#leona spelldrive ssr

[tash-sho-sho]

Lucky in Sunday's banner, so unlucky on Leona's one 😭 56 pulls, and this damn cat does NOT want to come. I can't spend more pulls on you, man. Tsum-Malleus and Malleus b-day SSR are right around the corner 😭😭😭😭😭😭 I really wanted him.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Leona Kingscholar - Platinum Jacket Vignette

"Happy 100th Anniversary"

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Leona: Who'd've thought I'd get to lay my eyes on paintings that I've only ever seen in artbooks like this…?

Leona: That's the Land of Dawning's National Museum of Art, for ya. This'll probably be good for perusing.

???: Heey, the King of Beasts's got a great lookin' mug in this painting.

Floyd: I wonder what's goin' on? Oh hey, Sea Lion-senpai, you tell me.

Leona: Huh? Why should I have to explain anything to you?

Floyd: 'Cause you're right here. But hey, if you don't know nothin' about it, that's cool too?

Leona: Tch… Fine, whatever, just don't start something annoying. You better get lost after this.

Leona: In order for him to establish his ideal nation, he required cooperation from the hyenas…

Leona: Once he came to that conclusion, he himself went to where the hyenas lived in order to negotiate with them.

Leona: There, he spoke at length as to how he could best utilize their strengths and abilities. This painting depicts that scene.

Floyd: Uh-huh. 'N so, what'd the hyenas do? They just went along with what the King of Beasts said without causin' a fuss?

Leona: The hyenas were already pretty hated. And the king was offering a trusted position directly under him.

Leona: It was a tremendous boon for the hyenas, from their perspective. So, of course they took him up on his offer.

Leona: He didn't let what society thought of them sway him, instead he gave jobs to each hyena as what suited their individual abilities…

Leona: This single moment shows just how accomplished the King of Beasts was as a ruler.

Floyd: You think so? I know I wouldn't like having someone sizin' me up and choosing what I gotta do～

Leona: It's the same with sports, ain't it?

Leona: Imagine having a good shooter stuck on defense, or a spindly guy on offense…

Leona: If the team goes along with a coach that gives asinine directions like that, they'd lose even the easiest of matches.

Leona: That goes for both you all in the basketball club, as well as us in the Spelldrive club.

Leona: Anyone can be useful, even if they don't have the constitution or strength.

Leona: For example, if you got a guy who's got nimble fingers, you just gotta put 'em where they can steal the ball or disc from the opponent.

Leona: Then, you use someone who can stay in control of game and send them towards the goal.

Leona: There's no need to have everyone rushing around the field. Any number of tactics can be used to score goals.

Floyd: I get what you're sayin, sure, but whaddya do if your teammates don't listen to what you say?

Floyd: See, I don’t like doin' anything if it's boring, y'know. There's tons of times I get bored in the middle of a basketball game, too.

Leona: Heheh. What, they not giving you any rewards over there in the basketball club?

Floyd: Eh, you saying the Spelldrive club gets somethin' for winning?

Leona: That's right. We get the finest reward one could ask for:

Leona: Victory.

Leona: Our club runs on the merit system. Anyone who can't show their worth during a match gets dropped from the starting team…

Leona: But with just a bit of effort, anyone can get their chance in the spotlight and even find their names on the lips of people outside this academy.

Leona: Plus, this school throws a lot of support towards the Spelldrive team, so even certain grades can be overlooked from time to time.

Leona: Essentially that means each one of our victories matter much more than any of the other athletic clubs' wins.

Floyd: Hmmm… I thought you guys in the Spelldrive club were a bunch of try-hards, so I didn't think I'd like it, but I'm likin' the sound of that merit system.

Floyd: Maybe I'll join the Spelldrive club too. Don'tcha think I'd be great at it?

Leona: No way, absolutely not. …Also, how long you plannin' on following me? I'm already done explaining things, hurry up and leave me alone, already.

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Floyd: Mmkay, next. What's this painting?

Leona: [sigh]… This painting's showing the Thorn Fairy's men all celebrating their master's endeavors.

Floyd: They're, what… dancing around a green fire? Looks kinda like a campfire! Bet they're havin' fun～

Leona: True, they look pretty carefree. Seems like the Thorn Fairy's subordinates don't mind doin' menial tasks.

Floyd: Menial tasks…? Oh, right, there's a ton of cleanup to do after making a fire, or something like that, huh.

Leona: An astute observation, little merling. I'd expect nothing less from someone so naïve in the intricacies of fire.

Leona: Here on the surface, even the smallest flame can grow into a blaze with a little mismanagement.

Leona: Especially in places where the air is dryer… like where I come from in the Sunset Savanna.

Leona: It's not that bad during the rainy season, but there's gotta be extra caution thrown to the wind during dry season. As a precaution, we've enacted regular fire drills.

Floyd: Uh-huuuh. Didja do those fire drills too, Sea Lion-senpai?

