#also deuce-fixation is so based

[remturtle]

It going alright! I’ll be moving from certificate course to a diploma in a few weeks. So once this course finishes up I’ll have another year ahead of me.

Desperately hoping there’s an afternoon class so I don’t have to wake up at 6am everyday anymore…

CIEL!!!! I MISS U FR DUDE HOW HAVE YOU BEEN!!

hey man!!! Sorry for the disgusting amount of radio silence, ya boi has been absolutely swamped with uni work lol

Also I got my first testosterone shot the other day, so I’m feeling pretty good about that :3

What about you? Anything interesting or cool happen? New interests or hobbies? (Any twst stuff you wanna ramble about?)

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

duos silices ad ignem

Just a Rollo fic I wrote based off of this post

I write Reader/Yuu as female

Also my writing may be a bit biased but I refuse to write Deuce as nothing but a sweetheart even in an angst fic

“You’re ‘used to it’?” Rollo repeats incredulously, looking at you as though you’ve gone barmy, “Oh you poor thing. I can’t blame you for becoming numb to the absurdity after spending every day swimming in it.”

You open your mouth, ready to dismiss his words and defend yourself, but you find the words clogging up at your throat, refusing to leave. The stoic Student Council President continued to look at you, concern overcasting his features, so you swallow thickly as you feel your heartbeat in your ears and mutter that you think you hear Professor Trein calling you before making a much too hasty exit.

You’ll admit that initially, yes, the concept of magic terrified you. Why wouldn’t it? After spending a lifetime without it and then being thrown into the both metaphorical and literal lions’ den with no support whatsoever was the stuff of nightmares. Especially when you consider your first overblot, where everyday was the physical representation of out of the frying pan and into the fire.

But you learned to see the beauty of magic, learned to see how it can help and heal, how it can mend broken bones in seconds instead of months, how it can protect you and make you soar. 

Though why do you feel resentful? Why do you feel that tang of bitterness when you’d see someone wave their pens and have an entire room spotless in a blink of an eye? Why does it cause such discomfort to witness a meal magically prepped to perfection? Why does watching your classmates using spells to play around in class and make their life easier fill you up with so much dread?

You love magic so why do you still flinch?

‘Maybe,” your mind supplies, “it’s because they’re so used to it. They’re so lackadaisical about throwing around spells because it comes to them without a thought. To them it’s mundane. To you - well, it’s proof that you don’t belong here, that you’re not yet home.”

Later on you find yourself sitting in isolation on a bench, far removed from the festivities of your peers, as you watch them produce fireworks with seamless flicks of their wrists, laughing gaily with every spark and flicker.

Why was it that a complete stranger could see you, hear your unspoken thoughts, much better than an entire castle full of people that you’ve spent months with? Why was it that this wiry, unfeeling, looming presence was able to piece together what was laid out in front of him much better than the people you brushed with death with to save?

Was it pity? The thought should have filled you with offense, that this person you just met is treating you with such infantilising condescension. How dare he patronise you without even knowing what you’ve done, what you’ve lived through, how you’re barely holding on to the tattered shreds of your sanity before it slips through your fingers-

How dare he be so right.

Maybe it is pity, maybe his patronising words were warranted. Maybe, just maybe, you’re so desperate that you’ll take it, that you’ll take anything if it meant someone would look close enough to see that you’re not okay, that you want out.

You’re left alone with your thoughts now, as you watch your schoolmates with a blank look, your eyes fixated on their high spirits but not quite seeing them. Your thoughts that liked to remind you of how small you are, how insignificant against the might that was magic, how easy it was for you to sign away your life to Azul with a simple signature, how eye contact or a few words was all it took for Jamil and Ruggie to own your mind and body, how Vil cursed your food without a word to you nor a care in the world.

How completely breakable you are in this twisted world of vices and villains.

Even the other first years, who are considered the least powerful in regards to magical capability, could end you as fast as lightning flashes.

You think back on the scars that coiled and burned along your skin, how the foreign slivers of jagged discolouration were littered along your body, a sadistically twisted storybook that mapped out your past, present and future torment. The deep reddish-purple lesions and inky black cracks that spiderwebbed your once young, innocent and untouched complexion were nothing more than a perpetual reminder of all that you’ve lost, all that’s been taken from you in this world. That you weren’t who you once were and you can never go back to being her.

(“Deuce,” you whispered to your friend late into the night. Ace and Grim were contentedly dozing away on the mattress you’d placed on the floor of Ramshackle’s living room, leaving you and Deuce the only ones awake on your couch, the dim light of the television bathing you in opalescence and and the tinny sounds it played turning into white noise. “Yeah,” he replied, his voice just barely a mutter but you heard it loud and clear. “Have,” you took a breath and looked down at your twiddling fingers, “have you ever looked at a mirror and saw a stranger?”

“Yeah, I have,” Deuce replied. Your head cants upwards and you see his blue eyes piercing through the darkness, “it was right after I heard my mum crying on the phone to my grandma. I didn’t know who I was. I just knew I didn’t want to be who I saw.”)

But it’s okay now because they are your friends.

That’s the mantra you chanted as you surveyed everyone in front of you. 

Riddle who called you pathetic who didn’t hesitate to make a mockery of you who attacked you with both his words and his thorny rage, diligently listening to an NBC student explain the history of Fleur City.

They are your friends

Deuce who was your best friend who you trusted with your life who you can’t tell any of this to and Epel who’s a victim like you who wants out like you who’s still destined to hurt you like everyone else, talking animatedly about their magical wheels as they eat their candy apples.

They are your friends

Ruggie who can control you with one word who still has the fangs and claws of a predator who you still don’t know if you can trust, munching on as many baked goods as he could.

They are your friends

Azul who’s sadistic and manipulative and uses and takes for his own benefit who happily made you homeless and still has everything despite all that he’s done who’s predatory eyes burn you whenever he’s near, looking for your next weakness to exploit and Jamil who used and kidnapped and manipulated you who hypnotised you and ripped away what little control you had whilst playing pretend as your friend who took pleasure in your suffering were surveying the stalls, asking the vendors questions about their wares. For some reason, the thought of joining them felt like acid crawling up your throat.

They are your friends

Rook who’s an enabler just like everyone else who watched on as his housewarden cursed your food and tried to poison and kill someone who can easily hunt you down and find you no matter where you are or how well you hide, laughing along with everyone’s merriment and spouting out verbose french poetry that you weren’t sure you wanted to understand.

They are your friends

Idia who took Grim from you who unlike everyone else was an actual genuine friend before he overblotted who played his part just like everyone else did, looking like he found Nirvana as he was surrounded by stray cats and kittens.

They are your friends

Silver who you don’t even know yet who could still be part of this twisted ploy to cause your downfall who could hide a person as sadistically corrupted like everyone else, napping on a bench near Sebek who hates your existence who hates that a human would dare to breathe the same air as his liege who doesn’t even hide his contempt for you who was watching Malleus who’s never there who never helps who just does what he wants and you can’t say anything because who are you compared to him with his usual starry-eyed worship.

They are your friends. They’ve changed. It’s alright now, You easily washed away the red of their sins so everything’s all good. You’ve moved on - forgive and forget, right? Sure they hurt you but it’s all water under the bridge. They won’t hurt you again. So why, why- 

Then why does your stomach feel like lead now. Why do your eyes sting so badly, pinpricks dotting the edges of them as you feel the telltale drip of water run down your cheek.

All you want is to survive

But how do you survive in a world that wants you dead?

Apart from Ace, Deuce, Grim and the ghosts that haunt your dorm, not one person looked at you and saw you as someone other than the magicless prefect who stops overblots and cleans up messes that they had nothing to do with. Not one person who’s hurt you had stopped to think that you were someone who could feel hurt, that your feelings matter, that you don’t fight death every other second because you want to but because it’s the only way you could survive in a place where you have been abandoned. 

Shakespeare was right. There are daggers in men’s smiles. In every predatory grin, in every saccharine leer, in every simper that coiled and tightened around you like a serpent, with its poison-laced fangs prodding at your carotid, just waiting to strike.

You feel him before you see him, his lanky figure joining you in your shadowed refuge. Without a word, he sits down beside you.

“Do you believe in fate?” you ask idly, your stare never once wavering from where you watched Professor Trein who’s in on it who, just like every other adult, has failed you who never once punished anyone except you and your fellow students, “that things happen and there’s nothing we can do about it because that’s just how things are meant to be? That the people who do bad things just get to do those things and everyone’s supposed to live with it because that’s how the story is written?”

He regards you for a second and then turns and looks straight ahead with a gaze like steel, “I believe in justice. That without it, humanity is doomed to live in a delusion of peace. I believe that the only way to be truly free from the sins that swarm and bite us, that follow us around like a plague, is to take the reins ourselves and use our power to free us from them. The past is just a tragic history but the future has several names: for the weak, it is impossible; for the fainthearted, it is unknown; but for the valiant, it is ideal. And once the gavel of justice has done its duty in punishing the wicked and freeing the innocent, even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

You feel a cold, thin hand placed over yours and you let it rest there. It was grounding, comforting.

Maybe, it’s about time you stop being a victim of the narrative and take control of your own story. You’ll rid yourself of your tragic ending and fashion a new happily ever after.

In NRC, you found horrors beyond your comprehension.

In Rollo, you think you’ve found your guardian angel.

[thecoolsquirrel]

Hi! I’m absolutely in love with your little mermaid AU! The dynamic between adeuce, the princess, and grim is living rent free in my head right now.

