#mercen

[archetypal-archivist]

Three Eels, Soup, and a Bad Day

In which Riddle is having A Time and it's all the Leech siblings' faults. This story features Morgan from "the seven habits of highly unfortunate souls: a transmigrator’s guide to the coral sea" by mercen on AO3 and is not canon to the events of that story. I just got brain rot. :)

The story starts with Floyd going about his day, picking at his teeth with a toothpick he'd swiped from the host stand in Mostro, having gotten bored of trying to steal all the picks without Jade noticing. It's getting late in the year, the temperatures are cooling down, and that makes Floyd want to get somewhere indoors for a while, his human body prickling with little bumps in a way that annoys him.

As such, he heads to the library and finds Riddle there, who's also inside to avoid the cold. Their usual banter ensues, Riddle up on a tall ladder trying to put a book away and Floyd wanting to climb up to see what Riddle's looking at. Their fighting knocks Riddle off the ladder and while Floyd catches him, the sudden fall spooks Riddle badly enough that he starts shaking. Floyd panics when Riddle tries to flee, not wanting to drop him, and the sudden squeeze only panics the house warden further. Tired and freaked out, Riddle has a minor breakdown in his arms, so Floyd ends up sprinting to Morgan because Riddle is mid-panic attack and his apologies and head pats aren't helping.

Morgan had been in his room shelving away a few news titles that he'd picked up in town, but the sound of Floyd's momentum slamming him into his door puts an end to that. Upon Floyd scrambling to get the door open and a brief thirty second explanation, Morgan mentally freaks out but starts by having Floyd put Riddle down on the bed, giving him space.

First, he pumps the air full of his magic, a sort of 'intent' that people can feel before someone casts a strong spell. He then layers out a ton of protection spells, listing each one as he goes so Riddle knows what's happening around him.

Morgan slowly approaches Riddle and starts singing in mermish, basically telling Floyd what to do in a sing song voice to both soothe Riddle and also keep the boy from knowing what Morgan and Floyd are doing. Under Morgan's instructions, Floyd creeps low, close to Riddle, and puffs him with little gusts of wind magic to cool him down and distract him. Then he asks outright if he can touch Riddle, yes or no, following exactly what Riddle says. No means no, even if Riddle keens at the loss of Floyd's touch.

Riddle finds it cruel and exposing to have to say outright what he wants from Floyd, what comfort he desires, and that breaks him down further. Morgan's eyes on the matter don't help, it feels voyeuristic and prying for him to be there, even with his good intentions. Still, Riddle is eventually finagled into something like being soothed, with a cold compress on his head and Floyd wrapped around him tightly enough that he can hardly breathe- tight enough that every breath is a reminder he isn't alone.

The whole time Morgan keeps up his stream of singing praises and promises of protection, layering as much positive intent into the air as possible to the point where Riddle can feel it. It causes some cognitive dissonance in Riddle, as his instincts say he is safe and his brain says no, Morgan's a stranger and he's still there, watching.

Floyd, on his part, is half catatonic under the sheer palpable weight of Morgan's magic, knowing full well that he's never been more safe here at NRC. His brother is there, watching, spilling out bloody promises should anything pop up. Eventually Morgan lets his voice trail off and asks Riddle if he'd like to sleep for a bit. Riddle, thoroughly broken down and too tired to fight, even though he's still scared, agrees. Morgan nods and tells Riddle exactly what spell he is using and the details, even as he casts it, giving Riddle plenty of outs.

After a few moments, Riddle and Floyd are both very asleep. Now it's Morgan's chance to panic, his own instincts demanding he keep watch until his brother and his brother's friend(?) are both whole and hale. So he texts Jade, slightly terse in a way that says Morgan is trying to stay polite and Jade knows really means Morgan is having a borderline emergency.

Jade fulfills Morgan's requests with terrifying efficiency, bringing in bottles of water and bowls of thick, warm soup, the recipe scraped together from what Jade knows of Riddle's preferences. He comes in ready to throw down, a first aid kit secretly in his jacket pocket, but instead walks face first into a veritable sauna of positive intent, Morgan's reserves enormous enough to keep pumping out magic. (His dietary preferences for magic-rich food definitely had an effect.)

Jade feels a bit like he's been hit with a brick and he nearly stumbles, Morgan's instincts having him grabbing the tray and bundling Jade up in a blanket too. Jade, confused but too punch-drunk to think straight, goes with it, settling by Morgan's feet. Morgan sticks a hand in Jade's hair, teasing through it in an attempt to further soothe, then informs his brother about what went down with Riddle. Now more amused, Jade laughs a bit at everyone's collective emotional idiocy, especially Morgan's, as he's conscious enough to tease and get a reaction out of. Soon enough, however, that tapers off and Jade falls asleep too, bundled up and lax like he was as a fry in the loop of Morgan's tail.

After a few minutes, Morgan stops filling the air with his magic, instead getting to his feet to start layering up protection and privacy spells. He cools Jade and Floyd's blankets, changes Riddle's compress, starts and stops singing as a fidget and in not knowing what to do, and eventually just ends up sitting at the foot of Floyd's bed, eyeing the door. His pen has accumulated more blot than he'd like but Morgan's perfectly willing to dirty it further, if it proves necessary.

He's being ridiculous, he knows he is, but having people under his direct care who aren't vicious beasties like his brothers has Morgan paranoid.

After another hour, Riddle wakes up, far more coherent and a little alarmed at where he is. Morgan is quick to tell Riddle of exactly what happened, what's gone down in the last two hours, what spells are in effect in the room right now, the time, and so on. Riddle stares at Morgan, a little nonplussed, before commenting that Floyd really didn't know what he was doing, did he.

Morgan, amused, agrees, establishing that Floyd brought Riddle to him and that he understands that this mess may have been a breach of Riddle's privacy. Riddle is shocked as Morgan continues, forcefully saying that there is no debt for this- he'd thump anyone who'd try to enforce one- no one knows about this but him and his brothers, and he's perfectly willing to submit to whatever methods Riddle wants to employ to guarantee his secrecy on the matter.

Riddle blurts out that Morgan is nothing like his brothers and Morgan laughs, telling Riddle that he considers himself the eldest of the trio. Taking care of others is kind of his job; a half-truth but one that takes away implication of debt or discomfort with the situation. He doesn't need Riddle to freak out further, that'd just be... messy.

At this point Riddle takes stock of the sleeping eels and just how potent the spells in the room are, eyes wide at how Morgan has essentially turned the bedroom into a bunker fit to keep an overblot monster out. He's not sure even he could break in if he tried and he really, really doesn't want to think about the fate of anyone who did.

