#◆ ― thread. odile.

[beneathsilverstars]

anyway the lore in my mind palace is that siffrin has a big meaningless crush on odile - they get flustered by how much they like her, but it's not something they'd think about as a romantic potential, it's just normal social nerves and clingy impulses but sweeter.

and then post-canon loop is like . i need to crawl inside someone and die like a bug, but it can't be siffrin bc he'd get all emo about it and it can't be isabeau bc absolutely not and it can't be mira bc i can't do that to her. but luckily that leaves one person. who i've always rly liked but siffrin would never consider an option. and she also won't cry all over me. odile can i sleep on the floor in your bedroom and bring you trinkets like a cat brings home dead birds

[gemidoriwillbarelyusethisaccount]

Through Starless Skies AUs where someone else takes Squibbin's role :D

Siffrin (Squibbin) - Complete nervous wreck with many mood swings. Always cold, hungry and needing company. Inconsolable and believes he is hated. Decides that Vaugarde has to suffer like he has, forcing them to "follow [his] blinding script".

Mirabelle (Still) - Shyness exaggerated to where she refuses to show her face. Sobs about how she is a failure to the House and refuses forgiveness. Always spends her time alone when not causing trouble. Believes that "nothing will change" no matter what she does.

Isabeau (Thread) - Masculinity exaggerated to where he is just a tough, cold exterior. Always bubbling with anxiety underneath, downright paranoid even. Often indecisive on what he wants to do. Can't stop thinking about the one he loves, to where he is downright obsessive. Is beginning life on a "new, dark thread".

Odile (Akogare) - The most contained of the lot, but still broken. Always noses in on things. Also greatly paranoid about a lot of things. Cold and uncaring. Would be the one in the bunch who would cause actual and very dangerous misdeeds, citing it's for her family's sake. Researching how to bring Vaugarde to nothing, taking it "a page at a time".

Bonnie (None, referred to as "Hungry") - Halfway consumed by Sadness. Total gremlin with a penchant of mischief but also a deep longing for someone they cannot remember. Always starving, barely cognizant. And yes, their hat is a cooking pot.

[siffrins-therapist]

An obstacle of having major backstory plot points happen in a country no one can remember: Having NO blinding clue how to integrate that info into the main storyline.

[lambsgod]

𝔠𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔢𝔡: @prophvtics

just when she'd finally managed to negotiate her freedom, her return back to her village all planned out and prepared for, an unexpected storm had thrown a wrench in her plans, delaying her travels almost as if it were a message delivered straight from the universe. odile had been fighting against her captors tooth and nail ever since she'd been brought to the fae kingdom against her will, doing everything in her power to rebel against the prince and his royal court— why, then, did she feel so relieved to be forced to remain there under prince eion's care at least until the storm passed? it was confounding, to say the least, but she refused to dwell on the feeling. if she gave it no thought, it was as though it didn't exist at all, and soon enough she would be back home and able to put this whole fiasco behind her. despite needing to get her rest for a long day of traveling ahead of her, weather permitting, odile lay wide awake in bed, rain hammering against her windowpane and strong winds howling through the trees outside. if she wasn't already awake, she definitely would have been once a tree branch came crashing through the glass, startling her so badly she almost fell out of bed and onto the floor. there would be no hope of sleeping in her room now, a puddle quickly forming on the floor beneath the broken window and the wind twice as loud now that there was no barrier to muffle it. with a huff, odile pushed back the covers and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, snatching her silk robe from the hook beside the door to provide her a bit more coverage than her sheer nightgown provided as she stomped down the hall in the direction of the one person she knew would never refuse her, her body moving on instinct before she could fully think her actions through. her expression remained pinched in a scowl as she rapped her dainty fist against the door to eion's bed chamber, tapping her bare foot against cold stone impatiently while she waited for him to answer and offer her some sort of respite for her last night in the palace. despite her sour expression, she couldn't help the way her heart leapt in her chest when he appeared on the other side, his golden hair more fluffy and tousled than usual, rumpled bed clothes giving her a glimpse of his toned chest, and she had to force herself to avert her gaze and resume looking him in the eye. "the window in my bed chamber has shattered— a branch... it must be the wind. in any case, i cannot sleep there tonight, lest i fall ill before my travels..."

[s2shapedbox]

onde: pub the mist. para: @withelegance ♡

considerar-se resiliente seria um exagero no qual não se permitiria, tinha muitas qualidades, mas não essa. as dificuldades de sua vida estavam atreladas a pessoas que realmente sofreram, que tiveram coisas arrancadas de si, mudanças abruptas, a ausência de liberdade. o que considera ruim sequer chega perto do que passaram. como, em sã consciência, poderia reclamar de algo? cada superação era uma vitória, tinha intenções nobres, claro, mas era o certo a fazer. sem méritos ou medalhas, era o que tinha que ser feito. e ele fez. era mais sobre ser predestinado do que qualquer outra coisa, não lhe agradava os caminhos percorridos, mas eram parte do que tinha se tornado atualmente — a questão é: estava orgulhoso com quem era? faria tudo exatamente igual?

