Announcement: My Asks Are Open

Announcement: My Asks Are Open

Yes, my asks are open (at long last?), and I can assure you that I won't age ten years the instant I answer them!

Please, do not ask/comment anything in bad faith. However, I'm fine with anything motivated by genuine curiosity.

I will choose to answer asks at my discretion. Your ask may not be answered, if: 1) I deem it inappropriate 2) I have other (personal or not) reservations around answering it 3) I am baited 4) I subjectively do not want to for any other reason(s) that aren't listed 5) the ask in question does not interest me and/or I don't have the time to respond, or 6) I have a future post drafted that already addresses it.

That said, don't hold back, but please do not ask anything inappropriate/sexual. I do not want to discuss such matters.

In the case of caveat #6, if I remember to, I may tag you in the comments of or directly on any such future post(s) which contain the answer to your question.

While the focus of my blog has been Rhian and Rafal, and SGE in general, you don't have to keep your questions narrowed around them solely. The questions can be about any other topics or books you'd like. However, if the questions are about other (non-SGE) pieces of media, I'd prefer that you send the ask(s) to my sideblog.

I may not answer all/any personal questions I receive, or I may opt to answer certain asks privately. That depends on what I find I'm willing to reveal, but you're welcome to ask regardless.

I invite questions/thoughts/observations on writing in general, my writing or writing process, or my WIP(s) and fics.

Furthermore, note that I may often be delayed in responding to any asks.

Also, I'm willing to answer asks as an SGE character(s), so if you'd like to, address your asks to any of them, and you might get dialogue, internal monologues, or even stage directions/narration in return. Additionally, it might help to specify which incarnation(s) of a character your question is directed towards. So, you can specify by naming them, like: Rise Rafal, Fall Rafal, Prequel Rafal, Rise Rhian, Fall Rhian, TLEA Rafal, TLEA "Rafal"/Rhian, TSY Sophie, TCY Sophie (or instead, specify which book(s)), pre-TSY Sophie, post-TCY Sophie, AWWP Tedros, etc. In these cases, I'll generally try to adhere to canon, but expect my own interpretations to filter through. Plus, I'll also allow asking questions to the versions of characters that appear in my fics or AUs, like TOTSMOV41 Rafal, MON Rhian, Modern AU Rhian, Unethical Psychologist Rafal (there'll possibly be more information on him eventually), etc., if anyone's interested.

If you want, you can also treat the characters as overall consistent or monolithic, for instance, by simply naming "Agatha," without any specifications. I will interpret asks like those however I see fit.

Lastly, as a general guideline, please be courteous and respectful to all. (You can insult the characters all you want; just refrain from insulting me, thanks.)

I had been reading sections of The Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English, but I also listened to part of this New English translation of "The Knight's Tale," and these excerpts coincidentally sounded exactly like Fall Rhian!

The Brothers' and the School Masters' Futures & Trivia

Note:

I would suggest reading my role reversal fic, "Masters of None," featuring an AU in which Rhian and Rafal are young, kidnapped, Reader students and Sophie and Agatha are the School Masters, before reading this post as this post may be confusing if you haven't.

Here are links to the fic on:

tumblr

AO3

Wattpad

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A Q&A about the characters' futures.

When I posted this fic to another site, I got some questions about the brothers' and the School Masters' futures, and since I have no plans to write a sequel to this fic at the moment, I offered answers about their and other characters' futures. So, if you're interested, that bonus content is ahead!

Also, thank you to everyone who asked questions! If anyone has further questions, feel free to comment them below.

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Fun fact: Sophie says hydrangeas nauseated her in QFG because they resembled brains, so these ones are part of Agatha's interrogation technique.

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Q: So if they're immortal (Sophie and Agatha) can they just eat belladonna berries or poison without effects?

A: Probably, they'd suffer mild side effects from poison, like an upset stomach, nothing major.

For instance, the undiluted scream of a mandrake root is supposed to kill a mortal man instantly when heard. Sophie just gets an aching, throbbing, pounding headache of massive proportions. In the moat, the root's properties are interfered with, and it's sort of waterlogged, so it doesn't kill Rafal, a mortal, when he hears it, luckily.

Considering how Rafal was capable of feeling temporary, mortal pain in the prequels, even when his magic was at full strength, it would only make sense to not make Sophie and Agatha 100% invulnerable in this context.

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Q: What do the Good students think of Agatha? And does anyone have a teacher crush on Sophie, rather than Sophie flirting with them?

A: The Good students are fond of Agatha, but they see her as the exception, not the rule. She's still very unconventional to them as an Ever, but they hold a certain reverence for her anyway, like she's a respectable Lady of the Lake-figure. (There are Camelot letters on Agatha's desk. For a few years, the king of Camelot (Tedros) has been attempting to court Agatha, and Camelot itself, despite its traditionalism, approves of the match, if only Agatha would agree to it, because her status as Good School Master would elevate Camelot even further.)

