Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You had heard a report of a powerful Sadness in the… room with the big window? And the books that make your head hurt? You’re pretty sure it’s supposed to be used to research something. You’re just… not sure what.

Either way, there was a Sadness in there, apparently. You were fairly certain all the strong Sadnesses had been taken care of by now? It’s a couple weeks after you all beat the King…

Well. Not all beat the King.

Not Siffrin.

…You force your mind away from that right now. Positive thoughts. Just take care of this Sadness and go to bed! You don’t even have any classes left for today!

Cautiously, you open the door to the… weird room. And look around.

Oh! There, in front of the table, you see it. It looks fairly small… kinda looks like the weird ones you had to fight for those crests! Maybe they’re related somehow..?

Quickly, you draw your rapier, and the Sadness notices you,

…and…

…dashes to hide underneath the table?

It’s… just cowering under there. You feel a little bad, actually.

You, rapier still in hand, kneel down to get a better look.

Y’know, with that funny haircut it almost looks like-

...Hang on.

Weird cowlick, left eye missing, that symbol on its chest….

Hesitantly, you glance at its hands.

Two fingers, sharpened into claws.

…It’s Scissors type.

No- No, no.

He’s Scissors type.

That’s- They died to the King they- That has to be-

“...Siffrin..?”

No that’s stupid it can’t be-

…The Sadness perks up at the name.

At his name.

Oh Change that is Siffrin.

OH CHANGE THAT IS SIFFRIN.

What should you do, what should you do-!?

“Siffrin-! That… that’s you right?”

They’re still trying to hide themself under the table…

Oh. You’ve still got a sword by your side. Duh.

You slowly resheath your rapier, and put your hands up to show you’re harmless.

“Hey, see? I won’t hurt you. You know me, right Siffrin?”

He moves forward a couple… steps? He doesn’t exactly have legs- but either way, they crawl closer to you, cautiously.

But they still won’t come out from under the table.

How can you get him to trust you..?

…You remember hearing something from a class you took once, you think it was about animal handling, about how the easiest way to an animal's heart is to give it food.

You’ve got your backpack on right now, you hadn’t gotten a chance to leave it in your dorm, you remember you’ve got some snacks in there.

You feel a little bad thinking of Siffrin as an animal, but to be fair, they are a Sadness right now.

You begin taking off your backpack, startling Siffrin a little (sorry!) Rummaging through the pack, you find a bag of cheese puffs. You guess that’ll work??

You open the bag, pick up a puff, and hold it out to them.

“H-Here? See, I said I wouldn’t hurt you!”

Much to your surprise, this?? Actually works??

Siffrin slowly crawls out from under the table, and before you can question if he can actually eat like this, a mouth seemingly manifests itself onto his face, and they take a bite.

“There. Do… Do you trust me now Siffrin..?”

They stare at you for a second, something akin to fear in their eye, and then… recognition.

He reaches out a hand- claw? You know Siffrin doesn’t really like touch, but he’s trying to initiate it and also his brain is Sadness goop right now so-??

You move your hand to touch theirs. They seem a little surprised, but don’t try and run or anything…

Staring at both your hands for a while, he then turns to face you. You assume, at least. His head is turned towards you but he doesn’t have a pupil so?

…You can’t stay here all night. Someone will walk in and see you. And if you leave Siffrin here, someone will walk in and see them, and that's even worse than seeing both of you, because they’d probably try and hurt them-

…You could always bring him back to your dorm?

Claude is out visiting family right now, she’ll be back soon but right now you don’t need to worry about her.

You’d just need to figure out how you can sneak Siffrin back through the hall without being noticed…

…They’re pretty small, huh?

They’d probably fit in your backpack.

“Siffrin…”

He tilts his head at you.

“Do you… want to come back to my dorm for tonight..? If- If you stay here, someone might try and hurt you.”

You really hope they can understand what you’re saying. They know what their name is so..?

He stares at you for a second, before nodding.

Thank Change.

“Uhm- If… If we just walk back, someone might see you. So…”

You offer your backpack to them, and hope it's not too rude of a suggestion.

“...Do you want to hide in my backpack?”

He steps back a little. That was a silly thing to suggest-!!

But… you don’t have any other ideas, so-

You grab another cheese puff, and wave it above your backpack. This feels mean, but you’re not sure what else to do.

They stare at the cheesy snack, before trying to climb up and grab it, and by extension, climbing into your pack.

Dropping the puff so they can grab it, you take the bag of cheese puffs and put it next to him in the backpack, and quickly zip it up.

Almost instantly, you hear the sounds of a very unhappy Sadness.

“S-Sorry, sorry!! I can’t leave you here Siffrin!! Please, I’ll walk fast so we get back sooner, and as soon as we’re there I’ll let you out, okay?”

You still hear him clawing at your pack and gurgling, but it calmed down a little bit.

Quickly putting your backpack on, you dart out of the room, making sure to act like you’re Totally Not Suspicious And Not At All Hiding A Dangerous Sadness In Your Backpack.

Thankfully, you make it back to your room without anybody noticing. Somehow.

As promised, as soon as the coast is clear, you take your backpack off and unzip it.

Immediately, Siffrin jumps out, knocking the cheese puff bag out with them.

Quickly glancing around, they spot your bed, and MUCH faster than you thought they’d be able to move like this, they dash under it.

“Siffrin-! I’m sorry… I knew you wouldn’t like that…”

“Just… stay in here for tonight, okay? We can try and figure something better out tomorrow… Claude- My roommate- She’s out right now, so we don’t need to worry about her seeing you. Okay?”

You try and reach out to them, under your bed, and they cower against the wall behind them.

You decide to let them be for now.

Sighing, you put up your things, and prepare for bed.

With one final glance at your friend underneath, you climb into your bed, praying to Change that he’ll do what you told him to. You don’t want to know what’ll happen if they get out…

“...Goodnight, Siffrin.”

You don’t hear anything come from him.

Somehow, despite everything, you manage to fall asleep.

…For a little while, at least.

You wake up to the feeling of… something? Next to you?

You open your eyes, in your sleepy haze you think a cat snuck into your dorm or something-

Nope. Only a cat in spirit.

“Siffrin..?” You say, rubbing your eyes.

The little Sadness seems to notice you’re awake, and jumps off the bed, running back under it.

“Ah- Siffrin!”

Was he trying to-?? They were trying to curl up next to you or something-

You get up from bed, and kneel down to look under it.

“Siffrin… You don’t have to be so scared of me. You know me, right? You remember, right..?”

Siffrin was never known for his memory.

They look at you like a stranger. No- not just that. Like a scared animal looking at a stranger.

You just-

You know Sadnesses don’t recognize people they knew in life. There's no records of that happening.

Something in you was hoping-

But deep down you know.

“...You don't recognize me, do you Siffrin?”

“It’s… It’s silly of me to think you would. I just- I was- I miss you, Siffrin. A lot.”

“I’m sure the others do, too. I was really mad at you, back before we fought the King, when you were really mean to all of us.”

“But when I found out you had- you were-”

You can’t help but cry.

You clasp your hands together in prayer.

“I’m sorry, Siffrin. I just… Wanted to believe you could be back.”

“I’m sorry…”

You close your eyes.

…And feel a small, clawed hand, on your lap.

“Mmiiiia. Miia bb- bbel?”

Siffrin is staring right at you.

“Siffrin..?”

They look scared, but-

“Miiiirrrr. Miirrra?”

They… They do-!

“Siffrin-! You- You do remember me-!! You can talk-?? Well- sort of??”

