#low quality kalim!!!

[qwakque]

he watched the disney fireworks!!! again!!!

[greenapplebling]

Hey guys. Do any of you have the Houses' crests in high quality (and maybe in png)?

Please, it's life or death /j

[solxamber]

Romance Clichés With: Leona Kingscholar

Cliché: Misplaced Jealousy

Others: Azul ; Vil ; Kalim ; Idia ; Jamil ; Riddle

it's gonna be a little series where each of them gets a cliché!

For days now, Leona had been simmering. He’d never admit to caring about something so trivial, but that simmer was rapidly reaching a boil, one muttered “Savanaclaw guy” at a time. Because you—his supposed close friend, the only person he could actually stand around here—had developed some grand crush on… someone. Someone you kept bringing up. Some unknown, nameless, faceless moron in Savanaclaw.

And you just wouldn’t shut up about him.

Leona had been sitting through your monologues, listening to you talk about how strong and loyal and amazing this guy was, and it had started as a minor annoyance. But as you kept going, he realized something deeply frustrating—maybe even painful.

That after everything, you had gone and chosen some other Savanaclaw idiot over him. And it stung, more than he’d ever want to admit, to hear you talking about anyone like this.

But today was the breaking point.

You were lounging in his den, casually chatting with him between classes. As usual, the conversation took a familiar turn, and you sighed dramatically. “I mean, I guess it’s just… this guy, he’s just… I don’t know. He’s got this strength that’s so impressive, and he always knows how to take charge. Like, he doesn’t even need to try, you know? It’s like he was born to lead.” You didn’t notice Leona’s eyes darken or the way his fingers clenched into fists.

“Just the way he’s so confident,” you continued, “he’s got this whole ‘I don’t care about anything’ vibe that’s really charming in a weird way. It’s like he’s always one step ahead of everyone, even when he’s—”

Leona cut you off with a harsh scoff. “Right. Real inspiring. Sounds like a real prize,” he muttered, not meeting your eyes. “And I bet he doesn’t even realize how perfect he is, right?”

“Exactly! He’s the type who’s always underestimated,” you continued, oblivious to the thunderous look on Leona’s face. “But if people would just give him a chance, they’d see all his best qualities. He’s fierce, but he’s got this heart of gold underneath it all. People just don’t get him.”

“Oh, don’t they?” Leona’s voice was low and strained, a bitter edge cutting through his usual drawl. “Must be nice to be so adored by someone.”

“Hey,” you said, “don’t say it like that. He doesn’t even know I like him. I don’t even know if he’d ever see me like that.” You let out a wistful sigh that was like a slap to his face.

Leona’s patience finally snapped. “Unbelievable,” he snarled, standing up so fast that you jumped. “You’re completely clueless.”

You blinked, caught off guard. “Clueless? Leona, what are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you,” he bit out, eyes blazing. “You’re here—wasting your time on someone who probably doesn’t even care about you while you throw yourself at him like some kind of fool. I mean, what’s it gonna take for you to get it?”

You were stunned into silence, and he kept going, frustration pouring out in a way that you’d never seen before. “After everything, you go and pick someone else?” His voice cracked a little, and it made your heart ache. “I thought maybe… maybe if there was anyone here you’d choose, it would be me.”

Your mouth opened, then closed. You were utterly bewildered. “Leona… what are you talking about? It has always been you.”

He blinked, staring at you, completely thrown. “What?”

You took a step closer to him, speaking slowly, trying to get through his thick skull. “Leona, all that stuff I’ve been saying—every time I was talking about this person I liked, I was talking about you.”

Leona looked like he’d been hit by a lightning bolt. His mouth fell open slightly, and he was struggling to catch up, his usual composure completely shattered. “Wait… you’re serious?”

“Yes! Why else would I even talk about Savanaclaw so much?” You crossed your arms, raising an eyebrow. “You were the one who kept assuming it was someone else.”

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, running a hand through his hair, and for the first time, you saw a raw vulnerability in his eyes that he usually kept hidden. “All this time… I really thought you’d gone and chosen some other guy,” he said quietly, shaking his head. “Thought at least you’d pick me.”

The way he said it made your heart break a little. He looked almost small, like the thought of not being chosen had left him gutted in a way he couldn’t fully hide. You reached out, gently taking his hand. “Leona, it’s always been you. You’re the one I’ve been drawn to from the start.”

A surge of relief softened his features, and he gave a quiet, almost disbelieving chuckle. His usual swagger returned, just a bit, as he held your hand tighter. “Well,” he murmured, his gaze becoming intense, “then what’re you waiting for?”

You didn’t waste another second. You closed the space between you, capturing his lips in a kiss that was long overdue. He responded immediately, one hand coming up to cup your cheek, pulling you closer. The kiss was fierce, almost possessive, and when he finally broke away, he was wearing a smug, satisfied grin.

“About damn time,” he murmured against your lips, though there was a warmth in his voice that softened the usual sharpness. He looked down at you, his fingers grazing your cheek with an unexpected tenderness. “Next time, just skip all the theatrics and tell me, alright?”

You laughed, leaning into his touch. “I thought I was being obvious.”

“Obvious?” He huffed, rolling his eyes with a faint smile. “Trust me, you’re terrible at ‘obvious.’”

But as he gazed at you, that smirk melted into something genuine, something that showed how deeply he cared. He pulled you close, wrapping his arms around you, and pressed a kiss to your forehead, his voice barely above a whisper. “So… you’re really mine, then?”

You nodded, and he let out a pleased sigh, holding you even tighter. “Good,” he said, his voice low and possessive, like he was finally claiming what was his. “Now let’s ditch these losers. We don’t need anyone else, just us.”

You smiled, resting your head on his chest as his hand gently stroked your back. “Fine by me,” you murmured, happiness bubbling up as you pressed small kisses along his jawline, making him chuckle.

For once, Leona didn’t have any sharp retorts, no scowls or walls to put up. He just held you, his heart finally at ease, the weight of his doubts and insecurities melting away as he finally let himself be happy.

Masterlist

[st3llazzz]

SLEEPING HEADCANNONS

𖤓 ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ: ʜᴏᴡ ɪᴛ’ꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇᴍ

𖤓 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ: ʀɪᴅᴅʟᴇ ʀᴏꜱᴇʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ, ʟᴇᴏɴᴀ ᴋɪɴɢꜱᴄʜᴏʟᴀʀ, ᴀ��ᴜʟ ᴀꜱʜᴇɴɢʀᴏᴛᴛᴏ, ᴋᴀʟɪᴍ ᴀʟ-ᴀꜱɪᴍ, ᴠɪʟ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴇɴʜᴇɪᴛ, ɪᴅɪᴀ ꜱʜʀᴏᴜᴅ, ᴍᴀʟʟᴇᴜꜱ ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏɴɪᴀ

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

✿ Strict Bedtime: Riddle insists on a strict bedtime and morning routine. He’ll ensure you go to bed early and wake up at the same time every day, but always with a kiss goodnight and a tender “sleep well” whispered in your ear.

