Had Vertin been quicker, faster, earlier, maybe they might have finally spoken and not have been so separated yet close. One in reality and one in dreams. Does Vertin dream of the woman who cared for her in those fleeting hours, minutes where time seemingly had stopped that no raindrops rose into the sky?
Later down the line is Vertin kicking herself, realising the doctor who cared for a complete stranger, a stranger who gave up her life in an instant to ensure her patient's safety, a stranger whose purpose in this greater war of past, present and future, may not be the whole of the woman she longs answers from?
Their meetings are through fragments of memoirs, musings, articles, issues, fragments from people of a blind doctor, an explorer and journalist, a Friend from Afar: Vertin has met Urd, in writings and in others, but not truly her mother.
Is she all of these iterations? Identities? Faces? Is she this woman blind to her vision and past whose presence lingers after each Storm the same woman lost to that room, strapped down to a table as her daughter's last memory of her, as the world has seemingly forgotten?
What lies at the end of their journeys? Is there reunion fated in tragedy or forever in close calls and missed opportunities. Are they fated to be all alone, once again?
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(Fic Idea) Exploring the post-Vienna dynamic between Marcus, Kakania and Isolde with possible reconciliation.
(Marcus does appear in very few fics)
Fun prompt one: Kakania has made it very clear in her anecdote, suitcase lines and wilderness lines she will not meet with Isolde until she is able to help her. However in joining the TK team she is often seen finding different ways to evade Isolde, and hey jumping out of married women's windows does pay off alot. Until it doesn't.
Kakania maybe is enjoying tea with Druvis and Lorelei (or really anyone other than Semmelweis and Isolde) until she hears Isolde approaching. So as any sane person would do Kakania promptly leaves via window, just as Isolde sees her exit. This time however is different, Isolde is wearing the new Jazz style outfit from 2.1 (read my other posts on that outfit and why I like the idea of the garment showing her growth) - and unlike her previous two outfits this one allows for more flexibility in movement.
Isolde is also very experienced in emulating and imitating others, as part of her channeling skill. Plus the fact that she has probably seen Kakania escape from windows before (how in a narrow skirt like Kakania's I will never know) means she probably has an idea how to do it. So Isolde also proceeds to jump near perfectly out of the same window to pursue Kakania, much to her shock and horror at realising she really cannot escape Isolde.
Maybe they could finally reconcile here, or at the very least find a way to live again in each others presence.
Prompt Two: Marcus above everyone has all the reason to avoid Isolde, shes the one who killed Greta Hoffman, even if unintentionally Isolde is still the one to end Hoffman's life. Marcus never figured that Isolde would seek her out in any way so why worry one today she will actually speak to her? She thought of this until the very moment Isolde approached her suddenly one today.
Upon returning to the Foundation after 1.9, Marcus was also given Greta's office, and realised she had collected all the editions of the Flannel Isles, from the first to the last one which they had worked together on.
Why would Isolde approach her? Well somehow Isolde was able to find a copy of the Flannan Isles editions in the Foundation's library, read it and tracked down the potential author of them. Why would Isolde take such interest? I would say the detail on the three ghosts that reside in the lighthouse intrigued her enough to seek the author.
This is how I would frame Marcus and Isolde starting to interact despite everything. Marcus being an overanalysed and someone able to discern details in art probably could find common ground with Isolde, who's a perfectionist. They could discuss the nature of ghosts as the both of them have first hand experience (one more pleasant than the other). Discuss art and culture, pointing out finer details and such. Having a connection outside of Kakania would be a good thing for Isolde.
(Based on the ask by @little-bunny-with-purple-stinger initally answered by Comrade @the-blossica-fan )
Summary: Sonetto joins Vertin and the others in the Breakaway Incident but this time it's Sonetto the sole survivor - becoming the TimeKeeper!
Yes I thought about this AU, and Im bored waiting for 2.1 and 2.4 respectively so indulge in my suffering in grabbing the ball and chucking it into the next era.
Major Differences to Canon:
Her relationships to early game cast, espeically Regulus and Druvis is much rougher in canon - the story will have a focus on Sonetto attempting to build these connections over time. Team TK in this AU have alot of growing pains.
Sonetto even as TK is more sheltered, a "looking through the glass" perspective to the outside world in comparison to Vertin, she takes much longer to adapt to operating outside of direct orders of the Foundation.
Vertin being essentially dead in this AU, she gets to haunt the narrative this time :) (mostly)
Overhaul to Books 1/2 as seen in the previous post (look for the au tag idk to link in mobile):
Extended time in 1920s Chicago - from 33 hours to a week.
