#Trey Halloween vignette spoilers

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

sometimes

I think about how Trey constantly makes This Expression 💀 and then I have a little laugh and move on with my day, only for it to inevitably happen again a few weeks or months later.

LIKE THIS WAS AN INTENTIONAL DESIGN CHOICE. The Magical Archives book states ghat he smiles when he is uncomfortable which must be very often and that his face isn’t built in a “gentle” way. Sometimes other characters remark that Trey looks scarier when he squints (ie Playful Land) or Trey himself will confess to his vibes being different when he does so (his Halloween vignettes).

No one else makes this face THIS often 😭 Trey “if you keep making that face, it’ll be stuck like that” Clover...

P.S. The faces taken from the Episode of Heartslabyul manga only cover like 2-3 chapters of the 20 total chapters; I did not want to headhunt for more of those Trey Clover shots in the other chapters OTL

[fictionfixations]

signature spells and the person

(referencing this list because i cant remember them all)

spoilers for all books. and glorious masquerade

(note that some characters i dont know well at all. which you can kind of tell with me being super unsure. there's this person in the reblogs who elaborated on bits i wasn't quite correct on or didnt have an idea on so go read it!)

signature spells embodying the person sort of? Riddle - collar. restriction. limitations.

Deuce - not taking hits lying down. striking back. (a reckless idiot like that)

Cater - hm.. putting on an act for everyone? people pleaser? so its like. all of those little 'acts' and 'personas' he puts on are sort of 'him' in a sense. but its also not him at the same time. (like how the clones arent actually him because they're just a creation of his magic. but they are him in a way, too right?)

trey - sneaky sneaky guy who notices a lot more than you'd think. presents himself as one way but he's complicated

Leona - sand. like all his hard work turning to sand, or basically nothing.

Jack - wolves work in packs, right? he wants to work in a pack. (even though he says he doesn't). they're strong, but they do better together. ..probably. idk.

Ruggie - treating all people 'equally' (in the sense that he'd mess with them all. unless they were a serious trouble to deal with) also sucks up to people........ (and probably laughing at them behind their back for being such a 'fool' haha get it. because fool's parade..--) maybe? Idk.

Azul - exchanging his old self for an asshole basically (because he must've been a nicer guy as a bby. but then ppl were mean to him and now he's very bitter.)

Jade - acting like the more calmer and reasonable of the twins, even though he can be just like floyd, if a bit more dangerous considering he can get under your skin, get you trust him, that he just wants to 'help you'. and you tell him all your secrets. and then it 'shocks your heart' when he reveals his true colors. (like bruh. his halloween groovification message was literally, "Oooh, I love it when you flee in terror. It makes me want to chase you!")

Floyd - i don't know. uhhh. in his lab coat(?) vignette there's this moment where a guy bumps into him, is like 'hEY WHO DO YOU--' and then realizes its floyd and backs off. basically the guy who intimidates them to make them weaker, ig? terrorizing them. 'binding the heart' in fear. i mean he'll still hurt them ofc, but the point is is that he's the scary one, jade's the 'calm' one, thats his image to people. i dont know him nearly well enough to really get it.

Kalim - wishing for everyone to be happy. to dance and sing and forget about all the troubles. throwing parties and feasts to cheer them up (and granting them relief when needed). although it doesn't always end well and his attempts can end up 'useless', like how oasis maker is 'useless' when people already have easy access to water. but at other points desperately needed.

Jamil - turning him into the 'master' and the other the 'servant'

Vil - planting 'curses' in plain sight. masking it. disguising it. acting. like putting on makeup to change something. maybe. possibly. (this is weak) maybe a false reassurance. a mask.

Epel - accepting who he is (that he's short and seen as 'cute'. and so using it to his advantage.) like, seeming 'soft and dainty' but actually a guy who can beat someone up. like, 'you'll just go to sleep..' (and then the crimson part of slumber with a negative meaning. the poison apple. something that looks innocent but is actually harmful.) and then you never wake up again because you were TRICKED HAHAHA /hj

Rook - will literally do anything for what his fixations are. in which his fixations are 'beauty', which is a very vague category and include literally everything. also very very creepy and stalker-ish in the process.

Idia - honestly idfk. uh. 'responsibility'. burdens. control. it literally just represents a part of his job? idfk. its such a big part of him (also his family had the same UM so like..) that its just. who he is.

Malleus - there was this quote he said about how 'when you nap, even 500 years could pass without you noticing'. so it could be something like how time moves by so fast like that

guh.. it was "Give in to slumber, and a thousand years will pass in the blink of an eye."

Silver - I don't know him that well... i mean like there's references to him having parallels with like. i think.. aurora?? the girl who maleficent cursed. i think. dreams and wishes. i don't know i havent even seen him use it yet LMFAO (ive only finished part 2 of book 7..) maybe like. things not seeming real..? idk man. a desire to see people, to stay by their side, but can't, so instead it'll be in a dream. so either it isn't real, a mere fantasy, or, shrug. like. yknow the remember me song in coco? it's like 'and everytime you hear a guitar you'll remember and think about me' (i cant remember the exact lyrics)

Sebek - admires malleus. a lot. malleus has control over lightning or something. so sebek in turn becomes that 'lightning' that he can control, as his guard and stuff like that. 'i will be his sword', maybe.

lilia - he reflects a lot about the past imo. overly aware of things and the passing of time. at least in my opinion. how things can pass by so easily. so he takes little bits and pieces to cherish for the rest of his life, and to think back on. a trip back down memory lane, as they say.

Rollo - literally gets set on fire like his brother..?? that thing forever haunting him that its such a big part of him at this point (hating magic and hating what happened.) and him hating himself making himself see him as part of the reason why his brother died, and therefore making him literally the thing that killed him sort of?

[justanotherfanfolks]

Guys saw this post and it set off the part of my brain where Cater Diamond lives rent free.

@krenenbaker you inspired this.

Gosh, I wanna throw Cater under a microscope.

