#twisted wonderland encanto

[taranodongirl]

What Do You Think Would Happen If The MC Was Bruno Madrigal?

I really like reading MC What If/AU posts, and I have seen quite a few really good TWST Encanto MC ideas. But as good as they are, so far I haven’t seen any What If Bruno Was Taken To Twisted Wonderland posts or fanfics.

I feel that there is so much potential in that. Just imagine, what if instead of hiding in Casitas walls after Mirabel’s gift ceremony, Bruno was unexpectedly taken to Twisted Wonderland?

Maybe he becomes a staff member or wakes up as teen and becomes a student?

How would the staff and students react to Bruno’s quirky personality?

How would Bruno help the Students?

Would the school help Bruno get better at his visions? And how would his visions change the story?

What if his dreams turn into vision tablets and everyone wants them because they hold previously unknown history of The Great Seven?

There are so many possibilities with this premise and I would love to see what other fans would do with it. Feel free to use this idea for any future Fanfics or AU posts because I would LOVE read them!

[loveydovey-leviathan]

ramshackle is alive.

gn!reader

.

you’ve always wondered how the hell this entire building was still standing. you’d think crowley would’ve demolished it by now, technically it’s a waste of space. it hasn’t had inhabitants for who knows how long.

but you’re grateful. you have a place to go to when the day ends, it’s the one thing you have in common with the rest of your friends. and while the floors are always creaking and the doors and windows never really keep the wind out- it’s something. and it is much better than nothing at all.

you’ve taken the time to meticulously clean and organize the rooms, the little bit of allowance you have all goes to the dorm and food. it’s tiresome but incredibly worth it; watching the house slowly turn from desolate and cold to a place of warmth and love.

slowly, ever so slowly. the house seems to... change, but only for you and grim, it seems. it’s brighter- more alive. the doors open easily despite your friends complaining it’s always locked, there are no longer shadows that seem to chase after you when walking through the hallways. the rooms you’re in are always warm and you notice that you no longer wake up at night shivering from the cold. 

you could say that it’s because of all the work you put in, but the feeling that the house you now call home here in twisted wonderland can’t be shaken off. the dorm being magic would explain a lot of what you’re experiencing.

you’ve asked the ghosts, but all they said was “maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. does it really matter?” you’ve asked crowley, but he wasn’t much help.

but you suppose your roommates were right. did it matter? you’d take care of the place you live either way. you’ll continue to clean the floors and dust the shelves, you’ll continue to sleep and study there, you’ll continue eating and inviting your friends over. the ramshackle dorm is home to you, and it will continue being so until you leave.

ramshackle was always so busy. its hallways bustling with life during the day, the occupants constantly chatting, laughing, playing- and when comes night it’s quiet and peaceful as the day ends. the ‘leader’ of the dorm turns off the lights and tells everyone to go to sleep, and (most of them) listen. the rooms are now filled with quiet snores and silent mumbling. and the cycle continues day after day.

but then they are gone.

there is no one to dust the shelves and clean the floorboards. there is no one to clean the cobwebs and shake away the spiders that make home in the corners. there is no one silently reading, no one studying. everything is still. everything is silent.

the house grows bitter over the many years it is empty. it prevents anyone from coming in, and the few that do swiftly leave once they see its pitiful state. 

but then a trio of ghosts come along and fill a tiny part of the dorm’s heart. they play and laugh and shout, just like their previous occupants did. it tries to make them leave at first, hate still in its soul for the pain of being abandoned still hasn’t healed. but they are ghosts, and no matter what it did, they would not depart.

overtime it grows used to their company, and they are grateful that someone finally lives in its walls. but regardless, it is not the same. for the dead cannot take care of it as the living can.

then you come. 

it is harsh at first, like it was to their late occupants. doors that won’t open, shadows that chase across hallways- but nothing changed. you still stayed along with that devilish cat you like to follow around.  and you take care of it. its floorboards are clean, cobwebs are gone, shelves are rid of dust. it is not perfect but there is only so much one can do. 

and it warms up to you. slowly, surely, eventually. it no longers makes strange sounds to scare you away, the doors open only for you, the lights shine brighter and the room is warmer when you walk in. 

it is happy. it may only inhabit one, but this one tries their best to take care of it like many others before it. it becomes a home again, slowly, but surely.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hey Raven, are you going to watch the upcoming new Disney movie "Wish"?

I've seen mixed reviews, but i'm lowkey excited since we get to see a new Disney villain, especially since Disney got really lame villains after all the old classic movies!

Have you seen the trailer for the movie? What are your thoughts so far?

I saw Wish with a friend recently! I'll give my thoughts on the trailers here (in case you don't want spoilers for the film itself) and put my full thoughts beneath the cut (if you're okay with spoilers).

Looks-wise, I think Disney was definitely trying to go for something more stylistic and painting-esque for this?? And while I commend the effort, it definitely doesn't look as interesting as Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish. The humor also definitely isn't for me, it feels very "quirky" and "so relatable" (Asha reminds me of Mirabel in that sense), and other times too juvenile (like the goat butt joke). I do like the idea of the villain passing as a good guy in-universe and actually being vain and selfish, especially since the marketing is making it clear who the bad guy is rather than making it a "twist" villain scenario. Not sure if I like Magnifico himself though??? All the ads with him in it feel like Disney is trying too hard to make people thirst for him. From just the trailers, Magnifico does seem interesting and like more of a return to the traditional "villain" rather than the protagonist having to deal with an existential dread or concept.

***Spoilers for Wish beneath the cut!***

Right off the bat, my first impression is the narrative is SO ham-fisted. Within the first 5 minutes alone we're establishing so much information and in such a clunky, unnatural way. Like... Asha says hi to her friends but then they robotically have a dialogue where they overtly call each other "friends" just so it's clear to the audience (when in reality no one talks like that). It's telling instead of showing, and this happens sooo many times early in the film.

Could not for the life of me remember the friends or their names. There were just too many of them when 1 or 2 would have been just fine to move the plot along and to help Asha. (Yes, I know they're a reference to the 7 Dwarves but it's STILL not necessary to have so many just for a reference.)

Bruh, the makeup in this movie is on point. Every time there was a close up of a character, I was staring at their eye makeup (especially Asha and the queen's).

Asha as a protagonist was... fine? She feels very close to Mirabel and at times Rapunzel in her character. I didn't dislike her by any means, but she didn't reinvent what it means to be a Disney protag. Her motivations also come off as… really “out of nowhere”. We’re told she “cares too much”, but she initially only wants to save the wishes of her mom and grandpa; she randomly decides she has to free ALL wishes midmovie and that was jarring. There could have been a smoother transition. Instead, it was abrupt and Asha didn’t change in any meaningful way. Even her “I want” song was vague (what exactly is “to have something more for us than this”?) and didn’t connect well with her character.

I do really like her design though! Her freckles, earrings, and how her hair moves are my favorite details.

Valentino was not as annoying as I thought he would be. Still didn't care for his sass and brand of humor, but at least he helped out a few times.

I called it, the film is trying so hard to make Magnifico "hot" 🤡 I don't get it but okay, Mouse. I see your effort.

Loved his fit!! Very cool cloak and diamond/star motifs everywhere! His lab and study was also fun to look at.

I quite liked the moments when the queen talked to her husband and tried to smooth things over with him. “I can fix him energy”— Their relationship seemed very genuine at the start of the movie.

NOT THE WISH NEPOTISM...

If they were going for “sympathetic” with Magnifico, it didn’t work. He gave this backstory about how he was traumatized before + left as the only survivor of a great tragedy and so now he wants to use his magic to prevent that from happening to anyone else. Thing is, we only ever know about this via his word and staring at a half-burnt tapestry. We never see the event on screen, nor what was left of the tapestry. I was expecting a twist where it’s revealed that he lied all this time about his backstory and rewrote history so he could more easily manipulate the people of the kingdom he founded and live out the fantasy of being worshipped as a “good guy”. That was such a missed opportunity!!

Something else I was thinking of (this was during “This is the Thanks I get” was??? Maybe Magnifico started off genuinely good but became worn down over time as people’s wishes grew more selfish and they became ungrateful for what they had?? Then he could have become bitter and disillusioned by the behavior of his people.

Another idea is maybe Magnifico was “villainous” only in Asha’s eyes, since they don’t agree on how to best handle granting wishes. This would be more of a clash of ideologies rather than the traditional Obvious Evil vs Obvious Good that Disney is so known for, but hey, it could be a neat evolution of their storytelling from classic fairy tale roots.

This is to say that there were so many more interesting directions they could have gone with Magnifico’s motives, character, and portrayal 😭 but the second half of the movie never commits to any of these, they just blame his complete insanity and turn to the dark side on Forbidden Magic which is such a cop-out.

The trailers gave away the twist that Magnifico was the villain. It wasn’t revealed until like the second song into the movie. Would’ve worked better as an on-the-spot reveal rather than part of the marketing, in my opinion.

When they showed the wishes, the TWST fan in my was shouting, "OMG IT'S WISH UPON A STAR, THE LIMITED TIME STORY EVENT FROM THE HIT DISNEY MOBILE GACHA GAME TWISTED WONDERLAND!!!"

As Wish is Disney's anniversary film for 100 years, there were tooons of easter eggs scattered throughout. (I had fun looking for them!) Some were visual (I saw Aurora's dress, Snow White’s well, Peter's Pan's costume, Ursula's green smokey hands, Asha's robes resembling those of the Fairy Godmother, etc.) or extended imagery/scenes (Asha recreates Mulan's dinner and “Reflection" scenes), others were more overt lines of dialogue (Magnifico says the "Mirror, Mirror" lines along with others, a deer named “Bambi”, Valentino mentions an animal metropolis in reference to Zootopia, etc.).

