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meiusoo-twistedtwst · 1 month ago

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NRC Faces the Sorting Hat…

Hear me out this is ranked by a serious Potterhead who has DELVED into the associations of each house so allow me to share my thoughts on which Hogwarts house the NRC guys would possibly be sorted into —>

TREY & Cater seem like master manipulators, especially if all those overthrowing Riddle to reclaim Cater’s title as dorm leader theories are true (haven’t read Cater’s ch. 7 arc I rlly need to😭)

Azul & Vil are literally so ambitious, like Azul tried to erase his own past to theoretically present himself as a whole new, blank-slate person with absolutely no embarrassments or flaws while Vil’s determination drove him to insanity as he cunningly used Neige’s trust to try to POISON him

I think Ruggie & Jamil are very self-explanatory as they’re both ambitious & cunning, scheming guys. I chose Slytherin over Hufflepuff for Ruggie as although he’s extremely hardworking & relatively patient (he cleans up after Leona, not a job for the impatient) but he’s not actually all that loyal I don’t think. He only bonded with & followed after Leona because it would benefit him though… (now as I’m writing this I’m starting to think he might actually be a Hufflepuff-)

Silver & Sebek both showed lots of Hufflepuff traits but ultimately the events of Ch.7 pushed me to place them in Gryffindor instead. Just imagine how difficult it would be to turn your sword against the guy you’ve known & loved your whole life? The guy you had once sworn absolute obedience & loyalty to? They’re prime reinforcers as to why Neville Longbottom was in Gryffindor (it takes bravery to stand up against your own friends)

Ace & Deuce: Same thing as above but to a less extreme extent. Arguably, if the Ace is a traitor theories are true then he’d be a strong runner up for Slytherin with how cunning he is. I was hesitant with Deuce since he might be a Hufflepuff, but his background as a delinquent & his willingness to rebel against authority (cough cough Riddle cough) when he could have just stayed completely loyal like Trey (who may have just been plotting Riddle’s fall from grace then) made me put him in Gryffindor

Floyd was between Slytherin & Gryffindor but I don’t think he’s actually all that cunning? Like he knows he’s intimidating & uses that to his advantage but otherwise he doesn’t actively use detailed plots the same way Jade or Azul do? Plus, he’s just not afraid of anything; very brave

Epel was brave for being rebellious & rejecting peer pressure for the most part- definitely hard to say no when your dorm leader is a literal celebrity & accomplished student. Jack is also very self explanatory with how he’s not afraid to stand apart from the crowd (seen in Ch. 2) & he was never so blindly loyal to Leona to the point where he’d ignore or not notice his flaws

+He wasn’t on the Tier maker but I’d put Grim in Gryffindor with how recklessly brave he is (literally so chaotic & constantly defies authority)

I know what you’re all thinking but hear me out… Crowley is a bad (or at least morally grey) Hufflepuff. He preaches love, graciousness, & kindness- which are all dominantly Hufflepuff ideals, & people always overlook this but you don’t actually have to be a nice person to be in Hufflepuff. Every house is capable of producing dark wizards (there was an evil Hufflepuff in Hogwarts Legacy !) so even all those suspicions that Crowley might be downright evil could still make him a Hufflepuff, just not the stereotypical one. If he 100% idealizes kindness, even if he doesn’t positively reinforce it, then he’s still a Hufflepuff (though he is admittedly really Slytherin too)

Kalim is self-explanatory but I did kinda consider Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. Kalim is brave to keep Jamil around even after he tried to defame him & he’s strong enough to keep a genuine smile on his face despite being betrayed & facing near death situations all his life. Now I know Kalim isn’t book smart but he has really high emotional intelligence, he knows a lot more than he lets on, as shown by some of the inquisitive things he says to others

my house :p

Crewel’s got that academically smart (alchemy must be hard) & creative mix (his passion for fashion), I feel like Sam values insight & knowledge mainly to increase sales but just valuing those things makes him a Ravenclaw, & I just put Trein in Ravenclaw because he likes history & different cultures (although he could be a Hufflepuff with his loyalty, dunno though since that’s really just him being a good husband)

Lilia could be a Hufflepuff, with his love & loyalty to the Draconia royal family, but his vast wisdom & eccentricity made me put him in Ravenclaw instead, though I am kinda hesitant about it. With Leona, I know he’d totally be a Slytherin with how cunning he is & although he’s very ambitious, he’s so lazy it’s counterproductive to his desires. But I put him in Ravenclaw because he’s actually so smart & very knowledgeable, wise even

The Shroud brothers honestly could have been in Hufflepuff with their family loyalty, but Idia’s attitude pushed him into Ravenclaw instead. He also loves delving deep into his passions & interests, using knowledge to his advantage. Same with Ortho since he’s a walking encyclopedia & also takes full advantage of his constant access to data banks & the whole internet. The Shrouds are almost like eternal, nonstop knowledge gatherers, especially with how their family literally devotes themselves to researching overblot

Rook is pretty self-explanatory with his intense curiosity & his pursuit for beauty could also be interpreted as a pursuit for diversifying one’s knowledge of the world so one could embrace all the beauty within different cultures & such. But he is also very Hufflepuff with how nice & insanely loyal he is… (so loyal to all he almost isn’t loyal….)

Jade could be a Slytherin, but I don’t think he’s as ambitious as Azul? He uses cunning much more often but otherwise, his genuine fascination with mushrooms & human life places him in Ravenclaw as at his core, Jade’s really into research & gaining more knowledge of a world on land that he was once a stranger to

I was thinking Slytherin could be a good fit for Malleus but I’m hesitant for some reason ..??

Don’t know much about Vargas’s personality & I wanted to avoid just tossing him in Gryffindor to mindlessly follow the jock=Gryffindor stereotype

I know many would put Riddle in Ravenclaw, & at surface level, I would do the same. But to be in Ravenclaw you actually have to believe knowledge is power…& Riddle doesn’t actually love constantly pursuing knowledge. Even if he thinks academics are important, he would have never been studying so diligently if it wasn’t for his mother’s influence and control over his childhood….

