#now I just need sif kill sif

[oobbbear]

loop kill loop

[sewersewersewercouch]

this is probably ooc but it's funny so I'm okay with that for now

transcript

isabeau: sif, settle my debate with mira for me. if I were a fruit what fruit would I be?

siffrin (smirking): a pineapple cause you take my breath away

isabeau (blushing): wh--sif! you can't just say--

(siffrin looks very self satisfied)

isabeau: wait what the crab does that mean

siffrin: oh fun fact I'm very allergic

isabeau: you need to tell us these things????

siffrin: it's only killed me like once or twice

[valictini]

@askoverkill Overkill au is kinda living rent free in my brain right now and my need to theorise is getting unmanageable hfjdj here's something I've been wanting to talk about, regarding the blacked out words on the Director's ref sheet

This is what I could decipher:

The first square I won't talk much about. We now know for sure that the Director is ISAT Siffrin and I'm not confident in my guess for the missing word. So not much can be really gleaned from it, since idk if I'm right.

NOW THE SECOND ONE: I am 100% sure those are the words!

"Powered by [...] dead Siffrins" You say...

Of course, the missing bit in the middle could give us more precise info on what exactly dead Siffrins provide that get the Director going (my bet is their body, with how many cannibalism allusions the Director's made) but yeah! This implies that dead Siffrins are the Director's fuel, in one way or another!

The Director HAS been calling Siffrin the meat for the meat grinder after all. Does this mean we can stop the meat grinder by simply not putting meat in it?

Is everyone around Siffrin right? Should they just stay behind and make sure they dont die near the Director? Is it that simple? Knowing that ISAT and SASASAP could have ended the loops by just talking with the party, I think it is possible.

What makes me doubt it a bit is that Loop gave this option immediately, kind of giving the vibe that they told that to other Siffrins before, and I want to believe that at least one of them (aside from ISAT ofc) already took up on their offer, and the loops didn't end... but for all we know, literally no one else did that ever again. Exactly like when Loop suggested to ISAT Sif to just talk to the others at the very beginning (the actual answer to all his problems) and Sif went nah and never thought about that option ever again.

What im saying is that we are not safe from another catastrophically self sacrificing Siffrin doing everything but the one thing that would save them (affectionate)

But even if it's the answer, and Dawn actually stayed behind for a loop, Dusk probably will always go into the labyrinth and get killed... so does that mean that he's providing a dead Siffrin, thus giving strength to the Director regardless? So many questions...

I have Other Thoughts, regarding Loop, Dusk, Lupus and the role of past Siffrins... But for now, I wanted to share that partial deciphering. Maybe I'll find the strength to work on the evil wordle that is the blacked out text under the Director eventually...

[vulpixisananimal]

[A:0 C:0.2]

(Siffrin)

“-Frin!”

(. . . Mirabelles voice. She’d be here to wake you up soon. You lay on the floor for just a little bit more. You’re tired, she can wait in town like she has every time. You don’t want to, face. . .)

“. . . Sif?”

(. . . . Wait-)

(Your eye flies open and you bolt up. No, not looping. You’re not looping you’re not looping you’re not looping, you’re fine you’re okay you’re okay. Calm down, calm down, calm down. . . You felt exhausted. Mirabelle knelt down next to you, and, you’re in the room with the orrery, laying on the floor.)

(. . . When did you get here?)

"Hey Mira!” (You say, and automatically follow up with,) “have you thought about doing a sleepover tonight?"

“. . .” (She opens her mouth to reply, o-oh, stars- you slap a hand over your mouth.)

(Smooth, idiot.)

“S-sorry. . .” (You mumble, looking away.)

“H-hey! There’s no need to be sorry, Siffrin.” (She smiles at you and offers you a hand.) “It’s, i-it’s just, habit, right?”

(You look back up at her, then away, then take her hand, stumbling to your feet.) “. . . Y-yeah. . .”

“And that’s!! Okay!!!” (She opens her arms.) “Hug?”

(You nod. She hugs you. After a second, you hug her back.)

(. . . You’re, really out?)

(Of course you’re out! What, you woke up halfway through a loop in a room that no-one else knows about? Stars you’re an idiot.)

(Yeah, yeah that was a pretty stupid thought. . . Wait.) “. . . Mira? W-why am I, here?”

(Mirabelle pulls away from the hug, worry clear on her face.) “I-I was going to ask you!! We’ve all been looking for you all morning!!”

“HUH?!?!?” (You jump up. They, what?!?!) 

“YOU SCARED US HALF!! TO!!! DEATH!!!!” (She pouted.) “And you don’t know why you’re here either?!?!”

(You shake your head.)

(Weird.)

>>>

(You’re sitting down in front of the frozen statue of the King, with Mirabelle and the Head Housemaiden talking a few feet behind you. You couldn’t see his face through his hair, or his hands. But you knew deep down he was smiling for maybe the first time in a very, very long time.)

(You don’t know why, but you wanted to look at him one last time before you leave.)

(Why did he get a chance to see it? Why didn’t you?)

(Because the Universe isn’t fair, that’s why.)

(No, the Universe has a reason. If the King wanted to see the Island, then, maybe this was the only way?)

(The two behind you are still talking, you don’t pay much attention. You were too busy looking at the flowers some people had left in front of him. Why? Why would people do that? Are the people of Vaugarde really that forgiving?)

(No, look at that one. It’s, you know, that one. That flower. It’s, it’s. . .)

(Just a flower.)

“Siffrin?”

(You jolt to attention when Mirabelle touches your back. You look at her, putting on your smile for a moment before a look from her wipes it off of you.) “. . . Y-yeah?”

“Are you alright?” (You nod.) “A-are you sure? You seemed really out of it.”

“Y-yeah, sorry, I’m. . . I-I’m okay now. Thank you.” (Your face twitches into an awkward, yet genuine, smile.)

(She smiles back and giggles. Standing up to turn back to the Head Housemaiden.) "A-as you were saying, Crafted Sadness?"

"Yes, Mirabelle, you could also call them Fused Sadness."

(Crafted Sadness? Fused sadness? Oh, you missed a lot more of the conversation than you thought.)

"That's my little theory, anyways!" (The head housemaiden says cheerily.) "So overcome with his own emotions in this house frozen in time, he spawned his own bonded sadness, and fused with it."

". . . . Is. . ." (You thought about your interactions with him, how he talked, how he, killed.) "He. . . He didn't, always, act normal. . . . Tears. . ."

(You shook your head, and looked down. You feel dizzy, so, so dizzy. Oh. . Why, why did he get, to. . .)

"A-are you sure, Head Housemaiden?" (Mirabelle asks.)

"It's just a guess, but, it's what I think." (The Head Housemaiden replies.)

(Why. . ?)

>>>

(You kept your head down as you walked away from the House of Change, as you walked through Dormont, and as you waited for the others to finish up anything they needed to do. You hold Isabeaus hand tighter, the two of you're sitting on the bench outside the library. You shuffle a bit closer.)

(It’s, over.)

(You felt it in your bones, it’s over. The birdsongs were different. The wind was different. The weather was different. It was all different. You were free, it’s over. It’s done. It’s done it’s done it’s done.)

(Isabeau puts an arm around you and pulls you a bit closer.)

(Neither of you said a word, you didn’t want to talk. You probably couldn’t talk even if you wanted to. All you needed, wanted, right now, was to breathe, and to be close. In, and out. You close your eye.)

(Odile was returning the familytale, having read it twice over. Bonnie was thanking that nice blind man for all the veggies, and Mirabelle was saying hi to her fan. Isabeau didn’t have anything to do, and you didn’t have anything you wanted to do. Before, you thought that maybe you could give everyone that perfect day. Help pick the right earrings, do the frog spell thing, go fishing. . .)

(Stupid.)

(. . . You turn and hide your face in Isabeaus' shirt.)

“Gwuh-” (he replied, despite “gwuh” not being a word. He rested a hand on your back, a hand in your hair. You wrapped your arms around him.) “. . . You'll be alright, Sif, okay?”

(You nod, and close your eye. You'll be alright. You'll be okay. You'll be okay. You'll be okay. . .)

(You're going to Bambouche next. There, you'll finally meet Pétronille, and hope that she'd be okay with joining you all. It was a couple weeks journey, which would be fine for you all. But. . .)

(You could only imagine what she must be thinking. She told Bonbon to run, got frozen, and in a blink, she's back. It's almost half a year later, and Bonnie's disappeared. Stars, and the first thing she'd probably learn about Bonnie is that they're one of the Saviors of Vaugarde!)

(You’re starting to feel dizzy.)

(Oh relax, the hard part’s over now. You can relax, alright?)

(Right. . .)

(. . . You don’t know how long you’ve been sitting here, or how long you were hiding in Isabeaus' shirt. But you hear the voices of the rest of your family nearby. You breathe in, and out, then sit up to look.)

(Odile was waiting just a step away with her nose in a book, and Mirabelle was coming back from east Dormont, Bonnie in tow. Bonbon had a big, juicy carrot in their mouth. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight. You’re all here, happy.)

“Everyone ready to go?” (Odile snaps the book shut.) 

“SUPER READY!!”

“Y-yes!! All ready!”

“Ready as ever!”

(You open your mouth to reply, but no sound comes out. So you just nod your head.)

(Look at that now the researcher is giving you a look. Well done! Very natural!)

(It’s not one of suspicion, it’s one of understanding.)

“I’ll lead the way this time!” (Mirabelle says excitedly.) “T-there’s no rush now, so Siffrin can have a break from leading the charge!”

(You smile at her, a silent “thank you.”)

(And your party’s underway. Bags; packed, legs; ready, excitement; peaked. You walked to the road that led north by northwest. For the others, they were re-treading a route they had just taken to get here not a week ago. But for you? It was almost a year ago.)

(176. One hundred and seventy six loops. Odile’s low estimate for your days trapped in Dormont, it was 225. For the average it was around 280, and the worst case scenario? A full 350 days. You didn’t want to think about how many pastries you ate, how many banana peels you slipped on, how many stab wounds you suffered, how many. . .)

(You’re at the edge of the town.)

(You shuffle to a stop and glance back. The others stopped too, waiting for you. They understood.)

(You looked back, the town felt a lot smaller from here. Most of it was blocked by the surrounding trees. In the distance, poking above the canopy, you could see the favor tree. Somewhere, a child was running in circles, flowers were being tended to, and daydreams were being daydreamed.)

(You take out the coins. Two coins, two identical coins. You thought you gave yours to Loop, you saw them take it, after all. The question of why you had it had been eating at you all week, but you just took it as a sign from the Universe.)

(You take one coin, and flip it, once, twice, three times! Because you know, you just know.)

(You take the other coin and flip it a fourth, fifth, sixth time. You know you’ll see them again.)

(Looking at them again, you couldn’t tell Loops from yours anymore. You think you’re alright with that.)

(You turn, and join the rest of your party- your family. As you lock your fingers around Isabeaus' hand, you’re smiling.) “Let’s get going!” (And it wasn’t even a forced smile.)

[yanderes-galore]

Can I request gen hc pet sif pls thank you

Ah, yes, the wolf that never fails to make me CRY- Sorry if it's short, I struggled on Sif. Sif is called 'She/Her' in this. Although I don't think the gender is confirmed.

Overprotective! Great Grey Wolf Sif Concept

Pairing: Platonic/Pet-like

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Overprotective behavior, Violence, Blood, Dubious companionship.

Sif is already known as a fierce protector.

She is a wolf who, once saved by her master Artorias, defends his grave.

She is a large wolf who wields a sword and is just as skilled as her master in combat.

Sif is a loyal wolf and companion.

Her job is to stop others from seeking The Abyss, to prevent any others from succumbing to the same fate as her master.

That alone is her purpose.

A guardian of her master's grave.

One can assume she'd be overprotective already, considering she's willing to protect the one she cares for after they are dead.

Perhaps you are the Chosen Undead, the human who helped free her master from his suffering in the darkness.

Perhaps instead of killing you, Sif dedicates herself to defending you.

She mourns her past master... but she always remembers your scent.

Your scent is just about as soothing as her master's was.

Maybe she's scared you too will follow the same fate.

