#siffrin feels to exposed

[ack-cough]

Throwing this into the cursed sprites ring

Oh

Oh I don't like this,,

[ricecaqes]

(You want to tear those feelings out.)

goodmorning guys putting siffrin into the blender on this fine day . ihad this idea mostly cause i was feeling insane but then i remembered that crush dialogue and realized oh perfect. ingame dialogue ...... a reasonable way to justify this drawing . Yay! anyways i havent rendered like this (ordrawn anything similar to this at all tbh) in forever so it was scary but its done and out into the world Goodbye

[schellybelly]

I finally beat, In Stars and Time

And all I have to say is... wow... I'm an emotional wreck. Time to recommend this game to everyone I know. :)

[siffrinsfrozendreams]

Do you ever think about how tragic of a character Loop is?

There's the obvious point, that Loop didn't have anyone to talk to. No one to bounce ideas off of, no one to pull them from their thoughts, no one to make them take a step back and think of something else. Due to who they are, they were never going to tell their party. They were never going to ask for help.

But, then, we see the party reach out to them. And Loopfrin, despite being happy about FINALLY experiencing something new, they don't tell them. They keep it to themself. And then, when defeating the King doesn't work, they make a new wish.

A wish, for someone, anyone, to help them.

But think about it. Who could've helped Loopfrin? Loopfrin doesn't ask for help, and doesnt accept help when offered. Loopfrin wouldn't have accepted anyone... except themself.

Siffrin doesn't ask for help, and doesn't accept help. Siffrin tells themself everything is fine, constantly living in denial and repressing their emotions so hard because they like to act like they don't exist. No one could've helped Siffrin, except someone who understood that. Someone who understands the ways Siffrin's mind works, inside and out.

Loop was the only person who could've helped Siffrin. Loop was the only person Siffrin would've accepted help from.

Loop's existence is necessary for Siffrin to make it out. Even that final loop, Siffrin didn't tell their family about their loops, it was Loop! Siffrin never opens up about their feelings until they are so worn down and already exposed!!! Loop had to be the one to tell them, otherwise, Siffrin wouldn't have made it!

Siffrin would always need Loop. No one else could ever work. No one else would've been able to help them and know what to do for them.

Loopfrin never stood a chance from the start.

[starlightshore]

psst. question. i get TERRIBLE secondhand embarrassment. on a scale of "literally just a momentary goof everyone laughs off" to "crops ruined, every bridge burned, worst day of your life" how would you say Loop's life goes in winning hats??

I FEEL YA BECAUSE IM THE SAME WAY. i literally have to leave the room when there's something cringe/embarrassing happening in movies and it annoys the hell out of my family

and yet!!! i can stomach horror movies pretty well nowadays! I'm a huge horror fan... so it was inevitable that's the part of ISAT that really hooked me

i love this mentally ill star <3

So we're taking the character who was already suicidal and self-hating and desperately needed help only to become that help and lose both their world, body, and identity. I mean, they are literally losing their humanity. that's so fucked

they're discarded by the narrative (and universe) only to win a fight ("win" is incorrect, Siffrin refused to fight) they finally return to being who they were supposed to be!

but it's at the cost of another them, it wasn't earned, and they'll always be Loop inside.

The main conflict of the story is Loop refusing to let go of the loops (because being human is so terrifying and trying to deal with the aftermath hurts others.) while simultaneously desperate to leave Dormont and how that's just actively destroying them.

^ Loop getting rid of any mention of the suffering they endured during the timeloops by, ironically, timelooping and thus suffering more.

