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Memory of Inquiry - 1

Loop couldn’t see Siffrin clearly from where they were. But they could feel the hesitation.

Knowing that at this point, Siffrin doesn’t bother trying to talk to Loop since the King fight is pretty routine, Loop decided to try something. They didn’t know what would happen if they did this. Would they reach their own Isabeau? Or the fighter?

They took a moment to work up the courage. They formulated the fighter in their head, and took the plunge. They spoke, “Hello. Isabeau, correct?” Loop felt the sparks of craft tingling their brain, so they cut in, “Don’t reply. I just want you to listen.”

The craft fizzled out, and Loop sighed in relief. They wanted to hide this from their stardust for a while, and having Isabeau reply would ruin it. Loop continued, “You’ve landed yourself in a time loop, hm? Well, how about you meet me at the Favor Tree the next time you’re in Dormont? Then we could talk about what we know. Since, well, I don’t want you to waste your precious energy on a simple call.”

Loop dropped the call, and waited for the King fight to finish. It was… irritating, to know that the fight against the King could’ve ended much sooner if they had only thought to teach Mirabelle about the damned shield skill. But they could never confess this. Ever. They already chose a role. They didn’t want to drop a twist so soon.

This time it was a victory. They were on the roof. Kudos to the fighter, it didn’t feel like Siffrin suspected anything. It was time to talk to the Head Housemaiden and loop back to Dormont. That’s when Loop felt a twinge of fear. It’s fair, it was muted, somewhat, because Siffrin had already been on the roof a few times. This fear however. This fear was different.

There was pain. Pain that got sharper and sharper. What… what was this… what was he…

Oh.

Oh no.

And Siffrin looped. Back to Dormont supposedly, because Isabeau was nearby, shaken. He was looking at his hands.

Immediately after witnessing a suicide. What a way to meet. They looked at Isabeau. Siffrin was going to perform the friend quests again. This could mean more time for chatting about Isabeau’s perspective. Loop stood up from their seat on the Favor Tree and called, “Oh Fighter!~”

Isabeau turned his gaze to the Favor Tree. He looked around for any other sign of life before pointing to himself. Loop beckoned him closer before sitting down on their beloved root. Isabeau sat across from Loop, confused. Maybe even a little suspicious.

Loop squinted their eyes in a smile, beginning to tease, “Oh please. Fighter, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to assume you’re the Researcher in disguise!” Isabeau was smart. He could probably see through Loop’s mask in practically no time at all. No amount of acting can hide this level of intellect from them. Isabeau looked away a little, seemingly thinking.

My oh my, was Loop finding it odd. Isabeau was usually very boisterous. So this silence was… uncharacteristic!

Loop could guess why. And they would be right.

After a minute, Isabeau stated, “I have… numerous questions.” Loop put a hand over their non existent mouth, “As expected. Fire away, Fighter!” The name made Isabeau stop. He paused.

“Before we begin… I… would not like to be called by an epithet if we’re going to see and speak to each other again.” Isabeau explained. Loop cocked their head to the side, “Very well, darling Apollo.” That caused Isabeau to get confused again, “Apo- Alright, at least it isn’t a title… I think…” Haha, Isabeau’s confusion was cute.

Stop it, Loop.

They aren’t yours, silly!

Isabeau fake coughed before asking, “What do I… hm… Do you have a name?” Loop tapped their cheek with one finger and looked off to the side, acting like they were thinking before answering, “You can call me Loop.” Isabeau muttered the name under his breath before nodding. So stern! Loop was joking before, but was the Universe playing a trick on them? Was the Researcher actually spying on them with the Fighter being in on it?

Isabeau readjusted the way he was sitting. That’s fair. The root was probably more Siffrin size. So he was probably a bit uncomfortable. He looked at Loop, “So… what are you? Because-“ Loop quickly interrupted, “A star!~” Isabeau’s inquisitive expression turned into a frustrated one, “No you’re not.” Loop made it a sport of finding the quickest way to irritate someone. Isa’s intellect caught up to him again! The star crossed their legs, “Then what am I?” Isabeau had to think for a moment, “I- You are… I… I may need more evidence.” Loop giggled.

