#headspace! leona

[nemisisnemi]

Finally done after 14+ hours 🥲

tried my best to make this a loop

Reposts not allowed!!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I don’t know if you already wrote about this so forgive me if this is a repeat question but, what do you think about Leona’s depression? I feel it’s pretty obvious in game and yet it’s always glossed over as him being ‘lazy’ idk but I don’t find many talking about his really shitty mental health with any seriousness.

Surprisingly I haven't addressed this (at least not in detail)! So thank you for bringing this to my attention; I definitely feel like I've heard people (especially Leona fans) discuss this quite frequently. If you look in the right places, you’re sure to find insightful commentary on the subject! I know I certainly have, but I've yet to say my own piece on it yet.

Now, before I actually get to actually rambling, I want to preface this post with a few points so we can walk in knowing the perspective I'm coming from. Analysis isn't a "one size fits all"! My experiences and background will color the lenses through which I view Leona’s mental health.

First and foremost, I usually don't go out of my way to claim, "this character has X condition" beyond what is outright stated or implied in canon. That does NOT mean that I disapprove of fans who may have their headcanons that say otherwise or project onto or relate to characters' mental health. You can consume the media you like however you want! I am just saying that I don't have this preference so I feel somewhat uncomfortable speaking on this matter.

Secondly, I am trying to approach this situation from a very clinical viewpoint (as I do have knowledge in this area). This means that when I look for “implications” or read between the lines, I am doing so as objectively as I can. It’s how I choose to process and understand characters from a health angle. This does not mean that my opinion is certain; you could very well find someone else in this area that gives you the opposite opinion. As always, I warn you that my response is for fun, it is NOT meant to be taken as medical advice.

Lastly, PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST before you comment or share your own thoughts. I'm up for having a discussion, but I ask that you not do so without getting the full context of my thoughts. It’s a lot of information, and I did my best to break it down in a way that (I hope!!) is easy to understand.

CONTENT WARNING: due to the nature of the question at hand, I will be discussing or mentioning potentially triggering topics such as ***depression, suicidal ideation, dieting, homophobia, and substance abuse.*** Please look away if you are not in the right headspace to read about such topics.

Okay, let's rip the band-aid off now: I don't think Leona is clinically depressed.

Pause. Rewind. Take note of my careful wording there: clinically depressed. I don't think Leona is clinically depressed. What does that mean, and how does that relate to "being depressed"?

I think when people describe Leona as "depressed", they commonly mean that he "has depression", not that he is just feeling sad or has low self-esteem. By "having depression", I'm going to assume they are referring to "major depressive disorder", which is the technical term for the condition.

"It's just an abbreviation of the longer term. What's the issue with using 'depression'?” you're probably wondering. “You understand that we mean major depressive disorder.” Well, equating the two does NOT a diagnosis make.

Mental conditions such as major depressive disorder are documented in a handbook known as the DSM (or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). The latest version, the DSM-5-TR (5th edition with text revisions), was published in 2022. The DSM is a manual that sets forth criteria for each diagnosis in its pages. Of course, this includes major depressive disorder—and it may surprise you to learn that Leona does not meet its diagnostic criteria.

A diagnosis of "depression" (the term I will henceforth be using as shorthand for the disorder) is much more than having persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, being unmotivated/lazy, and wanting to sleep often. (I bring up these three things specifically because they are the ones I see being pointed at most frequently to “prove” the diagnosis.)

In order to be formally diagnosed, an individual must be experiencing at least 5 or more of the following symptoms during the same 2-week period:

Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.

Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day.

Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.

A slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movement (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).

Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.

Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly every day.

Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day.

Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.

At least one of the symptoms should be either 1) depressed mood or 2) loss of interest or pleasure in activities they previously found enjoyable. Furthermore, the symptoms must cause what is known as "clinically significant distress", which is defined by impairment in important areas of functioning. This includes, but is not limited to, socialization, occupation, and/or education. The symptoms must also not be the result of substance abuse or another medical condition, and the individual must ever have experienced mania or hypomania.

Let’s briefly go through each criterion + additional documents and see what evidence there is or isn’t to support it:

We do not have his medical records to cross reference, so for the sake of convenience let’s assume no underlying or additional medical conditions.

We must consider additional context about family, lifestyle, etc. which can confound his symptoms. For example, as a prince, Leona has grown up having most things done for him by servants. This is what he is used to. So when we observe Leona not doing basic things for himself (getting food, doing laundry, making his bed), how much of this can we truly attribute to an underlying condition and how much of this can we attribute to Leona being accustomed to a certain kind of lifestyle?

Leona (at least from what we know of) does not experience mania, nor is he depicted as taking mind or behavior altering substances.

Of the first two criteria, Leona must fit into one: either 1) depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, or 2) markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day. These depend on how you interpret his actions and behaviors. Personally, I don’t think Leona strongly fits into 2 because he still has an interest in his hobbies like Magift/Spelldrive and playing chess (though his involvement in it varies depending on the context). I will concede that there is stronger evidence for 1 over 2, as Leona has definitely expressed sadness and despair regarding himself and his future prospects. It is these thoughts that drive him away from home and keep contact with his family at a minimum. It is these thoughts that prevent him from seeing himself as worthy or even capable of change—a sentiment he shares in book 6, when he encourages Jamil but does not grant himself the same kindness or optimism. For this reason, we will go with the first criterion.

He has not experienced notable weight loss nor gain, nor a notable increase or decrease in appetite. Regarding his general diet, Leona has expressed a preference for meat and rejects vegetables. This by itself does not really provide any useful information in of itself; many people have this preference.

Leona does not experience a slowing down of thought. He is still very sharp and quick-witted in responding to his surroundings, especially in potentially dangerous ones, and coming up with an appropriate plan to counter. It can be argued that Leona has had a reduction in physical movement, as many characters often make remarks about how they perceive him as lazy or not doing much. However, this criterion actually refers to the speed at which one completes an activity and as far as I know, Leona is not said to be moving sluggishly, he only conducts himself in a manner that can be described as "lazily elegant". Even if we stretched the definition to encompass long-term goals he is putting off (like graduation), this criteria is still not counted for Leona since the wording used in the DSM-5-TR states “slowing down of thought AND reduction in physical movement” must be present. In other words, both must be true, not just one of them.

Leona does seem to experience some level of fatigue or loss of energy. This could be one way of interpreting his desire to sleep excessively instead of tending to more meaningful matters (like class). Fatigue, in this case, can also refer to emotional or mental fatigue. The sleep, then, can serve as a means of escape from reality for Leona, but it does not indicate actual physical tiredness. Rather, the tiredness can be intangible. This is also a potential explanation for his lack of motivation when it comes to some activities, especially those that demand him to take charge.