Morgan notices that Riddle is looking at the door, wide-eyed, and thinking Riddle wants out, begins trying to reassure Riddle that he can leave whenever but to please eat first. Riddle agrees on instinct and soon finds himself hunched at Morgan's desk, eating a bowl of delicious soup, more than a little bewildered at how he got into this position. He does start to realize that he truly is safe here, however, as Morgan hefts Jade onto the bed to join Floyd and begins fussing, straightening blankets and soothing down bedhead. Floyd makes a sleepy grab at Morgan but Morgan steps away with an air of long practice, choosing instead to sit at Riddle's feet. Riddle is a tiny bit alarmed that Morgan is tall enough that his eyes come up to his belly button even with him on the chair and Morgan criss cross on the carpet but of everything going on so far, that's low on his priorities.

Morgan tries to ask Riddle as subtly as possible what had happened to make him panic as he did but Riddle bulldozes subtlety, telling Morgan outright in such a candid way that he knows he'll regret it later. Given Floyd's actions, would Morgan even do anything about the situation?

Instead, Morgan listens, offers advice, and promises protection (distraction of the terror known as Floyd) as needed in a way that suddenly reminds Riddle of Trey. He chuckles, startled at the thought and the realization of the many similarities, and Morgan asks, curious. Upon hearing the response Morgan nods, fully understanding, and agrees, stating that they're both big brothers. Riddle settles back in the chair, once again startled, and realizes that if this is big brother behavior, then Trey must act like he's Riddle's big brother. He doesn't know what to do with this information and so he stays silent, eating more soup.

Riddle finds himself oddly hungry and eats through most of another bowl, at which point Morgan begins reheating a third, the smell of which wakes up Jade and Floyd.

The duo emerge from their blanket burritos and Morgan immediately leaps to fuss over them, which makes the two go all pliant and a little huffy, insisting on not needing the fuss but never refusing it. Floyd catches sight of Riddle and immediately starts smiling, genuinely happy with no hint of mockery or fakeness. Just- genuine sunshine joy at seeing Riddle. Riddle's heart thuds in his chest and then Jade bowls Floyd over, squishing him for freaking Morgan out and thus making Jade freak out in turn. Floyd laughs, sighs, and apologizes to Morgan for springing all this on him, Morgan tuts and says it's alright, he doesn't mind.

At this point Riddle thanks Morgan for helping, drawing the threels' attention back to himself. More domestic arguing over who gets the last two bowls of soup (Morgan wants to give up his, Floyd is refusing and wants Morgan to have it, Jade sneaks and grabs the fourth one all for himself). Then even more domestic arguing, with Riddle drawn into it this time, as they all start packing out of Morgan's room.

Is there payment needed for this? Morgan says no, twins say yes, Floyd wants more time with Riddle, Jade wants Floyd to take Morgan's shift at the Mostro. Who's sweater is that? Morgan is fine with Riddle borrowing it as his own jacket is sweaty and he wants Riddle to be warm. Floyd wants Riddle in his jacket, Riddle doesn't want anyone's clothes at all. Does Riddle need walking back? Opinions vary.

The end of it has Riddle and Floyd walking back and Riddle commenting that Morgan is really nice but also freakishly powerful, Floyd laughs and starts detailing all the ways that Morgan is actually the scary one of the three eels, a big looming predator, haha! Just- kinda sleepy too, boring; not gonna bite first, yeah? He then pauses and tells Riddle with all seriousness that since he's fond of Riddle, he's under Jade and Morgan's protection just as much as Floyd's own and to tell any of them if Riddle needs help. Except if like, Morgan is busy. But then Morgan gets all huffy and that's no fun so- Riddle interrupts and says he doesn't need protection and Floyd nods before commenting that he and Jade don't usually need protection either but the nap was nice, right? Not just safe but cared for. Morgan's cool like that.

Riddle hesitates then states that Floyd really loves his brother. Floyd agrees softly, pausing as if to see which way his mood wants to swing, then states again softly that Morgan isn't why he and Jade survived- they could have done it just them two- but he thinks Morgan wouldn't have survived without him and his brother. People aren't built to be alone and Morgan guards what few people he has with everything he has, which is A Lot.

Riddle pauses, considering this and feeling warmed at the thought of being under that aegis, before offering up that he's glad Morgan was willing to help. Was that a big brother thing? Floyd pulls back, levity returned, and jokes that no, that's just a Morgan thing. Scene fades to black with Floyd complaining about all the ways Morgan is too nice and generous sometimes with Riddle arguing back that no, Morgan is just a decent person.

Back to Jade and Morgan, they emerge from the room with the spells removed to return the dishes to the sink in the Mostro only to bumble into Azul. Azul snidely comments with a hint of worry that everyone vanished on him and he got reports of Morgan's bedroom suddenly being coated in so much magic that the other students were worried. Did something happen?

Morgan lies as quick as he can on instinct, blank-faced, that it was a sleepover. Azul turns to Jade, incredulous, but Jade backs Morgan up. Yep, sleepover. In the middle of the day. For three hours. With Riddle. S L E E P O V E R. And everything is fiiiiinnnee.

Morgan grins and tries to bear Azul's scrutiny, Jade is as impassive as always, and soon enough Azul gives up... But not before snidely commenting that if Floyd has decided to get the pair involved in his quest for Riddle's friendship, Azul does not want to know. Morgan and Jade immediately want to die and Morgan internally laments what a good big brother he is, doing this for his siblings. Jade just wants to stab Floyd with a knife.

[ladyhallen]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36650677

The seven habits of highly unfortunate souls:a transmigrator's guide to the coral sea by mercen

Idk if you're into/know of twisted wonderland but this fic does pretty good worldbuilding. It's a si-oc as a merperson and right now it's in their childhood arc. You don't really need to know Twisted wonderland since it's precanon

I know absolutely nothing about this fandom, and now I want to read this.

I hope there's enough exposition to get me by, but like, this is just like reading a book. Except its fanfic. HAHAHA.

THANKS for the rec!!!

[domino-dump]

morgan rkgk 2!!!! (plus other stuff bc 1.) i am a rook truther 2.) i love to draw morgan in fun little outfits 3.) i just wanted 2 show u the little wigless threels from my first artwork)

[Morgan is not my oc he’s from “the seven habits of highly unfortunate souls: a transmigrator’s guide to the coral sea” by Mercen ]

[hiimtheproblem87times]

YO AVA DESIGNS ARE HERE!!! Background Characters are Next :3

The mercanies- the mercen- the mecan- how the fuck do you spell it???

The Mercenaries tho Ugh 😩 (dk if i got that)

[xruiiii-blog]

Some ghouls come in pairs and they are giving heavy sidling vibes…

These are just for fun!!! Some hc my friends and I shared:)) forgive my English too…I tried🤷‍♀️!

Swiss & Rain-They are not blood siblings but they’ve been by each other’s side for as long as they can remember. There’s an age gap, they act completely different, into different things, but there are times where they look like each other’s reflection. The pit was a tough memory for both of them but luckily they had each other.

