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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 18 days

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Hey Raven, hope your doing well. I was rewatching book 5 and something struck me. Crowly stills does his thing to get yuu/mc to host the NRC tribe at Ramshackle. But compare to previous chapters hes seems a little nicer, i guess? He offering renovations and upgrades ( a positive), instead of just threatening to cut yuu's food budget or something (a negative).

Where im going with this is, do you think Crowley may have felt a tiny tinge for his (in) action in book 4? Or atleast, realized he actually screwed up. He did give Yuu in case of an emergency.... and promptly ignored it (or just turned it off) when he went on break. He likely had to have heard what happened over the break...an likely saw his missed calls and put 2 and 2 together. Sure he may not feel bad enough to apologize (at least openly), but he does seem to make himself scarce early in b5. That could just be him being, well, the headmage. Maybe he's just not sure how to deal with MC or how they'd react to seeing him? So instead of threatening Yuu, he offers them something instead? Idk, maybe im reaching. Crowley relationship with Yuu is complicated. I do like to believe he has some empathy or regret (or maybe he just has more respect for yuu by b5?) After everything up to that point

Like i said, i may be reaching here. Wanted to get your input. Sorry for the long ask. Have a good one :)

In many fandom depictions of Crowley, he often serves as Yuu's guardian who is incompetent but well-meaning. I'm also guilty of doing this, Crowley is considered my OC's father figure (even if my OC isn't a Yuu). That's how we choose to engage with the characters and the world that we love! However, I don't believe that Crowley has that sort of tenderness for Yuu in canon, whether at the start or as their relationship develops over the course of the main story. Now, that's not to say that I think Crowley is cold or hateful towards Yuu. Far from it! He does care for them, but in the same way that a teacher might care about nurturing their students and preparing them for the world beyond graduation. Crowley demonstrates a similar attitude towards other NRC students, with one very clear example being in his Raven Jacket vignettes. In those stories, he likens his students to apple trees that he raises and nurtures, hoping that one day they might bear fruit. He does not particularly grant Yuu special treatment unless it's a scenario where he wants them to do a favor for him. (Though here I would also argue he does the same for other students when he wants them to resolve an issue in his place, which happens frequently in event stories; in Fairy Gala, he warns the boys they'll be held back if classes cannot proceed due to the wacky weather. In Ghost Marriage, Crowley shames the boys for not expressing interest in rescuing Idia, etc.)

I also want to set the record straight regarding how exactly Crowley gets Yuu to comply with his requests. Reviewing all avaliable books in the main story, Crowley rarely outright threatens Yuu if they refuse to help him:

Prologue — Crowley does not initially ask anything of Yuu, but he does provide them a temporary home and food until they can sort something out. During Yuu's stay, they are meant to do handiwork to earn their keep. However, Crowley tries to expel them after their involvement in breaking what is considered a precious chandelier. In this case, his anger is somewhat justified but it's still the one major example of Crowley leveraging something to force Yuu to act in a way that he desires. The thing is, it's revealed in chapter 19 that Crowley did not believe Yuu could acquire the magestone he asked for and was all set to finalize the expulsion papers. So really, he wasn't serious at all in giving Yuu a chance to redeem themselves and was going to expel Yuu anyway (until they happened to prove their "usefulness"). Whether this counts as an example of Crowley "threatening" Yuu, then, is up to individual interpretation.

Book 1 — Crowley makes no specific request to Yuu. He shows up late in the book and suggests to the frustrated Adeuce that they fight Riddle to claim his seat as dorm leader, but does not tell Yuu to do anything in this situation. Recall that it was Ace that marched up to Ramshackle's front door and demanded that he be allowed to stay overnight; Crowley had no part in that.

Book 2 — In 2-7, Crowley asks Yuu to investigate the strange string of accidents that has befallen the students set to play in the upcoming inter-dorm magift/spelldrive tournament. There is a part where Crowley says he "never promised to cover living expenses". You, as Yuu, have the option to ask him "Is that a threat...?" to which Crowley never properly responds. Interpret that how you wish. He then offers Grim and Yuu a chance to participate in said tournament if they succeed, seeing as they lacked the 7 players needed to form a team. Crowley even says he will find 5 other players to fill in their missing team seats for them.

