Fall Of The School For Good And Evil - Tumblr Posts

See the reblog for the second poll.

Part 2:

See the reblog for the second poll.

See the reblog for the second poll.

Part 2:

See the reblog for the second poll.

Please read or skim the descriptions below the poll and approximate as best as you can before voting. (If you disagree with any of my character interpretations, feel free to comment.)

Hephaestus (or Kyma) - Can and will set their pride aside to help others. E.g., Hephaestus held back and did not stand up to Vulcan in order to save his fellow Evers and spare them from further punishment. He took the selfless way out, instead of going after personal satisfaction. Both he and Kyma care for others, and in doing so, save themselves, too. Yet, they also seem willing to sacrifice themselves. "All against Evil" mentality.

Hook (or Midas) - The "neutrals." These two get their own category, slightly outside of the Kyma to Rhian spectrum. Will save himself first if he has good reason to neglect others. Is willing to betray, lie, and cheat, yet cares for those specifically aligned with him. He cares for those on his side (sometimes, meaning only himself) and that excludes everyone else, the masses. Has an "us vs. them" or "us against the world" mentality.

Rise Rafal - Mostly "Good," or if not Good, honorable on some level, but cannot set his pride aside. Slightly narrower than the Hook category. Deserts and tortures everyone with almost no qualms. Yet does possess a conscience. Has a cynical mentality of: "I will save myself and hang everyone out to dry, to fend for themselves" or essentially, the classic: "Every man for himself." Assumes the worst of human nature, under normal circumstances—unless someone gives him reason to believe they will do Good. Also: "So long everyone. I only care about myself, and will do nothing for you." Plays defensive sometimes, but only for himself with few exceptions (like protecting Rhian). Overall: "Me and my personal gain against the world" mentality.

Fall Rafal - Inclusive of the above description. Plus: Will actively, preemptively hurt (or endanger) others, when necessary (could be "necessary" in his mind). Uses people, and sometimes, treats them as disposable. Escape Clause: If he's feeling particularly vindictive or sadistic, as events take a turn for the worst, the definition of "necessary" will widen to accommodate him. Salient addition of the: "I'm always right" mentality.

Fall Rhian (or Marialena) - Self-serving to a greater degree than Rafal is. Believes other people are Good, that humanity is fundamentally Good (or that it can further his cause), and leaves himself vulnerable... He will lie, cheat, and deceive to save his own skin. Plays dirty. Will actively, preemptively hurt. He cares for himself, and will harm and tear down others if it will benefit him. "Me with the world until the world hurts me" mentality.

Hey, how would Rafal react to Rhian hugging him or Rhian react to Rafal hugging him since Rafal doesn't show emotions or be affectionate?

If Rhian actually managed to hug Rafal quickly enough, blindsiding him, assuming it was a surprise or if it were done from behind, so as to not give Rafal the opportunity to shove him away, I think Rafal would probably stiffen on instinct and (possibly) tolerate the contact while standing upright and dead still, assuming he clocked that it was indeed Rhian and not someone else. If he managed to override the instinct, he might be able to find it in himself to relax, but that seems a little unlikely to me, given that he abhors overly cutesy, touchy-feely things.

I think only something drastic could cause Rafal to initiate a hug with Rhian. Even then, I'm not sure it would ever happen. If it did, I'm sure it would shock Rhian to his core, but that he would relax and reciprocate it. (Evil Fall Rhian, however, wouldn't take it in stride and could be more reactive.)

Oh, and it occurred to me that I did write the first scenario in a fic:

What do you think would have happened immediately after Rhian stabbed Rafal if Rhian had missed, or Rafal was able to somehow see it coming and move out of the way? How would have both brothers reacted?

I think both brothers were too far gone to back down by that point, and I doubt that either could or would come to their senses. Rafal was still prideful and unwilling to compromise on what he wanted or let go of potential power, and Rhian was already off into the deep end of practically being possessed by the rot and the Evil within him, meaning, short of a miracle, he probably would've been unswayable.

