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Re reading the imposter au reaction letters and this thought popped into my head
We all know that the fandom has collectively decided Rook, Silver and Kalim are all very rsa coded rather than nrc. Twst developers themselves even had supported this idea as per previous birthday cards with the trio having different reaction to the paintings. But the thing is, Kalim is actually the only one who got into nrc through bribery, the other two likely had formal invites and carriages sent to them. And if that's the case, as we all know, nrc students are chosen by the mirror on the account of their magic plus character. Meaning both Rook and Silver might actually have character qualities that are so 'nrc' coded that they got official invites to nrc rather than rsa. While I'm not too sure about Silver's, I think I kind of understand how Rook might fit into this category. Since Rook is originally from Savanaclaw, the dorm with the indomitable spirit, maybe he is 'nrc coded' has to do with the fact that he will do whatever it takes to maintain his version of perfect beauty without backing down or relenting. Mind you I have not personally read any of his vignettes or anything (I don't have the game nor do I wish to play because I simply suck at playing games) I'm just going off on surface level stuff I've seen through translated youtube videos plus from reading Yuu and the power of magic which has great character writings analysis (the author mentioned including stuff from their cards and vignettes and other official sources). The only thing I got to back this up is the fact he mercilessly voted for rsa during the vdc challenge even though he personally saw how hard the nrc, especially Vil, had worked which should've fit into his idea of beauty, should it not? The beauty of extracting every possible strength just to beat Neige and yet he did not vote for nrc. And there are other stuff I want to include here such as the huntsman actually going on halfway through his mission of killing snow white which raises some red flags about his morales and stuff that I cannot put into words right now because it's 3 am and I need sleep--
But anyways, back to the imposter au I kinda noticed that yes, Silver's letter did seem mild compared to even Rook's, which makes me wonder if you are aware of this fact and this had been discussed before and that if I'm an idiot who just picks up on stuff really late
Very late response, sorry. I want to respond to this, although I'm not really sure what to add to the conversation but maybe other readers might see this and like the commentary.
They'll have that toxic ex relationship with empyrean. They know it won't get any better, but they will keep coming back for more.
Maybe.
Well, I hope that those who do continue the series or have picked it up recently enjoy it! There's still so much to share. If Empyrean were an iceberg, we'd be just getting past the tip of it.
Speaking of which, since chapter twenty-four is out, now I can share the second page of the calendar for the series! If you need a reminder, this is just one of those ways I keep track of the story's events. I posted the calendar's first page a while ago, now here's the second one. It got a little more complicated here with the events of chapter twenty-four.
To piggyback on what the last guy said but with this recent chapter my stomach dropped like being on an amusement park drop ride for chapter 23 to find out Riddle was in Savanaclaw. I was flabbergasted considering how we were chilling for a good minute it made me forget we were rebels in another country for a moment and reminded me in a few sentences
Then hopefully you enjoyed chapter twenty-four. āØ
Hi thank you so much for answering my question on fire foxes and elfās ; I love hearing your thoughts on them and how different their are compared to Trey and Caycay !!
I was wondering would it be alright if I asked more question on Empyrean?
What if two hybrids had a child ; would said child be more human ?? For an example 1/2 fire fox has a child with a half elf would child be a full human or fox elf ?? (or would it depend on the stronger gene on the parents side ?)
In Empyrean is their any species that are hard to conceive?? Like would a merperson be able to have children with a beastmen or would it not be able cause of what species they are ?
Iām very curious about your world binding ; itās very beautiful written ^_^
Okay, so this is where things start to get a little more complicated due to a number of factors such as genetics, norms, etc.
So, first off, consider the fact that hybrids (offspring of an immortal and mortal) are fairly uncommon. They're not rare, but they are unusual to see. Now consider the fact of how rare it would be for two hybrids (especially two different kinds of hybrids) to get together and have an offspring of their own. It's highly unusual for that to happen, but there have been some cases.
In this case, it all comes down to genetics. In your example, a hybrid that's half firefox and half mortal getting together with another hybrid that's half elf and half mortal, genetics don't just cancel out. In this specific scenario, the result would be an individual that's mostly mortal (1/2) with part firefox (1/4) and part elf (1/4).
So the chances of this individual having any entity-like features wouldn't be high, but there's still a chance. Of course, you could take the example further but that would be even more complicated.
As for those that have difficulty conceiving OR cannot conceive OR haven't ever conceived would be those very rare entities that are made of one of the seven elements. Examples of these individuals would be Riddle (as he is a pyro elemental) and Leona/Falena (their species haven't been explained yet).
Additionally, there are those that are simply incompatible with one another, such as your example of a havfolk (merfolk) and a beastman or a havfolk and a human. However, havfolk might be compatible with some entities, but it would have to be an entity that's similar enough to them.
Beastmen and humans are compatible with each other and some other entities that are similar enough to them. Jack is an example of this.
Everything they knew, their home for the last decades, had gone up in flames. Divine flames swallowed up the Furnace and incinerated practically everyone inside. Those handful left, like the Red Thief and Blue Brawler, managed to escape by the skin of their teeth as the gods were too distracted attempting to track down the Ruby Rebel in all the smoke. That was all they had left: (Y/n).
As immortals, they were lucky, because they couldnāt die. Their nastiest burns healed entirely within a few hours of the blast sending them tumbling through one of the Furnaceās exits. The very same blast that separated the duo from (Y/n) and Grim. The exit they fell through had been sealed by rubble, preventing them from diving back inside in their desperate attempt to retrieve the two missing members of their group. Not that they could move much anyways after taking the brunt of the explosive force.
