More insane ramblings from the writing desk (my notes app)
Lovingly dubbed “the magic lobotomy au”
After beast yeast is over, the beasts are brought to trial or whatever.
And everyone blames Smilk bc he was the first to fall (and honestly I just think it’s good plot).
So like. He’s found guilty and then *BAM* witch intervention.
Smilk is gone and everyone is assuming he’s trying to escape responsibility and freaks the f out.
Meanwhile, the witches have determined that Smilk is to dangerous to be left as he is and decide that his ability to think for himself is a danger and then magic Lobotomy him (I’m thinking magic needle beam straight to the forehead where his mark used to be).
Then the witches kinda just. Dump him in the city of wizards.
Smilk is essentially a zombie. Can’t think for himself, is quiet and passive and submissive.
And Moonlight Cookie notices. And she is so very worried about the cookie who is nothing more than an empty shell. And she takes him with her back to her tower.
Blueberry Pie Cookie keeps him around while Moonlight is busy. And notices that he is wicked intelligent. He’s barely alive but can anwser any question asked about anything except himself.
He becomes a very well loved but still very ill member of the Archive.
Cut back to the beasts and ancients.
The beasts have their own problems and are trying to sort through them understanding their hurt had caused damage to so many.
And they have their redemption arc.
And the ancients are trying to find Smilk.
Pure Vanilla is beside himself trying to find Smilk. He’s worried beyond reason, he knows Smilk is self destructive. PV is scared he’s going to hurt himself.
PV is delivered a shattered Soul jam and just… breaks down.
Because if the soul jam is shattered Smilk has to be dead.
The ancients stop looking. The beasts… try to be apathetic about it. They blamed him for their fall. Why should they care about him?
Eternal Sugar and Mystic Flour are devastated because they know it wasn’t his fault alone. It was all of their faults. They huddle with PV. Plant a garden and bury the soul jam and pray that their brother finds peace.
PV and Gingerbrave are the ones to find out Smilk is still technically alive.
PV enters the archive and finds Smilk. On a good day, where he can speak and somewhat recognize the world around him.
PV almost breaks down right then and there, and he tries to coax Smilk back. But Smilk isn’t really aware. PV is devastated with the knowledge that Smilk has been alive, but mentally crippled, and he had no idea.
Blueberry Pie and Moonlight are very protective of Smilk. The days where he’s aware, he’s sweet, if not a bit sarcastic. And the days where he’s not, he mostly sleeps where Moonlight can see him.
Gingerbrave is there? I guess?? He dosent like Smilk, he can’t ever forget what happened in the spire, what happened to PV, but seeing anyone, even someone he disliked, in that state makes him uncomfortable and sad. Because even if he wasn’t a good person, it’s hard to argue he deserves this.
PV spends time trying to Get Smilk to respond to him. And eventually he does.
It’s… not what he wants. Smilk sees him, recognizes him… knows his name but very little else. The damage to his,mind is severe and it’s incredibly unlikely that he’ll ever get better.
Moonlight sees how much Smilk is loved and has been missed and lets PV take him back.
PV returns with the hollow shell of SMilk. And immediately sends a letter to Mystic and Suagr.
The two are devestated by the sight of their brother. An empty fragile shell of the brother they’d once loved so much.
And Smilk dosent recognize them. Not really. They feel important but… remembering makes his head hurt.
Sugar and Mystic spend time at PVs castle and he’s more than willing to accommodate them.
The day Smilk remembers their names… it’s a joyful moment.
PV does eventually tell the rest. And none of them quite believe it’s not a trick. Up until they see him. He’s always so… passive. Empty and tired and his bad days only get worse.
Silent Salt and Burning Spice never quite fully forgive Smilk. White Lilly never manages to forgive him at all.
Silent salt visits once. And the empty eyes of the brother he blamed for their fall stare back at him uncomprehendingly. Silent, still, and utterly empty.
Burning spice tries for a while. Does anything he can think of to get a rise from Smilk. But he dosent respond. Burning spice is forced to admit this isn’t a trick. That his brother is really gone, and that the fragile ghost in the care of PV is Truly all that remains of him.
He stops visiting after that, it burns a hole in his chest that he can’t quite grasp. And one day after many many months of silence, he returns. Smilk is still small and empty. And the burn is still there. But he puts his arm around him and pulls him close and Smilk melts into the warmth.
And if Burning Spice cries… no one is there to see it.
White Lilly is the last to visit. She loves PV fiercely and is terrified he will be hurt. She casts spell after spell trying to unearth the deception… but nothing ever comes of it.
She finds him alone in the garden one day, staring emptily at the flowers. Humming softly to himself.
Hates him for the peace he has now. And she does somthing foolish.
It’s.. disjointed and painful and dizzying all at once.
And she throws herself back out.
Smilk just looks at her and she’s so sure he’s going to smile and mock her.
And he just… looks. Then his eyes go unfocused and he turns back to the flowers.
And she knows then it’s no trick.
She leaves eventually. Giving PV a hug and telling him she’s always available if he needs.
This would end with PV sitting in the garden with Smilk. Who eventually lays a hand over PV’s. And PV knows that Smilk isn’t all there anymore. But the part of him that still exists recognizes him and trusts him.
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