THANKFULLy they only just now decided to expose just enough of their vulnerability and suffering to convince the party to leave ASAP out of Dormont

their mental health is also just complete crap at this point. they've zoned out for days because they don't have a script anymore, they're hallucinating and dealing with a brand new trauma they gave themselves by looping

so they're really not doing so hot, but its probably as bad as it'll get for a while until, inevitably, their secret "I'm not human and i killed this world's version of me and am wearing their corpse" gets leaked

by which, they've already regretted the moment it happened and can't undo. whomp whomp.

but hey if u meant socially awkward only then i'd say they're laughably bad at it, but its in good nature. nobody is judging them they're only amused/confused by their antics

[in-cis-and-het-collector]

you wake up in the field.

again.

ha.

ha ha ha.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-

-ah. ok. this is fine. you're alright. that was probably just a really nice dream, obviously. you can't escape, no matter what. ok Siffrin, back on the stage. you stand up and-

you stand-

you try and stand, but you cannot move. you pull at the flesh making up your stupid body, yet you dont move a blinding inch. your body just lays there, feeling weirdly exposed to the elements, with its arms behind its head.

now that you think about it, your clothes feel weird, and this pose is definitely NOT the usual starting pose, prone and sleepy. no, your arms are behind your head, almost smug. your legs are crossed with the one on top tapping its foot to some false beat you cannot hear. your mouth is pulled in some grimace or smirk, and there is a humming in your throat. Somethings wrong, off script in the worst way. you start to panic, but just as you start you hear mirabelle's call

"Sif~frin! wake up sleepyhead, we need to get ready!"

That's... not Mirabelle. that's her voice, yes, but that's not the Housemaiden. wrong line, wrong infection, wrong everything. you would get up to look at her if it weren't for your failure to control your body. suddenly, your mouth opens, and out pours a slimey voice that's disturbing in its familiarity.

"ugh, can it ms.alarm clock, we cant all be bright eyed and bushy tailed this early in the day, y'know?"

"oh siffrin, I know, but i need you to do me a big favor~ pleeease?"

your body sighs

"fine, what is it?"

as this mockery of the script continues, you are struck with revulsion, fear and confusion. you dont know how you managed to break the story this bad, but you need to talk to Loop. they usually have some clue on how to fix your faliures, or at least move on.

as you watch your body maneuver through Dormont, you catologue the changes made, and try to figure out what happened. when you look at the broken change god statues, you feel like you piece it together, but whatever you piece together gets taken from your mind just as fast, filling your thoughts with burnt sugar. in other news, Loop wasn't at the favor tree! its one more puzzle piece in your mind that makes up the secret of what happened. as your body approaches Bonnies start, you make a realization.

you did escape your loops, it wasn't a dream.

this isn't your stage. you have taken Loops role, without a physical form to guide with. the reason this script looks so off to you is because it isn't your script. you somehow got yourself stuck in another Siffrins timeloop, and can't even help them! you're going to have to watch them fail again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and you cant do anything. your family will move on while you are stuck here, forever. this realization throws you for such a loop you miss Bonnies talk entirely.

this is a hell you made yourself, copy

best watch the play

!

[eldragon-x]

Siffrin: Woaw I kinda envy Loop... it must be so good to have a hole in your chest because then you can always check that your heart isn't rotting.

Loop, who feels like their heart is constantly open and exposed:

[deadlyeyez]

hi hi! I was wondering if you’re going to bring your ISAT crow au back? Or has that been scrapped? Could also tell me more about crows lore in depth? Cause from what I’ve seen it’s certainly very interesting!

SCREAMS SO LOUD /POS

i legitimately made a noise when i saw this ask. i love my crow au.

before i answer this: my crow au / blessing au is very self indulgent!! i’m aware it doesn’t follow ISAT exactly. i just liked a bunch of ideas and slapped them on siffrin.

OKAY. MY BEAUTIFUL CROW AU. don’t look at me i rotate my birds in my head at very normal speeds— AH SHIT (i fall over and several birds fall out of my hands) MY CROWS

for the sake of this au, siffrin and the king are siblings. don’t look at my love for tragic siblings— no stop it don’t look over there.

now because i’m insane (and also i love birds and wings and— no i’m not crazy why would you suggest that,) there are sometimes people Blessed by the Universe (or the Change God, or Expressions, or ect.) these are people “destined” to serve a large purpose in their life, to change history somehow — of which i call them Destiny’s Children. for obvious reasons. i was very creative.

