#zspeaks

HES SO SILLY. SO STRESSED.

Don't get me wrong. He's kinda an asshole. Kinda (he's repressed, it's even in his skill tree lmao). But damn is he dramatic as hell.

Also, slightly unrelated but still bout Arthur. Homie is so self pitying in Sally's act. Like holy shit.

The Jury and the Modern City

Within O'khasis, the three areas of importance are the Royal Family, the Jury of Nine, and the Church of the Faith of Lady Irene. The faces of each area are treated as almost celebrities within the city: the standing royalty, the current jurors, and the High Priest.

The Jury often are the first to hear about potential hazards to the city, as they take great interest in the state of the guards. They are also usually the first line of defense for the city, sent out to deal with foreign threats, and, at the Kings approval, maintain treaties with outside forces.

The amount each Juror, also called Knight, involves themselves with the people of O'khasis is up to them. Some make frequent patrols around the city in order to boost the moral of the civilians and keep an eye on the ground. Others see patrols as the duty of the guards, choosing instead to stay within the Capital. Regardless, whenever a Juror is seen outside the Capital, it is often viewed as a big deal.

As time has passed, the divine context of the Jury has been lost, instead just being an elite sect of the guard.

Requirements of the Jury

The Jury of Nine has specific criteria for people to be allowed in. Firstly, the youngest a member can be is 18, with the oldest being 35. If a Juror makes it to 35, they are given a farewell celebration throughout the city.

When going through the initial stages of becoming a Juror, the person chosen must cut all ties with the outside world for the first few months, only being around the rest of the Jury or those important in the city. This means, often, they are kept within the Capital until they fully transition. This period is used to train them, both mentally and physically. This is also when they are given the magical abilities often possessed by the Jury of Nine.

That being said, Jurors can still have families outside of this period; once they are fully trained, they are free to make personal relationships as they see fit. Many do not, but there are some who do.

In order to replenish the Jury as members die and/or age out, there are two methods used to find replacements. Either the top performing guards within the age bracket are picked by the First Knight, or Jurors can specifically claim an heir to inherit their title and place within the Jury. The first category is the most common, as the Jury tend to be slightly removed from the rest of the City. However, the second way is still used.

If a Juror is to claim an heir, the person chosen must be within the age range, be trained as if they were to be a guard, and be a family member of the Juror claiming them. Heirs tend to be the children of Jurors, being raised to take their parents place. This can apply to siblings or cousins as well. This method makes it so bloodlines can keep the title the Juror had, essentially giving importance to that bloodline as a whole and making them minor celebrities within the city (ex: Golden Heart being passed down from generation to generation). That was not the intended purpose of the claiming of heirs, but that is how the city progressed. Inherited titles often don't change, but each Juror has the choice to change it if they wish.

If a Juror proves to be difficult, untrustworthy, or a traitor, the First Knight can choose to force them out of the Jury. Depending on the situation, the Juror could be treated as if they aged out with no further consequences, or exiled, or sentenced to death.

If a Juror is forced out or ages out, the magical abilities they were granted during their training period get essentially taken from them by the First Knight. If aged out, this is seen as a bittersweet event, usually with a citywide celebration. If forced out, it is a private affair, with public only find out about the Juror being removed once someone new replaces them.

Titles in the Jury of Nine

There are, as the name suggests, nine Jurors at a time. If one leaves, another one is sworn in. Each member is given a title: (number) Knight, (first name), the (title of choice). Often the title of choice is tied to either their weapon or their character, such as the Venom Blade or the Silver Death.

If an heir is sworn into the Jury, it is looked down upon to change the title, as it is seen as disrespectful against the previous Juror and their legacy.

Roles in the Jury

The First Knight is the one in charge of the Jury; they become first either by appointment of the King, or the Second moves up once the current First is removed for whatever reason.

The Second Knight is the second in command. Often, this means that while the First is holding an audience with the King, the Second is keeping tabs on the rest of the Jury.

The Third Knight, Fourth Knight, and Fifth Knight often are lumped together as veterans within the Jury, as the only way to get into those positions is to be there long enough to move from Ninth to where they are, meaning they worked their way through the ranks. It is rare for four members of the Jury to be removed at once, so it tends to be difficult for newer Jurors to find their way within these slots. They are often called the Upper Four.

The Sixth Knight, Seventh Knight, and Eight Knight are often seen as the newbies. They don't usually have as much say, yet tend to be more personable with the public. They are usually the ones who are seen patrolling in order to gain the favor of the civilians of O'khasis. They, including the Ninth, are referred to as the Lower Four.