Book 3 — Here in 3-6, Crowley never actually threatens to cut off food. Instead, he is trying to earn pity from Yuu by guilt tripping them and emphasizing that he, the headmaster, is so busy with his tasks (like finding Yuu a way home) and will provide them with the funds they need regardless because he is so very kind. He's trying to tug at their heartstrings by pointing out the things he selflessly does for them, so they feel obligated to do something for him in return. Once Yuu agrees to help, he lavishes them with praise and says it is "expected" of someone he personally chose.

But!! I want to add that in the Episode of Octavinelle manga, this same scene is depicted as Crowley threatening to cut their food budget. I'm not sure if this is just a different interpretation (since Yuuta seems to prepare more food than is usually implied in the game; this would explain why their food costs go up significantly) or if Crowley truly was also threatening to cut the budget in the game.

Book 4 — Crowley makes a reasonable request in 4-2; he asks Yuu and Grim to tend to the fire fairies over winter break since it's a task no one else will be present to handle. In exchange, he says he will give them a banquet of tasty foods (which is not an empty promise; in 4-39, the Ramshackle Ghosts tell Yuu and Grim that the headmaster has left them with a ton of food as thanks.

Book 5 — Crowley appears in 5-21 asking that Yuu allow the NRC Tribe to stay at Ramshackle for their month-long training camp. He explains that Vil and Rook are willing to give up their share of the prize money if Yuu agrees to these terms. It is then that Crowley adds that he will help with renovation too, most likely to sweeten the deal with his word.

Book 6 — Crowley does not ask anything of Yuu. He does, however, call in STYX in 6-2 because he becomes concerned about the threat that Grim poses after consuming multiple crystallized blots. After Grim is taken, Crowley instructs Yuu in 6-4 to wait until Grim has recovered and been evaluated by a third party to speak with him again.

Book 7 — Crowley makes no specific requests to Yuu.

You can see in almost all instances that Crowley uses a variety of tactics to get his students to do what he wants them to. He bribes, shames/guilts them, points out very real consequences if the problem at hand is not resolved, and, yes, occasionally makes what can be interpreted as a vague threat. Despite this, the fact remains that he was always nice, not just post-book 4 (in fact, Crowley was also nice during book 4). I don't see the circumstances as "anything before or during book 4 is him being negative and threatening to punish Yuu and anything after book 4 is him being kind and positive to Yuu". In most cases with Yuu, he is offering them something they would want. His go-to strategy isn't threats, it tends to be the promise of a reward.

I wouldn't tie any of Crowley's actions to feeling a sense of remorse or guilt on his own part. While it's true we don't really get to see inside of his head, from what we see of him... this man is utterly shameless. He's willing to resort to emotional manipulation to convince literal children to solve problems that he, the powerful mage and adult, should be dealing with. What's more, he praises himself for Yuu's competence and willingness to step up. That's him placing a lot of faith in his students, and I don't think he feels any guilt in doing this. Why else would he send them into dangerous situations over and over again? He must, to some extent, believe they can already handle themselves just fine, otherwise he's creating tons of legal liabilities for himself by purposefully throwing children of tons of affluent families into the line of fire. Besides, he's a highly skilled mage himself--if any true, TRUE danger were to befall them, surely he could save the day himself. My thought is that he has sort of a "tough love" approach where he tosses his students into the fires and sees how they get out of it in one piece, but it's just presented in a "devil-may-care" way because of his lackadaisical attitude.

Regarding book 4, I personally see Crowley giving his cell phone number as just a means to provide reassurance to Grim and Yuu, since they (especially Grim) are protesting about him seemingly leaving on vacation. It's an empty gesture so he can have his getaway without much of a fuss; I totally believe that Crowley did not ever intend to answer his phone. When he returns in book 5, he's already asking another favor of Yuu, so I get the sense he isn't really bothered by what happened. I would even say that Crowley still has several major appearances in book 5, not that he has made himself scarcer. He appears to ask the favor, appears again to evaluate their performance, and then a third time at the cultural festival to speak with the headmaster of RSA. Crowley gets plenty of screen time here, much more then in books 6 and 7. If he truly felt bad or actively wanted to avoid Yuu, he could easily just tell other students (ie Vil) or even school staff (ghosts, teachers, etc.) to relay the deal for him.

