#japeth sader

[secretly-a-catamount]

Despite Rhian being both Evelyn and Rafal’s favorite, Japeth is actually the one who’s most like them.

He killed his brother and then stole his identity, all to raise his lover from the dead, a lover who never loved him at all.

They loved Rhian because he was what they wanted to be. Good.

They hated Japeth because he was what they were. Evil.

[sarascamander]

The trio that carried A Crystal of Time 🛐🛐

[harmonyvarnes]

Carolyn: If you kill him! You kill me!

Rhian: Awww

Japeth: Then I'll kill you both.

Carolyn & Rhian : ಠಿ⁠_⁠ಠ

[iamverynormalaboutsge]

Those screenshots are for context as to why I decided to lay out my view on Aric and Japeth there and to also avoid repeating myself.

Now back to the grind! (I will put a 'read more' because this WILL be long, be warned)

Topics: Aric and Japeth's origins, the context of their surroundings, the perfect isolation and the communal influence

@liketwoswansinbalance take a cup of tea or an espresso shot, this is gonna be a while

I will lay out a few of my takes on these two characters before I move forth and talk about their relationship because I feel that if I don't some details will not be understood or they will lack, what I call, flavour!

First, let us start with Aric who I am more experienced with because, well what do you know? He's interesting to think about.

Of course, we have to begin with his origins. That means Lady Lesso and his unknown father who for whatever reason the fandom wiki assumes is deceased but we have no confirmation of that. Perhaps it's because after the 'We can't imagine anyone who would miss him' his father didn't appear yet again Nevers have a very different way of 'loving' their children. Aka it's practically medieval times royalty but without the money, make the baby 'pure' for the bloodline, and move on. In our case make a baby for your lineage(with a willing or unwilling participant or with a sacrificial goat to a demon to clone yourself like it happened in Hester's case) and then we see where the rest goes. Now there is no doubt in my mind Lady Lesso loved Aric and she still most certainly held motherly love for him when they reunited despite him wanting to murk at her and managing to do so in the end. She admitted she was never afraid of him and more so afraid of what he could do to the people she cared about. But she WAS afraid of him when she realised that he was not HER son anymore.

We know that Lady Lesso was afraid of Aric's father. Perhaps the whole 'let's make an heir for our bloodline' was mutual but something happened and Lesso wanted to keep her son and avoid her husband(?)/father of the child. It is funny to me how people assume Ares, the God of War, is his father and honestly? I could see it. Lady Lesso has this aura of power around her and I wouldn't exactly be shocked if the woman who deemed Sophie as truly evil despite all of her flaws would only be swooned off her feet by a literal God, similar to how Sophie was very eager with the prospect of a powerful lover and having therefore a power of position. However, Lady Lesso perhaps sought out more than just power. I believe Aric's dad simply wanted to take Aric for who knows what reasons and Lady Lesso, one of the most powerful sorceresses that we know of(because come on. She managed to make the powerful protecting shield Rafal did at his full strength. That takes something) was AFRAID to confront a 'simple' man.

Now how does this all play in Aric's story if he didn't even know his father? Well, genetics count. Dovey recognised Aric's father from her memories after meeting Aric who had a similar outlook on him. Therefore Aric being very eager for war, battle, and savage violence in general despite maintaining a certain level of discipline which IS needed to win a war regardless of how brutal, would justify the Ares theory.

We know Gods can be charming or persuasive, we saw the air of confidence and undoubtedly strength Lady Lesso carries herself, and we see it in Aric how he has no issue getting where he wants, how he wants it, and deceiving everyone along the way. Despite supposedly having no interactions with girls whatsoever, given that the timeline only mentions that Aric's interaction with a girl ever before ending in the Arbed House was with the daughter of the family that rescued him that he nearly killed(not to mention that I remember that he DID murk their family dog. Perhaps the fact that the family's daughter was 'so weak' paired with his recent trauma of being abandoned by his mother who he most likely loved the most led to his whole 'women are weak, frail and pathetic' beliefs).

Therefore, how does Aric go on to 'seduce' Sophie and Hester? Although he didn't exactly go somewhere with either of the plans he had in mind with Rafal punishing him for going near Sophie and Hester not faltering for the guy he got stabbed by(even if the stab was meant for Agatha), we still see he has some maddening skills in being a charming devil and effortlessly so. Let's not forget that he ended up captain of the boys against any better judgement from Tedros. Sure he broke through the magic shield and we see Tedros question it even if he never gets an answer from Aric on it. A completely strange boy showed up on his doorstep and he just- let him in despite the clear threat he possessed simply because he claimed to(and didn't lie) that he was there as well because like everyone else he had something in this 'game' to go after. We see Tedros acting aggressively to Aric when he loses his patience in regards to the whole 'start a war already' situation, being threatened to be kicked out, but THAT was after Aric already become Captain of the boys. Aric must have proved himself in a different way than just breaking the shield. I mean sure he managed to gather up some henchmen between the time he left the Albert House to the moment he got to the schools, and we know that Aric didn't exactly have any friends. He was persuasive enough to get some other aggressive individuals to follow him and potentially even make them obedient to him. We never know what happens to them after book 2 but most likely just like the other princes and boys they are thrown out/leave because they are no longer needed therefore Aric doesn't keep them around.

