#twisted wonderland book 7 part 4 spoilers

[egophiliac]

I'm trying to avoid getting spoiled so I haven't looked up what's happening in the Jp server's main story, but for my own sanity I need to ask; is the story at a point where we know whether Lilia will get better/survive his almost-empty magic reserves..? Was it a true death flag from the start or only a plot device for malleus' overblot....?

not yet! I do think they're going to get back to it eventually, but -- keeping it as low spoilers as possible -- there's been...let's just say a LOT going on in the meantime.

enjoy 7-6!!! :)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

octavinelle’s “happy endings”

***SPOILER WARNING: This post will go into detail about the dreams Azul, Jade, and Floyd experience in the book 7 part 10 update.***

OKAY, so there’s a debate in the TWST fandom about whether or not Azul and the twins consider each other “real” friends or just business partners. I’ve shared my own thoughts on this topic in the past (which you can read here!). After the most recent main story update, it’s now more clear to me than ever that they do treasure each other even if they don’t express that in traditional ways.

Let’s discuss them in order that they appear in book 7 part 10!! I know there’s some vagueness surrounding how much of the dream is Malleus actively controlling the scenarios (hence the limited and shallow scope of them) and how much the dreams actively pull from the innate desires of the dreamer, but for the sake of the argument let’s assume the latter is more influential in shaping and structure of the dreams.

First up, Floyd!

So Floyd is known as the “I do what I want when I feel like it” guy. He hates two main things: 1) being told what to do/having his freedom restrained and 2) being bored. To ensure that Floyd is happy, the dream consistently shifts to locations so he vanishes explore and experience new things.

What you might notice is that Azul and Jade aren’t around in Floyd’s dream. This doesn’t mean they don’t exist or that Floyd doesn’t know who they are though. When asked, Floyd replies that Azul is simply doing his own thing (focusing on his business ventures/schemes) and Jade is there supporting him, thus leaving Floyd to his own devices. The fact that Jade and Azul are still present in Floyd’s dream, just not in an immediate capacity, makes complete sense.

In the waking world, Floyd loves to stir up trouble with his brother and Azul. The thing is, Floyd also dislikes it when they tell him off, order him to do something he’s not in the mood for, or punish him for acting out. Yes, Jade for the most part enables Floyd to misbehave, and yes, Azul has largely learned by now that it’s best to sit back and let Floyd fuck off/finish throwing a tantrum rather than intervene. However, there are still times when they order Floyd around or get upset with him. For example, Azul scolds Floyd for damaging the vault where they keep the contracts in book 3 and for not selling the drinks he’s supposed to in book 5. We see numerous examples across vignettes as well: Jade forces Floyd to stand in line at a famous patisserie for Trey as penance for eating special fruits meant for a VIP client (Trey Labwear vignettes), Azul and Jade wring Floyd for his eel slime (Azul Ceremonial Robes vignettes), Azul orders Floyd to secure the rights to Sam’s Mystery Drink even though Floyd shows a clear disinterest in the task (Floyd Dorm Uniform vignettes), etc.

In spite of these grievances, Floyd doesn’t entirely despise Jade and Azul, nor would he be happier without them. They’re an important part of his life, hence why they still linger in the dream, just in the periphery where they can’t butt in with whatever Floyd wants to do. Jade and Azul aren’t present and compliant since that, too, would quickly bore Floyd. He loves those two goobers in part because they’re chaotic and unpredictable, not because they’re yes men to his every action. The dream might not be able to keep up with that demand; it only seems to operate in extremes rather than conjure enough nuance to keep Floyd stimulated and content. This is why all the places Floyd already visited bored him; he got showered with too many conveniences and eventually got fed up with it all.

If you need even more damning evidence, all previous dreams would manifest someone closely tied to the dreamer in an attempt to keep them in the dreamscape. Who does Floyd’s dream summon? AZUL AND JADE. If Floyd genuinely found them annoying or didn’t want them near, the surely the dream would spawn other people. BUT NO, it specifically spawned THOSE TWO in an effort to convince Floyd. It can be argued that they could very well be a source of hatred since Kalim and Neige showed up for Jamil and Vil respectively, but I genuinely think Floyd doesn’t feel that degree of negativity toward Jade and Azul; the kind of hatred that Jamil and Vil have for their respective counterparts has never been expressed by Floyd toward Jade or Azul.

Floyd reacts to dream!Jade and Azul in a manner that’s very different from the dreamers that came before him… with anger. And a LOT of anger too. He immediately clocks them as phonies and, he, fully waking, demands to know who the fakes are, because they certainly aren’t Jade and Azul. Floyd points out their faces and voices may resemble theirs, but they’re acting in a way that they never would (suggesting a “boring” way of living). That pisses him off to the point where he cuts the fakes down all by himself. Brutal violence aside, this tells us a lot about Floyd... as well as Malleus.

We see that Floyd has become lethargic and bored despite the dream's attempts to sate him, which just demonstrates that Malleus, whose magic has a hand in crafting these realities, has a shallow understanding of what makes people happy. (Edit: to be clear, Malleus having a “shallow understanding” of happiness is not a personal take; this is a direct statement made by Idia in-game and this is where I am pulling my phrasing from.) He thinks that removing all obstacles and challenge to what you want is what leads to a happy ending when, in truth, it clearly isn't the case for Floyd, who craves stimulation and change. While Malleus is motivated outright controlling the details of Floyd’s dream down to the wire, his autonomous magic has decided to get rid of any challenges Floyd may face in his pursuit of happiness. (I would continue about the Malleus portion, but since this post is about the Octatrio, I will instead direct you to this post, which shares many of my own thoughts ^^) I think that's why Floyd truly "woke" when he was faced with dream!Azul and Jade; a part of him recognizes how wrong it is for the two people he chose to spend his time with because they're so fun are now turning around and preaching complacency. It tells us just how well Floyd knows those two and values their... unique perspectives, shall we say?

Next, just Jade!

What's immediately fascinating about Jade's dream is that it's also underwater, despite Floyd and co. suspecting it would be on land/in the mountains. Floyd even changes from his merform to his human form prior to hopping to Jade's dream because he was under the impression that it would be on land. This ends up not being the case, although Malleus's magic does manifest the underwater equivalent of "mountains", which are volcanic vents at the bottom of the sea.

We see Jade happily exploring alongside a dream!Azul and dream!Floyd, who are both very different than the real ones. Dream!Azul has big, watery eyes and is much more of a coward and crybaby than the real Azul is. He also seems to be very dependent on Jade, who derives great joy from watching dream!Azul flail about while trying to attain his goals (in this case, access to a gold vein). This is in-character with what we already know about Jade; he amuses himself by watching others struggle--especially Azul, whom Jade frequently teases, such as tricking him to dance as a mummy in the first Halloween event and comparing Azul's greedy attitude to the positive traits of other dorm leaders. Jade also prefers to have control over the circumstances, so he likes it when people defer to his word or advice. So what better to hand him than an Azul that listens to his every word and also provides entertainment value in his tears?

As for dream!Floyd, he presents with a very goofy face and seems to lack his usual aggression and flippancy. Instead, he has a fixation on eating other sea life around him (crabs, shrimp, etc.) and happily goes along with Jade's mountain exploration. Like dream!Azul, dream!Floyd acts dependent on Jade to guide him and even acts cowardly in a fight. Now we can sort of get a glimpse of how Jade feels about Floyd too. Dream!Floyd's pliant and agreeable nature may come in part from the dream seeking to provide Jade with more free entertainment, but it could also be that Jade wants Floyd to share in his interests. But here Floyd is not gung-ho about mountains; instead, he acts very innocently, almost like a kid going along with whatever his parents decide to do for the day. It gives me the impression that Jade doesn't see Floyd as threatening but as someone cute and child-like. This idea is reinforced when, in an attempt to keep Jade dreaming, dream!Azul tells him that Floyd is cute and not some thug (like the real Floyd is). AND JADE 100% BUYS IT. He 100% believes that dresm!Floyd is the "true" one, that his Floyd and Azul would be useless without his support.

Idia makes an important comment at this point in book 7. He explains that Jade is having a hard time waking up because he believes in himself too strongly. That also means that Jade is distrustful of others; he is the only person he counts on. This reflected in how dream!Azul and dream!Floyd present. Both are heavily reliant on Jade to tell them what to do. In real life, too, Jade uses his competency to get into others' good graces (including the notoriously hard to please Vil; see his Dorm Uniform vignettes) so then he can reap the benefits that relationship offers. Jade is just that confident that he can succeed. Indeed, he often is the one coming close to tasting success when all others have failed. If we look back at Ghost Marriage, Jade was about to win over Eliza's heart before Floyd rudely interrupted and pointed out the flowers Jade was gifting were poisonous. Back to Idia's comment; because this is dream's Jade world, he's perhaps too invested in the dream that he has made, thus Jade is choosing to believe the dream that he conjured over the reality staring him in the face. It takes fistfighting with Floyd AND a jolt from Sebek's UM to properly shock some sense into Jade. He is otherwise too stuck in his own head to consider a truth that isn't one he has constructed for himself.

Still, I find it revealing that even though Jade is essentially stuck in his own headspace, dream!Floyd and dream!Azul are the only other people around. Floyd and Azul’s dreams feature way more NPCs, but Jade’s dream is pretty lonely. He could theoretically have several influential people to whisper in the ears of, but instead Jade’s desire is grounded… just being able to explore nature with his twin and Azul. They’re the ones he chooses to spend his time with. No one else. And Jade actively, fiercely defends this simple thing despite usually not being one to resort to violence right off the bat. The only major time in the main story where Jade does this is in book 2, when be noticed that he’s being tailed and does not appreciate the violations of his privacy. That’s exactly what this dream sequence is. It’s another violation of his privacy, and he detests that. You shouldn’t be here interrupting his happy, chill time with his friends business associates. It’s best for you to clear out.

I think it's also worthwhile to note that Floyd and Jade's waking sequences mirror one another. To quote myself from another post:

Something I find interesting is that the twins’ moments of waking mirror each other’s usual approaches to a task. Floyd usually foregoes a plan and prefers to use his fists to get the job done. However, he is slowly roused by reminiscing about his memories at NRC and the promise of being presented with a challenge. The final blow that shocks him awake is the presentation of a dream!Azul and dream!Jade who attempt to lure him deeper into the dream. Floyd doesn’t fall for it; in fact, he gets mad instead, and that fury, so biting and clear, snaps him awake. The opposite is true for Jade. He is someone who meticulously plans before acting, and would rather control the circumstances and use other roundabout methods before resorting to violence. But ironically, the master manipulator Jade is the one who falls for his own dream’s manipulations—all because he trusts himself above all else. He only wakes up because of a very strong physical force (ie Sebek’s UM) striking him. Prior to this, Jade was putting up a very good fight and the blows be was taking were not sufficient to wake fully him. So… Floyd, the brother who prefers brawns, woke up after reflecting and experiencing strong cognitive dissonance between his fake reality and bis true reality. Jade, the brother who prefers brains, woke up after being smacked the right amount. They woke up after experiencing an intense shock related to what is essentially the opposite of their preferred problem solving strategies.

And last but not least, Azul!