Which would end up making the wolf stop your journey, continuing to guard not only her master's grave... but you.

If you want to continue your journey, there is only one solution.

Getting rid of Sif.

But maybe you abandon trying to take her master's ring.

Maybe you leave her with such a treasure.

Sif would then focus on being your loyal companion.

As long as you do not pursue The Abyss, the wolf will be calm.

If you do... The wolf will do whatever she feels is needed to stop you.

Including incapacitating you.

Another option is making you replace Artorias as her original master.

This plot of making you The Abyss Walker may work better as Sif wouldn't be protecting a grave... yet.

In this case, you'd be sent to fight The Abyss.

Sif, your ever loyal wolf, would follow you anywhere.

She remembers your scent, your touch, your praise.

The wolf, like a true hound, would do anything for you.

She licks you, wags her tail... she lays beside you when you rest by campfires.

That wolf would defend you with her life.

Any foe who appears before you is cut down by the wolf.

Blood stains her fur, but for an animal that is normal.

She follows her instinct to protect.

As your wolf... You are her everything.

Her master, her companion...

And the grave she defends with her life.

Sif sticks beside you until you encounter Manus.

Sif aids you in whatever way she can, although, it's all pointless.

This mission was never one you were meant to come back from.

With your arm broken, you weakly toss your shield to Sif.

Sif rushes over to your weak form, nudging you desperately.

But you send the wolf away.

You deny her overprotective behavior... which leads to her guarding your grave later on.

Be you her master or the Chosen Undead... Sif is ruthless in her protection.

Blood stains her sword and fur.

There's a glimmering determination in the wolf's eyes whenever she sees new foes to destroy.

The wolf is not sadistic, she merely sees this as duty.

Morals do not apply to an animal.

Sif would allow corpses to litter the ground, their blood pooling into the dirt, and not think much of it.

To her, only one thing matters now...

Protecting you and all you leave behind.

[livesworthlivingau]

Lives Worth Living Chapter 26-28

ISAT/Two Hats Spoilers below! CW: Outbursts, Mentions of stabbing/killing, unhealthy obsessing.

"So how you holding up Sif?" (You suddenly snap back to reality and look over to Isa, now left alone as the other three had left for the market.)

"What do you mean?" (You ask, confused by the sudden question.)

"You looked a little zoned out there, and getting to see Vale again, and Nille, it's just a lot right now, even if it's good stuff. So... Just wanted to check in with you!" (He gives his trademark bright smile, and you can't help but smile back.)

"It is a lot... but it's good, the family's back together again, even L-Vale now... I just... I really hope it works out this time."

"This time?" (CRAB!!)

"Y-You know! Like, having them around... I want them to fit in is all!" (A more serious look appears on his face. There's no way he bought that...)

"Sif... You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I do! I know! I... I'm sorry, but it involves them a lot too, and I can't talk about it without them." (Your voice falters a bit, the topic making you uncomfortable as you start to scratch absentmindedly at your arms. His large, gentle hand meet yours after a moment, trying to calm you down.)

"Hey, it's okay, I understand. I just worry, y'know? But if you're sure it's okay for now then I can wait!" (He smiles at you again. You place your head on his shoulder, closing your eye with a relieved sigh.)

"I love you Isa."

"I love you too Sif."

----------------------------------------------------

"Excuse me for a moment, I need to use the restroom~." (Vale explains before leaving the table and conversation. They seemed especially uneasy since Nille left to help Bonbon in the kitchen a few minutes ago, probably still struggling being around everyone else...)

"Siffrin, is there, uhm… Is Vale uncomfortable around us?" (Mira asks, it seems you weren't the only one to notice.)

"They're… just shy, you know? Not used to new people! That's all!" (You try to smile convincingly.)

"Right…" (Crab.)

"They just need some time to warm up is all!" (Isa to the rescue, as always. Thank the stars.)

"They were stuck in the loops too afterall! Sif was the only one they really interacted with, right?"

"No wonder they're so on edge." (Odile chimes in with a little tease, not even looking up from her book.)

"H-Hey!?" (Mira and Isa can't help but snort and snicker at your expense. It WAS a pretty good joke you guess…)

"Though we should discuss what our next course of action is, now that Nille has found us. I assume we'll still head to Bambouche for their sakes, then continue our little reunion tour? I imagine you'd like to return to Jouvente at some point Isabeau?" (Odile begins to plan aloud to get us all on the same page.)

"Eventually, sure, I'm in no rush! But what about you, M'dame? Don't you want to go back to Ka Bue too?" (Odile pauses for a moment, glancing over at you. You must have been making some kind of face considering how she raises a brow at you.)

"I believe our little time traveler here already knows the answer to that question." (You look away nervously.)

"It's uhh... complicated? I don't think Odile cares about returning anytime soon." (You try to keep it vague, to which she nods. Her eyes casually return to her book before she speaks up again.)

"Very astute of you, Siffrin. If I do happen to return, it will likely be out of obligation more than anything else. I believe we have more pressing matters to attend to, like the fact you're still looping."

"I wouldn't exactly call that pressing..."

"Th-This isn't something you should just put off Siffrin! What if it just keeps getting out on the back burner and suddenly you're right back where you started again?!" (Mira chimes in in a panic.)

"I'm not saying we just ignore it forever! Just... we have some time at least, and Odile stopped me from looping once already! If anyone's gonna know what to do, it'll be her, right?"

"I stopped it in the moment, preventing you from looping ever again is a whole ordeal in and of itself. It will take a lot of research on a subject that no one knows anything about, and another that is purely theoretical. I may be good at what I do but I'm not a miracle worker."

"You might not think so." (You chuckle a bit. No matter how many times it happens, she still managed to surprise you over the years with new breakthroughs and theories on craft, sadnesses, and otherwise. She smirks a bit as her eyes remain on her book.)

"While your confidence in my is flattering, I'd still like to tackle this subject sooner rather than later."

"Alright, we'll get to Bambouche and go from there, okay? For now I'm just glad we're all together again..." (Your expression falls to a bittersweet one. You feel Isa's hand on your shoulder, giving a light squeeze and smiling brightly at you. You lay your head against his side and close your eye, savoring the embrace.)

"Dinner'll be ready in a few!... Hey, where'd Vale go?" (Nille asks, stepping back in from the kitchen.)

"Oh! They went to the restroom! B-But it's been a while, hasn't it? should someone check on them?"

"I better do it, y'all sit tight!" (Nille quickly takes the offer to ensure no one else would, heading off to find them.)

----------------------------------------------------

"Before I explain this, it's not their fault, please don't blame them, they were going through a lot and I didn't notice how it was affecting them and I told their secret an-" (You start to explain at a million miles a minute, too frantic to be processed properly even as Nille lightly grabs your shoulders to snap you out of it.)

"Hey, easy, just start at the beginning okay?" (She tries to comfort you, to which you nod and take a deep breath.)

"... When I first looped back all those years, I was... frozen? I was panicking, stuck in my head, I thought it must be a dream or something, there's no way this was really happening, right?... And then I heard their voice... and all of that just went away." (You glance over at Vale. They look... confused? Shocked maybe? You guess you never got the chance to tell them this part.)

"I ran to find them right after, as fast as I could, and... I was just so happy to see them, I didn't think about how they were feeling... forced to be back, I'd been through so much and they were just left behind... and then I dragged them along back here to force them into a family they didn't want any part in."

"Stardust... That's..."

"It's true Vale, and I'm sorry. I really don't blame you for what happened." (Vale just looks away, clearly not agreeing, but they can tell they won't change your mind. Nille still looks very confused, waiting for the story to continue.)

"So things seemed fine for a little while, but then Odile noticed I was doing a little too well, and I told her about everything... including their secret, which they made me promise not to tell." (You really were hamming up how awful you had been, even if you didn't realize it. It was your fault after all, Vale can't be punished for that.)

"Vale found out what I did, they were already on the verge of snapping and that pushed them over the edge, so... they had to go back, before I dragged them to the party... They had to make us all loop back..." (Nille takes a second to process all of this, before her eyes widen, realizing what you were implying.)

"Frin, tell me what happened, please." (She asks, her eyes looking almost desperate, as if asking you to assure her it's not what she thinks.)

"Vale... They..."

"I STABBED HIM! I SHOVED HIS OWN DAGGER INTO HIS HEART AND FORCED HIM BACK, OKAY?! I'M A MONSTER AND A MURDERER!!!" (You jump back as they suddenly start screaming out. You look back to the door, thankful no one else was there at the moment. Nille pulls herself away from their outburst. Looking scared, confused, conflicted.)

"N-No! You're not Vale, you knew I'd be fine! You knew I'd loop!"

"And what if you didn't?!?! What if it all ended right there?!? How could I do such a thing?! How could I take that risk?! How could I hurt you like that?!" (Their eyes were wide and crazed, they gripped their hair painfully tight. They looked ready to snap again. Before you could try to comfort them, Nille was already holding their face to try and snap their out of it.)

"Hey hey hey! Vale, Calm down please." (They stopped suddenly, tears flowing from their eyes and staring back at Nille, surprised they weren't being treated like the monster they thought they were.)

"You made a mistake... a big one, sure, but a mistake none the less. Frin's okay now, right?"

"B-But... I killed them... H-how could anyone forgive me for that?..."

"Well, Frin did, and that's the most important person to do so I'd say... It's a lot to take in alright, still not really sure how I feel about it right now... but I'm not just gonna hate you for it, especially after everything." (Vale stares up at her, they look confused, their eyes darting about as they try to piece something together.)

"I doubt you want to go back in there tonight. Maybe you should stay at the Inn for tonight, cool off a little..."

"Y-Yes... that sounds like it's for the best..." (Before Vale can get too far, Nille lightly grabs their arm to keep them from going too far.)

"This doesn't give you permission to run away though! Remember... you made a promise." (She smiles softly then lets go.)

"... Right... I promise." (Vale can't hold eye contact with either of you for more than a second, slowly starting to walk off again.)

"We'll see you tomorrow, Vale?..." (You plead. They nod back at you before fully turning away. The both of you watch as they slowly vanish from view towards the town center.)

"... Hey, Frin? Are you sure you're okay?" (Nille starts to speak again, now that Vale was safely out of earshot.)

"... It's not that bad, I promise."

"But they killed you Frin... I know they've got issues but... I didn't think they'd be capable of doing that." (Nille holds her arms, gripping them a bit too tightly.)

"They're not! They knew I'd be okay! I'm still looping, it's fine! They would never have done it if they knew it wouldn't happen, like when-" (You cut yourself off, quickly slapping your hand over your mouth.)

"... When what?"

"... After the loops 'ended' the first time, I went to find them... That's when they admitted who they were, and they kinda... snapped. They attacked me, they were ranting and raving, they spent all that time just watching me do it and have an easier time than they ever did, everything they went through and my loops were practically a walk in the park in comparison... But when they had me beaten they couldn't do it! They wouldn't! They're not capable of that I swear!!!" (You do your best to convince her... and possibly yourself in the process. You still blame yourself for what happened, you just don't want Vale to suffer for it.)

"Frin... I'm not saying we should just send them on their merry way or anything but... they still attacked you, they still stabbed you... I don't know if you should just act like that's fine and forget it ever happened..."

"Nille... I've had a very long time to think about this. I've missed them for decades, and now they're finally back... I'm not going to do anything to mess that up, so please don't do so either." (You don't realize it until it's already happened, your face turning to a colder, darker expression. It felt vaguely familiar, likely similar to how you looked in those later loops... Nille looks a bit unnerved by it.)

"Siffrin, that's not healthy! Don't you think you're being a bit obsessive about thi-"

"I don't care!" (Nille jolts in shock, stepping back at your outburst. You stop before you lose it too much, taking a deep breath to compose yourself.)

"I just want them back... I just want them to be happy... I had 30 years of a wonderful life with all of you while they got nothing... Isn't that unfair? Isn't that a tragedy? They go through all the pain and suffering and I just come in and replace them?!"

"Frin! That's no-"

"NO! They're the only reason I'm here! They're the only reason I got to be happy for all this time! So don't you dare get in the way of me making it up to them!" (You snap. Nille stares down at you in a mix of shock and nerves. She looks over you a bit, as if trying to work out the best way to deal with this situation. You sigh and take a step back, making yourself smaller as you duck into your cloak a little.)

