#I missed Savanna | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

apompkwrites · 6 months ago

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the school-bound kingscholar || leona kingscholar

masterlist characters: Mwezi Miji Trio (OCs), Leona, Ruggie (platonic) genre: Angst contains: (Brief) Swearing, Possible OOC moments (depending on how you view Leona and Ruggie [mainly Leona]) summary: Following the admittance of Night Raven College's newest freshmen, both Kingscholars begin to come to terms with the newest changes in their lives. notes: I AM SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING AGAIN OTZ. Unfortunately, my lapses of writer's block and demotivation have only increased since I last posted. I'm trying to get back into the hang of posting things (as evident by my art account suddenly coming alive again). ALSO! As you can tell by the formatting, I'm actually writing with proper grammar on Tumblr now! Right now, I don't plan to go back to reformat the older chapters, but maybe once I find the drive to do it, I will! Thank you, everyone, for being so patient with me, I really appreciate it <3 parts: [og post] | [previous] | [next]

Leona felt something knock the air out of his lungs. To Ruggie, who stood right beside him in a robe that was a few inches too long, it was hilarious. Seeing the very prince (well, second prince) of the Afterglow Savanna lose his composure was enough to make Ruggie let out a quiet "Shyeheehee" under his breath before he ultimately straightened his posture under Leona's pointed glare.

Nothing could have prepared Leona to see (Name) again. Honestly, he had long since come to terms with the fact that his little sibling was missing, lost to the Outlands and likely a rotting corpse in the middle of nowhere.

He's lying, he could never come to terms with that, no matter how much he deluded himself.

But they were here. They were here and they were walking closer and they looked exactly the same as he remembered them.

Well, obviously, not exactly. But they looked so familiar and yet so different at the same time. Leona didn't even notice the tip of his tail swishing behind him until he heard one of his dorm members complaining about a tickling sensation against his ankles. And that only caused Leona to grumble under his breath and snatch the base of his tail to stop it from moving.

By the Seven, had they changed. They seemed bolder and more confident compared to the last time he had seen them. The way their shoulders were no longer hunched forward and instead rolled back in a pride strut he wished he could attribute to someone who had come to accept their own status or the way their eyes seemed sharper rather than soft and wide with innocence. And their hands. By the gods, what happened to their hands...? No, they had changed severely, akin to the way Leona recalled seeing the royal guards before and after their training.

Something had happened, that much he could figure out. And as much as he wanted to advance the board, reach out, and capture them like a king in a game of chess, he couldn't. Not when they were surrounded by a queen and two rooks.

"Ignore him," Nuru advised, although his words were more of a formality if anything. He knew how well you could handle yourself, but this was a unique situation.

"I know," you replied curtly, flipping your hood back on and sidling up to Nuru's right side. Jabori immediately flanked your other side in turn, followed by Jabali. It was a familiar formation, one that the four of you had cultivated for as long as you could remember.

"It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would," you whisper. However, the sharp pain lingering in your chest said otherwise.

Student after student soon began trickling out of each coffin, repeating the painstaking process of standing in front of the mirror, listening to its spiel about their innermost workings, before joining whatever dorm they were assigned to. Until finally, finally--

"We're done with orientation and dorm assignments?" One of the hooded figures lamented, his hand perched prim and properly on his hip. If you didn't any better, you'd assume that he was royalty or nobility. But, judging from his scent alone, he wasn't.

"Well, that ceremony was as boring as ever," Leona yawned, covering his mouth with his sleeve as he turned on his heels, facing the mass of hooded figures now under his care. "I'm going back to the dorm. If you're in Savanaclaw House, follow me."

He went to take a step amidst the other chattering dorm leaders before the doors slammed open, the handles banging against the wall from the force at which it swung. Leona groaned in response, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Psst, Nuru," Jabali called from his spot beside Jabori, leaning forward to actually see him. "Are you sure this is the right place? We're actually supposed to find answers from..."

Jabali paused and motioned out towards the commotion now terrorizing the mirror chamber. The little gray cat scampered around the floor, setting fire to whatever he could in some strange show of physical prowess and magical ability. "...These people?!"

Nuru said nothing at first. From where you stood beside him, you could tell doubt was beginning to creep up behind him. Lucky for him, Jabori decided to take the lead.

"This is Night Raven College," he points out, pulling back the hood of his robe by a hair to peer over at his twin. "Pretty much everyone here, especially the dorm leaders, are adept at some kind of magic. I mean, look."

This time, Jabori pointed towards the commotion, his finger following the way that the redhead shot a spell in the cat's direction, materializing a red and black collar around its neck.

"It's the best shot we have," he concludes, nodding in support of Nuru. That single gesture instantly calmed Nuru down, his shoulders no longer hunched up and his wings relaxing behind him. You merely smiled and patted his forearm in response. Jabali, on the other hand, grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms in begrudging compliance.

"Fine. But I'm not gonna get along with 'em or nothin'," Jabali huffed, rolling his eyes. Jabori laughed lightly at his brother's annoyance while Nuru let out a single huff of air.

"I wasn't gonna ask you too, either," Nuru hummed, glancing at Jabali from his peripheral. "Same goes for both of you, (Name), Jabori."

"Copy that," you nodded, the quiet chuckle that seemed to bubble from your throat disappearing the second Leona turned to face you and the rest of the new Savanaclaw members.

"You heard the headmage. I'm headin' back," Leona grumbled and, without missing a beat, brushed past the crowd and headed towards the door. Another hooded figure, one who had been standing beside Leona the entire ceremony, let out an exasperated sigh before raising his hand.