We’ve arrived at what I think is the juiciest part to dissect on the subject of the Octatrio’s friendship. To start off with, everyone suspects that Azul’s dream will be one in which he is a highly successful businessman with Mostro Lounge as a chain with even more locations stretching as far as the Coral Sea’s depths. That isn’t the case though! They quickly come to learn that Azul is the leader of Golden Trident, a reigning Coral Rush team. In this dream’s reality Azul was always popular and well-liked. Because he was never bullied, he never started up his shady business in middle school and thus never attracted the interest of the twins. Notably, Jade and Floyd still exist in the dream (as Azul remembers the Leeches from elementary school), but they never got close.

Before we get into the Octatrio’s dynamics, I want to say that the setup of this dream already tells us that a lot of Azul’s desire to become a successful business owner really stems from the longing to be accepted as he is. He uses his businesses and accumulation of contracts to reinforce and inform his self worth. Azul has formed a false belief and identity entering around the concept of success and likability equating to talent and material goods. This explains why he’s so fixated in his public image and being perceived as smart, confident, reliable, and trustworthy, and why he loses it so quickly when he’s denied his collection of golden contracts. Azul is insecure as heck about his shortcomings (athleticism being one of them) and the dream may be latching onto that, as well as his desire to be liked by his peers, to overcompensate.

A little thing I'd like to call attention to is that Jade refuses to divulge the private details of Azul's past in which he was bullied. This is significant because most other instances of the twins bringing up Azul's past usually results in them making fun of him for it and continuing to rag on him to the point where Azul becomes annoyed and tells them to quit it/reminds them that they swore to not talk about it. In those other instances though, the twins never tread that far; they'll at most comment about how different Azul looked or acted back then. They never went so far as to point out how badly he was bullied and here we see Jade respecting Azul's privacy by vocalizing that he refuses to release that information. And this JADE we're talking about, the one who has zero qualms with scoping out prospective new students for their personal info so Azul can later hold it against them (Jade Ceremonial Robes vignettes). Jade even blackmails older students to attain what he wants (Ortho Athletic Gear vignette). It says a lot that, when given the option to openly blab about what Azul experienced and have a laugh about it, Jade clams up.

sdjbaslidbasib OKAY I GOT SIDETRACKED, BACK TO AZUL'S DREAM. So he remembers the Leeches from elementary school, meaning that their existence was not entirely purged from his dream world. It's just a different timeline of events since he wasn't bullied in this reality. Azul is quite friendly to the twins and invites them to join his Coral Rush team at his mother's restaurant for a celebratory dinner. When we arrive at the restaurant, Azul and his team mates start to make fun of the land creatures for very similar things that he actually got bullied for in the waking world. (For example, being clumsy and uncoordinated in their swimming.) He's no longer the bullied, he is a bully. In a twisted way, Azul is getting validation of his own identity by looking down on others; this mirrors his behavior pre-OB in book 3, as he also mistreated his anemone'd peers back then. Tellingly, the only people he doesn't bully are... that's right, Jade and Floyd. Azul instead asks them to play Coral Rush with him. Again, this parallels what we saw in book 3: Azul is asking the twins to essentially "join" him in the midst of him abusing his power and lording over others. He still cares deeply about Jade and Floyd's approval specifically. Nowhere is this demonstrated so clearly as the method by which the twins finally get Azul to start questioning the construct of the dream. They start smashing up the restaurant but then grow bored and make as though they're going to casually leave. That triggers a memory from book 3 in which Azul is angrily shouting about how he'll always be alone. Alone. That's what Azul fears, being that lonely little octopus crying in his pot. That's why he's surrounded by adoring team members and fans in his dream. That's why he breaks down emotionally and OBs after the twins refuse to hand over their UMs to him in book 3. That's why he becomes distraught enough to shake the dream at the suggestion that Jade and Floyd, his two closest friends, are threatening to leave him. In book 4, Azul tries to be cool and play off this fear as the inevitable, that he's fully aware that the Leeches will discard him if he stops being entertaining to them, and that he's prepared for that when it happens. But... is that really the truth, given how Azul reacts in book 7? Everything leading up to this moment seems to imply Azul was just lying to himself, perhaps in an attempt to quell his own anxieties about the possibility. And given how Azul is shown to be calculated in cultivating a put-together public persona, I would not be shocked to learn that. It wouldn't make him seem strong or confident if he displayed weakness or fear over losing his right-hand men. I don't even know that he's purposefully telling a lie. It could very well be something Azul tells himself and believes in, but deep down he cannot truly know how emotional he would get if it ever happened.

As soon as Azul starts to wake, the mermobs of his Coral Rush team are the ones who come in and pull him deeper into the dream. Interesting to have just mobs doing this rather than a dream!Jade or dream!Floyd, given how important they seem to be to Azul. Maybe that's just how the surface level of the dream works? Like, it prioritizes lavishing Azul with general attention rather than the attention of two specific people since, in this dream's reality, Azul never bonded with Jade and Floyd (so those two wouldn't be as convincing?).

When Azul is being dragged into the darkness, Jade and Floyd don't go after him. Instead, they kinda just sit back and claim it's Azul's choice to dream more deeply so who are they to interfere? It takes some convincing from Ortho to convince the twins to pursue Azul into the next layer of the dream--but after the twins depart, Ortho wonders if Jade and Floyd being this cold is actually their way of showing trust. This sort of behavior is why I stress so often that we cannot take what the Octatrio do and say at face value all of the time. They have completely different ways of expressing that they care, and they don't always mean what they insist they mean. (KEEP THIS IN MIND BECAUSE IT COMES BACK INTO PLAY SOON.) In the second layer of Azul's dream, we revisit the events of book 3 had he been successful. He's setting that final class trip picture on fire and relishing in his total conquest of Night Raven College. Azul has ~500 golden contracts, the UMs of the other dorm leaders, and even has Crowley under his thumb--and this time, there's a dream!Jade and dream!Floyd to enjoy that victory with him. The rescue squad has to trick Azul into accidentally sanding his own contracts again, and it's that loss that finally breaks him. Again, we see how much of his own self-worth and value Azul places in that which he collects. It all ties back to that fear of not having anything of worth--not even allies to call his own--if he loses what he believes makes him desirable. At this point, Azul begins to sink into that final layer of his dream (the part where he confronts his OB self). This time, the twins lunge after him, calling out Azul's name and instructing him to grab onto them (+ Jade tells Floyd to help him pull). UM, HELLO????? The "take my hand" imagery, that symbol of trust and connection, from all the way at the start of the game is rearing its head here 😭 AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S EVEN CRAZIER???? The twins just... let go after that??? But not because they don't give a crap about Azul--no, it's because they care and believe that he can fend for himself, that he's no longer a weak person who cries and needs their support to stand on his own. Jade sends him off with a "good luck" and Floyd asks of Azul to not go to hell. Azul casually says the same right back to them before descending. And, just as the twins suspected, Azul is able to win against his inner demons and return to them, safe and sound. They were right about Azul, and Ortho was right about the Leeches. For as cold as Jade and Floyd seem to act, it's actually a front for how much they care.

In the segment where Azul faces his Phantom, he cites that the weight of everything he has taken from others has made it difficult to move. Taken literally, it of course could refer to the tentacles of his merform making it hard for him to swim. Metaphorically though? It can easily mean that he can't achieve personal growth if he's burdened by the weight of his sins (stolen talents, items, etc.). These things he stole may glitter, but they are not gold and he now realizes they aren't things he actually finds valuable. Azul wants to go out there and find things of "real value". I interpret this to mean intangible things that can't really have a price put to them, things that cannot be bought in stores... like friendship, the very thing he has with the twins but failed to call it that this entire time.

Everything in these dreams, and more specifically Azul's dream, demonstrates the Octatrio's mutual respect and trust in one another. Jade and Floyd acknowledge Azul as a strong individual, and Azul's subconscious reveals that he deeply values the twins and seeks their approval even when they've been removed from the picture.

[rakiah]

You’ll never be alone again Tamago-sama.

[soup-du-silence]

twisted wonderland spoilers

Book 7 part 4: "fuck them kids"

[twistedmionn]

Twisted Wonderland iceberg

Explanations ahead (slight spoiler warning)

Tier 1:

everything is self-explanatory, I think

Tier 2:

Haruhi = the protagonist of Ouran High School Host Club. She's a girl who dresses up as a boy (correct me if I'm wrong) and many players who have a female MC consider theirs to be like Haruhi. [EDIT: Thanks for the anon pointing out that I misspelled the name!]

Tier 3:

self-explanatory

Tier 4:

A fair amount of people headcanon Vil as a trans woman because he presents androgynously/feminine and doesn't care about gender roles. This has also caused discussion in the fandom because breaking gender roles ≠ trans.

Tier 5:

People sometimes wish TWST was more like a dating sim and had character/dorm routes.

Some people headcanon that Silver is based on Prince Philip (from Sleeping Beauty) and/or is a prince himself. I haven't played all of book 7 yet (only the parts out in the ENG server) so idk if the theory has been proven right.

Lilia is old and hints at dying soon.

Hot NPCs, such as Deuce's mom and Sebek's grandpa.

Ace and Deuce have expressed interest in Yuu at various points in the game.

Genshin VAs: Leona/Alhaitham, Silver/Kazuha, Idia/Razor are the ones I can think of

Tier 6:

A beastman (I think it was Jack) has stated that he has problems talking to animals, and Ruggie's talent at it is considered something special.

The tweels are considered intersex by some due to eel anatomy (I'm no eel expert).

Kalim is considered the real villain by some due to never really bothering to help Jamil.

Epel's backstory/attitude has many elements that a fair amount of trans men relate to.

There are theories that Lilia and Sebek are twisted from Peter Pan characters. I'm unsure about Silver, but I think I've read something about him being from another movie, too!

Tier 7:

Some people headcanon that Ace has experienced domestic abuse.

There's a theory that Ace will betray Yuu.

Cater has two sisters who boss him around, which is a resemblance to Cinderella.

Malleus might have two pps because well... dragon.

Epel and Deuce had a whole ass beach date. Deuce constantly cares for him and broke the school rules in order to make Epel feel better. Their scenes together (the settings) looked straight out of a shoujo manga. If Epel were a girl, this ship would be considered canon by most.

I'm not sure EXACTLY which languages Jade's VA speaks, but I do remember that he knows German.

In one of his Halloween vignettes, Ruggie — as opposed to Lilia — has indirectly expressed that he has no interest in romance/relationships.

Tier 8:

UH.

[twistedminutia]

Which Housewarden Has the Most Practical Signature Spell?

This question was triggered by my thinking about the signature spells the housewardens have are… not always super useful under most circumstances. As this post will be covering all housewarden signature spells, there will be spoilers for Book 7 parts only available in JP.

Riddle Rosehearts. Signature spell: Off with your head. Creates a collar around the neck of the target(s) which prevents them from using magic.

It was Riddle’s signature spell that got me thinking about this in the first place, honestly. Mostly because his spell seems very practical on its face. He’s actually the housewarden who seems to use his signature spell the most, after Azul, which would make it very practical. Right?

Except his spell is only practical at all because of two specific circumstances. One, he is in a position of authority and able to deal out punishment to rule breakers, and two, he is in a location with a lot of magic users. In Twisted Wonderland, humans who use magic are much less common than humans who do not use magic. Outside of NRC, Riddle’s spell isn’t going to have much more use than a fancy collar about 90% of the time.