So, perhaps, if anything deviated from canon, the fratricide scene could've been drawn out into a longer seemingly inevitable, final struggle. Thus, whoever would've won would've won—unless they arrived at a stalemate, but I don't believe they were evenly matched by Fall's climax. Plus, if we reference August Sader's words to Agatha about how villains are often the people closest to the protagonist, I have a theory that Rhian literally became Rafal's fairy tale nemesis, even if it was never directly stated in the text, since we've seen a progression of Rafal gaining a limp, losing his flight, and becoming weaker in Fall while Rhian grew into his Evil and power (the blue dragonfire) and became stronger, suggesting that the same outcome could've occurred, even if it could have been delayed.

This song and its music video give off such Rhian vibes. It's insane that you can literally see the tone shift happen:

Also, it's meta, if you interpret the Storian as the "director." And, it has to be said: Rhian was trapped in the wrong genre. He would've fit right into a romantic comedy.

Theory: Rhian once had a tendency to fall in love easily and intensely, but what if most of that part of his soul was the piece that transferred to Hook when Hook had his magic? Did Hook only love Kyma because of the magic's influence overtaking how he usually would've felt toward someone new? Hook was, forgive the pun, originally the seducer, the hook, not the baited. And, during Fall, did Rhian succumb to the rot in his soul faster without that particular piece, meaning he was an incomplete version of himself all along and therefore more susceptible to the Pen?

Rafal's flight required blood magic to work, and it's never been confirmed if that spell requires the user's own blood or another's.

WHAT IF RHIAN'S FIRST USE OF BLOOD MAGIC AFTER HE STOLE RAFAL'S FACE CAME FROM HIS BROTHER'S BLOOD?

Maybe there was some pragmatism to stabbing Rafal (aside from it being a quick, easy-to-execute death), consequently drawing his blood when the Pen was removed after a delay...

Tw: Blood

So, there’s a story behind this sketch. I don’t know why, but when I try to draw something with a plan in mind, it doesn’t turn out how I want it to, and this started as just a simple, dramatic little sketch in the corner of the canvas, hence the bad resolution again. It’s actually minuscule. And—I ended up adding more details to the sketch since I was starting to like it. Then I thought: hmm, what could make this better? BLOOD. Definitely blood. And that’s it.

Have one more minimalistic version without all the text also:

I swear Rafal is the most versatile character. He can be the savior, victim, autocrat, and prisoner through it all and I wouldn't bat an eye as long as he's characterized accurately.

Me, complaining: My favorite murderer was murdered—

Anyone else who doesn't know probably: So? How is that a valid complaint?

Me: He partly deserved it, but also, he had redeeming qualities and I loved seeing him be terrible! That was the point!

Did Luoto Bakhti's cannibal song remind anyone of the songs in Roald Dahl's books, like the Oompa Loompa ones? Or is that just me?

The Facets of Rafal as Music

Since I've incidentally done a music post for Japeth, I've decided to do one for Rafal as well!

In certain contexts, I believe syncopation is villainous. I'm not an expert, but I believe I've identified the musical pattern I associate with Fala.

Syncopation in music is the type of rhythm that goes back and forth in a certain way, like skipping stones or a pendulum motion, but it's more irregular and off-beat.

Alternatively, you can think of the syncopation parts as the harmony or the walking baseline of the music. It very much evokes footsteps and the sly, trickster archetype in my opinion. There are alternating long-short!, long-short! parts, "delayed" and sustained. And I feel like it's capable of mimicking an uneven, doddery walk, shuffling along, like Fala's limp in Fall. And music like this is used in cinema for this very purpose. I oftentimes picture one heavier foot being dragged forward.

If the images I used weren't clear, here's an actual definition for reference:

"In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat. More simply, syncopation is 'a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm': a 'placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they wouldn't normally occur.'"

Since this is somewhat of an abstract concept, it may help to listen to some examples I've found to illustrate my point with. At the very least, if I've misidentified this pattern, all these songs have a similar vibe, at least during certain excerpts of them.

Tip: try listening to the sound beneath the main melody of the songs, not the changing, overall variable parts but the stable, underlying constant, as Rafal is mostly constant and faithful, which works for him symbolically. Basically, I want to draw your attention towards the lower parts, the baseline, like I said previously—I'm not sure how to describe it exactly, but for a musical term, you could also call it the accompaniment.