Yes, Everboys generally have a crush on Sophie from afar, for the first few weeks of school, until they realize she really is as Evil/fatal as they've been told, and stop viewing her as some kind of damsel to be saved. It's a reasonable mistake to be made. Usually, this happens when they hear the screams from the Doom Room, and arrive at the conclusion that the Evil School Master is kind of psychotic, even if she seems perfectly coy, polite, and demure on the outside. They rarely act on their crushes though. The dimmer few that do quickly find out she's Evil the hard way. If they manage to scale the School Masters' tower, and reach the catwalk, they are caught by Sophie's high-security magical wards. The glitter on the walkway, which looks perfectly harmless, adheres to any exposed skin, and causes horrid blisters. The Everboys usually end up sobbing wrecks at that point, and are taken back to their side by Sophie's Stymphs.

The Evergirls in Beautification (which she teaches in Agatha's stead) look up to her, but they don't entirely approve of her either.

The Nevers don't care about how attractive their School Master is. Some of them secretly don't like her because of how un-Never-like she is.

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Q: Would you say Agatha is the type of teacher that can be strict but is also really good? Like people actually learn a lot by being taught by her.

A: Yes! As a teacher, she's kind of like August Sader. She tries to get her students to figure things out for themselves, teach them critical thinking along the way. Though, she does answer questions as she isn't a Seer.

(Also, the Nevers have a point. Sophie's not exactly representative of them as a whole. At the very least, Woods leaders respect Sophie because they're kind of obligated to, even if she seems silly to them, and they're very afraid of her.

Eventually, Agatha reluctantly goes on a date with Tedros. But, she can't be queen and School Master at the same time. (Both are demanding jobs.) So, if she ever were to marry Tedros, she'd take on the position ceremonially, and she'd have to delegate to the household in Camelot from a distance through some kind of correspondence because she's constantly busy at the School.)

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Q: What kind of questions is she asked?

A: Two common dilemmas:

-1-

Ever: School Master Agatha, my Ball date left me! What should I do?!

Agatha: First, take a deep breathe and take my handkerchief. Do you have any reason to believe they indeed left you? [First, to make sure they aren't exaggerating when they explain themselves.] Why do you think they left you? [After listening to their response, she'd either re-direct them to fix things, apologize, or tell them it wasn't their fault but the date's. And lastly:] What do you think you should do?

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Ever: What's the answer to this question I got wrong on my Good Deeds Quiz?

Agatha: Why don't you read it over again and tell me? If you really can't come up with any answers, come back and I'll explain it to you. And remember: there may only be one entrance to the kingdom of Putsi, but there are many, many ways to be Good!

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Q: That sounds like a smart way to handle things. How does Tedros feel about that?

A: Tedros tries to be ok with it, but he's clingy, and sometimes, is at the School to see his wife more than he should be. Often, Camelot has to send multiple envoys to the School, to get him to come back and rule!

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Q: Aww poor Tedros. So how does the wedding work? Was school canceled for the day?

A: The wedding takes place on a School holiday, and Agatha takes a leave of absence for their honeymoon.

Sophie is thrilled to have the Schools all to herself, and would've wreaked havoc, if Agatha hadn't given her Dean precise instructions before she left on how to defuse Sophie. The Dean doesn't manage to interfere with all of Sophie's plans however and was tricked into running errands (a wild goose chase, to get rid of him). When Agatha gets back, all the uniforms (including the Evers') have been redesigned, Evil's front lawn has been filled with man-eating yet beautiful rose bushes, the Blue Forest has been turned pink, and Sophie had a new bathtub and chandelier installed in their tower.

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Q: And how does Agatha react to the.. ahem, renovations?

A: She's not too happy, and gives Sophie a lecture about over-spending. Sophie reasons that Camelot can pay for it all, and Agatha is just... at a loss for words.

Agatha permits most of the changes to stay (The Evers like their new uniforms. The Nevers don't, but Agatha can't do anything for them.), except the Blue Forest is changed back, and the roses have to go because they're a safety hazard.

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Q: Aww the roses actually seemed oddly.. cute?

A: I guess they were cute, to Sophie. But, they were relocated to the Blue Forest, to be part of that year's Trial. And, Sophie replaced the empty patches with lavender and honeysuckle instead, to use for her beauty routines. The honeysuckle attracted a lot of hummingbirds, and Reaper loves them too, for that reason. Only the Nevers themselves hate the new gardens.

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Q: Maybe the insomniac Nevers can use lavender to help them sleep..

A: They could... if only they would listen to their School Master. But they don't, and largely continue to be insomniacs.

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Q: Is Sophie Tedros' ex in this?

A: No, she's not.

I guess Sophie and Agatha would have to be from the Woods, not Readers originally, and I'm not sure if they would've attended the Schools themselves. Plus, Tedros is centuries younger than Agatha, even if he's an adult, so they didn't really all know each other during Sophie's prince-chasing phase.

And, it was Sophie who started the Reader-kidnapping tradition (she flew to Gavaldon while looking for a new tailor), soo actually, yeah, they can't really be Readers themselves. Agatha couldn't have found Gavaldon because, as an Ever, she refuses to use blood magic for flight.

