#Reverse 1999 au

[stari-hun]

No Storm: Time Traveler AU

Isokania (and their horrible no good bad college situationship that forces them both to become separate people)

In my first Ramble, I mentioned how Kakania and Isolde grew up together in a boarding school. Both of their parents are historians, but the Dittarsdorfs have an actual connection to nobility and are still technically noble. Just like the original story, they met through Theopil during the time he was free to introduce the two, and just like the original story, they became instant best friends. Inevitably they were sent to the same catholic school boarding school together. The two of them were very isolated to one another too, as Kakania would struggle to make friends from her quick reputation as a troublemaker, and Isolde held no interest in others outside of Kakania. Since Isolde and her were already close, Kakania didn’t even notice the way she lacked other friends or human interaction. Later after they graduated, Kakania had already heard of the concepts of mental health resources from others, and decided to become a psychiatrist. From there, Kakania heard about Laplace’s education programs, and as an arcanist who would already have ties to the Foundation in the future, she decided to go to them. Isolde, who wanted to stay with Kakania, convinced Mr Dittarsdorf to send her as well for a degree in fine arts when Kakania got a scholarship. (After her first semester, Isolde was also given a full-ride scholarship for her talent).

✰.

Kakania began to struggle in college after seeing the community in Laplace between students and the staff. (Laplace has a separate building for college and the actual research center.) Kakania would struggle because she was friends with Isolde and only Isolde for years, and Isolde never held Kakania to the expectations of a healthy friendship. Isolde had been in love with Kakania since they first locked eyes, so she never held her to the same expectation of care or consideration that Isolde would show her. Isolde saw everything Kakania did under rose tinted glasses to the point that she didn’t care about her being pushy or careless with her. Meanwhile Kakania didn’t even know what area of the campus Isolde took classes in until she had offered to meet her so Kakania could do a mock therapy session for class. Kakania would remember people's birthdays, but she'd never ask about their hobbies or their experiences in life until it was something she was personally interested in. If Isolde got a cat, Kakania wouldn't know until she went into Isolde’s part of the house because she was doing an interview for her psych class. Despite living together, their friendship also matched the way it did when they were kids at opposite ends of the neighborhood. 

Kakania began to struggle more and more socially when people would cut her off from seemingly nowhere according to her. Meanwhile Isolde formed a small group of friends with Tooth Fairy, Jiu, and Windsong before she met Tooth Fairy’s juniors from the SPDM’s Guidance Program: Medicine Pocket and Mesmer Jr. Isolde would always keep a level of distance between them which Tooth Fairy would notice.

✰.

In their second year, Kakania and Isolde began to get closer than ever because of Kakania’s isolation in her program. No person in her classes or even program would consider Kakania a friend, and the inability to keep a friend began to wear on her. She was able to get through her first year while burying her head into her coursework, but by the start of the second it became too much. It all accumulated into the midterm of their first semester when Isolde suggested they celebrate passing midterms together with a platonic date night in their living room. After ordering takeout using Kakania’s accounts so Mr Dittarsdorf wouldn’t catch Isolde having junk foods, they end up making out. Isolde, who had known she was a lesbian since she was a child, was having her dream relationship with the girl she loved since they met at 15. Meanwhile Kakania, upon her first kiss being a woman, had to reevaluate her entire sexuality and outlook on life, or if she even loved Isolde. By the time the break between semesters was about to start, Kakania realized she didn’t love Isolde and decided to break it off before things got too serious. Naturally, Isolde melts down because unlike Kakania thought, she had loved her, and for a while she had resolved herself to simply be friends with Kakania until she could “fix” her. But after their kiss and dating for months before the semester ended, Isolde realized she couldn’t stay friends anymore. 

✰.

Kakania ended up moving into the student dorms while Isolde stayed with Tooth Fairy for a few weeks while ignoring everything from her phone. Her ignoring calls got to the point that Theopil visited her after class one day because she hadn’t contact anyone since the breakup. (He left only after giving her a gift box she later opened to see full of pounds for when she couldn’t use her credit card without Mr Dittarsdorf finding out). Isolde being forced to actually open up to others after showing up at Tooth Fairy’s apartment the evening of the breakup because she couldn’t go home to Kakania. Even though she’s still in a daze during her time at school, she has the talent to match her grades without trying. Isolde starts to form an outer circle of friends, and Tooth Fairy reassured her that people can be safe while helping her not just switch dependencies from Kakania to her. She starts becoming better friends with Jiu and Windsong, and even Mesmer Jr and Medicine Pocket now that she’s not masking over enjoyment whenever they meet. 

✰.