Leona does appear to experience feelings of worthlessness, though perhaps not excessive or inappropriate guilt. In fact, I would wager Leona does not demonstrate the latter, although this could be attributed to the fact that we are not in his head and he does not open up to others about his feelings. For example, we still don't know what his feelings are on almost killing Ruggie in a fit of rage. This does not discredit this criterion though, as the wording in the DSM is “feelings of worthlessness OR […] guilt” meaning one or the other suffices. It is no secret that Leona seeks recognition for his skills—something he was denied as a child and even put down for. While he is aware of his strengths, he has moments when he doubts himself (stating that he can’t change, or giving up when he realizes his plans won’t work so what’s the point in trying?), the contributions he can make (even when his older brother reassures him he can help their country), and encouragement from others (Jack telling him his play inspired him).

As I've said before, Leona does not have a diminished ability to think or concentrate. It has been shown to us time and time again that he doesn't do schoolwork not for lack of trying or lack of understanding, but because he thinks of himself as above it. Leona has already been tutored by the finest teachers royal money can buy, so he believes there is not much else for him to learn. He is also not shown to be indecisive--he can make decisions very quickly and can guide others or at least convince them to go along with him.

Leona does not have suicidal ideation or have recurring thoughts of committing suicide/death. While it's true that this is a game rated for ages 4+ (and therefore has restrictions on what content is and is not allowed in it), TWST has demonstrated to us that there are ways to imply suicidal ideation and other dark themes without explicitly saying it. (One notable example is Idia in late book 6, where he drops lines like "I'll go with you" and expresses dissatisfaction with "this world" to Ortho, who is known to be dead. To this, Ortho reassures him and encourages him to keep living. In fact, I could go on a whole tangent about how Idia better fits the criteria for major depressive disorder, but we're not going to get into that here.) The fact that TWST does not really imply this about Leona makes me think this is not true of him.

It can be said that the symptoms Leona does have are clinically significant, as his behavior is shown to have significant impact on his studies to the point where he was held back a grade. This was not because he did not know the material, but because he failed to find the motivation to attend class and to do his assignments. It also appears that Leona didn't really make an effort to work toward his future until book 7, when he actually talks his internship plans and about wanting to graduate.

We may guess that the symptoms persisted for two weeks or more (given Leona’s history and involvement in the main story), but the frequency of the symptoms is unclear since the game controls what we see of Leona and what we don’t.

Taking all of that into consideration, Leona does in fact exhibit depressive symptoms, but only 3 at most (I say “at most” because we have no idea about the true frequency at which some behaviors occur; we aren’t with Leona 24/7, nor has he reported it to us) out of the 8 total criteria. That’s 2 short of a diagnosis.

“But wait, there’s a lot of information missing here! We don’t have medical records, his weight and appetite changes, etc.” That’s true—but see, the main issue I take with diagnosing fictional characters in the first place is that we oftentimes do not know a character in detail enough to understand the full scope of their lives and symptoms. Noticing a few details is one thing and valid to an extent, but to evaluate an individual is not purely observational. This is particularly true for TWST characters, as even though there is plenty of content to refer back to for behavior, there is still a lack of really going into daily activities or deep feelings (beyond the one post-OB flashback for the OB boys). We cannot observe their behavior extensively. Because of this, tons of key criteria may not be visible to us from the audience’s perspective, let alone a medical history or other data to consider for assessment. We will almost always have an incomplete profile of a fictional character. Health is holistic and not entirely based on what we as individuals see or on all anecdotal evidence.

Just as health considers all parts of the individual, we, too, must consider individual cases of depression. It is possible for depression to exist without a diagnosis—many people (especially older adults), unfortunately, go undiagnosed for their condition. At the same time, it is possible for Leona to have depression which manifests in an atypical way. Each person with depression presents differently than the last, so I so not intend to make any blanket statements about the general population with this condition. The only statement I am making here is that based on my own interpretation of the current lore TWST has granted is, Leona Kingscholar does not satisfy the criteria for a formal clinical diagnosis, at least not for major depressive disorder as is defined by the DSM-5-TR.

Interestingly, Leona does fit the diagnostic criteria for a subclinical form of depression in a 1994 version of the DSM (IV). Minor depression or minor depressive disorder, colloquially known as “everyday depression”, is defined as having 2–4 depressive symptoms persisting for more than 2 weeks. One of these symptoms must be either depressed mood or loss of interest. It should be noted that this terminology is no longer recognized, as new information is added and dropped from the manual all the time. The information is flexible based on the consensus of a panel of hundreds of experts. Older versions of the DSM can be horribly outdated and it is not advised to reference them over newer ones. (As an example, "homosexuality" was legitimately listed as a mental illness in the very first version of the DSM. Yikes. Thankfully, this was dropped from the DSM-II. Other conditions like "multiple personality disorder" are granted new names like "dissociative identity disorder" or reworked altogether as our studies and understanding of mental health and science improve. It is important to keep up with the research coming out and update our approaches accordingly.)

We do not currently have a label for Leona’s situation aside from perhaps experiencing depressive episodes (periods of notable sadness lasting under 2 weeks) and exhibiting some depressive symptoms. I must stress that just because we lack a full-blown diagnosis, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t impact his life. Leona is shown to very clearly be struggling with his mental health. He spends a lot of time in bed, typically cannot be motivated to attend class or do complete assignments, and has moments where he thinks very lowly of himself in spite of the confidence he exudes to others. What's more is that because Leona does not speak to others about what he's going through, it comes off as laziness or arrogance to his peers. Think of it this way: if you have a bad day and snap at a stranger or an acquaintance, the stranger/acquaintance is far less likely to grant you grace or forgiveness for your behavior compared to, say, a friend. They are not as familiar with you, so they will have less patience and are less likely to consider what you may be going through on a personal level. This also applies on a fandom level; if a fan is not actively reading between the lines, they, like Leona's peers, may miss the depressive symptoms he is displaying because they aren't looking for it. How many people can we say are close friends with Leona for him to open up to them about his circumstances? I would say Leona barely even lets his own dorm members be intimate enough with him to let them know about this part of himself. He has Savanaclaw backing him, but he probably does not talk to the mobs extensively. Ruggie is his errand boy, but I doubt Leona pours his heart out to him. And Jack is the newbie who did technically betray their dorm, so Leona might not trust him. Forget about people beyond his dorm. Even his family is not much better off; we've seen that Leona tends to brush off his brother's friendliness and attempts to make amends. There is no strong support system in place for him, which is tricky because Leona perpetuates it by keeping others at bay. In the light novel adaptation of book 2, Leona has an inner monologue about how he is afraid of letting others give him hope because it will encourage him to try again, only to fail another time. I imagine similar logic applies here; he is afraid of showing his vulnerable side because it might give him hope for change when he as late as book 6 expresses that he has given up on himself. I think that this is the detail about Leona most look to when they consider his mental health. The hallmark of depression is, after all, the feeling of perpetual sadness and despair itself. Most do not realize that other factors are considered.