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Q: Like Rafal starting it in the og!

A: Yep! In this AU, Sophie is basically him but with her own typical personality. Hence how she was a shadow at the beginning of this fic.

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Q: So what happens with Kyma and all?

A: She's part of a class in the much more far future, long after Rhian and Rafal's class. She's the only Evergirl known to rival the Good School Master's Goodness, and eventually takes the position of Dean of Good under Agatha. No stupid boys like Aladdin for her!

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Q: WILL Rafal eventually kill the School Masters?

A: No. Agatha got through to him, mostly. Well, it takes him a while to change his mind and turn over a new leaf. By second year, he has other goals.

It's hard to picture him in a job other than School Master, so I think, when he graduates, he either goes off and does his own thing, extorting money, gaining power, assassinating important dignitaries in his way, and maybe, taking a fortress for himself, or he works at the national Bank of Putsi, or becomes a member of the Kingdom Council. Something else that affords him power.

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I don't have any plans for a part two at all, but if inspiration ever strikes, I might write some kind of follow-up. However, if you'd like to know anything about the characters' futures, I can just tell you what I have in mind!

Q: I can imagine! Do tell me what you have in mind. :D

A: Sophie and Agatha continue on as School Masters for the rest of time. No wars are fought. The Woods remain in balance.

By the time the brothers' fourth year rolls around, Sophie is harboring a bit of a petty grudge against Rafal because they had a platonic, student-mentor friendship for a bit, and then he rejected her very outrightly in a no-nonsense, undramatic way, so like any prodigious witch or woman scorned, she sets him up to fail and with luck, end up in a watery grave. So, their dynamic is closer to Tedros' and Sophie's in canon, like friendly-enemies, not even "frenemies" but worse.

Agatha is a little miffed by this turn of events as Rafal had always been such a promising student for his side, and she thinks it's such a waste for Sophie to squander her best student. What on earth was her sister thinking? (Hint: She wasn't. She'd rather settle a score than lead Evil as a whole to greater victory on the shoulders on a boy she "despises." And that small-scale pettiness is probably the greatest Evil of all, denying her side that chance to win.) Nevertheless, Evil students are not within Agatha's sphere of influence, so she can't truly do anything about Rafal's fourth-year questing assignment, which is to parlay with the infamous Night Crawlers that have already killed many a man for centuries. How her sister expects Rafal to confer with inhuman creatures that cannot talk is beyond her. Then again, that must be the point: a roundabout death sentence over Rafal's head, engineered to be a no-win situation for a mortal.

Meanwhile, Rhian is frantic over Rafal's unfair questing assignment and doesn't pay much attention to his own. He literally throws himself at Sophie's feet, but she will not yield. Even Agatha tries to bribe Sophie with jewelry to re-assign Rafal's quest considering that it's causing one of her students severe emotional distress, but Sophie will not reconsider. At all. She does take the diamond earrings though.

Rafal is less worried than Rhian, but everyone (including his own Never classmates) suspects it's a facade, some kind of false bravado, or sheer overconfidence as Class Captain. He's more mad than afraid, actually. Because, he's devised an ingenious way to game the system against all odds. While teaching him sorcery, Sophie had shown him the flesh-over spell (from TLEA), good for mild blemishes and pimples and such. However, he adapted that spell into a regeneration spell, so he would continually have more blood to give and could manually "heal" (temporarily patch up) his wounds so he wouldn't bleed out, meaning, that if he couldn't secure an unfortunate stranger as a decent hostage to trade to the Night Crawlers, he'd be able to use himself as bait/part of the exchange in a controlled manner and still live to tell the tale.

Eventually, tales of his regeneration spell, as the best-known substitute for immortality, are bandied throughout the Woods for decades, but no one ever manages to replicate it. And since he's the only one known to cast it successfully, having withheld the knowledge for his own gain, only a few intrepid souls approach him every year with requests, often, veteran soldiers to gain back a limb, who bring him their weight in gold that they scraped together. So, Rafal is mythologized and becomes a Baba Yaga-type figure because he passes his judgments on the people that seek an audience with him, and either murders them instantly or helps them. The decision always seems sporadic on the outside, but Rafal has his reasons/intuition around who he sees as fit to live.

Anyway, somehow, Rafal negotiates incredibly well, and in return, agrees to help the Night Crawlers reach their lightless paradise at the bottom of the sea, probably below the seafloor. And he does it so well (partly by tricking them/using "exact words") that he is crowned The Sorcerer King of the Night Crawlers and Master of the Inagrotten. Of course, when this news reaches Sophie, it infuriates her, but she finally decides to leave him alone.

She also takes some of the credit for teaching her best student, saying she knew he'd succeed all along and had faith in his talents, but not everyone believes her. The Rot eats up the story when they interview her though. And hers is the only version of the story they have. Rafal doesn't care and flat-out refuses to be interviewed. His refusal does make headlines though. He encased a very talkative reporter in solid ice for his troubles.

