A Cut Epilogue From "Simony"

A Cut Epilogue from "Simony"

Here, I present you with a scrapped epilogue to “Simony” that didn’t quite fit in the fic, or meld well with my characterization of Rafal. His murder of Rhian is supposed to be uncalculated and driven by unrestrained emotion, and it comes across as planned in this:

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The Evil intent, the injurious intent, festered in Rafal’s heart since Rhian had wounded him with his words at the start of the year. Rhian hadn’t paused to see how he’d hurt Rafal. To see how Evil would be useless, futile, lack all purpose to live if everyone was reformed to Good. Did Rhian ever spare a thought as to how he’d affect the other side? And look at his brother. His own brother. A revelation, Rafal thought bitterly. A walking contradiction of the waking world. In other words, for Good, not for Balance like he’d once vowed.

For the sake of the Woods, they’d better not judge by appearances again. Yet, that was how it continued, year after year. The tales became predictable, the bound tomes piling up like stones in his tower.

All the princesses were the same. Vapid but virtuous and beautiful, as beautiful as they were virtuous. It didn’t console him to know that all the lovers would become graves in time.

All the villains were the same. Rafal was more than a bit unnerved, but as such was how the tales went: they were as ugly as they were wicked, and they were woefully sore losers. Every new crop of Nevers was worse, more hideous, incompetent, and pitiable than the last. And just as unloveable as he was. Not that any love was worth the effort. Better to teach them they were incapable of love from the beginning.

Fall Countdown Day 1: Peter Pan

Predictions and reactions:

Peter Pan could be a love-interest for Rhian, likely another failed one.

I presume he is a villain, but he may not be one.

Neverland, if the backdrop to the photograph is meant to represent Neverland, looks how I imagined it to be. Emerald green, psychedelic, and heady. And, wild and humidly, jungle-like, in disarray.

I wonder if Peter Pan will have a plot to trap the brothers. Because, although it's more subtle than the Midas picture, there is visibly part of a cage by his side. Also, he's on a throne, so I wonder if he's the ruler of Neverland.

His expression just looks neutral or bored or apathetic, like he's just an observer or a non-participant. Odd, though I would think he’d be an active character. At the same time, he could be the type of villain that's a puppet master pulling strings instead, overseeing things from afar, and just generally watching over people, fitting the trickster character archetype.

I also wonder if he is even a real person, like actually humanized in characterization, or an emotionless, psychopathic being. I can't tell. He's just impassive, cool, disinterested maybe, unresponsive, inscrutable. Like a masked-persona character. From what I can gather from the picture at least.

Like, I could expect him to be deadpan and causally morbid in his dialogue, the way Rafal is but maybe even worse. It’d be amplified further because it could happen all the time: his being completely blank and emotionless, and betraying nothing of his true feelings, if he even has any. He could even lack a personality in the traditional sense?

And, maybe, he’d talk in an unsettling way because it's so inhuman, alien, foreign, odd. Just so far removed from humanity. And, Rhian and Rafal would probably worry that one day, they'll turn into that. Become that. Just. Absolute monsters or nothing. No traces of humanity left. Soulless. Maybe, with the need to prey on others’ souls.

I love how Rise is like a Guide to What Not to Do When You Have a Pair of Good and Evil Twins. When you compare the prequel to the main series, it makes Sophie and Agatha's last-minute, desperate reconciliation in TLEA look like a success story. And, their tale featured a full-on war, more collateral deaths, and three unstable years of schooling.

The brothers’ trust-decay timeline really speeds up everything, and the pacing in Rise alone was at break-neck speed. Maybe, years of immortality were the unseen set-up for their destruction? But, from what I remember, the brothers started in a seemingly tension-free place.

Though ironically, Sophie and Agatha were more toxic (initially), and the brothers are more genuine and loving. For them to fall apart faster is odd because Sophie and Agatha started with diametrically opposed goals: win a prince vs. return home alive. Rhian and Rafal had one major disagreement, and it all fell apart. I love the parallels between the pairs. Even though within these pairs, they are more foils or juxtapositions to the other sibling.

A Dissection: Rafal Has Motion Sickness and It Has Symbolic Significance

I’d call this a hot take, but probably no one has given thought to it? At least, I haven’t seen it anywhere else. So, this might not even be a hot take if there isn’t already a common consensus for its existence or nonexistence. The lines I will refer to could be weird, throwaway, minute-detail, trifling pieces of character trivia. But, Rafal has motion sickness, and I consider it to be close to canon, if not actual canon.