•°. *࿐ •°. *࿐ •°. *࿐

Where would you sort everyone?

🎄Merry Christmas everyone~

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chasseusedetoiles · 5 months ago

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he must like me for me

twisted wonderland

rookvil

first/third year rookvil

2129 words

did a little thing with them, couldn't help but imagine how Vil felt during the time Rook decided to transfer to Pomefiore, and especially how he felt seeing Rook with his new hairstyle!! I love headcanoning Vil as the one who actually gave Rook the haircut...let's see if you like this! many thanks to @oncloudatlas for beta-ing this fic and for the lovely banner!💘💘💘

english is not my first language, please remember to be kind!❤️‍🩹

and lastly, enjoy!

It happened so fast his body registered it even before his mind.

There was a sudden breeze, the window opening, and the unmistakable sound of his feet touching the ground. It didn’t matter if there were many saying his steps didn’t produce any sound, saying he resembled more a ghost than a person. Vil heard his footsteps. Vil learnt to recognize the creak sound of Rook’s worn-out boots on the marble, the dull thud of his soles on the refined carpets of Pomefiore’s dorm. Vil learnt to perceive him, maybe in a way that was solely fabricated by his mind.

He still felt Rook was there.

“I wonder if you’re some kind of an expert in the art of cutting someone’s hair.”

Rook jumped in his room passing through the window, and Vil thought on how much he was lucky, that none of his roommates were present at the moment. If the dorm discovered the presence of a Savanaclaw student between its wall, little time would have passed for the entirety of Pomefiore to cease its existence. Not that Vil cared. After all, Rook didn’t possess a single pound of the arrogance of that dorm’s members. There was no need for his dormmates to lose their minds over Rook.

Vil turned a little, abandoning his studies. If his roommates had plenty of time to adjust to magic, as their powers awakened at an early stage, Vil discovered them later. That world, for him, was completely new, and vast somehow. He struggled a bit in not falling behind, but luckily enough he didn’t have to sacrifice precious hours of sleep to study. He seemed, according to the professors, that magic came natural to him as it was breathing.

However, Vil didn’t intend to slack off because of their praises, otherwise his reputation would’ve been affected in an irreparable way.

“I’m not an expert to the point I would trust myself with my own hair” Vil started saying. He moved the chair a little to look at Rook. Even thought the colors of the Savanaclaw uniform were so bright and warm in comparison to Pomefiore’s furniture, Rook seemed to him more at ease in the dorm than Pomefiore’s student directly selected by the Dark Mirror. Rook didn’t posses a single trace of fear in his eyes. There was only pure audacity, and maybe a bit of recklessness. Could there be someone without any glimpse of fear in his heart?

“But I’m quite good at cutting other’s hair for sure.”

“Merveilleux!”

Rook got closer to him, and Vil caught him unrolling the page of a magazine hidden in his jeans’ pocket. But Vil got distracted by Rook’s scent. It was strong and stinging. Rook wasn’t really accustomed to perfumes, yet his scent seemed to mingle with the environment he immersed himself in. Rook smelled of musk, now. Of earth. Of rain. Which was bizarre, as in the campus rain wasn’t frequent. Especially in Savanaclaw. Vil came to know that the weather was controlled by a special barrier placed all around the school; rain, as snow too, was annoying to many, but the headmaster didn’t want them to forget the natural course of seasons, or something similar.

Vil would never forget that scent. Rook seemed to bathe in those perfumes who knew where, even if his dorm was known for the dry climate typical of the savanna.

Maybe it was, again, a joke of his own mind.

“How do you believe I would look with this haircut?”

Rook showed him the model’s profile printed in the page. The model’s hair was styled in a short bob, the effect simple but elegant. Near the main photo there was another one, with the haircut before the bob; the model had been completely transformed, as if he was under some kind of spell.

Vil’s eyes moved from the magazine to Rook, his mind trying to capture how the young man would’ve looked like with the new style.

How unfortunate, he caught himself thinking. Vil had, at least, the decency to not speaking his mind out loud. Rook’s hair was a disaster, burnt because of the sun and the lack of care. This didn’t mean his hair was ugly, though. Rook’s hair was the color of the mature wheat, of the sun; it exuded warmth and strength together, even though everything appeared to the eye as a messy nest made by a distracted bird. Vil didn’t have any doubt; with the right care, Rook’s hair would’ve shined more than a diamond.

So, when Rook had proposed the new cut to him, Vil couldn’t help but thinking it.

How unfortunate.

Thinking it, not saying it out loud. Not allowing his thoughts to gain a voice.

“I believe it would work fine” Vil found himself answering, in a cautious tone. Not to ruin Rook’s excitement, no. It seemed it was more to handle himself, actually.

“But it’s a very radical change. Are you sure?”

Rook was about to start jumping from joy. It was as if Vil’s next words missed his mind completely. Rook focused on his approval only, and Vil didn’t quite grasp why that excitement of Rook made him feel uncomfortable. He thought…no, it wasn’t a matter of importance. Vil silenced those words in his head, and came back to Rook.

“However, we will need a private space for the haircut. I can’t do it here, nor we can’t in your dorm. Only the Seven know how those beasts of your dormmates would react. I’m going to book the alchemy lab. You’re kindly requested to not being late.”

But he didn’t even have time to finish his sentences that Rook already vanished from the window, the door opening only to reveal one his roommates coming in. In the place once stood Rook, there was now a freshly picked rose. Vil collected the flower before someone could see it.

Professor Crewel was always delighted to leave the laboratory in the hand of a capable Pomefiore student, but he seemed even more pleased if Vil was the one asking for it. If that was for Vil’s reputation as a model or for his brilliant talent in alchemy, the boy couldn’t tell. He didn’t even care about it, actually. Vil only wanted to find a place to complete his task without interruptions.

