#that checks out for an ignihyde fan though

[lycoristyx]

I wanted to try drawing as like Twst as I could, so I (naturally) had Ortho be my assistant in the matter

[londondungeon2]

concept with jade leech.

as most colleges do, NRC has a weekly newspaper that is run by the student body.

though one would imagine someone as busy as jade leech would never pick it up, he happens to routinely pick it up every monday in the lobby where they are put on display. he reads through all of it, thoroughly and carefully.

there are a multitude of reasons for this: mostro lounge sometimes puts articles in the paper about new menu items (as vice-housewarden, jade always double-checks their formatting); he likes to be alert about the by-and-by at his college (as vice-housewarden, it’s opportunistic to see what events may happen or what poor unfortunate soul might need a little help in the ‘anonymous student grievance’ section); and lastly, he had found himself enthralled by this new running comic strip at the start of his second year.

it seems to be two completely different artists who are running this new newspaper section.

one works in logical fallacies and bizarre humor; the drawings are crude and very sketch-like; jade has found himself biting a smile at some of the satire sprinkled in.

the second works in baroque influences; there is no humor found within it and it is very mature in ornate detail; jade particularly likes a certain strip where a sentient mushroom fuses with a human body, creating something lovecraftian.

though not a fan of ‘manga’ like azul’s fellow club member and ignihyde housewarden and not a good artist like his brother, jade finds himself looking forward to the comic strips on page thirteen at the start of his monday class.

so, when he sits down in his first period, thermos full of pu-erh black tea and a good five minutes left before the bell rings, a frown cross his face when he finds that page thirteen is absent of a certain section.

it’s a bit … odd.

as there are two different artists, should not the other one pick up the slack when the other is out of commission? one person cannot fulfill duties flawlessly. that is why NRC has a system of housewarden and vice-housewarden. by having two artists, one can ensures there is always going to be a weekly comic strip.

while only a bit disgruntled, jade decides to overlook this slip of management, only slightly knocked out of his rhythm in unnoticeable ways.

except next week again, there is no comic strip.

this time is surprising.

that section had done particularly well for getting the newspaper’s revenue up. as the son of a ‘businessman’, jade always notices the little things. the stack in the student lobby has been a bit lower in the past months; something anyone can equate to the new inclusion of this comic strip — more people are buying the product because it has something of new value in it.

they would surely be losing money because of this sectional cut? is the artist sick? why has the other one not taken up the helm?

the third week it happens, jade finds himself momentarily vexed. at lunch, floyd pulls the newspaper out of jade’s binder and asks annoyed, ‘hey why did they cut the comics??’ jade is wondering the same sentiment.

have these two people conspired together to rid him of his morning entertainment? no, that’s an utterly ridiculous notion … but it does not stop jade from being so thoroughly annoyed.

it is not like he needs that particular part of page thirteen. but it feels like something has been stolen from him. it is not often that he finds a person who shares his love for surrealist humor and surrealist horror. the loss gnaws at him.

on the third monday, clocking into his night shift at the mostro lounge, jade finds you — the ramshackle prefect — biting the straw of your drink to death, not an inch of the foaming drink drunk. you seem to be very enthralled with a piece of paper. but much like how you have not drank your beverage, the paper is blank and there is nothing to be enthralled with. always the observer, jade thinks you look … empty.

it is not jade’s most favored expression on you, but he still likes viewing each part of you — much like observing the value scale! one needs to understand each part of it or the jump in tones with leave to an ugly, incorrectly shaded artwork.

however, before he can make his way over to you, jade watches as you crumple up the paper and slam down a thaumark for a beverage you did not drink and storm out of mostro lounge like someone has just personally insulted you and you’re making a swift escape.

though it is not the table he is charge of waiting, jade picks up the cash all the same and clears the table of your existence. he takes a sip from your bitten straw. runs his ungloved hand over the plush leather of your booth just to feel the warmth of where you sat. yet, as he slipping the glove back on his hand and setting down your drink, something in the discord of empty papers happens to catch his attention.

having already snooped around in your business before — sometimes you have caught him, other times you have not — jade feels no guilt in picking up the piece of paper. his eyes widen comically when he takes in the sight of that baroque-influenced artwork (this piece depicts a sleep paralysis demon with furry hands and crowning horns) paired right next to crude, sketch-like figure (a man with only nine simple circles to make up his body).

well, now he knows who to hassle.

[solxamber]

Hello! I loved the absolem!reader x heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, octavinelle and pomefiore. Could you write for the rest of the dorms please?

Savanaclaw, Scarabia, Ignihyde, Diasomnia + Staff, Neige with an Absolem! reader

Part 1

Hi! thanks for the request <3 I didn't do savanaclaw the first time so I added it on here! also added stagf + neige as a bonus!

Leona Kingscholar:

Leona had seen plenty of cocky students come and go, but you? You were a different breed. With that talent of yours, you could back up your ego, which made things interesting. What wasn’t interesting, though, was your short fuse. It was amusing at first, but even Leona had his limits.

Leona glanced at you from his usual spot in the Savanaclaw lounge, reclining like he had no care in the world. The moment you started bragging about your test scores, his ear flicked, though he still didn’t open his eyes.

“You can brag all you want,” he muttered, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips. “Doesn’t change the fact that you’re too worked up over nothing.”

You crossed your arms, feeling your temper rising. “Not my fault if I’m surrounded by slackers.”

Leona yawned, finally cracking an eye open to look at you. “Keep it up, and I’ll let you burn yourself out. It’s not my problem.”

Ruggie Bucchi:

Ruggie had a knack for reading people, and he could see your arrogance from a mile away. Not that he minded—he actually found it pretty entertaining. That is, when your temper didn’t flare up like a volcano ready to explode. Still, if it meant getting something out of it, he was more than happy to fan the flames.

Ruggie looked at you, half-amused, half-nervous, as you paced around the room, clearly fuming about something trivial. He munched on a doughnut, watching you rant.

“You’re good at what you do, I’ll give ya that,” he said between bites, “but you might wanna chill a bit before you blow a gasket.”

You shot him a glare. “Easy for you to say. You’re not trying to deal with everyone else slowing you down.”

Ruggie chuckled. “You’re funny. But hey, if you need a hand ‘relaxing,’ I could always help—for a price, of course.” He winked, but the mischievous glint in his eye made you think twice about agreeing.

Jack Howl:

Jack respected strength and dedication, and while your confidence was deserved, your attitude? Not so much. He admired your academic achievements, but the way you snapped over the smallest inconvenience made him think twice about hanging around when you were angry.

Jack sighed as you ranted about your high scores and how no one else could keep up. He respected your abilities, sure, but the cockiness? Not so much.

“You’re talented, I’ll give you that,” he said, crossing his arms. “But throwing a fit because things don’t go your way? Not cool.”

Your eyes narrowed. “You say that like it’s easy to keep your temper in check when everyone’s a step behind.”

Jack gave you a stern look. “You’re strong, but strength means keeping your cool too. Don’t forget that.”

Kalim Al-Asim:

Kalim had never met someone as confident as you, and to be honest, he thought it was great! He admired your drive, even if your temper sometimes sent things spiraling. He couldn’t imagine why you got so frustrated, but he was always there with a smile.

Kalim grinned brightly, utterly oblivious to your anger as you paced the Scarabia lounge, practically vibrating with annoyance over a group project. “You’re so smart! You’ll definitely figure it out!”

“I already figured it out, Kalim!” you snapped, throwing your hands up. “It’s not rocket science. But your ‘teamwork’ is slowing me down.”

Jamil, standing quietly to the side, raised a brow. “Maybe you should learn to pace yourself. Some of us don’t have time to deal with tantrums.”

You shot him a glare, but Jamil’s smirk only deepened. He was no stranger to dealing with fiery personalities.

Jamil Viper:

Jamil always appreciated competence, and you were nothing if not competent. But your cockiness? That was something else entirely. He could handle Kalim’s endless enthusiasm, but your anger-fueled rants were another challenge altogether. He often found himself weighing whether to engage or let you burn yourself out.

Jamil, standing quietly to the side, raised a brow as Kalim praised your intelligence. “Maybe you should learn to pace yourself. Some of us don’t have time to deal with tantrums.”

You shot him a glare, feeling your temper rise. “Easy for you to say, Jamil. If you had to work with people who were holding you back, you’d be mad too.”

Jamil shrugged, unfazed. “I know how to deal with difficult situations. You could learn to do the same.”

Idia Shroud:

Idia had no idea how someone could be that confident without having a complete existential crisis. Your cocky attitude? It baffled him. He liked to stay in the shadows and avoid confrontation, but you? You barreled through everything with the force of an overpowered raid boss. It was both terrifying and, in some strange way, fascinating to him.

Idia adjusted his headphones, glancing sideways at you as you boasted about your latest top score. “Congrats, I guess,” he mumbled, not daring to make eye contact. “But... is it really worth bragging about? There’s always someone stronger out there, y’know. Probably a speedrunner who beat your score in half the time.”

You raised an eyebrow, leaning against the desk with a smug grin. “You say that like it applies to me. Newsflash, I’m the best.”

Idia grimaced, shrinking into his hoodie. “Y-Yeah, sure. Just, uh, don’t get too overconfident. RNG can mess you up when you least expect it…”

Ortho Shroud:

Ortho found your confidence intriguing, though he wasn’t quite sure what to make of your temper. He admired your talent but worried about how easily your emotions flared. Despite that, he always tried to offer a cheerful, supportive presence—after all, everyone could use a little kindness, right?

Ortho floated over, his sensors blinking brightly as you sat fuming about a project gone wrong. “Don’t be upset! You’re amazing at what you do! I’m sure you’ll figure it out!”

You sighed, trying to cool your temper. “Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s just… if people would stop slowing me down, I’d be done by now.”

Ortho blinked, tilting his head. “Maybe you just need a little more patience? I can help you if you’d like!”

Malleus Draconia:

Malleus wasn’t easily impressed, but your intelligence had caught his attention. You were confident, perhaps too much so, but he respected strength in all forms. What puzzled him was your short temper—he couldn’t quite understand why you let such trivial matters set you off.

Malleus watched as you ranted about a project, his expression calm and thoughtful. “You have great potential,” he said slowly. “But it is a shame to see such power wasted on anger.”

You scoffed. “It’s not ‘wasted.’ Maybe if people didn’t drag me down, I wouldn’t have to get mad.”

Malleus tilted his head slightly. “Perhaps. But true strength lies in mastering both power and patience.”

Lilia Vanrouge:

Lilia found your arrogance entertaining. After centuries of dealing with egos big and small, yours was just another to add to his collection of amusing personalities. Your temper, though? That was the real treat. He loved seeing how easily you could be pushed to your limit.

Lilia chuckled as he watched you fume over a small mishap. “My, my, you do have quite the temper, don’t you?”

You glared at him. “You think it’s funny?”

He grinned mischievously. “A little. But you know, there’s a certain charm to controlling that fire within you.”

Sebek Zigvolt:

Sebek respected strength and discipline, but your cockiness? That was a different matter. He found your confidence borderline insufferable, and your temper didn’t help matters. If it weren’t for your undeniable talent, he might have written you off completely.

“You’re far too arrogant for your own good!” Sebek barked, crossing his arms. “How can you expect to be taken seriously when you let your emotions control you?”

You rolled your eyes. “Says the guy who yells 24/7.”

Sebek flushed but stood firm. “My passion is not the same as your uncontrolled rage! You should learn some discipline!”

Neige LeBlanche:

Neige wasn’t used to dealing with people like you. He was all sweetness and light, while you? You came in like a thunderstorm, full of confidence and sharp edges. He admired your drive, but your brash attitude sometimes left him at a loss for words. Still, Neige being Neige, he always tried to look for the good in you.

Neige offered a tentative smile as you smirked at your latest accomplishment. “Wow, you’re really smart! I wish I could be as confident as you when it comes to classes.”

You shrugged, leaning back. “Confidence comes easy when you’re this good.”

Neige blinked, looking a bit nervous. “I’m sure it does, but… maybe you could help others? I think it would be really nice!”

Crowley

Crowley fancied himself the most charming and important person on campus, but even he was taken aback by your self-confidence. For all his dramatics, dealing with someone whose ego rivaled his own was a bit much, even for him. He often found himself making excuses to avoid your outbursts.

Crowley folded his arms, giving you a dramatic sigh. “Must you always insist on causing trouble? I have enough on my plate as it is, with running this entire school.”

You shot him a cocky grin. “Maybe if you did your job better, you wouldn’t need to worry about me showing everyone up.”