"Good Omens Opening Title" (The original version. Specifically, listen to the heavier, less angelic, more apocalyptic parts.)

"Good Omens Opening Title" first piano version (Easier to hear the pattern with one instrument and less complexity.)

"Good Omens Opening Title" second piano version (Even blunter and more abrupt than the first piano version. Jarring and more "firm." Must be something about the lack of a slur, if it's not outright staccato. It's the notation, the "articulation" here, if you recognize my meaning.)

"The Entertainer" in a minor key (Chances are you're heard this one in a jollier, major key before as it's a popular piece. This darker version I chose is slower, so it's easier to see the pattern.)

"The Entertainer" in a minor key again (This is played at a faster tempo, but it's still worth the listen to me since it aptly captures the darkness and drama Rafal lives for.)

"Chim Chim Cher-ee" (It's easiest to see the footsteps plainly in the blue bars.)

"Chim Chim Cher-ee" (In this second version, you can see the pianist's hands bounce back and forth, kind of like clockwork at one point. Again, evidence of the pattern.)

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Not jaunty enough to truly qualify as syncopation, but hopefully, you get the idea. See the second version linked just below this one for the actual syncopation, to compare.)

A movie clip with a calliope (Listen to the background music from [31:29-32:05]. The song is still "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." However, this version has a more distinct syncopation to it. Sure, it's lighter, airier, and played at a faster tempo, but you can still observe the same pattern.)

"Below the Surface" piano version (The walking pattern yet again, very prominent, done with a heavy hand. Also, the stakes seem to rise as the song progresses.)

In summary, while I usually imagine that Rafal's hypothetical villain theme would be far smoother, especially in regards to his seduction of others, Fala's theme would be jauntier, by virtue of its being a disguise and there being more mischief wrapped up in it by default. It'd go clunkity-lunkity, like some kind of a gremlin figure while Rafal's usual leitmotif would be trance-like, hypnotic, mesmerizing, something with spades of tension and build-up.

My examples for Rafal, not Fala, are:

"The Carnival of the Animals - Aquarium"

"The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Act I, Scene 1: No. 6, Clara and the Nutcracker" (Start at [3:58]. It's like he's luring you in.)

"Le Banquet Céleste" for Organ

"Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 - III. Allegro ma non troppo" (Start listening to the smoother part at about [2:27]. There is downwards motion and swelling.)

"Serenade for Strings in E Major" (Only the darker, winding parts towards the beginning and end are relevant.)

The quality to some of these music choices I'd like to point out is how there's usually swaying. It's tenuous, wavering—there's undulation and a general air of unease, instability, unpredictability, and yet, it's still a bit like the pendulum motion from before, just looser and loftier, less grounded than Fala is.

Essentially, music like this tends to remind me of Rafal and of characters who function like him. It can be ominous or steady, methodical foot-stepping that's constant and regular, like pacing around a tower chamber, steepling fingers, being locked in thought, crafting schemes.

Thus, I rest my case: syncopation, slurring (the smooth quality), oscillation (the wavering quality) and "evil" go hand in hand, as something sinister is audibly afoot.

Any thoughts, anyone?

Is Rafal an Allegory for Autism and Is He Autistic Himself?

DISCLAIMER: This is just one niche interpretation of the text that points to his being autistic, even if it were not intentionally written into the narrative. I am in no way claiming this interpretation is factual or that it is an absolute or “correct” reading of the text.

Therefore, feel free to disagree with me or add onto this! I will not be offended by opposing viewpoints at all, and it could be fair to say I’m just pathologizing him, if that’s the case, which may be true. I’d also love to hear other takes if anyone agrees with me, or suspects another form of neurodivergence, seeing as comorbidities are possible and one condition doesn’t rule out the existence of another as symptoms alone could themselves be attributed to other causes.

@hyperfixating-chic Thank you for bringing up the idea of Rafal having autism since I had previously suspected it due to some of his (potentially negligible) traits, and discarded the idea. Now, I see it as plausible and your thought about masking definitely helped everything else slot into place!

