Oliver Tree - Joke's On You! Lyrics

Part 1
Part 2
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...I’ve lost them.
The Shadow Falls cast are gone, and it’s my fault.
I need to know why.
Why them?
Why them, Belle?
Out of everyone I’ve ever loved, why them?
…
I know I’m late posting, I’m sorry. I haven’t had time to use the phone. Every day has been Boxing Day, according to Belle, and I’ve been reliving the same fucking day, over and over again. Like I’m stuck in some crappy Hallmark Christmas movie. You’re probably wondering what’s been going on, and I’m going to tell you. Just don’t expect it to be well-written because my hands are shaking like crazy.
The police aren’t coming. I know that now. I know that I’m stuck here, and you’re the only ones who can help me. I know she’s reading this, and I know what I write does not faze her in the slightest.
Belle knows she has won. My best friend has me exactly where she wants me, trapped in her own perfect world where every day is Boxing Day, and the Shadow Falls cast are my wind-up toys.
She’s fulfilling a dream I’d had as a kid, ten years too late.
In the most horrifying way she can think of.
Every wish I ever made to Belle, whispering in her ear at my eighth birthday party, or under the covers at slumber party’s when it was just the two of us, was for my own music box just like hers.
Mom could never afford one like Belle’s, so every time I had the chance to wind one up, I would treasure the moment the ballerina would rise in all of her glory, her mechanical arms arching above her head to the melody of the Nutcracker.
The memories are vague, but I can see myself, seven years old, squealing with glee on Belle’s pink fluffy rug while she practised clumsy pirouettes in front of her mirror.
I remember obtrusive thoughts pricking the back of my seven-year-old mind as I stared transfixed at the music box, my eyes following the tiny silver statue rotating clockwise.
It would be so easy to take it, stuffing it in the pocket of my parka when Belle wasn’t looking. It was small enough, and I’d hide it under my pillow. Belle had so many of them, each one lined up on her shelf. She wouldn’t miss that particular one. But I never took it.
I would never steal from Belle, taking something she loved. So why… why did she do that to me? Why did she take something I loved? Killing it. Purging it of everything.
Ripping away its humanity, until it was nothing.
UNTIL IT WAS NOTHING.
NOTHING.
THEY’RE NOTHING.
I’m… I’m sorry.
I’m probably not making much sense. This is all type-vomit, but it’s comforting to talk to you.
I want to tell you what’s happened to them. I want to tell you their fate as of now. But I have to go back to when I last updated and tell you from there. There’s so much to say, and I don’t have much energy. Belle could stop me from posting anytime she wants, but it’s all part of her game.
Everything is. The kidnapping and murder of the cast of my favourite show, and then their conversion. The fact that Belle is not the only one involved, but so many others, a whole network of people who did this to them. To me. I want to tell you that they’re okay, but I can’t. I want to tell you that they’re dead, to give some kind of closure. That’s what they deserve, right? Closure. Again, though. I can’t. It’s not my place to say it right now.
Because what else am I supposed to say? How do I even begin to describe what I saw?
…Anyway, I guess I’ll get started.
After I updated you, and then tried the police, only getting the exact same frustrating response, the phone went dead. There was no charger in Belle’s room, so I lay on her bed and screamed into her pillows until my throat was raw.
I don’t know how many Boxing Days passed. That’s what I call them now. They’re not days. They’re Boxing Days. Because every single morning, Belle blasts that fucking Wizzard song from 7AM to 3PM which is all kinds of ironic. It drives me insane, but I’ve learned to block it out. I’ve also learned the lyrics, so sometimes I just sit there unconsciously mouthing them to myself.
For you, Christmas ended weeks ago. You’ve probably put away your tree and decorations, welcoming a new year. For us, however, we are still teetering on the edge of 2020. For me, Christmas does not end, no matter how much I beg Belle to stop and listen, just listen to me. I used to be able to do it.
When she was mad or upset, I’d wrap my arms around her tightly and tell her we were best friends, and that she would always have me. Forever. I’m starting to think that she took that literally.
For the first few days I was completely alone, and I expected noise from downstairs. But it was silent. I didn’t know whether to be grateful or terrified. Belle said she was going to activate Freeplay with my so-called dolls. Except when I pressed my ear against the door during those blissful hours when there wasn’t Christmas music blasting, there was only silence.
Maybe I’d hear Belle let out an exaggerated laugh, but nothing from the Shadow Falls cast.
I spent most of my time banging on the door screaming obscenities and demanding answers, choking out the same questions until my chest was heaving, until I was trying and failing to kick the door down. I wanted to know what Freeplay was. Belle had a remote, as well as an instruction manual which meant she could control them. How though, I had no idea. Who had made the manual? It was obvious that my best friend wasn’t the only one pulling the strings, and from what had seemed like Asher King’s last words before he was turned into a mindless doll, he had been talking to someone who wasn’t Belle.
The actor’s words haunted the back of my mind; the way his body had flailed in my arms, vacant eyes staring into oblivion. I couldn’t get his blood off my hands, no matter how hard I tried, forcing them under a violent stream of boiling hot water in Belle’s en-suite. I scrubbed until my skin was raw, until I was slamming my fists into fancy porcelain.
It wouldn’t come off, which was crazy. Blood always washed off. I had watched my tearful teacher scrub frog guts from Belle’s crimson hands when I was a kid, and she’d mutilated the poor thing.
I remember the spot in the playground where she had been. Everything was back to normal the next day. Like Belle’s hands, there was no traces she had ever done something so horrific. She was back to being perfect little Isabelle Dalton, and all the red, the startling crimson decorating her hands, and the playground, and Mrs Brown’s dress and face, were gone.
Blood was easy to wash away. Belle had taught me that.
Asher’s blood was different; it caked my fingernails, painting the flesh of my palm like it was another of Belle’s tricks. Even after spending hours vigorously scratching and scrubbing at my hands, my flesh was still stained a whole other shade of red. Not the kind of red I was used to, which was different to the frog guts, or the times I’d cut open my knees when I fell over my bike’s handlebars. It shouldn’t have been different though. Asher wasn’t different.
He might have been a celebrity figure, sure. But he was still human. He was like everyone else. I couldn’t stand it. Knowing he was covering my hands, knowing his last words. Knowing he was gone, and I couldn’t fucking get him back.
Belle had taken him and turned him into my childhood wish. I don’t know how many times I fell apart, trying to find comfort in anything to shut my brain up. I hugged Kayla the unicorn. I threw her at the wall and screamed at her.
I pretended she was Belle and asked her the questions that were whirring in the back of my mind, demanding to be answered. But she just stared back at me with her lifeless beady eyes.
On one of those particular Boxing days, I can’t remember which one, I wasn’t woken by Christmas music.
Consciousness came slowly, gentle, almost like I was swimming, taking my time to break the surface. The sheets were warm and comforting, my head nestled against what felt like feathers. It was almost like an in-between place, that calming place between wake and sleep, where it was my decision, my choice whether or not I wanted to be fully awake. I’d spent countless Boxing days waking to the same song, and when I slipped into reality, I waited for it to hit my ears in all of its horrifying glory.
Except there was no music. Instead, however, there was frenzied knocking. At first I thought I was imagining it. Curling into myself, I squeezed Kayla the unicorn to my chest and squeezed my eyes shut. It wasn’t real, I told myself. Not real.
That was until I heard his voice. I knew the accent so well; the playful Aussie twang in his voice which I was so used to being bright and filled with laugher. The voice was his. I knew it was, but I thought he was dead. Oh god, I was so sure.
I was so sure, like Asher, he was gone. It wasn’t his voice, really. Like the others, there was a robotic tone to it, like a text to speech program. I should have ignored it. And yet his monotone cry filled me with ice, tearing me from the mind-fog that had enveloped my mind for days. Before I could think logically, examining my hands still stained crimson, a sure sign that Tanner’s castmate’s blood was still all over my hands, I was out of bed before I could help it, on unsteady legs, my heart in my throat.
“Delilah!”
Another frantic knock. “Delilah, help!”
Swallowing hard, I forced myself over to the door, my trembling hand grasping the ornate handle. I couldn’t breathe, my chest aching. “Tanner?” I found myself whimpering. Squeezing the handle tighter, I shivered and bit back a sob.
“Tanner, is that you?”
A pause, before Tanner let out a sharp breath. “Yes! Let me in, Delilah!” It sounded like he was slamming his fists into rich mahogany, scraping at the wood. “Del, she’s coming. You need to open the door for me, okay? We need to get help.”
He was breathless, and I could hear every one of them. I could sense him leaning against the door. “Please.” He whispered.
Something snapped inside me, and I nodded, biting back a shriek. Without thinking, I twisted the handle, and it stiffened in my hand. I tried again, but it still didn’t budge. Locked. “I can’t open it.” I managed to say with the gutter of my throat.
“What?!”
I don’t know what it was, a rush of hysterical laugher climbing my throat, mixing with stale vomit.
“The door’s locked!” I hissed back. Hot tears were splashing down my cheeks and I couldn’t stop them. I couldn’t move, my feet glued to Belle’s carpet. I wanted to believe Tanner was there. Alive. Conscious.
I wanted to believe that Tanner Lockhart was slamming his hands into the door. But a thought had bloomed in the back of my mind, burying all those hopeful thoughts before they could take effect. I shook my head and bit my lip. Stumbling back, my legs were clumsy, but I held myself.
Instead of talking to the actor, I exhaled a sharp breath and forced out a shaky laugh.
“Really, Belle?” my voice trembled, no matter how hard I struggled to keep it firm.
“If you want to talk to me, you don’t have to resort to using Tanner as a puppet.”
“But it’s fun!” Belle’s voice was like wind-chimes. “I thought you liked his voice!”
Pressing my lips together, I ignored her words.
There were times I told her how much I liked Tanner’s accent. The way he spoke. I sent her videos of him, spending hours talking about how in love I was with the way he said certain words.
I wanted to go back and strangle that version of me. Everything I’d told her, she’d remembered it; I said Luce reminded me of Wendy from Peter Pan, and Asher’s hair was far too long.
I sent her paragraphs insisting that Carolina and Asher would be a great couple, and Tanner suited freckles. Every flaw I picked and moaned at like the obsessive fan I was, Belle had taken it seriously.
“Open the door.” I spoke calmly. “We should talk, Belle.”
“What about?” Belle giggled.
“Just open the fucking door.”
She didn’t reply, and the door swung open. Belle was standing in her usual pastel pink night clothes, her mess of blonde curls hanging in crazed blue eyes. She was looking less and less like my best friend as the days went by. As much as I wanted to tackle her right then are there, I glimpsed the familiar curve of black melded into her hands.
Belle held it at her side, and even if she were smiling sweetly, I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to use it on me. So, instead of screaming at her, I forced my lips into a smile, but my gaze flicked from my best friend to Tanner who was standing stiff next to her. His expression was the same as always, his eyes void of life, lips stretched into that plastic grin I was so familiar with.
Upon first glace I failed to notice he’d been through a makeover. Belle had apparently grown tired of the elf costume and swapped it for a loose white shirt and black pants.
But it wasn’t just his clothes. His lips had been painted a startling gold; his cheeks splattered with pale blue paint. It looked like Belle’s attempt at freckles.
I had to bite back a cry when I noticed his hair, no longer the chestnut brown I was used to. Now, dyed a radiant shade of red, which choked the breath from my lungs.
His curls were still damp, hanging in eyes that stared right through me. Just like Asher, everything that was Tanner was gone.
“Del! Happy Boxing day!” Belle squealed, jumping on the toes of her fluffy slipper socks.
I ignored her; my gaze trained on her fingers wrapped dextrously around the butt of her gun. I’ve never been in a fight, but if I calculated my attack perfectly and didn’t mess up, there was a chance of ending her little game once and for all.
But right then, I’m sure you can understand that I couldn’t speak.
I couldn’t breathe.
I was thinking back to when I had wished Tanner’s hair were red. I thought he suited it a lot more, as did a lot of Shadow Falls fans. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Even dressed up like an elf, converted into my so-called Christmas toy, the actor had still looked like himself; clumsy curls hanging in warm mocha browns, golden skin glistening under fairy lights.
The Tanner who was standing next to Belle looked like a bad cosplay of his Shadow Falls character.
His hair was too red, and the painted on freckles made him look like a kid who had found his mother’s makeup and given himself an explosive makeover.
Part of me wanted to know what Tanner’s last words had been, but there was no way I’d force myself to go through that again. I could still sense myself gripping hold of the metal rod nestled inside Asher’s flesh, and pulling it out, the feeling of it slipping from my bloody fingers.
I remembered that flicker of hope, that ignition in my heart, when Asher had gasped out.
And then the pain, the agony of realising that I was talking to a ghost. Footprints in the sand, and the tide was coming in, washing him away. My gaze inevitably landed on the metal screw sticking from the actor’s neck. I glimpsed crusted blood around the entrance point and shivered.
Belle was grinning at me, and I knew she wanted some kind of reaction.
I wouldn’t give her the sickening satisfaction, even when I could pick out every little thing she’d done, because of what I had said.
His red hair, dancing in strands that I’d said would look prettier.
Freckles speckling his cheek. I’d talked about how amazing he would look with them, bringing a whole other level of cuteness to his character. It wasn’t just what was inside of Tanner that had been taken away. Now Belle was moulding him into a doll.
The more I stared, the progressively sicker I felt, my stomach folding in on itself.
“What…” I trailed off, the words getting stuck in my throat, until I finally managed to choke them out.
“What did you do to him?”
Belle caught my eye, her smile broadening, and stepped in front of the motionless actor. I resisted against stumbling back, though shivers were ripping up and down my spine. If Belle had turned Tanner into my own “perfect” version of him, what had she done to the others? I raked my mind for everything I’d said about each cast member, but my mind was empty.
“Do you like?” Belle spread her arms in a tah-dah! motion. Before I could speak, she was trailing her fingers over Tanner’s arm. His tattoo sleeve was still there, intricate lines painting olive skin.
“I made him just like you wanted!”
“Belle—” I started to say, but she cut me off.
Still bouncing up and down like a hyperactive child, Belle dove in front of me. “Are you ready to come downstairs and play with your toys?” she pouted and curled her lip. “Freeplay isn’t fun without you, and besides, I don’t like waking them up.”
“Waking them up?” I repeated her words, the sick feeling in my gut worsening. My voice was shaking, and I risked a glance at Tanner. “Belle, what does that mean?” before I could really think about what I was saying, I was grabbing her shoulders and shaking her. “What is Freeplay?” I demanded. “Belle, you have to tell me what’s going on, okay? Please.”
My best friend shrugged me off her. “I’ll only tell you if you come downstairs.” She said, in the way a toddler speaks to get their own way.
When I didn’t reply, she hummed, the childish glint in her eyes hardening.
I opened my mouth to apologize, to say something, anything, that would bring those last pieces of my best friend back, the ones still clinging on for dear life.
“Kneel.” Belle murmured. Her lips twisted into a spiteful grin, a feral glint igniting in her eyes.
“What?” I spluttered.
My best friend let out an explosive laugh.
“Not you, silly!” she waved the gun like a toy, before shoving the butt into Tanner’s neck. I cried out when the actor fell to his knees, his expression staying nonchalant. “Him.”
“No.” I whimpered. “Belle, please—”
Belle was enjoying herself. Her grin was spiteful, her slitted eyes landed on Tanner.
“Beg, baby.” She cooed, before covering her giggle with the hand that wasn’t holding the gun. “Beg Del not to kill you.”
I was frozen. “Stop.” The word slipped from my lips, but it didn’t hit the sound barrier like it should have. My breaths were short and panicked. But Belle didn’t stop. Her finger teased the trigger, her sickly smile growing, growing, growing.
There was a moment of silence when I could hear my heart slamming into my chest, the blood roaring in my ears.
“I said beg.” Belle said softly, stabbing the gun into the flesh of Tanner’s neck with every word.
Tanner didn’t move.
He didn’t move. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or confused.
“Oh, right!” Belle’s voice was hysterical. She whipped out something black, something that perfectly fit her hand.
The remote.
“I forgot to turn him on!” she shrieked, before stabbing a button. She nodded at me enthusiastically. “Okay, Del! Here’s a lesson in controlling your dolls. You must turn them on before giving them an order. If not, they’ll work in default mode.”