de acordo com o livro dos perdidos não, ali fazia menos do que antes, realçando características que a muito tempo tinha abandonado. bom, em partes... ainda tinha o seu querido motel, frequentava pubs mesmo em sua condição, mas quando aprendeu que um príncipe deveria abdicar de suas vontades? agora, mesmo que considerasse uma situação complicada, derek já não achava errado. algo o fazia pensar que era apenas normal. não lembrava-se dessa opinião tão fixa em sua mente. por conta dos últimos acontecimentos e a instabilidade das coisas, o príncipe não esperava mudanças abruptas. se tudo desse errado, seu futuro seria risos e brincadeiras até ter uma donzela desaparecida e uma substituta no lugar — e falando dela... quando teve noção da dita-cuja no mesmo ambiente que estava, após algumas trocas de palavras, soltou uma risada sem humor com a fala dela sobre não precisarem ser amigos, dando um gole do drink que havia comprado, sem a sobriedade necessária para a elegância usual, apesar dos trejeitos aristocratas imutáveis de sua postura.

odile. boa e velha odile. sua história com ela não era das melhores, mas deveriam ter superado isso, não? pelo menos, com cada um vivendo em seu canto, ele tinha certeza que seus assuntos estavam terminados para sempre. e, agora, conviviam sob o risco de viverem uma nova história. uma que a ouviria mais uma vez e, facilmente, aqueles olhos e lábia o enganariam. era um gosto amargo na boca, mas o álcool já não o deixava sentir nada quando finalmente respondeu. "não? ninguém disse?" tombou a cabeça para o lado, encarando-a. "acho que tem alguém escrevendo que deveríamos ser alguma coisa." levantou uma sobrancelha e balançou a cabeça, "eu até que estou curioso sobre o que voc�� acha disso. não é como se tivéssemos oportunidades de nos ver." por motivos óbvios e preferência pessoal.

[scribblekinqq]

MORE ACT THREE SPOILERS. WHAT THE FUCK. also art !!!

YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO SCARE THEM.

I don't think my guy is handling this as well as they think. Also the fact these scene happened RIGHT after the picnic for me??? Ohhh SICKENING... you could pretend everything was different and new for just a little while..... only to step back into that goddamn house...

ALSO BONNIE'S SIDE QUEST??? when i tell you guys the entire vc was throwing up sobbing. it was sooo sweet.

all of the sidequests were sooo cute (also AROACE REP FOR THE WIN LETS GOOO!!!!!) (also isabeau. gay mess i lvoe you. you're everything to me) and seeing how differently some of the interactions within the house went because of it... the different impacts helping the other party members had on siffrin and how we progressed.....

and then, of course.

oh my god, odile interrupted the headmaiden's speech and everyone in the vc started SCREAMING and LOSING OUR MINDS it was actually kind of comical how loud we got. had to wait a solid minute before we could continue at all. and. and..... well.

the power of friendship.

so anyways, i've got some more loops to do, more theories to do, and a hangout with loop to get to, apparently. lots on the list now.

siffrin...... you NEED to TELL your FAMILY WHAT'S GOING ON !!!!! PLEASE !!!! they care so MUCH !!!!

:(....... still in act three....

After making an impulsive buy after seeing people talk about it, I've spent my whole weekend playing this game in a vc with my friends (and we uh... kinda went a little crazy w/ it)

Uh. I'm only in Act 2 (But I might be beating the King very soon) and... oh I have so many theories. (WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS GAME HAS 6 ACTS?) So hopefully I'll remember to post the art I inevitably make when I get further.

(I also have a spotify playlist for Siffrin - thats how Crazy I Got about this game)

[lucabyte]

obligatory ramble about postcanon loop ask

also your art is amazing

Hiiiiiiiii :D thank you :)!!

and thank you for the excuse to post the. just absolute wall of text that i truncated down to form the tags of that post. (i did,,, hit the tag limit. i forgot tumblr had one of those...) so let me just paste that and tidy it up a bit...

I am putting this under a readmore because it's a bit long. but:

This is like. The General Context for all* of my postcanon doodles? (Except AUs obviously) Like this is the base idea I've been drawing them all in. So, feel free to backread with this in mind. I've basically had this 'postcanon' timeline set in my brain since finishing the game...

My general thoughts are that I like the idea of Loop (even if through dubiously ethical means) being able to slowly reintegrate with the party as a whole new person, because they are, in fact, their own person.

It's a muddle of thematic threads im pulling on and "wouldn't it be fucked up if", but. (at its core, it's powered by the fact that like, while narratively isat's theme of 'the only person who can truly take the first step to help you is yourself'. (wrt: loop helping the party help siffrin in act 5) which i LOVE AND IS GREAT NARRATIVELY…. would be super fucked up irl to learn that your friend 'learned as a lesson' while you stood by kinda uselessly. I know i'd be upset about it. but thats mostly background here. doesn't really come up. at least not until loop has to explain who they are and the party realises they had to fall back on literally themselves again for help, but i digress,)

The real core concept is: Occam's razor. It is like, inherently, a buckwild thing to accuse a person of being somehow a clone or copy of your friend. Even if they start vaguely alluding to a backstory it's far more likely they were some other person before all that. (I still think Odile has that theory in the back pocket but she's rational enough to know it's a really long shot without a solid explanation. and i think Loop deep down knows this, and would, if cornered into confessing, turn the situation around to go J'ACCUSE and make HER explain it instead. Ever longer dodging being direct with their emotions...)

And the party are nice! And if someone has changed and wants to keep stuff secret it's kind of not their business? (Though it's hard not to speculate… see: the main joke of the doodles) And they seem important to Siffrin so they just try to accept them abrasive quirks and all. And eventually the question of their prior identity just fades away since, well, they're Loop. Their friend Loop.

but yeah. personal headcanon is that a few months/weeks after picking up and getting aquainted with Nille** (since that was presumably the IMMEDIATE TASK postgame), Loop reappears (either after a literal period of nonexistance, or just spending a few months wandering the french countryside alone being attacked by wild dogs). Since Siffrin has had a while to be therapised by the party they're doing mostly okay, but Loop showing up and still being agitated/aggressive pulls them both into a bit of a backslide behaviourally and puts the party on the back foot again.