In theory, the wish magic sounds cool but has so much that isn't explained??? And yeah, it's magic so it technically doesn't have to be. However, there are things not explained even when it is important to the plot. For example, Magnifico crushes some wishes and seems to absorb their power for himself (including the wish of Asha's MOM, so you'd think this would be important)? The consequence of this is that the wish's owners... become sad??? Okay, what are the long-term effects??? Why isn’t this fully explored?? But then later in the film we see the same people whose wishes were crushed... regenerate their wish??? So what, he has to keep reaping them??? And why are the wishes only taken at 18 years old? What if a wish changes? Ironically, the townspeople of Rosas have a scene where they question the technicalities of this wish magic. Magnifico essentially tells them to shut up, and it kinda felt like Disney was telling us to not question their lore www

It was weird that they never fully explored the ramifications of going without your wish. You’d think they’d show us people without ambition or hope (which would incentivize Asha to return their wishes), but everyone seems blissfully happy without their wishes?? The only exception is Asha’s friend that betrays her (cannot for the life of me remember his name), and that’s namely because his asshole friends keep ragging on him for it.

I thought the movie was going to go in a “you can make your own wish come true!!” direction but NOPE, turns out it’s just magic. Felt like Disney unintentionally wrote a whole movie about "wishes not coming true unless some big powerful entity allows it to come true” (Asha literally becomes the fairy godmother of Rosas at the end, making her ultimately no different than Magnifico)… ie a metaphor for how Disney owns so many properties it practically owns our childhoods www

"The power of friendship saves the day" ending 🤣 It was very Paper Mario ending-esque...

A song saving the day though?? It’s giving the Illumination Lorax film…

I was right about the humor. Too "quirky" and/or juvenile for me.

Animation was alright? Nothing awful about it, it just didn't feel as detailed or as experimental as other films with a similar style.

Songs were mid, which checks out with the recent Disney music excluding We Don't Talk About Bruno--

Some of the lyrics however were awful. “I let you live here for free and I don’t even charge you rent” is redundant. “So I throw caution to every warning sign” means you’ll show more caution than usual, not that you’ll forego caution. The correct expression is “throw caution to the wind”. Etc, etc, etc.

There was a cute after credits scene where they reveal that Asha's 100 year old grandpa (same age as Disney omg) wrote the "When You Wish Upon a Star" theme, which was sweet since his wish was "wanting to make a mark".

THE BEST PART OF THE MOVIE WAS STAR!! It was very cute (partly because it couldn't talk and just jingled and giggled, I was dreading another annoying mascot animal voice) and reminds me of my own pet… The way Star infused everything with glitter and formed unique shapes with the red twine was so fun 😭 I'M A STAR STAN, IT WAS ADORABLE AND KINDA BRATTY AND I'M LIVING FOR IT

Decent ideas, "meh" execution. Enchanted and Shrek did it better in terms of self-aware, fairy tale defying stories. It felt as though the movie was trying to deliver a profound message but got lost in the sauce of making as making Disney references possible and didn't fully commit to actually saying something meaningful. As a result, the film feels somewhat… hollow.

That one friend betraying Asha was the biggest surprise in the film but I still saw it coming 😂 I do get where he’s coming from though (being worried that his wish won’t ever come true) but it also felt like his conflict wasn’t resolved??? It might have gone better if the movie actually fully tried to push the “you can make your own wish come true” message (to reinvigorate the traitor to make his dreams a reality on his own) but they don’t 💦

Wish didn’t end up being “the wishing star’s origin story” because not once did anyone question where Star came from or why it was different from other stars (or what the significance of Magnifico blotting out the other stars was).

I think the people that would enjoy this movie are the people that are already highly invested in Disney and the nostalgia of it.

... Anyway, stan Star 🤩 (and the talking mushrooms 🍄)

[ice-cream-writes-stuff]

Twst Mirable Madrigal

"Damn it.." You curse underneath your breath, noticing the small tear in your bag. Remembering the previous day before, where Ace had set it aflame on accident with his magic. Then Deuce using his unique magic to try to get back at Ace. Which still had your bag be covered in flames. You were just glad Kalim was around and doused out the flame.

You were surprised for it to still be in tact and not a pile of ashes. The bag now only looked like it went through hell, twice.

The tear was.. A bit big, you were thankful the bag wasn't coming undone. But you still had to walk all the way back to the campus with the fear of the fabric finally meeting its end.

Why did Sam's supply of Tuna have to come in shipment tomorrow!?

Grumbling at your luck, you try to think of quick solution.

Buy a new bag?

No, you only brought enough mora for tuna and maybe a snack for yourself and Yuu.

What else-

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a loud collision.

"Sorry-!"

Turning your head, you notice a guy accidentally bumping into another person while holding tons of bags in his arms. Teetering back and forth as he tries to waddle forward.

A small bag that was placed on top of the mountain of things he held fell to the ground next your feet. Picking it up, you watch the teen carefully go on about there day. Unknown to them one of there items were missing.

Picking up the bag, you call out to them, quickly striding over as they paused in their steps.

"Oh! Thank you!" You hear them cheer, but couldn't make out their face, mostly due to it being hidden because of the items.

"No problem.. Do you want me to help you carry some of those things? They look pretty heavy." You ask politely, feeling bad for the poor boy and his arms.

"Nope! Don't worry! I got it." He huffed, maneuvering past you.

You watch him walk off as more items fall. You sigh in agitation, reminding you of your vice-leader, Yuu.

You follow after them and pick up the fallen items as the two of you reach the main destination.

The entrance to Royal Sword Academy.

"Uh-oh.." You whisper, as the pile of items the male carried started teeter back and fourth before finally landing on... You, apparently.

With a squeal of fright, the items buried you as try to move away.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" He yelled, helping to dig you out of your soon to be grave. When your head reached the surface, your suprised by a unhappy face that greeted you.

"Why were you following me and are you okay?"

After explaining what happened, he thanked you as the two of you pick up the fallen items.

"What's your name?"

"{Twst Mirabel}," he stated, pushing up his glasses with a bright smile while picking up a bag unfamiliar to him. "Aw, this poor bag. What happened to it?"

"That one's mine, my friends messed it up." You state, picking up the last bag.

"So, where do we drop these off?"

"Let's head up to my dorm room, we can place the bags there."

-

"Oi! (Y/N)!"

"What's up Grim?" You ask, patting down your apron as Yuu pulls out the bread in the oven.

Grim, who was looking at the bag of goodies he received from your trip stares at you and Yuu. Before looking back at the bag.

"There's a mini Yuu and you in this bag, and the great Grim himself. Plus someone I've never seen before." The firey cat questions, pulling out the small dolls from your freshly stitched and embroidered bag.

"That's from friend of mine, you can play with them after dinner, but don't burn them."

-

[I know it's a year late, but here you go ya'll! Get ready for more ideas! Also, I appreciate comments and asks!!]

[londonfog-chan]

Malleus Draconia x Encanto!Reader

You can absolutely thank @thefiasco-onyourblock for constantly posting Twisted Wonderland content enough for me to become intrigued by “Who is that hunk with Maleficent’s horns?”.

While it is absolutely valid for every Latino who watched Encanto to enjoy the happy ending of the toxic ass family actually apologizing, this set of smol headcanons is for the Latino kids who have gone no contact with their family.

I see the Twisted Wonderland Encanto realm is the same, however you aren’t necessarily a Madrigal in name, but your family is Twisted Wonderland’s variant.

Yet you are very much the Mirabel of the story, in that you are the only member of your family who has no gift of magic.

The world you live in exists in this strange realm of being knowledgeable of places like Night Raven College existing, but still largely ignorant of other magical customs and cultures.

But it works out fine for your family. Since they’re the only people of your world with a gift, they enjoy the status.

You were not given a gift, and your life has been hell for it. Abuse and neglect are familiar to you.

Anything goes wrong, often you bear the brunt of things beyond your control.

This is obvious by your reactions in Night Raven College. You will often overreact to the most minor of things, or stress to the point of doing things like pulling out your hair, picking and scratching at blemishes on your skin, or overeating/not eating enough.

Your cousins, the golden grandchildren with gifts, stole the spotlight often. Even the younger ones who showed you kindness once will inevitably be influenced to see you as a pariah for not having a gift. It hurts to see that eventually they’re the ones who actually start rumors of your jealousy when you notice the casita begin to fracture and crack.

It comes to a head one day when you’re the one blamed for trying to help your cousins see past their insecurities and find the goodness and individuality inside. Instead you’re accused of ruining the family and causing the foundations of bonds to fall apart. All this for teaching your cousins that they’re more than their gift.

Wild accusations fly through the air like daggers at your head, your grandmother accusing you of not caring for the family, of wanting to see it’s destruction.

That precise moment is when the casita begins to visibly fracture and break. You leave everything behind, taking nothing with you except the wounds left by your family’s harsh words.

Next you know, you’re being removed from a coffin and have found yourself in a place where it seems everyone has been blessed with a gift. Even this weird cat creature has power you were not aware could be bestowed.

Bitterly, when the mirror declares you empty, you realize that perhaps your cousins would have flourished here in your stead. As usual, you’re the only one without a gift at the table.

However, throughout your interactions at Night Raven, the others wonder aloud if you really do have a gift.

Your ability to bring students together, the life you’ve given to Ramshackle Dorm, it has to be a gift your friends insist.

No one is more convinced than Malleus Draconia. You’ve found a friend, and daresay a new love, in this mysterious fae mage.

For the first time you’ve found someone who recognizes you and the gift you truly are. Malleus never fails to remind you of your worth whenever the scars of your past begin to hurt afresh.

He will be the first to point out when you’ve done something amazing. It could be something as simple as learning a new dish or resolving a conflict with two students with nothing more than a plateful of arepas con queso and a listening ear.

(His favorite dish that you’ve ever made for him is bandeja paisa by the way.)