"Savanaclaw! Follow me," he ordered, earning a few half-hearted "Yes, sir"s from the rest of the huddled crowd.

You had to admit, it was pretty entertaining watching Jabali and Jabori marvel at the size of the campus halls. And Nuru too, if only he'd have more obvious reactions rather than just a single flick of a wing or a tilt of the head.

While the halls were nothing compared to the Kingscholar home, it was still pretty big. If you were any smaller than you were now, you'd probably react the same way.

"No way they need these doors to be this big," Jabali murmured, lightly elbowing your arm and pointing at one of the classroom doors. Your eyes followed his finger and a snicker managed to escape you. He wasn't wrong, those doors were freakishly huge, both in height and width.

Jabali went to comment on something else before he stopped, his eyes drifting over toward the new mirror chamber everyone had been led to. The doors were held open to accommodate the crowd, letting handfuls of students walk towards a mirror and get sucked into it, the glass rippling as if took wisps of bodies and left nothing in its wake.

"Savanaclaw House! This'll be your only way in and out of the dorm," the same hooded figure that led you all here called out. He had hopped up onto the lip of the mirror's decoration, using one of the rib-like sculptures as an armrest.

"Hurry up and get in! The faster you do, the faster you'll get to claim your rooms," he snickered before skipping ahead of the first dorm member and hopping into the mirror.

The prospect of first come first served seemed to spur on the first years, causing a near stampede of people trying to get into the mirror first. Nuru hooked an arm around your waist while Jabali did the same with Jabori, the two of them finding a single break in the crowd to get away, Nuru through flight, and Jabali through scaling one of the pillars by the wall.

Lucky for the four of you, the mirror seemed to accommodate more and more people as the crowd diminished. Perhaps through how many bodies reached a specific threshold, you thought. Regardless of the magical mechanics, it allowed Nuru and Jabali to let you and Jabori down after a few minutes.

"So many people," you grumbled under your breath, earning a quiet chuckle from Jabori. Nuru and Jabali nodded at your observation before the four of you hopped into the mirror yourselves.

Immediately, the four of you felt the familiar searing heat of the sun beating down on your skin. It almost felt like home if not for the increased heat coming from the fire serving as lights just outside the dorm's entrance.

Jabali and Nuru were the first to shrug off their robes, the former because he finally had enough of the stuffy fabric, and the latter because the heat was already starting to congregate around his feathers. You and Jabori followed suit, although the two of you merely hiked up your sleeves and flipped down your hoods.

Nuru shook out his wings and let out a soft grunt, one of his feathers falling into the sand beneath your feet. Turning to look over his shoulder, he shot the three of you a soft, almost comforting smile.

"Off we go, then," he hums, waving for you all to follow. If it were anyone else, you three probably would've found offense to a command as expectant as that. But it wasn't just anyone else. It was Nuru, the Guardian, and your dear friend.

The inside of Savanclaw was nothing really to marvel at like the rest of the school's campus. It wasn't cramped, per se, but it was quite a bit more tight than to your liking. Luckily, the walkway opened up the building quite a bit with the roped bridges connecting each floor.

Nuru scanned the room for a moment before his eyes landed on a room on the top floor, tucked all the way in the furthest corner. You figured everyone else left it since it was so far and their mentalities were focusing on that first come first served promise your leader from before declared.

Nuru unfurled his wings and shot up past the bridges, making a beeline towards the unoccupied room. He didn't have to go that fast, of course, considering only a few students were lingering in the walkways who sure as hell weren't planning on making the long walk up there.

Jabali seemed to share their sentiment considering his frustrated "Damn it, Nuru" muttered under his breath. A long, drawn-out sigh escaped his lips before he trudged up along the nearest bridge, his hands shoved in his pockets and his robe slung haphazardly over his shoulder.

You and Jabori took a more relaxed walk up behind him, appreciating the familiar decorations that reminded you of your hometown. Of course, that appreciation turned into apprehension at the thought of Mwezi Miji now being unguarded by the main four.

What if something happened? What if they had sent word of an all-out war between themselves and the Dens and you hadn't heard of it since you all were knocked out in coffins? What if they were all already--

"On your right," Nuru called to you from the doorway, his hand shooting out to grab your shoulder. Ah, you had gotten distracted. Nuru shot you a concerned glance, his brows furrowed in the same way they always were when you got stuck in your head before he ushered you into the room.

Jabali and Jabori had already claimed their beds on the left side of the room, Jabali near the door and Jabori near the window. This left the entire right side open for you and Nuru.

The winged beastman glanced over at you, patiently waiting for your next move. You caught his glance and mustered up a small smile before heading towards the bed closest to the door. Nuru subtly lit up at your decision, a little skip in his step as he moved towards the window.

You managed to hold back a snort at his hidden excitement. He always loved the window spot. Maybe it reminded him of when he was small enough to fit through them back home.

"So, what's up with you and that new first year, huh?" Ruggie huffed as he walked straight into Leona's room, leaning down to pick up a discarded shirt and dropping it in the laundry basket. "I've never seen you react that way other than with them."

"Watch your words, Ruggie," Leona growls from the bed, his head already buried in his pillow. His back was facing Ruggie who still stood in the doorway, but with the way his ears were perked up, it was fairly obvious that he wasn't even close to sleeping.

