I'm long overdue a little organisation on this blog: time for a navigation post!!
I've been knee deep in the In Stars and Time fandom for the past two years, and it doesn't look like I'm escaping any time soon (free me 😭😭) so this post will be separated by my main au tags above the 'read more' button and my ao3 fics below it.
Have fun scrolling in my corner of the hell-site!
Main tags:
#Isat au
All of my aus (alternate universes for the unitiated) are organised under the umbrella tag 'isat au'. Some of them are one off concepts, others are larger ideas with several posts attached to them.
Most of the concepts my brain inflicts me with I write are free use - you have my blessing to make them your own. The more the merrier: Change knows I don't have the time to flesh them out.
UNLESS. Unless you're using ai. Then No, Go Away, I forbid you from putting any of my writing or art into generative ai models.
#Tag Along Kids Au
Five ageswap aus in a trenchcoat, where I explore what each party member would be like if they took Bonnie's place as the resident tag along kid. (See what I did there?) All the posts under this au are linked here.
#stolenrogue
Odile's drunk assassin theory is technically correct, just in a different universe. Which wouldn't be a problem if the two Siffrin's hadn't switched places. An Au with two fics attached to it, courtesy of the brilliant @aruisfine. Check them out!
#comic!frin
Did you know comic Siffrin is still stuck in the loops. did you know they're still stuck help them someone has to help them PLEASE DID YOU KNOW -
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
First Impressions and Other Miracles
"How did you meet each other in the first place? Were you all like, friends with Belle before this? And that's why you're helping her beat the King? Or was the meeting a koh-in-si-dence?"
"Coincidence." Siffrin corrected. Then he shrugged. "I guess you could call it that. I met everyone pretty recently. They needed help and I didn't have anything else going on."
"Boring." Ouch. "What about Odile and 'sabeau?"
Well that's easy! They…
Huh.
...
A pre-canon exploration of how each family member joined the party! Bonnie asks a question that Siffrin can't answer, but the rest of the party can.
My very first fic! and the first step into my monochromatic obsession. You can see some of those growing pains, but I'm still proud of my work and impressed I managed to finish it. If you're looking for something to scratch that pre-canon itch (written way before the artbook so some details may be iffy) you've come to the right place!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Previous Engagements
Jouvente seemed like a much nicer city when Mirabelle wasn't worrying about the apocalypse.
----
It's been well over a year since the King had been defeated; since Vauguarde had been saved; and since the Saviors themselves decided to continue travelling together. Their last stop before sailing to Ka Bue? Somewhat fittingly, it was the first city that Mirabelle entered on her quest: Jouvente, the birthplace of their resident fighter.
Not that you could tell from the way he was acting - sure, he had mentioned plenty of the restaurants he was excited to treat them to, or his favorite landmarks he would take them to, but Isabeau had kept conspicuously quiet about the people from his past. If he didn't want to mention meeting up with any friends or family, well, that's his choice to make. Change knows his new family had kept larger secrets.
But just because Isabeau's more than ready to leave the cities' residents behind doesn't mean that they're finished with him. And some of them are of the opinion that he's long overdue for a family reunion...
———
Isabeau’s family reunion!
My magnum opus - so far! Described as the 'Isabeau torment nexus', 'world's worst family reunion' and 'cyberbullying masquerading as an ISAT fanfic' 'a really fun time with no angst whatsovever', Previous Engagements is a completed 50k Isabeau centric fic fun for the whole family - chosen, or otherwise.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Prior Meetings
"When I was around eight or nine, we went on a vacation over summer and we took a photo of me accepting an award!" Isabeau said, pointing the picture out on the wall. "I was really, really into astronomy back then, heh, so while we were there I spent all my time huddled in the corner of the observatory."
"And I didn't even realise I had entered a star charting competition? I just wanted to stay longer and it was the only way they'd let me use the space during lunch hours, ha."
"I ended up winning second place, and won a…"
"A…"
…
Huh. What was he talking about again?
-----
In which Isabeau has a closer connection to the Forgotten Island than he'll ever know, and he met a certain rogue much earlier than either will ever remember.
Or
Isabeau and Siffrin childhood friends flashback! This is technically the extended cut of Chapter 8 (and Chapter 5) of Previous Engagements, but can be read as a standalone one shot.
Prior Meetings is the little sister of Previous Engagements, where I expand on one of the fic's flashbacks set on the forgotten Island. Part of the series 'Scheduling Conflicts'. It stands alone as a one shot, but I'd reccomend reading the full fic so I get more views for more perspective: be ready for gratuitous headcannons, fan made family members and my take on Siffrin's original name!
Under and Over and Over and Under
Having been trapped for a few-too-many loops, Siffrin started to feel like nothing was going to change in their never ending play. How were they supposed to predict that the universe would put something so large to block their path to freedom? Literally?
'Something' the size of a mountain.
Literally.
Most would argue that the only way to go once you've hit rock bottom is up, but Siffrin would argue that you can always dig down. Underground, even.
----
An In Stars and Time and Undertale crossover!
My current fic: an ISAT UT crossover that would make ten year old me cry with joy. Don't worry - big things are planned! Completely self indulgent, but big!
you can love a character and still admit when they’re wrong. i love claudia but can acknowledge her flaws (she has none) and can hold her accountable for her wrongdoings (she’s never done anything wrong in her life) and call her out for her actions (which are always correct).