They discovered the Furnace had spat them out south of Hobbletide Shore and east of Chesswick. There was no sign of any nearby survivors, so those that lived must have found different portals. The few that lived. The Pyro Archon would have beheaded anyone that did not escape.
āWe have to go back! We canāt just leave them!ā Deuce exclaimed, wincing as he pushed himself up. The burn on his leg had singed all the way to the bone, but it had finally healed enough for him to stand on his feet. The brawler was frantic, it wasnāt like the thief didnāt get it. Both lost their home in a snap. It had always been a possibility that the Furnace would be discovered, but for it to be destroyed just like thatā¦ āIf we leave them, Riddle willāā
āCan you stop talking for one second?ā Ace groaned, his mind spinning as he tried to regain his bearing. His ears were still ringing from the blasts, so his sense of hearing had not fully healed yet. At least his fingers were restored, and it was enough to ground himself.
Their entire world had been turned upside down, and he had to sit and listen to this guyās shouting. The same guy he was cursed to immortality with, nearly executed with, and now stuck once more with. In a way, the other was one of the only things they had left whether they liked it or not. He should have mourned all those he knew but when he thought about them, he just feltā¦ empty. Was the fact that he knew this would happen someday saving him from breaking, or was this whole immortality thing starting to finally dull his senses? Deuce hadnāt mentioned the others either, he noticed. So at least they were somewhat on the same page.
āThat tyrant wonāt harm a single hair on their pretty head. Didnāt you hear how he was talking to them?ā The red fire wielder sat up, noticing parts of his clothes were seared black from the flames that would have devoured any mortal. It was a good thing they were not mortal anymore. āBut I donāt even like the thought of them with that monster of an archon.ā
āWhy are you so calm?ā Standing in front of him, the blue fire wielder practically glared down at his fellow lawbreaker. They always argued and now was no exception. āFor all we know, they could have been captured and been dragged back with Riddle!ā
Ace turned to frown at Deuce as the thief stood up. Part of his leather boot had been burnt, and Deuceās belongings were hardly better off, but that didnāt stop either of them. It wouldnāt stop Ace from snappily replying, āYou seriously think that (Y/n) and Grim would have been captured? Okay, maybe Grim might have been a goner but rebel wouldnāt let that fly. You need to have a little faith in them. Even on the off chance they were captured, itās not like you can do anything about it.ā
āI have faith in them!ā Deuce shot back defensively before quickly adding, āAnd I can do something about it! This time, I donāt need your help since youād only be dragging me down. With how youāre acting, itās like you donāt even care to help them!ā
His frown deepened, and he scoffed as the two were glaring at each other and exchanging bitter remarks like in the past when they exchanged fiery blows. At this moment, their hits were verbal and not composed of pyro. āHa! Like you can ever get to them without my help! Go ahead, try to storm the palace and watch what happens. I dare you. Rebel and Grim wonāt even be there to save you from a world of hurt once that terrible little tyrant gets his hands on you again.ā
āAgain? My, how interesting.ā The sudden voice cut the two off, catching them off guard as they looked up at the source. Above them was the head of a feline, what looked like a beastman, peering down at them through the foilage. As the rest of the strangerās body emerged steadily between twirls of smoke, it caused the pair to shout in alarm. As if he didnāt even hear them startle, the feline continued casually. āIāve never known King Riddle Rosehearts to spare those he gets his hands on the first time.ā
Deuce gaped up at the creature, an entity, it must have been. After his decades of meeting all sorts of people, he had never known any mortal that could disappear like that. Not even beastfolk. āW-What? Whoāā
āYour friend calls me Chenya.ā
Ace scowled up at the odd entity. There was something vaguely familiar about him, like he heard that name once. Was it one of those gods a lawbreaker in the Furnace had been researching? Itās not like he would ever know, given that the evidence of the research had likely been burnt to a crisp alongside the corpse of the researcher. Right now, a random entity was on the very bottom of his list of current concerns. āWeāre not friends with that tyrant. Never have been, never will be.ā
Chenya shifted so he sat up, now lounging with his back against the tree and his legs laid out on the large branch above their heads. Slowly his ringed tail swished back and forth, and his grin only seemed to widen. āI wasnāt talking about Riddle.ā
Realization dawned on both of them, Deuce was the first to act on it. āYou know (Y/n) and Grim? Did you see them recentlyā¦?!ā
āMaybe I know, or maybe I donāt know. Maybe I have, or maybe I havenāt.ā As soon as one of them tried to reach for his tail, he vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving them bewildered as the odd entity appeared a few feet behind them. āWhy ask?ā
The Red Thief whipped around, catching sight of the entity that was now hanging upside down from some more trees. How was he doing that? āWeāre looking for them. Itās kinda important.ā Entities like these tended to be older than they let on, mysterious and tricking people often for their own entertainment.
āIt seems as if everyone is looking for them. Theyāve created quite the kerfuffle, a real hullabaloo.ā Once they started approaching the feline, as if the entity sensed their intent to force answers out should he not respond, he unhooked his legs from the branch so he landed on the ground in a hand-stand. Then again, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, but his humming was the most obvious sign that he was lingering nearby. āIf I were you, Iād start searching right away.ā
āHold on!ā The humming stopped as Deuce scanned their surroundings, but he couldnāt pinpoint where this entity was. There were so many questions he had but questions took up time, and they did not have the luxury of time. So he settled for the most important one: āHow can we find (Y/n) and Grim?ā
āWellā¦ā Chenya appeared once more, this time in the corner of their peripheral vision as he pretended to walk this way and that. āSome go this way, some go that way, but as for me, myself, personally, I prefer a shortcut.ā In another puff of smoke that made the two cough, the feline entity could be spotted further away, beckoning them deeper south into mysterious woods where no mortal dared venture. āComing?ā
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So much commotion and for what but a single human.