Where does this play in the whole Aric-Japeth relationship? It does. Sure, Aric is very conscious about what he does and what effect he has on people but he had to learn he could have such an influence on others, and who was his first 'victim'? I believe that to be Japeth. Now I doubt Aric was aware of what he was doing. He was just a boy, no older than six who had been abandoned and turned spiteful against the cold harsh world. We know NOBODY liked Aric. Rhian and Kei surely didn't yet Japeth did. And I think the reason Rhian and Kei didn't like Aric is for the same reason that Japeth did.

Aric's natural charm worked on Japeth as they grew up together and 'explored'. While Japeth's acts of violence until then were to terrify both his twin and mother to the point Evelyn Sader who was very determined to raise Rafal's children(and who she also carried willingly despite being abandoned) turned to leave them in the exact spot where hearts so evil that they would ruin the endless woods if they were to be properly trained in the School for Evil were hidden (another screenshot y'all).

Aric wasn't sent there by HIS blood nor guardian but rather by a family mortified by exactly this, a heart truly evil. He ended up there as an external factor who heavily influenced Japeth's perspective and views to the ones they were already being taught in the Albert House. That school's purpose is to redeem evil hearts like redeeming sinners in the Hazbin Hotel. However, the Arbes House had a far bigger success than we see happen with the demons from hell(weird parallel I know but you can't tell me it's entirely wrong given that Japan didn't do far more malicious war crimes than the characters we are presented in that indie animation). Anyway, as previously stated I believe that just as Aric's genetics made him charming, persuasive and manipulative, effortlessly with little to no struggle if I may, Japeth's genetics made him psychotic, prone to delusion as well as overly blinded sighted by his goal to account for all the details that may go wrong. These characteristics we seen in both Rafal and Evelyn.

We know that Evelyn was supposed to raise the boys and with the Mistral, sisters to help make them into what they are supposed to be. Japeth knew of his true nature while Rhian didn't and I don't think that it was Evelyn or Rafal to reveal that to him but rather the Mistral sisters AFTER Evelyn effectively abandoned the boys. I say abandoned because it wasn't until Evelyn saw how truly awful Japeth was that she was willing to truly drop this entire grand master plan despite carrying it so far. House Arbed specialises in hiding these evil souls from the schoolmaster himself therefore as far as Rafal was concerned in the context that he didn't exactly send monthly letters to his sisters, his sons were gone. Therefore even if Evelyn was still delusional enough to think he could be near Rafal, he rewarded her for helping bring him back or better said punished her for getting rid of his bloodline. It would make sense for Rafal to have noticed the impossibility of tracking down his sons the moment they stepped into the Arbed House which wouldn't exactly lead him to believe that there could be any magic more powerful than his to shorten his vision, because why would he? He never even considered that the students who loathed him could secretly work to overthrow him, or at least he didn't believe he'd get far so clearly while this is certainly a far stretch with the whole believing Japeth and Rhian are dead, it isn't entirely deniable. It would also make sense that after knowing of Aric, despite forcing the whole 'abandon your child or your career Lesso' he went off the radar when he got to the Arbed House just like it happened to Japeth and Rhian. Aric was evil just enough for Rafal to make him a DEAN on the SPOT despite having 0 experience whatsoever(outside the whole 'captain of boys)' and went as far as to give him the title of LORD.

I got a bit sidetracked but the point is Aric and Japeth were perfectly isolated and unbothered by any external factors in the Arbed House(perhaps the mistral sister keeping an eye on Japeth but not a lot more than that in the case of which Japeth and Rhian BOTH came in contact with the three only AFTER they left the Arbed House once they 'graduated' which could have been around the same time Rafal kicked the bucket, and Japeth was given more information than Rhian because the mistral sisters saw that unlike Japeth, Rhian's evil nature as little as it was ended up being stomped on and only Japeth was left with more authentic evil purity).

Japeth had violent tendencies but not out of any specific hatred or anger, but simply how he truly was we do not know whatsoever that Aric had such tendencies until after he was abandoned which would explain how compared to Evelyn who was mortified Japeth and willingly abandoned him and Rhian(perhaps Rhian too in the fear he could at any time turn like Japeth), Lesso had NO reason whatsoever to feel such genuine deep fear towards his son despite everything he did, despite the magic he inherited from her and the strength/mentality he might have taken from his father like Evelyn did. Lesso was afraid of Aric's father but loved Aric genuinely while Evelyn was supposedly madly in love with Rafal but FEARED Japeth. See the contrast?

Now that we have this cleared out we can finally begin the TRUE Aric-Japeth analysis as a WHOLE.

Japeth was corrupted by Aric. Yes, you heard me, Aric who undeniably is less evil than Japeth, is the one to have corrupted Aric and not the other way around. As I mentioned everyone saw it as troubling that Aric and Japeth interact with each other and given that it was Aric who ended up going to extreme lengths and being kicked out, rightfully so to think of it. Aric and Japeth only had each other as friends. Japeth was wicked by nature and birth, and Aric was wicked by his surroundings. While Japeth was relatively kept tame, that most likely changed the moment Aric came along. Aric who despite not being as horrible could NOT be contained(Just like Lady Lesso outright acted on betraying Rafal in the favour of the balance instead of just Evil).

Aric was also the first one to do an actual proper kill and not just torture or frighten as Japeth did to his brother and mother. Aric was the one to go the extra mile the moment he was pushed while Japeth despite all his wickedness never did such a thing or considered it even UNTIL Aric came into view and did as far as nearly killing Rhian. I mean a stab to the head-? Rhian had a hell of a skull not to die from it. A parallel to the False Rafal/OG Rhian on how HE had no issue with Hook eliminating competition but he wasn't able to do so himself until he was corrupted by external factors and did it himself at the end of the prequels by killing Rafal.

