#isat carrion au

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:2 C:3]

"You okay, Sif?" (Isabeau was kneeling down in front of you. You were panting, sadness defeated, air clearing up from that sweet smell of sugar that was driving you mad. In, out. In, out. In. . .)

"I-I'm fine!" (You laugh, nervous. It had been hard to fight that sadness while struggling with your own sense of smell. Luckily, the others were able to pick up for your useless self.) "Juuuust needed a second."

"What's with your nose anyway." (Bonne asked.) "Like, mine's good but yours is weird."

"Haha, I dunno." (You get up, wiping your nose.) "Alright! I’m Good to go!"

(You lead the party out of the room, weird star thing in hand. You feel Odiles eyes on you.)

>>>

(Huh! A kitchen! You had used that star charm to pass through the wall of tears, and ended up in a kitchen! You don't question it. You do, however, smell something in the air. Something that wasn’t sweet sugar, finally.)

(You check the shelves, yep, there’s juice! You hand them to Bonnie. You look at the plates, everyone else talks about them, you're just impressed at how high it goes! Alright, enough of that, you swing past the counter to the rest of the kitchen-)

(OW!!!)

"Woah!!" (Isabeau sounds shocked.)

". . . Siffrin." (Odile looked at you.) "Did you hit your hip on the counter, and meow?"

(Uh-) "N-no-"

(Odile smirks.) "Okay, mrrow."

"MADAME?!?!?" (Mira says in shock. You all have a good laugh! Ow, that, hurt.)

(You open a closet, there's a key inside. You got the EGG KEY! You hand it to Bonnie, they chomp on it. There's a whole nice conversation about why eggs are such a THING in the Change Belief. Breaking and destroying to change. Something like that. Bonnie gives you the egg key back.)

(. . . You wonder if you can eat eggs, since they're just birds, really.)

(Looking over at the sink, there's a few things here but-)

"WOK!!!" (Bonnie exclaims.)

"W-what is it??" (Mira looks over, worried.)

"WOOOOOOK!!!!" (Bonnie grabs the Wok in the sink excitedly.)

(. . . Bonnie got a wok!! You're not exactly what a wok is, but, Bonnie has one now! You continue looking around. There's a pot of bubbling food on the stove, frozen in time.)

(You sniff at what's in the pot.) ". . . I think they were cooking, crab?"

“WHAT?!?” (Bonnie jumped up and looked in.)

“EEK!! CRAB?!?” (Mirabelle tugged on her coat.)

“W-what is happening?!?” (Odile looked between everyone, confused.)

(You were asking the same thing, the others were still shocked at the food choice! You LIKED crab! It tasted so, so, SO good!! The shells were the best part!)

>>>

(You pause on the way back, what WAS that door, anyway. The second door on the right side. You walk up to it and knock. It felt very sturdy.)

“I don’t think anyone’s home, Sif.” (Isa comments, the others chuckle.)

(You look for a lock. . . . Uh, there’s no lock?)

“Have you never seen a lock like this before, Sif? (Isabeau asks, leaning in.) “It's a special kind of Vaugardian lock! Instead of a key, it needs specific words to open!”

“Words. . ?” (Odile asks.)

“Yes, you just need to say the words aloud!” (Mira answered enthusiastically.) “I think they call it a, uh... An openphrase?”

(Openphrase? You turn to look at her.) “Do you know the openphrase for this one?”

“Uhm. . .” (She tugs on her coat.) “I don’t know, maybe, maybe the store owner in Dormont knows? I saw him walk in here a few times now.”

“Well that stinks.” (Bonnie pouted.)

“Too late to ask now!” (Isabeau smiles.) “Chin up, it’s just one room.”

(You look the door up and down. An openphrase, huh. . ?)

>>>

(Huh! An armory?)

(Looking around, yeah! It’s an armory, the row of spears proves it.)

“Why the need for an armory with weapons anyway? Does the house get attacked often?” (Odile asks, looking around.)

“Oh! Not at all! Well, apart from right now of course. But! This is just one of the many classes offered by the House of Change!” (Mirabelle happily explained.)

“The Jouvente house does this too! Most people put their weapons on a wall to look cool.” (Isabeau asks.)

“Like that?” (You ask, pointing to the sword on the wall.)

“Yeah!! Like that!!” (Isa chuckles.) “Actually, that sword does look very rapier-like. Wanna take it, Mira?”

“Hmm. . . Taking things that aren’t yours is bad. . .” (Mirabelle said innocently.) “But yes. I will take it.”

“You got over that quickly.” (Odile comments as Isabeau grabs the sword for her.)

“Nille made a hammer and put it on our wall once.” (Bonne adds.)

“Oh? What happened?” 

“Hammer too heavy. Wall broke. We had to share a room for MONTHS!”

“Tragic.”

[You got the NEEDLE SWORD! You give it to Mirabelle.]

(It’ll be fine, the people who made the sword will understand. You continue on, going to the other half of the room, then freeze. You, don’t, remember what the big metal slab is but you DO remember the big forge. Forge, used for,  making weapons, and has, okay, o-okay-)

“Iiiit’s alright, Siffrin!” (Isabeau says encouragingly.) “It doesn’t look like it’s on, plus any fire would be frozen, right?”

“Just take your time!! W-we don’t need to check over there if it’s too much, alright?” (Mirabelle adds.)

“Phobias are no joke.” (Odile turns.) “We can check again on the way back, so you can mentally prepare. And if it’s too much, we just move on.”

(You nod, hiding your head in your cloak and hat, embarrassed. . .)

>>>

(The key works!)

(You all continue through the hallways, cutting through sadness as you go. The rooms of the house did feel a bit, weird? Out of place? Not how someone would design a house? And Mirabelle confirmed it, everything was shifted around.)

(Luckily that hadn’t been a problem, yet. Continuing forward, you made it to a few dorm rooms. You decided to skip the left room for now, you could smell a lot of stuff from there and it made you nauseous. You go to the right one and look around. There was a soft bed, some paper on a wall, and a notebook with scribbles on it.)

(Looking through one of the closets, there’s a lot of arts and crafts supplies, and. . . Oh! There’s a pile of hand-drawn cards. You pick one up.)

(The card’s upside down. Turning it over, there’s a lady in a field of grapes, surrounded by nine stars. Weird.)

“Why does that pillow look so comfy…” (You look over, Isabeau was leaning over the other bed.)

“It has a strange shape, though, doesn't it?” (Odile leans down and picks the pillow up.)

“That’s. . .” (Bonnie jumps up and grabs it from Odiles hands) “That's not a pillow! THAT'S A HAT!!! JUST LIKE MINE!!!”

(Mirabelle giggled.) “First a wok now a hat! You’re really lucky today Bonbon!”

“Yeah!!” (Bonnie looks chuffed.)

(You keep looking around, next is a dresser with art books on top of it. Digging through, you find a key! You got the BROKEN EGG KEY!! You toss it up and catch it, before showing it to the others.)

(Odile put a hand on her hip.) “In someone's drawer? What a weird place for a key. . .”

(Bonnie leans up and makes grabby hands at the key. You give it.) “Definitely not a very king-like place, huh!!! That's pretty stupid of him!!!”

(Isa crosses his arms.) “I'm not sure... Hiding keys in places like drawers isn't very King-like, yeah, but it means they're harder to find since it's not a very expected place. . .” (He gestures to you dramatically.) But thankfully we have our good ol' Sif to help us find them!

“Thank you, Siffrin! Good job, Siffrin!”

“Yaay, good jooooob.”

(Odile claps her hands sarcastically, and everyone joins in. You take an overly dramatic bow.)

(You’re doing a good job!)

(You got a [Memory of Keys!] With this equipped, you’ll be able to remember exactly where keys are kept!)

>>>

(O-okay, okay, take two. You breathe in. . . And out. . . You walk into the armory.)

“We got your back Siffrin!” (Mirabelle cheers. You hide your head in your cloak, blushing.)

(Okay, it’s not even lit, just go. You walk to the other side of the room, and to the metal slab. Uh, it’s, goes with the forge. . . Uh. . .)

“An anvil, Siffrin.” (Odile offers.) “To go with the forge.”

“And the little stone is a sharpening stone!” (Isabeau adds.)

(O-oh yeah! You smile sheepishly.)

(You skip over the forge and turn around, checking the table. There’s more juices here, good. You hand them to Bonnie then quickly leave.)

“Well done Siffrin.” (Odile sounded, genuine?)

“Y-yes!! Very well done Siffrin!!” 

“We’re all really proud, Sif!” 

“I don’t get why it’s such a big deal.” (Bonnie pouts.) “It’s just a stupid forge.”

“Phobias are strange like that.” (Odile comments.) “Something that you’d expect to trigger it might not, and simple things that look innocent might make you shake. Right, Siffrin?”

(You keep your eyes down.) “Y-yeah. . Like, the torches.”

“Oh yeah!” (Isabeau looks up at the touches on the walls.) “I’ve never seen you get super skittish around candles and lamps.”

“Well it’s a small flame, high up, and is used to give light!” (Mirabelle thinks aloud as you walk.) “I guess it’s not as scary?”

“I guess that makes sense.” (Bonnie huffs.)

“And you don’t remember what caused it?” (You nod.) “That’s alright. Perhaps if we know what started your pyrophobia, we’d be able to help you get over it.”

(You glance up at Odile, smiling sheepishly. That would be nice.)

[pepperscorn]

insatiable needs

[cyten0]

A Symphony of Crimson Masterpost

Figured this is gonna have quite a few chapters, so time to make it sort-able! Will update it as time goes on.

A combination of the carrion!sif au originally by @traumaboyexo, and an Au I was working on before, to add elements of AdventureQuest World's Astravia. Only needed reading is ISAT itself!

Siffrin is dead. And has been for a long time. But Something wants to live as them. Something that hungers. Something unnatural. But they want to stay with these people. And hope that they don't hurt them...

But Monsters rarely get what they want.

[Dialogue Symbol Key]

Asks are recommended! Feel free to ask away! Change and Equinox will happily deliver said asks to the party. You can also ask the Scale questions, as they have tech to talk to Change!

#Symphony!Asks is the tag I use for ask questions.

Character Ref and art: [Siffrin? and Loop] [The Scale] [A fallen star]

[Scale voice ref]

The following are links to the chapters released on tumblr, which are outdated or innacurate somewhat. The accurate version is on AO3, but these are kept as an archive of old writing choices!

[Prelude]

Act 1: Movement in Black

Ch: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18][19] [20] [21] [22] [?]

Act 2: Movement in White (Optimally read A-B, A-B)

A Side: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [8]

B Side: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Interludes and Misc moments

[End of a World]

[traumaboyexo]

The Carrion Sif Au (Pending better name). Expect writing for this in the future from me.

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:2 C:5]

[Small text = Essentialy unchanged dialog from normal ISAT]

---

“Heya, stardust! How can I help you on this wonderful new loop?”

(How CAN they help you? Questions questions. . .) “So, last loop.”

“Big rock trap again, huh?” (Loop closed their eyes and wagged a finger.) That's what happens when you don't look hard enough, stardust!”

(Urgh.) "Hard to see things with one eye."

“Yeah, I know. You'll miss things no matter what, especially with your sight reduced. You shouldn't feel bad. You can loop back and look everywhere again, after all!!!”

(That was... a surprisingly nice thing to say. They have a point, you can’t exactly smell out a key after all, you just need to look again.) 

“I'm always nice, stardust!” (They wink at you.) “. . . . .”

(. . . . ?)

“. . . Anything else, Stardust?” 

(Questions, questions. . .) “. . . Why Stardust?”

(Loops near permanent grin faded for a moment.) “. . . Because you're still here, alive, after everything.”