It’s actually Malleus who proposes to you, making sure to let you know that you are a blessing to have arrived in his life.

“O Child of Man, know that your family asked for a gift of a miracle, yet in their hubris were willfully blind to the truth: the gift is you. Gifts of the fae are not to be abused or taken lightly. Be not afraid, for in my arms I will nurture and assist you in finding your light once more.”

You have to cry. Never has such a kindness been spoken to you before.

Whatever promises he makes, Malleus Draconia keeps his word. He will defend you, nurture your spirit, encourage you, but he will also help you if he notices you going down a path of destructive behavior.

He is always there for you. Even when times are hard and you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. Malleus is a gift in of himself.

You feel very lucky to have such a gift.

Needless to say, after telling him of the things that have happened in your family, he will never let you set foot there again.

If your guilty conscience takes control, he will reluctantly allow you to see your family again, but rest assured the minute he hears any accusation against you it’s time to leave.

He admittedly is actually satisfied with how your family has seemed to fall apart without you.

For a moment your casita is alive with your visit, and it seems everyone briefly regains their power, but it’s hard to say whether or not they still blame your departure as the cause for the candle going out.

Which in a sense they’re right, but Malleus in true Dark Fairy fashion can’t help but drop the truth bomb.

“Those who should squander a gift of the fae should show no surprise when it is reclaimed.”

[roseyrays]

Nah cuz Malleyuu reminds me of

LIKE?? MALLEUS IS PEPA AND YUU IS FELIX

[domxmarvel]

Warm and fluffy bingo (Closed)

Guidelines & characters

*one slot per request*

Leads in a play/show/movie Kizano x Gender neutral!Reader

"It's cold,take my jacket" Agent 47 x Gender neutral!Reader

Built a pillow fort Lilia vanrouge x Gender neutral!Reader

Secret admirer Loid x Female!Reader x Yor

Sharing an umbrella Ayato aishi x Gender neutral!Reader

Peppering them with soft kisses Floyd x Gender neutral!Reader

[hipsterteller]

A reason why you shouldn't piss Trein off...

Abuela-The magic is dying and it's because of you!

-Mirabel gasp as Ace comfort her and Deuce wanted to threat her but then, Trein stop him-

Deuce-professor?

Trein-take Mirabel back to NRc, get her stuff at nursery, and go..do you understand?

Deuce-yes sir, Jack help me...Sebek lower your voice, Ortho can you provide her something? Call Epel so he can bring the apples...

Ortho-of course!

Sebek-you got it.

Jack-right...

-As soon they did, Alma watch as they drag Mirabel away from casita. Alma was about to catch her when Trein gave her this glare:

This shock her and the rest shiver down as Alma swore she saw a devil in him-

Trein-you...have no rights to call her out on that, and pressuring your grandchildren and your children.

Alma-and how would you know?!

Trein-Because I am a father of two children and nephew who suffered because of my daughter cruelty!

-He raise his voice as he control his anger, his mind flooded back of his nephew when Yuu told him about Cater situation and the mother's cruelty. Alma is shaken as Trein took a deep breathe for second and glare at her-

Trein-what your doing is harming them especially for Mirabel, because she's not special? You also told the others about this wasn't it? From what I heard from my students is enough to make me see your ugly nature...-turn to the others- you are not the fault of this, but rather a victim of her cruelty...and as for you...-glare at Alma- Don't ever set foot of Night Raven College, don't ever go near to Mirabel, and Don't even think of sending a letter...good day.

-He walk away as he swore he saw his nephew had took a video and dash off he didn't care but what he did may help to protect Mirabel from cruel nature of her abuela...-

-that's all that matters...for her well being and all...but before he did hop in, Bruno approach him-

Bruno-wait!! -panted- oh boy...give me a minute...-takign a few breathes-

Trein-you must be Bruno, son of Alma and uncle to Madrigals correct?

Bruno-yes, is it alright if me and Antonio visit her?

-Trein looked down at the boy behind Bruno's leg and smile-

Trein-you may, Mirabel would be happy to see someone who stand up or go against Alma...

-Bruno smile and carry Antonio as they visit Mirabel at Ramshackle-

[nproduction626]

Me: I’m bored

My brain: Then do an Encanto and Twisted Wonderland crossover with Mirabel as the main character, but make it a little messy where She gets taken on Antonio’s gift ceremony as flavor.

@mangacupcake @marrondrawsalot @adrianasunderworld @the-weirdos-mind

[maythearo]

Copy pasting what I said on twt and insta but: This month i've been a little burnt-out, and was not able to draw as much as I'd like to, but compiling my works on a year review like this fills me with inspiration again! 💃💃yahoo!

Template by Taxkha on twitter!

[twisted-in-underland]

Encanto x TWST idea

I’m sure someone out there has already done this before, but I was listening to the Encanto soundtrack earlier and couldn’t help but come up with the TWST idea for the movie!

So the general concept in world wise is that it sticks fairly close to the movie; the Madrigals (I’m sticking to the og names for now. My name ideas are gonna be at the end) live in a small village and are the only family with magic. Because the villiage is so small and closed off, they don’t have any kind of magical institution of their own leading the Madrigals to attend outside mage school to learn to control their powers.

Note: Their unique magic is the same thing as their “miracles” in the movie

All of the ages of the Madrigals are the same as the movie. So Pepa, Bruno, and Julieta have long since graduated from school and take various jobs around the village. By the time Yuu comes to Twisted Wonderland, Isabela and Dolores would have been recent graduates of RSA; Isa would have been out of school for roughly 3 years and Dolores would have been out of school for roughly 2 years. Luisa is a senior at an all girls mage school (a school that would be similar to RSA) by this point and, assuming the seniors of this school leave campus similar to NRC seniors, she’s likely involved in some sort of internship off campus.

Camilo and Mirabel aren’t in school yet. By the next year it’s expected that Camilo will also start at RSA as a freshmen. Mirabel, who doesn’t show many magical abilities, is not expected to attend any sort of magical school. And of course Antonio is not expected to attend magic school any time soon as he’s still too young.

Currently Bruno is the only one who’s attended NRC. I imagine he was chosen by NRC likely due to his unique magic. I believe there would have already been tension in the family/with the village regarding Bruno’s unique magic, and so learning he wasn’t even attending a “respectable” school (the villages view on NRC) like his siblings made it worse.

I think Bruno would be sorted into Diasomnia mainly because I can see his unique magic being seen as quite powerful and his colours are green. It’s only fitting.

I also think it’d be a little funny if Bruno was considered the dorms resident cryptid. Like he’d almost have Malleus vibes where everyone is put off or scared of him for one reason or another, but in reality Bruno is just shy and kinda socially awkward at times. There are definitely still rumours about the “mysterious fortune teller” running around NRC even after all the years.

With Mirabel currently showing little signs of having magic, she’s also becoming a black sheep like Bruno. It very much follows the movie plot where Alma is a lot harder on Mirabel because she’s seen as “too different” from the rest of the family. But have no fear! I feel like Mirabel and Yuu would end up being besties by the end of the event AND Mirabel would make her place known in the family even if she’s “different”!

Speaking of event; my general idea game wise is that this would probably be a special event for the game. Like I said, Bruno is currently the only Madrigal that’s attended NRC, the rest (excluding the younger ones) have attended/are attending RSA. I don’t have an idea currently on why Yuu and co would be visiting the village, but I think it would be a fun concept!

Perhaps the miracle fading is tied with an overblot like situation and NRC got an anonymous letter (perhaps from Bruno 🤔) and Crowley, being a kind man he is, sent Yuu to check it out. I’m open to suggestions if anyone has any ideas!

I think maybe Epel would be one of the event exclusive characters; he also comes from a small village and there’s a generational gap between mages within his own family. Maybe he could relate to Mirabel in some way. Idk why, I also think Silver could fit as well. He is the only non-fae of the main Diasomnia bunch so perhaps he can also relate to Mirabel or even Bruno in the sense of not “fitting in” with the rest.

As for the names of the characters: I have no clue what do change the last name to, BUT I’ll leave some of my ideas for the first names, as well as clarifying which ones have changed genders.

Characters using their movie concept name:

Alma = Andrea

Julieta = Juana

Bruno = Oscar

Luisa = Lydia

Mirabel = Mariana

Camilo = Carlos

These 6 also stay the same gender as their original counterparts.

Genderswaped characters and names (these are subject to change):

Isabela = Ines

Ines was Isabela’s concept name and I can’t seem to find a masculine form of Ines. To me sounds neutral, though I also image TWST Isa to be similar to Vil; he has a more feminine and/or androgynous appearance which he embraces so I imagine a more feminine name wouldn’t bother him.

Some other names I’m entertaining are Isaac, Lucero and Ismael. I kinda like lucero as an alternative, I think “bright star” is a fitting of a golden child.

Dolores = Diego

I’ve seen a couple people use Diego as a gender swap name for Dolores and I kinda like it. There isn’t a deeper reason for the choice.

I’m open to other name suggestions if anyone has a better one!

Antonio = Antonia

Antonio was a little easier since his name has a feminine form. I also wanted to keep the one girl-two boys set up that Pepa’s kids have, so I swapped Antonio and Dolores’ genders

Pepa = Pepe or Pedro

I’m a little tempted to give both names to Male!Pepa. Perhaps he was named after his father, but Alma/Andrea started calling him “Pepe” as a nickname.

I think this would really fit if Abuelo Pedro died like in the movie and so hearing her husband’s name after he passed was really hard on her.

Félix = Felicia

similar to Antonio, Felicia is the feminine equivalent of Félix so the meaning is the same.

I don’t really have a distinct reason for swapping this groups genders other than not wanting the entire family to be the same genders as their og counterparts.

I’m not sure what I would want to change Agustín’s name to. Perhaps he’s the one who keeps his original name, or if anyone has suggestions let me know!

