Chapter Text
“Issaaaa,” Siffrin whined playfully. “You don’t need to help me the whole way there!”
On the path to the Favor Tree, Siffrin hadn’t told Isabeau exactly why they wanted there, ‘just to check for loop!’ they’d said.
Isabeau had offered to check by himself, but Siffrin was insistent on coming along,
‘We can see how well I can handle walking?’ Had been their excuse.
“Nope! You’re still sick, Bud.”
Isabeau countered, though it was late, they could see his smile.
What they’d said wasn’t a complete lie. So what’s there to be concerned about? Progress was being made!
“I don’t feel that bad!”
Siffrin pulled themself away from Isabeau to demonstrate, but without the support, they’d nearly collapsed before being grabbed again.
“And that’s exactly what I mean!” Isabeau laughed. “Why’d it need to be so late, though?”
Siffrin hesitated, thinking over why they’d actually wanted to come out past sunset. He wouldn’t see them as clearly, he couldn’t figure out what they were doing before they were done, but they needed an answer that didn’t make Isabeau take them back to the clock tower.
“It’s…quieter, at night,” Siffrin spoke slowly. “Not as many people out, Y’know?”
Isabeau didn’t seem to entirely believe it, but didn’t push for the real answer.
Siffrin was thankful to the universe for giving them that much.
The Fighter and Traveler continued their path towards Dormonts Favor Tree in mostly silence, only broken by the occasional snap of a fallen branch, or hooting of an owl.
The Stars shone above, their faint light filtering through the dense canopy of leaves and branches the Favor Tree held, the glow of the celestial objects accompanied by the near-full moon.
Siffrin sat at the favor tree, where they used to sit when speaking with Loop.
Isabeau sat next to them, momentarily confused, before visibly realizing why and looking away from them.
The loops had ended…Siffrin hoped, they weren’t sure, and didn’t want to test it.
The wind was strangely stagnant For Dormonts usual, but who were they to judge when they’d been stuck first during a windy day, then inside for days?
It’d been two weeks(or three? They probably forgot a few days, and it was embarrassing to ask) since Siffrin escaped, Isabeau wasn’t keen on letting them sit up, let alone walk, but they were persistent and got their treacherous body to comply eventually.
Isabeau wasn’t doing much, but neither was Siffrin. Waiting, as though if they sat there long enough their mirror self would appear.
Siffrin could almost trace Loops silhouette; they'd seen Loop nearly a hundred times, sitting in the exact same place, not often the exact same way, but close enough to it, to be memorized.
“How long had it been?”
Isabeau asked, catching Siffrin’s attention.
“Hm?”
Siffrin hummed in question, picking a leaf from the tree, the one they would’ve used were it not for the loops, it had wilted a lot since they broke out… haha! What a cruel sense of humor~!
“Like, the loops. You’ve never opened up about how long you were… trapped?”
Siffrin inhaled, that wasn’t something they… wanted to share, it hurt to think about how their fa—party might react. They shouldn’t be worrying them, when they’d already done so much for him.
”that’s a uh…” Siffrin stared at their leaf. “…I’m not ready to answer that yet.” They settled on saying.
Isabeau wouldn’t want them wishing…but they needed to, he wouldn’t recognize that it was the ritual, Siffrin could manage it before he realized.
“I wish to see a loop again” thrice, very, very quietly. gently fold the leaf, watch it catch a new wind blowing past the favor tree.
It was draining for their already overworked body, but they had to, even if Loop tried to kill them last time they met, they had to see them again.
Isabeau reached for their shoulder, drawing in a sharp breath.
Just a light graze against their cloak, and it was gone.
“Isa?…”
Was he…gone?
Silence.
“ISA!?!”
HE WAS GONE!
They twisted their head to see him, but were met with…weird shades what “Color Theory” talked about?
Maybe? something like…what they’d seen when the universe was breaking apart.
They screamed until their voice started to break, then they sobbed, curling in on themselves, and hiding from the nightmare that surrounded them in their cloak.
It hardly worked, the colors were trying to engrave itselves in their head the moment they saw it.
Everything was dark, yes, but distinctly not Shades.