Likewise, Aric had an unconscious influence on Japeth. Aric had this natural attraction to get his way through. He got Tedros to place him as the Captain of the boys when Chaddick failed Tedros. He got Rafal to make him the new Dean/Lord of New Evil. He could have easily persuaded Sophie if Rafal didn't catch him in time and I dare say that even Hester was more than likely stunned enough by Aric's shenanigans for his action to still count as effective in playing with the victim's mind. However, while Aric was in conscious control of all of this, he never realised how he influenced Japeth. He was just growing, exploring who he was as a person and Japeth was the first-hand witness to that. Aric is more in the spotlight. He is in the shadows enough to not be noticed until it's too late but in the light enough for people to know to keep clear of him even when it is unclear the full extent of his power. Japeth is more of a shadow villain. He has no desire to step into the light, no need to put himself on display or hurt people just for the sake of it like Aric does, instead he does so by his simple nature, unconsciously.

And when growing up, a child takes from what they see around them including other children. Aric's naturally charming and suave behaviour put a spotlight on him from Japeth's perspective. One bright enough so that to him everything else becomes irrelevant as long as it's not related to Aric. If Aric didn't die I highly doubt Japeth would have helped Rhian with everything because he wouldn't have a reason to. Rhian wouldn't have what to bribe him with, even if Rhian didn't know he was beating Japeth out with the promise/idea of bringing back a person who most certainly everyone in the Arbed House despised. (Also the fact that Aric tried to kill Rhian and Japeth was dead serious on seeing Rhian choosing his safety over Japeth's happiness as a betrayal when he decided that Aric is to be kicked out. I mean I doubt it was Rhian's entire choice but that is the way Japeth saw it. Rhian chose himself over him so why should Japeth ever do otherwise for Rhian?).

Now that we established who wore the pants in the 'relationship' and as to HOW and WHY this is, let us define the status of it.

Japeth loved Aric. No doubt. I mean, having a magic space where you scribble your initials EVERYWHERE? I believe Japeth IS aware of how B+C scribbled on anything is usually a sign of romance or at least a very deep feeling. We see Rhian saying that Japeth considered Aric more of a brother than him, however, we then see Japeth ask decoy Aric for a kiss as a trap. Japeth was aware of his feelings towards Aric and so was Aric. However, Aric rejected that part of Japeth. In this regard, Japeth took after Evelyn's delusion that someone who didn't love him the way HE wanted it to, could ever, and also took after both Rafal and Evelyn, with Japeth believing that if he were to bring Aric back he could make him love him. (Rafal who thought he could make Sophie genuinely love him outside of desperation. Also, Evelyn who had thought that being of service to Rafal would gain her anything in her favour).

Japeth is the more powerful one in any aspect but mentally, whereas Aric in contrast naturally shines in through with his 'good' genetics. Japeth doesn't even think of stepping over Aric's authority over him, he lacks that rebellious spirit that Aric shines in. Aric dominates because he wants to. Japeth ended up dominating others because that was what was needed to get the one person he ever loved back. Japeth obeys Aric in his wishes, but during the scene where Tedros pretends to be Aric, we see that Japeth, from the demanding and cold snake, turns into a pleading puppy desperate for affection. He was right there and then ready to accept everything decoy Aric said if he didn't, to his credit and cunningness, test to see if this was even HIS Aric that he is so desperate about. Once he saw it wasn't his Aric, Japeth's delusion settled back in.

I highly doubt that the interaction would have gone any differently. Tedros didn't truly know Aric but he knew how he acted enough to realistically impersonate him for somebody who knew Aric on a far deeper level. Although he certainly must have had a flaw if Japeth decided to test out if this was Aric or not(outside of the fact that Aric was dead because we did later see Arthur talk to Tedros in the plane of dreams/magic so it's not wrong to think Japeth might have truly considered that decoy Aric was indeed Aric talking to him from the realm of the dead).

Now we established the relationship from Japeth's point of view + the view of everyone else but what about Aric? Now we know the romantic side of love was one-sided. We do know that Aric would send letters to Japeth, begging to come to him because he felt off without him, but I doubt that this was because of romantic feelings. Japeth states Aric was ashamed of their love, but this could be his perspective and rather Aric was ashamed of Japeth loving him like that or doing something to make him believe he could ever do that because loving someone also means hoping the feeling is mutual(unless you are that one sexuality where apparently to love people but you don't want them to love you back-??? Don't ask, I saw it once and that was enough for me to decide that the expertise of sexuality beyond bodily and mental psychology is no place for me to study). Aric was disgusted that Japeth who knew him best could ever think Aric could have such awful thoughts. Sure Aric hates women and he may have influenced Japeth in that aspect too because it's not like anybody else told him that women are pathetic creatures outside of Aric, which might result in a healthy young growing boy's hormones turning their attention to the same gender.(Reminder that places such as the military or conservative schools with only one of the gender present raises homosexuality because, in the age of teenhood where hormones flare up, they won't stop just because the opposite gender isn't present. Aric had contact with the opposite gender and saw examples of heterosexual couples, for example, the family who took him in, compared to Japeth who didn't exactly see Rafal around Evelyn I doubt that in the Arbed House, their biggest concern was making the boys good Christian boys and rather just oppress the evil as much as possible so that they can pass by as good. I mean Tedros is supposedly good and he deadpan chose the 'a villain will burn the world for you' route for Agatha so-).