"I'm sorry... but please, don't... don't ruin this for me... I need this. I need them... Good night Nille." (You excuse yourself before you say anything else you may regret. You head back inside, ignoring anything she or anyone else may be saying to you as you pass. You reach your room and settle in for bed, not wanting to deal with this day any longer.)

[abowlofsourcream]

⏳💫Congrats, Everyone! You got Memory of Rotting!💫⏳

You will never forget this��

…

You should come to the Favor tree after you’re done, Adventurers…

…

TW: PANIC ATTACKS, WARNING! SHARP!(DAGGER) MENTION, RESTRAINING, AND THEMES OF DISSOCIATION! Please be mindful before reading!

v Afterwards v



*Everyone is acting strange around you, like they know something you don’t…

*They probably do…

*You feel a bit off today, it would be okay if they were annoyed.

*Real sleepy too, which is weird because you definitely remember sleeping a lot the night before!

*And your stomach is killing you, but you don’t want to ask Bonnie for more snacks. That would be selfish of you.

*But that doesn’t matter anymore!

*You beat the king and now you are walking to meet The Head HouseMaiden!

*You’ll be home free!

*You reach the last room, where the Head HouseMaiden greets you…

*She tells all of you how grateful she was to them.

*Man this is great!

*…

*Why is everyone so quiet?

*She gives you time to talk to the others before she blesses you to move on!

*To go back your separate ways!

*To go back… Home…

*…

*… Huh.

*You talk with the other’s, and…

*Yep, they are totally acting weird…

*Isabeau was being extra weird, more than he usually was…

“You Okay, Isa? You’re sweating a lot…”

*Isabeau stammers at your question.

“O-oh! Y-yea! I’m all fine and good, Sif!”

*…

*You would usually find it kinda funny, but it was different.

“Okay… I guess I should talk to the Head HouseMaiden now…”

*You turn away, but.

“W-wait! Before you do that! I, uh-, need to tell you something!”

*Oh… That makes you feel weird for some reason!

“Um, Sif. Siffarooni. Siffrin! This may sound weird. It’s not bad, not anything bad! But you know now it’s the most perfect time to time!”

*You can see he is looking behind you as he says that…

*Why is he doing that?

“Um, Isa? Is this about that thing you said?”

*He looks at you confused.

“You know, the thing that you told me you would tell me after we beat the king”

*He blinks.

“I… What?” Did I tell you that?!”

*Oh? He didn’t say that? Has your daydreaming gotten that bad in the past two days?

*Stars, you’re so stupid!

“Siffrin?”

“I’m fine! I should just talk to the-”

*Isa grabs your shoulders.

*Woah!

“Isa?! What-?”

*Isabeau immediately lets go of you.

*He hasn’t touched you like that before, has he?

“Oh Change, I am so sorry! It’s just that you can’t talk to the Head HouseMaiden just… yet.”

*What in the Blinding Stars is going on?

*Why is everyone acting so weird.

“Isabeau, what is going on?! Why are you being so weird?!”

*…

*He isn’t even looking at you…

*What is he looking at?!

*You turn around to see Mirabelle and Bonnie and-

*And…

*The… Head HouseMaiden…

*…

*The things she is saying…

*You heard this before…

*About something going wrong.

*Something being broken.

*Rotting-

*…

*You start to remember things…

“Siffrin?”

*Odile walks up to the two of you.

*She tried to tell you once, didn’t she?

“Sif, what’s wrong?”

*Isabeau voice sounds so gentle… Just like that wonderful night under the stars…

*Your head feels like it’s splitting in two…

*You start to remember a lot.

*You’ve beat the King before!

*You won before, so why are you still all here?

“What is happening? Why are we here, again?”

*You remember your wish- Oh Stars!

*You remember your wish!

*Odile kneeled down to you.

“Siffrin, I am going to need you to breathe for a moment…”

*No! This can’t be it!

*Your…

*Your wish couldn’t have done this!

*You must be still asleep! Yea, that must be it!

*You just need to wake up!

*You.

*Just.

*Need.

*To.

*Wake.

*Up…

“Siffrin, are you listening to me? What is wrong?”

*…

*You feel through your pockets…

*You just need something quick, something shocking enough to make you wake up!

*You just need to find-

*Odile grabs both of your hands.

“Madame?!”

*Isabeau looks confused, not sure what you were looking for.

“Isabeau! Hold him in place while I look for his dagger!”

*No, no, no ,no!

*Isabeau quickly traps you in his arms…

*Odile searches for your dagger.

*SHE CAN’T DO THAT!

*You try your best to keep her away.

*Isabeau is keeping you in place.

“Frin?”

*Bonnie turns to the rest of them, terrified.

*The same way they looked when they were-

*You remember a sickly crunch.

*NO NO NO!

*YOU DIDN’T WANT THIS!

*THIS WASN’T YOUR WISH!

“ODILE, PLEASE! I NEED TO WAKE UP!”

*Odile grabs your dagger and throws to the side of the room!

*You try to squirm your way out of Isabeau’s arms.

*Odile grabs your face.

“SIFFRIN, YOU ARE NOT DREAMING!”

*No!

*No, you have to be!

*Your body feels like it’s trying to kill you…

“PLEASE, I CAN’T DO THIS AGAIN! I CAN’T TALK LISTEN TO HER AGAIN!”

*You never felt so helpless before…

“SIFFRIN-!”

“THIS IS WORSE THAN BEING ALONE! THIS IS WORSE THAN FORGETTING! THIS IS WORSE! THIS IS WORSE!!!”

*You see the Head HouseMaiden cradles Mirabelle’s face, crying!

*no!

*she can’t!

*Mirabelle turns to look at you.

*YOU FEEL A TUG.

*ON.

*YOUR.

*STOMACH!

<<<

*…

*You open your eyes.

*Your head is pounding…

*Your stomach hurts…

*Your whole body aches…

*You look around you.

*…

*Your… Allies are sitting around you…

*They’re watching you, worried…

*Mirabelle scooches close to you, carefully…

*Like you were dangerous…

*She is probably right.

“Siffrin… Do you… Remember what happened?”

*…

“I…”

*…

*You…

*Odile pressed her hand against your head.

“Jem’s, Siffrin you are boiling!”

*Oh…

*Isabeau stands up.

“Siffrin, let me take you to the Clock Tower… Can you walk?”

*You try to stand up…

*… You don’t get very far.

*He catches you and picks you up…

*You don’t deserve that…

“Bon Bon, take their hat for them?”

*Bonnie’s nods their head, gently picking up!

“Okay! Let’s go!”

*They all go there way to the clock tower…

*…

“M-mira?”

“…Yes, Siffrin?”

*…

“I’m sorry I screwed everything up…”

“… It’s okay, Siffrin. We’ll figure it out together…”

*…

*Together?

*…

*You hope so…

*But…

*…

*You’re not so sure how much longer you can go…

[scrubbinn]

In Stars and Systems: Myriad thinking

Prev - Chapter select - Next

Odile 42 days after the King’s defeat (Loop 7)

“And you’re sure that’s everything?”

Siffrin- no not Siffrin, Mal du Pays nods to you. You have it resting on your bed right now. It's content for now, but still tired and traumatized. You sigh and rub your forehead, its writing was difficult to parse, and it refuses to talk. You had to read out everything that happened in all the previous loops, occasionally stopping to confirm a poorly written sentence, or missing piece of information. Teaching Mal du Pays sign language could prove useful. No that's not what's important right now. 

Organize your thoughts. What do we know? Siffrin, or in this case, Mal Du Pays, is currently unable to move due to craft fatigue. It's unknown if it can loop on such low energy.

The innkeeper, Halley, is currently trying to kill you and everyone else. Worse yet, they seem to follow Siffrin between loops. They're transfixed on hurting Siffrin, but it's clear they don’t care who they target. All that matters to them is fulfilling the revenge fantasy. They must be losing their mind from madness and exhaustion.

Lastly, Siffrin has been hiding a dissociative disorder from everyone for over a month now. You're lucky you thought to take that medical journal with you from the house.

It's also being vague with certain points. That final death was completely glossed over in particular. Whether it's memory loss or hiding something, you can't say right now.

With that all in mind, the first talking point should be…

“So…. What exactly are we planning to do about Halley?”

Isabeau is as curt as ever. If it were up to you, you'd strike them in the back of the head and leave them for dead, but there's a few issues with that. Most importantly…

“We can't deal with Halley without stopping the bomb they have access to. Though it’s difficult to parse exactly what it is.”

“Well, I didn't understand a lot of what Sif was talking, er writing about, but it sounds like they're using flour to make a dust explosion.”

You raise an eyebrow. Siffrin told you about a loop where Isabeau knew how to build a bomb. Did he train to be some kind of demolition expert?

“If you have a lot of flour dust in the air, it'll cause a fire from just a spark! Something about trapping a lot of air in the dust. I took a field trip to a flour mill at school once, they have to be extremely careful about a fire starting. We watched a demonstration and it was pretty loud. My ears were ringing for hours after that.”

“And how would one go about disarming it?”

“Well in this case, we'd have to clear the air. Either blowing out the dust or soaking the room.”

“Hm. I suppose we could lure them out of the kitchen, we have the open phrase. But baiting them out will be difficult.”

It would be simple actually. You already have the perfect bait. Halley would hunt down Siffrin after enough time has passed. You and Isabeau could take them out after arriving, but they'd need only one clean hit on Mal du Pays to trigger another loop. Then again you aren't sure if it even has enough energy to loop. Even if they did, it’s still not an option. Over your dead body will you let anyone here get hurt.

“I'd like to solve the issue of poison next. There’s an apothecary in town. Mirabelle and I can ask if there's a potential antidote for whatever this poison is. Meanwhile you can stay here and protect Boniface and Mal du Pays.”

Isabeau nods… but seems a little confused. It's clear as crystal what they want to say. Gems, how did Siffrin never notice his feelings with a face even more telling than an open book.

“Is there something you want to ask, Isabeau? We're all in grave danger, but if you need to get something off your chest, I’ll allow it this time.”

“Well. No. It's not that big of a deal. It's just… we don't need to-

You glare daggers into him.

“AH! IT'S JUST… You keep calling Siffrin, Mal du Pays, but that's like… a mask right? Or like sif changing himself into a new person, like me!... right?”

Mal du Pays tucks itself further in your bed. It pulls the blanket closer to hide itself and stares at him in anger. It won't explain anything as long as it refuses to talk. You'll have to be the one to talk for it. Gems Alive, you are not prepared for this. Who you wouldn't kill for a cup of coffee right now.

To your surprise, Mal du Pays speaks. No, not Mal du Pays. There's some subtle differences in posture and facial expression. Interesting.

“Um, sorry... Mal had to leave... It's Siffrin now.”

“Sif?”

Isabeau looks cheerful, but still confused. The look Siffrin is giving… It's haunting.

“Is… that how you felt… when you met Loop… Isa?”

“Huh? I- sorry! I can’t really tell you what past me was thinking, or what the situation was like. I guess I'm not getting it, huh?"

“How are you feeling right now Siffrin? Do you need anything?”

Siffrin can only whine in pain and wraps the blanket around themself tighter. His chronic pain must be worse than what Mal du Pays described. Looks like you'll have to lead the conversation after all.

“I suppose we have some time to have a quick conversation on D.I.D.”

They both look at you with confusion. Of course. Your search has proven that Vaugarde holds very little information on the topic. You'd be in the dark too if not for the Ka Buan journal you found. 

“Dissociative identity disorder. A condition that can form in the mind of a young individual. Manifesting in the form of multiple different identities or inner voices. The current theory is that it forms sometime in childhood, and typically due to trauma. It will often hide itself from those around them, or even to those with the disorder.”

Siffrin speaks to you though pained breaths. “...no. that… can't be what I have… sure, Mal is… a part of me. but Loop is a real person… they're here because I wished for it.”

“You mean wish craft? A possibility, sure, but I doubt it. From what Loop explained, and my own research, wish craft merely gives you the tools to achieve a goal. It can't grant the wish on its own. You mentioned trying to use wish craft before Isabeau found you passed out, correct?”