The Ninth Knight is seen as the hardest rank to endure, as it is the one with the most to prove. Often, even if they are out of their training period, the Ninth Knight is secluded from personal relationships, since they tend to be treated as the errand boy of the Jury. They are the ones who initiate the official meetings of the Jury, they are the ones who keep the logs, they are the ones sent to deliver messages.

Current Jurors

The First Knight, Zane Ro'Meave, The White Chalice

The standing prince has managed to surpass many within the citys history, being the youngest to take the role of First Knight as well as High Priest. As of the start of the story, Zane has been the First Knight for a year. The High Priest being the First Knight is not unheard of, but Zane changed what people thought were possible once the heir to the throne gained control of the church and Jury. He is a studious and serious man, and often keeps to the Capital and out of the public eye. At least, the First Knight keeps out of the public eye. The Prince is a different story.

The Second Knight, Ivan Maddock, The Venom Blade

The Second Knight has been in the Jury for a few years, watching people come and go. The warlock is not seen often, but when he is, he makes an entrance. He is probably the most whispered about Juror around the city for being mysterious and devilish, which he often plays into. Not much is known about the man, only that he is not from O'khasis and is usually seen at the right hand of Zane, regardless of who the young Ro'Meave is appearing as.

The Third Knight, Jeffory Laurent, The Golden Heart

Jeffory is by far the most personable in the Upper Four. He is constantly seen throughout the city helping in local events or just shopping. He always takes the time needed to help those he can. A smile is always present on his face.

The Fourth Knight, Janus Othniel, The Silver Death

The Fourth, Janus, is the oldest current Knight on the Jury. He also has been there the longest. Despite this, he refuses to move above the position of Fourth, purely because of his title being the Silver Death. He is seen as the most physically intimidating of the nine, often being the muscle. Within the city, he is said to be the loose cannon, the one most likely to get into a bar fight. Despite that, he is honored throughout O'khasis.

The Fifth Knight, Katelyn Ralston, The Fire Fist

The Fifth Knight is often viewed as the level headed one in the Upper Four. She is the straight laced logical one within the band of heart, mystery, and ego. She is sometimes seen outside the Capital as either a bodyguard or with the Third Knight. Whenever she is seen, she is blunt but relatively pleasant.

The Sixth Knight, Zero Rivera, The Bronze Dagger

Zero was chosen to be the Sixth Knight despite him being relatively unremarkable within the Guard. It is rumored he was chosen by the First and Second because of his knack for following orders. He is a monotonous man, emotions never seeming to phase him. He is, by far, the most disliked Juror, purely for the fact that he tends to weird people out with his lack of emotions. He is the only one in the Lower Four to almost never be seen out of the Capital, only ever out with another Juror.

The Seventh Knight, Ruby Hightower, The Crimson Hammer

Ruby, the Seventh, is often viewed as the Fire Fist of the Lower Four. She brings the fire of Janus but the logicality of Katelyn, allowing her to be seen as the glue of the relatively reserved batch of the current Lower Four. She makes patrols around the city, usually being seen helping the poorer side of the city.

The Eighth Knight, Lilian Sterling, The Silver Scythe

The second newest Knight is thought to be the visual of the Lower Four. The people see her as spunky, usually with an attitude but with the looks for people to excuse it. She is the second favored within the Lower Four by the public. She is often seen at events to participate and host.

The Ninth Knight, Clas Lynn, The Iron Shield

The current Ninth Knight is by far the most popular Juror in the Lower Four. He is almost always seen around the city, making sure he gains the peoples trust with his charming smile and friendly disposition. Clas was a hot topic when he first was sworn in, as he was the son of Ivy the Venom Scythe yet chose to change the title he inherited. However, the people have mostly forgotten this.

Thanks for reading!

Eugene and Imogen had both helped out their respective families businesses since as soon as they were able to pick up a box. It came as no surprise that they were both involved in the businesses the older they got, or that they would inherit them in the future. What was a shock was when Imogens father told her when she was 17 that he was going to help out with the war. It had always been only Imogen, her brother, and her father - he had come from overseas and was a single father. This meant he was leaving the store and her brother in her hands. He promised he would come back. 