That being said, They will do stupid pranks to the other one and it’s only funny to themselves. No one beside them will understand what the hell is going on. They won’t even stop giggling during practices this sometimes pisses Copia off…but they are his ghouls so he can’t do anything about it. Usually Swiss’ the one who started them. Rain only pays back if he’s bored/got irritated, most of the time he lets it slide.

Ifrit & Zephyr-They are twins! They can be very handful sometimes…the intention was nice(ended badly bc one of them accidentally messed up or got too carried away, drag the other one with them). They are free spirit. Don’t even try n tell them to behave or what to do cuz they always end up doing their own thing. Follow the instructions was never an option. If you trust them on whatever they’re about to do then that’s a promise, they sure knows how to deliver. Usually Ifrit suggests an idea and comes up with a “plan” but then Zeph is the one who’s actually doing all the work…

Rare occasions they get time-out from Terzo. They will start behaving for a week at most. Ifrit has to spend a day or two convincing Zeph to be on his side again. They are the sweetest boys tho, always trying to cheer their papa up and lighten the mood. If papa didn’t like it, try something new. Terzo secretly enjoyed their company. It feels like home when these two hanging around(even if he had to cover his ears or screams “put that down!”) Terzo gets complaints from sisters about these two running down the hall all the time. Besides a disappointed gaze, Terzo never actually punish them, ever.

Aurora & Phantom-baby bat siblings! Aurora is probably minutes or seconds older than Phantom and she won’t ever let this go. There’re A LOT of pillow fights, back and forth arguments about nothing, constantly screaming each other’s name for no reason in the ghoul dorms right after they’re summoned. Copia had to sit both of them down for a chat but ending up realizing there’s nothing he can do from this point on. They’re fine, it’s a sibling thing. The ghouls are on their own now.

(Quick side explaining: our lore is that ghoulettes and ghouls are not coming from the same place. Ghoulettes are like witches?? Their community are tight, function more like merceners, papa had to go hire from the witches. Ghouls are…ghouls. They are from hell, the pit, they can be owned I guess?? Make a living in the pit it’s all on ur own. Doesn’t matter where u from, working with/for the clergy, next to papa is always a pleasure, an honor. A sacred chance for anyone. Exceptions always exist, Mist is a ghoulette but she’s from the pit. Phantom in this case, was adopted by the witches and lives among them, so this makes him a half-witch I guess…there are some ghoul behaviors he simply doesn’t understand, Aether prepared him after his summoning but there’re still alotttt to process. He’s an exchange student if u will. )

If Phantom ever felt frustrated, Aurora is the first person he goes to, and vises versus. Aurora will call Phantom her baby brother only when tommy is not around. They are still on the young side so everyone is looking out for them. They never been on Earth before so they are super hyped about everything. Blew up the kitchen couple times but they were forgiven after a sincere apology. Will you ever say no or stay mad towards a baby bat who love you with all their heart?? That’s right, I don’t think so.

I haven’t read much of the lores in the fandom if there’s similar ones oops!! We have similar tastes I guess! I don’t own any of these they are all just for fun. Thanks for reading and tolerating my on going struggle with writing! Hearts to all the writers out there, idk how y’all did this, it’s so damn hard💀.

u guys’ stuff actually makes sense, mines don’t lol

FYI my drawing always have them in these dynamic as well! These became canon to me…I just love seeing ghouls messing around…

[starfallpod]

Now, if only I could do something about that fish smell - it lingers on the cart so terribly.

Episode two of our Fennel’s Food Cart mini-series is out now! Find it wherever fine podcasts are lightly seared!

Transcript: Here

Featuring Ray O’Hare as Food Cart Proprietor

[bekaterrier]

Happy Audio Drama Sunday! I hope everyone was checking out the #BIPOCtober tag this past week and adding shows to their to-listen list! Now we're on to #Ace Podcast Week!

Give Me Away Episode 9 - A Bug and a Feature: Hooooooboy, this season finale did not disappoint! So much stress with the gang stuck in the Ghost House. There was so much arguing, and I was just waiting for Graham to out his foot down - and he did! I want your second idea indeed. Then there's Jamie being the most dramatic a person could be, calling her mom right in the middle of all this, then playing the role she was born for! Iconic. It all ended with us wondering how Graham was feeling about that last revelation, and quite a few challenges set up for S2.

@hinaypod Episode 48.1 - Noche Buena: I originally heard this episode as a Patreon supporter (it was released in January) but obviously did not have the full context for it then. Now, knowing what we know about what happened on Christmas Eve, there is sooooo much more meaning to it. Especially that opening, "Good morning, babe,"... Hearing about Mari's Christmas traditions and how she dealt with her Tatay's passing was sad and lovely.

@desertskiespodcast Episode 19 - Friends Make Sacrifices: Oh Cash was so close to having everything dealt with nicely! Xochitlicue made such a huge sacrifice...I really hope that she's able to find her sister.

Residents of @proserpinapark Ep 38 - A Fox and Her Mouse: We finally have context for some of this season's official art and boy is it a terrifying thought! It was fun hearing from the Kitsune again, and things are definitely not finished between her and Mirai. And we finally have a bit more of an explanation for Junichi's total lack of curiosity about Proserpina Park and the recordings from Alina. That was driving me crazy!

@midnightburgr Chapter 39 - The Interrodrome!: When the episode starts with the Three Sisters, The Mucklewains and Ava all captured by the bad guys, you just know it's gonna be a wild one. Ava and Caspar are really THE couple of "flip the script on your captors". Also so many guest voices! Sean and Michael from Civilized pod, Third Person from Midst, and then surprise Karim Kronfli! Also slight jumpscare of my name said very emphatically by Ava...

@starfallpod Fennel's Food Cart Episode 2 - Ludenalis, Mercen: This is such a clever way for us to learn more about the different parts of Falsten. What better way to learn about the culture of an area than through its food? I'm having a lot of fun listening to Fennel's adventures.

@stormfireproductions Kalila Stormfire's Economical Magick Services Case One - Transformation — Case Twenty Two - Body Image and Possession Training: I started listening to this show ahead of BIPOCtober week, and I'm already more than halfway through season two! The worldbuilding is wonderful, and I love how we slowly learn more from each case. Lisette is incredibly thoughtful in the way that they portray and highlight the social issues arising from there being fae, covens, changelings, etc. in this version of the world. I can't wait to find out what happens next, and to hear Kalila continue to work on (and with) herself.

[blossomsofchaos]

Fics Im reading/I've read <3!

These are the main fics I've been reading lately so I wanted to share them! (I'll also put my fav ships for the fandom at the end of its section <3)

my absolute fav fics on here have ! after the author

TWST

"Lost in Translation" by broken_synchronicity !