Again, I want to be clear: THIS IS NOT CROWLEY BASHING. The only thing I am expressing in this post is that while I do love this bird-brained goober and think he cares for his students, I don't believe it's done in the conventional sense you're thinking of. Crowley can be selfish and callous and throw his students into danger, and that's okay! Sometimes we want to love a useless man who's trying his best, even if his best is pretty lousy/j

Whew, that was a lot of brain dumping! I hope I properly responded to all your thoughts and that you found this read semi-entertaining~

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night-market-if · 3 months

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General Spoilers

General spoilers for book 1

The amount of individuals I would accidently harm if I was in Milo's position. If someone gave me any sort of power and then didn't explain how to use it, I would take down an entire section of the world while trying to do something mundane like get a coffee. LOL!

But yes, I think a lot of people look at the very surface of emotions and actions and not the deeper meaning or motivations behind it. And that's fine. I know I've done it before while reading. A story is simply what you take out of it.

#the night market #milo next #interactive fiction #book 1 spoilers #no one give me power

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fortunatetragedy · 1 day

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find the word!

hey @bookish-karina thank you for the tag <3

rules: find excerpts from your work(s)-in-progress with the given words. post them and tag your friends.

my words: loathe, swoon, knife, tattoo your words: blue, freeze, rough, mouth

i have come to tag:

@aintgonnatakethis @autism-purgatory

@byronicbi @borisyvain @deanwax

@noblebs @words-after-midnight

swoon comes from DMLS 1. i apologize for the third person present tense in a novel that's 90% past tense, it's intentional.

the other three are from the DMLS 2, which takes place prior to and overwrites the timeline in DMLS 1. there's implied violence and an unrelenting feeling of dread [in the form of unedited rough draft prose lolol].

since i don't use the words loathe or tattoo in 600+ pages i dipped into karina's and took strong and teeth

swoon:

"I'd keep the nine months we knew each other," Sullivan says, in a rush. Better to set a break quick than draw it out. "I have to. That's non-negotiable. It commenced in a manner I would change if I could, knowing, but I knew you were someone special the second we started talkin', Arthur. I gotta be able to remember that." Royston could swoon. After a moment to think, Sullivan adds, "Before the War, too. I gotta remember the War. That's where I met Erik. I can't not remember Erik. Or—" "You're not opening the damned door, man," Hofer interrupts.

knife:

And when the cavalry arrived, horses thundering on the ground outside, spurs and weapons, Sullivan slept right through that. Royston still had two of his throwing knives after fending off the Huston brothers, and his hunting knife, and his boot knife. Sullivan's saber. That hunting knife was hard against the small of his back. That saber hung off the left side of the cot, where Sullivan could reach cross-body to grab it with his right hand; his Peacemaker was on the right, for the same reason. Royston could keep Sullivan safe even if it wasn't the cavalry about to burst through the door.

strong:

Hofer considered this, and what it meant that what Royston had said made sense. "I… can't say as I could explain it, scientifically. But… thank you. Sincerely. I was able to do very little for him last time." If Royston lost the rhythm of their breathing, Sullivan would stumble and drop the line. Their connection was strong, and so was the pain. Royston dismissed Hofer with a nod and pressed his lips to Sullivan's unmarred temple. He'd saved him, this time. That's all that mattered.

teeth:

"Regardless, you will not be leaving with Corporal Reinhard at dawn. You will stay here and help me take care of—" Hofer almost said the mess you made. The thought of referring to Sullivan as a mess, whether he was referring to the injury and not the man himself, stopped Hofer's tongue. He worked his tongue into the spaces of his teeth where he could hide wanted barbs and tried again. "—of Cole. Gott already knows we're… doing this again. We asked her to speak to Clara in the event we... this happened. Is my recollection. Is that yours as well?" Royston took his own purposeful pause. Forced himself to enunciate clearer, at least for a few seconds. "If Mathis makes it to—" "He won't. Give me back my damned cigarette, would you?"

#tag game #find the word #doom metal love story #book 1 spoilers #book 2 spoilers

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the-nada-thing · 9 months

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Bree: Nick looked so broken... what does he think of me being Arthur's heir?

Nick:

Nick *taps Bree*

Nick: tag you're it

#im sure it will be an initial shock #but im thinking he won't mind that much #like boy so didn't want it for so long #and now he can pass it on #and be cool lancelot #I hope this is how it plays out #my bookstore doesn't have the sequel in stock #I must wait #in pain #legenborn cycle #bree mathews #nick davis #book 1 spoilers

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pinkass-boots · 11 months

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did the "his gaze softened" trend w/ my wayhaven oc

#the wayhaven chronicles #book 1 spoilers #i guess #👢 art #twc

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societyslostone · 2 years

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Straight up gonna throw hands with Riddle's mom. Narcissistic bitch cares more about her legacy than her child's happiness.