With his new, hard-earned, fearsome reputation, Rafal has enough leverage to take up a fight with the Kingdom Council now because no Ever kingdom in the Woods is willing to utter his name for fear of summoning him (an urban myth that's cropped up). So, they call him "Rothbart the Second" as a pseudonym, or refer to him by his illustrious title. Rhian finds all this very funny, but he goes along with the bit whilst in polite company, so no one makes him throw salt over his shoulder.

And, Rafal does Rhian a favor after Rhian wraps up with his more typical fourth-year quest: campaigning for equal marriage rights for all in Pifflepaff Hills (the pink and blue kingdom). More on that later.

Rafal pays off Seers to be one step ahead on rare occasions, extorts money from various emperors, kings, and regents, and doesn't have a permanent fortress/address because that would be too vulnerable to attack, an unchanging place. Soon enough, everyone would figure out where he is and bother him, and he can't have that. (The only person who is aware where Rafal is at any given time, or who knows where he "lives" is Rhian because they post each other letters on the regular.) Rafal lives inside his own Celestium, in a black cloak he enchanted, which is only accessible to him. It's also the only place in the Woods where he's not paranoid because several Ever kingdoms have put a bounty on his head. No one ever manages to kill him though, which is a fact he's extremely smug about. He learns blood magic, and can fly off from any threats, if he has to. And, he takes a life-extension elixir of blood-and-gold to prolong his life even further. He still ages mortally a bit slowly, but Rhian worries that he's cheating death too much and that it might catch up to him one day.

As for Rhian, he never does find the perfect, imaginary True Love that lives up to his ideals, but finds that he's contented by Rafal's monthly visits, especially considering how after his quest reached a successful end, Rafal got him a position on the Kingdom Council (the favor), as a biased "in" for him to exploit (the cover story), but secretly also so he'd know Rhian would have a relatively safe job for the rest of his life, so he wouldn't have to worry about Rhian dying while he's away.

Eventually, Rhian rises in the ranks and becomes a judge of some kind of inter-kingdom court, at Four Point, which is funny because his brother is technically an outlaw, not that Rhian would ever pass a verdict against Rafal, because he can't oversee a trial where someone he knows personally is involved anyway (it's against the rules), but still, it's really strange to see the strait-laced, gold-robed judge have tea with his brother in black. Without fail, the foreign Ever dignitaries scatter from the courtroom when they spot the Inagrotten docked at the nearest port because they know exactly who's arrived.

The END.

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Q: Very curious! What were Rafal's reasons for rejecting Sophie?

A: Like Rafal in Rise, this Rafal has no interest in romance, and probably, still has part of his original impression of this Sophie in his mind, which is "annoying" and "too fussy/difficult/high-maintenance" for him to deal with. He's got enough on his plate with Rhian already, so he doesn't want another "Rhian." He doesn't tell her his reasons though. But, he would like his life to be drama-free, for once.

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Q: That's what I thought! Honestly, I'm not a fan of Rafal x Sophie in general, but I can see how TLEA's Rafal works with her.

A: Yes, they're my favorite ship, but wouldn't have worked well in this context, so they couldn't end up together. Personally, I think they balance each other well, but not in all circumstances. (Probably, because I view Rafal and Agatha as similar, and Agatha and Sophie also balance each other well (platonically).) And TLEA Rafal and Sophie I like because they're in love and in pain, which is just... entertaining and devastating, kind of. They have chemistry there too, I think. The TLEA banter is basically some of my favorite dialogue in the whole series. You can really see contrast in Sophie's line about tea parties and sunlight. Though, I'm just kind of attached to the idea of the ship, haha.

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Q: What happens with Agatha and Sophie after the twins have their own careers and so forth? Hopefully they don't kill each other..

A: Well, like usual, they get another class of students, and the cycle repeats. It's less tumultuous this time around because Sophie is not infatuated with the students. She's probably learned her lesson, but in a couple of centuries, it may just happen again...

And, no, they don't kill each other. There are some close calls, like the time Agatha broke a mirror, the time Agatha fed one of Sophie's leather handbags to a Stymph in retaliation for Sophie's flower arrangements aggravating her hay fever, and the time that she accidentally let Reaper into Sophie's closet (resulting in torn hems and clawed curtains). But, luckily, Sophie does fundamentally love Agatha, so Agatha is never actually murdered. Sophie just screams at her, and gives her the silent treatment for a couple days. Then, Agatha brings her a lavish present, and all is well again.

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Q: What does Rafal's Celestium look like?

A: In this AU, Rafal's Celestium has a deep, velvety, black, midnight sky, and spangles of "stars," white pinpricks of lights, like holes in a swath of fabric, so he can breathe. There are dark, stormy clouds, but all is silent, like he's in a vacuum, like he's safely tucked in the eye of a major storm or within an inkblot. If he wants to, he can adjust the lighting, so it's not too dark. The second light source is these beautiful, phantom flowers that grow from vines that encircle the clouds. They're not real, physical things, just offshoots of magic, ghostly and golden, like some kind of residual effect from spending time around Rhian. There are often more of them when Rafal's close to Rhian, during his visits. And, he likes to watch their constant glow, like nightlights. It's a comforting reminder that Rhian is alive after all. Though, he never touches them or prunes them, just lets them continually take over, or wither in their own time frame because he once found that when he touched one himself, to attempt to pick it and bring it to Rhian, it instantly crumpled to ash in his hand. They're inaccessible to him, the way Good is figuratively inaccessible to him, like a symbol of what he cannot be, but can only do.

