselessly against the glass.

Memories upon memories upon memories never prepared her for this.  The Tower did something to her Thin Man.  Did something that turned him more into a monster than he'd-

("...they took control of my prior iteration and turned him into more of a monster than he was ever meant to be.  Or perhaps, what he was always supposed to be, but could never fully realize.")

"...Caretaker."

"Yes?"

"How close are you to working things out with the Ferryman?"

"Well," he flips through his notebook quickly, fingers twitching nervously as he scans the pages, "it looks like he's confirmed the island is habitable, but he's unsure how safe it'll be and for how long-"

"It'll have to do."  Her voice trembles with an unrestrained emotion as her fingers curl on the screen.  She misses him terribly, so how dare they, how dare they.  "I will do what I can to bring back our dear friend."

"...Odd that he's our friend when I didn't get to meet him this time around."

“Yes," she says through gritted teeth, "a true shame."

"...Six?"

"Yes?"

He rests a hand on her shoulder, eyes glinting from under his bangs.  "Don't let them win."

Quietly, she removes her mask just enough.  Just so he can clearly see the fangs in her smile as she feels a familiar hunger for vengeance dig its claws into her being.

"I don't intend to."

The cycles end as they are to continue.  Mono is viciously, horribly, violently taken from her each and every time, and the Thin Man is no longer a familiar silhouette in the television screen who offers companionable conversation and eager hope for a change to come.  The Tower laughs at her efforts, laughs at how she tries to save the boy that had her imprisoned over and over again, laughs at her efforts of trying to take him back over and over again.

It laughs when she claws at the Flesh with broken nails, struggling and tearing at disgusting meat with bulging eyes as she tries to protect her friend, only to have him ripped away again and again and again.

It laughs when she pounds at the television screen with monstrous fists, distorted screaming shattering windows and destroying the device to pieces before she turns her rage onto the object that was supposed to calm her.

It laughs when she lashes out with her powers, too far away to harm the Tower itself, but still trying to somehow warp the television in her quarters and forcing it to work for her like how her friend once willed it to work, glass shattering and smoke curling into the air as she howls with anguished frustration.

The laughter is agonizing, echoing and repeating as she feels the lingering leers from the Eye, judgmental and chastising as if to accuse her, claiming it to be her fault.  If only she’d stay in her role, continued these torturous cycles without trying to escape like frantic rats trapped aboard a sailing ship.  If she were a lesser woman, she would have succumbed to the jeers aimed at her.

But she’s not.  She has no room for misplaced guilt when revenge quickly fills in the gaps that her anger and grief cannot.  A new goal arises besides their goal to escape, and she’s determined to see it through.

(They made a promise, and promises aren't made to be broken like this.)

When brute strength fails to work, when her hands are covered in too many scars to justify her failures, she turns to the plethora of books in her bookcase.  Pages and pages are turned at terrifying speeds as she searches for answers that the various grimoires may hide.  The Caretaker comes in with meals and reminds her to eat, to calm her Hunger lest it overtakes her, but she refuses in the midst of her research.  There is her cursed Hunger, but there is also her hunger that takes precedence over most everything else.  She will eat once she sees his face again, his silhouette, his familiar words rolling across the screen.  Her hunger motivates her to keep searching, keep looking, keep hunting.  

The only time she pauses is to make time for her Caretaker, pausing to speak with him and his discoveries, drinking in his presence before she loses him too.  They both make progress, inch by little inch, cycle by cycle.  Even with all the time in the world, she finds herself growing more frantic as the cycles continue and she sees less of the Thin Man that whispers from her broken memories.  Books are tossed about, left scattered on her floors as volume after volume fails to present her with the solutions she needs, the steps she could possibly take to free the Thin Man.  Piles mark the passage of each cycle, books left to gather dust as she abandons one shelf for another.  Her library is mostly scoured and it leaves her frantic with ever growing anxiety as the books continue to pile uselessly around her.  What was the use of collecting knowledge if it couldn’t aid her in her time of need?