“yeah… I thought I didn't finish it… but Loop showed up anyway… I just wanted… to see them again… It worked… right?”

“I don’t want to come off as ignorant, but I don’t think that’s what happened. Wish craft shouldn’t function like that. For instance, let's say your wish had succeeded. It's more likely the wish would grant you something like an expert ability to track people. Or a radar sense that’d always tell you when Loop is near. It'd be strange if the solution was to place Loop directly into your brain.”

“…So why are they in my brain?”

“The book mentioned something called… hm, the translation is difficult. Typically, a new identity forms its own shape, name, and personality to fit a called upon role. But sometimes, that process can pull from a fictional or factual identity instead. Loop helped you throughout your entire journey to escape your wish, correct? It's possible your mind couldn't handle the sudden loss and created a copy to continue helping you. Bear in mind, this is just a theory, I'm by no means an expert on the subject. 

“...So you think Loop's... not even a real person?”

“Whether it's actually the same star or not, is I think, irrelevant. We should still treat them and any other inner voice of yours with the respect you would for any unique person. That goes for the both of you.”

“Yes, M'dame.”

“Siffrin?”

“Ok…”

“Any other questions in the meantime?”

“Mind if I see the book you mentioned? I wanna read it so I can get a better idea of what this sort of thing is like. I'm sure Sif wouldn't mind reading it too.”

“Can either of you read Ka Buan?”

They both shake their heads.

“I know a little bit. We get taught basic phrases as part of defender training. But definitely not enough to call myself fluent, much less literate.” 

“The medical journal I found in Dormant's house was written entirely in Ka Buan”

“Was the translated copy already checked out? Usually a house has both the original text and a copy in vaugardian.” 

“An excellent question Isabeau. But the answer is no. There was no translated copy of this text. Mind you this wasn't a recent donation either. A healer purchased the book a few months before the King attacked, looking for any new medical developments found in Ka Bua. It seems they found nothing worth documenting.”

“Huh? That's weird. Why would they think that?”

“That's what I asked the head librarian. They mentioned that most of the information was already documented in other medical texts within the house. And the rest, being what our dear Siffrin is facing, was deemed unnecessary.”

Siffrin looks like they're about to cry. Feeling isolated with issues no one can help with. It must be reopening the fresh wounds of the loops. Isabeau seems confused. Understandable, it must feel odd that Dormont, and possibly all of Vaugarde, wouldn't care about this.

“I have a theory on why actually. Specifically, why this condition seems so confusing to you Isabeau, and why Dormont wouldn't feel the need for documenting it. In my travels through Vaugarde. The thing that always stuck me was the willingness to change. It is the largest belief in the country. You all have multiple names. There's constant encouragement to change oneself multiple times throughout a life. One such way is changing your personality. I doubt there's any malicious intent on silencing people like Siffrin. But in an environment and culture like this... it would be seen as so normal that to call it a disorder would be heretical. It’s the sort of thing that could end up completely invisible.”

“Is it a rare thing? Like there's a lot of diseases and super rare issues that sometimes even healers don't know about.”

“Well the journal mentions it affects about 1 in 100 people.”

“Of Ka Buan citizens?”

“Of the world population.”

“ONE PERCENT OF THE WHOLE WORLD?!?!!!”

“Isabeau! Be quiet! Or do you plan to wake up our killer early?” 

“Sorry, sorry. But, that can't be right! Something that common would have to be more well known!”

“As I said before, it's an easy disorder to hide from others and even the one affected by it. I'm sure other countries also have a difficult time identifying it; no culture is perfect. But the problem is that besides a few chapters of a book, we'll be completely in the dark on how to handle this new side of Siffrin.”

Siffrin shifts back. He's trying to make himself as small as possible. You'd like to ask how he's doing but, you've never learned the right words for this sort of thing. 

“So I'm going to be stuck like this forever? Is there some kind of cure?”

“...Do you want to cure it, Siffrin?”

“No… But I ended up hurting everyone again. And…and…” 

Tears well up in Siffrin's good eye. They hide their face with a pillow. This must be a lot for them. Having to share a body, knowing that sometimes you will not always be you. Thoughts and actions that you now realize aren’t your own, and that whatever is happening isn’t something you can just easily fix. Add every other diagnosis the house gave… You can’t even begin to imagine what it might be like. If only you could understand how he thought sometimes. 

You all stand around for a while, none of you know how to help Siffrin... You should probably leave and talk with Mirabelle, but to your surprise, Isabeau steps next to the bed. He waits for Siffrin to lower the tear stained pillow, his puffy eyes look down on the ground. The only thing for you to do is hand him a tissue box and wait.

“Sif. Pal. Buddy… Look. I still don't understand everything. But I know for a fact you don't have to change if it's something you don't want to do. If you're comfortable with this, then we can work through this together. I'm here for you, and so is everyone else!"

"And hey! Based on what you- The other you wrote, Loop and I got along great! I'm excited to meet everyone else! Honest!”

Siffrin can only sit back in bed. It's clear how much he doesn't want to cry in front of others. At least they can form a small smile after Isabeau's pep talk. But the best thing you can do right now is leave. You have other places to be after all. Siffrin will have to go through this all over again when they can finally explain themself to the others. At least now with Isabeau, he'll be more prepared. 

What about the other identities? Loop is an unknown, and Mal du Pays ended up attacking you earlier in the night. No, that's not really the problem though, is it? There's three of them, for now. You didn't mention it because it'd only stress Siffrin out even more. But if this is D.I.D, then their brain has already grown accustomed to creating new personas in order to deal with traumatic incidents. There's a likely possibility for more identities to appear alongside your journey. That sort of thought could send them spiraling. No, best to keep it secret for now, you can explain it better once you've dealt with the current situation.

“Alright, Isabeau. I'll be sending Boniface here for you to protect. Do not open this door unless you hear their or my voice and we knock specifically six times. If you smell smoke or expressions forbid, the bomb goes off. You will find a way to climb out the window with everyone. Understood?”

“Will do M'dame. You have my word; I'll protect everyone. But what about you?”

“As I mentioned before. Mirabelle and I will look into an antidote for the poison, and after that we can deal with the dust explosion too. Stay safe in the meantime. Please.”

“We will. I can promise you that.”

You'd like to stay here, feet planted on the ground. Every single part of you wants to stay; Making sure everyone in front of you is safe, happy… Ha. You really are getting old aren't you. You can tend to them later. For now, you have to put your trust into them.

The door clasps softly behind you as you cross the hallway. Mirabelle and Boniface’s room is only a few steps away, yet those five footsteps feel as though they take forever. You did your best to seem in control but reality is much too cruel. There’s still so many variables that could go wrong at any moment. Who knows what Halley could be thinking. While all of you are resetting and predictable, Halley will only grow stronger with each loop. There's nothing stopping them from detonating this inn over and over. They have no reason not to kill any of you. 

Calm yourself Sachiko, you have to stay strong. But the dark dusty hallway don't give you any confidence. Heh, it reminds you of the haunted manor you, Mirabelle, and Isabeau had to travel through for the third orb. Isabeau was so scared of every cobweb. Meanwhile, you couldn’t care less about the variety of spiders living within its walls. How the tables have turned. The second the danger becomes anything serious, Isabeau transforms into someone braver than anyone you've ever met. And you… It’s not like you’re too scared to do anything. But you can’t stop worrying about the others, especially poor Boniface. You've been lucky with keeping them away from the dangers of saving the world. But how much longer can you keep them safe? No. Not the time to worry about that, focus on the task at hand. Don't let stray thoughts distract you.

You softly turn the unlocked door handle. Knocking could alert them, you can’t risk any noise right now, but the door frame still squeaks loudly no matter how gently you push. Inside the room, Boniface is pretending to sleep while Mirabelle is resting with a fearful expression. She seems to be having a nightmare. You pat them both awake.

“Madam Odile? What… what's going on?”

“Shh. Mirabelle, I'd like you to accompany me to an apothecary. Boniface, I need to stay in my room for a while with Siffrin and Isabeau.”

“Huh? Why do I gotta stay there?”

“...Siffrin is feeling sick. I need you and Isabeau to keep him company. Think you’re up to the task, little one?”

“Huh? Yeah! Course!” 

They seem happy with the idea that this is some important mission only they can do. Mirabelle is still confused, but you need to keep her in the dark as much as possible. At least until to make it out of the inn first, then you can explain everything.

After some time, Boniface has entered your room, making sure to knock six times. It takes a while longer for Mira to finish dressing for the cold. 

“So will you tell me what’s going on now?”

“Only when we’ve left. Please trust me on this.”

“...This is something serious isn't it? Something to do with Siffrin… Ok, I'll trust you, Madam.”

The stairs groan and creak as you make your way down to the front entrance. Please, you're so close… the door behind the counter unlatches. Of course this couldn't be so easy. Best to prepare yourself for the worst. They block your path at the bottom of the stairs. Even when you're two steps above them they still match you in height. You scowl at them, no need to change that, it's how you greet anyone being obstructive.

“Can I help you with something, Mx.Halley?” Unlike Mal du Pays, you actually read the plaque on the front desk.

“I'm just curious where you two are going at this time of night. I'm currently out taking care of some chores before more potential guests arrive tomorrow.” 

How much can you give away? No, it's not how much you can say. It's if you say anything at all. They're testing you, seeing if Mal du Pays spilled the secret cat and mouse game happening right under your nose. If you slip up once, they'll set off the dust explosion and everything will be over. Starting a battle is too risky, not while you're so close to the kitchen… You decide to stay silent.

“Well, Madam Odile said Siffrin was feeling under the weather. So we're traveling to an apothecary to get something for them.”

“Oh no. That's tragic. You know I might have something for them. What sort of condition are they in?”

This is disgusting. You're stuck staring at the dimples forming under their cheeks. They can't even stop themself from smiling. You do your best to give off an emotion of confusion and slight discomfort. Nothing too obvious… Hm? As you try to look anywhere other than their face, you notice their hair is short, it looks recently cut. It reminds you of the old Ka Buan tradition of cutting tied hair. A symbol of becoming a different person. The idea that they would defile such an ancient practice with their homicide is... You're taking too long. Answer them and move on.

“Siffrin's chronic pain. It's not something he likes to talk about with others, so we'd appreciate it if you didn’t pry. Besides, we're looking for a large amount we can take with us for traveling.”

Mira looks at you in confusion. She hasn't heard about Siffrin experiencing anything like that, at least not this loop. To be fair to her, you had to grill Mal du Pays to write about it when you noticed a few gaps in the story it wrote.

“Alright, You don't have to worry. I won't pry. The apothecary is just outside of town, close to the woods. It's pretty much northwest from the door. Oh before you go though. Would either of you like a cup of coffee? I already have some brewed.”

You almost refuse immediately but you stop yourself. You asked for coffee last time. What would you have said on that loop? The circumstances must be different enough for you to refuse now. You can always use Siffrin's pain as an excuse to leave, time is of the essence. But the fact you've talked with Siffrin at all might already make them paranoid enough to… No, that's not what this is about. The logical and consistent answer isn't what they're looking for. They're looking for whatever answer makes them feel safe. You aren't sure what they might do if you upset that safety. Risk the others, or placate your killer…

“No thanks, I'll be going back to bed after this. What about you Madam?”

“A cup of coffee would be lovely.” 

You smile at them. The choice was obvious. You'd drink poison a hundred times as long as it kept everyone safe. But you aren't like Siffrin, you don't plan on dying. You'll only need to reach the apothecary as fast as possible.

It doesn't take them long to return with the scythe pressed against your neck. The cup looks fine. You take it, thank them, and down it in an instant. The taste is just alright, but it's unfiltered. Vaugardian pressed coffee always tasted off to you. The grounds constantly making their way into the bottom of the cup. Isabeau mentioned that you're not supposed to drink the last sip. Another fascinating difference in culture. But also irrelevant right now.

“Thank you for the cup, but we must be going. We don't want to keep Siffrin waiting for too long.”

“Of course! Stay safe!”

You do your best to remain calm despite the circumstances. Even as the inn fades into the snowy distance, you keep an even pace. It's only until Mirabelle tries to speak that you let down your mask and force yourself gag. 