(In the universe of TOTSMOV41, his Celestium has more movement/clutter, and a different appearance, but that will be revealed a while later. It does come up in one of the sequels I have planned to TOTSMOV41, if I ever manage to finish it.)

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Q: If Rafal has a Celestium, does Rhian have one too or did he not take up magic as seriously as Rafal? If he does have one, what does it look like? I would imagine he would have something associated with Rafal in there as well.

A: Rhian wouldn't practice his sorcery as frequently as Rafal would. As an Ever, he doesn't have as much cause to, except when he needs to discern the truth at trials, or judge the souls of the convicted. Otherwise, he uses his sorcery for frivolous things, like manifesting clothes, or levitating his luggage and books through the air.

Rhian's Celestium would be found in his gold, judicial robes, or when he's in a pinch, he can access it via his heavily-embroidered cravats.

The robes have mesh-like embroidery embossed on them, with some dimension and real heft to the needlework, from thread of pure spun gold, mostly at the sleeve cuffs and about the wide borders at the bottom hem. This would translate to a fragile-seeming, mesh-like, geodesic dome in his Celestium, that looks as if it could be toppled by a strong wind, as part of its "sky," with very intricate lattice-work done, wrought in twisted gold, the way palace gates often are, with hammered gold leaves and flowers, to match the embroidery work. The space wouldn't exactly have a ceiling, considering how the whole thing is a dome, but a paneled atrium ceiling would also be a similar image to what I have in mind.

Usually, his Celestium would be sunlit and warm, and the voluminous folds of his robes would make up the sky, usually reflecting a sky at sunrise through the gold wire structure, in pale blues and oranges, which would carry over from the deep blue and orangish, bronze-colored, brocade inner lining of his robes. The lighting within the dome mimics the Golden Hour at all times unless he were to tamper with it.

Some of the panels of his sky-dome are just mirrors, like shimmering fish-scales embedded in the sky, so he gets a good view of himself from many angles. Typical Ever vanity and hubris.

Rhian's sign of Rafal in his Celestium are soft, slick feathers, black swan feathers that rain down slowly, floating in the atmosphere, like wisps of smoke. Some just hang there, suspended in the air or blown about by airstreams. They brush Rhian on their way down, and at times, tickle him when they fall past.

If all the feathers were to drop to the ground at once, he'd probably have true cause to worry, believing that Rafal is gravely wounded or even dead. It hasn't happened yet though.

Here are some images, of a geodesic dome and of the gold wrought quality it would have, if you're at all curious:

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Once again, if anyone else has other questions, concerns, or thoughts, I'm perfectly willing to answer them in the comments section!

Prequel Rafal, why do you have an ahoge (hair antenna)?

Rafal: I don't know. I’ve always had it. Rhian's attempted to tame it, or weigh it down in the past, with gels, and creams, and other, odd concoctions, even sorcery, but nothing has ever succeeded in flattening it.

Rhian: It's remarkably stubborn. Much like someone I know. [He glares at Rafal pointedly.]

Rafal: Not this again.

Rhian: There's something to be said about the symbolism at play.

Rafal: I don't care.

Rhian: My point exactly! And his obstinance can err on the side of absurdity. Rafal submits to no man, and the only authority he'd ever accept is his own. He resists all attempts at reform, never appears beaten or chastened, won't scrape or grovel, won't yield or flatten himself, like that hair of his, and he can't be reliably tamed or trusted by most.

Rafal: I still don't care. And so what? I'm always right. You know that. And when I'm not right, things are sure to become right, even if it's my last act alive.

Rhian: Told you so. He'll force any solution into being if it suits him, but none of those solutions can tame that ahoge... or his formidable strength of will.

What do Rhian and Rafal think of him:

Note: All my knowledge of this character is secondhand since I'm not in the fandom, but he is pirate-like, so I'll be riffing off of that.

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Rhian: [flushes and inhales, fiddling with his hair] He's handsome.

Rafal: [abrasively] Not again, Rhian. What an incredible waste of my time!

Rhian: [scoffs] We're immortal! We have all the time in the world, especially for him.

Rafal: It doesn't make this stripling any less suspect or any more appealing.

Rhian: Oh, please. I don't care what an old skeptic like you thinks. I'm going to give him a proper introduction to Good.

Rafal: Really? To Good? If you say so. If only that were true... [He sighs exasperatedly and rolls his eyes skywards.] Tell me, Pen—why do I bother anymore?