(Still here?) “After everything?”

(Loop instantly went back to their cheeky facade.) “After going splat under that giant rock of course! Plus it’s cute, My little Stardust~ Cutie patootie Stardust~”

(Ew, but. . .) “You can say you don’t want to answer, it’s fine.”

“But it's so much fun to annoy you instead! Distracting people with puns and jokes is the best way to evade stupid questions.”

(Yeah, you can relate.)

>>>

(Gardening room, second time around getting all the tonics. This time you’re sure to compliment the little dying plant to make Mirabelle happy, and, out of pure curiosity, check where you got the Garden Scissors last time. Just like last time, the world seemed to skip, and it disappeared.)

(As you squeeze through the room to get the last of the tonics, you realize, not for the first time, that everyone unconsciously makes sure to not touch you any more than necessary.)

(. . . It's not the best feeling, but there must be a reason they're not touching you, since everyone’s has, so you leave it alone.)

>>>

(. . . . . Aw stars.)

(There WAS a key hidden in there. It was taped to the underside, so you missed it before. . .You blinding idiot. . . You found the ROCK KEY, fitting. You put it in your pocket.)

(Stupid.)

>>>

(After a quick walk and a key in a lock, you made it to the House library. Stars, it looks like there’s a lot to look at here! Going to the first bookshelf, you gently touch the back of a Vaugardian tragedy you remember liking.)

(Isabeau saw.) “Aw, don't worry Sif, you'll be able to see some plays soon!”

“. . .” (Bonnie shuffled on the spot.) “So, there's. . . There's something I've always wondered.”

“What is it, Bonnie?”

“Well, um. . . You know that stage play Frin brought us to, before we got the last Orb to open the House? In it, The main characters. . . The two men kissed on the mouth, right?”

“Ah”

“Oh gems.”

“Shush, I want to hear this.”

“And so, um. . . When people kiss on the mouth. In plays. They don't REALLY kiss, right? They have some transparent paper in between so their lips don't touch, right???”

“. . .What?”

“What.”

“UH HUH, WHAT?”

(Haha!!) "Yeah, Bonnie. They definitely have paper in between."

“Huh!! Yeah, I knew it!! No one would ever kiss someone on the mouth in a play! Not in front of everyone!!!”

(Isabeau laughed.) “Not in front of everyone!!!!”

“Oh, that's really good.” (Odile chuckled.) “Boniface, this is why you're my favorite.”

“Woohoo!”

(Continuing on, there’s a few other bookcases, the librarian, and a very, very thick book on fishing. Odile takes it. One of the bookshelves is filled with notebooks of all shapes and sizes. They look all out of place; you point it out to Mirabelle.)

“Oh! They're diaries, Siffrin!”

(Odile raises an eyebrow.) “Diaries? in a library??”

“Oh right! you guys do that in Dormont too!” (Isabeau holds up a hand as he talks.) So you know how our belief encourages change, right? Sometimes, when people change, they might not feel any attachment to the people they were before, or want that person to disappear.”

“So some Houses let you donate items that remind you too much of who you were, Like diaries! It's about history! Being able to pick up a diary written by someone a very long time ago? It’s fun!” (He put his hands on his hips.) “I think a lot of people actually give their diaries away so it's like. ‘Look mom, I wrote a book that's in a library’.”

“Ha! I can understand that, then.” (Odile nods.) 

(The idea of anyone reading your deepest, darkest thoughts, even years in the future, completely removed from you. . . Gross!!! You didn’t want anyone reading your thoughts, stars you didn’t want to read your own thoughts!! They’re gross!!)

(Once again, Vaugarde is weird. But also you love drama, so you happily pick the gaudiest, sparkliest diary you see.)

“Oh, this one looks fairly recent!” (Mira takes the book.) We could read a little bit. . . Like, a tiny bit.” 

“Sure.” (You shrug.) “Why not?”

“We do not have time. . .” (Odile gives a half shrug.) “. . . Is what I would usually say, but I'd also love to think about boring, mundane, everyday problems for a bit.

“Belle, pick a page!!!”

“I-I'm reading again? Okay, hmmm. . .” (Mirabelle started flipping through the diary while all of you huddled close to listen.)

"Mom told me to clean my room today. I HATE CLEANING MY ROOM!!! MY ROOM ISN'T EVEN DIRTY!! WHY DOESN'T SHE UNDERSTAND!!!!!!! Urgh. Also, Dad said a big boat showed up with a lotta weird people on it? And then when mom and dad were talking about it they realized they couldn’t say the name of the island north of Vaugarde anymore? I tried to say it yesterday and I got like the WEIRDEST headache for HOURS. Might trick my friends into saying it tomorrow."

(The rest is just doodles of a little girl laughing uproariously.)

(Odile adjusts her glasses and thinks for a moment.) “Ah, the island north of Vaugarde, I remember when it happened. . . Well, remember isn’t the right word, is it? That sort of event wouldn’t exactly be easy to miss.”

“I think uhm, I think my village was really close to it. My sister said it got super busy with people showing up.” (Bonnie shrugs.) “I was really young though, so I don’t remember it.”

“Oh it’s just so frightening. . .” (Mirabelle hugged the diary close.) “All of those people showing up out of the blue, lost, confused, looking like they just came out of a terrible nightmare. . . I’m glad your sister didn’t get caught up in that, Bonnie!”

“. . . Yeah. . .” (Bonnie sulks down, looking away.)

“. . .”

“. . .”

“. . .”

“. . . Uhm That country's name. . . What was it's name again?” (Bonnie asks, looking up again.)

“Oh, I think it was something like--”

“DONT!”

“SAY IT!!!”

“CRAB!!!!!”

“NYEHEHEHEHEHE!!!!”

(. . . . . Huh! What an interesting diary entry! Anyways, on to the next bookshelf. Looking through this one, there was a book that caught your eye. “Effort: The Key To Meaningful Change.” You open the book, and yep! You take the PAPER KEY. Pretty on the nose hiding place.)

(You pause for a second as you’re leaving, looking at one of the walls. It’s fake. It’s a fake wall. You KNOW it’s a fake wall. You can feel a slight breeze coming from the wall, which means there’s a space behind it. You double check it, nothing. Triple check, nothing. Stars you KNEW it was a fake wall but. . . .)

(. . . You give up. It’s probably not important anyways.)

>>>

(Time to explore the right side!)

(Going through, you breezed through a classroom, but there wasn’t much of note. A few tonics, some books and papers from kids, nothing too interesting. But as you continued down the hall, you had to pause as you turned a corner. You smelled the air.)

(It was getting sweet again, sugary sweet, really, really sickly sugary sweet. You made a face.)

“I-is everything okay, Siffrin?”

(Uh,) “I think one of those strong sadness is coming up, like from before?”

“Oh!!”

“Will you be alright, Sif?”  (Isabeau asks.)

“Yes, we don’t want you to have another coughing fit now, do we?”

“‘Frin Should put a clothes pin on their nose, then they’ll be UNSTOPPABLE!!!”

“HAHA!! TOO TRUE!!”

(You smile softly at the banter, you had yet to go through the first weird sadness fight without a coughing fit. It was just too sweet.) “I’ll be fine, promise.”

(Although, something to clog your nose wasn’t a bad idea. You filed the idea away for later and continued on, stopping at a door where the smell was strongest. You put a hand on the handle, and another on your dagger. Looking back, everyone else was ready, too. You open the door.)

(Aha! Just as you thought! Mirabelle stands side-by-side with you as you tug your cloak over your nose.) “A sadness!”

“Another weird-smelly one!!”

“Like the one that gave us a crest?”

“Wait, Siffrin, how were you able to-”

(Odile is interrupted by Nostalgie turning to the party.)

“N-no time, madame! Let’s get ready!!”

(You snap your fingers, [MAKE UP THE TIME], your wispy tendrils of craft energy boosting your allies just like last time. Mirabelle followed up by holding her hands up, and discs of light burst from them, and passed through you and your allies. Strength AND speed! Nice!)

“The last one was paper type.” (Odile thinks.) “Let’s see if there’s a pattern.” (She holds up her paper sign, and geometric shapes form around her palm before flying at the Sadness, but glances off, leaving only small scratches.)

(The Nostalgie didn’t like that, it seems, so it charged right back at Odile and slashed at her, making her stumble back to a knee. Isabeau didn’t miss a beat, and ran in with a rock sign! A ghostly hand covered Isa’s own and he used it to pound the Nostalgie.)

(It didn’t take long after that, you tagged back to Isabeau for a follow up, Mira healed Odile, who then used another rock skill. All it took was a couple extra hits and it was good as gone. As soon as it collapsed to the ground, you did, too, gasping for air.)

“Woah Sif, careful, the air isn’t going anywhere.” (Isabeau kneels down next to you.) “Need a minute?”

(You nod, and keep breathing, eventually standing up again. Mira hands you a tissue, you blow your nose.) “. . . Thanks, sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, Siffrin.” (Odile reassures,) “Although, I am still curious about how you’re able to tell the scent of a specific sadness.”

(You shrug.) “It was, just really strong?”

“. . . . . . . . . I see.” (She's looking at you.) “I did not smell a thing. Are you sure there is no other reason?”

(You smile with your eyes tilted in a confused way.) “Not, that I know of???”

“Hmm.” (She looks away, thinking.) 

“. . . . Ssssmellology?” (Isabeau tries.)

“It's called Aromachology, and no.” (She shakes her head.) “Now may we please continue?”

(Yes please. You lead the party out.)

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:2 C:4]

(Key time!)

(You open the door leading to the next floor. There were some stairs leading up, the smell of sugar growing a little stronger. Once you could see over the top of the stairs, you saw a large sadness blocking the way!)

“A sadness!!” (Mirabelle exclaims, you all run up to a few feet in front of it.)

“It seems to be guarding the rest of the house from us.” (Odile squinted at the sadness.)

“It feels strong, way stronger than any of the others!!” (Bonnie held their new wok in both hands, standing back.)

“Get ready, everyone!!!” (Isabeau took a stance.)

(Boss time!!)

(You snap your fingers and hold out your craft sign, [Make up the time]! Thin tendrils of craft energy radiate from your scissors sign and wash over you and your allies legs. You and your allies' speed increased!)

“Big ball head.”

“BIG BALL HEAD!!”

“Wait, something’s happening!” (Mirabelle paused her attack, a scissors sign flashed on the ball.) “Was that. . .”

“Scissors sign, huh?” (Isabeau squints.) “Does it mean something?”

“Well we can probably assume that’s its current craft type.” (Odile gives you a cheeky look.) “If you ever need a reminder which one it is, Siffrin, just ask.”

(Great, thanks Odile. Mirabelle holds out her signs and little discs of light encircled you and the others, boosting your strength!)

“Guess it’s my time to shine then!” (Isabeau dashed in, craft energy crackling around his fists as he [SMASH!!]ed the big boss sadness. Odile followed up with her own craft skill, [Rock III]).

(You smirk, this was gonna be easy.)

>>>

“Welcome back, Stardust! How can I help you on this wonderful new loop~”

(Well that was embarrassing, stars. . . You lost track of the craft type about halfway through the fight, and didn’t want to bother Odile for a reminder. You tried fighting it, got hit wrong, and it just snowballed into, well. . . Well, you were back again. So, questions. . . Questions. . .)

“How come I can see where the keys are?”

“Whaaaaaat? You caaaaaaan? How can that beeeeeeee~?” (Loop giggled behind their hand.)

(You squint.) “Is it, thanks to you?”

“Maybe~ I figured you already had so much to remember, you don’t need to worry about where a silly little key is.” (They lean in close, head resting on hands.) “No need to thank me~”

(You pinch the bridge of your nose and sigh.) “Are you getting on my nerves on purpose?”

