#go away vindicta

[shrimpthrower]

i hate calculus. i only want to calculate bebop bomb damage on my opponents. and put them on the blue foot lady. she is a gnat. bomb is a windshield.

[frxshblood]

Oh, that just broke his heart like nothing before did. Not even when she'd tried to reject him outright back in the day (who was he kidding, even that time he was more worried about her crying). She just sounded so sad, so wrecked (because of him, because of his absence) that before he could even blink his own tears started falling harder, heavier too.

"Ryuko," he outright sobbed, already sounding chocked up and broken, "I'm so sorry!" Like it was his fault - yes it was, he wasn't here, and his whole thing was supposed to be here for her, therefore it was! "All I ever thought about since surviving was coming back to you! I didn't-- I didn't even know if you were okay, I was worried sick! But I was so weak-- dammit, I should've just risk it as a ball of threads, I-- I had no idea it took me this long!"

The concept of time didn't exist much in space. Nothing existed much in space. It's indifferent coldness haunted him, forever seeped into his fibers and making him shiver at the mere mention of it. All he knew is that it seemed endless, the time he'd spent there with only memories to grab on to.

Softly, he lowered them both down, sat on the ground with Ryuko in his lap and did his best to just. Curl up around her as tightly as he could. She could hit him all she wanted, he didn't mind. He didn't mind her tears seeping into his t-shirt, didn't mind being yelled at, didn't mind anything at all. Because she was warm, and alive, and here, and he was also here, however late, however horribly, inexcusably late.

"It's an awfully lonely galaxy up there without you, Ryuko," he whispered through the thick teary lump in his throat. "Being unable to come to life before I'd met you was bad. Staying alive without you? A hundred times worse."

It started so soft, just broken gasps and sniffles.

And in that instant, a loud wail broke through the entire house, no doubt coming from the woman in his arms.

A year, two, three--she lost count, but all those years of bottled sorrow and sadness just exploded as she buried her face in his chest, grabbing him close and tight--too tight. Ryuko was crying, screaming; lord, she sounded so broken, that from outside, even her boys had begun to tear up upon hearing their sister breaking down.

This was the saddest the Dragons have ever heard their leader--friend, sister--sounded.

Her words, if there were any, were incoherent; she was too sad to even say anything besides crying her heart and soul out. Holding him close to her, just like how she did when he was only just a piece of cute clothing. Remembering the few times people tried to rip him apart from her, tore him to fraying pieces, and especially that dark day when he burned away, never to be seen or heard ever again...

...until this moment.

"...I waited...hoping that...that somehow you'd...make it back...it hurts...just thinking of you...not here with me...I didn't know where I should go..."

Ryuko still had her face buried in his coat, tears kept falling nonstop. Her gripping hands now beginning to beat on his chest, albeit not enough to even hurt him. "Why...why did you do that...why didn't you come back sooner...why didn't you come back at all...why why why why...!"

She didn't bother to wait for an answer, she already knew why; but it still hurt even after all this time. She only resorted to sobbing on him, holding him closer again.

"I missed you so much, dammit..."

[taniahylian]

Vertin and Esperanto

So, first of all, there'll be spoilers for chapter 7 of reverse 1999 under the line. If you haven't finished it, I suggest you to come back to read it after you do.

Alright, here we go.

First, let's talk about the incantation Marcus recovered from Isolde's mind, the one Arcana spoke.

It's an incantation in a language that, Ulrich said, Laplace has no records of. Literally, Enigma argued that decoding it in 24 hours was impossible precisely because they didn't have the language or any clue as to what it could mean.

And yet...

Vertin can read it. Naturally. As if it was her first language. And not only that, she also adds that the incantation that unlocks the suitcase is in the same language.

And what language is it, you ask? Well, irl it's Esperanto.

However, it's doubtful that the foundation would've no records of Esperanto, so it's only logical to assume that this language doesn't exist in the game in the same way as it does irl. In fact, it's likely the original language of arcanum. However, knowing it's Esperanto, we can get some in-game clues about it.

There are mainly two ppl who use this language. The first is Vertin. Now, we don't really see her cast many incantations, but the few she does cast are in Esperanto.

Why is this relevant? Well, because it seems most arcanists cast incantations in their native language. Sonetto uses italian, Kaalaa uses Hindi, Sophia uses Greek, etc. What's interesting is that, even though Sonetto has resided in the Foundation since she was very young, and speaks English fluently, she still uses Italian. Maybe because arcanum only works if it somehow connects with the arcanist's own roots, or something like that.

This implies Vertin's native language, aka mother tongue, is... Esperanto. But who taught it to her? Was it her mother? Is there any character that naturally speaks this language?

Well... yes, there is.

When Vertin agrees to joing Manus Vindictae in chapter 2, Arcana is pleased and says the following:

However, although the text translates it to English, what she actually says out loud is bonvenon hejmen, which is, you guessed it, Esperanto.

And this isn't the last time she does it. Later, in the same chapter, when Vertin is reunited with her team and is about the leave the manus, Arcana says this before teleporting away:

Again, the text translates it, but what she actually says is "adiaŭ", which again is in Esperanto. What's interesting, however, is that in these two ocassions she's not using incantations, but simply speaking... kind of implying it's her native language.

Now, Arcana is a very ancient being, I think we can easily deduce this. Not only that, but her name is very similar to arcanum/arcanists. And she even speaks about how the the "first magic circle" came to be, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's somehow related to the origins of arcanum.

So... what if Esperanto is the original language of arcanum? Maybe that's why powerful spells, like the storm immunity ritual, are in this lost language. Although it's not the only one.

That's right, the teleportation arcane skil, Aferoj Around, is also in Esperanto. Not only that, but it's described as "an advanced arcane skill" both times it's mentioned.