From a clinical lens, it is not “obvious" that Leona is depressed. However, I understand why the prevailing sentiment tends to skew in the opposite direction. For the layman, it may be difficult to distinguish what is and is not clinically significant enough to warrant an actual diagnosis. Again, most will cite the same three pieces of information to support the depression reading: Leona's irritability, his unwillingness to participate, and the rejection he experienced as a child (which has now manifested as self-doubt and low self-esteem). Characters are often judged based on fans' own experiences, and this naturally comes with biases and subjectivity. Thus, some fans may project their own understanding or preconceived notions of what the "typical" depressed person acts like in their head onto Leona. This is normal human empathy at play. I believe that other fans see depression in Leona either because they experience it themselves or are familiar with someone in the same shoes. It can be difficult, and at times we can find solace and solidarity in fiction, especially if we find a character that “speaks to us” and seems relatable. That character may be Leona for some people. If you see do see him in this light or relate to his situation, I’m not invalidating your feelings. On the contrary, I'm happy that you were able to find comfort in him and that a piece of media you love can serve as a coping mechanism. You keep on doing you!

It is at this point that I will reiterate what I said at the start with a little extra nuance: I do not think Leona clinically depressed BUT I do believe he has depressive symptoms and poor mental health as the result of his cumulative circumstances. It is possible for him to have major depressive disorder, but we cannot determine this for certain with the information available to us right now. We are still missing several key components that would typically be considered in the evaluation process.

I think it's important to step back from focusing on labels and instead focus on the individual experience, and how you can still grow as a person and not let a perceived label define you. Leona is definitely working on himself! Changing, particularly changing a deeply ingrained mindset, takes much time and effort. We may not see the progress since Leona tends to hide it and/or we have limited intractions with him. We may not always see giant strides because the process is difficult. Even so, Leona is trying to jump over those mental and emotional hurdles. He's putting his all back into Magift/Spelldrive training. He's attending classes and doing the assignments. He's going home for the holidays. He has an internship planned. He wants to graduate. I've enjoyed following Leona's journey of growth and self-development and seeing all the intense discussion surrounding that. It all comes from a place of love and wanting to support the characters we care about, no matter how we may individually view him.

[writingforatwistedworld]

The order fits into self aware au. How would Malleus, Jade and Leona react to an extremely caring reader?

Self-aware au

I do not take any responsibility for you reading this no matter which age group you are from!

WARNINGS: Yandere themes, obsession, possessiveness, manipulation, violence, murder, injuries, family problems, unhealthy relationship

Leona Kingscholar/Jade Leech/Malleus Draconia-Player is extremely caring

Let's be honest, Leona is a sucker for attention even if he doesn't show it

I mean, house cat over there was deprived of affection throughout his entire childhood so what did you expect? A healthy headspace? Haha no

So when he was sitting there, daring at the student who just stepped on his tail when he felt it for the first time

And at first it was not a great sensation

He always felt someone looking at him, watching him, him never being able to escape...

But after he also watched the black haired annoyance he soon understood what was going on... or at least he thought he did

Malleus and his little fanclu-I mean his “friends” were known for having a rather “interesting” interest in the Overseer and since that started they were saying that they were watching them

Ok so he has his own little pair of eyes staring at him no. Great great. No way he likes tho-WHY IS HE PURRING??!

Now that things have been going like that for a longer while he does notice though that you treat him different than others

Whilst you would be like “may, I can wait with your spell material” you are with him “OUT OF THE WAY! I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF MY CAT!!!”

Whilst everyone is just trying to get a tiny bit of that attention and care he is just like “I have no idea what I did but I like it”

But I think I mentioned him being starved as a kid of attention and care from his family and his general surroundings, right?

Well it's going to show right here, right now

Whilst he basis in what you give him like sunbathing he is more or less just terrorizing others

If someone dares to try to get close to him so that they might get some of his cake he will create a new sand pit

Even though his family doesn't know Leona is aware that they would be at least thankful that his magic doesn't leave any trace to follow at the scene of the crime

Just keep that attention up! Otherwise he might just snap and make short process with everyone

Confusion. Just confusion (at first at least)

Here he is, hat stand extravagance, witnessing how an all-knowing entity starting down on them is especially caring towards him

I mean, it all started on the day that exchange student ran after their friends after they got entangled in a contract with Azul

At first he thought you hated him

You were known as someone who was for fair contracts

And danger noodle over here knows that Azul plays dirty

Like “dumping mineral oil into the sea” kind of dirty

Why else were you always sending him out there to “squeeze the fishies” (-Floyd Leech, the not-so-extravagant hat stand)?

Why else were you always staring at him when he was talking to Yuu?

You gushing about him and how much you liked and wanted to take care of him didn't even cross his mind

Well, until the team was defeated for the first time

Oh boy, you were angry

But you were even more concerned about him

S-so you were just caring for him? Ha...Haha... HAHAHA- (Don't forget to breathe, Jade)

Is he overjoyed about that? Yes

Does he play dirty to keep that care to himself? Absolutely

The next time you see an NPC they might be a bit silent and avoid you

Jade is good at collecting dirt on people, you know?

Aww how cute! We like the lighter!

Jokes aside, Malleus knew immediately that you were there even though he wasn't present in the prologue ceremony

So when Lilia came home that night he just bursted through the front door, doorknob in hand, yelling words about the Overseer

The general had to calm down so that the "young" fae could finally understand what the was saying

Ah, so you were here... WAIT WHAT??!

But then... *sad dragon fae noises*

Why? Well he thought he was either so boring that you left him alone or that you avoided him because you disliked him

I mean, imagine, the one being you always looked up to, thinking they understood you to some degree, is now staying far away from you

But then why were you always heading into battle with him? And why were you so angry the first time he had an elemental disadvantage?

When you finally had enough material you shoved that straight down his throat, saying something about “can't let him get hurt” and “not this pretty nifty little thing!”

So... you liked him? Why were you avoiding him then? ... You know what? He won't ask

That doesn't mean it's good for his ego though

Whenever he sees the house cat in the garden he just has that expression that literally screams smugness

But if someone dares to say that you don't care for him?

Roasted chicken my friend. Roasted chicken

His letters to his granny are now always filled with “how kind and caring the Overseer is” and “if there is a spell to get you here”

... You know what is waiting for you, right?

[alieinthemorning]

TOUCHED STARVED LEONA WITH VERY PDA AFFECTIONATE FEM!READER AAAAAA

A Familiar Touch [Leona Kingscholar]

Content: Touch-Starved, Fluff, Emotional Hurt and Comfort, Soft Leona Kingscholar

Pronouns: None

Reblogs: Let me know that you enjoy my work and want to see more, so don’t forget to like and reblog (and comment in the tags. I love seeing people’s rambles in the tags)!

