#and siffrin would always listen

[ohwormwood]

if you ever feel bad about rambling on about your hyperfixation, remember that mirabelle would love you for it

[the-bitter-ocean]

( ISAT OPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SPOILERS) I finally get to post the writing I made for @sharkylass Isa looping au “In Repetition and Change” which is very cool and everyone should check it out! I wanted to try and make my own take on what the interactions for a memory of puns achievement would look like ^_^. Writing is under the cut:

[ You’re back here again. ]

[ Sif should be arriving right around…]

<| “Isa!!!”|>

[ …Now.]

[ Sif comes along to greet you at the start of every loop. ]

[ He makes a pun about the favor tree and the two of you banter- making each other laugh. ]

[ Every time afterwards, you think of reaching out to him… but you usually tend to chicken out before doing anything. ]

[ It’s cowardly behavior sure, but you’d rather play it safe than ruin anything.]

[ It’s a routine that has never deviated, at least not in any way that was notable to you. ]

<| “..Isa? Are you okay?”|>

[…?]

[ “Oh uh..sorry Sif! Didn’t mean to zone out like that!”]

[ Okay genius, think of something!! He’s getting worried about you!!]

[“..I was just lost in thought thinking about the Favor Tree! Isn’t it cool?”]

[ You make sure to smile. You hope that’s enough.]

<| Sif smiles back at you. |>

<| “..Yeah it is..!”|>

[ Siffrin has the look that they’d only make right before making a pun.]

<| “One could say it's a pretty..."|>

[ You get ready for it.]

[“Uh-huh?”]

<|"...TREE-mendous tree."|>

[ You do your best to laugh convincingly and focus on the information you’ve heard dozens of times before. ]

[“Right right, sleepover at the clock tower. Sounds like a ton of fun!”]

[ It’s not like you’d go anywhere else. ]

=> [ Do you need anything from me?]

=> [ Stop talking. ]

=> [ Stop talking. ]

[ You don’t really feel like talking anymore and you can’t think of anything new to say. ]

[ Sif looks at you and frowns a little. ]

<| “…?”|>

<| “..Alright that’s it..my turn!”|>

[…]

<| “…okay a good joke.. what’s a good joke to make-“|>

[ Did he not realize that you could hear them muttering? ]

[ You’ve done this a couple of times already but you find yourself still repeating your usual lines. ]

[ “..Huh? What for?”]

[ You tilt your head and do your best to act confused and unassuming. ]

[ It’s what you’re best at. ]

[ You already know the answer as to why Sif is doing all of this for you. ]

[ They told you a few loops ago.]

[ Sif did all of this to make you happy.. because the two of you are friends. ]

[ It’s awfully sweet of them isn’t it? ]

[ You really don’t deserve that kindness at all… but you keep those thoughts to yourself because you’re smart. ]

[ Besides it’s nice to hear it again even if you’ve heard it all before. ]

[It’s reassuring to hear someone say they care about you. ]

[ So you will sit here and listen through the same batch of jokes, like you always have. ]

<| “…!!!! Oh- well because you seemed sad. So I wanted to make you laugh! It might help you feel better.”|>

<|…?|>

[Sif looks around and their gaze focuses on the Clocktower in the distance. ]

<| “Ooh, I know! Why did the clock get kicked out of the library?”|>

[“.. I don’t know, why?”]

<| “Because It tocked too much!”|>

[…]

<| “..Oh so you must’ve heard that one already then huh?”|>

[…?!]

[ You forgot to laugh. ]

[ Sif waves his hands and laughs awkwardly. ]

<| “.. It’s okay! I have way more puns at my disposal, so I’ll just find a new one.”|>

[ While Sif is thinking of a new joke to make, you remind yourself to actually respond this time. ]

<| “How do clocks greet each other?”|>

<| “They say h-“|>

[“Hour you doing?”]

<|…!|>

[ Sif falters at your response for a second before recovering. ]

[He laughs awkwardly. ]

<| “..You knew that one too.. I must’ve told you earlier and forgot.. haha..”|>

<| “…Stars, I’m really off my game today arent I?”|>

[ When has acting like a know it all ever helped you? Why did you say that? ]

[ He clearly just wants to help you and all you ended up doing is making him upset instead! ]

[ No, you need to calm down. You can still salvage this. ]

[ Let’s try this again. ]

[ “Oh crab- I didn’t mean to take your joke, Sif!”]

[“If you have any more you’d like to share then I’d be happy to hear it, okay?”]

<| “..! Oh okay? If you say so, Isa.”|>

[ Siffrin nods and scrunches up their face. ]

[ It’s clear they’re trying extremely hard to think of a pun you haven’t already heard from them yet. ]

[ Siffrin mumbled to themselves again. This time it’s barely audible. ]

<| “..Please be funny please be funny please be funny...”|>

[…?]

<| “..! Okay I think I got it..”|>

<| “A fashion designer made a belt with clocks printed on it for a time traveller…”|>

[…? Oh, that’s a new one! ]

[ Sif noticed your brief look of surprise and smiles. ]

<| “Do you know what they called it, Isa?”|>

[ You shake your head no in response to the question and let Siffrin answer. ]

[“No, I don’t. What did they call it, Sif?”]

<| “A waist of time!”|>

[…?!]

[ Heh.]

[Ha..AHAHHAHAHAHAHA]

[ You laugh and laugh and laugh. You can’t seem to stop. ]

<| “Yes! I knew I still got it-“|>

[ The joke wasn’t even that funny but you feel tears start to prick at your eyes ]

<| “..?! Isa??”|>

[ Can’t you see that the joke is over now? ]

[ He’s going to think you’re being weird!!!]

[ You struggle at it, but you somehow manage to force yourself to take a deep breath in and out. ]

[ You smile and give a shaky thumbs up to Sif. ]

[ He hesitantly smiles at you back.]

[ “..Thank you Sif, I really needed that.”]

<| “..? Are you..”|>

[ Sif looked like they wanted to say something else but stopped himself. ]

<| “..Nevermind. I’m glad I could help cheer you up for a bit, Isa.”|>

<| “I’m going to go to the clocktower now!”|>

<| “Let me know if you need anything from me, okay?”|>

[ Siffrin waves goodbye and runs off. You watch him go.]

[[ You got a MEMORY OF PUNS. ]]

[ You will always remember this.]

[[ When Memory of Puns is equipped, your Dramaturgist will have a higher chance of landing a critical hit on an enemy.]]

[strixcattus]

I feel like if ISAT was a full RPG it would have a rotating protagonist.

Listen. Obviously Mirabelle's journey is going to focus on her for the majority. But when ISAT opens, Siffrin is the one going around to check in on all the party members before the final dungeon, and Mirabelle is sitting on a bench the whole time. She's not the current spotlight character.

And within the House, and it's implied that this has happened in previous dungeons, Siffrin is the one in the lead, which means he's the one that determines where to go and gets to interact with items. He's the executor of what the player wants to do, and even though the role might have been held by Mirabelle in the past, right now it's Siffrin time.

I can imagine there being a sort of rotating spotlight as the game goes on. There will always be scenes focusing on Mirabelle, as the original main protagonist, but I'm picturing a different character taking the lead role for each dungeon as they're picked up. I don't remember if it was ever specified whether Mirabelle already had any orbs before meeting Isabeau, but I can imagine this working either way. The first dungeon has Mirabelle leading Isabeau through it, the next has Isabeau leading Mirabelle. Maybe he's more familiar with the location or its specific defenses.

Then we drop in Odile, and she, wanting to keep the relative children out of harm, takes the lead in the next dungeon. Then Siffrin shows up, and now he's the lead character as the official trap-finder. (Bonnie appears before the last orb dungeon, but they don't do any leading.)

And I'm picturing each character having their own little scenes before and after their dungeon, where they take on the role Siffrin had in Act 1—going around town, interacting with people in their own way, checking in on the rest of the party, and eventually getting a little character development or something after the dungeon is over. Even Bonnie gets to do this around the fifth dungeon, though they're back at the end of the line inside. Or maybe they do get to lead, briefly.