“Excuse me, Ma- MADAM ODILE!? ARE YOU OK?!”

She casts healing craft on you while you can only stare down at the melting hole in the snow. You can see blood mixed in with the other liquids. 

“Let's keep moving Mirabelle, I don’t know how stable I’ll be in the next few minutes, we need to reach the apothecary quickly.”

The road is barely paved, not that you could tell with all the snow freezing your legs. It's getting harder and harder to focus with each minute that passes. Your attempts to purge the poison might have bought you time, but whatever this stuff is, it clings to your insides. It’s getting harder to think and move your body. Legs keep pressing on, but it feels like you’re wading through hardening glue. The paralysis reminds you of the inn floorboards, creaking and groaning. Thoughts are swimming around your head; it’s impossible to hold them all back. You don’t even notice the smoke of a nearby house until Mirabelle grabs your arm and drags you towards it.

You're surprised Halley would give you correct instructions on reaching your destination. Though it isn't like you trusted them in the first place. You'd already memorized the location in case Siffrin or Mirabelle needed to refill any medication. Now's not the time to thank your fortune yet.

You bang on the door. Mirabelle has been asking you a hundred different questions but it's hard to understand her. You focus is locked solely on what you'll say when that door opens. From a window you see a light flicker on, you feel your stomach soothe a bit more as Mirabelle heals you some more. You take a deep breath as the door opens.

His beard was well groomed, that was your first strained thought seeing him. A short bearded man about your age. He looks like he couldn't hurt a fly. Wait, come on focus! What's he saying to you?

“Criminy crackers! Do you know what time-

“I've been poisoned by something in my coffee, purging my stomach contents seems to have only slowed the effects, it's tasteless and powdery, and causes bleeding. I believe it's made from a small plant.”

Gems, you forgot to ask Mal du Pays for details on the plant. But the look the healer gives tells you it was enough.

“Hurry! Hurry! Both of you come inside. I'll get the antidote straight away!”

The interior is cozy. Dried herbs and box gardens hang from every inch of the ceiling, except near the fireplace. You didn't realize how cold you were until you started feeling your finger tips again. Mirabelle walks you to a soft chair by the fire. There's a child staring at you from behind a far off door frame. You'd rather not scare them, best to choose your words carefully, after all, now you can focus on Mirabelle.

“Ok! Madam! What the crab is going on!”

“Apologies, I didn't mean to keep you in the dark for so long. To make a very long story short, it would seem the innkeeper has been targeting us repeatedly. They have a deep grudge with us, and especially against Siffrin.”

“.......How many times. How many more times has Siffrin suffered?”

“This would be Siffrin's sixth loop? They seemed unsure about the exact number.”

The healer returns with a glass of water and a tablet. You swallow both of them in one smooth motion. The water tastes vile, something must be mixed into it. But your stomach isn't in pain anymore so who are you to complain. You decide to take a moment to… rest. It feels like you haven't had the chance to do that for months. Maybe ever since you arrived in Vauguarde. Always something to worry about. Which reminds you of what might be happening at the inn. Rest will have to wait. 

“Thank you healer, you wouldn't happen to have more of that antidote, would you? It's important.”

“Of course, I need to keep as much of it stocked up as possible.”

“Really? Would you mind telling me about the plant I was poisoned with?” 

“It's a strange flower that's for sure. Grave tenders is what the other villagers tend to call it. I call it a nasty weed. They grow everywhere, end up killing small critters who chew on their leaves, and turning the corpses into fertilizer. A long time ago the people of Voiralters used a tiny amount of the toxin as a sleep aid, but too much of it can paralyze you and cause the stomach to bleed. It's a nasty drug. We have better alternatives now, so the only things grave tenders do now is get eaten by pets and kids who need to go back to bed!” he looks at the child who quickly shuts the door to what is probably a bedroom.

“Seems dangerous to leave such a dangerous plant around? Is it hard to get rid of?”

“I cull most of it as part of my job, but removing all of it could potentially damage the ecosystem. We make sure kids know not to eat it… Recently though... I overheard you mention something about Halley the innkeeper?”

“Yes, do you know something about them?”

“Good person, that Halley. I've never met someone with such a balance of kindness and sadness in their heart. They've been having sleeping problems since we were unfrozen in time. The normal sleep aids weren't cutting it. So I showed them the steps to making the grave tender powder. He seemed to get better. Told me about some funny dreams they had from it. Although if I'm being honest, it gave me a headache. But, like all poisons, the body builds up an immunity eventually, and it stopped working. I was careful in warning them to never ever take too much. You should only ever consume a little powder, never a whole leaf or change forbid the whole plant. Did some get spilled in your drink?”

“Something like that.”

“I'll have to keep them from the forest then. Even if it's an accident, you nearly died from it. Can't trust them anymore with it if they're going to be so careless. Can I get you anything for the trouble? A cup of tea perhaps?”

Mirabelle speaks up. That reminds you, you should thank her later. Without her healing, you wouldn't have made it all this way.

“Thank you but we need to get back to the inn. Although if you have any pain medication for chronic pain, it would be helpful too.”

“I'll mix up something for you to pick up tomorrow evening. But for now, I'll get some more of that antidote.”

As soon as he left, Mirabelle continued the conversation.

“Please tell me everything Madam. Will the others be ok?”

Gems, where do you start? Do you keep out Siffrin's multiple personalities? What do you even say…

“We can talk on the way back, Mirabelle. It’s going to be a very long story.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prev - Chapter select - Next

AAAAAAAAAAAAA You have no idea how slow this week has felt! I've wanted to post this so much! I finished this when Chapter 7 was posted! Sif has already finished Chapter 9! I really just want to start working on Act 2 already but I know we should stick to a weekly schedule because we'll get so burnt out if we don't take breaks. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you next week!

Also fun fact. If you've never heard of a dust explosion before. Look up "the great mill disaster"

-💗Mayday

[alperdinc]

FIRST LOOP

I made the first 4 pieces in a single day. I might need some time to think and prepare the next parts please be patient with me.

{Mirabelle watches as Siffrin check all 6 of the pillars in this room.}

("So? So??? Are we safe? We are not safe, are we? This is the Death Corridor.")

("The older housemaidens kept saying people died there!!! So there must be a trap- something weight sensitive, or something. ")

("Or, or! Maybe something time sensitive! If we spend too much time here...")

|"There is nothing weird in here."|

("But there must be!!!")

{"Aw, Mira..."}

*"Belle, Belle, dont worry about it. Frin isnt good at anything but they know stuff about traps."*

{He looks offended.}

[Right, If we cant trust the one who is supposed to lead us this early, this wont bond well for later."]

("But, but-")

|"We are not dead yet, are we?"|

("...well thats true...")

["We have been in this room for a while... and Siffrin has been walking everywhere, so if there was something weight sensitive, it would have killed him by now."]

{"Exactly!"}

("Oh... yeah, yeah! Okay! Sorry for worrying, I'm a little on edge.")

|"We're good Mira, see?"|

|"Everything is Fine!"|

{...}

{You dont realize what happened for a few seconds. And then-}

{"SIF!!!"}

{You want to scream, but you cant. Siffrin... he- in front of- he was here a second ago then-}

{You feel a tug on your heart}

{And then}

{You woke up next to the favor tree.}

{...}

{Did...}

{DID SIFFRIN JUST DIE?}

{A ROCK FELL AND THEN-}

{"SIFFRIN!!!"}

|"I'm here, you dont have to yell."|

{what...}

{Siffrin is at the corner, looking at you.}

{He, is fine?}

{He is fine.}

|"Are you ok? You look shocked."|

{"Oh, uh... I think, I think I fell asleep for a second."}

|"A nightmare? Do tell~"|

{"No, no, dont worry about it. Can you uhh, come back a bit later? I am not done wishing."}

|"Uhh, ok? See you then."|

{"Yeah see you later!"}

{He leaves.}

{...}

{You saw him die.}

{YOU SAW HIM DIE!}

{HE DIED AND YOU WERENT BRAVE ENOUGH TO TELL HIM YOUR FEELINGS AND HE DIED BEFORE YOU COULD GET A CHANCE- wait...}

{He is fine now. He is fine and thats what matters.}

<"You will get a chance dont worry.">

{Wha- what was that? Who was that?}

<"Come visit me, I'm under the tree.">

{You look at the tree but nobody is there.}

<"Come under the tree...">

{After a minute, you go under the tree.}

{Well, SOMEONE is here alright.}

<"Come seedling, sit down over there. We have a lot to discuss.">

[aluria-sevhex]

HELL FUCKING YESSSSSSSS

hey if you wanna read all of my posts as i play through ISAT, they are all tagged as #Aluria plays ISAT for the first time (please don't spoil)

notes:

-aight i'm back yippee

-title theme my beloved

-i always find it so funny when an enemy tries to freeze Mira

-gonna try this boss again

-ok i think i'll just replay Floor 3 on this loop instead of looping forward after i find out another one of Bonnie's favorite foods so i can build up everybody's stats

-OH. BONNIE OVERHEARD THE DEATH CONVERSATION.

-heh Bonnie slapped Siffrin

-uh... the audio is REALLY ominous...

-oh, Bonnie...

-WAIT WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT DID I JUST LOOP SLIGHTLY BACK IN THE PAST?

-Siffrin you ok i don't think that was helping ur mental health issues your eye is covered in shadow in your dialogue portrait

-i will once again NOT kill Siffrin via anaphylaxis. i will take the fish head

-...i didn't. get info on Bonnie's favorite foods this time.

-ok according to the save screen that didn't count as a loop

-anyway time to try looping to get the Bonnie snack info

-hey... the Tear dialogue isn't as silly anymore (it just says yes or no without the 'looping time' or 'living time')

-hey i didn't skip any loops this time!

-time to kill this pair of assholes again

-"carry my ashes with you" aw that's a sweet dialogue option

-i am so tempted to kill Siffrin. but i won't.

-awwww... i talked to Bonnie and now Sif is comforting them

-ok how the fuck do i get the info. BONNIE PLS.

-hold up. does Siffrin no longer nod when zoning out? :((((

-WAIT FUCK DID I FORGET TO GET THE KEY ON FLOOR 2.

-...Mira's roommate. was learning to make bombs. why???

-lol Isa knows how to make a bomb

-Mira has anti-anxiety meds. this makes a lot of sense tbh

-...what are these papers for???

-so i decided to try using the silver coin since a person said that you can do something with it related to the croissant lore. and it said "you think about the Incident" or smth like that lol

-lol Sif forgot the term 'stuffed animal'

-idk why but it feels like a lot of Craft skills are like. slower. or have bigger cooldowns in Act 3. even tho i KNOW they don't and my brain is fucking with me

-ok the game accounted for the key thing

-in the bathroom again

-Sif is calming themself again and figuring out what to do

-Siffrin, self-loathing and calling yourself stupid won't help :(

-i zoned out at some minor dialogue but i don't remember what the dialogue was the first time so i am fucking clueless about what was going on with a choice i made. sorry Mira idk why i 'saved you' by smacking your mouth ;_;

-i love getting to obliterate weaker Rock enemies with Paper α V

-i have now gotten Sif to level 60

-sometimes it's nice to take a break and talk to Loop

-wait a sec. doesn't one of the lower floors have a sharpening stone?

-ok it's been a while and now i have everybody back to level 52. time to kick the asses of the 3rd floor boss

-ooo Odile got a new skill

-time for the last snack break!

-Bonnie's upset now because i didn't try the fritters D:

-time to face the King again... and hopefully talk to him

-welp. *that* didn't work

-oh nvm now i can ask him questions via the Craft menu!

-you. you can give the King the flower.

-yeah the characters have a point! why Vaugarde specifically?

-the King is NOT responsible but he says Siffrin has an odd smell. huh... the only other things where an odd smell has been noted is Bonnie saying the star crest Sadnesses smell odd... but if Sif had that smell then it would've been noticed sooner...

-dude. how rude to say that if Siffrin doesn't understand Time Craft they can't understand the King's methods. maybe i should read more on Time Craft in one of the libraries? or that one book on craftonomy...

-the "you have heard this before" for zoning out got more and more annoyed

-once again. what does the King need to say?