Leona: Yeah. Like I said, fire can be a matter of life or death in my country. That's why those fire drills are essential services.

Leona: It's a pain, but the royal family's gotta do it, to set a good example for our people.

Leona: Since a majority of the country get together to observe, it's basically just another huge traditional event at this point.

Leona: Although… Let's just say there's been times that I've had other things on my plate that I completely forgot to take part.

Floyd: Mhhmm… And so, what all do ya do during those drills?

Leona: To be perfectly frank, it's basically getting practice in with handling water. A buncha people'll hold onto a large hose and put out a huge fire in real time.

Floyd: Wow, that's lamer than I thought. Doesn't sound like much fun to just watch happen.

Leona: Oh, not at all. It's not so bad if you're just there to watch it go down.

Floyd: Eh, whyzzat?

Leona: Because they get to witness the glorious scene of the royal family being tossed around by a giant hose.

Leona: You might think that'll invigorate the gathered public, seeing how willing we are to risk their life for the country…

Leona: But if you ask me, I think there's something more to it.

Leona: People can see them in regal attire caked in dirt, and their miserable faces all swollen from the smoke in their eyes…

Leona: They can even see those well-groomed manes completely sopping wet and pathetic. I bet it bring a gleam of joy to them all, heh.

Floyd: Heh, Sea Lion-senpai, I see right through you. You say you'd sometimes forget, but you def haven't been takin' part in it for a while, haven'tcha?

Leona: Well now, who can say?

[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]

Floyd: Hey, I think this is a painting of when the Sorcerer of the Sands got his hands on a magic lamp.

Floyd: He looks like he's havin' the time of his life. Most of the Sorcerer's paintings are of him lookin' real smart and proper, so this one's kinda cool and different.

Leona: This tale is of one where he finally achieved his heart's desire after a long and difficult journey. No wonder he'd be ecstatic.

Floyd: You mean he worked super hard for that single lamp? Bet all the trouble he went through to get there was fun, at least.

Floyd: It's boring if you can just easily snag something you want. The more you want something, the more it's worth tryin' to get it.

Leona: Makes sense to me. So what, when I saw you slackin' off the other day, that was you trying your darndest to get class credit, or something?

Floyd: You're one to talk. 'Specially since you skip class waaaay more than I do.

Floyd: Wait, so you were in the botanical garden then too, huh. You shoulda said something, we coulda been skiving buddies～

Leona: Unlike you, I ain't all that impressed with conversation. I was taking a snooze in the tree shade.

Leona: I'd just found a good place to get some shut-eye, I ain't looking to waste time on idle prattle.

Leona: I prefer a quieter, cooler, more comfortable place…

Leona: Now, that would be a place worth sleepin' in.

Floyd: Ahah, that's some stuff to be picky about when you're just plannin' on sleeping there.

Leona: I ain't asking for much. At the very least, all I need is for you to not be there.

Leona: Trying to sleep somewhere noisy'll affect my sleep quality.

Floyd: What, you saying there's different types of sleep, now? Doesn't seem like where or how ya sleep really changes anything to me.

Leona: I am much more of a delicate being than you are, is all. If the quality of my sleep ain't pristine, then it'll slow down my thinking processes.

Leona: I ain't gonna be happy if I can't be quick on my feet and some conniving sneak tries to get the better of me.

Leona: At the very least, I make sure to increase the quality of sleep I can get in my room by taking precautions.

Floyd: Huh, like what?

Leona: I'd roll out a rug under my bed, for one. Even just doin' that'll keep the noise coming from the floor below to a minimum.

Leona: You got all the freshmen, four to a room. There's fighting and arguing over their personal space almost on a daily basis.

Leona: And it wouldn't do 'em any good if I were to intervene on their behalf every time they got in a tussle, right?

Leona: That's why I try a buncha different things to help keep the volume down. It's for all our sakes.

Floyd: You say it's for your underclassmen, but you're just doin' it to get some nappin' in.

Leona: Oh me, oh my. How absolutely wretched that you cannot even see just how loving and kind of an upperclassman I am.

Floyd: Uh-huh, sure… Anyway, I'm gettin' bored lookin' at all these paintings. I think I'll go look around elsewhere.

[Floyd leaves]

Leona: Yeah, yeah, get outta my sight already. Geez, his attention turns on a dime. Whatever, I guess I'll also… Hm?

Leona: This artwork depicts the scene where the King of Lions introduces his newly born cub to his people. Well now, what an absolutely cheerful looking spectacle.

Leona: When their belief in a future filled with hope is suddenly overtaken by despair…

Leona: I feel like I would be able to say this from the bottom of my heart: …Long live the king.

Requested by @farfalla049 and @sakurakudo.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

☘️ twst jp march 2024 news 🌬️

Early March

🐉 Main story update! We will get book 7, part 7. Time to catch up with the Shrouds—

There will be rerun banners for limited time main story-linked SSRs including 🐕🤖 Cerberus Gear Ortho, 🧚‍♀️🦇 Right General’s Armor Lilia, and 🌑⚡️ Eternal Night Armor Sebek.