Normally, Lesser Lord Kingscholar would have avoided attending a meeting like this. These sort of gatherings never yielded anything useful, and this would be Leona's first one in quite some time. No doubt the citizens of Pridehaven would be buzzing with opinions, whispering and debating over what was happening behind closed doors. It was annoying, but when his elder brother Falena Kingscholar insisted he join then he heard of the participating party, wellā¦ maybe it was worth listening into, at the very least. Afterall, it wasnāt every day an archon sought out a mortal so fervently. There were questions the God of Intellect had about the human named (Y/n) and their guide Grim, questions that even he did not have the answer to. The young Pyro Archon who met the pair first just might be able to reveal an answer.
Lesser Lord Kingscholar only half listened to the formalities playing out between his fellow Geo Archon and the neighboring Pyro Archon. The last time he attended one of these boring meetings was several decades ago, and theyāre just as drab as he remembered.
The conference took place in the Altar of Stone at Pridehaven, specifically where the representatives of the tribes in Sunrock Circle tended to meet. Today, there was no tribal representative in the large circular room. It was just the God of Law, the God of Strength, and him of course, the God of Intellect. Each grand deity had their own respective seat, with the God of Strength and God of Law closer to discuss things more deeply. The God of Intellect was cast to the side, as per usual, he thought bitterly.
There wasnāt much mentioned that Leona did not already know. (Y/n) was a human from another world and Grim was a small entity who became their guide. The pair traveled into Chesswick and created quite a stir, inciting a rebellion that was quickly quashed by the very Pyro Archon in the same room as him. Riddle always behaved himself, quelled his little temper here, especially in the presence of a fellow archon that was much older. Not Leona, no, Riddle seemed to care less about Leonaās opinion as he was more focused on keeping an amicable relationship with the Sovereign Falena.
āāSo you see, that is why I felt I personally had to come and see to it myself that I tell you this, Sovereign.ā As Riddle continued speaking, Leona kept silent. This meeting was proving to be useless, since he learned nothing of the mysterious human. All he could do was sit and wait, patiently, to catch if any sort of useful information would slip out into the open. All good things come to those who wait. āAssuming that they aimed to escape, their only escape routes would be south to your nation or west to Octavinelle. Itās my hope to have them returned to Heartslabyul, before they could spread chaos to other lands and to correct their behavior.ā
āI seeā¦ā Falena rubbed his chin thoughtfully, appearing openly curious about the matter at hand. It was a topic of conversation not just between gods. Immortals and mortals alike these days were whispering about some Ruby Rebel in Heartslabyul, who not only incited the rebellion but somehow had the ability to cut the Pyro Archonās Thread of Eternal Fire. āIf they were in my home, you know I cannot simply hand them over. That would be for the Sunrock Circle to decide.ā
Leona quietly scoffed at that, leaning back in his seat with his arms comfortably crossed and eyes closed. He sensed Falena shaking his head slightly, and Riddle casting a disapproving frown at the younger of the two Kingscholars. Thatās something the little king has always loathed, that Savanaclaw wouldnāt kneel in compliance to agree to capture and extradite fleeing lawbreakers from Heartslabyul. Octavinelle happily agreed if they got something out of it, but not Savanaclaw.
The God of Strength proceeded, brushing over his younger brotherās scoff. āBut, I also cannot risk anyone stirring up trouble here in Savanaclaw. Especially if what the rumors say is true, that this human from another world cut your thread.ā
For a moment, Riddle looked offended but he quickly regained his composure while correcting, āThey cut a thread that was a sliver of power borrowed from me, not the real thingā¦ but yes, their skills are exceptional. Given that I taught them only control, they still somehow managed to turn that into a weapon.ā
That got Leona to peek an eye open in interest. Not the power part, no. The rumors said all sorts of crazy things, like how the human cut the Pyro Archonās thread at full power and other similar stories. Which was obviously false. That wasnāt what caught his ear. What garnered his attention was the way Riddle Rosehearts spoke it. Like at the end, there was a mix of admiration, betrayal, worry, and longing. That couldnāt be rightā¦ the pyro elemental, the God of Law, King of Heartslabyul, feeling sentimental over a human who he accused of bringing about chaos to his kingdom?
Whether Greater Lord Kingscholar noticed it or not, he did not mention it. The Sovereign only nodded in understanding, āThatās still a noteworthy accomplishment. From my understanding, thereās no mortal or deity alive that has managed that.ā When his gaze drifted over to his brother, Lesser Lord Kingscholar could feel Falenaās stare and sense his widening smile before a single word even slipped past his lips. āLeona, do you know anything about this human or their entity friend?ā
āNo.ā He lied. They neednāt know he met (Y/n) and Grim recently. Both human and entity were puzzling creatures, but the human seemed even more intriguing. There was not much he knew about them, and it was starting to infuriate him. āItās just an entity and a human, so who cares?ā Although he kept his eyes closed and appeared outwardly indifferent to the topic, his words held more importance than he would ever let these two deities know. It was just an entity and a human, so why couldnāt he feel as he normally does towards beings like them and just not care?