“Yes, I actually manufactured this personality especially to get on your nerves, stardust!”

(Great. You shake your head. They were doing a really good job.)

“Anything else I can help you with, Stardust~?”

(Questions, questions. . .) “Do you think I could eat some of the frozen food in the house?”

“Oh I don’t know, how about you go and find out~!” (They giggle, then tilt their head.) “Why, getting hungry while saving the world?”

(Um. . .) “Maybe? I always wanted to try crab.”

“Crab?!?! Oh my STARDUST!! Don’t let your little housemaiden hear you saying things like that!!! Just WHAT will she say!!”

(Right. . .) “I’m just curious. . .”

“Don’t worry Stardust, I’m sure your little cook has quite the meal prepared for you!”

(Yeah, you bet.)

>>>

“Just a little more!!” (Mirabelle shouted as you dashed in and slashed with your dagger.) “I-I think we nearly beat it!!”

(Take two against the big ball head, and this time you didn’t get distracted. You weaved back jus in time to dodge its counterattack.)

“GO GO GO SIF GO!!!!!” ([YOUR TURN!!] You hear Isabeau shout, heh, you were about to end this, you held out your scissors sign and wispy slashes appeared across the sadness.)

(Jackpot!! You all take the moment and charge, and in one coordinated blow, the sadness is sliced into dozens of little pieces. You stumble back, panting, and then, you breathe in, and out.)

“CRAB YEAH!!!” (Bonnie cheered.) 

“We did it. . . !”

“Alright, let’s keep moving.”

(Adrenaline was rushing through your veins like white hot iron. Your heart buzzed, your legs twitched, ready to chase down whatever was next. No, calm down, stars Siffrin get ahold of yourself. You shake your head clear, and step forward. Leading the charge.)

>>>

“Okay, who wants snacks? I have SNACKS!!!!” (Bonnie ran over excitedly.) “Today, I have many snacks at your disposal. I have. . . Some PLANTAIN CHIPS!!!!”

(Bonnie presents a bundle of chips.)

“Oooh, did you use the last of those not-bananas to make them?” (Mirabelle asks.)

“Yes. Yes I did.” (Bonnie grinned.) “Crunchy. Delicious. And full of potassium. That's plantain chips!!!”

(You all clap. You never really like plantains, but they looked nice.)

“Second snack is. . . Some boring but delicious cookies!!!”

“Great sales pitch, Bonbon.” (Isabeau chuckles.) “Boring but delicious. Cookies, the taste of home.”

(Bonnie squinted at him.) “What kinda home is boring but delicious? Za, you're weird.”

(Isa just coughed into a hand. The cookies looked. . . Okay? You could smell the chocolate from here though, and it was tempting.)

“And for our third and final snack, we are proud to present. . . Some, uh. . . O-gi-ni-ri.”

“Onigiri.” (Odile corrects.)

“O-ri-ni-gi.”

“Onigiri.”

“Onion-geeree.”

“You messed that one up on purpose.”

“Yes!!!!!” (Bonnie cheekily laughed.) “I made a bunch, AND ‘Frin can have ‘em!!”

“Did you add some ‘Frin-compatible surprise then?” (Isabeau smiled.) “How thoughtful! You can eat rice, right, Sif?”

(You nod.) “Mhm, it’s not really filling, though. I think. “

“It’s not nutritious, but you can eat it without intestinal issues?” (Odile suggests. You nod.) “Fascinating. That opens up quite a few meal ideas, right, Boniface?”

(The kid cheered.) “YEAH!! Rice. I. Love. Rice.”

“You and every other kid on this planet, Boniface.”

(It’s nice that Bonnie looked out for you so much, even at what was maybe the end of the country. All the snacks looked delicious!)

“Now it’s time!!! To!!! Choose!!!” (Bonnie pumps their fists up excitedly.) 

“I’d love some Onigiri, Bonnie.” (You ask politely. Bonnie puts a few in your hand.)

“Here!! You!!! Go!!!”

(You open your mouth, about to take a bite, but pause. Sniff, sniff. . .) “. . . Beeeeef?”

“YEAH!!!” (Bonnie looks excited.) “I remember ‘Dile put a plum in there before but I wanted you to have some so I tried it with beef!!”

“How. . . Interesting.” (Odile looks suspiciously at the onigiri.)

(You take a bite. The rice dissolves in your mouth, and as soon as you hit the beef at the center you feel your shoulders relax. So, SO tasty!!)

“Is it good” (Bonnie looks at you all expectantly.)

(There’s a long pause. Odile is very good at hiding her expression.) “. . . . . . . .”

“. . . It’s okay ‘Dile, I know you’re old and not the biggest fan of change so! I made you a plum one!!”

“. . . Thank you.” (Odile takes the onigiri.)

(You gobble up the onigiri, savoring every last bite. You close your eye for a second, savoring it.)

“. . . S-so did you like it? Did I do good as snack leader?” (Bonnie has big shining eyes. You nod.)

“Yeah, this is good.”

“Mhm!”

“. . . . . . . .”

(. . . . . . . Oh no. DON’T MAKE BONNIE SAD!!!) “THANK YOU SNACK LEADER FOR THIS SUPER DELICIOUS MEAL!!!”

“SOOOO GOOOOD!!!!! Thank you Bonnie!!!!!!”

“I feel so ALIVE!!! THANK you Bonnie!!”

“. . . . . .” (Odile took a second.) “. . . Mm, good food, yum yum.”

“. . . Yesssss!!!”

(You take your time, finishing up your onigiri. It tasted so, so good but you were still hungry. Less hungry, now, but still hungry. But, that’s a later problem. You lay back for a moment, just take a second, then check in with everyone, then onwards and upwards.)

>>>

(Second floor!)

(You had just investigated the gardening room, and before that met a housemaiden frozen in time. Mirabelle had a bit of a moment, but, you had to continue. If you wanted to unfreeze them, you have to beat the King, after all. And each step through the halls brought you closer and closer to that goal.)

(The hall turned to the right, with a door on the wall in front of the turn. Well, in you go!)

“O-oh! It’s the Head Housemaidens office!” (Mirabelle jumps in.) 

“Someone like her definitely has some good stuff, right? Like keys! Or snacks!!!”

“Or information. Let's look around.”

(You do just that, big desk first. You open the drawers and start rummaging around, listening to your party as you look.)

(The Head Housemaiden. In charge of, well, everything here. Makes sure everyone’s happy, everyone’s healthy, that the kids get educated, houses get repaired, organising events, all of it. All on her shoulders, and on top of that is great at crafts too! Stars, you could never imagine doing something that complicated. The Head Housemaiden was supposed to defeat the King, too, but. . .)

(There’s nothing in the drawer, annoying, keep looking, there’s a childs drawings of the Head Housemaiden, random notes, a closet, bookshelf, not much. There’s some notes posted to the wall about the King.)

(Odile glances at Mirabelle.) “Why do you even call the King "the King"? Vaugarde isn't a monarchy. Isn't "King" just a title he chose?

“Yes, but he chose it. . .” (Mira says a bit awkwardly.) “Calling him something else would just be rude?”

“Yeah, that's just basic manners.” (Isabeau adds, Odile just lets it go.)

(Continuing around the room, there’s a pile of neatly sorted papers. Looking through them, there seems to be a bit of everything in here. A petition to serve more bread at lunch, notes about some recurring dream, a cheesy, mushy love letter. . . No, nothing here.)

(Welp, that was pointless. You lead the rest of the party out.)

(As you go to continue down the hall, the hairs on your neck stand up on end. You turn just in time to see a giant boulder crash down in front of the Head Housemaidens office. Blocking it off.)

“. . .”

“. . .”

“. . . There was nothing important in there, right? So this is fine?”

(Yeah, it should be fine. You lead the party on. Just a few meters down the hall sat a heavy metal door. You try the handle; locked.)

“. . . Sucks.” (You look back.) “Any idea where the key could be, Mira?”

“I’m, not sure. . .” (Mirabelle thinks, tapping her chin.) “It. . . Could. . . O-oh no.”

“Uh oh?” (Bonnie says in a questioning tone.)

“I-I, I think, I-I think it was in the head housemaiden office.”

“Uh oh!!!”

“Urgh. . .”

“I'm sorry!!! I'm sorry!!! I should've remembered, why didn't I remember!!”

“Hey, don't worry about it, Mira.” (Isabeau pat her shoulder.)

“Yes, you're not to blame here. If anything, it's Siffrin's job to look out for things.” (Odile glances at you.) 

(Hey. . .)

(You step away from the door, the others were already spitballing on how to get passed the door or the rock, what to do. . .)

(You hear a chime in your ear. Wh-)

[Hey stardust! Sorry to interrupt, but I am here in your head to beam you some amazing advice~ Did you hear that chime just now? That’s there to inform you that you are stuck in time! No matter what, you won't be able to progress further in the House in this loop.]

[Only thing you can do is find a way to loop back. Woopsies! Say, didn't you see some tears on the way here? That could work~ (Also come say hi sometime! I'm so lonely. . . Sob sob. . . Do you feel sorry for me yet. . ?)]

(. . . Great! Thanks, Loop. You look around, the others are still discussing what to do, and you could explore the rest of the house, but. . . No, looping time. While they’re distracted, you walk over to the tear and reach out.)“. . . Siffrin? What’re you-” (Mirabelle reacts too late, you touch the tear.)

[vulpixisananimal]

Carrion!Sif AU, Chapter 2

ACT 2, The Smell

(You wake up.)

(. . . What.)

(You, you were checking for traps in the hallway and couldn't see, smell, feel anything until the very last second and then-)

"Siffrin!"

(It was Mirabelle. She walked up you you just like last time and just like then just started, taking to you!)

"Good morning! Or, w-" >>> "-but not too long!"

(You stared at Mirabelle as she walked off. The scent of that soap she used even stronger than last time. She, she said the same thing, same exact thing?!? But, but wait you- How- how did-)

(Did you-)

(DID YOU JUST DIE?!?!?!)

(You did!! You must have!! You just walked into that hall and said everything was fine and you died!!! You didn't see anything!! Smell anything!! AND YOU STILL DIED?!?!)

(You're USELESS!!! It's your JOB to find traps and you DIED!!! You didn't even get a glimpse of the King and you just got squished flat!!! STUPID, STUPID STUPID!!!)

(AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(Okay you're over it now.)

(You sit up, dizzy. And now absolutly starving. Your stomach growls. Stars, why are you so hungry again??? Ugh, and now you're gonna have to wait untill tonight, again! You grip the grass beneath you, taking a breath, once, twice, and three times. You're ok, Sifrin. You're ok. You're back here, and now you can do better this time.)

[You got the "Memory of Looping!" You'll always remember this.]

(. . . What was that voice?)

(You stand up, looking around. You could smell the birds, the people, everything around you. Come on, Siffrin. You'll be okay.)

[. . . You should come to the Favor Tree when you have a second, Stardust~]

(You shudder, Stardust?)

>>>

". . ."

(A. . . A star?)

(You had gone straight to the favor tree to see just, what just happened. And, there was a star sitting there, a star person.)

". . . My! Struck speachless at the sight of me, aren't you~?" (The star put a hand to their mouth like they were laughing at you.) "You're so cute, Stardust~"

(Stardust?!?) "U-uhm--"

"Aww, Siffrin. Look at you, all lost and confused~"

(?!?!?!?) "How, how do you know my-"

"Why wouldn't I know, you're Sif! Siffrin! No middle name, no last name~" (The star leaned back against the favor tree.) "Now I know you must be quite overwhelmed, with this being your first loop and all~"

"My. . . ." (You shake your head, this was all a lot to take in, and. . .)