However, what's interesting here is that the Foundation and Zeno know this skill. In fact, they even have a number for it. So, how could they not know the language of the storm immunity ritual? Well, I lied. Because the only reason Laplace had the correct pronunciation and spelling of the storm immunity incantation was because of paper sent to Lucy by the "White Marble House", which seems to be an independent and very important faction within the foundation, of which we know nothing about.

But that's a theory for another time. For now I'd just like to conclude saying that I think Vertin's mother taught the language to her (or maybe she was born knowing it somehow?), wether her mother is Arcana or someone else with great knowledge of arcanum (personally I think Bessmert), or maybe even both.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!

[tamberrio]

Do you guys see my vision do you

Nerdy thoughts about characters and the world in the au under the cut (Slight spoilers for plot of both BSD and Reverse:1999 I guess?)

ok ok so:

Dazai is the Time Keeper and works at the St. Pavlov Foundation. The ADA would basically be the small branch of the Foundation that Vertin oversees in the actual story. To that end, I can snag a couple character rolls for the BSD characters.

Dazai is Vertin, obviously. He was just as rebellious as a kid as she was, and made friends with the outside world (Oda) only to watch them die to the storm. So now the Foundation makes him go to the different time periods and collect data on why he and his suitcase are immune. Since I know Vertin is like 16 in the game, I thought I should age everyone down just slightly to fit that teenagers-doing-dangerous-things-that-should-be-left-to-adults vibe, so now he is 18 when he finds Atsushi, who is 14.

Kunikida would probably play a Sonnetto role, being the studious type who tries to follow all the rules and make sure the Time Keeper stays on track.

Yosano would probably be best suited as a Doctor in the Foundation but is saved strictly for the ADA’s branch. Probably a Medicine Pocket type of character? I actually have a draft of her where I take heavy inspiration from X’s butterfly scarf thing because thematically I think it’s perfect. I don’t know if she would exactly fit Mesmer Jr.’s role, since it includes a betrayal against Vertin along with Dubious medical practices within her family. Although the dubious medical practices thing could fit well, I don’t think the betrayal really suits her character in that regard.

Ranpo wouldn’t be an arcanist, but we have actual human characters in the story who are playable (like Ezra is human I believe), so he could use his deduction skills that way. They’d probably try to keep him away from the front lines when possible, so as not to risk him if the storm appears.

Thematically, Atsushi would be Regulus, since she’s the first to be found by Vertin in the actual story. Otherwise, Atsushi would be completely different in terms of backstory. It’s hard to tell in these sketches, but I tried to give him a coat similar to Regulus but not recognizable as such. He’d be a Beast Aflatus, obviously. Arcanists are very much discriminated against in the actual story, so that would fit really well with him. I figured Atsushi could be immune to the storm too, since his tiger has the power to cut through abilities, similar to how Dazai can nullify them.

Ango would be Madam Z, because of his strenuous relationship with the Time Keeper due to past betrayals, and his want to keep the Time Keeper out of harms way. Mori could be his direct supervisor for a time, and Ango can be complicit in the “trap” made for Dazai to get him to be more agreeable. He’d help reduce the influence the Foundation has on the Time Keeper’s decisions. Fukuzawa could be good for this role of “overlooking the team” as well.

As for the Foundation itself, I think it would be a mix of the government and the port mafia, while having Manus Vindictae be the Decay of Angels/Rats (Fyodor would make a really good villain in that regard). Although it’s hard to picture some of the port mafia members working at the Foundation, I can still pick and choose who goes where.

Every other character probably wouldn’t have a direct comparison, but that’s what I have so far. This is probably WAY easier to follow if you know the plot of Reverse: 1999 but I’ll come up with a more comprehensive doc later.

[sleepingcup]

Injuries is what I am used to

Game: Reverse 1999 x Reader Characters: Vertin, Sonetto, & Horropedia x Injured! Reader Genre: Hurt/Comfort, mentions of blood, non-spoiler territory, Fluff Disclaimer: This is made for fun, be aware of oocs and mistypings.

-- {Can you write about the pavlov foundation gang (like horropedia, vertin, sonetto) reacting to their s/o coming back injured from their mission against manus vindictae 👉👈 [lmao just something to feed the horropedia brainrot] - anon} (This is requested that was from the inbox of @sleepy-meep) --

Summary: You had finished your mission, as the toughest unit in the St. Pavlov Foundation. You came in one piece but at what cost? Being injured from the Manus Vindictae, how will they react to that is...

She is stoic, but deep down...

Vertin is pissed.

She had NO idea that you will get injured from the fight and swore to herself to NEVER make the same mistake ever again. Vertin immediately tends to your wounds calmly and asks you to rest or sleep by her side.

I dont think Vertin would not allow you to be alone for even a second, as a result Vertin would be a doting lover.

Plus you might want to get used to Vertin being clingy, she too deserves your attention even more.

Also Vertin might cry silently when she confess that she just needs your company and hopes that it was not greedy.

Let's just say that Vertin had a pleasant time with you.

If there is a meter of panic out of 10, it would be a 1000 when Sonetto sees you in that state.

She is EXTREMELY worried about you and immediately tries her best to tend to your wounds, constantly worried that she would leave or worse yet lost you when you are away from her.

She can't afford to leave you alone.

If anything she would LOVE to ask permission to be with you till you recovered from your wounds.

If you do need any help or any of her service Sonetto will arrive no hesitation.

But if its a kiss, she would give you kisses, no questions asks.

Cut to Matilda sobbing/j

The happy go lucky man will turn to concern and worry with a blink of an eye.

Goes to you and wonders if you are alive or a ghost, but when you reassure him that you are fine and just injured. He brushes off like nothing happened.

That is the ONLY thing he can fool you.

But deep down, he deeply cares for you.