✿ Tidy Space: His side of the bed is always impeccably neat. You might find him fluffing the pillows and straightening the sheets before you both settle in, making sure your spot is just as comfortable as his.

✿ Warmth in Routine: Despite his strict nature, he makes sure you feel comfortable and relaxed, often reading a book or reciting calming poetry before sleep. He’ll hold your hand or stroke your hair gently as you drift off.

𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

✿ Late Sleeper: Leona prefers staying up late and sleeping in. He’ll grumble if you try to wake him up early but will eventually pull you back into bed with a smirk and a teasing kiss, saying, “Stay with me a bit longer.”

✿ Comfort Over Order: His side of the bed is a mess of blankets and pillows. He likes to create a “nest” to sleep in, pulling you into his arms as part of his comfort. He’ll nuzzle into your neck, murmuring how much he loves having you close.

✿ Protective Presence: You’ll often find yourself wrapped in his strong arms, feeling his protective aura as he holds you close. He’ll occasionally whisper how important you are to him, his voice low and sincere.

𝐀𝐳𝐮𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

✿ Cool Environment: Azul likes to keep the room slightly cooler, preferring a more controlled environment. He’ll wrap you in the softest blankets, ensuring you’re warm and snug beside him.

✿ Cuddle Expert: Despite his composed exterior, he’s quite affectionate in private. He enjoys holding you close and whispering sweet nothings before drifting off, often placing gentle kisses on your forehead.

✿ Reassuring Presence: If you have trouble sleeping, he’ll be the first to offer comfort and ensure you feel safe and secure. He’ll hum a soothing melody and kiss your worries away, promising to be there for you always.

𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐀𝐥-𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐦

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

✿ Bedtime Stories: Kalim loves to chat and tell stories before bed. His cheerful nature can be quite comforting, helping you relax and drift off. He’ll often interlace his fingers with yours, his eyes shining with affection as he shares tales.

✿ Snuggle Bug: He’s a huge cuddler, always seeking physical closeness. You’ll often wake up entangled in his warm embrace, with him planting soft kisses on your cheek and whispering how lucky he is to have you.

✿ Joyful Atmosphere: The room is filled with soft, colorful decor that creates a joyful and calming environment. Kalim will surprise you with little romantic gestures, like scattering flower petals on the bed or leaving sweet notes on your pillow.

𝐕𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐭

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

✿ Beauty Sleep Routine: Vil follows a meticulous bedtime routine that includes skincare and meditation. He’ll ensure you have everything you need to feel pampered, often giving you a gentle massage with aromatic oils to help you relax.

✿ Impeccable Space: His side of the bed is pristine, and he prefers high-quality sheets and pillows. Everything feels luxurious and well-maintained. He’ll serenade you softly, his voice soothing and filled with love.

✿ Gentle Presence: Vil’s presence is calming. He might hum softly or play relaxing music to help you both wind down. He’ll brush your hair away from your face and kiss you tenderly, wishing you the sweetest dreams.

𝐈𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐝

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

✿ Night Owl: Idia is naturally a night owl, often staying up late to play games or work on projects. You might have to coax him to bed, and he’ll shyly thank you with a kiss on your forehead, appreciating your patience.

✿ Tech-Friendly Bedtime: His side of the bed might have a few gadgets, like a tablet or headphones. He’s used to falling asleep with some background noise or music. He’ll hold your hand under the covers, blushing as he expresses how much he loves your company.

✿ Shy Affection: Despite his introverted nature, he’ll blush and tentatively cuddle with you, slowly becoming more comfortable with physical closeness. He’ll whisper geeky, sweet compliments, comparing you to his favorite characters and telling you how you’re his player two.

𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

✿ Ancient Rituals: Malleus has a unique bedtime routine, possibly involving old Draconian rituals or stories from his past. He’ll share these with you, his eyes glowing with affection as he wraps you in his wings.

✿ Protective and Gentle: His embrace is gentle yet protective. He’ll wrap his wings around you, creating a cocoon of warmth and safety. He’ll kiss you softly, his lips lingering on yours as he whispers how much he treasures you.

✿ Serene Atmosphere: The room is serene and quiet, often filled with the faint glow of magical artifacts that create a soothing environment. He’ll lull you to sleep with ancient lullabies, his voice deep and comforting, ensuring you feel loved and cherished.

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Rollo ending up being best friends for life with Kalim. Listen, call me crazy but I feel like if anyone can get through to Rollo it's Kalim. Kalim has so many great qualities, and keep thinking of how heavenly virtues tie in with Kalim and how Rollo is kind of religious-crazy coded. And Rollo would low-key side eye Jamil for betraying someone as genuinely good-hearted like Kalim. And Rollo ends up being Kalim's grumpy ride or die. Can you tell this stays in my head rent free? Thanks! -Ríe

Oh, I've actually talked about how I think Kalim and Rollo would interact with each other in a hypothetical situation where the casts of GloMasq and Playful Land were swapped! You can read those headcanons here. Even though Idia and Rollo are really strong foils, I think Rollo and Kalim have potential too! They're opposites in so many ways:

Kalim's extroversion vs Rollo's introversion

Not a nefarious bone in Kalim's body, meanwhile Rollo's willing to be so underhanded in order to achieve his goals

Kalim's boundless ability to listen and to forgive vs Rollo's tendency to bottle up his feelings and to blame others while ignoring his own feelings of guilt

Their UMs are also opposites; Kalim has cleansing water that refreshes and rejuvenates others whereas Rollo has flames that literally become stronger the worse he and the people around him feel

They're both big brothers, but Rollo has lost the only one sibling he had while Kalim has like 30-40ish siblings, all of them alive (the irony being that no one's after Rollo's life but a buunch of people would just love to kill the Asim family heir)

Together, I think those two would definitely be like. The Golden Retriever/Sunshine friend and the Black Cat/Grumpy friend dynamic. Granted, it might take Kalim quite some time to break down the fortress Rollo has built around his heart (we've all seen how stubborn that guy is www), but hey, maybe Kalim could eventually get through to him. If anyone can find it in themselves to forgive Rollo, surely it'd be the ONE guy that insisted to everyone else that they listen to what the man complicit in human trafficking has to say (stares at Fellow) 💀

asdlhbveuotfqetovefovy It's kind of funny thinking about Rollo having beef with Jamil... They're both scummy backstabbers 😂 pointing to one another and accusing the other person of being way worse and how Kalim should stay away from him + not trust him...

[comingyourlugubriousness]

Summon: "Ah, I was waiting for you to show up. We can’t start the celebration without you!"

Here is the first part of my Yume art birthday celebration. I wanted to make it as much like a twst card as possible so I did use Kalim's card as a base and took artistic liberties with everything else.

The patch was really fun to make! Their jacket is kinda unique a mix of how I imagine the Ramshacke version would look; but also an Ignihyde one, since Yume feels like they belong in both dorms. Their birthday interview in this version takes place in the Ignihyde dorm!