"Oh where are my manners! Take a seat, Stardust, there's plent of room~"

(You look between the star and the root of the tree. Who, who was this?!? You couldn't tell, they smelled of, sugar. Strongly of sugar, and nothing, and a bit of something that smelled a bit familiar.)

(. . . . . . You decide to sit down.)

". . . . . ."

". . . . . . . . . So! You're stuck in a time loop!"

>>>

"Phew, Bonbon! That was DE-LI-CIOUS!!"

(Deja Vu.)

(So, you're in a time loop. Loop was, here, and helping you out. But, that was okay! Great, actually! That means that you could be useful! And that makes it okay, doesn't it? You could get used to this, used to dying. Something about it, it felt familiar, and that felt, comforting? Why should it feel comforting?)

(. . .What were you thinking about again?)

(Anyway! You ate up your food even faster than last time. You felt famished! Even more so than before! But you had to pace yourself at least a little. Right? Don't cause a scene.)

(This'll be fine!)

>>>

(It was right there.)

(It was right BLINDING THERE!!!)

(Right in front of your stupid! Blinding face!! A little hidden switch in the side of a pillar! How!! How could you miss it!!! Stupid, stupid stupid stupid!!!!!)

(You breathe in, and out. Fine, you flip the switch.)

(CRACK!)

(THUD!!!)

(. . . . . There's a pause, a large rock fell a few feet back.)

". . . . Let's go, everyone."

"W-wow! Not even phased! Huh!" (Isa says, falling in step as you lead everyone along. They were scared, worried, you could smell it, it's fine, though, nothing bad can happen now.)

>>>

"Why the need for an armory and weapons in the first place?" (Asks Odile)

(It was a small room, a few spears on a rock, a sword on the wall. The others were talking as you looked around. The smell of sugar only got stronger.)

(You weren't paying too much attention to the conversation, once they were done, you moved on. What else was around the room? There was a big steel thing with a stone on it, and a big brick, thing- O-OH, you take a big step back.)

"You're alright, Sif!" (Isabeau says, reassuringly.) "I don't think anyone will be using this forge aaaaany time soon."

"It's not even hot!! Dummy!!" (Bonnie walks over to the forge and kicks it.) ". . . Ow."

"Be nice, Bonnie." (Odile adds, giving you a look of sympathy.) "You can't exactly controll these things."

"Too true! Let's get going, then!" (Isa finishes, you nod, leaving the room. Fast.)

>>>

"Do you guys, smell that?"

(You had to ask. You had to because it was getting unbearably strong! The SUGAR! The sweetness!! It honestly was driving you a little mad and stepping through the halls only made it worse!! You knew, it was LEADING somewhere!)

"Smell. . . What?"

"I don't smell anything."

"Hmmmm, maybe?"

"Is it the sugar?"

(You turn to Bonnie.) "Sugar?"

"Yeah, sugar!" (They sniff the air.) "It's been around since we got in here. Super sugary."

(Huh.) "Guess I'm not crazy then."

"Hehe, I wouldn't say that!"

(You all laugh, and move on. Right, sugar, that was fine. Just a bit of sweetness. You all walk on, through the hall, to the door at the end. The smell got stronger, why here? Was it a food storage room? Well, you were about to find out anyway. You open the door and walk inside.)

(You gag and stumble to a knee, the smell was WAY. WAY TOO STRONG. Your eye was watering, it was unbearable. You felt Isa kneel down to your side.)

"S-sif! Are you alright?!?" (He asks, worried.)

"S-so strong-" (You choke out.)

"C-careful! There's-" (Mira starts, you look up, there was a weird sadness in the room you didn't even see! You could barely see anything, anyway. It noticed you all, and charged.)

"Gems, Siffrin, get up!" (Odile takes a combatitve stance.)

"R-right-" (You stumble to your feet, gripping your dagger, battle time, just, don't, don't think about the smell, don't, get, distracted--)

-----

(Obligaroey @traumaboyexo <3)

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:2 C:7]

[Small text = Essentially unchanged dialog from normal ISAT]

(You toss the EMPTY KEY in the air and catch it as you walk towards the large main door, blocked by strands of. . . Thread?)

“This thread is so strange. . . I can't seem to move it aside. . .”

“Frozen thread? It seems to be covering the rest of the floor too.”

“Can we cut it?”

(Could you? You’d try your knife but- Ah! Bonnie pulled up your cape, grabbed your dagger and striked at the thread.)

“AYAAAAAA!!!!!”

“. . .”

“. . .”

“. . .”

“. . . Boniface.” (You look down at them.) “Did you break my dagger?”

“. . . N-nofrin, it’s fine! See?” (Bonnie shakily holds your dagger out to you, it’s a-okay.) “U-uhm, sorry.”

“S-siffrin!” (Mirabelle walks around to look you in the eyes.) “Please! You’re scaring them!”

“H-huh?!?” (You blink in surprise.) “I-I didn’t mean to!?!”

“You were using that ‘scary face’ of yours.” (Odile adds.) 

“My what?” 

“Scary face. You know the one.” (She chuckled.) “Or did you think, when you were angry, people did what you told them to do out of the kindness of their heart?”

“. . . Maybe?”

“You do have quite the effect on people when you get mad. . .” (Mirabelle offers, trying to be helpful.) “I-I thought it was kind of cool!”

(You awkwardly rub your shoulder.) “Sorry, Bonnie, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“. . . . ‘S fine.” (Bonnie gives you back your dagger.) “. . . Stupidfrin.”

(You deserve that. You turn to leave, oblivious to Isabeaus sudden silence.)

>>>

“Heya, stardust! How can I help you on this wonderful new loop?”

(Once again you got reckless fighting a sadness, and died. You rubbed your head.) “Uh. . . S-so, what, do I do?”

“Well, this is the last floor before the King! You’re so close Stardust, I know you can do it! There’s going to be quite a few tears blocking your path, and you’ll find whatever you’re looking for behind one of them! But who knows! Maybe the others have something useful too~”

(You squint at the star.) “What AM I looking for?”

“Something to get rid of that thread, silly!” (Loop giggled, resting their head in their hands.) “Maybe a torch to burn it all up~”

(The mere thought sent a sharp shiver up your spine.) “N-no thanks!”

“Please, it would only be a few minutes! It’s not THAT hard.” (Loop laughed heartlessly, before noticing your expression.) “. . . You really are spooked by fire, aren’t you?”

“Wouldn’t you know?” (You grumbled, hiding in your cloak.) “You seem to know everything.”

“. . . Nope! Not everything!” (Loop giggled, then looked at the sky for a moment.) “. . . . .”

(. . . ?) “Loop?”

“. . . Oh nothing!” (And instantly Loop was back to their old self, clapping their hands together.) “So! How long have you been like that?”

“Uh. . .” (You think for a moment.) “. . . As, long as I can remember?”

“Really?” (Loop leaned close.) “Every single itsy bitsy candle flame? Every little lit match?”

“U-uh-” (You sink down into your cloak.) “I-I just, yes? No? Sometimes? Why is it important?!?”

“Oh! Oh it’s not important at all.” (Loop claps their hands excitedly.) “I just like getting to know you!”

“. . . Great.” (Urgh.)

“Is there anything else I can help you with, Stardust?”

“Uh. . . No, that's all, thanks Loop!”

(You wave goodbye, back to the time loop with you. You walk across Dormont, considering, for a moment, using the plantain peel to skip back to the third floor again. Buuuuut nah. You’ve been through Dormont before, who knows! Maybe you could try something new, or, uh. . .)

(Well to be honest you don’t even remember half the stuff you did.)

(You chuckle to yourself as you go through the town, pausing for just a moment to take a deep breath. You could smell every part, you could almost taste the grass, the air, the birds and the water. It was. . . Grounding. Each loop was a lot of the same, but different ever so slightly.)

(You wander around and end up by the river. There’s someone here with a fishing rod. Did you talk to them before?)

“. . . You look like someone who would like fishing.” (The Fishing one said without turning around.) “. . . Would you like to fish for a little bit?”

“Uh. . .” (Sure, why not.)

(They hand you their fishing rod, and you fish.)

(. . .)

(. . .)

(. . .)

(. . . Not even a nibble. You remember now, this was the third, fourth time you’ve tried to fish? It was. . . Calming. Really calming. You could feel the flow of the river through the twine, and there wasn’t anything swimming by.)

(Oh well, better off next time.)

>>>

(You look at the photograph.)

(Mirabelle flapped her hands excitedly.) “It's us!!!”

“This is lovely.”

“Isn't it? It's a crafted mirror that takes pictures!!! I heard rumors that someone was creating one, but I didn't know this someone lived in Dormont's House!”

“Oh yeah!” (You perk up.) “I think I heard about that, uh, it was going to be for cataloging research, right?”

“Whuh?”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“Hmm?” (Odile looks at you.) “Now that you mention it, being able to perfectly record an image in this particular way would be quite useful in certain fields.”

“Yeah!” (Your eyes might as well be sparkling!) “You could use shaped lenses with a series of mirrors in order to look at things impossibly small!”

“How small?” (Bonnie asks.) 

“Uh, really, really small?”

“Oh. Like your brain?” (Bonnie grins in that way they do.) “Stupidfrin.”

(Hey!)

“I’d usually be inclined to agree, but that is a very smart idea, Siffrin.” (She taps a finger to her chin.) “Where did you hear about this?”

(You don’t remember.) “I. . . Think I read about it somewhere?”

“Doubtless you don’t remember where, then.” (She smiles, but shakes her head.) “I will have to look into this once we have beaten the king.”

“That makes two of us, Madame!” (Isabeau crosses his arms, chuffed.) “I’d like to meet who made this mirror..”

“I-I mean you’re already halfway there, since its maker should be somewhere in the House!” (Mirabelle giggles.) "Hehe, aww! Look at the picture! only Isabeau knew it was coming!”

“Pictures are still so rare. . . It’s nice, to have one of us.”

“Thank you for telling us about it, and for taking a picture, Isabeau!”

“Oh! Hehe. . . Oh It's nothing!”

(You look again at the photograph. . . How did you know that?)

(. . . Time to move on.)

>>>

“Wow, this book looks simpler than the one I've studied.”

“Apparently they've made some big strides in Body Craft recently! Before, it took close to a year to make big changes. . . But now you can Change in a month or so!”

(You let your party's words wash over you. You like listening to them talk, and you like learning about things.)

“-aft your body to your liking, where's the limit? Take the King for example. They say he crafted his body to become so massive, he can destroy houses in a single gesture.”

(You stared at the book. Where DOES it end? With body craft you could, maybe, become whatever you want. You could turn into some cool monster like from one of Mirabelles books! Maybe then you could scare the King so bad he just gives up. Or maybe you could turn into a giant and crush the king. Or maybe. . .)

(You shake your head a little at the thoughts. No, you like your body exactly how it is. You don’t want to turn yourself into some ideal form, you’re just happy with who you are. Siffrin. Plain ol’ Siffrin. You’ve thought about it, of course, you really have. Maybe you will craft your body, but not today, and not soon. Your body’s fine. You’re fine.)

>>>

(You toss the star crest casually in the air as you walk. The fight was hard, but the five of you hit harder. In fact, you were starting to really get used to the absolutely overwhelming sugary smell of this place and those weird sadness. It only took you one minute to recover this time!)

(Anyways.)

(You had been internally debating which way to go, and after thinking for a bit, you decided to go with another coin flip.)

(P’ting!)

(. . . . Heads. You don’t know what that means.)

(Oh well! You’ll go down the path across from Mirabelles room. After a few minutes of walking, you got there, and threw the star crest at the tears.)

“Here goes nothing. . .” (You mumble under your breath as the tears dissipate.)