Also, you may be wondering why I’ve glommed onto this particular trait. I projected onto Rafal probably since I also have motion sickness. I’ve never ridden the taller sort of roller coasters, and although I grew out of it, I used to throw up on airplanes.

This character detail will definitely appear in one of my future fics, by the way. The dialogue portion is already written. Unfortunately, that fic is, like, the 7th or 8th in a little series, so no one will see it for a long time, if I ever get that far. I am trying to be as prolific as I can these final days before Fall comes out though. Hopefully, that’ll extend to later fics in the far future.

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Evidence:

“All the while, the Evil School Master bellowed and cursed into his gag, at once furious, incredulous, and motion sick” (201).

“[...] Rafal, who was still inside his bubble, slightly green and shaky from his tumble through the forest” (203).

Possible explanations:

Theory 1 - The motion sickness here could just be circumstantial/almost universal. A type that occurs under such extreme, severe conditions, perhaps. Considering the ordeal Rafal’s gone through, maybe anybody would be motion sick afterward. This would disprove his motion sickness however. And, I would think most people don’t have the stomach capacity to tolerate this type of motion. I wonder if most people would be knocked unconscious, or even be conscious enough to deal with being thrusted and rolled around in a giant prison ball? It could also be Rafal’s immortality as a factor sparing him further suffering.

Theory 2 - Rafal must be in control of his movements and be the “driver,” as a general rule. This could explain why his own flying doesn’t cause him motion sickness, while everything else might. Ok, so he needs to be in control, and applying that on a literal and figurative level just works so well for his character. With the Storian, in his interactions with Rhian, with the prison workers/guards, Aladdin, the other students, and the Pirate Captain, he’s always grasping for control.

Another key to this: the motion would have to be predictable, like his own flight. If he knows the direction he would travel in, then it probably wouldn’t jar him as much, and he’d be able to adjust his body to be in line with that anticipated movement. If he had driven the ball, instead of the matter being out of his hands completely, maybe, the motion sickness wouldn’t have occurred.

As a character, I think he also hates to be directionless and ambitionless, and the motion of the prison ball could have been only radial. Or, directionless/from all directions at once, with lots of conflicting signals in the attempt of maintaining his balance (nonexistent at this point) and disorienting to his eyes and inner ears.

Theory 3 - The whole event could have been a one-time thing, played for comedy. Or, simply, a rare occurrence.

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Final thoughts:

This post is highkey an appreciation post for the prison bubble scene! It was hilarious, and probably one of the best things I’ve ever read. The height of comedy and one of the best scenes in the book, in fact. But, Rise is a masterpiece in my eyes anyway.

And, we get to see Rafal, the practically-all-powerful, dark sorcerer struggle, be trapped, be helpless, and be saved from his own moment of weakness and vulnerability, which is so rare. Because, usually, he has everything under control and locked down, saves Rhian, and is the custodial worker of the Balance. He’s literally lost his balance here though. And, at least, that isn’t as bad as losing the Balance.

Then, the contrast of sorcery vs. electricity. Incredible and ingenious in its own right. The bubble is magic-resistant, no matter what. Repels all magic. Can’t be popped or burst on its own. So, ha Rafal! Checkmate.

And, he can’t even be heard, talk, give others instructions, or lead. He’s a powerful character, and incapacitated in this foreign, spherical-force-field-thing. It keeps him mute! And, he can only communicate through gestures and facial expressions. And, it blocks his usual acidic comments. He’s lost his ability to be snarky and dry! The whole scene is so loud and chaotic!

Also, I’m obsessed with the part where Rafal laughs at trading away the Storian while he’s still in the bubble. So assured, when he has no leverage! But honestly, at this point, the Storian deserves it for duping the brothers.

"Simony" Analysis and Trivia

If anyone’s interested, this is just a look behind the curtain of my thought process surrounding “Simony,” my speculative, Fall prediction fic. Except, it takes place during Rise, if an alternate series of events were to occur. I would suggest reading my fic before reading this post if you haven't, so you aren’t confused.

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Rhian looked ethereal in the light, like a spirit. - Foreshadowing his death.

The walls behind him looked more the pure white of sugar glass, with distortions and cracks. - Imagery to represent Good’s and Rhian’s corruption.