I had this thought for a while. What do you think would happen if Fall Rhian and Rise Rhian meet after time travel shenanigans? Their dynamic would be hilarious, with Rise Rhian being tense around his amused Fall self.

And for angst, Rise Rafal meeting Fall Rafal, who is mysteriously a ghost.

Hopefully this isn’t too far from what you’d wanted, Anon. I somehow ended up giving Rhian angst and only a little hilarity and Rafal hope along with his angst. During both fairly consecutive scenes, the brothers' future selves visit their past selves. This all would occur right after Rafal remodels his School in Rise but before he discovers Gavaldon in the timeline. Neither of the brothers know about Gavaldon yet, and they don't learn about it in this scenario.

And, in this timeline, Hook doesn't even get in with Rhian or manage to get hired as a probationary Dean of Good. He just directly poaches the students, and leaves right after the Vulcan incident. Essentially, what Hook did is claim that he's about to leave and bid Rafal goodbye after the battle, yet he doesn't leave, and instead, sneaks off with the students sooner than in canon. So, now, Rafal and Rhian are in the Schools, during the aftermath of the Vulcan incident, while Rafal does his remodeling and torture-marathoning. That is when their future selves decide to visit.

As for Ghost Rafal, he arrives from approximately thirty years into the future, after the ending of Fall, so he's been a ghost for some time, and has had the opportunity to reflect.

Also, some things here might later become part of a fic (although my fic's outline doesn't involve time travel like this.) Very interesting prompt, by the way. So thanks!

Lastly, before you read on, here's how I will differentiate between the characters:

"Rhian" = Rise Rhian

“Fall Rhian” = post-Fall Rhian, by about thirty years

"Rafal" = Rise Rafal

"Ghost" = post-Fall Rafal, by about thirty years

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[In Good, Rhian is prepping for a lesson in his sunlit, glass-walled office.]

Fall Rhian: Hello, "Good" School Master, [a voice breezes behind Rhian as he is seated at his desk.]

Rhian: [stiffens and quickly spins in his chair, paling at a version of himself floating by the window sill.] You... are me. And you can fly?

Fall Rhian: You catch on quickly. [He pats Rhian's wild golden curls from above, condescendingly, like an angel to a stray worshipper.]

Rhian: [blushes] I—thanks, I, well, usually it's Rafal who does. I'm... the gullible one, as it turns out. [He hangs his head in shame.]

Fall Rhian: Are you?

Rhian: Well, yes, considering all the trouble I’ve caused. I suppose I’m fortunate Rafal’s forgiven me at all.

Fall Rhian: And what then? You’re content to be second all your life? You’re willing to let him claim he was the twin created better? [he provokes, prodding, goading his past self on as if with a hot poker, to stoke a certain dragon fire within.]

Rhian: Er… well, no. That wasn’t the first thing on my mind. I’m just… grateful to have been saved, even if… well, Rafal’s driven away my every chance of finding a companion or True Love outside of him. And, I can’t believe I’m admitting to this, but I don’t want to rely on him forever. I just wish that… that I could break away and be more—I don’t know—devil-may-care, like he is, free and unfettered. But I have to live by my values or I'll have nothing. I've already fallen, seeing as I've stepped out of line, endangered my young charges, and unleashed a tyrant on my poor Evers. I'm me. Useless and "whiny" and witless, guileless and impotent. Or that's what everyone thinks.

Fall Rhian: Good. Be careful what you wish for. You’re on your way.

Rhian: [puzzled] On my way to what?

Fall Rhian: To becoming me. [He grins, a slow, snake-like smile stretching across his face.] And you'll finally be cured of your pathetic crushes on men.

Rhian: [He decides to change the subject quickly, feeling thoroughly disturbed. This Rhian is practically a stranger!] How can you fly? That requires blood magic.

Fall Rhian: Guess whose blood it is. [His grin widens and he settles on the edge of the windowsill.]

Rhian: [blanches, staring at the dark, rusted stains on his future self’s armor] W-whose?

Fall Rhian: Your brother's.

Rhian: [frantically] Wh-what h-h-happened? [His teeth start to chatter as this odd version of himself radiates a dead coldness much like Rafal does, except it's a thousand times worse.] Who are you?

Fall Rhian: I'm you, and you're me. And I regret to inform you that—[He laughs.]—actually, I don't regret a thing!—that our brother is dead.

Rhian: D-d-dead? How? What happened to him?!

Fall Rhian: Us.

Rhian: I don't follow. Are you saying—

Fall Rhian: [nods, biting back another psychotic smile]

[A silence falls over them, as Rhian sobers, his face falling.]

Rhian: But why? How could I— [Then, he stabs out a finger accusingly, stirring from his chair, fingers twitching and spasming, as if he were to strangle this other Rhian, like he was about to lunge.] How could you! How could you do such a thing?

Fall Rhian: Ah, where to begin? Where to begin? Well, simple: a need for power, a restless soul, a desire for more. More than your miserable, lonely existence. Anything beyond being lesser than. Doesn't matter why. [he spat.] Don't you sense that restlessness within? Regardless, I'm here to tell you, you're on the wrong path. No matter how upset you are, avoid killing Rafal. Keep him alive.