When Riddle placed his palms against the table between them a bit more firmly, not slamming his hands down but creating enough noise to capture the lionās attention, the Pyro Archon stood from his seat and glared across the space at Leona. Never would the King of Heartslabyul ever knowingly act in a way that would show even the slightest disrespect towards the Sovereign of Savanaclaw, but Leona wasnāt the sovereign. āYou have your visions, yes? Well, God of Intellect, I have a query for youāā
āWhere are (Y/n) and Grim?ā Leona did not open his eyes again, they remained closed, but he could sense all. He knew the exact wording of Riddleās question, he knew that the King would become aggravated, and he knew that the Sovereign would no doubt step in to mediate the situation. These werenāt just hunches, these were facts only he was privy to thanks to his brief visions. The God of Intellect only offered in response a great big yawn, which earned a frown from Falena and only served to tick off Riddle further, but he didnāt particularly care for either of their feelings. āThe answerā¦ must have slipped my mind.ā He would never admit to these gods that he could not see (Y/n) or Grim in his visions at all, when such a thing had not occurred even a single time throughout his long life.
Before Riddle could burst a blood vessel, Falena interjected this time, speaking calmly in a tone that sounded like a reprimand to both younger deities. āLeona, do not aggravate our guest. Riddle, my brotherās abilities do not work so easily. He can only see a set amount of time ahead from where he currently is. Thereās no way for him to direct his visions toward a target any distance away to tell their future. So unfortunately, you wonāt be receiving the answers you seek from the God of Intellect.ā
The God of Intellect resisted the urge to snarl when the God of Strength revealed his abilities so flippantly. That was always like Falena, too trusting and quick to let information slip. Well, itās annoying, but itās not like Lesser Lord Kingscholar's visions are a complete secret to begin with.
āOf courseā¦ my apologies for my outburst. I meant no disrespect.ā Riddle managed a nod of his head as he sat back down. Even with his eyes closed, Leona could sense the tremble of his fingers and the heat radiating from him. What exactly did that human do to get the infamous King of Heartslabyul all worked up over them? It was clear that the Pyro Archon did not have an execution in mind for them, or he would have already mentioned it. No, this was an emotion from Riddle Rosehearts that was far worse than wrath.
Leona Kingscholar sighed, finally getting up and casually walking out of the meeting. Under his breath, he muttered, āWhat a waste of time.ā The God of Intellect ignored any words said by the two deities as he took his leave, and reflected on what he learned. The God of Lawās meeting with the God of Strength could actually be used to his advantage. Riddle would leave soon enough, and he wonāt be much of an obstacle once the plan went into motion.
As for (Y/n) and Grim, well, there was still plenty left to learn about them.
_______________
Heartslabyul hadnāt seen a day of peace in weeks now.
When (Y/n) was here, it was the calm before the storm. The human from another world accompanied by a troublesome little entity, were enough to keep the King occupied for days on end. Trey had never seen the Pyro Archon take such a shine to any mortal like that. It had never happened in the past, even when Rosehearts was so entirely devoted to upholding the laws as his first worshippers desired. That unwavering devotion Riddle held toward upholding the rules, felt like the same type of devotion the King had for his loyalest subject.
And the Kingās Regent understood it.
There was no way others would comprehend it. The pyro elemental and elf differed in their chosen methods, but the elf understood how his pyro elemental friend felt. The King of Heartslabyul would set worlds ablaze and burn down anyone in his path to recover the rebel that ignited such a deadly flame. While the King strived to guide (Y/n) on the path of righteousness and correct the error of their ways, the Marquis desired nothing more but to protect the lost human from this magical world that was just so new and confusing to them. He remembered the first time he stepped out of the serene Cradle of Fables. It must have been like that for (Y/n), but this was another world entirely and there was no way home the human had found. They were alone. Well, (Y/n) had Grim, and there was a chance the lawbreaking duo that must have escaped the carnage within the Furnace would find their way back towards (Y/n) since those two just seemed attracted to trouble.
Troubleā¦ thatās what this was. Thatās what the otherworldly human brought, even if they did not entirely intend to.
It must be terribly frightening for them, wherever they are right now. The Kingās Regent had to grip his staff tightly, resisting the urge to go out and join the search like the King and Head of Investigation had. Someone needed to hold down the fort, keep the kingdom together. What if (Y/n) and Grim returned back to an empty Fyrosian Palace because he was gone searching too?
That was a fantasy. The otherworldly human and small entity would not come back willingly, not after everything that transpired. The elf had seen how the pair constantly failed to sneak out the front gate and how they always eyed the towering fence as if estimating how much it would take to jump it. They must have come to hate the palace grounds, even for all its splendor, it was a cage to them. They had realized it, and he knew it. However, a cage was safe.
Trey Clover temporarily removed his glasses to rub at the dull ache forming at the center of his skull. There were so many documents and papers to go over, more than usual with everything that had happened. At the moment, he couldnāt focus on the work. Itās like his eyes were even messing with his mind, forming blurs without the lenses, and certain shapes which almost resembled them. That illusion was dashed as soon as he placed his glasses back on, and his vision was restored which gave way to the brutal reality: (Y/n) was not here in the Fyrosian Palace. They hadnāt been here for days.
The Fyrosian Palace was the safest place to be, and (Y/n) was not here. If they were here, they could enjoy the company of three deities and the countless others who lived and worked around the royal estate. With the passage of time, perhaps they would have decided that it was better than their homeworld. At least, that was what Trey hoped for but never dared to voice to anyone.
Out there, in this great big world, outside of the warmth of the Fyrosian Palace, was the unknown. (Y/n) and Grim were out there somewhere, and most of the other seven nations were not so friendly, especially with their respective archons. That was what worried him most: others harming them or taking advantage of them. Mortals have always been susceptible to entities. Here he was worrying all over again, precisely because he failed to protect you. If he had succeeded you would be here, and there would be nothing to fret over. However, he failed. The God of the Hearth failed to estimate the success you would have in escape, he failed to protect you from seeing everything that transpired in the Furnace, he failed and now you were lost.