(You continue forward, entering a room with a frozen housemaiden and a locked door. The housemaiden was Mirabelles friend. He saved her by pushing her out of the way of the curse. How noble!)

(You walk to the door. The symbol over the keyhole is shaped like a crying mask.)

“Hm. . . We don't have the key for this one yet, do we?”

(You don’t.)

(There's a piece of paper stuck to the door. "We closed as many doors as we could, but if SOMEHOW you need the key to this one, I hid the key in room 403, in little Marc's notebook.”)

“Room 403? Rooms have numbers now?”

“The classrooms do! We've only seen a couple, but the House has way more. Room 403 though. . . I'm pretty sure we've at least passed it, it's where. . . Ah!”

“Ah?”

“I-it's, um... It's currently on the second floor. . .”

“The second floor??? But. . . We can't go to previous floors, can we? The big doors close behind us, don't they??”

“. . .”

“. . .”

(Stars above. Stupid. You idiot, Siffrin. You put your hand to your forehead. The frustration was only made worse by the annoying jingle of Loop telling you how much you messed up. Great. You’ll have to try this again.)

(You sigh, and look around the room. Isabeau was thinking about trying to break the door down, Mirabelle was worried, Odile was thinking, Bonnie was scared. You could smell it from here. They were all counting on you not to miss anything. You have the senses of a bloodhound and you still messed it up. You had one job.)

(So stupid.)

(There’s frozen water on one side of the room. You walk over to it.)

[vulpixisananimal]

Carrion!Sif AU, Chapter 1.

ACT 1, The Hunger.

(Au origonaly by @traumaboyexo. it's so cool. I'm 100% going to do more of this.)

"Siffrin!"

(You're lying down in the field near Dormont. You had a weird dream about eating a star. You smell cherries, Mirabelle was calling your name.)

". . . Siffrin?" (She's looming over you now, your Housemaiden.) "Good morning! Or, well more like good afternoon I guess. Were you taking a nap? That's just like you. . . Only you could sleep peacfully at a time like this, hee hee."

(You're too sleepy to talk, you close your eye again.)

"You're still half asleep, aren't you. I'll let you sleep a bit longer, but not too long!!"

(. . . Ugh. You can't stay here, like this. The sun was nice, and you could smell the birds in the air. The people in the village. The faint and distinct smell Mirabelle carried with her. But you were getting hungry, really, really hungry.)

(Wake up, Siffrin. You have a country to save.)

>>>

(Statues, big and small, all with different faces. Some jump up and down, some are sad, some are happy. The Change God, Deity of all of Vaugarde, stands before you.)

(So much has happened over the last few months, since you met Mirabelle. You helped save them from a sadness, and you were here to defeat the King. They were nice, they were your familly.)

(Mirabelle, Isabeau, Odile, Bonniface. Each of them had been your best friends, or at least allies. You hoped you were friends, at least.)

(Mirabelle once asked if you were ok with following them on your journey. You truthfully answered that this had been the happiest you'd ever been. But, that just made her look upset.)

(You cringe just thinking about it, truth be told.)

(You're still hungry.)

>>>

"Don't worry about a thing, then. Can I get you anything on the house? A croissant, maybe? . . . Incredible, incredible. I've never seen someone give such a look of disdain when offered croissant."

"A Pain Au Chocolate, then. Only monsters don't like Pain Au Chocola."

(You like those! You nod!!)

"Ha, one Pain Au Chocolate, coming up."

(You got the Pain Au Chocolate!! Yay!!)

(You know they're really, really bad for your stomach. But it's still warm! Smells of butter and chocolate. You try and restrain yourself with one small bite. But you're so hungry, it smells so good!! You take one bite, and another, and another!!)

". . . Not gonna lie, seeing a tiny one like you eat like a rabid beast. . . That was distrubing, but also weirdly satisfying."

(Haha, this was future Siffrins problem.)

>>>

(The Favor Tree looms above you.)

(You look around for a good leaf, one to represent you. You need it for the Favor Tree, after all.)

(A wish, a wish. . . Favor Trees must be popular around Vaugarde, these days. Everyone must be wishing for the same thing. So, why should you join them, then? What's one more wish on the pile. Something small. . .)

(You wish for. . .)

>>>

"Phew, Bonbon! That was DE-LI-CIOUS!!"

(It was really, really good!! You ate every bite on your plate! It was sooooo tasty, but now your tummy was feeling upset. Damn you, past Siffrin!! But, you could still eat more!!)

"Aw Siff, are you still hungry?" (Isabeau asks.)

"Frin, you ate a lot, huh!! You liked my cooking a lot, huh!!! Here, have some more food since you're so hungry and like my cooking so much."

(Bonnie gives you one (1) carrot slice. It smelled tasty!)

(Chomp.)

"Won't that give you a stomach ache? Nevermind that, how can you still eat after all that food?" (Odile asks, concerned.)

"I'm a growing kid!" (You reply, cheekily.)

"A growing kid that drinks achohol?!?"

"You're older than most of the people here?!?"

(You wink cutely.)

"I suppose we're lucky to get some meat for you all the way out here." (Odile sighs.) "What a strange diet you have."

(You shrug. You've always been like this.)

>>>

(You step into the House of Change. It feels. . . Wrong. You have a tingling on the back of your neck. A tingling you'd always get when something was "off.")

(A house frozen in time. A faint smell of sugar slicing through the air. It was strange, but still you were confident. You could smell your companions following you, step by step. Each as distinct as the next.)

(You're hungry again.)

(You smell a sadness ahead.)

>>>

(Huh?)

"Is something wrong, Siffrin?" (Asks Odile.)

(You look around. There, behind you, there was a flickering white. . . Star?)

"Did you see that light?" (You ask.)

"A light?" (Mirabelle looks concerned.)

"Something wrong, Sif?" (Isa adds.)

(You walk over to the light and point to it.)

". . . . . . ?"

(So they can't see it? It smelled of sugar.)

(You reach out and touch the light.)

>>>

(Traps? Traps?)

"A job for me then." (You say, cheekily.)

"It is your job."

"Protect us, trap master!"

(Not the first time you had to reassure Mirabelle. Time to look around.)

(You look around the room. Checking each wall, checking the floors, checking the pillars. You felt the brickwork for anything, a hidden switch, a pressure plate, anything. It all smelled of... Sugar, and old stone. Well maintained, it smelled of people too. You could smell. . . Fear, worry, no, no that was Mirabelles. She smelled of fear, it smelled. . .)

(You're hungry again.)

(There's nothing here. You can't find any switches, so. . .)

"So? So are we safe?? We're not safe, are we!! This is the death corridor!!! There must be a trap--"

(Oh come on now.) "There's nothing weird in here."

"But there must be!!"

"Aw, Mira. . ."

"Belle, Belle, don't worry about it. Frin isn't good at many things, but they know stuff about traps."

(Hey. . .)

"Right, if we can't trust the one who's supposed to lead us THIS early, this wont bode well for later."

(HEY--)

"But! But!"

"We're not dead yet." (You say, stepping through the hall.)

"W-well, that's true. . ."

"We HAVE been in this room for a while. . . And Siffrin has been walking everywhere. So if it was weight sensitive, it would have gone off by now."

"Exactly! It's all fine!!"

"Oh. . . Yeah, yeah okay! I'll believe you! Sorry for worrying, I'm a little on edge."

(You smile at them.) "We're good, Mira, see?" (You walk to the center of the room.)

"Everythings fine!"

(. . . . The back of your neck tingles. Somethings-)

(CRACK.)

(THUD.)

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:3 C61] [TW for: imagery of mutilated, bruised, and bleeding body] (Odile)

(It was sundown on the third day Ramos was out. No change.)

(You were sitting in the living room. Research notes splayed in front of you. You scoured every inch of your writing for anything that could help. Siffrin was asleep on Isabeau on the couch in front of you. Poor Siffrin had been having panics, but had been getting better. Although, it was concerning who it actually was you talked to.)

(Mal, Asterion, and Saffron. Only those three came out.)

(Asterion would stick to himself, talking silently, eating, and keeping in sight of you all. Any time any of you asked about what happened he froze up. It was clear, honestly, that the only reason he didn’t hide in his room was to alleviate all of your worries for him.)

(Mal would disappear for hours a time, only to return and drag Isabeau away. You asked him what that was about, but his lips were, for once, sealed. You had your suspicions, however.)

(But Saffron. . . They were the worst of all of them when it came to communicating. Getting them to admit they're saffron was pulling teeth. Getting him to admit he needs food was agony. And, you could see behind his smile.)

(“Persecutors need love just as much as anyone in order to heal.” That’s what the booklet Vixul gave Siffrin said. You could confirm it was true, but that didn’t make their biting remarks any less hurtful.)

(. . . Tension was high. If you could figure out how to help Ramos out of their catatonic state then. . . You took your glasses off and rubbed your eyes.)

(The issue is simple: Ramos’ catatonia was caused, indirectly, by mind craft. And the only one who knew mind craft was Ramos themself. So, what do you do?)

(You could continue to hope and pray for conventional remedies to work. You could look for an expert in psychology, or maybe even acupuncture. But you might as well wish to win a coin flip at that point! Ha, ha. . .)

(. . . Even with a grand library in your mind you couldn't think of anything.)

(Except. . . One thing.)

(. . . . . You didn't want to consider it.)

(You were considering it.)

(. . . . You finish considering it, and stand.) “I need a break.”

(The half asleep Isabeau opened an eye.) “Hmm?”

“I'm going to the library.” 

“M’kaaay. . .”

(You've got your notes, coat, everything you need. You waste no time and leave the house, headed directly to the library.)

(You go over the plan in your head. Merlon is back, so there is no truce. Attempt to talk to him. Keep your distance. Look out for any surprises from Merlon, talk politely. Appeal to his soft side, and look for a way to keep him distracted so he can't read your thoughts. He's fast, and your craft type is at a disadvantage, so direct combat is a bad idea. What about a trade? Information for assistance?)

(You couldn't trade any old thing you knew, he's a historian. Perci would know about the Expression of Search’s Elaborate Dance of the Guide. No, it would need to be something more. . . Exciting.)

(You continued to walk. What about What Loop looked like? Call craft? The fact that your party has met gods multiple times now? The fight with the king?)

(. . . Siffrin’s cosmic temper tantrum would be best kept quiet.)

(You made it to the library, you'll check here first. You walk up the steps and into the lobby. The librarian from a few days ago was here, sleepily sipping a cup of tea. They waved.) “Madame Odile, good to see you again.”

“Hello, same to you.” (You walk up to the counter.)

“. . . Tea?” 

(You paused, then smiled.) “. . Please.”

“Camomile or ginger.” (They ask, getting up.)

“Ginger, please. No milk, no sugar.” 

“Perfect, I just boiled the pot.”

(You watch them go. A cup of tea would be perfect. Something to calm your nerves before, whatever happens happens. A moment later they were back, and handed you a cup. You thank them, then move into the library proper.)

(It didn’t take long. Perci was sitting at the center of the library, at a grand table. Books to either side of him. A chessboard to the left. You could hear the familiar scribbling of a pen. Your steps echoed through the silent building as you approached.)

(You stopped a few feet back from him, and waited.)

(There were a few moments where the only sound was that pen, before he finally stopped. He looked up, then back down again.) “. . . Madame.”

“Percival.”

“To what do I owe the pleasure?�� 

“. . .” (You walk around the table, place down your tea, and take a seat.)  “I have come to strike a deal.”

“Have you now.” (He’s smiling, the face of a man truly absorbed in his work.) “I thought we weren’t all buddy buddy now.”

“You know why, Percival.” (You glare at him.)