📚⛺️ NRC Training Camp!

Mid-March

🤵‍♂️⚡️ SSR Platinum Jacket Sebek banner! His 💐⚡️ Broomquet banner will also make a return.

🎊 Twisted Wonderland’s 4th Anniversary Campaign! There be more details about what this will involve released later.

Late March

📚 NRC Unified Exams!

🥏🍎 SSR Clubwear Epel comes out! This means Leona will be the last in Magift/Spelldrive Club.

[maiarayavt]

(spoilers ig???)

Decided to groovify Vil's tsum SSR and by far THIS IS THE MOST GORGEOUS CARD I OWN and that's saying a lot because I absolutely adore Leona's Spelldrive card + Deuce's GloMas card 😭 (pics for ref)

(I'm a sucker for a simple-but-powerful card design ok?)

Anyway I remember I think it was in Book 5 that one of the reasons why Vil gets typecasted a lot is because he's so unimaginably beautiful that people have a hard time seeing him in roles that are more relatable to the public and when I saw this groovified card I was FLOORED like I immediately understood why because the design is just *chefs kiss*

While eyes will naturally get drawn to anyone in the middle of a photo, how they designed Vil here is just ✨magnetic ✨like if I was Yuu I'd definitely have a hard time looking at anyone else irl cause LOOK AT HIM!! it's maddening!!!

LOOK!!!

MAN IS SO 😭🤚 OUTRAGEOUSLY BEAUTIFUL 🗣️ A QUEEN INDEED MYGOD

His tsum and his chibi form is elegant as well 😭

TLDR: I need more Vil cards 😭

[heartscrypt]

Please tell me more about your jamil & ruggie bff agenda

I've been saying that they're besties for ages and no one I've talked to will listen it is deeply Frustrating

they are best friends to me. i have the yasmina silk jamil ssr and in his vignette he mentions ruggie for half a second when he talks about pickpockets. clearly this means that they are best friends (so incredibly delusional)

see. hes vagueing....

i think they bond over being sneaky guys. i feel like ruggie is the same genre of person as jamils middle school friends from how they're described, so there's like. a basis for them getting along besides the whole "we're responsible for our housewardens" which is still really good. my thoughts on them are that they have lunch together whenever either of them are able to catch a break and they alternate between leona and kalims credit cards to cover the tab.

here's them plotting evil boy activities over lunch for your troubles

if i could change canon id take the part in book 2 where ruggie injures jamil using laugh with me and make it part of a larger prank war where ruggie and jamil use their unique magics to fuck with each other. jamil snake whispers ruggie to put leonas colored laundry with his whites so they stain. ruggie laugh-with-mes jamil to throw off his dance moves. etc etc. so when ruggie makes jamil cut himself jamil is a little?? because they probably never go as far as physical harm. the cut isn't bad enough to drop out of spelldrive completely but jamil has heard of a series of incidents targeting spelldrive players that sound like laugh with me so hes like "ok. clearly ruggie is sending me a message about being in spelldrive this year. he was an asshole about it though like he couldve just asked face to face instead of injuring me so ill snitch to the prefect about his unique magic idc"

[tsukii0002]

I tried to try my luck with the SSR spelldrive uniform Leona, only with the loose keys I had and on the fifth try this happens:

And I'm like no way!!!! I'm going to be so lucky?!

...

I got the SSR of Leona… But not the right one!!!!😂😂😂

The funny thing is that these things happen to me quite often, in Obey me it happened to me, the gatcha games laugh at me 😂.

.

.

[thebettybook]

Spelldrive Uniform Leona SSR card is coming soon to EN on my birthday month >:) ty twst

[monoscapism]

Spelldrive Leona SSR spoilers 🔥✨✨ GRRRRBSHSHAHUSUWUWUWHSUSUSUWU8WUWUSYSUSS7W

[localcapricosimp]

Vil if I do the Elphaba riff really good before pulling will you give me your Tsumsitter card super early

Please, pretty please.

Look all I'm saying is that the manfiestation I do for Leona cards works like a charm. Literally, before I pulled for Spelldrive Leona I played Too Sweet by Hozier and Level Up by Ciara (and a bunch of Conan Gray songs) because I think Leona would like them and then boom! First card in my first 10 pull! And when I was having absolutely atrocious luck with Tamashina-Mina I just had to play Movement by Hozier and then boom! Leona SSR!