Hope nearly escapes her as she grabs an old, worn out book too thin to be considered part of her usual collection of tomes.  She’s about to discard it, denounce it as useless as her eyes quickly skim the pages.  And then.  

A picture catches her eye - a description that’s so unlike what she’s used to reading fills her with a rare sense of hope.

A little breakthrough.  It’s an excitement she hasn’t felt since she was a child and had (found that little hat for Mono, the dingy sailor cap that looked like it had seen so many more better days before her little fingers plucked it out from under a desk and thought ah, perhaps Mono would like this little gift of hers) explored apartments with Mono looking for edible treasures left forgotten by the previous residents.  She glides gracefully to the Caretaker’s room, looking around once before kicking open his door rudely.  The man inside yelps in surprise, notebook dropping from his hands as she barges in and slams the door shut behind her.

“SIX!”  He’s already scolding her before she even gets a word out.  “I thought you grew out of doing that!  Don’t you remember the last time you did that you broke my door?!”

“Yes, and who replaced it?”

“I did!”

“Doesn’t matter.”  She brushes off his offended squawk and slams down a book on his desk.  Papers go flying everywhere as he yelps and runs about catching what he can.  Ah, just like the good old days of pestering one another endlessly.  

“Six!”  His offended yelling does nothing to stop her.  “For fuck’s sake-”

“Cursing already?  I haven’t even shown you my antics yet.”

“Your an-”  He sputters and looks at her wide-eyed from under his bangs.  “What have you done now?”

“To be more precise, what will I do soon?”  She quickly opens the book and flips to a bookmarked page.  Tapping on a picture brings the Caretaker closer as he leans in to see it better.

“...A charm?”  He leans back out and frowns.  “Since when were you into charms?”

“It’s not any charm, you ignoramus.”

“That’s a big word coming from a small person.”

“Shut.  It.”  She ignores his giggling in favor of looking over the charm.  It’s quite simple in design - a small pouch is tied up with a drawstring with patterns sewn into the fabric, the pouch holding something inside.  The book claims that it holds sacred inscriptions on paper in it but… 

“Hm, how old is this book?”  The Caretaker takes it from her and flips to the front, only to frown in disappointment.  “No year.”

“Does it really matter?”  She takes it back and opens it to the selected page.

“No, but also yes.”  He taps on the picture of the charm.  “The description says it holds sacred inscriptions, which typically means holy.”  The Caretaker glances at the shadows that curl around her feet as he continues.  “I don’t think there’s anything like that in this world anymore.”

“Then we’ll just have to make our own.”

“Six.”  He turns to her fully and braces his hands on her shoulders.  A knowing but sympathetic gaze keeps her from brushing his hold off.  “Your powers aren’t exactly like that.”

“I know that.”  Still.  Her eyes linger on the charm’s description, reminding her of that feeling of gentle, kind protectiveness that she’s ever been so blessed to feel not once, not twice, but thrice now.  It’s a well-meaning, warm feeling that she’s terrible at creating herself.  The dark arts are denoted dark for a reason, and everything about this charm is completely unlike her very essence.

Still.

("You're the spiteful spitfire who will last the longest out of all of us.  And we're depending on you to bare your teeth and fight when we can't."

"Who else would be strong enough to strongarm a change like this?"

If there’s anyone who could force the impossible to happen, a small voice says within her, it’s you.)

She takes hold of the Caretaker’s sleeve and tugs in that childish way she hasn’t done in years.  Begs for his attention in the smallest of actions even when she already has all of it.

“Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.”  The sound of mirrors shattering echo in her memories of loops upon loops upon loops of fighting.  “Maybe all I have to do is make my fire the stronger one.”

He squeezes her shoulders with a nod.  "Alright, but don't burn yourself in the process."

"I will do what it takes to take him back."  Still, she reaches up to give his hands a reassuring squeeze.  "But I promise not to destroy myself in the process."

"Good."  He smiles and pulls his hands off her shoulders.  "Whatever it is you figure out, please don't test it out on me."

