#heythereneighbor

[ivy6262iii]

I was playing https://glimmerfics.com/stories/b2d5dc64-hey-there-neighbor by author @sinfiction. A little context: It's a yandere-themed interactive fanfic featuring Mark Grayson variants, where in the story you are the new tenant of the building where said variants live. The thing is, in my last playthrough, I decided to tell you that my character, named Laysee, was a woman who had escaped her abusive husband and was four months pregnant when she arrived at the building.

But I ran out of turns, so I can't say how that playthrough ended. What matters is that Sinister became more protective of my character, in his own terrifying way. Apparently, having a tiny human growing in your belly makes Sinister softer or more considerate toward you, in his own way, clearly. But he also becomes possessive, which is really scary if I put myself in Laysee's (my character's) shoes.

I mean, picture this: Laysee, four months pregnant, runs away from her abusive husband in a hurry, arriving at her new home away from all that pain, but still reeling from the horrible man, and on top of that, since she left in a hurry, she’s not legally divorced. So she arrives at this new building, where she thinks she’s safe, but upon running into her neighbor and the rest of them, she feels constantly on edge because of their strange behaviors, where their possessiveness and stalking (I see you, Retro) makes her quite paranoid, and on top of that, she has nowhere else to go, because she’s afraid that her ex-partner will show up to take her away, but at the same time, she’s afraid that her neighbors might hurt her, where it wouldn’t cost them anything, due to her current condition (Pregnancy).

[alastgoodnight]

@heythereneighbor continued from here!

It was a warm and lazy afternoon at the Library. After finally setting up the planters and drawing up ideas for the garden (provided it ever cools off), as well as tidying up some of the basement, Naomi was ready to have a good do-nothing kind of evening.

It was different from her old version of doing nothing; before, she would wallow in the dark and wait for time to pass. Now she could bask in the feeling of accomplishment that came from getting something done.

And then the phone rang.

Naomi paused. For a second, she was confused - she hadn't posted the number anywhere, and Lily would just call her cell. It wasn't impossible that this was someone new, but who...

Naomi remembered the letter she'd sent the day before. She stared. The phone rang again.

Could it be...?

"Hey guys, I think my friend Wally is calling. Can you two play downstairs for a minute?" Willa and Rags both disappeared down the stairs, and after letting it ring a third time, Naomi picked up the phone.

"Lullaby Lane Library, this is Miss Naomi speaking. May I ask who's calling?"

She tried to keep her voice steady, even as she waited for a response.

[devinevirtue-a]

@heythereneighbor asked:

❝ sorry, i didn’t realize you could hear me. ❞ Otherwise... how on earth do you explain something like this happening?

Meme - Accepting

      How strange! How entirely wonderfully bizzare! It's... Him? This shouldn't have happened (this isn't in the script!!!) 

      This doesn't seem to be one of Barnabys silly little pranks now. Wally knows that his friend would spend time if he felt like it to make a copy of himself for a harmless joke.

      Plus!!! He knows what he looks like. Knows how pretty he is! (he's allowed to be a little vain sometimes) So Wally knows that this look alike is a copy of him! Standing right there infront of him. Seemingly just as confused as him. (There should only be O N E wally)

      "Huh?!" 

      Such an eloquent response to himself?             No no. To his mirror self!?...                   This is.... confusingly complicated

[starsadored]

"What am I going to do with you...?"

“Whatever Julie said I did, I didn’t do it!” Innocent smile passes over Kid’s face. It of course depended on what Julie said..

@heythereneighbor

[frcnkfrcnkly]

"Hola Frank! Soy Wally!" The painter had changed out of his normal sweater and striped pants into a plain t-shirt and pyjama shorts. "I'm going on an adventure with my friend Boots!" Wally's favourite teddy bear was lifted out of his backpack. "We need to stop Swiper before he swipes all the books!!" (heythereneighbor)

@heythereneighbor

❝ What ? Wally , an adventure ? WHO is Boots ? ❞

Frank was mighty confused with Wally at his door claiming such bold concerns . ❝ Oh ? Well , hello to you too , Boots . ❞ Greeting the toy bear before he JOLTED in surprise .

❝ A Swiper ? And for books too ? This is incredibly important ! I will look where I can . ❞

[alastgoodnight]

He didn't want to trick anyone. Instead, Wally was going to offer Naomi an apple. To him, that was the best treat of all @:) (heythereneighbor)

"Oh, thank you, Wally!" Naomi didn't really think to wear a costume, so she grabbed an old bedsheet and cut out some holes. Quick and easy ghost.

"Let me see... ah! Here you go!" It's a bead animal! She made a dragonfly on a keyring.