There’s a lot of light-and-dark, black-and-white, shadow-and-sun imagery. This was intentional because I wanted a literal Halo Effect to apply to Rhian as people who are attractive are often judged as more innocent and honorable. At the same time, he’s also being backlit, so a shadow is cast on his face, to signify his turn. Additionally, when I described him from Rafal’s perspective across the room, I not only wanted to emphasize attractiveness but light that could burn out your corneas, if given the chance. Hence, how Rafal would react to the glaring light. He’d probably squint, or not be able to look at it head on. I also have in mind how when you narrow your eyes at light, you tend to see alternating flashes of red and black in your field of vision. So, that could also extend to literally “seeing red,” conveying anger.

Rafal’s figurative “death” of the soul is by burning alive. I repeatedly used the word burn and the adjacent imagery to signify this. This idea is also associated with the persecution of Evil in the tales through burning witches on pyres.

Rhian’s death is by “drowning,” in a way. He may have choked on his own blood, or I’d prefer the interpretation of Rafal’s fatal blow to the heart ending his life, to serve symbolism around matters of the heart. Rhian’s own figurative heart could have proven fatal one day, if he fell in love with someone worse. Even Vulcan was about to kill him. Also, drowning is the same fate Rafal would have had if he had lost to James Hook in the sea.

When Rafal says: “Where’s your right hand?” I originally intended for it to just be a way to ask Rhian: “Where’s your second-in-command (meaning: Dean Hook)?” The phrase right hand would have been interchangeable with any synonym. Though coincidentally, I discovered that this was an unintentionally fitting choice of words. The original Captain Hook’s right hand in Peter and Wendy was replaced by a hook, so Rhian’s figurative “right hand” has been replaced by a Hook, James Hook.

Rafal felt like he’d been impaled. - A reference to Rafal’s sacrifice in Rise.

“I fix everything.” Rafal berated. “And then what? Do I get any credit? I don’t care whether I do.” - I let Rafal be a hypocrite here because it humanizes him. (Rhian gets his hypocritical moment in the sun later. It’s meant to showcase that they’re both in the wrong.) I think it shows how skewed his perspective has become, maybe, ’cause he does want recognition? But anyway, Rafal is far gone, too steeped in his pride (and his probable superiority complex) as compared to canon Rafal.

Do you want your subordinates to hail and herald you like a martyr, Rhian? - Foreshadowing Rhian’s death, again.

To let rot and turn to dust in the storybooks. - A reference to Rafal’s demise in TLEA.

Approaching smoothly, he loomed over Rhian, and hooked his hand under Rhian’s chin, - A reference to James Hook.

“I almost drowned to know that which you don’t.” He dropped his hand, and Rhian’s head nodded forward like a sodden mass. - Drowning, heavy imagery, and the effects of Rhian's magic-induced paralysis.

Rhian quailed in Rafal’s grip. - Rafal’s bird motif.

Rafal’s suit flickered to black for a moment, burnt and blackened, a scorched figure against the white, and Rhian shook his head vaguely, as if to dislodge water. Surely, he was hallucinating. - Another reference to Rafal’s burning-to-ash death in TLEA, foreshadowing Rafal wearing all-black eventually, and drowning imagery.

He was hollow and numb, like an effigy. - A reference to how Rafal’s influence caused Sophie to feel emotionally-numb in TLEA, except this time it's his own soul cooling. Also, burning imagery in the bit about the effigy.

They were a specter of what they’d once been. - Rhian’s ghost foreshadowing.

And then, clarity in denial:

“I'm not Evil—I can't be," Rhian choked.

“And I'm not Good. I wasn’t, even when I had you.” Rafal’s finger burned with a black glow, blotting out the light in the echoing, empty room. He shot a Stun Spell at Rhian.

“I don't want to die.”

Rafal seized one of Rhian’s wrists to keep him from moving. “You’re human, Rhian,” Rafal said as he touched his brother’s face gently. “As in mortal.” He drew a dagger from his side, and held it steady above Rhian’s heart.

Did anyone catch this book 1 reference I alluded to?

This whole section is a backwards version of Agatha and Sophie’s final conversation in book 1 as Sophie dies. If it’s not a callback, then it’s a “call-forward.” First, Sophie gets over her delusions of Goodness and her denial of her Evil, at least partly by the end. Here, Rhian never has the time for that revelation. Agatha tells Sophie that she’s not Evil, she’s human, and brings her back to life. I decided to have Rafal use a spin on the familiar words. To echo them in a more sinister way because he’s paralyzed Rhian, and is about to kill him, not revive him. Thus, the meaning of human was twisted.