-hm i was talking to Odile and Bonnie piped in really excitedly that they have more pineapple in their pocket

-GOD FUCKING DAMMIT MIRABELLE I LOVE YOU BUT YOU STOPPED ISA'S CONFESSION ToT

-time to talk to Euphrasie and loop again ig

-hey what's that in her hair?

-"you inhale sharply, almost choking on the smell of burnt sugar around you" BURNT SUGAR BURNT SUGAR THAT'S THE SMELL OF TIME SHENANIGANS AS SEEN WITH THOSE SADNESSES

-SAY SOMETHING ELSE EUPHRASIE

-how do i get the familytale?

-ok i talked to Odile and i'm gonna help her!

-am i gonna have to go all over town for this?

lmao yeah i think i will

-oh hey the wizard-loving kid is named Manon

-oh my god. i have to go back to the boulanger

-FINALLY

-:O THERE IS NO RESEARCH???

-oh THAT'S why Odile is in Vaugarde

-oh... her mom left... all of her travels here have been to try to reconnect with that part of her...

-HEY SIFFRIN I AM ONCE AGAIN ASKING WHERE THE *FUCK* ARE YOU FROM?

-damn. bro has amnesia

-LMAO I ASKED MIRA ABOUT THE PAPERS AND THE BATTLE THEME STARTED

-...bonding proposals???

-oh my god Mira joined a dating website group

-"we have one of those at home"

-"oh, i don't have a type! i like all kinds of people equally!" is this in a bi way or an aro way

-YEAH AROMANTIC REPRESENTATION

-DIVERSITY WIN! THE KICKASS HANDMAIDEN WHO'S IMMUNE TO BEING FROZEN IN TIME AND THE SORT-OF CHOSEN ONE IS ARO!!! I FUCKING CALLED IT YEAHHHHHHHH :D

-oh, Mira :( you're not the problem you don't have to do anything like that you're not comfortable with

-hm this game is dealing with personal identity a lot

-:( :( :( oh, Mira...

-DIVERSITY WIN!!! THE SKETCHY WANDERER STUCK IN A TIME LOOP WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS IS ACE!!!

-MY BLORBOS ARE ACE AND AROACE FUCK YEAH I AM SO HAPPY

-FUCK IT I'M POSTING NOW

SERIOUSLY THO I DON'T THINK I CAN ACCURATELY CONVEY HOW FUCKING HAPPY THIS PART IS MAKING ME. TWO OF MY FAVORITES ARE ACE AND AROACE HELL FUCKING YES

[aroace-nut-case]

Very long In Stars and Time rant under the cut. It’s breaking down how ISAT coded Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths is. Also Tw for discussions of suicide

I have an idea that has reduced me to tears and I need to share it somewhere. It’s the song Achilles Come Down by Gang Of Youths but it’s act 6 Siffrin and the first voice is the party and the second voice is Mal Du Pays. Also side note, mal du pays is apparently the French expression for homesickness which 😭😭😭😭 AAAAAAAAA!! But I digress.

I imagine this would be set during the Bigfrin boss fight at the end. The first verse would be the party begging Siffrin to come down, to talk to them. I guess this would be more of a metaphorical coming down than actually trying to get someone to come down from a roof but the imagery is there. Also them being called a cosmonaut because their whole religion revolved around stars.

The French part “On the other hand, I see many people die because they judge that life is not worth living (Loop). I see others paradoxically getting killed for the ideas or illusions that give them a reason for living (The party). What is called a good reason for living is also an excellent reason for dying (Siffrin himself. They’ve died dozens of times for the party, their reason for living).

I feel line the second verse would have to be Loop talking, especially because of the “There is no me without you” line. Remember the pact of our youth (The wish).

Loathe the way they light candles in Rome But love the sweet air of the votives Hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone Engage with the pain as a motive This seems like it would be Odile talking. Not as openly emotional as the others, but trying all the same.

Today, of all days, see How the most dangerous thing is to love (Siffrin has gone through today over and over for those that he loves). How you will heal and you'll rise above (They will be ok at the end). Also this is Loop talking

The second French part Of an apartment manager who had killed himself I was told he had lost his daughter 5 years before, that he had changed greatly since then, and the experience had “undermined” him. Maybe someone Sif met on their travels, who “lost” his daughter because she was on the forgotten island when it disappeared, similarly to the sister of The Daydreaming One in Dormont.

Achilles, Achilles, Achilles, jump now You are absent of cause or excuse So self-indulgent and self-referential No audience could ever want you You crave the applause yet hate the attention Then miss it, your act is a ruse It is empty, Achilles, so end it all now It's a pointless resistance for you This is absolutely Mal Du Pays speaking, as it is an entity made up of Siffrin’s thoughts, doubts, and insecurities. It even uses stage metaphors (like referring to the party as an “audience) just like he does. Also trying to get them to give up.

The third French part What sets off the crisis is almost always unverifiable (Siffrin still not having any idea what trapped them in the loop). Newspapers often speak of “personal sorrows” or “incurable illness.” These explanations are plausible (Siffrin trying so hard to figure it out, why he’s trapped here, why he can’t move on). But one would have to know whether a friend of the desperate man had not that very day addressed him indifferently (this is about Siffrin and Loop although Siffrin doesn’t know that quite yet).

Achilles, Achilles, just put down the bottle, don’t listen to what you’ve consumed (Siffrin would be an alcoholic if the House had more wine). It’s chaos, confusion, and it’s wholly unworthy of feeding and it’s wholly untrue ( this is also about Siffrin’s self esteem issues and intrusive thoughts). There may not be meaning so find one and seize it, do not waste yourself on this roof (The loops may not be a grand plan by Change or The Universe or whatever, but they can still mean something if you let them, if you live).

Hear those bells ring deep in the soul Chiming away for a moment (“WHAT’S HER NAME!? The Housemaiden, the one that wakes me up, I CANT REMEMBER!!” “It’s Mirabelle”) Feel your breath course frankly below And see life as a worthy opponent (Siffrin being too strong for everything they can fight in this one day they’re trapped in).

The fourth French part The memory of a lost home (The island) or the hope of a promised land (Vaugarde). This divorce between the man and his life, the actor and his setting, is properly the feeling of absurdity (first of all, stage metaphors again!! Second of all, Sif not fitting in or understanding Vaugarde at all but it’s all he knows now because his own country is gone).

You want the acclaim, the mother of mothers (it's not worth it, Achilles) More poignant than fame or the taste of another (don't listen, Achilles) But be real and just jump, you dense motherfucker (you're worth more, Achilles) You will not be more than a rat in the gutter (so much more than a rat) You want my opinion, my opinion you've got (no one asked your opinion) You asked for my counsel, I gave you my thoughts (no one asked for your thoughts) Be done with this now and jump off the roof (be done with this now and get off the roof) Can you hear me, Achilles? I'm talking to you I'm talking to you I'm talking to you I'm talking to you Achilles, come down Achilles, come down This is, to me, Loop and Mal Du Pays arguing in Siffrin’s head. Regular text is Mal Du Pays, text in parentheses is Loop.

The fifth French part (god why are there so many) Either yes or no. This would be too easy. But allowance must be who, without concluding, continue questioning (The party, going after Siffrin, trying to make sure he’s ok even after what happened). Here I am only slightly indulging in irony: this is the majority (Loop is the exception). I notice also that those who answer “no” act as if they have thought “yes”. As a matter of fact, if I accept the Nietzschean criterion, they think “yes” in one way or another (Isa and Sif’s multiple attempts to get him to confess).

Throw yourself into the unknown With pace and a fury defiant Clothe yourself in beauty untold And see life as a means to a triumph This is the afterwards, the beautiful falling scene. This is the party’s response to Sif asking “Well what do I do now?” Also, the unknown being the future, because Sif knows every beat of today because he’s lived it over and over.

And that concludes me yapping about In Stars And Time!! It’s a fantastic game, it’s 20 bucks on Steam, and it makes me want to cry!! Thank you for your time!!

[shinx-stardust]

FUCK YEAH I FOUND A POST I WAS LOOKING FOR

THIS ONE RIGHT HERE https://www.tumblr.com/abyssal-author-and-artist/763659972027514880/my-objection-to-people-who-say-they-never-would?source=share

CRAB YEAH I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS ONE FOR SO LONG AND I FOUND IT

I was looking for it bc my opinion on what I wrote here doesn't completely translate to isat but some of these thoughts I was remembering and I was like "I should find that timeloop post and relate it to Siffrin because I totally can)

"No one but you remembers the previous iterations of the day. On that note, every single person other than you will take the same actions every single day unless affected by your actions somehow. So here we have our time loop. You, in this scenario at least, are a rational person - a person who has a full grasp of logic and human emotions. You act based on a healthy mix of logical reasoning and emotional impulses. I'm aware this isn't going to be true for everyone, but it's easiest to define "you" as a rational person whose behavioral patterns we can predict. For this exercise, an irrational person is a person who is unable to make decisions based on logic - as opposed to a person who simply doesn't choose to make decisions based on logic. If you are unable to look at a decision logically and take in all information before making a decision, you are an irrational person. If you can but choose not to, you are a rational person choosing to act irrationally."

Those are the rules I set out. One of the rules is missing but that's because I defined the day as being "as normal a day as you can imagine" and that doesn't fit. But other than that, that's In Stars and Time. Like that's the timeloop. That's Sif. Sif is, by this definition, a rational person.

"Let's go hang out with your friends. That should work, right? Well, it does until it doesn't. You get into a fight with your best friend that you're seething about 20 resets later. You meet a new person and hit it off amazingly but can't replicate that energy any other time you meet them (they think you're creepy because you act like you already know them). You can't make or further any meaningful relationship."

Hmm, you can't make or further any meaningful relationship? Using a callback to the rules I laid out "On that note, every single person other than you will take the same actions every single day unless affected by your actions somehow", that sounds like everyone's following a script and you can't change anything about your relationships, and if you do you'd just manipulate them into "changing". Now, where have we heard that before? Oh, what, Act 5? Mal du Pays? Everything Siffrin says to himself?

"You are now an irrational person. ... every single interaction is pointless, so you've lost the ability to engage with the world around you rationally. If this seems fast, keep in mind two things. Two hundred is a lot and this isn't 200 days, this is the same day 200 times. You've lived this one day 200 times. You can't change anything."

Double that so it's the same two days 200 times and that's just called Act 5. Siffrin has lost the ability to be a rational person. They're just a mess. A disaster. Too emotionally destroyed to use logic. Think that's an insane conjecture? Might I direct your attention to Sif's act 5 meltdown again? Where they decide, against all logic, that the only way to break the loop is if he's the one to land the hit on the king. Yeah, that's not a thing a rational person would do.

"In fact, you're likely to kill yourself before anyone else. And you do. Multiple times. Often on a whim - again, you're now an irrational person. You just went "that sounds fun right now" and did it."

"You can now loop back using your dagger." Do I need to explain this citation more.

And look at that! I linked a thing I wrote a while ago to In Stars and Time! Whoo!

[reviiely]

The MayDaisy Universe Collection

I got an idea of compiling short tiny headcanons for my Sunglasses (and other stories) universe from this post so here’s the first part!

• this is kinda already in the fics but whenever Skye has a nightmare, she goes and finds wherever May is whether she’s sleeping or awake— she just finds her and curls up next to her someway, somehow. This starts after they move from LA in the first fic.

• Skye and Coulson first met when she was still a kid and he watched her for Clint, who was her social worker at the time. The story of how they met is linked here.

• Skye and Barton still remember each other, but they’ve been out of contact for a while. When she starts working at the Triskelion, she sees him again, and they catch up. Between TMWIH and Next Big Thing, they become friends and text every now and then. Skye likes to send him bird memes.

• Skye and May are roughly the same size and swap outfits constantly. In the beginning, May will think that she lost a shirt until she sees it in Skye’s closet, and in retaliation, she took some of Skye’s stuff. They end up mish mashing their styles to create some combo of dress casual and comfy pjs.

• May and Coulson have taken Skye to Disneyland and Universal on a trip back to LA during the years she spent with them. There’s a picture with Skye and Coulson in Hufflepuff robes while May stands next to them, decked out in Slytherin merch.