This work’s concepts, plot and original characters are my own which means I do not allow any sort of creative theft nor do I allow my work to be entered into any sort of A.I. bots. Thank you for respecting my space and boundaries.

How long had it been since someone had run a brush  through his hair? Gently undoing each and every knot and tangle. Who hummed a tune that was different from the one from before, yet familiar all the same.

He felt like a cub again, and honestly?

He didn't like what feelings that dredged up.

However, he also couldn't bare to remove himself from such bliss.

Call him selfish, he didn't care.

Chartreuse eyes open to find your own closed, a soft smile gracing your features with the sunlight from the open blinds of his balcony haloing you.

You were beautiful.

"Sounds like you're thinking pretty hard there." Your voice cut through his thoughts.

He was glad that your hands were in his hair and not on his face because he couldn't keep himself from flushing.

He sighed, tail thumping against the sheets. "You're imaginin' things."

"Sure, sure..." You paused, then asked. "Are you thinking about home?"

He froze.

Seven, you were too perceptive for your own good.

And he had already confirmed your suspicions by freezing up like damn prey.

He pulled himself up, showing you his back (putting up some kind of wall between the two you).

You placed a hand on his back, however, completely disregarding his weak attempt at closing you off.

"Talk to me."

His eyes slid close as his body leaned forward. Elbows on his knees and head in his hands. Your body followed him.

"When I was little my mother would always brush my hair before bed. She would take her time and hum this little tune and just..." He trailed off, losing himself in the feelings of those memories.

He didn't like thinking of is ma. It brought up too much to the surface. Too much that he refused to sort through.

Too much about her.

Too much about his father.

Too much about his brother.

Too much about how much he has lost.

"Leona." One again, you pull him from that headspace. "I hope I'm not over stepping but..."

"I'm so happy that I'm you trust me with things like this."

He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "'Course I trust you with this.'

"I love you."

Guess who's feeling better from the Big Ick?

It's me (i've been up for 3 hours lmao)!

Anyway, this took forever and I didn't end up using the other two requested traits of: short and bubbly, but hey we got touch-starved (did we tho?????)

We got something nice and soft and that's all that matters uwu

Ko-Fi | Commission | Masterlist

[frenchfrywrites]

Kinktober Day 3

Knotting

MINORS DNI

dom top amab gn beastman reader, sub bottom trans man Leona, knotting, heats/ruts, mention of piss.

You're still getting used to how affectionate Leona gets when he's knotted during his heat.

He's got his face nuzzled into your neck, licking your scent gland with his rough tongue, all tight and slick around your swollen knot, purring like he's in heaven.

Running your hand through his long hair, Leona nips your neck gently before lifting his head out of your shoulder.

"How're you feeling?" you ask, tucking some of his sweat soaked hair behind one of his ears, and scratching behind them.

"Good," he rumbles, looking down where the two of you are connected, "you?" He's made it clear that he's upset that your rut wasn't triggered when he went into heat. He hadn't said it out loud, but you know he feels bad that he's so needy and clingy when you're not in the same headspace. Lucky for him, you know you can keep up.

"Oh baby," you smile, kissing his scarred cheek, "I'm feeling great with you on my knot," Leona moans softly, tilting his head to kiss your lips properly.

"Feels good," he mumbles against your mouth. You hum, rocking your hips into him,

"Tell me more, kitten," you urge, feeling lust sink it's way back into your loins already. With the way Leona's pussy has started leaking slick onto your cock, you can tell he's in a similar state.

"You're deep, and- and stretching me- it's good- you're going to knock me up, yeah?" he says it like it's a question. You dig your claws into his hips and Leona keens.

"Course, I'm gonna knock you up kitty, gonna give you cubs," you promise. His eyes flutter shut, and he sticks his face back into your neck, inhaling your scent deeply.

"Going to..." he pauses for a moment, letting out a shuddering breath, "piss in me?" he practically whispers. You moan, but it comes out sounding more like a growl.

"Yeah baby, you want that?" he's nodding before you can continue, "I'll piss in you, keep it deep in you, fill up your womb with it, keep it plugged up in you with my knot," Leona lets out a pleased hum.

"Thank you," he mumbles softly, so quiet you can barely make it out, and fuck if that ain't the hottest response he could've given you. Despite being stuck together via your knot, you still attempt to thrust your hips into him. Leona whines, bringing a hand down to sloppily play with his clit.

"Fuck, I'm close," he whines, pressing himself to you like he wants to be stuck together forever. You lean in to mouth at his scent gland, which overwhelms you with the scent of pleasure and desperation. Grazing your teeth against him is what sets him off.

He cums around your knot with a choked moan of your name. You sink your teeth into his skin, nearly finding your own climax when he squeezes and twitches around your knot. You can't wait for it to deflate so you can return to pounding him into the mattress like he so desperately needs.

[twisted-wonderland-but-gayer]

I always loved the time loop theory because of the angst potential for yuu/mc. I feel it would make the most sense for the loop would start after yuu comes to twst.

So yuu is currently stuck in a loop for who knows how long, but what happens when they figure out the truth? Or when they break free from the loop? If they find a way back home?

It would all be different. Only nrc is affected so if yuu ever finds a way back, depending on how many loops they went through, maybe it’d be like 10 years? 20? 50? Idk I just can’t help but think of how angsty that would be.

For yuu, they’d be there for about a year, only to come home and see that the world has moved on without them, their friends and family accepted long ago that they will never find out what happened to them.

Coming home to see their parents much older, if they had any younger siblings, they’re now older than yuu. Their friends now grown up and living out their lives. Older relatives/family long gone…

There’s just a lot of ideas with this time loop theory that I love to look into

Oooh yess and there's a few lil ideas/twists i also thought of to add onto this! Especially with book 7 where you can see in peoples dreams. Minor spoilers? Just in case

Imagine a Yuu that talks to the seven in their dreams/the mirror. I mean they're getting dreams from somewhere right? Something something, a deal where Yuu has to bring them intel or help them get a body in exchange for their help/powers/whatever. Them coming back from the dead in the mirror after each failed attempt to save everyone. All of them saying some form of "you cant save everyone kid" just for Yuu to say they will and try again stubbornly.

Imagine in book 7 when everyone sees Yuus 'dream' which is just them in their headspace begging the 7 for just one more chance cause they got so close to saving everyone this time and getting them their bodies back. The shock of Yuu knowing the seven and what they've done to try to save them.

A yuu realizing throughout each time loop that they are the reason they can't save everyone. For everyone to have a happily ever after they must die or bargain. Maybe they can erase themselves from everyone's memories afterwards so it doesn't hurt as much.