"No promises."  Ignoring his aggrieved sigh, she picks up her book just as he pulls his notebook out and flips through the pages.  Come to think of it, how much farther has he gotten with his discoveries?  She teleports behind him in a single blink and tiptoes to see over his shoulder.  The notebook is opened to a page filled with scribbles that look... more like entries than the usual diagrams and notes she's used to seeing.  The phrase "Thin Man" catches her eye as it repeats over the page, and-

The Caretaker snaps the notebook shut with a barely restrained shriek and glowers at her over his shoulder.  "Don't.  Do that!"

"What are you reading?"

"None of your business."

Hm.

"You mentioned the Thin Man a lot in your entries."  She tilts her head to the side.  "Were those past ones?  You haven't gotten the chance to meet him yet-"

"Yes I was rereading old entries for very important, specific reasons related to- you know, to our freedom, so stop being a bother and get out!"  He points to his door as she giggles behind him.  "You have your... tasks to do that I’m sure are just as important!"

"You're blushing."  A guffaw nearly escapes her as she pokes his cheek.  "Please tell me, why are you blushing?"

"Hhhggh- out.  Now!"  He grabs her by the back of her kimono as she squawks in protest - he's wrinkling the fabric! - and practically tosses her out of his room.  "Shoo!"  The door slams in her face as she straightens up with a prim "hmph", the book safely tucked under her arm as she makes her way back to the quarters.  Whatever secrets he keeps in his notebook, she'll be sure to suss out later when she has the time.

For now though.

For now, she needs to go through her collection of old kimonos and fabrics in hopes of finding something suitable for her charms.  There's no telling how many she'll need to make before she gets it right, but she's willing to dedicate as many loops as possible to make her plan work.  

Time has never been one to run out on them.  This she knows from experience.  But as each day drags on, as each moment passes with no change, the anxious feeling builds and crawls under her skin.  The buzz of static that should be familiar no longer sounds in her quarters.  Instead, the snip-snip-snip of scissors takes up the empty space as she carefully sews and stitches and creates these little pouches meant to hold blessings.  It's a shame they cannot do what they're meant to do.

It would have made her life easier if she truly could make a ward to fend off evil spirits and energies, or even to just cast a protective spell.  But the nightmarish world they live in fails to allow such liberties to exist.  She takes up a brush and tries still to make some sort of protective inscription.  She takes up the needle and tries to sew a pouch to hold such hopes and well wishes.  She takes up an art that was never meant for her, still trying and persevering.

Despite all her hard work, despite replicating the pouch and its design to near perfection, the charm refuses to work as intended.  No matter her intentions, no matter how hard she tries to dampen the darkness inside her, dark magic will always be dark magic.  Her power taints the paper and instead houses a destructive force that would rather harm the holder than protect it.  But still she tries and tries and tries.  Against all odds, she fights to work with cards dealt to her.

Dark magic cannot be used to protect - it works better to destroy, to manipulate, to change.  But such things have workarounds.  For instance: those nomes that shamble about her ship.  True, they never will resemble the little children they used to be and are doomed to a life where communication is near impossible, forced to labor away until a paradise is found for their hopeless little lives.  But there’s a little twist to their story -  they will never be hunted by adults ever again.  Otherwise ignored by the forces that would have killed them at a single sighting, these little creatures can live an otherwise safe life, so long as they stay out of the way.

A twist.  It's all she can depend on as she imbues the small sheet of paper with her power.  The power to drain the lifeforce of anything around it.  This tiny sheet is dangerous - it could drain the holder's lifeforce if she's not careful.  Her little Guests are proof of that as she watches them writhe uselessly at her feet, charm clutched in their disgusting, meaty hands as she tests it out on them.  With each fallen Guest, she adjusts the potency of her little “charm” and tries to make it focus on a specific type of energy.

The Signal Tower works on frequencies that are otherwise untouched by her.  But the insides are just as fleshy, just as meaty as any other living creature.  It is both alive but not - a paradox she can exploit, much like how the loops have constantly exploited herself and the Thin Man.  One little charm won't be enough to kill an entire building, but it may be enough to weaken the surrounding area enough to prevent whatever brainwashing or mental torture it could inflict on her Thin Man.  The next problem she has to fix is the duration - it has to last for as long as possible.  Past the midlife of a loop, until the end of their lives.  A quick drain, one she's accustomed to, won't work.