And Mirabelle is always a focus, she's indicated as the main protagonist, and the character focus circles back to her during the final dungeon, the House, which we can see by her returning to her home and admitting the truth about her blessing (I can imagine the player having known this all along, and waiting for her to come clean), but there's still a bit of a shift midway through the game from Mirabelle being the one you control when no one else has the spotlight to Siffrin, suddenly, being the default lead character, and though Mirabelle never stops getting her character development moments and there's a clear return to her arc once you're at the House, you still get the feeling that there's something about Siffrin that makes them just as important. Maybe something in the backstory they never talk about even when they're carrying the POV. Maybe there's something that connects them to this quest just as much as Mirabelle.

And then one of two things happens. Either ISAT happens exactly as-is, since Siffrin was supposed to be the POV character leading into the final dungeon (and what's that about, the player thinks), or we're thrown directly into Act 5 with, say, Mirabelle holding the POV, and leading everyone through the House without Siffrin, and oh, so that's what their whole deal was.

[deadlyeyez]

avatar of the web siffrin under the cut!

i’ve always been fascinated by how the web and music rarely interconnect when music is so influential. so, web siffrin is a siren! have fun with this information~!!

he also gets some fun doodles from when i was listening to their little playlist :3

…��.. through the power of craft magic or something they can suddenly all see purple now. lol

also, i still think the additional eyes would be from protecting bonnie! in a similar phenomenon to how jon was forced to accept the eye in order to awaken after the unknowing — i think siffrin would have to lean into the web, and it resulted in those extra eyes. :3

[guided-by-stars]

When Siffrin first asks Loop why they’re helping him, their response seems uninteresting at first. “Because I think you should be helped. I won't always have the answers, but I think having someone on your side to talk to is better than dealing with this alone.” Well, of course. The guide is helping you because they want to, and obviously it’s important to have someone not looping to talk to or else you’d go crazy.

But once you learn more about who Loop is… once you learn that they have this deep revulsion and bitterness and resentment eating away at their heart, that they’re so upset that Siffrin has unintentionally replaced them and stolen away everything they had that they tried to kill him. They knew that killing them wouldn’t bring their friends back, their place in their party back, but they wanted so desperately the satisfaction of taking everything that Siffrin stole from them, away from them too. To make them even. They needed that catharsis so desperately, to break him down, to bring them back to the desperation and hopelessness that Loop felt in that moment. Their role was up. The curtains had fell. They had no reason to be there anymore. They needed Siffrin to feel the same way that they did, for them to be one again. “You’re me, so why can’t you feel this pain too? We should both drown, I should drag you under, take your helping hand and pull you into my coffin, let’s be buried together.”

But at the same time, they weren’t lying, when they said that. They do truly and wholly think Siffrin should be helped. That he deserved to be helped. And they pushed themselves so hard to help them in every single way that they could. They told him that he could confide in his friends, in the very beginning. They say “Don’t make the same mistakes that I did.” when teaching them to zone out. They desperately plea and beg and make a mess of themselves trying to prevent them from killing themselves with the dagger. They tell him to help his friends, advise him on how to escape the loops, creates their own theories to propose to him while he’s gone, even listens when Siffrin explains his plan to talk to the King, despite thinking it was a horrible idea. They remind him of his parties names, when in a moment of panic and hopelessness, he looses it. They talk them through the panic, calm them down, remind them to breathe.

Loop cannot stand looking at the party. It hurts too much, to see these ghosts of the family that they loved, the family that they doomed. They say they cannot possibly see them, cannot let them see them. No matter what. It’s impossible for them. Despite that, when Siffrin goes off the rails in Act 5, breaks, they find them. They look at them. They tell the party what Siffrin is going through, they guide them through the whole House, give them everything they need to succeed. They devote themselves so truly to help, to their own detriment, because they want Siffrin to escape so desperately.

Siffrin says it himself. He could not have escaped without Loop. He would have resorted to something similar if he didn’t have them. He would have been doomed, without them. Without the loops in general? If he never made that wish? If his party split up? I truly think he might have killed himself then, too. The only way that Siffrin survives is by standing on the corpse of himself. Loop was always doomed to be the only reason why Siffrin was blessed. And even yet, Loop still truly believes that he deserves to be helped, genuinely wants to help him to be free.

[eternal-love-song]

Recognition

Odile finds herself recognizing something in Loop.

Odile doesn't recognize him right away. In the moment she's distracted by Siffrin's disappearance, the confrontation with the king, and then the immediate aftermath of… everything. So no, she wasn't particularly paying attention to the odd stranger that had come out of nowhere to help them. Not more than her caution and skepticism dictated at least.

That didn't last long, of course. As soon as Siffrin had returned the oddly bright stranger, she had begun paying attention. And she noticed.

She recognized him.

She recognized the way that they smiled, with their voice and their eyes, but never bright enough to hide how hollow it was when they didn't mean it. And Loop almost never meant it. They were miserable, but they hid it behind a mask of brightness that was just different enough from Siffrin's that the others hadn't noticed yet. She would almost wonder why they had decided to come… if she didn't know.

She recognized the way they spoke with their hands. The gestures are a little more staged, a little more stiff than she was used to, but recognizable all the same. The way their hands jumped to their hip when they felt threatened, the way their hands fell into scissors before they flexed their fingers to hide the gesture, the way they tried to wave off concern by directing it to something else. It was specific, loud, in a way that she knew Siffrin rarely realized he was.

She recognized the hesitation in their body when they wanted to be somewhere, do something, but weren't certain of their welcome. Without a cloak to cover the moments, Loop spoke with his entire body. And they spoke loudly. Screamed really. Odile couldn't help but listen.

Within the first week of traveling together she had filled more than a handful of pages with observations and speculations on Loop alone.

It wasn't that she didn't want to devote attention to Siffrin as well. She did and she kept her eyes on him whenever she could, but there were already three other pairs of eyes on Siffrin and none on Loop. She didn't think hers would be missed.

The more she watched, the more she couldn't help but think that Loop reminded her of when Siffrin first joined the group. So unsure of his place, so awkward, always keeping to the outskirts of camp or the fringes of interactions. Except with Sifrin themselves, of course, who went out of his way to join Loop every so often.

Watching them made Odile think back to her own behavior when Siffrin had first joined their party. She'd been far too suspicious to be welcoming, far too cold to be comforting. The more she thought about it, the more that she didn't want that for Loop. She wouldn't say anything to the others, not if they didn't want her to, but she wouldn't, couldn't, ignore it. Couldn't ignore them. She didn't want to see herself repeating the same mistakes she had already made if she could avoid it.

And she might admit that she was… intrigued by this version of… by Loop. The parts of them that she didn't recognize. The parts that would snap and bite and hiss like a feral cat trying to assert itself. It was… cute. It was welcome. Odile had always found a certain kinship with Siffrin, the way they both expressed themselves (or failed to) had always been something that made her gravitate toward him a bit.

In the same way, Odile found herself gravitating toward Loop. The biting snark, the sarcasm, the wit, it appealed to the parts of her that she often tried not to share with the group. Or not too often, at least. Mirabelle was too kindhearted, Isabeau too determined to keep on a cheerful face, and Siffrin was sometimes too… skittish. Loop could be skittish as well, but they didn't run the way that Siffrin did, they bit. Odile found that a bit easier to deal with if she were honest. It reminded her of her younger self. (Of the self that she still was when the others weren't looking.)

"Ah, I thought I would find you here," she said as soon as she'd found the spot Loop had decided to scamper off to. They'd just finished making camp and like always, Loop had managed to make themselves scarce at the first opportunity. After a week of recognition and watching and notating, she found that she wasn't content to keep up the distance that they was creating. Especially when it was so very obvious that they didn't actually want it.

What must it be like to find yourself replaced by… yourself?

She wasn't sure how the situation had come about. She didn't plan to ask, at least not yet. She wouldn't remain on the sidelines like it didn't matter though. It mattered. It mattered more than she knew how to say.

"Researcher!" Loop trilled from his position on a low branch of a tree. She wasn't certain if Loop enjoyed climbing trees or was just using them as a way to keep watch on everyone while still staying far enough away to not be considered "a bother." She knew what the answer would be if this were Siffrin, of course, but it was Loop. The distinction did matter. "What brings you here on this wonderful new day?"

They said it with the bitter cheerfulness that she had come to associate with the incident. Siffrin sometimes used that same tone, but he was a bit quieter with it, didn't drag it through the streets the way that Loop did. Could it be something that they said during the loops? Some variation of it?

Odile hummed as she opened her notebook and made a note. Loop's eye twitched and she fought the urge to smile at his obvious discomfort. "Nothing much, I just decided that I was growing tired of you running off as soon as we made camp every night."