She shot me a grin, before pointing the remote at the actor.
“Observe!”
“Tanner,” Belle spoke in a sing-song voice, protruding the gun deeper into his neck. “Beg Delilah not to kill you, sweetie.”
Before I could cry out, scream at her that it was wrong, it was wrong what she was doing, Tanner looked up at me with lifeless eyes, his lips pressed together.
“Please.” His voice dripped with that beautiful staccato dripping from his tone.
I opened my mouth to cry out, but his lips were curving into words that stabbed me in my chest. It felt like the boy himself was sticking a blade in my back, over and over again.
“Please, Delilah.” Tanner’s eyes were vacant of the warmth I was so used to, and yet I could still see through this splintered doll. I could still through all of it and see parts of him bleeding through.
“Please don’t kill me.” I was watching his lips, but his voice sounded faded, like I was being pulled under water.
My body swayed, and I had to hold myself. It took every ounce of self-control not to join Tanner on my knees. Unlike him, though, I wasn’t a doll. Belle was my best friend, and I was all she had. That was the only thing going for me.
If I were going to save myself and get the cast of Shadow falls out of Belle’s grasp, even if that meant showing the world and their fans what she had done to them—I had to play Belle’s game until she was looking the other way, and then I’d spring for the remote.
“Stop.” I was speaking calmly, and I don’t know how.
I don’t know how my words were so stiff. So inhuman.
Belle turned to me. She cocked her head to the side. “Stop what?” she asked innocently.
Gritting my teeth, I gestured to Tanner. “There’s no need for that,” I said.
Every word was splintered ice. “I’ll do what you want, okay? I’ll—” I had to spit out the words. What she was doing was cruel. She was showing Tanner off, what had been done to him, dangling his empty shell in front of me, an empty puppet on strings. “I’ll play with my… with my toys.”
It’s like I was dealing with a split personality. Belle’s expression brightened, the glitter of spite dispersed from her eyes, and she nodded with a wide smile, before ushering Tanner back to his feet.
“Okay! Do you want to come downstairs?”
I didn’t have time to reply. Once again, Belle was grabbing hold of my arm, tightening her grip. She was a blur of golden blonde hair, prancing down the stairs, dragging me behind her.
Tanner followed us, keeping close to me.
I let her pull me along, struggling to keep my dinner down. It was hard not to reminisce the times she had excitedly yanked me downstairs when we were kids. I’d imagined something similar on the way to Belle’s house, anticipating the same kind of thing, despite both us being grown adults.
This, however, was something I could never predict.
When Belle came to a staggered stop, I nearly crashed into her. My body was still stiff from days locked in her room.
We ended up in the lounge, and it was the exact same. The tree still stood, pretty as always, while Belle’s mother’s Christmas decorations still illuminated the room.
Belle shoved me onto the sofa, and jumped next to me, bringing her knees to her chest. Tanner had disappeared, and my gut curled with dread. I couldn’t help it, choking the words out. My gaze was on the tree, but the Shadow Falls cast were no longer under it. They were nowhere. I looked everywhere, my breath getting shorter, panic twisting my gut into knots.
“Belle, where are they?”
My best friend wasn’t looking at me, however. Her eyes were on the door.
“Look!” Belle squealed. She cuddled up to me, just like when we were kids, pressing her head to mine, as if she were going to spill the weekly gossip chain circulating around school. Her curls tickled my neck, and I struggled not to jump away from her, keeping myself frozen. “Del, since you love The Nutcracker so much, I’ve made you your own special show!”
She was laughing like she used to, her eyes ignited with excitement. It hurt to see her like that.
Glimpsing Luce and Asher, standing on cue, waiting to be called, my heart did a backflip when I noticed Asher’s hair had been cut shorter. Not too short. His face had been mostly left alone, except from his lips being painted a stand-out shade of pink.
Belle had made some changes to his lower half, however. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and I knew why. I knew that I’d jokingly told Belle I hated it when he wore a shirt. And she had done exactly that, leaving him in nothing but tight black pants.
Luce had a haircut too, her face speckled glitter, grinning lips painted bright, cherry red.
My oversexualising fantasy I’d joked about to Belle on the phone had come true.
The weird thing is, Belle seemed genuinely happy for me as she pressed the button on the remote. Belle may be fucking crazy, but somehow, she knew exactly what little me would have wanted. It was like a fever dream.
I watched Carolina appear seemingly out nowhere, and I recognised her as Clara. For one dizzying moment I didn’t see Carolina Valdez, an actress who had been cruelly torn from her life, and brutally converted into my toy.
Instead, I was seeing Clara Stahlbaum, a German girl playing with her precious nutcracker.
Carolina seemed to glide across the floor, her steps were perfect, every move natural, as if the air were cradling her.
Her hair cascaded down her back, held in a white ribbon intricately tied into banana curls.
Carolina’s dress fit her perfectly, hugging her hourglass figure; it was old fashioned with a modern twist, floating with the actress, as she soared.
Luce joined her as the sugarplum fairy, and Asher, the Nutcracker.
I should have been thinking of ways to grab Belle’s remote, or her gun.
But instead my brain wouldn’t shut up.
I kept wondering how Belle had gotten a dress which resembled Clara so much or managed to give Carolina and the others such a professional makeover.
I was watching the actors perform the Nutcracker in Belle’s living room, but with the outfits, Luce’s sugarplum fairy dress which looked straight out of the ballet I’d watched as a kid. It hit me that there was no way Belle could have done all of this on her own.
But she wasn’t on her own, right? Mrs Dabney was in on her crazy game.
I didn’t realise I was entranced by Carolina performing a ballon with a body that didn’t know how to dance. Carolina moved onto a pirouette, spinning and spinning and spinning, balanced on one perfectly dipped flat.
I watched her soar effortlessly, until she stumbled. At first I thought I was seeing things. I blinked, and Carolina moved onto an arabesque, but I could see her arms trembling. Her leg sticking out into the air was wavering, and then I caught the unmistakable flash of crimson which was slowly trickling down the back of her neck.
I wasn’t the only one who saw it. Belle let out a sigh, before jumping up and hurrying to Carolina, who had frozen mid arabesque. Belle tutted, moving the actress’s hair from her neck. And I saw it; the blood smearing her pale skin.
It was coming from the puncture wound, the thing holding the metal screw inside of her.
“I’m sorry about this.” Belle turned to me with a polite smile, before pulling Carolina from her position, and clicking something on the remote. The girl fell into her arms, and my best friend wiped her bloody hands on Carolina’s dress.
To my surprise, Asher and Luce stayed standing.
“I’ll go and get her fixed up!”. Belle sang. “I can’t have your toys bleeding all over you, can I? Besides, I think I’ve got some tape downstairs. I won’t be long!”
Eyeing the remote, I nodded, keeping my voice steady. The idea of Belle fixing Carolina’s wound with tape made me feel nauseous. “Where would that be?”
She laughed. “The basement, silly!”
As far as I knew, Belle didn’t have a basement.
Just keep nodding, I told myself.
Dragging a motionless Carolina with her, Belle disappeared into the hallway. I waited until her footsteps had faded before I took my chance.
Exhaling a breath, I stepped in front of Luce, Asher, and Tanner, who had automatically joined the two of them. I didn’t have the remote, but I was sure Belle had turned them “on” before starting the Nutcracker play.
“You follow orders, right?” I was breathless.
“You’re… you’re my toys, or whatever. You’ll do what I want.”
The three of them stared at me, and I bit back a cry of frustration.
“You need to follow me, okay?” my voice broke. “I’m going to get you home, and…and—” I was trying to say and someone can help you. But I knew they were passed being helped. I knew that there was no way of getting them back, and having faith was just pathetic.
I didn’t finish. Turning away from them, I started towards the door.
They didn’t move, staying in the exact same position.
“Hey!” Struggling to keep my voice low, I shoved Asher. Hard. But he just tipped back slightly, before swaying back into place.
“I’m going to get you out of here.” I said, spacing out my words for them. “But to do that, you have to follow me.”
Still nothing.
Even with Belle gone, she was still managing to play with me, tease me, pushing me to the edge.
And then I remembered the other night. That first night, when Belle had introduced me to them.
I didn’t want to do it, but if it induced some kind of life from the actors, I had no choice.
Swallowing bile, I situated myself behind Tanner. I didn’t hesitate.
There was no time, and I needed to get them out of here. But once my fingers were wrapped around the screw, and I twisted, biting my lip when the crunch of metal slicing through bone sounded out, the same thing was happening.
Whoever had inserted the screw’s in the first place had done a pretty shitty job.
Before I could push it back in, panic filling me to the brim, the piece of metal was slipping from the wound and into my bloodied fingers. This time I held on for a moment, before letting it drop to the ground with a light thud.
“I’m sorry!” I was crying, and I couldn’t fucking help it. I was cradling his cheeks, waiting for the inevitable. His body jolted in my grasp, and Tanner let out a sharp gasp. Just like Asher.
I held him, waiting for the ghostly words, the stupid footprints in the sand. Except nothing happened.
His body went still. When I scanned his expression, waiting for his eyes to open, vacant and empty, they didn’t.
Though a crease appeared between his eyebrows. His eyes flickered, lips parting for a moment.
I didn’t want to listen to it.
Fuck. I didn’t want to.
Tanner jerked again, his head lolling, before he straightened up. His eyes opened, and I swear I caught a flash of something, like light, like something glittering around his iris; electric blue light coming to life, like he really was some kind of toy. Except I didn’t get footprints in the sand.
I didn’t get ghostly cries for his mother.
Tanner’s eyes shot open, and the first thing he did was stare down at his hands, before bringing them to his face, raking his fingernails down his skin, like claws, like he was trying to peel away the flesh.
His movements were jerking, robotic.
And then the actor was looking at me. Not through me. His eyes, that were some kind of mesmerising blue, no longer the mocha colour I knew so well—were staring right at me. I lost my breath, jagged words stuck in my sandpaper throat.
The actor was gazing at his hands, and he was blinking rapidly, his lips moving in quick succession.
No. He wasn’t speaking, but I could see the words on his lips, each one popping from his mouth.
No, no, no, no.
I found my voice. “Tanner?”
His eyes flickered to me, and again, there was something wrong, something inhuman in his expression.
The actor grabbed my shoulders, his grip harsh. He let out a soft moan, and then a cry.
“Down… there.” He croaked, his accent was weak, but it was him. It was really him.
I bit back a squeak. “What?”
Tanner’s grip hardened, and I felt his fingers practically digging into my bones. “Down… there.”
“I don’t… I don’t understand!”
Tanner let go, stumbling back. His lips formed an O, and he grabbed at his hair, tearing at it.
“Down there.” He repeated, seemingly testing his tongue. “We’re… down… there.”
And then… it clicked.
He was talking about the basement. He was talking about wherever Belle had taken Carolina.
“Okay.” I whispered, fighting back a scream.
“Tanner, I’m going to get help, okay?” I was moving towards the door, my breath quaking. If I could get help, Tanner was awake and aware enough to keep an eye on his castmates.
But when I turned to run to the door, the actor was stumbling after me. He grabbed me and forcefully twisted me around, his expression twisted with pain.
No, agony. His lips were moving, but no sound was coming out.
“Down… there.” He whispered desperately. “We’re… down… there!”
I nodded. “I know.” I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a sob. “I… I know she’s down there—”
He was talking about Carolina.
“No.” Tanner cut me off, his eyes wide. He was terrified, still raking at his face. “We’re… down… there.”
I chose to ignore him. I chose to turn around and yank open the front door, stumbling out into a blizzard. I’d never questioned why it was always snowing. I never questioned anything.
I was stumbling down the driveway, struggling to traipse through snow drifts, when shuffled footsteps came up behind me. Tanner was staggering in nothing but a short sleeved shirt, but he seemed unfazed by the bitter cold.
His fingers hooked around the material of my sweater and yanked me back harshly.
I bit my lip to hold back a yelp. Standing there in the actor’s grasp, I wondered if this was all a nightmare induced by eating too much chocolate. Maybe my plane really had crashed, and I was currently fighting for my life in a coma.
“We’re.. we’re down there.”
Tanner’s unnatural eyes scanned the road before me, his lips curling.
“Help us.” Tanner said softly. “I don’t know…” he was struggling to speak. “I was… we… we were..”
The actor let out a sharp cry. “We’re down there. We need…we need help.”
“I’m getting help.” I told him shakily. “I’ll get someone, okay?”
Tanner didn’t move. His expression was tragic, like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t. I couldn’t stand to look at him any longer. It was breaking my heart. I broke into a run, shivering in the snow that danced around me, a whirlwind of flakes, like it really was Belle’s personal winter wonderland. I kept going, screaming with numb lips for help. I needed help. God, I needed someone.
Anyone.
I kept going, until I hit something.
But when I blinked snow from my lashes, there was nothing there. There was nothing but Belle’s neighbourhood stretched out in front of me. I tried again, but my body hit something.
Something.. hard and cold, something that hit me in the face.
Something cold slithered down my spine. I slammed my hands in front of me, and they landed on something hard. I slid my hands down it, pressing my face against what seemed to be an invisible wall. When I looked up, the sun reflected off of it, something I hadn’t seen, a barrier cutting Belle’s neighbourhood in half, leaving me, the cast and Belle, stuck behind it.
That’s why the police weren’t coming.
There were no police. Whoever was trapped with us with was in on Belle’s game.
It all made a sick kind of sense.
I screamed until my ears were roaring, my fists bruised from slamming my them into a wall I couldn’t see.
I don’t know how long I screamed, slamming my hands into thin air, when Belle’s familiar giggle made me jump, and I twisted around to face her.
“Belle,” I eyed the gun in her hand. “What did you do?”
My best friend shrugged with a smile.
“It’s our very own snow globe, Delilah! Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?” she leaned forward, her arms behind her back. “It’s where we can live together and play with your toys forever and ever.”
“But…” I was almost laughing. “How?”
I got my explanation on the way back to the house. Apparently, Mr Dalton worked with some shady people who had been working on some kind of experiment. The Shadow Falls cast were subjects, and Belle had begged for them. So of course they had given them to her.
Tanner followed behind in silence. Belle, after noticing he was acting “erratic” had insisted that he needed to be fixed too. I didn’t question Belle until I was standing in her basement.
The lights were on, fluorescent yellow blinding me. I should have known what was down there, Tanner’s words still whirring in the back of my foggy mind.
I should have known. But I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to believe his words.
Belle happily skipped into the basement, where a wooden table was lain out, Carolina’s body was draped over in a halo of raven hair. Her head had been twisted around; layers of tape soaked scarlet sticking to the wound on the back of her neck. But I wasn’t looking at Carolina.
I was looking at the pile of bodies in the corner, a tangle of limbs and heads wrapped in a crimson smear. I'm not going to write what I saw. It will only give Belle some kind of satisfaction.
I saw...
Four of them.
Four bodies.
Tanner’s words were still in my head.
We’re down there.
We’re down there.
We’re down there.
He was right.
They were.
After seeing what was left of the original Shadow Falls cast, everything became a confusing haze, a fast moving blur. I watched Belle haul a fixed Carolina from the wooden worktable, before forcing a squirming Tanner onto the surface, strapping his wrists down.
I wondered what he was, what all four of them were, if their originals were discarded in the corner.
......
......
.....
I’m… I’m going to stop now. I’m tired.
I’ve calmed down a little, but I’m still shaking. I still can’t stop fucking crying.
I’m in Belle’s room again, and I’m struggling to come to terms with this.
I’m trapped behind a barrier, a so-called snowglobe with the corpses and doll versions of the Shadow Falls cast.
Belle still lets me have internet, but I know why isn’t deleting the posts. It’s because nobody will believe this. Whoever Belle’s father is, he’s made her sick fantasy into a reality, and it looks like the whole town are either in on it or have been taken care of. I can’t stop thinking about my mom. I don’t want to believe that she’s part of this. I don’t know what to believe anymore.
I can’t stop thinking about what Belle said.
She said there’s some kind of experiment. What experiment?
Why does it involve the Shadow Falls cast?
And Tanner. The Tanner I talked to. What is he?
I should sleep. Though I don’t think I can. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to.
If you can, please tell me the date. Even the year.
It sounds stupid, but it will comfort me.
……
I’ll update you soon.
That is, if Belle lets me.