His face paled, hands waving dramatically. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that! But know this—you’ll regret underestimating me!”

Divus Crewel:

If anyone could keep you in line, it was Professor Crewel. Though your arrogance and temper often sparked during his lessons, he had a way of cracking down on any outbursts before they spiraled into chaos. He respected talent when it came to Alchemy, but your cockiness? That was a challenge he didn’t mind taming.

“Is it so hard to simply follow instructions?” Crewel’s sharp voice cut through the classroom, his cane tapping the floor in warning.

You grinned, shrugging nonchalantly. “Instructions are great and all, but I prefer my results to speak for themselves, Professor.”

He raised a brow, looking unimpressed. “The only thing speaking here is your ego. If you insist on doing things your way, be prepared to fix every mistake you make. Now, clean up that mess before I add more to your workload.”

Mozus Trein:

Professor Trein didn’t have the energy to deal with arrogance, much less tempers. He preferred a quiet classroom, where students respected knowledge without throwing tantrums over their intelligence. Yet, you were like a storm—loud, proud, and utterly impossible to ignore. He appreciated your academic prowess but wished you’d rein it in… at least for the sake of peace.

Trein sighed as you raised your hand for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “Yes, I’m aware you know the answer,” he droned. “Please refrain from shouting it out before I’ve even asked the question.”

You smirked. “Just wanted to save you the time, Professor. It’s not like anyone else would’ve gotten it.”

Lucius meowed in agreement, as if to say Trein’s headaches were mutual.

Sam:

Sam had seen all types of students pass through his shop, but someone as full of themselves as you? Well, that was a special breed. He wasn’t sure if he should be impressed by your boldness or simply wait for karma to do its thing. Either way, you were good for business, and he appreciated anyone who brought in the coin.

Sam grinned as you swaggered up to the counter. “Lookin’ for somethin’ to help with those top scores of yours?”

You shrugged. “I don’t need help, but I might as well see what you’ve got. Maybe I’ll find something that makes me even more unbeatable.”

Sam chuckled. “Careful, now. Pride comes before the fall. But hey, I’ve got just the thing for someone who thinks they’re on top.”

Masterlist

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Was it ever explained by Yana/the team why the order of the dorms are like that?

I mean it isn't by how powerful the original villains are since if it was Ignihyde(Hades) would be the last

Take ur time w/ this ask!

I couldn’t find any explanation for the dorm order, even after cross-referencing additional materials (interviews, art books, etc.). I don’t know if there’s a rhyme or reason for it other than this is the flow that makes the most sense with the main story’s narrative. For example, Heartslabyul is first to help us bond with our two new besties, Adeuce, and Diasomnia is last because Disney promotes Maleficent as its ultimate Big Bad/Mistress of Evil, so that’s perfect as a “final boss”.

It’s definitely not by film release order (otherwise Pomefiore would come first as the oldest dorm). Not sure about the power idea either since it’s hard to quantify and compare vastly different powers between the Great Seven.

Something interesting for you though: the dorm order we’re familiar with now was strangely not the order they were first revealed in dorm trailers. For the most part, the order is the same—except Savanaclaw was introduced before Diasomnia. (So the trailer order was: Heartslabyul, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, Savanaclaw, Diasomnia.) This has led to fan speculation that book 2 was originally intended to be book 6, hence why the beef between Malleus and Leona is highlighted (to lead up to book 7/Diasomnia), why there was an emphasis on Riddle and Azul’s relationship in the prologue (hinting that one, Azul, would follow the other, Riddle, in the main story) and why book 2 feels incomplete or rushed compared to the rest of the main story. If you’re interested in hearing more about this theory, check out this post!

[cursedcola]

Prompt: "Will You Marry Me?" - Proposal Headcannons Characters: Everyone :) Part(s): Heartslabyul (here!), Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, Diasomnia(Pt.1)(Pt.2) Fandom: Twisted Wonderland Warning(s): None. I mean, unless you don't want to marry any of them. Just don't read if that's the case. Note: These are all if he is the one proposing btw. I've been thinking about maybe programming a small fan-made mini-otome using these ideas. Just for some practice for school while also being self indulgent hehe

Riddle Rosehearts

Very traditional, but this is expected. He asks your closest of kin (a cat, to his horror) for permission to propose. Regardless of Grimm's answer, there is already a ring that's been purchased. This is merely formality

He comes up with an elaborate plan to execute the 'perfect' proposal. Riddle maps it all out and runs multiple drafts by his childhood friends. Everything must go perfectly - or else you might not accept. Is it likely that not presenting you with exactly 12 red roses with the spikes trimmed and arranged with 6 sprigs of baby's breath will be the reason you decline? Likely not. Will he chance it though? No.

Despite all his planning, he is a nervous wreak. Our red prince is great at masking it though. He plans an entire evening down to the last detail. You both go to a upscale restaurant that serves your favorite cuisine under the pretense that you're celebrating an amazing jab offer Riddle received the day prior. There's dinner, dancing, a romantic atmosphere, and delightful conversation (he prepared conversation topics in advance in case he felt nervous).

Oh look, there just so happens to be an outdoor garden to take an evening stroll through. Would you like to go?

Of course you would, and he asks you to wait outside as he visits the restroom. After you pass through the back door, a nearby waiter slips him the bouquet of twelve roses that he dropped off in the morning. He counts them, checks the stems, the ribbon holding them together, and with a relieved sigh he reaches into his pocket.

Riddle nestles the engagement ring within the core of the center rose, and for a moment his anxiety quells. He looks through the outside door's windowpane, and sees you patiently waiting for him while admiring the garden lights. The anxiety returns, but he's ready. With a knuckle-white grip on the flowers, he passes through the doors.

"My Rose...My apologies to have kept you waiting. There was a matter of great importance to attend to - pardon? No! Not that- ugh. I was not in the restroom! Only you would make such a childish remark on such an important day...No, do not apologize. I was not referring to my career. Perhaps these flowers will provide some clarity? I hope they are to you liking."

When you notice the ring, he gently takes it and gets down on one knee. Riddles heart rattles against his ribcage, and his the mask of calm falters. He holds out the ring with one hand, and the other lightly trembles as it reaches for yours.

"Would you do me the honor of becoming my spouse? I promise that you will be cared for dearly, and that I will work tirelessly to become a husband that you will be proud of. I swear this vow to you on the Rosehearts name."

{Riddle's ring is a mix of new and old. Tradition dictates a diamond for a wedding ring, but he knows better. Riddle wants you to think of him every time you see this ring, so he chooses to stray. Three rubies sit nested in diamonds. The color of his hair, which you love to poke fun of so much. It represents how he is willing to consistently change while still holding on to his core values, all so he can become a husband worthy of you}

Trey Clover

A simple man, and therefore takes a simple approach. The depth of his proposal lies in the timing. He does not know when he will be ready to commit, or how to tell if you are ready to as well.

Trey puts proposing off for the longest time. He acts in baby steps. The idea toys with him for months, until one day he convinces himself that he is ready. After that he slowly begins to look at rings, and think of ideas. He wants to be original, but would that overwhelm you? He would sooner die than do something tacky like a public proposal at a concert or event...but is that something you might want?

If there is one thing Trey is certain about, its that rejection would break him. He knows that your relationship would never be the same if he proposed too early, or if he managed to royally screw it up. He's not a fan of attention. This is awful. Oh Great Sevens it's a pressure that he never dreamed of having to undergo.

But if he doesn't propose...would you? Are you waiting for him? what if you're thought process is the same as his?

Completely out of character for Trey, he ends up proposing on impulse. He woke up one morning and saw the ring tucked away in his sock drawer. For the millionth time he had to face the "I should just do it," thoughts and decided to act on them

The day is new, neither of you had work, and a quick glance over his shoulder proves that you would be soundly sleeping for at least the next hour. So what's he do? Trey puts on his nicest casual clothes. Nothing formal, but also nothing that is sloppy. Then he marches downstairs and starts to make breakfast. He decides to prepare tarts, a reminiscence of your days as students and where you first met. As he arranges them on a platter, he places the ring inside one made with your favorite flavor. It peaks out just enough for anyone to notice, and with a huff Trey steps back to admire his work.

His hands are slightly clammy, and quickly moves to busy himself in fear he might chicken out. It helps for a time, until he hears your footsteps approach the kitchen, followed by a sleepy 'good morning' and arms wrapping around his torso

He steels himself, and turns over in your arms to kiss the top of your head. With a nervous laugh, Trey gestures to the platter of fruit tarts and smiles at how the sight of food causes you to perk up. Like clockwork, you reach for your favorite flavor and quickly notice the metal chunk inside

He reigns in panic as you dig the ring out and eye it with a quirked brow. A moment of silence passes before it clicks, and you whip to gawk at him with the largest bugeyes he has ever seen. Wordlessly, Trey takes the ring, wipes off any crumbs with his shirt, and takes your hands in his

"I'm sorry to spring this on you so early in the morning. It must be quite the wakeup call, huh? Haha...The truth is, I've wanted to give this to you for such a long time. I simply did not know how. I had a burst of courage this morning, and am honestly running on pure adrenaline. I love you...I want to spend our lives together. Will you marry me?"

{Trey's ring is a single pearl on a gold band. He feels that the ring should reflect it's wearer, and you are one of the most naturally beautiful people he has ever seen. There is beauty in simplicity - in seeing things as they are with no modifications. You do that for him, and he loves how your relationship is authentic}

Cater Diamond

Marriage? Huh. See, in the past that was a no-go. Very constricting and he didn't enjoy the idea of getting linked to someone in that regard. An s/o with no legal binding? Sure. It's just a title anyways, right? That kind of thing shouldn't matter in the long run.

Except it did end up being relevant, and now Cater wants to beat himself up because he explicitly told you once things were getting serious that he wasn't interested in marriage. You were fine with doing either and left the decision up to him. Very nice of you to be so nonchalant , and now he knows that marriage isn't 'off the table'. There is a chance.

A chance that requires him to both propose and take back his initial stance. Which is kind of humiliating. The take back part, not the proposal. Cater is confident that he can blow you away. He doesn't need shoddy internet advice, or to to do extensive research to be perfect. Nope. It's all in his noggin. He knows you like the back of his hand and therefore can concoct a speech to woo you easily.

So what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Does he try to casually tip you of that he's interested in getting married before trying to propose? No. That would be incredibly dull and ruin the element of surprise. Cater always hated those crappy half-baked romance films where the loser male lead is all 'oh honey I promise I will propose. Just give me time,' because hello???? You spoiled it??? Also don't make promises that you don't plan to keep, douchebag. How dull.

He decides that it's all or nothing. Cater spends an entire night online shopping for a ring. He already knows all of your sizes...don't ask how or why. Anyway, ordering is a cinche. Just ignore his eyebags the next day and his snappy attitude. He can't even whine about how tired he is because that would mean he has to say why he didn't sleep and -EUGH. He is torn between his two loves. Complaining for attention, and wooing you for attention. It's rough.

It comes in the mail, and after checking the package he decides to seal it back up again. It looks untouched thanks to his skills. Then, he sets up the living room to look like he is filming a video for his magicam. Specifically an unboxing video, and makes sure to let you know that it's from one of your favorite companies.

You take the bait, and he asks you to join him. Even if your camera shy, he insists that for just this one video you hop on. He might be a bit tricky and give you ideas about the product in the box (making sure to align them with a hobby or fandom that you're into). He sets the camera to record, plops down casually at your side, and hands you the box cutter. Go crazy.

Cater can't help but giggle when you open the box - just to pull out another small box. You eye it cautiously, now suspicious that this might be a prank. He urges you to open the box, and you do so while holding it at arms-length away from your face.

The ring's gem sparkles in the camera light, and he watches amused as you pull it closer. With a shaky hand, you take it out of the box and inspect it. With the way you side-eye him, Cater can tell that you're wondering if this situation is a cruel prank...

"Tada~~ You like? -- WAIT! Before you get upset just let me explain! There is no video. That was a lie, and I'm sorry for it. I surprised you good though, right?...ahem, uhm. I'm not pranking you. If you feel the same, then I want for us to get married! I know what I said before, and I take it back. The time we have spent together made me realize that I only felt that way - well, because I was unable to imagine liking someone enough to share my life. At least until I met you. So...do you want to marry me?"

{A diamond for a diamond. Diamonds are reflective. They glitter, and are clear. They are also viewed as the best choice for a ring, but in actuality they have are not. They're only considered perfect because of marketing. In actuality, they're quite the opposite. This same reasoning applies to Cater - and you understand. Yet, you still love him. The diamond represents himself, and the heart shape is to remind you how much you mean to him}

Deuce Spade

He may be young, but he is not stupid...alright. Deuce is not always stupid. Sometimes? Yes. He makes poor decisions and lets his emotions get the better of him.