Now, Rook sat diligently in front of a mirror, waiting patiently for Vil to start his work. They left the magazine’s photo on a stand so Vil could check it whenever he needed to.

Vil felt agitated, but he knew he needed to calm himself, or Rook would’ve noticed it. Rook would notice his tension, that indecision of his, as if it was Vil the one under the scissors’ razors, and not Rook that was happy enough to sing a little tune.

“Why this decision so suddenly?” Vil asked in order to distract himself, to cover the sound of the scissors cutting the first lock. A bunch of frizzy hair fell to the ground, and Vil was almost scared to look at it. Why was he behaving in a such odd manner?

“Is it perhaps related to that scrappy idea of yours to change dorm?”

Rook talked about it to Vil before winter break. It had been a surreal conversation, ended in Rook filling the air with his laugh.

Wouldn’t you love to have me as one of your dormmates? he asked with eyes shining fearless, eyes who belonged to someone who knew what he wanted, who knew how to obtain it even if it meant fighting an ancient magical artifact like the Dark Mirror.

No, Vil had answered, perplexed by Rook’s idea of following him in Pomefiore.

Rook then laughed, laughed against Vil’s eyes becoming more confuse, lost. For what reason you want to transfer to Pomefiore? Vil tormented himself with that question day and night long. You won’t like being too much near me.

That, he had never said it. Vil didn’t dare giving that thought a voice not even in his own dreams. Rook was the first person after a long time with whom created a sort of bond, if their talking, looking out for each other could’ve been defined like that. Rook was the first peer that didn’t stutter in his own words while talking to him, or that didn’t look at him with haughtiness, as if to protect himself from a light Vil was unable to see.

Damn, even Pomefiore prefect seemed uneasy every time Vil talked to him. Rook had never had any problems with him.

But they knew each other so little-Vil didn’t know every thing about Rook, and Rook didn’t know every thing about Vil- and Vil thought, subconsciously, that it was supposed to be like that, to stay like that. That if Rook would dare to get too much closer to Vil, he would’ve discovered Vil’s light was actually an enormous expanse of darkness. Vil felt uncomfortable because Rook’s unpredictability made him uncomfortable. In a world where he managed to contain himself and his emotions, Rook made him derail from his tracks without leaving Vil the time to collect himself again.

“That is not the only reason, I must admit it” that was Rook’s answer. The young man lowered his head without protesting when Vil pushed it abruptly.

“I believe I need a change of style. To hunt better, to enjoy the landscape during my walks, to change dorm. For myself.”

“For yourself” Vil echoed, perplexed. He doubted Rook was doing it solely for himself, but decided to not stress it.

“I honestly fail to imagine how my prefect would react” Vil kept going, in that plan of his to make Rook desist on his transfer. The headmaster, despite the initial shock, gave his approval, and Savanaclaw seemed ready to launch a party anytime soon after the news. Vil was left alone in that battle of persuading Rook to simply give up. To let Rook know that Vil wasn’t very enthusiastic about his transfer.

However, Rook was able to read Vil’s heart more than Vil was.

“These are not problems that concern me” Rook commented with eyes closed as Vil was fixing his bangs. They would turn out shorter than they were in the magazine, but time would’ve helped in letting them grow at the wanted length.

“They’re gonna hate you a lot” Vil kept saying.

You’re gonna hate me a lot, were the words stuck in his throat.

“I’ll survive” Rook laughed. For a brief moment, Vil felt that the sound of the scissors stopped burdening his heart.

-third year

A lot of time had passed since the day Vil fixed Rook’s hair. His overblot, then S.T.Y.X., and then again the Malleus’s thing got in between their ritual, and Vil felt the desperate need to resume that. Vil cancelled the club’s activities -it was a Friday, and the weather was nice enough to organize a little trip to the beach- and then called Rook in his own room to have him all for himself.

Rook now sat in front of his desk mirror, with Vil checking for the haircut to turn out correctly.

From the balcony they came sounds of birds chipping, and the soft warmth of summer approaching.

“If we continue like that, you won’t be able to see a thing” Vil said. Rook kept himself still under Vil’s expert movements in the bangs fixing. They were now so long they passed the line of Rook’s eyebrows.

Rook cared about his hair.

Rook cared in particular about that cut, but in the last months they let theirselves go a bit too much, and that was now the time to react.

When Vil finished his work, they stared at each other from the mirror.

He reminisced the first time he saw Rook’s face becoming so light because of the new haircut. It had been a strange feeling. Rook had always been beautiful, but something, in Vil, suggested him that was wrong, that Rook wasn’t the one he came to know in a bench near Sam’s store. Now, the mirror reflection returned to him an image of Rook Vil learnt to know, to love. An image of Rook that belonged to him, to his daily life like the sound of Rook’s light footsteps, or the sound of his kisses.

Vil dived his face in Rook’s hair, and hugged Rook from behind.

“Mon amour” Rook laughed, clinging to his hands.

“Is everything okay?”

Vil found himself slowly nodding, breathing in the scent of Rook’s hair, of Rook. He still smelled of musk, earth, and rain. How did he do without using perfumes was still a mystery to Vil. Perhaps, Vil simply associated those scents to Rook.

“Can we stay like this a little bit longer?” Vil asked. Maybe it was stupid, but he didn’t want to move. Not from that nice place, not from that hold, not from his room in where Rook sat on a stool and looked at him with a gentle smile.

The emerald eyes looking at him were the same of that day.

“As long as you wish, my beautiful Vil.”

Those eyes had always loved him.

#twisted wonderland #twst fanfic #rookvil #rook hunt #vil schoenheit #rook x vil #first year rookvil #savanaclaw rook #my:writing #a bit of vil with his non existent self-esteem #rookvil being in love is so dear to me #BUT LOOK AT THE LOVELY BANNER MY WIFE MADE FOR ME!!!#CRYING SCREAMING THROWING UP #my art wouldn't exist without her

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queensharotto · 1 year ago

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So I was doing some digging to see if I could find any banners or icons I previously worked on, and I found these TWST Dorm Leader banners that I made wwwwaaaaayyyy back in 2020, back when I was still getting the hang of Bazaart.