[my-memed-tw-adventures]

FUCK THIS WOLF BOI

YOU GET BACK IN THERE AND GET LEONA IN HIS SPELLDRIVE UNIFORM THIS INSTANT

Bro the excitement of seeing the SSR Savanaclaw coffin only for this bitch to pop out. Now I’m 50 summons in and my cat boi is being a stubborn little bitch. How am I supposed to get him and then get Tsum Malleus. My gem storage is lacking and my ass missed Rook’s birthday for them free keys so me fucked as fuck

[peppermint-angel]

does anyone know if there’s a pattern in what order twst releases character SSRs? cuz im trying to guess what clubwear series they will release next (after track and field) (well mostly wishing it’s equestrian club because i want to see riddle in a new outfit)… im not talking about dorm outfits but we’re done with those anyway… i know general lilia only came out a few months after dorm lilia, but i’m guessing we won’t get another one for awhile… tamashina mina came out not too long ago so maybe there won’t be another leona SSR for awhile—so if they do spelldrive club next he might not be the first… but since there was a short amount of time between lilia’s last two cards idk… i don’t think birthday cards count either… look I JUST WANT RIDDLE

[twonderland-itaru]

SSR Leona Kingscholar Tsumsitter EXTRA

Home: Tsum, allontanati da me!

Home tap 1:Quando se ne è andato in giro per la foresta, i piccoli animali sono scappati via da lui.Quindi, questa cosa ha quel tipo di aura anche se ha quest'aspetto?

Home tap 2:Quando saltiamo le lezioni, questa cosa è rimasta vigile per tutto il tempo. È piuttosto veloce a muoversi.

Home tap 3:Lo Tsum di Riddle stava cercando di costringere gli altri Tsum a formare una fila ma, dopo averci provato si sono azzuffati.

Home:Credo che andrò a fare un pisolino nella serra.Se vuoi unirti, sbrigati.Cosa vuol dire che le lezioni inizieranno presto?Non stavo parlando con te ma con lo Tsum.

Home tap 1:Non avrei mai pensato di giocare a scacchi con uno Tsum...eppure, questo ragazzo riesce a trovare delle mosse interessanti.

Home tap 2:L'espressione compiaciuta dello Tsum è irritante...è uguale alla mia? Oh davvero. Perché non provi a spiegarmelo meglio?

Home tap 3:Quando ho iniziato la lezione di Spelldrive, quel Jek Tsum mi ha fissato per tutto il tempo...è stato difficile concentrarsi.

Home tap 4:Lo Tsum Seek stava disperatamente inseguendo Malleus. Deve essere difficile con quel corpicino minuscolo eh.

Home tap 5:Hey, non svegliare lo Tsum.Finalmente si è calmato, quindi lasciatemi riposare per un po' .

[es-sharezone]

This is a very good amalgamation of takes!!! ESPECIALLY "when he does things that are noticeable, they go wrong". Ex: giving Riddle a tart as a child, saving Kalim with showy flying tricks (resulting in getting extra training by Vargas). He doesn't want his desires to mess things up (Riddle's mom conflict), doesn't want to seem too competent (or other people will ask/expect him to do MORE and there's already a lot on his plate) or like he's competition (because NRC is so aggro and people challenge others they see as competition all the time--Trey ain't about that.) So he's allergic to attention and tries his best to be unassuming to avoid any kind of conflict. This is also a reason FOR some of the manipulation. Asking for what you want outright might cause conflict OR get you shut down (in Riddle's Halloween SSR there's a flashback after Riddle's first housewarden meeting where Trey recommends Riddle slow his roll because the students aren't used to him yet--and Riddle yells that he's SOFT, outright dismissing him). So instead of stating desires outright he guides and cajoles, and yes, manipulates. (And sometimes, in a place like NRC… maybe not always the worst way to go? But you are also SO right that when he's with friends and family he could probably just, y'know, ask).

A few bits of input.

I don't think Trey thinks he's a bad person. He says "I'm not a good guy". But he doesn't say he's a BAD guy, either. I think in his estimation he's just… a guy. Normal. But he's course correcting for anyone looking to put him on a big brother pedestal in a way that is meant to curb expectations. Similarly, when people have expressed reservations about Riddle and Rook he's said of both, "He's not a bad guy." He never said they're GOOD guys--he can't make that call for other people and he knows both can rub folks the wrong way. He just knows they are friends he chooses to spend time with and as far as he's concerned they aren't bad. (I actually think Trey would be uncomfortable with people thinking he's bad guy, too. In Trey's Halloween 2 vignette, when talking about glasses, Trey mentions how his sister said half rim glasses make him look like a movie villain and that he looks sinister with contacts, so he avoids them and goes for a more 'mild-mannered' type look. He really is on that Clark Kent type beat.)