Like he is such a fascinating character, it's so sad that people just see him as the "social media character." I remember a few months after I got the game I was reading through his vignettes and he was just setting off the gears in my head. Especially his Halloween vignette. I've talked about it before, but it gives us so much insight into Cater. How he doesn't like letting people in and keeps everyone at arms length, even Trey. When Trey was a Starsender, he wouldn't tell him his actual wish. And he was the same before when they got visited by a previous Starsender the year before. Trey knows there's something about him, but he is Trey "But That's None of My Business" Clover so he never pries. He's the closest to Cater, but maybe that's what makes Cater so wary. And how when his mandrake threatened to pull down the curtain, he shoved it back, he changed the subject. We also almost never get Cater by himself. He's always surrounded by people, always performing. And it's hard to tell what he's thinking because he's always brushing stuff aside with a smile on his face. But his Halloween vignette is one where we actually get to see some cracks in that, we actually get a peek into his brain. He's scared of getting too close to people because every time he lets someone in, he has to leave. He clearly cares about the people around him, but he has a track record that prevents him from showing too much of that. And by extension, we as an audience don't get to see too much of who he is behind closed doors. We know he puts on a show, he doesn't like showing when things get to him. When he mentions moving around a lot, he doesn't mention the struggle of it out loud. He says he likes Magicam for the casual connections and how it helps him keep in touch with old faces, but in his vignette when he actually gets messages from one of these faces he doesn't want to engage. In Silver's Halloween vignette he says his life has taught him to live in the moment. But it also taught him to not get comfortable, to keep walls up. He didn’t even tell his dorm something as simple as how he doesn't like sweets for years. Back on Halloween, he watches Diasomnia with something like envy. How they can be there for each other, be close. How they couldn't understand. Not knowing how someone there actually can understand.

Book 7 spoilers mentioned:

I also have a side tangent about him being multifaceted and always blending into what he expects people want. In Book 7, Cater is the only one we see truly struggling with the internships. Like, it is painfully relatable, I feel so called out. We go around the Juniors and see them feeling confident in their plans and here Cater is with his head on a desk feeling more confused and uncertain the more people he talks to. He's spent so much time following what other people want, putting on a show, he doesn't know where to go now. Let's not even mention how this is the moment he knew was coming for the past 3 years: that inevitable goodbye. I feel like Cater could be so interesting for the conflict going on in Diasomnia, but I'm not sure if they'll use him.

Tangent closing: I really like Cater. He's really well written and I don't think he gets enough respect on that front. He gets really good dialogue lines, but he also gets so much more. To me, he's one of the best characters in the game.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Cangst is real people.

[lunerna21]

……Is anyone else kinda disappointed with how Playful Land ended up being?? Or it is just me??

***Slight Spoilers for Playful Land Ahead***

Don’t get me wrong, it was an enjoyable event and everything and I loved seeing new people bonding that we typically wouldn’t see interact like Leona and Trey.

But besides that, it felt sort of lackluster compared to Glorious Masquerade.

Like Azul, Idia and Malleus and the others demonstrated growth compared to their involvement of the main story. Even in Glorious Masquerade, we witnessed everyone going through something traumatic with how dangerous the Fire Lotuses could be, to the scary thought that anyone could lose their magic forever because of Rollo’s choices.

Like I was on the EDGE of my seat as I’m watching students from NRC fight this with everything and EVERY SINGLE STUDENT progressed and showed how much they’ve grown over time.

AND I LOVED IT! ITS STILL MY FAVORITE EVENT!

…..But I don’t think Playful Land lived up to the potential it could have been…

Don’t get me wrong, Fellow blew Rollo out of the water with how fucked up and dark the concept was for Playful Land.

I had to stop SEVERAL times to compute the fucking fact that this is happening to people, and many others weren’t able to stop Fellow and Gidel in time. Like shit was FUCKED UP

BUT WHY DID THEY STOP TALKING ABOUT THE DUDE BEHIND THE SCENES INVOLVING HUMAN TRAFFICKING!?

LIKE NO IT SHOULDN’T JUST END WITH EVERYONE CELEBRATING AND DANCING AND SINGING

SHOULDNT SOMEBODY REPORT WHOEVER THIS WAS, MAYBE HAVE FELLOW RATTING HIM OUT SO IT STOPS HAPPENING!?

Like why did they show Ace slightly scared with the concept of turning into puppets? If it was me, I’d be shitting bricks thinking my body is slowing turning into a mindless puppet and never returning NRC.

And even Kalim I feel like they didn’t really use the opportunity to grow from how he was in Book 4. Ortho showed some growth, but Fairy Gala Remix demonstrated more of how much Ortho was beginning to grow from an android to a human being, to being himself.

Not only the main three, but Lilia, Jade and the others didn’t really get a spotlight moment where we feel proud from how far they came from their involvement in the main story.

ALSO ME BEING AN ACEYUU PSYCHO I WAS HOPING FOR A MOMENT LIKE IN GLORIOUS MASQUERADE WITH ACE COMING IN TO SAVE US OR SHOWING SOME HINT OF WORRY.

BUT NO. NOPE. WE DIDNT GET ANY OF THAT AND I WANNA FLIP THE FUCK OUT I NEED MORE ACEYUU MOMENTS TOGETHER

One thing I did enjoy was there was more interaction with Fellow, Gidel and MC, even after the reveal of Fellow and Gidel’s intentions.

But I just feel like it didn’t live up to being a potential contender for Glorious Masquerade.

Even some of the groovy cards weren’t spectacular. I loved Ace, Ortho and Kalim but the others kinda seemed half-assed

AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHY THEY ALWAYS FUCK UP THE COLOR OF LEONAS SKIN IN EACH OF HIS GROOVY CARDS!? That and it just looks they didn’t put any effort into his groovy whatsoever.

Can we please give Leona a stunning groovy with perfect lighting and color for once!?

I’m kinda worried of what they’re gonna do with the concept of Halloween next year, but I just hope they don’t make it another traumatic event like the past Halloween event

Let’s just give the NRC students and staff a break because what the fuck they went through I would’ve been traumatized, ESPECIALLY TURNING INTO A FUCKING WOODEN PUPPET

AND I HAVENT EVEN SEEN ANY OF THE VIGNETTES BEING MENTIONED (part of it obviously due to some cards not having a vignette) but when Glorious Masquerade came out EVERYONE WAS IN SHAMBLES

I guess only time will tell, but let me know what you thought of Playland Land too I’m super curious if it’s only me who felt this way

But anyway, enjoy the rest of your day~~!❤️❤️❤️

[v-anrouge]

ok so @amaribelt

we don't have a lot of rook lore so i tried my best to write what i remember

spoilers for chapter 6 and Halloween pt 2

rook says on his halloween vignette as a child he uses to have a lot of trouble expressing himself to the point he wouldn't really even cry, but that watching a play called the king's road, and that was the first time in his life he had been moved to tears and it's insinuated rook learned how to "express feelings" through plays and theater hence why he acts so dramatic and over the top (this adds to my HC that he is autistic hehehe) and that's probably why he's hyperfixated on both theatger and neige himself, because those are the things that taught rook how to express himself.

