#fotsfgae

Yes, you read that right. I think someone else suggested it first (on discord?) and I’m just running with the concept—

Content warning:

Passive suicide (irl example if you don’t know what I mean: crossing the street blindly with no regard for your own safety, not caring whether you live or die.)

Provoking/tempting “fate.”

@sausage15 and @helloarska—tagging just in case you are interested since you like Vulcan.

I will probably not write this fic idea, but let’s tuck into it anyway.

Also, to clarify, Vulcan is just a poser, not a real vampire in this AU.

Long story short: these lyrics from this song, starting around [0:48], inspired a not quite crack-ship idea.

Sung to Rafal by Vulcan (hypothetically—since this jumpstarted the idea):

Are you free? When morality is treated like a treat Are you free? […]

Maybe it's time to serve vampire overlords They say you're selfish, it's just in your nature To fight one another, to be a lone wolf It's just a myth they maintain to keep you in chains I taste community running in your veins

Best case scenario: Vulcan is lively enough and promises tantalizing things, along the lines of power. It could even be enough to bring out some warmth in Rafal because Rafal cannot and will not take him seriously as an enemy, but that is not what will happen here.

Instead, it’s more of a partnership begun by force than a relationship and they don’t see eye to eye exactly.

We know Vulcan is the Evil overlord type but perhaps not unlike pirates in congregating with people, even though he has to be the one at the top of the hierarchy—sort of like how more classic villains as Rafal are lone wolves as well as how other Nevers like pirates aren’t.

Rafal even muses they would get along in Rise, if they'd ever had the chance to be friends, not that the line went exactly like that and Vulcan quickly made Rafal dismiss the possibility/verbal tease.

And just imagine the impeccable irony if Rafal (probably unintentionally?) stole Vulcan of all people from Rhian. God. That’d be terrible!

Anyway, just, imagine the animatic these lyrics could make, hah. Vulcan could overpower Rafal for a second, the Storian would be the witness, and in their partnership/practical union, Rafal could be free to do whatever he wants, as long as he adhere to the compromise. He would not be bound to the ordinary fairy-tale rules. He could go unhinged(?). (<- He doesn’t really in this plot though. Wait before I get to that point.)

Also, there’s that one bit in Rise where Rafal wants to mount Vulcan’s head on the wall, well, did Vulcan want the same? That’s compatibility, in a way.

And Vulcan, although we do more commonly think of him as dumb albeit iconic and more memorable even if he kind of functions like an inciting incident or throwaway villain, as others take the spotlight after—well, he was perceptive enough to see the rot in Rhian first...

If we aren’t going to follow the character arcs in Fall, who’s to say he can’t see the good in Rafal first?

Caveat: Not capital 'G' Good, as if Rafal's soul is literally Good-aligned like in canon, but Evil’s capacity for good actions or alternatively, Evil’s Love, or even just plain human good (like Lesso and common decency/love in TLEA, betraying her side for the greater good/survival of the world she lives in), the concept of good without the storybooks or sides. Y’know? It could work out (I say delusionally).

And with no further ado, we have:

The Vague Plot Idea

At Vulcan’s behest, unfortunately, Rafal is robbed of some agency, let’s say. Bound to a chair but not without magic so he could get out at any time, but he wants to run the risk and protract his source of entertainment, so he plays along with the idiot. But, perhaps humoring Vulcan was a mistake. Vulcan and Vulcan’s men could still overpower him physically or if they brought out the eels, so he probably shouldn't have run the risk and been so conceited.

Except, he's never in mortal danger as the Storian is still Rafal’s, so neither one of the pair has the upper hand. So, they have to work together begrudgingly, for the time being, and Vulcan cannot kill Rafal, which yeah, that forces him to not betray Rafal.

Vulcan is in power and Rafal has to play the long game, so they could start it going with a king and his liege dynamic: Lord Vulcan and Rafal, no longer School Master in a way that's much acknowledged though he was never actually stripped of his title by the Pen.

Rafal does have to do some tasks for Vulcan at first, like security measures, magical installations, forcefields, etc., and the dirty grunt work that’s like, moving trespassers and prisoners but via magic, restoring facades of buildings from the battles, cost-effective again because ✨sorcery✨, and lastly, burning up corpses from war to dispose of them.