I think underlying all of these actions is a desire for things to be calm and peaceful. Even his petty moments: physical face off at the Spelldrive tournament in exchange for an injury, letting the freshmen fall on their faces cooking their own thing so they can see what the fallout is… then swooping in to save them (even eating the cake mess is only a stipulation if they want some of HIS better cake) and spicy food as payment for being set up by upperclassmen. It's about getting EVEN. Once he feels the score is settled he can move on. But I don't think he has an interest in taking it farther? He won't start something… but he WILL finish it and he doesn't have any interest in being walked over by randos. Because letting yourself be a complete doormat isn't a peaceful existence either! (Riddle is a big exception, because Trey's sympathy for Riddle's background definitely got in the way of setting boundaries… but in the wake of Book 1, I think he has gotten better about that.) For this reason, I think seeing someone cry would make him feel uncomfortable or concerned? (Like when possessed!Deuce was crying in Halloween 2). But I also think it is a reason/excuse his more manipulative moments (everyone gets what they want and there was no conflict, right?! …Hilariously, this way of doing things blows up in his face in the Nightmare Before Christmas event when telling both Leona and Malleus what they wanted to hear got them BOTH angry at him. A salient lesson that avoiding conflict by being kind of underhanded sometimes causes more of it!)

I think acknowledgement is good (though effusive praise might cause embarrassment because he's been dodging attention so long that just accepting it feels unnatural). I think a break is also good. I think more than anything, someone helping out without being ASKED is something Trey would enjoy? Trey shows care through acts of service, so I think he would also receive that really well. And he's kinda bad at communicating, so someone UNDERSTANDING what he needs help with without spelling it out would definitely be appreciated. (Like you said, very mom-on-the-edge). Also, all the things he asked his fellow Heartsbois for "jokingly" in his birthday boy vignette are things that would genuinely make his life easier… but over the top so it's taken as a joke. Because I ALSO think he's a little afraid to trust someone and let go of the reigns for fear of things getting fucked up while he's not there. Ex: Starsending baking failures, Deuce's tsum making a mess, the fact that Trey is always baking backups just in case (his Dorm SSR cake substitute for the cake mess, an apple pie to replace the cake the tsum wrecked). His (honestly, well-placed) anxiety won't let him let go of control of his duties. But someone knowing enough to step into the space so he can unclench would be appreciated.

I have the most nothing-burger prediction to make about his upcoming SSR card (Queen's Court Chef). We will get MORE confirmation that this boy LOVES working with bougie kitchen equipment/ingredients. He manipulated a fancy commercial grade food processor out of Riddle/the Heartslabyul budget. In his birthday boy vignette he jokingly asks the Prefect for expensive vanilla beans (very "haha… unless" because he DOES want them but does not actually expect Yuu to do it). In the New Years event he wants to use some special, pricey hazelnuts in some recipes, so he actually really makes an effort and goes all out to get that special bonus--even besting Malleus Draconia at kona. It's funny to me people are like "but what if Trey secretly hates cooking" because he clearly loves to experiment with his free time and free money. And he likes the GOOD stuff when he can get it, despite being a baker boy of not-so-fancy means. So whatever "Queen's Court Chef" means, I think we'll see a bit of leaning into that in the dream. (With maybe some caveat after it's done about how that was nice in some ways but ultimately working in the Queen's Court was too restrictive. Or something.)

Also, apologies because I started to ramble, I think I lost the thread, and I'm too lazy to go back and make sure this makes sense. One last parting thought tho: the "Trey is just a shitty guy who doesn't experience attachment or empathy or guilt and simply feigns kindness" take is always funny to me because it is the same as the folks on TikTok that go, "Oh my GOD all people-pleasers are MANIPULATORS, none of the nice stuff is GENUINE." Because like. Just because the kindness is partially motivated by a survival instinct/desire to keep the surroundings peaceful doesn't mean that no part of the kindness was EVER genuine. People are nuanced and can have more than one reason to do a thing. Like you said: layers!!

Triple-Layer Cake/A Half-Baked Trey Clover Ramble

I've done this rant in more private places but am finally putting it on tumblr. This is going to be its third rewrite (if you count the time I did it as a fifty-tweet thread on yumepriv, which I'm not sure you should), but it is probably not any more cohesive since that isn't my strong suit. I'm basically throwing possible motivations for Trey's behavior at a wall and seeing what sticks. I also still don't know if I'm cooking, stating what everybody already knows, or am drawing completely unreasonable conclusions unsupported by the text. Nonetheless, I scream into the void once again. Actual material under the cut.

contains spoilers for EN-unreleased birthday vignettes

A while back, before I was even on tumblr again, this screenshot of a tumblr post about fandom misinterpreting a character in the exact way that character would want to be misinterpreted was floating around. And it made me think of Trey because approximately 50% of things do. For as long as I've been adjacent to the fandom, there's been this whole debate on how much of his "responsible big brother" image is deliberate/fake vs how much of it is genuine.

And I don't know if I like that more either/or approach to him. Trey's like Shrek. An ogre. An onion. He's got layers. But he's also a baker, and cakes are sexier than onions, so I'm opting for the more thematically appropriate analogy even if it doesn't work as well as far as visibility goes. (Although I suppose you might taste the layers separately/in order.) I'm honestly just being stubborn with this analogy. Bear with me, please.