Currently, I'm straddling the line between:

Is Rafal an unintentional allegory for autism, or beyond that, does he have enough traits for him to actually be autistic?

With him, any traces of autism seem to present themselves in such minor ways that I might just be cherry-picking evidence to fit this particular image of him. Though, his autism could just be higher-functioning anyway. And, while he does have seemingly autistic traits, there could be other, equally plausible reasons for their existence apart from neurodivergence, such as his idiosyncratic personality. And, because he is fictional, we can’t truly be sure.

One side note: The word “autism” could be translated as “selfism,” as the prefix “auto-” means “self,” or it could allude to self-absorption. Yet, not all autistics are selfish and some may only appear “selfish” to others. However, this interpretation of the word happens to work in favor of Rafal’s autism existing, as he is selfish (and does possess a somewhat graceless mode of socializing).

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Evidence for his character being an allegory:

He's central to the order of the world he lives in, to the Schools running, continuing on, to pure utility, but does he have any social value beyond that?

Quick digression: I'm almost tempted to say that the worst thing someone whose opinion Rafal actually cares about could say to him is: “You're useless/purposeless." (And that is what I have him think about, or say at times, to Rhian, but if it were directed toward him, I feel like it would be something he couldn't brush off easily.)

Looking at his “value” and other traits:

He has virtually no relationships and thus, has little social currency apart from his School Master status.

He is viewed as an outsider in a sense by society (partly because of how far above everyone else he stations himself). But, if he didn’t do that as well as threaten punishment so frequently, would he be ridiculed behind closed doors? Even though he was admitted to the Black Rabbit, it was (probably?) because he was respected and feared, not because he was “welcome” in an amicable way, even if he was treated well. How do we know he wasn’t merely tolerated because he had to be, according to social conventions or mandated politeness driven by fear? Albeit, some Nevers probably did actually idolize him.

I believe there was even an assumption by others that he had a purpose for being at the nightclub, that he was there strictly for business, to scout out prospective students, not necessarily because he was there to join the festivities. Though, I may be misremembering.

He is irreverent and a “killjoy” to some, often upsets the status quo on large (leaving the School) and small (the trainwreck at the Snow Ball) scales, and often questions things usually accepted by most. He also doesn’t respect any authority apart from his own. This again is due to his Evil, in-narrative, as Evers are commonly depicted as rule-followers and traditionalists. (Neurotypicals, those who aren’t neurodivergent, generally do not question implicit social rules, even when there is no reason to keep to them or no reason for their existence.)

Rafal might only have been valued for his tangible, quantifiable contributions to society, as both a Never of prodigious talents and as an individual with a high-standing.

That begs the question: what about him as a person?

He is broadly viewed as unlikable.

To play into allegory, he is dehumanized, not necessarily for potential autism, but for his Evil, if it could be seen as a symbol of his autism.

At the start, Rhian, in originally wanting to eradicate Evil from the Woods and reform every soul, inadvertently demonizes him. And so do his students, when they sentence him to prison.

Sometimes, in-world, the Pen dehumanizes him (as well as Rhian) for his position as School Master. It reduces him to his role, strips him of individuality and selfhood because he is one of an indivisible pair, and it views him as replaceable, which, again, relates heavily to utility above all else, in how his sole purpose for being there and having his life preserved is pushing the tales and future forward.

So, while yes, he is respected and valued and held up as an exemplar for what Evil should be, how deeply does others’ approval run? Was anyone in-world willing to vouch for him or defend him as a person, for personal traits, apart from his skills and achievements?

(I’m not trying to suggest this in poor taste, but a real-world example of this phenomenon happening historically is the moral quandary of saving Einstein, who might've been neurodivergent. Einstein’s singular life as a Jew was prioritized over other lives, a plurality, during the Holocaust because he was a genius and therefore, a person of value. And, to generalize, sometimes groups only claim unlikable or "inferior" individuals as one of their own because they can benefit and get ahead from doing so. For instance, a Nazi could rationalize something absurd and say: "Oh, that Jew. He's a personal friend of mine. He's an exception, not like all those others. He's a good guy, and so, I'll help him escape Germany." Any “loyalty” from a member of the in-group is conditional. The moment that person of value crosses a line or becomes useless, it’s “abandon ship!” Or worse, denial: "They were never that great in the first place!")