This? Not a poor decision, and he will never EVER think twice about it. From the moment the idea entered Deuce's head, it was decided. HE would become your husband. Nothing would stop him.

It began during his final year at Night Raven College. Graduation approached, and everyone was excited. Everyone, except for one person. You. He didn't notice it at first, being too hung up over how he actually managed to do well in school. Get this, he even became Heartslabyul Drumhead after Riddle graduated! What an honor! His mother was proud of him, and he was proud of himself! He had career aspirations, plans to get a home back home, and even a lovely s/o to flaunt. Life was great.

What...do you mean? That you're not going back with him? The Queendom of Roses is such a beautiful place! He's certain that you'll love it and can become adjusted. Why do you want to stay at this academy? Was three years not enough?

Deuce has never gotten mad at you before. A little miffed, sure, but never frustrated. He didn't like it. Not these feelings, or how he failed to notice that you planned this from the start. He was so wrapped up in his own happiness, that he failed to see that you felt troubled over his assumptions. It stung. In a moment of weakness, he left you alone, scared that he might raise his voice at you.

He needed to think. Alone. Thankfully he moved past sharing a room with Ace when Deuce became Housewarden. His phone rang many times. Some calls from you, Ace, his mother...for once, Deuce didn't think her advice could help him. Not when he was so confused.

He thought over his dreams for after college. They were the same that he had since prior to enrolling. Nothing changed...except for you and the other unexpected friends he made along the way. It began to settle within him that the unpredicted parts were more important to him than what he initially planned. The image of him as a successful worker, on his own, and being successful were all hollow if they didn't include you. Deuce wasn't upset that you planned to stay at NRC, he was upset that you didn't plan to stay with him.

Or did you? He interpreted it as such in the moment, but he's not so sure. All Deuce knows is that you're his best friend and the love of his life. If you stay here without him, will that change? He doesn't want to find out.

The next day, he's determined. It's impulsive, this he knows. Yet it's what feels right in his heart and Deuce has always trusted his gut instinct. This choice is entirely on him. No one's advice to excuse it if you don't reciprocate, and yet he isn't afraid. He might not have a ring, or fancy offerings. All he has is his love to offer, and a willingness to work around any obstacle. The hurt from the night prior sill aches in his chest, but he has done difficult things before. The pain merely serves as a reminder for how he hurt you, and what his future might be like if he doesn't act.

He finds you before breakfast. When the first rays of sunshine peak over the horizon and the air is still moist with morning dew. You lingered in the hall of mirrors, specifically near the portal to Heartslabyul Hall. Your presence startled him, and he nearly headbutt you from the speed he was going through the portal. Were you...planning to visit him? His heart shuddered in a mix of guilt and happiness. Even after the way he behaved, you still cared.

Upon closer inspection, you appear just as disheveled as him. He must have caused you a great deal of worry...damn it. He can't even be mad at himself. Not with things as they are.

Before you have a chance to speak, he hushes you. Deuce's jaw sets in determination and he reaches into his uniform pocket. He pulls out a paper ring. One that children often give each other on the playground when playing family. He then gets down on one knee, and holds it out with both hands.

"I am sorry. I never intended to hurt you, or push my ambitions on to you. I simply love you more than anything else, and was afraid that you did not want to be together anymore. I was afraid...that being apart would take away what we have. I realize that I was wrong. I didn't see it happening, but being with you has caused me to develop dreams beyond what I initially planned. Nothing I imagine feels right, unless you are in the picture. I don't have a proper ring prepared just yet...but will you marry me? I promise that no matter where we are - for better or worse, I will make you happy. I swear it!

{Your initial ring is made out of his most recent homework assignment. It's frail, and one drop of water will break it. However, he meticulously folded it and it is the byproduct of many imperfect prototypes. The paper ring truly represents who Deuce is. It's rushed, fragile, and full of love}

{He chooses a vintage ring. With both of your initials engraved on the center, he hopes that this ring attests to a promise no matter where you both are. It's rose-gold, not as bright as pure gold but still beautiful. The mixed color represents the different worlds you both come from, as well as your melded life}

Ace Trappolla

Ace tends to get comfortable, and when that happens it is difficult to ignite change. However, he is also headstrong. More than many give him credit for. So once the problem is identified, it's only a matter of time until he does something about it. What he does isn't necessarily always the best solution, sure; however, when threatened he will indeed act.

Initially Ace did not plan to find love. For a long time, he rejected it and passed his feelings off as a small crush. You're attractive, he's a man, a lil of this and a lil of that - who wouldn't feel a little heart throb once in a while? It only became an issue when you became one of his best friends. It felt like he was betraying you with these thoughts. They became a problem.

His first solution was to repress them further. Like stated, he noticed a problem and so he acted. Was this the best choice? No. It ended in a dumpster-fire. Any time another student even remotely expressed interest in you, Ace felt threatened. He couldn't spend time at your side without indecent thoughts popping up. Not like 'that' (geez, get your mind out of the gutter people), but more so domestic. Ick. What was happening?!

He couldn't hold it in, and his confession will forever be known as a feels-dump that started with you sharing half of your grilled-cheese with him because he missed lunch.

Yeah. Humiliating. Ugh.

Now you're his partner, of a long time. A very, very, very long time. Years post graduation. You both have settled into life together, so why tack a title? It's not like those mean anything, right? Everything was perfect as is, and weddings are expensive. You never brought it up either, so why worry?

Well, those titles do mean things in the eyes of the law. Ace never thought to get documentation about emergency contacts and whatnot updated. So when hit his head and got a concussion when jogging? The hospital wouldn't let you in. Not until he woke up, which was the longest four hours of your life.

You didn't express how much it bothered you, but words weren't necessary. The muted panic that you tried to hold back was enough. He expected you to enter his room angry, but instead all he got was defeat. That sight alone hurt worse than the leg.

The event got Ace thinking about things he hadn't in a long time - like marriage. He got too comfortable after letting the thought go once. To him, you were already irreplicable. Years do that, and he's certain that you feel the same way about him. If his young self could see him now...pah, he was such a turd. All 'I don't need anyone,' and empty words to play tough-guy. Little did he know that the person he would need the most in life was only a dimension-hop away haha.

It's that simple, really. No panic or nervousness. Ace decided definitively that he was going to marry you, and it only took years of being an airhead to figure it out.

He spends the night in the hospital for surveillance, and the staff is kind enough to prove you with a cot to sleep on. He stubbornly drags it next to his bed, and once you're sleeping soundly he 3slips a bandage over your ring finger to take the measurement

He planned to go buy the ring instantly after being discharged, but you wouldn't leave his side. Nagging about bed-rest and taking it easy...ugh! He needs to do this thing! No, he can't tell you about it. It's a secret!.....ugh, fine. One more day. Just because he loves the attention.

The next morning after, he's excitedly going to the nearest jewelers. He doesn't have a particular ring in mind, but he's done some research! It's the idea behind the ring that's important anyways....alright. Maybe he'll call up Cater.

Ace does nothing extravagant. He sticks to comfort. You, him, both eating dinner while watching a movie on the TV that evening. He quickly scarfs down his meal within the first 10 minutes and runs to your shared room after ditching his dishes. Stashed in his wallet, he pulls put the ring and hides it in his palm.

Ace tries to be smooth. He dims the living room lights, and sits down closer to you than before. He moves to take your hand with the one holding the ring, and sneak it on to your finger.

It fails, obviously. Who wouldn't notice someone trying to shove a piece of metal on their finger? You pull away on instinct, and the ring falls between the couch cushions. He freaks out for a moment and sifts through them as you continue to eat between giggles. Only when he holds the ring up in triumph do you quiet down.

"Not so funny now, is it? - Nah, just kidding. It was pretty funny....although I wanted this to be a bit more romantic. Eh. It's fine. From the look on your face, I'm guessing that you know what this is?...Uhh. Yeah. I thought it was a good time, y'know? We've been together so long that I already do think of you as my partner. I think you feel the same? Feel free to jump in if not....but, yeah. I love you. A lot. I'd really like to make it official, and I'm sorry it took me so long to get the guts to ask. Will you marry me?"

{Tradition is for chumps. Ace wanted to get something fun and eye-catching. Many suggested otherwise, but this felt right. Your relationship has never been conventional and never will be. Hell, screw 'conventional,' because it's perfect as it is and so is this ring. He knows that this ring will draw your attention, and that's all he cares about}

End Note: None of the ring pictures are mine. I pulled them off of google images because - well, I had ideas and tried to find rings to match them. I write fanfic, not weld jewelry.

[mintmoth]

OKAY I'm gonna do a big ask response here! There's a few I didn't grab which are mostly just people saying sweet things- to which honestly I can't thank you all enough 😭 it's so wild to me to see people enjoying my art so much

I'm gonna keep most of the replies under the cut since it's gonna get a bit long but I wanted to touch on this one real quick-

Absolutely anyone is free to use my art as an icon wherever! Just be sure to have something crediting somewhere and yeah absolutely go for it!

OH ALSO my submissions don't work on mobile for some reason? The formatting messes up I guess, but check out this awesome coloring!! I love how the layers of shading look 😭

LMAO okay so I've seen a good handful of older/mafia au designs for Floyd and Jade and a lot of them have either both of them with double sleeves or Floyd with sleeves and Jade with a back piece- though I've also seen somewhere both of them having one sleeve on the opposite side

Right now I'm just messing around so I don't have any official tattoo designs for either of them, but I do know I want Floyd with at LEAST the double sleeves, and Jade with some pieces he keeps hidden by mostly wearing business attire lmao

XBSISNK THANK YOU 😭😭 honestly drawing hair is one of my absolutley FAVORITE things to draw lmao, most of my ocs have long hair I just can't help it honestly

YES ABSOLUTLEY probably not too often but I could definitely see Azul going to bed and waking up to a very full bed lmao. Funnier yet because I think all three of them are the type to cling in their sleep when they have someone else beside them. They're just weird sea creatures used to small comfy spaces

I actually haven't thought about this! Honestly I think that would be really cool! Or even if he found that he had a specific shade range of color blindness as a human- though I could see Jade and Floyd taking advantage of that by doing something like giving him the wrong color shirt to wear that day or something lmao

Though you also reminded me! Eels also have terrible eyesight! So I've seen people both having the headcanon that the twins wear contacts, and also the headcanon that Azul needs glasses now because he did a deal to give part of his vision to both of them

Honestly it's really cool to think about! I don't know which headcanons here I like the most, but I love seeing them

Okay honestly I absolutley have to draw this because I LOVE this idea and part of why I'm answering this is to mentally catalogue that I need to draw this lmao

I also love this idea! Like at lunch, after classes before they go to work at the lounge, and after the lounge closes up for the night it just becomes the twins' gossip hour lmao

Because yeah they do spend a lot of time together, but they're still apart a lot, and there's no way they're not telling each other about all the nonsense they're getting up to once they meet back up

DBSISNSK DONT CRY LMAO I got a handful of questions about Niles I want to try to touch on here

Absolutley he wouldn't mind helping anyone set up games on their computer lmao, especially if it's a hard to get visual novel that he's a fan of because he's the type to want everyone to play and love the games he loves

He's definitely dropped hundreds of hours into "creature crossing" with one of those islands with tons of customization and cute shit, and his "island creatures" are mostly cats with a couple dogs and the pegasus LMAO

Also while he's not directly inspired by any specific character, since he's in Ignihyde he does have a little Greek mythos theming and has some inspiration from Eros, which is also why he's very "love" themed/romantic

OH MAN I'm actually not 100% sure which moray I think the twins would be, I'd have to look more into them specifically

But I did want to mention that my idiot self is tempted to make Yet Another Oc (though I probably won't post this one since I feel very oc heavy already) that's also a moray- but specifically a snowflake just because wow I want to make a design around the coloration they have 😭

ALSO!!! Regarding Eel Anon!

I wasn't able to screenshot everything you sent but it was absolutley fun hearing about the dorm idea you have!! I love hearing about new dorm concepts and I've seen a couple nightmare before christmas dorms so it's neat to see the different ideas people have! Also no way do Eri and Rika sound like knock offs of the twins lmao they both sound really fun and I like how they juxtapose one another- also how you have their whole family worked out??? It just reminded me I need to do some more backstory work for my group lmao but honestly it was really cool reading about them so don't even worry about long asks or anything!

