Keeper of Knowledges

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Loop is a little enigma completely on purpose. They basically never tell the Empress a thing about who they are or where they come from… but when they do, it’s usually to annoy her with intrigue. Only, it doesn’t always work. This woman is completely unbothered by Loop’s vague threats and concerning amount of knowledge on her personhood… until Loop accidentally lets it slip that they come from somewhere with another Odile. THEN she’s interested.

Every tantalizing secret needs to be skillfully plucked and pried from the Empress’ pet, and while Loop thinks they haven’t revealed enough to be of substance, Odile thinks she’s making good progress. More than enough to create theories about her little plaything, certainly.

Friendquests are absolutely a thing! Though Isabeau likes to think of them more as Feelings Talky-Talks.

Odile and him have a heart to heart about their experience with Body Craft and belonging, and how their journeys are poorly concealed guises to learn more about their own identities. Isabeau relishes in how much they really do have in common, and reassures her that despite not knowing all areas of her grief, she will always be a part of their family. They part ways after he gifts her with a copy of his own familytale, promising to write more stories in it with her and the others after everything. Isabeau learns that there's a fragility to even the strongest of their team, and that he'd do anything to protect them.

Mirabelle and Isabeau have a hilarious comedy of errors while he tries to help her with her dating profiles, only to realize they are very much NOT on the same romantic spectrum. He helps put a name to her asexuality and aromanticism, having spent plenty of time researching his own orientation when he was young. He reassures her that Change is an act of becoming who you want to be, and some people just take more steps than others. Mirabelle is a bit more comforted by the prospect of not needing to change, and Isabeau realizes he shouldn't be scared of his next big change, either.

Bonnie and Isabeau have a sparring match! At first Isabeau assumes it's because Bonnie wants to help more in the House, and it is... but after enough trading soft pillowy blows, Bon Bon finally winds down enough to admit they were really just frustrated and thought that maybe they could punch their feelings out. They both have a talk about how hard it can be to have big feelings as rock-types, since society expects for them to be aggressive and always strong. Isabeau ends up coaxing out Bonnie's fears, especially for Frin's safety. The two bond over their mutual love of their buddy Siffrin, and being forever Rock Buddies. Isabeau relearns an important lesson about bottling up his feelings.

Siffrin is simple; They go to see the stars again! The topic changes every time they go out to the field, Isabeau using it as an opportunity to try and learn more about the love of his life. His ultimate goal isn't to find out secrets of their most reclusive member, but to finally prove to Siffrin that they're not the lightless sheep of the group that they think they are. Isabeau aspires to never leave anyone behind.

(Based on an RP of the same AU with my genius bestie @upandgoinover)

He knew. Basically the whole time. Of course he knew.

How couldn’t he recognize them?

Loop is frustrated it took him nearly 300 loops to come right out and say it… but they’re mostly pissed at themself for not expecting Isa to catch on. Smart, smart Isa who never stops being smart even when he’s fallen into the role of barbaric meathead.

Worst of all, of course he’s taking it upon himself to fix what’s been done. What they did. And he won’t even give them the dignity of being mad at them. Of course…

Also @possum-that-likes-the-stars2 you didn’t think I’d remember? Start dancing, pal >:3

I really like your art, it's super cool and pretty!!! (Also empress odile specifically is just so beautiful) I love your aus!!!!

You see, Body Craft is still quite illegal in Ka Bue and EXTREMELY taboo. Odile had to go through so many hoops and back alley deals to get her own body crafted the way she needed.

^w^ Y’all catch on quick

I have been DYING to answer this!

So! As far as The Empress is concerned, she has no idea these other people exist. She’s never met the others in this AU, staying in Ka Bue instead of traveling and eventually rising to power because of coup d’état.

However! As part of her extreme agenda to reshape the traditionalist values outlawing Body Craft, she did recently approve for the establishment of the first House of Change in Ka Bue, which is to be run by Head Housemaiden Mirabelle and General Isabeau of the Defenders. Mirabelle and Isabeau haven’t met the Empress yet, but they hear that she is as terrifying as she is stubborn. Though she is allowing for missionaries of Change in the land of Expressions, so… maybe she really isn’t so bad?

As for Bonnie and Nille, they migrated to Ka Bue years ago in order to get as far away from Bambouche as possible. Now, they co-own the best crabbing restaurant the nation has ever seen, baby.

Loop knows none of this, and is languishing in the palace as Odile’s “prisoner” under the full impression that this is just some sick, twisted universe where Odile is the only one of the party that exists. To torment them or something. Is that sound logic? No. But it’s insulting enough having to hang with one shallow imitation of their old family. They don’t need three more, and so they choose not to think about it. Little do they know that the others are closer than they could possibly imagine…

Aside from his friends generally noticing he's gotten stronger, does he have the same moment as Siffrin did, where their strength scares them in the tutorial?

And does he ever accidentally hurt someone? Or does he break something that ends up ruining a loop?

ABSOLUTELY.

