There are Multiple Timelines that Act as Their Own AU
The top part is my main Phoenix, Florian, and the bottom is Ameri.
Ramble and details about them under cut. Spoilers for the Evil!Handler AU and minor spoilers Radio Host AU
I am unwell about these two. Depending on the AU/Alternate Timeline, their motivation on becoming Agent Phoenix is
Main Timeline - Florian
Timeline: She meets Ameri during high school and has a normal college life. Marries Ameri in later on. Stuff happens and her interference when she was a civilian led to a cover up. Looking into what happened caused her to join the agency.
Radio Host AU - Florian
Point of Divergence: College. She joined the student radio and started speaking up about corruption. Almost got killed for it but the agency stepped in to rescue her as her main target was Zoraxis.
Candlelight Timeline - Ameri
Point of Divergence: High school. For context: Their school puts students into "blocks" or "sections" and in this one, Ameri and Florian were assigned different ones. (Candlelight's point of divergence runs a bit earlier in the timeline but we're talking about who ended up as Phoenix here.)
Smitten Timeline - Ameri
Point of Divergence: The cover up. Ameri made a different choice that kept him in the field instead of the administrative side like in the main timeline. How that happened is still tentative.
Evil!Handler Timeline #1 - Florian
Point of Divergence: Unknown but Florian never met Ameri at any time at all. She was found in the list of people related to former agents and was recruited not long after.
Evil!Handler Timeline #2 - Ameri
Point of Divergence: Same as Timeline #1 but Ameri took the contact and recruitment meant for Florian instead. He did it to escape Zor, his godparent.
It's been a while since I wrote about the Radio Host AU. And while I want to apologize, I know full well I wouldn't be able to write it at the moment.
However, I want to ramble about this AU real quick.
AU Masterpost
Content Warnings for the dangers of journalism, backstory headcanons, and discussions of censorship and prejudice, dubious historical accuracy, more of a ramble post so less structure.
But the mere thought of parallels between my Agent Phoenix—Agent 13-12/ Agent Firelight / Florian— and Dr. Prism is absolutely giving me so much to munch on.
For context, Florian is pretty much Filipino at this rate. A lot of indirect characterization has spawned from this. And a lot of... unfortunate implications if we actually know what is going down in the Philippines at the time.
If we assume IEYTD takes place in late 1967 and we kept the political structures as we have here, that would mean the country is on the track for the First Quarter Storm, which is a period of unrest characterized by protests and marches mostly organized by students and supported by workers, peasants, and members of the urban poor, from January 26 to March 17, 1970. (I have to read sources on this but due to the fact this era was filled with propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation, yeah. No. I don't think I can properly look into this yet.)
Florian, as a former student radio host, would likely know and be aware of this brewing situation. And, well. I don't think the agency would remain unaware of this either.
Florian might be second guessing herself in wondering if she's only a tool to be used by the agency. And well, I think that thought also came across Dr. Prism too.
It was not my intention but the fact that both individuals are women of color who happens to be in STEM is giving me a lot of chew on. Not to mention the fact that they likely both had to deal with institutional neglect, especially during their education.
This may be headcanon territory but I feel like Dr. Prism worked so hard to prove herself during her higher education, sometimes not having access to other resources her classmates may have gotten.
But Florian? Well, let's just say the 'canon event' (/not aff) of having a professor who wasn't even there pretty much most semester (like, only showed up to orientation and exams) happened to her.
I don't know how to describe feeling grateful for someone for the opportunity that pushed you to where you are now while also recognizing that they took something from you that really shouldn't have been taken in the first place.
According to the interview "Lead Them to Cleverness" (Around 10:45) with Jared Mason, what drives Dr. Prism is legacy. Of leaving something behind that will outlive her.
It feels a lot like "I know I've been forgotten multiple times, so I refuse to let anyone forget me this time" to me from time to time.
But if that is the case, there might have been a nagging feeling that she could be allowing the same machine that hurt her. That she's also complicit in this situation.
And... Florian might feel the same way.
Something about the equal silence about this struggle and people around them just not 'getting it'. Something about that nagging paranoia that you're complicit in the destruction. Something about that subtle questioning if you're actually walking the path you want to take or if you're still being manipulated to want it.
While the Philippines was the Pearl of the Orient, censorship has always been a messy and complicated topic to discuss. Anyone who has taken a look at what happened in the 70s to 80s martial law can attest to that. Florian would have been old enough to sorta notice the seeds of that era, considering the president behind it is already in power by the time the games take place.