Also I’m wondering! Were the three of them childhood friends? And what’s Ace and Deuce “status” like are they also some kind of princes or sons of rich people (or just live in the walls of the castle) or etc

I’m just wondering how the they all became friends in general 👀

THANKYOU FOR THE ASK AND IM GLAD YOURE LIKING THE AU💛💛💛💛💛💛 I dont have a lot of things solidified but heres some thoughts! <3

They're outfits are based off Grimsby and Carlotta theyre outfits where blue and red so it was begging for me to do it so In my head I had them as butlers/workers

But if their parents worked for the royal family,the three of them definitely hanged out and i can see princess being possibly closer to Ace at the time due to Deuce going through his delinquent phase. or maybe deuce and princess dont meet and become friends later on after deuce tries being better 👁️

@/camrastuff had a thought of Ace being a knight or counselor but my knight x princess fixation won't allow it cause then I'll totally forget about Azul

knight Ace is so on the brain and it is on the list of things i need to draw

honestly might do Knight!Deuce just because he seems like that type of person tho

[twstyuna]

Heartslabyul

Random I Know You Trivia amd Recaps so spoilers for that if you care.

Ace

Main vibe/inspiration: the RPGMaker horror game I hold dear to my heart called Ib

World glitch occurred because the toyshop is bigger on the inside than the outside and went a bit wonky with space, hence dropping Ace and Yuu into the backrooms

While Ace has some scratches on his wrists from the flowers accidentally cutting him when they expand, Yuu has marks behind her ears from accidentally scratching herself when she used to tuck the rose behind her ear instead of putting it onto a hair tie/band.

Ace is nicer but Yuu does cry a lot so his nickname for her's never completely leaving.

Deuce

Main vibe/inspiration: Interdimensional meet cute stories in general, stair and rain superstitions, all I know of delinquency is from the Weak Hero webtoon.

Deuce can actually talk to Yuu somewhat, despite her being a girl.

While Deuce thought Yuu was a Ghost, she thought he was a Fox.

Do you know there are rituals with stairs that supposedly take you to other worlds. Do you know sunshowers are said to be fox weddings. Do you know stumbling on stairs is associated with engagements or weddings.

I hold to my initial intention of these stories being platonic, but I think it's hilarious if Yuu thought this random quiet blond kid she met while it was raining on a sunny day was some fox spirit that liked her in shoujo supernatural romance fashion.

That weird idea fades with time, but like, she remembers him being blond as one of the main things. Also being quiet, but there was a fixation on blondness because Fox and because Funny.

She does remember him eventually.

Trey

Main vibe/inspiration: the Alice in Wonderland animated movie, the Alice being lost and the depressing Very Good Advice scene specifically

Yuu disappears back to her world among the round chrysanthemum patches. Miriam webster says a rath is a usually circular earthwork serving as stronghold and residence of an ancient Irish chief. Chrysanthemum raths, mum raths, mome raths, this is such a vague reference and such a stretch

Mrs. Rosehearts is mad, in every sense of the word.

Yuu remembered first. Green hair and yellow eyes are not a common sight in the normal world, but aside from those, Doodle Suit makes her remember tasting flower cookies when she was lost.

Trey doesn't remember at first, Yuu doesn't mind keeping it that way, but he asks on his birthday so now they're both embarrassed.

Cater

Main vibe/inspiration: Night in the Woods in the dying town sense.

I stand by my belief that Cater is somewhat based on the Tweedles with his red hair and Split Card UM. The tweedles are kinda clingy in animated film, and thus Cater Shall Be.

In his defense, he thought Yuu met a violent fate.

He calls Yuu Bug because of her clumsiness, and because of how he initially saw her like a bug on a board.

Yuu called him Catcher mentally, because she remembers him saying that he would. It was faster than thinking That Boy or That Skateboarder Guy or That Jerk Who Ditched Me and Maybe Got Kidnapped and helped her remember kind of better until it didn't. The fact that it resembles his actual name is a cute bonus.

Yes the kidnapping particular fear was on both ends.

Yuu can rollerskate now whoopee.

Riddle

Main vibe/inspiration: the animated Alice in Wonderland film, specifically how the Queen of Hearts treats Alice almost civilly, sometimes if you can forget every other scene or sentence when she's being mean.

One of the dreams references include the Caucus Race

Riddle can't remember Yuu's name because dream logic.

Yuu is a lucid dreamer. This Yuu doesn't completely believe she's in Twisted Wonderland. She thinks it may be a dream. Horrible self-preservation because of it.

[idleglowingpixels]

Random progress update on a few things I've been cooking up lately (Gonna try to organize this in order of different fandoms cause I'm not about to make a bunch of miscellaneous posts for each):

Still working on XXY, but definitely not as much as I anticipated...Might have to go on hiatus again after Chapter 14. WHICH I HATE DOING, however, if I do end up going on hiatus again, I'm gonna wrap up the story by the time I come back so it doesn't happen again. I'm not gonna lie, y'all, I've been working on XXY for 6 years and when I'm not working on my favorite parts, it starts feeling like a chore :') But I'm still seeing it through to the end.

Also still working on my pride month art, I'm stuck on Day 10 right now and the biggest hurdle for me is that the drawing just isn't working??? I have no idea why but this goddamn drawing has been giving me issues since the SKETCH phase. But I'm almost done with one of the pair's line art, so I don't know, I'll try finally getting back on track after that. I didn't want to skip around on the release order of the drawings, still don't, it's not the end of the world if these drawings follow me into next month.

I'd made another couple of Underfell one-off comics in the background, just haven't posted them. For one I have to like, completely change stuff or set in the future of my version of its story because of Mettaton beloved (I like lowkey completely changed him from the usual UF!MTT interpretation because I'd like to explore a lot of trans identity/appearance story potential with him) and I drew the comic before really delving into research on the characters in it, and the other I just haven't colored/rendered yet but if you're curious, it's how Alphys and Undyne get together in this universe lol

Speaking of Undertale/Deltarune-related things, I'm considering maybe potentially making a video or a big blog post here about some theories/ideas I have post-Chapters-3-and-4 because OOH this fixation isn't going fucking ANYWHERE anytime soon

Haven't gotten around to any Monster High AU stuff (Besides my pride month art...which hasn't released yet so I have to wait to yap about that lol), but I'd like to! Right now I'm mainly talking Greek mythos with a few friends of mine to figure out some details about the characters connected to Greek figures. I don't mind sharing these for now, but I'm considering having Perseus as Deuce's father that abandoned Medusa (he names his pet rat Perseus only knowing a couple of stories about him, but NOT knowing the "real" Perseus is his father), and having Heath's be Prometheus (as I was originally gonna do Hades based on G3 but quickly came to find out that not only does that not really align with Hades, and that G3 Hades is treated like the universe's Christian devil and that...That's not Hades at all lmao). Prometheus is going to more or less be the one to have brought fire elemental monsters into the world since he also brought fire to Earth. He's still punished for this by Zeus but here it's not as severe (like he's still able to walk around and stuff but he still has the whole liver-pecking thing happening) and it's played for laughs because if Monster High isn't funny and unserious at times then it ISN'T Monster High imo haha. But trust me, I haven't forgotten about TALTNS, if anything I'm just really wanting to take my time with it because it's the Wolf Pack's origins prior to Frankie's enrollment into MH.

[fidenciocryptidcreechur]

I like this

Very based tier list

idk if we're supposed to add to this one or make our own so let me know ^^;

1st tier (like to hang out, actively seeking to hang out with them depending on what i found or topics etc.):

Rook and kalim are my top picks as well. They match my energy, they love to yap, have a love for all things new and interesting. Very experience driven. More than matches my energy.

Sounds silly but Jade here as well but purely because i love nature science, have a fixation on all biology info and would love to yap about mycology and fungi (the fungal network between trees, cordyceps, the way fungi and molds interact with each other and within each other as well as in other organisms). One sided i fear because he'd be my favorite nature nerd to chat with and info dump and any subtle jabs he makes simply wouldn't get clocked in person but i think he'd be more than willing to ditch me tbh (canon Jade). I think he would vibe with me just cause I'd be super stoked to be in the hiking club to go foraging and to ID plants and animals etc.

2nd tier (hanging out if i see em somewhere or have something cool that i think they might like. Friendly but not friends per se. Like em though) :

Deuce and Silver as well. Very honest blunt guys and i vibe with that, we're all trying to focus on studies while dealing with our focus issues. However they're not very talkative, and while i love to yap i do feel bad if I'm the only one talking. Hang out buddies that i like to bring topics to and work with but also can't hang around with and talk with as often cause i would feel like I'm bothering them by talking so much

Trey and jamil. These two i like as vibes and see myself gravitating to both for food and just cause they would seem like they know what they're doing plus they do a lot of tasks and i would end up just going with the flow and helping especially when I'm idle. I feel like they'd be kinda dry though??? Like they're buddies i hang out with, get snacks from and help out but they don't have a lot of time to chat plus they adhere to their own norms and their set limitations so it feels like conversation flow wouldn't be as interesting as i would need to be engaging? Plus I'd feel too bad about talking too much to them.

Honorable mention: cater. He's fun but also he tries to snap random photos and videos sometimes so i would chat but constantly dodge his phone cause i hate getting recorded for social media stuff. Fun but I'm playing dodge/hide and seek with him and his phone on the daily.

3rd tier (not really actively seeking out, mainly if i have a topic etc that i think they'll like. A case of good people, just don't mesh though):

Controversial, but Jack Howl goes here for me because I'm someone who takes everything at face value and even if i were to know he's a caring tsundere character, i would still get hurt or thrown off by what he says on my down days. He'd say something like "whatever, I'm not here to hang out with you. Just making sure you don't get into trouble" and i would immediately assume he only tolerates me and would question why he's still hanging out??? I would like his work ethic and would hang out because he is nice but also kinda assume he merely tolerates me and dislikes me based on his comments and his occasional need to act cool/unbothered.