"Spiteful entrance to a twisted world" by mofomango

"Some guy ex machina" by elydenaponia

"caged birds don't sing, but they still bite" by devin_trinidad !

"the seven habits of highly unfortunate souls: a transmigrator’s guide to the coral sea" by mercen !

"I am that which has survived (a blessing, and now a curse)" by runlittlerabbitrun

"unit y-ou" by writinggayer

"“Smile Now, Dear. It’s Sunrise.”" by HummingSparrow

"The Mantra, Sung Like A Forbidden Melody" by unbearably_adorable !

"―and the things i hold dearly, i'll let them fall for you" by kaiwaredaikon

"Retrogradation" by Torigale

"To Cause Trouble, To Cause Loyalty" by Tw7sted

"Like Lark Notes From the Sky" by ARevenantDreamingOfRoses

(FAV SHIPS/FRIENDSHIPS: Idiazu, Idikei, Leoide, Adeuce)

GENSHIN

"cage of your own making" by sunjinjo

"the lightning goe and the thunder die" by moonlight_mist

"Is this what therapy is?" by aliasgoeshere !

"someone's abandoned creation" by dustyyy

"sinner and the saint" by cometh_into_the_abyss

"a twisted performance" by motivation_loss

"The Puppet Who Cried In His Sleep" by !

"Meeting-Promise-Departure" by Crescent_River !

"Exerpts From Monstadt" by cocoplanet !

"I'll carve you my heart" by anonymous

"A Graceless Dance of Epithets" by pyrotechpuffs !

"kuusoku zeshiki" by GStK

"Cracks" by XiariaDragneel

"Puppet Theater" by opalvulpix

(FAV SHIPS/FRIENDSHIPS: Wanderer/Xiao, Furina&Wanderer, Wanderer/Albedo, Wanderer/Cyno, Venti/Zhongli, Shogun&Wanderer, Shogun&Ei, Miko&Wanderer, Tighnari/Wanderer)

OM

"Let's all be shadows" by universalworst

"take it easy!" By miss_sunflower

MCD/MYS

"shadow knights in mystreet" by shipper_brainrot

"here comes the sun" by blankgeode

"the worms must be fed" by honeyyhop !

"Rain Falls Green in Seattle" by Pokegamer9999 !

(FAV SHIPS/FRIENDSHIPS: Zane/Travis Zanvis, Travis/Laurance, Aphmau/Cadenza, Vylad/Laurance, Zane&Laurance)

TMA

"The Reverb in These Holy Halls" by Wolftraps (AlwaysBoth)

"Ocellus" by Dragoncurl

"A Vivisection of Me (Done by God for all to See)" by ComposerEgg !

"Utterly Incorrect (and in need of Correction)" by PestilenceandSunshine !

"falling slowly" by thegreatandpowerfultoaster !

"Devotion from the Future" by Lilwoofs

"Did It Even Work" by LiterallyImpossible

"To Firebrands and Ashes" by chlodobird

"In The peripheral" by Willowingends !

"Redeath" by Gallifrey63

"The Friends of Mr. Spider" by Pitchpine

"Starboard Shines Green, Port is Glowing Red" by PitViperOfDoom

"To Sleep in a Sea of Earth" by meekome

"how big, how blue (how beautiful)" by screechfox

"beautiful and annihilating" by advantagetexas !

"Sing a Song of Sixpence" by Kaiel

"All Hail The Mysterious Gap" by Anonymous

"alpha rats nest" by spacefleeting !

"Slip Into That Rhythm Again" by Doodlelupin !

(FAV SHIPS/FRIENDSHIPS: Jon/Tim Jontim, Jon/Mike Jonmike Brainstorm, Jon/Sasha Jonsasha, Jon/Michael Jonmichael Optical Illusions, Polyarchives, Jon&Daisy, Georgie&Jon, Oliver/Jon Jonoliver, Daisy/Jon Jondaisy Jaisy)

MDZS

"Of Painted Fans and Promises" by Watermelonsmellinfellon !

(FAV SHIPS/FRIENDSHIPS: Nie Huaisang/Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian, Wei Wuxian/Wen Ning)

[fregget-frou]

The sillies

Morgan is one of my fav Twst ocs and I’m definitely normal about this fic ARHRHRHSSHRG

I feel like they have the sleazy vibe the twins have but they’re just really bad at putting on a good face

Ao3 link to the fic also name,

“the seven habits of highly unfortunate souls: a transmigrator’s guide to the coral sea” by mercen

Also here’s some images that fit the Treel’s vibes

[samuraisam]

a magyar sajtoban mar megint nem lattam errol semmit (mercen sem)

[archetypal-archivist]

Glorious Masquerade: What If Morgan Leech Went Too

This is a work of fanfiction of another piece of fanfiction: "the seven habits of highly unfortunate souls: a transmigrator’s guide to the coral sea" by mercen, found here. This work is not canon to Twisted Wonderland or mercen's world and I own none of the characters involved. Spoilers for the Glorious Masquerade event in the game.

------------------

The story begins with back when the threels and Azul are first years at NRC, their class getting an assignment to write to a school-assigned pen pal as a form of cultural exchange. The idea is to learn more about what school is like in other places in Twisted Wonderland and several notable schools are participating, including Royal Sword and Noble Bell college.

Azul gets assigned to some nobody fae from Briar valley and both he and his assigned pen pal are polite but distant, only writing bare bones details and what is required of them to complete the assignment. There's a bit of deliberate hiding on both their parts because they don't want the other to know their personal details or any weaknesses. Of course, Azul is still the type who loves to get leverage on everyone he can while holding all his cards close to his chest so he spends waaaay too long on each letter. Neither writer is interested in fostering a connection, so after the month is up, both stop writing.

Jade gets assigned a student from Royal Sword and he has a delightful time trying to lead his pen pal around by the nose, coming up with all sorts of "woe as me, truly I am so misfortunate" stories that are technically true but definitely don't tell the full story. Things like moaning about leaving home for months at a time and missing it dreadfully. (True-ish, but he isn't exactly heartsick like he's implying.) Also, food not made by the loving hands of his caretakers making him ill for how he misses the cooking of home. (True-ish, he was in for a shock about food not made by personal cooking staff and he definitely ate some weird stuff in getting used to land life. This includes such joys as raw fish from the class about sanitation on land vs at sea, as bleach doesn't work the same underwater. He wasn't the only mer who ate it at land bootcamp, nor was he the only one to get food poisoning.)

