#sorry sif’s hat

[magicwhiskers29]

The whole gang! The lines randomly start getting thinner partway through, but whoops. I had each of these on different canvases and didn’t check the others in between :p

[medi-bee]

isat pokemon au, my liege?

my rambling in tags

[sparkdoesart]

I saw my favorite cat image again, and i couldn't stop myself, so here you go

Kibty Sif.

Og image

[sysig]

Time Loops are they/them culture (Patreon)

Bonus of my little guy in ISaT style:

[remxedmoon]

“the eternal wanderer. even death cannot release it from its plight.”

tribeless

1 power - 1 health - 7 bones

unkillable - when a card bearing this sigil perishes, a copy of it is created in your hand.

corpse eater - if a creature that you own perishes by combat, a card bearing this sigil in your hand is automatically played in its place.

brittle - after attacking, a card bearing this sigil perishes.

hidden trait - cursebearer

this card cannot be sacrificed at the sigil stones event.

finally posting my isatscryption stuff here!!! yipee!!! here’s a writeup about the card design because frankly i put wayy too much thought into all of these cards. sorry if these are a bit hard to parse!

unkillable and corpse eater effectively make sif immortal, since every time he dies, he’ll be placed back on the board! and i thought that was fitting for. y’know. timeloop reasons. brittle is only there to emphasize the whole constantly dying thing. because is it really isat without siffrin torment

also didn’t notice this until after i designed this card, but the brittle sigil art has a star on it??? not intentional in the slightest but it is Fitting

sif is a fox here! i know that that would technically put them in the canine tribe, but i felt it’d be more fitting for them to be tribeless? and base game inscryption already kinda bends the rules when it comes to tribes (such as the bullfrog being a reptile and the rabbit being treated internally as a rodent) so i think it still works

i’m well aware that card traits don’t actually have cool names or anything but i still want to give them cool names because it’s fun. anyways! cursebearer! i gave them this trait both because these sigils are extremely overpowered, and for lore reasons. sif sees their sigils as a curse! they don’t want to force them on anyone else!! it’s their burden to bear!!!

tangentially related to that last point, but sif is a talking card in this au! because it’s fun :3. and because i think it’d be really interesting to see how he’d react to the cabin

sif’s scar is covered by the hat a bit but it’s Star Shaped. and so is the eye shine teehee

this was the first card i made and Boy Does It Show. i had the WORST time trying to get the card generators to work for this because oops! both of the card generators are inaccurate in different ways! plus theres a few mistakes in the card art that i didn’t notice until after i finished most of the others... i promise the others are a little more polished

also, since i didn’t mention it above the cut, the sigil patch is for the bone king sigil! which makes the card award 4 bones instead of 1 upon death. this is less for lore reasons and more for the synergy with his sigils. since he’s constantly dying and coming back, he can basically give you infinite bones for Zero Cost. fun!

aaand i think that’s all the notes for this card! thanks for reading this absurdly long post. here’s his alt card art without the patch for your troubles 🫡

[basilpaste]

post-game loop!!

for... me, mostly, i think. do they look enough like themself? or even sif really? im not sure. but i like them well enough that im not too worried about it.

(design notes and an alt under the cut!)

okay. so. first off? they were originally gonna have a mouth. but i just... couldnt. i couldnt reckon with it. so they get no mouth. sorry, loop.

while they dont have a scar on their eye anymore, they have... something? there are 'freckles' that radiate out from their eye. unlike the rest of their person, these dark spots dont seem to radiate light.

the hat theyre wearing is sifs! this worlds sifs. siffrin doesnt need it anymore, after all. and theirs is... long gone.

speaking of the hat: its adorned with orchids. orchids are funeral flowers. they represent everlasting love and sympathy for the deceased. their friends no longer exist. they cannot, not in the way they once did. its a way to hold on to those people, but to let them go, too. the only way through is forward now, after all.

the core of their design was asymmetry. siffrin is actually very symmetrical as far as his design goes, so i wanted loop to throw all caution to the wind. a long white glove paired with a short black one, a cloak that drapes over one side, hair not sticking to an even length.

theyre actually wearing white tights. not that you can really tell unless you colour pick and see the very mild difference between their skin tone and the white of their clothes.

wears platform boots almost exclusively to be taller than sif. lmao.

[livesworthlivingau]

Lives Worth Living Chapter 10

ISAT spoilers below! CW: Uhhh... talking to your family? That's pretty traumatizing right?

"30 YEARS?!" (You flinch as you hear everyone shout in unison from the other side of the wall. It took everything in you to finally tell Isa the truth, so thankfully he offered to explain it all to the others for you... Oh Isa... I swear I don't deserve you... You lay your head against the wall, pressing your ear closer to try and hear their muffled chatter.)

"So how many times has he looped this go around?"

"... He said only one but... I don't know, I don't think he's ready to talk about that yet..." (...)

"... Does he know what caused him to loop again?"

"..." (The goes silent... it seems Isa didn't want to say it either.)

"... Ah..." (Odile pipes up, having gotten whatever hint Isa was giving.)

"So does this mean Frin is the oldest now?"

"We are NOT going to discuss that Boniface." (You can't help but give a little chuckle at that, despite the overwhelming dread washing over you.)

"Let's just be sure to take it easy on him, okay? It took a lot for him to admit that... we should try our best not to overwhelm him. Let him go at his own pace, yeah?" (Oh Isa...)

"You're right, this is... a lot, for all of us I'm sure..."

"S-So this means that... Sif knows the future?! Like THAT far in the future?! Oh no this is bad, that NEVER goes well in the books! What if we mess up the timeline or something?!"

"Well the world isn't falling apart yet... I don't like the idea of simply ignoring this but... it's not exactly a rush either, now is it?"

"I guess it's not... b-but if anything weird starts happening, we should be careful!"

"Definitely, but for now, we should just be here for Sif. He must be really going through it right now..." (You sigh as you pull your head from the wall... You suppose it's time to face everyone, for better or worse. You stand up, leaving the room, and knocking at the door. You wait nervously for what feels like an eternity, terrified to face this moment. Finally the door slowly opens to Isa... just seeing his sweet smile calms you down.)

"Hey Sif... You ready to talk for a bit?" (You nod, entering the room as he steps aside. Everyone is standing there... staring at you... You retreat a little behind your cloak and hat.)

"Oh Siffrin... I can't imagine what you must be going through..." (Odile starts, Isa approaching from behind and placing a hand on your shoulder. You lean back against him out of habit and need for comfort. The rest of your family start to approach, and you give a light nod of approval, being encased in a wonderful hug from everyone. Safe, Loved, Safe, Loved...)

"Th-Thank you... Okay... I'm ready to talk." (You sigh out, trying to keep from crying again. You know they'd support it but you're just sick of it at the moment. You walk over to the nearest chair and flop down into it... just sitting in awkward silence until-.)

"So when do you two finally kiss?"

"BONNIE!"

"DSKALJDSAJLSDAFJLSF" (You face burns darker, looking away as you hear Isa's very flustered noises. You take a moment before deciding to answer.)

"two months..."

"HAH!" (Odile can't control herself for snorting, Bonnie giggling to themself as well while Mirabelle looks mortified at their behavior. You don't even need to look at Isa to know he's absolutely writhing, but you do since it's fun to watch.)

"canwemoveonprettyplease?"

"Do I become a head housemaiden?!" (Mirabelle shouts out, as if having been holding it back this whole time. You open your mouth to answer-.)

"NO WAIT SPOILERS! DON'T TELL ME DON'T TELL ME SORRY!!" (She panics, covering her ears as a precaution.)

"So much for not overwhelming him..." (Odile sighs, rubbing her temple before continuing.)

"Well, since you have some of foresight on the matter, do feel free to keep us informed of things to avoid. Especially for your own sake." (You nod in response, sharing that familiar appreciative look you both are used to.)

"Do I become a master cooker?!" (Bonnie's eyes light up brightly, leaning closer in awe as they await the fated answer.)