[kimium]

Saw AU ask time! So, I know you’ve said more than once you’d like to add a bit where Yuu’s university/college friends (the OCs) meet Yuu’s NRC friends and freak out over how famous they are…so I wanna know:

1. Which OC’s would meet which houses?

2. What would their initial reaction be?

3. Is there a point where they sense anything suspicious about the NRC alumni?👀

Oh! What a fun ask! I'm so excited to answer it!

As always to anyone who isn't aware me and @m34gs have a Twisted Wonderland Sort of Saw AU that we're writing together. If you haven't checked out our fics, the link is above!

First, I'm going to leave Leona out of this since I already wrote majority of my OCs meeting him in my Leona focused fic Casino Night.

Next, I'm going to lay out my OCs for everyone. I will admit, there isn't a ton to them. Mostly because I wrote them to be other characters for Yuu to bounce off. So don't expect any deep lore about them. I'm not a big OC making person.

My OCs are as follows:

Professor Robertson - He's the professor that Yuu is working under as a Masters Student. He's friends with Trein and the two enjoy drinking tea/coffee together.

Heather - She's a reliable person. Probably bisexual or lesbian. Unclear. Up to you to decide, I suppose.

Chloe - My favourite one due to her bright personality. She's also a fan of Vil's works.

Riley - Another graduate student.

Pierce - Another graduate student. Dating Nathan.

Nathan - Yet another graduate student. Dating Pierce.

Onto the questions!

1. Which OC’s would meet which houses?

Besides Leona, who they all met, here are the houses they'd meet:

Heartslaybul: I want everyone or a majority of them to meet Heartslaybul. I feel it's inevitable given that Yuu hangs around Ace/Deuce all the time.

Octavinelle: I want either Pierce or Nathan to meet them! I want this because I haven't written those two in a long while. Give them a chance to have the spotlight and maybe flesh a bit more out for their characters.

Scarbia: It has to be Riley because (fic spoilers) he's the one who had the issue that Yuu told Jamil and Kalim about which lead to their murder victim.

Pomefiore: Chloe has to meet Pomefiore.

Ignihyde: Bold to assume anyone could meet Idia. JK, I think someone like Heather or Riley would be fun for Idia to meet.

Diasomnia: Everyone will meet Diasomnia.

2. What would their initial reaction be?

Heartslaybul: They'll be mostly excited to meet some of Yuu's other friends! They've heard many stories about Ace/Deuce. Though, I imagine there will be some shock when they realize Yuu is friends with Trey Clover (owner of one of the most popular bakeries in town), Cater (Magicam extraordinaire), and Riddle (one of the youngest CEOs of a law firm).

Octavinelle: I think it depends on who they're meeting. Contextual wise it makes most sense to have them meet at a Monstro Lounge. In which case they'll see the Customer Service Azul, Jade, and Floyd. Well, as best of a customer service Floyd one can hope for. Working hasn't stopped Floyd from running across the restaurant to squeeze Yuu. In any case, I'm certain any OC who meets them will remain on the polite end of "I'm meeting new people".

Scarabia: Extremely shocked and in awe that Yuu is friends with Kalim Al Asim. This shock will only increase when Kalim (in his earnest nature) wants to throw a "small party" to get to know Yuu's other friends. Yuu wants to apologize, but also there is some amusement to watching someone taking in the grandeur of Kalim's wealth first hand.

Pomefiore: Once Chloe is over the shock of Yuu knowing THE Vil Schoenheit she's going to have a huge fan girl moment. She'll be super respectful, of course, but elated at the same time.

Ignihyde: I want anyone who meets Idia unaware of who he is at first. I want them to think he's some weird, pale, shut-in that Yuu somehow befriended. It's only after a while that all the pieces click into place and they realize "That's Idia Shroud of the Shroud Family".

Diasomnia: I don't just want shock. I want disbelief. I want everyone to Blue Screen for at least 5 minutes when they realize Yuu is friends with The Malleus Draconia, Crown Prince to Briar Valley. Sebek will take this as "They're in awe of Malleus-sama... AS THEY SHOULD BE. Bow before my Lord, Mortals" but thankfully Silver is there to assure everyone they do NOT need to start worshipping Malleus.

3. Is there a point where they sense anything suspicious about the NRC alumni?👀

Rapid fire answers here! Savanclaw can be included this time, given I didn't address this part in the fic.

Heartslaybul: I think it depends on the person. Some are easier to excuse than others. For example: Riddle is just too good at covering his tracks and Trey isn't participating in the murders. So, they're off the hook. However, I could see Ace/Deuce and maybe Cater accidentally slipping up a bit from time to time. It's easily fixed though.

Savanaclaw: Yes, but it's easily swept away with a "Well, he's Royalty and there have to be secrets kept from us lay people". Everyone thinks what Leona is hiding are national security/sensitive cases that comes with ruling and politics. Ruggie is not sloppy and Jack would never be that unprofessional.

Octavinelle: Yes. If they're not a little suspicious of Octavinelle there is something wrong. However, Jade and Floyd will "resolve" their suspicions with a red herring. For example, Jade will purposefully make a parcel look suspicious only to reveal it's an expensive mushroom he purchased to try out for a new dish. Thus, their suspicions will be "alleviated" and all will seem fine.

Scarabia: No. Kalim is just too bright and cheerful to suspect. Jamil is a little quieter, but he's good at covering his tracks (see: Book 4). If any suspicions arise it will be similar to Leona's except it will be business focused rather than royalty/politics.

Pomefiore: No, never. Vil has a Reputation to Uphold. He'd never allow himself to be the source of suspicion. Yes, Rook can be a little off putting, but that's chalked up to Rook being... himself. However, Rook would also never allow himself to be the reason why Vil is suspected. He'd rather perish than do that. Epel thinks that Rook is being extremely over-dramatic.

Ignihyde: No, everyone thinks Idia is a harmless gamer/nerd/shut-in. If any suspicions arise, similar to Leona and Kalim, it's chalked up to "STYX sensitive information". The only thing Idia is suspect of is buying all the dakimakura (body pillows) from his favourite slice of life "cute girls do cute things" anime. Sorry, Idia. It's the truth.

Diasomnia: No. This is because of two things. First, like Leona, Malleus is royalty and if he's suspected of hiding things, it's because it's due to that. Also, he's Fae and they operate on different rules/mindsets. What they feel is "normal" is normal to Fae! Besides, being suspect of murder means that jeopardizes Malleus seeing Yuu for tea time. He'd rather burn the world to ashes than risk his relationship with Yuu.

And there you have it friend! I hope you enjoy my answers! Let me know!

[justamegafan]

Twisted Wonderland Special

The Author Y/N

I’ve been rewatching Gravity Falls, and I want to try and make a few jokes with a Y/N as Ford Pines, but with a few differences

1. Y/N is Female (Sorry, I’m female myself and I don’t feel comfortable or that confident in writing about Male Y/N’s but I’m fine with Yuuken since I’m sorta familiar with him)

2. Y/N is sorta younger than Ford, instead of being in her 60s, Y/N is around her late 30s

3. Y/N will become a Teacher for NRC, but her classes are incredibly advanced in math, technology, science and theory (And is known at NRC as the ‘Magicless Professor’ of Ramshackle)

I’m keeping the nerdy part, that’s never gonna change or be replaced (Ford was the absolute best when he showed his nerdy/geeky side)

Y/N will earn the respect and admiration from the Housewardens, Vice Housewardens and her fellow Teachers by her tenacity, hard work, intelligence, and getting things done (Cue Azul, Idia and Rook being her biggest fans when it comes to her work)

Though at first a lot of the students won’t show any respect or listen to Y/N because they only respect those with power, until she proves them wrong by using her own strengths in science, technology, inventions and her intelligence

Rook is Y/N’s 1# Fan after having the chance to read her research in one of her Journals (Students in Y/N’s class have to earn her trust to read her Journals) and finds her brilliant mind that of a Huntress with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, giving her the nickname ‘Madam Auteur’, ‘Madam Professeur’ and ‘Madam Anomalie’ (Y/N calls Rook a ‘Human-Sized Flamboyant Bird’, which he takes as a compliment)

Students who are in Y/N’s class must receive her permission to read her Journals, which are all tightly packed with great knowledge, secret codes, messages and her research (As Y/N has a hard time trusting others, unless they can prove to her she can trust them)

The Housewardens are all naturally skeptical of Y/N being a Teacher, until they take one of her classes, which she challenges them with some very unorthodox ways that surprisingly fit their needs and challenges them on (That and she surprises them with her encouragement to learn about their interests)

Y/N will be made fun of by some of the student body for having six fingers, as that’s something no one sees everyday

Y/N tries to not show favoritism, but really enjoys having conversations with Idia, though she’s a bit confused when he uses his slang (And absolutely geeks out visiting Ignihyde) and is fine with him not physically showing to class (She also surprises Idia with how nerdy she is, especially with her gifting him her favorite game that somehow ended up in Twisted Wonderland ‘Dungeon’s, Dungeon’s and more Dungeon’s’, and gets Azul into the game too)

Y/N will absolutely try to study the Beastmen, Fae and Non-Human Students (But with their permission of course, mainly to learn possible differences in anatomy, biology and characteristics from Humans) and loses her mind after finding out Sebek is a Human/Fae hybrid (She’ll study in non-harmful ways, blood samples, regular physical test, check-ups, X-Rays, etc)

Y/N geeks out to the Beastmen, Merfolk, Ghosts, Fae, and all Non-Human Students (Or any students with Anomaly-like traits), asking a lot of questions out of curiosity and excitement (Once again, showing just how nerdy Y/N really is)

However, Y/N is also very secretive and hesitant on trusting others, as she uses unoccupied rooms in Ramshackle for her research, experiments, storage and inventions (And doesn’t allow any visiting Students or Faculty to enter or look) however, she’ll slowly learn she can trust the Students and Staff, and is willing to reveal some of her past in the future

Y/N might also possibly get into a potential relationship with Crewel, though she does annoy Crewel and Vil for her not taking great care of herself, and loses their shit after hearing she uses fire to shave because it’s ‘faster’ (Epel called Y/N ‘tough’ for doing that)

Y/N does live with Yuuken, Yuuka, Yuu, Y/N and Grim, but respects their privacy and space (Plus, she doesn’t really know what your supposed do and not do with children, teenagers included)

Lilia, this old man, might try and show his ‘moves’ on Y/N, much to Silver’s embarrassment at his father flirting with his teacher (Y/N is also equally just as bad as flirting, which causes a phenomenon of embarrassment for anyone unfortunate enough to witness this display)

[writingseaslugs]

Scarabia: Reader Who's Scared of Storms

So I have no idea if Kalim used to be scared of storms or not, but honestly, he comes across as someone who was jumpy as a kid when a storm came around. Ever experienced a storm in a desert? Terrifying.

Disclaimer: All characters in this series are aged up. For more information about my version of this world and the type of reader you can expect, please do a quick read of THIS post.

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia (You’re Here) | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia

Reader Who’s Scared of Storms

Kalim Al-Asim

Kalim is the one running to you, telling you that there’s going to be a storm coming in soon. He’s fine with the rain; that’s his signature spell. Thunder and Lightning, though…he hates it. He’s not terrified of it like when he was a kid, but he still hates it. That’s when you inform him that you are still petrified and Kalim is having a moment. He’s grabbing your arm and telling you that you guys could be storm buddies and hang out when there’s a storm so you two won’t be so worried over it. It’s cute, and a great idea since Kalim is always bright and sunny.

He is just going off of what his family and Jamil would do for him whenever there was a storm. A blanket and some music will be playing as he invites you into a giant pillow fort. You two will be lying down, talking about the day while a movie is playing in the background. He’ll be telling you all his favorite parts of said movie and basically spoiling it, but it is endearing, to say the least. To make matters better, Jamil will know if there’s a storm and will have made a few finger foods for you two to share.

You’re being invited over once he hears there’s going to be a storm. Sleepovers are an instant cure for these things, especially because he is amazing at cuddling. Not to mention the nice silks and large bed can put you to ease pretty fast. Kalim’s hand will be on some part of your body as he talks to you until he sees you relax and fall asleep. He’ll leave a small kiss on your forehead before nuzzling closer and falling asleep as well.

Jamil Viper

Jamil finds out without ever seeing how scared you really are. He’ll just be going on about his childhood, how Kalim used to be petrified of storms and how he still isn’t a fan. He’ll comment how he’s happy he doesn’t have to baby him any more during the storm and notice how awkward you look. His smile will fall to be gentler, and he apologizes if he’s offended you; then he’ll explain he didn’t like babying Kalim during storms but would have no problem watching over you if you’d like. It’s sweet, but you can see him itching to tease you a little later.