“Haa. . . That, I do.” (He clicks his pen and puts it to the side.) “Three days already? That is worrying, but what do you want me to do about it?”

(You sip your tea, and stare directly at him.)

“. . . You’re very good at hiding your thoughts, Madame. And I must say, after the inn, I would sooner ride a bull off a cliff than try and tame your mind.”

(You keep your face neutral.)

“. . . . . That is to say, I should be giving you some more respect.” (Perci looks at you, then turns and grabs the chessboard, and starts setting it up.) “Chess? It’ll keep my mind wandering to yours.”

“Thank you.” (You huff.) “I’m no idiot, and while I can respect your mind games, I, for one, like cutting straight to the point.”

“Very respectable.” (He finishes placing the last pieces. Darkless on your side, Lightless on his.) “So, after you, madame. Light before shadow, after all.”

“Of course.” (You pick up a pawn, forward two.) 

“So.” (He moves a pawn to match.) “You would like help with Ramos.”

“Yes.” (Pawn to cover.) “Either you help them recover, or teach me some form of mind craft to do it myself.”

“Ah, well that’s an issue, isn’t it?” (Knight forward.) “I will not teach you mind craft, and I doubt your companions will let me into Ramos’ mind.”

“That is an issue.” (Pawn forward.) “Why can’t you teach me?”

“And give you a dagger to stab me with?” (Knight takes a pawn.) “You would have to give me something good in return.”

“I see.” (Pawn takes the knight.) “Then how about what I found on our travels?”

“Hmm, tempting.” (Bishop forward.) “Very tempting, madame.”

“The ascent through the Dormont House of Change?” (Pawn forward.) 

“Getting there.” (Pawn forward.) “Dormont is a nice little town, isn’t it?”

“Hmm? Have you been?” (Pawn takes a pawn.) 

“Oh no no.” (Bishop takes a pawn.) “I’ve just heard so much about it when researching you all.”

“Really now?” (Knight takes a bishop.) “But of course, rumor can only tell you so much!”

“Ah of course, of course.” (He thinks, then moves a pawn up.) “After all, you tend to hear the strangest of rumors.”

“. . . Like?” (Knight takes a pawn.) 

“Oh nothing too strange, just. . .” (Queen takes a knight; advantage to Perci.) “Giant cracks in the sky of an unknown shade, a cloaked figure dozens of stories tall, small things like that.”

“. . .” (You move a rook.) “Just silly rumors.”

“Oh? Is that the same with the rumors of the king?” (Queen takes a pawn.) “That he was an islander too?”

“. . .” (Move the king.)

“An islander just like my bonded, just like your traveler.” (Queen takes a rook.) “I wonder, do they share some other connection? Perhaps even a family member?”

“. . . Whoever Siffrins family was, they weren’t like the King.” (Knight takes the queen.) “If anything, the King's family would have been like your own.”

(Perci is stunned, looking at the board. He glances up, then back. He castles his king.) “And what would you know about that?”

“Quite a lot.” (Bishop takes a pawn; advantage to you) “Percival Monet, the youngest of the Monets, who destroyed his own family.”

“. . . That’s nothing-” (Knight forward.)

“Oh it’s everything.” (Bishop takes the knight.) “I did not recognize that swear you use, Perci. So, I got curious.”

“And what does that have to do with anything?” (Pawn forward.)

“I looked it up in a teenager's book about swears.” (You chuckle, pawn moved up.) “It’s Poterian.”

“. . .” (Pawn up.)

“A Poterian swear that’s only really used in very old, rich families.” (Knight takes a pawn.) “And from there, there’s only so many families to check.”

“But there isn’t a book in the library about the Monets.” (Pawn takes pawn.) 

“And the House of Change library?” (Bishop takes a knight.) “The secret library? Each house has one, after all.”

“I. . .” (He pauses, looking over the board, eyes wide. Rook forward.) “. . . What do you know?”

“The Monet family. One of the oldest and well known in devoted Soleanist society. Old money. And old corruption.” (Bishop takes a pawn; Perci is in check.) “The last Monet’s were disgraced, the two house leaders at the time.”

“. . .” (Move rook.) “What else?”

“Just that the only Monet with any reputation left, is a historian.” (Bishop forward; Perci is in check.) “And that historian, is you.”

“. . . . . . Hah. . .” (Perci lowers his head.) “Ha, HA! HAHA!! Oh yes! Madame, I knew you were brilliant. From the moment I touched your mind, I knew, I just knew, you were something else.”

(His rook takes your bishop.)

(You lean forward. Something was wrong about this board. You had been counting moves ahead, but there were errors. You didn’t take into account some pieces, pieces that were there but you just, didn’t focus on them. They were out of the way, not a problem. He took your bishop, and you could see the next moves clearly. Next, your knight, then rook, then queen, and then. . .)

(Checkmate.)

“. . . . ha. . . Haha!!” (You sit back with a sigh.) “. . . How.”

“Ah, took you long enough.” (Perci looked at you with a smug smile.) “It was the tea.”

(You look at the cup of tea, then shake your head.) “You took control of the librarian, and spiked the tea with some sleep or relaxation agent. Not enough to be noticeable, but enough to graze my hand without me noticing.”

(Exactly.)

(In a motion, the tables and chairs melted into the floor. The bookshelves expanded, the ceiling disappeared into a thick fog miles in the air. Lanterns lit the endless halls. Perci seemingly disappeared. You stood in your headspace.)

(I don’t think vast is an accurate enough word to describe your mind, Odile. Your voice echoes through the library.)

(A better word for it would be private! You turn, where are you?)

(You pull a book off a shelf. Why, I’m just over here!)

(The hallways shift once again as you glide towards his voice. You can see him! Get, OUT-)

(Your breath catches.)

(You can only begin to imagine what form of hell Perci must have gone through to end up looking like a walking corpse. No, not a corpse. A corpse could at least rot.)

(He had scars, bruises, pinpricks, lines that look as if someone was sewing something into his skin. He had rashes from shackles, his nose was broken, one eye droopy. His clothes were torn and now looked more like a university uniform with the crest torn out.)

(He looks at you, the look he had, it was. . .)

(Hello, Madame. She looks so similar to how she does in reality, except for the fact she floats ever so slightly off the ground. Are you so tied to your own self image to not experiment a little, Madame?) 

(Gems alive. Something hits you in your soul, some emotion, some fear. You take a step back. Why do you-)

(Look like this? Oh, Madame~ You close the book, drop it, and turn to her. Please, allow me to show you!)

[traumaboyexo]

CARRION!Sif Anti/Alt Friend quest

[[This is for a set of alternate friend quests that each trigger from each family member watching Siffrin have a small emotional breakdown, as well as...seeing something else.]]

(You're shaking.)

(...why? This isn't the first time you've done this...and yet...)

(You can barely feel your hunger right now. Just fear. You don't want to hurt them. You don't want to hurt any of them.)

(...everything is wrong. You shouldn't be doing this. You're not...even...)

"Siffrin?"

(You jump. Mirabelle's voice shakes you out of your trance.)

"Sorry, Mirabelle."

"I-it's alright, I know you can get a little sleepy sometimes. So, um, do you have time to help me with these papers?"

(...you have to make her happy.)

(Stop shaking, idiot.)

"...yeah I do."

(Mirabelle beams. You take your seat beside her.)

(Time to take the lead.)

(...you open your mouth.)

(...Huh?)

(Nothing is coming out.)

(Come on. You know you're next line.)

(Just ask. You have to. Ask what the papers are.)

(Why won't you say anything?! You've done this several times already, haven't you? Just say it! Don't have want to make her happy?! Don't you want them to love you?! You-!)

"...Siffrin, are you okay?"

(...you didn't even notice until now, but you're panting. You feel short on breath...and you're sweating badly.)

(You quickly bring your head down.)

(You can feel Mirabelle still staring at you intensely. You can barely look back at you. You can't make her worried. You're supposed to help her. You HAVE to help her. Stick to the script. Stick to the script. Stick to the...)

(...Mirabelle places a hand on your forehead...she's checking for a fever.)

"Okay, it's not a fever, s-so...uhm..."

"...Siffrin, c-could you look at me, please?"

(...you muster what energy you have left and look at her.)

"Siffrin, are you stressed or anxious about anything? O-oh! Was it me, d-did I accidentally make you anxious about these papers and-!"

(NO!)

(Can't make her worried about you!)

(You find your voice has returned.)

"No! It's not you...and I'm just..."

"I'm just...thinking about stuff, haha."

(...is she buying it?)

"...are you thinking about...something really bad?"

(...she did, kind of.)

(She can't know. She can't.)

"...we should talk about your papers."

"I had a suspicion...but they're...bonding papers, right?"

"O-oh! That's...actually a good guess?"

(She isn't as surprised as she usually is.)

"But Siffrin...I don't want to talk about that if... if something is going on with you."

(There's nothing wrong with you.)

"There's nothing wrong with me."

(Liar.)

(You ignore the growling in your stomach.)

(You ignore the uncomfortable feeling of your sweat dripping down your face.)

"...I think this is important for you. We can worry about me later."

(Mirabelle looks concerned.)

"Well, okay then..."

"Well, I-I'm not planning on getting bonded just yet, these are just dating profiles."

(You try to look surprised but your face feels numb.)

"They came from a dating company I asked before The King happened, and I haven't had a chance to properly look through them...and..."

(...you wish she'd stop looking at you so worriedly.)

(...you have to keep it moving.)

"Go on."

(She nods.)

"W-well, since it is someone I'm meant to spend the rest of my life with, I'm thinking I could use another pair of eyes. Your eyes!"

"Or rather, your...uh...one eye."

(She sighs, and only now you notice it seems like she's trying her best not to cry.)

(You're horrible.)

"...Siffrin...I-I don't think I can just-"

(Please.)

"Mirabelle. Please."

"...you're doing this as a distraction from tommorow, right?"

(You can barely hold back your shaking anymore.)

"Please. I need this distraction as well."

"...Let me help you."

(...there's some slight relief in her eyes, but still full of the same concern.)

"...alright Siffrin."

(She gives a small smile.)

"You can help me."

(She pulls out the massive folder of papers from her dress pocket.)

(...Maybe if she told you she was carrying this, you could have carried it for her.)

"O-okay, let's start with this."

(It's the picture of that strong buff man.)

(Tough muscles. Hard to chew probably.)

"...boring."

"Besides, they look like Isabeau."

(She gives a light snicker.)

"They kind of do. Next one-"

(You can't do this. You can't do this you can't do this you can't do this you can't you can't you can't you can't.)

"I'm sorry Mirabelle. I can't talk about this anymore."

(Your breathing is heavy and hard. Your sweating is getting worse. And your stomach won't stop growling.)

"...I...I'm sorry."

(You can't look at her. You can barely focus on anything. It feels like you could explode any second.)

"...I'm worried that...I'm..."

(If you say how you feel, will she hate you?)

(Even so, you can't stop yourself anymore. It feels like the exact opposite of before. All the words are spilling out. You hold back as much as you can. You try your best not to cry. You try your best not to scream or shout.)

(You feel horrible.)

(You feel hungry.)

"...I won't ever be bonded. I won't ever find a partner. I-I'm, I'm a freak. I'm a monster. I'm not worth a single notice. I'm...I can't..."

(It seems like everything is going dark.)

(You can't stop. Your stomach growls.)

"I can't be loved, no matter how many profiles I look through myself and I can't help myself and I'm always hungry and I..."

(...you try to continue but you can barely feel your own voice or mouth of face.)

(Everything feels so...out...of reach...)

(...)

(...you hear a sharp gasp from Mirabelle.)

(You feel everything snap back into view.)

(You're breathing eased up. You've stopped sweating.)

(...what happened?)

"...Siffrin?"