"Hehe... Yup, got a famous cook book and everything." (Bonnie raises their fists in triumph, running around excitedly and shouting about their future accomplishment. They help break the tension as always.)

"Uhh... Sif?... Uhm... A-Are we... Y.. Y-know..." (Isa begins, trailing off as he can't seem to find the words. You just blush some more and giving a light nod. You reach for your earlobe and rub it a bit, helping ensure you're on the same page. His face grows several shades darker.)

"Alright everyone, let's not get too focused on our futures. The more we know the less likely things will play out the same anyways. As I said Siffrin, if it feels important then please bring it up. Otherwise I think we're all best off knowing as little as possible..."

"R-Right!"

"Y-Yeah, probably a good idea..."

"Awwww, no more future secrets?! No fair, Dile!"

"Heh, sorry Bonbon, granny's orders." (You tease, thankful that you don't have to divulge your entire previous life.)

"But you're older now! That means you're in charge!"

"I said we're not discussing that Boniface!!" (Bonnie just snorts and sticks their tongue out.)

"Regardless, there's still an important detail we haven't discussed... What are we going to do about this?" (Odile asks in a serious tone, looking directly to you for some sort of answer.)

"... I... I don't know... now that Loop is back, I-"

"Loop? What do you mean they're back?" (… Crab.)

"... Right... I forgot to mention that.." (You take a few deep breaths to calm yourself.)

"I can't... I can't explain everything right now, but Loop never showed up again in all those years. B-But as soon as I looped back I heard them! They're here, I saw them, b-but..." (Your voice trails off. You realize you were starting to sound desperate, everyone giving you those same concerned looks they always did whenever you got rather frantic... How do you explain this? What CAN you say?...)

"... I'm sorry... I-I just can't explain it right now..."

"Well, I suppose telling us at all is a major improvement from before, so we'll take that victory where we can." (Odile teased as she walked over, lightly ruffling your hair some.)

"And no matter what anyone says, I'm the elder around here." (She added... you weren't quite sure if that was a joke, or some sort of threat.)

"But it's been a long day for everyone, let us get some rest and maybe we'll figure out what to do about this in the near future. For now, our plans remain the same, off to Bambouche to find Boniface's dear sister." (Stars, you completely forgot...)

"Uhh… actually..."

"... She left to try and find us, didn't they?"

"... I don't remember where they ended up either..." (Odile pinches her temple and gives a long sigh.)

[azureblooet]

Ok loop nation, for another funny i think it would be really funny if Siffrin didn’t recognize Loop when they appear in a human form. Like their hair is longer and everyone else in the party is like “woah why is this sif twin here” their mouth is covered cause they keep smiling with only their eyes and they have the hat but with different clothes

Like they show up and

Loop: *in serious voice* “Hello Siffrin. It’s nice to see you again.”

Siffrin:*genuinely* “oh I’m sorry do know you?”

Loop: *now talking normally and pulls down scarf* “Are you shitting me Stardust?”

Siffrin: “WAIT LOOP?!”

Loop: “YES YOU IDIOT I HAVE YOUR HAT AND AM COVERED IN STARS WHO ELSE WOULD IT BE!?”

Also the more star imagery human loop has the funnier this is.

Put this in your fics it would be funny >:3c

[vulpixisananimal]

Isapays fluff, the Thrilling Sequel.

"We'll be back in a bit Isa!"

"Alright! Take care!"

(With that, Nille and Bonnie headed off to the farm down the road for some fresh food. That was the nice thing about this little temporary cabin, it was close to everywhere in the little town! You could rent it out for a night, stay in, have a nice dinner and explore around, and then move on! For parties like yours, it was perect!)

(Mirabelle was already out meeting the locals, Odile had dissapeared for alone time, naturally, Ramos was exploring around the town, and Siffrin had yet to come out of their room. That was alright, you were happy staying here. You had your own little hobby to work on. And you were working on it right now!)

(You were working on a hat. It was one for Sif, well, Mal du Pays technicaly. You had started making a few for the three of them, the idea was maybe giving them an easier way to see who's who. But that didn't mean they couldn't be practical! You knew the sun hurt Mals eyes, so, right now you were sewing dark cloth to the rim to make a veil.)

(It had been hard to find a good material, one that was light, but could also blot out the sun. Luckily, it wasn't anything a bit of craft stitching couldn't fix. You had tried mimicing the type that Siffrin had on their cloak, but that was way too advanced. But you made do.)

(You continued sewing. It wasn't that far from done, actually. You could probably finish it today or tomorrow. But, don't rush it. Take your time to make sure it was perfect. It was intricate work, but nice. You continued on for a few minutes before pausing and leaning back where you were sitting.)

(You nearly jumped out of your skin when you turned to see Siffrin was there staring at you.)

"O-oh! Good morning!" (You say.)

(They waved softly and walked over. Oh! Not Siffrin, Mal. It was getting easier to tell who's who every day. Mal du Pays didn't talk, rarely showed up, and was stuck with a resting neutral face, to be polite about it.)

(And, well. You two, had, that one time.)

"Everything alright?" (The other thing you'd noticed was that Mal came out usually when something had gone wrong. You'd been told it does come out casually sometimes, but you'd yet to see it, really.)

(It held up crossed fingers. "I'm ok.")

"W-well. . ." (Oh Change, you still didn't know how to talk to it.) "Well you're free to stick around, if you want!"

(It nodded, and sat down next to you.)

(. . . Change, you were fine! Oh you were really fine! Sure, it had sat with you before like this, but, but it had been a few days since, since that encounter you two had. And you, really had no idea what to think about it still!)

(You continue sewing. Was it. . . Hopeful thinking? That it liked you? Well, maybe it did! It did want to kiss you after all. But, but then it needed to pull away. You knew it was probably just too much touch but, but what if it wasn't? You might have done something wrong, or. . .)

(You feel a gentle poke, making you jolt and turn, Mal was looking at you.)

"O-oh! Sorry! What's up?" (you reply, a little nervous.)

(It looked at you for a second, then held two fingers to their chest, then drew a line above their eyes and clasped both hands together. "That's a veil, for me?")

"O-oh! Yeah, it is! I wanted to make you something nice, Loop mentioned the sun bothers you, so. . ."

(It blinks at you, its face impossible to read. It tapped its temple. "Why.")

"Huh? W-well, I don't want you to hurt your eyes so-"

(It shook its head, tapped its temple again, pointed at you, then made a circle motion with both hands. "No, why do you care?")

"H-huh? Why wouldn't I?"

(It just looked at you. Its gaze felt cold, looking into your soul. It was, really terrifying sometimes. But that was ok! You continue,) "I just, wanted to make you something nice, b-because."

(It's still just, looking at you.)

". . . I just, want you to feel comfortable."

(It pauses, then taps their temple again. "Why?")

"B-because, because you deserve to?"

(Another tap.)

"You deserve to because everyone does! Everyone should be able to feel comfortable."

(It pauses, and considers you for a moment. Then tapped its chest. "Me?")

(You nod.) "Yes! you! I know you guys have gone through a lot, so-"

(It waves a hand, cutting you off. Tapping its chest and wiggling an open palm, then splayed it open. "I can't relax.")

(Huh?) "Why not? You're not in danger right now or anything."

(It's staring at you, you think you see its eye twitch. It turns away from you.)

"Mal. . .?" (You wait for a moment, trying to give it space, but, you're worried. Did you say something wrong? After a minute you lean over to try and see if it's ok.)

(It's. . . Crying.)

"Are you, are you sure you're ok?"

(No response, it's not looking at you, its breathing is getting heavier. You try and very gently offer a hand out.)

(It slaps your hand away and-)

"&$*#%^###$"

(You wince. Ow! It, it talked? R-right, that's why it didn't talk. Island language. You look away and hold your head, Ow ow ow. . .)

(It slapped your hand away.)

(You're looking down at the veil your sewing as you hold your head. It slaped your hand away. Did, did it not want you around? O-or, or did you just take it by surprise? O-or maybe even. . .)

(You feel a touch on your shoulder. A hand. You turn around.)