According to Reporters Without Borders, the Philippines is one of the worst places to be if you're a radio journalist. While, yes, it started in the 80s, the seeds of it already started in the early 60s.
Yeah. The Radio Host AU is pretty much gonna screw over a lot of people and part of why I hesitate to write it is because I want to give this AU justice while also making it accessible for everyone else.
Side Note: Do you think this happened in the IEYTD universe, which is why there is Southern Philippines?
Name: Irmelia Sayi
Operative Designation: Weaver
Hair Color: Light Red
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Height: 5' 1"
Dominant Hand: Right
Background:
Irmelia Sayi is, by far, one of the most troublesome individuals for the agency in terms of logistics in certain regions. This is due to the fact she uses connections first to try to sway outcomes in her favor, before swinging to coercion and blackmail if playing nice doesn’t get her way.
Tag List for the Matchstick AU (She hasn't appeared yet but she is Weaved's backer): @stellar-collective, @pandagobrr, @phoenix-and-found-family, @warden-draws-sometimes, @ghostlystarwanderer, @agentpheoness, @agent-nor
Blame this post by @silverdragon889 for this. Here are some of my personal headcanons for Florian and Ameri (plus Sekie). (I'll finish their designs one day, I swear.)
Phina belongs to @agent-calivide, Damien belongs to @silverdragon889, Trevor belongs to @phoenix-and-found-family, Peanut belongs to @stellar-collective, Wraith belongs to @agentwraith
Damien and Florian occasionally converse in Spanish but due to some regional differences, there has been hilarious miscommunication situations sometimes.
Phina and Ameri never met prior to Zoraxis but the chances of them recognizing each other's last names if revealed is around 80% to 90%. Both have the vibes of knowing they walked in similar circles. Ameri was hidden away from the rest of the social circle due to his status as an illegitimate child but heard Phina's family name from his caretakers.
Trevor occasionally stops by for dinner at Florian and Ameri's place. Damien as well. It's a neutral zone for them since neither wants to be uninvited.
Peanut sometimes worries about Florian's less-than-safe-for-self information gathering due to their first meeting occurring in less than ideal circumstances. (Florian was hanging around clearly contaminated water and Peanut thought they were doing something dangerous. It was a misunderstanding.) Florian also worries when they hear of Peanut being in the area of Zoraxis activity due to how dangerous it is. (They won't admit to that.)
Wraith, Trevor, and Damien are sources of stress for Ameri because he's one of the poor souls assigned to document the incidents and file the papers to record everything.
Sekie's less-than-approved actions is suspected to be foul play but Ameri and Florian took the "I didn't see anything" approach.
Florian acts like a ghostwriter for some of the citizens due to how Zor likely controlled education and literacy as they understand the laws a bit more. This likely caused several people to view them with suspicion at first due to the fact they do sneak out at night to listen to the stories and write it down. They're also recording the water contamination levels to build a case.
As much as Ameri wants to trust Peanut, Phina, and Reginald, his last time reporting Zoraxis' crimes caused a "demotion" in name, a near death experience for both him and his wife, and a relocation. He'll likely only reveal the ledger of the actual records after he knows they're actually trying to stop Zoraxis, not just claiming they are. Burned once in that aspect. Anyone looking through his desk would see the Zoraxis-approved ledger if they don't know where to find the false bottom.
Despite having a similar height as Peanut, Florian has yet to get a shortie joke from Trevor and Wraith.
Florian is terrible at hand to hand combat and often aims to end fights before they start. But their aim is pretty great. Kinda. They can throw stones well. Not sure if that translates well with a gun.
Ameri's aim with a gun is decent to be enough cover in a gunfight. But he's not as sharp as John Juniper or Trevor. He prefers to hide behind walls and shoot from there.
Ameri and Florian are said to have eloped and it's a mix of yes and no. Yes because Ameri's parents likely would not have approved (but since they didn't raise him, their opinion didn't matter to him. He would have cut contact by the time he joined the agency) and No because Florian's parents and siblings were present at the ceremony and accepted him as part of the family.
Florian admires Dr. Prism's work and tried to help with the patents but couldn't without exposing they knew more than they let on. They regretted this move some days. Both have disagreements on what "legacy" means, with Florian thinking it's a burden and Dr. Prism's thinking it's something to pass on. The two aren't on speaking terms.
Reginald sees Florian at least once a week due to the fact they stop by to give Ameri his lunch. (And the incident reports collected throughout the week for him to compile in the real ledger and make a copy of it just in case.)