Hooowever, I do think that due to no longer being literally stewing in the worst pressure cooker of all time together, the two do mostly actually sort themselves out with productive conversation. (Via a cycle of: genuinely distressing argument -> weeeird lovebombing -> ok we're good -> repeat, that gets less intense over time)

Thus, allowing the party to just. Integrate loop as a new person. They and Siffrin shuffle into different ecological niches (Loop taking over stuff Siffrin is now too squeamish for, etc (see: hunting, mostly)), and while it's not exactly what Loop wanted they generally get that beggars can't be choosers and it's a pretty good deal. And the rest of the party does straight up just like them as a friend, especially when Loop quits trying to actively antagonise them after a few weeks of being around them, since they just can't keep up being mean to people they like forever.

As for how I think the truth eventually drags itself out. This is where I invoke The Isabeau Torment Nexus™. So its gonna get shippy here for a bit hold on.

Which is, I think giving them time before Loop reappears long enough that Siffrin and Iseabeau actually manage to become established, Isabeau has to be the one to nudge the pair of them and go. "Hey. You know we're in Vaugarde right. I'm okay with polyamory if we all communicate." Before Loop and Siffrin actually even acknowledge that whatever the fuck they have going on kinda looks a lot like a relationship of some kind. (or have already been agonising about that via fighting and arguing, depending) (Obviously this comes after Isa "Emotionally intelligent enough to keep a lid on the jealousy" Beau has managed to use that big brain of his to Not just go Scream somewhere on the daily because oh godddd they keep talking like theyre suicide-baiting each other jesus chriiist. is it overstepping his boundaries to bring that up?? god)

This, taking a bunch of the tension out of Loop and Isabeau's relationship (Since I imagine Loop is a. being weird for the obvious reasons and b. feeling kinda guilty about 'getting in the way of' Siffrin and Iseabeau), allows them to actually get close in a normal friend way. (I think an interesting turning point could be Isabeau actually taking Loop's side in an argument vs Siffrin, which would absolutely break Loop's brain. Especially if it's an argument that matters. Like what do you mean he isn't just going to play favourites. What?)

Then Isabeau, just actually open minded and charmed by Loop (and maybe even somewhat at Siffrin's suggestion?) tries to close the final open side on the polyamory triangle here and that's the final straw for Loop on "This lie by omission is too unethical to keep up, this is just actually sick and wrong. I can't do this while he doesn't know who I am." Though. Obviously it probably goes. Very poorly with emotions high like that. And the added element of several months of deceit. Getting dark here for a second but that dagger is going MISSING and so are THEY for a hot minute.

Then yaaay everything works out in the end 👍 yippieee!! all it took was maybe a lot of harrowed recontextualisation of all the weird shit your new friend said and did when it turns out they're your old friend. It's fine.

But yeah. this is basically the context all of my postcanon doodles have existed within? And those exist to give other people something to chew on. So this does too.

I suppose TL;DR: Imagine if sloopis almost fucking happens before isabeau knows who loop is. can you fucking imagine. can you imagine having to navigate that. nightmare.

*Yes this includes the implied cannibalism comic. Uhh. Comes part and parcel with headcanoning that Loop went way off the deep end similar to A5 Sif But Maybe Worse before giving in. Add weepy half-asleep confessions to murder wherever you see fit in your mind palace. 👍👍👍

**Re: Nille footnote. I don't have anywhere to put this besides here! I have some thoughts on Loop and Nille having an odd dynamic. I don't imagine Nille to be super gung-ho on trusting a bunch of adults (even if they are majority around her age) given their implied backstory. It's probably a big shock to the system, especially since Bambouche is a good couple hundred Kilometers up north from Dormont and these guys don't seem to have trains. She would've been unfrozen and without Bonnie for some time....

Which is to say: I think she's suspicious of them. I think she may be looking for excuses to distance herself, keep Bonnie safe. SO.... A new guy showing up? And antagonising the party? What do they know that I don't...? I should find out.

And since... Loop didn't ever know Nille, they have no ammunition or real reason to be cruel. Plus, if they're trying to stay on Bonnie's good side (SINCE... if Bonnie thought Loop was cringe they may as well kill themselves. In their mind.) they SUPER have no reason to antagonise Nille.

Mostly, they might be able to open up to each other easier than they can the rest of the party?

I feel like this resolves with Loop feeling compelled to apologise for what they and Siffrin let happen to Bonnie, though... Hmm... Depends on how you interpret Nille that they'd be glad nobody else had been told about that yet, or furious it had been secret this long. I lean toward the former.

[startagainaprologue]

i took a nap and opened twt and immediately got flashbanged with a thread that was calling odile a mother and siffrin a child. like no i really dont think you get it at all if im being honest

[biocrafthero]

Vaugarde Dashboard Simulator Part 2

( 25 notes )

🪨 tuesdayagain Follow

My dinnar 🔥

( 37 notes )

👁️ onlooker23694 Follow

do you guys think that Odile (one of the saviors) has a tumblr

🐇 bingbongurwrong Follow

I think some of you need therapy. Desperately.

