#anippola

[kenchann]

tried to redo my anippola design 🤔

[yuus-sentient-teddy]

While stuff is going down on Sage's Island, what's happening with some of the families of the NRC students?

S.T.Y.X. probably had to be the ones to tell the families the situation. Even though they explain it as lightly as possible so that there's no major panic, that won't stop the families from worrying.

I thought about Deuce's mom after Malleus casted the spell, when Deuce hasn't called her to talk about his day. Her intuition is telling her that something is amiss, but she tries to brush it off even though Deuce has never missed a call.

She sends a good morning text the following day.

She tries calling him an hour later when there's no response. What if he got sick and that's why he hasn't said anything?

But the call immediately goes to voicemail.

Okay, don't panic. She's sure her son must have forgotten to charge his phone (unlikely, a part of her says) or maybe he's deep asleep from being sick.

Dila debates on whether to call the school. She doesn't want to be overprotective or overbearing. . . and yet her mother's intuition is still screaming at her that something isn't right.

It wouldn't hurt to just be sure, right?

Dila's heart sinks when the call to the school immediately goes to voicemail.

The next chance she gets, Dila drives to the Trappola residence. She starts to feel a little ridiculous when Mrs. Trappola answers the door without a single bit of worry. What if it's nothing? But she still asks if Mrs. Trappola has heard from her son.

Mrs. Trappola shakes her head. "No, but he usually talks with his brother a lot. What's up?"

Dila explains how her son hasn't called or texted her and that the call to the school was unsuccessful. "Hmmm... it could be your phone. Let me try calling."

But the same thing happens--the school doesn't pick up. Dila notices something she missed in the beginning: Mrs. Trappola's stiffness beneath a casual mask. Does Mrs. Trappola also feel like something is wrong?

"Hang on, let me try calling his brother."

He's casual when he picks up and tells his mom that Ace hadn't called him last night. But there is a bit of trepidation when he asks, "Is something going on?"

"No, just checking. I'll call you later." Mrs. Trappola lets out a breath and meets Dila's eyes. Both mothers recognize the look in the other's eyes.

"Do you know Clover Bakery?" Dila asks. "Deuce told me that the son of the family who runs it is in the same dorm as him and Ace."

Mrs. Trappola nods. "Ace mentioned him a few times. Trey."

"I'm going to go over there. Want to come with?"

"Give me a second to get my stuff."

Two worried mothers become three, and they're all sitting around a table in the back of the bakery while a father is with the employees at the front. At this point, it's clear that something has happened to their sons and the school.

The three discuss what to do next. Should they try calling the school again? Reach out to the police station? To another family? How about contacting that Diamond kid's family?

But why stop at this part of the world?

Perhaps a while after the sleeping spell is cast, a little heir is wandering the streets pouting because no one is telling him what is going on.

Something has happened to his uncle, that he knows, but he doesn't know just exactly what.

This little heir may bump into an older woman, a grandmother, who asks why he's wandering around on his own so late in the day. He almost cries in frustration while telling her about the adults not telling him anything about his uncle. He lets slip that his uncle goes to Night Raven College.

That makes the grandmother pause, the uneasy feeling inside of her making itself known once again.

She tells the child that his family might be worried about him and eventually persuades him that going home would be a good idea. She escorts him out of the slums, listening to him talk about his uncle, until some guards find the two.

Before the guards escort the little prince back home, the grandmother asks about Night Raven College. Her grandson is a student there and in the same dorm as Leona Kingscholar. The guards reply with an apology and that they have not heard of an incident at the school.

But she stops them. Surely, they must have heard of something. She doesn't miss the fleeting look in one of the guards' eyes--perhaps that woman has a child who goes there too?

That guard tells her partner to go on ahead, and once the prince and his guard are far enough, she tells the grandmother that all communication to the school and Leona--even to anywhere on the island--have been unsuccessful. Other ways of communicating are being sought, but the guard is bracing for the worse.

She tells the grandmother that if she hears anything, she'll come find her.

The parents of four families congregate in Clover Bakery before it opens. It's clear that no one has gotten much sleep. Cups of coffee are handed out as they all take a seat in the bakery's main area.

"Any word?"

"No."

"Actually," Mrs. Trappola says, "my eldest told me that his friend on the Land of Dawning was given an evacuation order alongside every single citizen there."

". . . The entire land?" Mrs. Clover says faintly, disbelieved.

"The entire land." The weight of the words is heavy and they all silently contemplate what the evacuation could mean.