In summary, Riddle’s spell appears practical, but only because he’s in the perfect circumstances for it. If he was in different circumstances, it would be much less useful. 5/10

Leona Kingscholar. Signature spell: King’s Roar. Causes anything of Leona’s choosing within a certain radius to crumble into sand.

This is, again, a spell that is only practical under certain circumstances. It’s definitely a powerful spell, but you’re not exactly going to be whipping it out every single day, unless you’re a glassmaker (and even then, you need specific sand to make glass and we don’t know what kind of sand Leona makes).

That being said, it’s not like the spell has no practical uses. It’s an extremely powerful offensive spell and it means people would certainly be cautious about approaching Leona in a combat situation. He’s a prince as well, so we need to consider that he’s more likely to get targeted for political reasons. A powerful spell like his would be a deterrent and a means of protecting himself and defending others.

All in all, it’s another powerful spell, but it’s hardly one you’re going to get much use out of under normal circumstances. 4/10.

Azul Ashengrotto. Signature spell: It’s A Deal. By signing a scroll, Azul can take any power he chooses as part of a contract. If the terms are broken, the contracted party will have to obey Azul.

Okay, so this one’s a weird one. It’s been stated before in canon (I believe Jade and Floyd touch on this right around Azul’s overblot) that Azul does not HAVE to make a contract in order to take a power. He can just do it (he was using his signature spell when he overblotted, for example, without needing the contract). However, this is difficult to control (since he just sucks out ALL a target’s abilities instead of one) and it skirts along the lines of forbidden magic, so he uses the contracts.

Obviously, this limits practicality. To gain the power, he needs to get the target to agree to the contract and he needs to fulfill whatever his end of the bargain is. However, Azul is cunning and good at hiding his motivations to get what he truly wants. He can’t get people who don’t agree, but he can leverage people to get them to do so.

In general? This is the most practical spell we’ve seen so far. It’s got wide applicability (it seems to be implied in his backstory that he’s not limited to taking magic) and it’s something that can be used every day, even making it part of your job (which he does)! 9/10, subtracting a point for the inconvenience of the contracts.

Kalim Al-Asim. (What, were you expecting Jamil? Read the top again- it’s housewardens, not overblotters!) Signature Spell: Oasis Maker. Using only a small amount of magic, Kalim can create a downpour.

This is one of the spells that got me thinking about how practical some spells are, because this spell is discussed as impractical in story. Kalim states that the spell is mostly useless in a time of irrigation and running water. It’s good for some water fun, but not a super useful spell. In some ways, this could be seen as a reflection of Kalim himself, or maybe even how he sees himself: fun and flashy, but not really useful.

This makes it more interesting when, later in the chapter, Azul notes that the spell is incredibly useful in a different context! Go to a land without water and suddenly Kalim is a king. That’s why he’s wealthy in the first place- being able to create water made his family important. And it could be another commentary on Kalim- he’s really only fun and flashy in this setting, but he’s also more capable of being beneficial to those around him than he realizes.

So. Is Kalim’s spell practical? Well, yes and no. Azul’s right in that it’s more practical than Kalim was thinking, but that practicality is context specific. But being able to make clean water no matter what is useful in a lot of survival situations, and could help a lot of people, so… 4/10. Practical under the right circumstances.

Vil Schoenheit. Signature spell: Fairest One of All. Vil is able to curse any item with any condition he chooses.

So, uh. Does anyone else think this is like. Ridiculously overpowered? Might as well just give him the ‘do whatever you want all the time’ spell because that’s basically what this is. He has, in canon, paralyzed people with food, almost put someone into a cursed sleep with food, created acid, and paralyzed someone by getting them to touch lakewater. What. The. Hell. Are there limits on this spell? Is Vil perpetually one mental breakdown away from creating ‘you obey everything I say now’ water and dumping it over a crowd????

Okay. Rambling aside. This is a ridiculously practical spell. Clearly there are limits (I would imagine he can only affect so many people/things or hold it for so long before he can’t keep it up anymore) but it’s pretty damn strong. 10/10.

Idia Shroud. Signature Spell: Gate to the Underworld. Idia can open the gate to the Underworld in the S.T.Y.X. headquarters.

I feel bad but... It's not the world's most practical spell, is it? It's cool, and clearly necessary, don't get me wrong, but like. How often does this come up in day-to-day living? It might be practical for his job, I guess, but it doesn't seem to be useful in most circumstances.

I obviously can't rate this one very highly. Sorry, Idia. One point for its usefulness to his job. 1/10.

BOOK 7 SPOILERS

Malleus Draconia. Signature Spell: Fae Maleficence. Allows him to put people into ageless sleep while surrounding the area with a wall of briars and thorns.

This one's a harder spell to categorize, because we know what the spell has done so far, but we don't know it that's all it can do. I may be wrong on this, because I've only read the portions of the chapter that have come out in English, but it's not confirmed that this is the only thing his spell can do- like it's never been stated 'Malleus' spell puts people to sleep always.' It could be that this is the extent of his spell, but it could also be more like Vil's spell. If we'd only read Book 5 and he hadn't explained it, we could have assumed that Vil's spell could only be used on food. But it's actually much broader. I'm saying this because I don't want to rule out that Malleus' spell might be even more powerful or flexible than shown.

That being said, I can only judge on what I have. And what I have now is the ageless sleep bit. It's certainly not the most practical spell ever, though it could have its uses. As a defensive spell, it seems pretty good. You could trap an army with it, or create a protective barrier for your people until danger has passed. Still, I don't think this is a spell Malleus could use every day.

It's primarily for defensive purposes, so same as Leona's. 4/10.

[irisinthemoon]

Until I Found You Pt. 1

[Pt. 1], [Pt. 2], [Pt. 3], [Pt. 4], [Pt. 5], [Pt. 6]

Since the event had came out, I had seen nothing but Yandere content of Rollo. Now, don't get me wrong, I like it but I also wanted to balance it out by adding in fluff and healthy relationships. Yes, this will have spoilers from the event, so beware. And while it is based on the event, there are some things I changed in order to make it fit better with the story line, so some will be my own creation. The Reader is not Yuu, she is her own person and have no connection to NRC. Thank you and please do read on!

Warning: Reader is hinted to have family issues, Reader is female, she is 18 years old since I am assuming Rollo is the same age considering that he is a third year and I wanted them to be around the same age range. This will be a series, but I am not sure in how long I will make it, probably all the way to Book 7 of the game. Two Oc's will be presented as the vice-president and secretary. Also, this is unedited, you may find grammar mistakes, hopefully not to many.

Characters: Rollo Flamm, Eliott Dupont (Vice-president), Jules Monet (secretary)

Summery: Being transported to a different world had not been part of [Name’s] plans, but neither was it to stay in it, yet here we are. She isn't complaining though, not when she has Rollo Flamm as company.

______________________________________________________________

Above into the horizon, you could just make out the first rays of sunlight kissing the night sky goodbye. The rays casted a warm and golden blanket around you, making you feel the warmth of the new day. This was how you started off your days in Noble Bell College, it was the only thing that you could consider normal in your terms. Even after being stuck in Twisted Wonderland for three months, you could not get used to the magic the city provided, or how their world was so different from yours. Sure, there had been similarities that brought you comfort, such as the sunrise you were witnessing. The sun’s warm rays kissed your cold skin gently, some of the heat bouncing off the golden bell that was behind you. 

The Bell of Salvation, it had been something you had stared in amazement the first time you saw it, even more when it rang and its magic swept the entire city in its protective embrace. While you may not be used to the magic of this world quite yet, you found comfort by just being in its presence. It was as if you had some connection to it, but you reasoned that it was mainly because it had been the first thing you saw when you opened your eyes. 

Bringing the thin blanket closer to your body, you sigh. Even if this world was so much different than your old one, you didn’t mind it. It’s not like you lost much in your old world. Family or friends were nonexistent to you before coming to NBC. There would be no one to grieve you or to look for you, not that your parents would put the effort into it. You wouldn’t be surprised if they just named you an unsolved missing persons case. At this, you chuckles, who would have thought you would end up like that?

Not that it bothered you, on the contrary, it brought you amusement. You always thought you would go out in a normal and boring way. Maybe die of old age, maybe you could fall down some stairs and break your neck, or you could be run over by a moving vehicle. Those were things you were prepared to expect, but not jumping into another dimension. That was for story books, fictional worlds that blended in with the worn out pages of your favorite books. 

You tug on a loose piece of threat in your uniform, mind deep in thought. You had thought about finding a way home when you learned about your situation. And it had kept you somewhat motivated for a while before realizing that you were just wasting your time. It hadn’t hit you until last night as you poured over a book from the school’s library. Why were you even trying so hard to return back? Sure, it was the world you were born into, the one you belonged in. But, there were no sentimental attachments that made you want to go back quickly. You were an only child, your parents often left you alone while they traveled for work, and you didn’t have friends as you preferred the silence that accompanied you since birth.

Looking at the worn out notebook that the student president gave you for your personal notes, you sigh once more. Should you just tell the headmage that you wish to stay? The staff at school were helping you find a way home, and since you had no desire to continue the search, it would be better to stop them. You didn’t want to waste their time for something you don't even want.  But if you do stay, where would you go? 

You were a magicless person, just because you were suddenly transported into a magical world didn’t mean you got some magical powers. Not that you wanted magic, you would have no clue what to do with it. But back to the original point, you wouldn’t be able to stay at NBC as it was a school for future mages, there was no place for you in this school. You could stay in the City of Flowers as it was the only place you were actually familiar with, but then there was the situation of where you would live and how you would be able to earn money for yourself. 

You were lucky the school was the one taking care of your expenses as they had to make themselves responsible for you. Still, the majority of the reason the school was paying for you was because of the student president. You had lost count in how many times the older boy had helped you. From tutoring you so you could keep up with your classes to showing you around the city so you wouldn’t feel lost. 

And while you do appreciate his help and efforts, you couldn’t help but feel like he was putting you at arm's length. 

Rollo Flamm, student council president, honors student and roll model was an enigma to you. Ever since he found you underneath the Bell of Salvation, he had made it his personal mission to make sure you were comfortable and that you would be able to process the fact that you didn’t even exist in this world. He had been there every step of the way for the last three months, to which you truly were thankful. 

Without him, you would have been just as lost as you had been when you woke up. But no matter how much you tried to thank him, Rollo simply told you that it was his duty to protect those vulnerable and that if he could help, he would. You couldn’t help but feel like there was something more to it. However, it was none of your business, so you let it be.

Even if you wish to get to know the white haired boy more. 

Flipping one of the pages of your notebook, you read the messy handwriting. Some of it was readable, other parts not so much. Flipping to the next page, you pause at a small drawing you had done not so long ago. It was just some flowers, nothing too specific, but one always caught your attention. 

One that you couldn’t help but always draw in red ink.

Soft footsteps along with the creaking of the old wooden stairs snapped you out of your thoughts. Closing the journal and placing it inside your student robes, you cross your legs and wait for the familiar voice that always manages to ground you. The footsteps reach towards the latch, you hear the soft huff Rollo makes before the creak of the latch door greets you. 

“Good morning [name].” 

With a smile, you turn around and greet him. “Morning president, how are you this fine morning?” Your voice was carried by the gentle wind, causing it to bounce off the walls of the bell tower. Rollo gives you an unamused look, one that you had grown fond of. To others, it would have looked like he was irritated but you pride yourself in the fact that you could read people like one of your books.