In his own way Horropedia loves to bother you even if you are recovering from your injuries. But this is LITERALLY his opportunity to be with you so he is on the winning side.

Plus he won't hesitate to give you kisses when he tried to take care of your wounds, cheesy I know. But he would also lure you to watch horror movies with him and chill.

The only thing that YOU alone is not aware is that, Horropedia kept you close to him while he was either watching or reading not letting you go until you are fully healed.

[gachagen]

When I first started playing Reverse: 1999 I was expecting for Vertin to be a very boring protagonist who was maybe even silent the majority of her time on screen, but I really just think that's because these past few years I've only really been playing Hoyoverse games where the protagonist is either a quirky, eccentric girl or a silent person going about their day lol. I've forgotten how great it is when we get an actual protagonist with a realistic personality and rationale!

I also think Bluepoch kept Vertin shrouded in mystery on purpose, because in all of the adverts for this game with Vertin she only ever says a few nondescript lines here and there, and even on the website for the game you still can't really get a read on her as she's just summarizing her journey so far in a pretty monotone voice.

So Vertin is just a surprise you get to experience when you first play the game, and I was not expecting to like her as much as I do. She has a really deep empathetic nature that drives her to try and find more people to save, and you can really tell that she does want to try and save both humans and arcanists.

Vertin is separated from the other characters in the sense that she doesn't see the world completely black and white, and is unwilling to give up when her back is against the wall. Even when she is quite literally being captured by an Arcanist who's leagues above her, she's still willing to try and get away anyways.

And Reverse: 1999 has this theme of "going back to when things were better" VS "Living for the future" that works really with Vertin as the main character. Because the deeper you go into the story, the more you learn that neither Manus Vindictae or The Foundation really care about saving lives from the Storm, Vertin is the only one who wants to put in the effort to try and solve an issue where both Humans and Arcanists can win. And it quickly goes from "Manus Vindictae is the bad guys, and Vertin and the Foundation are the good guys" to "Vertin is alone in this endeavour to save people, and it's her against two powerful organizations alone."

I think that's really cool pacing for the story as well, because it really subverts your expectations early on.

Vertin's care for the other characters is so deeply enshrouded into the game that it bleeds through even into the main mechanics of the game. Like, instead of equipping weapons or armor to your characters, you're shaping their mind with "new ideas" that change them as people, and thats what makes them stronger in battle, not tools or guns.

It's Vertin's ability to make them see the world in a different light and want to live for "the next era" that deepens her bonds with the characters in the suitcase, and instead of giving the characters a "weapon slot" for guns or swords etc, you give them "psycubes" which hold memories and dreams the characters have had before that they look back on fondly.

I really like this game, I don't know if you guys can tell. It's already released and I do think it can use some polish, but it's actually pretty amazing and I'm glad that I was keeping up with it for so long and able to play it on release.

[mugenmcfugen]

here we go, next installment

Next HC i have is that Grey Talon somehow helped Vindicta way back, sometimes fresh after 1st Maelstorm, I could see him being somewhat of a spiritual guide and overall wise person. Maybe he helped her learn her sniping abilities, it wouldn't be farfetched since both of them use bird familiars based skills, traps and well, hunting weapons basically. He couldn't set her away from her revenge path but probably calmed her madness quite bit overall. Basically, Vindicta was his test run in how he approaches Shiv now.

And if I understood well, Baxter Society is comprised mostly of wealthy individuals, you bet your ass Talon would have papers watermarked with his own insignia.

[vasito-de-leche]

Hiya! I saw that requests were open, and I wanted to ask if you could do literally anything for Vertin and a reader who's romantic. I'd prefer if the reader was not involved with St. Pavlov in any way and actively avoids/makes it known they hate the Foundation, but I'd love anything that has to do with just Vertin tbh.

Anyway that's all, have a good day/night!

;R1999 VERTIN - "this life and the next"

Vertin x Reader. 1.1k words. hurt/comfort It's the end of an era and you have to say goodbye to the love of your life. But Vertin isn't ready to let go of you yet - she'll always find you in this life and the next.

I went for a little oneshot for this one and tried to do the opposite of my usual stuff to focus on the reader's POV for once lolol. still kept things pretty vague (hopefully) so this can be read as an arcanist/human reader!

ty for the request nonnie! not sure if the romantic part came across because, well. MY HAND SLIPPED WHEN WRITING THIS AND I GOT A BIT CARRIED AWAY. HOPE YOU LIKE IT ANYWAY!

Her hand slides into yours.

Vertin's skin is cold, it always has been, but her grip is firm and steady whenever she holds you. There is an unwavering confidence in her movements that sweeps you off your feet, like this is simply how things were meant to be.

Like the whole universe was meant for you and her, and nothing else.

You know of her role and title - the Timekeeper - and just the thought alone makes your chest ache. You know the things they expect of her, back in that awful institution of self-righteous bureaucrats, and your free hand curls up into a fist. You know of her safe haven, a pocket dimension in that suitcase she carries everywhere, but what good is it for when she's still trapped in a gilded cage?

This is an unspoken truth, one no one dares to mention in her presence - all the people she's saved throughout the eras, they know that their freedom and their future comes at the cost of hers. You know this, and so does she.

Above all, you know her.

She's Vertin, your precious, little dove. She's cold and she's the warmest person you ever met. She's hard to read and every little detail about her betrays that stoic nature. She will never stop trying to do the right thing, even when dealt the worst possible hand. You love her for it.

And you love that, at the end of the world, she's chosen to be here with you.

The timer on her forearm continues ticking down, but you don't care what the bold orange numbers say because the moment they reach zero, your life will end. And you've chosen enjoy every single second you have left with her.