(Mal has its hand on your shoulder. It's crying, and shaking a lot; its face that was always neutral is showing cracks. It holds up a fist over its heart. "Sorry.")

(. . .You place your hand over Mals.) "I-its, it's alright."

(It shook its head, and looked away. Finally, it tapped its chest, and made a grabbing fist. "Can I trust you?")

"I- O-of course you can!"

(It glared at you.)

"Promise! I promise!! I haven't given away our secret right? Even if some people are relentless about it."

(It stares at you for a long time, as if considering something. It drew a horizontal line, then made a motion like breaking a stick. "Do not break it.")

"I promise, I really do, alright?" (You smile at Mal.) "I, I don't want to hurt you, okay? I promise, from the bottom of my heart."

(Mal looks you up and down. Takes a moment, breathing in, and out. It patted its chest with an open palm. "I'm scared.")

"Whuh?" (Mal? Afraid?) "W-what of? Did someone-"

(It shook its head, it held up a hand, paused, then continued. It patted its chest again, and then made a hand motion from you to it.)

("I'm scared of falling in love with you.")

(Your eyes widen and your breathing quickens. What?!? could that mean??? What could that possibly mean?!?)

"Y-you're. . ."

(It nodded, it was shaking.)

(You were, so, so confused. A-and, worried, and. . .) ". . . Do you, want, to talk about it?"

(It took a minute to reply, taking it's other hand back, it shakily took a hand and tapped its chest, drawing a line, then made a slashing motion. "I don't want to be hurt.")

"You're. . . Worried about me hurting you?" (Why would you hurt it?)

(It placed a cupped hand over the other, open palms moving away. It pauses, then pats its chest, and makes a slashing motion. "I protect Sleepwalker, I'm scared I'll fail.")

(Sleepwalker? Oh Right! That was Siffrin! It was hard to do full names in sign language so, nicknames. It was scared it couldn't protect Siffrin if it. . . Oh.)

(It raises it's hand, stops, unsure what to say. It looks away, shaking even harder.)

". . . Mal?"

(It looks at you.)

"You're, you're scared that, i-if, you and me are, a-a, a thing, then. . ."

(It nods.)

(It wants to protect Siffrin, more than anything. That's, that's what it is after all, right? A protector? Someone who takes care of the body, the host, Siffrin. It's done that job so well, so. . . Personal. It's, it's surpressing everything including you, but.)

(But that's something you can both agree on!)

"Let me help you then!!" (You lean in close.) "I-I, I want to make sure Sif's safe too! I want him to be happy a-and, and not to have to worry about these loops or memories, or anything! So, so. . ."

(It's looking at you, bewilderment having broken through that mask of neutrality. It opens its mouth, and closes it.)

". . . Please."

(It's looking at you, its face, it's, hard to describe. It does so well at hiding it's emotions, even though it's mask is cracking more and more with each word you say. Eventually, it gently claps its hands and holds a palm to you. "Promise?")

(You take its hand and hold it close.) "I promise! I-I promise with all my life! A-and. . ." (Oh Change come on Isabeau, no, don't freeze up now, just say it!)

(Say it! Say it!!)

"A-and, and I'll protect you too!! B-because I love you!!"

(It's shocked, you're shocked too, honestly. You didn't think you'd have, have the courage to, t-to just say that! Here! Now! But now your words are falling effortlessly out of our mouth.)

"I-I've, I've been thinking about when we kissed every day and! A-and about all you went through in Jouvente, a-and! And I don't want you to think you're alone in this!! One of the first things I learned as a Defender was to find someone to have your back. To find someone you can trust a-and-" (Oh Change, you had butterflies in your stomach.)

(You continue.) "I-I want to be that person for you! I want you to, t-to be able to feel safe! Like you don't need to fight the world on your own!! Because, b-because I trust you! And I love you! And I'll always be there to fight the world right by your side!!"

(That. . . That was a lot wow, ok. How long have you been holding all THAT in, Isabeau? You take a second to catch your breath.) "I-I, I know, that, that was a lot, but-"

(It shuts you up with a kiss.)

(. . . . . You, you just forgot everything you were about to say. I-it, it's kisisng you, it, it's kissing you and isn't moving away quite y-yet a and that's MORE than fine by you t-that's, that's, oh you're gonna just die here and now!)

(You put an arm gently on it's side, it flinches, but doesn't move. It puts a hand to your chest, it's cold, but that's ok. Oh, oh you feel so hot, you're deffinatly blushing! Eventually, it moves away, it's mouth hanging open a little, showing more emotion than it ever has before. It pats its chest with a fist. "Sorry.")

(It takes you a moment to register it, you were extremely flustered and still catching up.) "I- n-no! N-nono no need for sorry I, was, surprised, b-but a good surprised like! Like a surprise gift, o-or a-"

(It kisses you again!)

(This time for much shorter but! B-but it still, kissed you! again!! When it moved back again you squeaked out a reply.) "O-okgotitmessagerecieved."

(It smiled at you. Actually smiled. This, this was a first! You were trying really hard not to, well, loose it just a little bit! With one hand, it made a rising gesture from its chest towards you. "I love you.")

"I love you, too." (You say effortlessly.)

(It looks at you, and tilts its head, considering somthing . . . It made a grabbing fist, then tapped itself. "Trust me?")

(You nod enthusiastically.) "Of course trust you!"

(Mal breathes in, and out. It pauses for a minute, then grabs your hand, and lays it out flat, palm up. It does the same with it's own palm.)

(With its other hand, it draws its dagger, and places the sharp edge against its own palm. It looks up to you, for. . . Confirmation? What was it doing?)

(You nod. Mal cuts open its palm, it doesnt flinch, there's blood. It moves the dagger to your hand where it hesitates for longer before cutting your hand open as well. You wince, ouch. Looking up at Mals face, it looked a bit sad that it hurt you. You smile at it, that makes it feel better.)

(You look down to you and Mals wounded hands, an elaborate ritual that Mal Du Pays would want to share with you? Was, was it a wish? If it was, should you just follow Mals example? Should you wish for something?)

(You do, don't you. And you knew what it would be. The same thing you wished for back in Dormont. You wished that Siffrin, Mal, and everyone else who was sharing that head would be okay. That's what you wanted.)

(Mal Du Pays held it's hand up, bloody palm facing you. You do the same back, it nods in approval. A moment, later, your hands are entwined, it stings, but that's ok. Mal closed it's eyes, you do the same. This was where you wished, righ?)

(It was. You could feel it.)

(You wish that they're ok, you wish that they're ok, you wish that they're ok. . .)

(It's. What. You. Want.)

(. . . It, it must really trust you. You knew it was protective of it's memories and wishes. After all, it keep nearly destroying countries.)

(Your hand still stings from the cut, that's ok. You feel a tap on your arm and open your eyes, Mal's smiling at you.)

"Y-you ok?" (It nods, almost enthusiastically.) "h-ha, that was, u-uh-, that was a wish, right?"

(It nods, clapping it's hands and putting a palm to you, then with it's thumbs and index fingers makes a star. "A promise Wish.")

"O-oh!" (You blush a bit more, looking to the side.) "I-I, I won't break it. Promise."

(It reaches you out to you, and gently turns your head back to it. It's smiling, and leans in close. Your heart, you can feel it beat out of your chest. It's. . . It looks so beautiful. You lean in close and-)

(You hear a click from the front door.)

(You blink and Mal was standing a few steps away, face back to its usual neutrality. After your brain catches up to you, you frantically start work on the veil again as the door opens.)

"I'm home!!" (It was Mirabelle.)

"M-Mira! Welcome back!" (You say in your most convincing voice.)

"Hi Isabeau!" (Mirabelle walked into the room.) "Did the siblings go out- oh! Mourning sif."

(Mal waved a hello, then turned and left. Change, it was such a better actor than you.)

"O-oh, sorry, I-I meant-"

"I-its alright, Mira." (You smile, trying to stay normal.) "We're just, all getting used to it!"

"I-I know, just- AAH!!" (Mirabelle rushes over to you.) "Y-your hand!! What happened!!!"