I believe Aric missed Japeth because Japeth completed Aric. These two were the yin-yang of evil. The spiteful, fiery, rebellious part, and the calmer, colder, tamer part. Evil nonetheless but still, there is a very clear contrast between why these two are evil. It's a spectrum at this point.

Aric missed Japeth because Japeth was secure, Japeth was Aric's safe space. Japeth was the only other soul in this world Aric could share his dark thoughts and desires with, without being judged. Humans are still social animals even if some prefer solidarity, even our beloved introverts feel the need for a pet or some sort of emotional connection. Aric needed that connection. His status of power made it to be out of reach from others. His power build on terror and fear. He wouldn't trust those who loath him most to share his most intimate thoughts with.

Aric effectively isolated himself with his title, just as Rafal had. Aric needed someone wicked enough to understand him yet loyal enough to not choose their selfish reasons over his. Rafal had Sophie for that, however, he underestimated Sophie's external factors, the need for validation from a familiar person(Agatha/Tedros). For Aric though, this would have worked perfectly for Japeth. Japeth had no external factors to care for, not Rhian, not Evelyn, or anybody else. Japeth and Aric were only with each other. No other boys or girls between them. No other friendships or relationships. The only one who could have those was Aric and he effectively couldn't have them. Aric and Japeth wouldn't have been as deadly of a duo as people think. Yes if we take them from a standpoint of view in power and personality sure, but that's where they come and neutralise each other. While I believe that Aric most certainly expressed his feelings of wanting to kill Lady Lesso without hesitation and wanting to hurt Rhian for getting into his friendship with Japeth, he had no other specific targets. Sure Aric killed a dog, terrified a whole family and had an attempt on their lives, but you don't expect a rescue animal, abused, abandoned or traumatised to trust anyone right away. That unfortunate family wasn't the one Aric needed to cool down and recover from the essential meltdown he had for being abandoned and struggling severely in a highly dangerous forest with not just animals to worry about but magical/fantastic creatures who were ten times more deadly and could appear there as well. The Albert House was Aric's anchoring point back to reality and sanity but he had no one to coordinate his evil thoughts constructively like Lady Lesso does with her students because the Albert House works to OPPRESS these tendencies and that didn't sit with Aric's rebellious behaviour. If Aric wouldn't influence Japeth I believe his evilness could have been oppressed to an acceptable extent. Instead, we got the mastermind and his loyal henchmen. While Aric most certainly viewed Japeth as an equal and a person he desired to be around because he could feel human and natural around with, he didn't need him the way Japeth did because Aric experienced genuine unconditional love before Japeth, making him able to depict certain patterns and behaviours unconsciously.

Were Aric and Japeth friends? Yes. If these two weren't bothered would have half of the series happened? No. Were Aric and Japeth lovers? Not really. Did Aric love Japeth? Sure. Did Aric love Japeth? No. Did Japeth love Aric? Yes. Did Japeth love Aric? Yes. Did Aric see Japeth the way Japeth saw him? Not. Did Aric see him as an equal and or counterpart? Yes.

These two were most certainly each other's safe space, however, they viewed one another entirely differently.

Take this as you will.

[wisteriaum]

OMG ITS YEAR OF THE SNAKE.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

Vague Non-Spoiler

(This is partly just a reminder to myself, but maybe someone will also find verbing nouns interesting.)

In TOTSMOV41, Japeth and Sophie each "pull a Rafal" (two completely different deeds), Rafal "pulls a Sophie," and Agatha "pulls an August Sader."

[the-royal-rot]

"Fala had been what Rhian had called him when they were children , because he couldn't pronounce Rafal's name... Rafal remembered one instance in particular, where he'd used blood magic to turn Rhian's skin see through, revealing his twin's organs and veins, which left Rhian screeching Fala, Fala, Fala, until Rafal changed it back."

"When they were children.."

Children.. meaning that Rhian and Rafal canonically had magic or had acquired magic when they were younger.

Which means theories of them getting their magic when they became older or when they officially gained the title of "School Masters" when they were teenagers have to be out.

Were they born with it then? Most children say 1-2 words at 15/16 months, and 3 or more words by 18.. by the time they are officially toddlers they can say/put together 2 word sentences. Really, it depends on Rafal's definition of the word "children" here.

So, What time period is he referring to? Since Rhian couldn't pronounce Rafal's name, and was only really screeching "Fala" we can safely say he was under 3. (Maybe 4)?

But Rafal also mentions he uses Blood magic, not the regular fingerglow type. And for him to know what he was doing, turning his twin's skin see through, and for him to be able to be using that kind of magic at a young age... He'd need to have quite a developed conscious. Or.. in his unnatural case, he'd just need a natural sense for magic.

Given that technically, they are "Wizards" and that the whole celestium idea was passed down to Japeth during TCY, and also how young Rhian and Rafal would have to be, I do think they were born with some magical identity or "wizardly power" of some sort. Their parents maybe?

Yes, they could have been at the school when they were younger than most students and gotten their powers from the Storian. But according to that first image in Rise, they were probably 16-19 when the Storian gave them the oath.

Anyway, thoughts anyone? This scene that Rafal described gave me so many questions. This one was one of my first, though. Oh how I would kill for their backstory...