"My bad," Ruggie snicked in response, holding up his hands defensively. "But, seriously, who was that? Someone I need to watch the pockets of? I mean, who else would it be if not roy--"

"Out," Leona demanded, his hand latching onto his pillow and launching it backward at Ruggie, the soft fabric turning into dust and scattering across the floor as he muttered the incantation under his breath. Ruggie yelped and scampered out of the room, throwing the door closed behind him before he could see the pillow disintegrate into sand.

Leona took a single breath through his nose before slowly sitting up. He rubbed at his face before reaching over to the desk placed beside his bed, his fingers curling around the drawer's handle and pulling it open.

Underneath notebooks thrown carelessly inside lay a single photograph. It was small, yet free of any creases. He lifted the books off of it before slipping the photo out, nearly cradling it in his palm.

Back when he first found the photo tucked neatly in one of his notebooks, he grimaced. It was an annoying keepsake, one that only served to remind him of the bothersome family waiting for him back home. But now...

Now the sight of his little sibling smiling ever so brightly while his older brother screamed in the background about a bug in his hair brought the smallest twitch of a smile to his lips.

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merakiui · 3 months ago

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Brought to you by my actual college dorm room experience rn I am in hell

it's too fucking hot in ramshackle, especially with no air conditioning. Darling has gotten to the point of wearing nothin but a shirt and panties to bed

Then lo and behold, bedroom visitors

Of course I'm biased towards Floyd stopping by n seeing her in bed... she's sweaty, and it only makes her unique scent that much stronger.

But ofc then there's the typical somno in the yandere twst community, Malleus. And new addition stating in ramshackle while taking classes at NRC, Rollo.

Leona is probably judgy that the lil herbivore can't take the heat, but he ain't complaining

Idia with cameras watching her sleep like that 👁👁

So on and so forth

-Floyd obsessed anon

👀 AAAAAA THAT'S SO BIG BRAIN!!!! Wearing just a shirt and your panties to bed. Maybe it's an oversized shirt or just a regular shirt in your size,,, sitting in front of the fan and just letting the air blow on your face, even though that's still not enough. You can only wonder how refreshing and cool the other dorms with actual air conditioning must be. >_<

Rollo catching you in the hall and insisting you cover up because it's indecent and he's your guest and do you realize how much stress you're putting on him by parading around half-naked!??!! Also he can see your nipples poking through your shirt and and !!!!! T_T don't be so ungrateful, Rollo. >:( it's probably much too hot to have sex, which means he's miserable with a hard-on as he sweats out of his skin. He will not follow your lead and walk around half-naked! Stubborn as ever, but eventually he'll have to lose some layers. His uniform is stuffy and it's absolutely stifling inside Ramshackle. </3

Hehe maybe Malleus fucks you outside when it's late at night and the temperature has cooled off. :) lying you down on soft, dewy grass and rutting into you all while you continue to sleep.

Floyd who is spending the night...... waking up because it's just so hot and he can't sleep, so he decides he'll go into Shrimpy's room. Maybe it'll be cooler in there! But then he sees you sleeping without the blankets, dressed only in a thin shirt and your panties, and you look so soft and cute as you twist and turn in bed. He can't help himself. Even though it's unbearably hot, he just has to smother you in hugs. Cuteness aggression wins.

Leona who isn't even fazed by the heat. This is nothing compared to how hot the Sunset Savanna gets. He'll tease you a little bit, but he's mostly admiring the lovely view you've graced him with. That thin shirt isn't doing much, considering it's so see-through. Definitely a feast for the eyes.

I feel like Idia considers building a high-tech AC unit for you just so you won't have to struggle. But then he'd miss out on glorious sights such as this one. Getting to see the kind of panties you wear and what color they are... the shirts you wear to have just a semblance of cover. Maybe you go entirely nude one night. He sees it all through the cameras and it really does make him think about postponing that AC build. ^^;;;

#twisted chit chat #floyd obsessed anon #n/sfw #tw: somnophilia

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 5 months ago

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Hi Miss Raven! I was reading your opinions about Leona and wanted to ask you, do you think Leona would be a better king than Falena?

[Referencing this post!]

Put simply, no--but not for the reasons you're probably thinking. Hey now, hold on! Put down your pitchforks and torches! Please at least hear what I have to say and consider it.

It's not that I think that Leona is incompetent or that I think Falena is sufficient as a king. It's that ruling (especially as a monarch that has a LOT of power and control) is very nuanced and to say that one person would be "better" than another is grossly glossing over all that goes into governance.

This post gets quite long, so I've placed all my thoughts under the cut. Again, I ask that you read the whole post before commenting.

First of all, the baseline we're comparing to is Falena so let's review what we know about him that's relevant to this discussion. Leona describes Falena as someone who has a "carefree attitude". Because of this, Leona worries that Falena will "run [their] kingdom into the ground." Now something I want to make clear: "[running their] kingdom into the ground" is very harsh wording used ONLY in EN. In JP, Leona is much more casual with his phrasing. He simply expresses that he is "worried about the country's future", not that he thinks Falena will ruin it:

In the book 2 post-OB flashback sequence, Leona implies that his older brother can sing and nap but still be guaranteed the crown because of Falena being first-born. Falena is noted as holding a ceremony in honor of his son's birth; he had commissioned for a fountain to be built (even though water is a scarce resource in their land) and unveiled in their capital—an occasion which Leona skipped. He refers to the ceremony as a "self-indulgent party where you show off your son to the people." This characterizes Falena as a jovial and excessive person who doesn't think too deeply about policies. Another example of this comes from Leona's Birthday Boy vignettes, in which Falena sends his younger brother an expensive rug. "In the time he spends sending me gifts I don't even want, he could be sending rugs to neighboring lands and bolstering our foreign relations," Leona says. "Of course, the thought never even crosses his mind." One of the Sunset Savnna’s driving philosophies is “hakuna matata”, which, as Leona describes it, means, “don’t think too hard about things”. And indeed, if Falena is anything like how Leona says he is, then he is the walking embodiment of their country and their beliefs.