"Doesn't the heir of Briar Valley also go to the school?" Mrs. Diamond asks. "It's possible he might be keeping everyone safe. Plus--" she fixes a bright smile on her face--"our boys have survived two Overblots. What's one more?"

"There's also a magicless student who goes to the school," Mrs. Trappola says. "I heard from Ace that they've gone through multiple Overblots and survived without so much a scratch. If they can stay standing after that kind of disaster, then this should be nothing for them."

". . . I'm sorry, did you say multiple?"

The bell above the door chimes. In steps none other than Mrs. Rosehearts and a man who seems smaller in her presence. It's not missed the way the woman stands stiffly, and in the corner of Dila's eye, she sees Mr. and Mrs. Clover sitting up straighter.

"Is there anything we can help you with?" Mrs. Clover asks. Dila hears a little tremble in her voice as she tries to sound neutral. She meets Mrs. Diamond's eyes across the way and the two share the same thought: there's a strained history between the Rosehearts and Clovers.

That is when Dila remembers a phone call with Deuce early in the school year--Riddle and Trey's past and Riddle's Overblot.

Mrs. Rosehearts takes a deep breath and lets it out in a half-huff. It seems like she's fighting with her pride. "Yes. Have you heard from the school or your sons?"

"No. None of us have."

Mr. Clover gestures to the chairs. "Have a seat."

The man accompanying Mrs. Rosehearts, Mr. Rosehearts, accepts the invitation. However, halfway sitting down, he notices his wife is still standing. "I'm fine. This shouldn't take long," she says.

He blinks, then fully sits. "So, uh, what have we missed?" he asks.

After the two are filled in, Mr. Rosehearts nods sadly while Mrs. Rosehearts's scowl deepens. "So there's nothing." She almost spits out the last word.

"What about you? Have you tried anything?" Mrs. Diamond asks calmly, like the two were acquaintances.

"Of course I have! But nothing worked!" Mrs. Rosehearts shuts her eyes, tightens her grip on her handbag, and tries to calm down from the outburst.

"We both tried calling people we knew on the island, but our calls kept bouncing," Mr. Rosehearts supplies. "I heard about the Land of Dawning evacuation from a friend of mine. They also said that S.T.Y.X. was the one issuing it."

"S.T.Y.X?!" the room explodes.

"They're only involved if there's an Overblot. So does that mean. . . ?" Mr. Clover doesn't dare finish the sentence.

"But what kind of Overblot causes an entire island to be shut down and another island to evacuate?" Dila asks.

"One that can be caused by a powerful mage," Mrs. Trappola softly says.

The room is once again blanketed by horrified and tense silence. Thoughts return to what Mrs. Diamond said earlier. Doesn't the heir of Briar Valley also go to the school?

Mrs. Rosehearts suddenly spins around and marches to the door.

"Where are you going?" her husband asks.

"To the emissary. I will not sit idly and ponder useless things with useless outcomes while my son is in potential danger."

She's halfway through the door when her and everyone's phones go off simultaneously, creating a cacophony of text notification sounds. They're whipped out and Dila holds her breath as she opens the text application.

. . .

Mr. Clover takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. Mr. Diamond runs a hand through his hair. And Mr. Trappola and Mr. Rosehearts can't stop staring at the message on his phone.

It felt good finally having a confirmation that something was amiss and knowing that a major organization was handling it. At the same, however, it left longing for more information.

"What about my son?!" Mrs. Rosehearts's demand to know her son's well-being felt like a reflection of what the other parents were feeling inside. Anger, worry, helplessness.

Mrs. Clover sits back in her chair with a distant, worried gaze. Mrs. Diamond leans on her husband's shoulder. Mrs. Trappola rubs her face. Mrs. Rosehearts slams the door as she leaves the bakery.

After a few attempts, Dila finally opens the internet application. It brings her to a news article from a while ago, written by a Sage's Island reporter, and at the very top is a picture of her son performing in the Star Sending Ceremony. She can't stop staring at it. What if she never sees him again?

"Deuce. . ."

Meanwhile, in Sunset Savannah, a little prince runs down a street. His head turns wildly, searching for a certain face. Anyone outside pause to stare at him, no doubt curious as to why the heir is here in this neighborhood of all places. He finally spots her leaving a run-down home and sprints the rest of the way.

The grandmother hears him before she sees him. He slows to a stop before her and is panting as he says, "I know what's happening! The island is shut down and some sticks are fixing it!"