(yes, the party are all destiny’s children. the Saviors are all blessed. including bonnie.)

now, destiny’s children, as a result, are part bird. this is just. entirely self indulgent. i just like birds. my diegetic reasoning here is that a lot of birds are considered messengers of gods in a lot of myths and faiths and i feel this would translate well to ISAT. there can only be one KIND of bird at a time. siffrin is a swan, and their birth name is cygnus. the king is a crow, named corvus.

siffrin’s dad is part of the island’s royal guard — which is where he learns his rogue-like qualities, here. he is also wingless, but their mother is not. she’s a dove :) specifically a mourning dove.

(their parent’s names are hera and olympus. this is also self indulgent don’t look at me.)

anyways. siffrin runs away from home and the normal siffrin story and ect. over time, as he’s exposed to the King’s Curse and the loops, his wings get kind of… stained with all the Time Craft, and it turns them lightless. hence the crow part of crow siffrin. it’s a reference to the King. :3

(not that it’s super important, btw, but siffrin is a coscoroba swan, the king is a caledonian crow, and hera is specifically a reference to the caladrius.)

[quackerofoatz]

Hannibal’s relationship with God ♱

[ Taglist 🏷️: @fromelysium @siffrin-enthusiast @buggaboorenegade @flowers-jn-her-hair @scar1ett-so1dier @gardenofearthlydelightss}

As the show’s antagonist, Hannibal is a man from the get-go who is an unnerving and unique individual to the audience. We see how he interacts with characters and sees himself while doing so. We see the duality of this charismatic cannibal during the night, exposing what Hannibal is. He differs from most murderers/killers in the show; there’s more depth and uniqueness. 

In the first episode, Will introduces the idea of God to the audience, setting the show’s narrative. He challenges the concept of divinity to his students at Quantico and unconsciously to himself. He establishes the theme of divinity and judgment within the show, hinting at the differentiating opinions on this theme. By asking his students to consider why the victim in the case had been subjected to such an act of violence and if it was of God's will or not. He will hint at his moral compasses and opinion on divine judgment by asking his students this.

Will: Everyone has thought about killing someone, one way or another, be it your hand or the hand of God. Now think about killing Mrs. Marlow. Why did she deserve this? Tell me your design. Tell me who you are. (Season 1 Episode 1)

Will is a unique asset in the Federal Bureau for his empathic mind and profiling skills. He is seen as unstable for his socializing behavior but also in curiosity for his rare, incredible perspective. As Hannibal says in the same episode, his ability to identify and think like killers is a heavy burden and a gift for him. He points to Will as they talk in Crawford’s office, which upsets him terribly. Hannibal is a respected and knowledgeable man in the psychology and medical field. He can analyze but not understand him because he is not predictable with his gift. This intrigues Hannibal, as he is used to scanning people and charming his way into their circles.

Hannibal: What he has is pure empathy. He can assume your point of view, or mine, and maybe some other points of view that scare him. It's an uncomfortable gift, Jack.

Dr. Hannibal Lecter: I imagine what you see and learn touches everything else in your mind. Your values and decency are present yet shocked at your associations, appalled at your dreams. No forts in the bone arena of your skull for things you love. (Season 1 Episode 1)

With the theme of God in place and his empathy, Will is a tool for God to deal with judgment and punishment for those he catches. He sees killers and civilians alike as they are, with their thoughts and emotions. Despite not necessarily believing in God himself, Will's uncanny ability to understand and empathize with serial killers leads him to profile and put them into custody, as if he were fulfilling a divine purpose/civil duty. We see in the show his mental health takes a toll as he investigates; he doesn’t do these cases because he wants to but because it is morally right, which is at the heart of Will's ability. He can visualize the murders and get inside the minds of the killers, making him a valuable tool in solving crimes and preventing future deaths, as Jack Crawford mentions to him in persuasion.

He fights back and forth with himself while dealing with other people's demands. He is a martyr in his duty to others, but no one feels this way for him. Until we get Hannibal, with all his knowledge and egotism, he sees this as an opportunity for manipulation and a start of companionship. He sees himself as a dark savior to Will and the one to offer him salvation and devotion.