If you guys want to use them, uh… feel free to do so, cuz they’re old but I might revisit these in the future

#heartslabyul #riddle rosehearts #savanaclaw #leona kingscholar #octavinelle #azul ashengrotto #scarabia #kalim al asim #pomefiore #vil schoenheit #ignihyde #idia shroud #diasomnia #malleus draconia #grim twisted wonderland #ramshackle dorm #disney twisted wonderland #my banners

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evvlogetarian · 1 year ago

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Port Jack came home I can rest easy

#.twist #.personal rambles #Incase u couldnt tell Jack is my fave Savanaclaw boy...#I also got Port Ruggie which is cool ig then that means next week when Book 2 releases I can have ALL of the Port cards...just need Rook #However no more banners bc I need to save my keys + gems for masquerade malleus B)

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 2 months ago

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dec 2024 jp schedule

Early December

📕🌅 Book 7 Part 11 update! This will focus on Savanaclaw and will come with a limited time (no vignettes) SSR banner. 🏫🐆 Ivory Cliff Uniform Ruggie.

👨‍🍳 Master Chef reruns! 🫘🐬🦇 Jade/Lilia (beans) and 🐟♠️🐍 Deuce/Jamil (fish-themed) will rerun, ~1 week long each.

🎂🏹 Rook Birthday Campaign! He will get his Relax in Room SSR, as well as his banner that combines his first three birthday cards (Birthday Boy, Union Birthday, and Broom Bloom) into the same pool.

📕🃏 Book 7 Part 12 update! This will focus on Heartslabyul and will come with a limited time (no vignettes) SSR banner, 🔶👑 Trick King Jacket Cater!

Mid December

🌅 Tamashina Mina Rerun! The 🌇🦁 Kingly Garb SSR Leona and☀️ SR Kalim banner shall return. Play through the event to get a free 🦇SR Lilia and a 👑 R Vil. New to this rerun is ♠️ SSR Deuce in the event's costume.

❄️🎁 Holiday Winter Campaign!

🎂💀 Idia Birthday Campaign! He will get his Relax in Room SSR, as well as his banner that combines his first three birthday cards (Birthday Boy, Union Birthday, and Broom Bloom) into the same pool.

Late December

Nothing listed!

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twiwoncrackpopcorn · 9 months ago

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ツイステ Twisted Wonderland SPOILERS - Rook Hunt SSR “Savanaclaw Dorm” for the new part of Arc.7

Balance Card, DUO with Vil ;

this is an Event Card, only guaranteed at the 200th-pull (there are other SSRs in the banner) ;

this is an Outfit-only Card with no Personal Story, but there will be a Groooovy CG + you will get exclusive GuestRoom Furniture when leveling up his Episode/Vignette ;

#ツイステ #twisted wonderland #twst spoilers #twst rook #twst rook Savanaclaw #twst card info

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thehollowwriter · 2 months ago

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Summary: Slaving away in the bowels of Octavinelle as an anenome, Ace finds himself desperate to find a way out of his mess. Being put under the watch of a quiet Octavinelle second year thrusts an opportunity at Ace. Ace decides that, yes, Finn Clearcove would definitely be a help in this situation. It goes about as well as expected. (It does have a part 2, but I'll see how well this goes before rewriting that XD)

This is a rewrite of my first ever Finn fic, over a full year later. Please stick around to the end, I've got some special words for ya'll. (Here's the original, but pls don't look DON'T LOOK it's embarrassing/hj) Art for banner by @authoruio

Warnings: Swearing, forced labour, mentions of blood, that's about it Word count: 5239

(Pls reblog and leave a comment ❤️)

Anenome-Free Gaurauntee! (Hopefully)

Ace Trappola had fucked up. Now, this may seem unsurprising to most. Ace could never keep himself out of trouble. Whether it be running his mouth mouth or acting brashly, his actions often landed him in hot water.

This time, though, Ace had really fucked up.

The ghastly purple and blue anenome protruding from his head like some vile fungus was the bane of his existence. Not only did it look ridiculous and showcase his failures to anyone with a pair of eyes, but it turned him into a living puppet that bastard Azul could pull and contort as he pleased.

Ace was so confident when he made that contract. He never once thought he'd be kissing his freedom goodbye when he scrawled his signature onto that damning page.

Ugh, if only he'd known how many other poor souls had also made contracts and that he wouldn't have a chance. Maybe then he wouldn't be in this mess.

"Or maybe you wouldn't be in this mess if you didn't make a contract at all and asked Riddle for help or something." Yuu had said pointedly, and Ace could only groan in frustration and regret.

Now, Ace was standing in the VIP room in front of Azul's polished and tidy desk, wondering why he had been called here.

He didn't do anything wrong, did he? Floyd wasn't going to squeeze him again, was he? Oh no, anything but that, his ribs still hurt from last time-

"Don't look so terrified," Azul said, his smooth, suave voice laced with amusement. "You haven't done anything wrong. This time. But you're cutting it awfully close. I decided it would be best that I be generous and warn you that you're riding a fine line, Trappola. Your next punishment will be much harsher if you continue fighting against paying your dues. You're almost worse than the Savanaclaw anenomes."

There was a brief silence, and Ace quickly nodded, his gut tightening as he wondered what could possibly be even harsher than what was already dished out.

Azul checked his watch. "Your break ends soon. You best get going. But while I have you here, I'll let you know we're holding an event to commemorate the sports tournaments this weekend. Further details will be announced in time, but Floyd will be playing for the second year's, and Jade will be working front of house. You," Azul pointed at Ace with his cane. "Will be in the back because I can not have your abysmal attitude ruining the experience for the guests."