Seeing you happy, their face seems to light up as well.

“Mmm!! Miiii!!!”

“Oh, Siffrin-!”

You try to restrain yourself from picking him up in a hug, but he’s already doing it himself before that thought finishes.

You wrap your arms around them, deciding to not question how open to touch they’ve been, probably just Sadness brain, you think.

…It’s still the middle of the night, however. And you have more classes to go to tomorrow.

“Ah- I- I have more classes to do tomorrow, I need to get some sleep.”

…Might as well offer.

“You can… you can share the bed with me, if you want..? I- I mean! You don’t have to if you don’t want to and-”

Siffrin, immediately, starts making grabby hands up at you, like how Bonnie would when they wanted Isabeau to pick them up.

You smile.

As carefully as you can, you lift him up, and climb back into bed.

Once out of your grip, he wriggles around a bit, making himself comfortable.

“Goodnight, Siffrin.”

They make a small squeak noise back at you.

Despite everything, you’re glad to have Siffrin back, in some capacity.

You fall asleep.

Chapter Text

Finishing your last class of the day, you bid your teacher and classmates farewell, grab your things, and begin heading back to your dorm room.

This morning, you had, thankfully, managed to convince Siffrin to sit tight in your room. You didn’t want to risk taking him all throughout the house, especially when last time you tried hiding them in your backpack he tried clawing through it.

Granted, they did seem hesitant at the thought of you leaving. You finally managed to get out after promising and promising that you’d be back later.

Sadnesses are, surprise, good at making sad puppy faces that make you feel bad. So you’ve decided to just rush back to your room as quick as you can without looking suspicious.

Opening your door, you peek inside, looking for the little guy.

“Siffrin..? I’m back! See, I told you I’d be back!”

Noticing you, Siffrin, who seems to have been just sitting on your bed, jumps off of it and dashes towards you.

Giggling at the display, you walk inside and lock the door behind you before anyone can notice your… interesting friend.

“Mmiia!! Miiirra!!!”

You put your backpack up, and sit down to be on level with Siffrin.

“Yes, hello Siffrin! I never knew you were so clingy-!”

He places a hand on your lap, and, slowly as to not startle him, you move your hand to pet his head.

Before remembering that is an adult human person and not an animal.

“Ah-! S-Sorry, that’s- that’s weird you’re not- I’m sorry!!”

Amidst your panic, Siffrin just kind of… Looks at you, and moves their head back to your hand.

…You slowly pet their head. They lean into the touch, almost desperately.

You realize something.

“Siffrin…”

Still leaning into the touch, he doesn’t look back at you.

“Do you… like touch?”

He stops, and turns to look at you.

They let out a few… noises. You’re not really sure if they were supposed to be words or not, but they look… almost ashamed of themself.

“You do, don’t you? Why didn’t you ever tell us?”

He looks away, and pulls back from your hand.

“H-Hey! It’s okay, you don’t have to-”

Cutting off you and Siffrins tender moment, you hear a knock on the door.

“Hey Mira? I’m back! I don’t got the keys on me, can you let me in?”

Oh, Claude’s back!

OH. CRAB. CLAUDE’S BACK.

You whisper to Siffrin.

“Siffrin, that's my roommate! Claude! You need to hide so she doesn’t see you, okay!?”

They tilt their head. You hear Claude at the door again.

“C-Coming!! One second-!”

“Move, Siffrin!”

Hastily, you push Siffrin underneath your bed, he’s hidden there before! It’ll work fine for right now too!

“Stay here, okay??”

As Siffrin stares at you, vaguely confused, you get up to answer the door.

“H-Hi Claude! I forgot you were coming back today-!”

You laugh awkwardly.

“What’s up with you, princess? Something happen before I showed up?”

CRAB you are SO BAD at hiding things!!

“N-Nothing! Nothing at all!!”

Claude looks past you, directly at your bed.

You hear scuttling coming from underneath.

“...What’s under there? Did you sneak an animal in here? That’s awesome-!”

“NO!! I wouldn’t sneak an animal in here! You know we’re not allowed to have pets!!”

Claude looks at you.

“Then… what is it?”

CRAB.

“U-Uhm!! Uh!! Nothing!! He’s nothing!! I-I MEAN!! IT’S NOTHING!!”

She gets a smirk on her face.

“He? So you snuck a person in?”

“N-No. Yes? Sort of??”

You’ve talked yourself into a corner here. You… decide to just admit to it.

“My-” You sigh. “Do you remember… my friend, Siffrin?”

“...The one that turned evil and then crabbed off and died?”

“Yes.”

“Mirabelle are you hiding his cor-”

“NO!! I?? Don’t think so at least??”

Sighing, you walk over to your bed, and kneel down.

“Look- just.”

“Yesterday, I… I found a Sadness. Someone reported a powerful one in a room down the hall from here, so I figured I could check it out, since I’ve fought a lot of Sadnesses!!”

Claude looks at you confused.

“...Aaand this is relevant how?”

“Because-”

“Because… Siffrin died to the King, Claude.”

“I found Siffrin.”

Something finally clicks in her brain.

“Ohhh. OHHH. You’ve got him under there??”

Suddenly, realizing you just admitted to having a powerful Sadness under your bed, her expression changes.

“Wait, no, no hang on-”

“You’ve got a Sadness under there?”

Claude looks ready to attack, so you should! Probably let her know they’re harmless!

“Yes! B-But they’re harmless, really! He never tried attacking me, the worst he did was just… run away.”

“Look, I’ll prove it.”

Looking under your bed, you find Siffrin, pushed against the back wall, probably a little scared.

“Siffrin? It’s okay, you can come out now. Do you want to meet Claude? My roommate, I told you about her, remember?”

They crawl towards you, bumping against your hand.

You move, letting him get a clear view of Claude, who seems unsure of this.

“See? That’s her.”

They start growling.

And-

“WOAH-”

LUNGES AT CLAUDE-!

“SIFFRIN! NO-!”

You yank them back, catching them in your grip midair.

“WHAT’S this about him not hurting me??”

Siffrin never tried hurting you!! How were you supposed to know that’d happen!!

“I-I don’t know!! Really, he didn't attack me!!”

Siffrin’s still fighting against your grip, why does he want to-??

“SIFFRIN! Stop!!”

They settle down??

“He listens to you?? NOBODY listens to you!”

“Okay- Okay. You’ve got an undead remnant of your friend, and they want to kill me.”

Claude looks at you with a serious expression.

“You can’t keep this in our room.”

Wh-

“And where else do you want me to keep him, Claude??”

“I don’t know!? He’s a SADNESS get RID of him??”

“Wh- NO!! He’s my friend, Claude!!”

You feel Siffrin look up at you from your arms.

“They’re sentient they recognize me and they talk to me- well- TRY and talk to me-”

“That thing TALKS?”

“YES! Kind of?? He- I don’t think he can articulate words very well, b-but! I’ve heard him say my name. They can talk, Claude! They’re sentient!!”

One thing you are NOT budging on is this. Siffrin is sentient, and will NOT be hurt.

“Okay-”

“How’s this. I’ve got an idea.”

“You’ve been meaning to go on a pilgrimage, right?”

Yes..? You nod.

“Soooo-”

“Go on one! With your little friend! And drop him off at one of your other friend’s houses so he’s not our problem anymore!”

Wh- NO- That’s!

“Saabeau? Bbonn? Dii?”

Before you can say anything, Siffrin speaks up, with what you’re pretty sure are rough approximations of your friend’s names.