(Slowly, you turn to Mirabelle.)

(...)

(...you made her worried.)

(How could you do this to her.)

(You were supposed to help her.)

(...)

(You're stomach growls. You're hungry...at a time like this.)

(You really are a freak.)

(...you bury your face under your hat.)

(You can't even look at her properly.)

(You...)

(...someone puts a hand on your shoulder.)

(MIRABELLE puts a hand on your shoulder.)

(Even as you look away, you can hear her voice. She's not being afraid. Or angry.)

(She's being kind.)

"Siffrin..."

"...I have something to tell you too."

"The truth is...I don't really want to be bonded. Or...even date anyone at all."

(You already know this.)

"The truth is...I'm been scared too. I've been trying to force myself to change...and I've been worried I'm not strong enough to do it."

(You already know this.)

"And I'm worried that I'm supposed to do these things, because I have to show my faith, and I have to show...I have to show that I can do this."

(You already know this.)

"But...another reason is because...I'm worried. I'm worried that...it's possible I'll be alone, forever."

(...)

"When The King attacked, I was worried I lost all my friends. Everyone I thought I could ever count on...but...I was wrong."

(...)

(You slowly look up at her.)

(She's smiling. She's relieved you're finally looking at her again.)

"Siffrin. I don't know what happened to you. Or why you would think like that...but..."

"...I'm not worried about being alone. I've got you, and Isabeau, and Madame Odile, and Bonnie."

"And...I'm glad I can talk about these things with you. Because you're my friend. And I care about you. And I know you feel the same way."

(...you do.)

"So don't ever feel like you'll be alone when we're around, okay?"

(...you stay silent. You can barely find the words.)

(This time she shouts.)

"Promise me!"

(Woah!) "I promise!"

(She's smiling so widely it's nearly contagious.)

"Good! A-and if you're worried whether you wasted my time or anything dumb like that, I think you've helped me."

"I think...I don't have all the answers I need just yet. But I think...I may not need to change everything about myself."

(Clever. She's always been clever.)

"When I figure it out, I promise, I'll tell you about it."

(...you should say what's on your mind.)

"I'm glad I met you, Mirabelle."

"...me too, Siffrin."

"...I'll see you later, okay?"

(You nod and smile.)

(You're really smiling. You feel refreshed. You feel relieved.)

(...and yet, as she walks away, she looks back and glances at you for just a brief second.)

(She's nervous about something.)

(...but what?)

(...you can feel it again.)

(Your growing hunger.)

(You got a MEMORY OF UNCERTAINTY.)

(You'll always remember this.)

[Whatever happened there, Stardust? Well, in any case...]

[When equipped, Memory of Uncertainty boosts all your Housemaiden's stats by 25...but by giving her your turn, all her stats double temporarily! Woah!]

[Your Housemaiden also learned the skill 'Loyal Loving Barrier'!!!]

['Loyal Loving Barrier' not only absorbs all damage, but gives your family a buff depending on how much damage was absorbed! Just like your other shield, it's only for one turn though!!!]

[Seems like you'll only get this skill when you have this exact same conversation. Though, it's not easy to fake an emotional breakdown, is it, Stardust??]

[If only you had something that could trigger that awful fear when you wanted to…]

[traumaboyexo]

CARRION!SIF: ANTI-FRIEND QUEST (LOOP) [PART 1/2]

[[[Did you miss Carrion Sif? I don't know, but here it is! Just a short one.]]]

(You climb out of the bed, making sure you don't wake Isabeau up.)

(The growling is so much worse. So horrible, so violent. Have you grown even hungrier throughout the loops?)

(...maybe. You've always been starving anyways, haven't you?)

(Slowly, you open the door as quietly and carefully as possible. Not a creak, not a click.)

(You can't even be bothered to change into your cloak. Your pyjamas will be enough. You won't be gone for long.)

(You pass by the dining room where you and your family had eaten just a few hours ago. Where you had been gorging on your food like an animal. Shamelessly, disgustingly.)

(You open the front door of the clocktower, standing unflinching in the cold night air.)

(In the midst of the trees, you spot very slight movements, a collection of several small blurs.)

(You're starving. There has to be something to eat out here.)

(And so you step into the woods.)

(You run as fast as your legs can move, chasing every slight rustle and footstep that isn't your own.)

(You can barely think. You just know what you need to move. To find something to eat. Something that you must catch.)

(You must have scratched yourself a few times. Slight stings come from various points on your body. Yet, they hardly feel as though they matter. They all feel small and fleeting.)

(They'll all go away once you find your prey.)

(And you've found it.)

(Is it a horse? A deer? Either way, it's here, and it will be yours.)

(Your knees are burning, feeling as though they should've given out a long time ago. Yet, you ignore it and continue to chase.)

(You move faster, and faster and faster, quickly closing the gap between the creature and you.)

(And now you see it in range. Not fast enough.)

(You pounce and draw your dagger.)

(STAB.)

(The animal screeches in pain. It yells out, struggling and snaking.)

(You remove the dagger with a violent pull, tearing into the flesh. With one last yelp, it falls over.)

(The hunt has ended, and you barely take a second to stop as you tear into your prize.)

(Your jaws break apart the bones with ease, digging into the corpse and chewing down on the soft yet sturdy meat, while splashes of blood splatter across your face, staining your clothes as your face contorts in hunger.)

(You continue to bite, and chew, and bite, and chew.)

(You're so hungry. You can't stop. You have no reason to stop. You must not stop. You must eat. You need more. You need more.)

(Disgusting disgusting disgusting-)

(And yet you can't bring yourself to care.)

(You lose yourself in your gluttony, you can barely feel your arms, your legs, your face, your body...)

(You growl as you take in a massive mouthful of the carcass.)

(The sound is wet, gross yet satisfying, as blood continues to drip down from your own mouth.)

"...Geez, Stardust."

(You flinch and look towards where the voice came from. The bright glowing star making no effort to hide itself from you.)

(It's Loop.)

"You really don't care for table manners, huh?"

(Despite the joke, it's clear they're not in a positive mood. They're concerned, maybe even scared.)

✨("What exactly are you doing here?")

"What do you think?"

"..."

"How about we talk about this somewhere... more familiar?"

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:2 C:6]

[Small text = Essentially unchanged dialog from normal ISAT]

“Two rows of tears. . . BUT ONLY ONE CREST!!!”

(You used the paper key to get past a door, and now you were at an intersection with, as Bonnie said, two ways to go. Both were blocked by tears, and you only had one crest. After a second, Isabeau walks confidently to one of the walls of tears.)

“I vote this way!”

“Why this way?”

“Manly man's intuition.”

“That's stupid. You're stupid. I vote this way!”

“. . . Why this way?”

“Smart kid's intuition.  And also it's the way Za didn't choose, so.”

“I'm with the kid. It's been a while since we teamed up, hasn't it?”

“Yeah, yeah! We're the, um... Opposite Sides Of The Age Specter Allies!”

“It was "Opposite Sides of the Age Spectrum Alliance", but I understand there's big words in there.”

“Opposite Sides of the Age Specterm Alliance!!!”

“Um…”

“Mira...!!! Mirabelle, my friend, my sister from another mother!!! Please!!!”

“No, Belle's with us!!!”

“Um, um!!! I- I'm with Isabeau!!!”

“Yes... Belle and Beau! Beauty Alliance!!!”

“Beauty Alliance!!!”

“Ha, what kind of name is that?! Do you guys spend the day looking pretty?”

“Yes??? Just look at us.”

(Odile looks at you. Uhoh.)

“Siffrin. You're the tie-breaker.”

(You look away.) “Can’t we all get along for this?”

“No. They insulted the Beauty Alliance. All that's left is war.”

“Unless you bring peace to the Alliances by choosing a side. . .”

(You look between the two duos, stars you hate being the tie-breaker. Uhm, up or down, you think, and smell, and listen. Any hint to. . . . No, you couldn’t really, tell if there was one option better than the other. So. . . .)

(You fiddle with the coin in your pocket. 50/50.) “. . . Age alliance!”

“CRAB YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Sif, no. . . How could you. . .”

“I thought we were friends, Siffrin. . .”

“Betrayer!!! Traitor!!!”

(You hide your face under the brim of your hat.)

“. . .Okay we have to stop, Siffrin looks very distraught.”

“Hehehe, you're so cute, Siffrin! We didn't mean it, promise!”

“Heh. Let's use this Crest then, shall we?”

(You throw the crest to the tears and they disappear into nothing. You take the lead. A little ways down the hall, you all came across a poor little dog frozen in time. What a monster the king is!! Freezing a poor innocent doggy!! For shame!!)

(Entering the room; it’s an infirmary. For some reason, you get uneasy shudders just by being in here. You don't feel like there's a key here. . . But you could be wrong?)

(You hear a chime.)

[You're not! You picked the wrong way, stardust!]

(Aww. Well, might as well look around. Closet first. There’s not much inside, but there is a porcelain doll. It's cracked, with half of its face missing. Someone probably threw it away.)

(Bonnie looks over.) “Scary.” 

“Looks kinda sad, doesn't it?” (Isabeau comments.)

(You think it’s cute! Someone probably threw it away, why would they do that? Why would someone throw away something they love? Don’t worry, little doll, you’ll be safe now, you won’t let anyone hurt you anymore.)

(You got the BROKEN DOLL.)

>>>

“It’s pretty, Tree-mendous!”

“HAHA!! HAHA!!! YES!!!!”

(It’s the. . . Fourth? Fifth? Stars you’re already losing track, fifth time you’ve told the tree pun. You liked doing it. It made Isabeau laugh.)

(He raises his arm up, and lowers it down. Slowly. Slowly. . . Then pulls away.)

(. . . You still don’t know what that is.)

(You say goodbye to Isabeau, and walk to the Favor Tree.)

“Heya, stardust! How can I help you on this wonderful new loop?”

(Questions, questions. . .) “Well-”

“My turn, actually, my turn!!” (Loop claps their hands together, well, it’s only fair.) “Of course it’s fair! So! I've seen you don't like to be touched, huh? Why do you think that is?”

(You flinch.) “I’m just too delicate to touch.”

“Haha!” (They tilt their head.) “No, but really. Ever thought of NOT flinching when someone touches you, though?”

(As if it was that easy. . . You just, just couldn't. You couldn’t help but flinch when people touched you, their touch always seemed cold and dead. You don’t know why you know what that felt like, you don’t like that you know what that felt like.)

(You look away, it's not like you wanted to be like this. . .)

“. . . Maybe you could do some exposure therapy. Try to touch your allies. Like in that gardening room in the House, you could do that, couldn’t you?”

(Right. . . You shudder.)

“. . . Stardust?”

“. . .” (You nod.) “Yeah?”

“. . .” (Loop looks right at you for a moment, then sighs, closing their eyes.) “. . . I’m here for you, Stardust.”

(You look back at them, a little surprised, then hide in your cloak.) “. . . T-thanks, Loop. . .”

“Anytime~”

>>>

(You went DOWN this time.)

(You enter a workshop, with a few large boulders against one wall, and someone frozen in the center. Weird! You start looking around, and it doesn’t take long for you to find the key. You got the SCISSORS KEY! Rock paper scissors, simple as that.)

“Oh. Him.” (You glance over, Mira was next to the frozen person.)

“Oh?”

“Oh???”

“Please, tell us more.”

“ N-No, that's, uh, sorry, I mean--!!!” (Mirabelle instantly jumped back to her nervous self.) “ This man is another housemaiden, he's a scholar. . . He's working really hard on a project! It--

“Boooriiiing!! Why don’t you like him?”

“Did he do something mean to you?!??”

“Should we. . . Do something to him?”