Loop clapped their hands together and tilted their head, as if they were trying to make themself the picture of a smile. Superficially it might have worked. They was bright and their eyes seemed to be smiling, the tone was just about right. Odile wouldn't fall for it though. She already knew, after all. She had already seen them. "Why Researcher, are you in that desperate of a need for company?"

That was another thing that Loop did and she didn't hesitate to jot down the note if only to test the mask they insisted on putting on around her. They liked to bite, to scratch, whenever someone dared to acknowledge them. Too bitter not to bite, not to test the tentative bonds that they had barely built, and yet so desperate for them.

Or maybe she was projecting. The thought made her frown uncomfortably, what it didn't do was make her want to leave. No, it would take more than a few shallow claw marks to make her walk away now that she was here.

"Perhaps I am," she told them, smiling when she felt their smile waning a bit. "Think you can help me out?"

Loop did not let their mask slip far. "Well, of course! Helpful Loop, at your service! Now what did you want to talk about?"

"How about we talk about you?" she asked, not fighting the smirk as it spread across her lips. A Siffrin's least favorite subject, but one that Loop pretended to just love. "You have to admit you're a curious one, Loop."

"I suppose you wouldn't be a researcher if you weren't researching something." Their reply was more of a grumble than anything. So it seemed that Loop knew that she wasn't researching anything. That was rather interesting as well.

"I think anyone would find it hard not to be interested in you, researcher or not," she said.

"The others seem to manage it just fine." The bitterness wasn't even hidden this time. It must be rather exhausting to keep up such a loud facade as often as they did. She didn't fault them for slipping.

"I suppose the others have their minds otherwise occupied," she said diplomatically.

In a blink, they were back to being the bright, enigmatic creature they so often portrayed themselves as. "Well, Stardust is in need of a lot of attention, so I suppose it's only natural. Can't risk him throwing another tantrum, now, can we?"

Odile added self deprecation to her list of notes. Not that such a thing wasn't already abhorrently obvious to her, but she liked to be thorough. She also liked the look on their face as they tried to pretend that they weren't trying to look down at what she was writing. She made sure to tilt her notebook so that they couldn't get a good angle for it.

"Yes, I suppose that could be a concern," she admitted, looking up at them once more. "I think I have my eyes set on something more pressing, however."

The surprise on Loop's face was real, but they tried to twist it into something more theatrical. "More important than ending the world?"

"More important than smothering a teammate that's already drowning in attention," she corrected. She didn't think that Siffrin would be in danger of such a large emotional reaction again so soon, though if he were, there were certainly enough people keeping their eyes out for the signs. Loop included.

Odile could see that Loop was struggling to digest this information. She wondered exactly which part of it was the part that they were having trouble with. The idea that they might hold more significance than Siffrin for even a moment? The idea that it was her who was paying them attention. That last thought brought a frown to her face. She didn't want Loop thinking that they were inherently less important to her simply because they were… new.

"I think I should take this opportunity to make something clear," she began, Loop cutting her off before she could finish.

"You don't have to make yourself any more clear Researcher," Loop said, waving their hand before their face as if they could banish her words so easily. "You've already given me the warnings, I remember them well."

She did too. While Odile did not take them back, she didn't feel any guilt or shame for trying to protect her family, that didn't mean that she wanted them to think… a number of things that they might think about her based on her initial reaction. Best to clear the air before that had a chance to fester.

"No, Loop, not that," she told them. She sighed, pushing frustration with herself out so that she could focus on gathering her words properly. Often she wasn't the best with them, despite how she tried. She had never been particularly skilled at emotions and wanting to be didn't change her deficit at all. "My understanding of the situation was different then than it is now."

"Oh?" Nothing. No emotion in that voice, no expression on their face. It couldn't be more obvious that they didn't believe her or perhaps that they were not truly listening at all.

"Don't do that," she said sternly. "I think I can be forgiven for not having understood the situation immediately, given the circumstances."

"Of course." Pouting now. They refused to look at her, one arm wrapped around their body as if to hold themselves together. It was… painful, to see that kind of reaction to talking to her. She wanted to shake them until they understood that they were wanted here. Or maybe take their face in her hands like Mirabelle did to Siffirin.

Ah, that thought was… perhaps a bit more intense than she expected it to be. Gems alive, she was far too old to be having such a reaction.

Odile sighed again, closing her book with enough force that the sound grabbed Loop's attention. Their eyes jumped to hers and she took the opportunity to speak before they could look away. "I wanted to make sure that you knew that you were wanted here. We may have gotten off to a rough start, I'm not known to be the most warm or welcoming person in this group. I don't want you thinking that you don't belong here. You do. If not for any reason other than you are wanted here. And by more than just Siffrin."

Loop was staring at her with wide eyes and… were they brighter somehow? Even being uncertain of what that might mean, Odile still felt a smile plaster itself across her face.

"I, ah…" There was something rather satisfying at seeing Loop at a loss for words. "I see…" They swallowed, which she only noticed because she was paying such close attention to them. "Consider yourself made clear, Researcher."

"Odile," she corrected. "Or else I might have to start using a rather old way of referring to you as well." She gave them a look to make sure that her meaning came through to them. If the way that their eyes managed to become even wider was any indication, they understood her just fine.

Loop cleared his throat, shrinking down as if trying to hide in a cloak that they no longer wore. "Y-yes, of course… Odile…"

She reached out to pat their leg, ignoring the way that they practically jumped a foot in the air at the touch. If Siffrin was any indication the action wasn't undesired, just unexpected. She would have to work to make it a bit… less unexpected. As if to confirm her theory and strengthen her resolve, Loop relaxed, seeming to lean into the touch a bit.

"Good then," she said. She let her hand linger just a bit longer before pulling away, pretending that she didn't notice the way their entire body seemed to lean toward her as she did so. "Glad that we could get that straightened up right away."

"Rese- Odile," Loop said, correcting themselves halfway through using her title. "You, um, you won't…"

It was easy enough to assume what they wanted to ask.

"No, Loop, I don't plan to say anything to the others. That should be your choice to reveal or not." She paused before adding. "For what it's worth, I'm enjoying having 'Loop' as part of our group. I'd like to get to know them better."

This time, when it looked like Loop was smiling, it felt much more sincere. Maybe it was the softness around their eyes that made the difference. "Your helpful ally Loop will always be at your service!" The thrill of their voice was a lot more… grounded, she dared say. Maybe even happy.

She didn't want to overestimate that though. For now, she would simply say that she thought this might be a good start between the two of 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.

[your-average-art-dealer]

Cult of the Stars AU - Height Chart + Info

Might change some things here and there later but overall this is it!

Some info about the squad in the AU below the cut:

Siffrin (The Lamb): The Vessel of The King (The One Who Waits). Was brought back from The End (because they were forgotten along with all the rest of the sheep, who are the residents of The Island North of Vaugarde basically) to aid The King. Their Mission is to create a following for The King and to slay the bishops who banished him for trapping the island in a plague of darkness. But they aren't as faithful to The King as they first appear...

Bonnie, Bishop of the Green Crown (Leshy): Doesn't know how to run a cult properly, but the others are helping them. Their sister was originally the Bishop of the Green Crown after their parents were martyred, but because The King trapped her in darkness, the crown fell to Bonnie. Before the crown was corrupted, it was The Crown of Order, but it has been changed to Chaos. Still trying their best to be strong.

Mirabelle, Bishop of the Blue Crown (Kallamar): A pathetic wet thing (affectionate). Euphrasie was the Bishop of the Blue Crown before Mirabelle and like Bonnie, got it after Euphrasie was trapped. Before the crown was corrupted, it was The Crown of Healing, but it has been changed to Pestilence. Barely holding on to be honest, but she's got her friends to lean on.

Odile, Bishop of the Purple Crown (Shamura): The only one who's had their crown since before The King. Teaching everyone else how to run cults properly. Before the crown was corrupted it was The Crown of Concord, but it was been changed to War. The group mom, as always.

Isabeau, Bishop of the Yellow Crown (Heket): Same story as Bonnie and Mirabelle, Someone else had the crown, they got trapped, and he has it now. May or may not have a massive crush on The Lamb and would be totally okay with them killing him if it didn't mean The King would be closer to being freed. Before the crown was corrupted it was The Crown of the Bounty, but it has been changed to Famine. Built like a fridge and has the flirting skills of one too. Very nice though.