He is like a Pompasettin peacock, so to speak, and a proud one. As the show goes on, episode by episode, we see a glimpse of Hannibal and his mind’s machinations at every therapy session with Will. He’s not just a complicated character but one who sees himself above others, especially concerning divinity, specifically Almighty God.

Hannibal: Killing must feel good to God too. He does it all the time. And are we not created in his image?

Will: That depends who you ask. Hannibal: God’s terrific. He dropped a church roof on 34 of his worshippers last Wednesday night in Texas while they sang a hymn. Will: And did God feel good about that? Hannibal: He felt powerful. (Season 1 episode 2)

I have gone through the series for dialogue between Will and Hannibal regarding their ideas or feelings on the divinity of God. Of course, I have picked out the ones throughout the season that make the most sense, and we have a broader view of how each of their opinions evolves with their proximity. I may not have gone through all of them as I am one person. 

 Hannibal: A tumor can definitely affect brain function and even cause vivid hallucinations. However, what appears to be driving your angel maker to create heaven on earth is a simple issue of mortality.  Will: Can't beat God, become him? Hannibal: You said he was afraid. Will:He feels abandoned. Hannibal:Ever feel abandoned, Will?

 Will and he argue the different sides of believing in divinity and being nonbelievers. He can say why people think or what they feel in the divinity, but Will himself is not one to feel the same. Even as Hannibal has a complicated relationship with God, Will almost seems detached from religion but attached to creation with empathy. Hannibal sees how divinity can be mirrored in humanity through our actions, specifically in the actions of Jack Crawford towards Will. He tries to press Will to find a new belief system to pledge his martyr cause. To exchange Jack for Will. He feels he is all-knowing and mighty about what WIll truly is and the beauty of his empathy disorder.   

Will: Abandonment requires expectation. Hannibal: What were your expectations of Jack Crawford and the FBI? Will: Jack hasn't abandoned me. Hannibal: Not in any discernible way. Perhaps in this way, gods abandon their creations. So God has given this person insight into the souls of men. Will: God didn't give him insight; God gave him a tumor. He's just a man whose brain is playing tricks on him.  Hannibal: You are not unlike this k*ller. Will: My brain is playing tricks on me? Hannibal: You want to feel such sweet and easy peace. (Season 1, Episode 5)

Hannibal's view of the world is highly philosophical. He sees himself as both god and nonhuman, both omnipotent and fallen. He creates beautiful things but must destroy them. He is both a parent to his victims and a creator of art, yet he is also the destroyer of life. Hannibal's view of God is that God has abandoned us and given up on the gift of humanity, much like Hannibal has abandoned the goodness in himself and the gift of life. He tries to weave himself into Will’s subconscious, wanting to be the balm for his cursed gift.

There is no God. Certainly not with that attitude. God gave you a purpose - Not only to create art but to become it. Why are you helping me? Your eye will now see God reflected. I will see you. If God is looking down at you, don't you want to be looking back at Him? (season 2 Episode 2)

Hannibal’s statement about this murder seals the deal that he believes in God, which stands out among most psychopaths and murderers in this show. Hannibal prompts every dialogue about divinity in the show. 

02x11 - Ko No Mono traditionally, during this meal, we are to place shrouds over our heads, hiding our faces from God. I don't hide from God. Bones and all? Bones and all. After my first ortolan, I was euphoric. A stimulating reminder of our power over life and death. Every creative act has its destructive consequence, Will.

He feels God is all-knowing, and we can reach him through our acts outside of religion. He feels there is no shame in acting within God’s gaze, but that is an act of worship. He feels God knows him and understands the actual makeup of Hannibal, The same way Hannibal does with his murderous tableau. He understands this better than anyone as he mirrors his victims of art to elevate them from their mortal flesh. As we see later on in Italy as Il Mostro, the victim we see is reflected as Primavera.