And finally for abuelo Pedro, I’m thinking perhaps he’s just not named in game. Like perhaps he’s passed away and when asked about him, everyone either calls him “Papí” (the triplets) or “abuelo” (the grandkids). Maybe Alma doesn’t like talking about him/saying his name because it’s too painful or something.

I think this is all I have so far for this idea! Like I said I’m open to any ideas or suggestions that y’all might have, especially with names!

Idk how far I’ll take this, I just needed to get the idea typed out while I had it in my head lol. I might also post something about Hans from Frozen once the poll I posted on him ends.

Thank you to everyone who read my ramblings! Have a cookie 🍪💕

[taranodongirl]

I asked an AI chat bot to write me a fanfic based on my “what if Bruno was taken to Twisted Wonderland?” idea and this was what it wrote

Me: Write me a Twisted Wonderland and Encanto crossover fanfic where instead of Yuu, Bruno Madrigal is transported to Night Raven College

AI Chatbot: It was a beautiful day in Encanto, the sun was shining, and the birds were singing. Bruno Madrigal was walking through the village, enjoying the beautiful day when suddenly, he was engulfed in a bright light. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a strange and unfamiliar place. He looked around and saw that he was standing in front of a huge castle.

Bruno was confused and scared. He had no idea where he was or how he got there. He started walking towards the castle, hoping to find some answers. As he got closer, he saw a sign that read "Night Raven College."

Bruno entered the castle and was immediately greeted by a group of strange and magical creatures. They introduced themselves as the students and staff of Night Raven College. They explained to him that he had been transported to Twisted Wonderland, a world of magic and fantasy.

Bruno was amazed by the magical world, but he was also scared. He had no idea how he was going to get back home. The students and staff of Night Raven College offered to help him find a way back, but they needed his help first.

The students of Night Raven College were under a curse, and they needed Bruno's help to break it. The curse had been cast by a powerful sorcerer who wanted to take over Twisted Wonderland. The students and staff of Night Raven College had been trying to break the curse for years, but they had not been successful.

Bruno was hesitant at first, but he eventually agreed to help. He knew that he had to do something to get back home, and he also wanted to help the students of Night Raven College. Together, they embarked on a dangerous journey to break the curse.

They faced many challenges along the way, but with Bruno's help, they were able to overcome them all. They finally reached the sorcerer's castle, where they engaged in a fierce battle. It was a long and grueling fight, but in the end, they were able to break the curse.

With the curse broken, the students and staff of Night Raven College were free. They thanked Bruno for his help and promised to help him find a way back to Encanto. Bruno was overjoyed and grateful. He had made new friends and had experienced a magical adventure that he would never forget.

As Bruno was getting ready to leave, the students of Night Raven College gave him a special gift. They gave him a magical amulet that would allow him to visit Twisted Wonderland whenever he wanted. Bruno was ecstatic. He knew that he would always have a way to visit his new friends and experience the magic of Twisted Wonderland.

And with that, Bruno said goodbye to his new friends and used the amulet to return to Encanto. He was happy to be back home, but he knew that he would always have a special place in his heart for Twisted Wonderland and the students of Night Raven College.

So cringey right? And completely not what I wanted. But at least it wasn’t dirty.

[adrianasunderworld]

Considering that an angry/grumpy Malleus tends to unintentionally cause storms, Mirabel is the one to take that in stride because that's just like her Aunt Pepa on a Tuesday. "Happy thoughts Malleus, happy thoughts!"

"Come on Malleus, clear skies. Clear skies... see? Isn't that better?"

Ace: Wow. How can you talk him down like that?

Mirabel: My tia does the same thing. It's nothing new to me.

Ace: Ah...wait, what?

Mirabel: My aunt controls the weather with her emotions.

Ace: That really powerful magic Mirabel, how the heck are you just telling us this!?

Mirabel: My family has powers. What, do you want a rundown?

Ace: Your whole family!?

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

What twst version of disney characters would you like to see?

I think the one I want to see the most is an official twisted Mother Gothel from Tangled! ^^ I feel like her "gaslight gatekeep girlboss" maternal attitude would translate into a very interesting character in the world of Twisted Wonderland. I've pretty much always had a preference for characters that use their intelligence and manipulation tactics over brute strength or magical powers to get what they want. Some other characters I wouldn't mind seeing in TWST (most of them are characters from films I personally enjoy):

Remy from Ratatouille (YES I WANT A RAT BOY BEASTMAN THAT COOKS FOOD. Plus, it could be a good excuse to go back to the City of Flowers (which is basically a fantasy France) AND MAYBE WE CAN SEE ROLLO AGAIN--)

Hiro and/or Baymax from Big Hero 6 (They'd be like the RSA counterpart to Ignihyde lol)

Ralph from Wreck-It Ralph (I have this very specific idea in my head for like a racing themed event where a random twisted Wreck-It Ralph is one of the candy go-kart mechanics--)

The whole Madrigal family from Encanto (Idk, I think there could be an interesting storyline? Like seeing how the one family of mages in a community can help it prosper... but at the same time, it puts pressure on the mages to perform to a certain standard.)

Giselle from Enchanted (I feel like we kind of already got the "TWST boys dealing with a delusional Disney princess" dynamic with Eliza/the Ghost Bride, but I have a really personal attachment to Giselle so I want more rep for my girl 😤)

[mermorf]

I saw someone once on Tumblr saying that Riddle would sing "What Else Can I Do?" It was on my mind for days before I drew ir

This is pretty old tho, my style changed a bit too much

[twistedtummies2]

Dark Shadows (Commission)

A commission for @norman6321ify. This serves as the introduction of a new OC for him (you can learn who in the keywords/tags), and features the return of my Phantom Blot OC, Elias Inque. It's been a long time since I used Eli in a story, hopefully I haven't entirely lost my touch with him. 'XD This is planned to be the first of a probable series of stories. This first one isn't kink-based, but I DID manage to sort of sneak in a few hints of voraciousness here and there. ;) Not much else to say. Hope you all enjoy!

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It was a cool, bright, quiet night on Sage’s Island. On the campus of Night Raven College, all was deathly still. Even the spirits who roamed the grounds, from Ramshackle Dorm to the Cafeteria, seemed to be remarkably peaceful that evening. The moon was full, and the stars glittered like diamond dust. Everybody, it seemed, staff and students alike, was slumbering. In the Hall of Mirrors, the Dark Mirror floated in its usual place of honor. The symbol of Night Raven College, the Magic Mirror - which was said to have once belonged to one of the Great Seven - was a treasured item of power and prestige. It allowed students to come and go, but perhaps most importantly, the Mirror’s auspicious connections to the past were seen as a mascot for the cherished values of the students, and of the Great Seven themselves. Some past connections, however, are more notable than others. Rarely did anyone ever peek BEHIND the Mirror; after all, what was there to see on the back of the fabled object? The facade enraptured all attention…which is why one may never have noticed an oddity on the back of the reflector. Nestled into the framework of the Dark Mirror was a small piece of glass, the same obsidian shade as the Dark Mirror itself. It was roughly the size and shape of your average playing card, and seemed stuck to the mirror with some sort of adhesive; hardly something that had been there for centuries. For some time, the card-shaped mini-mirror had remained fixed to the back of the Dark Mirror without any issue…but this night, that would change. FWOOSH!

Without warning, the Dark Mirror suddenly lit up, a flash of green fire bursting behind its flattened pane. As the fires flickered out, the green, mask-like face of the Spirit of the Mirror formed in the center of the black void. Its eyes were closed; not in sleep, for the Spirit had no need of it, but simply in silent, endless, immortal contemplation. The meditative state was swiftly broken, however, as the Mirror opened its hollow eyes. It glanced around curiously, spotting no one in sight that could have roused it from its limbo-like prison. The droning, deep, resonant voice of the Mirror soon echoed through the Hall… “What form of magic, blessing or blight, brings me forth upon this night?” A low, sinister laugh was suddenly heard, whispering its wicked tone through the room. A moment later, the tiny mirror on the back of the great one began to glow, the black glass colored a vibrant, neon violet. The tiny piece suddenly rattled, vibrating and shaking free of whatever adhesive held it in place. The Dark Mirror’s mask-like face twisted into a bitter, cringing expression, and a wolfish growl left the Spirit… The laugh was followed by an equally malevolent voice, chanting an ominous spell: “Feed my power, dark eclipse. Free my form from the abyss. Dormant magic, now unchained…the Shadow King be whole again!”

Then, the Spirit gasped sharply, as the miniature glass on that clung almost parasitically to its frame shattered into a million pieces, which seemed to evaporate into a cloud of black mist. Moments later, a similar dark mist swirled in front of the mirror, and a shadow figure - tall and elegant - soon began to emerge. The Mirror focused upon the stately, humanoid silhouette. Its usual look of passive calm and nonchalance was fixed upon its features. “We meet once more; I am surprised,” remarked the Mirror. “I never expected you to rise.” “Still uttering rhymes, are we?” cackled the newcomer, adjusting a pair of spectacles that were hooked onto their sharp, aquiline nose. “Don’t bother asking how I managed that trick: I’ve been working on this for years. Those who need to know will learn…but for now…” The figure paused and sighed, stretching languidly. “Ahhh…I am simply, BLISSFULLY relieved to feel the WORLD around me again. I’ve missed all of this: the coolness of the air, the way things look in the nightlight…the sensation of burning heart VENGEANCE that fills my soul.” They giggled. It was a clearly unhinged sound. “Well. That last part I never stopped feeling, but you get the idea.”

