hello niu!! recently ive been having terrible dreams (adjusting to new medications) and last night lit a candle and asked for anyone who was free to help let me rest before a 12 hour shift. halfway through a nightmare about being stuck in a mall with no end who came up but mr alrick deathhead with a map of emergency exits. o7 thank you bunny man for walking me to my car, i managed to get up and go to work today with only the usual amount of bone-deep fatigue

Something was sticking in the back of my mind after the latest DHD update and seeing you mentioning that Alrick would be in a lot of trouble if Rena found out about him sparing the baby, and I finally can put it into words. Maybe this was already stated somewhere/obvious to others, but I still think it's interesting 😅

But it comes down to reputation, doesn't it? I can only imagine what that would do to public opinion if word got out that a Death Head went back on a client's final wish post-mortem. How unreliable and untrustworthy that would seem.

It also makes me think of the second episode of the whole series, when he took that young lady as his payment, and Rena asked him about it. Sure, technically he followed the rules that time, but again: how many people would want to make a deal with a Death Head if the idea that they could just take away whatever they got you (barring somebody's death) right after a deal ends?

Sure, someone canny would try to ensure it wouldn't happen to them. The mother could have asked for the child to be shot before her, to guarantee the deal was done in full. But the second episode's client was simply out of luck. It's no wonder Alrick has been noted walking a thin line several times, not even mentioning the incident that cost him his tongue.

It's no wonder why Dio punished him so harhly. Death Heads operate on others' willingness to make deals with them, so if they gained a reputation for being unreliable, at best that single Death Head would never be requested, and at worst, all of them would be assumed to be as fickle.

So has anyone tried to throw Alrick a surprise birthday party and he's come into the room, covered in blood from a job? Meant moreso as comedic, not as traumatizing to the guests. Also what setting spray does he use on his face paint because I am SHOOK that it is not all over his pillowcase and bedding when he does sleep.

Also, love the DHD updates, very excited for more <3

Since Alrick is missing a substantial part of his tongue, do you think he has trouble eating? Maybe he eats really slowly, or only soft things.

((This is completely irrelevant to the narrative, and nothing that has to be explored))

Throwing my own thoughts in about newest DHD update ;) Maybe that mother had nasty divorce going on / finished where she lost her baby's custody to the father or other unwanted family member for any reason and she was not having it. That's why she hired Alrick to kill her and the baby.

Alrick not killing the baby was right thing to do, without a doubt! S/he was innocent side victim who has no any way to defend itself - and even if Rena would find it out, I'm sure Alrick would go all: "You want to kill that baby? Fine, go ahead. Kill him / her." I'm sure he would dare to challenge Rena to do it (and I'm sure Rena wouldn't do it either).

I love the latest DHD update! It was really interesting to see the side by side between kid Alrick talking and adult Alrick's actions! And WOW was I holding my breath on whether or not he was going to shoot the both of them, just for that ending! Which really makes sense with how you've written Alrick so far! Very narratively satisfying, I do have to say. I do wonder what exactly the deal was that that lady made? Did you have any ideas for it, or do you want to leave it purposefully vague? (Also awwwww little Alrick has that scar on his mouth, I love that detail!)

Thank you for the update!