The Hindu god Shiva is a simultaneous destroyer and creator. Has God sacrificed? What god do you pray to? I don't pray. I have not been bothered by any considerations of deity, other than to recognize how my own modest actions pale beside those of God (02x11 - Ko No Mono)

We see that Hannibal doesn't just have a Western understanding of divinity but a diverse one, with him mentioning this Hindu God. This shows he has accumulated a broad knowledge of gods of other cultures or religions to make his judgment. He says that he feels his acts of violence are minor compared to the smiteing that God or Gods do to mortals. 

Nothing would thrill Hannibal more than to see this roof collapse mid-Mass, packed pews, choir singing... He would just love it. And he thinks God would love it, too. w: But he believes in God... intimately (SEASON 3 EPISODE  2 )

Hannibal enjoys the violent acts of Gods, which will be pointed out in the second episode of season three. When Will is standing in a church while tracking Hannibal in Italy. As we see through Will, Hannibal is only understood by him because Will was allowed to see sides of him. Well, with his empathy as well, he can also know Hannibal on a mental level. We see this on his adventure in Italy while talking to Abigail of his imagination and Detective Pazzi. 

What I believe is closer to science fiction than anything in the Bible?We all know it, but nobody ever says that G-dash-D won't do a G-dash-D-damned thing to answer anybody's prayers.God can't save any of us because it's inelegant.Elegance is more important than suffering. W: I think my prayers would feel constricted by the saints, apostles, and Jesus Pantocrator. (SEASON 3 EPISODE  2 )

As was established, Will never said he believed in God but had an idea of him. He doesn't understand praying through channels to get to god but going to the source directly. His understanding of God is not rooted in any religion but based on his knowledge with his empathy. It makes him even more special to Hannibal; he is not a believer but mirrors the violent principles of a T. He is the martyr to his cause and peers, but what exact role does he play?

{ He is the Lamb }

That is the official title Hannibal gave him in the second-to-last episode of the last season.

Lest we forget the Lamb.

Will it be the Lamb of God?

Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb.

Who's "us"?

You, me and the Great Red Dragon.

The Lamb's wrath touches everyone who errs

(Season 3 Episode 12)

Will has always been a selfless man without intending or prompting to be, even as people around him don't give the same for him. He gives without judgment, or malicious Hannibal sees Will as the sacrificial lamb due to Will's suffering for the sake of his fellow man. The lamb is used as a substitute to save a group from their sins and used as atonement. The lamb repeatedly passes off sins, as Hannibal sees Will doing his work as an FBI agent. Yet the lamb is a symbol to be scared of and not to be trifled with, as many scholars of the bible point out, and Hannibal seemingly so in this line—the lamb. Jack sees Will as someone who could do no wrong and is entirely innocent of the actions around him—even pardoning him from many murders and slips in the show, blaming it on coercion of his empathy and suffering from encephalitis. Hannibal sees him as a triumphant lamb who is partial to righteous wrath upon people of his choosing. 

[sonicthehedgehoglover2]

and not even not allow them to say that they want (hi by the way, it me, the same anon! Hi~) we all know that at keast at first playthrue we all have tendensy to be as much as we can on the side of the play character for whom we playing. I know why players often shown as antagonistic forse here(like our fear about breacking forth wall, our fear to be seen as monstars who we wwiew ourselfs... to be exposed as monsters who we all secretly know we are.) But... isnt it funny that actually for the most part we all just many silly guys who want the best to this silly nice playable characters? ...untill we start to wanting to know more about them and we goes on literally anything to take every secret from them. We horrible but we do it because we love them. Khm. Sorry i just think about this consept alot and i have an opinion about this. So. Let me say you something stright. Of cause we can say that a player is antagonist here... but isnt it a bit more funny if it just a wierd thrie side relationship betwen Loop, Player and Siffrin, where Loop is make theyr breacking of forth wall, making player wery unsomfortable, by this moments of being seen(Loop feels nostalgic and.. a little lonely about theyr own playthrue. It was... nice to feel that in this hopeless situation you have someone on your side. Even if this is someone who can controll you), Player (i dont know do we going to make them a person or not? I kinda start to make somehow established so... maybe?) Is werry worried about comments that Loop doing, but he kinda like this game(why is it so appealing to him? It just a silly little game. That they play nonstop already 40 hours. ... this game is really just a normal game to her, she swear! ... no it not a handmaden plushy.... maybe they really have a wery problematic hiperficsation but it a problem to another day) and they really annoyed on siffrin's "Oh starts! Why o why did you do this to me, unable to say that i want!~" it like *dude, you literally have one option to pick from! I know that you wanna make me the only reason why you have this problem, to call me a monster, but i have a news to you, Sif! I already pretty aware of it, i have my exsestentional crisis already and right now, my only goal is to reach to an end of this journey and never play this again! I already watch undertale and deltarune. You cant make me more guilty for playing games then this duo did with theyr playthrue ghat i watch! So, shut the fuck up, and tell your group about your situation! They already love you!!! WITHOUT THIS TIMELOOPS, YOU BLINDING IDIOT!!!(they already kinda take this swearing as her own. That can you say... hiperfixsation is never mersiful to him)* and siffrin who have the worst time of theyr exsistence, having shame being known, bot also they wery glad that they not alone... and... where also someone who remember that they going thrue. They still kinda hate this guy, but hey! He can annoy them as much as he want. And he can blame them if something goes wrong so.... win win i suppose? As you can see i have something about this idea that i really like. Dont shure that but... here we are! I hope you like my take on this