“No- Isabeau lives halfway across Vaugarde, Bonnie ALSO lives halfway across Vaugarde, and Odile is probably back in Ka Bue by now! How am I supposed to-”

Siffrin is pawing at your chest, looking up at you with a big, sad eye.

Claude, surprised that you weren’t lying about Siffrin being able to speak, takes this opportunity anyways.

“Well? That’s two out of three who think it’s a good idea. You gotta do it now.”

UGH!

…You would like to see the others again.

And you can’t just hide Siffrin in here forever, can you?

Claude looks at you expectantly.

“...Fine. I’ll go to Jouvente. I know Isabeau should be there.”

Siffrin paws at you again. “Bbeau? Sabeau!!”

“Alright~! Mira! Awesome, glad we can agree that you can’t keep your zombie friend in here.”

He’s not a-

“All you gotta do is go let Euphie know you’re goin’ on a pilgrimage, grab your things, and head out!”

Sighing, you set Siffrin on your bed, make sure they won’t try to hurt Claude again, and grab your things.

Collecting everything you need, you grab your backpack, and look at Siffrin.

“Siffrin. We’re going to see Isabeau.”

They look at you, excited.

“But you can’t be seen by anyone in the house. So you’re going to need to hide in my backpack again, okay?”

They look considerably less excited.

“Please, Siffrin? If you won’t, we can’t go see Isabeau.” You say, trying to convince him.

Thankfully, this works. Siffrin reaches out for your backpack.

You bring it up to him, and let him crawl into it, ignoring Claude’s laughter in the background.

“Thank you, Siffrin. I promise you can get out as soon as we leave Dormont, okay?”

You turn to Claude.

“Try not to mess with any of my things while I’m gone, okay?”

“No promises, princess.” She says, winking.

You huff, zip up your backpack, bid Claude farewell, and turn towards the door.

The Head Housemaiden’s office isn’t too far from your room, just a floor down! It doesn’t take you long to reach it.

You knock on her door, and hear a “Come in!” shouted from inside.

You open the door, and peek inside. “Miss Euphrasie? Head Housemaiden?”

“Ah, young Mirabelle! What brings you to my office?”

You feel Siffrin shifting around in your backpack. Probably nothing.

“I! Have decided to go on a pilgrimage!!” You announce, gripping your backpack straps.

“Oh? Why’s this?”

“Well…” Ignoring Siffrin’s protests from inside your backpack, you can figure out what’s wrong after you get out of here, you decide to answer… semi-truthfully. “I’ve been wanting to see my friends again. I was thinking about going to Jouvente to see Isabeau!”

“Oh! You want to go talk with your companions! Yes, wonderful, wonderful! That sounds like a wonderful idea!”

“I’m so glad you think so! I was-”

You feel Siffrin thrash against your backpack, cutting you off.

“Mirabelle..? Is something wrong?”

Before you can say anything, he thrashes again, knocking you over, and breaking the zipper on your backpack.

“Siffrin-! What are you-”

They run to the corner of the room, and begin hissing loudly.

“Mirabelle, what is that? Is that a Sadness?”

Oh, Change-!

“Y-Yes! But- but they’re harmless, I swear!!”

Siffrin is still shoving themself against the corner-

You try to reach out to them.

“Siffrin. The Head Housemaiden won’t hurt you-”

You’re cut off by a loud hiss from Siffrin.

Euphrasie looks at you. “Siffrin..?”

Ah-! “It’s- He’s-”

“That’s… that’s my friend. Siffrin. The one who died to the King. I found them as- as a Sadness. And they recognized me! They know who I am!! And- and I tried hiding him in my room but Claude found out, and she told me I couldn’t keep him here, so we decided I could bring him to Isabeau-”

“Please, he’s- he’s not- he won’t hurt you. I-If you don’t get too close, at least-! That- that doesn’t make this sound any better- oh, Change-”

“Mirabelle.”

The Head Housemaiden cups your face.

“I think it’s incredible you’ve managed to get this far. You said he recognizes you? That’s further than just about anyone has ever managed to get with rehabilitating a Sadness.”

“This is an amazing reason to go on a pilgrimage.”

“Now, your little friend seems scared. Do you know how to calm them down?”

Tears welling in your eyes, you nod at the Head Housemaiden.

“Yes. I- I can try.”

“S-Stand back, I think he might be scared of you?”

You turn your gaze back to Siffrin, still cowering, watching Euphrasie as if she was some kind of man-eating monster.

“Siffrin.”

They turn to look at you.

“Euphrasie won’t hurt you. It’s okay. We- we have permission to go. Do you want to go now..?”

They glance back at Euphrasie, and then at you again.

“Come on. I- I told you we can go see Isabeau. Do you want to go see Isabeau?”

You reach out to them.

And his claw reaches back.

…He’s shaking really bad.

“Are you ready to go now?”

“I think- I think you broke the zipper on my backpack- so you don’t need to worry about being zipped in there, if that’s what you didn’t like.”

They look like they feel bad about that, but, shakily, nod anyways.

“Great.” You smile. Before you can turn around to grab your pack, Siffrin grips onto your arms.

And-?? Climbs into your grasp..?

“Oh-! Okay, sure, I can carry you there-?”

Not what you were expecting! You carefully bring Siffrin over to your backpack, and let him climb in.

You put your backpack on, truthful to your word, unable to zip it up. You hope Siffrin won't try and peek out when you’re leaving-

You thank Euphrasie for understanding, and make your way out.

Leaving the house, and leaving Dormont, you look out to the horizon.

Your next destination: Jouvente.

Chapter Text

You’ve been traveling for a while, by now you’re nearing Jouvente! But first, you’ve decided to take a quick camping break before continuing.

You take off your backpack, and call to Siffrin.

“Siffrin? You can come out now, if you want! We’re taking a break, okay?”

On cue, they pop their head out of your pack, and crawl out.

They’re getting better at listening to you when you tell them to stay in there! Thankfully. You really don’t want to know what would happen if he was seen in a public area.

You go ahead and grab some things from your bag as Siffrin seems to be annoying some random bug he found, and prepare to build a small fire. You had an idea when you were in the last store you had visited! A nice surprise for Siffrin.

Once you get the fire going, you reach into your backpack again, pulling out a bag of marshmallows.

“Siffrin? Can you come here please?”

Curious, they wobble over to you.

You grab some sticks, and put a marshmallow on the ends of both of them, offering one to Siffrin, who tilts their head at you.

“Well… I noticed you don’t really? Have teeth? So you can’t really chew things properly? So I saw these, and I figured you might appreciate something soft! They’re not exactly filling or healthy, but it’s a nice treat!”

You’re pretty sure they just ate the cheese puffs you gave them whole.

They perk up, and grab their marshmallow stick. …To the best of his ability. You hadn’t considered how well he could hold things with only two fingers, but he seems to manage!

He looks up at you. “Thh. Thhaanks.”

“No problem, Siffrin.” You smile at them, and you both begin roasting your marshmallows.

“...You know. I’m still mad at you for what you said. The day before we fought the King.”

Siffrin looks away from you.

“But… I feel like we have more important things to worry about. And also getting mad at you like this really feels like I’d be getting mad at a puppy.”

“Sssoo ee.” They try to keep rambling on with some more random noises, but you can’t tell what they’re supposed to mean.

You place a hand on his head.

“It’s okay, Siffrin. For now, at least.”

He still pouts at you.

Suddenly, you remember you both have something in the fire right now.