Thus, it’s a tyranny but the whole time Rafal is subtly sabotaging Vulcan in his temp position because, like, he’s real, true stereotypical evil advisor material, steering Vulcan wrong at every turn. Like the kind that plays 5d chess and mind games with Vulcan’s pseudo-court.

And then, he still doesn’t get the promised "freedom" (his old position and School back).

Ok. Time to set off every last domino and set loose into the general public every last bombshell of a statement he's been saving up, as in, accumulated over months. He's now actively tearing down Vulcan’s reputation, being smug and glib to journalists—everything, the works.

As for the domino effect side—Rafal’s blackmailed, bribed, beat, and bullied everyone on Vulcan’s side onto his own. It’s shaping up to be a coup, except no one likes Rafal and there are no real loyalties lying anywhere.

Yes, maybe there’s fleeting attraction from Rafal to that viper of a man he constantly denies but whatever, that’s not relevant. He’s still tacky as far as he’s a Never. And his 'School for Evil and Good' is tacky as far as the eye can see. He sashays. He explodes into a swarm of bats—a new spell lately, it seems. He’s loud and demands all of the attention in the room, and strangely, that part suits Rafal. He’s so irritating and not true Never material or a person of substance, right? But also… he’s convenient. He takes up all the air in the room so Rafal can sit back and watch silently, and skulk around in the shadows playing espionage for his Lord. He still has a job to do after all, as a spy-diplomat-ambassador-emissary, whatever the Woods would call him.

Vulcan is only half oblivious to all the ruin. Don’t think (in this case) that he isn’t clever enough to catch on a little, to see that Rafal has pulled some strings—but still he overestimates Rafal’s fealty sworn to him.

He wants a date night, maybe to out Rafal's treasonous ongoings, probably not for other reasons... probably.

Anyway, no pet names either like with Rhian. Definitely not. It’s “Rafal” or nothing at all as address. Vulcan respects Rafal enough for that.

Rafal, on the other hand, calls Vulcan "my Lord," but does it so caustically, it's like he's demeaning Vulcan every time or playing pretend with a child who's allowed to believe he's the authority.

They’ve barely touched the wine—and Rafal stabs him with no warning in the back. And then, ah no, there goes the jugular vein—he's making quick work of slitting Vulcan's throat.

And Vulcan? Oh well, he gurgles, drowning in his own blood and then forcibly kisses Rafal when he gets hold of his chin, with his last breath, bloody stench everywhere.

Rafal’s eyes widen in absolute shock. He didn’t think—this—would—could ever escalate. He slaps Vulcan in return but it does nothing. The man's head just falls limply to his side. Vulcan is already dead and red (bled out).

Rafal checks for signs of life anyway. No pulse. His own pulse is like a hummingbird’s.

But despite everything, Vulcan did get the last laugh. And in a way, got what he wanted.

He got a rise out of Rafal. Got a “worthy,” not an obscure, unflattering, anonymous defeat as a Never in a time of crisis at the hands of his best, most competent enemy. A shame he didn’t get to return the favor to Rafal. But well, things may have a way of working out, especially if Rafal being an Ever comes to light (if we adhere more to canon). It probably won’t though. Rafal has suppressed it for over a century. Rafal wouldn’t let it slip. He has a reputation. Besides, if Rafal buries himself, Vulcan will be in good company either way. If Rafal’s Good soul is (figuratively) buried, then Vulcan sleeps like a king, with his well-won defeat by the alleged Evilest man in the world. And if it’s Rafal’s body that’s interred by the end of it all, well then, that’s almost like company to keep, but he doubts Rafal’s ghost would waste a syllable on him. No matter either way.

And Rafal, in a similar fashion, almost deigns to think: likewise… maybe they should have shaken hands instead. It was all sport after all. Wasn’t it?

That’s the end of that.

Rafal does not mourn but he does sometimes almost miss the man’s bravado and disarmingly charming charisma. T’would’ve been a fine alliance at most, nothing more. Right? he tells himself. With Vulcan as the outward-facing face of the operation. That's it. A missed opportunity.