Also my fave thing about the Ignihyde Varsity Jackets is the lil leg kick they're doing so I made Yume do it too. (Have this low quality edit lol)

Heres a close up/ full body:

[jaylleoo14]

How I like to draw the twst characters because nobody asked

♡ i like drawing Jade two ways: Pretty boy twink or a "your daughter calls me daddy too"

♡ For Azul its either an unhinged crazy ass who might secretly be a boy loser or a fucking smartass scum who isnt pathetic

♡ Floyd is.... well, Floyd. He's silly! I love him unconditionally <3 (no i dont thats a lie- ACK HELP HES CHOKING ME-) Joking, I LOVE drawing him having threatening and scary faces. (that goes for Jade as well)

♡ Idia is either a whimpering begging mess or hes a fucking cocky menace whos actually threatening

♡ Leona is soft shy lion or a badass (yasss slay queen, we stan you‼️) and sassy at the same time (Have you seen the way he stans with his hand on his hip?)

♡ Vil is just strait up serving cunt, no words needed (she is always SERVING from the university of servington with a degree in serving cunt) I always draw him winning because she always is (we stay winning💯)

♡ Rook is an unhinged stalker with a crazy obsession or he's just a silly little lad whos always supportive of others (I like drawing him threatening too)

♡ Epel is my pretty boy who I love to draw because he's so pretty. I like to draw him very wild though and rambunctious

♡ Rollo is literally the same as Idias except he tries to hold his pride feeling really embarrassed

♡ Riddle has a strong presence and personality which i like to convey, being ruthless yet being incredibly soft. I like drawing him cute and pretty sometimes too :3

♡ TREY HAS NICE MF ARMS YOU KNOW DAMN WELL IM DRAWING HIM SCRUMDELIOUCIOUS

♡ Cater makes me sad, so I indulge myself in it. I like drawing him around deep and depressing themes, sometimes dark as well.

♡ Ruggie is either street punk cool and swaggy or damn attractive with an unhinged and sneaky overlay

♡ Jack is so cute to me, I like drawing him as the tsundere he is with a playful side to him with the overprotective bodyguard vibes

♡ Ace... I HATE THAT STUPID MF!!! God he's so annoying we might as well date already >:( He's super playful and flirty and i like drawing him sly and sometimes awkwardly flustered

♡ Deuce is my baby boy crush >\\\\< Hes so precious literally he's my soft boy. I love him sm omg

♡ Malleus is so awkward and somewhat stoic, yet thats what makes him cute! He's like a himbo to me hahahaha hes so silly to me sometimes but then im like, oh wait, hes hot. And then i do a 360 and all of a sudden he's this hot smirking bastard

♡ Lilia is so drippy he's my little doll, I want to style him in so many different ways (●ˇ∀ˇ●) and he's so badass yet girlypop at the same time, hello?? No one can pull it off like Lilia does, its the bisexual in him 🤞

♡ Silver is so sweet and pretty, though I always draw him sleeping because its so easy just drawing someone sleeping in low quality T0T (sorry Silver stans)

♡ Sebek is a silly little guy who I want to kick for the fun of it sometimes ^-^ But I like drawing him getting teased a lot or often getting picked on because I find it funny

♡ Jamil being a sassy overworked mom who always too tired to show any type of expression other than showing anger, exasperation, or an anxious stressed out look. Other than that, its a tired deadpan face for me as he's holding a mug saying "kys." Jamil is like a little hater to me and I stan that <3

♡ Kalim being oblivious and a bit slow, but other than that hes the happy radiating sunshine we all know as. I like giving him moments where hes so genuine and kind where you're just completely soft around him and an arrow shoots through your heart

♡ Ortho is that friendly neighbor! I like him drawing him being supportive of others and always being Idia's right hand man who can also be sneaky and sly

This doesnt usually apply to their yandere self though ^^

[yuurei20]

Jade and Floyd Info Compilation part 28: Jade and Silver

There is a low-key pattern of Jade feeding Silver: Jade donates mushrooms from a mountain excursion to the cafeteria that get incorporated into a risotto (Silver’s favorite food) and Silver is delighted by the improvement, saying, “Whoever their food supplier is, they’ve got quite an eye for quality. This is truly spectacular,” all of which Jade overhears.

Jade chooses not to share the reason for his amusement with Floyd who asks, “Oh, so you were grinning like an idiot over nothing? You look real pleased with yourself.”

Jade explains, “I just found a low-key source of amusement.”

Azul encourages Jade to sell his mushrooms to the cafeteria (after forbidding them from Mostro Lounge) and Jade does so, intentionally going on the lookout for Silver to gauge his reaction.

Silver is once again thrilled by his risotto (“What ingredients are they using, and where do they get them? They’re top-grade mushrooms, no question about that.”) and Jade is once again very pleased.

This theme continues throughout at least one more vignette and an event: at Ruggie’s behest, Kalim buys a rare icicle mushroom (“one of the three greatest delicacies in Twisted Wonderland”) from Sam that Sam originally traded from Jade during Beanfest and serves it at a party attended by both Jade and Silver.

Jade says, “He even served a dish with an icicle mushroom...whoever grew it must be overjoyed to see it put to good use” while, separately, Silver says, “That’s good food…especially that mushroom.”

Silver and Jade overlap again during Fairy Gala IF when Silver shares his concerns about being able to communicate with the fairies.

Jade comes up with the idea of presenting a craftfairy with broken metal objects and ignoring them until they make a translator on their own in order to be able to communicate.

Jade provides broken metal pans and pots from Mostro Lounge, which the fairy then fixes in addition to crafting the translators that Silver needs.

Silver is Jade’s interview for his second birthday vignette and presents him with a rope for use in his Mountain Lovers Club hiking excursions.

Jade is delighted, and Silver promises to teach him how to use it.

[twistedwonderlandshenanigans]

Baby Photos HCs

You might need some context as these include some of my Family HCs if you wanna check them out ;)

Heartslaybul 

Riddle- Riddle is his mothers pride and joy. She has one or two photos from when he was a baby, but she keeps framed pictures of him from any time he received an award or exceeded the average for his age, with proof in his hands in the photo. They're displayed in the living room so guests can see them. 

Trey- I hc Trey with 11 siblings- despite that, his parents, (and his cool aunt) have managed to put together a full photo album of each kid from when they were little to their current age, but as for displaying them in the home? Nah, its just one family picture, and the Clover wedding photo. 

Cater- His mom has pictures of her and his two older sisters, but he doesn’t really have any baby photos. There are a few that his dad took, and that his...younger, older sister took, but they're on phones. Nothing is printed out. His dad did have a digital picture frame at one point though, but his mom kind of loaded it up with just pictures of her so he wouldn’t think about cheating again

Deuce- His mom wasn't able to print a whole lot of pictures, but I think that his mom has a really supportive older sister that's managed to get them a few really cute photos from when he was a kid. When he was maybe eight or nine (before his delinquent stage got bad) he was gifted a second hand polaroid and took some pictures of him and his mom, which his mom has stored somewhere safe.