“Okay, so you finally confirmed a theory by calling this a time loop. It's a time loop triggered by either freezing, dying, talking to the head housemaiden, or a moment of extreme distress. But… does it revolve around everyone, or just…” Isabeau inquired, causing Loop to clap, “Oh, Apollo, what a logical mind you have! Why don’t you test it out?” Isabeau was hesitant, “Are you asking me to… kill myself?” The star nodded, “If you’re going to come back, why not try?”

Isabeau looked unnerved. It took him a moment, but he agreed. Loop sighed, “Apollo, dearest, it’s scary. But aren’t all experiments unexpected? Only once. Give me the results, and then we will work from there.”

Isabeau looked at Loop, slightly wary. He didn’t really know what to use. How to… die. He asked, anxious, “But what do I use?” Loop thought for a moment, “The earliest way to die is getting crushed by the rock in the death corridor. The most painless is the tears, which are on basically every floor. Or, you could die in battle. Die like a hero, if you want a virtuous demise.” Isabeau was silent for a moment. The fighter readjusted to sitting a bit closer to himself. Loop continued, “It’ll hurt, but there’s some level of dignity in ‘falling on your blade’. There are sadnesses on every floor, but I doubt Stardust would ever permit you to die that way.” Isabeau added, “Or at all.” Loop nodded, “….Yes. Now you see why this might be tricky.”

Isabeau stood up from his root, saying with a small smile, “I think Sif’s gonna come back in a bit. I should get back to my spot. However, thank you for the idea, Loop. See you soon.” Loop giggled, “A genuine thanks! Gross!” The star’s expression softened, “I greatly appreciated our time together, Apollo. I’ll see you soon. Feel free to call when you’re stuck.” Isabeau then began to leave.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆

Another snack room.

The air was tense.

Siffrin was seemingly in thought, maybe trying to process something. Mirabelle was anxious, probably about the Head Housemaiden. Bonnie was busy just eating their snack.

Isabeau was truly indecisive on what he was going to do. How he was going to die. And, now that he was here, he had close to no choice. So, trying to keep this from Odile, Isabeau did the infamous hand sign that he taught himself and formulated Siffrin’s image in his head.

Once he felt the craft work, he looked at Siffrin, who seemed visibly distracted by their own thoughts. Isabeau was finding it a bit nerve wracking to speak to Siffrin, but well, he kinda needed the rogue to cooperate at least for a minute. Isabeau relaxed before starting to speak quietly, “Sif? Can I talk to you in… the next room?”

Siffrin was startled before looking straight at Isabeau, incredulously. Siffrin stood up, declaring, “Can I speak with Isa, privately, if possible?” Isabeau was pleased to see that, while Odile was a bit suspicious, she permitted it. Mirabelle handed the fighter a ‘we’ll talk about this later’ look, and Bonnie was curious but didn’t pry.

As he walked into the room with the staircase, Isabeau heard a familiar voice in his head.

‘Oh Apollo~ Please, do me a favor. Don’t mention that I’m working with you. Or else.’

Siffrin stopped and looked at Isabeau, asking, “What’s wrong? Where did you learn that?” Isabeau looked at Siffrin. He didn’t have to give a complete lie for those questions. But he still felt a bit guilty about hiding Loop’s involvement.

Isabeau did the hand signal before saying, “This? I picked it up from you. Though, I haven’t really been using it much.” It’s true that he hadn’t used that kind of craft in the house a lot, but it is extremely useful when talking to Mirabelle in the case that neither of them are sure who Siffrin is going to chat to and when. He undid the craft sign and waited for Siffrin’s reply, even if it was just a change in expression.

Siffrin almost seemed… somewhat endeared by that. But that was beside the point. Isabeau needed to ask and deliver this as softly as possible. Or maybe he should give it straight? Siffrin met Isabeau’s eyes, “Isa, why did you want to talk with me privately? What can’t be said to the entire group but can be said to me alone? Are you… worried about something?”

Isabeau rubbed his left arm slowly, “Sif… I… Do you think… we can lose to the King on purpose, this time?” Siffrin looked at the fighter wide-eyed. They paused for a bit to take in the question, “You… you know about the…” The fighter watched as Siffrin’s worry turned into anxiety.