"'Some sticks'?" she repeats, puzzled.

He nods feverishly. "Yeah! That's what I heard."

She assumes it's magic-related. "What about the island? Did you hear why it is shut down?"

He goes to answer, but pauses. "Um... I didn't," he says bashfully.

She's disappointed, but doesn't let that show. "That's all right. Thank you for telling me about what you heard."

"Prince Cheka!" Marching down the street is the guard from yesterday. The little prince's ears press down. "Please, notify any of us when you plan to leave the palace," she says, though it sounds more like scolding.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to let grandmother know about the school."

The guard sighs. "Your parents have already been told and they expect you back soon. I will stand guard beside the house. Let me know when you are ready to return."

"Can you tell grandmother what you know?" Cheka asks. "I saw you talking to her yesterday."

The guard, beneath the stoic exterior, had been impatient to tell the grandmother. "Very well."

She relays the message she, a couple of the other guards, and the queen received. An incident on Sage's Island. . . All travel to Sage's Island and the Land of Dawn are prohibited. . . S.T.Y.X. is currently handling the situation and will notify when the situation has been resolved.

"I am sorry I can't give you more information," the guard says.

Grandma Bucchi shakes her head. "You've given me enough."

She makes her way to a cracked chair and tries not to fall back on it as she sits. "Are you okay?" Cheka asks, approaching as the guard readies herself to help.

"I'm all right," she half lies. She prays to the stars of the coming night that nothing is happening to Ruggie. She already lost her daughter-in-law and son; she cannot lose her grandson.

"He'll figure out a way to survive. He's resourceful," she says, partly as a reminder to herself.

"My uncle might be helping him. They might be helping each other, like the King of Beasts and the hyenas!" Cheka says, brightening.

Grandma Bucchi knows the story well--everyone in Sunset Savannah does. It came to mind when Ruggie told her about his working relationship with Leona, and the thought wasn't lost on Ruggie either.

Perhaps they are helping each other through the danger that has taken hold of the island. "It is possible. My grandson is in the same dorm as your uncle."

A/N: I have been dying to share this with ya'll for a couple of weeks. I also kind of oneshot this XD

[kamiraaah]

I need a forehead kiss from Anippola to kickstart myself into getting that Literature assignment done by next week's Wednesday /hj

I love the way you draw him, he's so close to how I picture him ❤❤❤❤💗💜💗He's handsome :3

Anippola wishes you all the luck and is proud of you regardless of your grade on this assignment! <3

NJKSDNJSK and thank you! I'm glad you like my pretty boy 💖🥺

[zayray030]

The rest of twst react to Ace's brother visiting the school (maybe there was an event where the alumni visit or smth)?

Ace's brother having the BIGGEST brother complex but being EXTREMELY subtle about it and it only comes out when he's being yandere

Like for example when Ace is talking to Deuce, anipolla goes to Riddle, Trey and Cater and casually threaten to gut them and thred them with those thorns if they ever allow his precious brother to be put in danger ever again. He says it with a casual happy smile and psycho eyes

And he basically goes around repeating the threats to everyone.

Octatrio get it worse and he sets one of them on fire with the promise of making him the next meal

[twstinginthewind]

Ace's bro Ace's bro Ace's brooooooo

This is my own personal take on Anippola! I call him Marc (he's a marked card, essential for doing sleight of hand card tricks), and I have him in my little mind palace as a manga author - he started work on his comic during his stint at the theme park, and it became a surprise success! Through it he got connected with Aria ( @transriddlerosehearts's oc ) and they get a well-deserved happily ever after.

I see him as like a taller Ace, with longer hair and warm brown eyes, but otherwise a lookalike. And very similar in personality!

I'm curious what other folks' headcanons are for Ace's bro!

[trappolia]

Anippola taking every chance he can to flirt with you, ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF ACE.

He also makes obnoxiously loud kiss noises to piss him off lol

he’s so annoying and shameless it’s actually endearing (to you, not to ace). just the thought of this guy so shamelessly in love with you even with his little brother gagging loudly in the background makes me kick my feet like a teenage girl in a 2000s romcom.

[siphoklansan]

Me doing the debby ryan ear tuck rn

da relativesss

[karmicpunishment]

imagine ace visiting his brother's work to see some new show he worked on or something and just getting playful land flashbacks

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Sisyphean (6/6)

(Eldritch!Ace Trappola vs SomeGuy!Deuce Spade. Horror AU heavily based on FROM(2022) and That's Not My Neighbor.)