If life were a movie, this would've been the perfect third act climax - a temporary goodbye between people who are destined to be together against all odds. There would be a fade to black, and the next scene would show you and Vertin, older and happier than ever, unbothered by the problems of a distant past.

Vertin calls out your name, bringing you back to the current present - your chest feels lighter than ever even as the rain begins to pour.

"I'm sorry. We only have about-"

"Hush, hush. I don't want to hear about that right now." You're quick to silence her with a gentle finger atop her lips. It's your turn to ease her worries, after all the burdens she's chosen to carry. "I want to hear what you think about the future."

There's a moment of silence, she's considering your words very carefully. You don't need to be a genius to know that she's dying to ask you to join her. You could brave the storm with her and everyone else if you try hard enough - but you're not willing to become another pawn for the Foundation. You can't do that to yourself, you've seen the way they treated Vertin, Sonetto, Matilda - everyone else. You've seen what Manus Vindictae do to their people.

"...Right now?" You nod at this, it's only fair after she's asked pretty much everyone she knows. You want to hear it, the hopes she holds in her heart. Vertin takes a deep breath. "You want to know what I think of the future, what I want in it. Correct?"

Somehow, the intensity of her voice makes your heart skip a beat. Like she's made up her mind about something important.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see it - water moving up, rain being reversed - but you keep your focus on Vertin and nod once again.

She pulls you into her arms, a hand in the back of your neck and the other one wrapped around your waist. In this position, with your face nestled in her neck, all you can see is the rise and fall of her chest in the little space left between your bodies.

Your face is flushed with both love and embarrassment - even now, Vertin is trying to protect you from seeing the chaos that surrounds you. You want to speak, to tease her for being such a reliable knight in shining armor, tell her that she can't keep making you fall in love with her, that you're meant to be the hopeless romantic - but she beats you to it.

"I want to see the future you told me about. One without pain, where everything is just one never-ending fairytale. I want a gallant, white horse to ride with you into the sunset. All those cheesy things that you love, I want all of them."

Her hold on you tightens. There is a constant, loud booming sound, like a dying star, that makes your ears hurt but Vertin's voice rises above it. Your grip on her is just as desperate.

"And I don't want to say goodbye to anyone ever again."

It's the end of an era, you can feel yourself dissipating, being pulled apart from inside out by time itself. The tears flowing from your eyes fly upwards instead, and you only let out a choked laugh when you pull away from Vertin, just enough to see her face. She's crying just like you.

"You're so mean, even now you're calling me cheesy and making fun of me." Your voice breaks when you say this, but you still manage to keep a light-hearted tone. "Hey, Vertin?"

There's a glimmer of hope in her eyes, like she's waiting for you to say yes, to dive head-first into her suitcase and forget about this bitter moment.

"Do you think we get our happy ever after in another universe? That we'll find each other, no matter what?"

Just as you stop feeling your feet, your legs, your arms - Vertin leans forward, her forehead against yours. You hate hearing her so vulnerable and broken like this, but you still commit every detail of her face and her voice to memory.

"Yes. Yes, no matter what it takes, I'll always find you."

"Promise?"

Those are the last words you utter before the universe rips you apart and the world fades to black.

You jolt awake, feeling a suffocating pressure in your chest. It's hard to breathe, even more so now that you realize you're crying. Something shifts to your left, the sound of blankets rustling about - the sudden movement makes you flinch, still dazed in your fear.

A cold hand slips off from yours. Someone yawns and whispers your name in the faint light of dawn.

"...Deep breaths, okay? Make sure to breathe with me." Her words are rehearsed, calm. You breathe in and out as she instructs. Once you calm down, the woman next to you sits up and rests her head on your shoulder. Her long, silver locks tickle against your skin.

"Feeling better, love?"

Almost on instinct, your hand reaches out for hers, now tracing circles on her bare forearm. No more "Storms", no more orange numbers, no more goodbyes.

"Yeah, it was just a... dumb nightmare. Thanks for the help."

This is your happy ever after. You turn just enough to kiss the top of her head and smile into her hair when she yawns again. That one is contagious, you yawn as well, feeling much more relaxed.

"Mhm...Oh, your breath smells like the leftovers we ate for dinner."

"Vertin! Way to ruin the moment!"

[just-me-venting-cause-life-sucks]

Oh god, now I'm thinking about the overlap between Diggers(especially with his Manus Vindictae garment) and Horropedia...

I mean... I've thought about it before, I just didn't post about it.

We all know that Horropedia grew up in the SPDM (aka, the school that the St. Pavlov Foundation is controlling), and we know from watching Vertin's experience that it is not a nice place to grow up in.

Likewise, Diggers is a student of Manus Vindictae. Although, we don't know for how long, it's most likely only been about as long as Regulus has been working with Vertin(ie. Not as long as Horropedia). But, the fact he is an arcanist means that he did have to go through some good old prejudice from humans, because humans tend to have very closed mindsets, and humans don't like arcanists.

They both have an affinity for math, Horropedia using geometry to his advantage in his attacks and Diggers is currently studying mathematics as part of his being a student for the Manus and all that.

They also really enjoy art, although they have different tastes. Horropedia stays up until sunrise just so he can make time for enjoying horror stories. Diggers is a night owl who canonically does graffiti and plays guitar in his spare time.

They are also very rebellious, although their rebellion is mostly just wanting more freedom and control over their lives.

They want the people around them to be happy, and know that they care, and remember them...

And then people are driven away because of how annoying they can be.

We need them to hang out more often. Can the rest of the fan community help make them hang out more often?

[the-blossica-fan]

*Takes a swig of Root Beer and shoves two dark chocolate Lindors down*

Sonnetto chooses to join with Vertin and the others in the breakaway incident, but instead of Vertin being the only one left standing it's Sonnetto, much to everyone's shock and horror. Sonnetto becomes the Timekeeper.