[discjude]

this is HORRIBLE quality because my editing software sucks and every single image quality enhancer hates me but.

[fourleafclovxr]

11: your turn

“Your turn,” Agatha says. Someone raises their voice from the room below— high, piercing, ugly. It’s probably Rhian’s mother. Who thought Sader family reunions were a good idea?

“Hurry up, Rhian,” Japeth snaps. He’s in a bad mood today. Understandable, but so is Rhian, and he’s not taking it out on anyone.

He fumbles with his cards anyway. Agatha has just put down a yellow reverse card, throwing the direction of play right back at him; he puts down a yellow five, leaving Japeth to groan as he snatches a card from the draw pile.

“I’ll get you back for that,” he grumbles. It’s hard to tell whether he’s being serious. It’s been getting harder and harder these days.

“You can try,” Rhian retorts anyway, and Japeth snorts something like a half-laugh. A joke, then. It wasn’t very funny.

It’s Agatha’s turn, again. “Uno,” she says, as she slaps down a blue five, brandishing her one last card triumphantly. “I’m going to win.”

Rhian eyes his own hand of ten cards, then Japeth’s with twelve after Agatha had hit him with a double plus four. “It’s not like you have very steep competition,” he points out.

“Not all of us listened to everything Mom told us to do, Rhian,” Japeth says, rolling his eyes. “I played Uno with my friends in primary school. You’re the only first-time player here.”

“Your friend,” Rhian coughs. He gets an elbow to the stomach and a dark scowl for the trouble. Not his fault it’s true. But he’s going to have a bruise on his ribs for a good few days.

“Like you’re any better,” Japeth hisses. “You and Kei.”

“Yeah, but Kei isn’t crazy,” Rhian mutters.

“Okay, I get that this is very much not my area of expertise,” Agatha intervenes, “or my business, but if you guys are going to kill each other, can you wait until we finish playing? Because I want to win.”

“You’re weirdly chill about this,” Rhian says, even as Japeth subsides into an angry silence.

“My best friend tried to ruin my life in first year,” Agatha offers. “I know a lot about crazy friends. Or, you know. Only having one friend. Not to rush you, but it’s your turn again.”

No blue cards, no fives. Rhian shrugs and picks another card off the draw pile. Plus two. Nice. “Right. Nice talking with you.”

“Good talk,” Agatha agrees. Japeth slaps a blue skip card onto the pile, and it’s back to Rhian again, who takes another card in due resignation.

“I’m going to catch up,” Japeth mutters, “just you wait,” and puts another blue card down.

There’s the sound of something breaking downstairs. Agatha pauses, hand halfway towards the draw pile, and Rhian and Japeth exchange tense looks. Again, with feeling: who thought a Sader family reunion was a good idea?

Uncle August, that’s who. Rhian has nothing against the man; he’s likeable, and he’s kind. Definitely kinder than Rhian’s mother is. But he has such terrible ideas sometimes.

“This is why Uncle July doesn’t come to family dinner, isn’t it,” he mutters.

“He doesn’t come to family dinner with us because he hates our mother,” Japeth says, deadpan. “He goes to family dinner with Agatha.” He says this matter-of-factly. Rhian doesn’t really want to know how he found out. It probably wasn’t pretty.

“He does, yeah,” Agatha sighs. “It’s really awkward, though, because his kids are closer to my dad’s age than they are to mine, and then I end up sitting there with no one to talk to.”

“Still better than whatever’s going on down there,” Rhian says gloomily. He’s ninety percent sure his mother threw something at someone. Only a little less sure that it was at Uncle August.

“I don’t know why your dad tries,” Japeth says to Agatha, bitter. “Mom’s not going to like him anytime soon.”

“He’s gotta try,” Agatha says quietly. “Sucks to give up on family.”

“I’d give up on her in a heartbeat,” Rhian volunteers.

Japeth turns to him, mouth drawn up in a half-snarl, and for a second Rhian really, truly believes that Japeth is going to— what? Jump him? Bite him? He’s done it all before. But Agatha’s there, so he doesn’t. All he says is, “Don’t talk about her like that.”

“Alright, fine,” Rhian mutters. They don’t agree on her. It’s fine. They don’t talk about it, and that’s why Rhian can still tolerate talking to his brother. And the other way around.

They’re each other’s closest friend, unfortunately. They know everything about each other. Sure, there’s Aric, and there’s Kei— sweet, serious Kei. But they came later.

It’s been Rhian and Japeth against the world all their lives.

And it sucks massively.

Because Japeth is screwed up in the head. Because Rhian is supposed to be normal, and he can hardly go around being normal when his brother is half-insane. Rebellious one moment, mommy’s boy the next.

Because maybe, just maybe, that’s all Rhian is ever going to get. To deserve.

“Your turn, Rhian,” Agatha interrupts. She says it gently; with no bite behind it. Quite unlike Rhian’s brother. He puts down a card absently. Japeth rolls his eyes as he takes another from the draw pile.

What Rhian wouldn’t give to be Agatha’s brother, instead. August Sader’s son. They seem happy. Normal.

The door slams open. It’s their mother. Of course it is.

“We’re leaving,” she snaps. She doesn’t even acknowledge Agatha before she storms out.

Rhian drops his cards. He fumbles to sweep them up, but it’s too late, they’re all face up for Agatha and Japeth to see. Can’t even get this right. Can’t even play a game right.