“Ah-!” You pull your marshmallow out, charred and burning, and blow on it to stop the flames. Seeing you, Siffrin seemingly has the same realization, and does pretty much the exact same thing to his marshmallow.

“Oops… I like mine a little burnt, but if you don’t I can grab some more from the bag?”

Looking at you for a moment, Siffrin ultimately decides they’re fine with this, and after cooling it down a bit more, bite into the marshmallow.

You both enjoy your little camping session, before calling it for the night, and getting ready for bed.

You only have one bedroll, but Siffrin tends to just share with you. They’re small enough and malleable enough that it works! Though you DID suggest he use the backpack, he didn’t seem too keen on staying away from you.

Tomorrow, you’ll finally arrive in Jouvente. You hope Isabeau isn’t too hard to find, even with them like… this. You think he’ll be excited to see Siffrin again, in some capacity.

You drift off to sleep.

And awake to a commotion.

It’s morning, that you can tell. Maybe a little earlier than you’d usually wake up, though.

Siffrin is already awake, and is making noises at something..?

You look where he’s looking and-

OH! THAT’S A BIG SADNESS.

Hastily, you try and get out of your bedroll, but you’re not fast enough-! The Sadness prepares to attack you-!!

!!!

Siffrin launched themself at the enemy!

And?? Took it down in one hit??

Turning around, they run back over to you to make sure you’re okay, blubbering at you.

“Yes, yes I’m okay, I’m okay!! That Sadness, you- How did you-??”

Siffrin just looks at you. Even if they know the answer, which you’re not sure they do, he probably can’t articulate the words to tell you.

Instead, you settle on making sure HE’S okay too.

“You’re not hurt, are you Siffrin?”

He shakes his head.

“Good.” You say, smiling. “It… looks like it’s morning. We could head out a little early, if you want? We’re already up, and we’re really close to Jouvente, so-”

Siffrin nods furiously. Someone must be excited!

“Alright, alright! You know where to go, right Siffrin?”

They scuttle over and into your backpack, peeking out to confirm they’re ready.

You giggle. “Okay! Let’s go, then!!” And head off for Jouvente.

Thankfully, nothing too eventful happens on your trip, you arrive to the city safe and sound! You decide the best place to check first is the Defenders station. Even if Isabeau isn’t working there anymore, the people there might know where to find him!

You ask the person at the station if they know where to find Isabeau.

“E-Excuse me, I’m Mirabelle, one of Isabeau’s friends..? Would he still be working here?”

They perk up at your name.

“Ohh, Mirabelle? He’s told us about you! You’re one of the saviors, right?”

You nod, a little hesitantly. You’re not too fond of being known as “savior of Vaugarde.”

“Yeah, Beau’s still workin’ here! He’s off today, though. Need his address?”

You nod again, more confident. You can feel Siffrin shifting around a bit in your backpack, you’re pretty sure he’s just as, if not more, excited to see Isabeau again!

The Defender at the station gave you the directions to a nearby apartment complex, and told you which door to go to. They said floor two, first door to the left, so here you stand at floor two of the apartment, first door to the left.

You knock on the door, and hear a familiar voice come from inside.

Just as you were hoping, Isabeau opens the door, and his face lights up.

“Mira!! What’re you doing in Jouvente??”

You grip your backpack straps.

“Isabeau! I have something REALLY important to tell y-”

Before you can even finish talking, a certain someone bursts out of your backpack.

“SA!! SABBEAU!!”

And begins climbing over your shoulder to see Isabeau.

The big guy steps back a bit, not sure what he’s seeing.

“Uhh. Mira? Is that a..?”

You sigh. “Yes. That’s a Sadness.” Grabbing Siffrin off your shoulder, despite his protests, you continue. “THIS is the really important thing. He won’t hurt you! Can we- can we talk inside..? I don’t want anybody to see him.”

He seems unsure, but ultimately knows to trust you, and lets you inside.

Sitting down in his living room, he asks a question.

“Soo… what’s with the little guy?”

Siffrin is still trying to fight out of your grip to see Isabeau.

“They’re- They’re, uhm…”

You’re not entirely sure how to put this. You decide to just be blunt.

“They’re Siffrin. As a Sadness.”

Isabeau looks at you.

“Huh?”

“HUH??”

“THAT’S SIF??”

You nod, and finally release your little friend, and let him skitter over to Isabeau.

“Bbeau!!”

Siffrin clambers onto Isabeau’s lap, pawing at his chest.

Isabeau looks at Siffrin, and back at you, obviously having a lot of thoughts running through his mind right now, but what he manages to ask is:

“So… Sif’s alive?”

You nod at him excitedly.

“Yes!! I think!”

Isabeau looks back down at Siffrin, who’s still sputtering his name.

Noticing his extremely confused face, you decide to clear up ONE question you’re pretty sure he has.

“You can touch him. I don’t think he minds it!”

“Oh-!” Isabeau carefully wraps his arms around Siffrin, not entirely sure if he should believe you on that or not, until they absolutely melt into his grasp. (Almost literally, with the whole “made of slime” thing.)

“Oh-!!”

“Bbeauu!!”

“Yeah!! It’s good to see you again too, Sif!!”

He’s blushing! Strange, you didn’t think it was that hot in here!

“So- Sif’s a Sadness, and they don’t attack us, and they can talk? Why..?”

You… hadn’t really been questioning it, honestly.

“I! Do not know, actually!”

He places a hand on Siffrin’s head.

“Couldn’t we just ask him?”

You turn to Siffrin. “I don’t think they can put it to words. If they even know why, that is. Do you know why, Siffrin?”

Siffrin takes a quick break from shoving themself at Isabeau to turn to you and shake their head.

“Hm.” Isabeau begins petting Siffrin like they’re a cat. “I bet Odile would be able to figure it out!”

Siffrin perks up immediately. “Diii? Dilee?”

“Wh-” You look at Isabeau, confused. “But Odile’s probably back in Ka Bue by now! How would she be able to help??”

He smiles at you.

“She might still be in Vaugarde! You know she said she might stick around and explore a bit more, plus she was bringing Bonbon back to their sister!”

Siffrin perks up once more. “Bbon? Bonnii?”

Isabeau looks at you, determined. “I say we head to Bambouche and ask the siblings if they know where Odile is!”

You start. “But Bambouche is across the country from here! We-”

But are cut off by Siffrin, looking back and forth between you and Isabeau.

“Pl. Pleea. Leeas. Pleaas.”

He looks so… desperate to see them again. You can’t help but feel bad. You’re pretty sure Isabeau feels the same, judging by his expression.

“And it looks like someone would like that.”

“Ppleaa..?” They look at you with a big, pleading eye.

You sigh. You guess it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve traveled across the country.

“I… I suppose that’s not a terrible idea.”

Siffrin looks happy. Isabeau as well.

“So it’s decided then? We’re going to Bambouche?”

Hang on… “Wait, what about the Defenders? Aren’t you still working there?”

Isabeau shrugs. “I quit once, I can do it again! Honestly, I didn’t even really wanna go back. I just wasn’t sure what else to do.”

Well that works!

“Oh! Alright then, i-if you’re sure!!”

He points back into his apartment.

“How about we stay in my place for today and head out tomorrow?”

You smile. “Sounds okay to me!!”

He looks down at Siffrin.

“You good with that, Sif?”

They squeak happily to confirm. Isabeau blushes again, and smiles wide. You can hear him whisper “cuute!!” under his breath.

“T-Then it’s settled! Oh, you guys don’t mind sharing the bed with me, right?”