Grim insists there was someone else in his exclusive dorm. Deuce swears he learned this studying technique somewhere but doesn't remember... Ace knows there's someone missing in the crowd at his game... hmm. Cater looking at some class photos and there's an empty space... Characters like Jamil or Riddle or Leona swearing they had someone to talk to and they're not there...

Bonus if they slowly remember them or see their shadow wandering about. How they try to follow or talk or reach out to them but they're not there. (been playing DDV and something very similar happens there so this could be a thing in TWST too and even be related to the seven...)

A Yuu on their last leg about to attempt something drastic in their next loop, hands shaking as they steel themselves to fight at the entrance ceremony.

A Yuu who's dream happily ever after is to die.

A Yuu that accumulated so much blot through time loops they're dying from it– they're the final boss. The blot itself. Yet, despite their overblot form and all the destruction at their fingers tips, they just sit there between it all, wanting to relax in their final moments.

An overblot Yuu that's being puppeteered and forced to fight against their friends even though it's so painful...

An overblot Yuu whose final attack is to latch onto someone– anyone– to hug in their final moments.

A Yuu that just wants to be understood throughout each loop.

And maybe DDV Yuu themself. Someone that was forced to be a ruler at such a young age that they never had enough time to be a child– seeing that child in their dream having to manage a whole kingdom and being relied on for everything and all the terrible mistakes their kid self made when they just wanted to dissapear and even how some members of the seven treated them so horribly. Their magic comes from helping others and yet they can't help themself.

[bunni-v1]

Hey !! So idk if this is really a writing request, it’s more of a question actually but I jus read ur little headcanon series thing about the twst boys finding out ur a girl and i was wondering, what do u think happened between mc and Jamil during his overblot? Bc there was a couple mentions about like Jamil n mc never really getting on good terms and like Ace and Deuce keeping mc away from him a bit. Is that reference to like how Jafar was to Jasmine??

Sorry this is long and if you’ve already answered this somewhere but yah, that’s all, jus curious on ur thoughts !!

Hi! Asking questions is completely cool for me, I love questions?

As for your actual question, you're pretty much on the nose. Yeah, I imagine it's more like a Jafar-Jasmine situation with them. Honestly, regardless of the gender, I've always preferred a more Jafar-Jasmine dynamic over what's actually done in the chapter.

Now, I'm not saying he's nearly as rapey as Jafar is. Jamil isn't the type of person to go that far, even if he's not in a good headspace. Still, he's not in a good headspace at all, and his actions aren't going to be fully his own.

I imagine it goes down like this: Jamil separates the MC from their friends, keeping them at his side like a sick trophy. He makes some no-so-subtle flirty comments toward them, makes them bow down and worship him, and is generally really discomforting. Nothing too forceful, but enough that the average person wouldn't want to be around him anymore than needed.

For him, it's not that he's particularly interested in the MC, it's just that he likes the power he has over them. They're objectively very weak compared to him. They're also valuable to the people he's angry with, so keeping them as his own is a power trip. Watching them bow and squirm in discomfort is a power trip. That is all it is: power.

On top of all of that, he was just... deceptively kind. Something I'm posting later this week will go into this deeper, but he was just... well a snake the whole time. Unlike the other overblotees before him, he actively lied and manipulated everyone. The others, even Leona, didn't pretend to be a good and nice person, but Jamil did.

So yeah, it's a whole Jafar-Jasmine situation, but it's more Jamil-flavored.

[writingseaslugs]

im not sure if i should field this as a request since it's more of a general question, but i would love to hear your thoughts: of our favorite boys (read: all of them), who do you think are the surprisingly good rappers? (i am listening to Low as we speak and im thinking of the boys singing along with it and i fully blame the fact i haven't had much sleep) personally i think: floyd (he has the energy, i can sense it), sebek (idk something about him just calls to me and tells me this is right), maybe leona (if he's in the right headspace), and idia for sure (tho the boy probably would be mortified if anyone heard him but i firmly believe he could preform Rap God without missing a beat) but what do you think? sorry if this is a weird thing out of the blue...

Bruh this has me ROLLING. Aight, let’s goooooo!!!!!

Would be capable of reciting Eminem’s “Rap God” no problem, even the fastest part. Aka they can rap and they do it well. Could also freestyle and make it sound good.

Floyd, Idia, Lilia, Ruggie, Jamil, Ace, Rook

Could technically rap, but they refuse to do it. They’re capable of it, but they aren’t gonna vibe with it.

Trey, Jade, Leona, Vil, Sebek

Thinks they can rap but they’re stumbling over words. They tried and they’re having fun so give them a round of applause.

Kalim, Cater, Deuce

Tries to rhyme Orange with Door hinge when asked to rap then gets embarrassed and never thinks about it again. I’m sorry, not everyone is perfect but we still love you.

Malleus

They absolutely cannot rap, but that’s not gonna stop their dorm members from recording a long ass rant you’re giving out and making a horrible remix and speeding up your voice so it sounds like a rap.

Riddle, Azul

Rapping? Rhyming really fast to a beat? Oh…that’s cool but I’m not doing it.

Jack, Epel, Silver

He’s CHEATING but that rap is a bop so we’re gonna let it slide.

Ortho

[pillowbeast]

If anyone has any, y'all should send in questions about Leona, in that "I want to answer questions about a specific subject" kinda headspace atm :3

[nemisisnemi]

The only constant...is angst (and also the bandage on his eye)

Here are the closeups for the different Leonas from the animation

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I always repeat it but I truly love the way you write Leona ☹️ you portray not only his personality but also his inner thoughts and how he processes information around him so well... I love all your writings but specially your Leona related works (sorry for being very much biased)

I hold your Leona interpretation so close to my heart 🤲💛 I often see a lot of mischaracterization (and I kind of get it- he's hard to decipher sometimes), so seeing such a good portrayal that I feel encapsulates his whole being is so important to me ☹️☹️

[Not sure if this is feedback in response to a particular writing piece I did, but just in case, this Leona interaction was the most recent one before receiving this ask.]

cbjddbwkkeoqhd Thank you!! I try to do the same thing Yana did when first conceptualizing the Twst characters… I try to put myself in their shoes and wonder what it must be like to be them in a given situation. The example Yana provided in one interview was something along the lines of, The poison apple didn’t want to be poisonous, but the Evil Queen forced it to. How did that make the apple feel? I want to think about not only how someone would speak, but also about their body language, their thoughts, their emotions, previous interactions in similar scenarios, their life experiences, their goals, their strengths and their flaws, how those can color their perception of others and the world--everything that makes up a character! I also aim to make my dialogue distinguishable, even if there's no name attached to it. If you can swap out several other character's names and the dialogue still works, then the intended character's voice isn't coming through strong enough and I rewrite it from scratch. If I write "You've earned my brother's respect," that's not good enough for me. It has to be “Oh, would you look at that. You’ve gone and earned my dear onii-sama’s respect and admiration. How good for you," to properly convey Leona's sarcasm and haughtiness.