That's all I got for now. :3 If anyone wants to add to the headcanons, feel free to share it. And please correct me if I got something wrong.
That was the official story the agency told in order to cover up his agent survived.
His agent.
The agency had been searching the entire perimeter and rubble but there was nothing. No body, no signs of struggle aside from a trail that prematurely ends. As if someone took them to safety, away from the pain of the rubble.
"Still nothing?" He asked, heart slowly sinking at the sight of one of the rescuers shaking their head.
"Well, isn't this a bit inconvenient? You do realize that you're already skirting protocol with what you're pulling, yeah?"
"I already have a migraine. Don't add to it, agent." Agent Phoenix was laying on the floor of the hotel room, glaring at his obvious provocation.
Agent Ichor only sighed, reading papers as his green eyes darted towards the agent sprawling on the floor. "You have to go back. It's been a few days. Besides, I have a nightmare to deal with. No thanks to you, agent."
"You'd been aiming for Zoraxis to suffer and tank their value for a while now." They shrugged, only to wince as they aggravated their condition once more.
"Don't you have anything better to do? If the rest of the agency knows what I'm doing, what we're doing—"
"They won't catch us."
"You're going against agency protocol."
"We're already breaking it."
Ichor stared at Phoenix with resignation. "You know that our respective divisions are making bets on if we'll tear each other apart once we meet officially, right?" He was massaging his temple as he adjusted his glasses.
"You were an idiot to be that specific with an eye color."
"That detail is unforgettable and you know that."
"Still a bit of a rookie move of you."
"Didn't you say you have a handler to get back to?"
Phoenix's shoulder slumped as they sighed. "... I'm probably presumed dead already. Been missing a few days. Thanks for that. I think I recovered well but you insisted I rest a little longer."
"You were never supposed to be here."
"... I know."
"And now you're asking me to fabricate a whole person? Away from agency eyes, no less! Do you see how... ungrounded that is?"
"You and I both know how we both relate to that, Agent."
Florian arrives for lunch break, only to see her husband, the clerk, and Deputy Phina in the middle of a tense conversation. Cue shenanigans and misunderstandings.
Aside from dealing with Zor's subordinates? henchpeople? cronies?, there is an aspect about her job Deputy Phina finds to be a bother: a certain Ameri Brantley.
Also known as my husband.
To be blunt, he can be pedantic about the littlest things and she's... not about to take that laying down.
I'd rather be staying inside with my malunggay plants than witness this mess.
I was on my way to hand him his lunch in his workspace when I stumbled across the scene before me.
The deputy looked at him with what I can only describe as a woman just about almost done with the absolutely overwhelming standards placed on her. Maybe I could spot her eye twitching as she smiled.
I knocked on the nearest empty table while smiling wryly at the pair.
"Irog, I'll just wrap up a few things and I'll join you for lunch." Ameri gave me an awkward look as he tried to fix the paper, only for me to shake my head.
"I already ate. I had a feeling you'd be busy this night as well so, I got you something." I held up the basket I was carrying and put it on the spot of the desk he emptied for it.
"I'll leave you two be." She cleared her throat before leaving us alone. I turned to watch her orange hair leaving the area.
"Well, she looks displeased. What happened?"
"... Well, I've been trying to make sure that she gets the formatting right. She's... hesitant in some cases. They look like a bunch of mistakes and hastily made corrections. Someone could throw out the report on those charges alone. I just... didn't want anyone to toss out everything she worked for with something this... stupid." Ameri lowered his head, taking off his glasses to inspect the dirt on the lenses. Definitely not to hide the fact he's worrying. Not at all.
"Is it stupid though?" I leaned my body closer to him, using the basket as the support as I looked at his contemplative eyes.
The fingers on the glasses frame trembled a bit as he took in a deep breath, remembering the tales we heard from Lola's feet. Her white hair has been something we haven't seen much since we got given this posting.
"They'd make life difficult for you two, hija. You two be on your guard." She'd tell us as she put the payneta on my hair the night we said goodbye. The smell of beer was still lingering from the amount of drinking the night before.
The teeth from the comb still dug into my head as I remembered it. Stories of the year I was born, of the way authority rewrote history that was on paper... The warnings were still fresh, lingering like a ghost in the house I grew up in.
"No." Ameri lowered his head as he put back his glasses. "It's not." He held my hands as he stared at them for a few minutes. "... Check up on her for me, please."
I squeezed his hands back as I looked at where Deputy Phina went. "Okay. Good luck on your work."