Sebek as well but like??? I think it's just the added comments of "for a human" etc that would throw me to a degree. I click with his bluntness (mood and same honestly) and i like his style and work ethic but the added comments would make me think he purely tolerates me. Even in the event he were to go out of his way to hang out or something, i would still be questioning why he's around since i would assume he dislikes me to a degree.

Honorable mention for 3rd tier: idia but it's because i think he would perceive me in real life and automatically assumed I'm an extrovert that could never understand him and assume I'm a pint sized jock with a love for theatre but online we would click. Bond over fandoms and brainrot, send bizarre memes and binge cult classics. Basically online besties in fandom and we both geek out about video games, offline he thinks I'm an evil extrovert put on wonderland to cause him panic attacks. I would be confused about him offline and just assume I'll never meet my online friend who seems super cool if anxious. Any offline attempts at interaction are met with silence, questions or avoidance.

I’ve gotta stay up tn so who do you think you’d get along with in TWST? You’re destitute, freaking isekaid. This is not to ask your favs, but someone to match (and maybe exceed) your freak. (isn’t to say I dislike any of the guys! Just for this prompt!)

3rd tier (does NOT mesh no matter how much I try):

Idia- Judgy in the opposite way that I’m judgy/ Introverted like a stray cat 2/10

Floyd - Would embarrass me with his mood swings 1/10 (NO regard for social conventions)

Leona- Actively enjoys instigating 2.5/10 (not enough empathy, would gossip to him tho)

(Honorable mention to Malleus, I would be scared SO shitless dude)

2nd tier (Friendly but not friends):

Ruggie- 4/10 don’t mind the stealing, would throw me under the bus

Azul- I just realized we’re weirdly similar? Takes himself too seriously for me to be comfortable 3/10

Epel- I sympathize with his forced assimilation shtick, he’d HATE me tho 5/10

1st tier (MY ride or die. Probably one sided.):

Riddle- idk if I’ve mentioned this,,, but I’d be leeching off of him HARD. My years of smoozing have all been for this moment 7/10 (I’m a suck up)

Kalim- Makes friends with everyone, follows social rules, and has connections across campus that I need 8/10 + Scarabia parties go hard

Rook- I can’t tell? He’d be my friend that I talk for hours with, then proceed to shove in a closet because I’m worried for what that says about my personality. 9/10 would feel bad, probably tries ghosting him in the middle of a break

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hi miss Raven!! I was wondering what is Rollo's character actually like in game?? I've seen people talk about it but only about how he's obsessed with Malleus. There's gotta be more to his character right?? 😭😭

The whole “Rollo is obsessed with Malleus” thing is being circulated because it’s based on a single sinister line in the opening to Glorious Masquerade. He talks about how he wants to erase “those irritating people” (it is not specified who he is referring to), then achieving peace and freedom as a result of that. Rollo follows up by saying that he’s looking forward to seeing Malleus in particular out of all the guests for the masquerade (while making THIS suspicious expression):

If you listen to this opening, Rollo is also heard doing the classic “evil villain laugh”, and he sounds markedly self-assured and arrogant. This is many people’s first experience with the character, and perhaps the most “overt” and easily recognizable trait about him, so that’s probably why it’s the thing people most remember or immediately jump to when describing Rollo.

Fans are still theory crafting based on that line from the opening (ie they’ve come to the conclusion that Rollo is fixated on Malleus) and the fact that Rollo’s Disney counterpart was also infamously obsessive. Some people seem to think the sentiment is negative (ie Rollo has an issue with Malleus and/or with fae in particular), while others think the sentiment is positive (ie Rollo is a secret Malleus fanboy/just wants to be Malleus’s friend, but is constantly misread because of his dour face). In any case, we have not gotten confirmation of either theory, and nor is “obsessed with Malleus” Rollo’s entire personality. (I mean, even the ACTUAL confirmed “obsessed with Malleus” character, Sebek, has his own personality outside of that.)

When the NRC students actually get to meet Rollo in the event’s story, he doesn’t initially present the same character as he does in the opening. Here is what we know to be true of Rollo, as well as some broad observations I’ve made about him. (PLEASE NOTE: as of this post going live, there are only 2 out of 5 parts of the event out; the observations made below are reflective ONLY of those first 2 parts.)

Rollo is introduced as a third year and the student council president of Noble Bell College, a status which is similar to that of dorm leader at Night Raven College.

A lot of people have been assuming that it was Rollo that explicitly extended a personal invitation for Malleus to attend the symposium; however, this is not confirmed to be the case. When Crowley goes to Malleus to communicate that he’s been chosen to go along with the other 10 picked via lottery, Crowley says, the “hosts” (plural; ie Noble Bell College students organizing the event) wanted Malleus to attend. It can be inferred that Rollo may have played a role in this or used his influence as student council president to pull the strings. However, it is just as likely that everyone else at NBC wanted Malleus to come because of Malleus’s notoriety (crown prince AND one of the top 5 strongest mages in the world) and Rollo just agreed with it because it aligned with his personal motives.

He is shown to be very polite, but also aloof (note that he is not speaking with the same fervor as he did in the opening). Deuce thinks that Rollo is expressionless, and Epel thinks Rollo looks angry. This seems to make Rollo akin to the “kuudere” archetype (at least on a superficial level), which is defined by being stoic, cold, and emotionless but having a secret side to them (usually far sweeter than their initial personality would have you believe).

Rollo prefers to remain formal; he’s confused by Rook gracing him with a nickname (then again, who wouldn’t be?) and generally speaks politely.

Continuing from the previous point, Rollo seems to take offense to Sebek referring to him as “human”. Remarkably, Rollo is the first character to correct Sebek by reminding him what his actual name is.

It seems like Rollo is disguising his true thoughts and intentions; when Sebek overhears him saying something negative (”it’s deplorable”), Rollo calmly denies having ever said anything at all.

Rollo is implied to be dutiful and diligent, not only in his work as student council president but also as one of the hosts for the symposium; he read up on each attendee before they arrived on his campus (thanks to the documents Crowley provided for him), and is aware of their full names, titles, races, and various family connections. Something that Azul mentions (after being handed his masquerade outfit) is that it’s unnerving that NBC (and thus, potentially Rollo) is aware of the prescription of his lenses (as they provided him with new glasses with his new look).

Rollo prioritizes his responsibilities; he stays behind at NBC to process other guests before going out to the City of Flowers for the festivities.

Despite his cold exterior, Rollo can be affable too. He invites the NRC students to approach him and have a conversation with him if they spot him in town.

Silver remarks that Rollo must have a good memory to remember so many new names. Again, this plays into his diligence.

Some people have noticed that Rollo is strangely friendly to Yuu (he says to them that it must be troublesome being a magicless human surrounded by magic users all the time, then invites them to relax and enjoy the event). At this point, it’s unclear whether this is fanservice for the player or if there is more meaning behind his words, but this may indicate sympathy for Yuu or those similar to Yuu.

Rollo tells us that students of Noble Bell like to keep things clean and, above all else, have faith in purity and integrity. Presumably, this is also true of himself (example: he catches Ruggie about to steal the coins in a hat and, while glaring at Ruggie, says something to the effect of, “I hope you weren’t intending to take the contents of that”).

Continuing from the last point, Rollo seems to hold a disdain for those that violate the peace and disregard laws, such as petty thieves.

It’s implied that Rollo approves of using any means necessary to stop evil deeds; he remarks that doing such a thing is “wonderful”.

He has a habit of holding a handkerchief over his nose and mouth. This seems to mostly be done in instances when Rollo is annoyed about something, such as talking about how noisy others are or when he’s trying to stay polite about something he disagrees with (such as his vice president and aide insisting that everyone wear festival clothes for the symposium).

There’s a lot of fan theories flying around about how Rollo may dislike the fae, but there are also implications that he dislikes the poor or those of “lower class”, as he grimaces and does the handkerchief thing when Ruggie comments about people of all classes and backgrounds dressing up for the festivities.

The vice president tells Idia that Rollo is strict about keeping schedules.

He is very knowledgeable and serves as a good tour guide for the NRC boys. Rollo shares many of his favorite spots and local treats and goods with them

He explains the history of important businesses and icons in the city and is genuinely proud of where he comes from. Rollo also seems to take offense when others question the traditions of the City of Flowers or seek to only gain from them or take advantage of them (ie like when Idia comments on the security is “too loose” if you toss your coins into a hat for street vendors, when Ruggie tries to steal the coins in the hat, etc.)

Basically, what we know of Rollo in the event opening vs in the actual event story is like knowing two different people that share the same face (although the story has certainly alluded that Rollo is hiding something). He is level-headed and intelligent; he is someone that values tradition and formalities, and displays disdain for those that rebel against certain conventions.

I’m personally really looking forward to the big reveal to see the full scope of Rollo’s character! Fingers crossed for more Rollo content in part 3! 🤞

[superheroladies]

Who are your favourite Twisted Wonderland characters and why?

I had to stare at this for like 5 minutes cuz I can’t believe someone out there actually shows interest in this fixation I had for around 2 years now. Seeing that his design was the one that made me determined to keep my eye out on this game when the designs were first released, and my twitter is all nsfw of him, it’s Leona. This is one of the few times where my fav turns out to be the most popular (in Japanese fandom at least, I ignore the small western one for the most part).