I have seen loads of different theories about what's happening with Nickell's music. Here's mine.
WHO DOES HE REMIND YOU OF?
Since he left his earlier alias of Tree and started putting music out as Oliver Tree the comparison has often been made to George Miller's similar style of multiple musical ventures and troll-style humour.
WHO IS GEORGE MILLER?
For those that didn't know George Miller started out online as YouTuber: Filthy Frank TV, with his musical alias: Pink Guy, and more recently, artist: Joji.
PINK GUY
Pink Guy's music was not as highly produced as Oliver Tree's music and dealt with more offensive/controversial humour (as he was known for with FFTV) but similar in style and delivery all the same.
JOJI
Joji was a bedroom producer work in progress for many years prior to his releases as Pink Guy. Lofi beats accompanied by George's vocals/raps were uploaded to a SoundCloud account but weren't promoted or even talked about on his FFTV channel.
PINK GUY TO JOJI
As FFTV grew in popularity, George's well-being and passion to continue the channel deteriorated and he sought to persue a professional artistic career with Joji.
THE THEORY
As you are aware Nickell had multiple musical aliases prior to Oliver Tree, the most successful was Tree. Tree was less humourous and more serious than OT.
I have no doubt in my mind the album is going to be released (when that is isn't something i'm going to speculate on) but as Nickell releases the album I think he will retire the character at some point because like Filthy Frank/Pink Guy, he can't continue the act his entire career. That's why I think he will return to his previous alias as Tree or possibly still as Oliver Tree but no longer as Turbo, free of the bowl cut, baggy pants and fake nose.
Aside from following the similar pattern of:
Joji > Pink Guy > Joji
Tree > Oliver Tree > Tree?
the Let Me Down music video may or may not provide further signs to support this theory.

PLEASE DON'T LET ME DOWN

PSA:

Take the next bit with a grain of salt, this is nothing but me making connections that might or might not be there to justify something that makes sense to me.

As many people have pointed out a possible meaning behind the song/music video revolves around Nickell's relationship with his label Atlantic Records.
He has often joked in interviews about them restricting him creatively and while he might have just been joking, Atlantic have a history with making things difficult for artists, like Sonny Moore prior to Skrillex. Moore had an album that was completed, much like Nickell did with Squirt, that was shelved due to label complications. Also see Lil Kim, Metro Boomin and Brandy.
Nickell has said they have pushed back the album multiple times. It might be true, it might be part of the joke, the same way he used COVID-19 to explain the album being "cancelled".
The lyrics/music video of 'Let Me Down' seem to point to the former.
If we read the lyrics of the song and use the actions of the music video as a conversation between Tree and the label it starts to paint a picture for us.
MV: Nickell enters the scene/recording booth on his trademark scooter. He quickly grabs a bite to eat but due to time pressures doesn't finish eating.
Please don't let me down
Please don't let me down
You better come around
LYRICS: His label is pleading to continue his antics as Turbo. They want him to come around to their game plan.
MV: As he begins the song the microphone is moved away from him, being readjusted and re-positioned. This is a metaphor for how the label continues to complicate things for him when all he wants to do is write/record the songs and get them out to fans.
You save yourself
I’ll save myself this time around
You save yourself
I’ll save you too next time around
I’m not around, I haven’t been here for a while
You know I’ll never be back now
LYRICS: Nickell says they only have their own interests at heart and he is going to save himself from them by doing it alone, hinting that he'll make it up to them in future with the odd feature release because he hasn't been releasing music with them for very long but deep down they know once he leaves them in favour of another label he won't be coming back.
MV: As the ladder is brought in and the microphone finally stops moving Nickell smiles and gives a thumbs up to signify he is happy with the setup but before he gets comfortable the microphone is yanked away from him again forcing him to work around the label's meddling which reduces the quality of the song.
Please don't let me down
Please don't let me down
You better come around
MV: As Nickell climbs down the ladder the camera cuts multiple times between wide shots and close ups which causes more delays in his progress to back get down, another metaphor for complications.
I won't come around
LYRICS: His label continues to plead with him to reconsider but Nickell won't come round to their way of thinking because he has a plan for his career path.
MV: Having had the quality microphone pulled away from him he resorts to using his own microphone to continue recording the song and his progress.
It’s the same old shit, I’m getting sick of it
It’s still the same old shit, stop putting up with it
LYRICS: He is done with doing the Turbo persona, he wants to be himself and make music with less of a gimmick or a different style, he has a fanbase and they will support him. He says to his fans that they shouldn't be afraid of new things and shouldn't just put up with music that all sounds the same.
MV: A stroller is brought in, Nickell takes out the doll dressed as his character. This is both a merch opportunity for the label and also how they see him, a toy to be sold.
Somehow I’ve seen, you’re someone else
Somehow I’ve seen, you turned into someone else
LYRICS: Nickell reflects on how he got to this point with the success of the character Turbo and why he feels he needs to go back to being himself instead of someone else.
MV: Nickell looks at the doll/himself/the character he has become and kicks it out of picture to signify that the character is dead and the label have lost him.
Please don't let me down
Please don't let me down
You better come around
LYRICS: The label pleads one last time for him to reconsider but his mind is made up.
MV: A chain appears. As the music stops, the frame slows down as time slows and Nickell contemplates the decision he is about to make. He pulls the chain and sets the chain of events in motion. For a moment nothing happens while he waits a reaction. Suddenly the rain pours heavily, this could signify the media backlash or fan outrage as Nickell switches to his new alias/project/label. He is soaked instantly taking everything thrown at him.
MV: An umbrella is given to him to shelter him from the rain. This signifies the label giving him his dues which will help support him in the meantime, he takes what they give him and immediately pushes them away before they try to cash in on his next project.
I won't come around
LYRICS: He did it. He told them he wouldn't change his mind. He told them he wouldn't come around to their ideas and he didn't. He can do this on his own.
MV: As the studio lights crash to the ground and catch fire, the spotlight is removed and Nickell smiles because he has regained control of his craft, he proceeds to kill off his character by destroying the scene.
Many have pointed out how the studio hands in pink morph suits in the music video could be a reference/homage to Pink Guy. In addition to support this theory it has been highlighted that an image of Joji appears in the background of the video at 03:03. - Original picture comparison here.
Please don't let me down could also have a double meaning as Nickell's plead with fans to support and trust him when he goes independent as he will very much rely on them all the more. He is counting on you, don't let him down. #SupportTheTrees
At the end of the day this is just a theory. Don't take it too seriously.
If you want more to the story, check out the Treeboy playlist.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
​
This will be a track by track breakdown review with my overall thoughts in a paragraph at the end. DISCLAIMER THIS IS MY OPINION.
​
Track reviews:
​
Me, Myself & I: It's good. It serves it's purpose as the opener and does what it needs to and leaves. Lyrically it isn't super strong but, it makes up for being pretty catchy. 7.5/10
​
1993 (feat. Little Ricky ZR3): The song is like a much better version of "Do You Feel Me". The song is really good, even if it took a little while to grow on me. The little glimpse that we get of Little Ricky ZR3 is a little underwhelming but, not bad. 8/10
​
Cash Machine: The thing that makes this song as good as it is, is that it's so damn catchy. It's simple and easy to get the groove of it. Lyrically it has a pretty good message but, I wish Oliver would explore further into it. 7.5/10
​
Let Me Down: While it isn't a bad song, it feels like a stand alone single. As well as being pretty short, it doesn't really do much. I think it's catchy and is good for radio play, I guess. 6/10
​
Miracle Man: This track is amazing. Even though being pretty short like "Let Me Down", it does more in the little time it has. The hook is infectious and the lyrics of Oliver growing tired of his partner never having enough, makes the song great. 8.5/10
​
Bury Me Alive: Probably the strongest single, "Bury Me Alive" embodies what Oliver can bring to the table when rapping. The Beastie Boys beat switch with Oliver's rapping makes the verses worth the whole song. Lyrically Oliver is great here when talking about death and even referencing Tree. The hook is catchy but, slows the song a bit. Both the live version and the studio version are great. 9/10
​
Alien Boy: It's a little worn out. I still like it but, it doesn't really serve a purpose here since there's no "Alien Boy Reprise" to compliment it. It just feels a little cheap to put it on here again. 7/10
​
Joke's On You!: Wow. This may be his best work yet. Already having very high expectations from the live performances, the song sounds amazing in studio quality. Lyrically Oliver is at his strongest here. Lines like "My whole was just a joke" and "People tell me I should jump" set the tone for the song. However, my only problem is with the amount of energy Oliver has on the second verse. I wish he had the same energy on the first verse but, amazing nonetheless. 9.5/10
​
Again & Again: Oliver's vocals here really shine here. The song has a catchy chorus and Oliver gives some decent lines. The rock influence is heavy on this album and this song is no exception to that. 8/10
​
Waste My Time: This song is so groovy. Similar to "Joke's On You!" I had very high expectations for this song because the live version was amazing. Although, the kinda bizarre vocal delivery Oliver gives on the first verse, the song is amazing. It all comes to a epic conclusion with a simple but, amazing guitar solo. 8.7/10
​
Jerk: This song is grunge at it's roots and it's amazing. The guitar riff at this beginning is grungey as hell and sets a depressing moods for the song. Then, the drums pick it up and the chorus expresses the distain Oliver has for someone saying he never wants to see them ever again. The chorus is catchy and the lyrics are Oliver at his loneliest. Lines like "I'm better off alone" and "I'm tired if feeling so fucking lonely" give the song a punch to the gut. 8.8/10
​
Hurt: I think whatever needs to be said about this song has been said. It's amazing and is a classic for Oliver Tree fans. It has a catchy chorus, great lyrics and a great vocal performance by Oliver. 9/10
​
Introspective: It's a grower. When it first dropped on the "Do You Feel Me EP" I wasn't the biggest fan of it but, as time went on it grew on me a lot. I think the lyrics of a broken relationship and the catchy chorus make a pretty damn good song. 8.5/10
​
​
I'm Gone: It's a sad goodbye. The chilling verses with the intense choruses make his goodbye song even more tragic. Oliver gives a much different vocal performance than usual and almost has a vintage feel to it. The guitar in the background of verses give a dark and empty feeling contrasting with the guitar and drums in the choruses. Even though it doesn't include "Alien Boy Reprise", it's safe to say Oliver goes out with a bang on this one. 9/10
​
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
​
The album is a great body of work and really shows who Oliver is. While it is sad that Oliver Tree is gone, we can only move forward and see what he brings to the table next.
​
BEST TRACKS: Joke's On You!, Jerk, I'm Gone, Waste My Time, Bury Me Alive, Hurt, Miracle Man
​
WORST TRACKS: Let Me Down
​
ALBUM RATING: Strong 8/10 - Decent 9/10

disclaimer: I have not read anyone elses fan theories apart from one. (This is my first time on this reddit, although I did check out the nine lives theory, which I reckon is spot on), so I apologiese if anyone has come up with this before, I wrote this a few days ago.
Anyway, here's my perspective broken down by song title:
​
Jokes on you:
"my whole life has just been a joke."
Ever since the beginning of his career Oliver tree (turbo) has been a joke, a gimmick. the whole setup. Although its great I can imagine playing that part constantly would get old, and probably a bit boring for him.
​
Let me down:
This one is more so todo with the video rather than the lyrics. Note the presence of the guys in the pink suits.
I personally believe that this alludes to the growth of joji and how he transformed from "pink guy" (filthy frank series) into joji, from a joke, into a mainstream music artist. Which in a lot of ways is similar to Oliver tree himself. His career really has started gaining momentum with Turbo who is in fact a joke character. Probably blowing up even more than Oliver himself would have imagined.
​
1993
- Why cant you juts be yourself, maybe referring to himself, is he dead iside, cant be himself, he is turbo. but acting and not being yourself gets old...
​
With those random thoughts shared, Im looking forward to the evolution of oliver tree!