“I’m quite fine, I see that you are the same as always.” Taking a seat in one of the chairs at the corner of the room, Rollo pulls out the familiar basket that you had come used to seeing. Standing up from the edge of the bell tower, you make your way towards the boy and take a seat across from him. You watch him in silence as he pulls out two loaves of bread, some cheese that is wrapped neatly in plastic, some fruit in a container, and finally, freshly made orange juice.  

Your eyes followed his hands as he divided the food equally. It was something they had ever since you came to NBC. You adored moments like these ones, it allowed you to spend more time with the boy before your classes began. Plus, even if you did manage to find time to see him, he was mostly busy with his duties as a student. Especially now that the Masquerade that he was planning was close.

Still, you were glad he made time for you. 

“Thank you for the meal.” You said softly, waiting for him to finish setting his own food. The first bite was always heaven on earth. Holding in a moan at the heavenly taste of the bread (which you knew he makes himself no matter how much he denies it), and chewing it slowly in order to fully appreciate his efforts. Rollo keeps a close eye on you, not that you notice much as your full attention was on the bread in your hands. 

Next, you opened the cheese carefully, knowing how much Rollo didn’t like making a mess of the food. Especially when it was in the bell tower he adored. With a plastic knife inside the basket, you cut off four thin slices, two for you and two for the boy. With a small mumble of thanks, Rollo adds it to his bread, you followed his steps. 

Another set of heavenly tastes explode in your mouth with the addition of the goat cheese (which you also knew he made). Both of you ate in silence, only the sound of the birds waking up along with the ruffling of leaves accompanied the both of you. You liked these mornings, even if they were quiet and Rollo didn’t speak much. To you it was perfect.

Finishing the rest of the food along with the orange juice, you clean your fingers off with a napkin offered by the white haired boy. And just like the other mornings before this one, you get to clean alongside him. The peaceful quiet and the morning air put you in good spirits, especially when you share them with him. 

“How have your studies been coming along?” The question makes you pause as you wipe the table from leftover crumbs. “They have been well for the most part. I managed to understand the material from last class thanks to you.” Smiling at him, you continue to clean your space. “That's good, if you ever need my assistance, don’t hesitate to reach me.”

You hum in agreement, warmth spreading in your chest. “And you?” You already know what his grades are. After all, Rollo is the top student in the academy and the student council president. You know he is smart, but it doesn't hurt to ask in return. “Same as always.” And his response is short as ever. 

Looking at him while he busied himself packing away the utensils you used, you let yourself really look at him. His skin looked pale as ever, but it wasn’t as if it was unhealthy. Even with his paleness, he still had a healthy glow. However, when you looked into his eyes, you noticed how his eyebags seemed darker. At this you frown, was he getting enough sleep? 

Knowing him, he was probably getting the bare minimum of rest. 

Suddenly, his green eyes glance up at you. “Have you been getting sleep?” You asked. Rollo merely huffs as he always does whenever you ask a question that seems meaningless to even ask. “I have, why do you ask?” You raised an unimpress eyebrow at him. “Because I know the Masquerade you have been planning is next week, I know you want the students from the other schools to have a good time. Adding on to the fact that you still have to keep up with your other responsibilities.”

Instead of calling him out on his bullshit, you simply hid your worry and asked him about the Masquerade as an excuse to ask him about his health. As you had made note about it earlier, Rollo is an enigma that keeps you at arms length. While he spends time with you, he doesn't bother getting to know you or lets you ask any questions regarding him other than ones related to school work. Still, you made it work somehow, even when it still left you more curious about him. 

“The Masquerade is going on as planned…” Rollo paused for a moment, his face gaining that familiar scowl he seems to always wear when something irritates him. “However, the costumes I had ordered for our guests won’t make it on time.” 

“Why is that?”

“The student incharge of sending the request apparently forgot to do the actual sending.” Rollo sighs with an eye roll. “And now it’s too late to send the request.” His green eyes shone in the morning sunlight, allowing you to see just how pretty they were even with the anger swimming in them. To you they will always be as breathtaking as the first time you laid your eyes on them. “And then there is the matter of sending out the final invitations and finalizing the number of rooms we will spare for NRC and RSA students.” 

You watched carefully in how he began to pace in the small room in the bell tower. His black shoes made a sharp click-clack with each step he took. The red transparent sash-like on his hat swaying along with him. The rays of the sun just made his sharp features stand out even more, truly, no painting or picture would do him justice. 

You let Rollo rant even when he says he doesn't need to rant about his responsibilities. The sound of his voice soothes you, you liked the sound of his voice. Even when he talked about studies of your classes you shared, you truly didn’t care what the topic was about as long as you could hear him speak. 

“I can help you if you want.”

Startle, Rollo turns to look at you with those piercing green eyes. He blinks a few times, letting your words process in his head. “Help me?” He asked after a few seconds of silence. You nod your head, a smile on your lips. “I can help you with all three things if you want.” Rollo blinks again, the anger in his green eyes softening into a hidden amusement. “Will you be able to balance it out with your school work?”

You let out a small giggle, “Hey now, I know I may not have that fancy magic that students have here. But I am pretty capable of dealing with things such as invitations, reserving rooms for guests staying over for a couple of days, and designing costumes.” 

An unreadable emotion crossed Rollo’s eyes, the soft, hidden amusement vanished as the familiar anger took over. “You don’t need magic.” The bitterness in his tone startled you. While you were used to hearing him sound annoyed or angry, not once did you hear that kind of tone. Nor have you ever seen his eyes burn with so much distaste. “The students in this school along with the ones coming here all rely on magic like fools. Even with simple things such as writing or cooking, they always need the assistance of magic.” He turns to face the wall, the beginnings of a sneer forming on his lips before covering it with his purple handkerchief. 

You stare at him, uncertainty pooling in your gut. You had known Rollo had something against magic, even when he was a magic user himself. He didn’t voice it, but you could see it in the way he hardly used it unless it was necessary such as his classes or homework. And when he spoke of magic, he tended to avoid the conversation, even when Eliott and Jules, his vice-president and secretary, praised him for learning a difficult spell or told you of his unique magic. Rollo never once bragged about his magic. 

He simply covered the lower half of his face with a handkerchief and looked the other way.

You wanted to ask him about it, but never did. You could see and feel how that was a can of worms that Rollo was not going to open with anyone, less alone someone he just met. And you weren’t sure if you wanted to even open that can of worms, not if it meant pushing him or losing that little trust you work hard to earn from him. 

Instead, you did what you were best at.

“Well yeah, but I didn’t mean that I was useless without it. I just meant that I know how to do those kinds of things since back home, I used to help my parents with stuff like that.” Coming from a rich family meant making events to put the family in a good light. Which made you responsible for helping with invitations and booking rooms for the guests that would come along. 

“Writing invitations and making last minute bookings are no problem for me. As for the costumes, I can make them! I’ve done that before!” The anger in Rollo’s eyes dimmed, “...Will it interfere with your school work?” You shake your head, “Nope, I finished everything ahead of time since I wanted to have the day free for the Masquerade.” A light blush covered your cheeks. You didn’t mention that the reason you wanted that day free was because you wanted to spend it with him.

“You mentioned that you had experience with it, how come?” Glad that Rollo was no longer angry, you begin explaining. “Well, my family is kinda like a big name in the fame industry. My mom is an actress while my dad is a singer. Both tend to throw parties every couple of months, so I get stuck with making invitations and bookings for the people invited. It’s not hard for me to find good places for them to stay in and I know how to handle clothing situations.” 

The lord only knows how much you struggled to get used to it. Even at a young age, your parents’ fame was suffocating. Everything you did was being watched by hundreds of eyes, not once did you have a moment for yourself. You couldn’t go to school like most kids your age, and homeschooling wasn’t as exciting. That was many of the reasons you liked it here in the City of Flowers. 

No one knew who you were, no one to target you because of your parents, no heavy responsibilities other than doing school work, and being able to hang out with classmates and friends. It was all you could wish for, and from what you could tell, friends help each other. And you wanted to help Rollo, sure, the moody french-man hasn’t called you a friend, but you could tell by his actions that he did like you, maybe tolerated you at best.

Plus, back then, the things you did bored you to death. You didn’t have much of a choice in doing them and your parents never asked you if you wanted to do them. They figured that it would be easier to give them to someone who wouldn’t be able to say no when their assistants were flooded with work. And it's not like you could use school work as an excuse to not do it.

Rollo looks deep in thought, his purple handkerchief no longer covering his face. “Hey, it’s fine if you don’t want me to do it. I mean, it’s a big celebration, one that I heard is done yearly. Plus, NRC and RSA students are being invited for the first time, things need to be perfect.” Fiddling with your fingers, you looked away, missing the soft look Rollo gave you.

“It’s fine, I trust in your abilities. However, are you sure you want to also take over the costumes?” By the time you looked back at him, Rollo was back into wearing his poker face. “Sure! I have done some before when I needed to wear something.” And it was the only thing you could do that made your parents proud. A fashion designer from the great [Last Name} family. 

“Just give me their measurements and I should be fine.” You added before the negative thoughts took over. Instead, you stand up and walk towards him, a carefree smile on your lips. “How hard can it be? I am sure it’s only a couple of people.” And just as he has done since you started your stay here, Rollo offers his left elbow. “Ever the gentleman.” Intertwining your elbow with his, both of you make your to the latch.

Rollo huffs in amusement as he opens it and lets you go first. He follows you after he closes the latch and once again offers his elbow to you. Taking it again, the two students make their way down the stairs and into the entrance of the bell tower. Humming a small tune under your breath, you finally let out the smile you had been trying to hide. 

Just as both of you walked down the flower path to your first class, the familiar chime of the Bell of Salvation rings. Warm and gentle magic washes over you like the summer breeze making you sigh in content. Rollo hums, a calm expression on his face. 

“Very well then, I will let you help me. We only need to send one more invitation as I took care of the others. For bookings, the students from NRC and RSA are to stay on campus in the left wing of the school, the rest of the guests will be staying in different hotels offered by the city.” You nod along, mentally memorizing the important details. 

“The list of guest will be sent to you by Jules, you will sort them out into rooms based on their importance.” By the time he finished explaining the way the booking process was going to work, the both of you had arrived at your first period. Students were already flooding the halls, some talking to friends, others trying to do some last studying before their quizzes or tests. 

Letting go of his arm, Rollo turns to face you, a small, barely there, smirk on his face. “As for the costumes, we will need a total of 13 for NRC students and 2 for RSA. With all of them combined, there will be a total of 15 costumes needed by the second to last day of the Masquerade as the actual ball will be held that day.” His smirk grew a little bigger once he saw your wide eyed expression.

“Worry not [name], I will make sure you have help along the process. We will also be purchasing the material you will need, so don’t be afraid to request more if you need to.” Opening and closing your mouth like a goldfish, you could simply stare at him in shock. “F-Fifteen?!”

Now, you may pride yourself in designing clothes of any kind, but there has to be a limit! You couldn’t possibly do 15 costumes in one week! Rollo holds his purple handkerchief up to his face, his shoulders shaking as he looks at you with amusement. “I jest, some of the students from the fashion club managed to do most of the costumes. Unfortunately, they got flooded with other requests from the city and were unable to start the last one”

At this, you relax, but smile nonetheless. It was rare when Rollo allowed himself to joke around. “Great seven, you had me scared for a moment.” Poking his chest with your index finger, you laughed. “But I can definitely help with the last one! Just give me the measurements along with a reference picture of the person who will wear it.”