Not only has he grown up making sure Kalim was taken care of during storms, but also his little siblings. He knows every single trick in the book and will even find some noise-canceling headphones and pop it on for you. He’ll find himself just taking you everywhere with him as well. If he needs to cook while it’s going wild outside, he’ll grab you and put you on the counter so he can keep an eye on you and do his duties. He’ll comment on how cute you were when you’re all jumpy, and if you have the headphones on, he’ll wait till you’re distracted with your eyes closed and then graze his hand over your thigh to watch you jump again.

Jamil always checks the weather, so he knows what to prepare for, so when he sees it’ll be storming, he’s messaging you to come over for the night and to bring your comfort items. He’ll have some of your favorite snacks waiting for you and dragging you to his room, making sure the curtains are covering all the windows. Once you’ve eaten and had something warm to drink, he’ll talk to you about seemingly nothing important until you fall asleep against his chest. He’ll just bring you over to his bed and do his nightly duties before joining you and curling into you. If you wake up, you’ll likely find your face against his chest and his hand running over your back as he tells you to go back to sleep and that you’re alright.

[walpurga-nacht-academy]

EVEN MORE BLACKFLAME THOUGHTS AND HOW EP6 PERSONALLY HURT ME

Ignihyde final update finally dropped and I've never been more hurt by a piece of TWST media than I have been ever since I finished reading it. In terms of execution, themes and character development Ignihyde currently stand head and shoulders among my list of favourites and I don't think anything will be able to dethrone it for a while. It's just that good, both as a piece on its own but also as a homage to the original movie and even to the myths themselves. My literary critic ass will eventually get to dissecting those concepts too soon, likely during the following week, but now I would like to yell a bit about Blackflame, EP6 and how it all pans out because these ideas have had me in a vice grip, haha.

I've yelled a bit about these ideas here and here and here before too, if you'd like to check them out (and I encourage you too because this post builds off that a lot) but for now, here are my ramblings:

IDIA, VITA AND HOW THE CHILDHOOD FRIENDS TO LOVERS TROPE WINS

As I mentioned before, Idia and Vita are childhood friends who grew up together due to the fact that they've been engaged to each other from an early age. As the Watchmen of the Underworld and facilitators of OB experiments, the Shrouds believed that having the Dies, a family who specializes in medical magic and necromancy, under their thumb would be paramount to their own work. This was easily achieved by having the heir of the Shroud family and the heiress of the Dies engaged when they were 5 and 6 years old respectively, with the expectations that the two would eventually marry and take over the research facility. It's why Vita was also given a Kerberos breed guard dog in order to ensure that it would be made clear what her betrothed's family expected out of her. And given that they were the only ones who encouraged her interest in the family lore, though for their own benefit, she devoted herself to becoming of use to them.

Much of Idia's and Vita's childhood was spent in each other's company, alongside Ortho, as they were pretty much the only children their age they interacted with. Idia and Vita started off on an awkward foot, with him finding it difficult to understand how he'll eventually marry Vita when they grow older, and Vita finding all his interests a bit incomprehensible but still trying her best to engage with them. It eventually turns out that she is quite proficient as a fast learner so while she's not exactly a fan, she can hold her own and support Idia as backup in his endeavours. That transfers to real life as well, since she encouraged him to do as he pleased before the strain of taking over the family became too much for him. As his future wife, she decided to become proficient enough in anything Idia might need in order to ease his burden, even if just a little. Hence why Vita seems very capable in current times of a number of feats, as she trained herself to be this sort of person.

Vita and Ortho's relationship was quite different as young children as well, as Vita tended to dote and spoil him quite a bit and felt closer to him than to her actual sisters. The two would sometimes also team up to encourage Idia, which he found really embarrassing growing up, but did secretly enjoy. Ortho was really taken by the idea that Vita would become his older sister, and because he had difficulty pronouncing her name at first, he ended up calling her "Vita" instead. Hence her current nickname which she introduces herself by. She thinks it describes her better than her full name. And it's the one memento that she has from him after he dies.

If Vita was set on becoming Idia's support once they grew up, this becomes even more pronounced after Ortho's death. She was devastated by it. She was not present during the incident, but was informed later, and went to see Idia once he woke up. He looked so broken that Vita felt that she had failed miserably in being a supportive partner and had to work even harder to make up for her 'mistakes'. During this time she began to close herself off emotionally, not allowing herself to properly mourn his passing, thus never properly grieving him as she should have. Much like Idia, Vita continues to have unresolved issues with Ortho's death, but while he is wrecked by guilt and overindulges in his hobbies, giving up on his future, Vita goes the opposite. She throws herself in her work, becomes overly independent and focuses almost exclusively on Idia and his well-being leading to a slightly imbalanced relationship. His focus on the interior world clashes often with hers on the exterior world, leading to the two having a number of arguments over the years as they cannot reconcile with Ortho's passing and the impact it had on their relationship. Yet, that also bonds them together as they feel like the other is the only one who properly understands how important Ortho truly was.

It eventually all comes down to their platonic love for him being so strong that they feel they cannot escape the past any longer.

Things then take a complicated turn when Idia rebuilds Ortho. His inspiration was the Dies' own tradition of reviving their dead ancestors to have them around the house as living corpses and he even tries to approach Vita with the idea at first, only for her to categorically shut him down. What the Dies do is revive the body for utility purposes, the thing that walks their halls is no longer their family but just the husk. The soul has passed on and become one with the world, returning to the source and attempting to force it back would be akin to forcing somebody to live through torturous pain. This is something Vita would never want for Ortho, who she loved dearly. It also would force her to confront her own feelings regarding his loss which she is not ready to do under any circumstances yet. Meanwhile, Idia, blinded by the desire to fix what he did, disregards her refusal and goes ahead rebuilding Ortho as a robot despite the taboo nature of the act. Vita is horrified to find this out which causes a rupture in their relationship as well, as they stop seeing each other for a while. The next time that they do is after Vita finds out that she's been accepted as a student to WNA and goes over to inform Idia. They keep in touch afterwards, with both constantly dodging any discussion that involves Ortho until Vita comes back for a visit and meets him too.

When this new Ortho called her 'Vita', the same as the real Ortho used to, she thought she would break down. All her feelings and regrets came rushing back up and trying to overwhelm her, just by then she'd managed to train her mask well enough that it would slip.

The changes that she went through during her first semester at WNA meant that while she became more physically affectionate, she also turned towards tough love as her main means of dealing with situations. She continued to support Idia the best way she could, but it usually meant making sure to remind him that while he might end up becoming the head of the Shroud family, he shouldn't let it define him either. He was still free to do as he pleased. That he continued to wallow in misery bothered her a lot since she wanted him at least to fare better than she did. When that couldn't be possible, she felt even worse about her inability to help him.

Because they are childhood friends, they continue to understand each other quite well, and make a very strong team, but their stubbornness and inability to deal with the situation at hand means that they clash when it comes to dealing with issues. Vita needs to learn how to become more open and rely on others, while Idia needs to deal with the guilt that he feels over Ortho's death. They need to reconcile with this otherwise they can't move on and fix their own problems.

Still, their loyalty to each other is unmatched. Idia respects and loves Vita despite being too awkward to show it and does his best to support her research and make life as comfortable for her as he can, which means mostly through gifts, while Vita is his most vocal supporter, even defending him against her mother when the latter expressed disgust at the thought of Idia bringing Ortho back as a robot, despite Vita herself not being alright either with his actions. Most of their bonding moments happen through their shared hobbies and Vita doing her best to 'collect romance flags' along the way, which Idia claims it's 'normie stuff' but actually really likes.

He still feels quite insecure about how exactly someone like Vita would find attractive or interesting but also prefers to just ignore it and focus on enjoying her company instead.

All this changes post EP6 when the two open up about their inability to get over Ortho's death and find comfort in the fact that the other understands this tragedy better than anyone else could. Vita admits that she just wants to be a good wife and support Idia the best way she could, and Idia also admits that he should have appreciated her affection and support more and that he also was at fault for the whole situation. Once the OB incident is resolved, the two reconcile and come to terms with Ortho's death and the fate of the new one.

As the new Ortho is no longer the result of Idia's poor coping mechanisms that means that Vita becomes just as affectionate with him as she would be if he continued to live, finding comfort in the idea that rather than this being a fake trying to take the real's place, it just a memento of the Ortho they loved and now is its own person who will grow into a different being, this reconciling with her family's own traditions in a way. Along with Larna the four end up making for their own family unit, with Vita learning to be more reliant on others and Idia finding it in himself to become ambitious again to some degree.

EP6 AND NOTES ON BLACKFLAME

As mentioned in the other posts, as a member of S.T.Y.X. Vita is present during the events of the episode as one of the scientist and part of the "Persephone" branch that oversees the medical side of things. She checks the OB victims' statuses and is currently on not so good terms with Idia due to the fight they had during VDC. They continue to remain civil with each other despite everything and work together, though it's quite clear to the NRC boys that something is up, even though Ortho seems oblivious to it. During all this, she is accompanied by Larna, who, sensing the tension, is on high alert and quite fretful since he hates to see his parents fighting like this.

Things proceed as normal until Ortho turns off the security system and Idia seemingly disappears and chaos is instilled over the facility. Worried for him, Vita tries to find him but due to the Phantom breach, she is momentarily stopped from advancing any further into Tartarus than the second charge station. Much like some of the scientists she ends up in a sticky situation as she can't risk using too much magic for fear of OB and her UM doesn't help her either, since it is ineffective against the creatures. The only one at her side is Larna, who gets injured badly while trying to protect her, but they are eventually found and rescued by Vil's group.

This is important due to the fact that Vil and Vita share some common ground, with both being mom figures in group, keen on tough love, confident and tactical people. They have the sort of relationship where their banter tends to be quite friendly and they see each other as equals despite their differences. Thus, it's easier for her to accept help from them. And it also means that she trusts them to be capable people.

Aware that with Larna injured like that she'll have to stay behind to help the pup, Vita shoves down her pride and asks Vil for help to save Idia, telling them as much information as they need and making him promise to bring her husband back alive. Had it been any other group she wouldn't have trusted them, but because it was him she decided to take a chance. After all, both Vil and Vita's flaw is that they are emotionally closed off to others and too stubbornly independent, and thus Vil being the one to help Vita overcome this is in line with his own character development as he learns to put his trust in other people and become more emotionally open.

Thus, Vita ends up working communication and evacuation during the rest of the episode, ensuring that the groups have the support that they need to save Idia, while also tending to Larna who due to the severity of his wound loses one of his hind legs.

Once the OB fight is over, and Idia is saved and everybody escapes from S.T.Y.X. she and Idia have a discussion together, still raw from the whole situation. When he catches his first glimpse of her, he's wracked with guilt for putting her in danger and then relieved to see that she's not injured. That goes out the window when he sees Larna's state especially since the dog is overjoyed at seeing that his father is safe and doesn't bear him any ill will whatsoever. Idia promises to make it up to him any way he can and apologizes for putting them both in danger, only to be completely shocked by the sight of Vita crying.

For as long as he's known her, he's never seen Vita cry like this and it just momentarily breaks him (especially because of the moe gap of his usually stoic and playful wife suddenly bursting out crying in such an open way). He's even more stunned when she rushes to hug him and confesses how scared and worried she was about him and how sorry she is for not being able to do anything to actually help him. She was terrified of losing him just like they lost Ortho and wasn't sure what she'd have done if that was the case and that she's unbelievably happy to see him safe and sound.

They end up actually acknowledging their issues and how they haven't reconciled with the death they couldn't mourn properly, and Idia tells her about his meeting with Ortho on the other side and what he told him to do and they realize that it's time for them to move on and learn from their mistakes and both working towards fixing the situation instead of dancing around the issue. All the while Larna is yapping happily around them because his parents are reunited again and no longer fighting.

This results in Vita no longer opposing the creation of a new Ortho, and treating the new version much like how she'd treat a real little brother, and learns how to be more emotionally open with him, while Idia comes to terms with his brother's death, becomes more emotionally supportive of Vita as well, and creates a bionic leg for Larna, making him and Ortho 'match' now.

In essence, they become a proper power couple, haha.

They go from childhood friends who have romantic feelings for each other but also face a lot of issues, due to their emotional states, to lovers who learn to be more open with each other and work out their problems together. 💙 

[thelazyhermits]

Because I love the Shroud brothers, I wanna talk about my Yuu’s dynamic with them since I haven’t really done much of that in my previous posts.