If you could sleep comfortably with Bonnie, you’re pretty sure you can handle Isabeau.

“Not at all!”

Siffrin nods excitedly.

“Awesome! And-”

He looks down at Siffrin, suddenly more serious.

“It really is good to have you back, Sif.”

Siffrin bonks their head against Isabeau’s chest.

You’re also happy. Not only to have Siffrin back, but now Isabeau as well.

If you’re lucky, you might even see Odile and Bonnie again. Maybe even meet Bonnie’s sister! How exciting!!

You smile at your friends. You never thought finding someone you knew transformed into a Sadness would be a good thing, but you’re happy.

You hope things continue to look up for your little group.

Chapter Text

You, Isabeau, and Siffrin all set out on your journey to Bambouche this morning.

Siffrin had taken to Isabeau’s shoulders instead of your backpack, and you decided there was no harm in letting him stay there until you needed him to be hidden. Isabeau seemed really happy about it too, so that's good!

“So…” You begin. “We should probably pick up some more tonics and things, we’re gonna be traveling for a while.”

Isabeau seems to agree. “Oh, yeah we probably should, huh?"

You nod at him. “The number of Sadnesses around Vaugarde has definitely gone down since we defeated the King, but I’ve still seen some around. We wouldn’t want to be caught off guard by one!”

You remember you’re currently traveling with a Sadness.

“A-Ah! Not that- sorry, Siffrin!!”

Siffrin squeaks at you as Isabeau looks at you amused.

“I’m pretty sure they understand, Mira.” Siffrin nods.

You still feel a bit bad…

“I-It still feels a bit rude… but if you really don’t mind, Siffrin.”

“Hm. Actually, Siffrin? Can I ask you something?”

They squeak at you again, listening.

“When we were close to Jouvente, that big Sadness you defeated, was it… weird? Fighting another Sadness as a Sadness?”

Before you can second guess if that’s a weird question or nod, Siffrin shakes his head at you.

Isabeau looks over to Siffrin on his shoulder. “I’m curious about some things too! Like, what’s it like being a Sadness?”

Siffrin just looks at him.

“...Right. Too complex a question, sorry, Sif.”

They seem to forgive him, rubbing against Isabeau’s neck. You can hear Isabeau let out a quiet “awww!”

“Oh, look!” You point off to the horizon. “There’s a town over there! They should have a shop, right?”

“Oh, it should, huh?”

You turn to Isabeau and Siffrin. “I don’t want anyone to see Siffrin, so…” You gesture towards your backpack.

Siffrin grumbles a little, before pawing for your backpack. Isabeau carefully helps them into it.

“You know what to do by now, Siffrin. Stay hidden until we say it’s okay to come out, okay?”

He grumbles again, but at least he listens to you.

Your little trio head off to the nearby town, and begin walking to the first store you see.

“We shouldn’t need that many things, right? There's just three of us, and not that many Sadnesses around anymore, so?”

“Mhm!”

With Isabeau agreeing, you make your way to the tonics aisle.

And spot someone.

“Hey! Isn’t that…”

Isabeau, seeing who you’re looking at, speaks up as well.

“Oh! It’s Odile!! I told you she might still be in Vaugarde! And we didn’t even have to ask the siblings!”

“Dii?” You hear Siffrin ask from your backpack.

Before you can tell him to quiet down, their head pops out of your pack.

“Dii!!”

“Wait, Siffrin, don’t-!”

And jumps out.

In the middle of the store.

Where people can see you.

They begin slithering up to Odile, repeating her name, which is NOT helping to draw attention away from you!!

Odile looks back confused.

Before you or Isabeau can do anything, someone spots them.

“Ah-! A Sadness-!!”

Siffrin stops to look at them.

They draw a pocket knife.

And slice across Siffrin’s chest.

He cries out. Isabeau starts running over to him, and you follow.

“He won’t hurt you!!” Isabeau puts his hands up, trying to argue with the person to stop fighting.

“Wh- That’s a Sadness-! Hang on- Did you BRING that thing in here?? Do you know how dangerous that is??”

They keep arguing, as you lean down to help Siffrin.

They turn to look at you. Panic clear in their eye.

They look as scared as they did when you first found them like this.

They turn for the door out, and run, weaving between other people as they escape.

“SIFFRIN-!! No-! You’re hurt- get back here-!”

You can still see Odile staring in the background. You’d love to go say hi but you have to make sure Siffrin is okay! You run after him, Isabeau following shortly behind.

Dashing out of the store, you see Siffrin going into a nearby alleyway, and chase after them.

Isabeau steps up to him.

“Sif… It’s okay. They’re gone. Come here so Mira can heal you.”

They hiss at you both.

“So,”

EEP-!

“That’s Siffrin, huh?”

“ODILE! HI!!”

“Hah. Good to see you again, too. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but I saw Siffrin got hurt. I’ll help you calm him down.”

You both look at her confused, Isabeau speaks first.

“Madame, how did you know that’s..?”

“You said their name out loud. I heard you. I was honestly wondering if there was a chance Siffrin could’ve become a Sadness.”

“Now-” She gets on her knees, Odile doesn’t like bending down, so that means she finds this important.

“Siffrin. It’s good to see you again, too.”

He stares at her.

…And seems to calm down a little.

“Come on, Siffrin. Get over here so we can help you.”

Siffrin, cautiously, makes their way over to Odile. He’s stumbling a little more than usual, probably thanks to the injury.

“D…Dii?”

“That’s the worst anyone has ever said my name, but yes. That’s me.”

It took quite a bit more than that to get Siffrin to initially trust you, they must’ve really missed Odile.

You make your way over to Siffrin, slowly, and put your hands out.

“Can I heal you now, Siffrin? Please?”

They turn to you, and after a second, nod.

You know, now that you’re right up to Siffrin, you notice…

His cut smells like burnt sugar.

Strange. You don’t think any other Sadness you’ve fought did that.

You reach your palms out to Siffrin, and use your Healing Craft.

The wound across their chest fixes itself up, and Siffrin flops against Odile’s lap.

“Tired, are we? Cute, but I’m not sitting here forever. Pick someone else to fall asleep on.”

Isabeau chimes in. “I’ll take him, Madame.”

He gently scoops up Siffrin, especially gentle around where he was hurt, it could still be a little sore even after your Healing Craft, after all.

Odile stands back up with a groan, and asks a question.

“He’s awfully sentient for a Sadness, do you two know why that is?”

You shake your head. “No, sorry Madame.”

Isabeau continues. “We were actually trying to find you to see if you’d be able to figure it out! Maybe they just missed us that much?”

Odile shakes her head. “No, that’s impossible. There’s been studies done on this, Sadnesses can’t just… remember people. Something strange is going on here.”

“So that’s why you two were traveling together? To find me and let me know about Siffrin’s… condition?”

You nod. “I found them in the house not too long ago. I decided to go to Jouvente to find Isabeau, and he convinced me to try and go to Bambouche to see if the siblings knew where you were.”

Isabeau smiles. “And we didn’t even have to go all the way there! Isn’t that useful?”

Siffrin looks up at him. “Bbon?”

“Oh… right. I guess we all do still wanna see Bonnie, huh?”

Odile speaks. “Hm. And Boniface probably should know what’s happened to Siffrin, shouldn’t they? I suppose we should go to Bambouche, then.”

“We?” You ask.

Odile smiles at you. “Yes, we. I don’t have anywhere better to be, do I? Besides, you said you’d like my help figuring out what’s going on with our little friend.”