How screwed up is the timeline of events over this?

*Takes root beer away from you*

You are banned from the silly club, get out.

I may need some help from my emotional support smart mutual @ihaveforgortoomany for this 😞

I can imagine things would be wildly different when it comes to the start of the game, recruiting Regulus, meeting Schneider and stuff.

Sonetto is more logical with what she does, which is a complete difference from Vertin's easy-going attitude. She finds it harder to win over people the same way Vertin does because she tried to think logically, as the foundation intended.

I don't think it changes much during her period as the Timekeeper before meeting Regulus. I think she tries even harder to fit in what the foundation tells her to be, and becomes disheartened because she can't save anyone inside the suitcase that would have belonged to her classmate.

Thus, her story of recruiting Regulus goes wrong, as she doesn't think outside the box.

It could be a great turn having Sonetto convince Regulus to join, because it also means Sonetto starts to think differently from the foundation to get someone like Regulus in her team. It also takes convincing from Mr. APPLe who doesn't seem to mind Sonetto.

Then there's Schneider, who didn't cause any harm to Sonetto just because she's also an arcanist, but didn't have any intent on helping her out because, well, not her type of person.

I feel like the first chapter is Sonetto breaking off from the rules the foundation has given her to be able to win over other people and make them join her team.

Sotheby didn't need much convincing after all, she's Sonetto's good friend, but finding a solution to Druvis' problems is harder.

I think Schneider is more useful for talking during this than Sonetto is. Her team is messy, Regulus doesn't trust her much, Sotheby doesn't change much just like Mr. APPLe, Schneider seems to do it out of pity and Druvis has a harder time believing a small little foundation puppy.

I do think Arcana finds her more entertaining than Vertin. A foundation puppy in such a big world, slowly unveiling and letting go of her past to the future walking right to her palm. Impulsive and following the rules, unable to think outside the box while relying on a traitor to understand things from a different perspective.

Forget-me-not doesn't change at all. His arc doesn't revolve around the Timekeeper, he's an enemy but not tied to Sonetto. Still as antagonistic as ever, but to Druvis.

Saving Miriam goes almost exactly the same, but now the things deviate when Sonetto stays with Schneider and the others go find more help for the timekeeper.

Green Oranges scene might not even exist if I'm being honest. Sonetto is not as emotionally involved with Schneider, same from the other person. It's more of a "Will I or Will I not" kind of situation.

Will Sonetto join Manus Vindictae to save Schneider, a stranger she doesn't have a deep connection with, and herself? Will she run away?

Can she even follow Schneider's plan and shoot her and survive the shoots received in return?

If Sonetto joins and does shoot Schneider, her body might not handle the shoots received in return like our other Timekeeper who left unfazed. But if she doesn't, she might have a chance to run away with Schneider... Not too far.

There's nowhere to run so it's a hide and seek game with an injured person and being helped by another traitor, Druvis.

It's quite complicated to think how much the relationships may change. Druvis trusts Sonetto because of her unwavering loyalty, but Schneider is barely involved there if not because of her sister Miriam.

And Sotheby, Miriam and Mr. APPLe are outside without a leader to tell them what to do, if they should go in an attack or go back and plan a strategy.

[sleeplesssmoll]

Reverse1999 Anon Response

Anon inspired me with some great questions so I wrote an essay. Love doing this stuff!

1. I’m not sure I understand Vertin’s goal in the prologue. She wanted to see if her suitcase would save Regulus, but wasn’t that a huge gamble that could have cost Regulus her life if it didn’t work? Wouldn’t it have been safer to let Sonetto take her back to the Foundation, which would guarantee her safety? I just can’t see Vertin risking someone’s life like that.

This is a very good question that made me think too! It also gave me a chance to analyze my beloved Timekeeper again so I appreciate it. The simplest answer would be Vertin believes in living rather than just surviving. Now for the essay because I can't help myself.

We can see this with her speech to Druvis during dinner with Manus Vindictae where she challenges if the rowan branch is truly alive. With that in mind, her speech with Arcana sheds more light into why Vertin would take such a risk. When Arcana asks about the wellbeing of the arcanists Vertin rescued, Vertin admits that they're suffering. They end up in asylums. They desert the Foundation and she doesn't see many of them again. Some take their own lives. Those who are alive live in misery and stagnation. Like Druvis's rowan branch, are they truly alive? Going back further, Baby Vertin believed there was more to life than simply living back then too. She was the bellwether who led the break away event because of her ambition.

Vertin has tried to save people from this fate numerous times. She doesn't want to lose her friends to the Storm nor does she want them to lose their freedom under the Foundations control. She's seen time and time again the suffering caused by watching eras disappear. These arcanists lose everything and then they lose their freedom or their minds once they are shackled by the Foundation.

This brings us to Regulus. We can assume she's had her eye on Regulus for some time but the pirate is very hard to track down as we can see from all her adventures. She mentions listening to Regulus on the radio when she mentions the “two moons” thing. Regulus is not only a rebellious arcanist, she's a larger than life soul who wants to live her life to the fullest. In a way, she and Vertin are of like minds. I think Vertin already planned on confronting Regulus before the Storm. It might be why she was summoned when Sonetto screwed up the ritual in the beginning. She was already nearby. She mentions that she was looking for Regulus at one point too. If Manus Vindictae didn't blow up her ship and the Foundation wasn't hot on her heels, maybe Regulus would have met Vertin under different circumstances.

Nonetheless, Vertin took advantage of the confusion to speak with Regulus.

Regulus is exactly the type of person who'd make the perfect candidate because she refuses to be bound by rules and is an arcanist. She has both the mentality and capability Vertin needs. She did try to inform Regulus of her plan but the puppy appeared! This is important because from what we've seen, Vertin usually informs people about her thought process and ideas (like with Druvis and Schneider). However, in this instance she didn't get the proper chance.

