HAIII ITS ME YAPPER !!! I LOVE THIS AU SM I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS I WANNA ASK I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND!
First is that do that when the Ancients go back to the present do they remember their time with the Virtues? Or will the witches/Souljams do an asshole move and make them forget them. But if they do still remember, do the Ancients recognize the Virtues now Beasts in the present time? Obviously some wouldn't really recognize easily cause of the new forms, but I'd think Dark Cacao, Golden Cheese, and Hollyberry would have a sense of familiarity when first seeing their old friends, and if they do recognize them, will the Ancients refuse to fight? Or at least try to cuz they still pose a threat? If the events of canon still happen with some difference, would they all pull the same shit which is like "Join me, this isn't you and I know it." Kinda thing?
And (the possibility that they still remember their time w the Virtues) once they do defeat them, what will they think after that? Lots of empathy right? Conflicted thoughts, maybe. Especially since they have to pick up pieces from before receiving their Souljams from them and after and the time searching for the Virtues, but since time passed, to the Ancients it seemed like the world deemed them as never existing which hurts them, but they now meet them again as broken souls, and they pick up hints that there was some sort of time shinnanigans happened cause the Beasts kept on hinting how long they've been stuck in a tree and been look for them (the ancients).
And by connecting from that, Shamil would make sure that Pure Vanilla stays with him forever, cause of Shamil realizing that PV is his old crush back then, but if PV knew who Shamil was, would PV say something about it? Cause if we're following what happens in canon would that mean PV allowed himself to become Truthless Recluse just so he can understand Shamil's pain better? And once he awakens (I assume they do!) PV would have made a well thought out speech to Shamil, and probably having SLIGHTLY a better chance at him succeeding on being friends. (But obviously this would hurt Shamil more cuz he did deceive him and also he has romantic feelings for PV so it would've DEFO hurt a lot...)
And a small question for Etsuga's plans, would she brainwash the Hollyberrians like in canon when the teleport her to her garden or do they let her have their free spirited mind in the garden, when they talk to Pavlova? (I assume the second option right?) And despite everything she did for Hollyberry, I'd assume that when Hollyberry wanted to leave she had a much bigger breakdown than in canon :((
They keep their memories however given the absurdity of going back in time, they question how real it was. Also, with the Virtues kinda being erased from history outside of BeastYeast, they can’t really confirm it. In addition, a few didn’t realize they were in the past (Golden, maybe Holly) or knew they were talking to a Virtue (Golden, Pure, kind of Cacao). So yeah… they remember.
In terms of recognizing the beast version, that varies.
3. Shadow Milk’s whole memory manipulation and shapeshifting causes Pure Vanilla to not believe the person he met in the past (who talked about Fount as a different person) is the Fount and Shadow Milk by proxy.
2. Golden Cheese sees the resemblance and assumes she was crushing on the original owners son/creation.
1. Dark Cacao recognizes her as Granter but does not know she and the priestess disguise are two people.
5. White Lily learn this throw Elder Faerie who told her about the Beast being the Virtues (she learns during her stalking the Knight is a Virtue.)
4. Hollyberry knew she was a Virtue and knew what she looked and acted like. This corrupted version is so similar yet different.
There desire to fight is still there.
4. Hollyberry kinda wants to just hug Eternal but she also hurt the garden residents and has put Holly’s people in danger. Thus, she has to try to talk with Eternal though mist stuff follows canon’s major strokes in regards to interactions between them
2. Golden at first is even more angry thinking Burning Spice killed her crush or did not care about it. Overall, even when she realizes they are one in the same, canon still happens with a few adjustments like Spice talking about keeping her caged and how she should prove her worth as she once claimed, but by the end she realizes the truth and warns him that he is no longer worthy of her. Now the roles are reversed so he should earn her queenly hand.
3. Pure Vanilla doesn’t realize until really late in the game and is basically his canon self. Shadow Milk thinks PV forgot about their past interactions (insanity and clouded memories make him forget about the disguised thing for a while and by the time Shmilk remembers the disguise PV cannot trust his words. His Recluse self basically rejects the idea outright and is very antagonistic about Shmilk trying to ‘pretend’ to be that friend.
1. Dark Cacao is guilted with the backstory realizing his part in the situation but he is a king. He needs to save his citizens, so he lives with the guilt of needing to defeat her just as he does with him fighting and injuring his son. He is more sad knowing the priestess he befriended died and when he learns they were one and the same…. That leaves him more depressed and confused.
5. Can’t say much for White Lily without the update. She definitely projects the guilt of her own past and how she does think she deserves forgiveness on Silent Salt.
Actually for the ShadowVanilla end scene, the major idea is this: Pure Vanilla kind of finishes the wedding/binding ritual Shadow Milk tried to make before he disappeared in the past. Him stating they are meant to be together triggers his side of the binding to be complete. Now, they are doubly bond; Shadow Milk is both over the moon that they are finally wed and devastated his plan failed. The honeymoon period is wild.
Most would be utterly brainwashed, but the royal family would not be. They most likely are to the same extent Hollyberry was as in they overlook weird details but otherwise very conscious. Also, yes, her breakdown is worse with Hollyberry leaving and the aftermath is sadder with her kind-of son Pavlova leaving after aging up with the excuse to ‘convince’ them to come back.