Kill Me Once, Shame On You.Kill Me Twice, How Did You Did That.

Kill me once, shame on you. Kill me twice, how did you did that.

Updates and Round V of Excerpts from The One True School Master of Vault 41

Draft 0 of TOTSMOV41 is at 171 pages or 54,527 words! (A lot of it is just notes, not actual story, so my bet is that it will turn out shorter than I may've led you to believe (still could be wrong though) but it's getting somewhere since I've last done some transferring of my notes into one, cohesive document.)

Not-so-fun fact about it: Rafal temporarily goes blind and deaf.

These contextless excerpts are shorter than usual, but I just realized I had written a trope I like in which couples indirectly, unintentionally clash, which I find funny and ironic.

Another fun fact: The song on my TOTSMOV41 playlist that vaguely fits the vibes around the time of these moments would be "All That Glitters" by Earl. I just discovered the song today! (Eventually, probably after I publish the fic, I'll post the fic's playlist.)

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Should she have gone for something even harsher than what she'd written in a flourished, calligraphic hand?

I would snub my date if he ever dared have rotten breath. It would be pure humiliation. In fact, I'd address it directly, as an announcement to all, so I could gain in my social standing while I simultaneously lower his. No man with poor hygiene deserves me.

No, not Evil enough of a response, Sophie scrutinized. Just petty. Back to square one. She sighed.

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Rafal thought he should change his shirt before their tower meeting tonight, but he was out of clean laundry and the spell to steam the blood out of his clothes would be too taxing on him in this state. Agatha wouldn't care and besides, they had work to do. But Sophie...

He took his black shirt to the sink and tried to scrub out as much of the blood as he could with a stiff brush. By the time he was done, there was one, even darker, rusted patch of blood blooming on his shirt and some flecks on the sleeves.

More mess—if only he weren't useless without his sorcery!

He clenched his fists in frustration, suddenly aware of his raw, cramped fingers and ragged, poorly groomed nails, ready to lob the bloody shirt out the tower window entirely, but no shirt with "Aggie darling" and her heightened suspicions around would be worse by about a thousandfold. He'd be a dead man walking as if he weren't one already.

Thus, he picked up the balled-up cloth from the sink in defeat. Wet shirt it was then. What other options did he have?

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Incidentally, Agatha turned up with a waterlogged crystal ball that overshadowed the sorry sight of his stained and torn shirt.

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If anyone wants to know the symbolism behind this, I'll gladly explain it! Also, if anyone wants to, I invite you to guess at it.

About to take the longest bath ever

Good point about age/maturity! (Though personally, I still see prequel Rafal's illustrations as looking younger than a man, sort of.)

When I read prequel Rafal and TLEA "Rafal" as the same person (before the Fall twist) I would rationalize his more poetic side as being an aspect that emerged because he was either in love or playing at being in love, more something situational rather than an inherent personality trait, as he never felt overt, romantic love in the prequels, meaning, he never had reason to express that side of himself. Yet, thinking about TLEA "Rafal" as Rhian does make that trait more congruent.

I also chalked up TLEA "Rafal"'s composure as being part of his situation rather than his actual self as Rhian, but being Rhian explains it too. The way I saw it was that prequel Rafal is tossed around like a punching bag and has a marked lack of control a lot of the time, as if he has chronic Protagonist Suffering Syndrome. Yet, TLEA "Rafal" has the upper hand practically the whole time, which distinguishes him as less high-strung than prequel Rafal because, in his perspective, he knows he'll win, nearly without a doubt.

I'd never consciously thought of that, but it's mainly true for me too! I mock prequel Rafal more than I ever have TLEA "Rafal."

I wonder how much of TLEA "Rafal" is filtered through Sophie's perspective or the tonal difference in the prequels and main series, and how much of him is simply just Rhian/divergent character development. Though, I'm skeptical as to whether the Fall identity twist had existed as a concept since TLEA's publication date (especially since Rise Rafal overall seems to be cut from the same cloth as TLEA "Rafal." Where else could prequel Rafal's characterization have been drawn from anyway?).