Let's jump back for a moment:

Perhaps… Vulcan knew that the end was near. Perhaps he just wanted to prolong it, the relationship, as long as it lasted. He might have even known he was ultimately a dead man walking and that he wouldn’t be able to keep Rafal under his thumb because Rafal is Rafal and (usually, no always) triumphs.

That was the beauty of it to Vulcan. Waiting for the inevitable. Trying to make his own defeat memorable like dying in a monument to himself—kind of like the Egyptians preparing their whole lives for death, the single most important event in life to them being death itself. A death to die for. Memento mori. Does Vulcan romanticize death? Perhaps. But that’s still not it, no. He’s as grandiose and narcissistic about death as he is about life (and hopefully the rest of his being enamored by the concept, perhaps, of being defeated by Rafal is not too out of character). The logic goes a little like this:

Vulcan knows the Nevers of the Woods are undergoing a losing streak while Rafal, markedly, is not.

Why though? Is Rafal an Ever? That’s none of his business and frankly, he doesn’t care for that thought given his plans to provoke and so on. And it doesn’t matter because Rafal behaves Evilly and Vulcan doesn’t even care if he’s been yet another enabler or motive of Rafal’s.

Now, what’s the most Evil thing a Never can do, other than defeat an Ever, which, hasn’t been happening lately? Go out in a burst of glory and take another (N)ever(?) down with them. Yes, yes. Sovereignty over Rafal. That’s a lofty goal to aspire to.

So, Vulcan figures, sooner or later, he will be defeated given the trend of the Storian no other ordinary Never had been able to buck. He’s no fool. Nor deluded to that point. God knows he, Vulcan, can’t even counter it, the onset of the losing streak. Not a chance.

But imagine the repute he could gain if he were personally the enemy of Rafal and defeated by such a known and infamous villain as the Evil School Master. His name would go down in history. He’d get a tale. And getting a tale is nearly as much a draw as winning one could have been (had the streak not been continuing).

And Rafal. Is Rafal more good than Vulcan is, comparatively, at the very least? Storybook logic has dictated the “better” or the more Good of the two will win—that's what it's been looking like in recent tales.

Vulcan just has to put up a good enough threat for long enough to have major villain status (and maybe he orchestrates sending Rhian away).

And Rafal is too distracted by Vulcan, an immediate threat to worry about his brother’s whereabouts. Because, Vulcan is so close in proximity, however you want to read this, and is so urgent of a matter to deal with, to oust.

Rafal would be Vulcan's almost-equal for a time too and then, well, let nature run its course, get some licks in though too, because he doesn’t want Rafal getting out unscathed. Kind of like the fairy tale, "Cat and Mouse in Partnership." Betrayal and taking advantage is in both of their natures.

Maybe, Vulcan had stability the whole time all his life and now he wants to take the bull by the horns and ride it out as new claimant to the School Master position. Trying to master fate and Rafal before they both turn on him. And so, it’s like the construction and filling of a tomb, with everything he’d ever need to bring into the afterlife. Maybe even a vampire coffin decked like a sarcophagus. And maybe, just barely, Rafal even honors Vulcan’s wishes in death because, well, originally Rafal had no respect for the man and his methods. But now? Well, Rafal defeated an enemy worthier than he ever would’ve guessed. May as well honor the death. No pharaoh’s tomb or anything, but at least burial in the coffin Vulcan had slept in. Why not. It’s no bother really.

^(No inneundo intended above because, uh, no way would Rafal want that. In case anyone jumps to conclusions. Sorry, it has to be figurative. Although I'm willing to leave it open to interpretation as fandom is as fandom does.)

But that was the fun of it to Vulcan. An experience. Getting the last laugh before he died. Living large. Toying with Rafal. Basking in the glory. Having the capacity to hurt Rafal on an individual, personal level, which rarely anyone has had the pleasure of doing. The short-lived fame.

But after all that… well, Vulcan was right about one thing. Rafal isn’t a lone wolf. And the most that that manifests of it is, perhaps, running commentary of Vulcan’s in his head, like a parasite or a conscience that’s just as perverted as Rafal’s own. Sometimes his new double consciousness supplies Rafal with snappy lines and there’s debate within himself: is it actually the ghost of Vulcan or purely his imagination filling the emptiness?