Ace- most of his baby photos have his mom in them, and his dad doesn’t cope well with that, so they are locked away. Jack (his brother) took pictures of the two of them together whenever he could though, and his dad loves to see them on his phone.

Savanaclaw 

 Leona- he's in the background of a lot of Falena's photos. Falena tried to get him to take a few pictures with him, and a few of them turned out really cute, but only Falena really looks at them.          ****Cheka- he has quite a few professional pictures done, but my MC Vizzie loves babysitting him and thanks to Cater, takes great candid photos of the baby boy.

Ruggie- his grandma keeps her locket with a picture of the two of them when he was young, but its mostly stories she has to share than baby photos. There are a few, but they're kind of low quality. 

Jack- oh my god there's so many. His mom has a bunch in her room on her dresser. She makes makes her own calendars and has little pictures of all her kids on them. There are all sorts of pictures on the mantle. There are baby photos of each kid going up the stairs. Each kid, in their room, has a picture of them when they were like. Four, and with both their parents in it. 

Octavinelle 

Azul- he hates it. But those posed newborn baby photos? They are in plain sight. Luckily none of his older ones are bc his mom knows he doesn't want them up and 2 his Nonna says he looks too fuckin sad 

Tweels- They have all their school photos, but that's about it. Its now that they're older that their dad wants more pictures with his sons.

Scarabia 

 Kalim- He has a few, but most of them he's sitting in his dads lap with a bunch of his "aunties" around them and his mom. As the heir, he did get some photos, and every birthday, professionally done. But family priorities meant he didn’t really have any candid photos. 

Jamil- his parents were too busy attending to the Asim’s, he has one or two, and a few that Kalim may have insisted he get in on, but that's it. His sister has so many more. 

Pomefiore 

Vil - When it comes to personal photos, ones not meant for the media, he only has one. It's of him and his father at his mothers funeral. Nothing younger than that. Nothing older. Everything else is from professional photoshoots and movies. 

Rook - His parents also have a lot of photos, of their first hunt, the biggest fish they've caught, tandem hunts, etc. Has some Weird themed baby photos as well, but they like receiving pictures of their kids latest hunts and whatnot, has them pinned right up with all the taxidermy 

Epel - His grandma has them, but has them locked away as per his request after he came out as trans. She's supportive of him, and he understands she might hang onto those memories better if they're in picture form, but he doesn’t want people from school finding out before he's ready. (Harveston)

Ignihyde

Idia/Ortho- .This ones a little complicated. Long story short, yes, there are loads of pictures. No, nobody chooses to look at them.  Their mom has a couple physical copies of photos she adores, but she only looks at them when she’s struggling mentally. (Side note, totally believe his mom is the reason he’s obsessed with cats, and I think his dad hates cats but his mom and him and Ortho sometimes like to annoy their dad about it)

Diasomnia

Lilia - n/a 

Malleus, Silver, Sebek - Lilia has photos, he has "memory bubbles" to summon small "videos" recounting times when they were kids, but he doesn’t display them anywhere really.

----------- Masterlist

[lemonandlime22]

Beach day with the bitey child!Yuu's biteynes

Warning(s): Not edited, maybe a lil rushed

A/N: I wrote this by conjuring all the summer/spring brake eps from those low-quality anime eps on youtube that were so small in the corner of the vid lol. also that watermelon thing did happen to me once, i could not keep anything down for like a day cause of that.

Requested by anon

[Bitey child!Yuu Masterlist]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As we know, NRC is on an island so it would be very easy to have a beach day

but it was still quite interesting,,,

It was so hot that day, everyone could feel themselves melting

well most ppl

some like most Scarabia and most Savanaclaw students were fine cause of where their dorms were.

Yuu was sitting right in front of a cheap desk fan with an oversized tank top that was recently given to them for the hot summer season and pj shorts

Grim was sitting in their lap, cursing his cute fluffy thick fur.

It was all peaceful for a short while

but then Floyd came bursting through the front door and just grabbed the two small beings and ran back out the door sreaming

"BEACH TIME!!!"

"Floyd, we have to make sure Yuu had a swimsuit."

Floyd groaned at his brother's reminder and the two walked back inside and into their room, Floyd plopped the two down on the bed and began looking in the doors.

"What the heck in happening!??!?!" Grim shouted at the twins

"Ah, we're having a beach day, didn't you hear Floyd?"

Before any more questions could be asked, Floyd exclaimed in excitement that he had found the swimsuit Yuu had gotten from Kalim

then the twins took Yuu and Grim all the way across Sage Island to a nice beach a little ways away from RSA

when they got there, Azul was already waiting with Kalim and Jamil and a feast

Azul told Jamil abt the lil outing while in Kalims ear shot and he insisted on them coming and having a party

Without even giving them a chance to do a damn thing, Floyd dove into the water with Yuu in his arms Grim was able to squirm out to get to the food

Yuu instantly started panicking, cause ya know

cant swim

but luck for them Jade came to the rescue with arm floaties and a donut floatie for Yuu to sit in

but after that it was a lovely day

some other ppl came and swam with them

mostly the Adeuce duo and the tweels.

After a long time of swimming, Jamil called them all in to have lunch

Yuu ate almost a while watermelon in a contest with Grim, which didn't end well

Yuu threw up-

Jamil, Riddle and Trey refused to let them back into the water after that

and Grim got in trouble

so for the rest of the day Yuu played on the beach with the first years, sunbathed with Vil, napped with Leona, and collected shelled and cool rocks with Epel, Deuce, Ruggie, and Malleus and sometimes Lilia

At the end of the day little Yuu passed out while watching the sunset and was carried home by Riddle and Trey who insisted on taking Yuu and Grim home

They tucked them both into bed and stayed the night on the sofa to make sure everything was alright

like responsible the parents they are.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[s0lar-fl4re]

Culinary crucible spoilers(?)

kalim and jamil being 2 sides of the older brother coin is very clear during the culinary crucible event when you either fail to make a dish/make it with low quality ingredients

Kalim

This man could be handed charcoal on a plate and he will still at least try to look happy while taking a small, painful bite. Almost like when your little sibling cooks something atrocious but you don't want to hurt their feeling.

Even while he takes a bite out of this semi food that was cooked for him, he makes an effort to at least try not to look absolutely disgusted

After making his attempt at trying your dish he would probably throw it away with the plates face down in an effort to not hurt your feelings more

Jamil

Jamil is the older siblings who WILL tell you that your food was not most impressive. If he feels like what's in front of him does not meet his standards, he will refuse to try and flatter you with an attempt to pretend it's edible

He's the older brother who will tell you to your face that you shouldn't serve him anything else unless your skills become at least decent

When throwing away the dish, he would make sure to scrape off every last piece of evidence that there was a meal on it..(of course out of your vision, he isn't that mean now)

[dianethepisceswitch]

The Seven Deadly Sins

This post will contain spoilers for all of Twisted Wonderland, including the main books, events, and cards may be referenced. This is your only warning.