Schneider is more prominent in this AU, this is friends to enemies to reluctant partners to lover yuri! Yes Schnieder also survives the 1920s Storm in this AU. She will occupy Vertin's role as a spark of rebellion and insight for Sonetto into Italian culture!
Other differences:
As all ages are the same Matilda is not Sonetto's Chief Assistant: shes currently still in SPDM until 2.0 event story.
Main story differences in broad very broad ideas: @the-blossica-fan comrade feel free if u want to add anything:
Book 3/4
😅 Complete overhaul again, Schnieder barely survives the Storm and is rendered into a coma, immediately is taken by the Foundation and monitored (so again taking Vertin's place). Sonetto and the early TK Team is still separated and pressured into joining the Foundation. Sonetto does follow her canon arc in the story but with the added eventual goal to create a Bill that gives the people that she saves more freedom - cue Reformation Bill as part of the Chicago Branch trial. Over the course of the story Sonetto slowly learns why Vertin goes to such lengths to escape SPDM, the Bill as the first step.
(Btw Book 3 is not only flashbacks of the Breakaway but also more as well from Schneider as Mesmer is put in charge of her, as the request of Sonetto)
Book 5
💀 Aperion is my achilles heel in every sense, so heres the general idea of what I will alter:
Events more or more play out the same, differences being Schnieder's presence causing a strain in her and Sonetto's very rocky relationship so far, and greater emphasis and involvement of Sophia. Yes Sonetto will speak out in the Hall by attacking Arcana, yes she will be put on trial for her transgessions.
But how does she win the arguement? Well. She doesn't.
But someone does intervene to aid her, team TK wasn't the only visitors of the island at that point: a duo had appeared shortly before very did. One of them is claimed by 37 as a 0, their interference saves Sonetto's life.
Ok major divergence from Canon:
The presence of Urd and "Skuld":
(Very clunky naming system just playing with the Three Norns from Norse Mythology, Urd being fate and Skuld being present. Also because Verdandi is too much on the nose)
Turns out Vertin is very not dead! In the Breakaway Vertin does still have her immunity, Sonetto surviving may have been because of her (aka this is me telling you im leaving it ambiguous because i too dont know, im making it work in a narrative sense). Vertin unseen to Sonetto is miraculously picked up by Urd, so mother-daughter duo travelling the world and gaining insight and haunting the damn narrative as Urd already does but double the annoyance to people figuring out who is who.
So Vertin is a editor and photographer for UTTU alongside her mother, knowing the truth of the Storm and can only watch Sonetto from a distance, only interfering with necessary. Hence saving her in the trial. How does she not recognise Vertin? Through manipulation of the fog, we know on some level the Storm can infect memories so lets say the duo can similar to the immunity can obscure facts about themselves.
So anyways, Sonetto was tasked to find the pair (duo name TBA) similar to Vertin in canon on the Island. Tie it back to seeing the outside world promise Vertin gave her and boom, two motivations for Sonetto, fulfil the wish of an old friend and now seek the people that might have answers to the Storm especially the one that eerily reminds her of Vertin.
More or less everything plays out the same, Sonetto does get more involved with 37, again growing pains with Sonetto learning to be a more charismatic leader alongside Schneider giving tips.
In terms of events: more or less the same, where Vertin is replace with Sonetto (Uluru), for Greenlake sans Vertin replace with Schneider (general idea again I point to @schneiderenjoyer 's AU they did a Greenlake event with Schnieder, its more or less the idea here with ofc no Vertin).
Ok thats all for now folks! Feel free to change or add anything. Feel free to ask as well I like to feed the brainworms now and again
What a Sonetto and Vertin "breakup" would look like (aka the Foundation finally forcing Sonetto to choose Vertin or the Foundation)
(Aka I will start throwing random fic ideas to people here in hope more fics are written for R1999, and because Im better at anaylsis than writing a coherent story with dialogue lol)
A running theory of sorts Ive had for a while in terms of main story (global friendly btw) is the critical point in Vertin and Sonetto's relationship, that at one point Sonetto will be forced to choose between Vertin and the Foundation. It is inevitable that Vertin's quest for the truth of the Storm, her mother and desire to save as many people from the Storm will and has come into conflict with the wishes of the Foundation - as seen in Book 3 with the Reformation Bill.