The Mirror just blinked blankly. “Oh, everyone’s a critic,” muttered the newcomer, then smirked in the darkness. “Now then…my dear, DEAR Mirror…I have need of your assistance.” “What woulds thou ask, O Shadow King?” The Shadow King grinned, teeth glistening in the dim, bluish light of the empty Hall. “Why, for your help in destroying my long-despised nemesis, naturally! The one who was oh-so-kind enough to trap me in that distressing state for so long…surely, you can sympathize with my plight,” they mock-pouted. The Mirror was utterly unaffected. “Alas, such things I cannot do,” it replied, sounding neither like it was pleased to say this nor upset by it. “I have no power, save answers true, and transport to and from far-off shores. This knowledge, already, should be yours.” The Shadow King chortled. “Oh, you poor, simple, silly creature. So many years of wisdom and knowledge, and you still don’t understand,” cooed the dark mage, and approached the Mirror with a diabolical look in their yellow eyes. “I’m not requesting your assistance, Spirit of the Magic Mirror. Nor am I demanding it.” A fingerless-gloved hand rested upon the glass. “I’m simply GETTING it, whether you like it or not.” Suddenly, a crimson aura surrounded the Shadow King. The Spirit in the Mirror’s eyes and mouth shot wide open, and it began to shake violently, as if possessed by some unholy creature. The same red aura surrounded the Spirit, who let out a rasping, hoarse sound, as if trying desperately to breathe. The entire Mirror trembled where it floated… …Then, a flash of blood red light burst from the glass, and the Magic Mirror howled. In the darkness of that no-longer-so-peaceful night, the Shadow King laughed. “HEAR ME, WORLD!” he cackled, with wild glee. “NOTHING CAN STOP ME NOW!”

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“Doesn’t this seem weird to you?” This was when you came into the picture, for it was towards you that the question was directed. Both yourself and Grim - who trotted alongside you - turned your eyes up to the source of the query. The one who had spoken was a young man, of slightly above-average height, and lean-shaped. He was dressed in a black beret and a school uniform, which had the hallmarks of a student from Diasomnia. He also wore blue-violet tinted glasses, which did little to hide his shining green eyes…although they did nearly remove attention from the curious brown-and-black dog ears and tail he had. The keyword in that sentence, obviously, was “nearly.” You smiled at the demi-dog and shrugged. “I don’t know,” you admitted, honestly. “I mean…I’m a person from another universe, where magic isn’t real, now stuck in a world that basically RUNS ON magic.” “Nya! And they have ME as their brilliant, amazing guide and master!” bragged Grim, puffing out his chest. Both yourself and your other humanoid companion rolled your eyes and shook your heads. “Anyway,” you said, “I think a student getting enrolled mid-semester is far from the strangest thing that’s ever happened, after all I’ve seen, Eli.” “I suppose that’s fair,” Elias Inque shrugged back, stuffing his gloved hands into his pockets as the pair of you strolled through the Gothic stone passages of Diasomnia. “Still, even in this world, I promise you it’s not the usual way.” “Fair enough. I guess that’s why Crowley wants us to show the new freshman around,” you conceded. “That and it cuts into his time watching Breaking Fad,” grumbled Elias, then sighed irritably. “I could be rehearsing for the next audition right now, but noooo, Chief Jehan ordered me to do this for community service…” “Hey, you’re a member of the same dorm, and I’m guessing Malleus and his family are kind of busy,” you said with a smile. “Somebody who knows the place has to help the poor guy out. And besides, I imagine - with your talents - you could really liven up the tour.” You smirked as your words caused Eli’s chest to puff out and his tail to wag. “Well, I guess I DO have certain advantages,” he replied, then started to grin. “Indeed…this is really a shining moment! I shall present the most grand tour of the campus possible! This new student will be inspired beyond belief!” “That’s if you don’t monologue his ears off,” grumbled Grim. “What?!” snapped Elias, barking sharply and baring his teeth. “Nothing, ignore him,” you soothed. Eli glared at the cat-like imp, but relaxed nonetheless.

“Honestly, I just hope this won’t take long,” yawned Grim, and pouted. “Who does that Headmage think he is, makin’ me wake up at this hour for something like this?” “Easy there, Leona,” you chuckled and smirked. “You know, if you REALLY don’t wanna come with us, I could go back really quick and leave you with Billy or Tock.” Grim blanched at the very thought of being either devoured by the crocodile, or snuggled half to death by the giant. “Nope! No, this…th-this is fine!” he meowed, terror stricken. “I’ll go. Yep. New student? Totally looking forward to it.” Both you and Eli shared a look and snickered, then picked up the pace as you marched through the hall to find the new student you had been tasked to meet. The three of you soon arrived in the Lounge Area of the dorm. It was currently empty, save for a single student, who sat in profile to your position upon an ebony sofa. He was dressed in a uniform similar to Eli’s, and somewhat short in stature, standing at only about five and a half feet. His build was average, and his demeanor was generally unassuming: his hair cut in a sort of “pageboy” style, but with messy bangs, and colored a sort of blackish-brown hue, almost like oil. (Which was not to say the hair, itself, was oily; in fact, you could not help but notice it was very well washed.) His face was fair-skinned and youthful beyond compare, downright boyish; much like Lilia, he seemed too young for college, but you had come to learn that appearances were often deceiving. Case in point: despite the generally unremarkable appearance of the young man, there was one part of him that caught your attention: his eyes. Two pale yellow eyes, the color of citrine stones, were fixed upon a book he was reading in his lap. The eyes were sharp and bright, indicating a keen mind and intellect…yet something about them seemed faded and almost empty, as if these eyes had seen and known some things few others could imagine. You weren’t sure why, but something about them struck you as unsettling…and perhaps a little sad. “Hey!” Elias called out. “Are you the new freshman?” The young man looked up…and smiled wider, a cheery brightness filling those strange eyes as he put the book under his arm and stood up. “Yes, that’s me!” he confirmed, in a light, lilting sort of voice. “My name’s Felix. Ah…who are you?”

“Elias Inque,” grinned the dog boy, and shook the new student’s hand warmly. Felix turned to you next. “You’re not from my new dorm,” he observed. “Why are you here?” “The Headmage sent us to help Eli show you around,” you chuckled, and shook the youth’s hand, introducing yourself. “Nice to meet you,” Felix said. “Same to you, Felix…?” “Sinistro.” “That is an AWESOME name,” commented Elias. Felix just laughed. “Well, thank you! Glad you like it. Sorry, but it’s mine to keep,” he smirked. “Ha! I’m proud enough of my own name, thank you very much.” “And I’M the Great Grim!” interrupted your feline-esque companion, stepping forward with a whip of his trident tail and a broad grin. “You can applaud, if you want to. I’ll also accept kneeling!” Felix just blinked at Grim, then looked up at you. “Do people usually keep talking pets here?” he asked. “NYA! I AM NOT A PET!” yapped Grim, stomping one foot and pouting petulantly. You chuckled, reaching down to scratch behind Grim’s ears. You waited till he started purring to explain the situation to Felix, regarding your institution at the academy. The young man seemed quite astounded. “Wow…you mean there really are other worlds out there?” he gasped. “Oh, there’s gotta be at least a couple,” butted in Elias. “Sebek was telling me about this one time a bunch of little things called Tsums showed up on campus. The Headmage still doesn’t know where they came from!” “Does the Headmage ever really know anything?’ drawled Felix, dryly. “See?!” Grim exclaimed. “Even the new guy gets it!” You and Elias laughed, then looked quizzically at Felix. “I’m surprised you formed an opinion so fast,” you said. “This is your first day here, isn’t it?” For a moment, a flicker of anger showed on Felix’s face, and he glanced off to one side. “Let’s just say Headmage Crowley and I have some…history together,” said Felix, in a grim sort of voice. His demeanor quickly changed, however, and a sly, mysterious smile replaced the dour expression in an instant. “So! Are you all ready to show me around?” “How did you know that’s why we’re here?” asked Eli. “Because the Headmage said so,” replied Felix. “Ha! For once he actually did something helpful!” exclaimed Grim. “Yes,” said Felix, more to himself than the rest of you. “For once.”

“Come on then!” cheered Elias, and clapped a hand on Felix’s back (you noticed the young man flinched from the impact). “No better way to start than by showing you around the dorm itself. Then we’ll head out and start looking around the Castle, and move on from there.” “Sounds like a plan to me!” you chirruped. “Just stick with us, new guy!” grinned Grim. “And try not to get lost, huh? It’ll cramp my style.” Felix rolled his eyes, and gave you a look. “Is he always like this?” he asked. “Most always,” you confirmed with a nod. “But seriously, do stick close by us.” “They’re right,” said Elias, seriously. “Diasomnia isn’t a literal maze, like Heartslabyul, but it can get pretty close, with all the winding passages. The rest of the campus is so big, meanwhile, it can be easy to get lost. So make sure you don’t lag behind.” “Don’t worry,” Felix chuckled. “I’m very good at keeping track. And besides, I think I know this castle better than you might expect.” “Ahhh,” grinned Elias, a twinkle in his eyes. “Real big Night Raven fan, huh?” “You could say that,” answered Felix, cryptically. “Well, let’s see just how good your knowledge of this place is,” Elias replied, daringly. “Follow me!” With a bold spring in his step, the Phantom Blot marched away. Felix followed him complacently, while yourself and Grim took up the rear. As you walked through the lounge, the four of you passed by a mirror. You paused and did a double-take. “Something wrong, Prefect?” asked Elias, pausing as he noticed the way you tarried behind. “No, I…sorry, I think I need to get my eyes checked,” you replied, shaking your head in a baffled manner. “I’ve been telling you that since day one,” smirked Grim. You gave him a tickle for that one, then continued walking. But even as you went, you couldn’t shake the feeling something was off. You weren’t sure why, but you could have sworn Felix’s reflection in the mirror…didn’t really look like Felix at all. It looked like someone much older.