Now this part is sneaky but I understand her where she's coming from even if I don't agree. There was enough time (roughly 10 min or so) to make it one of the Foundation's buildings which are immune to the Storm. Sonetto made it to the buildings. At this moment, Vertin decides to take Regulus into the Suitcase instead of sending her off with Sonetto. She did in fact risk Regulus's life. Perhaps in her mind Regulus would either be lost like the others she “rescued”, or reversed. However, there is a chance for the pirate captain to be free if her theory works. I don't think it's right that she made that choice for Regulus, however she does come clean and explains in entirety why she did it. She thanks Regulus for helping her in her “experiment.”

While we know now Regulus would probably make that choice herself if she knew everything she does now since she is the “live freely or not at all” type, it doesn't make it right. We can try to rationalize it by saying things like “Regulus would run away from Sonetto again and get reversed anyway” or “She didn't have time to explain”. But the fact remains that Vertin chose to take a bigger chance with her experiment than she doesn't know will work. The Foundation is proven protection from Reversa which is why it is the safer option.

Vertin is not perfect and even she gets desperate. Throughout the rest of the chapters we do see her explaining everything from her thought process to how she feels about situations. That being said, I 100% believe Vertin has conflicting feelings about it. Just because she made that choice and everything worked out, doesn't mean it's right. I think most people have done something knowing that it's not a great choice for various reasons. For example, out of fear, anger, or hurt. Btw, if you want to read something interesting, check out this impression on the Venomous Psychube. It is a frog. If my theory about Psychubes being reflections of Vertin's thought process is accurate, this makes the impression hurt more lol:

The dark night peeks through itself, leading to a secret delight. Along with scream and whine, the familiar death arrives as it has foretold, bringing a swamp of corpses.

2. Speaking of which, how did Sonetto get back safely without a floppy disc? She must have been quite far from the Foundation?

I briefly touched on this but I think they were relatively close to the building. Vertin is the one who made the call to take the risk with Regulus rather than send her off with Sonetto and into the Foundation's hands.

3. What do you think Vertin thinks of Sonetto post chapter 4?

In chapter 1 Vertin helping Sonetto felt like she did it out of a sense of duty and because she wanted to enlist Regulus in her experiment. After Sonetto gets assigned to her and experiences the Storm, Vertin gets much softer. You can see she genuinely feels responsible for Sonetto and then that extends to the others she invites into her Suitcase.

I think the two will be closer. Sonetto fought for not only her in chapter 4, but for those lost in the Storm. She challenged the Foundation. She made the people who turned down Schneider and many others face justice. Sonetto is coming into her own and while she can't turn her back on those who raised her, she will not give up her future because of them. Idk if this counts, but if you raise the bond with Sonetto you see she gets more comfortable asking for things or bringing up things she wants to do. For Vertin who likes to share experiences with others since she was a kid, I think that would be a nice change from her watching people vanish and leaving her alone to do it all again. She has a constant and curious puppy now. I'm only half-joking when I call Sonetto the emotional support puppy. I think we will see her have more effect on Vertin as the story goes.

These questions have motivated me to take a look at the different influences Sonetto and Schneieder have on Vertin. Its something I noticed while back tracking. Thank you for sending these questions!

[just-1-scorpio]

Theories about Arcana

Warning spoilers!!!

So I think we know that Arcana was defeted, by being nuked. And how Igor declared that she is dead. But is she really dead?

In the To The New World, when we talk to Druvis there is a option to tell her that Arcana was defeated, but she is sceptical. She says that to defeat an entety like her, first you need to understand her intentionds. The purpose to Manus Vindictae is clear, but Arcana's is a mystery acording to what Druvis tells Vertin. Then she tells her that during the time she speant in Manus Vindictae Arcana didn't seen to clear about anything. And in Sophia's flashback, Arcana tells her that she will die today.

So I have two theories.

The first one is that she is trying to become a legend or a type of holy figure.

Manus Vindictae looks partially to be a cult as well as a terrorist organisation. They refer to Arcana as the "Guiding One", and one of the number people who joind to Manus referd to her as "Mother". And it's pretty safe to assume that she founded Manus Vendictae. So by chosing to die by Igor's bomb, she can make herself a sort of martyr figure for the Manus Vendictae members. In the 2.2 triller we see that Sophia become the new leader of Manus Vendictae. Arcana used the situation to manipulate Sophia, who by the end of the chapter probably looks up to her. Similarly to Forget Me Not, Ms. Grace, the rest of the higher ranking Manus members, and Manus Vendictea as a whole. It's pretty safe to assume that Sophia will keep Arcana's memory alive, even if Arcana is dead, and the rest of the Manus who already probably worshiped her, will remember her, and talk about her as a martyr, and becoming holy figure to them.

2. My second theory is that she is trying to become a god.

Okey. This is posibly just me over anylising it, but I still write it down. So Arcana is pretty powerfull. The form she takes during the battle ageinst her in chapter 7, then in chapter 2. She looks more powerfull, and now she is somehow capable of creating portals, and she can use the ritual that killed, and deformd member of Laplace. She is really powerfull. The game includes mythological, and folklore elements in the game's world building. Spirits, vempaires, and the gorgon for exemple. In the greek myth of Heracles when Heracles jumps on the funeral fair, the fair burns away his moral half, and becomes a god. So what if by daing from the bomb, she become one. After the bomb, one of the opereters heard something, that Igor comfermd to be the wind, but what if it was Acrana assending into Godhood. Also this theory can go side by side with my first theory. If she has a cult that worships her before becoming a god, then that means that she will recive prayers, and offering shortly after becoming one.