But usually, it’s not so extreme as to be a double consciousness. Vulcan is silent most of the time. As, if not, Rafal would ram his head into the wall to get it to shut up and Vulcan wouldn’t really want that to befall the Evil School Master. Even he has standards, I guess. (Must have something to do with Vulcan breathing his last breaths into Rafal. I'm co-opting the Jafal agenda, in a way.)

So, yes… Vulcan isn’t corpse dust left in the annals of history. He’s still in Rafal’s head and really, that’s more than you can ever ask for as a Nemesis. To haunt your enemy after death.

Rafal argues with Imaginary!Vulcan a lot. It’s really grating but it helps him test out his ideas sometimes. Or his gorier ideas become more over the top with Vulcan’s input.

(By the way, Rhian is not dead in this AU. He’s just off. Let’s just say he was sent away to a remote place like Neverland, maybe because he went gallivanting off with Hook, being disloyal and in this AU, literally, choosing the first hot pirate he sets his sights on. So Rhian gets a moderately good ending but is not strictly Good in terms of morals.)

If Fall’s plot were to kick off at a delayed point, the thing that would awaken the Good in Rafal would be Vulcan in this AU, ironically. Some insightful comment about something well back when he was alive, a triggered memory. Something about Rafal’s selfless instinct that only applied to Rhian before—but that was suspiciously uncharacteristic of a Never. That sacrificial quality to Rafal.

Lastly, memes for my inspiration and to serve for your viewing pleasure:

Vulcan was self-obsessed (he and Rafal both, actually, but in different fonts). Case in point, haha:

AU where August's plan was to capitalize off Rhian's preferences (and fruitiness) and allure him instead of the two step murder plan in canon

Also one more hot take because Vulcan deserves to be scared for once in his life and the possible dynamic between a puppet-turned-puppeteer Rhian and his previous manipulator would be interesting to explore (assuming Rhian is not angry enough to get rid of Vulcan...tho that is unlikely)....and and drawing of Rhian and Rafal for a belated Halloween because only now am I somewhat free from the chains of....academics

I wasn't planning on doing anything related to Valentine's Day, but came up with this. Feel free to disagree with me if anything seems off. Some of these are hyperbole-infested, haha.

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Hook:

Flirting: [He takes up the person's hand and says seductively,] What you think about [some egocentric yet relevant topic of conversation], lad/lass?

Flirted with: He flirts back—whether he has any sincere feelings for the person or not.

Midas:

Flirting: Is flirting beneath him? Likely. He doesn't like soppy Evers who mistake him for one himself.

Flirted with: Doesn't bother responding or dismisses the person. Or worse, he suspects high-handed manipulation at play and says something like "Find someone else."

Rufius:

Flirting: [He doesn't have the guts to flirt? May bring the object of his affections pastries.]

Flirted with: Completely oblivious. Mistakenly recognizes flirtation as an attempt to befriend or as just others simply being "friendly" to him for once.

Kyma:

Responds kindly in either scenario. Might let many, many suitors down.

Marialena:

Flirting: I foresaw a future for you and I together.

Flirted with: Laughs in the person's face. How pathetic, she could think. Or she blatantly lies and tells them they will die of smallpox or malaria because she is contagious and ought to be on her deathbed, if only to get rid of them. If not, she could string the person along for a while, to do her bidding.

Peter Pan:

Flirting: [N/A]

Flirted with: Yuck. Bluck. Bleh. I'm not getting disgusting girl cooties!

Rise Rhian:

Flirting: [He initiates a handshake, and holds onto it for too long.] Hello... [Unfortunately, his mind goes blank and he blushes. In some cases, he may find something clever to say, especially about the physical appearance of his crush.]

Flirted with: [Tongue-tied, attempts to act coy in front of the admirer, probably blushes profusely. Can't look anyone in the eye.]

Fall Rhian:

Flirting: [Wouldn't bother if a guy isn't his prophesied True Love... probably. Do old habits die hard like his brother had? Only one way to find out. Expose himself to handsome guys (students?) and get over the feelings.]

Flirted with: May respond by thinking some form of: Hostile human lifeform. What's the trick this time? He can no longer trust after everything that had gone on.