Initially, to Rafal's students, he was a Folk devil, or their chosen scapegoat, even if their accusations against him proved pretty valid later on with the torture. (So, admittedly, he is deserving of a lot the narrative did to him, and can’t be defended completely.)

In fact, both Rafal’s own students and Vulcan (importantly designated as Rafal’s competition) seemed perfectly happy to see him fall. Thus, we can ask: did he suffer from a case of Tall Poppy Syndrome?

For reference, here’s a definition of the term I’ve pulled from the internet:

“Tall Poppy Syndrome occurs when individuals are attacked, resented, criticized, or cut down due to their achievements and success. The metaphorical ‘tall poppy’ represents someone who stands out from the crowd, excels, and reaches new heights.”

Maybe, he was only ever valued, not for who he was, but for what he could bring into the world.

Even if anyone post-Fall suspected that Rhian was the “Rafal” they saw, maybe they truly didn’t care. They still had a “him” in a sense that must have seemed just as good and serviceable as the original—if, again, they only valued him for the sake of utility.* It probably didn’t matter because no one was suffering from a lack of Evil School Master (yes, just the title, not the name) and likely no one realized they were suffering from a lack of Rafal (and balance). Him as a person probably meant nothing in their eyes, considering how he used and abused them.

So, here we have a figure, who was never that personable to begin with, who only succeeded in further alienating himself from potential allies and friends as stakes rose, who excelled in other areas rather than socially.

Could he have used his sorcery and other preternatural, prodigy-like abilities (considering his mental/physical age, if not his chronological age) to compensate for his ever-present social deficit? Possibly.

*Thus, we might be able to confirm he was always viewed, not for who he was, but for what he could do.

His death was caused by the failure to say the right, emotionally-weighted words in an emotionally-charged situation.

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Evidence for being autistic himself:

His default mode of speaking appears to be deadpan with little intonation and his emotional expression is overall low. He’s also rather impassive and placid compared to other characters as long as he remains in control and isn’t taken by surprise. Thus, I suspected he could have a flat affect (or blunted affect), unless he is deliberately seducing or appealing to another character he intends to manipulate to his own ends.

He has irreverence for existing traditions or established ways of doing things, given how he changed the date of the Snow Ball without warning, without consulting anyone, and with little concern for others because he saw his decision as fit to serve himself.

He seems to have a case of one-track-mind or monotropism when it comes to saving Rhian or attaining power for himself at any cost. His narrowed, obsessive focus tends to center on either Rhian, vengeance, the balance, or gaining control over his immediate surroundings whenever he is incapacitated; he has a need for order and control in everything he approaches. He also has a strong internal sense of justice, however perversely-aligned his may be.

He doesn’t distribute his attention widely, and (once) seemed to love his brother deeply and narrowly. He had no friends outside of Rhian, his twin, which could’ve been a given since the start. He had difficulty maintaining all of his relationships (or situationships) and had a marked lack of interest in forming relationships or friendships with others outside of Rhian because he often cut ties with people like Hook or Midas when he no longer had a practical use for them.

One of the greatest “sins” to some autistic people is lying, and it occurred to me that, a few times over, Rafal never lied. (This statement excludes the few exceptions of his Fala disguise, a thought not completely of his own volition which the Storian may have planted in his mind or implicitly suggested with its illustrations, and his general practice of withholding information.) He just weaponizes shades of the truth, unlike Rhian who did outright lie at times. Rafal instead misled, passively allowing people to believe what they wanted to believe about his moral character (oftentimes in the “fact” that he was trustworthy) without truly affirming their views of him or correcting them, as long as doing so continually worked to his advantage. He let them fall into their own delusions, and used lies of omission, which aren’t technically lies.