• Coulson cooks for everyone on the Bus. He teaches Simmons, Skye, and Ward how to cook. Simmons takes to it easily because “it’s basically chemistry”, Skye manages to make an ooblek soup, and Ward, who is supposedly great at making survival food, somehow ungrills a cheese.

• when Skye was in her coma, she kinda had this framework experience where May and Coulson were her bio parents.

• similarly, if I had put her through the Framework, her regret would’ve been that she couldn’t save that girl in Ashlands, and she would’ve quit SHIELD to be a single parent/sister figure to the girl. She would’ve been a waitress by day, hacker by ‘night’, which was supposed to be a parallel to how she began the start of the series.

• while we’re on the subject, the Framework lives I planned out for Coulson and May are different than in canon (bc ofc I had to make things harder for myself, lol) I’ll make a different post tho

• after she kills Jiaying (oops, spoilers for the people who didn’t read voice) Skye and Cal have a long convo about what they want from each other. In the end, Cal agrees to have his memories erased because he trusted Skye, who said that this was the best option for everyone involved.

• when Skye/Daisy runs away from SHIELD after Lincoln’s death (yes, I was still gonna kill him), she constantly seeks refuge in Cal’s vet place, to the point where he becomes a trusted confidant. Eventually, he remeets Coulson and May, and has a sort of angry conversation for how they handled Skye/Daisy’s situation.

• when her powers get out of control in that one episode that I don’t remember, the one with Sif in it, Skye grabs the nearest gun she sees and shoots herself with it. Contrary to canon, while she had more firearm experience in this universe, Skye didn’t actually register what she was holding before she shot herself. In her mind, it didn’t really matter, because she was taught to eliminate the threat. If it was by lethal force, so be it. If it was her, so be it. It was still an ICER though.

• Skye/Daisy and May drift apart during the break between season 3 and 4, understandably. May and Coulson had gotten together the night she left, before they knew that she had left. They were planning on telling her the morning after, but when they went to get her, all that was left in her bunk was a note. May tries to make contact, and is only successful once or twice. Skye/Daisy only calls if she needs something, which May always provides.

• Skye, May, and Coulson ran SHIELD in s2, and Coulson was fully prepared to hand the agency off to Skye when he succumbed to the carvings. Skye was told later, and she was prepared for that eventuality.

• after Coulson actually dies in s5, Skye/Daisy lets Mack handle things while she and May take a trip to get themselves back to working condition. Then Skye/Daisy resumes leadership of SHIELD and leads them through season 6 and 7.

• May and Coulson were planning to adopt Skye after the events of s2, but they held off asking her because they thought that she might not want that after meeting her bio parents.

• Coulson proposed to May in Tahiti, and they flew Skye/Daisy in for their tiny ceremony. They never told anyone else about this, and throughout season 6 and 7, May would wear her wedding band on a necklace under her shirt.

That’s all I can think of at the moment, but enjoy your crumbs, everyone! You can pick any of these and beg me to write them and maybe I’ll say yes if my brain lets me. Also there’s a lot of self promo in this post, lol.

[vulpixisananimal]

[A: 5 C: 93] - Leave the Past Behind. . . Again.

(Siffrin) {Mal Du Pays} <Null> |Asterion| =Socks= +Rosmarinus+

[[Loop]] [(Saffron)] [<Kyros>] [{Horizon}]

He’s killing them, he’s KILLING THEM ALL!!!

N-no, no no NO NO NO!!! You’re bleeding, shaking, sword in your chest. N-no, NO!!! 

Null is dead at your feet, Mal sliced in two, A-asterion his, his head it’s, i-it’s-- S-stars you want to run, throw up, and, DIE!!!!

N-NONONONO!!!!

P-percival, he’s, stalking towards Rosmarinus, S-saffron, he’s, raising his sword, please, NO!!! PLEASE!!!! NO NO MORE PLEASE!!!!

Siffrin. . .

You’re crying, you can’t do anything, he, h-he raises his sword and-

Siiifffrrriiiiinnnn!

He, strikes. Blood, screams, and-

SIFFRIN!!!

(You bolt awake, your hands, you can’t feel them and your head hurts and you look at your hands they-, they’re, n-not, not bloody, not bleeding. You brethe, you can’t breathe YOU CAN’T BREATHE YOU CAN’T BREATHE!!!)

“H-Hey it’s okay! It’s okay, Siffrin it’s okay.” (You hear a voice- I-Isabeau! Isabeau next to you, he, pats your back gently. You gulp air in but, t-try-) “Focus on my voice, okay? Just try and breathe with me, okay?

(You, breathe in, and, out. You. Follow his movements. He’s sitting next to you. You can’t, focus. Just breathe in, and out. In. . . Out. . . O-okay. . . S-stars you feel sick.)

(You shut your eye, and breathe. The tingling in your fingers, it’s slowing, and slowly the world is slowing its spinning around and around and around. You reach out a hand feeling for Isabeau, and he grabs it. You squeeze his hand tight.)

“. . . . T-thank you. . .”

“Nightmare?”

“Yeah. . .”

“. . . Bonnie woke up from their nap worried about you so I decided to check up on ya.” (He kisses the back of your head.) “Want to talk about it?”

“. . . Hh.” (You lean into him.) “P-Perci was. . . W-was, in my head, killing, everyone, a-and. . . I couldn’t, do, anything and. . .”

“Aw Sif.” (He holds you close and kisses you again.) “That sounds awful!”

“Y-yeah.” (You shudder, but, are calmer.) “I, don’t remember what’s after b-but. . .”

“That’s okay.” (Kiss kiss.) “We’re gonna leave Dormont today, and we don’t need to worry about them anymore, okay?”

“O-okay. . .”

“. . . Wanna get dressed?”

(You look up at him. Stars, he’s so, perfectly beautiful. . .)

“. . . Just, ten more minutes.”

>>>

“Where’s Ramos?” [[You stuff your face with a stake filled pastry. Having just gotten up, you were FAMISHED!!!]] 

“Getting everything ready!” [[Mirabelle, who had already eaten food, was reading a book!]] “They were up early and everything.”

“Oh!” [[Huh.]] “Well I won’t question that.” 

[[A familiar teenage yell reaches your ears.]] “MEEEEDS!!!”

“THANK you Boniface~”

“O-oh right!”

[[You and Mirabelle start searching through your pockets. Stars, it was weird, needing to actually remember that you had something that’s supposed to HELP with this stuff!!! After a bit of searching, and reading back on the instructions, you took your meds.]]

“Ah, no heart attack today.” [[You giggle.]] “Oh well~!”

“Loop, no!” [[Mirabelle pouted, taking a sip or water with her own meds.]] “Those jokes aren’t funny!”

“Ah, but that’s just because I’m not putting my whole heart in it!” 

“NO!!!”

“Aww don’t worry, Bella~ I wouldn’t have the heart to die on you all now!”

“LOOP!!!!”

“Alright alright.” [[You hold a hand in front of your face.]] “I’ll stop, for now~”

“No matter which one it is, you're always stuffed with puns.” [[Enter stage right with a sigh; Odile.]] “How goes the collective, Loop.”

“Oh well enough- ah! That reminds me.” [[You dig in your pockets and get your journal.]] “Kyros is lingering in the background, I can feel it. Siffrin isn’t far either. And you’ll be very happy to hear there’s been no drama.”

“Oh good.” [[Odile sat down.]] “I’ve had quite enough drama for one lifetime.”

“I couldn’t agree more. . .” [[You roll your neck around, and get started on updating the journal.]] “Stars. . . How long will we stay in Bambouche, anyways?”

“Gems, a month at least.” 

“Make that two.” [[Mirabelle chuckled nervously.]] “I just want to relax for once!”

“Please.” [[You tapped your chin with your pen.]] “. . . Hmm, what about after?”

“Huh?”

“Where to go, Mirabelle.”

“O-oh. Well, how about Corbeaux?”

“It is on the coast as well.” [[Odile nods along.]] “We could take a ship from Bambouche.”

“Sounds like fun!” [[Teehee.]] “That’s where you two first met, yes?”

“It was.” [[Odile looked off to the side, thinking.]] “At a lecture, yes?”

“Yes! I remember that one!” [[Mira clasped her hands together, all excited.]] “It was talking about Sadness and how the ones made by the King are different!”

“Ah yes.” [[She chuckled.]] “We’ve learned quite a few new facts about sadness since then, haven’t we?”

“Aha! Like how they can get flustered and embarrassed~?” [[You tease, feeling that shadows glare from a distance.]] “You’ve seen how Mal acts around Isabeau.”

“It’s, so cute!!!” [[Mira was kicking her feet in excitement.]] “It’s always staying close but just out of sight, or something is right behind him! And sometimes it just comes along and drags him away. It's SO CUTE!!!”

“How you describe it makes it sound like a monster from one of your books.”

“I KNOW RIGHT??? IT’S SO COOL!!!”

[[You grin, not saying a word. With what you know about that genre of books, it was VERY apt. Teehee~]]

>>>

[(As you take your first few steps you let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding.)]

[(Your away, you’re free.)]

[(Again.)]

[(You take a breath, and another, and a third. The crisp air was still cool, and it made your breath fog up in your face. It stung your cheeks, and dried your lips. It was perfect.)]

[(You close your eye, and lose yourself in the serenity of the trail. Your family is talking behind you, and no one will EVER take them from you. You had gone back, and left, and SURVIVED!!! Ha, HAHAH. . . Ha. . .)]

[(Now it was just time for another, long, walk.)]

[[Well you sound thrilled.]]

[(Oh well if YOU want to take a stab at it, go ahead!)]

[[Oh no thanks~ I’m perfectly fine here. You’re just handling it so well!]]

[(You roll your eye. Stupid star, you should get someone else out, like Rosmarinus.)]

[[Just ask her out on a date already!]]

[(How?!?!? Also, I am NOT taking dating advice from YOU!)]

[[Who ELSE would you take it from! Stardust? Kyros? Null?]]

[(You ignore the star. Eugh. . . How would a mind date like that work anyways. Having a nice bath with salts and bubbles while focusing on headspace?)]

[(. . . Actually, on second thought, that sounds. . . Kinda nice- stop LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT LOOP!!!)]

[[Like what~?]]

[(THAT!!! Stars above. . . Just take over already, host.)]

[[ME?!?! YOU’RE the host!]]

[(No, I’m not. I WAS the host, I think. You shake your head. Ever since you got a taste for balls of fire YOU’VE been in charge!)]

[[Well in case you haven’t noticed, there’s no stars anywhere near us right now let alone in our STOMACH! So sorry Saffron~ You’re in charge.]]

“You two gotta stop arguing.” [(You jump, looking up to see Ramos has caught up and is walking side by side with you.)] “I could hear you from the very back.”

“Well then maybe you need a smaller brain!” [(You knock on their head a few times, then look behind you.)] “. . . We should slow down so the others can catch up.”

“Well, before that.” [(They lean down to be on your level and whisper.)] “Reality check?”

[[Stars, please.]]

“You’re real, this is real, and I’m real.” [[They place their hand on your neck as they talk.]] “I’m not going to abandon you, and neither is your family. They love you, and they don’t secretly hate you.”

“Thank you. . .” [(You let out a sigh, stars. . .)]

[. . . You, don’t want Siffrin to hear you admit this, but. . .]

[Talking to Ramos was the best thing you could have ever done.]

[Once they understood who you were, who you REALLY were. They reached out. They were gentle, slow, patient, calm. They were patient when you were coy, they were understanding when you were venomous, and comforting when you were anxious. It wasn’t anything more than what any of your family would do, but in that moment it felt like. . . Well, magic!]

[You wanted to spend hours upon hours yesterday spilling your guts, but if you talked too much you’d panic. Plus, you were expected back soon. So, instead you both made a silent agreement to find another time to talk.]

[Stars, this Ramos was much different than the scared, anxious, self conscious, self HATING Ramos you met in Jouvente.]

[HA! You hated Ramos then, even. You hated them for using mind craft on Siffrin, for tearing your family apart, for lying to you, hurting you, and most of all for trying to hurt BONNIE! Stars above, you shouldn’t try and hold onto that, you know, but it might take just. . . A little more time.]