Rafal:

Flirting: [*Crickets* Then, a voice sounds from behind his "victim:"] Ahem... greetings. I am your stalker. Do you love me? Please. I command you to love me. I promise you, you won't find anyone better. I'll make it for certain.

Flirted with: [Stares at the person like they're stupid for even trying and says something scathing in return.]

[I think he has the potential to be off the rails awkward or deeply questionable, in terms of having a sound mind, if he's not acting seductively as part of a greater ploy and actually has real feelings for someone getting in his way. Hence, the slight deviation from canon.

If you recall his thematically-appropriate outfit during the Circus of Talents, he seems to love causing a scene, and while Rafal does share this tendency towards the dramatic, I don't believe it's to the same effect or as extreme as Rhian's.

And this brings me to the point that it's just flat-out unusual for Rhian to wear essentially the same outfit for 200 years.

I mean, that seems unlike him and extreme. For evidence, it's implied by TLEA, by the image of his midnight blue robes hanging on a hook in the tower like a relic at the beginning of the book, that he's worn that selfsame outfit all that time. Sure, he must've not had an occasion to dress up for, but when did that ever stop him? Did imitating Rafal mean he had almost given up on his fashion sense? It's not like anyone had seen him. He didn't have anyone to perform in front of after all. Maybe that's the reason: no one would see him, so it wouldn't matter? He'd probably become depressed, and perhaps, the loneliness drove him insane and away from old behaviors.

Yet, how could Rhian, the man who was a fashion icon in his better days, be reduced to wearing the same midnight blue robes for 200 years, as the first trilogy implies? Even villainous Fall Rhian with his pure spun gold cloak did better than this version of him.

Wearing the same clothes like a uniform is Rafal behavior, and while taking that trait completes his disguise, which I'm sure Rhian had down by SGE's present, if no one had the faintest memory of what the real Rafal was like, what was keeping Rhian from caring about his appearance like he once did? He only seemed to fall back into fashion and indulge in it in order to appeal to Sophie and that's it. Did he never regain the right state of mind for fashion to be of any importance by himself? Did Sophie revive that lost part of him?

How would Rafal feel about someone putting makeup on him?

Someone being me...

I think he would be driven to seek out revenge of some kind if you did that, simply due to the fact that he's petty. Though, he might have the self-control to not murder you, if you didn't humiliate him in the process.

This has been in my ask box for months. I hope anon is still around if they still wanted the answer.

@fourleafclovxr Feel free to ignore this, but if you're interested, do you have any thoughts about this question—since it deals with seers and Saders?

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If the neither brother had knowledge of the prophecy then there's a slight chance it may not have happened in a self-fulfilling way with their attempts to prevent it from coming true only furthering its completion. They might've been able to maintain peace.

Yet, even if the prophecy were not told, well, their world is still governed by fate, and considering how much of an inescapable grip that predestination has over everyone's lives, how fates that can't be circumvented—I'm not sure if the innate genre they lived in could have changed from "tragedy."

Even if fates can be subverted by being fulfilled in unconventional ways (as any room for interpretation could be exploited by participants) I don't see how fratricide and there being just One left standing(?) could contain some kind of exceptional clause.

Regardless, this possibility would mean that some sort of "user-friendly" loopholes could exist in their world, like how Chaddick's blood on the handkerchief allowed Rhian II to pull Excalibur when he otherwise wouldn't have been able to.

That instance of cheating is the best example I have at the moment. The rightful son didn't pull the sword, but the event itself, of the sword being pulled, still was able to happen given situational factors. The rightful heir's blood still came into contact with the sword, the sword was pulled (by someone), and the "right" candidate became king by the end. What happened between seminal events may not have mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Thus, prophecies may well work in a top-down way, only going as small-scale as they need to, to ensure outcomes.

So, from this, we could take away that the endings may be predetermined, but that the path to such endings could be open to interference—only to the degree that the ending wouldn't change as the result of any meddling, even if unanticipated third parties involve themselves.

The parties not affected by the prophecy, outside its bounds, could plausibly do whatever they wanted, and have free will (ostensibly, everyone has free will though), but I could venture to say that the consequences of said, seemingly free actions could be manipulated by the hand of fate, to produce those certain outcomes.