When the time came, she stepped up and took charge with little complaint. Eugene was aware of what had happened, as was the rest of the Ridgewell-Turners, so he did what he could to help. He made sure to prioritize her shop so that they would get as much traction as possible, whether it be putting up ads or recommending products. She was thankful for the assistance. He would stop by regularly to help with maintenance, or to help watch over her brother, or simply to make sure she had eaten that day. He'd frequently stop by their house to help her take care of her brother so she would have time to herself. During the next four years, they grew close. They weren't just family friends anymore, but actual genuine friends. 

Imogens brother had been born in '35, meaning he was on the logs to go to Germany in 1947 with the children under 13. She wanted to keep him, to not let him go - they could just keep him in the attic, tell him to stay quiet. Or he could stay in the back of the shop, away from people. Eugene was there to help comfort her, knowing there wasn't much they could do. He'd most likely have a safer chance going on the train than staying. So, when the time came, her brother went. Her, and Eugene, and the Ridgewell-Turners, all went to the station to see him off.

From that day Eugene moved in with her. She had lost the only biological family she had, he wasn't going to leave her alone to fester in the house she had shared with them. He knew that wouldn't be good for her. Over the next few years, the two watched as the sleepy town of Wellington Wells began eating itself from the inside. The news of the children not coming back sent ripples throughout the town, and their home. They both found themselves mourning the loss of her brother. 

He continued getting more and more deals around the village, helping to advertise the local brands, as usual. With the growth of the television, he changed his brand from just newspaper ads to televised ones. He continued to bolster the local shops as well as a new project when one Miss Victoria Byng approached him about it. 

He began to advertise the Happy Masks, and Joy while it was still in production. He had the peoples trust, at least a decent amount of the working class in Hamlyn, so having him try to get them on board was logical in Byngs head. And it worked like a charm. 

Throughout this time, Imogen began to slowly get more and more reclusive. It was nice having Eugene stay with her, but it didn't change that she no longer had any family. Her father never came back, neither did her brother - and her mother had always been out of the picture. Even with Eugene being there, she was still reminded of the empty space in the house. After a while, she was only seen going from her store, to her house - occasionally she was seen in the gardens, tending to them, but it was rare. 

With the invention of Joy, she was skeptical. As good as it sounded, she didn't trust it - no way was there a drug that would make her just... forget. That, as Eugene had reassured her, would make the house barrable again. That would make the emptying streets inviting again. She didn't trust it in the slightest. However, Eugene managed to convince her. He was open with her about the side effects, about it causing forgetfulness and the terrible withdrawals, about the potential for there to be hallucinations in a few cases - though they had been a fairly small amount at the time, since this was before strawberry. He told her the good too. She relented, mainly thanks to his openness, and that had been the freest she had felt in a long time.

She was all smiles, actively leaving the house to go to parties and enjoying herself. Eugene was glad to see his lifelong friend happy again. He hadn't seen it in a while. As more people went on holiday, they started getting more business at Imogens store, meaning they were focusing more and more on their personal endeavors. She started looking more into botany, something she had always had a small interest in - might as well, she was feeling motivated to do so. He gladly helped wherever he could. 

While she was opening up more, Eugene was shutting himself off slowly. He wasn't sure who he was outside of his business, since that had been a major part of his life since he was younger. Now that he was on television, he had appearances to keep - meaning the mask always stayed on. And, he couldn't help but feel responsible for Hamlyn having less business. Imogen saw it as a blessing, since they were getting more traction, but he knew the reasoning. He knew the other store owners weren't on holiday. He was friends with most of them, if they were leaving they would've told him. 

Eventually Eugene was given a deal he couldn't pass up - once again from Byng. There was a new program opening up, Joy Doctors as she called them. With Joy picking up steam, getting used more widely, and there being a new one on the way, there needed to be people to make sure everyone was on Joy, to make sure everyone was happy. And she wanted to offer him a spot. The people trusted him, and what better way to get people on board with this new program than someone trusted being a part of them, and one good with marketing, at that. He agreed, why wouldn't he? He had already helped this much. 

Despite not being a full doctor, he was trained how to tell if people were on Joy or not. And he personally began looking into psychology, figuring that could be a way to actually help. He had never been one for medicine, but he knew people. 

When Strawberry Joy came out, Imogen tried it. She liked it, though Vanilla was her flavor of choice. She had been a social butterfly now that Joy had given her the space to be free of everything. At a party, they had been passing out Joy as a party favor, and who was she to say no? It was normal to pass them out, and it was all anyone was talking about, so she took one. 