As I mentioned before, Ortho is the first Shroud that Yuu meets and that’s when he’s coming by Sam’s shop to make purchases for his brother while she’s helping out at the store.

Aside from their chats at the Mystery Shop, Yuu & Ortho will always chat whenever they happen to cross paths on campus since they enjoy each other’s company, and they just mesh well thanks to their friendly personalities. 

Since she’s the school’s sole female magicless student, Ortho likes to check up on her to see how she’s doing since he feels it’s the right thing to do and he can’t help but feel a little concerned about her.

At least, that was one of his initial reasons for approaching her, but after spending enough time with her, Ortho realizes that Yuu handles herself surprisingly well in her current environment which he finds impressive. 

The main reason Ortho likes hanging out with Yuu is because she’s always so warm and friendly with him. She never treats him any differently from everyone else even though he clearly isn’t like the others at NRC.

(Yuu was able to figure out early on that Ortho’s a robot, although she had partially wondered if he was actually a cyborg since he seemed so human-like. Eventually, after enough hang outs, Ortho explained his situation to her and how he came to NRC to be with his brother rather than to be a student.)

Ortho really likes how Yuu’s doting treatment toward him reminds him of Idia. He’s very surprised when he finds out that Yuu doesn’t have any younger siblings since he thinks she’d be an amazing older sibling just like his big brother.

Because he becomes so fond of Yuu, Ortho really wants her to become friends with Idia since he’s sure they’d both get along well cause they’re both amazing people.

That’s why Ortho comes up with the idea of introducing the two since someone with the kind of social skills that Yuu has will surely be a positive influence on his reclusive brother. If anyone could help bring his brother out of his shell, surely she could.

While Yuu isn’t quite convinced, she agrees to come by to visit the Shroud brothers during the winter break since she can’t tell Ortho’s cute face ‘no’. Plus, it’ll give her something to look forward to doing during the break.

So, affter the whole fiasco at Scarabia has been resolved, Yuu pays a visit to the Ignihyde dorm along with Grim since the Shroud brothers chose to remain on campus during the break.

Yuu’s quick to apologize to Ortho for taking so long to come over, but Ortho’s just happy that she came since he’s been looking forward to introducing her to his brother.

Unsurprisingly, Idia is not a fan of this situation at all. The only bright side is that Yuu brought Grim, although Grim is going through war flashbacks of his first meeting with Idia which wasn’t ideal lol

That first meeting is extremely awkward because Idia is clearly uncomfortable, and Yuu just feels bad for the poor guy who obviously is not used to social interactions. It’s not wonder his little brother is worried about him.

For Idia’s sake, Yuu does her best to avoid staring directly at him since he obviously dislikes being the center of attention. It’s hard, though, since his hair is just so fascinating, and she thinks that shade of blue is gorgeous so it’s hard not to look at it. 

(Once they become closer friends, Yuu often compliments his hair and takes advantage of any opportunity to braid it, after getting his permission, of course.

It flusters Idia every time, and he just does not understand why she likes his hair so much. Still, he’s glad she doesn’t look at him like he’s some kind of alien like many people do. She always just looks at him with pure admiration. Of course, that’s bad for his heart for other reasons lol

Idia never imagined he’d meet someone who looks at him like Ortho does, so it really throws him for a loop. It’s weird, but he doesn’t actually hate it.

He’d never admit that he comes to eventually like the positive attention, though haha) 

Thankfully, Ortho is able to move things into a positive direction when he suggests they all play video games together. 

Yuu & Grim are fine with the idea since they’ve learned a little about video games thanks to Ace/Deuce. Idia’s still noticeably uncomfortable, but for Ortho’s sake, he’s willing to go along with the idea.

Once Idia gets immersed in his element, he’s able to loosen up, so from there, things proceed more smoothly. Or at least, as smooth as they can get with a guy like Idia lol

That’s pretty much how all the visits to Ignihyde turn out, with everyone playing video games together. When they’re not doing that, they’re watching anime or DVDs of Idia’s favorite live shows.

(The visits aren’t an everyday thing, even though Ortho said they could be, since Yuu took pity on Idia. Instead, they just come by every other day or every few days, so Idia can get a chance to recharge his social battery.)

Because Yuu’s so openminded/non-judgemental, it’s easier for Idia to be himself around her since she shows a genuine interest in his hobbies and doesn’t find them strange at all. 

It helps that thanks to her background so many things are so new to Yuu so she can’t help but be interested in learning about what normal people her age do for for fun. She’s basically the type that will trying anything once, as long as it’s reasonable and not something crazy/stupid, because she wants to accumulate a lot of new experiences now that she’s free from her old life. 

It also helps that Yuu has watched her fair of anime since it was fairly common to come across it back in Japan whenever she had free time to watch TV. Anime, cooking shows, and murder mystery shows were the main TV shows she watched.

Of course, Yuu can’t actually admit as much out loud because the anime she’s seen are from her world not TW. However, after Book 6, once the Shroud brothers know about her Quirk and her origins, she does talk about the anime she has watched which Idia is very interested in cause it’s not every day you meet an isekai protag and get to learn about another world’s anime lol

What leads to Idia warming up to Yuu is when she helps him with a gacha pull he had been struggling with, like what I mentioned in a past post. She miraculously managed to pull the SSR he wanted and now whenever he’s desperate he has her do pulls for him haha

Most of the Yuu & Idia interactions that occur before Book 6 happen during the winter holiday and the time leading up to the SDC training camp since the camp keeps Yuu busy once it starts and Book 6 happens shortly after the festival.

After Book 6, Idia becomes more comfortable around Yuu and even makes her a new cell phone since he wasn’t impressed with the one Crowley gave her lol The new one has lots of storage so she can download the games Idia wants her to try out, and it has a cool Ignihyde phone case since Ortho insisted that they give Yuu something themed after their dorm like all the other dorms have done.

While they don’t necessarily hang out a lot because Idia still needs lots of time to himself, Yuu comes to visit the Shroud brothers at least once a week so they can hang out together. 

However, they still often remain in contact due to Ortho always visiting her and Idia texting her. It catches Yuu off guard how much Idia texts her, but by the looks of it, he really likes having someone to infodump on/gush about his games/shows/etc. to. He just prefers doing it electronically. 

Sometimes, Idia will contact her whenever he finds anime/manga that he thinks she’d like and will often end up buying DVDs of mystery focused anime for them to watch because she likes murder mysteries so much.

Thanks to her friendship with Idia, Yuu eventually becomes quite good at video games. Obviously, she still doesn’t hold a candle against him, but she gets good enough that she’s able to start beating Ace/Deuce, which she’s very happy about cause Ace would always give her a hard time for how poorly she used to play.

A great advantage of this friendship for Idia is that if Yuu ever catches him in distress during the rare occasion he’s out of his room, like he has gotten cornered by the extroverts (Kalim, Cater, Rook) he can’t handle who wanna hang out with him, Yuu will come to his rescue with the excuse that Idia already has plans to help her, either with her studies or her video game skills.

While Yuu, like Ortho, wants Idia to spend more time with the other students, she knows that he needs to take baby steps since he’ll just get overwhelmed, so if he’s surrounded by a lot of people, Yuu will step in. 

Idia starts calling her his guardian angel because of this lol 

(I just love the mental image of Idia hiding behind her during these occasions because he’s so tall. Sure, she’s 5′8, but he’s still several inches taller than her so it’s just amusing to think of this giant using Yuu as a shield against the extroverts haha)

After Book 6, Yuu often gets invited to join the Board Game Club since both Idia and Azul genuinely enjoy her company, and it gives Yuu an opportunity to take a break from her usual responsibilities. She always has fun learning how to play board games and spending time with the guys. 

She’s kinda an unofficial member of the Board Game Club and the Mountain Lovers Club because both clubs invite her over a lot. Of course, in Jade’s case, his invitation entails him randomly showing up in his mountain climbing gear at Ramshackle early in the morning and giving Yuu no other option but to accept his invitation 😂

As far as the Yuu & Ortho friendship is concerned, they become even closer friends after Book 6. When he’s not with his brother, Ortho’s often hanging out with Yuu since he enjoys her company so much.

Yuu adores Ortho since he’s so sweet/adorable. Plus, now she has another son that has good sense, which she is very grateful for.

She’d literally fight the sun for this boy, so anyone who messes with him better watch out. It doesn’t matter that he’s perfectly capable of defending himself. Do not upset this sweet boy while she’s around, or you’ll regret it.

(The others joke that Ortho might take Jack’s role as Yuu’s favorite son, so he better watch out. Jack acts like he doesn’t care, but deep down, he does lol)

Yuu also loves studying with Ortho since unlike the idiot trio Ortho actually understands the materials so she never has to worry about tutoring him. Instead, he’s the one who’s often helping her whenever she has trouble, which she really appreciates.

Ortho also helps her when it comes to learning about technology and keeping up to date with it. While it’s not like she never used it before coming to TW since there were times when Tokumei would give her access to a laptop or a cell phone, Yuu definitely wasn’t as exposed to technology as much as most people her age, so she’s grateful for everything she learns from Ortho.

Yuu & Ortho end up having lots of first time experiences together because of their backgrounds, so they’re getting to enjoy life as a normal high school student together.

Last thing I wanna add is that it’s thanks to the Shroud brothers that Ramshackle finally gets a proper security system so people can’t just break into the dorm as they please. 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be effective against Floyd and Jade who continue to make unannounced visits whenever they wanna “play” with Yuu lol

[twistedtranslations]

Jamil Viper - So nimble...!

You can unlock this story by getting Jamil’s SR Gala Couture

Translation under the cut

Translation notes

“Hitting it” refers to a cheering practice in JP for idol units. if you want to see it in practice, go here.

Gakemo: Gakkepuchi Moraisu -> The Moirai of the Cliffs

Pomefiore Dorm - Ballroom

Grim: Heey!

Ruggie: Hey Yuu, Grim.

Grim: The Fairy Gala is tomorrow so we came to check up on ya. …So, how are they doing?

Ruggie: Well, just look at them and you'll know.

Vil: Stop, stop, stop!!! All of you are useless. Leona. You're the star of the show right? You could at least pretend to be a little bit more motivated.

Leona: Ha. You're the one who decided that though. At least I'm performing, so you could stand to be more grateful.

Kalim: Hey, Vil! What do you think about our dancing? It looks super cool, doesn't it?

Vil: No, good grief.

Kalim/Jamil: Huh!?

Vil: It's absolutely unrefined. You look like a burdock covered in mud. Because you two are experienced dancers, I planned on using you as a backdrop to enhance Leona's image but… no way that's going to happen.

Kalim: A-Are we that bad?

Vil: Can't you tell? Kalim, you haven't been able to complete the dance without making a single mistake.

Kalim: Ugh!

Jamil: Kalim, the event is tomorrow. Why don't you try concentrating more?

Vil: Jamil, you're in no position to talk either though? Actually, from you three, you are probably the worst.

Jamil: Huh!? Me?

Vil: Yes. Can it be you thought you were doing flawlessly?

Jamil: …Yes. I have been dancing for a long time and I perfectly remembered the choreography.

Vil: It's no good if that's all you can do. Yuu, what do you think if you look at Jamil's dancing?

Yuu: It's as if he's dancing on his own. It doesn't look like he's having fun…

Vil: You're right. Jamil's dancing doesn't draw in the audience. Do you understand what you are lacking?

Jamil: …

Ruggie: Jamil. Won't it be too difficult to finish up the dance for today? If you can't do the dance, why don't you help us out with the switching of the gem?

Jamil: …No. I don't intent to shrink my responsibilities towards the dance. But about drawing the audience in… So dancing perfectly is no good? Vil, can I take a little break? I want to find the answer by myself.

Vil: That's fine. In exchange, I'd like you to have figured it out by tomorrow by any means.

Jamil: Understood.

Leona: Isn't that guy too obstinate?

Kalim: Jamil has loved dancing since he was young. I think he definitely doesn't want to give up.

Interior Hallway

Jamil: At this time, there should be no one in the courtyard, so I'll try thinking about it while exercising. Okay, let's go.

Courtyard

???: Sa-….Ba-…..Da-….!

Jamil: …Hm? That voice…is someone here…?

Idia: Panther! Bomber! Thunder!

Jamil: That is… Idia from Ignihyde… He's shouting while twisting his upper body around and waving glowing sticks?

Idia: Fighter! Riser! Hyper!

Jamil: What is he doing…

Idia: Dada!!

Chapter 2

Courtyard

Idia: Panther! Bomber! Thunder! Fighter! Riser! Hyper! Dada!!