Mother never allowed games. Said they had to focus on their schoolwork, and their extracurriculars, and their portfolios, and Rhian did, he did, so why is everything still so screwed up—?

His hands are shaking. That’s not good.

“Hey,” Agatha says, alarmed. “Hey, it’s just a game. It’s okay. We can play again sometime, we’ll see each other in school anyway— well.” She winces.

Rhian goes to school with Agatha, because he got out of Arbed on scholarship. Japeth is still there.

“Whatever,” Japeth says dismissively. It’s entirely possible that he genuinely doesn’t care. Rhian sometimes wonders whether he has feelings at all. “Rhian. Let’s go.” He's already dropped his cards, reaching for the rest of his things. It’s easier not to argue, when she’s angry, and they both know it.

“Yeah, okay,” Rhian says, softer.

The door opens, again, nudged open by the end of a cane. “Dad,” Agatha says. “Hey. Are we going home, too?”

“Agatha,” Uncle August acknowledges, warmth diffusing through his voice. He’s always much more open around her. “We can if you want, since Rhian and Japeth are leaving. But it’s your choice. Also— hello, you two. I’m sorry about all that.”

“It’s okay,” Rhian says. Their mother has never apologised for anything, so this is already a step up in his books.

Uncle August sighs. “I don’t think it's the last you'll be hearing of it.”

“What did you do that pissed her off so bad?” Japeth asks carelessly, shoving his phone into his pocket.

“Ah,” Uncle August says delicately. He’s definitely stalling.

“Dad?” Agatha asks, voice tilting into a question. Great. Rhian wasn’t about to point it out.

“It has to do with their father,” Uncle August answers.

Their father? Rafal hasn’t talked to them in months. He normally just pretends they don't exist. Unless he’s been talking to their mother again?

“We’d know if he did anything,” Japeth snaps. “Mom would be yelling at us about it for weeks. Saying we’re just like him. I’m just like him.” He gets defensive about their father, too. The name gave him a bit of a complex. RJ. Rhian is glad it wasn’t him.

But the Saders aren't supposed to know who their father is. Their mother never told anyone. Never tells anyone a thing about him. Rhian and Japeth don’t talk about him either. No exceptions.

“What is going on,” he says.

Uncle August hesitates, still. His fingers twist up and down the head of his cane.

“You’re not supposed to know about him!” Japeth seethes. Took him long enough.

“I did not, no,” Uncle August says thinly, “until tonight.”

“Stop talking in riddles,” Agatha pipes up. “Just tell it to them straight, Dad.” Her eyes are bright with curiosity, and worry. She’s probably dying to know, too.

“He’s seeing your father, that’s what he wants to say,” someone else says. It’s Uncle January, the eldest brother, suddenly appearing at his youngest sibling’s shoulder.

“He’s what?” Rhian demands.

“Seeing your father,” Uncle January repeats.

“No, I heard you the first time, what the fuck,” he spits. Uncle August has the decency to look slightly apologetic— no, he doesn’t even have anything to apologise for, he didn’t even know. Didn’t know Rafal was their father, the father who left them with Evelyn Sader as their only trusted adult, the father who left, full stop. That only makes Rhian angrier. How dare he feel sorry. He doesn’t even know—

Japeth snatches up his bag and storms out of the room, shoving past their two uncles; Uncle January slips away to follow him with a worried crease of his eyebrows. Clearly he’s having trouble processing. Rhian is too. But he’s just sitting there, numb, so he’s not really doing any better. Never mind.

“Um,” Agatha says, with polite disbelief. “Sorry, what? The man from the university, with the silver hair. That’s Rhian’s dad?”

“Yes,” Rhian mumbles, “fuck, he teaches at the university, he dyes his hair because he thinks it looks nice.” He presses his head between his knees. This cannot be happening. This actually cannot be happening.

“I don’t intend to let it continue,” Uncle August says, somewhat like a promise.

“No,” Rhian says, with feeling. “I mean— don’t do that on our behalf. Yeah, he left and everything, but honestly. Who wouldn't leave our mother? Have you met her? She’s crazy.”

“Rhian,” Uncle August says quietly.

“No, she’s actually crazy,” Rhian assures him. “She didn’t let me have a phone until I was fifteen because she was scared it would stunt my learning. She doesn’t let me talk to Kei outside of school. She doesn’t care that Japeth is screwed in the head. I’m telling you, anyone who left her was definitely making the right choice.”

“Be it as it may,” Uncle August says, “I don't want her to take it out on you.”

“She does that anyway,” Rhian says. “Might as well be of some use.”

Uncle August exhales. “You’re just a child,” he murmurs. “You shouldn’t have to think of these things.”

“Tell that to our mother. Oh wait, you probably did,” Rhian says, a little hysterical. “S’why she hates you. She hates that you're always so good. So upright. Things always go your way. You’re too good, Uncle August. You’re not the same as we are.”

“We’re family, Rhian,” Uncle August says, low and tired.

“It’s gotta count for something,” Agatha says, finally. “That we’re family.”

Rhian wants to ask her: what does it count for, exactly? There’s no point. Everyone hates their little branch of the family. Their nonexistent— well, existent now— father, their crazy mother, the two of them, equally screwed up in their own ways, just that Rhian is more considerate about it. Everyone else is normal. Happy.

“Maybe it does,” he says, “for you.”