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Much of the tour was uneventful. Elias was very excited when he showed Felix around Diasomnia itself, and even more so when you all popped in to see the theater. You wandered around from Hall to Hall, pointing out various spots of interest, such as the cafeteria, the lab, and so on. You all went out into the courtyards, where Felix had a big laugh over the story of Grim scorching the statue of the Queen of Hearts. However, you all steered clear of both the PE field and the botanical gardens: the former because the last thing any of you wanted to do was have Vargas suddenly start yammering in your ears, and the latter because if there was anything worse than that, it was risking waking up Leona Kingscholar, who doubtlessly would be taking a catnap there. Your group soon looped back inside. For most of the exploration, Felix seemed calm and casual. Perhaps a little too much: his reactions were ones of only mild interest, and occasionally amusement. Both yourself and Eli were a bit surprised by this. “For somebody who claims to be a big fan of this place, he doesn’t seem impressed by a lot of this, does he?” you whispered to the dog demi, as the four of you began to trek back into the castle itself. By now, Felix had begun to lead the way, alongside Grim, while the two of you paused the trip a couple of times to point out important places. “You noticed it, too, huh?” Elias whispered back. “I swear, it’s as if this guy has seen this place a million times already…even if he IS a huge fan, I doubt there’s enough, like, photographs or videos to even come close to living up to actually seeing it all live and in color, so to speak.” “You think he’s hiding something from us?” you asked, noting the suspicious tone of Eli’s voice. “I think it’s too early to make a leap like that,” Elias chuckled, but he still sounded suspicious. “What I DO think is we’ll want to keep a very close eye on this one.” “Where to next?” Felix’s question interrupted the pair of you, and you picked up the pace to catch up. “Well!” Eli grinned, clapping his hands together and taking the lead again. “Before we head back to the dorm, last thing I wanted to show you are some of the major classrooms. This IS a school, so you’ll want to know where all the classes are.” “That’s fair,” said Felix with a nod, and pointed to one of the doors. “This is Professor Crewel’s main classroom, yes?”

Eli blinked, surprised. “That’s…correct, but how did you know? He doesn’t have a plaque up.” “Just a lucky guess,” said Felix, with an innocent smile. Elias seemed doubtful. Deciding to intervene before anything could go potentially haywire, you stepped forward to point out some other spots. Felix Sinistro glanced between you and each door with only the vaguest interest…until… “And this room,” you declared, “Is where Ancient Curses class is taught!” The moment you said those words, Felix’s eyes brightened, and he visibly seemed to perk up. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “You mean they moved it to here?” You blinked. “Moved it?” you asked, and looked between the door and Felix. “Did it used to be someplace else?” “Before you came here,” nodded Felix. “How do you know that?” Elias asked, frowning and stepping closer, hands on his hips. “You’ve never been here before, let alone long enough ago to know that.” “Nya! I don’t think even I knew that!” Grim exclaimed. “YOU don’t know ANYTHING,” Elias sniped. “HEY! I KNOW LOTS OF THINGS!” Grim screeched. “Uh-huh,” you smirked. “And who was it that didn’t even know about the existence of Halloween, winter holidays, or even the true source of those black rocks you liked munching on?” Grim flushed, sputtered, and pouted. You patted his head with a wry smile. Elias, however, was still looking with a dubious glare at Felix. The young man had seemingly frozen up, a look of guilty apprehension on his face; the expression of a rabbit that had been cornered by a fox (or, in Eli’s case, a hound). However, the look quickly faded, and the young man smiled. “I have a family member who used to come here to Night Raven, way back when Headmage Crowley was just starting up. They said Ancient Curses was their favorite course, and they showed me a picture they took of the outside.” “Why would they have taken a picture of that?” asked Elias, arching an eyebrow. “Good memories, I guess,” shrugged Felix, and turned away from him. A deep look of sorrow, something nostalgic and painful, suddenly filled his eyes. “Oh, I wish…” “You wish what?” Felix built his lip. He was staring at the door to the Ancient Curses classroom, but it didn’t seem like he was actually looking at the door itself. More as if he were gazing straight through it. “Never mind,” he murmured, then shook away the look of gloom as he gave his usual rather mysterious smile. “Shall we move on?”

Elias said nothing. He looked Felix up and down, then stepped aside, sweeping his arm out with his usual theatricality. Felix bowed his head thankfully and hurried along. You frowned, glancing between him and Inque. “I guess that explains a little bit,” you said. “Does it?” was Eli’s enigmatic response. “I don’t get why you’re so suspicious,” you frowned. “I guess it’s the thief in me,” smiled Elias, almost bitterly. “As well as the actor. Hiding my true feelings and putting on a new mask is part of both of those things. I can’t shake the feeling there’s something he isn’t telling us.” “Do you think it’s something bad?” “Oh, I’m SURE it is,” snorted Elias. “The question is if it’s something IMPORTANT.” Without elaborating on what that meant, Eli adjusted his glasses and hastened after Felix Sinistro. You watched the Blot run ahead of you, draping an arm over Felix’s shoulders and saying something to him as they pair went along, clearly trying to show a friendly and humble face. “Putting on a new mask, indeed,” you muttered. “Nya! Come on, minion!” meowed Grim, tugging on your pant leg. “We can’t fall too far behind!” You knew the little monster was right, so - shrugging off your musings and observations for the time being - you picked up the pace to follow the rest of the group. Whatever secrets Felix held, you’d know inevitably. It seemed to be a running thing in this place.

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Not so long after looking at the classrooms, Elias’ stomach had started to growl. He suggested stopping to eat some lunch, and Grim had uproariously agreed with the suggestion. (Cats and dogs agreeing with each other…truly, this world WAS magical.) Felix raised no objections, and you certainly had none. For one thing, after all, denying Grim food always led to disaster. And so it was that - after picking up some food from the cafeteria - the four of you settled down in the courtyard outside the main colonnade of the castle. Eli and Felix sat on a bench, while yourself and Grim stood in the shade of the nearby apple tree. “Nyaaaaah…HIC!” hiccuped Grim, and patted his pudgy little stomach with satisfaction. “Mmmm…that sandwich was mega tasty! I couldn’t eat another bite!” “I’ll believe that when I see it,” you mumbled. “How does the cafeteria food seem to you?” Elias asked Felix. The dog boy was resting back on the bench, a smirk on his face, one hand behind his head while the other rested on his full belly. He licked some stray crumbs off his lips as his tail wagged happily through the gap between the bench back and the seat. Felix, who had just finished his own sandwich, smiled back. “Much better than I…expected,” he answered. He had noticeably hesitated before saying the last word, as if he’d planned to say another and caught himself before giving it utterance. “Thank you for treating me. And thank you for the tour! It has been most informative.” Elias shrugged. “I suppose that’s a good thing,” he said. “He’d probably be happier if you had said it was entertaining,” you told Felix with a wink. Elias, who heard you, blushed. “I guess it’s been that, too,” said the yellow-eyed youth, then looked back at the dog-eared boy. “So, I presume after this we head back to Diasomnia?” “I see no reason not to,” Eli replied. “Now that the tour of the campus is done, I think you should begin meeting more of the students, especially our housewarden and vice-” “SPEAKING!”

You yelped and jumped in alarm, as something swung down out of the tree in front of you. Even Felix and Eli were a bit startled by the sudden, loud arrival. Grim was so particularly startled, he let out a yowl and scrambled to his feet, diving to hide behind his legs. He peeked out after a moment…and three out of four of you (Felix was the sole exception) sighed with relief as you recognized the intruding interrupter. “Hello, Lilia,” you said, with a slight smile. “Nya! You tryin’ to give us all heart attacks?!” Grim snapped sourly. Lilia Vanrouge let out a twittering sort of laugh, his sharp, vampire-like fangs glinting in the sunlight as he blinked his large raspberry-colored eyes at you and your group. He was dangling upside down, hanging by his legs from a lower branch of the apple tree. “Nope. But if your own heart attacks you, I wanna see!” he sang teasingly, winking at Grim. The cat-like little imp growled, the blue flames on his ears briefly crackling with an angry orange hue. Lilia turned his head and grinned brightly when he noticed the pair of Diasomnia students sitting on the bench close by. “Good day, Elias!” he said, in a warm greeting. “How is your community service going so far?” “Well, after today, I might finally be done,” answered Eli, adjusting his glasses and smiling back. “And a good day to you, too, vice-housewarden.” Lilia nodded, then nimbly flipped down from the tree, landing easily on his feet. He cocked his head slightly, hands on his hips, as he looked at Felix, who was staring with a wide-eyed look of great surprise. “And you must be the new boy,” he purred, and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, youngster! Welcome to Night Raven!” “Um…h-how do you do?” greeted Felix, somewhat awkwardly, and shook Lilia’s hand. “So far, so decent!” chirped Lilia, then smirked. “Might I add you have a very firm grip. That’s refreshing! Most young people haven’t learned how to properly shake a person’s hand.” “Ah…thank you, I think?” blinked the yellow-eyed young man. “Lilia, this is Felix Sinistro,” Eli coughed importantly, gesturing with a hand between the pair. “Felix, this is Lilia Vanrouge, the vice dorm leader of Diasomnia.”