Rollo nods, then pauses. “Picture…?” You nod with a small hum. “Yeah, I need to see how they look like in order to make the costume in their aesthetic. Plus, I need to be able to see which colors will fit them best.” Rollo frowns, a bitter resentment flashes in his green eyes. “...Very well,” Glancing at the clock hanging by the classroom entrance, he mumbles under his breath. 

“Just come to the council room once classes are over. I will tell you what you need to do in better detail.” Before you could question him in his sudden change in mood, Rollo gave you a head pat, bidded you goodbye, and turned to take his leave. “Um! S-See you at lunch!” You had spoken before even thinking. Some of the lingering students gave you a glance in confusion. Rollo turned around, huffed, then nodded. 

“Yes, see you at lunch [name].”

You took that as your cue to enter your classroom. Taking your usual seat at the back of the class, you sigh. Contrary to what many said about Rollo, he was very expressive. Not in the physical way, but his eyes always let out what he was feeling at the moment. He wasn’t always like this though, back when you had met him, Rollo was hard to read. It was thanks to him getting somewhat close to you that you managed to read him like a book. 

And even then, there were certain emotions you couldn’t decipher when it came to him. Still, it was progress, and who knows, maybe you will be able to get closer to him now that you will also be helping with the Masquared’s preparations. 

With a delighted hum, you prepared your material for class. 

[fictionfixations]

book 7 part 4 spoilers

im having intrusive thoughts (theyre UNWELCOME. ive been hit by so many emotions i cant stop myself from actually crying rn ) now that i finished it okay so

if there are any typos or wrong words that dont make sense im SO sorry i usually sleep around this time (i wrote confused instead of convinced im SOBBING) so my brain is slowing down on me

whbat if. what if if

we encounter the dawn knight

and silver's ring starts glowing

and they accuse him of being a traitor because it seems weirdly familiar (or the knight accuses silver of being a thief? IDK)

LISTEN im still convinced that the dawn knight and silver are connected in some way. i just dont know how yet. aghhhhh

ALSO WHEN is the conversation about them mentioning 'hey you keep calling me father..' (could be brushed off as 'you remind me a lot of my father'. cue probably mixed feelings) or '..hey what was that about you calling yourself a zigvolt when we first met?'

i mean sharing LAST NAMES (edit: i said nicknames wtf? im so sorry) without being related is normal. although i dont know how normal it is in twisted wonderland.

ALSO sebek also like doubled down like

baur: you dont have the signature scales

sebek: my mother has them!

baur: then why dont you?

sebek: ... (ashamed of his father. ashamed of his blood. poor baby. he really just ended up taking being called a 'human /neg'. to be fair i dont want to know reactions to a half-fae, because that would mean during the war between fae and humans, a fae got together with a human. and we know that that relationship was looked down upon even now in the future where the war is over, i think.)

(this book made me such a sebek apologist 😭)

like COME ON dont brush it off. i mean im going to cry for that conversation because its just going to be PAIN but like CMONNN????

where are the consequences?

then again this isnt real its just. a dream.

but...

also what if the dawn knight is silvers dad and lilia fucking idk kidnapped him and it started the war [although he'd be way too young in that case since this is 400 YEARS in the past] (but then theres the note lilia read him which means silver probably did get abandoned. .......or maybe lilia killed the dawn knight and his last words were giving his son over and that note about not wanting silver's eyes to cloud over in sorrow, and to instead be as clear as the jewel on the ring...)

or or or or

AHHH

i have. so many thoughts.

i STILL believe silver's at least related to the dawn knight. ...im just not sure how but i keep backtracking to son because yes.

and like itd also play into the 'fae stealing children' idea thingy. although i wonder if thats more offensive if that gets mentioned at all. if it was like some sort of propaganda bedtime story that humans told their children to make them terrified of fae and viewing them as monsters or something..

like

cuz

remember that merchant in the port town(?) area thing

first mistook us for monsters because of our masks (but thats fair)

realized we were like fae?? made a racket

this guard came over and the merchant accused US of threatening the guy to hand over his shit like what??? WE DIDNT DO ANYTHING WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT?? we dont even want your fucking spices or whatever wtf ???

i am also a believer that there's a huge misunderstanding between the fae and humans that caused this war.

but also.

i know twisted wonderland is very tragic and everything

but if the dawn knight and the ironclads kill malleus' mom im going to hate them so much. more than i already do [well i hate the ironclads, not the dawn knight, since one bad apple doesnt make them all bad apples]. (look they probably killed raverne but..... malleus' parents man. one is better then none. :( )

god

imagine though that the dawn knight is silvers dad (in whatever twisted time loophole age gap thing whatever the fuck even if it doesnt make sense)

and the dawn knights kills maleanor . . .? i. cant remember (OKAY maleanor is malleus' mom.? and maleficia is like grandma. i think... i. bro the overuse of mal is confusing me so bad sob)

just. imagine silver spiraling into a sort of self-hate. like. im the child of your enemy. my dad ("your dad is LILIA." says someone) killed malleus' parents...

and it probably feels worse then. idk. being a human in a land of fae. like so much more out of place

and so horrible

ahh im worried

..then again maleanor (i almost said maleficia oops) is super strong right? so she'd probably win.. (but also. its a lot harder to fight with something to protect. that being your precious little eggwhich you would probably die for to keep safe) ALSO SHE DIED SO LIKE ???

hhh i dont know what to think

JP SPoilers now

also really fucking worried because JP server's all the way in like idk pomefiore and im just like

how did you even get there. whAT? THIS ENDS?

like i know it'd have to end eventually but i just cant see an end in sight...

:((

i hope we can bring lilia with us. but there might be a chance he'll be made to fall into a deeper sleep where we cant assist since the whole point of his overblot was about lilia and wanting to keep him 'alive' and there

so.....

im just. sad.

[cursedcola]

What if reader/yuu had the knowledge of all the disney villains and told their counterparts about the story they come from?

Kind of like "you know...I actually did know the seven before coming here. They were all villains in children's books" but then they say how NRC has changed their view of the original stories? (any characters are fine!)

{Hello! I did think about this when first playing through the game. I was even considering crafting a longer fic. based on the idea. Since this involves the 7...why not stick to the dorm leaders for this? I’m not caught up for anything beyond Book 3 -though I did get book 4 spoiled- so I don’t want to do Scarabia/Pomefoire/Dismonia/Ignihyde just yet.} 

WARNING: Spoilers for books 1-4 below the cut

Imagine: You told them the truth about the seven.

Characters: Riddle Roseheart, Leona KingScholar, and Azul Ashengrotto 

Riddle Rosehearts

He appears offended, dare I say appalled. What nonsense were you going on about? The Queen of Hearts is evil? Bad-tempered? She is a tyrant? A villain? 

You’re starting to sound like Ace. Is this another one of his poorly planned pranks?

“If you have enough time to craft lies, then you should devote it towards your studies. One day I will not be here to tutor you,” is what he’d say, not giving the idea more than a moment’s thought. After a brief respite he adds, “Do not speak of this to anyone. It’s useless thinking,” in a tone that leaves no room for argument

He then moves on, acting if your talk was a simple chat about the weather. Utterly forgettable 

or so you assume, but Riddle knows well that you aren’t one to jest about serious matters. Suggesting fault in one of the seven is something no student would be stupid to do, not even Ace

It’s grounds for getting on many professors’ bad side. Riddle doesn’t know where you come from, but you need to keep those thoughts to yourself

He’s glad that you came to him with the thought first. If it were anyone else...

He hopes you will let it go. There is no rule saying that questioning the seven is not allowed, but he does not want you to be bullied for outlandish behavior 

So imagine his surprise, when you mention the topic again. Not even a day has gone by and you implore him to let you finish the story.

He wants no part of it. Not until you mention how he reminds you of the Queen 

“Did you just- I am NOT a tyrant. Are you here just to insult me?”

He feels hurt, considering you saw his over-blot and genuine effort to be better ever since. It especially aches since he now knows how your homeland views the Queen of Hearts

Please say that you’re joking. That he-

He changed your view of the Queen? You now feel that the Queen’s behavior was a byproduct of miscommunications. That no person is born hateful or relentless. That she did bad, but no one in your world looked at her as a person or tried to understand why she made so many rules. That her temper was poorly portrayed, and she likely had unattended emotional needs that manifested as anger. It’s wrong to call her purely evil. 

But most of all, in your world they are stories and in Twisted Wonderland they are real. He’s a perfect example of how the world isn’t black and white, or in his case - red. People change, and maybe the Queen of Hearts in Twisted Wonderland is revered because she had a change of heart while ruling 

Similar to how he is now. Kind, yet still strict out of love for his peers

“You...I’ve heard enough. So long as you are not bad-mouthing the seven then talk as much as you like. However, everything you just said is only for my ears. Do not repeat those comparisons to anyone else,” 

He tries to hide how flustered your breakthrough makes him. Though he never was one to hold his emotions in well, “thank you. I am glad you think of me as kind...”

Leona KingScholar 

“Yeah...definitely sounds like something I would do. Though I wouldn’t commit murder so openly. I also wouldn’t leave any evidence” 

Never mind that he enacted an exact parallel of Scar’s schemes, but in sports...and without the killing. Although Ruggie did come close to needing an urn

He also frenzied. Murder was likely not unfathomable when in his over-blot form. He also said hurtful things, turned on the hyenas, let his sibling-complex overtake his conscience 

Alright. He can understand why you would compare him to ‘your’ version of Scar. What initially ruffles his fur is that your version is entirely different than the one he’s learned about 

Leona has some trouble accepting that you are from a different dimension, or whatever it is that you want to call it. Let’s not begin with how there is no magic where you’re from, or that most of his home’s history is a mere story book. 

Actually, he wants to focus on that part. Just the last bit, because you clearly need a reminder that his world isn’t a book and saying so makes him a bit peeved 

How would you feel if someone waltzed in, saying they knew your life from reading a book? Essentially casting aside your struggles, personality, wants, needs, and homeland as some bed-time story? 

I bet it wouldn’t feel great. Especially if you mock one of their historical figures, and compare them to your undesirable counterpart 

He snaps when you mention Simba, and how in your world Scar kills his brother and casts out his nephew. 

Too cruel. Too much. 

Something the old him might have considered if pushed too far

“Listen here herbivore. You don’t know me, so quit acting like it. I don’t care if you’ve had to re-hash your thoughts since coming here. Your opinion means nothing to me,” his tail lashes out in frustration, “so keep it to yourself” He didn’t intend to sound so harsh, but he wanted you to stop. He didn’t like how accurate your foretelling was. 

It made him feel Small. Powerless. Sick.

He hated that you saw him for the beast that he knows he is, despite his new attitude  

When you stop him from leaving, he feels the firmness of your grip. You know he’s hurt, which upsets him further. He grits his teeth when you demand to be heard, and feels his fangs meet the flesh of his cheek. 

His heart hurts when you retell your Scar’s story, but in a different light. One he’s taught you. Your Scar is bright, yet his lineage pushed him down a darker path. Peer pressure, the intense loneliness, watching his brother be the favorite from birth...perhaps he did want to help the hyenas at one point. Maybe he didn’t want to be King, but instead wanted to be appreciated as himself and not Mufasa’s brother. Your book doesn’t tell his story, only showing his relevance to Simba. He did horrible things, but lived his life in anguish. He died as alone as he was alive. 