Bringing this one back in light of the anniversary newsletter because i am inconsolable
Can you imagine being a child with the kind of past that makes you develop this mentality, dreaming of a day where nothing can ever hurt you or the people you love, going through one of the most excruciatingly painful deaths to achieve this, and when you finally gain that power, have it ripped away from you?
can you imagine? your own best friend. how helpless, how violating a betrayal, and not even have the luxury to hate him as you’re forced to stand there and watch him die in front of your eyes
ok so. Project Hail Mary au for In Stars and Time. The general idea here is to find the best way to shove the ISAT cast into the plot of Project Hail Mary - this is character focused, not worldbuilding. I'm too sleepy for that right now.
There's multiple ways that you could go about recasting these characters, and I don't know which one I like more, so I'm throwing all of them to the wind! Please please please let me know your thoughts!!
Spoilers for both ISAT and PHM - from here on out, all bets are off!
Mirabelle as Grace is very fun: both are deified 'chosen ones', forced into sacrificing themselves by human hands for the greater good, simply because no one else can. The parallels between Grace being posthumously remembered as a hero and Mirabelle pretending to be blessed is rich. In this version Euphrasie would very neatly take the role of Stratt - which could make the betrayal hurt even more if Mirabelle still grew up with her in the House. Like, Euphrasie was appointed to be the Astrophage expert for the entirety of Vaugaurde, and brought a select few Housemaidens with her. Mirabelle begged to be brought along so she could help. They've been growing more and more distant throughout the time working on the project, especially as they each get swamped in responsibility, but there's always an undercurrent of care present. Naturally, this only makes the betrayal sting more. Congratulations Mirabelle! You wanted the Head Housemaiden's approval, and now you've finally earned it. Everyone is so proud.
In a way, Ryland's position is all of Mirabelle's worst insecurities realised: her life is less valuable simply because she can't love the way she's expected to. The friendships she's made means nothing, and it literally dooms her to be alone for the rest of her life.
You don't even have a dog.
I also really like Siffrin as Grace. I already love the idea of them becoming a teacher post-canon, I just think that it would really suit them! Also, it would be very easy to justify their involvement in the project: after the appearance of Astrophage there was a massive push to round up all 'Astronomy' experts by their Stratt equivalent, anyone with niche knowledge of the 'stars'. And Siffrin had gained a reputation for his attempts to teach 'nonsense science' to his classes every year...
As for their Stratt equivalent, it could be anyone! The King could be very interesting: instead of a wishcraft powered villain, the opportunity to defend his beloved Vauguarde from external threats could easily put him in Eva's place. They're both willing to sacrifice anything and anyone, but it's always out of love for the world around them. But if you really want to get funky with it, you could make the entire party take on Stratt's role! All of them are world specialists working on the Astrophage mission: Mirabelle is the most similar to Stratt in terms of position as the mission co-ordinator, Isabeau is the head of the Defenders (So basically Carl), Odile is the lead Engineer for the Ship and Bonnie is a past student of Siffrin's whose sister is another engineer, and frequently gets to visit the base. Despite themselves they all get closer and closer to each other, turning into a real friendship group. Friendships that are closer, warmer, truer than they have any right to be. For once in their life, Siffrin finally feels like they belong.
This will not save them.
When the original astronauts die, it's only because they're so close that the party knows Siffrin is the best replacement. And before meeting the party, Siffrin would have been more willing to sacrifice himself - not happy, exactly, but they would have given up without a fight. After all, they had nothing better to do. However, since he was a complete unknown, nobody ever offered and he never asked. But meeting the party gave him something to live for, something to fight for, a reason to stay.
This will not save them.
You have similar heartbreak with Siffrin and Mirabelle both being a-spec, both devalued for not having the 'right' type of relationships. But then you have extra angst with Siffrin being disposable because he's an outsider. He doesn't have a family, he doesn't have a home - maybe they were only kept on the mission because their dissapearence would be so easy to cover up. Nobody would look for them.
I can promise you'll be remembered as a hero.
All these ideas and we haven't even gotten to you-know-who! Guess I'll need to make a part 2!
Please don’t let fandom ruin something you love. Walk away and unfollow the fans and enjoy the thing by yourself, or find a limited circle of people who ignore the discourse, or get your irl friends into the thing and collectively ignore the Internet community, or blacklist from here to the moon if you need to and only ever scroll through your rarepair ship’s tag on AO3. But don’t let fandom distort a show or a movie or a book or a comic you used to love so badly that you can’t enjoy the original anymore. Please. It isn’t worth it.
Please don’t let fandom ruin something you love. Walk away and unfollow the fans and enjoy the thing by yourself, or find a limited circle of people who ignore the discourse, or get your irl friends into the thing and collectively ignore the Internet community, or blacklist from here to the moon if you need to and only ever scroll through your rarepair ship’s tag on AO3. But don’t let fandom distort a show or a movie or a book or a comic you used to love so badly that you can’t enjoy the original anymore. Please. It isn’t worth it.
Please don’t let fandom ruin something you love. Walk away and unfollow the fans and enjoy the thing by yourself, or find a limited circle of people who ignore the discourse, or get your irl friends into the thing and collectively ignore the Internet community, or blacklist from here to the moon if you need to and only ever scroll through your rarepair ship’s tag on AO3. But don’t let fandom distort a show or a movie or a book or a comic you used to love so badly that you can’t enjoy the original anymore. Please. It isn’t worth it.