Basically, in the Woods, no matter what you try, since you at least have the freedom to try, you won't change a thing with your actions. All those actions would still snowball to produce the exact outcome that's set to happen. (And, if this were true, trying to change your fate would be futile. E.g., think of how Sophie and Agatha were locked into their true natures. They couldn't switch sides.)

(Keep in mind that this post just represents my view of things. We don't necessarily have canon confirmation of anything I'm speculating about.)

Applied to the prequels, if Midas' or the Pan's presences/roles were never predetermined, then they just helped the inevitable end along. If neither of them had been there, perhaps the prophecy still could have reached the same ending by other equally-as-effective means. (Different potential plot(s), one outcome.)

We could also argue that Adela's wording was vague enough to exploit.

So, the same thing could apply to the twins: the prophecy of the One and Adela's betrayal, war, death could happen, and lead to the same outcomes, but the specifics could unfold differently. Or, the events could all happen in the same way but hold different meaning/implications for the future (no 200 year curse despite fratricide or death of another form for Rafal?). Or, none of the events could happen in the same way, but the final ending would be fixed, like I proposed before. I guess we don't really know how malleable or interpretable prophecies or visions are.

And seeing that it's Marialena, I wouldn't put it past her to use red-herrings or mislead, even without saying a word of prophecy. Lying, other methods, or other dialogue/persuasion could produce the same results.

It's hard to separate out the cause and effect to me. We should ask: did (early) knowledge of the prophecy affect how it played out? Or was it set in stone? Or was it inevitable that Rafal's particular combination of character traits (the extorting, the threats, etc.) and the situation (in Monrovia) would have led him to finding out about the prophecy and that that very moment was also a part of the prophecy in action, happening or beginning?

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Second, if Rafal hadn't left, I think the characterization that would hold true was the bit of internal monologue we saw in Fall, that he intentionally cedes some minor(?) arguments to keep the peace with Rhian.

Rhian might not even realize anything were wrong or that Rafal were (probably) hurt by his side being devalued.

I would suspect if Rhian were aware, not much would change. Rhian is prone to burying conflict and truth after all. But, I couldn't see him dwelling on the conflict Rafal lay to rest, unless he had good reason to, or lasting guilt/shame over it.

Rafal on the other hand holds grudges, and while we know he isn't the Evil brother now, he has Evil tendencies, of course, so he could easily let his resentment accumulate and fester inside until he found it in himself to do something: either leave, like he did, or perhaps, display passive aggression?

Outright anger against his brother would not be productive, but if his resentment became that severe, he could potentially lash out, and Rhian would see Rafal's "unprovoked" response as coming out of nowhere. Then, Rhian could accuse him of being irrationally antagonistic, like a villain without motive, or Evil that "always" (often, as of late) loses and that has to deprive Good of an ending to gain one for itself, as we would see the beginning hints of Evil's losing streak no matter what.

By that point, Rafal might either drop the issue, but secretly continue to hold the grudge for the rest of time, a reasonably moderate and functional if not flawless happy ending for the both of them. (Would it last? I'm doubtful.)

How do you think Rafal would react if Sophie slapped him?!

(Both the prequel Rafal and the TLEA Rafal.)

And perhaps the prequel Rhian too. Although I'm mainly curious about Rafal (since he has more of a connection with Sophie, I think.)

Ahaha! This is absolutely a fun one on this very fine day, Anon. Here goes—

Because prequel Rafal most likely wouldn't have a connection to, a care in the world about, or any feelings toward Sophie, she could just be another student to him. And if she slapped him, a blatant show of disrespect to her School Master, I think his first impulse would be to send her to the Doom Room, or to react explosively, retaliating with sorcery. Maybe, he'd slam her to the wall. We've seen that happen with the pirates and he has a short fuse.

If he stopped to think about why she'd slap him, if he were in a more tolerant state of mind, say, as Fala in his disguise, he might be able to reevaluate whatever he said to her to have earned that slap. (Probably, he would have said something about how she's worthless as an unconventional, Everish, and superficial Never, who only cares about appearances, who is a disgrace to her side because she wants to find True Love, and who'd never amount to anything, I'd imagine.)