Kakania starts to feel the absence of Isolde in her life even more as she’s left alone. Now that she’s thinking about Isolde actively, she realizes all the unhealthy things she did with her while Kakania didn’t notice. She starts to reflect on the way that she was also dependent on Isolde as her rock to reassure her that her actions were right. Without her, and the way things were going in her social life, Kakania was at a total loss of how to move forward. 

Kakania started the new semester in a daze, but can’t keep up with schoolwork just off of groundbreaking talent. Eventually, her counselor meets with her to tell her how she’s in danger of losing her scholarship and it manages to snap her out of it just enough to go to a tutoring club. With her delusions of grandeur shattered, she meets Blonney, Horropedia, and An-An Lee. Three film majors with two as double majors for mechanical engineering and cultural studies. Kakania, who is quick to make friends but never keeps them, makes fast friends with the study group. But with Blonney, she started getting actual feedback about her treatment of others. Kakania is a lot of things, but she sees the way Blonney is never mean to anyone who hasn’t deserved it. So when Blonney starts checking her for the careless way she treats people, she has no choice but to listen. Even worse, Kakania starts to realize how little she knew about Isolde, despite the decade they knew one another, or the fact the entire campus thought they were the ideal couple during their 2 months of dating.

✰.

After their last semester starts, Kakania wants to see Isolde but realizes she didn’t know where her main classes would be. The only class she does know the location of was a prerequisite from a year ago. As Kakania starts spiraling farther, she realizes how much she didn't know about Isolde. But Tooth Fairy and Jiu are like Medicine Pocket, once they’ve made a friend they know need extra security, they’re a guard dog. Medicine Pocket is the type to bite on sight to harass someone to go away, but Tooth’s disappointment is like a knife to those who upset her. So to someone like Kakania who brushes off aggressive people as without sense meets their match with someone like Tooth Fairy. Kakania can brush off someone like Medicine Pocket even if they have good points purely off of being aggressive out of the gate, but for Tooth Fairy she can’t help but deflate while trying to ask about Isolde’s schedule to meet her. Tooth Fairy barely holding back a fist when she tells Kakania that she needs to reevaluate how good a friend she even was to Isolde because people like Kakania need to heal on their own through feedback from others, but people like Isolde need community support to assure her she isn’t alone in her struggle.

✰.

By the time they graduated, Kakania went back up to full honors, but she knew that while she was smart she had to get there from her own efforts instead of believing she was a genius. One of Kakania’s teacher gives her a recommendation letter for a counselor position in the SPDM, and she accepts. Meanwhile, Isolde was cutting off the Dittarsdorf name. After she opened up to others, one of the first things Windsong recommended was to change her home address to Tooth Fairy’s long before diplomas were sent out.

✰.

Kakania spends the next 5 years working as a counselor for the SPDM and learning how to work with the mental health of teens. While working together with Tooth Fairy for long enough to gain a friendly understanding with, she doesn’t learn about Isolde’s whereabouts even though she knows Blonney and Horropedia are friends with Tooth. Most of the time she gets to know Isolde is ok, and very rarely she’ll learn a tidbit about what she’s doing. When she sees of the Dittarsdorfs’ death in the newspapers, Kakania considers going, but she decides against it because Isolde had never reached out to her to reconnect. Luckily for her, Kakania stayed back just in time to receive a job offer from a famous institute for the research of mental health. 

Isolde was busy with her music and career as a singer. During her time in school she found she enjoyed jazz over opera, so she’d work gigs around town with both, and after Windsong showed her how she started uploading songs online too. 

Then Isolde received news of her father and mother’s death and the date for the funeral alongside it. After talking with her friends she decided to go if only to see Theopil again. She arrived a month before the funeral began to help and sort her business with the house. The month went by quickly as the funeral proceeded with Theopil alongside a few close family friends (Mr Karl barred from entering). Theopil was driving her to the train station home before the crash happened, and Isolde had another funeral to plan. As the last person with the Dittarsdorf name along with being in an accident, Isolde was forced to stay even longer, and with the legal rights to the house she stayed in her childhood home. After Theopil’s funeral ended Isolde still stayed in the house to figure out what to do with it, and before she knew it a year had passed. By then she had sold everything in the house that wasn’t of sentimental value or furniture before turning it over to the city as a historical museum following the Dittarsdorf line. Despite her hiatus from singing in person consistently, Isolde got an invitation to the US to become a singer in a well-respected jazz club, so she decided to begin her story of tomorrow in the States.

✰.