"Wait," Ace spluttered. "I have basketball games on the weekend too, I can't-"

"Your games are midmorning." Azul interrupted calmly. "You can work in the afternoons and evenings."

"But I'll be exhasuted-"

"Then you're lucky to be working in the kitchens and not running around for customers. Aren't I just so benevolent?" Azul's smile was stupidly smug as he spoke. "Of course, you will need someone watching you and the others while Jade and Floyd are absent. Hmm, I think Finn should be up to the task. He can keep you all in check."

"Who?" Ace blurted. Finn? Who was Finn? The name was vaguely familiar, but there were so many students in Night Raven that it could be anybody.

"Finn Clearcove. One of my second years."

As Ace eyed Azul wearily, that feeling of recognition sparked again.

Finn Clearcove. He'd heard that name before. When did-

Ah. Ace remembered now. When he and the others were helping Yuu and Grim investigate the strange freak accidents orchestrated by Savanaclaw, Finn was one of the students on their list of possible targets.

They found him in the library, reading silently in a dark corner. Ace almost couldn't believe that such a tiny, though definitely not light, guy was on their list at all. Sure, the dorm leader was small too, but he carried himself in a way that demanded respect and let you know he was powerful. This guy didn't give that vibe at all.

Their attempts at talking to Finn failed drastically as Finn's piercing eyes stared right through them, and he told them into to leave in a way that hinted at consequences if they did not listen.

Ace didn't really think about Finn after that. Finn wasn't scary, and he didn't do or say anything particularly striking, like the twins or Jack did.

Now, though, Ace's mind was running a mile a minute, trying to scrape up any other memories of Finn that may have been buried under other things weighing on his mind. Nothing.

What was Finn like? Was he as bad as the twins? Did he also relish in people's suffering? Did he play around with the emotions of others, too? ...Did he need a stepstool when getting stuff from a shelf?

Ace was drowning in these thoughts even as Azul ushered him out of the VIP room and back to work, forcing him to slave away under the watchful eyes of the twins until the skies turned dark.

Ace collapsed into bed, exhausted and woke up sluggish and filled with dread. Although he was confident in his skills, the damn anenome prevented him from practising when he wanted and left him tired and grumpy even when he did have time.

Unsurprisingly, this affected his gameplay. Cut to the aftermath of that morning's game and...they lost horribly. Sure, NRC lost a lot anyways, but even as Ace wiped sweat from his forehead and chugged down water, his heart was pounding in a mix of exertion and fury at the fact that the damn anenome made this loss worse than it ever could have been.

He made so many dumb mistakes. Mistakes a beginner would make! It pissed him off and embarrassed him to no end. And that wasn't even covering the fact that the stupid thing sticking out of his head was visible for all to see! They kept pointing and laughing at it!

Ace's mood was sour, and a storm cloud might as well have spawned above his head as he got changed and stomped to Mostro Lounge.

Somehow, Ace's heart managed to sink further when he saw just how many people were there. Not just students but families who came to watch the games. Parents, siblings, extended family, the whole place was packed to the brim.

When Ace arrived at the kitchen doors, Azul and Finn were already there, quietly conversing with each other.

Ace couldn't hear what they were saying, but he wouldn't have cared anyway because he was too busy biting back a snort at the sight of Finn. The guy was even smaller than Ace remembered, probably shorter than Epel.

Finn's face was set in a blank, unreadable expression as he quietly listened to what Azul was saying and occasionally murmured a reply. The conversation came to an end when Azul caught sight of Ace and that enraging smile spread onto his face.

"Ah, Ace, I see you're on time for once. Good." He said. "Finn, this is Ace Trappola. You'll need to keep an extra eye on him today and tomorrow, I'm afraid."

Finn nodded but didn't say anything in reply. He gazed silently at Ace with bright, light purple eyes that would make one think of an amethyst stone.

Ace met Finn's gaze and was suddenly overcome with such an overwhelming feeling of dread it startled him.

Azul must have noticed because he smirked and said, "I'm sure you'll behave, Ace." And left.

Ace didn't answer, still locked in some kind of weird staring contest with this tiny second year.

Finn suddenly turned and motioned for Ace to come inside the kitchens, where the other anenomes had already started working; preparing ingredients, cooking, washing dishes, and more.

Finn pulled a kitchen uniform from the small rack near the entrance and began putting it on, then pointed to where a Pomefiore student was frantically washing an ever growing pile of dishes consisting of both kitchen equipment and dishes from the Lounge itself.

"You're on dish duty, Mister Trappola." He said, and Ace realised this was the first time he'd ever heard him speak since the library encounter. His voice was so soft that Ace almost didn't hear it, but it was firm and commanding all the same. Sharp teeth just barely poked out from his lips. Was he like the twins?

Ace nodded and forced a smile, goosebumps rippling across the skin as he looked back at Finn. When he looked away to go and start on the dishes, the feeling of dread vanished.

Ace looked back at Finn. He caught his eyes, and while Finn gestured at him to get to work and feeling returned. Ace looked back to the dishes. The feeling vanished again.

Ace frowned. Weird.

"Get moving, Trappola!" Finn, well, it was too quiet to classify as a shout, so... called. He called, and Ace hurried to work.

Ace hated dish duty. There was always more than he could keep up with, but he didn't want anything to slip out of his hands and break, so he had to take it slower than he wanted. He was always hurried and run ragged, and then those damn twins would tell him he "missed a few spots" and make him do it all again.

Ace much preferred working front of the house, charming customers, and carrying drinks and food to and fro.

Well, at least he could see the rest of the kitchen from here since his station was at the back and out of the way. Ace found himself focusing on Finn.

For someone with such chubby fingers, Finn was nimble and efficient with knives. He wielded them with an ease and familiarity that only came from years of experience.

Though Finn was small and soft-spoken, the anenomes and other staff listened to him whenever he gave those quiet but firm commands.