on chapter 6 we discover rook's family is RICH AS SHIT and have multiple villas all around twisted wonderland, but the most interesting fact is that those villas are all installed with an equipment that allows you to teleport immediately, and a more intriguing thing about said equipment is that the government needs to ALLOW you to have even ONE imagine the many they have. rook uses those equipments to get to the shroud's hidden base and that's how he finds the kidnapped students so easily he also talks about how he knows his parents would get mad at him for using his family's legacy to break school rules

now this bit abt the getting lost in the woods, it's never quite confirmed if it really happened or if rook made it up so it's up to you if you believe it or not, personally, i do believe rook was speaking the truth because of the way he was acting during telling it and purposely made it very dramatic to make them think about whether or not he was speaking the truth

in the 2 Halloween event rook talks w sebek and trey about how when he was 6 he got lost in his homeland's jungles for venturing too far and how he got stranded and had to survive there for over a month, back then he had no magic and talks about how he had to make weapons and a shield and how he'd disguise his scent with mud, hide himself in holes and sleep under leaves to hide. he talks about how at some point he got stuck in quick sand for 72 hours till he finally was able to leave and had to fight a tiger. he mentions October 31st where he was stung by a bug that was poisonous and because of that he had a terrible fever and was delirious and saw a ghost, which he followed with whatever strength he had left and ended up collapsing by a riverbank where he was rescued by a team and mentions how he can vividly remember his mother cradling him after he was brought back. to such a story trey reacts like this (meanwhile sebek believes it)

i think that's all the rook lore we have??? i could be wrong tho so pls if anyone can remember do reblog this and add onto it because as much as i am hyperfixated on rook i still have adhd and forget things

[catusbeanius]

Decided to branch out and take notes on my Riddle vignettes! So, here are some Riddle tidbits (I have all his cards aside from his birthday jacket and tsumsitter, sadly :(. Also, why doesn't masquerade riddle have a vignette smh. Gave me a heart attack thinking I never got him)

Tidbit 16:

Riddles calls himself the "King of Heartslabyul" (Suitor Suit vignette pt 2), yet he still appreciates the powerful femininity of the Queen. He says he enjoys the way heels make him stand taller and how the clacks catch everyone's attention (Halloween vignette pt 3)

Tidbit 17:

He shows his insecurities on his sleeve.

In his Suitor Suit vignette pt 1, he mentions to Malleus how the princess won't like him because he's short (he also mentions this in the regular event). He doesn't want Kalim sharing anything about his low P.E score (P.E uniform vignette) and he assumes Vil is making fun of his athletic ability when he was just trying to compliment Riddle in heels (Halloween vignette pt 1-2)

Tidbit 18:

He initially assumes everyone understands things the same way he does, but he can grasp other methods fairly easily.

In his Dorm Uniform vignette (spoiler for the whole plot, if you care), he's trying to help Cater pass his exam and initially gives him a 300 page study guide to memorize in a week. He gets very upset when Cater can't even pass the table of contents, but Trey tells him to think about it from a different perspective. He asks Riddle what method he'd use to eat his least favorite foods, and Riddle responds that he'd dilute it or eat it alongside something he does enjoy. He quickly comes up with a way to help Cater study (through Magicam tags).

Imo, this means he's learned to be open-minded and to listen to people before collaring them immediately (however his gut reaction is still anger)

Tidbit 19:

Kind of in conjunction with the last tidbit, but Riddle is not very confident in things he hasn't mastered. Namely, cooking. He follows directions unquestioningly (can also be seen as his strict rule-following).

Riddle trusts Lilia with only mild-skepticism when he tells him how to make soup (Labwear vignette). I don't know for sure what he put in it, but Lilia tells him to make a strawberry tart soup. Lilia tells him to min-max the nutrients and Riddle is like, "Really? Okay... I guess that makes sense."

Tidbit 19.25

I gotta yap about Diasomnia ONCE, okay?? /j

Anyway, I noticed Lilia was very good at making things understandable for Riddle while cooking. When something was up to Riddle's preference, he basically explained it as, "what do YOU like in food," and, "how much would Trey realistically eat?"

Analyzing TWST vignettes has proven that they are VERY careful and purposeful with who they have interact. Knowing Lilia in his general days, it's very obvious that HE struggled with similar things. Very different circumstances, but they're both loosely following rules/orders to survive. They both grew up in tense environments without the tools for self expression and self understanding.

Does that make any sense??? I think it does.

Tidbit 19.5

I gotta yap about Mally, too.

He talks with Riddle in his Suitor Suit vignette and we learn about his ideals in a king!!

He says Riddle's character is befitting of a king (quickly acting to save his dorm mates) and laments how he can't do the same (since he can't marry a princess willy-nilly). Flash forward to his overblot... Yeah, makes sense. He wants to be a good king/son/student/brother/boyfie, idk (talking about the MC not Diasomnia ftr) and he assumes trapping them from harm is the best way.

Tidbit 19.75

Also, why does Riddle say "noblesse oblige" is a philosophy of the "Realm of Roses??" (in the Suitor Suit vignette again)

As far as I know, the Queendom is never referred to as the Realm of Roses & the translation on the Japanese wiki is the Queendom as well. Idk what's going on.

That's it for my Riddle tidbits! Idk who I'll do tomorrow, but I'm planning on spotlighting a different character every day. I might just do Riddle's voicelines (or I'll do those tonight, who knows). Maybe leave a comment/ask for a suggestion? I can't guarantee a quality tidbit post since this is only based on my vignettes. I also wanna try rereading the entirety of TWST and taking notes (idr if I mentioned that before) but especially Leona's, Azul's, and Jamil's overblots bc I know an embarrassing little amount about them. I only discovered critical thinking the past few years /j

Anyway!! Until next time BD

[not-harukal524]

Rook Hunt’s True Nature: A Translated Theory

Hello, my name is Haru, and I’ve just joined the Twisted Wonderland fandom a couple months ago. I’ve been wandering around the internet scrounging for any content to fulfill my Twisted Wonderland needs, and stumbled across many videos from Japanese creators that introduce Twisted Wonderland theories. I hope to make this a bit of a series, but here is my first submission of a theory about Rook Hunt I translated from a video I found on YouTube. The credits for this theory go to Alai_Legends, and here is the source video. Please enjoy!

Spoilers included! Vignettes from Rook’s labwear card, Beanfest, and Halloween are included, and contents from Book 6 are also referenced.

-

Before delving into the theory, Alai goes through some things we know about Rook before revisiting them later to create a theory on Rook’s true nature.

Firstly, his motif is based off of ‘the hunter’ or ‘huntsman’ in Disney’s Snow White, which the Pomefiore dorm is based on. And indeed, Rook has fulfilled the role of ‘betraying’ the Queen in the VDC arc of Book 5. Everything about this so far makes Rook the cookie-cutter Pomefiore student, no?