Loop (The Goat): A version of The Lamb who rose up against the king and failed. They are now relegated to helping Siffrin on their quest (which they do NOT care for)

And that's it! again some things might change but honestly, I'm pretty proud of it!

[also want to thank one of my friends, who listened to me blabber on about this and also gave some ideas as they too are an ISAT and COTL fan, love ya bro (platonic) ]

[vulpixisananimal]

<Null> {Mal Du Pays} [Loop] (Siffrin) (Wren belongs to @fungal--wastes)

(You were looking out the window of your room down to the small courtyard next to the inn. Ramos, Isabeau, Vixul, and Mirabelle had all teamed up to do some training together. It was amazing to watch them all work. They'd paired up to practice with each others weapons. Mirabelle and Vixul, Isabeau and Ramos.)

(Isabeau you knew, big defender that he is. It was hard to take your eyes from him, with how he moved, how he was able to take hits like brick, with how he was smiling the whole time. So confident, strong, he didn't even need a weapon.)

(Ramos you were still learning, but they were fast and strong, like a middle ground between you and Isa. They could get in fast, hurt hard, then stand their ground. Tonfas suited them. The vest and bandana made sense too, like some, cool bandit look, or. . . You shake your head.)

(Mirabelle had been working to get better ever since your fight with Perci. She was always quick on her feet, and was able to sting. She often reacted to things far before her more ration brain caught up; which lead to many accidental bruises.)

(And Vixul, she was fast too, and nimble. She used a spear and knew how to get in and get out quickly. Although, she eventually swapped from spear to a pair of. . . What looked like gauntlets with armor that extended up the forarms. She fought differently, now, more defensive. You'll have to think about that.)

(There's a knock on the door. You sigh, and get up. You're supposed to be resting, but you couldn't sleep. Maybe it was Bonnie coming to nag you about rest again. You go over and open the door.)

". . . Afternoon, Siffrin." (Wren was standing at the door, expression unchanging, as usual.) "May I come in?"

"Uh. . ." (Well this is a surprise.) "Sure?"

"Thank you."

(You turn, walk to your bed, and sit down.) "Haha, sorry it's a mess, don't exactly have the energy to-"

(You were cut off by Wren closing the door, and locking it.)

(You continue.) ". . . Toooo clean up the place, y'know?

"Quite." (He walked over to the small table and chair the room had and placed his book on the table.) "Can we just skip past the small talk, Siffrin?"

". . ." (Oh this was turning from worrying to potentially dangerous. Where did you put your dagger again?) "Uuuuh, oookaaay?"

"Good." (He tilts his head slightly to you, his eyes stabbing directly into your soul.) "You made a wish to be able to turn back time, no? And it was most likely made when you were about to face the King?"

(You can't cover your shock fast enough. He smiles, and continues.) "It was, wasn't it?"

". . . . . H-how-"

"You knew exactly where to find our antagonists. You know things you shouldn't about myself and my companions. You knew Polaris was effected by mind craft before I or Vixul did and exactly what to do about it. And you had a level of craft exhaustion that should have by all rights killed you."

(He continues.) "What's more, I did some digging. Did you hear news of that strange sadness in Jouvente? It was at the same time you saviors were all visiting. I overheard that you and Ramos used to be enemies, Ramos can use mind craft, and that you had craft exhaustion back then, too."

"But, that's-"

(He cuts you off.) "Do you know how many traps are in the that House of Change? Or about how overrun by sadness it was? And from what I hear you ran through it all by yourself. And should I even mention the rumors of a shade stained sky?"

". . ."

"And." (He turns to face you fully.) "I listened in on your 'Former Saviors of Vaugarde' team meeting."

(. . . . . . . . What.)

(Wren just walked into your room and tore down your veil of secrets with one swing. He tore it down, ripped it to shreds, and tossed the remains in a fire. You couldn't be mad, confused, or scared; that would come later. Because right now you were just impressed.)

(You fall back on the bed.) ". . . Yeah. It was the day before we fought the King, too."

"Close, then. And everything else?"

"Dead on." (You sigh.) "I spent 20-odd loops in Jouvente trying to deal with Ramos."

"And here?"

"23? 24? Most of those happened in quick succession. That's what really causes the craft exhaustion." (You rub your head.) "It's like, the body needs to recharge, or, something."

"And when you fought the King?"

". . . . 176." (You sit up again.) "Repeating the same two days over, and over, and over again, for almost a year."

". . ." (You look up, Wren was writing in his book.) ". . . Don't worry, this stays between us."

"It had better." (You look away.) ". . . How do you know about wish craft, anyway."

"I learned about it when traveling with Vixul and Polaris."

(A lie.) "No you didn't."

". . . No, I didn't." (He sighs.) "It doesn't matter. What did you wish for?"

"I think it does matter, Wren." (You cross your arms.) "Wish craft isn't just, something you can pick up any regular old book on and learn about. At least not without a big headache."

(Wren was staring at the pages of his book, like he was burning the pages with his mind.) ". . . . What. Did. You. Wish. For."

". . . Wren-?"

"How did you do it." (He cuts you off again, pen pressed to the page.) "What method did you use?"

"I'm not-"

"How far back can you go?" (His voice wavers.) "How. Far."

"W-wren-"

(His pen snaps in two. There's a silence.)

". . . . . . . ."

". . . . . . . ." (You tuck your legs under your cloak, and look away.)

". . . . . . . I need to know." (He didn't look at you.) "Please."

". . . I, Wren. . . I, I can't tell you. I-it's complicated-"

"I have all day, Siffrin." (His expression, you knew that expression.)

(It's the expression of someone trying with all their might to hold back tears. You knew that expression, because you had seen a picture of yourself with that same expression dozens of times.)

(Okay, you breathe in, and out.) "I can't tell you, because, because it put me through hell. And, and I don't want that to happen to you."

"Try me."

(Is this guy serious?) "Didn't you hear me?!? 176 loops, 352 days, all trying to escape a nightmare where nothing ever changed!!!" (You look away again.) "Whatever you're thinking, it, are, you sure it's worth-"

"I'd loop 300 times." (There's not even a second of hesitation.) "No, I'd do 500. 1,000. Maybe even more. It would be worth it."

(You snap back to him.) "I- you don't, really believe-"

"I do." (His voice is steady.) "I mean every single word, Siffrin."

(. . . . Oh.)

". . ." (He wasn't just serious, he was determined, desperate, begging. There, there was no way out of this was there. J-just, just, keep talking.) ". . . . What's worth it, Wren."

(There is a very, very long silence.)

". . . . . . . . His name was Icarus."

(It's as if you could hear a pin drop.)

(He continued.) "He, he was someone very important to me. . . No, not that. He was the only thing important to me. Every day I would get out of bed because of him. I would endure the world because of him. I would look forward to the nights because of him."

"I would have given him the world, if he asked." (His voice cracks. You see a tear on his cheek.) "If it, if it wasn't for him I would have taken a knife to my throat a long, long time ago."

". . . ." (You had to ask.) "What happened?"

". . . . I, I-I don't know." (He hangs his head down.) "He, h-he's dead, or dying, or somewhere in between it's, I, I can't explain it. And I don't know if I can save him, or if it's too late or if I never could and I'm just wasting my time but I have to try!"

"I have to try."

"I have to try."

". . . . . ."

"Because if I don't try, then he's, he's. . ."

". . . . . . . . . . . ."

(. . . . How could you even respond to that. You couldn't look. It would just, just make you start crying as well.)

[. . . Stardust?]

(Loop? Where have you been-)

[Let me talk to him.]

(. . . O-okay. You close your eye and lean back. You breathe in. . . .)

[. . . .]

[. . . And out. . . . You hold your head in your hand, dizzy. Really dizzy. You wait a second for it to pass, then talk.] ". . . Wren?"

"Siffrin?" (He responds.)

"Close, but no~"

"Right." (He looks at you slightly, eyes dark from tears.) ". . . Loop? Is that the name?"

"Bingo." [You respond, you want to joke around, but your heart isn't in it.]

". . ." [He turns back to the book.] "Here to talk to me?"

"Yes yes, I am." [You roll your eye. You hop back fully on the bed and lay down.] "I'm here to tell you how to make a wish!"

[He looked up suspiciously.] ". . . You are?"