“P-PLEASE DON’T!!!” (You walk over with the others as Mira talks.) “He is, a human man, who exists.”

(You all silently look at her, you could smell the hesitation.)

“. . . . . . Okay. I think he stole one of my priceless issues of "The Cursing of Château Castle".” (She finally admits.) 

“THIEF!!!”

“ N-No!!! Forget I said that! I have no concrete proof! B-but. . . (She shuffled on the spot.) “But my issue disappeared shortly after he came to my dorm room to ask me something, that's all.”

“Thief. . .”

(Huh!!! In an instant you’re looking through his pockets. . . There’s a book inside! "The Cursing of Château Castle", issue #3. You stand up proud and hand it to Mirabelle.)

“SO I WAS RIGHT!!! THIS. . . THIS!!!” (Mirabelle huffed and took the book, angrily.) “THIS HORRIBLE THIEF!!!!!!!”

“VICTORY!!!”

“IT’S BACK!!!”

(You all chuckled a bit at the antics, then turned to leave. Pausing for a moment to look at the person frozen in time. . . Why? Why were you- oh nevermind! You continue on.)

>>>

“Two strong sadnesses. . . Get ready, everyone!”

(You dash in, slicing at the long-haired sadness with your dagger, Mirabelle hollowing up a second later with her rapier. You’re wasting no time, you both back up as Isabeau shouts encouragement, you can feel your body get stronger!)

(You dance back, to the side, one of the sadness swiping at you. You dodged that easily, then duck just in time to see sharp geometric shapes coming from Odile. It cut through that sadness like butter, making you grin.)

(A slash from the short-haired sadness grazes you, but that doesn’t stop you. You just keep up the momentum, using your scissors sign, thin needles of craft energy flying out and piercing both sadness. Mirabelle followed up with her disks of light!)

(JACKPOT!!!)

(You rushed in with Mirabelle, striking at the long-haired sadness in one quick motion. Odile followed with a blast, and Isabeau slammed in with a strong fist!)

“W-wait, the long-haired one is doing something?!?” (Mirabelle jumped back.)

(In a swift moment, you saw the short-haired sadness plunge a hand into the long-haired sadness body, tearing it apart, and--------)

(. . . . . . . . You, smell, blood-)<<<(-Tearing it apart, and restoring health to itself. You shudder, what just happened? Snap out of it, Siffrin! You hold your dagger close and continue the fight.)

(It took a while, Odile got K.Oed, you rushed in, slicing the remaining sadness into pieces. You wait for it to get back up, wait, wait, wait. . . It doesn’t. You stab it one last time, just in case.)

“It’s beat, stupidfrin.” (Bonnie was helping Odile to her feet.) “Stop being stupid.”

(You look at the knife, still stained with whatever sadness considers blood. You want to lick it off. . . You shake your head, and breathe in. . . And out. You clean your dagger on the ground and put it away.) “Let’s get going.”

(You continue, eventually making it to a spacious room.) 

“This room feels safe too, doesn't it?”

“Break time?”

“Maybe not. We might still have a lot to--”

(There’s a loud rumbling noise.)

“Wh-WHAT WAS THAT?!?”

“It was my tummy, sorry!”

“That was so loud. . .”

“How hungry are you for it to be this loud. . ?”

“I don't get this swole by skipping meals!!!”

“Urgh. Anyway, let's take a break for now. . .”

(You all sat down while Bonnie prepared the snacks.)

“. . . BONBOOON!!! HOW LONG UNTIL SNACKS ARE DONE!!!” (Isabeau yells to Bonnie.)

“Five minuuuuuutes!!!” (They reply)

“Okay take your tiiiiiiime!” (Isabeau replies, then lowers his head, pausing a second before talking again.) “. . . H-hey, hey everyone, uh. . .”

“Hm?” (Odile glances at him.)

“We haven't brought it up yet, so um. . . I have a question?”

“Do you not want Boniface to hear?”

“Yeah. . . If we're sure they won't hear, then yeah. . .”

(You say at a normal volume:) “Bonnie forgot to tie their shoes!” (You waited for Bonnie's reaction. . . Nothing. You give a thumbs up.)

“Oh gems, they actually did forget. Someone better tell them later. . .”

“Okay good, so. . .” (Isabeau awkwardly rubs his shoulder.) “If, one of us bites the dust uh, what should we do with your body?”

“UM???”

“Haha, what?”

“Yikes?”

“I'm sorry! I'm sorry to ask!!! I know it's not the best moment!!! B-but most of us have different beliefs, don't we? So, well. . . In case, Change forbid, one of us dies today, and the others are able to honor your body. . . How should we do it? . . .Like, m'dame Odile, is there a Ka Buan way, or. . .”

“. . .No, it's. . . It's a valid concern. Well. . . In Ka Bue, you'd burn the body and take the ashes to a Gemmaker to transform them into a diamond, but that won't be easily feasible, will it. . .”

“You'd change into a diamond?!”

“Hardcore. . .”

“But if that's not doable, you can donate my body to any House in Vaugarde. If Vaugarde is saved, I'm sure they'd have a use for the body of a savior. . .”

“. . .W-well, the House of Change recommends burying your body under a tree, so our body can nurture the nature around it. . . Be part of Change and all that.”

“Is it the same for you, Isabeau?”

“I mean, I'd be dead, right? So I don't really. . . care that much about later. And for, well, Bonnie, what should--”

“We won't allow Bonnie to die.”

“Over our dead bodies. Even if we're about to die, there are ways to use Craft to make sure Bonnie will survive.”

“So, no matter what. . .”

(No. Matter. What.)

(That’s something you all could agree on. No matter what, Bonnie lives. No matter what happens, who dies, anything, Bonnie lives. Even if you turn back time so nothing happens, you won’t let Bonnie get hurt. No matter what.)

“. . . What about you, Siffrin?”

(Huh! Will, will there ever be a time where that applies to you? It’s not like you’ll die anytime soon. But. . . What if you die? What would you want to happen to your body?)

“. . . Carry my ashes with you.” (You finally respond.)

“Huh!”

“Carry your ashes. . . Like, we all get a bit of you?” (Isabeau asks.) 

“Each of us would have a bit of Siffrin to keep with us.” (Mirabelle seems to like the idea.)

“Kinda morbid. . . But. . .”

“That way we can still have fun.” (That way we can still be together. You smile.)

“A ghost Siffrin to play pranks on me at all times? I'm not so sure about that.” (Odile jokes.)

“I’ll leave you alone for two hours a day.” (You stick out your tongue.) 

“Ha! How generous of you. I may have to take you up on that offer then.” (Odile grins.)

“A personal ghost Sif, huh. . ?” (Isabeau rubs his shoulder. Mirabelle just giggles at the thought.)

“HEY!” (Bonnie jumps over.) “Are you guys done talking? Because it’s SNACK TIME BABY!!!”

>>>

(FISH!!!! HEAD!!!!!!)

(You tried so, so, so hard to try and savor it, but you were halfway through the juicy, salty, scaly fish head before you slowed down even a little! It was delicious, it was meaty, it was, so, so, gooooooood. The snapping and crunching of the little fishy bones were the best. The salt, the, the. . .)

(. . . ?)

(What were you thinking about again?)

“Hey Sif, is it good?” (Asks Isabeau.)

“Huh?” (You snap back to attention.) “O-oh! Yeah it’s really good! It’s delicious!!!”

“Well hopefully that will sate your appetite for another floor.” (Odile teases) 

“Hey!” (You pout, then take another big bite out of your fish head. Instantly forgetting about the teasing.)

“. . . And there he goes again.” (Odile chuckles.) “Lost to the world.”

(You just liked your head! It’s tasty! Is that such a crime?)

(. . . You’ll eat something else next time then.)

[traumaboyexo]

(slides chair around) Hi, you must be wondering where I've been for a while, and have questions. Questions such as:

Where's the next Carrion!Siffrin post

Where are all those other things you said you were working on

Where's the next Carrion!Siffrin post

Where's the Ted Italics x Reader fic you promised

And the most popular question

Who the fuck are you again

Anyways I will not be answering any of those questions because I'm a fucking pussy. Here's what I've been working on

HOMESTUCK AU

Homestuck ISAT au that's a thing I'm doing or something. I doubt it'll be very popular but it was something I had to get out there and show somebody and do something with it, so here it is. Won't waste your time with explanations like classpects or the ectobiology or whatever.

But also if u wanna know please ask so I can Homestuck nerd out.

MIRAFRIN FUSION AU

Yeah so immediately after I made Mirafrinsprite, my brain began to churn ideas for a fusion au where Siffrin and Mirabelle fuse during ACT 5, and are forced into a time loop as an emotionally unstable bomb wearing a mask, and also everybody thinks they're Siffrin! Will explain more in the future but look at my little bundle of angst hehe

OH MY GOD WHERE'S CARRION!SIF

I swear I'm still doing stuff for it just gimme time I promise please don't eat me

Okay that's it have fun bye

[traumaboyexo]

CARRION!Sif Memory of Sadness

[[Immediate new post! But that's just because I already had this written.]]

(Your stomach growls as your family enters the familiar first hallway.)

(It's the same sadness. Every time. Annoying. Frustrating.)

(...)

(You're. So. Hungry.)

(Perhaps...perhaps payback is due.)

(It's almost breakfast, isn't it?)

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

"O-okay everyone, let's, um, uh--"

(You pounce.)

(Your prey is almost immediately within your grasp. You don't waste a single moment and anchor it to the ground.)

(STAB!)

(Your dagger has pierced straight through the sadness and into the floor. It screams and struggles in agony. Music to your ears.)

(Feasting time.)

(You can barely focus on anything else. You're so hungry. You stare and tower over the Sadness, wrapping your tentacles around it, making sure they're tight enough to cause more pain.)

(It begins struggle faster. Good.)

(You rip the Sadness off the floor. Your jaws are already open, excited, anticipating the sweet meal.)

(You bring the sadness closer, and closer.)

(The tears are flowing. The screams continue.)

(You're starving.)

(CRUNCH.)

(You chew. Your hunger is satiated as the salty sweet taste and prime meat texture churns around within your mouth.)

(It's amazing, delectable.)

(It really is better to make your own food.)

(You chew and chew and chew, making sure the taste lingers for as long as possible.)

(You finally swallow.)

(For the time being, you are no longer hungry.)

(...)

(You concentrate.)

(You feel your hands and fingers and legs and toes return to you.)

(You turn to your party.)

"I'm full!"

(...they're horrified.)

(That's to be expected.)

(You really are unlovable.)

[REWIND]

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

"O-okay everyone, let's, um, uh--"

"I'm hungry."

(Everyone looks at you in surprise.)

"Already?" (Isabeau says with a confused smile.) "Right now?"

(Bonnie digs around their pockets.)

"Hold on Frin, I might have something here--"

"Hehe." (Mirabelle giggles)

"Thank you Siffrin."

"...oh!" (Isabeau snaps his fingers.) "Were you trying to calm Mirabelle down, Sif?"

"Ohhhh. That's pretty clever!" (Bonnie says with a point.)

"Indeed. A joke before battle. As though you don't say them enough DURING them." (Odile says, a smirk across her face.)

(...you give a laugh of your own.)

(Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.)

(You can't lash out like that again.)

(You can't let them know.)

(No matter how much your stomach growls.)

(Stick to the script.)

[traumaboyexo]

CarrionSif as in the video game carrion?

As your payment from answering this I give you the greatest GIF

Yes!!!! The idea is that Siffrin is basically the Carrion Monster, and results in him constantly having a beast like hunger of sorts. It basically started when I was thinking of giving Odile a parasite similar to the Carrion, then it turned into making Siffrin the Carrion monster instead.

Very fun stuff

a lot of Sadnesses get eaten