"Wh-" (You look down, CRAB!!! You forgot the cut!! Uh, u-uh-) "O-oh! Oh it's nothing! I-I just cut myself sewing, it's no big deal!"

"Don't be silly! Here, let me see." (She put a hand over yours, and with a bit of healing craft the cut closes. You open and close your hand a few times.) "How is the veil coming along?"

"Well. . ." (Your hand tingles a bit. What a morning is been. . . You and Mal are, well, a thing now! A-and, you made a wish together! Even if, you didn't know what it wished for.)

(You breathe in, and out.) "It's, it's going well! Very, very well."

[auncyen]

and another little scene THIS IS THE LAST ONE I'M POSTING UNTIL I UPDATE ON AO3 JUST BECAUSE I REALLY SHOULDN'T SPOIL MY OWN FIC THIS MUCH but like. I'm also just excited that I'm writing. And the mental image of this scene has been in my head for way too long lol

-

"You're…real this time, right?"

Siffrin has always been on the quiet side, but this question could have been whispered by a mouse. You nearly miss it; Isabeau reacts first while you're still parsing it. "Sif? Of, of course we're real! Can't you tell??"

Siffrin flinches away, shrinking into their cloak with a faint "sorry", and you know.

They can't. They can't tell. Not well enough to be sure.

Have they been hallucinating? How long, that they're doubting their own sight right now? "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," they whisper. "I'm sorry, I lost you. I'm sorry, I have to make sure you're fine, I have to be sure, I have to loop back--"

"Siffrin," you say loudly, just as their hand lights on their dagger. Why is he reaching for his dagger if he's going to loop back? No, no, that's not the issue right now. The issue is that they cannot loop back. You'll forget everything. He won't tell you again, not if this is how things end. You cannot have him looping. "If--If you can't trust that you're seeing us," you say, thinking quickly. "What if I touched you?"

Your question works in that it distracts Siffrin. His eye widens as they stare at you, the surprise clear as crystal on his face. "Huh?"

His hand falls away from the dagger.

You don't like that it was there to begin with, but you need to convince them while you have their attention. "If you're doubting sight and sound, touch would be the next logical option. It may be distasteful to you, but…" You raise your left hand with a deliberate slowness so that it's clearly in their vision. "If I touched you, would that be enough reassurance?"

He stares at you for a moment. The 'no' is already ringing in your mind. If he goes for the dagger again you'll need to use your Craft to slow him down and grab him--or hope Isabeau grabs him--but why would he reach for the dagger? He said he was going to loop, he said he was going to loop last night, how does he choose when to loop when he's made it clear he can't control the looping itself? The only answer coming readily to mind is abhorrent--

His hand moves up, further away from the dagger. Both of his hands reach up to the top of his head, snatching his hat off to hold by the brim as he stares at you, light eye unblinking.

"You want me to put my hand on your head?" you guess, trying to make sense of the silent response. The question elicits a nod, and it seems…logical enough--their cloak and gloves would mute any touch on his body, and the face and neck would likely feel too vulnerable--so you move your hand toward the bird's nest of hair, still slowly, not wanting to alarm them. He's so tense. "Breathe, Siffrin." You don't want them panicking, and you certainly don't want them fainting, either.

He breathes deeply in a familiar way. In and out. He still stares at your hand as it approaches, but at least he knows it's coming. Both his hands are occupied with the hat and won't make a Craft sign by accident. He has time to object, either with words or a gesture, if he realizes it will be too much.

You lower your hand into his hair in a waltz count, one-two-three. Immediately you encounter tangles and take care of where your fingers go in his unkempt hair. He tenses up even more, his breath hitching, but otherwise doesn't move. You hope that means they trust you.

"I'm real, Siffrin," you tell him, putting all the self-assurance you can muster into your voice. "As are Isabeau, Mirabelle, and Boniface. We're fine. We were only separated for a few moments."

"…Anything could have happened," they whisper.

"Nothing did. And even if it had, we're a bit hardier than that."

He winces. "I'm sorry I lost you."

You can't help the dry exasperation that creeps back into your voice. "Then don't storm off again. Straightforward enough, don't you think?"

He quickly nods several times, the motion frantic under your hand.

"We're here, and we're okay. You're…" They're not fine. You can't bring yourself to say that they're fine when it's plainly untrue, especially after how often they've misused that word in the past day, but you need to reassure them somehow. "You aren't alone. We're here with you. Do you trust me?"

The nods are less frantic this time. He seems to be calming down. He's still rigid, though. Touch has done its job and now it's only making them uncomfortable, so you start to take your hand away--

And then they bunt your hand with their forehead. Their eye darts up to look you in the face before it widens in horror. Siffrin takes two quick steps back, his gaze dropping back to the floor as he jams his hat back on. "Sorry! Sorry!" With his shoulders hunching up, his cloak and hat eclipse his entire expression.

"Siffrin?" Mirabelle asks. Isabeau and Boniface are both looking at you, likely trying to gauge what Siffrin did that they're apologizing. You're trying to figure that out yourself. The way he moved…certainly, you're not harmed. They tapped against your hand with only a little bit of force; if anything, it reminded you of how one of Ka Bue or Poteria's many friendly stray cats, comfortable around people, would sometimes ease up to you as you were reading in the open and bunt your hand to signal they wanted to be pet.

You doubt that was anywhere near Siffrin's intention. They hate being touched. Still… you wonder what that expression meant. Before he'd gotten scared, the expression he'd given you had been almost…

The only way you'll figure it out is if you ask. And if, hopefully, you get a straight answer. "What are you apologizing for this time?"

[sixpossumsinatrenchcoat]

Memories of Touch — Part 2

Just a comfy lil In Stars in Time afterword! An epilogue to the epilogue! Some cozy postgame fluff for those of us who are still choking on our own emotions! Spoilers abound for the entire game, so... you know. You've been warned.

Isabeau has shared a bed with Siffrin a million times before. It’s normal. It’s totally super normal. That must be why he feels so crabbing normal.

[You can read part one here]

The night after the world doesn’t end, the whole party camps out in the Clocktower. It’s the sleepover they were supposed to have yesterday, except that Sif was too busy having a really unkind manic episode. (Not that Isabeau can blame them. It sounds like the past two days have been a really stressful year.)

There are only three beds in the loft, but that’s okay. Siffrin’s never minded sharing.

…Though things are a little different now.

###

“Ehehe,” Siffrin giggles to themself, when they see the bed.

Isabeau can’t help grinning, too. “What, d’you think of a new joke? Lay it on me!!”

“Oh. Um. Not exactly. It’s just… you tried to confess here, too.”

Oof. “Just ‘tried,’ huh?”

Sif nods.

Rrrright. Of course he did. It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. “Guess I didn’t pull it off, then, huh?”

“It’s okay,” Sif tells him. “It was. Um. Cute. I think it kept me going, the first few loops. When the King still killed us every time.”

(Cute.) “Siiiiif! I don’t wanna be cute!! I wanna be cool and tough!!!”

“You’re cool and tough,” Sif agrees easily. “You can be cool and tough and cute.”

“It’s too many adjectives!!!!”

Sif shakes their head. “Never enough.”

###

Isabeau has shared a bed with Siffrin a million times before. It’s normal. It’s totally super normal. That must be why he feels so crabbing normal.

Even with his eyes closed, he can feel the space between them like a hole in his chest. He keeps catching himself counting their breaths, each one another moment’s reassurance that Sif is still here, alive, with him. Every little rustle of motion pumps the bellows on the fire in his belly. Kindling catching and sparking and curling.

…Aw, crab, he can’t help it. He has to see them.

When he opens his eyes, his breath catches. Sif is awake. Their huge bright eye is open wide, locked onto Isabeau’s face with the single-minded focus of a cat watching a very transfixing speck of dust. Isa opens his mouth to say something normal but nothing comes out. Nothing about this is normal.

“Isa?” Siffrin whispers.

(Be crabbing normal.) “What’s up, Sif?”

“You still won’t touch me.”

Isabeau freezes.