Yet in Book 6, it is revealed that Rook Hunt was assigned to the Savanaclaw dorm when he first enrolled. Apparently, he did not care for his appearance, his hair was a mess, and even had holes in his clothes that he didn’t bother to try and fix. This is not the Rook Hunt we were initially introduced to in the story.

Next is the Hunt family, who Rook reveals to have villas all over the world, all with warp pads built in for easy transport. It is revealed that these devices need permission from each nation in order to build, so it’s a rather big deal. When asked by Epel what his family does, Rook simply says: ‘it’s a secret,’

Furthermore, it is mentioned (I believe in the Halloween event), that Rook used to have trouble expressing emotions as a child, and that theater helped to improve that part of himself, going as far to say that he had never cried tears other than pain until he saw Neige in a musical. Curiously, he also tells Sebek and Trey that he once got lost in the jungle as a child and had to survive in the wild for a month. With all of this information, gathered together, it seems there is more to Rook Hunt than what meets the eye.

Finally, we learn in events like Beansfest and Halloween that Rook can manipulate his heart rate at will, and that even when he can get away with lying when scanned by Ortho for heart rate, pulse, precipitation, and other vital signs. That is, to be very blunt, terrifying.

The Dark Mirror, whose role is to sort students into their appropriate dorm based on their soul and essence of being, had placed Rook Hunt in Savanaclaw. Yet he transferred to Pomefiore, fits into the dorm with so much ease, and even becomes the vice-housewarden despite the fact his soul and essence is that of Savanaclaw. His childhood, enrollment to NRC, and present-day image is drastically different.

It is cited even on the Rook’s wiki page’s trivia section that “‘Rook’ may be a reference to the chess piece resembling a castle, referencing the concept of royalty. It may also refer to a type of crow, itself referencing the Evil Queen's pet raven.” Alai believes that this may be a hint toward Rook being a bird-type beastman. Unlike other beastman, however, there are no clear links or signs of the animal counterpart in him, right? Here, we can refer back to Headmaster Dire Crowley, who clearly has bird-like qualities to him, but they are all represented in his accessories: his mask with a beak, cape with feathers, and rings with talons.

In fact, Rook’s sharp eyesight and great talents as a ‘hunter,’ could be attributed to that of a predatory bird. Alai even teases that perhaps in Rook’s vignette when he spots Leona sleeping from the window, it could refer to the scene in Lion King when the vultures circle over an unconscious Simba who had been banished from the Pridelands.

Additionally, we can even say that the warp pads used in the Hunt family’s villas are like devices to help ‘birds’ migrate great distances. Rook’s unique magic, I See You, could even be something beneficial for a bird-beastman, considering that he will never lose sight of a ‘destination’ he seeks. 

Another point Alai brings up is how 1) Rook is a very private individual, and does not divulge much about himself and 2) Rook’s very unique manner of speech. They theorize that maybe Rook is simply mimicking theatrical manners of speech he has witnessed in plays, much like a corvid can mimic human speech. In doing so, Rook has created the perfect persona that is equal parts quirky and somewhat pleasant while also not inviting anyone to dig around into his personal life.

We can even pursue the theory of Rook being very ‘crow-like’ by pointing out how birds of the sort like to collect sparkly things, which could mirror Rook’s admiration for beautiful things. Crows can also even play dead, which can correlate to Rook’s ability to ‘control/manipulate his heart rate.’

Finally, if one were to emphasize Rook’s skills as a hunter, Floyd could’ve easily nicknamed him ‘killer whale’ or something along those lines. Yet, he is nicknamed ‘seagull’ instead, to which Alai questions if Floyd is just somehow able to look at Rook and get ‘bird vibes’. 

There is a hypothesis that Alai comes up with in the second half of the video, which is on the basis that everything said above is correct. I believe that it is unlikely that this hypothesis is true and figure it might be too outrageous, so I haven’t yet translated it. Briefly, the theory is that Rook and his six siblings are actually the same age, have shared memories among them all, and that they are switching in and out of their role as ‘Rook Hunt’ at the NRC. Please let me know if you’d like a translation, because it is still a very interesting hypothesis to see unfold.

[extrasweetcoffee]

Riddle and Cater's Friendship is Being Slept On and I Want to Ramble About Them

This has been sitting in my drafts for a bit, so I'm just gonna post it to get it off my chest since why not. This is gonna get mega TL;DR, so more under the cut. Also spoilers for TWST JP content and several personal stories.

Basically, a few ideas that almost exclusively happens in fan content with Cater angst at the forefront has been sitting at the back of my mind for a while now. Usually (but not always) it'll have: Riddle being portrayed as a mega asshole towards Cater, Riddle stealing Trey from Cater, or portray Trey as a bad/neglectful friend towards Cater when none of that very accurate, if at all.

Okay. First off, it's not impossible to have multiple best friends. Trey was already friends with Chenya before meeting Riddle, and the two are still buddies despite attending different colleges. My guy is 18; he can handle a social circle just fine.

Second, Cater is practically the second vice housewarden if you think about it. Riddle trusted him to lead a group with the unbirthday setup and management in Cater's dorm vignette, Riddle acknowledges Cater's importance as the mood-uplifter of the dorm during Halloween II, and we learn in Masquerade that Riddle trusted Cater's advice to get a better haircut (Riddle was really out there with the Rollo cut lol). There's more instances I could name, but you get the jist - Riddle isn't the kind of character to go putting this kind of faith onto some randy.

I get the feeling that people see that one line in Cater's gym story and roll with it without thinking more about the context behind the dialogue. In that story, Cater knew he was breaking school rules by using his magic in class to cheat. Trey probably would have told him to do his exercises normally, since it's kinda his job as a vice dorm leader to make sure his boys aren't fucking around. If it were Rook, Jamil or Lilia, I have no doubt they'd do the same with their own dorm members. Plus, Riddle already knows Cater is a habitual bullshitter, so it's not like Cater had any chance of lying to his face and getting off scot-free if even if Trey wasn't there. (I wanna say this is a problem caused with the EN's translation being a bit blunt at times, but honestly I think people would still misinterpret this scene regardless).

Yes, Trey and Riddle have the more familiar relationship so Trey may prioritize Riddle over Cater if the option arises which would hurt the latter boy's feelings. But truth be told, Cater already had attachment issues LONG before NRC; I doubt Trey being Riddle's second in command or him trying to tide over Riddle's tyranny during his tenure as housewarden was changing much of anything between them. Cater couldn't muster the courage to break his facade long enough to give his (possibly) closest friend a non-superficial wish for the Starsending, even after Trey called him out for using the same one three years in a row. Cater purposely keeps people at an arm's length, and I wouldn't call Trey a bad friend in this case for respecting Cater's boundaries. Also Trey is possibly the only person in NRC who's aware of Cater's tastes and often makes him spicy food (or uses Doodle Suit on sugary foods so Cater can stand them).