"Yes~" [You put a finger to your chin.] "I'm going to tell you. And I'm going to tell you aaaaaall the details that Siffrin left out~ You're lucky, you know. Not even our good companions know this, so you had better not tell them."

". . . My lips are sealed."

"Good!" [You pause for a second, smiling. Where you really about to tell a stranger this? Yes, you were. What better a place to hide secrets than in another desperate traveler.]

"I made a wish the day before we fought the King to stay with my family. I didn't know that was my wish, just how I did it. I took a leaf that represented me, and whispered my wish into it three times, closed it, and tied it to the tree. And all of a sudden I was in a time loop! And no~ This is very differen't than Stardust- Siffrins experience."

"I had no-one. I was alone in trying to escape it. I was stuck. I battled my way through that house hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times." [You continue to smile. Fake. (You knew how to smile. You knew how to fake it.)] "I beat the King. Once."

[(That Desperate one is looking at you, no doubt his mind at work. He was trying to decypher you. He was trying to tell just what was going on with that messed up little head of yours. Oh he was so, SO clever wasn't he!!)]

[(You continue.)] "One time. Once. Out of thousands, and it cost everything. And even after all that, I was still forced back to try it aaaaaall over again~"

"So I gave up! I gave it all up! I cried, pleaded, begged to the Universe for someone ANYONE to help! And do you know what the Universe did? It gave me exactly what I wished for."

[(Your smile wasn't normal.)] "Next thing I knew I woke up at the foot of that favor tree, a new lightless body of stars and a head as bright as the sun. I was unrecognisiable. Not even to myself~"

[(The Desperates eyes widen, you grinn.)] "Figured it out, haven't you~?"

[(There's a pause, he looks you over, your demeanor, your voice, evereything.)] ". . . You're not a normal alter. You are Siffrin."

"Correct~ Aaaand~?"

". . . You, became a sort of guide, for, a new Siffrin?"

"Correct!!" [(You clap your hands together.)] "Stardust didn't recognise me, no one recognised me. I had a lovely new job as the stagehand for my wonderful replacement actor! Forced to guide him untill the very end~ Oh and I do mean forced. I had to teach them how to kill themself because they asked."

"And now as one last cruel joke, with it all over, the Universe took me and stuck me in their blinding body. Forced to watch their happy ending."

"So! Wren, does that sound worth it to you?"

[There is a long, long, long silence. So long that the sound of your friends sparing outside stopped as they finished. You eventually hear Wren let out a breath.]

[He taps a finger on his book and talked quietly.] ". . . You make. . . A compelling argument, but. . ."

"Buuuuuuut~?"

". . . . ." [There was hesitation.] "I, I can't falter now."

[In too deep.]

". . . I understand." [You stand up.] "That's why I'm going to tell you how."

[You walk over to Wren and drag a chair over to sit next to him, you got a new pen, and you got to work.]

[You tell him about wishes, you tell him about home, and how you repeated wishes three, six, seven, or thirteen times. You told him about how whatever you wished for, you had to believe it. And what you wish for might not be what you think you're wishing for.]

[And you warn him every step of the way.]

[It was like you were writing a script. If one thing was out of place, out of line, then the whole play would collapse. You couldn't stop him, you knew that, but this was the next best thing.]

". . . And one last thing."

"Hmm?" [Wren was finishing writing the last of his notes.]

". . . If you decide to go through with this." [You look away.] ". . . Tell those close to you, about everything."

[He pauses, and glances up.]

[You continue.] ". . . It would have, saved me a lot of time."

[He looks at you a moment, then he lets his face relax and smile just a little.] "I promise."

"Thank you." [You get up and stretch.] "If you're looking for more information, go to the Dormont House of Change."

"I imagine you are very familiar?"

"Down to the brick~" [You collapse face down onto the bed.] "Now get out of here, I'm tired."

"Well since you asked so nicely." [He gathers his things, pauses a moment, and goes to leave.]

". . . Wren."

[He pauses.] ". . . Yes?"

". . . . ." [You turn your face away.] "Please, don't make the same mistakes I did."

[There's a pause.] ". . . I'll, do my best. Thank you, Loop."

"Save it." [You hold up a finger.] "Save it for when, for when you don't end up like me."

[cochineal-leviat]

Sweet Dreams, Stardust

Okay, so I have a lot of feelings about In Stars and Time. But let me say first, wow, this game irreversibly changed my brain network. For anyone who is considering buying this game, please do. I don't think I've had a story touch my heart and mind like this for a long time. And that goes without mentioning the stunning visuals and entertaining battle system. (Be careful, though, because this game handles heavy topics regarding mental health)

If you're still hung up on buying it but are curious, there is a free demo on Steam if you like to try.

Thank you, @insertdisc5, for this gem of a game. I will be turning it around in my head like a microwaveable gourmet meal for months to come.

Technically the illustration has no spoilers (unless you count Siffrin having a good nap as a spoiler). But I will be going into heavy spoiler territory under the keep reading since I need to get my thoughts on this game off my chest.

And a monochrome version because you know me, I can't help myself. Even in black and white art pieces, I will put in some colour.

And a very tiny Loop

Initially, I was going to do a piece with a theatre stage and the cast (Siffrin, Mirabelle, Isabeau, Odile, Bonnie and the head house maiden) taking a bow and finally leaving the spectacle to a life not controlled by a script and Wish Craft. But it was more fitting to put my feelings into creating a peaceful scene. Like, oof, I needed this very badly. I used sepia to make the painting warmer and added some more details like headcanons. The stars/colours might be remnants of Siffrin's transformation. Or maybe they were always there, but he never paid attention to it. Who knows.

I'm going to keep this brief. Otherwise, this post will take way too long.

I adore Siff's character. It's perfect for a game and narrative such as this. I saw a post not long ago on Tumblr going into depth about how their role as the rogue and not the hero works so well, so I won't linger on it for long. But how they would rather listen and fade into the background perfectly aligns with the player's experience of being the silent observer. (And the nodding off that changes into zoning out. It took me way too long to realise that small but essential narrative change) Oh, and the portrait change! It flew over my head until I was staring at the game menu. I was so confident Siffrin had a mischievous grin and not a frown. I always feel slightly surprised when the party asks for Siff's opinion or mentions that they have been too quiet. I felt Siffrin's excitement like my own when he got excited at finding clues to end the nightmare they were in. So I knew it would end up falling on their face because they were too excited. I just had this bad gut feeling the whole time during Act 4.

And oh boy, speaking off acts. I thought it would have been the standard 3. Boy, I was wrong. Whenever I felt I was nearing the end, I was thrown back at the start with more mysteries than answers. It made exploring the game intriguing since there is almost no information about it online (at the time of writing this post). There is the Discord, but I didn't know about it until I finished it.

This game has a lot of secrets, and I had a lot of fun uncovering them. The looping mechanic works so well in discovering little details and further leads. (even though my stubborn arse kept trying to do everything in the least amount of loops as possible. I thought the ending would be different if I exceeded a 100. My final number is 59. I am still not sure if I should be mad about it not being a rounded number like 60 or that I went over the 50 threshold)

However, it is a good thing that only some mysteries were solved. Like, what's up with colours in this world? Everyone sees in black and white, and the idea of shades and colours is only spoken of in scientific studies. They do exist and are not a part of the disaster that happened to Siffrin and their land. But there is definitely something mysterious about it. I adore how the dialogue reflects this, as the characters do not speak of shades or colours. Isabeau expresses surprise to see a streak of red colouring the sky in Act 6. It makes you think about how colour is perceived and how you describe it. (The lore inside this game is immaculate. I eat this shit up)

We never find out the name of the country north of Vanguard or what it was like. We can only infer that the beaches had black sand, with shells that shine like stars, high-reaching mountains, forests and plains. Which is vague and yet intriguing enough to make you wonder. It connected me to Siff and King because I also wanted to know. I was desperate to know. I needed to know. But in the end, we never will know because that is not the story's point. Siffrin even says in the game, that King should let go because he is hurting everyone and everything, including himself, in his desperation to preserve Vanguard. This is all the more ironic when Siff accidentally does the same with his family and the loops. I might gush more about what the country might be like and their technology in another post. This game makes me want to theorise. This is the first time I've wanted to write and post theories. ISAT fucked me up good.