I'm his mom now, she can fight me and she will lose

#twst riddle #riddle rosehearts #twsted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst #book 1 spoilers

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bananacatmeow · 2 months

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ah yes, even at 12 percy still messes with frank in spirit.

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hamable · 4 months

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Ok no I do have to make it it’s own post bc I don’t remember the book’s scene in detail but Annabeth seeing the fates cut a string at the arch is so fascinating. Bc we know that’s Luke’s string. He’s not dying soon, but it’s been decided when he will die.

The moment the fates decide that Luke will die and when is right after Percy sacrifices himself. Right after he shows Annabeth his care and loyalty. That she is worth saving. That she doesn’t deserve the wrath intended for her. A set of dominoes has just been toppled and when they all finally fall, she will stand between Luke and Percy and choose Percy. From this moment, from this early on, Luke’s fate is sealed.

#sorry to spam the timeline with PJO stuff but I have Thoughts #pjo #percy jackson #percabeth #pjo spoilers #percy jackson spoilers #I don’t remember if she’s the one who sees it happen in the book or not but other people’s posts make me think not?#the scene is significant in and of itself but having her see a fate sealed that will be inadvertently bc of her is soooo good #main trio season 1: it can’t get any worse right? me clutching 9 other books: oh dear

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botlabyrinth · 3 months

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sally’s “i want him to know who he is, before your family tries to tell him who they want him to be.” and poseidon saying “he will be stronger for it on the other side. his mother raised him well.” and he is. percy is stronger on the other side. we’ve seen it so clearly through his quest. his confusion at how you have to earn the gods’ love, earn their respect. his conversation with annabeth on the train about it. his unwillingness to accept the ways of the gods. him realizing his mother wanted to keep him away from this world, and annabeth being the one to tell him that maybe it was for the better that sally did that. so that he wouldn’t be like them. annabeth’s “he isn’t that way. he’s better than that. maybe i was that way once. but i don’t want to be that way anymore.” the way percy would’ve turned out with a similar worldview to annabeth’s if he had been sent to camp so early on. and annabeth’s worldview changing so quickly after meeting percy. sally jackson raised that kid right. you would think that as a demigod, the half god side of percy is what’s important. but that’s not what makes him the hero. it’s the half mortal side of him that does. his humanity, his mortality, his mother. that is why percy is the hero that he is.

#and this is only book 1 mind you #i feel sick #they got this all SO RIGHT in the show #it’s so beautiful to see it play out like WOW #the flashbacks in ep7 were so so good #pjo tv #pjo tv spoilers #pjotv #percy jackson #pio #percy jackson and the olympians #pjo spoilers #pjo tv show #sally jackson #poseidon #annabeth chase #percy jackon and the olympians #ruch rambles #1k

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 2 months

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I've been dreaming of the Rose-Red Ruler.

Happy birthday, our most beloved Queen of Hearts.

May your smile be like a never fading flower.

How does a moment last forever? How can a story never die?

A soft knock is at his door.

Riddle tears away from his current textbook--a volume of advanced potions, open to Recipe for Happiness. On the list of ingredients were faith, trust, a little pixie dust, and...

"Come in," he calls, letting the contents of the book fall from his memory.

His mother enters, bearing a tray with a tall pitcher and a glass. As usual, her hair is pulled back into a tight bun and she is dressed impeccably: a scarlet pantsuit, heels, black lace gloves, and a necklace drawn tight across her neck, creating the illusion of beading blood. Mrs. Rosehearts gives her son a stern yet warm smile.

"Happy birthday, Riddle. You're still studying, even on your big day?"

"Yes, mother. This will be the year I apply for internships, so I cannot afford to slack off in my studies. I want to ensure I am the strongest possible candidate for the law and medical internships I'm interested in."

She nods approvingly, setting the tray upon his desk. "It's good to be thinking about your future now--but be sure to take breaks when appropriate. I've brought you some Darjeeling, first flush. Its light and delicate flavor is perfectly refreshing for a sweltering day."