I do like this take on the Player Au.

I like Siffrin blaming the Player for things that are his fault.

Also, having the Player be someone who's just doing their best and just wants to play this silly game.

BTW, hi again!

[itstheval]

A Dinner In Black

A sidestory of @cyten0's A Symphony In Crimson, to be read after Act 2's Chapter 5-A. Also, this is just straight up a dude getting eaten, sorry!

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦

"You can still turn back time, right?"

Isabeau's words rang in your head like a bell tolling.

"I trust you, Fa."

Every sentence seemed to resonate inside you, impossibly loud.

"You can eat me."

You weren't sure if it was an evening bell, a dinner bell, or a wedding bell that rung in your thoughts. You wanted to believe Isabeau didn't know what he was asking, but you could see it in his face. You knew the set of his jaw, better than you knew your own body. He meant it. There was nothing you could do that would make him stop meaning it.

But…That was Isabeau.

Eating a couple of assassins after they'd cut an arm off Odile was one thing, but to hurt Isabeau? What kind of monster would do that?

Your stomach roiled. That was answer enough, you monster. You horrible, disgusting creature, whose very existence hurt the people around you. You'd already done it once, and you didn't have any regret about them, was the only difference really that you knew who Isabeau was? Horrible, rotting, disgusting thing…But you'd be even worse, if you didn't take him at his word.

You closed your eyes, and when you opened them again, everything was Black.

▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲

Siffrin…No, Fantasia, was having a crisis, and all you could do was watch.

You'd offered the only thing you could to them, providing a body they knew was willing instead of making them hunt. You knew they hated the idea altogether, but you'd hoped that you could take some of the sting off of it. Instead, it seemed like your words had shaken the creature that was your friend to its core.

Then you saw it. The single horn, glowing black. You had heard about this from Odile, but seeing it in person was something entirely different. Something powerful. You stood tall in response, and nodded to Fa. Whatever happened next, you would trust them. You braced for teeth and tongue, wetness and sharpness.

It never came.

Instead, you felt something very like a hand on your temple, a thumb caressing over your forehead, and something slid from it and through your skin. You could feel it inside you, attaching to you…It wasn't unwelcome, the sensation, but you didn't let yourself blush as you felt it attaching to your spine, to your brainstem, to all the parts of you that you subconsciously suppressed the feeling of. You were incredibly aware of them, now, in a way that even body craft and weeks of studying anatomy books had never left you with.

Then, Siffrin started singing, and you felt it twitch. The feeling was foreign, and almost terrifying at first. Your hands rose up, and your attempts to lower them again simply never carried down to them. Your mouth fell open, and you couldn't force your tongue back in your mouth, the face you were making a lewd, panting one. Your hips jerked, as it learned the way to move them and started to tease you with the very idea.