Some anenomes were stubborn, but Finn's withering stare got them to shut right up. If they continued to resist, well, a harsh tug on the blue and purple monstrosities on their heads was enough pain to get them in line.

Ace wondered if he missed something because, sense of dread aside, Finn was pretty hard to take seriously with the way he strained his neck to look someone in the eyes and how he needed a step stool to grab anything a bit far off the ground and the way the buttons of his uniform seemed ready to snap right off with the way it strained against his middle.

When break came around, Ace was ready to bolt and embrace his brief moment of respite when he realised the room wasn't completely empty.

Finn remained alone in the kitchen and busied himself with making two cups of tea and a small snack.

"Pretty sure we aren't allowed to do that." Ace commented. "We have to bring our own stuff. Azul's gonna take that out of your pay, you know."

There was a long stretch of silence before Finn quietly said; "It's for Jade and Azul."

Ace furrowed his brows. "Why? Are you like their assistant or something?"

Finn didn't reply. Ace decided to take that as either a yes or a maybe. He watched Finn disappear into the VIP room, where he didn't come out until the very end of the break.

When Finn returned to start prepping for the next slew of orders, Ace found himself paying a little closer attention to him and his appearance.

Well, he didn't see anything new at first. Just the same details as before. Finn was very short, very chubby, and had curly green hair pulled back into a painfully tight bun. His eyes were like shining lilac amethyst gemstones, the colour only accentuated by the... dark circles under them.

Huh. Ace didn't notice that before. Now that he really looked, though, Finn looked really exhausted. He didn't really show it in his actions or voice, but it was prominent in his eyes.

"Work, Trappola." Finn hissed, and Ace nearly jumped out of skin. How had Finn noticed? Nevermind, he had to get to work before he got in trouble.

The rest of the night went by surpsingly quickly, the pace becoming calmer as the number of customers dwindled and the sky darkened.

At 9pm, Mostro Lounge closed its doors to customers. At 11pm, Ace was finally allowed to leave now that every bit of cutlery, crockery, and cooking utensils were cleaned and packed away, and the work surfaces and tables were wiped down, and the floor was swept and mopped until the place was sparkling clean.

Ace was the last anenome to leave, exhaustion from his game and full day of working slowing him down.

However, before he left, Ace paused at the doors when he realised Finn was still there, bringing tea to the VIP room.

"You do know that Azul's not gonna pay you overtime or give you special treatment for doing all that, right?" He called. "Your shift's over."

Finn stopped walking and glanced at Ace, his usually deadpan face crinkling to form an irritated expression. "We don't tolerate loitering, Mister Trappola. Leave."

Ace felt a sudden spike of pain at the base of his anenome and laughed nervously. "Hah, right. Yeah, I'll go. You keep doing... whatever you're trying to do." He said, backing away and out of the Lounge.

When he was out of sight, Ace heard the door to the VIP room open and close.

Just how long was Finn going to be in there this time? What was he doing in there? It didn't take an entire half-hour break to give someone tea.

...Well, going out of your way to make someone tea when you aren't obligated to is pretty nice.

Ace sighed. Poor Finn. If he wasn't an assistant or trying to gain something like Ace first thought, and instead acting out of the kindness of his heart or whatever, then the shortstack was in for a nasty surprise. Azul would take full advantage of someone like that.

The next day was Finn's second and last day of watching over Ace and the other anenomes. It passed by without incident, more or less the same as the previous one.

After Finn's time there ended, and things returned to normal, Ace found himself paying attention to his presence anytime he noticed him.

He wasn't too sure why. Maybe it was that sense of dread. It did pique Ace's curiosity. He's never experienced something like that. Maybe it was Finn's unusual dedication to the finely dressed tyrants that made Ace's life hell.

Whatever the reason, Ace's observations carried on enough for him to recognise Finn had a routine that repeated day in and day out, a routine that he rarely broke from.

Finn was always at the lounge early, before any of the other staff or anenomes arrived, either talking to Azul and the twins or beginning prep for the upcoming shift.

He worked quietly and efficiently at the bar, which seemed to be his usual workstation (how had Ace not noticed him before?), methodically mixing drinks and avoiding people's eyes. He rarely spoke aside from a passing word or two to customers and co-workers.

In his brief moments of respite, when he had nothing to make, Finn would close his eyes and listen to the live band always performing at Mostro Lounge, or gaze out the large glass wall into the sea of vibrant corals and fish with a tired, melancholy expression. Or at least, that's what Ace guessed it was, Finn's face still looked more or less the same as always.

When Finn's break came around, he would busy himself with making tea (the number of cups depended on if either of the twins were there or not), then disappear into the VIP room until his break ended.

And that wasn't all. Even when Finn didn't have a shift, Ace would occasionally spot him around. Most of his time would be spent in the VIP room if he did show up, unless there was a "client" seeing Azul.

When he left, sometimes his clothes would look just a bit ruffled, and other times, his face would look just a little pink. Weird.

Ace wouldn't dream of giving a fraction more of his time to those bastards outside of what he was forced to give. He couldn't imagine willingly going in there in his free time (that is, if Finn was willing at all), but it seemed Finn didn't stop there.

Sometimes, but very rarely, Ace would catch sight of Finn having lunch with Azul and the terror twins at the cafeteria. His plate would be piled high with food, and he'd quietly eat while the other three spoke.

Finn would join in from time to time, but he only really seemed to say a word or two. Sometimes, he'd even laugh. At least Ace assumed that's what it was, if Finn covering his mouth with his hand as his shoulders shook slightly and his eyes crinkled was anything to go by. Ace wondered what they were talking about.

It was... weird. Watching Finn. Ace couldn't for the life of him figure out if Finn was a secret addition to Octavinelle's infamous trio, or some poor soul somehow forced into the role of assistant or secretary and made to follow them around.

"Is Finn... always around those three?" Ace asked another Octavinelle student during his break, gazing at the firmly shut door to the VIP room. He wasn't a creep, he wasn't going around following Finn everywhere he went! He barely knew anything about him!