Over the next decade, Kakania worked her way up the corporate ladder in the research institute in the same way Isolde worked her way up to be a household name. While working at the research institute, as people try to get to know her, Kakania begins to have gender and sexuality crisis number two when they try to set her up with other people. Kakania never knew about Isolde’s shift into jazz because she couldn’t bear listening to her songs after realizing how much she had hurt her alongside how she realized she had loved her all this time. By the time she had turned 32, Kakania decided to focus more on children's mental health so that someone like Isolde would never go without help again. She especially focused on getting rid of the stigma that therapy meant there was a problem in order to have more children of affluent families sent to therapy. Before she knew it, Kakania was 35 and considered one of the top therapists in Europe for teens. Then she was invited to a national summit for her expertise in New York planned for right after her 36th birthday.

✰.

When she arrived for the week long convention, Kakania couldn't help but feel homesick. Despite not going home to Vienna for years, there was a difference between being a day’s trip away and being an entire ocean away. After hearing about the chance to find different cultures she could find in New York, she asked around if anyone had heard of a place to get Viennese food. From there she found out about a certain jazz bar nearby that had a live band during dinners, food from all over Austria, and a live singer on weekends who was supposedly the reason many people stayed in the hotel in the first place. The first time Kakania goes she ends up crying the first time she has dinner there after her conference panels from a mix of stress building up and homesickness. Kakania begins to eat there every day for the entire week the summit lasts, even ordering lunch from the bar when she has the chance between meetings. She even decided to stay later in the US, and catch a Saturday morning flight instead of pushing herself by leaving the second the convention ended. As she was enjoying dinner the lights went off as the stage crew announced the jazz club’s performer would be coming on shortly, and as Kakania readied herself to see her first performance in America, she saw someone she never stopped thinking about for the first time in years.

✰.

Fun Facts about them in the story:

Kakania got through the first year and a half of college through her good memory, but she learned in her last semester while struggling that it only works when she’s tuned in. If she doesn’t pay attention to someone’s words, her good memory with them means nothing.

Tooth is in college in order to get another certification, her degree only took 2 years because she was only a part time student in order to continue working at the SPDM.

The entire Dittarsdorf family showed up to Isolde’s graduation, but Evangeline praised her as Trista in front of Windsong and Vila, and Mr Dittarsdorf quickly left early to escort Evangeline out. Theopil stayed for an hour meeting her friends before handing her another chunk of cash “just in case.”

Isolde spent 2 months out of the year she spent back home transcribing Trista and Theopil’s lullaby into music sheets and online recordings of it so they could be played in the house even though they had passed.

Kakania’s therapist scolds her frequently for ignoring her own signs of stress, and the way she pushes herself too far to help others.

[lafashionlsta]

Twst ocs as reverse 1999 characters!

Tuesday: mentally unchinged Qwartz: also probably unchinged

The baby can be Yuu or Yuu can be Barbara

Oc by @quartztwst

Og Azul is the APPLe. Mrs. Azul is eternity.

More ocs ⬇️

Tennant: fraud

Yuu Shi: blackermailer in the no Yan au. Picked Tennant because she gave me the vibe.

oc by @boopshoops

Medicine Pocket: nonbinary

Moch: I don’t know if this oc is nonbinary but my moot is nonbinary. Also it was kind of hard figuring out what character they would be.

kept them chibi ish form

Oc by @thatsadguymochi

Schneider: dead and gay

Liánhuā: probably dead in the Reverse 1999 au too. Also she’s bi.

You know what she’s hold.

oc by me!!!!

All of them together!!

Ask me if you want your character drawn as a r1999 character!!! If you want a specific character to have them drawn as please specify that!

also please reblog this so I can get more twst ocs to be drawn as r1999 characters!!

[sleeplesssmol]

The Timekeeper and the Warden (Reverse 1999 AU)

I know I said I was studying but this is all @blehhhhhsthings fault! They keep making me brainstorm (thank you but also what have you done lol)

I was inspired by their Mask Tk au, but I put my own twist on it since I am a twisted individual. This is the scenario:

Vertin and Sonetto never make up after the break-away event because instead of Madam Z reaching Smoltin, Manus does first. They were waiting for her because they heard rumors about a child with Storm Immunity from their inside sources. Finding Vertin as the only child left confirmed those rumors.

Sonetto never gets over Vertin. She thinks about the way she treated Smoltin and blames herself for Vertin's Reversal.

Years later, Sonetto graduates as the top of her class and becomes a field Investigator so she can witness the outside world Vertin longed for. Two years after her graduation (roughly 6 years after break-away), a Manus Vindictae Renegade waltzes through the Foundation's front door. Sonetto pins her to the ground but falters when she realizes they have silver hair. However, she can't see her face because of her mask. The voice is both unfamiliar and nostalgic (because Smoltin is grown up now) but she doesn't have time to dwell on it. The deserter doesn't resist and claims they want to stop Manus more than they hate the Foundation. She's seen the way they treats arcanists who aren't purebloods and the unnecessary violence. She wanted to escape long ago and waited for the perfect opportunity.