I signed up for this game for trash, as they’re based on villains, so my rank goes up with the little bitch scale. Leona is still the most compelling and relatable, and I do hope he gets a bigger role in provoking Mal overblot seeing that his dorm provoked him, plus the intro song paralleling them. But this game has a habit of catching me off guard so Leona isn’t the sole fav. Azul is just, so lovable! His scheming and mind, the way he managed to blackmail the master of blackmail himself, Crowly, deserves an award. And ofc when he broke down in tears when defeated it just increased my love for him.

Jamil stole my heart with the way he played everyone for a fool. His manipulation and the way he was the nastiest baddie we faced so far. His manipulation and wicked mind and personality that’s even worse than Azul’s! His backstory also, and his true personality being revealed by the end. No villain reveal has ever had me as excited and happy as his, he truly is glorious. 

Idia man, and Ortho. Their stories and role in stories just endeared them so much to me. The realistic way Idia’s anxiety is depicted, and also his no filter mouth. I just love it when he goes into his fast-talking mode and his ability to manage to insult and offend literally everyone, but he’s still so sensitive that Mal managed to upset him even when the latter didn't mean it. Also he’s just funny and I love his smile and hair. I mean aside from Azul there’s a trend of beautiful long hair going on here. 

Tho the characters that really, really caught me off guard were the freshmen. When I first saw that our main companions are from a single dorm I was salty that they would get the focus and now I feel like a tool. My favorite freshmen is Deuce just cuz of how he subverts all the expectations his design and personality alludes to. He and Jack are best bois but that doesn’t mean I don’t love the rest just as much. I expected to dislike Sabek since poster boy dorm is my least favorite tbh, I find them too much of a spotlight stealing squad for my taste and they can easily fall into creator’s pet territory later on. 

Sabek really is even more misunderstood than Jack is. Deep down he’s a good kid, if an arrogant youngest child fae. Epel at first I was meh about now I’m just waiting for the feral baby to join. In general I love the freshmen for their personalities that are hidden under their facades. Ace acts friendly but is a dick (a lovable one but still) Jack acts tough but is a sweetheart, Deuce seems serious but is a dumb baby, Epel seems frail but has major anger issues, and Sabek seems arrogant but ultimately helpful. 

Grimm. Just Grimm. I love how he drives the plot, how active he is, and how kinder and wiser he’s been getting. Normally series mascots are static, but Grimm is showing major growth, and I find him very endearing and his design adorable. I also can’t wait for his backstory which I’m sure will pack a punch. Overall I find most of the cast likable if some I’m not interested in like the rest (Vil, Lillia, Mal at times) but with their chapters I’m sure bastard supreme energy will win me over!

[icarus-does-fall]

MY FIXATIONS HAVE COLIDED >:]

Gonna be Gen1 characters btw yes it said dolls but that means effort and not memory and eh

Alr alr (a lot of this is personality based ngl)

Soap- HEATH BURNS he's flirty, loud, waayyy too cocky for his own good BUT he's also protective and does his best to always be helpful

Ghost- hear me out (yeah he's a guy whatever) But TWYLA!! She's not very outspoken but she has a lot of great oneliners and when she's with friends she's more open and always sneaky too lmao- TELL ME that's not our Simon Riley

Ghost pt2- IF you're gonna be picky and want a guy character SETH PTOLEMY mfer legit hides behind a mask until he finds people he trusts with his secrets and with them he gets to be himself

Gaz- CLAWD WOLF ISTG man is dedicated and loyal and I love him, he's a cuddle bug imo

Roach- GILL WEBBER- our boy is under appreciated and not talked about enough, gill has some major sass behind all his nervous and pacifist behaviours

Price- HEXICHIAH STEAM, daddy?? Sorry- he's big and wears a stupid hat and has that same bushy ass facial hair he's so fiercely protective amd would shoot someone to save his loved ones lmao

Laswell- NORA BLOODGOOD, the epitome of ✨️has braincells✨️ sure she gets frazzled occasionally when things insane happen but the girl adjusts and saves the day all the time

Laswell pt2- BATSY CLARO, hot tempered, no bullshit, would cut someone if they possed her off (woudl later apologise for losing her temper) the conversational niceties are zero with her, it's tell her what you mean when you mean it or shut up

Nik- JOHNNY SPIRT, replace music expert with weapons and its Nik I promise you it's nik

Graves- ROMULUS, he's egotistical (pack life yada yada) Graves just screams ✨️American✨️ not to mention man can hold a grudge buuuuut in 13 wishes? He gets all shy and flustered too so he's not always an ass

König- ANDY BEAST, he's big, he's got anxieties, buuut mfer knows how to use his size

Keegan- KIERAN VALENTINE, keeg just screams playboy heartbreaker ong, not to mention just a fantastic flirt, like man just oozes charm

(kieran was supposed to be gay😭😭😭😭)

Sarah Leary- TORALEI STRIPE, she's bold and bossy and extremely independent, will fuck you up over missing reports

Alejandro- SPELLDON CAULDRONELLO, okay okay so sue me, spelldon is only mentioned in the dairies, he's not in a movie or book or whatever BUT I don't care 🥰 he made Kieran crush hard, and if you think our lil drug boy couldn't make a playboy stop his ways yall trippin

Valeria- NEFERA DE NILE (celos older sister) scary sassy bold lesbain

Rudy- DEUCE GORGON he's playful sassy sporty, can kill you with a look, hides the things he enjoys the most cause insecurities it just makes sense

Abigail- ABBEY BOMINABLE (yeah yeah same name shut up) it's the vibes yaknow?? The straightforwardness, flirty in her own type of way (Abigail has like.... a million brother I think, you know girl can't flirt properly)

Alex- NEIGTHAN ROT he's his own type of guy and loves the opportunity to do his own thing while fighting for whats right, loves to help others whenever he cam cause bro is goal oriented

Alex pt2- Also could be that French mfer GARROT smth or other, will pick a fight if you gonna try and prove he's bad at smth, will move across the world just cause he misses you, cannot do smth but tries to anyway

Uhhhhhh... I know there's more but it's like 2am and 🤷‍♂️ I can only do so much and yes some of the explanations are half-assed, im eepy okay??

Honorable mentions of my favorite characters:

Bonita Femur (she's a moth love her lmao)

Operetta

VENUS MCFLYTRAP (love her new design ngl)

Vandala Doubllons(?) (Fucking ghost pirate hello???)

Rochelle Goyle

HONEY SWAMP (she was so pretty😭😭)

Victor (he was so twink coded lmao)

Bitches, lets talk, seriously now

what kind of Monster High doll do you think the COD men and girlies would be? I need a presentation on your reasons for the doll and the character...

[mmmmalo]

Jade & Bec

[This is an experimental post, exploring the threads between Jade & Bec, which will be updated regularly unto some semblance of completion.]

Are you familiar with the concept of trolls as manifestations? Cool, awesome, here’s a strange edge-case:

Tavros informs Jade that he prevented her death by commanding Bec to redirect a bullet into a villain’s heart. Jade informs Tavros that the “villain” was in fact her Grandpa, and Tavros attempts to defend his misguided heroics with the dignity of a wounded puppy dog. The strangeness: if Tavros is manifesting for Jade, why is he explaining Bec’s motivations for killing Grandpa? After all, Tavros directed Bec to do something Bec was already going to do – both of them are concerned with Jade’s safety. One might conclude that Bec (like Tavros) misjudged (not really) the danger presented by Grandpa (Harley). However, the manifestation of Tavros implies that these motivations also apply to Jade, despite her vocal insistence that Tavros is wrong.

What gives? Here’s a possibility broached in the second half of the conversation:

What if Bec is Jade’s imaginary friend? Tavros’s inexplicable manifestation for two parties would then be explained as voicing the thoughts of a mind divided. This would mean Jade shot Grandpa, albeit with several psychic buffers.

I realize that this would contradict the birth of Bec seen in Jade’s dreams, and that’s certainly not something to be ignored -- but then the trolls acting as psychological manifestations would likewise seem to contradict their existence as alien entities. The uncanny dissonance comes with the territory of dream logic, maybe.

Another reason to think Bec may have always already been a part of Jade: in the same way that cherubs seek to rekindle a primordial union, the kids in Homestuck universally aspire to a reunion. When John seeks to reunite with Dad, their separation analogous to the scratch on Dave’s record, an emblem of his fractured sense of self. John’s distance from (his image of) Dad is met with anxiety, and the urge to unite with that image drives much of his behavior throughout the story. Critically, a consequence of conceiving of this union as a re-union is that John fancies himself as having spawned directly from Dad’s image. (x)(x)(x)

As her riveting anthro treatise indicates, Jade similarly wishes to unite with Bec. The creation of Jadesprite corroborates this, as does the eventual realization of dogtier!Jade. But what could it mean for Jade to think of this as a RE-union? There’s certainly the sense in which Jade romanticizes shedding the trappings of civilization and embracing animal instinct, which can be conceived as having preceded humanity as we know it. In that sense, Jade could be said to be “returning” to a state from which humanity ostensibly divorced itself.

Put in familial terms, you might say humans are descended from beasts. Thus phrased, Jade being raised by a dog seems like a very apt metaphor.

Bec being Jade’s creation would admittedly invert this sense of who is parent and who is child, but there’s precedent for that sort of thing. The metaphor rich soils of Alternia has an upper class defined by the lower class trappings of Juggalo culture, after all. At this point I only want to establish a starting point for considering what it would mean for Bec to have already been Jade.

Main topics for future additions:

Why would Jade want to shoot Grandpa?

What are we to make of Bec’s powers if he is an extension of Jade?