The Twst characters are all very complex and multifaceted (particularly those we're given the most detailed backstories about *stares at the OB boys*), and there's also tons of content to comb through between the all the characters, main story, vignettes, events, and additional materials (interviews, art books, mangas, light novel, etc.). As a result, it can be easy to overlook elements of a particular character or to simplify/condense characters--either making them the extreme of being too cruel or the other extreme of being too kind--to make them easier to write. It takes time to nail that characterization, so I encourage my fellow writers to keep trying ^^

To speak a little more about writing Leona! It's honestly hard because you have to balance his arrogance with his lack of motivation and his depression-like beliefs about himself without whiplashing between those components. He's also very intelligent, and those kinds of characters can be difficult to do, especially for inexperienced writers. Leona works in subtle ways to get what he wants, and you have to find a way to communicate that between himself and the reader, but not give away what he's scheming to the other characters involved, who are not in his headspace. Then, of course, there's that whole ongoing debate about whether Leona would treat women significantly "better" than men (which is a topic worthy of a whole separate discussion post; I won't get into that here since it would elongate this post by a ton)... There's several things to consider when writing him. If you enjoy my interpretation of Leona, then that makes me happy ^^ I genuinely do put forth a lot of effort to capture the characters in my writing, so it's nice when those efforts are recognized.

[somethings-monstrous]

System related rambling below the cut. Mostly just me trying to figure out who is up and what is going on -🐍

I don't know who is up right now, but

They're depressed

They want a cigarette

They like the color red

They hate the color green

They like that we got shit done today

They hate the housemate (passionately)

They remember and miss our ex

They don't want to talk to anyone

They feel very alone and unwanted/unaccepted

...I get the feeling it's Leo..but Leona isn't up with him and now I'm concerned. I don't think the twins have ever been up without each other. Also Leo has red eyes, which I didn't know...he is not happy. Lots of pacing in headspace (think giant lion pacing angrily and that's basically what is happening here).

Also found out that the headmate with a slightly British accent is named Olivia and she is another headmate that loves to clean and organize. Convincing these guys to take a break and not over-tax a body that is very much still in recovery is not the easiest.

[kiingsroar]

Okay, so I am finally getting into the headspace to talk about this. I love Leona's character so much because there is so much to unpack about his character and its easy to write him off as lazy and just uncaring when the its very much the opposite.

The truth is though, Leona had given up. When he first overblotted, that was kind of the final straw for him and everything he was holding in just caved in on him. I wish I still had that drabble I wrote for him, where he felt like he was trapped in an hour glass, the sand slowly burying him inside.

It took him overblotting to realize something in him needed to change. What I love about his dream, is that even though he knows being King isn't really what he's looking for, its what he thinks others expect from him in order to deserve and be awarded any kind of recognition.

He yells at Kifaji who mentions Farena and Leona says to never ever mention that name because it makes him sad. It is implied he killed his brother and Cheka ( illness so likely something like poison) but it sadden him to think about. and I think it was his subconscious knowing that while he may not be favorable to his brother, its not enough to want him dead.

The moment Leona wakes up, sacrifices himself to save Ruggie, and sees himself, the one he keeps buried deep down inside and he calls himself pathetic. This is something we all have to eventually when we are looking to change. We have to take a real look into ourselves, and see for ourselves how ridiculous we are being. And this is what Leona does, he's seeing first hand himself and he thinks he is pathetic. He's honestly disgusted with himself, and he learns that this is just a truth he has to accept. He won't ever be king. He judges everyone, believes they are beneath him but then he does nothing to prove himself. So protective of hurting his pride, he's scared to try anything for fear of failing. His own pride has held him back for so many years. and its telling how he can tell others to dig into themselves, and help them see what they need to do to move forward but he struggles with doing it himself. he is a hypocrite in that respect. and he sees it and he hates it.

The way his subconscious literally had Kifaji there, challenging Leona every step of the way. Out of everyone, the one who's appearance is there the longest is Kifaji and it shows just how much Leona actually does care and value him. they might bicker, but Kifaji has been the only person in his home to treat him like a regular person. no special treatment, no tip toeing around him. He argued with him, he challenged him, he stayed with Leona despite how picky and unruly he was. He never gave up on him, and it showed Leona how he couldn't give up on himself. Its his step in the right direction, showing he can make a difference, he doesnt need a crown to do it. He says that no one can tell him what to do, where to live or how, he is the one who decides. that is his power.

[calmlyy-chaotiic]

This is a list of all of the known headmates in our system, and some info about them. Please keep in mind that more may develop in the future! (Using picrews instead of drawing due to lack of motivation)

(Picrew links: 1 and 2)

The Creator or just Creator (pronoun fluid), unlabeled everything. Creator is, as far as we can tell, a... younger version of us? She's an age slider who goes from around eight to sixteen, and she looks just like our actual body. She has yet to front on her own around others, and probably never will. Everyone else in the system is very protective of her. Her name came about because she created Leona, and because she was probably the first consciousness in our body.

(Picrew links: 1 and 2)

Axel (he/him), transmasc. Omnisexual/romantic. Axel is the most outgoing of us, but he still leans towards the introvert side and still struggles with anxiety. He is almost always in front if we're around other people or chatting online. He's also the main host of this blog, but the others might pop on from time to time, hence the "our" blog in the intro. He was most likely the second headmate to form- he and the Creator coexisted for a long time before Alex showed up.

(Picrew links: 1 and 2)

Alex (he/they), genderqueer opossum therian. Aromanitc, questioning sexuality. System persecutor. Starts a lot of conflicts with the other alters and seems to hold most of the system's jealousy/anger, so keep that in mind when talking to them! He rarely fronts when dealing with others, but they occasionally co-front with Creator/Axel/both. He gets VERY defensive about opossums, specifically about including them with other animals like cats and dogs. They were the third headmate.

(Picrew links: 1 and 2, second is slightly more accurate)

Leona (she/it/this or that thing), female but in the way a monster is female. Greysexual butch lesbian. Leona doesn't front much, and when she does it usually isn't great for us or it because she has energy levels and urges that the body can't act upon. This thing is partially OCkin, but it differs slightly from the source that we created. She is extremely protective, has very little filter, and is short tempered. It may use the blog to vent from time to time. Please be patient and mindful when interacting with her. She is extremely introverted, even within the system, and usually just keeps to herself within headspace. This thing only fronts if she gets too restless. It was the fourth headmate.