Although he is often driven by his selfish, insular nature, like towards the singular pursuit of power and becoming the One in Fall, I also suspected that he's often mind-blind in regards to others, sometimes willfully, if it’s not “errors” in how he processes the world. I would guess that he might experience difficulty in understanding and empathizing with others' perspectives, meaning he has trouble with “Theory of Mind.” As evidence, he uses the “wrong” wording when he attempted to placate Rhian at the climax of Fall before the fratricide scene since he’s not used to consoling or providing others with emotional reassurance or comfort. In addition, he seemed unable or unwilling to sympathize with Rhian’s perceived loss to him when he momentarily appeared to hold the Storian’s favor.

Rafal also strikes me as the type of person to devalue a form of emotional, Ever-like “data” he cannot read. If he does (or ever formerly did) suffer from mind-blindness, I have a theory that, possibly, because he could have begun with the inability to comprehend others' mental states, he found an alternate way to operate in and successfully navigate his world with, to thrive in it, consciously comporting himself as Evil, due to the easy potential overlap in autistic behaviors and being a conventional Never, in a way that was insensitive and cold enough to allow for any kind of social faux pas he could have made to be viewed as intentional on his part, assuming he spent most of his time around others masking his autism (covering up and compensating for deficits so as to be perceived as “normal”) even if such a label probably wouldn’t exist in the Woods. He also seems to dislike or barely tolerate any kind of flagrant sentimentality.

If the above point were true, then he would probably not only lack affective, visible empathy he could feel, imitate, and display through his facial expressions and body language, but also cognitive empathy. And this could be potentially because it would be convenient to him, to disregard and not take into account data that is ostensibly “meaningless” to him. Besides, I think there is a chance he’s taught himself to be persuasive or seductive when he wants to or “has” to be, in order to appeal to his victims. The other general possibility I had in mind was that Rafal could have learned to read people until it became second nature to him, with how he used suggestive manipulation on Aladdin to get the thief to steal back the lamp, proving Rafal consciously knew how predictable and pliable human nature could be.

In total, from what I can tell, he is able to manipulate others exceptionally well and lead them on, and yet, when it comes to actually relating to anyone, he seems to have difficulty understanding their points of view if he doesn't just flat-out disregard them in favor of his always being "right," which brings me to his tenacity, how he seems set in his ways, and leans towards extremes. Rafal seems like an all-or-nothing person, and either commits all the way to a cause, even bringing life-or-death ruminations into his internal monologue, or is apathetic and doesn't care at all.

Perhaps, Rafal suffers from sustained emotional dysregulation during certain plot points. He clearly has an inability to “let things go,” as is common with autism because when he was more than slighted by his mutinous students sending him to Monrovia Prison, his temper flared and he went to an extreme of methodically torturing every last child. And afterward, he continued to hold onto a grudge against that one particular class, until he was in closer contact with them, and gradually began to see himself and how he’d conducted himself as School Master from their perspective, literally in the shoes of the Never student Fala he fabricated.

He often has sharp lines of dialogue and witticisms the reader sees as comedic when his intention probably wasn’t to be, thereby meaning he could be unaware of precisely how he comes across to others, as hyperbolic as he is.

His quick wit and resourcefulness led me to think that he is at least partly a verbal thinker, evinced by the Vulcan shanty he composed and some of his scathing one-liners. Plus, he does muse philosophically on occasion in his narration, about matters like the nature of Evil, villainous purpose, and its role in the Woods, or how villains usually work alone while pirates, as a breed, are known to be more communal.

He also twists others’ words at times, uses the “Exact Phrasing” fairy-tale convention, and exploits loopholes oftentimes. I’m pretty sure he sees language as up to interpretation? E.g., he offers to pay a Man-Wolf his "weight in gold" and then, turns the Man-Wolf into gold to make an example of him, weaponizing literal meaning. Overall, as a reader, I feel as if I must watch out for the true meaning of his dialogue.

His reclusiveness, contrasted with Rhian’s desire for romantic love and companionship, and his general social withdrawal are quite prominent, and those asocial, isolative (or more destructively, “antisocial”) tendencies could, as well as being a preference, function as a coping mechanism. Perhaps, he feels better and overall more regulated whilst alone than in the company of other people, who neither give him peace of mind nor obey him, especially those whose every action he cannot control? And maybe, he needs room to breathe and think, and left the School at the start of Rise to shut out the offending emotional stimulus of Rhian’s words, about how all Evil-doers could be reformed to Good and that Evil lacked purpose. If he was emotionally affected by the brothers’ argument, the Aladdin bet, and the chaotic events of the Snow Ball, maybe he just had to sever himself from it all and leave it behind?