The third year he was talking to shrugged. "Not always. But Finn's been hovering around them since they arrived together in their first year. No idea what he could want with them, nor do I care.. He's a weird little creep that keeps to himself, and I'm happy with that as long as he doesn't come near me."

Ace glanced back at them to ask another question but stopped when he saw them holding their hand out expectantly.

Ace growled a curse word and dug through his pockets to slap a few madol in their hand. He didn't say anything, though. It was on him for asking something from an Octavinelle student. However, he didn't entirely regret it.

Finn Clearcove was definitely... close to Azul, Jade, and Floyd in some weird way. Ace wouldn't go so far as to say they're friends, but they weren't simply strangers or acquaintances either. Ace knew Azul would rather die than let just anyone enter the VIP room as they please. There were also a few occasions when Ace witnessed Finn sway Azul's opinion in one way or another or convince him to do something.

However, Ace swore he saw Finn with Azul's study guide once. He would have thought Finn was actually an anenome too, but the second year was very much lacking the presence of an anenome on his head.

The best guess Ace could venture was that Finn worked for those three, running around like a personal assistant making tea and everything, and being run so ragged he had eyebags.

Ace mulled over all he had learned, and then, well, an idea began to form. Would it work? He had absolutely no idea. Probably not. But it was worth a shot to get out of this hell.

Trying to convince Finn to help get rid of the anenome shouldn't end too badly... right?

***

After another gruelling half shifted at Mostro Lounge, Ace sacrificed the momentary relief that was his break to instead stop Finn before he could leave with his teatray to enter the VIP room.

Finn was busy fixing a pot of tea as always when Ace came into the kitchen.

"Hey, Finn!" Ace said, coming over to stand next to him. Finn didn't reply, simply busying himself with placing the teapot onto the silver serving tray with the teacups and their matching saucers and the milk and the sugar.

Ace frowned.

"Finn! Hello, I want to talk to you!"

Finn continued to ignore him. Ace reached out to tap his shoulder, but what whatever he was going to do or say next was interrupted by Finn suddenly grabbing his hand and wrenching it back before he could even react.

Finn clutched his wrist so tight it hurt. Ace yelped and tried to pull back, but the older boy's grasp was far stronger than expected.

Finn's eyes seemed to pierce right through him, and that horrible sense of dread came crashing down on him once more.

Ace paled. One of the reasons for Finn's placement on the list of Savanaclaw's potential targets sprang forth, finally clambering free from its place buried underneath other memories.

"He has a knack for spotting weakness."

"Mister Trappola," Finn said slowly. He didn't loosen his hold. His knuckles started turning white. "I'm busy. What do you want?"

"I, uh-" Ace swallowed before continuing, deciding his freedom was worth the shortstack's wrath. "I wanted to- to ask if you could do something for me."

Finn's expression didn't change, but there was a brief flicker of interest in those creepy, iridescent eyes. "If you want something, Azul-"

"No!" Ace snapped. Then he took a deep breath and continued again. "No. Stop with the Azul advertising! Please? I want a favour from you, Finn."

For a good few minutes, there was no reply. Ace would say Finn was in a state of disbelief, but it was impossible to tell.

Finally, Finn raised an eyebrow and looked Ace up and down, then said; "Is that so?" In a tone that almost made Ace take his words back. "Well, what do you want, then? I want to leave while the tea's still hot."

To emphasise his point, Finn gently tapped on the teapot with his pointer finger.

"Uh, right. So, you and Azul seem to hang around each other an awful lot. He must trust you quite a bit, right?" Ace said quickly, silently cursing at himself as every single word came out the entirely wrong way than intended. "Well, I mean, of course he must, you're always in that VIP roon of his and- and you've changed his mind about a few things more than once. That's quite impressive, right? A guy like him doesn't seem interested in what other people have to say, unless-"

"Get on with it, Trappola." Finn interrupted, his soft voice cutting clean through Ace's own much louder one somehow.

"Right, sorry. What I'm saying is, you and Azul have some weird situation going on, and I won't pretend to understand it at all, but I do understand enough to ask that perhaps you would have mercy on this poor freshman and convince the boss man to get rid of this anenome early..?"

Finn blinked at him, and for once, Ace could actually read his expression. Disbelief. 'Better than anger, I guess..?'

"You want me to... what?"

"Get rid of this anenome!" Ace repeated, a little louder. "I can't stand being a puppet! I want this damn thing off my head! Look, I'll even help you get out from under Azul's thumb yourself in return, just please get it off!"

Finn crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Ace, contemplating his words. Something... shifted in his eyes, though Ace couldn't really describe what it was.

On the inside, Finn wanted to laugh. He didn't know Ace all that well. Their interactions were few, and conversations, fewer. He didn't like Ace and didn't care to spend much more time around him than he needed to.

Now, though... now, he had an interesting opportunity presented to him, an opportunity in the form of an overworked and desperate freshman who did not seem to understand that the person he was talking to was not some sucker contorted to Azul's whims.

"Fine. I'll humour you. You want me to question my own housewarden for you, then? Me, not even the vice housewarden, asking Azul Ashengrotto to free a stubborn little first year from the terms of his own contract? The 'payment' you just offered me?" Finn made a noise that sounded far too much like a haughty scoff for Ace's liking. "That is bottom of the barrel scrap. For what you want me to do, I just might take your services for myself."

"I can do that!" Ace squawked, trying and failing not to sound as desperate as he felt. "As long as I'm not slaving away for that guy, I don't care!"

Finn regarded him with a bemused expression.

"And why would I want that?" He asked. "You slack off and put up a fight, Mister Trappola. Why would I agree to this when I could make the same deal with someone more obedient?"

"I- Well, I- I'll listen to you!'

Finn cocked his head to the side. "Can you prove it?"