Chapter 8. Danger From Above.
I looked up, and what I saw made me scream at John. I screamed out, “GO GO GO! DON’T WAIT FOR GORDON! GO GO GO! WE WILL DIE IF YOU DON’T GO! NOW!” A whiplash-inducing acceleration of the car occurred as John kicked the petal-like a football along with the sound of the car’s engine synthesizing Lamborghini engine roars. I read the needle of the speedometer go up to 80 MPH in 6 seconds. I looked and saw Gordon waving his arms like a drowning person as to say, “I’m right here! Why are you leaving without me?” We sped for like a minute before… THUD! We kept going for 2 seconds before our windshield got bombarded with green coniferous needles.
We all closed our eyes and the car came into a halt. I looked back to where I heard the sound, and I was now unable to see where Gordon was. There was something big and dark covering the spot that he was in a few seconds ago. Something… green and brown. I looked around and scanned the area, and I realized that what was blocking my view of Gordon was a GIGANTIC tree branch! Gigantic is an understatement; even the word Colossal would be an understatement. The number of times I will have to write the word “Very” before the word “Big” would overload the entire internet database. It would even make the flow of time in the universe lag. The number of verys that I will have to put to describe how big this tree branch is will need to be put in scientific notation. I am trying to say that this tree branch is very very very very very…. (10^10^100 times “10 to the 10th to the 100th power”) big. Look up that number for an explanation of that number.
Ok, I might be exaggerating just a wee bit, but you get the idea of how big this branch was. The second thing that went on in my mind after thinking Woah, that’s a big branch! Is Gordon ok??!? We decided to get out of our cars and scour through the mess to find Gordon. I and Oliver, despite being naked, got out too. Being looked at wasn’t even one of our concerns; we didn’t care if we were naked. The only thing that we cared about at this moment was finding Gordon and ensuring that he was alright. There was one big problem, we would not be able to go anywhere since every single branch was bigger than our car and we obviously wouldn’t be able to move anything at all. We decided to just give up and go back to our cars to try to call emergency services. We ran to where we saw our car, which was close to the river, grabbed the flaps on the sides of the doors, and pulled.
The next thing we saw after we entered the car was Gordon just staring with a shocked expression on his face. It looked like he saw a ghost. He was looking at the direction of the unexplainably big branch that just crushed him, or at least, the thing that appeared to be him. John asked him, “HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN HERE, GORDON?” Gordon told us that he was in here the whole time, but he saw a copy of himself get out of the car towards the crossbow. Oliver asked, “THEN HOW DID WE NOT SEE YOU IN HERE?” Oliver forgot the fact that Gordon was short, but what I heard next told me that it wasn’t because Gordon was short. Gordon told us, “I was leaning forward covering my face since I was so scared!” We all said in unison, “THEN WHO WAS THAT THAT CAME OUT OF THE CAR?!?” Gordon said, “I don’t know!” while having what seemed to be a panic attack.
We all got in the car and decided to swiftly drive away so that we couldn’t get crushed by another branch that was bigger than an entire town. That tree branch must’ve been heavier than an entire rock face from a gigantic mountain in the Himalayas! I swear I saw a few cracks in the ground from that; I think I even saw a few fissures in the ground like the ones from earthquakes! Anyways, as we drove, I stared behind us, and I could still see the gigantic branch; it wasn’t getting smaller very fast. It was as if it were following us, but falling slightly behind. I stared for a few minutes and looked up and saw the gigantic super mega tree; it was getting much smaller as we were getting further away from it. I am still wondering where all the other redwood trees went…
Shortly after staring at the tall tree, I saw the humongous super mega Giga branch get smaller as we gained distance. Then, it started to get dark again. The gigantic mega tree made all the regular coastal redwood trees look like tiny dwarves. Have you ever been on the upper floors of a skyscraper like the Willis Tower or the Empire State Building? If you have, have you looked down and saw people walking on the streets down below? Remember that they looked like ants or specks of dust? I bet that is what these trees would look like if you ever had the fortune, or I guess misfortune, to climb on top of the “gigatree”. I bet that when I start seeing normal-sized trees like the maple trees, oak, spruce, cottonwood, and all the other trees that you, unless you live near or in the Redwood Forest, always see around your house instead of the redwoods., they will all look tiny. I cannot wait to see how tiny common trees that looked huge to me in the past look like now after seeing the “more-than-a-kilometer-tall gigatree” or in a shorter term, “Tallest Tree in the World”.
This tree totally blows Hyperion out of the water. Don’t worry, I know for sure that it does not have a name at all because I know that we were the first people to discover it. I am sure that we are the first people because if someone else had already discovered this gargantuan tree before us, everybody in the world would know about it.
Or would they?
Chapter 9. My Perception of Reality Had Just Suddenly Jumped Up to Sky-High Levels.
While I was thinking, I felt my phone vibrating under my bare thigh. Wait, what?!? My phone, vibrating under my bare thigh? How did my phone get there? I thought for sure that it was destroyed while falling out of the tree! Not only that, but it was also in my clothes that surely fell a good distance away from where we landed by the base of the tree. I was sure that those questions would not be answered, so I just reached for where my phone was vibrating. I looked down and saw a loose flap of skin hanging there. It was like the top of my thigh had a pocket in the skin! How was it not bleeding? Questions were beginning to corrupt my brain. I pulled out my phone and then I went blind. I don’t know, but it was like all of a sudden something was covering the car from the sun. It was just so dark. It was almost as if my car was about to get crushed!
The thing was before I could ask what was happening, I all of a sudden felt clothes on my body again. And instead of sitting down naked on a leather seat in a car, I was lying down on some wooden floor of some sort, and I was wearing my normal clothes. The thing was, who would have tree bark on their flooring? And why was my body shaking? The next thing I know, I can hear John’s voice. He was saying, “Wake up! Break time is over! It’s time to get back to the ground now!” I woke up with a surprised “Huh?” My phone’s alarm was ringing. I looked around as I regained consciousness. Deja vu, I’ve just been in this place before… I was on top of Hyperion again. It was as if we died and respawned. Minecraft… in real life! Actually, a lot of video games have that…
Anyways, when I realized I was on top of Hyperion again, one of my first thoughts was to look around. A strange predicament we have here, right? Not only could I not find the super gigatree around, but I don’t remember falling asleep up here. Also, I had all my clothes on again. How nice! My phone does not even have a scratch on it and it works perfectly as if it did not fall from the sky. However, the deformity in my hands was still there, my index finger was still longer than my middle finger. How long have we been asleep? The journey I had been going through was all fake? The giant gigatree, the twister, the skydivers, the jump, the gigantic super giga-sized branch that fell down and nearly crushed us to death… was all fake? Was it all… a dream? This will sound very cliche, but it felt so real. They tell you you forget your dreams within like 10 minutes of waking up, but I remembered every bit and detail of that nightmare. I guess it had been less than 10 minutes since I had that dream at that time, so that makes a little more sense.
My group started packing up their things and prepared to start our descent from Hyperion. I then asked, “How long have I been asleep?” Oliver said, “You’ve been asleep for-” but something cut him off. A blast of wind hit us and rocked the tree back and forth. Then, a sound that resembled bass drums rumbled through the atmosphere. Gordon said, “I think we should really get going. Look over there!” I looked and saw a tornado touching down with parachuters swirling around it! Lightning touched down in all directions. My body started to shake from the vibrations of the thunder and the hurricane-force winds. And I looked at John, who was covering his face with his hands as if he were playing hide and seek and counting. His hands jerked away from his face, uncovering it, & his face revealed that his eye color was now purple. Actually, his left eye was purple and his right eye was silver-colored.
He opened his mouth unnaturally wide and extended his arms towards me very rapidly. His hands came into contact with my body, which was all of a sudden completely naked again for some reason, and he pushed me off the tree. Right before I started falling off the tree, he screamed “WAKE UP, MIKE!!! YOU’RE STILL ASLEEP!” I felt the air pelting against my back as I saw the top of the tree that had everyone on it get smaller. Eventually, it fit between the half-a-meter long gap between my bare feet, which were raised up in the air, with my knees bent back and my eyes looking straight up at them. I was falling in a sitting position rotated 90 degrees, while as naked as a person taking a shower. I did not scream because everything was happening so quickly that I could not keep up. At first, I didn’t understand that I was falling.
After realizing what was happening and that I was about to hit the ground, I believed John. I blinked a few times and saw myself back on top of Hyperion. John said that I am a very deep sleeper and I am hard to wake up sometimes. I believe that to be true. That is the reason why I set multiple alarms and put them across the room to force me to get out of bed to go turn them off. Walking helps wake me up. He even said that he was thinking about pulling out his airhorn that he always carries with him. He told me that break time was over and that it was time to go. My group started packing up their things and prepared to start our descent from Hyperion. I then asked, “How long have I been asleep?” Oliver said, “You’ve been asleep for about half an hour.” Wait, half an hour! That entire nightmare was only half an hour? Woah!
All of a sudden, a thought hit me. I immediately and swiftly put my hands over my lap area like a cartoon character who had just realized that they had no clothes on. But then, I looked at my body and saw all my normal clothes on again. I breathed a sigh of relief and took the hands away from where they were and put them back in the pose that they were in right after I was woken up. Oliver asked me, “What, did you think you were naked? Hahahahaha! Did you have one of those dreams where you saw people laughing and then you looked down and realized that you were naked?” I had those dreams a few times, and I heard that those are pretty common. I’ll tell you why that happens. That nightmare is symbolic of your fear of embarrassing yourself in front of other people. At least, that is what they say.”
I then told him, “Yeah, I heard that exact thing about that nightmare. I wonder how common that actually is. Does everyone get that nightmare?” “I don’t know,” said Oliver. I then said “I was dreaming something similar to that, but the dream was so crazy and long that I could not explain it all to you in a few minutes, but I will tell you that my dream involved us being on top of this tree and we found a much taller tree a mile away from here. We went to that tree, and it was cursed. It was raining spiders, and there was a tornado. The spiders ate all your clothes and they ate all of mine. So in my nightmare, we were both butt-naked.” Oliver opened his eyes a little wider and he said, “Oh, I was naked? Haha! So were you! Do you think it would be less embarrassing if you weren’t the only one naked, but rather, everyone around you was naked too?” I nodded my head to that.
I then took out my can of Coke and began to take a quick drink before we began our descent. I looked at my hands again and the deformity was gone. My middle finger was now longer than my index finger and they were now the size that I remembered them being. I was sure that this was not a dream, but was reality. There was one thing, as I looked around at the sky and at the view around us, I heard John say, “We should get going! I think we’ve spent enough time up here!” Gordon said, “No! I want to stay up here! I want to enjoy this to the fullest!” I agreed with Gordon. I didn’t want to miss out. I had the same thing that Gordon had: the fear of missing out. I didn’t know how much longer we would stay up here before Gordon would see what he wanted to see and then agree to go down.
After a few minutes of looking around, Gordon was able to beat his fear of missing out and he said that he had already seen what he had wanted to see today and that he was ready to go down. He was looking around. I caught a brief glance on his face, and I could see the panic in his eyes. It looked like he had realized that he forgot to do the homework and one of the students in the class had reminded the teacher to check the homework. I was going to ask him what was wrong, but then his eyelids got even more separated from each other as a high pitch noise coming from his throat that did not blow out air, rather, he inhaled air from it. I finally was able to ask him the 2-worded question. “What’s wrong?” is what I asked Gordon.
He didn’t reply to me at first, but he kept walking around the top branches. Then, when he appeared to muster up the courage to tell me about what was scaring him, he decided to open his mouth and spit out the words as if he was a machine at a grocery store spitting out the receipt, but instead of a receipt, it was just vibrations of air and sound that was interpreted by me as “The ropes are…” But then, his face abruptly changed into an emotion of relief. I asked him, “What are you talking about?” He replied, “I have a surprise for you guys!” He looked around and scanned the area. Gordon pulled his cell phone out of his left front pocket and he looked at it from one side to another as I saw a glimmer of halo-like light emanating from it. He went from a panicked face, to a relieved face, to a smirk. “Are you ready for me to give you guys the surprise?” He asked.
We had no idea what the surprise would be. He decided to give us a little hint, which was “I’ll give you a hint. The surprise is not actually something that you can touch with your hands. You can only touch it with your eyes.” John attempted to answer, “Is it a cat fail video?” Oliver answered, “Is it a news article about the Redwood Forest?” Gordon answered “Double Nope!” It was my turn to give an answer, and I was the last one to answer, so I gave the best answer that I could ever possibly conjure up in my mind. My answer was, “Is it a dark joke that someone sent you?” “Triple nope!” Gordon then began to sing the famous Mexican song called “La Cucaracha” (The Cockroach) He replaced the lyrics so instead of “La Cucaracha, La Cucaracha, ya no puede caminar”, he sang, “No no no no-ope! No no no no-ope! Not any of you are right! But I will tell you! But I will show you… the right answer from this height!”
While he was dancing and singing that little musical parody that he came up with right on the spot, the little creative poet that he is, he then walked towards the edge of one of the longer branches off the side. We then prepared for a little prank that he might pull on us. Gordon is quite a prankster sometimes. He can pull a prank on us when we least expect it, or when we are expecting a prank, he would not pull it, and then when we are thinking that there is no prank and we stop expecting a prank, he pulls it right away. He knows the perfect time to pull a good (and sometimes evil) prank on his victims. Was he going to do what I thought he was going to do?
He activated the voice to text feature on messages and spoke in Russian. I understood the word that he said. He said “Horosho. Ya Gotov” which means “Good. I am ready!” What is he ready for? I thought. Ok, now I am 100% sure that he was up to some sort of evil prank. I hope that it is a funny one. Please don’t disappoint me, or scare me too much, Gordon. Also, please don’t do anything stupid. We don’t want you to get hurt or even die! I could see him creeping closer and closer to the edge of the tree branch. He seems to be getting dangerously close to the edge! Oh no no no no no! He is looking down, but he just won’t stop walking.
Chapter 10. Gordon, WHAT ARE YOU DOING??
He stopped walking towards the edge, and he looked straight down at the bottom from 40 stories high from the ground. I can tell that he is NOT afraid of heights. He seems like the kind of guy who would do dangerous stunts from very high heights from the ground. Like those videos where you can see Russians hanging off a building and doing insane stuff like that. He looks exactly like one of those people. My guess is, he is going to be doing some sort of daredevil stunt off the edge of the tree branch. Either that, or he is going to make some sort of edgy joke. (Badum Tsss)
The next thing I know, he jumps up and does a flip in midair. He dives straight down like someone diving off a diving board. It happened quite fast, and it took us 2 seconds for us to realize what just happened. We ran over to the edge of the tree and looked down exactly where he just took a flip off the tree and presumably just killed himself right in front of us. The weird thing is, there were no signs of him considering suicide. He was a happy and giddy person who loved jokes and pulling pranks on us. The thing was, what we thought at the time, that was not a prank. In our eyes, we have just watched someone die. A friend of a friend of a friend’s. A friend of a friend’s friend. A friend of a friend. A friend who just jumped off a redwood tree the height of a 40 story building to his death.
At that moment, various emotions swung through us. At first, it was pure disbelief. We couldn’t believe what we saw. It was, of course, negative disbelief. We have never seen someone die right in front of our eyes. That is something that I hope no one else should witness, but unfortunately, a lot of people will experience the death of someone in front of their eyes or the death of a loved one in general. (Which the majority of us will go through.) Then, the second emotion hit us. Sadness. Despite all of us being grown men, we were crying. We were crying like crazy. At least, John and Oliver were. I wasn’t crying though. Rather, I was feeling anticipation.
The next thought that crossed our minds was how his family, particularly his parents, was going to react/handle his death. How were we going to tell them that Gordon had just died after jumping off of the tallest tree in the world?
We did not want to climb down the tree at all. We were just getting ready to initiate our descent down to Hyperion’s base, but now plans have changed. We did not want to go to the bottom because we did not want to see the motionless and lifeless body of a good friend at the bottom of the tree. We knew that we were going to have to go down eventually, lest we die up here and become among the first people who died on Hyperion. We just couldn’t stop crying; we didn’t want to think of anything at that moment. All we were thinking of was the fact that we just watched Gordon jump off of Hyperion. We were also crying at the fact that we missed all warning signs of him being suicidal if there were any. The problem is, a lot of people who kill themselves never display any warning signs at all, so it may not have been our fault at all.
The other problem was, he showed zero signs of depression. He was super giddy and happy. There was no way that he could’ve possibly been depressed. I know him. We always hang out on a Minecraft server on weekends and we often game for hours at a time. He would not hesitate on any ideas that all of us came up with, especially on building things. He seemed to always have the motivation to do anything great and fun with us. At least that we know of, he did not have eating problems or sleeping problems, though he was quite a slow eater. He would always be the last one eating when we were all done whenever we went out to eat together at a restaurant. The reason that he couldn’t have been depressed? It was because he wasn’t!
There was another thing that was wrong here. When he jumped off the tree, he did not show any emotional terror or sadness. He just happily did a jump off of the tree like he was on a diving board to the lake. I was praying that he would survive or that this was just another nightmare. I looked at my hands, and the length of the fingers did not look off at all. I tried putting my fingers through my palm, and they did not go through. I tried imagining a storm in the sky blowing at the tree, but that did not happen. I tried imagining spiders raining down from the sky, and that did not happen either. I tried making the tree grow to the height of Mount Thor, but that did not happen. The tree just stood still and continued to grow on its invisibly slow rate just like a normal tree.
Eventually, we were forced to start going down because John forgot how thirsty he actually was and the Coca-Cola that I had drunk had dehydrated me even more just like I said earlier that drinking Coca-Cola makes you even more dehydrated rather than hydrate you. We were depressed at the fact that Gordon had just jumped off the tree, but we weren’t in the mood to die a painful death from the sun. If we wanted to die, we would at least want to die a painless and quick death. A quick and painless death just like the one that Gordon seemed to have gone through. It must be painless to die instantly by hitting the ground and falling a great height must be pretty fun. Ok, I am not condoning jumping off a building and killing yourself, but that is what I was thinking in my mind at that time.
There was one thing. We realized that things changed from We didn’t want to go down the tree to We couldn’t physically go down the tree. Why couldn’t we start going down the tree you ask? It’s because… our ropes were gone! We looked everywhere, including on ourselves to see if the ropes were stuck to our bodies somewhere that would be hard to notice, but they were nowhere in any of our bodies nor they were on our hooks. It was like someone was sabotaging our mission by forcing us to be trapped up here. How were we going to get down? Me, Oliver, and John looked at each other, with tears still streaming down from our glassy eyes. We both agreed that we were probably going to be stuck up here for potentially the rest of our lives. None of us would’ve guessed it would all end this way.
Story continues, will edit when I post Part 5
PART 5
https://www.reddit.com/mrcreeps/comments/idj9li/ive_climbed_the_tallest_tree_in_the_world_part_5/