I can't find any picrews that fit Zig, but he's a large humanoid green dragon with red spines down his back. His face looks a little like an aligator's. Zig (he/him, swamp/swampself), male, physically nonhuman dragon. gay. Zig is the caretaker, and the most recent headmate. He is a fictive who had his own life before swamp (presumably) died and his consciousness was added to the system. Swamp ended up in front right after forming, and then proceeded to get all of us to settle down so the body could sleep. He's very calm and is very unlikely to lose swamps temper during discussions.

[willowwhispersspeakeasy]

Pssst. The dryad sent me

May I request! Twisted wonderland:

Reader suddenly breaking down about missing their home

With Floyd, Idia, Rook and Leona?

Thank you so much bartender♡

twst! mc has a breakdown

characters: Floyd Leech, Idia Shroud, Rook Hunt, Leona Kingscholar

warnings: gender neutral reader, hurt comfort, panic attack mention

Floyd

he'd be confused at first. your usually playful attitude switching on a dime. Floyd's no good at comforting people out of left field. if you ask him to give you some space he will do so, even though it'll put him in a sour mood.

he may wander his way back to your side after some time, handing you a plushie. you can't recognize what it is as its well worn and patched in may places. it smells vaguely like salt water.

Floyd sits with you and tells you the plushies name, and that it was a gift Jade gave him when they were very young. it isn't until after you've recovered from your headspace you realize just what Floyd fetched for you.

Floyd's not very good at regulating his emotions, or self soothing when hes upset. which explains why the poor plush is so beat up. but, Floyd goes to that plush when hes upset, and he handed it over to you in the hopes of it helping calm you down. (the patching is done by Jade, mostly. but Floyd's actually quite good and sewing when he wants to)

Idia

another one who's no good and comforting people. hes scared to ask what happened, instead letting you curl up on his bed and hide under his blankets. he has a nice weighted one for his anxiety he'll let you borrow.

he'll be quiet, give you space if you ask, or ask Ortho to walk you back to your dorm if you wanna go home. hes not pushy, but its because he's trying to distract himself and his nerves.

if you ask him for something like a hug he'll be hesitant, but agree. he holds you loosely, but if you clutch him tightly or hide your face in his chest he won't stop you. the kind to run a palm over your back and let you listen to his heartbeat to calm down.

Idia is likely to be a sympathetic cryer if the pair of you are particularly close. but he will sniffle it back and try and hide it. hes trying to be your strong, protective, and trust worthy side kick but hes never been much good at that role.

Rook

hes the best at comforting you out of these four by a long shot. hes very emotionally intelligent, and can tell if something is triggering your homesickness to much to border on a breakdown.

Rook will immediately change his behavior to suit your needs. hugs? as an outdoorsman hes much stronger than he looks and he gives amazing hugs. one hand on the back of your head, resting you against his chest to hear his heartbeat. he breaths deep and steady, encouraging you to match his breathing.

you want a distraction? he witnessed the most amusing exchange between Kalim and Jade the other day! let him tell you all about it~ hes happy to talk if his voice is pleasant to your ears or a suitable distraction. he can recite you poetry in French if you like.

if you're going to have a breakdown or even something as extreme as a panic attack Rook is a good option for help. hes non judgmental but able to not get distracted and focus on grounding you again. you may have a fleeting wonder of where he learned this though...

Leona

also no good at comforting people. Leona will hide it well but he panics as soon as you breakdown. he always runs away or sleeps off his problems, burying his own emotions deep down. I doubt Leona has had a proper cry since he was a cub.

may try to run away actually. attempting to leave you with Jack or Ruggie instead. asshole lion. but if the pair of you are particularly close, or if you clutch onto him, he won't have the heart to push you away.

probably flops down and pulls you into a hug. he won't speak unless you ask him to. you get to see some of his more feline behaviors while hes trying to comfort you.

he'll lick up your tears, you have no ears to groom but he'll still lick at your head. his hands will knead at your waist or your back, and his purrs are usually involuntary. they are all small things he does by instinct. ways his own mother used to comfort him as a cub when he was frightened or upset.

[pet-pet-peet]

For the 100 follower event, I would like a headcannon in which the fem! reader asks the dorm leaders, including Jamil to be her pretend boyfriend. But what happens if the boys fall in love for real? Super fluff, please! Thanks!💖

Ohohoho, I think I know you 👀 I saw the other user you requested this from~

Lolol, I hope you like my rendition, too!

(I wasn’t in too great of a headspace for this one, nothing in relation to the request, but it may reflect on my writing a bit)

100 follower event

200 follower event

Masterlist

Story: Your controlling family is coming over to stay with you while one of the twst boys is visiting, so you ask if he can pretend to be your boyfriend so they don’t get too weird about you having a guy friend (sorry I made it kinda angsty, but I wanted to give what I feel is a reason to ask this of someone)

Tw: Toxic karen parents, Azul’s goes into food stuff (counting calories, weight insecurity), I go a bit crazy with the Malleus section (it’s a bit trauma bond-y)

Pairing(s): Riddle, Leona, Azul, Kalim, Jamil, Vil, Idia, Malleus x female reader who asks them to be her pretend boyfriend (separate)

He understood very well; his mother is odd about him having any sort of friendship as well, so he agrees to help you

He plays his role quite well, but is noticeably pretty awkward about some actions; such as wrapping his arms around your waist or unprotected hand holding

He gets the hang of it, however, and becomes a very caring boyfriend! Except..he isn’t really

Your family believes your act, though you could tell that your parents were watching Riddle like a hawk, and they definitely noticed how awkward his actions were

Over the next few days, they try to get you in private to confront you about their concerns over your relationship

They even try to get Riddle into positions where he’ll do something they hope will convince you to break it off

When they call him short and make fun of his height, the whole thing escalated; he couldn’t stop his anger from getting out of hand as he verbally lashes out at them

They tell you that you need to leave him immediately because he’s verbally abusive, and Riddle thinks the whole thing is probably over

He felt a bit sad about it, the idea of not being able to hold you the way you two had the past few days hit him harder than he thought it would

Then you started to defend him, telling your family that they needed to stop antagonizing him or else they have to leave

They begrudgingly did the latter after another argument; Riddle knew he had to come up to you once they were gone and let you know how he felt, he wouldn’t feel right keeping it a secret from you

Leona didn’t get it, the first thing he asks is why you care so much about what your family thinks

It takes you telling him that it’ll make the whole experience easier for both of you, since he’s stuck with you until the date he and Crowley agreed on to open the portal again

He groans, begrudgingly agreeing with the teasing remark of “make sure you don’t go and actually fall in love with me~”

He’s his normal self, but slightly nicer to you and a bit more physical; much more subtle in his way of showing a relationship

He’ll hold your hand or put a hand on your back, but he mostly helps with things you need to do

Gets a bit annoyed at your family and isn’t afraid to show it, saying that they’re nosy very openly