(and of course, further justification for either of these questions being asked)

[5/3/2019] Topic: Jade & Lightning

First, a comment:

zenosanalytic

the parent stuff seems pretty easy, considering that it's de riguer in Homestuck for kids to be the parents of their parents

so like: Bec would both be a creation of Jade, and her primary parental figure. The different would be that, whereas with the B1s&2s it's a literal genetic link, with Jade and Bec it'd be more role-based.

...'difference' rather -__-

Thanks -- that’s further reason to regard that twist as a non-issue, except insofar as it may evince confusion on Jade’s part.

To get into the subject of why Jade would want to shoot Grandpa, it would be worth it to review and reevaluate stuff leading up to this. Namely, Jade’s fear of lightning.

When John entered the Medium, he had several near-falls: slipping on a staircase, launching into the air with his new Pogo-Hammer. Each encounter with the possibility of mortal descent was followed by the appearance of large ogres, who begin their assault after John looks down into the abyss. The ogres are physical manifestations of John’s abstract fear of heights, a fear which began with his fall from the slime pogo, and which Sburb stoked by placing his home on top of a huge spire. (Or perhaps it would be better to say that heights are the aspiration, and falling is the fear)

Subsequent encounters between kids and the monsters on their planets can be similarly understood as reactions to fears exemplified in some early trauma. Rose slams an ogre face-first into the oceans of LOLAR, which reminds her of the drowning of Jaspers. Dave gets his neck slit by an agent, which is an echo of the decapitated apartment building suspended over a bloodpool of lava, itself an echo of the fracturing of Dave’s identity from fraternal emasculation. In each case, the challenges posed by the game are directly sourced from some psychological fixation.

In Jade’s case, the appearance of her first imp is triggered by an aurora that bears a striking resemblance to lightning, giving a fairly direct indication of Jade’s fear. What’s more, the form of this manifestation is a callback to Bec’s first appearance! Naturally, this could be explained as simple callback reminding us the imp has inherited Bec’s powers via prototyping. But insofar as the imp is a manifestation induced by the image of a thunderbolt, the sequence suggests that Jade’s fear of lightning is closely associated with Bec.

There are precedents for this connection: one is rooted in the idea that the sylladex is itself a medium for the abstract expression of thought. When Jade attempts to draw her Eclectic Bass back into her Pictionary Modus, she instead captures the ghost image of Johnny 5, a sentient robot. This error is not a random occurrence, but rather a short circuit of mental association. Eclectic is two letters apart from electric, and Johnny 5 emerged as a consciousness due to a lightning strike, like a metallic Frankenstein monster. Immediately following this error, Bec appears and zaps Jade back to her room. – the dog is somehow both the interruption of this line of thought and its culmination.

The invocation of Frankenstein allows us to make some sense of the earliest iteration of this pattern: a pumpkin carved with the visage of Bec nearly awakens Jade when the reader tries to drop it on her head. 4 points:

John covered his walls with clowns and rude epithets; Rose scrawled frantic permutations of MEOW; and Dave drew SBAHJ. Each instance involves the kids expressing some kind of subconscious fixation or fear: John and his social anxiety, Rose and the echoes Jaspers’s swan song, Dave and the fever dreams within his art. There are no comparable drawings on the wall of Jade’s home, nor in her room on Prospit, but rather than concluding that Jade is an outlier to the trend, I would contend that Jade carved the face of Bec onto the pumpkin in her sleep instead. This again indicates a dread for Bec buried in Jade’s mind -- or rather, that Bec is an expression of some unspoken dread?

The pumpkin drop is echoed in drunk!Rose’s account of Newton’s mythic realization of the law of gravity. Rose says the proverbial strike of apple-to-noggin is symbolic of inspiration, the sudden intrusion of an idea. The same can be said of the pumpkin as a symbol: recall that the gift that inspired Jade to begin gardening in the first place was pumpkin seeds. So that which threatens to awaken Jade is the idea of Bec, again situating the scene

That the “reader” executes the drop is not arbitrary. It is crucial to the structure of the scene that the impetus for this attempted inspiration comes from beyond the fourth wall, for reasons I will elaborate upon in due time.

The inhabitants of dream bubbles are at times referred to as the dreaming dead, invoking the age old metaphor of death as a long sleep. The corollary is that awakening is akin to coming alive. As the allusion to Frankenstein via Johnny 5 might suggest, the flash of Bec-associated inspiration from beyond bears the possibility of no only awakening Jade, but of bringing her to life.

More lightning talk tomorrow.

[5/6/2019] Topic: Grandpa Harley

Let's skip to the end (and sort out the messy filler afterward): Jade's fear of lightning seems to be linked to a sexual assault at the hands of her grandfather.

An early hint comes by way of another reference to Johnny 5. Having alchemized the thunderstruck robot, Jade finds herself swarmed with notifications from the manifest Eridan. The Prince impresses upon her Ahab's Crosshairs, a weapon which had been previously established as a phallic lightning bolt (x). Knowing that the weapon will somehow make it to her grandson* Jake, Jade muses on the question of who she might have kids with. Eridan in turn balks at the thought of "pink wwigglers comin out a your owwn personal torso" -- a turn of phrase that obviously alienates us from childbirth, but also presents us with the image of worms or maggots wriggling in Jade's body. Rot blends with an image of fecundity, like the scarabs in the Mummy. We don't have the tools to make sense of this overlay of death and birth quite yet, but we will return to it. For now, consider this scene as a collage whose elements we cannot yet organize.

The more overt indication comes via Clubs Deuce. Recall when dream!Jade beat the snot out of CD for stealing the queen's ring, only to reveal that back in reality, Jade's dreambot was beating the stuffing out of dead!Grandpa? The juxtaposition suggests that Jade's violence towards CD in her dream is a displacement of some latent aggression towards Grandpa. Much later, just before Cascade, there is a payoff of sorts for this linkage: another lightning aurora hovers in the distance as Jade prepares for the scratch, and it triggers the return of CD. He drops in from the sky and kills Jade with an explosion of foam, knocking the Genesis Frog into the Forge in the process. The foam is ejaculatory, and the depositing the frog where it may gestate prior to its final descent/ascent to Skaia is an insemination. We infer that CD is playing the role of Grandpa in this display.

In response, Jack kills the shit out of CD, just as Bec killed Grandpa. The retaliation has echoes elsewhere. Recall the gag in which Hussie riffs on the end of the Neverending Story: he rides a white dog-dragon and avenges himself upon some bullies with a blast of stupid green dog barf. (Aside: it is out of the current scope, but worth noting that Hussie and Falkor respectively bear emblems of influence by Vriska and Lord English) The sequence is a silly mirror of Becsprite's annihilation of Jade's imminent meteor (the seed) with an immense blast of green fire. Entry sequences tend to involve some esoteric depiction of a character's trauma, and in this case, the meteor directly represents the "bully", Grandpa. (And perhaps to a lesser extent, bullies like Karkat, who in their own way posed a violent, intrusive threat to her (emotional) well being)

The entry meteor's threatened impact with the earth is but one example of the colliding celestial spheres that seem to haunt Jade. In Descend, Jade's reverie in the golden city is cut short as Jack severs the umbilical chain connecting the moon and planet (child and parent), sending the moon careening into the Battlefield below, crushing Jade. As with the meteors that swarm Skaia like sperm upon an egg, the child-status of the moon renders its crash akin to a seeding. A subsequent collision is more direct: Jake's Hope field versus Jade's green fireball. The entire grimbark scenario was triggered by Jade catching a glimpse of Jake's banana hammock (though of course, on a plot level the transformation was triggered by HIC's mind control). To drive the point home, Jade bemoans her inability to detach her focus from Jake's undies as they duel. As Jade is overpowered, the collision of Hope and Space comes to resemble the visage of Doc Scratch -- this unsettles due both to Scratch's pedophilia, and the way that the mind/body blocking of the scene reinforces the sense of domination from Jake to Jade. Adding insult to injury, the defeated Jade is crushed to death by a long white tower.

All this would seem to have been foreshadowed by Dave's comment on the earth being under assault by planet fucking Jupiter; the invocation of Zeus connects his comically absurd doomsday scenario to Jade's fear of lightning.

Next topic -- motifs connected to imbuing inert matter with the breath of life, and how they relate to Jade's sense of agency.

[loyalflutist]

Vermillion Visitors (FF Type-0 x FE3H)

Rating: General Audience Category: F/F (for slight Edeleth) Crossover: Final Fantasy Type-0 x Fire Emblem: Three Houses Words: 4,857 Summary: It appears that a group of visitors not only came to the monastery but managed to incorporate themselves as a new house in it. The Black Eagles begin their discussion about the newcomers... but the same could be said about the newcomers themselves.

A/N: Forgot to also upload this. (Whoops x2) I might just make a long ramble about why Fire Emblem Three Houses remind me SO MUCH about Final Fantasy Type-0... you know, with the entire war going on, the themes they’ve conveyed, and the fact that everything is so morally gray... amongst many of the shared spoilers’ concepts... but that might be for another day. Instead, I had written a fun little crossover OS of these two. Hoping to write more of them soon! Also, Edeleth snuck in and made themselves at home in the fiction. 

---

“Have you heard? There are these new students that just transferred into the monastery.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard.”

“I’m surprised Lady Rhea approved of it. Do we even have another classroom to spare?”

“We don’t.”

“So… where are they taught?”

“I heard their teacher teaches them right outside of our lecture hall.”

“Out in the field? I’m surprised they could even learn…”

“I’m sure they did. Their teacher is no ordinary one. He’s a commander!”

“A commander? Sounds like someone from Brigid.”

“He is not coming from Brigid.”