DISCLAIMER: This was written moments after the music video dropped, while the sub was in lockdown mode. I contemplated to not post it since "gazhere" already dropped a great analysis of the video a few days ago and discussed some similar points there, but why not right? It seems unlikely that the album is actually dropping tomorrow, so we might as well discuss and theorize some more!
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"Let Me Down":
Throughout the whole video we see Oliver chasing a microphone. With some goodwill and creativity, you could say that this is a metaphor for relevancy and fame. After singing for a while, the microphone flies away from him, signifying that relevancy is something that doesn't last a long time and is hard to attain.
With some help of someone in a suit, he gets a ladder and manages to obtain the microphone again. The people in suits could be a representation of a music label, or just people behind the scenes dictating what he's supposed to do. With their help (a metaphorical ladder), he's able to be heard again.
But sadly, even this doesn't last forever and the mic flies away again. This time he decides to pull out his own comical microphone and finally manages to be independent of a mic that keeps flying away. Imo, this is a reference to Oliver becoming "Oliver Tree". He's leaving his "Tree" persona behind, and creating a more meme-y and colourful character.
But yet again a guy in a suit comes by and delivers him something, a baby version of himself. This could be implying that the label is trying to turn "Oliver Tree" as we know him today, into a product. Some sort of "perfect" more sanitized version of himself. He looks at the baby, holds him up and throws him away. The lyrics "so now I've seen you turn into someone else" definitely seem to imply that he's not satisfied with what the label is trying to turn his image into.
I've always thought that the whole "war against the label" thing was a joke, but perhaps there's some truth to what he's saying. Perhaps there's a conflict behind the scenes that we're not aware of where managers want him to be more kid friendly and les raw. Perhaps they think that his colourful appearance could attract a wider audience if he toned himself down a little. On the H3Podcast, Oliver said that the "Hurt" music video got age restricted. We don't know the behind the scenes situation, but I can't imagine executives being to happy with that, especially since the video itself looked pretty high-budget.
So what could it mean? Maybe the whole album cancellation wasn't a joke, and he actually wants to release it independently? "It's the same old shit, stop putting up with it", could definitely be a reference to Oliver's experience with music labels.
However, it could also be his way of talking to the fans, that they should stop putting up with "Oliver Tree's crazy antics", foreshadowing that a new charactepersona will be introduced with UIB. Perhaps, like many of us have been predicting for a while now, he's actually serious about retiring the "Oliver Tree" personality because he's scared of what the label is turning it into? Or maybe he's just getting sick of it himself? Personally, I doubt this. His "Oliver Tree" personality is what put him in the spotlight, and it seems like Oliver is using this character as a vessel to fully express his artistic vision. Getting rid of it would almost put him back at the bottom, since that would destroy his entire image.
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Pat yourself on the back if you managed to read the entire thing, and feel free to discuss away in the comments :)

ICYMI, we had an AMA (Ask Me Anything) today with the Pixelberry Studios Team and once again, we thank them (u/playchoices) for coming on and chatting with us!
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https://preview.redd.it/ur1ewmj36lk21.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aadf39f70f463294490ada4c82af9a651c425fa8
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I've put together a somewhat organized list of questions and answers for people to reference (especially for the Wiki) and to group together related topics as best I could. (Let me know if there are any corrections that need to be made!)

Book-related Questions

A Courtesan of Rome

Can you please confirm whether A Courtesan Of Rome will be one book, or multiple? Or has this not even been decided yet?

This came up in the Inside Choices, but I guess I wasn't super clear (sorry). The finale chapters after the hiatus will conclude your historical adventures in Rome. We currently aren't planning on a Book 2, but it's been a blast exploring Ancient Rome with all of you! The team is working super hard to create an awesome finale! -Jessica

Will we get the chance to stab Caesar during the Ides of march, ergo the real date of his death? (Maybe not this year but in the future?)

https://media1.tenor.com/images/60dbf97a1457e7c7cf62b61cdc0b7322/tenor.gif?itemid=4679523 -Chelsa

Why did ACOR go on hiatus? 😭 will we get a book 2, or is it just two parts? Marc Antony isn’t a red herring LI like Nathan, right?

A Courtesan of Rome returns in late spring with its concluding chapters for the book. We don't have plans for a Book 2 currently, but we're hoping you'll enjoy all the epic stuff the team has planned for the last few chapters. (Seriously, it's mindblowing. Cleopatra!!) Generally speaking, we'll sometimes put books on shorter breaks or longer hiatuses to give our writing, art, QA and other teams enough time to make the best chapters possible without placing too much pressure on said teams. We know that the delays can be a disappointment, and we're really sorry about that, but we never make these decisions on a whim. At the end of the day, we're in this for the long-term, and that means doing what's best for our teams. - Jessica

Desire & Decorum

Specifically for the D&D and ACoR writers, what were some interesting things you guys learned about in your research?

I can’t speak on the ACoR side, but for D&D, it was really interesting researching about the secret language of the hand fan! I don’t know if I buy into all this “secret” gesture stuff, but the dictionary for it all is quite fascinating. Also, did you know that the word “Hello” wasn’t around until the 1840s? But it didn’t become a popular greeting until the 1880s, which coincided with the rise of the telephone! -Rachel
Also, in the early days of D&D, Rachel took me to a regency dance class. It was wild. -Jessica

In the PB blog post about D&D II, there was an allusion to a scene that had been conceived very early on (maybe as early as Book I). Was that scene the duel scene or a scene yet to unfold?

Yes! That was the duel! -Rachel

The Elementalists

Who is your favorite Elementalists character?

T I M -Andrew
Also Tim -Jessica

Will there be more Aster in book 2 of the Elementalists? I love her.

yes! We love her too and we’re so happy to finally be able to bring Aster in as a full time student. This is something we’ve been planning since the start of the series, so we’re glad to continue the story with her being more involved. - Chelsa

What was your thought process behind the sexuality choice in The Elementalists? It was super cool to let us pick our sexuality for the first time in any book! Will we see it in future books? Also, why did you still include romance scenes ignoring the choice later on?

You'll see it again in The Elementalists: Book 2! So the thought process initially was to give players who were romantically interested in specific genders a way to avoid certain romantic interactions and play a story more tailored to them. The hookup scenes at the tail end of the book weren't at all intended to ignore that choice. We considered the choice at the start to be specifically about your romantic interests, versus sexual preference. Of course, we always have room to grow, and will definitely look at how to further improve this option going forward! -Chelsa

Will the sexuality options for the MC be present in book 2 of The Elementalists?

yes! -Chelsa

I was wondering what everyone's attunement was from The Elementalists?

Earth-att -Jessica
Metal. I SHALL CRUSH MY DIET COKE CANS! -Rachel
Fire. Surprising no one -Kathleen
Air-att -Chelsa
I’m Tim -Andrew

I love the magical system ("attunements") you came up with for "The Elementalists". What alternative systems were discarded when you decided on that one?

We came up with a huuuuuuuge list of different magic systems and tried to narrow down some ideas from there. I went in knowing that i wanted it to involve elements and kind of show the relationship between magic and science in a unique way that I hadn’t really seen before. The one thing that we really wanted to put our own spin on was the idea of “wands” which have their own sort of power in the magickal world but aren’t used at all anymore as a result of the Wand Wars. (More on that in TE Book 2!) -Chelsa
When TE came out, a lot of people compared it to Avatar: The Last Airbender, which is pretty funny because our intrepid book lead has actually never watched it! We've got a running joke on the team where we make obscure A:TLA references specifically to drive Chelsa up the wall. -Jessica

Any chance we could get the Their team captain (AKA Hottie McHot Hot Hot) as a love interest?

Sorry, Everett doesn't date underclassmen. 😢

Endless Summer

To the writers: which is your personal favourite ending for Endless Summer and why?

CONTROVERSIAL HOT TAKE but my favorite is the Rourke Wins ending! I know it’s ‘the bad ending’, but in a lot of ways, I kind of think it’s the most hopeful, because it sets up the possibility that the characters will all find each other again and work together to take down Rourke on a grand new adventure - Andrew

In the chapter of book 1 of Endless Summer where you have to find Iris’ name, would anything have happened if you told her the name she had before? Rot13 for spoilers: Vzbtra Ebhexr

Oh wow that is a DEEP pull. Uhhhh, I’m going to say nothing would have happened because the operating system only accepted the name IRIS? - Andrew

I want a Endless Summer 3 pt movie.

Why not a musical theatre production? -Rachel

Does Quinn still think about me?

Every day - Andrew

Hero

Will we ever get a hero book 2? (:

Yes. -Rachel

The Heist: Monaco

Hey Owen, will there be a sequel to The Heist: Monaco?

That's classified 😛

Why is Sonia so attractive?

Because our artists are FANTASTIC! -Rachel

It Lives Beneath

In ILB, can the MC having low nerve actually prevent them from even TRYING to escape the coffin in chapter 17?

I mean, you can always TRY to escape the coffin, but if your Nerve is too low, it’s not gonna go well. 😈 -Kathleen

The Royal Romance

Was Maxwell from The Royal Romance always planned to be a love interest or was that decided later?

Books are planned and outlined well before launch, and we generally don’t change plans based on fan reception. We’ve got a road map and we stick to it! Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate and value fan feedback; it just means that we tend to take a long-term, more big-picture view towards reacting to fan feedback. The one exception to the rule is of course, Maxwell from The Royal Romance -- and even that took a lot more planning and forethought than I think readers realize. -Andrew
It wasn't planned, but over time, he charmed us so much that we just had to include him! And of course, we loved the passionate fan reception to him. That being said, the process for making Maxwell a love interest happen started out pretty early! - Jennifer

From a scale of 1-10 how likely is it that Drake Walker will still be sporting a denim shirt in the TRR spinoff?

100% -Kara
Would he be Drake Walker without a denim shirt? -Jennifer

TRR Question that I had on my mind since book 1, specifically for Kara if she can answer. Was Olivia from the series intended to be an LI at one point during conception but scrapped? If so, what was the thought process behind that? Noted how MC can bluntly say "I'd actually rather date you" at the end of the book moments before possibly winning Liam's hand and always made me wonder if her as a 4th/5th LI after Maxwell was intended as some point.

We didn’t have any plans beyond the first three Love Interests for TRR when we started it, but we didn’t want your dynamic with Olivia to feel forced into being purely antagonistic. One of my favorite things about Olivia and Riley’s interactions is that you can usually be snarky back to her or sweet, sassy, or silly even from the beginning before your friendship with her really starts forming. Some of the funniest paths to me are when you’re silly or sweet to Olivia because it’s something that she’s just so not used to. -Kara

Upcoming/Suggested

Would there be some type of option for accessorizing the MC’s in the future? I.e: adding Glasses, tattoos, a color palette for hairstyles etc..

Yes! We definitely have some more customization options coming up... including some that I think will be quite a surprise.

I would like to ask if there will be a possibility of choosing different haircolours for the hairstyles we are offered in the books. For example, having the ability to pick the same hairstyle in blonde and brown or maybe even some other colours. Would this be a possibility that you would consider in the foreseeable future?

This is something we’ll look into! - Andrew

Of the newly announced books that aren’t yet released, which are you most excited for fans to experience and why?

I’m super-hyped for Nightbound because if y’all like sexy monsters, we’ve got sexy monsters. I’m also very hyped for a Top Secret New Project that hasn’t been announced yet but pushes Choices in a new direction that I think fans will really enjoy! -Andrew
Also Nightbound! Though, I am really hyped for Wishful Thinking because I don’t know too much about the story -Chelsa
Nightboooooooouuuund -Kathleen
I’m excited to see what people will think about Passport to Romance. -Jennifer
I can’t wait for Wishful Thinking! I mean… look at the emus!! -Rachel

Have you thought about doing more books with the art style of Hero and Endless Summer?

Different art styles are definitely something we’re looking into! - Andrew

Will we get more books with a polyamory option?

Yes! - Andrew

Relating to my last question, have you ever considered making an in - game surveys ? Like you can make an option about attempting a survey within the app for different topics ? You can get valuable feedback directly from the players and in return, you can give a small diamond reward in accordance to the length of the survey.
This might be something we’re looking into! - Andrew
Are we going to get more trans representation in future or currently updating books?

Yes! - Andrew

Why are you not selling merchandise? I really, really want some Hartfeld stationery!

🤔🤔🤔

Can we choose our gender in Passport to Romance, Nightbound, and Wishful Thinking?

Nightbound and Passport to Romance will both have male/female main character options. Wishful Thinking will center a heroine main character. Now you know! #RedditExclusive -Jessica

What is the planned genre of Wishful Thinking?

“Quirky romcom” sayeth the Wishful Thinking lead. -Jessica

In Nightbound, are we a human or something else?

My lips are sealed -Andrew

Any upcoming genres you’re excited for?

Oh yeah. We’ve got some very very exciting stuff planned. I’m not allowed to share much so I’ll just say… we can’t wait til you SEA what we’ve got in store - Andrew

Will we be seeing more historical fiction books like D&D and ACOR.??

Yes! We have more historical books coming! - Andrew

when will red carpet diaries 3 be released? i'm getting antsy waiting on my thomas hunt reunion.

Red Carpet Diaries 3 will be released this summer! - Andrew

Hi guys! Just wondering if we will ever see a non-binary Main Character option, or perhaps even just some more flexibility with character selection?

That's on our radar! I can't promise when or if it will happen, but know that we hear you and appreciate you. ❤️-Jessica

Who’s your favorite villain? Who do you love to hate?

Gaius Augustine! And let me tell you, having just read the last chapter of Bloodbound 2… y’all have no idea what you’re in for - Andrew
SOooOooOoo…. I can’t really tell you yet. But you’re gonna love him as much as I do MWHAHAHA see ya’ll march 15th. -Chelsa

Would you all consider making any more books that take place in historical times rich with mythology (Greece, Africa, the Viking era, etc.?)

I would love to write a Viking book FOR THE GLORY OF ODIN -Kathleen
Does it have to be real mythology? -Chelsa
But seriously, we've got a bunch of books in different genres, settings, and maybe even time periods planned for the future, so stay tuned! In re: Veil of Secrets, it's a standalone book, but that doesn't mean it's the last time we'll explore mystery stories... -Jessica
The Heist: Olympus, coming soon! -Owen
(It is not. This is a joke) -Owen, seconds later

General

Do you guys keep stats on the choices people make? For example, which was the most chosen ending for Endless Summer, or who’s the most popular LI in a book? If so would you ever reveal some of them?

Nope! We actually don't keep track of individual choices; it'd be way too much data! -Andrew

Is there some sort of metric you use to determine when a book is successful? What does a “successful book” consist of? (Replays, keys, diamonds etc...)

It’s very complicated! We use a broad combination of metrics including things like spend, replays, etc. Also keep in mind that production cost is a big factor! Some books are a lot more expensive and complex than others, so the bar for what a success is can be very different depending.

Can you guys tell which books are replayed the most? Does the server actually let you know if a book is being replayed multiple times? (I’m asking because I have no idea how many times I’ve played TRR, and I’m wondering if they can tell, and think I need a life)

Yup.

How does the writing team come up with new books? Is it led by an individual's idea or is it a team effort to brainstorm? Does fandom feedback have an effect on what genres are created?

It’s a huge effort that involves a whole bunch of people. It may start with one idea from one person but there’s definitely a long and involved team process that follows! -Chelsa

Would you guys be averse to revisiting a story that ended? Or having the fans vote to bring back a story? Or even being more interactive with fans and having fans vote for sequels?