One major issue that is unique to their homeland is that of unification. The Sunset Savanna boasts many different kinds of beastmen, each with their own customs and cultures--and because of that, these beastmen tend to live in settlements of just their own kind and don't always get along or see eye-to-eye with others. For example, it is said that very few bird beastmen reside in the capital city and Ruggie has implied that hyenas are low in the social hierarchy. Kifaji, the grand chamberlain, confides that the acting king Falena has struggled with this unification. The Kingscholars' father has communicated that he would like for nothing more than Leona to lend his assistance to Falena for this endeavor. (Keep this in mind, as I will be touching upon this again later!)

What I think many people tend to overlook when it comes to Falena's rule is that he has not been in power for a long time. According to Tamashina Mina, Falena has only been running the country for "the last few years", which is NOT that long. Falena has not even had that much experience as the official head of state to begin with--and yeah, you could argue that he has been preparing his whole life to eventually become the ruler, training for it and actually doing it are very different beasts. No amount of tutoring will prepare you for having the weight of an entire nation suddenly on your shoulders. I would also argue that anyone that is new to a job won't do the best right away and that experience is the best teacher. Falena is likely still learning while on the job and trying to do his best while also juggling being a parent and husband, trying to reach across the aisle to his estranged younger brother, and looking after his ill father.

This leads me to another point: a lot of what we hear about Falena is coming from Leona's perspective, which is very biased (especially in the post-OB flashback, as this was when Leona was at his most bitter). We should be aware of this while taking in the information Leona is offering. I don't doubt that Leona's telling the truth about how his brother is carefree or the things his brother has done, but at the same time we need to realize that this is a limited view of Falena. It's not the whole picture of who he is. Leona tends to focus on his brother's shortcomings and downfalls--but thinking about it, what are Falena's strengths?

Well, one of them is definitely that Falena is friendly, kind-hearted, and honest. Even Leona confesses to this. However, he frames these traits in a negative way, stating that "[Falena] could just focus on the kingdom's affairs--you know, his JOB--but nooo, he's gotta be the caring big brother who's nice to everybody," and, of his honesty, "he just makes things harder for himself." Falena also seems to be positive and insightful--admirable qualities in a leader. When Leona speaks rudely to him, Falena tries to reassure his little brother: "You may never become king, but you are still wise. There is much you could do for this country." He even pursues Leona when he leaves, trying to get his little brother to see reason. Falena sees the potential in Leona and he wants Leona to realize that potential too. If you look at this another way, this personality can be a boon. It could make it easier for Falena to smooth over tensions and get other political figures to open up to him, similar to how Kalim’s empathy helps to uplift and support his dorm mates and how those dorm mates in return give him their loyalty.

Finally, we know that Falena is cognizant of the culture and the values of the Sunset Savanna and likely works in accordance with those. If we revisit Tamashina Mina, Leona talks at length about how some areas of the country are so underdeveloped that its people are still drinking rainwater or from wells. He laments the situation and says that if only they improved their infrastructure and mined the valuable ore their country has, the people would be able to live better lives. Leona here leans pro-industrialization. From the lack of industrialization we see in large parts of the country, we can assume that Falena does not have this same stance. Rather, Falena understands that the people of the Sunset Savanna cherish living in harmony with nature and want to honor their animal ancestors by living in this way. He KNOWS that their people would be against industrialization, and so he favors slower development (Sunrise City being one of these metropolises that developed under the rule of their father) and in ways which preserve nature. As Lilia puts it, “Developing is easy. You just throw money at it. But building a city like this, while still preserving nature? That’s the real challenge, I’d say.” (That was a very quick summary but if you're interested in reading more about this topic specifically, I'd recommend this post!)

Falena cares about tradition and upholding it, and there isn’t inherently an issue with that. He values where he comes from and the practices that come with that. That’s why Falena gets upset with Leona for not doing his duties and skipping out on important meetings. It’s not purely that Falena sees these acts as disrespectful (although let’s be clear, it is disrespectful), but it also comes with the sadness of knowing that his younger brother doesn’t see the value in the same things he does—yet he still understands that Leona has his own strengths that be brings to the table.

You can see how this could translate into his ruling style too, even if it is not explicitly stated in the game. Falena is someone who is easy to approach with your problems (let's assume that this is the case both for his own people and for diplomats of other countries). He is someone who cares about tending to everyone, which would make him popular with the public--but that means he may spread himself or their resources too thin. Falena is also for slower progress in order to respect the ways of their culture and their people's values. He sees value in hearing others out and working in teams, even pleads with Leona to join his bureaucracy. But the point is, Falena cares, and all Leona sees in that is a bleeding heart since it doesn't produce what Leona thinks are good results.

And speaking of Leona, it's about time we get to him. What are his qualifications in a situation where he was king? What would his ruling style be like, and who would it serve his country?