Three houses gossiped and whispered amongst themselves, but none ever did so loudly than the Black Eagles. (Perhaps it is due to Dorothea, Ferdinand, Linhardt, and Hubert’s intrigue!) Whenever they spotted the vermillion cape and unique school uniform different from theirs, their eyes were glued to the person(s) of interest. They were like pigeons awaiting for their snack! Now, over lunch, almost all members excitedly chattered and debated about the foreign visitors.

“I have to agree with Petra on that one,” Caspar stabbed a fork into his steak. “He doesn’t have a tan skin like her.”

“Are you serious, Caspar?” With a deadpan expression, Linhardt stared from across the table. “Just because someone is not tan does not automatically rule them out.”

Their conversation moved onto the next phase. The aura that surrounded the visitors felt as if they possess far more experience than they would have with others of the same age group. Whenever they returned from battle, not one of them possess injuries, save it for minor afflictions. Their missions always went exceptionally well. Such an outcome was starting to become predictable, even when less than five members are sent out to the frontline. The fact that none of them required battalions made their achievements far more superior than any has seen.

“Most impressive… I hope to learn from them,” Ferdinand crossed his arms; an amused smile was drawn to life. “The fact that they’re able to return from battle without a scratch or scar shows me that they are no amateur.”

Dorothea, who was seated two spots away, clicked her tongue.

“Of course, they aren’t, Ferdie. Everyone could see it from a mile away. Perhaps you should reevaluate yourself if you had to think about their capabilities.”

“You’ve always had a sharp tongue with me, don’t you?”

“Oh, how perceptive. Would you like some money for your wounds?”

“Okay, okay, cut it out, both of you,” Caspar flailed his arm out for their attention. “Sheesh, can’t you both fight when we’re NOT eating? We’re here to talk about them.”

Bernadetta poked and probed at her beans with a fork as the blue-haired furiously reeled them back into the topic. Beads of sweat flew out of her head as she murmured,

“A-Aren’t… aren’t they a little… too perfect?”

“What do you mean?” Linhardt, who sat next to her, turned. “Perfection is an impossible feat to achieve.”

“I-I know. It’s just… the way they carry themselves… It’s like they’re not even human.”

Perfection. They were literally the manifestation of perfection. Students from the three houses had to admit that they were at a higher plane based on raw strength. Even Byleth, Catherine, and Shamir confessed that they would have trouble fighting their commander if they were to spar one-on-one!

“They are most kindest— kind people I have met though,” Petra shook her head. “I cannot see them as perfect. They are like us.”

“Hoh… Is that so…” the songstress hummed. “You might be right. They may be strong, but they’re still students.”

“That is correct.”

“Some of them are so cute too~”

“Dorothea strikes again…” the white magus blinked. “Still, I must say, they are a pleasant company.”

Ironically, at the same time, their naïve personality contrast with their veteran status. Some of them would get into senseless fights on academic grounds, and some would host picnic parties for other students outside of their group. Silly arguments would spout out of nowhere. Smiles and laughter beamed from their directions. Game of chase, singing, and naptimes were some of the frequent side activities. After all, they are still children. They deserve to live a little!

Dorothea leaned forward, elbows on the table and chin resting upon the palms of her hands. She eyed Petra as the foreigner brought the filled spoon to her mouth.

“Speaking of the commander, if he isn’t from Brigid… then what is their house name? They must have come from somewhere!”

Linhardt lowered his cup of water.

“They’re from Rubrum. I heard their house is called… Class Zero.”

Ace, the card wielder.

Deuce, the flutist.

Trey, the talkative bow user.

Cater, the gunner.

Cinque, the smasher.

Sice, the silver reaper.

Seven, the whipper.

Eight, the boxer.

Nine, the dragoon.

Jack, the samurai.

Queen, the valiant knight.

King, the marksman.

Machina, the driller.

Rem, the twin dagger-wielder.

Kurasame, the ice reaper.

As their gossip ensued, two individuals missing from the cafeteria were spotted in their respective classroom. Before the tall male left, he turned towards the vermillion noble.

“Perhaps it’s best we maintain our observations on them, Lady Edelgard.” Hubert placed a hand on his chest, bowed his head, and continued. “There is little information on them, and I do not know if they prove to be a danger to us all.”

Although the other students had generally accepted their abrupt appearance after a week, Edelgard, Hubert, and Byleth kept their suspicion. How could trust come so easily when 14 students, one teacher, and two odd creatures not only seek for refuge but seek a premise to remain as students? It had already been five months into the new school term. Admittance to Garreg Mach Monastery is impossible. Future contenders and apprentices were given another chance for the next academic year.

Until now. The commander by the name “Kurasame” struck a deal with the archbishop. No one other than his Tonberry, Seteth, and Flayn knew of the spoken dialogues between the two. It simply took an hour for the holy maiden to grant permission and acceptance into their neutral sanction.

“May the Goddess Seiros watch over you.”

His features hardly faltered. (Not that there was any to start with thanks to his armored mask.) Kurasame nodded once and turned his back towards the neon green-haired, his rough footsteps echoed in the quiet chambers. Not a single comment nor reaction came from him afterward. Not even to his closest ally, the Tonberry.

They were immediately provided with spare dormitories. Unlike the other current students and staff, members of Class Zero were squeezed into shared bedrooms of two and three. Ace and Trey; Deuce, Cater, and Cinque; Rem and Queen; Eight and Machina; Nine, Jack, and King; Sice and Seven. Kurasame had shared rooms with the Moogle and Tonberry. Facilities were immediately provided without a second glance. The students and CO were prioritized in field trips compared to the other three houses. Special attention was bestowed by the Church of Seiros. Gifts came showering in their direction as if they had a birthday party every week. Other than the lack of a classroom, they were living a luxurious life… even more so than the nobles and rising lords from all three nations!

Jealousy was an understatement. Many of the faculties, staff, and students are confuzzled beyond reason about their existence. What gives? Why are they treated as if they were all kings and queens? Hatred and spiteful remarks were numerous. Prayers to Seiros began to taint with sinful desires to tear apart the newcomers. Even comments were proclaimed right before their face! Brutal skirmishes sparked between Class Zero and the other students, especially those from the nobility. Yet the majority marched onward without strife. (The exception being Cater, Sice, Nine, and Machina.) It was as if ill will bounced from their invisible force shield.

However, there were some that view them indifferently. If anything, they viewed them with great fixation. The three house leaders, Dimitri, Claude, and Edelgard spared none of their curiosity to civilians of Rubrum. All three were on mutual agreement that there was something off about this group. Yet that did not stop them from interacting with members from Class Zero. Dimitri did not hesitate to try and befriend them, especially with Ace and Queen. Claude made various attempts to dig information of their origin from Jack and Cater. Edelgard tried to decipher and outline their abilities, more so with Sice and Machina.

They remained an enigma to this day.

“Professor?”

Byleth glanced up from straightening her papers. She found herself looking at the white-haired noble. The rest of her students had scampered away after the dry lecture. Tactical lessons about the importance of geography bored many, if not all, to death. No one dared to stay after either for questions! The fact that the Adrestian Empire’s lord waiting after class meant another matter might be at hand.

“What do you think of them?”

Byleth corrected the pages’ posture until their edges were even.

“Are you talking about Class Zero?”

“Yes.”

“…They are special.” No reaction. Byleth glanced up from her documents. Then, she turned her back towards the female lord and gathered the rest of her belongings, but not without adding a remark. “I see potential in them. Perhaps too much potential…”

The way Class Zero operated… They were clearly above their levels. It was not to say that Byleth, Manuela, and Hanneman cannot handle their students. The three were professors with plenty of practical knowledge. Almost nothing could get past them. However, the newcomers were a force to be reckoned with.

Commander Kurasame commanded his students with minimal effort on his end, yet they were able to produce satisfying results to the salivating requesters. Patriotic praises are sung high from a few. Disobedience from orders was rare to their superiors. Death and bloodshed had never budged these students from their responsibilities. Relentless assaults rained upon their enemies and monsters with fluid movements. Weapons and magic tore apart their foes without a single bit of hesitation and remorse. These students were like soldiers…

No— They are soldiers.

Byleth shook her head.

Child soldiers.

The teal-haired furrowed her brows and stuffed a textbook into her brown duffel.

As an ex-mercenary, she had seen plenty of conflict throughout her life. At the tender age of six, she picked up her first weapon. At the tender age of ten, she killed her first monster. At the tender age of twelve, she killed another human being. That was due to her occupation; it was a part of her job. Whether she fought for a nation or not, it did not matter. She was a mercenary. They were hired, they completed their job, they were paid. Nothing more, nothing less.

But Class Zero? They were like her students… They were so young to be thrust into battle. Byleth curled her fingers inward, her nails digging into her trembling palm.

“I would never treat my students like foot soldiers.”

Commander Kurasame may be a teacher to them, but he is, above all, their commander. The way he ran his lecture is a stark contrast to Byleth’s. Times, when her students were forced to fight, was solely out of survival and monthly task set out by Lady Rhea. Kurasame held no punches. “Ice Reaper” nickname fit him so well when he trained his students. They went out to fight for the Church of Seiros almost every week for the Goddess’s cause. Breaktime was scarce for the children. The few times Byleth had spotted them, their slumped shoulders and worn features struck a chord within her. That made it all more heartbreaking.

The professor felt warmth envelop her right hand on the table. She glanced at Edelgard, who gently squeezed with both hands.

“I’m sure they have their reasons, Byleth. If anything, I’m grateful to have you as our teacher.”