Sisyphean Masterlist

Deuce jumped just slightly when he heard a knock. He hadn’t heard anyone coming –.

The Doppelganger was standing at the door, smiling at him through the glass, its hands behind its back, looking like the picture of innocence.

Save for, of course, the sharp-toothed smile.

“No,” Deuce said, scowling. “Absolutely not.”

“You’re so cold, you’re gonna hurt a fella’s feelings one day,” it complained.

“Good,” he said flatly.

It huffed. “You try and kill an entire building’s worth of people a few times, and suddenly you’re the bad guy!”

“That is how it works, yes.” Deuce rolled his eyes. “Why are you even here?”

“I stop by all the time! What do you mean?” it said, giving its most innocent smile.

“Yeah, but you haven’t come as… yourself all the other times.”

“But I’m so tired these days,” he lamented, its expression shifting into a little pout. “I’m hungry, and shifting forms all the time is hard.”

Deuce pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. How could this thing be so scary half the time and so lame the other half of the time? “Well, I can’t let you in. You don’t live in this building, and we have a strict no-guest policy. As I’m sure you know, since you’ve never tried posing as someone’s friend to get inside.”

“Yeah…” it sulked. And then it brightened up, finally taking its hands out from behind its back, to reveal a… cup of coffee. “Well, I can still give you this!”

Beep.

Deuce stared, blankly, at the cup of coffee sitting in his mail slot. It had Deuce’s name on it, of course, as well as a couple of tiny hearts doodled on the wrapper.

“... what’s with you and hearts?” Deuce asked, because after the pillow, the cake, and this, he might as well ask why it was Ace’s calling card.

It shrugged, smiling. “I just think they’re kinda funny shapes! I mean, human hearts do not look like that… unless you really need glasses, I guess, but at that point pretty much everything looks like those fake hearts.”

That… checks out, yeah.

Deuce sighed, picking up the cup of coffee, spinning the cup, slowly, in careful fingers, half expecting it to blow up… somehow. “It makes it seem like you’re trying to come onto me.”

“And if I was?” It said, batting its eyelashes.

“No guests in the hotel,” Deuce said, flatly.

“Ugh. You’re no fun.”

“Sorry that getting ripped to shreds isn’t my idea of fun.”

“Like I said. No fun.”

It seemed, though, that he was going to be having even less fun, because, at that moment, a new person showed up. They looked a lot like Ace, with the same bright red hair and eyes, but stockier and dressed in a button down and slacks, as if he had just come from a shift at work. He flung his arm around Ace’s shoulders, leaning his weight on him with a wide grin.

“Is this the Doorman you’ve been obsessed with?” He peered at Deuce, tapping his finger on his chin. “He doesn’t look like much.”

It was hard to tell who was more offended by the man’s statement – Deuce or Ace.

“‘Obsessed’ is not the right word,” Ace snapped at the same time Deuce said, “Ex-fucking-scuse me?”

He continued to smile at him, completely unperturbed. “I’m sorry about Ace, I know he’s a lot to handle, thanks for dealing with him.”

The Doppelganger looked mortified, pressing its face into its hands.

Doppelgangers might not have families, not in the way that humans might, but Deuce could spot an ‘older brother’ type from a mile away.

Though that begged the question… was the man (if it was even actually human) aware of what ‘Ace’ was? It hit Deuce that it was entirely possible that Doppelgangers got their names and reputations for a reason – that they might not be homeless at all, that they might take the place of a real-life person and sneak their way into their families, pretending to be functioning members of society for years and years. That, perhaps, there was a reason why they were never spotted during the day.

Deuce gave Ace a wide-eyed look. “Does he know…?”

It was the man who responded, though, by laughing and sticking out his tongue at Deuce.

It was a black tentacle.

A wave of relief rolled over him.

Until the monster said, “Well, now that that’s all done, come on, Ace, we have to go. Mom and Dad are waiting for us, and if you’re late again they’re going to be so pissed.”

A wave of terror washed over Deuce. Because here Ace was, with a clear ‘older brother’, talking about meeting up with their ‘parents’. And he suspected that Ace hadn’t been lying when he’d said that, no, Doppelgangers don’t really have families, because it was such a strange thing to lie about, and its disgust at the way humans worked was genuine.

Ace groaned, running his hand through his hair. “One day I’m going to snap and kill everyone in that damn church, why do sermons have to be so long?”