By the end of the month, the Royal Sword student is about ready to report him to CPS and is trying to ask him for an address to send him money so Jade can be on the first plane home possible. Jade, of course, finds this hilarious and also mildly panic-inducing because the Royal Sword kid is bugging the teachers on his end about Jade's personal info and he doesn't want his own teachers catching wind of his nonsense. Azul rolls his eyes and tells him to sort it out, which Jaded does by stopping writing at the end of the month too. Unbeknownst to them, Royal Sword kid ends up mildly traumatized by the assignment as he thinks Jade perished of heartbreak and it's his fault because he couldn't do enough to help. This inspires Royal Sword kid to get a pilot's license with the ill-thought-out dream of picking up unhappy teens from wherever they are and flying them 'home', wherever home may be for them. He does not consider gas, small plane rental, or the practicalities of the endeavor but has enough money not to care, either.

Floyd is fed up by the assignment almost immediately, he's in no mood to humor some random stranger, but unfortunately, Jade and Azul are very invested in his partner in the Shaftlands. Floyd got the dubious honor off being picked to write to a minor heir of a silverware manufacturer and Azul really, really wants some custom silverware and maybe a sponsorship out of this. As such, Floyd, Jade, and Azul all take turns writing to the pen pal. Floyd usually just sends a sentence or two, though he did send several paragraphs about the taste of chicken vs fish once, and a few letters on types of shoes. Jade and Azul are polite and charming, playing it up as much as possible and occasionally getting stuff wrong (ex. how best to cook toast, the exact purpose of socks) as they try to write like a sophisticated person who 100% knows everything, including how land stuff works. Between all three, the pen pal is a little overwhelmed by letters and thinks his partner is a lil' kooky (fun to watch from a distance, glad I'm here and don't have to live with 'em), so Azul doesn't get his sponsorship but does get his nice spoons by the end of the month.

Morgan is only partially aware of all of this, but finds it charming when Jade and Azul are hovering over Floyd's shoulders, backseat writing. He even goes so far as to write a letter for Floyd too, mostly sounding normal, if a little formal. However, he's very distracted by his own pen pal: Rollo.

Morgan and Rollo begin kind of distant and stiffly polite but then Rollo mentions some of his homework regarding the history of magical law, citing a few books he's read about when or if magical education should be legally required. Morgan has Opinions on this and has read the books, so he very politely disagrees and offers up some alternative titles he's read that he think Rollo should try. Rollo writes back a letter that sounds appreciative on the surface but is slyly derisive, commenting on how of course Morgan would think such things, he's from NRC, a lovely school known for its potions and practical magic classes. He very intentionally does not say NRC is known for its history curriculum, which Morgan picks up on.

A bit irked by this but in the same way as when you want to see a colleague at work dig themselves into a hole, Morgan writes back and he and Rollo fall into a debate. Over time, Rollo and Morgan find out that there is actually some overlap in their opinions, as Morgan can approach magic like a non-magical adult and rightfully sees the horrible potential of people not knowing what they're doing and accidentally causing harm. (ex. An adult knowing that handing a 6 year old their credit card is BAD). A powerful child having a temper tantrum can really hurt people if they have the right Unique Magic in the wrong circumstance. As such, regulation is needed, even if that's a little unthinkable to many people in Twisted Wonderland, as their society is strongly individualistic and having fetters on magic is considered a personal slight in some circles

Rollo, in turn, finds it hard to argue that magic is all bad when Morgan can point out exactly how a task could be done without magic and how doing it with a spell is better. (ex. medical advancements without human trials, pasteurization).

However, while the duo can agree that there's some overlap in their opinions, their points of view vary wildly and they go back and forth like academic rivals writing thesis papers for the express point of proving each other wrong. A LOT of shade is thrown between them and they both get way too into it, enjoying the challenge of one-upping each other and making the other agree with them.

Morgan thinks he's helping some brainwashed kid from a very backwards family become less extreme in his views. He views Rollo with a of pity and respect for how hard he works to uphold his personal tenants, like doing all his cleaning by hand and learning how to do tasks without magic. Rollo sees Morgan as someone who could maybe be brought to share in his vision of a world without magic because Morgan can actually concede that magic is dangerous. Having someone actually agree with him, even if only a little, is enough to reinforce his views on magic and his own personal brand of delusional. Surely, surely, if he can find the right combination of words, Morgan will see the light and recognize magic as the scourge it is. (And maybe he'll finally have a partner in his plan, someone else to share the burden of being the only one right in a world of wrongness.)

Of course, as the duo are so fired up about writing about their views, trading book recommendations and opinions backed up by logic and citations, they kind of fail to talk about their personal lives at all. Rollo has no idea that Morgan is a mer, only that they lived somewhere very different from NRC and are still getting used to life there. Likewise, Morgan knows about Rollo's duties and his self-assigned gardening project, but not what he's growing or what got his pen pal into gardening in the first place. As far as he's concerned, Rollo's just really fond of growing plants and he's trying to grow some ancient ones in the name of the challenge and the preservation of ancient species.

As Rollo opens up more, if only slightly, he starts to ask Morgan to research things in the NRC library about fire lotuses, albeit not by that name. He complies, which sparks some joy in Jade as that's his hobby is researching and asking him questions about. (Cue Jade info dumping.) Morgan begins to grow a little suspicious about what exactly Rollo is growing but he never learns about the name of the flowers or their properties, just that under the right conditions they spread rapidly and that magic helps them grow. Like, straight magic, not any of the fertilizer or growth enhancing spells he offered up to Rollo. Despite this, Morgan's not actually all that invested and they settle for just the occasional update, not really asking further.

Rollo and Morgan wouldn't consider each other friends but they have been writing each other letters every few weeks long past when the assignment ended. Jade, Floyd, and Azul don't exactly think Morgan's pen pal is a friend either, and are happy to tease them over it. Morgan never reveals Rollo's name or anything about him, especially about the conversations surrounding magical legislature and the mechanics of spells. This only ups the mystery for his brothers and friend, the eels especially joking about love letters when they catch Morgan with another envelope.

Floyd and Jade never really ask that many questions though, happy enough to tease and leave it at that. Why should they care who their brother is writing? It's not like there's any harm in it and Morgan himself insists he and his pen pal aren't that close.

The last letter Morgan receives before the Glorious Masquerade event has Rollo mention that his gardening project is complete and that he hopes to show Morgan someday. He also implies that Morgan and him may see each other in person, which is different from before as Morgan thought they were on the same page about that not being an option. This makes Morgan a little pensive and quiet leading up to the raffle for the chance to visit Noble Bell college during Halloween. Azul, when he gets to take one of the spots, is smugly gleeful. Morgan puts their thoughts to the side and settles for tentative excitement, happy to see new things but dreading the inconvenience of travel and having to appease their brothers later.

On the back-end of things, Rollo had actually requested Morgan's presence just as he had Malleus', though Crowley forgets to inform Morgan of this in his rush to inform the fae prince.