While at first they seem to like him, that comment changed their whole demeanor on him and your relationship

They’ll tell you that he doesn’t actually care about you, and that he’s a toxic pig using you so he can laze around all day

He’s pissed, but you’re more pissed, arguing back that he’s helped you more in the days all of you spent together than they did; they got annoyed and left shortly after

Leona waits until the door is closed before wrapping his arms around your waist and putting his face against the back of your neck; you say that he doesn’t have to pretend anymore, he tells you “Then let’s stop pretending and make this real”

He’s very uneasy about the idea, not really wanting to get involved with your family matters, so you offer him a contract instead

If he pretends to be your boyfriend, you’ll do whatever he wants for a week; obviously he can’t deny it, since it’s very blatantly in his favor

He does his best to be super boyfriend, too, it’s insanely believable

He’s very uncomfortable around your parents, though, and of course they can notice his littlest flaws with how hard they stare at him

They somehow managed to notice how picky he is with his foods, how he asks you to keep track of the amount of calories you eat, etc.

They try to use this to convince you that he’s not a good partner, telling you that he can’t love you enough to make your own decisions with food

They really tick you off when they doubt his prior weight issues and they poke and prod at his insecurities

He was on the brink of telling you that your facade wasn’t worth enduring this, but for some reason it was very hard for him to actually say any of that; almost like he didn’t believe it

He understands why once you start to defend him, telling your parents they have no right to talk about him and his issues and experiences; he realizes how deeply he’s truly buried himself by these false feelings coming alive, loud and true

When your parents leave, he asks if he can rephrase his part of the contract: instead of doing whatever he wants for a week, he’d like if you can continue the relationship for real forever

He’s very down to do this, honestly happy to help you in any way

He’s very into it, asking to help you with dinner every night and giving you kisses on your head

Anytime you two sit together he’s holding you, not to mention all of the compliments and cute ‘good morning’s

Your parents would still try their best to claim he’s not good enough for you, claiming he’s “very clingy” in an otherwise casual conversation

Kalim doesn’t let it get to him, but he could tell that you were getting frustrated with them; through the whole facade, he became very in tune with your emotions

Honestly, the only thing that kept you from snapping at them for mistreating this sweet ray of sunshine is him being able to keep you down

You break one day when they really decide to go at him; it was obviously effecting him deeply and you couldn’t handle seeing that

You kick your parents out and comfort Kalim, who kept reassuring you that he was okay and that he was more worried for you

He’ll hug you close and thank you for defending him, but tell you he didn’t pay too much attention to them; that he was more worried about you and how you were feeling

He lets it out that he grew to care deeply for you through the days you were playing these roles, asking if you could continue your relationship

He asks why, a lot; will eventually give in with a lot of begging, though

He doesn’t take the role lightly; he cooks for you every night and indulges your family in conversation

Not much for showing physical affection, but he gives more headpats and doesn’t mind sitting closer to you

This doesn’t slip past your parent’s eyes, they take this and run with it like the toxic people they are

They like to request he do things like hug you or hold your hand, which makes him uncomfortable but he’s good at pretending he’s not and just laughs at them

Realizing this isn’t working, your parents decide to go a little more direct with you, telling you they don’t like how little he initiates affection

You tell them it’s honestly none of their business, and that it’s between you and him

They really don’t like that and an argument ensues that ends with Jamil humming and wrapping his arms around your waist from behind

He mockingly asks if they want to see you two make out, too; they get embarrassed and leave pretty quickly

When they leave, he doesn’t let go of you and instead asks directly if you would be interested in continuing things, clarifying that he doesn’t mind either answer

He understands your situation very well, and is fully capable and willing to fill in the role of your partner

He’ll help do your skincare in the morning with sweet laughs and flirtatious jokes bouncing between you both

Shows a lot of affection from the start; he’ll hold you from behind, whisper sweet nothings into your ears, kiss your temples

He at some point just starts getting into the role, not even regarding your family anymore- he just likes the feeling of domesticity the whole thing gave him

In this instance, I feel like your parents would focus their attention on you, knowing that they won’t be able to get under his skin as easily

They randomly bring up your choices in food, decorating, clothing; the last one being very annoying to Vil since he helped you pick your clothes out

He eventually, very kindly, tells them that their opinion is invalid; letting out that he loves you regardless and you love the choices you made in your life

Your parents stay the last dinner like they planned, very awkwardly, then leave to go home and you just sigh in relief

Vil helps you clean up, then brings you with him to the living room so you can watch some movies and get your mind off of things

He wouldn’t be very subtle when actually confessing, and didn’t even do so in an asking tone, more just directly tells you “you’ve put me under some charm these last few days, I’ve found myself completely falling for you.”

What? Why him? That’s all he thinks after you ask the question, and he lets you know that he has no idea how to be in a relationship

He’ll agree if you tell him it’s just when your parents are around, but he’s still pretty self conscious about it

He was very honest when he said he didn’t know what he was supposed to do, so most of the time he just does things you ask him to do; like help you with chores

On that same note, he’s also not good at showing through affection because it’s a territory he’s never explored; he’s also just very uncomfortable with it since he knows it’s not real

He does try, though, like when he gives you shy compliments and lets you hold his hand while playing games or watching anime

Your parents make a lot of snide comments about you not really even seeming like you’re in a relationship, which makes Idia freeze like a culprit caught in the act

You groan and tell them that it’s your relationship and you’ll be with whoever you want to, you don’t care that he’s shy

His heart goes doki-doki as he realizes that one of the main reasons he’s shy with you is because he has genuine feelings for you

Your parents end up staying their trip’s duration, learning not to mention anything about the relationship

When they leave, Idia grabs your sleeve and puts his hand in front of his mouth, blushing as he looks away and says “Can we..keep doing this? You wouldn’t mind me really being your boyfriend...right??”

He’s intrigued by the idea and accepts, it is to help you after all

Likes to do things with you, mostly things he can learn about your world; first thing’s first, you have to make sure he knows not to mention multiple worlds-

He has bouts where he’ll be more affectionate, and some where he’s not, but he plays his role very well

The problems start to arise more close to the end of your parents trip, when Malleus proudly displayed his horns

As much as you think he looks cool, it was a lot to explain to your parents- no, I’m not dating a demon, I’m dating a cinnabon

A huge fight breaks out, and at one point one of your parents tugs on his horn to see if it’s real- it doesn’t end well

You kick them out as Malleus keeps himself under control, apologizing to you that he didn’t anticipate something like this happening

You let him know it’s not his fault and apologize that one of your parents attacked him, asking if he was alright

He realizes how much you genuinely seem to care for him through the whole situation, and he smiles and kisses your hand

He says he’ll be fine as long as he can find a way to convince you to stay beside him