“So. I guess I wondered… Why?”

H-Haha! Ha ha ha!! What an excellent question!!! Why indeed!!!!!!!

Isabeau is— It’s just that he’s!!! It’s not an easy habit to break, okay???

Isabeau has always been a touchy person. It’s the best way he knows how to love someone. Touch is a universal language, one of the few that translates between the geekiest of geeks and the goofiest of goobers. And it feels nice!! It makes everyone feel nice!! Why wouldn’t he hug the people he loves when it feels so crabbing nice!!!

That’s why, when Siffrin joined the party, Isabeau had to work so hard to keep his hands off them. Especially because they were so silly, and so cute. Like a fluffy little kitty in a big floppy hat.

But whenever anyone stepped too close, Sif would flinch like a dog waiting for a kick.

Isabeau isn’t stupid. He can read a room. And he’d rather die than make anyone uncomfortable. So he learned to keep his distance. To bite his tongue and keep his hands to himself and, and—!!!

—and that’s what hurt them the most, in the end. Isabeau never tried to touch them, even though he touched everyone else; so of course Sif noticed, and they just figured he hated them. This whole time Isa was watching them, sitting on his hands and choking on all the things that he was too afraid to say to them, and Sif thought he was keeping his distance because he didn’t care.

“I’m sorry,” Isabeau whispers. “I guess it’s a sort of habit. I—um. I had to... try really hard, to not touch you.” This part is embarrassing, but he has to say it, because otherwise Sif won’t understand. “B-Because I wanted to so much. So it's… I guess it’s hard to stop being careful.”

“Is that why you pushed me away?”

“Huh?”

“In the loop where I kissed you.”

OH, WELL IF THAT’S ALL.

Fireworks. Cataclysm. Continents splitting and colliding. Sif might as well have wrapped both hands around Isabeau's lungs and squeezed.

Isabeau’s eyes burn. His palms itch. Even just hearing it is almost too much. To know that Sif wanted to be closer, too… That they wanted it badly enough to reach out and pull him down by the collar and— Oh, crab, he really can’t think about that. He can’t bear to think about it. He can’t think about anything else. “Um??”

“You pushed me away, after,” Sif explains. “Right after. Like you were. Um. Disgusted.”

“Huh???” But—no. He wouldn’t. Why would he…

Sif looks a little embarrassed. “I… didn’t really warn you. Or ask if it was okay, or anything. I was just… I guess I got impatient.”

Isabeau’s chest aches. The thought of Siffrin yearning for him, burning for him, is a little more than he can think about right now. “Ehehe, umm… Hehe… Y-Yeah. I guess that’s probably why.” He feels a pang of sympathy for his past self. Poor guy must've totally blown a fuse.

“But you want to.”

“To… touch you?”

Sif nods.

“Ehehe,” Isabeau giggles helplessly. “Um. Y-Yeah. Yeah. Yes. I… think about it. A normal amount. Which is a lot. I tried not to, but I… wasn’t very good at it. But I didn’t want to scare you!!”

Sif’s stare sharpens into a glare. “I’m not scared.”

Well, that makes one of us. “Hehe. Yeah. I’ve been getting that impression.”

Sif pouts. It’s cute. Obviously. Everything Siffrin does is cute.

Isabeau beams at them. “Aw, Siiii~iiff. What do you want me to do? Anything. Just say the word.”

“You say that,” Sif mutters. “You always say stuff.”

Isabeau gathers his courage. He can do this. It’s not like Sif is asking for a hug or anything. He’s just got to start small. “Um. Here, um… G-Give me your hand.”

Sif blinks at him. Then they lift one arm, leaving their hand half-curled on the pillow between them.

Move, Isabeau. For crab’s sake, it’s holding hands. You’ve been holding hands for as long as you’ve had hands. This is baby-tier intimacy. So just do it. Do it. MOVE!!!

The tips of his fingers brush Sif’s.

Isabeau can feel it like a wound. A lightning-strike straight to the brainstem. Siffrin’s hands are so small, like raccoon paws. They almost never take off their gloves, so there’s something painfully exposing about seeing them like this. The pale, untouched skin of their palm.

Sif takes an unsteady breath. “Oh,” they whisper. “I see.”

Before Isabeau can remember how to talk, Sif is already moving. The pads of their fingers skate down his, tracing a line down his palm with the most tentative, featherlight touch, like he might break if they don’t treat him gently. Isabeau can feel it like a brand. Sif is touching him. On purpose. They’re touching him and they’re doing it on purpose, because they want to, because apparently they always wanted to. Oh, crab, it feels like his heart is going to burst.

“Warm,” Sif mumbles. “Are you always so warm?”

“H-Haha. Um. No.” That would be his circulatory system totally blowing a gasket.

“Hm.” Two fingers slide down his wrist, climbing a few inches up his shirtsleeve before slipping back down to his palm. Isa’s hand closes on reflex. Habit almost makes him flinch, but he can’t trust Sif not to come to the worst possible conclusion. He holds his breath and forces himself still, waiting for Sif to pull away.

…Sif doesn’t pull away.

Isabeau lets out a shuddering breath.

Sif squeezes their eye shut for a second, their face scrunching in the way it does when their feelings get a little too big to hold. Then they look up at him, frowning. “You’re very warm. Are you sure you’re not sick?”

“H-Haha!! Um!! Not… physically?”

Siffrin gives him a blank stare.

“Um,” Isabeau rushes to explain. “Y-You know, like. ‘I’ve got a fever, and the only cure is—’”

“I’m going to try to kiss you,” Sif says flatly.

Isabeau’s heart stops.

“So.” Sif clears their throat. “That’s your warning. So you can stop me if you want. But—preferably with your words. Um. Now, please.”

Isabeau doesn’t even breathe.

“Okay,” Sif whispers. “Okay. Then, um…” He frowns a little, gathering his resolve, before shifting just a hairsbreadth closer.

Probably Isa should close his eyes—contrary to just, like, everything about him, he does in fact know how this works—but he can’t make himself look away, not when Sif is burning so bright with resolve. Their hand is still trapped in his so he can feel them trembling, shaking all over like a ship in high seas, but they’re being so brave and it makes the fire in his chest flare even hotter. Sif takes a deep breath and that seems like a good idea, so Isabeau does it too, but it must only work for Sif because Isabeau can’t seem to get any calmer.

Sif leans in—

—and then they just. Stop.

“Oh,” they say quietly. “Hm.”

“S-Sif?” Isabeau squeaks. “You’re kinda killing me here.”

Sif looks faintly amused, which might be infuriating if it wasn't so cute. “Sorry. It turned out I couldn’t do it.”

“Why not????”

“Too scary.”

Oh. Yeah. That makes sense. (Not that Isabeau can relate or anything.)

“And it’s probably… rude?”

Ohh. Right. There are three other people asleep on the other side of the room. They're all so exhausted from fighting the King that they could probably sleep through several earthquakes and a hurricane, but it's the principle of the thing. Isabeau isn’t being spineless. He’s just being… principled. Probably.

“And there’s… time, now,” Sif says softly. “So. I can always try again later.”

Isabeau can’t suppress a flinch. Right. Because of course it's all on Siffrin. They already know that they’re sharing a bed with the biggest coward in the whole stupid country. Isabeau already kept them waiting for an entire year of the same stupid day. “Um. Sif?”

“Isa?”

“Am I a huge loser?”

Siffrin snorts a laugh. “No.”

“How do you still like me after seeing what I’m really like???”

“I like that you’re a coward,” Sif says simply. Matter-of-fact. Like they’re just remarking on the weather, and not blowing a smoking crater through Isabeau’s whole worldview. “It just makes it cooler when you decide to be brave.”

Isabeau’s head feels light. “…I really love you, okay?”

Sif nods.

“No, but like. Really.”

Another nod. “I know.”

Of course they do. They’ve been watching him try to say it for an entire time-stuck year.

…Crab, but he’s pathetic.

Isabeau can hear his pulse thudding in his ears. His heart is battering at his sternum like it's trying to fight its way out. But he’s already kept them waiting so long. Sif has done so much for him, so much more than they could ever know, and this is— This is something he can do for them.