Like shit, if you think about it Riddle's friendship with Trey is probably the main reason why Riddle likes Cater and is willing to tolerate his quirks in the first place. Riddle knows Trey Clover of all people would never squad up with absolute fuckbois such as the faceless NPCs who always start shit. Trey trusting you at all is one of the strongest forms of friendship clout there is, which is probably why Rook isn't on Sage Island's sex offender registry (as far as we can tell).

While Riddle does get annoyed with Cater's easygoing habits and tendency to cut corners, it's not a behavior he exhibits exclusively towards Cater. Riddle is a man of high standards, especially when it concerns Heartslabyul's integrity. He isn't singling out Cater for shirking his responsibilities any more than he would Ace or Deuce. And like I said before, Riddle does give credit to Cater when it's due. Riddle was even willing to help Cater with his test via utilizing Cater's social media addiction (and they're probably still mutuals on MagiCam, which is a cute thought).

I'm not saying people should stop doing this exact trope. After all I'm just some rando on the internet and I certainly don't have any more right to police what people do in their own time more than anyone else. Also the ex-dorm leader Cater headcanon, which is a favorite of mine, pretty much thrives off these tropes. Really this is me airing my thoughts about this as someone who likes Riddle and Cater's companionship and eats any crumbs the game and supplemental content gives me. I guess my thesis for all this would be some characters have better relationships than is read at face value.

Anyway that's my TED talk, I hope you have a good day :)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

sebek and his big ol' heart

Y’all thought I would be writing an extensive analysis on [REDACTED] or Skully but JOKE’S ON YOU, I love my lame idiot child Sebek 😭

When I tell you I actually CRIED MULTIPLE TIMES reading his Nightmare Suit vignettes… because all the pieces fit together SO well…

Before reading this (long) post, I’d like to ask that you also take your time to read this analysis and this analysis. They will help you understand some of the points I made later regarding Sebek and his internalized racism + how he expresses himself.

Have your recommended reading done? Great, then let’s hop to it!

***Spoilers for Sebek's Nightmare Suit vignettes, book 7, and various other Sebek and Silver card vignettes.***

Sebek is one of those characters that lives in infamy for how much time he takes to get warmed up to. He presents himself as loud and brazen, with these traits often earning him the ire of both in-universe peers and irl fans alike. Worst case scenario, Sebek can be seen as someone who is outright hateful. He’s rude to most people (including Silver, his childhood friend, sometimes), denounces humans, acts like Malleus can do nothing wrong, and doesn’t seem to respect his own father.

Well, I’m here today to tell you those claims are false and that Sebek is actually capable of so, so much love. All you need to really do is look at his Nightmare Suit vignettes—and how well they connect with the rest of his lore—to understand what I mean.

The vignettes start with Jack Skellington finishing a bento that Sally made for him. Sebek tells Jack that he should now return the basket that the bento was delivered in to her and to let her know what he thinks of her meals, but Jack says he can’t because he’s busy with Halloween preparations. Jack asks Sebek and Azul to return the basket in his stead, which they do. (These vignettes appear to be following Trey’s Nightmare Suit vignettes, as those open with Sebek and Trey seeing Sally jump out of a window with food with Jack. Sebek points out to Trey that Sally wants to hand deliver that food and says he believes there is some other reason than just being nice to Jack.)

They aren't allowed to see Sally because Dr. Finkelstein has locked her up for misbehaving, so they leave the basket. Azul advises that they also pass along Jack's comments (he had called Sally smart, thoughtful, and kind; he often forgets to have meals when he's absorbed with his work, so it's generous for her to prepare a delicious meal like this for him). Sebek loudly refuses, as he believes that hearing these grateful words from Jack himself would be much more meaningful to Sally.

He later confronts Sally at Town Hall and asks to speak with her privately (in an ALLEYWAY lol). There, Sebek flat-out tells Sally that such roundabout tactics will never help her feelings reach Jack because he's way too dense. Of course, she reacts with denial which sends Sebek into a passionate speech about the lengths Sally will go to for love (short of actually speaking about it). She literally threw herself out of a window and put herself in bodily harm to get to Jack when Dr. Finkelstein locked her in her room. She deliberately disobeyed her guardian and brainstormed a way to get out when theoretically she should not have been able to move around freely. If that's not motivated by love, then what is? Sebek declares that it's really annoying to watch Sally dance around the issue and to see her devotion go to waste. IT'S LIKE HE'S WATCHING/READING A ROMCOM AND THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS KEEP PLAYING THE "WILL THEY, WON'T THEY" CARD... She admits that she can't share her feelings because Sally thinks she's not worthy of someone as impressive as Jack... They're not compatible. And you know how Sebek responds??? BY TELLING SALLY ABOUT WHAT IS BASICALLY TWISTED ROMEO AND JULIET... Sebek reading tragic romance confirmed 😭 He describes the story as one of two lovers whose families do not approve of their union. In desperation, the lovers try to elope--but their plan fails and they return to their warring families. Instead of committing dying like in the original tale, the lovers live the rest of their lives lamenting the outcome and how they can no longer see the person they love most. Sebek shares his own interpretation of the story and its moral: because the lovers gave up hope that they could get their families to accept one another... because they never tried to get their families to get along... because they could not properly articulate their feelings to their families... the lovers could not be together. He is convinced that if they had communicated better, the story would have a happier ending. Sebek is of the firm belief that a story itself cannot come to be without the author wanting to share their own thoughts or feelings; he even suggests that maybe the author of Romeo and Juliet experienced something similar--a regret that resulted from neglecting to express deep-seated feelings. It's not just this book either, Sebek claims to have many stories with a similar theme or miscommunication leading to conflict.

Above all, Sebek stresses to Sally that she must believe in herself and take swift, decisive action. And why does Sebek whole-heartedly throw himself into this belief? Because his own family is living proof that a happy ending is possible if you try hard for it.

If you've paid attention to Sebek lore prior to this, you'll know that he has a human father and a fae mother. Their marriage faced opposition and scrutiny in Briar Valley, a country which is isolated from the rest of the world and suffered greatly from human invaders pilfering the fae lands for resources. One of these sources of opposition and scrutiny is Sebek's own grandfather and his mother's father, Baur. Apparently, Mrs. Zigvolt married Mr. Zigvolt against the wishes of her dad.