Constantine decides to interrogate her further, especially once she sees the special umbrella the renegade brought with her. She must be one of Arcana's pets.

Later, the renegade becomes the Foundation's Timekeeper, and Sonetto is her Warden. While the Timekeeper has flexibility within the Foundation due to her rare Storm Immunity, it's Sonetto's job to keep her in line.

The Foundation also sealed off the Timekeeper's ability to communicate by branding an arcane skill (a curse really) around her throat. She can only speak with her Warden's permission and even if she tries to be sneaky by writing or something, the markings burn red and are incredibly painful (they're triggered by intent, like the bangles on the Island that Arcana and Vertin wore in the real story). Sonetto thinks it's cruel but Constantine informs her its for everyone's safety. This deserter has a silver tongue and she plants dangerous ideas in people's heads. By limiting how much she can say and forcing her to have Sonetto nearby in order to speak, they reduce her opportunities of betrayal. Besides, she's already betrayed Manus. Who's to say she won't turn her back on them next and return with their secrets? Sonetto's whole thing is loyalty and devotion so she starts off very cold with the Timekeeper.

The Timekeeper no longer wears a Manus Hand Mask, but a monochrome Foundation mask that covers her upper face (as much coverage as Bessmert's blindfolds or 2B's mask from Nier so it covers her freckles but leaves her mouth open to eat and make smug smiles with). It completely hides her eyes but she can see better than the average person through it since it has the same enchantment as the other Investigators (the ones that completely cover their face like in the prologue).

The Masked Timekeeper does the sort of the same thing as the Timekeeper we know. She shelters "unhinged" arcanists and takes on the most dangerous missions since her people are considered dangerous and disposable. She is very protective of her crew.

However, she and Sonetto are painfully awkward.

Vertin has no idea how to interact with her former deskmate. In her mind, Sonetto was always nice enough to put up with her but actually couldn't stand her. She doesn't blame Sonetto either because she was...difficult. While Vertin is a touchy and affectionate person, she hesitates with Sonetto or changes her mind last minute.

Meanwhile, Sonetto hates this game of hot and cold she ends up in every time they interact. As much as she hates to admit it, the TK grew on her. She's kind, sincere, and never treats Sonetto like her Warden but as part of her beloved crew. They argue at times but Sonetto never uses her status as Warden to silence her. There is an odd understanding between them even if they never seem to get one another.

This Vertin was raised by Arcana instead of Madam Z. She's a smooth talker and a skilled fighter outside of her crappy arcanum. Instead of a stoic face, she smiles (like Arcana but a smug smile instead of Arcana's creepy "I dare you" one.)

As much as she says she despises Arcana, she kept the Umbrella she gave her. The Umbrella is infused with Arcana's slime and can shape-shift into many things: a shield, a sword, a cane, heck even a fishing pole (she did this to piss Arcana off but her leader found it amusing and creative). This Vertin is also completely shameless when it comes to manipulating others as a means to an end.

She finds out what you desire most and uses that against you. It's one of the reasons Constantine branded her.

"You deserve more. They can't give you that, but I can," type of persuasion. She also frustrates Sonetto by talking around her instead of answering her questions or telling her what's on her mind.

Eventually Sonetto opens up to the Timekeeper about a friend she lost long ago. She's afraid one day she'll forget her.

Vertin has no idea she's talking about her because she didn't think Sonetto thought of her as a friend, just a deskmate she was stuck with. She assumed her friend fell in battle. Lots of people were reversed too so she still doesn't connect the dots until Sonetto specifically brings up the break-away event.

Vertin's name was added to the Forbidden List and you'd be punished for saying it (like the word "Storm" before it was public knowledge). This is one of the reasons the Timekeeper took so long to put together Sonetto's still grieving for her. She's not sure how to deal with this but she doesn't know how to make Sonetto happy. All these years later and she's still a burden on her deskmate.

Some things never change.

Aaaaand that's where I decided to start writing my story from. Although, I could sprinkle this background information throughout...if I knew what I was doing anyway. Reverse did it with AS while Vertin was in a coma so I decided on a dream route.

Sonetto is so scared she'll forget Vertin, she uses AS to see her again. However, she can never remember the color of her eyes. Smoltin would lower them when she spoke to her or avoid her gaze after she found out Sonetto asked the Instructor if she could switch deskmates. That's why it was the first thing she forgot. This makes her panic!

I also want to put Yeni in this fic. She's sooo much like Sonetto but more direct and sarcastic. Essentially, what she and the TK develop is what Sonetto and the TK could have been.

Sonetto tells herself she doesn't care. She's only worried about remembering Vertin and nothing else matters–

But how come she's never seen the TK's face but Yen has!? Unfair. She's known her longer.