Why, in all his years, was the absence of a human finally affecting him so much? He could hardly think straight! Trey Clover was an elf, he had seen generations of humans come and go. Their lives were as fleeting as fireworks in the sky, bright and brilliant but only for a moment before their light was extinguished by time. Mortals always turned to him in times of need, so he was no stranger to lending some assistance if it meant stability. Right now, he hardly felt stable when his every waking thought was consumed byā
A gentle knock came from behind the wooden door of the study, and he nearly deluded himself into believing it was (Y/n). The voice was what shattered his dream and knocked him back into reality, as one of the members of the staff cleared her throat anxiously. āMarquis Clover?ā
Trey lifted his head, readjusting the glasses so they were aligned perfectly. It was his responsibility to keep it together. Forcing a smile that didnāt quite reach his eyes, the elf turned his full attention to the mortal and away from the sheet at the top of the stack that required his entire attention. Past his lenses, the Marquis noticed a slight tremble in this humanās hand and a frightened look in her eye. Something was amiss. āYes? Is something the matter?ā
Members of the staff and nobles of the court tended to flock to him when there was something wrong, corrections that needed to be made before a law could be broken. It was something he was accustomed to by now, the price to pay for the stability he so craved. All he wanted to do was find (Y/n), but Trey was stuck here.
āThere was an unexpected arrivalā¦ā The human, a secretary he recognized who often flittered between the Fyrosian Palace and the Monastery of the Divine Flame, anxiously peered down the hallway as if afraid of being overheard. Then she leaned forward past the doorframe, and in a hushed tone proceeded with great uncertainty, āOne of the Grand Dukeās personal envoys is here.ā
The Kingās Regent immediately stood up, taken aback by the announcement. The Grand Duke didnāt have any scheduled meetings with Riddle, so what on earth was he up to? If it was one of the Grand Dukeās personal envoys, that meant there were two options. One of which had been banned from setting foot on Heartslabyul because of the incident at Mimsyford but that ban ended recently, and the other was more manageable but just as much of a danger if not more than the first.
Considering the timing of this unexpected visit, Trey Clover had a very bad feeling about this. āWhich one?ā
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The desert of Banagi Badlands were no place for an otherworldly mortal. At least, this is what Cater Diamond believed. He couldnāt imagine staying out here himself, and he did not want to even picture you somewhere out in the miles of uninhabitable sand dunes and rocky terrain. This was one of the only places he didnāt have solid connections in. While unlikely the otherworldly human and small feline entity would have ended up out here, he still needed to be sure they werenāt in Fisarun Territory.
As the firefox walked through the streets of the Dwelling of the Wise, he made a mental checklist of every location heās visited. Knights of the Gavel were on alert all over Heartslabyul and he had checked everywhere from the borders between Brackenreach Highlands and Dwala Grasslands, the mountains of Crown Ridge and Vita Falls, even going so far as to check his contacts to see if they found any sign of the Ruby Rebel. There was no word from Octavinelle, and that was for the best. It would be bad news if they got (Y/n) and Grim only to realize how valuable the pair were.
Technically, Riddle was supposed to be the only one in Savanaclaw to meet with the Sovereign in an attempt to convince them to keep an eye out and extradite the pair back should they appear here. While the King handled that, the Head of Investigation would check with the Fisarun Tribe, as he knew they tended to operate differently from the rest of Savanaclaw.
The firefox avoided the odd stares and kept a tight grip on his valuables. The last time he was here, a bultungin managed to pickpocket him right under his nose. Cater slowed his steps, not just because of the heat beating down on him, although that too was a factor, but mostly because he was abruptly hit with a scent that made him lightheaded. A familiar scent, one that he had been searching days for and it made his heart race. It was faint, but he was certain. He would recognize it anywhere. The distinct scent of them.
Cater nearly broke out into a sprint as he sniffed the air, following the faint trail where it was strongest. It led him straight to the Temple of the Wise, but he didnāt enter immediately. Not when the smell was so subtle he nearly missed it, as if they hadnāt been here in some time. Almost immediately, his green eyes honed in on a familiar figure in the templeās yard, and he picked up on the scent that stuck to the figure. (Y/n) and Grim had been here, and they had been with him.