How strange. Byleth’s eyes softened. She is being cared for by her students. Their hands parted only for the older female to caress Edelgard’s face. This caused the vermillion noble to nestle into the nearby comfort with a blooming smile. If Edelgard were to have someone like Commander Kurasame… Her navy hues darkened. Byleth would never allow them to teach her and her classmates. Thumb smoothing over her skin, Byleth cracked out a smile.

“And I’m grateful to have you as my girlfriend.”

“!”

Alas, that smile was ever so fleeting on Edelgard’s lips. It was replaced with widening hues, jaw dropped, and a deep shade of red bursting from her cheeks. Incoherent sayings rattled out of the girl’s mouth as she took a step backward. An arm was raised, the blush spreading to all parts of her face.

“W-Wha— Why did you have to say that?!”

“Is… that a problem?”

“Of course, it is!”

Their relationship was no mere student-teacher. After the excruciating waiting and “what if” games, they finally took the first step above friendship with the help of a few allies. Edelgard had both hands pressed against her own chest; a frown marked as a prominent characteristic. The corner of her lips wavered as she barked,

“It would be bad if someone were to overhear us!”

Not that anyone other than Sothis, Jeralt, and the Black Eagles knew about it. Their private affairs would open a can of worms should word spread. Gossip about Class Zero might be overridden by the mere mention of their affairs. How scandalous. Just imagining the headlines made her stomach drop. “Edelgard von Hresvelg, the future ruler for the Adrestian Empire, found dating with Professor Byleth!” Edelgard might as well give up on her purpose of becoming an emperor if their secrets were exposed.

Byleth squinted her eyes to a slit, a twinkle sparkling from the corner.

“You’re right. It would be bad.”

“I’m glad that you see where I’m coming from. Now, I suggest we— MMFH!?”

What a surprise! Byleth pressed her lips onto those soft, pink flesh. Though it was brief, that managed to silence the 18-year-old. Temporarily, that is. When they parted, a tiny mushroom cloud of steam blew from the top of her head, and in came the overreaction.

“What are you doing?! What if they see us?”

She began to take a couple more steps backward, her entire face becoming as red as a beet. This was her limit for today. Any more and she might faint on the spot! The professor shrugged her shoulders with a neutral expression.

“They didn’t though.”

“BYLETH!”

“Yes?”

Ugh, how unbearable! Edelgard would love to run up to the teacher, pull on her cheeks, and scold the older female of her social etiquette. She really needs to work on them! Did she even interpret the earlier outburst correctly? Based on her blank reaction, it appears not. There was that strange twinkle not too long ago though… Could that mean she was being teased instead?! Hark, the white-haired closed her eyes and coughed into her fist in lieu of retaliation. She stilled herself for a few seconds; the heat simmered down to nothingness as she guided their conversation back to the main topic. When the female cracked open her eyelids, she wondered,

“Do you think they could be swayed by my words?”

Recruitment is an important part of her current plan at the monastery. Although she placed a great deal of trust with Byleth, she knew that her goals would have a greater chance of achievement if there were more comrades standing by her side. It was a noble purpose… a noble purpose that requires the spilling of blood from many; it was a bleak path that can drive one to insanity. Edelgard has no choice but to march forward into the crimson puddles and road, lest she succumbs to something more than depression!

Byleth cupped her own chin and stared downward. Those navy hues examined the wooden tile’s patterns intently during her ponder. Class Zero was a group that she hardly knew much about. Secretive was the correct terminology to describe them. They appear open and possess a cheerful disposition, yet there was something hidden beneath their exterior. She could not explain her line of reasoning for it, but her instincts forewarned about their origin. It was at the tip of her fingertips… Confirmation and elaboration were all she needed. She gazed upward. Edelgard had kept her eyes on her older girlfriend. Eventually, the professor huffed.

“It’s too soon to say. We should leave them to be.”

“…You’re right. I must be getting ahead of myself.”

“Perhaps.” Then, the teal-haired reached out to pat the student’s hair. “Whatever their answers may be, I will always be by your side, El.”

“Yes… So long as I have you by my side, I have nothing to fear.”

“Good girl.”

Their conversation came to closure as Byleth resumed tidying the classroom and her supplies. This might take some time. In that case, Edelgard motioned a farewell to her teacher before taking her leave. Trouble was already waiting. A couple steps out of the lecture hall and she came to contact with another student.

“Oof!”

The impact possessed a bit more power than she had anticipated. Unfortunately, she had lost her balance. Edelgard fell forward and into the person. Had it not been for their quick reflexes, they would have collapsed together. Should Claude ever be present, he would have laughed his bottom off at her misfortune. If he were kinder than his schemes, he might have given pity points in her way. Her gloved hands pressed upon the male’s broad chest. The black attire, the red cape, the golden patterns… A single glance told her that it was none other than a student from the infamous Class Zero.

“King…?”

“Are you okay?”

His deep voice reverberated from his throat. Taller than both her and Byleth, the young man gently eased her away from his body. Compared to him, Edelgard felt like a midget. (He reminds her too much of Dedue.) She could not help but bob her head and slurred thanks. Seeing that no harm was done, the gunner softly scoffed and turned his back towards her.

“Please be careful. Had you bump into someone like Deuce or Jack, you would have been in trouble.”

Straight to the point; there was nothing more to add. Though there was truth to his words. Deuce was the weakest member, and she would have been the one causing trouble instead. As for Jack, he can be a flirt with the ladies. This holds no exception to those outside of Orience, the playboy spotted hanging out with a new girlfriend every week or so. King immediately left her behind, the house leader staring after him like a deer in headlights.

Not even a minute ticked by until the mullet-haired bumped into his classmate. An elongated sigh slithered out of his respiratory system when the dragoon tucked his hands into his pant’s pockets. Hunched over, Nine grumbled as his eyes followed the now-leaving Edelgard.

“Tch, she’s just staring at us like we’re animals.” Nine swiped the corner of his mouth while wearing a scowl. “I wonder what she’ll think if we give her a good ol’ lesson— OUCH!”

The dragoon vigorously rubbed the top of his head as Queen delivered a punishing blow. She retracted her hand and shook her head.

“Nine, please refrain yourself.”

“How could I? Don’t act so holy yourself, Queen. You saw the way she looked at us!”

“Lady Edelgard is not the type to act that way. Besides, it’s normal for them to view us that way. Didn’t you remember how we were treated back at the peristylium?” She was correct. Back when they were a part of Suzaku Peristylium as cadets, they attracted far more attention than needed. After their bravery from their first operation, Class Zero gained plenty of infamous focus. Everywhere they walk, whispers and murmurs tailed after them. Some were singing high praises as if they were the gods and goddesses. Some resented the students as they gained special permission to be a part of their academic institution. The fact that they were receiving similar treatment on this educational ground slightly disappointed them. It was unsurprising to an extent. She adjusted her glasses and returned her attention to Nine. “Then, again, I’m sure your simple mind could not begin to understand the complexity of our situation…”

“Oi oi, try saying that again to me, Queenie,” the rowdy boy got up to her face. He snarled and jabbed his finger on her chest. “I do understand our situation! I’m not stupid!”

She rolled her eyes. “You couldn’t even name the nations from Orience.”

“Ha! Yes, I can!”

“Right…. Right… Sure you can….”

“KORRA! I’ll prove it to you! It’s Lolicon—”

“Relax, Nine,” King placed a hand on the raging boy’s shoulder. He firmly squeezed on it as he muttered, “We have bigger issues to deal with.”

“Tch, we’re talking about that axe-wielding girl, aren’t we?”

“No…”

Queen exhaled loudly. Right at that moment, the other members of Class Zero coincidentally regrouped in the field. (Many of them wandered about the premise and had either returned from a mission or from the training grounds.) Thank goodness they would be able to divert Nine’s poor attention span to the main problem at hand.

“How goes your mission?” Ace asked the three participants: Deuce, Trey, and Cater.

“It went well,” the flutist clasped her hands with a faint smile. “We were able to escort and protect the Knights of Seiros into the Kingdom of Faerghus.”

“The walk was long though… and THIS guy wouldn’t shut up!” Cater pointed her thumb at the archer. “If I had known he would be coming, I would’ve convinced Nine and Machina to take both Deuce’s and my place!”

Trey pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hope you understand how much it pains me to hear that from you. You simply do not understand the importance of the political climate here in Fodlan. There is also the Crest system, to which they are to—”

“Ugh… Just SHUT UP.”

Sice held no punches when it came to annoyance, especially regarding Trey. The grim reaper dramatically covered her ears and groaned. She would love to stab a fork into her eardrums if she could. Actually, maybe it would have been better if someone taped up his voicebox so he would cease speaking. Trey would have been better had it not been for his running mouth. No one cares what he has to say… Not even the kindhearted Ace, Deuce, and Rem from Class Zero… and certainly not from Marianne, Mercedes, and Linhardt.

Seven rested a hand against her forehead. “Even though we’re thrown into another country, I’m surprised we are still acting as nothing happened.”

“What can we say?” Jack placed both hands behind his head, his head slightly tilted upward with a grin. “There’s nothing wrong with trying to make the best of our situation. It’ll do us no good to wallow in grief.”

“That’s problematic if Jack starts talking some sense…”

“Oooo, ouch, Sice, your words wound me.”

She stuck a middle finger at him as their comrades lightly chuckled or giggled at the exchange.

“Jackie is correct though~” Cinque popped in between Deuce and Cater, her arms tossed over their shoulders. The two nearly buckled under the abrupt weight as the mace-wielder giggled. “I think we’re brought here for a reason.”

“You may have a point…” Queen cupped her chin and frowned. “Ever since we’ve gotten sucked into that black portal, we’ve been stuck here.”