Tentatively, with excruciating gentleness, he brushes their bangs to one side and presses his lips to their forehead. He can hear Sif’s breath catch and it’s just encouragement enough for Isabeau to will his arm into motion, carding his fingers through their hair before his hand comes to rest at the nape of their neck. Siffrin smells like ash and moonlight. Like sugar and silver and salt.

When he draws back to read their reaction, Sif’s face is violently flushed. Their pupil is blown wide, like a cat that saw a squirrel. Or like someone who’s been waiting on a total coward for an entire year of the same shitty day.

“Wow,” Isabeau whispers.

Sif nods vigorously. Then they tug on the end of his sleeve. “Take this off.”

(UM????) “Sif???”

“Isa.”

“A-Are you going to ravish me?”

Sif chokes on a laugh. “Stars. You can calm down. No one’s getting ravished.”

…Aw.

“I just wanted to see you. More of you. I guess I want…” Sif looks away, letting their hair fall over their face. “…Never mind. It’s stupid.”

“I bet it’s not.”

“You’ll think it’s stupid.”

“I bet I wo~on’t.”

Sif rolls their eye. “I wanted to. Um. Memorize you, I guess. So I can’t forget. So even if you’re different later, or… you Change into someone who wants something else… I’ll still know you were real.”

“Siiiif!!!!” Isa wails, as quietly as he can manage while totally losing his mind. “You’re gonna make me cry!!!!”

Siffrin looks baffled. “What? Why?”

“And why would I think that was stupid????”

“Because it… goes against Change?”

“Loving someone doesn’t go against Change!!” Isabeau says indignantly. “Love, like, is Change!!! You’ve already changed me so much!! You change me all the time!!!!”

“Nuh uh.”

“Yuh huh!!!!”

Sif rolls their eye. “By—upsetting you, or making you anxious—”

“Nnnnnnnope! By being the funniest guy I’ve ever seen! And being totally stupid-cool in a crisis! And only always doing what you want!”

Siffrin huffs a laugh. “You have no idea what I want.”

“So tell me!!!”

“I—” Sif hesitates. “I just mean. Everything you think about me… It’s just because I got to decide what happened, for a while. I’m the only one who had the script, so of course I could say all the right lines. But the whole time, it was all just—”

“Sif!!!!” Isabeau cuts in. “You were so mean!!!!!”

Siffrin’s eye widens.

“I don’t love you ‘cause you got god-powers for two stupid days! Which you spent being really mean, by the way! And going off on your own! And being reckless and thoughtless and scaring the crab out of everyone!!!”

Sif looks painfully regretful.

Isabeau curses himself. Why can’t he be better at this? “Nonono, I don’t mean— I just meant!! I don’t love you because you time traveled!! I love you ‘cause of all the stuff before!!”

Now they’re really confused. “What? No. But I wasn’t—”

“You were!! Super lovable!! The whole time!!!”

Sif gives him a critical squint. “That… doesn’t seem right.”

“But it is!!!”

“…Huh,” Sif says. “Um. Well. No accounting for taste.” He tugs on Isa’s shirtsleeve. “So take this off already.”

Isabeau flushes. “You—um. Are you—”

“We just did this,” Sif says impatiently. “No one’s getting ravished. I just want to look.”

Isabeau heaves a sigh. “If I take off my shirt, do you promise to stop thinking that I fell in love with you because you ‘tricked me,’ or anything stupid like that?”

“Yes.”

“Sif!! That was too fast!!!!”

Sif shrugs.

“Pffff,” Isabeau sputters. “You’re a real piece of work, do you know that?”

Siffrin’s face darkens. “Yes.”

“Aw, come on, I didn’t mean—” But that’s when he notices the spark in Siffrin’s eye. “Sif!! Are you messing with me???”

“I’m not sure,” Sif says archly. “I haven’t decided.”

###

When he wriggles out of his shirt, Siffrin’s eye gets very wide. “Oh,” they whisper.

Isabeau cringes. Right. Sif didn't join the party till the weather had already started to turn, so of course they haven’t seen his scar.

Body Craft has made a lot of advances in the past few years. If he wanted, Isabeau could have got rid of the scarring. But he kind of likes it. It makes his Change feel more… personal? Like a grave marker for his old life, stamped right on his chest. Or like an exoskeleton or something. Armor that grew around his former self. "…Is it weird?"

Siffrin shakes their head fast. “Pretty.”

Isabeau flushes. “Aw, you’re just saying that.”

“I’m really not."

“It’s okay if you—”

“No,” Sif says quickly. “It’s not like that. It’s just. Um.” They trace the scar with the tip of one finger, point by point by point. Isabeau can feel all the hair on his neck stand up straight. “It’s… like a star.”

“You don’t… mind?”

Sif huffs another laugh. “Isa. I’m— You’re. It’s not… You really shouldn’t like me like this.”

“Why the crab not???”

“I’m not like you,” Sif says grimly. They flash another smile, but this one doesn’t reach their eyes. “I’m—um. Well. It doesn’t matter, because you’re just going to disagree. But I’m really not how you think. I was just pretending so people would like me. There’s nothing really true about me. I’m… not good. Or honest. Or even really real.”

“And I am?”

“...Obviously?”

“Hah. C’mon, Sif, you should know better. You’re the one who said it.” All the stuff that Siffrin said before running off to fight the King alone… Of course it stung. It still stings. But it only hurt so bad because Isabeau knew that they were right. “You’re, like, the only one who knows that I’m a total fake. I only Changed on the outside. Underneath, I’m the same spineless loser as always.”

“You’re not—”

“Sif.”

Siffrin falls silent. Of course they know the truth of it. They’ve seen Isabeau try to be brave a hundred different times, in a hundred different lifetimes. And they’ve seen him weasel out every. Single. Time.

Isa smiles unhappily. “So… you know what I’m like. And you still wanna… um. Be around me, or whatever.”

“…Uh huh.”

“S-So get bent, Sif!! You don’t know anything!! You’re not doing any worse than me!!!”

Sif quirks an eyebrow. “I think I’m doing a little worse.”

“You’re not!!! You’re just—” But it's pointless. Sif has already made up his mind. “Oh… It doesn’t matter!!! No one is more real than anyone else, is all I’m saying!! We’re all just trying not to suck!!!! And sometimes being sucky is our first instinct, but we still have to try!!!"

“Oh,” Sif says quietly. They chew their lip for a moment, like they’re actually thinking about it. “Is that true?”

“Huh? Yeah! Of course!!”

“…Oh.”

“You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t know.”

Pfff. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“I know,” Sif says seriously. “It’s my best quality.”

“It soooo isn’t.”

“That and my pun-derful sense of humor.”

“…Okay, that might actually be one of your best qualities.”

Sif nods sagely. “Why be actually wise when you can crack wise instead?”

Isabeau stifles a laugh against his pillow.

“No wonder I could solo the House,” Sif says airily. “I don't even need Piercing Craft to leave 'em in stitches. Ehh?"

“HAH!!!” Oops. That was definitely too loud.

Sure enough, a half-second later, there’s a blur of white. Siffrin doesn’t even look. His arm flicks out and swipes the pillow right out of the air. “Sorry, Bonnie.”

“We’re sorry, Bonbon!!!”

“Not yet,” hisses Madame Odile, with audible murderous intent. “But you will be soon if you don’t shut. Up.”

“Oooooh!!” Bonnie cackles. “Dile said a swear!!!”

“‘Shut up’ is not a swear, Boniface.”

“So I can say it too???”

“No.”

“You guys,” Mirabelle says pitifully. “Please… I didn’t beat the King just to die of sleep deprivation…”

“Sorry sorry sorry!!!” Isabeau wails. “We’ll be quiet!!! We’re being so quiet!!!”

Sif nods his agreement. “So quiet, you can hear a pun drop.”

“Siffrin,” Madame Odile hisses. “One more joke, and you won’t live to see tomorrow.”