👁️ onlooker23694 Follow

Change forbid someone on the “i wanna make out with that old lady” website actually wants to make out with that old lady

( 1,374 notes )

🪨 tuesdayagain Follow

Hope I don’t have to fight my evil shadow self today

♟️ maldupays Follow

hey

🪨 tuesdayagain Follow

HELLO????

💫 loopingloops Follow

I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU AND I DOING THIS BIT OP THIS WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN

🪨 tuesdayagain Follow

THAT’S NOT YOUR ALT???

💫 loopingloops Follow

ITS NOT

🪨 tuesdayagain Follow

WHAT

💫 loopingloops Follow

WHAT

♟️ maldupays Follow

:3

( 465 notes )

🧪 thatonescientist Follow

Okay so Mira isn’t in the dorm right now so I just combined a Monster energy drink with some rainbow Airheads. Calling this drink battery acid. Gonna see what happens when I have some

🧪 thatonescientist Follow

don’t do this

🧪 thatonescientist Follow

i love my partner so much love always wins never give up

( 73,287 notes )

🌃 changehold Follow

WHO FOUND THIS ACCOUNT

( 238 notes )

🧱 builderboy-brickman Follow

Wait. Wait does this mean that the saviors listen to Radiohead

🧱 builderboy-brickman Follow

DON’T “of course they do” ME ITS HARD TO SEE PEOPLE LIKE THAT AS LIKE. HAVING NORMAL LIVES. THEY’RE BASICALLY SUPERHEROES!!

( 3,138 notes )

👑 fleetingmemories Follow

ohhh…. I remember when messages took weeks to send between countries……. how times have changed……… ohhhhhhh….

☄️ rumblingrocktype Follow

Hey quick question how old are you

👑 fleetingmemories Follow

oh….. in my 50s, I believe…… why do you ask?

☄️ rumblingrocktype Follow

Did you know him

( 375 notes )

🔔 pleasedontfindthisblog Follow

my thirsty ass could NEVER be near one of these things

🧤 fivesetsofhands Follow

Hey what does this mean. Hey OP what the crab does this mean

🔔 pleasedontfindthisblog Follow

you can’t prove ANYTHING

( 96,938 notes )

⚒️ etchedinstone Follow

“Is it ethical to write fanfic about the saviors of Vaugarde if their lives were adapted into a stage play and I’m just writing about the fictional versions of them” thread locked after 174 pages of heated debate

🐊 creepingthang Follow

OP this is the same energy as the Isabeau Miku Binder post

⚒️ etchedinstone Follow

THE WHAT

( 3,487 notes )

🌫️ guncraft

I need him

👓 patienthunter Follow

People like OP need to go to a mental hospital

🐺 wolvesdenguy Follow

What happened to the notes

🌞 inthehouseof Follow

Official 0 note King thirst post

( 0 notes )

🐻 amazingwonderfulfunnybuff Follow

My friends finally convinced me to make a new account after years of not using this website why is everything different

( 16 notes )

💭 lostinthoughts Follow

GUYS WHAT THE CRAB IS THAT

💭 lostinthoughts Follow

IM NOT CRABBING AROUND RIGHT NOW THIS ISN’T FUNNY THIS PHOTO ISN’T EDITED WHAT IS HAPPENING

👾 bitten8-bit Follow

the fog is coming.

( 6,937 notes )

🐾 werebearwearbare Follow

That new shade in the sky would look great in a children’s hospital

( 974 notes )

�� overthinkinghistorian Follow

this too is yuri

( 37,485 notes )

💀 biocrafthero Follow

You can read Part 1 here :3c

[angeldcgs]

eion may have believed he could wear her down after long enough, but he had no idea just how stubborn odile could be. her pride was something no one could strip from her, and if she accepted her place within the court, what would that say about her? it would show she was spineless, it would mean all her efforts to resist him up until then had been pointless, and it would mean she condoned what had been done to her as long as she could remain comfortable. it wasn’t about living a life free of struggle, it was about principles, and odile would stick to hers until the bitter end. “stop that,” she snapped, face screwed up in frustration. “i do not require apologies from you, nor empty promises. such sentiments only suggest a desire to further our relationship, of which i do not desire. any attempt to extend me your grace is futile, as i will reject it.” what she really needed in order to perhaps begin to enjoy her new life was to be left alone, as any attempts made at kindness only reminded her of her own anger in the first place. of course, if she was completely left to her own devices and allowed to enjoy the splendors of the palace without interruption— the library, and the gardens, and the sunroom at sunrise— that precious bitterness she’d been clinging to so tightly might fade, and she couldn’t have that. odile needed someone to project her vitriol onto so that it may continue to fester, and eion just so happened to be the most ideal target. he took her lashings in stride, and rather than punishing her for her insolence, he responded with that maddening attempt at empathy that only made her want to bite back that much harder just to get him to finally snap. surely his kindness could only stretch so far, but she’d still yet to reach its limit. his attempt to relate to her was only met with yet more irritation, letting out another scoff along with a roll of her eyes. “do not insult me with your shallow comparisons. whatever similarities may exist between our circumstances do not equate to understanding.” such an assumption was perhaps the most insulting of all. surely he had struggles of his own, as every person did, but the magnitude could never measure up to what odile had suffered, or what she was currently enduring. “if you think i am capable of sparing you even a modicum of sympathy, you are even more foolish than you look. you do not like your life here? then leave. fill a sack full of jewels from the crown room, mount one of the dozens of horses in your stables, and leave.” it wasn’t that simple, she knew that much, but escape was a lot more plausible for him than it was for her. she was sure that deep down, he didn’t truly want a different life— and why would he? he had anything he could ever want right there served up on a silver platter, he’d been born into favorable conditions; the world revolved around him, and he’d be a fool to throw that away for any reason. her eyes narrowed, regarding him dubiously as he offered to escort her back to her room, trying to work out what his motive might be. accepting might make him think there was a possibility she was coming around to him, but she didn’t want to remain at the party a moment longer, and if she tried to go back herself, she might be accosted by a guard questioning what she was doing wandering the halls alone rather than engaging in the festivities. with a sigh, she allowed her expression to soften just slightly. "fine. since you seem so intent on flexing your capacity for chivalry… i suppose i shall indulge you, if only to be spared from enduring this ostentatious display of celebration any longer.”