Jamil: What a curious dance. But the choreography is so nimble…! I feel like dancing just by watching! Hm? There's a tablet placed near Idia's feet? So he's dancing while watching a movie.

Idia: Heh~ "Gakemo"'s live concert is the best after all.

Jamil: "Gakemo"? Let's look it up on my smartphone. Hm, is this it? Their formal name is…  "The Moirai of the cliffs"? "An idol unit formed by three girls, bound together by the thread of fate. Their performances do not only entertain fans but everyone that watches them. Incidentally, the age of their members is private. While their wrinkles do stand out, fans choose to ignore this…" I don't really care about idols, but I'm interested in that dance. It might be worth exploring. …Okay. Idia!

Idia: Aaaah!? Y-, Y-Y-Y-You are Jamil from Scarabia!? Ah, uhm… t-this is what you call…yes, a-a dance I had to prepare for pe!

Jamil: This movement seems to differ a lot from what we learn in class though?

Idia: Hng, hnn, hghn…! I thought people wouldn't come around at this time but I miscalculated…! People like you wouldn't understand my noble hobbies… Anyhow, now the rumor will spread and people will start talking about me behind my back… ….Sigh, I'm finished… goodbye my bright prospects of a school life… ah, such a good life probably didn't exist from the very beginning.

Jamil: I knew he was a very peculiar person but to go this far…

Jamil: You were watching Gakemo's live concert on your tablet, right?

Idia: D-Do you know about them!?

Jamil: He bit. This is all for the sake of dancing. I should go along and extract information.

Jamil: Actually, I'm interested in Gakemo…

Idia: He, he… how rare for the type of human you are. …D-Do you….also hit it?

Jamil: "Hit it"?

Idia: Y-You don't know? I see, of course you wouldn't… I'm certain. You must be a bandwagon fan, yes. It's absurd to pretend to know of it if you haven't experienced the concert firsthand. You'll experience the greatest sense of unity when you're hitting it during a live concert of Gakemo. Sigh~It's all because of bandwagon fans. It's your fault that the content degenerates, but it doesn't seem like you're aware of it.

Jamil: Why is he suddenly looking upwards. Whatever… It seems that the thing he was doing is actually called "hitting" and is a way to cheer for idols. Honestly, I question why someone would do that but it is a fact that Idia's wholehearted banging and enthusiasm reached me. If it's that…

Jamil: Idia.

Idia: What?

Jamil: Please teach me how to "hit it".

Idia: …Huh? What's this development!?

Botanical Garden - Runway

Jamil: It's finally time Kalim. Leave it to me to hype the audience.

Kalim: Okay! I'm relying on you! Show off your sharp dance, just like practiced!

Jamil: Sure, you didn't have to tell me.

Leona: I don't know if something happened but… you've been really spirited ever since you returned from yesterday's evening lessons.

Jamil: Yes. It's all thanks to Gakemo.

Leona: Huh? What's that?

Jamil: It's almost our turn. Let's go!

Kalim: Okay!

Jamil: After "hitting it" with Idia so many times I finally understand it. It's not fit for a show to only dance perfectly. It's necessary to draw in your audience… It's passion!!! Okay everyone…get excited! Become one with my dance!

Classroom

Vil: Just by looking at his nimble way of dancing, I understand. Jamil, you finally grasped it. Yes. The most important thing for a show is to release the hidden passion from within. That makes the audience go crazy for you and creates a sense of unity. Jamil. Your passion is reaching the entire venue. …But, what did he experience for him to grow so much in one evening… what do you think, Idia?

Idia: W-Who knows? …W-Well done Jamil. The way you sweat with everyone else is truly shining…!

[queenofnohr]

Twisted Wonderland: Idia Shroud Scary Outfit (R) - Voice Lines + Personal Story

Voice Lines

Summoning Line: Th- th- there are some events even I look forward to…… Is there something wrong with that!? Groovy: Once you see what’s under this helmet, you will never know peace again…… Fuhihihi! Set Home: Wah hah hah! Here comes the Pumpkin Knight~! Home Idle 1: Every time I told Ortho, “Trick or Treat!” he gave me cheap candy, then got mad when I tricked him anyway. Home Idle 2: Events can only be enjoyed if you mind your manners. That rule holds true in every world. Home Idle 3: This is the time of year where every social game has a big event going on, so not having enough time in a day is overwhelmingly apparent…… Home Login: Fuhihi…… Happy Halloween. Huh? What’s with that face? Is it really so strange to see me excited about something? Home Tap 1: Being able to hide my face with the helmet is such a relief…… But it’s a little hard to breathe with it on. Home Tap 2: Wh- What are you going to dress up as……? There’s no way you’d be satisfied with just putting on a headband or hat and calling it a day, right? Home Tap 3: Lions are supposed to be members of the cat family, but Leona isn’t soothing at all like them. *sigh*, I wanna bury my face in a cat’s fur. Home Tap 4: I can guarantee it. Otaku who hate Halloween…… Don’t exist! Home Tap 5: Fuhihi…… The armor is quite durable since it was made with a 3D printer. How much did it cost to make? If you care about that sorta stuff, you’ll lose.

Personal Story: I’ve Done a Good Job~

-Ignihyde Dorm-

Idia: I finally completed my Pumpkin Knight costume~!! *sigh*...... It was so hard to balance doing limited-time events in online games and making my costume…… The amount of times I ended up watching the whole movie even though I only meant to check the costume’s accuracy is too many to count. But what else did I expect from “Pumpkin Hollow?” It’s a masterpiece among all of horror movie history. Mysterious incidents that happen one after another in a peaceful village surrounded by fog. Villagers found with their forms completely changed. And then the culprit, the Pumpkin Knight who has a pumpkin for a head, confronts the two investigators dispatched to uncover the truth surrounding the incidents! Not to mention the complete lack of CGI in this day and age due to the director’s enthusiasm and commitment to making full use of various practical effects, and of course, who could forget the totally unexpected and outrageous plot twist of the investigators quitting their jobs and becoming pumpkin farmers after being charmed by the cursed pumpkin! You can only get this stuff from B-grade horror!! I totally understand its deep-rooted popularity with hardcore fans. I also handcrafted all the costume parts from scratch to give the original my utmost respect. Taking into consideration the need to march in a parade, the helmet and armor were made with highly-durable yet ultra-light polyurethane. The vines affixed to the base of the armor are made from highly flexible silicon. It makes for a realistic reproduction of vines’ natural curves and volume. Now then, not being able to move, or the whole thing falling apart pathetically…… those are catastrophes I’d like to avoid at all costs. I’ll put the cursed pumpkin on my head…… there we go. Alright, all ready to take a test run outside. There seem to be lots of people on campus, but…… I wonder if that place will be okay?

-Woods Behind Campus-

Idia: The elbows have sufficient mobility, and there are no problems with the strength of the joints either. Hmmm, it’s actually really comfortable to wear! As expected of me, I’ve done a good job~. (However, the head parts need adjustment. Visibility is poor because my top priority was making it look like it was hollow.) (I wonder if I could put a small camera at the top of the helmet and run the feed to view on a head mounted display……) *mutter mutter*……

Crash!

Idia: Uwah……!? Ouch…… Did I trip on something? It’s difficult to see near my feet, so I’ll have to make improvements to that, too…… Leona: You bastard, get off of my stomach, now! You’ve got some nerve to use me as a rug. Idia: Eek, that’s Leona’s voice! S-s-s- sorry, I didn’t think there’d be anyone around! I’ll get out of your sight immediately, so……

Clang, clang...

Leona: Ow! Oi, don’t move so suddenly, Pumpkin-boy! You’re gonna rip my tail off! Idia: Eh, your tail!? This is bad, I can’t see anything with the pumpkin on…… (Oh crap, the end of Leona’s tail is tangled with the ivy parts on the costume!) (My commitment to remaining faithful to the original is backfiring……) Leona: Tch, so it’s you. You rarely go outside, and yet you have the nerve to get into trouble. Hurry up and do something about this. Idia: Awawawawa…… (Using that tone while he’s knocked on the ground! He must be livid!) (“This ill-tempered guy’s tail got caught on my armor and now I’m in a tight spot,” is so not a “My hair got caught on his clothes, kyaa~ ☆ meet cute,” kind of plot hook.) (No, I don’t have the luxury of thinking about that in this situation.) J- Just hold on…… I’ll get it unstuck right away…… (Even though I said that, isn’t it impossible in this position? The range of movement in my arm is restricted, so I can’t reach at all.) Leona: ...... Idia: (Ah—! This is bad—! The more I try getting it unstuck, the more tangled it gets!) Leona: *growl*...... Don’t put your hands all over my tail. Idia: No, he’s the one who has more hands free, right? Could he help out a bit more? Actually, in the first place, this totally isn’t a place he should be napping, right? He’s totally cutting class...... He’s the one who blocked the path in the first place…… Isn’t he so proud of how tall he is? I’m not the one at fault, Leona is the one who should be apologizing…... Leona: ......Oi, I can hear everything you’re saying. Idia: H- Huh!? I- I was just joking…… hehe. (Oh, that’s right. Beastmen have really good hearing.) Leona: *sigh*...... You’re slow and inefficient. You don’t have scissors or anything, do you? Idia: A- Actually I do. I brought a repair kit just in case the costume broke…… huh!? (No way, is Leona gonna cut his own fur!?) Leona: Good grief, took you long enough. Idia: (Is he for real? Isn’t this a cool-guy maneuver only reserved for pretty-boys in manga!?)

Thud!

Idia: Huh? Thud? WHAAAAAT!?!?!?!?! You cut the vines I worked so hard on——!!! Leona: You were being too slow so I cut it myself. You should be thanking me. Idia: ...... Leona: Aren’t you glad it was me you tripped over? If it was someone scaaaa~ry it wouldn’t have ended this amicably, now would it? Honestly, aimlessly walking about with a tacky pumpkin on your head. You’re a real nuisance. See ya. Idia: ............ ......H- Huh~~~!? Did he just call the Pumpkin Knight tacky? He must not have eyes if he doesn’t understand the charm of this design……! That’s why I can’t stand Savanaclaw students; they’re all so rowdy…… Though I pity him for not being able to comprehend the greatness of the Pumpkin Knight. Just you wait! By the time the parade rolls around, I’ll have the equipment completely upgraded! And he’ll recognize just how cool the Pumpkin Knight is!

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*Small note; I usually use (parenthesis) interchangeably for both whispering/talking quietly to oneself and for internal monologue that is put in parenthesis in the game itself. Here, however, since Idia uses both and it’s important to differentiate between them, (internal monologue is in parenthesis like this), while whispered dialogue is completely italicized, like this.

[themonotonysyndrome]

Excluding Octavinelle and Pomefiore... how would the other five of the Great Seven Dorms react when their Vice Dorm Leaders read the text from Jade on the group chat about Baby!Yuu being missing from Ramshackle? I bet that Trey would tell Riddle about it as they both know that Ace and Deuce were supposed to be babysitting Baby!Yuu with Grim so the first two would probably go over to Ramshackle with Cater coming along with them and the Third Year would end up showing everyone there Vil’s Magicam account with pictures of Baby!Yuu since Cater would not be Cater if he does not go onto Magicam and that he does follow Vil there... so what would everyone’s reactions be about that? What would Neige’s reaction be when he checks out Vil’s latest Magicam posts since the former probably also follows the latter there?

[Shady Unagi: Good afternoon. Apologies for my sudden text. I’d like to ask if anyone has seen Yuu.]

[Me: Itty-bitty baby Yuu? He’s at Ramshackle with Ace, Deuce and Grim! Why you ask?]

[Mr.Batty-chan: It’s the Octavinelle turn to take care of their lover, Cater-kun.]

[Me: Oh, lol. Wait - how did you know it was me Lilia-chan?]

[Mr.Batty-chan: Fufu, I have my ways~]

[Space Jam, but at the desert: He means that you’re predictable, Diamond-san. You should give Clover-san his phone back.]

[Me: In a bit! Trey is busy doing paperwork with Riddle to noticed that I have his phone~]

[Me: Anyway, how’s Yuu? Did the juniors remember to feed him?]

[Shady Unagi: I could only hope so unless they would like Floyd to squeeze them further.]

[Dandelion man, take me by the hand: Why are you guys spamming the chat group?]

[Space Jam, but at the desert: Scroll up]

[Dandelion man, take me by the hand: Got it. The idiot trio lost Yuu, huh]

[Space Jam, but at the desert: Well, he’s not here at Scarabia. Kalim would want to throw a feast for him if he’s here...]