The bultungin was beside a board full of papers and notices, one of which stood out from the others. The entity was conversing with members of the Fisarun Tribe who appeared to be explaining something rather frantically, that is, until they spotted the firefox. This caused Ruggie to look over his shoulder as Cater approached with a friendly smile, āPlease, donāt stop on my account! I promise, if itās something Iām not supposed to hear, I wonāt tell the Sovereign!ā
The hyena folk exchanged uncertain glances, and the Fisarun made themselves scarce once the bultungin gave them a subtle nod to go ahead. Now alone, Ruggie turned to face Cater. Despite being in front of an entity who was not only a good few centuries older but who also held the title of deity, the bultungin didnāt falter. There was no sign of apprehension, but rather, he held a casual air as he hummed. āWhatāre you doinā here? Far from your kingdom right now, arenāt you, Cater? Itās been, what? Over ten years, give or take?ā
āHmm, something like that.ā The last time Cater was in Savanaclaw was a decade ago. He remembered it vividly, accompanying King Rosehearts during the presentation of the Sovereign Falenaās son Cheka. It was during that trip when Cater made a surprise visit to Banagi Badlands, for work, but also because it was difficult to get any information out of the region if you didnāt have the trust of the Fisarun. And the Fisarun hardly trusted anyone. āYou know me, busy as always! Iām just doing some investigation work that led me here, thatās all. Hope you donāt mind.ā
Ruggieās ears were perked, but he appeared mostly uninterested in the topic. Their lines of work tended to clash often, given that the firefox worked to investigate and enforce the law while the bultungin tended to break it. āInvestigatin' without the Sovereign knowing? Arenāt you guys all about rules?ā
āSince when do you care about the rules? Much less the Sovereignās opinion?ā Once he heard that, Ruggie couldnāt help but smile and shrug unapologetically even when Cater continued. In the sunlight, the firefox felt his fingertips grow cold as he mentally estimated how many clones he could form. The brutal heat was putting him at a disadvantage, and this was Ruggieās home turf. āSay, I have some questions for you. Why donāt we make this quick and easy, hm?ā
The tension in the air was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. The bultungin was accustomed to being eyed suspiciously, but this time he may have deserved it. Then he noticed the God of Camaraderieās hand being slowly coated over with cryo ready to form multiple clones at the ready. Raising his hands up in surrender, his ears flattened slightly. āYikes, okay, fine! Just donāt freeze my tail off.ā
It felt like he was going to be sick with jealousy. At this close proximity, Cater could make out the distinct scent of you stuck to Ruggieās flesh. You had definitely been here, and you had spent time with the bultungin. Either too much time or too intimately, because he could smell your scent practically all over Bucchi. It made him feel nauseous.
As if sensing his thought process, Ruggie kept his hands up in that surrendering gesture, but his grin grew arrogant. āWell? You gonna stand there doinā nothing or what? Unlike you, I actually got a lot of work to do so can we hurry this along?ā
What exactly was (Y/n) doing here with him? It became increasingly difficult for Cater to keep up the dazzling smile with his pearly white teeth, when he was imagining possibilities as to what may have transpired. There wasnāt any scent of their blood, so that was a relief, but he wasnāt sure if the alternatives were any better. āMind telling me where they are?ā
āDepends who weāre talking about.ā Playing dumb. Of course Ruggie wasnāt going to answer outright. This made things difficult, especially since Cater knew he possessed no real leverage here. This was Banagi Badlands where even the Lyonis and others constantly struggled to get the Fisarun to cooperate. āYouāre going to have to be more specific.ā
The Head of Investigation had to grit his teeth, and keep on an obviously strained smile. āCome on, you know who, I know who. They were obviously here. (Y/n) and Grimāā
āWho?" Ruggie Bucchi offered another shrug, that also almost looked like he was gesturing to himself. Like he knew that Cater had caught their scent, and Ruggie was rubbing in the fact that it was all over him and not anyone else. āDo you see them around here? Any real evidence for you to present back to your king? No, right?ā That grin had transformed to a full-blown smirk but with his canines it resembled a threat. āOkay, so, what are you still doinā here? Unlike your little subjects back home, I got no interest in your morality. Scram, shoo, get lost. You already know what we do here to trespassers, so best go on and run back to your little kingdom.ā
That one anon that said that riddle scared the shitlings out of them seeing Riddle being mentioned in the newest chapter and being scared all over again šš
Also i was lowkey happy Riddle was mentioned again like, i hope you never find the mc again but i love him sm šāāļø
- š anon
More content to come. Y'all have not seen the last of the Red Thief, Blue Brawler, Head of Investigation, King's Regent, and Pyro Archon.
The boys occasionally watch you do a normal things and a vague memory flashes by. āHey look at this cool shiny rock over here!ā Neither Ace nor Deuce could exactly describe why the red speckled rock made them uneasy, but it did. Occasionally a memory from a past loop gets tangled in the webs of dreams, providing a brief horrifying glimpse of what had occurred. For the overblotters especially, this could be horrifying. He was just getting to know you, even though your presence had felt all so familiar. Like the two of you had met in another life onceā a warm comforting embrace. Why did he have that dream? That dripping inky dream filled with your screams and suffering. He wasnāt a bad person, he didnāt want to hurt you!
Riddle retreats further into his rules, if everyone obeys the rules properly then that wonāt happen. If everyone works as they are supposed to, adhering to that list that stretches onwards and onwardsā¦ then surely youāll be safe. The little magicless prefect so ignorant of this world.
Leona canāt help but imagine how rotten he is, you were so amusing. For him to have a dream like thatā a dream yes, but it felt so real. Tch, he supposes that heās been cursed to another awful destiny. He doesnāt even look at you anymore, avoids even, but you just had to be so persistent, didnāt ya? You shouldāve learn by now, no effort is ever rewarded kindly.
Azul no longer just wants Ramshackled, no. In fine print on the contract you signed lies a clause binding your service to himā I mean Mostro Lounge. Here where he can control every piece, youāll be safe! You wonāt have time to tie yourself up in anymore conflict when youāre busy slaving, working away. You can even board here in Octavinelle, isnāt he so generous? So please, just donātā donāt even think about saving them.
Jamil double, triple, even quadruple checks his plans, scrutinizing them for any flaws. Any contradictions that could possibly bite him in the rear later. Late at night when everyone had fallen to sleep, he rehearses expressions over and over again until it looks as natural as can be. Surely you understood, what it meant to be powerless and have nothing to your name? To be caught up as a pawn by figures who looked down upon you, surely you would understand why heās doing what heās doing.
Vil simply does what heās always done, throwing his everything into his performance. Mind, body, soul, sanityā anything he can to shine brightly, confound whatever consequences might come. To shine so brightly that heāll win, he couldnāt be ugly if he did win, right? Muscles cramp and shake after hours of practice, stomach groans for anything of more substance, blot accumulating all the quicker. Itās fine though, to see you cheering for him is enough. It should be enough, but itās not.