Isabeau fought with himself, choosing this to be the moment where he touches- no, holds Siffrin. He grabbed Siffrin’s shoulders firmly, getting a flinch as well as their attention, “Please, Sif? Breathe with me?” This was not going nicely. Not at all.

The duo took a moment of silence as they both worked together to get rid of the stress on their shoulders. Isabeau softened his grip, moving one hand onto Siffrin’s head.

More moments of peace and breathing. Isabeau looked down at Siffrin and stated, “I want to use these next few loops to… experiment with things you may not have tried before. If that’s alright.” That explanation seemed to confuse Siffrin a little, “‘Experiment’? How will losing to the King be an experiment?”

Isabeau answered, truthfully, “I want to know what happens between when we die, and when we wake up.” Siffrin looked at Isabeau, concerned. They sighed, “It hurts me worse, seeing you get hurt.” The fighter was a tad ashamed to hear that. He could feel the guilt wash over his face. Then an extra comment from Siffrin grabbed his attention. Siffrin spoke softly, perhaps hoping to keep the thought to themself, “You know about the loops… Bonnie knows about the loops… Mira too…. Is Odile going to…? Wait, when did you become aware of them?”

The Fighter really did not want to answer that. Siffrin’s reaction and expression from that kiss were engraved into his mind, and pushing him away felt like the worst move he could’ve done there. But, if he wanted to be honest, he had to rip the bandaid off. So he, unable to meet Siffrin’s eyes, said, “Since you kissed me, Sif.”

Siffrin looked shaken. They looked right at Isabeau, and started to apologize profusely. Oh, he should’ve thought about this before saying that. Isabeau grabbed both of Siffrin’s hands and held them in his own, silencing the rogue for a moment. He squeezed them a bit, maybe trying to drag the traveler away from whatever thought process they were zipping through.

He… found this to feel vaguely familiar. Odd.

“I’ve known since that point. Not before… at all. If I talk about anything that happened before that moment, it’s probably because Mira told me.” Isabeau elaborated, “I don’t know why we’re ‘waking up’ at different times. But I think solving the conundrum that is the loops is higher on the priority list. Is there something you haven’t tried yet?” Isabeau let go of Siffrin’s hands, still slightly hesitant to touch him for too long.

Siffrin, slightly saddened, thought for a moment, “Talk to the King? I don’t have much to ask the Head Housemaiden.” Isabeau was hesitant to permit that, considering the King is a terrorist or maybe something even worse. He nodded in acknowledgment, “Alright… I’ll admit that I am not the most fond of that idea, but it might help.” A voice buzzed in his head:

‘You and me both, Apollo.’

Isabeau paused for a second before agreeing , “So, yeah. Let’s talk to the King.” Siffrin smiled softly, “Thank you, for helping me, despite all the mistakes I made…” Isabeau smiled back, “I’m glad to be of assistance. Wanna go back?” Siffrin nodded, “Time to… lose to the King. It’ll hurt, so brace yourself.”

“Will do, Boss.”

“Isa, please don’t call me that.”

“Just kidding.”

They came back, and Siffrin stated, “Let's go. We have a King to defeat.” Maybe Siffrin was putting up a front for Odile. Siffrin knows that Bonnie and Mirabelle are aware. But Odile is an uncertainty. She’s smart, but maybe…

He didn’t really need to worry so much for that one, since all he had to do was ask to repeat a conversation from a previous loop.

As the group began to approach the hair covered path to the King, Isabeau noticed Siffrin having a hushed conversation with Mirabelle, no doubt asking her to do something. Or not do something, he guessed.

Bracing yourself for something agonizing… it’s harder than the heroes in stories make it out to be. Yes, the King is a gargantuan beast that can absolutely cause damage unheard of. But really. If he knew he was going to experience agony but not how much, it made him feel… uncertain.

Everyone is afraid of pain and agony at least to a small extent. But it’s fine. It’s for the experiment. It won’t take many loops. Then they can all go back to more direct approaches to stopping the loops.