When they get to Noble Bell college, Rollo treats Morgan just the same as the others, giving no hint that he knows them. Morgan's eyes widen slightly when they hear Rollo introduce himself but they follow Rollo's lead, keeping their familiarity with him to themself. Instead he passes his focus and attention to the college itself, taking in the swooping arches and towering spires that make up the architecture of Noble Bell.

Rollo then offers up outfits for everyone, letting people fit into the celebratory atmosphere. Morgan would get an SSR here, plus a lovely teal and black outfit styled after a tropical fish with bright gold "spikes" to up the implied danger factor. Think something akin to the outfits from Six the musical but more GloMas, complete with flowing train, than punk. His cool hat would be a tricorn like Azul's but with scale-like cut-outs in the brim and decorated with big fancy feathers and more spikes. Lots of little gold chains would decorate the outfit. The card typing would be fire and cosmic, the duo partner would be Deuce, the supports Azul and Ruggie.

After getting the outfits and toured through the school, everyone gets the chance to wander through town. Epel, Deuce, Azul, and Morgan end up together with Azul trying to find business opportunities and the two first years looking for souvenirs as in Canon. Morgan is mainly looking for books and ends up idly noticing the flowers and green spaces in Fleur, as he's heard a lot about them from Rollo. When Epel asks Azul, Morgan steps in the answer questions about the gardens of Fleur city, which Azul tries to spin as it being him who's helpful. Of course he knew all that. Let me add some more trivia, I definitely read a guidebook on this. Morgan lets Azul have his moment and is the first to notice Rollo coming by to chat with the group.

Canon proceeds apace and Rollo offers up some shop locations that sell scented ink to Morgan as a place to maybe get a souvenir. Morgan agrees that this would be good, but politely hints that if he gets any it would be for himself, as he's sure his brothers wouldn't want it. This is the first Rollo has heard of Morgan having siblings and tries to push for how many people Morgan is buying souvenirs for. Azul sidles in and points out that he intends to get small things for everyone in Octavinelle, Morgan could perhaps chip in with his money and thus the gifts could be from them both. Voilà, souvenir problem solved! Morgan is indulgent and offers a bit of money to Azul, then is too distracted to answer Rollo's question about sibling counts and souvenirs by the collective group turning their interests towards food.

Morgan tries to puzzle out the recipes from tasting the Fleur treats in hopes of replicating them- both for Azul to sell, and also for their siblings, who'd happily eat the failures. Rollo gracefully departs and Canon returns to how it plays out normally.

One thing of note is that when the magic handkerchiefs are explained in Idia's group, Rollo mentions that other enchantments can be embroidered into the fabric too. Anything from self-ironing to cleaning and warming charms can be found in Fleur city textiles, for a price of course. The trick hankies that release small explosions and sparks are merely the tip of the iceberg.

Later, everyone is gathered in the ballroom and Rollo kicks his plan into action, releasing the flowers. He cautions everyone that fighting back is pointless and self destructive, then when everyone immediately takes that as a cue to start blasting spells, he scoffs and says something along the lines of providing incentive for good behavior. He then uses the chains that decorate Morgan's costume to bind them and take them as a hostage, yanking them up to the balcony like a yo-yo. Morgan is furious and shouts for the others to run, Deuce shouts back that running is a coward's move and Rollo is scum and stupid. Doesn't he know that taking a hostage only pisses NRC students off more? Now they're definitely gonna take him down!

Rollo scoffs, knocks Morgan out, uses the trap door to drop all the NRC students out of the ballroom, and leaves for the bell tower to oversee the city. Yuu/MC is left to flee into the city and Canon again marches on.

Malleus has competition for how pissed off he is this time around; everyone is surprised at how incensed Azul is about Morgan getting yoinked until he starts whining about how he's absolutely gonna get eaten alive by Jade and Floyd if he comes home without their brother. His profits would be ruined! They'd never work with him again! And what kind of employer would he be if he couldn't keep his staff safe, really, this whole thing is a blow to his reputation as an entrepreneur. He should have picked up on Rollo being shady, he had everyone's clothes sizes down to Azul's glasses prescription.

Ruggie asks Azul if he's team "rush in and fuck 'em up" like Malleus, Deuce, and Riddle seem to be edging towards, Azul immediately back peddles. Yeah no, he's getting Morgan back... after Malleus does his thing.

Epel once again does his thing and points out that the plants around Malleus when he was raging died of magic overload, which inspires everyone to ring the Bell of Solace to use its magic to wipe the fire lotuses out.

Professor Trein once again cautions them about Rollo likely being at the top of the tower guarding the bell, but admits that he has no idea where Morgan might be being kept. Nor does he know why Morgan was a target; he asks Azul why this may be the case, Azul just goes "I wonder..." and ominously trails off.

Idia mumbles about this being the worst sort of "save the princess" quest; Jamil and Ruggie bemoan that Morgan has it easy what with getting to be unconscious for this whole mess; Epel states that they can just beat Morgan's location out of Rollo, so let's get going! For lack of better ideas, everyone agrees and canon proceeds apace as the students of NRC move to storm Noble Bell College by force.

When Azul, Malleus, Sebek, Silver, and Idia get to the room that holds Rollo's diary, they begin reading it and quickly discover that Rollo makes mention of receiving letters as part of his routine. Then everyone goes HUH?! and it's revealed that Morgan and Rollo are pen pals. They know each other. Rollo invited the strongest mage of NRC and Morgan specifically. (Everyone else was just death fodder to make the specific requested people showing up less suspicious.)

Sebek is screaming about betrayal, Azul is pissed off that Morgan never mentioned knowing Rollo (a useful connection), and Malleus is, surprisingly, the most reasonable of the bunch.

He's just even more pissed now because Rollo kidnapped Morgan after specifically inviting him to the festival. That's not just an affront to invites, that's an affront to friendship. You Don't Do That.

This actually calms everyone else down enough to get back to reading, at which point it's revealed why Rollo is trying to infect the city with fire lotuses, prompting a long, sad silence.

Back to canon, Idia, Azul, and Malleus finally reach the top of the bell tower to see Rollo waiting for them, Morgan unconscious against one of the pillars holding the belfry up. He's fortunately not tied up, but he's slumped over like a doll with his strings cut, and Azul hypothesizes that he'd been drugged because normally Morgan would be awake by now with all the commotion.

The battle begins and it immediately becomes apparent that it's a lot harder to fight this battle when there's a hostage. Idia and Azul insist that Malleus not go all out against Rollo because it'd take everyone in the belfry down with him and Morgan can't shield himself. Azul's on the side of Jade and Floyd killing him dead if he returned Morgan home to them as a pile of ash- and forget that, he'd be a pile of ash too! The twins would kill him double dead! Idia frets about killing the 'princess' being an 'instant game over', plus yeah, he likes being alive thx. Please don't blow them all up.