Mrs. Rosehearts starts to pour the chilled tea for him. Right as the aromatic, golden brown stream ceases, she lets out a small gasp. "Ah, yes--your schedule is open tonight, correct? Your father will be fetching a strawberry tart on his way home from work, and I've prepared all your favorite foods. You can eat as much as you like!"

Riddle's stomach flutters.

There are so many things wrong with what she has said, but he exclaims the first question to emerge in his mind.

"We're having a celebration? Together?"

"Of course we are. It's your birthday," his mom replies plainly. "Why wouldn't we celebrate our special little boy?"

"I... I don't know," Riddle confesses. For reasons he cannot explain, his head suddenly feels foggy. "I just can't recall the last time we did something like this as a family."

You've never seemed happy with one another.

He does not dare say it out loud.

Mrs. Rosehearts carefully regards her child.

"Certainly, your father and I have very busy schedules on account of our work at the hospital. You've immersed yourself in your schoolwork. It can be difficult making plans that align with all three of us--but we make time to spend with our loved ones."

Mrs. Rosehearts leans down and plants a feathery kiss on his head, a hand lovingly stroking his hair. So soft, so tender. She smells of roses on a bed of vanilla and amber, the same heady comfort as the exhilaration of collapsing, out of breath, after spinning in circles in the summertime.

The frantic thudding in Riddle's chest slows. He leans into her touch, her fragrance.

"Okay," he says quietly. A slight wetness prickles his vision. "I think... I'd really like that, mom."

He stays there, in her embrace, for longer than he thinks he should. The minutes are slipping away from him, but Riddle cannot bring himself to pull away. The cradle of roses is enchanting, spilling wool over his eyes.

He is completely, utterly, certifiably entranced.

Ding-dong!

Mrs. Rosehearts lifts her head. "Hm? That's strange. That can't be your father. He doesn't get out of work for at least another hour--and he wouldn't need to ring the doorbell, he has his keys."

"It is odd," Riddle agrees.

"Excuse me, it will take just a moment to check. Perhaps it's the mailman."

Mrs. Rosehearts gathers herself and departs. From the study, Riddle can hear the front door swinging open, followed by muffled chatter. Excited, boyish.

His mother's voice, raising.

Dread fills him.

He abruptly stands, his chair harshly skidding back with an unpleasant whine.

Riddle races into the hallway and to the foyer. He's not sure which is faster: his heart, or his feet? His mind struggles to catch up, to process everything--

The front door is ajar.

His mother, on one side. And on the other...

Two young men.

One with short hair in dark green and bright yellow eyes peering out from behind thick frames. He holds a hefty cake in his hands--a shortcake iced in whipped cream frosting. The strawberries piled on top shine like forbidden jewels.

Beside him is a boy with choppy bangs, a pair of feline ears bearing a plethora of earrings pokes out from his head. He has a lazy grin and disheveled clothes, reclining like a sunbathing cat against the first visitor.

His friends spot him before his mom does, and their faces light up.

"Uh-oh, guess the cat's out of the bag now," Che'nya giggles.

"Wh-What are you two doing here?!" Riddle demands. Not angry, but fearful. He nervously glances at Trey--Trey, whom his mother had angrily banished from their home until the end of time.

"We wanted to drop by and surprise you," Trey explains. He's too calm for this situation--especially when Mrs. Rosehearts is standing right there.

Any minute now, Riddle suspects she will explode. She will scream at Trey and Che'nya until she is a darker red than her hair. She will slam the door in their faces. She will threaten to call the police. She will--

"Riddle, you didn't tell me your friends would be joining us this evening!" Mrs. Rosehearts beams, stepping aside and waving for the boys to enter. "Please, come in! You can spend some time together before dinner.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Myaaa-uch appreciated!”

Trey and Che’nya cross the threshold with ease.

Riddle blinks. “But what about my studies…?”

“Studies? At a time like this?” Trey gives a light laugh. “We’re not at school, Riddle. You can relax a little. Just let me put this cake away and then we can all hang out, okay?”

“My father is already going to be bringing a tart later…”

“Oooh, double the desserts? Don’t mind if I do! I’ll swipe two slices of both.”

“Don’t be greedy, Che’nya! You have to save some for the rest of us, especially the birthday boy.”

“Me?” Riddle’s brows crease. “I…”

“It’s fine,” his mother coaxes. “Go and be with your friends.”

“Is that okay? Is that… really, really okay?”

Mrs. Rosehearts steps toward him, taking his hands in hers. Her eyes are dewey, and her face looks more gentle than he has ever seen it.