It needs to be a slow, gradual drain.  And it needs to be focused on one particular entity to keep it from harming the children.  There's no way of knowing if it will work unless she tosses one of her Guests into the Signal Tower's domain, or if she somehow manages to attach it to one of the Viewers in the Pale City just before they are sucked in.  But it feels like she's running out of time - each minute passes by her like a haunting whisper, a silent taunt that she may never save her dear friend from his fate, and that they will forever be stuck in the loops as a result.

Her final product is nothing short of simple - made from the brown fabric of her kimono, the golden thread she manages to find is used to very carefully stitch in the characters that she's seen in her books.  "Safety" is what she hopes it denotes.  The back of the pouch has her mask embroidered in.  Whether it can heighten the power of her charm, or simply to show the Tower just whose power is slowly draining it from the inside, she doesn't care.  All that matters is that the little boy is protected to an extent.  Perhaps the life force or energy taken by the Tower will be directed to him; perhaps it will help in keeping him lucid enough to fight off the Tower's influence.  Or perhaps it will help in building some form of resistance against the Tower if he has some of her power within him.  No matter what, all that matters to her is that the boy grows into a man who can keep his wits about him.

Of course, the charm is big for a child, but she accounts for this and makes the little drawstrings into straps of sorts so that he could choose to wear it on his back (under his coat, if he has the sense to do that), keeping it like an extra layer of protection.  The little charm sits innocently on her palm.  

Perhaps this will do it.

The last thing she needs to do is find a way to actually get the charm to the boy.  Pocketing the tiny thing, she finds herself once again barging into the Caretaker's room without a care.  He startles with a yelp, notebook juggled in his hands before he catches it with a relieved sigh.  The old thing is tattered around the edges, but the leather bounding looks carefully maintained, almost lovingly so.  If she could count all the tallies he's made, would she be able to figure out how long they've been at this impossible task already?

"Six?"  Irritation drops from his posture as he looks over her form.  "Is something wrong?"

"I'm at an impasse."  She presents him with the charm and wonders if she needs to give him context.  How many loops have passed?  Just a few?  More than that?  Less than?  Keeping track was never really her thing.  "I don't know how I'll get this in the hands of the boy."

"Hm."  The Caretaker steps forward and takes the charm from her hand.  "A charm?  Ah."  He keeps it looped on a finger as he quickly flips through and scans his notebook.  With a nod, he closes it and puts it away.  "It wouldn't be easy for us to simply go on land and hand it to him."

"If only."

"But."  He smiles as he hands it back to her.  "We can certainly try mailing it out."

"To the boy?"

"No.  To Roger."

"Why him?"

"My notebook tells me that the Thin Man once told me a story of how he, as a child, handed a package to a resident in the Pale City.  It was one of the few times a resident didn't try to kill him.  Likewise, when I am working with Roger, he's ah, said to me, so to speak, how he got here.  A little messenger gave him a package from the Maw that told of his accepted employment."

"Oh I do recall sending a package out to him long ago."  Replacing employees she killed as a child was always quite the surreal feeling.  "Even with you around, we still need a Janitor.  Or maybe I should mean, especially with you around."  She gestures to his disorganized room with a poorly hidden chuckle.

"Uh huh."  He rolls his eyes at that before turning back to his desk.  "I suggest we keep the charm with the package and leave a note for Roger.  Tell him to hand the charm to the little messenger as a tip for his services."

"Do you think it'll work?"  She wanders over to the Caretaker's side as he sits down to write the note. 

"I don't see any other option."  He takes out his brush and quickly writes it out.  After the ink dries, he folds the letter up and puts it in an envelope.  She places the charm into his waiting hand and watches as he drops it in with the letter.  "Only thing we can do now is hope it works.  And if it doesn't, we try again."