So what will finally cause such a dire situation to force Sonetto into such a situation? @sleeplesssmoll brought this idea that its Vertin that creates this tension, taking a path even the loyal puppy cannot fathom to follow and default to the Foundation. I would wager the Manus will present an offer so beneficial to Vertin that she will eventually side or at the very least need to partner with the Manus for a bit. Much to the surprise of everyone.
(Lets say on a critical mission either Sophia or FMN present a particular good offer to Vertin, a solution where very risky in Vertin's eyes may be the solution she is looking for - maybe the opportunity to save reversed individuals or a way to bring them back, the only thing stopping Vertin accepting on the spot is her being called away by fighting against Manus forces. Still the offer still stands)
What exactly? Maybe it is information about the Storm (we know so far either the Foundation or the Manus know the full intent of the Storm, only finding ways to benefit from it. And yes the Foundation does benefit from the Storm, Ill talk about this at a later point). Alongside this Manus proposal the Foundation has started to crack down on Vertin, pressuring her for more results and attempting in every way to limit her actions - this pressure starts becoming very intense on Vertin, even with Madam Z's aid her workload is needlessly increasing and borderline impossible to stop. We dont know who the White Marble House is, only that they are the ultimate power in the Foundation - maybe it is them holding all the secrets to Vertin's past that they choose to hide.
What I am getting at is a situation where the Foundation no longer benefits Vertin, instead is just detrimental that this starts to waver her alr shakey relationship with the Foundation. Less and less (in small ways) does she comply to their wishes the more the Foundation (mainly Constantine) look to pressure Sonetto into doing something about it.
Sonetto slowly (but noticeably) starts to question Vertin, Constantine's influence does have a large impact on Sonetto, making her second guess herself and her confidence (Book 3 gaslighting). Sure Vertin doesn't mind Sonetto's questions, she loves to answer Sonetto's inquires about the outside world but recently the questions have been ... concerning.
Questioning her goals, is what she is doing even correct; all framed as Sonetto's genuine concern but unconsciously laced with Constantine's influence enough for Vertin to feel pressure on all sides.
Until suddenly something happens, big enough for Vertin to finally express her frustration at everything, the Foundation refusing to cooperate with her as before, this feeling of a bottleneck hold growing tighter and tighter until now she cannot simply brush aside and bottle down. This spirals out in a mission in a cave, maybe alongside Foundation operatives under Constantine that start to question Vertin's leadership, where Sonetto can do nothing to help.
(Its hard to write Vertin actually voicing her frustration)
An argument might break between Sonetto and Vertin, not a full on screaming match of course, but a noticeable outcry of frustration at Sonetto, Constantine and the Foundation - at how every time Vertin suddenly gains ground or takes a step towards the truth the Foundation finds ways to circumvent this progress under the mantra "For the Good of Mankind". Maybe Vertin finally does voice this frustration at Sonetto just accepting everything, a crack in that Timekeeper facade Vertin always holds - all the signs are there Sonetto, why can't you see? Or rather why don't you see the world with your own eyes? Not clouded by Foundation dogma but truly your own eyes?
At this point Vertin chooses to go with the Manus, recreating that scene in the Breakaway (will some of the suitcase follow her? I wouldn't think so, many join Vertin due to their grievances with the Manus). Sonetto is finally ordered to restrain Vertin against their wishes - and Sonetto with only a moment hesitation begins her attack.
(I really do like fight scenes in fics huh?)
Vertin only can outsmart Sonetto here, Sonetto isn't the Foundation's failsafe for her without good reason. Maybe she fakes Sonetto greatly injuring her to incapacitate her temporarily. Enough to run away and create distance, through the collapsing of the cave they are in. @sleeplesssmoll brought up an idea that Sonetto says a line that mirrors the one she said in Book : "It was the pleasure to be your Chief Assistant, Vertin".
(Thoughts? Feel free to run with this and make something out of it, and feel free to run any ideas with me about this)
(I have a couple ideas of scenarios running around I might throw here, its a mixed bag between angst and fun, ill post them eventually)
(Any scene I don't mention just assume largely the same thing happens as in canon, with the added tidbit of Sonetto and Schnieder being here)
For the sake of my sanity this will be part one, a compliation of major scene changes in this au.
Main changes being caused by - Schneider and Sonetto in Brazil, Urd and Vertin also being present in Brazil.
(2.1 I'll do at a later date I think)
Scene One- Meeting Urd, Skuld and White Rum
Generally the same story beats with sonetto getting blown off the ship and going into a coma.
