#krenenbaker’s :)

[krenenbaker]

I think I've mentioned this before, but I love the few little nods there are to Jamil having some sort of (likely chronic) pain. It's never explicitly stated that that's the case, but the fact that he massages his left arm whenever he sits down in your guest room,

and wears a brace on the same arm when playing basketball

both suggest to me that there's some pain there that he tends to keep hidden.

maybe I'm incorrect. but it wouldn't surprise me if Jamil had muscle and/or joint pain (maybe from an overuse injury or something similar?) that he doesn't talk about.

[da-birb-writes-sometimes]

Hi Dove!

I love love LOVE the theme of your event here - it's so cozy! Your mind is simply brilliant.

For this, may I request Rook with the prompt "Discovering old secrets" and the emojis 🎵 and 🖼 ?

If that has already been filled in some way, could I instead request Trey with the prompt "Warm mornings" and the emojis 🪴 and 🧇 ?

I forsee some absolutely beautiful pieces coming out of this event, and I hope you enjoy yourself! (Just don't work yourself too hard, okay? :) )

Discovering Old Secrets; Rook Hunt

Content; Gender-neutral reader, mutual pining but make it a strategy game

Word Count; 650+

Author's Note; You don't actually find what the old secret actually means, but that's a part of the fun. I hope you enjoy this playful Rook drabble!

As a reminder, do not put my work — or others for that matter — into AI as it steals. Link to Masterlist

You didn’t really know what to expect from Rook when he proposed going on a ‘vacances à la mer’. There was something other than teasing in his eyes; vulnerability. This wasn’t any run-of-the-mill cottage by the sea, no. It was less of a cottage and more of a villa… one of his family’s villas.  

This was a huge leap in your relationship status, as the two of you were having this game of sorts to see who would actually confess first. And so far, no one has yet come out to be the victor. Sure, it was silly and trivial, as you both liked each other, but it was more fun — on Rook’s end — and you were curious as to how long this could play out. It was a game of 4D chess, and the two of you were skirting around the other with no clear sign of when a checkmate would happen.

Perhaps you were finally getting closer to achieving this, after all, Rook is very cryptic when it comes to revealing any deeper information on him, or his background.

“Your head seems to be in the clouds, Trickster,” he chuckled, sending you a teasing wink. “Would you be kind enough to share?”

Well, he sent you a wink, not that you could really see it, as you were busy putting away some of the sparse belongings you had. “Not really,” you shot back, looking at him through the corner of your eye.

Rook was leaning slightly on the doorframe, hair pulled back into a low ponytail, and wearing beige linen pants and a white linen shirt. This was the most relaxed and casual you had seen him… it wasn’t a bad look. “You wound me,” he sighed, shaking his head, “my heart cannot take it!”

“Are you going to help me or just stand there?” What are you playing at, Rook?

Rook chuckled but slowly sauntered over, and started putting things away how you liked them. At first, it did creep you out that he knew how you liked to store your belongings, but he’s Rook and that’s just a Rook thing. And right now it was nice having an extra pair of hands; many hands make light work.

You bumped something off the shelf by accident, which Rook caught like it was nothing. Reflexes sharp as a knife… or one of his arrows you suppose.

“I haven’t seen this in years,” he mused quietly, turning over the painting that you had nearly sent crashing to the ground. Rook turned his gaze to you, a soft smile making the corners crinkle slightly. “This painting, mon chou, holds a secret…” and I believe you can unlock it. Rook gently handed the painting to you, his calloused hands brushing against yours. 

You inspected the painting; it was of this very villa. The detail was beautiful, including the hand-carved driftwood frame. Running your fingers over the groves you found something small, round, and metal. You pressed it.

Gentle piano music emanated from the painting, and the scene was changing. Rook had his head resting on your shoulder as the scene played out; two figures were now in the painting, skirting around each other as if dancing. And then the one figure, who looked an awful lot like Rook, took the other’s hand as the music faded out, setting the painting in place.

You wiggled your shoulder, prompting Rook to get his head off of you. “What was that? It was beautiful, but what does it mean?”

Rook just gave you a cheery smile and winked, “That’s for you to discover in your own time, Trickster.” He patted you on the shoulder and went back into the main living room, leaving you alone to ponder over what that painting was really about. But Rook knew.