“Man,” Agatha says. She turns away from him to collect the fallen Uno cards, shove them in the box and hand them to Rhian. “Look, this is what it counts for, okay? You take those, play with Kei or whoever, with Japeth. The next time we see each other in school, we’re playing and I’m kicking your ass, and you’re giving that back to me. That's what this means.”

Rhian blinks, reflexively taking the box of cards she drops in his lap. “Come again?”

“You’re not just turning away from me like that,” Agatha says, quieter. “From us.” Uncle August nods in the hallway, mouth curling in gentle, fatherly pride. Rhian’s heart wrenches for a second. Flings itself off-beat. It would be so easy to turn away. It’s how he’s lived all this while. No one but Japeth; no one but himself.

But he wants this. He’s never wanted anything more.

“Your turn, next,” he says, finally, and Agatha smiles.

“Bet,” she says agreeably, and Rhian finds himself smiling, despite it all.

[atropinenightshade]

how do you think everyone from sge (including the prequels ofc :3) would sound like????

Sorry if my grammar sounds bad lol

I'm actually not the best at imagining voices while reading silently but here goes:

Agatha: I can imagine her with a somewhat strident voice most of the time. Or maybe she comes off as pressed when she really isn't. She also may have "strict mother" vibes to her tone as well. I do think she can sound softer when the situation calls for it, so much it surprises you.

Tedros: Someone loud and who has a slightly condescending tone of voice, or like that "I'm all that" tone. But also, really cheerful, passionate, and energetic.

Sophie: I don't exactly see her as high pitched, but maybe somewhere in between? I can also see her trying to have some "sophisticated" (or, Sophiesticated. Drown me.) accent. Her tone is mostly snobbish, and I imagine she can squeal super loud too..

Hort: I imagine him with a whiny voice.. I'm sorry. He's one of the only people with a clear voice in my head when I read in silence and that is the literal tone I hear.

Japeth: I imagine his voice very whispery and sibilant, like a snake.

Rhian 2: I imagine someone like a real good public speaker, so sure of himself and hardly messing up in his speech.

Rafal (prequels version): Hmm, perhaps very monotone most of the time. Or like, "whatever." When he gets mad though, then I assume he'll be louder. Also, I'm sure he would sound more charming when he's about to manipulate someone.

Rhian the First: I imagine a cheerful, down to earth sort of voice. Someone who likes to laugh and just seems to always be full of sunshine. Until Fall, I guess.

Thank you for this ask! It was an interesting one, and while I didn't necessarily put EVERYONE, I put the more popular ones for now. If you want, you are free to send more asks, or suggest more characters for me to assign a voice to!

[nothing-to-see-hi]

Everything I currently have about the siren Rhian au that I keep bothering his tag with.

Okay so, 1, sirens are typically powerful people who were cursed by other powerful people. Yes, I am basing this off of Persephone's myth.

On that note, no, they are not the bird sirens. Usually. Rhian is not a bird siren at least.

Summing up my previous post about the origins, at the end of Fall, Rhian tries to stab Rafal only to end up cursed as a siren in the middle of nowhere instead. He ends up going kinda feral and is running off of hatred by the time we catch up to him in The Camelot Years.

Hort knows. You cannot tell me that the guy who grew up on Hook's ship doesn't know about sirens. Particularly the one who has been going after the Hook family for 200-ish years.

Anyway, how we get to Rhian in the first place.

Hort, being the guy who's familiar with the sea and whatnot, tells them not to take a right at the fork because that's where a siren is and they end up taking a right at the fork anyway.

Enter the boyo

So who is on this ship? Sophie's on this ship. And what does Sophie absolutely reek of? Rafal's magic. And who does Rhian want to tear limb from limb more than anything in the world? Rafal!

A storm is conjured and the singing begins. To cut matters short, Sophie gets some nice claw marks on her face and Rhian gets blasted off the ship.

Cut to around the time where Sophie has the scims in her ears.

Twins v2. Electric Boogaloo kidnapped their uncle and tried to little mermaid him. It partially worked. Rhian's got legs again and regained a bit of himself. Bad news: the legs go away whenever he gets wet and the scims are in his throat so he can't talk, or sing, or use basically any of what little magic he has left.

Does this stop him from attempting to add a sub romance plot to what is already a subplot? No!

Enter nameless kitchen boy. Who for some reason I gave a vague family backstory. Japeth catches them making out in a closet.

Now why is Rhian in Camelot? The twins v2 want to lure out Rafal because they can't have the healing powers + wife + Aric if he's still alive

Also Rafal kept his limp and at least occasionally uses a cane because the Storian is not letting either of them go unpunished for the events of their books.

How is he alive? Idk. Idc.

Anyway at some point there is a massive battle between twins v1. in Camelot's throne room where Rhian seems to get some of his old powers back. At least temporarily.

Depending on your angst levels Rhian might die at the end of it. Or he survives and goes off to lick his wounds with his love interest. Either one.

They might vaguely appear at the ending in a crowd or something. Maybe Japeth brought his siren reinforcement in case something went wrong with the sword hunt. Idk again.

Misc.

Sophie and Rafal might have a Talk about how screwed up his entire family is.

And if there's anything he can do about her face

Rhian is used by v2. as the proper weapon he is and I could not be prouder

He also uses his undetermined relationship label guy to see what's going on around the castle

Is this all of it? No. Is it most of it? Yeah. If there are any questions they will happily be answered.