Itās not like Idia wanted to even do this, sevens he wasnāt even given prior notification that they were going to round up all those normies and heād be in charge of them. This game of micromanaging the students with the least amount of sanity stats was seriously driving him into overclock modeā¦ He didnāt even have the time to process that bad rng pull of a dream before being summoned for another side task.
And Malleus? Oh he hates it. With Liliaās time left slowly slipping through his fingers, and the realization that neither Silver or Sebek will live as long as him heās already on edge. And then he witnesses that dream, his beloved child of man perishing before his very hands. You just need to STAY IN THE DREAM. Stay in the beautiful world he had made for you, where you canāt be hurt anymore or at all.
Mightāve gotten a little carried away with the idea hereā¦.
The concept not only allows for plenty of conflict between characters but also self-conflict, both of which you highlight here. Thinking about it, in some cases, it could even affect the characters you haven't even properly interacted with yet.
Imagine perishing late in the story, sometime toward the end of act seven, and having to start all over again when you wake up in the prologue.
First, the mere dread at having to live through everything again. You wake up knowing that if you want any chance to escape this time loop, you had to win by getting to the end of the game. Meaning you have the survive through months of the same traumatic events you had experienced numerous times, in so many various ways, which have already led to an untold amount of deaths.
Second, after accepting it and starting all over, you decide to lay low this time. Lower than before. Maybe, just maybe, you could avoid unnecessary conflicts by keeping to the background until needed. That doesn't work when characters you haven't even met during this run appear drawn to you even if you're a mere stranger to them. There's just something about you...
Ace Trappola spots you for the first time in the prologue during the entrance ceremony. It's like that every time. In every life he's been a constant, for better or for worse. In those past lives he's seen you die too many times to count, he may have even caused some of those deaths, but of course he doesn't remember them. As soon as he spotted you during the ceremony, there was a feeling deep in his heart pulling him to speak to you. Maybe you might meet him not the next morning, but sometime before then. Weird, why is he drawn to some run down old building on campus...?
Deuce Spade sees you for the first time in the prologue at the entrance ceremony too. He's not quite sure why, but seeing you standing in front of the mirror judging your soul, he hopes you get sorted into Heartslabyul. Although something tells him that it won't happen. And if it did happen, it might not end well. Wait, why's he even wanting a stranger he's never even spoken with to end up in the same dorm as him? Well, either way, it doesn't matter. Even if you don't end up with him in Heartslabyul, he has the weirdest feeling that you and him could be great friends. He hopes you share the same as him homeroom too.
Cater Diamond vaguely recognized you from the entrance ceremony, but he meets you during book one. What a cutie, he thinks, which is why he readily snaps a selfie with you and the others to make sure they aren't left out. During lunch, he plans to talk to his two troublesome Heartslabyul juniors. But since you're with them, he'll make himself look like the dependable senior and take the seat beside you (even if Ace and Deuce complain). As he's scrolling through his gallery at night, he saves the selfie as a favorite. Instinctively his thumb continues scrolling as if there were more but that's the only photo he's taken with you... Huh...
Trey Clover caught a glimpse of you at the entrance ceremony, but he meets you during book one. He's heard mention of you from Ace and Deuce, and he finds himself unusually curious. The first time you properly encounter is in the cafeteria. Trey proceeds to explain the workings of the school and dorms in careful detail, just so you're prepared. He felt sick when he began to tell you about the other dorms... Maybe he'll drop by later while Ace and Deuce stay over at Ramshackle for the night because one of them was practically exiled. He'll come by with baked goods to pay you back for letting the pair stay, but it's just an excuse to make sure everything is okay.
Riddle Rosehearts thought you were quite the rule-breaker from his first impression of you at the entrance ceremony. Why, if you were a Heartslabyul student, he would correct you and teach you the proper way forward! A small image flashed in his mind, one of him allowing you to get away with white roses and not the proper red ones. Immediately he shook away the thought, what preposterous notion! Little did he know, he had once allowed white roses to exist because you admired them but that was in another life. If it's true as Cater and Trey reported, the magicless student was providing shelter to the troublemaking Ace and Deuce, then he will drop by between classes. Afterall, the two were still under his command. As for the magicless human, well, they were just... a curious individual.
you know how Yuu gets premonitions via story in game? lowkeyā¦. that concept w the Weird Feelingsā¦. why did Riddle have a nightmare of Leona turning you to dust? why did Idia dream of you in an eternal sleep in a dragonās tower? ect ect ect do u feel me
I would have to say that the premonitions would be limited to the characters and not to MC.
Personally, I feel that if MC had those premonitions, it wouldn't make it as fun since it would be more like a guessing game, if you get what I mean. I feel that it would be a lot more frightening in the perspective of the MC if they remembered their past lives. At least, until they've had so many attempts that they're starting to blend in with the nightmares of possible endings and paranoid thoughts on the what-if scenarios.
So only the characters would get that weird sense of deja-vu or, as you said, premonitions. It's not like a certainty to them, it's more like a dark thought they assume came out of nowhere but in actuality it happened once before, they just don't remember.
Hi! I've been really wanting to write a series related to your 'we just got a letter' series, I love your imposter au! I didn't want to take inspiration without asking, also this is @includingyuu (sorry! its a sideblog lol)
I admire your writing so much! I had a huge writing blog when I was younger but with school, things sort of fell apart. Your writing makes me want to get good again! thank you!
Sure, go for it! Thank you for asking, I appreciate it. I hope that you have fun with it!