[Me: He’s not at the Rose Maze either!]

[Dandelion man, take me by the hand: Same for Savanaclaw. One of the meatheads would’ve smelled him.]

[Mr.Batty-chan: I’ve told the Diasomnia students to keep an eye out for the child. Malleus is searching for him as we speak. I’ll have my bats scout around as well.]

[Real Boi 2001: Good morning, everyone! Big brother woke up from his naps because of the chat group’s notification pings and told me to mute it. I’ve informed him of the missing Directing Student! 

[Me: Thank you, Ortho-kun!]

[Shady Unagi: Then... the only one left is...]

[Me: Does anyone know where Rook is?]

[Mr.Batty-chan: Pomefiore most likely]

[Dandelion man, take me by the hand: Or stalking Leona-san. Again.]

[Space Jam, but at the desert: Nope. He’s at Pomefiore right now. Vil is using Yuu for clouts.]

[Me: WAT]

Heartslabyul’s Reaction: 

After reading Jamil’s text (and yes, Cater change the contact names in Trey’s phone), Cater immediately takes out his own phone to check his Magicam account. And true enough, the number 1 currently trending are pictures of Vil and Baby!Yuu in different poses and clothes - all of them were very artfully shot with warm lightings to bestow a sort of comforting and gentle tone to each picture. 

Everyone is talking about it. Everyone is throwing #s around - especially the #DaddyVil one. Ovaries everywhere in Twisted Wonderland exploded. Parents are even sharing pictures of their babies online! 

Cater made sure to liked every single Vil & Yuu’s pictures before rushing to Riddle’s bedroom where he and Trey are at. 

Needless to say that Riddle nearly spills his tea when Cater slams open the door. The Dorm Leader was about to chatise Cater on his poor manners but all words left him when he saw the pictures. 

“Trey, Cater.” 

“...Yes, Riddle?”

“...Yes, Dorm Leader?”

“Weren’t Ace, Deuce and Grim supposed to take care of Yuu at Ramshackle?” 

Trey and Cater shared an uneasy yet meek grin - knowing what is about to happen. 

Together, they dutifully reply, “Yes, Dorm Leader.” 

And thus, the three of them march towards Ramshackle to punish the juniors plus Grim and maybe even educate them on how to keep a better eye on a baby. By the end of the day, Adeuce + Grim would be collared. 

Savanaclaw’s Reaction: 

Honestly, most of the students there sigh in relief, knowing that Rook is too busy taking care of Baby!Yuu to chase or stalk them for once!

And as per usual, Leona slept through the drama blissfully while Ruggie idly wonders as he oversees Savanaclaw’s Magift practise if the seafood trio would fight Vil and Rook for Baby!Yuu custody. 

All in all, they hold the ‘not my circus, not my monkeys’ mentality during this drama. 

Scarabia’s Reaction:

Jamil’s main priority now is to ensure that Kalim never finds out that Baby!Yuu is missing or about Vil’s pictures on Magicam. Why you ask? Because then Kalim would want to take photos with Baby!Yuu and post it on his Magicam account next and Jamil could already foresee and feel the headaches on how the internet would react to it! 

The netizens now wonder just where the fuck did Vil got a baby to model with him because the zealous fans have pointed out that the studio that he used bears Pomefiore’s wallpaper and interior architecture. 

Jamil really doesn’t want Kalim to add more fuel to the fire. 

Ignihyde’s Reaction: 

After Ortho reported what happened and showed him the series of texts, Idia cackled. They lost the baby and now the Directing Student is basically insta-famous online? This sounds like one of his slice-of-life animes! 

He gives Ortho full access to his surveillance cameras around NRC to keep an eye on Baby!Yuu with a request to snap pictures of the seafood and Heartslabyul trio ‘punishing’ Adeuce + Grim. 

Hell, might also snap a few candid photos of Vil and Baby!Yuu too!

Diasomnia’s Reaction: 

The moment Lilia informed him that Baby!Yuu was missing, Malleus flew out alongside his bats. Not knowing that if he just wait for a damn second, Lilia would add that Baby!Yuu is safe and well-taken care of in Pomefiore. 

Oh well. Lilia supposed that it’s good that Malleus exercise once in a while!

Lilia called off the search once he saw Vil’s pictures and seeing him carrying and posing with Baby!Yuu tugs on his heartstrings. Oh, he wants to take care of Baby!Yuu too! 

If anything, he’s more qualified to take care of him since he basically raised Malleus, Silver and Sebek!

And that gives him an idea. Lilia would personally fly after Malleus and convinced him that Baby!Yuu should spend a day and night at Diasomnia with them! Wouldn’t that just be wonderful? They could even have a little sleepover! Think of the fun things that they could do! 

Welp. It wasn’t hard to persuade Malleus. The idea of spending time with his best friend is always a good time in his book. 

Chaos immediately break out when both Octavinelle and Diasomnia storm into Pomefiore for Baby!Yuu. As for Vil and Rook? They ain’t gonna give Baby!Yuu up because clearly, no one could take care of him better than them! 

...And Lilia took that personally lol. 

Bonus round: Neige’s reaction:

It was a beautiful and perfect day for Neige. He just finished a class and was handed a near-perfect grade on his latest quiz paper - but it’s ok though. He promises himself that he would study and work hard more, just like Vi-kun! 

It was during lunch time that Ellis, Immad and Muqazi showed him Vil’s and Baby!Yuu’s pictures on his social media. Several of Neige’s fans already tag him, asking him about his opinion on the pictures and if he would ever model for a baby clothing company. 

Neige instantly fell in love with the pictures! He never thought that Vi-kun looks such a handsome and warm father! He wasted no time to throw in his supports, compliments and comments on each and every one of the pictures. 

Neige even saved some of the pictures because he had never seen Vil in this light before. Usually, Vil exudes a god-like beauty demeanour - untouched by the world and unbothered by any obstacles on his path. So to see him like this? Does that mean that Vil is a lot more approachable now? Neige has been trying to get closer to him over the years but to no avail. Their relationship is strictly professional and it saddens Neige. 

Hey, actually, maybe Vil is more open to talking to him if he sees Neige upload his own photos with a baby?? Yeah! He’s definitely planning to do so!

[circuscarnage]

OKAY SO,

After putting this off for a while, I finally manged to get around to drawing my OC in all the different dorms. I had previous posted a Octavinelle one and a Ignihyde one, and thought I would do the rest in one post.

I’ve also got some head cannons for these students under the cut. Each dorm changes her personality, making me feel like I’m making another character altogether.

Scarabia: With the carefree and spontaneous Kalim around, I think she would lower her guard and become more carefree herself. Maybe you’ll even find her humming to herself as she walks the hallway.

In the dorm, she would advise against Kalim’s eccentric ideas, trying to lighten the workload off of Jamil. 

Pomefiore: I think this dorm would have the most negative effect on her. Low self-confidence and the constant pressure to look your best don’t mix. As such, she has taken upon herself to hide behind a fan. Vil is very against the idea, but her can’t convince her otherwise. Rook has also tried to rid her of her prised fan, but once he took it from her hands she instantly started to sob. He immediately apologised. 

You’ll find this student isolating herself from the rest of the world, sitting by old fountains or decrepit buildings. She seems fascinated with these crumbled memorials, seeing the beauty in these abandoned monuments overgrown with time. 

Savanaclaw: Oh boy. You better watch out, her aggressive attitude has increased tenfold. There’s no stopping this rowdy student from constantly challenging others to fight them.

Other student don’t tend to take her seriously because of her short stature, but do not be fooled, she can stand her ground in battle. Territorial and very quick to anger, it’s no wonder that this student stays mostly in her own room. She doesn’t have many visitors, but sometimes a gray wolf checks on her from time to time.

Also, the animal I based her off is an Ocelot. That is not a scar on her left eye, just makeup. And even though she’ll never admit it, she does love to play with lazer pointers.

Diasomnia: I actually had to redraw this one since I wasn’t happy with the first draft. I originally changed her to be a mythical creature to better fit in with the dorm, but I’m glad I decided against it. Instead of the drastic changes like the other dorms, this one is much more like her personalty. 

How a natural born human with no magical powers managed to get into Diasomnia is beyond me. She must have a case of ‘Protagonist syndrome’. With little magic ability and a strange case of always getting into trouble, it was no doubt that she would have caught the attention of a specific guard. 

Disgruntled that she may drag down the prestigious Diasomnia reputation, he took it upon himself to try to teach her to be a better magician. Key word: try. One way or another, something ends up going wrong. She’s certainly not as powerful as her peers, but excels in the creativity of her spells. On a brighter note he has made her more confident in her won ability. Maybe one day she’ll beat him in a fight.

I think out of all of them, the Diasomnia one is my favourite. Not only do I adore the design, but I also think the story line is really sweet.

[queenofnohr]

Twisted Wonderland Event: Scary Monsters - Episode 1-11

Dreamwidth link here.

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Episode 1-11 “Everyone Knows That”

-Library - Entrance Hall-

Ortho: Welcome, everyone! I hope you all have a lot of fun with Ignihyde’s Halloween! Now then, let’s start the screening. Deuce: W- What do you mean by “screening?” What in the world is happening? Cater: Uwah! A jack o’ lantern jumped out of the bookcase!?

*an owl hoots* Hoo— hoo—

Malleus: The library has become a misty forest…… This is magic I’ve never seen before. Ortho: This isn’t magic, it’s projection mapping created by everyone in Ignihyde. It’s video data that’s projected onto 3D objects, like a building, using a projector. Deuce: It really feels like I’m in some faraway place! Ortho: Fufufu. It suits Ignihyde, which excels at magical engineering, doesn’t it? And appearing after this...... Idia: “A pumpkin is a pumpkin, but what kind of pumpkin can’t be eaten?”

*the camera pans over Idia*

Idia: “......The answer is me! The tragic monster, the Pumpkin Knight!” All: Who are you!? Idia: “Who am I”…… It’s me. Idia Shroud. It would be strange if it was anyone else but me, considering the situation. Vil: That irritating way of speaking…… It’s definitely Idia. Idia: Hehe, were you surprised? As you can see from my Halloween costume…… I’m the Pumpkin Knight! Deuce: ……So, what is a Pumpkin Knight? Idia: Huh! Are you telling me you don’t know about the masterpiece horror film, “Pumpkin Hollow!?” Deuce: I’ve never heard of it…… Wait, am I the only one!? Do you guys know about it? All: We don’t. Vil: Even though I’ve been checking out many art-house movie screenings, it’s a movie even I don’t know about. Idia: Gah! That’s why you’re a normie! This is a costume modeled after the ghost that appears in the movie, “Pumpkin Hollow!” He’s the incarnation of a failed jack o’ lantern. Uneaten, unused as a decoration, and thrown away, that night the pumpkin’s resentment turns him into the Pumpkin Knight…… He returns to the village where he was harvested and attacks person after person night after night…… It’s a B-horror movie. Everyone knows that. Vil: Based on your synopsis, it seems more like a Z-movie than a B-movie. Idia: Every year at this time of year, my MagiCam feed is flooded with people talking about “Pumpkin Hollow,” ya’know? Ortho: The part where the detective who thinks the Pumpkin Knight is human takes off his helmet, but what’s there…… Is just a pumpkin! It’s the best! Idia: Right!? That’s one of the best scenes! So we recreated the background and sounds with projection mapping…… And I thought I’d appear as the Pumpkin Knight. But we made arrangements to prevent spoilers for both movie fans who know what’s going to happen and future viewers alike…… Using lighting effects and reflections and visual tricks, we arranged it so my head would disappear when I remove my helmet. Cater: Idia, you’re chatting so easily even though it’s not through your tablet today♪ Idia: Fu. There’s nothing to be afraid of if I’m wearing a mask. Deuce: Amazing, he’s completely turned into the Pumkin Knight!? Cater: I wonder. I feel like it’s our usual Idia…… ……But the costume, or rather, the armor is definitely genuine. It looks like the real deal! Idia’s high level of technological prowess really comes through here. Idia: Fuhihi…… Projection mapping plus a live-action show…… I will show you both the technical prowess of Ignihyde, and the charm of “Pumpkin Hollow!” Crowley: It’s high quality, just like Ignihyde who is good at magic as well as engineering! This year’s Halloween may very well outdo the rest with how wonderful it is. ……Ah, it’s already time for the next, and final, dormitory. It’s a shame, but it’s been fun. Now then, let’s be off! To Pomefiore’s stamp rally venue, the Mirror Chamber.

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Episode 1-10 ← → Episode 1-12