His brother laughed, reaching out a hand to attempt to smooth down Ace’s now-messy hair, and Deuce could only stare at them, because they seemed like just any other pair of brothers, laughing and joking around and complaining about dumb things they didn’t actually care about… while also talking about murder in the same tone Deuce talked about the weather.

Ace sighed and waved at Deuce. “See ya later.”

“I hope not,” Deuce said, more out of instinct than anything.

Ace’s brother laughed. “Oh, I take it back, I like him.”

Ace grumbled under his breath, suddenly seeming very eager to get to church on time.

~

Deuce, hesitantly, took the lid off of the coffee to squint at the dark liquid. It looked normal… and, after a quick sniff test, he determined that it smelled fine, too. But, then again, so had the cake the Doppelganger had brought over, so…

He took a careful sip.

It was normal coffee.

More than that, it tasted good. Deuce didn’t even know how he took his own coffee, he usually just added sugar to taste and then dealt with it if it ended up too sweet. But this was nice.

That stalker… he thought, annoyed, but also a touch fond.

Only for his blood to run cold despite the caffeine entering his veins.

Because when had he started growing fond of Ace?

When had he started calling him ‘Ace’ at all? Stopped thinking of him as an ‘it’?

What if I think becoming ‘friendly’ with you is the way in?

Deuce marched to the bathroom, intent on pouring the coffee straight into the sink. It was tailor-made to his preferences, yes, but he couldn’t stand what it represented.

But it was good coffee, and a gift, and his mom had always taught him that wasting food was wrong…

He went back to his seat and set the coffee on his desk, wondering if he would even be able to drink it past the bile creeping up the back of his throat.

~

Cater collected the ID from him, before heading off toward the elevator.

“Appreciate you, Deuce,” Cater called over his shoulder.

Deuce waved him off, absently. It was his job, after all, he hardly deserved thanks for doing it.

Deuce went back to the computer, reaching for his coffee cup.

He paused.

His hand had something red and flaky on it. He lifted it to his nose, expecting the smell of lipstick or something…

Only to find that it smelled metallic.

Coppery, even.

His head shot up, to ‘Cater’, already in the elevator, leaning against the back wall. He gave a little finger wave with red-caked fingertips. A wide smile stretched across his face.

And then continuing to stretch, showing off rows of sharp teeth and skin pulling into something that shouldn’t have been physically possible for a human to achieve.

Deuce ran for the elevator, his arm out to try and stop it, but the doors slid shut before he could get inside.

[ai-kan1]

OLD WOMEN YURI

OLD WOMEN YURI..... Sadly twst doesn't give us enough old women so i guess closest we get to it is if we genderbend trein and give her a wife 🙏🙏

Also kind of related to yuri... But have u considered anippola genderbend x dilah, like only one gets the genderbend beam-

[trappolian]

i need him so bad

So...I was wondering if you had a post on information concerning Ace's older brother? Purely for research purposes of course...😅

Ask, and you shall receive!

This is a compilation of all the canon information I could find on Ace’s older brother. He has yet to be named, so 😅 errrr… I'll be referring to him as “Anippola" (as in “Trappola aniki”) in this post.

Anippola is older than Ace by 7 years.

According to Ace, his brother was even more excited about Ace getting into NRC than their parents were.

Before Ace was accepted into NRC, his older brother would take him along with him to various places.

He is an alumnus of NRC and was previously in Heartslabyul dorm; this is why Ace is not surprised when he, too, is sorted into Heartslabyul.

Ace talks with his older brother over the phone. Sometimes they talk late into the night, which occasionally makes Ace late in the mornings.

He “built up a whole repertoire of magic tricks” from his days as a NRC student. Ace learned them by playing watching, memorizing, and then finally replicating those magic tricks, since Anippola refused to tell him how to do them. It is through these kinds of experiences that Ace has become quite adaptable.

He learned some sleight of hand tricks from their magicless father too.

Whenever the Trappola men are together, they will challenge each other to pull off various tricks.

Ace reports that his older brother told him "the most convincing lies are sprinkled with a dash of the truth". This implies that Ace may have learned how to lie so cleverly from Anippola, or at the very least was inspired by his advice.

Ace's brother bought a luxury watch with his first paycheck. He framed it as though it was Ace's birthday gift, but then revealed the item was actually for himself and gave Ace an empty box instead.

Anippola later apologized and gave Ace a box of candy, which annoyed his little brother (because Ace says he's not a little kid, of course he wouldn't be happy about receiving candy!)

Another time, Anippola purposefully snuffed out the candles on Ace's birthday cake. This resulted in a fight between the brothers.

