Yall, since you guys are being patient, i am uploading this early, with the outline, AND one of the rough drafts. So below is the outline to the 2nd rough draft, hope you enjoy my tired thoughts:

(Insert cringe ah warnings, blah blah, also known as The Grian Interlude cuz idk im sleep deprived(bruvvv))

*insert amazing, jaw dropping intro that had the readers hooked on a feeling ba bada daaa im high on believing that ur in love with meeeeee*

*insert awful body paragraphs*

*insert lore drop*

*insert poorly written angst*

*insert dialoge that makes the readers question EVERYTHING (lik whats the meaning of chicken tendies or how does a nuclear bomb work in the minecraft universe with the uptown funcky physics)

*insert best last line ever that has everuone screaming and crying because its judy that good apparently???????*

*say ackward author note or something like "oof that shit rough" that will make readers not wanna read anymore lmao*

Kayyyyyyy draft:

(ELLO DUDES, ITS YA BOI, *INSERT NAME IDK* AND WE ARE BACK HERE WITH ANOTHER INTERLUDE THIS TIME FEATURING THE G-MAN (and not Grover, i read all ur comments and know yall are NERDS) SO LISTEN UP EVERYONE, WE GOT ANGST, WE GOT FLUFF, WE GOT GOOD BOYS, AND WE DEFINITELY HAVE SOME BAD ONESSSSS in all seriousness though, im too lazy to write the Secretive Hermit (((AGAIN))) so imma just stick a buncha crap in this one relating to it and hope it sticks like wet spaghetti noodles. This got your local angst with a heavy serving of torture, sewerslidal thoughts, kidnapping (does it count if hes an adult man?), Samgladiator (he should be a trigger warning, right?), but most importantly, Grian Angst! Yall know how bad that always is so enjoyyyy)

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Kay guys, this next bit is the original version of the story. Its so fucked up that i completely scrapped the idea. Its like so bad that its not even a spoiler for the actual interlude coming up. Here are the warnings:

(Warnings: death, public execution, blood, knives, violence, psychotic nature, samgladiator)

Enjoy!

Grian was probably psychotic.

There were times in his life where he only now figured out was peculiar and different to other people.

Well, it stems even from when he was little.

He found morbid curiosity in things that other toddlers his age didn't really understand. For example, war.

For the first years of schooling in his life, he had hyperfixated on the topic of wars. He knew everything about the Battle of Magna or the forty year wars, even knowing stuff like every single commander who had died on the field (and HOW they died.) Before that, he was obsessed in watching the troops in the fields, peering through the window as they practiced their sword skills. He even watched the punishments given.

Like beheadings, public whippings, and practically, just torture.

He wished he could say that he couldn't look away or he was trying to get in trouble but it wasn't the truth. Every day as a three year old, he would climb into his window seat and watch through his window, facinated about everything.

All his experiences grew and became a part of him.

When playing with toys, he would pretend the little figures were dying or injured. He liked to create whole battle scenes.

He thought it was okay until he was five.

Lizzie was just one, almost two, at the time but Grian was curious. He wanted to know why those soldiers had their mouths open when they got hurt.

So when he was only five, he had stolen a kitchen knife. He wasn't allowed them at all but it wasn't like he wasn't sneaky. He could get away with anything he wanted.

He took his baby sister into his room, locking the door. Grian felt almost giddy at the idea as he placed her on the floor. He wasn't gentle with it but he was too excited to care.

So Grian took her hand and took the knife...

And sliced her with it.

He watched with wide eyes as scarlet dripped the floor, quickly pooling around. He wasn't frightened, more so interested and taking in the moment with everything he could.

But he finally found out why those people had their month's opened.

Lizzie screamed and screamed.

It wasn't a cry or scream that sounded like she was hungry or tired. It was something louder. Something that Grian found he loved to hear.

Before he could even think about doing it again, the door was fully broken, wood splintering as it fell on the floor with a thud.

Grian didn't remember much after that except for the scarlet red.

His new favorite color.

After that incident, he was heavily monitored. He would be allowed no knives, even when he grew up he would be forbidden even if it were to cut food. He had a new guard, Isa, who wasn't meant to guard him.

She was there to guard anyone who came into contact with him.

Grian was denied any interactions with Lizzie the first few years of her life. He didn't know what he did wrong, how could he?

At six, he was diagnosed with CIPA, congenital insensitivity to pain and anhydrosis. Basically, he never felt pain.

He didn't understand the concept of pain, he couldn't feel it if it were a paper cut or a broken bone.

So slowly, his dad started believing that it was due to CIPA that it occured, he wouldn't have done it otherwise.

Grian didn't know if it was wishful thinking but he was grateful. He could now see Lizzie unmonitered by their parents (but Isa always had to be there no matter what.) He slowly started to understand normal pain like pushing someone can hurt or slamming the door on Lizzie's fingers will make her cry.

So when he was eleven, he was able to meet his baby brother.

Grian didn't remember Lizzie when she was a baby too much, he wasn't allowed to be with her so this was a new experience.

And he hated it.

Jimmy was too loud but not in that way that Grian heard years ago, not in the way that Grian wanted to hear again. Jimmy was just obnoxiously annoying.

So, he personally took it in himself to seperate him and Jimmy.

He found that he had thoughts of "shutting Jimmy up" that he knew he shouldn't do (but he never understood why) but he knew his dad would be disappointed. Mum was always disappointed though, ever since the incident.

But once Jimmy stopped being loud (still not the way Grian wanted,) Grian let himself be close.

And he found that he loved him.

Now, he loved Lizzie, she was amazing and they had gotten closer over the years but there was something special about witnessing his little sibling actually growing up without guilt (because he did start to feel guilty eventually.) There was something special in the way the little boy looked up to him with that cheeky smile and excitement.

So Grian wanted to learn.

He learned all about pain, everything he could to prevent his brother or anyone else he loved and cared about from getting hurt. He wanted to understand in order to help.

After a while of learning, Grian became a mother hen.

He started being safe around everyone, threatening them with bubble wrap and becoming worried when one of them had even just scraped a knee. It had gotten to the point that Jimmy at three had to remind Grian to breathe and that he wouldn't die from a paper cut.

But it wasn't enough for Grian.

He wanted his family to feel safe and he wasn't apart of that. His mother made it obvious with her disaproving glances whenever he entered the room. She made him feel unwelcomed and she always reminded Grian about the incident despite how much guilt that still weighed on him.

Grian decided to leave.

He had his best friends, Samgladiator and Taurtis to be with him in Japan at a regular highschool. Nothing fancy like his education back at the palace. He loved being a regular person in a bustling city, treated like the teen he was with no prior background. He didn't need to worry about the incident back at the palace anymore.

Well... until everything went wrong.

Sam had started to hurt people and Grian couldn't understand. Sam could feel pain, he screamed and cried when he got injured, but then why would he hurt his friends for fun? Grian felt horrible for his friends and

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What do yall think of my brain thoughts? Think im a psycho yet? I completely forgot about the first draft and just read it over like tf was i actually thinking *skull emoji*

See you soon, im still writing the interlude, I promise! (Ignore the new book i started writing for a few days ago)