despite believing that odile was telling the truth, there was still a part of eion that thought she could one day come to view the palace as something more than a prison, a place she was forced against her will to pay off her father's sins. his efforts hadn't been enough to please her yet but he wasn't an impatient man. he should've been, considering how he'd had everything he could ever want handed to him on a silver platter, but eion found that the best things came with time and effort. he liked to woo his women, he wanted to be liked for his kindness and honesty, not for his status as a prince. he wanted things to be genuine, so while she might not have been giving him the response he wanted, at least she was being truthful. "i apologise, miss hargrave. i will do better.” it was redundant to point out that he did not mean to offend her, he was certain that the majority of what he said was not nearly as infuriating as she made it out to appear but it was her right to feel however she wanted about her treatment. he couldn't take away that anger, in trying he was encouraging the idea that he was only doing so to make his life easier which in turn made her cling to it tighter, as though that would save her from the life she'd been brought into. there was no changing what had happened, only making the best of the situation. the jab to his chest was the closest the odile had gotten to him since her arrival, it had been clear to everyone in the court that she was purposefully distancing herself as to not give the impression that she was in any way available to him, most were exhausted with her stubbornness and suggested to the prince that he remind her of her place below him but eion had no intention to shove such a reminder onto the young woman. the palace was her home, it was where she rested her head every night, where she ate all her meals and wandered the halls, her role might not have been getting performed as it was so obediently by the other concubines, however, eion failed to see how that gave him any sort of right to take what he did, admittedly, want from her. his status meant nothing if he were to use it for such nefarious reasons, a prince was supposed to be respected but where could that respect come from if he acted so cowardly? "you think i do not understand an ache for freedom, but i do." she may never have gone hungry or worried about the safety of his family but eion was bound to a life he'd had no choice in picking for himself. he would never know freedom outside the walls of the palace, would never understand what it was like to work for his food, for the clothes that covered his body. the affections he received were always considered to be because of his royal blood, not any real desire for him as a person, the things he wanted the most were out of reach and there was nothing that he could do to get them. as he could never truly understand odile's life, she would never understand his. they would constantly be at odds, yet he still wanted to try. with a sad smile, eion nodded his head and put an end for the debate for the night. it would undoubtedly restart again the next day, and the next after that but he was tired from the festivities of the evening and wished to grant odile some kind of respite. "will you let me walk you back to your room?" it was a small gift, one that she could easily refuse and he would be forced to respect, yet still worth the request.

[basilpaste]

You Don't Know Your Own Strength.

(scene written under the cut)

You're here again. The first Sadness you and your friends encounter in the house. It's… annoying. Having to listen to the same thing over and over again. Is that mean? You feel like that's probably mean, oh Change! Um… you just! It's just that you've heard it all before!

But m'dame Odile's spiel is comforting to Mira! And Sif's always the one who suggests going over strategy again! There's no harm in doing the same things if it makes people feel better. When you decide against talking strategy, Mira always seems upset. You don't want to hurt anyone.

… But. But.

You're tired.

You're really crabbing tired of this. How much time it takes to talk about the Sadness, how you always have to get knocked down. The hit hasn't even actually downed you in a long time. You're just faking it. You've gotten pretty good at faking it.

You're not paying attention. It seems like the fight's already started!

There's no reason not to speed things up, though. Right?

You're up!!

You throw a punch. Just one. And… Oh.

It's down.

That was. That was easy!! Really easy! Like laughably easy, even!

Just one punch. One measly little punch. Basically nothing. There was barely any Craft in that!! It was almost brute force!! Haha!

Easy.

It's so much easier to throw a punch than it is to Craft a buff. You've been wasting so much time trying to play support!

The Sadness is down. But you give it a few more whacks for good measure! Just in case!!

Because it's

Just!!! So!!!!!! Easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You turn to your friends, smiling.

"See! These Sadnesses aren't so tough!"

And they look… horrified.

Bonnie's grabbing Sif's cloak, m'dame Odile has stepped in front of everyone protectively, Mira's reaching out to you but she looks sick to her stomach and Sif.

Sif's hand is stretched into a craft sign. Holding themself in front of Bonnie.

Everyone is looking at you.

They're. Scared of you.

. . .

Oh.

You feel a thread tugging at your chest.

And that thread—

"A Sadness, huh? The House must be crawling with them..."

[str8rat]

ISAT / FEAR AND HUNGER AU

MADFRIN

( PSSSSST I'VE GOT AO3 BOOK WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THIS AU AND SIMILAR ART RELATED STUFF AND SNIPPETS God Forgives All - Str8_Rat - In Stars And Time (Video Game) [Archive of Our Own] *DISAPPEARS* )

( more alt pics below lore )

What if BigFrin *won* the battle against his party, forever preventing them from returning home? In this AU, there could be multiple endings- branching paths that lead to different fates. The canon ending, of course, exists, but what if there was a darker, more twisted conclusion? A *bad ending* where Siffrin, in the heat of battle, ascends to become a New God, his overwhelming power reducing his friends’ health to a mere thread- single digits. 