From these stories, we can deduce that Anippola s a prankster.

He did his 4th year NRC internship at a theme park management company designing shows and attractions. (The dialogue could also be interpreted as generally working in the entertainment industry, not specifically for the theme park company.) Anippola currently works for that same place.

There is supposedly a picture of Ace's brother hung up in the hallway by the teacher's lounge. The photo is from when Anippola led the card solider parade for a Magical Shift/Spelldrive opening ceremony.

Ace says his brother is not the type to make sweets for him.

Anippola wasn't all too interested in dorm life.

He told Ace about various ways to kill time at his dorm.

Ace describes Anippola as someone who is light-hearted, casual, and easy to get along with.

Ace also admits that it can be advantageous to have an older brother, as they are an example to follow and could support him in that way. He specifically mentions school life and job hunting as examples.

[pianostarinwonderland]

If we can get Deuce’s mom maybe one day we’ll get Ace’s brother

we are not ending twst without getting anippola. i need my ace stan friends sobbing on the floor and getting their wishes granted.

ALSO NGL ever since people compared anippola to Jack Heart (??), I'm kinda 😳 about the concept of Ace's brother now

[tsundereition]

gusy guys guys hear me out!1!1!! pls consider: anippola x riddle that's it that's the post bye

[zayray030]

Ace Trappola Birthday Bash Day 2024 Day 1: Brothers

Summary: An observation of Ace' birthdays from when he is a young child with all his brothers love vs when he is at NRC where he no longer has that stability

Notes: ACE TRAPPOLA BIRTHDAY BASH WEEK!! ARE YA'LL EXCITED FOR IT????? 7 whole days with Ace related content and food, i hope ya'll will eat good.

In an ordinary town, with ordinary people, there was an ordinary house that housed unordinary people. These people were the Trappola’s. The Trappola’s were made up of the grandmother, the mother, the father and two boys, Jack and Ace trappola.  

The grandmother was a sweet old woman, with a penchant for old magical items, a reminder of her childhood and youth, The mother was a lawyer, who had very little magic and tended to priorities work. The father was a man with not magic, however with all the wonder and imagination of a man with. Then there where the boys. There was the older brother Jack, who was as loud and boisterous as the sun, always with a quick quip and a friendly hand, but don’t let that fool you, the boy was could be as devilish as they came. He took after his father in the terms of card tricks and fun, however was blessed with more magic than his mother, grandmother and father all combined.  

Then there was little Ace. He wasn't always little Ace. He used to be Alice. However, one too many ripped dresses and tights, fights to get his hair done like a princess and a tearful confession that he wanted to be a boy changed that. Now little Alice as little Ace and anyone who tried to say otherwise was pummeled within an inch of their life by his big brother! 

Little Ace could switch from being the smartest in the room, to the biggest troublemaker and idiot ever. He could change from being a show off to hating the attention just as quick. He could be quiet or he could quiet, he could be mean or he could be nice. He was a spectrum that his older brother absolutely adored. 

And that’s why his older brother was above Ace’s bed, getting ready to wake the sleeping boy up for his birthday. 

“Hey, Acey, wake up.” whispered a deep voice from within the still sleeping child. He shook him gently and excitement bloomed into him when he could see Ace slowly start to wake up. The younger groggily brought his small fist to his cherry red eyes and sleepily whipped at them.  

“Big brother.” he sleepily let out. “What are you doing here?” he asked slowly getting up, not rubbing the other eye to get the sleep out. Jack waited for Ace to stop rubbing his eye, waiting so he could also admire just how cute Ace looked when he woke up and was still slightly sleepy. His hair, so fine and softs like a kitten’s fur was in the cutest bedhead that Jack had ever seen. His cheeks were so cute and chubby with baby fat, all flushed and squeezable. His sleep shirt, which was just one of Jack’s shirts that he had stolen, hung loose around his small frame, showed off a pale shoulder. Ace bit his lip from teasing Ace about being so cute knowing how sensitive Ace can get if he gets bullied too much. 

“It’s your birthday, Ace.” Jack reminded his little brother, cupping a pale cheek in his hands, admiring the softness in his hands and wishing he could stay like that forever. His baby brother, always so cute and precious “We have to go downstairs!” truthfully, no one else was awakened yet but he wanted to give Ace his gift before he went to Night Raven College next year, He would be gone for almost the entire yeah and would be leaving his precious older brother all alone, so he would like to gift him something to always stay with him. 