Urd, Skuld and White Rum meet them and look after Sonetto. This is the first time Vertin and Schnieder properly meet here.
While Urd is preparing medication in another room while Sonetto is sleeping, she apologises to her for all the pain shes gone through, it should have been her that day becoming the Timekeeper. Everything thats happened after is Vertin's fault, all of Sonetto's suffering was her fault.
Schnieder is confused, asks who Vertin is; at this point Sonetto might have indulged Schnieder what happened that day, so Schnieder puts the pieces together but Skuld tells her to never say a thing.
Schnieder is really good at keeping secrets:
"Miss governor, surely the old woman would love to meet you again, why play this game of cat and mouse?"
"It's hard, but we have our reasons to act as we do, as you are doing right now"
"Fine."
"Thank you for everything"
"Mhm?"
"Thank you for being there for her when I wasn't. Being the person I could never be for her. Please keep looking out for her, promise me that"
"..."
Scene Two - Urd and Skuld are captured by the Brotherhood
How is Skuld and Urd captured? Largely the same, with added angst that its Vertin choosing to scarfice her life for Sonetto, so both Urd and Skuld are captured by the Apostles Brotherhood.
"Miss Schnieder, may we met under better conditions, please remember our promise."
"... Only if you keep yours Misss governor"
More or less events are the same, but Schnieder and Sonetto are there. Tense since Schnieder was talking to Skuld and Urd, clearly they said something to her but Schnieder is choosing not to say anything. Nala already went with White Rum on that convo so she didnt hear anything either.
Cue the scene in Heartfelt home and with Lopera, Schnieder and Sonetto are quick to defend Nala's actions to Lopera.
The heart to heart scene between lopera and nala happens, and Schnieder is here for it. Nala and Schnieder find common ground at the general distaste for being used for others gains at the expense of their own, and all of them bond over their shared families and stuff.
Meanwhile Sonetto discovers the chair and the notes, both signed by Urd and Skuld, noticing that Skuld's writing was similar in tone and general presentation (drawing little animals in the margins, oh and this weird bread looking orange dog as well pops up alot)
Mariana speaks about how the duo came to the home as caregivers, Skuld in particular as a journalist and photographer mostly.
Cue the massarce at the Zeno base, Lilya's capture, everything the same but the squad Igor gets includes some high ranking Foundation personnel, also orphans of Igor who acted as middle ground between zeno and the foundation. One of them goes alongside Ptolemy to capture Nala.||
Scene Three - Nala and Ptolemy Scene
The whole scene with Ptolemy because no im not over it and never will be.
Schnieder, Nala and Sonetto (White Rum is somehow able to sleep through this entire scene) are approached by Ptolmey and Foundation/ Zeno personnel. Instead of immediately attacking, Ptolmey asks to escort them back to the zeno base, Igor has no intentions to harm Nala but would rather "clear up" things with her, and get the proper paperwork down.
This works for a very short time (i mean look at him, Ptolmey is one blink away from committing another war crime) and Schnieder the mafia boss she was catches on. They attempt to run but both outnumbered are quickly cornered in one area. While Schnieder is powerful and has a level of arcanum prowess/ her guns, she is the first tackled and captured by Zeno officers. Leaving Sonetto and Nala. Note Sonetto is disarmed in the scuffle.
Ptolmey fine now u can have your moment: the whole spigel of "i only meed one of you technically, but rather than finish you off i would rather made it a spectacle".
Whips out the toy robot and orders Nala to kill Sonetto. Sonetto even if shes strong doesn't last long with Nala, maybe slightly longer than Vertin due to natural physical strength, but shes very much disadvantaged as mainly a spell caster. Shes more used to end fights with her glasfender than physical attacks. So Ptolemy proceeds to force Schnieder into giving Sonetto one of her guns (and "forced" i mean very strongly kicked in the gut until she dropped it yippee)
And yeah this is the parallel to the Book 2 puppykeeper oranges scene yippee.
In all honesty the narration and visuals in game made it look like Nala scratched Vertin enough for her to bleed, but only the stranguling is mentioned. So here the fight is bloodier because Sonetto doesn't fall as easily. A real cat and dog fight.
Sonetto in the midst of everything sees the Foundation personnel and questions them, why are they doing this?
Order before Opinion, and some comment about sometimes when a dog is unable to do their job, becomes old, becomes wild, the only right thing to do is put it down.
This comment distracts Sonetto enough for Nala to push her to the ground and strangle her, cue to the scene with Vertin, the "i dont want to end up like my sister" with Sonetto pleading for Nala to stop, genuine panic setting in.