So I will lose this chase? He looked back over his shoulder as you straightened the painting with care. He watched as the painting shifted back to its original state. Hmm, not that I mind… as long as they are happy with cornering their quarry. Funny, no? Le chasseur d’amour has become the helpless prey… not that I mind.

~~~~~~~

*vacances à la mer; vacation by the sea

*mon chou; the literal translation is 'my cabbage' but it means 'my darling' in this context

~~~~~~~

Tags: @eynnwwyjth, @twistwonderlanddevotee, @xxoomiii

The Hunt Family Villa (fan art by the lovely Krenenbaker!)

[wordycheeseblob]

okay, I'm curious now! what level weird mutual am I at this point? (and what level would you like to aim for? :) )

Henky you're so Jade coded... Which is making my weirdness radar go haywire because I want to assign you 1 but feel like on the inside it's actually a 10. It's a very "I'm :) on the outside but actually >:}" if that makes sense? Jade jade jade

The surefire might be 5 but then again... =.= *Squints* I'll treat you like a 5 on the subject weirdness level. Must continue observation.

5 and going up by the day...

[dove-da-birb]

*walks up quietly*

~trick or treat~

:)

E e l s

You can decide if this is a trick or a treat

[krenenbaker]

Some thoughts about Cater

So much of Cater's life has been dictated by other people's opinions of him, that I think most of what we know of him may not really be who he actually is. I'd even argue that skateboarding and spicy food are possibly the only glimpses we get of Cater's "true" interests and his innermost self, outside of the things that he feels he "should" like.

He looks to others to guide what he wears, what he does, what he likes. We've seen it over and over again; in his Silk Adorned vignette, in his Labwear vignette, when he was helping taste-test items for the Mostro Lounge in the manga anthology, during Chapter 1 and the beginning of Chapter 7, and in so many other scenarios, too. Even his best subject is astrology, looking to the stars for meaning and direction. He's been guided by outsiders; interests and perceptions for nearly his entire life: first, expected to be cute and sweet by his sisters, then expected to be trendy by people online, plus all the other expectations of the other roles he has - Heartslabyul student, upperclassman, friendly and supportive "Cay-Cay". And he became those things.

He takes in other's opinions, and shapes his own in that manner. Now, there's nothing wrong with looking to other people for guidance, but Cater seems to almost lose himself in the wash of opinions, and he fully adapts himself in order to match what is expected of him in each scenario.

There does exist a cute version of Cater. There does exist a trendy version of Cater. There does exist a lonely, tired version of Cater. There does exist a cheery, friendly version of Cater. All of these are true expressions of one or another form of who he is, and make up what we see as "Cay-Cay", "Cay-kun", "Cater Diamond".

But I don't know if we really see him in the way that he feels himself to be; if his deeper desires, what he looks for outside of the things he does for validation come to light much at all.

I know it's been mentioned before how well Cater's Unique Magic suits him, but it SUITS him. He's so multifaceted, that it's hard to tell who or where the "real" one is. But gosh, if I wouldn't love to see him as he is when he's alone. The Cater that isn't focussed on what other people think of him at that moment. The one who orders spicy foods that he'll enjoy eating rather than the more aesthetic ones he won't want to taste. The one who will actually relax.

He deserves to express himself in every way. Including the ways he doesn't usually choose to.

[krenenbaker]

Trick or Treat~!

Pairing: Che'nya x Floyd (could be read platonically or romantically)

Summary: It's finally Halloween night, but Floyd is in a bit of a slump. However, the arrival of a curious companion may just make the Halloween party a bit more interesting for him.

Notes: This is my first attempt at something following a prompt - specifically, "Trick or Treat" for the 2023 TWST Rarepair Halloween event. I'm trying to get more comfortable/practiced with writing prose (which is why this wasn't posted on the 30th... oops), and only vaguely ended up following the prompt. I'm fairly happy with how this little piece turned out, though!

Tags: @dove-da-birb, @azulashengrottospiano, @inkybloom-luv, @eynnwwyjth, @officialdaydreamer00 (please let me know if you'd like to be included or excluded from future writing of mine, or only want to be included in specific types of creations)

Floyd wanted to take a break. 

It was Halloween, and all he had done the entire week was work, work, work. Getting costumes ready, decorating, helping with their dorm's presentation, plus cooking and serving at the Lounge, all on top of normal classes? 

Sure, it was fun, especially getting to show off Octavinelle's cool setup, and 'taking care of' those misbehaving visitors. But now? Everything felt draining and boring, and Floyd simply wanted to leave, which sucked because the actual Halloween party had just started!  