You clasp your hands together. “O-Oh! Alright then!! We’d be glad to have you travel with us again, Madame!”

You remember you’ve forgotten something.

“Oh, hang on. We didn’t get any of the items we were going to get from the store…”

Odile pats her bag. “Don’t worry, I’ve still got traveling items on me, it should be enough for the four of us.”

“Oh! Wonderful, then!”

Isabeau steps up to you, and looks down at Siffrin. “If we’re heading out, is it time for Sif to get back in your backpack then, Mira?”

That it is! “Mhm!” You hold your backpack out to Siffrin, so Isabeau can let them down into it. “Try not to jump out this time, okay?”

Siffrin looks away from you, ashamed, before climbing in.

Odile laughs. “Hah. That’s adorable, honestly.”

“Right??” Isabeau says, blushing.

Odile just looks at him with a knowing smile. “Uh-huh.”

“Well, if everyone’s ready. Lead the way, you two.”

“Yes Madame!” Isabeau says, with a salute.

You put your backpack back on, and begin following Isabeau.

You’ve got Siffrin back, you’re traveling with Isabeau and Odile again, and you’re on a journey to Bambouche!

You’re very happy with how things are going! You can’t wait to tell Bonnie that Siffrin is okay, and you can’t wait to meet their sister!

You smile! This’ll be a long journey, but worth it!

Chapter Text

You’re about halfway through your journey to Bambouche, you’ve fought a couple (non-Siffrin) Sadnesses, stopped at a couple stores, but overall, nothing too eventful has happened.

Until Odile asks you a question.

“Mirabelle… tell me. Have you noticed anything… strange? About Siffrin?”

You look at her, confused. “Hm? What do you mean?”

She furrows her brows in thought. “I mean, before I started traveling with you and Isabeau again. We already know he’s far more sentient than any other Sadness, and he’s proven himself powerful in battles, to say the least.”

“Well…” You try and think… “When I first found Siffrin, they were scared of me, actually.”

Isabeau chimes in at this. “Huh, really? But they seemed so excited to see me and Odile!”

Siffrin pops their head out of your backpack, likely realizing the conversation is about them.

You nod. “Yes! Actually… it feels like they’ve gotten better since I started traveling? More like his usual self, I mean.”

Odile writes something in her book. “Hm. Interesting. Anything else?”

“Umm…” You think some more. “He attacked my roommate, Claude, when she saw him? And for some reason he was really scared of Euphrasie, the Head Housemaiden.” You can feel Siffrin flinch at mention of her.

“Hm.” Odile makes that face where she has a theory, but doesn’t want to say anything yet.

You try thinking again, but all you can come up with is: “And… his cut smelled weird? Back when we met up with you?”

Odile raises an eyebrow, curious. You continue.

“It smelled like sugar for some reason? I didn’t think much of it, but I’m pretty sure the only other Sadnesses we’ve fought that smelled like that was the weird crest ones?”

Odile finishes writing in her book. “...Interesting. All very interesting.”

Isabeau speaks. “Do you have a theory, Madame?”

She looks at him. “Sort of. But I’m still not sure on a lot of things.”

She turns to you. “I think I know why they attacked your roommate, however.”

You listen.

“You said Siffrin was afraid of you at first, yes? As well as the Head Housemaiden. Studies have shown Sadnesses can feel fear, one of the reasons they may act scared is if they see someone they recognize, be it good or bad memories.”

“You said you feel as if he’s gotten better over time, it sounds to me as if Siffrin was perhaps acting as a normal Sadness would, attacking those he didn’t recognize, until you found him.”

Isabeau raises an eyebrow. “Then… why didn’t he attack the Head Housemaiden?” He questions.

Odile looks away. “I’m… not entirely sure. It could just be an exception.”

“I was also thinking it may have something to do with what Loop told us.”

Siffrin perks up, staring straight at Odile.

“Oh, your friend, Loop? I think you two knew each other, somehow… They helped us through the house, we couldn’t have made it through without their help.”

Isabeau speaks. “Yeah! They made us do a weird hand symbol so we could hear them as we went up.”

“Yes.” Odile continues. “They had told us some things about you, such as-”

Siffrin cuts her off. “NONONONO.”

“Siffrin-” Odile is cut off again.

“Nonono. Noononono.”

You lift your hand up to Siffrin. “Siffrin? It’s okay, what’re you freaking out over?”

They put their hand on yours, and stare at you, scared.

You really don’t know what’s freaking them out… did they not like Loop..??

Odile speaks up again. “...We can come back to this another time, Siffrin.”

Isabeau looks at Siffrin, concerned. “We’ve been walking for a while… Maybe we can stop for a snack break?”

You look up at him. “Oh! That sounds like a good idea!”

Siffrin still looks freaked out, but they seem okay with this.

You sit down, and carefully take your backpack off, before letting Siffrin crawl out.

you grab a couple granola bars for you, Isabeau, and Odile, and grab a small bag of berries for Siffrin. You’re pretty sure he doesn’t mind eating harder things, but you figure it’s probably nicer to have something soft when you have no teeth.

You pass the granola bars to everyone, and open the bag of berries and pass it to Siffrin.

Isabeau takes a bite, and looks up at you. “Man, I can’t wait to have some of Bonbon’s cooking again! We’re not eating bad but…”

Odile nods in agreement. “Seconded. Boniface got surprisingly good at cooking over the course of our journey.”

Siffrin stops eating his berries to look up at them.

You pat his head. “Yes, Siffrin. We'll see them soon!”

They squeak at you, and return to their food.

After eating your snacks, everyone feels refreshed! You feel Siffrin lean against your lap.

Before you can ask if they’re alright, you hear them let out a big yawn.

“Oh!” You try to hold back a small laugh. “Are you tired? It IS getting pretty late.”

They snuggle up against your leg like a cat. You’re pretty sure you can hear Isabeau whisper something about “I wish Sif would sleep on MY lap…”

If there’s one thing Siffrin’s always been good at, it's sleeping! He doesn’t take long to fall asleep next to you.

You stare at him, and your smile drops. You can’t help but think…

You’ve been wondering how much of them is still Siffrin.

They look different, they act different…

You remember Odile telling you of a Ka Buan mythos, something about if you replace all the parts of a ship, is it still the same ship?

You know you’re supposed to not only be okay with, but encourage Change, but…

Sometimes it still scares you, honestly.

You let out a sigh, accidentally letting Isabeau and Odile know something’s on your mind.

Isabeau speaks up first. “Hey Mira? Something wrong?”

You glance down at Siffrin, making sure he’s still asleep. “I just… do you think Siffrin is still… Siffrin? I mean- he’s just… really different now, is all…”

Isabeau looks at you. “Aww, Mira. I’m sure Sif’s fine! Even if they’ve got the brain of a Sadness, they’re still themself!”

You frown. You’re still not entirely convinced, you know Isabeau has a point but…

“Mirabelle.”

Odile speaks up.

“Siffrin is different, yes, but he still recognizes us. Remembers us.”

“Like Isabeau said, even if Siffrin can’t think the same as a person right now, they’re still themself.”

Odile smirks. “If anything, I’m surprised you of all people are worrying about change, Mirabelle.”

You chuckle awkwardly. “I really shouldn’t be, should I…”

Isabeau smiles at you. “It’s alright to worry about things, Mira. Just because you believe in Change doesn’t mean it can’t scare you sometimes!”

You smile back. “Thanks, Isabeau.”

You look back to Siffrin, still by your side.

…Should you even be calling them Siffrin..?