Sebek shares even more details with Sally in his Nightmare Suit vignettes. To this day, Baur does NOT approve of his daughter's marriage--but Mrs. Zigvolt doesn't let that get her down! No, she does everything in her power to prove to her father that she made the right choice and she's perfectly content with her life. She'll send letters enclosed with photographs of her family, take her children to visit Baur's home, and invites him to join family dinners. Sebek adds that he's sure his mom made other efforts too--all to try and get Baur to acknowledge her marriage. More recently, Baur seems to have lightened up a little... as in, he always used to turn Mr. Zigvolt away at the door, but now lets him in about once a year (though Baur still avoids eye contact with him and continues to frown). Mrs. Zigvolt stubbornly believes that if she keeps this up, her dad will one day change and bless her marriage with the man she truly loves. Sally commends Sebek and his mother's ability to speak their minds loudly and proudly, but then disparages herself again by saying she can't do the same. Sebek then confesses that he can relate to Sally's frustrations. He related her feelings to his own inadequacy in serving Malleus, the powerful and noble king-to-be of his country. That feeling... Sebek describes it as akin to heartache. But instead of wallowing in that heartache, he pushes himself to close that distance between himself and his idol. If he keeps hesitating, then there is absolutely no way he can catch up to where Malleus is! Sebek must dedicate himself to becoming someone worthy of serving him. He encourages Sally to do the same through both her words and her actions! At that moment, Jack walks in and Sally makes good on Sebek's advice. (This part isn't important to the analysis on Sebek's character, so I'm glossing over it.) The vignettes end with Epel complaining about Sebek being loud as per usual. Sally doesn't take issue with his volume though. She simply giggles and informs Epel that Sebek speaks so loudly and clearly so that his words can resonate with others--like how his words gave her courage.

We have learned new lore about Sebek's grandfather and mother. What does this tell us about Sebek? A lot, actually--if you slate it with all the other lore we have on hand.

We see just how strong of a woman his mother is. I suspect this is where Sebek picked up a lot of his hard-headedness, as well as the tendency to express himself very overtly, from. However, it also speaks to the loving environment he grew up in.

His mother seemingly never questioned her own life choices and never gave up fighting to prove her happiness to a father--and likely an entire community--that rejected her marriage, her husband, and maybe even her children. She fiercely loves and defends her family and the life they have made for themselves. Sebek states that he looks up to her for her magical strength, but that he also admires her principles and strong convictions. Indeed, it was her who ardently pursued Mr. Zigvolt and did not allow naysaying to deter her.

Then there is Mr. Zigvolt. In Sebek's Birthday Boy vignettes, he describes his father as "a strange man" who is "magically deficient" and "never lets his smile fade, no matter what I say to him [...] he defies comprehension." Though Sebek doesn't seem to hold the same amount of respect he has for his mother for his father, we don't hear Sebek openly insulting his dad, just expressing confusion about him. When asked about it, Sebek denies depending on his father--but it's clear there is a fondness there that he's not addressing. Mr. Zigvolt is impressed whenever his children use magic, buys them snacks they never asked for, and talks with them for long periods of time in a calm, patient manner. His father, too, has given Sebek so much compassion and understanding.

We don't know a lot about Sebek's siblings, but they seem to get along fine! He has mentioned going to parks with them. They've also gone fishing together and witnessed magic competitions, which they were all amazed by. The Zigvolts in general (or at least the parents) seem to be accepting too, as they volunteer to take Silver in whenever Lilia is unable to take care of him.

And you'd think that's where it ends, but NO. Baur ALSO has a lot of love to give. Despite not approving of his daughter's marriage, he doesn't actively despise his grandchildren. Quite the opposite, in fact! Though he's rough around the edges and looks scary, Baur doesn't fault any of his grandchildren for being born half fae and half human. He actually makes it a point to bond with them, and especially with Sebek. It was Baur who taught Sebek the language of nocturnal fae and instilled in Sebek his love for reading (as he bought many books for him and tells many stories himself). He also personally reached out to Lilia to train Sebek, as the young boy (at around age 7) expressed an interest in martial arts. Sebek has a love for salmon carpaccio because he and his siblings would fish at Baur's house and then prepare the dish for him--Baur was so happy about it. Additionally, Baur values getting a good education and was proud when Sebek shared with him that he was invited to attend Night Raven College.

Sebek grew up in a country that dislikes humans, but he was raised in an household where he was loved unconditionally and provided with all the resources he could need to get a good education and become someone who is physically strong. So of course he becomes frustrated when he sees Sally, who is so nervous to act on her feelings. What would have happened if Sebek’s mother had been like Sally, thinking she and her now-husband are incompatible? If she didn’t try pursuing her feelings at all? Sebek, as the youngest of three, might not event exist. His parents may not still be together… or maybe they wouldn’t have gotten together in the first place. It’s exactly because Sebek knows what love is supposed to be like--courtesy of his own family—that he can see it so well in others, and wants them to act on it. His very existence is proof that love is possible, and it transcends arbitrary labels like race that serve to divide people into categories.

One quirk of Sebek's is how he's always dishing out back-handed compliments or making comments that come off as rude but aren't at their core. He can't seem to help but say a good thing that sounds like something bad. His Diasomnia classmates, usually Silver, have to translate these Sebek-isms for others, who misunderstand him or interpret his words in the worst possible way. For example, from one of Silver’s Fairy Gala lines; “Sebek said to me that no self-respecting disciple of Lilia’s would dare get a single stain on this clothing. That's his way of encouraging me.” In Silver's Dorm Uniform vignettes, Sebek tries to reassure his friend and tell him to not let other people's opinions hurt him--but he phrases it as, "Hmph, ridiculous! I see no reason for you to heed a few random comments from some humans." The duo is also shown to be competitive with one another in training; it's never malicious, they both want to prove themselves as the superior knight, and the other serves as motivation to improve and/or a means of measuring one's own growth against a fellow disciple. When the mostly elderly population of Harveston is in need of physical labor, Sebek comments "[...] the humans in Harveston are woefully out of shape," yet he insists he "still [has] energy to burn" (as if to volunteer himself to do more work) and calls such tasks "simple" (as if to point out how easy it is for him to do, so don't worry about troubling him). He hauls apples and helps the villagers with whatever they need, declaring that they should "be grateful"--but if he truly did not care, he could have stopped at any time or settled for just making fun of them. But Sebek doesn't, because he DOES care deep down. This aspect of Sebek is made even more obvious in Fairy Gala: What If. He appears at Ramshackle and opens by declaring, "NO! I am by no means worried about anyone! [...] Don't mistake my intentions. I am NOT here to help! If your mission doesn't succeed, the repercussions will definitely affect Malleus and Lilia. Hence... I shall lend you uneducated humans my aid! [...] You're welcome to weep with joy at my magnanimity..." Time and time again, we see Sebek demonstrating a lot of kindness, but deflecting or not being totally transparent with his intentions due to pride or embarrassment. This behavior is very reminiscent of Baur, the grandfather that Sebek loves dearly and spent so much time with. Baur, too, can be very passionate and loving, but struggles to speak of those feelings openly. Just look at how the man deals with Mr. Zigvolt. The behaviors of the family, then, imprint on Sebek and influence his behaviors--and being that Sebek is from such a loving group, it follows that Sebek puts out a lot of love into the world too.