“Yes. This is your youth, Riddle. You only live once—so live this life to its fullest. If you could promise me that, then nothing would make me happier.”

“Mother…!”

Riddle tugs her into a hug. It is fast, it is fleeting, it is a flicker of light peeking through a keyhole. He opens that locked door and emerges on the other end.

He chokes out his response.

Two simple words, carrying all his hopes and dreams.

“I promise.”

And for the first time in forever, he smiles with all of his heart.

But beyond the happy boy, cheeks streaked with tears, beyond the door that divided him from the world... a shadow hides in the shade of a rose tree.

It looks on, and smiles too.

"... It appears as though Rosehearts has have found his happily ever after at long last, fufu. How wonderful.”

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turtlespancake · 7 months

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i love seeing out of context posts about long-running stories with deep lore because it's always shit like "MAJOR SPOILER WARNING!! i can't believe that the metallic athenaeum's envoy actually used never-ending dance of the 57th universe on rionne as if she's not LITERALLY the incarnate of august?!?!" it's like buddy boy thank you for the spoiler tag but all of those words are incomprehensible without at least 5 years of foreshadowed knowledge, 7 different fan theories, and 21 wiki entries

#rambling #this post was about 3 different fandoms #number 1 was my friend trying to explain to me what was happening to dazai bungo stray dogs (i have not seen bungo stray dogs)#number 2 was ominscient reader viewpoint. anything tagged MAJOR SPOILERS for orv is either completely incomprehensible or like.#an image of someone interacting with a book. and somehow BOTH manage to be emotionally devastating in context #number 3 was me trying to explain genshin lore to a friend and realizing i sounded deranged saying shit like #“after the primoridal one fought the second who came celestia used nails to supposedly heal the land but enkanomiya still sank rip”#how did the wot fandom find this i am a gaming blog mostly..

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fortunatetragedy · 4 days

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Forch, how do your guys know they are in a time loop in your story?

it's my favorite wax hello! <33333

so it's funny you should ask: until about 2/3 of the way through the novel they don't.

behold! the back of my door! the prologue and hofer are both walking spoilers so i've tried to mitigate the damage a bit.

there aren't a ton of rules bc i am a lazy world-builder but the rules i've identified are as follows and i think are foreshadowed if not all-capsed in the prologue:

sullivan is a fixed point

if sullivan dies before stopping powell from summoning a god-spirit, the loop restarts

anyone who dies has their memory of the previous loop wiped

it's possible to recall the previous loop through physical contact with a fixed point

the first row of post-it notes shows a reset point, which corresponds to flashback chapters in book 1.

(there was a mini-reset in january 1873 but that had nothing to do with them trying to stop dr. powell lol.)

you can see how many times they had to redo each loop based on the number of post-it notes. and it's arranged so you can see how far they got on the timeline each time.

(tangential fun fact in the spirit of #thirsty thursday: i've done the math and by the time we join them in book 1, if you filter out all the time they were separated bc army red tape and royston needing assistance to write a letter, sullivan and royston were together for six years. royston, metaphysically, feels like they've been together for nine years or smth ridiculous like that bc he counts the year they were separated and sullivan doesn't. on paper it's eight months. i have not done the math on sullivan and hofer's friendship bc other than the four months sullivan was in the clink, they were not separated. those two dicks would feel like they've known each other for 25 years if they could remember anything LOL.)

bail out here if you don't want book 1 spoilers:

a couple things happen in this loop:

we learn hofer did something in a previous loop that has caused him to be permanently unable to recall previous loops even if he survives unless condition #3 is active.

royston gains the ability to retain his memory between loops whether he dies or not

we learn who's okay with abusing rules #2 and #4 to stack information for the next loop

sullivan establishes he has an 88% chance of dying and isn't exempt from the memory wiping rule even if he's a fixed point bc he's a human being and i'm a dick

once they figure out in the final 1874 iteration around p. 420 that royston will remember everything that happened, the "flashback" chapters become "flash forward" chapters, as they take place in the locked-in 1873 and haven't happened yet bc we're still down in hell with the boys on a saturday night.

so abstract: they don't lol

summary: well they don't at first but then they figure out the rules and turns out only royston knows they're in a time loop great we're fucked.

#deanwax #inbox #this was such a good question ty <3 #doom metal love story #book 1 spoilers

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