“I’ll introduce you to Malleus later,” Lilia chuckled to Felix. “Were you boys just having lunch?” “How did you know that?” you asked. “Oh, ‘the Great and Powerful Phantom Blot’ here dropped some crumbs onto his vest,” answered Lilia, and gave a teasing smirk in Eli’s direction. “Now, how can you face your adoring public like that, young man? Really, I know you’re just a big puppy, but try eating a little less savagely, alright? Remember, you are from Diasomnia.” The words were more playful than scolding, but Elias mumbled an apology anyway, hastily and fastidiously brushing himself off, looking rather miffed at his untidiness. Felix looked between his fellow Diasomnia members curiously. “Phantom Blot?” he repeated. “As in…THE Phantom Blot?” “You know me?” Eli exclaimed, perking up excitedly. “I know the name,” replied Felix. “But I thought the Phantom was long gone by now.” Eli’s ears drooped, and he looked somewhat chagrined. “I see. Well…then I’m going to presume you DON’T know me,” he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “Elias was a very bad boy not so long ago,” explained Lilia smirking with half-lidded eyes as he strolled behind the bench and leaned on it, right between the two newer students. “He used his powers to become the newest Phantom Blot. Thankfully, the Prefect and their friends were able to stop him from being TOO naughty…” Lilia reached out and tousled the top of Eli’s head, mussing his hat and the hair underneath. Elias grumbled and flushed, trying to straighten it all out again. “So that’s why you’re doing community service,” presumed Felix. “Basically,” nodded Elias, and indicated you. “They were able to help convince Crowley and Chief Jehan NOT to expel me, after all the ruckus I caused. But I still have to make up for everything I stole.” “Eli can transform into a creature made entirely of Blot,” you informed Felix. “He can manipulate the ink to take on any shape he wants, and use it in all kinds of ways. The problem is that he only has a set time limit to use his power, or all that buildup of Blot can cause a pretty nasty Overblot situation.” “How nasty?” asked Felix. “Try ‘literally ate us alive,’” shuddered Grim. “Hey, not my fault you both tasted so good,” teased Elias with a wicked wink. You blushed. Grim growled. Lilia just rolled his eyes. Felix whistled, sounding impressed.

“That must be quite a power to see in action,” he remarked. “Well, the less often I use it, the better,” chuckled Elias, then smirked himself. “Although I suppose I AM quite impressive, aren’t I?” “But not very humble,” muttered Grim. “I heard you boys are heading to Diasomnia when I showed up. Mind if I join you?” checked Lilia. “Not at all, Vice-Dorm Leader!” declared Elias, and patted his knees, stretching as he stood up. “Ahh…let’s get moving. I think it’s time we finished this runaround.” Your whole group agreed, and began to follow Elias and Lilia as they led the way through the grounds towards the Hall of Mirrors. As you began walking, however, none of you noticed the sneaky, sly, almost sinister expression on Sinistro’s face. The young man with the brass-toned eyes let a chuckle cluck in his throat as he took up the rear. “Impressive, indeed,” he whispered to himself. “This seems like the perfect place to begin…”

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“We’re almost there now!” Lilia announced in a sing-song sort of way, as your group of five marched across the grounds of Night Raven College. “Good,” sighed Grim. “My paws are KILLING me…” “Want me to carry you?” you teased. “Nya! The Great Grim isn’t supposed to be carried around by a mere human!” scowled the cat-like imp. You chuckled, then looked towards Elias. The dog boy’s expression soon caused the smile to leave your face; he was glancing about cautiously, ears flicking here and there. “Something the matter?” “I don’t know,” Elias murmured, then gave you a sort of quizzical look. “Do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched? That the eyes of some strange, eerie thing may be upon you?” “I get the feeling you’ve been getting way too into your rehearsals for The Vampire Count,” you blandly responded. Elias pouted and paused. “Rude,” he grumbled. You smirked and playfully scratched behind one of his ears. He blushed and swatted your hand away with a half-hearted growl. A giggle left you, and you picked up the pace, pulling ahead of him. “Come on, ‘Phantom.’ Don’t get scared of your own shadow now,” you teased. Elias smiled after you, and prepared to resume the walk… …But just as he was taking his first new step…something went horribly wrong. A wave of unfathomable coldness fell upon the beastman, who froze in place. He glanced back over his shoulder, as if sensing a presence behind him. His green eyes widened behind his glasses, and his mouth gaped, as he beheld a strange, gangly figure, with dead white eyes, colored black all over, like a living shadow. He opened his mouth to scream…just as the shadow reached out with claw-like hands and flew at him. “A-AGH…!”

The pained cry from Elias caught all of you off-guard. You all turned fast. Worry filled your eyes as you saw Elias stagger, shaking slightly. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and he gritted his teeth, groaning and growling with pain. He shook his head violently, as if it were aching badly, and he was trying to clear out the cobwebs. “Elias?” you called out, greatly concerned. “What’s wrong?” Lilia fretted, clearly worried about one of his own students. Elias opened his mouth as if to answer…but as he did so, he let out another cry - a sort of gargled, pained shout - his eyes going wide behind his glasses… …Then, to your horror, those eyes seemed to fill with black ink, as if it was being poured into them form some unseen tap. The ink soon spilled out of the eyes, and a similar substance came flowing from his mouth. “Eli!” you shouted in shock. “Wh-what’s happening to him?!” cried out Grim. “Is he Overblotting?” asked Felix, stepping back with a look of apprehension at the horrible scene. “He can’t be! He hasn’t even used his powers lately!” Lilia exclaimed. Whatever was happening, you soon saw its true effects. The black goo soon finished dripping, forming a strange, bubbling pool of dark, inky fluid upon the ground. Elias groaned, his eyes returning to their normal color and rolling in his head before he collapsed to the ground. His beret fell from his cranium as he hit the grassy turf with a thud. The moment his body made impact, the black goo suddenly began to rise, the pool growing larger and forming some strange, massive, inky shape. The shape became bigger and bigger, expanding and taking on more solid form; Lilia stepped in front of all of you, as if to protect you all. “Back up!” he hissed, and yourself, Grim, and Felix readily obeyed. The former warrior glared defiantly as a pair of limbs, ending in three sharp claws, burst from the ebon-hued muck. Then, a large head - with a great, gaping, fang-filled mouth - opened wide. Two green eyes shot open, and the inky beast roared to life. It floated into the air, a drifting mass of Blot that glared down with cruel intent at your party. It vaguely resembled Eli’s Overblot form, only much larger in every way, and without a speck of humanity to its appearance. “Elias?” meowed Grim, nervously. “That’s not Elias,” said Lilia grimly. “It’s not even a Phantom. It’s some sort of…Blot Shadow.” “What’s a Blot Shadow?” you asked, somewhat timidly. “I don’t know,” shrugged Lilia. “I just made the phrase up right now.”

You would have rolled your eyes if the situation hadn’t been so perturbing. The Blot Shadow roared with animalistic fury, and swooped at your party, jaws open and claws bared. All of you dropped fast, ducking and hitting the ground as the creature glided over your heads, and flew into the air. “What now?” Felix asked, worriedly. “You and the Prefect should take care of Elias, try to get him to safety,” ordered Lilia, then looked at Grim. “Ready to put those flames of yours to good use, little Grim?” “With pleasure!” grinned the cat-like monster. Lilia smirked and nodded back, and the four of you scrambled to stand once more. You were all just in time, for the Blot Shadow snarled and reeled back with its claws, summoning spheres of dark energy. It pitched them like baseballs, hurling them in the direction of your quartet. Quickly, you and Felix dove aside. Lilia stepped forward and raised his palms, uttering a strange incantation. A grid-like forcefield formed in front of himself and Grim, blocking the balls of dark power. Once he had an opening, Grim leaped into action. He took a deep breath and - PHOOSH! - spat out a ball of bright blue fire, straight into the monster’s face. The Blot screeched and clutched its inky face as the fire burned straight through. “WOO-HOO! TAKE THAT, YA BIG JERK!” hollered Grim…but his excitement was short-lived. With a sound like an angry tiger, the Shadow sneered as it pulled away its taloned hand, and its inky form restitched itself, healing the wound. “Oh, that is unfair,” muttered the cat-like creature. Grim yelped as, right then and there, the Shadow flew towards him, ready to slash at him with its terrible talons. Lilia, however, was a bit too quick: he whipped out his Magical Baton, holding it out like a sword. “FOREST STRIKE!” he rapped. The Shadow shrieked as a column of vines seemingly appeared out of nowhere and speared straight through its inky center before retreating. The spectral behemoth floated backwards, snarling in pain…but it wasn’t long till the hole in its midsection healed up again. “Nya! We’re just slowing down!” Grim yelled in frustration. “How do we stop this thing?!” “I’m not sure yet,” said Lilia, twirling his rod and smirking daringly. “But I do know I haven’t had this much fun in AGES!” While Lilia and Grim were focused on the monster, you and Felix hurried to Eli’s side.

“Are you alright?” you whispered. “Eli, talk to me!” The beastman moaned; his eyes were closed, and he seemed barely conscious. “We need to get him to the infirmary,” said Felix with a frown. “Obviously,” you muttered, then added aloud: “Help me get him up, we need to move him out of here right now!” Felix nodded, and the two of you hoisted Elias up, slinging his arms around each of your shoulders. “What’s…what’s going on?” mumbled Eli, his voice slurred as he blearily blinked his green eyes. “Trouble,” you answered. “Come on, help us out, big guy…” Elias groaned, and began to stumble forward, with you and Felix helping to support him. You hoped you could get him out of sight, while Lilia and Grim kept the fiend distracted. It was a vain hope. The Blot Shadow swooped at Grim and Lilia again, and as it flew into the air, it did a double-take, spotting the trio trying to limp away from the scene. With a bellow of primal rage, the Blot lifted both clawed hands, and summoned a gigantic orb of dark power between its taloned mitts. Then, it thrust out its limbs, and shot the wrecking-ball-sized sphere towards Lilia and Grim. Lilia agilely skipped out of the way, but Grim was thrown back with a yowl by the shockwave as the dark sphere exploded upon the ground. Lilia rushed to check on the imp, who smacked into a nearby tree trunk…and with them momentarily dealt with, the Shadow was now free to attack its new targets. Yourself, Felix, and Eli skidded to a halt as the Blot Shadow flew into view, barricading your path with its massive form. “Did that come outta me?” murmured Eli, seemingly stunned. “Sure looks that way,” you nodded. “I suppose there’s more than one Phantom Blot, even now,” commented Felix. Elias looked about to say something, but there was no further time for words. The Blot Shadow reared back its fist and hurled another ball of black Void Magic in your direction. You weren’t sure what came over you, but suddenly, you gave Elias and Felix a hard shove. The pair grunted and growled as they were thrown aside, sprawling onto the grassy floor as you stepped in to take the shot… THOOM!