And, maybe, just maybe, she'd actually break through the ice with the slap, or by following it with some critical yet truthful jab about him, thereby reaching his humanity and inspiring some self-reflection on his part.

Yet, I do not believe Sophie reaching him or succeeding in cuing him into recognizing his flaws would be the most likely outcome. I'm not sure what other fault-finding he'd do with her, and we know he just loves disproportionate retribution, which is why I'm most inclined to say: torture it is.

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TLEA "Rafal" is the more uncertain answer.

He does have feelings for her and has exhibited sadistic and masochistic traits. (Remember the moment when they kissed after Sophie returned? He seemed to actually enjoy his bleeding lip for some reason.)

So, this may seem controversial, but he might redden and could potentially feel aroused and/or disoriented/dazed and be unable to react, frozen in place, considering that she opposed his authority, and that he hasn't been contradicted by anyone in about 200 years.

Besides, regardless of whichever of these would occur, I don't think he'd be able to keep a clear head in this particular instance.

If that aroused thought process happened, I think he would try not to lose his cool or get flustered, and would flee the scene abruptly, leaving Sophie to wonder how he took the slap (and unfortunately, worry for her life and what could possibly be in store for her, if he came back).

I'm not sure if her slapping him (probably due to his daily proposal ritual, him telling her to address him as "Master," or something equally controlling and irritating to her) would change their power dynamic. But that possibility does exist.

If their dynamic changed, maybe he would yield to her more often than he already did in canon, or could involve her in more major wartime decisions because slapping him definitely would've exhibited even more of her force of will and agency to him.

If their dynamic went in the opposite direction, he might become paranoid that she lifted a hand against him at all, and try to monitor her more than he already did, exercising his authority over her more oppressively.

Another fairly realistic option would be their having a verbal argument or a shouting match. But, it could be one-sided, if Rafal just decided to endure some kind of berating from her.

He might just allow her to get away with yelling at him while he either defends himself, calmly, maintaining his composure without yelling. Or, he could take everything in stride, or at least silently, and listen to her, seemingly unperturbed or perhaps, wincing the whole time at her sharp tongue? Internally, he could be very pained by all the horrible, hurtful things she's saying, that he would probably deserve. Another route is that he could, strategically, agree with her and yield to her, to regain her favor, but that could be too transparent of him.

Eventually, Sophie would run out of fuel for her vituperative fire and halt her tirade against him, and she might be a little remorseful or blush, but he'd let it slide because it's her. And he needs her.

He'd probably accept any apology, half-apology, blame-shifting, or non-apology from her, just to stay on her good side. And if he were able to swallow his pride, he could give his own speech as he's wont to do, appear to understand and even empathize with her societally-oppressed, downtrodden Evil soul and heart, and apologize himself, like any good Evil "activist" would.

(Personally, I like to interpret TLEA Rafal as The Ultimate Evil Activist™. So, er, take that however you want.)

I think he'd hold himself back from violence against her if it crossed his mind because he probably has the self-control to know that aggression would only worsen his chances with her, no matter what satisfaction it could bring him in the short term.

Alternatively, he could seize her and initiate a kiss against the wall in the same forceful way Sophie did to him once.

If not that, shock is another option I can go back to. He knew, to an extent, that she viewed him as "all-powerful" even though he wasn't. Maybe, he'd be impressed by how brazen she was to slap him at all. He'd never admit that to her, I think, but he'd probably glow inside about the fact that he's (why not credit himself?!) influenced her enough (ahem, provoked her enough) to become more violent, even if it backfired against him. Plus, he could harness that violence of hers during the upcoming war and redirect, train, refine it, towards a more productive cause. Their victory. Because, that violence is also an indicator that his plan for her to embrace Evil wholeheartedly is succeeding, even if his parallel plan to court her is simultaneously failing. (Picture mental fist-pumping, like: yes, yes, yes, basically.)

So, there's a chance he'd remain expressionless. However, he could display shock on his face if he weren't able to control his emotions, or he could grin like a pathetic, love-sloshed idiot, much to her disdain or ire at not being taken seriously.