Sadnesses usually get new names, don’t they?

No. Don’t think about that right now. Positive thoughts, Mirabelle. Stay positive. Being sad won’t help you right now.

You’ve still got some ways to go until you reach Bambouche, you should probably get some rest.

Just think about how happy Bonnie will be to see Siffrin again! And everyone can finally meet their sister too! Won’t that be fun?

You do feel a bit better thinking about that.

You go ahead and prepare for sleep, carefully pushing Siffrin off of you, and get your bedroll ready. Everyone else seems to agree with you that it’s bedtime, and does the same.

Setting everything up, before you lay down, you walk over to Siffrin, and carefully bring him over to your bedroll with you. Siffrin doesn’t have their own, so they usually just take you or Isabeau’s to share.

They wriggle a little in your grasp.

“Oh! Siffrin, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

His tired eye stares at you, before glancing up at the sky.

He’s watching the stars… You’re not sure why, but they always liked doing that.

You’ve noticed them doing it a couple times out here too. You noticed that the further away you are from civilization, the brighter they are. You wonder why!

None of you really understood why Siffrin liked the stars that much, they’re just little dots of light, aren’t they?

Still… They seem to mean a lot to him.

“You’ve always liked the stars, haven’t you, Siffrin?”

He jumps a little at your voice, like he forgot you were even there.

“You can stay up and watch for a while, if you want? But don’t stay up too late!! I don’t want you to be tired tomorrow when we continue traveling!”

Siffrin seems to like that idea. As you slip into your bedroll, he sits beside it, watching the sky.

You fall asleep, with Siffrin watching the sky as the stars shine above you.

Chapter Text

This morning, you and your little group finally reached Bambouche. Similar to how you found Isabeau, all it took was a little asking around to figure out which house the siblings lived in, and now, you stand before it.

Odile speaks. “Well, according to those townsfolk, this should be where Boniface and their sister live. Everyone ready?”

You and Isabeau nod, also receiving a squeak of confirmation from Siffrin, clearly trying to hold back their excitement.

Odile smiles in response. “Good.” She knocks on the door, and you wait.

The familiar pitter patter of a child with boots too big for them approaches the door. A beat passes, presumably as they check the peephole on the door, and a gasp.

The door flies open.

“GUYS!! All of you?? What’re you doing in Bambouche!!”

There they are! The excitable preteen you all know and love runs up to you. You speak to them.

“Bonnie! It’s good to see you! We have… something! Important to show you!!” You’re not sure how else to put it.

Isabeau raises an eyebrow at them. “Should you really be opening the door by yourself, Bonbon?”

They beam up at him. “Nille says I’m not supposed to open the door for anyone I don’t know but I know you guys!! Here, come in!!”

The three (well, technically four.) of you follow Bonnie into their home. They sharply turn back towards you.

“Belle!! You said you’ve got something important? What is it?”

You tilt your head. “Shouldn’t you let your sister know we’re here first..? I wouldn’t want to scare her or anything!”

Bonnie waves a dismissive hand at you. “Nah. She’s asleep! She sleeps super late some days!”

Well, then…

“It has to do with Siffrin.”

Almost instantly, their face drops.

Bonnie hadn’t taken Siffrin’s death well, none of you did, but Bonnie especially…

They look away. “...What about Frin.”

You stutter a bit. “Well-! Um- I-”

Before reaching for your backpack. “Here. L-Let me just show you.”

You take your backpack off as Bonnie stares at you with curiosity. Siffrin has been hesitant to climb out without your command after you met up with Odile… He probably got scared after what happened then, you think.

You pull your backpack open a little. “Siffrin? You can come out now! Bonnie’s here!”

Before Bonnie can ask what the crab you are doing, Siffrin pops their head out.

“Bbon? Bon?”

They turn towards Bonnie.

“Bonnii!! Bon!!”

Bonnie steps back as the little Sadness runs over to them, they raise their hands into a defensive position.

“BELLE!! WHY DO YOU HAVE A SADNESS WITH YOU!!”

They push Siffrin away to the best of their ability. “AND WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH FRI-”

They pause.

You can see it just clicked in their brain who this is.

“Oh.”

Siffrin stares up at Bonnie, likely confused as to why he’s being pushed away. He tilts his head.

Isabeau decides to say what Bonnie has clearly just realized. “That’s Sif, Bonbon! He’s okay!”

Bonnie kneels down to Siffrin’s level (which isn’t too far down for them,) and places their hand on Siffrin, before sharply taking it back.

“Wait-! I’m not supposed to touch you!! S-Sorry!”

Siffrin looks sad. You clear things up. “He doesn’t mind, actually! I don’t know why he never told us…”

They glance towards you in acknowledgement, before slowly placing their hand back onto Siffrin.

Siffrin leans into their touch, as Bonnie looks back towards you.

“So Frin’s okay?? They’re a Sadness but they’re not attacking me so they’re okay right??? How did you find him??”

Bonnie stares at you all with big, hopeful eyes. Odile decides she’ll be the best to explain.

“Siffrin is okay, yes. For the most part, at least. And Mirabelle found him in the House, and went to find Isabeau, they then found me, and we went to find you.”

Bonnie raises an eyebrow at her. “So why isn’t Frin a bad Sadness? Why can they still think and stuff?”

Odile hesitates. “Well… Siffrin doesn’t seem entire capable of-”

She gets cut off by a voice coming from farther into Bonnie’s house.

“Bon? What the crab are you doing out h-”

A young woman in sleep clothes walks out into the living room, you don’t recognize her voice or her looks, but she looks like Bonnie! That’s probably Pétronille, you think. She speaks again.

“Bonnie. Bonnie who are those people.”

Bonnie turns back to her excitedly. “These are my friends, Nille!! The ones I told you about!! The ones I met when the King attacked! Dile even brought me back here!”

Pétronille pauses for a second. “...And you just let them in without telling me??”

Bonnie throws their hands up in the air. “Duh!! You were asleep!!”

She rubs her eyes. “Of course I was asleep, it’s early!”

Bonnie playfully yells at her. “IT’S THE AFTERNOON!!”

Her gaze shifts towards the Sadness in her little sibling’s lap.

“Bonnie.”

“Boniface.”

“What is that.”

Bonnie glances towards Siffrin, and picks them up like a cat. You think they look really cute!

“ALSO my friend!! That’s Siffrin, they um- they got… really hurt. By the King. But Belle found him as a Sadness and he’s okay now!!”

They hold out Siffrin to Pétronille.

He locks eyes with her.

The light over his bad eye begins shining brighter, you noticed it doing that when he’s about to attack something-

Wait.

When he’s about to attack something?

Suddenly, you remember how he reacted when he met Claude.

“WAIT-! Bonnie, don’t-!!!”

Before Bonnie can ask what’s wrong, Siffrin leaps out of their grasp.

Claws bared.

Right at Pétronille.

She cries out as Siffrin slashes their claws across her abdomen.

Bonnie yanks Siffrin back towards them, and shouts.

“FRIN!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WHY DID YOU-” Siffrin struggles against their grip, as you run over to make sure Nille is okay. Isabeau and Odile help Bonnie hold back Siffrin.

You bring your palms out to Pétronille, preparing Healing Craft. “Are you okay??”

She lifts her shirt up slightly to check, and confirms that the injury isn’t too bad. Just two small cuts where Siffrin’s claws hit her. “If Bon hadn’t had a grip on them that would’ve been way worse, I think.” She says, sounding a little dazed from waking up and immediately being attacked.