Firstly, it's worthwhile to compare Leona's thinking to Falena's. Unlike his older brother, Leona is proactive--he plans ahead and considers the political power in something as simple as gifting an item. Many of the ideas he proposes for bettering his country are things that Falena either never thought of (ie gifting the rug to another country instead of to him; Falena sees spelldrive/magift as a national sport but Leona thinks they can drive up tourism with an elite team for the world league) or would refuse to implement out of principle (speedrunning mining operations). However, it's undeniable that Leona's methods would produce results. As he demonstrates to us with his shady tactics in books 2 and 3, it does not matter to Leona what he has to do in order to achieve what he desires. His eyes are set on the goal, not on how he gets there (though he will plan the steps out meticulously as well). He's willing to tear up the environment if it means enriching the Sunset Savanna's economy and providing clean, consistent drinking water for the citizens. It's ultimately gains, but it jeopardizes maintaining harmony with nature. This would earn him genuine ire from his people (and honestly, disliking someone for blatantly disregarding your beliefs is valid; it's not blindly being petty or hating Leona for being the "lowly second born"). But!! Leona as of book 7 says he is going to intern at a mining and energy lab in his home country. This implies that he is willing to learn about the field and may use that knowledge to enact sustainable change. This is a really good start to his development and growth into a wise leader.

The brothers' personalities are also not alike at all. Leona is... admittedly far more abrasive that Falena. I'm not saying that Leona would behave so rudely to politicians or on a global stage (please, the man has more tact than that), but he would carry himself very differently than Falena. Leona can be polite and speak fancily all he wants, but he still does not have that same approachable warmth to him. Something else we should consider is that... well, Leona doesn't like stuffy occasions or putting on airs, which would basically be expected of him as king. We don't know for sure how he would act if the circumstances ask that he be cordial and yet the man himself detests such a thing. He could play the part if needed, sure. But for how long before he becomes annoyed or tired of it? Leona can also be arrogant and demanding. Do you think he would skip/sleep through meetings with advisors he deems irrelevant or unproductive? (Recall how he skips ceremonies and traditions he deems unimportant or boring, like the celebration of Cheka’s birth and tries to cheat his way out of his responsibilities as Captain of the Sunset Warriors.) How do you think he'd act with people who oppose him? Would he defy traditions? He also disregards the “hakuna matata” mantra and cynically labels it “self-serving”. I could see how tensions could rise as a result. (Reminder that I'm not saying it's for CERTAIN that Leona would do these things, I'm just posing possibilities based on what I understand of his character and whether you believe Leona would act like this or not is up to you.) Leona is 10 years younger than Falena and has never formally served in a governmental position. This means that he, too, lacks the political experience to be king. Some would say that where Leona makes up for this is in life experiences. He has been downtrodden and defeated, mingled among the common folk, etc. This means Leona is better equipped to understand the plight of his people, they argue. And I can see where people are coming from--but personally, I think Leona still lacks what he needs to be a "better" ruler. Yes, Leona has lived "out there", but the fact remains that Falena still has 10 years on him. What's more is that Leona has not actually strayed that far from his privileged life. He's dorm leader (a position of power within NRC), attends an elite magic school, and constantly has Ruggie taking care of him. I don't think this really prepares him to rule a whole country.

That's a good segway into Leona and his leadership. As I've mentioned before, Falena is having trouble with enacting national policies to unite all beastmen. Leona does not appear to have the same issue, as even though there is a variety of beastmen within Savanaclaw, they all defer to Leona the same. Therefore, Leona, as king, could easily resolve this problem in the Sunset Savanna--so the theory goes. As for me, well... In my opinion, I do think it's a show of skill that Leona can get many different beastmen rallying under his flag but I don't think this generalizes to (again) the scale of an entire nation. Not only do we have to account for WAY more people, but also people of demographics that differ wildly from Savanaclaw. The mobs under Leona follow him, yes--but thinking about it, they're all VERY similar demographics-wise. They're roughly the same age, all male, all students, and have the same goals in mind (for book 2, it was to be noticed by talent scouts). I would bet that most of them are from middle class or upper-class incomes too. Now expand the scope to a country. Do you think Leona could appeal to young and old? Male and female? Rich and poor? People of all occupations? What about parents? There are so many other factors to account for, so I don't think it's fair to generalize Leona leading a dorm of maybe 85ish (this is just a guess; NRC has ~800 total students, 600 are on-campus and split across 7 dorms so this assumes equal splitting) to a diverse kingdom of thousands.

I also want to point out another glaring weakness of Leona's: he has trouble sharing power. While Falena is okay with working with others, Leona hates to be challenged. He doesn't have a vice dorm leader because he doesn't want to butt heads with someone else about how to rule. He shuts down Epel, who asks him about strength training and tells him to focus on speed instead, because that's what Leona sees as Epel's best asset. He scoffs at the idea of listening to individual complaints and thinks there would be a more efficient way of handling them. Leona generally lacks his brother's empathy and would rather maximize efficiency by allowing himself to be the only one calling the shots. We get a glimpse of Leona relinquishing his power as dorm leader to Ruggie in book 6, but that's only because Leona physically cannot be present to rule. This could be an exception, or just the first step in Leona shifting to adapt to working in a team.

If Falena were to abdicate the throne to Leona right this second, no, I don't think Leona would be fit to be king. Leona's ideas seem "good" on a surface level, but that's ignoring the long-term impacts and his less-than-stellar personality quirks. He has a ton that he has to learn before he can comfortably govern. At the same time, Falena isn't exactly a perfect ruler either. He, too, lacks experience and can be short-sighted and naive in spite of his good intentions and willingness to hear everyone out.