Good for Alma! Tearing down facades left and right.

Unpopular, possibly controversial opinion: "Rafal" in the main series is slightly more alluring to me than Rafal in the prequels. Sure, you could call him creepy, but he had a certain power and mystique about him that was distinct from the original's.

Sadly, I don't feel the same about Rafal in TLEA. He's a lot more brooding and moody compared to his scenes in the other books.

Allow me to remind you how weird and unhinged this man is:

"Ah, but there's only one way in this world to prove who you are." The Storian stopped its busy writing, sensing a pivotal moment. Slowly the School Master turned. For the first time, his blue eyes had a glint of danger. "What's the one thing Evil can never have . . . and the one thing Good can never do without?"

Absolute fucking creeper. You can imagine the sound he makes as he slowly turns around, like a creaking door. Gives me chills. I love him.

Also, he's rather funny:

The Storian plunged to the page: "Stupid girls! They were trapped for eternity!" "I suspected as much," said the School Master.

These two could've been a comedy duo. Too bad the Storian sucks.

Maybe it's also the way I'm writing him in Ever Never After. Kinda makes me wish I didn't have plans for him to revert to his original appearance permanently. I mean, it's a real fix-it fic.

I just...

MMMMMMMMmmmmysterious.

Wizard Guessing Game

Somebody sent Tedros to the insane asylum (not literally) in TOTSMOV41. Guess who.

I'm sure you've all heard of: "Which witch is which?" Well, this is: Which wizard is this? Feel free to write out your reasoning. I'm curious.

Tedros’ head lolled to the side. “'Tis ungodly, my hears. Ears. Myne eyen hear. 's the Evil wizard, foul, foul." He laughed to himself as if he had witnessed a joke no one else was privy to. His head snapped to the other side sharply, his gaze unfocused. "No—foul fowl!” he burbled in a daze, approaching incoherence.

Lonesome Losses & Winsome Victories

Note:

The stanzas (when read top-down) go backwards chronologically, not forwards.

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- S O P H I E -

THERE ONCE was a girl with eyes green,

Who became an illustrious Dean.

She dared not to fail,

In glass slippers, black veils,

And entranced the most murderous fiend.

.

.

.

- R A F A L -

THERE ONCE was a murderous fiend,

Ensorcelled by emerald green.

He fought and he fought,

Nearly prevailed all for naught,

When his visions had lost all their sheen.

.

.

.

- M A R I A L E N A -

THERE ONCE were visions to glean,

By a bespectacled girl with a dream.

She’d plot and she’d plot,

Sow Evil's forthcoming Rot,

And engender a bold, new regime.

.

.

.

- R H I A N -

THERE ONCE was a boy who did deem

Evil brutish and churlish and mean.

But felled again and again,

By his own wicked pen,

His soul’s fate he could never redeem.

.

.

.

- H O O K -

THERE ONCE was a boy well-redeemed,

Once hired as buccaneer dean.

He would deceive and seduce,

And elude, say “Adieu,”

All betwixt two brothers’ warped schemes.

.

.

.

- THE S T O R I A N -

NOW writes a Pen for to see,

A devilish force the Woods heed,

It recorded tales all anew,

Every time it did slew

Those too wary to serve it. Indeed.

.

.

.

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If anyone would like an explanation as to why I chose the order I chose:

Sophie's Evil was unleashed by Rafal.

Rafal was set on the warpath by the prophecy and to some extent, Marialena herself, who could be seen as representative of the prophecy in a way, as a Seer.

Marialena sided against Rafal due to of her vision of Rhian as the One.

And Rhian was originally (partly) corrupted by Hook.

Finally, everything was orchestrated and everyone was driven by the Storian itself.

What do I have to say for myself? Always, the Pen is contingent on mortal men’s greed, it never will cede its ink and its sheaves!

I’m on a rhyming kick, haha. Thank you for reading.