3. And my last theory is that, she is a goddess.

Okey. I admit this may sounds stupid, and I probably read more into it, then it actually is in it. But let me explain.

She is powerfull. We know that. But how can she apear in multiple defrent forms like this?

Also in those forms she always has a circule around her head that kind of resemles a halo, especially in chapter 7, with that crown thing. So acording this theory, she eather survived the bomb and will eventually come back, or Igor killed a goddess.

[hammerbonk]

Going back to my R1999 Roleswap AU: How would Sonetto become the Timekeeper?

TLDR: convenient tweaking to a few minor details of Chapter 3💀

CW for long paragraphs, progressively more incoherent rambling and Chapter 3 spoliers

One important thing to note is that while characters switch roles, they retain their personalities.

So baby Vertin is still curious, rebellious and a gremlin even though she grows up to be an investigator (and later Sonetto’s assistant). Baby Sonetto is still devoted, disciplined and hardworking even though she grows up to become the Timekeeper.

This complicates things a little as Vertin became the Timekeeper because Madam Z saw with her own eyes that she was immune to the Storm. However, Sonetto would never choose to run into the Storm, especially at the time of the Breakaway Incident. So what if she felt like she had to?

I think what I’ll do is make it so that Chapter 3 plays out almost identically, except for a few convenient tweaks at the very end. Sorry guys

So it’s still Vertin who sets up the little club, plans the Breakaway Incident, gets her classmates in on it etc. Sonetto and Lilya still meet the Breakaway Gang in the tunnel at the end of Chapter 3.

However, when Vertin is hesitating at the doorway, Lilya recovers and pulls her away from the door before she can go outside. I think with her being a Zeno pilot, she must know something about the Storm right? Or did the Foundation cover things up so hard at the time that not even their department knew about it? Let’s just pretend that Zeno knows about the Storm 😭

While Vertin’s held back, Sonetto, like the sheepdog she is, runs after her classmates, desperate to bring the straying flock back inside. However, she’s too late, and she watches them all disappear before her eyes.

This would be when Madam Z goes ‘Sonetto, do you want to be the Timekeeper?’ And then everything would cut like how it does in Chapter 3

After this, Sonetto would be trained as the Timekeeper shortly after graduation (I assume Vertin got trained after graduation? Im basing this off of the artificial somnambulism dream so i might be wrong). Vertin would most likely rot in the guardhouse for a while before being put on a very tight leash until her graduation.

Now im going to go on a little tangent about Vertin. Being put on much stricter regulations at SPDM, her arcanum may become better than it is in canon. This could qualify her to start training as an investigator after graduation. As she’s going into the most dangerous line of work, this is perceived as her ‘turning over a new leaf’ and ‘realising her duty to mankind’. Her true reasoning behind this is that she still has that curiosity for the outside world, and missions would be the best way to sate that.

However, since she doesn’t really have the devotion to the Foundation that Sonetto does, I highly doubt she gets promoted to Head Investigator. Design-wise, she’d probably look like another masked Foundation grunt. But she does have really good charisma and leadership skills so like hmmmm. ok rambling over

WAIT. I NEED TO REHAUL MATILDA AND HOW SHE DIES AS WELL UGH

AND I NEED TO REHAUL SCHNEIDER. LIKE ALL OF HER.

AND I NEED TO FIGURE OUT IF THE SUITCASE GANG, MANUS VINDICTAE ETC WOULD ALL SWAP BETWEEN THEMSELVES AUGHHWBWISHFQQBMA

[shootertron-stuff]

Patriotism and the banality of evil

A child writing a letter of support to her local Black Legion warband with a blood candy bar attached. The letter thanks the brave Space Marines for their service and has a crude drawing of the eight point Eye of Horus.

Sometimes a child attaches a piece of jerky or a shelf-stable curry pouch instead.

A Beastman village baking flatbreads for a traitor guard regiment about to embark on a Black Crusade and be atrociously evil. Each flatbread has the hoofprints of the breadmaker on it.

A school in Black Legion territory having an assembly celebrating "our brave freedom fighters", complete with flag waving.

Schools in the Eye of Terror teach galactic history framing the Black Legion as liberators and freedom fighters, both from the Imperium and other legions.

Chaos cultists descended from populations expelled by the Imperium during the Great Scouring telling their kids how "we suffered", to keep the flame of Vindicta alive.

Adoring fans of the Black Legion swooning as Space Marines hand out flowers during a military parade.

Black Legion-aligned chefs making a gigantic plate of hummus with the Black Legion emblem on it (made of toppings such as herbs and olives). The chefs insist it is noble and heroic as opposed the barbaric hummuses of the enemies of the Black Legion that contain corpse starch or will give you food poisoning.

Two traitor guardsmen take a picture in front of a lucky windchime, pledging on the strength of their love as they head into battle. The photo has a glow and sparkle filter and text overlayed on it with the corniest text effect possible.

The same couple posing on top of a body of corpses of their enemies. It's okay, they were scumbags who hated all that's good.

Chaos cultist growing up idolizing her warband leader, urging him to divorce his Imperial Fist wife after they go on a rampage and killed a bunch of civilians trying to run away from their abusive husband. Somebody's jealous.

Chaos cultists hearing about bad things the Black Legion did and it only makes them more patriotic, to the point they mock the victims.

Chaos cultist children collecting Black Legion GI Joes and trading cards depicting notable commanders and scientists.

Towns putting up gigantic "Welcome Home Space Marines" and "welcome home brave soldiers" billboards when their kids come to visit. There will be a gigantic welcome home party!

Traitor guardsmen visiting children at the hospital. The children hope the guardsmen have a good war and kill lots of people.

Black Legion Wounded Warriors program funded by civilians helping guardsmen with lifechanging injuries. Each year the program gets a flood of donations.