Anything is possible in the future, but right now, we’re focused on new stories and sequels to some ongoing titles. Also I can’t speak too much to ACOR because I haven’t worked on it, but I can say the team is working very very hard to make sure it has an extremely satisfying ending! -Andrew
Hey! If you love a book, let us know. You can contact us via Facebook message or in-game Support, or tweet at us. We can't always give you the answer you might want, but we really value hearing from you. (At the same time, I'll take the chance to say that spamming us is not the way to go.) -Jessica

Who has been your favourite character to write for? Is there any character who's level of popularity surprised you? And if you could write a book about whatever you wanted what would it be?

Speaking for just myself, I love writing Endless Summer Book 2 and my boy Jake McKenzie. I also LOVE Kamilah from Bloodbound - Andrew
personally have my heart set on a ‘mean girls’ style book, where your main goal is to become the Queen Bee of the fancy new boarding school you’ve been transferred to. - Chelsa
My favorite character to write for was probably Becca from the freshman (see Queen Bee book answer above lol) I personally have my heart set on a ‘mean girls’ style book, where your main goal is to become the Queen Bee of the fancy new boarding school you’ve been transferred to 🤔 -Chelsa
Fave character to write was Sei from TC&TF, 'cuz she’s the fire-slinging badass I wish I could be in real life 🔥🔥🔥 Noah’s popularity shocked me and was honestly pretty awkward because of what I knew was gonna happen at the end of ch. 14 😅 I’m a huge folklore nerd so my dream book is probably a super dark Brothers Grimm-style fairytale with evil fae and quest-giving talking animals. -Kathleen
Recently, my favorite to write has been Sybil from The Heist. Anytime you let me go absurd… -Owen
My fave character to write: Mr. Sinclaire in D&D. The banter between him and MC are so much fun. Briar is the runner up… She’s so boy crazy, but fun. -Rachel
My fave is Griffin! He's such a sweetie, it's fun to write the most genuine, heartfelt lines for him. #TeamGriffin -Jessica

How do you calculate the +Romance interactions for books like Desire and Decorum and TRR as opposed to Endless Summer and AME where the points are more quantifiable?

We have our books totally planned well in advance of launch. On very rare occasions, we'll make adjustments based on what the data is showing us, but that's a rare exception. -Andrew
Jumping in as the Community team to say: We absolutely collect your feedback and comments, and pass them along to our team. But as mentioned in a different reply, the way we implement feedback is more of a big picture, long term view. It's not that we're changing books halfway through based on a comment online. We'd never get books out the door on a weekly basis that way! -Jessica

How to you judge the popularity of a certain book and record the opinions of the players about a book ?

There's a lot of factors at play, including how much it gets played, diamonds and keys spent on it, and so on. And the Community team fills us in on what the fan community thinks as well. I will note that what is or isn't popular on social media doesn't always reflect the bigger picture; there are some books that get very little social media love but are really popular in-game, and vice versa. It’s all quite complicated! - Andrew

What is your favorite or most memorable quote from the books/series you've written?

From D&D 1: “I may be the earl’s natural daughter, but you’re the one acting like a bastard.” -Rachel
I think it was the choice in Bloodbound 1 where you can tell The Baron to sit his punk ass down - Andrew
Ugh this question is too hard. I can’t think of a quote but one of my favorite story moments I contributed to in The Elementalists was we were trying to decide what to do with the unconscious student in swan’s office in chapter 11 (you may know her as Amy Stevenson), and I suggested that swan should just… roll her out of the office. It still cracks me up. -Chelsa
"Atlas pats a hidden pocket at their side, which squelches alarmingly." I mayyy have previously used this exact joke in the original flavor HSS Prime quest when Koh dumps a bunch of slime in her pocket. Also, "Sure, Jan" for the blonde hair in The Elementalists. -Jessica
Hmmm… most recently, it’s “I place faith in nothing... save for the lunar cycle, the loyalty of plants, and the eventual return of the McRib.” As mentioned, I love writing Sybil… Play The Heist with a low Sybil Trust Score to see it ;) -Owen
AUGH I CAN'T DECIDE Pretty much anything Tom says but this one's got a special place in my heart: "Tom: Hold on tight, passengers! Your friendly and enthusiastic tour guide has been playing a lot of Hydro Thunder at the arcade." -Kathleen

Can you confirm or deny if Addison and Kara are related? And related to Mr Sinclaire in some way?

But Mr. Sinclaire has the extra e! Addison and Kara don’t! Also, why does everyone with the same last name have to be related? Not every Smith or Johnson is related! -Rachel
I can’t speak to that… but on a related note, the fact that two different teams made villainous Sterlings was a very funny coincidence, but we decided retroactively, it’s canon. Nathan Sterling is a distant cousin! –Andrew

Hello choices team! Have you ever considered of making a book where the MC is a full on villain?

i would LOVE to - Chelsa
Mwahahahaha! insert maniacal laugh -Rachel

If you had to be trapped in any Choices book for a week, which one would you choose?

It Lives but only if I’m Redfield -Chelsa
I’d 100% choose Rules of Engagement. An all-expense paid cruise in the Mediterranean? Yes please! -Jennifer
Bloodbound, but only if I’m a vampire, or getting fed on by a vampire, or dating a vampire, or just hanging out with a vampire, yeah okay, just Bloodbound - Andrew
Only a week? Oh, that’s a tough one. Probably TRR… but only if I can be MC. Gimme the prince! -Rachel
I could never be in Bloodbound. I hate wearing turtlenecks! JK. I'd want to be in The Elementalists because magick! I'm an Earth-Att. -Jessica

If you could date any LI from any book who would you choose?

Zig one true love forever - Chelsa
Quinn Kelly and Flynn O’Malley - Andrew
Mr. Sinclaire… or the Prince. He’s a prince. - Rachel
Team Tom Sato for lyfe - Kathleen
Kaitlyn! - Jessica

Who’s your favorite villain? Who do you love to hate?

Tie between Hex and Empress Azura (who shines brightest) from TC&TF. I love me a villain who wants to do something VERY BAD but for reasons that kind of make sense -Kathleen

How do you decide on character names? Do you browse for name meanings, search for baby names of X time in Y place, or do the characters sometimes just speak to you (like the TRR corgi spoke through Maxwell) their names?

For me I usually have a direction or kind of vibe I’m trying to convey with a name. I don’t often do a ton of research on character names. Atlas I think just sort of popped into my head as soon as we thought up the character. Aster took a little longer to figure out, we just knew we wanted it to sound floral or nature-related. -Chelsa

What was the saddest thing for you to write (or read) among all of the books?

The endings of Endless Summer 3, no question. I was definitely tearing up throughout the Vaanu ending - Andrew
Oh man. The entire Hex/Whitlock saga that stretched across all three TC&TF books. That scene in book 3 where Whitlock holds Hex at crossbow-point? I was literally crying as I wrote that. -Kathleen
SPOILER ALERT! Writing your mother’s death in D&D. It was like the first thing I wrote for the book, and so… heartbreaking. - Rachel
the initial drafts of the death scenes in it lives 1 were very sad… and very fun for me to write mwahahhahahhahhah - Chelsa
I haven't written anything sad for Choices (yet), but the saddest thing I've written at Pixelberry would be in HSS Prime when Ace de la Cruz admits to you all his greatest fears and insecurities to you near the end of his quest arc. I poured a lot of my own feelings about academic achievement, parental expectations, and the pressure to succeed as the child of immigrants into that scene, and I absolutely cried while writing it. Whew. -Jessica

What do you consider to be the greatest classic novel of all time?

Pride & Prejudice… but I might a bit prejudice… -Rachel
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley invented Sci Fi fight me) - Kathleen

If you were a criminal, which Choices cop would you want to chase you, Dave, Sam, Parker, Damien or Sonia?

TRICK QUESTION! The real answer is Duffy - Andrew
Dave, because he seems like the kind of dude I could distract with flirting and then handcuff to a fence. - Kathleen

What is the hardest part of writing for two different genders?

Hookup scenes bc you can’t just ask your male coworkers how they do that (Jessica does not approve this answer) -Kathleen

What, if anything, leads to new characters being added as love interests like Maxwell?

This happens very very rarely, and it’s usually because it feels natural for the story! For example, Kate wasn’t supposed to be an love interest in Veil of Secrets, but the deeper I got into editing the story, the more it just felt really natural that she should be, like there was this really sweet story of long unrequited love between her and MC brewing just beneath the surface. - Andrew

Which Choices characters would you guys want to be friends with if they existed in the real world?

RAJ RAJ RAJ RAJ RAJ RAJ RAJ - Andrew
Miss Parsons or Briar… They’d be the best wingwomen EVER with great sassy comments. -Rachel
Zig, Tom from It Lives, Shreya Mistry, Becca, Kaitlyn, Eris - Chelsa
Ava! Spooky sass buddies for life 🖤 -Kathleen
Hana Lee - Jessica

I wanted to ask what gave y’all the incentive to diversify your characters (namely protagonists and LIs). I feel super blessed to see myself represented in the characters, esp. Andy, but I know plenty of other choice-based/roleplay games don’t go out of their way to include representation, opting to only appeal to their heterosexual female demographic exclusively and they still garner success. Were there any hesitations to broaden representation and were there any concerns about losing some of your audience?

I think that as long as I’ve been here, Pixelberry has been really devoted to diversity of our characters. I tell this story a lot but when I first started here, I worked on the original HWU and for my first quest I asked if I could make the storyline about the character’s struggles with her natural hair and everyone thought it was a great idea! That’s really when I started to feel like this was a great place to work and a place that was working hard to make people’s voices heard. There’s also SO MANY of us here that of all different ethnicities, sexualities, genders that it would be impossible for that not to be reflected in Choices! - Chelsa

Question for the writers: What is your favourite book (that you didn’t contribute to) and why??

I love the It Lives series… such an awesome cast and I love how dark it gets - Andrew
Home for the Holidays! It was such a sweet and simple book, very easy to cozy up with and i finished it in a snap.-Chelsa
AME because it’s got a super fun cast of characters!- jessica
I’m loving TH:M. So much sass! Honorable mention goes to RoD because it gives me major Fast and the Furious feels -Kathleen
TC&TF. It’s the first Choices book I played! And there are DRAGONS! -Rachel

Do you write books with a "canon" route in mind? In ILITW/ILB, for example, when you use the default settings from ILITW, it goes with the "everybody dead, MC took Jane's place" ending.

We try not to write the book to steer players toward a particular ending, but there’s usually one ending that is the one I’d pick if I was writing the story as a novel or TV show. It’s usually the meanest/saddest one 😈 -Kathleen
I think it’s definitely easier when there’s one specific goal you want the main cast to accomplish. Not to spoil anything, but I will say the current plan for the elementalists is to have different ending possibilities. -Chelsa

Who mixes the music? The soundtracks are pure 🔥 🔥

You can thank Daniel for your favorite tracks! He's our Music Director at Pixelberry! -Jessica

Although, I hope, some of your stories obviously haven't been drawn from from real life, have there been instances when you've remembered moments in your life and decided to use them for the stories in-game?

I draw from my own life a lot in my writing. Tom’s fraught experience as a Japanese-American is definitely based on my own, and I also drew pretty heavily on my own experiences of loss and grief when writing for the It Lives series. It can honestly be pretty cathartic, and it’s always super gratifying to see that experience resonate with other people who play our game ❤️-Kathleen
I’m Russian so I delight in constantly putting Russian characters and references in! Nikolai’s my man -Andrew
A lot of bits in LoveHacks drew on my experience growing up in the SF Bay Area, and a lot of The Heist drew upon my experience stealing the crown jewels of Monaco. Write what you know, amirite. - Owen

Who comes up with all the awesome puns in the achievement titles?

Usually each writer comes up with their own achievement puns (my best: Amulet you Finish). If we’re ever having trouble, though, we can just jump on the puns Slack channel and post “I need chair-related puns. Go!” -Kathleen

​> Seat Yourself. -Jennifer

My crowning achievement was "Thirst for Knowledge" for Beckett's hookup. Lol. -Jessica
i have a bad habit of just using song titles/lyrics that are relevant to the situation 😬 -Chelsa
The Heist was almost called “Pros & Cons”, which is about as punny as I get. -Owen

Seriously Loving the sexual/racial inclusivity. And just as importantly—loving the introduction of a kickass, take no shit MC (here’s to you, ACOR) It’s so heartfelt to play a character that feels evermore like a reflection of myself, instead of necessarily falling into the innocent ingenue archetype.

Thanks so much! But honestly, I believe we always have room to grow and improve when it comes to representation in Choices, so that's a conditional 'thanks.' - Jessica

My question is how much—or at all—fan reactions & suggestions play a part into the plot processes within the writing room? Is it a sealed room filled with brilliant, creative minds? Or do you guys ever look at Reddit (for example) to see where the wind blows for certain characters & craft potential new storylines using fan inspiration?

We touched on this a little in earlier comments, but: When it comes to fan reactions and feedback, we have a big picture, long-term approach to taking those into account. We generally plan things out in advance -- it's the only way to hit weekly chapter releases! So yes, it's essentially a sealed room. -Jessica

Writers

Do anyone of you have secret accounts to stalk the tumbldiscord/fb/reddit fan groups?

No. Since I'm not omniscient, I'll say: Not that I know of. People at PB had better not have any. 🙃 -Jessica
Well, they wouldn’t be secret anymore, now would they? -Rachel

Tea or coffee?

An unhealthy amount of coffee -Andrew
I’m from Portland so my body is composed of roughly 80% nitro cold brew. -Kathleen
A fragrant English Breakfast tea. With crumpets preferably. -Jennifer
PEARL MILK TEA! -Jessica
These are all on point. -Jennifer
Whiskey. -Rachel

​> Wine -Chelsa
I've always wondered, who does your team actually consist of? - meaning, you have writers, illustrators, animators - so what kind of schools/majors did you people finish? I'm wondering if someone finished something completely unrelated to game design and ended up in Pixelberry.

I was an art major at a little liberal arts college, but that’s only because we didn’t have a creative writing major 😛-Kathleen
I was a theatre & journalism double major! -Rachel
I went to a private art school (go, chimeras!) and got a degree in Creative Writing and Literature. My parents thought i wouldn’t be able to get a job but look at me now suckersssssss! jk i love my parents, shoutout to my mom 😘 -Chelsa
English and Japanese double major at a UC school! I also did not own a smartphone prior to joining Pixelberry back in the day. That either tells you I'm super old, or that I'm super bad with technology. You choose. -Jessica

Do you first write the characters and then the story? Or the opposite? What is the order of the elements (characters, plot, conflict) during the writing process?

I usually come up with the basic context/plot for a book and then ask myself what sorts of characters the story needs -Kathleen

What do you enjoy doing in your free time when you aren’t working/writing?

I crochet… I crochet a lot. -Rachel
I don’t understand the question - Andrew
Sleeping. -Jessica
Mostly calligraphy, firedancing, bouldering, and costume making. Occasionally skydiving. -Kathleen

Other

Hi! Can you please give us a 2-chapters book with Daniel the Waiter as Main Character - a story connecting all his appearances in the Choices universe? As an April’s Fools special maybe? :)

Ah, but who’s to say we don’t have already have a story about Daniel’s ancestor, Mr. Danforth, who lived in Grovershire, England back in the 1800s? Jk… But you never know what we have in store! -Rachel

Have you visited this subreddit before? Who was the first person that found the sub?

Yes! I actually came across it first! -Rachel
One of the mods actually reached out to us via Support a while back, so we as the Community team were aware of this subreddit. It's been pretty busy at Pixelberry lately, so I'm sorry that we didn't get around to reaching out sooner! But hey, now we're here! -Jessica

How would you hide a giraffe from the government?