Everybody sees his nurturing top layer, both in- and out-of-universe. But beneath that, he's a little selfish and vindictive. There's no denying this based on how he capitalizes on any chance to incur a favor as well as his preferences for revenge over forgiveness (see: wanting to watch Savanaclaw get their asses handed to them after his injury, making his underclassmen eat their cataclysmic cake after they insulted his work, Doodle Suiting his upperclassmen's cakes to be ultra spicy after they threw him under the bus as a freshman). He even admits to Epel that he's not a good person. He knows what he is.

But the way he does it has always sat oddly with me. It seems like overkill. Unnecessary. Why not let people think well of him? It reminds me of Vil's labwear vignette where he downplays his skills. He gives a too-quick protest that Vil suspects is part of an intentional image of humility. In that case, insisting that he has bad traits is just showing that he has another trait people tend to like (modesty). It's not like Epel responds to Trey's self-effacement by saying, "Oh, you really must be kinda shitty if you say so!" So I think this modesty contributes to his super average "everyguy" image as well as lightly dissuades people from thinking he's too good or reliable. No "You can count on me!" hero volunteering.

If he seems too nice, like Neige, folks might become suspicious and start playing closer attention to him, especially at a school like NRC. They may either want to see him finally snap and show what he's "really" like (to be fair, I also want to see him snap), or they may look for a way to take advantage of him. And he has enough on his plate as is!! Can't have more people who think he can shoulder it all. Trey needs to be unremarkable, so he needs to remind people that he has flaws besides his taste in hats, even if he rarely lets them show. (More on why they don't show in a bit.)

I think my reading diverges from some others' (at least those I've seen in the twt circles I inhabit) here: Even with all his vindictive tendencies, he's still deeply devoted to his loved ones. I don't think it's accurate to say that the cruel, manipulative Trey is the "real" Trey, or at least the whole real Trey. It's just a part of him. The care that he shows for Riddle, his siblings, and the named Heartslabyul characters is largely genuine.

He can act selfishly, don't get me wrong. It bugs me when people forget that. He's been dismissive toward Cater in favor of Riddle (moreso in EN than JP), and he subtly and not-so-subtly manipulates people for his benefit and the group's benefit multiple times. But it's not necessarily because he sees them as tools or playthings, which is a reading I've seen a surprising amount of times. (That being said, it is a fun one if you're exaggerating a character's villainous traits! I think he could treat someone like this under the right circumstances. You could write Trey with more of this quality, and it could be believable. But I don't think it cancels out his ability to care for people entirely.) It's just something he thinks is at least somewhat acceptable to do to others, even his loved ones. Maybe he rationalizes it. Maybe he can't help but find a little pleasure in playing with him, no matter how much we cares. If we can accept that Jade shows Floyd and Azul love through his desire to put them through an emotional saw trap, it's not too far-fetched to suggest that Trey's definition of love allows for manipulation or desire to see someone cry. He can rationalize lying to them for the sake of stability or not letting them know about his own desires. I also think that the internal conflict between "I care for these people deeply" and "I will still manipulate them" is more likely to drive him to admit that he's not a good person than not caring for them at all. Seems like a bad strategic move to admit that if you're really just using them as playthings.

Trey doesn't always know the best way to support his loved ones (understandable! How many of us struggle with this far into adulthood?) and thus conflates the stability they need with an unrocked boat. He doesn't recognize that a situation like Riddle's is inherently unstable and always will be if nothing changes. He, at least at first, seems to believe that the shitty situation you know is better than risking it all and potentially losing everything. He knows that he's failing Riddle, but what can he do? From Trey's perspective, he is a large part of the reason--if not the reason--that Riddle was locked away from the world once. What if he fucks it up again? What if he loses Riddle forever this time? (I think this history and fear is also one that keeps him from trying to close the distance between himself and Cater.)

Convincing himself that he's a bad person (which seems like a needlessly heavy judgment for the fairly mild pettiness we've seen from him in the text) might also soften the blow if things do go wrong. This way, he can convince himself that he didn't care as much as people assume he did. Love doesn't go into the things he does, or so he says. (It's even more questionable since he directly contradicts this statement in his alchemy dialogue. What is the truth, Trey Nicole Clover?)

So, to bring it all back around to the Trey cake, I think his bottom layer is anxious. And tired. Not in a way that is consistently, consciously anxious. Don't write him up a Prozac prescription yet. He's internalized these ideas that he shouldn't be noticeable, because when he does noticeable things, they go very wrong. His purpose is to keep people's lives running smoothly. So he sends those caregiving tendencies into overdrive. He's got it covered, he doesn't need more to cover, and hat's all anybody really needs to know about him. Even that is a bit too much sometimes.

Based on how Trey talks about his family, I don't think he was neglected or super duper parentified, but he doesn't talk much at all about things that they've done for him in comparison to how often he talks about what he's done for them (cooking when his parents' work took precedence, sewing his siblings' Halloween costumes, getting Magift tickets for his brother). He never shows any bitterness about it, and I think their relationship is genuinely pretty okay. No resentment there. But it is noticeavle, and he also won't even be straightforward about what he wants for himself on events where he is expected to want. He says he's joking after requesting that other people take on his chores for the day on his birthday; he uses indirect rather than direct methods to persuade Riddle to get a food processor for Heartslabyul during Starsending. Dude, you probably could have just asked.