Twisted Wonderland - Leona - helped you see him as a kindred soul. You thought knowing Scar meant you knew Leona, and you were wrong 

Leona would never hurt his family. Leona wants to see things grow from his power, not crumble under his feet. Leona wants the hyena’s to live well, and protects the people close to him. Leona cares about his country. Leona’s eyes sparkle when Ruggie brings him goodies from the cafeteria, his features are soft when you rest together in the gardens, and he - 

he’s heard enough. That’s for sure. 

“Stop. I get it, you like me. You think I am great, which is no surprise. I don’t need you telling me everything that I already know,” he half-grins and ruffles your hair. 

He’s also in love. Not something his or your Scar could ever understand. 

Azul Ashengrotto

Tread lightly when telling him about Ursula. Very lightly. 

Ursula, is someone Azul greatly respects. She is a powerful sea witch that pulls all stops to ensure she comes out victorious. She is greatly respected among the sea-folk and most importantly - she is an octopus. 

A beautiful cephalopod that overcame the trials and tribulations put before her and made a place for herself in the world. She carved it with her own deeds, underhanded as they may be. She made everyone who shunned her regret ever dismissing her. 

Did you seriously think he never noticed the similarities? He is not blind. Okay, yes he wears glasses but it is a metaphor. 

What matters is that Azul resonates with Ursula more than the other dorm heads do with their assigned member of the Seven. 

He admires her so much that any comparison you make between the two is taken as a compliment. He does notice how you favor saying “Ursula of the Seven,” instead of simply “Ursula,” but marks it as showing respect. Who else could you be referring to anyways?

In Azul’s case, you are not the one to mention the Ursula from your world. He is the one to ask. When Azul finds something precious, he wants to fully ensnare it. To imprint himself on it, and study it until it cannot be studied further 

And you know how it is with humans. They never stop changing, so Azul simply has to keep learning. Prying. Engraving himself into all aspects of you until not a day will pass where he isn’t in your thoughts or you in his. Until the day your short lifespan ceases and he’s left alone with whatever memories of you are left. 

So imagine how fascinated he is by your world. How there is no magic, or dominating races other than humans (he laughs at this, utterly unconvinced). Your kind has adapted with technology and he wonders if Ignihyde is a better fit for you than Ramshackle. The different cultures, countries, histories, species, and everything in between. What on earth is a Dinosaur and can they be revived somehow? He wants to see your world and perhaps take over the buisness side of it

He wants to be part of your world  where you, a human unlike any he’s ever met, has grown into the one he loves so dearly

On the topic of world religion and politics, he asks about the great seven. It’s when you chuckle, dismissing them as fiction does he grow curious. He can accept that they are not world powers but wants to know how both your worlds intertwine 

“Fiction? The great seven are children’s stories?” he asks, arching an eyebrow “are they different than foretelling here? Would you be willing to transcribe them or whatever you can recall?” 

He instantly notes your hesitance and newly guarded behavior, “is there something you are hiding from me?”  

For his sake, you best come clean. He may be willing to wait but will only grow more curious. He doesn’t like being lied to, even if it by omission. 

Villain. Evil. Liar. Soul Stealer. Cradle Rocker. Trickster. Fat. Ugly. Monstrous. 

Ursula is not loved in your world. 

You often compare him to her as well 

“I am monstrous? Is that your true opinion of my kind?”  He knows that there must be more, but cannot stop the sinking feeling that is clawing its way out of his stomach and into his throat. As if he is ready to vomit a portrait of his suffering onto the coffee table between you both. 

Correct him. For once, tell him that he is wrong

Azul registers your movement to his side and the way you gently pry open the intense grip he has on his pen - the one he’d been writing notes about your world with

He faintly hears you tell Ursula's story again, unlike his own or the one from your world. You sound muffled, yet determined to break past the voice in his head that’s repeating the word ‘monster’ on an endless loop.

 Your story is of a young octopus, who fell into darkness as the result of social norms. She was beautiful, striking even, and just wanted to belong in a sea full of people who could only see her differences as something to be feared. She felt if she could not belong, that she would instead create a world where no one else would matter aside from herself. The sea’s need for conformity tried to crush her, and she pushed back in ways that hurt her just as much as the other merfolk. She was not evil, but isolated. A product of how hate breeds hate. 

You never compared Azul to the ‘Villain,’ Ursula in your world’s storybook. You compared him to the greatness he saw in Ursula of the Seven, and to the strength you could now see in Ursula from your world. He too was pushed down, yet he worked to build himself a life. He too had almost lost himself, but is now on a path of self-love. The way you clutch him as if he’d leave and never return shows how much he is cherished. 

“You are not a monster. You are what I wish my world’s Ursula had the ability to see in herself. Strength, beauty, intelligence,” he feels your hold tighten, “deserving to love and be loved by others. I love you more than anything, Azul”

[spiderling-space]

Only 2 parts left after this 😮‍💨 I think I'll post the final chapter after I watch MoM. There won't be spoilers from the movie though. It'll only be the storyline I wrote for Wanda. Before I watch MoM, I'm rewatching WandaVision. That show was lit! This chapter deals with Book 4 of twst. JFC, I planned a maximum of 2k but it became 3k lol

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Afterword

What if MC is Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch? - Part 5

After the finals ended, the winter break came. Wanda told her friends about how she feels when there is  chaos  around her yet she didn't know why. She decided to withhold some of the information until she was fully aware of who she was.

The unspoken tension between her and her friends eased a bit but it was still there. She assumed her powers freaked them out. 

Between the time when she defeated Azul and winter break, she questioned Idia regarding Ortho and his body and Hades. He was reluctant to answer her questions about Ortho but he was over the moon to tell her everything about Hades, including his diet. 

She noticed the similarity between the Hades she knew and the one in Twisted Wonderland. Both made deals in exchange for the soul of the person, were powerful beings, could take the shape of someone else and ruled the underworld. However, this Hades seemed to be stuck in one dimension. Her research on the matter ended there until she got her full memories.

Wanda knew she should respect people's privacy but she had to learn how Ortho is still a living person despite the android body. It would be helpful for the person she longed for. So when she asked about Ortho again, she read Idia's mind and learned the truth. Since her beloved didn't have a soul like Ortho had, his android technology would be worthless for her. 

Despite having ulterior motives, she felt sympathy for Idia's loss for she knew the pain of losing a sibling. It felt like someone tore her heart out and crushed it in front of her.  No... Pietro is alive now!  The Voice said. Given how she thought the Voice was speaking while she was actually speaking out loud, she now considered The Voice to be herself with full memories, helping Wanda to reclaim all of her powers and memories.

Recently, as more of her memories surfaced, some of them clashed with each other. In one of them, she was with Pietro in every step of her path but in the other, she lost Pietro. In one of her memories, her father controlled metal whilst in the other, he was an ordinary guy who brought sitcoms to cheer up his children. She decided to be patient with her memories and not rush them.

Whilst everyone was preparing for the winter break, including the principal, she was pestering Dire to explain the black stones after the overblot fight and her premonitions. He was acting elusive and saying he was busy.

She learned why he was busy at the start of the break. He went to a holiday resort. He only gave her a phone and assignment and then yeeted away. She bid her farewells to her friends and exchanged numbers. They all seemed happy to go back home which made her yearn for her home as well. Although, she still couldn't understand which place was her home.

Her powers were improving daily. Now she was able to apparate to the other end of the NRC but she should know the layout to avoid apparating inside a tree or another object. She was easily making shield and attack practice targets now.

Things were boring until Grim and Wanda went to the kitchen of the cafeteria and met with Scarabia students. Jamil looked too nice for NRC which made her uneasy. He invited her and Grim to his dorm but she wanted to refuse until he used his magic.

Their eyes were locked when he said she would accept the invitation. She felt a familiar tug in her mind.  Mind control...  Wanda smirked at the irony. Although she couldn't mind-control directly, when she wished for something it happened, whether it was human or object. She was going to entertain his game since the things were boring and she needed a break from all the new information she learned recently.

They all went to Scarabia and met Kalim. Despite Wanda feeling gloomy recently, Kalim's positive aura rubbed on Wanda's mood. They ate together and played a game. They were also invited to stay the night which they accepted. However, the next day, Kalim's personality shifted 180.

She didn't like his new persona and thought he either had multiple personalities or his behaviour was changed by someone else. Hence, she took a peek inside his mind and saw an abnormality. His mind was shackled and something else was in charge as if that thing was the puppet master while Kalim was a marionette. 

She thought Jamil was the one doing it since she felt him trying to command her mind. So she confronted him. He denied obviously. Given his attitude, she didn't feel bad about reading his mind. It was harder than the others but his mind powers couldn't hold a candle to hers.

She went to tell this to everyone but he tried to stop her. Seeing his unique magic not work on her pissed him off further. He reached to grab her. When she dodged, he attacked her with his magic. Wanda's shield appeared in front of her even though she didn't lift a finger. She took a risk like that but its result was rewarding.

She then blasted him back. While he was recovering, she reached where Kalim and the other students are. She began to tell them everything but Jamil soon appeared and used his unique magic on the rest of the students. She didn't know how to break the mind control of the others yet, so she grabbed Grim and ran away. She could have easily handled the entire dorm but she didn't want to harm them since they weren't acting out of their free will.

She also didn't know if she could apparate with Grim without hurting him so they had to leave physically. As many students surrounded them, she decided to use the Flying Carpet to escape. She was excellent at levitating objects but the Flying Carpet had its own consciousness so she wasn't able to control it and they crashed into the Mostro Lounge. The trio was still there. Wanda and Grim were followed by Scarabia students. Not liking them invading their territory, the trio fought them. Despite Wanda's warning about not going hard on them neither listened to her.

After the commotion calmed down, Wanda explained to them the situation. Azul seemed to want to get involved in it and the twins looked as willing as Azul. So the trio dragged them back to Scarabia, spewing some bullshit on how he didn't mean to cause trouble for Scarabia, how lonely it was in the Octavinelle and why they want to spend time with the Scarabia. Despite Jamil suspecting them, the trio along with Wanda and Grim stayed in a Scarabia room even though they were 4 people and Grim in a small room.

Azul, Floyd, Jade and Grim were discussing what to do while Wanda was thinking of a way to break the mind-control. They agreed to record what Jamil would say and when his magic on the mind-controlled students was gone, they would show the video to them. She agreed with the plan but she wanted to have a backup plan. Plus, she would know if she could also control people like that, it'd be useful power for her.

She started to meditate in the room but since she was focusing on the mind, she couldn't black out the thoughts of her roommates. She looked outside from the window and saw there was no one outside. She let them know that she was going to meditate and come back later on. She apparated onto the opening she saw and started to meditate.

Since I hit the word limit again

Link to AO3 or check out the reblog

[hanafubukki]

Now wait a damn second!

Hana…SEVENTY-FIVE (75) CHAPTERS IS BOOK 5?! Broken down in THREE (3) PARTS?! I went on the JP Wiki just to see if we this latest story release was it or if we were gonna get a Part 3. Seems like BK4 only has 41 chapters but my curiosity got the better of me so I had to look at how much BK5 have and where JP is at for BK6…

Let me tell you, I’m not lying when I said I suddenly felt so faint after reading that? That’s a lot! I was thinking maybe 50, but no they just jumped to 75. Who knows how long BK6/7 will be 😭 damn near 150, just watch!