She takes the letter from him and holds it against her chest.  All bets were on Roger now, and if the monster was anything, he was at least... reliable, to put it simply.  The Caretaker quickly scribbles something down in his notebook before waving her away.  

"I suggest getting that package made ahead of time before our time's up."  He looks up from his writing and smiles.  "Methinks the clock's already begun to tick on my end."

As his words sink in, her heart sinks as well.  Her glide forward has her embracing him close, mask buried in his hair as she sighs.

"How can you be so calm about your death?"

"How can you be?"  Always like him to deflect.  Still.  She hugs him closer and refuses to let go for as long as she can.

A few days later, after she has the package ready with a note to her future self to mail it, she sees a familiar blue blur fall past her with a chilling scream.  A glimpse over the railing has her finding his broken form splayed out in a growing puddle of blood.  She'd think that after experiencing loops of the same tragedy, she'd have run out of tears to shed.

But things always manage to surprise her as her hands reach shakily under her mask to feel the moisture that gathers underneath it.  Soon enough, her loop ends without a whisper from her Thin Man as she closes her eyes in tears. 

The loops continue as they are wont to do.  Very little changes as they go on.  Mono still gets beaten and bruised beyond what his little body can cope with.  The Thin Man still remains silent and unreachable beyond the screen of her quarters.  But Six notices the differences.  

Or at least, her Shadow does.  The little thing whispers in the Lady's head as she continues about her business, fashioning a new charm as per the notebook in the Caretaker's hands, as well as the Shadow's little guidance.

Bits and pieces of memories help guide her hands through the motions, her sewing fervent and desperate as she bites her lip.  Each attempt is aided with a little change the Shadow had noticed - he walked without a limp, he could drag the hammer, he could manage a single sentence.

Small victories, but not enough to make it end.  Still, the Shadow continues to list each accomplishment. 

"He managed to walk by himself to the bridge this time," the Shadow whispers, filled with childish hope and confidence.  

The memory of a boy holding her monstrous hand as his staggers fill her mind, and nothing of the scene fills her with that same amount of hope and confidence.  Instead, it fills her with a heartbroken pain as she recalls how his hand slipped from hers, how he tried to push and save the monster that she was with a pained smile before the Walls claimed him again.  The Flesh had crashed down on him, stealing him from her yet again even as she cried and screamed for him, hands desperately clawing at the Flesh before she was tossed out unceremoniously.  He hadn’t even tried to reach out for her, didn’t even ask for help.  As always, Mono’s main goal was to protect her and never himself.  How the Shadow cries with excitement at such a scene leaves her wondering how much it has seen to find this cause for celebration.  

"It's working!"

"But not enough," she mumbles to herself, mask removed so that she can bite the thread off.  The pouch is put aside as she reaches for the paper and ink.  As soon as the writings are inscribed, she focuses all her energy and power and spite into the sheet, teeth bared and gritted in anger as she channels all that rage into the sheet.  Take her friend away from her, and she'll take more from the Tower.  More and more and more until the boy can grow into a Man, a Thin Man who can fight back against whatever torture the Tower puts him through.  Shadows dance and swarm around the page as she forces the essence into the paper.  More and more and more.  She puts more and more into it until she can practically feel the cursed energy that drips from the paper.  Quickly, she folds it up and slides it into the pouch.  As she's about to tie it off into its signature straps, she grips it tightly in her fist and imbues it more with her dark magic.

Just in case.

Another sheet of paper is grabbed as she quickly scribbles out the familiar note for Roger, setting up the letter and package necessary for the Janitor's employ.  It's gotten to a point where the motions of setting up the package are as familiar to her as going through the motions of killing the Hunter, or being caught at the school, or burning the Doctor alive - now it's preparing the package for the Janitor she will later kill as a child.  A weary sigh escapes her as she slumps undignified in her seat.