Which, by the way, was genius. Siffrin and King are mirrors of each other. Siff does not have King's disastrous ambition, but their love/obsession will be the downfall of both of them. They have more than being each other's countrymen in common, and I imagine Siff despises that.

I love the fact King's question to Siffrin before the showdown was/could never be answered. Usually, in a game such as this, you must figure out how to solve everything, especially for the big bad. But that was never the goal. King is a delusional monster who will not stop before achieving his dream. He will raze everything to the ground and hurt many people because he must succeed. It is what he desires. Nay, the universe wills it. What a witless excuse that can easily be made into someone's truth. Especially to somebody who is driven mad with grief.

How King's character's done is so excellent. Because, at first, I wasn't scared of him at all. He was just the big bad, and I felt nothing much but the glory of victory when Siffrin outsmarted him by looping and making sure Mirabelle learned the shield spell that would protect the party from freezing in time. But each time you fight him, you get more frustrated until Siff figures that talking to him might be fruitful. It does, but unfortunately, you and Siffrin leave yourself emotionally and mentally vulnerable. King stops being a one-dimensional villain and changes into an actual person. Someone you can sympathise with and possibly mend peace with without fighting. You and Siffrin opened his heart for a kindred spirit and got hurt.

King stopped being a monster and became human. And while monsters are wretched, humans have intent behind their cruelty. I felt so betrayed, so angry, but most of all - terrified. I felt it when Siffrin spiralled when fighting King again after their actions caused such a catastrophic turn of events for Bonnie. Every time after that, the fight with King felt tense and nerve-wracking in a dreadful way. Because even victory could not soothe the dread I felt. (The track 'It's finally over" will forever haunt me. I already feel anxious whenever it cycles to that when I listen to the playlist)

He was not, however, the final villain, even though everything that happened was King's fault. You were always your greatest enemy (or Siffrin in this case, since you are supposed to be Siffrin). I never could have guessed that the whole reason why Siffrin could not escape the loops was because Siff accidentally wished to never let go of their friends. This reminds me of Modaka Magica, where (spoilers for the OG anime) Homura goes back in time so much that the universe ties itself around Modoka, making her a waiting egg whose wish and magic will be massive when she becomes a magical girl. The one thing Homura was trying to prevent.

(Siffrin and Homura are identical in that sense. Shy characters who are loyal to a fault but are rendered into something cold, bitter and cutting by their traumatic experiences. Only Siff has people who care about them and would do anything to save him, too, whereas Homura never lets go, making the world a worse place to live in. Yes, I did go into doomed Yuri. That anime lived in my mind rent-free in my mind for years)

The Head House-maiden not being the villain was also a great touch. I am used to the apparent antagonist turning out not to be the big bad and the trusted, friendly character ending up being the evil one. Twist villains no longer work when everyone expects them to be villains.

That was my biggest theory as I played. The second biggest being that Loop is someone who enjoys Siffrin's suffering. I am so glad that was also not the case. They are apathetic but not cruel. Never intentionally, anyway. They were like the player, urging Siffrin to go deeper into the mystery to solve it. Ultimately, I chose and made cold and cruel decisions simply because I wanted to see what would happen. So yeah, I warmed up to this cosmic star thing as the game went on and even started trusting them. Act 5 really is a punch in the gut. I am so sorry, Loop. Thank you for coming through in the end.

Oh man, this is so long, and I haven't even gone into the main cast. I will leave that for another post. They are such great characters, as are the people of Dormant and the House. (Don't think I don't see the wordplay in this game. Very clever)

Going into this game completely blind was the best experience I could have had. I felt anxious, happy and scared so severely that my neurons were rearranged. I don't know if there are more endings (aside from the obvious action of attacking Odile in the True(?) ending of the game), but I am taking a break from it to make art and write for this game before I dive back into despair-o-land.

Anywho, thank you for coming this far and reading my ramblings. Have a fantastic day or evening further! o(*'���`*)ブ

[torchstelechos]

i looove act 3 because the King convos are so. inch resting. especially since Siffrin iirc pretty much just completely ignores the party while talking to the King

imagine being anyone else with Siffrin on this whole journey and then as soon as you meet the King, the big bad evil guy, your bestie Siffrin just. starts talking to him? he doesn't pay attention to you trying to figure out why he's doing that. he's just talking. about what? remember what? all these questions about King? why are they talking like they know each other? why does the King get so sad about Siffrin and why does Siffrin seem to care so much about King?

none of this gets answered for the party because as soon as Siffrin is done suddenly chatting up the King they go in for the kill again like That Didn't Just Happen and then they have more pressing stuff to deal with

like huh. what. what just happened there.

bonus points for the entire "SAY IT BRIGHT ONE...!!!" event. if the timelines continued on without Siffrin i would pay money to be a crab in a fishtank listening in on however the hell the party is freaking out once Siffrin and King mutually KO each other trying to say "it". whatever the hell "it" is.

the party would lose it oh my god, that's like an assisted suicide action. They won but at what cost? The whole country is safe! And they'll never know why they were saved, or how, and neither will the party. The party will always be lost behind Siffrin as Siffrin goes forward in a direction they can't follow, because Siffrin won't let them. The leader who guides but won't let them follow. Do they think it was premeditated on either side? Do they think Siffrin gave them self up on purpose? Do they think the king made him do it somehow through craft? Did they wrestle with the body and pour healing craft after healing craft down his throat and beg for it to work? Did they cradle their body as it lay limp? Asking him why, why, why? Did Odile cry and whisper cold things to the kings corpse? Did Isabeau scream in denial before crying over a cloak that is now stained dark? Did Mirabelle stay frozen, her hands on Siffrin's neck, as she realized she couldn't save him and that is the worst thing she has ever done to him? Did Bonnie cry and cry and cry over the fact Frin did it again? But this time with a cost too high? Did Euphrasie come to check on them only to jerk back and clutch her face, as something is failing, rotting, breaking?

Now for less serious;

Aauuggghhhh, in the loops where it's not the SAY IT BRIGHT ONE I bet Odile is thinking back on that assassin thing and going, hmm maybe they're ex's?? Instead?? And Isabeau who is the other theorycrafter of the party is like MADAME PLS, PLS LET ME HAVE THIS. DO NOT SAY THEY WERE EXS I DONT THINK I CAN HANDLE IT. Mirabelle definitely is like... The backstory!!! The lore!!!! What is going on!!! Are they friends?? Past allies now enemies??? FAMILY???? WHAT AM I MISSING??? Bonnie thinks Siffrin is a crab and doesn't want to think about the king more than they have to. Siffrin is debating whether or not to use the dagger or just talk to Euphrasie. Euphrasie is like, hmmm, same shit as always :)

[sixpossumsinatrenchcoat]

B Plot

Isabeau still can’t confess, and Siffrin needs to clear their head. Which means it’s high time for a sidequest. 

Act 1, Scene 2. West Dormont. Isa’s hand hovers near your shoulder. You try to look inviting, but you must not be very good at it. He’s already pulling away. Okay. This is it. Go time. “You can touch me,” you blurt out. “Wh— Hwhuh???” No turning back now. “It just. Seems like you think you can’t? But—you can.”

(Full disclosure, this is literally just 5k words of Siffrin trying to flirt, because he's not the only one who needed a break. Spoilers thru Act 3)

You don’t make the pun for Isa. You don’t say hi to Loop, either. You just sit on the ground and stare at the grass.

“Wow, stardust,” Loop snorts, “thanks for the warm welcome. I missed you too! But tone it down a little, will you? All that enthusiasm could get a little overwhelming!”

Near your foot, there’s a leaf growing out from a fallen branch, glossy and bright like it thinks it’s still attached to the tree. Like it thinks it’s still alive. But of course you know better. It’s already dead. It just doesn’t know it yet.

“Sooo~, what’s up? Give me the scoop! The latest and greatest, teehee!”

The leaf is always growing out of the branch, and the branch is always on the ground, splintered and slowly drying. Does the loop last long enough for the leaf to dry out, too? Does it die every day, like you do? Or will it spend the rest of eternity in a state of blissful ignorance?

“You beat the King again, right? That’s cool! You’re getting pretty tough! Keep it up and pretty soon you’ll have nothing to be scared of! Aside from, you know. All the existential dread.”

You watch your hand reach out to close around the leaf. It comes loose with a gentle pop.

“Oh, come on, at least pretend to listen. You’re good at that, teehee!” When you still don’t react, their tone sours. “The silent treatment is really not a cute look on you, you know.”