This is hell. I joined right towards the end of BK3, right before the culinary crucible started, so I got lucky to just binge everything. Is this how it always is?! So much waiting, so much banners, events, and gems?! Cuz May is looking crazy packed if you ask me! And I barely have enough gems to pull one time for Jamil’s banner. This is hell!!

Hello Anonie 🌺🌻🌷

Yes, the recent update is the last part of book 4. Book 5 is really long, but there is good reason for that. Without going into spoiler territory, NRC has an event (like it always does lol) and its’ a big one. You see almost every character almost one at least, and they are involved in one way or another. Plus, as the story goes on, the world building and the characters expand, so to juggle all this, it is expected that the number of parts will change too. 

Honestly, I kind of see it as a good thing? Like, more art means more time with our favorite characters and more lore released. I would recommend taking it at your own pace though, read the story when you want and take your time. More parts also mean more gems to pull for our favorite characters too lol 

Book 6 is nearing its end, but I'm not sure how long it is yet. We’ll find that out soon in May. Book 7, I wouldn't be surprised that its so long either because we barely know any background back any diasomnia characters and with the way book 6 went and the hints I wouldn't be surprised about it being long. more pain for the diasomnia fans since we have been starved for content so they will probably blast all the pain at us 😭😂

I cant speak for EN server, because they have been pretty consistent with their updates. (which I personally think they should slow down on because preference) They have either and event or a main story update once a month, or both. Which means consistent release for those that prefer that. 

I can see how it may be daunting but JP server has more waiting than the EN server does, COVID really hit them and slowed down the progress and they are recoverign from that. I do prefer hiatus periods because gem saving is a must for f2p. 

My advice to you anonie is, choose a few characters you love and only pull for them, save gems until you have enough to hit pity before pulling, only pull when you need to, take break from the game if you need to, and go at your own pace.

There is no rush at all, Twisted Wonderland is a game you should play at your own time and pace. It is made for the working adult to casually play. if you need to, then rake a break. I know many people rush the instant that a new update comes out but that is their preference, if you want to slow down then please do so.I go at my own pace and do my own thing because at the end of the day, its a game that's supposed to be fun and enjoyable. ☺️🌺

[egophiliac]

Hi it's just to let you know that the official romanization of Revaan's name is Raverne ! Also they have romanized Baul's name to Baur !

Twst coming back at us again with the least expected romanization! thank you everybody (oh god my inbox) (no it's great, I literally asked for this and the reactions have been INCREDIBLE, thank you all!)

I do like Raverne though, I think it's got a nice fancy sound to it! (I had kinda suspected it was going to be an R instead of an L, so the fact that it's SO close to Laverne except for that is hilarious to me personally.) and Dragoneye Duke is honestly probably the best translation for his title, I wasn't envying the localizers that one. :') Baur instead of Baul I was NOT expecting, but in retrospect I think his name's supposed to be a reference to the Bauru crocodile, so that actually makes way more sense!

someone else also said Meleanor has become Maleanor, which is the REALLY weird one to me, because I was so surprised it was written as Mel instead of Mal in the first place?! oh god no I can't decide which one I like better. 😭 (I wonder if they might change it to Mal...they have made romanization changes before) (like I remember House of Distraction being corrected to House of Destruction in Playful Land) (I did check and she's still Mel for now, but I dunno, they might Mal her up and some point and save me from having to make a decision about which one to use) (HECK I CAN'T DECIDE)

uhhhh thank you for letting me ramble about anime names, let's just say MONOGRAMMED SWEATERS FOR EVERYONE

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

good night, or whatever time of day it is for you 😅 i was never rly into the “traitor/evil ace” theories but book 7 has got me thinking; everyone who’s asleep has something that bothers them and so there dream is a simple solution to that, as an example epel being insecure about not feeling masculine so in his dream he’s big and buff. But I can’t think of any motivations like that for ace? So I wonder if maybe the game has intentionally not revealed personal details as a buildup for this book and we’ll find out something new abt him in his dream. The only others I could think of that don’t seem like they want to change anything are Jade and Floyd but I could be wrong.

I never bought the traitor Ace theories either; he is genuinely friends with Yuu, Deuce, and Grim and does not have any obvious malicious intent toward them. (Why would he make the tedious trip back to Sage’s Island over the winter break to respond to Yuu’s SOS message if he didn’t actually value them? And, mind you, this is during a break he was very looking forward to—so much so that he was willing to make a deal with Azul to take the easy way out to pass final exams).

If he “betrays” us at all, I definitely think it would be in a small way. Like maybe he makes a selfish decision that the rest of the group don’t agree with (such as throwing himself right at OB Malleus). This would be similar to how he is consistently the voice of dissent against powerful figures such as Riddle or Malleus.

As for what’s “bothering” Ace, I believe we’ve already seen two big potential culprits: Yuu going back to their world and insecurities about not having developed his UM yet.

The former is more vague, but it comes up early in book 7; when Grim and Deuce realize that they may not be able to see Yuu again once they return to their original world, Ace cheerily dismisses the idea and tells them they’re not even sure if this will work. It could be read like he was deflecting here, as if he’s in denial himself and is using cheer to tell others what he’s telling himself to cope with the situation. Bro would never outright admit that his true feelings because he’s cheeky like that 💀

The latter option is implied much earlier in the main story, all the way back in book 5. Ace has been needling Deuce the whole book about how he’s such a slow learner and how Deuce will never keep up with him. Then at the end of book 5, Ace has a quick throwaway line in which he expresses shock that Deuce got his UM before he did. We have yet to follow up on this point since book 6 had Adeuce knocked out cold and book 7 scarcely features them. If Ace’s coping mechanisms are anything like what his lines in book 7 imply, then Ace has not talked about the upsetting things and instead kept them to himself. Personally, I think this one is a solid concept that wouldn’t seem entirely out of left field, especially given that book 7 is making a show out of having every student use their at least UM once. There is perfect set-up for Ace to come into his own here.

I think they’ll at least find something really convenient yet superficial for the other characters; after all, we pretty much got that with Rook. Maybe Floyd has the freedom to so whatever he wants without people getting on his case and Jade is free to live in the mountains among the mushrooms 😂

[wondereads]

Recommendation of the Week (07/05/20)

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Why am I recommending this book?

I just finished reading it a couple days ago, and in was a bit interesting. Although it’s classified as a YA book, it doesn’t follow the expected outline, and I believe any adult could read it and enjoy it.

Plot 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

The plot is sort of straightforward. The story focuses around Alyss Heart, the princess of Wonderland, a world that thrives on imagination. On her seventh birthday, her power-hungry Aunt Redd leads a rebellion that results in the death of Alyss’ parents. Alyss escapes from Wonderland with the help of the family’s bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, and ends up in our world in the 1800s. She’s stuck there for thirteen years, during which Alice in Wonderland is based on her, until she can finally get back to Wonderland to defeat Redd. After Alyss returns to Wonderland, I felt like the story became very rushed. I’m pretty sure only a third of the book involves her quest to take down Redd. However, I don’t know if that was the point. The majority of the book is spent alternating between our world and Wonderland during the thirteen years Alyss is gone, but maybe that’s the point. Alyss spends so long in our world that it seems to drag by; she’s there for so long that the inhabitants actually convince her that Wonderland was a figment of her imagination. Meanwhile (spoilers ahead!) she defeats Redd in what I’d suspect is maybe a month at most once she returns. This may be because her experience in our world was incredibly long and draining since she does not belong, but once she returns to Wonderland, as the rightful queen, she has found her place and is able to adapt easily (spoilers finished). Also, I may just have not read any other books like this, but I appreciated that Alyss was very powerful, lost her power, but then retrieves it through her own strength and belief. It felt a bit fresh compared to the typical finding-out-about-their-power plot. Finally, as expected of a book about Wonderland, there’s a lot of imagination. I loved that Redd’s soldiers took the form of cards, as it is with the original story, and that the Hearts’ soldiers were chessmen (pawns, rooks, knights, etc. since they follow the orders of the king and queen). There were so many tie-ins to the original story, but it was very warped, especially under Redd’s rule, which really gave off the feel of a dystopian dictatorship.

Characters 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

The main protagnists, Alyss, Dodge, and Hatter Madigan, are all rather complex. Alyss starts out as a child. She’s very playful and irresponsible, and she knows she’s a princess. However, her character goes under a major change when she is stuck in our world. She becomes much more subdued and respectable, but she seems much more responsible. However, I get the feeling that Alyss is still much more restrained and ‘proper’ than before, which might pose a challenge in a world as unpredictable as Wonderland. As for Dodge, he was ten when the story began. His father was a member of the Millinery, the Wonderland armed forces, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps. As an adult, Dodge becomes very revenge-focused after Redd murders his father, and now sees Alyss as a tool for his revenge rather than a friend. Finally, while Hatter is sort of one-dimensional as Alyss’ bodyguard who is only concerned with protecting her, he is a very interesting character who trusts creators of headwear more than any other. I believe that he will face more development in the later books since it’s hinted at. These three are the focus of the book, and I greatly enjoyed their development and them as people. Unfortunately, as for the other characters, Redd, The Cat, Bibwit Harte, the Jack of Diamonds, and others, they all seem to be rather one-dimensional.

Writing Style 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

I really liked Beddor’s style. As previously mentioned, the book is overflowing with ideas and concepts that really impressed me. There were times I was reminded of Tolkien when it came to how he described things. Unfortunately, I really did feel like the latter half of the book was very rushed, and it seemed like everything fit into place all too easily. I was expecting much more conflict than I got.

Meaning 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

I believe the overarching theme of the book is belief and imagination, but there’s another message that caught my interest. Alyss receives the typical lesson of not allowing yourself to be consumed by anger and revenge, lest it twist who you are, Dodge being a prime example of this. However, Alyss later comes to the realization that her anger, while she shouldn’t let it overtake her, serves as a driving force for her, and it would be ridiculous to try and pretend she can be kind and benevolent all the time to everyone. Anger is an important emotion that provides her with the motivation and power to take action. There are so many magic-focused fantasy stories that emphasize how the main character must always be merciful, must always keep their emotions ‘pure’, and it was just so refreshing to see a book saying that anger, while not the best emotion, is an important part of people, and it would be unreasonable to expect someone to not get angry, especially someone in Alyss’ situation.

Overall 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

I enjoyed this book, but I enjoyed it as a standalone. The ending felt much to final for the first book in a trilogy; I don’t think I have the motivation to read the next book when (almost) everything is wrapped up in this one. Other than the pacing and some side characters, I loved it. It really felt ingenuitive despite there being so many Alice in Wonderland adaptations today. I would recommend this to anyone looking to transition from YA to adult fiction, or people who like fantasy, imaginative fantasy world building, or Alice in Wonderland.

The Author

Frank Beddor: https://frankbeddor.com/

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose, and you can learn more about me here!

[efnewsservice]

Season 7 General Index Post

7A Part 1 - 7A Part 2 - Conventions - Public Events

Note:  Because of a quark of Tumblr’s code that appears to limit the number of links that you can place in a single post this post has now been broken into several parts

*This post is organized with the most recent item first.