Whether or not he'd recognize and agree that he was in the wrong due to whatever he'd done to earn himself the slap, he could also try to make it up to her, whether his apology is sincere or not. I'm sure that in either case, he'd resort to personally bringing her (or materializing from afar) more and more opulent gifts—because, what more does he know about her that he could use to his advantage? Not a lot, to be fair.

Maybe, the gifts would appease her while he temporarily stays out of her sight, so she doesn't get mad at him again?

The least likely scenario, in my opinion, would occur if he truly didn't know whether slapping were a thing that "normal young people" did while "dating," and he took the slap as a sign of things going regularly, if not badly.

To be fair, he's watched Ever courtships for years (and he surely must've observed Agatha punch Tedros in the eye over the Gargoyle debacle), but this is Evil's Love—something unheard of, something never before seen. Should it be held to new standards? If so, what standards? What should he expect? What should he set, if the standards are up to him to determine? Should he really hope to imitate the Evers' love on every front? He's had zero successful past relationships, so how could he know?

If this happened, I bet he'd obsess over the meaning of Sophie's slap.

He might have to process it and puzzle over what exactly went wrong for days before he returned to set things right with Sophie. And if he did that, he'd potentially inadvertently abandon her in the tower for those several days, leaving her to wonder if she's going to starve there as her punishment, or die from "the plague," assuming he forgot about everything else and his obsession took hold of him.

(And leaving her alone could be a strategy itself, whether intentional or not, so she would begin to crave his presence again.)

This would also mean, he'd have deal with far more external complications because the assumption that he'd desert Sophie for a short period, the way he did to Rhian for six months in the prequels, would mean he'd also desert his war-training responsibilities, leaving the Old and New students to fend for themselves, and perhaps, to devolve into anarchy—if he's not quick enough to return, provided that his Deans failed to maintain order and discipline during his absence. In fact, I could see Aric actively undermining Lady Lesso's efforts, and encouraging vicious hallway brawls and overall barbarity with Rafal gone.

Also, his love was never "enough" for his brother in the past—that could easily spiral into self-doubt, even if his ego would protect against it. Then again, he's likely more sensitive to rejection if it's from her specifically since he actually values her opinions of him. I feel like he'd just brood in the no-longer-Blue Forest, sit there and do nothing but cycle that thought around and around, because, his plan, his plan that he's had for 200 years, his last hope, is currently falling through all around him, all due to one slap, and what if that means all hope is lost!? All that work for nothing. A terrifying prospect. What then? He'll have nothing if he doesn't have Sophie by his side.

I think he'd know better than to think that so quickly though. Dramatizing things just entertains me.

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Now for Rhian.

Rise Rhian could easily say something about the inferiority of Evil, and that could've insulted Sophie indirectly because I don't believe he would, while still Good, stoop to insulting her directly.

He'd probably just assign her a benign punishment, like dishwashing duties, or confine her to her dorm, given that she is a student and technically one of his wards, even if she's a Never because in this case, she acted against him, not the Evil School Master. So, perhaps, it wouldn't turn out like it did in book 1 with Lady Lesso. If he had no jurisdiction over the Nevers though, the punishment could be the Doom Room, if the decision fell to Rafal. And Rafal would not give a student preferential treatment if they slapped his brother!

Now, if Rhian were sympathetic enough to Sophie and her ongoing suffering in Rafal's School, he could cover the incident up and spare her. Let's face it: while Good, he seems like the lenient, bleeding-heart sort. Maybe, to him, it'd be the right thing to do because she seems kind of fragile and vulnerable. And she's Everish, which could appeal to him emotionally.

Then again, Rise Rhian has poor judgment, so maybe he'd stall and overthink deciding on any course of action, and wouldn't know what to do with her. He might not even feel like he could bring himself to discipline her, and might just continually obsess over it, as the indecision eats away at him. And, in the moment, maybe, he'd just flush red and tear up a little because she's been so cruel to him!

Fall Rhian, on the other hand, would probably insult her and do it so scathingly well. If she slapped him... she'd probably be a dead girl walking at that point. Could he incinerate her? Very possibly.

Midway through Fall, Rhian might just assign her a demanding punishment or task, really, of the same nature (and severity?) as Midas'.

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