He might have Sensory Processing Disorder, which often accompanies autism. I’m not an expert, but from what I could see, there are hints of Rafal having an aversion to light, such as when, in his internal monologue, he remarks on Rhian's glass castle. Additionally, when he intentionally renovated his School, it was dark and dimly lit.

In the ice classroom, he sat at his desk for days on end, entranced by the mirror he enchanted to view the Doom Room with, like he was watching television, like it was some form of a singular obsession, and he did all that presumably without feeling any bodily discomfort. Thus, it occurred to me that, while this instance could be attributed to his invulnerability/immortality, he might just have trouble with interoception or internal bodily sensation. He rarely seems to sense or acknowledge dehydration, exhaustion, or hunger, and seems ascetic while Rhian is slightly more dependent on creature comforts.

One last qualifying trait could be Rafal’s lack of sensitivity to (external) pain as seen when the Storian slashes his palm open for the oath.

As far as the previous two points go, I’ve been questioning whether his potential difficulty with interoception could coexist at once with the artificially-induced traits of his Storian-bestowed invulnerability that later fades over the course of Fall, rendering him mortal, or conditioning over his lifetime as an Evil-doer, as Evil thematically seems to undergo more pain than Good does throughout the series. Even while vulnerable and mortal in Fall, he manages to walk on his limp, and contends fairly well with his broken leg, despite the pain.

If his invulnerability or his Never status does indeed coexist with his possible interoceptive difficulties, it could mask the deficit of sensation, instead being construed as simple invulnerability or the “mettle” of a tough, stoic, Never soul, as Rhian, who possesses the same invulnerability, reacted more towards the same source of physical pain than Rafal did.

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Counterarguments:

Despite all these signs, anyone could have all or most of these traits in isolation, which still may not add up to a complete diagnosis. Basically, this is not only a matter of totalling up traits. We don’t really know how his brain functions as he is fictional and I would bet that if he were real, he couldn’t be arsed to answer interview questions.

I don’t believe he was intended to be autistic, given the fantasy genre of the series and its vaguely historical time frame, even if all this could form a viable headcanon.

We can't entirely be sure that he has a social deficit, or if his manner and apparent “deficit” are displayed by choice or out of practicality.

The most generous (non-deficient) interpretation we can hand him is that he’s simply out of practice. After all, he almost never associates with social equals, aside from Rhian, whom he doesn’t view as an equal.

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In response to my one of my counterarguments:

Then again, neither was Sherlock Holmes intentionally written as autistic since the diagnosis didn’t exist during the Victorian era and hadn't come about until later in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's lifetime—although many people today conclude that Holmes is indeed autistic and use modern terms to describe him because Doyle based him off of an “eccentric” academic acquaintance, the medical professor Dr. Joseph Bell, who might have been autistic.

In conclusion, I could just be a bit delusional, and this speculation could be far-fetched. Do you think I’m reading too much into whatever may have been intended for Rafal’s character? Could Rafal be autistic, or if not, could his characterization indicate some other type of neurodivergence?

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Thank you for taking the time to read through my thoughts! I’m open to “peer-review.” Anyone?

This song is very Rafal to me, like an hourglass' sands running out. It reeks of desperation. There's nice, taut tension, the implication his time is almost up. Additionally, the lyrics could reference his cremation, or compare his corpse to a sunken warship, and some parts could be read as Rafal's sudden heel-face turn to Good.

To the tune of “My Favorite Things:”

Saders and Mistrals and prophecies settled, Intrigue and pirates and tests of one’s mettle, Black swan gold rings and dark stirrings within— Butterflies all dead with their torn, bro-ken wings!

Swords in the stone and illicit night spansels, Masked Lions, Eagles, and runaway damsels, Treasonous Snakes with dark, oily scims— These omens bring the worst Endings for twins!