Season Press Release (x)

Season Marketing Images

Season 7 Cinderella Motorcycle Poster

Once ABC Instagram Puzzle Poster

Publicity Photographs 

Cast (x, x, x)

Regina (x)

Hook (x)

Rumple (x)

Henry (x)

Lady Tremaine (x)

Cinderella (x, x)

Lucy (x)

Tiana (x)

Drizella (x)

Alice (x)

Official Season Promos

“A New Book Opens”

ABC Fall Season Trailer - Are You Ready?

SDCC Season 7 Trailer

ABC Upfronts 2017 Opening Video - The Pitch Room

A&E Interviews

10/9/17: Collider - 'Once Upon a Time' Creators On Season 7 Shakeups and Leaving Storybrooke Behind

10/6/17: The Wrap - 'Once Upon a Time' Creators Are 'Nervous as Hell' About Season 7 Premiere

10/5/17: AdAge - Once Upon a Time's Creators Say the Show's Ambitious Overhaul Could Extend the Series for 6 More Seasons

10/4/17: [Minnesota] Star Tribune - Why ABC's 'Once Upon a Time' has so many references to Minnesota

10/2/17: THR - How 'Indiana Jones' Set the Model for the Future of ABC's 'Once Upon a Time'

9/26/17: ABC PR - Kitsis and Horowitz interview [video]

9/26/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' Bosses Deep Dive Into Season 7 Reboot

9/18/17: TV Guide - Returning Favorites: Once Upon a Time

9/14/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' Bosses Reveal Henry's Surprising New Job

9/7/17: TVLIne - Fall TV Spoilers 2017: Scoop on 35+ Returning Favorites

9/5/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time': Emma Reunites With Hook and Henry in Exclusive Photos

9/3/17: TVLine - Once Upon a Time First Look: Tiana Is a Princess With a Mission (and Enemies!)

9/1/17: THR - 'Once Upon a Time' Scorecard: All the Season 7 Returns and New Personas

8/16/17: TV Guide - Hook Is Searching for Something – or Someone?

8/11/17: IGN - Once Upon a Time: Showrunners Answer 15 Burning Season 7 Fan Questions

8/9/17: KSite - Once Upon A Time EPs Talk About The New "Book," "Roni" & Returning Faces

8/6/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time': Regina's New Name Revealed!

7/28/17: EW - Hot Seat

7/24/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' Bosses on New LGBT Character

5/26/17: EW - Inside Once Upon a Time’s Big Reset

5/15/17: Yahoo! - ‘Once Upon a Time’ Creators Tease Season 7: It’s The ‘Same Show’ in ‘New Worlds’

5/15/17: The Wrap - 'Once Upon a Time' Creators Defend Cast Shakeup: Fans Want Us to 'Rot in Hell'

5/15/17: TV Guide - Once Upon a Time Bosses on Resetting and What to Expect from Season 7

5/14/17: THR - 'Once Upon a Time' Creators Explain the "Next Chapter" to Come in Season 7

5/14/17: Deadline - ‘Once Upon A Time’ Season Finale: Creators Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz Talk Cast, Happy Endings & Season 7

5/14/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' Bosses Unveil Plans for Season 7

5/14/17: TVLine - Once Upon a Time Bosses Break Down Finale's Closure-Filled Montage, Tease Henry's Season 7 Adventure

Cast Interviews

10/25/17: TV Guide - Inside the Once Upon a Time Costume Closet with Adelaide Kane

10/13/17: THR - How Andrew J. West Is Living His Own Fairy Tale on 'Once Upon a Time'

10/6/17: E! Online - Lana Parrilla interview [video]

10/6/17: Live! - Lana Parrilla interview [video]

10/6/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' star Colin O'Donoghue on the mystery behind Hook's return

10/6/17: Good Morning Texas - Lana Parrilla interview [video]

10/5/17: ET - 'Once Upon a Time' Star Colin O'Donoghue on Season 7 Reboot -- Will Robin Hood Return?

10/5/17: AOL Build - Lana Parrilla interview [video]

10/5/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' star Rose Reynolds introduces streetwise, enigmatic Alice

10/4/17: TV GUide - Meet Princess Tiana [video]

10/4/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' star Mekia Cox on playing first black Disney princess

10/3/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' star Adelaide Kane talks millennial meanie Drizella

10/3/17: Real Stye - The Queen is Back and photo shoot

10/2/17: Jossbecause - Monday Muse: Lana Parrilla On Her Career, Life Advice, And Captain Hook (photo)

10/2/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' star Gabrielle Anwar talks villainous turn as Lady Tremaine

9/29/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' star Dania Ramirez on new Cinderella: 'She's not a damsel in distress'

9/28/17: EW -  'Once Upon a Time' star Andrew J. West on taking up Henry Mills' mantle

9/27/17: Dish Studio - Lana Parrilla interview [video]

9/27/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time': Lana Parrilla divulges why she's here to stay

9/26/17: ABC PR - Lana Parrilla interview [video]

9/26/17: ABC PR - Colin O’Donoghue interview [video]

9/26/17: ABC PR - Andrew J. West interview [video]

9/26/17: ABC PR - Gabrielle Anwar interview [video]

9/26/17: ABC PR - Dania Ramirez interview [video]

9/23/17: Face Forward - Lana Parrilla acceptance speech [video]

9/19/17: TV Guide - What’s Next for Regina on Once Upon a Time [video]

9/14/17: White Caps FC - Colin O’Donoghue interview [video]

9/13/17: myFanbase - Once Upon a Time - Interviews: Exclusive interview with Colin O'Donoghue

9/8/17: TV Guide - Once Upon a Time Brings a New Look to Familiar Characters [video]

8/25/17: ksite - Once Upon A Time: Lana Parrilla Talks Season 7

8/23/17: TV Guide - How Will the New Curse Effect Everyone? [video]

8/16/17: TV Guide - What’s Next for Hook and Emma? [video]

8/10/17: Lapalme - Meghan Ory “Chesapeake Shores” and photo shoot

8/8/17: TV Guide - Once Upon a Time's Lana Parrilla Describes Regina's Perfect Match

8/6/17: ABC PR - 60 Seconds with... [video]

8/2/17: Hellow Giggles - Lana Parrilla says the actors behind Adult Henry and Young Henry are *exactly* alike

7/28/17: Hello Giggles - Robert Carlyle has to re-record some “Once Upon a Time” Season 7 lines — because Rumple changed his accent

5/18/17: Gold Derby - Lana Parrilla interview [video]

5/17/17: Huffington Post - Did Jamie Chung Just Confirm The End Of 'Once Upon A Time'?

General Press

10/6/17: Gizmodo - 8 Once Upon a Time Character Relationships So Crazy They Were Basically Fan Fiction

10/2/17: TV Insider - 'Once Upon a Time' Season 7 Is 'Hopeful' and 'Sentimental,' EP Says

9/26/17: E! Online - These OUAT Character Portraits Will Take Your Breath Away

9/25/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' Opens New Chapter With Major Reboot

9/20/17: TVLine - Once Upon a Time: Rebecca Mader to Return for Multiple Season 7 Episodes

9/16/17: EW - Fall Preview Print Article 9/15/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time': Meet the New Cast and Gallery

8/30/17: EW - Natalie Abrams set visit photos [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3]

8/24/17: TV Guide - 2017 Returning Fall Shows: Where We Left Off: Once Upon a Time (ABC)

8/6/17: Variety - ‘Once Upon a Time’ Season 7: Curse Personalities, Cinderella, and a New ‘Epic Romance’

8/6/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' Reveals Hook, Regina, Rumple Alt-Identities

8/6/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' could run for 'multiple years,' per ABC chief

8/6/17: TV Guide - Here's How Hook and Regina are Different in Once Upon a Time Season 7

8/6/17: TVLine - ABC Boss Talks Once Upon a Time's Fate, 'Cheeky' Bachelor in Paradise Promo, S.H.I.E.L.D. Status and More

8/6/17: ET - 'Once Upon a Time': Lana Parrilla and Colin O'Donoghue Reveal Surprising New Twists to Season 7 Characters

8/6/17: E! Online - Regina Will Have a New Name in Season 7

7/24/17: TV Guide - 10 Shows Where the Lead Was Eclipsed by Someone Better

7/22/17: THR - 'Once Upon a Time' Producers Open Up About Season 7 Reset (and a New Alice in Wonderland)

7/22/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' bosses reveal new characters for season 7

7/22/17: TV Guide - Once Upon a Time Season 7's New Characters Have Been Revealed!

7/22/17: TVLine - Once Upon a Time @ Comic-Con: Season 7's Secret Roles Revealed, a 'Prominent LGBTQ Storyline' and More

7/22/17: Deadline - ‘Once Upon A Time’ Debuts Opening Scene From Season 7 Revamp, Teases LGBTQ Storyline

7/22/17: ET - 'Once Upon a Time' Drops First Two Scenes From Season 7 Premiere at Comic-Con

7/22/17: Buddy TV - 'Once Upon a Time' Season 7 Spoilers: LGBT Couple Announced, Cinderella's Stepmother Revealed and More

7/21/17: EW - 'American Gods' Star Ricky Whittle Once Modeled for STD Campaign

7/15/17: EW - 'Once Upon a Time' Bosses Drop New Season 7 Clues

7/15/17: TVLine - Once Upon a Time: Dania Ramirez Is Playing 'New' Cinderella

7/15/17: ET - ‘Once Upon a Time’ Bosses Downplay Season 7 Cast 'Reset,' Reveal Huge Premiere Spoilers

5/30/17: TVLine - Speculation on casting Henry’s wife - and shot down

5/22/17: TVLine - Once Upon a Time Season 7: Everything to Know

5/16/17: EW - Why 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' and 'Once Upon a Time' Are Heading to Fridays

5/16/17: TVLine - Once Upon a Time Season 7: New Details on Henry's 'Epic Quest' and Helpers

5/16/17: TVLine - ABC Fall Schedule: Once Bumped to Friday, black-ish Shifts to Tuesday, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. M.I.A.

Other Promotional Material

University of Wisconsin Commencement Announcement

Short Press Spoilers

General (x, x, x)

Flashbacks (x)

Former Main Cast (x)

Tiana (x)

Drizella (x, x)

Alice (x, x)

Robin (x)

Moana (x, x)

Regular Cast Additions

Gabrielle Anwar as Lady Tremaine II (x, x, x, x)

Dania Ramirez as Cinderella II (x, x, x, x, x, x)

Mekia Cox as Tiana  (x, x, x, x, x) 

Other Season Press Index Posts:

Season 1: General Index Post - 1A Episode Index Post - 1B Episode Index Post Season 2: General Index Post - 2A Episode Index Post - 2B Episode Index Post   - Conventions Season 3: General Index Post - 3A Episode Index Post - 3B Episode Index Post - Wonderland Season 4: General Index Post - 4A Part 1 - 4A Part 2 - 4B Part 1 - 4B Part 2 Season 5: General Index Post - 5A Part 1 - 5A Part 2 - 5B Part 1 - 5B Part 2 - Conventions Season 6: General Index Post - 6A Part 1 - 6A Part 2 - 6A Part 3 - 6B Part 1 - 6B Part 2 - 6B Part 3 - 6B Part 4 - 6B Part 5 - Conventions - Public Events Season 7: 7A Part 1 - 7A Part 2 - Conventions - Public Events

[egophiliac]

he did it! 🐍 and it only took...uhhh...well, there probably could've been less punches, but why hold back!

PUNCHES FOR EVERYONE