Malleus reluctantly concedes, Rollo mocks Malleus for not going all out, Malleus notices how Rollo is fighting and points out that Rollo isn't going all out either: he's conspicuously standing right in front of Morgan. Realizing what the ploy is, Idia sends a blast of magic right at Morgan and Rollo steps in front of it, pulling up a shield to deflect the blow. Rollo's eyes go wide as the NRC boys catch on and start aiming their spells at Morgan directly, forcing Rollo on the defensive.

While this happens, Idia tries to talk Rollo down about how Rollo's actions really stem from the guy's own self hate, as irresponsible use of magic is what got Rollo's younger brother killed. Being unable to stop it, then manifesting magic later in life? It must have burned like fire, so it's no wonder that Rollo is using that same blaze in his heart to take his anger and sorrow out on the world. But throwing a tantrum isn't going to fix it, and when some rando guy shows even the slightest hint of understanding your pain, you don't get to just kidnap them until they agree with you!

Azul throws in a snarky comment at that point that if you have to kidnap someone to win an argument, the point you're arguing from is stupid. Get better at rhetoric. Idia snarks back that that's not rhetoric, that's just common sense.

Idia ends on a jab at Rollo for his position and his actions up to this point being a joke, laughing at him, at which point Rollo snaps and throws a giant fireball at the trio. As in canon, Azul takes the brunt of it and uses Deuce's borrowed signature spell to return the blast right back at Rollo. Due to the nature of Deuce's magic being a form of magical payback, the blast avoids Morgan entirely, as they'd had no hand in the damage dealt.

Tired and furious, Rollo sets himself ablaze with his unique magic and throws everything he has at the NRC trio, well past the point of caring about anyone's safety, including his own. This still isn't enough however and with one last push from Malleus, he's extinguished and thrown backwards into Morgan's prone body. This is enough to wake the eel mer... and wake up Morgan does.

He hurts. His costume is in tatters, he's a little bit on fire, his mouth tastes like sand from the drugs Rollo forced down his throat (he may have tried to bite him with his pharyngeal jaws for that), and he is done. Morgan has also just woken up and is more than a little running on autopilot.

As such, when Rollo is bodily thrown into them, the first thing Morgan does is wrap their arms around him in a parody of a hug and bite down as hard as they can on Rollo's shoulder.

Rollo screams.

The next moment is what's shown in their groovy card; Morgan stands up, squinting at the shaking body of his supposed friend, fierce and furious and a little bit groggy with an expression somewhere between 'ready to kill' and 'where the fuck am I'. On Morgan, these expressions look very similar.

Morgan growls out that usually when people ask him for gardening advice, they don't try to kill him with the results- oh wait, Rollo didn't try to kill him. He tried to kill everyone else. And that's worse. Morgan points out that if those flowers got out of the city limits, all of Twisted Wonderland would be in danger. Jade. Floyd. All his family, all his friends; the people who built the school Rollo so loves, the people who make the pastries he eats, the costumes they wear, the people that make life possible in Fleur City. And... at NRC too. For that reason, Rollo had to be stopped.

Malleus agrees with Morgan, saying that that was well said; Azul is annoyed because Morgan just woke up and it was him, Idia, and Malleus who did all the work. Idia tries to jeer at Rollo in gamer speak but at this point Morgan turns around and glares at the trio, prompting them to shut up.

At this point Rollo wheezes out a question about what Morgan is doing, as the eel mer is now moving to lean over him. Morgan just silently places his hand over where Rollo is putting pressure on his wound, gathering some of Rollo's blood on their fingertips. They then reach down and grab some ash, mixing the two together, before moving to the four corners of the belfry to sketch out some runes.

Malleus grins fiercely and points out that the marks are wards for amplification and healing. Morgan nods, distracted, then goes to the bell pull, looking right at Rollo as he raises his hands to the rope, a thin frown on his face.

For the good of the world, Rollo had to be stopped, Morgan states coldly. This? This is for me. And with that, Morgan rings the Bell of Solace, magic pealing out with each loud chime to resonate with the wards to cast a visible wave of power over the city. In the wake of the traveling wave of sheer magic power, fire lotuses wither, wounds are healed, and the city begins to recover just the slightest bit.

Trein's back even cracks back into place; it truly is a miracle.

The quartet from NRC watch in wonder as normalcy returns while in the background Rollo snivels, sobbing into his left hand as blood trickles sluggishly from between the fingers of his right.

Idia, as in canon, points out the error of Rollo's ways and how his ego blotted out the fact that ridding the world of magic only served Rollo; it wouldn't actually help his dead brother any. Morgan mostly stays quiet through this, only chiming in once to comment that saying that you're doing something for someone else's good doesn't automatically mean you're helping them. This silence continues as Malleus sweeps everyone away to check on the gargoyles and the other NRC mages.

When Azul and Malleus force Rollo's hand and convince him to make sure the ball will the happen as planned, Morgan is with Idia, commenting that even though he slept through all the drama, somehow hearing about fancy events like this makes him feel tired again. With that, everyone returns to their rooms to sleep. Morgan doesn't pay attention to, nor can they muster the effort to care, when Rollo's eyes trail after them as they retreat.

Time passes and eventually, the NRC students gather together again in preparation for the ball. Morgan arrives with Yuu and Grim, commenting how he had been checking on Trein.

Apparently, despite being healed from the strain of pulling up flowers for hours, Trein had still opted not to attend. Their professor had settled in for a nap and refused to be woken, heh- out like a light. Ruggie snickers at that, snidely commenting on Trein's age. At this point Rook points out that Morgan's clothes are fixed, and here Grim chimes in, saying that that was what Trein had been up to before he'd settled in for his nap. After all the work the great Grim and Yuu had done to fight back against the fire lotuses, their clothes had been wrecked, so Trein had decided to fix it.

Morgan smiles a little and says that Trein has a way with a needle and thread that the man claimed to have picked up from his daughters. When he saw Morgan's costume in tatters, he'd decided to fix it too since he was already helping Yuu and Grim.

Malleus arrives on the scene soon after this and canon proceeds apace with NRC going on to perform one of Fleur city's traditional songs as a gift for being invited to the event to begin with. Morgan is the one playing the instrumental accompaniment. Finally, everyone disperses to partake in the festivities.

Malleus goes to dance with Rollo, Azul to schmooze, Idia to hide, and Morgan goes to the snack table. He gathers a small plate of nibbles and goes to stand in a corner, but upon bringing a bite to their lips, he's unable to convince himself to eat it, the memory of Rollo drugging them still fresh in their mind. Rollo, free of Malleus' attentions, finds Morgan thus and while he isn't aware of the larger trauma around poisons and drugged food, he still realizes the problem.

Swaying close to hide what he's doing from the crowd, Rollo takes a few grapes from Morgan's plates and bites into them, showing Morgan the other half of the grape so they can see there's nothing in them. Rollo then breaks a cracker in half and the two eat through the rest of the plate together. At the very end, Morgan says that he can't forgive Rollo... But he's willing to be convinced.