[alastgoodnight]

Don't mind Wally staring up at Arlo. Truly, he means no harm - he's just curious. "Hello. Are you one of Naomi's friends?" (heythereneighbor. Yes I owe you loads BUT shhhh)

"I should like to think so, yes. We are neighbors, Miss Naomi's library and I. My name is Arlo."

Arlo has bright eyes that stand out against his dark, dusk-blue fur. They look quite far down at Wally, but he does not kneel - they are both adults, after all.

"Are you one of her friends as well? I know she writes quite a few letters."

[alastgoodnight]

A few days had passed since Naomi received the strange letter. It almost seemed like a strange once-off event, until a second envelope was found. This time, the blocky writing was addressed to her, written as neatly as possible. There was a stamp in the top-right corner depicting a vivid, albeit slightly cartoonish, butterfly. The envelope felt bulkier than before. Not only was there the letter, there was also a heavier paper folded to fit in the envelope.

-

"Dear Miss Naomi,

It is very nice to meet you. Thank you for finding my letter and sending one back. It was very exciting to get a letter that was new. I like your drawing. I've put your letter on my corkboard so I can say 'good morning' and 'good night' to you, just like I do all my Neighbors.

It must be very exciting to live in a library. My friend Frank has a lot of books, and he is very clever. I'd bet you're very clever too if you have to take care of the books and your library. Was it sad to be alone for so long? It must be lonely to not be able to go anywhere. That's why I try to include Home in something every day. It likes to feel part of the Neighborhood.

Do Willa and Rags help you fix the library? Will they help you paint it?

I like fairy tales too. I thought about what was my favourite, so I asked my friend Sally. She's a star and an actor and has written lots of stories. She reminded me of the story of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. I wish I could meet a giant. I'd like to be their friend. I wouldn't be scared of how big it is. Everyone is taller than me, ha ha ha.

Sally told me to tell you that she knows you can't come visit, but you need to know about her shows. We drew a picture of her version of the story called 'Sally and the Beanstalk'."

(Sure enough, the second folded picture was of a brightly coloured, star-headed figure standing beside the base of a beanstalk that grew off the page.)

"I also like stories about friendships. I think everyone should have a friend. Wouldn't that be the most? I'm glad you have friends with you, Miss Naomi. It makes every day a happy one to know you can spend it with people that you like.

Wally."

(heythereneighbor)

The letter arrives in the evening, after a day's work cleaning the patio and moving planter boxes around. Naomi finds it just as she emerges from the walk-in closet, tying the bow on her sailor-collar pyjamas, and smiles to herself.

She opens it the next morning over breakfast, and is careful not to get any fried egg yolk on it as she eats. It takes her some time to formulate her answer - and those planter boxes aren't quite how she likes them - so she doesn't sit down to answer until that afternoon, and even then, it takes a while to collect her thoughts.

So it won't be until about three days pass that her letter to Wally appears in what must be a very confused Eddie's mail bag. For now, she takes her time:

"Dear Wally, Thank you for your response! It was also very nice to get a surprise letter. I don't have a cork board yet, so I'm keeping it on my desk until I get one. I don't think "exciting" is the word I'd use, but it's quite pleasant here. Lullaby Lane is a very quiet road, so I have plenty of peace and quiet when Willa and Rags are resting or busy."

She stops and ponders the question that comes next, and hums to herself.

"Hey, Library, were you lonely before I got here?" A long, slow breeze blows outside the window, and she hums.

"I asked the Library if it was lonely before I got here. It can't talk with words, but it uses its doors and floorboards and the wind to communicate with me. I think its answer was yes, but these days it seems quite playful. It had Dust Bunnies (they're very small), but nobody else came or went for... I don't know how long, actually." Willa helps me with the library, but Rags mostly keeps me company. He's a very silly monster from under my bed, and likes to run around in the tall grass outside and play hide-and-seek. I'll draw a picture of him and Willa on the back today."

She smiles at the description of Jack and the Beanstalk, and is charmed by the sight of the artwork.

"Speaking of drawings, thank you for the artwork! I bet your friend Sally is very talented. When you get the time, please tell her I said thanks for sharing her vision. I've never acted, but I do like to read stories aloud. Maybe one day I could narrate one of hers? That's probably a long time from now, though."

And the last part. She smiles.

...She does have friends now, doesn't she? Fancy that.

"I agree, Wally, having friends every day would be the most. I'm very lucky to have met all of them, and I seem to meet more every day! This library may have been lonely once, but I don't think that will be a problem again for a very long time. It sounds like you have many friends, too! You've mentioned Eddie and Home, and now Frank and Sally. Is your neighborhood very big? Once again, thank you for writing me. Sincerely, Miss Naomi.

Once again it's sealed and addressed in a blue envelope, but this one is sealed with a goldfish sticker and a matching stamp. She drops it in the slot on the letterbox, and smiles when she doesn't hear it fall.

It's on its way.

@heythereneighbor