For those who are unacquainted with the concept of the seven deadly sins, let me explain briefly.

The seven deadly sins are basically sins that you should never commit/act upon. Acting upon them can "inspire further sin". These sins include pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. There were two sins that were removed from this list, vainglory and acedia.

Pride is basically like having a big ego and being full of yourself.

"consciousness of one's own dignity"

Vainglory is just being prideful and bragging

inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessive vanity.

They're pretty much the same thing, so they got lumped in together.

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Greed:

"intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food"

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Lust:

"very strong sexual desire"

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Envy is just being jealous, to put it simply

"a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Gluttony is being a fatass eating a lot of food(me)

"habitual greed or excess in eating."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Wrath is extreme anger

"an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

Sloth:

"reluctance to work or make an effort; laziness."

•───────•°•❀•°•───────•

The 8th sin, acedia, is:

"spiritual or mental sloth; apathy."

I did a bit of extra reading on this one, and it pretty much sounds like depression.

"a state of listlessness or torpor, of not caring or not being concerned with one's position or condition in the world. In ancient Greece akidía literally meant an inert state without pain or care...In modern times it has been taken up by literary figures and connected to depression."

If you take a moment to think about it, you can see how these sins can connect to certain characters.

Riddle is wrath, this one is obvious. Riddle has a reputation for being easily angered, so him representing the sin of wrath makes the most sense.

Leona is sloth. He's lazy. It's obvious he does care about things, but he doesn't care enough to make an effort. He also displays the sin of pride, though I feel like sloth is a better choice because his laziness is more apparent as opposed to his pride.

Azul is greed. C'mon, he's completely capitalist. He's greedy in two ways. One, his money. That's one of the most important things to him, hence why he buys ingredients "for the low low price of free", according to Jade. Two, his power. It's clear that he values his power above all else, which is why he goes completely insane once Leona destroys his golden contracts.

Jamil is envy. He's envious of Kalim, not because of his status, but more so his lifestyle. Kalim will get praised and thanked for doing the bare minimum, whereas Jamil could plan a whole banquet and not get a single thanks. No praise or gratitude for anything he does, because it all goes to Kalim. I was going to put lust, because of Jafar, but I'm going to try and keep my reasoning strictly canon to Twisted Wonderland.

Vil is pride. Vil is very prideful when it comes to himself, and Rook and Vil's other fans aren't helping. Vil has high self-esteem, which is good. However, assuming you watched chapter 5, you would've seen what happened when someone hurts his pride. He goes "evil berserker mode". When his pride gets hurt, bad things happen. If you look at the song lyrics of "Absolutely Beautiful"(a banger btw), this point becomes much more clear as well. He puts himself above others, and views himself as more important.

Idia is acedia. It's really obvious Idia has depression. Given his backstory and the way he acts, it would be weird if he didn't. Just like Leona, you can tell he cares, but he just can't bring himself to care, physically or mentally. He stays in his room, refuses to socialize, and if he has to attend class, he just goes via tablet. This is clearly depression, and remember, depression is pretty much acedia.

Malleus is lust. Ok, hear me out. It could happen. I know I put the definition up top, but technically it's possible to lust for someone or something non-sexually.

"In fact, sometimes lust has nothing to do with sexual desire. It can be “intense enthusiasm; zest,” which is closer to its earlier meanings of “pleasure,” “delight” and “inclination.”"

So it would be possible for Malleus to be lusting for Yuu, in a friendship way. Or perhaps Aniplex will cater to the simps and make it sexual, though I doubt it.

Grim is gluttony. I feel the prologue monster was either overblot Grim, or foreshadowing to overblot Grim. Either way, Grim is a glutton, he LOVES food. If he can eat it, he will. Blot stones, grass, etc.

[nyctoraffles]

WIP Wednesday — Oil-lamp Mermaid

The pale sunlight seeping into the classroom before first period is almost blinding. His classmates' voices reverberate in Jamil’s skull as if to herald an impending migraine. It's a lightheadedness akin to that of mind control magic; much like a puppet tugged along by external strings, the body currently sitting in place feels nothing like his own. 

There is no magic or sickness at play here, but fatigue alone, for better or worse. 

Around him, the room spins in a blur of flashes and colours, and just as Jamil feels like his head might burst at the seams the world comes into focus at last.

“Good morning, Jamil.” Azul’s arrival, unwelcome as it may be, anchors Jamil to the present. “Is this spot taken?” 

It’s a rhetorical question not even worth asking; Azul would sit next to him regardless, even if it was. Vision cleared and heart rate settled, Jamil just shrugs. “Do whatever you want.”

Trademark smile plastered across his face, Azul sets his books down and claims the seat to Jamil’s right.

Their history lesson begins shortly thereafter, and the lecture has just about started when Jamil spaces out again, mind drifting uncharacteristically across the room. Concentrate, he tells himself, but his head is aching, his eyelids heavy and his shoulders tense. In the background, Trein’s explanation melds with Lucius’s mewls into an unintelligible drone. Concentrate, he thinks again, and succeeds— at the cost of zeroing in on the entirely wrong thing.

Beside him, gloved hands do what they know best: ink flows over the page along the strokes of Azul’s pen, looping and arching in an impeccable script. Jamil’s gaze falls over the long, slender fingers; well-suited for playing the piano, he muses absently, recalling an offhand comment by Floyd. 

What was Azul like before arriving on land? Jamil tries to envision it, but his mind turns up empty. Club activities have gotten him well-acquainted with Floyd’s merform, and by extension, Jamil reckons he could hazard a guess on Jade’s. However, while he can perfectly picture a younger version of the twins, Jamil can’t even begin to fathom what Azul looks like underwater. He supposes it makes sense. In the end, there is nothing he shares with Azul other than a homeroom, but Jamil cannot shake the feeling that he’s at an overwhelming disadvantage.  

Azul ploughed through every barrier and shed light on the self Jamil had spent a lifetime trying to repress. Truth pried open and plans undone, Azul had witnessed his ego in full display. It’s humiliating, really. By contrast, Jamil knows nothing about Azul that one wouldn’t about the average classmate.  A new pang of annoyance strikes him, sensing the disparity; so, Jamil does the only logical thing and peers at Azul’s profile in search of answers.

He examines each inch with care, as if the key to some intangible mystery were to be found in any of it: the frames of his glasses, the shape of his eyes, the curve of his nose, the way his lips part or how his neck bobs. Jamil isn’t one for romanticism or poetry, but had he not known Azul’s incompetence on a broom to rival even that of  a boulder’s, he would have been tempted to say that the loose ringlet at the side of Azul’s face has an almost airy quality to it, like a weightless puff of smoke, the ever-changing ridges of desert sand, or something similarly nonsensical. 