A lot of times when the fandom discusses Sebek's attitude, I feel it's from the context of him being hateful towards humans. I'm not going to deny that Sebek has said some pretty nasty things about half of his own identity. The point I would like to make here is that Sebek can love just as strongly.

The most obvious thing that supports the claim that Sebek is capable of strong love is how he views Malleus. It's no great secret that Sebek practically worships the ground his dorm leader walks on. That's essentially Sebek's key defining character trait. What I'll ask you to consider instead is the nature of Sebek's love--not the obsessiveness of it, but rather the unconditional nature of it.

In Lost in the Book with Nightmare Before Christmas, Skully laments that Sebek has not been disappointed by his idol, Malleus. Sebek actually corrects him by saying that love isn't imposing your own views on your idol, it means preparing to accept them, flaws and all. He says the same of Malleus; should the time ever come where Sebek's expectations of Malleus falter or their paths have to diverge, then he will still embrace his young master, never once turning his back on him. And where does Sebek gets this from? His parents. The father who loves his children no matter how critical Sebek may be of him. The mother who remained so strong in the face of her friends and family being against her life choices.

A common fandom sentiment regarding Sebek is that he blindly follows Malleus--and to be fair, he does for a large part of the main story. But when speaking about his idol to Skully, Sebek says that agreeing with someone and continuing to love them are different things. You can disagree with someone's actions and still continue to love them and accept them. This follows what Sebek does in book 7 and likely alludes to the character development he goes through during + following book 7; though he is betrayed and hurt by Malleus turning his powers against the world, Sebek does not let up on the hope that he can bring his young master back. He even sillily calls the yet-to-be-hatched Malleus tamago/egg-sama, showing even an infant form of Malleus great respect after witnessing his OB. Skully took the opposite path that Sebek did; when he realized that his own idol, Jack Skellington, was not as he imagined him to be, Skully became enraged and lashed out over it. Sebek points out Skully's inadequacies as well, which ties back to how he spoke of his own drive to improve in his Nightmare Suit vignettes. Skully confesses to trying desperately to emulate Jack--so much so that he breaks down when Sebek's UM destroys his iconic shades. He wallows in his current state and doesn't make efforts to change or to be better; the past and his own vision is where he's comfortable. It's a strong contrast to Sebek, who has made it clear he will continue to train and work hard to prove his merits and to be someone worthy of protecting the great Malleus Draconia.

It is Sebek's passion and boundless love that makes him a hero both in Lost in the Book with Nightmare Before Christmas AND in the main story's book 7. He serves as a foil to Skully in the former and actively saves Silver when he's on the brink of despair in the latter. After learning that his biological father is the man responsible for killing Malleus's mother and leading the Silver Owls' onslaught on Briar Valley, Silver despairs and comes to the conclusion that his father must loathe him. "He could never love the son of the man he despised! He has to hate me! He has to!" Sebek rushes to Silver's side using Living Bolt, a UM he has yet to master (thus causing residual damage to him when he casts it), to correct him:

"You have this much strength... and you dare to say you weren't loved?! That you were hated?! [...] If [Lilia] hated you, he didn't have to give or teach you anything. He could've just raised you into a dimwitted coward and made you a servant. But he didn't--and look at you now. Even alone and helpless, you stood firm. You spoke up, unfaltering in the face of our liege's madness. Even trapped in the darkest despair, you kept on fighting! Who raised you to be so strong? LILIA DID! Why don't you see? Why do you doubt? You should have understood years ago! What can you call your strength, if not the direct result of Lilia's love?!"

WHETHER SEBEK REALIZES IT OR NOT, A LOT OF WHAT HE TELLS SILVER HITS HOME FOR HIM TOO... Like, thinking about it... Sebek must have faced a lot of prejudice from his community because of who his father is. He might have grown up thinking he, too, was hated, had he not been protected by his loving mother, father, and, yes, even grandfather, who is still struggling to accept the human in their family. Baur must have been feeling very complicated emotions upon meeting his half human grandchildren for the first time... but even though he dislikes humans, he could never find it in himself to dislike his grandkids. If he had hated Sebek, he wouldn't have wanted him to get a good education. Baur wouldn't be happy that he got into NRC. He wouldn't personally ask Lilia to train the grandson who expressed an interest in combat. He wouldn't buy so many books for Sebek or read with him or tell him stories or teach him his language. He wouldn’t spoil Sebek by giving him sweets (which, by the way, Baur himself dislikes). But Baur DOES do all of these things, because deep down he loves Sebek no matter what he is. You can hear it in the hurt of Sebek’s voice when dream!Baur reacts to him coldly. That isn’t the grandfather he is used to. Though it’s said that Baur doesn’t exactly welcome his grandchildren with open arms, he definitely loves them and cares for them in his own way. If it was anything less than love Baur felt for his grandson, if he decided to neglect his grandkids, then Sebek would have grown up as some "dimwitted coward". IT'S ALL CONNECTED.

And now here Sebek stands, able to tell others that they are loved and should be cognizant of that love. He reminds Silver that Lilia loves him. He advises Skully to reevaluate how he sees his idol. He tells Sally to speak honestly about her feelings, because it was his own mother speaking honestly about hers that led to Sebek and his entire family being as happy as they are now. He shouts at people to act and to speak their minds because he doesn't want them to live with regrets, because he doesn't want to see them be weak and timid--a version of himself that could have resulted if he hadn't been loved so strongly.

You can say many things about Sebek: that he's loud, that he's rude, that he's a fanboy, that he has big muscles. But of all those muscles, Sebek has a very big heart too. And what made him so strong? All the love he received from his family, despite growing up an environment that surely invited hatred for humans.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hey raven, there gonna be a Crowley ssr card (im not joking)

[Referencing this post!]

RIP Cater 💀 Now he knows how Trey feels whenever his birthday gets overshadowed by Halloween event news…

It’s true what they say, boys (nb). Cope hard enough and your wishes and prayers for NPCs to become actual cards will become a reality… Happened with Rollo, now it’s happening with Crowley—and presumably other NRC Staff. (I wonder if Year 4 of JP anniversary will feature staff in the groovy with Grim??)