He waved me off as I went after her in her area. Her orange hair stood out in contrast of the white papers on her desk. I hope he finds another discrepancy soon. Despite others leaving the place for lunch, she doesn't seem to be willing to do so.
I don't think I saw a lunch box or anything with her... I really should've brought extra if she doesn't have lunch. Or maybe she already ate like I did... or maybe she's like my husband in forgetting lunch.
"Hey, Deputy. Is now a bad time?" I walked in closer to her with an apologetic look. I really shouldn't disturb her but I'm a nosy person when I know they're hurt.
"Oh. It's alright. I just have to redo the forms the clerk told me to. He told me what I put is alright. Just... 'make it neater'. Whatever that means." Her words were dripping in resentment. I won't interfere with that unless it gets dangerous.
"Well, I hope you're alright. Heard from some itching tongues that you came from a particularly rough exchange with the tycoon's mooks not too long ago." I looked at her as she hunched her shoulders before I grabbed the bottle I got from Dr. Tence and held it out to her. "Got this from one of the last few clean docs in this place. Maybe the last one. Unfortunately, I don't know his circumstances so I don't want to say his name." As much as I want to trust her, I don't know her that well.
Knowing Zor and the outlaws, they might be aiming to revoke his license, if they haven't already.
I loathe them.
"What's this?" Deputy Phina got the bottle from me, looking at the handwritten label.
"Well, I'm not sure if it would work but I sometimes ask the doctor if we could test out the old wives' tales and see what works. You just need to put it on the part that aches. I don't know if you would be alright with taking medicine you're not familiar with so just the surface level stuff."
"You didn't have to." She stared at the bottle before relenting suddenly. "But thank you."
Was it my face? Or something else?
"I hope I'm not getting in your business or anything but you can be call him out. He's already grown."
"... That's easy for you to say, Mrs. Brantley. He seems like he's... nevermind. It's fine. I can handle it."
"... If you say so."
Both of us were interrupted by a set of heavy footfalls going to our direction. Her sudden stiffness can't be mistaken.
My husband's furious face greeted us when he approached her table. He took in a few shaky breaths before trying to speak.
He found something in the records I brought in the basket. And I don't think it's good.
I held out a hand for Deputy Phina behind my back and she held onto it. Although I don't know if it's because she's afraid and looking to me or if it's because she's afraid for me and holding on to me.
Ameri was clenching his fists slightly before managing to control his anger. It wasn't directed at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to spook either of you but... ang kapal ng mukha nila." The disbelief in his tone was unmistakable as he took off his glasses to wipe the moisture away from his eyes. "I read a terrible report form and I got upset over it. I'm so sorry to ask this of you but can you tell anyone looking for me that I went out to get some air?"
His fingers were fidgeting with his glasses' hinges as he tried to control his breaths before putting them back one. It must've been really really bad.
I reached out with my other hand to his before pointing my lips subtly at Deputy Phina slightly. He held it like an anchor as he gave her an apologetic look before letting go of my hand.
"Deputy Phina, I wasn't.... Perhaps I haven't been the best at communicating but your reports are... decent. It's just that... your work tends to be subject to more... scrutiny. You work hard and... I didn't want to anyone poking holes at it. You know how things are around here."
If this leads to another misunderstanding between the two of them, I'm staying out of it. I have malunggay plants to take care of at home than deal with this.
Your actions are not helping, Ameri. Don't just walk away. I know you're mad about the discrepancies but don't end the conversation by being this vague!
... Well, at least I know someone in this place might think this is entertainment. Great.
If I got Phina wrong, please tell me. :3 I'll edit it.
Context + Notes:
This takes place when Ameri and Florian barely know Deputy Phina, hence the lack of communication. Also, that means she doesn't trust him since they look kinda sus, objectively speaking. Their posting was to send the actual records since the agency (or the Western equivalent) was suspecting that Zoraxis was cooking the books. They were right.
"Irog" is an Old Tagalog term of endearment that means 'love'.
"Lola" means "Grandmother".
Dr. Tence belongs to @silverdragon889. Went with a vague thing with the lore since this is Florian speculating some things. :3
"Ang kapal ng mukha nila" = "Their faces are so thick" = "They're so shameless." Ameri can and does speak Tagalog when it gets bad and he's overwhelmed.
Malunggay plants: mostly found in Southeast Asia. Can be used to make tea. It likes tropical weather so trying to keep it alive is a challenge.
Some things change as time moves forward. The question is, how much of that change affects how people act and cope? After a long day, Agent Phoenix asks Dr. Prism that exact question.