Sonetto hasn't realized the others have seen Vertin's face. Constantine only dictated she wear the mask on missions to represent the Foundation, but doesn't care about what Vertin does in her free time once she realizes it's THAT VERTIN. Not many people recall what Smoltin looked like since she was never in the Spotlight due to her awful grades and she was tiny. Just harder to notice in general, especially when everyone's looking down to see her. The school did their best to cover up her past since she had no family to fight for her anyway. They were her "family" since she was a month old.

Vertin finds it hard to face Sonetto so she doesn't take it off in front of her. It's easier this way. She's also still figuring things out.

Constantine's happy her little pawn returned as a more powerful piece to play with. Madam Z cries a bit when she see Vertin, the child she failed to save.

Idk what to call this au or even if it's worth naming if I don't actually do anything with it but I'm open to opinions!

[reignsserene09]

a special person made this for me in celebration of the ManusNetto fever

as you can see, her eyes look like it's devoid of emotion due to trauma and her eye patch hides her twitchy eye

I do believe this woman has seen a lot of painful memories (but she still is the same Sonetto albeit emotionless)

actually she can pass off as Phrolova from Wuthering Waves (since they're both voiced by Rae Lim in EN)

[sleeepygremlin]

Thinking of an SBR and Reverse 1999 au again and thought

What if Vertin pulled Magenta from the lake thingy

Idk about the lore things but I just think it would be fun to see him in the suitcase and interacting with the other characters

[reignsserene09]

let us see how Arcana handles children

Isabella holds childhood innocence and freedom so she lets Sonetto do what she wants

seriousnetto is the most dangerous Sonetto and it's because of Isabella 🤭

4th death of Sonetto will have Isabella be the 4th voice

since Isabella is a kid when she was reversed, Yelena and Marian are like her sisters and Arcana became her mom 🤭

imagine their interactions 👀

Would Arcana and Isabella really get along tho? 👁️

I see Arcana and all I see is a child terrifier. Poor Isabella. Thankfully though she has the Greco sisters around 😓

[haysaca]

Made another Kakania-Semmelweis scenario because I'm just that desperate to see them interact again now that they could potentially be coworkers.

Featuring drunk Kakania and the gay voices in Semmelweis' head (Bella)

[kuedrawnunder]

[MOTHER 1999 AU]

"A lonely child arrives from beyond the belt. A new friend, perhaps?"

[kuuyooo]

Creator!reader that's like voyager from reverse 1999

Chat im getting desperate here. the creator might be an alien(?) but they are not alien enough for me chat. i need them to look like something from SPACE. i need that mf to be CRYPTIC. CREEPY. SPOOKY. whatever it is please im getting desperate out here man.

[stari-hun]

Mesmer: I just don’t trust her.. I know she’s hiding something.. Better safe with caution than hurt by someone sick…

Medicine Pocket: I got this

Medical Anomaly Pocket, running up to Isolde: Ms, are you sick in the head?

Windsong, on babysitting duty while Tooth Fairy went to grab her lunch after she forgot it: Oh god. Vila never taught me how to deal with that….

Isolde, trained on formal interaction but has zero experience with socializing with peers: “Yes…!”

[eylin09]

I draw r1999 celebrity au, the Q&A one

@sinmalssimp ty for giving me ur permission to draw ur au!

[zhelemykh-safk]

Diggers (reverse1999) + headcanons

[reignsserene09]

Reverse 1999 AU: Sonetto was already reversed and the only one who can tell are Manus members

alright there is a big threat in the horizon and it's me, the freaking threat!

AU TIME! as the title suggests, Sonetto was reversed but only members of the Manus can see her glitch- remember that PV in CN server where she glitches out? that's the one Sophia and Ms. Grace can see!

and the funny thing is, because she was reversed, there was a weird bs that I don't know how to explain but she now can brave the storm because she knew the first circle spells ooooh~

listen up, Sonetto is a great arcanist and a talented woman, but this AU I am cooking in is very complicated because this will involve her having literal ARCANA BUGGING HER MIND THAT'S WHY MANUS MEMBERS CAN SEE HER GLITCH!

ALSO-

she can use Arcana's ink for some godforsaken reason idk

and the Foundation advises everyone to be wary of Sonetto because of these changes

BUT

that doesn't stop Vertin from being close to Sonetto and it even made her trust Sonetto more...

I don't know how to word things but she definitely saw the people being reversed previously but are stuck in a limbo and somehow she is the only one who managed to escape that limbo

there is also a possibility she might betray the Foundation because of Arcana's influence but chose not to because she is that WOMAN, doesn't listen to anyone (except Vertin because she weak)

[sleeepygremlin]

Hey what about a jojo au that's of reverse 1999?