Call me crazy, but I lowkey miss your yandere Peter Pan fic and wanna re-read it. Know itās never gonna happen thoā¦š
Yeah, that story is absolutely dead and buried, anon. Entertaining the notion, I decided to go digging through my drafts to see if it exists somewhere there. Because I still do have copies of some of my long deleted stories, but that story was not among the ones I saved. To be honest, I don't even remember what it was called but that one was nuked out of existence.
Among searching for it, as I said, I found a few copies of other works I deleted years ago along with projects that never really took off. My motivation for Empyrean is a little low at the current moment, so I've been trying to see if I can write for anything else which includes unpublished projects. Will they ever be posted publicly? Eh, who knows?
Funnily enough, the three OC stories I've written for recently all follow the same trope of: large scary not-human yandere who has committed possible war crimes and ruined the MC's life while being obsessed with a plucky MC who wants to off the yandere. Perhaps I am unoriginal.
Tbh with you, i discovered your fanfics through your yandere male cruella x reader as well as the corpse groom since corpse bride and haunted masnion were my fav fils as a kid and really enjoyed reading it at the time (I was also getting into Twisted Wonderland at the same time) and didn't even know the damnation quiz was also by the same author haha. But yeah, I've been recently catching up to your recent fanfic; the empyrean au since i was a former genshin fan, but stopped playing. Such nostalgic reads š
Not a question, but a comment to let you how your work is immaculate and inspiring š
I'm always flattered and amazed by the fact that some of y'all have seen my old cringe stuff and still decide to take an interest in what I make. Please, continue allowing me the chance to show that I've improved. I swear I can make actually decent content now.
Anyways, in all seriousness, thank you, anon. I always appreciate a kind message āØ.
hello! i have two questions kinda cuz i was looking earlier and did not find it but what's the "shiny method" for gacha pulling? also what do you think about deuce spade's new birthday card? both the groovy and non groovy?
im lowk asking for the method deets cuz i'm gonna pull for him even tho i just started really recently with only like 42~ pulls
Sorry for the late response, anon. Basically, the "shiny method" is more like a joke/ritual I do before wishing for characters I want, and it's worked most of the time.
I've only done it for TWST but it works like this: let's say I'm wishing for Ace. While I have the TWST app open on my phone and ready to wish, I'll have another device open and playing whatever songs Ace may be in. Then I wish as the song is playing. I did this for Ruggie, Epel, and Jamil. Each of those times it worked. It's just a fun thing to do.
As for Deuce's new birthday card... which one? New on the English server or Japanese server? If we're talking about the sleepwear, I think it's cute as hell. If we're talking about the bonbonniere one... to be honest, I kinda hate the whole series so sorry Deuce. I just don't think any of those bonbonniere cards are particularly good on any characters.
I like to imagine that the MC is not actually a different person but that they decided to work on growing their confidence. Like after all the BS with Riddle, they were like, "Well, that went really badly. This time I'm going to try asserting myself, and hopefully nothing will blow up." Everything is still going to blow up, but they're trying their best.
(Also your writing is incredible. I binge read the whole thing this past week whenever I had work breaks, and now it's all I can think about)
Oh? Interesting take, anon. Also, thank you! That's a lot to binge read, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Hi šŖ¼anon here, thanks for clearing up the misunderstanding lol, sorry for the confusion Shiny and š¦anon. Iām glad everything could be resolved.
On to the more fun stuff, Falena is definitely considering throw us back into Heartslabyul.
1) To maintain country relations.
2) Iām pretty sure Riddle twisted some of the Mcās actions into his favour.
Iām assuming Falena just wants to give us a chance on whether or not we are actually what Riddle claims we are. Since even though we donāt know much about him, I donāt think he is THAT brutal to just throw us to the foxes immediately. But itās also hard to say considering how itās clear heās willing to give up on certain citizens to appease the masses in a way. (Cough cough, the hyenas)
So I think when we meet Falena and are likely in the process of being shipped or smth. Either Leona or Jack steps in to help us. Alternatively though they could also step in earlier when weāre talking to Falena, Jack because of his sense of justice(I highly doubt heād say much though, mostly just that one pikachu face since he is just a guard captain.) or Leona so that we can be used for some part of his plan, Iām not saying that Leona dosent care about people getting wrongly accused by he feels more calculating in my opinion so I donāt think heād straight up just excuse us entirely publicly.
Tbf, we could also potentially break ourselves out and become a fugitive with or without their help depending on how strong we are. (Wouldnāt be the first or last time the traveler becomes one.)
Iām assuming at the very least that smth bad happens to Falena because whilst Leona does canonly care for his family, this version of Leona seems to be more willing to take action for his people(Ex: Giving the Hyena folk a way to defend themselves.) So I wouldnāt be surprised if heās planning to weaken Falena in some way so he step in. This is all I have for now, I just wanted to share some pretty basic theories lmao.
-šŖ¼anon
It's no issue, anon. Thank you for coming by again!
So I don't like to give too much away, but I do like to try and respond to these long theory messages in some way, shape, or form. I will confirm: readers will get to see Falena. Nothing more on that.
Also! I do want to reiterate something I've mentioned in a separate ask, and something that is only subtly implied. The MCs are not much of a fighter. This second act's MC is plucky and is willing to throw down in a normal magic-less simple fight, but none of the MCs are meant to be these crazy fighters. They're from modern worlds where fighting skills are not exactly necessary, hence why a lot of the times the MC will have to depend more on their wits. Just thought I would throw that out there again.
Anyways, you present some interesting theories, anon! We're getting to the point of the act's climax soon, and I'm very eager to share it with you all.