[secretly-a-catamount]

WIP for a fanfic, I guess

  Dinner was a tense affair. The meal itself was lovely, of course, Camelot’s chefs not knowing how to make any other kind. A lush, creamy, goat-milk, lemon, and mint soup with a side of pan-fried potatoes wedges. Six separate salads, three of which were composed entirely of fruit. Roasted nuts and seeds dipped in a salty black sauce. Cuts of nearly every kind of meat imaginable, waterfowl and poultry, white meat and black meat, livestock and game, all so tender they bled juice the moment a knife sliced through their crust.

  Sophie ventured into the topic of conversation near the start of the sixth course. Her jade green eyes focused on the man seated across the table from her, taking note of the fact that his plate was a mirror of her own, treated more like a prop than something he was actually going to use.

  “Japeth, darling, do tell me about yourself. Your brother and I already get along so swimmingly”—sitting on her right, Rhian gave a wane smile, as if he was amused with her half-truth—“and since we’re going to be roommates I thought—“

  Japeth’s head snapped up. “What did you just say?”

  “There’s no need to throw a hissy-fit around it, I’m not any happier about this than you are,” Sophie sniffed, nibbling on the edge of a cucumber sandwich, “your brother’s the one who suggested it.”

  “Than he can un-suggest it.” Japeth snarled, tightened his grip on his knife, wearing the resigned expression of a dog who knew a beating was coming but was too tired to try and defend himself.

  Rhian didn’t look up. In the low light cast from the fireplace at the other end of the room the scar on his head looked like a thick, pink rat tail. Sophie had to fight the urge to reach over and brush it off.

  “Rhian—“

  “I’m not going to answer you while you’re emotional like this, Japeth, it’s unbecoming for our family.”

  “Rhian—“

  “Control your emotions, Japeth.” Rhian reprimanded, with the inflection of someone who was saying something so obvious it didn’t merit repeating.

  Like wiping a chalkboard clean, Japeth slowly managed to ‘control his emotions’, as Rhian had said, although not without some effort. Sophie was disappointed, she’d been hoping that they’d kill each other.

  “Better?” Japeth spat through clenched teeth.

  “Extremely.”

[sorrynoideasforcoolnickname]

Sending a request to the universe:

This meme, but it's Aric x Japeth.

[faelinkart]

SGE villains as the Numberjacks meanies with pretty much no explanation

Sophie = Spooky Spoon (the reason i made this post)

Evelyn Sader= Shape Japer

Rafal = Numbertaker (have you seen him?????)

Rhian = Puzzler

Japeth = Problem Blob

Rhian and Japeth were definitely the puzzler and the problem blob but i wasnt sure which way round. settled on it this way because of how they look

[iamverynormalaboutsge]

I want to cry when I think of the old gen in SGE.

You're telling me it's canon that Lady Lesso was Callis' Dean (With Callis being the not-so-ugly uglification teacher).

It's cannon that Lady Lesso absolutely despised Evelyn and Rafal because hello, Evelyn ratted her out and Rafal forced her to make a choice, BUT THEN Evelyn and Rafal's son (Japeth) is obsessed with Lady Lesso's son (Aric).

It's cannon that 2 generations, no, THREE generations of evil were obsessed with Sophie? Rafal(love interest), Rhian(Love interest)/Japeth(Interest) and Evelyn(Interest). Although truth be told Evelyn was probably a bit irritated after she read the Story of Agatha and Sophie and saw Sophie kissing Rafal. Maybe she pushed it to the side with 'Oh it's fine, he's just using her'. Ok Miss Clown and you think he ain't using you? She probably realized he is when he turned her to dust.

Do you guys ever think that Sophie thinks that she practically dated a father and his son(s)? As we know her probably not.

Here's my question, I can't exactly recall if in book 5 when we are shown how Rhian and Japeth's existence came about if Rafal was young and beautiful or not(aka if he was old).

But if he WASN'T old and ugly then what happened in the meantime? How did he turn wrinkled and ugly as hell?

Was he also ugly or not when he tried to propose with Calissa? Cuz I can't remember for the life of me.

Are we also just gonna ignore that Evelyn was practically on the streets and that the Green Knight, the OG Japeth took care of her? Talk about being a deadbeat dad Rafal (cough RHIAN cough).

How does he keep seducing all these women?! I mean with Calissa it was a fail, Sophie was easily manipulated, and hell only knows what Evelyn's thinking process was given how easily she dismissed her each time she tried to be 'useful' to him.

Do you guys think Rafal knew that Japeth liked Aric? And if so is that why he made Aric the Dean of New evil(besides his own...evilness and the fact that he is Lady Lesso's son and inherited her magic).

We don't forget that 'Rafal' literally laughed when he was told he'd have to marry a woman for evil, right? Right? And then he became the Number 1 playboy. But the apple doesn't fall far from the tree because his true name sake(Rhian) took Sophie for the same reason (power) as his father while liking Kei and Japeth, the son that took after him, took Sophie with the intent of reviving Aric.

(I still refuse to believe Japeth was conscious of how Aric would act towards him when he came back. Japeth x Aric feels like it has a weird symmetry to Evelyn x Rafal due to the possible toxicity between the two given Aric was low-key homophobic. Well... More than low-key but that's beside the point)

[wisteriaum]

"i'm sorry, the old taylor can't come to the phone right now... why? oh, cause she's dead!"

i literally always imagine this part of this song as rhian (because im biased) but i've recently come to the realization that it's literally japeth's song😭 ESPECIALLY with the snake imagery in both the album and the mv like hello