Maybe he should just ditch and go back to his dorm; being in a funk when everyone else is having fun around you is not enjoyable.  He slumped down on a bench and unwrapped a sweet he had picked up earlier, before wrapping it up again. Ugh, not even in the mood for that candy he wanted only a few minutes ago. 

As he shoved the sweet back into his pocket and was about to get up from the bench to leave, Floyd heard a rustle behind him. Someone was quietly humming, and… laughing? The sound gradually moved to his side, towards the empty side of the bench.  

“Trick or treat~”

Floyd turned to face the voice. "Listen, man, I'm not in the mood to—” he froze, staring at the figure beside him. “Hang on a second, where's your body!?"

A toothy smile came to the face of the head that currently floated beside Floyd. "Oh, it's here.... or maybe it's there." A pair of hands materialized on either side of this boy's head, followed by the rest of his body. 

“I'm just kidding. Mind if I take a seat? I’d like to rest up before I keep purrowling around and startling people.”

Floyd blinked, then raised an eyebrow. “Uh, go for it.” 

This guy was... weird, and it was hard to tell if he'd be annoying, or interesting. "You don't go here, do ya? At least, I’ve never seen you before. And you’re no ghost, either.”

The cat-like boy shook his head, his jewellery jingling softly. "I'm just passing through for the festivities and collecting treats. Scaring some people, too. That’s loads of fun. And it's always nice to see my friends let loose." 

Floyd had a vague memory surface. "Ohh... you must be that RSA boy who's friends with Sea Turtle and Goldfishie." 

"'Sea Turtle' and 'Goldfishie', hey? Those are good names for my green and red friends. Cats are known for liking fish." He leaned forward, his grin growing. “Artemiy Artemiyevich Pinker. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Floyd nodded, “Floyd Leech. It's nice to meet you, too.” He looked curiously at the boy beside him, taking in his shaggy hair, piercings, and impish smile.

"You're not what I expected.” Floyd smiled, "But you seem fun, Catfish. I didn't think Goldfishie would get along with someone so... interesting."

Che'nya's eyes lit up slightly. "Catfish? Heh heh heh, most people call me Che'nya, but I guess that works. And I’ve heard some… interesting stories about you, too."

He stretched his legs out in front of him, leaning back with his arms behind his head as he sighed. "But yeah, I don't think Riddle could shake me if he tried." 

"I'm almost jealous." Floyd tipped his head slightly. "Most of the time, Goldfishie likes to swim away before I can play with him."

Che'nya laughed, "Well, if you're wondering, he 'swam off' that way." He pointed off to the side. “Just don’t be rough with him. I don’t like people mistreating my friends.”

Floyd looked off into the crowd where he had pointed, and let out a small laugh. “Alright, good to know. Maybe I’ll find him later, if I feel like it”, he smiled and sat back. “And Goldfishie’s stronger than he looks, but I guess you’d know that.”

Che’nya nodded, then leaned closer with a mischievous glint in his eye. "You know, I bet we could do something that would really surprise him.” 

Floyd turned slightly towards Che’nya, and flashed a smile. “Yeah, we probably could. I think we should talk more in the future, Catfish. You seem pretty fun.” 

Che’nya grinned, “You seem pretty fun, too.”

"Well,” he stretched his arms above his head. “I think I’m going to go and find some more treats… and play some more tricks tonight. I'll catch you around, Floyd." 

With a haunting giggle echoing in his ears, Floyd watched as the boy beside him faded into nothingness, just the same way he had arrived. 

What a weird guy.

Floyd unwrapped the candy he had pocketed earlier, then popped it into his mouth. Maybe this party was worth staying at after all.

[krenenbaker]

An ask game, with random questions

1. A texture you love?

2. A texture you despise?

3. A past fandom you look back on fondly?

4. A past fandom you look back on in embarrassment?

5. Your ideal date? (can be platonic or romantic)

6. An interior design style / era you enjoy?

7. Something that brings you happiness?

8. A book you haven't read, but plan to?

9. A book you plan to never read?

10. Do you have a favourite mug or teacup?

11. The last thing you ate?

12. Favourite type of pie / pastry?

13. If you could have any feature of a fantasy creature, what would you choose?

14. Warm or cool colours?

15. What is your current favourite piece of clothing?

16. Sweet or savoury breakfast?

17. What is your homescreen wallpaper? (phone or desktop)

18. How many posts do you have in your drafts?

19. Favourite board game?

20. Ask another question you have!

[krenenbaker]

Why Trey's a Weirdo

@wordycheeseblob your question on that Trey meme led me to write up a little analysis on Trey! I admit, I got a little carried away with this ^^;

Okay, so! On the topic of Trey being a freak/definitively not "normal", there are a number of different things you could look at. It's up to personal interpretation, but generally, there are some things that point to him being absolutely WEIRD.