"Is this it, Isa? The experience you expected?" Fantasia's horn was still glowing black, and their voice was mocking as they watched. Their song changed, and you found an arm pulled forward, as though your shoulder was magnetized to something under Fa's cloak, and moments later your arm was in their mouth.

"Oh, how kind of you." The words came around the limb, as you felt pressure starting to push down. The separation was clean, one second your arm in its mouth, the next second no sensation from there at all, simply exposed nerve and cleanly cut bone. It seemed to savor your arm, as for once you were grateful for the thing controlling your voice, stopping you from disgraceful screams. "Offering yourself for me, good boy." You want to say you didn't, but…You could feel the echoes of the action in your brain, the decision you went through to put it into the maw they kept hidden, and a change of tone made you wonder. Were you a Good Boy for them? Was that what you truly were?

The gnashing sounds coming from beneath the cloak were needlessly loud, and you realized quickly that there had to be some deeper reason for it. You looked up, and they were watching you…It seemed they wanted to be a monster to you, to make you hate what they were doing. Part of you wondered if you did, and their song was stopping it? Or if you never could, and their song was forcing it into you?

A note. Your hand turned itself palm-up, and you held it out, feeling blood pumping from the stump at your other arm. You couldn't stop the bleeding. You couldn't stop it. you couldn't stop anything. You didn't want anything to stop.

Their hidden maw again, and you felt the heat of it this time, the wetness of a predator's maw dripping over you, and then your hand was gone, simply and cleanly again. "What would happen," the creature that was Fantasia wondered, "If I left you like this? Would you still love me? Would you start to regret it?" The question was noise that washed over you, as your addled mind tried to make sense of the words. Regret, love, leaving you…They meant something, but the blood pounding in your ears and the tune guiding your body were too loud to think of them properly.

Your nerves sang, and it was the same song Fantasia was sending through you, as you watched the piece of you feeding them. You managed to drag up a single word, from too deep within you to stop, and whatever it meant you felt the power of it with your whole soul. "Always."

The word made the song pause, and for a second you were Isabeau again. You regretted it instantly. Staring at the stump where your hand had been, feeling the blood dripping out of you, the way each beat of your heart left you with a little less of yourself. Able to remember the warmth of the maw, and offering your hands to it, and every micro-instant of the way flesh separated from flesh. You barely had time to realize what you'd said, and the creature that was your beloved began singing again, the note bouncing with a laughter you didn't trust.

"Oh, it seems so, Isa. Even like this, you'll love. I wonder how many layers deep it's hidden? I wonder if I could peel enough off, to find out?" The song danced through you, and you felt dark tendrils sneaking out from under the thing, peeling your body nude. You couldn't have done it if you wanted to, you realized, and your body's reaction was obvious and shameless. If they stopped now, you'd be their thing forever. Relying on them for everything.

Your thoughts were cut off by a tongue, rough and rasping as sandpaper, landing against your stomach. The scraping up your body scratched your skin free, pulling off a layer of it and leaving you whimpering by the end. "One layer…It's not under that one." The tongue connected again, and your body was sensitive as hooked barbs cut through you and peeled off what they caught. "Two…It must be buried deep." You realized you should run, but in a distant, unaware sort of way, like knowing you have to get up when you're comfortably in bed. "Three…" The barbs dug deeper, and you could feel how much more sensitive these lower layers of skin were, every pinprick of peeling sensation sending shudders both up and down your spine that Fa allowed you to feel. "Three…"

The next few moments were a blur, as your world became warmth and wetness, tugging barbs and sharp teeth, acid prickling at your skin and feeling yourself slowly dissolving away. "Three." Fantasia itself declared from above you, and you felt the light of your mind starting to fade, even slower than before. Your thoughts slowly faded, and the last thing you could picture was a single horn, glowing blacker than a night sky.

"Oops, too fast~"

The words echoed across nothing, and you were nowhere, before the black horn pulsed and you were aware again.

"You can eat me." You felt the words pull themselves from your lips, as though you'd already been in the middle of saying them, and you blinked into awareness. A slow mental inventory of yourself showed you were all in one piece, and Fa's horn wasn't glowing…Had you dreamed all that? Then you caught the expression in their eyes, and knew you hadn't.