Rhian: [heaves a sigh of relief. Perhaps, this version of himself would talk some sense into him and benefit from it himself as well.]

Fall Rhian: Just ensure that you're the One in power, and while he's alive, do whatever with him that you will. I really don't care what, as long as he doesn't interfere.

Rhian: [His stomach twists in on itself.] What do you mean?

Fall Rhian: Fratricide is Evil, isn't it? And you want to remain Good in the eyes of the Storian, don't you? If you don't kill him, well then, that's the mercy of your Goodness come to light, sparing a villain, sparing your own blood. So long as you don't directly kill him, you're golden. Just, keep him alive, in any condition, even if he has a broken leg, so you don't earn your true side a pitiful losing streak. There've been hundreds of tales so far, in my time, since I murdered our brother, and the wrong side now wins every time. You've already cursed the Woods for Storian knows how long, so don't make the mistake of killing him this time. Just... keep him. Lock him up. Paralyze him. Turn him to gold and use him as decor. I don't care. Whatever you do, don't kill him, and preserve the balance as well as you can. You'll find other means to an end that suits me—ahem, us.

Rhian: [doubtfully] I think I understand, but... you don't sound Good.

Fall Rhian: That's up to you to decide for yourself, according to your superior moral judgement, but we both know the Storian has the final say.

Rhian: [musing] True...

Fall Rhian: Good lad. You know what to do. Just think it all over. I wanted to let you know. You deserve to, as a favor from one Rhian, to another. Trust me. Trust yourself. [He bows smoothly. Too smoothly, like a sleaze. Like a Vulcan. Or the way Rafal did when he put on a manipulative, deceptively charming performance. He didn’t act like Rhian at all.]

[Then, the stranger disappears, vanishes into the smoke, dissipating, called back to his own time, tethered to a dismal future.]

[Rhian begins to spiral in the harsh light, stumbling around blindly like he's seen a ghost, trying to get a grip on something real, to ground himself after that encounter. He closes all the curtains in his office, whisking them shut with his sorcery, and wishes he were dead, curling up into a fetal position on the floor, utterly haunted.

That couldn't have been his future, could it?

But, soon enough, he hears the clock chime, and picks himself up, heading down to teach a class of Evers. He suspected Rafal was lounging in his office, watching his students’ torture, but he couldn’t deal with that now. He couldn’t stomach anything more, any lurid news.]

⸻

[Rhian was probably teaching a class, Rafal figured. He could leave his brother be. For now. To dwell on the consequences of his actions. Inviting a stranger into their School! What a farce. And Rafal always had to resign himself to the drudgery of cleaning up Rhian's messes. All that Rhian subjected him to—after a while, it became exhausting. Of course, some things never truly changed.]

[Just then, a pale figure sweeps across Rafal's field of vision and comes into focus.]

Rafal: A ghost? In my School? You... look like me. Not Vulcan.

Ghost: Sharp powers of observation, if only you weren't so slow.

Rafal: I'm slow? [smirks] Well, if you knew my brother, you'd really know who's the slow one.

Ghost: [taunting] You'll say that now, but wait 'til you become me.

Rafal: Wait, I can't die. How do you even exist? Is this a prank? If it's my Nevers, they're getting stretched on the rack.

Ghost: [drolly] You have more pressing concerns than mutinous students, actually.

Rafal: [His eyes flicker with a realization.] The Storian! I knew it! The little devil killed me, didn't it? [He stands up and starts to pace.] Well, I can prevent it. Just, tell me what happened. Now.

Ghost: You're even denser than I remember. The cause of our death wasn't the Pen. And, actually, it was your own fault.

Rafal: My fault? You already know what I've gone through to preserve my life and Rhian's! How dare you!

Ghost: [perching on his desk, amused, spoken bitterly] Now you're making progress.

Rafal: What? What is it? No—Rhian?

Ghost: Correct.

Rafal: That blundering fool! I'll bet his lunacy got us both killed!

Ghost: No, just you.

Rafal: What! How! Rhian can't even clean up his own messes, much less run the Schools on his own—

Ghost: He does when you're gone. For at least thirty years straight, and counting, as long as I’ve been dead.

Rafal: Impossible. With his reputation, he couldn't command a morsel of the respect I can, not unless he transformed into me!

Ghost: So close and yet so far. I can't believe I was this much of a numbskull when I was younger. Do I have to spell it out for you?

Rafal: [icily] Do tell, ghost o'mine.

Ghost: [rolls his eyes] HE KILLS YOU AND TAKES YOUR PLACE.

Rafal: Don't make me laugh.

Ghost: I'm not laughing.

Rafal: [He stills, halts in his tracks.] What? Rhian wouldn't even kill moths. [scoffs] I don't think he's capable of killing people or his own brother. [derisively] He's too Good.

Ghost: And that brings me to the second piece of news I have for you.