As he reflects on it, he becomes aware of the rosy tinge spreading rapidly over Azul’s cheeks, even as he continues to write his notes. Spring had brought alongside it the steady rise of temperatures and Jamil considers, not for the first time, that merfolk are adverse to warmth. 

It stirs memories of that ill-advised celebration during their disastrous winter break. While Jamil indulged Kalim and danced all common sense away, Azul watched from the sidelines, face flushed even when standing under the desert shade.

Well, at least there's that.

Having arrived at the conclusion that octopi have a low tolerance for even the most temperate of climates, Jamil finally tunes into Trein’s lecture and applies himself to his own work. 

[marks-rambles]

how i do the twst characters voices ;; a very long post

Heartslabyul

riddle :: half british ??? quieter and whispy but like not really

trey :: BASIC. ASS. wHITE BOY IMPRESISON i really need a good fucking trey voice but for now hes just deep and basic

cater :: he slays, he sounds like a fucking popular high school girl from all those movies but like slightly deepr

ace :: essentially my voice but he sounds like a litle shit (as if i dont) he also does not say the g at the ends of words (so he'll be like "well i'm trying to win this game but you're just the master of cards apparently!" i'd read it as "well i'm try'na win this game but you're jus' the master o' cards apparently!") so like a slight accent i guess

deuce :: deeper version of ace basically, but says like g in running or f in of slightly more often

Savanaclaw

leona :: deep as fuck, tired always, raspy, basically just me in the morning

ruggie :: mid pitch and with a slight rasp that igive my kokichi voice to make him sound like a little shit

jack :: deuce but deeper

Octavinelle

azul :: slight musical quality to his voice i guess?? like i raise n lower the pitch a lot, but like in a way that stays consistent with the voice (slightly deeper than my own so like mid-low tone) and is very smart sounding. also slightly whispy

jade :: deep and whispy, but in a way thats different to practically every other deep and whispy character voice i have. sounds more professional and i definitely end up accentuating every sound in words when i do his voice lmao

floyd :: higher pitched than my voice (mid-high, more on the mid side) and drags out EVERY. GOD. DAMN. SOUND. also like ace, doesnt say certain letters / sounds (like g in going (goin') or f in of (lots o' fun) to give him that I Dont Give A Shit quality to the voice

Scarabia

kalim :: mid-high pitch, Excited Always, its literally hard for me to keep my voice quiet when i do his voice cuz hes so RAAAH yk?

jamil :: deep and whispy but this time he sounds more whispy, with just the slightest of british accents i think ???

Pomefiore

vil :: mid-range pitch, whispy as hell, and drags out only certain syllables for HUGE assholeish emphasis (love you vil)

rook :: i try to make him french but it always comes out russian somehow. on the deeper side but not whispy this time

epel :: ALWAYS SOUTHERN FUCK YOU, i just emphasize it a bit more when hes speaking WITH the accent directly. basically just me but southern tbh, if slightly deeper so like directly middle tone

Ignihyde

idia :: VERY quiet, mid-low tone, raspy on occasion, ALSO ALWAYS SHAKY VOICE. NEVER NOT SHAKY VOICE.

ortho :: high pitched and slightly robot-esque but not really, like its only got the slight each-word-has-a-different-emphasis kinda thing, so its hardly noticable. basically just higher pitched theres no robotic quality to how i do his voice AHGJKAHSFJK

Diasomnia

malleus :: just barely british with a hint of REALLY FUCKING DEEP VOICE like one of the deepest i can go. thats it thats the post

silver :: mid-low and whispy, but like a casual sounding whispy with again that slight british but not really

sebek :: deeper and loud, with emphasis on every sound in words like i dont miss the gs in running or the f in of he says every syllable

lilia :: deeper but not deep, he has like a slight british accent too because goddammit why is. why is diasomnia partially british. anyway he has like a grandmother-ish quality to his voice but in like a good way like hje doesnt sound old he just has that really sweet part going for him

Staff / Misc

grim :: very high pitched, gruff as much as i can but turned raspy with how my voice does it, hurts my voice but just imagine like me trying to do a bakugo impression as a tiny litle shit of a cat

crowley :: FULL. ON. BRITISH. on the deeper side and BRITISH ALL THE FUCKLING WAY

crewel :: deeper but definitely like. he sounsd like the snarky dom and has the sweet quality lilia has but this time insincere

vargas :: DEEP voice man. thats the only quality he has my normal accent like a northern indiana accent but like excited

trein :: vargas but if he was depressed

che'nya :: accentuates some letters but not all, definitely mysterious sounding. slightly deeper than my normal voice (mid-low, more mid) and has a roll to it that icant describe as not a roll

neige :: whispy, definitely sounds like the best friend you wish you had AHDSJKAHSFG, he just sounds so sweet honestly. very quiet too tho, slightly higher pitched (mid-high closer to mid) he just sounds very sweet raah

~~

i think thats all the characters ive read in voices other than fuckin. background characters from like backstories or kid versions or whatever. anyway thats it bye this took me like 30 minutes to write out for no one but mYSELF

[twstgameplay]

[JP] RERUN NRC Master Chef: Bliss of Meat

August 26th 16:00 - September 2nd, 14:59 (JST)

How nostalgic, our first event post is here. Please check the above for the recipes of the dishes. Since this was our first post, we hadn't set up the template for the Master Chef event yet, so please see the following for the usual information:

Event Info

Send the boys on expeditions to gather ingredients and cook to receive Chef Medals.

The last 2 ingredient spots unlock by collecting 100 and 300 Chef Medals, respectively.

Apprentice Chef SR Riddle and Silver have drop bonus of 20%, so take them with you if you have them.

There’s 3 quality types for ingredients: Gold > Silver > Bronze. The higher the ingredient quality, the better the score you’ll receive when cooking. It’s better to start cooking with low rate ingredients first, to build up skill.

Expedition durations are: 20, 60, 150 and 360 minutes. The only thing that changes is the quantity of ingredients you get, quality isn’t affected.

Missions, Updated Shops, and Skip Timer Info under the cut (Recipes in post above)

Missions Info

Shop Info

There are no new pieces of furniture this time.

The Master Chef SR Key can be used to exchange for either Apprentice Chef SR Riddle, Silver, Trey, or Kalim. The cards can also be obtained on the gacha event banner (Trey/Kalim are not available on the Riddle/Silver banner, and vice versa)

In addition, there is an Ingredients Shop that provides Bronze ingredients for 20 Master Chef medals each.

Skip Timers

Skip Timers can be obtained from event missions and also purchased in the usual Gem Shop (not the event shop). When you come to this screen of the Ingredient Procurement screen, you’ll see two golden buttons.

The middle left gold button will give you the option to spend a certain amount of Skip Timers to lower the time necessary to procure ingredients.

The middle right gold button will give you the option to spend gems to completely skip the procurement time.

Skip Timers will stay in your inventory after the event is over and can be used for future Master Chef events!

NRC Master Chef: Bliss of Meat 🍖

Having difficulty cooking the dishes?