In an AU where Leona was actually the crown prince (and thus never got talked down to or treated like the “lesser” second born), maybe things would be different. But then that creates the same issue with Falena (now the scorned younger prince) being the "Leona" of the AU.

Each Kingscholar brother has his own strengths and weaknesses, perspectives, and leadership styles. THIS DOES NOT MAKE ONE SUPERIOR OR "BETTER" THAN THE OTHER. Instead, they make up for one another's deficits or flaws, creating a more well-rounded and unified view. This is, perhaps, why both Falena and their father want Leona to step in and help with ruling the country. I think they all see the benefit that Leona could provide and that they value his thoughts.

The "best" situation for the Sunset Savanna, in my opinion, would be Leona and Falena working together to see the country's future through. It does not have to be in the capacity of king and advisor; titles do not matter here. What is most important is that Leona and Falena can meet on neutral grounds and agree to put their all into improving the Sunset Savanna.

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z3rinn · 1 year ago

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# #. I BID YOU, GOODNIGHT !!

featuring : leona kingscholar and malleus draconia !! fun fact! Ever since you bid Malleus or Leona goodnight, they literally can’t sleep without you saying it.

aaaaa I'm sorry for not posting in so long!! but I hope you all enjoy ! mwah !

# #. LEONA KINGSCHOLAR

Everyone knows that the second prince of the savanna loves to sleep. Everyone knows he'd drop anything he deemed unimportant just for a quick nap. But nowadays he found it harder to sleep than usual. The prince couldn't even figure out why. Maybe it was because all these Herbivores were annoying him. Or maybe it was because Jack was following him around.

So here he lays, in the middle of the botanical gardens. His thoughts completely consumed by one thought- and one thought alone. You.

He wouldn't admit it- but deep below Leona knew it was you who was the problem. It was all your fault. You were the whole reason he couldn't fall asleep. And it was all because you bid him goodnight.

It was on a day just like this. A perfect evening for napping. A perfect evening to sleep with his Herbivore. Leona rested his head on your lap, eyes closed as you nonchalantly ran your fingers thru his hair. "Yknow I gotta go right? I'm gonna miss class- with no excuse. Do you know how mad Riddle would get?" You sighed, looking down to the lion unimpressed.

He just dragged you out to the gardens. Making the both of you late for class. It wasn't even the first time he did it. And you doubted it would be the last. Leona just rolled his eyes at your comment, soon closing them as he shifted around. "Shut up. Riddle's not even your housewarden. And you can miss one class."

You groaned, throwing your head back against a flower pot. Your hands tugged at his hair causing him to hiss.

A small, mischievous smile formed on your lips as you looked down at him. "Oh Leona- what if I just leave real quick... and then later on today I'll come visit you in your room and we can chill there. Or you could come to Ramshackle if you want?" Your hands ran down the side of his cheek, a soft hum leaving your lips. "And then you can lay on me allll you want."

Leona tched, "No. That's too bothersome. I'd rather be sleeping at night."

"Uh- bro so would I??"

Leona narrowed his eyes at you. "What did you just call me!?"

You hummed, slumping further. "Oh nothing."

It was silent for a moment, and it was right before Leona fell back asleep when you spoke. "Goodnight, you little Lion." Before grabbing one of his braids and pressing a kiss to it.

The Lion's eyes opened wide, his eyes immediately falling to yours. He could feel his body gaining heat, freezing in place as he flushed. That was when you smiled and stood up. Leaving him on the floor, dazed, and confused.

Ugh. This was all your fault.

# #. MALLEUS DRACONIA

A heatwave rushed across Night Raven College, hot and annoying. Heatwaves were common yes, but in winter? Well that was something completely different. The sudden change in temperature confused many, winter had just begun- why would heat of all thing suddenly consume the island? Only a few people knew of what caused this, or rather who.

It was none other than a prince, the prince of briar valley, a prince who had just been hit by the effects of love.

It was another late night at Ramshackle when the incident occurred. Another late night where the fireflies gleamed in the dark. Another night where you and Malleus could walk, feeling the breeze across your skin as you walked side by side. It was nights like those where you could just walk silently, basking in each other’s warmth as you shielded from the cold.

It was a night where no words were spoken, yet the fae prince had no trouble with that. He quite enjoyed these quiet nights together. No one bothering him, no one following him around, “guarding.” It was but a perfect night. Him and his child of man together.

However, he knew that these nights couldn't last forever.

You walked just slightly ahead of him, towards the patio of Ramshackle. Malleus listened as you crunched your feet against the leaves on the floor.

"This was fun," You spoke softly, giving the dragon a light smile, "I should go now though, before Grim gets hungry."

He smiled, "All right, shall we meet again tomorrow?"

Your smile grew, "Of course, I'll see you then?"

Fireflies swarmed the fae, signaling he was about to leave. "Very well, then I shall take my-"

"Ah! Wait, before you go!" You ran down the steps of the building, stopping right in front of Malleus. You had a sly smile on your face as you leaned closer into him. Before the prince could question you, a small kiss was pressed against his cheek.

He felt your lips on his soft cheek, gently pressing down into his face. He could feel his face slightly flush but just as it began, you suddenly pulled away from him.

You gazed into his eyes as you leaned away, that smile on your face growing tenfold due to his surprised expression. "Goodnight, Tsunotarou." And just as you came, you left. Leaving him alone and confused. And with dreams for days.