Even with nothing to hold onto, the leaf still looks offensively alive. You crumple it between your hands and then shred it into tiny little pieces. There. Now it’s just like you.

—There’s a startling clap! as Loop claps their hands about an inch from your left ear.

“Stardust,” they say firmly. “I’m a patient star, I really am, but if you keep ignoring me, I’m going to get grouchy.”

Very slowly, you look up. “She didn’t know anything.”

“...The head housemaiden?”

You nod.

“About Time Craft, you mean?”

Another nod.

“Oh,” Loop says softly. “Well. I suppose that’s to be expected. Maybe no one does, anymore.”

You shrug.

“B-But you still have leads, don’t you? Didn’t you have a few more questions for the K—”

“I don’t want to talk to the King.” The last time you tried to talk to the King, your actors looked at you like you were something monstrous. Subhuman. Like something they’d scraped off the bottom of their shoes. You wound up letting him kill you just to end the loop faster. But you’d forgotten how much the King’s final blow hurts.

“Okay, but—”

“Will you stop?” you demand. You don’t want to talk about this. You just want—

—but there’s no point finishing that sentence.

The two of you sit in silence for a while. Probably you hurt Loop’s feelings. Somehow, you can’t bring yourself to care.

“Stardust,” Loop says at last, unexpectedly gently. When you glance up, they’re looking away, picking at the—not skin—the gummy celestial membrane that covers the pads of their fingers. They don’t have a mouth, but if they did, it would be frowning. “I think you might need a break.”

“Haha!!!! Ahaha!!!!! Do you think???”

“I don’t mean from the loops,” Loop says impatiently. “I just mean… Ohh, I don’t know. From fighting the loops? Of course I can’t directly relate, but—from an outside perspective, I think that trying to break the loop is probably sort of… not-good. Ah. Psychologically.”

You stare at them in stony silence.

“So maybe you need a B plot!”

“…A what?”

“You know. A B plot! Like in plays? It’s what the side characters get up to while the important people are off dying and falling in love and things!”

Wait. “You watch plays?”

“I am a star of culture, you know,” Loop sniffs. “I just think you could use a win! Take a break from fixing the laws of physics to focus on something a little more achievable, hmm~? Just for a few loops! Just to clear your head!”

Your mouth scrunches to one side. Unfortunately, they’ve caught your interest. “Like what.”

“Like, ah… oh! What about your touch therapy? That was fun, wasn’t it? Here, look, I could hold both your hands!”

“It doesn’t count,” you mutter.

“Oh, no? And whyever not?”

“It just doesn’t.” You can’t really explain why Loop doesn’t count. You just know that they don’t. The first time they elbowed you, you didn’t even flinch. To be honest, it barely registered. Like knocking your elbow against something not alive, or trying to tickle yourself.

Loop rolls their eyes. “I’ll try not to take that personally.”

* * *

They’re right, though. You need a break. But you’re not going to get it by holding hands with Loop.

* * *

You spend the rest of the day thinking about how to take a break from a temporal prison that is categorically, explicitly inescapable.

“Umm,” Isa whispers over dinner. “Sif? Are you, um, okay? You seem a little off.”

You probably should have expected this. Isabeau is always paying attention to what you’re doing and not-doing. But it never goes anywhere, because he’s too afraid to say it.

…Oh. Is that anything? You think it might be something. You already know that Isa wants to touch you. But he doesn’t, because he thinks you don’t want him to. Because you can’t tell him, and he can’t ask. So instead you’re both stuck here, not knowing what’s true.

What would it take to make him brave enough to say it? How obvious would you have to be before he could feel safe?

Your eyes narrow. Maybe you really do need a break.

You can read the rest on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55543246

[the-bitter-ocean]

(ACT 2 SPOILERS) More writing for @tealgoat in tales of time au! The other character in the photo is a oc made by both myself and @eurydice-pens together (go check out delphis writing and art of Naomi you will not regret it) Writing I did will give context for the image under the cut:

{“You had a hate-crush, madame?!”}

[“Whats their name?”]

<|”What were they like?”|>

(“..Ew gross! No one wants to know about that boring stuff right Dile?”)

(“..Dile?”)

<…!>

< The name.. what was her name? >

< She was loud and constantly got on your nerves. >

< She always wanted to be around you. You never understood why. >

< She was your academic rival but there was more to it- there had to be!>

< The name.. something to do with.. beauty? Something pleasant? Something gentle? >

<What did she look like? >

<What did she sound like? >

< Is she still here? >

< Why don’t you know the answers to any of this? >

<Why can’t you remember her n->

<…>

(“Dile! Hey hey! Are you listening? “)

[“We’ve all been trying to get your attention but you went quiet all of a sudden.. is everything alright?”]

< Your head hurts. >

< You look at the rest of your allies in mild confusion. >

<“I’m sorry… what were we talking about again?”>

(“HUH?! Dile! You can’t let your memory get bad just because your old!”)

{“ You forgot? Madame you were explaining your crush remember?”}

< Mirabelle looks at you with concern, nervously pacing around beside you.>

(“It’s because you asked her boring stuff! Who’d want to remember any of that anyway!”)

[“Still.. it’s not like you to just forget what you were saying all of a sudden..that’s more of a Sif thing to do- no offense!”]

< Siffrin shrugs and looks off to one side. >

<| “None taken. It would take a lot more to get me upset… besides me being mad at you would *crush* your heart right? “|>

< Siffrin gives a wink as a chorus of groans and laughter at the pun erupt filling the awkward tension. >

<He glances over at you before opting to focus the attention on him instead.>

< The conversation soon changes to something else. >

<You silently thank Siffrin.>

< You move away from the bookshelves and make your way to the exit. >

< It’s no point in worrying about it now. >

<If it was worth remembering, you’d know. >

[itstheval]

Memory of Visitation

A @livesworthlivingau Side Story

"Oh Stars, I remember this town! This place sucked!"

Siffrin said it with a laugh as they entered Wolworth, but everyone else simply glanced strangely at him. The realization hit them at the same time it did Mira, from the look on their faces. "Time travel s-" "NO SPOILERS!"

Mira half-pulled her rapier, but the look on her face was one of jest that kept a smile on Siffrin's face, even as they raised their hands up defensively. "Okay, okay! I just…There were a lot of memories wrapped up in this town. So, uh…" His eyes flickered around to the others, looking for help, and getting only amusement at his plight.

"Hmf. I believe, I will go take a walk. To explore. Bonnie, would you come with me? You have the shopping list." "Aw, Crab, I wanted to hear!" Mirabelle harumphed her way away, frills spinning as she twirled on a heel and walked into town, leaving Siffrin staring helplessly as Bonnie rushed to catch up with her, hat bouncing with every rushed step. Vale's laugh broke the tension, and Siffrin turned back to look at them. "Oh well DONE, Stardust! We can really see the skills it took you thirty years to hone!"

The flush darkening their cheeks was matched only by their urge to snap back, and they managed to find their voice. "Don't laugh too hard, Vale, not until you find out WHAT happened here. Besides, I might make sure it happens to you…"

"We got here…I want to say a few months, after the King? We'd met you, Nille, but there was a lot you didn't know. I hadn't even opened up to everyone yet…I'd say I'm sorry, but you know. Wrong people to apologize to. But you, Odile! You're always too clever, and you'd noticed, by now."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Odile managed, smiling wryly. She recognized an Old Man Ramble by now, but Siffrin's stories were always worth the listen.

"Noticed what, precisely?" Vale's question was colder, but from the look on their face, the queasiness in their expression, they already knew.

"Well…Back then. Before I knew any better. And I want to make it real clear, I know better now! But back then, I would…Punish myself. With my dagger. For things that…hadn't happened, to any of you? And I'd hide it with my Craft, which…I learned way more about the limits of Healing Craft than I should have."

Siffrin didn't bother looking at everyone's faces. He knew what they looked like. He'd seen them before, and they broke his heart the first time, when it was Odile revealing this. Even so much later, thinking about those expressions hurt.

What he wasn't expecting was the sudden enfolding of arms around him. Isabeau's warm body against his, enfolding him, and a moment later Odile's hand on his head, patting it gently. Even Nille joined in on the hug, and a glance up showed Vale nearby, looking in. This was…different? This was nice. Until, on some unspoken signal, everyone stepped away.