Rafal: [mockingly] Don't tell me—Rhian's Evil, right? [shaking his head] If you're not going to tell me the actual cause of my death, just leave. I'll figure it out. And take precautions all on my own. [Then, he catches sight of a pirate ship sailing away in the distance on the Savage Sea.]

Ghost: Hook took your students. Now do you believe me? You know I'm right. I'm always right.

Rafal: [chokes on his own spittle] Rhian? H-he betrayed me? Oh, you don't know what you've gotten yourself into, brother. I won't die. Not if I murder you first!

Ghost: [blocks the door, so Rafal doesn't storm out in fury] You've forgotten something. You can't play by those Rules anymore.

Rafal: What rules?

Ghost: The Rules.

Rafal: Clear out of my way. I'm not burning daylight on a conversation for first-years! I'm Evil and that's final.

Ghost: [doesn't move, crosses his arms serenely.] No. You're not.

Rafal: [through gritted teeth] I'm telling you. I'm. Not. Good.

Ghost: You will be, if you don't listen to me!

Rafal: Empty threats. What can you do to me now that you're "dead?" [He strides right through his ghost.] If I catch a student behind this phantom projection, I'll flay them alive. I mean, you're not even convincing, as far as illusions go.

Ghost: I know you've been mulling over the idea of swans for a unified School crest these last couple of days. How could I know that, if I'm not you?

Rafal: [He blinks, processing for a moment, breaks into a sprint, and roars,] RHIAN!

Ghost: See, I wasn't a liar! Don't do anything rash though. I'd hate to watch myself turn into a victim again and sooner at that.

[As soon as he arrives at Good, Rafal thrusts open the doors to a classroom, yanks Rhian aside and out the door, and frog-marches him up the silver tower's stairs with a lit fingerglow to the back.]

[Some of the Ever students snicker at their mortified School Master, being scolded like a child, presumably being escorted to a punishment.]

Rhian: Rafal! What's this about!? I thought you forgave me!

Rafal: You haven't done anything wrong. Yet. I'm ensuring that the worst won't happen. Thus, I will quarantine you for a couple of days. [He flicks his fingers and casts a spell to make Rhian sneeze.] Look, you have a cold. Too many strangers, too much excitement for you and your weak immune system. I'll sort out everything else myself, then we'll talk. [muttering under his breath] Right after one James Hook pays for his deeds...

Rhian: [about to object, but then sees the ghost] Wait. Who is that?

Rafal: Ignore it. I'll explain once you've recovered.

Rhian: But Rafal! You can't leave me here! The students need proper supervision!

Rafal: So? I'll get... Humburg to watch over them.

Rhian: [pulls a face]

Rafal: Well, it's a better option than y—[He pauses to think for a moment.]—either of us at the moment. We're... volatile and... murderous, apparently.

Rhian: We?

Rafal: Later. Not now. We'll discuss this later. Just let yourself be saved one last time.

Rhian: [looks indignant]

Rafal: Don't tell me that isn't true.

Rhian: Is this about the future me that visited me? I didn’t think you knew.

Rafal: All right, sure, I’ll believe you. Just tell me about your nonsense after I deal with mine and save your vacuous soul from eternal damnation.

Rhian: So, is that—y-your ghost? [Rhian peers up at ghost Rafal and tells the ghost:] I’m sorry, about ev-everything. [his voice catching in his throat.]

Ghost: [somberly] It’s not your apology to give, but I miss this side of you.

Rafal: [glances at the ghost, then fixes his gaze on Rhian] You. Stay put. [Then, addressing the ghost,] And you. Come with me. We're solving this now.

Ghost: [to Rhian] I don't miss myself though. I was cruel.

Rafal: Now, ghost. I’m not squandering a minute on ludicrous phantom reunions.

Rhian: [sighs] You’re strange. And oddly calm.

Ghost: The result of death and decades of reflection. I was high-strung before, wasn’t I?

Rhian: Will my Rafal ever change to become like you?

Ghost: Not if he can prevent it.

Rhian: Good. No offense, but I don’t want any traces of your timeline in ours. Even if you have the remotest chance of being nicer to me.

Ghost: None taken. I’d rather be alive. But look at where I am now.

Rafal: [calling from the stairwell] Make haste, ghost!

Ghost: [voice echoing, to Rafal] That's your responsibility. I've suffered enough for several lifetimes already.

Rhian: More than my br—

Ghost: Yes, much more than yours.

Rhian: [shaking his head incredulously, musing,] Same, old, Evil brother...

Ghost: About that—

Rafal: [interjecting, shouting back up] I may be Good, but I’ll never be an Ever!

[The ghost and Rhian eye each other and try not to laugh.]

Rhian [to the ghost, pleadingly]: Keep me company while he's gone, why don't you?

Ghost: [shrugs, declaring,] I have nothing better to do. And, it's... nice, to have you around again. I should've stayed... all those years ago when I had my chance... [his voice trails off] I apologize, for abandoning you, Rhian.

Rhian: Not your apology to give, but thank you.

Ghost: [looks down at Rafal from the tower window] He may still apologize to you, someday...