Almost immediately she felt terrible. Feelings she didn't have the words for since she hadn't had to name them in years came flooding through her. It felt like everyone was staring, watching her, judging her for her past actions, no matter how small. She held herself together and made it home. The next day she held herself in her room, Eugene coming to check on her several times. 

The eyes wouldn't go away, even with no eyes in the room. She couldn't escape the feeling of being watched. This went on for a few weeks before Eugene picked up on what was happening. He had been told by those higher than him that if someone has a negative response to Joy, they should spend some time in the Garden District, and when they are ready they go through the rehabilitation center to rejoin society. 

He, again, convinced her to go to the Garden District, saying there were people there who would help her. She agreed without much fuss. They together went to the District, and he returned home alone that day. The next several weeks the store was closed - the owner went away on holiday, after all - and after his rounds as Doctor Ridgewell-Turner he would wait on the bridge for her to come back. 

Imogen knew she should go through the center, rejoin society and her best friend. He was probably worried sick about her. The first day, she had tried, but she again had a bad reaction to the Joy. The next day, she didn't try. Or the next. Or the next. And for once, she actually allowed herself to think about stuff she shoved aside. The eyes never left her, but they were with her as she tried to process her brother and father not being there anymore.

After three months, he was tired of waiting. The guilt of it was eating at him as each day passed, and finally he was going to actually help. He went in one night to find her. She had found a house on the outskirts that no one seemed to have claimed. She was skeptical of him, now having been off Joy for a while and still having minor effects from the bad batch, but went with him. She didn't trust him the way she had for the past years, since he seemed to be going along with anything Byng and the Committee was saying without question in her eyes. But she wanted to go home.

He snuck her through the town that night, and she returned to her bed. But her reclusiveness came back, now not wanting to leave at all. She refused to go outside, since it would bring back her hallucinations. He would bring her whatever she needed whenever she wanted - it was the least he could do for her. He blamed himself for what happened to Imogen, for not being there for her. He was harsher on himself than she was about it.

They found themselves working on rebuilding their relationship. The store was open again, but he hired someone to run the storefront so that Imogen wouldn't have to be around people - she and Eugene could restock at night. She turned their backyard into a greenhouse, sending Eugene to find plants for her to populate it with, a lot of them from the Garden District. He continued his work as Doctor, and she continued staying out of the public and tending to her garden. They managed to fall into a routine they both enjoyed, sharing meals together and spending time together when he was home. 

I just want y'all to know. There is now a Hastingsverse. This is what happens when I get high with a friend and we bs our way through brainstorming AUs for We Happy Few. Mainly centered around Arthur and Percy.

(also, I wanna say, Child Gang is always the same in all of these. Child Gang is before the train, and these all diverge off of the train)

The AUs in question:

Act 4: Arthur leaves Wellington like base game, Percy and his wife Evelyn goes to find Arthur in Wellington at the same time as him leaving. Percy escapes with Evelyn, Sally, and Gwen, Arthur finds them outside Wellington. The brothers reconnect, they all move into Evelyn and Percys house, now they're one big happy family with their daughters Gwen and Maevis living on the French countryside. In my head this is canon. No one can convince me otherwise. This is the main one I post about honestly. Can thank @fall0utboi12 for this au being engraved in my brain.

Arthur2: Percy left Arthur on the train. After he starts taking Joy, he basically convinced himself that he is Arthur. By the time the game happens, he's gaslit everyone enough - including himself - that he is actually Arthur. The game plays out like normal, but by the end you learn you're actually playing as Percy, not Arthur. (Also, sidenote, Arthur2 and Sally still kiss. She thinks he's actually Arthur until after he leaves cuz of 'self preservation', then she realizes that he can't be Arthur, realizes she just kissed Percy, and has a minor breakdown. Fun). When Percy leaves Wellington, he finds Arthur, who's now a higher up on some big company. And also a stoner. He lives in a normal apartment even tho he has hella money, and Evelyn lives literally across from Arthur. Arthur/Sally and Percy/Evelyn still happens. They still have their daughters. Can also thank @fall0utboi12 for this.

The Lone Brothers: Technically this is two separate AUs, but basically it's either Arthur or Percy try to leave Wellington after their brother left, and when they leave they do find their brother, but he's dead. These two are easily the saddest in this group. They must be protected. Ok really you can thank @fall0utboi12 for all of these.

The Wellington Brothers: Percy and Arthur both managed to not go on the train. They lived out their lives in Wellington, perfectly content. And they only leave because of the stuff Victoria was doing and Wellington becoming dangerous due to it. They fully drank the koolaid honestly.