#but like... i don't know what the level of familiarity will be within us hrrngrv peeps

[pixielle-hrrngrv]

this might be niche and too sad to even consider but... Harringrove Silent Hill 2 AU where Steve is James and Billy is Mary.

Steve being drawn to Silent Hill when Billy writes him a letter "three years" after Billy's death.

Billy's ideal "Maria" form that Silent Hill presents to Steve being Billy of 10 years ago when they first fell in love, who was all fire and youth and vigor, and that makes him ashamed to think of Billy in the end, rotting away in the hospital bed from the disease and the medications, terminal.

Plus Billy's grieving of HIMSELF (one of the most complex emotions imaginable) brings out his anger, pushing Steve away, and fear, wanting Steve to comfort him as the end approaches, mood swinging even worse than when he was young.

Steve being confronted by monsters that encompass that guilt and shame, like Pyramid Head taking on a similar muscular physicality to young, healthy Billy, or the scantily clad nurses representing the guilt of the thought of a wandering eye (even though it never happened, it was almost expected of him in this patriarchal society due to his partner being hospitalized for months on end).

(and on the lighter side, Max as Laura, the orphan who spent months healing in the hospital and bonding with Billy as he wore down the clock, and now is running around Silent Hill angry at Steve for how he treated Billy in his last days. But Steve still wants her to be okay and is constantly nervous for her wellbeing "surrounded by monsters", despite the fact that she's completely safe in Silent Hill in her innocence, it's just a normal, empty town to her, one that she wanted to see why Billy loved it so much. Also like in the Good - Leave Ending, Steve adopts Max like Billy wanted to, dreamed of, as he laid there dying.)

& imagining Billy reading Mary's letter is killing me ;_;

#harringrove #and i don't mean silent hill is niche... it's one of thee most popular horror game series' ever #but like... i don't know what the level of familiarity will be within us hrrngrv peeps #the only reason i'm particularly familiar with it is bc my brother aaron played it (and 1&3) alllllll the time when i was little #and most story elements still slipped through the cracks until i watched an actual streamer play through it recently #p.s. speaking of i'm not sure who i would associate Angela and Eddie... maybe Billy himself in an odd way #angela's story is so sad it's hard to think abt him that way but we've all talked a lot abt how he's probably experiencedcsa in some form #(as in Angela 0rosco and Eddie D0mbrowski from 2 i forgot strang3r th1ngs has an angela and eddie now lmaooo) #i also have feelings abt the twist ending of 2 and how that could apply to this au but i'll refrain; it's just too sad