Malleus lied alone on his bed, holding a pillow to his chest, his face flushed. Thoughts of you and him consumed his mind. What did this mean? Where you trying to court him? Did you want to start planning for your future together?

All of his feelings and emotions poured out as he sighed into his pillow. Only for it to cause yet another wave of heat to rush across the school. It was honestly a surprise no one (Lilia) hadn't yet talked to him....

He wasnt quite sure what these feelings were yet.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #leona kingscholar #leona x reader #malleus draconia #malleus x reader

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schmergo · 6 months ago

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Petition to replace all uses of the phrase 'Immersive Experience' with 'Pretend,' because I think that would fix a lot of problems in our society.

"Immersive Experiences" conjures up the following concepts: expensive, state-of-the-art, limited-time-only, once-in-a-lifetime, a staggering artistic achievement, sophisticated entertainment for adults, severe FOMO if you miss out. That's a tall order to live up to.

"Pretend" activities are fun, childish, require you to use your imagination, and don't claim to be anything more than what they are. If it turns out to be something even better, then it's just a pleasant surprise!

Any element that breaks the 'immersion' instantly deflates an 'immersive experience' like a pin popping a balloon, like glowing exit signs, exposed warehouse ceilings, staff members wearing New Balance Sneakers under their wizard robes, velvet ropes you have to stay between, but all of those things are perfectly welcome in, say, a haunted Halloween maze or a theme park ride because the whole point of those things is to be pretend. An 'immersive safari attraction' that doesn't completely fool my five senses into thinking I'm outdoors on an African savanna is a failure at a immersion but a pretty great "Pretend Safari" ride.

This is especially true if you're not good at or simply don't like pretending. Why do all of the same people who post about hating playing pretend with their kids ALSO book overpriced tickets to every "immersive experience" that comes to town?

Somehow it feels normal to charge $75 for a "King Tut's Tomb Immersive Experience" in a "secret location" that ticketholders only get directions to after booking, yet absolutely stark raving bonkers to charge $75 for a "Pretend King Tut's Tomb" located in a warehouse on the outskirts of town that shares walls with a Greyhound station and a lawnmower repair company, but they're the same thing, baby.

(And yes, if you're wondering, I did watch that new Jenny Nicholson video, or at least the first half of it. Hard to imagine charging $6,000 for "Pretend Star Wars.")

#jenny nicholson #immersive experience

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sorbetisfruity · 2 years ago

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A little continuation of my Leona imagine because y’all liked it smmmmm🤞🤞

So turns out, you’re gonna be spending the night!!

Cheka BEGS and BEGS for you to spend just one night, because he missed you and wants to stay with you. He doesn’t wanna see you go again:(

And since you’re staying, Leona is staying too because there is no way in HELL he’s leaving you with his family.

(His brother and sister-in-law would’ve definitely stayed up all night asking you very embarrassing questions and showing you embarrassing pictures of him.)

Cheka is ecstatic once you agree to stay the night. You can’t say no to him, not when he gives you the most adorable puppy eyes you’ve ever seen!!:(

“So, where will I be sleeping? I’m completely fine with the couch, after all I know it’s uhm..short notice..” you nervously giggle out as Cheka clings to you.

“Oh, unfortunately none of our guest rooms are cleaned out for you. And we wouldn’t want one of Leona’s “friends” to sleep on the couch!” His brother says, winking at his wife.

“How about you sleep with Leona? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

(They totally have guest rooms cleaned out btw. They just NEEEEDDDD you two to get together.)

And suddenly, your face is warm and red, and you can hear Leona’s feet hit the ground as he walks up behind you.

“Oh, I wouldn’t wanna bother Leona. I can be quite restless and I know how much he loves his sleep..” you insist, distracting yourself with Cheka as he messes with your hand, “trust me, the couch is fine.”

“If you didn’t wanna sleep with me, you could’ve just said so herbivore.” Leona teases, leaning against you as he yawns.

“It’s not that..i just can’t guarantee I’ll fall asleep right away. Knowing you, you’ll fall asleep as soon as your head hits your pillow.” You roll your eyes playfully, pushing him off of you gently.

“You’re practically falling asleep right now!” You say as you lean down to pick up Cheka.

His brother and his wife are laughing and awing at the little interaction between you two:((

“Yeah yeah whatever. I can just take the couch ya know.” Leona leans against the wall as he speaks, looking at you.

“What? Dude no. It’s literally your house, and your room. If anyone should take the couch then it’s me. I’m the one staying the night last minute.”

Leona gets off of his spot on the wall, coming over to you.

“Herbivore it’s-”

“So it’s final!! You’re staying in Leona’s room!” His brother interrupts, patting Leona roughly on the back.

“I..guess it is.” You say nervously, your cheeks turning red.

“Yeah I guess it is Herbivore.” You turn to Leona as he speaks. His tail wags furiously, hitting the floor and making loud thumps.

His cheeks were flushed too, and you really couldn’t tell if it was because of the savanna heat or the fact that you two were gonna sleep together.

“Well, come on. I’ll show you where my room is.” Leona says, grabbing your hand and yanking you along.

You put Cheka down softly, ignoring his complains and waving goodbye as Leona pulls you along impatiently.

So, fast forward, it’s night time and you’re trying to find out sleeping arrangements.

You’re insisting you can just sleep on the floor but Leona is not taking ANY of your shit.

At some point Leona just pulls you into bed and holds you close, wrapping his limbs around you.