I think Trey has this idea that he doesn't need to (or at least shouldn't) ask for anything. If I reach reeeeeeeealllll hard, I could say that one of our biggest examples of Trey wanting and pursuing something as a child--Riddle's friendship--clearly traumatized Riddle, and it had a massive impact on Trey, too. So Trey learns not to want, or at least not to be SEEN wanting.

Is this why he wants to seem so average, unremarkable, modest in others' eyes? Because wanting something is dangerous, even if it's just recognition? Just how much did the loss of one his best friends as a child fuck him up? He might not even recognize the mental association he makes; lots of people don't until they've done a lot of really intentional work about that. He just says it's easier this way, to be a cog in everybody else's lives. And it is, to some extent, but it's also deeply frustrating and exhausting. (I'd like to see more interactions between him and Jamil, who also hides his true potential, and very clearly suffers for it.)

So I think some of Trey's middle layer pettiness--not all of it, since his birthday vignettes show that he's been a bit of a troll ever since he was a kid--comes from the tension between his visible "caretaker" layer and his ultra-hidden "appreciation would be nice" layer. He reminds me a little bit of a mom who occasionally wants to snap because she feels like she does everything, and everybody just takes it for granted. He's not all "let daddy take care of you kitten," but he's not all cruel and calculating, either. And he might be less vindictive (but no less of a prankster) if he felt appreciated, but he's never going to tell anybody that he wants that. (There's a nonzero chance that he finds openly craving emotional validation somewhat too feminine for him because he's one of the only characters to comment on something being embarrassing "as a man," the other being Epel obvs, and I, like many others, have zeroed in on what this could mean about his feelings on masculinity overall in comparison to other chars. Some people think he's a straight up closet malicious misogynist, but I doubt it. That's a whole other conversation, though, which would probably run entirely on vibes.)

Does he even recognize that he's got a third layer to his Cake of the Self any time other than when Kalim semi-inadvertently calls him out? Or does he consciously push down the desire to be apprecaited? Is it painful? How painful? Does he want a break, or just acknowledgement? Does he feel like the desire to be a caretaker can't coexist with the desire to be gifted a break, to be the one taken care of for once?

This has been really really all over the place, and I apologize for that, but it just really gets my goat when people don't consider that third layer. "Trey is just a shitty guy who doesn't experience attachment or empathy (and goes out of his way to say the things he does aren't about love and then contradicts himself later) or guilt and simply feigns kindness" feels too easy. Like another thing he'd be happy to let others believe so that he can continue to hide something else. And I, in my delulu heart of hearts, think that "something else" is desire and the fear of it.

I'm currently divided on if I think the boys' dream bubbles represent their wants or just what Malleus thinks they would want, but either way, I'm hoping Trey's dream will give us a little more insight into his head. And if I was wrong about all of this, then I'll go sleep under the bed for a while and cry about how much of the fic-that-only-exists-in-my-head must be rewritten, but at least we'll have some answers. Oh Heartslabyul, I miss you so.

[twstgameplay]

CURRENT EXAMS (EN)

March 14, 00:00 - March 28, 23:59 (PST)

FLORA BASIC (Normal: 36,000 HP)

Science Club: Trey and Rook

Trey has DMG UP (self/1T), can use twice

Rook has ATK UP (self and ally/2T), can use twice

Recommended cards:

SSR: Dorm Riddle, Dorm Cater, Dorm Ace, Dorm Leona, Dorm Jack

SR: Robe Cater, Robe Azul, Lab Azul, Robe Vil, Lab Trey, Robe Deuce, Robe Ruggie

R: Uniform Cater, Uniform Trey, Uniform Deuce, PE Floyd

OMNI BASIC (Normal: 41,000 HP)

Spelldrive Club: Epel (Water), Ruggie (Flora/Cosmic), and Leona (Fire)

Epel has DMG UP (self/1T)

Ruggie has DMG UP (self/1T)

Leona has DMG DOWN (single opponent/1T)

Recommended cards:

SSR: Dorm Riddle, Dorm Leona, Dorm Azul (and anyone else you have both Dorm SSRs that DUO together. The more DUOs the better)

SR: Robe Azul, Robe Vil, Lab Riddle, (ATK SRs that have POW buddy with your main attacker)

R: ATK Rs that have POW buddy with your main attackers

Additionally:

Deal more damage in 3-4 turns and with the max amount of DUOs <- this is a link

To unlock DUO, level up your SSR’s 2nd spell to Lv.5

If you need any help building a team, don’t hesitate to send in an ask!

[thexvthmember]

Gacha Checklist Update!

☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️☁️

-FATE GRAND ORDER✨️

•Main Targets•

-SSR Charlemagne ✅️

-SR Roland ✅️

-SSR Ruler Moriarty ✅️

~Bonuses~

•SSR Ozymandias ✴️

•SR Mysterious Alter Ego Lambda ✴️

•SR Katou Danzo ✴️

•SSR Konstantinos ✴️

•SSR Kyokutei Bakin ✴️

•SSR Katsushika Hokusai ✴️

•SR Avenger Erice ✴️

•SR Calamity Jane ✴️

•SSR Sen-no-Rikyu ✴️

•SSR Huyan Zhou ✴️

-TWISTED WONDERLAND🌹

•Main Targets•

-SSR New Year's Attire Ruggie ✅️

-SSR Birthday Jacket Lilia ✅️

-SSR Dorm Uniform Lilia ✅️

-SR Rabbit Wear Epel ✅️

-SSR Right General's Armor Lilia ✅️

-SSR Tropical Wear Lilia ✅️

-SR Tropical Wear Riddle ✅️

-SR Tropical Wear Ace ✅️

-SSR Birthday Bloom Riddle ✅️

-SSR Council Robes Rollo ✅️

-SSR Applepom Epel ❌️

-SSR Playful Dress Ace ✅️

▪︎Targets That I Didn't Expect To Come Out This Year▪︎

I apparently need to make this a category

▪︎SSR Spelldrive Uniform Ruggie ✅️

▪︎SSR Evernight Armor Sebek ✅️

~Bonuses~

•SSR Dorm Uniform Malleus ✴️

•SSR Dorm Uniform Jamil ✴️

•SSR Rabbit Wear Deuce ✴️

•SSR Liongarb Leona ✴️

•SR Liongarb Kalim ✴️

•SSR Dorm Uniform Silver ✴️

•SSR Birthday Bloom Gear Ortho ✴️

•SSR Dorm Uniform Ruggie ✴️

•SSR Masquerade Idia ✴️

•SSR Dorm Uniform Idia ✴️

•SSR Tsumsitter Vil ✴️

Since I can't make full lists of these in advance, here's just results lol

-GENSHIN IMPACT 🌠

- 4☆ Gaming ✴️

- 5☆ Xianyun ✴️

- 5☆ Arlecchino ✴️

- 5☆ Dehya ✴️

- 4☆ Sethos ✴️

- 5☆ C2 Kinich ✴️

- 5☆ Claymore Fang of the Mountain King ✴️

- 4☆ Chevreuse ✴️

- 4☆ Ororon ✴️

- 5☆ Chasca ✴️

-HONKAI STAR RAIL 🌌

- 5☆ Dr. Ratio (Claimed Free) ✴️

- 4☆ Misha ✴️

- 5☆ Aventurine ✴️

- 5☆ Lightcone Inherently Unjust Destiny ✴️

- 5☆ Boothill ✴️

- 5☆ Clara ✴️

- 5☆ Jiaoqiu ✴️

- 5☆ Yanqing ✴️

- 5☆ Feixiao ✴️

- 4☆ Moze ✴️

- 5☆ Sunday ✴️

- 5☆ Lightcone A Grounded Ascent ✴️

- 5☆ Gepard (Claimed Free) ✴️

2024 was an absolutely wild Gacha year for me, I managed to get nearly all my targets and waaaayyyy more

It's the middle of the year but you know what, I think it'd be fun to do a checklist of my target gacha characters for the year, and then later do an 'Update' post with the results at the end of the year plus any interesting bonuses. Course I can only really do this with FGO and TWST since those are the two with EN servers behind the JP servers for me to look at, but oh well lol.

In the case of this one, I'll already mark the characters I've gotten + bonuses for now and will make another 'Update' at the end of the year, but for next year I'll be able to make a fresh list lol

-FATE GRAND ORDER✨️

-SSR Charlemagne ✅️

-SR Roland ✅️

-SSR Ruler Moriarty (First Banner Fail ❌️, now saving for second banner later this year)

~Bonuses~

•SSR Ozymandias ✴️

•SR Mysterious Alter Ego Lambda ✴️

•SR Katou Danzo ✴️

•SSR Konstantinos ✴️

•SSR Kyokutei Bakin ✴️

•SSR Katsushika Hokusai ✴️

-TWISTED WONDERLAND 🌹

-SSR New Year's Attire Ruggie ✅️

-SSR Lilia Birthday Jacket ✅️

-SSR Lilia Dorm Uniform ✅️

-SR Rabbit Wear Epel ✅️

-SSR Right General's Armor Lilia ✅️

-SSR Tropical Wear Lilia ✅️

-SR Tropical Wear Riddle ✅️

-SR Tropical Wear Ace ✅️

-SSR Birthday Bloom Riddle

-SSR President's Uniform Rollo

-SSR Playful Dress Ace

-SSR Applepom Epel

~Bonuses~

•SSR Dorm Uniform Malleus ✴️

•SSR Dorm Uniform Jamil ✴️

•SSR Rabbit Wear Deuce ✴️