In this ending, Siffrin would trap his party within a dimension of his own making, a warped reflection of the Forgotten Island. This realm would be unstable, a liminal space, neither fully there nor entirely gone, a place where time and reality bend under his will. His friends, worn down from their futile struggle, would be kept on the edge of life, their health eternally low but never allowed to tip into death. It was an endless state of painless exhaustion. He would protect them from harm- safe in his grasp, too weakened to resist, too exhausted to escape.

In this distorted paradise, Siffrin would finally allow himself to be affectionate, no longer restrained by fear or rejection. He would cling to them constantly, seeking the physical closeness he had always craved but never allowed himself to ask for. His voice, once hesitant, would now be calm and soothing, laced with an eerie tenderness, his smiles soft and oddly genuine, as if completely oblivious to the circumstances surrounding all of their existance now.

He would cup Isabeau’s face in his hands, his touch gentle, as if handling something precious. Mirabelle, while barely conscious, would have her hair brushed so carefully as Siffrin would keep her head in his lap. Bonnie would be the one he held most often, pulling them into long, lingering embraces, holding them close to his chest, protectively. And Odile, with her quiet strength, would find her hand entwined with his, as he clung to her in silence that the two of them always shared while spending time together. 

He would seem completely oblivious to the damage he was causing, blind to the harm of keeping them trapped in this limbo. In his mind, this was love- keeping them close, forever safe, forever together. His family. 

And if anyone dared to threaten this fragile world he had built, or the people he kept in it, anyone who tried to take his loved ones away, Siffrin would not hesitate. He would kill without question, without mercy. His kindness reserved only for the ones he held dear, his wrath unleashed on those who stood against him.

In this twisted ending, Siffrin’s affection would be both a blessing and a curse, his love so overpowering it suffocates, leaving his party helpless in the embrace of the New God he had become.

Amid this surreal horror, Loop appears, breaking into the New God’s domain. They are the only one who dares to confront Siffrin, disapproving of what he’s done. "This isn’t what *we* wanted for them, Stardust," Loop says, their voice steady yet pained.

Siffrin doesn’t want to listen, glaring at the other. He hesitates, torn between obliterating Loop for daring to interfere with his sanctuary and his lingering attachment to them. His guiding star- Helpful Loop, coming here to confront him about the actions he deemed were right and necessary. But then he notices something, something that causes his eye to slowly widen, as they look at the other more closely- 

Loop is fading. 

Their light is dimming, their form slowly disintegrating into tiny little stars. Panic flickers across Siffrin’s face, and without thinking, he reaches out, grabbing Loop’s arm in a desperate attempt to stop them from vanishing.

There are no words between them, but Loop’s expression doesn’t change. 

It’s a mixture of regret, anger, and disappointment, that cuts through Siffrin like a blade, rendering completely frozen, unable to look away from the cold look he’s being given. 

Loop has failed their mission. They were sent here for a purpose, and now that purpose is unfulfilled. 

They couldn’t even help themself. 

The Universe is unforgiving, and without mercy, it decides to get rid of them for good, allowing them to dissolve into nothing more than cosmic dust.

For a brief, heart-wrenching moment, Siffrin feels clarity. The weight of what he’s done crashes down on him- what is he doing? 

He’s hurting his family. He’s imprisoned them in this warped reality, stripping them of their will, of their freedom, keeping them in a seemingly serene state of barely conscious existence. He has twisted his love into something monstrous, something that only serves his own desperate need for connection.

But the clarity doesn’t last.

As Loop fades into the wind, stardust scattering across the endless, peaceful meadow of the domain, Siffrin’s legs give out beneath him, as he’s left staring at the spot Loop has stood just a moment ago. Alas, despite the tears forming in his eyes, the darkness creeps back into Siffrin’s mind. His expression softens once more, serene and unwavering in his conviction. 

No. He convinces himself that he’s doing the right thing. He has to protect them. He’s keeping them safe. He’s doing it for their own good.

With Loop gone, Siffrin returns to his family, now alone in this strange, beautiful prison of his making. The meadow stretches out in every direction, soft grass brushing against the skin, filled with vivid flowers painted in forbidden shades. A peaceful mirage.

He crouches down in front of Isabeau, who lies limp in the tall grass, his breath shallow, his eyes half-closed. With care, Siffrin struggles to lift him, cradling his upper body against his chest, hugging him close. Isabeau’s head rests against him, too weak to protest or pull away, or even return the embrace. Siffrin holds him like that for a long time, his cheek pressed against Isabeau’s hair, eyes closing as he murmurs to himself.

"I’m doing the right thing, right? I’m doing this for you… for all of you. I won’t let you go home. I won’t let you go. I love you too much for that. I can’t watch you get hurt anymore. I can’t.. I can’t. You’ll be safe here with me- I’ll keep you safe. I’m keeping you safe."

The meadow sways in the wind, the illusion of peace all around them, and Siffrin clings to it- clings to them- his delusions wrapping tighter and tighter around his heart. 

He won’t let them go home.

[ayda--demir]

Ayda had returned from a saunter in the woods, Olivier popping into her head, and she had his urge to find him, spotting him on the other side of the lounge, that determination had her marching through the middle when a tall, blazing statue suddenly appeared in front of her, taking a step back. The words that flowed from the statue felt like huge subtitles appearing in the sky, blinking a few times to try to read them.