The most obvious aspect is the teeth thing. We all know he's, uh, very fond of teeth. While that's odd, there are - in my opinion - other things that make him far stranger.

Trey can be considered kind of freaky because of how perceptive and clever he is, specifically because he hides this fact. He sees what people do, he understands the cause-and-effect of things, and he uses that information to reach his goals - mostly, avoiding conflict. I'd say he's honestly rather Machiavellian. Looking at everything from his Labwear vignette, to his Wish Upon a Star vignette, to Vil's Labwear vignette, Trey is shown to manipulate situations and people around him, in order to keep the world around him in the state he wishes. He's also quietly very violent and vengeful, as suggested with his desire to continue with the Spelldrive/Magift match at the end of Book 2, for the express reason to use magic against those he felt anger towards.

That's not to mention his Unique Magic/Signature Spell - it's perception manipulation, plain and simple. That's both terrifying, and honestly pretty strange. Especially considering how he uses it on his dormmates... DEFINITELY not something a "normal" person does.

Trey also is strange in how normal he appears. He is unusually humble, caring, and competant... to a suspicious level. He intentionally tries to make himself seem "normal" (ex. Trey's Halloween vignette). And he also ASSERTS how normal he is multiple different times. Most of the time, if people genuinely point out that you're eccentric or odd or somehow not normal, many times... chances are you're not the "normal" person you think you are.

There are a few more things that could also be added, but these are my main arguments on Trey's "normal" vs "weirdo" status ^w^ There IS a reason why he's at the top of Idia's (I don't remember the exact phrasing) "Turbo sus vice housewardens to be avoided" list, after all. He's just as weird as Jade or Rook, simply better at hiding it.

[krenenbaker]

Things I'd like to see in twst:

the ability to change the music in your guest room (a radio/jukebox/record player, maybe?)

a Coral Sea event

A Che'nya card

Octavinelle merform cards

Other characters' family members (especially the Hunts, the Clovers, the Howls, the Leeches, the Trappolas, and the Diamonds, but really, all of them)

More about the other classes at NRC

[krenenbaker]

Random Twisted Wonderland Headcanons

some of these I transferred from a Reddit comment I made, and some are new here!

Jade and Floyd have poor eyesight, and wear contact lenses rather than glasses. Floyd often forgets to take his out at night

Vil speaks both German and English at home

Trey studies dentistry in the future and works at Sebek's dad's clinic, either starting in 4th year or after graduation

and Riddle goes into law (not medicine)

Idia is scared of dogs, specifically small dogs

Azul is a very cuddly person, but only with his family (and future partner)

Jade makes teas from herbs he collects in the mountains. He doesn't always drink them himself... for a few reasons :)

Jade has also never spoken with Silver about the mushrooms he grows and has given to the cafeteria (but really, he should!)

Rook has a Québécois accent, and Epel speaks with a Newfoundland accent

Jamil has chronic pain in his left wrist

[krenenbaker]

If you look into my mind, you will find I am almost constantly thinking about this page from the twst manga anthology

[krenenbaker]

one of my favourite things about the Floyd x Riddle ship is their ship name: FloRid. Partially because it sounds pretty, but also...

I mean... that's them! that is them!! it fits them so well!!!

[krenenbaker]

sooo... finally, here's my Cater cosplay~! ◆

there are a number of things I plan to change about it in the future (ex. tidying up the gold trim and actually sewing it on, changing the buttons on the jacket, making a proper pocket for the pen, etc), but I'm pretty happy with how it ended up turning out!

@v-anrouge, @dove-da-birb, @wordycheeseblob - I seem to remember you asking me to tag you if/when I posted a cosplay... apologies if not (or if I missed anyone who wanted to be tagged!!)

[krenenbaker]

oh my gods, I've missed so much in the past while... I'll catch up on things more tomorrow

[krenenbaker]

OH MY GODS THEY TALK ABOUT THE SPECIFIC GIFTS NOW?

WAIT WAIT WAIT I LOVE IT

[krenenbaker]

rizzing him up with my fantastic fishing skills