Train it to stand very still in a museum and add a plaque on the wall that says “Giraffe, Mixed Media, 2019” -Kathleen
I would dress him up in a tuxedo, top hat, and monocle, and call him my very tall cousin Geoffrey. -Rachel
Who says I haven't already done it? -Jessica
I would make him a hat out of palm fronds and they would think he’s a tree. -Chelsa

Where'd the company name come from? The Pixelberry plush is so cute - can I kidnap it?

"NO! DON’T KIDNAP THE BERRY!" -Rachel
"Oo, the company name. That’s a great question, and it IS kind of a funny story.” -Jennifer
“A long time ago, Oliver had tasked the original PB writers with brainstorming a name for our new company. He was like “Maybe something cute, like Fireberry or Pixelberry”. Then there was an hour of the writers on their bullshit, throwing out things like “Deep Dish Kitten” and “Cookies Wild” and just the sound “Cheerm”… Then we ended up going with Oliver’s original suggestion. “Cheerm” did appear in Most Wanted as the name of the startup though, as an inside joke that we enjoyed very much.” -Owen

What is it with the weird advertisements of Choices I keep seeing? (My friends may have used these ads for teasing me for playing this game …..)

Our marketing team knows what they're doing! They're pretty data-driven, and the ads you see are the ones that do the best. Props to them! - Andrew

An exhalation of air breathed from the sea expires in the room, infusing the silk linen curtains with billows of floral scents. They contorted into various shapes, figures of those who too had shared the same gust in the valley. It’s short lived presence was to be thanked, mitigating the severe heat of a fine Italian summer.
A mist of dust dancing in the amber rays of sun fluttered throughout the space of the room. Small, it was, although only by the creation of books, copious amounts of them. Each corner was home to an impressive collection of seemingly dusted novels, balancing on velvet cushions as a bird may perch, fragile enough that with any second blow of wind they might fall onto the more fragile wooden floorboards, failing to take flight.
It may be a weird comparison, to compare books, so aged that the corner of each page would dishevel and become stamped by the curious flicks of your finger, your fingerprint, to birds. Although anything, living or dead, motionless or in motion, would desire to escape to the view from the window. The rolling fields of the valley leading up to hills which were swallowed in a smog of plush green; sunflowers, grapevines, smears of white jasmine and swatches of lavender. Almost as if a fleet of drenched doves rose, flicking not water, but pastel pigments from their wings, decorating the forestry as if by the hand of Jackson Pollock.
Reverie was broken the instant that the wisps of nearby chatter from the piazzetta entered the room. Chatter was not a distraction, only a reminder that - despite the heavens surrounding our property - we remained on earth, something held dear to a home which was further into the valley than most others. You may only walk down the tarnished stairs to be greeted by a friendly face of a housekeeper, and may find comfort besides the gardner in the orchard, possibly serenaded by the glisten of the sea and seduced by the amazing bodies that patrolled it’s rear. Civilisation was near, albeit sparse, still in existence. To some that would be enjoyed, but with the new guests arriving, it was unsure as to whether they may bring a wrath hotter than the sands onto the grounds of the local area or be tamed by the blessings of mother nature and nestle into their new abode without destruction.
Chipped into the gate of an arch within the stone wall on the perimeter of the land was: ‘Alfonsi’. This property so famously known to the delight of visitors as the…
ALFONSI MANOR | ITALY
Tourists had named this gate the entrance to heaven, as they had named almost every other square meter of the property. Someone very fond may refer the manor to being a church, the orchard the Garden of Eden, the path winding down to the beach as purgatory; a long walk to an unsure fate of pleasant light or lingering rain.
The baleful heat of day and cerulean visage looming suggested that it was the afternoon. A time at which the signature Italian chorus of cicadas would be at its loudest which, in the town centre, would be replaced by the stomps of stampedes. Old men with skin strained by the sun departing the sweaty busses, espadrilles dragging amongst the pebbles, deprived of vigour.
In fact, the bus doors had remained open for a longer time than usual. You’d expect to hear the wheels inflate once again and see them make the ground continue to tremor elsewhere, but the engine remained off with steps grazing the floor.
A single louboutin heel takes a curious step onto the stone path surrounding the nearby statue remembering some war of the past. Scuffed by none but obscured by the glaze of the sun, twisting into the rubble as to conjure a dramatic plume of residue to enhance her arrival.
“This is glorious.”
Bella Esmeralda peers out of the vehicle, looking over to the distant mirage of water. For a moment, the lens was able to capture the beautiful hues of blue reflected in her eyes, but soon that was disrupted by a push of who followed behind.
“Alright, get on with it. It’s hot. I’m hot-” Amelia fans herself with a pedicured hand, exiting the bus “- clearly the Italians are also.”
The camera turns to the direction in which her passionate glance was sent, observing a group of overtly chubby Italian men playing a game of poker on the terrace of a shabby restaurant. Evidently Scarlet had not found mutual interest, most likely pleased enough with her Paris men at home, her brows furrowed as she gestures Amelia to rush forward, as she had just done to Bella.
[SCARLET VENOM]: We’re in Italy and this place is beautiful. I’m not quite sure what made Fantasia and Bella think UK was worth starting out in when they planned to have us here regardless.
Like a class of children on a residential trip, the competitors fled the claustrophobic premise of the bus and rejoiced besides the war memorial. It was not there for them to pay respects, only to observe momentarily whilst Bella awaited to receive direction on her phone.
“Welcome to Italy, although only known by most of you westerners for pizza, one of the most beautiful places on earth. At least for Fantasia, who has just sent me an address that leads to a house in France…”
“Oooh, there we go girls. Maybe we will finally get to do a catacombs floorshow and get to meet Bella’s family.”
Satina smirks, looking over to the others. They had all discussed the concept of a catacombs themed floorshow before, so it was to no one's surprise that the anticipation of such would resurface at the slightest of moments - even when in Italy. Speaking of, what would happen here? Does one get exterminated, even when in Italy? Are people to be left behind, even in Italy? Those thoughts should be pondering in the contestants heads right now, as it was unusual to see a move in the midst of the game.
“We’re staying?”
Leviathan gasps, having been unsure of how long their trip was to last.
“Some of you will be staying, let’s just leave it at that.”
The response from Bella did what was thought to be impossible, elicit shivers from the competitors, even in the supreme of the summer blaze. A fear that conquers all, the thought of having to travel all the way back, an extermination challenge in its own right. Defeat was already dawning upon some, a flick of black ink, slowly spreading and growing, consuming words of wisdom that once motivated them all.
Such melancholy discussion continued throughout the breach of the haze. The bus which had so graciously occupied them for hours end had risen from the ground and drove away, past the lens, whispers of their voices heard from the exhaust rather than the vibrato of the engine. With the departure of the vehicle was a transition to the time of this chatter. They had left the piazzetta and took the stranded roads that would soon, unknowingly to them, lead them to their new home.
“I felt really down about placing in the bottom again. I loved my work and I don’t know what else they expect from me.”
Leviathan shared her worries. It was questionable whether her doubts were to reason for her low spirits and lack of pride in her walk, perhaps the heat had gotten to her, as it had for the rest of the cast. A monotonous road which seemed to lead nowhere, each step simply a reward to those who had born scabs from paving the way, although to no particular direction.
“You go out there and get a win this week then.”
Satina reaches out to comfort her with a pat on the shoulder. Her hand rests there, lethargic; lack of bother to move.
“I was feeling really down about the competition too-” Amelia glances over at the pair “- I wasn’t shining and I was worried it would affect my future performance. I’m humbled to have won and now I’m ready to step outside of the box and win this thing.”
“You deserved it, I’m glad to have been against you for that spot. When I saw your work I knew it would be strong competition, it was drag.”
Amelia smiles at Scarlets response.
“I knew I was going to be safe or somewhere in the bottom, I felt like I screwed myself over slightly. In my original plan, I was going to have three people die by signs which really would’ve put me in the shits after Fantasia critiqued having two the same already.”
Vienna joins in the conversation, all now remarking the prior nights critiques. This topic would have been discussed by now, but with the late conclusion of judging, sleep that felt more like a gentle limber between a night of dreams and simply having your eyes shut with the flight to Italy in the early birth of raw sun - they did not have the time nor energy to speak of the matter.
“Yeah, it sucks. I’m just happy to still be here though.
In the midst of the group was Aurora, contributing to recall with her own thoughts. A conversation long overdue that most certainly continued for much too long, only to trespass what would be an hour ahead of them before arrival.
A journey worth taking, however. The manor stood like one of the seven wonders, tall on a vertiginous hill within the valley. Nature around the establishment had been painted with a brush, a topaz swipe upwards for the apricot trees in the orchard, the pressure and release of an index finger on the coarse bristles for a fine distribution of white stars in the darkening sky. Blue pigment smeared with water tainted green from the prior cleansing dip; algae spawning in the ponds and a sheer facade of dabbles to simulate a cooling mist of water vapour rising from the grounds.
The building itself was rather rustic. Known for having accommodated famous families, although if one were to ask, no one would care to remember their names. Only the title awarded to this home was deserving of recognition, or even the name of the gardeners and housekeepers that kept and prioritised it’s state rather than their own. With every apricot plucked was the firm grip of rigid fingers, not exactly making the fruit any juicier or more plump, but stamping it with pride and comfort.
Almost as an analogy for the season and what is to come. Although no fruit goes to waste, it is first the good apricots that are to be enjoyed and squeezed into juice from the comforts of the kitchen. It is the ones that subdue to the heat which are left for the bottom of the barrel.
“Feeling at home, Bella?”
The group were withdrawn from their hypnotic state of awe, each of their five senses brought back to life from their transfixation. Bella, ahead of the group, looked around in search of the voice. She peered towards the door, noticing only a stray chihuahua toddling out of the doors.
“Huh?”
The lone, petite dog sat. It stared at the new arrivals for a moment, confused as to whether she was still on the pound or not, and then back to the originator of whichever voice had just spoken. A flutter of beige and maroon silks flew in the gust of air, caressing the bare lower-legs of whichever figure had just left the house. The fabric belonged to a relatively simple dress, a lengthy skirt although thin to survive the weather conditions outside. An off-the shoulder neckline showing bronzed collar bones and the delicate embrace of a golden chain pressing lightly against her tanned neck.
Her locks of brunette hair flowed naturally, as if they too had been blessed by the surroundings, the salt of the sea, loose curls partitioned to one side, reflecting the now far sunset with natural auburn highlights. Eyes emblazoned with her own forestry of green and lips as if they had been pressed against the bud of a rose.
This woman was in her casual attire, but had somehow managed to sustain the same effect of a Versace model in the prime spotlights of fashion week. Italian vogue had nothing on her, neither did the royals back home, standing with modelesque poise and greeting her dog with grace and decorum.
Only that this, this moment which just so happened to occur in slow motion, a moment when the blind were granted more blind from the impact of the house and the women, a sight too much for a pair of human eyes to handle - this would’ve continued longer had it not been for Fantasia’s sudden release of awkwardness and brazen introduction.
“Look Bella, some new friends to play with. Go bite. Especially the one that looks like a bulldog.”
To which she pointed at the human Bella, the dog following her lead. She did not bear any fangs, but instead two pits, two oblivions of cuteness that stared wide into their souls. The whore wanted a treat.
“Sequitur, sequitur.” Fantasia mumbled hastily under her breath, sighing and heading back into the house. “Is no one going to follow? Must I repeat myself? Unless you ought to stay somewhere else, but why would you want to? I know when Satina raises her arms it smells like sauerkraut but-”
Her voice had grown too distant, now belonging to the echoes within the home. The others looked at eachother, shrugging and following in. Scarlet is late to enter, quickly snagging an apricot from the nearest tree before entering, tossing it up and down in her hand.
“Ladies, Gentlemen, meet Martina and Greta.”
Two elderly ladies who seemed too used to the prosperity of new, foreign visitors stood in the large kitchen. Scarlet was first to receive a slap on the hand, Greta removing the fruit from the nestle of her grip and placing it in a bowl beside her on the counter.
“No.”
The lady imperatively states, Scarlet blushing as she did when scalded as a child. Greta gestures towards the window where an even older man presses his face against the window. The group would jump upon noticing, maybe scared by his sudden appearance, or that he literally looked like Portia, only if her face had become resembling of a pensioners sac due to the course of time. Italiano. He walked away, arms further from his stomach than the fridge to the oven in the kitchen. He must’ve liked his spaghetti.
“That wasn’t even the gardner… must’ve just been a tourist.”
Fantasia, addressing the sudden appearance of a stranger outside, conjured worrisome faces from the monsters. Miss Venom seemed too concerned about the faint red mark on her hand, snarling - as the chihuahua should’ve - to the woman. Vienna and Aurora watched from the corner, attempting not to laugh. Both probably thought of warning her not to retaliate in such a matter, as she would be the determining factor of whether their food was nice or purposely poisoned with masses of garlic to keep Scarlet away. Stank.
“Grazie.” The one host smiles at the pair of women, receiving grins back. “Anywho, follow me through.”
As Fantasia toured the ground floor of the house, almost as if it were her first time too, stumbling into rooms left right and centre, she attempted to show the contestants what the rooms were. Pointing to the left, she showed the entrance to the living room. A rather vast room, walls still exposed brick with flooring that had been stained by random varnishes over time. Furniture carelessly placed but in a manner which was still logical, a vintage sofa and several arm chairs loitered near a television. Books too. Lot’s of books.
Pointing to the right, she directed their attention to the hobbit entrance of spiral stairs that would lead to an attic-like room. ‘Very dusty, probably hasn’t been touched for some years’, she’d explain to them.
This continuous motion of striking arms left to right, articulating her index finger to reveal every door as if they were hidden secrets of a biblical passage or tomb of an undiscovered pharaoh, almost became a dance. With each room shown was a circulation of whispers or laughs, whether or not Fantasia was cracking jokes, someone had made a fart joke from the creaking of the floorboards or someone had tripped was unsure. The noise itself had become replaced by blessing of piano instrumental, playing to the tunes of Sebastian Bach, maybe someone had took pleasure in greeting the contestants by sharing the acoustics from the grand piano in the living room. Piano notes floated through the house as if they were a siren call, the competitors soon turning into black-matter silhouettes that, when returning on screen, were visible again, only in their dimly illuminated bedrooms.
“This is crazy.”
Fantasia liked to keep the windows and shutters open wide in the evening, with just the swelling sheer curtains between us and life beyond, because it was a crime to block the art of a thousand shooting stars from scattering not just amongst the sky, but the walls of the bedrooms, against each crevice in the walls and illuminating each golden embellishment in the books. A kaleidoscope of galaxies that felt like they were from hands reach, only to be a million light years away.
“You really went all out with this one-” Bella removes her Louboutins, sitting on the edge of the bed, throwing them over her shoulder onto the pillows “-I can already see it in the episode.”
“See what?”
“The descriptive details of everything. You know, the stars glisten in mournful sorrow for the sun that once was.”
“You do realise these episodes are filmed, no? That’s why there’s a camera following us for every inch of this house.”
A cameraman, almost unnoticeable, blends into the shadows in the farthest corner from where she stood. The lens was the only prominent sighting, the light of night forming a white flare on the glass that, when caught by the other cameras, spread across the screen - as if when it no longer obscured the scene, we’d be transitioned to an entirely different world.
In fact, something did change. No, we did not enter an alternate galaxy or timeline, but once the flare had truly disappeared, so did the bedroom. Instead the dining room was in place, each of the contestants around the dining table on the patio outside. Nothing was to illuminate the area other than the supremacy of peak moonlight and a course of fairy lights entangled in the wall flowers.
A distant hand continued to play the piano, alternating from their index finger to their next two fingers, crossing their thumb over and then continuing the same motion to whatever notes were the key to producing such beautiful music. It was still kept to the acoustics of the background, the gentle rattle of cicadas more noticeable, as well as the lone, empty seat in the corner of the table.
“I hope you like the place, because we’re going to be here for a while.”
Fantasia dabs her mouth with a napkin, placing it back on her lap and continuing to prod her fork into the food before her, knowing several glances had just been fired her way.
“I mean, we could’ve gone to Paris, bu-”
“It’s stunning.”
Aurora kicks Scarlet under the table, interrupting her with pleasant compliments of the new home. Partially to save face for her fellow queen, but also as to say ‘it’s not going to happen, so let it go’. Not that it was that serious, if anything it was an ongoing joke.
Or at least she thought she had kicked Scarlet, the sudden touch of gummy fangs that felt more like a kiss was felt on her foot. Bella, not the human, the dog, clearly had been scavangening for whatever food was dropped under the table. Now the bitch had got a nasty taste in her mouth from that foot.
[AURORA]: If I end up having to leave the competition due to a medical diagnosis of rabies then you may want to blame the dog. Or even Vienna, who was eating like a ferrel, rabid rat at the end of the table. The way she bit that food…
She was right. Vienna, who was bent over like she was possessed, slurped up every last strand of her food. Then vacuumed the bits off the plate. It was only half an hour later when she came up for air had she noticed the empty seat beside her.
“It’s unlike me to announce the challenge at such a weird time of day, but you may want to film one of your floorshows in the nighttime, so here goes.”
Fantasia had drawn Vienna’s attention back, as well as the other ghouls.
“This week, you will be doing the ball challenge. We have came to such a beautiful area, not only for my own pleasures, but for you to use as an environment for this weeks ball categories. As you know, you have all been critiqued on needing to use more figurative language, expanding your concepts to be more ambitious and doing more glamour than just rhinestones, more filth than just cuts and blood and more horror than… what you’re currently showing a lack of.”
Scarlet, the resident vampire queen of the season, blushed slightly. For someone who was metaphorically dead should be excelling at such, and had a lot to answer for. Well, she didn’t. But that’s what her paranoia had called for.
“You must all create outstanding floorshows that accommodate the themes of…