“For the presents!” Ace was sounding more awake, more excited. Jack could see the way his eyes sparkled in wonder, could see how his fists clenched up in happiness and the way he was shaking in excitement to get his presents and to have attention ravished onto him today. 

“Not just presents!” Jack laughed as he picked Ace up and twirled him around before Ace wrapped his legs around Jack’s waist and wrapped his arms around his neck. In this angle, Ace was above Jack. “There’s also cake, the songs and everything else, cherry.” he made his way downstairs with his little brother in his arms, warmth spreading around him as Ace hugged him excitedly 

 “I can't wait big brother!” Ace told him as they made their way downstairs, Jack making sure to take the stairs carefully so he doesn’t accidentally mess up and drop his precious brother on the ground 

“I know, cherry, that’s why I got you a secret gift.” he whispered in conspiracy in Ace’s brother, delighting in the confusion in Ace’s face. 

“Secret gift?” he asked cutely, tilting his head. “Why is it secret?” he asked his brother as they finally made their way downstairs, Jack guiding them to the living room so he could pull out his gift from the table. 

(He had snuck in downstairs earlier to put it there, making sure that their parents had had a nice deep sleep. Made sure to not open the curtains in Ace’s room or show him his clock. It was just brother time for the two of them now. And no one is going to take that from him,) 

“Here it is, cherry.” he gently placed Ace down and took the box from the table and handed it to him reverently. “I hope you like it, big brother spent ages picking it out.” He truthfully had. Spending so long going through his grandmothers notes about this device, finding the device and then...convincing the guy to give him the device at a discount had all been hard work! He hopes that Ace could appreciate it. 

When Ace opened his gift, it was a necklace. Immediately he looked at his big brother with tears in his eyes and angrily said, “Big brother you know I hate jewelry! I’m not a girl! Why!” 

The necklace chain was a beautiful all on its own. It seemed to weave itself into little heart shapes, all the way round itself, with little ruby gemstones in between each heart. Then, came the main jewel. It was a sapphire that had little red rubies and garnets encrusted around it. The sapphire itself was also shaped like a heart, with necklace chain surrounding the heart. Oh, it was gorgeous,  

‘And it would look stunning on him.’ 

Jack took a moment to appreciate how cute his little brother looked when he was upset and angry. How his eyes waters yet he still glared. How his cheeks flushed in frustration, how his hands clenched, and how his body tensed, as if in preparation for a fight. He looked like Twisted Wonderland cutest little cat! 

“Oh, Ace-chan!” He cooed, as he gathered hir brother in his arms, ignoring how he was trying to push him off. “Jewelry isn’t just for girls! Also, this is to help you and big brother always stay together, no matter what!” he said, as he unclasped the necklace and pit it on Ace. Ace still looked put out but instead started to inspect the necklace. Jack could see his little cherries resolve start to waver and he wasn’t chocked when his brother looked back at him, this time pouting. 

“Fine! But no more jewelry!” He waged a finger at him and Jack resisted the urge to kiss it. “But how does it keep us connected?” he asked curiously, tilting his head. 

“This can let me know if you ever need me or I need you. It can make sure that I always have my eyes on you and that we can always feel one another wherever we go.” Jack made a big show, spreading his arms wide and trying to make the whole thing sound mysterious. It was working, evident by the way that Ace seemed to hand onto every word that Jack said. He seemed to be amazed by the magic properties of the necklace, clutching onto it tightly, almost as if expecting someone to steal it from him. Which they probably would, too bad it would disintegrate them if they tried. 

“Big brother will always be with me?” Ace asked in wonder, marveling at the idea of his big brother always protecting him at his young age. 

“Of course, I will! Big brother will always come and save you!” Jack reassured, gathering Ace in his arms and giving into the pleasure of kissing Ace on the cheek, enchanted by how beautiful Ace’s giggle was. 

“Big brother! I’m too old!” he squirmed but didn’t try to properly escape. 

“And you’ll always be mine. No one else could compare to you” refuted Jack, his arms tightening possessively around the boy. 

If Ace noticed the change the strength in the way he was held, he didn’t mention. He merely, rolled his eyes and giggled something about ‘silly big brothers’ whilst also wrapping his arms around his brother. 

That’s how their parents found them, curled up in each other's embrace. The parents looked at each other and smiled at the cute sight whilst the grandmother stared worriedly. She could only hope that Ace would stay safe. Away from danger. Away from harm. Even from family and those meant to protect him. 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Ace huffed as he scrolled through his social media, irritated that not a single person from his family had bothered to call him yet. So, what if it was the day before his birthday? Call him! 