Like, the stand users are archanists or something

A lot of the diffrent parts happen before 2000, so it could work possibly

[thehomophobe]

Ikiru, Ikinai, Ikitai

Chapter 1: The Wellerman

Part 4

The Hall held the many survivors of the war—the ones who decided not to watch the parade from outside. Auntie Beck still clutched your hand, leading you to your peers. They were white as ghosts, yet blackened with ash. An elder held you tightly, petting your head, and muttered bottled relief. Your ears were still ringing. Your vision was opaque. Your peers looked like panes on stained windows. With senses deprived, you just followed whoever pushed you. Uncle Rosco spoke with Auntie Beck. Cousin Gigi and Mimi tried to talk to you, but the music was too loud. You saw smeared red lips and hot tears. Gigi cried into your shoulder while Mimi rested her head on your lap. Uncle Rosco and Auntie Beck spoke about something. The Hall glowed with the ethereal light. Looking up, you saw shadows flying overhead like large birds, cawing cries of war, beating their mighty wings against the sky. They're beautiful—mighty, like the Great Thunderbird. Roars of lightning flashed behind The Hall's cracked marble and aventurine walls. The earth shook with each swift flight. To a child like you, their power shined with brilliance. Your knees were already kneeled and your head looked upward before these superior beings; a small prayer of forgiveness escaped with each puff of breath. You've succumbed to the lords of chaos. Auntie Beck shook you out of your haze. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Your mouth was dry and cracking; the soot created a drought in your throat. The music stopped; a muted filter covered your ears now. Your vision cleared a little, but you couldn't see Auntie Beck's eyes. Her nose, her mouth, her frazzled hair, her stained skin, those were visible. But her eyes...her eyes were gone. There were just...divots of skin. Shallow cavities that crinkled with a motherly smile. You didn't want to look at her. In fact, something else caught your eye. A shadow, a spirit, a wraith slowly creeping to the doors. Through a sliver of clouded quartz, the shadow marched. Even with your horrible sight, you could tell it was a musician from the parade. His instrument was coddled in his hand. His uniform was a shining red like rubies. He looked beautiful; clean-shaven and well-mannered. His parents must've taught him right. His father must've been a veteran and wanted his son---probably his only son---to honor him and join the army. To go out there and bring him a medal of loyalty and savagery. A reward for killing many innocent people for having an idea too alien for him to understand. A sense of familial, patriarchal pride and a fear of failure and shame; he's here to fight. He's here to win. And he'll crush the heads of newborns if he has to. At a young age, you learn these little details and wove tales facsimiles to what may have happened. A frightening skill----a hidden talent---of yours. It fascinated your younger peers and paled your elders. This wasn't your Arcane, just a little thing you practiced over time with age.

The musician continued to march. Stepping in quarter notes and eighth notes, breathing in 3/4 time. Not once resting, always sharp and high-strung. Auntie Beck shook you again, this time Uncle Rosco pitched in to help. Your eyes were locked to the musician coming forth to play a song. He slowed down, hiding behind the sacred doors. Timid, afraid to interrupt this lovely, family moment. Or perhaps he's fine-tuning his instrument. The shadows of the bard flickered in the light before they stopped altogether. Auntie Beck kept shaking you, trying to snap you out of your trance. Her tired face obscured your vision. You wanted to see the musician and his instrument. You wanted to hear him play a song. You tilted your head side-by-side, up and over, trying to spot the music man.

A boot slid through the door. The steps cracked the fragile floors. Instrument raised and aimed over Auntie Beck. A boom rang. Auntie Beck produced wine from her head. Uncle Rosco cheered. Gigi and Mimi cheered too. You watched as the musician played his instrument. Uncle Rosco danced with him as sweet wine dripped off his body. A euphoric dance of pleasure and true bliss. Gigi and Mimi dragged you away; you saw Uncle Rosco fall asleep, imbibed but peacefully. A tiny dark corner of The Hall is where you sat. Gigi and Mimi huddled you close, their nails scratching your raw skin. You felt bad for the musician; he just wanted to sing you a song so he could go home and return to the New World with a gray filter and a silver medal.  

Instrument raised and aimed over you.

A boom rang.

All was white.

All was clean.

All was silent.