"Yeah! If you just give me a chance, then I'll-"

"A trial period, then?" Finn asked, humming thoughtfully as Ace frantically nodded his head. "That's not a bad idea. How about this. I'll give you, ah, about a month. Do what I ask of you, and if you behave and meet my expectations, we'll negotiate further terms from there, and I'll see if I can convince Azul to release you. Deal?"

"D- wait. Do I have to do all that on top of my work as an anenome?"

Ah, so he wasn't that stupid, then. Finn hummed. "Yes. I won't be unreasonable, but you will be giving up more of your free time. Of course, whether it's something worth giving up is up to you."

Ace went quiet, quite an unusual thing for someone like him, as he pondered his options. Although Yuu was confident they could somehow find a way to get rid of the anenome, Ace wasn't too sure. He certainly couldn't get rid of it himself, and Jade and Floyd weren't going to help him unless a miracle happened.

The other anenomes and Octavinelle students didn't want to risk coming under fire, and his own dorm leader was a bit too enthusiastic at the idea of him suffering the consequences of his actions. The professors seemed uninterested in doing anything about Azul at all.

That just left... Finn. Ace could either A. Slave away until Azul completed his education at Night Raven, losing sleep and energy and the will to live, or B. Slave away while also doing things for Finn for one month, and if he impressed Finn enough then maybel he'd have a chance of losing his anenome and just doing stuff for Finn, who was quite notably not running an entire cafe, instead. Ace much preferred those odds, slim as they were.

Ace looked back at Finn, wincing at those piercing eyes, and nodded. "Deal."

There was a brief pause, and Ace became painfully aware of the fact that Finn still hadn't let him go.

"Uh-" Ace pulled, though it was futile against Finn's iron grip. "You can let me go now-"

Finn tightened his hold and pulled Ace down so they were eye level. "We're not leaving it at that, Mister Trappola." He hissed. "Hold still."

Ace couldn't bite down the shriek of surpise and mild pain that left him as Finn's free hand scratched at his skin with nails that seemed a little longer than they were before. A tiny droplet of blood bloomed on the surface of his skin, red against peach.

"Ow, what the hell-"

"Shut up." Finn growled. He swiped the droplet away with his pointer finger so that it stained his own skin. Then, he began to... well, Ace wasn't too sure what it was doing, but it looked like he was drawing a picture in the air.

Ace opened his mouth to ask Finn what the hell he was doing, but his mouth clicked shut as sparks of scarlet began to appear before his very eyes.

Ace watched in silent awe as Finn began to draw a circle of scarlet around the spot where he gripped Ace's wrist, then drew some weird symbols Ace couldn't recognise inside that circle

The pentragram-sigil-glyph-thing?- hovered like that, quivering. It made Ace feel a bit nauseous just looking at it.

Finn murmured something too quiet for Ace to hear, and the cursed circle thing pulsed, then disappeared.

"What..." Ace almost couldn't find his words for a moment. When Finn finally released his grip, the card soldier cradled his aching wrist . "What the hell was that?! That's no magic I've ever seen!"

"That," Finn said slowly, feeling the side of the teapot and frowning. "Is a binding. To ensure you keep your word. I don't make contracts like Azul."

"Is that some kind of second year spell I haven't heard about?" Ace's mouth was moving almost immediately. "Ugh, I knew my brother was hiding some cool kooky stuff from me-"

"No." Finn's curt response stopped Ace short and blinked at Finn.

"No?"

"No." Finn repeated. "You won't learn that here."

"Where did you learn that, then?"

Finn said nothing, and Ace, upon realising he wouldn't be getting a response, instead asked, "What does that do, exactly?"

"I just told you, it ensures you keep your word," Finn replied, tapping his pen against the teapot to reheat the now lukewarm water.

Ace furrowed his brows, tracing over the bruises Finn left on his poor wrist, red slowly turning purplish.

"What happens if... if I don't?"

Finn put his pen away and tilted his head at Ace. Then, he smiled. His teeth, still not fully visible to Ace, gleamed in the light. It was an... unnerving sight. Ace wasn't sure if he had ever seen Finn smile before. If this was his smiles really looked like then, well, he understood why.

"I don't think it'll come to that." Finn said softly. "But if it does... you'll be wishing you never spoke to me at all. Now, off you go. You've wasted enough of my time."

Ace hesitated for a moment, but the dull aching of his wrist was a good reminder to listen. He scrambled for the door, mumbling his goodbyes, and vanished into the fray of staff and customers beyond the kitchen.

He leaned against the wall in one of the furthest corners of the lounge, panting a little from his run. As he tried to calm down and tried to collect himself for the next shift that was bound to start soon, he wondered if he had perhaps made a mistake of some kind.

Unbeknownst to Ace, Azul Ashengrotto was leaning against the doors to the kitchen, smiling at Finn with that sharp smile only Azul was capable of.

"When I noticed you hadn't come, I didn't expect to find you terrorising poor Ace." He said without a hint of sympathy. "What a magnificent display, Finn. I didn't realise you finally got that binding spell right."

Finn laughed. "Hah, no. That's far too advanced for me. Papa's helped best he can, but I'm not quite there yet. Doesn't matter, though, Mister Trappola seems quite convinced it's real, and that's good enough for me. Besides, it wasn't all for show."

Finn held up the hand he'd been grasping Ace with, a large smile spreading onto his face and displaying all his teeth to his unflinching housewarden and... partner.

"I have a new voice now."

-End

...........................................

Super Special Author's Note: Over a year ago, on November 14th 2023, I wrote a story for my twst oc Finn. That's nothing too surprising, I like to write stories for my characters, after all. What did surprise me was how it all snowballed into where I am today, with so many wonderful moots and friends I never thought I'd meet, as well as their wonderful ocs I never thought I'd get to know.

It's been a pleasure to interact and draw and write with everybody, and I hope we're able to do all the more in the next coming year. Thank you everybody for caring so much about my skrunklies and getting to know me. You all mean so much to me.

Quinn <3

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