The unofficial class president labeled by her classmates vividly recalled the time of their transportation. All fourteen members were in their classroom. A lecture was handed out by Kurasame, who taught them advanced lessons on casting potent spells. His Tonberry calmly watched over the students. As for the Moogle, he had gathered worksheets from the diligent students. Almost an hour into the long session and a loud shatter resonated within the premise. Everything came to a standstill. The focus was dragged straight towards a black tear in space. Before they knew it, everyone in the room was pulled into the supernatural feature of the unknown.

This all happened in less than one minute. The next thing they knew, they were plopped face-first into the soil of what is called “Fodlan.” Despite their knowledge of survival, this barren landscape was a little extreme for the students. It was a miracle for them to receive help from the monastery had it not been for Commander Kurasame. Otherwise, they would have ended in a sadder state than they are currently.

“Do you think we could really head back?” Machina gripped Ace’s shoulders. He lightly shook him. “I have to return back for the sake of Izana.”

“Machina, I’m sure we will.” This time, Rem grabbed her childhood friend’s wrists and tore it away from the first Class Zero member. “It will do you no good to think about him. Right now, we need to figure out how to get back to our country.”

Seven puffed air and glanced elsewhere. “If we do, we’ll be dragged back into war. I like it here.”

War was frequent in Orience with the four nations. The Dominium of Rubrum, the Milites Empire, the Kingdom of Concordia, and the already-obliterated Lorican Alliance were slaughtering each other in the name of their morally grey reasons. Plenty of skirmishes and dying soldiers were almost a daily occurrence. This was all due to the peace treaty being violated by one other than Cid from the Milites Empire. He broke it and immediately struck the Suzaku Peristylium’s grounds. Screams and wails of dying students haunted their memories. Grown men trying to bring about the same treatment as they’ve done with the other students. Guns blazing in the roaring flames. Magic and summons recreated for the sake of a crucial minute. Blood spilled everywhere. Dying students were forgotten in history by the country's Crystals; name tags commemorating their existence by mere names. It was a violent conflict. Their comrades were dying each day. They couldn’t even catch much of a break. One slip-up and they were finished.

The fact that they were transported here during times of peace was seen as a blessing.

“I prefer if we stay here if you ask for my honest opinion.”

“Sure, it is peaceful, but I have a feeling we need to return back to Orience as soon as possible,” Cater said. “We may have a reason for being summoned here, but once we’ve accomplished it, then we can go home.”

“Back to the dreadful war again?”

She gravely nodded.

“Yes… Back into the conflict.”

“…”

Everyone became silent. Their heads hung, many of the students began to contemplate their reason for being here at the monastery. Why are they here…? And for what purpose? Who sent them here? A multitude of questions floated within their skull, desperation for answers becoming aggressive at its owner and listener. Are they tools for war once again? If they were brought here, does that mean they had to participate in another war-like effort? They are child soldiers, the vermillion-caped cadets dubbed the "Red Demons."

“Until we find a way back… Let’s enjoy ourselves~”

Cinque random antics were so unpredictable. However, that made her weighty statement all the more powerful; Ace could be seen singing some from himself too. He chuckled and lowered his head.

“She’s right,” he said. As the atmosphere lightened, he added, “We might as well think of this as a long-term vacation. Besides, I don’t think it hurts to get to know everyone else.”

Deuce intertwined her fingers and beamed. "I think we should have a picnic with everyone!"

"That sounds like an excellent idea."

That voice did not belong to anyone of the 14 members. Rather, the mature, feminine voice boomed from behind the card-wielder. Before he could glance over his shoulder, the ex-mercenary stepped forward and stood by his side. Ace cautiously watched her actions. As they were strangers upon this land, though they may have been a part of the monastery for a month by now, they were conditioned to be wary of anyone outside of their little Class Zero family and their self-proclaimed mother, Arecia Al-Rashia. You just cannot trust anyone. If Suzaku Peristylium's Commandment and co-conspirators always used sly, corrupted techniques to get them and Mother Arecia killed, then who else could they trust? This professor seems trustworthy though from their observations... even Kurasame's Tonberry warmed up to her.

"Hmph," King crossed his arms. "You think so?"

The professor nodded. Despite her brick-like expression, the teal-haired motioned,

"If anything, just as Ace mentioned, we should get to know everyone. I think it would be fair for us to get to know you all too."

"Oh~ So which Housey should we have a picnic with first?" Cinque raised a hand high in the air. "I think it'll be too much to have all three Housey to have lunch together, right?"

A glimmer sparkled from the corner of Byleth's eyes.

"Since I am the professor of the Black Eagles House, I would love to have you all meet my students."

[jaeminvore]

AHHH i noticed some aspects of the dynamic in deuce. i revisited deuce! several times since i first read it (months ago) and after watching videos of oikawa and kageyama fighting i went “huh. this seems familiar”

i also noticed that mc’s display name on twitter was hinata’s wife, and i, ironically, have a hinata jersey

deuce is probably one of my favorite stories to read, i recommend it to my friends a lot and i re-read just to feel something laugh. or cry.

in honesty, it doesn’t matter how much i love jay, i’d probably fight him 💀😭 realistically though? i’d cry in front of him in fear

LMAOOO YEAH kinda wanted to base their dynamic from kageyama and Hinata but I went with the prodigy + hardworker thing so Y/N could be a mix of hinata and kags and Jay had some similarities with Oikawa since he did kinda hold a grudge against the poor kid 😭

LMFAO YEAH Hinata’s wife 🤣 i didnt really go in depth with Y/N’s fixation on hq so i just left that as an indicator !! I on the otherhand got an Inarizaki track jacket on impulse cos I saw it was available i was meaning to get a jersey too but eh i forgot 🤕 and tysm for enjoying deuce! I really loved working on that smau tbh especially with the friendships/dynamics and I can only think of fond memories that are tied with it too it was truly such a fun time 💞

[plutosring]

praying for an afternoon class opening for you dude 🙏🙏🙏🙏

CIEL!!!! I MISS U FR DUDE HOW HAVE YOU BEEN!!

hey man!!! Sorry for the disgusting amount of radio silence, ya boi has been absolutely swamped with uni work lol

Also I got my first testosterone shot the other day, so I’m feeling pretty good about that :3

What about you? Anything interesting or cool happen? New interests or hobbies? (Any twst stuff you wanna ramble about?)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

It look like grim overblot happens(or happened(?) If time loop theory is correct) in the mirror champer so do you think grim will ocerblot immediately after eating malleus black stone or will something trigger him causing his over blot form (also are the human hands from the dawrf in the mines ?)

I'm so excited but I need to find a new hyper fixations for my adhd brain will waiting for chap 7

Now that I think about it, it might be that Grim Overblots due to a combination of eating Malleus’s OB stone and the negative emotions he experiences because of Yuu leaving. I say this because I recall in the prologue that Crowley asks the Mirror of Darkness to return Yuu back home; it could be that they’re in the Mirror Chamber again so Yuu can officially return to their own world.

After everything they’ve been through together, suddenly his closest friend is leaving him behind and he can’t do anything to stop it. He’ll also likely never see them ever again. He won’t even be able to communicate with them all the way in another world. Yeah, he might have Ace and Deuce, but they aren’t replacements for Yuu. And what’s going to happen after Grim graduates? Who will he have by his side if Yuu isn’t? That’s got to hurt a lot.

I’ve seen this same theory being presented as the reasoning for why Malleus Overblots, but I think it would make a lot more sense for Grim. Throughout the story, it’s made pretty clear that Grim and Yuu are close friends (far stronger ones than Malleus and Yuu are, I would argue). Malleus had like... maybe 5ish direct interactions with Yuu in the main story, and their conversations were often extremely brief. That’s not to say Malleus and Yuu’s friendship isn’t important, but their intimacy just pales in comparison to Grim and Yuu’s.

Grim was the first person Yuu met in Twisted Wonderland, and they’ve been together ever since. They are literally each others’ other half, sharing the spot of a student at NRC. They roomed, studied, and experienced so much with one another. They went through many things that only they would know about, things that didn’t involve Ace or Deuce (see: various events, as well as the whole kidnapping incident in chapter 4, reuniting in STYX HQ in chapter 6, etc.). They’ve spent so much time together, whether directly told to us or implied.

Chapter 6 in particular really shows us how much Yuu and Grim care for each other. Yuu was willing to break into a highly guarded and secretive facility to rescue Grim, despite not having any magic or particularly special skills of their own to aid in the operation. As for Grim, the first thing he does when he wakes up in STYX HQ is look to see if anyone else is there—and when he realizes he’s all alone, he breaks down and cries. This is significant because (as you’ll recall), it parallels Yuu’s experience first waking up in Twisted Wonderland (the major difference being that Grim has no one there for him in this instance). He cries again and apologizes for striking Yuu when he happily reunites with them. After being in an unfamiliar environment all alone for who knows how long, he see Yuu—just like at the very start of their story.

It just makes a lot more sense to me for Grim to Overblot because he has to come to terms with saying good-bye forever 😔

I think the components of the chimera OB can be broken down like this:

Lace around the eyes from Riddle

Shaggy mane from Leona

Tentacles from Azul

Snake tail from Jamil

Puff sleeves from Vil

Fire from Idia (hard to say, because Grim hasn’t been shown to have eaten Idia’s OB stone; it’s not clear if he had one because his body burns up blot fast. Grim was, however, choking on Ortho’s memory chip, which seems to have been where the blot collected based on the images we saw before Idia’s OB.)

Wings from Malleus

Hands from OB in the Abandoned Mines (?)

There will probably be plenty of TWST content (both official and fanmade) for you to enjoy while you wait for the chapter 7 main story updates! ^^