How long must they keep this up without him?  The thought of leaving him behind in pursuit of their freedom disgusts her and feels too unlike the guilt that still lingers in the back of her mind.  Even without asking the Caretaker, she knows he’ll refuse the concept as well despite having never met him in loops.  But how long can they keep this up?  What if they run out of time before the Eyes try to disrupt them more aggressively?  What if they have more to contend with than the Maw jostling itself violently, or the Tower destroying and manipulating a boy into a monster?  Whispered memories from repeated conversations with children whose names she will never know remind her of the other monsters that still linger out there in the world.  What if they come to ruin everything they’ve struggled to prepare so far?  What if, in the name of survival, in the name of their sought after freedom, they have to-

A loud bang startles her out of her reverie however as the Caretaker howls with excitement.  She quickly covers her face with her mask as the Caretaker closes the door behind him.

"Six!"  He practically barrels into her as he grabs her by the shoulders, pulling her out of her slump and onto her feet.  "Six, I think I will die today!"

"Could you not be so enthusiastic about your death?!"

"I think I'm allowed to, given the news I have for you!"  He pulls her away from her desk and drags her towards her bed.  Once he sees her seated reluctantly, he pulls out his notebook and plops down next to her.  With a wild speed, he flips through pages before settling on a rough sketch of an island.  Bushes and trees that look to be laden with fruits grab her attention, but more so is the sketch of the monster- man, who continues to take her younger self to the Maw.  The same man that the Caretaker has taken detailed correspondence with.  The Caretaker jabs at the sketch enthusiastically.  "We found it."

She straightens up as the soft voice in her mind coos with excitement.  "The safe haven?"

"More or less."  He shrugs as though it can't be determined, but the hopeful gleam in his eyes says otherwise.  "The Ferryman finally found the island.  A place for children that is safer than whatever it is the Maw has to offer."

No adults.  No monsters.  Food for as long the little ones may need.  

"Home," the little voice breathes out like a saving grace, "a real home."

"What about shelter?"  She hates to rain on his parade, but she knows that even with food and the lack of adults, the children can only manage so much on their own.  "It's a bare island with only so much."  

"I'm going to try and smuggle items down to the drop-off."  He turns to another page where a list is compiled among the tallies.  Blankets, pillows, tarps, buckets, even spare basins-  "Children are clever.  I'm sure they'll be able to figure something out with these."

"It can last for only so long," she murmurs, and she recalls the books in her library that are otherwise untouched.  "Perhaps, a few of the books may have something about survival in the wilderness."

"I've checked."  The Caretaker shakes his head but lacks any disappointment despite his declaration.  "Nothing in your library except the dark arts and manuals for running the Maw, books of old traditions long since gone-"  He pulls torn out pages from the back of the notebook and reveals diagrams of baskets and techniques for weaving.  Her eyes quickly glance over the pages, her excitement still bubbling despite the words of doubt that pour from her mouth.

"But there's no guarantee that the children will have bamboo-"

"They can improvise.  See what they have and do what they can."  He stows the papers and the notebook to take her hands, squeezing them tight.  "Everything is set.  All I have left to do is try and sneak as much as I can off the Maw before I die.  And while I do that, you focus on the Thin Man."  His eyes soften at the mention of a man he's never gotten to meet in… so many loops.  "You always talk so highly of him, and my notebook has pages and pages of entries that make me wish I could remember those conversations I once shared with him.  He sounds kind, funny.”  A sad smile crosses his features as he fails to grasp the kind of nostalgia the Lady carries.  It’s unfair, truly.  The two men must have gotten along before in the past - apparently when she wasn’t around to witness it much to her chagrin - but having to read about it and never really know what it’s like to be graced by a presence they both yearn for…  “I'd really like to meet him again one day."

She squeezes back, her mind set and determined as she meets his gaze.  "I'll ensure it.  I just need to keep trying.  We're so close, I can feel it."

"Good."  He pulls her into a hug and digs his fingers into her kimono.  "I want to finally be free of all these tragedies." 

She buries her face into his shoulder and clings just as tight to him.  "We'll make it.  I want to know what it's like to live."

A sigh escapes him as they remain like that.  Precious minutes tick away, and she takes the moment to reeducate herself of his warmth, his scent, the way he huffs when he doesn't want to let go, a habit he's never grown out of since they were children.  Hugging always seemed to soothe him, and letting go was always something he loathed to do.