Here’s a recipe list so you won’t get UFO food that would make Lilia proud~

Recipe List and Missions Translation (click for better quality)

Shop List

You can check our Resources for some other useful info, including stats on available cards!

Have fun cooking! And stop feeding me burnt food 

~🦈

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Growing Pains

Part 1 (ft. Riddle and Silver) I Part 2 (ft. Trey and Kalim) I Part 3 (ft. Jade and Lilia) I Part 4 (ft. Deuce and Jamil) I Part 5 (ft. Malleus and Ruggie) | Part 6 (ft. Cater and Rook) | Part 7 (ft. Sebek and Floyd) | Part 8 (ft. Ace and Idia)

In which Gordon Ramsay-kun is isekai’d into Twisted Wonderland. Part Food Wars, part Hell’s Kitchen, all Master Chef—Night Raven College isn’t ready to take on this Michelin Star celebrity!!

This time, two stubborn rebels enter the kitchen! With Epel chasing the greatness of growing up, he gets ensnared in a scheme that Leona responsible is responsible for. Gordon’s definitely got his work cut out for him!! Can he truly connect with this strong-minded duo?

Why does Leona’s chef jacket look like it’s straining to keep his chest contained in like every fan art I see 😭 I'm happy that Epel gets to take Master Chef at the same time as his Magift Club Captain... He gets to hang out with his cool senpai one last time before I smush him into Epelsauce for pointing out L*ona's charm 🤡 (P.S. I totally believe that GR is a role model L*ona could benefit from…)

Imagine this…

Raising a saucer to his lips, Epel sipped, allowing a mildly sweet flavor to flatten across the tongue. Warmed on a low flame, the milk concoction was warm, but still thick and creamy. Nothin' beats full fat milk fresh off the farm, he noted, licking his lips.

Epel let out an excited whoop as he slammed his saucer down. "Hoo-WHEE! That's sum good stuff!!"

A groan sounded from another counter.

"Oi, frosh. Keep it down over there," Leona groused. He fiddled with his hair, sweeping back loose strands that hung free from his ponytail. The rest of his mane--and his lion ears--were uncomfortably crammed under a chef's hat.

"O-Oh, sorry!" Epel hurriedly apologized, giving a brief bow to his club captain. When he straightened again, he couldn't avoid taking note of his upperclassman's strong build.

Though the duo were in similar uniforms, Leona wore his very differently than Epel. He slouched slightly, yet the warm yellow of his jacket fit him like a glove, easily conforming to the shape of his muscled body. By comparison, Epel was smaller and far less shapely. A twinge of sadness pulled in his chest.

Standing the two side-by-side, they were like lion and kitten. One regal and confident, the other meek and weak.

Epel furiously shook his head. He smacked both of his cheeks to wake himself up. Chin up, Epel! Take this chance to learn how you can be more like Leona-senpai...!

He glanced over at the various bowls littering Leona’s workstation.

I wonder what he’s making…? It must be something cool.

The beastman hovered over them, glancing over the contents of each bowl lackadaisically. Plump blueberries, granulated sugar, extract that smelled strongly of vanilla, gelatin powder. And, of course, the star of the show: milk.

Leona grimaced, lifting the white liquid up. Milk sloshed lazily around in its bowl, lapping against his thumb. He took a cursory sniff, but didn’t look impressed.

As Leona was returning the milk back to its place, Epel jumped. "U-Um...!!"

"What, you got something to say?" Leona raised a brow. "Then spit it out."

"Well..." Epel nervously twiddled his thumbs. “That’s heavy cream... It’s rich-tasting and has high fat content, so it’s good for creamy dishes. With the sugar and the fruit, are you making a dessert of some kind? Maybe a milk pudding or something…”

“Hmmmm.”

A slow and catty glint rose to Leona’s eyes. He leaned forward, scrutinizing the humble farmer boy.

“So you’ve got a real knack for this kind of thing.”

“Eh, I guess so? I’m used to helping my family and neighbors back in Harveston with produce quality control. It comes naturally to me.”

“Great. Take care of this for me then.” Leona plunked down the bowl of blueberries in his junior’s hands. Epel blinked—but before he could protest, Leona continued. “You’ve got a real talent. It’d be a waste for you not to show it off to the Chef.”

“I don’t know…” Epel casted a curious look at their mentor, who had been observing them from a quiet corner of the kitchen. Gordon returned the gaze, as if sensing trouble afoot.

“Besides, I’m counting on you too,” Leona added, a hand on Epel’s shoulder.

His heart leapt in anticipation. “You are?!”

“Yeah. Even with my nose, I just don’t have the chops for this line of work. Must be my delicate princely constitution. That’s why I’m putting my faith in you.” Leona suddenly frowned. “Was I wrong to?”

“N-No, Leona-senpai!!” Epel hurriedly insisted. “You can definitely leave it to me! I’ll make sure the ingredients we use are the best we have!”

“That’s what I like to hear.” The lion’s smile was sly. "Okay, knock yourself out. I’m going to be taking a nap. Don’t bother me until you’ve checked everything in the pantry over… twice.”

“Aye-aye, captain!!”

With that, Leona sauntered off with a casual, self-assured swagger. Gordon was wiping his hands off on a clean dish rag when he passed. They silently met each other’s eyes, Leona passing along a triumphant smirk.

The head chef automatically got a bad feeling.

Kingscholar must have said something to him. Right, I’ll get to the bottom of this.

While Leona had pulled out a chair and hunkered down in it, Gordon made his way over to Epel. He was now eagerly inspecting a pile of sugar, seemingly picking through individual granules by sifting them around with a finger.

"What are you doing over here, my darling?" Gordon asked, his tone kept friendly—a voice he reserved for children, not arrogant adults.

“Chef!” Epel proudly saluted. “I’m making sure the ingredients are good to go!”

“That’s all fine and dandy, but why’s he sittin’ this one out?” Gordon jabbed an accusatory thumb in Leona’s direction. (He resembled a grumpy street cat.)

“I’m doing Leona-senpai’s share too!”

“You don’t think he should be responsible for looking over his own ingredients?” Gordon huffed. Or suspect that he’s blowing smoke up your ass?

“But really trusts me to do this for him.” Epel laid a hand on his chest. His expression was positively glowing, his cheeks appled. “He has confidence in my abilities!! And I trust him to guide me. Leona-senpai has never steered me wrong before!”

Gordon instantly recognized the emotion: pure admiration.

“… You look up to him, don’t you?”

“Yup!! He’s the man I wanna be! Smart, cool, brave, tall, muscly…! I’ve been chugging tons of milk in my free time to make sure I’m getting all the vitamins and minerals I need to catch up to him.”

Is that why I saw him trying to shotgun an entire gallon of milk straight from the jug?! Gordon rubbed at his aching temples.

There was a soft grunt that grounded him again.

“… But it’s not enough to just be physically strong," Epel mumbled. "I can’t just drink milk and call it a day. It’s also important to have a strong spirit too, cuz the heart's also a muscle!"