He huffed and switched to his brother's profile. 

Oh, his brother. Oh, his sweet, sweet, FAKE big brother. 

“I’ll always be here for you, Ace.” liar. liar. liar. liar. liar. liar. liar. liar. Liar. 

‘So why weren’t you there when my housewarden almost killed me. Why weren’t you there when my headmaster sent me into a cave with a blot monster? Why weren't you there when someone tried to enslave me? Why weren’t you there for anything!’ ace thought angrily, trying his hardest not to let the tears spill as he swiped through his brother's profile, pictures of him looking oh so happy in his new life, away from Ace.  

His big brother had left him as soon as he could, only stopping by for brief, fake niceties before going to his parents, ignoring Ace and the promises he had made to him.  

His grandmother had always tried to cheer him up. Saying how maybe the separation can do them both well. How it could be beneficial to them. What did she know? What could she possibly know. 

And the biggest lie his brother had ever told him? 

That he would always be his. And that no one else could compare. 

“How does she compare?” muttered Ace angrily to himself, mindful of his volume as to not awake his roommates. 

He was talking about his brother's new girlfriend. She was a plain, if a little ugly, looking brunette. She had thin lips that honestly looked like she had swallowed a lemon. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, almost leaping out of the socket. Ace had no idea what he saw in her and how she managed to compare to Ace. 

Ace looked at the top of his phone and saw how close might was. Only a minute left. Maybe his brother would post something sappy about them? Maybe he would magically have the gift delivered? Or maybe he would call him! 

Ace counted down the seconds until midnight, until he would become older, to see what his big brother would do for him. Do for them. 

00:00:00 23rd September. The clock struck midnight and when Ace refreshed his brothers page all hope died within those few precious seconds. 

His brother had posted a picture of him and his girlfriend together, arms around one another, smiled wide, with the caption saying “Always mine, nothing can compare.” 

Ace stared at the for a few more moments. Maybe it was masochism that made him stare at the picture more. Maybe it was simply so he could give himself the opportunity to gather his thoughts. But every time he looked at that picture- at that caption, he felt lost and confused, scared and angry, tearful and regretful. 

‘Two can play that game,’ thought ace viciously as he took out his necklace from underneath his hoodie. He had kept it, even after all these years, after every lie, every missed promised, every cold shoulder. 

He cast an illusion spell to make the necklace look as if it was broken, as broken as their bond, and took a picture. His hands shook as he typed out his caption before posting it, closing his phone and placing it back on charge. He could see the phone cover that his brother had brought him before. How when he had found about Ace wanting to apply for a basketball team, he had actually bothered to buy him something related to that.  

He would have to switch out his phone case soon. 

He looked back at the necklace and put it back on, hiding it behind his hoodie again. No matter how angry or betrayed with his brother, he could never break it. Lie about breaking it, sure? 

After all, every lie needs to have a little truth in it somewhere, doesn’t it? 

[twstinginthewind]

Wild Carder, Punch Carder, Joker Carder, who’s next, Credit Carder?

In all seriousness, I love the little puns you have with the carder family and their names!

Thank you! I'm glad you're having fun with them too. 🥰 I haven't *officially* introduced Wild's sister Busy (short for Business) Carder, nor their parents, Faro and Canasta (both named for special playing card decks). Also, momma Recipe Carder's maiden name is Bookington, and her brother, Vennie (Venue) has a slightly punny name as well, and he had his silly name long before I learned Vil's dad's name.

Not a Carder but named for a marked card, my personal take on Anippola (Ace's big bro) is named Marc.

Lorne's name is not exactly a pun, but he's named for lorem ipsum, the Latin nonsense text that's used as a placeholder in typesetting.

Sadly, the only other named family members I have for other OCs aren't punny. Hiro's family has parents Jenny and Charlie, big sister Naomi, and nephew Robbie. Bobby's mother is named Missy. Sia and Mia's grandmother is Sara. And Nana's dad is Tosh! Poor Jon and Lorne don't have any named relatives yet. Hopefully I can go a little silly with them...

[trappolia]

YK WHO ELSE MIGHT STRONGLY DISAPPROVE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP???,

MALLEUS (Simp) DRACONIA

I'm spreading the MalleYuu agenda wven here:)

But he also may be happy for his friend but yeah

you know the nrc beef is crazy when the crown fae prince of the valley of thorns is DIRECTLY involved