Schnieder is in a more precarious position, being hit multiple times after struggling has a gun pointed at her.
Ptolmey: "one of you is dying or else the little bitch is dying. Kimberely, obey your master"
White Rum (yeah im pulling a hail mary, shes already there in canon, might as well use her since shes sleeping the whole time) wakes up to the entire scuffle, Schnieder had been carrying her until she got tackled, so WR was sitting in the glass hidden until she woke up. Seeing the shitshow realising the soldier hadn't noticed her, gets close to where Schnieder was being restrained and prepares to attack the moment she gets an opening.
Sonetto grabs Schnieder's gun and very reluctantly points it at Nala, sees White Rum in position. And prepares to fire.
At the last moment she pulls the trigger at Ptolmey, as white rum attacks the solider restraining Schnieder before anyone could shoot.
Sonetto ended up firing twice, one hitting the toy and the another in Ptolmey's shoulder.
Cue the rest of the scene as in canon with Sonetto and Schnieder there.
End of Part One (general note here, Ive been getting into writing short scenes, so maybe Puppykeeper might see one shot scenes written, but not a full fic, I don't have the brain capacity to rewrite everything lmao)
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(Fic idea) What would a Sonetto and Vertin "breakup" look like (or the unintentional part 2/ I have another fun idea)
(This is a fun writing exercise and again feel free to take this idea and run with it and make a fic of it)
A battle between Sonetto and Vertin as Vertin finally realises in order to find the truth she must flee the Foundation (just like the Breakaway Incident) - have a flashback to a moment in their childhood where Sonetto and Vertin were paired to spar with each other. The outcome then was Sonetto winning ofc, but Vertin was able to keep Sonetto on her toes by evading and taking advantage of small miss steps Sonetto took.
Sonetto chases Vertin through SPDM, lets just say this battle happens in the Foundation at a critical point, tensions between Vertin and Constantine are at an all time high (maybe Vertin finds out the Foundation may actually know something about Vertin's mom). The situation I mentioned before happens, Vertin fakes Sonetto acutally hurting her to distract her, and begins to sprint away. They take the same path back in the Breakaway Incident to the door that leds to the outside.
While this is all happening a Storm is occurring right over them.
Vertin walks straight to the door she, the Ring, Isabella and the other kids went through thinking they had escaped and proceeds to run in the Storm drenched, her hat long gone in her fight with Sonetto, until she trips over something. Sonetto attempts to follow but realises she forgot to bring the Equilibrium Umbrella with her, only able to watch Vertin by the open door. To twist the knife further Madam Z in the chaos followed the both of them to the door and now must watch everything unfold again.
Sonetto pleads with Vertin to come back to her, desperately pleading that its no longer about the Foundation Vertin is leaving, shes leaving Sonetto again. Why do you always leave me? I promised to be by your side always. Sonetto calls Vertin by name, right now it is not the Timekeeper and Chief Assistant fighting before, its just Vertin and Sonetto once again caught at a crosswords in fate. Maybe they were always destined to be apart like this.
Hearing Sonetto pleading for Vertin, just her and not the Timekeeper almost makes her walk back. Almost consider the truth to be secondary if it meant going back to Sonetto, enjoying her presence at her side, seeing her every morning and talking about mundane things. This was until she realised what tripped her up was a metal bangle, slightly rusted over the years from constant rain. A little far off a pair of small broken glasses, a foundation scarf much tattered and drenched in the rain.
(Im referrencing a fic based on Harpy Hare, Vertin finding that the Foundation never picked up the remains after the Incident)
By this point Sonetto's pleads stop reaching Vertin as she picks up the ring, the Foundation won't change Sonetto. No matter what the Foundation will keep us all in chains for some grandeur of greater good and a false future. Vertin looks for a second at Sonetto distraught at the door unable to follow, others from the suitcase look on in horror unable to do anything.
"Goodbye Sonetto, may we meet again in better weather"
She walks to the Manus meetup point, broken glasses and a metal ring in hand, all alone once again.
(I have The Gleaming running in the back while writing this)
(I might keep adding to this idea, maybe put it under a tag as an AU, feel free to ask about this idea or any other ideas I have. But deffo I cannot write a full fledged fic, so take anything here)
The names forgor, because I am too lazy to remember a name! Expect random brainrot and semi coherent analysis! I mainly post for Reverse 1999 and otherwise will randomly post on other things, like the very occassional sky cotl photo.