A robust bull horn ranged through your ears. The ferry was here, docking themselves accordingly. A few crew members hopped off the ship and carried any supplies they needed to carry. Quickly, you hurried inside the great ship; unthawing the cold with adrenaline and an anaerobic escapade. In honesty, you weren't meant to be on this dock. This place was restricted to construction workers and ferrymen. Exporting and importing goods to the little town like Santa Claus or the Wells Fargo wagon. This wasn't your first time being a stowaway. Every ship you've been on had you seated with the cargo, relying on the produce carts for sustenance and the small, circular windows for solace. If you're lucky, you can sleep with a lovely mannequin and use her clothes for warmth. They'll smell like cheap plastic and silicon, perfect. Once you got on the ship, you made yourself acquainted with the space. Narrow hallways and passages that'll make an overweight man deadpan. Warm rum mixed with water and citrus, fish raw and cooked and pickled in brine, treated hardwood, leaded oil, salt and sweat, and seafoam…only the slightest aftertaste of vomit. All the delightful smells and tastes of the ocean. The hiss of steam gasped into your face, trying to shoo you off. This ship was a beast of its own; slicing through the harsh waves as it carried the masses of cargo to greater distances. A journey Odysseus would've traveled to get back home. After inspecting the area---while hiding from the sailor men---you found a little corner to call your own. It was close to an exit and had a narrow path out of sight that led to the cargo bay. You shed off your extra layers---because somehow the ship's climate is worse than outside---and squatted down in the dark. All this trouble for what one may ask; you're here on an odd job---if you could call it a job. A few days before your departure, a crow landed on your room's windowsill. It was Sunday so Auntie Beck already left the house for church. You had just made tea for yourself and sat by the window. It wasn't until the pestering bird came. The crow kept fluttering and hopping around the sill squawking about.

CAW CAW! (L/N) (Y/N), YOU ARE SUMMONED BY THE MASTER UROKODAKI! PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO HIS HOME IN TOKYO, JAPAN IMMEDIATELY! CAW! CAW!

The bird squawked other things, but all you contained was the master's name.

Urokodaki. That name lingered in your mind like hot coffee steam. That man; he healed you a while back. You didn't know how many years it had been---mainly because you didn't remember how old you were---but you knew it wasn't just yesterday when you crashed into the rugged ridge of Japan's ethereal mountains and met the tengu-masked elder in the middle of the dirt path. The crash had broken several ribs and scarred your body, increasing the injury menagerie. The elder had taken the fleeting time he had left to bring you home to his estate hidden in the mountains. Watching the trees flutter with the wind, feeling the rich yet tough dirt under your feet; even the air felt much cleaner as it rejuvenated your lungs. You never felt this much peace since lying on the beach back home. About three-quarters of the trek in, you collapsed. Then, once you wake up, you lay on a thin futon with a blanket draped over you like a burial cloth; prepped and ready for your funeral. Urokodaki was nowhere to be found, but there was a cup of tea, water, and some food. The door was closed, yet the light seeped underneath the crack. His home was dull; nothing but wood and paper-like structures with a few pieces of furniture. It was all brown and minimalistic; whatever a man could get--and need---for his age. You spotted some medicinal herbs hung with twine and bottled in glass jars---the obvious "human" ones like Ginkgo, Ginger, and Milk Thistle, but also ones like Bishop's weed, Henbane, and Kelsal. You didn't think plants like those would grow in a climate like Japan, but you suspected the elder had a supplier many were unaware of. It also surprised you that a human, like Urokodaki, utilized them in the food and tea you consumed. You could taste the pungent stewed Kelsal in the tea. As you sat up, the ache came back. Your abdomen was wrapped in bloodied gauze as it strained against your curled form. A hint of a cooling sensation hit your stomach like Icy-Hot. Aloe? Or perhaps Lorelise paste? Whatever it was, it relieved your pain. You still pondered how you made it to Japan but everything was too foggy to remember. Not a single sliver of the past formed in your head. Were you hit with amnesia? No, you couldn't have---

The door slid open again. A hooded old man with a red tengu mask and a sky-blue cloak appeared in your view. Despite his permanent frown, you knew this man was human. And that his disguise wouldn't fool any arcanists passing by. What good is it then? Was he hiding from someone? A wealthy bounty on his head perhaps? 

"You're awake. Good." He said, stepping inside the hut and unloading his pack. More plants---Sage, Witch Hazel, Buppenamon--- and some ashen long-eared hares and animal skin. A hunting knife was squeezed in his hand; smeared blood shined on the blade as if it had oxidized.  He went hunting and gathering, like the Neanderthals of the prehistoric times. You watched the elder unpack his things silently, drinking the last bit of tea in the clay cup. Elders like him had stories to tell with the usual audience. Curious grandchildren and estranged guests were the main focus group, but you presumed this man did not have a family to call his own, nor was he a hospitable person: a hermit, or an anchorite, some old recluse whose day was interrupted by your sudden arrival. In what felt like a whole season, the elder spoke.

"Who are you?"