• The Monster That Lurks
• The Evil Ruler
• The Damsel in Distress

these themes seem to be quite fantasy based, although I do not want to see anyone to rely on simple witches, trolls, your classic evil queen, anything of the sort. This challenge will test your creativity, those with the most ambitious concepts that exemplify the cores and are executed the most beautifully - with some use of figurative language will succeed. The ones that continue to deem cuts and blood as proper demonstration of filth, a rhinestoned gown with little further detail to be a showcase of filth, and horror to simply be dead bodies will be in jeopardy.”
The postprandial torpor seemed to last forever that night, little action or momentum from the contestants who had pleasantly found comfort with how much delicacies they had indulge themselves in. However, not all stomachs were to rest.
The day had already reached the darkest hour, yet not all beautiful sights had been cloaked; through the aged glass panes of the window, one could see what - at first - appeared to be the Last Supper mural by Da Vinci. Only that when the camera had moved into the comfort of the candle-lit interior it had been a mock up, consisting of bloated queens around a table piled to the brim of makeup.
Walls that were undeniably unkempt with chipped paint of all sorts that had the ability to convince those nestled within their enclosure that it had been an aesthetic choice, but did a story these fine grains of plaster and feeble floorboards have to tell. One observing both the exterior and interior of this famous manor and it’s heavenly surroundings would only fantasize about how it may have been home to a queen many centuries ago, although never considered the true reality of having belonged to a lineage of criminals.
How did it get into Fantasia’s hands? That’s anyones question. Although, the real question on everybody’s minds were why there were only five queens in this replacement boudoir room.
ALFONSI MANOR | WEEK 4
“I wonder how Amelia’s doing…”
Scarlet places down her pen and rubs her eyes, staring at the others momentarily with her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Her elbow would leave an imprint in the olive velvet inlay of the armchair that she sat on, to which she’d find joy in contorting through many thorough swipes of her index finger.
If you’re questioning why such focus was placed on minor detail; nothing else was to be said. In fact, the others had not yet said anything. A deathly silence had only meant that the queens absence was to and part due to something serious. Scarlet did not ask a question either. Had she truly wanted to start a conversation, something way that was fueled with more spontaneity and less concern would have been needed to break the calm ambience. The fire crackles and ushers a few embers, though the only response she was to receive.
“I hope she’s fine and gets through whatever is happening at home-” Satina conjures a plume of crimson pigment from tapping her eyeshadow brush “- she’s a great contestant and an even greater friend.”
“One of us could still go home, if she doesn’t return she’ll be sent straight to the bottom, but that doesn’t mean to say we’re all safe.”
Vienna contributes. Not necessarily the best timing apparently, a slight stern look from Satina and the others mute; unsure in which way to interpret what she had just said.
“I haven’t been thinking of the benefit if she did go home by the way, I just meant to say as we’re yet to discuss the upcoming elimination. Whoever wins is choosing, and it’s going to be hard to choose regardless of Amelia’s dismissal or not.”
The focus shifts from the side shot of Vienna’s face to Leviathan, sat beside her, who, although had kept relatively quiet, nodded in agreement.
[LEVIATHAN]: I want to win this challenge. I’ve been letting myself get stressed out over not placing as well as I would have hoped, but going into this challenge all pressure is off. I want to succeed, and I’m going to have fun.
“I’m more concerned about that empty seat.”
She, Levi, reminds the rest. With many things to worry about, an empty seat at a feast in Italy, where food from home may go to waste, had been the most concerning. When most families declare ‘mangiamo!’ at the start of their dinners to commence the celebration of their taste buds, they mean it. Of course, Leviathan wasn’t Italian, but she was used to Dragula dinners. Leave any food, you get your hand chopped off.
“What chair?”
“The one which we all talked about earlier, Scarlet. Fat bitch was too into her food to even notice it.”
“You’re right. A win has a lot of calories, I’ve had two of them.”
Levi throws a nearby sponge applicator across the room at Scarlet, the two laughing as they jokingly bicker amongst themselves. Aurora is seen dodging each item thrown as she sits in the crossfire, as if they were Fantasia’s messages. She may still be in the competition, but you know that bitch is reciting the lyrics to wicked in her head. That or she’s entertaining herself with the memory of Diana getting hit by a car pre-shift at McDonalds. Who knows?
We could do a complete psychoanalysis on her thoughts, but we’d rather not. Time was passing, but for these ghouls, a long early morning of floorshow filming was ahead. Luckily for you and me, we can skip ahead a few hours. Cue one of those cliche panning montages of the house with a momentary time lapse in the back.
The outdoor patio that overlooked a view of the sea had been blessed by the touch of a gay; raised insfrastructure of grey slate panels constructed a T-shape stage with a copper metal work frame strung with spotlights. Each one lit the stage with their own neon hue, although predominantly a blend of lavender and blues, as not to harm the eyes of the contestants -
ALFONSI STAGE | WEEK 4
- who were already lined up at the front, standing in whatever category floorshow look they had last filmed. Some looking like deranged mental institute escapees, others appearing like rip-off Carries, some in inesplicable SFX.
The panel began to illuminate, secreting a white effervescence that illuminated the nearby area. Nothing too close was worth noticing, all of the flora too distant to showcase their beauty, instead remaining as lingering shadows that watch in fright. And so they should, a cacophony of heels clicking against stone pavements heard. They knew by now what this meant, the arrival of Fantasia, but these steps sounded different. The host herself had a modelesque stride to her walk, but the other series of steps had a deep, stomp-like intonation.
A plethora of black chiffon swept across the lens, all obscured but the crimson glisten of rubies which, with many other jewels and glass pieces, formed a mosaic of hearts and otherwise angelic embroidery on the back of Fantasia’s black jacket. The fabric of which had a denim appeal, but the ruching on the sleeves that draped excessively around her arms prior to rejoicing at the cuffs were as smooth as silk. Two completely adverse fabrics, but in the darkness of the night, the black material was undisguisable regardless.
Beneath this jacket was a minimalistic, low v-cut, obsidian jumpsuit of sorts. The intention of this neckline was not to expose cleavage, but rather to allow more space for decoration, her skin emblazoned with piercings of jewels which resemble similar murals to those on her jacket. Again, these were seen pinned into her matching beret, her hair set into a pixie-cut with baby hair curls glued to her temples. Matching jewel tone pigments caressed her lids in an outwards gradient with sparse application of red glitter, loose granules all over her face, almost as if a splatter of blood had landed and she need not wipe it off.
The suspense of who the other queen may be was diminished almost instantly, having made her way over to the second throne already, Smacahoe had taken her seat. A menacing grin forms on her face, the season two winner and season four cohost ready for action.
“Welcome Ghouls to the fourth panel of the season. Today Bella had… duties in the local town, and so she is absent from judging tonight. As punishment, she will be ordered to wait 5 more months before she can receive her crown.” Fantasia now places herself into the center chair, besides Smacahoe. “Smacahoe is here in her place, and we are also joined by…”
Indigo Child appears out of the shadows of backstage. The lights flare and he is bathed in several red spotlights.
Indigo is dressed devilishly. He is wearing a skin tight, blood red suit dripping in purple rhinestones. There is no undershirt with the suit, instead one can see the buff, bare chest of Indigo, which is also adorned with an upside down cross. This cross is made of glass with a small internal flame burning a bright orange color.
It casts a faint upward glow against his face, giving his eyelids a shadowy look to them. The fire is not the only thing making Indigo’s eyes look shadowy, his eye makeup resembles that of great punk rocker, with smeared, smokey eyeshadow taking up his whole eye socket. His eyes have red contact lenses in them. His cheeks are painted to look gaunt and skeletal.
Protruding from his forehead is a pair of young deer antlers, which are both heavily stained with dark maroon blood on the tips. They appear to be painfully growing out of Indigo’s skull. Fortunately, his well kept blonde hair is not disturbed by the antlers, it is instead swept back in crisp waves. It also appears that he has shaved off his precious eyebrows.
Each of his hands are painted with blood and bear the symbol of the Leviathan cross. He drips as he stands still.
Indigo’s blood red pants cling to his tight ass and draw the eye to his red velvet loafers, which are also adorned with purple jewels. He throws his hands to sky and flashing a blinding smile to the stage.
“Come hell or highwater, your purple reign prince is back!”
The queens made way for Indigo to step off the stage, applauding his entrance. The king of season three had definitely made his return. Now at the panel-
“I want to thank my drag brother Landon Cider for pushing boundaries out in the real world, you inspire me everyday man! Without you, I’m not sure I would be here right now on this stage. I also want to thank Dragula, both real life and online, for being such an open show for all kinds of drag artists.”
- he greets himself to all.
“As great as it is to celebrate having these two back to judge, we must roll on with the critiques. As a reminder, we remember your performance, not your placement. Whether you won the challenge or were a bottom placement, we believe you all exceeded expectations this week, and I will not remember any of these as being bad. Now, to the gates of hell.”
Submissions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JmRSYmrX74irnmbjF6NFsdgS6nAI4B04pLK9bNfvsI8
Fantasia’s Critiques: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uPLmZoPZ6pqG_XpDAc3d2S5r3dvHG-TK6QZ5LS1QTUI
Smacahoe’s Critiques: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1djmMD8j4Q1sq8UMajcJn4lB6IKMYuRhIvnUxqwqU7Sg/edit?usp=drivesdk
Indigo Child’s Critiques: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LnwwRT5VbOPhCgDlnMvhyDXTO4PHNJVJeGcX7g8wr0c/edit?usp=sharing
Critiques had been going for some time, as signified by the topaz tones of sunset which were now mute, also suggested by the variating expressions of worry amongst the contestants faces.
“Amelia, we hope and wish that whatever you’re going through at home gets better. Due to your unfortunate circumstance, you will automatically place bottom this week, but it is the challenge winners choice on who goes home.”
She nods.
“Leviathan, this week you gave me something to worry about. That is having nightmares after reading your floorshows, only how much you have improved is a dream I hope we keep reliving. I think we have a silent assassin on our hands. You’re safe, good work this week.”
Levi smiles, patting the back of Vienna before heading off the stage. The nearest spotlight to her spot dims.
“Scarlet Venom, you always go for the jugular, even if that desire for blood may need some control, your fangs are sharper than ever. Vienna Sausage, this has been your best week yet, and I’m just screaming to see more…”
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“Scarlet Venom, congratulations, you’re the winner of this weeks challenge.”
No, we were not on Platform 13, but the blood rushed to her head as fast as the tube train would have sped by back home. Relief and shock.
[SCARLET VENOM]: I honestly thought I was either high or safe for this challenge, I’m ecstatic. Take another bite of this peach.
“Time in this competition is short. This week we debated heavily to ourselves and with each other about who should win. There will still be many more chances to win a challenge, more than you may even know, but this week we did come to one unanimous agreement as a panel. Vienna Sausage you are also the winner of this weeks challenge.”
Nothing, not a single bell, lightning strike or clap of thunder could have made this anymore dramatic. I mean, that’s quite cliche, but for added effect. Vienna had clasped her mouth in shock, the last remaining spotlights.
“Congrats.”
Scarlet whispers to her whilst they hug.
[VIENNA SAUSAGE]: My first win! A few episodes ago I was saying how I was waiting for Scarlet to trip up. Now I’m besides her winning the same challenge. We’ll see how this one turns out.
“Double wins are controversial; sometimes deemed as a product of indecisiveness from the judges. In fact, we made our minds this week. It was only when in discussion post rankings that we concluded how both of you had what the other needed. Scarlet, you ought to mediate more like Vienna had, whilst Vienna, you should focus further on description in a similar manner to Scarlet than scene-like detail. Everyone in this top 3 tonight had great submissions, and as we’ve always said, we remember your performance, not what’s on the spreadsheet. Props to all of you.”
The pair smile in response to their praise, leaving the stage after being dismissed. Focus cuts back to the remaining 3 ghouls.
“Satina, you’re improving, greatly, and we’re so proud to see it. However conceptually you were outshone this week. Aurora, you are improving, and we are no less proud, but some critiques continue to pertain to you - week after week…”
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“Aurora, I am sorry my ghoul, but you are also up for extermination. That means, Satina, you are safe.”
Both queens sighed, although one full of relief and the other full of desperation to be saved from the chaos she was soon to endure. Satina looks over to her fellow competitor and nods with support before departing the front of the stage.
“Aurora, Amelia, you are the bottom two of the week. No one deserves this, but the competition has to go on. Soon, Scarlet Venom and Vienna Sausage will unanimously decide which one contestant will be exterminated from the competition. I ask of them to talk to each of you individually, take into account critiques and prior performance, if they may.” Fantasia’s eyes glisten as they shift from the bottom to the top queens. “The elimination will be announced on this mainstage, and the respective extermination sequence will concur in the next episode. Good luck.”
OG Host Comment: I’m so sorry with how rushed this second part feels. We have been swapping computers consistently for whatever reason - out of my hands - and so all prior work I had saved has pretty much gone. I still have aspects to prior episodes and important documents, but not the work I had done weeks in advance for the results part of this. I will edit it prior to postage outside of sequester. Congratulations to all of you, especially Scarlet, Vienna and Leviathan for top 3. This was one of the first challenges in a long time where everyone performed excessively well and took great leaps in improvement. I still do not know who is going to win. I never usually do, we’ve all seen season one of RD. Good luck to Aurora and Amelia! Winners of this weeks challenge, please issue chats to the contestants and discuss amongst yourselves who you choose to go home.
This episode was written so descriptively as I was simply inspired at the time. I also was expecting an immense level of creativity from the ball submissions and so the episode ought to have inspired them.
Challenge Summary: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LxXjvUn9jxj9ZFn5ZYk-aiHnCrvf9yyfhGqQRsc9xTY/edit?usp=sharing
SPREADSHEET: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tz10w6x-iwc3FYcKvcDIb1W1Y8ZPbb0BopqEUo8VBKg/edit?usp=sharing
Reverie,