[(You shake your head again. At least they were someone you could talk to and trust. Ha! Who better to trust than the person who let you KILL them!!! AFTER having been stabbed by LOOP ALREADY!!! What a little freak, maybe they LIKE it~)]

[(. . . Out of curiosity, you glance to the side. To where Ramos face is.)]

[(. . . HAH! HAHAHAHH!!! A blush as dark as the night sky! HAHAHAHHA!!!)]

[[Oh you were going to have FUN teasing them about this later~]]

>>>

{You were moments away from falling asleep when you heard a snap.}

{You had been on the road for a few days now, and slowly your body, and mind, had been healing from all the stress and woe from the past few weeks, months. You were happy to take a moment to relax, but then you heard that snap.}

{Your eye flew open as you spun to see who was sneaking up to you-!}

“. . . Uh. . . Morning.”

{It’s just Pétronille.}

{You sigh, and turn back to the riverbank you had nearly fallen asleep at. You had a fishing pole between your legs, and was waiting patiently for a fish to get hooked. Nille slowly approaches, and sits next to you.}

“. . . Uh. . . It’s, pretty early.” {She mumbles. You nod.} “. . . Sleep okay?”

{You pause again, then shake a level hand. So-so.} 

“Yeah, same.” 

{The two of you fall into silence again. The white noise of the water and woods around you blending in with your breathing and heartbeat.}

{. . . . . .}

“. . . Sorry.” {Pétronille sighs.} “Just, sorry. I’ll leave you alone.”

{As she stands up, you reach out and catch her arm in an iron grip.}

“Ah- hey--” {She looks down at you, and you look back. You catch her eyes for a second, then look away.}

{The two of you stay like that again for a moment, then, you let her go. You point to yourself, then to her, bump your fists together, then hook your fingers together. You’re going to butt heads, or have conflict, but you’re in this together now. This isn’t malice for you. Just, facts.}

“. . . Yeah, fair.” {Nille leans against a tree.} “Just uh. . . Just, thanks for, giving me a chance?”

{You nod again, then hold up a finger. After a second, you look back up at her with your face as close to a scowl as you could muster. You point to your eye, point to her eyes, and then tap your dagger.}

“. . . Alright, understood.” {She mumbles, looking away.} “I’d be making the same kinda threats in your shoes. . .”

{The fishing rod in your laps jerks, and you quickly grab it. A bite!}

{You start wrangling the fish and reeling it in, at one point Nille even joins your side to help. It didn’t take long for the fish to tire out and for you to pull it in.}

“Peacock Bass.” {Nille says with a huff.} “Big one, too. You got a hellovan arm, Mal.”

{You were only half listening. You were too fixated on the poor fish. It was wriggling, writhing, gasping for air. It looked hurt, and terrified. . . You stand there for a few minutes longer than necessary, then finally throw the poor thing back.}

“. . . Let’s go fishing sometime, bud.” {She raises an arm to almost pat you, but doesn’t.} “If you ever feel up to it.”

{Hmm. You’ll think about it. You gather your things, and head back to camp.}

[justthemoonz]

Second Odile Meeting

(Decided that alongside having drawn things for A Loop For The Ride, I'll also have a lot more writing, so here's this thing I came up with for the second Odile meeting) Once you've talked to everybody else and asked them all the questions you could have, your only option is to go back to Ka Bue. To talk to Odile. The first meeting didn't go that well, maybe the second one will be better? (Dialogue in "Keep Reading")

(Here again. Ka Bue.) (You already know what's going to happen once Odile takes a step forward. But...) (But maybe you could ask her for help.) (She's the smartest out of all of you.) (She knows a lot more than you do, maybe she could...) Isabeau: ... Sif? (!) Isabeau: Are you going to come? (Odile is looking at you. Waiting for you to get off.) "Er- Y-Yeah!" (You get off the boat.) Odile: Finally. (Odile also gets off.) Odile: Now that we're here, I guess we could begin with- (... Everything stops, again.) Odile: Loop...? (This doesn't scare as much as it did last time, but you can't help yourself but flinch.) Odile: ... Odile: What did you do to Siffrin. (Before Odile can reach out to you-) "WAIT!!" (Odile flinches and stops, putting her hand back.) Odile: ?!?!?! "Don't... don't do that." "You'll start the loop." Odile: The- The loop? (Odile looks around. She realizes that everybody else is standing still.) Odile: ... Odile: How did... Odile: What happened? "..." Odile: Loop. Odile: What happened. "I... I need your help." (Odile is staring at you. You can't help but feel a bit uncomfortable.) "I tried speaking with the others, many, many times." "But... no one knows as much as you do." "So I thought that maybe..." "Maybe I could get your help on stopping these loops from happening." Odile: How did the loops happen? (You have to lie. You can't tell her. You can't tell her what you did. You have to tell her what she wants to hear.) "... S... Siffrin went to the Favor Tree." "And, I guess, wanted to say goodbye to me...?" "So, I came out of the tree, and, before I could say anything..." "Siffrin was... I... I was..." (You feel sick to your stomach. Stars, what are you thinking? She's never gonna believe that.) Odile: I... I understand. (Wait. Did it- Did it actually work?) Odile: I'm not sure how much I could help, but... Odile: Knowing what Siffrin wished for at the Favor Tree... Odile: It's like that someone made a wish for you to end up in the situation you're in. (!) (A wish? Could that- Could that be it?) (But who would... What...) "Who would wish for something like this?) Odile: I don't know. I think you'll have to figure it out on your own. "... Thank you for your help, Odile." (You look around, time is still stopped in place.) "You can reach out, now." "That is the only way this world will reset." (Odile looks at you and gives you a grin. Looks like she wants to say one last thing before the loop restarts.) Odile: Hey, Loop. "Yes?" Odile: None of us properly thanked you for taking us to Siffrin... Odile: So... I just wanted to say... thank you. Odile: I'm not sure what cause the situation you're in. Odile: And I know that I won't remember anything once you start again... Odile: But, if you ever need help with anything, even if I think you'll just be Siffrin... Odile: Don't be afraid to ask for it. (... If only she knew. Haha. If only they all knew.) "Got it." (Odile reaches out to you.) Odile: Good luck, Loop. (And then-) (CRACK.) (You stare at Siffrin. You've killed him once again...) (You don't actually know how many times you've done this, but it's definitely a lot.) (...) (So, a wish, huh?) (It makes sense! That's the way Siffrin ended up in the same boat as you once did.) (But... but who would wish for this? Who would wish for you to kill Siffrin over and over?) (... It couldn't be one of your friends. They love Siffrin. And by proxy, they love you!) (... Could the King have...?) (... Now you're just being ridiculous.) (Whoever it is. You're sure you'll find them. And make sure that the wish ends. By any means neccesary.) (... Goodbye once more, Siffrin.)

[livesworthlivingau]

Lives Worth Living Chapter 29

ISAT/Two Hats spoilers below the break! CW: Mentions of Murder/Suicide, Mental Spiraling

Friendly reminder of the character perspective/voice brackets, as they may be needed for this chapter c:

Isabeau: |"Text"| Odile: ="Text"= Mirabelle: -"Text"- Bonnie: <"Text"> Nille: {"Text"}

(You can't tell when sleep gives way to the lightless void of your dream, but your awareness suddenly snaps to attention as you hear footsteps echoing behind you. You don't turn to look. Your heart begins to race and you shut your eye tight.)

"No... not now... please..." (You beg in a soft whisper. The footsteps stop close behind you. You can feel it just standing there... staring.)

"Not tonight... please just not tonight." (You can't handle this right now, you can't go through more of this blinding nightmare.)

{"But they killed you, Frin..."}

"... Adding Nille to the mix now, huh?..." (You think aloud, hearing her worried voice echoing around you. You keep your eye shut. It won't trick you this time.)

="No wonder they're so on edge."= (You roll your eye behind your eyelid. It's gonna have to try a lot harder than that...)

["If they don't accept me, you'd be okay looping back again, right? You wouldn't want to decide between me or them."] (You freeze for a moment, hearing Vale's desperate voice... You would, wouldn't you?... Without hesitation, if there was no other way... You would...)

<"BUT YOU CRABBING PROMISED!!!"> (You clench your fist, then slowly release it... it won't come to that, you won't let it.)

="Why would we let them near you again after what they did? We can't risk them hurting you again. Or worse."=

"... It's my choice to make." (You state in a stern voice, trying to keep your composure.)

-"Not when it affects us too! If they keep making you loop, how are we supposed to live our lives? How are we supposed to change?"-

"They're not going to! Now shut up and leave me alone!"

|"Sif... Is that fair to us? We agreed to help you, to stay with you... but you're making us deal with their problems too. That's a lot to dump on sometime."|

"... And what if they were me, huh? What then?"

="Oh, Siffrin..."= (You feel its hand placed on your shoulder, causing you to flinch.)

="One of you is the most anyone could take."= (You quickly pull away from it's grasp.)

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" (You shout, having turned to look at it before you realized what you were doing. You see your shadow in front of you once more. The sadness welling up within you. You can't look away as it opens it's mouth to let the other voices through.)

<"They hurt you, Frin! Don't you hate them?! I HATE THEM!!!">

"You don't understand! You don't know what they went through!!"

<"I DON'T CARE! I NEVER WANT TO SEE THEM AGAIN!! They hurt you, stupidfrin!! Shouldn't you hate them too?!">

"WELL WHY DON'T I HAVE A SAY IN THIS?! THEY HURT ME, AND I'M FINE! WHY DOES EVERYONE ELSE HAVE TO CARE FOR ME?!"

-"Y-You say that like it doesn't hurt us too! They killed you! That hurts us to think about, we don't want it to happen to you again!"-

="It's for your own good, Siffrin."=

"IT WON'T! THEY WON'T DO IT AGAIN! AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR ME!!"

{"What if they lashed out at someone else? Someone who wouldn't be fine?..."}

"SHUT UP! THEY WON'T! THEY WOULDN'T!!! THEY ONLY DID IT CAUSE THEY KNEW I'D LOOP! IT'S NOT THE SAME!!"

="Here's a philosophical conundrum for you, Siffrin. If you loop, and everything resets with you, then we can *all* be looped back. We're all valid targets by that logic."=

"... You don't know them like I do..."

|"Sif, if they're anything like you, we'll just get manipulated into liking them..."| (... Something in you snaps. You suddenly tackle into it, pinning your negative shaded self to the ground and wrapping your hands around its throat, trying to strangle the nonexistent life out of it. It's mouth remains open as voices continue to flow out, unimpeded.)

|"You'll both just keep looping until we have the perfect opinion of them and everything goes smoothly..."|

-"If we said no to keeping them around, you'd loop back. How does that give us any choice in the matter?"-

"I DON'T CARE!!!" (You scream, tightening your grip on its throat.)

"I DON'T CARE! I DON'T CARE! I-... I don't... I can't... I-I..." (Your grip slowly loosens, tears flowing down your face and onto its own.)

"I... I can't do this all again... I can't just live my whole life again... not without them..." (You feel its hand lightly placed on your own, still loosely around its throat.)

="Then you'll have to consider if you can live it all over again without us."= (You choke out a sob, pulling your hands away and hugging yourself tightly.)

"It's not fair... it's not fair! Why do I keep having to lose everyone and everything?! When will it stop?!"

["The universe leads, Stardust... We can only follow."]

"I'm so sick of following..." (You whimper out through your heavy sobbing.)

["You'll have to choose some day, Stardust. You'll have to be okay with that."]

(You stop responding, just crying as you hold yourself in that endless void.)

|"Sif... Hey Sif?... Sif!!"|

(You jolt awake as you feel a pair of large hands shake you lightly. You look around frantically only to find Isa holding you. You feel your face is soaked, you must have been crying in your sleep for real. He looks down at you, his face looked worried and... hesitant?)

"Isa? Wh... What's going on?"

"You were crying a lot in your sleep Sif... Are you okay?" (You glance drifts away from them and towards the ground... the look on your face likely answers the question better than words could.)

"Sif... We gotta talk. It's about Vale."

(No... please, no...)

So... surprise! @Tacticaly-Shrubbery helped with this one too, kept this one a secret from the server to really catch everyone off guard~ >:3c. As always thanks so much Shrub, this one hurt! A lot!