IT’S SO FUNNY THAT THEY MADE THE MOST USELESS STAFF MEMBER THE FIRST STAFF CARD 😭 I thought for sure they would “save the best for last” but I guess Crowley isn’t really “the best”, huh… BUT HEY, at least now we can chuck him into battles against OBs and make him be a responsible adult and actually work to earn his coin 💰

I hope we get vignettes and not just furniture for Crowley! It would be cool to have a short story that centers around him, even if it’s just him goofing around and being unproductive. I’ll happily take a day in the life of Crowley anytime!!

I have so many questions about how Crowley would work gameplay-wise?????? ?? ? ? ????? ?? ? I wonder if we’ll be able to make staff members attend class…? But that’s odd, isn’t it?? Why would teachers be studying? And what happens if there’s a situation where like. Crowley is a student but also Crowley crashed in for a Special Lesson segment? Double Crowley?!?!?!?! The Spiderman meme where they point at each other?? Or will staff not be able to attend lessons at all and you just have to feed them materials to level them up outside of class… (You know what, leeching off of resources that the students worked hard to farm is very in-character for Crowley, so if this is the case then I won’t be upset 😂) What about Duo Magic??? Will Crowley actually be able to combo with a student??? Or will it be with Grim or whatever staff card is coming next...?

His card art looks hella cool ✨ It’s really atmospheric but also has a bit of that unique Crowley flair if you notice where exactly he’s seated (on his own damn desk www) while posing so sassily. And is that the word RAVEN literally making up the teeth at the end of his key-like staff????? That’s so Crowley of him…

What I am slightly concerned about is…

***Spoilers for the full Crowley card illustration + book 7 main story below the cut!!!***

… Why is the composition of Malleus’s Dorm Uniform card and Crowley’s card kinda similar…

Malleus is clearly turned to the side, but the slight worm’s eye view is the same and the lighting is somewhat close (relatively dark)… and both of them are holding staves while sitting. Plus the timing of Crowley dropping mid-book 7… AND sharing elements in Malleus’s Masquerade (Crowley notoriously wears a mask) groovy of all things (similar angle, chandelier overhead)… With the fan theory of Crowley actually being Malleus’s missing dad at an all-time fever pitch in popularity, this has me a little worried (since I personally think the theory doesn’t have a lot of solid proof and leaves a lot to be explained in terms of his actions).

Maybe that’s me overthinking it, but TWST has been known to intentionally do parallel or mirrored designs before (though I’ll admit this instance isn’t as clear cut as previous instances). I’m just pointing out what I see and I’ll leave the final judgment up to you, dear readers! I’m sure the “Crowley is Malleus’s dad” theorists will be in a frenzy picking apart these details www

[extrasweetcoffee]

Just got the Heartslabyul manga. I'm pogged~ Gonna ramble about it. (spoilers under the cut)

The manga is doing a stellar job of endearing me to this version of Grim. Like I love this gremlin cat already whereas in the game I was eh about Grim until chapter 4 (and arguably still on the fence about him)

I think the manga trims the fat of the prologue nicely. It’s so refreshing to not have to go through the chandelier and the ghost fight this time around.

Though at the same time they skipped great bits like Deuce throwing Ace and Grim working with MC at Ramshackle.

Ruining the Great Seven statues is treated with greater severity here; worthy of expulsion rather than the window washing in game. On one hand I'm thinking that's overkill when they have magic to clean it anyway whereas you can't easily replace a valuable magestone. But then again everyone stopped to mourn the statues when they were knocked over on Halloween so maybe it's not too out there of a punishment(?) This is an abridged version of the prologue so I guess my expectations are more generous. Catch me on another day and I'll probably think something different.

It’s super cute how Ace and Deuce are already acquainted and on their BS in this retelling. "stop following me >:(" "I'm going to class, idiot >:(" It's great.

They kept the Juice joke, I'm happy.

Riddle plays a bigger part, most certainly because this is about Heartslabyul, but damn he’s serving.

That shoujo as hell shot where Riddle gets tackled to the floor lmaoooo I wouldn't be surprised if people started shipping Riddle and Yuken.

There’s a few funny faces here I’m dying lol look at that scuffed Trey.

Kalim didn’t get burned in this one. Good for him. :D

The way Azul is drawn, he looks like a wine-drinking aunt. I mean, he always does, but the vibes are a lot stronger.

Boy's def got a longer face than his in-game appearance. He looks older in a sense.

Look at Kalim eagerly watching the events awwww.

It’s neat to see how the mirror hall is supposed to look. I'd always thought it was just a big round room, but here its layout is similar to a church. Makes sense because of the coffin motif.

Idia wearing his robes even in his room is a nice touch (calling back to his ceremonial robes vignette)

Yuken is hella huge holy shit. I heard he was built but seeing it in person is something else lol

IDT they mentioned Malleus by name at all like the game prologue did (and Lilia didn’t appear either). So you see the panels of him earlier in the book and like oooh whos' that???

Overall the housewardens presence at the ceremony is less pronounced. Vil and Idia only said like one line each lol I kinda forgot they were there. I guess that's the trade-off for having Cater and Trey being introduced this early.

Crowley: "You're the protagonist." Yuken: "I got kendo, dawg. No I ain't".

Yuken is such a based protagonist I love him. Just happily rooms with ghosts and accept the janitor job like it’s nothing.

I like how they gave that one dude his own character card in the beginning as if it was going to mean anything. Nice subversion lol

I wonder how confusing it would be to find this manga on a bookshelf or online with no prior knowledge of TWST, looking it up and learning it’s a whole ass gacha game that’s currently on its 7th chapter (chapter 6 for the localized versions) and there’s a bunch of side stories and stuff. Because the book doesn’t say anything like “adapted from the game of the same title” or something.

Ok, they kinda do, but it’s in the blurb by the storyboard artist.

Deuce is great, I don't remember if he took this much initiative in the game (then again, it's been a year since I went through the prologue).

Ace is also less of a lil' shit in this version. He's pretty chill all things considered.

Yuken’s just carrying Deuce like a bag of flour lol

Holy shit Riddle’s here. CANON DIVERSION MY BELOVED. Oh and Trey and Cater are there too lol

YOU FUCKERS MISSED GLEE CLUB PRACTICE. You're gonna lose at nationals.

Dawg, who's the narc that told Riddle about the hedgehog sneezing? Like bro could've said nothing and saved everyone the headache.

Cater and Trey look hella good in this panel at least.

Hell yeah model sheets.

Yana Toboso drew Yuken’s character sheet. That's neat.