No wonder the children took so quickly to his comforting presence.

Ever so reluctantly, they pull apart, and he reaches over to readjust the pin in her hair carefully.  "There," he says with a huff, "now you look as regal and elegant as you should be."

"Try not to let the Maw kill you off so soon."  She takes his sleeves and tugs on them lightly.  A soft chuckle escapes him as he pulls her into another embrace, tucking her head against his neck with a sigh.

"I'll try not to."  He rocks them back and forth on the bed, humming lightly as they take in each other's warmth.  How did she manage to survive these loops without the Caretaker's comfort nearby?  There is no doubt in her mind that being so close to him has made her softer, but.

Perhaps this softness is what changed her from wanting to stick with that sorry excuse of "survival", and made her crave for something more.

Something just as soft as the Caretaker's smiles and warmth.  Something that could be shared with another person.

She closes her eyes and hums with him.  Whatever time she has with him, she'll take.  

The clock ticks on, and the loop continues.

He falls, as he always does.

But not before she notices that the nomes have diminished in number.

A little girl in yellow stands above her, anger radiating from her as she screams and roars at the Lady in tears as blood drips from her mouth.  The Lady smirks, and hopes that the anger festers in the little girl as a boy in blue drags her away, a power newly inherited within her soul.

The loop ends as it begins, and the new Lady of the Maw comes across a package so drenched in dark magic that she nearly drops it from the sting.  Still, at the behest of that small voice in her mind, she sends it out and continues her task of growing stronger, more powerful, pieces of memories falling together quickly as she recognizes the picture for what it is.

More and more and more.  That's what she does until her fingers bleed from how often she still manages to prick herself on the needles.  Scraps of fabric litter her room, kimonos snipped to pieces as mannequins lie bare in another room.  The stench of ink permeates the air as her brush continues to write character after character, stroke after stroke.  Her motions move with a remembered fluidity, nothing like the mechanical actions she took to arrive at the Maw.  There’s an importance to what she does, a quiet desperation that pours into her work as she puts her hopes and prayers into this tiny little thing she creates over and over again.  Her fingers sting, little drops of blood mingling with ink as she carefully makes the straps for a charm that is yet to be sent out.  Dark magic flows into it, flows until it overflows, flows until she grits her teeth and growls, flows because she won’t stop, can’t stop, not until he’s safe again, not until he’s safe with them, and she pushes and pushes and pushes until-

Suddenly.

In the corner of her quarters, where a television is left almost forgotten for decades and decades and decades.

It turns on.  And an unfamiliar but familiar hum of static greets her.  The charm falls from her grasp.  It barely makes a sound as it hits the floor, the Lady rising up slowly from her work area with shaking breath.  A wordless cry escapes her as she rushes over and presses her hand against it as familiar habits resurface.

Wait.  Wait and watch as the signal tunes itself.  The static turns and straightens out into an image.  She holds her breath as the screen twitches and stutters, as if threatening to end this little moment before it can begin.  But of course, her old friend is oh so very stubborn.  The screen refuses to shut off, continuing to persevere as the image fights to straighten itself out.  With a low, tuning whine, the screen makes a soft pop as finally the television does as it is supposed to and.   

And there.  In the middle of the screen.

There sits the familiar silhouette of a familiar man.

A sob escapes her as she presses her masked forehead against the glass.  Fingers curl in a half attempt of grasping a hand she's only felt in her childhood.  No hand presses back against the screen, but warmth still radiates from the screen as the figure straightens with awareness.  Alert.  Present.

Words pop up beneath the figure, and she nearly collapses from pure rapture as she shrieks her ecstatic sobs.

"Hello, Six."  

Warmth.  So much warmth.

"Mono...!"

She has her beloved Thin Man back.

#little nightmares #little nightmares 2 #ln lady #ln thin man #ln runaway kid #ln six #ln mono #YOOOOO WE GOT ONE MORE CHAPTER (?) LEFT TO GO #man can you believe i almost posted this as an entire #chapter by itself #just one whole one shot #i have more words but i'll save it for the finale