“Now shut the hell up. I’m tired and you’re warm, so go to sleep Herbivore.” He says with a yawn, his warm breath hitting your neck.

You sigh, wiggling to get comfy as he holds you tighter and closer to him, trying not to focus on the fact that you two are so close.

You could feel his heartbeat and he could feel yours. It was clear he was a bit flustered and nervous about sleeping together too.

You end up falling asleep first by the way. It was a long day and you were very sleepy.

And for a little while, Leona just sat there and watched your sleeping face. Not in a creepy way of course, more of a “wow i can’t believe they’re here in my arms right now” kind of way.

And before he closes his eyes, he gives you a little kiss on your forehead. Then he finally falls asleep.

And since Leona is a huge fan of sleeping, there’s no way in hell you two are getting out of bed before 12 pm.

So his brother and sister-in-law come in in the morning and see you two cuddling, and saw that Cheka even snuck in at some point last night and is cuddled in between you two.

And all they can do is point and giggle and be in complete awe about how cute you three look:(((

You three really look like a family :(((((

(Btw yes, they definitely took pictures and will tease Leona about it next time he comes over.)

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst wonderland #twst imagines #twst x reader #twst headcanons #twst mc #disney twst #twst leona #twst leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar #twisted wonderland leona #leona x reader #cheka kingscholar #twisted wonderland cheka

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rosehxnt · 1 year ago

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bonjour >:) requests are open, and thus i am requesting leona, vil (aster is converting me how dare) and idia (again, i am being converted) with a s/o who drags them out to buy matching outfits and accidentally revealing their secret relationship?

it’s just an outfit

ft. leona kingscholar, vil schoenheit, idia shroud summary: even with the attempt to hide their identity, your boyfriend is noticed in public shopping with you warnings: invasion of privacy via paparazzi, use of they/them pronouns for reader (idia)

leona kingscholar He seemed so nonchalant about it, only opting to wear a hat and insisting no one would care what a second-born prince was doing buying matching outfits with another person. He seemed to be correct on that matter until five minutes after you got back to his dorm to lay down. After changing into your couple’s black and yellow loungewear, messages began to flood your phone from your friends. Links to dozens of articles claiming to have the scoop on Leona Kingscholar's new relationship. "‘Sunset Savanna Royalty Seen Shopping with Mystery Person. Could This Be a Budding New Romance?’” Leona read one of the titles over your shoulder, throwing in sarcastically shocked tone. You glared at him as you turned to face him before your face fell in worry. "What if this…changes things between us? Since everyone practically knows now." "I don’t think this changes anything between us. Not to me, anyway. We just don't have to sneak around anymore." He paused to rest a hand on your cheek. "You’re still okay being mine, right?" You nodded. "Of course I am." "That’s all that matters to me, love." Leona threw his arm over your shoulders to bring you closer to his chest, not missing the chance to leave a kiss on your forehead before continuing your impromptu nap.

vil schoenheit It was his idea to both wear masks to reduce the possibility of being recognized. He was even smart enough to style his hair differently than usual. Needless to say, Vil had a lot of experience trying to avoid paparazzi as one of the most famous teenagers in twisted wonderland. You had insisted on going out and getting matching outfits despite your relationship not being public yet, he agreed but not without a warning of how overwhelming it could become if someone recognized him in public. "It's no big deal, I can handle it," you told him. "As long as you're confident, my dear." The trip was going fairly well, you had picked out matching peacoats that would help keep you warm in the cold temperatures. It was when you were looking at sweaters that a fan of his recognized him and noticed your close proximity to each other. Before you knew it, pictures were being taken as Vil took your hand to lead you away, tsking at the misplaced enthusiasm the public had for him. Once you were sure you were alone he turned to hold you. "I apologize for the scene, I hope it wasn't too much for you." "I'm sorry for dragging you out here." You glanced the ground. "People will probably start harassing you about being in a relationship now." "I knew the risks before entering a relationship with you." He tilted your head up to look at you properly. "I don't mind at all, because now I'm able to be open about the fondness I hold for you."

idia shroud It’s not like you were actively keeping your relationship a secret, it just hadn’t come up in conversation yet. Most of the time you and Idia spent together was either on voice call or playing games in his room. You had asked him a few times if he’d be willing to go with you to get matching outfits. It never mattered what it was, just as long as you matched with him. One weekend he finally found the courage to go to the mall with you, as long as he could keep his hood up and face down the entire time. You were almost jumping with joy at the prospect of getting your introvert boyfriend to do something he would've never done before meeting you. Yes he had stipulations, but you were just glad to have this bonding opportunity with him. Idia quickly steered you towards the back section of a store that he claimed had "everything an otaku would ever want." You passed walls of shirts for every anime, video game, and vocaloid you'd ever heard of, and then some. That's exactly when he spotted two students he shared occasional classes with. Said students noticed him back, saw how he looked at you with panic, and quickly connected the dots. "Well if they're standing that close to Idia Shroud..." "Exactly what I was thinking, they've got to be special to him for that kind of privilege." You didn't get to hear the rest of the conversation as Idia dragged you out of said "otaku heaven," mumbling something about finding merch online instead.

a/n: sorry that leona's is a bit shorter, i tried to mix up each scenario the best i could m.list & rules

#ediewrite #twisted wonderland #twst imagines #twst x reader #leona kingscholar imagines #leona kingsholar x reader #leona kingscholar #vil schoenheit imagines #vil schoenheit x reader #idia shroud #idia shroud imagines #idia shroud x reader

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