The sphere of magic exploded; a squeal left your throat, unbidden, and you felt the ground seemingly jump away from under your feet. Your ears rang and your head felt light as you were hurled through the air, as if yanked by some invisible pull-line. You rolled across the ground, hitting it hard…and, with your whole world spiraling, you swiftly fell unconscious. You were out for the count, but the story was not yet over. “PREFECT!” wailed Grim, seeing what had happened. He and Lilia rushed towards your fallen form…only to stop short as the Blot moved to block them. It snarled and swiped its claws, backhanding the pair and knocking them over. “I must be getting slower at my age,” mumbled Lilia sourly…then his eyes widened as he saw the shadows claws reach down to scoop up your unconscious form. The fanged creature’s glowing, gaping maw opened wide, as it dangled your puny form over the abyss, intent on swallowing you alive. “NO!” screamed Grim. “LEAVE THEM ALONE!” The Shadow seemed to grin evilly. While Lilia and Grim watched with horror as it started to lower you into its ghastly jaws, Felix half-lay on the ground…a cold, unfeeling expression on his own face. It seemed like this would be the end for you…but then a single word cut into the forbidding scene, interrupting all action. “Stop.” It was not shouted. It was not uttered in desperation. Instead, the word was spoken with icy conviction and stern firmness. This, perhaps, was why the Blot Shadow halted in its intended meal, and turned its glowing green eyes downward. The ink monster scowled as it looked down to see Elias Inque - swaying slightly on his feet, his skin deathly pale, sweat smearing his brow from whatever curse had been inflicted on him - glaring up with a frosty gleam behind his purple-tinted spectacles. “Put them down,” he growled, viciously. The Blot Shadow just roared back at him. Eli responded with a dramatic battle cry of his own, which made the beast jump back in apparent surprise. “I AM THE PHANTOM BLOT!” screamed Elias. “ME! You are a cheap copy; a hollow, beastly husk of my own real might and ability. Whatever you are, and however you came to be from me, you are NOTHING compared to the true article. You think I’ll allow myself to be bested by some faker?! I THINK NOT!”

So saying, Elias Inque spread out his arms, mumbled some unholy chant…and in a moment, his body seemed to be shrouded in a cloak of ink, with an Executioner-style hood covering his face. Lilia and Grim smirked as they saw the dog boy’s glowing eyes behind the cowl. “Now THAT,” Grim snickered, “Is the Phantom Blot.” Elias thrust out one hand, and sent a cannon-like blast of pure blot launching towards the ink monster. It splattered across the creature’s face, gunking up its own glowing green eyes; the demon howled and clawed at the sticky goop, the hand that grasped you dropping your body fast. You might have been sorely injured had you hit the ground, but instead, Lilia pounced forward and - with all the graceful majesty of a leaping panther - caught you before you could smack into the forest floor. “Felix!” he shouted. “Get the Prefect out of harm’s way! We’ll handle this.” “Yes, Vice-Housewarden!” said Felix, whose cold-blooded expression had disappeared before anyone could notice it. He held you bridal style, and hurried to carry you away…glancing back just once with a rather annoyed look at Elias before disappearing into the shadows of some nearby bushes. Elias staggered back, breathing heavily as he halted his attack. His inky cloak was already growing drippy and at risk of fading away; whatever had happened, it left him feeling drained and exhausted, as if his own life’s blood had been drawn from his arteries. The Shadow had, by now, torn away the glue-like ink and let out a ghostly, bloodcurdling sound of vengeance. It lifted its claws high over its head, intending to smash them down and rend Elias to shreds. Lilia, however, was quick to react. “Grim!” he shouted. “Together, now!” Grim nodded, and blew a jet of blue fire at the demonic entity. The Blot Shadow hissed and whirled about, intent on attacking the little monster…but then Lilia thrust out his magic rod, and began to launch shot after shot of icy spears at the creature. The Shadow let out a confused, hysterical warbling noise; with frosty cold freezing it on one side, and crematory-level heat melting it on the other, the inky beast couldn’t focus! “Finish it, Elias!” snapped Lilia. “YOU HAVE TO FINISH IT NOW!” Elias nodded. The Phantom Blot wasn’t sure how he knew what he was about to do would work…but, nevertheless, he somehow knew it was what had to happen. “I don’t know just what you are, but you came from me,” he snarled. “SO BACK INTO ME YOU GO! RETURN HOME!” He thrust out both hands…and what looked like a pair of fanged maws formed where his fists had once been. The mouths opened, revealing a ruddy glow, like some internal furnace…then, a bellowing, mechanical sound - like some enormous vacuum cleaner - echoed across the area. The Blot Shadow let out a desperate, panicked scream as its inky form was drawn towards the Phantom’s mouths. The suction caught it by the tail-end of its ghostly form, and it clawed at the air, as if trying to grab hold of the clouds themselves, as it went spinning in two separate parts into the glowing spaces. Halfway through, the creature split clean in two, the head vanishing and becoming naught but two long, scrambling, taloned limbs. The hands clawed at the air one last time before disappearing completely, as the creature was sealed away from whence it came. The moment the Blot Shadow disappeared, Elias Inque’s hands changed back to normal…and a few seconds later, the shroud of the Phantom Blot disappeared, leaving Elias, himself, standing there. He panted, his eyes crossed, swaying even more than before where he stood…and let out a single, short belch. “URP…ugh…end scene,” he groaned…and flopped onto the ground like a dead fish.

Lilia and Grim hurried to Elias’ side, trying to wake him up. As they struggled in this endeavor, Felix - still holding you in the underbrush - smirked with clear interest. “Intriguing,” murmured the yellow-eyed young man. “It seems the students of Night Raven College are stronger than I thought.” With a malevolent cackle, Felix shrugged…then turned away and carried you off, heading to infirmary. He had a lot to think about.

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You felt the world begin to re-establish itself, as your eyes blearily opened. Your head felt sore, and when you reached up, you realized it was bandaged. Frowning, you started to sit up and looked around; you were in the school infirmary of Night Raven college, lying on one of the beds. A thrumming vibration against your legs caught your attention. You looked to see its source and smiled; Grim lay curled up over your shins on the covers of the bed. “He hasn’t left your side since we got here, I’m told.” You looked to the source of the sound, and gave a wider, albeit rather tired, sort of smile. “Eli,” you sighed out, as you saw the half-dog laying on the infirmary bed beside you. You frowned, worry creasing your brow. “What happened to the Blot Shadow?” Elias shrugged weakly. “We defeated it,” he said simply, and turned his head away to stare at the ceiling. “Thankfully, neither of us was hurt TOO badly; you apparently have a mild concussion after your fall, but Nurse Mimzy thinks you should be back on your feet soon enough. In the meantime, I’d lie back down; rest is what you need. You nodded, then bit your lip as you rested back against the pillow. “How about you?” you asked at length. Elias’ green eyes hardened. His face was set in a puzzled, angry sort of expression. “Magical Anemia,” he answered, softly.

“What?” you almost choked on your own spit. “Anemia is when you don’t have enough red blood cells in your system,” he informed you. “I know what it is, but what do you mean by MAGICAL Anemia?” Elias paused, then sat up in his own bed, rather unsteadily, before turning his head to look down at you. “You know that magical power is connected to one’s life force, right?” “Yes,” you replied. “That’s why its dangerous to Overblot: your system gets leeched of magic, spilling it every second you breathe, until nothing is left but a phantom: an empty, mindless husk of your former self.” Elias nodded. “Magical Anemia is exactly what it sounds like: it’s as if my power has been fractioned heavily. Whatever that thing was, however it appeared, it leeched something out of me…and then, when I changed in order to fight it, I used up my last reserves. I can’t even so much as make a feather float without passing out; until my energy boots back up again, I am confined to this infernal cot.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” you said, sympathetically. In a world of magic, having no ability to use even minor spells must have been galling, especially under the circumstances. “I’ll live,” sighed Elias, and melodramtically flopped back onto his bed, draping one arm across his face. “But alas and alack, till I recover I cannot so much as LOOK at my beloved stage…I asked Silver to bring me some of my Shakespeare, at least then I can have something to occupy my time…” You giggled despite yourself. Elias smiled at the sound, but you both turned solemn again quite soon. “What do you think happened?” you asked, seriously. “I have no idea,” Eli answered, shaking his head. “But I have this sinking feeling it’s not going to be an isolated incident.” You gulped nervously. Elias scowled, his face becoming a stoic look of dangerous determination. “No one ‘overshadows’ the Phantom Blot,” he vowed. “As soon as I get out of here, I’m going to start looking for answers.”

“I’ll help you,” you promised, and extended your hand across the space between the beds. “Whatever happened here, we won’t allow it to happen to anyone else if we can help it. Right?”

Elias smiled and reached out with his own hand.

“Right,” he promised with a firm nod.

The two of you withdrew your hands, and you raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“So…since we’re both stuck here for a bit…why don’t we start with you telling me your theories. Have you got any ideas on where we can start when we’re out of this place?”

Elias frowned. He turned his head in his bed to look out of the window behind him.

Green eyes glared as he spotted a familiar figure, with oil-colored hair and yellow eyes, walking along the grounds. Their yellow eyes danced with strange light, which contrasted with their demure appearance. He bared his fangs, eyes narrowing as he watched them disappear in the direction of Headmage Crowley’s tower.

Elias Inque’s green eyes flashed with a familiar, almost feral glow. A vengeful hiss left the teeth of the Phantom Blot.

“Oh, trust me…I have a few ideas…”

TO BE CONTINUED…