"Yes, Olivier. I want to dance with him." Her mind fixated on one idea, trying to ignore the heat that hit her full force. "It's hot in here." Dilated hues turn to the stranger. "You are gold and orange, this bright ray of sunshine."

FOR: @ayda--demir EVENT: The Camp Out, 24' WHERE: Lounge, main tent. On camera.

"So you're Olivier's tent-mate." catty in tone, as her arms came to fold in front of her hips. "I've heard quite a few things about a few of my friends. In fact, you pop up frequently." Who are you. That was the real question, but she wanted to make her work for it...just a little bit.

[vettybear-a]

Four Portions

(Act 1, Scene 2)

An In Stars and Time fanfiction, spoilers under the cut!

You’ve entered the House, and are now in a room Mira called “The Death Corridor.”, searching for traps.

There isn’t much here that could be trapped, only the six pillars, which you’re already checking for switches or other activation devices. You also try to walk on every part of the floor while you’re at it, in case of a pressure plate or a trapdoor or something, but you don’t find any traps, and tell your party the corridor’s safe. Mira, however, needs more convincing.

“So? So??? Are we safe? We’re not safe, are we, this is the Death Corridor...” Mira worries, “The older housemaidens kept saying people died there! So there must be a trap- something weight-sensitive or something!”

Mira’s getting more frantic now, her nails are getting dangerously close to biting-distance!

���Or, or! Maybe it’s time-sensitive! If we spend to long here...!”

“There’s nothing weird in here.” You say, finally.

“But there must be!”

“Aw, Mira...” Yes! Isa to the rescue!

“Belle, Belle, don’t worry about it.” Bonnie interjects. “Frin isn’t good at many things, but they know stuff about traps.”

Hey...

“Right. If we can’t trust the one that’s supposed to lead us THIS early, this won’t bode well for later...” Odile says.

HEY...

Mira seems unconvinced. “But, but-“

“We’re not dead yet, are we?” you say.

“Well, that’s true...”

“We HAVE been in this room for a while...” Odile looks up from her notes and at Mira. “...and Siffrin has been walking everywhere, so if it was weight-sensitive, something would have killed him by now.”

“Exactly! It’s all fine!” Isa adds, hurriedly.

“Oh...Yeah! Yeah, okay! I’ll believe you!” Mira flushes with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry... for worrying... I'm a little on edge.”

“We’re good, Mira.” You say, stepping into the middle of the corridor. “See? Everything’s fine.”

<<<<<

You’re not sure what happened. One moment you’re standing, fine, and the next you’re splayed under a giant rock, and the next you’re planet-long threads, laid down and scrutinised,

And now, you’re back in the meadow.

[Previous][Next]

[auncyen]

what I meant to write: mIrabelle as the one looping having a crying breakdown in the equivalent of act 3 because I thought of it a few days ago and it's been stuck in my head (Panic! at the Dinner Table).

What actually got written: can you imagine how terrible it'd be for another looper to start suspecting Siffrin did something WELL

-

Siffrin has been suspicious for several days.

(Odile might say 'days' is inaccurate, but it's close enough, you think! You start in early afternoon on one day and then, when everything goes well, see Euphrasie in late afternoon of the next day, so it's around a day--sometimes over...many times under. Also, calling them days feels...better. Maybe it's a 'cycle' or 'loop' for everyone else caught up in this, with them always being reset to the same places, the same lines until you start changing things, but you are moving through time. You're Changing.)

(You're changing, aren't you?)

(For the better?)

--Siffrin has been suspicious for several of your days. They still act like their friendly self--they've even gifted you a flower sometimes! (You suppose other times you might have been too abrupt in waking them up. And sometimes you haven't woken them up at all, because you realize they'll come to the Clocktower anyway. They all will, it's where you're staying. You couldn't come up with anything more creative than a sleepover?) But...something's off.

You first realized something was strange about Siffrin--well, a lot of things are strange about Siffrin. You're more worried about his memory than ever now. Whenever you go into that secret room for the stash of tonics, Siffrin starts talking about a time he ran away from home, only to suddenly stop and look confused. You've tried encouraging him to continue by reminding him of everything he said up to that point (Isabeau applauded your thorough recitation with the most lightheartedness he could muster while still looking Siffrin over with his own concern), but it doesn't jog anything. You've tried guiding Siffrin to tell the story a different way with questions, but it seems like he loses the thread even faster that way. Lately you've just...cut him off from telling the story by laughing as soon as he brings it up and mentioning how mad his parents must have been when he returned. Siffrin still looks confused and lost for a terrible moment when you say that, but then he grins and agrees, and surely he's agreeing because that's what actually happened, isn't it? He said he was playing a prank. He played a silly prank for an hour or two, and then he went home, and probably he got a scolding for it but everything was fine.

...You still. Would like to avoid that room in the future. To not see that scared, lost look on Siffrin. Maybe you're strong enough now that you don't need the tonics?

But, but, you need to focus. Siffrin's memory problems are strange and worrying, and you really wished they'd said sooner how bad it is instead of letting you all tease them about it, but what's suspicious is their connection to the King.

You're not entirely sure what it is. When you go to the King, he always singles Siffrin out. "Bright One...do you remember?"