This is an invitation to continue being pen pals and Rollo recognizes it as such, wryly claiming that he'll put more thought into his arguments from here on out. And with that, the ball ends.

When everyone gets home to NRC, Azul and Morgan trudge back to Octavinelle with heads held high and exhaustion in their hearts. Neither of them are looking forward to explaining the events of their trip to Morgan's brothers and Azul is halfway pondering if he can throw Morgan under the bus and get out of it. Unfortunately, eels are excellent ambush predators and so Floyd and Jade find the pair immediately.

Morgan offers up the souvenirs they got their brothers as a distraction, which works long enough for the quartet to set up a blanket fort in the threels' room and change into pajamas. Then Floyd brings out a bag of popcorn and everyone pauses when Morgan hesitates before having any.

This is enough to break Azul's silence and he begins to explain the events leading up to Morgan's kidnapping and Rollo's betrayal. Morgan chimes in where he's able, at which point Azul then rounds on Jade and Floyd to complain to them that Morgan had apparently known Rollo all along. This prompts some complaints from them too, dramatically flailing about how Morgan just loooooves their secrets, and why couldn't he swing them some invites to the ball too?

Morgan grudges out that all he and Rollo really spoke about was academics, Azul bites out that six page letters on the topic of magical law in regards to minors and the mentally infirm is hardly just 'academics'. Floyd teases Morgan for writing essays for fun, Jade prompts everyone to get back on topic.

When Morgan gets to the bit about how Rollo used their costume against them as a trap and dumped everyone else down the trap door, Jade and Floyd very carefully don't get quiet. They just tease Morgan for being put out of commission so easily and how he really should have gotten the two eel mer passes to attend the ball too. Floyd smirks and says that a chance to 'let loose' and meet Morgan's 'friend' would have been a lot of fun; Jade does his 'woe is me' routine about a waste of good food when Morgan gets to the bit when Rollo drugged him; and everyone gets a good laugh when Morgan admits to trying to bite Rollo that first time.

From there Azul takes over telling the story and with plenty of good cheer and popcorn to go around, Morgan relaxes enough to eat freely, something that pleases their friend and brothers a lot. Not that he notices, of course, beyond just kind of idly eating whatever is handed to him as he twaddles on about which runes exactly he used to amplify the magic from the Bell of Solace and why.

All is well that ends well, yeah?

(When Morgan gets a letter from Rollo next week, there's a lot of screaming involved. Jade, Floyd, and Azul all liked it better when they thought Morgan was getting love letters.)

[scrivenger-arts]

Morgan leech from mercen’s fic!

the seven habits of highly unfortunate souls: a transmigrator’s guide to the coral sea

Not entirely done with this one yet, but I’ll get there!

[hannibalcatharsis-zero]

Goodness I'm so lucky

Mercening art and first comic volume my cosplay with Near of chapter 18 tidbit 40x50 acrylic unfinished painting of smooshieboosh 's edit with Hitomi's art Dresden hardcover T_______T

edit I forgot the translated volumes! (they're 3 but I don't know where the first one is)

[3bere]

Mercenic

[starfallpod]

Oh hi there! Fun fact, we're still crowdfunding, and I didn't set any goals for this past week because I wasn't planning on posting (and tbqh I wasn't expecting too much anyway)

But we still wound up getting like 9 donations, which is really good for a third week! Y'all really blew my expectations away, so I'm going back to my original plan and.

Here you go - here's a bunch saints from the Starfall-verse and the things they did to get sainted!

Saint Marcienne of Aquette, saint of irrigation and field drainage; called upon the Lord to redirect floodwaters, saving all crops in the Vrouen region

Saint Opitalon of Capribourg, saint of well-constructed soup tourines; negotiated peace between Eriss and Capribourg over a single dinner

Saint Ishoria of Krinos, saint of postage fees; discovered mailing routes through the Broken Peaks to facilitate non-sea-based postage out of the country

Saint Oloyi of Satigarry, saint of floral decoration in moderation; revived a seemingly-extinct species of shade-blooming flower and established the first Falstenian consulate on the island

Saint Searoil of Eriss, saint of ashes swept from fireplaces; rescued dozens of patients from the burning King Kirow’s Hospital in Dowden

Saint Michard of Scortegia, saint of timely crop rotation; took over one of the many failing farms in northern Scortegia, using it to feed impoverished communities with improved techniques

Saint Nonoka of Krinos, saint of thoughtfully directed prayer; ended all theft in a southern Krinosi town for a period of three years

Saint Eksevina of Mercen, saint of silks and satins; recovered a king’s ransom of stolen goods in the faewood

Saint Edelwood of Virstraea, saint of proper adornment; led the way to the first democratic election in the north

Saint Sath of Liborotes, saint of bureaucratic efficacy; founded the very first script licensing office

Saint Roroki of Lenolem, saint of well-equipped standing armies; rebuffed militant rebels from storming the north at Talon’s Pass with a group of only 13 combatants

Saints Astra and Pollina of Duosoud, saints of social planning; prevented civil war within Duosoud via sufficient social niceties and event planning at the king’s wedding

[beardedmrbean]

In late January, with his mercenary forces dying by the thousands in a fight for the ruined city of Bakhmut, Wagner Group owner Yevgeniy Prigozhin made Ukraine an extraordinary offer.

Prigozhin said that if Ukraine’s commanders withdrew their soldiers from the area around Bakhmut, he would give Kyiv information on Russian troop positions, which Ukraine could use to attack them. Prigozhin conveyed the proposal to his contacts in Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, with whom he has maintained secret communications during the course of the war, according to previously unreported U.S. intelligence documents leaked on the group-chat platform Discord.

Prigozhin has publicly feuded with Russian military commanders, who he furiously claims have failed to equip and resupply his forces, which have provided vital support to Moscow’s war effort. But he is also an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who might well regard Prigozhin’s offer to trade the lives of Wagner fighters for Russian soldiers as a treasonous betrayal.

The leaked document does not make clear which Russian troop positions Prigozhin offered to disclose.

Two Ukrainian officials confirmed that Prigozhin has spoken several times to the Ukrainian intelligence directorate, known as HUR. One official said that Prigozhin extended the offer regarding Bakhmut more than once, but that Kyiv rejected it because officials don’t trust Prigozhin and thought his proposals could have been disingenuous.

A U.S. official also cautioned that there are similar doubts in Washington about Prigozhin’s intentions. The Ukrainian and U.S. officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

In an interview with The Washington Post this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would not confirm the contacts with Prigozhin. “This is a matter of [military] intelligence,” he said. The Ukrainian leader also objected to airing classified information publicly and said he believed that the leaks had benefited Russia.