You told Urokodaki your name. (Y/N) (L/N). The last living member of the (L/N)s, and the last living native of the Aegeans. Once Urokodaki finished unpacking, he kneeled beside you. Red face still frowned in distaste, even though you've done nothing wrong.

"Where did you come from?"

All you did was shrug. "I don't know." You said nonchalantly. You tried your best, you really did, but nothing came up. The past few minutes between you were all you could remember. Well...that and the island. You kept that tale to yourself. The elder hummed, grabbed your wrist, and inspected the long scar growing on your left arm. A huge gash; it bloomed like grape vines, its tendrils spreading from your shoulder down your wrist. He observed the one on your neck; a little slit that curved down your clavicle. Then there's the old bruise on your right elbow and the slice on your right hand. Your scars; each was supposed to remind you of your battles. Your body told a tale, from the largest gashes to the smallest cuts. And yet you can't remember one piece of it. Just the one on your chest. A bullet hole from the music man on the island. He did shoot you, but he had forgotten basic human anatomy and shot the middle of your chest, not your heart. The elder just sat there, pondering while letting go of your hand. 

"You may stay here until you have fully recovered." 

A natural response. And considering how much food he gathered today, it was understandable. He could only gather so much from this terrain without destroying the mountainous ecosystem. The resources here were just enough for him to survive. And you've just become another mouth to feed. The elder took the dishes and cups away for him to wash. You hate becoming a liability to people, especially elders. Auntie Beck worked so hard to nurture you; it was almost overbearing. Like an over-affectionate, lonely grandparent meeting their grandkids in the summer, she would make way too much food for you to eat and berate your lean body, believing you starved yourself for fun or something. She was probably just a little jealous of your fast metabolism. Random dollar bills would be pulled from her purse and stuffed into your hand before she headed to her bakery or church. "Get yourself a treat, sug'". You either don't or buy something for Auntie Beck instead. Your automatic response was to let you take care of it since you were the guest. However, with broken ribs and the elder's evident independence, you said nothing. Instead, you lay back down and rested until you could move freely.

During your time in Japan, you were met with its lush greenery and serenity, just like all the tourists and advertisements promoted—beautiful mountainscapes, exquisite cuisine, rich culture, polite people. No wonder everyone plans to go here. It's a utopia. A promised land. Where the streets are clean with no garbage or poverty or crime. Of course, that's what everyone believes. Once something pops up on a screen, you can't help but fall blindly in love with it. The flashing lights, the bold lettering, the catchy music, the salesman's smooth voice; luring you to buy what they're selling in exchange for your money and insecurities. Make no mistake: no country is without its flaws. Larceny, embezzlement, homicide, not to mention the Yakuza hiding in the shadows. Sure, Tokyo is safer than New York, with its stricter laws and regulations, but people always find a way to get over a gated fence. While you slowly recovered, you helped Urokodaki as much as you could—hunting for food, gathering herbs, chopping and garnering wood for the fire. It wasn't until the elder asked you a question one night after burning the midnight oil. 

"Have we met before?"

You shook your head. "I don't think we have." You were sure of it. Then again, your memory had been the biggest traitor of your life; how could you trust yourself?

"Hmm..." His head tilted downward. "Strange. It feels as though I've met you before. Your presence at least."

You hummed; perhaps Alzheimer's had struck him. No, the elder seemed like he wouldn't let mental doddery take over so easily. The rest of the night was silent and filled with introspection. No one moment have you seen this man at all, neither with nor without the mask—as if you ever saw him without the mask in the beginning. You've been meaning to ask about the mask. You left his home so hastily once you recovered that you never bothered to ask any further questions. Perhaps on this trip, you would. This ship started to sail while that ship had already done so. A midnight snack was in order. Let's see if you can find some food for the trip.

[reignsserene09]

poor Schneider Greco, can't stop Sonetto from making bad decisions because she keeps on ascending

Arcana can direct Sonetto with bad juju shit because she buried the other Italian again for the 200th time

listen...

Schneider (in Sonetto's head) is the voice of reason while Arcana is the voice of chaos

the number of times Schneider passed away physically: 2

the number of times Schneider passed away spiritually (either because of 1. Sonetto ate a pineapple pizza, or 2. flexing too much that Schneider can ascend to heaven): too many times

Arcana watching Schneider die her 18283772727 time because Sonetto took off her shirt: 🧍‍♀️

Sonetto probably realizes so, but sometimes she can't pay much attention to Schneider's unconscious body on the ground.

Arcana is just there like: Are you serious?

How much reasoning can Schneider provide if she's spiritually dying every single day? The funny part would be if Arcana stopped being chaotic because Schneider just keeps on being weird.

Arcana: it is no longer amusing to annoy thy existence if thou art going to die from homosexuality

Schneider: ??? What's your deal, shut up