You’re pretty sure she’s right. You’ve seen Siffrin easily take down powerful Sadnesses like this. You nod and heal her, before you hear Bonnie speak up again behind you.

“FRIN. STOP!! YOU CAN’T HURT NILLE!!”

Siffrin goes limp in their arms, following the command. Bonnie drops Siffrin.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, FRIN!! Why- why would you attack my sister!! I know you’ve never met her before but why would you just-”

Bonnie stares at Siffrin for a moment, the aforementioned Sadness stares back at them with a pupil-less unblinking eye. There is no sign of sapience in his gaze.

“...You’re not Frin.”

You, Isabeau, and Odile all look at them, confused. Isabeau speaks. “Huh? Bonbon, what do you mean?”

They turn to Isabeau. “Frin- Frin wouldn’t hurt Nille!!”

Odile tries to calm them down. “Boniface, Siffrin is-”

But gets cut off. “FRIN IS DEAD DILE!! WE- WE SAW IT!! WE SAW THEIR BLOOD AND BITS OF THEIR CLOAK AND- AND THE KING- THE KING SAID HE KILLED HIM!!”

They turn back to Siffrin. “YOU’RE NOT FRIN!! Frin- Frin was a huge crab before we- we fought the King. But I didn’t want him to DIE!! Now you’re not Frin, you’re just- just a stupid crabbing Sadness that LOOKS like them!!!”

Siffrin… doesn’t understand. You can tell. They reach out a claw to Bonnie.

Bonnie shoves them away, he stumbles backwards a little.

“NO!! You’re- Just-!! GO AWAY!! GO AWAY!!”

Siffrin stares up at them for a second, before running off.

You reach an arm out to where Siffrin is running. You want to chase after them but- you know they’re too fast… You should focus on Bonnie for now.

Pétronille puts a hand on Bonnie’s shoulder. “Bon. We’ve talked about the yelling.” Bonnie stares back at her, silently.

Nobody seems quite sure of what to say… but Odile speaks first.

“Boniface.”

“I… believe you have misunderstood Siffrin’s situation.”

They glare at her as she continues.

“Siffrin- Siffrin isn’t… fully himself.”

“They don’t seem to be able to recognize anyone they never met in life as an ally. They did something very similar with Mirabelle’s roommate, apparently.”

“I… should’ve known he would do the same to Pétronille. We were all just excited to see you again, I think.”

Bonnie glares at her even harder. “So it’s not Frin.”

Odile denies this. “No, Siffrin is just-”

She gets cut off by Isabeau. “Sif is sick, Bonbon. His brain’s messed up and they can’t think like a person can right now, right Madame?”

Odile pauses for a moment. “...I suppose that’s one way to put it, yes.”

Pétronille speaks again before Bonnie does. “So. Who are you people?”

OH! RIGHT. You should… probably introduce yourselves. “S-Sorry! I’m Mirabelle, that’s Isabeau and Odile, and the Sadness you saw was Siffrin. Bonnie traveled with us after they ran from Bambouche when the King took over.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Nice to meet you and all, why did you have a Sadness with you.”

You look away. “Like Odile said, he doesn’t attack us. We forgot it was a bad idea to let them see you, I’m really sorry. We just figured Bonnie should know what happened to them, and we all wanted to see Bonnie again too, so…”

Bonnie’s turn to ask a question again. “Why can’t Frin think right? If he’s a Sadness, why isn’t it just normal stupid Sadness brain? Or normal people brain? Why is it in the middle?”

Odile answers this one. “We’re not sure yet. He has unheard of levels of intelligence for a Sadness, but it’s not perfect. I’ve figured out a couple things, but that part I’m not certain on yet.”

They pout at Odile. “I don’t like when you don’t know things. You’re like, old as CRAB. Aren’t you supposed to know everything or whatever?”

Pétronille elbows Bonnie. “That’s rude, Bon.”

Bonnie rubs their arm. “But it’s TRUE!!”

Odile smiles at the two siblings. “Either way, we should probably go find Siffrin soon.”

Pétronille seems suspicious at this, however. “Won’t they just attack me again?”

Isabeau reassures her. “Don’t worry! We’re prepared this time, if anything happens we won’t let them hurt you.”

You make a suggestion. “You can stay at the back to make sure you’re safe?”

She seems to be fine with this, to a degree. You assume it’s probably hard to be completely fine with chasing down a powerful Sadness that just attacked you alongside four people you’ve never met before.

Either way, you begin searching for Siffrin. You walk out the door where you all saw him run out, it was closed, but thanks to his liquid-y Sadness body, they managed to just squeeze under the door. Bonnie made a comment comparing them to an octopus.

You search and search, the five of you calling their name, for a couple minutes, until you spot a familiar lightless blob barely hidden behind a fallen log.

“Siffrin! There you are!”

Everyone turns to look at you.

“I-It’s okay. You can come out, Bonnie understands now.”

He ducks down further to avoid you. You frown.

Before you get the chance to make another move, Bonnie steps up.

“Frin. I’m- I’m sorry for yelling.” The little Sadness peeks his head above the log. “Dile and Za told me that… that you’re really sick right now. Za said your brain can’t think like a people or whatever.”

They lean over the fallen log. “So you can come out here, but you gotta promise not to hurt Nille again. Okay?”

You watch as Siffrin fully reveals themself, placing a hand on Bonnie’s. They apologize. “So ee. Soo ee. S- Sss. Sorrr. M sor ee.”

They lift up Siffrin. “That’s enough apologizing, Frin. You promise you won’t hurt my sister again?”

Siffrin nods. “Pomise.”

“You super promise?”

“Uuper pomise.”

“You super duper promise?”

“Uu- uu…” Siffrin just nods, deeming that string of words too complicated to say like this.

Thankfully, Bonnie seems to consider this good enough. “Good. D’you wanna meet her now? And not attack her?” They receive another nod of confirmation. “Okay!! NILLE!! Look!!”

They whip around to look at Pétronille, shaking poor Siffrin in their grasp. Pétronille flinches back, not wanting to be hurt again. Bonnie proudly holds Siffrin up to her.

“Look! Now you can really meet Frin, ‘cuz he super duper promised not to hurt you again. This is Frin, they um, they found me after I ran away. I was super tired, so I don’t really remember it very well? But he made everyone notice me!!”

You frown at the memory of a starving, dehydrated, exhausted, Bonnie. They were very lucky Siffrin saw them. Poor kid…

Bonnie aside, true to his word, Siffrin does not attack Pétronille, simply staring up at her.

She raises a hand for an awkward wave towards Siffrin. “Nice..? To meet you..??”

Bonnie smiles proudly.

You’ve got everyone together now! But…

You speak. “What… should we do next..?”

Isabeau turns to you first. “Huh?”

You elaborate. “I mean- about Siffrin. We’ve got everyone here now but…”

Isabeau finishes for you. “How are we supposed to help Sif…”

Odile chimes in as well. “No-one has ever gotten this far with a Sadness. We know something is weird about Siffrin but not what…”

Bonnie looks away from their sister to join the conversation. “I wanna help Frin!! But… I also don’t know what to do.”

None of you are sure where to go from here…

You have to help Siffrin. But…

How..?

…This place feels weird. You notice the tree you’re standing next to is very large, probably a favor tree.

You hear a familiar voice.

“...Hello again, saviors.”

Turning around, you come face to face with a strange being, seemingly non-biological, comprised of lightless skin with spots that shine like the night sky, and a bright, pointy head.

Loop.

“I heard you could use some help.”