The first year offered a hopeful grin, a hand set on his bicep. “Leona-senpai has that sort of strength. If I want to be able to stand on the same level as him, I have to give it my all when it comes to training!”

A strong body and spirit…

Yet when he looked at Leona, what Gordon saw first was a broken man forsaking his future. A shell of a person. Was he able to be salvaged? To lead?

Gordon reconsidered. His perspective and Epel’s—whose judgment was clouded? Or was neither quite the full truth?

“… Thanks for that. I’m going to speak with him now. You keep up what you’re doing. Best of luck, love.”

The response he received was bright and resolute.

“Yes, Chef!”

“I bet you must think you’re bloody brilliant.”

The accusation was as stiff as cream whipped into peaks. It cut cleanly—but not quite though Leona’s wit.

He snorted, hardly budging from his recline. “The kid's good at assessing the quality of food. Why keep him back from reaching his full potential?”

“So are you. I know a food critic when I see one,” Gordon said sharply. “And don’t give me that ‘I can’t do it’ bull crap. I thought we were over this already.”

Leona’s laughter was like the roiling thunder of an approaching storm. “I work smarter, not harder, herbivore. Are you sure you’re an instructor? It sounds to me like you have some learning to do on your students.”

"I know plenty—and I know you're better than this." Gordon gestured at him.

"Afraid not," Leona purred, the sarcasm coming off of his words in lazy waves.

Rotten to the core. Spoiled from the start. Shattered, unable to be reassembled. A rebel of the savanna, impossible to tame. All the things people whispered about him behind his back and to his face.

His hand instinctively snaked to the scar that threaded his left eye. "... It's just as the rumors say, teach."

Ugly truths. Evil, harm, destruction—that's all he would ever amount to, all that he was capable of.

There’s no hope left for me. No light of another day. No tomorrows.

Leona turned away, forcing an end to the conversation. He had nothing more to say, and didn't expect anything more out of the chef either.

Then came the hands upon his shoulders, the grip like a vice. Gordon grabbed him, thrusting his face close to Leona’s.

"Don't you talk like that,” the chef hissed with a deathly quiet, “not in my kitchen.”

“Yeah? If you’re so pissed, then banish me from your kingdom,” Leona taunted. His breath was hot with anger, but he bore no claws.

Always the outcast, never the king.

“Not in your life.” Gordon released him, a slight shove back into the seat the third year occupied.

“You’ve already made your judgment of me. Why hold back on acting on it?”

With a slight glare, the chef folded his arms and stared down at him. “For one, you’re deliberately being a jackass to get out of the coursework. For another…”

Gordon nodded towards Epel’s station. “… there’s him.”

“Epel? You might as well dedicate your manpower to him. He’ll need it, the little tyke.”

“He thinks you’re someone to aspire to. But here you are, acting like you’re not.” Gordon narrowed his eyes. “You know what I think? I think the least you could do is respect the kid’s efforts by pitching in—and have some respect for yourself while you’re at it. The kid’s looking up to you. You can try to look up to yourself too, or his hopes are for nothing.”

“He chose to follow me. That decision—and its consequences—are on him.”

“You can’t keep doing this,” Gordon growled. “It’s not just him. Your entire dorm—”

“It’s different,” Leona snapped back. “We’re not the same. They’ve got futures ahead of them. They can afford to be hopelessly blinded by its light.”

Unlike me.

The silence that followed was stifling and thick. It was a reduction left too long on the stove, boiled down to concentrated, palpable self-hatred.

Gordon’s mouth was a tight line. Not a frown, not a glower. Just a neutral line.

"... You remind me of myself when I was younger. Full of vinegar and piss," he grunted at last. Gordon slapped a palm against his knee. "Used to dream of being a footballer. Then had an injury so bad it crushed those dreams before I could recognize it.

"I didn't start taking the culinary arts seriously until 19. You're 20 now, Kingscholar. If there was a chance for an arrogant little lug head like me, then there's a chance for you too. It's not too late."

"Then you're an old fool," Leona spat. To try all your life at something, only to be kicked down every time. "No sob story will ever change what we are."

Gordon faced Epel, his back to Leona. "... I've had a lot of successes. I have that success because I've had failures. I've learned from them. Our scars don't have to define us. We can become better than that. Grow from them.”

"What? Am I meant to be won over by those paltry sentiments?"

"You think whatever you damn well like," Gordon retorted. "If you need me, I'll be helping Felmier. Otherwise, waste the rest of your class time for all I care."

Then he was gone.

Leona shifted in his seat. He regarded the chef with an eerie quiet—the same kind of quietness that pervaded a lion stalking its prey. Weighing the options, assessing what he was up against.

An herbivore. Just a simple-minded, stubborn herbivore. He had been talking out of his ass, trying to act as if he knew—as if he understood him.

Annoyance curdled into a blunt anger.

“Our scars don't have to define us.”

Damn it.

“We can become better than that. Grow from them.”

Damn it...!

Leona bared his teeth, his hands curled into fists.

Familiar frustration flooded him. Helplessness, despair. And a bit of a feeling he had long since renounced.

Hope.

“... Tch.” Leona raked a hand through his hair. “Light a fire under my tail, why don’t you?”

Epel was halfway through inspecting the blueberries when one was plucked straight out of the bowl. Leona tossed it into his mouth, spearing the berry on his canines. A sweet tartness flooded his taste buds.

"... It's fine for the panna cotta," he declared languidly.

Epel startled at his senior's sudden appearance. Beside the first year, Gordon held his breath.

"L-Leona-senpai?! But I thought you were going to rest...?"

"Yeah, well. I got tired of that. Figured I might as well find something else to do to pass the time." Leona cocked his head back, his grin self-assured. "... Got room for one more?"

"I'd be happy to welcome you." Gordon stepped back, allowing Leona to claim his rightful place at an open counter. "... Good to have you back with your head in the game, Kingscholar."

"Hmph. Don't get used to it." He picked up a tool laid out on the table—an ice-cream scooper—and twirled it between dextrous fingers. “I’m a precocious child, so I’ll need an instructor that can keep me engaged.”

“You’re acting cocky for someone who was refusing to play ball a while ago.” Gordon groaned. “… Fine then. You’re on. Just for that, I’m not going to go easy on you.”

“Excuse me, Chef!” The protest came from Epel, who had abandoned the blueberries. “Please go hard on me too!! I can handle it!!”

Leona snorted. “You sure about that, squirt? You never know how mean the big, scary teacher might be.”

“Yes! I want to work together with you, Leona-senpai! Then I can become as strong as you are.”

As strong as I am… Something in his chest sank. Was he truly?

Leona dispelled the doubt with a sigh. Aaah, how annoying. He’s looking at me with those big, sparkling eyes. Why are kids like this?

So fixated on the future and the people who would lead them to it.

He softened.

"... Yeah, sure. Let's just get this over with. The sooner, the better."

Gordon nodded approvingly.

Until the day where I can comfortably stand where you are… wait for me. I’ll meet you there.