“No, Rafal! I forgive you. I love you,” Rhian gasped. - Time for Rhian’s hypocritical moment! He’s trying to follow the Rules (Defend. Forgive. Help. Give. Love.) again in a slapdash way because he’s desperate to bridge the rift between him and Rafal. It’s too little, too late. This was his mistake. And, he’s coming from the wrong angle because he still believes he’s in the right, and that he’s the victim. To be fair, he is now. But, if anything, what Rafal wants is an apology from him. Though, they should both apologize, really.

Rhian’s body splintered into pure, golden light, dissipating in the air. - A reference to Rhian’s soul during the Circus of Talents. Also, it seemed fitting for him to return to magic, being a sorcerer himself.

The burning, bright blue sky - The imagery of Rafal's surroundings is intended to be unsettling because I think most murders take place under dreary, bleak, overcast skies, or any time the weather is poor, for obvious mirroring of the mood. Yet, a pleasant summer sky would make it seem like Rafal’s murder was impact-less, and hopefully, it would hurt him more to see that nothing has changed, except their relationship and his own internal conflict. In fact, probably something had to stay the same to reveal the internal turmoil and the changes to Rafal’s psyche. I just thought it made for a better contrast.

his face had gone white at the black depths of his soul. - Black and white imagery. And, now, Rafal has to play both roles himself, as one School Master ruling both Evers and Nevers without anyone to mediate him. This also acts as a tribute to the swans of the School crest.

His hands were pale, shaking, and blue-veined. - A nod to James Hook’s blue blood.

Once pillars, that stood for Good and Evil. Stable and constant. - I compared the brothers to pillars because I wanted the act of fratricide to feel like an act of seismic effects/proportions, shaking the Woods to its very core, overturning all existing structures and the preconceived notions of Good and Evil.

Also, I tried to mimic the mood/tone in book 1 from that scene where rain washes the glitter out of Sophie’s skin, and Agatha leaves her, taking the umbrella or something. There’s a rift between the two, and Agatha basically refuses to help Sophie anymore until Sophie listens to her, or helps herself.

Love had burned Rafal, every time, like a sorcerer of the New tales, lashed to a stake. - Burning imagery. Foreshadowing to what Rafal believes the new tales will be like because he's secured Evil’s losing streak. Also, a reference to the New Evil regime in TLEA.

Aside from “Fear and Loathing” by MARINA which I thought fit thematically, I think “the last beautiful thing I saw is the thing that blinded me” has visceral imagery that matched the concept of my imagery. Overall, the song is haunting, cinematic, and climatic.

My foot fell upon your grave

Like a pressure point

Hidden beneath the soil

Down came sheets of pouring hail

I sheltered in a church's arch within

From the shards of glass falling so pale

And I look up, and saw the sun

It separated all the colors

And the ice, into my eyes

It fell and left me blind

That was the last thing that I saw:

The fractured glass and its downpour

I felt the blood mix with the water

And I didn't see no more

The white light features here, as well as the ice in the person’s eyes. I connected this to the figurative ice in Rafal’s eyes. Also, the last beautiful sight a person has blinding them could refer to both Rafal’s “death” and Rhian’s death. They both see the other in their final seconds together, and the remnants of their beautiful relationship before Rafal resorts to extremist actions, subscribing to the weird, self-fulfilling, tragic prophecy that he neglected to tell Rhian about.

I was tempted to include more diction with religious connotations altogether, but mostly, I left it at cathedral and martyr. I thought acolytes in place of followers would be unsubtle, and a stretch to be in character with Rafal’s brand of mocking.

I also almost kept a reference to August Sader in how Rafal could have had a thought about how his brother was under his nose this whole time, his nemesis. And, how they were in a fairy tale. Anything could happen in a fairy tale. But, it felt too intentional, like he had a plan, and reasoning to back it up. So, it had to be cut. Rafal’s decision to kill Rhian was meant to be more of a split-second, impulsive one.

The absolute weirdest thing about Rise has to be seeing Rafal in a powerless position. And, it happens multiple times! Like, what? No wonder he’s so desperate to hold onto power in the main series. I’d never thought I’d see that in a million years. Like, I remember a part when he was almost asphyxiated by Vulcan as a bird, and when he was trapped in the prison ball, causing Rhian to almost trade the Storian away in exchange for his freedom. I seriously never thought we’d see Rafal without the upper hand, so Rise was refreshing for this very reason.