Siffrin’s eye lights up. Oh, crab, they definitely just thought of another one.

Before they can draw breath, Isabeau clamps a hand over their mouth. “Good night, you guys!! We love you!!! And your merciful nature!! And also our continued survival!!!”

“Hrmph,” Odile huffs.

“Gross!!” Bonnie giggles.

“Love you guys so much,” mumbles Mirabelle, already half-asleep.

Isabeau raises his eyebrows at Sif, like, Are you going to be good?

Sif wrinkles their nose at him, then rolls their eye. Fine. But only under duress.

###

Sif passes out maybe two seconds after the room goes quiet. Isabeau can’t say the same. How is he supposed to get sleepy with Sif’s back pressed snugly to his chest? With his arm wrapped tight around them and their little hands still clutching onto his, like even in sleep, they’re trying to get closer? How is he ever going to fall asleep when he's living out his giddiest, most far-flung fantasy in real life?

But when he opens his eyes, it’s already morning.

###

They’ve both shifted a little in sleep. Siffrin’s wrapped around him like a climbing vine, half-awake but still dozing. When they feel him stirring, they give him a crooked smile.

“It’s—” Sif hesitates. “Do you… um. Or. We… don’t have plans to fight the King today, do we?”

Isabeau shakes his head. “You’re okay, Sif. It’s done.”

He watches them take that in. The light in their eye is wondering, reverent. “…It’s really tomorrow?”

“Really really.”

Sif lifts one hand to their chest. They take a deep breath in… and out. “Wow,” they whisper. “Cool.”

Then they tuck themself into the crook of his arm and go back to sleep.

I don't have any particular plans to write more, but I am subject to my own whims, so.... if you wanna find out if I do, feel free to swing by ao3 & subscribe to the series!

[btas-swap-au]

FLOOR BOSS 1: THE MASTER, BIG BALL HEAD (Pre-fight)

(The torches in the hall suddenly go out.)

Mirabelle: "A-AMBUSH!"

Isabeau: "Stand ready!"

(My party and I stand guard, waiting for an attack to strike from the darkness.)

(...instead, a beaming spotlight illuminates a hovering figure right ahead.)

(A massive glass ball for a bead, massive tentacles for a torso, three floating hands, and a most peculiar bowler hat.)

💎 ("Oh yeah, this one's an odd BALL all right.")

???: "First off, don't you know it's bad manners to talk about someone BEFORE you even know them? Secondly, YOU FOOLISH MORTALS! YOU DARE ENTER MY DOMAIN AND RAMPAGE THROUGH MY FIRST FLOOR TERRITORY!"

Odile: "So...you're one of the Top Three Madnesses. The strongest soldiers of the Emperor's minions."

???: "Correct! I am the lowest of the group, but one of the strongest nonetheless, and sure to crush you 'Heroes'!"

???: "Allow me to introduce myself! ONE OF THE EMPEROR'S THREE, THE ROLLING TERROR, THE TRIPLE HAND THREAT, THE SIX TIME WINNING CHAMPION OF THE EMPEROR'S SOLDIER MONTHLY PIE BAKING CONTEST..."

???: "THE MASTER, Big...Ball...Head!!!"

(Confetti seems to rain out of nowhere in celebration as the Madness announces his name.)

Nille: "Uhm, did...did you come up with that name...or?"

BBH: "Why, is something wrong with it? Did I mispronouce it?"

Isabeau: "Hehe, nope! It's...a very good name!"

Odile: "Ha. Indeed. Most ingenious and clever."

(I hold back a full blown laugh.)

💎 ("Pft...really suits a master as great as you.")

Mirabelle: "...I think it's...dumb."

(Okay, now I can't hold back anymore. I burst into a fit of giggles.)

BBH: "YOU WOULD DARE MOCK MY NAME, FOUL HEROES?!"

BBH: "Very well...you shall suffer a most humiliating defeat! FEAST YOUR EYES AS WE BATTLE IN THE DEADLIEST SPORT THERE IS..."

(There's a blinding flash of light...I close my eyes shut...)

(...and when I open them again, the torches are lit once more.)

(And...there's a small table with a checker board and pieces before us.)

(...there's no way.)

BBH: "...CHECKERS!"

Odile: " . . . "

Mirabelle: " . . . "

Isabeau: " . . . "

💎 (" . . . ")

Nille: "...sir, I... I don't think... checkers is a sport."

BBH: "High stakes, a showcase of one's intelligence and strategy, a rush that gets your very HEART pumping! You dare say that such an activity, is NOT a sport?!"

BBH: "Enough pointless chatter! Which of you five shall face off against me?"

(Me and my companions huddle up.)

Mirabelle: "This is an important choice."

Odile: "It's more of a pointless choice. We could easily just fight him, right now."

Isabeau: "Even so, it might be safer to just win the match."

Nille: "Are any of us any good at checkers?"

💎 ("I'm not too bad with it.")

Odile: "Same here."

Isabeau: "I know how to play, but...I've never really won?"

Mirabelle: "...I have...zero clue about any of this, I'm s-sorry."

Nille: "I've played a bit, not too good."

Odile: "Not a lot of certainty around the board here from any of us..."

Nille: "Frin... maybe you could decide."

Nille: "I mean, doesn't matter if we lose anyways, right? Just means we'll have to fight him like we originally intended."

Odile: "The child is right. It shouldn't matter, but I suppose it might be nice to win."

Isabeau: "We trust your judgement, Sif! Lead us to checker glory!"

("...I think...")

("...I could go against him.")

("...Mirabelle should have a try.")

("...Isabeau could pull us through.")

("...Odile would destroy him.")

("...Nille would win for sure.")

[aimlesspixel]

Isat Scintillation - 12

Got some, and of course it must come out at ungodly time in the morning. Is it really one of my chapters if it doesn't come out then???

Isat two hats and post game spoilers as always

You find yourself being led by Isabeau back through the streets.

You're glad he hasn't turned back to see your impossibly warm face. Even going through the this much of the town there really isn't anyone out making it a quiet walk, and quite clear when Odile eventually comes into view outside a lit building.

Isa - "Would you mind giving a heads up or something M'dame? It kinda hurts in here." pointing at his head.

You all head inside moving to the second floor.

Odile - "If you can warn me before you plan to knock someone out." Isa - "M-M'dame that was an-" Odile - "Yes Yes I know, look I'm sorry that I haven't gotten it perfect yet Isabeau, it's not like I have much practice with it. Although… Siffrin."

She turns to look at you.

Odile - "Any tips for that call craft? You've heard your boyfriends criticism and you probably have more experience with it."

Isabeau buries his face in his hands as you give her tips and finally arrive at your room.

Odile - "As much as I'd like to keep talking it's late and this conversation can wait. Here's the key I'll see you both in the morning assuming Siffrin gets up on time." You nod. Isa - "Goodnight M'dame."

You're both in bed when Isa speaks up. Isa - "Sorry for earlier Sif. I didn't mean to, well…" He turns away. Oh stars, you really worried him, Can't leave it like that. "I should have been more careful or-" Sif - "It's alright Isa. Really I'm alright" Isa - "Really? You'll tell me if I make you uncomftorable or am pushing it right?" Sif - "Yes Isa and you as well, alright?" Isa - "Alright."

Seagulls, Nature's wake up call there's another bird that does that but its name eludes you. Stars they're as loud as ever. Surprisingly Isa Is still down so you gently wake him as you get ready for the day.

The sun shining outside Illuminates the treeline you can see from the room, long shadows drag to the forests edge from the town around you. You aren't there but you can see it, the sun rising from the sea, the way the skies shades change around it, the hazy reflection upon the waves.

Isa murmurs some thanks as he get ready alongside you. Strange that you're up before Odile but that's besides the point, you wanted to "call" her but Isa stopped you. You're only going through this since she neglected to tell either of you her room number, but, oh well. It takes a while but at least it gave you both time to find a place for breakfast.

...

Odile - "Good morning Siffrin. I didn't see Isabeau in the lobby. Is he still in your room?" You shake your head, Isa went off to let everyone at Bonnies know where breakfast'll be, you tell her as much. Odile - "He could have just… sigh. Well let's get to it they'll probably be waiting on us by the time we get there."