Loop was another enigma. What were they? Who were they? How did they know Isabeau? What was with the brief look of… dismay? Grief? Something in their eyes bothered him a bit. Maybe Loop was playing up their whole personality to mess with him. It’s a possibility. He just hoped that it wasn’t just for fun…

Isabeau felt the King watch everyone as the group approached. Is it possible to see through his hair or his fists? Probably not. Is it because he heard them approach? That seemed more plausible, despite the lack of echo.

He got into a fighting stance, looking at Siffrin. The silence was deafening, yet soft. Maybe Isabeau wanted some comfort in death, however lacking it may be. He was still, knowingly, going to die.

So the brief silence was welcoming to an extent. He felt someone look at him. Isabeau looked to his right to see Siffrin’s face.

Siffrin was worried. Definitely. They looked at Isabeau with an expression that asked ‘Are you sure’. Isabeau smiled and nodded. It was a nervous smile, because who wouldn’t be nervous at the advent of their demise, so it didn’t quite help alleviate the concern on Siffrin’s face.

The rogue took a deep breath in and out, before saying, “Let’s get this over with.” Mirabelle didn’t grace the King with any words. Isabeau gathered his bearings. Odile prepared herself, stating, “Get ready, everyone.”

The King stopped everyone with a stern “Wait.” There was a pause. Maybe that’s why Siffrin hadn’t entered a stance yet.

“You. Traveler.” The King bellowed. Odile raised a brow and looked at Siffrin with a look of confusion. Siffrin glanced back at Odile, before turning their attention to the King.

“Bright one.” The King paused, “Do you remember?” Siffrin looked down, brows furrowed. Isabeau wondered if that was what Siffrin wanted to figure out. The rogue shook their head and refocused. The King wailed. Utterances of how they should remember things. That they, Siffrin and the King, have to remember.

After the King stopped his pleading, his gaze turned to the team. He steeled himself, bellowing, “….We shall fight. AND WE SHALL SEE WHICH SIDE THE UNIVERSE FAVORS!!!”

Battle time. But the King has things to say. Siffrin seemingly decided to not pay attention. Mirabelle is paying attention. Isabeau decided to listen as well.

The King wrung his hands together, hair veiling his face, “….Oh…. Oh…. Despite what you may think….. I am…. A merciful King.I will give you some time to come to terms with your end…. A most beautiful end…. An eternal end….” Isabeau sighed, “You really are taking us for cowards, aren’t you?” Mirabelle looked a tad surprised that Isabeau spoke directly to the King, but followed up, “We won’t hesitate until you’re good as gone!” Odile repeated the warning from previously, and the battle had truly begun.

The King changed up his first attack. Siffrin passed his turn to Odile so they could start off with a strong paper attack. Mirabelle followed up with Artsy Silent Burst, a paper attack of her own. And then the King spoke, “Ooh, ooooooh…… It is time, saviors.”

The King snapped his fingers. And everyone’s bodies were mostly frozen. But it was enough to look back at Bonnie, who was shaken. As Odile yelled for them to run, they quickly picked up their composure. Bonnie handed the King a hateful, yet teary glare before booking it.

Siffrin shared a few weakened words with the King, before the King swept his hand across the battlefield, probably damn near crushing everyone into a bloody pulp.

They were done for. The agony Isabeau felt at that moment was unlike anything he had ever known. His vision blurred before he collapsed and slowly bled to death.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆

I’m back.

Mirabelle, what is your relationship with Loop?

“Loop? Oh! I…” Mirabelle laughed nervously, “They never interacted with me like they did with Bonnie and Isabeau. I don’t know what their voice sounds like… or well… I didn’t?” Mirabelle fidgeted with her hands, looking at the ground, “The first time I heard them was when me and my family members split up to search the house, because there were things there that weren’t in the house in previous loops. Their voice was… hesitant? They tripped up a lot when I answered back…”

A memory of a dream graced her mind. It only happened once from what she recalled, but it was a fight with the King. The King was so much crueler than she remembered. Siffrin looked so tired… so resigned to his fate. The fight went on, but she couldn’t fight properly. It was like she was merely piloting a corpse that held her face. It didn’t take long for the pain to start and blossom into a horrible amalgamation of agony and suffering. She felt herself break, shatter, cry, scream, beg-

Maybe that’s why…