Obviously, with the already-mentioned memory problems, the answer is No. You've tried asking Siffrin if they know the King in any way, but of course he says no? Even if they knew each other once, Siffrin could have forgotten him the same way he can't remember what happened when he went out on the ocean in a boat to prank his parents? You imagined a tragically doomed romance between a villain and a hero with partial amnesia from an injury earned in one of their past scuffles (why is Siffrin's memory that bad???) for all of ten seconds before you realized that if Siffrin could forget the King, he'll surely forget boring, stagnant Mirabelle as soon as he leaves. After that you were too depressed to imagine anything between Siffrin and the King, which was probably for the better. Especially considering...

One time, the King singled out Siffrin in a different way. A terrible way. The first loop--the first day after you defeated the King and got to see Euphrasie for a glimpse of happiness before being sent back--you'd lost your temper a bit. You'd pushed everyone to go through the House faster than any time before, brought back to your senses at the end of the second floor by Odile dryly commenting on her tired feet while giving a pointed look at Bonnie, who was obviously getting worn out. You'd apologized over and over, and chewed your nails off at the second snack break to let them take all the time they needed to recover their energy, and went through the third floor without saying anything to rush Siffrin. You'd kept your temper in check until you saw the King again, and then you'd accused him of being a cheat, an unchanged loser who couldn't accept defeat, and he'd let your venting wash over him with a calm indifference ("I do not know what you speak of, Housemaiden") until you told him exactly what you were speaking of--the time that kept turning back, again and again, the days the loops the returns--

His face is mostly obscured by his long hair, but you could tell by the way his head turned that he'd directed his attention to Siffrin, and you knew it was with a glare by the cold fury in his voice. "What have you done, Bright One. The Universe's will is with me."

And then

the king struck

and Siffrin--

You don't speak to the King anymore. You don't let him talk either. You're pretty sure he told you everything you'd want to know from him. He can use Time Craft, but he isn't the one holding you in these endless days. He thinks Siffrin can use Time Craft, which sounds ridiculous, but since then you've talked with the Change God (you'd wanted reassurance you'd wanted a sign your statue was the only one unbroken in the whole House and you touched its face in reverence and the Change God spoke to you) and they'd told you three things:

you're their favorite!

they're put out by Dormont being stagnant and unchanging, but they're excited to see how exactly you change (maybe being their favorite isn't good. Your favorite characters go through some awful things, after all)

Siffrin isn't not responsible for this???

So it makes sense that Siffrin had a hand in this somehow! After a few more days which let you reach Euphrasie, you realized the time reset at the end only happens while Euphrasie is talking to Siffrin! That's suspicious! And, and, you've tried preventing it by keeping Euphrasie from talking to Siffrin, but she is so insistent she'd like to talk to them, and everyone starts looking at you strangely the more you protest, and you just...can't stop it.

You can't stop Siffrin from ruining things.

You hate that you're even suspicious of him, but he won't admit to using Time Craft when you ask, and surely even with his terrible memory, he'd remember that? He doesn't forget everything! But if he's lying, then...

Then you don't know what that means.

You don't know what to do.

--

...What Siffrin did: show Mirabelle how to wish and be an islander recognized by other islanders and not particularly liked by the Change God

[bogkeep]

[in stars and time spoilers]

something i really really appreciate about the worldbuilding in ISAT is that being queer or trans or polyam is just, baked into the worldbuilding in a way that feels very natural and interesting and makes perfect sense for the setting. like don't get me wrong, all of these things ARE natural but the way *we* talk about these things in this world and our languages can often be very awkward to translate into the worldbuilding of a fantasy story - especially because a lot of the vocabulary and culture we have for queerness is as something that has been Othered, while cishet is the Default, and if you want a world where being trans is just a normal everyday thing you have to do a whole overhaul of how it's treated, right. it's tricky to make it feel natural!! though i DO think a lot of stories do it well, and ISAT is 10000% one of them. BUT HERE'S THE THING THAT'S FASCINATING. vaugarde is really chill with all this - but amatonormativity is still an issue. but the story *addresses* this!!!!!! which makes it a deliberate and super interesting part of the worldbuilding!!! you have the exposition about the bonding earrings (WHICH I THINK IS A FANTASTIC PIECE OF WORLDBUILDING) and sif pointing out that most vaugardians seem to be wearing earrings from a young age and wondering if maybe they're being primed to bond with someone early on. and of course mirabelle struggling with her faith, feeling perfectly comfortable with her aroace self but feeling pressured into dating. like i think the change religion rules and i LOVE that there's aspects of it that are Flawed, even for some of its most loyal followers. SO GOOD.

so here's what i really super appreciate - all the characters have very different relationships to romance. i love mirabelle with my whole heart, and i ALSO love that odile does experience romantic feelings and has just decided it's not a priority for her(!!!!!). isabeau is very clearly super romantic and into romance, and while he's definitely struggling a lot with the confession part - and it does get exceedingly heartbreaking as the loops go on - i do actually really like that he's like. you know what! the confession is not that important right now, you'r every clearly distraught, there will be time later (HERE'S WHERE I WOULD PUT A ""LATER""" IF I HAD ONE), my big romantic moment is *not* top priority. like none of these characters treat romance as the Most Important Thing in the world!!!! WILD!!!!!! i mean it's pretty clear that the focal relationship of the game is the found family, just like straight up spelled out for us, and i just... i think it's lovely. i love the romantic plot thread and i love that it's just one of many threads. (hear me out. hear me out............ queerplatonic mirabelle & siffrin..............) like this game chose to portray amatonormativity but the *game* is dismantling it. A TASTY MEAL FOR ME. GIVES THIS GAME A BIG STAMP OF AROACE APPROVAL