Content Warnings: Impostor syndrome, discussions of social barriers, discussions of legacy
"Phoenix?" Dr. Prism walked in one of the spare rooms in the R&D building, watching as the familiar brown hair pinned up by a pencil as they looked over the new publication that the agency got recently. "You seem lost at the moment."
"Oh, Dr. P. It's you. It's fine, really. Just... reading up on what some old acquaintances did, you know? Since, I don't think I can pull off what I did back then. Not when my name situation is a mess."
"Well, I heard you kept your identity when you moved here simple and consistent. It's when people try to look into you that causes problems." She sat beside them, choosing not to look at the chocolate eyes as much as she could. Stapled papers and forms littered the table, along with tiny metal parts.
"I have to admit, it's... complicated. I published my thesis in my middle name because... I think you can guess why. It's the same reason why some try to go by more... neutral names. You're braver than me in that aspect. Besides, It's not entirely my research anymore. The name of the development board who funded it will forever be tied to it. It's not mine alone."
"And are you alright with that?" She glanced at the paper, brow raised as the papers seemed to be burying letters amidst the chaos. "I know some people would get upset at that possibility. After all, my research is not entirely my own. The agency has a right to the kinesium notes, even if I did hand it off to Zor."
"In a way." They subtly hid the letters deeper into the stack of papers. "Part of me wanted to disappear. I just... A thought came to me suddenly. I know I should be grateful but... I think that if we swap circumstances, I don't think I can meet you where you are, Doc."
"You're... amazing, Phoenix. I'm sure you can surpass me."
A wet laugh escaped from their lips as their chocolate eyes were curtained by their bangs. "I don't know. Part of me thinks I've just been handed things, you know? I didn't work hard to find opportunities. It found me. All I did was choose. I don't think I ever fought for something often in my life. I know it's a privilege but I don't think I can handle the rejections you faced. In a way, I'm both living in your shadow and standing on your shoulders."
"Phoenix..."
"You may have wanted to kill me as a symbolic representation of the hurt the agency put you through but... I sometimes can't be sure if I hate you or love you." They used their TK to sort the papers from the letters they were burying. "If it wasn't for... someone I wouldn't have reached out. I wouldn't be outgoing enough to fight talking to others. I was just... following orders."
"You seem to be terrible at that. You're far from conventional." She gave them a gentle pat on their head before pulling away when they flinched. She pulled away, grabbing a tiny component from under the shifted papers.
"Not when papers are involved. Not when someone's fate and life can just be redirected with just a single piece of paper. The world you grew up in and the world you made are two different places." They opened one of the letters in front of her and sighed. "I didn't have to worry about being taken as seriously since someone like you broke the ceiling. You proved that women could do things and surpass so many people. I lived in a world where I didn't have to prove that much. It's still a struggle, sure. But I'm not sure I could cope with the pressure you received."
"That's what I wanted. And... I'm glad I did have that effect on you."
"If we swapped, I don't think I could, okay? In one way, I did surpass you but only because you already gave me the platform to do so. I mean, you were the reason I even got the chance to get the TK implant I'm known for using in the first place. I've just been relying on others and all I can do is... be a good steward of what I've been given. I should be grateful but I feel like none of it is mine."
"Phoenix. Listen here closely." Roxana held their shoulder and pushed the hair away from their eyes. "You're doing great. And not everyone can take all the responsibility given to them in stride, you know? From what I can see? You went further, brought up some things I didn't even consider. I know it's true that what I did and made changed how you think but I know you will adapt if you were around in my time, okay?"
"Are you just saying that to cheer me up?"
"I know the look of a fellow soul in STEM who feels lost and alone. It's not my first time comforting someone like this. And there were a few who gave me the courage to try. I guess I'm just paying it forward."
Phoenix gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Doc. It... really means a lot. Would you like to read the letters with me? I can translate if they didn't use English."
Having thoughts since some parts of what Florian does is what I actually have done. In some aspects, I know I have it easier and I have a fear that if I was born earlier, I wouldn't be able to be where I am. But at the same time, one can just feel the pain of living in the current world, you know?
[After their latest mission 13-12 comes back to their office to find a very worried not worried at all Wraith sitting on their desk. There definitely is isn’t more blankets under their desk or snacks put into desk drawers for them to find later.]
[Wires is sitting on their chair and he meows at them when he sees them.]
(In response to this Hele, Guerilla Songs, and Nap Time - @agentwraith )
"Wraith? What are you doing here?" They looked a bit worried at her demeanor.