"I'm sorry Sif, just…the look on your face. I don't think anybody could see that and NOT want to give you a hug! We know it's alright, but the way you looked…"

"Like a crab just pinched your puppy." Nille confirmed.

"Yeah, or like…I dunno, like someone ate your favorite treat you were saving for later!"

In that moment, he was loved. In all moments, he was loved, but it was nice to see it so clearly, and the smile Siffrin let onto his face was genuine. "Thanks…I don't like thinking about this stuff. But, no bottling myself up, not to my family! That's what I promised."

"Promised who, precisely?" Odile's voice was wry, in the way that came when she was trying to not show affection.

"Well I was getting to that! Before everyone decided it was group hug time! Anyway! Odile noticed, and she…told everyone, when we were here. I'm not ashamed to say, I ran off. I was stupid…I thought none of you would care about me if you knew how much I hated myself."

"You're absolutely right, Stardust." Vale finally decided to add their two cents, and everyone's heads snapped towards them, making them glad that looks couldn't kill - they'd be dead four times over, at least! It was Odile who found her voice first.

"Explain?"

"He WAS stupid!"

Vale's laugh cut the tension that their statement made, and Siffrin was the first to join into it, before everyone else allowed themselves to be part of it.

"Right! Right, where was I…Running away. Right. Well, Odile was too smart again." A glance to her showed a smirk that showed she agreed. "I ran and hid in the House…and her letter had gotten there first. And when people showed up expecting me, and bringing me to an appointment? I wasn't going to tell them they had the wrong person. Whoever's appointment it was, I could hide there until you all forgot! And that's how I met my therapist."

The sharp bark of laughter from Odile showed just what she thought of that, but Isabeau was quick to follow, as Nille shook her head in exasperation. "That actually worked?" She said, around a smile, and Vale nodded with mock seriousness. "It would have worked on me. Smart."

Siffrin decided then to start walking and talking, as he explained the rest of it. "Doctor Jinn was…strange. Even for Vaugarde. It/its pronouns, with lightless hair with darkless spots in it, like the stars. I'd have almost thought it was from home, except that everyone I've seen from there had darkless hair…and Doctor Jinn was a housemaiden. Or…I mean, it was working in the house, and it wore a change symbol on a necklace? And one of them for a bonding earring? Anyway, it had its own office set up, and was ready for me and everything. It wasn't until it addressed me by my name that I realized what happened. But Odile, why did you tell it my name was 'Siffrin Nomiddlename Nolastname'?"

"I couldn't begin to imagine." Odile allowed, walking the crowded streets, Isabeau pushing ahead and the others walking in the wake of the broad man like wakesurfers…Siffrin briefly wondered where he'd heard that term, then remembered they were telling a story.

"Well, that's what it called me. Like that, like 'Nomiddlename' and 'Nolastname' were names themselves. It was a great listener, I'll tell you that…It seemed to accept the Wish Craft stuff pretty easily, and didn't blame me for…" a light cough. "Any of it." Siffrin glanced to the side, and when the others followed their glance, they saw Bonnie at a stall, haggling with a zit-faced teen about the price of tomatoes.

"The interesting thing was…Well, when we got there, we were sort of wandering wherever we felt like, just seeing the world? And it turned out that Jinn was traveling anyway, so we wound up joining it…or it joined us, but we just wound up going where it led. It was convenient, and it meant I couldn't get away from it, either. So…we wound up talking a lot. Almost the whole time we were in Wolworth, and even on the roads." Sif took a turn, but kept up his memories. "About the Loops, about what I could and couldn't remember, about…well, everything, really. How I felt about Isa, how I felt about touch, home, why the Universe granted wishes like it did - it really didn't have much to say there, but it was great to just get it out of my system."

Vale was starting to look uneasy as they walked along, and Siffrin knew it was now or never, time to strike and hope everyone else was on board. "It was so useful, in fact, that I felt like visiting again. I sent a letter ahead myself this time, since…well, you didn't have a reason to, Madame. And don't worry, Vale, I told them all about you!"

Siffrin's grin was shameless, and watching the look on Vale's face was worth the entire time, as they realized how close they were to the opened doors of the House. And how Isabeau was blocking them off to the side…Vale couldn't escape that way, maybe…no, Nille was over there. Maybe through the Madame? With that look on her face, no way. That was the Path of Pain.

Vale's shoulders slumped, as Siffrin stepped aside and gave a sweeping bow. "After you, my friend!" Vale muttered oaths under their breath as they marched to the doors, only to find a Housemaiden waiting for them.

"Siffrin and Vale Nomiddlename Nolastname? I'm Housemaiden David…I got your letter, but I'm afraid no one here's ever heard of a 'Doctor Jinn'. Would you like to come in anyway?"

[eldragon-x]

I think the timeline of Act 5 is interesting because normally the party spend a day in Dormont, sleep through the night, and then go to the House the next morning.

But in Act 5, Siffrin goes to the Clocktower in the evening, listens in on the party's conversation, immediately goes to grab the orbs and you know the rest.

We see it's always daytime after the King is defeated, including in Act 5, and Mirabelle is surprised to see a star sky in the observatory, mentioning that it was bright out when they entered the House, and Odile explaining that it's just always nighttime around the King and by extension the House while it's frozen.

This means, no matter if the party take off in the morning or if Siffrin bolts through the House by themselves in the evening, just enough time has to have passed for it to be bright out by the time the King's beaten.

So, my take on it is that It takes more than half a day but not a full one to get through the House. This way, the party makes it to Euphrasie by midday in every other loop, and by the morning in Act 5.

This is a bit of a stretch, but seeing as the game seems to take place during a warm time of the year, and Siffrin seems to make it to the Clocktower later than usual in Act 5, I'd say it would work out with the assumption that he took off to the House late in the evening, and it was already bright out pretty early at the end of Act 5.

All that is to say, I think Siffrin was still anxious for time to loop back after all for the rest of the day in Act 6, since they usually make it to Euphrasie midday, not in the early morning.

Also I will not consider the fact that the sun is always seen standing up high in the unfrozen House, including Act 6, because I've already thought about this way too deeply than was ever intended.

[lovova]

SPOILERS for In Stars and Time below, just a rant about Siffrin and all the stuff that's happened to him (that I currently know about).

The things that's fascinating about Siffrin is that the time loop is the just LATEST thing that's happened to him. It's not his first big magical event, it's not the first time his whole life has been ruined and ripped away from him by forces out of his control, it's not the first time the gods have seemingly isolated him for the fun of it, if they even noticed it was happening to him at all.

And the first time it happened? Taught Siffrin through their whole life that you DONT TALK ABOUT IT.

Siffrin was out in the water as a kid trying to mess with his parents when the whole island suddenly got buried in a magical 'forget everything about us' spell (or I'm guessing 'wish') and Siffrin literally couldn't remember how to get back. He was a kid. He went to the mainland and couldn't remember anything about himself, because everything about their identity was connected to the island. Even TRYING to remember hurt him, physically.

And the same for telling others about it. Trying to explain what happened to him to other people not only hurt him physically, it hurt THEM physically, causing debilitating headaches to anyone who'd listen and causing the universe to literally rewrite itself and them to sabotage Siffrin's attempts to fix a problem they could barely understand.

And he's just been alone since that happened, in a robe that literally grows with him since childhood, struggling to connect to people when he's trying to develop a personality and identity that won't be forcibly erased minute by minute by the memory stuff. And mostly failing.

AND THATS JUST BEFORE THE TIMELOOP STUFF.

So, yeah, of course Siffrin would literally rather die hundreds of times than just tell anyone what's wrong. That's been trained into him his whole life: they DO NOT TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. The problem HURTS OTHER PEOPLE. The act of reaching out LITERALLY HURTS OTHERS and then is sabotaged and erased by the universe anyway.

And, as misguided as it was, the literal only four people Siffrin did reach out to throughout the timeloops all punished him for it. Loop tried to help him through traumatizing him and it didn't work. The head housemaiden had a breakdown instead of helping them. The king tortured him for trying to connect. The Change God LAUGHED AT THEM.

(Can you imagine the restraint and defeatism it takes to quietly watch your friends worship a god that literally reveled in your suffering?)

Fuck, dudes, Siffrin has always been actively punished for asking for help. The dude has been in a lifelong abusive relationship with EXISTING and there's nowhere to hide.