There's been a time or ten that he's completely gotten them stuck because he's broken something he shouldn't have... but it's okay!

Once his level reaches the 100s, he realizes that X in the top corner signifying a dead loop is just a suggestion! He's strong enough to just punch their way out now!

But punching things harder doesn't necessarily give your already terrified friends peace of mind... sometimes he needs to backtrack anyway just to make sure they're not TOO spooked.

As for hurting anyone, he wouldn't dare lay a heavy hand on any of his family. (Whether or not they occasionally get caught in the crossfire and debris of his carnage is another story...)

Oh this is a fun one!

Isabeau loses his sash every loop because he visits Mirabelle's fan! He notices early on that her dress features some of the same stitch work as Siffrin's cloak and hat, and as an aspiring designer, he is ECSTATIC. He asks for her help figuring out how to craft the stitches, and uses his sash as his practice fabric. It... gets eaten by her sewing machine every time. But he continues to go back to her almost every time to get more practice in!

Isabeau's prayers to the Change God statue are well balanced in the beginning, but he seems to prioritize getting stronger in later loops. Best defense is a good offense, after all. Though it really seems like he should've capped out his ATK a long time ago.

Other notable failed love confessions to Siffrin include:

Leaning against the railing trying to look cool and falling off the top of the house (Odile was traumatized, and now Isabeau is scared of heights!)

Stuttering and fumbling one sentence for so long that he's forced to loop back. Seems like some higher entity saw fit to put him out of his misery.

Blindfolding himself for bravery and accidentally confessing to Mirabelle (he got hardcore rejected by her, which kinda hurt!),

Inhaling a bug

Siffrin walking in on him practicing his confession with Odile

Falling out of bed

Getting strangled by Odile for making too much noise in the Clocktower

Bonnie attacking Isabeau before he could get his confession out during snack time ("I'm trying to win a bet, Za! Don't confess your stupid crabbing feeling right now!!!")

Cutely proposing to Siffrin with a pineapple ring (It was awful! He hated this one! Really bad idea!)

The reason he only outgrows his sleeves and not his black turtleneck is because Loop cut the back of his collar for him! It was strangling his poor neckie :(

He read the book "Just Because You're Rock Type Doesn't Mean You Can Destroy Walls", and decided to start doing it anyway. Did you guys know you could skip collecting all the keys and just go straight to destroying the dOORS BY PUNCHING THEM OPEN?!?! IT'S SO EFFICIENT :D

Not quite the same way! Isabeau was not shy about telling his friends about the loops early on, which is why he was able to discover pretty much all the House's secrets in the first 30 ish loops! Secret library, the bomb, Mirabelle's shield, Wish Craft, the lost country... all the works! He even tells them about Loop sometimes, even if they disappear any time he tries to introduce them.

Though even with all of his friends' help, reminding them he's in a time loop every time, they eventually just... ran out of ideas of how to help him. He doesn't mind! He really appreciated their help! But after that, he realized it was just faster/easier to keep looping after the fact if he didn't tell anyone. Less questions, more time to figure things out on his own. He felt terrible about it the first time he kept his loops a secret, but he was making progress for the first time in a while...

And so he saves telling them the truth for extra special occasions where he really needs their expertise. Though that's not to say they don't notice things off even if he doesn't tell them...

Like the fact that he's twice the size he was before, or his scar, or that he's stronger than ever, or that he just... knows things. Odile susses him out frequently, and he made a rule to himself that if any of his family figure it out, he'll tell them everything.

This interaction circles around in my head. Constantly. Would something similar happen in the isabeau loops au?

(I am also obsessed with this line of dialogue and whatever is wrong with them.

If I had to guess, it'd probably be along the lines of...)

Isabeau: Crab, sorry Loop!

Loop: Hmm? For what?

Isabeau: It's just that I'm always talking about my friends and the House, and I forget that you're stuck here all alone…

Loop: Aw! How sweet! He realizes! And here I thought you'd keep talking at me lik—

Isabeau: Oh! Like you're my partner waiting around home all day, and when I finally get back, all I can talk about is how much fun I’ve been having with other people :(

Loop: ...

Isabeau: ...

Loop: Yeah, no. Terrible metaphor. It's not like that at all.

Isabeau: Well, not literally bu—

Of course!

Fun Fact: Isabeau is not in direct control of his loops. It’s not his wish, after all. Sure he can use tears and banana peels, but he will not loop back just because he’s in a difficult or emotional situation!

In the Memory of Worse Touch loop, he of course wanted to apologize to Siffrin! Or at least explain himself! The poor thing looked scared senseless! But before Isabeau could say anything, he looped back to before the kiss even happened…

It’s a mystery why that is. It’s not like Isabeau or Siffrin were ready to undo what’s been done!

(Maybe… someone saw something that they didn’t like…)

Oh, I’ve definitely been considering writing out segments, for sure. Only problem is that I’ve never written a full on fanfiction before!

“Memory of Worse Touch”