"Again."

[mantisgodiveblog]

First off: “ We want to know if Siffrin would actually eat it if presented with One (1) raw potato during snack time.” I feel like he would. He is so ‘commit to the bit until I (perhaps literally) drop dead’. Secondly: Yeah, I can understand getting sick of seeing the same repetitive tropes! Somehow fanfic feels bite sized enough anything goes for me, but in actual books? Sometimes they feel like a nothing sandwich made of the same tropes as the last sandwich I just had.

We think that Bonnie should commit to the bit and start feeding Siffrin One whole raw potato, on grounds that it would be funny. Going to make the man commit to the bit so hard he gets food poisoning.

It's the other way around with us, honestly. Because fanfiction uses pre-established characters, all of the little ways in which poorly-handled tropes warp characterization become immediately evident. You're taking a character with their own particular personality and fitting it to a mold, and the contrast between the once-was and the is-here makes it so that every little crack is blindingly obvious. You see the shape of the roles that the characters are forced into, time and time again, and you see precisely where characters splinter to fit that, because you have that before and after comparison to show precisely where the traits are being selected.

The bite-sized-ness of fanfiction makes it a bit worse, honestly. It condenses it down to hit just the key points, and if you don't have the longform fic time to show the progress, it's all the more evident what you're introducing to get things over with in a quick period of time. We aren't immune to this, of course - we've probably got our fair share of distortions, especially in AU work - but the way that it narrows down differences to just the shift in author perception shines a brilliant spotlight on these little cracks, at least from our perspective.

It's not as though published books don't have their own flaws, but there's nothing to expose a bias like working with something people already have a vantage point on, and there's absolutely nothing that shows a critical gap in judgment as much as an author horrifically fumbling a scenario you've seen done infinitely better with the exact same characters multiple times before. Everyone working with the same tools means that it's much easier to judge execution, and it also, unfortunately, lets you know precisely who doesn't know to use the tools they've got without twisting them into something fundamentally different.

[instarsandtime]

isa left them alone 🙏🙏🙏 (nooo but i love isa come backkkk)

sif looking at loops awful coping mechanisms: woah that’s fucking crazy why can’t i do that i need to do that

loop fluctuating wildly between the fighter isa and isabeau this is beautiful

2!!!!!!!!!! siffrins!!!!!!!!!!!! yes!!!!!!!!

isabeau tripping and sif blaming himself goes crazy (in a good way)

they’re just two little adorable idiots and i’m in love with their love they’re actually so cute 😭

THE FIRST KISS THEY WOULD BOTH REMEMBER AHHLABCJSNAKXJAOEHDAJSHOSAB ( <me disintegrating) godddd they’re so cute together like im going insane they’re so cute

i feel like loop probs has some issues with their appearance bc. yk. they’re a star. but i feel like bonnie being this enthusiastic about wanting to glow like loop and kinda be like loop in that way might help them (i hope god i love loop)

mirabelle picking out the outfit for loop 😭😭 she’s so cute and so determined to do well

ok i literally don’t know if i want odile to investigate and figure out who loop is or if i don’t because on one hand i don’t want loop to freak out and have a break down (because im in love w them) but on the other hand i want odile to know and i wanna see her reaction to finding out (bc im in love w her)

OMGG ENJOY UR VACATION HAVE FUN AND RELAX SO HARD!! 💪💪🔥🔥

also yes fantasy cuba is def correct what else could it possibly be

Yay for getting to read your comment!

I'll answer from the part it cut off on Ao3!

They are really cute, Isa and Sif. My precious lil guys.

Loop definitely has issues with their appearance. Especially the glowy part. I mean Sif kinda hides under their cloak so Loop must be feeling pretty exposed too. Like they are attracting a lot of attention.

Who knows if Odile will figure it out or not. We'll see! It would probably be better for Loop but also yes they would very much panic. But we'll seeeeeee

Thank you I'll have a good vacation. See you sooooon (I'll probably still be on Tumblr tho lol)