[linaket]

a wip intro for

Mortal Teeth

(this is... incomplete and barely here, but I don't have a lot for this one right now... even though it is now my main project. It's mostly still vibes and half a rough outline. I'll probably make a "proper" introduction when I've got a bit more to go on. I usually refer to this one as "MT" or "teeth wip.")

genre // fantasy, post-apocalyptic other world.

featuring // mm romance, free range eldritch creatures that sometimes control the weather.

pov // third person close, multiple POVs

status // planning / zero drafting

premise // an ex-soldier on a revenge quest teams up with a manic pixie nightmare guy who is far more than he seems.

Characters

Valor Marik // A former member of the Vindicta, he deserted after the Abraxan Massacre and swore vengeance against those who orchestrated the slaughter. Since then he’s worked as a mercenary, specializing in Grave retrieval and neutralizing hostile averents while whittling away his list....

Ruse // Ruse does favors, for a cost: a favor of his choosing in return. He's established himself in the city of Petra as a something of a mythic figure, impossible to find unless he wants to be. When Varro arrives with a dangerous request, Ruse accepts the challenge. It isn't like he has anything to lose that he hasn't lost before...

(excerpt under cut. CW: guns, animal death)

Prologue

The Cataclysm wasn’t as instant as those far from its center wanted to believe.

Valor had been walking home, his air rifle in one shaking hand, the other carrying a battered white bucket of muscadines by its cracked handle. It had been harder, when he was younger, to carry the bucket. He’d needed both hands, but in the way that things can be expected, after days and months, and years, he only needed one hand for it.

The laden bucket swung with every step, the cracked handle digging into his palm where it hadn’t yet worn a callous. The rifle was heavier. He used it to scare away the nuisances that prowled the vines, firing shots close enough to send furred coons scattering or setting starlings alight. His father grumbled when the fruit were bitten, but his mothers eyes would be soft, her smile quiet, when she insisted that they needed to live, as well, and the vines produced enough to spare. Valor shot to warn, balancing his actions between his parents so that each was only half-disappointed.

It was harder to shoot to warn, but Valor was good at it now. He’d aim above a squirrels head, or off the side of a bird’s wing. He had to be close or it wouldn’t do much good. He had been lining up one such shot, his site just off the grey feathered shoulder of a pigeon, his finger easing down the trigger, when the bird took flight as the hammer dropped down. The air rifle shot small bearings, not enough force to do more than sting the calves of another person, but it slammed into the pigeon’s chest and stole its flight.

The pellet hadn’t pierced, it had crushed. Valor knelt by the fallen thing. It’s wings lashed feebly in struggle but its chest was caved, blood leaking from its beak. Tears stung his eyes as it struggled then, with his hands shaking, he pinched it’s neck until it snapped.

It was the right thing to do, he told himself. It was the right thing to do, to end its suffering. He kept telling himself that even as he clawed enough dirt away between two of the vines and lay the bird inside. He folded its wings over itself.

It had been the right thing to do, he told himself as he piled the dirt on top of it, but it didn’t feel any better. It didn’t take away the sound of the pellet’s impact, or the sight of spotted feathers drifting against the blue of the sky. He swiped away the tracks of tears that had managed to squeeze out of his eyes, and rubbed his nose on the soiled cuff of his father’s too big work shirt. Then he picked up his bucket in one hand, the rifle in the other, and headed home.

Because there was nothing Valor could undo once it was done.

[cursedtransby]

To add on to this, none of Vertin’s closest crew have other friends. It’s something Regulus explicitly calls out when they reunite after she’s been gone for at minimum four and a half WEEKS. (Elaborated under cut)

Druvis is a victim of both the racism of her era and the manipulation of the Manus Vindictae. It’s likely she will never be able to trust an institution again, especially one predicated on the same racist humanity that killed her very family. When first met in the story, she is literally alone in the woods with her plants. Her “ally” Forget-Me-Not actively brings up her trauma, and she has to witness humans dying constantly, the same type of racism that she endured after her parents died in the fire. she’s only brought out of her rut by Vertin’s resolve and promises.

Sotheby is the opposite problem. She did have a place of loving thanks to growing up in a rich family with a butler that cared for her just as much as her parents did. She gets to go on adventures with Sonetto and Vertin, but they can do nothing to stop the issues with her father figure as he slowly succumbs to the storm’s influence. She actively bawls as everything she loved goes away, including Mr. Karson and Sonetto, the only person she can consider a friend outside of Vertin.

Hell, Sonetto has more friends than the people in Vertin’s ragtag group. She at least has the foundation and their more genuine appreciation, for being a loyal puppy dog, as well as an admirer in Matilda. She has friends like Mesmer Jr. and Lilya and other foundation agents if she so chooses

The others are fish out of water, unwilling to become Foundation agents due to their morals, so they rely on the one person that brought them here and made them promises.

The only person left.

Vertin. Their only friend.

I sometimes wondered why Regulus seemed to be so okay with all the things that happened to her. I mean, she lost most of her possessions + her boat house, then survives a literal apocalypse, and finally gets enslaved recruited into a militaristic institution that treats her as a 2nd-class citizen with middling human rights.

Then it hit me; Regulus's life... kinda sucks.

I mean, prior to meeting Vertin, her only friend is a talking magical apple who is clearly the smart one between the two. She lives on a boat, possibly because Arcanists get violently discriminated against and thus, can never find a place of her own. Plus, she spends her days as a radio DJ fighting the government. She has no other friends, no true community and no home. And apparently, she's 15.

Despite the hip and glamour and charm that she carries, and her super positive vibes, she is a surprisingly sad teenage girl who just floats on by, runs away when there's trouble and is pushed around by everyone. The APPle has more independence than she does.

(Headcanon: Regulus has no other friends. Also, I love her.)