Bonnie charges at you when you round the street corner towords them. "I am going to hug you!" You freeze. They see this and slow down before crashing into you, then hugging you. You hug them back. Mira - "Oh you're here! I didn't think you'd be such a heavy sleeper Madame!" Bonnie - "Even Frin was up before you!" Siffrin - "Rude." Bonnie - "I'm not sorry it's the truth." Odile pointedly - "I think it's perfectly understandable to sleep in a bit given yesterday's circumstances Boniface." Bonnie hides behind you "I though you weren't mad." Odile with a smirk - "I'm not mad, I'm simply considering which of your snacks to mess with." Bonnie - "You totally are you crab! You won't get away with it!" Nille giggles at the exchange "Seems like you've had quite a journey with these kind folks." Bonnie hardens at that - "Allies! We beat the king together!" Nille - "It's still hard to believe you know. I wake up and wait for you hoping you're safe and then you show up with the Saviours of the whole country." Isabeau - "I can imagine that'd be a lot to take in." Nille - "It certainly is, especially since you onl-" someones stomach interrupts. Sif - "Eggscuse me but I think we should go in and eat." Isabeau - "C'mon Sif you can do butter than that." Nille - "Those truly are" she pauses "waffle." Bonnie - "NO!!!"

[basilpaste]

Writing Prompt: I'd like you to lock Canon Sif in a room with all the Chapter II Saviors and see what happens. Canon Sif can have his hat back if things get rough. (And his Played One form as well i.e. the Red Giant Sif if Reversed Tower becomes too "arrogant" for their own good). Not gonna lie, I have enjoyed your Slay the Savior AU (I also enjoy Slay the Princess as well, so no surprise there, and look forward to the Pristine Cut). Also, I may be planning some fanart involving canon Sif with the Saviors. We'll see if university is kind to me. Take care!

awawawa im so sorry but this is like. Very Complex and not really the type of thing id be super down with doing as a request? i will usually tell people when art/writing requests are open and really its on me for doing that sif and lamb thing without any preamble.

i think this idea could be fun! but itssss. a LOT of moving parts. its probably why stp only has two routes where all the voices pop up and why they only stick around for a short amount of time. eleven characters is a lot to keep track of.

[livesworthlivingau]

Lives Worth Living Chapter 11

ISAT Spoilers below!

"So… 30 years huh?… Wow..." (Isa started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. The two of you were alone again as everyone settled in for the night.)

"I-I know… I'm sorry Isa, I should have told you sooner, I- was panicking and I didn't want to scare you and-and-"

"Woah! Hey! Deep breaths, Sif, okay?.." (He spoke softly, walking over to gingerly take your hand in his.)

"I can't imagine what you're going through right now, and you told us in like what? A week? That's a win in my book!" (He let out a hearty chuckle as you join in with a lighter giggle, still on the verge of breaking down again as you tried your deep breaths.)

"Besides, the King and all that just happened for us, so we've been going through a bit too. Just... don't worry about that. I'm so glad you told us, that's all that matters." (There it is… His giant sweet smile… You could never resist that face. You grip his hand back tighter and nod, letting out a little sniffle.)

"Okay… a-and… i-if this makes thing's… uhm.. weird? I-l understand if you don't wan-" (lsa's hand rose to your face, slowly cupping your cheek. He stared for a moment, his eyes asking for permission. You feel your face darken before giving the slightest nod, the both of you closing your eyes before he leans in to press his lips against yours. Your heart flutters madly, holding him close and savoring this moment for as long as you can. Almost wanting to pull him back when he finally breaks it.)

"Heh… Wow… I-I guess you've had a lot more practice then me at this point but uhhh… was that… nice?"

"Hehe... It was just as perfect as the first time~." (You watch as his face erupts in a deep, dark shade of blush. Looking away some and making the cutest little noises.)

(The both of you finally turn in for the night, snuggling up close as you've so dearly missed. You enjoy the best night sleep you've had since you looped again.)

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

(Early the next morning, the both of you lie in bed lazily, enjoying the company and not wanting the moment to end.)

"... S-So you're sure it's not weird?..."

"... Well I mean... maybe a little, yeah, like... If our relationship was some kinda test, and I had to study super hard and work my butt off to try and ace it... and you just have all the answers written on the inside of your hat." (He chuckled some, still blushing as he kissed the top of your head.)

"Buuuut. You're still Sif, my favorite Siffarooni! Even if you are a cheater~." (You pout a bit at his words, causing him to laugh yet again.)

"Just promise me you won't use any of that secret info for evil, alright?"

"Heh... No promises~." (You tease, reaching over to juuuust the right spot before-.)

"TICKLE ATTACK!" (You shout before Isa practically shrieks in a giggle, thrashing about as this secret spot, suddenly tumbling out of bed with you. The two of you plummet on the floor with a heavy thud, landing onto his chest with your face dangerously close to his again. You stare into eachother's eyes for a moment, faces heating up, then lean in closer for yet another ki-)

(The door swings open suddenly. Odile is standing there in her night gown, looking a bit concerned at first... then her face quickly turns into an annoyed scowl. She rolls her eyes and grumbles before just closing the door again. You both hear a faint-)

"They're fine!... more than fine even..."

(You chuckle a bit together before returning to eachother's gaze, leaning in again to share your second kiss... and third, and 4th a-)

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

"So are you two gonna start being all gross and kissy all the time now?" (You choke on a bite on your breakfast, Isa freezing up some in response as well.)

"Boniface, it's rude to make fun of young love... so you're only allowed to insult Siffrin about it."

"H-Heeeey!" (You snap back as she smirks, still trying to recover from the choking.)

"C'mon you two, don't make fun of them for being in love, it's really cute!" (Mirabelle chimed in, she always loved hearing about your relationship, just like one of her novels. It was actually kinda empowering how she would cheer you both on so much.)

"Thank you Mira, at least someone appreciates true love~." (You tease, sticking your tongue out at the other two. The both of them make gagging sounds about it. Your whole family shares a nice chuckle about it... It's been a long time since you'd all been together... It was nice... You can't help but think this is the last time you want to experience this moment... this exact moment, as it is... You don't want to force things anymore, you don't want to relive the same moments over and over again, no matter how nice they were. You can't force your family through that again! You can't force them ever again!)

"Sif?" (You snap out of it suddenly, looking around at everyone staring at you, looking slightly concerned... You were gripping the tablecloth like a vice, bunched up in your hand. You let go, sinking into your chair a bit more as you hugged yourself.)

"... Sorry... I was getting in my own head again..." (Isa just gave that bright smile as always, putting an arm around your shoulder. He softly pulled you closer, planting a smooch on your head. Your face darkened deeply as he held you.)

"Heh, well then I'll just have to come in there and rescue you now and then!"

"Heh... be careful in there, it's quite the... mind field." (You get the familiar mixed laugh and groan from the group, just laying your head against Isa's chest. You focus on his breathing and heartbeat to help stay out of your own head... Slowly returning to the conversation at hand once you've calmed down properly. You all make plans for your route to Bambouche, sticking to the original idea since it seemed to work out before.)

[probablynotamimic]

(I sorry if this is already explicitly stated in your fic or something but I read so much I can’t keep track of them all 😭😭😭) does loop look like a star like in the game or do they look more like a person?

Hey, No worries! So at first they look like they do in game, when they're first traveling with Nils.

The only notable additions during that section are that they wear a cloak Nils bought them(Honestly not sure if I ever specified the shade, but in my head at least its darker than Sif's cloak), and they wear Sif's hat, which blew away during the end of act 5. Now I'm assuming you've read the entirety of "The Stars May Not Wait For You But We Will"? If not, beware spoilers. After the party & Loop & Nils get together and Loop's wish comes true, their body becomes "human" again, identical to Siffrin in all but three ways:

-Their hair is really long. -They have their lost eye back. -The star on Loop's chest has become a scar that lights up when strong craft is nearby.